Hello, my readers and writers. I'm sorry this chapter took awhile to be posted. I actually finished this two days ago but I was on a family trip and I didn't have my laptop. I was also suffering from inspiration death but the trip actually helped a lot (we went to Disney World and boy was it HUMID). I should be able to update more often now. Oh and I'm also working on another original story (I don't know if I'll post it on FictionPress but if I do, I'll tell you guys). Without further adu, lets begin.

Another Game to Play

Chapter 4: Time to Team Up, Hitomu

Growls... croaking... looked like the Noise were here. I opened my eyes to see several wolf and frog Noise surrounding me. If this wasn't the Reaper's Game, I would have screamed. I would have looked for Shiro, but my instincts told me not to. He was still around but not beside me. "Alright, Noise... time to play!" I brought out my MP3, already picking one the pins.

As soon as I pressed "Shout", a deafening sound erupted from the ear buds. Somehow, the sound stunned some of the Noise. Time to strike. While the pin's sound raged on (but sligh faded), I switched to "Network Spider" and aimed my palm at one of the frogs. Lightning rushed out from my palm and shocked the frog. I moved my hand in sync with the lightning to the next target. Before I could shock another, several Noise disappeared from my sight. "Shiro." I couldn't help but smirk. He sure was a tough cookie.

The lightning disappeared. I peered at my MP3 and saw that the pin was dull. The word "REBOOT" was below it. "So it only works for awhile... dang it. Although, I had to figure as much." I glanced at the pins to see they were both rebooting. My only option was to run and dodge until one of them was available.

I turned around just as a wolf zoomed past me. Its claws were glistening in the light. "That was too close for comfort." The last frog disappeared into static. Whatever Shiro's psych was, he sure was showing these things who was boss. A small ring echoed from my MP3. I guess I should finish the last two off.

I peered at my MP3 again to see "Spider Network" was available. I pressed the start button and aimed my palm at both of the wolves. "Say good night." Lightning crackled and lashed out at the wolves. They howled in agony before disappearing into static. My surroundings became white once again. "I wonder why all of that had come so naturally to me..."

Once the flash faded, the sounds and the people returned. Shiro was at my side again too. He looked pretty tired, but then again, I probably did too. He glanced at his palm with the timer on it and grimaced slightly. I peered at my timer and gained the same feeling as Shiro. We lost thirty minutes fighting. We needed to figure out the mission and fast.

And in that instant, I fell to the ground as something bumped into me. I quickly jumped back onto my feet to see a girl about my age carrying a guitar. She had light brown hair that was about medium length in a ponytail, pale skin, and sea green eyes. She wore a light blue halter top under a black and white hoodie jacket and black capris. She also had on white running shoes that kind of looked muddy. To be truthful, she looked kind of pretty.

Close behind her, another girl followed behind and helped the brunette up. The second girl was tall and slender and had dark red eyes, freckles, and tanned skin. Her fiery hair was tied into messy ponytails. She wore a white, frilly baby-doll and brown balloon shorts under a baggy, long-sleeved, pink paint-splattered off-shoulder blouse. She also wore two crisscrossed maroon belts, rust colored thigh-highs, gunmetal grey flats, and finally, a black choker, and long-chord necklace with both having a heart shaped blue stone. To top off the fire head's look, a Gatito skull hair pin.

The fire head... where have I seen her before? The brunette stood up and helped me onto my feet. The brunette brought out a notepad and started writing something. I guess she was mute. When she was finished, she showed me it. "Sorry about that. We're in a hurry to finish the mission." They're Players too, makes sense since they could see and run into us. But they haven't figured out the mission either. Maybe we can help then.

"It's alright. We haven't figured out the mission yet either. I'm Hitoshi and the one next to me is Toshiro." Shiro grunted when I said his name. The brunette gave me a skeptical glance and I just shrugged it off. "It's alright. He gives me the distant act too. But who might you two be?" The brunette wrote on the notepad again.

"I'm Natsumi but don't call me Natsu. It's annoying," she wrote. Glad she wrote that or I might just ended up calling her that.

"My name's Ai. It's nice to meet other Players in this twisted game," the fire head replied with a smile. Ai... why does that sound so familiar too?

"Hey, Ai. You couldn't happen to... what was I going to say?" My thoughts just cut off right as the words left my mouth. This was weird. I didn't forget things this easily, but I just couldn't remember what I was going to say. "Anyways, forget my unfinished question. But I do have another one. Do you guys want to work together since we'll all die if we don't figure out the mission?" Not a happy question but we had to be serious about this. The girls looked at each other and both started writing on the notepad. I guess that was one way to have a private conversation. Shiro pulled me to him, obviously irritated with me.

"Why would you ask that?" Shiro asked, a vein pop appearing on his forehead. "We don't even know their psychs or if they're Reapers pretending to be Players." Okay, he had a point but... I just had a gut feeling that they were Players. As for being good at fighting, nothing yet.

"Come on, Toshiro. We both know if we don't finish this mission we die. AGAIN. Besides, the more the merrier," I said as Shiro sighed angrily. He really reminds me of Neku...

"Fine..." We looked at the girls to see they were waiting for us to finish talking.

"Well, we don't mind teaming up but does your partner mind?" Ai asked, gaining a cold glare from Shiro. It might have been me but it appeared as if she flinched at his action. "I'll take that as a no." She smiled at me and her partner. I glanced at her in the eyes but I couldn't read a thing. I really wished I had my ability.

"Let's think. The mission has to do with silencing something or someone. The followers are probably minor Noise." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Do you think it's a Reaper we have to stop?"

"I think it's Noise but a certain kind," Shiro added blankly. He sure didn't want to help but it was good he was trying.

"Maybe it's Noise but somehow a person or people are involved," Natsumi wrote quickly. We were all making good guesses but which one was right was another question. When we stopped talking, yelling could be heard in the distance. But it sounded like gibberish. Not like different language gibberish but just gibberish. We followed the sound until we ended up back in the Scramble Crossing. The man (or should I say teen) who was yelling had light brown, messy hair and light amber eyes. He had a smaller build than mine and wore a light golden shirt, jeans, and black shoes. The look in his eyes... it didn't seem normal.

"Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Ai asked as the teen's rants went on and on. No one answered but I didn't have a clue if this was a minion or the main target. Only one choice was available. I pulled out my MP3 activated my Player Pin, sticking the ear buds into my ears.

The sound that struck my ears was horrendous.

TIME REMAINING: 99:23 (1:39:23)

I know. I do too many cliffhangers. But I love putting suspense in. Anyways, I would like to thank everyone who sent in an OC. I know I promised a Reaper appearance, but I found out they wouldn't fit in the chapter so it will wait until next chapter. Sorry. If anyone is interested in hearing what my original story is about, just send me a PM. I don't know if the story is good so I want your opinions. As usual, I have no idea when the next chapter will be up but hopefully, it won't take too long. I hope you all have a great summer vacation if you're on it and you have a fun 4th of July. Until next time, bye for now!