Ten years ago.
A lost girl sat at the base of a tree, her knees curled to her chest and her arms wrapped around them and her long brown rabbit ears folded down as she cried. Her yellow tank top and brown shorts covered in dirt and her arms and legs riddled with minor scratches, she had tripped and rolled down a hill. Next to her a broken camera, damaged from the fall.
She tried to walk, wander around to find a way back, but only to get herself lost deeper in the woods. Her knee scrapped and bleeding gave out and she collapsed at the foot of a tree, tucking herself between its roots as the sky turned dark after the sun vanished beyond the horizon. Lost, alone, hurt and without food or water she began to cry for her parents, anyone to come find her.
She had received a camera for her birthday the week before and spent most of her time running around their town taking pictures. She saw a rabbit at the edge of the woods standing on its back legs as its from paws feet brushed over its head trying to clean itself. The faunus girl kneeled down aiming her lens at the little bunny, but before she could snap a picture it noticed her and ran off. Calling out to the little animal to come back she chased after it, running through bushes and past and between trees until she lost sight of it. Her ears fell down in disappointment and she turned around before she realized she didn't know where she was, at first she called out for anyone hoping someone was close by to hear her and she could make her way back to the town, but when no one answered she began to panic.
She tried to backtrack only to turn herself around time and time again finding herself deeper in the woods until she began smelling something, foul. Covering her nose she kept walking unsure if she was getting closer or farther from it until she pushed herself through a bush and saw it. The mutilated body of a deer laying on the ground, a large bite mark on its neck and its stomach ripped open with dried blood staining the ground below it.
She covered her mouth stumbling back until she turned and hunched over emptying her stomach from the overwhelming stench. She began crying at the sight, terrified only to freeze when she heard it. Something growled, and the birds in the trees had gone completely silent, the bushes rustled and the girl began to run.
She didn't know if whatever she heard was giving chase, but she kept going, running, fleeing as fast as her legs would take her in whatever direction she was going, her fear pushing her. Her arms pumped at her sides increasing her speed as her camera dangled from her neck secured only by its strap, she risked a glance over her shoulder to see if anything was following her, that's when it happened. Her foot caught on something and she tumbled forward and down a hill hitting rocks and branches and roots as she rolled across the ground until she crashed at the bottom.
The pain beating down on her caused her to curl up and cry even more, her hands clutching her camera to her chest until she felt something pierce and slice her skin. Looking at her hand she saw the fresh blood leaking from a cut on her palm, she noticed a piece of plastic from the camera's casing had split open and stuck out like a blade, cutting her as she hugged it. Sitting up on her knees she examined the camera realizing not only was the casing damaged, but the lens was cracked and the aperture dented no longer able to be turned. She began to cry more after that, too tired and too hurt to continue running she tried to hide herself between the roots of a tree as she cried, begging, praying someone would find and save her.
She stopped crying when she heard it, something growled and she huddled herself against the tree trunk as much as she could covering her mouth as she continued to cry and whimper. The growling only got louder and then the shrubbery around her began to rustle, then she saw them. The ghastly glowing red eyes, the flickering black mist coming from its body and the boney white spines that jutted from its back, a grimm.
The monster picked up on her scent and could hear her whimpering, its prey was close. Opening its mouth it growled as the thick black saliva dripped from its jaws as it got closer to the cowering faunus girl the scent of blood drawing it right to her. Raising its snout from the ground it turned its eyes and spotted her cowering and trapped between the trees roots and slowly it turned to face her before roaring, causing the girl to scream and close her eyes as the monster ran toward her.
The next thing she heard was a loud bang, it sounded like a gun. The sound was immediately followed by another and then a third and a fourth before she heard a yell and the grimm snarl. She opened her eyes to see the monster's back to her its red eyes focused on a man who wasn't there before.
He was wearing an expensive looking navy blue dress shirt with matching pants and black tie and shoes. His pale skin glowed a little from the moonlight and his white hair messy and unkempt. In his hand a simple handgun and in his other held across his back a staff.
The man glared at the alpha as he stepped toward it, "Get away from her" he growled.
Responding to the man's threat the grimm roared and charged forward only to be met by the end of the man's staff as it swung upward, throwing his bodyweight behind the uppercut stumbling the beast. Turning he swept the monster's feet tripping it onto it's back before pressing a switch revealing a spear tip from one end. With a yell the man impaled the beowolf through its gut pinning it to the ground as he walked around to its head being sure to stay out of its reach.
The monster growled and snarled as it struggled to get free, its eyes threatening to rip the man apart as he aimed his gun at its head and with the pull of the trigger the grimm's body fell still and silent. Leaving his spear in the ground and returning his gun to its holster on his leg the man turned to the cowering girl and walked over to her, but before he could ask if she was alright she had jumped to her feet and ran to him throwing her arms around him, crying. He got down to one knee and returned the hug rubbing one hand over her back and the other over her head comforting her.
"It's alright" he told her, "You're safe now."
The girl continued to cry into his dress shirt her tears soaking through the fabric and to the skin underneath, but he only continued to hold her until she had stopped. Seeing her state he picked her up in his arms and began carrying her, retrieving his weapon and walking through the trees back toward the nearby town. Even though he was carrying her the girl still huddled herself as close to him as she could the fatigue and trauma from her ordeal taking its toll as her eyes closed and she fell asleep in his arms.
She woke up in her bedroom, looking around in a panic wondering if it was all a bad dream until she noticed the bandages on her. Her body still sore she slid out of bed and walked toward her door stepping out into the hallway hearing people talking in the living room. Slowly descending the stairs she peeked around the corner to see her parents talking with the man who saved her, his eyes meeting hers right away.
He smiled at her, "Morning" he said making her parents turn around, "Did you sleep well?"
The girl didn't have a chance to answer before her mother and father rushed to her picking her up and asking how she felt. Still scared from what happened she buried her face in her mother's shoulder and began crying again. It wasn't long before she calmed down again sitting next to her parents on the couch as they talked with the man who saved their daughter.
It was getting late and the man stood up and stretched his arms, "It's about time I left. I've still got a job to do tomorrow."
The girl's father stood up extending his hand, "Of course, thank you again. If you ever need anything, please ask."
Shaking his hand the man merely smiled, "I'm a huntsman, it's what I do."
The girl stood up and looked at him, "T, thank you for saving me."
He smiled and kneeled down to level their eyes, "You're welcome."
The rabbit girl asked him, "What's your name?"
"Sin" he answered with a smile, "Sin Helms. I'm a huntsman from Beacon."
The girl replied, "I'm Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina."
Sin continued to smile as he held his hand out, "Nice to meet you Velvet. Those are some cute ears you've got there."
The faunus girl blushed, instead of shaking his hand she jumped at him, hugging him and the huntsman hugged her back.
"It was nice meeting you Velvet" he told her when their hug ended, "I've got to go back to the Inn now. I've got a bit of work to do here tomorrow, but I'll come see you again before I leave alright?"
By dusk the next day his job was done, the pack of grimm that had gotten too close to the town was wiped out and now it was time to prepare to return to Beacon, but first as promised he visited Velvet and her parents once more to make sure the girl was alright. The girl nearly tackled him when she saw him and he could only laugh as he pet her head. Her parents invited him to join them for dinner and before Sin could decline the invitation his stomach growled causing Velvet to giggle before she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.
During dinner Velvet's parents told him that all their daughter talked about that day was she wanted to go to Beacon to be a huntress. Sin admitted learning to fight and protect herself would be a useful skill considering the world they live in, but the danger far outweighed any benefit. That's when Velvet told him herself, she wanted to be like the person who saved her, something Sin had no argument against.
"You'll have to learn how to use aura" he told her, "Can't be a huntress if you can't do that."
The girl's ears began to drop, but Sin smiled, "I'll teach you" he said, "I'll stay for a while longer and teach you what you need to know. After that you'll need to practice and then enroll in a combat school and if you're good enough then you can apply to Beacon or one of the other academies."
Velvet's eyes shined and with her parents approval it was set. The next few days Sin helped the girl unlock her aura and explained to her the basics of using it, how it would protect and strengthen her. He coached her through some exercises to help her manipulate her aura in minor ways and began to give her basic combat drills to get her ready. The day turned into a week and that week became two and then a month, but the new semester would soon be starting and he was still a teacher meaning he would have to return to Beacon soon.
Kneeling in front of Velvet he rubbed her head, "You've done really well Velvet, extraordinarily well."
"Do you have to go?" she asked him sadly.
He nodded, "I'm a teacher there as well" he reminded her, "But I'll come back and see you again, so until then you keep practicing alright?"
She nodded and he continued, "Oh before I go, I have something for you" reaching into the bag nearby he pulled out a new camera, a high-end model and handed it to her, "Since your last one was broken and you've done so good in your training I wanted to give you this."
The faunus girl felt tears forming behind her eyes as she jumped into his arms and wrapped hers around his neck, "Thank you."
"You're welcome Velvet" he said as he pat her back.
"Sin" Velvet's mother began after dinner had finished that night, "We have something important we'd like to ask you."
Sin smiled at her as he helped clean up, "What's on your mind Lyn?"
"Well" she said, "Scott and I were talking about it while you spent the past month teaching Velvet. We'd like you to be her godfather."
Sin nearly dropped a cup he was washing, "Come again?" he asked after catching it.
"Her godfather" Lyn repeated, "Her guardian in case something happened or we aren't around."
Velvet's father continued, "We know it's not really the traditional way of doing it, but seeing the way you worked with her and how much she's come to like you."
Sin nodded before he could finish, "Yeah. I'd like that, if" he paused to correct himself, "When she makes it to Beacon I'll be there to look after her like she was my own."
Beacon Academy, present time.
"Hey Team CFVY is back" a student said seeing the star second year team stepping off the bullhead.
"Velvet!" Blake called running over to her fellow faunus.
The rabbit girl looked at her, "Oh, hi Blake."
Blake asked, "What happened? Your mission was supposed to end a week ago."
Velvet shook her head, "Nothing happened, there was just" she paused, "So many of them."
Blake and her team noticed a light expression of fear in Velvet's eyes, "Are you ok?" Ruby asked her.
Velvet snapped back to reality and nodded, "Oh yes I'm fine" she gestured to her giant teammate, "I had Yatsuhashi to look out for me."
"Well, alright" Blake said, "It's good to have you back."
Velvet nodded, "Thanks, good to be back" she said before squealing when she felt something brush lightly down her spine, tickling her.
Velvet spun around, "Coco!" she gasped while blushing.
Her team leader chuckled, "Sorry Honey Bun, couldn't resist."
Velvet sighed turning back to Blake and her team, "Do any of you know if Sin has returned yet?"
Ruby nodded, "Yeah he came back a couple of days ago, but..."
Velvet noticed the way the girl's words trailed off, "What? Did something happen?"
Weiss explained, "The lab he went to had an outbreak. Somehow the grimm being kept their for research managed to get out, only Professor Sin and a friend of his managed to get out before the facility was destroyed."
Velvet covered her mouth while her teammates stood frozen at the news.
"Don't worry" Yang told the shocked girl, "He's not hurt or anything, just a little down. You should go see him, I'm sure that will cheer him up a bit."
Velvet nodded, "Y, yeah, I will. Thank you Yang, I'll see you four around."
Along with her team Velvet returned to her dorm to unpack their things and rest, but Velvet laid awake staring out the window next to her bed, unable to sleep as she felt hotter and hotter, her body itching as she began sweating.