Gantz: The beginning

Normality.

Nishi's footsteps echoed in the empty street; his suit was gone, left in the room along with their weapons. It was hard to tell whether the events of the previous few hours were real as he turned a corner onto a familiar street. He had walked down this path so often, but now it felt different as though something was tugging him back, pulling him; willing him to stop; despite this, he carried on, ignoring his subconscious. He wondered what had happened since the time of his jump. If I really am alive, then does that mean no one has noticed? Many questions needed answers, but he didn't have the energy to solve them all tonight. He stood in front of his house, he didn't know what time it was, but there was no doubt in his mind that his mother was probably worrying by now, and he sidestepped from the door to peek inside the window.

His mother was sitting on their red couch, she had tissues in her hand and seemed to be on the phone, so he strained his hearing. Her voice was inaudible due to her sobs, but he could still understand some of what she was saying. "Please, just check again - no, I don't - he's never this late – it's almost two in the morning!" Well, that confirmed the time. It wasn't hard to decipher the one-sided conversation; she was probably talking to the police. When he saw his dad walk into the living room, Nishi ducked a little when he turned in his general direction. Nishi sneered at the glass of what he assumed was whiskey, watching his dad's expression; Nishi knew the fact that he was 'missing' didn't bother him, no surprise there.

"Stop worrying, Emiko," his dad's voice was much clearer since he was closer. "He's probably just at a friend's house or something, losing track of time." Nishi rolled his eyes; it was obvious that his dad didn't know him very well, never really had; Nishi didn't have 'friends'; he couldn't bring himself to associate with any of his classmates because they were nothing but shallow, spiteful assholes. "No reason to get the cops involved yet." Another whiskey down, and already pouring another.

"How can you say that! Don't you know him at all? Do you have any idea what he goes through almost every day at that school? No, of course you don't. What if something has happened to him!"

She thinks something happened to me because of the bullies. Nishi sighed because there was never an impure thought in her head for him, it didn't even occur to her that he would take his own life, and Nishi felt incredibly guilty; it was a rare emotion for him, and he suddenly wanted to walk through the door and assure her that he was okay. But it was only thanks to the ball that he was alive; only thanks to the ball that he regretted his tragic act of suicide, and when Nishi raised his hand to knock, he suddenly stopped. The night played through Nishi's mind; the blood, the aliens; how could he possibly look his mother in the eyes after what he had done? Nishi's hand dropped to his side and curled into a fist. I can't go home. How could he tell his mother he was okay knowing he could transfer back to that room at any point and make her worry all over again. He didn't want to go back to her until it was all over......

"What do you think it means by ninety-five more to go, and you're done?" Yoko asked; it was a fair question, one they were all thinking.

"Maybe something happened once you reach a hundred points," Ryo replied.

Nishi walked forward and knelt in front of the ball to slap his hand on its side. "Hey! What happens when you reach one hundred points?" Nothing happened; the ball remained blank.

"What if," Ryo gulped, "what if we just die?"

"You think so?" Yoko suddenly felt more afraid than she did facing the aliens. "But, what's the point if we're just going to die when we get to a hundred?"

"We're just doomed to die, I guess," Ryo shrugged, though he was really panicking on the inside.

Yoko's eyes grew wide, and she grabbed his shirt to shout, "How the hell can you say that and be so calm!"