A Grimm Huntsman 23
-Hazel-
The sound of shattering glass filled the hide-out as Roman appeared with Neo and a white Fang Grunt who Perry seemed to recognize. "You're later than I expected." Hazel frowned, noting the wide-eyed look on the deer Faunus' face and the scowls on those of the thieves.
"Your target showed up and the rest of those bloodthirsty imbeciles Cinder hired decided to try killing them." Roman scoffed, pulling out a cigar and lighting up, some of the tension in the man's shoulders fading as he took in a deep puff. "Given what you've told me of your target, the fact that he had his entire Beacon group with him, and two full grown huntsmen with them I have a feeling those idiots aren't going to be among the land of the living for much longer."
"So you left?" Hazel raised an eyebrow, curious as to the mans' reasonings.
"Those idiots already fucked up the job." Roman grunted, "Only one who actually obeyed instructions from the beginning was Perry's' sister…what's your name?"
"Deery."
"Right, Deery." Roman nodded, "Only smart one of that bunch. They refused to listen and deliberately dragged their feet to piss me off. When the Potter kid showed up they just started screaming about 'killing the humans' and charged at them despite me telling them not to. So I grabbed Deery here and had Neo get us out. Reporting this to Cinder's going to be a bitch."
"Is that so…Roman?" the familiar voice of the lowest member of Salem's council, "Am I correct in guessing you've gone and failed me again?" Cinder's hand glowed with heat and she reached towards Roman's face. Behind her, he could see Mercury look faintly amused at the imminent act and Emerald looked particularly eager to see Roman potentially maimed.
"Enough." Hazel's voice was firm as he gave Cinder a hard look, her wrist trapped in his iron grip as her peon's snickers died out. "The failure lies with you and your choices Cinder. You chose the Fang to be your labor, knowing few of them would listen to a human. And if your choices made my own mission harder you will regret it."
"Are you threatening me?" Cinder hissed, her eyes and the arm he grasped bursting into flames, his semblance keeping him from reacting. A jerk of his arm snapped her wrist as she cried out from shock and pain, her acolytes drawing their weapons only to still as Roman, Neo, Perry, and Deery aimed their own.
"It is a warning Cinder." He released her wrist as she clutched it to her chest, her aura glowing around the broken bone. "We swore ourselves to our Leader. She is the reason we are where we are and as strong as we have become. But when you put your own wants over her orders, then there will always be consequences. You begged our Mistress for the chance to take this assignment, but it seems to me you are far from ready…and far from worthy." Hazel was already planning his report to Salem about Cinder's actions. Her actions, and his own recommendation that she not be Salem's Fall maiden. Perhaps Neo, or this Deery if she proved reliable. "Take her and go." He ordered Mercury and Emerald who seemed terrified at his non reaction to the glistening burns on his hand. By his side, Neo gave a savage grin as she twirled the blade from her parasol and Roman had his cane gun aimed at them. Deery and Perry both had standard dust assault riffles aimed even if they were shaking like leaves. Cinder was left without much choice but to leave, her minions hurrying after her.
The instant she was gone he noticed movement and saw Neo putting something on his burnt hand as she wrapped it with gauze to help his Aura's healing. "She going to try anything?" Roman asked him, the thief taking another deep puff of his cigar, "Should we change bases?"
"It would be the most logical for her to accept my words and focus on how she can salvage her own plans and accept what changes she needs to make to her." Hazel stated as Neo finished bandaging his hand.
"So pack up and leave before she tries burning the building down." Roman deduced with a nod.
"Exactly."
-Salem-
Frowning, she read the reports from Cinder and Hazel. Cinder's of course attempted to be subtle in her attempts to have Hazel recalled and pushing away the blame for the current failure at the plans for the fall of Beacon. Hazel's on the other hand was straight to the point and factual, not showing any politicking, his report aided by pictures and footage.
"Tyrian, Watts." She looked at the other two members of her inner circle, "I have a new assignment for you."
"I assume it has to do with Hazel's report?" Watts steepled his fingers, intrigued at where she was going with her orders.
"Indeed. I would rather be safe than sorry given how the winds seem to be blowing. I wish for you each to find at least one potential addition to this council, ones that you will train to join us as needed or convince should they already be trained." Watts smirked, likely sensing her displeasure at what Cinder seemed to be doing.
"I have a few old contacts I could look into." Watts mused, "Dr. Merlot is likely still alive. And with General Ironwood heading to Vale that leaves Atlas without as much protection. I'll dig into what I can there."
"I'll find more worshipers for you my goddess!" Tyrian looked eager at the chance to teach others about her.
"Tyrian, look into the elite of the White Fang." Salem decided, "See if they have any potential recruits. If that organization can make one such as Adam Taurus then I'm curious as to what else they have hidden. After that, look at the frontier towns. Arthur, your plan is acceptable. I'll tell Hazel to look for other recruits amongst the students while he is in Vale." It would be interesting to see what could be accomplished with a larger council at her command. Tyrian and Watts quickly leave to fulfill her orders. Leaving Salem alone with nothing but thoughts. Thoughts, and memories.
-Harry-
Groaning softly, Harry cracked his eyes open, every part of his body riddled with stiffness and pain sadly far from a new sensation, nor was the sterile scent of a hospital anything but familiar. Sitting up, he saw his team around him, all of them with heavy bags under their eyes and shaking, the signs he remembered from someone seeing something horrifying they hadn't been ready to witness. Feeling the wind across his bare skin snapped Harry to full alert as he realized his scars were exposed for his friends to see. Those from Umbridge's final act of cruelty and before.
Upon seeing his eyes open, it was apparently enough to boil over for them as Ruby let out a sob and rushed over, hugging him tight as she cried into his chest, her words muffled into his skin and her own torrent of tears. Nora joined the hug with fewer tears but a tighter grip as she shook just as much as their youngest member. Yang shook the worst as she just reached out to grab his arm, Jaune giving him a nod as he put a supportive hand on Yang's shoulder. Ren seemed the most composed but just as emotional, his eyes burning with righteous fury rather than broken grief.
"Who did this to you?" Ren's voice, usually so calm and serene, was a hiss, the monk looking not just ready, but willing to commit murder. Before he could answer, or even attempt to think of one, the door opened as Ozpin walked in along with Tai-Yang, Qrow, a woman he didn't recognize, and a doctor. Their eyes showed pity, anger, and horror, but no surprise. They had already seen the scars as well.
"They know nothing Harry." Ozpin looked tired, his presence reflecting the age of the man who sat before him, "This is yours to tell if you so wish."
"They…they should know." Harry winced and sat up, idly tracing some of the scars that marked him. They were his friends; he was tired of hiding from them. "I suppose I should start with the easiest issue, the scars."
"That's…that's the easiest issue?" Ruby's voice was faint, her silver eyes wide.
"Some I got from fights." He traced the scar from the basilisk fang, the ones from Nalini's fangs, from Wormtail's knife, and from countless spells that carved his flesh. "Some I…some I got form my Aunt and my Uncle." Qrow's flask, high quality and durable steel, is crushed like a cheap aluminum can as the man's fists clench in stunned outrage. Ruby looked ready to burst into tears while her sister's eyes burned blood red. Ren and Jaune focused on comforting Nora who looked broken at the thought of someone hurting their own family like he way saying. "But most…most are a curse." Now he traced the runes carved into his skin, "These symbols…they go all the way to my bones. When I was banished from my homeland it was a final act of petty cruelty from the heartless bitch who seemed determined to make my life hell. Every time I sleep I relive every past tragedy, every horrible experience, every moment of pain in my life again and again until I wake up."
"You…you go through that every night?" Tai-Yang collapsed into a chair besides his daughters who quickly held onto him for comfort.
"No." He couldn't meet their eyes, "I've taken to going days without sleep. I stay awake through using a portion of my power I can access to help, practice, and Firewhiskey. It works for the most part, I just get a little sluggish after a few days and can't rationalize as well. Yang, that first night was after I had gone a few days without sleep which is why I told you as much as I did." Yang's eyes showed a touch of realization at that revelation.
"If that's the easy part…what's the hard one?" Jaune asked, sounding in part like the blond didn't want to know but at the same time knew he needed to hear what was about to be said. At first, Harry kept silent, sending a look toward the doctor till Ozpin got the message and had the man, reluctantly, leave.
Clenching the sheets till his knuckles turned white, Harry took a shaky breath and braced himself, "I…don't have a soul."
You could hear a pin drop. "W-what?" it was a flabbergasted Lie Ren who spoke first, "But…how?! And we've seen you use aura?"
"That wasn't Aura, it is the antithesis of aura, the same energy the Grimm use to use their own abilities. As for the how?" Harry now traced the lightning bolt scar "Yang, do you remember what I told you of the man who terrorized my homeland?"
"You…you said he split his soul right?" Yang frowned, remembering the conversation from several months before.
"Yes. He would separate his soul and place the pieces into objects to grant a form of effective immortality. This was a ritual that involved several factors, including the ritualistic murder of an innocent life." He stared down at his lap, knowing if he saw their expressions he might not be able to finish "His favorite method of killing was a curse that was outlawed in my home. If it touches you it rips out your soul." To the people of remnant, who revered the idea of the soul, that was as gruesome a fate as any and Nora was heaving into a garbage can "I was a year old when he used it on me." The silence was thunderous "It's supposed to leave no mark and remove the soul instantly but when he used it on me, thanks to some protections from my mother, it went wrong. I got this scar and his body was destroyed. My soul was removed but I needed a soul to live. His ritual worked partially, and a small shard of his own soul was imbedded within me, just enough to give me the spiritual energy to live. Eventually, my body got so used to having the bare minimum of having a soul that when his soul shard was destroyed I continued to live. The side effect is that I can barely use my people's abilities without the focus in our rooms. For all intents and purposes, I'm a human Grimm."
"Your flames." Jaune realized first, "The silver flames hurt you and the black ones heal you." The room was tense as everyone processed this bar Harry and Ozpin who already knew and just waited for the responses.
"I don't care." Ruby broke the silence. "You're our friend Harry. You're our leader! You may not have your own soul but you're Grimm. You're a hero." Ruby then hugged him tightly as Harry finally broke down, and cried, starting to let go of the pain and memories.