Lone Wolves (McHanzo Fanfic)

Hunter

Cole grunted and strained. He reached for a branch but slipped.
"You must use your claws, Cowboy." Genji said pacing around the forest floor. He looked up at Cole as he struggled to climb a massive tree. "Even in your human form, you still have the tools of a werewolf."
Cole looked at one of his hands and barred his claws. They sprang out of the tips of his fingers like sharp knives. Cole slipped a bit at the sight but quickly regained his footing before digging his claws into the tree to climb again.
"Very good. Control your breathing."
Cole propped himself up on a branch to catch his breath before looking back down at Genji. He was making good progress.
"Hey, how exactly is climbin' this thing gonna help me?" Cole shouted.
"It will build your strength and endurance. So no breaks. You have to make it to the top without a crutch."
Cole's head sank as he tried to catch his breath. Genji's training was brutal, but Cole was determined to continue. He swung his hand up and began climbing once more. He started to speed up.
"The goal is to get to the top efficiently Cassidy, not as fast as you can. You will fail that way. Find your footing. Plan each move you make. Measure twice, cut once."
Cole continued moving up the tree. His breath became labored, but he was so close to the end. He could see the sun getting brighter as he moved his way to the top of the tree. A branch snapped. Coles foot fell from under him. He struggled to grab a hold of something but quickly regained his balance.
"Don't panic. Trust yourself to catch your balance."
"Hey, this isn't easy, tough guy!" Cole shouted down at Genji.
"Then why don't you listen?" Genji said suddenly from the branch above Cole. It startled him and he lost his balance again. He frowned at Genji.
"How the hell did you get there so fast?"
"If you listened and learned control maybe you could too." He said perched on the branch, looking down at him. "If not, you might as well give up and go back down."
"Not a chance!" Cole said high and mighty. His vision became focused and he continued climbing with purpose. He took his time, but was efficient enough to climb past Genji and reach the top. He sat on the highest branch and looked over the snowy mountains beyond. The sun glistened off the snow. Cole stared in awe at the site before him.
"Woah, never had a view like this from my cabin."
Genji sat perched up on another branch beside him.
"Good things come to those who are patient, Cassidy. You have done well. But a long journey lies ahead, and you still have much to learn."
Cole turned to Genji.
"Whatever you say.....master."
Genji gestured, a bit taken back that Cole was finally seeking guidance and accepting his role.
"Time to go, Cowboy."
They ventured back down the tree. Cole was exhausted.
"Ready for your next lesson?" Genji asked.
"Ya think we can grab a bite to eat first? I'm....a little outta breath.... and hungry."
Genji walked over to him with his hands behind his back.
"Hence why we must continue the next lesson, Cowboy. It's time for me to teach you how to catch your prey."
Cole equated down for a minute. In the middle of his weariness, he felt a bit taken back by Genji's comment. Catch prey? Are we supposed to be hunting? Cole is very familiar with hunting, but is Genji expecting him to hunt without guns? I think he knew the answer but Cole asked anyways.
"So we're hunting? Without weapons?"
Genji knelt down in front of Cole.
"Remember what you are now, Cassidy." Genji said putting a hand to Cole's heart. "In here you will always be Cole Cassidy." He moved his hand to Cole's shoulder. "But on the outside you are a predator. Most of it will come naturally, but it will take some time. Especially once you learn to change forms."
Cole thought for a moment before standing up proudly.
"Ok, I'm ready." He said rolling up his sleeves.
Genji stood with him. "Good."
"What are we hunting?" Cole asked.
"You are hunting deer."
"Which way?"
"In the direction of deer."
"O....k? Uh, first things first. Look for tracks."
Cole lead the way, but he was blindly stepping into the forest. Genji followed behind him. Cole could feel the pressure but tried to ignore it and stick to his instincts. He soon found tracks and knelt down to look.
"There not deer tracks. These are from a- another predator. Just a bobcat. The tracks are old. Let's move on."
Cole continued making his own trail through the woods he found a small trail in between two bushes. He got on all fours and crawled through the bushes. His eyes narrowed at the ground. Tracks.
"These are fresh deer tracks." He said.
He continued forward, his head was hanging low to the ground. He followed the Tracks until they suddenly ended. He didn't give up. Cole found broken branches and overturned rocks near by and continued to follow the path. Soon he came to a clearing. Genji still following closely behind. There were no tracks and nothing out of the ordinary. Cole couldn't tell where the deer went.
"I-I lost it." Cole said sounding defeated.
"Use your senses." Genji began. "Your sense of smell will help you hunt."
Cole looked at him a bit confused, but put his head towards the ground and sniffed at where the tracks ended. He wasn't getting much, but then he sniffed harder. Cole gasped. He could smell the deer. It was faint, but he could smell it.
"I-it's getting away."
"Follow the scent, Cowboy."
Cole got back up on his feet and ran towards the smell. He noticed how fast he could run now. His endurance was heightened. Cole brushed passed the shrubbery and suddenly stopped. There was the deer. He quickly knelt behind a bush and watched the deer drink from a puddle. The scent of the deer was now filling his nose. Suddenly, his body seemed to take over as he stared at the deer. Cole's eyes narrowed. He barred his newfound sharpened teeth. The drool started to drip out of his mouth. Genji watched, hidden, from afar. Cole got down on all fours again and started to take prolonged steps towards the deer. He slowly emerged from the bush. Closer and closer. Even closer. The deer didn't hear him. He was right behind it trying his best not to snarl. Quickly he pounced at it. Immediately his teeth sank in to the deers throat and his claws ripped at the deers chest. It wrestled against him for a second. He growled furiously trying to rip out the poor deers throat. He finally tackled it to the ground and ripped flesh from bone. The deer was dead. Cole swallowed the chunk of flesh and picked his lips before suddenly realizing what he just did. Genji looked on in awe and revealed himself from out of the bushes.
"You've done it, Cassidy."
Cole was taken back. His teeth and fangs quickly retracted and he fell backwards, terrified of what he had just done. A vision appeared in his mind. He was tken back to when a large dark werewolf sat in front of him then in the blink of an eye it had sank its teeth into him as other werewolves dragged Hanzo away from him.
"Hanzo! HANZO!" Cole shouted.
He was delirious. Frantically shaking from head to toe and terrified.
"Cassidy!" Genji said trying to calm him down. "It's not real! Calm your mind!" He tried to hold his arms down. Cole took a deep breath and was soon out of the hallucination. He starred blankly off into the distance, shrouded by fear.
"Look at me, Cole. It wasn't real. You're safe." Genji continued to reassure him.
Cole finally caught his breath.
"I-I killed it. I actually.....killed it....and," He paused, putting a hand to his mouth. "And I ate it."
He took his hand away to see that he wiped away the blood on his face. He gasped, quickly wiping it on his pants.
"I can't believe I did that. It was.....delicious but.....brutal."
"Yes, but this is the natural order of things. Us werewolves are intertwined with nature. Nature must take its course, no matter how brutal it is. The strongest will survive and the weak may die." Genji stood up and held his hand out. "And we must be stronger than our enemies, Cassidy. Or there is no hope for my brother."
Cole looked up at him for a moment before taking his hand to stand back up.