" Freedom is never given; it is won."
- A. Philip Randolph
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Kaneki POV
I stumbled back once more, blood flying through the air. I glance back me to find a sword stabbing and twisting in my shoulder, pulling my other arm off.
I let out a scream, and grab my arm with my Kagune, trying to put it back in place as I tried to get away. "Regenerate! Get back on Dammit!" I yelled.
Arima sliced off my Kagune, and I turned just in time for another round of slices across my body. I scream, but my throat is sliced, and I choke on my blood pouring through my lungs.
I fall to the ground, staring up at the lit ceiling. The flowers I was laying on, before they were white, now where I lay began to soak with a dark red color. I push myself on my stomach, making a small kagune come out of my back, and pull myself away, towards exit.
Why am I trying to escape? Before I was ready to die. Ready for it! Why am I being a coward? Before, I was an idiot, getting my best friends killed, and then living on without a second thought.
Hide.
I grit my teeth, feeling his sword begin to poke my back. His left side. Left side! I then quickly pulled away with one kagune tentacle, and with another sliced at the quinque, shattering it into pieces.
Arima looked down at the broken quinque, then dropped it without a second thought. He then pulled out another briefcase he had set aside as we entered this room.
He clicked it, sending another quinque into his hand. It was shaped as a long sword, larger and thicker than his last one he was using.
"What is wrong? Come At me, Ken Kaneki." He said, his words holding meaning. The fact that he hadn't called me Haise Sasaki, means that he no doubt did not think of me as Haise anymore. He wouldn't hold back.
I grow myself a Kakuja, growing down to my leg that I was missing into a new makeshift leg, and my arms growing into kagune also.
Rushing forward, I kept to his left side, his blind spot! He noticed this, keeping his eyes on me, without losing one little step. Me first strike was over head, while blocking my chest and stomach with my other arm in case I had openings.
He side stepped my overhead attack and sliced my Kagune arm, but I regenerated it as fast as I could as I raised my other arm and made use of his footing after a dodge.
He twirled around my attack, turning the blade behind him and stabbing my stomach. I coughed more blood, but I still tried to take him down. I try to grab his arm, but he moves it just in time to spin around again and slice across my chest.
It was like we were dancing in a rain of my blood. Every movement I made marked another opening he had, more blood he could spray.
The feeling of my body was only of pain now, I couldn't feel anything else. The movements I did caused more of that pain, spreading from head to toe. But I still fought.
Why?
I should just give up, right? This fight, it's pointless. I had planned, when taking this job, that if it need be, I would be the sacrifice in order for everyone to escape. But after hearing my friends struggle, their worry for me... why can't I get it out of my head?
I push myself up again. Right now I felt not like dying, but fighting. Why did I want to fight? Another movement, and my side is ripped open.
Another arm is gone. Another leg. Another arm. Another organ. Another arm. More and more.
But I keep fighting.
I fall to the ground, breathing through a broken wind pipe and shaken lungs. I could taste blood in my mouth, I was probably covered in it now.
Looking up, I find Arima looking down at me with a blank expression. Is this where I die? Will I die? I feel weird. What's feeling? I don't understand. Someone tell me what this feeling is. I'm begging. Someone.
I was caught in a blackness after the shine of his blade flashed.
- - -
I stood in a black tar, looking down at myself. At least no one couldn't say I didn't try, right?
"Oi! Not yet!" Said a voice behind me.
I turned to find a hand grabbing mine, trying to pull me out of the tar. Yellow hair and a smug look.
Hide stood there with an annoyed looking face. "Your definitely not 'Done here' stupid!" He said, pulling me out. "Come on, get out of there. And put some clothes on, I don't wanna see you naked."
"Oh, sorry." I said automatically, suddenly having clothes on.
We sat across from another, criss crossed and very comfortable.
"Now." Hide said, crossing his arms. "Let me guess. 'I bet I bought them enough time, especially considering I went up against ol four-eyes.' 'My duties done'. You haven't changed a bit."
"Th-They, working together... should have been able to get out through the compactor by now and..." I began to say, touching my chin.
"Liar."
I froze up when he said that. He knows I'm not speaking in truth. I suppose Hide could see right through me every time something was bothering me.
"Your worried about them. You know full well that they can't make it through with Four-eyes after them." Hide said, looking me in the eyes. "You know something's going to happen."
"And you mean to tell me your fine with getting pounded down here?" He said with a frown.
I could barely start to speak. "B... but.. I can't..." I mumbled.
"Can't win?"
"Yeah."
Hide blew up and shook me. "Are you kidding me? Look at you! You are friggin ripped! Seriously, what happened to you? Your all muscly and stuff." He mumbled the last part, poking my muscles.
"Really?" I said with a worried smile.
"Really!" He said with confidence.
I look down at my feet wit a small smile. "Hey... Hide..."
"Hmm?"
"You know... I..." I began, looking up at him. I let loose all my emotions I had been holding ever since I remembered that he was gone.
Tears came down my face, and my voice became struggled.
"I'm so lonely without you..." I choked out.
Hide smiled. "What are you, a little bunny?"
"Jeez, you and your selfish excuses... 'i wanna die' and 'i wanna disappear'. You just haven't found a reason to live." Hide said, looking up at the sky, which was now opening as if sunrise was here.
"And believe me, you will. Really soon. Just don't throw away the life you managed to put back together." He stood as he said this, and looked down at me.
"Look, you can already walk again, can't you?" Go." He said, pointing to a flower field.
I started to get back up as he walked off. "Kaneki." He said, getting my attention.
" 'I want to die in style'. 'I want to give my life for someone else'... was that it?" He said. He turned back to me with a smile.
"Come on stupid. Back then, I was actually wishing that I could 'live on with you', you know?
"Ill say it as many times as it takes for you to hear it. -
I stood, stepping into the light. My hair, pure white flowed in the wind that was brushing in the field of flowers.
"It may not be stylish, but... live."
(This chapter was just Kaneki getting his ass handed to him and then Hide talking to Kaneki in his head. Most of what he said is straight from the manga itself, so I can't take much credit. Next chapter, comes the rebirth. Nonetheless I hope you enjoyed and have a wonderful day!) - MnMs171