Tokyo Ghoul:reBIRTH

"The Auction is coming up at the end of the month, so we've got plenty of time to prepare." Nishiki said, looking over some plans that were laid out on the table. "Nutcracker usually frequents a small bar in the 12th Ward, that's where she finds her items."

Kaneki looked over the plans. The plan was rather simple, they would try to get Nutcracker to accept their help, as a sort of part-timer and the sort, and infiltrate the auction that way. Of course, it wouldn't always be simple, as Nutcracker seemed to be very picky, gathering subjects that the auctioneers would find interesting.

"So, how do we get at her?" Ginshi asked, scratching the back of his head. "Just waltz right up and say, 'Hey, lady! We want a job working at the auction! Can you set us up?'"

"I wish it were that simple." Nishiki sighed, shaking his head. "Like I told you earlier, she's very picky, that and she tries to stick with the list of preferences of those that frequent the auction partake in. Believe me, that's a hell of a list."

"So..." Tooru's shoulders slumped, sighing himself. "We have no idea how to get her to bring us to the auction."

"Maybe if we could gather information on what Nutcracker is after, then maybe we can find a way to have her sneak us in." Kaneki suggested, a hand at his chin. "Nishio-senpai, you said that she follows a list of preferences, right?" The Bikaku Ghoul nodded. "Do you know any of the preferable items that are on the list?"

"No." Nishiki replied. "But, I do hear they sell Ghouls every now and then, but only as muscles for higher, like slaves and whatnot."

"And if the item being sold is a One-Eyed Ghoul?" Kaneki inquired further, earning confused looks from the Quinx.

Nishiki was silent for a while. "...I imagine they'd be fighting tooth and nail for one of them."

"Are One-Eyed Ghouls really that rare?" Tooru asked, tilting her head in confusion. She understood that One-Eyes were hybrids between humans and Ghouls, and that they were far stronger, hell the One-Eyed Owl was proof of that, having killed several Special Class and Associate Special Class Investigators.

"The only One-Eyed Ghouls I know about are Kaneki, that Owl bastard, and those twins that Kaneki ran into two years back." Nishiki answered. "Though, as far as I know, the Owl is the only natural born One-Eyed Ghoul. Kaneki and the twins are artificial."

"So, wouldn't we count as One-Eyes or something?" Ginshi offered. "I mean, we only got one Kakugan, and we've got Kakuho's in us."

"True, but you have Quinque cases." Kaneki reminded them. "I'd say you guys are more like pseudo-One-Eyed Ghouls. Although, because of the single Kakugan, you'd definitely pass for one."

"Well, One-Eyes are certainly eye-catching (no pun intended) and delicious, from what I know." Nishiki shrugged. "Nutcracker would definitely pick those up, list or no list. Still, we can't just rely on that."

"True..." the former Investigator hummed in agreement before he recalled. "Actually... Ginshi, didn't you manage to gather information on Torso with Urie?"

"Eh?" Said Ukaku Quinque user blinked in confusion, wondering why he was asking about something like that before answering. "Yeah...?"

"How did you get that information?"

"From some chick named Chie." Ginshi told him. "Though, she wanted something weird in exchange for it."

"You mean my underwear?"

"EH?!" Ginshi's eyes widened, leaping back with his arms in a strange pose. "H-HOW'D YOU KNOW?!"

"Never underestimate a Ghoul's sense of hearing." Kaneki grinned. "So, did she say why she wanted my underwear?"

"Damned if I know. Something about getting her role model back into shape."

Kaneki frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as he tried to think. Obviously, Chie had quite a bit of information, that much was obvious if she had info that CCG didn't on Torso. It also appeared that she and the servant of Tsukiyama, Kanae if he recalled, seem to know each other. Still, why would you give underwear to your role model so that he could back into shape? Actually, now that he thought about it, he felt as if he's heard of this girl before. Her information was...

Kaneki's eyes widened at the realization. Nishiki also appeared to have figured it out, as he let out an audible groan and slapped his hand over his forehead, dragging it down his face. "Oh, you have GOT to be shitting me..."

"Well, I'm glad to know Tsukiyama-san is doing well..." Kaneki sweat-dropped, chuckling nervously as he scratched his cheek. "Not sure how I feel about him sniffing my underpants though..."

"Wait, you know who that girl's role model is?" Tooru asked in surprise.

Kaneki nodded. "If it is who I think it is... Well, let's just say I think we've found how to get inside the auction."

The cafe was rather plain and moderate, in comparison to :re or Anteiku. There were a few lamps hanging from the ceiling, several square tables with chairs surrounding them. Small thin walls stood between a few of them, in order to provide the guests with privacy.

"Ohayo, Investigators!" a cheerful voice exclaimed nearby. The group turned to see a tomboy hanging around near one of the tables at the window, bearing brown hair and eyes with a camera hanging around her neck. "Come for more info?"

"Yo, Chie." Ginshi greeted, grinning as they walked over to their table. "Thanks for the scoop on Torso from the other day."

"Eh, don't worry about it." Chie assured him, waving her hand about before noticing the others' presences. "Oh, brought some friends?"

"Tooru Mutsuki." the eyepatch Quinx greeted, bowing his head. "Very nice to meet you, Chie-san."

"Heh, polite, aren't you?" the tomboy grinned as she snapped a shot of Tooru, much to his surprise. "Ooh, nice~"

"Yo, brat." Nishiki greeted, earning a mock glare from Chie.

"Nice to see you too, snake boy."

Kaneki raised an eyebrow. "Snake boy?" he muttered before offering her his hand. "Ken Kaneki, formerly First Class Investigator Haise Sasaki."

Chie's eyes widened, looking at him, then back at his hand, and then back at him before smiling, her hand clasping around his. "Chie! It's nice to finally meet you, Kaneki-san!" she stated as she let go of it. Finally the group took their seats, making their orders when the waiter came by. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure, o great Mukade-sama?"

"Mukade?" Ginshi frowned. "Isn't that centipede?"

"Yeah." Nishiki confirmed. "It's the nickname CCG gave Kaneki when they encountered him with his Kakuja."

"We need information." Kaneki didn't bother to beat around the bush and went straight to the point, placing one arm on the table as he leaned in. "Specifically, the items of preference that Nutcracker wants for this month's auction."

"Nutcracker, huh?" Chie hummed as she began to clean the lens of her camera. "I know quite a bit about her. She's supposed to be Big Madam's right hand girl, gets what she needs, and then sells them off. Strangely, though, Big Madam also participates in the auctions."

"The woman who runs the auctions participates in them?" Tooru frowned. "Why?"

"Technically, she doesn't run the auctions." Chie corrected him. "Big Madam runs a Ghoul Restaurant, much like my role model in the past. Some of the poor guys she wants to serve up are among the items that Nutcracker gets."

"And what is she after this time?" Nishiki asked.

"Let's see..." The tomboy turned away from her camera, digging into the backpack sitting next to her. She rummaged around in it before she produced a slip of paper. "This month, Big Madam wants an actor, a chef, a serial killer, a masochist, lord knows why, a cute girl, and finally, a doll like girl."

"...A serial killer?" Ginshi deadpanned alongside Nishiki. "Seriously?"

Chie shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, don't look at me like I've got all the answers. I just know what she is after."

"Okay then..." Kaneki closed his eyes. "These biddings... depending on who is being sold off, how much money is usually bid on average."

"Usually around 1 million."

Ginshi and Tooru's eyes widened. "A million?!" the blonde Quinx shouted.

"Holy crap...!" Tooru gawked, unable to believe that Ghouls would pay so much for a single individual.

"Alright then... If a One-Eyed Ghoul was being sold off, how much would the bidding go?"

"At best?" Chie giggled. "Probably at ten million." Ginshi and Tooru's jaws dropped further, while Nishiki choked on his coffee. "I take it that's all?"

"Yeah." Kaneki nodded as he stood up, placing money for the coffee on the table. "Thank you for the info. So, what exactly is it you want in exchange? Last time when Ginshi and Urie asked you about Torso, you wanted my underwear in exchange."

Chie didn't answer. Instead she just stood up, walked over to him, and draped her arm around his shoulder, pulling him down to her height.

Snap.

"I think this will do!" Chie grinned while Kaneki blinked, rubbing his eyes to try and get the light from the camera's shutter out of his eyes. "Thank you for your patronage! Come again~"

Nishiki sighed, shaking his head as he and the Quinx left the table, heading towards the door. "Weird woman..." he muttered under his breath. "Oi, Kaneki. Come on, let's go."

"Y-yeah." Kaneki nodded, finally getting rid of the spots in his eyes. Just as he was about to follow after them, he stopped in his tracks and turned back to Chie. "Hey, Chie-san."

"Hm?"

"Can you do something for me?"

"Depends." Chie shrugged. Kaneki leaned in, whispering something in her ear before turning to leave. "Please pass that on to Tsukiyama-san."

Chie grinned mischievously as she bid Kaneki farewell. Once leaving the store, the former Investigator caught up with his friends. "What took ya, Sas-san?" Ginshi asked. "Did ya forget to give the guys back there a tip?"

"No, just a small mishap is all." Kaneki answered. Ginshi raised an eyebrow, but relented. "Thanks to Chie-san, we now have info on what Nutcracker is after."

"Kind of a weird list if you ask me." Nishiki said. "Though, considering this is Big Madam we're talking about, I'm not surprised."

"So, how exactly are we going to get to Nutcracker?" Tooru asked. "Do you have a plan, Sasaki-senpai?"

"Indeed I do." Kaneki smiled, gaining a small bounce in his step.

"Really?" Nishiki said, surprised that Kaneki already had a plan formed. "So, what's the plan?"

"Simple, Nishio-senpai!" Kaneki's smile became a grin. "We become girls!"

That comment alone caused Nishiki, Ginshi, and Tooru to stop in their tracks, their faces mirroring one another in the form of plain disbelief, and a collective statement.

"...Huh?"

Chie couldn't help but whistle a small tune as she entered the small apartment she had rented near Kamii University, heading for the small room she had in her living quarters in the building. Because of her hobby, she needed a small working space to produce her photos.

The room was completely red, strings hung all over the place with photographs of various scenes and people hanging on said strings, bound to the walls via thumbtacks. Chie already went to work, trying to produce the pictures in her camera and placing the papers containing the images in the baths. It was a rather long, yet simple process.

Even still, she couldn't wait to show her role model this. She could literally just imagine him jumping around in joy and screaming his head off before running out of his house to find his precious Kaneki. The message she was asked to deliver to him would also be a large factor. The only problem in this grand master plan was Kanae, but she could deal with him somehow. Besides, he was probably busy trying to find an excellent dish to serve to Tsukiyama in hopes to bring him out of his mourning and to forget Kaneki.

"Heehee...!" Chie giggled like a madman once the faint lines of the picture were beginning to form, showing a confused and startled Kaneki and Chie standing next to each other, her arm draped around his neck, and a large grin on her face. "Man, you are just gonna love this, Tsukiyama-chan~"

Elsewhere, a man sitting in his bed suddenly sneezed violently, nearly throwing himself out of his bed. "Am I... catching a cold?"

-Chapter END (9) Encounter-