There was something peaceful about Winter mornings, especially when you're from Atlas or Mantle.

That was in the mind of Ottmar Salazar Voron or just Otto Voron. These calm mornings were the key to setting up a really good day to do some cool shit…except today.

Inside a house, there was a family of 3. Otto stood in the kitchen drinking a warm cup of coffee at an early hour of the morning while his parents were sleeping peacefully. That was something he wanted. His parents lived a nice and peaceful life. Without him attempting to ruin it.

It wasn't an easy thing to decide but the consequences of his actions finally gave him a slap of reality. The first one where his limbs got burned beyond repair and had to be replaced wasn't enough and instead he returned with a vengeance to continue his actions to help Mantle and its people from the greedy and disgusting higher ones but when his parents were caught up with the problems and the threats that almost reached them, it made him finally reconsider himself.

He took a big sip of his coffee to finish warming himself up and cleaned the cup to place it back into its place before grabbing the backpack, on the table filled with a few clothes, tools, and a few more stuff. He then checked his scroll to see his bank account where he had some money to help. Lastly, he pulled a piece of paper and pinned it on the bridge before heading straight to the door.

The paper was a small note. A note to let them know where did he go.

As he stepped outside and closed the door quietly, he looked at the house with a heavy heart before he began sprinting. And sprinting he did as he ran quickly to the walls of Mantle. The streets were quiet and the only thing that occupied it was the snow on the road, the sound of the cold winds, and a man running through with no turning back.

Sooner or later, he finally arrived at the walls. The boundary that separated Mantle from the deserted snowland outside. He began climbing the wall and avoided getting caught by any guard or security cameras.

As he reached the top, he stood at the edge of the other side, taking a minute to reflect on his next choice. In front of him was nothing but an endless sea of snow and it would take some time to get into the port. He pulled a Fire Dust crystal from his pockets which will be used for heating himself.

He turned his head backward, giving his home one final look before somersaulting outside. He let the cold air run against his face and through his long black hair for a few seconds as the ground became closer and closer. He then bent his knees to begin shooting downwards using his well-hidden shotgun knees to lower his fall speed and land safely.

"Come on, baby. Let's go." He muttered before running forward and just running nonstop till he reached the end of the sea of snow.

…

The weather wasn't making it easy, as expected.

A strong snowstorm hit Otto in the middle of the road but it wasn't going to stop him. Even with the low temperatures, it was far too late to give up so he pushed forward. He then used the Fire Dust in his hand to warm himself up.

"Is Mama Nature already trying to bite me in the ass?" He chuckled, trying to light his cold situation before meeting more winds as a response. "I will take that as a yes."

He was sure the port was within reach and the first hint was the flashing lights in the distance through the thick fog. He wasn't completely sure, it could be a truck or something that was still burning somehow but he kept going.

It was a task only the brave, idiotic, and mad people would go through and Otto was in all of the categories. He would push his metallic legs through the thick snow to reach his new destination. The Heterochromatic-eyed boy kept going until his eyesight caught another light.

And another one.

And another one.

His hopes were high by that point and passing through the fog would only give him the answer. And his high hopes weren't met with disappointment. A little bit of luck came on his side for once as he saw a big ship in the distance and many people as well.

"Fucking finally." He pushed through and soon enough got to the big ship. He rubbed his eyes to make sure it wasn't an illusion or a mirage but an actual giant piece of metal going through water and ice formed on the surface of the water.

He looked around and saw the people were too busy to notice his presence, giving him the chance to get inside the ship. As he got in, he searched for the right spot, and for a guy like him, there were many spots he could hide without worrying at all. He got into the right spot where he could sit, enjoy a meal he saved inside his bag, and a little bit of warmth generated from the remaining dust in his pockets.

It would be a long ride but it was worth it in the end.

…

After a couple of hours inside the ship and not even spotted once. I guess luck was truly on his side this time around. He didn't mind it so long he could enjoy a little bit of warmth for the first time in a couple of hours. As soon as the ship arrived, he didn't hesitate to get up and run off the ship without getting noticed. Again.

Otto felt something different about this place. Not just warmth and sun being set all of the time but also the smell and nature of it. It was very different than the wastelands of endless snow on the outside and the depressed city on the inside.

Here, it felt so energetic and alive. Human or Faunus, it was vastly different than Mantle for sure. He bought some food and drinks to reach this milestone. After all, he can't continue without recharging himself with a nice reward.

Otto enjoyed himself for the most part. He tried different food than the one served in Mantle and it was good. He even decided to explore what was beyond the city he was in to explore the nature of Vale.

And the first step at the grassy fields was just thrilling. Otto took a deep breath to smell the nice breeze coming to him. "Smells like a fresh start."

BOOM

But the fresh start wasn't going to be that simple of course.

A loud boom came from a distance and the sight of a few Grimm flying and turning into dust caught his attention. Out of curiosity, Otto ran toward the source to check who decided to blow things up today.

As he got closer, he ducked beneath the flying Ursa that crashed right into a tree. He whistled and continued to see who was that strong person that made this…

"TAKE THIS!"

A feminine voice came out from the small distance between him and the source while another Grimm flew in his direction, forcing him to pull his secret weapon, his blade hands. He turned his right turned into a sword, cutting the flying Grimm in half with a swift slash.

He went forward and saw the person who would be one of the turning points in his life.

He saw a girl with short and messy red hair, wearing a black and red hoodie, black pants, and carrying around a big bag-like weapon.

The first thing Otto felt was 'Wow, she is very strong. She could be mistaken as a boy.'

But his thoughts were interrupted immediately as a Beowulf tried to get him from his side. Otto simply took a step aside before countering with his left knee, followed by a Roundhouse Kick to send it flying toward another Beowulf who tried to tackle the girl from behind.

The girl sure had noticed the sound of two Grimm colliding against each other while she stomped on one's head to kill it. She looked at the source and saw a man lifting a Ursa with his left leg, damn strong legs, before throwing it in the air and raising his right leg on its head, killing it in the process before her gaze met his.

For the next few moments, it was just silent. Both looked at each other, analyzing their looks before Otto stabbed a Beowulf who tried to attack him right in the neck.

The silence was still present in this small staring contest until our black-haired dude finally spoke up.

"You're strong. How about we do a small duel?"

And with these words came the next big thing for Otto Voron.