On My Own

Isolated

"Erwin."

A dark shadow blocked the sun from the latter's view; Mike was standing over him. Erwin slowly blinked open his icy blue orbs which soon met with Mike's own dull grey ones. The male carefully sat up, stretching his aching muscles and flashing his friend a quick smile. "Mike, what's wrong?" Erwin spoke in his usual soft voice, curious as to why Mike was interrupting his sun bathing.

"Nothing. I was just wondering if you'd like to walk to the store with me." Mike's voice had always had a calming effect on Erwin. The blonde could never figure out why it affected him in this way but he supposed it was because he was so close to Mike. After all, the two had been friends since they were barely five when Erwin's family had moved to the twentieth ward. That meant they had been friends for almost 11 years.

"Ah, sure. I'd quite like a can of coke right now." The slightly shorter blonde beamed up at his taller counterpart, getting to his feet and dusting the grass off his backside. The sun was getting fairly strong and he was happy to get somewhere cool like the store.

After a mere five minutes of walking, the pair finally reached their destination. Naturally Mike was the first out as Erwin always took a while to decide what sweets he was going to buy.

"C'mon Erwin, choose quickly. Your mum will be wondering- where... You are..." Mike began to call to his friend, speech trailing off when he spotted the two doves heading straight for him, briefcases at their sides. How? How had they found out? Mike had always thought he had been subtle in his killings, wasting little of the bodies and disposing of the leftovers in such a way that they wouldn't be found. How...? Mike swallowed, hard. Nile. The fellow ghoul had always been jealous of Mike's closeness to Erwin and was well known for following them around at a distance. Had he witnessed Mike eating? Perhaps taken pictures and sent them to the CCG?

Traitor.

Movement in the shop. Mike's eyes snapped backwards as he noticed Erwin exiting the store, arms laden with sweets and drinks.

"Hey, Mike! Who're those guys?" The unaware teenager began to approach his friend, not realising the danger that he or his friend were in. When he didn't answer, Erwin stepped forward and reached out a hand to grip his friends shoulder. In one quick motion Mike was grasping Erwin's wrist tightly in his hand, eyes watching his friend with a despaired look. No... Those weren't Mike's eyes. They weren't his usual plain grey. These were different, completely black in colour save for a red ring around the pupil.

Ghoul eyes. How could his friend be one of those flesh eating monsters? Sweet, gentle Mike. A ghoul?

"Investigator Kazu, there may be a citizen in danger." The crackling voice of one of the dove's began to speak. "Prevent the ghoul from harming the citizen."

"Order received." The dove instantly opened his briefcase, releasing his quinque and preparing to attack Mike.

Shit. This wasn't what he had wanted. All Mike had wanted was to grow up happily with his best friend, get a job and live a happy life. Not this. Not to be treated like a blood thirsty monster. He panicked. His ukaku kagune had burst out of the sac on his back, preparing to block any attacks from investigator.

Erwin stood there silently, contemplating the entire situation as he watched Mike's kagune materialising, his eyes wide. A ghoul. Had Mike been planning on using Erwin until he became too hungry, feasting on him when it became necessary? Would his friend of eleven years really do that?

"Let go of me!" The blonde began to struggle, kicking at Mike as he attempted to force the male to release him. After finally getting a sharp blow to Mike's ribs, the latter released his wrist and Erwin moved back, watching his 'friend' in horror. "M-monster..."

Monster? Mike was surprised at Erwin's words. Too shocked. Stupid really. He had forgotten that the investigator was walking towards him. Air whizzed past his head as he was slammed into the wall near the shop, releasing a muffled groan as his body fell, slouched, to the ground, kagune fluttering uselessly. He didn't want to fight. What if he accidentally hit Erwin instead of the dove?

'Get up. Fight the investigator.' Mike's thoughts were fuzzy as he attempted to consider his only two options: fight or flight. He was like a cornered animal. An animal. That's what Erwin considered him to be.

The dove was preparing to attack again, readying his quinque and charging towards Mike. The footsteps snapped said ghoul out of his stupor and he leapt up into the air, perching on the roof of the store. He had no other option. Fighting a ghoul in an open area would resulting in painful injuries for both himself and the dove. What would the point in fighting be?

He would have to run away from the almost perfect life that he had held so dearly. He would have to run away from Erwin, his only friend.

Mike got to his feet, wing like kagunes dancing above his head as he stared straight into Erwin's eyes. Those beautiful, icy blue eyes. It was a pity he would never see them again.

The scene was beginning to get crowded, various members of the public surrounding the area to watch the fight. Mike turned and ran, leaping over buildings in an attempt to escape the view of the investigator and Erwin. There was no doubt that he would have to move ward, perhaps as far as ward 21. Darting between buildings, the ghoul eventually skidded to a halt in a run down alleyway, panting heavily as he attempted to catch his breath. He raised his head to the sky. The sun had disappeared, along with his human life and best friend.

"Erwin..."

He watched the darkening clouds solemnly, no hint of expression on his face.

"I'm a monster? No no... The humans that force us to hide like this are the true monsters."

A slight smile had made it's way onto his lips.

"And you just happen to be one of those humans. How disappointing."

~

"Boss."

That same voice that woke him up every single day was at it yet again. It got infuriating after a while. Mike was now the leader of a successful ghoul group whose name was fairly simple: Anon. He had never been one for thinking up extravagant names and the title fitted his group fairly well.

"What?" Mike got to his feet, watching the ghoul who was wearing the typical Anon mask; a plain granite coloured mask with a black question mark on each cheek.

"A group is infringing on our territory. Īguru." The weaker ghoul replied to his leader who was leaning against the wall, arms folded. It was clear that he was not very pleased about the news.

Īguru? Perfect. This was the exact event that Mike had been hoping would occur at some point. After all, who wouldn't want to fight with the famous 'Muryō Washi'? "I'll deal with the bastards myself. Get a small group to come with me." Mike picked up his own mask, simple like the others but with two ram like horns on either side of it, and propped it over his face before securing it with the buckle on the back. "Hurry up." He perched on the window ledge, pulling up his hood and watching the city below him. Anon headquarters were situated in a run down block of flats that had been too expensive to renovate and as such was just left to rot, perfect for a ghoul group.

It didn't take long for Mike and the group of three members to find Īguru. Said group seemed to be waiting for them, their eerie grey bird-like masks wet from the pouring rain. Almost instantly Mike pinpointed the leader of the group; a tall man wearing a larger, black eagle mask.

The area was silent, save for the sound of the torrential rain falling, as the two groups watched each other.

Eventually the silence was broke by both leaders who stepped forward and removed their masks, said items dropping to the ground.

"Mike."

A dark smile became apparent on Mike's face as he lowered his hood, ghoul eyes staring into the single black and red eye of his foe.

"Erwin."