FINGER NET!~ Phew! Sorry about the wait for this chapter guys, but I wanted to spend some extra time delving into the characters for this story. Now the spring maiden's character is of my own creation. They never really went into detail about the spring maiden before Raven, so I had to get a little creative with her from the limited information on the wiki.

Also, pls don't start any wars in the reviews guys, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I'm happy people are putting in the time to comment on my story so keep it up!

Anyhow, It's going to be a good while until I introduce a new one-piece character in my story, I don't want to overwhelm myself with too many introductions right off the bat. The Vacuo arc is on its final chapters, as a short sub-arc in the Vacuo ruins will cap it off and finish it.

After the Vacuo arc, I will also be making a 4-year time-skip. Bringing little Jaune from six to ten along with his sister.

One last thing, thanks for all the support everyone, I've finally hit over 100 followers Yahooo!


"These ruins are rather large," Hawkins mumbled. The ruins encompassed a good section of the area, and the presence of Grimm was surprisingly low.

"You would think there'd be a higher chance than 14% of Grimm being here." Hawkins thought to himself.

The tribe's bandits set to work on establishing the foundations of their camp in an open clearing, but their esteemed leader had other matters to survey.

"How far are we from the girl in the photo?" Taking a spot beside Hawkins, Raven eyed the towering lumps of stone. They were riddled with cracks and stacked half hazard.

"There's a 70% chance that she's here, but I can't guarantee anything." Hawkins shrugged.

"Oh well, at least the percentage is in our favor." Raven turned to a few bandits sitting atop a pile of crates.

"Alright, you guys, those of you who haven't been given orders to erect the camp, spread out in groups of four and start searching the ruins for the girl!"

The bandits nodded and withdrew their weapons. In small formations, they set out and began to climb the uneven walls and pathways of the ruins. Hawkins, on the other hand, held back. He wanted to announce his intentions after this expedition was over, and it was better to say it sooner rather than later.

"Ms. Branwen." Hawkins' tone was clear and sound.

"Yes?" The tribe leader quirked a brow. Hawkins had been silent the entire trip, what could he possibly want?

"If you are successful in employing this teenager under your banner, I'd like to ask to leave the tribe along with my children." A clear and blunt delivery was best. Hawkins could've used his cunning and hatch a plan of escape, but he'd come to respect the ravenette beside him so it didn't sit well in his conscience to leave without a warning.

"You want to leave?" Raven uttered those words awfully slowly. Her eyes narrowing, she held back a snarl and forced the corners of her lips upward.

"Why would you want to leave after everything we've established together? You're safer with the tribe than anywhere on Remnant, I can assure you of that Hawkins." Raven quipped. A slight vein bulging in the corner of her forehead.

Hawkins shook his head, he knew how stubborn raven could be, but he had solidified his resolve during their journey to the ruins. The life of pillaging and killing for survival. It wasn't the life Hawkins wanted for his son and daughter. If this were the grande-line and Hawkins still had a crew, perhaps he would've been open to the idea of raising another flag.

However, times had changed. Despite never blinking at the sight of blood, Hawkins couldn't bring himself to tear his children away from a bright future in Vale for his selfish feelings of nostalgia. Besides, the next book of Sora the warrior of the sea had missed its initial deadline, and Hawkins missed the days he could lounge about and write his novel.

"This isn't only about me." Hawkins veered his sights toward Jaune and Emerald. The two were sitting atop Funkfreed and chatting with Brick.

"Your kids will learn and adapt to their surroundings. I was able to and you did say you were from a similar background. Trust me, Hawkins, it's better for you to be with us." Raven tilted her head and flicked a few strands of hair behind her ear.

She couldn't afford to lose someone like Hawkins now. Ever since the blonde man arrived, his contributions to locating and plundering resources were too useful to give up. Not to mention... dare Raven admit it... she'd become slightly attached to Hawkins. Only slightly mind you!

"Leader!" Shouted a panting bandit.

"What is it?" Raven grinned.

The bandit pointed to a cluster of swirling sand clouds. Soon, shouts and cries of his fellow bandits rung in the air as explosions boomed behind the ruins of stone.

"Looks like they found who you were looking for." Hawkins sighed.


"I don't want to fight anymore!" The girl cried. She no longer bore the Haven uniform. Instead, she adorned a triangular chest plate with smooth shoulder pads and a dark green undershirt. Long pants with shin guards, paired with a set of metal boots covered her lower half.

Wielding her trusted weapon, Theif's Respite, Haven's maiden made a break for it. She shot towards the ground with explosive dust ammunition, and the result was a blooming sand cloud that blinded her pursuer's eyes. The Branwen thugs coughed and gagged, but a handful managed to shake free from their group and corner the former huntress once again.

"Look girly, we're not here to hunt you down or anything! Our leader just wants to talk to you!" The bandits yelled. Their leader's orders were absolute. Only defend yourselves if necessary, and do not harm the maiden unless no other options are available.

"You're lying!" The greenette screamed. Firing another volley, the bandits were forced to disperse and allow her passage. Seeking shelter in a broken entrance of the ruins, the girl fled within the broken stone structures. To ensure she wouldn't be followed, she used the last of her shots to destroy a leaning pillar of support. The debris clattered against each other spilling their remains and obstructing the entryway.

"Where is she?" Raven growled. By the looks of the destroyed area, she could only assume her target had been lost.

"We tried approaching her with our weapons sheathed, but when we accidentally set off a landmine, the girl thought we were assassins or something." A bandit shrugged. His outfit covered in soot, he padded the marks on his shirt and coughed.

"A landmine?" Raven narrowed her gaze.

Her subordinates shuddered and pointed to a cluster of holes and shattered stone.

"Was anyone injured or worse?" Raven sighed.

"No, we're all fine, if anything the landmines are just for show. All they do is send black smog into the air." The troupe replied.

"By the way, where did the blondie go? He was standing behind you a minute ago leader."

Raven's eyes widened as she twirled around. Hawkins was nowhere in sight, and neither were his kids. He wouldn't dare abandon her now, would he?!

"Search the area and find me, Hawkins!" Raven screeched.


"H-How did you find me?!" The girl trembled. Cornered once again, this time there was no way out. The clearing she found herself in only had one exit, which was being blocked by a pale man with crimson eyes and long golden hair.

The room was cramped with debris of cracked stone. The stoic man crossed his arms, and narrowed his sights on the shaking teenager.

"I found a hidden entrance under a pile of rubble that was shifted from the earlier explosion," Hawkins replied in a neutral tone. "Do you have a name? Or will I have to address you as brat?"

"Wait, you don't know who I am?" The girl asked. Her face visibly shocked, Hawkins curled a brow. Was she expecting him to know her right off the bat?

The magician cupped his chin. If she was a criminal her face would have been posted all over Vacuo. However, she could be a thief using her young age as a mask for her crimes. This was a conundrum Hawkins would need to elaborate on, but he needed to make the lips of the girl slip out some information for him.

"I am not a 'hunter' who's after your head. My orders were to find you and have you ally yourself with the Branwen tribe. That is all." Blunt responses often worked in Hawkins' favor. The girl was obviously frazzled and muddled in the mind. If he were to try and coax his way in earning her name, there was a high chance she would catch on and resort to desperate violence. Not that Hawkins minded of course, after all, the girl appeared to pose little threat to his person.

"You expect me to believe you? Ever since I left Haven I've been forced to run from Grimm and hunters alike. You can't blame me for assuming you want my head. You do have a longsword strapped around your waist and a steel armlet on your arm." She deadpanned.

"I'm not a man who enjoys wasting my time chasing after runaways unless they've done something to directly provoke me. Besides, I would have cleaved your head off your shoulders a long time ago if I wanted you dead." Hawkins snapped.

"I do speak the truth when I say the leader of the Branwen tribe wants you under her banner. Apparently, you possess a special power that no one else has."

The magician's words struck home and the girl appeared to be opening up. Her pent up frustrations forcing her face to wrinkle, she lowered her weapons but remained on guard.

"You don't understand! The responsibilities of this power I have is nothing but a curse!" She wailed. Her eyes filling with tears, she rebuked any advances Hawkins attempted.

"Will you shut up?" Hawkins snarled. Sick of her petty rambling about the weight of her choices and the expectations placed upon her, Hawkins felt a vein bulged in his forehead as he narrowed his fiery pupils on the now silent girl.

"All you want to do is shirk off your duties to society, I'm a former pirate myself, so I'm not going to judge the decisions you've made. I repeat, all I came here for was to offer you a chance for protection under the Branwen banner. So, will I have to bring you in by force or can you clear your mind and cooperate?" Hawkins grunted.

"How do I know there isn't an ambush waiting for me outside these ruins? If you want me to you then bring this so-called leader of yours to me and we'll negotiate." The girl sheathed her weapons and broke into a staring contest with Hawkins.

However, she underestimated his ability to maintain a stoic visage. As a result, the momentum shifted to the magician's side when she broke her stare, unable to match the ferocity Hawkin's displayed.

"Will you remain here until I come back? Or will you scurry off the first chance you get? Choose your answer carefully, I can tell when you're lying."

The girl shifted and rubbed her arm. She seemed timid enough, so Hawkins pulled out his cards and performed a quick reading.

"31% chance she will flee." Hawkins curled a brow. He didn't expect the girl to be so submissive after such a brief encounter.

"I found him Minty!" Jaune called suddenly from the hidden entrance their father had taken.

Clambering his way into the wide room, Jaune's hand slipped and he tumbled face-first against the ground. Grumbling at his misfortune, Jaune dusted off his pants and grinned when his gaze locked with his dad's.

"W-Wait for me Jaune!" Emerald nimbly climbed the uneven rocks and made her way over to the group. Standing herself behind her father, she tugged at his pant leg and peeked her head out to see who Hawkins was talking to.

"Hey, dad, who's this girl?" Jaune stood by his sister and pointed to the greenette who was staring at the three with a muddled expression.

"Y-You're a father?" The girl said with wide eyes.

"Yep!" Jaune replied. "My name's Jaune F. Hawkins, and this is my sister Minty. It's nice to meet you."

"Hey, don't use my nickname for my introduction Jaune." Emerald pouted.

"O-Oh yeah, sorry. This is my sister, Emerald S. Hawkins. She's kinda quiet, but she's really nice!" Jaune beamed his toothy smile and turned to face the now smiling greenette.

"So what's your name?" Jaune pressed on.

"I-It's Amaryllis." The girl gasped, cursing herself for falling for the blonde boy's genuinely kind nature.

"Oh, that's a nice name. So um, dad is she coming back with us to see the tribe leader, or is she staying in this damp and cramped room?" Jaune peeped at his surroundings. A trickle of water dripped from a few cracks in the walls, and a faint musty breeze brushed past his face.

"I will ask you again Amaryllis." Hawkins didn't notice, but his expression seemed to soften when his kids were present. "Will you come with me peacefully? Or will I have to use force?"

Placing his hand on his sword for emphasis, the girl actually agreed to accompany them.

"Hmph, she must have a weak spot for children," Hawkins muttered.


"Have any of you found him or the girl yet?" Raven hissed atop a ruined tower. The search had dried her patience long ago, and the tension among her subordinates were on the rise.

"They aren't in the northern part of the ruins that's for sure." Brick popped beside his leader with a pair of binoculars in hand.

"Leader, you need to see this. There's a bunch of trucks and armored transports bearing the SDC symbol. By the looks of it, they're on their way here. I don't want to overstep my boundaries, but I think we ought to get out of here. The Schnees don't mess around when it comes to their investments, and if they plan to set up a foundation here, I bet they have orders to kill on sight." Brick handed his binoculars to his leader, and she scowled when she peered through them.

"How long do you think it'll take for them to get here?" Raven growled.

"Wait, you actually want to risk staying around here? Leader, you're looking at over fifty armored troops and the equipment they yield is of Atlas quality. It's not worth sacrificing the lives of our fellow bandits for some goose chase." Brick pleaded with his leader to reconsider, but Raven was a stubborn sort.

"We leave when we've found what we came for, besides, the SDC vehicles have changed their course, it looks like they're heading to the east now."

Shoving the binoculars against Brick's chest, Raven leaped down from her position to alert her underlings. A bead of sweat flowed down the kind doctor's neck. He tried to shake off the ominous feeling growing in his chest, but no matter how hard he tried his instincts were telling him to flee.


"Miss Custard, we are approaching the mining location, are you prepared to depart?" Asked an armored soldier. His chest plate bearing the Atlas military emblem.

"Of course soldier, now could you leave me alone? I have a few things I'd like to take care of before I head out." Custard replied curtly.

The soldier saluted and allowed the mercenary her privacy. Once she confirmed she was alone, Custard initiated a call.

"Custard? Why are you calling me at this hour? I have a business meeting with the witch in a few hours." Carmel was in the midst of tying up her hair into a bun when her troublesome mercenary decided to converse.

"I have a report to deliver, Ms. Carmel." Custard's wicked grin stretched from ear to ear. A red dot blinking on a map displayed on her scroll, it confirmed she was closing in on Hawkins' location.

Custard was glad Hawkins was naive when it came to Remnant technology. For the violet clad mercenary had planted a tracking bug on his scroll, curtesy of Watts, and was fully aware of the magician's whereabouts. Though she was curious to see Hawkins' signal pinging in the northern regions of Vacuo. What would prompt him to venture into territories he knew would be occupied by the SDC?

"Ah well, you see Ms. Carmel, I've narrowed in on Hawkins' location. I ask your permission to pursue him, if I bring him in he'd make a valuable asset to your ranks. If he survives that is." Custard grinned.

"You're really set on this aren't you Custard?" Carmel finished with her bun and seated herself in front of her vanity desk. Pulling out an assortment of lipstick and makeup, she carefully padded her face as she felt a vein twitch in her forehead.

"Why can't you let this go? You've already devastated that blonde weakling once. Anyone weaker than you does not deserve a spot among my subordinates. Not to mention that recent addition to the witch's forces. He's already taken care of that pesky bird and his lackeys. So why can't you take after his example and complete your duties without a fuss?" Carmel groaned.

"I need to do it, Ms. Carmel! No one deserves to kill that bastard more than I do. His generation publicly humiliated my mother's reputation and assaulted my siblings! How can I turn a blind eye to this golden opportunity?!" Custard wailed. She puffed her cheeks like a spoiled child and stomped her foot against the metal floors of her transport.

"Custard!" Carmel chided. Slamming a perfume bottle against her desk, she narrowed her navy blue eyes on her mercenary.

"Are you certain you can bring me Hawkins' head? He's escaped you before, and I don't want to sever the ties I've made with Jacques because of a botched rebellion. And one more thing..."

The chilling tone that seeped through Carmel's lips froze Custard in place. Her arrogant facade vanishing with her paling face, Custard lowered her gaze toward the ground.

"If you ever raise your voice against me again, I will personally come by to set an example. Am I clear?"

Custard nodded in silence.

"Very good, now, I will permit you to hunt down this blonde magician, but I expect you to return to Mistral victorious. That isn't asking too much is it?" Carmel asked nonchalantly.

"Y-Yes Ms. Carmel." Custard had to muster all of her courage to utter a reply, and the Ms. on the other line smiled blissfully in turn.

"Good. Cooperation is key for any mission, should you require further assistance in claiming the supposed magician's life, I may send a more suitable force to rid him of this planet. But I'm certain someone of your talents should be able to dispose of the blonde pest right Custard?" Her words comforting, the tone which accompanied them was not.

The call ended with a beep and Custard felt her knees buckle and hands stiffen. When the former pirate first arrived in the world of Remnant, she was foolish and challenged Carmel out of arrogance, but quickly found herself broken on the dirt gasping for mercy as the self-proclaimed holy mother laughed at her weakness.

Since then she was at the service of the now esteemed lady Arc. Threatening businesses when they failed to reach ends meet. Then there was the occasional bounty missions Custard would undertake to entertain her skills in combat, but the criminal's Remnant had to offer were nothing worth noting.

Custard sighed, planting herself back on her seat, she stared out the window of the moving vehicle. She wanted to avenge her siblings at all costs, but what would become of her after she did? The thought of being Carmel's dog for the rest of her lonely life didn't seem too appealing either.


In the confines of darkness, where hope failed to shine and warmth is snuffed out, a woman of ivory skin and porcelain colored hair strolled through the conference room of her castle. Her black dress swishing against the black polished floor, Salem narrowed her eyes in impatience. A long table with staggering chairs took up the center of the room, with flickering candles that offered only a dim view through the murky windows. Though there was a chandelier, its violet complexion only served to dampen the atmosphere.

The doors clicked open and Salem's red irises burned brightly in their obsidian sockets. The first to enter was a tall and burly man. His skin dark and forearms covered in hair, he bowed upon entry and sat himself down in a centered seat.

"Hazel, you're the first to arrive. All is well in Mistral I hope?" Salem strutted over to her chair. Its size dwarfing the others around it.

"We've managed to secure dozens of dust shipments and despite the great loss we had in Vale six years ago, my men and I are on track." Hazel scratched his chin and sighed.

"Very good, however..." Salem was cut off by another entry. His skin fair and eyes darting around like a maniac, he grinned from ear to ear when he laid sights upon his master.

"Your Grace, I come bearing great news! I have located the spring maiden that fled from Lionheart's grasp and intends to pursue her after this lovely meeting!" Tyrian, a scorpion Faunus adorned himself in a white sleeveless jacket with matching pants and brown leather gauntlets. He skipped around the room while humming a gleeful tune and hopped onto his chair, both feet on his seat as he smiled.

"Excellent Tyrian, Lionheart's cooperation continues to prove invaluable. Make sure to visit him to ensure he stays that way when you have the time." Salem said with a smirk.

The pitter of small feet echoing down the hall, a young girl wearing a short red dress with amber eyes and black hair entered the room. Bowing to her superior, she awaited Salem's orders.

"Cinder dear, you're a tad early aren't you? I thought Carmel wanted you to train in Mistral for a little longer." Salem curled a brow.

"I thought it would be best to show the results of Cinder's training in person your grace." A blonde woman said with a calm complexion. Dressed in a blue nun attire, her heels clicked along the floor as she took the seat closest to her supposed master.

Tyrian clapped his hands in excitement, while Hazel on the other hand huffed. He didn't like the way Carmel went around doing her business, but he was smart enough to keep these thoughts to himself. He'd seen what the blondie did to Custard when she tried to challenge her rule, and that did not go well for the purple-haired woman.

Strutting to her seat, Carmel clasped her hands on her lap and tilted her head. "Are the other three here yet? They're always late and bring bad manners wherever they go."

"Patience Carmel. You'd do well to hold your tongue when addressing those two. It took me six days to get them to obey my commands, and while they are difficult to maintain, they're powers rival yours." Salem chided.

"Isn't loyalty the quality you hold in highest regard? Those three brutes are always butting heads whenever they're around each other, not to mention the chaos they bring whenever they decide to duke it out in a petty squabble." Carmel retorted.

"Oi, Oi, it's not my fault you're giving me garbage to work with." Grunted a deep voice.

All heads snapped to address the last expected guest to join the meeting. His skin somewhat gray, his black hair was slicked back. An assortment of rings lined his right hand, for his left was replaced by a large golden hook. A dark green shirt and gray pants with black shoes with golden buckles served as his main attire, along with an elongated coat that reached his ankles its collar lined with fur. His most notable feature, however, was a stitched scar at the bridge of his nose that stretched across his face.

His narrow, dark hazel eyes surveyed the room, and he quirked a brow when three chairs remained empty. One was meant for him, but the other two drew concern.

"Why isn't the pink feathered blondie and uptight leopard here? I'm wasting my time for this mandatory meeting, so why do they get a free pass?" Drawing a puff from his thick cigar, the man took his place beside Carmel.

Salem rolled her eyes. She knew this meeting was going to be a hassle with him around.

"Calm yourself Crocodile, the reason why you're having to put in more work than the others is because you were the first to defy me when you arrived here. The amount of Grimm you slaughtered with those sand powers of yours set me back quite a few years. Even then you decide to nonchalantly go about your business. Most of the missions I've assigned you haven't even been completed yet." Salem grumbled.

"Hey, I defeated that damn snooping bird back in Mistral, but you never said I had to kill him did you?" Crocodile smirked.

"Qrow is an exceptional member of Ozpin's inner circle. You should have killed him when you had the chance." Salem's patience was thinning.

"And how would that benefit me? I'd rather wait till he gets stronger again, there aren't that many people who I can cure my boredom and I don't want to put in the effort on the other two annoyances you keep around." His condescending tone earned the ire of everyone present, but one particular individual blew his top.

"How dare you speak in such a way to our grace?!" Tyrian jumped from his seat and unsheathed his bladed gauntlets.

"Go ahead and try it insect. I'll bury you ten feet under this time." For a moment Tyrian actually hesitated. The memories of when Crocodile reduced his mistress' armies to a few handfuls flashed in his mind.

"Stop it Tyrian, we have urgent matters to discuss, I want my conference room in one piece when this meeting is over." Salem scolded.

"F-Forgive me, your grace." Tyrian sulked his way back to his seat and twiddled his thumbs.

As the tension in the room dispersed, Watts arrived with a reasonable apology and took his seat next to Hazel.

"Now that we're all here, let us begin our meeting," Salem said with a content sigh and slight smirk.