He staggered through the dark alleys, his eye shifting left and right frantically under his hair. A lone kagune was out and ready to strike. His stomach had a deep gash, and his hand had been cut off. It was healing, of course. He was a ghoul now, after all.

But that didn't mean it didn't hurt. He should be resting, letting the wound heal, but he doesn't have the time.

He doesn't have the TIME.

He needs to run. Run, run, run, run.

Runrunrunrunrunru-oh.

Hide hadn't even realized that he'd wandered out of the black alleys. He knew these alleys well due to wandering them in midnight strolls often, but his feet had guided him out anyway.

Well, maybe he'll be safer outside, in big crowds. Although he's hungry..

Hide reluctantly put his kagune back away, glancing around. There were a few people a little ways away. They seemed busy with something. And is that a car on its side?

Hide started towards the people, continuing to glance around, making sure there was no danger about to pop out at him. Eventually, he reached the group of people. One seemed to be a ghoul corpse. The others seemed to be investigators, but.. they were some form of ghouls too.

The one with black and white hair noticed him first. He turned towards Hide and blinked at him.

He jogged over, "U-Um, it isn't safe here, sir. You should leave."

Hide stared up at him. The voice sounded slightly familiar, but due to the acid in his one eye and the absence of the other, he couldn't see well. All he's relying on is his sense of smell and hearing. He must know this investigator, but he's not able to tell who it is.

Apparently, the ghoul on the ground wasn't dead because its kagune came out and attacked one of the other investigators. The investigators continued to fight.

But, if he really does know him, shouldn't he know Hide as well?

Hide breathed out through his parched, pale lips, "Who are you?"

"Um, I'm an investigator, Haise Sasaki. This place is dangerous, so you should leave," the investigator kept glancing back at his team, as if worried. He clearly wanted to join the fight.

Haise Sasaki..? Hide's never heard that name. Is it possible Hide doesn't really know this man? Perhaps he's confusing the voice and smell, or perhaps he has heard the voice shouting orders or the sort but has never actually met him?

Well, either way..

"I'm not leaving."

"Hah?!!"

"It doesn't seem like there's many people around here, so.. it's best if I just stay with you guys."

The man face-palmed himself. "W-Well, all right, b-but just stay really far away, okay?!!" the man ran back over to the fight, blocking a hit that could've killed the orange-haired fellow. Hide waited silently. The ghoul went down once more. "G-Good job, everyone!"

The group of investigators walked over to Hide.

"So, um, what's your name? Are you having trouble getting home?" Sasaki asked.

"...You could say that. And my name is Hideyoshi Nagachika."

"Hid.." Sasaki blinked, but he shook his head. "Um, all right. Is there anything we can do for you?"

"...I.. don't know. Perhaps you can escort me to a more crowded place?"

"..All right. But, if you don't mind me asking, why are you wanting to go to a crowded place?"

"Because it's safer. THEY might not attack there."

"..? W-Well, whatever. Let's go."

Hide followed the silhouettes, and Sasaki asked him more questions on the way.

"Who is they, Nagachika-kun?"

..That sounds odd on this person's tongue..

"I don't have to tell you that."

"...Okay.. why are they after you?"

"I don't have to tell you that."

"..." Haise took a deep breath, sighing it out, "Look, Nagachika-kun, we can't help you if we don't know what's wrong."

"You don't have to know what's wrong. I can.. deal with this on my own."

"...What about your injuries? Did you get those from the people that are after you?"

"..." Hide glanced down at his injuries. The wide gash in his stomach was now just a nick. His hand was working on the tips of his fingers. He assumed his eyes had gotten better as well. Actually, he can see much better now too. Did the investigators not see the initial damage? "Yes."

"Should we take you to a hospital? Rather than a crowded place, where people would freak out about you being so injured.."

Hide glanced up at the investigator. "...I don't care, as long as the place has people."

"Then, we'll take you there."

That said, Sasaki didn't change his course. It would appear that the hospital is either in the same direction, or he'd been planning to go there from the start.

"So, um, Nagachika-kun, how old are you?"

"...I.. used to be nineteen. I.. might be 21 now."

"? You don't know how old you are?"

"I don't know what year it is. I don't know how long I was in there."

"..." Sasaki didn't press what Hide meant and instead continued on the same question, "Well, it's XXXX."

"Then yeah, I'm 21."

"Do-er,-did you have a job?"

"...Yea. I worked as an investigator's assistant. Amon-san and Mado-san.." Hide trailed off. "...Amon..san.."

"?" Hide didn't continue, so Sasaki spoke, "An investigator's assistant, huh..? I've never really heard of that position. What is it?"

Hide didn't respond.

Hide didn't speak until they reached the hospital.

Haise stepped up to the counter with the four quinkes and single half-ghoul in tow. He spoke to the person at the counter, and they eventually got Hide to a room. He'd be sharing a room with someone who had been in a ghoul attack.

"A doctor will be with you shortly," the person smiled and left. Hide settled in on the bed and looked around.

"Um.. you won't leave me, right?"

| / _

"..." Sasaki smiled softly, "No. We'll make sure you're safe and comfortable before we even think about it. So don't worry." Hide nodded. "So, um, what happened to you anyway?"

"...They poured acid in my eye. I can't see well. They, uh.. also cut me up.." Hide tried to be vague.

"That's horrible. Are you all right?"

"Well, yeah, more or less. It wasn't too dangerous of an acid, considering I could still see after they poured it on.. My eyesight's already a little better."

"Well, that's good. Um, y-you heal pretty quick, huh?"

"...What do you mean?"

"Well.. your fingers.. are already completely healed.. and-and your stomach wound too.."

"...They were just small wounds.."

"But they're completely gone. No trace of them."

"..."

"...You said you were an investigator's assistant.. and you listed two investigators, I assume.. but.. so.. so you couldn't be a ghoul, could you?"

"...Of course not. If I was a ghoul, I wouldn't be able to pass by the RC Detectors day after day."

"..So you just have an.. abnormal healing rate?"

"Yes."

"..."

Sure, some of the investigators were strong.. and some of them had abnormal abilities that could clash with ghouls, but.. healing?

Haise needs to make sure. He needs to get this guy's RC Count - and affirm his story.

The doctor soon came by, and they took a blood sample from Hide. Haise also looked up a Hideyoshi Nagachika. Indeed, the boy was an investigator's assistant, but..

He had been reported missing after the Anteiku Raid. {And I seriously don't know how he snuck out of there to go to Kaneki.}