Sierra: Yay, new chapter and for once, I actually have the plot thought out ^_^

Neku: I'm scared . . .

Sierra: Don't be, Neku. Enjoy the story ^_^

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Chapter 2

Neku woke up in the Scramble Crossing, people walking over and through him. He looked around, seeing that no one noticed the teen sitting in the middle of the crosswalk. Neku's pupils dialated in realization and sure enough, a third Player Pin had made its way into his hand. He clenched it in his fist.

I died . . . again? But how? I don't remember . . . did Joshua kill me? No, I haven't seen him in a year. Maybe it was that Jesus kid . . . Crap! I have to find a partner!

Neku quickly made his way to Hachiko and yelled, "Hey! Anyone need a partner?" Of course, he was ignored. Neku began to panic. He needed a partner to play the Reaper's Game; without one, he would be erased.

And just when Neku was about to have a breakdown, someone tapped him on the shoulder. Without even looking at the person, he whipped around and shouted, "Make a pact with me!"

The person raised an eyebrow and then smiled. "Alright."

With a flash of light, the deed was done. Neku was now partners with a complete stranger or so he thought. Neku took a deep breath and let it out before turning to his new partner. He gasped, "Jesus?"

"Who else would I be?" The holy named boy questioned.

Neku's eye twitched. He hoped it was a dream, but this was real. Jesus was standing right in front of him. There was no Beat in a burger costume or Joshua dressed as Princess Tutu like in his usual dreams.

Neku snapped out of his Joshua Cosplay fantasies and asked Jesus, "Why are you here?"

"I died, Silly. There's no other way to end up in the UG." Jesus laughed.

"How wrong you are," Neku mumbled before focusing on him again, "But I just saw you last night."

Jesus smirked. "People die all the time, Neku, but I just happened to die while protecting you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't remember?" Jesus got up on the base of Hachiko and sat down, crossing his right leg over his left. "After you stomped off, I ran after you and saw a man with a gun following you. I somehow got in front of the gun and took the first shot. I guess you ended up taking the second-"

Jesus was cut off by a beeping noise coming from Neku's pocket. "The mission!"

"Hey, I was trying to be dramatic here!" Jesus pouted.

Neku ignored Jesus and flipped open his phone. "Game I: x = 30 + 74, t = 60 min. Incompletes will be destroyed." He felt the familiar pain of the timer being etched into his hand before noting the familiarity of the mission. "It's the same mission Pi Face gave us on Day 1."

"Is that a clown's name?" Jesus asked.

Neku shook his head. "No, but close. Sho Minamimoto, a math loving, homicidal maniac. Anyway, we need to get to 104."

"You've already figured out the mission? You're so smart, Neku."

Neku grabbed his wrist and led him back through the scramble crossing. As usual, there was a wall before they could get to 104. Tenho was the reaper in charge of the wall and he was surprised to see Neku.

"I haven't seen you in a year, buddy. You're back in the game?"

"Unfortunately," Neku sighed.

Jesus blinked. "Eh? Neku, you're a game veteran?"

Neku ignored Jesus again and asked Tenho, "What do we have to do to clear the wall?"

Tenho remembered why he was standing there in the first place and responded, "Oh, right! Want past this wall? Then take down these noise!"

Neku turned to Jesus. "You know how to fight?"

Jesus giggled, "Not really, but I'm sure It will be easy to pick up. I'll just follow your lead."

Neku put on some of the pins he earned back during his first three games and smiled at the nostalgic feeling they brought. The first one was the Pyrokinesis pin from Shiki and next to it was the Cure Drink pin Beat and Rhyme gave him. After those were more powerful pins, like Lightning Moon and The Eyes Have It, but they still gave him the same feelings.

"I'm ready," Neku said and was soon thrown into battle.

Jesus took a look at the Noise. "Ah, real monsters!"

"Shut up and fight!" Neku rained fire and lighting down upon the Noise. Even though, it had been a year, Neku hadn't lost his spark. Jesus was stung by a Jelly Madchester, but Neku re-stocked their shared health with the Cure Drink while finishing off the last monster.

They arrived back at the wall where Tenho was standing. Jesus smiled at Neku. "Thank you for healing me."

"I was healing both of us," Neku grumbled before walking through the now cleared wall, Jesus in tow.

They entered the area and the timer on Neku's hand vanished. He stared up at the 104 building and wondered if Shiki and the others were shopping. "Hey," Neku said, getting Jesus' attention, "do you mind if I make a quick shopping trip?"

Jesus shrugged. "The mission is over. I don't see why-"

"Sohcahtoa."

Neku's eyes widened at the phrase and he slowly turned around to see none other than Sho Minamimoto. "You . . . w-we killed you."

"That's what you said last time, you factoring hectopascal!" Sho raised his non-tabootied arms up to the sky and continued to gloat, "Did you not factor my invincibility into the equation?"

Neku clutched his head. "This isn't possible. Even if you came back, Joshua would have-"

"He didn't have time to react to this solution." Sho cut in. "My strength was multiplied, so I subtracted him from his position as Composer."

"You killed him?" Neku shuttered at the thought of someone as powerful as Joshua being killed.

Sho smirked, enjoying the fear radiating off Neku. "That's for you to factor because he's your entry fee."