Pariah


Chapter 6

Wounds


For twelve hours he traveled through one of the many vast snow-covered fir forests of northern Mistral, following the tracks of the slaves and his two loyal companions. These particular woodlands had a strange aura to them. It was as if they were cloaked in never-ending darkness. Even in broad daylight, Wolfe had the feeling that everything was darker than it should be. It made his journey a bit more unsettling.

Any normal traveler would find the notion of traveling through these woods as simply suicidal. For the ever-present threat of encountering the creatures of Grimm was all too likely. Something he never needed to worry about. For better or for worse. The only thing accompanying him on his journey was the sound of his breathing and the crunching of snow beneath his boots.

They might be a few hours ahead of him. Wolfe ignored the burning of his wounds, focusing on continuing down the track he walked. Due to the injuries he sustained from fighting his sister at the SDC mining facility, his pace was reduced significantly.

Winter.

It was as if a blizzard was caught in his mind, desperatly trying to escape its confinement. Thoughts were coming and going like an uninvited guest. He was unsure as to where it all began and where it ended. He did not know what to think, regarding his elder sister. It was as if she had seen a ghost when both of them looked into each other's eyes. Wolfe questioned if she ever even knew of his existence. A question he asked himself throughout his life.

What would she think of him when she knew what he was? Given that he took her arm and the fact that he was a Null made him certain she must hate him. Like so many others already did. He wondered if there was a feeling worse than that of knowing that your own family despised you for the simple fact of being born… different.

Wolfe wished he could say that letting her live was the right decision. But his resolve crumbled the more he thought about the circumstances. She would most likely hunt him down again. And seeing, that he more or less, defeated two trained Huntsmen and killed four soldiers, he would have an even bigger target on his back now. The day turned out to be quite troublesome. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips.

His mother would most likely be proud of the choice he has made regarding his sister. He would need to talk to her again when he arrived at their home. Her voice and words always calmed the storms that were raging inside of his mind, inviting a strange, yet welcoming, sense of calm. It always made it easier to process his thoughts and emotions. Wolfe valued the advice his mom gave him greatly, even if he did not heed it at times.

But something else was gnawing at him, as he still maintained his level of awareness, should unexpected guests decide to arrive once more. And arrived one did. Something or someone was following him. Their presence was revealed not too long ago, keeping their distance, successfully evading discovery.

Just his luck.


The mission was a complete disaster.

Not only had he lost four of his soldiers, but Winter Schnee also lay injured and crippled in the medical wing of his Capital Ship, missing her arm above the elbow. His heart sank into his stomach, once he saw her unconscious and battered form. What he found peculiar however was that her wound was found cauterized. By whom was still unclear at the moment, but he suspected that the Wandering Wolf was responsible for it.

But Why? Why spare her, when he could have gotten right for the kill? What was so different about her that made him stop? A headache was forming because of today's events and as the more time passed, the more questions arose.

The onboard doctors the ship already began removing part of the stump that was cauterized so that Atlas's state-of-the-art robotic prosthetics could be used to replace the severed limb. He would make sure that she would receive such medical treatment. That was the least he could do for his shortcomings as General and failing to retrieve vital information about the man they hunted. Four were dead and two were injured. A heavy sigh escaped him as his eyes observed the seemingly never-ending forest beneath him.

Now he had to prepare four funerals because of his carelessness. Their families had to be informed and the proper arrangements had to be made. A duty he dreaded more than any other. But it was a duty none the less.

Qrow Branwen was there too. An elite Huntsmen brought down without a single touch. The day wasn't supposed to end like this. They underestimated the Wondering Wolf's capabilities and have paid the price. And the price was high. Too high.

But the day wasn't over yet. His soldiers were still busy retrieving the bodies of the SDC overseers that were cut down. He wasn't surprised by the scene with which he was confronted. The carnage the Wandering Wolf left behind was all too familiar. Something he had wished to quell with today's mission. Limbs severed from torsos, bodies disemboweled and many more decapitated. The usual trademark of the Wandering Wolf. These horrific scenes, he usually associated with the creatures of Grimm, not another person. With this newest incident, he had no choice but to increase the reward for his capture.

The council would not be pleased with this development. They were already breathing down his neck with this particular situation. He knew that they were trying to hide their involvement in the Faunus slavery that occurred within the mines. He frowned at the thought. He had a clear distaste for those who claimed themselves civilized while they still used slaves for their labor. These practices were illegal within the four Kingdoms, but these disgusting individuals found 'loopholes' and 'gray areas' outside the borders.

Qrow was most likely going to tear him a new one should he wake up again. He would have to inform Ozpin of today's events.

"General Ironwood." He looked up at the voice that brought him out of his thoughts. Ironwood had to focus on the doctor that stood in his private quarters.

Ironwood silently chastised himself for letting his guard down. These occurrences happened more often than he would like to admit.

"Doctor Grau." He addressed her, "The least you could have done is knock."

"I have." Her face remained stoic looking into his eyes. "You wouldn't answer any of my calls."

"Apologies, Doctor." Ironwood sighed again. "I have a lot on my mind at the moment."

"So I have noticed." She answered him. "Apology accepted."

The General nodded thankfully.

"Have there been any changes in their condition, Doctor?"

"Mr. Branwen and Mrs. Schnee are awake, General," Grau replied. "And they wish to speak with you. From my understanding, the matter is rather urgent."


Wolfe has come to learn that patience was key to a lot of things. That's why all of his assaults on SDC and Atlas facilities in Mistral went off without much trouble. For weeks he would sit in some form of vantage point and gathered information before the inevitable carnage began. He was not ashamed to admit that he felt no remorse killing those who had wronged others. Who, had wronged him.

So now Wolfe relied on his patience again, waiting for the opportune moment. Few agonizing minutes went by as he spent some time on one of the thicker branches, maintaining his outlook. The presence that followed him for an hour did not waver. Not once could Wolfe see whoever was following him, and it started to irritate him greatly. But they did not dare to get closer or come out from whatever tree they were hiding behind. And so he decided to confront who or whatever was following him.

That's when he saw them, or rather… her.

It was a small child that was tracking him, clothed in a simple garb and arms in front of her chest desperately trying to stave off the unforgiving cold. She belonged to the group of slaves he freed hours ago and must have been separated from them. The girl had feathers in her dirty blond hair and was covered in dirt from the mines. Her temple was covered in dried blood. Wolfe wondered if the woman that was beaten to death in the square of the SDC mining facility, belonged to her family. They did share the same features after all.

Judging by her appearance she was no older than he was when he was abandoned to rot. Fear stricken emerald green eyes scanned her surroundings, franticly looking in all directions. The survival chances of a child in a forest like this were almost non-existent, that much he knew. It would seem that the girl was aware of that fact as well, as silent tears started to flow down her cheeks. So he understood why she was following him.

Grabbing one of the many pines inside of the tree, he threw it in front of her feet, making her freeze in alarm. Light blue met emerald green when she looked up to him. The girl's legs gave in and she fell to the ground with a panicked yelp. As Wolfe started his descent, he made sure to not put unnecessary pressure on his right leg. With a painful groan, he stood upright, maintaining eye contact.

There was a heavy silence between the two of them. When he noticed that she was eyeing his weapons, he rested them against one of the many firtrees and slowly walked towards her. With every step he took, more signs of abuse made themselves visible to him. A common sight within the dust mines outside of major settlements. A sight he has come to expect by now and he feared it would not change anytime soon.

Coming to a stop about a meter away from her, Wolfe went down on both knees, the movement straining his wound. He did not know if she shivered out of fear or because of the cold. Taking off the wolf pelt from his left shoulder, Wolfe hoped to help with the former. The girl flinched from the action but soon found herself wrapped in a warm coat. She looked at him in disbelief, clearly not expecting the gesture.

Wolfe noticed that she was staring directly into his injured eye. An annoyingly common reaction from those who found themselves in his unmasked presence. He surprisingly noted that she did not show any of the usual signs of discomfort the pariah gene seemed to invoked. No, she seemed unfazed. Her reaction was the complete opposite.

"I'm Wolfe." He introduced himself.

Silence still hung over them as the girl did not engage in conversation.

"Do you want to tell me your name?"

She shook her head.

He could not fault her for her apprehension. Exhaling softly he stood up again and made his way to retrieve his weapons from the tree. Looking back, he regarded her again and motioned for her to follow him. She had no reason to trust him, of that he was aware, and she probably did not do so. But it seemed that the girl understood that he was her best chance of surviving this god's forsaken forest. Maybe she still had family within the group. He slowed his pace while she walked a small distance behind him, continuing to follow the trail of the freed Faunus slaves.


When Winter first awoke, pain seared from her right arm. Upon reaching it with her left she noticed that it was missing and the stump was wrapped in bandages. A wave of panic hit her as she regarded her injuries. Even though her Aura started tp heal her wounds, the process still took considerable time. Thanks to her intensive training she received through the Atlas Specialist Program she managed to calm her strained nerves and mentally reviewed past events.

She lost the team that she was supposed to lead, in a matter of seconds, to the man known as the Wandering Wolf. The way in which he disposed of them was brutal and efficient. He spared no second thought as he laid waste to the Atlas soldiers under her command.

Fighting him was a frightening experience, as much as she did not like to admit that fact. The aura he exuded was taxing on her nerves. A shiver ran down a spine when she thought back on their fight.

The lack of Aura was also baffling. How could someone without it, bring forth so much carnage and death? It was not unheard of, but this man took on trained Huntsmen and proved victorious. Granted he suffered injuries of his own, but his wounds would take longer to heal, than those of a regular Aura user.

She would have died. She should have died. That was the reality of the situation. Winter tried to make sense as to why he spared her life when he so easily could have ended it. Looking back she noticed his whole demeanor change the moment he learned of her identity.

And his eye. His mutilated eye will most likely haunt her nightmares for years to come.

S…

D…

C…

The letters of her family's company, branded into the left side of his face, still hung in the forefront of her mind. One singular eye judging her for crimes she did not commit- The very second she laid on on him she felt her heart sink to her stomach. This level of sadism she only expected from barbarians and bandits. But to realize that such practices were happening under her grandfather's company sickened her on every level.

Regret suddenly took hold of Winter. If she had stayed, maybe she could have stopped these atrocities from ever being committed. With her taking her position as heiress of the SDC, she could have brought back some sense of honor back to her grandfather's dream and creation. Her family name. But now all was brought to ruin by the man who married into the Schnee legacy. She would see this man ousted from her family and brought behind bars in the deepest of vaults of the Atlas prison.

But it all did not matter now. She made her choice to relinquish the title of heiress. Now, she was unsure if it was the right decision to make.

"Morning, Ice Queen." The voice of Qrow Branwen brought her out of her musings and gained her undivided attention.

"Qrow." She acknowledged his presence.

While it would seem that he recovered from the worst of his ordeals, the Huntsman still seemed rather pale. Paler, than usual. The sight of his subsequent downfall was still hard to comprehend.

"You look like-"

"Shit." He finished her sentence. "Yeah, I know. I kinda feel like it, too." He groaned as he took a seat in the chair next to her bed.

Winter did not like the use of his crude language. But she could not care less, given with everything that has transpired several hours ago.

"That was not the word I was going to use."

"I know." He said with a grin. "And I don't care."

His expression took a more somber note as his eyes drifted to her stump.

"I'm sorry." Qrow began. "I wasn't able to help you in your fight against him."

"And because of it four people are dead and you lost your arm," Qrow said after a long pause.

Winter could see that his inability to help her against the Wandering Wolf was eating him up from the inside.

"Do not fault yourself, Qrow." She said. "No one could have predicted the situation."

"Yeah, well, doesn't really make me feel any better." He muttered.

Before she could respond the doors to her medical room opened and General Ironwood stepped inside.

"Winter. Qrow." He addressed them "I am glad that both of you are up and well."

"Still a little sore," Qrow said. "I'll probably need a few days rest and I'm good to go."

Ironwood nodded.

"As for you Winter, I have reserved a state-of-the-art robotic arm for you. Doctor Grau has already informed me that the cauterized tissue, was removed." The General stated. "With your permission, Doctor Grau and her team would like to begin the surgery as soon as possible."

Winter looked unsure for a moment. With a prosthetic, she could go out into the field again, to continue what she started. Hunting down the Wandering Wolf was now her priority. They were many questions she sought answers to. And in time, she would have them.

"If you need time to think it over, I-"

"I accept the offer, General." Winter cut Ironwood off, ashamedly so. "Thank you."

"Of course." He said, "Think nothing of it."

"Now," Ironwood began. "I believe the two of you wanted to give your report on the mission."

And so Winter and Qrow told the General everything. They describe the Wandering Wolf's appearance, his weapons, the two wolves they briefly saw, and the carnage he left behind. How an intense feeling of discomfort and unease suddenly took hold of them. Winter battle and the subsequent discovery of his lack of Aura. Qrow described the pain felt and how he was unable to provide any sort of aid because of it. They also told him that the man was breaded by the SDC across his left eye.

With their recounting of the events that unfolded, Winter noticed how Ironwood's demeanor grew darker with every new point they made.

"I told you, Jimmy. If you didn't get that prick in his white suit under control, things would blow up in our faces." Qrow ranted. "And now the consequences have come back to bite us in the ass."

"Qrow!" Winter snapped glaring daggers at the man.

"It's alright Winter." Ironwood sighed tiredly. "He's right. We have been far too lenient with Jaques for a long time. And now we are paying the price."

"I will have to speak with Ozpin about these developments," Ironwood said. "Get some rest, both of you. Oum knows you deserve it."

And with that, the General left.

Silence filled the room for a few minutes. Winter and Qrow still thinking of the events.

"Why didn't you tell Jimmy?" Qrow inquired, regaining her attention. His red eyes looking for an answer she did not have.

"You might want to be more specific, Qrow," Winter replied.

"I know you saw the face of Wandering Wolf." He said, a calm edge in his voice. "Despite that nasty branding covering his eye, he kinda looks like Old Nick, wouldn't you agree?"

Winter wanted to speak but found her words refusing to leave her mouth. She couldn't refute his claims. She saw him too.

"The beard is a bit short, sure. But take away the black hair color and replace with white and…" Qrows eyes seemed distant. "It was as if Nicholas Schnee stood before me. Even the eye color was the same."

"The General does not need to know that fact." She stated. "Not yet."

"Oh?" he scoffed, irritated by her secrecy "Trying to hide your dirty little secrets, like dear ol' daddy?"

If looks could kill, Qrow would be dead the instant he muttered those words. The Temperature suddenly dropped significantly inside of her medical room.

"Never compare me to that bastard." The venom in Winter's voice made Qrow recoil. He immediately regretted his choice of words.

"Alright." He put his hands up in an apologetic gesture. "I'm sorry."

Steadying her breath Winter calmed down. Her anger, however, did not dissipate. She refused to be put on the same rotten pedestal as her father.

"I do not know what his connection is to my family, but I have a pretty good idea." She said through gritted teeth. "And if I am proven correct in my assumption, my father will meet the consequences a lot sooner than he would like, that much I can assure you."

Qrow regarded her in silence, seeing the pain in her eyes and registering the veiled threat behind her words. He could not fault her. He, too, wished to have a few minutes of alone-time with that bastard.

"I had a brother once." Her voice quiet, barely above a whisper. Tears made themselves visible "His name was Wolfe. I never had the chance to meet my baby brother. My parents made sure of that."

"Excuses for illness were always given until this very day. I have never seen him. Not once. And when I was ten a Faunus killed him during one of his doctor's appointments." She croaked out. "Or that is what I was made to believe."

"You don't think that the Wandering Wolf is-"

"My brother?" she asked, finishing the question for him.

He nodded.

"I pray to Oum that my suspicions are wrong," She said. "I desperately want them to be wrong, because I refuse to believe my parents to be this vile. But they continuously seem to disappoint in that regard."

"That is why I will begin my own investigation of my brothers supposed 'murder'" Winter concluded. "I will find out what happened to him."

"Then I will help you," Qrow said, making her head snap into his direction.

"No, you don't have to." She tried to protest.

"No, I don't." He said. "But I want to. Besides, you're gonna need all the help you can get, with you still being bedridden and all that."

"Thank you, Qrow." She said gratefully. "It means more than you know."


Stepping into the clearing, Wolfe observed the group of Faunes as they were huddled together around improvised fires to keep themselves warm. It was the place where he instructed his four-legged companions to bring any of the slaves he freed. He noticed that almost all of them now wore clothes he stored away for them to use. At least some good came from today's events.

Thanks to the Pariah Gene they all noticed his approach and their eyes were fixed on him. Wolfe could tell that his presence was not welcomed, despite the fact that he set them free. He made out three people breaking from the group, making their way towards him.

The first was a rabbit Faunus with brown hair, brown eyes, and large ears as his defining feature. The second was a cat Faunus with white hair, amber eyes, and a tail. The last individual was bigger than the others and had bear ears on his head, dark-blond hair and. dark-green eyes.

His attention was brought back when he felt something bump into his right leg and heard a soft thud behind him. Turning his head over his left shoulder he found the girl that followed him in silence for the last four hours, laying in the snow. Wolfe could tell that she was exhausted from their travels and he did not fault her for it. Kneeling down, he grabbed his canteen from one of his belts and offered it to the girl.

There was a certain level of fear and distrust in her eyes, as she regarded him. Fair enough. He brought the canteen up to his mouth and took a swig from it. The cold water running down satisfied his own thirst. Wolfe once again offered her his water. With caution, the girl took the canteen from his hand and began to greedily drink from it too.

Hearing the crunching of snow, Wolfe stood back up and regarded the three individuals once more. As he did so they halted in their advance for a second before continuing. It was clear that they were unnerved by the arura he was emitting thanks to the gene.

"You… are human." The bear Faunus said. It was more of a statement than it was a question. But he could still hear the distaste, hidden, in the man's voice.

Wolfe merely raised an eyebrow not sure where this conversation was going. That's when he felt little hands grab his leg. The little girl was clutching his pants, while half her face was obscured by his leg. She was trembling from fear and tears began to form in her eyes.

"It survived." The rabbit Faunus sneered while his companions had visible frowns themselves. "I thought we got rid of this freak."

"Looks like you didn't hit it hard enough." The cat Faunus responded. "Well, I guess we'll have to rid ourselves of this freak now again."

Wolfe did not know why they had this level of resentment for this girl, nor did he care. The fact that they were addressing her as 'it' and 'freak' was making his blood boil.

"You will do no such thing." He addressed all three of them, meeting their gaze with cold determination. He observed as they turned a shade paler from his words, their uncomfort growing from them.

"So you would protect this halfling?" the man spat in disgust. "Her existence is an affront to both our races and should be dealt with accordingly."

"I am protecting a child from those who would wish her harm," Wolfe replied calmly. "And I most certainly do not share your sentiment."

He looked at each one in the eye, his grip tightening around his glaive.

"You will not touch her or you will be the next to find themselves lying in a pool of their own blood." The threat served its intended purpose and the three of them deflated in an instant.

"Now. Tell me where I can find her family." Wolfe felt her grip tighten around his leg.

"Family?" The cat Faunus scoffed. "That thing has no family here."

"Choose your next words carefully."

The woman threw are hands up in mock surrender and avoiding eye contact, because of the glare that Wolfe leveled her way.

"Fine." She said. "They're all dead. Killed in the mines."

"And the pregnant woman in the square?" Wolfe asked.

"She was the sister." The bear Faunus answered, glaring at the girl that sought shelter behind his leg. "Not that it counted for much, seeing as she hated this freak-"

The blade of his glaive touched the man's throat, drawing blood. Wolfe's patience has almost reached its limit. The others stared wide-eyed at the unfolding scene, their tongues silenced by his actions.

"Do not test me." His voice mirroring Atlas' unforgiving cold. "I may have given you your freedom but that does not mean you are absolved from my scrutiny. Your views on race are not my concern. Your willingness to kill a small child for something she has no control over, however, is my concern. And I will not tolerate it."

"Okay." He said panicked, staring into Wolfe's mutilated eye. "Okay. She has no more family left and no one is going to accept her as their own."

Wolfe regarded the man for a few long agonizing seconds before he removed his weapon. The man let out a shuddering breath and did his best to avoid eye contact, holding one hand over his bleeding wound. He hissed as it made contact.

"You will live," Wolfe said, dismissively. "Ten kilometers south from this clearing is a town, where only Faunus live. Make it your first destination, before you begin your new lives."

All three of them nodded and started to retreat to the main group.

From his left, Wolfe heard his four-legged companions growling. They observed everything that unfolded between him and the group and were lying in wait. He gestured for them to come out to him.

The white wolf reached him first and he traced his hand through her fur.

"Hello, Licht." He said in greeting.

He did the same motion as the black wolf came to his side.

"Nacht." At the mention of his name, his companion let out an excited howl.

"Yes, it's good to see you too."

The sound of shouting brought their attention to the group of freed slaves who started to take their leave in haste.

"I want you two to follow them towards that village. Make sure no Grimm or bandits attack them." He said. "When they are safe make your way back home."

Nacht gave out another howl before they vanished into the forest, following and observing the group from the shadows.

The sound of sobbing brought his attention back to the girl who still held a tight grip on his leg. Wolfe did not know what he was supposed to do in situations like these. He could not bring her to an orphanage, because of the animosity she received from others over something she had no control over. She would not be treated better if he brought her to one of them. And her chances of adoption were slim to none, especially in the Kingdom of Mistral. She would be subject to hate from both the humans and the Faunus. It was a cruel reality. A sick twist of fate, where even the gods found amusement in their suffering. She reminded him of… himself.

He went down on one knee, which made the girl tense up immediately. Her eyes were filled with uncertainty and fear, silent tears continued to stream down her face. She flinched as Wolfe reached out, holding her arm in his hand. She resisted at first but noticed that his hold was not firm and could easily slip out if she so wished. She calmed down as soon as she realized this, her face adorning a mask of confusion.

"It's okay." He said gaining her undivided attention. "I am going to take you someplace safe. Is that okay?"

She nodded. The girl was at her limit, both physically and mentally. Seeing as her eyelids grew heavy, Wolfe picked the girl up into his unarmoured arm, her head leaning against his shoulder.

"Mai." Was the first word she spoke to him. It was whispered so quietly that Wolfe at first thought his mind was playing tricks on him, due to his own exhaustion.

"My name is Mai." She repeated before she buried her face into his shoulder, the fabric of his sweatshirt being soaked by her tears.

And so Wolfe made his way back to the only place where he could bring the girl.

Home.


Once he entered his dimly lit quarters again, Ironwood made his way towards his Holotable. This evening turned out to be more troubling than he could have ever expected. No, it was disastrous.

Bringing up his contacts he called Professor Ozpin, the only other man who would no doubt share his concerns on the matter. It rang a few times before the caller on the other end picked up.

"General." Ozpin greeted. "How are Winter and Qrow fairing?

"They are recovering and will be back on their feet soon." He answered. "I have debriefed them both."

Tilting his head and raising a curious eyebrow the Headmaster of Beacon Academy gestured for him to continue.

"The Wandering Wolf is a pariah."

He could see the Headmaster immediately tense up and choke on the coffee he was currently drinking.

"James." Ozpin said, becoming deathly serious about the new information. "Are you certain about this? We cannot afford the luxury for any lapse in judgment."

"Yes," Ironwood said. "After they recounted of what has transpired, there is no doubt in my mind."

"Have you raised the threat level?"

"Yes, in all of the Kingdoms," Ironwood replied. "As of tonight, the kill on sight order has been granted."

"Good."