Eto grimaced as the fresh chunk of meat she swallowed slid down her thin throat. The taste, even after so much practice when she was younger and recently, was still more awful than the food human's produced. Still though, she didn't really have much of a choice now did she?
Annoyed, the half-ghoul gripped the water bottle to her right with anger, applying just enough force to make sure she only dented the plastic and not destroyed it. This is, and always has been the only way to make the taste of ghoul flesh go down easier. Bringing the water to her mouth and closing her eyes she eagerly and greedily sucked it in, using it to numb the disgusting taste.
Opening her eye's now, and sighing in dissatisfaction, Eto fell back unto her bed. Last night, she'd been transferred over to the care of Dr. Kanou, immediatley after he had agreed to join the terrorist group. He said that studying her would allow him to continue his "experiments". Eto had already met two of those "Experiments", Twins. Their names were Kurona and Nashiro, the two daughters of the family that had once owned the home, now turned it a madhouse. There was a third, Kanou had told her this, but she'd yet to meet them. They hadn't been there when Aogiri had arrived in the mansion, and she hadn't seen them all the time she was hear... It made things feel ominous...
In thought about the half-ghouls that surrounded her, Eto couldn't help but think of two other important half-breeds... One she missed and one she would meet...
Tatara, Ayato, and Naki, leaving the Taguchi nurse here, back with the good doctor. Taguchi had been their leverage over her for about a week now, the only thing that was making her stay with Aogiri lest they use her to send CCG to Anteiku. And, now, due to the doctors own curiosity towards the authors nature, even though she was not in the organizations immediate care, she was still the sole reason that she was even here...
The author didn't hate her, she couldn't, especially not since the nurse didn't particularly appear to want to here at present. Through the entire time that Eto had been held at Okinawa she had not been allowed to see the nurse, not even allowed to be in the same room... She supposed it was Tatara's cautious side. After all, killing the nurse would have been an easy way out, Tatara knew that none of Aogiri could stand up to The One-Eye'd Owl.
The only person there that she had been allowed to see, and she did not absolutely hate, that was of some connection to her; was Ayato. She hadn't seen the boy in two years or so, not since he was twelve. That being the case she was somewhat elated(in the sense that there was some light in the darkness of her current reality) to see him. However, he wasn't as pleased.
Touka's younger brother wouldn't look at her pseudo older sister, wouldn't talk to her, wouldn't even acknowledge her. All of which made her sad. He wasn't foing this out of a distaste for her, or for anyone at Anteiku, but rather a sense of guilt. She could see it in the way he moved around her, he was afraid, afraid she would reject him out of betrayal and so he strayed from her, despite her attempt to talk to him... She wasn't angry, however, just a little Disappointed.
Then, distracting the new occupant of the underground laboratory from her thoughts, the door that blocked her quarters out from the rest of the world began to hiss. She could hear the sounds of gears creaking and metal slabs sliding out of place. The door was much like a safe from the outside, a pain to open. However from the inside the door was practically just another door.
Finally, after the door opened completely, a young, white haired girl stepped in. She reminded(in appearance) Eto of Kaneki, with his white hair. Her's was just as white if not more so. White and Long, she made Eto feel at ease in some strange way.
"Papa will see you now..." She spoke, monotone voice as she looked at the original half-ghoul, with her multicolored eye's.
"Papa?" Eto questioned, curiously. "You mean the doctor, right?" She continued, probing the girl.
"He's Papa to me and Kurona... Our little brother Orange doesn't refer to him as such, but he will soon..." Spoke the girl, some simbalance of hope in her light, monotone voice.
Eto sighed, it seemed that no matter what, both humans and ghouls need family in the end... It was clear as day to Eto by smell alone that the two sisters were not related to the doctor, and she doubted orange was as well, but, they had to have lost someone... Kanou was their escape from the fact that they were alone in the world... It was a shame, because they wasted themselves on him, Idolizing him when it was clear that they meant nothing to him, other than being successful experiments. What would they do when that happened?
It hadn't been but 10 minuets before she sat in front of Dr. Frankenstein himself, Kanou, having just taken her blood and was now examining it under his microscope(which he more than likely stole from the hospital). But then, it was his hospital now wasn't it? It was quiet to, the sound of air going through vents was the only thing that prevailed in the void. Until Kanou spoke up, something akin to elation in voice.
"Oh my, miss Takatsuki..." He spoke bringing his head away from the eye holes and turning to face her. "Why didn't you tell me that you were with child?"
... In about nine months...
They had been in the laboratory for not more than five minuets and already Kaneki had begun to feel like something was wrong. The boy had expected Alarms, red lights, the sounds of doors locking up tight. Not this, though, not the calm, eerie silence. It had been apparent that the Madam had expect a similar reaction as Kaneki did. From what he could tell by looking at her mouth- Madam A was confused. Maybe Kanou really had stepped out for a bit? But, even if he had, it made little difference. the group would still find and interrogate him. And if Kaneki had his way- Do much more than that.
Suddenly, the floor had changed, where the enclosed hallway ended a new, more open area had emerged. Actually, open wasn't quite the word Kaneki would use. The room was big, no doubt, but the area of movement was limited. The only means of traversing it were two intersecting catwalks, suspended above four large containers filled to the brim with dark green fluid, that opened up into four separate halls. Kaneki began to wonder if it was to be a maze of some sort, to throw off any would be intruders.
Going through each hallway would waste time, something Kaneki didn't know how much they had left of. Sighing the ghoul rubbed the back of his white hair, causing it to bounce slightly with each stroke of his palm.
"Madam A." Kaneki spoke, ice in his tone, "Do you have any idea of where the doctor may be? Which route should we take?"
"I don't know the layout down here," she responded, sounding a little snippy, "I told you I'm lucky if I get past the front door."
Kaneki frowned, he would have to let fortunate decide what lied ahead of them on their current path and if it yielded nothing, then they would take their time with the next hallway. Again it would waste time, but he'd rather them stay as group than splitting up... This was unknown territory that they tread in and Kaneki wasn't about to get anyone hurt by them going off by themselves.
"Alright then." he sighed once more, "let's continue on the path we're on now, if there ends up being nothing then we come back and find another way..."
Continue on they did, walking past more and more soulless walls of metal- of which seemed almost blue. The feeling of eeriness that was once thick in the air around them had now descended into one of boredom and of tediousness. Kaneki had begun to miss the darkness of the mansion above, at least that had some bit of interest to it. The half-breed wondered if the doctor had made the area like this for a reason. To many, blandness conjured up relaxation and that gave rise to a less stressful working environment. However, he doubted that there was any such reason that deep for this... It was probably just an indifference towards the look of it and more based on function.
However, the repetitiveness of the lab soon ended and the group found themselves in another open space... However, there were a few major differences in this one. For one- it was bigger, at least twice the size of the other. Second, it was almost completely empty, more than likely waiting to be filled with some other machinery of some sort. And finally, and this was by far the most notable change- there were four figures standing in front of them.
The first notable one was a huge, tanned man. He bore a Fu Man Chu which reached down to his chest and long hair that likely reached a similar length in the back. Next were thee two smallest. Their appearances looked like what you would get should you turn the colors on a computer screen to negative. Where one was black- another was white and vice versa. Finally, there was the last of the group. He wore a strange mask- a garment the others did not. It streched from the bottom of his chin to the very back of his skull, revealing only his ears and his neck. Kaneki guessed the mask to be tinted glass, something that allowed the user to see fine, but the opponent wouldn't see a thing underneath. From his exposed ears came two small, red, ear buds that ran down under his coat.
Kaneki narrowed his eye's at the group of four. This must be security.
"Oh my..." Tsukiyama cooed, bringing a curled index finger to his lower lip, "What an ominous little group we've found. Wouldn't you say, Kaneki?"
Kaneki remained silent. Ominous was right, though. There was only four of them and there was eight of them. Actually, no, considering people who could fight there was only four but... They couldn't know that could they?
Yakumo frowned now, narrowing his eye's. This was most definitely not good. The S-rated ghoul couldn't speak for the three little ones, but the big one was trouble. His name was Shachi, the previous leader of the 4th ward before he was sent to Cochlea. However, despite being captured he was no one to fuck with. Being SS-rated he was known in the ghoul underworld for being an expert fighter. Having learned martial arts from a human and having the body of a ghoul- He was one of the most feared in Japan.
"Kaneki..." Yakumo said lowly to their leader, "The big one, I'll handle him..."
Kaneki's eye's shifted, "What?"
"It's not that I think you're incapable, but... even if you do manage to beat him that would only be time wasted. This guy is strong, so much so that he practically kept the 4th ward dove free for sometime." Yakumo paused, "I'll draw him from you, just get to Kanou and get your answers so we can get out... If it was just him we may have a chance, but since the others will probably be a problem we can't risk fighting for too long."
Kaneki nodded in agreement, all the while admiring the man. Keeping any ward dove free is almost impossible, even the peaceful 20th ward had it's share of doves every now and again. "When I go, all of you back me up... I'm going for that doorway behind them.
Then, there was a silent understanding between all of them and Kaneki could feel the tensing up of body's. "And, Banjou... I know it's a lot to ask, but, help however you can. Just be careful..."
"That was my intention, Kaneki." He responded, trying to sound as macho as possible... he just hoped no one could see his legs shaking underneath his pants.
"Ok... GO."
Kaneki leaped fast, hoping to take the four by surprise by bolting right at Shachi. The big ghoul had gotten into a ready stance for him, preparing to catch him when he jumped over him... So Kaneki would go under. Allowing his feet to leave the ground and letting his momentum carry him a few feet forwards Kaneki began to glide slightly, becoming airborne. Then he dropped, sliding against the metal and right between Shachi's legs making his way into the hallway.
"Damn boy!" The ghoul yelled, beginning to turn, only to be blocked off by a Kagune narrowly missing his head by mere centimeters. Turning his body back around, he found that the boy's group had, in the time it took him to dupe the martial artist, released their Kagune into the open as well... So his group did the same...
Touka marveled at the sight before her then, it was impossible, there was no possible way that there were more... More people with Rize's Kagune. It was the smaller three, the two girls and the masked one. The big guy had one of his own... a bikaku. But this really only could mean one thing... Rize had to be alive somewhere. A kakuhou can only produce Kagune as long as it's been fed RC cells and unless Kanou had made some machine- there was no other way.
Shachi growled lowly to himself. The entire blockade they had set up had been bypassed in a simple move. The white-haired one was smart... That made him dangerous. However, Dangerous as they may be, Shachi wasn't about to fail in the assignment he'd been given.
"I'll follow hi-"
He couldn't finish his sentence- Orange had already taken off after him.
"Tch..."
Kaneki had gained a significant head start, that was clear... But, as fast as he was, he could hear the sound of a second pair of footsteps behind him. He sighed mentally, there was no way around it, of course at least one of them would follow. Skidding to a halt now, Kaneki turned and bent forward, having his Kagune smash out from his tailbone and curl into the air.
What he saw was baffling to say the least. It was that masked one, only now his Kagune was bare for the world to see... What's more, it was his own.
Then masked ghoul didn't bother slowing down at all, no. Instead he rushed head on into Kaneki, curling his own, red appendages forward in front of him like a ram.
Kaneki was almost too late to block, providing only a slight cushion for the blow as he was moved back a bit. However, the assailants attacks didn't end there, now he was using his Kagune like a spear, poking at him and leaving him on the defensive side of the fight... Making sure he got nowhere. But, there was something more than a duty behind his blows... It was anger, like he held a grudge. But, Kaneki ignored the feeling and began reading his patterns.
Each time he attempted to strike there was a second long delay... It was slim but it was more than enough.
Pushing hard now, Kaneki shot his own Kagune appendage forward, using his body weight behind it as well. He aimed the tendril straight for the masked head of the ghoul and pushed hard. Said ghoul reeled back hard and far...far enough it seemed. The glass of his masked cracked and the helmet shattered, but Kaneki felt no flesh tearing and for a second he was blind.
The glass of the helmet rained down between the two like a waterfall. The chunks weren't necessarily that big, but the light in the hallway was so bright that it reflected off broken glass well enough to block his vision. Giving his assailant time to punch him in the stomach.
Kaneki reeled back, clutching his stomach roughly and preparing for another blow. But nothing ever came. Instead Kaneki found himself starring on in a mix of shock, horror, and despair... emotional despair.
The man who's masked he had taken off had orange hair, big, brown eye's, one of which was now red and black, and a soft face. The frown on it a contrast to the soft. Of course Kaneki couldn't forget who he was seeing, what kind of person would he be if he forgot him.
"H-Hide..."