Chapter 1: The Shadows

There are things in this city. They prowl the darkness, feed off suffering. Vale can't protect itself against them, and it doesn't try to. They pass unnoticed, silent, but aware of the world around them. The World can't see them, the Hunters can't stop them. They wage a war with no end, and no beginning, no cause, and no effect. They just want what's not theirs. Fear. Fear through respect.

()

The man was going to do something bad, I was sure of it. I followed him, keeping to the shadows, skin black as night. His friends were dark too, black suits, red ties. Nice weapons too, I could steal me some of those. No, concentrate, follow them. Blend with the darkness. Hmm, a dust shop, interesting, I could rob that someday…

"Do you have ANY idea, how hard it is to find a dust shop open this late?" The Man with the cane asked the shop owner.

Well, looks like I won't be robbing it

"Please, just take my Lien and leave!" The old man put his hands in the air, I wish it were that easy for me, my little dagger and "sneaky tactics" make it hard for me to be that awesome.

"Calm down, we're not here for your money" The man looked to his friends "Grab the dust"

The men began extracting the dust from the shop, leaving nothing behind. What kind of a Thief doesn't take the money? This made no sense… One of the suited men walked towards the girl in the back of the shop. He raised his sword, then walked towards her. I guess he said something stupid, like "hey kid, hands in the air, you're being robbed!" because the next minute he was flying through the window and landed 5 feet from where I was cloaked in shadow.

"Shh" I whispered, as I grabbed his money.

"Ok. Get her!" The white suited man yelled. This didn't go well, this girl had a Scythe! It had a gun attached to it as well. She seemed to use the kick to fight, as I had to dodge several bullets that came at me, almost disrupting my camouflage. She knocked out all the men, which was really impressive! I mean, this kid was like, 15? Then again, I became a professional Thief at 13 so…

"You were worth every cent, truly you were" The Man with the cane was stood over one of his fallen friends, then he turned his attention to the girl "Well, Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening. And as much as I'd love to stick around, this…" He raised his cane, and a sight appeared on the end "…is where we part ways" He fired off a dust round, which the girl deflected. This was waaaaaaay above my paygrade, I wasn't going to stick around and play tag with two dangerous psychopaths. I broke from my shadowy cover and ran…

…Straight into a huntress.

()

I don't do prisons, I try to avoid them at any cost, but when someone lets you go for no reason, you've got to be suspicious. So when the officer said I was free to go, I handled it like a true professional.

"Really, Just like that?" I asked the officer

"Yep. Get out" He escorted me out of my cell to go get my things. A real officer would probably use my question as evidence, this cop was obviously paid off. I walked out of the VPD station, and saw one of the last people I expected to see. Professor Ozpin.

"Well young man, you've gotten yourself into a bit of trouble, haven't you?" The professor said condescendingly

"You… got me released from prison?" I asked "Why?"

"You are a gifted individual Mr Kuro"

"Oh God, don't call me that. My name is Fen!"

"You have said this before, I will continue to call you Mr Kuro"

"Whatever, your point is?"

"I have a school, as I'm sure you know. Two places have opened up after some people decided to leave. You could go to beacon, become a huntsman."

"And…"

"Not be arrested again" Ozpin looked at me over the edge of his glasses

"I'll think about it" I said, not completely lying

"Ok then" He turned away, before looking over his shoulder and saying "Invite Mr Jikan too won't you?"