A loud roar was thrown into the air from the mighty Ursa Major before succumbing to its demise and fell to the ground along with the other Ursa minors. Cardin with weathered breath took his mace off the side of the Ursa's face and stumbled on forward into the ground.
"Dammit, just a bit more." He said coarsely as pain coursed through his body trying to get up with no luck.
'Hopefully the team got the others away and called for the professors'
The thought of him being concerned for others greatly humored him. Cardin tried to stand up again but, the last blow from the Ursa proved too much for his body. He continued to lay there hoping that help would arrive before more Ursa's or even beawulves find him.
Cardin laid there for an hour with no sign of rescue.
As the time passed waiting for help Cardin's vision has started to fail him. His vision has started to blur as he felt the warm trickle of blood course down his face. His armor badly dented and crushed in the chest area and a few metal scraps on the ground of what was his spaulders. The strong legs that once support his dominating stance are now bruised and possibly broken as he felt no response trying to move them. From a distance he saw his scroll smashed on the ground due to the intense battle.
'It always had to be an Ursa Major' His cynical thought raised a small smile in his mouth. He didn't even know why he was smiling.
'I gotta give it a hand to Jaune, he survived and killed one and here I am dying from one. He made it looked easy'
He then remembered he took out a few of them and silenced the thought of Jaune of being better then himself. Though he couldn't help but gather a small ounce of respect for him.
Soon Cardin's body started to slightly shutter as a deathly cold started inching through his body. His body is already starting to fail on him. However Cardin didn't feel afraid. In fact he was strangely happy. He knew all of his wrongful deeds would lead to some like this. Didn't accounted for another Ursa Major encounter but, it wasn't his place to question Karma's punishment. All the times he mocked the other students for their faults when he alone had the most, all the times he pushed the weak when he knew he too was weak, it all lead to this.
He could imagine it now that a celebration would be held by everyone for his death. Jaune and Pyrrha laughing how a measly bear took him out while Ruby and her gang mock what's left of himself. What a laugh! The talk of the century.
His mind started to shift to side to side within his conscious. However despite his mind sinking, he thought more of his earlier life. Like how his father would always comment that he was meant for greatness if it weren't for the Faunus. He thought of that weakling rabbit-ear girl. Velvet her name was if he recalled. He tried to recall why he was such an insufferable jerk towards the shy girl. It's not like Velvet did anything to him. The only crime Velvet committed was that she allowed a guy like me to continue bullying her.
The strong should govern the weak and rule with no obligations. Those who aren't human or strong don't deserve their lives. These were his father ideals...His lineage's ideology. A bunch of blind bigotry and hate that Cardin has made himself a prime example. It only took him now that he could have done better.
Thinking about it now, he wondered why he wanted to follow his father's ideals. It's not like he was a great father. His father drank profusely and hit his mother who only showed concerned and tenderness like any mother should. Cardin's thought soon shifted about away from his father to his mother. He wanted to thank his mother for all the nights she comforted him when he was young during tough times. Even more how he wanted to say how sorry he was such a failure of a son. He felt small tears forming.
"Now now Cardin," His voice barely let out, "Winchesters don't cry." Another silly motif his father decreed holding back his tears.
Before he could even regress his tears back he heard howling from a distance. Then multiple howls. From Cardin's expertise he deduced they were from a beawulf. A pack of them. There was no indication that anyone was coming. His moment was finally closing.
'If these injuries aren't going to kill me, then those beawulves will...that sucks'
Cardin's mind soon started drifting further and further down that he could barely stay conscious. He though to himself he was going to take a long nap and never wake up. However something within him was bothering him. Like a small prick within his brain that kept him from dozing off into the abyss. In the deep crevice of his inner-thoughts he knew he wanted to live. He couldn't just die like that.
Despite the state of his body which barely had any warmth he struggled to move. He needed his weapon. If he were to die from a pack of dirty bunch of grimms, he rather take a few out with him then dying without a fight. While still laying on the floor as his legs are out of the equation he gathered every ounce of energy on to his arms to blindly search for his weapon. The howls of beawulves grew louder motivating Cardin to reach out more. Ignoring the sharp pain for every centimeter of movement blindly looking for his mace he felt a warm element within the ground. He clutched his fingers along with the dirt gripping the item and knew what it was. Cardin didn't even have to look at it to know it was a white rabbit tuft charm he 'stole' from Velvet.
"This is most definitely not a weapon." However Cardin ceased the searched. There wasn't enough energy for him to try again even if he wanted to. The tuft oddly radiated warmth which his hands didn't want to let go of.
Sadly the charm warming effect didn't seem to do Cardin's falling conscious any good. He was already passed the slipping point and he knew his body would finally succumb to the sweet embrace of death. Cardin's mind began to fade. Yet despite his mind fading he was oddly calm once again through the warmth of the charm.
'God...you sure has an ironic sense of humor...my last thoughts are trying to say sorry to that weak girl Velvet...and wanted to see if we can be... frie-'
Cardin's eyes finally closed and his life passed away.
The pack of beawulves finally emerged from the forest thickenings. Fueled by hunger and malice they looked viciously for a target. They saw the carnage of Ursa bodies and along it the body of Cardin's. The growling beawulves encircled the hunter and slowly closed in .
[Beep]...[Beep]...[Beep]...
'Ugh what the hell is that damn noise..."
[Beep]...[Beep]...[Beep]...
'Clearly I'm in hell since I can't even enjoy silence' Cardin soon felt his mind slowly pulling itself together.
[Beep]...[Beep]...[Beep]...
"Dammit someone shut that damn thing..." He softly spoke as his eyes slowly peeled away the darkness blinding himself with a bright light before his eyes finally adjusted themselves to his new surroundings. "off."
He woken to find himself in Beacon's infirmary room. The evening sunset casting a warm orange through his environment. To Cardin's surprise, he found himself on a hospital bed wearing nothing but an infirmary gown. However Cardin's more prominent worry was the snoozing bunny-eared girl who was sitting next to him as she laid her head on the side of his bed.
The silly notion of Cardin was that Velvet came to finish off what the grimm couldn't. He tossed the notion away as too inplausible as he thought she didn't have it in her to do so anyways. Only waking her up will he find out.
"HEY WAKE UP!" Cardin yelled because subtlety was not his strongest point however, he soon started to regret it afterwords as his throat was still too sore. It did do the trick however when poor Velvet jolted back up sitting position.
"Cardin you are awake!" She said frightened and relieved at the same time. Cardin only gave her a puzzling look.
"Yes, I'm most definitely awake...do you know what happened?" Cardin asked hoping to get some answers.
"You and your team saved them...the elementary-students from the field trip." Velvet said with a smile, her eyes brimming with respect. A smile, Cardin though, he wouldn't think he would ever see. "Professor Port and Goodwitch came and eradicated all the remaining grimm before they could get to you is what I've been told. Right now your team is talking with Headmaster Ozpin about the report"
For once he was glad his teammates were capable of something useful. He tried moving but, the pain was still there. Velvet saw his struggle to stand but acted against it.
"You shouldn't move Cardin you were seriously injured back there." Her face indicated concern.
"I thought I died." Cardin somberly admitted.
"You did die Cardin... a good 7 minutes of clinical death but, thanks to modern medicine they resuscitated you back to life." Velvet snapped back.
"Alright that explains one thing but, how come you are here?" He figured if he actually did made it out alive she would be the last person he would see first or be congratulated by. Her presence did made Cardin curious.
"Among the students you saved was my younger brother who described you bravely facing off 3 Ursa minors and an Ursa major as your team evacuated the students away from harm." She said giving a gentle smile that even gave Cardin a pang in his chest. "I've always thought you were a no good bully who mocked faunus for whatever reason but, it seems like even you are capable of doing good."
She stood up from the chair and made a small bow. "I Thank you and your team again for saving my brother's life. He means the world to me."
Cardin was lost for words. Truthfully he didn't even realized the connection because he was so focused on the battle. Then he realized the familiar warmth was still within his closed hands. Slowly he unraveled them to show Velvet's rabbit tuft charm. He motioned Velvet to come closer and place the charm near her. Velvet looked quite shocked as she patted herself for the charm hoping the charm was with her. Cardin just sat quietly waiting for Velvet to scold him. However she didn't. She did the unexpected. Taking back the charm she placed it back into Cardin's hands where he slowly closed them feeling again the warmth.
"This charm purpose was to bring the carrier good fortune." Velvet said tenderly. "For you to save my brother when I couldn't and for surviving an ordeal that no normal hunter wouldn't, I believe it serves better if it were with you."
"But, I..." Cardin was once again lost for words. He could only say the first thing that came to mind for Velvet. "I'm sorry."
Velvet couldn't help but smile as she was seeing a new side of Cardin. A better side. She then stood up again from her chair,brushing off herself off as she ready herself leave. "I'll let you to rest now, and I'll tell the nurse that you've woken up."
She was heading towards the door before even reaching the handle, Cardin mumbled out a faint sentence that caught Velvet off guard.
"Come again?" She asked reconfirming her suspicion.
"I said...can we start over and be friends." Cardin said holding his head high gazing at the ceiling. He didn't want the embarrassment or fluster be visible across his face. Death was one thing, anxiety is another thing and he wasn't ready to face both.
Velvet let out a small giggle. In her mind the great bully Cardin in such a weakened state was asking a faunus girl for a chance in friendship. She thought if all people go through such drastic changes when close to death. Velvet then saw it in Cardin's expression that he genuinely meant his words.
"Hey is that a no?" Cardin getting fed with the amused look of Velvet's face. He never expected her to say yes but, he had to try. Velvet still thought of the request which made Cardin's anxiety rise even higher.
"Maybe." Velvet finally spoke. Cardin wasn't sure but, he thought he saw Velvet with a sunny expression in her face. He deducted his vision might be a bit off due to the morphine. However Cardin had a feeling he wasn't wrong. "Well I'll see you when you get better Cardin, have a fast recovery." She quietly left and Cardin couldn't help but see her ears twitching more than usually then before.
'Hmph just a maybe? I almost die saving those brats and I just only get a maybe?'
Cardin then smiled.
'She'll see me later huh...I never knew she was such a cheeky girl under that nice-girl exterior'
Cardin once again exhausted had he decided that he should rest so he can go out and about. A hunter's job is never over after all. More work to be done and more grimms to depopulate. In the end of all his thoughts he couldn't wait to try and make up lost time on trying to not as a better hunter but, as a better person.
'I'll see her again indeed'