Tokyo Ghoul: The Other Story
Chapter 2: Trouble Coming
Having the large weight of memories, pain and feelings was one thing but having nothing but the feeling of drifting your lift away was another pain altogether, well this is what Seidou Takizawa had felt these last four months. He could remember faces but his past torment, his job in the CCG and childhood was blur sometimes the present seemed to pass him by, he felt empty but that's just what he was. An empty shell. A zombie. Well he had died after all. He couldn't explain how he was brought back, the doctor said something about his Kakuja still being alive when he died, about RC's being alive as some kind of parasite but it just went over Seidou's head.
He didn't say much anymore, people tried talking to them such as a blond called Naki, a black haired man named Kaneki and some strange woman wrapped in bandages and right now a young new girl with messy blond hair and a tall thin frame now sat at his side as they let their legs hang off the edge of the roof of the tall vacant building that Aogiri's base was under.
"You don't talk much do you?" The girl said "Is that what you do all day, just stare at the clouds and the people below you? To be honest I can't blame you at all" Seidou didn't answer, he could hear her just fine but she was starting to get annoying and for some reason the need to rip her head off and eat her nice tender ghoul meat kept entering his mind but he didn't, it just wouldn't be right.
"You know we have been sat here for about two hours now and not once have you said my name" The girl said with a gentle smile on her lips "My name is Athena, it's the name of the Greek Goddess of wisdom and war strategy and though I don't look like it I do have those gifts that is probably why Eto treasures me so and why the CCG are targeting me although they just like killing anyone who's not human those Doves do" She said with a laugh as she leaned in closer to the white haired half-ghoul and Seidou found himself shifting uncomfortably, why did this girl have to lean in so close?
"You were an investigator once weren't you?" Athena said with a smirk "Tell me why they do it? Humans? Why do they just kill us mercilessly without trying to understand our situation? I will tell you something interesting about me…I've never killed a human before I get my food from suicide victims and sometimes I even up digging up the graves of people who have recently died but I'm carful to put the grave back like it was so tell me why I'm running for my life? Who am I hurting? That's why I joined Aogiri, Eto promised a better future where ghouls can live peacefully but to be honest I just think she wants to destroy everything…"
"Hey Takizawa and…Athena was it?" The ghoul woman turned her head in annoyance to tell off the intruder but she stopped when she realised who it was then she smiled. It was Ken Kaneki with his sister Hinami and one of the Quinx friends behind him.
"Ok Kaneki-san!" The smiled giving the half-ghoul a little wave, so this must be the half-ghoul that Eto and that doctor was so interested in. "What are you doing up here?"
"Well Urie and Shirazu have disappeared" The half-ghoul answered "Takizawa has a good noise and usually wonders around the base so I was wonder if he would have an idea where they were". Seidou turned at the mention of his name. He saw Ken Kaneki standing in front of him giving him a slight smile that was always pitying and Seidou hated it, what did Kaneki know? Why did he always have a look of sorry in his eyes when they meet?
"I think we did see them didn't we Seidou-san" Athena said as she playfully nudged the white haired half-ghoul in the ribs "go on tell him"
Seidou diverted his eyes hiding them under his long white bags suddenly feeling very shy at getting all the sudden attention, was he always like this? Or was it after the doctor restored him using his Kakuja or something?
"I…I…" He started as the others waited patiently "I think I saw two young men with orange and purple hair walk out the building…"
"What!" Kaneki gasped, the two others behind him looked taken aback as well. Hardly anyone went outside the Aogiri's underground base or this building at daylight, it was too risky since Urie and Shirazu were meant to be dead to the public.
"Where they masked?" Mutsuki asked but Seidou and Athena shook their heads and Kaneki sighed in annoyance, surely they couldn't be escaping not after what was offered to them and what the punishments of disobeying Aogiri were.
"I need to go!" Kaneki said turning his back "I need to get them before the CCG or any of the Aogiri guards know their missing"
"But onii-chan you face is on the wanted posters all over Tokyo!" Hinami argued "you can't just go out in daylight!"
"And nor can Shirazu or Urie!" Kaneki argued back "Knowing them they would be carful and stick to the alleyways and abandoned building you two can stay here and wait for them to come back"
"Wait Kaneki sensei I'm coming too!" Mutsuki shouted and ran to catch up, Hinami hung for a bit thinking,
"It's ok" Athena said now standing besides Hinami "go after I'll wait for your friends and I'll make sure no one finds out about this" Hinami looked at the girl in surprise, now looking closely there was something familiar about the blond ghoul in front of her but she pushed it back from her mind for now, she was just going to have to trust her.
"Thank you" Hinami nodded her thanks and ran off to catch up with the two men and Athena smiled and took her seat back right next to Seidou.
Xxx
In the first ward a large meeting between the squad leaders, their deputy's and the higher up was being issued in CCG's main office, investigators such as Juuzou Suzuya, Akira Mado, Hairu Ihei, Koori Ui, Matsuri Washuu and even Kishou Arima was present. They had gathered together to discuss what happened last night even though ghouls attacking CCG cars would be coincided 'petty' and would only need a small squad to deal with it, this attack was issued by Aogiri itself including Eyepatch/Centipede and Black Rabbit. Both ghouls and the group hadn't been sighted since the auction raid four months ago and they knew that the raid on the CCG cars was only the beginning. Of course it had to be Matsuri Washuu to open up the meeting.
"I'm sure you all know by now" Washuu started "That last night Aogiri Tree made its first move in four months by attacking four CCG cars and a CCG prison van that was delivering the S rated ghoul Athena, if that's her real name we are not sure but she doesn't fit any public files and we can't tell her age but we assume she's eighteen or nineteen" Washuu clicked a button on his remote in his hand and a projection of Athena's face appeared on the wall for everyone to see.
"She's pretty…" Kuramoto whistled earning his a scorn from his fellow team members. "So er…what's so special about this ghoul for two S rated ghouls to come after her including making Aogiri come out of hiding?"
"She one of Aogiri's most loyal and valued members and is believed to be one of the direct servants of the One-Eyed King" Washuu started "She has two types kagune a ukaku and rinkaku making her very fast with equally fast regeneration abilities, she had helped Aogiri with many off their missions has attacked many CCG investigators and has been sighted digging up graves and such"
"Sorry but I have question" Akira Mado interrupted "How was she captured and was she being transported to Cochlea?"
"In fact she was" Washuu nodded "She was captured by one of our new squads but unfortunately they were all killed during last night's raid, she was found in the seventh ward she and a few others of her kind had started to revolt against us, we killed a few but since she's special the squad decided to capture and interrogate her once they arrived at Cochlea but somehow Aogiri must of discovered what happened and went on their little rescue mission".
"But don't you think it's strange that Aogiri would reveal itself now after hiding for four months just to rescue a mere one of their kind?" Koori Ui asked "There has got to be something bigger to all this or we wouldn't all be called here"
"That's true" Arima said and everyone turned to the investigator in surprise, it wasn't often the usually silent Death God would speck during a meeting "The fact that Aogiri is revealing itself now is because they are planning something big and the raid last night was just the start we should expect bigger attacks from Aogiri and Centipede later on in the week"
"Finally someone says something smart!" An arrogant voice shouted out and everyone turned to the entrance to find the figure of a young male with messy brown hair that needed a good brush and wore standard black jeans with his light blue shirt hanging out with the top buttons all done and a brown jacket thrown over him, he looked like right scruff like he just got out of bed and threw on whatever fit him, not proper for a meeting at the CCG.
"Arthur Reed" Washuu greeted coldly glazing up and down at the newcomer's sloppy appearance in disgust "This meeting started less than fifteen minutes ago and I hope you have a good explanation for your lateness since you are the one who called the CCG to the scene and battled Ken Kaneki"
"Hey!" The investigator snapped "I'm British we can't function without a good strong cup of tea in morning, practically for a meeting"
"You should wake up earlier then…" Washuu started to argue but was stopped by a tap on his shoulder by Arima who shook his head telling the Washuu to leave it alone. "Anyway Reed-san if you could please explain your rude remark from earlier, do you in fact know something we don't?"
"Please Washuu-san Mr Reed will do" The rough looking male pushed himself of the wall "And for you information it seems that I'm the only one who has bothered to look at the reports, you say that the S rated ghoul Athena has attacked many investigators yet how many has she actuary killed?"
"I…er…" Washuu for once was tongue tied at the question, Ui found himself biting back the smile being to form on his face it seems the hyena has finally got his tongue caught by the cat, and for some reason something about Arthur Reed did remind him of a cat.
"Zero" Arthur answered with a smile "Question 2, how many innocents has Centipede killed and we are not counting the CCG doves"
"None that we know off" Washuu answered more surely "But his cannibalism of ghouls makes him a threat".
"Yeah but why does he cannibalise ghouls?" Arthur ask as he circled the table, everyone looked at the young male as if he was mad,
"Well it's obvious isn't it" Nobu Shimoguchi said "He's an insane ghoul who just wants power?"
"But is that all?" Arthur questioned "I've been build up quite the profile of him and have sent the info in my friends in Liverpool and they have the same theory as me and plus specking to him last night has confirmed this".
"And what is this profile Mr Reed?" Akira asked sudden interested "I already have some grip on his personality since I spoke to him before the auction, we know that Shimoguchi-san's thoughts of Ken Kaneki being insane is false since he manged to live as a human in a small town for four years and manged to become a qualified teacher…"
"Excellent" Arthur said beaming "looks like the CCG has some hope after all! Please carry on!"
"Well…" Akira put her head in her hand in thought "I would say he's not the type of ghoul who kills for the sake of it but only when he needs to, he is ruthless in his fighting abilities but not impulsive. He is very intelligent and does have the ability to care for others and make friends with humans and ghouls alike but it is possible he has a traumatic past and has a side to his nature that he can't control"
"Wow…I am impressed indeed Miss Mado, that is how you build a ghouls profile!" Arthur smiled while other investigators around the room either scowled, shifted uncomfortably or looked inspired "The problem with ghoul investigators in mostly Asian countries and some in Europe counties is that they don't try to understand the ghouls habits or personalities but stereotype them under one label which is 'Monster' but you need to get that thinking of your head and soon before more good investigators lose their lives by either taken by surprise or not understanding how a certain ghoul thinks"
Washuu grit his teeth in annoyance at the young man's words 'what is this foolish boy trying to get at?" He wondered 'who does he think he is trying to lecture a group of investigators who have more experience than him? What makes him so special that BCGM (British Counter Ghoul Measurement) send him to help us?'
"Now as we also know from Ken Kaneki's report" Arthur continued "He has attacked Aogiri many times in the past, he was probably a prisoner there for a short while and also in the auction raid he also killed Aogiri members so why after four months is he working with them now? And why would he? And also why would Aogiri want him to work for them? He was one their enemies it seems too much trouble for the One-Eyed Kind to kidnap him then ty to convert him to their side why not just kill him?"
"Well they did take his sister too" Juuzou Suzuya said leaning back in his seat biting on his lollypop "Maybe they are using her as hostage including those other four…"
"Suzuya!" Washuu snapped interrupting but Arthur wasn't having it,
"Oh no no no please Mr Suzuya please" The Brit said smiled "Carry on, I believe you are referring Tooru Mutsuki, Kuki Urie, Ginshi Shirazu and Saiko Yonebayashi they disappeared in the Auction raid didn't they?"
"Yeah they did" Suzuya said nodding sadly as Akira put her head down at the mention of her past pupils feeling the guilt kicking in "They were investigating Haise Sasaki posing as his students they were only there for less than a week, it's really a shame they were so nice and were talented investigators, I liked them a lot…"
"You say 'were'" Arthur pointed out "I suppose you going by the theory they are dead?"
"It's no theory" Washuu said a little too harshly "Mutsuki, Urie and Shirazu disappeared and never reported in when called and Yonebayashi was taken along with Centipede and his sister by the one eyed king…"
"You say disappeared" Arthur interrupted "but no bodies were found? You know…I would think after what happened with Seidou Takizawa would of made the CCG rethink their claims" That one statement made the whole room go silent, Akira Mado bit he lip in annoyance wondering what was with this boy and opening old wounds in her heart.
"And aren't we forgetting the three new ghouls sighted at the Car Raid?" Arthur leaned forward with his hands pressed against the table "I suggest we look further into them since the Shark masked one I battled had a strange looking Ukaku…."
Xxx
"Hey man I don't think this is a good idea" Shirazu said nervously as the two young men strolled down the dank and empty sewers under Tokyo, it smelt like piss and acid and would have been too dark if it weren't for their flash lights. "Nekisan said we need to work as team and going off in the sewers without him or the others knowing doesn't feel like team work"
"I have no intention to work under Centipede" Urie said his voice cold and crisp like the sewers they were under, Shirazu shivered watching Urie's back in the torch light. "I'm to go up the ranks of Aogiri and go to work under Tatara or Noro".
"Funny" Shirazu chuckled "Over four months ago you were saying you were getting promoted to the S3 squad!"
Urie ignored the comments and kept waking straight hoping they would be at their destination soon and he would get away from Shirazu's idiotic blabber.
"Anyhow Shirazu" Urie started and the orange head's interest picked up "Don't hold me back"
"Huh? Yer not the boss of me you know, you wanna fight me here?" Shirazu argued and Urie scowled, Urie was the boss here since he was the squad leader when they worked for the CCG and now squad leader again when working for Aogiri.
"I wouldn't really mind but…" Urie turned to face Shirazu who now stood ten feet away from him, both of them having their single grey kakugan activated "According to the rules those who rampage with their kagune will inevitably be exterminated"
"And according to the rules we are not meant to go out of the base in daylight without one or the leader's approval…"
"Oi Shirazu-kun is that you!" The two Quinx stopped and deactivated their kakugans before turning their flash light up to the sound where a small girl was hanging from one of the pipes with a camera around her neck she looked like a small monkey hanging from a tree. It took time but Shirazu started to recognise her.
"You're…." He started as the small woman jumped down and landed on both her feet.
"Shirazu you know this person?" Urie asked suspiciously eyeing the girl up and down, she smelt human but why was she here in the sewers of all places?
"Not personally…" Shirazu shifted uncomfortably, only he and Mutsuki knew about this girl and none of them thought to mention it Urie or Saiko in fact he had completely forgotten about the girl who seemed to know who Nutcracker was and that they were investigators.
"Wow I'm surprise you remember my face" The girl said beaming "I'm Chie Hori and you're going to see the 'Provider' aren't you?"
"How much do you know?" Urie asked bending down to the girl's height but if she felt threatened she didn't show it as she smiled turning her back on the two Quinx and gestured for them to follow her back the way they came.
"I'm afraid the Provider is not here today" The girl answered "I tried to visit him myself to see if I can learn some of his skills but unfortunately…"
"Hey you didn't answer our questions!" Shirazu snapped feeling angry and annoyed at the girl in front of him "Just who are you and how to you know about the Provider, also why are you acting so calm around us? We are meant to be dead!"
"There is a small café not far from here" The woman said completely ignoring Shirazu's questions "We can talk there…"
Xxx
Running around the criss-crossed alleyways of the 18th Ward would be a challenge if you didn't know it was well as Ken Kaneki. He did have four months to lean it after all. The 18th ward was run by the Triple Blades and therefore Aogiri's territory, the perfect place to have hide their base and Kaneki had been running around if half an hour now while Mutsuki and Hinami had spilt off to cover more ground.
Right now the half-ghoul was resting besides one of the walls away from ghouls and the poor humans who didn't have the money to live elsewhere. He tried to calm himself down and not get into panic mode and think that Shirazu and Urie had ran away or something bad had happened to them. He ran his hands though his hair, he had too much to think about at the moment he wondered if Shirazu and Urie maybe had a lead on the person who attacked him last night?
"Sensei!" a voice interrupted Kaneki's thought process and turned to find Mutsuki running up to him out of breath with sweat down his forehead.
"Mutsuki have you found anything?" The half-ghoul asked then noticed someone missing "Where is Hinami?"
"Oh don't worry sir she gone back to base to check if Urie or Shirazu have come back" Mutsuki answered "But I've been asking around, a ghoul said she saw two guys matching the description climbing inside the sewers"
"The sewers why would they….oh!" Kaneki started, his eyed widening and Mutsuki knew the half-ghoul had something.
"What is it sensei?" Mutsuki asked not liking the look on the older ghouls face, something was wrong…
"I should have known…" Kaneki mumbled rubbing the back of his head "they must have gone to see Provider?"
"Who's that?" Mutsuki asked, not hearing the name before.
"Someone who you don't need to know but how Urie or Shirazu learned about him in another case…"
"Then shouldn't we follow them down the sewers ourselves?" Mutsuki asked nervously feeling himself shake with nervousness, the way Kaneki talked it sounded like they were dealing with a dangerous ghoul.
"No point" Kaneki said shaking his head "if they went down the sewers that means they had taken the longest yet safest root to the Provider, he lives under the fifth ward you see so if we want to get ahead of them we need to meet them there"
"A-are you serious!" Mutsuki gasped with a stutter in his voice "we can't leave the 18th ward without permission! And we certainly are not allowed in the 5th ward because that were your friends live!"
"If we do this fast and swiftly then we can be there and back before anyone notices" Kaneki said as he got up from his seating position and stretched out his cramped muscles "We have our masks with us and we can hop on the next train in less than ten minutes, let's go!"
And so Kaneki ran with Mutsuki following behind, the one thing that went on though Kaneki's head at that moment in time was how stupid his two male Quinx were.
Xxx
When Kaneki meant 'hop on the train' what he really means is climb on the tallest building that the train passes then jump as lightly as you can onto the roof on the train without making a sound. Luckily Kaneki and Mutsuki were well practiced in this and so where a view other ghouls who wanted to get on the train to another ward. Once Kaneki jumped and then ensured that Mutsuki was right behind him the two flattened themselves on the carriage roof and cling tightly onto anything they could find like some of the other figures of ghouls he could see, he also saw some dropping off the train to get inside the 18th ward.
This was a standard form of travel for ghouls and not his favourite since many things could go wrong such meeting other dangerous ghouls, being seen by the CCG and birds pooping on your head, thats why you have to be careful to get off at the right stop and not to stay on the train for too long. Luckily they didn't need to stay in such an uncomfortable position long until Kaneki could see the first buildings of the 5th ward come into view.
"Let's go!" Kaneki said over his shoulder to Mutsuki who nodded even though the half-ghoul couldn't see him. The two jumped off onto the left side of the street watching the train fly past them and thankful for their ghoul strength they were able to stay on top of the train and jump off without injures.
"Great now we have to walk the rest of the way" Mutsuki complained tidying himself off and brushing the dust and dirt from his clothes.
"If we went any further the train would have stopped at the closet train station" Kaneki answered digging into the pocket of his black jacked and pulled out his Eyepatch mask. "Get your mask on and follow closely behind me and remember, stick to the shadows…"
Xxx
Sitting in an empty little burger shop hidden in the dark alleyway were the owners long scruffy black hair fell out of his cap and his apron looked like it needed a replacement was serving three plates of burgers and fries was not what Urie pictured doing with his time. Chie and Shirazu digged in to the plate of the food like pigs while Urie picked at the food feeling less than hungry and rather get answers instead, he'd rather not be in a place where he could be seen or recognised.
"Well…" Urie started eyeing the girl darkly "Who are you and why have you brought us here?"
The woman wiped her mouth with her napkin before specking "While working as a freelance camera girl I collect information and sell it, it's quite profitable and that's what I'm here to do today, sell information".
"So Miss Hori…" Urie started "How do you know about the Provider or us for that matter and what information do you want to sell?"
"Well…I don't want to say that I'm in a higher position than you" The girl said before taking a chip from her plate "but I know you are working for Aogiri now and I know about the Quinx project"
"Are you trying to blackmail us?" Urie asked dangerously "That information is only known from inside Aogiri Tree it would be a big issue if it was being leaked…We could forcefully interrogate or torture you in order to determine the cause of the leak"
"Yeah I suppose you could" the woman said thoughtfully finishing off the last of her plate not looking worried in the slightest "But if you try to force me to talk I'll only give you the bare minimum and not the information you guys need on the investigator that attacked Ken Kaneki, but just the cause of the leak then I'll go home or you could kill me, are you ok with that?"
"Yo leader" Shirazu said saying something for the first time since coming to the burger shop "Ain't it better if we just talk to her?"
"…Okay…." Urie said reluctantly not having a good feeling about this girl, "Well then, what type of info do you have on our little investigator?"
"Wait before we get into that!" Chie said putting her hand up stopping Urie in mid-sentence "My information is not free you know? Let's talking about compensation"
"WHAT!" Shirazu screamed banging his hands on the table a little too loudly, it was lucky they were only ones in the shop "You gave me and Mutsuki the Nutcracker information for free what's so different now?"
"That was when you were working for the CCG so I was on the side of 'justice' but of course things have changed" The young woman said smiling "Don't worry, it's not money I want…."
"Then what do you…." Urie started but again the girl beat him to it,
"What I want is….Ken Kaneki's belongings!"
"HUH!" The two Quinx gasped, now if Urie wasn't concerned he was now. What did this little rat know about Kaneki? He knew the half-ghoul was famous but…
"If possible things that he wears often or at least worn all the time would be best" Chie said casually like the Quinx never reacted, it was Shirazu who spoke first.
"Are you a perv or something?" he spoke scratching his head "What the hell do you want with them anyway?"
"Nothing for you to worry about" The girl said with a shake of the head "The info is the most important right?"
"Yeah sure," The Urie said shrugging "I'll try and get something but the information comes first"
"Okay!" The small woman said beaming reaching into her bag "I think I'll be a big help, these are the photos of the guy your after and the car he drives, you will get the rest of the info once you have paid me".
The two Quinx looked though the four photos of a young man in his early 20s with messy brown hair with hint of blond with green eyes and looked western getting in and out a sliver car. Urie smiled, they finally had a lead and were one step ahead from Centipede.
Note: I'm only guessing that Aogiri's base is in the 18th Ward since is belongs to Triple Blades. Same with Re I can't find any information on what ward could be in, I'm only guessing its either the 5th or 6th ward because if you look on the information on the wards in chapter 43 page 13 there is a map of where the wards are and what's going on and both those wards have question marks on them and are close to the 1st ward where Haise lives so he could get to Re easily.
So we now know a little more about Athena and our strange Investigator has a name and a new Oc has been mentioned, so who's the Provider and what is he to Aogiri and Chie?
If you are confused on Seidou survived then don't worry because he's going to have his own arc where it will be made clear, basically Kanou used the RC cells in his Kakuja to fix his body and organs. I never meant for Seidou to die in the auction and I have planned an arc for him since this story began so don't be too disappointed with the result.
The next chapter should be more exciting since there is going to be a mini battle and the Re gang come back into it including an old character I'm sure we've all missed….
Like always I thank the following reviewers Haruto Arima, Guest, nissangtrlover2569 and tats magicalmcguffins and finally Flowering Lotus who became the 100th reviewer! Well done and thank you so much! I will give you prize if I had one but all I can do if you 1000 cookies
But seriously guys thank you I can't believe we have 105 reviews! You guys are amazing! 3