Well I really just rushed through this chapter. Work has been heavy these last two weeks and cause of that, I've been exhausted. so much overtime. I original planned to finish a chapter of compromise first but I had this one clearer in my mind so I decided to rush through it and get what i could out before I lost what I wanted to write here.

I didn't realize how dark this chapter was going to get till i wrote it. I have the next three chapters prepared. The end to this one, a cool down chapter, and a omake about Ken's time before he was taken in by Rize. After that it's into the Aogiri arc.

thank you for reading: micah hacim III, kinigget, haystack51, , yuriliini, haiselover, woobzy, jordan shadow,


Ken was trying to keep low. The air here was filled with smoke and he only had a torn cloth dosed in a bit of water. He was trying to locate the Takahashis. He didn't think they could have gotten all the way to the exit with how bad Setsuko was injured. So he expected to discover them still in the hallway, possibly trapped, and to have to carry them out of the building.

He dodged as another piece of the roof fell. It appeared that he didn't have much time left to find them. He then came to where a large pile of wreckage had blocked the hallway. It inclined towards the exit almost like a small hill. Ken saw that there was still enough room for him slip between it and the roof. But when he began to climb it he heard it. The sounds of pained groans.

Realizing that someone was alive below the wreckage, Ken used all his acrobatic skills to jump over the hill of debris and then turned around to see both Maria and Setsuko. Maria was on the ground unconscious and her color didn't look good. But she appeared to be mostly unharmed as Setsuko had covered her daughter from the raining debris. The older woman however was much worse off. She was holding up the wreckage with her own body. Using every last ounce of strength, she could muster to act as a support column despite her destroyed leg. The pieces of the building though had further ripped her apart. Her back was pierced by all sorts of pieces including a large one that had pierced straight through her stomach and her back and arms were now horribly burned and Ken could see multiple broken bones. She looked like she was just barely conscious.

She noticed Ken through the haze that her consciousness had become. He was trying to break down how she was trapped but she already knew it was pointless. she just shouted at the boy, "Forget about me! just get Maria out of here!" Ken looked half about ready to protest for reasons even he didn't understand. Back in the day he would have been ecstatic at seeing her like this but now he couldn't help but want to save her. But after a few seconds he decided not to object to her. He realized that it would be impossible to get her out without endangering Maria in the process and chances were that she wouldn't live long even if he did get her out. So he did as she asked; grabbed Maria and pulled her out from the wreckage to Setsuko's relief.

He began to head for the exit again with the unconscious girl in his arms but was stopped by Setsuko one last time. She didn't know why she said it but as she watched him walk off, she felt she had to. "Ken," Setsuko weakly got his attention. She then simply said one word. "Sorry." Despite the flames around them, the place seemed to grow deathly quiet. Ken didn't move. didn't respond. but just stood there. Back to the woman. Finally, he turned to her and smiled behind the clothe. "Thank you," he simply responded. Despite how simple it was, Setsuko felt that this was necessary. That Ken, even if it was this small thing, deserved some sort of apology from her. She waited till the two of them had gone past a corner to let go and allow the debris to fall.


Ken finally reached the exit and got outside the buidling. He gratefully inhaled lungfuls of the cool, fresh night air. Then he immediately looked over Maria. She was breathing, but barely. Ken was afraid that she might stop any moment now. She needed medical help. But he couldn't just take her to the hospital himself. He'd rather not be the cause of several heart attacks for the ill people there.

He felt the heat scorch his back as another explosion rocked the place. He was still too close. First he had to get her farther away from the fire. Then he could figure out some way to call the emergency services without it connecting back to him. Of course nothing ever goes as planned. He took another step. Only for Kusanagi flew by his side like as warning shot. The rinkaku quinque crashed in front of him. "What the hell do you think you are doing to my sister?" Ken heard from behind him.

He slowly turned around, still holding Maria in his arms, to find the enraged Hideaki Takahashi facing him. Ken, slightly disguising his voice replied, "Ah, Rank one Takashi-san. I don't believe we have had the pleasure but I've heard a lot about you." The angered man pulled the quinque back to him in preparation to strike again. Ken knew that he wouldn't attack though. Not while it could cause harm his younger sister. Ken could relate to that worry.

Hideaki continued to glare at the ghoul who had his sister. He was frantically trying to figure out how to get her away from him. He had heard of the fire over the radio in his team's patrol car and rushed over here only to find the place engulfed and the one responsible for it running off with his sister for some nefarious reason. "Tell me Eyepatch," he stated with all the venom he could muster, "Why are you here? For what reason did you do this?" The ghoul just chuckled at him before replying, "Believe me Mr. investigator, my reasons are beyond what you could imagine. But I must be off. So…" Hideaki could see the smile on the fiend's face despite the clothe blocking it from view. "Catch."

Ken threw Maria at Hideaki, forcing him to drop his quinque and jump to secure her while Ken turned and fled. He could see more people, firefighters, paramedics, and CCG personal, approaching too. He heard Hideaki shout for a medic as he jumped over the fence and ran towards Anteiku. Only stopping to grab his bag from where he hid it.


Ken reached the back of the café and, after taking a deep breath, entered. Yomo was waiting for him. The older ghoul just pointed up to the second floor and told Ken, "Everyone is waiting upstairs. We all saw what's happening on the news." Ken nodded and walked up the stairs. He opened the door to see the group watching a small television that Yoshimura had had brought up to the room. The news was reporting on the fire. Ken saw the news ticker on the bottom state only one survivor in critical condition; possible ghoul attack; no official word yet from the CCG; CCG research facility in flames. Yoshimura turned to Ken and smiled at the boy. Happy to see that he had escaped. "Ken. You're alright. When I saw the news, I feared that we had lost you."

But before he could continue, Kuro interrupted, "What the hell happened?! And where's Maria?!" Ken took a moment to prepare before he answered her. "The place was attacked by Alice."

"You mean that bitch that's been on the news?" Nishiki butted in. "Yeah. She was actually a pretty big rival of mine back in the thirteenth ward," acknowledged Ken. "Never got along with her. I don't know why she did it, but she attacked the research facility. I only arrived after the place exploded. I ran in and found her about to torture Maria and her mom so I tried to save them."

Kuro must have caught on to what he meant by tried as she looked crestfallen before shoving her way past Ken and out the room. Shiro called out for her and gave chase. Glancing at Ken to let him know that she would take care of this. The rest of the group fell into an uneasy silence till Yoshimura put a hand on Ken's shoulder and tried to comfort him a bit. "Why don't you go get a nice shower Ken. Go clean yourself off," he offered, "you can use one of the spare uniforms to wear. Yomo will take of your clothes." Ken graciously accepted and went back downstairs to the dressing room shower.


Kuro didn't know how far she had run or even if she was in the same ward. But she found herself once again at a park with a playground. It almost made her laugh at the ridiculousness of it. How many of these things were there in Tokyo and how did she keep finding herself at them. It was as if the universe itself was hammering in what she couldn't have and what she had already lost. That the cruelty of their reality would eventually destroy whatever attempt she made and make everything worthless.

She felt heartbroken. Kuro ambled over to the swings and sat down in one. She just wanted to sit there and forget everything. Just let all the stress bleed away in blissful apathy. But instead she heard the sound of someone sitting in the other swing set. She ignored the "new arrival"; already knowing who it was. "Oi! Don't ignore me!" the childish voice shot at her. Kuro finally turned to see the same little girl she had met all those years ago sitting there. But where the one from her memories had an innocent charm, the one now before her gave off a darker, more foreboding feeling. Her face twisted in a sadistic grin. Kuro didn't back down though. "Why?!" she demanded. To which it replied, "Because."

Kuro became even more exasperated. Her head lowered, Kuro begged, "Can't you just leave me alone. I don't feel like dealing with you now." But the thing simple giggled and started to swing. "Now, now Kuro-chan. You know why I'm here right. You need to hurry up and face reality."

"Shut up!" Kuro screamed. But the thing continued. "Accept it my dear. No matter how much you deny it, you are a ghoul. And therefore don't have the chance, ne, the right to a happy, peaceful life. Things would be so much simpler if you would just give in. Just give up on that stupid dream of humanity. Trying to emulate those humans you meet."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" she repeatedly screamed at it. The figure of the girl disappeared only for another Kuro to appear in front of the grieving girl. It lightly petted her head. "And yet you still continue to deny me. Reject me. But don't worry my poor, poor Kuro. I promise, unlike everyone else, I'll never abandon you. Because I am you. The you refuse to admit exists."

It was then that Kuro could faintly hear her sister calling for her. The fake Kuro sighed. "Looks like that's my cue to leave. Till next time." And then Kuro was finally alone again. Crying till her sister found her and took her in a deep sisterly huge.


Ken swallowed another mouthful of piping hot coffee. Barely taking the time to even taste it. He was drinking more to just have something to do then actually feeling thirsty or hungry. Everyone else had left after Shiro had texted that she had found her sister and was taking the distraught girl home. Right now only Ken, Yoshimura, and Touka were still in the shop. Ken was freshly clean from the shower; his hair still damp. He had put on the spare uniform Yoshimura had offered him while Yomo had taken his destroyed, smoke scented clothes to discreetly get rid.

Ken watched as the news continued to report and speculate on the incident. Already several rumors were flying around about it. From the fire being a ghoul attack to the CCG covering up something unethical or incriminating. Ken had noticed that his name had been brought up more than a few times as the possible culprit. He didn't know what to think of it. Honestly, he was too tired to really care about it right now. So far the only new thing he had learned was that Maria was in fact alive and had been rushed to the CCG hospital in the first ward and the entire scene had already been secured by the CCG who were now searching the wreckage for clues. The fire having been extinguished less than ten minutes ago.

He heard someone clear the throat and looked up to see Touka. She sat down next to him and asked, "How are you doing?" Ken smiled as well as he could. "Exhausted, angry, upset, sad, but otherwise ok. You?" Touka huffed and honestly answered, "I'm not gonna lie and say I'm that torn up about it. Unlike you three, I wasn't that close to the girl. And she was a dove fledgling too. Still I can't say I don't feel anything about it either." Ken nodded at her honesty. For some reason it felt nice. At least nicer than some attempt at false sympathy. He then started to lightly laugh.

"What's so funny?" she asked. Ken replied, "Nothing much. Just find it funny that you're still willing to talk to me." Confused, Touka asked, "Why would I stop talking to you." Ken looked at Touka and told her, "I rushed in like an idiot into a burning building to save a ghoul investigator and her daughter. Let myself get exposed despite having my mask. And the only reason I didn't end up getting us discovered by the CCG was because in the end I still screwed up everything."

Ken suddenly felt a sharp pain. Touka had flicked him in the head. She gave an agitated look to Ken before telling him, "You're brooding too much on this idiot." Ken tried to protest but she cut him off. "You did what you felt you had too. That's all that matters. You just need to live with it and keep moving forward. Simple right?"

Hearing Touka's attempts to cheer him up, in her own aggressive way, caused the boy to start laughing again. Embarrassed, Touka punched him with a bit of force in her arm; telling him to stop laughing and making fun of her. Ken took another sip of his coffee. Already feeling a tiny bit better. Though still crummy. By this time Yoshimura came in as well and began to make them all some more coffee. Ken was very thankful for this. He realized that the companionship that Anteiku offered may be just what he needed to feel better.


Anteiku was not the only ones watching the news with a cup of coffee. Eto also had a fresh cup and was now enjoying its robust flavor while watching the reports on the attack on the lab. She was content with how successful everything had gone. The only thing that could have gone better would have been if she could have recruited Alice into Aogiri. Always could use more talent and the girl had such a wonderful sadistic streak. But that lose was minimal in the grand scheme of things.

Right now she had something else to deal with. She was waiting for someone. As she waited, she watched as a ghoul expert came on and began to discuss why he thought that Eyepatch, who everyone was now blaming for the attack, had destroyed the lab. Eto giggled at the whole thing. Not a single one of them would be able to track this attack back to her; the real mastermind. That lab, that would have weakened Aogiri's position if it had been able to finish its research and gave ghouls another choice, was now nothing more than cinders. Its staff slaughtered by the very ghouls that they had been trying so hard to save. It was almost poetic in its tragedy.

She heard a knock on her door. "Come in," she answered in a sickeningly sweet voice. As she had hoped, it helped unnerved her visitor. Ayato entered. "You said you need to see me Eto?" Ayato asked. "Mmhmm," Eto replied. She then asked, "You're familiar with the twentieth ward, right Ayato?" The young boy looked cross at what she asked. "Unfortunately yes. I left after I had more than my fill of those peaceful idiots." Eto grinned at the boy. "Good then I can entrust this job to you." She pulled out a simplistic envelope that she handed to Ayato. "What is this?" he asked. By this time Eto had turned back to the tv but still answered, "Just an invitation."

"An invitation?"

"For Eyepatch. We decided to invite him to join our merry little band of misfits."


Well things have started to come to a close. Most of this chapter was written as the ideas came to me so sorry if it seems to eclectic. The Kuro part was mainly because I felt that this needed more build up at this point. I felt that if her hallucinations needed a bit more focus than they were getting before.

Hopefully the next chapter will be happier. not much else to say.

Till then, Please read, review, fav, follow, and enjoy.