Hey everybody! I'm back with another update, and I know it's been way too long. I was really excited to start writing story, and with all of the positive feedback, I wanted nothing more than to keep going, but life isn't always what we want it to be, and I couldn't get to work on this long enough to make any real progress. Fortunately, here's a new chapter, but first I wanted to thank all of you who reviewed.

DJHaystackk: Thank you for the support!

the lone soul: Here's so more drama.

the-lost-memories6: I tried to update as fast as I could, I'm sorry, but I'm psyched to hear you love the story!

Ka5hima: Thank you, for both the review and the follow!

RandomAccount1331: I hope I did insane Kaneki justice, and I'm happy to see you enjoy the story.

Guest: I never thought of Velvet being the one who says that to Kaneki, and that would be a very uncharacteristically savage moment for her.

Itharax: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the ending!

Kragh50: I'm really happy that this doesn't seem like a first time story, but I can't take all the credit, as FineChyna has helped me with every chapter before I post, and she catches a lot. Sorry for ending the last chapter like that.

IlluminatiAnimeLover789: I'm glad you liked the exposition heavy chapter!

Noble (Guest): thank you for the kind review!

senpen banka: Thank you!

marouan (Guest): I'm sorry that my updates aren't quick, but I don't really have a time or schedule I can just sit down and write. This is a relatively new hobby for me, and I write when I can.

Guest: Okay!

Terrence Johnny Stanford: Yes sir, he is.

SupremeFever: I'm glad you decided to check it out!

YeTianshi: Thank you, and I wish I could answer your questions, but that would fall into spoiler territory.

Apex (Guest): I hope to hear a full review soon!

Personas: I hope this chapter doesn't fall under the latter part of your review.

nexus4123: Thank you, and I will!

LVR6: It really is! I haven't written before! I'm glad you enjoy it, and yeah, FineChyna is a great author, and super nice when she betas!

Longshot007: Thank you!

Cross-Z Magma: I'm glad I exceeded your expectations, and yeah, like i explained, the title comes from both the Set It Off song, and the general phrase.

Guest: Okay!

Question(Guest): I hope this chapter answers your question.

MagnificentLies: I hope it's still fresh on your mind!

gibthegrey: Thank you, and I will!

C0de5: I'm glad to hear that, and thank you!

Okay, so that's everybody who has reviewed for Chapter 2, and I hope to hear from you all again for this chapter! Well, without any further ado, here's Chapter 3!

Chapter 3 One More Ghost

"776…769…" Kaneki muttered. Velvet took a step back, as his voice seemed colder than before. It was a completely different side of him she hadn't seen before. The uncertainty was etched on her face as Kaneki trembled slightly. "762…755…" The initial shock in Kaneki's demeanor morphed into terror, as he winced from phantom pains that made his fingers twitch.

"Ken, please, snap out of it!" she urged. Velvet finally mustered the courage to grab Kaneki's shoulders and shake him. His lone eye widened even further, and he flinched back. He tore Velvet's hand off him and bolted out of the café, knocking over a chair in the process. Velvet rubbed her hand tenderly, as he used a frightening amount of strength. She looked at the door, trying to figure out what had happened, as one minute the two were having a rather pleasant conversation, and suddenly he shut down and began counting down for some reason. What unnerved her most was the manner he'd begun to speak in. His normally cheerfulness was replaced by a cold and unfeeling tone.

The bell to the café rang, and Velvet saw her mother walk in. "Hey Velvet-cake," her mother greeted gently, although there was a bit of concern in her voice. "I think I just saw Mr. Kaneki run down the street on my way here… Did something happen?"

"I don't know… we were just talking and he froze…"

"You didn't try flirting with him, did you?" Marble asked. Velvet blushed furiously, shaking her head. "Well, honey, shy boys like him tend to panic when a girl shows interest in them," Marble continued, taking off her coat.

"No! Of course not, Mom!" Velvet groaned, walking over to the overturned chair. "I get teased enough by Coco, you don't need to do it too!"

"Then what did happen? He was grabbing his face like he was hiding a blush." Velvet tried to ignore her mother's incessant quest to find her a boyfriend and thought back their conversation.

"I think he might have remembered something from his past… and it didn't seem pleasant." Velvet noticed her mother frown slightly as she tied her apron on.

Marble sighed, shaking her head. "I'll talk to him on his next shift… You should be getting back to school. You're not here again because of what happened a few weeks ago, are you?"

"Yes, I am. I can't help it!" Velvet admitted freely. She crossed her arms indignantly, her ears flopping down.

"Baby, our business has been here longer than you've been alive, I've been careful to not make any enemies. Besides, we're in the center of a Faunus community, what are the chances that some loon will ignore everybody and come straight here?"

"Tukson's shop was only a few streets away!" Velvet argued gesturing with her arms.

"He was part of the White Fang," Marble reminded. "Listen honey, I appreciate what you're doing, but you're going to one of the top academies in the kingdoms. Don't let your grades slip worrying about me, alright?"

"It's just… you're all I have, mum… I love you."

"I love you too, but I don't want you throwing away your future because of me. Don't let your silly old mother hold you back." Marble hugged her daughter warmly, and kissed her on the cheek. "Now go back to school. I'm fine here, and Ken is a huge help, even if he did freak out when you put the moves on him."

"MOM!"

"I'm sorry, honey, I couldn't help myself." Marble laughed softly, as she broke the embrace. Seeing her daughter's eyes red, Marble wiped away a tear as it fell. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah… I'm fine," Velvet assured, sniffling.

"Where are you going, Kaneki dear?"

Kaneki panted as he tried to catch his breath. He had broken into a full sprint when Velvet had snapped him out of his stupor. "You're not real, you're dead… both you and Yamori." It had taken him a while to collect himself, but once he began to come to terms with the hallucinations he began to realize something.

He was hungry.

What meat he was able to eat from Tukson was enough to get him back from his starving state, but it wasn't enough to satisfy him for the month. He touched his mouth to find himself salivating.

"Who are you going to eat?" Yamori asked, his smug grin clearly heard in his tone. Kaneki ignored him, wiping his mouth.

"Looks like he doesn't want to talk to you," Rize chirped. She wrapped her arms around his back and began to whisper into his ear. "What about a child, huh? They're soft, and pose no threat to you. Unless you want to build up your appetite, in which case we can go find one of these 'Huntsmen' and test your skills."

"Shut up…" he muttered angrily. Kaneki took in his surroundings, seeing old concrete buildings and cracked sidewalks. In his rush to get as far from the café as possible, he hadn't noticed he ran straight back to the warehouse. He knew he wasn't supposed to be back yet, but he could smell several people in the distance. "They… smell so… good…"

Rize's voice whispered into his ear. "Just give in to it, Kaneki, it's the way of the world."

"No! That's the way of Tokyo! This world is different…

"What does it matter? They're just meat!" cackled Yamori. His laughter rang in Kaneki's ears, making him shut his eyes.

Kaneki gritted his teeth as his hunger grew. "No, they're people! Just like I am… I was," he reasoned with himself. "It's better to hurt… than to hurt others…"

"What a load of bullshit! Hurting others is FUN!" roared Yamori with a laugh. His hand held his mask from falling, as he leaned forward in amusement. "Don't you remember what I did to you? Oh, I would die for the chance to do it again. You were such a good pet!"

"SHUT UP!" Kaneki shouted, punched the metal wall where Yamori was a moment ago. Kaneki then heard the deep laughter mocking him from a distance.

"You can't kill me twice, Kaneki," Yamori mocked as he disappeared again. Kaneki shook with both anger and hunger, now free from the two ghouls for a moment. The intoxicating smell hit him again full force, and his fingers twitched toward his mask hidden in his pocket. As much as he didn't want to be caught with it, he was well aware that a day like today would rob him of all self-control.

"I don't want to do it…" he whispered to himself, taking out the mask. "I'm… I'm not a monster…" He stared at the toothy grin in his hands, and took a deep breath. He needed to calm himself down. Slowly, he donned the mask, the cool leather bringing familiar comfort, and he felt in control once more. His exposed Kakugan adjusted to the dim light of the dawn, and he could feel a grin forming behind the zipped mouth.

"I am a monster…" he said to himself. It was both disheartening to finally admit it, but it felt like a weight was lifted from him. He would never deny what he was again, but that didn't mean he would have to become what he hated. "I refuse to hurt an innocent person…" he vowed. He took out his scroll, and began to look online for a prison of some sort, or even a wanted list of known criminals. However, as he began to open the scroll, a few voices rang out from a distance.

"Hey, you! Stay where you are!" The man's voice was rough, likely an older gentleman if Kaneki had to guess. Kaneki tried to remain calm, but the scent was intoxicating. He turned slowly, sniffing deeply.

"You… smell good," Kaneki nearly moaned in pleasure.

"What the hell is this guy's deal?" asked a woman, likely the man's partner. Kaneki finally got to look at the duo and nearly laughed with glee. They wore masks, which in Kaneki's increasingly limited functioning mind, meant they were ghouls. He wouldn't have to hurt any humans after all. He straightened his back, as his black and red eye scanned them carefully.

Kaneki raised a hand, to which the male raised a gun toward him and the woman drew her sword. He placed his thumb over his index finger, and a sickening pop echoed through the night. The woman flinched, as the man seemed disgusted.

"You stay right there!" ordered the man, as he hesitantly made an approach. "You're as good as dead, you filthy human. Nobody is supposed to be here!"

"I live here," Kaneki grinned underneath his mask. The masked man raised his gun to aim, but Kaneki sprang into action. Faster than his opponent could track him, Kaneki skidded to a stop behind him.

"What the—," the man managed to say, before a sickening sound of flesh tearing interrupted him. Kaneki could see him look down where the kagune emerged from his chest. He let out a weak dying sound before his body fell limply aside. The woman shrieked in terror, as she turned tail to escape Kaneki. She barely got three steps before a Kaneki's tendril wrapped around her ankle and dragged her back towards him. Kaneki dangled her in front of him, watching in amusement as she struggled. The masked woman even attempted to swipe at him with her sword, but to her dismay, it broke against his bare skin.

"No need for that," Kaneki said disappointedly. The woman began to scream in terror, only for Kaneki to swing her against the metal walls of the warehouse, then down in to the ground multiple times. Before long, she was silent, and the only sound heard was dull thuds as her body was slammed down into the dirt. Satisfied, Kaneki pulled the two bodies towards him, and began to feast. The meat was still warm, as he scarfed it down greedily, savoring the taste. It only took a few moments for him to completely disembowel the woman, and began working on the man, when a realization made him stop.

"This… this doesn't taste like a ghoul…" he realized, as he had thoroughly enjoyed the tastes of both his victims. He let go of the man, despite all instincts demanding he continued eating. "These…. These were people…"

"Oh boy-fucking-hoo," Yamori said, couching in front of the half-ghoul. "They had it coming."

"SHUT UP!" Kaneki shouted again, gripping the sides of his head. Who was he trying to convince? He wasn't able to control a ghoul's hunger. He was a monster through and through, a forced cannibal destined to live a nightmare of somebody else's creation. He recalled when he grew to accept his ghoul half, but he didn't remember when he began to disregard his humanity. Even now, he realized, he wasn't upset that he killed these two people, but rather, that he was losing control of himself. All he wanted, after becoming a ghoul, was to be strong enough to protect those he cherished… yet here he was now, lacking the strength to control himself.

Clink.

Kaneki's attention drifted towards the sound of a metal breaking. He saw the tip of what looked like a rapier lying about a foot from him, and his gaze wandered towards the one responsible. It didn't take him long to see a short woman in a strange ensemble of pinks, whites, and browns standing petrified of him a fair distance away. In a shaky hand, she held the other half the rapier.

He didn't say a word, and simply looked on impassively. He vaguely toyed with the idea that he should let the woman kill him, unable to think of a good enough reason to excuse his existence… though by the looks of it, she wouldn't be able to, judging by her broken weapon. Kaneki didn't get long to think, as a familiar voice rang out from inside the warehouse.

"Did you find out what was making that racket outside?" A moment later, the well-dressed criminal walked out, holding his cane relaxed in one hand. His expression looked confused, as he noticed the short girl's state, and he briskly walked over to her. "Neo, what's wrong?"

His gaze followed hers, and he saw the familiar white-haired associate of his.

"Eye-patch? I thought I made it clear you weren't supposed to be here until tomorrow," he said annoyed. He felt a tug on his sleeve, and he looked back to Neo, who was pointing at him. "What is it? He scare you? Come on, he's just a kid, you could wipe the floor with him."

He looked back toward Kaneki, a cocky smirk on his face, when he noticed the amount of blood he was covered in. The mutilated bodies, as well as the blood dripping from Kaneki's mouth made it abundantly clear what had happened, causing his smirk to drop instantly.

"What the hell are you?"

"A monster," Kaneki replied, finally saying aloud what he had been thinking. "As for our arrangement, I trust you'll hold up your end as agreed?"

Jack gulped, as he felt the icy stare from the stranger. He nodded, not trusting his voice.

"I… I'm sorry about your henchmen…" Kaneki muttered, looking down to the corpses. He didn't bother to look up when he heard the two run off.

"It's alright, Kaneki dear, just finish them off. There's no need to be wasteful."

"They were more than just meat," he argued.

Yamori growled in annoyance, "oh stop with that shit, you're not a puny human anymore."

Kaneki gritted his teeth, but refused to snap at his torturer. He shut his eyes, willing away the illusions. Despite not wanting to listen to the two Ghouls, he knew they were right. Hesitantly, he walked over to the dead bodies.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to the corpses. Closing his eyes, he tore off one of the man's arms. He resisted as best he could to not continue eating then and there and tore off the other arm.

From a distance, Torchwick watched his… associate ripping apart the bodies of his victims. While he was known for being ruthless, the scene he was witnessing was sickening. He would have never expected such brutality from such a meek teenager. He recalled the day they crossed paths… and had he known that beneath his calm demeanor lay a sociopathic murderer… he wouldn't have made any deals with him.

-Two Weeks Before-

Roman spun his cane around his finger as he casually made his way back to his hideout. He was vaguely amused referring to it as such but didn't dwell on it too much. From what Neo had said, she would be arriving the following night, and with her at his side, things were bound to go much smoother. Especially when it comes to dealing with those damn brats at the docks… He thought bitterly to himself. Arriving at the front of the warehouse, he played with the idea of getting a fridge full of ice cream for his associate, but ultimately decided against it. He reached to unlock the door but found it ajar.

"What the hell?" he mumbled, "aaand there goes my good mood…"

Raising his cane protectively, he crept inside. Somebody was in here, and he would be damned if some Lookie-Lou stumbled upon his mountain of Dust. He continued walking in and heard light footsteps. Peeking around a corner, he saw the thin body of what looked to be a teenager crouched over something. Before he could raise his cane to aim at him, the boy snapped his head over to him.

"W-who are you?" asked the teen, his voice wavering a bit.

"I should be asking you the same thing, kid," Torchwick scoffed at him. His eyes narrowed at his snowy white hair, and he raised his weapon. His voice became colder. "You a Schnee?"

"What's a Schnee?"

At that Roman laughed sarcastically. When the teen continued to look confused, Roman rolled his eyes.

"Don't play stupid, kid. Everybody in the four kingdoms knows the Schnee name. You been living under a rock?"

"On the streets, actually," admitted the boy. While shadows still covered his face and most of his upper body, Roman noticed that the clothing he was wearing, while not dirty, didn't fit him.

"Oh great, another street rat…" he sighed, shaking his head. "You work for her too? I swear, that woman just picks up kids down on her luck and brainwashes them to do her dirty work. Where'd she pick you up?"

"W-who are you talking about?" he asked, a bit worried.

"Who else? Cinder. The damned she-witch who strong-armed everybody into helping her," he scoffed, shaking his head. Taking a moment to compose himself, he turned back to the confused street rat. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"I don't know who you're talking about," he said carefully, leaning forward, just enough for Roman to see his face. To his surprise, the boy wore a black leather mask with a toothy mouth emblazoned on it. He couldn't make out many other details due to the poor lighting.

"What's up with that mask?" he demanded, a bit put off by it.

"I… have my reasons." His voice was stoic now, although Torchwick immediately sensed the defensiveness in it. Roman surmised he was probably disfigured or had some scars he was self-conscious about.

"Look, I don't care, just get out, alright? I have a business to run, and I can't have people wandering in like stray dogs."

"Wait, I don't have anywhere else to go!" he said suddenly reaching his hand out. Almost immediately, the teen recoiled, and stepped back. He mumbled under his breath, which Torchwick assumed he was talking to himself. While not normal, but he'd seen stranger. He would typically say 'tough luck' and kick the teen out, but his mind came back to Neo. There was no sense in going straight to work just yet, and theoretically, he could use the urchin as a form of security while he and Neo enjoyed themselves.

"Anybody else know about this place?" he demanded. The teen shook his head. "How about we make a little deal, then? I'll let you keep this dumpster fire of a warehouse to do whatever you want to do with. In return, you'll keep any and every other street rat from finding this place, and keep all my stuff safe, huh? Obviously if a kid like you can wander in without too much trouble, I'll need some better security. Don't bother asking me to pay you, you're already getting a roof over your head, got it?"

The teen seemed skeptical but didn't voice any objections. Instead, he nodded.

"Great, well, you can start by making sure you lock the goddamn door behind you, yeah? Any misstep from you, and you're gone. I'll have you arrested for breaking and entering… or is it trespassing? I could never remember the difference."

"Breaking and entering involves using any sort of force to enter a premise without authority, whereas trespassing is entering one's property without permission. The latter can happen accidently."

"What about burglary?" asked Roman, slightly impressed.

"Essentially the same as breaking and entering, with the exception that there is intent to commit a crime," he answered easily enough. Roman let out a small laugh.

"You know what, kid, you're alright. What's your name?"

"Eyepatch," he responded. Roman's grin disappeared and was replaced with a frown. He wasn't upset, but the kid was much sharper than he was giving him credit for. He shifted his cane in front of him, and he looked down to his emblem.

"I'm Jack," he replied.

-Present-

"Who would have thought…?" Roman mumbled, as he hopped into one of the remaining trucks transporting Dust. Neo climbed in behind him, uncharacteristically frowning. He was about to open his mouth to say something, when the police scanner went off.

"There has been reported screaming near the industrial district, are there any units in the area?"

"Copy that, we're already heading over."

Roman looked back to the cannibalistic boy and shuddered.

"You're on your own kid…"

Kaneki wandered around the now empty warehouse, refusing to take his mask off. He found a broken shard of window and used it to look at himself. The dried blood caked around his mouth disgusted him almost as much as his desire to lick it clean. His kakugan was no longer active, but even he could see how dead his stare was. He noticed Rize standing behind him, an amused expression adorning her face.

"What's the matter, dear? Are you still hungry?" she cooed.

"No…" he replied monotonously. He walked away from her, taking in the emptiness of the building. Without the shipping containers or crates the moonlight lit up the place.

"Oh, come now, surely you can afford to take another bite, right? You do have my hunger after all."

"I'm. Not. You."

There was a sweet giggle from the apparition, followed by a soft embrace around his shoulders. Despite knowing she wasn't there, he could feel the breathiness of her voice.

"Why do you want to starve yourself? Is it because of your mother? You already know what I think about the nonsense she taught you."

"One of these days, he'll stop pretending to be human, and become the monster he knows he is," chimed in Yamori.

Kaneki ignored the two ghouls and crushed the glass in his hand. He walked over to where he had set up his bed, when he heard an airship go by. He wanted to ignore his paranoia, but the feeling eventually won out. He peered through a cracked window, and his heart sank. Just outside the property line he could see a pair of humans approaching the warehouse, guns drawn.

"Do you smell that?" giggled Rize.

"Fresh meat." Yamori's voice almost shivered with delight. Kaneki shook his head, as he looked around for an exit.

Professor Ozpin mulled over the blurry photographs of the creature. Dark rings had begun to form around his eyes. He had spent countless hours trying to figure out anything he could about this sudden appearance of the Grimm-like humanoid. He leaned back in his chair, letting out a defeated sigh. While this did pose a major concern to him, he had a school to run. It had been more than three weeks since the incident took place, but the tracks stopped cold. Ozpin had come up with many theories as to why it would show up suddenly then vanish; the leading one being that whatever it was, it was trying to instill as much fear into the public while keeping away from any wary Huntsmen. He took out his scroll and dialed the number.

A gravelly voice answered on the other side. "Yeah? What it is Oz? I sent my report last week."

"I'm aware of that, Qrow. However, I require your assistance here at Beacon."

"You're joking," Qrow replied with annoyance. "You want me to abandon my lead? Why don't you have another Huntsman do it, like Tai? He's an airship ride away."

"I plan on having him come down here as well."

"What exactly did you find?"

"What seems to be something between a human and a Grimm."

Qrow grew silent on his end, his breathing barely audible. Ozpin could picture the man's expression harden coming to terms with the situation. After a few moments, Qrow finally broke the silence. "I'll be there in three days." He hung up without another word. Ozpin allowed himself a moment to compose himself before he dialed Tai, but his scroll went off before he got the chance. It was the Vale Police Department.

"Yes?" he answered politely.

"Professor Ozpin, we've found it," the man said with a shaky voice. Ozpin nearly dropped his mug, as his eyes widened. "We've got it surrounded, but we haven't engaged yet… but it looks like it's going to leave any minute. I don't think it has notices us."

"Are you certain?" Ozpin demanded, rushing towards the elevator.

"Yes Professor, we've kept our distance like Port said, but it's not acting at all the way we were told."

"Don't lose sight of it, I'm coming along with Professor Goodwitch," he commanded. "Send me your coordinates!"

"Blake, you need to get some rest!" Yang shouted at her teammate, shoving her against the wall. "This has been eating at you for weeks and destroying yourself like this isn't going to help anybody!"

"You don't understand, Yang!" Blake snapped back, the bags under her eyes making her glare seem much more feral. "There is somebody out there targeting Faunus! Former Fang members! This isn't like last time!"

"That's just a rumor and you know it." Yang's voice was softer, but she didn't let go of her partner's shoulders. Her red eyes died down into their soft lilac, and she sighed. "Blake, I won't let anybody hurt you, none of us will! I get that you're scared, but,"

"No, you don't," Blake snapped. "I've seen what the White Fang is capable of first hand, and if what Coco said was true, they've only gotten worse!"

"IF it was true! You really think somebody is morbid enough to… to do, THAT, to somebody?"

Blake struggled to control her breathing and let out a frightened whisper. "I don't know what to believe anymore… What if he's sending me a message? To all 'traitors' of the Fang? It makes sense they haven't made another move this last month, they're waiting for us to drop our guard!"

Yang's grip loosened, and she pulled the girl into a hug. "You're right, I have no idea what you must be feeling right now, but you're not alone. We're in a school surrounded by Huntsmen and Huntresses in training, not to mention all our professors. If there is anywhere that's safe, it's here, with your friends! You don't have to take on this by yourself, and you can lean on us when you need help."

Blake's voice cracked, as she buried her face into Yang. "I'm sorry."

Yang didn't reply. Instead, she gently began to stroke Blake's hair in a comforting manner. A few minutes passed, and Blake stopped shaking. "Come on, let's get some sleep, alright? Ruby and Weiss have been worried about you, too."

Blake nodded, and wiped her eyes dry. Her panic temporarily subsided, the exhaustion began to set in. The two began to walk back towards their dorm, when Yang caught a glimpse of somebody running outside. Looking closer, she realized it was their headmaster.

Is that Professor Ozpin? she thought to herself, never having seen the stoic man be in a rush for anything. Following close behind him was another familiar figure. Professor Goodwitch? Yang decided to keep this to herself, as Blake didn't seem to notice.

Kaneki soon realized he was surrounded. Every exit he had managed to sneak a peek through, he could smell several people around the corner. He looked up to the high ceiling and realized that if he had any hope of circumventing the officers outside, that would be his best chance.

Yamori let out an annoyed grunt. "Running away? If you could beat me, these humans shouldn't a problem."

Kaneki ignored the large ghoul, and extended his kagune, latching himself to the ceiling. Before he could pull himself up, several doors were slammed open.

"What the hell is that!?" shouted a man, seeing the red tentacles stuck to the ceiling. Kaneki knew he had to leave before they saw him, and pulled himself to the ceiling, making his way towards the skylight. "OPEN FIRE!"

Kaneki was surprised. He had heard of special bullets used by investigators to keep ghouls at bay, and so far, he was convinced that this world didn't have anything of the sort. However, as these bullets made contact, they hurt. Some of them burned, while others shocked him. The worst offended was the feeling oh his kagune freezing, making them shatter when he tried to move it. The pain, while not unbearable, made him realize that there were ways others could try to kill him.

"You can easily kill them all, Kaneki dear, why hold yourself back?" Rize asked sweetly.

Kaneki ignored her and used his kagune to scurry away to the roof. Once there, he launched himself to another building, hoping to lose them. Looking around, he noticed another airship heading towards him, and he immediately took to the ground.

He couldn't be sure if it was looking for him or not, but he wouldn't take that chance. Seconds later, a floodlight turned on, scouring the streets that were suspiciously empty. Kaneki's eyes hardened as he saw a figure standing several meters ahead. While the man didn't appear menacing at first glance, he held an air around him that reeked of danger. He held himself with the cold and collected confidence of the CCG's Reaper, which only put Kaneki more on edge. The half-ghoul placed his hand over his masked face, as he tried to control himself.

Instinctively, Kaneki's kagune pointed towards the potential threat. The man simply raised his weapon, a cane by the looks of it, and slowly began to walk towards him.

"G-get AWAY!" Kaneki roared, his predatory organs lashing out towards the man. The first two were evaded without much effort on his part, the third deflected by the deceptively durable cane. "I don't want to hurt you!" Kaneki pleaded, jumping out of the man's melee range. "J-just leave me- AHH!"

A blast of electricity hit Kaneki in the back, followed by an unseen force hitting him like a truck into the walls of the buildings. The shock was a lot more potent than that of the bullets. He turned to his assailant, and saw a blond woman holding a riding crop in her hand as if it was some sort of wand. A purple circle appeared in front of her for a moment, then unleashed several streaks of light towards him. Kaneki jumped from the small crater he created, and tried to dodge the streaks, but they followed no predictable pattern. Several impaled him, leaving behind shards of ice.

"Looks like you're going to die here," laughed Yamori. "Unless you stop holding back."

"SHUT UP!" Kaneki roared, as four appendages erupted from his lower back. The woman flinched for a moment, but Kaneki was assaulted by several jabs from the man's cane. Kaneki turned slowly, still covering his face, and lashed out at the man. The four kagune surrounded his opponent, but as Kaneki tried to squeeze him, a green sphere appeared around him.

"Professor Ozpin!" shouted the woman, as she conjured more shards of ice and bolts of fire. Kaneki winced for a moment, feeling the full impact of the elements, and threw the orb at his assaulter. Kaneki's wild eye looked at the two Huntsmen, knowing that continuing the fight would decrease his chances of making it out alive. He vaguely was aware of the flesh on his back stitching itself back together and decided he would flee before he would be forced to feed again to stay alive. He raised two of his kagune, and launched them at frightening speeds, causing the woman to form another massive glyph. It seemed to have worked at first, but a third tentacle pierced through, causing Ozpin to tackle her out of the way. Using this opportunity, Kaneki fled.

"Are you alright?" Ozpin asked, helping Glynda to her feet.

Glynda, dusted herself off, and let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm fine, but that thing got away." She furrowed her brow in confusion. "I'm not sure if that was a Grimm at all, Professor Ozpin."

"Nor do I," he replied, his jaw tense. "I'm going to see if I can find any tracks. After, we'll discuss this with the other professors."

"I'll gather what information the Vale Police Department got on it."

Kaneki made a mad dash, weaving in and out of alleys as he tried to get away. He checked over his shoulder constantly, knowing that they wouldn't have let him get away so easily. Glancing back, he tripped over a knocked over trash can. He fell over, and eventually skidded to a stop. scrambling to his feet, he made his way out of the alley, and back onto the sparsely lit streets. He recognized the area, and knew he had to leave immediately. He had come back to Tukson's shop.

The police tape had long since been removed, and there was a sign on the window. He approached it, but as he got closer he saw his reflection. His hair was completely stained with blood, and there were pieces of flesh stuck to his mask. He resembled some sort of corpse brought back to life. He looked around, seeing nobody, and went into the shop. Kaneki locked the door behind him and looked around the dark bookstore. All the books had been moved, leaving the barren bookcases and empty magazine racks littering the store. Looking around, he found a small bathroom, and began washing the blood from his hair, and cleaning his mask.

"What have we become?" whispered a new voice.

Kaneki's eyes widened as he looked up into the mirror. Instead of his own reflection, he saw himself as he was years ago. Despite knowing that this was him, the two couldn't look more different. Young Kaneki had a round face with big expressive eyes and shiny black hair, contrasting the half ghoul Kaneki, whose eyes were devoid of hope, his white hair dull, and his face sharper from his lack of nutrition since arriving to Remnant.

"Why did you let them change us?" young Kaneki asked, tears threatening to form on his face. Every emotion was visible on his expression.

"I… I didn't have a choice," he confessed. "I never wanted this… I still don't want this!"

"You're lying," child Kaneki accused. "I can tell from the way you enjoyed killing that woman, and how easily you dismembered that man! You like what we've become! YOU LIKE KILLING!"

Kaneki stood there shocked for a moment. "N-no, you're wrong! I don't enjoy any of this!"

"You're a lot more like us than you think, Kaneki dear. Just embrace it," Rize smiled, appearing behind the child apparition of himself.

"I won't, I'm not like you!" he denied again, grabbing the sides of his head. "I'm human! I'm human! I'M HUMAN!"

"No you're not!" Child Kaneki shouted, tears finally falling. "You KILL people and EAT them! You're nothing but a ghoul!"

Kaneki fell to his knees and stared at the floor, slowly staining with his tears.. A few minutes passed, and he finally spoke, his voice no longer wavering.

"You're right."

I hope you all enjoyed the update, and special thanks to both FineChyna for betaing again, and my new friend who has been helping me get motivated to keep writing (you know who you are 3).