NOTE: Normal Text is the story!!! Italic text is a flashback!!!! 'Italics with quotations is a thought' In a flashback "This is speaking" !!!!
So just so you know A LOT happens in this chapter so if you have questions feel free to ask them!
Time: 4:07 in the afternoon
The streets seemed empty now of days, the howl of the wind and the few steps of those who dared to come outside the only noise in most areas.
News on ghoul attacks and stories revolving around missing persons was just enough to have everyone locking their doors and having food delivered instead of going out to actually buy it themselves.
The threat of ghouls was only becoming a much greater factor to everyone.
Who could be in that alleyway?
Who could that man be who was begging for a ride?
Did we really even know anything?
Suspicion was an edge that no one could have the luxury of giving up in times like this.
Despite the emptiness around, it was a fairly normal day if you were to ignore the small veil of fear that covered the city. Some could say that with how tense everyone outside was, they were expecting the loud wails of the emergency alarms going off.
In a world without ghouls, maybe the alarm could have meant an attack or even an earthquake. Sadly for humans, this wasn't the world free of the species.
The alarm screamed one thing to everyone and in a flash, people were running.
A ghoul attack.
Hours before the attack
The thick scent of penetrated flesh filled Kaneki's senses as his body took in a dark substance. His lungs were contracting and expanding at a quick rate and beads of sweat rolled down the side of his face.
His hair was damp and colored in a salt and pepper fashion, more stands leaning more towards their original obsidian color than the currently awkward chunks of white locks.
He was scared.
It wasn't an emotion that he liked even a little and even now he felt the bug called fear swell up inside of him like a disease.
It was simply distasteful.
"Stop the program"
The cold voice of the head scientist filled the room and Kaneki's knees gave. He fell as far as the tubes inserted into his body would allow and his muscles screeched for a moment of relaxation.
Mismatched eyes were wide, one sclera completely black with a red center.
"Sir, the program finished before you could give the signal. The operation was a success and the data is mind blowing"
The rest of the words were blurred together as Kaneki's stomach churned. Something about him being one of the first successful subjects was spoken and he released a small groan. His eyesight spun and even in his bad moments he thought of how different this situation would be if he had stuck to his promise and stayed with Eto.
For a split second his mind wavered between consciousness. He should've never tried to attack the facility on his own. It only had placed him in a path of human brought pain.
He duly heard a mumbling of man, probably one of the tortures, saying to start everything again. Saying that this could be the breakthrough that makes them if they perfected this.
It hadn't even occurred to him that he was choking up chucks of human flesh as he was shoved back and strapped back up to some of the tubes that had come undone.
"RC suppression test finished and flushed out of the system. Phase one complete."
The sound of a mechanical voice reached Kaneki's ears and his fingers twitched.
'If only Eto were here.'
"Starting the liquid Kakuja project now"
The whirring of a machine starting up somewhere in the room.
'If only I had kept my promise.'
"Phase two starting."
'If only'
'If OnLy'
'IF ONLY'
Kaneki's eyes went wide and his back arched as once again the tubes filled with a black substance and the liquid was pushed into the area just above his own Kagune.
A sting on his cheek brought him from his nightmare and panic settled in. He tensed and in a second he was flipping the assailant over and preparing to attack.
Eyes opened to stare into a pair opposite of his own and Kaneki visibly relaxed at the sight of Eto. His pupils were still dilated and he had yet to release his grip from Eto's hand. Out of the kindness of her heart and her will to keep things from getting worse she refrained from forcefully removing herself.
"You had the nightmare again, right?" Her eyes twitched over to the freshly out half kakuja that had made itself present due to Kaneki's fear. The appendage wasn't red like his original one. Instead, it was armored and shined a darkened purple, legs twitching.
Eto duly thought of the irony that it looked like a centipede as she recalled a past memory. A memory of the two ghouls as children, playing outside while being watched by their parents. They had been to young to notice that their parents had been so tense because they had been on the lookout for any investigators. They had occupied themselves with searching for cool looking bugs. Eto had found a centipede and had reveled in that action of chasing a screaming Kaneki around with the arthropod.
The green haired woman snapped out of thoughts and paid attention to the male above her that was beginning to scowl.
Eto's question was a simple one, but it always seemed to hit a raw nerve with Kaneki every time it happened.
He rolled off of the bed with a growl, refraining from snapping a short answer. If there was one thing that he hated the most it'd have to be how that particular dream could bother him so much.
Eto watched as Kaneki began walking and her eyes narrowed as the Rinkaku dissipated. She rolled out of the bed and grabbed the younger ghoul, effortlessly pulling and pushing him back onto the bed. She was starting to tire of this happening every time he had to talk about that dream.
"I dislike when you attempt to avoid your problems. It makes you sloppy and that's not something we can afford today. We have plans and you have to have clear mindset today. Aogiri isn't one to make deals with weak and distracted leaders."
Eto's words nearly sounded cold as she looked down at Kaneki who had shifted on the bed and opened his mouth the make a snide comment before closing it once more. That faster he got it together and complied with Eto, the faster this would go.
Eto had made herself comfortable sitting on Kaneki's stomach as she looked down at him, "Now tell me about your dream"
Near boiling water fell onto snow white hair as Kaneki silently stood under the shower. The time with Eto had taken longer than he had expected and now after an hour he was finally getting ready.
His fingers subconsciously brushed against just the top of his Kagune and his eyes flashed before he clenching his hand into a fist and resting his head against the shower wall.
The sudden rush of anger made even him confused. Though it had been expected. He always ended up angry when he acknowledged the weapon that the CCG had pushed into him.
The dream, or rather memory really, was fresh in his mind. The phantom of fear still wrapped around his thoughts as he slipped out of the shower and dried himself up. He took a second to stare into the large mirror and he gave a sigh, the simple sound coated in distaste as he noticed the scars, albeit how little and pale they were. They were another sign of how weak he had been in the past.
Grabbing clothes was his next course of action and before another minute had passed he was pulling on a pair of black dress pants and a dark maroon colored dress shirt. Obsidian black dress shoes donned his feet and next came the equally black embroidered eyepatch.
The clothing choice surprisingly matched Eto's when he walked out and the slight curl of her lips signaled that she knew exactly why. The she-ghoul had sported a long maroon dress and black flats and could have easily passed for the innocent rich author she was seen as if not for the dark sadistic glint in her gaze. She was obviously excited for what was to come.
She held out a hand for Kaneki to take and was dragging him out of the front door towards the sleek car that had only been a gift from a certain flamboyant ghoul just a few weeks back.
Pulling up to the looming building, the pair felt an air of tenseness flush through the air. It had only taken them ten minutes at most to arrive at their destination though even with the short amount of time passing both were beyond restless.
A familiar flash of short, neatly styled purple hair flashed in the corner of Kaneki's eyes and as the car came to a stop the smiling face of Tsukiyama Shuu came into view. Kaneki stepped out of the vehicle, Eto in tow and said nothing as a man hopped into the car and drove away to park.
{•}"Bonjour mon ami~" Shuu's voice carried through the foyer as he led both Eto and Kaneki into the large done up building. Kaneki only offered an ever so small smile to the ghoul and followed behind him, his arm wrapped securely around Eto's waist as they went.
A few people, humans obviously, stopped to look at the trio is curiosity. After all it wasn't everyday that you saw the owner of the business walking with a famous writer and a male who looked as if he could be a model. The people who noticed the author quickly took out their phones and attempted to discreetly take a picture. Eto had to cover the smirk donning her face at the fact by burying her face in Kaneki's arm. From the outside it'd appear as if the green haired woman was hiding her face in shy embarrassment, but to those who knew the two would easily be able to tell that it was the exact opposite.
The small group of ghouls finally stopped upon getting to a particular room and Tsukiyama gave a small smirk, his lips twitching in amusement, "Your room has already been prepared, Monsieur, Mademoiselle" He held out a keycard and Eto easily snatched the piece of plastic before Kaneki could even move a finger, "I've always wanted to use one of these!" Eto's voice was childish, an unrehearsed play made due to the sudden arrival of a group of businessmen heading down the hall for a lunch break. She held the card against the lock and gave one more grin before slipping through the door and closing it behind her.
Kaneki nodded his head towards Shuu, "I'm sure it's only the best, my friend" He spoke happily, ignoring the inquisitive looks that the men passing by gave.
Tsukiyama bowed with a grin, "The pleasure's mine" With that he turned and began heading towards the end of the hall, "I've personally made sure that all of your necessities are present" His indigo eyes flashed and with that he was pressing the golden clad button and stepping into the elevator.
"This is sure to be interesting…" The purple haired ghoul muttered loud enough just for Kaneki to hear before the elevator doors closed and he went on his way.
Kaneki shook his head at the others words before turning to enter the room that he'd be sharing. His shoulders dropped the second he had touched the door handle and noticed it was locked. A dull memory of Eto slipping into the room and giving him a wink made a sigh ripple through his throat and he moved to lean against the wall. Eto was sure to let him back in at some point. Hopefully.
Eto had changed in her short time being in the room. Her and Kaneki had already brought a case of clothes here before they had even booked the room which made it easier for her to slip out of the dress and put on a comfy pair of shorts. In her hand was a phone, Kaneki's phone to be specific, though the only worthwhile point of information was who happened to be on the other side.
The voice of the Binge eater sounded on the speaker and Eto smiled.
"You're saying that you want to place all of our bets on a half baked ghoul that can't even finish a sentence at this point?!" Rize asked, incredulous.
This only caused Eto to nod her head and speak upon realizing that the other couldn't exactly see her,
"Look, this is Kaneki's own plan and I don't think he'd appreciate you going against it." Eto's voice was harsh despite the smile on her face as she moved towards the door and opened it, waving a hand as Kaneki entered the room and raised a brow at her new choice of clothing.
A sigh could be heard on the other line before Rize agreed, "I'll have him ready in five" She didn't wait before cutting the phone off.
Eto tossed the phone onto the black couch that sat a few feet away and her lips curled into a small smirk, "Phase one has been put into motion~" She grinned and bounded over to the couch that she had tossed the phone onto.
Kaneki had to contain his own smirk as he moved towards his own previously packed case in order to change into some more casually styled clothes.
With Rize - Time : 3:40 in the afternoon
Small heels clicked against the ground, the noise bouncing off of the walls easily. The musty smell of sweat mixed with blood filled the corridor and Rize grimaced. The she-ghoul honestly couldn't wait until this part of Kaneki's plan, no matter how stupid it is, was finished. She wouldn't have to walk through these horrid halls afterwards.
Rize stopped in front of a small cell and knelt down, her silk white skirt framing around her and miraculously keeping it's clean color, "Oh dear," she tilted her head while her lips danced into an amused grin, "Looks like Yamori did quite the number on you"
In front of her sat, or rather slumped, Takizawa Seidou. Or at least what used to be him. Staring vacantly ahead was the shell of what a man used to be. Now in that man's place was a hollowed out space filled to the brim with the ghoul instinct to kill.
Delicate hands, painted with purple nail polish reached forward and touched the bars, "Oi, I've heard from a very talkative birdy that you're needed"
Takizawa didn't move.
Rize huffed and stood from her current position. She could never play her games of suspension with the guy now that he had been broken. She opened her mouth once more, "Kaneki has a job for you to do."
At the mention of 'Kaneki' Takizawa, or at least who he used to be, perked up and his dry lips moved upwards. A sound similar to a growl attempted to leave his dried throat and Rize moved to unlock the cell, "He finally wants you to be free, you know" Her smirk was back as she pulled back the door and watched as the cloak covered male stumbled out of the cell and onto the ground.
She wrapped her arms around him and discreetly led him towards the exit of the place, having one hand over his eyes as she spoke, "He wants you to go out and be yourself. He said you can paint everything red and eat it all!"
Takizawa pulled at his lip, his ear twitching slightly at her words. His tongue darted out and licked up the blood that had slipped from the crack of his skin due to the pulling. He reveled in the disgusting taste. The words coming from the woman were like a gift and he did his best to keep up with her steps. Kaneki wanted him to be free. Kaneki wanted him to let loose. Kaneki wanted him to be himself unlike what the CCG had wanted.
Rize finally pushed the door open and slipped out of a small door, arriving in the back of an alleyway. She looked to the side before removing her hand from Takizawa's face, discreetly wiping the possible germs off on her blue jacket. Her amusement could easily be heard, "Well Go Crazy"
It was then that Takizawa realized that the alleyway they were in was the back of one of the CCG's facilities.
Takizawa's grin stretched his face and flashes of torture and words flew through his mind. He took one step forward and didn't even register that Rize had disappeared before he struck. Kaneki's voice filled his head, telling him exactly what to do and when to avoid people who would be able to tell who he was. He hopped to the side and his arms reached out and grabbed the nearest person. His mouth opened wide and he bit down.
The alarms began ringing and that's when Takizawa made his quick leave.
The CCG was in an uproar at this point in time.
Calls came in from every line, people either ordering that the CCG work harder or begging them to patrol outside of their house. However, this wasn't about the ramblings of civilians, this was about what was happening just a few halls down.
"We've got the streets lined with investigators and no one has seen a damned thing except for the remains of a few corpses!" Marude slapped his hand against the table, causing the wood to raddle. His face was red and he pushed himself out of the chair, "You can't even tell who the people even is anymore!" He flipped a switch and the lights went out.
The screen in front of them quickly powered up and on it, the picture of a mauled beyond recognizable corpse. A few more pictures showed up, showing nothing but a darkly colored blur and a few more distorted corpses. Amon clenched his jaw and the lights were on a second later.
"How do you think this makes us look?!" Marude's voice sounded once and he fell into his seat.
Akira Mado was the first to speak up. She had her own curiosities on the current case and she was adamant on giving her points, "If I may, isn't it just a bit strange that the attack only seemed to be based around a certain house." Her eyes narrowed slightly at the looks she got from her colleagues. She stood from her chair and headed towards a board. Next came the map that she had previously had sitting in her lap and she pinned it to the surface. The map was riddled with circles, lines and x's.
"At first glance it looks like the attacks were centered towards the CCG but if you look at where the corpses were they all connect to form a circle around a particular house. A house that I've already done my research on. It seems to belong to a famous horror story author." She placed a finger on a large X and looked at the others, "It also happens that she just so happened to be out of the house at the time of the attack."
If it were possible, Marude's face grew even redder, "You want me to believe that in order to solve our problems we need to arrest an author that I don't even know?!"
Anyone else probably would've flinched at the males tone, Akira only stared blankly at him and waited for him to finish before speaking, "My intuition is telling me that something connects to that house and it has to do with ghouls. "
Marude looked over at the chart, his jaw clenching. At this point he was desperate. Hell, the whole CCG was desperate. Plus, a lead was technically a lead.
"What do you think you're going to do? You can't just wander into the house without a warrant."
Akira had already planned this all out, "That's why we'll be going straight to the author herself. "
The one-eyed-owl. One of the most feared ghouls known to the CCG and presumed leader of the Ghoul organization, Aogiri could be found in their den for once, attending a very dire meeting pertaining the merging of two growing organizations.
Eto stood behind Kaneki, clad in bandages and a burgundy cloak as she rocked from side to side in an eager fashion.
In front of her, Kaneki sat at a table, sporting his usual dark clothing and keeping his mask placed on the table in front of him. Directly across the table stood a man of Chinese background, with white hair and red eyes. He went by the name of Tatara, and was the main executor under the owl who'd be speaking to Kaneki about the merging plans. His eyes slid over to Eto and he kept himself from raising an eyebrow before speaking,
"What makes you think that Aogiri would like to include itself with a organization such as yours?"
The question was one of the few things that caused Kaneki to smirk, albeit it being a small one, "I've decided that Aogiri could gain some of the resources my organization provides." He fished a small bunch of pictures and handed them to Eto who happily bounded over to Tatara with them in tow.
A few minutes passed with the Chinese ghoul inspecting the images before giving a small nod, "So the alarm that happened earlier today was due to you testing out your little experiment? " Kaneki hummed in affirmation and Tatara set the pictures down, "I trust you'll have no problem with me witnessing your little pet in the flesh then..." He trailed off, letting the statement hang in the air.
Kaneki heard Eto let out a small hum as he moved his head in a nod, "I have no problem at all, but seeing how you have no other problems with the plans I'll take it as an agreement that our groups have been officially merged until one sees no reason to be anymore." He stood from his seat and raised a hand, "I believe I've taken enough of your time for now, so I'll be in touch very soon."
His fingers twitched and, to Tatara's slight surprise, Eto bounded over to follow Kaneki out of the door, leaving the Aogiri executive to ponder what the relationship was between the two one-eyes.
S n e a k p e a k a t n e w c h a p t e r:
Anteiku.
A safe haven for all ghouls alike and the main area of focus.
The building was fairly an average size for a cafe, with the slight adjustments of having a second floor available to the staff. The coloring seemed to be similar on both the inside and out, being a lighter brown shade with highlights of a darker, more rich, one.
Today the known coffee shop had decided to stay open later than usual for the mere sake of having something to do to end the boredom that was filling the area.
Kaneki and Eto Stood at the door, just having changed from the clothing that had been ruined in the battle only moments before.
Kaneki had abandoned his dark clothes for a lighter approach, a white dress shirt tucked into a pair of grey suit pants. He would've gone for jeans, but the second his hands had touched the rough fabric the voice of his mother had filled through his head reminding him to dress well for any occasion.
Eto had dressed a lot more casual. She had gone for a light colored cream shirt under dark overalls, black flats on her feet.
The door jingled at their entrance, the scent of a mostly empty cafe, save for the occasional ghoul, reaching their noses. Eto grinned and waved her hand enthusiastically at the purple haired waitress that was standing behind the counter, "Touka! It's been a while, wouldn't you say?!" The author's eyes narrowed slightly as the door closed behind her.
This was actually supposed to be posted five weeks ago, but no matter it's here now
Note: So I feel like I should make a chapter dedicated to Takizawa and how the torture went so I can go more into detail on why he acts the way he does now because it's really different compared to the Manga!
Another note: So the format obviously looks a bit different and that's only because I'm on my phone and I'm struggling at the moment