"Hm, little Fiona's coming to visit?" Sam poured a cup of coffee and blew off the steam.
"That's right, Sam, and we need the house to be clean when she and her friends arrive. So grab a broom and start in the kitchen. Oum knows how many crumbs have snuck under the lower cabinets and sink." Carla fussed as she fetched a few rags that were drying in the backyard.
"Trifa, why don't you give me a hand here? I need to show you how to fold your laundry!" The cow Faunus called to a young girl with moppy blue locks.
The newest addition to the Hawkins household, a spider Faunus with gray veins protruding from her hands up to her chest, she was a meek sort who kept to herself. Though she seemed to let her guard down whenever Hawkins was around.
"I-I'm coming!" Trifa stumbled through the back door. Dressed in a black t-shirt and blue shorts with green sneakers, the kid made her way to the clothesline and helped gather the towels, shirts, and overalls.
"Hawkins!" Carla rose her voice once more.
"It's your responsibility to look after Jaune today. I made you a nice baby sling and put it on the living room table. Now go get dressed and stretch your legs. Tukson's been wanting to have a word with you since yesterday and it's not nice to keep a friend waiting!"
"Did your wife become a drill sergeant overnight?" Hawkins' deadpanned visage directed itself toward Sam.
"Please, don't mind Carla's antics too much, she's always been keen on hospitality, especially if it's for family." The deer Faunus grinned.
"Alright, but what's this about a baby sling?"
Sam downed the rest of his coffee and led Hawkins to the living room. Jaune was in the middle of the space, a large teddy bear in hand, the boy clapped his hands at the sight of his father and grandpa.
"Ababa!~"
"Haha, there's my little soldier. Alright, time to get you suited up and ready to explore. You and your dad will be gone for a bit, so behave yourself ya hear?" Sam picked up Jaune by his armpits and held him toward Hawkins.
The magician shook his head but was forced to comply as the tyke was practically shoved in his arms.
"Pay close attention, Hawkins, this is how you tie a proper baby sling." The farmer took a long piece of brown textile and wrapped it around Hawkins' shoulder and then around Jaune.
"Aba!~" Jaune, now tucked in a comfortable pocket tied just below his father's chest, flashed a goofy smile.
"... I am not wearing this when I depart for the commercial district." The blonde man grumbled.
"Aw, come on, Carla put a lot of work into that." Sam sighed.
In his head, the idea of Hawkins nursing his child in a cute pouch around his neck seemed like a good idea, but with the blonde man's calm pale face and intimidating crimson eyes pitched with three black nails for eyebrows, he looked like the walking dead with an innocent baby holstered as a captive.
"Huh, maybe this isn't the right image for your fresh start-"
Before Sam could finish, a bossy Carla strutted in with a frazzled Trifa in tow. The cow Faunus observed the magician with a skeptical eye.
"You look like you're going to sacrifice your son to a devil." She huffed with a shake of her head.
The magician shot a knowing glance at Sam, and even Trifa shuddered under Hawkins' cold and calculating glare.
"Fine, Jaune can stay at home, but you'd better start spending some quality time with him when you get back okay?" Carla unwrapped the baby from Hawkins' possession and planted a soft kiss on his forehead.
"Ababa!~" Jaune waved to the retreating back of his father as he strolled down the dusty farm roads.
/-/
"Ding~"
"Ah, is that you, Hawkins?" Tukson, accustomed to the magician's weekly visits, sighed as the cash register would remain unused but put on a genuine smile all the same.
"Business still slow?" Hawkins peered at a few cobwebs and dust bunnies that littered the shelves.
The Faunus rubbed his neck. "Another rival's appeared in a more central location of the commercial district. With the amount of competition, I'm afraid I'll have to face the facts sooner rather than later before the debts get too high."
"I see," The blonde nodded. "Tell me, what is the quickest way to earn lien?"
Tukson blinked. Stroking his beard and sideburns, he snapped his fingers as a lightbulb dinged over his head.
"Well, Sam's told me how you slew a Beowolf with ease. Why don't you take up a hunter mission?"
"A hunter mission?" Hawkins curled a brow.
"Yep, Beacon students used to rush into my store for their textbooks, and many of them boasted about the high-profit missions offered." A dim sense of melancholy swam in Tukson's eyes as he recounted the memory.
"The Hunter's Mission Assembly is only a few blocks away, and while the name does imply that it's only for hunters, there's plenty of tasks that grant a generous amount of lien for an honest man looking to do some odd jobs."
"Hm, I suppose that option is less risky than robbing a bank." The magician grunted.
"I'm sorry, what was that?"
"Nothing. Thank you for the advice." The blonde said firmly and took his leave.
The streets filled with its usual populace, a loud cry of enthusiasm garnered Hawkins' attention. Turning to face the source of the random praise, a large group of citizens cheered as they swarmed a group of young females with notepads and pens.
"Oh my Oum, it's Robyn Hill! Come on, we have to get an autograph from her!" Yelled a young man with moppy green hair.
"I can't believe Mantle's hero actually came to visit! With her entire team no less!" Chanted a small brunette with a ponytail.
"Robyn Hill?" Hawkins, being the tall man that he was, peered over the crowds and narrowed his eyes on a tanned woman with light blonde hair and violet eyes. She gave off the impression of a rogue with the way her olive scarf swayed in the wind over her black sleeveless coat.
Having no reason to get caught up in the gossip, the magician hurried into the first building available to avoid the crazed fans. With the hums of grinding steel and sparking hammers engulfing his senses, Hawkins curled a brow at the vast selection of weaponry neatly sorted on polished displays.
A wide counter hitched with an elaborate cash register on his left, to his right was a sign that read 'Never a dull day at Blades and Glory!"
"A weapons shop," Hawkins concluded by the massive space. Four main aisles littered with open crates with three garages on the side, a particular tool caught his attention.
The magician walked over to what appeared to be a simple shortsword, only to find its hilt welded with some sort of gun chamber and trigger. The price for this blade rounded to 350 lien. Though at the end of the tag it stated the item was only for sale to hunters/huntresses.
A squeak, followed by the clattering of trinkets and the shattering of a lightbulb, a stray gear rolled down the aisle and nudged the heel of Hawkins' boot.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Looks like today is a really clumsy one for me." A familiar mix of red and black hair atop a pair of bright silver eyes, the white-capped huntress' throat hitched at the man she'd stumbled into.
"Ms. Rose?" Hawkins groaned.
"It's a small world isn't it?" The huntress gave a high-pitched laugh and averted the magician's glare.
"So, what brings you here? Are you looking for a weapon? I don't like to brag, but I'm quite the expert when it comes to such things."
Summer's eyes roamed to a holstered longsword. Simple in design, the blade gave off a sinister vibe as the image of a stitched face was embedded in the hilt.
Dismissing her stare, Hawkins attempted to walk away, but a blurry of rose petals denied his advance. Before he knew it, Hawkins was staring at a new display of longswords. Feeling a weight had been lifted from his person, the blonde narrowed his eyes at the empty sheath strapped to his waist.
"Wow, what a history your baby must have had. It's nicked and damaged, but the wear looks recent. How often do you sharpen your sword, Hawkins?"
Summer swung the scratched steel in a carefree manner with both hands and a childish grin. However, as she did so, the flickering lightbulb above glistened in Hawkins' crimson pupils, reflecting off the sword that Summer waved. The blinking display jostling his bones, muscles, and nerves, a trickle of sweat dripped along the edge of the magician's chin.
"I'm not here to entertain you. Return what is mine and leave me be." Hawkins grumbled and reached for his belonging.
"Not until you apologize." Summer said with puffed cheeks and slipped the item behind her.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You heard me." The red reaper snapped. "You ditched me in the park a few days ago and that was really rude. Not to mention that you didn't thank me for not pressing charges for that pizza debacle."
"That pizza debacle was nothing more than a petty act of racism. I didn't have any intention of destroying that stand, but the Faunus child refused to leave me alone until her stomach was filled. I didn't come here for a fight, but I'll force my hand if need be." Hawkins glowered.
A chill drowned the atmosphere. The fire within his eyes emphasizing their menacing crimson complexion, Hawkins raised his arm and the sound of rustling straw echoed throughout the weapon shelves. Though the straw refused to manifest, the devil within marred by failure and grief, a dark grip took hold of the magician's heart.
"It was just a joke... sheesh." Summer shook her head, oblivious to the danger, and returned the magician's sword without fuss.
"Huff... Huff..."
"U-Um, Hawkins?" The red reaper stepped back.
His breaths ragged, the blonde's face took an even deeper tone of pale. The desperate urge to defend himself nicking his conscience, for a moment he didn't see Summer, instead, she was a glowing admiral who was nonchalantly decimating the magician with piercing lasers.
His abs clenched while his stomach burned, he pointed his sword toward the ceiling and made an overhead swing. Hawkins missed Summer by a long shot, as she was never the target, but she yelped all the same and jumped a good six feet back.
"C-Captain, we have to get out of here! The Grudge Dolph won't last much longer!"
"Kroosh!" A square shield and sets of daggers plinked against the concrete floors. The shelf, now with a deep gash right down the middle, teetered and eventually fell on its comrades in domino fashion.
Dust bombarded the area, and the crashing steel and lumber snapped Hawkins out of his frantic illusions. An alarm triggered more flashing lights, the blonde man ran dropped his sword, and fled the premises as fast as his legs would allow him.
"H-Hawkins!" Summer coughed. She broke into a sprint with the aid of her semblance and caught every single weapon and dust compartment before they hit the floor.
"Summer, what's going on here?! Are you alright?!" Yelled a low-pitched voice.
Knocking over a set of paint cans, a tall Faunus wearing a set of oily overalls with lizard skin rushed over to the scene.
"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Slate, it was an accident! Hawkins and I-" Summer bit her tongue. Where did that rude blonde run off to now?!
"Look, I know you're excited to see the new line of weapons for this month's release, but I thought we established to not use any of the weapons in the building?" Mr. Slate clicked his tongue and combed his bushy black hair with his fingers.
"B-But I... H-Hawkins, he..." Despite her pleas of innocence, Summer was forced to clean up the mess but wasn't charged as she'd saved the goods. Though the next time she and the magician met, she was determined to have a very serious conversation with him.
/-/
The afternoon sun basking his fair round face, Jaune crawled under the shade of the apple tree and picked at the grass.
Carla stood nearby, folding clothes and hanging damp ones on the line, she said something to the small girl behind her while pointing to Jaune.
The girl rubbed her arm, her gaze shifting between the baby and the Cow Faunus, she reluctantly conceded and made her way to the apple tree.
"Ababa?" Jaune ceased his grass picking and looked up to the fidgeting girl before him.
His cerulean orbs widened as he tilted his head. He was feeling a tad peckish, so maybe this stranger had come to feed him?
No such luck. The girl continued to rub her arm with a frown. Simply muttering to herself as she did so.
Seeing that he wouldn't be getting a meal anytime soon, Jaune opted to nibble on the pieces of grass he had pulled.
The crunch of weeds and wet smacks of drool forcing her eyes back on the boy, the stranger shook her head and leaned down.
Her face inches from his, Jaune held out a clump of grass for her to take. Maybe the girl was hungry too.
"Make sure he's not eating the grass, Trifa, I don't want Jaune to spoil his dinner with a stomachache," Carla called from the lines of laundry.
Her gray hands wrapped around the baby's wrists and pulled them upward. Jaune let go of his green bounty as a result, but he wasn't happy about it.
"Waba!" Jaune blurted and spat a mouthful of weeds in Trifa's face.
"H-Hey!" The blunette frowned and wiped the bits of grass off her cheek.
"Ababa!~" The blonde laughed. The way Trifa reacted was funny, so he spat another clump of grass her way.
"S-Stop it, that's not nice!" The girl yelped and stepped back.
"Aba?" Jaune clapped his hands with a goofy smile and rolled on all fours. Now crawling toward the girl, Trifa continued to walk in reverse as she kept her focus on the delinquent in the making.
"Ababa~" Jaune plucked another handful of greens and included a bright yellow dandelion in the mix.
He offered it to Trifa, but the girl shook her head. That's weird, the yellow weeds tasted the best so why did the blunette refuse his gift?
Oh well, more for him Jaune concluded and shoved the delectable verdure between his lips.
"Hey, you're not supposed to do that!" Trifa snapped.
The vehement tone stunned Jaune, and he rolled back on his butt. He remained stiff, afraid of what this stranger would do next. He didn't like getting yelled at, it hurt his ears after all.
A brief and awkward silence between them, Trifa glanced toward Carla for assistance, but the older woman was too engrossed in the last bits of folding to notice and Sam was still cleaning inside the house.
Carla's orders were to keep an eye on the baby at all times, and he seemed friendly enough, but his unpredictability left much to be desired.
"Ababa?" Jaune said. No reaction from the girl whose back faced him, he figured he'd go and explore. Maybe he could find a bunch of dandelions to eat and share with his timid cohort. If he was lucky, he might run into those white dandelions that popped like fireworks when you blew on them.
"Wow, the district's gotten bigger since last time." Robyn's violet eyes peered over the tall crops of corn and straw.
Wooden baskets, stuffed to the point of overflowing, littered the roadside. The deep red skin of the apples glistening under the hot sun.
"It's a promising harvest this year." Fiona hummed as she spotted a group of Faunus sitting around a tractor.
They shot ominous glances at the happy huntresses but diverted their gaze once they caught a glimpse of Fiona's sheep ears.
"It seems Vale isn't as equal to its citizens as we thought." May sighed and flicked her braided ponytail behind her left shoulder.
"All in due time, Ozpin is a decent enough man, and I heard he's been pushing the council for equal rights for years. In fact, the old wizard plans to implement an extended trade route between Menagerie and Vale. That has to count for something right?" Robyn added with a smile.
Passing the main windmill, a bunch of baskets stacked against the building's walls tumbled to the ground and left a giant pile of apples. The huntresses blinked and checked to see if anyone saw what had occurred. Far from attention, Robyn broke from the group and approached the fruit litter.
"Abapmh!~"
Her ears twitched at the innocent tune. Peering around the apple pile, the leader's violet pupils widened.
Staring back at her was a small baby with his teeth sunk in a half-bitten apple. A head of moppy blonde hair and ocean-tinted eyes, he crawled over to the random stranger and spat out the apple.
"Ababa!~" Robyn curled a brow as the tyke held up his meal toward her.
Seconds passed, and seeing the young woman wasn't going to accept the gift, the blonde tilted his head and took another bite.
"Robyn, what did you find over there?" Fiona hurried over with Joanna and May.
As the three huntresses spotted the little rascal, Fiona let out a delighted squeal and squatted till she was only a few heads taller than the baby.
"Aba?"
"Oh, aren't you a little sweetheart! But you shouldn't be out here all by yourself, where are your parents?" The sheep Faunus tapped a finger on her chin and looked up to the windmill. Its sails still, and the lack of action around the establishment made it clear that no one other than the baby and his four strangers was around.
"Ababa?"
"Oh, this just won't do!" Fiona puffed her cheeks and carefully picked up the child by his armpits.
"Hold it, Fi." Joanna placed a hand on her partner's shoulder and frowned. "We can't just take the boy and walk around with him. What if his parents come back looking for him?"
"I'm sure my aunt and uncle will know where your parents are. They're quite influential around this district!" Fiona replied swiftly and rubbed her cheek against the baby's face.
The boy giggled at the warm touch, and his new acquaintances couldn't help but squeal at the adorable sound.
"Fine, I guess we can take him with us," Joanna muttered bashfully.
"That's the spirit!" Robyn said with a toothy smile as May stuck a thumbs-up behind her.
"Alright, first stop, Auntie Carla and Uncle Sam!" Fiona chirped and strutted down the dusty roads.
"Waba! Waba!" The baby cried.
"Aw don't worry little fella, you're safe and sound now." His carrier nodded, a burning sense of determination in her olive eyes as the baby perched his head on her shoulder to look back.
Little did the happy huntresses know, the poor lad wasn't scared, rather he was complaining that the bounty of sweet apples he'd found was growing smaller with each step!
/-/
"Ack!" Hawkins grunted as his face met the dirt. He pounded the soil with his fists until his nails cracked and his palms swelled.
Bright flashes corrupting his mind, the magician slammed his head against the dirt in a last-ditch effort to rid himself of the despairing nightmares.
"Huff... where am I?"
Hawkins didn't know how far he'd run from the weapon store, but it was clear from his surroundings that he was far from the city.
A forest, its trees bearing blood-colored leaves, the entire area was engulfed in red even with the green grass. A horn blaring in the distance, Hawkins fixed his posture and stood up straight.
He reached in his cloak for his tarot cards, but a subtle growl that shifted to a roar rattled his eardrums. Blindsided by a massive paw, the blonde's head smacked square into a tree trunk with a nasty crunch.
"Growr!" Roared an obsidian demon with black fur and bony spikes on its back and arms, as well as a white, bone-like mask with red details.
Too large to be a Beowolf, the creature resembled a bear, though this was a rough estimation considering its genetics.
Hawkins reached for his blade, only to feel nothing between his fingers. A flash of recent events hit him like a truck. He'd left his sword back in the commercial district when he fled the weapon store!
"Growr!" The monster charged at Hawkins, its head lowered, its skull bashed against Hawkins' chest.
His back to the wall, the magician raised his arms and attempted to manifest his devil fruit abilities. Though the straw entwined his limbs, the scars of Sabaody Archipeligo racked his mind and the straw he gathered fell off his person as quickly as it came.
The Grimm gnashed its jagged teeth. The sweat of its panting prey filling its nostrils with delight, the nasty beast lunged forward with its claws toward the sky.
The blonde tried to move, but his muscles defied his commands. Another strike to the temple, Hawkins' vision of the world waned on the edge of blacking out.
"You are no longer needed here."
The voice of the world government's tyrant whispered as the Grimm continued to treat the magician as a ragdoll.
"Why am I still alive?" Hawkins cursed as he caught a swipe meant for his forehead. His boots drifting along the soil, Hawkins was forced to a knee and could only watch as another paw battered his shoulder. He skidded backward and fell on his back.
Blood dripped from his forehead, soaking his torn ruffled cloak. The fire long gone from his crimson stare, all that remained were feeble embers of former ambition. The Grimm circled its prey, its claws scraping the dirt as it did so.
"...kins."
The magician coughed. "Who is it? Has the shadow of death finally come to claim my soul?"
The world crumbled around him, the snarls of the hungry monster mute as the falling scarlet leaves shifted to those of white flowers. For a moment, the canvas blank, Hawkins saw someone standing no more than a foot away from him.
A long cream-colored dress, its hem knitted with silver, long strands of golden locks draped around the figure's sleek shoulders. Hawkins couldn't identify a face, as the stranger's back was toward him, but he called out to them all the same.
He begged for assistance to fend off the Grimm and horrible memories. His reaching fingers clasping around the wrist of the figure, a hot sensation boiled in his chest as a familiar symbol weaved on his pale skin.
"Be brave... You're stronger than that foul beast..." That voice... too soft to be a man's, the figure turned around but before the magician could catch a glimpse of its visage, it burst into a dazzling tornado of white flowers.
Said flowers, consumed him, and brought him back to the world of the living.
Hawkins shook his head, his limbs numb, he felt a warm tingle on his pectorals.
The golden, twin crescent moons on full display, the symbol filled Hawkins with a heat that, while ominous, felt soothing and strangely familiar.
"Growr!"
Oh, that's right, there was still a hulking menace that needed to be dealt with.
"Demon Face!" The magician shouted.
Though his devil fruit refused to comply, it allowed him to cover his arms in straw and produce a set of iron nails that were about the size of a dagger.
The Grimm approaching, Hawkins beckoned whatever courage a defeated pirate could muster.
The monster's paw raised, the magician took quick notice of the vulnerable gap between its extended arm and head.
Hawkins ducked, then sprang up with his nails tipped toward the cruel monster's neck.
The black iron sunk into the furry flesh, and the Grimm snarled as black oozed spilled from the wound.
The beast staggered back, but the magician's assault was far from over. Both hands raised, Hawkins repeatedly raked the tender gash he'd invoked.
The Grimm swung its arms in retaliation, but the blonde made sure to stay in very close quarters, so close the swinging limbs of furry obsidian flesh went around instead of straight on. Unable to bat the human away, the monster opened its jaws and went for the head.
His crimson eyes narrowed and flaring with the urge to survive, Hawkins increased his pace slashing the Grimm's throat until his iron nails met bone.
A disgruntled gurgle, followed by hacking snarls, the Grimm's massive body leaned back and thudded against the earth.
"I've won..." The magician whispered. His pale skin painted in obsidian-colored ooze, he fumbled to a knee and clutched his rapidly beating heart.