Setting: VRSZ Base

It was the day after the whole Facility fiasco and Violet was the first to awaken which she found odd because she woke up on her own. The norm in their base was that Remus would teleport into her room, wake her up by invading her personal space, and they would all have breakfast made by Silver. Today was not one of those days as Violet saw no sign of her young friend, but she didn't give it much thought. She knew he has been through a lot, so she expected him to stay indoors all day despite his usual positive demeanor, granted, he couldn't do much anyway with his weapon destroyed and being half blind.

Fully dressed, she walked down stairs expecting to smell food, but smelt nothing in the kitchen. When she walked downstairs she saw Zelts was the one who was awake and he had a grim expression.

"What's that look for?" she asked concerned. She didn't see it at first but he was holding a piece of paper.

"You'll understand when you read this, but please brace yourself," he said, handing it to her. Violet saw that the paper had some writing on it.

Violet, Silver, Zelts, I wanted to tell this to you guys in person, but I knew none of you would've allowed it. Also this is my first letter so please overlook any mistakes. The past few days have really been something. I learned about my brother, my real past, and the purpose Dr. Lupa had in store for me, to be her representation of perfection through a person's inner potential. After everything I've been through with you guys as a freelancer and all the training I spent as the Delta has helped me understand one thing: I am weak.

Together we were able to do amazing things. Defeating Terra Cotta and Turquoise, fight off Greyhound, eliminate Never-End, and stop Amilius, but like I said, those were things we were able to do together. I don't think I could've done any of that on my own and it bothers me how true that statement sounds. I want to be stronger, not for myself, but for you guys. It's no surprise to you all that I'm the weakest member on the team. Zelts is a better fighter, Silver is much more clever and I can't even compare with Violet in anyway, you're just too cool. If I get stronger I won't be a liability anymore and I can stand on equal footing with you guys, I want that more than anything and that's why I'm leaving. I asked Dr. Lupa to come with me and help train me like she used to, except better. She was against this too but I convinced her this is for the best, see, she worries about me just like you guys. Violet, I know you don't trust her all that much, but you trust in me right? So trust in me that I'll be safe with her.

Dr. Lupa said we'll be traveling for my training in order to get stronger and to find my hidden potential so I don't know how long this take but as soon as she gives the okay, I'm gonna come back home as fast as possible and show you guys how different I am.

Until Next Time, Remus Cobalt

P.S. Don't worry about the eye thing. Dr. Lupa said it will only be temporary. To be honest, I don't know what she means by that.

Violet finished reading the note and she was shocked. Zelts was sad as he kept his gaze to one of the corners in the kitchen. She tightened her fists causing the letter to wrinkle and crumble.

"How can he do this? We just got him back and- and he leaves without saying goodbye. I don't want to believe this," Violet said feeling hurt.

"I'm not too sure it was easy for him either. His handwriting is clearly shaky, I get the feeling that this wasn't an easy decision to make on his end. And at the bottom corner of the paper there are some traces of tear stains." Zelts inhaled a breath before speaking again. "He was right about us not agreeing to this, but I think this is what he needs."

"How can you say that?! He needs to be with us. Like he said, together we can do anything so why did you think him leaving is a good thing?" Violet asked irritated but mostly confused. Despite her tone, Zelts answered her calmly because he knew that what she needed this from him right now.

"You're not wrong, but you have to understand this is more than him just leaving, Remus... is on a journey of self discovery. He wants to grow not only as a fighter but mostly as a person. In order to move forward with us, he felt like he needed to be on his own for a while. If memory serves, you told me before how you faked your own death to escape your family to be your own person." The fact that he brought up her past to show the similarities made Violet understand much more even if she didn't like it.

"..." She had no way to refute his words.

"Then you know better than the rest of us that he needs to see this through. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have him back too, but this is necessary for personal growth. Besides, he said he's coming back, so we just have to wait."

Hearing his explanation did relax her a bit. Silently she nodded, letting him know she agreed with him though she was still sad about Remus leaving. "There's only one thing left to do, which one of us is going to tell Silver?" she said jokingly to lighten the mood.

Even with Team VRSZ down to three members, they continued their work as freelancers. Two weeks passed since Remus left and things have been quite an adjustment, but each member has made it through in their own way. However, things changed even more when Zelts got an email on his scroll from Lily. She told him that she has been travelling with the children who were former captives of Never-End and helping each of them find their old homes or help them make new ones, but roaming Grimm and their large group made it very difficult for her and some of the older kids to fight them off. Lily asked Zelts if he could come and assist her in finding safe places for these kids. She was near the border between Vacuo and Vale where she waited a few days to hear his reply.

Zelts informed his teammates about Lily's request. Violet and Silver understood and offered to join as well to help their friend, but Zelts told her that he wants to do this alone, surprising his teammates. He told them that Jasper collected children from all over Remnant and this was a task that will take a very long time to accomplish even with their help. Violet was reluctant at first but she realized that Lily really did need him more, so she was okay, taking it much better than when she did with Remus because she knew both of them will come back.

For another week it has been Silver and Violet doing jobs for a while, but Violet didn't seem to be her usual self. She accepted that Remus and Zelts had to leave, but that doesn't mean she wasn't going to miss them. Violet was thankful she still had Silver but the vacancy left by her other teammates was great. Silver wasn't a fool, he was aware of Violet's attitude and knew exactly what she needed to overcome this pit in her stomach, a vacation, some time to herself to help clear her head. Silver brought up the topic in the most polite manner he could for a sorrowful teammate.

"Get out."

"Huh?" she said not getting what he meant.

"Sorry, I'm being too mean, let me try a softer approach. You are a sour puss that is getting on my last nerves and you need to leave, get some down time," he said fishing for something in his pocket. He pulled it out before Violet had time to refuse.

"This is a ticket to an oasis south of Vacuo near the Vacuo-Vale border, nice place, very little Grimm attacks compared to Fortuna so it's relaxing. I bought you this with my own money and there's no refund, believe me I checked, so you have no choice but to accept. Take it, you neeeeed to unwiiiind. I'll hold down the fort till you return boss, someone's gotta make sure no one ransacks the place."

Violet looked at his face seeing beneath it all Silver really was thinking about her well-being. She let out a breath, smiled, and did something uncharacteristic of her, she patted Silver on the head affectionately. Silver reeled back in confusion as he looked at Violet's playful smile with fear.

"Dear god did she finally snap?" Silver thought to himself, thinking he may have done too much and he only got more scared when she started laughing.

"For me to be in such a pathetic state that even you picked up on it." She took the ticket from his hand and looked at it. "Very well, I accept your kind offer. It'll be a bit lonely without you, but I think I can manage. I can already assume you'll be using your free time to catch up with Bianca."

"...Maybe..." Silver said looking away from Violet who laughed at him.

Three Days Later

Setting: Airship Docks

Violet had a packed bag, ticket in hand, and a small smile on her face as she looked at her airship's gate. Behind her was Silver with his arms crossed and a grin. They made it to the time and place Violet's airship was ready to take off.

"Soooo about time for me to get on board?" she said to Silver a little hesitant about leaving.

"Yup."

"That's all you have to say? Yup?" Violet asked amused and Silver reacted by shrugging his shoulders.

"It's only a luxury vacation, you'll be back in about a month. Anyway I'm all tired out from all the goodbyes you got from everyone else, particularly Clair, she... wouldn't let go of you until Sterling and Blood intervened," Silver said and the memory made Violet giggle.

"Moreover, I'm going to be seeing all of you again so there's no reason for us to say goodbye. Just... I'll see ya when I see ya," Silver said uncrossing his arms then shoved his hands into his pants pockets.

Violet smiled at his words and nodded in agreement. Her flight was called and she boarded the airship, looking back at Silver one last time, seeing him wave her off before entering the airship. Silver watched from the ground as Violet's airship soared through the sky. Once it was out of sight he walked back to the base wondering what he was going to do for the rest of the day.

"I haven't seen Ghost in a while, maybe I'll pop by to annoy him."

Four Hours Later

Setting: Oasis

Violet's airship finally touched down on the ground and she was ready to get out of her cramped seat. Once she made it out of the transport the first thing she did was stretch her arms up as high as they could go. "Of course Silver goes for coach," she thought a little vexed but not so much that it would ruin her day. She walked out of the docks with her bag then began her vacation by enjoying a nice stroll through the town to the resort Silver recommended. Unbeknownst to her, someone in a cloak was following her.

Violet almost made it to her destination, but on her way there she couldn't help but feel like someone's eyes have been on her this whole time. She turned around to see nothing out of the ordinary so Violet continued on her path, but remained vigilant by checking her surroundings. It took her ten minutes for her destination to be in her sights but the presence of someone stalking her was very noticeable and she found it tiresome. Wanting to face whoever it was that was pestering her, Violet searched around for her target and didn't see anything out of the ordinary until she saw a tall figure in a dark brown cloak who disappeared the minute the person was in Violet's line of sight. Violet smirked because she already saw the unknown person and ran after them. Violet's pursuit took her away from the resort and closer to the Vacuo-Vale border where she could see the trees of a nearby forest. Whoever she was chasing was quick on their feet because whenever Violet saw the person it was only glimpses of their cloak, just enough for her not to lose sight of her mark until she turned the corner of a building near the edge of town. Violet surveyed the area but didn't see the cloaked figure in the town but in the forest right outside the town lurking next to a tree before her target ran deeper into the woods where she continued her chase.

Now that they were the only ones in the forest, Violet thought keeping track of the mysterious figure would be easy, but the person actually vanished without a trace. Violet slowed down to gauge her surroundings and to listen out for her target but heard nothing out of the ordinary. She walked carefully through the forests, ready to draw her Vorpal Swords if she needed to. Something was stepping on twigs and tree branches east of Violet so she walked there with caution and both her hands inches away from her weapons. She got closer and closer, but she took one more step and suddenly she was caught in a net lifting her up in the air, but being a quick thinker and having fast reflexes, Violet drew her Vorpal Sword daggers. She quickly cut the net open before she was hoisted too high up, then landed safely on her feet and when she did the cloaked figure came out and attacked her.

Up close, the figure towered over Violet but difference in size didn't make the girl falter. She tried to cut the figure down with her daggers but they clashed with a larger mechanical knife then received a swift and strong kick to the gut that knocked her a few feet away. Violet flipped to land on her feet again and moved in to fight again, but on closer inspection of the weapon she ceased her assault.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again Absinthe." When Violet said his name the hunter removed his cloak confirming her guess. The bounty hunter looked the same way Violet remembered.

"You'd assume that after you and your little friends beat me and tried to bury me under tons of rubble. I've survived far worse" he said.

"We didn't beat you, we sucker punched you and you know it. I'm big enough to admit we had no chance at beating you head on, I couldn't even beat you now if I tried," Violet said, appearing calm but looking for a way to escape.

"Defeat is defeat, it doesn't matter what form it takes. I'm big enough to admit I lost that day and it has only made me more interested in you, apprentice."

"Former apprentice, though I never planned to go along with your stupid ideas for me," Violet said, taking a small step back.

This didn't go unnoticed by Absinthe who moved too fast for Violet to react. He took something from one of the pockets in his flak jacket and threw it at her. The object was a small orb-shaped bottle filled with sleep gas that broke open when it hit the ground. The gas consumed Violet and before she could fight back she fell to her knees then to the ground knocked out. Absinthe walked up then knelt next to her unconscious body and ungraciously picked her up only to walk away from the resort and town to parts unknown.

Setting: Unknown

Violet woke from her dreamless sleep feeling surprisingly comfortable. Getting up she noticed that she was laying in a bed in some kind of wood cabin based on the interior of the walls and a nearby window displaying nothing but trees. Remembering that she was fighting Absinthe before she fell asleep, Violet quickly got out of bed, drew her Vorpal Swords, and got in her battle stance, however, she realized she was alone in the room. She carefully scouted the entirety of the small cabin and learned she was the only occupant despite finding clear evidence that this place does belonged to Absinthe. One thing that did catch her eye was an envelope with her name written on it placed on a coffee table. She opened it finding two things in there. The first thing she pulled was a letter addressed to her.

Violet Tulipe, it is clear that you are against my desire to make you my apprentice and become the greatest bounty hunter in Remnant, I've made my peace with that. I have a new role for you to play, the role as the world's greatest prey. The people you and your friends killed in Never-End left some important and political spaces empty throughout Remnant and the few that did survive, I managed to pull some strings and create for you a bounty.

Hearing she had a bounty again shocked Violet as she guessed what was the second thing inside the envelope. She reached into it and pulled out her new bounty poster which upset her further when she saw what it said:

Violet Tulipe, The Violent Flower of the Desert: $400,000; Dead or Alive.

Seeing the enormous bounty on her head disturbed Violet greatly, it seemed absolutely ridiculous to her why the bounty was that great amount. This was clearly put together by Absinthe in some way, but whether this was real or not is yet to be seen. She continued reading the message hoping it would help explain things.

This bounty will be distributed around the world in due time, but there are those like you who have received early copies, thus starting our game. Your goal is simple, survive. Bounty hunters, huntsmen, huntresses, anyone who wants to grab that money or think of you as an evil threat that must be vanquished will come after you non-stop, myself included. Your options are to fight, run, die, or win by completing one simple task, defeating me in battle. Once you have beaten or killed me the bounty will disappear, but that's only if you survive long enough to find me. And as a precautionary measure, I destroyed your scroll so you wouldn't contact any of your friends.

She reached into her pocket after reading this part to confirm his statement and it proved to be right. Even her wallet with her money was gone, all that remained on her person were the clothes on her back and what amount of Vorpal Swords she currently had in her possession. Grunting in frustration, she read what was left on the message.

If the destruction of your phone wasn't a clear enough message then allow me to be frank, this is something you must do alone. Contact or communicate with any of your friends and I'll kill them, simple as that, so don't get any bright ideas, my eyes will be on you at all times. Find me, face me, unearth what kind of person you truly are, hunter or prey. Take as long as you need, but remember time isn't on your side.

Violet finished the letter with feelings of entrapment and the creeping solitude that came with it. She surveyed the surrounding area of the cabin and saw there was no one around, so she walked out feeling nauseous being in Absinthe's residence but that feeling was immediately replaced with a sense of worry because she was no longer in the woods near the resort. Violet was in unknown territory with no idea if she was still in Vacuo, she could've been anywhere in Remnant right now and no one knew she was gone. She grinded her teeth in frustration which transformed into a snarl then a booming scream.

After releasing her anger, Violet's face was surprisingly composed. She took a deep breath then looked to the sky through the thick trees and thought of her friends. Violet thought of Remus leaving to grow stronger, Zelts going to help Lily with her mission, and Silver watching over everything in her absence. Violet did something out of the ordinary for the situation she was trapped in, she smiled happily yet mischievous as her eyes flared with great strength of will.

"Everyone's doing their own thing now," she said to herself because she needed to say this aloud. "My boys have been growing and I need to do the same... no, I need to do better than them to remain their leader. Absinthe, this game of yours may prove to do just that, if I can't win the game, then I can't cut it as leader of Team VRSZ." She started walking off in a random direction with the same determined look and smile.

"Boys, it may take longer than a month, but I promise I'll be back and you'll see someone worthy of leading you all." Violet walked further into the forest with her force of will shining through.

Additional Information

Violet's ending song is Shiki No Uta (English Cover) by Sapphire. She's traveling around Remnant all on her own yearning to go back to her friends, but as long as Absinthe was threatening to kill them she had no choice but to play along and find him first. The lyrics are her inner feelings about wanting to spend her days with the people she cares about, but is unable to be at their side. Despite being apart, Violet still thinks of them on her long and dangerous journey and her willpower and desire to see them again will be thing that helps get her through Absinthe's game.

The lyrics mention different times of the year in seasons and each season represents a member of Team VRSZ with Remus as spring, Silver as summer, Zelts as autumn, and Violet as winter. This part of the song explains how long Violet has been separated from her party with the signs of winter coming meaning she has been gone for at least a year. It is no surprise that out of all the people she's thinking about, her boys hold a special place in her heart.