Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Marethyu, Priapus, Beans, Mike God of Lore
New Game Plus, GOTY Edition
Chapter 10: Shiro vs the Fantasy IRS
– Cinder Fall –
"You wished to see me?" Cinder asked, her pride raging at having to play the part of the subordinate to Shiro. Despite her anger, this alliance had already proven useful as Shiro had quickly built an exo-suit for Mercury to wear that let him actually move again, replacing his legs. It also came with a helmet, meaning Mercury's face was hidden, allowing him to act outside of the mansion, and Shiro had quickly put him to work harassing the other gangs of Vale.
His 'battle-maid', Blake, would attack the gangs that threatened their little piece of turf, this 'Little Menagerie', but she was hesitant to actually attack other gangs that were minding their own business. Mercury, being a sociopath, had zero hesitation in attacking minor gangs to allow Shiro to absorb their territory. They avoided outright massacres because it drew too much attention, but Mercury was having the time of his life bullying a bunch of arrogant gangsters.
Shiro looked away from his monitor, his fingers slowing as he finished up what he was doing before turning his attention to her. He'd put her to work going through the scroll data he had stolen, but she knew he was just keeping her in reserve in case a true threat appeared.
"Camille Ferros, Atlas' Steel Shadow, has arrived in Vale," Shiro explained, making her freeze for a moment. Ferros was one of Atlas' most ruthless specialists.
"For me?" Cinder asked, feeling the noose tighten around her neck.
"Maybe. I hope not, because she's sniffing around my operations when Atlas should have no way of knowing of our alliance. I suspect my drones have attracted the attention of Atlas, but it still represents a rather significant threat," Shiro hummed. "She's not the only Specialist in Vale either, though I've confirmed that Specialist Kiramman and Specialist Vi are hunting a different criminal who committed an act of terrorism against the Atlas Council."
"Atlas wants to make sure you aren't risking another Omnic crisis, and when they confirm you aren't, they want your tech to maintain their place as the most advanced kingdom," Cinder realised, making him nod.
"Almost certainly. Ferros, while ruthless, is also a work of art. The augmentation tech she uses was far ahead of its time when she first started replacing flesh with metal, and she's only upgraded herself over the years," Shiro agreed. "She's not an engineer herself as far as I can tell, but she's a living example of the genius of Atlas. The perfect bait for someone dealing in augmentation."
But it didn't change the fact that one of the most dangerous operatives in Atlas was currently sniffing around Shiro's operations while he was sheltering Atlas' most wanted.
"Can she get past your security?" Cinder asked, watching him frown.
"I'd like to say no, but I can't rely on her being as egotistical as Roman and just walking into a trap. My mansion has so many layers of security, traps, sensors, pressure plates, scanners. In theory, it should pick up her presence because of the sheer amount of augmentation that she has undergone. In theory," Shiro repeated, leaning back with a scowl. "In reality? I don't know. Atlas is known as being at the cutting edge of technology, and my tech has never been tested by theirs. I'm increasing the security level at all the underground base entrances. None of the elevators will move without my express permission, and certainly not without my knowledge. Still, until she's gone, I'm keeping you, Mercury and Emerald in the base."
Cinder scowled at that, the reminder that she was in hiding stinging all the more.
"You're sure she doesn't know I'm here?" Cinder asked, making him laugh.
"Cinder, if Atlas knew you were down here, they wouldn't send a single operative. They'd bring the hammer down on all of us. They'd be free to examine my tech while I'm sitting in one of their cells, and I'd probably end up spending my sentence in their labs, on 'probation'," Shiro explained plainly, amusement on his face. He wasn't wrong, it would be all they needed to enslave him in all but name. Watts had plenty to say about Atlas and how it treated geniuses. "No, this is just them being nosy about someone other than them dealing in robotics. It doesn't reduce the risk that comes with it, and we can't exactly make her disappear. Even if we could reliably take her out, Atlas won't just shrug when their top specialist vanishes."
"So, what's the plan?" Cinder asked, making Shiro shrug.
"For now, continue working toward the grand opening of the club. With so many Atlas operatives sniffing around, we can't act too openly," Shiro explained. "I'm looking into a method for you to actually leave the base, but for now you're too high profile. They know about Emerald's Semblance, and they've even started checking people trying to leave Vale to make sure they aren't under an illusion. It seems they think you're trying to run."
Cinder frowned at that, bitterness filling her. They thought they had her cornered, that she was fleeing with her tail between her legs.
"Don't pout so much. At least the facilities down here aren't too bad," Shiro joked, making her scoff. He wasn't wrong, the living quarters down here were as lavish as his mansion, with plenty of things to keep her occupied, but the comfort couldn't squash her rage. If Amber had just died, as she'd planned, she'd have the powers of a Maiden, the White Fang would still be under her foot and she wouldn't be relying on the mercy of Shiro.
As she left, she watched Neo enter his office with a smug smile on her face. The mute had quickly established herself as Shiro's little sex toy, and it came with far more freedom than that midget deserved. Cinder was not stupid. She knew Neo disliked her, and she feared what the mute was up to with her sudden closeness to Shiro.
The idea of reducing herself to Neo's level and seducing Shiro herself had occurred to her, but the last thing she needed was to seem too submissive or desperate. Shiro was not a kind person and would exploit her for all she was worth. She knew it all too well, because she'd do the same to him if their roles were reversed.
Returning to the lavish quarters, she spotted Mercury lounging around watching some shitty action movie, his temporary legs resting on the table. She didn't trust him, because he was the most self-serving of their group. Her… mishaps had cost him his legs, and nearly his life, while Shiro had built him a new pair. How long would it take before Mercury's loyalty switched, if it hadn't already?
"Cinder?" Emerald asked, perking up as she always did when she saw her. "What's wrong?"
Emerald was the only one she could trust would not switch sides, her affections made her loyalty assured.
"Atlas has increased their presence in Vale, and Neo is almost certainly turning Shiro against us. She tried with Roman but fear and his ego kept him in line. Now, she's wormed her way into Shiro's confidence," Cinder said quietly, glancing at where Mercury was seemingly ignoring them. "He's keeping us 'safe' but locked away down here, ready to be disposed of should the need arise. With Atlas increasing their scrutiny, I fear Neo will convince him that we aren't worth the trouble."
She was sure that Shiro had hidden cameras and microphones all over the base, but she didn't mind if he heard this. Emerald didn't respond, knowing her well enough to know that she wasn't quite done. But her face fell, a mixture of anger on her behalf and worry crossing her features.
"You once said you'd do anything for me, didn't you?" Cinder asked, making Emerald stiffen. "Did you mean it?"
"I did, and I still do. I owe you that much," Emerald swore, making Cinder smile softly and place a hand on her subordinate's. Emerald's dark face reddened with a blush.
"You might be the only one I can still rely on. I need you to find out what Neo is up to, what she's trying to convince Shiro of," Cinder explained, watching Emerald straighten up. "Go to Shiro, when an opportunity arises, make yourself useful to him, whatever it takes."
Emerald froze, her proud smile dropping at the unspoken part of that sentence.
"Are you asking me to fuck-" Emerald trailed off, an extremely mixed expression on her face.
"I'd rather you weren't forced to go that far, but if it comes to that. Yes," Cinder admitted, a hint of shame crossing her face. "I considered doing it myself, but he knows me too well. He knows any attempt at seduction would be a sign of desperation, and he'd exploit it with a smile. I need you to get into his good graces, to counter Neo and her scheming. If you can do it with your clothes on, then all the better, but if not…"
Emerald didn't speak for a long moment, a multitude of emotions crossing her face.
"I'll do it," Emerald finally whispered.
"I'm sorry, Emerald. I know this isn't ideal, but nothing has been since we failed to take down Amber. I was sure your illusions would hide Amber's plight from any outside interference but that sniper set us back more than I care to admit," Cinder said with a frown. She didn't outright blame Emerald, but she didn't need to. Emerald flinched back as if struck at the reminder that the sniper had shot through her illusion to kill the beetle. The guilt on her face told Cinder everything. Emerald would do anything to make up for her 'failure'.
Plucking Emerald's strings was never particularly difficult.
They continued talking, but Emerald was clearly distracted with the thought of her upcoming mission. Either Shiro would hear of this conversation, and she could act like she knew he'd know and that she was basically giving him Emerald as a gift, or he wouldn't and Emerald could try and worm her way into his good graces, giving her another way to influence him. It would also tell her how useful it would be for her to sleep with the smug fucker herself.
No matter what, she would not fail Salem. And as much as it stung, as much as she hated it, she needed Shiro to have a shot at penetrating Beacon after her failure. Their security was only getting tighter and now Atlas was openly sending specialists into Vale. Ironwood knew enough to know she was working with Salem, and for that he was willing to tear the place apart to find her. If they caught her…
She didn't see herself surviving. Ozpin was soft, but Ironwood was as cold and hard as his name suggested. Arthur made that clear. If any of them got caught by Atlas, it would be a high security cell until they were sure they'd squeezed every secret out of her, followed by an execution.
She hadn't come this far to meet her end in some Atlas blacksite. She hadn't come this far to fail. The relic Ozpin was hoarding was going to be hers, no matter the cost.
– Sienna Khan –
"I don't understand, High Leader," Adam said, shuffling awkwardly. He'd been awfully quiet since their realisation that Blake, the cowardly cat, had done more for the Faunus of Vale than Adam and his war. She might even be generous enough to say he'd been introspective. "Isn't that a good thing?"
"Oh, the sheer quantity of Dust you stole will fuel the White Fang and Menagerie for a long time. In that, I agree that it is a good thing," Sienna agreed, her face entirely unamused. Rengar had sent all the Dust that Adam had been hoarding and however much she thought he'd stolen, it was laughably more. "And yet, you sent none of it back to us. You failed to mention that you were sitting on enough Dust to fuel a second Great War. What I want are answers on what exactly you were planning to do with it all."
Adam hesitated, anger and shame on his face as he stood before her. He had certainly not missed that she had several guards between them, but he'd proven that he simply could not be trusted.
"Adam. I genuinely believe you were trying to help the Faunus, in your own way, but this isn't some small stockpile. You stole enough to blow up half of Vale and-" Sienna tried, and as she spoke, she watched him stiffen, a hint of shock that he failed to hide crossing his face. And in that moment, it struck her.
He had enough Dust to cause mass destruction, he preferred extreme tactics, and he was working with a woman that Atlas had put at the top of their wanted list. Rengar had told her of this 'Cinder's failed attempt to recruit him, and of his failure to kill her and her followers.
"Adam. Answers, now," Sienna said, all gentleness fading from her voice as she stared at him. Her guards prepared themselves, he was unarmed because she didn't let him bring Wilt and Blush into the meetings. Adam paused for a moment, and she genuinely thought he was going to attack anyway, before he calmed himself down and began to speak.
She listened, her shock and dread hidden as he admitted that Cinder Fall was planning to destroy a kingdom. Even at her most extremist, such a thought had never even occurred to her. Okay, maybe she'd occasionally wished Atlas would fall from the sky but that was different. The fact that Adam had begun to go along with her plans until some fuck up had occured sent a shiver of true terror through her.
If the White Fang helped destroy Vale, the second Great War would begin with the Faunus as the clear villains. They wouldn't be banished to an island, they'd be slaughtered to the last. No matter how proud she was of her heritage and her people, it wasn't hard to see who would win if such a war occurred. Even Adam's supporters, the most extremist of her lieutenants, looked shocked at the realisation of Adam's plans. Even Adam seemed doubtful of them, which was the only piece of humour she could take from this complete and utter shitshow.
"Adam, I'm assigning you to recon the grimm dens around Menagerie. If you weren't so damn useful, I may have killed you right here and now," Sienna admitted. "Report to the eastern watchtower at first light. You'll have your patrol schedule waiting."
"Yes, High Leader," Adam said, straightening up. He had a look of anger on his face, but she actually believed him. He waited a moment, before he bowed and left, knowing he was being dismissed.
Instantly, she let out a deep sigh and placed her head in her hands. Adam's skill had gotten him into a leadership position but thank the Animal God that he'd lost it just as quickly before he could doom the Fang and likely their entire race to extinction.
"Are you sure keeping him around is a good idea?" one of her followers asked, making her sigh again.
"No, but we aren't in a position to dispose of one of our best fighters. I'm going to contact General Ironwood and give him everything Adam knows about Cinder Fall and her plans," Sienna decided, seeing the displeasure on her people's faces. Still, nobody argued which told her how dire this was.
"Won't they want the Dust? Or Adam's head?" someone pointed out.
"Ironwood will demand both, but Atlas is one of the few kingdoms that doesn't need Dust. They want it, but they have more than the other kingdoms combined thanks to the Schnee Dust Company. Information is more valuable to them," Sienna said tiredly. "As for Adam? I don't plan to hand over one of my lieutenants, even one as shortsighted as him, to Atlas. Even if this ends with us gaining nothing, I want to make sure we are not associated with Fall and her plans for Vale. I wouldn't put it past her to frame us anyway now that she's lost Adam's services. Especially with an illusionist on her team."
That was the last thing they needed. This entire situation was a nightmare, and nobody on her council wanted to see Vale destroyed. It had the second highest population of Faunus in the world, followed by Mistral. Of all the Kingdoms, it was the one most accepting of Faunus, though that didn't mean much given its competition.
The meeting continued, mostly with them deciding what to do with the mountain of Dust that had unexpectedly fallen into their hands. Despite Adam's plans for it, it would be a major help in dealing with Menagerie's needs. She almost hated how willing Ghira was to work with her over it, despite her having usurped his former position, but the Chieftain was more than happy to accept the windfall and help her ensure it went where it was needed. Menagerie had a rather major Grimm problem, as most of the island was nigh-uninhabitable thanks to their sheer numbers, and the Dust would fuel their defences and power for a good while.
As the meeting came to an end, and after sending out a feeler to Ironwood who was undoubtedly going to mistrust every single word that left her mouth, she sat in her office, going over the intel from Vale.
"You called for me, High Leader?" Ilia asked, standing to attention in front of her desk.
"Have you seen the latest reports from Vale? Not the slave ring, the aftermath," Sienna asked, making Ilia nod.
"If you mean the foundation of 'Little Menagerie', then I've heard bits and pieces from people with families in Vale," Ilia agreed. "It sounds like a good idea, but-"
"Things are rarely that simple. Shiro Eis, the most Schnee-looking boy I have ever seen, is apparently the mastermind behind it, the same Eis who helped Belladonna break up the slave ring that was active in Vale," Sienna explained, ignoring the way Ilia stiffened at the mention of her former friend. Opinions were very varied about Blake in the White Fang at the moment. "I don't trust it. I don't trust that Eis has the best intentions for the Faunus. I don't trust that the Council would allow the Faunus in Vale to unify. I don't trust anything about it. It looks good, in theory, and I've been following the reports, but second hand information is not enough. I'm sending you to Vale, I want you to move into this Little Menagerie and find out what is really going on."
"Blake is working with Eis, she could recognise me," Ilia pointed out, making Sienna nod.
"I know. I want you to test her as well. I want to know where her loyalties truly lie. Her decision to leave Adam's unit is looking increasingly wise of her, and her actions since have been for the betterment of our kind, but I just don't have enough information. It was Eis that contacted us, not Belladonna herself, and she avoided the agents I sent during the hand-off. Maybe she's skittish and fears that we want blood for her abandoning Adam, but I just don't have enough to go on," Sienna admitted with a frown. "You are to go there, undercover at first. If Belladonna discovers you, reveal yourself and your investigation of Little Menagerie. If not, stay undercover until I say otherwise."
"Understood, High Leader," Ilia agreed, straightening up and giving her a respectful bow. Rengar was what the Vale branch needed to restore order, but he wasn't quite subtle enough for this.
As Ilia left, Sienna went back to her monitor. Eis had not been quiet, openly advertising the new buildings being made in the part of the Kingdom he was buying up. It was seen as a rough, run down part of the city with high crime rates, which was why he was able to buy so much of it, but the images he'd posted were… impressive.
He'd recently posted a demo of the typical apartment and while she wouldn't call it lavish, it was comfortable and more spacious than many would expect. He'd even made different sized apartments for both singles and larger families. He was even beautifying the surroundings, creating a small park where an old factory had once stood.
People had started to move in, slowly but steadily. There was now an open grocery store and a fucking bakery in this new little slice of Vale, all seemingly above the board and legal.
But nobody did anything without a reason. Shiro Eis was not one of them, he had no horse in this race. What information she had found out about him painted him as a minor criminal, a smuggler, so where had he gotten the money and influence to pull this off?
Rengar was fairly certain Eis (or possibly Belladonna) was outright assassinating any thugs who tried to muscle in, which was impressive if it was Belladonna since she'd always seen Blake as too soft. If that was the case, it may be worth having Rengar assist in dealing with any threats to Little Menagerie, but not until she knew what the hell Eis' scheme was.
What was his game?
– Blake Belladonna –
"I don't get it," Blake admitted. "How does paying them less make them more money?"
Shiro sighed, amusement on his face. He'd set up several businesses in their new slice of Vale, and Gods she hated that she already called it 'theirs' instead of his. That was fine and expected. He'd set up a security company that hired the rougher men and anyone with their Auras unlocked to provide security to the other Faunus run businesses, and he'd set up a cleaning service that hired the prettier Faunus girls.
It was made clear that it wasn't prostitution and the girls were not expected or even permitted to perform extra 'services'. She was sadly unsurprised when Shiro told her that the reason he wouldn't permit that was because sex work was taxed at a higher rate in Vale as part of the entertainment industry so if the girls sold their bodies, he'd have to pay more taxes. She'd contacted some of the girls from the business she'd worked at and had them swap over to his company, because Shiro's corporate bullshit was still healthier than the exploitation that they were in.
Euphoria was making a frankly disgusting amount of money, hitting Vale like a fucking truck. It had sped up their plans massively, and while she wasn't thrilled that Shiro was the source of the newest drug hitting the street, he had an amazing way of making her accept any bullshit he was pulling. It was addictive, but the withdrawal symptoms were minor and the risks of ODing were minimal. She argued with him and he pulled out a fucking spreadsheet on overdoses in Vale showing that they had dropped because Shiro had provided a safer drug. People were going to do drugs, people were going to drink, so providing a safer way to do that was inherently a good thing.
She was increasingly convinced that he could walk up to her and slap her across the face, then convince her that she should thank him for it. If she ever tried an emotional argument against Shiro, he'd tear it to pieces… just as soon as he finished laughing at her. Shiro wanted cold logic, it was the only thing that could move him. If she wanted to convince him of anything, she had to prove that her way was better, more profitable, less risky. She needed numbers and data, and for an idealist, as she knew she was, it put her at a disadvantage.
Rallies weren't about logic, they were about feelings. The White Fang, the old White Fang that she had been proud of, marched and argued for better treatment, but they didn't bring presentations and spreadsheets to show why mistreating Faunus was bad. Maybe they should have, because cold logic moved the world, apparently.
Anyway, the point was that Shiro had set up several small companies under the Eis name, and begun hiring Faunus for both his club and the various industries. The fucker had set up a food bank in their new district because he could use the left over produce from the grocery, bakery and any other food business to fill it. He was all about efficiency, he didn't want to waste anything that could make him money or get him good public relations. Oh, and because he could officially register the charity and get a government stipend for it.
When the first apartment building got set up, he had her spread the word for the people who needed it to apply for it on a site he'd made, where he could analyse and pick out the most needy (or most useful to him) and get them into the buildings. He also had unemployed Faunus do the same, because he could put them to work in one of his businesses.
What she didn't understand was why he was paying them less than they should be earning.
"Several reasons. Firstly, I've picked their wages perfectly to put them at the very edge of their tax bracket. Ten lien more a month and they'd get fucked by the taxman. Secondly, their wages are misleading due to the employee benefits. Many of them are getting room and board as part of their contracts, which includes access to the apartment canteens where food is available either for cheap for residents, cheaper for employees and outright free for some of the more high-ranking employees, along with some other benefits. Fun fact, employee benefits are not taxed which means they end up paying less in taxes as well. Sure, I pay them less, but they give the government less in turn."
"...did you put all this work into committing tax evasion?" Blake asked, making Shiro smile proudly.
"You're Goddamn right I did. The Vale tax code has so many holes in it, it's basically asking to be cheesed. If I have to give the government my money, I'm giving them the absolute bare minimum," Shiro announced proudly. "Everyone wins but the tax man."
"As long as they keep working for you," Blake pointed out, seeing the insidious trap that Shiro was weaving. Sure, they got all these amazing benefits… as long as they were employed by Shiro. If they tried to leave, their lower wages would suddenly fuck them over and prevent them from making real savings.
"And why would that be a problem? Am I not a benevolent boss? Fuck, I just finished setting up a fucking employee nursery because you fuckers can't stop breeding when you can't afford to look after your current kids. What makes someone decide 'Hey, I'm poor as shit, time to have five kids!'," Shiro grumbled, typing away at his computer. "Look, I've laid the cards on the table. For all your complaining, you seem to be the only one doing so. Everything (so far) is entirely legal, they know what they are getting into. I don't even small print this shit, it's all laid out in front of them for even the most illiterate peasant. You can cry that they got paid a little less, but they have a secure roof over their heads, and food in their bellies, both courtesy of me. Isn't this what you wanted? Change for your people? Isn't this why you have been slicing gang members' throats in the night?"
Blake went silent at that. Just last night she'd driven off some thugs who had been trying to commit arson on the new apartment building. She hadn't killed anyone, this time, but she certainly had before. The deal with the fuckers selling her people had reduced her mercy considerably, and the fact that so many took offence to the idea of faunus having their own place to stay infuriated her. Her people just wanted to live their lives, and yet so many were trying to exploit or prevent that.
Shiro was no angel. He didn't even try to pretend to be one. He was smug, horny, sociopathic and arrogant. He wouldn't shed a tear if that apartment building went up in flames with all the faunus inside it, he'd just scowl at his wasted investment.
He'd even made a pawnshop and loan brokers where people could sell off their valuables for a 'fair' price and loan money without going to other loan sharks. He was making sure to offer everything they needed here so they never even considered moving out from under his thumb. There were plans for a cinema, an arcade, even a full mall down the line. Shiro was getting his fingers into every pie, spreading his web through every industry and facet of her people's lives…
And they were so fucking grateful. Most of the people in Little Menagerie had never seen Shiro, because he rarely deigned to lower himself to going out amongst the people, but she did. They were cautious, having been burnt before, but as more buildings were put up by his drones, as more services became available, they came to adore their overlord.
It wasn't freedom, but they allegedly had freedom in Menagerie. She'd been one of the luckiest people on the island, and even she remembered days of going hungry. There had never been enough to go around, there were always problems, and she remembered the days of watching her father spending hours in meetings or working at his desk, a grim look on his face that he tried to hide from her.
She had fought for her people's freedom, for them to be treated better, but the more she watched Shiro work, the more it seemed the two were mutually exclusive. Freedom was the cost of comfort. It was a cost so many of her people seemed happy to pay. They collared themselves and handed Shiro the leash to their lives, and thanked him for the honour.
"...is tax evasion really that important?" Blake asked, humouring him to avoid the dark spiraling of her thoughts. Because it was becoming increasingly clear that she was one of those people, because here she was. Still by Shiro's side, still aiding him in his plans to chain her people to his budding corporation.
"Blake, tax evasion is a basic human necessity. Like catgirl blowjobs," Shiro teased, making her roll her eyes. "Speaking of…"
"You're such a fucking dick," Blake sighed, wondering when following Shiro had become so damn natural as she moved to her knees. She'd grown worryingly comfortable on her knees, and it seemed she'd led her people down the same route.
– Shiro Eis –
Little Menagerie has rapidly become my pet project. Maybe it's the gamer in me, enjoying my city building sim too much, but it truly is becoming a little slice of heaven for the poor mistreated Faunus of the world. Well, of Vale at least.
It's a prototype. A control group I can use to test future projects. Any business I want to try, I can open on a smaller scale in my new backyard to ensure everything is running right before I risk moving onto a larger scale. I have an entire district of eager beta-testers willing to test out whatever I feel like doing.
Having blackmail on a councillor through Sombra has been a godsend in making sure that things go smoothly on the legal side of things. The underworld is a little rougher but between Neo, Junior's hired thugs and my own growing security force (entirely legal, amusingly enough), we've held the fort and prevented any gang from moving in. My bigger concern is a Faunus gang forming, and I need to be ready to shut that shit down in an instant. This is my turf and I'm not having some idiots mess it up.
I've also started making use of my drones for smuggling purposes. For now, they're moving entirely legal goods to test how stealthy they can be. At the worst, I might get a slap on the wrist and a fine I could wipe my ass with for moving undeclared goods between the kingdoms. No drugs, weapons, or anything else that could get me into serious trouble.
Atlas did capture one of them, but the self-destruct fried the internal circuitry and wiped the databanks. You think I'm gonna sit here and let Atlas steal my technology? Ironwood can personally come to Vale and kiss my whole ass.
Speaking of people who need to kiss my ass… Kiriko is beginning to really piss me off in a way that is not conducive for survival. I was willing to ignore her little vigilante act at first, all she was doing was making a nuisance of herself and bothering me for the crime of doing business with the Hashimoto clan, her main target. My connections in Mistral have told me that her gang, the Yokai, have redoubled their efforts against the Hashimoto since Kiriko left for Vale at the insistence of her mother. Someone in the gang got a record of what I'd bought from the Hashimoto, then Kiriko decided to steal it.
She certainly doesn't know what the chemicals she stole do, only that they're 'dangerous' and that she didn't want an ally of the Hashimoto to get their hands on them. Meaning me.
She's starting to cost me money, because the Hashimoto are unrepentant over their inability to protect their own shipments, the unprofessional posers. When I move into Mistral, I'm going to have their head of transportation shot. Assuming they even have one.
The point is, their lax security and leaky operations have cost me too damn much because Kiriko has apparently decided I'm the next best target now that she's away from Mistral. This is what we in the business call 'a fucky wucky' because I'm left with no choice but to ruin her fucking life.
Now, problem one. Her mother is a very dangerous Huntress in Mistral with connections to Beacon. If Kiri disappears, I'm left with a vengeful momma bear coming for me. Not normally a problem since I can cover my tracks, but I have a theory that the Syndicate is responsible for Kiriko and the Yokai getting the information as another way to get back at me. They're definitely behind some of the more professional attacks on my businesses.
If I'm right, and I make Kiriko disappear, I have to worry about them leaking the info to her mother and also Beacon since she's supposed to start soon. So, plan B. I'm going to give her something bigger to worry about. I managed to get access to her Scroll by planting one of my scroll cloning devices close to her apartment, and from their group chat, she seems very loyal to her Yokai.
So, I'm going to have her friends killed.
They've been a thorn in the side of the Hashimoto for a while now, and the Hashimoto aren't as sweet and friendly as I am. With Kiriko's Scroll, I have enough to identify all the members of her gang of teenage vigilantes, and all I need to do is… surgically deploy that information.
Plus, I can use the fact that I got the intel from one of them to sow discord and mistrust in their group. I just need to pick which member to expose first, sending them running like rats. If the Hashimoto fuck up the hit, like I frankly expect, it'll still remind these fucking kids that they're playing with fire.
…Yes, I know they're only slightly younger than me, shut up.
Shouldn't have fucked with my stuff.
— Bonus Scene — Olivia Colomar (Sombra)
This had the potential to be extremely funny.
With Shiro sending waves through the Vale Underworld, there had been plenty of opportunities for an enterprising woman to make a considerable amount of money. She liked having a nest egg of her own, because Talon was never going to be a long term thing, but they also weren't likely to permit her to just wander off when things got too hot for her. So, she needed to either buy her freedom or have enough to disappear.
Or kill them first, but there were a few very dangerous people in Talon and that was a last option.
With Shiro graciously sharing his tech with his best buddy in the whole world, including his fun little Scroll cloning trick, she'd been able to progress her own projects while he had fun building. Shiro, the charity man. Funniest shit she'd heard all year, to be honest.
As part of her services, she'd… absorbed a racket Torchwick had been running before the dumbass had gotten caught in the same security system she'd helped test. While he was primarily known as a thief, he had some side operations that he used to make money when he was lying low, one of which was a forgery business.
She stared at the idiot in front of her, wondering just how someone so clearly out of his depth had found his way into the dark underside of Vale. Jaune Arc was many things, few of them positive, but a criminal was not one of them.
"So, lemme get this straight… you want to get into Beacon, despite having never gone to a combat school and also having literally zero training with that sword," Sombra asked, arms crossed as she stared across at the naive fool.
"I… umm, yes?" Jaune asked, and she could tell his sob story about his family producing hunters and it being his dream was on his tongue, but she'd already silenced that once.
Sending a message, she asked Shiro a simple question. Did he have any use for the most naive dumbass she'd met in a long time.
Shiro's response was as predictable as it was fast. Of course he did. Jaune should consider himself lucky, it was the only thing that stopped her from robbing the idiot of his lien and fancy sword.
"Guess it's your lucky day, Arc. I know a guy," Sombra said with a laidback grin, zero pity for the excited fool as she sent Shiro the details.
'Seriously… where did you find this clown? Yeah, I can put him to use. Got some tech I want to test that's too dangerous to use on someone valuable.'