The Way of the Maiden

by The Court of Talons

The world of Remnant is notable for warriors such as Huntsmen and Huntresses. It is also notable for the Mandalorians, groups of mysterious and nomadic warriors just as ruthless as the Grimm. This is the story of one particular Mandalorian, and how a chance encounter with a child leads to the adventure of a lifetime.

18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The Maiden

Years ago

"Are we all here?"

"Seems so. Can we start?"

"Not just yet. My wife and I are still expecting someone."

A blue haired man in a black suit and tie was sitting at a circular table, joined by four other men in similar attires. At his left side was a woman in a gold dress with long blue hair. She had a hand on her husband's shoulder and was smiling. At the man's right side was a young child, no more than ten, who was looking worriedly around the room. The man turned to the child and leaned closer. "Pay attention, Marcus. This is your first lesson."

"Yes, Father," the child replied.

Footsteps were heard outside two brown doors. The men at the table, save for the one with his family, were starting to feel nervous. The clinking noises outside, from both the footsteps and metal shifting against metal, made them remember just who their associate was expecting. Once the doors opened to reveal a man in green, scratched Mandalorian armor with a jetpack and rifle, their suspicions were confirmed. And their stress began to rise.

"Boba," the father addressed the man with a smile. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

"My work in Atlas isn't just with you, Mr. Marigold," said the bounty hunter.

"I understand. Come, we saved you a seat." Boba walked over to a seat Mr. Marigold was gesturing towards and sat down. The rest of the men, as well as the child, couldn't take their eyes of the famed bounty hunter. But they regained their focus when the patriarch stood up. "Gentlemen, thank you for coming. Allow me to get to the point." He began to walk towards a window, his wife following behind him. "It's been a week since that Gelé fellow married into the Schnee family." At the moment, he was looking out at the main building of the Schnee Dust Company. He gestured his hand to Boba. "I sent Boba to see how the man has been handling Nick's business. You bring news, I trust?"

"I've been watching him work," said Boba. "Come to understand his motivation. And it's clear his announcements and promises were just words. He has no intention of looking out for anyone but himself."

One of the men spoke up. "So, it's pointless then."

"Now, now." Mr. Marigold's wife turned around. "Boba didn't say that. All we know is that the man's an egoist. But he's also new to this kind of game."

"Well said, my dear." Mr. Marigold turned back to his wife. "It's clear he'll be playing against an opponent."

"Opponent?" one man in a gray suit asked. "How do you mean?"

This time, Boba answered his question. "His first order of business was engaging in competition against other Dust companies. I hear the Coal Shop is in danger of being bought out."

"Precisely," said Mr. Marigold. "He has an opponent. Now, I feel he needs playmates."

"And what makes you think he'll join us?" asked a balding old man.

"It's clear the man craves power," said the lady. "My husband's family has been running Atlas since before we were all born. Now, thanks to him..." she wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and smiled. "You all share that power."

"Exactly," said Mr. Marigold. "When I came to each of you, weren't your first answers 'yes'? What makes you think this Jacques fellow will be any different?"

"Well, you're right about that," a man with brown hair and a black suit answered. "But, I don't think Jacques is like us. He's not what we would call a...you know, a-"

"Criminal," a soft voice finished for him. All eyes in the room turned to the child, who instantly regretted speaking.

"MARCUS!" Mr. Marigold yelled as he slammed his fist against the table. His wife jumped back and coldly stared at her child. "What have I told you about calling our family that?!"

"I... I wasn't talking about us."

"Don't talk back to your father," said Mrs. Marigold, who leaned closer to the child's face. "We do not use that word. Is. That. Clear?"

"..."

"Ma'am, he has a point."

All eyes turned to Boba Fett. Mrs. Marigold walked over to him, but he didn't cower away. "Do you have something to say, Fett?" she asked.

"I do." Boba stood up. "Jacques is willing to do whatever he can to gain more money and power. But he's been careful to make sure his actions are legal." He turned to Mr. Marigold. "He's no mastermind." He then turned to the man in the gray suit. "And he can't provide muscle." He then looked across the table. "The only way he could be willing to do what you do is if his life depended on it."

"Hmm." Mr. Marigold put a hand on his chin. "If that's true, we can have a use for him in time. It's not like we need him right now."

"Sir?"

"I just believed we could legitimize our more... public work under the Schnee name. But now... we'll hold off any plans." The patriarch of the Marigold family turned back to his guests. "In that case, I think that'll be all." He turned back to the child. "Marcus, go upstairs. I'll deal with you later."

The child obeyed and walked towards the doors. Boba looked back and nodded.

---

Present day

"May."

The Huntress turned around, coming face to face with Boba. "Huh?" she asked.

"I said I'll be done soon. Just need to add a few more touches." He looked back down at his helmet, which May Marigold was looking at. When the Happy Huntresses left Nevarro with Fennec and the Mandalorian, Boba began to repaint the faded green armor. He had finished his jetpack and chest plate, and now he was repainting his helmet.

"It's looking pretty good," she said. "Might even put Robyn's outfit to shame."

"Maybe," he said. "So, are you gonna tell me why you were lost in thought or play dumb?"

"...What?"

"Hm. Play dumb, it is." Boba went back to painting his helmet, starting to outline the visor in red.

May sighed heavily before she spilled the truth. "Alright, fine. I was... thinking about him."

"His mission's dangerous, you're right. But I agreed to help that Mandalorian, and so did Robyn. So, like it or not, he's stuck with us."

"Boba, I want to help that Mando too. I... I was talking about him."

Boba stopped painting. "...I see." He looked back to May. "If you're trying to change my mind, don't."

"Oh, please." She rolled her eyes. "The prick definitely has it coming."

"My offer stands, May. Come with me, we can do it together."

"I don't know. Being a Marigold didn't speak great volumes in Mantle, and I didn't exactly gain Robyn's trust overnight. I can't help but feel-"

"Fett. Marigold."

The duo turned to see Fennec Shand sitting at the ship's controls. "We'll be landing soon," she said.

"Good." Boba turned back to his helmet. "I'll be ready in a minute."

The bounty hunters and the Huntresses were currently in a ship that belonged to Boba. It was an aircraft used by the Atlas military, similar to the Razor Crest. However, this model was slowly being replaced by the Manta for its use of missiles, turrets, and practical landing. The Huntresses' explained to the Mandalorian that the Slave I, a Bullhead painted green and red, once belonged to Boba's father.

"Jango was another bounty hunter in the Guild," said Robyn, who was talking to Djarin. "Trained Boba himself, even gave me a few lessons when I was a kid."

"You two must be close," Djarin surmised, referring to Boba and Robyn. He had been asking questions about Boba Fett, curious as to why Karga called the man a legend in the Bounty Hunter's Guild.

"After Jango died, my family took Boba in. He shared his dad's lessons with me, even helped me make my weapon." Robyn looked at her wrist and smiled. The smile faded as she continued. "But after I graduated from Atlas Academy, Boba and I began to drift apart. He's a lot more like his dad than he realizes. But even though our interests don't always align, he's the closet thing I have to a brother."

"For what it's worth, I'm glad they align now. Something tells me I'll need all the help I can get."

Robyn put a hand on Djarin's shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll find her."

"And from what you said, we're starting here?"

Everyone turned to a freshly painted Boba Fett, who was looking at a projected map of a settlement.

"Yes," Djarin said as he stood up. "This is the village I came to before I went back to Nevarro. The Branwen tribe should be... this way." He pointed to a dense field of trees close to the village.

"Fennec just landed the ship. We should get going."

Djarin had decided to continue his previous goal: finding the Branwen tribe. If he could find their Maiden, there was a chance she knew a way to find Cinder. Now, he was about to go into the woods with Boba and Robyn, whose green armor and clothes would camouflage themselves in the trees. May elected to stay back at the ship with the others.

"Fine by me," Boba said as he stepped out of the ship. "But I don't want to see a scratch when I come back."

"Relax," May said as she rolled her eyes. "It's not like we're going to take it for a joyride."

"Just be careful, May. This place could be crawling with Grimm."

"Don't worry. The others and I will handle anything that comes our way."

"Don't forget your first lesson, either."

"...I won't."

---

Years ago

"Now remember, the job has to be done at 8:30 sharp. That's our only opening."

"I understand, sir."

Boba was going over the details of a job he had been assigned by the Marigolds. When he had the cash in hand, Boba was to assassinate a rival of Mr. Marigold's in Mantle, who was growing powerful by the day.

"Good," said Mr. Marigold. "You'll find your payment in the dining room."

Boba nodded and made his way into the dining room, where he expected to find both his payment and the rifle he left inside. He only found a briefcase full of Lien. He looked around the room, but couldn't find his weapon. Which caused a sudden wave of anger to run through him.

"MARIGOLD!" Boba called out as he left the room. Both Mr. Marigold and his wife turned to see an angry Boba marching towards him. The couple was caught off guard, and Mrs. Marigold moved behind her husband.

"B-Boba?" Mr. Marigold choked out. "Wha... What's wrong?"

"You tell me," he said. "Is this your idea of a joke?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Someone took my damn rifle!"

The couple turned to each other in confusion and fear. This was the first time they had been on the receiving end of the bounty hunter's anger, and they wanted to make sure tonight would be the last time that would happen.

"Boba, I'm so sorry about this," Mrs. Marigold said. "We'll help you look for it." She turned to a servant girl who was changing the curtains. "You there!" The girl turned around. "Have you seen a rifle anywhere?"

"No, ma'am," the girl replied.

"Well stop what you're doing and look for one." The spouses and the girl started to look around for the rifle, and they didn't notice the sound of footsteps above them. Boba looked up to see his rifle dangling above the banister.

"What the-?" he wondered silently. The rifle moved away and disappeared. Boba caught a glimpse of a hand holding his weapon. Seeing that the Marigolds left to look for his rifle, Boba decided to go upstairs alone. Once he got upstairs, he saw a door on the holder close. He walked over and opened it, revealing a young child pointing the rifle at Boba.

"Isn't that a little big for you?" Boba sarcastically asked.

"Stop talking," the child ordered. "Take off your armor."

Boba softly laughed at this order. "You haven't thought this through, didn't you... Marcus, right?"

"I said take off the armor!"

Boba rolled his eyes, but obeyed. He removed his helmet and chest plate, leaving himself vulnerable. "Care to tell me why this is my last day alive?"

"I heard what you're going to do in Mantle, for my parents. I can't let that happen."

"So you want to kill me, and then you're parents?"

"Yes," said Marcus. He suddenly changed his mind. "No! Wait... I don't know! All I know is that I can't let my parents kill anyone else today!"

"So you think killing me will make things better?"

"I don't know! But I'm not going to let anyone take any more lives for my family!"

Boba kept playing along, but he was confident in his ability to survive. "Alright. But if you're going to do this, can I have some last words?"

"...What?"

Marcus felt someone grab his shoulder and whisper in his ear. "Always watch your back." He turned around to see Boba right behind him. He grabbed his rifle and pushed Marcus on his back. He immediately got back up, but noticed right away something was wrong. Marcus was seeing double of Boba Fett staring at him. But once the one on the left snapped his fingers, the Boba on the right disappeared. "And be careful about Semblances."

Boba pointed his rifle at Marcus, who suddenly cowered behind his arms and looked away. "No, no, no, wait!" He begged. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Relax," Boba said. He lowered his rifle and began to put his Beskar back on. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"You... You're not?" Marcus stood back up.

"No. And I'm not going to tell your parents about this."

Marcus was immediately skeptical of Boba's claim. "Why not?"

"Let's just say I'm curious. I've seen you around, and I think it's safe to say that you're... different. Right?"

"..."

"You have what most kids your age would kill for. Big house, plenty of money, and I'm sure they would look the other way if they knew what your parents did for a living."

"Well... I'm not like most kids."

"I've noticed." Boba picked up his rifle. "And you're either braver than most kids, or dumber."

"Well, brave or dumb... I'm still alive."

"Because I'm letting you live." Marcus lowered his head again, remembering the situation he was in. But Boba wasn't finished with the boy just yet. "You're ten, aren't you?"

"Twelve, actually."

"And you want to be like me?"

"Well... I want to help people rather than hurt them. But, I want to know how to fight like you."

"...In that case, I'd say you have about five years."

"To do what?"

"From the sound of it, you would do good as a Huntsman rather than a bounty hunter. In order to do that, you'll need to train for the Huntsmen Exam."

"You... want to train me?"

"I can train you when I finish my work each time I come. For the right price, of course." Marcus decided to take the opportunity that presented itself and rushed to find his wallet. Pulling out some Lien he earned as an allowance, Marcus handed it to Boba. "Alright. You got a deal."

---

Present day

The trio found a poorly hidden path in the forest. Judging by the amount of footprints, the path likely led to a group of people in the forest. As they walked, Robyn passed the time by talking to Boba. "Armor's looking good, Shamrock."

Boba mentally sighed, but decided to humor her. "I thought I told you to stop calling me that," he reminded her.

"And I thought I told you the name's fitting. I mean, you can't expect me to not think of something about your green armor."

"You're wearing more green than I am."

"I have a mixture of green. Your shamrock color stands out."

Boba sighed out loud this time. "I didn't miss this."

Robyn slightly chuckled. "Well, I did. It's good to see you wearing that armor again."

"...I appreciate you and your team helping me."

"We're family, Boba. You know I'm always a call away."

"So am I."

The Mandalorian didn't normally pay attention to this kind of talk, but there was something about the conversation that made Djarin slightly curious. "Fett, were you really taken in by Robyn's family?"

"I was," he replied. "Robyn and I were about the same age when my father died."

"But you look-"

"Older?" Boba removed his helmet to reveal his scarred face. "Robyn and I are about the same age, this is just... surgery." He quickly put the helmet back on and took point. Djarin turned to Robyn, who had a somber look on her face.

"Boba had an accident around the same time he lost his armor," she explained.

"Trouble with the armor?" Djarin assumed. He had seen other Mandalorians get seriously hurt because they didn't know how to use the armor's equipment.

"Let's just say... he had a bad fall."

"..."

After a few minutes of silence and walking, Boba stopped. Robyn and Djarin pulled out their weapons as Boba lowered his range finder. "Over there," he said as he pointed in front of him. Djarin joined him and used his visual enhancements to see a wall with a gate and two people guarding it.

"We found it," Djarin said. As Boba raised his range finder, Djarin made a plan. "I'll go alone. Stick to the plan in case there's trouble." Fett nodded and turned back to Robyn. They moved into the trees as Djarin approached the gate.

A man with brown hair in a ripped jacket with a red bandanna was standing guard at the large gate with two more similarly dressed people. They all turned to the path as the Mandalorian walked up to them. He only stopped when they began to draw pistols and swords. "I'm here to see Raven Branwen," said the Mandalorian.

The man moved his eyes up and down, taking a good look at Djarin. "We don't take visitors," he said. "Not when they don't have somethin' for us." The Mandalorian reached into his belt and pulled out a few pieces of Lien. "Uh... no."

"No?"

"Don't get me wrong, Lien's good n' all. But, we could use some of that Beskar you're wearin'."

Djarin sighed before giving his usual answer. "No deal."

The man pointed behind Djarin. "Well, then. Best be gettin' on your way."

"I'm not leaving without talking to Raven."

The other two bandits were simply listening in on the conversation. But now, they started to move closer to the Mandalorian. "Are we gonna have a problem here?" one of them asked.

"That depends," said Djarin. "Will you let me through?"

"Not with that Beskar."

"In that case... we have a problem."

Multiple whistling birds escaped Djarin's gauntlet and hit the two men in various parts of their bodies. Djarin grabbed the first man by his collar and threw him against the gate. Once he hit the ground, the gate opened and five more bandits came running out.

"Alright, what the hell is-?"

A bolt hitting the woman's shoulder stopped her from talking. But this caused the other bandits to attack Djarin. More bolts and bullets came out from the woods, helping Djarin pick off the bandits. The Mandalorian relied on his rifle and his fists for combat this time, not wanting to waste any more ammunition than he already had.

With Boba and Robyn helping, the skirmish was over even before it begun. Multiple bandits were on the ground, bruised and bleeding. Djarin picked one up by her collar and pointed his Amban rifle at her. "Take me to Raven," he ordered.

The other bandits were struggling to get back up, and the woman knew another skirmish would be a bad idea. So, when Djarin let her go, she simply moved to his side and gestured to the gate. "...This way," she reluctantly told him.

Djarin made his way into the walled camp, a dirt settlement with tents and crates all around. It seemed his armor had once again captured all the attention, as just about every bandit had come out of their tents to gaze their eyes upon the Mandalorian. The only ones who weren't staring at him were his bruised escorts, who looked at the ground in humiliation of being defeated. Even though their 'guest' had help, they weren't normally used to being on the bad end of a harsh beating.

The bandits and the Mandalorian stopped in front of a larger tent with a small wooden porch and a few stairs. As Djarin moved in between two torches near the first step, he could hear footsteps on the other side coming towards the front, and he prepared himself for another fight. As the front seam was pushed aside, a woman in a shallow cut black and red dress appeared on the small porch. Her black shorts, red gauntlets, beaded necklaces, black leggings, and long scabbard all stood out, but the woman's most striking feature was the white mask with red accents she wore. She looked like a Grimm, possibly to intimidate her tribe. But the Mandalorian wasn't afraid. Now, more than ever, he was ready to get answers.

"A Mandalorian," said the masked woman. "It's been a long time since I've seen one of your kind."

"I get that a lot," said Djarin. He turned his head towards one of the bruised bandits. "That, and a group of people who think they can take my armor easily."

"I can imagine." The woman removed her mask to reveal a woman in her late twenties with piercing red eyes and black hair. "I can also imagine you're here on some kind of business."

"I'm looking for Raven Branwen."

The woman put her hand on the hilt of her sword. "...Who sent you?"

"Another one of my kind. Bo-Katan."

The woman rolled her eyes. "Tell her our business is done. I'm not interested in Mandalore."

Djarin had suspected this young woman was Raven. Now, his suspicions had been confirmed. But he wasn't ready to leave so easily. "I'm not here for Mandalore. I hold no allegiance to Clan Kryze."

Raven didn't take her hand off her weapon. Normally, she would still tell the man to leave, but she was slightly intrigued. That, and she had a feeling gaining his Beskar would be easier now that he was in the wall. "What do you want, then?"

"To meet a member of your tribe. A Maiden."

"...There are plenty of them around here." Raven gestured her hand to multiple women in the area. "Take your pick."

Djarin mentally sighed. "I'm not here to play games. You know what I'm talking about."

"What I do know is that you're wasting your time. Take him away." Raven began to walk back inside her tent, but a red blast nearly hitting her head stopped her from moving.

"Don't make me kill you too!" Djarin threatened, losing all sense of formality.

"That's enough!" one of the bandits yelled. Djarin turned to face a man with a scar pointing a sword at him. "You show respect to our leader!"

Djarin turned his body toward him, and held out his hands far from any weapons. "...Make me."

The man looked towards his allies in disbelief. But nobody was stopping him from challenging the Mandalorian. Forgetting about how the people of the gate failed to stop him, the man boldly ran towards Djarin and swung his sword.

Only to make contact with thin air.

The man looked around, and heard a sound from behind him. Turning around, he saw the Mandalorian pointing his rifle at him. Djarin pulled the trigger and watched the bandit turn to dust. The rest of the tribe was stunned by the sight, but immediately charged towards him when they saw he was reloading.

"Enough!" Raven called out. Everyone turned back to her as she explained herself. "If you people don't keep it together, this place will be crawling with Grimm." She then turned to the Mandalorian. "You. In my tent. Now."

---

Raven had just finished pouring two cups of tea. She took a sip, but the Mandalorian didn't touch his cup. "It's better when it's hot," she said.

"I can't stay long," said the Mandalorian.

Raven put down her cup. "What do you know about the Maidens?"

"Nothing. I'm not interested in learning about your Maiden's power, I need her help."

"I'm not sure if you noticed, but my tribe isn't a business for hire. Unless you have a reason for-"

Djarin pressed a few buttons on his left gauntlet. A blue screen appeared with an image of Cinder. Pressing another button, the image moved. This was a video Cinder asked Djarin to make, she wanted to show him something she said was special.

"Alright, it's recording. Show me what you can do."

"Okay, here I go." The video showed Cinder begin to make two balls of fire in her hands. Her eyes began to burn as the fire grew brighter. Flying over to a tree, she began to burn the bark.

"Hey, be careful. Don't get too close."

"Don't worry, I did this one other time."

"What are you doing?"

"Just one more... Okay, have a look." The camera began to move closer to the tree, and it showed a burnt image of the Mythosaur skull, right on the base of the tree. "What do you think?"

"Another trick, huh?" The camera moved down to the young girl and a hand patted her head. "Not bad, kid." The video ended with an image of Cinder smiling. Djarin smiled under his helmet before he turned off the screen. Raven, on the other hand, was dumbfounded by what she had just seen.

"...You found another Maiden," she said.

"Yes," said Djarin. "We've been travelling together for some time now."

Raven stood up and looked outside the tent flap. "Where is she? Outside the wall?"

"...I don't know where she is." Raven turned back to the Mandalorian. "She was kidnapped a few hours ago, I need to-"

Raven grabbed his arm and looked into his visor. A scowl formed on her face when she asked another question. "Does she have her?"

"What?"

"Does. She. Have her?"

"...The Atlesian insurrectionists took her. Them, and more of my kind."

"..."

Raven let go of his arm and walked towards the wall of the tent, lost in thought. Djarin was confused by the immediate change in her attitude, it was almost as if she was afraid something bad happened to Cinder. That she was taken by someone else. And he had a feeling as to who the woman was talking about. "You were talking about Salem, weren't you?"

Raven turned back to him. "...Yes," she confirmed.

"So you're telling me she exists? That Salem's real?"

"I am."

Djarin now knew that the Armorer was telling them the truth all along. He also knew that finding Ozma was still one of his priorities, that he would need to do after getting Cinder back from Gideon. "As I was saying earlier, I need to speak with your Maiden. Is there anything she can do to help?"

"I'm afraid the Maiden powers are all separate by nature," said Raven. "One person can possess one of the four powers, but they're not linked. So, if your goal was to see if we can track your Maiden using mine... I can't help you."

This was Djarin's plan. And hearing that it wouldn't work made his heart break for the second time today. He had come all this way for nothing, it would seem. But he wasn't ready to give up. And based on what happened earlier, he had to choose his words carefully.

"Please... there has to be something you can do."

Raven took a moment to consider the Mandalorian's pleas for help. Normally, she wouldn't involve herself in business as risky as working with a Mandalorian, or business that would have Salem in her sights. But given the circumstances, she knew something had to be done. So, she took another sip of her tea before speaking again. "Suppose I knew a way to help you," she said. "What are your plans with the child?"

"I've been quested to bring her to an enemy of Salem. A man named Ozma."

Raven hadn't heard the name before, but she knew who Djarin was talking about. "Bad idea. He can't help you either."

"You know him, too?"

"I do."

"Then you can-"

"No. If you want my advice, keep that girl as far away from those two as possible." A small hint of a smile formed on her face. "The tribe always has room for-"

"I didn't ask for your opinion." Djarin stood up. "I asked you about Cinder."

"Hmph." Raven stood up with the Mandalorian and put a hand on her sword's hilt. "You really should watch your tone. If anyone else was here, they wouldn't be very happy."

"If you hadn't noticed, nobody else is here."

"Is that a threat?"

The Mandalorian quickly got a hold of himself, realizing what he was about to do. "...No." Djarin sat back down. "You don't want me to find Ozma? Fine. But I need to find Cinder. And I think you're the only one who can help."

Raven removed her hand from her weapon. "Keeping her away from Ozma is for your own good... not mine. But since you only care about that girl... I'll help you." She walked over to the tent flap. Gesturing her hand, Raven stepped aside as a teenage girl came inside the tent. The girl had green eyes with red hair and had a set of knives around her waist. She was wearing combat gear similar to the rest of the bandits, but she wore no armor.

"You're the Maiden?" he assumed.

"Yeah... that's me," the girl shyly said. Extending her hand, a small fire formed in her palm. Her eyes began to burn a purple fire, just like Cinder's. The fire died down quickly, and the girl moved her hand, as if she wanted to shake the Mandalorian's hand. "My name's Hera."

"She joined us a few days before I met Bo-Katan," said Raven. "She asked for help clearing her island of Grimm and making craters using Hera's power."

The Mandalorian didn't shake Hera's hand, but instead looked back to Raven. "I thought you said the powers were separate," he said.

"They are," she replied. "But I think we can still use Hera's powers to help you."

"How so?"

The girl lowered her hand and Raven walked next to her. "What do you know about the Maiden's powers?"

"Just that they exist. I don't know anything else."

Hera spoke up again. "We'll be using them now, so you should know the powers are... well, a key."

"A key?"

"When I got these powers, Oz told me my job was to look over Haven Academy, that I was supposed to be its protector. That, and I lot of other things I wasn't ready for. And from what I learned from Raven, I made the right choice leaving."

"Can you... unlock something? What's the key for?"

Raven answered for Hera this time. "What I'm about to tell you stays in this tent. If I find out you told anyone else..." Raven tapped her sword. "I'll make sure you, and anyone else you told, won't speak of it again."

The Mandalorian didn't respond to threats very well, he always took them as challenges. But given the circumstances and situation he was in, he agreed to her terms. "I promise these secrets will be shared with no one," he said. "Now, what are you protecting?"

Hera looked to Raven, who nodded. Taking a breath, Hera answered him. "A Relic."

"What?"

"Haven and the other academies hide old and powerful items under everyone's noses. Only a few know about the Relics, and where they are. The students and staff don't know about them, but trying to steal something from a school filled with trained warriors would be pretty dumb."

"How can this help me?"

"The night I got the powers... I was spying on Oz. I saw him use the Relic, and when he found out what I did, he told me everything. Even gave me the chance to... Never mind. My point is, if we can get inside Haven Academy, you can use the Relic to find what you're looking for."

Raven opened the tent flap. "Most of the students are on break, but there are still Huntsmen and Huntresses looking after the school. If you can find a way inside, Hera can lead you to the Relic."

"I understand," said Djarin. He stood up and left the tent. Before Hera followed him, Raven put a hand on her shoulder.

"He says all he wants is to find the other Maiden. But if he tries anything else, kill him."

Hera's eyes widened. "Raven, I can't-"

"Hera, you trained for this." She gripped the girl's shoulder harder. "If he tries anything else, kill him."

---

Haven Academy's break was a rather long one, like every other academy in Remnant. It had only been a couple of weeks, and students weren't supposed to return for three more months. The only people that remained were the Headmaster and hired Huntsmen and Huntresses looking for easy work. But even with their presence, the halls of Haven Academy were incredibly silent. They were so silent, anyone could hear a pin drop to the floor.

"This job is boring," one Huntress said to her partner, not enjoying the silence of the academy.

"Boring?" her partner asked, who was sitting down and reading a book. "I told you to bring something to entertain yourself."

"Like what, a book? No thanks, nerd."

"Okay, now you're just being mean."

"Yeah, well, the truth hurts."

The other Huntress sighed and put down her book. "Looks like I'm not gonna do any reading today."

"Yeah, and it looks like I chose the wrong week to quit smoking." The Huntress was tapping her fingers on her weapon, craving a cigarette at the moment. "Come on, I need something to keep my mind off the temptation to grab a quick smoke."

"Alright, fine. You hear about Schnee?"

"Yeah, I already know he got arrested. So what?"

"No, I'm talking about how he died."

The Huntress immediately forgot about smoking. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, his trial was supposed to be next week. But they found him dead in his cell yesterday."

"You're joking!"

"No, I'm serious. You know how he almost died about a month ago? Well, that iron lung he got broke inside him. His throat couldn't take any more oxygen, he choked to death."

"Oh, damn. How's his family taking it?"

"I dunno, they seemed fine during the press conference. His wife's taking over the business until someone else steps up. But believe you me, those sound like big shoes to fill."

"No arguments there."

The other Huntress got back to her book. "So the moral of the story is, if you're thinking about going out for a smoke, don't."

"Why does that matter? I thought he got that thing because he was shot."

"He was. But you would need one like it if you kept smoking. And now, the thing that should have saved him got him killed. I see a lesson here. Do you see one?"

"Well, when you put it like that... yeah."

"Okay, then. So don't do it."

The first Huntress was about to say something to her partner, but stopped herself. She turned to one of the windows and looked outside. Pressing her ear against the glass, she turned back to her partner. "Brooke? I think we need to go outside," she said.

The other Huntress threw her book down and slapped her forehead. "Hannah, didn't I just say not to go out for a smoke? You really wanna-?"

"No, something's wrong. Listen."

When Brooke stopped talking, she was able to hear a faint sound coming from outside. Moving closer to her partner, she could make the sounds out better. They sounded like...

"Are those gunshots?" she asked. "Who's outside?"

"I think it's Avery," Hannah replied.

"What the hell is he shooting at?"

"I don't know, but he-"

*CRASH*

The Huntresses turned around at the distant sound of a door breaking open. The gunfire stopped outside, which caused the duo to realize what was going on.

"He needs help," Brooke said. "Come on!"

The two ran through the halls of the academy, coming out to the main atrium. From the top of a stone statue the two were standing on, the Huntresses could see the intruders standing in between a broken doorframe and on top of an unconscious man. Both women widened their eyes at the sight of a Mandalorian and a teenage girl staring back at them.

"What do you-?"

*BANG*

A red blast hit Hannah in the chest and caused her to stumble. Brooke took this as a sign to run down the stairs and show these intruders the exit.

From an earlier surveillance, Djarin saw that the academy didn't have that many guards. Hera had suggested they sneak around the grounds using his Semblance, but Djarin didn't want to waste any more time. He knew it would cause trouble, but he decided to enter in a very abrupt way. Nothing was going to stop him now. Not even the Huntresses who stood in his way.

Brooke rushed towards the Mandalorian to disarm him, but he simply vanished into thin air. This left her open to an uppercut from Hera. The attack launched Brooke backwards and into a headlock by the Mandalorian. He teleported again, this time up in the air. Dropping her and using his jetpack to stay in the air, Djarin watched as the Huntress fell on her leg.

Hannah regained her composure and saw her injured partner, who was limping and shooting at the Mandalorian. Hannah jumped down to join her, but felt her feet become stuck to the floor. Looking down, she saw a block of ice had trapped her to the ground. The distraction caused her to be vulnerable to Hera rushing her and punching her in the face with a fiery fist. Hannah's feet broke free and she was sent flying into the statue. She hit the ground, unconscious.

Just as the second Huntress fell to the ground, a door to the left burst open. A Faunus with a brown beard and lion's tail stepped out. On his left arm was a kind of shield with a red sphere on top. "I don't know who you are," he said as armed his weapon. "But you are trespassing on-" He stopped talking when his eyes landed on Djarin. The Mandalorian made eye contact with him, and once he did, he used his Semblance to grab him by the throat, punch his gut, and push him against the wall.

"I remember you," said Djarin, each word laced with anger. "Cinder's 'protector'."

"Ye-Yes!" Lionheart exclaimed, smiling a nervous smile. "And I remember you, too! I'm glad that you-"

"Where is she?"

The smile disappeared. "Wh... What? I don't-"

"Where's Cinder?"

"I don't know. How... How could I know?"

Djarin pulled out his blaster and pointed it at the Faunus' throat. "She's gone. Where is Watts keeping her?"

"I don't know!"

Djarin threw Lionheart away from the wall and he hit the statue. Djarin immediately kicked him in the gut twice before Hera stepped in front of him. "He can open the path to the Relic," she told him. Hera then turned to the sniveling Headmaster. "Do it."

The Faunus stood up and weakly moved to the statue. Djarin saw him reaching into his pocket, so he placed a hand on his pistol. But Lionheart simply pulled out a pocket watch and placed it on a certain part of the statue. Suddenly, it began to lower into the floor

Just as the elevator continued to descend, Lionheart was about to step on. But a hand grabbing his hair and pulling him back stopped him. The Mandalorian turned him around and watched as the elevator continued to descend. After it was about five feet below the surface, Djarin held the Headmaster over the side.

"Wha... What are you doing?!" Lionheart yelled. "Let me go!"

"Be careful what you ask for," said Djarin. "Where's Cinder?"

"I told you, I don't know! He only lets me know what he wants me to do, I-GAH!" Lionheart began to lean closer to the edge. Djarin was ready to drop him until he heard a click from behind. Fiona was pointing the crossbow end of her staff at the Mandalorian's head. The Happy Huntresses were waiting outside in case things went bad, and they had just entered the building. When Fiona saw what was going on, she decided to put an end to it.

"Mando, let him go," said Fiona. "He doesn't know anything else."

"I don't care. He's part of the reason Cinder was taken," Djarin argued. "That she was experimented on like some animal."

"Please, I tried to make him stop!" Lionheart held Djarin's arm. "But listen, I can still be of assistance! If you take me with you, I can find a way to talk to Arthur, I'll do whatever it takes!"

"..."

The Mandalorian only tightened his grip and moved him closer to the edge. Fiona grabbed his arm and looked into his visor. "Mando, stop! You don't need to kill him!"

"Step aside. This doesn't involve you."

"Killing him won't make up for anything! Cinder's still gone, but it wasn't your fault. You can't take your anger out on him!"

"This isn't about me. He hurt her once, he can do it again."

"Yeah, that's it! This is all about Cinder, isn't it? Is this what she would want?"

"..."

Fiona saw his silence as an opportunity to talk some sense into the Mandalorian. So, she continued. "Mando, you were telling us that you want to adopt her, right? That you want to be her father?" Djarin looked over to the Faunus and nodded. "You want to keep her safe, which is great. That was always my dad's main priority when he raised me. But he also made sure not to do anything like this."

"..."

"He had to face all kinds of adversity in Mantle. People called him out, tried to hurt both him and me. He fought back, but he never crossed a line. Because he knew if he did, I would do the same thing. And that was the best thing he ever did for me."

"..."

"If you raise Cinder like this, needlessly hurting and killing people on a whim, she'll do the exact same thing. Her life will be about nothing but pain, violence, and death. Is that what you want?"

"..."

She had a point. This was one of the doubts Djarin had about his ability to be Cinder's father. She would end up just like him, for better or worse. "Please... Please, she wouldn't want that," Lionheart pleaded. Djarin immediately looked back at him. Fiona's words were very wise, but there was no excuse for what Lionheart did. "Please, I'll do anything!" Now the Faunus was being pathetic.

"When will it end, Mando?" He turned back to the desperate woman, realizing she was right. Fiona lowered her weapon and held out her hand for Lionheart. "When will it end?" The Mandalorian looked back at the sniveling Headmaster, knowing what to do next.

"Tomorrow."

He let go of Lionheart, who desperately tried to regain his balance. Fiona reached out to grab him, but it was too late. Leonardo Lionheart screamed as he fell down the shaft, without an Aura and without anyone to help him. Both the Mandalorian and Fiona could hear the scream bounce off the chamber walls, until nothing more... could be heard.

Fiona's legs turned to jelly and she hit the floor. The Mandalorian wasn't concerned, he didn't even turn to see the rest of the Happy Huntresses run up to the shocked Huntress. "Fiona, are you alright?" Robyn asked. The Faunus said nothing, she continued to stare off into the chasm.

"What is wrong with you?!" Joanna screamed. "You didn't need to kill him!"

"I didn't need him alive either," the Mandalorian replied. He then turned to Hera. "Let's go." The two jumped into the chasm, leaving Fiona in shock and the rest of the Huntresses to try to snap her back to reality. The fall wasn't a very long one, so Hera and Djarin were able to stop themselves from hitting the ground like the former Headmaster did. Djarin deactivated his jetpack and began walking towards a large golden door. "This is it?" he asked the girl. "This is where we'll find the Relic?"

"Yes," said Hera. She stopped in front of the door and began to extend her hand. "I've never opened it before, but I think all I need to do is-" Her hand touched the door and mechanical creaking was heard. The duo stepped back and prepared themselves for another fight. But the door simply folded open and the gold disappeared. In its place was another path that led to some kind of desert. Djarin looked inside and saw a small stone with a golden object resting on it. Hera saw it too. "That has to be it." Djarin was about to walk inside, but stopped himself.

"Do you know how it works?" he asked.

"The night I learned everything, Oz said the word 'Jinn', then asked his question. Maybe you should try it."

Djarin began to walk inside again, but Hera remained outside the door. The Mandalorian's footsteps were imprinted in the sand, and his vision became slightly disoriented. But he was able to see the Relic in front of him as clear as day. It was some kind of gold, ornate lamp with a blue center. Taking a chance, he leaned closer to it and spoke. "Jinn."

The lamp suddenly began to release blue smoke which moved around the Mandalorian. He took out his pistol and pointed it to the smoke, following its movement. The smoke started to take form, gold chains appearing on a woman's body. Djarin stared in awe at the female spirit that just appeared in front of him. She stretched her arm in the air and giggled. "Wonderful," she said. She turned her gaze to the man below her. "Hello, Mandalorian. Do you have a question for me?"

"I..." Djarin was so surprised by the miracle that he couldn't even form a sentence. The spirit took note of this and began to explain herself.

"I am Jinn, a being created by the God of Light to aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. I've been graced with the ability to answer three questions every one hundred years. And by my count, you would be asking the second question."

Djarin's head began to fill with more and more questions. God of Light? Pursuit of knowledge? What did that mean?

But he quickly remembered the reason he came to Haven in the first place. Pressing a button on his gauntlet, a blue screen appeared with an image of Cinder. He showed it to the spirit and asked his question. "Jinn, I'm looking for a little girl. Her name is Cinder, she was kidnapped earlier today. Where is she?"

Jinn made a spin in the air, and the room transformed into a white void. Djarin looked around, but all he could see was white. The space began to fill with blue smoke. The smoke then took form, revealing a metal room with another Mandalorian in red armor, Major Gideon, and a Faunus. In the center of the room was Cinder, asleep and strapped to a chair. The one thing that stood out in the room was a jellyfish-like Grimm in front of her, with red tentacles and rocks at the bottom of its orb-like head.

"Cinder?" Djarin called out. She didn't respond. He moved closer and extended his arm. "Cinder, can you-?" His arm passed through her and blue smoke appeared.

Gideon turned to the Faunus. "Aurora, wake her up." The Faunus snapped her fingers, and Cinder awoke with a start. The red Mandalorian pointed a rifle at her just in case she decided to use her powers. Cinder became aware of her current situation almost immediately, as she began to squirm in the chair.

"Wonderful," said Aurora. "We're all here." She moved closer to Cinder, examining her face. Suddenly, she grabbed the child by her cheeks and squeezed. Cinder yet out a small yell, and Djarin rushed forward. He sent a fist to the back of the Faunus' head, but it went thorough her and blue smoke appeared. He tried again with Gideon, but the same result occurred. It was almost as if he didn't even know Djarin was here.

"Now, now, there's no need for that," said Gideon. "Not just yet." As Aurora let the child go, Gideon spoke again. "I'm sorry about her. She's just... excited to meet her predecessor."

"What?" Cinder asked. "What do you want?"

"Just to chat," Aurora said with a smirk. "Gideon's right you know, I've been dying to meet you."

The red Mandalorian moved closer to Gideon. "Is this wise?" he asked. "I thought we were waiting for Watts."

"We are," said Gideon. "Trust me, Saxon. You don't want to stand between a hunter and her prey."

Cinder's eyes began to burn when the Faunus moved her finger across her face. "Yes!" Aurora screamed with euphoria, grabbing Cinder again. "That's what I've been waiting for!" She began to laugh manically. "Now, why don't you be a good little girl and tell me how I use it?"

"You don't have my powers," said Cinder.

"Not yet." Aurora showed Cinder her left arm, which had five small holes hidden among several deep scars. "But I've been trying. You have no idea how many injections, treatments, and therapies I had to go through for what you did."

"I did? I don't even know you!"

"No, you don't. I guess you could say we're blood relatives at this point."

"Bl... Blood?" Cinder immediately remembered what happened at the lab she had been taken to by Watts. How he kept taking blood sample after blood sample out of her arms. At first, she thought he was just a sadistic bastard. Now, it seemed she found a reason for the doctor's brutal methods. "You mean... you have my-?"

"Smart girl." Aurora stood up and looked at her arm, Djarin also got a good look. "Yes, Watts has been giving me that blood he took from you. Each injection made the blood of a Maiden flow through me. Or at least... it should." Aurora dropped her arm and sighed. "But... something's been going wrong. I can feel a glimmer, an ember, a spark. I should be able to have even the smallest piece of your power with me." She suddenly slammed her fist into the wall. "But each time I try it, the power rejects me! How do I use it?!"

"Ask the child."

Djarin and Cinder both heard an unfamiliar feminine voice. They looked around the room, but didn't see anyone new come in the room. "Who said that?" Cinder asked.

"Oh, I will," Aurora said, ignoring Cinder's question. She slid her finger across the child's face again. "Now, why don't you be a good little girl and give me what I want?"

Cinder began to panic. The unfamiliar voice and Faunus invading her personal space had caused the reality of her situation to dawn on her. "I... I don't know how I do it," she said. "If I just close my eyes, it comes and goes. You know, like-"

"She's lying," the voice said. Djarin and Cinder looked around again, but couldn't find a source.

Cinder looked back at Aurora, only to meet a sharp slap to her face. "TELL THE TRUTH!" she yelled. "How do I use it?!"

Cinder's eyes began to water. The slap she just received left a red mark on her cheek, the intense pain lingering. The act of violence caused Djarin to try attacking the Faunus again, but each punch dissolved into smoke. He only calmed down when he heard the ominous voice call out again.

"Now, now, Aurora. There's no need to get upset. Let me speak to her."

Aurora now turned away from Cinder, and her eyes landed on the jellyfish Grimm. "Your Grace, we shouldn't risk this Mandalorian knowing about you." She pointed at Saxon, but he didn't seem to take any offense. Cinder and Djarin both looked at the Grimm, unsure why the woman was talking to it as her superior.

"We're perfectly safe, dear. Now, let me see the child."

Aurora nodded and moved out of the way. The jellyfish Grimm moved closer to Cinder, who looked away. But out of the corner of her eye, Cinder could see the red smoke inside the orb begin to move. Taking a better look, Cinder saw a form begin to take shape. She gasped at the sight.

Djarin walked closer to Cinder and got a look at the orb as well. Inside was an image of a woman with pale white skin. Her eyes were both red as blood and black as night, with dark veins moving down the side of her face. Her hair was tied in six branches, with some of it falling down the front of her shoulders. A dark stone rested on her forehead, along with a soft smile on her lips.

"My Fall Maiden... found at last," the woman said.

Cinder's and Djarin's eyes widened as they realized the same thing. "...Salem."

"Yes," the woman confirmed. "So you've heard of me."

"But... that's not possible," said Cinder. "Salem isn't real, it's just a story."

"The Girl in the Lonely Tower, I know." Salem's smile faded when she remembered that story. "I still remember writing all of that. It almost seems like yesterday..."

"You wrote it? But, what about-?"

"Never mind that." Salem leaned closer. "I'm more interested in you... Cinder, was it?"

"..."

Salem showed her displeasure at being ignored by forming a scowl and looking down to her left. Just then, one of the Grimm's tentacles wrapped itself around Cinder's neck. She began to choke and tried to reach for her neck, but her hands were still strapped to the chair. Djarin reached out, but the tentacle turned into smoke again. "Cinder, was it?" Salem repeated herself.

"Y-Yes! Yes!" Cinder choked out. The tentacle moved away from Cinder's throat and joined the other tentacles.

"Spirit," said Salem. "Your Mandalorian friend had it too, or so I've heard. And look where he is now." Cinder's eyes began to tear up again, thinking about Djarin. The Mandalorian didn't know what Salem was talking about, but it seemed to bring some pain to the child. "Dear girl, believe me when I tell you I know the pain of losing a loved one. And after everything else you've been through, haven't you suffered enough?" Cinder looked up, curious as to where Salem was going with this.

"You don't know what I-"

"But defiance and spirit won't change anything." The Grimm moved closer. "Your friend is gone, and you're here with me. Lost...and alone." Cinder looked down at the floor, crying. Djarin fell to the floor, trying to grab her. But each attempt only resulted in more smoke appearing.

"CINDER, DON'T LISTEN TO HER!" Djarin yelled out at the top of his lungs. But she continued to cry, oblivious to his presence. "CINDER, I'M RIGHT HERE!" Djarin suddenly felt tears fall down his cheeks. He then looked up at the ceiling. "STOP IT! STOP IT, I CAN'T WATCH ANYMORE! TAKE ME BACK!"

The room turned to white again. More smoke began to appear, and the white turned back into the room of the Vault. Jinn was staring down at the Mandalorian, her smile had disappeared. "What you have just seen... you must follow it," she said.

Djarin's fists clenched into the sand. He stood up and watched the sand slip out of his fingers. "...To the ends of the world if I have to."

Jinn suddenly began to laugh. "You won't have to do that." Djarin looked up at her. "You'll find the child near the city of Argus. She's on board a ship in the ocean between Atlas and Mistral, far from any surveillance."

"...Thank you."

Jinn disappeared and the blue smoke moved back into the lamp. Djarin took that as his sign to leave, and started walking back to the stone path. Hera was still waiting for him. "Did you get what you needed?"

"Yes," said Djarin, who continued to make his way back to the elevator. Once he and Hera stood on it, the elevator began to rise. Hera looked back up and decided it was time to leave. As she started to use her powers to float, Djarin grabbed her arm. "There's one more thing I need your help with."

"I'm not sure what else I can do," Hera said. "If you want me to go with you, I'm sorry. I think going back to Raven would be best."

"I understand. But you might be the only one who can tell me where Ozma is."

Hera sighed. "Look, Mando... I know it's your purpose to bring that kid to him, but Oz can't help you. There's a reason I left everything behind, and-"

"I know. And I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. But once I find Cinder, I need to take her to a safer place."

"...You're not taking 'no' for an answer, are you?"

"I'm not."

Hera looked back up at the hole above them and sighed. Turning back to Djarin, she gave him her answer. "Go to Beacon Academy, in the Kingdom of Vale. 'Oz' is what everyone calls 'Professor Ozpin.' He's the one you're looking for." Hera's eyes began to burn again and she began to fly. Djarin didn't stop her this time. "...Good luck." She flew up before the elevator went back in its place.

The elevator reached the atrium and Djarin saw Boba, Fennec, and the Happy Huntresses waiting for him. As he walked down the stairs, May threw him something. Catching it, Djarin realized the object was a Scroll. "We found this and some other things in his office," she said. "It might help."

Djarin looked at the Scroll and saw a familiar "W" next to one of the numbers. "I think it will," he said. Looking back up, he saw Joanna and Robyn glaring at him. "You're all upset with me, aren't you?"

"Joanna's like that with everyone," May confessed. "Robyn's not comfortable with it, but she'll understand. Boba does this thing all the time."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry... I probably would have done the same thing."

---

Months ago

Boba Fett had just arrived at Marigold Manor, and was greeted by Mr. Marigold himself. "Ah, Boba! Right on time, come on in."

"..."

Boba stepped inside without a word, just stared at the criminal in disguise. "Listen, would you mind getting Marcus for me?" Mr. Marigold asked. "We need to do something today."

Boba walked up the stairs and went straight to find the Marigold. Not that he would have any trouble, he could walk the path blindfolded. Boba had kept his word about training Marcus Marigold, and it was safe to say the kid was a natural. Soon, he could take the Huntsmen exam and pass with flying colors.

Boba knocked on the child's door. "Come in," a voice called out. Boba opened the door to find a seventeen year old wearing dress clothes. "Oh, hey Boba!"

"Marcus," the bounty hunter addressed him. "You're looking well."

"I'm feeling pretty good too. Did you talk to Robyn?"

"I did. She's been telling me everything you've been doing." Boba sat down in front of the Marigold. "And from what I've heard, I trained you well."

"Thanks again, for all of it. Even though I don't have a Huntsmen license, working with Robyn Hill and her team has been incredible."

"She does a lot of good for the city, you're right. And now, so do you. But I have to ask..." Boba leaned forward. "Your disguise has worked so far, even though you're out in public. But have you decided when to bring this up to your parents?"

Marcus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, first off, I wouldn't call it a disguise. Not anymore."

The bounty hunter tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"I'll explain later. As for my parents, I think-"

"Marcus! Come down here."

Marcus immediately ran out of his room with Boba following. He looked down the banister to see Mr. Marigold looking up at them. "Father? What's the matter?" Marcus asked.

"We're going out for a little while. The airship's ready, now come on."

Marcus and Boba walked out to the house's backyard to see a large private airship that belong to the Marigold family. Marcus walked in to see his parents sitting down, Boba walking to their side.

"Marcus, I'm sure you know Boba is here on business," said Mr. Marigold. "There's something I'd like to talk to the both of you about." The airship took off and Atlas grew smaller and smaller. About fifteen minutes after the city disappeared, Mr. Marigold began to talk again. "So Boba, how goes business in the kingdom?"

"Very well," said Boba. "The bounties I've collected for you and your friends have been greatly rewarded."

"I expected as much. And what of your apprentice?"

"...Sir?"

Mr. Marigold turned to Marcus. "Answer my question, son. How goes your work?"

Marcus suddenly became nervous, but didn't give the answer his father was looking for. "I... I don't know what you're talking about."

"Well, you must be pretty busy..." Mr. Marigold leaned down and pulled something from under the coffee table that separated him from Marcus. "If you found the time to build this." He placed a long staff on the table, a weapon with crossbows on both ends. Marcus gasped at the sight. It was the weapon he built the first night he met the Happy Huntresses. They all shared similar weapons, and decided to help make one for their new friend. Boba looked at the staff as well, but said nothing.

Marcus' mother spoke next. "Well, dear. Now's your chance to confess," she ordered. "What have you been doing behind our backs?" Marcus looked over to Boba, who simply nodded. Remembering their talk from before, Marcus took a deep breath and spoke.

"Mother, Father... I built that staff, you're right. And I asked Boba to give me lessons on how to fight. The only reason he agreed was because I paid him good." The second sentence was a lie, but Boba didn't make a correction. He appreciated the young Marigold for trying to protect him.

"I see," said Mr. Marigold. "And you want to be like Boba? Be a bounty hunter?"

"Actually... I want to hunt the Grimm."

"Do you now?" asked Mrs. Marigold. "Is that why you've been spending your time in Mantle? Dressed like... like that?"

"Y... Yes, Mother." He knew she was talking about the persona he chose to travel in Mantle as.

She walked over to her child and sat down next to him. "Sweetheart, you know we have plenty of money. The lives of Huntsmen and Huntresses don't pay much. You know that, right?"

"Well... Yes, but-"

"And you know we've been grooming you to be your father's replacement?"

"Yes, but I-"

"Then why do you choose to accustom yourself to a life of barbarism? How can you choose this over us?"

"Mother, I'm not-!"

Mr. Marigold stood up. "Don't lie to us, boy."

"..."

Marcus had always hated being called that by his father. It was as if he was trying to be demeaning in a way. But Marcus didn't back down.

"Father, I'm not lying!" Marcus shot up from the couch. "I built that weapon, and I chose to help Mantle for you! Both of you!" Mrs. Marigold walked back to her husband as Marcus continued to talk. "Everyone in Atlas always talks about how the Mairgolds are philanthropists, how we put others before ourselves. You want me to be like you, take over what you've made." Tears began to fall from Marcus' eyes. "How do you, both of you, expect me to call myself that by doing what you do?! Organized crime, stealing from Mantle, murder! Do you expect me to be like you?" Marcus picked up the staff. "I want to bring honor to our name, and the first step is by helping Mantle! They need us!"

"...So, this is all about Mantle?"

Marcus sat back down. "Yes. I'm sorry, Father. But I can't help Mantle by taking your place when you're gone."

"...I understand."

Marcus' eyes widened. "You... You do?"

Mrs. Marigold spoke again. "We both do, darling. And we're prepared to help you."

"You are?"

"Right here, right now."

Marcus smiled and embraced his parents in a hug, feeling all the happiness in the world. After all this hiding and all the secrets, the young Marigold could feel proud of all the deeds he performed. "I... I don't know what to say."

"It's alright, Marcus." Mrs. Marigold returned the hug. "You don't need to say anything."

A new voice called out on the airship's intercom. "Mr. Marigold, we're here."

"Excellent," said Mr. Marigold. "Land the ship." The airship began to touch down onto the ground. Mr. Marigold took Marcus' shoulder and walked to the ship's door and opened it. Outside the ship was a vast desert, sand dunes as far as the eye could see.

"Where are we?" Marcus asked.

"About fifty miles from Vacuo," said Mr. Marigold. "The people call this place 'Carkoon'. My favorite part of the kingdom, actually."

"But... this is just a desert."

"Yes, but it's also my dumping ground."

Marcus looked away from the sand. "Dumping ground? What are you talking about?"

Mr. Marigold's only response was pointing down at the ground. Following his finger, Marcus jumped back at the sight of a large black pit, with tentacles and white spikes that looked like teeth in it. "Wh... What the hell is that?"

"Just a Grimm," said Mr. Marigold. "The natives call it 'the Great Pit of Carkoon,' but it's official name is the 'Sarlacc.'"

Marcus began to calm down and backed further into the safety of the airship. "What are we doing here?"

"Dumping," Mr. Marirgold smiled. He kneeled down to Marcus. "Have you ever heard the phrase 'You need to do some bad in order to do something good?'" Marcus had heard a similar phrase before, and was starting to get a bad feeling about the situation. Mr. Marigold looked over to the bounty hunter. "Boba, we have a few guests with us today, in the next room. Would you mind grabbing them?"

Boba simply nodded and walked into the next room. After a minute, he came out holding three people, their hands bound by bolas and their heads covered by brown bags. All Marcus could see were their clothes, and he was beginning to realize they looked familiar.

"Just put them over here," Mr. Marigold said as he pointed to the doorframe. Boba walked over and kneeled them down. "Good. Now, remove those bags."

Boba was glad he was wearing his helmet. Because if he wasn't, everyone would see a moment of weakness for the strong warrior when he removed the bag. Staring back at him was his adoptive sister, Robyn Hill.

"B... Boba?" Robyn weakly asked. "What's going-?" Robyn looked around the airship, and saw an unexpected sight. Locking her eyes on the youngest Marigold, she asked another question. "...May?"

"That's right!" Mr. Marigold said as he chuckled. "That's what they call you down there, isn't that right, son?"

"...Son?"

"..."

Marcus had completely lost his voice as Boba removed the rest of the bags. His heart broke at the sight of their confused faces. He knew they were all thinking, or were going to think, about how they had been betrayed. When in reality, that was the complete opposite.

The same couldn't be said for his father, who walked over to Robyn and smacked her across the face. Boba was about to reach for his sidearm, but stopped himself. "That's for stealing from me! Nobody steals from me!"

"...Steal?" Marcus had found his voice again, and used it to ask a simple question.

"That's right, Marcus." Mr. Marigold walked over to his son. "I'm sure you heard the people praise and worship Ms. Hill and her friends. Calling them 'heroes' and 'humanitarians.' I suppose that's why you chose to work with them." Mr. Marigold moved closer. "Their best work is involved with an orphanage they've been donating to. Guess where they got the money?"

Marcus immediately figured it out. He heard of their... questionable acts in Mantle, but he had no idea they were stealing from his family. "Father, please don't be mad. I had-"

"I know, I know. But that's not important now." Mr. Marigold walked back to the Huntresses and pointed downwards. "I'm not going to get mad, Marcus. I'm going to get even." It was at that time the Huntresses looked down to see the Sarlacc right beneath them. Fiona screamed and Robyn tried to move back. But a hand on her shoulder stopped her from moving.

Boba was ready to act if he pushed her out, but he knew Marcus was having a hard time with this. He needed to see which side the boy was actually on. And he got his answer when Marcus began to beg. "Father, no! Don't-!"

"Me?" Mr. Marigold asked. "Oh, don't worry. I'm not doing anything."

"What? Then why are-?" His face immediately grew pale. "No. No, I won't-!"

"Marcus, listen to me." Mr. Marigold reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. Showing it to Marcus, he explained the situation. "Marcus, this check is for two million Lien, made out to you. Once you cash it, you can give to money to any place in Mantle you want."

"..."

Not only was the young Marigold completely caught off guard by the offer, but even the Happy Huntresses were surprised. Despite the situation they were in, the women were all thinking about how that money could work miracles for the city of Mantle.

"This will be yours if you do as I ask." Mr. Marigold moved out of Marcus' way, letting him move closer to Robyn. "Push them."

Marcus looked back at Boba. He did nothing, but was prepared to act.

He looked back at his mother. She nodded and smiled.

He looked back to Joanna. If looks could kill, Marcus would be dead in an instant.

He looked back at Fiona. The sight of her crying broke his heart.

Lastly, Marcus looked down to Robyn. She wasn't crying or angry like her friends, but she seemed calm. "...May," she began. Robyn now knew that wasn't the Marigold's real name, but she didn't care. She knew the May Boba introduced to her was the real person this Marigold really was. "It's okay."

Marcus gasped. "Robyn... I can't-"

"Mantle has dozens of Huntresses like me. But they'll never have an opportunity like this." Robyn smiled.

Joanna shifted her gaze to Robyn. "You can't be serious!" she yelled. "Robyn, I won't let you-!"

"It's okay, Joanna." Robyn looked back to Marcus. "Do it."

Marcus looked back at his father. "Listen to your friend, boy. Push her."

Marcus was scared shitless now. Not for himself, but for the woman who was putting her life on the line. He put his hands on her shoulders, thinking back on the first night he met the Happy Huntresses. How he dreamed of being like them. How Robyn looked him in the eye and said May was just like them.

It was that realization that made Marcus make his decision.

He let go of Robyn and turned back to his father. "No," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not doing this. Keep your money."

Mr. Marigold walked closer. "Is that your final decision?"

"...It is."

"Boy, think very-"

"Don't... call me that. I'm not who you think I am. And I never will be."

"Well... alright then."

Mr. Marigold moved his palms with tremendous speed at May, sending her and Robyn flying out the door. They were both falling towards the Sarlacc, its tentacles just inches from their bodies. And just when it was about to grab them, two hands grabbed May and Robyn, throwing them as far away from the Grimm as possible. They looked back to see Boba fly back and grab a falling Joanna and Fiona. Throwing them to the side, Boba watched as the airship began to take flight.

But just before it left, a shot rang out from the open door. A Fire Dust round make contact with Boba's jetpack and made him fly higher into the sky. The Huntresses all watched as the ship left, but they couldn't take their eyes off Boba as he came flying back down.

Straight into the Sarlacc's open mouth.

"BOBA!" May and Robyn called out. But they were helpless as two arms pulled them away from the pit. They desperately tried to go back, but Fiona and Joanna held them back, tears in their eyes for their lost friend.

After they calmed down, May promised to find a way back to Atlas. And together, they would not only help Mantle, but find a way to make the Marigolds pay for what they did.

Not that May had any complaints. After what her father just did, it was clear they didn't have a son anymore. So now, May could make sure everyone knew they didn't have a daughter either.

---

Present day

"Sir, is this wise? Our orders were to report back to the Bismarck."

"As much as I'd love to be back to my favorite lab, I'm afraid this sounded urgent. Stay with the ship, this will only take a moment."

"Whatever you say, Doctor."

A small Manta landed in front of Haven Academy, its open window revealing Arthur Watts as a passenger. He stepped off the ship and left the two pilots to watch over the craft. As he walked through the academy, Watts was looking at his black Scroll. More specifically, a text message he received from Lionheart.

"I need your help. Ozpin is close to discovering what I gave you. Use my office computer, it has all my records with you on it."

As much as he was disappointed to be running errands for the poor excuse of a Headmaster, Watts knew this was serious. And below him. Watts knew it would only be a matter of time before Ozpin got smart, but he was already two steps ahead of the Headmaster. With his intellect, Watts could wipe away any traces of Lionheart's work with him in a few minutes. So this wasn't worth his time. But, it needed to be done.

Watts didn't bother knocking on the door to Lionheart's office, he just barged right inside to see the Headmaster's chair facing away from him. "I'm here," Watts said with annoyance. "Let's see what the damage is."

"..."

Lionheart didn't make a sound.

"Hello? Anybody home?"

"..."

Watts looked down and sighed. "Look, you dimwit. I don't have time for games." He walked closer to the desk. "I could be working on more of those war machines, but I chose to take time out of my schedule for you. So, why don't you show a little more-?"

*SPLISH*

Watts stopped walking as he heard what sounded like water being stepped on. Looking down, he realized that he didn't step in water, but a puddle of blood. Following the trail, he saw that it led back to the Headmaster's chair. Grabbing it and spinning it around, Watts came face-to-face with the corpse of Leonardo Lionheart. His nose and jaw were broken, his eyes were open and lifeless. And his chest seemed to have burst open, as his blood was escaping his body and falling onto the floor. Watts backed away in fear as he asked himself a question. "I won't be going back to work, will I?"

"Probably not."

Watts turned back to the door to see the Mandalorian pointing his pistol at him. A white shot escaped the barrel and hit Watts's hand. Rather than going through his flesh, the bullet caused a block of ice to freeze Watt's hand to the bookshelf behind him. He turned away to look at his hand for just a moment, missing the Mandalorian teleport closer and send a fist into his face.

---

Cinder was still crying from what Salem had told her. The Grimm had sensed her negativity, and was about to attack. But Salem simply raised her hand, which caused one tentacle to wipe away her tears. Cinder suddenly stopped crying and looked up at the Grimm.

"All better?" Salem asked, smiling and tilting her head in a false motherly way. "As I said before, you're all alone right now. But you don't have to be alone anymore. Do you know why you're here?"

"You just want my powers, don't you?" Cinder coldly assumed.

"Not just your powers, dear." Salem looked at the Faunus. "Aurora, on the other hand, she only cares about having what you have. But instead of her just taking your powers, you can share them with her."

"..."

"Instead of risking more suffering by having us take your powers, join us. Let Watts study you, and we'll figure out how you can share your power with Aurora. And then, share it with anyone else I choose."

Cinder began to consider this possibility. True, she wouldn't hurt as much, sharing her power. But she had come all this way, did so much with Djarin, just for him to die and her to be alone? It wasn't right.

"I... I can't," she said. "I can't work with the people who killed him. It's not the Mandalorian way." Salem's smile disappeared.

"Your Grace, may I offer a solution?" All eyes turned to Gideon. "I know the people who killed him," Gideon lied. "I can arrange for them to be executed. Or rather..." he turned to Cinder. "You can kill them yourself."

Salem smiled again. "An interesting idea, Gideon." She turned back to Cinder and put her motherly mask back on. "I do not know much about Mandalorians, but I'm sure they are people of vengeance. If you kill them, you can uphold two ideas of the Mandalorian way."

"..."

Cinder had to admit, the idea sounded comforting. Not just for herself, but for Djarin. She couldn't save him, but she could avenge him. And then, maybe save herself from more suffering. A part of her was starting to accept the idea.

The jellyfish Grimm extended one of it's tentacles. Salem was moving it with her hand. "Simply accept my offer, and all your pain can be washed away." Gideon walked over and loosened one of the straps. Cinder could move her hand enough to take the Grimm's tentacle. And that's what she slowly began to do.

Just then, a soft beeping caught everyone's attention. Gideon pulled out a Scroll from his belt. "Forgive me," he apologized. "This will just take a moment." He pressed a button on the Scroll, and the live image of his communications officer appeared.

"Major Gideon, we've received an encrypted communication from Mistral," she said.

"Excellent," said Gideon. "When did Watts say he will arrive?"

"Unclear, sir. The message requires your credentials to unlock it." A bigger screen appeared off the Scroll and projected itself on the wall. And sure enough, it required an access code.

Gideon turned back to Salem. "Shall I play it, ma'am?"

"...Yes," said Salem. "Depending on what Watts will say, we should let him know we have a new ally."

"Of course." Gideon pressed a few keys on his Scroll and entered his credentials. A loading screen appeared, and Gideon turned back to Cinder. "Now then...you were saying?" The tentacle extended itself again. Cinder took a few seconds to consider the woman's offer, and slowly began to take it.

"Salem. Major Gideon."

Everyone quickly turned to the wall to see not Watts, but Din Djarin. Cinder gasped, everyone else remained silent.

"You have something I want."

Cinder began to smile, seeing that Djarin was still alive. She quickly looked back at her hand, and moved it as far from the tentacle as she possibly could.

"You may think you have some idea of what you are in possession of. But you do not."

Gideon remained silent, aware that the Mandalorian was using his own words against him.

"Soon... she will be back with me."

Cinder's smile became bigger, and a tear of joy fell from her eye. Aurora seethed with anger, and Salem was also upset.

"She means more to me than you will ever know."

The message ended.

Cinder suddenly remembered one of her hands was free. She quickly held her hand out and a wave of fire hit the Grimm. It let out a shriek before it's tentacles shriveled up and it fell to the ground, dead. Cinder moved her hand towards Gideon next.

"SLEEP!"

Cinder felt all of her energy leave her again, and she fell asleep. Aurora looked back at Gideon. "That's the Mandalorian? The one who you took her from?"

"Yes," he said. "And apparently, he's on his way."

"Then get your ship out of the water! We'll go back to Salem."

"No. If he knows where we are, he might be able to track us anywhere we go." Gideon turned to Saxon. "Gather your men. Tell them to prepare for battle." Saxon walked out of the room.

"What about her?" Aurora asked, pointing to Cinder. "I can't claim her power, not without Salem or Watts."

"What do you propose?"

"Shouldn't I take her back alone? I can use one of your ships and bring her to Salem."

"Your Semblance won't keep her asleep for the entire trip. And now that she knows we lied to her, she'll do anything to escape. Regardless of how many guards we send with you." Gideon began to smirk, and looked back at Cinder. "Which is why we're going to wait for him to come to us. And when he does, I'll take his head off his shoulders. Right in front of the little one."

Aurora smiled. "And then, I'll take what's mine. One way or another."

---

Author's notes: hey everyone. Sorry this chapter took so long, I've been busy with a lot of things. Not only have I been planning out the rest of the story, I've also been working on a new story that will be published in a couple of weeks. I won't say too much, but you'll enjoy it if you're a fan of RWBY and Attack on Titan (manga).

One thing I want to bring up before getting into the comments is my backstory for May Marigold. She is actually my favorite out of the Happy Huntresses because of her quote about her backstory in Volume 8. I thought it was really powerful and admirable. So, I wanted to expand on that, but I understand why some of you might find it weird or controversial. I'm sorry if you felt it was out of place, but it was something I wanted to do.

To aklike95, hope you liked Raven in this chapter. I won't say who will come to the rescue, but they will be revealed next chapter. Also, I hope you like the Slave I right now. And I'm glad you liked Boba Fett. Thanks for reading, hope you like the chapter.

To Ser Dorito of Aisle 13, I can't say too much about the rescue. Let's just say it will be different. As for the rest of your comment, you have a very active imagination. All I can say is you'll enjoy next chapter very much. And I hope you enjoyed this one.

To 54godamora, I hope not to keep you waiting too long. But I'll try to upload next chapter as soon as possible. I hope you enjoyed this one.

To I Fredric I, let me begin by saying how much you flatter me. I looked up your last sentence on Google, and what you said made me really happy. Thank you for your kind words. I'm really glad you like how I have everything done, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To GojiraFan455515, glad you liked everything. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To Rook435, glad you like how I made everything. I was a little nervous about Djarin showing more emotion than he does with Grogu, but I'm glad you enjoyed him. The reason I did this is because I feel their ability to communicate more than Djarin can do with Grogu helps make their relationship stronger. Not that I have a problem with how close Djarin and Grogu are (I loved how it went), I just feel Cinder and Djarin would be different. As for your comments on my writing, thank you very much.

Thank you for reading all of this and all your comments. If you haven't already, please leave a review so I can hear what you think. Also, please consider favoriting and following the story. I don't have a set schedule for updating, but I will update as soon as possible. But speaking of updates, I changed some things in Chapter 1 if you want to look.

That's all for now. Until next time!