This has been a prolonged and much needed reboot of this story. I wrote the previous version of this story with the intention of writing a 'what if' story while trying to force Kaneki and Hide into roles that were too forced and relied too heavily on the original manga as far as dialogue went; which ended up not doing as well as I had intended.
Eventually my idea spiraled into more nonsense until the end of the story was just a mess. I wrote the original story about three years ago? And since then, I've had more experience in writing more realistic and more enjoyable characters, rather than just writing cardboard characters that lack motivation, yet are still able to do the feats that they were to accomplish.
There'll be more author notes at the end of this chapter, and will be going over some retcons and changes that I have planned to make this story an improved version of 'Tokyo Ghoul Root Q'. Thank you, and please enjoy!
Edit (7/31/2020): I fixed the spacing to make the paragraph structure match the future story's beats; making it easier to read.
"Yesterday night, part of the remains of a man's body was found on the street by the Takada Building. Fluid from what is thought to be a "ghoul" was left at the scene. Investigators are considering this the work of an "eater" type and are commencing a search of the surrounding area. There are fears of an "eater" attacking the city of Tokyo… But what are they actually like? Today, we will ask Dr. Ogura, a researcher who studies "eater" types."
Looking up toward his wall mounted flat screen television that he kept inside his large office, Doctor Akihiro Kanou found himself shaking his head at what the misinformation that was being broadcasted on the morning news. "How misconstrued…! There's no such thing as an 'eater type' when it comes to ghouls; their biological functions demand them to eat a diet of food that's enriched with heavy amounts of RC-Cells, which so happens to be only available in human and ghoul muscle!" Dr. Akihiro explained out loud, as a look of slight amusement found itself spreading across the man's wrinkled face. "That's preposterous! To call a ghoul an 'eater type' would be similar to calling me an 'eater type' as well, or even calling my potted ficus an 'eater type'! Everything has to eat, after all!" Dr. Akihiro chuckled softly to himself, before letting out a composing and elongated breath of air. "In all seriousness, it might just be the media's way of trying to induce fear into the general public, but if anything, I believe that they were trying to create a new label for ghouls who kill to eat, compared to ghouls who scavenge for their food. Which is a bit odd to do, considering that a majority of ghouls use pretty much any method of acquiring food when the situation calls for it… What say you, Kaneki? What are your thoughts on the current case regarding 'Binge Eater'?" Dr. Kanou asked with a gentle grin on his face, as he swiveled slowly in his office chair to face his apprentice.
Leaning his elbow down on the surface of his oak desk that the doctor had bought for him out of pocket, Kaneki rested his chin in his palm while taking a moment to think about how he would answer the doctor's question. Dr. Kanou, ever since first taking him under his wing three months ago, had grown fond of the young man and what he had to say. "Dr. Kanou, in regards to the news, I would say that I agree that while they're misinformed and are trying too hard to label ghouls, they are doing the city a justice by making the public aware that there's a murderer on the loose." Kaneki replied back, to which made the doctor smile inquisitively at the young man's choice words.
"Rather than referring to Binge Eater as merely a ghoul who's following the nature of their biological needs, you called Binge Eater a 'murderer' instead of 'ghoul'... Pray tell young man, why is that?" Dr. Kanou asked with an interested look in his eyes, as he eagerly waited for the young man's expectedly prolonged response. "Is there a difference between the two, in your eyes?"
"Well Dr. Kanou, after seeing the evidence and photographs that we have on file of Binge Eater's victims, I can confidently say that they should be referred to as a murderer, rather than a ghoul. You see Doctor, while looking through the evidence with you, I couldn't help but notice that while her victims were gruesomely killed, the pieces of them that were torn away from their bodies were never far away from the scene of the crime, and seeing how Binge Eater's victims always left a trail of blood and sometimes even viscous behind, I can safely hypothesize that their deaths were prolonged to make them suffer more than they needed to. Accompanying my hypothesis with the fact we were able reconstructed the pieces of the victim together in the forensics lab to be mostly in-tact, it's evident that Binge Eater hardly consumed the flesh of their victims. Calling them 'Grazer' would be a more accurate name for them, rather than calling them 'Binge Eater'." Kaneki concluded, as he rested his case with a small smile on his face.
Giving his apprentice a quiet clapping of hands to applaud him for his detective-like mind, Dr. Kanou smiled proudly at Kaneki. "Good show, young man, good show indeed! Your ability to piece together cases and extract quite plausible explanations from raw evidence is rather remarkable! Tell me Kaneki, have you ever considered becoming a bureau investigator? Because you'd make a damn good investigator, that's for sure! God knows we could always use more men who utilize their brains over a false illusion of brawn…!" Dr. Kanou mused with a slight hint of frustration and sorrow in his voice. Having worked in multiple branches across not only Japan, but throughout the many countries across the globe, Dr. Kanou had to bear witness to a countless number of deaths of so many investigators who fought with their emotions rather than their smarts; deaths that the man in his golden years always considered to be extremely avoidable and unnecessary. It was heartbreaking to him, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, seeing all of those avoidable deaths had made the man more callus than he wanted to believe. "... Kaneki, do you mind telling me again why you wrote your thesis; the reason you wanted to become a ghoul biologist in the first place?" The old man asked with a sadden look on his face; a look that he had acquired after momentarily reminiscing over the deaths of many that took a toll on his heart.
Kaneki never protested when it came to the old man's frequent and same request. It was an almost daily occurrence when Dr. Kanou would ask Kaneki to recite the reason he wanted to join his profession; a request that would take place whenever the old man would become sad, and was in need of a pick-me up to lift his spirits. "I have a dream, Dr. Kanou: I have a dream that one day the violence between humans and ghoul will end, and that both species can live side by side in a prosperous society where they live under the same jurisdiction and are able to live a safe and morally-guided life toward happiness. In order to achieve this dream, I want to be a ghoul biologist so I can one day discover a way to create an alternative source of food for ghouls, by artificially creating a genetically modified protein strand that can be universally introduced into any crop or livestock; which would truly unite humans and ghouls together, without the need of segregation. Through evolution and the decreasing need of consuming heavily enriched RC-cell food, humans and ghouls will one day be the same."
By the time Kaneki was done reciting his speech from his essay that he knew by heart, Dr. Kanou was feeling invigorated and hopeful of the future yet again. The young man who sat before him had a casual look on his face, a look that wasn't theatrically dramatic or even looked overly determined at all. To Kaneki, the way he wrote his paper and how he felt about his dream in general wasn't inspired by a need to revolutionize the world or take it society by storm. Out of all the applications for the position that Dr. Kanou had offered to the young men and women of Tokyo, Kaneki's application was hands down the most inspiring, humbling, and memorable. Throughout a sea of applicants, all of whom were from wealthy backgrounds and offered to pay the doctor handsomely if he were to take them under his wing, Kaneki's essay wasn't over the top or egotistical at all. Kaneki wasn't there to lead a crusade, he was there to do what needed to be done. His intentions were pure, and that's what drew the doctor to him in the first place.
"Thank you Kaneki… It's always refreshing to hear that… By the way, I hope I don't sound too intrusive or even step over any boundaries between us, but may I ask you a personal question?" Staring up at the old man with a content look in his grey eyes, Kaneki nodded at the man's question without any hesitation. "Considering that I've invested my own time and interest into you, I can't help but find myself wondering about the young woman who you've come to fancy…!" The Doctor asked with a playful and suggestive voice; which made Kaneki freeze up slightly after he quickly realized what the doctor wanted to discuss. "That's right Kaneki, I'm talking about etrology: the science of love!"
Blushing slightly with a bashful look on his face, Kaneki couldn't help but become slightly embarrassed at how forthcoming the older gentleman was with a subject that was so touchy for Kaneki. The young man was rather brave and was never one to cower or become silent in any matter, but the foreign field that the young scholar was never well versed in was the subject of love; a subject that made Kaneki extremely uncomfortable.
"Um…. Er, as far as how Rize and I are doing…! I would say that things are going well enough I suppose… I still um, haven't really been able to tell her how I feel about her, just quite yet." Kaneki said with a slightly sheepish look on his face, while subtly averting his grey eyes away from the mischievous and slightly judgemental look that Dr. Kanou was giving him. The old man didn't need to say it, because he'd already drilled his personal advice enough into the young man's head for Kaneki to be able to remember it like a maddening mantra.
"I know, I know…! 'Hesitation is the enemy of strategy, and only fools mistake the two for the same thing…!' I get it, I get it…! I'm working on it, okay…!" Kaneki muttered back defensively, as he let out a mildly irritated sigh after seeing the old man crossing his arms at him with that same ever present smirk on his wrinkled lips.
"Anyways…! You told me yesterday about a project you were wanting to show me today; a project that you've been working on for quite some time now, according to the notes you've shared with me." Kaneki said, while also successfully changing the subject of their conversation. An blatant attempt that the older gentleman saw through with ease, but decided to remain quiet as an act of mercy toward the young man. "You wrote that you've created the perfect hybrid between a ghoul and a human; a product of a theorized surgery that would be able to revolutionize the medical industry. How is it that so, Doctor? Because from what I read, a 'Qunix' seems more like a weapon than anything belonging in the medical field." Kaneki asked inquisitively; perplexed at the concept of how transforming a human to what was for a lack of better words, a living and walking quinque.
"You would be right about that, Kaneki; but in order to prevent my budget from being cut, I had to advertise my idea to the Washuu Clan in a way to capture their attention and willingness to continue their financial and resourceful support. It's frustrating that we work in an industry that claims to exists for further the existence and betterment of humanity's best interests, yet it's apparent to me that CCG only currently sees that means to obtain that goal reachable only through erridcation and genocide; not by science and welfare of others!" Dr. Kanou said passionately, with an outraged expression on his face that made Kaneki empathize with the old man's bitterness towards his mutual benefactors. "This goes without saying, but keep my opinion of our employers between us. The last thing we need is for those Chairmen to be down our throats with bureau investigators for suspected treason; trust me, it's happened plenty of times before, and they're always a pain in the ass!" Dr. Kanou explained with a disgruntled look on his face, and just as he finished grumbling to himself after finishing his rant, his eyes suddenly shot open wide and an embarrassed look was spread across his face.
"My, my…! I seem to have gone out on a bit of a tangent, haven't I? Forgive me Kaneki; I fear my ramblings are a byproduct of my age!" The old man mused whimsically, before taking a moment to collect his thoughts to continue speaking. "For years Kaneki, I've sought out a way to surgically turn ghouls into humans; a practice that one might believe to be as simple as merely removing the organ that stores their RC-Cells, otherwise known as their 'kakuhou', and calling it a day. A common misconception that falls flat on its face when it comes into practice; trust me, I've tried. No Kaneki, there are several more factors to consider when trying to find an effective method of transforming a ghoul to a human." Dr. Kanou explained, before taking a moment to allow Kaneki to type his notes into the word processor downloaded on his laptop; a common practice for the young man to do whenever the doctor decided to explain and summarize his research and work. After a few seconds of typing and rifling his fingertips across the keyboard, Kaneki gave the doctor a nod to gesture that he was ready.
"... In order to make the surgical practical and easily available, on top of actually being successful, I've developed a method for the transformation to become easily available in the future for any ghouls who would seek to live a life without conviction from the law. For one, the transformation will need a medium, which is what the purpose of being a Qunix will serve as. Essentially, a Qunix is a perfected and artificially made half-ghoul that is capable of living a long and healthy life, and will be able to benefit from the perks of both being human and a ghoul. In the future, ghoul patients who will undergo the surgery will be able to survive and adapt to the sudden changes of their anatomy, because their bodies will still have the same kakuhou that's been with them their entire lives! Their newly modified and restrained kakuhous will allow them to slowly be able to consume and process the same kind of food that we humans are able to eat. The costs will be covered thanks to the majority of the kakuhou being removed and used by CCG to be used how they see fit, and the method of creating these modified kakuhous is far less costly and complicated than creating quinques to combat ghouls to begin with! It's a safer method of acquiring quinque metal without putting the lives of our investigators at risk; especially when the ghouls will be willingly handing it over to CCG!"
The theorized surgery and the potential future that it held certainly impressed Kaneki, and although it was a different route than how Kaneki sought to unite humans and ghouls together, the young man couldn't help but feel excited at the idea of ghouls being safe while Kaneki continued his research. After all, why only have one absolution when a ghoul could be free to have different options ahead of them? "That's certainly a future that I hope will come sooner than expected, Dr. Kanou… Yet, as fascinating as your theory is, and the future it could potentially have... What about now? Don't you need a human test subject to first try the experiment on?" Kaneki asked curiously, to which the doctor nodded somberly to.
"Ah yes, you'd be correct… Due to the nature of the experimental surgery and the complications that could arise from it, I wouldn't dare go through with it unless the test subject was someone trustworthy yet voluntarily willing to do so. I would have to personally screen the test subjects, all of which would have to be employed by CCG in one way or the other." Dr. Kanou explained with a slightly hopeful look in his gentle eyes, as he switched his focus from Kaneki toward his computer that sat on top of his own office desk. "I've already sent emails out to some potential young men and women who might fit the bill, and made the upper brass aware of how I'll be operating this experiment as well. All we can do now is-"
"I'll do it." Kaneki said confidently; interrupting the old man before he could finish his sentence. Although he was wanting the young man to be included in his latest experiment, Dr. Kanou never once thought of asking Kaneki to volunteer himself to be used as a test subject. The idea of putting the young man under the knife made the older man shudder.
"Kaneki…! Perhaps my over enthusiasm overshadowed the overall danger that comes with experiments in their early stages, but I couldn't ask that of you, dear boy! We're talking about opening your back up, and putting a foreign entity into your body; the likes of what's never been attempted before! The operation could kill you, or worse!" Dr. Kanou said with a mildly frantic look in his eyes, before suddenly standing up from his office chair before shaking his head profusely. "No… No, I decline your offer Kaneki; as selfish as it may seem on my behalf, I refuse to put your life in danger!"
Keeping calm and collective while his mentor seemed steadfast about his decision in denying Kaneki the permission of being his first test subject, the young man remained seated and collected his thoughts before speaking. "Dr. Kanou, earlier you mentioned the possibility of me undergoing the employment process to become a bureau investigator; a career choice that although is far less dangerous than becoming a ghoul investigator, still puts me in a position where I would need to carry a firearm at all times. Why would the possibility of my death be a deciding factor now?"
Taken aback that Kaneki had brought up what was supposed to be a mere thought, Dr. Kanou tensed up suddenly and felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew what the young man was going to say next, so he just stood still and waited for the inevitable to be said. "You've confined in me your inner thoughts about the mental impact you've endured from having witnessed so much death, and how you've grown used to the loss of life… I've come to the conclusion that what bothers you is unnecessary death, more specifically than other kinds of death; albeit natural or for a greater purpose. As your protégé and friend, I understand why you're hesitant to use me as the first test subject for this experimental surgery, but it's for a worthy cause, which is why I have no reservations about this, and neither should you." Kaneki said warmly with a gentle and understanding smile on his face, as he watched the older man shift uncomfortably where he stood.
"My life isn't worth any more or less than anyone else's who would have the courage to volunteer themselves for this surgery, and in my eyes, the unity between humans and ghouls is inevitable; what matters now is that we take the first steps to make that happen."
Shaking his head in defeat, the old man let out a humourless and dry chuckle before forcing himself to gaze down at his student's grey eyes. "... Kaneki, my young apprentice... How are you able to be so confident in this decision? It almost seems like you were ready for this, rather than this being a sudden decision without premeditation; it's absurd is what it is! Why are you so willing to put your life on the line like this!?"
"Because Dr. Kanou, it needs to get done; that's why." Kaneki said calmly, without bothering to appear too full of himself after having won an argument with the man who was supposed to be the wiser one out of them. "After all, it's like you said: hesitation is the enemy of strategy."
Dr. Kanou couldn't help but to smirk at the young man's slightly smartass explanation, and let out a hardy laugh before sighing. "Simple, elegant, and most importantly, to the point… You're right, hesitation is not only the enemy of strategy, but is also the nemesis and a hindrance to science and the practice of it as well." Dr. Kanou proclaimed, before reaching down to pick up his white lab coat from his office chair before beginning to slide his arms through the sleeves of it. "Well then young man, we've spoken enough philosophy for the day, haven't we? I believe that you've earned the right to be the first person to see the fruits of my labor!"
Overjoyed and feeling his heart fluttering with excitement inside his chest, Kaneki wasted no time in getting up from his office chair to hastily put on his own lab coat. "That's what I'm talking about…!" Kaneki said ecstatically to himself under his breath, before following the doctor out of the office and down a narrow and pristine white hallway. "I can't wait to see the work you've done, Dr. Kanou! Tell me, does the kakuhou you've experimented have a nickname yet?" Kaneki asked while they walked through the hallway down to the elevator that was only available to those who were given clearance to walk through.
Pulling out the extendable badge from his lanyard that was around his wrinkled neck, Dr. Kanou smiled proudly at the thought of showing his creation to his apprentice. Placing his ID badge up against the black sensor reader that was mounted beside the controls of the elevator, the old man waited for Kaneki to scan his temporary badge against the scanner before letting the young man walk past him into the elevator cart. Once they were both inside the steel interior of the elevator, the old man waited until the elevator's doors were closed before continuing to speak. Dr. Kanou stared down at Kaneki before reaching into his labcoat's pocket to pull out his smartphone to hand it to the young man. "I don't have a nickname for it yet, but check what I do have listed on my private file… The kakuhou belonged to a powerful ghoul by the name of 'Arata Kirishima', who had gone by the name of 'Grave Robber' during the time of Aogiri Tree's existence.
He earned his name after it was discovered by investigators that he had a habit of digging up freshly made graves in order to obtain substance. However, I suspect he did more than his fair share of killings and cannibalistic acts behind the scenes of his facade; I believe he did that due to his kagune being able to conjure up a kakuja. By itself, the modified kakuhou you will have surgically placed inside you has been rated SS on the CCG's power scale, and will allow you a significant amount of protection from physical and heat related attacks, and as well as endowing you with a fortitude of physical capabilities that would allow you to keep up with a other ukaku ghouls with relative ease!" Dr. Kanou explained with a slightly uneasy look on his face, while still trying to maintain a smile while hyping the young man up for what was to come. Soon after having given a brief backstory behind the origins of the kakuhou that was going to place into his eager apprentice, who seemed to be completely unphased by the possible complications that could potentially await for him in the near future, the doctor let out a sigh as they finally arrived at the bottom floor.
Leading his apprentice through the stainless-steel interior of his private laboratory, Dr. Kanou brought Kaneki to a large surgical bed that had various monitors and advanced medical equipment surrounding it. The surgical bed had a large hollow piece of machinery just above the head of where the patient would lay down on, and appeared to resemble an MRI scanner, although it was capable of far more than just using magnetic resonance to scan the body. "Go ahead and strip down while I get ready to perform the operation." Dr. Kanou instructed, before facing away from the young man to give him some amount of privacy while he went to clean himself up.
While the doctor made his way over to the sink to wash his hands before getting ready to dawn himself with personal protective equipment, Kaneki kept the older man's smartphone in his hand as he quickly undressed himself, while making sure to hang his lab coat neatly and proudly on a nearby coat hanger that stood beside a steel table where he put the rest of his clothing and belongs on. Naked, Kaneki climbed onto the bed and continued to read through the doctor's secret files about the kakuhou and the kagune it was able to produce before his eyes finally caught the names that Dr. Kanou had listed in regards to his creation.
"'Arata Experimental Prototype II'... The 'Æ X-2': Arata'." Kaneki spoke quietly to himself with an awe-inspiring feeling resonating inside; as he esticaticaly began to think up names he could give to the kakuhou himself. Giving the phone back to the doctor, who put it down on the steel table housing Kaneki's possessions, Kaneki didn't even flinch as the doctor began to poke and prod at his skin with various IV-injectors and syringes filled with morphine. Staring up at the overhead lamp that illuminated his body in a gentle white glow, Kaneki's eyes twinkled in the light as he repeated possible nicknames he could give to the kakuhou and kagune that would soon be his to use in order to further reach his dream of unification and peace. "Unicorn… I want to nickname it 'Unicorn'... That's a cool name, right?" Kaneki mused with a wide grin, while Dr. Kanou placed and secured the facial mask around the young man's facial orifices. It wasn't long until the sleeping gas flooded Kaneki's lungs, and soon it began to take effect. Falling into a peaceful slumber, all Kaneki could do was dream about the nickname he still wanted to give to his kagune, while he underwent the process of transforming him into the first Qunix ever made.
'Wait, no…! 'Unicorn' is a terrible name…! What am I five years-old?! Err… Would it be lame to call it 'Gundam'? No, that's terrible too… Damnit, why is this so hard?!' Kaneki thought to himself while he dreamt of himself sitting back in his office with a piece of paper filled with possible nicknames on top of his desk. '... What about calling it, uh... 'Meme Machine?' No, that sucks too...'
Encompassing the deepest labyrinths underneath the bustling 11th Ward, the 24th Ward was an underground city that was built within the construction of Tokyo's underground flooding system, and was filled with ghouls who were seeking refuge from the outside world for one reason or another. Poverty and violence was common to see in this underworld cement jungle, and drug usage and crime was the 24th Ward's plight that earned the makeshift city it's well deserved negative reputation. Those who were underground were there because they had to be, and fear and hatred was a common outlook for its citizens to share, as all they had to go home to were either tents or crudely constructed shacks to call home underneath the dimly lit underground that was only illuminated by torches and flood lamps. However, resting above the grime and overwhelming poverty of the 24th Ward, Eto Yoshimura sat on her stone throne in a crudely constructed shack that was made up of washed-up scrap metal and rotted wood. She was a shadow of her former self; a once powerful leader who tried to fight the system, and had nothing to show for it. No friends, no motivation, no bridges, and no love; just a moldy shack and a poorly-made throne to call her own. So needless to say, when Eto saw the once familiar pretty face of the Binge Eater looking down at her while she sat on her throne, the half ghoul was more than shocked to see the young purple-haired woman before her.
"Rize Kamishiro… What brings your sorry ass here...? Last I remembered, you left our family when we needed you most, in order to pursue your sick fantasies of wanting to become a murderous bitch... So tell me, Kamishiro, what reason do you have to be here? Are you here to gloat at me? Kick me when I down?" Eto asked with a slightly playful voice, despite being upfront and apparent to Rize that she still harbored hatred for her. "Whatever reason you have, it better be worth it; because the way I see it, you aren't going to be alive for much longer…"
Ignoring the woman's blatant threat against her life, Rize hummed whimsically to herself as she looked around the barely-lit and filthy interior of Eto's shack. Needless to say, there was much to be desired. "The One-Eyed Princess herself, eh? That's the name you gave to yourself, right?" Rize asked with a smug smirk on her face, before leaning close to take a whiff of the dirty cloak that Eto had draped over her bandaged body. After taking in the foul scent that emanated from Eto's dirty crimson cloak, Rize cringed and scrunched up her face while flaring her nostrils in disgust.
"You know, for a self-proclaimed monarch, you smell musky like dirty rain water, and pungent like old turnips...!" Rize said insultingly, which managed to make the red eye of the smiling half ghoul twitch momentarily out of anger. "Anyways my dear 'Queen of Rags', I have an excellent reason for you not to kill me. You see, I come here to your EXTREMELY humble abode bearing a gift for you."
"I see… It better be one Hell of a gift if you expect it to stop me from doing what should have been two years ago..." Eto said menacingly with a crazed look in her eyes, as she rose from her throne to threateningly make her way in front of the young woman. "Show me what you've brought me now, or I'll do the world a favor and end your pathetic existence right now…" Eto chuckled in a low voice, before reaching up with her right arm to wrap her fingers around the unphased woman's tender neck.
"I bring to you an opportunity to cut the head off the snake that crippled you, Yoshimura; I have in mind possession a golden opportunity to turn the tides of your PATHETIC defeat into a surprise counterattack." Rize said cryptically, before reaching into her own cleavage to pull out a small-lamented ID badge before presenting it to the confused and baffled green-haired woman. "Go on, take it; it's yours now…!"
Staring at it with a look of skepticism, Eto's eyes scanned the contents printed into the back of the white ID badge that was given to her before scoffing. Eto had seen the same kind of badge a countless number of times in her previous efforts of waging a civil war against the governing organization; to her, it really didn't live up to the hype that Rize had built for it. "So, you've killed a member of CCG who had backdoor access to the Main Office…? Was I supposed to be impressed with this useless gift?! Are you too fucking stupid to realize that they deactivate these badges once they're reported lost or stolen?! If I wanted one of these, I'd get one myself!" Eto said with an enraged and offended look on her face, as he bared her teeth to the still smiling ghoul in her grasp. Gone was Eto's playful facade, and instead her true colors were beginning to reveal themselves.
"If this was supposed to be a joke, then I hope it was worth it… BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE YOUR LAST!" Eto screamed hatefully, as she picked Rize up by her neck and into the air before summoning her glowing-red sword-like kagune out from her shoulder; wrapping it around her right arm to form a large blade that she was planning to use violently against the younger ghoul.
Still not losing her composure in the least, Rize scoffed at the lack of control being displayed by the once proud and mighty One-Eyed Owl before letting out a low chuckle. "Nothing's changed with you, I see… You still rely on violence and poorly-conducted plans that end up failing you in both the long run and short run…! T-The badge you're holding is still active…!." Rize struggled to speak out, due to Eto's grip tightening around her neck. After Hearing this revelation however, Eto's eyes suddenly widened with shock, and soon she found herself immediately releasing her grip from around the young woman's neck in order to once again gaze down at the ID badge in her hand.
"Ah…! I knew you would be interested in what I had to o-offer!" Rize gasped out with a playful giggle, while quietly reaching up to rub her fingertips against her sore neck.
"You said this is still active? A Top-Secret clearance that has full access to the Main Office…?! How…? How can this be?!" Eto demanded, as she switched her focus away from the ID badge to look up at Rize with a confused look. "Tell me Kamishiro; how did you get your hands on this?!"
"It was easier than you would expect, really. My first attempt was when I tried to apply for the position of being some top-notched doctor's new apprentice, and when that failed I did the second best thing: get close to the one who was chosen to be CCG's next Head Ghoul Biologist." Rize said with a seductive wink, indicating to Eto that she used her beauty and voluptuous curves to her advantage.
"And to be fair, I bullshitted my way through the application, so I wasn't surprised that I wasn't chosen; that still didn't change the fact that I was pissed off that I lost though. But anyways, the one who was chosen, Ken Kaneki, is apparently a prodigy when it comes to biology and other nerd shit, and won with nothing more than his lame ass dream and an associates degree that he got from community college. He's not from Tokyo, so thanks to him being rather lonesome and in need of some beautiful company, it didn't take much for me to sway him into being my friend… And possibly even more, in his eyes~!" Rize explained with a proud look on her face; as though she were extremely content with herself for being able to easily fool and betray the trust of the young man in question.
"He's under the impression that I found his badge in the cafe we went to this morning, and asked me to give it back later tonight… His boss and the security staff are already aware of that, and thanks to him being the 'boy toy' of such a shaker and mover, they decided to let his mess up slide and not do anything about it. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Yoshimura, and I suggest that we take advantage of these circumstances!"
The idea of leading her second rendition of her previous army of ghouls back up to the surface to not only successfully lead a raid into the Main Office, but to kill the Washuu Clan and end oligarchy that was controlling Tokyo was more than tempting for Eto; it was her destiny, according to her after all. However, despite wanting nothing more than to bring Aogiri Tree back to its former glory, Eto was still under the impression that there was a catch to Rize's generous offer. "And what is it that you desire in return, harlot…? Are you expecting me to spare the life of this young man who you betrayed just like you betrayed me back when I was foolish and naive enough to trust the likes of you...?"
Eto's mention of whether or not Rize had wanted her to spare Kaneki's life was enough to make the sociopathic ghoul below out a hearty laugh. "Heh heh…! Look at who's the actual comedian between us, Yoshimura…! And here I thought your sense of humor died out along with your sense of hygiene…!" Rize snickered amusingly to herself before sighing with a content smile on her face; blissfully ignore the glare that Eto was giving her after having insulted the half-ghoul. "No Yoshimura, I don't value the life of that overly ambitious bastard one bit. Quite the opposite actually! If anything, I want to be there to see him die…! I want nothing more than to see that self righteous motherfucker look up at me with confusion in his eyes…! I want to be there to see the terror and look of betrayal reflected in his eyes while he sees me smiling down at him with a handful of his innards in my grasp...!" Rize mused with a daydreaming look in her purple and sadistic eyes that seemed to glimmer more and more as she went further into detail about how badly she wanted to see Kaneki suffer.
"Yoshimura, I ask of you one thing, and one thing only… Forgive me of my transgressions, and allow me to become one of Aogiri Tree's executives once more! Do this for me, and I'll bring you with me past security; they know me as Kaneki's friend, and won't bat an eye if I tell them you're his relative who's here to see him. He's relatively new, and isn't from Tokyo; so who the Hell is gonna argue with me?!" Rize mused with an excited look on his face, while Eto nodded in agreement towards her plan.
"And once I'm inside, I can have my new army of ghouls standing outside in position… I'll be able to use that elevator and take the cart up to the top of the Main Office, and end the Washuu Clan before they cause any more damage to our society…" Eto said enthusiastically with a hopeful look on her face that had been absent for years of her life. "With them out of the picture, my men and women will have no problem overpowering the investigators and security outside and on the inside of the Main Office…! Yes, their luxurious lifestyles and comfortable jobs would have made the veterans who stayed behind slow and easy to kill… And with the new stigma of the 20th Ward being an easy post, any new investigators will lack the preparation and experience of my arrival…!" Eto said with a fluttering look of victory in her green and red eyes, as she found herself clenching her free hand tightly into a fist.
"I'll kill them all… Loot the spoils of war, and regain my position as Tokyo's boogie man once again…! I'll be feared, and will finally destroy CCG and implement myself as Tokyo's rightful leader…!" Eto said quietly with a determined look in her eyes, as she began to mentally envision herself to be back into a position of power; just as she once did.
"You'll finally claim the victory that was always rightfully yours, Yoshimura; you'll topple over their corrupt government and bring humanity to its knees! No longer will ghouls have a reason to fear those weak cattle…! You'll rule them all Eto, and make Tokyo yours!" Rize chimed in; secretly hoping that her words of encouragement were adding fuel into Eto's inner fire. "So… What are you waiting for, One-Eyed Owl? Are you ready for the second coming of the new Aogiri Tree?" Rize asked with a somewhat serious and anticipated look on her face, as she awaited for the half-ghoul's answer.
Looking away from the ghoul that was obviously trying to feed into her ego in an attempt to manipulate her, Eto instead focused her attention back on the ID badge in the palm of her left hand, and stared down at the young man's face intently; as if though she were expecting the picture of Kaneki's mugshot to begin speaking to her personally. What she held in her hand was the golden key to not only her future, but the future of Tokyo. Now that she actually had a chance to launch a long awaited counterattack, Eto found herself asking herself that same question as well.
"Am I ready, you ask…? Well Kamishiro, the answer to that question is rather simple... I've ALWAYS been ready for this." Eto said proudly to not only Rize, but to herself as well. A feeling of rejuvenation and rebirth coursed through Eto's veins, as she switched her focus back to Rize. "Your duties as my executive begin now, Kamishiro. I'm ordering you to recruit as many ghouls as you can for tonight's raid. Don't let me down, or else." Eto said threateningly to the young woman, who merely smiled sweetly back at Aogiri Tree's leader before giving her a salute. "Good… Now go; we don't have time to waste before the clock reaches eight o'clock. Tonight, those who considered themselves to be above the consequences will face their long awaited judgement."
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! I wanted to give a shout out to the guy who helped motivate me to finally write this, Cortax, and as well as giving me feedback and ideas.
Here are some key factors of what this story will be:
It's going to be a cross between 'Tokyo Ghoul' and 'Tokyo Ghoul: re'
Characters from both stories will be at their earliest forms, and might have different backstories than their canonselves. For example, Kaneki's a bit more of a nerd than he was in the first story, but also isn't a coward at all.
This story will be different from Tokyo Ghoul's baseline story, and will branch off differently towards later chapters.
I'm going to try to keep this as realistic and tame while making the story interesting.
If you have feedback, please let me know! Thank you, and have a good day.