I do not on Tokyo Ghoul or any of the characters.
Under Cover
Kaneki smiled as he opened the packages from Uta, pulling out everyone's mask, the masks each having a card with the mask's intended recipient taped to it. The Rank One and above investigators at the meeting earlier had voted on Kaneki's mask plan in light of the information that Rose was possibly working with Aogiri. Kaneki felt bad about lying, but he really needed to speak with Matsumae. The others all took their masks. Mutsuki had gotten one similar to Kaneki's own. His was a silver metal fitted to his face perfectly with a design on the mouth like it was stitched shut, and a metal plate for an eyepatch over his normal eye with a stitched closed eye designed on it, then a strip of metal around his head above his eyes to help stabilize the mask. Urie got one that was like a black metal beak with the lower part small and extending outward from under his chin, and the top part reaching almost a foot in front of his head level with the tip of his nose. On the back, a pair of metal straps ran around his head to hold it on. Saiko's mask was a silver with a black border, eight sides, and a pair of holes on each side. Kaneki honestly didn't know how she could see out of it, but she claimed she was fine, so he didn't question it. Shirazu's mask was white with a comically huge round nose sticking out of the front, a grin of sharp pointed teeth under the nose, and two eye holes above the nose with a slit running over the top of the mask to connect them. All of the masks also came with an outfit to complete them, and Kaneki had picked up his old outfit from Uta, who said he had remade it for him after he had found out he was still alive.
"Alright," Kaneki said. "I'll go and change, then we'll go."
The others all nodded, taking their own outfits to their rooms and changing, then heading out to the car, masks in hand. They drove to the area near where Rose had been hunting and parked at the top level of a parking garage, getting out and pulling their masks on as they walked to the edge, the lights from below partially illuminating them.
"You really do look just like a ghoul, Sassan," Shirazu said.
"Thank you," Kaneki said. "I'll take that as a compliment on my ability to disguise myself. However, my mask is a bit...special. I actually had to beg to be allowed to use it specifically."
"Why?" Urie asked.
"My mask is the same as one used by a ghoul that the CCG fought with a few years ago, known as Eyepatch," Kaneki explained. "You probably heard about him. He possessed a Rinkaku kagune, much like I do, except that he was able to mutate his into something like a centipede, earning himself the name Centipede later on and elevating his rating to SS. For this operation, I'm going to be impersonating the Eyepatch ghoul, and you four will be my gang. Mutsuki, since your mask is similar to this one, you'll be my right hand. Urie, you're the muscle. Saiko, Shirazu, you're both new. Unless I need you to do something specific, you mostly just need to be here for the intimidation factor. You don't actually need to worry about doing anything."
"Okay," Shirazu nodded.
"Understood," Saiko said.
"Oh, and Saiko," Kaneki said. "After this operation, you and I are going to train your kagune. It's too powerful to let it go to waste as a single-shot attack that leaves you crippled for the rest of the fight."
"Okay," Saiko nodded.
Kaneki turned back to the city below him, watching carefully. They needed a ghoul. Even one would do. He was famous. Finally, he spotted one.
"Bingo," Kaneki grinned, pointing. "Shall we?"
"He doesn't look like he's anyone important," Urie said. "Even from here I can tell he's starving."
"I've got a hunch this will work," Kaneki said. "Let's go."
He sprinted forward, leaping off of the building and falling at the ghoul, extending his Rinkaku and catching himself, in front of the ghoul, lowering himself to the ground. The ghoul took one look at his mask and screamed, turning to run. Before he could, Mutsuki's kagune stabbed into the ground before him, Mutsuki lowering himself to the ground as Kaneki had done, doing an excellent job of acting like Kaneki. Even his bearing was similar. Kaneki was actually really proud.
"P-Please!" the ghoul cried, cowering against the wall as the other three reached the alleyway, walking over to form a half-circle around him. "D-Don't hurt me!"
"We won't hurt you," Kaneki said. "As long as you do us a favor."
"Really?" the ghoul asked before two massive scorpion-like tails burst out of his back. "How gracious!"
He stabbed at Kaneki and Mutsuki, but Kaneki's tentacles easily caught his tails, crushing them and earning a scream.
"That wasn't very nice," Kaneki said before turning, looking back as a dozen more ghouls appeared around them, taking up positions on fire escapes, roofs, and on the ground.
All of them more demonic-looking masks, and no two looked alike. However, as Kaneki turned to them, holding the ghoul whose tails he was still holding above himself, nervous murmuring began to run through the crowd. Kaneki grinned.
"I'm honored that so many of you have come to witness my return," Kaneki said. "I'm starving."
It was chaos almost instantly. Kaneki ripped the kagune off of the one he had caught, knocking him out with a punch, then spun, his tentacles tearing through three and impaling a fourth. One with a sword-like Koukaku attacked Mutsuki, but before Kaneki could move to help him, Mutsuki had avoided the slash and driven his fingers into the ghoul's eyes before beheading him with his kagune. Kaneki smirked. His training was paying off. Shirazu was running distraction mostly, since his kagune wasn't very strong, but he was doing well. Urie was cutting down ghouls almost as fast as Kaneki's tentacles were. And Saiko was standing there looking bored even without a face.
Finally, Kaneki caught Urie with his tentacles as Urie moved to cut down the last ghoul, the leader, who had a root-like rinkaku. Kaneki walked over to them, picking the ghoul up by the throat and pinning him to the wall.
"Not him," Kaneki said. "He's going to be my messenger. So, here's what you're going to do. You're going to go out, right now, and find the Rosewald hunters. You see that parking garage?" He pointed at the one they had parked at. "Tell them to meet me there. And you had better hope that they don't keep me waiting. Because if they do, you'll be the one paying for it. You have thirty minutes. Better hurry."
The ghoul nodded vigorously and Kaneki set him on his feet, the ghoul sprinting away instantly. Kaneki turned, dusting his hands off.
"You're terrifyingly strong," Mutsuki said.
"You did pretty well yourself," Kaneki smiled. "I'll train you to control your kagune too. Now, let's get back to the meeting place, shall we?"
"What's the plan?" Urie asked. "Do we catch Rose as soon as they show up?"
"I'll handle that," Kaneki said. "I can handle Rose myself. You four watch for Aogiri, like our five White Suit friends, and make sure they don't interrupt my...discussion, with Rose."
Urie and the others nodded and they headed back to the parking garage, Urie and the others posting up on the second floor while Kaneki went to the top. He sat down, sighing and waiting patiently. Finally, after nearly an hour, Matsumae and another ghoul wearing a red uniform with a netting veil attached to the hat, which didn't hide their face at all, walked onto the top level and Kaneki stood, walking over to them.
"I bet that ghoul I sent as a messenger is shitting his pants right now waiting for me to kill him," Kaneki said. "Hello again Matsumae."
"Hello Kaneki," Matsumae said. "I take it this is the signal Touka mentioned?"
"It is," Kaneki nodded. "There's something you need to know. I talked to Kijima earlier today. The ghoul that he captured, he died immediately after the video was filmed. Even before it was uploaded."
Matsumae raised a hand to her mouth, tears leaking from her eyes.
"I'm sorry," Kaneki said. "I couldn't help him. But I'm warning you now. It's too late for the Tsukiyama family to be saved from the CCG. In order for the CCG to lay off, Shuu will have to disappear just before the raid starts, and someone else will have to pretend to take his place. Additionally, you and Kanae should go with Tsukiyama when he disappears."
"I cannot leave the rest of the Tsukiyama family when they are in danger," Matsumae said.
"And I don't want to see you die," Kaneki said. "I don't know you well, but you seem like a good person, so I don't want you to die."
"What about Master Mirumo Tsukiyama, Shuu's father?" Matsumae asked.
"If he surrenders peacefully, he will be taken prisoner without being killed, and then he will be in a perfect position to rescue during transportation," Kaneki said. "After that, he will need to disappear."
"What do you suggest we do?" Matsumae asked after several seconds of silence.
"Do you have a phone?" Kaneki asked.
"Yes," Matsumae nodded.
Kaneki pulled out a burner he had gotten before getting the others for the mission and tossed it to her. "Put the number into that. Then, when I find out when the operation is due to occur, I'll text you the information. You need to disappear before then."
Matsumae nodded, typing on the phone for a moment before closing it and tossing it back. He slipped it back into his trench coat's pocket and sighed.
"How are we getting off of this roof?" Matsumae asked.
"Well," Kaneki said. "In theory you could jump. Your rinkaku can break your fall if you extend it enough. But then I'd have to follow you, unless otherwise engaged."
"Oh Kaneki!" a voice off to the side called, everyone turning to see Uta, once again wearing his White Suit disguise. "Can I be of service?"
"That will work," Kaneki nodded. "Matsumae, wait until the others are halfway up the parking garage before leaving."
Matsumae nodded and Kaneki turned, cracking a knuckle and extending his tentacles. Then, as he charged at Uta, Uta grew several extra arms out of his shoulder, slamming them into the ground and dropping Kaneki down a level, a chunk of stone crushing his leg. He shouted in pain, using his tentacles to throw it off before pushing himself up, his leg repairing itself slowly. Uta didn't wait for it, crashing down on Kaneki instantly with a total of twelve arms, collapsing his ribs. Kaneki coughed, blood spraying out, before slamming a punch into Uta's jaw, launching him away. He flipped to his feet on his tentacles, his ribs healing themselves, then shot forward, one of his tentacles shooting out and impaling Uta as he stood. Uta spun as Kaneki punched at him, Uta leaning out of the way of Kaneki's punch and slamming three fists into Kaneki's gut, Kaneki's tentacles disintegrating as Kaneki flew backward, crashing through a support pillar and crashing to the ground. Kaneki stood, his leg finally healed, and formed his tentacles, wrapping them around his hands like gauntlets before streaking forward, dodging out of the way of Uta's punches as he attacked him rapidly.
Kaneki avoided strike after strike, slamming his own punches into Uta, or tearing at him with his kagune gauntlets' claws whenever he could. However, Uta had so many arms that he was able to hit Kaneki more often than Kaneki was able to hit him. Finally, the others reached the level Kaneki was on in time to see Uta slam a half dozen fists into Kaneki, launching Kaneki into the rest of them and knocking them all over. Then, as Kaneki pushed himself up, coughing blood out of his mouth, Uta leapt out of the parking garage, disappearing as he fell into the city below.
"I hate that guy," Kaneki said, slowly pushing himself up.
"How'd he beat you?" Urie asked.
"He's fast, strong, heals instantly, and he's creative enough to manipulate his kagune into whatever he wants it to be," Kaneki said. "I'm actually kind of jealous of his control."
"He's so cool!" Saiko breathed, eyes wide with wonder.
"Gee thanks," Kaneki said, rolling his eyes but smiling.
"What about Rose?" Urie asked.
"They got away," Kaneki said. "However, I did confirm one thing."
"What's that?" Urie asked.
"That's not a real White Suit, and I'd bet the others weren't either," Kaneki said.
"Who was it?" Urie asked.
"It's No Face," Kaneki said. "The Clown."
"Why was he dressed like a White Suit then?" Shirazu asked.
"Hell if I know," Kaneki snorted. "The Clowns never do anything that makes sense. Probably No Face heard I was strong and wanted to fight."
"It's possible," Mutsuki said. "We'll have to report that. So then, if the people we fought were all Clowns, then Aogiri has no connection to Rose."
"But the Clowns most likely don't either," Kaneki said. "Come on. Let's head home. I'm sore and I need to sleep this ass whooping off."
Mutsuki, Shirazu, and Saiko laughed, Urie remaining stone cold silent. They all headed up to the car and Mutsuki drove home.
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