I pulled the strap on my mask, my left eye glowing black. Tsukiyama stood beside me, standing tall in his purple suit. He dawned on his crescent moon mask, on the off chance this went bad. In completely silence, as the snow slowly fell, he tapped on the iron door with the back of his hand, his knuckles rattling the rusty metal.
Kaneki hid in the corner of my eye, on top of a roof top. He stood out more than I'd like, in the bright light of day.
Pyrrha walked up, pulling the pump of her shotgun and resting it on her hip.
Uta spared no expense, he had completely designed Pyrrha and I's outfits. He had given me a black jumpsuit to wear, which had a fabric that would cover my neck and be held in place by the tightened white mask I wore. On top I wore a standing collar jacket, one sleeve of which was longer than the other. The shorter sleeve had horizontal stripes sliced into the fabric, exposing my scars that I had received form my fights. Ghoul's may heal, but the healed section still develops scar tissue.
I wore long black jeans, a belt hanging low over them.
Pyrrha wore a completely skin tight black jumpsuit, her hair put up into a bun. Her mask was of a clownish face, with a large teeth imbedded mouth and large black eyes that would be at home on a plague doctor mask. Intricate snakes the color of her hair came from the tip of the mask, blurring where the mask began and ended.
Her body was decorated with Q shells, along with a glock and some Q clips.
I summoned my kagune, just in case. It wouldn't be considered rude, as supposedly the Cat likes to keep her kagune active, much like Uta keeps his eyes black.
The black flesh gained a slight hue of blue and red in the daylight. I supposed I never fought in the light, just in the dark, or poorly lit clubs or warehouses. The flesh seemed far more beautiful out here, as what was once an onyx blob now seemed like a colorful piece of art.
The door slowly opened, revealing at least thirty masked ghouls. We slowly walked in, the large gate closing behind us. In the middle of the rim, lit by a hole in the ceiling, a familiar duo met my gaze. 'Crimson' and 'Cat', as they were called, stood in front of us, each with their kagunes drawn.
"Who are you? Uta informed us of your approach." The woman named 'Cat' said, her long black hair flowing past her shoulders.
"Just some people from MM and the coffee shop, Anteiku."
"Just? There is no 'just'. State your purpose, this is our territory." Crimson said, his claw wrapped around his arm.
"We want to form an alliance." I said. Pyrrha was standing so still I wondered if she was a statue. Was it out of fear, or just the opposite? My heart was certainly pounding, way too fast.
"There's no way the White Fang would ally with some coffee chop and some dude who has his head so far up his ass he thinks eating is a delicacy." Cat said, crossing her arms as red tendrils slithering around her.
"Wait..." Crimson said, holding up his hand. The man tilted back his head, taking a whiff of the air. "The blonde one smells familiar."
"You met me when I worked with the Shifts. I'm passed that now, I'll even help you swallow their territory if you want." I said, holding out my hand.
"No, not what I mean." He said, brushing me off and leaning in to whisper in Cat's ear.
"They did say they were from Anteiku..." Cat whispered.
"No, that wouldn't explain it... I mean, look at him... Isn't it too..." I only picked up bits and pieces. I suppose my Ghoul transformation had amplified my hearing versus my smell, but they still were speaking far too low.
"State your demands, my dear brothers in ghoulishness. As head of the Tsukiyama family and leader of MM, I promise they will be met."
They stayed silent for a second, as if tempted, yet thoughtful.
"Why do you need our alliance? We haven't threatened your territory."
"Of course not! Why, that's exactly why we must bond!" Tsukiyama said. "Your men have proven their vigor and resilience. I wish for them only to protect us in times of war, and in turn, we would do the same."
"What could your group to do protect us?"
"Why, MM has a man by the name of Scrapper. I assure you, if needed, he would be a viable asset for times of war. Atop of that, while my bureaucrats tend to stay above the glass ceiling feeding on the highest quality meet, someone's one simply craves for a more... primal meal. I can guarantee their participation."
"And you, blondie?" Cat spat.
"Our group has some of the more talented fighters of the ward, excluding your team. Our coffee shop is closer to the Dove's area of influence than your warehouse is, so we would act as a shield and vanguard in times of need. We'd also make you guys some damn good coffee."
A girl stepped from the crowd, tilting her head with an interested look. Her face was wrapped in medical tape, and a purple hood pulled above her head. She stood out among the group of gray visor wearing troops, but said nothing.
"Who's that?" Cat said, motioning to Pyrrha.
She raised the shotgun, firing it into the air. Everyone flinched as she pumped the gun, the empty shell flinging out and making a clinking sound against the hard floor.
"You can call me Rogue, I'm a mercenary. I like blasting ghoul's and dove's heads out, since my Kagune was damaged when I was young by a piece of shit dove."
I swallowed harshly, impressed by the tone she gave. It felt legitimate.
"What are you doing?"
"Just protecting the money. I was told you'd be under my protection if the deal went through."
"Us, under your protection? Are you belittling us?"
"'Course not. That said, it's always nice to have someone take a bullet for you, right?"
They looked at each other, as if thinking.
"You don't really offer much, but at the same time, you're territory is valuable, your assistance and familiarity with the Shifts could be useful, and I'll admit I'd like to have a cup of coffee in the morning." Crimson said. "I'm Adam Taurus, and this is Blake Belladonna. Welcome to the White Fang."
I gave a sigh of relief, glancing up into the hole in the ceiling. Kaneki gave me a thumbs up, cracking his index finger with his other hand.
Time slowed.
My ears pounded.
Steps. Steps, steps, steps. So many steps.
In the corner of my eye, I noticed the girl in tape and the purple hood vanish into the hood.
With my hearing, a small giggle left her covered lips.
Steps surrounded the warehouse. I could hear them. I could feel them. My heart pounded, yet despite it pulsing in my eardrums, I could hear every movement.
Each of the windows. They were outside the windows.
Kaneki's knuckles cracked. Why was he cracking them?
Why was there a ticking by the left wall?
"EVERYONE, GET DOWN!" I shouted, hitting the deck.
Fire erupted as the left wall exploded, the windows shattering as men leaped inside. Screaming erupted in the warehouse as SWAT troops leaped inside, firing Q bullets into the crowd.
Kaneki leaped from the ceiling, his tendrils wrapping around a troop and throwing him forward. The armored man skidded onto the ground, meeting the boot of a man in white to stop his sliding.
The man looked up, brushing back his brown hair. It was Cardin.
"Take the named ghouls alive!"
Pyrrha froze in fear, Tsukiyama giving a small smile. His sword spiraled out of his back and around his arm as his hand rested on his face.
"Dearest me... I guess my suit will be getting dirty again."
Pyrrha stood stiff, a look of horror likely resting beneath her mask. She took a frightened step back as an investigator charged at her, swinging her sword down.
"Akira! Stay focused on the named targets!" Cardin shouted.
"I got this!" She screamed back. Pyrrha leaped back, aiming her gun and firing. A crack exploded in the air as the investigator thrust down her whip quinque, smacking the shell out of the air.
"What the hell are you doing here!?" Cardin shouted, drawing his chainsaw sword.
"I could ask the same!"
"I have to kill you now!" Cardin yelled, as if put into a rage by my presence. I charged forward, slashing down with my claw. His sword moved to intercept, locking with my kagune in a show of sparks and blended gore. I grabbed his arms with my left hand and thrust it to the side, kneeing him in the stomach.
He choked and buckled over as I thrust my kagune covered elbow down, knocking him to the floor. He rolled over as I stabbed my sword into the ground, rolling up to his feet and slashing downwards.
I removed my shield and blocked the attack, the sword still attached to my arm.
"A removable Kagune, huh?" He said, giving a war cry and charging in. His sword came horizontally from my right, causing my vision to sharpen as the adrenaline finally kicked in. I jumped up and pulled my legs to my chest, spinning around and hitting him in the cheekbone with the edge of my shield.
He stumbled back as I detached my sword section, holding it forward in my hand.
"Come and get me!" I shouted. Cardin gave a roar and came barreling forward, as if to tackle me. I sprinted forward, stepping on the back of his head and kickflipping off. As I spun, my lower boot met his nose and thrust his head back.
His nose cracked as blood poured out of his nostrils.
"Bastard!" He shouted, slashing upwards and to the side. I let out a scream as the blade met my side, tearing away at my flesh. I punched him with my shield, stammering back as blood poured from the open wound.
He charged forward, swinging his sword horizontally once more. I sprinted forward and ducked underneath, slashing away at the side of his leg and missing the tendon.
He winced, spinning around and slicing the sword up. The chainsaw tore into the side of my arm as I pulled it up out of the way, skinning it with a flood of crimson. I winced, spinning and slashing down with my sword. He leaped back and blocked it with his own blade, letting out another show of sparks and gore.
Pyrrha brought the stock of her shotgun into the investigator's temple, causing her to stumble in a drunken stupor. She brought her SPAS-12 up, firing. The gun exploded as the investigator dropped low to the ground, kicking her feet out from underneath her.
Pyrrha fell to the ground as she pulled the gauge on her shotgun, Akira going in for the kill. She stabbed downwards, the blade entering the coil of Tsukiyama's Kagune.
Akira turned to the man as he suddenly appeared beside her, a look of surprise on her face. The Gourmet wrapped his spare hand around her throat, lifting her into the air.
"Oh, Mademoiselle... I don't take kindly to you hurting such a beautiful platter such as her..." He said, throwing her across and slashing into her back midair. She let out a scream as she hit the floor with a roll, pushing herself up with a slight stumble.
I leaped back, Cardin giving a huff of exhaustion.
========WhoWasShe==============
My vision blurred slightly, my limbs feeling weak. How long had it been since I ate? It couldn't have been more than a week...
===ThatLook======ThatLaugh=========
======Who===are======we?========
=A===Rose==WasNot===TheSource======
====What====Did====He====FeedMe?==
I let out a low pitched growl, as Cardin's scent entered my nostrils. The blood, the gore, it was all too much. I was being overwhelmed with a new type of sensory. It was fantastic.
He looked so tasty.
I wanted to eat him.
We should eat him.
Despite the weakness, my limbs moved with new energy as hunger forced my hand. I charged forward and slashed down into his shoulder. He let out a scream as the blade sliced inside with a spray of blood. He recoiled back, slashing up with his sword.
And there it went.
My arm.
Floating through the air.
My shield, clattering on the floor.
My screams, echoing through the warehouse.
Pyrrha's yelling in horror.
I felt my world go gray as I fell to my knees, blood squirting from the wound. With my breathe slowly leaving my chest in a moan, I flopped to the floor. Cardin let out a groan, which was muffled as I slowly lost my grip on reality. He grabbed his wound, limping over to me and raising his sword for the final blow.
==========Why=====Are====We=====
===I'm===Not====Hungry====So=======
=====Why=====Do===I===feel===So...===
=======God====Save===Me===========
====I====Don't======Want===ToDie!====
Red tendrils wrapped around Cardin's arm and leg, a look of shock entering his face. Every muscle stretched into a look of horror as the tentacles tightened, a scream escaping his throat. His arm tore off with a spill of blood, tissue, and shattered bone, his leg cracking as his femur jutted out of his thigh.
The tendrils threw him to the side, my savior standing over me.
My angel stood there, hair white, cloak black, with his one black and red eye staring down at me.
Kckkk...
"Help..." I whispered, dying.
Kckk...
"I... couldn't...kill...him." I choked, blood spilling from my lip.
"You want to be stronger?" He said, squatting down. My gaze flickered around the room, to the piles of bodies.
Akira charged forward, slashing at Pyrrha.
She pressed against a wall, firing her shotgun.
Akira ducked under the blast, slashing at her neck.
She ducked, the quinque slicing through the pillar and cutting it in two.
With a groan, the pillar and the section of the roof it held up came tumbling down, crushing Pyrrha.
My throat caught, tears entering my eyes. Her hand hung out of the pile of rubble, her fingers twisted the wrong way. Her ring finger had fallen off, and blood was slowly spilling down her arm.
"Yes... stronger..." I said, my voice cutting out.
The girl stood in the doorway, her hands behind her back. Behind her seemed to stand a red forest, as Ruby slowly hugged the girl from behind.
"Give in, Jaune."
"Die."
"Just let go."
"Are you going to take it like this?"
Kaneki grabbed my leg, dragging me away from the forest. I reached my hand towards the girl, Kaneki giving what I assumed to be my hallucination a glare.
I scratched at the ground, letting out childish and weak sounds of dismay.
"Let...Help..."
"I'll make you stronger, Jaune. Don't worry. Nobody I care about will get hurt like this again... in a way." Kaneki said, popping his knuckle.
"Please..." I whimpered, reaching towards Pyrrha's pile.
The girl gave a smile, as Ruby stood behind her. They opened their eyes in unison, as one of the eyes of the bandaged girl glowed a bright red.
"The One Eyed Owl..."
"The One Eyed Owl..."
"The One Eyed Owl..."
I gasped and choked as Kaneki reached down and thrust me over his shoulder.
"Ignore them for now, Jaune." Kaneki said, stepping on Cardin's damaged body.
"I'll give you strength."