KuzuRe

by Remus973

Tokyo, Japan. After a devastating invasion took place, the city is restored to is former state. However, ghouls still lurk in the darkness, hunting for humans to feed upon. The Ghoul Countermeasure Bureau (GCB) creates an enhanced squad to exterminate all ghouls, once and for all. Leading the squad, they assign Haise Yashida, who possesses an effective, and very familiar, mutation.

12. Ch12

Hi! How are you all doing? Hope you're having a nice summer, at the very least. Well…it's July. The month of America's birthday, and the one before the launch of my second book. I won't bore you with the details. After this chapter, one more before the hiatus begins. Apologies if I'm sounding grim. August is shaping to be a big month for me, and I want to be prepared for it. But you're here to read the latest chapter of a well-written fanfic, and I intend to give you that.

Let's start! In this chapter, Haise finally notices that he's remembering less than before, and it's starting to affect his performance as an Investigator. What's more, Shuu's actions to get Haise to return to being Kaneki again gets the notice of not only Laura, but Yashida Industries as well. Meanwhile, Eto's plans with Kanae take a dark and twisted turn. Without further ado…

Chapter 12 – duction; unraveling, little by little

Shuu recomposed himself as he sat down at a table near the door. When Touka looked at him, she thought to herself,

"And here I thought I'd get annoyed by him again…Guess I matured. A little…"

"Still alive?"

"Yes…and you've built a café? I imagine Irimi or Hinami doing something like this, but you? It's an honest surprise, really…"

Shuu imagined that he acted like he used to in the old days, and how it annoyed Touka to no end.

"Not that I'm making fun of you or anything. I mean it. Honoring Yoshimura's legacy is nothing to scoff at all."

"…Thank you."

Touka felt a little flattered at how Tsukiyama thought positively of how she currently carried herself.

"But that's not why you're here, right?"

"You know about Kaneki, right?"

"…I've learned all I can from Laura…and someone else…"

Shuu felt surer when Touka mentioned Laura.

"I thought as much. Daniel Rand told me about what's she been doing."

"You spoke to Danny?"

"He came to my mansion bringing back Yuma, rescuing him from that misshapen Dove."

"Yeah…I saw clips of that online…"

"Not to mention…"

Shuu then brought out a photo of Haise visiting her café.

"He often frequents here."

Now Touka began to speak to Tsukiyama as she used to.

"You've been stalking me?!"

Shuu got up from his seat as he retorted,

"No! I was stalking him!"

"That doesn't work the way you think it does."

Shuu turns around to see two awfully familiar individuals entering the café.

"Nishio…last time I checked, I thought you left Tokyo altogether."

"I got my reasons. You, on the other hand…"

"He still hasn't changed. Despite losing weight…"

Said Laura, who entered after Nishio took a seat. Tsukiyama smiled as he saw her.

"Laura. Here to visit? Not much here, if I may say so?"

Laura felt that Tsukiyama knew more than he let on.

"You know I gave you that warning for a reason."

"Yes…and I want to offer my services to your cause."

Although both Touka and Nishio recoiled at the offer, Laura seemed to be in thought about it. Much to Touka's chagrin.

"Laura, you can't be serious."

"It's not a bad idea, all things considered…"

Touka had a mildly angry look on her face before saying,

"We need to talk privately for a bit…"

She said to Tsukiyama before going to the backroom of the café. As the two ladies talked, Nishio then says to Tsukiyama,

"Back to the main topic. Say you restore Kaneki's memory. What then?"

"You think I hadn't considered it? True, when I heard that Kaneki was alive but living as a ghoul Investigator, I acted without considering not even my circumstances. I know that he's not just a dove. He's also the leader of a Bureau special taskforce called the X-Force."

Nishio then went behind the main counter of the café to make himself a cup of coffee. After finishing, he then asks,

"Guess you have a good picture, but not the full one."

"If you're talking about Yashida Industries, then I've been…looking into the company. But due to the doves hunting down my servants, it feels like I've been doing a lot with one hand behind my back."

Nishio took a sip before talking,

"That's why Laura didn't want you to be a part of this. We can't make any moves without the doves catching up to us."

Soon, both Laura and Touka exited the backrooms and returned to the café. Laura then says to Tsukiyama,

"Tsukiyama, I appreciate you wanting to help…but you got too much heat on you to be of any help."

Feeling stung, Shuu responded,

"But you don't understand! Kaneki was robbed from us by Yashida. If there's some way to rescue him, then I demand to be part of the effort!"

"No chance."

Said Laura. Tsukiyama tried to speak more, but Touka spoke up just before he can.

"Why do you want Kaneki back anyways?"

"BECAUSE HE MEANT SO MUCH TO ME!"

"Yeah. He made much a good impression, you wanted to eat him."

Said Nishio.

"True. I won't deny that. But he defended my honor when he killed Sabretooth. And I cherished the time we played squash together. But if you really want to get to the real reason…I feel a genuine connection with him."

Everyone either stood or sat silent.

"When I first met Kaneki, yes, I did treat him as a passing interest. But the more we talked, the more I found an honest connection through our mutual love for literature. But when I first tasted his blood, that's when the worst aspects of myself overtook my wanting to have him…as a friend."

Tsukiyama was at the edge of tears.

"When he headbutted me, at first, I took it as a challenge. And yes, I do know that I went about it in such a way that, rightfully, blew up in my face…"

Tsukiyama turned his attention to Nishio.

"In case you didn't get it, I apologize for what I did that day."

"Yeah, I got it."

"Moving on then…the time between that night and the night when Yoshimura asked to take part in the coordinated rescue, I've reflected on my actions. I decided that when the rescue was done, I'd prostrate myself to him."

Touka felt a little surprised when Tsukiyama said such a thing and responded,

"Don't you think that's…you know what? Forget it. It's…consistent. With you, I mean."

"Precisely. But when Kaneki left with the X-Men, I felt…despondent. Only for that to turn into outright depression when he left to face D'Ken…and die in the process."

Now everyone related to what Tsukiyama felt at that moment.

"And now I hear that he's alive, and you expect to me to not react like it was the welcome miracle ever to reach my ears?! Tu me prends pour un batard sans émotion?! NON!" (Do you take me to be an emotionless bastard?! NO!)

Tsukiyama took a deep breath. Touka then says to him,

"A part of me wants to believe you…but another part says you're just acting out of ego. Because of your past actions, it just begs the question: Do you want Kaneki back for him…or for you?"

Taking the hint, Shuu rebukes,

"If you're going to exclude me, fine. Just remember this: If I am the one who restores his memory, you only have yourselves to blame for missing out on a complete miracle."

Tsukiyama left the café in a huff. As the door closed, Nishio said to Touka,

"I highly doubt it'll be him that'll restore Kaneki's memory."

"I know…but he's going to do something stupid anyways."

"And when he does, we're gonna have to be the ones to bust him out."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Said Laura.

"For now…you really have to know what we've found out."

"Let me get everyone."

Replied Touka before calling for Yomo, Irimi, Danny and Koma. When they arrived, Touka says to Laura,

"Okay. We're all here. What'd you find?"

"A lot of Yashida Industries acquisitions."

"Acquisitions?"

asked Yomo. Laura explained.

"A lot of the purchases that I got from that hacking group I paid for a while ago told me a lot of stuff Yashida Industries just bought. Most of them legitimate."

"It's the ones not above that you wanted to look into, am I right?"

asked Koma.

"Right. Some of these purchases were in the black market in the 8th and 15th wards. And…something they had to move through the 24th ward."

That last fact caught everyone in the café by surprise. Except Nishio, which he added,

"With my help, we asked a lot of the bums down there about what they saw."

Laura resumed her part of the story.

"It took a lot of asking, and no small amount of fighting, I promise you that much."

Some laughed a little at the last part Laura said.

"But we've finally found two things we definitely connect…Haise, and this huge operation going on in the company."

Touka noticed that it proved itself hard for Laura to refer her little brother by his current alias before asking,

"What operation?"

"Well, the hacker group I hired not just gave me the location, but also what the operation is called."

"What are they calling it?"

asked Irimi.

"Project Permanence."

Hearing what Yashida Industries was called confused everyone. Danny, however, had an idea of what the name could mean.

"The antonym of impermanence."

Koma then says,

"Well yeah. The meaning of the word is that nothing stays forever."

"Well, it gives me a big clue as to why it was called that."

"What kind are we talking about?"

asked Yomo.

"I called Charles about their first time in Japan."

Nishio spoke up again.

"I found an old newspaper article from the Asahi Shimbun during our research. Back in 2000, Yashida Industries was targeted in a couple of terrorist attacks. The X-Men were there to find the cause of the attacks."

Laura replied,

"Thank you, Nishio. The one behind the attacks was Moses Magnum, who also hired a bunch of ghouls to carry out said attacks."

Koma then says,

"Okay, but what the connection?"

"Well, when I contacted Charles about it, he remembered when Ichiro Yashida asked to speak with my dad alone."

Danny asked,

"Wait. Ichiro Yashida, the former CEO, knew your father?"

"Well, this is where the connection gets deeper. Charles remembered what my dad told him. Ichiro Yashida was a World War II veteran. Specifically…the Japanese Imperial Army."

This detail surprised the group.

"From what Charles told me, my dad actually fought in World War II."

This floored Nishio as he asked,

"Hold up! If what you're saying is true, then your dad is almost as old as Captain America."

"Charles thought much older than that."

This fact floored everyone else.

"Older?!"

asked Koma in an incredulous tone of voice.

"I was just as shocked as all of you are. But them's the facts."

Touka stammered a little before asking,

"You were saying?"

"Right. My dad served as a paratrooper in the 1st Canadian Battalion. Their last mission was taking down a Japanese Military base…in Nagasaki."

Touka then said,

"Kaneki's hometown."

"Right. Dad's regiment was all but wiped out. He…was the only survivor…Afterwards, he got captured by the Imperial regiment in Nagasaki and was kept there as a POW. He stayed captured months before…"

"Before what?"

Asked Irimi, to which Danny answered,

"Fat Man."

"Fat Man?"

Asked Koma, to which Touka answered,

"The second nuke America dropped during World War II. The one that all but finished the war in the Pacific region."

"My dad survived the blast…and saved somebody else's life that day."

Yomo then says,

"Ichiro Yashida."

"Yashida was so grateful for that act that the next time they met…"

"Was during the Moses Magnum incident."

Said Irimi. Everyone felt a little overwhelmed by how deep the connection Laura said it presented itself to be.

"When they met, Charles told me that Ichiro offered my dad a way to…finally be free of the immortality that his healing factor gave him."

"Immortal is right. Your dad could've lived forever if he stayed out of danger."

Said Nishio. Laura then says in a somber tone of voice,

"Not that true. When my dad rescued me from Transigen, he told me that he felt sick. And he knew that it was because of the adamantium in his bones forced on him by Weapon X."

Everyone felt not just shocked, but a little sad when they heard hat Laura said.

"My dad was in a bad shape when he rescued me and my friends, and it got worse. He even…"

Touka asked,

"What is it, Laura?"

"…Dad was slowly losing the will to live. He once told me…that he didn't mind if he died saving me…he told me that…he didn't want to be a burden on his wife and son. He…was prepared to die."

Touka felt a remarkably familiar emotion when she heard Kaneki's story, as told by Yoshimura. She felt a great deal of compassion for him. Although she did feel a great deal of animosity for him when in their first interactions, when he was willing to step up for Hinami's well-being, she acted civil and respectful of him when they talked. But the combination of his flesh finally enabling her to eat Yoriko's food and hearing his story, as told by Yoshimura, that she felt a great deal of compassion for him. Enough for her to do her part in convincing Kaneki to move to Anteiku. She realized where Kaneki's suicidal tendencies came from.

"I…want to move on."

"We understand."

Said Danny.

"Anyhow…Ichiro told him that he could transfer his immortality to him. My dad refused."

"But now he has him…"

Said Yomo.

"Yeah…and a lot of those parts he had to move though the 24th ward…they were combination of Shi'ar, and even Chitauri technology."

"Whoa…"

Said Koma. Laura continued,

"Whatever Project Permeance is, my little brother is the center piece of it."

After taking a moment to fully absorb what Laura told all of them, Touka asked,

"What the plan?"

"…We need to fill in Hisako on all this…"

xxxxxx

(One week later)

As Shirazu relaxed near a wall in the Chateau's training room, he looked at Shirazu talking with Haise about some of the techniques their team leader used in their sparing. Shirazu thought to himself,

"Why is he all buddy-buddy with Mr. Yas all of a sudden?"

After their training had completed, Shirazu says to Urie,

"Yo."

"What is it?"

"I know you don't feel like we're holding you back anymore…but why are you acting like Mr. Yas' number-one student?"

"Well…I saw him take down all the white suits from a week ago."

"For real?"

"Yeah…"

Urie flexed his left arm for a moment before continuing.

"I feel myself getting stronger…but how I use my personal power is a matter of skill. When I saw Haise take on the white suits, I saw him fight them with not only strength…but with mastery of his very body. Despite what Yashida is doing to his mind, his body remembers how to take down entire groups of enemies with no problem."

"Yeah, I know what you mean…"

"Which is the complete opposite of what you did that night."

Shirazu responded angrily,

"What you say?"

"I read Deadpool's report. You didn't use your quinque…again."

Shirazu wanted to say that Urie was wrong but did not due to there being truth to Urie's words.

"You hesitated to use your quinque again. I wanna know why."

Shirazu stood speechless once again. He knew why he could not use his quinque. Nutcracker still haunted him, and anytime he attempted to use it, she appeared. Wrapping his arms around his head. Urie then says,

"I thought so…fair warning: if you don't get your shit together, I might get my old job back from you."

Now Shirazu got angry again, much to Urie's notice.

"My advice: get your head out of your ass and get better at this job."

As Urie left, Shirazu stood by himself in the training room.

"I'm not acting like this because I want to fail…I have my reasons for being a Quinx…"

flashback

Six months passed since the passing of his father. Young Ginshi took on the duties of caring for his little sister, Haru. After he was done with his part-time job, he went to the elementary school where Haru went to pick her up. Although she was glad to see him, Haru scratched near her eye.

"Haru, what is it?"

"My eye itches…"

"Let me see…"

Haru stops scratching to allow Young Ginshi to see what was bothering her.

"That looks bad…let's go to the doctor now."

"Now?"

"Yeah. I finished with work today."

The siblings made it to their neighborhood's clinic and waited for their doctor to be available. After an hour, they finally got to see him. After a check-up, the doctor spoke with Young Shirazu alone.

"It's an RC cell infection."

"RC cell?"

"Red Child cells. In exceedingly tiny amounts, they are harmless. However…"

Young Ginshi got worried before asking,

"What happens?"

Then the sound of Haru screaming in pain and fear. When both Young Ginshi and the doctor entered the room, they witnessed a horrific scene. The infection on Haru's face got larger and larger, overtaking the side of her face where the infection originated and grew out of her like a newly sprouted tree. Haru screamed out her brother's name.

"GINSHI!"

Young Ginshi attempted to get to her side, but the doctor stopped him.

"LET ME GO!"

"I CAN'T!"

"HARU!"

Soon the sudden growth stopped, but Young Ginshi looked on in horror at what he just saw. Tears streamed from his face as he looked at his young sister, ravaged by an infection he was just too powerless to protect Haru from. For a minute straight, no sound nor movement were made. Until Haru finally drew breath and softly says,

"Ginshi…"

Young Ginshi forced himself out of the grip of the doctor and held his little sister. He tried so hard to hold back his crying, but tears still streamed from his face. Moments later, he stayed with Haru throughout the ambulance ride. As she was taken to the operating room, one of the hospital nurses approached young Ginshi.

"Excuse me?"

Young Ginshi paid attention to the nurse as she looked at the file she currently carried on her.

"You're…Haru Shirazu's older brother, yes?"

Young Ginshi nodded yes.

"Let's find somewhere to sit."

As the two went to the hospital lobby and sat on empty chairs nearest to them, the nurse spoke to him.

"Now, what happened to your sister is an extremely rare infection that hits one out of one to three million."

"Three…million?"

The nurse placed her hand on one of Young Ginshi's shoulders as she explained.

"It's called ROS. RC Cell Over-secretion. It's a…condition where RC cells, something that humans, mutants, and ghouls all produce. But neither humans nor mutants can make enough to ever be like ghouls. Both only make very small amounts."

Young Ginshi nodded.

"However, there is a possible, but very rare, instance where the RC Cell count in a person can suddenly grow so fast that it results in something like…you just saw."

Young Ginshi widened his eyes a little due to the fresh trauma he experienced earlier.

"It first forms itself like a large cyst located anywhere on the body."

Young Ginshi remembered the infection that started everything.

"Usually the infection grows fast, but at such a rate your neighborhood doctor described…is, frankly, something we never encountered before."

Young Ginshi shook a little at how powerless he truly felt. The nurse sees this and holds his face to calm him down.

"There are effective treatments to make sure your little sister doesn't die from this…"

The nurse lets go.

"But if left untreated; the infections will cause severe pain, nausea, memory disorder, mental regression, and total sensory shutdown. So, the fact that she was brought to this hospital as soon as the infection started means that we can start her treatment."

Although it felt that he lowly lost his voice, Young Ginshi asked,

"W-What treatments?"

"We have something called RC suppressants, which do as they are called. Unfortunately…it's the only solution we have. Any cure remains beyond our reach."

Soon, the surgeon that handled Haru's operation went to the hospital lobby and located Young Ginshi to talk with him.

"Ginshi Shirazu?"

"Y-Yes?"

"I'm the surgeon that got your little sister's infection under control. My name is Wataru Sano."

"H-Hi…"

"We've already given the first round of RC suppressants to Haru. She's responding very favorably to them. In relative terms, she's alright."

"So…when can I take her home?"

Wataru had a sad look on his face as he replied,

"I'm afraid…not for a long time. Her kagune infection has overtaken her entire left eye, and if we don't give her a constant supply of RC suppressants, it could overtake her body."

Young Ginshi now felt scared again.

"For now, she's stabilized. You can see her. She's in room 314."

"T-Thank you…"

"I'll take you there…"

Said the nurse as she guided Young Ginshi to the room where Haru currently resided. When they reached it, Young Ginshi instinctively recoiled at the sight of the kagune infection on his little sister. However, he built whatever courage he had in him to approach his little sister. Soon Young Ginshi got close to Haru that he can hear her breathe. Young Ginshi simply looked over her before hearing her trying to talk to him.

"G-Gin…"

Young Ginshi whispered,

"I'm here, Haru."

Haru tried to speak further but lacked the energy to speak further. Soon another person entered the room.

"Ginshi Shirazu?"

Young Ginshi turned around to see a professional-looking woman holding a filing board.

"Yeah?"

"My name is Saya Minamoto. A representative of the SHI, Social Health Insurance. I'm here to discuss a payment plan for your sister's treatment."

Saya explained how something like the RC suppressants used for Haru's treatments cost money before moving on to how Young Ginshi would pay for said treatments. In his mind during the talk, Young Ginshi had one thing in his mind.

"Money…I need money for RC suppressants…I'll do whatever I have to get as much money I can for Haru…"

From then on until he enrolled into the GCB academy, he worked hard to meet the payments for his little sister's payments. Short of illicit or illegal activities, Shirazu suspended his education to work as many jobs as his body could let him. Even when pushed to the brink of exhaustion, Young Ginshi kept his will to live by focusing on making Haru happy when she finally become healthy.

"It's all for Haru…"

When Young Ginshi first heard at how killing ghouls results in a significant financial reward, Young Ginshi looked up what he could on the GCB academy and enrolled a week later. Although his grades were something to be desired, his physical attributes made him hang on by a thread. Only when Young Ginshi was chosen for the Quinx project did his position as an Investigator finally enabled him to be in a better position to receive greater amounts of money toward Haru's treatments. But the most unexpected side perk…was when he discovered that his superior looked eerily similar…to Ken Kaneki. Someone he looked up to for quite some time.

end

Shirazu was by himself in a park in the first ward, thinking about his indecisiveness was costing him everything he earned so far.

"If I don't use my quinque, I'll become less effective on the field. That means less opportunities to earn more money…"

Soon, Shirazu pondered upon a certain idea.

"Maybe I should give it to Hayashimura. He wanted it more than me…"

Then, Shirazu heard someone talk to him.

"Hey, ain't you one of the X-Force?"

Shirazu soon discovered it to be Investigator Fura.

"How's it going?"

"Investigator Fura? What are you doing here?"

"Well, I took a day off today to spend some time with my daughter."

Shirazu sees a little girl in a baby blue dress clinging to Fura's left leg.

"This is my daughter, Natsu. My wife wanted to come but had to visit her mother today. So, it's just me and her."

Shirazu looked at Natsu and gave a small smile while waving hello to her.

"Say Hello, Natsu."

Said Fura to his daughter. Although a little shy, Natsu waved back to Shirazu.

"Okay. You can go play now."

Natsu went to the playground nearby. As Shirazu watched her play, Fura asked him,

"So, what brings you here?"

"…it's a long story."

"I got time. Go for it. Hang on a moment…"

Fura looked around to find a nearby vending machine.

"Want one?"

"I'm good."

As soon as he paid for the drink he chose, he returned to Shirazu's side and said to him,

"Go ahead."

Shirazu told Fura about the difficulties he had been experiencing lately with his quinque. Specifically, using it in battle. After listening, Fura says to him,

"Happens to a lot of rookies. Believe me…you're not the first."

"…Mr. Yas, or Investigator Yashida, said the same thing. Honestly, a part of me didn't believe me. Since he doesn't use a quinque of his own."

"Right. I forgot that he refused the one Arima offered him."

"Arima tried to give him a quinque?"

"More than that, from what he told me."

"Huh?"

"You probably don't know this…"

Fura then gave the story of how Haise got in the Bureau from his perspective. Such information threw Shirazu for a loop.

"Holy…cow."

Shirazu remembered that he stood near children. Fura simply replied,

"Yep."

Fura took one sip before continuing.

"In some ways, he and Arima are a lot alike. He performs the tasks he's given and does them with unsurpassed skill and strength. Well…that's not entirely true."

"Right."

Shirazu remembered when Haise told him that he defeated Arima in a sparring match.

"Even though Yashida Industries made him forget, he still did it."

Shirazu then asked,

"The way you talked about Arima…are you friends with him, Investigator Fura?"

"Yeah, but only for a while. We used to be classmates back in high school. He's actually been a ghoul investigator since he was 15."

"Woah…"

"Yep."

Fura took another sip.

"He moved around a lot, doing undercover work. One of his assignments took place in the high school I used to go to. At first, he was anti-social."

"What happened to that?"

"I worked alongside him on the Lantern case. Look it up."

"R-Right…"

"When I joined the Bureau, I admit…I couldn't use my first quinque."

"How did you get over it?"

Fura finished the drink before speaking.

"Well, it doesn't happen overnight. You need to be able to separate what fuels your guilt. Deal with your struggles however you can until you arrive at an answer that speaks to you."

Fura got up to search for a trash can. Shirazu pointed to one and followed his superior to continue the conversation.

"Of course, that's just me. And I'm unable to follow even my own advice. But from my point of view, Investigators who struggle with the targets they kill…are the one who have a strong grip on their hearts."

Shirazu felt a small measure of understanding from Investigator Fura.

"Whether you're a soldier or an Investigator, taking lives should always be taken seriously."

Shirazu then says to Fura,

"Thank you, sir."

Before Shirazu walked away, Fura says,

"One more piece of advice: cut off all your hair."

"Huh?"

"You feel renewed, right? Show it."

Fura then went to his daughter before heading off in the opposite direction of Shirazu. As he walked, Shirazu went on his phone to search for a nearby hair salon.

xxxxxx

As soon as Shirazu returned to the Chateau, Haise and the rest of the Quinxes saw what Shirazu did to himself. They all saw Shirazu's hair almost completely cut off.

"What did you do, exactly?"

Asked Haise with Saiko giving a follow-up.

"Who cut it?"

"I got my hair cut after I talked to Investigator Fura."

"Fura?"

asked Mutsuki.

"Yeah. I talked to him about me not using my quinque and gave me some advice on how to be in a better mental state so I can finally use it. And I got this haircut to show how committed I am."

Everyone stood speechless for a while at how Shirazu threw himself to this course of action. Even Deadpool. Then, he bowed in front of his teammates.

"I'm sorry, guys!"

Once again, his teammates stood surprised.

"I put all of you in danger when I chased that Rosé ghoul with Urie, only for me to puss out when my teammates needed me."

"No argument from me."

Said Deadpool, which Mutsuki hit him on the side with their elbow as a way of reprimanding him.

"I can only promise to be a better squad leader from here on out."

Shirazu then says to Urie,

"Urie, I wanna thank you for giving me the kick in the ass for this."

"Okay…"

Haise then says to the team,

"We need to get ready. We've been called for a meeting regarding Rosé. After receiving our reports, the squads assigned to Rosé have reached a conclusion and we're called in for the next phase of the operation."

"Right."

Said the team simultaneously. As each quinx went to their rooms to dress for the meeting, Urie thought to himself,

"Did he really have to take it that far?"

When he finished, he then thought to himself,

"Then again, Shirazu's the kind of guy who would take it this far. Thanks a lot, Investigator Fura."

xxxxxx

(GCB Main Headquarters)

The meeting about X-Force's confrontation of both Rosé and the white suits started. The Investigators present were the X-Force, the Ui squad, Kuramoto Ito and Shinji Michibata of Ito squad, Kijima and Furuta, and Shimoguchi squad (which only had him and two first class Investigators named Miho Toma and Shion Satami). Ui began by saying,

"Due to the X-Force reports about their encounter with one of the Rosé ghouls they've found last week, as well our findings, we've come to conclude that both Rosé and Aogiri have indeed made an alliance."

Each of the Investigators present took a moment to fully think about the consequences of such a partnership. Haise then asked,

"Sir, it may be speculation on my part…but do you believe that the one who…interrupted Investigator Kijima's livestream acted on behalf of Rosé?"

Ui responded,

"Perhaps…but due to the nonexistence of Kijima's footage, we can't know it for sure."

"Nonexistence?"

asked Mutsuki. Ui elaborated.

"Yes. The individual who took the Rosé ghoul must've smashed the camera containing the footage."

"I can actually confirm that."

Said Kijima.

"When I regained consciousness, I found the camera completely trashed. Not to mention the Bureau Containment Department erased all footage of my little show from the internet."

Most of the Investigators in the meeting hid their disgust for Kijima.

"Despite such a setback, my livestream bore quite succulent fruit."

Now Ui acted out his disdain for Kijima.

"It's just fallout! Don't act proud just because you got lucky!"

"And yet the results speak for themselves. Because of their alliance, the situation will undoubtedly escalate. I don't call that being lucky. I call it initiative."

"I call it arrogance! You've blindly acted on an assumption that brings us closer to a corner! The Investigation of Rosé has forced us to act on unverified intel, thinning our ranks to the point of vulnerability!"

Everyone definitely saw how angry at Kijima Ui felt. What Ihei said next did not help with his slowly unraveling composure.

"Investigator Ui, I feel that your opinion of Investigator Kijima's actions are a little harsh. If his actions compelled Rosé to retaliate, then I call that an opportunity."

"Can you really call it opportunity when you suddenly cast a net just because you catch a hint of fish?"

At that moment, Hisako spoke up.

"I agree with Investigator Ui's opinion on this matter. Kijima, you acted too prematurely. There's no doubt that Rosé will retreat further into the shadows because of your grotesque stunt."

Kijima gave a sour look at Hisako. Ui replied,

"Thank you, Investigator Ichiki, for reminding everyone what professional work is supposed to be."

"Well sir, it's because if what you're theorizing is truly correct, we may have to resort to…unorthodox methods."

Fura then asked,

"Care to clarify on what you mean by unorthodox, Investigator Ichiki?"

Hisako stood up and said,

"Investigator Yashida came to you sir, about a plan that involved imitating an aspect of ghoul culture in order to receive verified information, correct?"

Now Ui felt defiance from Hisako.

"Investigator Ichiki, you're not suggesting that, are you?"

"Well sir, it's like you said. Kijima's actions have forced us into a corner where we can't root out Rosé because they've already pulled back on their activities. At this point, we need something that not even either Rosé or Aogiri ever expected of us."

Many of the Investigators present talked amongst themselves about what plan Haise presented to Ui. Ui thought to himself,

"Not enough you defeated Arima…your squad is beginning to outshine the Bureau itself."

"Investigator Yashida…please elaborate your proposal."

"Yes sir."

Both Ui and Hisako sat down to let Haise talk about his proposal. As Haise explained his operation proposal, Ui then addressed the rest of the Investigators.

"Well, all of you have heard what Yashida's plan entails. Now, barring the X-Force, every squad present will vote on whether or not we'll go ahead with the operation. The ayes will raise their hands. The nays keep their hands down."

Seven Investigators raised their hands in favor of Haise's operation. The ayes were Kijima, Furuta, Kuramoto, Michibata, Fura, Ihei, and Hisako. The nays were Ui and the entirety of Shimoguchi squad. Ui then says,

"The ayes have it. Investigator Yashida's operation has been approved."

xxxxxx

Each of the squads went their separate ways. As the X-Force headed back to the Chateau to retrieve their masks for the operation tonight, Akira met with all of them before they left the building.

"Haise."

"Investigator Madou."

"I heard from Ito. Congratulations on having your operation green-lit."

"Thank you. Although I think the hard part is just the beginning. I don't know how to act like a ghoul exactly…"

"Well, that's not just the only reason why I wanted to meet up with you. Actually, I wanted to talk with Yonebayashi."

"Okay, but please remember…"

"I know. It'll take 10 minutes, tops."

"Okay. Saiko."

"'Kay."

Saiko went with Akira to discuss a certain matter. Deadpool asked while whispering to Haise's ear,

"You think it's about that Deathlok clone?"

"…Maybe."

Deadpool then asked in a regular tone of voice,

"Do we have masks for Harada and Yukio?"

"Actually, they're not coming with us on the operation."

"They're helping great-grandfather on a company project. So, they're gonna be absent for the foreseeable future."

"Got it…"

"Anyhow, you remember your part in the operation?"

"Sniper rifle, shadow both Shirazu and Mutsuki, maintain 500 feet from you guys because…let's be real: the moment I was public with you guys…"

"A good number of ghouls will recognize you as well."

"I understand, boss man. Not to mention it was incredibly short-sighted of me to have just one outfit style."

"Well, if you can work out another one, you can join me on the ground."

"That a promise?"

Haise smiled a little before saying,

"Yes, it is."

"NNNNNoted."

Just as the team made it to the lobby, Hisako called out for Haise.

"Haise!"

Haise sees her running toward him. He asked Deadpool,

"Who's she again?"

"…Hisako. Remember? She helped us take down Jean Jacket? Giant space kaiju?"

"What do you mean a kaiju?"

Deadpool stood confused before asking,

"You know? Giant flying saucer that fed on monkeys before moving on to people?"

Haise had a blank, yet terrified look on his face. Deadpool thought to himself,

"Shit…they erased that from him?"

"You know what? Forget it."

Before Haise could say anything, Hisako approached the both of them.

"Hi. I hope you don't mind that I borrow Deadpool here for a moment."

Haise instantly recomposed himself as he said,

"Just a moment?"

"Five minutes tops."

"Okay. Deadpool."

"I remember, boss. I'll be there."

"Alright."

Hisako and Deadpool stepped outside to one of the few blind spots of both the Bureau's and the city's surveillance system. An alleyway near Main Headquarters. However, Hisako had on her a type of handheld signal jammer.

"Okay. We should be in the clear."

Deadpool took off his mask to reveal his face.

"Nice to feel the wind in my face."

"Can't imagine how you fit into this gimp suit…Hide."

Hide smiled at Hisako as he replied,

"I exercise every day."

Hisako playfully rolled her eyes before asking,

"How is Haise?"

Hide now spoke in a serious tone of voice as he says,

"Looks like Yashida is taking even his more recent memories."

"His recent?"

"I mentioned Jean Jacket to him. Dude was drawing a blank."

"For real?"

"What's worse…I think it scared the shit out of him."

Hisako grew more concerned than she felt before.

"No doubt those memory treatments are a part of it. Not to mention…"

A little confused, Hide asked,

"What?"

"…I…met with Laura a couple of days ago…"

"How is she, by the way?"

"The same as me. Worried about her little brother."

"Who can blame her…what'd she talk to you about?"

"She told me about Yashida moving some alien tech through the 24th ward."

"Whoa…"

"That's not all. She told me about a project that's been in development. Something called Project Permanence…"

"A project? For how long?"

"She couldn't tell. Why? Did Haise tell you something?"

"I asked him about Yukio and Harada's role in the upcoming operation we're in. He says that the two of them were helping his great-grandfather in a project."

"Does Haise know anything about it?"

"We wouldn't be having this conversation if he did. But he did tell me that the two of them were gonna absent for some time…"

"If you're right…"

"We have an opportunity."

Just then, the two of them heard Shirazu's voice yelling Hide's assumed name.

"DEADPOOL! WHERE ARE YOU, MAN?!"

"Oh shit…"

"Sorry. My signal jammer blacks all incoming and outgoing smartphone calls and texts."

"It's cool. I'll keep an eye out for Haise. Figure out this project on yours."

"Got it."

Hide put his mask back on before heading out to meet with Shirazu.

"Dude, the fuck you've been?"

"Sorry. Conversation took place in a dead zone."

Shirazu sighed before telling him,

"We gotta get home before we head out for the operation."

"Gotcha. Let's move."

As Hisako looked on, she sees Haise walking along with his team. And her former one.

"Just hold on a little longer, Hide…"

xxxxxx

(Later that night)

The Quinxes returned to the Chateau to see a brown box in front of the entrance door.

"It's finally here."

Haise picked up the box before entering the Chateau and placed it on the dining table. He opened it to reveal a litany of custom-made masks in transparent plastic bags. Attached to said bags were the names of those whose masks belonged to.

"Everybody get the ones belonging to them."

"Right."

As the Quinxes dressed for the mission, each of them took a good look at their masks. Shirazu's mask resembled a cartoon shark, grinning with its teeth visible. Mutsuki's looked like a mummy with its right eye removed, suggesting that his kakugan will be exposed.

"Might help further my disguise…"

Saiko's mask seemed like that of a fencing mask. The only distinguishing decorations on her mask were a pair of number eights on both side edges.

"What's the number eight supposed to mean?"

Urie's mask looked relatively average compared to his comrades. Its appearance was that of a bird's beak almost open. Enough to reveal his mouth.

"Doesn't look that freaky. Guess I was nervous over nothing…"

xxxxxx

(Two weeks later)

The X-Force spent their nights gathering whatever information they can gather in the wards where there were confirmed ghoul undergrounds. They managed some intel that would prove itself relevant to future Investigations, but not presently relevant to their own. Soon, they met up to present their findings to each other. Haise, with a book bag carrying his tablet, asked the team,

"Everyone present?"

Each of the teams sounded off. The only absent was Deadpool, but Haise knew that for a reason. He took out his smartphone and called him.

"Deadpool."

"Watching all of you right now."

Deadpool turned on the sight laser of his rifle to indicate his presence. He made a circle before turning it off.

"Alright. Keep your sights on us."

"Roger that."

Haise hung up before addressing the Quinxes.

"Alright. What did we learn this week?"

Shirazu spoke first.

"Just another possible feeding ground in the 8th."

"How many does this make?"

Asked Haise.

"Seven, so far. We almost got made, but Saiko managed to talk them out of our tail."

"Really? How'd you managed that?"

"I told them that we came from a ghoul community from the first ward. They didn't believe us at first, but I told an extensive lie. I remembered that phrase you said during the Jean Jacket debriefing."

"Right…which one? It sipped my mind."

"You know. The one about the trees and the forest."

Although he hid it, Haise felt a rising amount of panic within him. Thankfully, his love for literature presented itself as a fallback option in this instance.

"I remember that. It was about hiding."

"Yeah that. I used that and a story about Aogiri planting one of their ghouls in our group."

"They bought it."

Added Shirazu. Saiko continued.

"Then I told them that same Aogiri ghoul ratted us out to the doves after we refused their offer."

Shirazu concluded their report.

"Even though they wouldn't take us to where they usually met, but they told us a time and place where they can verify our story."

Haise responds,

"That's excellent to hear. Excellent job."

Saiko gave a little peace sign while Shirazu nervously rubbed the back of his head with his left hand. Haise then addresses the rest of the team.

"Okay this is what we got so far."

Haise took out his tablet from his book bag and presented a map of Tokyo's wards.

"There's a power struggle in the 21st and 22nd. No ghouls in 23, due to Cochlea. The first…well we know. A feud in the seventh that most ghouls avoid. The fifth is peaceful, as well as the 13th for some reason we can't pin down yet. the sixth used to be under Sachi's control but is now under 'new management.' And then…there's the 18th."

Mutsuki elaborated, as it was their and Urie's discovery.

"It's under Triple Blade's control."

Urie then says,

"And since she was a part of the auction, it's not that far of a leap to assume that she and Aogiri have a partnership."

"One more thing to mention about the sixth ward."

Said Mutsuki, to which Haise asked,

"Any new developments?"

"We heard something about a new feeding ground, so me and Urie went to find out."

"We attempted to locate a certain ghoul who might have known anything about it, but he fled as soon as we saw him."

Said Urie. Haise thought to himself,

"This Investigation is proving itself to be a lot more effective than I thought…"

"This is excellent. This operation is bearing more fruit than I believed…"

"Sir…"

"Mutsuki?"

"No arrests during this operation, right?"

"…For now, yes. Right now, the priority is intelligence gathering and infiltration. We can't compromise our disguises."

Shirazu then asked,

"But these ghouls are gonna eat people…"

Urie responded,

"Our aim is Rosé and Aogiri. We can't waste time with the small-timers."

Shirazu looked a little peeved the way Urie framed it. Haise noticed this and gave an explanation that, hopefully, persuaded Shirazu to maintain his focus.

"Shirazu, I know how you feel…it's actually one of my concerns about this operation. True, we're trying to gather anything we can find to stop a larger ghoul group, but the cost is ignoring the small threats to everyday life. It's a paradox that's hard to swallow."

Urie added,

"I agree with Investigator Yashida. This investigation did hold promise, but I now see why Investigator Ui hesitated on agreeing with it. It's a situation have to choose either the high road or the goal."

Shirazu got into a somber mood as he says,

"So, we gotta turn a blind eye sometimes…"

Everyone understood what Shirazu felt at that moment.

"This shit don't feel right."

Saiko then says,

"That ghoul we talked to earlier…he didn't feel like the bad guys we faced earlier…"

Urie then says to her,

"Don't forget who you are, Yonebayashi…"

Haise then says to the team,

"Let's wrap up for tonight. Tomorrow, we need to fill a report for what we got tonight."

As they headed back to the Chateau, while Haise texted Deadpool, Mutsuki asked,

"Sensei, what did you find?"

"…I got a whole lotta nothing."

xxxxxx

In an underground tunnel, Naki walked toward a pair of hospital-style doors. Once through them, he enters a large room filled with large cylindrical tubes, all containing a strange form of liquid. He sees somebody standing in the center of all of them. A familiar individual.

"Kanou. Why'd you call me?"

"…I wanted to talk to you about Gagi and Guge."

Feeling uncomfortable, he asked,

"Why? I mean…"

"Hear me out…did they ever release their kagune?"

"How'd you know?"

asked Naki.

"I did an autopsy on their bodies. I've discovered the RC cell blockage in both their bodies near their respective kakuhous. It was actively suppressing their kagunes."

Naki stood confused, and it did not stop the more Kanou talked.

"And that's not all. The more I examined their bodies, the more I discovered that their latent kagune abilities. If Gagi and Guge had manifested theirs while they were alive, their RC levels would've reached 3000."

Naki listened to some of what Kanou said and used a manga reference to better understand what Kanou talked about.

"Like…power levels?"

"In a certain way, yes."

Now Naki possessed a better idea of what Kanou currently talked about.

"That's why I asked for you. I wanted to use their bodies for my research."

Although Naki did not fully understand what Kanou spoke about, he knew that Kanou wanted to experiment on Gagi and Guge's corpses.

"I admit…I don't know anything about science…can't you just…let them rest in peace?"

Kanou thought to himself,

"Well…we're already past that point…"

"Just hear me out…I want to learn how the Bureau makes their quinques."

"Quinques?"

"Yes. The weapons the doves use against you."

"Why?"

"Well…the explanation is a…bit long…"

Naki felt that Kanou would use that he cannot understand.

"The reason why is due to the Owl project I'm already doing. When I first started, I had about 1,200 test subjects. Of all of them, only three survived what I put them through. The first success was because he…was a mutant."

Naki had an idea of who Kanou talked about.

"I asked myself what aspect of his mutation made him a success. Unfortunately, he tore out the implanted kakuhou before his body accepted it."

"Eww…"

"My thoughts exactly. Thankfully, another mutant with similar attributes arrived at my doorstep…and asked me for the kakuhou. Thankfully, cloning is within my scientific knowledge. Within less than a week, I fully replicated the kakuhou belonging to the binge-eater and put it inside him."

Naki asked,

"Was this, like, in the 9th ward thing I saw on TV one time?"

Kanou's tone got a little cheery when he replied,

"Yes. Exactly."

A holographic screen appeared behind Kanou, displaying the news footage of the 9th ward incident.

"Sabretooth was…more than eager to sign up for my project. And it was an opportunity for me as well. He and Wolverine both had similar mutations. Made it easier to analyze what specific both mutants had for the Owl project to finally be a success."

"Didn't he, like…die?"

Kanou sighed before saying,

"True."

The holographic screen faded away when it stopped at Kuzuri crushed Sabretooth's skull.

"But it wasn't a total loss. I had enough of Sabretooth's blood samples to fall back on. As well as my previous data from my work from my time in Weapon X, I thought I finally found the formula to make my project a success…"

"So what? It, like, blew up in your face?"

"The first two times were a legitimate success."

Naki tried to summarize what Kanou explained.

"So, if you finally got it right, why are you talking about it like you did something wrong?"

Kanou noticed Naki slowly picking up the point he was reaching.

"Perceptive…and yes. Where I went wrong…was making sure of their loyalty."

Naki thought to himself,

"Must've really pissed him off or something…"

"However, I was sure of the success of my project. To get better results, I not only went back to my research…but incorporated another."

The holographic screen displayed again the blueprints of Deathlok.

"In combination of my research and Harlan's, my Owl project took another turn. Producing him."

The holographic screen then displayed Takizawa, resting on his charging bed. Naki recognized him.

"Hey, that looks like one of the merch we tried to sell that one time."

"Yes. The auction. Even though he was sold to the highest bidder, I had a backup plan in case something went wrong."

"A whole lotta wrong happened that night…"

Said Naki in a somber and despising tone of voice. Kanou finished by saying,

"Which brings me to my main point about Gagi and Guge."

Naki listened to everything that came out of Kanou's mouth.

"I want to revive the both of them…as cyborgs."

Naki lit up when Kanou mentioned the definite possibility of reviving Gagi and Guge.

"For real?"

"Only as cyborgs, but they'd be alive nonetheless."

"But they still come back, right?!"

"Of course."

Naki got into a jubilant mood as he says to Kanou,

"THANKS, KANOU! Part of me thought you were shady as all hell, but hot damn you come through!"

"Don't men-"

Kanou was then interrupted by the sudden arrival of Hohguro.

"Naki!"

"Hohguro…"

Naki noticed somebody missing.

"Where's Shosei?"

"Shosei was called for a job that promised to pay big. But that job…was killing the X-Force."

"What?!"

"Yeah…Shosei's head got sliced clean off by one of the muties."

Naki growled a little when he heard the news.

"We'll make them pay for it."

"How?"

"Kanou's talked to me about it…"

As Naki told Hohguro about what Kanou him earlier, the scientist thought to himself,

"Naki is a living microcosm of the severe lack of education among ghouls…Oh well. I have what I need. Something to pass the time…"

Kanou stared at one particular glass tube.

"Until Yoshimura has all healed up…"

As Naki and Hohguro left the room, Kanou approached the tube containing Yoshimura himself.

"I wonder…how did Kaneki act under your guidance?"

Silence.

"Hard to believe…he hated me with a passion…and yet, I can't help but feel...a little bit of…affection."

xxxxxx

(The next day)

Haise was at main headquarters to learn more about a certain individual.

"Killed in action?"

Asked Haise to a filing clerk.

"Yes. That's what the records say. Investigator Amon was one of the many Investigators that fought in the Shi'ar incident. Unfortunately, he was one of very few casualties in said incident. He was given a posthumous two rank promotion of Special Investigator."

"…Thank you."

As Haise went on his way, he remembered how the ghouls he attempted to approach last night ran from him.

"Kind of makes sense. I…did used to be an X-Man...?"

Haise felt that his grip on his memories got looser than he wanted to.

"It's getting harder…to hold on to what I can remember…"

Haise then remember another records room in the building. As he made his way, Haise encountered Investigator Ui.

"Yahsida. Did you need me for something?"

"No sir. I was heading to one of the records rooms on the 12th floor."

Ui simply stared at him before saying,

"I want your report before the end of the week."

"Yes sir."

Soon, Haise made it to the records room. He searched everything the Bureau had on Kotaro Amon.

"Kotaro Amon was raised in an orphanage, raised by Donato Porpora…can't imagine anyone raised by a ghoul…"

Haise read further until he found Amon's service record.

"Served the Bureau as soon as he got out of the academy. His first partner was…"

Haise stood surprised when he read the name of his partner when he first started out.

"Kureo Madou"

Now Haise felt a rush of memories in his mind. He saw the face of someone who looked like Amon. Angry at him, wanting to kill him. Haise heard what Amon said to him.

flashback

"You may have everyone fooled but rest assured. YOU ARE NO HERO! KUREO MADOU WAS A BETTER MAN THAN YOU'LL EVER BE!"

end

Haise felt his mind in a dizzying state as he felt pieces of his past filling his mind, only for the dread to return.

"Even if I learn more of my past, it feels like that they'll slip away again…I can't live like this…I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS!"

"Haise?"

Haise snapped back to reality to see Akira standing next to him.

"Are you okay?"

Haise's breathing was a little shaky, which worried Akira.

"Honestly…I starting to doubt it."

Akira started to feel a little worried for him.

"I was looking into some old case files, about the Shi'ar incident…and about…"

"Kotaro Amon?"

Haise felt a little surprised when Akira said that name and felt further surprised when she looked a bit hurt. As if the memory of Kotaro Amon gave her a certain kind of pain she did not move on from.

"He…died during the incident. One of the few that didn't return."

"…I've…been looking into other operations…specifically the ones involving…the X-Men."

Now Akira felt surprised as she though to herself,

"Is he finally remembering something?"

"But the thing is…I felt that I've…read these before…it's like no matter what I recover, it'll slip away again. It's already happening."

Haise showed Akira the report he wrote about the Jean Jacket incident.

"I know I wrote this report. It has my name; I recognize my handwriting…and yet…"

Tears started to flow from his face.

"I don't remember writing this…do you know what's it like to lose parts of yourself, and you don't even know why? Waking up without knowing anything? Clinging to anything that resembles your authentic self? It's like not knowing who your parents are."

"Haise…"

"I'M NOT HAISE!"

Akira remembered when Arima assigned him to her.

flashback

"This is my partner, sir?"

"I understand it's unbelievable on your part…"

"With all due respect sir, it's more than unbelievable…I know him. I saw him be part of a group of heroes that saved the world. And now he's my partner…what's more…"

Arima stood from his chair with case file in hand and personally explained it to Akira.

"The details are above my paygrade…"

"And therefore mine."

"Exactly. I don't know how exactly he came back…but he came back."

"Where did you find him, exactly?"

"Cage-fighting in the 8th ward."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. I managed to talk to his family for him to enroll in the academy. He passed every test, both academic and physical, given to him. His education was fast-tracked, and he caught up with minor problem."

"Little?"

"A psychological profile of him made some key discoveries. He has a high IQ and a talent for adaptive thinking, making him more than capable for learning on the field. And there's the fact that his capacity for empathy developed earlier than the rest of his mind."

"Amazing…but how does this make him a suitable Investigator?"

"I'm getting to it. He also possesses a biological impulse triggered and enhanced by an overactive hypothalamus."

Akira tried to remember her lessons in biology.

"I believe that's the part of the brain in charge of anger, correct?"

"Yes. However, that's not what will be holding him back. It's the fact that he possesses an introverted personality, which feeds into his indecisiveness. Therefore, it is believed that an Investigator with maternal instincts may be suitable for him, in terms of mentorship."

Akira felt a little confused as he felt that she was the opposite of what Arima thinks of her to be.

"Investigator Arima…do you honestly believe I'm the right person for the job?"

"At the very least…"

Arima handed the file to her.

"Your history, however brief, is all we have…to make him something better."

"Better?"

"…A leader…"

end

Akira hugged Haise to calm him down.

"Just be you…that's all I want you to be."

Haise cried a little as Akira hugged him. At the same time, the security camera in the records room kept a close eye on the entire scene.

xxxxxx

At an unknown location, Ichiro Yashida was in the middle of his medical treatments. The doctor oversaw the procedure. She was an American blonde who was as intelligent as she seemed cold, and yet possessed a kind of alluring charisma that only the most stoic or devoted can resist whatever charm she possessed. She served as Ichiro's personal oncologist due to her expertise in biochemistry. When the procedure finished, she tells him as Ichiro dressed himself,

"I'm sorry. The cancer has progressed to the point that the specialized treatment won't work anymore."

"I see…"

As Ichiro finished, he asked,

"What of…the other project?"

"My team has informed me that the apparatus is complete. All that remains is the subject."

Before speaking further, Ichiro received a text. He was informed of Haise's latest actions.

"Delta has just informed me that the subject will soon be ready, Dr. Sarkissian."

"Well then sir. Say the word, and we can get started."

Ichiro made a call to Harada.

"Harada, get Haise ready for his final treatment."

'Then…is it time?'

"Indeed…son-in-law."

xxxxxx

"What about Yukio?"

'Delta has informed me that…she's beginning to…doubt the mission.'

"I thought as much…"

'She is relieved of her duties effective immediately. Get Haise ready for the final stage. The time has come…to complete the project.'

"By your will, master."

Harada hung up as he stood in front of Yukio as she lay on a hospital bed. Her forehead was wrapped in bandages as she says to Harada,

"Let me guess: you enjoyed it."

"A little bit…"

Harada went through his phone to show Yukio a photo. When he presented it to her, what Yukio saw shocked her to her core. She saw someone most familiar to her in a liquid-filled glass tube. The closest she ever had to a sister.

"Mariko?"

"What I told you before…I did not lie. Master Yashida is bringing her back to life. But he needs Ken to fully revive her. To bring her back…before he took her from me…"

Yukio remained speechless at both what she saw and what she was hearing.

"Your faithlessness is the reason why you were never told anything. Master Yashida will drain that little bastard of everything he is until there is nothing left to remind Mariko of her mistakes. Such as having you as a surrogate sister."

Harada then gave Yukio a wakizashi before leaving.

"Do the honorable thing. For once in your life…

After leaving, Yukio lamented about what she just witnessed. Memories of when she spent her days being a surrogate sister to Mariko on constant replay in her mind. She remembered the days before she was found by Mariko.

flashback

A lonely child born in southern Japan, living on the streets after losing her parents in a car crash. She believed that she would die as she lived, bereft of love and a future. She cursed the fact that she was a mutant as it made her an orphan. All that changed on a rainy day when a girl as young as herself wearing a white silk dress saw a young Yukio seemingly dying from hunger.

"Mariko."

"Grandfather. Over here."

Along with Young Mariko, her grandfather in a well-dressed suit sees her as well. With an umbrella in hand, he went to her granddaughter stood and covered both her and the orphan.

"Who is she?"

Yukio lay speechless, not knowing what to do next. What Young Mariko did was something she desperately needed.

"I think she's hungry…"

Ichiro stroked his chin while thinking about his next course of action. He looked around him to find a traditional Japanese restaurant.

"I have an idea…"

Ichiro took both into said restaurant and bought whatever the girls wanted. Although Mariko felt a little peckish herself and had white rice with fish flakes, Yukio ate five large bowls of katsudon (fried pork cutlet rice bowls). Almost everyone within their line of sight was either amazed or disgusted by this dirty-looking child's appetite. Ichiro, however, had a smile on his face.

"You've gone without a decent meal, haven't you?"

Yukio had a sad look on her face as she stopped eating while nodding yes. Young Mariko then asked,

"Why are you alone?"

Ichiro had a disapproving tone of voice when he says,

"Mariko. Don't ask such a question."

Young Yukio responded,

"It is alright."

Young Yukio cried a little before continuing.

"What has happened to me…is what I deserve."

"What you deserve?"

asked Ichiro. Young Yukio explained what happened to her parents, which made Young Mariko sad for her.

"I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be. For what I am, I had it coming…"

"And what are you?"

asked Ichiro.

"A mutant…"

Some of the restaurant patrons who heard Young Yukio confess to being a mutant stopped what they were doing, and left moments later. Some of them did not even pay their bills, which upset the owners. Young Yukio explained her powers.

"I can see how people will die. Just not all of it…that's about it."

While Young Mariko remained sad at Young Yukio's situation, Ichiro says something to her that made Young Yukio feel hope again.

"How about you stay with us?"

Both Young Mariko and Young Yukio sat surprised at what Ichiro just proposed.

"But…why?"

Ichiro sat closer to Young Yukio.

"I tell Mariko here a story that usually makes her feel better whenever she gets scared at night."

"What story?"

"I tell her about the Kuzuri."

"What's a Kuzuri?"

"A magical creature…that I found at the bottom of a well…"

Young Mariko felt a little joy as she saw Young Yukio hearing the story for the first time. Like her, Young Yukio sat mesmerized by the story.

"A wonderous animal that can fight any monster in his way and can never die. He rescued me from death. And I have been grateful to him since then."

Young Yukio still sat with wonder in her eyes.

"Let me give you something to believe in. Let me…give you a home."

Ichiro held out his hand at Young Yukio. She felt something well up within she had not felt for quite some time. Tears streamed from her eyes as she shook Ichiro's hand.

"Welcome to our family…"

"Yukio…"

"What a lovely name…"

Young Mariko got up from her seat and hugged Young Yukio as she says,

"Welcome to the family!"

Young Yukio grinned like a candy lover in a chocolate factory when Young Mariko said it to her. Although she remembered the argument Ichiro had with Shingen that night, Young Mariko helped her with her bath and pajamas for the night. Both slept in the same bed that night, with Young Mariko smiling at her until she went to sleep. Young Yukio followed before thinking to herself,

"I promise to be the best sister I can be…"

end

Yukio knew one thing.

"Mariko may be gone…but a part of her lives…in Ken."

Yukio got up from her bed, removed her bandages, but took the wakizashi with her.

"He's gonna learn the hard way that I don't take shit lying down."

xxxxxx

(Tsukiyama Manor)

Shuu was speaking with Milo about Kanae.

"He's still missing?"

"Yes master. We've been unable to reach him lately…"

"What could've happened?"

"I shudder to think that the Doves got their hands on him…"

"We will continue our search, master."

"Thank you, Milo."

As Milo left the room, Shuu sat alone in his thoughts. He remembered when he met with Touka in her café and being excluded in the mission to recover him and his memory.

"True…I miss Kaneki so much. I miss everything he should've been to me…"

Shuu then walked around the manor.

"Touka pointed out that my ego can be…destructive if left unchecked…"

He made it to the manor's backyard. There he saw both Aliza and Yuma together acting like a couple. Believing that they were alone, they kissed for a lengthy period of time.

"I am grateful that Daniel returned Yuma to us…before that monstrous-looking Investigator captured him…after searching food for my sake…"

Both Aliza and Yuma broke off the kiss, only for Aliza to start crying. This made Yuma a little nervous.

"Aliza, what's wrong?"

"Nothing…I'm just…so happy that you came back."

Yuma smiled a little as he missed the way Aliza acted in the brief time he was tortured by Kijima.

"So am I…the doves were always a violent lot…but he…"

Yuma's left hand shook with fear when he recalled what he went through.

"Was a different kind of menace entirely…"

Aliza held his shaking hand.

"But you came back to me…that's all that matters."

"I agree with her all too well…"

Said Shuu, making himself known. Both instantly stood up and bowed to him while simultaneously saying,

"Master Shuu!"

"Please. Don't get upon my account."

Yuma replied,

"With all due respect master, we must."

"How else can we show our reverence to you?"

asked Aliza. With a somber tone of voice, Shuu answered,

"And what I have done to deserve your reverence?"

Both were a little confused as to why their master would ask such a thing.

"Since the Shi'ar incident, all I've is wallow in my sorrow after losing someone who wasn't even an official friend. Just someone…I've unintentionally treated as a passing fancy."

Both could see that Shuu currently experienced a bout of guilt.

"Yuma…however it ended, I can't help but feel a deal of responsibility for what you experienced."

Yuma instantly rebuked this.

"No master, please. Whatever horrors I've experienced, I did so for you sir. That's something I'll never regret sir. Even when he was going to commit unspeakable pain upon me, I never regretted serving you sir."

Aliza joined in.

"As do I, sir. I mean…was I fearing the worst when Yuma was captured? Yes…but I didn't want to waver my service to you, master. Even when I was…a mess over Yuma, serving you remained a privilege for me."

Touched by their devotion, Shuu commended the two of them.

"I'm grateful…truly I am."

Just then, all of them could hear Matsumae.

"Aliza? Yuma?"

Aliza panicked a little.

"Oh no. I forgot I was supposed to water the Rose Garden today."

"Allow me."

Said Shuu as he went ahead to meet with Matsumae.

"Master Shuu."

"Matsumae. What brings you here?"

"I was looking for Aliza. I ordered her to water the Rose Garden."

"Well…I saw her moments ago to get a replacement hose."

"A replacement hose?"

"Yes. She saw the one for the garden was beginning to have holes in it. So, I gave her the family credit card to retrieve a new one."

"Is that right?"

"Hand to god."

Matsumae thought to herself,

"He's covering for them…"

"Very well, Master Shuu."

Before heading in the opposite direction, Matsumae says to him,

"Master Shuu…how did you know that the Iron Fist would rescue him?"

"I didn't. Only that I did the moment I recognized something in the livestream before it was taken down…"

"Really?"

"I saw those fists up front in battle. I remember them quite vividly."

"…then I should express my gratitude when I meet him. I admit, I wouldn't hold it against Aliza if I saw her being alone with Yuma right now."

Shuu contained his laughter when Matsumae mentioned it.

"Yes…I imagine she'd do that."

Aliza blushed a little at how predictable she seemed to Matsumae. Shuu then says to her,

"Nevertheless, there's something I have to do."

"Master?"

"I'll be going out."

A little nervous, Matsumae asked,

"Without Kanae, sir?"

"I am worried about Kanae, but right now…there's a more pressing matter I must attend to. Something…that I have to resolve myself."

Shuu went on his way. Worried, Matsumae called for someone.

"Yuma, follow him."

Stumbling at first, Yuma appeared and says to her,

"Yes ma'am."

Worried, Aliza went to Matsumae and asked,

"Do you think Master Shuu is in danger?"

"…with Kanae missing, it's better to be safe than sorry."

xxxxxx

In an unknown location, a whole litany of clocks surrounded both Eto…and Kanae. Kanae had a large kagune-like protrusion stick through his body. As the clocks ticked, Eto looked on with a sadistic look on her face.

"Soon, you'll be ready to face him again…as well as a grand appearance…"

Eto lifted Kanae's face to better look at the stitches on Kanae's mouth and eyes were holding up.

"I want you to look cute…"

Eto laughed like a little imp as she looked at how grotesque Kanae looked right now.

xxxxxx

Shuu made it to the park where he last spoke with Haise. Surprisingly, Haise was there to meet him as well.

"Hello."

Said Haise to Shuu.

"Hello to you as well. I…didn't think I'd see you again."

"Well…I've had a busy schedule lately…but I had time today."

"That's wonderful to hear."

As the two talked, Shuu thought to himself,

"I know I wanted Kaneki back for selfish reasons…that's why…if he genuinely wants to go back, I'll get him to his big sister. With any luck, she's kept contact with the X-Men…"

As the two made a small stop, Haise asked Shuu,

"Listen…I'm sorry to ask you this…"

Unbeknownst to the two, Yuma kept an eye on Shuu from a distance. While a pair of black-clothed individuals near them listened to them.

"Are you a ghoul?"

Shuu stood floored as Haise correctly guessed what he is.

"Was this a trap?"

"I should've been honest with you. True, I am a ghoul Investigator…but nothing at all like Kijima."

"That's…a relief."

"More importantly…this isn't a trap…I promise."

"Very well."

"…The reason why I wanted to meet you again…is because I wanted to ask…did you knew Ken Kaneki?"

Shuu felt a mix of guilt and delight when Haise asked him that question. He answered with honesty,

"Yes, I have…"

A tense silence filled the air between them before Haise asked,

"What was he like?"

A little surprised, Shuu took a moment before giving his answer.

"He was as sharp as he was kind…we shared a love for books, and I don't meet a lot of people who share a love of literature like mine…Unfortunately…"

"What?"

"Even though, as a ghoul, I'm supposed to be repulsed by mutant flesh…what Akihiro Kanou did to him made his flesh such a…erotic delight that I allowed my worst attributes to make a meal out of him…"

Haise felt a little chill up his spine.

"I…honestly wanted him to be my friend…instead I treated him as my next mark, and…I never got to apologize to him for that. The thing is…"

"What else?"

"The special thing about his flesh is that once ghouls eat it, his flesh can help ghouls finally eat the same kinds of food the humans eat."

This discovery floored Haise.

"For real?"

"Yes. You know of a ghoul named…Yotsume?"

"…Unfortunately, yes…"

"She ate his flesh, and a 24-hour fever later, she ate human food. She even told me about the joys of ice cream. It was truly the cutest thing to behold."

Haise laughed a little at what Shuu just said.

"From what U heard, him constantly sacrificing his flesh to spare ghouls the worst possible outcomes…it was nothing less than Christ-like…"

Haise stood amazed at how selfless Ken must have been to do something like this.

"I guess it came to him easy, considering his past…"

"I've read the Weapon X files."

"I should've known that, considering your profession…but he didn't draw strength from his pain, although it did play a factor in his drive. Rather, he drew his power from the love he received to those he opened his heart to…and the…unrelenting courage that he both inherited from his father…and the life he lived."

Haise took a moment to precisely confess what was on his mind.

"Truth be told…I think…I'm starting to lose Kaneki…"

Shuu felt a little scared at what Haise told him.

"And because of that…I'm starting to lose what makes me…me…"

Shuu took it as a signal. And he also knew the right way to act.

"Haise listen…I know people…people that can help you regain what you believed you lost…"

Haise now had a hopeful look on his face.

"Although they can't help you directly…what they can do is get you…to the X-Men."

"You really-"

Before Haise finished his sentence, a dart arrived from out of nowhere and hit the right side of Haise's neck. Alerted by this, Shuu exclaimed,

"Haise!"

Another dart was aimed at Shuu and penetrated his skin.

"What the hell…?"

Soon, Shuu fell to the ground after Haise. Yuma immediately ran toward his master. However, a number of individuals arrived in black ninja gear. Yuma stopped while summoning his kagune. The few people in the park that saw the ninjas appear were further scared by a public sighting of a ghoul. Almost all of them ran away, save one who recorded what was happening on his phone. However, said phone was shattered by a thrown kunai. Before he could see him, Harada chopped the person in the neck so hard it rendered him unconscious. Harada then sees Yuma. He thought to himself,

"He carries himself…the same as I do…"

Harada then looks at Shuu on the floor.

"Is he your master?"

Yuma nodded yes. Harada then says to his ninjas,

"Let him collect his master."

Two of the ninjas overlooking an unconscious Shuu stepped aside for Yuma to collect Shuu and run as fast as he could to the Tsukiyama manor. As Yuma finally left, Harada overlooked Haise.

"At last…Mariko will return…and you, Logan…"

Harada picked up Haise before giving the signal to withdraw from the area.

"Your blood will pay the price…for the sin…of stealing Mariko from Master Yashida…and me…"

Done! Thank you all so much for your support. I hope you had as much fun reading this chapter as I had writing it. Although I have said that August was going to be a big month for me, I will try to get as much writing in…for the concluding chapter of the first arc. I know you wanted me to continue to the series right now, but I have to catch up on my other writing for my livelihood. So, details of the hiatus will be in the next chapter. Until then, leave a review and share this fanfic with your friends. Stay tuned!