Chapter 1: The Beginning

A girl with long black hair and a lab-coat sat at what appeared to be her desk in her room, an odd location considering there was a hotspring in it and there was no roof. The woman sighs as she reads over a mission report from years passed. "Hard to believe how long it's been since that day" She pauses for a moment, a look of remembering in her eyes. "And he still holds a grudge for what happened to Hydra's Claw..." She chuckles to herself. "I have only myself to blame after all I suppose." She looks up at the starry sky and thinks back, to the events in question five years ago, when she was starting to get into higher profile jobs.

*Five Years ago*

A fifteen year old girl with short black hair sat in a dimly lit office in front of the desk of what can be assumed as a government agency higher-up. "You want me to what...?" The girl spoke up and looked at the man confused with her heterochromatic eyes. "We want you, Miss Doxhwar, to infiltrate Hydra's Claw's Ranks as a spy and saboteur." The girl sitting before him was Xicha Doxhwar, a girl who had lost her parents and home-town to a large-scale Grimm invasion, almost losing her own life in the process. "I see... and why me? You guys are a helluvalot more qualified to do this kinda shit than me..." The man was taken aback by this young girl's vulgar language, the information they had on her before the "Penumveil Incident" was that she had been shy, innocent, and quiet... the girl in front of him was none of those, that much was clear. "It would be too obvious if we sent one of our men in... from rumors we've heard that they're looking for new recruits after the last raid" In reply to her question.

The young girl sighed. "Ok...that still doesn't explain why ME in particular, I ain't been in the business for very long y'know..." Which was the truth, Xicha had started her Mercenary career only two years before but all of her clients gave excellent reports about how she had handled the jobs given. "Besides, you've yet to name yourself, give me a good reason" She stared into the shades of the suited man .

"Why you...?" he asked rhetorically. "Because there are rumors of this organization doing experiments on Grimm... some of our intel even suggests that they have found a method to... control them" He looked at her now surprised face as the realization of what he was implying hit her. "You may find the answers you seek should you accept the terms of this assignment."

She paused. "Tch... what do I have to do" Not exactly happy with having to work with the government,but there was no way in hell that she was going to give up any opportunity to find out what was really behind the Penumveil Incident seven years ago. Clenching her fist in remembering how powerless she had felt that day watching her family and friends get slaughtered mercilessly in front of her eyes.

The agent chuckled. 'Good' he thought to himself. 'I had a feeling that would get her on board with our plan.' Clearing his throat he handed her what appeared to be an ID card with just the name "X" on it. "There shouldn't be any question that they'll immediately hire you... after all, you are good. But... you'll need a disguise"

Catching the card she gave a slight smirk. "Leave that to me... Now... about my payment... upon completion correct?" Figuring that they wouldn't want to pay her before-hand lest she run away and not finish it. Not that she would of course, she had a habit of making sure to finish what she started.

"Hmm, right to the point... " The agent writes a number on a slip of paper and slides it to her. "Is that enough...?"

In response, she picked up the paper and looked at the number written, keeping a poker face in front of him but in her head... 'Holy shit that's a lot of zeroes...' She looked up and nodded"And all I have to do is...?" Wanting her mission details.

"One year... gather information and sabotage their operations during that time" She raises a brow at him and looks back at the paper. "Of course, you are free to keep any and all funds received from them as well, you'll have earned it." She nods in response to this.

'Sounds like this is much more dangerous than you're letting on...' She thought to herself. "Alrighty then... When do I start?"

"As soon as possible...do you agree to the terms of our employment offer?"

She smirks... "Hell...Yeah..."

*Present Day*

The current Xicha, her hair longer, a labcoat rather than ordinary clothes, and the biggest difference... two robotic arms where her organic ones used to be, chuckles. 'And that was the spark that started the raging flame, hmm, I wonder how it would've all happened had I declined that job' She takes a small sip of tea and continues to look up at the moon, preparing for a long trip down memory lane tonight.