Emily's Apartment, 3.30pm

"Okay, so let me get this right - there are two Ghoul organizations; Aogiri who are the bad guys and another here in the 20th Ward who are good. You," Toshio said looking at Emily, "Used to work with the good Ghouls to protect humans and Ghouls who don't want to hurt humans alike, but now you've been forced to work for Aogiri, and you," he turned to Ayato, "Work for them also but now you're trying to defect from them. Am I right so far?"

"Yes." Emily replied, "Because of my position right now and Ayato's personal beliefs neither one of us is willing to get the other organization involved."

"Right." Toshio said, "So who's this other group?"

Emily looked down, she had wanted to tell Toshio the whole truth but now seeing how involved with the CCG he was, she didn't want to risk telling him about Anteiku.

"All you need to know is that they don't go out killing humans." Ayato said for her. Toshio gave him an unconvinced look but didn't press it further,

"Alright then, so what is it you plan on doing?" he asked turning his attention back to Emily.

"Ideally I'd like to stop Aogiri from completely taking over Tokyo, but I don't think it's right for the CCG to kill them all. There's some good people there, children too...What you need to understand is that not every Ghoul likes killing humans. They do it because it's the only way they can survive. But because of this, it makes them more susceptible to stronger Ghouls like the leaders of Aogiri, they get bullied or persuaded to join thinking it's going to make life better for them but Aogiri is just as bad if not worse than the CCG. I once saw one of the leaders almost kill an underling just for speaking." Emily said.

"And the two of you are going to take on Aogiri?" Toshio asked.

"Three." Isao said, "I can't go back to being an Investigator given what I am, and thanks to Emily and Ayato I've learned to see Ghoul's in a different light. It's like she says, there are some good people out there."

Toshio sighed, "This is all still really confusing for me... It's just hard to stop believing something you've been taught all your life."

"I know, believe me I know." Isao said sympathetically, "I think I understand better than anyone here just what we'll be up against. Aogiri is made up of several S, SS and SSS rank Ghouls and the CCG have people like Arima...At our current level we can't do anything."

"Just off topic here, what rank am I?" Ayato asked curiously.

"I'd say you're about an S rated threat." Isao said with a grin. Ayato huffed and sank back into the arm chair. Toshio turned to him again,

"Who are you anyway? What I've gathered from what you and Emily have told me, it was only after she was kidnapped by Aogiri that you decided to change your mind about being involved with them. While I admit, Emily is pretty good at persuading people to see the good side, I doubt that someone like you would be easily swayed." he said, "So who are you? More importantly, who are you to her?"

Ayato's gaze shifted to Emily and she knew the time had come to tell Toshio about her relationship to Ayato.

"I've known Ayato since we were children, though we weren't exactly what you'd call close." Emily said, "We met again last year when he was in trouble."

"Yeah, there's more to it than that, isn't there?" Toshio said still staring at Ayato, "I want to hear it from you."

"It's like she said." he replied simply.

"If you want me to trust you, you have to do better than that." Toshio said, "Look, I don't care what it is, but I want to know the truth."

"What Emily said is true." Ayato began slowly, "We have known each other since we were kids - her father used to bring her around when he was picking up supplies, but she was closer with my sister. Last year I was attacked and Emily happened to be the one to find me. But you're also right, there is more to it than just that."

"Tell me." Toshio said, his gaze stern. Ayato sighed and stood, "Not here. I'll tell you everything you want to know, but I'm not doing it here."

Toshio seemed to understand what Ayato was implying; whatever Ayato was going to tell him, Toshio wouldn't like.

"Fine." he said and walked to the door ahead of Ayato. Emily grabbed the back of Ayato's jacket as he went to follow Toshio,

"You don't have to do this..." she said, "I should be the one-"

"No." Ayato said, "You want him to trust us, right? I can already tell he's going to be pissed, what better way to show him than to let him beat the shit out of me if he wants to."

"Ayato..."

"Besides, you can just patch me up when I get back."

3.57pm

Toshio was waiting for Ayato at the bottom of the stairs. The look on his face said he already knew what it was Ayato was going to tell him, but he wanted to hear it. As they walked in silence, Ayato thought about what he was going to say. He hated to admit it, but he liked Toshio a little bit more than he first did - or rather he was starting to respect him. It was clear that Toshio cared a lot about Emily, that much was clear when he'd tried to protect her after learning Ayato was a Ghoul, and he couldn't hate anyone willing to protect Emily.

Part of him wanted to tell Toshio outright, flaunt it in front of him. But the other part, the decent part of him that was usually buried deeply under his anger and hatred, believed what he'd told Emily. If Toshio wanted to beat him up over it, he should let him. He was, after all, the other guy.

'Tch. All this over a woman...What the fuck has happened to me? I've been domesticated...' He thought snidely to himself.

"Here's far enough." Toshio said as the stopped in a deserted street not too far from Emily's place.

Ayato stood with his hands in his pockets waiting for Toshio to ask the questions, but Toshio was silent. He stood with his back to Ayato, staring at nothing, his fist clenched into tight balls. Ayato wondered what he'd be like in Toshio's position - probably not as calm, that's for sure. Actually, just the thought of Emily being with another guy pissed him off and once again he thought about just killing Toshio and being done with him forever.

Emily would never, ever forgive him though and he would rather die than be without her now. God he was pathetic.

"I asked before if you'd hurt her." Toshio said quietly, "Tell me the truth, have you or have you ever tried?"

"Yes."

"Which one?" Toshio asked, his back still to Ayato.

"Both, I guess." he replied, "I hate your kind. You humans have no idea how good you have it. You're not hunted for trying to survive - do you think we were asked to be born this way? Yet our existence is an abomination to you. At first Emily was no different in my eyes. Even when we were kids, I hated her just because she was human and because of that hatred, when I was with her last year, I said a lot of shit that probably hurt her." He smirked at the pavement, "She never let on though..."

"Yeah, she's like that." Toshio said.

"I'm sure you probably already know this, but when a Ghoul is seriously injured, we need to eat in order to heal faster. When Emily found me half dead, my first reaction was to eat her. I probably would have succeeded the first time too but I passed out before I could." Ayato told him. Toshio visibly tensed and his next words were spoken through gritted teeth, "The first time?"

"I tried to kill her twice." Ayato said, "The second time, well the second time was her fault. She didn't listen when I told her to get away from me."

"How was that her fault?" Toshio asked coldly.

"Look, I get it's hard for you to trust me, but there isn't a day that goes by where I wish I could take back everything I did to her. She may have forgiven me for it, but I can never forgive myself." Ayato said deciding that it would be better to drop the tough guy act and speak plainly to Toshio, "There is nothing you can say that I haven't already told myself. But before you make up your mind about whether or not Emily is safe with me, let me tell you the same thing I told Renji, I would die before I let anyone hurt her again."

"You love her, don't you?" Toshio asked him.

"Yes."

"And she loves you too."

"She does." Ayato said, "She wanted to tell you but she didn't think you'd be able to deal with it along with all the shit that's happened to you and your family. So if you want revenge, take it out on me but don't blame her."

For a while there, Ayato was certain Toshio was going to try to kill him. He wouldn't have blamed him at all. But when Toshio turned around, he realized that out of the two of them, Hamada Toshio was by far the bigger man.

"No." he said, "I don't want revenge on either of you." Ayato arched a curious eyebrow, "You're not pissed?"

"Oh, I'm pissed but violence isn't going to change the way Emily feels about you." he replied, "Being totally honest, I could tell the moment I met you. Actually, even before that I could tell something had changed in her. I just didn't want to believe that there was someone else - now, knowing all of this; what's she's been through, keeping her life a secret from everyone, you - I can understand why she wanted to keep me in the dark for as long as she did. I'm glad she has someone she feels she can let her defenses down with." He smiled sadly at the ground, "Emily could never do that with me..."

Ayato was shocked; for so long he believed he was inferior to Toshio. Toshio was human, he could be around Emily without the constant worry of losing control and hurting her, he could go on normal dates and enjoy meals with her. Toshio could do everything Ayato had wanted to do - and yet Ayato was the one Emily had chosen to let in. She'd chosen him, a monster, over someone who could give her everything.

"If we're going to do this I want you to promise me one thing." Toshio said breaking through Ayato's thoughts, "I want you to promise me that no matter what, no matter what excuse she uses or whatever, protect her. Don't ever stop protecting her. She chose you, don't make her regret it."

Emily's Apartment, 4.30pm

Emily was in her room when she heard the front door open. Quickly, she ran down the hall, hoping that she wasn't going to have to clean up blood - or worse. Toshio's was the first face she saw - he looked solemn but resolved. It pained her to see him like that but when he caught her gaze, he smiled sweetly at her. Ayato followed him in and she was relieved to see them both still in one piece.

"Em, can I talk to you in private, please?" Toshio said taking her hand gently in his. She nodded and began preparing herself for whatever he had to say. She owed him that much at least.

She sat on the edge of her bed while he gazed out of her bedroom window.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, "I'm so sorry I had no idea what you were going through."

"It's not your fault, Toshi." she told him but he silenced her with a hand.

"No, I should have known, you were my girlfriend and I should have done better to take care of you. I was so absorbed in my own world, becoming an Investigator, making my parents proud, I was blinded to your calls for help. I should have been there for you." Toshio said and turned to face her, "I failed and I can never apologize for that."

"It's not like I told you anything..." Emily whispered, staring at her hands clasped tightly between her knees, "I should be the one apologizing to you." Toshio crossed the distance between them in two long strides and sat beside her, taking her hands in his.

"I understand now why you felt you couldn't. You were protecting me, protecting your other friends...Protecting everyone." he told her, "If the circumstances were different, I doubt I would be able to take it as well as I am right now. My family are Ghoul hunters, I've known since I was a child that I would follow in their footsteps regardless of my own personal views. It's hard for me to accept what you and Isao have told me about Ghouls, but I'm willing to see what you do. I'll do whatever I can, whatever you ask me to do. I want to help you."

"What did Ayato tell you?" she asked curiously. Toshio half grinned at her, "Let's just say he opened my eyes a little bit. I hate to say it but I think he's more good for you than I can ever be."

"Toshi..."

"All I ever wanted for you was to be happy. To be able to smile freely; if he's the one to do that than I'm glad." Toshio said interrupting her again, "I still love you, I'll always love you and I'll always be here for whatever you need. But I'm not going to waste my time being angry and jealous."

Emily flung her arms around Toshio's neck and hugged him tightly, "I'm sorry I did this to you." she whispered in his ear. She felt Toshio's smile against her shoulder,

"Don't be." he said and gently pushed her back, "So," he said shifting from bittersweet to serious again, "I've already told Ayato this but I'm in."

"You understand that you'll have to keep things from the CCG right?" she asked him. He nodded, "My brother is half-Ghoul and my best friend runs a Ghoul safe house, you don't have to tell me the implications should the CCG ever find out."

She smiled at him, "Alright, there's some people I want you to meet officially but I have to make some calls. I'll call you when they're ready."

Toshio nodded and stood up, "In that case, I'm going to steal Isao for the night. He should let our mother know he's not dead."

Ayato and Isao were still in the lounge when Emily and Toshio returned. Hiko had also returned from whatever he'd been out doing and was leaning over the back of the arm chair Ayato was sitting in, talking quietly about something only he and Ayato needed to know.

"Who's that?" Toshio asked quietly, sizing up the stranger in her house.

"Hiko." she replied, "He works under Ayato but he's on our side."

"So, Ayato's pretty high up within the Aogiri ranks, then?" Toshio asked catching on quickly. Emily nodded, "He's what they call an Executive. He's not as high up as Tatara who acts as the voice and right hand of the One-Eyed King, but he's like a Captain I guess would be the best way to describe it."

"What's his mask look like?" Toshio asked.

"Why?" She asked him back. Toshio grinned and lightly elbowed her, "I'm not gonna turn him into the CCG, don't worry. I just want to know how strong he is. We have a database about known Aogiri members; Jason, the Bin brothers, Tatara."

"It was one with a wicked grin, sharp teeth and crazy eyes. But now he's using a black rabbit mask. Also, Yamori is dead." Emily told him. Toshio's eyes went wide,

"He's Black Rabbit?" Toshio asked in surprise, "Isao was right, he's an S rank. Is he the one who killed Jason?"

Emily shook her head, "No, Eyepatch did."

"Eyepatch? He's the ghoul Amon-san is investigating. We weren't aware he had any affiliation with Aogiri."

"He doesn't." Emily replied, "He was kidnapped like me, which Ayato had a hand in. They took him back to Aogiri. They were looking for the Binge Eater, but found him instead - He's like Isao, a half breed. Apparently Tatara wasn't too fond of him but thought he'd prove useful for their ranks and forced him to work for them. Ayato said he instigated a rebellion but was recaptured by Yamori and was punished. He didn't go into detail, but Eyepatch snapped and ended up killing Yamori during the raid. He almost killed Ayato as well."

"So he's stronger than we thought." Toshio said thoughtfully, "We have him as a S rated Ghoul, but if he managed to take out Jason and seriously injure Black Rabbit, he's probably more of an SS. How do you know him?"

"I knew him a little when he was human and then Renji brought him here after he became half-Ghoul. He's not a bad guy; he was actually part of the group who came to rescue me from Aogiri." Emily said.

"Wait, there was a rescue attempt? Did they fail?"

"Not exactly. Eyepatch was the one to find me, but I told him I was staying. I think he was the only one who understood my reasons. We're alike in some ways." she said, "But I think Isao knows him better than I do now. He actually offered to let Isao join him."

"I'd like to meet him too." Toshio said whimsically, "If he's as strong as you say and hates Aogiri, I think we'd benefit from a partnership with him."

"I can ask, but I don't think he'd want to team up. He's got his own agenda and he wants to do things on his own." she replied. She missed Kaneki Ken but it was obvious he no longer was the same boy she'd met. He was still in there somewhere, and like Ayato had said, he was just lost.

"Shit..." Ayato said interrupting her thoughts. He groaned as he stood up, "Tatara's calling me in. I gotta go."

"Is everything okay?" she asked seeing the annoyed look on his face.

"He's not onto us if that's what you're thinking." Ayato replied, "But he wants to see both me and Hiko."

"So what am I doing?" she asked knowing that there was no way Tatara would leave her unattended.

"I managed to talk him into letting you go to HySy until we return." Hiko answered, "However I don't believe he will have some men keeping an eye on you from a distance. I've already contacted Uta-san, he's aware of the situation."

"Wow..." Emily said, "You're so diligent."

"Thank you." Hiko replied with a small smile, a rare sight in itself.

"Well, we'd better get going then." Toshio said nudging his older brother's foot, "You've got some groveling to do."

"Wish me luck." Isao said cheekily as he stood and followed Toshio to the door.

"Good luck!" Emily laughed waving at them.

"We will escort you to HySy." Hiko informed her as Ayato tossed her her hoodie.

HySy, 7.30pm

Emily sat in the back room on Uta's bed while the older male worked, a finger hanging from his mouth. She'd been there for an hour and still hadn't heard anything from Ayato and it was making her uneasy. Neither he nor Hiko had specified a time frame and she knew that Tatara could have them doing anything. Though he'd reassured her Tatara was in the dark about their relationship, Emily knew enough of the Ghoul to know that anything was possible. He could have known all along and was just playing with them.

"Stop worrying." Uta said to her, "He'll be fine."

"How can you be so sure?" Emily asked him. Uta put his pencil down and turned to face her, slurping his snack into his mouth and chewing.

"Because he's valuable to them." he replied matter-of-factually, "If he wasn't, they would have killed him a long time ago."

Emily pursed her lips, that didn't make her feel any better. Uta sighed, "You trust me, right?"

"Of course I do."

"Then trust me on this. Ayato's strong, he's stronger than Yamori was. Aogiri needs him." he told her. Emily wondered how Uta knew so much about Ayato, but she figured it probably had something to do with his contacts. Uta was like Tatara in the sense that he had eyes and ears everywhere, he knew almost everything that went on in Tokyo.

Emily sighed and fell backwards onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. She wanted to believe his words, but the nagging feeling in her stomach was relentless. She began wondering if bringing Toshio into her world right now was such a good thing after all, especially if Aogiri caught wind of their plans. So far Tatara had shown an immense amount of trust in Ayato and while Ayato was a brilliant actor, she had done several reckless things that could not only endanger her own life but his, Hiko's and everyone involved with them. Renji and Uta could take care of themselves, she knew that, but two against all of Aogiri would be a death sentence. From what she'd been told, those two with the help of Tsukiyama Shu were no match for Noro - the mysterious Ghoul who worked side-by-side with Tatara. If Aogiri granted ranks in terms of strength, Tatara and even the strange bandage Ghoul, Eto, were more powerful than she'd first imagined. She doubted even Arima Kishou could take them on. Then again, Arima was the only one to ever engage the One-Eyed Owl and walk away virtually unscathed.

A crazy thought passed through her mind but it was so ridiculous she laughed out loud.

"What's funny?" Uta asked curiously. She shook her head, "Nothing, it's not funny at all."

"What?"

Emily sat up and met his owlish gaze, "I was just thinking about strength; Aogiri's compared to ours, and I started thinking about Arima Kishou."

"The CGG's Shinigami." Uta nodded solemnly - every Ghoul everywhere knew of the nightmare that was Arima.

"Yeah, I was thinking what it would be like if he was on our side." she said. Uta turned back to the sketch he was working on, "Yeah, you're right. That's not funny at all. But it is interesting."

"I've met him, you know?" she said, "He terrified me at first. I actually believed he would know everything if I met his gaze. He's got this aura I've never felt before..."

"He's a monster." Uta said suddenly interrupting her. Emily pouted, "That's rich coming from you."

Uta grinned at her, "Says a lot though, if someone like me is willing to call him a monster...But then again, it would be fun to see him in action again."

"You've fought him before?" Emily asked quite surprised at this piece of information she'd never known before.

"Mm. It was a long time ago, back when I was still the leader of the 4th Ward. He must have been about 22 then..." Uta replied, "I'm actually surprised he hasn't made Chairman yet."

"He didn't seem the type to want that responsibility." Emily replied tapping her chin, "I think he likes being in the field. Actually, I'm a little worried about Kaneki...When I was at the CCG looking for leads on Isao, he mentioned something about Eyepatch."

"He's not the Dove in charge of that though. A guy named Mado was until Touka killed him." Uta told her, "Now I think it's fallen to his partner, some guy with crazy eyebrows."

"Amon." Emily said, "I briefly met him too and Toshio talks about him a bit."

Uta leaned back and stretched, "Having someone on the inside is certainly beneficial for us."

"Yeah..." she replied distantly. The truth was she had been considering joining the CCG for a while, even before she was kidnapped by Aogiri. It would be exceptionally dangerous especially if any of them found out her secret life, but if she got a high enough position, she could do a lot to help her friends and family.

"You're thinking about joining, aren't you?" Uta asked as if he could read her mind.

"Think about the possibilities, Nii-san. I would know the Doves movements, when they were planning raids, how close they were to figuring out identities and not to mention I could subtly give them information on Aogiri."

"Don't." Uta said sternly, "It's too risky."

"And Aogiri isn't?" she asked slightly annoyed. Uta sighed, "That's different. Aogiri wouldn't risk your life; you're too important to them. Besides, I don't think what they're doing is wholly evil."

"You cannot be serious?! They kidnapped me and used you and Renji against me!"

"Emily, calm down." Uta said raising his hands, "I'm not saying I agree with their methods, but I do agree with their ideals. A world where we can live freely, is that so bad?"

"No, of course not. But they're not doing it so Ghouls everywhere can live without fear; they're trying to take over the world. What do you think will happen if they succeed? Humans everywhere will be slaughtered." Emily argued.

"And that's worse than countless Ghoul deaths?" he asked arching an eyebrow.

"Don't misunderstand. I hate the CCG, I hate what they do." Emily sighed and lowered her head, "I just wish humans and Ghouls could live together harmoniously - like we do. I'm a human, you're a Ghoul and yet I absolutely adore you. You're family to me. If the world could see how we live, not just me and you but everyone at Anteiku, Renji and Itori..."

"You and Ayato." he added.

"I think they would understand that it is possible." she finished. Uta stood and walked over to sit beside her. He put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her to his chest. Emily took a deep breath, he hadn't hugged her like this for a long time and she had missed the way he smelled; soapy, like fresh linen and the faintest hint of musk. She wondered what he smelt like to other Ghouls - whether his scent was as pleasant to them as it was to her.

"What do other Ghouls smell like?" she asked quietly.

"Hmm...We all have our own individual scent. For example, Yomo-kun smells like dusty books that haven't been touched in years. Yoshimura smells like coffee, but that could just be because he spends majority of his time around it." Uta explained, "Kaneki-kun is interesting. He used to smell like Kamishiro Rize and human mixed together, but now he's got a mix of Yamori as well."

"What do I smell like?" she asked. Uta chuckled, "Watermelon and sunshine."

She elbowed him lightly, "Be serious."

"I am. Watermelon from the soap you use and your own scent reminds me of spring - flowers in bloom and warm sunshine. It's the only way I can describe it. Olivia-san smelt the same way." he replied, "It's different to everyone though."

"What about Ayato?" she asked, "What do you think of when you think of his scent?"

Uta sighed and closed his eyes, "A thunder storm; violent, beautiful and sorrowful at the same time."

"That sounds like him." she replied softly.

9.45pm, 4th Ward

Emily had left HySy, deciding that she may as well go home if Ayato and Hiko were going to be this late. Despite his reservations about her going home alone, Emily and convinced Uta to let her go, she'd gone to and from his place alone many times before. However, though she'd been confident enough before, now she was walking the streets alone at night, nerves were biting at her. Up ahead, a large crowd of men were talking loudly, slurring their words and she assumed they were drunk. Wanting to avoid any trouble, she turned down a side street.

"You know," a voice said from the darkness, "It dangerous for a girl to be walking around alone in these parts. Don't you know there's monsters out here."

Emily didn't reply but instead picked up her pace - chances are it was just a human trying to scare her, but humans could be just as dangerous as Ghouls and she wasn't willing to risk it. After walking for another twenty minutes, it suddenly occurred to her that she was totally lost.

Stopping under a street light, she pulled out her phone and began dialing Uta's mobile number. She could only guess the lecture she was going to get for trying to be brave. But just as she was about to hit the call button, she felt someone watching her.

"Hello?" she called curiously, glancing around her, "Is someone there?" Movement from amongst rubbish bags caught her attention. Her breath caught - this was just what she needed right now.

A small grey cat leaped out and looked at her curiously before hissing and running away. Emily let out the breath she'd been holding and laughed at herself for being spooked by a cat. Shaking her head, she turned to keep walking but was stopped before she could take a step.

In front of her stood a tall, menacing form - red eyes and sharp white teeth glowing in the darkness.

"Good evening." it called to her. A vibrant green bikaku coiled around his leg like a snake and Emily knew immediately that he was going to attack and kill her. Without hesitation, she turned on her heel and sprinted in the opposite direction as fast as she could. She didn't know how far a distance she'd put between herself and the Ghoul but she figured with a Ghoul's enhanced abilities, it couldn't have been that much. She couldn't run forever and she had no idea how far away she was from HySy. She needed to find somewhere to hide and call someone for help.

She turned down another street and saw the group of men from earlier. That was her chance, if she could just get to them, chances are the Ghoul pursuing her wouldn't follow. Then again, if he was hungry enough he could easily take them and her out.

"Help me!" She screamed, her breath burning like fire in her throat, "Please!" The men squinted into the darkness as she ran towards them. She could hear the Ghoul's laughter behind her and she knew he was close. She just had to make it a few more steps.

One of the men grabbed her as she crashed into their group, "What is it? What's wrong?" he asked.

"Help me!" she said breathlessly, "Ghoul..." but before she could say anything else, blood splattered her face. The man holding her seemed surprised as he looked down to the vibrant green thing sticking out of his stomach.

"Oh? I missed." a voice said from behind them as the man was hoisted into the air. Emily backed up, clutching her phone to her chest.

"Oh well, I guess I can have an entree, a main meal and desert now." he cooed viciously.

"Run!" Emily screamed at the remaining men who just stared, unable to move as their buddy was tossed to the side carelessly. She didn't wait for them to realize what was going on and forced her legs to start running again. Their screams echoed in her ears in time with her footsteps; she was responsible for their deaths. She had gotten them all killed. It was her fault.

She skidded around the corner of a building and ducked behind a dumpster, hoping that the smell would cover her own. Her mind was a blur; she was going to die. He was going to find her and eat her. This was it - the end of the line. No one could save her now, not Uta or Renji, or Ayato or Toshio. She was on her own.

No. She wasn't.

Digging her hand into the pocket of her jacket she hoped that his card was still here. She prayed to whatever deity would listen until her fingers brushed against the crumpled card.

She pulled it free and used the light on her phone to see the number and dialed.

"Hmm?" the voice on the other side answered after the first ring.

"Help me." she begged in a hushed voice, "Oh god, I'm going to die."

"Who is this?" the voice asked.

"Emily...please, help me." she said just as heavy boot steps came around the corner.

"Little bird~!" the Ghoul called, "Where did you fly to, little bird~!"

"Where are you?" the voice on the phone asked her, "Tell me where you are, now."

"I-I don't know." she whispered praying that the Ghoul couldn't hear her, "The 4th Ward. Please come quickly, he's going to find me."

"Emily, stay calm. I can't help you if you don't tell me where you are. Look around, can you see any signs or landmarks?" the voice told her sternly. Emily took a deep breath and looked up. Half way down the street was a neon sign but she couldn't make out what it said.

"There's a sign - it's red... I think it could be a strip club." she said.

"Found you~!" The dumpster she had been hiding behind was suddenly flung effortlessly away and crumpled into the wall behind them. She vaguely heard the person she was talking to on the phone saying something but his voice sounded so far away as a hand reached out for her. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't run, only stare at the salivating mouth and cruel eyes of the Ghoul looming above her. He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off her feet, dangling her body above him.

"Oh, isn't this sweet." he said as her tears cascaded down her face and onto his, "This is why I love girls. They make the cutest faces when they're about to die."

"Oi." called a new, deeper and seriously unimpressed voice from the shadows. The Ghoul's grin dropped and he looked annoyed,

"Tch. Can't enjoy one little meal without some rat smelling it." he said before arching his neck backwards, "Find your own food, asshole."

Suddenly the Ghoul holding Emily was forced forward, the action causing him to literally throw her to the side. She skidded and rolled along the road until her head smacked against something solid. The last thing she remembered before everything went dark was a pair of worn brown boots covered in blood walking towards her.

11.30pm, Unknown Location.

Ayato was still with the other Executives at one of Aogiri's new hide outs. He sat with his elbow on the table, resting his cheek against his hand and staring at absolutely nothing. He'd stopped paying attention to whatever they'd been discussing a long time ago - frankly it just didn't interest him at all. It was something about a human doctor Aogiri was working with for some reason, but after the words human and doctor had been uttered, he'd tuned out completely. While he didn't hate Emily in the slightest, and Toshio seemed to be decent-ish, he still despised humans as a whole and anything to do with them pissed him off. He sighed, louder than he ought to have and fell back against his chair.

"Are we boring you, Ayato-kun?" Eto asked with a small chuckle.

"Honestly, yeah." he replied, "Since when did we decide to team up with humans?"

"This particular human has proven useful to us in the past." Tatara replied, "Had you been paying attention, you would have realized his importance to our future."

"Tch." Ayato rolled his eyes, "Just like that human trash you have me babysitting."

"No." he replied, "While Ishihara Emily is useful in securing our position within the 20th Ward, once we have achieve total dominance, she will no longer be required."

"So you're gonna kill her?" he asked trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, despite fuming on the inside.

"That is correct. She has ties with the CCG, should we allow her to live, what's to stop her from going to them." Tatara said, "Dr. Kanou is irreplaceable."

"You will do no such thing, Tatara." The voice made every single one of them look towards the door where a shadowed figure stood. Ayato was quick to cover his surprise - he hadn't even sensed anyone approaching and, after a glance towards Tatara, he realized that no one had.

"And you are?" Tatara replied, his crimson eyes narrowing on the newcomer. The figure stepped into the room; he wore a long brown overcoat that reached his mid-shin, blue jeans and a maroon colored scarf that half obscured his face.

"You will leave Ishihara Emily alone." the man said strongly, "Or, you'll end up like your friend here." With that he tossed a dirty white bundle towards Tatara, it landed on the table with a thud and slid towards the white-haired Ghoul. Tatara flipped it open - inside was a severed head.

"Tatomi..." Tatara said, acknowledging the dead Ghoul in front of him.

"Consider this your last warning." the stranger said, "Try anything against her again, I will bring you the head of your King."

Ayato watched as the stranger left, waiting for the order to go after him - although he was glad that Emily seemed to have more allies than he'd first thought.

"Who the hell was that?" Naki asked, looking to Tatara for answers. Tatara was still staring at the head on the table in front of him. Ayato knew Tatomi - he was one of Tatara's underlings and could have made it to Executive if he wasn't so obsessed with eating.

"I have a suspicion." Tatara replied vaguely, "Ayato, go back to the 20th and do not let that girl out of your sight."

Ayato made a pained face but he was thankful to finally be allowed to return home to Emily - this stranger's arrival had seriously concerned him. It was blindingly obvious to him that Tatomi had tried to kill Emily, whether it was Tatara's order or not, which meant Emily was in danger and he needed to be there. He left without a word, pretending to be the diligent soldier he was, and went to find Hiko who was supposed to be investigating what had happened to Hikari.

"You, boy." the voice said as he was half way down the hall. Ayato turned on his heel and produced his ukaku, ready to fight if he had to. The stranger was leaning casually against the wall - again Ayato hadn't even sensed his presence at all - and although Ayato was clearly aggressive, he made no indication that he was fazed in the least.

"Put it away." the stranger said as he lit up a cigarette, "Your kagune didn't do you any favours last time we met."

Ayato scowled, "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

The stranger let out a breath of smoke, "Someone you should be thanking. While you were busy with your little meeting, Emily was being attacked." he dropped the cigarette and was in front of Ayato so fast he couldn't even comprehend what was happening until the stranger was gripping the collar of his shirt tightly, "You were supposed to protect her." Ayato gripped the stranger's wrists, the sleeves of his long brown coat falling down to his elbows, revealing a flower covered in vines tattooed on his left forearm.

"Who said that was my job?!" Ayato growled desperately trying not to let on how shook up he was. The stranger's dark eyes narrowed and he slowly lowered the younger Ghoul to the ground,

"Don't be a fool, boy." he said just barely a whisper, "I know everything." Without another word he kicked Ayato in the stomach, sending him flying into the wall.

"Don't make me regret trusting you." the stranger said as he walked away. Ayato coughed, clutching his stomach. He'd felt that kind of strength before, although there was no killing intent behind this attack. It was him. The Ghoul who almost killed him over a year ago. He had had absolutely no qualms about killing Ayato then, so what exactly had changed in that time?

And just who the fuck was he to Emily?

12am, CCG Headquarters, 1st Ward

"Really, I'm fine." Emily was saying to the lower rank Investigator tending to her wounds. All she wanted to do was go home, but they had taken her back to the CCG headquarters for medical aid and questioning.

"Emily," Arima Kishou said softly as he re-entered the interrogation room she was in and signalling to the Investigator to leave, "I know it's been a long night for you and I don't particularly want to keep you here longer than necessary, however I do have some questions for you."

"Arima-san," she said trying not to whine, "I appreciate you saving my life, I really do, but I've told the other Investigators everything." Arima sat down across from her and pushed a hot cup of coffee towards her.

"I know." he said, "This is just for my piece of mind. Can you tell me exactly what happened?"

Emily sighed, he had saved her life, the least she could do was tell him what he wanted to know, "I was walking to the train station after visiting a friend of mine. I accidentally took a wrong turn and got lost."

"And that's when you encountered the Ghoul?" Arima asked, readjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Yes. I ran as fast as I could and managed to find a group of people, thinking that I'd be safe with them. Only the Ghoul killed them all." she recounted.

"Seven victims were recovered." he told her, "One survived and is being treated as we speak."

"After that I just kept running until I managed to find somewhere to hide. That's when I remembered the number you gave and and called. I don't remember what happened after that except waking up on the ground and seeing you." she said before taking a sip of coffee.

Arima sighed and closed the folder containing her statement he'd been reading as she spoke, "Are you sure you don't remember anything? Like another Ghoul, perhaps?" Emily shook her head,

"No, there was only one. Why?"

"Emily, I'm going to be honest with you. I didn't kill the Ghoul who attacked you, in fact he was already dead by the time I got to you. He had been decapitated." Arima told her, "No other Investigators were in the area, I'd made calls on my way to see who was close. My only other explanation for what occurred was that there was another Ghoul involved."

"If that's the case, why aren't I dead?" she asked him.

"We have no idea." he confessed, "Perhaps it heard my approach and fled. I just want to make sure no one will come after you if we send you home. Our records say that you live alone, is that correct?"

"Yes, but I live in the 20th Ward." she said.

"Nevertheless, it's still dangerous for you. I'd like to assign someone to keep watch over your house, but our resources are stretched thin at present." he told her, "Do you have anyone you can call to pick you up?"

Emily looked into the dark liquid - Renji was working and there was no way she would risk bringing him here. Everyone else she knew didn't have a car or was a Ghoul.

"I see." Arima said seeming to have decided something, "In that case, I will take you myself."

"Why?" she asked before she could stop herself, "Why are you doing all this for me?"

Arima stood and walked towards the door, the manila folder tucked under his arm, "I owe someone a debt."

Emily frowned at his broad back - just what kind of person would Arima be indebted to and how did she factor into it?