Note: My first time ever writing fanfiction! Thanks for reading!

Also, this was originally the second chapter, and what is now the second chapter was the first. I decided to switch them cause this one has a bit more action, but the story still makes sense in this order, so no worries.

Edit: To any returning readers who are concerned that this story looks different, I just changed the formatting a bit. The story is still the same though!


Ayato punches the investigator straight across the jaw, feeling the harsh impact of bone on bone contact with satisfaction. Feeble human, he scoffs internally as the man falls to the ground. "That's the last over here, Tatara."

Tatara, engaged in his own battle below, takes a brief moment to look up at him, his own opponent already wheezing on the ground. Seizing the opportunity for another kill, Ayato shoots the man down from his high vantage point before simply dropping off the rooftop to join the others, his kagune wings fully extended behind him to buffer his fall. The investigators thought they would be smart by shooting the ghouls down from a nearby building; Ayato brought an end to their efforts by simply flying up to join them. Stupid humans, you can't ever escape from me. As Ayato jumps from the rooftop, Tatara watches him, his eyes as cold as ever. But at least that's some emotion, as compared to the bottom half of his face, which lies covered by his mask, rendering him eternally unfeeling. Although, even without the mask, Tatara isn't the type for smiling.

As Ayato lands lightly, Tatara simply nods at him – no words, no praise, nothing – before turning to beckon the other leaders to join them. In the distance, Ayato spots the hulking figure of Yamori lumbering towards them, Naki following in his shadow. The Bin brothers too approach, although somewhat more gracefully. Even farther off, Noro looms over a pile of slain bodies, the white of his mask contrasting sharply with the dark hue of his cloak. While Tatara's mask covers his mouth, leaving only his eyes visible, Noro's gives him a constant, too wide smile and denies him of any eyes at all. It's a constant topic of discussion between the ghouls which of the two is more intimidating.

"Let's get out of here," Tatara orders as the others pull into hearing distance. "We don't want to be around when reinforcements from the main branch arrive."

Yamori cracks his knuckles in defiance. "Or we could stay and kill them all."

"No." Tatara's already begun to walk away, with Eto prancing after him. "We're leaving."

Without any further resistance, the others follow him. No one questions Tatara, after all. Still, Ayato looks back wistfully at the twisting alleyways which extend behind them before following. It's a small, simple action, but it's enough for Naki to notice. "Hurry up, asshole," the blonde taunts.

Ayato glares back at him. You little fucker, I'll kill you someday. "Shut up, dumbass."

Even this small disturbance is enough to make Tatara pause. He turns to look back at Ayato, his face blank, the question implied although technically unstated.

Ayato jams his hands into his pockets uncomfortably. "I'll meet you back at headquarters later." As an executive, he does technically have the right to go where he wants. It's his age and slim build that make the others doubt him. If I were Yamori, no one would question me, damn it. And I'm stronger than that fucker too.

Tatara nods at Ayato and begins to walk away again, the others following, although not without a rude gesture from Naki. And a rude gesture back from Ayato.

With the others gone at last, Ayato melts into the shadows of the adjacent alleyways, taking comfort in his assumed solitude. Although these passageways were once crammed full of ghouls, once the humans started learning to keep their distance, the ghouls left too. It simply wasn't profitable to live in a place with no prey. Of course, every now and then, some humans would show up again, and then the ghouls would follow. And then the humans would die, and the ghouls would leave. It was a constant cycle of death and rebirth, a cruel, ugly cycle. In general, the reputation stuck though; even now, most humans took care not to be caught in these areas alone. Once the rest of the doves arrived, they'd probably assume that their companions had been killed by the ghouls living here, and then, for a few short weeks, these alleys would be filled with investigators hunting down imaginary prey. For now though, they're quiet. And that's how I like them.

The words of his father echo in his mind. Live peacefully with the humans, Arata had tried to convince his children. It was on days like these, after fights like these which could hardly be called anything but slaughters, that these sentiments came back the strongest. You old fool, Ayato thinks, repelling the image of his father from his mind. You got killed. You were weak. But I refuse to be like you. I'll show that scum that ghouls are better than humans.

Nearly through the passages now, Ayato is surprised to find a human wandering towards him. It's a fat old man, oblivious to the world as he scrolls on his smartphone, his other hand clutching a briefcase, although not one large enough to hold a quinque. It's your lucky day, dumbass. If you'd passed by five minutes ago, I might have spared you, you know. Ayato leans against the side of the wall, waiting for the man to draw closer, his fist clenching in anticipation. But at this point, after all the people I've already killed today, another one like you won't matter. Besides, I'm hungry. Although they'd won their fight against the doves, it hadn't been an easy battle. Ayato could feel the exhaustion sinking in. He'd had to use his kagune for nearly the whole fight, and as a result, his regenerative powers weren't working as quickly as normal. He needed a meal, and fast. I guess you'll have to do, you old fucker.

As the man draws parallel to him, Ayato sticks out his foot, sending him sprawling to the ground. Not realizing his imminent death, the man reaches for his phone, which had gone skidding across the ground as he'd fallen. Laughing, Ayato kicks it out of his reach. "Idiot."

Finally comprehending his situation, the man looks up in horror at Ayato, still leaning casually against the wall with his hands in his pockets. "I– I don't have any money on me, I swear." In his position on the ground, he bends his arms up awkwardly, trying to raise them in surrender. "Just don't kill me, please. I've got a wife, and kids, please."

"Then those kids can grow up like me," Ayato hisses as he steps forward to stand over the man. "And it's pretty fucking obvious that you've got money when you carry around a briefcase like that, dumbass. But lucky for you, I don't give a shit about money." He leans down, putting his ear above the man's. "Ghouls like me don't care about money."

As the man opens his mouth to scream, Ayato calmly places his boot against the man's neck. In one quick move, the man lies dead on the ground, his head severed from his body. Well that was dull. Ayato makes no effort to drag the man's body into the shadows or otherwise hide it; after all, there's no one else here. Instead, he nonchalantly rips the man apart piece by piece, smearing and dripping blood all over the ground. As he finishes up, a light snow begins to fall. Perfect. It'll cover all the evidence. He kicks the remains of the man over to the side, behind a rusty old garbage can. It's just where scum like you belongs.

By now, the snow is falling harder. Ayato pauses for a moment to breathe in the crisp, cold air, allowing it to revitalize him. I used to play in the snow with you, Aneki. Not wanting to return to the Aogiri headquarters yet, he allows his body to slide down to the floor, gently resting his back against the wall behind him, and putting his hands, still stained with blood, out to catch the snowflakes. For a few minutes, he rests there, letting the snow blanket him and numb his soul. It isn't until he hears footsteps approaching that he's brought back to reality.

They're light footsteps, although they seem rushed. Peeking around the garbage can, Ayato spots a girl, probably around his age, hurrying down the alleyway, her head down to protect her face against the cold. Her long, black hair streams out behind her, being buffeted back and forth by the winds. Although she's wrapped in a winter jacket, it's obvious that she's thin, although not overly so. My, my, you look fucking delicious. Much better than that fat man. Still, Ayato remains seated on the floor. It's not as though he needs to eat more right now, and honestly, the memories of his father and sister are making him feel nostalgic. I'll let you go this once, kid. You'd better be fucking grateful.

He tucks his feet in close to his body, hoping the girl won't see him and ask him any questions. I don't need your sympathy, human. And trust me: you don't want to give it to me. Abruptly, however, the girl's footsteps stop. After waiting for a few seconds, Ayato peeks around the trashcan again. The snow, which was pristine just a few moments ago, lies strewn about, the blood underneath revealed. Her back to him, the girl stoops on the ground, clearly examining the marks. You dumb little girl, I hate it when you fucking humans pretend you're so smart.

Pulling himself up from the ground, Ayato makes his way over to the little cottage at the end of the alleyway. I suppose I'll kill you after all, dumbass. As he waits for the girl to notice him, he puts one foot up on the little fence that's been set up there, leaning against it impatiently. He pushes his hands, now half frozen and quite free of blood thanks to the snow, back into his pockets. For all her playing pretend at being an investigator, the girl takes a solid ten minutes before she even looks up and notices him waiting there. The instant she does, her body goes rigid. That's right, be afraid. So far you've got that over that idiot old man, at least. Slowly, the girl stands up, turning her body to face him. Briefly, Ayato wonders that she isn't immediately running away or screaming for help, but those thoughts are quickly lost in his anticipation of the hunt. Well, well, this looks fun. He smirks, pleased that the girl doesn't seem as weak as the rest of her pathetic species.

As the girl walks towards him, he stands unmoving, restraining himself with every step closer she draws. On her back, she has a huge, tattered backpack, far too large for her small body. It reminds him of Yamori, with the tiny little tools he insists on using despite his massive frame. As she approaches, he's again surprised to see the seemingly unafraid look on the girl's face. More than anything else, she seems resolved, purposeful. By this time, she's so close that their breaths, fogging up in the cold air, practically collide. Just one more step, he wills himself. Just let her take one more step, and then you can have her. She'll be no match for you anyways, with a fragile little body like that. Might as well have a little fun here while I can.

But it's the girl who makes the first move. Stopping a mere six feet from Ayato, she suddenly swings her backpack around. With alarming speed, she pulls a briefcase out of it, unlatches it, and reveals a glistening blue quinque. Somewhat stiff from standing still in the cold for so long, and still unhealed from the recent battle against the investigators, Ayato jumps back much less quickly than he's accustomed to as she makes her first attack, swinging her weapon at his side, and barely manages to get himself out of reach. Even slower is his mind, reeling in surprise. This little bitch is a dove?


Disclaimer: I absolutely do not own any part of the Tokyo Ghoul franchise in any way.

Note: This story is sort of alternate universe-ish. The main canon characters will be Touka and Ayato. Naki will also be here, but mostly as an annoying brat. The other Anteiku and Aogiri members will have minor roles, although Nishiki will not be included as part of Anteiku, mostly because I have no idea how to portray his personality. Therefore, this story obviously does not fit into the canon timeline, since Naki only rejoins Aogiri after the prison raid, which Nishiki takes part in. Kaneki, Tsukiyama, Rize, the clowns, and the CCG do exist in this timeline, but will probably not play a significant role.