Chapter 14: Bonds in Blood

{Downstairs of Anteiku: August 5th, 2018. 6:15pm}

Hide and Kimi were watching the ghouls as they discussed the situation for the evening. Kaneki was going over the plans so they wouldn't be caught up in a fight if by some chance the vampires were prowling, Hinami stood near Ayato in a black pair of shorts, boots, a black long sleeve turtle-neck shirt and a mask similar to the ones that Hide and Kimi used hanging around her neck. They were preparing her for the first group hunt which would also be a form of culling on a number of the vampires, two each according to what they had planned, and that assisted in keeping them from needed to hunt for a bit.

"However, with just one tonight and another to bring back that also means we have the problem of rationing the meat we gather – we'll have to avoid eating every day – and that runs a risk," stated Nishiki. The group seemed a little unsure about that.

"None of us can carry more than that and make it back – that's after breaking it up and putting it away in backpacks in the storage house we found. Any more would weigh us down and decrease our speed." The group nodded in agreement.

"We'll just have to be careful. After tonight hunting in the evening hours would be deadly and the daylight wouldn't be any better," Kaneki stated as he looked at the others.

"So we get one tonight, and kill a second to take back to the storage house to break up? Then we package it best we can and bring it back here…seems simple enough." Touka looked at them.

"We're also going to be investigating what the vamps are up too. As soon as we get the information we're heading out back here and avoiding any confrontations okay? We don't need to fight we need to get what we have to and get out," she said with a sharp tone.

"We get it okay princess?" Touka sent Nishiki a chilling glare that made in cringe.

"Don't call me princess got it four eyes?" she snarled. Kaneki placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Just calm down, if you have to you need to save that aggression for the vampires." The girl frowned but nodded slowly.

"Fine…let's just go before it's too late…I don't want to be coming back and sunrise," she said stubbornly.

"Alright, we're off. Hide? Kimi? Watch each other's backs, if you hear anything go down to the cellar got it?" they nodded.

"We know the drill – just get going – we'll see you guys later," Hide stated with a wave.

"All of you take care and come back in one piece please." Kimi kissed Nishiki's cheek and ruffled Hinami's hair before giving the others a look with a smile as she placed a hand on Ayato's shoulder and then hugged Kaneki and Touka before ruffling their hair as well as she took her leave.

The group walked up the stairwell and to the rooftop where they began looking around the building of Anteiku for any movement. When nothing showed the group began searching, leaping from roof to roof in search of a cluster of vampires. Splitting up was normally how they went about things like group hunting, and then converged on one spot to where they were together. After that, the group would head back to Anteiku to get cleaned up and sleep before discussing anything of use in the morning – occasionally when they returned if it was urgent like tonight – this time, they were running a risk. Though it wasn't the first time they had left Hide and Kimi alone while hunting in a group, it was becoming more dangerous to do so. Hinami normally stayed behind with Nishiki, but because of the recent attacks the group required all five of the ghouls in order to make it through to October when they could once again resume hunting.

Touka glanced to Kaneki and then Ayato as Hinami stuck close to them as Nishiki was not far behind. They needed to be quick, quiet, and swift to strike. Their speed in a group of five wasn't diminished greatly, but it wasn't as quick if it was just two of them such as Touka and Ayato who were mainly speed. Kaneki looked to the left and paused on a roof causing the others to land not far from him as they watched him narrow his visible eye while Hinami sniffed the air for anything. The girl paused as did Kaneki before they glanced to one another as if they were thinking the same thing. The girl sniffed the air again and moments later they were moving towards the scent Hinami was tracing. Kaneki kept pace with her while the others moved along near them in a closed formation to prevent single strike attacks. They stopped again not far as the girl sniffed the air again and paused while furrowing her brows. Kaneki could tell something confused her but he saw it and he heard it – someone they knew – or at least they believed it was someone they knew. For all the two of them knew it could very well have been a corpse or a piece of the person they'd known, but the chance, that was worth seeing what was happening.

"Hinami? What are you smelling?" asked Touka. The girl paused.

"It smells like…Irimi…but…she died didn't she Kaneki?" Hinami looked towards Kaneki.

"I left her and Koma hidden away somewhere that the CCG wouldn't find them…but they were both wounded severely…Koma couldn't have survived and I doubt Irimi would have too…they were losing too much blood…" he tried to listen but he couldn't quite make out the sound.

"What are the two of you hearing exactly?" questioned Nishiki.

"Someone's….singing…Irimi had a really pretty voice….but its faint and I smell blood…" Kaneki closed his eyes and listened for the sound of a song and caught it faintly in the distance.

"I need to get closer," he said.

The others followed as he got closer to the sound and Hinami paused mid-way to the faint flicker of light as the singing erupted in to a scream that had the two of them clapping their hands over their ears. Sometimes they both hated a hyper aware sense – at times it could be quite literally a pain to deal with – Kaneki glanced to Hinami who nodded as the screaming stopped and the scent of blood wafted into their area. It was the blood of a ghoul, Kaneki could tell that apart from a humans or a vampires instantly. The others sniffed the area, feeling nauseated at the scent while he found it rather bland and Hinami felt the wave of nausea hit as well, but also smelt the paper-bland scent. The group paused to listen and wait as the sound of someone humming resounded but was broken and mixed with sobs.

"Who's down there? Hinami…can you tell me?" Kaneki looked to her and she nodded.

"It's…definitely Irimi…but she's hurt…" Hinami stated as she sniffed the area.

"Then we have to get her out of there!" the group wavered on the ledge of the building.

"Where is she?" Touka asked.

"In the parking garage down there near the fire. There's vampires down there too…" the group glanced to one another.

"How many?" questioned Ayato. She glanced to him while Kankei crouched down and leaned over a bit focusing his eyesight.

"Six? No…there are nine…the other ones are off to the side…they're trading places periodically. We need to get inside the parking garage…if we do that we can sneak in and taken them down from the shadows…but…one of them has a weapon that looks dangerous…Hinami? Can you check on that for me?" Kaneki looked at her and she nodded. In just a few quick sniffs she froze with a panicked whimper.

"It's a Quinque…a strong one…part of an Arata armor," she said. The others seemed slightly confused, however both Kaneki and Ayato nearly growled.

"That means the armor was comprised from a Kakuja Ghoul…hey Kaneki? How good are you at bringing that Kakuja out?" the other boy looked down.

"I can't do it at will yet…but I can borrow from it if I'm careful…I might be able to get some extra strength and speed from it for two minutes at most, and I don't think the after effect is worth the risk unless I have to…we can go in there and try to see what happens…Touka? Ayato? Do the two of you mind being our snipers?" they blinked.

"How can we do that?" questioned Touka as she looked at the boy.

"Stick to the rooftops, shoot from up here. One on this side and another on the other above the garage…if you do that…then you have shadows to duck under and you only have to use a burst of speed in frequent steps. Kill the ones we bite, it'll prevent them from turning to ash. Ayato I want you on this roof, Touka take the one above us. You two need to work together, Hinami will stick with me and Nishiki. So, out of the three going below…who wants to be the distraction?" the group looked to one another.

"Are you sure this plan will work?" Ayato glanced at Touka who nodded to him.

"It'll work, this is a pretty sound one if you consider it. I think what we need to do is the plan Kaneki came up with. Ayato and I will work from the roof tops, it'll be in our favor. Hinami and Nishiki can go with Kaneki and one of you can be a diversion to take attention away from the other two," Touka stated as she looked at the others.

"Fine by me…so…who's volunteering?" the five of them glanced to one another and then Hinami raised her hand.

"I'll do it. They won't recognize me if I go up and they won't suspect me as quickly as Nishiki or Kaneki – and that gives me an element of surprise when I go out," she stated.

"Personally…I don't like this…" Kaneki placed a hand on Touka's shoulder.

"Hinami is a good fighter and she's been getting better with training and the mock fights. Plus Nishiki and I will be right there in the sidelines. Nishiki can go to the building Ayato's on and I'll go to the next level of the one on the other side under you. We can reach her if we have to and attack from distances. Give her a chance Touka," he stated. She sighed.

"Fine, Hinami, do not take your mask off. That's there for a purpose." She nodded to Touka.

"I can handle it," she promised.

"Alright, so we know the plan Hinami go down from the alleyway, Nishiki your down two levels from Ayato who will be on this roof, Touka and I will go to the next building…I'm two levels down from her so we're even. Don't forget to bite them otherwise the hunting half of the night will be a loss. Plus if we're able to find Irimi then we need to kill off these vampires and use them because once we've taken them out and gotten her going out tomorrow will be out of the question." The group nodded.

"Okay, let's do this."

{Down in the garage: 8:45pm}

She remembered, did she ever. The moment she laid there on the ground healing but wounded so greatly, how a red tendril and a flash of black and white had been her saving grace as Kaneki – shy, quiet, passive, Kaneki Ken – took down three of the upper level CCG members as if they were nothing and got to her in time to bring her to safety. She had been so sharp with him when he'd walked into Anteiku last time, and here he was, trying to protect it with them, trying to help them. Irimi couldn't at the time fathom why he'd want to help when they'd looked down on him in disregard because of the rumors flying around the twentieth ward at the time. Monster, a sadistic, bloodthirsty, cannibalistic, heartless ghoul with the sinister darkness of a demon and the psychotic side to him that made Irimi Kaya wonder who had been put in place of the smiling boy.

But just as she had thought so little of him he'd shocked her, helped her, and saved her and Koma. Then he'd vanished before she could apologize. Now, she couldn't be certain if Kaneki was alive, if Touka, Hinami, Nishiki, Kimi, the manager, and that blonde boy Hide and even Touka's brother Ayato were alive. If they were Irimi begged to whoever would be willing to listen to her that they weren't in the hands of these vicious beasts – vampires. She hoped they were somewhere far away from here, safe and living a peaceful life as Touka had wanted. She smiled sadly, they'd captured her a month ago when she'd gone searching for the others in a vain hope she'd find them. Part of Irimi wished that she had died that night when they were stripped of their pride as ghouls, as leaders of two ferocious gangs of wild flesh-eating monsters and left as wounded, heart broken, lost and afraid people. She felt a tear run down her bruised cheek – they were all shattered pieces of glass – and her memories were no longer wonderful reminders but brutal hauntings.

"I hope you all either are safe….or…died swiftly…no pain…" she glanced weakly towards the vampires sitting around the camp while she was chained up in the cold in Quinque steel. Her eyes narrowed in a tired manner – she was so tired, she wanted to sleep – and just as her eyes slid closed she heard a crackle of gravel and she was forced to look up at the figure standing at the rim of the firelight.

Black clad, light brown hair, a pixie cut to it and gentle brown eyes. A little taller than she once was, and a mask on the lower half of her face was Hinami. Irimi stared in shock, her appearance had grown a bit in the last two years, but she knew Hinami when she smelled her and seeing her was all the confirmation she needed. The girl teared up as the vampires watched her.

"Look at this girl, what is she doing here? Hey! Livestock! What are you doing here?" called one of the vampires. The girl teared up.

"My mom! I lost my mom! Can you help please?" the vampires tisked.

"Go back to where you belong livestock…if the whore who had you died its none of our concern." The vampire waved her off.

"But one of those monsters got her and took her away….one of the flesh eaters!" Irimi was confused by her statements. Ryoko had passed away well over three years ago, so why was Hinami asking for help to find her? Had the shock hurt her that badly? Her eyes softened.

"Oh...Hinami…I'm sorry…"

Irimi's thoughts were interrupted by a vampire getting up and coming towards her with a sword raised. Her heart stopped with a jerk as she realized Hinami wasn't moving. Her eyes grew wide and tearful despite the bruises on her face. Irimi tried to scream but her throat was to dry. Hinami looked up and her eyes changed the vampire alerted the others and a shadow came flying from the building above her. A spark of a red tendril shot from the darkness as Hinami released her Kagune and she jumped in time to pull her mask down and bite the vampire on the shoulder who yelped and shouted insults at the girl as she slashed him across the stomach spilling his intestines as a set of two shadows flew by her and got to the others one of the vampires flipped away and a blue tail wrapped around another's legs and brought him down, a black clad figure pounced on him and bit into the shoulder as well while the others went to stand, fighting and a crystal shard shot from the building she was under and caught the vampire in the head. He fell to the ground, but did not die as the group flipped to each one, leaving deep bites in them only for a crystal to come flying from nowhere and land a hit on them in a killing blow. The movements stopped as a black clad figure crouched on the ground near the other and unzipped the mask he wore, white hair ruffled a bit in the faint breeze as the mouth of the mask opened and he turned a fierce snarl on the vampire who had come to attack him.

"What….a…hindrance…" the last part was growled in an animalistic manner as red tendrils sprang up and slung the vampire to the ground before the person tore into their leg and twisted as they moved up and were thrown again before being speared by a red Rinkaku Kagune that she knew all too well.

"Kaneki….and…Nishiki….but…" she sat there in confusion.

The two from the roof landed showing her two blue haired figures – Touka and Ayato she realized – as the group of five ghouls converged and counted up the bodies they had taken all but one vampire down that now appeared with a Quinque Arata armor on. The white haired ghoul smiled through the opening in his mask in a manner that suited an inhuman monster as the others prepared their Kagune. Irimi watched as Ayato and Touka took the front with Nishiki who were quick to hit strikes on the vampire as they bit down and Hinami lashed at it's legs. The armor let them do little damage until Kaneki came flying in from nowhere she realized and latched onto the vampire who screamed as he tore into the armor with his teeth and began to break it down by devouring it. Hinami slid back as Touka struck it where the opening was made and Kaneki attacked again, biting through the armor and the flesh of the vampire who howled in pain as the group took to attacking the openings that Kaneki made as he seemed to consume the armor. Irimi stared as the vampire hit the ground and Kaneki stomped on his head, killing him.

"That was nasty…" Kaneki wiped his mouth doing his best to not want to stick his tongue out in disgust.

"I agree, it's disgusting…they taste worse than I remember," he said as he shook his head a bit.

"That bad?" Kaneki nodded as he looked around the area.

She knew that he and the others had spotted her then and she remained silent as they approached and Nishiki set to undoing her chains. Her eyes, once a vivid coffee brown now were dull, and her hair caked with blood and grime. Gentle hands reached for her wounded shoulders as she looked up shakily and stared into silvery-brown and an all too familiar black lipless grin mask. Her eyes glanced from him to the others and relief flooded her as Hinami came forward and gave her a bright smile.

"Hinami…Touka…N-Nishiki….Ayato…and...K-K-Kane…ki…you…all…lived." Her voice sounded so weak, brittle and dry it cracked when she spoke their names.

"Yea, we're going to take you back to Anteiku. And get you better. Nishiki? Can you carry her, we'll get the corpses up a floor and work on it from there. That way she can eat," Kaneki stated.

"Got it…"

Irimi was tugged up into gentle arms and soon she was carried up the area and towards a parking garage one floor away from the roof top. Irimi was laid down with a coat under her head and soon she heard the sound of bodies dragging, and bones breaking. Her eyes turned to Kaneki, Touka, Ayato, and Nishiki while Hinami stayed with her and held her hand, spoke softly to her, hummed to her until Kaneki came over with something for her. Hinami helped her sit up and she looked at the flesh offered – vampire flesh she noted – and took it before slowly but surely biting into it. Her jaw was sore, but the taste on her tongue, deprived of nutrition for over a month, was heavenly. She gave a thankful glance to the white haired ghoul and noted that he watched as she scarfed down the flesh he'd given before she tossed the bone aside, taking in a few breaths as she licked her lips. They tasted just as good as humans – better almost – and had a perfect sweet flavor instead of a bitter one like some humans could. Her eyes looked to Kaneki who had pulled his mask down and smiled.

"Good to see you survived Irimi," he said in a calm tone. She looked at him tiredly.

"Kaneki…how…" her throat didn't feel as abnormally dry as she expected.

"Don't worry, we have this sorted out. Once we're done breaking up what we need we'll get you back to Anteiku," his tone was gentle, his eyes were calm, tired and stressed as she laid back down and closed her eyes weakly.

{August 10th 5:02pm, Anteiku}

The rustle of warm fabric was her first indicator that she was not in the hands of the vampires any longer. Irimi's second indicator was the scents that hovered in the air. The floral scent of Hinami, the spice smell that Nishiki had, Touka's honey and lavender scent, Hide's scent that reminded her of the coffee shop in a lot of ways, Kimi's which had the smell of lilac, and then there was the strong and lingering scent of the cool night air – vibrant, icy, and rich in a silken manner – it mingled with the scent of books, paper, ink, the way they smelt. Her eyes weakly opened and she saw someone sitting in a corner reading through a book. Her eyes traced them over and she knew without her sense of smell that the strong scent of night air and books came from none other than Kaneki. She smiled as she noticed the look of exhaustion in his eyes. She moved and his eyes glanced towards her.

"Your awake Irimi…" her mind became fuzzy at the statement.

"Yea…I think I may go back to sleep now…my head kind of hurts," she said as she rubbed her forehead.

"Well, sleeping for five days does cause headaches." She blinked.

"Five days?" she questioned.

"Yea, but your safe in Anteiku with the rest of us." Irimi looked him over.

"God, it's been two years right? How did all of you survive?" Kaneki smiled a bit to her and she waited for her answer.

"We adapted to our surroundings, but we also learned a few key details about this world's new workings," he answered simply.

"How so? I mean you haven't been hunting the humans have you?" Irimi eyed him for an honest answer and she saw him shake his head with sincerity in his eyes.

"No, we learned that vampires are just as eatable as humans and serve an identical purpose – we are their natural predators," Kaneki explained as she watched him.

"Seriously? You guys have been eating vampires? Well, you guys are better at adapting than I am…I guess this dog is getting to old for new tricks." The boy chuckled.

"I'm glad you were alive Irimi….I was concerned about it when I left you and Koma in that hiding spot…."

Irimi stared at him. She could hardly believe he was the same person who had walked into the coffee shop after the eleventh ward incident – months later in fact – and had acted as if they weren't really there, but to be fair she and Koma hadn't been exactly hospitable to him. They had snarled and glared even as he talked to the manager. None of it seemed right now when she looked at him and he was calm, smiling in a small manner with a gentle energy around him. She was continuously wondering what to think of this person, but she did her best not to focus on it too much right then. The boy reached out and felt of her forehead before giving a relieved sigh.

"Your fever's dropped so I think you should be able to get up and move around some…" Irimi sat up and clutched her head before looking at the boy's hands which now held a bottle of water and a red pill.

"What is that?" she asked. He held out the pill.

"Advil Migraine medicine. It's to help the headache, and you need to drink some water." She took the bottle and the pill before she swallowed it and proceeded to down the bottle in quick gulps.

"Once your ready, come on down stairs – Hinami has been asking to see you," he said as he stood and she looked to him.

"Kaneki?" silvery-brown eyes, slightly apathetic once again, looked to her.

"Yes Irimi?" she smiled in a faint manner.

"Thank you…" he nodded.

"Of course, I'll see you soon."

Irimi smiled small and withdrawn. She hated to admit it but some part of her had been attached to the boy from the moment she'd met him on his first day as a member of the Anteiku staff. She remembered how kind he was, and the smile he had – Touka had been annoyed then and probably still was when it surfaced – but she had taken note of something about him even then. He wasn't a normal human to begin with. He was too observant, too willful and far too capable of so many things that could have been of a benevolent or wicked nature. Those details of the person she'd come to know scared her to some degree even now. Irimi smiled as she felt of the bandage on her neck with a sigh.

"Thank you…..for still just being there for them…Kaneki…" now, it was her turn to adapt.

{…..}

I've been broken, I'll rise again

{….}

Author's Note: Hey guys, here's chapter 14. Sorry it's taking a bit longer now that school has started back up. I would expect a chapter to be updated between Friday's & Sundays from now until I leave a note at the end of a chapter stating that I can write frequently again.

I hope you all liked it. I know the sneak peek didn't get in there, but it will in the next chapter. The fact that Irimi came back just took over. Sometimes those previews at the end of the chapters aren't for the next chapter but a glimpse at future ones.

Well, speaking of Previews:

Irimi had to wonder sometimes why it was that she had tried so hard to understand the white haired boy – it had been rather shocking to see how so many of the dynamics had changed – but Kaneki hadn't become someone so cold none could even hope to touch him. He wasn't a foreign, absentia monster anymore. Something had changed him just enough to where he was still strong like he had become but he wasn't as cold, he wasn't that heartless figure she remembered.

"You've always stumped me to some extent even when you were new at Anteiku." A small smile.

"Have I? How is it that I've stumped the leader of the Dobers?"

Chapter 15: Two Hearts