AN: Wanted to clear up any misconceptions about the last chapter. Choir being taken out that suddenly was intentional, as I would have figured her aura would be low if not broken from the crash, not to mention I've shown she's not the strongest combatant, I.E., not the best aura reserves. I'd also been thinking Jaune would struggle with manifesting his semblance due to a concussion making it hard to focus to boost his own aura with his power. I apologize if that did not come across as clearly as intended.

AN2: And to the person saying that Fenrir's semblance was too OP. Really? We've seen people able to affect probability (both good and bad luck), the Schnees can essentially do magic, Yang and Adam have absurd raw damage, the canon books have shown friggin mind control semblances and the ability something permanently into gold with a single touch, Tock had an actual invincible for. And then there's Tyrian who could already shot off aura with a touch and have it stay off for a period. So no, someone who could shut of aura and such by looking at them but only so long as he looked at them doesn't seem 'too OP' in that context.

To Be Relentless

Chapter 19

-Jaune-

Sitting forlornly in his hospital bed, Jaune clenched and unclenched his fist, eyes sullenly following the lines of the scars that were burnt into his flesh. His skin was pale and clean, but it still felt sticky, unable to forget the feeling of the blood pooling around them as he'd tried, and failed, to save Tortuga's life. Of having to stay by the two corpses as they grew cold, Atlas Military not getting there in time.

"Jaune!" hearing the door burst open, Jaune looked up as Ciel rushed in, eyes sparkling with tears as she hurried over to him. She slid to a stop just before his bed, hesitating as if afraid to hurt him.

But he needed the comfort.

Jaune pulled her into an embrace, tears of his own prickling his eyes. He might not have liked Choir, but he didn't want her dead, and Tortuga was someone he'd respected, one of Jaune's mentors. Above all, he felt powerless, useless, and he hated it. He felt her arms wrap around him, offering silent comfort as they remained there in silence.

Eventually, the doors opened once again, letting in a somber Penny and a still wilted Marrow, the two sitting around Jaune's bed. Jaune looked to his mentor, unsure of what to say. Marrow had been forced to help kill his own brother, forced to watch, and that was on top of the experience of seeing Choir and Tortuga die.

"I…I'm glad you're still here Jaune." Marrow's voice was raspy, like the man had been shouting himself hoarse, "I…fuck." The dog faunus' head dropped at that. "I…I knew he was still alive, but I thought I'd buried him. Thought I'd manage to put him back from my life, that the closest thing to ever seeing Fenrir again was dealing with Ivanov. He was supposed to be in the damned Aeonar!"

"I thought prisoners there were chipped." Jaune frowned, "Was…was that a lie? Or…"

"Or there was a cover up." The rigid voice of General Ironwood spoke up as the man entered along with Specialist Schnee. The General's uniform was pristine, hair neat, and one could argue he looked perfectly put together…apart from the bloodshot eyes of a grieving man. "I've already sent Clover and Elm to look into it, along with representatives from the other kingdoms who have been informed. The task force is heading to the Aeonar as we speak." As he spoke, Jaune noted black Glyphs all along the walls, ceiling, and floor of his hospital room, likely preventing eavesdropping.

"Why tell us?" Jaune was shaking, furious at the thought of this having been covered up, having been hidden. The feeling of a group like those in charge of the Aeonar having done such a thing, of it costing lives…was this how his father felt about the councils?

"You have the right to know that much given what happened." Ironwood nodded to his legs, a safe area and replenished aura helping them, and his concussion heal "But it also ensures there's no misconceptions or speculation about that. You were involved, that warrants at least some degree of a debriefing. More than that though, I'm here at the request of Miss Polendina. The others on the council might not like it if they were here but your involvement is strictly under my purview. Not to mention it is just as much your secret as a military one. Miss Schnee will ensure privacy for this."

"Penny, what's he talking about?" Jaune and Ciel turned to look at their bubbly orange haired friend who was starting to cry, looking terrified about what she was about to say.

"I…I…there's something I haven't told you." Penny was wringing her hands nervously, "I didn't think I was allowed to but then Ciel got shot but Jaune was able to heal her so fast I didn't have time to really think much. But then this, hearing that Jaune got attacked on the way back…that others had died. I didn't want to never get the chance to be honest with my only friends. I…I'm not a real girl."

"…What?" Jaune shared an absolutely baffled look with Ciel and Marrow who looked just as confused as he did.

"I wasn't born…I was built." Penny pulled out a magnet and it locked onto her arm, sticking there boldly "An Android, the first artificial human to possess a functioning aura."

"That doesn't mean you aren't real Penny." Marrow put a gentle hand on the sniffling Penny's head "I…my brother was a natural born human, but he was a monster." Marrow looked like it hurt him to state, no matter how much everyone knew it to be true "You're a sweet girl. You love your dad, you care about your friends, and you're the worst poker player I've ever met." Penny let out a watery giggle at that, "You have a soul penny, but more than that you've got a heart. You are real. You and Ciel are the little sisters I never got to have. Jaune is the brother I wished had been in my life." It all gets to be too much for Penny as she latches onto Marrow and sobs, holding him tightly as she lets it all out. Jaune wasn't sure, but it looked like being able to look out for Penny was helping Marrow just as much as it helped her.

"You all understand that this is to be kept in the strictest confidence." Ironwood nodded to them, that only those with Penny's, her father's, or my permission are permitted to be read into the secret at this time. Jaune gave a nod, unsure what else to do.

All he knew, was that he refused to be weak again.

-Ironwood-

"What did you find?" James ran a tired hand down his face as he looked at Clover and Elm, the two having returned from the Aeonar investigation. In the days since Tortuga and Cadet Choir had been killed, he felt like he hadn't slept a wink. There were papers to sign, reports to read, politicians to deal with, and letters to the next of kin to pen.

"One of the Aeonar doctors was corrupt." Clover had a rare scowl on his face, "Man kept taking bribes to deactivate and remove chips. Make it look like those involved had died against Grimm or tried to run and set of the chips. He kept records of everyone who hired him in the hopes of getting a plea deal but given that roughly half were the damn fang I don't see that working out. The others are primarily Mistralian Mafia or the children of wealthy old Vale families. The Malfoy boy likely would have gotten the same type of deal if their family learned of the Doctor before this."

"At least we can use those records to track down most of the escapees." Ironwood nodded "Any others stand out?"

"One is making me feel…unsettled." Clover admitted, "Tyrian Callows was one of the ones released. The buyer is an alias, obvious one too, but the Doctor seemed to think they were Fang. Still, I don't remember that psychotic Scorpion ever working for the White Fang."

"I don't either." James frowned as he looked at the files of all those freed from the international Huntsman 'prison', "But I'll be putting resources into looking into this."

"How are the kids handling this?" Elm frowned; the muscle of his Ace Ops having been concerned for the mental health of the three survivors.

"Ivanov is doing the best of the three, but that's not saying much." James filled them in on their future partners "He took Choir's loss as a personal insult and seems determined to turn Gran into a survivor. His situation with Amin has…improved though." James remembered overhearing the two talking a few days after their return, Ivanov bluntly telling the Faunus that he didn't like him and doubted he ever could like him, but he could work with Amin.

"Marrow himself has been focused on his own training and working with his pupils. I think he's doing everything he can to not think about it and have already called in a psychologist to speak to him as well as the others."

"And the youngest?" Clover pushed for more.

"Arc blames himself for not being able to save Tortuga." James stated, "He has a bad case of survivors guilt, especially given his semblance. Marrow informed me of his plans. As of right now, he doesn't plan to go to the primary Atlas Academy."

"What?!" Elm and Clover lurched at that.

"He plans to attend Beacon to get a Doctorate from the Vale Institute of Medicine at the same time." James continued, not batting an eye at the duo's initial shock "One of his sisters was a graduate and a packrat. She kept every note she took, her textbooks, even her exams and essays. Marrow stated that when he's not training or spending time with him and the young ladies he'd befriended, he's studying them. He plans to enter college and get a Doctorate degree at the same time as getting his Huntsman license, and then return to Atlas."

"How'd his friends take that?" Elm frowned, the group knowing how tight nit they all were.

"Miss Soleil and Miss Polendina wished to go as well but we both know that the council won't allow Miss Polendina to attend Beacon. They'll also push for her to have a 'handler' at the academy." James frowned, knowing that the students hadn't liked it, even if they reluctantly understood. "But they're all still determined to achieve their dreams. They're going to finish their time at the prep academy together and do everything they can to reunite after graduation."

Clover counted on his fingers "The Vytal Festival should be happening at Beacon during their first year. And at Atlas during their third." The newest leader of the Ace Ops calculated.

"Indeed." James nodded, "I won't be surprised if they apply to do the early transfer over to the host school during those years. If Arc succeeds at testing out of enough courses at the VIM, it likely wouldn't even slow him down." James trailed off, main going to his hopes for the Arc boy, a potential successor who could hopefully save more lives than James himself ever had. A dry snort disrupted him from his thoughts as he dismissed his Ace Ops. Thinking like that? He was starting to sound like Ozpin.

AN: Alright! Next chapter we have the Epilogue, and this story will be finished! Followed up by the Sequel 'A Personal Favor' (yes, that one will keep the name this time, I promise)