Kaneki heads to Anteiku days later

Kaneki grabbed his coat as he stepped out the door to his apartment. It was obvious winter was coming in Tokyo, and his breath visibly hung in the air. Kaneki shoved his hands in his pockets and began walking towards Anteiku. As he walked, his stomach let out a growl. He was still refusing to eat humans, but that meant the hunger never truly went away. He was starving right now.

The manager of Anteiku, Mr. Yoshimura, had said he would teach Kaneki about his new life as a ghoul. Kaneki really was grateful to him for that. And for stopping Touka from killing him the other day. Kaneki continued walking and ignored it when his stomach gave off a second growl of hunger.

Some minutes later, he came to a stop as he heard an odd noise. It was a wet, splashing noise, as if someone was throwing paint against a wall. It was quickly followed by an odd cracking noise, and Kaneki's nose picked up on an intoxicating scent. The scent was so alluring that, despite his better judgement, he began moving towards the source of the sound. It seemed like it had only been on the other side of the alley he was in.

He turned a corner and immediately regretted it. Before him, a ghoul kneeled over a mangled body, feverishly devouring it. Kaneki felt his heart twist at the site, and in his head he knew how vile he ought to find it. Yet his stomach couldn't help but let out another growl of hunger at the sight. The intoxicating scent that had drawn him to the scene was coming from the corpse in front of him. The ghoul raised its head as it heard Kaneki's stomach announce his presence.

Kaneki found himself face to face with a younger guy, probably around his age, with long light brown hair and glasses that rested over the black eyes of a ghoul. The ghoul slowly stood, blood covering his face and a sneer contorting his mouth. He was obviously unhappy to have his meal disrupted. Kaneki's heart began pounding in his chest. The only ghouls he'd ever met were the ones at Anteiku, and somehow he doubted the one in front of him would be as nice as they were. The ghoul stood and slowly starting approaching Kaneki. His mind knew he should run, but fear rooted him in place.

"You're on my feeding grounds, you know?" The ghoul said. "It's pretty impolite to search for food here." He spoke with a mocking nonchalance, as if Kaneki was a meaningless pest to be squashed. "I really don't like having to compete for food." By this point the ghoul was right in front of Kaneki. "So I hope you understand when I say that I'll have to kill you."

Even if he wasn't paralyzed by fear, Kaneki couldn't have reacted in time to dodge the fist that swung at him. The ghoul moved faster than any human and his fist collided with the side of Kaneki's head. Kaneki was instantly sent to the ground by the blow, and his head was left ringing.

"Are you even trying, man? Or maybe you came here to die? Is that it? Are you suicidal?" Kaneki was still gasping on the ground, trying to clear his head of the pain. "Don't worry, I'll help you out with that."

The ghouls foot came crashing down on the spot where Kaneki was mere moments ago. He had barely managed to scramble out of the way before his head ended up under the ghouls boot.

"Oh, I guess you're not suicidal then." The ghoul walked over to where Kaneki was still on his knees, trying to recover from the first hit. He grabbed a fistful of Kaneki's hair and yanked him to his feet.

"Stand up already." Kaneki's legs wobbled underneath him as he stood. "I didn't know there were ghouls this fucking weak in the 20th ward." The ghoul was practically laughing at this point. "Here, lets see if you can dodge this." A kick came out so fast Kaneki could barely see it.

Kaneki was sent flying as the kick connected with his stomach. He flew nearly 15 feet before colliding with a brick wall, where he laid.

As Kaneki laid on the ground, his nose was assaulted by the smell of the corpse the ghoul had been feeding on earlier. It was only a few feet away. And the smell of it reignited Kaneki's hunger even in this life threatening situation.

"I suppose it's time I end this." Kaneki manged to raise his head to look at the ghoul as he approached. A long, blood red appendage appear around the ghouls back.

The ghoul was right above Kaneki. "Feels so good to let my kagune out." The appendage gave a small flick at his words. "You know," the ghoul began. "You really are pathetic."

The appendage was aimed straight at Kaneki's chest now. It reminded him of his encounter with Rize, although the appendage this ghoul had differed slightly from Rize's. He knew it would kill him though. This ghoul needed only to stab him with that appendage and Kaneki would die. Even knowing that, however, his mind was still focused on the nearby corpse. Hunger consumed him completely. If he could just devour that corpse before the ghoul killed him, he was sure he'd die a happy man.

In the corner of his eye, Kaneki spotted the appendage begin flying towards him, and he prepared himself for ****.

But it never came.

Kaneki glanced up and saw the ghoul above him impaled by three blood red tentacle-like appendages that reminded him much more of Rize's. His eyes traced the tentacles, following them to their source to see who their owner was. It was him. The three tentacles that impaled the other ghoul had come from him.

Kaneki glanced back at the other ghoul to see him coughing up blood, his appendage still posed in the air threateningly. Kaneki's eyes saw this, but his mind was entirely focused on something else. The hunger in his gut was now a hundred times stronger than it was before. Kaneki's eyes locked onto the corpse that still lied in the alley.

He needed to devour that flesh. Needed it more than he needed life itself. And that other ghoul was the only thing stopping him from eating it.

The tentacles moved as if they had a life of their own, and began repeatedly stabbing the other ghoul.

"Stop it, you'll fucking kill me retard. I'll die to a clumsy asshole like you." The ghoul shouted, even near **** not dropping his mocking tone.

Kaneki, clouded by his hunger, had every intention of continuing his **** on the ghoul. On stabbing him into mush. But a voice broke him out of his crazed ****.

"You've really become reprehensible, you dumbass." Touka's voice, the one that he usually heard berate and insult him, came from behind him. He ignored the other ghoul and turned to face her.

If she wanted to stop him from eating, he would kill her too.

"The pain and hunger drowns everything else out, doesn't it. It's so painful you'd almost rather die. Or do anything to be released from it." She stepped closer to him, and gave him a glare. It was different from the one's she gave him when he messed up at the cafe. She seemed sad about the state she found him in.

"And after you'd devoured that human, you'd be left there covered in blood and guts to regret your actions." Touka closed her eyes and slipped her jacket off her shoulders. "That's the hunger of a ghoul, that's our destiny." Kaneki heard her speak, but his mind couldn't comprehend her words. All he knew was hunger.

Large, blood red wings sprouted from her shoulders, tearing her work uniform on their way out.

"I'm tired of it, really . . . but this time, I'll help you out."

There was a flash of red, and then Kaneki knew nothing but darkness.