Chapter 18, Tanaka-Alien’s Mission, Mission-Start.

Tokyo, Gantz’ apartment and Itabashi.

In this small 2DLK apartment was a young couple, the man arguing against the woman. Continuing what they had started on the man’s bike on the freeway, just before they died. The argument was only part of the crash. Second part of it was the sleeping-truck-driver, maybe drunk, that made the pileup jamming a passing car over their bike? Third part of it was the surprise of a young man so focused on his personal problems, he didn’t know he got off with the wrong passenger. Fourth part was the desire of the young woman, his personal stalker, to stay with him when he borrowed a bike to flee her. They never once looked at the old woman and the child already in the room.

Their argument turned short, when four bikers appeared in a short sequence. The bikers started to wonder if they were in a hospital. One tried to bully the grand-ma and the kid to have answers, while two others targeted the couple for the same reasons. Suddenly, they all stopped in their tracks.

A large group of people was appearing in front of them. All at the same time. Wearing some weird black suits and S-F’s lookalike weapons and helmets. When the tallest of them finished his teleportation, the last transfer of the night started. Takashi’s mise-en-scène talents were at work, as he appeared last and wordlessly, with a different suit than the rest of his team. To increase his image. The silence was heavy, as the bikers tried to appear intimidating in front of the bigger group. The confrontation was about blow out when the black ball activated.

YOUR LIVES

HAVE ENDED

HOW YOU USE YOUR

NEW LIVES IS

ENTIRELY UP TO ME

THAT’S THE THEORY, ANYWAY.

With Gantz’ usual speech of welcome delivered and the audience stunned, Takashi finally talked.

“Welcome. As you can confirm with this shitty welcoming message, you all encountered violent death shortly before coming here. I’m not the one who killed you. I’m not the one who chose to bring you here. I’m not the one who chose to give you this second chance as this message called it.

Now, all of you were selected by this program named Gantz. To make it short, aliens are invading earth and Gantz recruit people like you to fight them. We’re just like you. Only difference between you guys and us is that we came here way before you.”

During his speech, Takashi had the team and himself use the automatic takeoff system for their helmets. Wanting to show friendly faces.

“I now advise you strongly to put on the suits presented to you and to take a weapon before the system send us all out.”

As Takashi delivered his speech, his team accessed the black sphere, taking the noobs’ suit out for them.

The first newbie to contest was the young man, a twenty years old model.

“I can’t go outside wearing that...” He said with a cocky face.

He was brutally interrupted by on of the four thuggish bikers.

“What the hell are you talking about, is this a shady TV show? Where are the cameras?”

“You can weir the suit under you normal clothes, it won’t be a problem. As for your question sir, I can assure you that what’s happening now has nothing to do with television. Again I strongly advise you to put on the suits.” Said Takashi, with a deadly serious look.

As he said that, Kaze and Sei were busy taking the old lady and her grand-child in the kitchen to make them put on the suits. The two were afraid of everything that was happening and what could still happen. Kaze’s face being too wild, Sei dedicated herself to reassure them, telling the woman that nothing would happen to her and her grandchild. The young woman in love copied her crush when he finally decided to listen to Takashi’s advice, while others didn’t.

“Who do you think you’re to dictate us? Know who you punk are dealing with?” Said thug number 1, his face almost against Takashi’s. The group could see his hair cut, with the top of his hair black and the sides tainted purple.

“How about we play with their girls boss? That would teach this cunt some sense.” Continued thug number 2, lustfully licking his lips. The perv didn’t even wait for his boss’ approval as he walked against Anzu, driving her against the wall behind her.

Thug number 3 went for Reika while 4 went for Kishimoto. The fact that the girls didn’t show any fear in front of them seemed to excite them. They apparently wanted to teach them to fear and obey them.

Their attempts were cut short by the group’s reactions. And by group, we should say Kurono’s, Kato’s and Takashi’s.

In a fraction of a second, Kato found himself next to Anzu, his katana’s blade held against thug number 2’s jewels.

Thug number 4’s face got in a brutal encounter with Kurono’s fist, then the wall in the opposite direction, making his nose bleed heavily.

Thug number 3 was making a very realistic levitation exercise with Takashi’s hand’s help around his throat.

A pissed-off Takashi then said out loud.

“Gantz, initiate simultaneous transfer for the group. Send a bike to Lady Croft’s and Muscle Rider’s location.”

“What do you think you’re doing asshole?” asked thug number 1 as he finally pointed a x-gun to Takashi’s head.

“Let him go!”

“Small head’s up, your weapons won’t work in here.” said Takashi, as he, thug number 1 and 2 disappeared along the rest of the group.

As they found themselves out of the apartment, Sei and Kaze saw a group of their targets coming over the bridge.

Said targets hadn’t spotted them, as they had activated their cloaking devices just before their transfer.

Taking the pilot’s place Sei started the bike while Kaze took the gunner’s position. On their internal channel, they exchanged about their plan.

The five Tanaka-aliens were walking peacefully on the bridge, when suddenly, three of their group was shoved faces first on the ground by an indomitable invisible force, killing them instantly. The last two didn’t fare better as their heads exploded at the same time, victims of Kaze’s fire. Having accomplished her objective, Sei didn’t slow down, looking for more targets as the evader civilian pedestrians and cars.

A little away from them, at the time when the transfer ended. Takashi was asking a little question to thug number 3.

“What flies badly, smells like shit and scream like a bitch?”

“Let me go you piece of...” “Let him go assho...”

“Wrong answer!” Interrupted Takashi, launching him with all the strength his training and the suit could produce.

Thug number 3 could only manage to fly about two hundred meters before the mission’s zone’s limit change his

name to numberless gory corps.

Shear surprise in front of this development froze thug number one, still holding his gun pointed at Takashi.

And as they witnessed the end of their friend, thugs number 1, 2 and 4 tried to maim Takashi, only to find themselves faced by the rest of the group’s guns.

“Either go hunt the aliens, or stay out of our way. I only warn people once.” Said Takashi, adopting the thuggish style of the people in front of him.