The air in the room was stale, like an old closet that hadn't been opened in years. The pungent smell of blood and cigarette smoke clung to the dimly lit interrogation space and it stung the nostrils of its single occupant who was currently cuffed to the chair by his legs and to the table by his wrists. The overhead lamp droned out a loud repetitive buzz that cut through the room's ambiance like a hot knife through butter. How long had it been? The rooms single occupant thought to himself. An hour? Three hours? He'd lost track. To him the last 24 hours were a blur of chaos and confusion. A simple yet not so simple trip to Vale landed him here, in the VPD's unofficial interrogation quarters. Monitored by a single camera it was here that the detectives used more "forceful" techniques to get their answers. Away from prying eyes of course. While usually only guarded by an officer or two, tonight the entire precinct was on guard making escape impossible. The rooms occupant lifted his head his bruised face revealed by the light above. His dull bluish gray eyes were accentuated by the bags underneath them and the dark brown hair covering them. Dried blood marred the light tan skin of his face and stained his olive-drab shirt. He attempted to wipe his face but winced as the shackles around his wrists cut deeper into his skin. The young man looked down to his boots and sighed as his muscles and his legs ached. He sat back in his chair glancing at the table in front of him taking time to admire the ashtray in the center along with the numerous dents and nicks in its surface. Another ten minutes passed as his concentration was broken by the sound of the locks on the door screeched and whined as they were being turned by whomever was on the other side.

The door opened slowly and squeaked as it did so. The young man lifted his head to the direction of the door. He stared into the darkness attempting to make out any features the individual had as they stood before him. Breathing in he caught the dull hint of coffee beans and cologne, a welcome scent to off put the stench in the room. He remained silent as the individual closed the door and stepped into the light. Standing before the young man was an older gentleman. His white hair was blinding and his eyes were hidden behind a set of circular glasses, in his hands was a coffee mug lovingly labeled "World's best professor". The rooms new occupant took a seat adjacent to the young man. The younger man simply stared saying nothing as he felt every muscle in his body tense up.

The older man broke the silence between the two.

"You can relax, I'm not here to hurt you. Although I'm not sure that means very much considering your current condition" The white-haired man stated gently as he sipped from his mug.

"Forgive me if I'm not in the trusting mood." The boy spat. "Who are you?" He questioned the man. "And why are you here?"

The older man sipped from his mug again "I'm your ticket out of here" He responded sternly. "My name is Ozpin. I'm the headmaster of Beacon Acadamy. I already know who you are though." he replied.

The brunette looked at him with irritation. "You don't know anything about me."

Ozpin chuckled "On the contrary I know everything about you" He said haughtily as he flopped down a packed and previously unseen folder on the table. Cracking it open, Ozpin read its juicy information aloud as if there were an audience in the room. "Arthur Prendergast, 17 years old, ex Atlassian military; although you're not from Atlas, you're from the now defunct village of Arcadia. Though Arcadia fell 12 years ago and your name isn't among those who were declared dead. Even more peculiar is that your birth certificate states that you were born here in Vale. Your name comes up in many Atlassian military dossiers and even more interestingly in paperwork related to one Project Heracles."

Arthur shifted in his seat uncomfortably at the mention of his military experience. He stared with killing intent at Ozpin as he continued.

"While your military record is impeccable and your confirmed kill count is... high to say the least what intrigues me is the little tidbit in here about the training and conditioning regiment you and your fellow teammates were subjected to." Ozpin said looking him in the eyes. "I know a small amount about what James subjected you to, from what I've read I can see why he'd go to such lengths' to keep project Heracles a secret. This project was undertaken without any consent from the Atlassian government and the consent of the other kingdoms." he said felling rage boiling within him

Arthur stirred in his seat again, taking in the information he already knew. In the eyes of the current political community cooking up super soldiers was a big no no. The lack of ethics and blatant disregard for human rights were the least of the Atlassian militaries problems. If the information Ozpin had just mentioned were somehow leaked to the public, well a political shitstorm would be an understatement.

A brief minuet passed by until Arthur spoke. "Professor with all due respect while I should be questioning how you got any of this information about me, I need to know why the hell you're here. I appreciate you trudging through my past but what has that to do with my current predicament?" he said sternly.

Ozpin smiled, his eyes slightly shown over his glasses. "Your presence In Vale can only be related to the fact that you fled Atlas to escape court martial for the events that occurred on your last mission. While having you run around the world and hide would be no hindrance to me, it would be a waste to let a young man of your talent squander his potential."

Arthur leaned closer to the table intrigued by the statement. "Potential for what? I'm a trained killer what other potential do I really have?"

Ozpin smirked and sipped his mug for the thousandth time before he responded. "The potential to be a part of something bigger than yourself, to lead a group of individuals and show the world that you're more than a killer cooked up in a lab. I need you to be the leader of a team to take on the missions that nobody else can." Ozpins voice was gentle but oozed a sense of urgency with a hint of preppy salesperson thrown in.

Arthur looked at him with disbelief. A few hours ago, he was being arrested as a fugitive from the law, being beaten for any and all information about his presence in Vale, and now this all-knowing professor was standing in front of him giving him a cure to his situation. He knew when people were fake, he'd dealt with them in the military before. Generals and top brass bled fake personalities like an animal in a slaughterhouse, giving a smile to his face and a knife between the ribs. Ozpin held none of these qualities he seemed sincere, although he was sure he held a few skeletons in his closet, but in his line of work who didn't? He bought his daily bread with money paid to him for cleaning up after people who shit the bed and needed someone discreet to hide the sheets. Ozpin was giving him an opportunity to do it all again but this time for a more noble cause. He didn't need time to ponder it. It was this or a loving look at a firing squad with his grave being a shallow ditch.

"I'll do it. But I need you to promise me something. I want a shot a James Ironwood, that fucker needs to pay for what he's done to me, what he's done to others. I won't rest till he answers for his crimes. He took my life from me and now he's gonna watch while I take from him the things he holds most dear." Arthur spoke with vicious intensity much to Ozpins displeasure and worry. The older man knew what the path of revenge looked like. It was a messy two-way street that swallowed everyone who walked down it. He'd seen his students become victim to it. Swallowing their lives and the lives of others. It was apparent that he was the only thing standing between Arthur and his self-destructive nature.

He spoke with a serious tone bringing himself to Arthurs eye level "I can't promise you the bloody warpath that you desire Arthur but what I can promise you is this. James will see justice for his crimes against the kingdoms, that I can assure. But I won't let you rampage your way to his front door. I need you to focus on being a huntsman let me deal with everything else. Can you promise me this?" Ozpin spoke with his trademark sincerity, much to the younger man's annoyance.

Arthur stared with intensity at the man in front of him. Ozpin had a point, a point that he couldn't help but agree with. The repercussions of what he wanted were too serious to consider. Another minuet went by and he finally relented.

"Okay. I'll do what you ask. I'm not the best when it comes to trust Oz but you seem like a person I can put what little I have in." Arthur had no other options and he wasn't stupid to waste a golden opportunity like this over not getting what he wanted. He made a long, exasperated sigh when Ozpin spoke again.

"Well now that we're on the same page let's get you out of those cuffs shall we." He pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the cuffs around his wrists exposing the bloody and bruised skin underneath. Ozpin frowned at the treatment of his new student not including his prior miliarial conditioning.

Arthur let out a loud groan as he stood up for the first time in what seemed like hours, his bones popping and cracking in all places around him. He followed Ozpin as the older man opened the door and walked beside him down the dimly lit hall of the lower level of the police station turned fortress.

"So how did you convince them to let me go by the way? Not that I'm complaining, but im supposed to be under heavy lock and key as an international fugitive."

Ozpin smiled and once again sipped his never-ending mug of magically still steaming coffee. "Atlas has no jurisdiction in this kingdom and although they can post your face on as many wanted posters as they like the decision of what's to be done with you is ultimately up to the kingdom you reside in. In short, your under Valerian law and it's been decided that you be placed under my care. So, I wouldn't worry about that." Ozpin stopped at the elevator at the end of the hall.

"Oh I almost forgot I snagged this from your box of items they took when they arrested you earlier I thought you might want it back." Out of his coat he pulled out a small rectangular box with headphones wrapped around it. He smiled as Arthurs eyes went wide, looking like a child on Christmas.

"My cassette player!" he exclaimed as he took it into his hand gently. The Walkman r55 cassette player was covered in stickers and scratched and dented all over after years of use but yet still ran as smoothly as they day it was purchased. Arthur quickly attached it to his belt and placed the headphones around his head, a small smile creeping onto his face as he hit the play button.

"Shyness is nice, and
Shyness can stop you
From doing all the things in life
You'd like to"

Arthur happily hummed along to "Ask" by The Smiths. A song from a band of a bygone era, a band that his mother loved from what he remembered about her. The last most recent memory of his mother was watching her being shot down as she tried to protect him from the soldiers that attacked his home

"So, if there's something you'd like to try
If there's something you'd like to try
Ask me, I won't say no, how could I?"

His smile was replaced by a frown as he and Ozpin stepped into the lift. The older man noticing it right away.

"Are you alright?" he asked with concern.

"Im fine don't worry about me Oz." He replied flatly

Ozpin looked toward the door waiting for it to open.

"Your mother loved music you know. I remember her sitting In her dorm playing records all day and writing in her journal with her teammates." Arthur looked at him with his jaw hitting the floor and wide eyes as the man mournfully spoke.

"You knew my mother! Tell me about her. What was she like? Was she the leader of her team? How did she fight?" Arthurs questions flew out of him at a lightspeed pace.

"This is a conversation best left for another moment Arthur right now we need to grab the rest of your team. By the way you might recognize one of them she's quite the familiar face when it comes to you"

"Who would that b..." his response cut short by the door opening to the sound of a woman spewing curses.

"Mother fucker get your fucking hands off of me. I swear to Oum once I'm outta here ill rip your dick off and staple that shit to your head." The voice screamed loudly

Arthur was met with the sight of three armored guards attempting to restrain a girl who was as naked as the day she was born and covered from the neck down in arcane symbols and mud. She had short pixie cut black hair, emerald green eyes and a curvy figure. She had a metal collar around her neck, most likely to restrain her from using her semblance. She turned her head towards the door and as soon as she caught a glimpse of Arthur her eyes went wide.

"Arthur?" She asked with relative calmness as she looked him in the face.

Arthur was taken back for a moment instantly recognizing the girls face. The sight of her brought him back to his childhood. Back to when things were simpler and when he wasn't traveling around the world with a team of super enhanced cutthroats. The woman in front of him was more than a familiar face, she was the only family he had left.

"Morgan. Morgan Le Fay. What the hell are you doing here! And why in the fuck are you naked!?" Arthur said as he turned his head away flustered.

Ozpin sighed as he facepalmed. Today was going to be a very long day.