Oh gosh, to say I was overwhelmed by the reviews this time around would be an understatement, there were so many this time around, so let's get right into my responses to your words!

123ABIRI123: Thank you, I will!

Guest (StrategicChamp): I'm so happy you did!

Takedo: Neo has definitely taken an interest in Kaneki, and the Scarlatina's are safe... for now...

Kept123: Thanks for the review!

Kragh: Thank you for being the first (and only) one to tell me your preference on where to reply lol. Since you don't mind and nobody else opposes it, I'll keep responding here for the most part!

Shahzeb: I'm sorry you don't agree with how I've written what I have so far, but thank you for the review.

Guest: I had not planned on including more, no. I don't think that will change in the future.

KnightOfZaku: That's exactly what I was hoping for when I started this fanfic, so the fact that you're pointing it out makes me feel really good about myself. Ozpin's inner circle will definitely have better educated guesses than the average person. I love your ideas for a potential friendship with Salem and Kaneki, but I don't think that it would fit very well in what I have planned for this story, but thank you for sharing! Maybe in another story :)

Cataquack warrior: The first prediction you made is answered almost immediately, as is what happened to Zwei. In fact, almost everything you're asking is answered in this chapter!

artem-abramov-2004: Your concerns are very valid, since as of last chapter, the entire canon has shifted and Kaneki is somewhat in the middle of it all. I hope that you'll stick around long enough to see the answers to all your questions, as I hope to continue uploading somewhat regularly.

a54321: I'm so happy you enjoyed it! I wasn't sure if I went too far or not far enough with Kaneki's abilities.

King Crimson Requiem: I'm so sorry, Your Highness! It was not my intention to tease you with cliffhangers. And forgive me, Your Majesty, but how else is one to address royalty?

biGTime0213: Thank you for the review, and I will!

Kreceir: Truth be told, I'm not sure if I want it/ want to exclude it lol. But I will let things happen as naturally as possible.

apenasoutrocafe: Thank you so much!

Itharax: I cannot accurately describe how much your review made me smile. I was grinning ear to ear, I could feel the enthusiasm as I read it, and it only made me feel happier that you enjoy what I've written so much. It's really an amazing feeling to know I can have this sort of effect on somebody, so thank you for allowing me to experience your thoughts. Raven thinking that Kaneki has connections to Salem is the primary reason she retreated, and I'm glad that you picked up on that! As for the concerns you have regarding the aftermath of the the events of Breach, I think you'll find the answers you're looking for in this chapter. Do not worry about leaving such a long review, I loved every bit of it, and I too read and reread it as I wrote this response to it. By all means, type to your heart's content, and if you reach a character limit, message me directly! I will totally get back to you faster that way! I hope you have a wonderful day as well!

Guest: Thank you, stranger, and I will definitely let things happen naturally. I hope to see you again this time around! Don't know who you are, but you're appreciated all the same!

CykaBlayatintensifies: I'm glad you liked Raven's slight departure from canon!

Teddy (Guest): I had thought about having Kaneki eat Grimm since before I started writing and decided very early that it would defeat the whole Ghoul thing he has going for him, but I'm glad you still enjoyed the chapter! I will take your request into consideration and I will definitely let things happen naturally.

Matemeo3: Oh my gosh, hearing that I've captured something well is such a huge relief. As a first-time fanfic writer, I chose a hell of a difficult character to try to capture in Kaneki, so I'm sooo glad I was able to do it justice. Your hopes will be answered in this chapter lol. Hope you like it!

YeTianshi: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy Neo and Kaneki, it's really difficult for me to write their interactions, if I'm being honest! So I'm glad my efforts are paying off.

Greer123: Yang, and well, everybody really, is really hard for me to keep in character while also progressing the plot the way I had planned, so I'm glad you found it believable. The fact that Kaneki doesn't even know Cinder and is foiling her plans if a fun thing to have write, especially when I haven't even given Cinder any screen time.

Ikasuki: I'm glad we were able to understand each other regarding your review, and I hope to hear from your analytical brain once more. As for the concerns you brought up, I will definitely explore those in the near future.

Ruby looked around the darkness, knees shaking as she tried to discern something, anything, to get her bearings. Her hand hovered over where her weapon always was, but couldn't find it attached to her holster. Worried, she reached for her scroll to call for help or even just light up the darkness only to find it missing as well.

"What's the matter, Ruby?" a raspy voice called out to her from behind. Ruby turned towards his voice but could only make out his approaching silhouette. His body was thin, but his lone red eye glowed in the darkness, causing a shiver to run down her spine. She stared into the window to his soul only to find a void. His voice was distorted, as if multiple people were talking to her. "What's the matter? Are you scared?"

Ruby did her best to steady herself and defy him, but before she could respond, multiple Grimm-like appendages grabbed a hold of her wrists. All the bravado she had dissipated as she found herself restrained once more. "N-no! Let me go!" she cried, pulling at the black tendrils.

"I'm going to have fun eating you," he whispered to her, slowly stepping closer to her. A spotlight suddenly shined on Ruby, creating a column of light. As the creature stepped closer, his features were slowly able to be made out. First was his awful eye; the glowing red point in a pool of blackness. It darted around taking in her features, as if eagerly trying to decide where to begin its meal. Then the rest of his face, his ever-present teeth dripping red surrounded by flesh that reflected no light that only accentuated how pale the skin around his eye was. A few steps later, he was in the spotlight with her, horrifying appendages sticking out from his back. She could see his lipless mouth dripping with blood in a strange smile. She saw more rows of teeth as he spoke. "You smell so good, Ruby," he nearly moaned in pleasure.

Ruby tried to scream, but another appendage covered her mouth. Muffled, she tried her best to beg for her life, but the madness in his eye gave her no hope. He walked around her, his long thin fingers touching her cheek gently as he inspected her. She tried to squirm free, even attempting to use her Semblance to no avail. "Nobody can save you, Ruby. You're all mine." Silent tears formed and began to trail down her face as she began to accept her fate. She shut her eyes, wishing for it all to be over.

Then, she was suddenly let free. Ruby collapsed to the ground, looking around panicked to see no trace of the Grimm-like man. The light began to flicker above her, which only added to her anxiety. In the cover of darkness, she could see something moving, but as soon as the light shone, it disappeared.

"W-where are you?" she asked. As she did, the light stopped flickering and remained on. She scrambled to her feet, looking around for some sort of exit. There was no sign of anything around her anymore, yet she heard something skittering around. As the sound began to circle around her, she turned suddenly, only for the lights to turn off. She took a step back, unsure of what to do next. The buzzing of the light above caught her attention, and it flickered on once more. As her gaze turned back towards the skittering noises, the Faunus Killer jumped out of the darkness, mouth opened.

"RAAGH" he shouted, as his appendages began to wrap around Ruby.

"PLEASE NO!" Ruby cried out, jolting awake in her bed. She began to hyperventilate, her heart pounding out of her chest. Filled with such a primal fear, she didn't hear the rapid footsteps approaching over her own breathing.

"Ruby!" her father called out to her. She flinched at first, but then recognized him and sat there in shock. He rushed to her side, but his presence only confused her.

"D-dad? What are you doing here?" she asked, before noticing her surroundings. She was in her room, in Patch. "Wait… how'd I get here?"

"You were… brought here," he replied. "That doesn't matter, how are you feeling? The Grimm invasion is all over the news."

"Grimm invasion?" Ruby repeated. "Wait, what's going on? Where are the others? What invasion are you talking about?"

Taiyang grabbed a chair from her desk and took a seat next to her. "Your friends are outside. Yang took them to walk around the forest so you could rest, they're fine. What about you? You just woke up screaming! You haven't done that since before you started going to Signal."

Ruby's nightmare was still fresh on her mind. The Faunus Killer had morphed into some twisted monster and tore her team apart without any difficulty, only to toy with her like some sick psycho. "Dad, the Faunus Killer, he's not human, he can't be! We fought him… and he just… Dad, it was horrible!" She threw herself at her father, hugging him tightly. Her mask of the fearless leader melted away and she allowed herself to express every bit of fear she had been trying to hide.

"It's alright, I'm here," he soothed, rubbing circles on her back and stroking her hair. "I'm proud of you Ruby, that's never going to change. You led your team on a dangerous mission and they each came back in one piece. You've got an unbearable weight on your shoulders, but you don't have to carry it on your own, okay?"

Ruby silently cried, not trusting her voice. She buried her face into her father's chest and hugged even tighter. Taiyang stayed there as long as she needed him. Eventually, Ruby had calmed down and pulled away, wiping her face. "I'm sorry dad," she said, a bit embarrassed.

"It's alright," he assured. He looked out the window then back to Ruby. "Looks like your team is back. Why don't you let them know you're okay? Oh and don't worry about Zwei, the vet said he'll pull through."

"Wait, what happened to Zwei?!" she asked, hopping out of bed.

Taiyang scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "Well, I don't really know. When I found you all outside, you were all unconscious, except for him. Somebody apparently stabbed him with a thin blade."

Ruby could feel her heart beginning to ache, and she hugged her dad again. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault."

"I don't know what happened, or what that dog did, but I'm sure he'd do it again if it meant keeping you girls safe. He'll be okay, so don't worry. Go, talk to your team, I'm sure they're worried about you too."

Ruby wiped her tears and nodded. She walked out of her room, just now noticing she was in her pajamas. As she approached her team, she noticed that there was a tension in the air. "Hey, I'm up," she greeted with an awkward laugh. To her surprise, the three of them fell silent. "What's wrong?"

"We need to get back to Beacon," Weiss replied. "I don't know how we got here, but a lot's happened in Vale after…" She couldn't find it in her to finish.

"Right," Ruby agreed, now curious as to how they did get here. "Dad mentioned a Grimm invasion… how bad was it?"

Blake nervously grabbed her elbow and turned away. "Team JNPR said that there weren't too many citizen casualties, but a lot were hurt."

"We should probably get going," Yang said before Ruby could ask any further questions and walked off. Ruby looked over to her other two teammates who just shrugged. The young leader deflated a bit, but decided that they should talk in the privacy of their own dorm. As they walked off, they received a notification on their scrolls of a sudden assembly at Beacon this afternoon. For unknown reasons, it made Ruby's heart sink.

Kaneki stirred awake as he found himself lying on a cold hard floor. He grabbed his head, a dull pain throbbing in it. He looked around and noticed he was in a shipping yard near the warehouse he had stayed at. He was also drenched in seawater and his mask was stuffed into his pocket. Kaneki tried to recall how he had gotten here, but he could only remember bits and pieces at a time. He got to his feet to get a read of his surroundings. He realized that he was back in Vale.

The massive shipping containers would have made it easy for him to have hid himself last night, but he could not remember exactly how he had gotten here. He thought back to his most recent memory, which was his fight with the strange woman after he neutralized the four girls. After that, things began to get blurry but as he thought back, the silence around him spoke volumes.

If I'm hungry, then you're hungry.

Rize's words echoed in his mind, but he did not hear them now. Despite being a bit tired from whatever happened last night, he wasn't hungry anymore. Who had he eaten this time? He knew it couldn't have been Velvet's underclassmen, as he allowed them to be saved by the red-clad woman. After that, he was ambushed by a Huntsman.

"Who was that?" he asked aloud. Deciding to focus on his current situation instead, he realized that he was still caked in dry blood in spite of his attempts to cleanse himself last night. It was likely midmorning, which meant that going back to his apartment was out of question. Frustrated, he took out his scroll and called Torchwick. After a few rings, he finally answered.

"Eyepatch," he greeted, surprisingly pleasant. "Staying out of trouble, I hope?"

"Cut the shit, Roman," Kaneki said, rolling his eyes. "I need something from you."

"What is it?" he asked, a bit more serious, although Kaneki could still hear the smirk in his voice.

"I need a change of clothes and somewhere to lay low for a while. I'm still covered with… evidence of what happened yesterday." Kaneki looked around him again to figure out his location. "I'm at a shipping yard of some sort. Not the one we departed from."

"Just ping me your location, I'll have Neo bring you a bag," Torchwick offered. "I imagine you'd want your payment as well? She'll bring that to you too. As for a safe house, I got a few scattered around, Neo will take you to the closest one."

"Right. I'm going to take the next few weeks off from any jobs you may have, I'm not exactly hungry at the moment." He shut off his scroll, not waiting for an answer and pinged him his location. Shoving his scroll back into his pocket, he gathered his things and made himself scarce until Neo arrived. He wanted to go back to his job at the cafe for the sake of normalcy but he knew that he'd have to stay away for a couple more days as Marble expected him to be gone until the end of the week. Though, that didn't mean he couldn't check in. He pulled out his scroll once more and dialed Marble's number, only for there to be no answer. For a moment, he grew alarmed, but then realized that she was likely already working at the café. He decided to leave a voice message.

"Hey Marble, it's me, Kaneki. I heard about the incident yesterday," he began. He forced his voice to waver a bit, as if hiding his concern. "I'm just calling to check up on you… I, uh, on my way back to Vale. Please let me know if you're alright. Call me back when you can..."

As he hung up the call, he realized he had no way of knowing if she was actually alright. From the bits he could remember, the fight happened in the middle of the city, but he had no idea where that was in relation to the Scarlatina Café. His faux concern turned very real for a moment and debated on checking up on her now. Even if he himself didn't remember seeing her, there was no guarantee that a Grimm didn't get to her.

About an hour passed as Kaneki weighed the pros and cons of risking being seen so soon after the incident and he finally decided that he would simply have to wait. He wasn't sure when it happened, but Marble was one of very few people he found himself deeply caring about in this new world. In fact, he could count them on a single hand and still have a couple fingers left over.

"She would hate you if she knew what you were," a young voice whispered to him. Kaneki turned to see his child self sitting atop a container, looking at him with disgust. He approached and leaned his back against it, putting his mask back on. "You're a monster."

"I know," he agreed, adjusting the straps of his mask. He crossed his arms and looked around the shipping yard to ensure he wouldn't be seen. "Would you rather I just die?"

"Everybody would be better off. As long as you continue to eat people, nobody will ever accept you. Everybody you care about is in danger as long as you're alive!"

Kaneki let out a humorless laugh which seemed to anger his child self. "You think I'm not aware of that? I can do one of two things; I can kill people who've hurt others to feed myself, or kill indiscriminately. If I try to starve myself to death, I'll only be a bigger threat to not only Marble, but everybody." Kaneki stopped leaning against the container and looked up to the Child Kaneki. "I would much rather just die than to allow everybody around me to suffer, but I can't exactly accomplish that, can I? The Doves of this world lack the weapons that can hurt me and if they could, I'd lose control of myself like I did last night. I have no idea how many people I've hurt or killed, but I know for a fact that at least one person was turned to a meal… at least partially. So if you want me dead as much as I do, tell me, how?"

Child Kaneki looked at him with a shocked expression, seemingly on the verge of tears. "Is this what I am to become? A suicidal cannibal?" he asked, his voice cracking. "I hate you!"

The child apparition suddenly disappeared, leaving Kaneki with a dull feeling of remorse. If Rize represented his hunger, what did that apparition represent to him? And for that matter, what did Yamori represent?

He heard some tapping behind him. As he turned, he saw Neo wearing a wide grin and holding a duffle bag. She tossed it to him, and approached him. Kaneki opened it and began to take out some of the clothes, stripping off his battle suit. As he pulled the clean black shirt over his head, he noticed that Neo was still staring at him. She gestured to her own face and tilted her head expectantly.

"I'm aware of the mask," he said evenly, pulling on a hoodie that was too large for him."I do not want to be associated with you or Roman when I'm not on the job." Neo pouted, but didn't press any further. As Kaneki finished changing, he put on his hood and walked over to Neo. "Where is this safe house?"

Neo opened her umbrella, obscuring her form for a moment. When she closed it, she was now wearing a matching outfit as him, her eyes were green and had her now black hair in twin-tails. She was about to reach for his face, but stopped. She looked at him questioningly, as if asking for permission.

"If you try to take it off, I'll kill you," he said simply. Neo nodded, an ever present smile on her face, and poked his forehead. She then took out her scroll and took a picture of him. She turned it over to show him, and Kaneki was surprised to see that his mask was gone and instead was a face he didn't recognize. He noticed she had typed something underneath that read 'don't touch it'.

She grabbed his hand, interlocking her fingers in his, and began to lead him away. He did not like how she took advantage of the situation, but said nothing. The two wordlessly walked into town.

Team RWBY made their way to the auditorium, unsure of what the meeting was for. From how sudden it was, they knew it had to do with the breach that happened the night before. Ruby looked around the room, noticing that there weren't any students from the other schools present. The auditorium was more than big enough to accommodate them all, but it was only Beacon students who attended. Professor Ozpin approached the microphone wearing a grim expression.

"Students," he began, his voice even. "As you're all likely aware, there was a tragedy that befell the city of Vale yesterday. We have been able to conclude that a train filled with bombs had run its course from Mountain Glenn, Vale's failed expansion. While the exact reasons are still under investigation, the damage that was done in the few hours that our defenses were breached has neared its total. As of now, there were nearly fifty lives lost and many more injured."

The tension in the room began to rise. None of the students had expected to deal with so many deaths so close to home. Team RWBY specifically felt a wave of guilt wash over them as Ozpin mentioned the train. It was their job to stop that train, but they were simply not strong enough. Even with Doctor Oobleck, they were unable to stop it. There was a pause in the room that became increasingly more uncomfortable.

"The Vale Police Department and a few Huntsmen and Huntresses are still working on recovering the bodies and identifying those who lost their lives. As of this morning, we have received confirmation that Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck has lost his life. We will hold a memorial for him and the other lives lost and classes will be put on hold until further notice. All students are welcome to stay here if they wish, but if you would like to spend this time with loved ones back home, we will provide a means of transportation.

"As for the Vytal festival, I'm afraid that we are postponing it, but I have received word from the council that it may be canceled outright. The visiting students of other kingdoms have already been informed. As a reminder, all students have access to counselors. They will temporarily have extended hours but will require appointments. More information will be sent to your scrolls."

Ozpin walked off without concluding his speech. Professor Goodwitch stepped forward sighing. "Team RWBY, please head to the Headmaster's office immediately. As for the rest of you, you are free to leave."

Team RWBY collectively gulped, unsure of what to expect. Ruby could already feel her hands trembling in anxiety. Weiss was worried that the news of this incident would reach home and she would be forced to leave. Blake began to think that due to the White Fang's involvement, Ozpin was done with allowing her to attend. Yang felt numb; her body moving on its own. Wordlessly, the four girls made their way to Ozpin's office, not seeing the questioning looks from their friends.

As they entered the elevator, Weiss was the first to speak. "I can't believe Doctor Oobleck is really gone…"

"If we had stayed behind to help him–" began Ruby.

"He ordered us to go on without him," Blake pointed out, not allowing Ruby to start blaming herself. "We did exactly as he told us."

Yang remained silent. She knew that it was her actions that started this all. Sure, Oobleck didn't tell her to not find the Faunus Killer, but she left before he could give the order. Now, she thought back to the answer she had given him about why she became a Huntress.

"I'm a thrill-seeker," she had told him. "I wanna travel around the world and get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as I can."

What a stupid answer for her to give. Even if she only half-heartedly meant it at the time, at some point she would have said it sincerely. Yang crossed her arms and remained silent, as the other girls eventually did too.

The elevator ride was short, but it felt like ages. When the doors finally did open up, they were surprised to see General Ironwood. Yang and Ruby, however, were even more surprised to see their uncle Qrow. Any excitement they may have felt died when they noticed he wasn't exactly in his laidback mood. The four girls stepped out of the elevator, Ozpin standing from his desk to greet them.

"Hello girls," he said politely. "If you would take a seat, please."

The four complied, nervously. Qrow raised an eyebrow and straightened up. "You girls alright?" he asked, not used to seeing Ruby's downtrodden expression.

"We're fine, Uncle Qrow," Ruby said, forcing a smile, but he saw through it. Still, he nodded, allowing Ozpin to continue.

"You four were the last to see Doctor Oobleck alive," the Headmaster began. The four girls nearly flinched at his words, but there was no edge to them, he simply stated a fact. "If you could shed any light on how he died, it would help our investigation."

Ruby looked over to her team and back to her Headmaster. "Well, we were following a lead which led us to an underground city. The White Fang and Roman Torchwick were there, setting bombs on the train, so we and Doctor Oobleck did our best to stop the train. There was this girl with an umbrella that Doctor Oobleck engaged and he told us to go on ahead, as stopping the train was the most important objective…

"But in the next car, we encountered another enemy…" she paused. His figure was burned into her mind and thinking about him caused her to tremble in fear all over again. She looked up to Qrow who's expression had softened a bit, and pressed on. "It was the Faunus Killer… and he… Well, I don't remember much after he beat us, to be honest. It only took him a few moments to subdue the four of us… and when we came to… we were back home, on Patch. I don't know how we got there, or what happened after that."

Ozpin hummed and nodded. He looked over to Qrow, raising an eyebrow, but the scythe-wielder shook his head. "I see. I'm sure you four are aware that I had forbid any student from involving themselves with the Faunus Killer, as you call him, but there was no way you four could have known that he would have been on that train. Doctor Oobleck was aware of the danger of this individual and was under strict orders not to engage. Since you four were unaware of those orders, I can only imagine that this enemy was hiding in wait. However, if you can describe this man, it would be very useful for our investigation, as all we have are a few sightings and blurry footage of him."

Weiss noticed how Ruby began to hesitate when it came to the Faunus Killer, and jumped in. "He wore a mask, but it wasn't like a typical Grimm mask that the White Fang uses. In addition, he only had one eye and it didn't look human at all. I'm afraid that the rumors of the Faunus Killer being part Grimm might have some truth behind them after all."

"He also had black appendages that sprouted out of him, like Grimm arms," Blake added. "He didn't say much, but he taunted us before we engaged him and he knew—" she stopped herself. She turned back to Ruby, apologetically.

Ozpin leaned forward, interested. "He knew what, Miss Belladonna?"

"He knew my name," Ruby finished, her voice quiet, looking at her lap. "He… he sniffed me and… I begged him not to eat me."

Qrow visibly grew angry but said nothing. Instead, he walked over and put a hand on his niece's shoulder. He looked over to Yang, who had yet to speak, but she refused to meet his gaze. "How long has this thing been in Vale?" Qrow asked Ozpin, his voice low.

"A few months," he replied.

"A few months?!" Qrow repeated, an edge in his voice. "You've let this thing wander around free for a few months and still let your students, kids, out in the world knowing how dangerous this freak is!?"

"Qrow's right, Ozpin," the General agreed. He had remained silent to gather information, but Ozpin's passiveness was beginning to wear his patience thin. "If you knew how dangerous this thing is, why haven't you set out a team of Huntsmen to track him down? Hell, if anything, you're actively trying to prevent your students from doing anything about it! What the hell is your endgame?"

"James, Qrow…" Professor Ozpin began, his voice even. "We can discuss these matters another time. Team RWBY, thank you for your report, and please, take some time to rest."

"Y-yes sir," Rudy said, standing up. She turned towards her uncle, hugging him tightly. Qrow ruffled her hair a bit before the girl and her team headed out. He noticed that Yang still hasn't said anything.

"Yang," he called out. She stopped in her tracks and turned to him. Her expression was mostly blank, but he knew her well enough that she was far from okay. "Let's talk later, alright?"

"S-sure," she replied, her voice low. She seemed to lack all sorts of energy as she joined her team on the elevator.

"Are you okay, Yang?" asked Ruby.

"I'm fine," she assured.

Weiss and Blake looked at each other but remained quiet.

Neo and Kaneki arrived at a rather nice, if not sparse, apartment. It was clear to Kaneki that it didn't get much use, though he expected that most of Roman's safehouses were very much the same. It was lightly furnished, having a couch in the living room, a dining table with two chairs and a bedroom with just a bed; there was no television, appliances or decorations. Neo plopped herself down on the couch, patting the spot next to her as an invitation.

"Why are you so interested in me?" he asked, genuinely curious. Try as he might, outside of Neo's profession, she didn't seem like a bad person… but given his poor judgement in character regarding women, he decided to keep a distance. She took out her scroll once more and began to type away. As she did, he took a seat by her.

'I haven't met many people I can't kill. You're special :3' Neo smiled innocently as he read it.

"Is this part of your twisted sense of humor? Or are you being serious?" he asked. She shrugged at him, grinning. "That ability you used to disguise us… how does it work?"

'You expect me to answer your question after denying all of mine? Why don't you answer one first? Like, why do you eat people?' she wrote, narrowing her eyes at him playfully.

Kaneki stood from the couch and shook his head. "Just get out," he said tiredly. Neo popped up to her feet, but didn't leave. She held her scroll up again.

'Fine I won't ask that anymore. Why do you wear that mask?'

"So I can live a normal life outside of working with you and Roman," he said simply. Before he could ask anything, Neo already held up her scroll with a new query.

'What does a cannibal consider normal?'

Kaneki wasn't amused, and once again pointed to the door. Neo pouted again, but he didn't budge. She tried to write another message, but Kaneki snatched her scroll from her, crushing it. His eye darkened and iris reddened as he glared at the short girl. "Leave."

Neo scoffed at him, but grabbed her parasol and left anyway. Kaneki shut the door behind her, locking it. Finally alone, and relatively safe, Kaneki took off his mask, tossing it aside. He collapsed on the couch and ran his hand through his hair. As he nearly drifted to sleep, his scroll went off. Had he not destroyed Neo's scroll, he would have assumed it was her. As he checked who was calling, he saw Marble's picture and immediately answered.

"Ken! I'm sorry I missed your call!" she said apologetically.

"No, don't be," he said, unable to keep a smile from forming on his face. She was alive. "Are you okay? What happened yesterday? I heard about a Grimm invasion."

"I'm a bit shaken up, if I'm being honest," she admitted. "I was in the area when the Grimm showed up, but Libby was able to keep me safe. The café made it, although I'm not sure about opening up this week. I don't know if you've spoken to Velvet, but she's okay for the most part. Apparently her school isn't having classes for a while, so at least I'll have a little bit of help from her while you're away. Are you still going back this weekend?"

"I should be back tomorrow," he replied. "I'm sorry I left on such short notice, I–"

"Ken, stop that right now," she said, cutting him off. "Whatever things you have going on in your life are your business okay? Life happens, and nobody could have known about the Grimm invasion. I mean, all things considered, things could have gone a lot worse."

Kaneki felt relief from that, but grew curious. "What do you mean by that?"

Marble hesitated for a moment. "Ah, you see… um, I think Velvet can explain it to you when you're back. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it. I'm sure she got a few photos of the thing."

"The Faunus Killer?" he asked, without thinking.

"Uh, yes… that," she replied, uneasily. "Look, just look after yourself, okay? I love you Ken, and I don't want you getting hurt. I have to go, Libby's husband is driving me to help out those who got hurt."

"R-right," he said, taken aback at her words. "I'll see you soon, Marble." He put his scroll down and leaned back into the couch. The woman amazed Kaneki; despite having been in the battlefield, she still went out of her way to help those in need. Despite him leaving her to run the shop alone, she still was concerned for his safety over her own livelihood. She was everything he remembered about his own mother. What impressed him more was how effortlessly she seemed to wear her heart on her sleeve. The three words echoed in his mind and brought a strange sensation in his chest. He felt as if he belonged. With three words, she had filled the severe absence of motherly affection that has eluded him most of his life; in fact, it was almost foreign to him now. But Marble also shared the same flaw as his dearly departed mother, and he refused to let her fall into the trap of overworking. Kaneki was no longer the helpless boy he once was. He vowed to protect the two at all costs, but they could never find out about his condition. He never truly belonged to the world of Ghouls or humans in Tokyo, but here in Vale, the Scarlatina family had given him a home.

As he settled into the couch thinking of ways to help Marble and her daughter, he began to wonder if he should dye his hair black or wear a wig when he wasn't hunting. He hadn't seen too many people with white hair, other than Yang's friend. Still, if he were to change his look so suddenly, it would only make those close to him more suspicious. Kaneki began to ponder more potential solutions, but ultimately decided to carry on as he had. He grabbed his white eyepatch and slipped it over his Ghoul eye.. As far as he knew, he wasn't a suspect and playing the part of the weak barista would help him throw off any suspicions so he'd simply have to continue to do just that.

General Ironwood and Qrow stared at Ozpin as the three men waited for Glynda to arrive. Qrow couldn't remember the last time he and Ironwood were on the same page, but unlike the General, Qrow was aware that there was likely a good reason as to why Ozpin had kept them all in the dark. He took out his flask and took a swig just as the elevator doors opened.

"Ah, Glynda, you're here," Ozpin greeted politely. "We can get started now."

"Then tell me, Ozpin, why didn't you tell me about this creature months ago?" Ironwood demanded, not bothering with his usual pleasantries towards Glynda. "If this thing is capable of killing a fully-fledged Huntsman, we should have sent an entire team to track it down and kill it, especially if it's already within your walls."

"James, it's not that simple," Glynda said evenly. "This thing might be one of hers. Not just some ancient Grimm that's learned, but something sentient."

"All the more reason to exterminate it!" he insisted. "All we have to do is find out where it is and unleash everything we have against it. We saw that our airships can hurt it, and Glynda, you said certain Dust types were effective, right? We have more than enough to start preparing a strike force–"

"What do you think we're doing?" Ozpin asked calmly. "I didn't call Qrow back early just to have tea with him. Glynda and I have faced it once before. It is very possible that this creature may be a spawn of Salem herself and if it has inherited even a fraction of her abilities, we must not move so boldly. This… thing is sentient, capable of speaking and our newest reports show that it can mutate itself like some Grimm. Imps are known to merge with other Grimm and Geist can possess inanimate objects; who's to say that Salem hasn't found a way to do something similar to a person?"

"You think that thing could be human?" asked Qrow, unsure. He looked over to Glynda who seemed just as surprised as him.

Ozpin rubbed his temples and leaned forward in his chair. "I don't know what to think, but we cannot rule out possibilities."

"Possibilities?" Ironwood scoffed. "Oz, that thing is responsible for several killings around Vale, including one of your own Professors and is still roaming around with you sitting here doing nothing! What could you possibly see in that thing?"

Ozpin stood up, taking his scroll out from his coat. He tapped away at it and sent a file to each person in the room. "If you open the video I included in those files, I will show you something interesting." The three complied, a small holographic screen appearing in front of them all. There, it showed the beginning of the fight between team CFVY and the Faunus Killer. The students were quick to engage the monster, Ozpin paused the video before the fight actually began. "Did you notice?"

"Notice what? That the thing came from the same hole those Grimm did?" he asked. Ozpin shook his head, and turned to Glynda.

"Glynda, do you remember our first encounter with the Faunus Killer? What was the first thing it did?"

Professor Goodwitch thought back, recalling the police contacting them with its location. She had attacked it when Ozpin found it. "It was trying to escape," she replied. "We tried to engage it, but we underestimated it and it got away."

"We did, but it did not attack first," he pointed out. "Before you arrived, it shouted at me, to get away, to leave it alone. Even the first reported sighting of it, a woman walked in on him eating somebody we now know to be an Ex-White Fang member. If this creature was indeed just a Faunus Killer, why would he not kill the Faunus woman who found him?"

Qrow's eyes widened in realization. "You think this thing attacks only when provoked?" he asked. Ozpin nodded and turned back to General Ironwood.

"Now tell me, Ironwood. You told me your airship did damage to him, did you not?" he asked knowingly. Ironwood nodded. "Yet after your airship was able to hurt it, tell me, how did Roman Torchwick escape?"

Ironwood bit his tongue as he recalled the video footage from the airship showing the creature tearing the door off and tossing his men out. "The Faunus Killer broke him out."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but he sported no injuries at that point, did he? In the few moments it took for him to incapacitate Glynda and find Roman, all damage we did to it was undone. Never before have I seen anybody with the ability to regenerate entire portions of their body back, much less in such a short amount of time." Save for one. he thought. "If everything that sees him immediately reacts with intent to harm him, what choice will he have but to act in self-defense?"

"Oz, are you defending its actions?" asked Qrow, now confused.

"No, not at all. I have been trying to put myself in his shoes. If my theory is correct, and this is just a boy with some sort of possession-type Grimm manipulating him, there is a chance we can save him, and if nothing else, we can try to reason with him. It has only been met with violence by all forms of authority, something I am also guilty of. That's where you come in."

"Me?" asked Qrow, nearly dropping his flask. "What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"You are the only one in this room that he has yet to see. Glynda and I have attacked him on sight, and James has those military presentations all over town advertising his new Atlesian Knights and Paladins. The reason I kept you from helping Glynda in Vale yesterday is because I need you to find out who this person is, find out what you can and report back. You won't be alone, as I plan to have Professor Port, Greene, Mulberry and Peach do a similar task. The difference is that they will only be keeping an eye around Vale."

"So that's why you're closing down the school?" asked Ironwood. "You're using your entire staff as recon?"

"Just those who haven't retired from their Huntsman duties," he clarified. He turned back to Qrow. "Can you do this for us?"

Qrow gritted his teeth for a moment. The Faunus Killer had shaken both his nieces to their core, and Ozpin was asking him to approach him without hostility. Still, Qrow knew that the Headmaster wouldn't share a theory without believing it himself. "I'll do it. I got to check up on the girls."

"Of course," said Ozpin, "and thank you, Qrow."

Qrow gave him a half-hearted wave as he walked towards the elevator. "Keep me updated on whatever you find on this guy."

Ozpin nodded, turning his attention back to Ironwood. "Now, James, Glynda, what are your thoughts on the Faunus Killer breaking out Roman Torchwick?"

"It's clear that Roman Torchwick has somehow manipulated this thing into working with him," Ironwood admitted.

"Or he can be reasoned with," Glynda pointed out. "Roman has never been particularly violent when he commits crimes. The night I met Ruby, Roman didn't harm anybody unable to defend themself. Like the shop owner of Dust to Dawn, aside from being rattled at being held at gunpoint, he wasn't treated roughly."

"My thoughts exactly," Ozpin agreed. "If this man had formed some sort of bond with Roman, it would explain why he would go out of his way to save him despite having an airship and Glynda after him."

Glynda crossed her arms and became pensive. "If one does engage him, he definitely fights to kill, if not maim. When I fought him in Vale, his strange tentacles had enough force behind them to easily break somebody's Aura. I was lucky that I had all of mine at the time. We should go over the reports to see if we see any more patterns."

Qrow walked into the Beacon library, where Yang had told him she was. It wasn't hard to find her, given how most students were either in their dorms due to classes being halted. Yang was in the back, clicking away at one of the computers. He walked over, pulling a chair along with him. Yang didn't seem to want to acknowledge him, as she didn't say anything as he took a seat.

"Alright, Firecracker, what's bothering you?" he asked directly.

"It's nothing, Uncle Qrow," she said unconvincingly. She refused to look at him, continuing to click away. "I'm just tired."

"Are you trying to fool me, or yourself?" he asked. "I've known you since you were as tall as my knee, don't think you can brush me off. If you don't want to talk about it, fine, but don't tell me it's nothing."

Yang stopped what she was doing and sighed. She turned the screen off and turned to her Uncle. "I… I messed up," she admitted. "I did something stupid out on a mission and now people got hurt because of it."

Qrow hummed in acknowledgement, taking a moment to think. He leaned forward, resting an elbow on the computer desk. "I won't ask what you did, but tell me, did you think you were doing the right thing at the time?" Yang remained silent. "Don't think about it too hard. When you made your decision, did you have the greater good in mind?"

"Yes! I mena... sort of," she replied. She looked away and scratched the back of her head. "I don't know if you've heard of him, but there's a serial killer in Vale, they're calling him the Faunus Killer. While out on our mission, Ruby saw him wandering out Mountain Glenn, and was talking to Weiss about telling Oobleck. I knew he wouldn't let us engage, so I ran off on my own before he could tell me otherwise…" Qrow narrowed his eyes at his niece, but reserved judgment. "I had run into him once before, and even then he didn't really try to fight me, but he beat me. I… I knew I couldn't beat him, but I couldn't let him just wander around hurting people!" Yang was on the verge of tears, but held them back. "He made me feel powerless, and when we fought him on the train… He was toying with all four of us the whole time."

"I get it," he replied, surprising her. "You're young, Yang, you're going to make mistakes and as bad as you may feel about this one, it probably won't be the worst one you'll make. You going off on your own was your first mistake, and while you didn't have orders to go against, you knew damn well what they were going to be; that was your second mistake. However, what happened because of those mistakes can't be attributed to you alone. You're not the one who rigged those explosives, you're not the one who led Grimm to the city and you're not the reason that the Faunus Killer got away. Sometimes, we have to know when to avoid battles we can't win."

Yang looked down, guilt-stricken. "But Qrow, Oobleck is dead because of me. He would still be alive if I hadn't run off."

Qrow put his hand on the girl's shoulder and pulled her into a hug. "I understand that feeling all too well, Firecracker. But you can't let fear of making mistakes prevent you from taking action. I don't blame you for Oobleck, we all signed up for this job knowing the risks, but telling yourself that doesn't do shit to make you feel better."

"How do you make this feeling go away?" she asked, quietly wiping her tears away. Qrow broke the embrace, and gave her a somber expression.

"I'm the last person who should give somebody advice on that regard," he said with a humorless laugh. Yang immediately realized what he meant, and nodded. "Stiffen up that upper lip, Firecracker. Ruby might be your team leader, but you'll always be her big sister, alright? We all find ways of coping with our regrets, just don't let those methods be destructive. You take after your father, and I know he would use a situation like this to get stronger, not to run away."

Yang took a deep breath and composed herself. "Thanks, Qrow…"

"Anytime kiddo. I'm gonna be in Vale for a while doing some hush hush things, but if you need to talk, I'm just a call away, alright? Your dad too. Now come on, let's get out of this dump, I need a drink."

And there we have it! I would love to hear your thoughts and feelings, as well as any concerns you may have. I have really begun to love writing more because of you all, which I didn't think would have happened. I'm grateful for your praise and comments, and to those who wish well for my health and safety. To be honest, this last chapter took a lot out of me, so the next update may take a bit longer that the last few have been, but I will work on it as soon as possible!
I hope you all have a wonderful week, I love you all!

~Liv