Rowan Torchwick Volume 1: Spark the Flame

Dust to Dust

Rwby is owned by Rooster Teeth

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"This is so beneath me," was the recurring thought currently going through the head of Vale's most infamous criminal as she walked through the city's streets. Flanked by a number of faceless goons she had hired, people staring in a mix of fear and awe as her reputation was both well known and widespread among Vale's Citizens.

This was Rowan Torchwick, easily recognisable by her distinct and unique appearance: a fashionable white coat made by the finest tailors in the city, a grey scarf made from exotic Mistralian silk, long flowing hair that both covered her right eye and was the colour of fire and of course who would forget her beloved "sweetheart" a bowler hat, with a crimson accent and a lone feather to complete the look. The bowler hat was a gift from her parter in crime to celebrate the anniversary of the first heist they had pulled off together and it has since become Rowan's most iconic piece of apparel. Speaking of said partner..

"This is the last time Neo and I decide things over a coin toss," grumbled Rowan as she and her posse turned onto fairly crowded street, their current target at the end of it.

You see, currently in the grand city of Vale two crimes are about to occur. One a high stakes heist at a Schnee company building that required careful planning and expert level skill to even have a chance of succeeding... and the other is a boring run of the mill stick up at a boring run of the mill dust shop. The plan was to draw as much attention to the dust shop as possible so that on the off chance a problem arises at the Schnee building the police will have their focus elsewhere long enough for a safe get away.

Both Rowan and Neo agreed that having either one of them committing the crime in the open in the least subtle way possible would be a surefire way to accomplish this. However, even though both of them agreed this was the plan most likely to succeed, neither of them actually wanted to be the one causing the distraction while the other got to have fun on an adrenaline fuelled caper. After a half hour of non stop back and forth arguing and banter, Neo finally suggested they settle it with a coin toss. Rowan still wasn't convinced that Neo hadn't cheated and the mute's smug little grin as she sauntered away from her victory didn't do anything to convince her otherwise.

Coming to a stop Rowan evaluated the quaint little shop, chuckled slightly at the name, and then turned to her idiot henchmen for the night and plastered on a fake grin. "Alright boys, remember the plan?" At their obedient nods, which did nothing to convince her of their competence, she sighed, adjusted her grip on Melodic Cudgel then walked into the shop with a muttered "Showtime.."

Upon entering Rowan had to immediately fight a grimace as the only person who she could currently see occupying the store was an elderly fellow behind the till sorting out the Lien cards in the cash register with a peaceful smile on his wrinkled face. Fuck. Now not only does she have to miss out on an amazing heist she has to rob an old man.

When entering the door to the criminal underworld they say to leave all morals and personal relations at the entrance as a ground rule. Rowan was never any good at following rules. She was a criminal with a conscience a fact that made her life difficult sometimes, like right now, but it helped her sleep at night. You couldn't survive in this line of work if you weren't willing to get your hands dirty from time to time. Rowan's hands definitely weren't clean, but she took pride that they weren't caked in filth like her fellow criminals. The bowler hat clad crook brows creased as she thought over how to deal with the old man without appearing soft in front her cronies, you also don't survive by showing weakness. Her eye lit up as idea came to her.