Ozpin sat at his desk, illuminated by the small lamp. The rest of the office was dark and the overcast night skies outside the window did help much. Various documents were scattered across his desk in an organized fashion, giving him a clear view of each one. He began signing one when the elevator across the room dinged, signaling someone's arrival. Once the doors had opened Glynda walked out with a specially marked scroll in hand and made her way over.

"Thank you, Glynda," Ozpin said as she handed him the scroll. He set it down on his desk, tapping the screen, making a few more documents appear.

"You should get some rest soon," she said, "We still have some important things to finalize for the next school year tomorrow."

"I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine," he said with a smile. She sighed and shook her head. Ozpin had always been one to overwork himself but somehow managed to keep himself going. Maybe all that coffee he drinks.

"Alright, I will see you tomorrow then," Glynda said, making her way over to the elevator. She couldn't help but let herself smile, watching him work as the doors closed.

A virtual silence fell over the room after she left. The only sounds that could be heard were the soft beeps of the scroll and the occasional sip of coffee. Eventually, the soft sound of a crackling fire permeated the room, growing from a soft whisper. The Headmaster glanced around the room, suspicious of the sounds origins. He stood and grabbed his cane as little particles of ash emerged from the floor, floating around the room, the air becoming much colder. Suddenly the ash rushed into the middle of the room, forming the shape of a person. Once it had settled a woman stepped out, dressed in a tattered gray cloak and a skull-like mask with three eyes, light gleaming off its sharp teeth.

"Who are you," Ozpin asked. She said nothing as she reached up and removed the mask and hood.

"It's only me Oz," she said, her voice gentle and soft. The Headmaster studied her face for a moment wondering why she seemed familiar. Her blue eyes were kind, yet dark and sunken in, much like her cheeks. Her skin was sickly pale, almost white, which contrasted her raven hair and made the rounded scar above her left eye stand out. She couldn't have been much older than Glynda. His eyes widened as the realization hit him.

"Bla—"

"It's Amaura now… just Amaura," she said, sounding a bit sad, "I haven't deserved my old name in quite a long time." Ozpin stared at her for a moment, unable to hide his shock.

"I thought you were dead," he said, "how did you survive? Why have you been hiding all these years?" Amaura turned away from him, a sad expression on her face.

"I'm sorry I can't say," she said, "It's complicated."

"Might I ask your reason for being here then," he asked, "I'm getting the feeling this isn't a social visit."

"Yeah it's not," she said, pausing and taking a deep breath before continuing, "I know I have no right to ask this but… I need a favor."

"Anything for an old friend," he said without missing a beat. Amaura smiled warmly.

"Thank you," she said, pausing for a moment to choose her words carefully, "I need you to bring someone to Beacon as a student, a protégé of mine... He's very important to me."

"Is that all?" Ozpin asked, "Bla—… Amaura, I highly doubt that you would make the effort of coming back from the dead and out of hiding for a simple acceptance letter… Who is he?"

"It's The Reaper of Vale," she said after a long pause. Ozpin was mid sip when he froze, looking at her in surprise. It was a name he'd been familiar with ever since certain criminals had begun turning up dead over the course of the past year.

"You want me to bring a dangerous assassin to Beacon?"

"Like I said I know I have no right to ask you for something like this but—"

"Very well." Amaura looked at him a bit stunned, then chuckled a bit.

"I thought it would have taken more to convince you."

"Well, we've actually been monitoring him for a while now and we're well aware of who and what he is."

"He's headed down a dangerous path Oz. I couldn't live with myself if what happened to me happened to him." Ozpin glanced at the scar on her forehead, knowing what she meant. He walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I can assure you he'll be set on a better path here, as I said, anything for an old friend."

Amaura smiled and gave him a light hug. "Thank you so much." She let go and simply stood there for a moment, relieved that she'd gotten him to agree. "Here." She handed him a small black scroll, with a spade in place of the normal diamond shape. "This will allow you to track his location." She began to walk towards the large window at the back of the office.

"It was nice to see you again," Ozpin said, "for however brief a time." She glanced back at him as she put her mask back on, making him a bit uncomfortable.

"Likewise," she replied, "Oh, and Oz... if you could keep this little meeting and my identity between us, I'd really appreciate it."

"Of course," he said, "just know that if you should ever need somewhere to go, you're always welcome here."

Amaura nodded as her body began to dissolve into ash, floating through the window and disappearing into the night.

Ozpin watched her go, letting the questions and conflicting thoughts race in his head, sitting back down at his desk. On one hand he was happy to find out an old friend was alive and well, but on the other hand, she wasn't the woman he knew when they were younger. She was Amaura now, another name he'd become familiar with due to the myths and legends that had been spread through out Vale over the past decade or so. He shook his head deciding to put those thoughts away for the time being. The Headmaster grabbed his scroll and made a call.

"Qrow, I have a request," he said.

"Oz? Do you know what time it is," he asked, with a yawn.

"I'm aware and I apologize but this is rather important."

"So important that it can't wait till morning?"

"Yes, I need you to capture The Reaper."

Ozpin could hear him coughing as he presumably choked on a drink.

"You want me to what? Why?"

"I'd rather discuss the finer details in person."

"This is that important huh?... Fine, I'll be there as soon as I can, but you owe me."

The Headmaster sighed as Qrow hung up. He began debating whether or not to tell the huntsman about Amaura at all, pacing back and forth, knowing he was more than capable of keeping secrets. Ozpin kept his thoughts racing 'till he arrived, walking out of the elevator, weapon on his back, flask in hand. His normal suit-like attire and cape were a bit more tattered and dirty like he'd been sleeping in them.

"So what's so important that you had to wake me up in the middle of the night," he asked, sounding a bit groggy.

"I've been asked to bring The Reaper to Beacon as a student."

Qrow stopped in his tracks, staring at the Headmaster. He looked down at his flask then back up, putting it in his pocket.

"Did I hear you right," he asked, "I know I'm not that drunk yet."

"Yes, Qrow you heard me correctly."

"Someone wants you to bring a killer to Beacon. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that."

"It's not just anyone Qrow, she's someone we both knew some time ago."

"Really? Who?" Qrow's mind began to race with possibilities. He had known quite a few women over the years but very few that could be trusted to this degree.

"...She has asked me not to divulge her true identity, but she is trustworthy."

"Oz, this is pretty out there, even for you."

"I know, but this is a very special case. I wouldn't do it for just anyone."

Qrow sighed and ran his fingers through his messy hair, turning away for a moment to weigh his options. He knew the Headmaster well after years of working with him and knew that his plans, no matter how strange, had a tendency to work. However, Ozpin had never been one to keep secrets from those closest to him; It made Qrow uneasy.

"Well alright, if you've got a plan in mind," he said hesitantly.

"I do," Ozpin said handing him the scroll Amaura had given him. "This will let you track his location."

"How convenient," he said, "least it saves me some trouble." Qrow clicked it on seeing a map of Vale with a good number of pastry shops starred. "Well, whoever she is she must really like doughnuts." Two red blips then appeared on the screen, one with the message 'me first'. He looked at it suspiciously. "You know Glynda is going to be pissed when she finds out."

"Let me worry about Glynda," Ozpin replied. "Once you've caught him take him to the safe house." Qrow nodded as he made his way to the elevator, tucking the scroll into his pocket.

"Remember, you owe me one," Qrow said with a smirk as the elevator doors closed. The Headmaster sighed and chuckled as he returned to his work.

The night air sent chills down his spine as jumped from rooftop to rooftop, trying to stay out of sight as much as possible. He wanted to see whoever would be waiting for him at the blip before they saw him. As he got closer to it, the blip began to fade in and out, pulsing like Morse code. Qrow stopped and pulled out his sword when it disappeared and flashed a new message, 'Look behind you bird brain'. He turned around to see Amaura standing in a cloud of ash on the building behind him.

"You can put your weapon away, for now, Qrow," she said, "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Oh well that makes me feel a lot better," he retorted, "please allow me to let my guard down." She jumped down, standing only an inch or two shorter than him.

"You haven't changed a bit," she said with a chuckle. Qrow looked at her confused. The fact that she knew him, at least to some degree made him a bit uneasy.

"I'm sorry I don't think we've been introduced," he said. "And you are?" Even though he, like Ozpin had heard the stories of Amaura, the way she spoke to him made it seem like they were old friends getting reacquainted.

"You knew who I use to be," she replied, "not what I am now." Her response only confused him even more, causing him to roll his eyes a bit.

"Look if you're going to be cryptic I'm just going to move on. Places I gotta be, people I gotta capture. I'm sure you know how it is." He turned and began to walk away when she said something that stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Oh, come on Muninn you're not curious why I wanted to see you first?" 'Muninn' was an old nickname that only one person had ever called him. A name he hadn't heard in over a decade. Looking back, he studied everything from her clothes to her voice, trying to figure this woman out.

"Well, now I am." He put his weapon on his back and crossed his arms. Amaura smiled behind the mask.

"Good. Now let me see that scroll," she said, pulling out her own and extending her hand. Her hands, as well as her forearms, were wrapped in tattered bandages, leaving only her thin pale fingers exposed. Qrow looked down at the scroll then back up at her, unsure of trusting her.

"What do you need it for? Seems like you got a perfectly good one right there."

She sighed in annoyance as she snatched the scroll from his hand. Placing the two scrolls back to back she tapped her screen causing both devices to beep.

"There, I've given you the information you'll need to keep The Reaper at Beacon." She handed him back the scroll, the screen now displaying a profile of a young boy about 18 years old. His face was pale, icy-blue eyes dark and sunken in. The sides of his head were shaved very short, leaving the white hair on top longer and shaggy.

"Nero Noire?"

"The Reaper's real name."

Qrow stared at the screen for a moment, making Amaura a bit suspicious.

"Is there a problem," she asked.

"Nah it's just uh… old girlfriend of mine had the same last name," he replied, his voice trailing off a bit at the end. For a moment she thought she saw a sad expression cross the grizzled huntsman's face but it was gone before she could be sure. "Thanks for the info I guess."

"Yeah, you're welcome," she said, her voice a bit melancholy. "Well, I'd best be going, got places to be, people to capture… you know how it is." He watched as she walked over to the edge of the building and tossed her scroll over. He raised an eyebrow, staring for a moment before shrugging it off. Stepping up on the ledge Amaura gave a small wave without turning around.

"Oh just one more thing," Qrow said, holding up the scroll. "What's with all the doughnut shops marked on here?" Amaura chuckled as she glanced back at him.

"Even someone like me can still enjoy the simpler things in life." She held her arms out to her side and fell forward. Qrow ran over and looked over the edge expecting to see her falling but all he saw was a cloud of ash, scattering and floating down. He shook his head.

"She's got a flair for the dramatic I'll give her that," he muttered. Opening the scroll he thumbed through the various files and photos that she'd given him. A couple of the files had basic information like his physical features but others had a more intriguing story to tell. One of the folders labeled 'jobs' caught his eye. Opening it up he saw more than a dozen reports of high-profile criminals who had been decapitated with a tag at the bottom displaying the word [completed]. He closed the folder, as it made him feel a bit uneasy and returned to the tracker, now showing a solitary red dot. Seeing he had quite a way to go he sighed and transformed into a crow, flying off towards his target.

The night air became more frigid as he flew into one of the less desirable sections of town. A good number of the buildings were old and run down, threatening to collapse at the slightest breeze. Graffiti covered the walls of most of them, the windows broken and dirty. The people that were scattered around were dressed in very punk-like outfits with straps and spikes covering much of them. Qrow landed on one of the buildings and turned back into his human form. He checked the scroll and seeing he was pretty close decided to hoof it the rest of the way.

Down below him in one of the alleyways two thugs were getting their asses kicked by a young ram faunus who seemed to be wearing a White Fang uniform without the insignia on the back.

'Well, not my problem,' Qrow thought to himself as he checked the scroll and saw that the red dot was now right on top of him. Readying his weapon, he looked around noticing a small wisp of smoke floating through the air like it was blowing in the wind. Before he could turn around to see the source he heard the distinct sound of a gun cocking.

"Begone huntsman. You have no business here." The voice that came from behind him was low and distorted, almost robotic.

"Actually, this scroll begs to differ," Qrow replied holding up Amaura's scroll, "Reaper." Qrow turned around and raised his weapon expecting to him to begin his attack but Reaper just stood there a few yards away, still as a statue. He was definitely Amaura's student. The black poncho-like cloak he wore covered everything but his forearms and shins, both of which were protected by dark pieces of armor. However the most distinct feature was the mask he wore. It looked like it had been modified from a full White fang mask, yet it had an almost skull-like shape to it. In his hands he held a rifle-like weapon with a large rounded stock, small scope onto and spikes on the compensator. "You want it? Come and take it."

The Reaper stayed silent as his body and weapon seemingly turned into smoke, rushing at him with almost ghost-like movement. He passed through the huntsman and spun around once he was behind him. His rifle transformed, the barrel extended and the stock opened up allowing a large curved blade to fold out, giving the weapon the appearance of a scythe. With one quick motion he slashed towards him, aiming for his neck. Raising his weapon Qrow blocked the strike with ease, delivering a solid kick to his opponent's chest, knocking him to the ground.

"Think you know how to use that weapon kid? I invented scythe fighting." The blade of his sword segmented and curved down as the handle extended to the ground, transforming it into his own scythe. The Reaper flipped up and jumped back, analyzing the man that stood before him. One look at the weapon gave him all the information he needed to start running.

"How did I not recognize him immediately," he asked himself, feeling stupid. Qrow was a bit surprised as a gave chase not expecting someone like him to turn tail and run. The Reaper leaped across the rooftops, returning his weapon to it's rifle form. As the young criminal glanced back to see how much progress his pursuer had made he stepped onto a weakened part of the roof, causing it to collapse. Qrow landed on the edge of the hole and watched, almost in amusement, as The Reaper kept falling through the floors of the dilapidated building. He hit the bottom floor hard, blue electricity sparking off his body. The tell-tale sign of his aura being depleted. As he struggled to stand, the rubble underneath him began to crumble, making it more difficult. Once he was up he came face to face with the Qrow's blade, now back in its sword form.

"I'm going to ask you once to stop running and come with me," Qrow said, "I'm tired and I'd rather not waste any more time chasing you." The Reaper glared back at him through his cracked mask, weighing the options. He looked down at his now broken weapon and sighed in frustration. On one hand, he could attack, get his ass kicked, then wake up in an unknown location without any knowledge of why he was there. On the other hand, he knew it would be better to play along, at least for the time being.

"Fine, collect my bounty," he jeered, "be the huntsman that took down The Reaper."

Qrow couldn't help but chuckle, which ended up escalating to a full blown laugh. "You're a bit full of yourself aren't you, Nero?" He was lucky he had the mask on because there was no way he was hiding the look of absolute shock that had consumed his face. Nobody except for a select few were allowed to know his name, and any that managed to find out were taken care of. Now that his name had been exposed he had no other choice than to follow the grizzled huntsman. Despite this he'd been taught what to do should he ever be captured. Gather information and look for the best opportunity to make a getaway. He reached to grab his weapon but Qrow moved his blade closer.

"Uh-uh," he said as he bent down to pick it up, "can't have you trying something." The huntsman put the weapon on his back and watched carefully as The Reaper got up. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a pair high-tech handcuffs, tossing them to the young criminal. He growled as he reluctantly put them on. When he snapped them shut they began to glow, emitting a soft beeping sound. "Those'll keep you in check. Use your Semblance, get shocked. Pretty simple, right?"

"And here I thought you trusted me," he said sarcastically, beginning to walk.

"Nope, not done." Qrow grabbed his hood and pulled it down so that it covered his face completely.

"...Seriously?"

"Can't exactly have you see where we're going and knocking you out would be too much work."

The Reaper shook his head as Qrow grabbed the back of his collar, guiding him to a location he was unfamiliar with. Since he couldn't see he tried listening for anything that would give any sort of hint to their location. A conversation, a signature sound. Nothing. The only sounds he heard were the faint sounds of the city in the distance, seeming to get further away with each step they took. Fortunately, it didn't take them long to get to their destination. Once they had, he heard a few soft beeps then after a second of silence, a grunt of frustration. The beeps started up again but were interrupted by the sound of a door creaking open.

"Oh you're already here," Qrow said, "thank the gods."

"Come on in," A voice said. He pushed The Reaper inside and sat him down in a chair, removing his hood. Glancing around the room it didn't look like much at all. The walls were unkempt with the paint chipping in a good number of spots and a single hanging light in the center of the room. His eyes eventually fell onto the man sitting on the other side of the simple wooden table. Professor Ozpin. "Hello, We have much to discuss."

Qrow walked over, handed the Headmaster Amaura's scroll, then leaned in and whispered something to him.

"Is that so," Ozpin asked as he glanced up at his friend. He looked at the scroll, then to The Reaper. "Well, that makes things a great deal more simple, doesn't it?" Opening the scroll he skimmed over the information, letting out the occasional sigh. As soon as he laid eyes on his real name, he knew why the boy was so important to Amaura. He looked over at the young criminal, who was sitting patiently, watching them like a hawk. "So, Nero Noire. Quite a fitting name."

"Did I miss a tabloid where I was outed or something," Nero asked, "How do both of you know my name and how did you get that scroll?"

"That's not important Mister Noire. What is important is that I have this information and much more at my disposal." Ozpin put the scroll in his pocket then rested his hands on the table, interlocking his fingers. It was difficult for him to gauge the young criminal's response due to the mask, but he knew he had the upper hand.

"So what do you want," Nero demanded, holding back his anger as best he could.

"I'm here to make you a deal. You will come to my school under the guise of a student and I'll be sure to keep this information I have from any… interested parties." Nero stared at Ozpin in confusion. The Headmaster of an academy like Beacon wanting someone like him at his school didn't make sense. He glanced at Qrow to see if this was some kind of joke or if they were trying to mess with him but the Huntsman just stood there with a tired look on his face, like he wasn't even there.

"...What?"

"You will come to my school and I won't turn you in," Ozpin stated bluntly with a bit more seriousness in his voice. The expression he wore was almost smug which made Nero even more irritated.

"I understand the deal Ozpin," he said through gritted teeth, stressing his name. "but why? What possible reason could you have for wanting someone like me at your school?" The Headmaster sighed as he thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully.

"Someone with skills like yours should really be using them for a better purpose. Don't you think?" For a few moments Nero didn't know how to respond. He knew he was right. The skills he'd acquired over the years would easily make him one of the better Huntsman out there. However, with all the things he'd done he never thought anyone would give the opportunity to do anything more than kill other people. Yet here it was staring him right in the face. He glared across the table, knowing that there was something being left out.

"So what's the catch?"

"Catch?"

"You're not telling me everything."

"You don't need to know everything right now. All you need to understand is that it would be in your best interest to attend my academy."

Nero clenched his fists, he didn't like the fact that he only had one option. Normally before he did anything he had a plan, knowledge of what he was up against but this had caught him completely off guard. They had information that no one else was suppose to have, information that could put him away for the rest of his natural life. He glared at Ozpin and took a deep breath.

"Fine. It's not like I actually have a choice anyway."

"I'm glad you see things my way," Ozpin said as he pulled a card from his jacket and placed it on the table, sliding it across. "This is your pass for the ship to Beacon. It leaves in one week." Nero raised an eyebrow, looking at the card, then back at Oz.

"Your not going to drag me there on some high security ship?"

"That would ruin your disguise as a student."

Nero shrugged. "Fair point, but how do you know I won't run?"

Ozpin stood up and grabbed his cane, looking down at the young criminal with a serious, almost angry look on his face. "I think we both know that is not going to happen." Nero shuddered a bit internally. For the first time in his life he felt threatened. A man in Ozpin's position was more than capable of fulfilling any promises, or threats, he makes. Silence permeated the room for a brief moment before Qrow yawned, lightening the mood a bit.

"So are we done here," he asked exhausted.

"Yes Qrow we're done here," Ozpin said chuckling a bit, making his way to the door. As Nero stood the Huntsman placed the young criminal's broken weapon on the table extending his hand.

"Let me get those cuffs," he muttered. Much to the Huntsman's surprise Nero got up, took them off and handed them over. "Hm, should have figured." He shoved the cuffs back in his pocket and followed Ozpin out, thankful that he could go back to his house and get some sleep. Nero watched them go waiting until they were gone to remove his mask, setting it on the table, along with his cloak. He stared at his old uniform for a moment, almost sad to leave it behind. The life he knew was over. Everything he'd known for the past ten years was about to change. He could only hope it was for the better. Grabbing his weapon he exited the safe house, taking note of its location, and returned to his own apartment to prepare for Beacon.