Intermission

The World of Remnant:

The Gullwings

Well, here's a hot topic that I didn't think we would be covering but okay, I think now is the time to cover it. So, you know by now that Remnant has a lot of history and there's a lot of hot topics to cover. From the history of the kingdoms, the stuff on Aura, Semblances and Dust and we can even cover a few things on people who have earned quite a bit of fame. There are plenty of famous people, such as Ansem Schnee,

(The pale humanoid figure representing Ansem appeared)

Professor Ozpin,

(A green humanoid form with the signature cane was next)

Or even Huntsmen Teams like Team STRQ.

(Team STRQ was represented by a woman with a white hood and cloak, a beige muscular man, a woman with black hair and clothing with red highlights with a sword in sheathe, and a grey male figure holding a sword over his shoulder with a red cape.)

The ones we are covering today are actually not Huntsmen.

We are covering a band of mercenaries called the Gullwings.

(A shield was shown next with a black background and a fire emblem colored red and yellow while shaped to resemble a skull and crossbones with the head of a dragon and crown seen on top of the skull)

A team of four young ladies operating in Vale.

At least we think there are only four.

(Outlines of four young women are shown in a pose, each of them represented by a different color: Pink, blue, red, and golden yellow. The one kneeling in the middle held what appeared to be twin pistols while the golden one carried red daggers as she took a battle pose on the right, the red one had her back turned while holding a sword in both hands and the pink one stood behind the blue one, carrying a parasol while bowing in a curtsy manner)

These four have become the talk of the town in Vale, almost like folk heroes even though they don't have a lot of respect for the law. Don't get me wrong, they are not Huntresses, but they are not exactly bad people either. The Gullwings are more like treasure enthusiast as they seek out wealth in almost any place they look.

(A mansion is shown next)

Even if it means stealing from the rich.

(A vault, likely full of money was shown being thrown out the window and the four ladies picked it up and ran off into the night)

This kind of gets everyone on their toes as it tells everyone that the Gullwings don't care to be seen as law abiding citizens. You could almost compare them to the Happy Huntresses up in Mantle, but unlike them the Gullwings aren't interested in fighting for any noble cause.

They just take whatever money or treasure they can sniff out.

(A man in a bar is shown handing an envelope of money to the apparent leader of the Gullwings.)

In addition to this, certain people have hired them because they hear about how good they are as thieves and that's no joke.

The Gullwings have managed to avoid being caught or even identified by the police.

They barely even have a rough sketch of them.

(A crudely drawn paper is shown that burns away a second later)

Based on what a few people have said, the Gullwings are exceptionally skilled in stealth, possibly having Huntsmen training and likely one of them has an illusionary based Semblance. That would explain why they are so hard to catch and why barely anyone ever sees them. Regardless, they are skilled enough to avoid being caught by police but they are actually not high on the list of any Huntsmen.

The reason why?

The Gullwings avoid killing or outright murder.

(A couple is shown tied up in their bedroom as the Gullwings proceed to rob them, stealing money out from a safe in the wall, a bag of Lien hidden under the bed and even found wads of Lien cash in a closet)

Whether it's because they want to avoid ending up at the top of the authority's list or because they actually have a code, it's hard to say but they prefer to steal and run rather than fighting and killing which is a bit of a positive, all things considered.

(A wanted poster with the same crude drawing was shown)

Still, the Gullwings have a lot of rich people getting very scared because they like to go after the very rich and rob them blind.

Almost literally.

You would not believe how much they might have spent to upgrade security in their own homes and even then that's no guarantee that these four ladies won't come sneaking in and taking everything out from under your nose…

(The poster fades to black)

And whatever you might be hiding in there too.

Roman Torchwick, master criminal, gentleman thief and all around kingpin of Vale sighed as he finally returned home after a full day of working out business deals with his new…partners. It was several hours before an agreement was finally reached but it was still enough to make a man as young as Roman exhausted beyond words.

He was just finally glad to be home…

"ROMAN!"

Just as he opened the door, two blurs shot out and knocked him down, earning a cry of shock from him as he the ground. Looking up, he could only stare up at the two young ladies looking down at him with looks of mock scolding.

"You're late!" The brunette pointed down at him, her finger landing between his eyes. "You promised to be back an hour ago!"

"Took a little longer than I thought." Roman grunted, producing two packages that he had been holding. "But I got an apology gift."

The girls' faces lit up as they grabbed the packages and ran back in. Roman sighed as he got back up and walked into the large apartment that he called home.

Him and the four girls with him.

The girls in question were already at the counter, opening the packages to reveal… "SEA-SALT ICE CREAM!"

Sea-Salt Ice Cream.

Roman thought it was insane someone could make something as sweet as Ice Cream while literal sea-salt into the flavor but people were crazy for it.

Not him, though.

He would just stick with cigars.

"Paine, look! Roman got us ice cream!"

The girl in question was on the couch, reading a magazine when her name was called. Roman would call her the Team-Emo but would never say it to her face or risk her sword being pointed at a specific point on his body.

Again.

Paine was an 18-year-old young woman with red eyes and short, silver hair. She wore a black tank top with visible shoulder straps under a black shawl that covered her left shoulder. She wore black shorts with a skull belt buckle with an extra red belt under it, black thigh high stockings and black boots. To complete the look, she had black, bat-like wings on her back, showing her heritage as a bat Faunus.

She lowered her magazine and approached the counter in a drawl-like manner, almost letting everyone know she couldn't care less but still accepted an ice cream wrapper.

The one who handed her the wrapper was Yuna.

Yuna wore a short skirt with a light blue apron like skirt with a wave like pattern down the side and she had heterochromia with the eye on the right green and the other being blue and had short brunette hair. She wore a white sleeveless top with a pink hoodie and golden bracelets on her forearms. She had a red braid traveling down her ankle that had a hair clip resembling bird wings. Her hair was brunette and short, reaching only down to the bottom of her neck.

Yuna was the self-proclaimed leader of the four girl band that Roman had under his roof and had shown her leadership many times since Roman had met her. Though polite she was also athletic, cosmopolitan, outspoken, and playful with a real go-getter attitude and likes to dive headfirst into danger, even when accepting any missions given to the Gullwings. She liked to consider resolving issues through creative thinking, only considering violence as a last resort which Roman was fine with.

He was a thief, but he wasn't one to get into a fight unless he could find an escape route first.

And there was Rikku, the loud one of the group.

Rikku wore a tube top that showed off her midriff and navel with bikini bottom straps. She wore an orange skirt over a pair of biker shorts with a matching-colored scarf around her neck with long loose ends that resembled wings, wore white shoes with blue socks. She had blond hair in a ponytail adorned with colorful beads and held by a blue bandana. Rikku was kind-hearted, free-spirited, happy-go-lucky, and energetic, which sometimes clashes with the more stoic group members, Roman included.

Rikku was loyal to Yuna but always quick to remind them of the Gullwings' code:

They'll accept any mission as long as there is treasure to find but they would not kill or murder anyone to do it.

You would think Roman would have trouble dealing with that silly code, but the Gullwings had proven them skilled enough to accomplish anything without killing, even when the situation might call for it so Roman would give them a pass for that.

Together, they and one more were the greatest thieves(second to Roman himself) in the history of Remnant.

"Neo, we got ice cream!" Yuna called out.

There was a pink blur that shot out of one of the rooms upstairs and a second later, the fourth member of the team was at the counter with her own ice cream wrapper being torn open.

Neopolitan.

The fourth and newest member of the Gullwings.

"Did Neo fall asleep waiting for me to come back again?" Roman asked in an amused tone as he made his way over to the fridge.

"Yes!" The three girls answered while Neo fervently shook her head.

"Thought so." Roman chuckled as he took some leftovers out of the fridge and heated them up in the microwave. "Sorry that I'm late girls, but the meeting ran extra long. Malachite would not shut up about me and how much of a backstabber I am. She seems to think I plan to take control of the entire operation."

"You did take control of her operations here in Vale." Paine pointed out dryly.

"Ah-ah! Technically it was her stooges here trying to knock out the competition before she took over their operations here in Vale. I just swiped it first." Roman waved off Paine's comment, grabbing the heated leftovers and helped himself to them.

Brothers he was hungry.

"So, the good news is we might have a steady flow of money coming in." Roman said as he dug in.

"And the bad news?" Paine 'questioned'.

"We're still expected to do our own thing and not ask for a loan." Roman shrugged. "Not that I would ever ask. I don't like owing people."

"That and you're too cheap." Paine remarked.

Neo nodded at that.

"You owe us for all the times we literally dragged your butt out from danger." Yuna remarked, finishing her ice cream.

"Oh, I am wounded, Yuna!" Roman brought a hand to his chest. "I take you girls in, give you this fancy home, bring you delicious ice cream and you think I still owe you? I thought we were a team now, with me as the undisputed leader and visionary."

"Leader my wings!" Yuna snapped.

"You don't have wings. Paine has wings." Roman pointed to Paine who simply waved. "Point is, I got the brains, you all have the-"

"Talent?" Paine asked.

"Skills?" Rikku was next.

"Beauty." Yuna threw in with a smile.

Neo flashed a cute face in Roman's direction, her eyes going wide as she made herself look so sweet and innocent.

"I have all those things too! Extra on beauty!" Roman quickly said, sounding almost offended but waved off their laughter. "Point is, I know the best way to get filthy rich and famous in this town and you ladies you have everything we need to ensure we live to long life, retiring in the end with possibly an island of our own."

"Not as long as that fire tramp Cinder is calling the shots." Yuna pouted. "I am telling you, Roman we shouldn't be dealing with her. Scratch that, it's no deal at all."

"Nothing we can do about it, Yuna. That woman is not someone to be messed with." Roman said, sounding serious for a moment.

"Come on, Roman." Yuna rolled her eyes.

"You want to go off and get killed, fine by me. Just leave the rest of us out of it." Roman casually pointed to the door.

Yuna scoffed but said nothing else.

They had had this argument plenty of times.

Roman was too afraid of going against Cinder but Yuna and the Gullwings were of the opinion that they could outsmart Cinder and her flunkies given the right moment. They knew that Cinder was not trustworthy and that they should have just high-tailed it somewhere safe.

Like Vacuo.

Unfortunately, Roman was too stubborn or scared to back out and he wouldn't accept anyone's argument on the matter.

Only Neo seemed to be with him on this but even then, she had her own reservations about working with Cinder. She hated the fire witch as much as her Gullwing sisters did and believed they should be looking for a way out, even if she wouldn't say anything to Roman about it.

"Now then, we've got new instructions to start robbing shops of Dust." Roman changed the subject. "And luckily thanks to all the money you girls have swiped, we're practically able to hire anyone we want here in Vale."

"Fine but choose a shop that overprices their Dust." Yuna pointed at Roman. "We stole only from the really wealthy before that hag-"

Cinder's eyes suddenly blazed, feeling that someone was insulting her.

"-came along and we'll carry out her orders but on our terms." Yuna finished. "Pick a shop that places too much price on Dust to the average man."

Roman rolled his eyes but conceded.

While Yuna had this 'steal from the mean rich' mentality thing she still was skilled enough to back up her talk and the overpriced ones were better anyways, so he brought out a map and pointed to several labelled stores in Vale. "This enough?"

Yuna looked them over and nodded. "Yeah, those ones are fine."

"Good. Now since you girls will be hitting those shops, I'll have to round up some guys." Roman rolled the map up.

"Boop-boop-boop!" Paine suddenly said while finishing her ice cream. "Stupid idea alert."

"Really?" Roman raised an eyebrow.

"Let me guess, you're going to Junior for some guys." Paine commented, throwing her stick into the trash.

"And if I am?"

"Junior's guys are basically civilians with fancy swords and guns. A kid with no experience holding a knife would be better." Paine commented. "And Vale is a hot bed for Huntsmen. How can you be sure you won't run into one?"

"Please, you know me." Roman brought a hand to his chest while Paine rolled her eyes. "I'll have the airship parked in the closest ally and Cinder has agreed to be my getaway."

Now all four girls were staring at him.

"What?"

"Cinder, being your getaway?" Yuna rubbed her face. "Roman, you are an idiot."

"Hey!"

"If a Huntsman does show up and foil the robbery, you'll look bad in front of Cinder." Yuna sighed. "She'll roast you alive."

Neo seemed to agree, bringing a finger across her throat.

"Ladies, I appreciate your concern for me, but I assure you I have everything under control." Roman put on his most charming smile, imagining his own teeth glittering in the light. "I am good enough that I sit at the head of the table of top crime bosses on Remnant."

"You could get double the fame for sitting at the doofus table." Paine muttered.

"The point is, if we hit all those shops at the same time, we'll pull off the biggest Dust heist in Vale's history." Roman proclaimed with a grin.

"Right and we won't have that robot to worry about?" Yuna asked skeptically.

"Don't worry. That's why Cinder's kids aren't here at the moment. They promised to cause some trouble up in Mistral to distract that machine." Roman reassured. "Leaving us able to play as freely as we want."

"Well, there's some good news." Rikku finished her ice cream.

"I would normally say take as many pictures as you want but we'll still be on the clock." Roman tossed his plate aside.

"So much for 'as freely as we want'." Paine rolled her eyes.

"The perfect plan for the perfect heist." Roman chuckled. "I sometimes even amaze myself."

"That's what you said about monopolizing the coffee market." Yuna pointed out.

"A minor setback."

"And the Death Ray." Rikku crossed her arms.

"I still have to work out the bugs on that."

"The Torch Quick energy drink?" Paine shuddered. "I didn't know anyone could actually spit out fire like that."

"A few bad spices and maybe some First Dust got accidently mixed in." Roman shrugged.

"Crazy Roman's Steals and Wheels?" Yuna shook her head. "Where did you even get the idea that scam would make it past day one when you just cobbled together random parts to look like bikes?"

"How was I supposed to know you needed to be a 'registered' mechanic?" Roman made air-quotes on the word 'registered'.

"I laughed at the idea of you trying to be an attorney." Rikku admitted. "You're too good for that."

"Why thank you, Rikku." Roman said, smiling at the blond and thinking she wasn't so bad after all.

"I mean, lawyers are smart and yet more cold hearted than even mobsters." Rikku continued with a laugh. "You could never pull it off!"

"Yeah, if we didn't get you out of that one, I am sure they would have killed you." Yuna admitted with a smile.

Roman deflated. "I am smart and cold hearted."

"Yes, you are." Yuna nodded. "But not lawyer level cold hearted. You're still scared of the debt collectors."

"And you are not?" Roman asked skeptically.

"We're living under your roof; we don't have to worry about those." Yuna retorted. "We didn't worry about that even before we met you."

"Oh, girls. To be so young and innocent." Roman brought a hand to his chin to lean on. "To know nothing of the cold and cruel world out there. You must treasure this innocence as long as you can."

The four girls just stared blankly at Roman.

"Now then, we have a busy week, so I want us to be well rested." Roman stood up from the table. "Be up and at 'em early tomorrow girls."

"Wait, what about that monster movie marathon?" Rikku asked with a now upset look on her face.

"Watch it later." Roman waved a hand as he headed for his room. "Or never. You get nightmares every time lightning is seen."

"I do not!" Rikku argued.

"Yes, you do." The other girls said.

"Fine but don't complain to me of nightmares when you mess up the job." Roman closed the door to his room and sighed. "Boy, it's a tough job but I'm nothing if not a professional."

Roman Torchwick was a master thief as well as a gentleman, a snappy dresser and above all, a perfect father figure to four rowdy girls on their way to becoming the best thieves in the history of Remnant.

Truly, he was put on this world for greatness.

"I'll show him nightmares." Rikku pouted as she fell onto the couch. "I'll show him who is afraid of lightning."

Yuna sighed. "So, we're really doing this. I swear he's going to be the death of us one of these days."

"Don't say things like that."

Yuna looked over the speaker. "You know it as well as I do, Neo. Just because you're afraid of saying it to him doesn't mean we should be. He needs to realize that this one of those deals he should never take, no matter how much he might have been promised."

"That's why we're here." Neo spoke with a serious face. "We rely on him as much as he relies on us. He leads, we follow. He promises to stick by us, and we have his back. No matter what."