I glanced at the swinging light bulb hanging from the ceiling blankly, blood slowly dripping from my chin.

Pyrrha-Where r u?

Me-Does it matter?

Pyrrha-Yeah, duh.

My fingers pressed against the flesh stick stuck in my teeth, which had now lost all of its warmth. Weakly, I closed my eyes, my throat catching. There were no more tears to give.

Pyrrha-I didn't see U get in ur room.

Me-So?

Pyrrha-I just stopped by your room on the way to mine. U aren't there.

Me-So?

I sighed, thinking of our apartment complex. Pyrrha and I used to live on the same floor. Used to. Now, I lived in this...ward. This... gang. Wiping my hand on my sleeves, I rose, glancing around the room. I stepped up the stairs opposite the entrance, entering the empty warehouse. Sunlight gently peeked in through the broken glass, reflecting off of the slightly rusted pipes. Cinder glanced down at her feet from her perch on top of the stone rubble, throwing something at me. The fabric flew threw the air slow, landing in my hands.

"Get changed. You don't look decent."

Without thinking, I closed the door behind me and changed into the clothes she gave me. Simple jeans and a black hoodie, whose inside was a fluffy red. Just like mine, but it wasn't. I had written my name on my tag. The door groaned as I entered again, staring at her blankly and brushing back my blonde hair.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"What happens now?" I asked, rubbing my chin.

"Now," Came a voice to my right. Mercury stood shirtless, dripping wet and drying his body off with a towel. "You have two options. You can leave or join."

"Join?"

"We're a gang, I told you that. Currently we're pretty small, and don't have much territory. Pretty much only a block in each direction. We Shifts are like family though."

"Who else is there?"

"Just three more, and they're out hunting right now."

"...Hunting?" I asked, glancing away in disgust.

"What do you choose? Tell me now, because if you join, I need to call a friend." He said, pulling out his phone. I glanced down at mine, pulling up Pyrrha's contact. Being with her would only hurt her, and I couldn't attend Beacon like this. The pure amount of people would drive me mad.

Me-I'm leaving forever. Goodbye.

Pyrrha-What?

-What's wrong?

-Jaune?!

-Jaune?!

I closed my phone and glanced at him, nodding weakly. He nodded, pulling out his phone and dialing a number.

"Cinder, we're leaving. Its about to be dusk, we're going meeting Uta." He said, talking to her as his phone rang. Cinder groaned as he turned away, a smile growing to his face. "Hey, Uta, I got a commission for you. Yeah...Yeah...Yeah, new guy. No, don't know his Kagune yet. No, he doesn't know either. Hmm, can you make it for him or not? Alright, we'll be there in an hour." He said, hanging up and turning to me.

"Who's Uta?"

"A friend. Since you are joining us, you are going to need a mask to hide your identity."

"A mask?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Yeah, a mask." He said, reaching into his coat and pulling one out. His was a gas mask, pure and simple. Cinder glanced back at me, pulling out hers. It was a simple mask, its eyeholes surrounded by fire.

"Ours are boring, but most of what Uta makes it really badass, so don't worry." He said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "The more traits he knows about you, the better. Thats why he wanted to know your Kagune type. Its no big deal though, lets roll out." He said, placing on a hat. "Put on your hood."

...

We reached the shop, the sky a pitch black. A slight chime played as we entered the shop. What seemed like thousands of masks hung from the wall, a man sitting in the chair behind the counter. His appearance was odd to say the least, half of his head shaved. His eyes were turned on ghoul mode, and he made no signs of turning them off. Tattoos coiled around his arms as he waved them, giving a smile and a far off look.

"Hello, Mercury. Is this the boy?" He said in a monotone.

"Yeah, he's the one eye."

"One eye? Oh, you didn't tell me that over the phone. I already started prepping the mask." He whined. "Oh well, come here." He said, pointing at me. "What's your name?"

"Jaune Arc."

"Arc, huh? Let's play a game. I'm going to ask you some questions and learn a bit about you, okay? Just take a seat right there." He said, pointing at the leather chair. I nodded, sitting down.

"How tall are you?"

"Like 6'1, maybe a little shorter." I said, his fingers running through my blonde hair. The odd man glanced at my blue eyes further, squinting slightly.

"How would you describe yourself?"

"Uh..." I said, trying to remember what I'd do. "Oh, the best, of course! I once took down an entire gang with my fists!"

"Its all seriousness here. You can take your face and your fake confidence outside."

"Then...caring, I guess. Kind, maybe funny, if you like bad jokes."

"And how would others describe you?"

"Thick, definitely thick. Innocent, even. Dumb, stupid, by others."

"What is your biggest regret?" He asked, holding a tape measure to my chin. I flinched at the question, my stare unfocusing.

"Eating...Abandoning my friends."

"You seem to be a real white knight." He chuckled, measuring my face. "All you seem to care about is doing the right thing."

"And girls." I said with a shrug. "I guess that's really me."

"I don't think so, I think you are a much more complex person. Yes, complex. That's a good trait for mask making. Such fun." He said with a smile. "Its a good thing I started the prep already, my original idea was a good one. That should be enough data, I'll be done within the hour. I have snacks over there." He said, pointing.

The hour was slow and full of self doubt. The reality of becoming a ghoul was almost too hard to believe, but upon analyzing, it made more sense. The doctor, Professor Kanou, performed a surgery on my to save my life. That Ruby girl, he must have taken her liver or whatever organ he planted in me, and that must have started a transformation.

"I have finished." He said, holding up a bag. "You are a white knight. You hate to eat, and you are far more complex than you are made out to be. I put all those traits in this." He said, pulling out the mask. It was made for the lower portion, and was completely white besides wavy markings of crimson, resembling blood. There were two mandibles that covered crimson red teeth, and the chin was pointed. "It even opens up." He said, pulling down at the chin. The teeth separated, the mandibles flying open. Underneath the mandibles were several springs, binding the mouth closed. "Its going to be hard to do anything with your mouth but talk with this this, so don't worry about eating anything."

I smiled as he placed the mask in my hands.

"It looks amazing."

"Uta, you really got to make me one that cool." Mercury complained. Uta shrugged, holding out his hand. With a sign, Mercury took out several 'Lien' bills and paid for the mask. Meanwhile, I tried it on. Placing it against my skin, I pulled the crimson red leather straps and tried moving my head. Small movements of the mouth like talking where easy, but things like opening up as if to bite into something weren't. You could still do it, and looking in the mirror it looked cool. The mandibles would flip open and the jaws would separate, giving some demonic atmosphere.

"Let's go." Mercury said, tugging at my jacket.

"W-Woah, hold up. Where?"

"To watch over our territory, let's go!" He said, glancing back. We walked back, my phone vibrating with texts from Pyrrha. It took a lot of willpower, but I managed to shut off my phone. I wouldn't go near her again. I couldn't. Doing so could put her in danger.

We walked back to the warehouse, using the access ladder to climb to the top of the concrete building. The view was expansive, allowing the entire city to be seen. Not literally, of course, but thats the scale that it seemed to be at. With a sigh, I hung my feet off the railing and viewed the landscape. Mercury sat on a pipe above me, resting on his shins.

"So this is the vale you ghouls see? Up here, above everyone else?" I said, glancing at the city. My eyes fell to my mask, my fingers gently pressing against the cold white resin.

"Yeah." He said, his gray hair blowing in the wind. "It sucks, doesn't it?"

"Maybe." I said with a shrug, turning back. "I could stand it...if it didn't involve eating people." The words made me feel sick, causing my to grab my throat instinctively.

"You'll get used to it." He sighed. "Humans are bastards anyways."

I left it at that. Brushing back my blonde hair, I glanced down at the town. I'm not sure I could ever get used to eating people. Maybe, though, I could find a way to get by. Eat only when I had to, or even find an alternative. Humans could live off IVs, right? At least, for a while. Hell, I'm studying biology. I'm my own test subject, maybe I can get something to work.

Yeah, there wasn't a reason to freak out. Just...Take things as they were.

I thought of Pyrrha, my stomach lurching. For a moment, just a brief moment, I didn't think of her as a friend, but rather, as an object to be eaten. Shaking my head, I glanced at Mercury. He stood, letting out a loud sigh and stretching his arm over his shoulder.

"Seems like Roman, Neo, and Emerald are back. We should go." He said, glancing down the hole. He motioned me over, pointing down. I glanced my head in, his boot meeting my butt and kicking me in. A childish scream escaped me as I fell, landing hard in the rubble.

"F..Fuck..."

A curse, something I didn't normally do, escaped my mouth. Rolling to the side, I pushed myself upwards, glancing around me. My eyes met a well dressed redheaded man, who straightened his tie against his white suit. Next to him was a girl, or at least, thats what she seemed to be. She was puny, below five feet, but likely older than me. Half of her hair was a nice chocolaty brown, but the other half was a creamy pink.

"This is the new guy?" Questioned another girl. Her skin was black, her hair a mint color. She wore a sports bra, her crimson eyes settled on me.

"Yes, Emerald." Cinder said distastefully. "This is Jaune Arc."

"There goes my chance to be the only guy in the group." The redheaded man said with a sigh.

"Hey!" Mercury shouted. "What's that supposed to mean, Roman?"

"Oh...nothing." He chuckled, placing his arm around the small girl. "Neo, dear, I thought we agreed he should be dead by now. He annoys me."

"We discussed this! I can hear you!" Mercury said annoyed. Roman chuckled, walking over to a pillar and grabbing two large bags. He dragged them over, chucking them before us.

"I think you'll be impressed with tonight's meal. I got a real plump one. He was a pain in the ass to hoist all the way over here, but I managed." He said, kicking into the bloodied bag. I covered my mouth in disgust, looking away.

"Who were they?" I asked weakly.

"What?" Roman asked, tilting his head. "Why do you care."

"He's...got a soft spot for humans." Mercury explained, shrugging. "I don't get it."

"Well, whatever." Roman sighed, glancing at the silent Neo. "They were just two guys on the street. Chubby here was complaining about his life. How much the world hated him, how he'd probably die alone. Does that make you feel better, Blondie?"

"No." I said truthfully, glancing at the corpses. Under the rags, the fearful face of the young man peered out. "They were so young."

"What, do you expect me to eat old meat?" Emerald said, tilting her head. "That's disgusting. I'm not picky, but that's pushing it, don't you think?"

"How often does a ghoul have to eat?" I asked, biting my lip.

"One month." Cinder said, crossing her arms. "Do you expect to last that long? I need you at your full strength. We need to capture territory, newbie."

"I'm waiting a month." I said, glancing up at her with a determined gaze. "And when I get hungry, I will find my own food."

"Whatever, let the kid be a picky eater." Emerald shrugged, bending down in front of the corpse. Her claws sunk into the left one's chest, beads of blood forming around her fingertips. I winced, turning away as the sound of tearing flesh assaulted my eardrums.

"Don't make me regret letting you stay." I heard Cinder say from the back. Rising, I left the warehouse with my hands in my pockets.

"I'll be back." I said, walking out.

...

My hands pressed tightly against the chains of the swing set, my gaze set on the floor. The swing set creaked and groaned as I swung back and forth gently, letting out a sigh. I glanced around the empty park, only lit by the light of the midnight moon.

I had to eat. It was a fact. Even so, I wouldn't kill anyone. I don't care if he was the worst man alive, that didn't merit death. I wasn't going to be the one deciding who lived and who died.

"Jaune? Oh my god, is that you?" A feminine voice filled with emotion tore through the air, my gaze snapping upwards. Pyrrha glanced up, a bag of groceries in her hand.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I got some groceries." She said, chuckling slightly.

"At this hour?" I said silently.

"I've never been one to remember things." She sighed, placing them down. "Where have you been? I called the cops!"

"That was stupid of you." I sighed, glancing up at the moon. She sighed, taking seat in the swing beside me.

"Where were you, and what was with that stupid cryptic text of yours?" She said, giving an angry pout and leaning in. I leaned away. Whether it was just a girl in my area or me not trusting myself around her, I didn't know.

"It wasn't cryptic, we can't see each other anymore."

"What? Why are you saying that?" She asked, confused. "Jaune, if you're in trouble or something, I know people" She said, holding up her fist. "It will be just like highschool, when I saved you from that bully, Cardin."

"Oh, please." I said, rolling my eyes. "I totally had that situation handled. If he messed with me one more time I would have given him the one-hit-kill Arc Kick! Its a technique that's been passed down the Arc family for generations!" I boasted, placing my hands on my hips. She chuckled, leaning back and swinging forward.

"What is it, Jaune. Really. I'm your...best friend. You can at least tell me what's up. I pinky promise not to tell anyone." She said, holding out her hand. I sighed, pressing it down.

"This isn't something like that, Pyrrha. I'm afraid it's nothing that can be fixed. You wouldn't even believe me if I told you."

"Jaune, you doubt what I'd believe." She said, crossing her arms. "I had to fight off a bear, once. Seriously, not even kidding. The people of the town nicknamed the bear 'the Ursa'. My grandpa has pictures to prove it."

"You really are starting to sound Canadian." I chuckled, swinging back and forth. She have a spiteful 'hmpf!', looking away.

"I'll...try to keep in touch." I said, frowning. "but I can't stay with you."

"Jaune!" She said angrily, standing. "I'm sorry for this!"

She held up her hand, slapping it across my face. I winced, glancing up at her.

"You are acting ridiculous. I don't care what the situation is, you can't just cut everyone off and run away."

"So you'll believe me, then?"

"Absolutely!" She said, greek fire burning green in her eyes.

"I've turned into a ghoul." I said, glancing down.

She blinked twice, tilting her head.

"What?"

"I told you that you wouldn't believe me." I said with a sigh, throwing back my head and closing my eyes.

"What are you talking about? How do you become a ghoul?" She asked, furrowing her brow. I spent the next few minutes attempting to explain it to her, but she only seemed to be driven further and further away.

"And so a liver transplant turns you into a ghoul?" She said, disgusted and horrified. Pyrrha rose, glancing at me."Have you gone insane, Jaune?"

"I wish I did." I sighed, closing my eyes. "Do I have to prove it to you?"

"Yes, yes you do." She said. "I'm not that stupid that you can fool me with your nonsense. Honestly, its too late in the night to be dealing with these jokes."

My closed eyes twitched as I attempted to turn it on.

=====================You want me?=====================================

I slowly opened my left eye, revealing its black and red contents. Pyrrha's eyes widened, her face growing distressed.

"W..What the hell?" She said, stumbling backwards. Her shoe caught on a metal beam used for balancing, causing ehr to trip backwards and fall

"W-What are you?" She stammered, returning her horrified gaze to me.

"A ghoul" I said, my voice catching. To see her so terrified, and for her to be so terrified of me...

"G-Get away from me! Monster!" She screamed, scrambling to her feet and sprinting away. I watched as she ran past her bags and ran away. Away from me, she sprinted off into the dark. the fingers of my right hand tightened against the chains of the swing, my head falling into my left. Tears fell against my wrist as I sobbed, wiping the water from my face. Tilting upwards,

I continued swinging.


A/N:

Finals week! More or less, some of my stuff is spread out. I am several chapters ahead in writing this, so it shouldn't affect you guys too much. Just wanted to let you know. Get hyped for summer though, production should increase exponentially.