Merciful •• Karl Heisenberg x Reader

Prologue || Lycan Hunt

Even the cacophony of wails and howls could not drown out the harsh pounding of Y/N's heart in his ears. Snow crunched under his boots with each step. His muscles screamed in agony, threatening to give out altogether. He couldn't keep this up for much longer, but he had no other choice. Being viciously torn apart limb from limb by werewolf-looking creatures was not an option.

Y/N came to a stop beside a tree that was bent with age. He pressed a hand against its bark to hold himself up, his heavy breaths visible through the white clouds that escaped from his nose and mouth. The bitter cold air burned his throat as he breathed in, taking more of a toll on his straining lungs.

His head perked up when he heard a few howls come from nearby. They were catching up to him. Cursing under his breath, Y/N pushed off the tree and broke into yet another sprint. However, he didn't get very far before something heavy collided with his back and sent him crashing to the ground. His breath abruptly driven from his lungs, Y/N inhaled sharply and coughed.

The beast that had taken him down released a guttural snarl. Clutched in its gnarled hands was some sort of metal club with spikes jutting out from every side. Y/N barely had time to roll out of the way as the Lycan swung the club downwards with enough force to crush a human skull. His frost-bitten hand fumbled for the pistol he'd been carrying with him, only to find that it wasn't there. Looking up, he could barely make out its shape in the darkness. It was laying in the snow about ten feet away from him, having most likely been dislodged from the impact.

Y/N knew he had to react quickly. He scrambled to his feet and made a dash for the pistol. Just as he reached it, the Lycan's club caught his legs and swept them out from under him. He landed hard on his side with a yelp of pain. The creature was on him within seconds, snapping at his face with frothing jaws. When Y/N's attempts to kick it off failed, he was left with only one option. He grabbed the pocket knife clipped to his belt and plunged the blade into the Lycan's throat, slicing downward. Hot blood immediately gushed from the wound. It twitched once with a low whine, then laid still.

Panting heavily, Y/N shoved the Lycan body off of him and pulled the knife from its throat, his nose wrinkling as the metallic aroma of blood filled his nostrils. To his dismay, he was now covered in the crimson substance. His soaked shirt clung to his chest with a stickiness that could only be described as incredibly uncomfortable.

Y/N ignored the pain that flared up in his calves, where the club had struck, and shakily pushed himself to his feet. More of those creatures would be showing up soon, especially now that blood had been spilled. He gripped the pocket knife tightly in his hand and turned away from the scene. He bent over to retrieve his pistol first before ambling into the thicket ahead of him. So much of his strength had already been drained that he could barely manage a jog, let alone a sprint. His limbs hung heavily as if they were made of wet cement. They threatened to drag him down with them, and he stubbornly resisted despite how badly he wanted to collapse in the snow and be done with it.

The wind soon picked up, whipping in his face and causing his eyes to water. This night felt like it was lasting forever. He turned his gaze toward the horizon, but could no longer see the lights of the village.

"Damnit..." Y/N hunched his shoulders. "Even if I find my way back, I can't lead those things to the survivors.."

Screeches and wails suddenly tore through the silent air. Three Lycans sprang out from the undergrowth, eager to sink their fangs into Y/N's flesh.

Y/N's heart plummeted into his stomach. He wheeled around just as an enormous mutant beast with shaggy white hair landed behind him with ground-shaking force. Fear took ahold of him as he turned back around and ran deeper into the thicket. He could hear the beast crashing through the undergrowth behind him. A scream was ripped from his lungs as the mutant sent him hurtling through the air with its paw.

He tumbled down a hill once he hit the ground, eventually crashing into a barbed wire fence at the base. The sharp barbs went straight through his jeans and dug into his skin. A groan of pain escaped him as he struggled to free himself.

To his surprise, the Lycans hadn't come down the hill to continue the chase. When he looked up, he could see the big one standing among the trees at the top, with the others gathered by its flanks. Its sharp, unforgiving gaze was upon him.

"Why isn't it attacking...?" Y/N questioned as he narrowed his eyes. He took the opportunity to catch his breath, not knowing if he'd ever get another one.

"Because I'm here."

"W-What?" A loud yelp of surprise escaped Y/N as the barbed wire tightened around his ankles and hung him upside down like it had a mind of its own. His arms flailed uselessly while he tried to steady himself.

Sauntering out of the darkness was a man wearing a long coat and a black hat that covered his eyes when he had his head bowed. He let out a soft chuckle, a playful grin tugging at his lips. "Most people don't live this long when being hunted by Lycans. You are quite the survivor, my friend." He twirled his hammer in one hand. The other gestured for the barbed wire to be hoisted up, dangling Y/N at eye-level. Upon seeing Y/N's face, the man chuckled some more and reached out to hold his chin. "And the looker! I haven't seen anyone like you around here in a while."

"What do you want from me?" Y/N demanded, though his voice quivered with fear. He knew exactly who he was dealing with, and Karl Heisenberg wasn't one you'd like to deal with.

Heisenberg only laughed. Y/N then dropped to the ground like a stone, with the wire still wrapped around his ankles. "We'll talk later." He said, bending over to grasp the end of the wire in his gloved hand. "Let's go get you all warmed up, hm?" Without another word, he began dragging Y/N off into the woods while whistling a soft tune.