A New Battle

War

There was nothing in the medal room besides a plastic fold up chair and a one way mirror.

Kaneki sat straight in the chair and stared passed himself in the mirror-- hoping to make out his wife and friends behind it.

This is triggering, He thought, but every part of his body was shaking and he knew if he spoke it wouldn't come out humorous.

A PA system clicked to attention and a familiar voice echoed in the room,

♘ "Stop holding back, you can't hurt anyone."

He stared at his shaking hands "Holding back?", but it was so quiet he might as well have mouthed the words.

He let out a long breath, allowing his kagune finally unwind. He hunched down to all fours, a million voices shouting in his head.

Protect them.

Who?

Your family.

From who?

It felt as though something was crawling in his brain, scrabbling his thoughts. Ken jumped to the wall, getting aerial shots to the floor below him.

"I will protect you!"

♘ "From who?"

Who?

Who.

"Nishiki? Rize? Jason? No no no... " The voice no longer belonged to ken. "Her. Her. Her."

♘ "Who?" Riku asked.

The chair in the rooms center morphed into a small child with raven hair. A half smile carved itself in Ken's skin

"Father knows best!" His kagune punctured the chair, reducing it to splinters. At least that's what everyone else saw.

Kaneki watched in horror as the little girl, who was barely old enough to crawl on her own, bled out from the hole through her stomach.

He sat next to her, watching the blood slowly draining from her already lifeless body.

"No

No

No

No

No

No."

"I need to get in there." Touka's voice was stern. 

♘ "This is just part of the--"

"I said I need to get in there... and I'll do whatever it takes to get to him." Her eyes glowed a stunning Vermilion. 

Riku sighed and handed her the keys.