Prelude:

"Come in.", an old lady sitting behind her desk answered the door before someone had even knocked. She took off her reading glasses and looked her secretary in the face, putting away the file she had just read.
"Ma'am, this might interest you.", the secretary laid down a file on the existing pile. The old lady sighed and rested her arms, "I have to read so much today, couldn't you read it out for me?"
The secretary nodded. "It's about the incident at the Vale docks. One of the teams may have promising recruits. Or even more... Team NOBL that is." The elderly woman suggested her secretary to continue.

"Necros Charon. A human male, 17. There is no official data concerning him available, might be a made up name. The boy lost his parents in a Grimm assault when he was just 5, also no data about the who, where and when. Later he was accepted into Signal's orphan training program and is now a student at Beacon. However he claims that he was held captive and abused by someone he calls 'Crimson Lady', except it seems he only remembers her appearance. His tutor told us everything we know about him now. He's an excellent sniper and quite good in close combat. He got a reputation at Signal for the disregard concerning his own safety as well as for his offensive capabilities. He's calm and calculating. I would call him quite dangerous...

The next is Onyx, his last name is unknown?... We don't know much about him, it seems he is from outside the kingdoms. Apparently he hides his face and doesn't talk his past, although he was a patient of Signal's psychiatrist. He was an orphan lucky enough to get a spot in the program, too. According to the data the therapist was willing to give us he suffered some kind of traumatising personal loss or strong violence in his early development. Tends to aggressive behaviour but only for short periods of time. Excellent swordsman, though reckless, unpredictable and, of course, dangerous."

The old lady smiled shaking her head. "Sounds like a faunus to me. It's not uncommon that nomad clans get wiped out by Grimm. What surprises me is the fact he survived."
The secretary noticed her boss's interest and continued hurrying. "Only two more madam. Bastian Stirling. Also a human, male, 17. Not much is known about him as well: He lost his family when his home, a village outside the kingdoms, burned down during a Grimm attack, he doesn't really talk about that. Psychologically stable with a quite well developed sense of social interaction. He may be the most balanced and taking the least risks of the four. Fairly good marksmen though he mainly uses blades. We don't know enough about him to categorise him any further, he got into Beacon through the independent tests, not via a combat school.

And alas Lucidus Albus." The lady's facial expression changed instantly. "I know that one", she interrupted her secretary, "human, male, 17. Lost his sister in a bombing attack on his home and later some vital organs in an assault. Atlesian military combat education since age 7, sometimes reckless and hot headed personality -at least concerning some topics- though cold and calculating on the outside. Stable mind and body. Excellent swords- and marksman in terms of military conditions. Potentially dangerous but surely predictable."

The old lady sighed again. "Well, let's have a closer look. Maybe we have found whom we are looking fore..."

Several months earlyer:

Chapter 1: Welcome to Beacon

Necros Charon watched out of the aircraft and looked upon the city. The sky was blue, a few clouds, a beautiful day. A peaceful day. And somewhere near the horizon was Signal Academy, his old combat school. The next day, he would attend Beacon, the Huntsman-academy of Vale. Absent-minded he gazed out of the window. "Huh Reaper, already missing the old crammers? Or will you faint from vertigo?", a voice from the shadows asked. "Ha ha Rogue,", Necros replied, "first, you know my semblance, I make others faint. And second, I liked old Qrow... I have to keep in mind to deliver that letter to his niece..." From the shadows, a person became visible. A young man wearing mostly black. Black jeans, a black hoodie and even his belt with pouches for dust and daggers as well as the sheaths for his swords. "Well", the boy, who's name was Onyx, sighed, "whatever. I just hope we make it. Man, we'll attend Beacon! Is that sweet or what? Fighting against real Grimm. You can't stay in the past, even if you want to. By the way, I won't stay here. See ya'." Just as Onyx wandered off, the arrival at Beacon was announced.

While walking out, Necros checked his outfit. He simply checked his outfit because he didn't want anyone to see his eyes if it wasn't necessary. Or his eye, because his right one was covered with a black eyepatch that had an aperture over the position of the eye. Only one person back at Signal had ever seen his right eye, his "dust-engineer" for whom he had tested new dust-projectiles. And this wasn't even voluntary. A ricochet that had hit the aperture had opened it far enough for others to see through. He wanted to keep it at that if possible.
His outfit was one of the reasons he was given the surname "Reaper" back at Signal: It was a wide, black coat endued with straps, its hood covering his eyes, the right shoulder was provided with four armor plates. And of course his weapon, Mávros Acheron: a repeater AMR (Anti Material Rifle) which could be transformed into a six foot scythe with a chain at the end of the shaft. The chain also was connectable to the blade's joint at the bead, to carry Acheron in rifle-mode and, if necessary, to disconnect the blade from the barrel to swing it like a deadly, three foot scythe-bladed chain-whip.

Still bemused, Necros headed for the main building. He thought it would be the best chance for him to find Ruby, the niece and other personal student of Qrow, though she had been one grade below Necros, she already was a student here. She was personally invited to Beacon and moved two years ahead by Headmaster Ozpin himself. Suddenly, Necros found himself half afloat in the air, as if he was frozen while tumbling. "It seems like you just tumbled over my suitcase. Be careful it's quite heavy.", a boy all in white said. "Er, yes, well, sorry, I was a little too deep in thought as it seems", Necros stuttered, obviously confused, "I guess it's because of you I'm floating here?" "Precisely", the boy answered, sounding strangely stiff, "my semblance is Accumulation, the ability to absorb and re-use kinetic energy striking me. I'll release you now, if you don't mind. Besides, my name is Lucidus Albus, pleased to meet you." Necros looked at Lucidus, once again relieved that people can't notice him observing them. "Wow, what a posh talker. A child of good family, I guess. Atlesian?... Whatever, I'm Necros Charon, nice to meet you Lucidus. Tell me... why does it look like you just put some dust enhanced armour over an Atlesian combat-school uniform?", Necros questioned. "Well, because that's exactly the case.", Lucidus answered proud, "I'm from Atlas, Titan Academy, to be accurate. That's my uniform. I used to be a cadett commander as you can see, thats equivalent to an ensign in the real military." "Ah, OK." Necros said shaking his head. That guy was weird. Polite, but very weird. "Sorry, but I... well, I have to find someone." Lucidus seemed confused: "You know, I could help you searching, if you want." Necros considered accepting the offer and he did. Together, they approached the main building, Necros baring the kitbag with his whereabouts on the shoulder and Acheron in his right hand and Lucidus with his silver suitcase for weapon and equipment in his left hand.

"...y exactly are you wearing an eyepatch?", Lucidus asked eventually. "It's because... wait, how do you know...", Necros sighed, "I guess you saw it as I tumbled, eh?",Lucidus nodded and Necros casted back his hood, causing his short, tousled light brown hair and his eyepatch, which covered one of his ice-blue eyes, to appear. "My right eye is... let's say shattered. I... don't want to talk about it... You know... Bad memories", Necros replied, dropping the subject. Luckily Lucidus seemed to understand and nodded. Necros didn't want to tell anyone about his past and his right eye, which he calls "Splinter Eye" and which was pretty useful to him, as he was a sniper...

The two stood in the entrance hall, keeping their eyes open for a red hood. Most of the other new students were there, too, checking the luggage or talking to friends.
Something which, in fact, was virtually impossible for Lucidus and Necros. Lucidus didn't had any acquaintances among the students, as he came from a totally different school and Necros had only two persons he could fairly call friends: Onyx, who certainly hid somewhere in the shadows to avoid any social activity, as he always did, and Mag, his engineer, who dyed her hair from time to time, so it was almost impossible for Necros to see her in this enormous group of students.

Eventually, Lucidus jogged Necros' elbow. "May she be the person you are looking for? That young ladyl with the red hood over there?" And indeed, to the right side of the hall, Necros recognised the hood and the folded weapon of his former co-student. Calmly but hurried Necros crossed the hall and approached Ruby. He wondered if she would still know who he was.
"Hey, Ruby!", he addressed her, the envelope at hand. "I have something for you from good old Qrow!" "Huh? From Uncle Qrow?", she responded wondering, "Wait... do I know you? You surely have something familiar on you, but I can't quite remember, sorry." "No offence taken.", Necros returned, "I would have been surprised if you did, I mean, you have never seen my face before. But I was your Uncle's other private student, Necros Charon." "Aaaahm... Reaper! Right?", Ruby exclaimed staggered. "Yep, that's me. Old Qrow gave me this letter for you. He just wanted to make sure you get it", he said passing the envelope. "Oh, thank you Reaper. I can't wait to tell Yang. Bye! Oh... and, welcome to Beacon!", Ruby ran out, leaving the hall in the direction of her dorm.

"I guess that's it. Welcome to Beacon, Charon", Necros said sighing to himself, wondering what the evening would bring.

Shortly after, he "enjoyed" a speech from professor Ozpin welcoming the students. He didn't exactly listen to it, he just noticed some parts in it, that made him wonder. He said, no peace could last forever, and that it would be their duty to fight the wars that may be at hand. He remembered similar from a conversation Qrow has had with a strange old woman visiting Signal once.

At dinner Necros was hooded again after he noticed several students whispering and pointing at him. It was none of their business, plus Necros tried to be the observer, not the observed, as it was the best for a sniper to do. He also spotted some people from Signal and they surely recognised him but the Reaper had seldom been the centre of interest. He'd been more the kind of guy the others didn't want to mess with especially after rumours regarding his combat skills had spread. The people avoided him, he had no problem with that. The less they cared the better he could observe, this evening was no exception. Shy, braggy, aggressive, protective, almost every kind of person was among this group of freshmen and according to what Qrow had told him, some of them will be his team-mates. He just hoped not to be stuck with some strutter and silently he finished his meal.

Later that night he sat before his chessboard as the boy from earlier, Lucidus, sat down looking at the positioning of the game. "Who're you playing against?", he wanted to know since there was nobody near them. "The strongest opponent around", Necros sighed after a moment of hush, "the one I've never won against. Myself." Lucidus positioned himself cross-legged on one side of the board. "Mind if I try?" As an answer, Necros swept aside the chess pieces, began to assemble the black and gave Lucidus the white ones. "Why do the kings look so much... different from normal?", he asked. "My tutor made them from scrap metal. I had this board with me as I arrived at Signal and the kings were missing. I don't remember where I picked it up.", he looked at the king in his hand, "you know, I kind of identify with the Black King. If I were ruler, I'd reign with an iron fist to cleanse the world of those who've gone beyond the path of darkness." Now Lucidus' interest was awakened. He had his idea of justice, too. "You mean murderer?" Necros sighed again, what made him tell this guy? "No", he continued since he'd already started talking, "murder always has a motive, so murderers would be punished normally. Torture is beyond that, killing for fun is unforgivable. Whenever the murderer has a goal that is not unforgivable, he just wanders the path of darkness." With that he placed down his king, the assembly was complete. "Your turn, white Atlesian" was the last thing that was spoken this night as they thoughtfully made move after move.

A/N: This was the foreword, so to speak, the real story starts with the next chapter, the initiation! We hope you enjoyed the prologue and will enjoy the rest of the tale. Have fun!