Status Undertermined

by Half_SubmergedinPurgatory

Summary:

When Kaneki and Touka snuck into the CCG, they never suspected Kaneki's DNA would stick around on the uniforms they borrowed...or that Investigator Amon would come looking for him at Kamii U.

Chapter 1: Contamination

Once it was determined that the Shuyu high students who had visited the CCG had fed them false information, Mado voiced his suspicions about them being ghouls. He had dragged the boy through the scanners, sure, but it was always possible that they had been broken (or tampered with). 

Mado’s intuition was never wrong. That was grounds enough for Amon to investigate. 

It took days, but he tracked the sale of the uniforms and eventually found that they had been returned to their manufacturer. Unfortunately, they'd been cleaned. Fortunately, the CCG had top-notch DNA amplification and analysis facilities.

The girl’s uniform was totally clean of any major samples...however, the boy’s uniform had some hair on it.

Amon knew his actions wouldn’t be approved by the CCG higher-ups (a waste of resources, a waste of time) since he had done so much legwork for a hunch. He had to be careful about convincing the techs to examine the sample.

It went against his morals, but allowing Mado’s warnings to be ignored once again rankled his sense of justice more. If the results spat out nothing of importance, he’d fess up to his superiors and accept a pay dock. He could afford it. 

The results weren’t nothing, though. Genes responsible for RC cell promotion were active, however…

“STATUS: UNDETERMINED.”

Is all that flashed on the screen. 

The possible RC cell count was too high for a human, certainly, but it wasn’t high enough for a ghoul either. It was strange. Almost like the sample had been contaminated. 

Amon pressed his forehead against the cool surface of the computer screen. If ghouls bought those uniforms and convinced kids to help them…

He needed to investigate this properly (so nobody got mixed up in something they shouldn’t). 

---

Something about investigating local high schools made Amon feel incredibly creepy. He stuck out like a sore thumb and was hesitant to pull out his CCG badge. His greatest fear was that he’d get some kids completely ostracized for being “ghouls” when they had only done something stupid. 

He really didn’t enjoy the thought of contributing to another lonely childhood. 

He stuck to pulling security footage of the boy and showing it to teachers and parents at the schools, asking if anyone could recognize the kid. Even if he didn’t go to Shuyu, he was about the age of a high schooler. There weren’t too many in the area and high schooler’s couldn’t travel too far easily. He had to be somewhere nearby. 

Eventually, Amon tried his luck with a tired-looking man with a certain sharpness about him that implied he was a people-watcher. If anyone was likely to remember a face, it was him. 

Amon approached him thinking he was a teacher (he seemed familiar with the property and with some of the kids). As it would happen, he wasn’t quite right. However, that didn’t matter. 

The guy was an author and a frequent speaker at local educational institutions. Mystery boy was a kid with a taste for literature voracious enough that the author had given him his personal email. 

They’d met at one of his university talks, surprising Amon. The author had laughed heartily at that and had admitted that he had also found the boy quite babyfaced. 

They were friends and the author knew the kid’s name. 

Kaneki Ken. 

---

Mado had managed to score Amon a day off. He’d ushered him out of the office the night before with a sly smile on his face and a “good luck” on his lips. It still spooked Amon a little that he was so easy to read. 

He was grateful, though. He’d make the best of the time he’d been given. 

Kami University was a vast place, but Kaneki Ken was well-known in the literature department. Quiet and unassuming, but his essays apparently had philosophical flair. One professor had actually tried to show Amon a portfolio of Kaneki’s short stories, saying:

“These are from his first semester!”

“The nuance in them is just…it’s like having a stranger describe the taste of your favourite food, something you haven’t eaten in decades, to you! It’s not something tangible, it can’t be put into words, but you know exactly what he’s saying.”

“All of his horror draws on the works of other authors shamelessly. He gave me an annotated bibliography at the end of a paragraph-long piece once!” 

Amon was certain that the woman would’ve continued rambling for hours if he hadn’t edged awkwardly out the door, gently placing the photocopies of Kaneki’s essays back onto her desk before fleeing. 

He supposed he should be grateful though, since the legion of fond professors had told him Kaneki’s schedule. They hadn’t, however, told him when or where any of these classes were. 

Amon wandered the literature quad, peering closely at the books in every students hands in hope of finding someone in one of Kaneki’s classes. Lady Luck was on his side and he soon spied a golden-haired kid jogging around with a gaudy yellow and orange textbook. 

Glancing at his phone to confirm it was World Literature - Studies of Myth and Culture Ed II, Amon made his move. He tried to grab the kid’s arms quickly, but was surprised when the boy suddenly fell and spilt his textbooks all over the ground. 

“Let me help you with that.”

Amon said, embarrassed at his hasty actions. The kid (an unnatural blonde, judging by his dark roots) smiled graciously at him despite staying notably out of reach. While he was watching him, Amon noticed a name scrawled on a sticky note resting on the front cover of the world literature textbook. 

Kaneki Ken.

Somebody out there loved Amon, because this luck was too good to be simple chance. 

“Excuse me,”

Amon began, passing some books back to his unknowing interrogation subject,

“But I happen to be looking for Kaneki Ken. Could you tell me where to find him?”

He was careful to keep his voice genial and light. Nothing in the student’s face changed at Amon’s words, maintaining a cheerful grin, but something felt a little off the second he name-dropped Kaneki. 

“Kaneki? Sorry, man. He’s away visiting his sick aunt for a week. He gave me his textbooks for the time being since I don’t have any.”

The student responded, an appropriate amount of concern crossing his face when he said ‘sick aunt’. Nothing in his face or tone indicated a lie (then why did it feel off?). 

“I see. Could I get your name and contact information then? I’d appreciate you notifying me when he comes back to school, if that’s not a problem.”

Amon carefully said. The kid hummed to himself and reached into his pocket, pulling out a student ID and a number scrawled across the back of it. 

Tanaka Hidenori.

The photo matched the boy in front of him and Amon quickly entered the number into his phone. 

---

It was only after the kid left that Amon realized he hadn’t questioned why Amon wanted to talk to Kaneki. 

Amon had also never asked for his student ID. 

Everything had happened too smoothly.

‘Hidenori’ had given Amon just enough information and proof that he hadn’t immediately questioned whether or not it was a real name. He’d also finished up their conversation as quickly as possible…

It didn’t prove anything, but an uncomfortable rolling in Amon’s gut told him to follow ‘Hidenori’.

---

Chapter 2: Suspicion

Following Hidenori proved to be surprisingly difficult (making Amon’s suspicions grow). He wasn’t taking a short route to class and kept disappearing into crowds, behind columns, or in sharply turning hallways. 

It was sheer guesswork combined with a helpful female student (”Oh, Hide? I saw him go that way!”) that allowed Amon to reach the lecture hall on time to see Hidenori dragging Kaneki Ken out of sight from any windows.

Though Amon had originally worried about how to enter the classroom without pulling out his CCG ID, enough things were wrong with this scenario that he didn’t take the time to think. He threw caution to the wind and simply interrupted the lecture before it could even begin.

“I apologize,”

He murmured to the professor, keeping Hidenori and Kaneki fixed firmly in his peripheral vision, 

“But I urgently need to speak to Kaneki Ken. Would it be a problem if he missed some of this lecture?”

The professor seemed a little lost, however he couldn’t see the hallmarks of aversion on their face. Putting on the pressure with a tense grin made them crack. 

“Of course, that’s fine. Kaneki?”

They called out, letting Amon stare at Kaneki without drawing too much suspicion.

Hidenori rose to his feet and aimed a thunderous expression at Amon. Shifting uncomfortably caused Amon’s briefcase to bump against his thigh and Hidenori’s eyes narrowed further (some kind of conflict playing through his body language…the kid was good at hiding his thoughts). 

If Hidenori tried to claim Amon was a suspicious person, he’d have to pull out his badge. 

The blonde kid made a frustrated noise and gripped Kaneki’s sleeve tightly before putting on a 1000 Watt smile. 

“Miss, can I head out with Kaneki? I think he needs moral support.”

Hidenori begged, causing Amon to realize just how cunning this kid was. It seems like the words tipped off Kaneki as well, considering the disturbed look he shot his friend (they had to be friends). Kaneki winced and Amon figured that Hidenori’s grip on his arm was a lot tighter than it seemed. 

The professor nodded absently at the request and waved them out of the room. Amon held open the door, making sure not to leave either of these strange kids at his back. 

“Clever.”

Hidenori murmured as he passed by. Both Kaneki and Amon wore identical faces of discomfort at that. 

---

Getting them away from their peers was top priority. Amon led the pair down the hall into a secluded (difficult to escape) corner and ignored Hidenori’s appraising look. 

“So, Hidenori…”

Amon began, jerking his sentence to a halt when Kaneki’s head snapped to the side and he stared a hole in his friend’s head. Sighing, he continued, 

“Or whatever your name actually is, you’ve lied to me several times. I expect it’s because you think I’m going to harm your friend.”

This time Kaneki’s head snapped back to him and Amon tried to push aside the discomfort he felt at seeing that terrified gaze.

“I’m an investigator with the CCG,”

Amon announced, pulling his ID out of his pocket for Hidenori to glare at,

“And awhile ago, a boy and girl dressed in Shuyu high uniforms entered the CCG and fed our employees false information regarding a dangerous ghoul.”

Kaneki twitched violently and Hidenori stepped forward to cut off most of Amon’s line of sight to his friend. 

“We found DNA on the male uniform,”

Here Amon dropped his stern tone, switching over to something that revealed his concern for the boy, 

“And it had some strange markers on it, indicating that a ghoul and a human had likely come in contact with it…”

He tugged the picture of Kaneki from the security footage out of his pocket and stared at Hidenori, silently asking him to get out of the way. The stubborn little bastard didn’t, but Kaneki reached around him anyway. 

“The boy was you, wasn’t he? 

Amon asked softly, watching all colour drain from Kaneki’s face.

“He’s not wearing an eyepatch.”

Kaneki mumbled, completely unable to look Amon in the face. It was true that Kaneki wore a small blue patch over his eye (oddly enough, it had a butterfly on it) and that the visiting student hadn’t, but Amon was quite sure that Kaneki wasn’t missing the eye that was covered. Additionally, silver was an unusual eye colour almost anywhere in the world and Mado had clearly recalled the shade he was seeing right now in Kaneki’s face. 

“Do you still have both of your eyes?”

Amon pressed Kaneki gently, hoping that the kid would just spill his story. Kaneki nodded, seemingly embarrassed, and Hidenori looked a little like he wanted to slam his head into a wall. 

“Then you have to realize that you match the description of the person who came into the CCG.” 

Kaneki’s brows knitted and Hidenori seemed to be going through some strange internal conflict (his gaze flicking between both of them). Amon nearly heaved a sigh of exasperation, however Kaneki spoke up again,

“The person who came in was a high school student. There’s no concrete proof it was me.”

A spark ignited in Hidenori’s eyes and he grinned in a way that Amon was finding increasingly threatening (it was completely benign, however just like Hidenori’s words, it was just a bit off). 

“Seems to me like Kaneki has a doppleganger. This isn’t the most uncommon face in Japan.”

Hidenori drawled, jabbing at Kaneki’s round cheeks (causing a shaky smile to appear on the pale boy’s face). 

Their words made Amon shift uncomfortably and he glanced away to fiddle with his sleeve. He wasn’t sure why he was here anymore or what he was trying to do. What if he was wrong (it didn’t feel like he was)? Kaneki Ken seemed human enough, so if he was just a kid mixed up with ghouls, wouldn’t this experience be enough to scare him off? 

Kaneki Ken sure as Hell looked scared. 

Flustered, Amon bowed deeply while apologizing,

“I’m extremely sorry for being so forward with this and taking you away from your class time. I was simply concerned.”

Kaneki made a querying noise and, if Amon wasn’t mistaken, Hidenori actually growled. 

“Due to the confused nature of the DNA, I was concerned that kids had gotten involved with some ghoul’s scheme by accident. I would hate to see people prosecuted or harmed for ignorance.”

Amon explained, remaining in his bow even as he heard Kaneki’s nervous laughter. 

“That can’t possibly happen that often.”

Kaneki tittered, causing Amon to finally look up. His shoulders drooped as he muttered, 

“You’d be surprised at how common it is. Kids are always making ghoul masks and getting involved in scenes that they shouldn’t.”

Painful memories tried to work their way to the forefront of Amon’s mind. He grimaced and shoved them back, continuing with his probably-too-honest elaboration,

“My greatest fear is harming somebody who doesn’t deserve it.”

Hidenori (Amon was getting irritated about using that name in his mind. He was sure it was close to the kid’s real name) scoffed at him rudely and Amon frowned at him. 

“Do you ever check to see if the ghouls you kill ‘deserve it’? Pathetic.”

Hidenori spat, firing Amon up for a fight. However, the haunted expression on Kaneki Ken’s face made Amon’s anger ice over. 

The kid looked like he was trapped in a flashback (or a terrible realization). 

Hidenori noticed it too, since the smug tilt of his lips was completely gone the next second. He tried to place a hand on Kaneki’s shoulder, but Kaneki flinched harshly away.

It brought a flicker of doubt back to Amon’s mind. 

Kaneki Ken was hiding something. 

“C’mon Hide,”

He murmured without looking at either of them, 

“Let’s go.”

He started to walk away, however Hidenori (Hide?) quickly scrabbled through the backpack he’d brought out with him.

“Wait, ‘Neki!” 

His voice came out just shy of desperate and it made Kaneki stop moving.

“You should be more careful with your textbooks. I might bend their spines if I’m left alone, y’know?”

Hidenori passed nudged the book against Kaneki’s messenger bag. It drew a passable chuckle from him. 

“I still remember when you totally broke my favourite book of fairytales when we were 7, Hide. I know not to trust you with books.”

Kaneki responded, taking the book in his hands and setting his bag on the floor. Amon felt guilt crawl up his throat about his suspicions. Kaneki and Hidenori had been friends since childhood.

All the signs pointed to Kaneki being completely human and uninvolved with ghouls. 

Kaneki flipped open his bag to place the book inside. Light reflected off of a zipper and Amon found himself staring at a black leather mask with a massive red and white grin.

Hidenori kicked the bag shut and dragged Kaneki off to class. 

Amon remained frozen in the hall, watching them until they disappeared from sight.

Chapter 3: Betrayal

Ever since Amon saw the mask in Kaneki Ken’s bag, he knew this moment would come. Ghouls were fundamentally tricksters and could easily draw in lonely vulnerable humans. He had known Kaneki would side with the Fueguchi child.

Kaneki’s surprise showed through his mask as he and Amon faced off. He was shivering in the rain, dressed only in light clothing and that stupid leather grin. Amon didn’t have time to deal with bleeding hearts.

When he tried to push past Kaneki, his expression suddenly changed. It hardened with foolish determination. 

Amon wondered where Kaneki’s protector, Hide, was. The kid had seemed so bent on keeping his friend safe from Amon, and yet he let him run off with ghouls. What an idiot (Amon was worried). 

Seeing that Kaneki had yet to move, Amon called out to him.

“You might be friends with that ghoul,”

Amon shouted through the steadily increasing rain,

“But you don’t know what they are like. I’ve trusted ghouls too, and let me say this: they will betray you.” 

Kaneki’s form had become blurry through the onslaught of water, but Amon could’ve sworn he saw a flash of red as Kaneki approached him. His soft voice blended with the sloshing of his shoes over the pavement. 

“Even if I’m betrayed, I don’t care.”

The flash of red had become a steady burn…

“Humans have betrayed me, too. These people are just trying to live.”

Frustrated, Amon answered with a speech he’d heard a thousand times before. 

“Human crimes are dealt with by the police! Ghoul crimes are dealt with by the CCG! At least people are redeemable - ghouls have to kill just to survive!”

Kaneki was so close now. The red still hadn’t gone away. It had only grown more intense.

It was a kakugan.

Kaneki Ken was a ghoul.

“Do I deserve to die now, Amon?”

Kaneki asked, standing right in front of Amon, arrogantly within range of his weapon. He didn’t even have his kagune out (why, why, why).

“Stop trying to confuse me!”

Amon cried, hurling his briefcase open and drawing Dojima (missing the confused and fearful expression on Kaneki’s face). 

---

For a ghoul, Kaneki was clearly weak. Amon had him crushed against the pavement in mere moments. However, Kaneki still hadn’t used his kagune. 

It brought up painful memories (why wouldn’t he kill him!?). 

“I’ve always wanted to ask you monsters something.”

Amon wasn’t sure why he was talking. Maybe it was frustration at Kaneki’s refusal to be a better opponent (he felt like he was hurting someone who didn’t deserve it). Maybe it was the fact that Amon was completely uninjured (when he knew how easy he was to hurt). Maybe it was just how pathetic Kaneki looked in the rain, like he’d never fought a single soul before in his life. 

A quiet bookworm. An empathetic writer. Delicate.

“Do you ever think about the pain, the suffering, the soul-rending grief you put your victims families through? Do you think that your life justifies the losses of others? Do you ever regret!?” 

He thought of the investigator that had died just days prior, murdered by rabbit right in front of his partner. Shamefully, tears began to spill over and down his face (a weakness he hadn’t allowed himself with his partners, but was now showing his enemy). 

“Just by existing, ghouls are corrupting this world.”

He choked out and wiped his face furiously. While he was distracted, Kaneki (no, ‘Eyepatch’. He should have a ghoul alias, not a name) rolled out from under his weapon and struggled to his feet. 

“There are ghouls who have wandered down the wrong path, and there are those who know that what they have done is wrong, but it is regrettable that you’ve decided everyone is wrong without getting to know your opponent.”

Kaneki’s voice was strained and almost as upset as Amon’s. It pissed him off to think that a ghoul was trying to empathize with him. 

“Even I have friends that I worry about! They do, too! I won’t let them down or abandon them simply because they are trying to live.”

Kaneki’s words brought an image of Hide to mind and the way the two of them had gravitated towards one another. Was Hide human? Did he know he’d befriended a monster?

By the way he reacted to Amon, he probably did. 

“You’re just another liar!”

Amon shouted, striking out at Kaneki again (wildly, as was his bad habit). He kept getting angrier as Kaneki avoided his blows. It was making him miss and he knew it was a problem. 

He just didn’t realize how much of one it was until Kaneki’s teeth sunk into his shoulder. 

Oddly enough, Amon felt a certain sense of betrayal.

Chapter 4: Kindness

After the bite, the rest of the battle passed in a blur. Amon felt his weapon being wrenched from his hands. He watched as it shattered under the grip of three rinkaku tentacles. 

He wondered what Harima would think about him getting tricked by a ghoul (he’d started too soft, his guard was too light, and he’d been angry instead of focused). It was fitting that her weapon would be ruined by his misplaced trust. 

After all, trusting a ghoul is what got her killed. 

In the seconds it took Kaneki to turn away from Amon’s shattered quinque, he thought of many things. 

Of the academy and how they had said, 

“He was raised by ghouls. He’ll always be vulnerable to them.”

Of his first assignment and how Apple Head had deceived him.

Of his later work, when a murderess baked him cupcakes and said she was glad to meet him (just another ghoul).

Of his childhood faith…

Of Mado fighting without a partner. 

Amon still had arms and legs, therefore he still had to fight. He couldn’t give up. He couldn’t let another person take his place on this battlefield.

“Please, go.” 

A pained voice prevented Amon from getting to his feet. Through the rain, he could see Kaneki (Eyepatch, not Kaneki, damn it get it right) stumble towards him, gripping his own throat with his head down. 

“Run away. It’s too much for me to hold back.”

Ka- Eyepatch choked off a scream and his kagune waved threateningly, casting scattered light through the water.

“I can still fight!”

Amon argued (why was he arguing…why not just attack?). Eyepatch tilted his face towards the sky and Amon could see the tears flooding down his cheeks. 

“Please…”

He begged, 

“Don’t make me kill a person.”

It wasn’t a request Amon could say no to. Even if it was a trick, even if he was betrayed, he couldn’t…he couldn’t let go of this chance. He could live, he could go to Mado, he could continue trying to set things right (he could get an answer to his questions and maybe, just maybe, he could understand). 

Dragging himself to his feet and stumbling away, Amon caught Eyepatch’s parting words (words that would settle thickly around his heart at Aogiri, at Kanou’s lab, and would finally try to strangle him at Anteiku). 

“Investigator Amon…I hope to see you again. In better circumstances.”

And then (so quietly he wasn’t sure it was real), 

“You’re a kind man.”

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 35 of TG Prompt Collection