Guys, I'm telling you, this is the kind of depressing shit I come up with when I try to give Arima a love life. Emi is actually from a oneshot I wrote and promptly deleted because "Aw, hell nah," couldn't even begin to cover how bad it was. *shudders* I hope I gave you some feels, even if you don't actually know much about/ remember Emi-chan at all.

(One last thing *POV indicates a change in point of view, however since part of the fun in my writing is for my reader to figure out whose pov they are in, I won't outright tell you who is whom.)

Chapter 13: The 13th Ward, Der Alptraum Des Jason

Arima could feel a presence behind him. Not saying much considering the late night rush of the city. but it was distinct enough. His grip on his quinque tightened, ready any moment for an attack.

"Boo!" the familiar light voice of Emi ripped through his caution like an arrow. She had seized his arm in a playful grip. Not quite the attack he had been expecting. He shifted his case to his left hand so it wouldn't hit her while they walked. She chattered happily and Arima, grinning like an idiot, found himself hanging on every word, every little gesture, every flick of her hair. Her voice was velvety and reminded him of cool springtime mornings and hot cocoa. He still doubted if she was really human, it just seem so impossible for her not to be, but there was that nagging feeling in his mind, the doubts. This was the first time he didn't know what he should do. It was very disquieting.

"Arima-san?" He realized he had been staring at her. She looked worried. blinking a few times he apologized and made an offhand comment about how captivating she was. Emi did this really cute thing where she crinkled her nose whenever she got embarrassed. Arima couldn't help but chuckle at it.

They had been walking for a while when Arima spoke. "Mh, let's go here," he pointed to a coffee shop and Emi giggled a little, teasing him about how much caffeine he drank.

"Are you sure you're not a ghoul, Arima-san?"

"Are you?" The smile dropped from her face instantly, Arima's heart plummeting with it.

"W-what?" She had let go of his arm and took a half step away. They had stopped moving. The crowd, sensing that something was wrong began to part around them.

"Are you a ghoul, Wakahisa Emi-san?"

Her look was one of abject horror, tears bubbling up in the corner of her eyes. Arima wanted to beg her to deny it, to plead for forgiveness, but his face remained stone cold. Emi turned and bolted faster than humanly possible, leaping over people who didn't move out of her way fast enough. The chase was on, Arima on her heels as Emi ran, tears glittering behind her. The CCG's Shinigami had unsheathed his quinque and fired at bolt at the fleeing ghoul. She let out an anguished cry and crumpled to the ground. The distance she gained closed in a few seconds.

Arima was standing over her. She had tried to flee into a by-way, several small alleys opened up into it and Arima could have easily lost her in the labyrinth of cement. He was breathing heavily from the run, she was very fast, likely an ukaku type. Her leg was useless now, she couldn't run away anymore. He pulled out his phone, switched on his gps and sent the blank message, meaning a target was identified and cornered. Soon the CCG would be here with a body recovery team and a clean up crew. His eyes returned to Emi's crying face.

"I'm sorry." Arima didn't know why he said that. She smiled sadly and he hated to see that.

"I'm just sad, I did my best to live like human. Ne, Arima-san, was it my fault? Did I do something in a past life to deserve this? Being born with this cursed body…" She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, "I'd rather die than hurt someone."

"Emi-san, I have to ask you a few questions, please answer honestly." She noded, sitting up as best she could with an injured leg. "Are you alone?"

"Yes."

"Were you the ghoul that has been cannibalizing others in this area."

"Yes."

"Why did you run? Just to preserve your life?"

"No, I just… didn't want to fight with someone I've fallen in love with."

Arima's eyes widened. "Y-you-"

"Yes." She looked up at him again, her face the portrait of heartbreak, "I love you, Arima-san." Her eyes turned to kakugan and her kagune was released. It looked like a giant pair of butterfly wings. They were beautiful. She was a hybrid koukaku and ukaku type, not something he had seen before. His grip tightened in expectation of an attack that never came. He could hear the vans pulling up now. "Arima-san, you're staring again." Her voice was so sad. He almost couldn't bear what was coming next. "Please, find a better use for my wings," He lifted the blade over his shoulder ready to strike, "Arima." Shink. Thunk . Her kagune shattered just as the other officers arrived. The body collapsed soon after, slumping over to the side, neck spewing blood as the hearts spasms seized up. Her head landed at Arima's feet, eyes closed, tear streaked, and smiling.

"Good working, Arima-san." One of the workers patted him on the shoulder before stooping to collected the head. "It's going to rain soon, I wouldn't stay out to long If I were you."

"Yeah," he murmured.

/

Arima didn't move or take his eyes from the spot Emi died for a long time. Her last words running on repeat through his head. Rain water pooled at his feet and soaked through his clothes. He didn't care. It's not like he hadn't killed ghouls before, in fact he had killed hundreds of them, but the way she accepted it… Maybe it's because he finally started seeing them as people after Sasaki came into his life. Mad, drenched in blood of his own friend, willing to tear anyone apart. No, that wasn't what gave Arima pause. Kaneki Ken was a human who went through a hell he didn't deserve and came out a monster. He had delivered what should have been killing blows on the half ghoul, but Kaneki just wouldn't die. Whether the poor soul realized he spoke or not, what he said rung true with Arima's own convictions. Kaneki bore his suffering because he had something he selfishly wanted to protect, even though the laws of this world were suddenly turned against him.

"I don't want to hurt anyone."

"I'm sorry, everyone. I failed to protect anything."

Lighting flashed in the heavens bringing light into the darkened alley ways. The flash reflected off of something that lay where Emi had been. He knelt down to examine it. A locket rested in a small puddle of reddish water, the gold chain still had some blood on it. The word 'dreams' was etched onto the surface. Clicking it open showed a candid picture of Arima on one side and on the other one of Emi. They were both smiling and facing away from each other. When half closed the backgrounds matched giving the impression that they were standing together. Arima bit into his lower lip. He had been investigating her for months but it never felt like case work. It was fun. If he was honest with himself, he would say he fell in love too. "Emi…"

Arima stood again, and without looking back, left.

*POV

Sasaki took another breath of air, grateful for the release in tension. His back twinged slightly when he stretched, he must have squished his kagune a little. He rub his lower back in a circular pattern while trying to puzzle out exactly where he was. It looked like an abandoned parking garage. He really didn't like that. Footsteps echoed through the open space.

"Up here boss!" Sasaki turned toward the sound, glancing around once more to be sure he was without his quinque. He was. Great. Hopefuly he could avoid a fight. He shifted his suit jacket, suddenly aware it wasn't fitting right. The Eyepatch mask was tucked against his chest, held in place by the tailored fabric. A small note attached read "Put it on, you'll need it. -Serpent". While he had his doubt about trusting ghoul, the fact that Serpent seemed to know him, and owe him, had it a bit easier to trust him. The mask was a little difficult to figure out at first but once Sasaki closed his eyes and allowed muscle memory to do the work it was easy. The black leather sheath fit him tightly but not uncomfortably. The mask was definitely made for him, by an artisan no less. He didn't know what possessed him, but he turned away from the source of the voice, aiming his focus on the city streets just two stories below.

A cluster of, what he assumed to be ghouls from the glimpses of masks that he caught, came into the floor and stopped, all facing Sasaki. "Ayato-san, is that-"

The one they called Ayato, the name sounded familiar, finished his subordinates sentence. "Eyepatch."

"I don't really go by that anymore."

"Oh?" he caught the edge to the ghoul leader's voice, he wanted a fight, "Then what is it, you white haired bastard?"

He wasn't quite sure why he was so irritated by that question. More so than the insult at least. The words flowed naturally from the ache in his head, "You still haven't learned a thing, have you, Ayato-kun." He turned to face the younger man - how did he know Ayato was younger than himself?- and his kakugan activated.

Ayato's own kakugan was already active and he charged. "This time I'll kill you!"

He spared a glance at the other ghouls, he had just enough time to block Ayato's punch, grabbing his wrist and twisting it up before sweeping the ukaku's legs out from under him. Again how did Sasaki know this? Right now those questions bothered him more than this fight did. "You're still with Aogiri, hu? I would think tha-"

"Don't ask stupid questions!" the younger shouted, kagune whipping out. Sasaki jumped back as Ayato discharged a volley of shards. Sasaki dodge almost all of them with ease, his kagune moving him quickly out of the way or blocking. It was so natural to use that it felt strange. Then the name came to him, Centipede. The name of the monster that lived in him. Sasaki suddenly felt a loss and then an overwhelming furry. Faster than he had ever moved before, he closed the distance between Ayato and himself. He seized the younger by his shoulders and slammed his knee into his stomach then head. Ayato's kagune shattered, blood spurted from his nose. Sasaki forced him upright and held a finger over the masks leer.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Don't interrupt me." Sasaki could see fear flashing just beneath Ayato's eyes. The situation was familiar to more than just him. "You still remember what happened last time, right? I won't be as gentle because your big sister isn't here to watch."

"Fuck you!" he still spoke boldly but Sasaki could feel the ghoul shaking. He remembered what he did to Ayato and he was still young when it happened. Poor kid probably couldn't fight his best because he was struggling with post traumatic stress. Sasaki could feel his anger fizzle out.

"Centipede, after my kakuja form, got it?" he flicked Ayato on the forehead. It had more force than Sasaki intended and worked more like a fist. "Eyepatch is someone else now," he let go of Ayato's arm and the ghoul staggered back a few steps, "I probably should get a new mask." He fingered the black material thoughtfully. It didn't really suit him anymore.

Ayato growled and his team move around to flank Sasaki. All at once then? Let's hope this is interesting.

*POV

Naki paced back and forth. This super annoying guy showed up out of nowhere. He wore a white suite sure but he definitely didn't belong to Yamori-aneki's group. What was with the stupid looking grin. He really wanted to punch the guy. "What kinda name is Signa anyway?"

"Sigma," the stranger corrected, only making Naki angrier, "My master will be here soon, just wra~pping up a visit to some ol~d friends. I was sent ahead just in ca~se you were busy." His smiles just keep coming.

"Are you never not smiling?"

"When I'm taking a dump," Sigma replied.

Naki looked at him with mixed confusion and disgust. "Are you a dumbass or somethin'?"

"Ye~p," he rocked back onto his heels and leaned foreward. Only the tip of his heel was touching the ground and he stayed balance for a few seconds. He flipped backward and landed in a hand stand. "How often do you exercise Naki-kun?" He started doing vertical push ups.

What the fuck is up with this guy? "I don't."

"Tha~t's a shame~. The strongest guys in the world work out every day~!" He dropped to his feet and looked up at Naki again, his smile turned wicked and disturbed, "Strength is needed for vengeance, ri~ght?"

Naki's eyes widened at the question. His mind flashing to Yamori-aneki, tears began to well up in the corners of his eyes. He was, however, determined not to cry. Before he could respond to the weirdo ghoul, a new scent drifted into the room. The dingley little motel now had three occupants.

"Sorry to call you out here on such short notice." The new guys voice was a emotionless monotone that creeped him out to no end. "As my associate has pointed out," he continued, "we are here to discuss a matter relevant to all of us. I'll keep things simple for your benefit, Naki-san, I want to help you get revenge for Jason Yamori."

"Why?" It's not that Naki wasn't excited by the prospect of strong allies, he had been told time and time again by others in Aogiri and in Yamori's group to be more cautious, it was finally sticking.

"Mutual profit."

"... Hu?"

Naki was fixed with steely grey-blue eyes. "Both of us will have what we want."

"You know what I want, but what do you want?" Naki felt proud he was able to ask the important questions.

"There are two people I want dealt with, both were involved with Yamori."

"So you want me to kill them?"

"Yes." There was a smile in his voice that was far worse than the one Weirdo was wearing.

"Alright. Just tell me who it was that killed Yamori-aneki and I'll take 'em down!" Naki was grinning too now, "You won't even get a chance at it!"

"Thank you for your cooperation, Naki-san, here are the files on those two. I recommend starting with the one named Juuzou."

As soon as the folders were in Naki's hand the strangers had vanished. He didn't care though, now he had a place to direct his hatred. "CCG. I'll beat you to a pulp." He cracked a finger.

*POV

Sigma swallowed as they left the old motel, he was just three paces behind Yukio and fairly sure he was going to get an earful, or worse. Nothing happened however, they kept their pace in silence. He reviewed the plan in his head to fill the conversational void. Sure there were a lot of things that could, and have, already gone wrong. The alienation caused by his outburst at the school being the largest and most recent blunder. The loss of Tsukiyama Shuu as an alli was a close second, but who knows, maybe the fop will figure his best chance at Sasaki was still through Domino and come crawling back. However the more he thought the more things didn't add up. He finally said what was on his mind and hoped that Eyepatch didn't kick him into the next century. "You know after all this time I still can't figure you out. Are you a ruthless man pretending to be kind, or are you a nice guy pretending to be a heartless bastard?"

The young man turned his head to Sigma, without the leering mask he really did look a lot like Sasaki, it was weird. "Depends on your perspective I guess. You're just one of the unfortunate people who knew me before."

"Still, I thought you wanted Sasaki to live, why sick Naki after him?"

"Do you play chess, Sigma?"

"A little...why?"

"I'm making a sacrifice play. Bait and switch. Juuzou is one of the few investigators that will vehemently oppose Domino's plan. Even if Naki is unsuccessful in killing him, it will solidify a common goal, at least temporarily. But after that our new friend becomes a loose end. Sasaki should be more then able to handle Naki."

"Yeah, but," Sigma bent forward, closer to Yukio's ear, "What if he isn't."

The youth sighed, turning his back to Sigma and kept walking. "Then he was never worthy of participating in Domino's plan to begin with."

*POV

Sasaki's mind and body were numb from the fight. Three of the fifteen ghouls lay dead at his feet and eight more were seriously injured. He was finally starting breath heavily. The monster in his head was active, pulling him down into madness only for Sasaki to struggle back under control. The pattern was getting harder to maintain however. He was slipping. He was laughing. "YoU sHoUlD rUn." All the other ghouls backed off real fast. He charged at the largest clump, his kagune slicing through their bodies like spears. He had killed four more of them. only Two had already been hurt.

Ayato swore under his breath and ordered his men to retreat. Sasaki wasn't going to let them. Despite his new inability to think, he was still a CCG investigator. They were ghouls. They were going to die. They bailed through the open side onto the street. Sasaki had just enough presence of mind left to notice the CCG van blocking off their egress. He smiled under his grinning mask.

Before he could launch his assault an impossible amount of pain stabbed through his fingers and toes. Numbers flashed in his mind while a cacophony of scratches and clicks incited him to rip at his left ear. He was vaguely aware that his eyepatch mask had fallen off.

"Kaneki, let me take from you!"

He gritted his teeth to suppress a scream. His vision was distorted and his kagune pulled up around him. It was the distorted flesh of his nightmare, knitting over his sides up to his shoulders. Two massive, insectoid rinkaku limbs ripped through his suit, giving him a total of six. They were shaped like centipedes. He had to lean forward to accommodate the new weight.

The CCG had moved in while Sasaki was changing and Ayato's little group was now stuck between an insane cannibal kakuja and several first class or higher investigators. "Shit!" Ayato snarled, it was clear the navy haired kid was weighing his options, looking for an escape.

One of the CCG seemed to recognize Ayato, she screamed "Rabbit!" before charging at him. Sasaki didn't know why he moved. Ayato had shot a volley of crystals at her, she wouldn't be able to dodge all of them. His larger limbs shot forward forming a shell around the huaman. She gasped. He didn't want to leave her so close to Ayato; he wanted to protect her.

Sasaki's kagune tightened as he lifted her into the air, setting her down by his side. She looked up at him in horror. He fixed his mask's shining eye on her face. She was familiar. She was precious. She was…"Ma… do… -san?"

Her blue eyes widened. She stood tears in the corner of her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Come home already, Sasaki."

The pain rushed out like a wave. He was entirely himself again, although he didn't feel as strong. The monster in his head spoke. "You still have something you want to protect. I see. Just please, don't erase me." He smiled gently and nodded. Fixing his eye now on the Aogiri ghouls, he charged into the fray.

/

Sometime during the confusion Ayato had managed to escape, a team was dispatched to find him. Sasaki was kneeling, still a kakuja, trying to steady his breath. The color of his limbs had drained and they were cracked. There wasn't enough rc to maintain them anymore. He had been fighting nonstop for an hour against a lot of opponents. Exhaustion didn't begin to cut it. Mado was standing a little too close, doting over him like a worried mother. He be lying to say he didn't like it, but he was more worried for her own well being. The exertion of today left him ravenous and her slender legs were way to tempting.

His own squad was here, with the exception of Urie, and they all rushed over, hesitantly. The warped flesh of his mask itched. Somehow the idea came into his head that if he broke the mask his rinkaku would also vanish. He seized the edges of the sleek black covering and pulled. His skin tore and he bit back a scream. The thing finally shattered into dust, the cut on his face healing instantly. Sasaki's rinkaku crumbled into nothingness as well.

Mado began chastising him for ruining his uniform suit. He couldn't help but laugh. She really did sound like his mother. How did I-

"Are you listening, 1st Class Sasaki? What happened to Urie?"

His grin had dropped at the thought of his mother. Now his face was grim remembering his student. "The Gourmet," he clenched his fist, restraining the mixed emotions the name prompted, "jumped us when I was taking him to the hospital. I woke up in a domed room. Eyepatch, the one from before, was there. So was Serpent, but latter. I haven't seen Urie since Gourmet attack but I don't think he's dead either. It seems like someone name Domino is pulling all the strings. I don't know why yet but we're important to his plan, it's unlikely he'll kill us."

Shirazu visibly flinched when he heard the leader's name. Mado didn't miss a beat. "Shirazu, you know something."

He turned his eyes the the ground and ran a hand through his blond hair. "I fucked up," he muttered, tears touching his eyes and a guilty look on his face. "Sigma showed up while I was back tracking Urie's movements. He had been acting weird and as squad leader I needed to know why. I-I didn't tell anyone because it looked like Urie was going to be fine…" Everyone had their attention fully on the blonde investigator, even some of the clean up crew had stopped working to listen. "I followed his scent to an alleyway. It would have been harder but he was following a stronger scent. Behind a dumpster in the back was...a body. It was a ghoul." He looked right into Sasaki's eyes, "It had been eaten."

Mitsuki gasped, "No way. There's no way that Urie-san would do that!"

"That's what I wanted to think to but… in our fight with Serpent he… bit into his own arm to extend the time he could use his kagune."

Sasaki squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his fist. He knew Urie sense of taste had changed but this?

"That's when I fucked up… Sigma said that Domino wanted to help. I don't know why I believed him but I did. I was taken to Domino. He like nothing I've ever seen…"

"Shirazu," Mado seized his shoulder, "who is he?"

"A little kid."

"Hu?" Seiko piped up this time, "A kid?"

"Yeah," he shook his head with a defeated expression, "he runs this underground club that services both humans and ghouls. There's a whole city block of living space down there. The first two people I met where sibling. Little kids, a big brother and his sister. She was human, he wasn't." Shirazu's face turned hard like stone, "I even saw CCG officers there swapping battle tips with ghouls, laughing over glasses of wine and blood." The young man's brows knitted together, clearly sickened by his own amazement.

"I-is that really true?" Mado whispered, Shirazu didn't hear it, but Sasaki did, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure they were tricked, Mado-san. I don't know anyone that would willingly cooperate with Domino." She nodded, seeming to take some comfort from his words.

A slow clapping from the garage behind them broke their attention from doubting their own. A young ghoul in a tailored cream suit with a simple white half-mask was perched on the cement railing, leaning against a pillar. His mask, like many of the other masks Domino's servants had, possessed only one eye hole. Covering the right eye was a light pink heart the size of his ires. "Lover!" Mitsuki said, pulling a knife out of his suit pocket. Mado, Shirazu, and even Seiko dropped into a combat stance.

"Honestly," his rich voice played through the air in a scolding tone, "I don't know what Domino-sama was thinking. I my opinion he's making a mistake letting the CCG participate at all. You're violent and brutish! The only passion you guys have is killing. You guys are just as bad as Aogiri. There will be no place for you in Domino-sama's paradise. The CCG should just die out!" He waved his arms as he spoke, making grand gestures. Sasaki had seen him on the roof with Kotoro Aya and he didn't seem nearly this dramatic. This was a show.

Sasaki and Lover's eyes met. There was something sad in the youth's face, or what could be seen of it, that Sasaki wasn't expecting. "You poor, confused bastard. Fighting and killing those you one held dear… How tragic. Stop living as a human already. Go home to your real family."

"What do you mean?" Mado stepped in front of Sasaki, getting between him and Lover. "This is Sasaki's real home! He's a human and our friend!" She had a furious expression, "You speak of family but have you given any thought to all those people who you killed? They had families didn't they? Families you ripped apart."

Lover sighed. "Humans," he began bitterly, "they don't understand a damn thing! What do you know of suffering? We have to live think you, pretending to be you, just to survive! Even when we do no harm to your kind you still hunt us down like animals! Look at the man you are defening! He's a fucking kakuja, there's nothing human about him!" He turned his gaze from Mado to Sasaki, "You're a traitor to your own kind either way, I feel bad for you."

"That doesn't excuse you from eating people," Mado bit back.

Lover glared at her with a fury that Sasaki hadn't been expecting. "I save people from their personal hell, Mado Akira. Those that no longer wish to live come to prick their fingers on my poisonous thorns and die in the embrace of my flowers, giving their flesh to sustain me, but those who see something to live for, they are allowed rest in my master's garden." He sighed briefly, "Anyway, see you all tomorrow night." He stood, turned, and vanished in the garage. A group of officers pursued him as well. The five of them were left to ponder the conversation.

Pawn to A3

Okay I just realized how confusing things are because I don't timestamp stuff. Sasaki was wandering around in that state of confused flashbacks for a solid two days, everything else into the beginning of this chapter was late day one, early day two, with the exception of Ayato scene. Urie has been tortured for three days straight at this point, given a few breaks for Omega sleeping/eating and Urie recovering. Unlike Jason, Omega isn't feeding him anything...for a while actually… so yeah, please do enjoy.