GOMU GOMU NO!~ Hey everyone, sorry about the fidgeting uploads for this chapter, but Fanfic has been acting up recently in regards to uploads and updates. Hopefully, when this chapter comes out it doesn't take too long. Anyhow, I'm going to be breaking off from Vacuo for a bit, and the character I've chosen will serve as an outside perspective to see how Hawkins' presence has affected the world of Remnant. I also nabbed him a few weeks after the Whole Cake Arc btw.

Now, in regards to Hawkins acquiring Haki. I definitely intend to bestow this gift upon the magician, but I felt like it wouldn't make sense to give it to him armament Haki this early. This is because Hawkins never unlocked it before Sabaody Archipelago, and his will and spiritual prowess are still crushed due to his PTSD. I did, however, give him something else seeing that Hawkins has been prioritizing getting physically stronger as a whole. And don't worry, in the fight, I've written between him and the former tyrant Bartholomew Kuma, Hawkins may unlock something he never knew he had.

Also, I'm thinking of making short sub arcs, probably 3 chapters at most, just so that I can flesh out some ideas and not leave too many characters on the sidelines. But I'm not too sure yet, I don't want the Vacuo arc to feel too bland and ongoing, but I don't want to chop it up and slow down the pacing even more. Please let me know in the reviews your guy's opinion on the matter.

With that cheers everyone and happy reading.


"Yes, what do you want Bastion?" Hawkins grumbled in his sleep. He was getting used to the random man barging into his mind every now and then, but the warm flashes in his chest were becoming more of a monthly thing.

"So you're heading north are you, Hawkins?" The man asked in a sarcastic manner.

"Yes, what of it?"

"Well, if you're headed in that direction then I won't be able to contact you up there. Thought I'd give you a heads up in case you needed me." Bastion chuckled.

"Why must our communication be severed? Bastion, please elaborate." Hawkins shifted in his bedsheets. The mark on his chest grew hotter and he needed water to balance the heat.

Rolling out of bed, Hawkins panted and strolled toward the flap of his tent. Unbeknownst to him, a little girl with mint hair had heard and seen her father leave the tent. Though she decided to give her father his privacy.

"Alright Bastion, what is this about?" Hawkins sighed. The torches of the camp burned brightly as the magician strolled through the sleeping camp. Only crickets and faint murmurs of conversation served to break the silence. Not wanting to discuss a sensitive topic with the ears of others present, Hawkins exited the camp and distanced himself a fair ways away.

"It's nothing personal Hawkins, it's just you're getting closer to 'her' territory. She won't take kindly to my presence being there, and will most likely snuff out my semblance." Bastion said bashfully.

"Her?" Hawkins curled a brow.

"Ah, don't think too much of it, Hawkins. You have your own problems to deal with, don't you? If you and the tribe are heading north, you're bound to run into Custard again. Do you think you're strong enough to take her on?"

The magician veered his sights toward the sky. A lone cloud drifted past, easing its way along with the gentle breeze as it covered the moon. Hawkins wasn't sure, to be honest, he'd acquired two new techniques with straw manifestation and his new ability to harden his body, but was rightfully skeptical when he considered fighting Custard again.

"Well, I have to go now Hawkins, may Oum guide you on a safe path." Bastion's emblem faded and Hawkins returned to the camp. He knew tonight would be a long night of tarot readings for sure.


"Bang!" A bullet drifted through the stale air of the desert and nailed an empty tin can off its rock. As Hawkins sat upon a fallen log, he shuffled his cards and watched over his daughter as she reloaded her new pistol.

"I-I hit it d-dad!" Emerald beamed a wide smile and turned to her father. She was grateful for her first gift, something she'd keep on her person at all times no matter what. Though the pistol was plain in design, it packed a fair punch and Brick told Hawkins it was one of the best the camp had to offer.

A standard obsidian colored revolver, its chamber held six slots with an elongated nose for precision. Brick stated the pistol could fire dust enhanced bullets as well, but since Emerald didn't have aura, she sufficed with regular ammunition.

Hawkins had taken Emerald away from the camp for the day and left Jaune behind. Though his son protested and whined, there were urgent matters Hawkins needed to discuss with his newest child. Within a clearing of the same forest Hawkins and Raven had hunted in a week ago, the magician opted to slowly approach his question instead of asking it right away.

From his observations, Hawkins concluded that Emerald was a timid sort. She had a sharp tongue, and could be rather petty at times, but was genuinely outgoing and quick-witted when around Jaune. These were good traits which contrasted Jaune's open and overly kind demeanor. With someone like Emerald offering him subtle counseling, Jaune would learn caution and sharpen his mind.

"D-Dad?" Emerald tugged on her father's sleeve.

"Yes?"

"Y-You haven't said anything for a while. Am I shooting the cans wrong?" Emerald pointed to the dented containers on the ground with the tip of her gun.

"No, I was just thinking," Hawkins replied.

"O-Oh." Emerald bit her lip. Jaune wasn't lying when he told her their father was a quiet sort, but she didn't expect him to be this silent.

"So... What do you do when you leave in the middle of the night?"

"You were awake?" Hawkins took note that Emerald was a light sleeper.

"I-I'm just curious. You always come back covered in sweat. I thought you only hunted and raided in the mornings and afternoons."

"I spend my time training Jaune at the crack of dawn and I spend the afternoon contributing to the tribe. The nights are reserved for my own personal training." Hawkins cracked his neck and ran his hands through his hair. Why did Emerald hold a look of bewilderment on her face?

"Is it because of that Custard woman Jaune told me about? He said she chased you out of the city after beating you up." Emerald winced when Hawkins' stoic gaze narrowed.

"Custard possesses a power I am unfamiliar with, but it gives her an advantage I cannot hope to match. I have been strengthening myself and challenging my limits, but I cannot seem to cover my limbs in that dark iron coating." Hawkins sighed.

"Iron coating?" Emerald tilted her head.

"Custard is able to manipulate her soul and body to manifest it into a mobile suit of armor. Ready to protect her at any given moment. I have achieved something similar, but I can only activate it when I'm still." Hawkins rose from his seat and picked up a rock as big as his head.

Throwing it high above him, he squatted and tucked in his arms with balled fists. The muscles and veins in his body clenched together reducing any excess air or space between them, and Hawkins became the perfect embodiment of a steel statue as a result. The rock crunched against his skull but broke apart on contact. Its pieces littered the ground around him.

"D-Dad are you okay?!" Emerald yelped.

"I'm fine, when I focus myself like this I have a high resistance to damage. It's unfortunate that I have to remain immobile though." The magician sighed.

Breathing a sigh of relief and muddled confusion, Emerald went back to shooting her revolver, as Hawkins sat himself down. He was correct that Emerald would be proficient when wielding a firearm, but the magician himself was not a sharpshooter. He possessed decent aim to be sure and was not unfamiliar with pistols and the like, but it was not his cup of tea seeing he was a devoted swordsman and all that.

Yes, Emerald would be a conundrum Hawkins would have to meticulously decipher, and there was one particular issue Hawkins wished to elaborate in private.

"Emerald Sustrai Hawkins." The magician narrowed his gaze and pocketed his tarot cards.

"Y-Yes, dad?" Emerald twiddled with her pistol and stared at the ground.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you." Hawkins huffed. It took some time, but Emerald eventually met the face of her father.

"Why were you in a cage when Jaune and I found you?" Just like that, Emerald was reduced to tears. She dropped her weapon and fell on her knees. She covered her face with her hands and bawled her heart out.

Hawkins grimaced at his daughter's strife. He was hoping to get a quick and concise answer, but the abuse Emerald had endured obviously left a horrible mark on her psyche. With great care, Hawkins leaned down and patted his daughter's head. Emerald, immediately lunged forward with open arms and embraced her dad in a tight hug.

Hawkins jerked back in response, still not used to physical contact filled with emotion, he awkwardly positioned himself to accept his daughter's advance.

"Emerald, I'd like to know what happened to you, but I can't predict anything if you don't give me some insight. When Jaune brought you to Madame Shyarly's restaurant, you were trailed by two men who claimed to be your brothers. Tell me, is this true?" Hawkins knew the answer to his question was no, but he needed to establish a genuine trust with Emerald first.

"N-No." The girl whimpered.

"The thugs who shoved you into that cage, were they affiliated with those men who followed you?" Hawkins prodded.

"Y-Yes..." Emerald gripped her father's shirt and covered it with salty tears.

"T-They said they had a home for strays like me, all I had to do was let them put a mark on my back and I'd become a member of their family. They'd feed me and give me clothes, even give me a pair of loving parents for myself!" Emerald's breath hitched.

"B-But they wanted to burn the emblem on me! S-So I got scared and fled into the city, but those thugs found me again and told me they'd bring me to a place for insolent children... When I woke up I was inside a cage surrounded by crates. Then... you and Jaune saved me..."

Hawkins remained silent as his daughter continued to shed her sorrows. When her breaths calmed, Hawkins slowed his head patting and asked if Emerald could draw the emblem those thugs wanted in the dirt. With shaky hands, Emerald traced the mark she feared. When she finished, Hawkins' eyes widened and a trickle of fear weaved into his heart.

"Emerald that mark..." Hawkins blinked several times to make sure he wasn't assuming things. Nope, that symbol could only mean one thing.

"Y-You know what that m-mark means d-dad?" Emerald raised her trembling arms for another hug, which Hawkins accepted with no hesitation.

His crimson eyes peering over his child's head, Hawkins cursed under his breath and sighed. A large circle surrounded by triangles, three above it pointing upward and one below pointing in downward, it was a sign Hawkins wished he never had to worry about.

"The 'stain' of the Celestial Dragons..."

"Emerald Sustrai Hawkins." The magician's voice shifted to a stern one.

"Y-Yes?" Emerald sobbed.

"If you ever see that sign again, tell me immediately and flee from the ones who have it. Do you understand?" Hawkins made a note to inform Jaune as well. The risks of the Celestial Dragon's reach could be all over Remnant and Hawkins would do his best to avoid their influence at all costs.

Emerald nodded and the two fell silent once more. Hawkins allowed his child to cry and picked her up with both arms. He carried her back to the camp, and when others asked Hawkins what was wrong, he returned their questions with a stoic glare until he reached the privacy of his tent.


"We're getting our auras unlocked?" Jaune cupped his chin and Emerald clasped her hands behind her back. Though their father had briefed them on the matter, the children were skeptical of their father's decision.

"It's not a process that induces pain or agony. Raven has assured me she has unlocked the aura of Vernal, so you two should manage just fine." Hawkins sighed. He tried to sound assertive, but his lack of experience in expressing support for others was a hindrance he needed to improve on.

"Er... Okay, I trust you, dad." Jaune nodded and stared straight into his father's eyes. When Hawkins turned to Emerald, the girl was meek in her approach.

"Can we trust what that leader says? You said so yourself father that she always has a hidden motive in her actions." Emerald muttered.

Hawkins remained silent but was impressed with Emerald's foresight. It was a good decision to accept her as his foster child, her hesitant approach would hopefully rub off on Jaune and strengthen his mind.

Despite this, Hawkins had spent the entire night performing countless tarot readings. Jaune would find the matter of unlocking trivial and wouldn't think anything of it, but Emerald... was a special case. She was naturally timid and her past experiences with adults were horrible to say the least. Not to mention a secret Hawkins wanted to uncover as soon as possible, but things as sensitive as his question took time and earned trust.

"The truth is, I don't really trust Ms. Branwen's motives for this journey." Hawkins leaned in close to whisper. "I'll be keeping an eye on her at all times, but I need you two to be alert as well. Eavesdrop when you can on the conversations that arise between the bandits, but avoid Brick. He may seem kind, but he's sharper than he looks. If you act too suspicious he may alert his leader. Do you understand?"

Jaune and Emerald nodded. They knew the risks of following the tribe, but if they were to abandon them now, they'd find themselves under siege by the rest of the tribe.

"Is everything loaded and set?" Raven surveilled the stacked wagons and carts, she took pride in how fast her tribe had managed to pack all of their belongings, but one particular blonde stood still in the middle of the camp.

"Hawkins!" Raven shouted.

The blonde man turned to address the authoritative tone. Pushing his children behind him, he led them toward Raven's tent which was the last establishment still setup. The four entered the tent with mixed emotions. Hawkins performed several tarot readings last night to ensure the aura process would be safe for his kids. If any result ended below 90% the magician would have refused the deal right then and there.

"So younglings, you're ready to take the next step toward becoming a hunter and huntress?" Raven asked. Her arms splayed out in front of her for dramatic tension.

Jaune and Emerald looked to Hawkins, who nodded in approval.

"I'll do the green-haired one first." Raven tapped her foot impatiently as Emerald froze.

"What's wrong Minty?" Jaune mustered a comforting smile but frowned when he saw tears swelling in the corner of his sibling's eyes.

"I-I'm not so sure about this Jaune..." Emerald winced as Hawkins pushed her forward. Holding caution in one's decisions was a strong quality, but too much hesitation will result in panicked and incorrect choices. Emerald needed to learn that.

As the antics of the mint-haired girl's cowardice ensued, Raven clicked her tongue in annoyance. She had a schedule to keep, and the distance between her and Haven's maiden grew by the second. Taking matters into her own hands, Raven stepped forward with an open palm. Her blood-colored eyes locked on Emerald.

"D-Dad!" Emerald pleaded and scampered behind the legs of her father. Her grip trembling, Hawkins felt a brief sting of guilt hammer in his chest. However, he understood the importance of getting stronger. Emerald won't like it, but Hawkins' decision would benefit her in the long run.

"I can go first if you want Minty." Jaune grinned and his sister nodded furiously.

"Stop it Jaune." Hawkins' authoritative tone startled the young boy.

"B-But-"

Hawkins shook his head in silence. His stoic gaze narrowed on his son, Jaune could do nothing but obey. Though he did offer a subtle apology to Emerald. Leaning down, Hawkins gently pushed his daughter from his back to his front. The girl pleaded with tears and excuses, but Hawkins wasn't having any of it.

"Emerald Sustrai Hawkins!" His voice calm but firm, Emerald fell to her knees and clutched her father's arm.

"Do you believe that this woman would dare harm you while I'm present?" Shaking free of his child's feeble hold, Hawkins clasped both of his hands on Emerald's shoulders.

"Look me in the face when I'm talking to you." Emerald kept her vision on the ground, but Hawkins nudged her until her eyes met his.

Fogged with tears, Emerald openly bawled and screamed.

"I-I don't want her to hurt me!" She wept while hiding her face from Raven.

Hawkins sighed. His assumption of Emerald holding some form of trauma was correct. In times like these, Hawkins thanked whoever Oum was for his meticulous tarot shuffles last night which regarded this specific situation he found himself in. In an act of honest passion, Hawkins pulled Emerald close and hugged her. Her head tucked in the muscular confines of his toned chest, Hawkins weaved his fingers through her hair with profound experience.

He'd observed moments when Jaune would come home crying after being bullied in the agricultural district, and it was always Sam or Carla who'd console him while Hawkins opted to remain on the sidelines. This time, it was the magician's turn to test his parenting skills. If he could convince Emerald to accept her aura in earnest, Hawkins could sleep easy tonight.

"This is a complete waste of time." Raven hissed under her breath. She despised seeing weakness, and this whimpering child in front of her was the spitting image of it. Yet, there was also a twinge of envy that wrenched her heart when she saw Hawkins' arms wrapped around his daughter. Though she did her best to deny it.

"Hawkins, let me unlock her aura already, we're burning precious minutes," Raven growled.

Emerald buried her head deeper into Hawkins' chest.

"This isn't something we should rush. There's a 67% chance Emerald will hate me if I make her go through with this without her consent. In addition to a 76% chance, she'll flee at the first sign of danger, you have no right to force her." Hawkins' tone remained neutral, but the soft and warm embrace he had over Emerald eased her trembling heart.

"I-I'm okay dad." Emerald balled her fists and wrapped her fingers around Hawkins' shirt.

"...Very well, Ms. Branwen, unlock my daughter's aura." Hawkins sighed.

Raven rolled her eyes but said nothing. She knelt down and placed her hand on Emerald's back. Moments passed, and Raven curled a brow at the results.

"... She already has aura." Raven deadpanned.

Hawkins was confused. Since when did Emerald possess such a thing? And how come she never mentioned it before?

"I... do?" Emerald squeaked. Her head tilting from her father's hold, she looked at him with honest confusion.

"That makes it easier for us then. Jaune, will you step forward?" Hawkins sighed. Allowing Emerald her space, she was surprisingly stubborn and nuzzled her head back into a hug.

"O-Okay!" Jaune jittered when all eyes fell on him, but he knew he had to be brave.

Pointing a finger to the sky, Jaune stood himself straight and beamed a goofy smile at the Branwen tribe leader. However, this time it was Raven's turn to hesitate. The burning sensation in her hand from when she tried to unlock Hawkins' aura began to return. Sure, in regards to the green-haired girl it was a simple task, but Raven assumed Jaune was Hawkins' biological son seeing their blonde hair matched.

"Um, is something wrong Ms. Branwen?" Jaune asked.

"You agreed to unlock the aura of my children Raven, I will not offer my services until your promise is completed," Hawkins grumbled.

With a hesitant hand and subtle nod, Raven leaned down and placed her palm on Jaune's chest.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul and by my shoulder protect thee."

The use of the mantra was considered non-essential, but it served as a focusing tool when channeling one's aura and Raven needed to brace herself if anything unexpected were to occur. A small bulb forming in the darkness of Jaune's soul, it sparked to life in a firework fashion.

"Jaune has very large aura reserves..." Raven thought to herself. Yet his aura was nothing like Hawkins. The young lad's aura was filled with warmth and desire. It accepted Raven's advance without question and flowed through his veins like a surging river.

"My end of the deal is done. Both your children now possess a tool that protects them and augments their power. I believe it's your turn to fulfill your end of the bargain." Raven smirked.

Hawkins released Emerald and stood. He understood the nature of Raven's deal but decided to uphold his end.

"We head north-east. There's a 65% chance of the person you're searching for being in that direction." Hawkins sighed.


While Hawkins and his fellow bandits gathered their supplies and resolve, another individual seeking some insight regarding the world of Remnant found himself wandering into a famous bookstore.

"Ding~" Chimed a silver bell as the doors flew open. The bookstore wasn't as busy today seeing it was a schoolday, and Tukson had only opened shop a few minutes ago.

"Ah, hello there, can I help you, sir?" Tukson's neck cracked to meet the face of the poshly dressed gentleman. He wore a magenta suit coupled with a yellow cravat and a black coat with a feathered collar draped over his shoulders.

"I'm actually looking for the author of your best selling title-rero." The man scratched his head. His thin, long tongue dangled from his grinning lips, and a pair of small round sunglasses sat upon his straight nose. His black hair slicked back it stuck up in a curl on the back of his head.

'A chameleon Faunus?' Tukson thought. His gaze narrowed as the stranger revealed a pair of exceptionally sized revolvers holstered on his waist.

Wrapping a finger around the trigger of his gun, the ominous man spun it carelessly as he eyed a nearby book stack of freshly pressed novels.

"I'm sorry, but we only sell the most recent releases of Sora the Warrior of the sea. The author is an unknown individual. A lot of people assume the writer is based in Mistral, seeing that's where the printing presses are." Tukson replied.

"Really-rero?" Using his abnormally large hands, the man scratched his cheek and looked around the store. A recent expansion had taken place since he last walked by, and many of the shelves were now twice their original size.

"Are you sure-rero? I could have sworn the author was a blonde man who went by the name of Hawkins-rero." This caused Tukson to flinch, and the gentleman's grin widened.

"I'm not an enemy mind you. I've read his novels, and his descriptions of the north blue in the series are undoubtfully an homage to his former life-rero."

"I don't know what you want with Hawkins, but please, keep this secret between us. I don't want to cause my friend any grief." Tukson sighed. He sorted a stack of papers on the front desk, but the stranger was persistent.

"I have no intention to cause him any stress-rero! I'm only searching for him because I think he'd be able to explain a few details for me. Hawkins is a very intellectual individual after all-rero." Tipping his bowler hat, the man pulled out a business card and handed it to Tukson.

"If you happen to see Hawkins, please tell him to contact this number as soon as possible-rero. There are a few matters I'd like to discuss, and I think he'd be interested." Bidding an unexpected and polite adieu, the man chuckled slightly as he returned his revolver to its holster.

"Well, that was odd," Tukson muttered. Veering his attention to the business card he was given, the humble bookstore owner curled a brow.

"Vito, a gunslinger mercenary and independant hunter for hire." Tukson hummed.