Chapter 10: Blood Lounge

Lin was quick about pulling the stakes out from my Rinkaku. "Be gentle! Be gentle!" I groaned the words out through clench teeth. Once my Rinkaku slithered into back into my body he got the chains off me. When I tried standing I nearly fell from the lack of not using my legs for a while.

Lin caught me before I fell and helped me straighten up. He asked me, "Can you walk?"

"Yeah I can. I didn't think my hunger as a Ghoul would weaken me this much."

"Well it's already been two days they haven't fed you. Don't worry I'll get you some flesh once we get out of here."

"Can we get out of here unnoticed?"

"Everyone is finally asleep. Even Laughing Blood and that guy is usually a night owl."

"Good, let's get out of here then."

I followed him out of this torture room and into a slightly lit hallway. I know the room I was trapped in was pretty dark too. "Why do you Clowns like to live in darkness?" I asked quietly to Lin.

"Most of us feel better in the darkness. Humans fear it more now that they know we're the ones who lurk within it."

"Not a very happy life then."

We took a left which leads to a bigger room that's up ahead. "Isn't the exit the other way?" I asked.

"This is mostly our escape root that we barely use. It's better than walking out the front door."

Lin suddenly stopped, "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I need you to close your eyes. You'll won't like the next room."

"Okay."

I closed my eyes and he took hold of my right wrist to guide me into this room he doesn't want me to see. When we entered the room though a huge scent of blood hit me hard! I wanted to gag but my Ghoul side was finding it tantalizing. "Keep your eyes closed." said Lin, "We'll be out of here quick."

Even though he was guiding me. I stepped into something that's liquid and I slip as I fall to the ground, only to have more of it cover me. I was about to open my eyes until Lin cover them quick with his hand. "I'm sorry, Doctor! Come on we're almost to the exit."

He helped me stand back up and guided me out of this awful room. Once Lin said, "Okay, you can open your eyes again." I open them and look at myself. Besides my own, I have more blood on me now. Of all my 926 years I was never once covered in blood. I had blood on my hands because of all the people I let down. Though never was I ever once literally covered in it... It's sickening.

"I'll get you washed up once we're outta here okay?" said Lin, "Come on we gotta get-," Before he could finished his sentence. All of a sudden Lin was thrown against me as we were sent back into the room. This time I didn't have my eyes closed. What I saw all around me are humans staked, wired, dismembered, skinned! This room is the embodiment of horror gore!

The sight of it became too much for me that I vomited on the floor. "Shadow Puppet, how could you?" said the voice of Laughing Blood, "The Doctor is my new toy. You can't just steal my things without permission. That's very rude!"

When Lin stand up he unleased his Black Ukaku, "I can't let you torture him anymore!"

"Now Shadow Puppet. Since when have you developed sympathy for other Ghouls?"

"...I made a promise. I can't break it now!"

Lin rush towards him as the two attack each other. "This is weird, even for Shadow Puppet." said Shian as she appeared next to me.

"What do you mean?"

"Shadow Puppet never gave out his name to anybody. Nor will he give a damn about other Ghouls. This can only mean one thing, that he would know you personally."

Lin? Who is he to me then? A future companion? Don't tell me he's like another River Song.

Laughing Blood slam his face so hard against the floor that his mask broke apart into half. Lin's face is finally exposed to me for the first time. When I saw it my jaw dropped, it was like looking an old friend again. The old friend of Donna Noble. "I guess today is the day you get eaten, Shadow Puppet."

"NO!"

I quickly rushed in with my Rinkaku out and send Laughing Blood across the room as his Koukaku was pierced with a stake. I looked at Lin and said, "You're Donna Noble's son aren't you?"

He looked at me in shock. His eyes though are like mine. Except his right is green, and his left is a Ghoul's eye. Half Human, half Ghoul. He looks so much like her, red hair with green eyes.

"I promised Great Grandad if I ever met you. Was to protect you no matter what."

"Wilfred..."

After all these years, I'm still letting my friends protect me. It's about time I take matters into my own hands.

Suddenly Laughing Blood got out of the stake and grab it to throw it at us. I quickly used my Rinkaku to grab it and toss it right back. He slice it in half with his Koukaku.

"Go." I said to Lin.

"What?! No I made a promise!"

When Laughing Blood came after us, there was no time to argue. I took out my Sonic Screwdriver and used it to cut down the bodies hanging by the wires to land on top of him. I grab Lin by the arm and we ran out of that nightmarish room. While on the run as we finally got outside, I put the Sonic Screwdriver into a specific setting.

I shove it into Lin's hands as I told him, "This will lead you to a friend of mine. You may have heard of him as Eyepatch."

"No way, him?! But wait you're coming with me right?"

"I can't, I'm in no shape to run. I can hold Laughing Blood long enough for you to escape."

"No Doctor I-,"

"PLEASE JUST LISTEN TO ME!"

He became silent. "I can't have you die for me. Many have laid their lives for me and it still haunts me to this day that I couldn't save them! Please Lin, run and tell Kaneki about this place. I will see you again."

"DOCTOR!" I heard Laughing Blood getting closer.

"Go!"

"I'll come back! I promise!" He finally ran as fast as he could. When Laughing Blood came outside he said, "Where's Shadow Puppet?"

"Gone," I said, "You only have me to deal with."

"You think you can hold me off in your condition?"

"Till my last breath if I have to."

My Rinkaku lashes out at him, he quickly dodged the attack as his Koukaku tried to pierce my left shoulder. I moved out of the way and hit his Koukaku to the side so I can get an opening to attack him. Except it backfired on me and he grabbed my Kagune. "Heads up." he said.

I was thrown back into the building so far that I've ended up back in the bloody room. "Do you like our Blood Lounge?" he asked me, "We like to snack in here when we just want to relax."

"It's sick that's what it is." I said as I suddenly coughed up blood.

"Awww, is my toy finally giving out?"

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!"

I attack with my Rinkaku again but one of them was cut off from me by him. "You don't have what it takes to be a true Ghoul." he said as he kicked me hard in the rib cage, sending me across the room as I landed on a pile of bodies. "You're weak, Doctor. If you really want to fight me so bad. Take a bite from these humans. They're still quite fresh."

I sat up and saw the humans underneath me. I wanted to vomit so bad but I kept my composure. Also I didn't want to do that over these poor souls. They deserve so much better than this. "No," I said, "I don't want to eat them. I don't want to eat anyone!"

"For us we have to eat humans to live. They are our power. Don't eat, then you're even more worthless than a human."

I stand up to get out of the pile of bodies. "Come on Spaceman!" I heard someone shot in my head.

"Donna?" I said.

She appeared in front of me as she said, "You were never one to give up so easily, Doctor. Now come on Spaceman! Show that twat who he's dealing with!"

She disappeared when Laughing Blood's Koukaku was aiming for my head. The last three tentacles of my Rinkaku reacted on its own to stop it. "Your reflexes are fucking slow you feckless neophyte!" shouted Shian as I realized she is now in control of my body.

She shoved the Koukaku into the ground so he could be stuck. Using my body she quickly stab him in both shoulder, and the last third tentacle pierced him through the stomach. "STOP IT YOU CAN'T USE ME FOR THIS!" I shouted at her.

"You wanna fucking live don't you?!" she said, "You have to fight to survive!"

"Shian, how could you?" said Laughing Blood even though he still has his smile, "I thought we were friends."

"Friends?" said Shian using my voice, "Don't make me laugh. I was only trying to get close so I can eat your Kagune."

"Heh heh, funny. I was doing the same thing."

Before I knew it I got hit so hard in the back of my head that I blacked out. So there's no trust between Laughing Blood and Shian. Now I'm stuck in the middle of their quarrel. What's going to happen to me?