AN: Last chapter I stated that Marrow was in rooms one and two. That was an accident, it was supposed to be Marrow and Ivanov, I'll go back and edit it when I get a good opportunity.

AN2: You'll notice that I removed Weiss from the character list. Well, that's because as I'm expanding the Atlas Arc, I'm unsure how long it will be and it might end up becoming it's own story with Beacon canon era becoming a sequel.

AN3: Sorry everyone, I wanted to have this out DAYS ago but work has been murder recently. I work in the insurance field and after Hurricane Ida came through I haven't had a moment to breath while on the clock.

A Personal Favor

Chapter 8

-Ironwood-

Standing by the large windows in his office, Ironwood listened to the arguing coming ever closer to his office, noting Winter and Clover nervously reaching for their weapons out of reflex. "Stand down you two." Ironwood held up a hand to two of his loyal Specialists, having noted who was approaching on the security cameras. A minute later, the door opened to reveal a frustrated Tortuga Basse-Terre, current leader of the Ace Ops, as well as the Happy Huntresses. The Mantle Devotees for the most part looking like they'd been force fed lemons, an expression he assumed had been on their faces since they got up to Atlas.

"Well?" Robyn demanded as she approached his desk without being called forward, arms crossed and defiant scowl on her face as she offered no elaboration.

"If you're asking about the Malfoy incident then Lucius Malfoy's court date has been set for this coming Friday. His father Abraxas tried demanding an immediate release, or for it to be handled by civilian courts, but that was shut down. I still expect him to pull every string he has and bring the most expensive attorneys. Your presence would be beneficial at the trial but if you do not wish to attend the full proceedings you would likely be able to limit your presence to a simple statement, the recordings of the questionings being enough to work with."

"Just like an Atlesian." Joanna Greenleaf sneered, "Used someone for what you want and then say they can take a hike." Robyn didn't seem inclined to reprimand her partner.

"Miss Hill, our interactions have been limited at best. I know of no incident where I would have earned this level of vitriol directly so may I assume your issue with me is due to politics?" Ironwood was growing tired of these women and their attitudes.

"Wow, figure that out yourself?" Robyn snorted derisively, the woman still in the phase many graduates of the academies had for their first few years of being an active huntsmen or huntress where they felt like they knew everything and could do anything.

"Then tell me." He faced them, expression as cold as the iron in his name "What would you do were you in my position and with my authority? Don't be shy, I'm all ears."

"You want to know?" Robyn took an argumentative step forward, Ironwood having to raise a hand to make sure his specialist stood down "I'd actually use that authority! You have two of the five council seats! Yet you only ever focus on playing with your tin soldiers. You focus on Atlas just like every other stuck-up egomaniac up on this floating pit. I'd push to get an ally as another councilor, I'd scrap every one of those backwards outdated laws! No privilege for Atlas, no more hand me downs for Mantle, force the kingdom to work right." The woman panted a bit, having seemingly not stopped to breathe during her little rant, the other members of the Happy Huntresses all nodding in agreement whether said agreement was bold and confident or nervous and shy.

"Then it's a good thing you don't have my authority, or the entire kingdom would be doomed." Ironwood gave her a flat unimpressed stare, "And we'd end up far worse off than we are now."

"You stuck up little-" Robyn seethed before he held up a hand to cut her off.

"We are very different people Miss Hill. We both care for those suffering in the present but while you'd throw everything into changing their current circumstances, no matter the consequences, I look twenty or even thirty years down the line. I'd prefer to do what I can to alleviate their current plight while focusing on the root of the issue so that it doesn't come back." Ironwood stared the four women dead in the eyes unflinching, continuing when they looked ready to interrupt "And no, your plan would not work. You'd have every law changed at once and demand compliance, that everyone does things your way and listen to no others no matter what or who you have to force on the issue. If you did that then people would dig in, they'd resist and scream, and you'd barely make it to the next election before a vote was forced to remove you and whatever ally you got into the council to help you."

"So, you just do nothing?!" Robyn seethed at the dressing down she was receiving.

"No, what I do is take small steps." Ironwood picked up a piece from the chessboard he kept on his desk "I move a piece and let others take it in, let them see the results and adapt. Before I attained my authority as the Headmaster, very few from Mantle were ever even allowed to attend the academy. Before I became the General, ranks were mostly bought or earned through nepotism. I made a change and while yes, people protested, I remained firm and didn't push for too much more till they saw the results of my decision, saw the gains and benefits for the kingdom. Now there are Faunus of rank in my specialists, the citizens of Mantle are welcome to the Huntsmen Academies, most of the fighting forces consist of androids for the sole purpose of saving organic lives." Ironwood put the piece back onto the board sharply "But more than that, Miss Hill, is our mentality. You prioritize Mantle over Atlas; you see Atlas as your enemy. I actually care about both and want to do all I can to help them both now, and in the future. Specialist Tortuga, see the Happy Huntresses out of the compound please."

-Jaune-

Sitting by his friend's side, Jaune kept his eyes peeled throughout the room, still on edge after the incident earlier. The crack of gunfire was still ringing in his ears, his fingers still felt like they were dripping with Ciel's blood despite having washed them well over a dozen times. '-aune." His eyes were starting to unfocus as he heard Ciel's choking, gasping, breaths again old painful memories clawing up to the surface of his mind "Jaune." The fear in Ciel's eyes when – "JAUNE!" the sharp shout and rough shaking of his shoulder snapped him out of his daze as he looked into Ciel's eyes, his friend seeming both frustrated and concerned "What's wrong?"

"I…" he didn't want to sound like an ass, she was the one shot, yet he was the one close to breaking down over it.

"Jaune…back there you said you wouldn't lose anyone else you cared about." Ciel studied him intently, her hand clasped tightly around has and refusing to let go, refusing to let him escape. The question didn't even need to be asked aloud.

"My Mom." Jaune's hand squeezed Ciel's, although whether that was to give or get comfort even he wasn't sure "And my Godfather."

"What happened to them?" Ciel asked softly, the two of them having privacy given Penny had declared she had important business to deal with a little while ago and the Doctors were doing something in a different part of the wing.

"My parents met at Beacon initially." Jaune sat back, remembering sitting in his mother's lap as she told him stories of those days "Along with their partners John Rhodes and Roman Torchwick."

"Torchwick?!" Ciel's eyes snapped open wide at the name of the famous thief.

"Yeah, he quit being a Huntsmen after Mount Glen, blaming the Council for what happened." Jaune frowned, remembering his parents both mourning losing one of their best friends even if he still lived "And after his partner left, my Godfather Rhodes became a Solo Huntsman. He was found murdered in an Atlas hotel a few years ago."

"And…and your Mom?" Ciel listened, attention fully riveted on him.

"After Torchwick went rogue and Rhodes went Solo, my parents took various Huntsmen jobs but usually did easy ones close to home or joined other Huntsmen groups that needed some help, always insisting that they'd never go on missions together as they'd started having my sisters by that point. And for a while it worked, I have seven sisters that can attest to that. But then one day when I was six, she took a job with another old friend of hers from Beacon. It was supposed to be simple, just a routine route patrol to clear out Grimm and Bandits for the merchant caravan paths before trading season. She never came home; we never even found a body. A single message that was cut off partway through was the last anyone ever saw of my mom or the group she was with."

"Was it…?" Ciel was squeezing his hand tighter, Jaune appreciating the pressure to keep him focused as he gave a squeeze back.

"I never heard the message." Jaune wiped away a tear "Dad would never let me, or my sisters hear it. All I know was that it was an ambush, and something my mom or her friends said in the message made my dad grow to Hate Ozpin, hate the councils, and hate the Huntsmen system. My sisters had already started getting official training as Huntresses so he couldn't stop them, but I hadn't started yet so he refused to even allow me to pick up a sword. Seeing you…seeing what Malfoy…" Jaune grit his teeth "I wasn't going to lose anyone else I care about, not if I can do something to stop it." as he spoke, Jaune held a hand palm up, white motes of ghostly flaming aura rising up.

"Then it's a good thing you found your semblance." Ciel gave him a gentle smile, "You saved me Jaune, you can heal. You have the power to make that declaration a reality." Jaune would have said more before the door to the medical wing got slammed open, an eager Penny marching in while carrying what looked to be the contents of at least two vending machines.

"Friend Jaune! Friend Ciel! I have returned with snacks to aide in Friend Ciel's recovery!" Penny paused mid stride, one foot still high in the air as she looked to the side "I have also found Friend Amin!"

"Hey guys." Amin gave them a grin, his eyes focused on Ciel, Jaune able to tell the dog Faunus was reassuring himself that she was alright, "I'm guessing you want to know what's going on?"

"That would be most helpful Friend Amin!" Penny happily resumed skipping over, dumping as many snacks onto Ciel's hospital bed as she could before tilting her head, "Friend Ciel, Friend Jaune, why are you holding hands?"

-Alexander Arc-

Rubbing his neck with a groan, Alexander returned from another long day running the Ansel Guard, having built up and kept charge of the small militia force since he threw his Huntsman License in the fire where it belonged. Getting inside, he blinked when he saw most of the daughters who still lived with him bustling around, comparing box sizes and going through several old storage containers. "What's going on?" he questioned, recognizing everything in it as stuff from his second eldest daughter's time at the Vale Institute of Medicine where she received her training as a nurse.

"One of Jaune's friends got shot." Said Nurse, Hestia, answered as Alexander felt his heart stop for a moment at the thought that it could have happen to his son. Jaune may be a dumb stubborn fool, but he was his son still. "Jaune's semblance activated in the heat of the moment, and it saved her life. Since it let him heal her, he asked me to send over any notes or textbooks from when I was at or studying for the Institute so he can learn more about Medicine."

"He wants to be a doctor?" Alexander perked up. That was a job he approved of. It was safer, respectful, and the boy could still help people.

"…Combat Medic actually." Hestia offered hesitantly as Alexander's eye twitched, unsure if that was better or worse. Taking a moment to picture his son, someone he knew to always run headfirst into something without focus for his own health, adding the response and stress of being a combat medic onto that sinched it as distinctly worse.

AN: I promised an explanation of the Aeonar. That will come during the chapter about Lucius' trial so please be patient.