SOLITAIRE || AIB || OC

Akira Mitsumi - Locker keys

Akira had to be the one to fix this - it was her job, backup, right? Yet, she couldn't bring herself to move. She stared death in the eyes so often, yet, every time, she couldn't bring herself to move. She was a dead girl, yet again. She’d made all the wrong choices, yet again. This was it. 

Akira felt a firm hand grab her wrist, dragging her up the stairs. She heard gunfire tear through the air after them. They'd only stop once they were sure they were safe, three, maybe four floors up in the building. Akira leant on the balcony, panting as her legs trembled
“Why the hell are you saving me? I ain’t in the mood for owing you anything”
“You wouldn’t be owing me anything if you were dead, either.” Karube grunted, resting on the railing. “Besides. We only broke up. It ain’t like that gives me murderous intent. If that’s what you’re upset about.”

“Alright!!” 
A yell sounded from below them. Karube’s eyes widened, grip tightening on the railing
“Arisu - he’s alive! Goddammit, I worried about him so much!” Karube grinned. He took off running again - down the stairs. 
“Hey! Where the hell -?”
She grunted, moving haphazardly to follow him.He  was going to get himself killed, at this rate.

“Karube!” She heard Arisu yell, just as she turned the corner, coming face to face with “It”, again. Karube was grappling with “It’”, dangerously close to the stairs. Akira grimaced, as Karube forcefully rocked himself back, sending himself and “It” straight down - straight into her. 

“Kghhh…! Arisu, Run!” She could faintly make out Karube’s voice - she forced herself to struggle up. What the hell should she do? Run up a level? Run down a level? If she stayed here, Shed be shot. Karube was clearly in the same thought process… but, what the hell was he doing?Karube gripped the railing, hurtling himself over, He yelled as he fell, hitting his jaw on the railing below - he’d tried to grab it, Akira was sure of that. His screaming had stopped. Had he hit the ground? Was he dead, too? 

She heard another gunshot, hitting the wall next to her. Her eyes widened. It wasn’t the same gun as the one “It” had.. So.. who the hell was shooting at her?

“Yep, Still an amateur at this. Can’t Hit as easy as they do in the movies. “
It was the woman  from before- the one who was listening to music, pistol aimed directly between Akira and “it”. Akira glowered at her - Him? She really wasn’t sure, after hearing their voice - as she stood up fully.

“The hell you mean, ‘an amateur’?! You almost shot me!”
“I bought you time.” He said simply. Akira looked back down at “it”, who was starting to rise again. Her eyes widened, nodding at the man, as she darted down the stairs. God, she hated having to owe people. From behind her, she heard “it” struggle up, charging up the stairs - it was acting more like cornered prey, now charging wildly in a direct path. She heard an “oomph!” and a slam -  the man from before? Akira shook her head, continuing to run down the stairs. She didn’t have time -
Time. How long did she have left on this game, before it was game over? It couldn't be long, not long at all. But nobody had found the safe room.  They’d all been focused on “It” - She’d been focused on it. TIme would run out -  she could see it already. Everyone in this building would be dead, with not a soul to remember them. Yet, all she could think about was how tired, how thirsty she was - how her heart hammered in her chest. It had to work out. Everything had worked out so far, so it just..it had to. Akira couldn’t die. 

Yet time ticked by. It could be minutes, seconds till it was game over. She could hear commotion from the floors around her, above and below -  but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Were they fearing death, or embracing it? A chime sounded from one of the speakers above her, crackling and whining with feedback

“Attention to all players! 10 seconds remain until “game over”!  9…8…” 

The voice continued to count down, as Akira slid down the wall, squeezing her eyes shut. How would she die? She hoped it was painless. Maybe the laser wouldn't be so bad - better than the poor man from her first game. 

“3…2….” The voice halted. Crackling again. The commotion from above silenced - a single breath of silence hanging in the air. “ The game has been cleared. Players remaining: 7. Please, return to the lobby, and enjoy your evening!”

Akira began to laugh. She’d cleared this sick, sick game. She couldn't help but laugh - grinning into her knees. She was alive , with 5 more days left to live. She was invincible -  unstoppable. She could take on anything this twisted world threw at her. 

“..Hey, are you okay?”

Akira flushed bright red, looking up. She’d been so engrossed in her boasting, she’d hardly noticed the girl in front of her - the girl and guy from the lobby. Akira coughed awkwardly, looking at the two of them. 

“Yeah. Yes, Yeah, I'm good.”
“Do you.. Want a hand up? the game’s over”  The other girl mumbled, half-apprehensively.
“Nah” Akira would respond, standing up, an arm against the wall for support. She looked again at the pair in front of her, tilting her head slightly, as though expecting them to continue talking. The girl realised this, nudging the boy with her elbow.
“Ow! - Oh!” He’d exclaim, before leaping into conversation, words coming out at a bouncy, rapid pace “Well, I’m Tatta, That’s Lijuan.”
“Ak -” She cut herself off, scrunching up her nose. She was not used to giving out a fake name. “- Sorry. Maizuru. I’m Maizuru. Where's the big fella that was with you?”
“Big fella?” Lijuan tilted her head, thoughtfulness flitting across her face. Tatta made a vague hand motion - it looked half like he was flexing his muscles, and half like he was trying to draw a circle. Akira scoffed, but Lijuan laughed. 
“Oh, You mean Aguni.”
“Agony?” Akira blinked, shaking her head. What an odd name.
“Aguni.” Lijuan would repeat herself. Akira felt her cheeks pinken yet again.
“Right..” She’d mumble, looking to the side again. “Well, Where is he?”
Tatta and Lijuan exchanged glances.
“ We’re not .. allowed to say?” Tatta replied questioningly, tilting his head
“What? Seriously? Well, what the hell are you guys? Some sort of swim team?” 
Tatta snorted.
“Swim team? Well, I’m glad you think I look like a proper pro swimmer.” He grinned, stretching his arms out in front of him “But nah, seriously, why d'ya think that?”

Akira paused. Why did she think that? She could hardly remember what had happened in the lobby. She was being made look stupider by the minute, and she hated that. She crossed her arms in front of her, squinting slightly in thought as Tatta and Lijuan just stared at her. 
“You know..” She raised her arm limply, hoping something would come to her. Lijuan tilted her head.
“I know…?” She squinted in return, copying Akira’s expression. “You mean, the locker keys?”
“Shut up about the locker keys, Lijuan.”
“She’s asking about the locker keys.”
“That’s a secret. Don’t get the chick all excited for something she can’t know about.”

The three fell silent. Akira scowled. She was sick of not being told anything. She knew nothing about where she was, yet, she was just being denied more and more information. 

“I want to know.” She said, breaking the silence. She hoped her voice was authoritative enough to get the point across to the two across from her. Lijuan sighed.
“Tatta is right. We aren’t allowed to say anything”
“Strict orders from the number one, ya hear?” Tatta grinned, patting his chest proudly.
“The number one? S’that.. The agony guy?”
“Nah, Nah, Close. He’s second to the top. Then, it’s that Lawyer guy.. Then, uh.. is it the Guy with the piercings? Or the blonde chick.” He turned to Lijuan, tapping his chin in thought. Lijuan sighed again. She seemed to sigh a lot, Akira noted.
“‘Don’t tell her about the locker keys, Lijuan, that’s too much information, Lijuan’” She mocked, before letting out an embarrassed squeak, turning red. “Sorry. Uh.. Yeah, it’s the guy with the piercings.”

Akira let out a huff of amusement, raising an eyebrow
“So, there's a whole bunch of ya’?” She quizzed. Tatta raised his eyebrows, in an almost comical expression of surprise. He grabbed Lijuan by the arm, dragging her towards the lobby.
“Go, go, go. Let's go. We’ve said so much-”
“-You’ve said so much!”
“Nuh uh.”
“You have!” Lijuan protested,  pulling  free of Tatta for a second, yelling to Akira from the doorway.
“Hey, Maizuru! Check out the taxi driver radio channels sometime!” She said with a smile, before finally being pulled away from the building. 

Silence overfell the building again, before she heard the printer whirr to life yet again. Akira had forgotten about that. She groaned, grumbling expletives under her breath as she moved towards the printer. Her joints ached now the adrenaline had worn off. 

PLAYER - AKIRA MITSUMI
VISA DAYS REMAINING - 8

GAME ‘5♠’ CLEARED! 
 
PLAYER’S VISA HAS BEEN EXTENDED BY 5 DAYS.

5/07/2010 - 6:30PM.