Sorry for the delay. Stuff has been getting stupid crazy at work. But like I said, this show goes on. Remember to share your thoughts in the reviews section. I'm curious to know who your favorite character in this fic is so far.

NOTICE: EXPECT THE NEXT CHAPTER IN THE DAYS AFTER 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND.

Without Further Delay Here's Chapter 10! ENJOY!

Present Day:

"This is outrageous James! You want me to redesign all of the AK-200s as well as the Paladins?!"

General Ironwood sat in the personal office of Jacques Schnee. The mustached head of the Schnee Dust Company sat across from him, looking absolutely furious.

"Have you read the after action report I gave you?"

"Of course, but-"

"Including the recommendations section?"

Jacques glared at James with contempt. "Yes-"

James interrupted him again.

"Then you know that, per the defense contract, the SDC must address all weaknesses observed during the field test."

"Don't you think that these observed weaknesses are exaggerated?"

James frowned.

"No," he said simply.

"No?" Jacques couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I trust the input of my men."

"You're going to take the word of some random soldiers instead of looking into it yourself?"

"The men who wrote this report are far from random soldiers. They're the absolute best that Atlas has to offer. If anyone knows what lethality entails, it's them."

Jacques rubbed his temple with one hand while the other held a glass of whiskey. Ironwood likewise held a glass of whiskey.

"What you're asking of me will take months to do. Not to mention it will cost me millions of Lien."

"I don't care what it costs you, Jacques. If you want this contract, then fix the weaknesses. I want these drones ready by the time the Vytal Tournament begins."

Jacques grumbled under his breath. This defense contract was too huge to pass up. He would have to suck up the pain of spending his own money to have the drones' weaknesses addressed if he wanted the massive payment at the tail end of the contract.

"Fine," he said angrily, "I'll have it done by then."

Ironwood smiled. He downed the last remaining bit of his liquor before setting his glass on the table and standing up.

"Thank you, Jacques. I'm glad we have an understanding."

In the Forests of Vale:

"You said your men were capable, but I don't see any progress made. I gave you a simple task, Adam. What is the reason for the delay?"

The mask on Adam's face prevented the sexily dressed human woman from seeing his eyes narrow at her. The woman in question was beautiful with raven hair, long legs, and a body that women would kill for. She wore a short red dress and high heels that gave off noticeable sexual energy. The two were currently standing inside a large tent and the woman across from the bull faunus looked less than pleased.

"We ran into a minor setback…" replied Adam.

"A minor setback?" She asked.

He merely nodded.

She glared at him as she held out her hand. A flame materialized out of her hand; the heat of the flame could be felt throughout the tent.

"Don't lie to me, Adam."

Adam remained composed, not letting her impressive display of power intimidate him.

"As I said," he replied, "there was a minor setback. My men ran into some trouble. It's none of your concern."

She took a few menacing steps toward him.

"Actually, it is my concern. If your men cannot do their jobs, then that jeopardizes my plans." The flame in her hand grew in intensity. "Now, I won't ask again," she said menacingly, "what happened?"

Adam stared her down for a moment before he finally relented. It was bad enough that he had just explained to Sienna how an entire base had been lost to those monsters, and now he had Cinder to deal with. On top of that, he had to keep the fact that he was working with humans a secret from Sienna. This entire thing was one massive headache.

After he had found the ruined remains of his base, he immediately returned to Mistral to find even more reinforcements. Sienna didn't question his initial request for reinforcements, but when he returned a second time asking for even more men, she immediately questioned him. When he informed her that those monsters had destroyed another one of their bases, she flipped. The word 'infuriated' could not possibly describe Sienna that day. That marked the fourteenth time in three years that they'd been attacked by those monsters. The only reason that number wasn't greater was that after the initial few attacks they suffered they decided to tone down the scale of their operations. They went about making their bases smaller and more mobile so as to make it more difficult for them to be located. After Sienna calmed down, she approved his request for more reinforcements on the condition that they spread themselves out. She didn't want more of her brothers and sisters to be slaughtered. The fact that so few faunus quit the White Fang in hopes of not becoming one of those unfortunate enough to be found by the Harvesters spoke volumes of the dedication of their forces. Many believed that what they were doing, their fight for faunus everywhere was a holy crusade. Why else would demons come after them with such ferocity?

Adam focused his attention back on Cinder.

"What do you know of demons?" He asked.

Cinder raised an eyebrow at his question.

"Are you trying to be dramatic about your forces being attacked by Grimm?"

He scoffed in disgust.

"If only my brethren were killed by Grimm," he replied with venom in his voice, "that way I wouldn't have had to see their mutilated remains."

Cinder cocked her head to the side slightly out of mild curiosity.

"Bandits?"

Adam shook his head.

"If only it were bandits."

He reached for his scroll and pressed a few buttons on the touch screen display until he brought up a photo and presented it to her.

The image revealed a towering, armored-looking, silhouette that was obscured by smoke. It stood tall and powerful and there appeared to be some sort of liquid dripping from its hands. Most likely blood. Cinder closely examined the photo for a moment before she looked back at Adam.

"What exactly am I looking at?" She asked.

"A Harvester," he replied.

"A Harvester?"

Adam merely nodded.

"Care to elaborate what a Harvester is?"

"I wish I knew the true answer to that question. We have many names for them within the White Fang. Demons, Reapers, and even Harbingers to name a few, but Harvesters seemed to stick for some reason. We don't know what they are because no one who has seen them in person has lived to talk about it, but we know they're not Grimm and we know they can't be human. No one is as strong or fast as these things. What we can only guess is that Atlas sent them."

Cinder was listening intently as he continued to speak.

"It was roughly three years ago when we first encountered them. We'd finally delivered a critical blow to the SDC. We were so close to bringing that monstrous corporation to its knees, but then they showed up. I was fortunate enough to have left that base just days before they arrived, and when I returned, I saw what they did to my brethren. They slaughtered them all like animals. Ever since then, they've been after us, after me. They've attacked us a total of fourteen times in the last three years and every time they do, they leave their signature calling card."

Cinder had been listening intently the entire time; she couldn't help but be fascinated by what Adam had to say.

"Which is?" She asked.

"Death and destruction," he replied with seething hatred. "They've killed so many of my brothers and sisters."

"If you don't mind me asking, did they kill anyone who you were particularly close to?" Asked Cinder.

Adam nodded.

"Yes. They killed a good friend of mine. Her name was Ilia Amitola." Adam lowered his head out of respect for his deceased friend. "It was about a year ago when it happened. I left her in charge to watch over our camp while I took a small team to steal a shipment of Dust from an SDC warehouse. When we got back…well…you know the rest."

Cinder said nothing. She merely nodded in understanding.

"I take it you want vengeance?"

"Yes, but I'd only get it in my wildest dreams. Trying to fight one of those monsters would be suicide."

"I have connections to a special person, Adam. Someone so powerful, you couldn't even imagine."

The faunus looked at her with a questioning gaze.

"I can help you achieve what you want, but first, I need you to help me."

Adam didn't trust her, but deep down he knew she was telling the truth. He'd witnessed her incredible powers before, and if she knew someone even more powerful than her; someone who could help him destroy the Harvesters, then maybe the White Fang still had a chance. He hated humans, but he'd work with her if it meant that the faunus came out on top in the end.

"My men will do whatever you ask, but we need to keep an even lower profile. We can't risk those monsters coming after us again."

"I agree," she replied with a smirk. "Let's continue moving forward then, shall we? Time is scarce."

Adam simply nodded.

With her piece said, Cinder made her way towards the tent's exit, thinking to herself as she did so. Whoever these Harvesters were, they posed a potential threat to her plans, to Salem's plans. If Atlas was responsible for the creation of these inhuman creatures, then maybe Arthur would know something about them. She'd have to ask him soon. She always relished a challenge, and it seemed these Harvesters could be her next challenge. Whatever the case, in the end, she would wield unimaginable power as the vessel for the Maiden powers and she would finally have what she deserved.

A Bar in Mantle:

Harriet downed her shot of rum swiftly before she placed the shot glass on the table with an audible clank. Harriet had a look of anger on her face. She was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a black short-sleeved shirt, and a pair of black boots. Seated in front of her and next to her were her fellow teammates. Clover was dressed in a green jacket, a black undershirt, green pants, and black boots. In front of him was a half-empty bottle of beer. Marrow was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a red long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of grey sneakers. Marrow had a glass of whiskey in his hands. Vine was dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt, black pants, and black shoes. In front of him, there was a martini in a cocktail glass. Lastly, Elm was dressed in a green tank top, red pants, and sandals. She held a bottle of beer in her hands. While none of them looked as angry as Harriet, they were certainly far from looking happy.

"Reload!" The speedster of the Ace Ops spoke loud enough so that the waitress would bring her another shot. The waitress came with a bottle of rum, intent on refilling her glass.

"Just leave the bottle," said Harriet.

The waitress merely nodded and left the bottle. Harriet poured herself another shot.

Marrow glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Think that you might've had enough Harriet?"

"Piss off Marrow. I'm not in the mood," she said as she took another shot of her rum.

"I doubt that any of us are in the best of moods at the moment," said Vine.

"Why?" Asked Elm. "Because we got our asses kicked by the 'Bad Batch'?" She made sure to put air quotes around the Bad Batch for emphasis.

Harriet gritted her teeth in anger. She was still angry that those freaks managed to humiliate them. Zero-One-One had taken her out without even trying, and that left her beyond angry.

"Just what hell are those things?" Asked Harriet. "How the hell could we be beaten by a bunch of amateurs?"

"Maybe they aren't amateurs," said Marrow. "Have you considered that?"

Harriet merely glared at him.

"Marrow," said Elm, "try to understand where Harriet's coming from."

Marrow simply nodded. Elm had a point. The Ace Ops were always held as the elite of Atlas. In the eyes of the public, they were the best of the best. And now, without warning, a new team arrived on the block and managed to humiliate them completely. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't upset.

"I think I can, Elm," replied Marrow, "I was the first one to be taken down by them if you don't remember."

Elm couldn't help but wince slightly as she remembered how Zero-Three-Seven managed to defeat her, Vine, and Marrow singlehandedly.

"What did it feel like?" Asked Elm.

Marrow looked at her questioningly. "What did what feel like?"

"Zero-Three-Seven siphoned your aura, didn't he? I'm curious what that felt like."

Marrow took a sip from his glass of whiskey before he answered.

"Exhausting," he replied. "It felt like all my strength was fading. It felt like the more I struggled the more energy I lost."

"He could siphon aura?" Asked Clover, who had a look of intrigue on his face.

Marrow simply nodded.

"That's an interesting semblance," replied Clover.

"Clover," said Vine.

"What's up Vine?"

"Did Zero-Six-Nine demonstrate his semblance when you fought him?"

"Yeah…" Clover began, "...whatever he did, he managed to break my weapon without even directly touching it and he managed to manipulate the floor and make it as weak as paper. On top of that, though, he screwed up my entire nervous system by touching me. I couldn't move for several minutes."

"Interesting," replied Vine as he rubbed his chin in thought, "very interesting."

"Hey Harriet," said Elm, "did Zero-One-One show his semblance?"

Harriet merely replied with a shrug as she took another shot of rum.

"Is that a yes?" Asked Elm.

Harriet scoffed in annoyance.

"I don't know. Something happened, but I can't tell if it was his semblance or not. I tried to hit him full speed, but nothing happened when I hit him."

"Really? Nothing?" Asked Vine.

"He didn't even flinch," she replied.

Marrow and Clover looked surprised. When Harriet attacked at full speed she struck with the force of a train. If Zero-One-One managed to take one of her full power blows without flinching, then that certainly said something. Elm frowned as she took a sip from her beer.

There was a semi-awkward moment of silence. Clover took notice of the looks of anger and disappointment on the faces of his teammates. Clover hated seeing his teammates like this. Unfortunately, the Ace Ops weren't used to failing as a team. They nearly always accomplished their missions. Since their creation over forty years ago, the Ace Ops were the best that Atlas had to offer. Ever since General Thomas Haze sanctioned the creation of the elite special forces unit, the Ace Ops executed the most dangerous missions with precision and efficiency. No other group could challenge the Ace Ops until a certain group of mysterious soldiers came around. Special Mission Unit 117 certainly left a scar on the reputation of the Ace Ops. No one knew where they came from, and no one knew exactly what they were. All they knew was that they shouldn't ask questions about them.

Clover sighed.

"Listen up everyone."

The other members of the Ace Ops looked towards their leader, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"I know that we're all less than happy about our last mission, but we can't let this setback define us. We need to learn from it and move forward."

"How exactly do we move forward from this?" Asked Harriet with a skeptical look.

"The first step is accepting the truth. We got our asses kicked. They were better than us and that shows that we have a lot of work to do. We can be better, and we have to be better. The Ace Operatives have always been the best and I'll be damned if we let our team's legacy be ruined."

Luckily, the defeat of the Ace Ops was a well-kept secret. The general made it very clear that no one was to know that the Ace Ops had been defeated by Unit 117. General Ironwood knew the importance of the Ace Ops' reputation within the military. They were the unofficial poster children of Atlas. The public was proud of their exploits and their heroics. Unit 117, however, was not even officially recognized within the military. Considering how little they interacted with others, it wasn't hard for them to maintain a low profile. The public didn't have a clue that there was a secret black ops unit that operated from the shadows and Clover doubted they ever would.

Marrow raised his glass.

"I'll drink to that sir!"

"Same here!" Yelled Elm as she too raised her beer.

Vine nodded and raised his glass as well. Harriet, however, didn't move. Clover grabbed his beer and raised it before he spoke.

"Come on Harriet, we're waiting on you."

Harriet said nothing.

"Don't kill the vibe, Harriet. We're a team after all," said Marrow.

Harriet glared at him before she was nudged by Elm.

"Come on Harriet," said Elm.

Harriet could see her teammates looking at her with patience. She knew they weren't going to stop until she joined in. Seeing as there was no other choice, Harriet relented and raised her shot glass.

"To the Ace Ops!" Yelled Elm.

"To Atlas!" Yelled Clover.

Atlas Academy:

Penny sat on a bench and let her legs dangle about as she watched her teammates swim laps in the pool. Seeing how she was a synthetic human; she didn't need to exercise to keep up her strength and speed. The only physical activity she got any use from was her sparring sessions with Rahm, Terre, and Jai. Her advanced AI allowed her to learn and adapt at a rate that would not have been possible for normal humans. It wouldn't be too long before she was as skilled as the best Huntsmen and Huntresses in the world. After that, she'd just might be a one-on-one match for one of her teammates. Though she'd learned much about her teammates in the last eighteen days, she still felt like she knew so little. They were very reserved, speaking only when spoken to. Well, except for Rahm. He would occasionally initiate a conversation with her. He was certainly more outgoing than Terre or Jai, but even then, he was still very quiet. Penny continued to watch as the three super soldiers continued to swim laps. Her scanners examined the three boys intently. Her aura reader showed that their auras were not activated. She'd learned that they always deactivated their auras whenever they worked out. She switched to her infrared mode and saw that the boys' internal body temperatures remained at a normal 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. They had been swimming for the past hour and currently, they had swum over nine miles. That feat shattered every swimming record on Remnant by leaps and bounds. No matter how hard she tried to make sense of it, she couldn't understand how her teammates could perform such amazing physical feats without aura. Aura is what separated Huntsmen and Huntresses from regular people. Their feats of speed, strength, agility, and reflexes were due to the enhancements of aura. Rahm, Terre, and Jai, however, were different. They were able to do things normal humans and faunus could never hope to do without aura. When their auras were activated, they were able to take their amazing physical abilities to even greater heights. She couldn't help but be fascinated by her teammates.

The boys finally ceased their swim and exited the pool, grabbing their towels to dry themselves off. They each wore black swimming trunks. Penny found herself staring at them with curiosity. She wasn't staring at their well-sculpted, well-proportioned muscles. No. She was staring at a series of scars that ran along their legs, backs, arms, and chests. At first, she figured these particular scars were battle scars, which they already had a few of, but she quickly realized that her assumption was wrong. For one thing, each of them had identical scars, and secondly, the scars were far too precise and symmetrical to have been caused by battle wounds.

Terre took notice of Penny staring at him and his brothers. He followed her eyes and saw that she was looking at their scars. Penny locked eyes with Terre and quickly turned away out of embarrassment.

"Is something wrong Penny?" Asked Terre.

At this point Jai and Rahm also took notice.

"I am sorry," she said, "I did not intend to stare at your scars."

The boys remained silent. They merely stared blankly at her.

"If it is no trouble, may I ask how you got them?"

"Penny…we'd prefer if you didn't," replied Rahm.

Penny nodded sheepishly.

"Please forgive me."

"There's nothing to be forgiven for Penny," replied Terre.

Penny briefly smiled before her smile reverted to a frown.

"May I at least know one thing?" She asked.

"Yes, Penny?" Asked Rahm.

"Do they hurt?"

"No," replied Jai, "not anymore."

An awkward moment of silence ensued. Luckily, it ended as their wrist-mounted communicators alerted them to a summons from General Ironwood. Without a word, the boys rushed to the locker rooms to change back into their Wraith armor while Penny waited outside for them.

"Once again, congratulations on completing the first part of the test," said General Ironwood, clearly proud of their actions two days ago.

The four members of the Bad Batch were standing at attention before the general's desk. Terre, Rahm, and Jai held their helmets in their left hands.

"You four represent the best of both Atlas and the world," the general said with a proud smile. "Penny, I am proud of you most of all. Your progress has been nothing short of outstanding."

"Thank you very much General Ironwood. I have my teammates to thank for training me and getting me ready for the test," she gestured to the three armored giants next to her.

"I'm glad to see you four working so well together. Now then," he said, "on to business. Your next test will be a real mission. Now that we know that Penny can handle herself in a mock combat scenario, it's time to see how she handles a real-world scenario."

The general pulled up a holographic display of a dossier. A photo of a rugged-looking man with somewhat long, greying blonde hair, violet eyes, and sharp jawline was presented for them to see.

"This is Ibis Hill, a graduate of Atlas Academy and a former Atlas military officer. He resigned his commission five years ago and became an activist for social, economic, and political issues, but now he's the leader of a small group of rebels that seek to overthrow the government of Atlas through violent means."

The holographic display began to showcase a few news headlines, all dated within the past week, titled 'Free Reformation Strikes Again,' 'Members of The Free Reformation Steal SDC Dust Shipment,' and 'Free Reformation Attack Leaves 4 Atlas Military Personnel Dead.'

The general stood up from his seat and clasped his hands behind his back as he continued to speak.

"They're known as 'The Free Reformation.' Many of its members were former members of the military who were swayed by Hill's ideology."

"Sir," said Rahm, "how long have they been on our radar?"

"We've kept an eye on them for months through informants and intelligence operatives, but it was only very recently that they began resorting to violent methods, and because of that they've crossed the line. Atlas represents order and stability, and so we cannot allow this blatant anarchy and chaos to continue."

The holographic display shifted to a map layout illustrating the location of the rebel base.

"As you can see here," the general gestured to the display, "their base is located to the east of the city. They've managed to entrench themselves within an abandoned Dust mine. Your mission is to crush this insurrection before it gains any further steam. Leave nothing of it to be salvaged. Understood?"

The four members of Unit 117 responded with a forceful "Yes sir!"

General Ironwood gave a nod of approval.

"In that case, get your gear prepped. You leave within the hour."

There you have it. Let's see what this new mission has in store for the Bad Batch. See you next time!

-Dude64