SURPRISE!

Please Note: I have updated the rating of this story to M in accordance with the site Rules.

Edit: updated. fixed grammatical errors.


Chapter 8

Bella rapped on the door of the tiny one room apartment. A moment of silence before the sound of light footsteps could be heard puttering toward the door. With the click of the lock the door creaked open enough for a bewildered and disheveled looking Haruko wearing pink striped pyjamas to poke her head through the door.

"B-Bella?"

"Hey!" Bella said trying to sound upbeat. "Haven't seen you around lately so I thought I'd stop by. You hungry?"

She looked around nervously

"Uh, now's really not a good time".

Looking closer Bella noticed just how tired she looked. Disheveled hair and bags under her eyes hinted at lack of sleep. "Hey are you okay? You don't look so good are you sick?"

"y-yeah I'm a just little under the weather" she said. "Sorry I haven't called, I should be alright in a couple of days".

"Oh. Okay well I just wanted to make sure you were alright. With everything that's been on the news lately I got a little worried when I didn't hear from you" she admitted. "I'll come by in a few days when you're feeling a little better okay?"

"O-kay, I'll see you later". Haruko replied. "It's getting dark so please make sure you head straight home"

"Will do" Bella made to leave but stopped as Haruko called out.

"B-Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For coming to check on me I mean" she said

Bella returned Haruko sheepish smile with a bright grin of her own. "Any time. After all what are friends for?" she headed off back in the direction she came.

Huh look at me all happy go lucky and upbeat. Hide must be starting to rub off on me, she mused as she wandered along. I knew coming here was a good idea.

Haruko watched until Bella vanished round the corner before heading back inside, locking the door behind her.

"Hey big sis who was that?" A young boy, one of three ragged looking kids sitting around her coffee table asked.

"Just a friend from school" she replied as ducked into the bathroom, emerging a moment later with a warm face washer. "And this is exactly why I told you not to come here during the day" she chided. She sat down beside them and started wiping the dirt from their faces.

"We know sis" the second child a young girl piped up "but the others said we had to come now" Haruko gave an annoyed huff in response and continued to groom the ragged children.

"Sides, we wanna ta see you!" the youngest of the three declared.

"Look I know you like visiting and I know the others can be pushy but you have to stick to the plan okay" she put the face washer aside and started using a comb to remove the gunk from their hair.

"Kaaay". They said in unison

"The others will just have to be patient. With everything going on right now I cant afford any slip ups". She said "now who wants to watch TV?"


Today had turned out to be a total bust. With Hide busy and Haruko sick she suddenly had a whole lot more free time than she'd planned. Not to mention there was still several days before class started and there was no way she was going to spend the whole time sulking in her apartment because everyone was busy.

I guess I'm just gonna have to do a little more exploring on my own. Maybe I should check out one of the other districts. Or I could head back to Shinjuku as far as shopping goes that was actually fun.

She briefly toyed with the idea of following through with Mitsuko's suggestion of visiting Harajuku and some of the more outlandish areas but quickly decided that was something that would be better left until she had someone with her to act as a guide.

There's also the option of heading back to that mask studio to visit that guy, Uta he was apparently called, and seeing the mask she modelled for. She hadn't originally planned to go back after that day, and hadn't really expected to see him again. But now she found herself curious to see just what he had been able to create. Running into him at the café had been a surprise to say the least. She didn't know what to make of him.

Bella was pulled from her thoughts by the distant sound of thunder coming from that dark grey clouds now gathering in the sky. Not wanting to be caught after dark in a downpour she picked up the pace. She was almost home when she noticed a small figure sitting at the park across the road from her huddled up on the play equipment.


She knew she shouldn't sneak out like this. Everyone was working so hard for her sake, putting on happy faces whenever she was around. Everyone was spending their free time with her keeping her company. She'd been so excited when Kaneki had offered to teach her words. She'd spend her evenings with him diligently copying down all the things he taught her, ready to show off to mom and dad when they got-

She hated this…

It wasn't fair! Why couldn't she see them! Why did she have to loose everyone that mattered to her…?

She'd wandered aimlessly until she'd come to a small playground. The sun was setting and she shouldn't have stopped but soon realised that she didn't know where she was. She sat on the swing idly rocking back and forth not caring as rain began to fall. She just couldn't muster the energy to move.

"Hello" Hinami's eyes snapped up, realizing that she was not alone. Standing a few feet from her was a familiar looking foreign lady. How long had she been standing there? She'd been so lost in thought she hadn't noticed her approaching. "You're the young lady from the café right?" the lady asked. "What are you doing out this late? And in the pouring rain too." The lady stood a little closer and held out her umbrella so it shielded them both from the rain. "I don't know if you remember me but my names Bella. We met a few days ago at the cafe…" Hinami just stared blankly unsure how to respond. She wasn't supposed to talk to strangers. "Okay well anyway you should probably shouldn't be sitting out here in the rain all by yourself. Do you live nearby? Where are your parents?" the mention of her parents shook her out of her stupor and the emotional dam holding back her grief began to crumble. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes and she began to sniffle.

"Hey it's okay kiddo" Bella reassured her "what's your name?"

"H-Hinami" she replied trying to hold back her tears.

"Okay Hinami how about I walk you back to your house, would that be okay? Or maybe there's a place you're supposed to go if you get separated from your mom and dad?" she asked

"A-Anteiku"

"The café?" Bella looked a little confused.

"W-We live near there. Mr Manager can take me home" she lied. It would probably be bad if the nice lady found out she was living at the café. She didn't want to get them in trouble.

"Okay then how about I take you there?"

"T-Thank you" Hinami stood and followed along beside Bella and the two set off in the direction of Anteiku.

An awkward silence fell over the two as they walked. They were about halfway home when she smelt it, a familiar smell drifting up from a nearby river outlet that followed alongside the street. It both warmed her heart and chilled her to the bone. She darted off down the stairs leading to the water's edge ignoring Bella's shouts as she sprinted off. Disappearing beneath the underpass she followed her nose until it led to a small brown carry case. Hinami tentatively moved closer, picking up the case up she pried it open and looked inside

She screamed.


Crap crap crap! This was bad! Not only had the girl she'd been trying to help run off, she'd run off into what was probably the entrance to a bloody sewer!

She could see the headlines now, "Dumb foreigner tries to rescue child and loses them in a sewer…"

What the hell was wrong with this kid!? Bolting off like that. Maybe she spooked her somehow.

She was kicking herself for not thinking to ask Kaneki for his number when she saw him that morning. At least then she could call some backup. Man she should have just taken the kid to the nearest police booth. Wherever that was.

No time for that now though. As much as she didn't want to go down there she couldn't just leave the poor kid even if she was being a pain in the butt. It was nightfall and the rain was picking up so running around near storm water drains wasn't exactly safe. And who knows what else is down there…

She called out to the girl again hoping to god she'd come to her senses and come back

C'mon kid don't make me go down there, please…

When she got no response she reluctantly started following after the girl.

"This is a bad idea. This is a bad idea. This is a really bad idea…"

This was exactly the kind of thing she shouldn't be doing. The kind of place she shouldn't be wandering into under any circumstances really. Then again when had that stopped her before. Hopefully the worst they would run into was some soggy homeless people.

Mitsuko is gonna be pissed when she hears about this…

Just as she made it to the bottom of the stairs she heard it. A blood chilling scream that stopped her heart.

Dammit! Hang on kid!

Abandoning all caution she took off running hoping to god that the girl was alright. She slowed down as she got to the underpass being careful not to slip.

As her eyes adjusted to the poor light she took in her surroundings. Running through the centre of the underpass filled with mud and other filth was a shallow steady flowing stream each side of which was flanked by cement paths with rusted metal railings to prevent people falling in. Tall concrete pillars lined each side at even intervals supporting the bridge above them. Further ahead, on the opposite side of the stream Bella spotted Hinami sitting against the wall her knees tucked against her chest. At her feet a small brown carry case lay open.

She was about to call out to her when another figure appeared. The newcomer, who Bella recognised as Touka ran up to the girl blanching at whatever was in the case before moving to pick her up off the ground. It was good to know there were other people looking out for the kid.

Suddenly Touka spun round her gaze down right menacing as she scanned the area. Her eyes landed on Bella, surprise marring her features followed by annoyance. Bella was about to call out when and ask if they were okay when the sound of footsteps began echoing off the walls. A slow and steady sound that reverberated through the area.

Strolling casually up the muck filled stream, his movements slow and deliberate was a white haired old man in a striking suit covered by a thick trench coat. He was soaked from head to toe by rain and river water as he moved closer to Touka and Hinami, his wet should length hair sticking to his face and a gleeful smile accentuating his features. In each hand he carried an identical metal brief case.

The man himself did not look familiar but the way he dressed reminded her of the two stern looking men from the airport security terminal the cases he carried only adding to the similarities.

At the sight of the man Touka's demeanour completely changed. She stepped between him and Hinami the look on her face utterly murderous.

What happened next left Bella speechless, her jaw practically hanging open. The man released the latch on one of the cases and out sprung a large fleshy almost clover shaped protrusion. It twisted and writhed as if it were a living thing. The bulk of the object was a white bone like substance. While the other parts had a vibrant red glow, flexing and contorting like muscle or sinew.

What in the hell is that!?

Hinami gave out a wail of terror while Touka crouched down in a predatory stance. She let out a roar of anger as a thick red mist burst forth from her back forming a large growth on her shoulders. It had the same red colour and fleshy sections that the strange device the man was wielding had however instead of bonelike plated sections it was jagged and crystalline.

Before Bella could ponder the absurdity of what had just happened Touka lunged at the man head on bouncing backwards as he shielded himself using the thing she assumed was some kind of weapon

What the hell is going on!?

Touka continued to dart around the man looking for an opening while the Hinami looked on in horror. Bella glanced over her shoulder back the way she came, seriously considering just running for it. Whatever the hell was going on here sure as hell wasn't what she signed up for. She looked back at the little girl cowering in the corner and for a moment their eyes met. Seeing the fear and despair on Hinami's, face she made up her mind. She raised a finger to her lips signalling for Hinami to be quiet before taking a few deep breathes to steady herself for what she was about to do.

I'm gonna regret this…

She waited a moment or two until both Touka and the man were as far from the girl as possible before leaping over the railing stumbling a bit as she landed in the water with a splosh sinking in to just above her ankles. Waiting no time she bolted across the stream shoes squelching with every step.

She made it half way before everyone's attention turned to her. She was prepared for the manic look on the old man's face as he assessed the new arrival. What she wasn't prepared for was the crimson and black eyes Touka was now staring her down with. Suddenly everything clicked

Ghoul.

Touka was a Ghoul. And that man, an investigator most likely was after her.

So this is what ghouls looked like. She knew from the information at the airport that they could pass as human but still... Bella didn't have time to think on it any further, she had to get Hinami out of here before she got hurt. Neither of them would stand a chance if they got caught up in the fight between those two. She could barely follow Touka's movements with her eyes let alone out run her. And that man must really be something else if he could keep pace with her.

"Take her and run!" Touka called out as she dodged another blow from the white haired man "Hurry!"

She kept running, clambering up the other side she extended a hand to Hinami "c'mon! We need to go!"

"No! I'm not leaving big sis!" Hinami cried refusing to budge. It was then that Bella got a good look at the contents of the brown case that the girl had been so preciously cradling a few moments ago. A small bundle of hair greyish skin and dead lifeless eyes stared back at her. Her own eyes widened in horror and she fought to hold down the contents of her stomach as she realised what she was looking at.

OMYGODJEESUS! Okay that's a severed head!

Not just a severed head it was Hinami's mother. A woman she had spoken to only a few days earlier.

Adrenaline pumping through her veins she grabbed Hinami by the arm and started dragging her toward the exit. They got all of five steps before another of those weird weapons slammed into the wall in front of them blocking their path and knocking the wind out of Bella and sending her to the ground. This one was long like a snake or the tail of some vicious animal and was dotted with tooth like blades on either side of each segment. Bella struggled to get to back onto her feet, a searing pain in her arm making her cry out. She began to panic as she felt warm blood begin to soak through the sleeve of her arm making her woozy.

"Whoa there young lady. I'm afraid I can't have you sneaking off with that one" the second briefcase now lay discarded at his feet. In his hand was the end of the thing that had blocked her path and taken a chunk out of her arm. With his other hand he used the first weapon to pin Touka against the wall. She cried out in pain as he tightened his grip, her white shirt stained red.

The man looked her over appraisingly as he addressed her. "Judging by the look on your face when you saw this one" he nodded toward Touka "and the fact that you look like you can barely stand let alone fight back I'm going to assume for the time being that you just some poor kid that was in the wrong place at the wrong time, you saw this this one" he went on gesturing to the girl "trying to play the damsel in distress and decided to try playing hero". Bella was at a loss for words as she fought back the urge to curl up in a ball and cry. "But you see that thing sitting next to you just so happens to be the same kind of flesh eating trash as this little gnat over here".

"W-what? N-no that can't be right she's just a kid!" Bella said in disbelief. She turned to face Hinami who was staring at the ground.

"Its. It's true…" she looked up at Bella. What had once been dark brown eyes were now a glowing red the white now replaced with the same obsidian black a Touka's "I'm Sorry…" she said, tears spilling down her face. Fear overtook Bella and she instinctively began crawling backwards trying to put some distance between them.

"so you see" the man drawled " I need to take care this now, after all she may look sweet and innocent but eventually she's going to be as troublesome as this little rabbit here".

"You bastard!" Touka yelled still pinned to the wall the man turned his attention toward her again. "Your dead old man…" she bit out her breathing heavy and laboured.

"It really was a pleasure you know" he continued "taking down the mother using the Kagune of the Father. Which one should I use to kill you I wonder?"

Father? Mother? No this can't be right! This can't be happening!

"Go to hell!" Touka bit back

"HMPH… you're like a hyena gnawing on dead flesh..." He turned and moved to face her "Why do your kind insist on continuing to live at the cost of committing disgusting deeds?"

… For moment no one said anything. Then Touka spoke up, her voice ragged and sore.

"What's wrong with wanting to live…? If we can only eat humans then what choice do we have…? How are we supposed to live with right with bodies like these!? TELL ME!" her voice was getting louder, each word filled with emotion "You guys think you're so much better than us… But would you say the same thing if you were a Ghoul…?" She pounded her fist against the strange weapon again and again out of frustration and a desperate attempt to get free. "Die you asshole! Die, Die, Die, Die, Die! All of you Stupid Doves can go to hell! Dammit! Even we…" She looked up and locked eyes with Bella blood and tears streaming down her face. "Even I wish I could live like you guys!"

Bella lifted her good arm up to her face and used her sleeve to wipe away the tears she'd only just realised she was shedding.

The man looked down at her his eyes full of derision. "I can't listen to any more of this garbage… I've had enough" he made a motion with his hand and the tail like weapon embedded in the wall sprung free and started coiling through the air its razor edges lining up with Touka for the deathblow.

"Stop!" Bella yelled out! Her voice shrill and pleading. "Please! you don't have to do this! There has to be another way!" She Begged "Please Don't Kill them!"

The man. The investigator just looked at her his expression a mixture of disgust and what looked almost like disappointment. "Tch… You bratty little kids don't they teach you anything these days? then again you probably just another dumb tourist from some carefree corner of the world where you don't have to worry about filth like these taking away the ones you love." He looked her dead in the eye "your husbands and wives, your brothers and sisters, your children. I'll bet you don't have a damn clue".

"It's true. I don't know the first thing about ghouls, and I've never really experienced loss, not like that... But…" She propped herself against the wall as she struggled to stay on her feet, her legs felt numb from shock. "But after seeing them… after meeting them and talking with them there's no way I could just watch them die! Please! this isn't right!"

"I've heard enough" the investigator turned his back to Bella and the girl and brought his weapon down toward Touka intent on finishing her off.

"NO!" Bella screamed

The weapon swung down in a scything motion intent on cleaving Touka in two but lost its momentum early and fell to the ground.

The investigator held up his arm confused only to realise that his right hand was now lying on the ground bloody at his feet. "Huh?"

It took Bella a second to realise the young girl sobbing a few feet from here now had several large appendages almost identical to the ones the investigator was using sprouting from her back.

"Hinami…?"

"*Sniff* Please… Don't hurt her anymore… My Dad, My Mum…" she cried "DON'T USE THEM FOR THAT!" Suddenly she lashed out. The strange appendages shooting forward taking a chunk out of one of the pillars the other being deflected by the investigator. Despite losing a hand he continued to fight back a looking utterly gleeful.

"This is Incredible!" he shouted as he parried another attack and struck back matching her blow for blow. "You've inherited the best qualities of both your mother and fathers Kagunes!" he struck back again and again. "Simply fantastic I must have it!" he dropped the clover shaped weapon and picked up the other sending it hurtling towards Hinami's head. She caught it with the two petal shaped organs sticking out of her upper back, lifting him into the air while lashing out with the two smaller whip like ones that she used to remove his hand. They wrapped around one of his legs and he shrieked as they completely severed it at the knee. He landed in a heap on the ground.

Touka who was now clutching her side where the investigator had pinned her limped over toward Hinami. "H-Hinami… you need to finish him."

"I…can't do it." The strange appendages began to curl in on themselves and dissolve into a red mist that settled at her feet.

"He killed your parents! If you want revenge now might be your only chance."

"I don't care about that… I don't care about revenge… I just miss mum and dad so much! I'm so lonely by myself!"

"That's right" the investigator ground out coughing as he hobbled toward them. "She should be with her family, then she can become my new weapon! My new quinque!" he lifted his weapon above his head to land one last blow but Touka was waiting. She leapt forward and in on quick motion sliced his neck and he toppled forward. "Don't… make me laugh" he choked out, even now he kept crawling toward them. His body broken he used his remaining hand to slowly inch forward. "None of you deserve to exist… not yet… I can't die yet… not until I bury that one eye… with my own hands". Every word was quieter than the last, the gap between them longer with every gasp. "I can't… die… yet…"

He went still.

Bella's vision began to blur and she started swaying left and right. Losing her footing she tumbled forward, the world hazy and muffled like she was hearing everything from far away. As she hit the ground she vaguely recalled the sound of footsteps and a familiar voice but didn't have time to respond as her consciousness faded.


So here it is finally! 4204 words of tragic ghoulish goodness!

Thanks a Tonne for the all the reviews left over past few months.

It took me a long time to do it, but I finally managed to finish writing this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it!

As always please leave you reviews letting me know what you liked and what you didn't like. Constructive criticism is the bread and butter that fuels my desire to improve.

also now that you've read it if you could let me know whether or not you think the Rating change was appropriate that would be swell. Its important to keep everything in line with site policy.