Rize looked at Kaneki almost as if she had recognized or remembered him. She didn't though, he knew that much. Her eye's, along with blood, were filled with an empty look that seemed reminiscent of an intrigued toddler. What had once been bright, intelligent, purple eye's were now empty, dark, and confused. She must have been here a while, judging by the state she was in. Of course she appeared to have been cleaned, fed(barely so), and cared for(again barely so), but you could tell by her far away gaze that she'd been denied any semblance of real freedom probably since the night of the accident.
Seeing her like this. Rize, whom he had used as his source of strength when he fought. Truth be told, subconsciously, he enjoyed, even if it was a feint satisfaction, his time with Rize in his own head. She had been, as odd as the analogy was, an older sister figure for him... Yes, like an older sister who taunted him incessantly, but therefore he was better off for it... She was as much as reason for his strength as his want to protect Anteiku, Touka, Banjou, Hinami, Koma, Irimi... Eto. Seeing her like this... He felt like he'd lost all his strength.
There were a million things he could have said at that moment, but all he could muster out was "M-Miss Rize?" In a monotone voice that still, somehow, conveyed the shock that was hidden in it.
Just above her, Kanou smirked to himself over Kaneki's revelations. First his friend Nagachika had turned on him, now he find's out Rize is alive, I wonder how he will develop from here on? The mad doctor pondered to himself. From what he has been able to deduce from his intense study of the ghoul species- it seemed to him that when under severe mental or physical stress, or just emotional instability a ghouls Kagune is given somewhat of an adrenaline shot. There had been many records of mother ghouls, who had been seemingly exhausted from vicious wounds, using their Kagune, which they had no logical right to, to make a final push for their children. But, Kanou inferred, Since the Kakuhou was originally foreign to Kaneki's body will he react similarly or does it rely on logical rues such as: Physical condition, RC cell count, Dietary..?
Kanou sighed to himself in a minor annoyance. It was a shame, but he couldn't see it for himself, they had to leave soon. They were just waiting on the rest of their group...
Eto found herself in whirlwind of emotions, none of which were her face betrayed. Confusion, intrigue, empathy, sympathy, but most of all there was sadness. She had been surprised she hadn't figured it out sooner, but it seemed that Kaneki's college friend... well not anymore... Was the other half-ghoul. She could only imagine what impact this had on poor Kaneki... Eto then realized, it was a bit of an inappropriate thought to have at the time, but it was then that she realized that she had it pegged from the beginning. Her making him think she never cared about him, that he was some game to her. His friend turning on him for whatever reason. His determination, despite what the author had told him to get her back... Kaneki's life was a tragedy. What's worse was that she could do nothing about it... Dammit.
"Nagachika!" the doctor called in a friendly tone, raising up a hand, "What are you doing on the floor? Get over here- don't be rude to Kaneki." He then paused, smirking a bit to himself, "After all, he's the reason you're a half-ghoul now."
The fun made at his own expense did not go unnoticed by Hide as he used a single arm to push himself up, the other preoccupied with his ribs, badly bruised during his encounter with a wall. The orange haired boy narrowed his eye's slightly at the doctor, but didn't bother to look at Kaneki at all as he straightened his back and began to make his way back towards the doctor.
Ken didn't stop him, if he even noticed him at all. It seemed that he was still in shock from this revelation.
Kanou then looked towards Eto, curious as to her opinion about all this. From what he had gathered when he had been spying on them during their battle with Aogiri to rescue the albino haired boy the two of them had grown close. It was understandable, after all she was probably the only other person, at the time, that knew what it was like to be a half-breed and vice versa... Still with all that information known to him, it didn't register until just then- when he saw the Owl's grip at her slightly pregnancy inflated tummy.
Kanou smirked to himself and then looked at her face. She was paying no attention to him, but he knew she would hear him. "It's his isn't it..."
As he expected, she didn't give him a response, her lips just tightened a bit and she tried her best to act like she didn't hear him. It's not like he needed her confirmation on the matter, he knew damn well who's it was, anyone with a brain(who knew she was pregnant) knew who's it was... But it was still hard not to kill him for the way he said it. Like their child, a product of heir intimacy, was nothing more than a science project.
"Eto..." Kaneki then spoke, looking at her, raising her from her own thoughts. She wondered if he had just now noticed she was there? Or if he had noticed the whole time. the way he said it made her feel so... shitty. In his voice there was only confusion and sadness. It was a question, one she didn't know, but she knew what she didn't want him to ask. But one thing she had to make sure of was that he didn't figure out she was carrying their child.
But the question never came. She could tell he wanted to ask her, but he wasn't sure he wanted to hear her response. She wanted it to be kept that way. Maybe it was what happened last time, maybe it was the less than emotion filled face that she had on now, hoping to discourage the half-ghoul from trying to "save" her, but she could tell it was what kept him from asking what he was going to ask... He had simply said "Eto". But in someways that was more words that enough.
Then, from behind Kaneki, came the sound of footsteps... However, the party he had wanted to arrive had failed to do so... Instead it was the rest of Hide's new allies. The two girls, and the big man with the mustache and his long hair. However, there was a large wound in his shoulder, still pumping out fresh blood, indicating that there was at least a fight, as well as someone wounds on the girls... But that didn't quell Kaneki's now swirling rage.
"Y-you..." he began, his lips trembling in fear, "What happened to them?" It was a low, almost pathetic tone, one that the large man whom he directed it to seemed not to hear. In fact, he seemed more preoccupied with the girl in the tank, Rize. It was a scowl, that he had on his face. But Kaneki didn't particularly care about what quarrel he had with the binge eater at the moment. He wanted to know.
"What happened to them!?" He now demanded, gaining the man's eye's wandering towards him.
He was big, and he, to anyone else, would have demanded immediate respect. Even Yakumo gave him that a bit earlier... But Kaneki wasn't fazed at all. "Watch who you talk to boy..." The large man replied, wrinkling his nose in disgust at him, "The only reason I'm not attacking you now is because the doctor hasn't ordered me too..."
Kanou smirked at that, happy he had at least some control over his bodyguard. And at the fact the Owl seemed to be getting worried and antsy herself.
"You... killed them... didn't you..?" he mumbled to himself, more so than him as his eye's grew wide in sadness and his mouth parted slightly.
No, just the big one. Thought Shachi, as he watched the boy, but he wasn't about to back down. "And If I did?"
The boy's reply was simple and straight forward... In the form of one of his Kagune appendages bursting forth to hit Shachi in his head, just barely missing. Still though, as the martial artist leaned away with skill he couldn't help but fell the force behind the red tentacle. There was no mistaking it, the boy was the strongest of the group.
Shachi then dashed far back, distancing himself from the white-haired boy, whom had just fallen to his knees in what was more than likely despair at the thought of his friends dying and his deep-red Kagune twisting all around him in a fluid manner... But something was wrong with them... It was no secret to Orca that Rize's Kagune had been implanted into this boy... but this wasn't her Kagune... This was different... completely. There were four, which should be the norm, but they were deformed, lazily shaped... But they looked harder than ever, having sharp, tiny legs jutting out form the body in a messy way... But as shapeless as it was, Orca couldn't help but to be reminded of a centipede.
The the boy looked up, face covered in a dark-red mask, made from Kagune material, with a strange center Kakugan twitching wildly.
Schachi Frowned, winkling the skin on his forehead as a result of doing so. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the boy was a, or at least becoming, A kakuja. Maybe, if he had the ability to move his arm from the shoulder down properly, then he could put up a fight, but, at the moment that wasn't the case. He doubted the twins could either... Maybe the OWL could, but his orders from Aogiri stood firm: Kanou was not to be harmed. He wasn't going to risk it.
Kanou watched in amusement as he saw the One-Eye'd-Owl twitch forward in a slight bit of desperation. It was funny, and kind of sweet, he decided. That something as vicious and as strong as the One-Eye'd-Owl could have any form of sympathy for another being. If he understood correctly, it could be heard laughing at times when it disemboweled investigators... In ways The Owl was disappointing... But more so intriguing. Still, as much as he admired her, he wasn't going to let her interfere with Kaneki's transformation.
"Don't you dare go." he warned, "Unless you really don't care for the safety of your little coffee shop..?"
He saw her stiffen, frown in anger slightly, then rest.
However, as she did so, he looked back just in time to see shachi use his speed to get to Kanou quickly and grab him by the waist, pulling him against his will, followed quickly by Kurona and Nashiro. "What are you doing?" he demanded, dumb founded , as he struggled to get a glimpse of Kaneki, who was now writhing on the floor as the mask began to stretch over his face, undergoing his transformation.
"We are leaving." Shachi replied, pressing a small, green button on the computer that Kanou had previously stood above, on the containment chamber. The monitor flashed black and white and then displayed a warning that read: ALL PODS UNLOCKED. That should keep him busy while we escape...
"Damn You!" Kanou shouted at the hulking ghoul who held him firmly, while he struggled to break free. "A-at least grab Rize, I still need her for more experimentation.!" He ordered, not uite frantically, but clearly upset. "There's no time..." He replied, offhandedly, somewhat annoyed at the doctor.
Eto could hear the arguments from Kanou, but she didn't care for them, not as she watched Kaneki twisting around on the floor, losing his mind, mumbling something to himself. She could barely hear it, but it sounded something like... Arguing? He was trying to convince someone of something... Himself probably... God, she wanted to hold him, and tell him it was all right. But, she knew Shachi wouldn't hesitate to leave her behind. And if she wasn't back at the base in Okinawa...
So they left, Kaneki... Rize... and those... Things that Eto had just noticed were coming out of the pods. They were like chunks of raw meat but with a humanoid physic somewhat. It was disgusting... But it was no secret what they were... Failed experiments.
They were hurrying along now, following the nurse as she rushed to wherever the hell they were going. Touka was anxious, so very anxious. What had happened with Yamori and the group that had attacked them Earlier? What of Kaneki? Did something happen to him? God she hoped not... After all he'd been through and all he wanted was to keep Eto in his life... He deserved nothing more than happiness...
Though, her questions were answered soon enough when They arrived into a new room, this one big, circular, and covered in blood...
Most horrifying of all though... At the center, Eating some strange meat from his pale-white hand's while his now strangely deformed Kagune wiggled about around him, Was Kaneki... growling, and smacking his lips together...
They were silent for a time... Until finally Shuu spoke up. "M-Monsieur Kaneki?"
He turned quickly to them quickly, revealing a face that was almost completely covered in a black substance that strongly resembled a kagune. In fact Touka was certain that it was the exact same material as one. It covered his face from the left to the center, where, in the center, twitched a gross, wild-looking kagune. It was like looking at a monster... It was funny... maybe for the first time Touka knew what it was like for a human to see a ghoul in it's true form... She was frozen in place, something that was not easy to do.
Kaneki hadn't stopped chewing on the meat as he kept his insane gaze on them, his head twitching every now and again... They were careful not to move... any of them. They didn't know why, it's not like a ghouls vision was movement based, but he hadn't seemed to be too aggravated when they remained still.
Then, however, for whatever reason, Touka decided to go to him. It wasn't voluntary, nor was conscious, but she started to move. Her footsteps were very careful, almost creeping along a miniature obstacle course as she made her way to him, moving gently, almost hypnotically. She was sweating beads. She didn't know if Kaneki even knew who she was or if he had any reason left in his mind, but that didn't stop her advance.
Then, when she arrived to him, she gently placed a hand on his exposed cheek and looked at him in the right eye- which she just now realized was completely whited out in a haze of hunger. He was twitching under her palm, clearly trying to keep himself from lunging her and eating her, she could tell that much... She'd been in situations like that with Yoriko before... When she refused to eat due to her own stubbornness.
Touka licked her lips once in a nervous manner and then she spoke in a shaky- scared voice. "K-kaneki... It's us... Touka, Tsukiyama, Banjou... all of us..." she nodded as she spoke, "You're fine now... I don't know what happened up until this point but... You don't have to fight anymore, Ken..."
Then Kaneki became suddenly still under her hand, like a doll. He remained like this for several minutes(which felt like hours) until he finally reacted. "M-mother..?" he asked simply then, abruptly, the mask slid off of his face forming a puddle at the floor and Touka found herself holding a sleeping Kaneki.
There was a collective sigh of relief as the group all felt their hearts begin to pump again... Touka especially as she lowered Kaneki down slowly unto the floor, careful not to get him even more- bloody than he already was.
Then, she stood up and began to examine the room around them... There were body parts littering the area, most chewed up. Then Touka frowned, realizing it must have been Kaneki who ate them all. Kaneki, who was now sleeping like a child after playing too long, had killed this many people... and made this much of a mess. In some sick-twisted way, she almost felt proud of him... almost...
The nurse then spoke up now, leaning against Banjou's figure for support after almost losing balance from fear, clearing her voice. "R-" she paused and swallowed, "Rize should still be in the center container... All these remains are of failed experimentation..."
Banjou then moved, almost causing her to fall when he did, but she was quickly caught by the female of the group.
He starred at Rize through the glass. In any other case he would have been redder than a cherry seeing her like this. Naked. But now he felt only sadness. True, she was a glutton, she had killed many ghouls, and even threatened to kill him, but in the end he still admired her... That's why it made him happy that he could at least say he was going to help get her out of this place.
"All-right, let's get her out of this thing then..."