Summary: It is the day of the initiation and Cardin is ready to seize the moment and make it his bitch. Mid-flight off the cliff he begins to understand the meaning of a curse disguised as a blessing. Does his semblance hate him or is the universe dolling out comeuppance? Such deep thoughts are beyond Cardin.
Not Cardin's Day
It was a beautiful day to start his career at Beacon. The Emerald forest was lush and full of Grimm. The air at the cliff was cool and bracing. He breathed in deep, loving the way his chest expanded to make his muscles rub against his new armor. There was tittering at his side at which he glared. Frightened little boys and girls, he sneered. This initiation would be where the warriors were separated from the chaff.
Professor Ozpin made a small speech about their goals in the forest and the silly way they would get their partners. Cardin ignored the rest and looked around. He didn't find anyone worthy of his overwhelming masculinity. Well if he couldn't have a brother-in-arms, maybe he should find a female partner with benefits. He chuckled to himself and braced for the moment he would be jettisoned into the air.
Cardin Winchester was flying through the air after being launched off the cliff. He couldn't be happier. He was going to dominate the competition, annihilate the Grimm, ravish the women – a sharp whistling sound interrupted his fantasizing, something hit the side of his head and darkness swam into his vision.
Later in the day, after an end to a harrowing initiation, Professor Ozpin looked at his new students with a small smile. "Ah, I believe a few rumors have been circulating about what happened during initiation. Let me put your minds at ease…" he paused to let the students take a breath of relief, as they were already anticipating good news, "We only had two deaths. Cardin Winchester who suffered head trauma and Jaune Arc, who did not have a landing strategy and so broke his neck. Miss Nikos will not be facing any charges as some rumors have suggested, it was, after all, an accident. Now, off to bed with you."
Cardin Winchester was flying through the air and he was very confused. It was like déjà vu. If I'm right, he thought, something hit me in the head now. He looked to his right and saw a glint of something gold and red. That something pierced his eye, and as it was rocket propelled, pushed straight through the bone.
Darkness crept around the edges of his eyes until he saw and knew nothing.
Later in the day, Professor Ozpin comforted the students with the fact that there were only two deaths, and that the star student of the entering class was still with them. He was rather put out that the students didn't seem as relieved as he had expected.
Cardin was flying and he was worried. He twisted in the air and managed to get hit by a rocket propelled spear in his shoulder. He spun in the air like a top, as the spear continued slicing through him. Screaming in pain and fright he fell to the earth. Once again, everything went black.
Cardin was flying and he was pissed. Mid-air he pulled out his mace and whirled to knock off the spear shooting for him. Unfortunately, Cardin was not known for his airborne agility and ended up flailing himself into getting pierced. Once again he found himself screaming and falling, but this time had enough sense to flood his body with his aura. He fell and tumbled gracelessly, the rocket-spear pushing him against a rock. With an angry sputter the rocket exhausted itself and Cardin was left wheezing in pain with the spear in his shoulder. He was covered in dirt and leaves but at the least he was alive.
After his head stopped spinning, he looked at the spear more carefully and realized who it belonged to. Why did she attack me? He wondered. Said attacker burst into the little clearing formed by Cardin's violent entry. "Oh my God!" gasped Pyrrha Nikos. "Are you ok?" Her hands flew to her mouth.
"Ok? Of course I'm not ok, you ditz! Why did throw your spear at me?"
"I wasn't throwing it at you," she said, crouching down at his side and looking over his wound. "How is your aura level? Do you think you will recover if I pull it out?"
Cardin didn't think he would recover, especially because he fell badly on top of having a spear in his shoulder. But he couldn't speak the truth, because that would be unmanly. "Yeah, m'fine."
Pyrrha didn't wait and jerked the spear out. Cardin grunted in pain, hoping she hadn't heard the slight whine.
"Oh my God! Jaune! I have to help him. I'll be right back," she told Cardin with a frantic look on her face.
"You're going to leave me like this?" he shouted after her but she was long gone. Then he realized what he'd said and was embarrassed. I sound like such a bitch! Are you going to leave me here! Get your ass up Winchester, you're no damsel in distress.
Cardin used his mace to help him stand and leaned on aura was pretty low and the wound needed attention. But there was no way he was going to pussy out of initiation. Grumbling to himself he shuffled forward while wincing.
The forest floor was treacherous, so he kept his eyes on it. There was no way he was going to trip and worsen his wound. It came as a surprise then, when he felt hot and moist breath on his head. He looked up, straight in the maw of an Ursa.
"No!" he jerked back, his injury forgotten in moment of fright. The ursa dipped down clamping its teeth below Cardin's ears and bit. Cardin felt extreme pain only as long as it took the Ursa's jaws to meet each other and decapitate him.
Clearly, this wasn't Cardin's day.
A.N I'm sure you can guess what sources inspired this. Going to be written in snippet form. I would rather write and post what I have than sit on it until have several thousand words. Recent experience with Action Girl and Insatiable has shown that I do better with that.