Chapter 142: Going Under (Kaneki, Rize, Isaac, Mutsuki, Urie, Hide)
November 4th, 2012, 8:07 PM
Ward 18, Undisclosed Building, 4th Floor
I'm wearing a blue hoodie, black jeans, black leather belt, black Converse, black rim glasses, and lower half Rorschach mask. Eto is wearing a maroon hoodie, floral scarf, blue shorts, and is wrapped head to toe in bandages. She's carrying Emilia in her arms. Emilia is wearing a green onesie, green beanie hat, and is wrapped in a green blanket. We're walking into the meeting room. We see Ayato, Hinami, Miza, Naki, Gagi & Guge, Noro, and Tatara sitting at the table.
Ayato is wearing a purple coat over a green sweater, blue jeans, and black Vans. Hinami is wearing a pink sweater, purple shorts, blue leggings, and white Skechers. Miza is wearing a blue poncho over a yellow sweater, blue pants, and red Reebok's. Naki is wearing a white suit over a black flannel shirt, white pants, and black Massimo Matteo leather shoes. Gagi & Guge are each wearing a white suit over a black flannel shirt, white pants, and black Massimo Matteo leather shoes, along with their emoticon masks. Noro is wearing a black trench coat over, black pants, black leather belt, white smiley mask, and black Wolverine boots. Tatara is wearing a white trench coat, white pants, black leather belt, lower half red iron mask, and black Nordstrom leather shoes.
Eto and I then walk to our seats before sitting down.
"Everyone. Let us commence our weekly meeting." Eto said, as Tatara sighed.
"This isn't 'bring your kid to work' day, Eto." Tatara said, annoyed.
"I have to breastfeed Emilia soon." Eto said, as Noro tilted his head to the left.
"As you now know, we've seen some new recruits join our ranks at Aogiri this year. Little Hina, and my husband, Isaac." Eto said, calmly.
"Why are we here tonight again?" Naki said, puzzled.
"(Indistinct)." Gagi said, calmly.
"(Indistinct), Naki." Guge said, clarifying.
"Oh, right. New wrinkles." Naki said, snapping his fingers.
"Rankings." I said, clarifying.
"Effective immediately, Hina…" Eto said, as she looked at Hinami before speaking.
"…will be working under Ayato." Eto said, as Ayato sighed.
"Yippee…" Ayato said, dryly.
"And as for Isaac…" Eto said, as she looked at me.
"Babysitting duties?" Tatara said, dryly.
"Second-in-command." Eto said, as everyone had baffled looks on their faces. Including mine.
"Děng yīxià (Mandarin for 'Hold on just a second')!" Tatara said, protesting, as Eto spoke.
"This is happening, Tatara. My mind is made up." Eto said, calmly.
"Uh…Eto?" I said, as Eto looked at me.
"I-I-I'm not sure about this. You've seen their reactions. A human being second-in-command to an organization that are full of Ghouls." I said, nervously.
"You're giving him the position because he made that baby with you!" Tatara said, complaining.
"Wait, you can become second-in-command by having a baby?" Naki said, delighted.
"Not that way, Naki." Miza said, as Naki looked at her.
"Shut up, old lady." Naki said, irking Miza, before being slapped in the back of the head by Ayato.
"Ow! Asshole!" Naki said, annoyed.
"Shut up, Errand Boy." Ayato said, dryly.
"Ayato…" Hinami said, as Ayato looked at her.
"What…?" Ayato said, annoyed.
"Guys, please…" Eto said, as she activated her right Kakugan, bringing everyone's shouting to a standstill.
"Good." Eto said, as she deactivated her right Kakugan.
"Tatara, I'm pushing you and Noro down a rank, because I believe is Isaac is more than capable of helping us out." Eto said, calmly.
"What does he bring to the table, then?" Tatara said, wondering.
"Well, for starters, his father was my inside man at the CCG. And the information he's provided to this group has proved fruitful for us. Last I checked, we're currently at over 3,500 members since I recruited him into our ranks." Eto said, as she gently rocked Emilia to sleep.
"And…?" Tatara said, dryly.
"I needed someone that would keep me in check at all times, especially now that I'm a mother." Eto said, as Tatara rolled his eyes.
"Look, guys. I know change is a little difficult. But some of you already know Isaac over the last couple of months. He wants to achieve the same goal as I do." Eto said, as she got up to walk towards me.
"To make a world in which our kid won't be judged, be it the color of her skin, her psyche, and her species." I said, as Eto took my mask off with her left hand.
"Now that that's been addressed, let's move on to the next topic at hand. That of the CCG." Eto said, as I hand her multiple brown files.
04/11/16, 4:15 PM
Ward 1, Undisclosed Location
Number of Days Sober: 111
Number of People I've Made Amends With: 20
"So…quick question. What's gonna happen between us and the Ghouls from here on out?" Kuramoto said, curious, as he, Hirako, Ui, and Yusa walk past a group of investigators. Kuramoto is wearing a blue coat over a white flannel shirt, brown pants, and black Converse. Hirako is wearing a zipped brown coat over a white work shirt, black pants, black leather belt, and brown Wolverine boots. Ui is wearing a white trench coat over a black work shirt, black pants, black leather belt, and black Alfani leather shoes. Yusa is wearing a black jacket over a blue sweater, blue jeans, and red Skechers.
"Can you clarify that?" Yusa said, wondering.
"I mean, we took down that thing because of their help. But we can't be friends forever just like that…" Kuramoto said, calmly, as Ui looked at Hirako.
"Your thoughts, Hirako?" Kuramoto said, curious.
"Here comes a sarcastic response." Ui said, dryly.
"Co-existence and confrontation are just trivial. Arima said that once we get past the conflict between our kinds, expect some blowback." Hirako said, as Kuramoto placed his arms over his head.
"That thing was an example?" Kuramoto said, curious.
"At first, yes. But it's a lot different from the reality that Arima was hoping to avoid." Hirako said, calmly.
"Must've been important enough for you and Isaac to resign, huh?" Kuramoto said, dryly.
"Don't get into it, Itou. What's done is done." Ui said, calmly.
"Arima said that within time…every single human will become a Ghoul, no matter what." Hirako said, as Kuramoto opened his eyelids in surprise.
04/11/16, 6:59 PM
Ward 1, CCG Hospital, 2nd Floor
"He's gone into cardiac arrest! Come on, hurry!" Doctor #1 said, as Marude sees a group of doctors rushing a patient into the room from 30 feet away. Marude is wearing a black suit over a white work shirt, purple tie, black pants, black leather belt, and brown Cole Haan leather shoes.
What the hell…? Marude thought, as he walked into the room. Marude's eyes widen in surprise upon seeing numerous doctors tending to an endless stream of patients.
"It's the same symptoms!" Doctor #2 said, frantic.
"We need extra help here!" Doctor #3 said, as Marude looks in front of him to see a patient writhing in pain. The patient then opens his eyelids to reveal that his eyes are red and black.
"What's going on?" Marude said, shocked.
"It's bad! Many of the patients' eyes have Kagunefied and their skin is hardening. It's RC Cell Over-secretion!" Doctor #4 said, as Marude had an alarmed look on his face.
"But why now?!" Doctor #3 said, baffled.
"I don't know. But it's unlike anything we've seen. We need as many RC Suppressants as possible!" Doctor #4 said, as Marude had a curious look on his face.
That entity at Ward 3. Was it a distraction? And if so, what are we missing? Marude thought, puzzled.
04/11/16, 7:56 PM
Ward 1, CCG HQ, 2nd Floor, Morgue
I'm wearing a purple sweater, black jeans, black leather belt, and black Converse. I have bandages around my nose and my right eye. Touka is wearing a cerulean sweater, black skirt (knee length), blue leggings, and blue Converse. Urie is wearing a black vest over a purple work shirt, black tie, black pants, black leather belt, and brown Cole Haan leather shoes. Nishio is wearing an unzipped orange sweater, blue t-shirt, brown pants, brown rim glasses, and red Vans. Hide is wearing a blue sweater, yellow pants, brown leather belt, purple scarf, and yellow Converse. Irimi is wearing a white sweater, blue jeans, and purple Vans. Kimi is wearing a white lab coat over a blue flannel shirt, black skirt (knee length), and black heels. All of us are staring at Kaneki's body. He's on the metallic table, naked, with only the white sheets covering his body.
"So…is he…?" Urie said, wondering.
"He's alive. We found faint brain waves." Kimi said, calmly, as everyone looked at Kimi, shocked.
"Three hours ago, we might have been able to identify his cardiopulmonary functions and they appear to be functioning well. And he's able to breathe." Kimi said, calmly.
"Define 'might.'" Urie said, curious.
"Upon examination, we found multiple organs that could not be identified. His uniquely new anatomy is beyond our current, so for the moment, we can't treat him until further notice." Kimi said, as Touka had an upset look on her face.
"But he's still alive, correct?" Hide said, wondering, as Kimi looked at him.
"Like Kimi said, Nagachika. They don't have a clue how Kaneki's body is functioning as of now." Nishio said, as Kimi nodded her head yes.
"So, Kenny is basically a potato?" I said, as Touka looked more upset by my response.
"No…but the CCG and the research team are going to conduct a celiotomy to understand Kaneki's connection with the entity." Kimi said, as I looked confused.
"They're going to open up Kaneki's stomach to see what's wrong." Nishio said, clarifying.
"The entity entered its decaying phase upon Kaneki being removed. The other entities at Wards 1, 4, 6, and 16 appear inactive, yet remain standing. Hence, the celiotomy." Kimi said, as Touka looked at Kaneki.
"However, we're not at that stage…yet." Kimi said, as I spoke.
"How so?" I said, curious.
"The active monsters that are in the other wards mean that there are other cores such as Kaneki. And on a personal note, I really hope that he pulls through. You and Kaneki did rescue me that day." Kimi said, as Urie looked at me, surprised.
"It's a long story…" I said, awkwardly, as the door behind Hide bursts open.
"We need the research team, stat!" Investigator #1 said, frantic.
"I'll be on my way." Kimi said, as Touka spoke.
"Kimi…" Touka said, as Kimi looked at Touka.
"Can we stay and look after him?" Touka said, wondering.
"Be my guest." Kimi said, as she walked out of the room.
"The dumb fuck never listens to anybody. Always going off on his own…at least give us a heads-up, will you, Kaneki?" Nishio said, dryly.
04/11/16, 8:22 PM
Ward 1, CCG HQ, 2nd Floor, Morgue
It's just me, Touka, Hide, and Kaneki in the room. We've been staring at Kaneki's body for over 20 minutes.
"Hard to believe that he's still alive. The craziest motherfucker I know. HAHA!" Hide said, as I had an annoyed look on my face.
"I've been in much crazier situations than him…" I said, annoyed.
"It's not a pissing contest, Isaac." Touka said, dryly, as I had a deadpan look on my face.
"I can't regenerate my hand, and Kimi said I can finally take the bandages off my eye today. Kimi did say I'm gonna need a hearing aid device for my left ear, though." I said, sighing.
"Sucks, bro." Hide said, chuckling.
"Well, I gotta go. Marude's waiting for me at his office. Keep an eye—Sorry. Look after him, okay?" Hide said, as he walked out of the room. Touka looks at Kaneki, before looking at me.
"Hey." Touka said, calmly.
"Thanks…for saving me and my kid last night." Touka said, as I chuckled.
"Hard to believe that when we first met, you wanted to kill me." I said, recollecting.
"How times have changed." Touka said, as we heard the door open. We turn to see that it's Nishio and Irimi. They brought Hinami, Banjou, Jiro, Sante, and Ichimi with him. Hinami is wearing a pink poncho over a white flannel shirt, black skirt (knee length), blue leggings, and a right black heel. She also has a crutch under her left arm. Banjou is wearing a blue coat over a green sweater, blue pants, black leather belt, and gray Skechers. Ichimi is wearing a red hoodie with a number 1 on the back, black jeans, and blue Converse. Jiro is wearing a blue hoodie with a number 2 on the back, blue jeans, and black Vans. Sante is wearing a purple hoodie with a number 3 on the back, white jeans, and red Reeboks. All 3 are wearing gas masks as well.
"Guys." Hinami said, as she walked towards us.
"How are you holding up on the crutch?" I said, wondering.
"Great. Your hand?" Hinami said, as I wiggled the fingers on my mechanical left hand.
"It will take a while, but I'll manage." I said, calmly, as Hinami then looked at Kaneki.
"Welcome back, Onii-chan…" Hinami said, as she smiled, before we hear a knock on the door.
"You know, this room could use some flowers." Tsukiyama said, as he walked into the room. Tsukiyama is wearing a white suit over a pink flannel shirt, black pants, black leather belt, and black Johnston & Murphy leather shoes. He's holding in his hands a bouquet of flowers.
"They're beautiful, Tsukiyama." Hinami said, as she looked at the bouquet.
"Vergissmeinnicht. Forget-me-nots." Tsukiyama said, as I looked Jiro, Sante, and Ichimi.
"You know you guys can take off the masks? You're not criminals anymore." I said, puzzled.
"Oh, right." Jiro said, as she, Sante, and Ichimi took off their gas masks.
"Reminds me of the old days while we were together at Ward 6." Tsukiyama said, as we then see Ayato, Yomo, Miza, Emilia, and Asami enter through the door. Ayato is wearing a purple jacket over a blue t-shirt, black jeans, and black Wolverine boots. Yomo is wearing a black trench coat over a white sweater, gray pants, and brown Nike's. He's carrying Asami in his arms. Asami is wearing a green sweater, purple pants, and blue Skechers. Miza is wearing a blue poncho over a red sweater, pink pants, and blue Champion's. Emilia is wearing a pink sweater, blue pants, green beanie hat, and white Skechers.
"Hey." Ayato said, as I waved at him.
04/11/16, 8:57 PM
?, ?
Kaneki is wearing a white flannel shirt, black pants, and black leather belt. He's sleeping in a cradling position. He slowly opens his eyes to discover that he's inside a shrine. He gets up and looks around his environment.
"Where the hell am I?" Kaneki said, confused, as he then proceeds to slowly walk in the hallway until he passes by a doorless room. He slowly backtracks as he looks inside the room. It's nothing but a vast ocean and multiple rows of gates.
"That can't be right…" Kaneki said, as he then continued to look around the hallway.
"Touka…Where's everyone?" Kaneki said, as panic sets in while he walks more quickly. He begins to open numerous slide doors, each with the same result…
"Empty…" Kaneki said, worried.
What the hell is this place? Am I dreaming? Okay, okay. Keep it together. Retrace your last moments…you went back to the base. You were told that Isaac's daughters and Touka were in trouble. You then fought against Juuzou and…and…and…, Kaneki thought, upset, as he spoke.
"I lost to Juuzou, and to save everyone…I consumed human flesh. The last thing I heard before…this…was hearing Emilia screaming out to her father. Upon that, something big swept me up…and that's all I can remember…" Kaneki said, somberly,
"No purpose. Lost thoughts. A never-ending dream." Kaneki said, as he opened another slide door. Nothing.
Am I asleep? Awake? Dead?! Kaneki thought, alarmed, as he opened another slide door. Nothing. Tears stream down his face, as he scratched the back of his head with his right hand.
"This can't be happening…I got to get back. I must return!" Kaneki said, desperate, as he sprinted around the shrine before finding an exit. He is wheezing as he sees the numerous rows of gates in front of him.
"You got to be kidding me…" Kaneki said, as he looked down at the deep blue waters. He collects himself for five seconds before diving into the water. He comes back up for air five seconds later, gasping for air.
"Shit…" Kaneki said, as he waddled for 40 feet before eventually finding himself swimming.
Got to get back! Got to get back! Kaneki thought, as he began to paddle more and more against the current.
"Shit!" Kaneki said, frustrated, as he then finds himself being pulled down into the water.
Fuck! The waves pulled my body in…I got to get…Kaneki thought, as he then spots something catches his eye. He gets closer to the thing that caught his eye. His eyes widen in alarm as he sees a vast number of corpses floating in the water. Kaneki can only scream, as bubbles form from his mouth, as he then swims back up to shore, gasping for air.
"What the hell was that?!" Kaneki said, horrified, as then hears a familiar voice.
"Tsk. Tsk." The voice said, as Kaneki looked up to see, to his shock…
RIZE?! Kaneki thought, alarmed. Rize is wearing a purple coat, purple skirt (knee length), and red rim glasses. She's sitting on a pillar, giggling.
"You lost, killer?" Rize said, wondering, as she hopped off the pillar and walked towards Kaneki.
How is she able to—Never mind! Kaneki thought, as he spoke.
"Why are you here, Rize?! And what do you mean by killer?" Kaneki said, as Rize kneeled.
"Where do you plan on going?" Rize said, wondering.
"Back where everyone is! I got to save them." Kaneki said, as Rize raised an eyebrow.
"And by everyone, you mean…?" Rize said, dryly.
"Naki, Miza, Hinami, Hirako and his squad, Irimi, Isaac and his daughters…and Touka. Tsukiyama and everyone else are coming soon to back them up! They're about to be slaughtered by-" Kaneki said, frantic, as Rize blew raspberry sounds.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Rize said, laughing, as she continues to laugh in that seductive voice of hers for 10 more seconds before looking at him.
"You moronic, selfish idiot…the Doves were targeting everybody BECAUSE OF YOU TWO. You're the One-Eyed King. Isaac was your right-hand man. I already spoke to Isaac a while back. Told him to stop seeking revenge against my brother and move on with his life. He's already done that…unfortunately, it only worked for him. Because you guys slipped up, and trust me, I saw what happened to Dr. Kano. Oof…would've love to have been alive for that, you guys still failed to communicate with one another and brought every Ghoul to the bleakest outcome." Rize said, as the waves washed her feet.
"So, tell me again. What are you planning to do when you get back?" Rize said, wondering, as Kaneki sighed.
"I was going to protect everyone from the raid, and rebuild what was destroyed." Kaneki said, somberly.
"And you didn't think that through before solving that food shortage you guys had?" Rize said, as Kaneki offered no response.
"I just wanted…" Kaneki said, as Rize spoke.
"Do you remember our talk at your school play? You were forced into the main lead by accident. Isaac was meant to be the one who died with me." Rize said, calmly.
"Isaac and I were going to force the CCG to have a conversation with our kinds, so they could understand how we felt." Kaneki said, worried.
"Hmmm…The reason why I asked Isaac to not let vengeance consume him was because I didn't you and him becoming co-dictators." Rize said, as Kaneki's eyes widen in shock.
"You mentioned the word 'force' in that sentence. Were you worried that humans would say no to the proposal you guys made with Ghouls in charge?" Rize said, as Kaneki looked upset.
"If that's what it would take, then so be it." Kaneki said, as Rize sighed.
"I see." Rize said, as she clapped her hands together. The field around them then changes to that of Section F245. Kaneki's eyes widen in shock upon seeing the destructive state it was in.
"This can't be…" Kaneki said, shocked.
"Goat's hideout. The place you ran back to save. I saw it unfold. The whole group being annihilated…by your hands." Rize said, as Kaneki had a look of denial on his face.
"In denial? Give me your hand." Rize said, as she extended her left hand towards Kaneki. Kaneki slowly extends his right hand, as they finally touch. Kankei then hears numerous screams as they ring in his ears.
"Dream, dream, dream…" Voice #1 said.
"Stop, stop!" Voice #2 said.
"Why?!" Voice #3 said.
"IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!" Voice #4 said.
"DIE!" Voice #5 said.
"Forgive me…" Voice #6 said.
"I don't want to fucking die!" Voice #7 said.
"Spare my child!" Voice #8 said.
"Is this the end!?" Voice #9 said.
"I don't want to be swallowed!" Voice #10 said.
"Eyeballs! So many eyeballs!" Voice #11 said.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Voice #12 said.
"It's all over…" Voice #13 said.
"For the CCG!" Voice #14 said.
"I can't breathe!" Voice #15 said.
"Somebody, help!" Voice #16 said.
"I don't want to die!" Voice #17 said.
"You got to be fucking kidding me!" Voice #18 said.
"It's huge…" Voice #19 said.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Voice #20 said, as Kaneki collapsed to his knees and screamed, before placing his hands over his head. He stops screaming after 20 seconds and begins to wheeze.
"Was that…?" Kaneki said, depressed.
"Yep. That was all the people you killed, floating in the water." Rize said, as she closed her eyes and smiled.
"Still think you guys can hold a dialogue?" Rize said, sarcastically.
"I never meant for that to happen." Kaneki said, as tears streamed down his face.
"You can't everyone. Isaac already knew that. What's it going to take for you to get that through to your head?" Rize said, as Kaneki looked up to see Rize laughing at his face.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, Kaneki…So desperate to go back and possibly fuck up again. A running joke. Hilarious. My advice? Perhaps you shouldn't have done anything at all from the beginning." Rize said, as she grinned.
"You serious?" Kaneki said, baffled.
"Yep. Nada." Rize said, calmly.
04/11/16, 9:31 PM
Ward 1, CCG HQ, Rooftop
I'm on the rooftop, as I perch my arms on the railing. I'm looking at the desolate city of Tokyo. Numerous buildings destroyed…alarms ringing throughout…and active Kagune entities. All amid the starry night. I then hear a soft voice.
"Isaac…" Mutsuki said, as I turned to look at him. He's wearing a white trench coat, white pants, white leather belt, black leather eyepatch, and white Reebok's.
"Hey…" I said, as a somber smile emerged from my face.
"Everybody's with Capitán now at the 2nd Floor." I said, calmly, as Mutsuki perched his arms on the railing.
"That's nice. They really respect him, don't they?" Mutsuki said, somberly.
"They do." I said, as Mutsuki looked at me.
"Isaac…why did you stop me from killing myself?" I said, as I looked at him.
"Because…isn't that what friends do?" I said, as Mutsuki sighed. I then pull out my wallet from my front right pocket. I then proceeded to pull out two razorblades. Mutsuki looks at them.
"The day I met you…was the day I tried to kill myself." I said, as Mutsuki looked at me, surprised.
"After losing my old man, and the discrimination I faced from that school, I just couldn't take it anymore. So, I stole some razorblades, went to the second-floor men's bathroom, and attempted to work up the courage to kill myself." I said, recollecting.
"What made you stop?" Mutsuki said, curious.
"I heard a commotion outside, and saw what I presumed to be a girl being harassed by a few instructors. After everything that happened to my old man and Rize, I thought to myself, 'If I'm gonna leave this world, might as well do one good deed to show for it.' After I got my ass handed to me, I cried, begging the man in the sky that I didn't want to be here anymore. Nobody was gonna give a fuck about a foreigner who had a shitty life here." I said, somberly.
"And then you approached me and extended your hand. That was the first time anybody showed worry towards me." I said, as I tried not to cry.
"After hearing your story, I decided if I was going to die, I needed to accomplish one goal." I said.
"And that was…?" Mutsuki said, as I looked at him.
"To make you happy…" I said, as my voice broke.
"Isaac…that really is sweet of you, but…" Mutsuki said, as I spoke.
"I fucked up. Immensely. As I burned a path of vengeance while hunting down the people that upended my life, I got our dear friend Shirazu killed…" I said, as tears streamed down my face.
"That is something I got to live with for the rest of my life…" I said, as I see A16 and A24 next to Mutsuki. A16 is wearing a black sweatshirt, blue jeans, and blue Reeboks. A24 is wearing a black suit over a black Kevlar vest, white work shirt, black tie, black leather belt, black jeans, black rim glasses, and black Converse.
"Extraño mucho a Shirazu, Mutsuki (I miss Shirazu so much, Mutsuki)." I said, as I wiped the tears off my face, as Mutsuki hugged me.
"I miss Shirazu too, Isaac." Mutsuki said, saddened, as I then see A16 and A24 disappear.
Guess that's all of them, huh? I thought, as I spoke.
"That day…when I showed you what love was…do you think what we did that day was a mistake?" I said, as Mutsuki looked at me.
02/15/15, 2:01 PM
Ward 1, The Chateau, Living Room
I'm wearing a black sweater, black jeans, black leather belt, black rim glasses, and black Converse. I'm on the couch, watching The Departed from the flatscreen. I'm at the scene in which Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon's characters are inside an elevator, having small talk with one another. The elevator door then opens, and DiCaprio's character is shot in the head. Blood splatters onto the face of Damon's character, as DiCaprio's character falls to the floor, dead.
"Isaac, can we talk?" Mutsuki said, as I turned to look at him and Shirazu. Mutsuki is wearing a purple coat over a green sweater, blue pants, black leather eyepatch, and green Vans. Shirazu is wearing a brown trench coat over a white sweater, purple pants, brown leather belt, and red Vans.
"Shirazu, do you have something to say?" Mutsuki said, as Shirazu collected himself.
"Isaac, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I wasn't aware that you were exploring your sexuality with Tooru." Shirazu said, somberly.
"I was jealous with how you great your dating life was. I mean, I'm not so great with picking up chicks." Shirazu said, calmly.
"I take it you're hoping to score a date with Akira?" I said, wondering.
"Yep, and I have no chance at all." Shirazu said, sighing.
"Even if you did ask her out, I'm sure it'll be out of pity. Although…" I said, as I pondered what I was going to say next.
"Although what?" Shirazu said, wondering.
"It would be nice if Akira spent some time out and not worry about work. She's been pining for her ex-boyfriend since his death three years ago." I said, calmly.
"Just ask her, at least once. If she says no, just leave it at that. She respects you as a friend." I said, as Shirazu scratched his head with his right hand.
"Fine. I'll ask her sometime next week." Shirazu said, as Mutsuki looked content.
"Hey, Isaac." Mutsuki said, as I looked at him.
"Have you talked to Yoko about your sexuality yet?" Mutsuki said, curious.
"I have. She's okay with me exploring that region." I said, as I smiled.
Though, when I spoke with Eto earlier today, she was okay with me openly dating other people…except Ghouls. Ghouls remind her of her estranged old man, I thought, calmly.
04/11/16, 9:35 PM
Ward 1, CCG HQ, Rooftop
"No…I thought it was a beautiful thing that a friend like you could do for me." Mutsuki said, as a somber smile emerged from his face.
"Don't worry, Mutsuki. You'll find someone someday." I said, calmly.
"How?" Mutsuki said, as we then hear Urie's voice.
"Hey." Urie said, as we turned to look at him.
"Sasaki's on the 2nd Floor, if you want to see him, Mutsuki." Urie said, calmly, as he walked towards us.
"I lost that right after what I did." Mutsuki said, somberly, as Urie looked at him.
"You can't atone by avoiding him forever. At least go and tell him what you did. Otherwise, you'll never learn a thing about it. I'm willing to tag along with you. I got some things that I want to speak to him about." Urie said, as Mutsuki had a surprised look on his face.
"That day, when we lost Shirazu, Sasaki said that every disadvantage in the world is due to incompetence. Even if what he said to me that day left me humbled, those words strengthened me, and I want to tell him that he was wrong." Urie said, as he looked at the night sky.
"There's a fuckload of things in this world that can't be handled alone. Your surroundings, fate, luck, etc. All of these interact to create results. I couldn't do a single thing alone. You, Yonebayashi, Project Q, Kuroiwa…I was saved by all of you. I just never noticed it in front of my eyes. We all hold too much within ourselves." Urie said, calmly.
"Anyways…I'll down at the 2nd Floor." Urie said, as he turned to walk away. As soon as he closed the door behind him, I look at Mutsuki.
"To answer your question about you finding your ideal match…he just spoke to you." I said, as Mutsuki's cheeks were flushed pink.
"Uh…uh…uh…" Mutsuki said, embarrassed.
"What's wrong?" I said, wondering.
"I don't know…" Mutsuki said, awkwardly.
"Didn't you tell me that Urie was the second guy you wanted to get laid with?" I said, wondering.
"Yeah…" Mutsuki said, as his face turned red.
"So what's the problem?" I said, wondering.
"Will he forgive me after everything that's happened?" Mutsuki said, as I chuckled.
"You have a better chance of being forgiven by him than me. And besides, he was an asshole to you when you guys first started working here, always obsessing about being SCI. You managed to get there before he could. That's something to be proud of." I said, as Mutsuki laughed.
"Look, worst case…he says no…I won't mind giving you head again." I said, as Mutsuki had a flustered look on his face.
"Isaac, you have kids!" Mutsuki said, flustered.
"What?" I said, with a mischievous smile on my face.
"You better be joking!" Mutsuki said, as I laughed.
"I am." I said, calmly.
"Hey, I almost forgot. Did you ever enjoy that copy of The Glass Castle that I gave you when you graduated?" Mutsuki said, wondering.
"I did. It was bleak at times, but I found the book's overall message to be very hopeful." I said, calmly.
04/11/16, 10:24 PM
Ward 1, CCG HQ, 2nd Floor, Morgue
Saiko is wearing a black poncho over a white trench coat, black skirt (knee length), black leggings, and blue Converse. She's standing next to the door that leads to the morgue. She then looks to her right to see Amon and Akira approaching her. Amon is wearing a black coat over a white flannel shirt, black pants, black leather belt, and black Vans. Akira is wearing a purple coat over an orange sweater, beige pants, and purple Nike's.
"Yonebayashi." Akira said, as Saiko looked at Amon.
"Thanks for saving me and Isaac from that weird looking Ghoul. I never got your name." Saiko said, calmly.
"Amon…Kotaro Amon. Your full name?" Amon said, curious.
"Saiko Yonebayashi…uh…I'm feel embarrassed to say your name. So, is it okay if I call you Rosebud?" Saiko said, as Amon had a deadpan look on his face.
"Come on, Amon. She's just joking. I assume?" Akira said, wondering.
"Yes." Saiko said, awkwardly.
"Aren't you going inside then?" Akira said, as Saiko has a flustered look on her face.
"Uh…" Saiko said, as Akira opened the door.
"Hey, can we come in?" Akira said, as she and Amon look to see me, Kaneki, Touka, Hinami, Irimi, Emilia, Asami, Tsukiyama, Nishio, Banjou, Jiro, Sante, Ichimi, Yomo, Ayato, and Miza.
"Sure." Touka said, as they walked into the room. Saiko then proceeds to walk towards the metallic table, where Kaneki slept on. Saiko looks at him, worried, as she placed her arms on Kaneki's body.
"I'm here, Maman…" Saiko said, somberly.
04/11/16, 10:26 PM
?, ?
Kaneki and Rize are back at the shrine. They're sitting in crisscross position, as Rize spoke.
"Remember our first meeting together?" Rize said, as Kaneki looked at her.
"5 months before that fateful day…with you, me, and Isaac's daughter, Milagro…I spotted you. A shy, nervous, and meek boy, with a knack for literature." Rize said, calmly.
"That day was the shittiest memory between us." Kaneki said, as they saw a glowing yellow beam emerge from the sky. Numerous corpses fall from the sky at where the beam is.
"More people that we killed. Filling the ocean. We don't have to worry about hunger if we stay here." Rize said, calmly.
"You never gave a fuck about anyone dying, have you?" Kaneki said, calmly.
"I did. Just Isaac." Rize said, somberly.
"That day, when he and I crossed paths…he wasn't afraid of who I was…when I got out of that horrific rape factory. I wasn't one of the chosen that was treated with respect, because I had 100% pure Ghoul blood. The more human you were, the better your life was, even with the 30-year timespan." Rize said, as she looked at the amethyst wedding ring on her left ring finger.
"My original future was that of being gangraped by my disgusting old father. I used Furuta to get out of that hellhole. When I crossed paths with Isaac that day at Iwasaki Park…he never flinched at my appearance. He was happy that I saved him. He might have been a full-blown sociopath at that age, but I didn't care. He saw me for me…A simple girl desperate for freedom." Rize said, sighing.
"In the end, though, I was milked, divvied up, and placed into 100 coffins." Rize said, as she gently splashed the water with her feet, while Kaneki looked at her.
"And you ate them all. That's why we're here. Now, we are one." Rize said, as Kaneki sighed.
"I wasn't aware that it would lead to this." Kaneki said, somberly.
"You ignorant, fucking dumbass. You kept whining about this unintentional error, yet you were blind to see it. No, you refused to look at it. You chose to see the beautiful portions so that you could drink the water." Rize said, as they see the water turn from blue to red.
"Whether you guys chose this or not, blood will be shed. Only someone who doesn't give a fuck about life can do that. You and Isaac are examples of it." Rize said, as Kaneki sat up.
"I refuse to believe that." Kaneki said, in denial.
"Isaac was able to see the error of his ways. How could you? By blaming others?" Rize said, calmly.
"No…" Kaneki said, calmly.
"Because you're inhumane?" Rize said, calmly.
"Not that either!" Kaneki said, frustrated.
"Are you a hero, villain? Which is it?" Rize said, wondering.
"I don't know." Kaneki said, somberly.
"And you never thought about that before taking the fight to CCG?" Rize said, wondering.
"I only acted based on what was in front of me." Kaneki said, somberly.
"And it all caught up to you. Humans and Ghouls were killed. Isaac never got the chance to atone for all the people that I killed when we were kids. Now, he's attempting to atone but under different circumstances. How about you?" Rize said, wondering.
"Come on, Kaneki. At least tell me. Are you going to kill yourself? Disappear?" Rize said, as Kaneki let out a frustrated sigh.
"What are YOU going to do?" Rize said, annoyed.
"SHUT UP!" Kaneki shouted, angrily.
"JUST SHUT UP AND GIVE ME A SECOND TO THINK!" Kaneki shouted, angrily.
"About what's been done?" Rize said, sarcastically.
"You see it, know it, and understand it, do you?" Rize said, curious.
"I…I…I…I…just wanted to be needed by someone." Kaneki said, as tears streamed down his face.
"The day Mr. Yoshimura served me coffee at Anteiku, my world expanded. I made Ghoul friends, before and after I became Haise. When SCI Arima and Eto chose me to take the mantle…when I got to know about Isaac's hardships…when Touka stayed by my side. I felt like I was being sought after. I felt happy and believed I could exist in both worlds." Kaneki said, calmly, as he finally looked at Rize.
"You're right. I didn't care for others like Isaac. It didn't matter to me. I thought that if I kept fighting, I thought I'd be needed." Kaneki said, somberly.
"I don't know if I can keep going at this point, after everything I've done." Kaneki said, calmly.
"Hey…if it makes you feel better, Isaac was like you at that point. Drinking himself to death after Eto died. After he OD'd, he saw me for the first time in a long time. Before he finally he worked up the courage to let go of me, he had something that you and I had in common." Rize said, calmly.
"We were irresponsible egoists bent on whatever stood in our way to make us feel comfortable. To be honest, his situation is more directly connected to Eto's than mine. He was willing to carry his and her burden and managed to get himself out, unlike you and I." Rize said.
"Is this me condemning myself? Like the time when Yamori tortured me?" Kaneki said, wondering.
"Who knows?" Rize said, smirking.
"There's something I wanted to ask you. That day when you and Isaac came by to see me. Tied in the straitjacket, crawling for food. You told that since you met me, you've seen death more than once. Numerous hardships…and yet you never resented me for it. Not once." Rize said, calmly.
"Do you resent me now?" Rize said, wondering.
"No. I still don't. The hardships, the near deaths, and all the trials and errors were to help open my eyes and see the wonders of meeting people. Some of them, your husband included, felt happy that they crossed paths with me. They needed me." Kaneki said, as he chuckled.
"Huh. So, this is what it is. Happiness." Kaneki said, as he stood up, and let out a collective sigh. He then backs up 10 feet as Rize spoke.
"Are you heading back?" Rize said, wondering, as Kaneki nodded his head yes.
"Okay. Have fun carrying that burden. It would be fun watching you drown in it." Rize said, as Kaneki sprinted before diving into the red colored water.
04/12/16, 4:06 AM
Ward 1, CCG HQ, 2nd Floor, Morgue
Number of Days Sober: 112
Number of People I've Made Amends With: 20
Everyone but Touka is asleep, as Touka's eyelids finally fall. Touka then hears a creak five seconds later, as she opens them to see that Kaneki is sitting up on the table. Kaneki is shaking his head, before he looks to his right to see Touka.
"Touka." Kaneki said, calmly, as he then looked at everyone that was in the room.
"Everyone…" Kaneki said, as tears streamed down his face.
"Kaneki!" Touka said, as she kissed his lips, while Saiko woke up.
"Ma-MAMAN!" Saiko shouted, as Kaneki looked at her.
"Saiko?" Kaneki said, as Saiko hugged him, and cried erratically, resulting in everyone else being awake.
"Hinami, Tsukiyama, Nishio…" Kaneki said, calmly.
"Haise?" Akira said, as Kaneki looked at her and Amon.
"ASCI Mado, Amon…" Kaneki said, as he then looked at me, Irimi, Emilia, and Asami.
"Isaac…" Kaneki said, shocked by my current state.
"Daddy, lift me up so I can talk to Tío Kenny!" Emilia said, as I lifted her up to where Kaneki was. She then abruptly slaps him across with her right hand, surprising everyone in the room.
"Don't scare us like that ever again, Tío Kenny!" Emilia said, upset, as Kaneki looked at me.
"She means to say thank you for saving her." I said, calmly, as Nishio walked up towards Kaneki before speaking.
"I was gonna punch you, you invincible little shit, but Emilia already beat me to it." Nishio said, as tears welled up in his eyes before proceeding to hug him.
"I'm gonna go get Kimi. Be right back…" Nishio said, as he then walked out of the room. Kaneki then looks at Touka, before Touka proceeds to hug him. Kaneki responds back by hugging her as well.
04/12/16, 6:09 AM
Ward 1, CCG HQ, 5th Floor, Undisclosed Room
Kaneki is wearing white patient clothes, as he looks at Kimi.
"You pulled through. That makes understanding your current organ function more difficult, but I'm glad. Your current prognosis is good. Any signs?" Kimi said, wondering.
"Uh…my field of vision is narrower, headaches are gone…" Kaneki said, as he looked to his left to see Touka and Saiko.
"Why are they here with me?" Kaneki said, puzzled.
"To stand against what's ahead." Kimi said, calmly.
"Against?" Kaneki said, confused.
"Not just that. Goat is working with CCG for the time being." Nishio said, calmly, as Kaneki had a shocked look on his face.
"How is that…?" Kaneki said, as he sees Amon and I walk in.
"Nagachika and Isaac brought them together and convinced them to help save you. Their actions motivated both sides to act. Because of you, both kinds were finally able to see eye to eye. Quite an achievement." Amon said, as Kaneki hears loud ringing sounds in his ears after hearing the one thing that he didn't think was possible.
"Hide's alive…?" Kaneki said, in shock.
"That he is." I said, calmly.
"Do you want to wait until then?" I said, curious.
"Can I have a look at the city first?" Kaneki said, nervously, as Urie then entered the room. Urie is wearing a buttoned up black coat, blue pants, black leather belt, and black Florsheim leather shoes.
"SCI Marude gave the order that you be monitored at all times." Urie said, calmly, as Kaneki looked at him.
"Urie…" Kaneki said, surprised.
"You guys don't mind if I take him, right?" Urie said, calmly.
"No. His tissue samples have confirmed to us that he isn't the source of the RC Cell Over-secretion outbreak lately." Kimi said, calmly.
"ROS?" I said, puzzled.
"There's been an outbreak since yesterday. Over 150 confirmed cases down at the hospital not far from here." Kimi said, as my eyes widen in surprise.
"You got to be kidding me. I said, floored.
"Do you remember that eyeball that exploded onto Saiko?" Urie said, calmly.
"I believe so." I said, recollecting.
"I couldn't control my Kagune in the moment. I'm fine now, but…" Saiko said, worried.
"Just be careful out there, Kaneki." Touka said, as Kaneki looked at her.
"Isaac…" Urie said, as I looked at him.
"Marude wants to see you." Urie said, as I looked curious.
"What for?" I said, wondering.
"He wouldn't say. Just meet him at your old office." Urie said, calmly.
"All right." I said, calmly.
04/12/16, 9:09 AM
Ward 13, Shibuya Crossing
Kaneki is wearing a black sweater, black pants, black leather belt, and black Puma sneakers. Kaneki, Urie, and Saiko are walking in the ruins of Ward 13.
"I remember how Isaac would usually bring you and the rest of Project Q here to Shake Shack." Kaneki said, as he looks at the destroyed Shake Shack building.
"You wanted to try out their burgers, Urie!" Saiko said, giggling.
"No…I was hungry, though." Urie said, dryly.
"It's so quiet…." Kaneki said, in a calm but somber manner.
"We were able to evacuate the surrounding area thanks to the partnership between the Ghouls." Urie said, calmly.
"I helped too, with zero sleep. Heh." Saiko said, chuckling.
"That you did, Yonebayashi." Urie said, content, as he sees that Kaneki looks gloomy.
"That look indicates that you want to say something, Sasaki." Urie said, calmly.
"What?" Kaneki said, confused.
"Just say what you need to say. No good is going to come from keeping things to yourself." Urie said. A somber smile emerges from Kaneki's face.
"Thanks, Urie…." Kaneki said, as the three look at the jumbotron.
"Many of the areas still don't have electricity. It'll take 2-3 weeks to bring the power back up." Urie said, calmly.
"Let's head back to discuss what to do next." Urie said, as Kaneki looked somewhat content.
"Sure. Thanks, guys." Kaneki said, calmly.
"Maman, can I visit you sometime?" Saiko said, calmly, as Kaneki looked at her.
"There's so much I want to discuss with you…" Saiko said, as she smiled.
"Of course…" Kaneki said, as Saiko detects faint munching noises from 100 feet away.
"Yonebayashi, what's wrong?" Urie said, as Saiko ran to the location of the munching noises.
"Slow down, Saiko!" Kaneki said, worried, as he and Urie ran to where Saiko was heading to. They finally stop at the source of the noise. They see a Ghoul munching down on a corpse's stomach. The Ghoul is wearing a gray hoodie, purple pants, and black Vans. Their hood is raised to avoid being recognized.
"It's a Ghoul. No food shortage for them…" Urie said, as he pulled out his Quinque, Ginkui.
"Urie, hold up…" Kaneki said, as Urie spoke.
"I'm not going to ignore this." Urie said, as the Ghoul looked up and gasped.
"Wait! I'm sorry! I didn't know what to do…I haven't been able to eat properly…" The Ghoul said, as tears streamed down her face. Kaneki's eyes widen in shock as he recognizes the woman's brown hair.
Miss Ruisawa?! Kaneki thought, shocked.
"Urie, this Ghoul smells different…" Saiko said, as Miss Ruisawa got up and fled.
"Hey!" Urie said, as he attempted to run after her, only for Saiko to say…
"She's human." Saiko said, as Urie's eyes widened in shock.
"Say that again?!" Urie said, as Kaneki spoke.
"I know her. She worked at the Ward 20 CCG Branch Office…" Kaneki said, as all three then hear a loud buzzing sound.
"Hello! Is this thing on?!" Furuta said, as Kaneki looked at the jumbotron to see Furuta. Furuta is wearing a yellow jacket over a yellow sweater, white pants, and black Vans.
"Coming to you from CHNimu, I'm here at Ward 4's shopping district!" Furuta said, as Kaneki, Urie, and Saiko see multiple civilians being mauled to death by the humanoid Ghouls, while multiple soldiers fired their modified MP5s at the humanoid Ghouls.
"As you can see, these things are eating innocent civilians! Were we wrong about 12/21/12 or is this the work of El Charro Negro (The Black Horseman), Satan's right-hand man?!" Furuta said, with gusto.
"I will now attempt an interview with a monster right now." Furuta said, as he walked towards the closet humanoid Ghoul.
"Sir, tell me your name?!" Furuta said, as the humanoid Ghoul took a swipe at Furuta, causing him to fall back. He stumbles back up.
"He seems pissed. Must be because of the GSDF soldiers that are here." Furuta said, as multiple soldiers fired at the humanoid Ghoul that Furuta attempted to speak to, along with 8 others.
"It's working! Keep firing!" Soldier #1 said, as the humanoid Ghouls take the bullets in like a sponge. Suddenly, their heads begin to swell up and explode moments later, as a blood-red mist spews around the field. Some of the mist gets into the eyes of numerous soldiers, as they collapse to their knees, screaming.
"What the hell?" Soldier #2 said, alarmed.
"Ooh, boy. Not looking good. Time to see what happens now…" Furuta said, as a devious smile crept up his face.
04/12/16, 9:15 AM
Ward 1, CCG HQ, 15th Floor, Control Room
I'm at the control room with Irimi, Emilia, Asami, Marude, Mabuchi, and Hide.
Marude is wearing a black suit over a white work shirt, black tie, black pants, black leather belt, and black Perry Ellis sneakers. Mabuchi is wearing a brown suit over a white work shirt, brown tie, brown pants, black leather belt, and black Alfani leather shoes. Hide is wearing a blue coat over a yellow sweater, purple scarf, brown pants, and yellow Converse.
"How the hell is Assclown broadcasting this?! Power's out!" I said, flustered.
"It's possible that he's using an independent broadcast system." Mabuchi said, calmly, as Marude hears Urie's voice from his left earpiece.
"This is ASCI Urie! My squad and I are near the scene!" Urie said, as Marude spoke.
"We'll send backup right away!" Marude said, as he adjusted his earpiece.
"Any investigators that are at Ward 13, get to where ASCI Urie is, pronto!" Marude said, as he then looked at Hide.
"Those explosions. I got a bad feeling about this…" Hide said, as my left earpiece went off.
"Isaac! The soldiers and monsters are nowhere to be found!" Saiko said, as I adjusted my earpiece.
"Do you see anything?! Any clues that Assclown left behind?!" I said, wondering.
"Just a set of TVs that showed Furuta speaking to more civilians who were writhing on the ground, with their eyes turned red and black!" Kaneki said, as Irimi looked alarmed.
"Shit! ROS!" Irimi said, as I looked at her.
"The toxins that those things are spewing out after they get killed…it's turning them into Ghouls!" Irimi said, alarmed, as we looked at the monitors.
"These smaller creatures were deposited from that oviduct behind me!" Furuta said, as he moved to the left to show off an active entity.
"They eat humans and deliver energy to said oviduct, which uses that energy to produce more of those creatures! Any attempt to kill these things will result in a toxin being spewed out to create more of their kind! Oh…the humanity! Save yourselves!" Furuta said, in an overly dramatic manner before the screen went black.
"It was a recording." Hide said, as Marude hears Urie's voice from his left earpiece.
"Command, we have a problem…" Urie said, alarmed.
04/12/16, 9:17 AM
Ward 13, Shibuya Crossing
Urie and Kaneki are looking at Saiko, whose eyes are beginning to water up. She then collapses to her knees.
"Saiko?" Kaneki said, worried.
"Yonebayashi…?" Urie said, as Saiko wheezed.
"Urie…Maman… I think I'm…" Saiko said, as a large purple Kagune emerged from her eyes.
Shit! The toxins from Ward 3 have gotten to her! Urie thought, alarmed, as Kaneki spoke.
"Urie, we need to—" Kaneki said, as they then spot multiple humanoid Ghouls surrounding them.
"Shit, we're surrounded…" Urie said, annoyed, as three humanoid Ghoul sprint towards the group. Urie takes down all three humanoid Ghouls with his Quinque, Ginkui, before jumping back 10 feet to avoid the red mist.
"Shit! Sasaki!" Urie said, as Kaneki looked at him.
"I'll clear a path! Get Yonebayashi back to HQ!" Urie said, sternly.
"What about you, Urie?!" Kaneki said, worried.
"Don't worry about me! She's in critical condition! There's no way you're dying here as well!" Urie said, loudly.
"But the toxins…" Kaneki said, as Urie gritted his teeth.
"JUST FUCKING GO!" Urie shouted, as Saiko spoke.
"No…both of you go…" Saiko said, as she placed her hands on the ground, while Kaneki and Urie have alarmed looks on their faces.
"Are you insane?! You need medical treatment, now!" Urie said, protesting.
"I got exposed to the toxins…I should be the one who stays!" Saiko said, sternly.
"I'm not leaving you here!" Urie said, frustrated, as Kaneki looked conflicted.
If I use my powers…I'll risk losing control of myself again! I'd be dead if it weren't for them. They all waited for me. I can't hurt them again…What do I do?! Kaneki thought, as he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He then activates his left Kakugan and speaks.
"I'm sick of being HELPLESS!" Kaneki screamed, as he unleashed two large white Rinkaku tentacles, shaped in the form of wings, as they spew out multiple white projectiles at the humanoid Ghouls, killing them all instantly. Kaneki lets out a loud gasp, as his wings retract back to his body. The corpses drop to the floor, as Kaneki looks at his hands, while Urie smiled in relief.
"Let's go!" Urie said, as he gave Saiko a piggyback ride.
04/12/16, 10:46 AM
Ward 1, CCG HQ, 28th Floor, Undisclosed Room
Urie, Kaneki amd I are with Kimi, as they look at Saiko, who is lying in bed with bandages wrapped around her eyes and the giant Kagune sticking out of her head. Saiko is wearing white patient clothes.
"She's contracted ROS. According to a nurse who was bitten by one of the ROS patients down at the CCG Hospital, the average RC Cell Value for each patient was over 1,000. Saiko's qualified to be labeled a Ghoul. Urie, you're showing mild symptoms as well, though, it isn't bad like Saiko's." Kimi said, as I clicked my tongue.
"So the shit that Assclown was spewing out of his mouth was true." I said, annoyed.
"Correct. We're unable to analyze Saiko's symptoms until further notice." Kimi said, somberly.
"Guys…" Saiko said, as we looked at her.
"Urie was exposed for a bit, but Maman absorbed a lot of the toxins when you retracted your Kagune. Are you going ot end up like me?" Saiko said, wheezing.
"Not necessarily." Kimi said, as she grabbed her HP Spectre x2 laptop from her desk and handed the laptop to Kaneki.
"I compared your numbers before and after the battle. Your variance level is at 0.01%. No change at all, most likely due to the identified organs in your body." Kimi said, as Kaneki looks shocked by the results.
"You're likely resistant to the toxins…" Kimi said, as Kaneki placed his right hand on Saiko's forehead to comfort her. The door behind me then opens as we see Touka enter.
"Hide's wating for you at the roof." Touka said, as Kaneki had a somber smile on his face.
"Thanks, Touka…" Kaneki said, calmly.
04/12/16, 11:02 AM
Ward 1, CCG HQ, Rooftop
Kaneki opens the door to find Hide near the railing.
"Hide…" Kaneki said, as Hide turned to look at him.
"Hey…" Hide said, delighted, as he waved at Kaneki. Kaneki then proceeds to walk towards him.
"Looking great…well minus the markings under your eyes." Hide said, chuckling.
"Thanks for sending me an autographed copy of The Hanged Man's MacGuffin. That was you, wasn't it?" Kaneki said, wondering.
06/25/12, 10:30 AM
Ward 13, Tsutaya Ginza
"It was so nice meeting Takatsuki." Hinami said, delighted, as she, Kaneki, and I walked towards the food court. I'm wearing a Paramore t-shirt, washed-out black jeans, black leather belt, and black Converse. Hinami is wearing a yellow/purple plaid dress, white leggings, and white Nike's. Kaneki is wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans, white eyepatch, and white Reebok's. All three of us are carrying our copies of The Hanged Man's MacGuffin.
"You know, Kaneki. You weren't so depressed today." I said, as Kaneki looked at me.
"Really?" Kaneki said, flustered.
"Do you like her?" Hinami said, as Kaneki's cheeks were flushed pink.
"Don't go saying that…" Kaneki said, embarrassed.
I mean, Eto is my—fuck, I'm dating Irimi as well… I thought, cringingly.
As we entered the food court, Hide walks by. Hide is wearing a white flannel shirt, blue jeans, and red Converse.
"Okay, you got about an hour. Let's hope that line isn't long." Hide said, calmly.
06/25/12, 11:34 AM
Ward 13, Tsutaya Ginza
Hide looks at his surroundings as he spoke.
"Yep. Not here." Hide said, as he approached Eto. Eto is wearing a purple sweatshirt, blue skirt, blue leggings, and orange heels.
"Your name?" Eto said, delighted, as she opened a copy of The Hanged Man's MacGuffin and grabbed a blue pen.
"Ken Kanaki. My first name is like the town Kanagimachi. The one where Osamu Dazai lived at." Hide said, chuckling.
"Oh, is that so?" Eto said, as she wrote down a sentence onto the book.
"My best friend was a HUGE fan of your work. That's how I got into reading your books. I'm not much of a reader, but that guy in HMM…you know, Prisoner #182. The one who sees people as candy. My favorite chapter from that book." Hide said, with gusto.
"I'm so happy you enjoyed it. My boyfriend came up with the idea about that Ghoul." Eto said, as Hide looked surprised by her response.
"He heard about a Ghoul from Russia that's at Cochlea. Yunita was such a blast to write. I'm planning to write another book down the road with a Ghoul as the main lead, and a human being the secondary main character." Eto said, happily.
"Is that so?" Hide said, curious.
"I mean, it's not like you get to meet a Ghoul every day." Eto said, as Hide looked inside the book. Inside the front cover was Eto's signature, along with a message. It read:
Happy Birthday, Ken Kaneki. Sincerely, Sen Takatsuki.
04/12/16, 11:04 AM
Ward 1, CCG HQ, Rooftop
"Just pay me the 2000 yen (around $15 USD) that I spent to get that book autographed. I can see why Isaac fell head over heels for Takatsuki." Hide said, chuckling.
"Hide…can you take off the scarf? I want to know how bad it was when I blacked out that day…" Kaneki said, somberly.
"I don't have any makeup on, but if you insist…" Hide said, as he took off his scarf. Kaneki has a somber but relieved look on his face, as he stares at Hide's deformed face.
"Thank you, Hide. You were always there to protect me." Kaneki said, as he cried.
"Back at you, Kaneki." Hide said, as they looked at the city of Tokyo.
"I'm going to bear it all…the city, your injuries, all of it. I'm going to try and do what I can to save what's left of Tokyo. With support this time. I don't want to be helpless anymore." Kaneki said, calmly.
04/14/16, 6:05 PM
Ward 1, ¼ mile outside CCG HQ
Number of Days Sober: 114
Number of People I've Made Amends With: 20
"Current estimate of patients infected with ROS is over 1,000 now." Kuramoto said, as he hands Ui a box of Onigiri. Ui is wearing a white trench coat over a black work shirt, black pants, black leather belt, and black Alfani leather shoes. Kuramoto is wearing a white trench coat over a black work shirt, green tie, black pants, black leather belt, and blue Converse. Takeomi is wearing a white trench coat over a black work shirt, black pants, black leather belt, and black Cole Haan leather shoes.
"They're getting nutrition through intravenous means, but it's only temporary. Who knows how long it'll be before we're forced to eradicate them?" Ui said, as he lit up a cigarette.
"Takeomi. Is Yoriko cool with you coming back to work so soon while she's in Italy?" Kuramoto said, wondering.
"Yoriko said that the CCG needs all the help they can get. I agreed it was for the best." Takeomi said, calmly, as Ui sighed.
"It's just like Hirako said, every human across all 23 Wards will be a Ghoul soon." Ui said, somberly.
04/14/16, 7:05 PM
Ward 1, CCG HQ, 28th Floor, Undisclosed Room
"Saiko…" Mutsuki said, worried, as he, Aura, Touma, and Hsiao look at Saiko. Mutsuki is wearing a white trench coat, white pants, white leather belt, black leather eyepatch, and white Reebok's. Aura's wearing a white trench coat, white pants, white leather belt, and white K-Swiss shoes. Touma is wearing a red poncho over a blue jacket, black pants, blue gloves, and white Nike's. Hsiao is wearing a skintight black suit, knee high black boots, blue gloves that cover the entirety of both her arms. Saiko is wearing white patient clothes and is lying in bed, wheezing.
"It's slow, but her condition has been getting worse with each passing day." Hsiao said, upset.
"If we don't solve this soon and find a treatment for her—" Hsiao said, as Touma spoke.
"That thing. More ROS patients will emerge if we don't kill that thing." Touma said, worried.
04/14/16, 7:05 PM
Ward 1, CCG HQ, 15th Floor, Control Room
I'm wearing a buttoned-up black uniform, black jeans, black leather belt, black rim glasses, and black Converse. Kaneki is wearing a white flannel shirt, black pants, black leather belt, and black Puma sneakers. Touka is wearing a blue sweater, back skirt (knee length), purple leggings, and blue Converse. Nishio is wearing a gray sweater, brown pants, brown rim glasses, and red Vans. Irimi is wearing a purple sweater, black jeans, and purple Vans. Tsukiyama is wearing a black suit over a purple flannel shirt, black pants, brown leather belt, and black Johnston & Murphy leather shoes. Hide is wearing a black jacket over a yellow sweater, blue jeans, white surgical mask, and yellow Converse.
Urie is wearing a white trench coat over a black work shirt, black pants, black leather belt, blue leather gloves, and black Doc Martens' leather shoes. Ayato is wearing a purple coat over a blue sweater, black jeans, and black Wolverine boots. Kimi is wearing a white lab coat over a red flannel shirt, purple skirt (knee length), and purple heels.
"All right. There are nine oviducts located throughout Tokyo. One of them is in the decay phase, but it'll take a while to neutralize each oviduct. Our only option is to find the main source and cutting it off." Kimi said, calmly, as we looked at her HP Spectre x2 laptop. She swipes through the photos of dead humanoid Ghouls with ease.
"We were able to discover that not ALL the spawn carried the toxins that's infecting everyone around Tokyo, and when we pinpoint the location of the more poisonous ones, they were all concentrated around one oviduct in particular at one of the wards." Kimi said, as Irimi spoke.
"Where?" Irimi said, curious.
"Ward 19. Whatever's inside there is the main source behind all this." Kimi said, calmly.
"Then perhaps we should assemble a recon team to investigate the oviduct." Tsukiyama said, calmly.
"We don't have time." Kimi said, as everyone looked at her.
"How much time do we have left?" Irimi said, wondering.
"According to my latest analysis…9 hours." Kimi said, somberly.
"Are you serious?" I said, baffled.
"If that oviduct becomes active again, there is an 80% possibility that EVERYONE in Tokyo will become a Ghoul." Kimi said, worried.
"Isn't there a way to find it?" Nishio said, wondering.
"The underground route to the oviduct at Ward 19 has been registering high toxins. Ghouls can pass through it, but there's a major risk that their RC Cells will be greatly affected if exposed to the high toxin levels for too long." Kimi said, as Kaneki spoke.
"I'll go there." Kaneki said, calmly, as everyone looked at him.
"I'm immune to the poison, remember? If I can get down there—" Kaneki said, as we then hear a large explosion from far away. Kimi looks outside the window to see a burning building ½ mile away.
"An explosion?!" Kimi said, alarmed, as my left earpiece goes off.
"Commander! They're here! Those V freaks are here! We need everyone to take positions now!" Marude shouted, sternly.
"Roger that, Marude." I said, as everyone looked at me, surprised.
"Commander?" Nishio said, baffled.
"Marude asked me a few days ago to lead the next operation. Operation Green Screen." I said, calmly.
"Shit…I was hoping that we would have another day before the Clowns and V would show up." I said, annoyed.
"My guess, they must have discovered that we found the main source." Kimi said, as she sighed.
"Doesn't matter. We got to help the Doves!" Nishio said, as Irimi pulled out her Samsung Galaxy Note 5 from her front left pocket.
"I'll call the rest of Goat for help." Irimi said, calmly.
"Guys, hold up." Hide said, calmly.
"It's likely that they don't want us to go to them. Which means…Kimi's right. We need to find the source, now." Hide said.
"But Kaneki will need security." Tsukiyama said, as I spoke.
"The less, the better. And someone's got to be familiar with the underground routes." I said, as Ayato raised his right hand.
"I'll go. Might as well spend some time with my brother-in-law." Ayato said, dryly.
"Don't worry, Sasaki. We can handle this. Now, go save Yonebayashi." Urie said, calmly, as Kaneki looked at Touka and Hide.
"Just stay safe, you guys." Touka said, worried.
"We will." Kaneki said, calmly, as he looked at me.
"If you find Furuta…make sure to humble him." I said, calmly.
"Will do." Kaneki said, calmly.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot. I think it's time to remove your bandages around your right eye." Kimi said, as she grabbed a pair of scissors and cut my bandages off.
"Okay, open your right eyelid slowly." Kimi said, as I complied.
"How's the new glass eye?" Kimi said, wondering.
"The green suits me well." I said, chuckling.
We only have one shot at this…, I thought, nervously.
04/14/16, 8:00 AM
Ward 1, CCG HQ, 1st Floor, Auditorium
"Everyone, we're here to discuss Operation Green Screen." Marude said, calmly, as he, Hide, and I looked at everyone in attendance.
Juuzou is wearing a black coat over a black work shirt, red/yellow suspenders, black pants, and pink slippers. Hanbeh is wearing a black trench coat, black pants, black leather belt, and black Perry Ellis sneakers. Nakarai is wearing a black trench coat, black jeans, and black Converse. Tamaki is wearing a black trench coat, black pants, black leather belt, and red Champion's. Mikage is wearing a black trench coat, black pants, and purple Skechers. Behind them are Tanakamaru, Misato, Amon, Akira, and Ayumu.
Tanakamaru is wearing a white trench coat over a white work shirt, black tie, black pants, black leather belt, and black leather shoes. Misato is wearing a white trench coat over a white work shirt, orange tie, black pants, and black leather shoes. Ayumu is wearing a white trench coat, black work shirt, black pants, and blue Converse. Amon is wearing a gray trench coat over a blue t-shirt, brown pants, black leather belt, and blue Nike's. Akira is wearing a purple coat over an orange sweater, black jeans, and gray Reebok's.
Behind them are Urie, Mutsuki, Hsiao, Aura, and Touma. Behind them are Hirako, Yusa, Ui, Kuramoto, and Takeomi.
Hirako is wearing a white trench coat over a black trench coat, black pants, black leather belt, and black Alfani leather shoes. Yusa is wearing a white trench coat over a black work shirt, black pants, and black leather shoes. Behind them are Irimi, Hinami, Ayato, Kaneki, Touka, Emilia, and Asami. Hinami is wearing a yellow sweater, black skirt (knee length), purple leggings, and black heels. Emilia is wearing a blue sweater, green pants, and red Skechers. Asami is wearing a pink sweater, blue beanie hat, pink pants, and pink Nike's.
Behind them are Nishio, Yomo, Banjou, Jiro, Sante, and Ichimi. Yomo is wearing a gray trench coat, black pants, black leather belt, and brown Nike's. Banjou is wearing a blue coat over a green sweater, blue pants, black leather belt, and gray Skechers. Ichimi is wearing a red hoodie with a number 1 on the back, black jeans, and blue Converse. Jiro is wearing a blue hoodie with a number 2 on the back, blue jeans, and black Vans. Sante is wearing a purple hoodie with a number 3 on the back, white jeans, and red Reeboks. All 3 are wearing gas masks as well.
"Here's the layout for Operation Green Screen." I said, as everyone looked at the Power Point Presentation.
Operation Green Screen Layout
Command Center:
Commander: (SCI) Isaac Gutierrez.
Vice Commanders: (SCI) Itsuki Marude and (SCI) Matsuri Washu.
VC Assistants: (Rank 1) Katsuya Mabuchi and (IA) Hideyoshi Nagachika.
(North) Squad Zero: (FCI, SL) Take Hirako, (SCI, DSL) Koori Ui, (FCI) Kuramoto Itou, (FCI) Takeomi Kuroiwa, and (Rank 1) Yusa Arima.
(South) S1 Squad (Project Q): (ASCI, Co-SL) Kuki Urie, (SCI, Co-SL) Tooru Mutsuki, (Rank 1) Ching-Li Hsiao, and (Rank 2) Touma Higemaru.
(East) S2 Squad: (SCI, SL) Kotaro Amon, (ASCI, DSL) Akira Mado, (SCI) Mougan Tanakamaru, (FCI) Ayumu Hogi, and (Rank 2) Misato Gori.
(West) S3 Squad: (SCI, SL) Juuzou Suzuya, (FCI, DSL) Keijin Nakarai, (Rank 1) Hanbeh Abara, (Rank 1) Mizurou Tamaki, and (Rank 1) Miyuki Mikage.
Goat:
(North) Squad 1: Ken Kaneki (Captain), Shuu Tsukiyama (Co-Captain), Nishiki Nishio, and Ayato Kirishima.
(East) Squad 2: Kaya Irimi (Captain), Hinami Fueguchi, and Renji Yomo.
(South) Squad 3: Kazuichi Banjou and the Gas Masks.
(West) Squad 4: Miza Kusakari and the Blades.
"Gutierrez and I came up with this layout a few days ago. It's to conduct the search for the main source of the toxins. This is just in case the Clowns and those V freaks show up and try to stop us from whatever it is their main boss is planning." Marude said, calmly.
"Now, any questions?" I said, wondering, as everyone in the room raised their hands.
04/14/16, 8:06 PM
Ward 1, 600 feet outside CCG HQ
"Hey!" Tsukiyama said, in gusto, as he and Nishio have their respective Kakugan activated. Tsukiyama decapitates two V Members with his purpe Kokaku spring like blade, while Nishio wraps his large pink Bikaku tail around his right leg and kicks three consecutive V members with his right leg. All three fall to the floor, with their bodies severed because of Nishio's kicks.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Tsukiyama said, delighted.
"Shut up, Dummy-yama!" Nishio said, annoyed, as Ui and Hirako looked from 20 feet away.
"Va te faire foutre! Va te faire foutre! Va te faire foutre (French for 'Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you)!" Tsukiyama said, as Ui looked confused.
"The hell's he saying to them?" Ui said, as Hirako shrugged his shoulders. They see a dozen V members fast approaching them.
"Hirako! I'm using Taruhi,so follow my lead, will you?!" Ui said, as he flicked the Bikaku whip on his Quinque, Taruhi, and used it to neutralize 8 of them. Those that remain standing soon find themselves being cut down in half by Hirako and Yusa's respective Quinques, Nagomi 1/3 and Yukimura 1/3.
"These guys don't let up." Ui said, as he wiped the blood off his right cheek.
"They're not. Whatever it is that's down there, Furuta sent this many V members to stop us." Hirako said, as he then looks to his right to see Kaiko sprinting towards him, with katana in hand. Kaiko is wearing a black suit over a white work shirt, black tie, black leather belt, black fedora hat, and black leather shoes. Hirako parries Kaiko's katana with his Quinque, as they find themselves in a deadlock.
"Hirako!" Yusa said, alarmed, as Kaiko smirked at Hirako.
"Keep pace with the other squads!" Urie said, as V Member #19 attempts to run at him from behind, only to be shot in the head from point blank range. Urie turns to see me holding my Quinque, Ozymandias. We then look to see 3 dozen members of V attempting to run towards us, only to be intervened by Suzuya and his entire team. All of them have their Quinques in hand (Juuzou: Jason, Hanbeh: Silver Skull, Nakarai: Left & Right, Tamaki: Beef, and Mikage: Dreams & Space).
"S3, advance!" Nakarai shouted, as they proceed to mow down 2 dozen V members with their Quinques, while Juuzou sprints the remaining dozen V members and cuts them all down with his Quinque, Jason. Multiple limbs hit the ground, as Juuzou sees another dozen V members approaching.
"You guys really stink." Juuzou said, annoyed.
04/14/16, 8:11 PM
Ward 1, ½ mile outside CCG HQ
"Look at them. They seem more ready than we thought." Uta said, calmly, as he, Itori, Porpora, and Nico watched the action unfold. Uta is wearing a light gray trench coat, gray pants, black Timberland boots, and an upper half gray mask with a cross running through it. Itori is wearing a purple coat over a red/black striped corset top, black skirt (knee length), black heels, and her toothy grinned clown mask. Porpora is wearing a black trench coat, black pants, brown Doc Martens' leather shoes, and his Crown mask. Nico is wearing a blue coat over a purple V-shirt, white pants, black leather belt, red boots, and a Clown mask.
"I mean, Souta asked us to bring this many V guys just in case." Itori said, annoyed.
"At this point, Souta won't be able to finish Dragon in time." Uta said, as he looked at Porpora.
"I suppose I can summon her to buy Souta more time. She'll be happy to see Investigator Gutierrez again." Porpora said, as he snapped his fingers.
04/14/16, 8:12 PM
Ward 1, 600 feet outside CCG HQ
Ui and I then spot a large white creature coming towards the group, as we see land on the ground. The creature is like Eto's Kakuja form, but it has an Owl mask at the stump of its neck, like it was stitched together.
No way…is that…? I thought, as Ui spoke.
"Is that your wife?" Ui said, horrified.
"Yep." I said, as I gripped my Quinque, Milagro, with both hands, to bring forth the shield to protect us, as the Owl fired multiple red projectiles at us.
Chapter 142 complete.
Author's Notes:
This was an adaptation of Chapter 109 of TG OG, Chapters 157, 158, 159, 162, 163, 164, 165 and 166 of TG: re, the Montaro and (*) Omakes from TG: re Volume 14, and Season 4, Episodes 10 and 11 of the anime version.
Kaneki, Rize, Isaac, Mutsuki, Urie, and Hide take center stage for Chapter 142.
Kaneki and Rize have one last heart-to-heart before bidding farewell, as Kaneki wakes up again, just in time for the CCG's latest mission, Operatio Green Screen.
Before that, Isaac and Mutsuki have a talk with one another, as they begin to reconcile with one another. After Urie comes by to speak with them about everything he's learned throughout their time at CCG, an idea pops into Isaac's head about a potential partner for Mutsuki.
And finally, Kaneki and Hide's reunion, as a flashback reveals what happened the day Hide met Eto.
Onward to Chapter 143.