The stream had been impactful. Perhaps more impactful than even Yin had anticipated. It was being shared on the news, social media and people all over the city were talking about it.
Some rather important people were discussing the events in secret, making their own plans.
"Ozpin, you're stalling." Glynda stated, watching the older man sip hot cocoa while watching his computer screen.
"Am I? I'm simply noting some of her moves." Ozpin replied, hearing a snort from the other man in the room, Qrow.
"Riiight, 'moves'. Sure that's what a lot of people are replaying the stream for. Gotta admit though, I've never seen anyone with gun heels."
Ozpin shook his head at Qrow's implication. He was far too old to think about getting excited about the appearance of the woman as most of the young men and women who watched. He felt a pang of familiarity, though he couldn't place exactly where he'd seen her.
'Perhaps the descendant of someone I used to know..?' Ozpin hummed, tapping the timeline of the stream where Ryuko had fought Carmilla.
"You have to say something. As Headmaster-"
"I already made an announcement, approved by the Valean Council. It will play at seven in the evening, where most people will see it as it airs, Glynda. I truly am thinking. I have to check in with the other Academies as well, see where she came from." Ozpin clarified. Glynda sighed and accepted, knowing they had to be quick to respond to keep the public's worries at ease.
"It's kinda weird, don'tcha think? Chick rescues Roman, fights a capable Huntress, takes a vault and disappears into thin air. You'd think there might be some panic.. worry.. that stuff. But the whole charisma kinda makes it hard for the media to fearmonger." Qrow added.
Ozpin leaned back in his seat and sighed wearily. It was true. And he was oddly thankful for it. It gave him a feeling she at least wasn't an agent of Salem. But he still had a job to do as a representative of Vale.
-♤-☆-♤-☆-♤-☆-♤-
"Yaaaaang.... please turn your scroll down.." Ruby groaned while doing her homework.
"Oops! Sorry, Rubes." Yang apologized, turning down the volume on her scroll and listening closely.
Tai and Summer looked at each other in the kitchen as they finished washing the dishes. Yang had been glued to her scroll since after lunch and while that was the usual for teenagers, it wasn't for Yang. She was almost always training.
"Yang, honey? What's got you so occupied on your scroll?" Summer asked while drying off her wet hands.
Yang's eyes widened and she cleared her throat.
"Oh y-you know? Just a fight that happened on stream today."
Ruby groaned, sticking her tongue out.
"Bleeeh! Most people only watch it for the 'thirst trap'. Yang can't stop staring at that evil villain!"
Yang gave her sister an offended look before noting the smug expression on Summer's face.
"Ohh? Lemme see this 'Villain'." Summer demanded as she loomed over Yang with a grin.
"N-Nah it's really not that.... I only watch it for the fight, I swear.." Yang defended as Summer grabbed her scroll, pausing at the moment Ryuko stole the vault.
"Holy boobies...! My Gods.. Tai! Look at this lady!" Summer called her husband over as Yang hid her reddening face in her hands.
"Hon-Oh wow. That's a... that's an outfit. I think you could rock a body stocking like that~" Tai gaped before turning it around to flirt with Summer.
"Oooh...~ You think? You wanna try putting one on me?"
"AAAAAAAH!! NO! NOPE! Ruby! Wanna go a little adventure!?"
Ruby, also being horrified at the sudden shift in atmosphere nodded her head. Yang was about to walk over and rescue her sister, until she remembered how Ruby sicced Summer on her.
"Actually... nevermind. I forget you have homework~. See you later!"
Yang waved her sister off and quickly left as Ruby called out to her.
"Yang! Yang no! Please!! I'm sorry!"
With those last cries, Yang quickly vacated the house. In her mind, her replaying the fight had nothing to do with Ryuko's looks. At least, not like that. She simply admired her style and power and looked forward to possibly fighting her in the future.
"For that.. I gotta get strong. There ought to be some dungeon on Patch.." Yang muttered, feeling a surge of determination.
-☆-◇-☆-◇-☆-◇-☆-
"Carmilla." The calm, smooth masculine voice of chrollo came through Carmilla's scroll receiver.
"Father."
"I see you've been busy in Vale. I had not expected to see my daughter make the news. Fighting a criminal no less." Carmilla stilled, hearing amusement in her Father's voice.
"I.. apologize.."
"Why? It's good publicity for us. That, and you kept the true extent of your abilities hidden, yet gave quite a satisfying display. Especially by showing up two actual Huntsmen. I suspect we'll be getting new recruits if we play this angle right."
Carmilla sighed in relief. Her Father was happy. That usually meant more rewards.
"That aside for now. How is the hunt for the target I assigned you on?" Chrollo asked, voice tinged with curiousity.
Carmilla replied right away, "It goes well, Father. I know who she is and where she lives. She's staying in Vale, having just opened a branch of a Private Mercenary Company here owned by her Mother, Raven. Her name is Yin Xiaolong Branwen."
There was a pause at the end of the line for a few moments.
"Branwen you say? I see.. This is interesting.. Can you get close to her? Friend, Neighbor, Lover, Coworker.. I don't care."
For a second, Carmilla felt her throat dry. Then she started to think about it.
'Well, I haven't tried women yet..'
"I'm sure I can work something out. I'll let you know once I secure a position close to her. But what about Salem..?" Carmilla asked, her voice even, as if she wasn't talking about an immortal witch.
Her Father chuckled, "I'm sure you have a few ideas. I'll handle Salem. Keep up the good work. I forsee a spot on the table for you soon."
*Click*
Carmilla grinned as her Father hung up. Sitting up from her hotel bed, she snapped her fingers and called Mercury over.
"Mercury come~ I'm in a good mood, so I'll let you service me."
Mercury sighed internally.
'When she killed my old man and recruited me all those years ago I was expecting to be a super cool assassin.. Not a manwhore. Oh well.. at least she's hot.'
"Right away, Ma'am."
-♡-♤-♡-♤-♡-♤-♡-
"Trivia, my lap isn't your personal pillow.." Yin stated, seated at a large office table.
"Yes! If anything.. It's my pillow!" Shia, who was seated next to her declared.
After the robbery, they had settled in the back of the new Branwen Valean branch office. Though it wasn't ideal for a location, Yin hadn't yet purchased a hideout or two for their future escapades. For now, it would do.
Trivia was peacefully resting her head on her thighs, Shia was sitting next to her and getting jealous, Emerald was giving Roman the stink eye with Nora and Ren (thankfully for Yin) was simply calmly watching things unfold.
"It's fine.. Leave her be. Trivia did good today." Yin stated, seeing Trivia pout and shake her head.
(￣︿￣) 'Nuh-uh! I'm Neo right now! I call you Mommy Ryuko when don the sexy outfit. So call me Neo when I look like a sexy ice cream girl!'
Yin quirked her brow and smirked at her expression, reading her thoughts from how expressive and animated she was being.
"You can still call me Mommy. But okay, Neo." Yin pat the top of her head, enjoying how red faced the small woman was.
"WHAET!" Shia, offended, stood up defiantly until Yin pushed her finger against her lips and shushed her.
"Sit. We have to talk still and we've messed around enough."
Roman chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "Good. I'm sorta tired of Ginger and Cocoa staring at my handsome mug."
Emerald snorted.
"He's so sleazy and.. smug. You're sure we need him, Yin?"
"Yeah! I pull of Ginger way better than him!" Nora, as always, dashed expectations and declared her superior.. Gingerness.
"Wha-I'm not... wait.. shit I am that Ginger, aren't I?" Roman gasped, feeling his locks between his fingers.
Yin smirked and shook her head.
"Yes. Everyone here will have a part to play soon. The Mistralians will be easiest to take into the fold, given I already secretly own Xiong clan. But to take the rest I'll need a diverse team with skills. Ren is a damn fine stealth option. Nora, Shia and I are the muscle. Emerald and Neo are our aces when it comes to deception and tricks. Roman is our charismatic thief, rallier and leader of basic mooks along with Ryuko. Any questions about roles?"
Yin looked around after asking, seeing Roman raise his hand.
"So you WANT me to be the sexy master thief I am and get us attention? Why?"
"Money, for one. Though it's mainly for street cred too. See, we need to be quite famous both in Vale's Underworld and Overworld. Draw our enemies to us while Yin and her PMC branch vow to take these criminals down and clean up Vale." Her words got Roman thinking.
"Basically, you want to double your political power. Fair enough.. I can see that way working. If they don't find out who you really are anyway."
Shia huffed, somewhat proudly and stuck out her chest, making her assets jiggle.
"Yin's style is quite different than Ryuko's! Her footwork is more graceful and showy, with an emphasis on the sway of her hips when she walks! Then.. there's the fact that Ryuko only uses guns and doesn't use Yin's speed boosts. On top of her personality, clothing style, hair and eye color being different.. it'd be hard to connect her!"
Yin nodded with a wobbly smirk. It seemed Shia noticed everything she put into her criminal persona.
"Ahem.. That's right. So unless anyone Judas' me.. We ought to be fine. Unless something really unexpected happens." Yin clarified.
Nobody wanted to jinx her, so they kept quiet. Until April burst into the meeting with an urgent expression.
"U-Um.. so.. there's an announcement on TV about.. Ryuko." April stated breathlessly.
Yin turned on the TV in the office room and turned the channel over to 'Vale City News'. Instead of Lisa Lavender, the usual reporter, Ozpin's face was on screen. An important enough announcement apparently, prompting the immortal himself to say something.
"Greetings, Vale. I'm sure I need no introductions for the majority of you. But for the rest, who may not know me? I am Ozpin. The headmaster of Beacon Academy. Earlier today, I witnessed quite a sensationalized crime. Some may hype the criminal up, some may not feel this is as serious as it is.. But let me tell you, it is. She has stolen millions of lien from the bank and as Huntsmen, it is our sworn duty to apprehend her. Rest assured, she will be taken into custody by our fine Huntsmen and Huntresses. And if you are listening, Miss Ryuko? I would advise you to turn yourself in before things escalate."
Yin felt a wicked smile make its way onto her face as the announcement was made. Though it was expected, it still gave her a nice thrill.
"Shit..! No mention of moi? The audacity! The nerve!" Roman scoffed, annoyed the announcement ended without a word of him.
"Next time we'll give you the spotlight, Roman. This plays right into our plans. April, prepare an announcement on behalf of Branwen PMC. That we'll be hiring to take Ryuko and her crew on. Let them know to place a bounty on us too. Five hundred thousand Lien." Yin said, kicking her feet up on the table and surprising everyone.
"You.. You wanna bring capable Huntsmen out to claim the bounty on you. So your notoriety raises, right?" Emerald was the first to guess her intent.
Yin nodded. "And it'll cement my image as someone against her."
April nodded and quickly ran out to make a few calls. Roman chortled and leaned on the table.
"You're crazy.. or confident? Both? To do all this while we prepare to take the other gangs and the Atlesians when they return.."
Yin shot him a smirk. "That pressure will be beneficial for us. Now let's get started on buying some property. I'll have to talk to Beatrix. I'm sure she knows some nice places~"
[AN: Decided to do ZZZ till the end of act 1. Then start Mirko, do some of that and switch up.
Also! Yin turns adult next chappy. Look forward to it..]