My name is Hide

Summary:

Hide is an android that was created to act like a human and learn. He is forever observing the human behavior and now Hide is acting human with his friend, Kaneki Ken. But Kaneki is now a half-ghoul and is "missing".

/

The First Awakening

The room was dim and steam was being released with sharp hisses as the conveyer belt moved. Machines were moving slowly as they picked various pieces of metals up from the ground. Loud mechanical hums and high pitched whines were made as the machines moved around. Various wires and pipes were running along the floor and walls of the room.

And in the middle of the room stood a tall man in front of a large rusty table filled with wires and oily metal. Upon closer look, the metal was arranged and formed as a mockingly human skeleton. At the various intersections were wires connecting each piece of metal and a box laid inside of the skeleton, covered in wires soaked in oil.

"Good morning" the man spoke quietly to the metal skeleton.

The metal twitched and the lights on the box flickered on.

"Good morning" the man repeated as he leaned over the table.

The metal started to twitch more violently.

"Good….morning…" a mechanical voice spoke with static as the lights on the box flickered more violently.

The man sighed deeply and brought a hand to ruffle his brown hair as he stood up straight. "I am Dr. Pappo, your creator".

"Good….morning….Dr. Pappo…." the mechanical voice spoke again.

Dr. Pappo smiled at the skeletal machine. "For a moment I was worried that I wired your voice codes wrong again" he spoke kindly "Can you see anything?"

"There…is…no…image…..display" the voice spoke with less static and the metal made a screeching noise as it was dragged across the large metal table.

The doctor nodded his head and picked up a wrench, "that's to be expected. I have yet create an image display for you". Bringing the wrench up, Dr. Pappo reached deep into the wires and yanked, "you, my dear Hid-e, are my greatest invention. You shall be the only one of your kind! You're a work that will never stop learning or improving or anything! You're the future for the human race!" Dr. Pappo ranted loudly as he continued to work on the metal skeleton "you are the third party that can never die or age! You will be our unbiased history recorder!" he crowned.

The metal skeleton remained silent as the man continued to rant.

"As technology improves, you improve! It will lead you to becoming more human!"

The surrounding machines whirled and the steam pipes released a loud wailing sound.

"I…..do not…understand" the broken mechanical voice spoke as a piece of wire was ripped from it, "not human…never human…"

Dr. Pappo chuckled, "that's only applicable to you right now". The doctor smiled at the blind machine "I want you to evolve with us humans" Pappo spoke quietly "I made you so that you can evolve and develop your own opinions".

"I…do not….understand".

Dr. Pappo chuckled, "you will eventually; I'm going to be here until you learn everything about being human; I promise".

/

Forty Years later

"Why do you…call me 'Hid-e'?"

The room was no longer dim and steaming with chunky pipes along the walls and floor. Now, the room was bright and the once brick roof was replaced by glass framed with metal intersecting in various patterns. Many of the machines that used to clean up after Dr. Pappo were gone and in their place stood a magnificently tall and broad machine made from the scraps of the machines that once were.

However, there were still some machines left that continued to clean up after the ever messy and energetic doctor. High pitched whines were gone and so were the loud hisses from the steam machines. The once various wires and pipes lining the walls and floor were replaced by large computers taking up ridiculous amounts of space.

The only thing that remained unchanged in the room was the large rusty metal table in the middle of the room. It was still filled with wires but the oil was no longer drenching the table and floor. But the most impressive advancement is the metal figure laying upon the table.

No longer just a skeletal metal frame connected with wires and a box in its chest; the figure was now shiny and the wires that were once visible were covered by sheets of various types of metal. All together, the figure looked more human than it did before, which could be considered some type of improvement.

"Dr. Pappo?" the mechanical voice asked as the antennas on its' head turned together to face a specific direction.

"I am here Hid-e" Dr. Pappo spoke as he stood behind the mechanical figure.

"You did not…answer my question, Dr. Pappo" the voice accused.

The older man chuckled, "I am afraid my hearing is leaving me deaf, Hid-e".

"That is a lie Doctor. You are only…sixty….and according to your medical records….you just had your annual…..hearing test done last week" the figure tilted it's head questioningly "your hearing is the same….as before".

Pappo laughed loudly as he slapped his hands on the table, "you are improving, Hid-e!"

An older teen and child ran into the room together.

"Good morning Hid-e!" the teen said with laughter.

The small child stood on his toes to view at the mechanical figure on the table. "Good morning Hide!" he chirped again as he poked at the stray wires on the table.

"It is not…morning" the metal frame rattled as it lifted parts of it's body for Dr. Pappo to check.

The child retracted his hand to run over and giggled into his aunt's skirt, "you're funny Hide!"

"Good evening…grandchild and daughter" it paused "where is the…rest of your family?" the voice rattles as Dr. Pappo removed a sheet of metal covering the machine's wires.

The daughter rolled her eyes skyward as her father grabbed a flame thrower, "we're the only ones in the country, remember?"

"Forgive Hid-e" Dr. Pappo spoke as he slipped a mask over his face to start melting the metal, "He's not yet human".

"I can never be…human….Dr. Pappo".

"Yeah you can!" the grandson chirped and nodded, causing his mid-length black hair to bounce slightly. "You talk like one!"

Dr. Pappo hummed and clicked his tongue before placing his flame thrower to the side.

"I do not...understand" the mechanical static voice spoke with a tone that hinted at confusion.

The teen giggled into her hand. "You called dad out on his lie" the child nodded his head in agreement "you wouldn't have called him out on it if you were just a robot!"

"Oh…I understand….better".

Dr. Pappo raised his fists to the sky, "Of course you do!" he started to chuckle and wave his fists "I designed you to evolve like us humans! And I promised to be here as you learn everything about being human!"

The machine nodded its head.

"That's why grandfather brought us here" the grandchild smiled as he waved his hands extravagantly just like his grandfather, "we're here to teach you more about being human!"

The daughter and Dr. Pappo nodded in agreement.

"….How?" the machine asked as it accessed a newly formed data base.

"By moving your mouth when you talk!" the grandson shouted, eagerly.

The machine tilted its' head as Dr. Pappo lifted a wrench out of his coat pocket, "I do not have a mouth such as humans".

"-and blinking" the child continued, not paying attention to confused machine.

"I do not have eyelids…..or eyes that resemble…..organic species".

Dr. Pappo scoffed, "Yet, Hid-e. You do not have them yet. I did tell you that you are supposed to evolve".

"I see what…..you did there…doctor" the machine nodded it's head slightly.

Dr. Pappo smiled innocently, "I do not know what you are talking about".

"Why do you call me 'Hid-e'?"

Dr. Pappo sighed heavily, "I once had a brother named Hid-e. After all of your upgrades you will resemble him a lot".

The machine released a low pitch humming sound as it tilted it's head, "typically….humans try to bring back…the dead…before they make…robotic replicas…of them".

Dr. Pappo's daughter snorted and her nephew giggled behind her.

"I believe in leaving things the way they are supposed to be" Dr. Pappo huffed as he glared at his daughter and grandson.

"And yet…here I am, Dr. Pappo" its voice was losing some of it's static. "I am something….that is more advance than anything…" it paused as it's antennas twitched "…that is scheduled to be invented… in the next twenty years…some would consider that to be unnatural" the machine responded in a dull tone.

Dr. Pappo's daughter tilted her head as she gazed at the figure on the table, "how do you know that, Hid-e?"

"…." The machine didn't answer as it swiveled its head to gaze at another object in the room.

"He's acting more human-like already!" the grandchild cooed in happiness.

The daughter smirked at her father's creation, "so do you agree to the name 'Hid-e'?"

"…..humanity has free will….as do I…...I may not respond if you call me…Hid-e" the machine responded after it had given a moment of pause.

Dr. Pappo's grandchild started to sniffle dramatically.

"My name…is…Hide" the machine –now going by 'Hid-e' or 'Hide'- responded quickly to prevent more leakage from the child's eyes.

The group of humans chuckled as buzzing of a drill was started.

"That's good, Hid-e. We wouldn't have referred to you as anything else! Now, my grandson, please pass me my notebook. Its time I taught you two how design legs".

/

Death in the Family

Hide could go to sleep for centuries. Of course, he didn't but it wasn't unusual for him to be asleep for a year or two after a major upgrade. Such as right now, when most of his upgrades have been applied to him. However, what Hide was unused to, was waking up to someone else besides Dr. Pappo.

"Good morning, Hide" a young man (Hide presumes mid-twenties) said with a small smile.

Hide gazed at the young man as images popped up in the side view of Hide's sight. Sorting through the images, Hide catalogued each and every major important event of this new technology age.

"It's not morning…" Hide tilted his head as he experimented with a new feature, the ability to scan faces and search for them in data banks "…grandson Nagachika".

Nagachika, the once young child who had to stand on his toes to view Hide, sighed deeply "My last name is Nagachika, not my first name". The man smiled softly and brought his hands up to rest on his hips, "at least we know that one of your upgrades work".

Hide tilted his head as he accessed footage from Dr. Pappo's lab. "I look more human" Hide stated as he brought his hands up to view them as he clenched and unclenched. Nagachika merely watched in silence as Hide brought his toes up to view, demonstrating extremely unhuman-like flexibility.

After investigating his new feet and legs (because that wasn't there when Hide had went into what is now called "sleep mode") the android moved to grope his thighs and other newer body parts.

"You added reproductive functions to my systems" Hide stated in detached interest "why do this? I am a robot, I cannot reproduce".

The grandson watched Hide with pained eyes, "well, we wanted you to be more human".

Hide glanced up at Nagachika. "Dr. Pappo hasn't been in the lab for over ten years" tilting his head, Hide narrowed his eyes "what happened to Dr. Pappo?"

"Grandfather is only human" Nagachika explained with a pinched expression.

Hide's eyes widen "is he dead?" his robotic voice was full with pain and sadness.

"No, not yet" Nagachika gave a smile filled with unreleased tears "grandfather is on his death bed, I thought that seeing the nearly complete you would make him happy".

Hide nodded and accessed some of the files accessible to him, "Dr. Pappo has chronic depression ever since Mrs. Pappo has passed on. There are also new family registrations out. Your aunt has a grandchild" his voice was slightly accusing.

Nagachika gave a laugh reminiscent to the ones his grandfather and other relatives have given when they visit Hide.

"This is no laughing matter. I always met new family members; and why are we not with Dr. Pappo right now?"

Nagachika stopped laughing abruptly and scratched his cheek absently, "the family wants to see you again, but they are far away right now-"

"Lie" Hide cutoff "your heart rate skipped when you said that they wanted to meet me".

Nagachika grimaced slightly, "my cousin doesn't really like sudden advancements that he can't control. Once grandfather told him that you're not a robot made to follow orders, my cousin decided that he would just avoid you".

"I understand" Hide nodded his head in understanding "with the expansion of the internet, I have the….ability to look up several different things at once while carrying on a conversation".

Nagachika smiled slightly "then you know why grandfather can't come to you".

"That's okay, I already secured us plane tickets to Japan and reservations at a 'Sakura Hotel' for tomorrow. I also accessed your purchase history, and we have enough money to rent a one-room apartment together. I have taken liberty to arrange a meeting for you in the next three days with the apartment complex".

Nagachika gaped at Hide in amazement. "Isn't that an invasion of privacy? And how do you even know if I want to move to Japan?!" Nagachika shouted at Hide.

Hide raised an eyebrow at Nagachika, "I hacked your….Facebook account and know that your…fiancée is currently staying in her home country, Japan, after your college graduation". Hide ignored the squawking noises Nagachika made as he accessed more information, "according to your 'chats' you were planning to live there with her in about two months before this house was placed as your family's summer home".

"H-h-how-" Nagachika was cut off from his stuttering attempts as Hide spoke firmly.

"We have a plane to catch at….twenty-one hundred….we have approximately four hours for the minuses to pack your suitcase, print our passports, and for me to learn how to walk".

Nagachika stared numbly at Hide in surprise. "What are 'minuses'?" he asked as the android slowly sat up.

Hide gestured to a small compact robot that was re-organizing the tool supply, "they are minuses…created by your grandfather as an….anniversary gift for your grandmother".

"Can they even fold clothes?" Nagachika asked as he looked the robot up and down in disbelief.

Hide huffed slightly, "your biggest question should be if you can fold clothes….I have access to recorded lectures your mother has given you about doing your chores".

"Point" Nagachika said as he winced at the memory of his mother's shrilly voice.

Hide nodded as he gestured to Nagachika "now I need you to teach me…how to walk. The internet…..is proving to be useless in this matter".

"As long as you promise to research more on human behavior".

/

The ride to japan was uneventful. Except, for some reason the internet had not provided Hide information about ghouls. Sure, it said that ghouls were real and a threat to human society but it did not mention anything about the replacement of metal detectors at airports.

"But that does not explain the lack of metal detectors; for all we know, we could be boarding the plane with terrorists strapped in bombs" Hide puzzled and Nagachika slouched over in the boarding line as passengers and flight attendants looked their way.

"Hush" Nagachika whispered to Hide in embarrassment, "please" he croaked the last part in desperateness.

Hide tilted his head to Nagachika as they moved when the line moved. "I do not understand. Why defend airports only from ghouls? Just because ghouls exist does not mean to ignore the possibility of attacks from those who are human and just filled with-" Hide paused as he searched for an appropriate term "-hate. It is illogical. What is stopping an unstable human from-" Nagachika quickly covered Hide's mouth as a child innocently looked back at them.

"Just let it go" Nagachika hissed into Hide's ear as the mother of the child casted the two a look of hate before handing her passport to a flight attendant.

Hide stopped talking and Nagachika's hand slipped away from the robot's mouth.

A moment of awkward silence consumed the two as they handed their passport to a flight attendant for checking.

"Are you not supposed to burst out singing 'let it go'?" Hide asked in confusion.

The flight attendant handed their passports back as she tried to stifle her laughter. Too bad the people behind the two didn't bother trying to pretend that they weren't laughing.

"Just board the plane" Nagachika sighed as he started to push Hide onto a collapsible stairway.

Hide frowned before he spoke silently, "why is this not collapsing? Last time Dr. Pappo checked, I weighed more than all the materials used to build the 'Golden Bridge'".

"That's because I re-did your metal structure" Nagachika chirped proudly as he puffed up his chest, "I used a lighter metal that's studier, stronger, and lighter than the ones grandfather had available at the time!"

Hide just stared at Nagachika as he maneuvered the two into their seats. "My search through 'google' is insufficient" Hide stated.

"As it should" Nagachika agreed proudly "I want you to be powerful enough to defend yourself from anything and light enough to go anywhere".

"Oh" Hide said as he looked down at his hands "I checked your notes before we destroyed them; I supposedly weigh the same amount as a penguin but with the strength of an elephant".

Nagachika nodded energetically before launching into a lecture on gravitational physics and biology that lulled the surrounding passengers to asleep.

/

When the two arrived in Japan, it was sometime in the morning. Not too early for they were still able to get into the hospital's visitor hours' time-frame.

"Grandfather?" Nagachika hesitantly asked as he slowly walked into a room reserved for one patient.

The older man continued to look out the window in sadness.

"You are being rude Dr. Pappo" Hide said in a normal tone as he walked into the room and dragged a chair to Dr. Pappo's bed, "have you forgotten Amelia's lessons on manners?"

Dr. Pappo tensed as he turned his wide eyes to Hide's form.

"Hid-e?" he asked in a tense voice and Nagachika slipped into a different chair that wasn't too far or too near his grandfather's bed.

Hide smiled as he looked at his creator. No longer was Dr. Pappo a strong tall man standing proudly in the middle of oil, wires, and various machine parts. Now he was old with a pale face full of sun spots and wrinkles as he sat upon a hospital bed. His once sturdy hands trembled and cracked loudly. He produced coughs that rattled his whole body and Hide briefly remembered the passing of Dr. Pappo's dear Amelia. "Good morning, Dr. Pappo" he spoke firmly and wrapped his hands around Pappo's slim and frail wrist.

"My dear Hid-e" Dr. Pappo gave a large smile and tightly gripped Hide's hand "you finally understand".

Hide nodded as he bathed in the presence of his first friend, "I'm sorry, I never realized what 'Good morning' meant".

Dr. Pappo hummed and patted Hide's hand, "you're warm".

"That's because your grandson re-routed my programs and mechanical systems" Hide said quietly and Dr. Pappo nodded, he only has one grandson like that "he wants me so that I can even fool ghouls and other doctors into thinking I'm human".

Pappo slowly laid down on his numerous pillows, "I'm glad" he whispered hoarsely to Hide "I wanted to make a being that's human but not, that looks mortal but isn't" he gave a shaky laugh. "You look so much like my brother".

Hide bit his lip harshly. Thanks to the internet, Hide found out the truth of Dr. Pappo. The doctor never had a brother, he was just so lonely that he started to build Hide. And even when the man met his wife and had children, Dr. Pappo still wanted to continue building him.

"I know the truth, Ernest" Hide whispered so that only he and Dr. Ernest Pappo could hear "and thank you" Hide climbed onto Ernest's bed.

Ernest laughed roughly, "That's good, and I suppose I should tell you that I knew of your crush on me for a long time".

"As expected" Hide laughed, "I knew you since you were twenty" Ernest laughed with Hide.

"I'm glad" Ernest whispered as he looked at Hide and his grandson Nagachika "that I'm surrounded by my favorite people when I die" he smiled bitterly to himself. "I am sorry that I made so many enemies Hid-e"

"No" Hide crooned, "you're not supposed to die".

"Don't be silly, I'm human. I'm supposed to die at this age" Ernest laughed as he slowly closed his eyes. "Will you forgive me for being selfish, Hid-e?" he asked gently.

"There is nothing to forgive" Hide said loudly as Nagachika walked over to Ernest's other side. "It is like you said, humans die and get lonely and you got lonely".

Ernest inhaled deeply.

"You made yourself a friend that wouldn't die. You did it, so now we can go do what friends do now and days" Hide said, voice even. "We can go to the movies or play checkers maybe even play gin rummy with the others from the nearby book club. You can't just die…I just started to understand what being human means…." Nagachika started to sob while Ernest's heart monitor went off. "I just started understanding what being…human…meant" the voice gained a static tone to it "you're not supposed to leave me. You promised to stay with me….."

The nurses came into the room to escort both Nagachika and Hide out.

/

Ten Years Later

When Nagachika and his wife approached Hide with the idea of children, Hide's immediate response was 'no'. The couple couldn't have children so they wanted someone to act like their child for them. They didn't want to adopt so cue the reason why they went to Hide. Among his many upgrades, a hologram ability was installed with other features to help solidify the hologram.

Long story made short and simple; the couple wanted Hide to appear as a small human child and act like one. The first step was easy; he demonstrated that to the couple but the last part was near impossible. With how he is, an android that is of equally age with their grandparents, asking for him to act like a human child is highly improbably. It was impossible and that is what he told them. But that didn't stop them from getting their way.

For one, the two provided a good argument about understanding human nature better if he was right there with children as they mature and grow older (unlike the time skips he experienced with Dr. Pappo's children and grandchildren). While this argument was good and sound, it wasn't until they started to gain tears in their eyes that Hide immediately agreed to go with them to enroll into an Elementary school.

/

How does this work?

After Hide's first year at elementary school, the android was ready to live up to the over the top Hollywood movies about crazed robots. But he was strictly "pro-human" so he couldn't take his anger out by killing the insufferable teacher or students. So Hide did the next best thing; find his way out of elementary school by pointing out all the things that could go wrong to Nagachika (the grandson not his wife).

All Hide needed was an attention grabbing opening for his argument.

"Your notes are proving insufficient" Hide said as soon as he came home from school.

Nagachika paused in his chewing of watermelon to look at Hide. Snorting, Nagachika swallowed his watermelon before turning his attention to Hide: "how am I supposed to take that? As a compliment or insult?"

"Neither" Hide gave a too bright smile "it is a fact. I do not understand how I can 'be human'… I do not have blood" and hopefully that would cause the man to think and stop this disastrous plan.

Wrong, what Hide learned during that moment is that humans are resilient and stubborn. "Oh that's simple! I just installed a heater inside of you!"

"Are you not worried that I will overheat?" Hide asked as his small "body" climbed into the chair across from Nagachika.

Nagachika smiled "It's a timed heater!"

"…." Hide didn't know how to retort to that. Nagachika had said 'timed heater' like it explained everything.

Nagachika stared into Hide's confused eyes "After ten years the heater I installed will shut off" he admitted after a moment of silence.

"….." Hide still didn't bother responding as he looked at Nagachika with an unnamed emotion on his face.

Nagachika grinned slightly as he brought his hand up to rub his hair. "Hide?" he asked.

"…I am trying to understand why I need a heater…" Hide responded as if Nagachika was the one looking like a child. Though technically, everyone looked like a child in Hide's eyes.

Nagachika pouted dramatically, "It's not just a heater! It's a pulsating heater! That way when people take your pulse, you will have a pulse!"

"….." Hide was stunned speechless as he gazed at Nagachika in a mixture of disappointment and amazement.

"It is amazing, right?" Nagachika's smile was bright as Hide just stared, "Hide?"

Sometimes arguments are so stupid that Hide had to distract himself with the internet. "Hmmm? Sorry, I got distracted…" he admitted to Nagachika, still flicking through different databases on the internet "did you know that ghouls cannot devour the blood and flesh of animals?"

"…." Nagachika's lips pressed into a thin line as he looked to the side.

"Dr. Nagachika?" hide asked, now opening another internet explorer to compare his information.

Nagachika sighed deeply, "I'm not a doctor, Hide"

Hide nodded his head, "Nagachika?"

"Yeah?" Nagachika asked as he went back to eating his watermelons.

Hide tilted his head as he broke through another security system. "My databanks say that I have a hidden component of blood installed on me" he said. "Is there a reason for this?" Hide tried to mimic Nagachika's pout.

"So that if you get a scrape or a nasty cut, you bleed. Don't want to worry the masses about a possible ghoul amongst them" Nagachika said with a smile as he gazed at Hide's pout. "Puff your cheeks up some more".

Hide puffed his cheeks up as he questioned Nagachika. "But I am not a gho- oh I get it….the internet is very informative…" Hide said with a pout.

"Just don't believe everything you get online, Hide" Nagachika tried to hold back his laughter as he responded to Hide.

"Of course" Hide nodded his head as he still pouted, "Nagachika?"

Nagachika ducked his head so that Hide couldn't see his contained laughter, "Y-ye-yeah?"

"Assuming that my hidden component is of human blood, where did you get that blood?" Hide asked, ridiculous pout still on his face.

Nagachika stopped his silent laughing as he thought.

"Nagachika?" Hide asked as a minute of silence passed between them.

"I'll explain when you're older….." Nagachika said as he avoided looking into Hide's eyes.

The pout on Hide's face lessened as the android squinted at Nagachika in confusion, "I'm around your grandfather's age".

"Have you tried out the weapon systems yet!?" Nagachika asked in a loud voice as he directed the conversation to a different topic.

"I have weapons?" Hide asked immediately as he gazed at Nagachika. Pausing for a moment, Hide looked at Nagachika in disapproval before continuing with the new topic, "what kind of weapons?"

/

Act like a kid

"How does one go about acting like a child?" Hide asked as he presented a note from his 'teachers'. Again they were requesting that Hide be moved to advanced classes. Preferably, they would like to have Hide tested. Because children (like what they think Hide is) should not be able to write about gravitational physics let alone an entire paper on it.

Nagachika sighed as his wife giggled as she read the note. "Go google it" they both responded at the same time, though their tones were completely different.

/

Hide, Elementary School, and Kaneki Ken

The boy strongly resembled Ernest Pappo. Not in the looks department (because Hide is one hundred percent sure that Ernest had freckles) for obvious reasons but as an android, Hide rarely compared people by looks.

No, it was the way the child presented himself. He was like a younger preHide!Ernest. Shy, quiet, bookworm, only one parent household, and without friends. As an old android, Hide could have ignored the first few but the last part really got to him.

He never got the chance to be a friend to Ernest for childhood or teen years. So when presented with a Kaneki Ken, Hide had to make a decision: be friends and suffer heart ache when Kaneki passes away or don't be friends and suffer the possibility of portraying as the Nagachika's grandchild to "gain more human experience".

The decision was very hard. While with time, wounds heal for humans but for Hide it still felt like he suffered Ernest's death yesterday.

But the option was taken off his hands when Kaneki Ken was walking alone in a bubble of 'depressing thoughts' by himself. Hide couldn't even stop himself from launching at the child and rattling about 'friendship', 'loneliness', and 'rabbits'.

Thus began the friendship of Kaneki Ken and Hide'yoshi Nagachika'. So much for trying to avoid heartbreak.

/

That Woman is a Ghoul but I can't Break His Heart

Being friends with Kaneki Ken was simple and easy. The child was agreeable and listened to his only friend. However, Hide knew better than Kaneki. When it became obvious that the child rarely showed interest outside of Hide'yoshi Nagachika'. Even as the two 'aged' (because after the age seventeen, the rest of the children-teens- no longer paid attention to see if someone was 'aging or not') it was rare and typically short lived if Kaneki Ken showed interest in someone other than Hide.

Typically, Hide would try to intervene at this time but he decided that Kaneki had it handled. However this didn't stop Hide from feeling conflicted emotions when Kaneki had told him about a beautiful woman who read books in the café.

At first, Hide did nothing but it wasn't until he actual meet the "beautiful woman who read books" that an unknown and unnamed emotion stirred in Hide's metal chambers.

She was a ghoul, the woman that Kaneki was crushing on is a ghoul. This, however, was not what made Hide intervene or want to intervene. Kaneki actually likes her and as an advanced –and only- android Hide had researched the name 'Rize' in the CCG data bank. Eventually (actually a hour after meeting Kaneki and Rize) the name came up along with another possible name; 'Binge-eater'.

By the time he had this information, Kaneki was already on his 'date' with Rize.

Thanks to Rize, being friends with Kaneki became more difficult.

/

Congrats, He's a Ghoul and is Avoiding Me

Turns out, Kaneki survived his 'date' with Rize. Well, kind of. From Hide's analysis of Kaneki's bio makeup, Kaneki wasn't only human anymore. Seems like Rize left a gift (or more, visitor hours ended before Hide could complete his analysis) in Kaneki. A very dangerous gift the made the child (twenty, Hide has to remind himself) into a half ghoul. At first, Hide was puzzled beyond belief.

How could a half ghoul exist?

To answer this, Hide did what he swore never to do. He hacked various governments', independent organizations' and civilians' personal computers.

In the end, Hide found two definite and one possible way for someone to become a 'half=ghoul'. Birth, experiments, and reverse experiments.

Hacking into the hospital employee roster and cross referencing the employees' written history and facial history. Hide determined that a 'Dr. Kanou was Kaneki's surgeon.

Checking the Russian satellite overhead (that wasn't acknowledge by any political party) Hide was able to determine that what looked like the 'clown ghouls' were responsible for Kaneki's and Rize's accident. Upon further investigation, Hide was able to determine a 'feeding' location that ghouls have for the 20th ward.

Which ended up being useless information. After hanging out with the main 20th ward ghouls, Kaneki had started to avoid Hide.

Even though he was merely a robotic intelligence with no feelings (as Hide believes), Hide still felt hurt that Kaneki had choose to abandon him. Though, in Kaneki's defense, the half ghoul had probably thought he was 'protecting' Hide.

Hide just hoped that his friend wasn't dragged into unnecessary conflict.

/

Torture and He Still Doesn't Call

Unlike popular belief, Hide didn't actually meet Yamori in an empty (that other ghoul doesn't count as a witness) side street like what people assume. Truthfully, they did meet at a vending machine but it was in a crowded area.

When people always assumed that Hide meet Yamori in an nearly empty place, Hide never bothered to correct them. It's not his problem that humans make the stupidest of assumptions and try to romanticize things. Did they honestly think that Hide (who they believed to be a weak human) would meet with a strong, homicidal, mentally unstable ghoul in an empty back street with no witnesses?

Obviously, they were relying too much on their technology now and days. Which says a lot, because it is a robot saying that.

Though, after Kaneki's torture the half ghoul had left Anteiku. Which was not okay. According to Touka (the child that remind Hide of a man he meet when he brought his son "Ayato" on a father-son trip) the half ghoul was a 'goddamned wannabe martyr'.

This fact solidified what Hide had observed as he watched Kaneki grow up. So Hide gave the half ghoul a month of rest before starting to 'search' for the half ghoul again.

/

A/N:

How is it? It's just a little plot bunny that kept harassing me while I tried to type up the next chapter of 'Experiment'. It just took a life of its own because my hand could not stop typing. Now here comes the main questions, to continue or not continue…..

Whatever, I just wanted a story when Hide wasn't a ghoul or human but still a badass.

This has been up on AO3 for a while now. Thought I should post it here so everyone can know that I'm still alive.