I skulked through the dirty streets of the slums as I looked for the meeting point my client had specified, "Warehouse C13…Warehouse C13…" I muttered to myself as I looked around, keeping an eye out for any shady individuals. Like myself for instance.

The area I was currently in was one of the more dangerous parts of the city due to the lack of police presence, broken windows dotted the various abandoned buildings and doors hung off their hinges from where they had been broken into and not repaired. It was the kind of place where you kept your eyes forward and minded your own business if you knew what was good for you, as evidenced by the lack of gazes turning my way as I passed by the various alleys filled with loitering people.

Given my nature as a thief, I rarely ventured into this part of the city simply for a lack of valuable things to steal. That, and the fact that I hated fighting and a fight was surely to break out should I have been caught lurking where I shouldn't be.

Hopefully the meeting with my mysterious client wouldn't take too long, I didn't want to be here any longer than I had to.

Luckily, the row of warehouses was thankfully abandoned, now I just needed to find the right one. I looked at the numbers on the warehouses, searching for the one my client had specified.

A4… A12… B7…C3...C10…

There, at the end of row C, in big white letters on the side of the building itself, C13. That was the meeting spot. Now to get inside

I decided against trying to enter through the front door, instead going around to the side of the building to look for an alternate entrance.

I looked down the alley and spied a large stack of milk crates leading up to a window, perfect.

I climbed up the crates, carefully balancing myself as they wobbled underneath me, "Careful…" I muttered as I slowly made my way higher and higher, the crates becoming more precarious as I went. It would be just my luck to make it this far and then undo all my progress with a single misstep.

Luckily, it only took a few moments for me to reach my quarry, a window looking into the interior of the warehouse. There was a thick pane of glass blocking me from the inside, one I couldn't break without making a ton of noise. Thankfully, I could already tell I wouldn't need to break it.

I retrieved my knife, placing the thin edge between the pane of glass and the rubber holding it in place. With a few twists of my wrist the entire pane popped out of the rubber housing. I made sure to keep a good grip on it with my claws as I pulled it free, lest it fall to the alley floor and render all of my sneaking useless.

I carefully placed the pane on the crate beside my foot, before crawling into the now open window, falling into the dark interior of the building.

I landed inside, even my feather-light footsteps echoing in the empty warehouse. I loved my gaze back and forth, eyes rendering the surrounding darkness impotent as my heritage lit up the area via night vision.

That still didn't stop me from nearly jumping out of my boots at the sound of a voice suddenly calling out to me.

"Good evening Miss."

I startled, hand coming to my side to retrieve Trick from his holster just in case. It was unneeded however, for as soon as I saw the clothing and demeanor of the person walking in, I knew this person was there to meet me specifically.

He was very tall, clearing six feet easily. He was an older man, not a single non grey hair to be seen on either his head or in his well groomed beard. He was wearing a well-fitted dark blue suit with white gloves on either hand, in one of which he held a beautiful cane topped by a dark purple gem that gleamed in the moonlight drifting through the windows of the warehouse.

He also looked remarkably like a Schnee. He had their pale, almost porcelain skin, as well as their icy white hair and brilliant blue eyes. If the Schnee family tree wasn't public record, I could easily mistake him for one of their own.

He was flanked by two bodyguards, a man and a woman. The bald man was massive, nearly seven feet tall and all muscle, his face was sat in a stony expression as he flanked his employer. A standard warhammer sat on his back, while a large revolver was strapped to his thigh much like Trick was to mine.

The woman was much shorter around my own height at five foot seven or so, she was wearing an oni mask that obscured her face, and a shock of silver hair hung in a high ponytail behind her head. Slung across her back was a pole that was clearly mechashift, though I had no inkling as to what kind of weapon it actually was.

The both of them were wearing suits that wouldn't look out of place in a corporate meeting, and yet I could tell at just a glance that their attire wouldn't stop them from beating me up and down the warehouse floors if it came to it.

The guards stopped several feet back as the man I assumed to be my client stride forward, his cane tapping lightly on the ground with every step. He stopped two feet or so in front of me and I resisted the urge to gulp as his icy blue gaze pierced me.

"You must be the thief I hired." His voice had a deep timbre as he spoke, "I am Gerald Grull, a pleasure to make your acquaintance madam." He bowed formally, and I was reminded of those old movies with the royal aristocracy. This man practically oozed regal decorum.

I hesitated, wondering if I should reveal my real name, before deciding that it probably didn't matter as Gerard hadn't hired me under a pseudonym, "Rei Lynx, it's nice to meet you." I didn't even attempt to replicate his bow, no reason to embarrass myself.

He grinned, "A pleasure, Miss Lynx." He then rose from his bow, tapping his cane on the ground once in a soft, yet deliberate, motion, "Now, I assume since you are here, you have the item I requested?"

Straight to business, I liked that. I nodded at his question, "Yes sir, I have it right here." I reached my hands into my satchel, producing the small white container and holding it out for him to take. He did so slowly, reverently gazing at the container like it contained all of the secrets in the universe.

He slowly unlatched the latches on the sides, before gently raising the lid. The moment the lid was opened, the same feeling as before sung out inside of me, and I had to hold myself back from gasping.

Gerard did no such thing, gasping in awe as the blue glow of the dust vial lit up his features. He stared into the container, before reaching in and retrieving the vial, bathing the surrounding warehouse a soft blue.

"Incredible…" He muttered, enraptured by the glow.

He snapped a finger towards his guards, "Pay the lady for her services." He spoke to the woman behind him. She immediately reached into her pocket and retrieved a scroll, tapping on it rapidly before placing it back where it came from, resuming her silent vigil.

My own scroll buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it, powering it on curiously. I nearly dropped it in shock at what I saw.

Vale Banking App

Account number: 4483***********

Received: 250,000 lien

From Account Number: 8060**********

"There should be a nice little bonus in there for your marvelous work." Gerard's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I placed my scroll away.

"T-thank you sir." I stuttered as I took in the sudden improvement in my financial situation. Already my mind was whirling with all that I could do -could fix- with the money now accessible to me. Junior's thugs seemed like such a small problem now…

Gerard didn't acknowledge my thanks, simply holding the vial up to his face as he studied it intently. There was a soft look on his features, as if he was gazing at something he held very dear to him, mouth twisted in a melancholic smile.

"Remarkable isn't it?" He spoke wistfully, staring at the glowing vial. I had a feeling he wasn't talking to me so I kept my mouth shut, "How such wonder is held in such a small container? Truly incredible, almost…magical."

Something he said stuck me, and I just couldn't keep quiet, "I-is that why it felt so…weird when I grabbed it?" I asked against my better judgment. He glanced over at me in surprise.

"You felt something from the vial?" He asked and I nodded. He hummed, giving me a look I couldn't quite place, "Would you kindly explain to me what exactly you felt?"

I figured there was no harm in it, "It was like something in the vial was singing to me, like my very soul was yearning for…something inside of it. It's hard to explain."

He stroked his beard softly, "So you could feel her essence inside the dust. Curious, the only way that would be possible would be…" He trailed off, blue eyes studying me, inscrutable.

"So wait, the singing I felt had something to do with what they put in the dust?" I asked, confusion in my voice.

He chuckled, placing the vial softly back into its container. I felt a pang of disappointment as it disappeared from view, "I'm afraid you wouldn't understand, child. Though that is certainly no fault of your own. Forces conspire against you to keep you in ignorance, believing it to be for your betterment."

I could tell he wasn't going to elaborate so I just nodded.

He shook his head, "Yes well, regardless you did a swell job. A bit noisier than I would have liked but I imagine my first option would have been just as noisy if not more."

I perked up, "Oh that reminds me, who recommended me to you? I was trying to keep a low profile, I didn't know anybody even knew who I was."

He stroked his beard, "Funnily enough, my first option for this heist recommended you, a rather charming young man by the name of Roman Torchwick. When I approached him to hire him for this little caper, he said he was busy with an ongoing contract and recommended me to you instead."

I was stunned. Roman Torchwick was one of the best thieves this side of Mistral, to hear he not only knew of me but recommended me in his place was stunning to hear.

Gerard hummed, "Yes, he referred to you as a 'resident up-and-comer', if I recall correctly. It is good to see he wasn't exaggerating."

"Wow…" I whispered.

He chuckled at my awe, "Yes well, I'm quite glad he recommended you, you did a stupendous job. In fact, after such a job well done, I have an offer for you."

His gaze turned serious and he snapped his fingers once more. This time the large man strode forward to his side, grabbing the container out of Gerard's hands before returning back to his place beside the woman.

"You see Miss Lynx, this vial isn't the only of its kind, simply the easiest to obtain." Gerard explained, placing both hands on his cane in front of him, "There are three others by my calculations, one in each Kingdom. I have taken a vested interest in these experimental dust vials, and would like nothing more than to obtain them all. That is where you come in."

Gerard stared into my eyes, "I would like to hire you to steal the other vials for me. It will be a difficult endeavor, but one I am sure you are more than equipped for if your performance tonight is any indication."

He laid out his terms plainly, "I am willing to offer you one hundred thousand lien per month to keep you on retainer to steal the other vials across Remnant, as well as other jobs that may require your specific skill set. Depending on how difficult the job is or how swiftly and quietly it is done, other rewards may come into play. You will find that in my employ, money is of no consequence."

I was stunned speechless. With that much lien…I wouldn't ever have to worry about money ever again!

And yet, something told me that stealing the other vials wouldn't be nearly as simple as the first had. The others would likely be held under much stronger security after I had stolen this one. Planning the heists would take days at a time, and if any of the heists fell through…

And that wasn't even mentioning these, 'other jobs' he was referring to. Who knows what kind of danger I could find myself in. I was still a small-time thief, not a master heist maker, this was a huge step up.

I would need to sleep on it, revisit the offer with a clear head.

I looked back to Gerard who patiently awaited my answer, "Could I have some time to think about it? T-this is a big commitment."

Gerard smiled softly, "I understand Miss Lynx, take all the time you need." He motioned to the woman behind him, who once again pulled out her scroll and started typing.

My scroll buzzed again and I pulled it out. I blinked in surprise as I saw a message saying a new contact had been added. I didn't even know you could do that…

"My contact information." Gerard explained, "Let me know when you have considered my offer. I will be pleased to hear from you no matter your answer."

Gerard gave me another bow, before straightening and turning to exit the warehouse, "Farewell Miss Lynx. I hope we meet again."

I stared after him as he and his bodyguards as they exited, before deciding I might as well make my own escape.

I left the warehouse through the same window I came in through. As I got into the alley, I shot my grapple upwards and zipped to the roof of the nearby apartments, before beginning to make my way back to my home/workplace across the rooftops.

It took around an hour to get to the bakery, and I slipped into the loft through the unlocked window, turning on the small lamp on my bedside table as I began disrobing.

I shucked off my gear, placing my various gadgets onto the table beside Trick. I slipped off my dark blue jacket and shirt, throwing them into the basket by the door along with my pants, before making my way into the bathroom.

I briefly inspected myself in the mirror, taking in my weary appearance. All things considered, the day had gone great. The heist had gone off without much of a hitch, I had met my extremely rich client, and had even gotten a little bonus on top of what was promised.

I tested my aura levels, my blue eyes briefly flashing white as I activated my semblance, before going back to normal as no other semblance was around to be stolen. My aura reserves were nearly full, good. I nodded at myself in the mirror before turning to start a shower, ready to unwind.

I turned on the shower, testing the water's temperature with my hand before stepping under the showerhead, sighing as my tense muscles slowly unwound under the steamy water.

As I languished under the warm spray of the shower, my mind wandered to Gerard's offer. One hundred thousand lien just to be employed by him, along with bonuses for how well I did on the jobs he sent me on... A life changing amount of money ready to be paid over and over as I did either nothing at all, or did what I did best.

It was an incredible opportunity, one that would likely never come again if declined , so why was I hesitating?

I knew why, accepting his offer would turn my little side profession into a full time gig, something I wasn't sure I was prepared for. It would likely leave little time for my job at the bakery as I stayed on call for whenever Gerard needed me. That less time to bake, less hours open, less Ruby…

The red clad girl had been a wonderful constant in my life for years, and I had grown incredibly fond of her in that time, to the point that I knew that my feelings had become far from platonic. Losing that constant was something I would really rather not do, not before I had a chance to see if our relationship could evolve at least…

I would have to think on it more, maybe ask Gerard for some specifics. Maybe I would be able to accept his proposal while still keeping the lifestyle I had come to love.

As I dried myself, slipping into a T-shirt and panties, I couldn't help but wonder why Gerard had chosen me instead of finding another, better thief. All of my other excursions had amounted to petty theft and jewelry, nothing like what he had offered.

Not to mention that in Vale alone, even disregarding Roman Torchwick, there were dozens of thieves better at their craft than I was. So why…?

Well, that was a problem for later, for now I just wanted to sleep, no use worrying over it as tired as I was at the moment.

I slipped under the covers of my bed, mind aflutter with thoughts of what I would be able to do now that the looming threat of bankruptcy wasn't walking behind me every step I took. A familiar high pitched voice and shy giggles raced across my thoughts and I grinned softly.

Maybe I could buy Ruby something nice for when she next visited. Maybe flirt with her a bit while I was at it to test her reaction. Even if she turned out not to be interested, I still enjoyed the way she acted when she got flustered…

I fell asleep with a smile on my face, blurs of red and silver racing through my thoughts.

And a huge thanks to my Patrons:

JustAUser, JVR, Ricardo T II, Christian, Kaizer, Jimmy Inthavong, David Bray, Rebel King Lucifer, Duci10, Kroz

If you'd like to join them in supporting me and get chapters early, you can find me there