The Usual Questions

Everything was distorted, I knew that much.

I tried to open my eyes, but screwed them back shut when I was met with what felt like searing light drilling into my retinas. Holy shit, that hurts. I try to bring up my hand to cover them, but it's stopped by something bound to my wrist. Am I restrained? What for? Where the hell am I?

"Finally awake I see."

The source of the voice comes from my right. I slowly open my eyes again and am glad to see that it doesn't hurt as much as the first time. I see double images, but can make out what looks like a brown duffel coat and some green light over a black head.

"You're probably experiencing a feeling of lightheadedness. Don't be too concerned, that will go away in a moment." The figure turned and walked over to what looked like a nearby tray. It picked something up off of it and walked back over to me before I felt a pinch on the back of my hand. Next thing I knew, the images began to clear up. Lifting my head up, I was able to closely study the figure.

There wasn't very much to notice. He wore a brown duffel coat with the left sleeve folded halfway, probably missing the lower half of his arm. I say him, due to him wearing what looks like a ski mask on his head with green optics over one eye with the other covered up. On his only hand he wore a black latex glove, which currently held a gray syringe.

Looking past the man, I saw that we were currently in some sort of dirtied autopsy room with brown stains on the gray walls as well as some human anatomy posters peeling and yellowing with age. The only other thing was a rusted wrought iron door with a large bolt through it and a large cupboard right across from me. Looking down, I saw I was strapped to an operating table that was raised up vertically. I tried to keep my attention off of the dried blood stains on it. My attention was drawn back to the man as he stepped in front of me.

"Feeling better now?" He asked me with his one arm folded behind his back. I don't know, am I?

"W-what… What happened?" I croak out. Damn, my throat is dry, "Where am I?"

"I'm afraid that both of those questions are irrelevant at the moment." He told me as he brought his arm back around and seemed to be checking a watch on his wrist.

He shook his head from side to side and tisked under his mask. What did he mean by irrelevant?

"I have to apologize, but I don't have very much time to explain. You took quite a bit longer than most to wake up after the surgery."

Surgery? Why would I need a surgery? Did something happen to me?

"Im sure that many questions are running through your head at the moment. let me ask you something, though. Can you tell me your name?"

My name? Why that's easy, my name is…

Is… Shit, I can't remember my own name! What is it? How can I not remember my own name?

"I… Don't know." I tell him. He nods, almost as if that's what he wanted to hear.

"Well, Don't worry. Luckily for you, I do. Your name is Kud." He then turned and walked over to the large cupboard and undid a bolt over the doors. My name was Kud? I don't remember anything else that would say otherwise… Actually , I don't remember anything at all. "We have one thing to decide before I can turn you loose, however." He then threw the doors open, revealing what was inside.

Needless to say, it wasn't what one would normally find in a cupboard.

Lined up in three different rows with a dozen on each row were masks. Deformed, horrendous masks that would give small children nightmares. There was one with bloody hands over it's eyes, another with barbed wire wrapped around it, a gas mask with an iron sheet over the mouthpiece, and many more.

"You're going to need one of these in order to survive here. And seeing as how you'll need it on at all times, I would advise picking one you like." The man told me. He went back to his little tray full of medical equipment, and I couldn't help but notice the bloody knives and saws scattered about it.

Did he use those on me? Was that my blood?

It doesn't matter. This guy told me to pick a mask. And seeing as how I'm strapped down to a table and he has sharp knives, I most likely don't want to piss this guy off. So, I go back to scanning over the masks.

I take in all of the details on the masks, every scar, every laceration, every burn. This things look like something out of a mental patient's nightmare, and I'm supposed to pick one? Shit… Let's see…

As I continue to scan over them, one catches my eye. I don't know why, but it does. It has leathery brown and muck green skin, scars with stitches in them crisscrossing all over it, with it's mouth stitched over into a permanent frown and a very stern expression. It has a couple of mangy dark brown dreadlocks poking out of it's head and flowing down to what would look like the upper chest area if worn. It looks terrifying, it looks angered… And it looks like the One for me. The doctor seems to notice me staring intently at it, cause he walks over to it and lifts it off of it's peg before walking over to me while inspecting it.

"Not a bad choice, Kud." He says my name again.

Kud? Does that mean something? He then holds the mask up to my face, a hole big enough for my head to fit through facing me. "Lean your head forward, I need to put this on."

Again, I do as he says and lean my head so it's easier for him to apply the mask. Fitting it around my head, He makes sure it's snug before stepping back and admiring his handiwork. He then pulled something out of his coat's pocket, something that looked like a stapler. Wait, a stapler?

"Hold still please." He asked me before taking it and pressing it against the edge of the mask on my neck. "This is going hurt for a second."

Pressing down, I felt metal bite down through the mask and Into my neck. And yeah, it hurt a bit. But, I held my tongue and waited until he was done. He pulled back and walked over to the tray before picking up a small remote and pressing a button. Next thing I knew, I was falling forward. I barely managed to keep myself from landing on my face and instead landed on my knees and elbows. that was when I noticed I was wearing a black business suit with a red tie and dress shoes. It didn't look like it was stained in any sort of way, so this must have been put on after whatever happened to me did. The only thing not fitting was the black leather gloves on my hands. Was I going somewhere formal? If so, why was I wearing gloves?

More questions that I don't know the answers to. Instead, I stand up and flex my fingers before feeling my new mask bolted onto my head. Surprisingly, I can see clearly through it's eyeholes, even though they're covered by some sort of material. Almost like it wasn't even there. I'm interrupted from my inspection by a tapping on my shoulder and turn to see the man with something in his hand.

"Sense you behaved so well, You get a little gift." He said. that was when he held up his hand and offered me a knife. And damn, it sure was one good looking knife.

It was probably about eight inches long and two and a half inches wide. It seemed as thick as a regular knife would be, but the metal… The metal didn't look like something that would normally be used to make knifes. it look like it was… evil. But then again, everything in this room had that look to it. It was fairly light too, so this was a pretty decent weapon at least. What I'm wondering though, why is he giving me this?

"What do I need this for?" I ask the man, my voice being distorted now by what felt like some sort of filter at the mouth of my mask. Should I be angry at this man? Confused? I feel like I'm not reacting right. How would someone normally react? Not this calmly, I believe.

"Oh trust me, you'll find out soon enough." The man patted me on the shoulder as I looked at the knife some more. He then began to lead me over to the rusted iron door. He started to pull back the bolt on it, but it got jammed. he tugged on it a bit, but it still wouldn't budge. he sighed before hanging his head in dejection. "Well, this is embarrassing."

I step forward while simultaneously tucking the knife into the waistband of my pants. "Allow me."

He looked at me for a second before stepping back. "Thank you. I'll be right back." He walked out of my sight to what i'm guessing was one of the cupboards. I cracked my knuckles before grabbing onto the latch and pulling back with all of my strength. It didn't go at first, but it slowly began to slide backwards until it unlatched entirely. I heard the doctor walk up behind me and turned to see he now had a sheath in his hand, outstretched towards me.

"Congratulations, you're efforts are rewarded." He said as I took the sheath from his hand and began attaching it to my belt. "And since you have been so helpful, here's a tip: Avoid the darker places. The Demented tend to dwell there more."

I have the sheath fixed on, but look up mid way through putting the knife in. "Demented?"

"You'll see soon enough. good luck out there, Kud." He told me as he walked around me and pulled the door open. I looked through to see a long hallway similar to the room we were in, but with papers scattered all along the floor and bloodstains on the walls, some looking more fresh than others. I step into the hallway, and hear the man say one more thing before he closes the door behind me.

"You're going to need it."

Man, today's looking up to be a good day. After all, Goodwitch let us out early, plus it was friday! That left a whole weekend to us with no homework, no worries, and just time to relax!

"So, what do we have in store for the rest of the day?" My partner, Weiss, asked me as she filed her nails as we walked down the hallway. I don't really know why she does that all the time, but eh, that's her deal. I shrug.

"I don't know. Maybe we could go into the city and walk around?" I proposed. We'd have to run the idea through Yang and Blake, but i don't think they'll mind. Besides, it could be a fun team activity. "Maybe we could get Jaune and the rest of JNPR to come with us?"

Weiss rolled her eyes as she pocketed the nail file. She's probably still a little annoyed at Jaune for always flirting with her, but at least she puts up with him. Poor Jaune, he just doesn't see it.

"Excuse me, Ruby?" I hear a voice from behind us, and turn to see Pyrrha jogging up to us. She looks a little worried.

"Hey Pyrrha. What's up?" I ask her.

"Have either of you two seen Jaune?"