For many would be robbers, having only a week to plan a job was disastrous. Many would simply give up there, incapable of coming up with the necessary equipment and plans needed to do the job. For Slate's crew, however, this was little more than a minor inconvenience. They prided themselves on what the old leader dubbed "creative solutions", preferring to go into their thefts with the minimal plans necessary and the widest amount of equipment, so that options and changes to the plan could be made easily and as necessary. While it certainly couldn't be called the safest of methods, the group had been brought together specifically for their skill at adaptation, and they hadn't disappointed yet.

So, just after lunch time on the 17th, a simple inconspicuous van drove through the streets of Vale, an older man at the wheel as his crew members set to work behind him, checking over equipment as they always did, while Bruno explained the workings of a shotgun to the newest addition.

"So... I just, pump this back, and it reloads?"

"No, that chambers a new round. You reload by pushing new rounds into the tube here."

"That's this thing here?"

"Boss, where did you find this guy?"

"Bruno, calm down. Give him time. Even Asher there took awhile to understand it, didn't he?"

"Asher at least knew what chambering meant... Give me that."

Asher chuckled lightly as he checked his own weapon of choice, watching Bruno seize the weapon, clearly not trusting the new guy with the thing. The gun in his hands was as generic as you could get, a relatively common submachine gun referred to by many in the criminal world as the "Tommy" gun. He remembered Slate seeming completely outraged that he'd left his half-finished personal weapon at Signal, but some part of him back then had felt like that was best. That, he'd reasoned, was a Hunter's weapon, a hero's weapon. He was by no mean's a hero, not anymore. Bruno later beat that out of him, insisting that a weapon was a weapon, and ever since, Asher had taken the idea to heart. Still, deep down, he would admit to himself that after constructing a weapon for your own hands with your own hands, even if only half-finished, all others just seemed to pale in comparison. A clanking of metal interrupted the gray-haired robber's thoughts, and he glanced over at the woman of the group, who was sliding her hands eagerly over a massive cannon like object.

"Uh, Ianthe? What in Remnant is that?"

"This? It's my newest toy! I call it a Vault Buster. As everybody knows, most vaults are actually made of concrete, and if you can cut through the layer of steel on the outside, then you basically just need to get through stone. So I figured, why not make something that'll just punch through everything? I mean, once I get through the steel and the concrete, all I need to do is blow off the part where the hinges are, and bam! We're in! See, the Vault Buster uses a-"

"Right, right. Hopelessly complicated mechanism. Got it. You have normal options in case that doesn't work, right?"

"Of course I do! What, do I look like I wouldn't have options? I'm making the new guy carry in the Dust torch too, so if we have to, we can cut our way in like normal. It'll just take me a good twenty minutes to get in instead of only five. Or we could try "

"Time we can buy you. You know we can. Well... Bruno can. I can shoot at them ineffectually. And shout a lot."

"Hush up you two. We're almost there. Everyone knows the basic plan? Ianthe will go around the back of the building and cut the security systems off the grid. Once she's done that, you'll go in through the front door. Bruno and Asher will take care of the guards and civilians, while Ianthe and our newest member will find the vault door and get to work opening it up. If everything goes smoothly, we should be in and out without the police ever showing up."

"Yeah, right. Like every other time we've done this." Asher's retort was dripping with sarcasm, and Ianthe giggled at the remark, clearly in agreement.

"Yes, well, we can only do what we can. And if the police show up, then we-"

"We ad-lib!" The entire grouped shouted back at the leader, clearly having received those words of wisdom one too many times.

"On the mark. Once you have the payroll, call me and I'll swing by with the van, assuming all went well. If not, then we'll go to plan B. It'll cost us a good amount, but I've secured the service of a dust plane pilot, if needed. He'll take you to a point outside the city, and we'll meet up from there."

"W-wait! Shouldn't we have, like... masks or something?"

The rest of the crew turned to stare at the new guy with barely hidden disgust, Slate even slamming onto the breaks to turn in his seat in outrage. The poor man sunk into his seat, suddenly realizing he'd probably just said something taboo, but that did nothing to stop Slate's angry tirade.

"Are you out of your mind!? What's the point of doing what we do if we don't become infamous!? And what's the point of being a criminal at all if nobody knows you did anything!? I will not stand for that! I will make sure my name goes down in history for performing the greatest of crimes! I will make sure ALL our names go down in history! This is MY dream! And in order to realize that dream, our crimes will be made with our faces in the open, so that the world will know of our skill!"

The older man turned back and kept on driving, while the three veteran members of the team went back to checking equipment, the newest merely gaped at all of them, clearly not believing what he'd just heard. Silence reigned, before the new guy turned to the others, keeping his voice low to avoid antagonizing their leader.

"Are all of you doing this just for the fame?"

"Of course not. I'm an ex-member of the White Fang, and Slate saved my life. I repay my debts, regardless of where that takes me. Ianthe just wants to get the thrill of cracking open a difficult safe, and testing out her new inventions. As for Asher... his reasons are personal. If he feels like telling you, he will."

"But... why would you bother doing it this way? Isn't it easier to get caught?"

"You'd think. But with all the stuff going on with the Schnee Dust Company, and the White Fang, and that Torch guy, barely anybody seems to care about a bunch of bank robbers nowadays."

Bruno had been the one to reply, always the quickest to look out for the new members. Still, the rest of the ride was uncomfortably tense, and it was a relief for everybody when the bank was spotted. The van pulled up beside the building, and Slate turned back to give one last command, the one each one of the criminals had waited for.

"Boys and Girls... let's go commit a crime."

The whole crew pulled on their black gloves, the universal symbol in the gang that it was time to work, as Ianthe stepped out, leaving her Vault Buster behind as she slipped behind the building. A few minutes passes before she slipped into view again, giving the thumbs up to the crew. They all piled out, hefting weapons, duffel bags and the equipment they would need. They all paused in front of the bank's double doors, Asher glancing among his fellows before plastering a grin on his face and "getting into character". He took that last step forward and burst into the bank with a kick, letting out a piercing whistle once inside as the others swept past.

"Good Afternoon, Third Street Branch! I'd like everyone to get down on the ground, place their hands behind their heads and please-" Asher swung his gun to face the clerks, that grin on his face widening as he nodded at them, "- don't hit any alarms. It would make my friend there very unhappy."

Bruno was already settling into his role, making a beeline for a guard that was already reaching for his walkie-talkie and chopping him in the throat, just hard enough to stun the poor man before dropping him to the floor. The communication device was tossed unceremoniously out a window, and Bruno continued like this, hunting through the building further in for any other guards there might be. The tellers were quick to back away from the counter and everyone inside the building slid to the ground, following instructions out of fear. Ianthe and the newcomer came behind the faunas criminal, lugging the heavier pieces of equipment behind them on their way to the vault as Asher continued in his role as the "face" of the crew.

"Don't worry folks, we're not too keen on killing. Just gonna take what we came for and walk away, and you'll all be able to get on with your days like nothing happened." Asher strolled among the citizens, eyes searching for any signs of aggression or heroism. Those were always the worst, always ended up getting themselves hurt, and never did much good. As he came up to one woman laying on the ground, he noticed an envelope lying on the ground, filled with lien. He paused a moment, then crouched down next to the terrified woman, smiling pleasantly. "Excuse me. I hate to ask, really, but um... is this money your's, or the banks?"

"I-I-I-It's m-m-mine..."

"Oh? Well then, keep it. We're only here for the banks."

"Fuck!" Ianthe's voice echoed from wherever she was working, her frustration clear in her voice.

"What's up, Ianthe!"

"The Vault Buster doesn't work!"

"Of course it doesn't... can you believe her, folks? I mean, who builds complicated contraptions for something a simple industrial grade dust torch can do? Am I right?"

Asher sighed in mock exasperation as he stood, Bruno bursting back into the room while leading a couple of guards by the neck and tossing them to the floor. He grunted something unintelligible, then joined Asher in his pacing, keeping an eye on the hostages. Asher, for his part, kept talking, rambling about anything and everything, trying to keep the tension down and the crowd as relaxed as he could. Well, as relaxed as you could be in a bank robbery. Minutes ticked by as he walked around, but he was interrupted halfway through his rant about the personal cleanliness required in criminals when the sudden sound of sirens pulling up to the bank was heard. Bruno slipped over to a nearby window and snarled before turning back to Asher.

"Cops are here." Bruno turned away to shout at their safe cracker. "Ianthe!"

"What?! I'm trying to work here!"

"Cops are here!"

"Oh... Well that's bad!"

"Yeah, I would say that was bad, Ianthe!" Bruno's temper flared, clearly unhappy with how things were going, but he stuck to his role, keeping an eye on the police officers outside. He mumbled a couple more unintelligible words before turning to Asher, looking resigned to his fate. "I'll call it in to the boss, you deal with the talking if the cops starts shouting at us."

"You got it. Hey, anyone got a shout out they want the cops to hear? No? Wow. Last group I asked wouldn't shut up. I'd have figured at least a few of you would have something, though. Oh well. Ianthe! How much time you need!"

"Another ten minutes?"

"Was that a question?"

"Definitely another ten minutes!"

"Send the new guy up here, you don't need him back there."

A five minutes ticked by as the cops set up their blockade and the new guy joined the two in the public area. The three positioned themselves by the windows, ready to deal with whatever the police through at them, but just as the five-minute mark passed, a man dressed in a black suit stepped out from behind a police car, megaphone held up to carry his voice. Bruno growled unconsciously, causing Asher to raise an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Schnee bodyguard." Was all the wolf-faunas provided, even as he slipped his personal weapon from its place in his pocket. The small, fang looking dagger, named Fenrir by its wielder, fit easily in the man's hand, and he started twirling it expertly, "warming up" as he called it. Asher had little time to observe his friend, however, as the bodyguard in question began speaking.

"This is a warning to the robbers inside. You are taking hostile action against the Schnee Dust Company. If you stop all actions and give yourselves up, we promise you'll be let off with an easy sentence."

"Can they do that?"

"Dunno, new guy, let's ask. Hey! Can you really do that?!"

The question seemed to throw the bodyguard off for a moment, before he settled into his role once again, bringing the megaphone back up to his mouth.

"Mr. Schnee has promised not to press any charges for the crime being committed today, but he cannot promise any of those committed in the past."

"Seems like they can do that. Although, you know, with all the stuff we've done... Hey! What if we say no!?"

"Then I'm afraid that we will be forced to bring the full extent of the law upon you, as well as bring you into custody using all the resources we have available."

"Well, that seems kinda extreme."

"Three minutes! I just need three more minutes! God this is so exciting!" Ianthe's voice cut through the air, practically a shrill squeal thanks to her growing enthusiasm. With the cop's arrival, her enjoyment of their situation had just skyrocketed, and demands always got her blood pumping.

"Could we get some time to think?! Like... five minutes?"

"... You have five minutes. No more. After that, we WILL be coming in after you."

The bodyguard thrust the megaphone into a cop's hands, even as another cop rushed up to him to begin pestering him about the danger to the hostages inside. The bodyguard ignored him, clearly unconcerned, even largely uncaring of the end fates of those inside. He had a larger issue with the events taking place and it didn't help that things were going this way. He needed to hurry. Waiting five minutes was a risk, but thankfully the guard had another plan in motion. There had been a pair of hunters nearby, and if they were lucky, they'd be able to convince the two to help...

Back inside the bank, the minutes ticked away in tense silence, the only sound coming from the back where Ianthe cut away at the vault door's locking mechanism. Just as the third minute ended, Ianthe let out a shout of joy, and the sound of a sealed door releasing could be heard. Asher immediately grabbed the newcomer and headed back towards Ianthe, patting the woman on the head as she packed up the massive torch and slipping past her into the vault. What he saw made his grin come back in full. The new guy next to him whistled in appreciation, clearly unused to seeing the amount of money stacked in front of him. Ianthe joined them a moment later, hands clapping with joy.

"Jackpot!"

"I'll say. Let's get this stuff bagged up and-"

"Hey, Asher. What's this thing?"

The new guy interrupted him before he could finish, but what Asher was directed to could only be described as priceless. There, sitting next to the stacked lien, was a perfectly rounded, clear gem, beautiful and sparkling, that seemed to glow unnaturally. Everyone stared at it in awe for a moment, before Asher shook himself from his shock and frowned slightly, suddenly suspicious. His eyes settled on an opened deposit box, and he examined it to find nothing really wrong with it.

"Why would something like this just... happen? Seems a little odd to me..."

"Who knows and who cares? Let's take the damn thing! We'll be rich!"

The newcomer scooped up the gem and shoved it into his duffel bag, then began shoveling stacks of lien into it from the pile. Ianthe and Asher shared a look before following suit, filling the duffel bags quickly. Once four were full to the brim, each of the criminals through their bag over their shoulder, Asher taking the fourth one to hand off to Bruno on the way out. Just as they exited the vault, prize in hand, they heard a gunshot go off, and Bruno voice cut through the air in warning.

"Hunters!"

Two windows suddenly exploded, and a pair of hunters, dressed in green and orange, rolled into the room, brothers by the looks of them. One pulled a pair of pistols from his belt, which expanded into a pair of smaller axes, the other drew a crossbow. Almost instantly, the hostages screamed in terror and curled away, fearful of the shards of glass and the sudden violence, but Bruno charged straight through, ignoring the small cuts in favor of reaching his prey, fedora sliding from his head in the sudden burst of movement and wolf ears laid back in feral aggression. Dagger met axes in a sudden and lightning fast exchange of blows. Soon, the two were darting around the room, their movements too quick for Asher to follow, and he didn't even bother trying. Instead, he slid the duffel bag from his shoulder and tossed it to the new guy, bringing his tommy gun up with the other and unloading at the second hunter. That one knew what they were doing, diving behind cover to avoid the hail of bullets, granting Asher enough time to issue some orders.

"Ianthe. Take the bags and get to the pick-up. Pilot should already be on his way, if he isn't already here!"

"Are you crazy? Those are hunter! What are you going to do against that? Leave this to Bruno!"

"I can't just leave him fighting two on one. Besides, I trained a little at Signal, you know that. Now go!"

As the pair took off to find a way up to the roof, Asher turned back to his opponent, unloading the rest of the clip in his general direction before throwing himself to the side as the hunter returned fire, a red glowing something zipping by his head and exploding in a shower of rubble behind him. Asher was shocked for a second, before his role hit him again and he started turned back to the hunter in a mixture of fake and real anger.

"I thought I was supposed to be the bad guy? What happened to protecting the citizens?"

"Who cares about them! I'm getting payed to catch you, not protect them!"

The hunter fired off another shot, forcing Asher to throw himself over the teller's counter before said counter exploded around him, leaving him without cover again. Fear hit him hard, he wasn't used to dealing with hunters on his own, before he managed to get himself in motion again and throw himself haphazardly over a desk, dragging a screaming bank teller with him as another crossbow bolt missed the poor woman by inches. The young criminal glanced at Bruno and his fight, and saw the two exchanging blow after blow, but it didn't look like he'd be getting any help from there.

"Why'd I think this was such a good idea?" He muttered to himself, before finally fishing another clip from where'd he'd shoved a few spares and slapping it in before standing up to unload another spray of bullets in his enemy's direction. The hunter wasn't there, however, and Asher blinked before he sensed something from the side and snap his head backwards, a bolt passing in front of his eyes almost before he could register it. He caught something else in the split second before the bolt exploded, a cop rushing in to get the hostages to safety. The bolt struck him square in the chest before detonating, almost instantly vaporizing the poor man. Asher gaped in shock, before he turned his head towards the crossbow wielding hunter and found him to be a bit closer than before. Deciding a ranged fight was going to end badly and just cause more harm to the hostages still scattered across the floor, Asher charged forward as the man reloaded, throwing his body into the surprised hunter and sending them both tumbling to the ground, weapons sent skittering across the floor. Asher only got one straight jab to the hunter's face before he found his arm suddenly grabbed and his face meeting the floor. His only real thought was that his strategy could have gone better, but at least the hostages were safe. Well... safer.

"ASHER!"

"No you don't, you faunas bastard!"

Bruno tried to disengage to help out his teammate, but his opponent refused to let him go, and Bruno could only throw himself harder into his fight, hoping to find an opening and end it quickly. Both were excellent close combat fighters however, and Bruno could only watch helplessly as Asher, a dropout of combat school and only trained by Bruno to deal with the common thug or cop, was swiftly subdued. By then, however, the police had stormed the place, screaming about rights and legal custody, and the sudden activity threw off his opponent for a second, leaving himself open. Bruno took it without hesitation, charging forward and driving his shoulder into the man's stomach before twisting his body around, bring his dagger up to jab into the man's throat, sending blood everywhere as his heart did the rest of Bruno's bloody work for him. He spun to try to reach Asher, but cops were already identifying him as a threat and surrounding him, guns drawn. His growled in rage before snapping a kick into a cop's face and shattering bone, determined to free his friend, before Asher's voice cut through the chaos.

"Bruno! Get out! Tell the boss! He'll know what to do! Tell the bo-"

"Shut up you damn kid!"

The wolf faunas snarled again as his sensitive ears picked out the sound of a painful sounding punch, but he did as instructed, cutting his way through a few more cops before diving out another window, glass shattering around him. He rolled to his feet as he reached the other side, and gunfire began to bite at his heels as he took off into the streets, ears trying to pick out the sounds of a dust plane. Mere moments later, he heard it, coming in low and fast, and he glanced up to see the thing fly down along the street, side door opened and Ianthe reaching down to offer a helping hand. He threw himself upwards as hard as he could, forcing his aura to reinforce the movement, and he managed to grab hold of his teammate's hand and get help hauling himself onto the dust plane.

"Where's Asher?"

"They cuffed him!"

"Damnit! Hey! Get us out of here!"

The dust plane's engines fired up fully, sending the plane hurtling into the air, leaving the cops, the hunters, and Asher behind. Bruno, stared out at the building as long as he could before Ianthe closed up the door, the woman sliding to the floor, her body shaking slightly as she fidgeted uncomfortably. Bruno watched silently for a moment, before he went over and sat down next to her, sliding a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"You alright?"

"No! I'm not alright! You know what we lost back there!? Do you?!"

"I know, Asher was my friend to-"

"Fuck Asher! We left my design back there! The Vault Buster! You know how long that took to build!?"

Bruno stared at her in shock, before a low growl escaped his throat and his eyes narrowed. One of their friends was in custody and she was worried about a damned toy? He felt his hand tighten on Fenrir, dangerous thoughts of the dagger and her throat passing through his mind, before he noticed that Ianthe's eyes were threatening tears, and her chest was rising and falling shakily at best. He took a deep breath and released the tension, before pulling her tighter to his body, patting her arm gently.

"Don't worry. We'll get him back. We'll break him out of prison if we have to. Not like we haven't done it before."

"Heh... that's something... why's he always got to be playing the hero..." Ianthe laughed weakly, and suddenly she broke down, shoulder's rocking with her sobs. With everything they'd done, Asher would normally be fine, but if the Schnee's got their hands on him... Bruno kept his arm around her, trying to come up with something to say, but could do nothing but give a lame reply.

"I'm sure he'll be fine."

Bruno closed his eyes, trying to relax as much as possible, all the while imprinting everything he could about the crossbow bearing hunter into his thoughts. He would remember that one. And if anything happened to Asher, the wolf-faunas would go hunting. Because no one, absolutely no one, hurt members of his small family and got away with it. Not without having a wolf bite back.

The two crew mates, distracted as they were, failed to notice the newest member digging through a duffel bag and extracting the glowing gemstone. The man marveled at it a moment before glancing around and sliding it into a pocket. With everything that had happened, no one would miss it, right?