Hey everybody! So this chapter was a lot harder for me to get out, so I'm sorry about the long wait! I know I said I wanted to update twice before the end of the year, but that's very unlikely to happen at this point because there's been a lot of things happening in my life that I was not ready for. That being said, I will still try to write as much as I can, but I doubt I'll have a chapter within a week, so I'm sorry for anybody expecting another chapter before the new year. That being said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
Candrariski155: Thank you! I hope to get better the more I write. As for Salem, I would imagine she is very curious but Kaneki is sort of out of reach of her grasp since she's still operating behind the scenes.
James the apple: Well that makes one of us! I am looking forward to the angst and fallout that may or may not happen in the future :3
Halo69: The gimp mask was just a throwaway comment, don't worry about it. We'll see how his recruitment goes this chapter!
Guest: Hope to hear your reaction to Kaneki's attempt.
Hellibleri: Happy Christmas/ Merry Holidays! Kaneki definitely has been slacking on his training, but he has not really had the intention of fighting people, so I hope you'll give him a little slack.
SkyChaser17: Wow there's a lot to unpack here! First of all, thank you, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story! As for the tasting of humans, Kaneki has only eaten Faunus up until this point, other than a small bite of Oobleck on the train, where he was between lucidity and delirium, so he didn't really get to savor that. That being said, I wouldn't know what Faunus taste like, but I imagine they'd be just as appetizing as humans are! As for Cinder being 'spicy', I can totally see that! I really don't think that eating her would grand Maiden powers, especially since since it was stated that the power was bound to people's Aura, which Kaneki does not have. I'm not sure how much the Tokyo Ghoul universe took from the mythological versions, but I don't know about having more magical resistance than anybody else, but he definitely has a lot of durability. I also wanted to mention that Kaneki's assessment is his perspective, not something to be taken as absolute truth. So his dismissal of Yang being a non-issue can and may come back to bite him, but also remember that he has faced off against Yang when she was alone and with her team, both times handling her relatively easily. Hope to hear from you again soon!
YeTianshi: I hope that you like my interpretation of the showdown!
artem-abramov-2004: The Copycat Killer is Kaneki, but Qrow didn't get the chance to bring that up in the encounter, so Ozpin's circle still are in the dark about that. Kaneki is the only Ghoul (or half-ghoul rather) in this story, so I don't expect to bring in Haise, especially since this Kaneki is before that personality emerged from him. As for Cinder and her plans, well, I guess we're slowly diverging away from the canon story which will (hopefully) make it harder to predict things from here on out. Thanks for the review!
Zekken182: I get the feeling that you don't like Cinder.
CykaBlyantintensifies: Let's see if how this little spat will play out!
a54321: Hope that you'll like it!
Phantommore: I like your take on Kaneki's strength!
KnightOfZaku: It seems that we have a similar take on Ironwood's personality! As for Qrow's Semblance, I had interpreted it as it affecting other people, but I can totally be wrong about that, I'll definitely have to double check on that!
KenSanders: Qrow shouldn't have been drinking, in my opinion, but that's sort of his character, I suppose. But yes, he definitely messed up with his encounter with Kaneki.
AngelAzazel88: I've been updating for the few months, and I definitely won't abandon this story! If I ever did, I already have a person in mind to adopt it, so on the off chance that something happens, it will be finished! Hope you continue to enjoy the story!
HeyTales (Guest): I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying what I've done, and even more so that seeing that my story has updated brings you such joy! Hopefully you'll see this update too! You should get some sleep though, and don't read fanfictions in class! That's not good, but I do appreciate the kind words!
808Joker808: Sorry for the wait!
satsuezero: "Do the students still remember that the Grimm are attracted to negative emotions, and they ran to Kaneki?" I think this is a very good question, and one I don't want to just shoehorn into the story since there was no place in this chapter to fit it naturally, so I'll answer it here (and possibly incorporate in a later update). The students do know and remember that the Grimm are attracted to negativity, but them swarming towards Kaneki was both obscured by the massive smoke and dust that emerged from the hole the train blew open. That being said, I had intended to make Kaneki's Kakuja's form the most obvious and pressing threat, which made the other Grimm's actions seem a bit unimportant in comparison, although there was one person who noticed that, which was hinted at in chapter 10: Night on the Town. Hope this helps!
EchoAwakens: Thank you! I'm glad you found it!
U-Identity: Thank you so much for the kind words, they mean the world to me. I'm honestly a little blown away by how nice my readers, both old and new, have been and I feel like I'm the lucky one that you've all found me.
"Oh, now he wants to meet?" Cinder growled looking at the message on her scroll. She had to make a conscious effort not to melt the device as she aggressively typed back a message. She faced up to see her two pupils looking at her strangely and grew further annoyed. "What?!"
"You were about to give us orders, Ma'am," Emerald replied, looking away nervously.
Cinder rolled her eyes at the girl's demeanor. "Well things have changed," she announced. "That rat Roman wants to meet."
Mercury scoffed loudly. "Are we really going to pretend that he didn't royally fuck up the plan and go into hiding?"
"Of course not," Cinder answered, holding in her annoyance. "He will learn what happens when he crosses me. You two will accompany me in case his mute sidekick is with him." Emerald was about to speak up, but caught herself before bringing any attention to herself. The teen had to remind herself not to question Cinder. "Any objections?"
"No, Ma'am," the two replied.
Specialist Winter Schnee disembarked her airship with two Atlesian Knights accompanying her. As she took her first few steps in Beacon's courtyard, she felt a lot of tension in the air. It seemed that General Ironwood was not exaggerating about the situation. Winter made her way through the courtyard ignoring the few stares she got.
"Schnee."
Winter looked over to see the General waiting by the courtyard's fountain. As she reached him, she stood to attention, and saluted. "Sir, I got here as soon as I could."
"At ease," Ironwood said as he approached. He looked over to her ship then back to her. "I assume there were no issues with the cargo?"
"None, sir. It appears the White Fang aren't baring their teeth for now." She looked around to see if anybody was going to listen in before continuing. "Sir, about this… creature."
"It's still in the city," he informed her. "We'll discuss the details later, but for now, I need you to familiarize yourself with the city. Ozpin has requested Huntsmen and Huntresses to assist with this manhunt, so you will be reporting to him."
"Understood, sir."
The General stepped closer and began to adjust Winter's collar but then spoke in a low whisper. "Vale's a rather large city, so I doubt you'll find anything worth reporting to Ozpin."
"Of course," Winter replied, immediately understanding. "Shall I report to Professor Ozpin now?"
"I think that would be best," he said, stepping back. "Make sure to return to me when your meeting with the Headmaster is over. I'll be on my ship for now."
"Yes, sir." Winter saluted the General once more as she took her leave and headed towards Ozpin's office. As she walked on, she motioned towards the two Atlesian Knights to follow in their usual formation. For a moment, she was curious as to what the General was planning, but knew she had to wait. Given how brief the interaction the two just shared, it was clear to her that it was meant to be kept under wraps.
Winter made her way to the elevator in the tower, sighing to herself. As she made her way up, she fiddled with the broach on her collar, ensuring that it was centered, then lightly tugged on her gloves. The elevator slowed its ascent and Winter once again stood at attention. As the doors opened, she heard the Headmaster politely greet her.
"Ms. Schnee, I'm glad you could make it on such short notice," Ozpin said to her. His eyes pointed to the chair before him, inviting her to sit. Instead, Winter walked in and stood.
"General Ironwood has informed me of very little," Winter began. "I only know that there is a concerning situation residing within the borders of Vale."
Ozpin nodded without hesitation. "I'm glad James was willing to withhold this information, I'm sure it wasn't a decision he took lightly. If this got out, it would cause mass-panic across the entire Kingdom of Vale." Winter raised a brow but said nothing. "Ms. Schnee, it's no secret you have plenty of experience in felling monsters and apprehending criminals, which is why I would like you to work closely with another Huntsman of my choosing regarding this matter."
"Of course," Winter agreed. "I will trust your judgment in my mission assignment."
"You'll be working with Qrow Branwen," he said. He could immediately see the way Winter tensed up and quickly added, "I am aware of the interactions you two have had in the past–"
"Sir, I don't believe I can trust Qrow with my life out on the battlefield," she interrupted.
"I'm not thrilled about it, either, Ice Queen." Qrow finally made his presence known as he stepped out from the back of the room where Winter had not seen him. He looked over to Ozpin, arms crossed. "I told you she wasn't going to go for it."
Ozpin cleared his throat as he saw how the two were beginning to size each other up. "Qrow, why don't you fill her in on what we know about the boy."
"Boy?" Winter repeated in confusion. "I was under the impression that there was some sort of Grimm?"
"The media hasn't been given enough info to work with, so they come up with whatever they want," Qrow explained. "The only thing you need to know is that this kid is both dangerous and willing to kill. Glynda has faced off against him twice now and neither time has there been a clear victor. Our target is something between a person and a Grimm, without really falling into either category."
Winter rubbed her temples as she tried to visualize her target. "If he's both and neither, what am I dealing with?"
"I'm sorry Specialist Schnee, but that's all we really know about him," Ozpin cut in. "Apart from one conversation that did not end well, we have nothing but speculation . Qrow can fill you in on the details later, but what you need to know is this; unless we can convince the public and the council that we have handled this threat, they will not allow the Vytal Festival to continue."
"With all due respect, Professor, isn't the Vytal Festival the least of our concerns? If there truly is a threat to the people and students in Vale, wouldn't it be preferable to have fewer potential casualties? Especially from other Kingdoms, the loss of their citizens is grounds for war. I believe that this threat should be eliminated."
"That was our initial plan at first, yes," Ozpin admitted. "There are still some things we cannot share with you, I'm afraid. But do know that it is in all of our best interest that this boy no longer feels threatened by Huntsmen. Should you or Qrow come into contact with the target, it is imperative that you do not engage."
Winter frowned at this order. "I fail to understand the–"
"You don't need to understand, Ice Queen," Qrow interrupted. "Be a good little soldier, and just follow orders."
Winter stormed before Qrow, her eyes narrowing at his comments. "Must I remind you that my loyalty belongs to Atlas, Branwen? I'm not some sort of mercenary for hire."
Qrow smirked and leaned down towards her face slightly. "Forgive me for failing to see the difference," he mocked. "Aren't you here because Ironwood told you to help Oz?"
"Qrow, that's enough," Ozpin interrupted, seeing the animosity building between the two. "If you two cannot work together, I'll have you work independently."
"I think that's a great idea, Oz," Qrow said, backing off from the Specialist.
Winter scowled still, and turned back to the Headmaster. "So, what exactly is our assignment?"
Ozpin sat back into his chair, picking up his mug of hot chocolate. "For now, simply be on the lookout for this boy. I've already sent you what little information we have on him, as well as what the VPD has collected. Feel free to go over it in your own quarters."
"Very well," she replied, heading back towards the elevator. Giving Qrow one last glare before the doors closed on her.
"Hmm… this is what has become of Vale…?" a man asked to himself, looking around the city unimpressed. He walked around slowly, taking into account the heightened security and taking a mental note of the city's cameras. He adjusted his hat to further obscure his face. He reached into his coat for a small coin-shaped device that had a dim light on it. He fiddled with it idly as he made his way through the town before he got to where the Grimm invasion had started. The damage was long since fixed and even the people that walked about didn't seem to have any further concerns of a repeat occurrence. He thought back to the news footage.
A long black figure stood in the smoke as dozens of Grimm converged on him. They attacked him, but their efforts were futile.
"So… this is where he stood…" the man whispered, kneeling down to touch the ground. "I will find you…" he promised. He stood back up and wandered back into town, still fiddling with the metal button.
Kaneki sat atop a building across from where Cinder was meant to meet him. In his hand, he held Torchwick's old scroll, rereading the message she had sent him. The underlying threat was as clear as day, and Kaneki wondered if she was initially being obvious with her wording or if she truly lacked the tact needed to make these sorts of demands. He put the scroll down as he adjusted his mask, zipping his mouth closed. He thought back to what Torchwick had warned him about regarding Cinder, wondering what sort of Semblance she possessed. From the descriptions he was given, she seemed to be some sort of pyromancer-like woman, and thanks to Neo's own abilities, he knew exactly what Cinder looked like. Still, utilizing fire, or any element, wasn't really that unique in this world, considering how both Weiss and Glynda utilized fire and ice to some extent.
Her two pupils were another issue, as Roman hadn't seen them in action. He was aware that the girl was a thief and the boy was the son of an assassin, but that didn't really help him with their actual abilities, if they had any. Kaneki knew that using his Ghoul's sense of smell, he'd be able to notice if the two tried to sneak up on him. Still, he didn't want to underestimate them.
"I wonder if they have anything to do with Salem…" Kaneki wondered aloud. He hadn't mentioned the name to Torchwick or Neo yet, but considering that Cinder was their biggest concern, it was likely that they didn't know anything about her. Still, if that name was enough to concern somebody as high up as Ozpin, whom he learned was comparable to being the Prime Minister of Vale, it was likely that this Salem was a much bigger threat than a couple of small time criminals. Cinder, on the other hand, seemed to have come from nowhere and made Torchwick dance in the palm of her hand. That sort of power would usually be flaunted if she was trying to become the head of the criminal underworld, yet she was still using Torchwick as some sort of figurehead. Whatever her reasons were, it was clear that she was powerful and that's all Kaneki cared for.
Torchwick's scroll went off. 'Where are you?' read the message from She-Witch. Kaneki didn't respond. Instead, he began to stalk around the building for any signs of Cinder. To his surprise, he could smell something charred, as if something was freshly burnt. He assumed it was Cinder, but tried to smell something else in hopes of seeing if her two students were with her. As he approached slowly, he could smell ash and iron. It seemed she didn't come alone, but neither did she hide her company, as next to her was a tall man in a white mask and a sword at his hip. While his dark clothes blended into the night, his burning red hair made him stand out like a sore thumb.
"I thought you said he'd be here," the man uttered, annoyed. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword as he looked around the empty lot.
Cinder rolled her eyes. "Relax, Adam, he will be here," she assured, obviously also annoyed. "I'm just wondering if he was smart enough to bring his little bodyguard with him."
"What difference does it make if he's alone or not?" Adam asked, genuinely perturbed.
Kaneki walked along the rooftops and jumped down behind the pair. While his landing was soft, the two still heard him and turned quickly. To his surprise, the two didn't waste any time in attacking him. Almost immediately, he jumped back from a blast of fire as well as a sword swipe. He composed himself, turning his head at the two, amused at their reactions.
"I didn't mean to scare you," he prodded lightly. He looked directly at Cinder, noticing the slight flinch as he did. "I've heard a lot about you, Cinder. I can't say the same for you though."
"Who are you?!" Cinder demanded as she conjured an obsidian blade in her hand. Her associate sheathed his sword but did not let go of it, which gave Kaneki a hint to his fighting style.
"I've been called a lot of things these days," Kaneki admitted. "Most popular seems to be the Faunus Killer," he added, looking over to the red-headed man. The mask he wore gave him a clue as to why he was here. "I'm sorry, have I eaten some of your friends?"
"You'll pay for what you've done to my people!" the man seethed. His hair began to glow slightly, but as Cinder raised her hand, he stopped.
She cleared her throat, obviously in an attempt to compose herself. "So you're the one making the news," she began. "I must say, your rise to fame was quite impressive, if not a bit barbaric."
Kaneki crossed his arms, unimpressed by the woman before him. He could tell there were a couple of people circling around to flank him, but their attempts of stealth were futile. "I was told you had a couple of rugrats following you around all the time," he said, gesturing to his left and right. "Am I safe to assume they're getting in position now to strike? I can tell you now, it won't make a difference in how this ends."
The smugness left Cinder's face almost immediately. He was better than she thought. "Get back here," she ordered. Almost immediately a green haired girl and a gray haired boy emerged and quickly returned to Cinder's side. "Alright, you've made your point, boy. Why are you here? Where's Roman?"
Kaneki lifted the scroll that had Torchwick's emblem on it. Cinder's eyes widened slightly. "He's gone," he said, wiping away some invisible remnants from his mouth. "Did you still have some business with him?"
There was a pregnant pause as the four stood in a mixture of horror, disgust and fear. Cinder quickly shook it off and spoke up. "Well, you've saved me the trouble," she began. "I was planning on killing him myself."
Kaneki raised his hand, folding his thumb over his index finger. "I don't think you quite understand why you're here, Cinder." Pop. "I came here to make you an offer, which I will also extend to your little posse of rejects. I killed Torchwick because he was no longer useful to me, which means I'm now lacking henchmen."
"You are out of your mind if you think I will work for you!" Adam roared. He rushed forward and swung his blade in an attempt to decapitate Kaneki, who didn't budge from his position. Adam was clearly angry and wasn't thinking clearly, which made Kaneki's next display of power all the more effective. As Adam's sword neared his neck, Kaneki caught the blade in his bare hand. Kaneki was surprised by the power behind the swing, but luckily, it seemed the sword wasn't infused with any kind of Dust despite its red hue. Using his free hand, Kaneki reached towards his mask and unzipped it.
Adam immediately jumped back, abandoning his sword. The threat was loud and clear. Kaneki inspected the sword for a moment, before ultimately throwing it back towards the Bull Faunus. "I'll take that as a no from you," Kaneki said simply. He took a step forward, gauging the responses from the four of them. The mint-haired girl was the most obvious in her fear, nearly taking a full step back as he did, the boy in black raised his hands ready to fight, Adam similarly lowering his stance. Cinder, however, didn't react at all. Instead, she took a few steps forward, picked up Adam's sword and tossed it back to him.
"You must be arrogant if you think you can insult me and walk away in one piece," she said, her voice harboring a silent rage. She gestured to the girl who immediately nodded. Almost instantly, the four of them vanished from Kaneki's sight. He could hear them rushing towards him, which caused him to jump back from the invisible assault as he tried to brush off whatever it was that the girl did to him. Unfortunately he was not able to succeed in time as a raging inferno above him began to descend. He braced himself only for the fire to strike him from the side.
"Illusions?" he asked. He shut his eyes for a moment to hear an enemy to his left, but when he opened them there was nothing. He raised his arms anyway and blocked a blade of some sort.
"Where's all that bravado?" Cinder mocked. Kaneki simply smirked as his Kagune sprang out and struck somebody. As it did, the the enemy was sent into a dim streetlamp causing it to flicker and die. He moved aside as another fireball was launched at him when he realized that the scent of ashes was even further away. Cinder was making a retreat. He took a few sniffs and made a beeline towards the smell.
"Emerald, why can he see me?!" Cinder shouted, seeing the masked cannibal running directly at her.
"He shouldn't be able to!" he heard the other girl shout. She was a bit further behind, meaning that Cinder was likely retreating with the girl covering their escape. As Kaneki closed the distance between himself and where he thought Cinder was, one of his Kagune grabbed a manhole from the ground and launched it at where he heard Emerald's voice. The girl let out a pained grunt and the illusion faded. Cinder was facing him with what looked to be a bow made of glass. To his surprise, she nocked three arrows that she manifested and shot them at him.
"You can't escape," Kaneki growled. He maneuvered his body between the arrows without slowing his pace and launched two of his Kagune at her. To his annoyance, Adam appeared before him and blocked the strikes with his sword, glowing slightly as it did. When he sheathed the blade, Adam's hair seemed to adopt the glow, as well as the red accents on his clothes.
"I wasn't aware you were so eager to become food," Kaneki taunted. Adam roared and once again went for a straightforward attack. This time, Kaneki tried to block it with his Kagune, but his sword easily cut through them. Kaneki raised an arm to block the attack, but the blade continued creating a huge gash along his forearm.
"Aura's already broken?" Cinder asked, seemingly relieved. "Seems you can't take as many hits as the media led us to believe."
Kaneki jumped back from Adam, now glaring at the two. He could hear the other two approaching from behind. "I wouldn't be so quick to draw conclusions," said a familiar voice. Kaneki turned slightly to see Torchwick and Neo standing behind him as if to take on the two teens. Roman gave him an uneasy smirk. "Those two punch way above our weight," he said to Kaneki, "but we can handle these kids for a while. Can you take them on?"
Kaneki watched as his arms began to stitch themselves closed and could feel his hunger beginning to grow. "Had I gotten the chance to eat last night, I would," he replied. "I'm not exactly running on empty, but I don't know if I have enough in me to take them both on."
"You've gotta' be shitting me," Torchwick winced. He kept his eyes on the two teens that now raised their weapons. "Can you take a bite out of them while you fight?"
"Easier said than done," Kaneki said. "Besides, I–"
He stopped as Neo held her arm in front of him with an inviting smile. She twirled her parasol in her other hand and gave him a wink.
"You can't be serious, Neo." Torchwick glimpsed over to see before returning to the teens.
Kaneki looked towards the short girl then to Cinder and Adam who seemed to be readying their next attack. He didn't have much of a choice. "Thank you, Neo." He rolled up the girl's sleeve and as gently circumstance would allow, and bit into Neo's forearm. As he did, he could vaguely taste ice cream, but quickly dismissed it as his imagination. Almost immediately he felt the same overwhelming strength that he felt when he fed on Oobleck. To her credit, Neo didn't flinch at the pain, nor did she show any discomfort. When Kaneki was done, she began to shimmer as her Aura was once again activated, which seemed to staunch the bleeding for the most part. The wound itself was still open, but it didn't seem to bother her much.
"You really are sick" Torchwick said, nearly gagging. Neo laughed silently and turned back towards the two teens. Without wasting any time, she drew her sword and seemingly shattered from existence. Torchwick began to walk towards the two teens, spinning his cane on his index finger. "You know, I've been wanting to kick your asses since you showed up."
"I'd like to see you try," the boy scoffed. He was about to rush forward, but the handle of Neo's parasol caught his foot causing him to trip. He was able to right himself before he fell on his face, but turned around furiously.
"Calm down, Mercury, she's tough," Emerald warned. She then ducked under a massive flare from Roman's own weapon. As she situated herself, she saw Torchwick directly in front of her swinging his cane down. She quickly drew her two weapons and struck first, only for the image to shatter.
"Not so fun to fight against illusions, is it?" Roman taunted, landing a clean hit to the back of her head. Mercury sprang to action and launched himself with the guns on his boots, only for his kicks to be blocked by Neo's opened parasol. "Nice try kid, but we're professionals."
Neo pushed him away and performed a curtsy. She walked back towards Roman, smiling at the two the entire time. For a brief moment she wore a smile of sadistic glee before it quickly vanished to her signature smug smirk.
Kaneki ducked under another sword swipe from Adam, unsure if his sword has retained the cutting power from earlier. The man was much stronger than any of the students he'd faced before, but it was clear to Kaneki that he wasn't used to fighting alongside Cinder, who kept shooting arrows from a distance. He wasn't sure what to make of their partnership, but it was obvious that Adam had more at stake in this fight as he tried to avenge his fallen comrades. However, this only made Kaneki realize that this man only cared about Faunus, much like how the Investigators only cared about humans, and most Ghouls only cared about Ghouls. The mindset was toxic and was destined to continue the endless cycle of hatred but was easy to exploit. Try as he might, Kaneki could not think of anything worth saving in this man.
"Tell me, Adam," Kaneki began, once again evading Adam's attacks. "Are you aware of how good your friends tasted?"
"Shut up!" Adam roared.
"Most didn't put up much of a fight," he continued. Catching Adam's wrist as he attempted to strike him, he locked eyes with him, barely able to make out the blue hue of the man's eyes behind his mask. "I suppose that's not a very fair assessment, is it? They simply couldn't fight back. I can't imagine surrounding myself with such pathetic animals."
It seemed that Kaneki had finally tipped Adam over completely into rage. He abandoned all defense as he ripped his sword from from Kaneki's grip. He no longer paid any attention to Cinder's cover fire and was struck a few times as he began a furious flurry of attacks at the half-ghoul that narrowly missed their mark. "I'll kill you!"
"Good luck," Kaneki smirked. He finally began to strike back, his Kagune landing many blows against Adam. The Faunus impressed Kaneki with his durability, as his Aura held up well, even with the friendly fire.
"You fool! What are you doing?!" Cinder shouted. "Stop being so reckless!"
"I told you," Adam roared. "I don't take orders from humans!"
Cinder bit her tongue as she watched the Faunus slowly begin to lose ground. She conjured and nocked another arrow, this one with a glowing red tip. If he didn't care about his wellbeing, so be it. She launched the arrow in the midst of Kaneki's assault. It flew true towards his shoulder, only for it to bounce off harmlessly. Growling, she raised her hand causing the arrowhead to erupt.
Kaneki heard a strange sound by his feet and noticed the arrowhead beginning to glow red hot. He jumped away as quickly as he could, but was still caught in the blast radius. The explosion wasn't too powerful, but it did obscure his view.
"What are you doing?!" Adam shouted towards Cinder. "Stay out of this!"
"I need you alive, Taurus! Who will lead the White Fang if you die?!"
Adam growled, but relented. "You don't care about Faunus," he accused, before being struck by two more Kagune. Adam flew towards Cinder, clearly done. Kaneki stepped out of the smoke, bending his middle finger and popping it.
"I don't mean to interrupt, but I'm trying to kill you," Kaneki growled. He closed the distance between himself and Cinder, poised to strike, only for Cinder's form to erupt in power. repelling him away. Her right eye began to glow gold as her form began to rise into the air.
"I've had enough!" she shouted, conjuring fire around her and launching it at Kaneki. The half-ghoul covered up as best he could, but the attack was too strong, and he was sent flying further back. Luckily, he was able to withstand the brunt of the attack, but he knew he couldn't take too many of those. Neo may have given him some of his strength back, but he didn't want to reach his limit so soon. "You think that you can just waltz into my city, foil my plans and then have the gall to get me to work for you?! I know how arrogant men can be, but you… You might have scared a couple of thugs into working for you, but you don't know what real power is."
Kaneki brushed himself off, patting out his clothes as he rolled his neck. "So this is what everybody's so afraid of?" he asked aloud. In truth, this woman reminded him of Glynda with less self control. The concept of using elements wasn't new to him, so seeing this woman's trump card be something he'd seen before made him wonder just how rare it was to be able to properly manipulate Dust.
"Eyepatch, we have to get out of here," Torchwick called out. He was still in the midst of fighting the two teens with Neo, but something has caught his attention.
"I'm not afraid of her," Kaneki replied back.
"That's not it, there's a Bullhead on it's way. Who knows who's on that ship. We have to go!"
Kaneki looked over to see that there was an airship in the distance, surprised that Torchwick caught it. He looked over to Adam, but found that he had long since fled, given that his scent was nowhere for him to smell. He approached Cinder, who now seemed to be toning down the power she was displaying. "Looks like your bodyguard tucked his tail between his legs and fled," he pointed out. "Unless you think you can win with your two rugrats, why don't you think over my offer."
"You have no idea what forces you're dealing with, boy," she spat. Kaneki thought back to what Qrow had said, and crossed his arms.
"I don't suppose you're referring to Salem, are you?"
The color drained from Cinder's face. There was no way this nobody knew about her master, much less be unafraid of her. For a moment, she thought he was bluffing, but to just casually mention her name made her second guess herself. The masked man was strong, but Salem said to herself that she had nothing to do with him…
Suddenly the angry reaction she heard over the call gave her further pause. Perhaps this was a creation of hers, an experiment gone wrong? While she wasn't filled in on the details, Cinder was well aware that Salem has been attempting to give Grimm some form of sentience to better follow orders. Was this a failure she was too prideful to admit to?
"H-how do you know that name?" Cinder demanded. Kaneki broke another finger.
"Join me, and find out," he said simply. He gestured to the airship. "You don't have much time."
Cinder scowled, seething as she weighed her options. It only took her a few moments to extinguish her abilities and begin walking towards Kaneki. She raised her hand, gritting her teeth as she did. "Fine." Kaneki raised his own hand, his Kagune retracting into him. The fighting between his team and hers stopped. He was about to name his conditions, but his hand began to burn. He noticed the smirk on Cinder's face as her hand began to glow red hot. "You're more foolish than I thought," she laughed. Before Kaneki could do anything, she had jumped back and caused his hand and the ground beneath him to erupt. His ears began to ring and he couldn't see anything until it was too late. He felt a pair of arms grab each of his own arms and carry him off.
"I told you not to deal with the She-devil," Torchwick sighed bitterly. "Although you did a lot better than I thought you would. Hell, you could have won if that White Fang mutt wasn't there."
Kaneki felt his hand and legs beginning to heal themselves, but he was still in no condition to run on his own. "Why'd you two come here? I thought you wanted nothing to do with her."
Torchwick scoffed. "You think I'd be here if she hadn't dragged me along? Look Eyepatch, I know you're not really big on the whole 'friend' thing, but Neo's all I got. If something happened to her and I wasn't here, I'd never be able to live with myself. It's just my luck that she took a liking to you."
"Didn't take you for the sentimental type," Kaneki smirked. He looked back towards Neo, who for the most part, didn't seem worse for wear. She did seem to be breathing heavily though, so perhaps the fight took more out of her than she let on. "Why'd you let me bite you?"
Neo over to him and just winked. Torchwick rolled his eyes but kept quiet. "How long is that chunk of flesh going to last you?" he asked.
Kaneki pulled his arms free from the two and began to run alongside them, his feet now functional. "I'm probably going to need a top off in about a week, if nothing else happens," he admitted. "Although I can't go out as often as I'd like without being tailed by somebody. Some Branwen guy found me just after I eliminated one of my targets."
Torchwick pulled the two into an alley where they began to catch their breath. "That's rough, kid. I've heard of Branwen and I don't even fight Huntsmen."
Kaneki nodded, then looked over to Neo tending to her wound. She tore off a piece of her sleeve and began to wrap it. "I'm sorry," he said to her. To his surprise, Neo took out her scroll and sent him a message.
'Is this how you mark your mates? Kinky ;3' it read. Neo wore a playful smile on her face as she walked past him.
"What'd she say?" asked Torchwick.
"Nothing," Kaneki replied, putting his scroll away. "Just as strange as she usually is."
Roman actually chuckled at that. "So what exactly are we going to do about the She-devil and her kids?"
Kaneki popped a few more joints on his body, letting out a sigh of relief as he did. "It's clear she's not willing to join us," he pointed out. "That Adam was pretty strong too, but it's a shame that he wants me dead as well. It looks like tonight was a total loss for us, unfortunately."
A new voice rang out from the end of the alleyway they had ducked into. To their surprise it was an Atlesian Knight, although all of its lights were off. Even stranger, the voice wasn't one any of them recognized. "Perhaps not all is lost, my friends."
"Who are you?" asked Kaneki, stepping in front of his two allies.
"I'm afraid this toy has rather limited functions," the man said. "I cannot formally introduce myself now, but believe me, I am a friend."
"This thing is one of Ironwood's tin soldiers," Roman pointed out. "This guy is probably in the Headmaster's pocket."
"Oz?" the man repeated, disdain in his voice. "Oh, I would never work with that fool so long as I draw breath. No, no, I am simply a man with ambition, but I'll tell you all about that in person, if you do not mind."
Torchwick rolled his eyes. "What makes you think that we're just going to come find you?" he asked sarcastically.
"Oh no need for that," the robot said, before powering down. Behind him was an older gentleman with white facial hair and a glowing red robotic eye. He patted the Atlesian Knight on the back, removing a small metal disk. He took off his hat, revealing disheveled grey hair and a strange expression on his face. "I've already found you. I must admit, I thought it would have taken me a lot longer, but it seems this toy was helpful. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Eyepatch, was it? I have many questions for you, my dear boy." The man smiled wickedly and took a deep bow. "Doctor Merlot, at your service."
Happy Holidays to everybody!