Well here is the next part. Not much to say other than it was a bit rushed. need to work on compromise soon. SO if i didnt get this out now, it would have probably taken two weeks. Other than that, I don't really have much else to say. I may try to do one other omake at the end of this arc with maybe a dark Ken or something its not set in stone.
I also do plan to do another mini version of the ghoul history science thing again. eventually too.
welcome xavier rall, locksoli, baconkingpin, hidenone15,
She finally had them. Finally, after so much suffering Alice had her prey in front of her. One of them was a just a girl so not even a threat. And the investigator was wounded. Like a dove with its wings clipped before a hungry cat. Alice couldn't help but let out another laugh as she saw the frightened face of Maria and the grim face of her mother. She slowly walked over to where Setsuko lay. Her grin never leaving her face.
Setsuko meanwhile was breathing heavily. The pain making it hard to concentrate as she was possibly going into shock. She also was finding it hard to get a good breath as the smoke slowly started to fill in the break room from the fire in the lab. Still, if she was going to die here, then she would die fighting. And she was definitely not letting her daughter die at all here. So as the ghoul got closer to her she struck with that hidden quinque of hers. She knew it was a long shot against such a strong ghoul but still she had to do something.
The blade swung by Alice's face and slashed at her cheek. She jumped back in surprise before touching her cheek. She grinned at the dove before using her fast reflexes to yank the older woman up by her artificial arm. "Hihihi. I almost forgot how tricky and underhanded you humans can be when cornered like the rats you are," she hissed as she locked eyes with Setsuko. Both women starred at each other with raw emotion. Hatred, determination, glee, and distaste, chief among them. Setsuko coolly replied, "It's sometimes necessary when dealing with overpowered, disgusting beasts like yourself." Alice backhanded the older woman with only enough restraint to keep from breaking her bones or neck. It still had the dove close to passing out.
"Still have a smart mouth I see. Don't worry, I'm sure we can change that with time," she ominously warned. Suddenly Alice felt something pierce her back and in pain dropped Setsuko back to the ground. Both women were dazed but Alice recovered quicker and spun around to see Maria now on the ground from the recoil from Artemis. Her focus now on the younger Takahashi, Alice took a step to her and reached to her back to rip out the kagune shards. However, she stopped when she looked at the shard in her hand. She recognized it. For Artemis was made from the kagune of her older sister, Ionna.
Maria was shakenly trying to get up but then found herself hanging in the air when Alice shot forward and yanked the poor girl by the neck. Alice screamed, "You… How dare you shoot at me with my own sister… you… fucking human!" Maria struggled but Alice just slammed her head into a piece of wreckage behind her. Setsuko now frightened for the life of her daughter tried to jump up but her destroyed ankle was unable to hold her weight and she again collapsed. She couldn't just watch her daughter get killed in front of her. In desperation she even tried to crawl towards where Artemis laid.
Alice though was enjoying this. The pain. The fear. The misery. All of it was just perfect. She would make these filthy humans pay for all the pain they had caused her. For her happiness. Her life. Her gang. Her older sister. She took a moment to revel in her prey's panic as she slowly chooses where to rip apart first. Deciding where, she slowly brought her hand towards Maria. "Now, shall we begin?" Maria watched as the tips of the fingers approached her. She could feel tears coming to her eyes. Was this how she was going to die.
But she was saved by a large piece of rubble that all of the sudden flew into the face of the ukaku ghoul. She shouted as the rock smashed into her face. The figure that threw the rock then appeared between her and Maria and with a downward spin kick, smashed Alice's arm. She screamed in pain and jumped back; allowing Maria to fall to the floor; coughing as she was able to breath again. The figure took a defensive position between the Takahashis and Alice. Even though he kept his back to the two, Maria could easily recognize him. She coughed a bit more before stating just loud enough to be heard, "Ken…" Alice then, looked at him with a glare while her arm was healing and asked, "Oi Eyepatch. What the hell do you think you're doing here? Protecting a dove and her little fledgling. You have your head on straight?"
Setsuko, with all the brainpower she could muster, tried to piece together what was happening now. Ken had just appeared but he was supposed to be a normal human. She could now see the similarities between him and Eyepatch that she had possibly been ignoring subconsciously for Maria's sake. He was the Eyepatch but he saved Maria from the other ghoul. Was he actually trying to save them or was this simply two ghouls fighting over the rights to prey. She once again looked to where Artemis was and wondered if she could reach it and take out both ghouls while they were occupied.
Ken then turned to look at the two woman behind him. His mask, since it had made it hard to breathe on his way over here, now dangled on his neck. Maria looked relieved to see him and possibly optimistic at his help while Setsuko appeared more suspicious and confused. Ken then faced Alice again. He smiled at her and shrugged. "Who knows. I'm just doing what I want to do. Make of it what you will." His Kagune activated and now swirled around him as if waiting to tear into his opponent. "However no matter what, I won't let you have these two."
For a moment the place seemed to fall silent despite the roar of the flames around them but then Alice began to openly laughed. "Really?! Just try me!" She launched her ukaku shards again but this time Ken used his rinkaku to smashed them as they approached. Alice then used her speed to jump to where Maria still laid and swung one of her wings down but Ken reacted nearly as fast and blocked the ukaku just inches from the screaming girls face. "Take your mom and run!" he ordered. She followed his orders immediately while he then went on the assault; slashing at his opponent and causing her to retreat.
He watched as the young woman was able to drape her mom over her shoulder and slowly drag her towards the front entrance. He hoped that the hallways hadn't collapsed after he had headed here. But he didn't have time to focus on that. He had to hold off and defeat Alice. Afterwards he could figure out what to do with the Takahashis. He chased Alice back into the lab proper as she dodged his rinkaku and continued to launch shards at him; hoping to break his attack rhythm.
Maria picked up her mom and began to head for the exit. She struggled due to the fire, her own injuries, and the weight of her mom. She was running on pure adrenaline at this point but was already feeling exhausted in all meanings of the word. She looked at her mother and didn't like what she saw. Setsuko's ankle was ripped to shreds and looked to be beyond repair. She was also having an even harder time breathing then her daughter. Some blood leaking from her mouth when she coughed. "Don't you dare die on me you old bat," she told Setsuko. Setsuko smiled weakly at her and replied, "Who are you calling an old bat? I'm still young at heart. Brat." Hearing that eased some of Maria's fears. "Good. If you can snark like that then your wounds probably aren't that bad. Just hold on till we get out of here. I'm sure Ken can take care of that bitch and we can all escape from this nightmare."
But as she got to the door out of the lab section of the building, her mother asked the question she didn't want to hear. "Can we trust him?" Maria stopped. Her hand just inches from pushing the door open. She understood what her mother meant. He was a ghoul but not just any old one. No he was the Eyepatch. A SSS ghoul who had taken down many investigators and had a dark personal history with her mother. It wouldn't be that hard to believe that he was just saving them to have them to his self later.
As she thought about it, she turned back to look at the battle. It was both beautiful and frightening as they ripped into each other. Like a scene from Hell with flames and wreckage giving it an almost unearthly glow and look. Still Ken kept the other ghoul away from them. He was between them and her and seemed to be letting them go. Maria thought about everything she had experienced and that she knew of him and his sisters, ghouls in general, and that one time in that playground all those years ago. And made a decision.
"Yes"
As to be expected between a high level SS class and a SSS class ghoul, the fight was vicious and intense. The two of them lashed out with their kagunes as they tried to find an opening. Ken was on the attack but Alice was proving to be hard to pin down. Using her speed and maneuverability to her advantage along with the environment itself. The mad girl jumped around and swung across the wreckage while moving through the smoke and near the flames to obscure herself from Ken. Ken was certain that it was only due to the high maneuverability and regeneration of his rinkaku typing that allowed him to avoid being overwhelmed by her.
Alice jumped onto a falling support beam and fired her shards from above but Ken reacted fast. He spun his kagune in front of himself and reformed it into a flat sheet to block the wide shot of shards. Of course Alice used this chance to close in while he couldn't see her and slashed at his wall with one of her wings. The RC cells stretched a bit thin like this, were unable to handle the force of her wings and it was slashed open forcing Ken jump back and reform his tentacles but Alice followed and soon both of them were striking at each other with their fists and legs. Ken dodges as she tried to kick him and then tried to stab her heart with his hand which she too dodged. He then brought up his knee and forced her back a bit before trying a roundhouse kick that she barely stopped with her arm; gritting her teeth at the bone rattling force.
As they fought, Ken tried to bring his rinkaku to bear but Alice used her own kagune as point defense. It was able to knock away or blast apart any of the tentacles that got too close. She only needed to avoid them once or twice when they got past her own kagune. It had become a two-part fight as kagune fought kagune and master fought master. Ken dodged another strike with only a slash to the cheek when he used one of his tentacles like a whip and shot it at Alice. It wrapped around her leg and he used it to yank her into the air.
Surprised, she tried to shoot him again with her kagune but the shot was haphazard so he was easily able to dodge and block it with his other rinkakus. Ken smashed her into several pieces of wreckage before throwing her across the lab where she smashed into the control booth. She landed ungracefully at the main console. It was here that all of the projects could be viewed and directed if nothing overly sensitive or specific needed to be done. As she started to get up, Alice pressed the button to activate the P.A. system. Though much of it was broken it still overall worked and after a screech from the remaining speakers, it was on.
Ken landed at the broken window the slipped in after her. Now cornered the girl laughed again. The P.A. system giving an almost surreal feel as it played it around them and throughout the building. "I can't believe this. I just want those two bitches and yet you're getting in my way. What the hell is wrong with you?" she basically shouted at him. Ken just sighed and answered, "Nothing. I just want to save them." Alice grinded her teeth before asking, "That makes no sense! Shouldn't you be trying to help me instead? That one dove with the metal arm took away your parents just like they did with my sister!" Ken just shrugged at her. Alice slammed her fist on the control board. Smashing a bit of it. "Don't fuck with me Eyepatch! Don't you hate her?! Don't you find yourself wanting justice?! Do you even still care about your parents?!"
Alice suddenly found herself hoisted by the neck of her shirt and against the wall of the booth. She had been so wrapped up in her rant that she had failed to react before Ken had grabbed her. His face, completely filled with anger, right in front of hers. "Of course I still care about them!" he snarled. "I can't tell you the amount of nightmares I've had about that day! I lost so much when the doves raided our home! Me and my sisters had to go through some of the worst days of our lives after that! Being hunted like animals simply because of something we can't help!" he took a moment to breath before continuing. "You're right I am still angry over it. My family was crushed for no real reason. There was no reason for their deaths. We had been trying our damnedest to live peacefully. I don't think dad hunted even once after he had us and only fought when others started it. He was a good man. Probably better than most of the doves that fight under their banner of so called justice. Mom was an angel. She took care of us despite everything and all the hardships that come from being a human in our world. I miss them so much. But I refuse to let that day alone define who I am. I have a new home now. One where I can make sure that my sisters are happy and never have to suffer that pain again. So don't act like you're the only one who's suffering bitch. You're just the only one here too childish to get over it and move forward."
Alice was stunned for a second. But that feeling of stunnedness quickly evaporated back into anger. 'How dare you lecture me you dirty halfbreed.' Using the wall, she pushed off it and knocked into Ken. Both of them fell back out of the both and landed painfully back onto the lab floor. Both of them jumped up quickly and the fight began again.
But Alice wasn't the only one who had heard Ken. Thanks to the P.A. system, Maria and Setsuko had heard him as well. Both of them were at lost from what they had heard. For Maria it was tragic. Something that reinforced her belief that the world was broken. She had to fix it. She wouldn't let this stop her attack stop her either. Once she got her mom out of here and met up with Ken again, she would go right back to her research, though in a different lab of course, finish the project, and finally have a nice dinner with Ken and the twins.
For Setsuko it began to shatter her beliefs. Before this she had felt that her job was distasteful but necessary for the greater good. But now she was faced with the very real possibility of the CCG being part of the problem rather than the solution they strived to be. She smiled a bit at the ridiculous of it all. They were here in a burning building trying to get out alive and now of all times, she was doing some soul searching.
They were only a few hallways away from the exit when she heard the groaning. Then part of the roof gave way and debris came falling at them. In desperation Setsuko shoved Maria to the ground and tried her best to shield her as the debris came down.
Ken connected again; causing Alice to cough up blood as she was thrown back again. Ken was gaining the upper hand in the fight now. Alice was growing tired and was, though she hated to admit it, weaker than the rinkaku who stood in her way. She growled as she tried to shoot him but Ken reacted fast and dodged her attack. He then charged at her again intent on finishing this time. He had one of his Rinkakus wrap around his as he tried to impale her with his kagune hand combo.
But it was then that the structure of the lab began to fail further. Ken barely dodged as another small explosion occurred to his left but as he jumped to avoid he landed on some unbalanced wreckage that collapsed under his weight. Ken found himself momentarily blocked in giving Alice a chance to finish this.
The entire thing happened in only a few seconds. She prepared her kagune to shoot shards once more. Now with an easy target she could make sure that these ones would have the power and size to rip through his kagune guard despite the amount of energy and RC cells that would require. Ken meanwhile was trying to find something to use to help him. He didn't have enough time to break the sudden walls around him and escape before she fired. He would most like have to weather the hit and try to take it only in places that weren't vital. But then he saw it. Ken dove for Artemis that lay on the ground and fired. The shards from quinque and kagune flew into each other. Most impacted into each other and shattered but a few pass through. Ken took two to the stomach and one to his shoulder but Alice was hit with four across her torso. Including one that pierced her heart.
The once feared ukaka dropped to her knees as she shook. Her heart pumping was forcing more and more blood to leak out as she began to fall over. As one last act, Akiko grabbed one of the shards that had pierced her. Her hands barely able to hold it as she was losing consciousness. She smiled at it and hugged it. In her mind she could feel it again. The warmth of her sister's kagune wrapping around her. Blocking out the strange cold she was now feeling.
"Big sister."
Ken pulled out the ones that had hit him as he slowly came to where she laid. He checked for a pulse but found that she was dead. A serine smile on her lips for a reason that eluded him. He put the quinque down next to her. A part of him didn't want to touch the thing anymore. Such a barbaric weapon.
He headed for the exit to find the Takahashis and escape. Even with his ghoul body, it was beginning to become too hard to breathe and he was feeling dehydrated from the heat of the fires around him. It was time to leave. As he left though he did take one last look at Alice. Despite all that had happened he did feel somewhat sorry for her. After all he could understand why she did all of this. Perhaps, if he had things had only happened slightly differently, he really would have been helping her tonight. He turned back to the door and finally left the lab to look for Maria and her mom.
And so Alice dies. She was an interesting oc character to me. I originally only made her to be a throwaway oc to create tension in the fake arc from before but as i worked on it I felt I could do more with her so she became the main antagonist of this arc. Sometimes it really does feel like characters write themselves though.
This was really difficult to even make to this level as this chapter had two major focuses and the characters had to focus major stuff that hit them emotionally and I feel like emotions are really hard to do well. But at least its readable.
please read, follow, review, fav, and enjoy.
