Jaune Mercer

Chapter 28: Tying up Loose Ends

It's been hours since the events of the attacks on the Arcs and the Gu Prison. However, throughout the day, there would be more media coverage on the latter. This would be a busy day for the press...

...But certain factions would be busy before and during the broadcasts.

[At An Unknown Building]

In a luxurious banquet hall, several men and women, human and Faunus, were tearing into the entrees before them.

"So good!"

"Best meal I had in years!"

"Better than that crap they served us!"

Suddenly, a man stole food from another man's plate.

"Hey! That's mine!"

"So what?!"

Despite his frail body, he grabbed the thief by his collar.

"Bastard!"

Both looked ready to fight one another.

"Hey," A voice said, stopping everyone.

They all stopped what they were doing and turned to the voice, seeing Jaune at a table by his lonesome with a bottle of wine and glass near him.

"Mind your manners."

The two gulped in fear.

Many others gulped in fear, despite not doing anything that would warrant that order.

"I-I'm sorry. Here," The thief said putting a steak on the other prisoner's plate.

"N-No. We can split it, right?"

"R-Right."

The two prisoners cut the steak in half and quickly ate their pieces.

"Better. But keep your voices down."

Jaune turned to his table and poured some wine into his glass.

"After all...I would hate for this to be your last meal."

The two loudmouths and several of the others nodded. They resumed eating but were eating quietly and with more manners, just to be safe and not agitate their savior.

While Jaune kept a cool face, he was trying to maintain concentration.

"How did Elizabeth Greene do this?" He thought.

"Oh right. She was naturally gifted."

Rather than partake of the crimson libation, Jaune left it alone. Instead, he closed his eyes and was alone with his thoughts. The added silence helped him think more efficiently.

"It's about time, huh?"

[Mistral: Withering Heights Prison]

One of the lesser-known prisons in Mistral. Rather than be in separate wings, the men and women are held together like cattle. All clad in gray jumpsuits, any aura users are fitted with lightning dust collars and gravity dust shackles.

In one prison cell was Vernal Branwen, lying on her bed. Her roommates were her fellow bandits: One man and Two women.

As she lay there, she thought about what happened these past months.

Some mystery man killed Shay and a handful of her tribe.

Their leader, Raven Branwen, was defeated and imprisoned. Not only that, she went missing.

The very same day, the rest of the tribe were captured, tried, and imprisoned.

These events only made Vernal infuriated. She held anger and hatred towards the mystery man, but mostly Jaune. She remembered how he was there to collect the bounty on their tribe.