Asher had awoken on the day of the ball in a sour mood. While winter was a season that the man hated normally, memories of his much younger life trying to survive snowfall and the drop in temperature making him somewhat bias, he still usually managed to get into the spirit of the holidays. This year, however, he was not getting to do his usual holiday rituals, either those he'd once performed with his sibling or the more recent Remembrance Day heist the crew performed. As the day went by and he saw the various preparations everyone else was going through, his mood only worsened. The rest of the student body was seeing this as a great day. For him, it was a day of hopefully avoiding notice by people he had most likely stolen from in one way or another. It didn't help that the guest list had been announced, and as it so happened, a Mr. and Mrs. Schnee were showing their faces thanks to their daughter's attendance. In all, it was likely going to be a very unpleasant experience all around. Not even the infectious excitement of Ruby could get him to view the event in a positive light, but the time inevitably came when he would have to show his face. Asher wasted as much time as possible before setting off for the ballroom, avoiding most of the initial crowds and the arrival of those invited.

When he did enter the ballroom, it was as quietly as possible, and Asher quickly found a nice corner to hide away from the crowds. His gaze slid idly over the various people, and he was quick to pick out some of the people he could recognize, both friendly and not. There were the Schnees, all three of them, chatting away amiably with some other big-shots from somewhere. Ruby was darting through the crowds, looking for all the world like a lost, blindingly red puppy, dressed as she was in a rather bright, rose-red knee-length dress. Oddly enough, both Blake and Yang were missing. The former wasn't exactly surprising, she probably liked this sort of thing about as much as Asher did, but the latter... Her not being easily noticeable either meant she wasn't here yet or that she was doing something less than advisable. Asher really hoped it was the former, even as he started to slide his way towards the door, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. He only got a few steps before a familiar voice caught his attention.

"You seem to be doing rather well, for a criminal."

Asher turned to face the speaker and discovered his boss, Slate himself, leaning over dramatically on a cane. Asher knew for a fact the old man didn't need one, but it seems it was part of the act this time. The younger criminal almost spat out the man's name, but a simple hand gesture reminded Asher where they were. They'd have to keep this calm and quiet. No reason to be drawing attention to the leader of the gang, after all. If that happened, they would well and truly be screwed.

"I guess I am. What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for you, actually. We won't be getting you out of here for a while yet, it's taking some time to arrange everything. Bruno was getting anxious though, wanted to make sure you were doing alright."

"Well, you can tell him I'm doing about as well as could be expected. Getting some combat training while I'm at it though."

"He'll be pleased about that, at least. It'll certainly make pulling jobs a little easier with a little more muscle behind it."

"Whatever helps. Speaking of jobs. Did you-"

"Your usual contributions have been sent out. No need to worry about that."

Asher sighed in relief, his share usually got sent to the hospital, as well as smaller donations going to a few other charitable organizations, and he had hated the idea of them not getting anything. The appearance of his boss was awakening his criminal desires though, particularly the one to steal, and just when he'd gotten used to being constricted to the academy. Slate coughed lightly, drawing Asher's attention away from his thoughts, and he refocused on the older man, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"We saw your little... train job. A little unprofessional, in my opinion, murdering everybody."

"You know that wasn't me. I wouldn't do that."

"Of course. But I'd suggest not getting caught at all. Wouldn't look good at all to be caught wearing a mask when you're part of my crew. Who was the one with you?"

"A student here. Blake Belladonna. Nice girl. Bit quiet though."

"Hm. Any chance she would...?"

"Doubt it. She seems real big on the whole 'trying to make the world a better place' thing. I could try though, if you want."

"A good idea, perhaps. I'll leave it up to you whether you try or not. Regardless, I had better be going before it looks like I'm spending a little too much time in your company. But I'll leave you with this. If we ever need to talk, we'll send messages through it."

Slate slipped a small scroll onto the table, which Asher quickly palmed and slipped into a pocket. At least now he'd have a way to stay in contact with the rest of the crew. As long as he wasn't caught, anyway. It was a start. Slate had already left before Asher could say anything more, the older man limping through the crowd and disappearing from sight. The younger criminal waited a few minutes more, eyes scanning for a moment, before he slipped through the crowd himself, judging that now was a good time to disappear before anyone else found him. As luck would have it, as he headed for the door he stumbled across a certain threesome he wanted nothing to do with. Asher tried to quickly vanish again, but he'd barely taken another step when a commanding voice halted his movements.

"Hold it right there!"

Asher cursed under his breath before slowly turning around, finding himself under the unforgiving gaze of Mr. Erik Schnee, lord and master of the Schnee Dust Company and probably the only person here who could openly order his death and get away with it. The man could only be described as imposing, and the only signs of his advancing years were the barely visible wrinkles on his face. It didn't help that the man carried himself in such a way that made it seem like he practically owned Beacon himself, which might possibly have been true if not for the presence of a certain Professor Ozpin. The criminal briefly wondered how Weiss could be so small when her father was so tall, but the question was quickly answered when he noticed the much smaller woman behind him, presumably Weiss' mother. Asher considered just running, the idea earning bonus points thanks to Weiss' hateful glare, then discarded the thought. It would only make things worse. Now he only had to hope his legs held under the pressure he was feeling.

"Can I help you?"

"Perhaps you can. You're the one they caught stealing my payroll, aren't you?"

"Uh... yes?"

"Are you unsure?"

"Yes. I mean, no. I mean... Yeah, that was me."

"Hm. I must say, you're not quite what one expects when they talk about a blood-thirsty criminal. Still, you might be... walk with me, Mr... Mercury, was it?"

Asher frowned at that, was it supposed to be a compliment or an insult? He barely had the chance to start considering it though, as the Schnee patriarch started off, threading his way through the crowd while gesturing for his wife and daughter to stay behind. He had business to attend to. Asher hesitated a moment, then self-preservation set him after the man. Once he'd come up beside him, and they'd exited into the more secluded hallways, Mr. Schnee settled on a bench and offered the seat next to him to the younger man. Asher sat nervously, not quite sure where everything was going, but the executive didn't say anything, just staring at nothing for a moment before nodding at nothing.

"Mr. Mercury, from everything I've gathered, you have what one might call a tragic past. I'm sure we can both agree on that."

"I wouldn't call it tragic..."

"I think being forced to abandon family, friends and everything you've ever known for the sake of paying off a rather large expense, all to save your only remaining family in the world, could be considered suitably tragic. Regardless, because of it, you've picked up rather unique skill set, one that, under the right conditions, could be used to great effect by someone open to the idea. Someone, for instance, like me. You'd be suitably compensated for any services you provide, of course. And if all goes well, I'm sure any crimes you've committed could easily be made to disappear."

Asher found himself frowning again. He felt liked he missed something important somewhere. What it sounded like was the man next to him, one of the most powerful men in the world, was offering him a job. Or at least, something very much like it. At the same time, Mr. Schnee also seemed to be trying to act sympathetic to his tragic past, when Asher himself didn't really think it was all that tragic. He'd needed money to save his sister. He'd gotten the money the only way he had available. Still, there was one issue he kept leaping back to, mainly the thought that he was supposed to be despised as unworthy trash. Wasn't he?

"I'm aware of how much this is to take in. Don't worry, I don't need your answer right away. In fact, I'd refuse to take an answer right now even if you tried to give one. After all, when recruiting new blood, you need to be sure of its quality. I'm sure I'll get to see the extent of your abilities soon enough. Until the next time we meet, Mr. Mercury. Please, consider the offer carefully."

With that, the elder of the two strode off, heading back towards the ballroom. Asher simply stared after him, mind slowly working through everything. There was an offer of a job in there, plus the possibility of wiping his record clean. While the criminal would admit to himself that the latter was rather appealing, especially now that he was stuck here at an academy for Hunters, he was also wary of the deal. The Schnee Dust Company wasn't exactly known for treating their labor well, the faunas just happened to be the most readily apparent. Who's to say they'd honor any deal they made with a criminal? Asher closed his eyes to block out everything around him, trying to think through everything he'd experienced at the party already.

For Erik Schnee, however, the meeting had been much more straight forward. He had met with a potential asset, one that could be exploited if used properly. Unexpectedly, it was Professor Ozpin who had come to him, asking for information that the CEO might have access to, and the Schnee, as always, saw a business opportunity. It only came as more of a surprise when he was offered the services of the criminal currently attending the academy, and certainly didn't expect that criminal to be vouched for by the headmaster. Still, Erik had his doubts, which is why this first, and Erik shuddered to even use the word, heist was meant to be both a test and the conclusion of a business deal. Not to mention, if everything went well, it would be the end of a potential business rival. An opportunity like that was hard to pass up. Still, he would need insurance of some kind. After all, videos could be altered, and he didn't want anything interfering with his assessment. As it so happened, however, there was someone who could act as a suitable evaluator, provided she could ignore her own bias. It would serve as a good test of her own skills as a businesswoman as well. Another opportunity.

"Weiss. Come here for a moment, would you? I have some business I'd like to discuss."

Yang's eyes scanned the darkened gardens a moment before she practically dragged Azure along behind her. The blonde haired brawler was dressed in what could only be described as the most daring modest dress you could imagine. While it did cover the young woman's body properly, the cloth blocking the view of anything to risqué, it hugged her curves in just the right way so as to suggest more, with a slit in one side that teased the imagination. Bonus points were awarded because the brawler could still kick someone while wearing it. Yang had found it during the pair's shopping spree the week before and, after modeling it, had grinned in satisfaction at seeing the younger blush at the sight. It was too good for her to pass up, and unlike Azure, Yang easily decided on keeping it. The younger girl had spent almost the entire day searching, before deciding on a safe and girlish dress that she felt, secretly, would make her suitably sister-like.

And now, Azure found herself getting dragged through the gardens of Beacon Academy, the layer of fresh snow from the night before not helping the matter at all, by Yang Xiao Long, the woman notorious for causing so much destruction and mayhem in Signal. The white powder under her feet was cold, and Azure loathed the cold thanks to nearly 7 years of life fearing the effect it could have on her body. The whole plan was a phenomenally bad idea in Azure's opinion, but the fact that she'd finally get to talk to her brother overrode any complaint she had and allowed her to endure any discomfort. That didn't mean she would moan about it every step of the way.

"Yang, I don't think we should be doing this."

"But we're already doing it, so why not finish what we started, right?"

Yang flashed a bright, cheerful smile at her companion, then continued leading the way, intentionally make it out to be more of a big deal than it actually was. Beacon, despite it's laurels and accomplishments, did not have the greatest security in the world. Then again, it didn't really need to. Every single student at the academy was a trained warrior in some way or another, so attacking the place was usually a bad idea for anyone. This made it easier, of course, for those trying to sneak in to avoid what meager automated security the school did have. The pair had managed to walk in the front gate easily enough, but the front door to the school's main building had proven more of a challenge, with "guards" checking for student ID's or an invitation. Thankfully, Yang had thought of that already, and had left the window of her team's dorm room unlatched. The plan was to get in through the dorms, then simply take the less traveled corridors to the ballroom. From there, it was a simple matter to hunt for Asher among the crowd.

As they reached the dorm building, however, Yang spotted a slight problem with her plan. In her room's window there was a flickering light, just barely visible, that suggested someone was hiding away in the room. It wouldn't be good if Azure were to get caught here. Still, the only one they would really have to worry about was Weiss(she'd gotten better, but the Ice Princess was still prone to shouting and lecturing), and she should still be at the party. That only left Ruby or Blake, and there was no way Ruby wouldn't have turned on the lights. That left Blake, and Yang was sure she'd be fine with them passing through, as long as they didn't disturb her too much. With a nod of resolute satisfaction, the blonde turned to her companion, pointing towards her window.

"That's the one, right there."

"The one with the flickering light in it?"

"Yup!"

"The one that probably has a person in it?"

"It's just Blake. She won't mind at all. Ready?"

"Ready? What do you mean rea- Woah!"

Azure suddenly felt herself get thrown into the air, Yang having grabbed her by the waist and simply pushed up. For a moment, Azure just hung there, caught by surprise, then she reacted quickly, hands reaching out to grab hold of the ledge. She nearly slipped, but steadied her grip and pulled gently on one of the windows, the glass pane swinging out without resistance. She slipped through the now open portal, albeit with much less grace than she intended, tumbling inside and grumbling to herself about her ally. Why couldn't she come up with more sane plans? Azure had barely sat up again, preparing to get onto her feet and then wait for Yang, when she found herself face to face with bright, amber-eyes and a stoic, expressionless face. There was a pause that seemed to last for ages, then the blue-haired girl let out a small squeak and scrambled backwards, only to smash the back of her head against a bed frame. Blake's lips twitched with the hint of a smile.

"Are you alright?"

"Ow... yeah."

"I apologize if I startled you. I wasn't expecting someone to come climbing through my window."

"Right. Sorry. I'm just trying to see somebody is all."

"See somebody? A crush?"

"A family member I haven't seen in... a long time."

Blake studied the young girl in front of her, eyes picking out details even in the shadowy light of the dorm room. A younger girl, perhaps Ruby's age, with blue hair and eyes. She seemed to be of average build in all regards, except for the muscle tone clearly visible in her arms. She couldn't recall anyone that resembled the girl at all, however. Then again, Ruby and Yang were sisters, and they didn't look like each other either. In the end, it wasn't her business, and she wasn't sure she wanted to get involved with anything Yang had her hands in. As if on cue, the door unlocked and the blonde burst into the room, halting as two pairs of eyes locked onto her. She froze, then offered both a sheepish smile.

"Hey, Blake! How's it going?"

"Yang. Now that you're here, mind introducing me to our visitor?"

"Sure! Azure, this is Blake Belladonna, my partner here at Beacon. Blake, this is-"

"I can talk for myself, Yang. I'm Azure Mercury. It's nice to meet you."

Blake eyes widened suddenly in surprise, her mind instantly making the connection. As far as she was aware, there was only one Mercury here at the school, and that was Asher. If this girl was also a Mercury, and looking for a family member...

"You're here to see Asher?"

Azure's eyes seemed to suddenly sparkle with glee, someone else who knew her brother. She was on her feet in an instant, gaze glued to the Blake with an overly expectant look on her face. Blake, for her part, found herself edging away from the younger girl. Azure's intensity was almost akin to Asher's when he had his "work gloves" on, and it was making her uncomfortable. Blake didn't make it far before a deluge of questions assaulted her, with Yang only barely containing her laughter to the side of the pair.

"Do you spend a lot of time with my brother? Does he seem to be doing alright? He doesn't get treated too badly, does he? I mean, I know he's a criminal and all, but bullying is illegal. Are you one of his friends? What does he do during his free time? Just train a lot? What about anyone else, does he have any other friends? Did you see him at the party?"

"Azure, calm down. You can ask the man yourself pretty soon. That last question was a good one though. Aren't you supposed to be at the party?"

"I was. Now I'm not."

"Come on, Blake! Live a little!"

"I think I'd rather read."

"Nope! You're coming with us. We gotta go find Asher, but you need to get your party on. At least your still more or less dressed for the occasion. Come on, get your shoes on."

"Yang, I... Fine."

Blake prepped herself quickly, putting on her recently discarded shoes before following after Yang, who was already leading the way out the door, Azure close behind her. She could imagine what was going to happen when the younger girl found her sibling, and she didn't think it would turn out very well. It was too late for her to really change anything, though, especially with Yang at the helm, so Blake figured she'd at least tag along to help keep some of the pressure off her... friend? Yes, she supposed she'd call him a friend. They'd certainly spent enough time around each other. It helped that he didn't seem all that interested in prying into her secrets, such as they were. She'd returned the favor in kind, but she had to admit to herself that she was at least a little interested in the man's past. Blake's musings were soon interrupted as they neared the ballroom, more particularly when Yang suddenly halted, only to have Azure almost crash into her back, and then Blake almost crash into the younger girl. Needless to say, Azure didn't take the sudden stop well, at least, she didn't right up until she saw what had stopped them.

"Yang! Why in Remnant did... you... stop..."

There, seated on a bench farther down the hallway with his eyes closed, was Asher Mercury, apparently lost in thought. Yang, quickly overcoming her own surprise, had a grin spring to her lips, and she stepped to the side to give Azure a clear line of sight to her target. The younger girl, however, remained rooted to the spot, anxiety and fear numbing her legs. Her excitement from before had suddenly vanished, and she wanted, desperately, to be somewhere, anywhere, else. She half expected someone or something to come popping out as the universe contrived to delay her reunion yet again. Blake held herself back, content to let the girl work out things on her own, but her blonde partner was hardly as patient. With a gentle shove(which sent the blue-haired girl stumbling forward), Yang sent Azure closer to her brother, and the girl took a few more small steps forward before hesitantly calling out.

"A... um... A... A-Ash?"

The man seated on the bench frowned a moment, then sat up straighter and opened his eyes to investigate. His eyes scanned around him a moment before settling on the young girl, and as the seconds ticked by without a word, Azure began fidgeting in place, worried that he somehow didn't recognize her, or had forgotten about her, or didn't really care about her anymore, or... or... Her mind continued to supply her with worst case scenarios, but all her anxiety was blown away by a simple acknowledgement from Asher.

"Azure? What are you- Oof!"

The younger girl, hearing her name spoken by a nostalgic, if somewhat deeper, voice, closed the distance between them and hurled herself into his torso, wrapping her arms around him in a hug even as tears began pouring from her eyes. Asher was still trying to process what had just happened, the unexpected arrival of his sibling forcing his mind to shift from the business mindset he'd been in before. Regardless, after another few moments, he dragged his mind into the proper gear and wrapped his arms around his younger sibling, giving a frown of distaste when he feels her tears soak through his shirt, which unfortunately for him doesn't go unnoticed by a certain blonde-haired mastermind.

"Hey! Why are you looking so unhappy, you bas-"

"Yang, now is not the time for you to be butting in. I'll take care of her, Asher. You have your reunion."

Blake, having covered Yang's mouth with her hand, dragged the brawler around the corner, making as if to leave, only to halt in her progress and release her partner, bow twitching as her hidden ears swiveled to focus on the conversation about to happen. Yang almost turned on Blake, eyes red with contained fury, only to lose steam as she realized what was going on. Barely a second later and Yang's grin was back, happy her partner was so supportive, at least passively, of her plan. Now, all they had to do was wait. Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long. Azure's sobs stopped quickly, the girl pulling herself together, before she released her sibling and took a few steps back, smiling sheepishly.

"I... uh... I'd promised myself I wouldn't cry when I got to see you again. Actually, I was planning on punching you in the face..."

"Well, we saw how that worked out. Thanks for not hitting me, by the way. What are you doing here, Sister of Mine?"

The moniker, one she hadn't heard in two years, turns Azure's sheepish smile into one of genuine joy. It was an affectionate name, and to her, its use meant her brother hadn't forgotten her.

"I came to see you, Brother of Mine. I watched you getting interrogated before, and they didn't let me see you then. Then Yang came by a few months ago, to Signal, and-"

"You're in Signal? Is your body fine?"

"Yeah. I'm on my second year. Doing pretty good, if I do say so myself. Even with my condition. The medicines are slowly getting better, and once I started getting my injections, I've basically been a normal person."

"That's good to hear. Still, you shouldn't be here. You get caught, and I don't think they'll let you off with just a warning."

"It's fine, Ash. It's not the worst thing our family has ever done."

Those words, meant playfully, came out sounding awkward and accusing. The resulting expression on Asher's face made his sister start to panic, and within moments she was trying to hastily apologize for herself. Asher just waved it away, however, pushing down the sudden pain in his chest and placing a somewhat forced smile on his face.

"Yeah, I suppose it isn't."

"... I'm... I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It'll be fine, Azure... um..." The conversation died for a moment, Asher searching for something to talk about, and finally settled on something that sounded lame the moment it came out of his mouth. "So... you've grown."

"Uh... yeah. Well, it has been two years. You've grown too. Your voice is deeper now."

"Yeah, well, that's about the only change for me. You've gotten prettier. Although I remember your hair being longer."

"I cut it. It was... getting in the way. During combat drills."

"Funny. Doesn't ever seem to get in the way of half the people I know."

"Well I'm not exactly as skilled as anyone here at Beacon! Not yet anyway."

"Calm down. Calm down. I get it. You're probably still better than me. How's Roan doing?"

"He'd doing fine. He's my doctor still, and he's the only one who gets to poke needles into me. He thought it was funny you were attending Beacon now."

"I bet he did..."

The conversation once again stuttered to a halt, both siblings running dry on things to say. It was funny that in two years apart, with so many things happening, and neither could think of something to fill the silence. Asher especially was racking his brain, searching for something, anything, to talk about. The only things that came up, though, were his criminal activities, and he had no desire to drag his sister into that world in any way. Azure, on the other hand, was wrestling with how to ask the very questions what would take them in that direction, her desire to know why he'd done what he'd done, and not just wonder, another reason she'd been so eager to meet him. Finally, she worked up her courage and opened her mouth to ask.

"Asher?"

"Hm?"

"Why'd you do it?"

"... Do what?"

"Please. Don't play dumb. I just... I want to know. Why you... Why you left me alone."

"Azure, I..."

I didn't leave you alone. I've always been there for you, and everything I've ever done I've done to make sure you were taken care of.

The words Asher wanted to say, but couldn't force passed his lips. They were his private reasons, things he didn't like openly talking about. But reviewing them now, they just sounded like excuses, particularly when everyone else probably saw it just like she did. He'd abandoned her, in the world's eyes. In her eyes. He'd abandoned her completely and utterly. And in a way, that was exactly what he'd wanted it to seem like. As long as she wasn't connected to him, she was safe from the world he now lived in. But how could he come out and say that now. Thankfully, there was a convenient interruption that came barreling desperately down the corridor, plowing into Asher and sending both crashing to the floor in front of a very surprised Azure.

"Ow, what in Remna- Ruby? You alright?"

"I... I can see Beowolves dancing... I mean... uh... yeah! I'm good!"

Asher got to his feet and then helped his attacker up off the floor, smiling sympathetically. Almost on reflex, Asher's hand came up to ruffle Ruby's hair playfully, and as he did so, Azure's eyes narrowed dangerously. To her, it looked rather suspiciously like somebody else was moving in on her brother, and despite, or perhaps because of, the two year gap, Azure was feeling noticeably possessive. She subtly grabbed hold of her brother's free hand and latched on, refusing to let go, which confused her clueless sibling even as he glanced at her and her now sour expression.

"Azure? You alri-"

"RUBY! It was getting to the best part, DAMNIT!"

Yang came around the corner, extremely annoyed at the interruption from her sister. She'd almost gotten an answer to BIG question! Why did her sister have to show up now of all times? Too late, she suddenly realized that she'd just revealed her presence to the two siblings of the hour, and they both somehow managed to fix identical looks of concealed annoyance on the brawler. She paused a moment, and then laughed nervously, hoping they'd let her get away with it. Azure might not have, but Asher simply sighed and waved the issue away, at the same time making a logical leap that seemed sound enough to him.

"Hey, Blake. I think you can come out now."

The silent girl came out from around the corner as well, having the decency to at least look suitably apologetic. Asher sighed at the sight, already figuring out that this was probably Yang's idea overall. It would have to be. Ruby he doubted even knew what was going on, and that was reinforced by her look of utter confusion. He gave her another pat on the head, just for good measure, which caused his sister to tighten her grip on his other arm. Blake wouldn't have come up with a plan like this. Or if she did, he'd hope she at least would be better about keeping the plan from getting found out quite so quickly.

"Well, I guess that's it for reunion time."

"I can take Ruby and Yang back to the ball, if you want."

"No, it's fine. I'm sure this won't be the last time I'll meet up with my sister again. We can catch up more later... You met everybody yet, Sister of Mine?"

"Not the red brother-thief."

"Brother-thie-"

"Hey! Don't insult my sister like that! Besides, who'd want this bastard as a brother?"

"I would, Ms. Yang Xiao Long! And my brother isn't a bastard!"

"Seems like one to me!"

"Says the walking sex ad!"

"What did you just-"

Asher sighed again, already resigning himself to the fact that he was likely going to get very little time to relax for the rest of the ball. It didn't help that apparently Azure and Yang's argument was developing quickly into a full blown shouting match worthy of Weiss. Blake was just looking stoically amused, which still confounded him, and Ruby just kept looking very confused. Asher felt a little bad for Ruby, she'd only been on her way through and had bumped into the situation, literally. He'd have to apologize later for everything. For now, though, he just put his face in his hands and massaged his temples. His sister was definitely more lively, that was for sure. And confrontational. Then again, he'd always found it best to avoid arguments, so maybe it just seemed like she was confrontational. And while he'd hardly consider it the present he would have wished for, he'd certainly gotten something for the holidays, and he couldn't help but mumble a holiday greeting under his breath.

"Happy Remembrance Day, Asher... Happy Remembrance Day."

Later that night, Professor Ozpin sat alone in his office, coffee replaced for the holidays with hot chocolate, reviewing the "price" for the use of the Schnee informant network. The job didn't look particularly difficult, but then again, Ozpin wasn't a criminal and had little experience dealing with this sort of thing. Somehow, he doubted Asher had much experience either, but Erik Schnee at least had the decency to provide them with all the information on the target they could want. The only sour issue the headmaster could see was who he'd demanded accompany the criminal during the heist itself. He doubted either of them would be happy with the situation. Still, they needed the information if they were going to make any headway whatsoever, particularly because Ozpin's own network, while extensive, didn't quite extend as far as it might have. In the end, Ozpin had thrown his students into the fire once again, and it didn't seem he had any other choice in the matter. What else could he have offered the patriarch of the Schnee family?

Regardless, this holiday season was looking to be a very busy one.

Author's Note- If you can't guess who gets to go on a heist next, then I haven't done my job foreshadowing properly. Regardless, this chapter is currently the longest one I've done, mostly because I didn't feel it was right to split it into multiple chapters. Hopefully it still flows reasonably well.

As always, reviews of any kind are much appreciated, and until next time, keep dreaming.