❣ His Glistening Gray Eyes ❣ //amoneki//

❣ All About The Bad Guy ❣

Chapter 3
...

Uneventful days pass. Danzo hasn't bothered with me, and Eyepatch was discharged from Quinx Penitentiary's clinic earlier today. Every time I see him my eyes zoom in on the white bandages and dark bruises. Injuries he endured to protect me.

And I don't know what to goddamn think about it.

It's around 3pm and the inmates are outside in the courtyard. I look for Walter and find him sitting alone on the bleachers. I join him, and he gives me a look like he'd been waiting for me. He grins. "Hello Amon. How are you?"

My stomach is still bruised from my altercation with Danzo, but it's nothing in comparison to what I've had on the job. It's also nothing in comparison to what Eyepatch received...

I sit beside him. "I'm fine thank you."

"What brings you here?"

I fiddle with my fingers. "I…I want to talk about the One-Eyed Ghoul."

Walter doesn't seem surprised, and we both watch Eyepatch on the other side of the fence. He is by himself, looking up at the sky. "I understand your fascination with him. He is a strange creature, isn't he?"

I nod. Soon my watching becomes staring, and I can't look away from him. I'd been thinking a lot about the cafeteria incident, yet I find little clarity in my thoughts. It's still so confusing. Did he protect me for selfish reasons? Does he think I owe him a favor now?

"He protected me." I clench my fists. "He's a ghoul, but he actually protected me." Walter is silent, and he too continues to watch Eyepatch. "I don't understand." I grit my teeth. "I don't fucking understand."

Seconds pass and I know Walter is internally constructing his response. "I haven't seen nearly as many ghouls as you, Amon, and I haven't seen them kill as you have. However, I do believe your job as a ghoul investigator has inherently created a prejudice."

I finally turn my gaze away from Eyepatch, and I look to Walter. "Explain."

"As a ghoul investigator your job is to criminalize ghouls, to assume all are guilty." He returns my gaze. "Eventfully that's all you see."

He pauses, letting his words sit in before continuing. "Some ghouls," he nudges his head to One-Eyed. "Mean no harm. They eat through means other than killing. They eat only to survive."

I watch Eyepatch. I trust Walter (goddamn it I almostagree with him), but I am still feeling so conflicted inside myself. I don't want to agree so easily. I counter, "Why would Eyepatch be in jail if he didn't kill someone? Eat someone?"

Walter chuckles, and he rubs his beard. I feel like I am missing an inside joke. "Amon, sometimes innocent people are put behind bars. Justice is not always fair." The way he says it makes me think he's talking about more than just Eyepatch.

But I reluctantly concede to that. Eyepatch could be here for a reason other than being a ruthless murderer. and that thought leads to other thoughts. What is Eyepatch here for, and who is missing him? He seems distant, but he also seems kind. He must have friends somewhere out there. Mail is delivered at Quinx Penitentiary every day, but from what I've seen he hasn't received even a single letter. Why?

I think on that, and what could have possibly happened to get One-Eyed imprisoned. Was it an unjust system that put him here? Or was he being a ghoul doing what a ghoul does best?

"If you want to know more about the One-Eyed Ghoul…" I turn to him, almost daring him to say what I don't want him to say. He took that dare with ease as he grinned at me. "You should ask him yourself."