Hey everyone, sorry for the late upload, but I decided to shift the focus slightly from Hawkins to Jaune for a little while. It'll be a sub-arc, yes, but I'm only planning for it to reach a max of five chapters at most.
Also, thanks for the review ivanacco1, and I do admit that my writing for Hawkins has been on a more tragic end. Though there are some bitter-sweet moments coming up, so I hope you'll keep reading and reviewing as I appreciate those comments a lot. Also, a big shoutout to you Xrunner, Monster King, and my Spanish-speaking guest reviewer.
With that, have a wonderful day everyone.
Cheers, Searoar.
"The child is gone?" Hawkins asked.
"Yup, according to some drunkards outside, they saw a little tyke with mint-colored hair fleeing the premise. Apparently, she looked like she pissed her pants and was struggling to carry all the stuff she looted." Tyrion shrugged.
Hawkins shook his head. Shyarly wouldn't be happy to know that the child she saved had abandoned her, but then again, the magician assumed Shyarly had rescued the girl out of the goodness of her own heart instead of a strong relationship.
"Hawkins?" Tyrion leaned forward with a hand on his hip. "What's the matter? Something on your mind?"
The magician grumbled and sighed. "We shouldn't dawdle in this sandy kingdom any longer than we need to. Have you uncovered anything useful in your morning venture?"
Tyrion clapped his hands and pulled out a long sheet of paper. He coughed into his fist, then proudly read the information in the likeness of a dutiful squire.
"Well, according to the man that I left with three broken ribs, the Branwen tribe has moved from their initial course in the north and have made their way to the east. Next, the woman who I sliced in the back told me the Branwen's have been meddling around the black market for some special fruit that gets put on display every month. Lastly, I decided to give Mr. Ink a visit in his cell and apparently there haven't been any blonde boys on sale."
"That's good..." Hawkins sounded tired despite having a full night's rest. The bags beneath his eyes were heavier than usual, and the way he trudged around the room was a telltale sign of exhaustion.
Tyrion, ever curious, decided to pry and asked his friend what bothered him. However, all Tyrion got was a heavy sigh and a slow shake of the head.
"Have you alerted Ms. Rumpole about Madame Shyarly?"
Tyrion nodded. "Ms. Rumpole was more than happy to hear about our human trafficking bust, and I doubt she'd turn away your shark Faunus lover after our valiant efforts."
"My... lover?" The magician's face grew stern.
His cohort gave a knowing nod. "You and Shyarly clicked the moment you met, wouldn't you agree? Why you swept her off her feet like a prince would his princess, then carried her off to your royal chambers for a much-needed reward!"
"That's not how it happened..." Hawkins groaned.
"Are you sure?" Tyrion tilted his head and crossed his arms. "Because Shyarly seemed pretty happy when I told her that you were in need of some personal comforting while you slept; and the way you held her hand during one of your usual nightmares could only be described as cute!"
"Enough of this," Hawkins shook his head, "stop trying to put images in my head that I don't need. We leave for the wildlands immediately, and I'm not taking no for an answer."
The scorpion Faunus cackled. "Very well then, I just need to grab my provisions bag from my room and then we'll depart unimpeded!"
Tyrion dashed down the hallway and made a sharp left, but his romance senses were tingling, and he decided to pop his head into Hawkins' former room. There, he witnessed Shyarly fumble with a piece of paper as she tried to hide her blushing face.
"This isn't your room, Tyrion," Hawkins grunted as he stood behind his brown-haired ally.
Tyrion tensed for a split second and whirled around with a wide grin.
"Of course," he said cooly, "I just wanted to make sure that your friend here was informed of her favorable future. Until we meet again, Madame Shyarly, perhaps we can chat about nonsensical things when the situation is more peaceful, hm?"
Tyrion skipped off, and Hawkins made sure to follow his footsteps closely until he was out of sight. With a tired sigh, Hawkins looked at Shyarly who returned the stare. Shyarly had to hold her long bangs aside to meet the magician's crimson gaze, and after many uncomfortable blinks, Hawkins decided to do something about it and told his acquaintance to hold still.
He withdrew a pocket knife, much to Shyarly's confusion, and she tucked in her legs and crossed her arms in fear.
"I'm not going to hurt you..." Hawkins said plainly. "I'm merely going to fix that unruly hair of yours."
The magician walked over and stood directly in front of the tall woman. She continued to stare at him, and the trepidation in her eyes did not go unnoticed. Thus, Hawkins decided to appease her with words before making any other advancement.
"Your hair is bothering you, isn't it?" He asked.
"I-It is just a bit," Shyarly forced out a slight chuckle and turned her head away. Though her breath hitched when a thumb and index finger cupped her chin and forced her gaze back into a pair of crimson eyes.
"If I wanted to hurt you I would have thrust my sword through your chest. However, violence is not my preference when dealing with a problem, and I only need you to keep my past history between us. Can you do that for me, Madame Shyarly?"
"I-I..." Shyarly trembled as her cheeks gained a hot hue of pink. Was Hawkins unaware of personal space? She tried to move her head out of his hand or raise an arm to push it away, but her brain and body refused to comply and she simply sat there like a dummy.
Hawkins blinked slowly. Now that he knew Shyarly wouldn't make any sudden movements, he went about trimming her long, midnight locks and copied one of those Mistralian hairstyles he'd seen on the window of a hair salon.
Hawkins took care not to tug any strands and adjusted Shyarly's facial position from time to time for easier snips. Every time his large hands cupped her cheek or chin, Shyarly bit back a whimper as her hands gripped the hem of her shirt.
"There," the magician gave his cohort a once-over and stepped back. "This should be more your style and shouldn't impede your vision more than it needs to."
Shyarly reached her slender fingers and felt the elongated bang on the right side of her face while her left was given a free view of her surroundings. She tried to stand to see her reflection in the bathroom mirror, but her legs betrayed her and she lost her balance.
"Fwump~"
"You shouldn't force yourself if you can't walk." Hawkins sounded slightly annoyed. "If you require lessons, I'll ask for Ms. Rumpole to educate you or have a wheelchair prepared for your transport. Will that suffice?"
His hands held Madame Shyarly by the shoulders, but when he glanced down and saw her trembling legs, he guided her back to the bed and went to the washroom in search of a mirror. He found one in the cabinet, and when he showed Shyarly her reflection, a genuine smile spread on her fair visage.
Her hair was now similar to what she had when she was still on Fishman Island, and it did wonders to her beating heart as she glanced at the man who'd done this good deed. Again, she felt her eyes drifting to the strong pectorals and abs of the magician, but it was his stoic expression that was the true prize. He seemed so focused on Shyarly, and she couldn't help but feel as if she were the only thing that mattered to him at the moment.
"Y-You forgot this..." Shyarly whispered and pulled out Hawkins' missing tarot card from beneath the bed's pillow.
Hawkins blinked. How on earth did he forget one of his most important assets? He accepted the card, but as his hand gripped the card, he found that Shyarly's own fingers had wrapped around his own.
"T-Thank you..." She said with eyes toward the floor. She was shaking even harder now, and Hawkins wondered if he'd done something wrong.
"I... I was so scared, but I had to be strong for Emerald and the other kids." Tears dripped down her cheeks and chin and pittered against the floor.
"It's fine now, the green-haired child has moved on and so should you." Hawkins huffed.
However, he was not prepared for Shyarly to jump off the bed and wrap her arms around his neck. This time not out of fear, but general appreciation as she pressed her generous chest against his muscular one.
"T-The reason I'm so afraid of rats and other rodents," she continued to cry on the former pirate's shoulder, "is because my enslavers decided to punish me by throwing me into another cage filled with the disgusting critters..."
Hawkins' hands clenched and unclenched. Again, he was forced into a situation he had little to no experience in, but his fatherly instincts took the reigns and his arms moved of their own volition. His left wrapped around Shyarly's waist for support and patted just below her shark fin, while his right hand found itself atop the shark Faunus' head and brushed her black locks in a manner more gentle than a comb.
"T-They crawled all over me and dug their sharp teeth into my skin..." Shyarly continued to weep, "and only after I cried myself dry did they finally decide to drag me out and throw me into a cleaner cage!"
"You didn't deserve that..." Hawkins blinked at his words. He should have remained silent and gotten this whole ordeal done with, but his strengthened conscience had other ideas.
"S-So when I saw you... I knew that you were my only chance to escape a life of serving as some disgusting lech's whore!"
The tears didn't stop, and soon Hawkins' entire right side was drenched in salty droplets. Mucus dribbled from Shyarly's nose, and she decided to get rid of it by wiping her face on Hawkins' shoulder.
"N-Not only that... All my friends on Fishman island are nowhere to be found and the few friends I did make are now dead..."
Shyarly lifted herself off Hawkins' shoulder and pressed her quivering palms against his chest. She didn't care how pathetic she looked because she wanted... no, needed to get these bottled emotions out before they crushed her spirit.
"Do you know what it's like to lose everything you've ever cared for? To know that you'll never see the smiles of those you cared about ever again?!" Voice raised, Shyalry balled her hands and pounded them against Hawkins' body.
The magician winced, but he understood that moving away would only incite more of Shyarly's sadness. So instead, he caught her hands and entwined them with his own warm grip. He'd seen Sam massage the top of Carla's palm when she was upset, and the small gesture did wonders to ease the cow Faunus' temper. So Hawkins copied the action in hopes of easing Shyarly's downtrodden state.
His assumption proved correct, and Shyarly practically fell back into his embrace like a scared child.
"I-I don't want to be alone again, but I don't want my friends to only be temporary!" She wrapped her arms around Hawkins' neck again and squeezed so tight, that the magician thought he'd pass out.
"So please... promise me that we'll see each other again, Hawkins! And I won't take no for an answer!"
Slowly, Hawkins slinked his hands to Shyarly's waist and gently pressed her back. He stood only an inch and a half shorter than her, so it wasn't hard to meet her frightened expression with his pale, stoic visage.
"I can help you, but I do not have the means or time to while my son is lost in the wildlands." Hawkins drew a deep breath and exhaled through his nose with his eyes closed.
"However... there are people I trust, and I know they can help you. As it stands, I'm a hunter who's enrolled in a team, and though my relationship is not ideal at the moment... I can say for certain that they are good people who are much better than me."
Hawkins carefully separated himself and let Shyarly down on the bed for what felt like the hundredth time. He pulled out a small business card, one that Tai had decided to print since their team was officially recognized, and held it out for Shyarly to take.
"Team STQH?" She asked. "Sailcloth? Isn't that an odd name..."
She read the names beneath the title and saw Summer Rose, Tai Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen, and B. Hawkins.
"I blame Beacon's headmaster for his lack of imagination." Hawkins scoffed. "I'll have Tyrion message my teammates and they'll take care of the rest."
Shyarly looked up at the man who'd saved her and he curled a brow at her curious expression.
"If you're trying to rescue your son, wouldn't your friends be an invaluable asset? I don't see why you're traveling with that Tyrion fellow instead. After all, he is quite... eccentric."
"It's complicated." Hawkins surmised. "It was due to my teammates' constant bickering and lack of communication that my son is now fending for himself in unfamiliar territory."
"A-And what if your son isn't..." Shyarly bit her lip and turned her head away. She dare not say it, but the often saying in Vacuo was that the strong survived and the weak perished.
"If my son is no longer in the land of the living..." Hawkins finished the sentence which caused Shyarlt to flinch. "Then the villains responsible will suffer a death that's worse than my former reputation."
The magician's visage twisted into a scowl, and he saw Shyarly retract as a response. He shook his head quickly and dispelled his unruly thoughts. He shouldn't have shown such a fierce face to an already frightened victim, and he hated to admit it... but he did empathize greatly with Shyarly's mental strife.
"Hawkins?" Tyrion's voice lacked its usual gusto as he stepped into the room. Unbeknownst to the magician and shark Faunus, Tyrion had heard every word and scared away the other residents who got too close to the magician's room with a heated scowl.
The blonde in question turned to his brown-haired cohort. "Give me your scroll, Tyrion, I need to make a call."
Tyrion complied no questions asked and Hawkins said he wanted to have his discussion in private. As the former pirate turned to leave, Tyrion glanced at Madame Shyarly, and while Hawkins' back was turned; he pointed at the shark Faunus and then to the blonde magician.
Shyarly wondered what Tyrion was up to, but felt her face flush as he made a heart shape with his hands and a kissy face that went along with it. Shyarly refused to entertain these embarrassing antics and decided that looking out the open window was much more important.
/-/
"H-Huh?" Tai nearly choked as he witnessed Hawkins' number appear on his scroll. Summer was in Ozpin's office to discuss their team's current predicament, and Qrow was in the mess hall with Oobleck, Port, and Thumbelina.
"I must be the last one you called because the other guys are probably too distracted to answer..." Tai laughed sadly and found a spot beneath a large tree that was far away from those who shared the courtyard.
"Hello? Hawkins?" Tai asked and put his scroll next to his ear.
"Mr. Long," the magician's gloomy tone nicked Tai's heart a tad, but he did well to hide his discomfort.
"So... What's up?" Tai wanted to smack himself for his poor attempt at small talk. However, to his surprise, Hawkins showed no malice and continued to speak as if all was normal.
"There's someone who I've encountered that I need you to look after. She's an acquaintance of mine, but she has nowhere to go due to the fact that all her former friends have been slaughtered."
"Wow..." Tai tugged his collar. "Blunt as ever aren't you?"
"Thus, I trust that you and the others will be able to house her while I'm rescuing my son?" Hawkins grunted.
"H-Huh? Oh yeah, sure thing, Hawkins! Yeah, no problem!" Tai wiped the sweat off his forehead and cleared his throat. "So, what's the name of this friend of yours?"
"Madame Shyarly, a shark Faunus and former citizen of Vacuo. I've written Madame Shyarly's physical description, and plan to have Ms. Rumpole of Shade academy send her your way with a hunter to act as suitable protection. Am I clear?"
Tai moved his scroll away from his ear and glanced at the message that was just sent. He blinked dumbly at the mention of a 7'0 tall woman, as he'd never encountered anyone other than Hawkins who was close to that height.
"Um, alright, with details like these it'll be near impossible to miss your friend! You can trust me, Hawkins, I won't let you down."
The shuffling of cards could be heard for a brief moment.
"There's a 93% chance that Madame Shyarly will arrive in Valesion territory safe and sound." A calm huff echoed through the speaker. "At least that's one thing that's in my favor."
"Don't worry, Hawkins! I'll make sure to come in peas!" Tai chuckled at his own pun but felt a weight drop on his shoulders after an annoyed grunt from his friend.
"This is not a joking matter, Tai," Hawkins said with an edged voice.
"R-Right, my bad, I just get a little nervous about these kinds of things. Especially given... our current circumstances. Have you... rescued Jaune yet? Yang hasn't left the cabin since you left, and even Ruby's ultimate puppy dog eyes haven't had any effect. Ms. Mallari is looking after the kids too, but there hasn't been much progress if I'm being honest." Tai's tone grew somber as he remembered his daughter's long frown.
"Jaune is still alive, and I intend to bring him home. That is all." Hawkins ended the call and a loud beep rang from Tai's scroll.
The hunter scratched his head and took a long, deep breath. This was a lot to take in, and with Summer's decision to follow Hawkins into Vacuo now an absolute certainty, he could only guess as to how upset his wife would be once he told her they'd have to make a detour for Hawkins' new friend.
"Black hair, navy blue eyes, slender frame, and fair skin. Huh, it sounds like you've made a very pretty friend, Hawkins." Tai chuckled and looked to the sky then to Beacon Academy. The headmaster's tower was where Summer resided, and he could only imagine the discussion she was having with Ozpin.
Speaking of which...
"And that about summarizes it." Summer quipped with her arms crossed.
"I see..." Ozpin sipped his coffee and let out a discontent hum. "This is an urgent state of affairs, but I cannot say that there aren't pressing matters that also need to be addressed."
"As you know," Ozpin continued, "the tension between Mantle and Atlas has gotten so fierce that there are rumors of a civil war breaking out. I was hoping to send George a few Valesian hunters to help ease the situation without the need of military interference and seeing how good you are with people, I was hoping that you'd accept my preposition."
The headmaster put down his cup and eased back into his large chair. "However, the safety of your nephew mustn't be ignored either. Thus, I have a preposition that I think will benefit us all."
"Really?" Summer leaned forward in interest.
Ozpin nodded with a smile. "As it stands, Willow Schnee of the SDC has decided to embark to the sandy kingdom of Vacuo and has demanded that she be given proper protection. However, she decided to reject her usual escorts in favor of a group of different origin."
"And why is that?" Summer asked.
Ozpin laughed and shook his head. "According to George, Mrs. Schnee and her husband have had a fierce round of banter and the latter has decided to keep all the Antlesian guards to himself. Something to do with separate vacation with their kids, as George himself was not too informed on the matter."
"So... you want my team to protect Mrs. Schnee while she's on her business trip and vacation? But what about Hawkins and Jaune?" Summer protested.
"Of course," Ozpin raised a reassuring hand, "once Mrs. Schnee and her daughter are within Vacuan territory, Theodore and Ms. Rumpole will take care of the rest."
"But it'll take weeks to reach Atlas from Vale..." Summer grumbled.
"Not quite," Ozpin corrected, "as Mrs. Schnee is only a few hours from our kingdom since she had to attend a sudden meeting at our council's behest."
Summer perked up at this news. Not only did she have a free ticket to Vacuo, as her pockets were a tad tight due to the maternal leave from her role as a mother, but now she could hunt down her stoic partner and rescue her nephew!
"Summer? Is everything alright? Your smile is a bit... spooky." Ozpin said.
"Hehehe... you can't get away from me now, Hawkins, not even if you tried..." Summer giggled to herself which brought a sense of caution from her former headmaster.
/-/
"Holy shit! That blonde brat can actually fight!" Cried a drunken bandit as he and his colleagues watched the battle between the two tykes unfold.
"Hah!" Jaune yelled as his sheathed sword came crashing down on Bill's back thus forcing the young man into the dirt.
While Mad Treasure was away with his usual group, the lesser bandits decided to have fun with their new favorite punching bag, only to find out that the blonde kid actually knew how to use a sword, and he was rather proficient with it for a kid his age.
Raven also watched on the sidelines with Brick, and while the doctor watched in amusement, his black-haired friend observed with slightly wide eyes and crossed arms.
For Raven's standards, Jaune was no more than a cowardly wuss who couldn't hurt a fly, but after Bill threatened to burn down Raven's tent and by extension Jaunes; the boy challenged Bill to a duel with the promise of if Jaune won, he'd keep his temporary home.
Not like Raven would ever allow her property to be reduced to ashes, and everyone in the tribe knew that, so Jaune's duel was more for entertainment than anything.
"Do you yield?!" Jaune shouted and raised his sheathed shortsword.
Bill snarled in disdain and pulled out his machete. He didn't need to dual-wield to deal with this kid, as he was already twenty years old! Jaune just got a lucky hit in, that's it!
But as Bill jumped to his feet and made a savage swing, Jaune parried the incoming blow and used Bill's momentum against him as the latter stumbled forward awkwardly. With this chance, Jaune jumped into the air and landed a clean hit on the back of Bill's neck.
The young man coughed and fell face-first into the sand. He'd been beaten no doubt, and he was about to make a desperate last-minute attack, only for Jaune to yell and knock him in the back of the head.
"I win!" Jaune announced. Though no one cheered while he pumped his fists and smiled like a happy-go-lucky idiot.
"I guess this Hawkins fellow is a competent swordsman." Brick said to Raven. "If his six-year-old kid can beat one of the younger fellows with only a few bruises and a bloody nose to show for it, then maybe you should have had that magician serve as your representative."
The way Raven smiled was more malicious than content, and she replied in an ominous tone.
"He's not terrible," she hummed, "and I'm surprised that blonde idiot I decided to drag here can actually take a punch or two. Maybe he won't die in the upcoming trials, but I can't say I really care if he does either."
"Raven..." Brick frowned at his cohort's words and sighed. He couldn't do much to change her attitude at this point, but as it stood, Jaune was actually the most pleasant to talk to among the louts he called his fellow tribesmen. So it was natural for the doctor to not wish for the boy's demise.
Brick turned to Jaune as he ran over to him and Raven.
"Did you see that?!" Jaune beamed as a line of blood dripped from his nose to his chin. "I won!"
"Good job kid, but don't get cocky, or else the other kids and teens are gonna beat you up for it." Brick warned with a short smile.
Jaune nodded, then shifted hesitantly to Raven who looked down on him as if he were less than dirt. His cerulean eyes trembling, Jaune maintained eye contact despite Raven's fierce expression and showed his trademark goofy smile.
"A-Are you proud of me?" Jaune asked. He didn't really like the ravenette, as she'd often hit him on the head for being, as she put it, a stupid moron. Yet, there were times that she'd sneak him a few more meat pieces when the other bandits pushed him aside at dinner time.
Or at least that's what Jaune assumed. For it was actually Brick who was feeding the boy but decided to give the credit to Raven in an attempt to better their relationship.
Raven said nothing and returned to her tent without sparing Jaune a second look.
"At least she didn't hit me." The boy bit back his tears and grunted when a pebble hit him in the back.
"Take it easy, Jaune," Brick advised. "I've gotta take care of Bill, so don't do anything stupid, got it?"
Brick left the boy with a few bandages and once the adult was out of sight, another presence made itself known.
"Hey, loser!" Called an annoyingly familiar voice.
"Y-Yes, Vernal?" The boy gulped.
The dynamic between the two kids was arguably worse than the one with Raven, but Jaune still held the hope of making a few friends to pass the time until his dad came to save him. Though he had very little success in that field and the relationship he had with Vernal was more like a bully who decided to bully him when she got bored. And Vernal got bored rather easily.
"I want some fruit," Vernal said and snagged the boy by the collar. She was roughly a head taller than him, which made it so that Jaune had to stand on his tippy toes to keep his balance.
"But the other idiots decided to eat it all, so I want you to get me some more." Vernal finished and let go of Jaune who landed on his rump.
The tribe as a whole had moved closer to the eastern borders where the forests resided. This meant that foraging was more ideal than plundering passing wagons and vehicles for supplies, and oddly enough, Jaune happened to be one of the best fruit pickers in the tribe.
"B-But it's dangerous to go alone..." Jaune whined.
"So what if you're alone?" Vernal scoffed with her hands on her hips. She leaned down till her nose nearly bumped with Jaune's and her pale, blue eyes burned into his quivering cerulean.
She showed an evil smile and spoke in a tone that meant she was the boss of the situation.
"You don't have any friends anyway, so it makes sense for you to get the fruit by yourself. Also, I want apples this time, not some mushy peaches. Okay?"
She leaned back to her full height, cracked her knuckles, and stared down at the boy who looked like he was about to cry.
"O-Okay..." Jaune sobbed and hurried with his shortsword still strapped to his hip. As long as he didn't see any Grimm, he'd be okay, but perhaps that wasn't the only danger the boy would run into on his adventure for fruit...