Author's Note: I know I took a while to publish it but tests are coming up (again) and I have a few projects. I'm also thinking about the general plot and what could happen from here. On another note, I've noticed that I have quite a few problems when it comes to autocorrect. The most common are the following:

Ayato changes to Abate

Lith changes to With

Karissa changes to Kris

I do sometimes check for any mistakes, but some go unnoticed by me. I'm not sure why it does this, but I hope I can find and correct them before they are published.

Chapter 15:

"Come on! It was only a kick!" complained Ayato as he continued to run down the street.

'That doesn't matter! What matters is that you tried to escape and leave me with her!" yelled Lith, catching up to Ayato.

"Please! She's a monster (just like you)!" responded Ayato, but mumbled the last part.

"You idiot! I can hear you, you know!" screamed Lith as she tackled him.

"I'm sorry! I really am! I was just kidding!" cried Ayato as he attempted to roll away. Unfortunately, Lith sat on him.

"Not good enough!" responded Lith as she began to pull tightly on his cheeks. Ayato began to complain loudly and a few seconds later Lith let go. His cheeks had turned bright red from her pinching.

As Lith got up, she mumbled an insulting sentence. "If I went any further, it would count as animal abuse." Ayato got up and began to rub his sore cheeks. "What are you, a lost puppy? Go home!" growled Lith before she walked away. Ayato decided that he needed to return to the base, so he sped off.

"What do you want?" roared Ayato as he faced a small group composed of ghouls from Aogiri Tree. The ghouls were in a fit of laughter, rolling on the floor.

"That was priceless! Lost puppy!" squealed one of them. Had they seen his encounter with Lith? Just how much had they witnessed?

"Are you really Ayato Kirishima!?" teased another ghoul. Ayato was extremely mad at Eto for sending subordinates to watch him. Not only had they teased and disrespected a superior, but they weren't afraid of him anymore. He needed to put them back in their place, Ayato decided.

"Tch! Pieces of trash. Do you really think I can let runts like you disrespect me?" he growled as he kicked the laughing ghouls. They went flying, crashing against a tall, nearby tree. Ayato decided to walk away, leaving them to think about their actions.

But the question remained, why was he acting that way? Ayato began to get lost in his thoughts, wondering if it was like an alter-ego of some sorts or if he was just bipolar. Then a thought came mind: what if it was what they called 'love'? That sounded absolutely disgusting to Ayato. After all, he felt like it might even go as far as to dishonour him for falling in 'love' with a ghoul! Not even a ghoul, a half ghoul. A mutt, born to take orders from those above. Nothing more, nothing less.

"So, did you manage to fall for her?" asked Eto. Abate was slightly startled, but decide he could manage not to show it.

"What do you mean?" questioned Ayato.

"Oh, I don't know. You tell me!" teased Eto in her bandages. Ayato grumbled at her response. Fighting with her was never the answer, especially when she was stronger in every aspect, and had saved him countless times.

"I don't care about her. I'm only there because you told me to investigate. After all, she's just a small cog in a giant machine." replied Ayato coldly. He didn't want Lith to get more involved, especially when it came to Eto.

"Just remember to keep your priorities straight! I don't respond lightly to traitors." chirped Eto eerily before walking away.

Just what were his priorities? What were his goals? Did he even want to be in Aogiri? As Ayato pondered about this, he began to question his own motives. What was he supposed to do with his life? What did Lith honestly mean to him?

"Ne, Karissa, do you like Yoka?" asked Lith as the two friends began to stroll down a path in the empty park.

"Of course! She's my cousin, after all!" replied Karissa honestly.

"She's not your sister?" asked Lith.

"Definately not. Oi, have you ever read western comic books?" asked Karissa as she tried to change the conversation into something more interesting.

"No, I haven't. They don't have many here, so it's really hard to find them in Tokyo. Do you happen to come from another country?" questioned Lith, focusing on her physical traits. She appeared to have a typical Asian look, with small eyes.

"I come from a country in the west. Spanish is actually my first language."

"So you're foreign…" concluded Lith with a surprised expression on her face.

"Pretty much…" said Karissa as they sat under a large tree. "Do you want me to take you to a comic book shop later?"

"Sure!" replied Lith excitedly.

"So how did it go with you two?" questioned Karissa. Although it was around noon, there weren't many people passing by. Occasionally there would be the odd couple or a few children.

"What? Ayato?" asked Lith carefully. Kris seemed really suspicious when she talked about the two of them. Abate had also been putting up a charismatic act, appearing to seem like a sweet person. But Lith knew better! He was a cruel, selfish bastard and completely untrustworthy. Or, at least that's what she thought before the 'incident (what she's referring to is a few chapters ago when they had a "romantic" moment, although it was mostly a temporary farewell) with Ayato. Could it be that it was all a coverup and he actually cared about people?

"Lith? Are you alright?" asked Karissa, bringing Lith back to reality. With seemed a bit surprised about the fact that she had spaced out. Was she really thinking so much on trivial matters?

"Sugoi!" squealed Lith as she ran from comic book stand to comic books stand. Kris had invited Lith to go to a small comic book shop downtown. Although it didn't have many customers, they had a wide variety of stock, varying from comics to movies and 'collectable figurines'.

"Lith, do you want any? I could buy you a few comics if you want." said Karissa, giggling at the sight of Lith practically drooling in awe.

"Could you?" asked Lith. To Karissa, she seemed like a little girl in a candy shop. But why wouldn't she? After all, it was natural to enjoy the idea of being protected at all costs by a superhero.

While they walked to Lith's apartment, Lith read a translated version of Wonder Woman. Kris appeared to be amused by the way Lith obsessed over the superhero and her good deeds. Kris stopped at a green light, waiting to be given the signal to cross the road. She was checking her cellphone when she suddenly heard a car honk nearby.

"Watch where you're going!" yelled a man as he stuck his head out the window to complain. Lith nodded, not even looking up. Although her senses were quite enhanced compared to the average human (or ghoul), she didn't bother to pay attention to her surroundings and unfortunately failed to hear the speeding motorcycle. It crashed into Lith with such a great force that it knocked Lith down and sent the unprotected driver flying. Surprised at the sudden change, she got up, right on time to see the person in mid-air.

Lith instantly realized her mistake. If she hadn't been so careless, the driver most likely wouldn't have gotten hurt. She put on her new mask and ran as fast as she could. To Lith, it felt as though the entire world was moving in slow motion.

Why was it that whenever she was actually having fun or enjoying herself, something had to go wrong and ruin the moment? Although she was focused on catching the motorcycle's driver, many drivers began to dial the emergency number.

Instants before the unfortunate human crashed to the hard cement that covered the roads, Lith miraculously caught him. Although he didn't sustain grave injuries, the impact of falling into her arms was a bit painful and possibly even disorienting.

There was a burst of applause as soon as people began to realize what had happened. Although Lith enjoyed the feeling of being appreciated, she didn't deserve it. This time, it made her feel even worse. She had created a tragedy by not paying attention to where she was going!

"Are you alright?" Lith asked the person in her arms. She seemed pretty young. Possibly even young enough to not have a licence. Could he be a problem child? Possibly.

"It's all your fault! You'll be paying for the motorcycle's damage!" she began to babble, seemingly forgetting the situation that was unfolding.

"Look, I understand that it was partially my fault, but you are also at fault too." said Lith, attempting to hide her frustration. When the paramedics arrived alongside police cars, Lith decided it was about time to go. After all, no one had gotten hurt (or at least not severely).

"Ma'am, please remove your mask and give us an identification." said one of the police officers as she got up.

"I don't see the need for it." said Lith before quickly disappearing in the crowd that had begun to form.

"You need to pay more attention to where you're going." Karissa explained angrily as she began to pace back and forth in front of Lith, just like when they had just met.

"I'm feeling a bit of a deja vu, what 'bout you?" said Lith innocently.

"Stop trying to change the topic! Someone could've died and it would've been all your fault."

"I know I'm at fault, but what about that kid! She was speeding and probably wasn't even allowed to drive that!" said Lith, trying to defend herself.

"And what about putting on your mask! That's dangerous! What if the CCG recognized you as a ghoul?" said Karissa as her expression changed from anger to anxiousness in an instant. What if they sent investigators after them?

"Worse things have happened, trust me." said Lith almost sarcastically. It was actually true, after all, she had been captured by V (and brainwashed), joined Aogiri, AND she actually befriended Ayato (and possibly even more). She'd been experimented on (until recently) and treated like an object. A few investigators would never be enough to rival what Lith had been through.

"This has turned into a really exaggerated talk. Do you want some coffee?" said Lith as she tried to change the dark ambience.

"Welcome to the HySy ArtMask Studio! How can I help you?" exclaimed Lith as she heard the door open. Uta was out for a little while, so Lith was (somehow) put in charge of the shop. As the customers walked in, Lith turned to face them. Two teenagers began to look around the shop, looking at all the odd masks placed on displays and hanging on the walls.

"I need a new mask." said one of the girls. She plopped a piece of bubblegum into her mouth and began to chew loudly. This was one of Lith's pet peeves. Why did people have to make so much noise? Couldn't they keep it to themselves? Of course, she left these thoughts in her head. She couldn't be driving customers away before she had managed to sell something.

"Alright, please sit down on that stool," began Lith as she pointed towards a tall, red stool in the center of the room. "I need to take some measurements and get some information.."

"Sure, but I already know what I want. I was thinking of getting a fierce looking mask…something intimidating," said the girl in a boastful manner. "after all, it needs to match my strength."

"Right…" said Lith, careful not to roll her eyes. As she pulled out a measuring tape and began to record lengths and sizes, Lith tried to imagine what mask design she might like. "Do you have any preference? Or an alias you have or want?"

"Well," she said in an overconfident voice. "I want something original. But it's your job to think of something. After all, that's what I'm paying you to do."

"Uta!" said Lith as she welcomed the workshop's owner. She wasn't too fond of his habits (his favourite treats, being a member of the Clowns, etc…), but she always found his personality was hilarious. "We got an order while you were gone! I'll give you the details so you can create a mask for-"

"This time, it's your turn to try and make a mask for a customer. I can't have you lazying around while I'm doing all the hard work." he said in a flat tone, interrupting Lith. He placed a black shopping bag on the counter and took a jar full of eyeballs. Lith cringed at the thought of what someone would have to do to obtain so many human eyes.

"Alright!" chirped Lith, attempting to hide her disgust from sight. She headed towards a large counter and began to look for a paper and a pencil. After all, she needed to think of a design before starting to make anything.

What type of mask could she make? Lith began to think of animals. Ape? Tiger? Lion? Cat? Panda? Wolf? Dog? Probably none of those, she had either already seen someone with a mask like that or it didn't really match with the personality of the ghoul. What about something that matches her as a person? Could she be a joker? Of course, there was all the symbolism that came with it, but Lith preferred to think of her as a joke. She was too full of herself, almost giving the impression that she was better than anyone else. People with that mentality made her sick. Why couldn't they think of others instead of focusing on themselves?

After finishing her sketch, she decided that drawing was not her calling. It looked super sloppy, like a three year old had done it. Not a 'professional'. "Ne, Uta, could you help me? I have an idea but I'm not a very good drawer." she said, looking down at her drawing, wishing she was a better artist.

"You just need to practice." Uta said as he licked his slimy fingers. He walked towards Lith to see the drawing she had made. To him, it looked so-so. He could tell what her idea was, but she would be using this as a base and he couldn't have the mask looking a bit deformed. "I'll touch it up a little."

Lith's face went red with embarrassment. Why did she have to be bad at her job? This was what she was being paid to do. Her face changed into a saddened expression as she watched Uta fix her drawing. He had kept the general idea, but was trying to make it more symmetrical and professional looking. Lith admitted that he was pretty good at his job.

"Don't get frustrated, this was only your first one. Keep trying and you'll get it. Someday…" he 'encouraged' as he placed the pencil on the table and went to look for the necessary materials to bring the drawing to life.

"Want one?" Uta asked as he lifted his favourite treat from a jar.

Author's Note: Not sure when I can publish the next chapter, but hopefully it'll be soon. Hope you enjoyed the story! I tried to add in more detail (not sure if it made it better or worse) and improve my writing. Don't forget to review!