Chapter Fourteen

Foe

"Shirazu!" Saiko screeched. "You're here!"

The orange-haired Quinx licked his pale lips as he swayed side-to-side. His eyes were foggy, his movements pure, unfocused violence.

Mutsuki recognized that look, but he didn't move fast enough when Saiko dove forward.

Shirazu lunged for her, Mutsuki screamed at his own hesitation, and Hsaio threw herself before his quinque.

The quinque easily dispatched her arm and leg – and oh – she felt – so dizzy – and she couldn't roll over to crawl away.

Hsaio could only grind her teeth as Shirazu loomed over her.

"No!" Saiko wailed. "Don't you recognize us?"

"Obviously not," Mutsuki said, holding her elbow. Shirazu wasn't cognizant of his actions. He wasn't. Mutsuki would know.

Urie licked his lips but said nothing. He felt as if he were made of shattered marbled as Shirazu swung low towards Hsaio. How – how could they fight Shirazu when it wasn't even Shirazu's fault?

"Kimi didn't mention anything about their state – " Higemaru exclaimed, rushing forth to break his quinque against Shirazu's.

But their foe's cracked, too. He'll use his kagune next. "Furuta must have done something!"

"Ah!" Higemaru missed Shirazu's unfurling kagune. He was hurled back against the wall, and with a crunch somewhere above his ears, his eyes rolled backward into his skull.

"No," moaned Aura, using every ounce of strength to summon his kagune. RC bullets whizzed past the zombie, distracting him from Higemaru.

Now Shirazu approached him, and Aura grinned. He would bleed out here, but at least he wouldn't be a burden.

"Aura, you're too weak!" Mutsuki whirled around to Urie. "Move! They're all going to die!"

Urie's eyes snapped back to reality. "I let him die. This is my fault."

"No, it's not!" Mutsuki grabbed Urie by his shoulders and shook him. His bikaku streamed out and tripped Shirazu to buy time. "But they're about to be our fault. They're our second generation. We can't let them die out!"

"We did this once before," Saiko declared. "For you, Urie. Remember?"

Urie colored at Mutsuki's questioning eyes.

"We don't have RC suppressants this time," Hsaio whispered, sweating in pain from her severed limbs.

"Then we'll knock him out." Urie straightened, fire igniting over his face. "There's got to be a way that doesn't involve death. Isn't there always?"

"Saiko. You're offense. Mutsuki, defend the new Quinx. I'll be the one taking him down."

"Hold up, Special Class!" A sandy-haired investigator dashed forward and screeched to a halt on the stairs.

His gaze fell on Nami as a silent Suzuya squeezed her hand. "Who is –"

"The director was right." Ayumu Hogi cut off Itou Kuramoto.

Nami held her breath as investigators swarmed them. They hadn't even made it to the basement yet. Well, so much the better.

She felt her hand wrenched from Suzuya's and tumbled back, teetering on the stairs.

"Nami!" cried Suzuya as she slipped over the edge. Falling couldn't be good even for a ghoul child. No!

"Oh!" Strong arms caught her, hoisting her back up to solid ground.

"I have to say," said a quiet voice above her, "I'm disappointed."

The blood drained from Nami's face. The grim reaper himself towered above her.

Suzuya flashed a smile at the living dead. "Really? Because, you know, I'm supposed to be the new you, so we decided to finish what you started. I even have a ghoul lover. Isn't it great?"

Arima's stoic expression didn't change.

"I'm sorry, have you lost your memory? Shall I remind you?" Suzuya strained against the hands holding him.

"Take them to the Director's office," Arima ordered the investigators. Itou flinched, but nodded. "And gag them both."

"Well, when it's a ghoul lover, my dear – that is called treason." Furuta laughed as the loudmouth interloper shoved their way forward.

"No, I don't think so." A lanky girl emerged from the crowd, crossing her arms over her pink suit.

Furuta paled.

"Miss me, Washuu?" She smoothed her lilac hair and adjusted her sunglasses as a blue-haired man placed his hands on her shoulders. "Pardon me for saying so, arschloch, but the Tsukiyamas would be much better rulers of society."

"Well, well, well. We have another two ghouls!" Furuta clapped his hands together.

Tsukiyamas. The ones who'd killed Hairu.

Ui wanted to grab his quinque and behead them – but no, he really didn't. He wanted to hear Hairu's first words. Her truth. Everyone else was looking between Furuta and the ghouls, but he could only stare at Hairu.

"Now, now. Can we not talk this out, monsieur?" Tsukiyama held up his hands as his koukaku emerged, intertwined with Kanae's rinkaku. Takeomi and his father closed in first, cutting off the Oggai.

The children fell back, to Takeomi's relief.

"You're awfully fond of words, aren't you?" Tsukiyama's smile dripped with honey.

"Kuriowas!" snapped Furuta. "Exterminate them."

"D'awww, you shoulda watched your back, Souta." A giggling ghoul leapt onto the stage.

The crowd gasped at the instantly recognizable Eto Yoshimura. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you King Bileygr!"

She bowed to him, and, as Ui struggled to his feet, shoved him aside to grab Hairu.

"Stop!" screamed Furuta. Behind him, a young girl yelled "Liar!" while an older woman hurled a cup of coffee straight onto Furuta's crystal white shirt.

No – he was humiliated – this was his joke. The world was diagonal, spinning like a merry-go-round. "You can't steal from me!"

"Nothing here belongs to you!" Tsukiyama revived Touka's holy fury from years past. Who would have guessed he'd find it rallying cry after all this time?

Eto pressed her hand over her heart. "You're pathetic, ghoul."

"Wait!" Ui grabbed his lover and tugged at Eto, who only tightened her grip on Hairu. "Don't hurt her!"

"Even though she's a ghoul?" Eto winked and tossed Furuta a smirk. "The best liars equalize truth and lies."

"Ui! Now's your chance! Prove your loyalty!" shouted Furuta.

"Uh…" Ui stammered.

"Oh, this could be fun," Eto murmured, holding forth Hairu. From the crowd, Seidou hurled her a furious glare, but now wasn't the time to focus on the Owl.

"Gonna kill her, Special Class Coward? Huh? Really? Before you do, you might want to know that only cowards deny their feelings with bigotry."

Seidou stumbled forward. Who cared if he was off-script? So was Eto. Distract that Bowl-Cut Ethics Asshole.

"Here, you wanna know who the enemy is?" Seidou scrambled onto the stage. "Look at me, kids. I used to be an investigator. Then the same doctor Furuta employs to raise the dead got ahold of me."

The crowd grew louder. Screams rang out, but fury began to build. Furuta could feel in his chest.

"And your fear? It hurts so much." Seidou laughed when, to his surprise, Kurona appeared beside him.

"We got this," she said quietly, guiding Seidou to face Furuta.

The director backed away from them, but another kakuja thundered onstage behind him, trapping him in a kakuja sandwich.

How ironic. Furuta forced a grin.

"I can't believe what you did to these kids," hissed Akira Mado, slipping off the kakuja. "Quinque, Amon."

Amon Koutarou? Furuta's vision spun as former CCG ghouls – and allies, judging from the Kuriowas' guarding of the Tsukiyamas – advanced upon him. "Help me, humankind! Would you really believe these ghouls?!"

"Kill him before he kills us!" screeched a girl.

"They're all going to kill us!" shrieked a man.

"Boss!" One of the Oggai scrambled onstage. Mayazumi, you loyal prick.

"Look out!" Naki tossed off a realistic human mask to grab the screaming kid.

Now! Furuta ducked to avoid Seidou and Amon's kakujas.

His movements sent one of Itsuki Marude's bullets straight through the head.

"Ah!" Furuta fell to his knees: one sclera black, one iris scarlet.

"He is!" bellowed a man.

Furuta bolted for the CCG as Eto laughed and laughed.

Ui was on his hands and knees, unable to breathe. Furuta? Hairu? Who next, Arima?! Hadn't Furuta said so?

"Ui." Hairu's lips moved and her voice was weak, like a nightmare.

He jerked his gaze back to her. "Is it true?! Did you know?"
"…Yes," Hairu managed. Her face flushed the color of her hair, and her eyes filled with tears.

"Did I know any of you?" Ui cried, remembering how happily she split the last melon bun with him, the ticklish way she'd forced his lips into a smile.

"You knew all of us, but it wasn't the time to trust you." Hirako Take stood above him, Shio Ihei, Yusa Arima, and Rikai Souzu behind him.

"We missed you, though. You and big sister," said Shio, smiling at Hairu as Rikai wrapped his arms around him.

"We have a mission for you. Come with us."

Ui gaped at him.

"I trust Eto with Hairu for now." Hirako held out his hand.

All he'd ever wanted was their hands. But he was human and against ghouls –

Hairu. Ui doubled over again. He couldn't meet her eyes. What am I gonna do?

"Kaneki says you're a good man," said a grim, silver haired ghoul behind Hirako. "Come with us now. Decode your feelings later."

Kaneki? Ui's heart skipped.

"Yomo and I are in charge of helping the Oggai and finding Arima. He's here, somewhere." Hirako tilted his head. "Surely helping CCG's children is ethical."

Ui released a wail. "I'm not one to talk of ethics anymore."

"I'm done waiting." The silver-haired ghoul – Yomo – hauled Ui to his feet. "If nothing else, I'm going to kill your beloved Arima the moment I see him, so you and Hirako can stop me."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Eto shoved Hairu into a chestnut-haired ghoul's waiting arms. "Take this, Nishiki. I'm coming with you all."

Ui's heart stirred. Someone as precious as Hairu shouldn't be passed around. He hated her.

Remember, if you can't handle it, pretend you're bound and gagged.

Miki, mother of Yoshitoki and far too old for anything but instruction, patted Nami on the back.

"We basically are," muttered Rize.

"I don't want to do this," Nami whimpered.

"At least you're younger! My turn starts next year!" Rize hissed. Her voice rose. "He could come in to take me early any day!"

Nami's palms were sweating as they waited in Furuta's office. How was the upset going? Between Eto and Tsukiyama, she had faith GOAT could brew sufficient chaos, but she hated ignorance.

And she hated. Being. Gagged.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Furuta threw open his door and tossed his arms around Arima.

He winked at Nami. Oh, he loved that this monstrosity who'd never done anything but obey wouldn't fight back. This moment alone made life worthwhile.

The sandy-haired inverstigator loosened her gag, and Nami spit it out.

"Breaking and entering, Souta," Nami replied coolly.

The sweat on his brow, the congealed blood on his hair, the harried breaths – he was fleeing right into their trap. As long as Arima, who guarded Furuta's office with an almost bored expression, didn't get in the way. She didn't trust the dead, and she wished she could – or maybe it's just Arima I hate.

"Clearly, or are you returning a traitor to my new ghoul order?" Furuta tapped his chin.

"What are you talking about?" Nami whispered. She was almost disappointed he would be so predictably desperate.

Furuta's arm slithered around her shoulders. He could do this. He had the dead. Eliminating all of CCG would be easy. "I said good work. We'll take this little monster from here."

Suzuya trembled. Pretend they're Madam and the customers.

Even among ghouls, he could never belong.

"No, not Juuzou," whimpered Nami.

"You don't actually care for him, do you?" Furuta chuckled. People became pliable as soon as they formed attachments. He prided himself on killing all of his. Even Rize he'd reduced to a simple source of kagukans.

He could still control this. He could still win. Furuta grinned back his tears.

Nami swallowed. One wrong tone and Juuzou would be dead. For fun. "Of course not."

Suzuya couldn't help it. His eyes filled with his own tears. "W – why, Nami?"

"Take her to the lab," Furuta commanded Arima. "Matsumae, be a dear and show our Suzuya the full power of resurrection."

"Of course," said a tall, dark-haired woman as she stepped forward.

Nami paled. She'd counted on her own experimentation, but not Juuzou. She could regenerate. He couldn't.

She'd predicted his interrogation, not an immediate demise. Furuta wasn't typically that stupid.

But his breathing still hadn't returned to a normal rate. He's terrified.

This was her fault. She'd predicted wrong.

She could risk it all, unleash her kagune and attack these dead and her former friend.

But Suzuya shook his head, ever so slightly.

What was it he'd told her he had said to Madam? I don't harbor a grudge. This is just my job.

This was her job. Nami swallowed real tears and prepared to resume her act.

"Juuzou, it's not true!" Nami screamed, pounding Arima's arms. "It's not true! It's not true! He's lying – stop!"

For Arima was dragging her back to the door. She collapsed just to give him more dead weight to uphold. She kicked out, but in her condition her kicks were off-balance and weak. "Look at me, please! You know I didn't! Juuzou!"

Juuzou stared at her, his eyes wide even for him.

Nami reached out one more time. "Don't hurt him!"

The door slammed shut.

"Shirazu, why are you doing this?" Saiko demanded, clapping her hands together. "You're supposed to be cheering me for mastering my powerful kagune!"

Shirazu groaned and lurched forward, but Saiko's kagune fists sent him spinning back. He turned towards a whimpering Aura again, but Mutsuki's bikaku immediately pierced his eye.

"Over here, you big dolt!" Saiko yelled, punching his feet out from under him.

"Ahhh," gasped their former friend, clutching his bloodied eye. For a moment, he'd seen a warmth from that green-haired boy.

Mutsuki frowned. He recognized me.

I pierced his kagukan, and he recognized me.

Is Saiko right? Would he be proud of me?

Now isn't the time.

A door opened down the hallway, Saiko hit again, and Urie crept closer, his koukaku fully formed.

"Something happened!" Mutsuki shouted loud enough so Urie could hear. "Hit his kagukan, Saiko!"

"Huh?"

"Trust me!" Mutsuki barely dodged Shirazu's swipe, and Saiko jabbed her fist straight into his eye.

She saw it, too. For a moment, he'd seen her.

"Stab him in the kagukan!" Mutsuki cried as Urie leapt forward.

Shirazu tried to whirl around to face Urie, but Saiko's kagune fists pinned him to the ground as Mutsuki wrapped his bikaku around his neck.

Urie sank his koukaku into his friend's black and red eye, and Shirazu's eyes widened even as Mutsuki tightened his bikaku's grip.

Shirazu grappled for his throat, but Saiko held his arms back and suddenly his eye folded shut, and the other extinguished.

Mutsuki released his kagune. "He's asleep."

"Thought you were supposed to just defend, Mutsuki," growled Urie.

Mutsuki blushed. "I had an idea."

"I know." Pride rippled through Urie's voice, and he turned to smile at Mutsuki.

Mutsuki gasped.

Urie clamped a hand over his left eye. He ought to have stabbed his own kagukan. "I…"

He swallowed hard, daring himself to look Mutsuki in his eyes. I'm a fool.

"You framed out?" Mutsuki asked softly.

"The night of the clown raid," Saiko said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" cried Mutsuki, stung.

"He's scared to lose you," Saiko translated. "Because he's just as fucked up as you and me."

"You're not that fucked up," Urie said wryly.

"I assure you, I am." Saiko rolled her eyes. "I just went through my rebellious phase earlier than you two."

"I think Urie's always been rebellious," Mutsuki said with a giggle as Urie's two kagukans faded.

"Hey, glad you recognized us this time," Saiko said.

"Me too." Urie scuffed his shoes against the floor, looking at the spent younger generation and their unconscious comrade. "We should restrain him unless he wakes up."

As Saiko's kagune arms dragged Shirazu into a janitorial closet, Urie swallowed. "Yeah. You're not the only one who lost themselves that night."

Mutsuki's arms crushed him in an embrace. "I forgive you." He pulled back and wiped his eyes. "You know, you recognized us because you were in control among your friends. You lost control with Donato because you were scared and alone. I think I would know."

Urie brushed the blood off Mutsuki's forehead and gulped back a request for Mutsuki to take control right now, because he was scared and didn't know how to – how to –

Mutsuki's lips brushed his.

"Gross!" Aura gagged on his own blood.

"I mean, you're cute and all, but I'd appreciate some help," Hsaio called, waving around the regenerating stubs where her limbs used to be.

Arima shoved Nami into a coffin-sized cell. As best she could tell, they were in the basement, not far from the laboratory. Weren't you supposed to take me there?

"Wait." Nami's hand caught his. "Kishou Arima! Are you even there? Don't you remember me?"

Arima's eyes softened.

Seizing her opening, she pressed his hand against her stomach. Her voice cracked. "That's your half-brother. Please, please help us."

His response was cool. "What do you think I've always done?"

Nami tensed. She'd known not to trust him. Not because he was dead, but because he was Arima.

"Slaughter your own kind while pretending to be human?" She blinked back tears. "Join forces with Eto so you could slowly manipulate the world to change as people around you are raped and butchered here and now? You may be the Grim Reaper, but you've always been a coward. I was glad Kaneki killed you."

He fell quiet for a moment. So Kaneki had kept his promise. I'm sorry.

"No, you weren't. It's not in your nature." Arima half-smiled. "You're too much like him, actually."

"Huh?"
"Nami." Arima dropped to one knee. "You're in the safest position you can be right now. I promise I am here, and I'm not going to let the Washuus win the day. Even if I die again."

"What?" Nami shook her head. "No, you have to take me to the lab. It's the plan!"

"Getting captured was your plan?" Arima narrowed his eyes. Eto, what are you thinking?

"Yes!" she snapped. "Now get me to that lab and you go back to Furuta! I swear to God, if someone hurts Juuzou, I am hormonal and desperate and I will eat you!"

"Oh my. You were right, Uta." Donato chuckled and tossed an eye into his mouth. A child's eye, perfectly moist.

"They asked for masks. It wasn't hard to discern." Uta smiled at the carnage below.

Enraged humans were storming the CCG as the Quinx kids fled and agents tried unsuccessfully to hold off civilians.

"Humans really do eat each other," Nico commented. "Metaphorically."

"We got that," Itori said icily.

"Isn't it breathtaking?" Donato sighed and wrapped his arm around Uta. Behind him, Itori rolled her eyes.