"I'm sorry. I must have miss-heard you. You want me to do what exactly, again?"

Asher stood opposite Professor Ozpin the day after the ball, confused and rather unsure about what he'd just heard. The man couldn't be serious. There was no way he was getting asked to do what he thought he was getting asked to do. They'd have to be crazy to even try it. The train job with only two people had been bad enough, but...

"I assure you, Mr. Mercury, you heard me correctly. I need you to steal a prototype dust engine, and its related documents, from a research facility located at the edge of the city."

"You realize I've never stolen from a company before, right? I'm a BANK robber. I rob banks. Occasionally trains and even a jewelry store or two on the side. I don't know the first thing about stealing from a company."

"I am well aware. However, Mr. Schnee won't provide us with the information we need unless we do this little job for him."

Asher sat down in a nearby chair, letting out an involuntary sigh. This was fantastic. He'd get to pull a job he'd never wanted, working for the man he'd stolen from, all to please another man he wish he wasn't working for. Asher rubbed at his eyes, working through the problem in his head in a vain hope that he'd find some way out of it. Eventually, he shook his head and leaned forward, ready to at least take a look at the job before deciding if it was altogether impossible. It wasn't like he had much choice in the matter anyway.

"Alright, what have we got?"

"Everything I've been provided is inside this folder."

Asher took the folder and opened it up, extracting documents from inside and glancing through them, looking for anything that would be useful. Only four guards on duty at any one time, nothing more than glorified mall-cops really. Relied mainly on cameras and alarms alerting the police. Not a system he'd normally be able to get past, but with the phone Bruno had slipped him, he should be able to make a call and get some help with that. Might even be able to get them to attract the attention of the police, earn him a few extra minutes. The only issue now would be how heavy this engine was...

"You have got to be joking."

"Hm?"

"How the hell am I supposed to move this engine? I figured I'd need a truck to get it across town, but how am I going to get it into the truck from wherever they have it stored? It's the size of our lockers and probably weighs twice if not three times the amount."

"I see your dilemma. Unfortunately, I can't help you. Also, Mr. Schnee has seen fit to demand an observer be present during the operation."

"... What does that mean?"

"It seems, Mr. Mercury, that you'll have a new chaperone for this newest theft, at Mr. Schnee's request."

"So, what? Some government flunky?"

"Weiss Schnee."

"... Oh..."

"Oh indeed."

The room descended into silence, both occupants thinking entirely separate things. Despite his teacher's preference for winging it, Slate had at least been good about planning out the basic frameworks of his jobs. Asher had been taught the same skill, perhaps to a somewhat lesser degree, but it was with this acquired skill that he found a plan slowly form in his head. If he could get Weiss to help him out instead of just observe, then maybe...

"That... might actually work out."

"Mr. Mercury?"

"Sorry, Professor. Gotta go. Things to do and all that. I'll let you know when I'm ready to do this thing."

Asher was out the door before Professor Ozpin could get another work in, but the older man just smiled gently and took another sip of hot cocoa.

Asher had spent the entirety of the next hour hunting down Blake, filling her in on the details and learning that she could and would help him out. That got her out of the way. The security in the research center could likewise be bypassed, but he would need some help from some old friends, something he hoped he could get now that he had a connection to the outside world. Upon arriving at his private room, he quickly closed the door and pulled open a drawer, digging through various random articled before extracting the small, handheld scroll he'd received the night before. A quick check revealed it to be fully functioning, if only capable of text messages, and Asher quickly tapped out a test, eager to find out if it was possible to get what he needed.

Boss. Got a new job. Need Help/Toys.

A few minutes went by as Asher waited impatiently, part of him wondering if someone was even waiting on the other end. A reply came quickly enough however, and Asher was quick to open up the message, eager to receive word.

Explain.

Asher quickly tossed over a few messages worth of information, summing up as best he could what was being asked of him., as well as the general framework of his plan. Once he was done, another reply was slow in coming, Slate likely needing time to think over and process what he'd been told. Soon enough, however, another message came across, one that made the younger criminal sigh in relief.

Toys can be readied and dropped when/where needed.

Thanks Boss. Think you can do something about the cops?

Depends. What do you want done?

Boss? Thought you'd know what to do.

I do have a few ideas. But this is your job, not mine. Your plan. You have to come up with the solution.

Asher frowned in frustration. Another one of the boss' tests. Asher understood the importance, Slate wouldn't be around forever. But this was hardly the time to be making him think of these things on his own. Still, Asher didn't have much choice, once Slate made up his mind, he was difficult to convince otherwise. Reminded him of a certain Professor, actually. He started pacing in his room, mind forming and then discarding idea after idea over how he might keep the cops off himself and his accomplices. Asher's pacing kept on for nearly a half-hour, with little progress made as the criminal continued to examine the issue in his mind, when an authoritative knocking sounded from his door.

"Door's open."

Asher turned to face his unwanted guest and immediately withered. Weiss Schnee, heir to the Schnee Company and his would-be-observer, strode in, glancing around unhappily before fixing her gaze on the other occupant of the room. An uncomfortable silence filled the air for a heartbeat, and then Asher cleared his throat loudly and attempted to break the ice.

"Ah... Weiss... I mean, Ms. Schnee. What can I do for you?"

A flicker of annoyance passed across Weiss' face, but it disappeared as years of training kicked in and she quickly wiped away any outward sign of emotion.

"I assume you've been informed of my presence during your... job."

"Ah. Yeah, sure have."

"I see. Then I would like it to be known that I am participating only as an observer, and nothing more."

"Oh... problem."

Weiss only crooked an eyebrow at him in question, and Asher wasted no time in continuing to explain.

"What I need to get at is... heavy. Very heavy. Too heavy to be lifted or dragged, at least not without considerable amounts of manpower or specialized equipment."

"And my only being an observer is a problem how?"

"Well, I was kinda hoping, instead of manpower or machines, we could... uh... use your semblance?"

Weiss' calm exterior held for a few seconds, long enough for Asher to prepare himself for the coming explosion, before the young heiress lost her composure, face twisting into a mask of rage. Within a few steps, the smaller woman was in Asher's face, somehow making him feel smaller than her through sheer force of will alone.

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I'D HELP WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS!? I am a SCHNEE! We are not common criminals! We do not steal!"

"Can I just-"

"I will remain as nothing more than an observer! I refuse to have any further part in all this! It's bad enough father demands that of me, not to mention getting dragged to those meaningless Criminal Theory classes by Ruby!"

"I didn't mean-"

"Regardless, I could put up with just watching a crime. But participating actively is out of the question!"

Weiss charged from the room, nearly tearing the door off its hinges as she went. Asher stared after her, briefly contemplating whether he should go after her and try to convince her somehow, before he sighed and collapsed onto his bed. This... was not going as planned. He'd have to find another way, and quick. Otherwise things were going to go very badly, very soon.

The next day was spent digging through every scrap of information Asher had, searching for something he could use, anything, that would show him a way to get things done. Unfortunately, everything bit of information he had pointed to the fact that he'd need equipment that was far too obvious to use without getting noticed by somebody. It didn't help matters that the engine was inside a building, and the equipment he would need wasn't any lighter than the thing he was trying to steal. To put things simply, Asher had not other options but to somehow win Weiss over to the cause. Which was to say, he had no plan at all anymore.

Fed up with trying to puzzle his way through everything, Asher eventually exited his room and headed for the cafeteria, where, by some miracle of the headmaster, food was still being provided, albeit at much smaller amounts. Food was quickly acquired upon his arrival, and he just as quickly found his way to his usual table, only sparing a glance at the few other students that still remained at the school alongside him. Still, only a few minutes into his meal, and someone else graced his presence, setting their own food down and seating themselves with barely a sound.

"Nice of you to join me, Blake."

"Hm."

The girl ate in silence, continuing to read her book in between bites, and both went about their business without much discussion. Still, Asher couldn't help but notice the occasional glance Blake was giving him, clearly she expected something from him. He tried thinking through everything so far, but found nothing that might interest his counterpart, or cause her to actively seek him out, so eventually he gave up and decided to go for the direct approach.

"Did you need something?"

Blake silently closed her book, even as the words left the man's mouth, before she fixed her amber gaze on him.

"How did things go with Weiss?"

"She didn't tell you?"

"As close as we are, I'm still not someone she necessarily confides in. I can guess how it went, considering her mood yesterday, but I want to hear it from you."

"... Less than stellar. She clearly doesn't want to help us out at all."

"I see. Do we have another plan?"

"No. Not unless you know any other way to move a dust engine around without heavy equipment that isn't exactly common at research labs."

"So you're saying we need Weiss to help us, or we don't have any chance at all."

"Well..." Asher frowned, getting a nasty taste in his mouth just considering the possibility, but it was something they could do... "We could just go the violent and loud route, but... I don't think anyone wants to do that, including me. I don't want to suddenly become public enemy number one."

"I agree..."

Blake paused, eyeing Asher a few moments more before picking up her book again and opening it back up again. Asher raised an eyebrow in question, then stood, assuming that meant their conversation was done. Unbeknownst to him, however, Blake watched him as he left, his face screwed up in one of frustration and annoyance. The black-haired girl smirked, then told herself that what she was going to do next was simply because she'd agreed to help him already, and this was a part of that. It certainly had nothing to do with how much fun he'd seemed to have during the train robbery, and how much she'd envied him that almost carefree, cavalier attitude. Regardless, if they needed Weiss' help with this next theft, she'd do what she could to get it. It was the least she could do, after all.

Asher was in his room again the next day, pouring over the documents and plans in another futile effort to come up with something he could use. As with every other attempt, the young robber eventually pushed the papers away in disgust, fed up with even trying. It was pointless to even think he could come up with another plan. He wasn't Slate, damn it all. Just as Asher was resolved to resign himself to actually having to be violent, however, a knock was heard at his door. He strode over to it lamely, figuring if whoever had bothered to come to his little section of paradise, they could wait another minute or two for him to come open the door. When he did get around to it, he found himself completely surprised, finding not only Blake but a very unhappy looking Weiss. Asher stared at the pair for a moment before Blake gently pushed him aside and led the way into the room, Weiss following along in an uncharacteristically calm manner. The man got over his initial shock quickly, closing the door as he turned towards the girls, Blake looking around with mild interest while Weiss steadfastly avoided his gaze.

"Wha... What's going on exactly?"

"Weiss has agreed to help."

"Really?"

"WAIT!" The icy girl was quick to cut in, clearly not wanting any misunderstandings about her so called "help". "I'm only helping because Blake assures me you want to avoid hurting people unnecessarily. AND I refuse to have anything to do with the theft, other than moving this engine of your's. AND once this is all over and behind us, you owe me! If you're willing to agree to those terms, then I'll help."

"Uh... sure. Ok."

"Hmph."

"Owe you what?"

"I... will think of something."

"Oh... ok."

Weiss turned away to glare at nothing again, while Blake watched the brief exchange before turning back to investigating the room. Her eyes eventually fell upon the single desk, or rather, the mask that now took up residence on its surface. Blake picked up the object, inspecting it with little interest before turning to Asher, holding it up with a look of curiosity crossing her face.

"You kept this?"

"Hm? Oh, that. Yeah. I figured I might still need it. Turns out I was right. You still got your's?"

"Yes. I assume we'll be using them again?"

"Don't see why not. If we do get caught on camera or something, we wouldn't want to get discovered for who we actually are. Need to get one of Weiss now too, I guess."

Weiss frowned at the mention of a mask, her own gaze settling on the one Blake was holding, and within seconds her mind made the connection between the mask and the supposed murderers aboard the train a few months ago. The only reason she even remembered the incident was because of the Schnee Security members who had supposedly stepped in to fend off the killers. She'd been forced by her father to attend an award ceremony, celebrating them for their acts of "bravery" and "selflessness". To her, it had seemed more like they were all bloodthirsty scum, but as always, she had just kept her mouth shut and smiled a lot. Still, the masks here must mean...

"AH! You two are the train murderers!"

The pair of would be murderers glanced at each other, and then Asher sighed before jabbing a finger at Blake, looking slightly annoyed the whole time.

"Do you really think she's capable of killing anyone? I swear, she almost got us both killed trying to save the day, although from what I've seen over the last few months, she might have actually pulled it off. Be grateful you have such a good friend. And that apparently your Schnee Security isn't as good as they're made out to be."

Blake blinked in surprise, a faint blush at the compliment appearing on her face, which both other occupants of the room failed to notice, Asher gathering up the papers spread across the floor while Weiss stuttered uselessly, trying to come up with an appropriate response and failing fantastically. It wasn't every day someone called out your family as being the one's trying to murder one of your friends. The black-haired girl quickly reigned in her emotions, wiping the hint of embarrassment she'd felt from her face, before stepping up and directing the conversation towards the task at hand. Namely, dealing with the plan for this engine.

"We can discuss that later. For now, can I assume with Weiss on board you have a usable plan?"

"Of course. According to these documents, the company relies mostly on police response for their security. What few private guards they do have are small in number and rather pathetic. Glorified mall cops, really. I can take care of those easily myself. Everything else is reliant on a little recon we need to do beforehand. Well, somebody has to do, I doubt it will be me. Regardless, the only major thing left is a distraction of some sort."

"A distraction?"

"Mm. To draw the cops attention. If they have something more important to deal with, something big, then they can't respond to whatever alarms go off while we're doing our little theft. I'd like to think we can make it through the whole thing without the need for it, but..."

"So, what's the distraction then?"

"No idea. I can't seem to think of anything that would really draw that much attention..." Asher huffed in annoyance, beginning to pace back and forth across the room, the two girl's following his movements as he thought. The distraction wasn't absolutely necessary, but it would make things a lot easier on everybody. And the less attention on what he was doing, the better. Still, if he couldn't come up with something, then they'd still be able to go through with the-

"Wouldn't something like a White Fang attack draw attention?"

Weiss had been silent the whole time, but her mind had easily kept up with the conversation(or at least, the parts she understood), and before she could really stop herself, the suggestion had come tumbling out. She almost immediately regretted it, Blake's past history with the organization still made the subject a particularly touchy one between the two, and Blake's suddenly nervous glances at Asher seemed to suggest the criminal had no idea who she had been. For his part, however, Asher didn't seem to notice the change in the two, instead halting mid-step. He mumbled somethings to himself for a moment more, then suddenly turned his gaze on Weiss, a crazed grin slowly creeping its way onto his face.

"Weiss, if I wasn't sure you'd stab me, I'd kiss you right now."

The heiress merely sputtered in response once again at a loss for words, her friend frowning slightly at the thought, even as the criminal darted from the room, headed once again for Ozpin's office. He sent a quick message out as he ran, and just as promptly received a favorable reply from the receiver. They had a plan now. This theft could actually work. Now he just had to hope the headmaster would be up for it.

Three days later, just as night began to fall, a simple moving truck slowed to a stop a few blocks away from the target the occupants had in mind. The passenger side door popped open and out dropped a young man, grey eyes glancing around even as he pulled his heavy winter jacket closer around his body with gloved hands. The mid-winter weather had driven many people off the streets and into their homes, and that suited Asher just fine., at least in regards to the job. His own clothing was once again nothing like what he'd normally wear while pulling a job, but he wasn't complaining now, the chill air biting against his face. Anything he had to wear to stay warm he did. The criminal almost wished he could have postponed the job, but everything was set and ready to go, and the weather waited for no one. Least of all a miserable little thief.

"Remnant, I hate the cold."

"It's a good thing you'll never be invited to my home, then. It's always cold there."

"Thank whatever gods exist for silver linings."

Weiss slipped from the truck and into the snow, wrapped securely within a thick, white winter jacket. The only other addition to her normal clothing was the gloves that adorned her hands, otherwise, the young woman seemed unaffected by the chilly atmosphere. Asher offered the woman a grimace of distaste before turning back to the last of their little band. Blake remained behind the wheel of the truck, having been volunteered to be their driver for the day. She also wore thick winter clothing, but unlike her two comrades, had her's unbuttoned and open, thanks to the heater in the vehicle. She flashed a knowing smirk at Asher's clear discomfort, which the man chose to ignore in favor of other activities.

"You remember the plan?"

"Yes."

"Mind repeating it back to me?"

"Once I see the signal, wait five minutes then drive around to the back of the building where the materials loading dock is. Then I wait for you there. If anything goes wrong, I'm to leave you two behind and get to safety."

"Good. Looks like you got it... you know, I never asked you how you got little miss icy over there to help us out."

"Let's just say I owe her a favor or two on top of your own."

"Ah... well, see you in a bit, Death Stalker."

Blake picked up the mask that rested in her lap and waved it at him as Asher dragged a small bag from the passenger side out and slung it onto his back. The strap of the bag tapped against the new weight pressed against his left side, and Asher found himself grimacing again. What was hidden under his jacket was certainly going to take some getting used to. He closed the passenger side door, then started trudging dejectedly through the snow, headed for an alleyway just off the main road. Weiss followed along behind, keeping quiet and to herself in a form of defiance over what they were about to do. Eventually, Asher led the way into the alleyway, pausing to search behind a dumpster and extract a duffel-bag hidden in the small space. Weiss found her curiosity piqued and she trudged forward to discover what looked like explosives and electrical equipment.

"What are those for?"

"Hm? Oh. Just toys a friend of mine cooked up. She's good at that sort of thing... sometimes. This thing here will scramble electronic locks if we find any. This other one is for the cameras. The explosives are for any safes or manual locks. We're not trying to be subtle on this one, after all. I'll handle all that though. Like I promised. All you need to do is help me get the engine out. While we're here though..."

Asher removed the bag from his back and unzipped it, pulling a few items from inside. The first was his own mask, that of the King Taijitu. He tossed that to the side for the moment, instead extracting another mask and a small taser, passing both to Weiss, who stared at him in disbelief.

"It's how we do things. The mask will protect your identity. From here until we're done, you're not Weiss. You're... what's that one?"

"A Nevermore. Did you learn nothing at all these past few months?"

"Didn't learn that. You're Nevermore. I'm King Taijitu. Our other compatriot is Death Stalker."

"I am not being referred to as a Grimm."

"Whatever suits you. But I don't think anyone would like to find out you're stealing things alongside a convicted felon, now would they?"

"... And the taser? I thought you said I wouldn't need to hurt anyone?"

"You shouldn't. But it never hurts to have it, just in case. Besides, it won't really hurt them. Just... jolt them a little."

Asher discarded the bag in the dumpster, then hefted the duffel onto his back and retrieved his mask, which was held in his hand. Then he began the march through the snow again, muttering curses at no one, Weiss following along behind once again. Ten minutes later and they were at their destination, Asher prying open a nearby box and examining a few wires before digging through the duffel bag and pulling out one of the electrical devices. He strapped it to the side of the thing, then tapped a button on it and waited for the confirming beep. Good. That was in place. Now all they needed to do was wait for the signal to go, and everything would be in place. Asher settled in to wait, Weiss doing likewise, even as they both stared up at the night sky.

The rest lay with another group of criminals doing their job.