Hey there all! I know I know, 'another story?!' What can I say? Im a bit of a master of making myself busy as all hell. This story is one that I've had in mind for…god probably a year now. I really hope you all will enjoy it.

Side note: These intro chapters take place pre-volume 1 in the canon timeline

Chapter 1: Valko

-Downtown Vale, Juniors club-

If there was one thing Valko Lupin hated, it was having to sit through a damn meeting. So how wonderful for him that he was forced to work for people who liked to have them once a week. Blah, blah, freaking BLAH. He swore sometimes Junior just liked hearing himself talk. He'd have to remember to 'thank' Kazu for tossing this on him last minute. He glanced around the room, seeing the Malachite sisters shifting in their seats, trying to keep their attention, but even they looked ready to lose it.

"And another thing, I've gotten some news from one of our contacts in the police department that someone apparently associated with us was caught swiping dust out of a shipment again. How many times do I have to say it-"

"Keep your nose clean outside of a job unless absolutely necessary," Valkos said in his best imitation of Juniors gruff voice. Melanie and Militia giggled into their hands, stopping when Junior glared at them.

"Shove it, Valko. Im betting it was you who did it. Or one of your buddies and your just framing us for it. I don't know why Torchwick even keeps you around, OR why he sent you to spy on my meeting," he muttered. Valko rolled his eyes and shrugged one of his shoulders.

"Okay one, I don't even use dust. And even if I did, I've got better things to do with my time and energy than framing you. Second, it could be that I'm the only one who does any REAL work around here, and Roman knows that. Third and most important, it's to make sure your people aren't complete screw ups, though your not inspiring a whole lot of faith I got to tell you. I don't know why Roman wants your people so bad for whatever this is. But if were going to hire your people for this job, we need to know what were working with. With people like the clown sisters here? Can't say I'm impressed." Militia and Melanie glared at him, but he ignored them. "Speaking of real work by the way…I have to meet up for my next assignment. So if your done listening to the sound of your own voice…"

"Fine! Fine, meeting over. Get the hell out of my sight," he said with a wave of his hand. As his men filed out, he stormed over to him and grabbed him by the shirt collar. Valko's chest rumbled with a growl, but Junior didn't react. "Listen really close, you little punk. I'm not going to take lip from Torchwicks pet faunus. Especially not in my own place. You tell him my guys are his if he wants them. If not, he can go elsewhere. This was the ONLY time your going to be let into one of these things. We clear?"

"Crystal. Now kindly let me go, or else." Junior sneered at him, not really buying Valko would try anything when he was on his own, but dropped him nonetheless. The sisters scoffed at him and walked after Junior, their noses held high. "Prima donnas." He muttered, fixing his shirt and heading out the back door. The cool air of the night was a welcome relief from the stuffy club room he'd just left. He sighed softly and shoved his hands into his pockets. He always hated these long walks alone because it caused him to think too much.

"Boy if my parents could see me now.." he muttered. They'd probably disown him for helping people like this..if they were alive to do so. Valko had lost his family shortly before his twelfth birthday, a couple of White Fang members deciding that 'human lovers' had no place among normal Faunus. Afterwards, he'd wandered around for a couple years, scraping by thanks to a group of older kids in similar situations who had taken him in. At fourteen, when his semblance had awakened, that was when Roman had found him. Seeing potential for his tracker semblance,, Roman had taken him in and seen to him being given actual combat training from another former huntsman who'd joined up with him. It'd been horrible, but he'd made it through.

Now, at seventeen, he had earned enough trust to be given his own missions. The only downside to that being he had begun to realize just how far down the wrong path he'd allowed himself to slip, seeing first hand some of the stuff done to anyone who crossed Roman or his allies. He ran a hand through his black hair, the fingertips grazing over the wolves ears atop his head. What choice did he have though? No family, Faunus, and too old to start training at the combat schools. Hell, another year and he'd be past entry age for Beacon. He had to survive and eat somehow, and right now this was the only option he had.

Thinking of the school made him cast a glance towards the direction the it lay in, it's CCT tower the only visible marker with it's faint green light. When he was younger and his dad would tell him stories about hunters and huntresses, he'd always said he wanted to be one. Part of him, a bigger part than he ever dared show, still wanted to be. But that wasn't reality, and he knew it. His father used to say 'Never accept your life for what it is if your unhappy. Dare to dream for what it COULD be then make it happen.' It was a nice sentiment, but thats all it was.

Plus, if he had to be honest with himself, he felt a sense of…not loyalty so much, he knew Roman wasn't truly loyal to even those he called his closest friends, but gratefulness for being pulled out of the existence he had prior to this. Sure, he didn't sleep often these days with the nightmares, but at least he had a bed TO sleep on when he wanted. He also knew however that this couldn't go on forever. He was sure Roman had started to see his hesitation, his reluctance to perform his assignments. Not much got by him. Listening in at a meeting for some potential hired muscle? That he could do. Next time he had to go and intimidate or god forbid rough someone up..he didn't know how much more of that he could take. No matter how adept he was at pushing down his true feelings about something, he couldn't take the weight of his conscience much longer. All it would take was one last push.

-southern district-

As he rounded the last street corner and headed towards the warehouse where they were currently based, he heard something drop behind him. The steps very faint but still caught by his ears. "What do you want Neo?" He grumbled as the short girl caught up to him rather quickly. She tilted her head and made a few hand signs. He was still getting the hang of reading them, but after a moment, he figured it out.

'I wouldn't go in there right now if I were you. Big meeting.' He raised an eyebrow at this before scoffing.

"Ask me if I give a shit. Right now, I want to get my new mission and then get some food before I head out on it. I don't care enough to know about the-" she threw her arm out, stopping him long enough to stand in front of him again.

'I would care if I were you, wolf boy. It involves the mission your getting..' that smug smirk of hers returned to her face as he processed this. 'Their almost done anyway. I think you can wait five minutes, right? With my charming company and all,' her eye color switched sides with a blink as she looked at him. Valko was throughly freaked out by Neo, even if she looked-well who the hell was he trying to kid? She even looked unstable with those damn eyes and the way she moved around even outside of combat. He didn't know where Roman had gotten her, and he wasn't about to ask. Settling for sitting on one of the metal crates outside the building, he folded his arms over his chest with a huff.

"Fine! Fine, whatever I'll sit here and wait. Just…move away from me a bit, yeah?" She seemed amused by his nervous tone as he asked this, but did as he asked to his relief. They sat there for a while, the door opening after about another half an hour. The sight he saw made his blood run cold. Coming out the door was a woman in a dark red dress, long black hair and a pair of eyes that caused his hair to stand on end. On each side of her were a boy and a girl, both probably his age if not a bit older. The girl had mint green hair with red eyes, a pair of guns clipped in the pouches at her waist. The boy had grey hair with cold eyes of the same color. As they passed by him, the one in the middle glanced at him. The jolt of fear that shot through him made him flinch away a bit. The woman seemed to find this funny, her smirk widening ever so slightly as they went on their way.

It wasn't over yet though. Next out were two other Faunus, their markings and masks unmistakeable. The one to his left was tall, thin with a pair of bull horns on his head. The mask that looked like the creatures of Grimm fastened to his face, a larger, bulkier man with a type of chainsaw blade slung over his shoulder walked beside him. They looked at him with what he assumed was disgust and walked by.

He didn't know how long he stood their in shock. All he knew was the when he came back to his senses, Neo was snapping her fingers impatiently in his face. "H-Huh? What?" Neo rolled her eyes.

'Well? You were so eager to go inside. Go!'

"What were those people doing here, Neo? Why is the White Fang here?" He said, a snarl forcing it's way to his lips. Neo saw this, and merely shrugged. If she knew, she wasn't going to spill it. Clenching his fists tightly, he spun and headed inside, half expecting her to follow him. When he glanced behind him however he saw she had already vanished. 'That never gets any less creepy' he thought with a bit of a shiver. He saw, to his increasing anger, that whoever those two fang members were, they'd left behind a few of their men, who were currently unloading boxes of some sort. He made his way upstairs and to the office where Roman had made his own area.

"Ah, there he is. Tell me, was Junior willing to help us out-" the door slamming made him trail off. "Neo hide your staff again? What happened?" He asked with a chuckle. Valko walked over and slammed his fists down.

"It's not happening." Roman looked at him, a bit confused.

"What isn't happening?"

"Me working with White Fang. Never going to happen, I don't give a damn what it is," he snapped. Romans confusion faded, eyes narrowing as he stood, grabbing his cane as he did.

"Yes, you will. This mission is too important not to." Valko glared as his lips curled back, fangs bared. "Look at me like that all you want, kid. Your not the one who calls the shots around here. I am. And you'll do what's asked of you."

"You know what those bastards did to me! You know everything they TOOK from me!" He snapped. Roman sighed, rolling his eyes at the outrage in his voice. "If you want to run around and give out jobs to them, do it with ANY other person. Im not doing it!" Roman hit his cane hard against the window, making him flinch for a second..

"Yes. You will." His tone was dark, an edge to it normally only reserved for those who have truly angered him. "You don't get it, kid. If you'd heard what I just got done hearing, you'd know that we don't have a choice." Valko thought he could detect the slightest hint of nervousness at that, but perhaps he'd imagined it.

"What did you hear Roman?" He asked, trying his best to keep his tone even.

"All you need to know right now is someone is planning something huge. It'll shake this kingdom to its roots-hell maybe ALL of Remnant- and if were not on the right side when they make their move we'll get buried with the rest of them. Im damned if I'm going to allow that to happen. I like you kid, but it's not worth losing everything because you decided to grow a conscience lately. So..I'll ask this one time and one time only…are you going to obey this order..or not?" Valko's eyes shut and he sighed in irritation, his mind racing as he slowly held out his hand

"Let me read the instructions first at least. I think you can at least give me THAT," he said in a tight voice. Taking the paper that was handed to him, he frowned as he read it. "These places are all owned by Faunus.."

"Former White Fang members to be exact. It's been decided they can't be trusted, so if we help them, we'll be in. I expect it to be done properly, Valko."

Valko closed his eyes, picturing the targets, and their families. Wasn't this how he ended up here? The White Fang deciding his parents 'didn't matter' to their so-called noble cause. Could he bring himself to cause that to another person? It wasn't really a hard decision to make. His fist clenched tight and he quickly balled the paper up, tossing it away. "No. Im out." Roman gaped at him for a moment

"Out?"

"You heard me. Im done with this." He spun and found himself face to face with Neo. "Move," he snarled his eyes narrowing at the girl who simply kept smiling at his threat.

"You realize if you walk out of here, next time we see you…you're a dead man." Roman said simply.

"I'll take my chances. Anythings better than being here any further." When Roman gave her a look, Neo sidestepped with a shrug and Valko left as quick as he could, sparing a glance back for a brief moment before he vanished.

''Why did you let him go? He's just going to be a bigger pain in our side later.' Neo signed at him. Roman shook his head and sat back down.

"Never let it be said I don't repay my debts. If it wasn't for him, I would have been caught during that train job last month. I owed him one and I hate owing someone anything. He wanted out, he's out. I just hope he realizes he picked the worst time to leave."

Hope you all enjoyed and I shall see you next time. First member of team Viridian intro chapter: complete!

Valko Lupin

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