Tᴏᴋʏᴏ Gʜᴏᴜʟ Rᴇ:Cᴏᴅᴇᴅ

Mask

Kaneki sat up in his bed and looked at the clock. Early, as usual his body wouldn't let him sleep past a certain time.

He got up and headed toward the bathroom to get ready for his day. He had nothing planned so he guessed he'd either call Tsukiyama or go check on Nishiki.

Nishiki. It was funny, he hated him so much yesterday and he still kind of did but knowing that he'd injured him severely was weighing on his conscious.

What was he becoming? Oh that's right he wasn't becoming anything, he'd already become it. A flesh eating ghoul.

Rize, Kanou, did his doctor even know what he'd done to him? There was that possibility or he just didn't know. With Kaneki's luck, the latter was more likely to have happened.

As he finished washing up, he examined his left eye in the mirror. It was still it's regular color but he knew that he still wasn't able to control it so once more he donned his medical eye patch.

He exited the bathroom and found Touka sitting on his bed just casually reading one of his many books. Normally things like this would shock and scare him but it was like those emotions had left him.

"What's up?"

"You tell me, you're in my apartment and bed after all."

"Right, then I'll keep this simple. You doing anything today? I wanna take you somewhere."

Okay now this shocked him. Touka didn't seem like the type to just ask someone out, what did she want? Then again he didn't really care. She was cute and he definitely wouldn't mind being seen out with her.

"You mean like a date?"

It was so fast that he never saw it coming. Touka had raced over to him at lightning speed and pinned him to the wall while her single kagune wing began to crystalize and aim itself at his face.

"Look you little horny bastard, I'm not Rize. I can't be wooed and drawn in by your shy boy act, in case you haven't realized that's what you got you into this in the first place. You act like prey but you're really a predator that only wanted one thing from Rize. The only difference was you were a beta and she an alpha. All of this is your fault so I don't know why I have to help you but I'm doing it because a problem for you means problems for us idiot. So do us a favor and put on your big girl panties, get dressed and meet me downstairs in two minutes or I swear I'll make what Rize did seem like the best sex a virgin like you could ever have. Got me?"

Kaneki swore he was going to void his bowels at that moment. Touka had a cute exterior but inside she was just like Rize and Nishiki, just so vicious and bloodthirsty.

He didn't want to anger her so he nodded and waited for her to leave so he could change. When he was done, he made his way outside where she was leaning up against a pole.

"U-um, one minute forty five seconds."

She just looked over at him and smirked before walking away with following closely behind.

Was she right about him, was he nothing but a predator? No, he'd liked Rize and actually just wanted to have a good time with her. Although maybe he did make it too obvious that he was sprung on her.

"S-so Touka, where exactly are we going?"

"I'm taking you to go get a mask made."

"A mask? For what?"

"I can't believe Tsukiyama didn't tell you. It's to protect your identity when you're out hunting or if the Doves come for you."

"Doves?"

"Christ! The Doves are humans that work for the Commission of Counter Ghoul. Ghoul Investigators that carry cases that contain weapons made from deceased ghouls that can mimic the abilities of kagune. They use them to hunt and slaughter us."

"But that's so...morbid."

"Welcome to reality Kaneki. We're almost there."

The rest of the trip was taken in silence  while they both sank deeper into their thoughts. Hunted using something from the deceased. Is this really what life was like for ghouls? He'd never cared before so long as they were never around him but as he'd gotten to know a couple of them, he realized they were just like regular humans. They had homes, jobs, friends, family. Was it right for the Doves to do this? Did they ever try to help ghouls or did they just decide it was better to just kill them off?

"We're here."

Kaneki stopped and looked at the building before him. Yeah it was a mask shop alright but he still didn't know what type of mask he wanted to buy.

As they made their way inside, they saw a multitude of masks just everywhere. It was almost overwhelming but he kept it together and began to browse while Touka just disappeared.

He found a sheet covering one of the mask displays and decided to look underneath it only to find a young man with familiar black and red eyes sitting underneath it.

"Boo."

"AHH!!"

"I knew it was only a matter of time before you found him. So Uta, this is Ken Kaneki the half ghoul. Rize's offspring."

Kaneki looked up at Touka who was just standing there with the biggest smug grin. He was starting to really dislike her. And this Uta fellow seemed really strange too. Even for a ghoul.

"I see, Mr.Yoshimura said you'd be coming by today. So Mr.One Eye, what type of mask would suit someone of your stature? Naturally you'll be sought after more because of your past as a human so no doubt you're going to be a bit of a celebrity if not royalty."

"I don't- Uh- What?"

"Wow you really are in the dark huh? How about staying with me tonight, we'll talk and maybe even see a little cannibalism?"

"I'm good..."

"Worth a shot, alright come with me I'll take your measurements."

This day could not get any weirder.