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blazingopus · 3 years

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Easy Lover - Golden Wind

This took me longer than I had originally anticipated. But I am very proud of my work. I drew some inspiration from Cowboy Bebop with this one. I hope you enjoy this strange romance I crafted for Giorno. Please enjoy.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6SuSQ2hXZzLbulO8T0FF20?si=02Auyy_fRjqA_uGb3COERg

After being undercover as the target’s ‘girlfriend’ for several months, your character is ordered to finish the job.

We stepped into the hotel’s ballroom, golden light coming down from the glittering chandelier above. The voices echoing off the walls filled my ears. Some of the most powerful and dangerous people in Italy were gathered here tonight. To the more romantically inclined, this would seem like a magical night of dancing and merriment. In reality, it was a chance to meet, network, exchange information, and plan with new and old allies. All this while glaring and scoffing at enemies and rivals from across the room.

Giorno lifted his arm, an invitation for me to take it. I gingerly wrapped my arm around his. His touch was warm and reassuring in a way. He was wearing his signature black suit with gold trim, something he did to distinguish himself from others. I matched him in opposite, wearing a gold dress with black detailing. We had planned this out very carefully, wanting to signal to others that we operated as one unit. Some were convinced that we were a true power couple, the two of us both dangerous and beautiful. Others hated how close The Don of Passione seemed to rely on a ‘girlfriend.’ What people didn’t know is that this was a clever trick on our part.

You see, we make it appear like we are in a romantic relationship together. We made an arrangement many months back, after I had spent some time in his inner circle. Giorno made it clear that he did not want to pursue any sort of romantic or sexual relationship. His offer was simple. Any event he went to, I would act as his date. I would pretend that I was his comare, interacting with the people and mingling in the crowd. This would serve two functions: The first is a bit of intel gathering on my part. Two sets of eyes and ears is better than one, and the two of us can get a more cohesive picture of what is going on within the different ranks of Passione and other rival mafias. The second is more covert. I am a trained assassin, deadly in my craft with a long resume of confirmed kills. While Giorno has a very powerful stand, he doesn’t like to use it very often. He prefers to keep it mysterious and secretive. I am his first line of defense should things get dangerous, which has been a few too many times already.

We walked into the sea of people. I took a quick look around scanning the faces as they passed. Lucky for us, we weren’t alone this time. A few of Giorno’s men were watching from within the crowd, keeping an eye on everything. I spotted Mista across the room. His lax and chill demeanor hiding his wandering gaze. Bruno was politely chatting with some ladies not far from us. I didn’t see anyone else, but that I didn’t need to see them to know that they were working diligently. Many of the others gathered here had their own bodyguards and spies placed carefully throughout the room. It was expected at this event, and neglecting to do so always ended in disaster.

People moved aside as we moved through the room. Eyes followed us, so many different expressions on their faces. Some were of awe, others of hatred and anger, more were smug or curious. Giorno continued on, his head held high and confidence oozing from his form. I matched his energy, carrying myself tall and straight. I had to play the queen to his king, elegant and powerful. That is what we arranged, after all.

I had spent two years in Giorno’s inner circle. He took me in after he heard of the work I had been doing in the lower ranks of Passione. He needed someone like me close to him. So I was promoted and instantly got to work. After all this time, I came to know his team, and I regarded a few of them as friends. I would give my life for them if the time should come. Just as I would for Giorno.

It was my job, of course, but that wasn’t the only reason. Giorno trusted me, more than most other people had before. I found it strange, considering he had only met me a little while before. Living by his side over the months let me see into his world and learn much about him. He would sometimes give me small stories of his life, though nothing before he exposed himself as the boss. He didn’t talk about family or relatives. It was almost like the mafia was his family, his team the only people he cared for. He was so passionate about them in his strange introverted way. Over time, I began to respect him. Maybe even care for him.

That didn’t matter now. I had a job to do, and he had made it very clear he was not wanting any sort of close relationship with me. He was respectful and friendly, but that was the end of it. Nothing more. It didn’t matter what I wanted. I had made my decisions, and I had to deal with the consequences. All I could do was pretend I was content in being next to him, protecting him, masquerading as his lover.

“Scusa,” a voice calls out. Giorno stopped us and looked around. One of his capos elbowed his way through the crowd to meet us. I instantly recognized his face.“Pardon me, but I must speak with you. It is an urgent matter.” He glanced over at me. “And quite private.” His voice was laced with hatred and disdain. He was making it painfully clear he didn’t want me to be here. This wasn’t the first time he had done this to me, but it didn’t make it any more annoying.

Giorno didn’t falter. “I don’t like to repeat myself,” he said sternly. “My business is (Y/N)’s business. Anything you have to say you must be willing to say in front of her.”

The look in his eyes changed ever so slightly. He leaned forward and rubbed his hands together. “Are you sure that is wise, Don Giovanna? You never know who you can trust. Many members of Passione have died by the hands of their lovers. Anyone could be bought into betraying the people they love.”

“Do not question my judgement,” Giorno’s voice was stern, his eyes full of warning. “If you want to keep your position as capo, I suggest you not make such accusations. I will not tolerate you insulting me or my team. Besides, if I cannot trust the people I choose to serve by my side, how am I supposed to trust you?” The capo’s eyes slanted in anger.

I squeezed his arm. It was too early for him to be getting so aggressive. He was acting a little strange, to be honest. “It’s all right, Giorno. Let me get us some drinks,” I glared up at the capo. “Some alcohol will make the night easier, I think.”

“Don’t be too long,” Giorno looked over at me. Despite the lack of emotion on his face, I could feel a smile in his eyes

I smiled and nodded, letting go of his arm. “I’ll do my best, love,” The word burned in my mouth and in my heart. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. I don’t want to clean up any messes when I get back.” I turned and walked away, looking this way and that for a place to get something to drink. Hopefully they had something strong enough to kill the feelings that had suddenly swept over me.

Slowly and carefully, I weaved in and out of people. There had to be a table or something around here somewhere. I saw too many people with drinks in their hands. I moved to where I thought I saw some sort of bartender. As I did, my shoulder bumped into someone. I looked over to apologize, and looking up I recognized the face.

“Fugo!”

He looked at me with a slightly puzzled expression. “Sorry, (Y/N). Do you need something?”

I looked between him and Giorno. I made a slight motion with my head, leaning in close. “See that man talking to Giorno?”

“Him again?” He sneered a bit when he saw who it was.

“Yeah. He’s being his usual asshole self.” I looked back to Fugo. “I am running to grab some drinks. Would mind watching him while I’m busy?”

He gave a small nod. “Leave it to me. If he tries anything, he won’t live very long.” With that, he ended the conversion. He slinked off into the moving mass of people, off to do his duty. Sometimes I forgot how dangerous he could be. His stand was terrifying and hard to control, reflecting his temper. He had gained some mastery of it, and when he focused it properly, he was a sight to behold.

I continued my trek to find the bar. After asking a few people and bumping into a few more, I made my way over to a large bar manned by three different bartenders. Each was busy pouring and shaking drinks for the eager guests. I pushed my way toward the front. One of the men noticed me and gave me a trained smile.

“What will it be, ma’am?”

“Champagne for two.” I held up two fingers. Quick and direct, the best way to talk to people when they are busy. He gave a quick nod, reaching under the bar for what he needed.

“A fine choice,” a familiar voice spoke from beside me. “I would expect nothing less from the Lady of the Don of Passione.”

I whipped my head over to see who it was. Henri, my main link to the organization and my supervisor in the field. Of course, Henri wasn’t his real name. I didn’t need to know his real name. His brown hair was slicked back and his suit was neat and pressed. No different from the last time I saw him. He gave me a small bow, his eyes looking into my soul. I didn’t expect to find him so soon. Well, that’s not entirely right. He found me.

It took me a few moments to collect myself. “I wouldn’t get anything else for Don Giovanna. I want him to have the best experience possible here.”

“What a nice sentiment,” his face a mystery to me.“But the night is still young. Much can happen in the span of a few hours.”

The bartender handed me two flutes of champagne. I gave him a nod of thanks. “You speak as if you know something. Something I don’t.” I said this without looking at him.

Henri took a drink from another bartender. A strange darkness swirled behind his eyes.. “I know many things, some of which people kill to learn. But I hate talking over people. Why don’t we head to a place a little more secluded?” Without waiting for my reply, he walked away, moving with ease though the mass of bodies milling about. I followed close behind, knowing I didn’t have much of a choice.

I was led to a set of armchairs that had been left abandoned in a lone corner. No one had wandered over quite yet; people weren't quite drunk enough to need them. Henri sat in one and gestured that I sit in the other.

“I can’t say your message came as much of a surprise,” He said as we sat down. “Most operatives ask to leave at least once in their career with us.”

I placed Giorno’s flute on the table between us. I adjusted my dress to cover my legs. “Then there must be policies in place for times like this. What did the higher-ups say?” Henri took a sip of his drink. “While you are right about the policies, things will have to be handled a little differently with you. You have proven to be a unique case.”

I felt my brows furrow. “What do you mean? Most of my assignments have been pretty standard operations. Nothing I needed special security clearance for.”

“This last mission has complicated things.” He placed his glass down, becoming very serious. “We don’t retire operatives while they are on mission. Such things draw more attention than they’re worth.” His blue eyes bore into mine.

“Then end the mission. I must have collected enough information to satisfy the client.” I could feel my pulse quicken under his gaze. Damn, I couldn’t let him get to me. “They have to by this point. I’ve been doing intel for two years.”

He sighed, a little too dramatic to be authentic. “That’s the problem, (Y/N). If you had sent us the information like we asked, this wouldn't be an issue.”

I swallowed. My mouth was so dry. “I don’t understand. I sent you everything I could get my hands on.”

His eyes struck me like ice. “Don’t play dumb, (Y/N). We know what you did. We have our suspicions why you did it. The fact of the matter is that you're lying. You’ve been lying for months.”

I felt my blood run cold. It couldn’t be. There was no way they would have figured it out. There were no spies at my level of access in Passione. No would be able to disprove the information I sent back. Right? I dropped my gaze, fiddling with the glass in my hand. Don’t let him get to you. Don’t let him get to you...

As much as I tried to hide it, Henri must have read my body language. His voice cut like a knife. “At first, you did as you were ordered, feeding us sensitive information about Passione and the upper levels of organization. The client was very happy with what you were sending us. But at some point, you started giving us misinformation. Most of it was original and accurate, of course. Little dates and time changed here and there, inconsistencies that would happen in any sort of job. But you got brave, and that bravery made you sloppy.``

Knots started twisting themselves in my stomach. Panic flooded my veins, but I knew I had to stay calm. I had killed many people, gotten myself out of worse situations than this. I could think my way out of this. I couldn't let my emotions get the better of me.

He continued. “Your attempts at misinformation became more and more blatant as time went on. We were able to catch on to what you were doing when your information started contradicting what other lower-level operatives were sending in. Things that anyone would be aware of and have access to.” He leaned in, earning my gaze again. His eyes felt like glass cutting into my soul. “The long and the short of it is this: You royally fucked up, (Y/N). You caught feelings for your targets, and those feelings caused you to betray us. You were found out, and now you will pay the price.``

I swallowed, gazing into his ice blue eyes. Nothing he had said I could deny. He had cornered me. I had to say something. “What do I have to do?” I commanded myself to sound more confident that I felt.

Henri smirked. “Luckily, we won’t terminate you. We will allow you to leave the organization quietly like you asked, but you must carry out one last mission.”

“That’s offly generous,” I said in a low voice. “What’s the catch?” If I held one piece of advice above all else, it was ‘There’s always a catch.’ I slowly spun the flute in my hand.

He bore his teeth to me, a nasty snarl masquerading as a smile. “It’s very simple, really. It’s nothing that should be a problem for you. Assassinate Giorno Giovanna. I don’t care how you do it, but our client will be very angry and disappointed if you don’t.”

No. Not that. I do anything to get out. Anything but that. I had eliminated people I had worked beside for months, people I had considered friends. I couldn’t kill Giorno. Not someone I cared so much about.

The wheels and gears turned in my head. Things I had been wondering about for years suddenly began to make sense. “This is why you made me take this assignment in the first place, isn’t it? You knew that I would be ordered to kill him in the end. That’s why you pulled me out of assassination to do intel.”

Henri took a sip of his drink. “It’s a shame you figured it all out too late.You could have saved us all a lot of trouble.” He stood up, smoothing out his suit and tugging on his jacket. “Be aware that we will be closely monitoring you from this moment on. If you fail in this last mission, both you and will be terminated. If you try to run away, you will be terminated. If you attack us, we will hunt you down and terminate you. Another operative will take over the mission and see it to completion if you do." He gave me a small bow. "Don't let your champagne get warm. Its flavor comes through better when chilled. But of course, you already knew that." Without another word, he stood straight and disappeared into the crowd. If I hadn't known firsthand what he could do, I would have sworn he was some kind of phantom.

I sat in my chair, letting his harsh words sink in. I started cursing Henri, cursing the organization, cursing this mysterious client. But most of all, I was cursing myself. I shouldn't have let things get this out of hand. I shouldn't have taken this mission in the first place. We both knew I was out of my depth doing intel. If I had known this was how it would turn out, I would have never taken this assignment. How could I have done this to them? How could I have done this to the people I call friends? Most of all, how could I have done this to Giorno? If I had grown to care so much for him… No, be honest with yourself. If I loved him as much as I did, I would never have let this happen.

No, stop it. How many times had I been injured in the field, how many times had I seen teammates die? If I had known the troubles ahead, it wouldn't matter. I had a mission to complete. And when things did get bad, it was my skills and ingenuity that pulled me out alive. There was no point in worrying and wallowing in my misery. I had to act.

But what could I do?

Henri most likely had operatives scattered throughout the ball room. Eyes and ears everywhere, all ready to attack at a moment’s notice. Not only that, but so did many other people here. Some who would take any chance to end Giorno. The best thing to do was to leave the area to regroup and strategize, and that was a task unto itself. With so many people watching, there would be no way to get out quietly.

That only left one viable option. We would have to go out with a bang.

I stood up, grabbed the other flute of champagne, and entered back into the commotion of the party. Gazes followed me, wondering why I had been by myself, why I was talking to a strange man, what he had told me. Rumors would probably start about me, vicious ones. But that was the least of my worries. It took me some effort, but I managed to find Giorno still talking to that horrid capo. Fugo was hanging around close by, watching the conversations while trying to not bring much attention to himself.

“I still do not understand why you are investing so much of Passione’s money into restoration projects. Why should we be concerned about old paintings and gaudi architecture? The museums can handle that, can’t they?”

Giorno was doing his best to stay polite and calm. “You forget that museums need funding in order to stay open and maintain the exhibits. Exhibits that display some of the most valuable pieces of Italian art. If we let those go by the wayside, we will lose part of what makes us Italian.”

“I see I missed out on an interesting philosophy lecture,” I said to get their attention. Giorno’s face relaxed some as he saw me. I handed him his champagne flute. “I’m sorry I took so long, the bar was busier than I expected.”

“It’s not a problem. I appreciate you going through the trouble of getting this for me." He smiled at me, his understated charisma coming through. Focus, (Y/N). You can't let your emotions interfere. You have to pull Giorno out of this alive.

As gracefully as I could, I wrapped around his free arm. "I have something to discuss with you. Something that just can’t wait.” I gave a knowing look up at the capo. “And is quite private.” At my words, his brows furrowed in annoyance and anger. How easily the tables turn.

“Of course,” Giorno gave a polite nod to his capo. “If you would excuse me.” Without waiting on his reply, he led me away, leaving the man to jabber furiously to himself.

“Finally,” Giorno sighed. “If he wasn’t so good at running his territory, I would have demoted him a long time ago.”

“He's going to be the least of our problems tonight,” I said in a low voice. I didn’t want others around us to hear.

“What do you mean?” He raised an eyebrow, knowing I had learned something.

“Someone’s out to clip you tonight.” It wasn’t the entire truth, but we didn’t have time for that. My eyes met his, both of us knowing the danger in those words. He stopped walking.

“Who, and how many?” He asked simply.

“A hired organization, outside of our jurisdiction. I don’t have exact numbers, but if my suspicions are correct, more than enough to do the job.”

His eyes roamed over my face, carefully thinking over things. “You seem to know more about this organization. Do you have a plan to get out of this?”

I took a deep breath. “More like a loose collection of actions we need to take. We need to find the others. By then, I should have something more to work with.” I looked into his eyes, doing everything to make my next words have impact. “I can’t stress this enough, Giorno. They are very dangerous, and will do everything they can to make sure you don’t leave this room alive.”

A strange look crept into his eyes, like hearing such words strengthened his resolve.“I knew the risks involved when I became Don. Something like this was bound to happen eventually.” He looked around at the faces chattering around us. “I saw Fugo near me when I was talking to that capo. We should find him and get to work.”

Giorno tugged on my arm and led me across the ballroom. The entire time, I was running different scenarios through my head. We would have to get out while avoiding the main exits. We would need to be quick about it too. Time was not on our side. The different stands at our disposal would be necessary if we were going to get out of this. Bruno’s would be essential, and the other’s would be beneficial as well.

My stand Maneater only manifested as a small pocket dimension that could open within a meter radius of me. It was good for transporting objects like weapons, ammunition, and the occasional dead body. Living things didn’t survive long in there. Getting him out that way would only result in a dead Don.

“There he is,” Giorno whispered to me, pulling me out of my thoughts. I was puzzling out the main parts of my plan as he brought me over to Fugo. He instantly knew something was up when he saw the looks on out faces.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?" He was doing his best to mask the concern in his voice.

“We’ve got trouble,” Giorno said calmly. “Someone’s got a hit out on us, and we need to get out of here.”

“What?” Fugo’s eyes grew wide, his mouth falling agape. It took him a few moments to collect himself. “How? Who’s trying to kill us?”

“Keep your voice down,” I hissed .I instinctively looked this way and that for signs of danger. “They have eyes and ears everywhere. I think I have a plan, but I am going to need you to relay some information for me. Get in touch with the other members of the team. If this is going to work, we have to be coordinated on this.”

Fugo absorbed my words, thinking over everything as I said it. “Alright, tell me this plan of yours.” I leaned in and quickly explained the plan I had cobbled together.

Patience is not my forte. I had to learn early on when I trained as an assassin. Waiting for your target to walk into range of your sniper scope was aggravating, but necessary. I was always better in close quarter combat because of that. Your results were obvious and right in front of you, and the whole affair was over quicker. Now, watching the clock’s hands slowly move around its detailed face was agony. Everything could end in a second.

Death was a bitch like that. It came suddenly, without a warning, and fucked everything up. I should know. I was trained as its instrument, its dedicated disciple. How ironic that it would be this hand of oblivion would be Giorno’s saving grace. If everything worked out, that is.

The hands of the clock crept ever on and on around its face. All I could feel was anxiety. All around me, eyes watching, ears listening. Weapons not yet drawn. Blows not yet struck. I knew they were waiting for me to make a move. They must have anticipated that I would defect. If I was lucky, it would all come down to the stroke of twelve.

I clung to Giorno’s arm. I couldn’t let him out of my sight. It was my fault we were in this mess in the first place. If he was concerned or panicking, I definitely couldn’t tell. As we slowly moved into position, he continued to politely converse with other partygoers around us. I did my best to match him. No matter how hard I tried not to, I kept glancing around us, watching the people, looking back at the clock. Every second was agony.

From what I understand, there are some powerful stands that could manipulate time in some capacity. If there was one in that ballroom, it must have been messing around with me. And I hated it. If this was Henri’s doing, I would have no way of knowing. He was the kind of man to keep most of himself a secret.

Slowly, finally, the hands met as they do twice a day, lining up at the intricately cursive number twelve. It was then when all hell broke loose. Just as I planned.

It started with an explosion on the other side of the room. It wasn’t anything big, but it was enough to get people’s attention. Screams erupted among the ladies, heads turned towards the smoking pile of whatever was on fire. A few meters above, Aerosmith circled as it geared up for its next movements.

I tightened my grip on Giorno’s arm. Both of us tensed up, getting ready to act. Fugo appeared out of the crowd, watching people for signs of danger. It wouldn’t be long now. I reached under the slit of my dress and pulled out the pistol I had strapped to my leg. The black metal reflecting the golden light coming from above.

Aerosmith took a sharp turn, firing into the crowds. People ran this way and that, doing everything they could to avoid the rain of miniature bullets coming from above. Miraculously, all the bullets seemed to miss their targets, hitting the floor, walls, and various furniture around them. Panic took hold in the room, and chaos erupted around us.

“Come on,” I pulled Giorno toward the other side of the room, Fugo close behind. People swarmed around us, going in every direction to escape. My eyes scanned around, knowing full well that we were not the only ones who would take advantage of this.

We made it to the wall, watching as Aerosmith continued to rain hell onto the unsuspecting partygoers. I watched the people swarming around us, bodies rushing past each other. I watched the faces as they went by. Every so often, I would see the face of Henri in the crowd for an instant, The mischievous darkness in his eyes, a crooked smile on his face. Then it was gone. All that was there was an empty space where he could have stood.

The glint of a weapon caught my eye, the calculated movement of an assassin aiming his silenced pistol at me. I whipped my head around on instinct to face him. The focused intent of murder was in his eyes. His practiced motions were so familiar to me, because they were exactly like mine.

I raised my gun, knowing how high it would need to be to land a killing blow. Just as he did, I fired a few shots at him, not concerned about the innocents rushing around us. For an instant, the world stopped as the bullets flew by each other.

My bullets hit their target, nailing him in the head. Blood and brains spayed behind him, and his lifeless body ragdolling to the floor. A pool of blood formed around him.

Two more appeared out of the crowd, aiming their guns at me. I quickly turned to meet them. I saw Fugo next to me, a menacing purple cloud forming around him. Not waiting to see what he would do, I pulled the trigger on my pistol. Sounds of gunfire bounced off the walls around us and echoed into the large empty space of the ballroom. For a moment, I didn't know what happened.

“(Y/N)!” Giorno’s voice cut through the night. Then I felt it.

Hot searing pain erupted in my arm, forcing me so far back I nearly lost my balance. I clutched the two oozing holes in my flesh, blood dripping down my arm. It took everything I had to not drop my gun. Something important must have been damaged, because I had lost some control in my hand. I felt familiar hands catch my shoulders, keeping me from falling over.

I looked over at the men who attacked us. Blood blossomed in the starched white shirt of the first one, just above his heart. Another lower, deep into his abdomen. He clutched his wounds and fell to his knees. The other was a pile of goo, an empty capsule on Purple Haze’s fist.

“What the hell happened?” Mista appeared beside us, his own pistol drawn. He pointed at the assassins on the floor. “Who are these guys?”

“That doesn’t matter,” Fugo dismissed his stand before he could cause any more trouble. “Let’s just get Narancia and get out of here.”

I felt a hand over my bullet wound. A different kind of pain set in, a burning itching pain. I looked down as I sucked a breath in through my teeth.. Giorno had summoned Gold Experience’s powers, using the bullets to reform the broken tissues. I always forgot how much it hurt to heal that way.

“We can’t do anything until Bruno gets here,” he said as he healed me. “ We will just have to stay put for now.”

“So we’re just sitting ducks?” Mista fiddled with his gun, the Sex Pistols becoming restless and poking thier heads out.

“Don’t you have any faith in me?” A voice said from behind us. I turned my head over to the wall. There he was, a hand pulling back the long zip in the wall that let his head peak in. A small smirk making the whole situation feel just a little better.

“You were almost late there.” I smirked back. “Let’s move. We don’t have a lot of time.” I nodded at Mista. “Do it.”

He nodded back, the Pistols sliding back into their places. Mista raised his gun, pulling back the hammer. A few seconds ticked by. Then he let three shots fly, Pistols riding by as they traveled up and up to reach their target.

One. Two. Three. The bullets hit their mark. The chain broke and shattered. Sparks scattered into the air. The chandelier fell, lights flickering out until they shattered on the hardwood floor. Glass shards fractured and slid as the metal bent and warped. The last distraction to make the night complete.

“Move!” Bruno shouted. He pulled the wall back, letting Fugo discreetly slip out, followed closely behind by. Mista jumped out behind them, looking over his shoulder to get one last look at his work. I crept over and slid out with a little help from Bruno. Before me, the black limo we had arrived in, its engine alive and roaring, Abbacchio sitting in the driver’s seat. The others began to pile in the back. So far, so good.

Bruno reached out and took my arm. “Where’s Narancia? He should be here by now.” His voice stern to hide the concern in his voice.

“He’s coming,” I tried to reassure him. I looked back in. The sprinkler system had gone off, soaking the remaining guests in cold water. Not a sight of the orange wonder could be seen.

Something shot past my head, the movement of air and the whizzing sound to accompany it. Crack. Something had lodged itself deep into the wall next to me. I jumped back, and the sound echoed in my ears. It was a sound I was all too familiar with. That was a sniper round. Bruno’s eyes went wide, knowing full well that I could have just died a second before.

Abbacchio rolled down the window and yelled at us. “We need to go, or you are two going to get your asses shot!” He shouted angrily. “Get in the car, I’m driving off without you!”

“We’re not leaving Narancia!” Bruno yelled back. I watched as Abbacchio’s face morphed to show his annoyance. He didn’t argue, though. Just glared.

“Wait for me!” A familiar voice called out. Narancia almost slid through the hole in the wall. He hit the ground, stumbling on his feet for a few steps. He was drenched, covered in water and blood. Whether it was his blood or someone else's, I couldn’t tell. He was battered in some places like he had been in some sort of scuffle.

He turned around and beamed at us, hands triumphantly on his hips. “I did a pretty good job, didn’t I?”

Mista poked his head out above the open limo door. “Just get in the fucking car!”

Without any hesitation, Bruno let the zipper disappear. The three of us dashed into the car, Bruno sliding in the passenger seat beside Abbacchio, Narancia and I in the back with the others. Everyone seemed on edge and irritated, except Giorno. He was taking this very seriously, but he sat under the back window with a calm demeanor, strapped in for the drive. I sat down next to him, Mista on his other side. The glass window between us and the front seats had been left rolled down.

“What took you so long?” Fugo demanded, sliding the seatbelt over his shoulder. The car changed gear and quickly drove forward.

Water was pooling in the leather seat Narancia was sitting in. “I was distracting everyone, just like you told me to. That was the plan, right?”

“Watch out!” Bruno yelled from the front. The limo barely missed some of the partygoers running to their vehicles, and narrowly passed other cars trying to pull out of the parking lot.

“I know what I’m doing!” Abbacchio yelled as he jerked the steering wheel around. Everyone swayed as the limo moved this way and that. “Don’t tell me how to drive. Just tell me where I need to go. I can’t drive and navigate at the same time.”

“Damn it,” Mista muttered to no one. He hadn’t put his seatbelt on, and was using his hands to keep him still.

We finally hit the road, bobbing this way and that between other cars. I used Maneater to open my pocket dimension. Reaching in, I pulled out more ammunition and some clips I had already filled. I wished I had brought something more powerful than my pistol, but I didn’t think I would be needing anything else tonight. I should have come more prepared.

Mista took my lead, reloading his revolver. Both of us knew that this wasn’t going to be over until we made it back to the villa. I made sure I was still carrying his ammunition in my pocket. He tended to run out when it was most inconvenient.

We turned off the main road, speeding away towards the darker and less traveled part of the city. Bruno must be wanting to lose anyone that might be tailing us. Every so often, he would point out a street or tell Abbacchio to turn this way or that. The entire time, Fugo was watching out the back window.

“How long is this going to take us to get back home?” Narancia asked as we turned down another street. He picked up his arms to show the dripping sleeves of his jackets. “I want to change out of these wet clothes.”

“As long as it takes. We can’t rush these things,” Giorno said softly. One leg was crossed over the other, his hands clasped in his lap. “All things considered, you should be happy that you got out in one piece.”

Narancia put his arm down with some dejection. “I guess. I just wish the smoke from that bomb hadn’t set the sprinklers off.”

With that, we fell into intense silence. No one said a word, the only music was the ambient sounds of the car. There was a heavy tension in the air. No one was willing to break it. I continued my work, taking inventory of everything I had sitting in my pocket.

“Guys,” Fugo said hesitantly, trying to get our attention. “I think someone’s following us.”

I whipped my head around to get a good look out the window. There was a black SUV trailing behind us, its headlights turned off. It was nearly invisible in the urban darkness, the passing streetlights the only reason I could even see it. A feeling of dread was starting to settle in.

“What the hell?” Mista asked. He was turned in the seat watching the car with me. “How long have they been following us?”

“I don’t know, I just noticed them.” Fugo came over, leaning over my shoulder.

Narancia walked over and draped himself over Mista. “What are they doing?”

“Dude, get off!” Mista pushed him away. “You’re getting my clothes all wet!”

“I’m sorry, okay?”

As they continued to argue back and forth, I watched the car behind us. The dark tinted windows rolled down, and a figure emerged leaning out. In his hand, the familiar glint of a weapon.

“Get down!” I grabbed the back of Fugo's and Girono’s heads, protecting them as I slid down the smooth seat. Mista and Narancia threw themselves to the floor. A moment later, glass rained down on us, the sounds of bullets whizzing over our heads. The seats in front of us nearly exploded, leather and fluff floating in the air.

“What the fuck?!” Abbacchio yelled at us. A few bullets had made their way to the front and lodged themselves in the windshield. Cracks radiated outward. A beautiful display of death. The car swerved back and forth to avoid getting hit, but it was obvious it was not helping much.

“What’s going on?” Bruno looked into the rear view mirror to get a good look at us.

“We’re being attacked!” Narancia yelled from under the seat. Or, as far under the seat he could get. All there really was the small lip of plush material.

The shooting stopped. I let go of Fugo and Girono. They cautiously sat up straight, brushing dust off themselves. Mista peeled himself off the floor, glass falling off his body, and collapsed in his seat again just under the window sill. His revolver was poised for action.“We’re taking care of it, Bruno! Just keep driving!”

I shook the glass out of my hair and pulled my pistol out again. “How many do we have, Mista?”

He took a small look over the edge. “I can see three of them. Can’t tell what kind of weapons they have.”

Giorno took a quick peek at the car. “Are there any stand users?”

“Get down!” I grabbed his shoulder. “They’re after you, remember?” I took a deep breath. That was only half true, but he didn't need to know that right now. "If they are stand users, we'll deal with it as it comes up."

"An excellent idea," Fugo said sarcastically as he sat on the floor and shook out his clothing. Some glass had fallen into the holes of his suit. "That has always worked out for us in the past."

I gave him a mean glare. "Shut up, Fugo. It's not like we have much of a choice right now."

It looked like he was going to say something, but he was cut off by a hail of bullets coming overhead. On instinct, we all ducked and covered our heads, waiting anxiously for the shooting to stop again. The room filled with sparks and fluff as bullets destroyed upholstery and circuit boards alike.

“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath. They’d shoot the limo apart if they kept this up. That is if they didn’t kill us first. I took a small look over the edge of the window. From where I was, I could only see one of the shadows we called enemies. I brought up my pistol and took careful aim, focusing intently on what I needed to do. I took a deep breath, pulled the trigger. One. Two. Three.

The shadow collapsed and crumpled onto the asphalt below. There were the sickening sounds of bones breaking and flesh shredding. If the hot lead didn’t kill him, the fall probably would. I felt the adrenaline fill my veins. It was the familiar thrill of the kill.

“Nice shot,” Mista nodded at me. He had to look over Giorno, who was still stoically sitting between us.

“Thanks,” I slid back down the seat. “But taking pot shots like this won’t do us much good. We have to get rid of them somehow.”

“Hold on to something!” Bruno yelled from the front seat. Without another second to spare, we were in one of the hardest turns I had felt in my life.

I felt myself slide down the seats. I tried to stop myself, but there was no way I wasn’t going to collide with something. I hit the wall with a thunk, my arm getting jammed under me. Before I could move, I felt Giorno ram into my shoulder, pinning me down against the hard interior. That wasn’t bad enough apparently, because Mista slammed into Giorno’s shoulder, the G Forces keeping all of us from moving. While all this was happening, Fugo and Narancia were thrown to the door, the glass and the fluff flying around them.

The limo pulled out of the turn and continued on. I no longer had the full weight of two grown men on my frame. The two of them sat up without a word. I eased myself off the wall. Both my arms and my chest hurt. But it was just something I would have to deal with for now.

“How about this,” Mista continued my thought, “You take out the guys shooting at us. I will need you to cover me while I take out the tires. If I do that, they will lose control and crash.”

I gave him a nod. “Good idea. Let’s do it.”

We didn’t have time to lose. Without another thought, I threw myself into the open and began to unload bullets onto out pursuers. From the corner of my eye, I knew that Mista was lining up his shot and the Pistols were communicating to each other. I emptied my clip. I watched another figure fall and die against the black road under us.

Maneater opened the pocket, and I quickly switched out the clips. I loaded a bullet into the chamber. I felt the recoil as I pulled the trigger. Another victim caught half out of the window. It was all so familiar, I had done this a thousand times. Years of training had prepared me for this very moment.

Another figure appeared in the window, brandishing a rifle in his hand. Before I could get a good handle on his position, he had lit up the darkness with flashes of gunfire. Bullets bounced off the road and the limo. I fired off some shots, doing whatever I could to take him out before he hit me. But I was a little too late.

It felt like I had been punched and stabbed at the same time. I fell back out of the line of fire, clutching bullet wounds in my side. I could feel my blood start to seep into the dress. A moment later, another hand joined mine. The familiar burning itching pain started again. I looked over to see Giorno again. His face was focused in concentration. Mista beside him was wearing a similar expression.

Mista let off two shots into the night. A moment later, the car was swaying this way and that. One of the front tires was instantly deflated and was barely holding on. It ground to a halt, flipping over and sliding across the course asphalt. Sparks lit up the night and the metal screeching filled the air.

“Nice work,” I gave him a tired smile. I was already getting tired of getting shot.

“Don’t celebrate just yet,” Giorno said. He pointed out the window. “They didn’t come alone.”

Mista and I turned. Elegantly sliding forward was another SUV, just as imposing and dangerous as the first. They must have been waiting behind in case something like this happened.

“Shit,” Mista hissed between his teeth. “They don’t stop, do they?”

“No,” I said quietly. I dropped the clip in my gun, readying to replace it. “Let’s keep going. The same plan should work for this car well.” The next clip slid into place with a satisfying click.

“Wait.” Giorno’s eyes intently watched me. He leaned over, placing a hand over my hand holding my pistol. I felt his chest against my back. His face was situated right next to mine, eyes trained on the black metal beast following close behind. I could feel the signature warm feeling of Gold Experience under my hand, along with a slight flush in my face.

“You’re using that trick again?” Mista smirked.

Again? What did he mean? I didn’t get a chance to ask before I felt Giorno lean in a little closer.

“Shoot at the car,” He whispered in my ear. “I’ll take care of the rest.”

I didn’t respond. I didn’t need to. He knew I understood. I brought the gun level to my target, and took a deep breath. I settled into the moment. Muscle memory took hold. Pulled the trigger.

Bullets flew into the night, seemingly moving on their own accord. They struck the grill of the SUV, shattered the headlights, burying themselves into the metal shell. For a moment, nothing happened. We waited in strange silence. Then, faster than what would seem natural, what looked like tree roots sprung out of the car. They grew and wound themselves into the working parts. Tendrils worked like fingers reaching under the hood into the engine and wrapping themselves around the axel and wheels below.

Loud grinding and screeching tore at my ears. I watched as the wheels locked up, sliding across the asphalt and tearing apart the tires. The car ground to a halt, now a strange mangle of metal and tree. It flipped, rolled, windows shattering and doors being forced off. The frame caved in on itself, and parts broke off and were lost in the darkness. If anyone was still alive, they were in terrible pain.

I exhaled. Giorno let go of my hand, but he didn’t leave my side. He watched the carnage as it unfolded in front of us.

“Damn,” Mista muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning out the window. “I’m glad I’m on your side, Giorno. Sometimes I forget how terrifying you can be.”

I made my way down the hall, my bare feet pressing into the soft carpet below. I still had some bruising from the night before, but I had come out in worse shape on past assignments. I was happy to be alive, and that I had managed to keep everyone else alive. A few bruises were well worth the price of living another day.

The large wooden door stopped me in my path. It was the door to Giorno’s office. He had asked me to come by. I raised my hand and gave it a knock.

“Come in,” his voice carried through elegantly carved wood. I took hold of the handle and opened the door.

He was sitting behind his desk, one hand holding a document, the other pressed against his mouth in thought. He hadn’t changed his clothes from the night before. His suit jacket was draped over the chair he sat in, his dress shirt half unbuttoned and sleeves rolled up. The braid down his back had been undone. Blond locks snaked and curled around his shoulders and down his back. The mid morning sun did nothing to hide the tiredness written on his face.

My eyes met his as I closed the door behind me. He laid the document on top of one of the many stacks on his desk. “(Y/N), thank you for coming to see me.”

I crossed the room and sat down in the chair set up across from him. “It’s not a problem.” I took another moment to look over his form. I gave him a concerned look. “Giorno, I’m not going to sugar-coat this. You look terrible. Have you slept at all since we got back?”

Giorno quietly sighed, closing his eyes. “No, I haven’t. Bruno and I have been working all night trying to get information on the people that attacked us last night. It has been… Difficult. This organization is very good at covering their tracks.”

“From what it sounds like, you must need my help,” I said calmly and quietly.

He opened his tired blue eyes. “You seem to know a lot about them. Your information would be invaluable to us. While we were able to survive their attack last night, I doubt they will give up so easily. We need to get ahead of them before they can make another move.”

I took a deep breath. “You are right about that.” I carefully considered what I was about to do. “Giorno, before this goes any further, I need to tell you something. It’s important to what happened last night.”

His eyebrows raised slightly.

I fiddled with my fingers. I didn’t want to do this. It would ruin everything that I had worked for the past two years. Probably end the relationship between me and Giorno. But I had no other choice. If I truly loved him like I thought I did, I would tell him the truth about myself, about everything I had done.

So I told him. Slowly and carefully, I told him about my time in the organization, my assignment to gather intel on him, the inevitable change of heart. I told him that I met Henri at the party in order to get out and end the assignment, and how I was ordered to kill my target, Giorno. The entire time, he never changed his expression, only listened.

"So, to make a long story short, I am the reason you were attacked last night," I solemnly dropped my head. "I'm so sorry. I never meant for it to go this far. I never meant to put you in danger."

Giorno closed his eyes again, thinking over what I had said. "Well, that answers some questions we’ve had for a while."

I furrowed my brows. "What do you mean?"

He gave a tired smile. "We've known what you were up to for a while. I have to admit, you were good at avoiding the security system. But no matter how hard they try, no one can escape the power of Moody Blues."

I sat there stunned. "What?”

He opened his eyes. "You are excellent as a bodyguard and assassin. Almost too excellent. It would be a mistake to let someone with your talents go to waste. So we used you to send disinformation to whoever you worked for. I started switching out some of the documents with fakes and telling you lies about what we were doing. That way, you would stay working for us longer without compromising our safety. But like you said, you started doing that on your own after a while. We didn't need to worry about you as much after that."

His words weren’t sinking in properly. “So, Abbacchio was spying on me the entire time?” I asked quietly

“He’s not the most trusting person.”

I buried my head in my hands. This was terrible. All that time, I had been lying for nothing. It just made me feel even more guilty and stupid about what I had done. All of this could have been avoided if I had told them sooner.

“I could have killed you at any time,” I said without looking up at him. “Why did you trust me? Why did you let me go on like this for so long?”

For a few agonizing minutes, Giorno said nothing. I heard him take a slow breath in. “Because you have a good heart. I could see it from the very beginning.”

I looked up at him, feeling tears behind my eyes.. “I have killed many people over the years, Giorno. I’ve lied to you and everyone else here. I betrayed the organization I dedicated years of my life to. Do you call that the actions of a good person?”

His blues eyes gazed deep into my soul, the intensity making me want to look away. “Like you said, you could have killed me at any time. But you didn’t. You did quite the opposite in fact, saving my life on many occasions. And in the end, you betrayed that organization to protect your new teammates, whom you grew to care for over the years you worked with them. That sounds like the actions of a good person trying to make the best out of a bad situation.”

A few tears ran down my cheeks. I brushed them off with the palm of my hand, trying to avoid his gaze. It was becoming clear why I had fallen so helplessly for him. For all the people here. They had touched my heart in a way that no one else had. What a fool I was.

“While we are on the subject of confessions,” Giorno continued, “I have one of my own.”

I gave a half-hearted chuckle, a hand still clutching my face.. “What kind of secret would you have to confess to me, Don Giovanna? You don’t keep them lightly.”

He looked away for a moment, eyes trailing to the floor. It was almost like he was trying to decide what he wanted to say next. His blue eyes slowly wandered back to my face, a strange confidence giving them light.

“I have to admit, stuff like this is not what I am good at. I have never had to do something like this. Being vulnerable goes contrary to everything I have done to get to this point in my life.”

I felt my face scrunch up in confusion. “Giorno, you’re not making any sense. What’s going on?”

He gave a tired sigh. “I have grown to care very deeply for you, (Y/N). More deeply than I should have allowed to happen. I… kept this from you because pursuing any sort of relationship would violate our agreement. I never intended for things to escalate to this point…”

Without another thought, I bolted from my chair and circled around the desk. His face tilted up to watch me as I approached him. Confusion and concern was written all over his body language. There was pain behind his eyes. It hurt for me to witness him in such a state.

I threw my arms around his shoulders, burying my face in his neck. I stood there awkwardly, the bottom half of my body still in the standing position.. I felt him freeze for a moment. I must have startled him. Very slowly, he reached up around me and pulled me down. He let me settle into his lap, settling into his chest. He held onto me like the world was ending.

I moved my head over and kissed his cheek. “Fuck the agreement,” I whispered. “I love you, Giorno.”

#jojo's bizarre adventure #jjba #Golden Wind #Vento Aureo #giorno giovanna #giorno x #JJBA fanfiction #jjba oneshots

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blazingopus · 3 years

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Update

I'm almost done with my first draft for a new Golden Wind oneshot. I should have it posted within the next few days. If you have any requests for story ideas, writing prompts, or music requests, don't be afraid to send me a message. I am also open to headcanons, scenarios, and matchups if you are looking for something a little shorter than my usual stories. Thanks.

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blazingopus · 3 years

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Jojo Characters Saying Some of My Favorite Quotes

I don’t know how I came up with this, I don’t know why it exists. But I have it now, and I want to share it with you. Please enjoy

Dio - “I always wanted to start my own religion. So I did!”

Old Joseph - “To battle! Hold my teeth.”

Hol Horse - “Guns don’t kill people. I do!”

Speedwagon - “You want to know how to get the undead? I’ll tell you how to get the undead. One of their men pulls a knife, your man pulls a gun. They send your man to the hospital, you send their man to the morgue. That’s how you get the undead.”

Fugo - “If you don’t master your anger, your anger will master you. I should know.”

Dio - When I attack, Part Three.

Gyro - “Free rides, for the ladies.”

Mikitaka - “I’ll attract the enemy with my human call.’

Kars - “Darkness called, but I was on the phone, so I missed him. I tried to *69 Darkness, but his machine picked up. I yelled, ‘Pick up the phone, Darkness!’ but he ignored me. Darkness must have been screening his calls.”

Kakyoin - “Ba weep granna weep ninny bong. It’s a universal greeting.”

Mista - “When you care to send the very best, send someone else.”

Polnareff - “My blade can cut through armor, and still cut a tomato.”

Part 4 Jotaro - “I say, you guys gonna make me lose my mind up in here.”

Johnny - “My hoof and your ass have an appointment.”

Pucci - “Would you like the secret of eternal happiness? Page 246.”

Diavolo - “Don’t touch me, I’m evil.”

Abbacchio - “This is not a dress, this is the standard Dreadlord uniform.”

Kira - “Yes? Darkness, hey what’s up? Kars left you a message? No, I don’t have his number.”

Giorno - “Then, after I overthrow this fool… Oh, hello. I didn’t know you were there.”

Valentine - “Darkness… Needs to get DSL. His line is always busy.”

Lisa Lisa - “What you just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul.”

Joseph - “He’s the snake to my mongoose. Or the mongoose to my snake. Either way, it’s bad. I don’t know animals. But I do know this: This time, it’s personal.”

Narancia - “Why make trillions, when you could make billions?”

#jojo's bizarre adventure #phantom blood #battle tendency #stardust crusaders #diamond is unbreakable #golden wind #stone ocean #steel ball runn #jjba #jjba oneshot #quotes

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blazingopus · 3 years

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Green Haze - Golden Wind

This story ended up much darker than I had intended. It was very difficult for me to write in some places. Drawing from detective noir can do that sometimes. For the squeamish of you (and this is in no way a judgement), I will list the parts where there is body horror in bold. Please enjoy.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LZDJ6gWi5HP2P2YCMTcn1?si=A4Kncm8JR_mkOdszS7TCww

You're a private investigator taking photos of someone who spots what you are doing. What happens next?

Napoli, and all of Italia for that matter, is ruled by The Famiglia. A complex web of businessmen, smugglers, politicians, assassins, drug peddlers, hustlers, bookkeepers, and every other role a mafioso could fill. Money acquired legally and illegally is funneled throughout the web, funding the various operations and front businesses. And pulling all the strings from the shadows is the illusive Boss, hiding his identity to preserve his life and keep control over all of Italia. He hears all, sees all. Little happens in the Famiglia without the Boss knowing at least in passing. This is the Empire called Passione. At least, this is what I hear when dealing in the underground.

I am a private investigator. I am paid large sums of money to investigate things that the police cannot, or will not, touch with their pristine hands. I say this, knowing that most of the police are in bed with corrupt politicians. The same politicians working closely, or at the very least taking bribes from Passione.

I only know this because I was in the police force for a few years myself. I saw first hand what went on behind closed doors. They say they want law and order. They say that they want to protect people. They say that they serve the citizens of Napoli. Lies. Nothing but lies. Most who join the force are corrupted by the system and the people. The few who do not leave of their own accord or are forced out.

Morality is a funny thing. Philosophers, authors, religious figures, and other thinkers have debated and formed their own frameworks to understand it. All of which are very different. But there are some basic ideas that most people tend to agree on. Killing innocents is bad. Stealing is bad. Lying is bad. Usually. There are more shades of grey to it all than an overcast sky. And many are willing to throw it all away for their own gain.

I walked away from all of it. The corruption, the lies, the posturing, the cutthroat environment. I was done with it all. I took the skills I had learned as a police officer and went into business for myself. You see, when the world is stripped of morals and decency, there are few things of value: Money. Information. Sex. Sometimes drugs, depending on how you felt that day. And the occasional organ. Of these, information became my currency. I procure information you want, for a price. Unlike the information brokers of Passione, I work on the street, I take the photos, and I steal the evidence. I can provide some of the most incriminating, career ending, reputation ruining information that the brokers would spend millions of Liras for. That is, if I were to sell it to them.

I don't work for Passione, and I have only worked with a few members. Poor souls. They had such ambitions of righting the wrongs, undoing the injustices from the inside. All of them ended up dead soon after their last visit to my office. Seems that the Boss doesn't much like members of his Famiglia trying to undo everything he had worked for.

It was a few days ago when another poor soul asked for my services. An up and coming politician with bright eyes and a noble heart. After being elected to a local office, he had found the government was as corrupted as any other. He was on a valiant quest to rid all he could of the "evil" out of Napoli. I told him that most do not survive that silly quest of his. He replied saying that, 'He would be one of the few who did, and bring some decency to his fair city.' He owed it to the people who elected him into office. I could tell he was a stubborn man, hellbent on his sacred duty. All I could do was shake my head and accept the upfront fee from him. How naïve he was.

Among some other things, he wanted me to look into a young man named Bruno Buccellati. The valiant knight had concerns about where Buccellati stood, since he liked to keep a low profile. While he was a mafioso, he was in good standing with the people of his territory and was a trusted right hand man to Polpo, the capo of Napoli. He suspected that Buccellati was either a noble individual like himself, or was playing nice to everyone to get an advantage. I told him it didn't matter either way.

I spent a couple of days getting a feel for his regular haunts. The people who lived and worked in his territory had a favorable view of him, but were somewhat protective of him. I was able to get more information out of them when I told them that he had helped me not too long ago, and was wanting to repay his kindness. Many said he would not accept any gifts or rewards, but wished me good luck. I didn't need it, but it was appreciated.

Buccellati moved around a lot, completing assignments from Polpo and maintaining the businesses under his jurisdiction. He did however, favor a particular restaurant. He tended to have small meetings there once a week or so with the team he was building. Such things were not uncommon in Passione. Many higher ranking mafiosi had a team of trusted few to help with whatever they were up to. It was a crucial part of the structure of the Familgia, and most teams were extremely independent. It was important that teams did not know of each other, so that separate operations could be conducted without interference or information leaking. At least, that was the intention. For some, it didn't matter how independent or how secretive a team was. Once they gained a certain level of status and notoriety, no matter how careful and secretive they were, word got around about their exploits. The only exception, of course, was the Boss.

The strange thing was, of the two people Buccellati had on his team, both were under the age of 18 and both had criminal records. Pannacota Fugo had allegedly murdered a teacher of his, and had a genius level IQ. If Buccellati played his cards right, he might make Fugo a crucial member of Passione. Narancia Ghirga was a different story. He had ran with gangs most of his younger years and only committed petty theft. From all I could gather, I could not understand why Buccellati had put him on his team. He had no outstanding qualities that I could find. The boy hadn't had an education in years, and had no particular skills.

There wasn't much else I could do now. I had been watching the restaurant for the past few days. I did a little snooping around the restaurant itself, and I found that Buccellati had made a reservation for tomorrow at noon. Four top. If I had to make a guess, he might be recruiting a new member or making some sort of deal. I would have to wait and see.

I made sure I look the part. The goal is to get a good look at Buccellati and his team. Take a few pictures. Start collecting some information about them. In order to accomplish this, I decided to dress a little casual chic. I was playing the role of a photographer for a travel magazine, getting some pictures of the local shops and the people in their natural state. It was important that the magazine had some candid photos along with the glamorized landscapes and reused building shots. At least, that was what I would use as an alibi.

I set up across from the restaurant at a quaint cafe with outdoor seating in the front. I had previously asked the owner if it was alright if I took a few pictures, and he let me eat free for the publicity. He didn't ask many questions. It was ten till noon, and the lunch rush was ramping up.

From what people told me, Buccellati had a few defining features. Piercing blue eyes. Dark hair cut in a severe bob. Pair of gold clips to adorn said bob. Suit with strange poke-a-dot pattern. Exposed chest with a tattoo or lace undershirt, no one could tell for sure. For someone who was so skilled at keeping a low profile, he was damn good at standing out from the crowd.

My eye caught someone entering the restaurant. Blue, hair, gold, pattern, chest thing. That must be him. I watched him talk to the host, who led him to a table right in front of a nearby window. My lucky day. At the table, I could see two other individuals, both looked to be young. These were most likely Fugo and Naranchia. They matched the descriptions I had come across earlier.

I was still watching the customers coming and going. Buccellati would not have reserved a four top if he was not expecting another person. Who that person was, I had no idea. A male walked in that made me pause for a minute. It was not his attire, which was also very distinct. Pale hair and skin deeply contrasted by his dark and broody clothing. It was the fact that it gave me a strong feeling of deja-vu. I didn't think it was a past client, or a past target. It went farther back than that, into the past I wanted to forget.

I took a sip of my water and made myself focus again. Fortunately for me, the mysterious man joined Buccellati at his table. He was lucky number four. It took about an hour and a half for them to order, eat, and discuss their business. The entire time, I was taking notes for one of the articles I was writing. At least, that is what I told the cafe owner. I was making note of particular ticks or quirks they had in their movements and speech patterns. I was also able to get a few pictures of them, but the main photos I was wanting would have to be taken as they left the restaurant.

I put my stuff in my bag when I saw they were beginning to wrap up. I left my camera hanging around my neck. I watched Buccellati pay the bill. The four of them stood up. They moved to the front of the building. I moved the camera to my face. I snapped a few photos as they came out the front door.

My heart stopped.

The last one out was the mysterious man. I finally remembered him. Abbacchio. He was one of the victims of the cruel justice system. I was coming to the end of my time in the police when I heard the news of his departure. He had made a hard decision, and it didn't pay off for him. I had worked close with him on some assignments, but I had not seen him since...

His deep purple eyes met mine through the lens. Deep. Accusing. Damn it. Why did I hesitate? I lowered the camera, keeping eye contact with him. His eyes bore into me. They were full of distrust and suspicion. Did he recognize me? Had he caught on to what I was doing?

Abbacchio finally broke eye contact with me, slowly walking away. I let our the breath I didn't know I was holding. I didn't know what his next action was going to be, but I needed to get the hell out of there. Damn it! How could I have been so reckless? So stupid? I could have just compromised everything. I put my camera in my bag and told the waiter my thanks.

I walked briskly toward the nearest train station. While it would be much more convenient to own a car, such a thing was dangerous. Cars can be tracked via licence plate, or could identify my apartment if someone should see me on assignment. That means my options for transportation are limited. Taxis would be faster, but I can blend into the crowds and loose people easier that way. If it all plays out properly.

When I reached the station, I bought a ticket and waited to board. I stood in the crowd, watching around me for anyone from Buccellati's team, or anyone else suspicious. I stepped on the train and found a seat. No one of note came on board. I spent the train ride anxious, my mind racing. Would Abbacchio do anything? Would they hunt me down? I could handle myself well enough, but the members of Passione were dangerous individuals. If they did, I probably wouldn't live through it. But this is what I signed up for when I took up this line of work. This is all my own doing.

The train came to a slow stop. I stood up and stepped onto the street. Heading straight home would be stupid. It would be better to head to the office first, where there would be people to witness anything that might happen. I walked over a block or two to the building where my office was located. I entered and unlocked the door. Inside was the same as I had left it. The heavy wooden desk sat in the back of the room with a chair to match. In front were two large chairs. I picked them out especially because they were very, very uncomfortable. I didn't want people staying longer than they had to, and having comfortable chairs just encouraged people to linger. It was important with the kinds of people I deal with.

I picked up the few documents I had sitting on my desk and stuffed them in my bag. They weren't of great importance, but I could not afford to leave any sort of evidence out. After most of my assignments, if I didn't think they would be useful I burned most of the information I had collected. I didn't want any evidence pointing to me if something got out. I usually didn't need it anyway. There were a few exceptions, though. I had a few safes in my apartment containing very valuable information that might come in handy one day. Don't know when, but you never know when you need to expose someone, or blackmail them, or call in a favor.

I straightened up the place before I left again. Speaking of calling in favors, if shit hits the fan, I might have to do that. Working in the professions I have, you get to know the right people, or the wrong people that need a favor. I didn't want to cash my chips in just yet, but I didn't know how all this would play out. I might not even have time to call in the first place. I have to be damn careful.

I locked the door and headed out onto the street, looking for a cab. My apartment was a bit away from my office. While I would have liked to be able to walk home every day, I didn't want anyone following me home that easily. I hailed a cab down and gave the driver directions.

As soon as I got home, I set the several locks on my reinforced door. Some may say I am paranoid, but that paranoia has kept me alive through some pretty bad scrapes. I quickly changed out of my clothes, throwing on a tank top and sweatpants. If they come for me tonight, I at least want to be comfortable. I then went to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. It wasn't the first time I was going to miss out on a lot of sleep. I will have to keep up throughout the night.

I reached into a kitchen drawer and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. I needed something to calm my nerves. I hate smoking and would have much preferred alcohol. Alcohol makes me sleepy, and being able to aim is important if hell breaks loose. Nicotine would have to do instead. I took out a cigarette and lit it, inhaling the sickening smoke. Stale, this pack was getting old. I would have to pick up a new one soon.

I went back into my bedroom, opening up the top drawer of my bedside table. I took the two pistols I kept in there and checked the clips inside. I turned off the safety and stuck one in the waistband of my pants, feeling it settle against my spine. I picked up the extra clips I kept as well, putting two in my bra and sticking the rest in my pockets.

I went to the kitchen and grabbed one of my kitchen chairs, dragging it in front of my door. I poured myself a cup of coffee. I walked over to my chair and sat in it backwards. Pistol in my right hand, coffee in my left, cigarette in my mouth. I waited throughout the night with my eyes trained on the door, waiting for anything to go wrong.

The night passed to morning, and the time passed in silence. The sun rose on a new day. I was still alive and unharmed, for now at least. I rose from my seat and quickly showered. I hit myself with the cold water to wake myself up again. I tiredly put on clothes, keeping the pistol in its spot next to my spine. I put the other in the holster I keep in my jacket. I grabbed my bag and walked out my door, undoing all the locks from the night before.

I made my way back to my office without incident. The door was still locked and intact. Everything was in place inside. I sat down behind my desk and pulled out my notes, going over what I had collected over the past few days.

Buccellati seemed decent, at least. Many people went to him for counsel and help. He was Polpo's most trusted mafioso and went above and beyond to complete his missions. He ran his territory well and kept businesses alive. Giving his team a second thought, he probably picked them up off the street and took them in. The younger ones looked a little rough around the edges, and the one that was probably Narancia did not know what comb was. Still, I have run into a lot of people that looked like good people who ended up being rotten to the core.

I sighed and rubbed my face. I needed more coffee, but I didn't want to get up to actually make it. I was pretty much done with Bruno Buccellati, and I needed to move on the other targets my client had hired me to dig up dirt on. That is, if Buccellati didn't come after me and cut my life very short.

I sighed again and stood up, starting up the coffee maker. I watched blankly as the pot filled with caffeinated hot bean water. I needed to stay alert. I needed to stay awake. My life might depend on it.

I poured myself some coffee and walked back to my desk. I didn't need this information much anymore. I put everything in a manila folder and put it into a small safe under my desk. Damn thing was heavy, so it wasn't like anyone was carrying it out anytime soon. I took out my small spiral notebook from my bag, and looked at the list I had written a few days before. It was the list of targets I had been hired to investigate. I took out a pencil and crossed out Buccellati's name. Who would be the best target to go after next?

My head snapped up. There was a knock at my door. I quickly shoved the notebook back in my bag. There were a few possibilities going through my head. My client; he seemed to be a little impatient when I took the job from him. It could be a potential client, they liked to drop in sometimes. Or, it was Buccellati. That last one had my heart thumping against my chest and adrenaline filling my veins. I checked the guns on my person. Everything could go bad very quickly.

I stood up and crossed the room. I hesitated for just a moment before grasping the doorknob and pulling it open.

My heart stopped for just a moment. Before me stood Bruno Buccellati and Abbacchio, their eyes bearing down on me with serious expressions on their faces. I did my best to maintain a stony expression despite the terror filling me.

"Can I help you, Gentlemen?" I asked professionally. I might be able to talk my way out of this.

Buccellati nods his head slightly. "Yes. Do you have time to talk, miss?"

"I do." I moved aside and gestured for them to enter. They slid past me and moved to the chairs situated across from my desk. I swallowed and took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. Of all the things that could have happened, this was probably the worst. I would have to be smart about this.

I moved over to my office chair to sit down. A part of me was quite pleased to see Abbacchio becoming visibly uncomfortable trying to settle himself in his chair. Buccellati also looked very uncomfortable, but he was trying his best to not let it show.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves," Buccellati said as I pulled myself up to my desk. "My name is Bruno Buccellati," he gestured to Abbacchio, who had a stern glare on his face, "And my companion is Leone Abbacchio."

"A pleasure," I replied politely.

"It's not," Abbacchio shot back in a low voice. The glare on his face intensified.

Buccellati looked back to me with suspicious eyes. "Though, I am sure that you already know who we are."

"It is my business to know things, Mr. Buccellati." I had to be careful. "Word of you has spread throughout Napoli. It is not uncommon to hear tales of you in the crowds." I looked over at Abbacchio. "And Abbacchio and I served on the same police force together. We had some assignments together from time to time. Now, you said that you would like to speak with me. Are you interested in my services?"

"Not quite." Buccellati shifted his weight a little. "Your reputation precedes you, Miss (Y/N). You are known as a very talented private investigator, perhaps one of the best in Napoli."

I chuckled a bit. "Those words are not mine, Mr. Buccellati. I let my clients decide for themselves if my work is up to par." I tilted my head a little. "It also seems you know who I am. You know your way among the town gossip."

Buccellati cracked a small smile. "It has helped me before in the past, I must admit." His eyes bore into mine again. "What exactly do you do in this profession of yours, Miss (Y/N)?"

I had to play it cool, use a bit of misdirection. "I am a private investigator. I investigate whatever my clients hire me to. Cheating spouses, missing family members, the occasional long lost flame. Many people think that we like working with reporters, but they almost never tell the full story. Police are not much better. Too wrapped up in internal politics to investigate properly and arrest the right people."

"Many people also think that you investigate corruption." Buccellati interjected, his eyes still trained on me. "There are many politicians that do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, no matter how illegal."

I took a breath in. "I don't do that kind of investigating, Mr. Buccellati. If I were to investigate one bad politician, it would take me years to unravel the web of misdeeds and lies. Bad people tend to work with other bad people, who would also be exposed. All for what?" I shrugged. "There will always be corrupt politicians. Removing one would lead to another taking his place, if you could remove him at all. Best to stay out of it entirely. There are many people out there who need help that the police and politicians cannot provide. In doing my work, I hope to provide some solace to them."

"Do you really believe that garbage?" Abbacchio growled at me. Anger was washing over him. "Talking about helping people by going through their private lives. Sounds like a load of shit to me."

"Abbacchio, calm down," Buccellati ordered. His voice was stern and commanding. Abbacchio turned away, becoming more broody by the minute.

Buccellati looked back at me. "Passione is a powerful organization in Napoli, and all of Italia for that matter. It controls one of the largest drug trades in the world, and engages in many illegal activities. Surely, there would be people interested in finding out all they can about it, and the people who comprise its members?"

Buccellati was proding around, trying to find a way to pin me down. I would have to be careful how I answered "Yes, there are many people who would like to uncover the secrets of Passione. I have had my fair share of people try to enlist my services, but I have made it policy to turn them down. The mafiosi don't much like it when people go sniffing around where they shouldn't, and they tend to respond rather violently when they do. I also do not take any assignments from members of Passione. One job leads to another, and you either end up a member of Passione yourself or very much dead. Neither sound very appealing to me."

Buccellati nodded intently. "What kind of people do you take these "assignments" from, Miss (Y/N)?"

I looked at him suspiciously. "A variety of individuals. If you are wanting specifics, I am afraid I have a strict confidentiality policy. I do not share any information about any previous or current clients, or anyone I have or am investigating. Any information I find stays between me and the respective client. What they do with said information is their business."

Buccellati narrowed his eyes at me. " I want to change subjects, if you don't mind."

I nodded. "Go ahead." I had the sense that this conversation was taking a turn for the worse. I could feel my pulse speed up.

"Yesterday, Abbacchio saw you taking photos of me and my team as we were leaving a restaurant." Abbacchio turned back to me and stared at me like he was reading my soul " Not only were you taking photos of us, you were in the perfect location to take them. You were either very lucky that day, or you had been investigating me and tracking my movements." He leans forward, his voice becoming more direct and commanding. "So I ask you, what were you doing there that day, and why were you taking photos of us?"

I had to keep reminding myself to stay calm. I could not let anything important slip. I could not show weakness. And I could not answer that question. "I am not at liberty to say. I told you I keep my work confidential."

"That's fucking bullshit," Abbacchio yelled at me. "You know damn well that someone is trying to get dirt on us!"

"I told you, whether or not that is true, I cannot and will not release any information to anyone but my client."

Abbacchio stood up suddenly, violently knocking over the chair in the process. Anger seethed across his body. "I am not taking any more of this. You tell us everything, or I will beat the living shit out of you!"

I stood up, pulled the pistol out of my jacket and aimed it at him. I knew that if I pulled the trigger, the first bullet would lodge right between his eyes.

"You can try, but you would have to reach me first."

Before anything else could happen, there was a small flash of blue light in the corner of my eye, before something hit me square in the chest. I fell back a few feet, my body feeling like it was tearing apart. I landed on my side, my muscles not functioning and my joints not moving. I didn't know what kind of weapon Buccellati had used on me, but it was very effective. I moved my head a little, just enough for Buccallati and Abbacchio to come into view.

Buccallati looked deep into my eyes, murderous intent in his cool blue pools. "I'm tired of playing games, Miss (Y/N). Tell us what we want to know, or I will have to resort to more extreme measures. And know that I am very good at telling when people are lying."

I gave him a defiant glare. "You think you are the first person to threaten me? I have put up with a lot of shit in my life, I doubt you can do anything to me to make me talk."

His gaze lingered on me for a few seconds. Then he looked to Abbacchio. "Move her onto her back and support her head. I want her to see this."

Abbacchio nodded and knelt down next to me, sliding his hands under my arms and easing me onto my back. He pulled me up to his chest, and I could see my body splayed out in front of me. My arms and legs were in strange and unnatural angles, but they didn't look broken or damaged. Still, they were doing some very unnatural things.

I looked up at Buccellati. He was rolling the sleeves of this suit jacket to expose his forearms. "There have been many sorts of punishments used over the course of human existence," he said as he kneeled beside me. "Disembowelment is particularly brutal and painful. Most people don't tend to live through it. It just so happens that I have an ability that allows such an act to be easier on the both of us."

He outstretched an empty hand, and touched me just above my collar bone. If I could move, I would have flinched away. Abbacchio and Buccellati's strange power kept me from doing much of anything. Buccellati clenched his hand like he was grasping something. He then moved his hand down my sternum, over my abdomen, and stopped just below my navel. A thin line was left on my clothing. He then took both hands and pulled on both sides of the line he drew. Slowly, my clothes and my skin separated together to reveal what lay underneath.

I could see inside myself. I saw my heart as it drummed and sent blood shooting through my arteries and veins. I could see my lungs rise and fall with my breathing. I watched my stomach churn and move. My intestines pulsed as they did their digestive dance. I could see all the red and soft organs that were keeping me alive and well. Everything was wet and held together by long, thin membranes you could see though. I couldn't move, but that didn't stop me from shaking in fear.

"How easy it would be to kill you," Buccelatti said as he looked into my eyes. "All I would have to do is squeeze your aorta until your cells die of oxygen deficiency, if your heart doesn't explode first. Or I could cut off the air to your lungs and let you suffocate. But if I wanted to make this really painful," He moved his hands over to where my intestines pulsated, "I could simply disembowel you. That would be much longer and more painful, giving me more time to get some answers out of you."

My shaking was becoming worse, my breathing becoming ragged. I kept my eyes locked on Buccellati, avoiding the horror he had unleashed. "Even if I do tell you, you would just end up killing me anyway."

He gave me a small, terrifying smile. "I may be a mafioso, Miss (Y/N), but I can assure you that I am a man of my word. You tell me what I want to know, and all this will end."

"Either way, I'll be spilling my guts."

"That's the idea."

He reached into my body and grabbed hold of my small intestine. Reaching into his pocket, he brought out a small pocket knife, flipping it open. He brought the blade to my abdominal cavity, preparing to cut the thin membrane that held my organs in place. He was going to pull my intestines out right in front of me.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I tried to thrash around, do something to stop it, but nothing was working. I could feel hot tears running down my face. I began to scream, to beg, to plead with Buccellati to stop. This was not worth getting my intestines ripped out for. This was not worth dying over.

"What were you doing yesterday?" he demanded an answer. "Why were you watching us? Why were you photographing us?"

The tears kept coming. "I was hired to."

"Obviously. Who hired you?" Buccellati nearly yelled.

I choked out the client's name.

He thought for a moment. "You said that you didn't work for politicians. You also said that you don't investigate members of Passione. You are either lying or you are very confused, and I doubt you are the latter."

I dropped my head back and stared at the ceiling. "It doesn't matter if I take the job or not. Either way, he ends up dead. They all do."

"They end up dead?" Abbacchio questioned from behind me.

"Fools who think they can fix everything. Undo all the terrible things that Passione has done. Rid Napoli of corrupt people. They don't understand what they get themselves into." I swallowed and let more tears fall. "I try to warn them. Try to tell them they are playing with fire, but they never listen. They are so hellbent on being the hero that they don't have time to listen. It doesn't matter if I get them the information or not. They never have enough time to do anything with it. Passione always finds out. Passione always comes for them. And the fools always end up dead."

My words hung in the air for a moment, the mafiosi taking in what I had said. "That still doesn't explain why you took the job." Abbacchio said softly. "You could have refused him."

"I know, " I whispered. "But if I did, he would turn to other places to get what they want, and most of them are being funded by the government officials or are members of Passione. He would be found out and dealt with much quicker than if he came to me. The problem is, idiots like him tend to have family and friends that care about them. If I take the job, instead of someone else, he might live just a day longer."

I lowered my eyes to look at Buccellati again. He looked intently at me, but I couldn't read his expression. What was he thinking? Did he hate me? Did he think I was a fool for even thinking like this? Did he feel sorry for me for lying to myself, justifying working for these poor souls?

Buccellati put the knife back in his pocket, taking out a handkerchief to clean his wet hand. He stood up and walked over to my chest. "Help her up, Abbacchio." The two of them lifted me to my feet, careful not to hurt me.

I looked down at my body again. My limbs were normal and straight. There was no gaping whole in my torso. I was magically whole again. I wiped some of the tears off my face. What kind of superpowers did these people have?

I took control over my body again, trying to regain my balance. I smoothed out my clothing and adjusted myself. I took a deep breath in. "If you gentlemen would excuse me," I said without looking at the mafiosi, " I will return shortly." I promptly walked out the door and turned down the hall. I opened the lady's room door and headed to the sink.

I took a few haggard breaths. My body had stopped shaking but I was still trying to recover. I wasn't dead yet. I was still intact. I just needed to let my body calm down.

As far as interrogations go, that was very effective for how little he actually hurt me. How the hell did Buccellati open me up like that without actually cutting into me? Was this all some sort of fever dream? Or a nightmare?

I turned on the faucet and ran the water over my hands. I needed to gather myself. I splashed the cool water over my face. I glanced at the mirror as my face dripped. I looked like death. All the color had drained from my face, there were dark bags under my eyes. Even the muscles under my face didn't have enough energy to move properly. I grabbed a few paper towels and dried my face.

I was so tired. I didn't want to be here anymore, to deal with Buccellati anymore. I just wanted to sleep forever and let the world pass me by. Damn it all.

I gripped the edge of the sink. I had to go back in there. I had to face them one more time. I didn't have a choice. They had gotten what they wanted from me. I didn't know what other information they would attempt to get from me. I didn't know if I would want to give it to them. Besides, my bag was still in there.

I gave myself a few more adjustments in the mirror before walking out into the hall. I told myself to breathe, to stay calm. I forced myself to walk to my office door. I gripped the doorknob. I turned it and opened the door.

Abbacchio was sitting on top of my desk, one leg tucked under him while the other dangled off the side. Buccellati stood off to the side, involved intensy with the conversation with his companion. The chair that Abbacchio flipped over was still laying on its side. They did, however, pick up my office chair. The both of them looked at me as I opened the door.

"Are you alright, Miss (Y/N)?" Buccellati asked me, a concerned look on his face.

I closed the door behind me. "Well enough, at least." I looked up at him. "I am surprised you would even ask that."

He gave me a strange look. "I may be a mafioso, but I am not heartless."

"You could have fooled me."

Buccellati looked at me intensely. "You would do whatever necessary to protect what is important to you, am I right Miss (Y/N)?"

I thought for a moment. "I suppose so."

"So would I. In my business, people important to you end up dead if not protected."

I sighed. "I see your point, Mr. Buccellati." I walked over to my office chair. "My question is, who is important to you? Who is so close to you that you would torture and kill to protect?"

"Haven't you done enough digging as it is?" Abbacchio growled at me. He was always a little prone to bad moods, but I don't remember him being this bad.

I glared at him. "I answered you damn questions, you might as well answer mine."

Buccellati raised his hand. "She's right, Abbacchio. We owe her an explanation for what happened that day." He looked back to me. "Miss (Y/N), would you join us for lunch? I would be happy to answer any questions you have."

I gave him a confused look. "Why would you trust me? How do you know I won't just sell all the information you give me?"

"I agree," Abbacchio spoke up. "This is stupid, Buccellati. We have more pressing matters to attend to."

Buccellati looked back to me, a small smile on his face. "Something tells me that you can be trusted. But I will only answer you questions if you come with us."

I thought for a few moments. This could be a trap, certainly. But I didn't think so. Buccellati didn't seem like he had something up his sleeve. Free food also didn't sound so bad either. I leaned down and grabbed my bag.

"Lead the way."

Half an hour later, I was sitting in a restaurant. The very same restaurant I watched the day before. Sitting across from me was a very calm Buccellati and a not as calm Abbacchio. I scanned over the menu, trying to narrow down what I wanted to eat. It all sounded so good. After the waiter took our orders, he whisked away our menus, leaving the three of us to talk.

Buccellati folded his hands over his face. "So, what do you want to know?"

I thought for a moment. "Narancia Ghirga. Why is he on your team? I can understand Abbacchio. He has a lot of skills from his career as a police officer. He also has a lot of knowledge on how both criminals and police operate. Pannacotta Fugo is extremely intelligent, and can probably think his way around problems. Narancia has no particular skills or qualities that set him apart."

He took a breath in. "It is not a simple story. Fugo found him alone and broken on the street. He brought Narancia to me in the hopes that I could help feed him. He was also in bad shape and needed extensive medical treatment. I made sure he had a full recovery. I could tell as time went on he began to idolize me." He looked away for a minute. "This life I lead is not for most people. It can destroy you if you are not careful. I didn't want to drag Narancia into it. I sent him home to his father to continue his education."

I leaned forward, intrigued by the story he was crafting. "Then how did he become a mafioso?"

Buccellatti gave a momentary smirk. "He went behind my back. Went directly to Polpo for initiation. He requested to be under my command. I accepted." He took a sip of his water. "He might not look like much, but Narancia fights to the bitter end. He is deadly when he wants to be, and is extremely loyal. I could not ask for a better charge."

During the course of the meal, I asked many questions. I learned more about what had happened to Abbacchio, the hard choices he had to make. I learned about Fugo, the difficult life he led of study and high expectations. And I learned of Buccellati, his life of fending for himself and his father. Now, he fights for Napoli, doing what he can for the people.

While the stories were being told, I told mine. I had always wanted to make a difference here. There was this righteousness that always burned within me. But whenever I tried, someone or something always stopped me. The only correct way to get anything done in Napoli is the illegal way. So I stopped trying. I used my skills to support myself, maybe help where I could. But the more you dig up, the more you realize how evil people can be. The more it beats you down and takes hold of your soul.

By the time everything was said, we had finished eating and Buccellati was paying the bill. Once he had finished, he looked to me. "Would you wait for us outside, Miss (Y/N)? There is something I would like to discuss with Abbacchio."

I nodded. "Of course."

I wandered out the front door and leaned against the building. I watched the people pass by. One person in particular caught my eye. A teenage boy wearing an altered pink private school uniform. His blond hair braided down his back and his bangs intricately set. A strange sight indeed. But not the most extravagant person you would see in Napoli.

I saw Buccellati and Abbacchio walk out of the restaurant. I stood up and walked to them. "Before we part ways," Buccellati said to me, "I have one more question to ask you."

"Another one?" I joked.

He smiled for a moment. "Just one. What do you think of joining my team? With your skills, you would make a valuable asset. You already know Abbacchio, and the two of you would work well together."

"I am the last person who would want to join Passione," I said promptly.

He shook his head. "You would be a member of Passione, but you would be working for me." He looked intently at me. "You of all people would know how I run things. I am trying to make Napoli better for everyone. Would you join me in doing that?"

I avoided eye contact, trying to make sense of everything. Just earlier that day, we thought of each other as enemies. Now, he had seen something in me that compelled him to ask me to join his cause. And Abbacchio had agreed to this? He had been so antagonistic towards me.

I looked Buccellati directly in the eyes. "I would need to wrap up my assignments, or try to get out of them somehow. But, yes. I will join you, Mr. Buccellati."

He nodded. "Good. I was hoping that would be your answer. By the way, you don't have to call me 'Mr.' anymore. Bruno will do just fine"

I smiled up at him. "You don't have to call me 'Miss.' either. (Y/N) works just as well."

#jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo's bizarre adventure golden wind #golden wind #vento aureo #bruno buccellati #leone abbacchio #narancia ghirga #pannacotta fugo #jjba #jjba reader insert #jjba x reader #jjba fanfiction

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blazingopus · 3 years

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Diamonds and Pearls - Diamond is Unbreakable

I wrote this story for my sister, because she is really into Josuke. She read it and said that nothing much happens. It seems that I have much to learn when it comes to writing romance. Please enjoy.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2IFeTVorFps8gukz51x3CU?si=zntwgGbeRq-E6JpuBQeH9g

Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Doing that thing with your face when you are happy. It's making me nauseous."

The little town of Morioh. If you looked at it on a map, you would think that it was just a normal rural town in Japan. It's only when you step foot inside that you find out about its true nature. A town with secrets and strange occurrences around every corner. Not all of them bad, not all of them good. After a little while, you get a used to it. Morioh is my home, and the home of many other stand users.

One of these stand users is a friend of mine. His name is Higashikata Josuke. His mother and my mother were close friends for years. We knew each other before we were old enough to remember. We went to school together, we spent our summers together, our families celebrated holidays together. Many of the people who see us walking down the street together think we are brother and sister, or boyfriend and girlfriend. I don't know if we are either of those, but Josuke is very important to me. That's all I know.

Things got a little more strange than usual a couple weeks ago. It all started with this Kujo Jotaro wanting to talk to Josuke one day before school. He had some important information from Josuke's long lost father, who is also Jotaro's grandfather. Apparently, Josuke is Jotaro's uncle, even though Jotaro is at least ten years older. He also had warnings of a serial killer loose in Morioh. A very strange message, indeed.

And that is how our adventure began. Along the way, we picked up some new friends. Hirose Koichi can be a little timid and worrisome, but he has a good heart and will always try to do what's right. Nijimura Okuyasu may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but he will stick with you through thick and thin.

Koichi has some strange people that like to follow him around. He has a girlfriend named Yukako. She's crazy, but I can't tell if it is a good crazy or a bad crazy. Still, she seems very devoted to him and wants to see him happy. He also has a famous mangaka friend. You might have heard of Kishibe Rohan. He is the writer and author of one of the most popular mangas in all of Japan, Pink Dark Boy. He's also an asshole. Well, an asshole to everyone but Koichi. He seems to actually enjoy his company and is respectful towards him. Everyone else can go screw themselves, me included.

All this to say, we are a strange bunch. If this whole adventure with the stand bow and arrow hadn't happened, I don't think I would know all these people, and all the other people I have met around Morioh. Seriously, you need to go to Tonio's restaurant. He makes amazing food.

It was a Saturday, and I was heading to Josuke's house. He had bought a new videogame, and was really excited to show me how it played. I'm not very interested in video games, but I did it to make him happy. Just watching him get excited was enough for me. And I like being over at his house, his mom makes some good cookies.

I live a few doors down from him, so I walked over to his house and knocked on the door. A few seconds went by before he opened the door.

"Hey, how's it goin', (Y/N)?" he asked me with a smile. He was wearing his usual attire, hair neat as always.

I laughed a little. "Josuke, you just asked me that over the phone."

His eyes went wide for a moment, before giving a nervous chuckle and rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess I did, didn't I? Sorry about that, my mind has been all over the place."

"It's fine, Josuke. It doesn't hurt anyone. Now, didn't you say you had a new game to show me?" I dramatically held my chin and looked off into the distance.

"Yeah, come on in." He stepped out of the door with a grin on his face. I walked in and followed Josuke into the living room. In front of the tv, his console was hooked up and ready to play. Controllers snaking across the carpet. A few of his games were scattered around the floor, like he had been looking through them. Josuke sat down and patted the spot next to him.

After I sat down, he held out a controller. I stared at it before looking up at him.

He blinked. "It has a two player mode. Do you want to try it?"

I hesitantly took it from him. "Okay, but I don't think I will be very good. You know I don't really play video games."

He shrugged. "That's fine. I don't care how good you play, I just want to play with you." A slight blush came across his face.

Josuke turned on the console and the logo came up on screen. After a few seconds, it faded away and the start screen popped up. He went through the menu, selecting the game mode he wanted.

It was a spaceship shooter game. You moved your ship up and down the screen and shot at things as they floated in from the right side of the screen. Other ships came in and you had to avoid their laser missile things and stay alive. Josuke did his best to explain the controls, but I kept dying despite trying my hardest. He did most of the work getting through the levels. He was having a lot of fun with it, really getting competitive. He was taking out other ships, trying to get the best score.

It was when we got to the boss level, even he started to die. He concentrated more, getting really invested in the game. The only thing he could see was the collection of pixels on the screen. After a few rounds and a lot of hard work, we were able to finally defeat the boss.

"Yes!" Josuke pumped his fist in the air. "We did it, (Y/N)! We kicked that boss's butt!" He beamed at me.

I smiled back at him. "Yeah. You did great." I don't know how we did it, but I guess beating the first boss is a good thing.

He reached over and turned off the console. "You did pretty good too. Hey, I have an idea. Do you want to get ice cream to celebrate?"

'Uh, yeah." I didn't understand why we were celebrating playing a video game, but I will use any excuse to get ice cream.

Josuke stood up before reaching out a hand to help me off the floor. We walked out the front door and stepped onto the street. We began to find our way to downtown where our favorite ice cream shop is.

"Hey, um, (Y/N)?" He managed to say. "I want to talk to you about... Something important."

"What is it?" I asked looking up at him.

"Well, it's..."

"Hey, Josuke!" A familiar voice called out to us.

Across the street, Okuyasu and Koichi were on a walk of their own. Koichi was smiling at us, while Okuyasu was waving crazily at us. They crossed the street and came over to us.

"Hey guys. Koichi trotted over. "What are you doing today?"

Josuke shrugged. "Nothing much. Just heading to get some ice cream."

Okuyasu's eyes got really wide. "Whaaaaat? Ice cream? I love ice cream! Can we come along?"

"Yeah, that sounds great!" Koichi said with a smile.

Josuke didn't look so happy. "I would love to guys, but I was hoping I could spend the day with (Y/N). It's been a while since it's been the two us"

Okuyasu's smile turned into a sly grin. "Oh, I see. Are you and (Y/N) on a date or something?"

Josuke started to blush. "It's nothing like that. We just haven't spent as much time together as we used to."

Okuyasu nodded. "Uh huh. Whatever you say, Josuke."

Josuke clenched his fists. "What's that supposed to mean, huh?"

I grabbed Josuke's arm. "It's fine, Josuke. They can come with us to get ice cream if they want."

He sighed and relaxed a bit. "Fine, if you say so, (Y/N)."

"YES! WOO HOO!" Okuyasu yelled out.

Koichi looked up at me. "Thanks a lot, (Y/N). I appreciate it."

I smiled and nodded. "It's no problem. I like hanging out with you guys."

Together we set off to the ice cream parlor. Okuyasu was thinking out loud, trying to figure out what kind of ice cream he was going to get, and what kind of toppings he was going to put on it. Koichi was politely adding to the conversion. Josuke was oddly quiet. We seem sad and a little disheartened. I found it odd, because he usually likes going on adventures with these guys. What was so different about today?

We finally made our way to the ice cream parlor. There were many people outside, sitting on the metal furniture. One of those people was Kishibe Rohan. He was busy scribbling away with a notebook and pencil, taking quick glances at the shops across the street.

Koichi waved to him. "Hello Rohan-sensei. It's a nice day today, isn't it?"

He stopped sketching and looked up at us over his notebook. "Yes, I do believe it is." He glared at Josuke. "What are you doing here, Koichi?"

"We're getting ice cream," he replied excitedly. "What about you? What are you doing here Rohan-sensei?

He put his notebook and pencil down with a sigh." I was sketching some of the architecture around Morioh. While I am indeed one of the best artists in Japan, I like to keep my skills sharp. Drawing from life is important for an artist at any skill level."

"Wow, that's impressive." Koichi walked over to see Rohan's work.

"Yeah, real impressive," Josuke said with venom in his voice. "Let's get some ice cream already."

Koichi looked up from the notebook. "Oh, right. Sorry guys."

We walked in together. I ordered something I liked, while Koichi got vanilla ice cream with hot fudge and rainbow sprinkles. Okuyasu ordered a little bit of everything at the bar, and put every kind of topping on his ice cream. Josuke ordered, strangely, a chocolate malt milkshake. I don't think I have ever seen him order a malt. He likes banana splits. Was he really having an off day?

When we walked out to the patio, there was only one table available that would fit all four of us. It was next to Rohan, of course. Josuke sighed as we sat down.

"Please try to keep quiet," Rohan said without looking up from his drawing. "I'm working."

Okuyasu huffed. "We are not the only ones here, you know."

"I know," he said unfazed. "I told the other patrons the same thing. They are much more accommodating than you lot are."

Okuyasu growled and began to stand up. I glared at him. "Sit down and eat your ice cream. It will cool you down."

He reluctantly did what I said. "Ugh, he just gets on my nerves sometimes!"

"Believe me, I know." Josuke took a straw out of the dispenser in the middle of the table. He took the wrapper off and plunged into his malt.

Koichi took a bite of sprinkles and fudge. "C'mon, guys. He's not that bad."

"To you, maybe," I said with my mouth full. "But everyone else is a lower life form compared to his majesty and grace."

Rohan tilted his head over towards me. "I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about me if I wasn't here."

I glared right back at him. "Don't pretend you don't do the same thing to us all the time."

He sneered at me, but turned back to his work without another word.

I smirked. I got him that time.

Josuke gave me a small smile before taking a sip from his straw. I looked between him and his malt. "Josuke," I quietly asked, "I thought you liked banana splits. Why did you get a milkshake?"

He glanced up at me. "That's true, I do like those." He looked thoughtful. "But I do like a chocolate malt sometimes. But it's not just a normal milkshake. The malt makes the whole thing better."

"Huh," I thought out loud. "Can I try some?"

He blinked at me with wide eyes. "Yeah, sure." He grabbed another straw and put in the milkshake. He slid it over to me.

I caught it and I grabbed hold of my straw. I took a drink. The malt added a little something to the chocolate ice cream and milk blend. "Hm, not bad." I slid it back to him. "I see what you mean."

Josuke grabbed hold of the glass. "Right? I mean, I don't like to have it all the time. But it's good every so often."

Okuyasu looked at us with a sneaky glare. "So, are you guys going to drink at the same time all romantic and stuff?"

Josuke locked on to Okuyasu. "Would you just butt out, Okuyasu? You're not helping!"

He just shrugged. "I was just asking."

"Helping with what?" Koichi asked innocently.

Josuke whipped around. "It's... Just... It's nothing, Koichi. Don't worry about it."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "If you really want to, Josuke, I don't mind."

He looked at me and blushed a little. He seemed to be doing that a lot. "Don't feel like you have to, (Y/N)! It wasn't even my idea." He waved his hands in front of his face like he was trying to dismiss it.

I leaned over the table and took hold of the glass. I moved it to the center of the table. "I will if you do." I put my straw in my mouth, inviting him to do the same.

Okuyasu gave Josuke a little nudge with his elbow. After he gave him a nasky look, Josuke leaned over the table with me and grabbed hold of his straw. I giggle a little bit. This was so ridiculous, like this was in some cheesy romcom.

We both began to drink the milkshake. His face was so close to mine, I could look directly into his eyes. Our eyes met, and I started to giggle again. Josuke blushed some more. The glass was quickly emptying.

I pulled away and started laughing. Josuke also dropped his straw and sat in his seat again, a smile on his face.

"Yeah! Go Josuke!" Okuyasu announced and pulled him in for a side hug. Koichi gave a slow applause.

"Sorry Josuke," I said, feeling how warm my face was. "It just seemed so silly, I just couldn't stop myself. It was fun, though." A large smile was plastered on my face.

Josuke also broke out in a huge grin. "Yeah, kinda was." He gave out a chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Stop that." Rohan ordered from the other table, his eyes boring into Josuke.

Josuke leaned over so he could get a better look at him. "Stop what?"

Rohan narrowed his eyes and looked condescendingly at him "Doing that thing with your face when you are happy. It's making me nauseous."

Josuke pushed the chair out from under him. "That's it. I'm tired of this. CRAZY DIAMOND!"

"Heaven's Door!"

Both Josuke and Rohan were ready to attack, poised to beat the crap out of each other.

"Both of you, stop!" I ran out in between them, arms raised out to block them. Koichi quickly ran to my side, calling upon Echoes. "Now is not the time or the place to be doing this!" I yelled, looking back and forth between them. "Now settle down. You're already causing a scene."

Josuke looked around him, huffed, and then dismissed Crazy Diamond. "Alight, (Y/N), I'll do this for you." He turned and pointed at Rohan. "But next time, I'll beat the ever-loving shit out of you, Rohan"

Rohan smirked and grabbed his supplies. "You can certainly try, Josuke. I look forward to our next meeting." He walked away, leaving us to watch his stupid, sassy strides.

"Son of a bitch," Josuke muttered under his breath, his fist clenched so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

"Don't let him get to you, Josuke," I gave him a sympathetic look. "He's just trying to get you worked up."

He looked down at his feet. "Yeah, you're probably right." He looked back up at me and gave me a half-hearted smile. "Thanks."

I returned the smile. "Let's finish up our ice cream, okay?"

It was later in the afternoon. After a fun time with Okuyasu and Koichi, both went to their respective homes. They had responsibilities they had to attend to. It was just me and Josuke walking home together. It was bringing back old memories of all the time we had walked home together after school. We walked silently, letting the sounds of Morioh fill the space between us.

"Hey, um," Josuke said quietly. "I'm sorry about what happened today. I didn't mean for any of that Rohan stuff to happen." He paused for a moment and rubbed his neck. "I hope I didn't ruin it for you."

I shook my head. "No, not really. Rohan was the one causing trouble, not you. And nothing was ruined for me." I smiled at him "It's just another day in this crazy, noisy, bizarre town of ours."

He watched my face, looking for some sort of hidden emotion or answer. When he couldn't, he smiled back. "Well, I'm happy about that, at least."

We walked for a little bit longer, letting the silence get comfortable around us. A thought crept into my head as we traveled down the sidewalk.

"Josuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Didn't you say you had something important to ask me?"

"Um," He almost stopped walking. He was avoiding my gaze "Yeah, but it's not that important. Don't worry about it"

"If it wasn't important, you wouldn't need to ask me. Besides, you said yourself that it was important." I tried to get a good look at him. "What is it Josuke? You can ask me anything."

He stopped walking. "Well, I..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes again, and looked me dead in the eyes. He was going to get it out even if it killed him, I could tell.

"(Y/N), I like you a lot. I like like you a lot." He paused. "I've wanted to ask this for a long time. Would you be my girlfriend? Don't feel like you have to say yes, or anything, just because we're friends. But if you really want to..."

I took his hand in mine. "Yes, Josuke. I will be your girlfriend." I giggled a little, my cheeks getting warm. "I like like you too. And not just because we're friends."

He stood there stunned for a few moments. Then a huge smile spread across his face. "Really?"

I nodded, feeling really giddy inside.

He leaned in and scooped me into a hug. He lifted me off the ground, my feet dangling under me. I let myself melt into him, enjoying the love and warmth. We had given each other hugs before in the past, but this one was different. This one was special. I think we both could feel it.

When we finally pulled away, all we could do was look at each other and laugh to ourselves. "You know," Josuke mumbles a bit, "I kind of had this whole day planned out and everything." He chuckles a bit. " Guess I didn't need to go through all that, did I?"

I give him a smile. "No. I would have said yes, no matter how you asked me. Besides, you can't plan for anything in Morioh. At least one thing will throw off. your entire day."

"Yeah, I guess so."

I reached out and took his hand. He slid his fingers in between mine, and gave my hand a small squeeze. We walked the rest of the way like this, both blushing a bit. It felt a little like a dream, like this was never supposed to happen. But it did, and I couldn't be happier.

We walked until we were standing in front of his house. His was the first stop, while mine was a few more houses down. Josuke sighed and looked down at me. "Well, this is it."

"Yeah," I sighed back. I didn't want this to end. Like if I let go of Josuke's hand, the spell would break, and everything would be undone. The dream would end, and everything would go back to the way it was.

Josuke looked at me for a moment, looking unsure of himself. He took a deep breath and gathered his courage. He leaned in, and slowly kissed my cheek. When he pulled away, I could feel my face flare up and turn red. I looked at Josuke. His face was just as red as mine felt.

"Well," I managed to stutter out. "I'll see you later, Josuke."

"Yeah, you too (Y/N)."

Then we both turned away. All things considered, it was a pretty awesome day. And I couldn't wait to spend another one with my boyfriend, Higashikata Josuke.

#jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo's bizarre adventure diamond is unbreakable #diamond is unbreakable #josuke higashikata #josuke x reader #jjba #jjba oneshot #jjba x reader #jjba reader insert #jjba fanfiction

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blazingopus · 3 years

Text

Pull Me Under - Stardust Crusaders

When I set out to write this story, I did not intend for it to be so emotional. I guess that’s what you get when you take inspiration from a song about Hamlet. Please enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGRgAULYgWE

All that I feel is honor and spite

All I can do is to set it right

My alarm sounded, sending a shot of adrenaline through my body. Not a lot, just enough to wake me up. I reached over and shut the thing off. Pulling myself out of my futon, I crawled over to the sliding paper door. Pulling it open, the cool morning air rushed in and birds greeted me with song. Much longer, and the frost would start setting in. I would need my winter bedding before too long.

I stuck my head out of the room, trying to hear any movement or conversation in the compound. It was a large series of buildings grouped around a large garden, so knowing where people were was a bit hard. Still, it couldn't hurt to check. Especially with Joseph and Muhammed Avdol staying with us. Though, I think it would be pretty easy to find Joseph if I needed to. His normal speaking voice was louder than most, and he had a habit of yelling all the time.

I slowly stood up, trying to let my body figure out what it was doing. My joints don't like to work first thing in the morning. Once I worked the kinks out and my body was responsive, I went to the bathroom and got ready for school. I put on my required uniform. I missed the public school I went to in New York, where I could wear whatever I wanted. But then again, the teachers there didn't really care about their students. Where education was very lax in the States, schools were cutthroat in Japan. Everything depended on your grades and how you ranked. To be honest, I didn't know which one I preferred.

When I was done, I straightened up my room and headed outside. The buildings on the property were connected by a series of porches and bridges, all circling around the main garden. It was based on traditional Japanese architecture, and was intended to evoke the feeling of a sprawling castle. I wandered over a few buildings where the kitchen was set. I leaned against the doorway and looked inside.

Inside, Holly was busy with breakfast as she usually was. Today she was making a more American breakfast, as opposed to the traditional Japanese meals she enjoyed cooking. This was probably because her father was staying. She hummed to herself as she turned the food in the pan. I didn't see anyone else in the kitchen, either because they weren't awake or hadn't found their way in.

Holly noticed me, waving her spatula at me. "Good morning, (Y/N)!" She smiled wide at me. "Breakfast will be done in a minute."

I knelt at the low table. "Good morning. Anything going on today?"

"Just the usual," oil sizzled as she cooked. "I hope to catch up with my dad today. We talk on the phone all the time, but it's just not the same."

"I bet." My parents used to go on business trips all the time, so I could understand the sentiment. My father was a member of the Speedwagon Foundation, so he traveled a lot as a translator helping on different assignments. He was also a bit if an intermediary between Joseph and the Speedwagon Foundation. My mother also worked under him, though not in the Foundation. She helped the Joestar name become synonymous with real estate. To be honest, it was probably because of Joseph that they got together in the first place. Travel was important to their work, and the phone was my only link to them sometimes. But it was never as good as when they were home again.

"It feels like forever since I last saw him," she thought out loud. "How long has it been? It must have been a few years now..." She started counting on her fingers.

I looked down at my hands. I tried to keep the emotions under control. "Six. It's been six years."

"Yes! I remember now!" She scooped up the food and placed it on a platter. "Let's see, six years ago..." She placed the food on the table in front of me. "That was when he brought you in after the..." She stopped just before she finished the sentence.

"I told you, you don't have to avoid it around me," I did my best to keep my eyes from filling with tears. "That was the accident. The one my parents died in."

Holly was silent for a moment, taking in my expression. She knelt down in front of me and took my hands in hers. "Dad said that he and the Speedwagon Foundation would be investigating what happened. I'm sure he will have some information about their deaths."

I nodded, but I didn't really believe her. It was the same story she always told me. If there was any information to be found, it would have been found years ago. Yes, everything around their deaths had been very strange, but that all could have been crazy coincidence. Had I known that they would end up dead, would I have come with them? It was the first trip where I would be with the both of them, so I was so excited to go. But then again, I would have been left alone again in our home in New York City, for a very long time.

Holly looked deep into my eyes. "I know you miss them very much, (Y/N). I miss them too. I think about your mother every day." She squeezed my hands. "She was one of my closest friends."

"I know. I remember." This wasn't the first time she went down memory lane like this. I knew the story. But it didn't change the emotional weight her words had. I could feel the tears bubbling up.

She smiled, a hint of sadness behind her eyes. "When Dad brought you here, you were like a daughter to me from then on. I love you so much. I don't know what I would do without you, (Y/N)."

I closed my eyes, letting a few dears run down my cheeks. Damn, I thought that this stuff wouldn't affect me this bad once I got old enough. I felt arms reach around me, pulling me into a hug only a mother could give. I let the warm embrace envelop me, breathing in her signature perfume. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but it wasn't long enough. She released the hug, wiping the tears from my eyes before going back to her cooking. I did my best to clean myself up before anyone walked in. When I thought I finished, I grabbed some food Holly had placed on the table, letting the flavors wash over me.

It wasn't very long before Jotaro wordlessly stalked into the kitchen. He crossed the room and pulled out the toaster. Plopping in a few slices of bread, he pushed down on the lever in one long motion

"Good morning, Jotaro!" Holly sang as she flung her arms out to hug him. After she collided with him, he nudged her off with a few curses under his breath. "I made breakfast! Make sure you eat before you head off to school!" She collected herself and went back to what she was doing. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! You have to start the day off right!"

Jotaro grumbled as the toast popped up out of the toaster. He stuck a slice in his mouth and brought the rest over to sit next to me. He plopped down, munching. He didn't have a plate, of course. He didn't need a plate to eat toast. Plates were for plebeians.

"Hey." I said. He gave me a nod before taking another bite of toast. I didn't like to talk much when I was eating, and neither did he. I went back to my food.

I felt his eyes on me, longer than I was used to. I looked up from my breakfast to see him staring at me. "What's wrong with you? Are you okay?" He asked bluntly.

I blinked. Did I not wipe all the tears off my face? Were my eyes still red from crying? Whatever it was, I didn't feel like talking about it any more than I already had. "No, I'm fine," I croaked out between bites.

His eyes lingered on me with some suspicion. He knew me too well by this point, but he didn't push the subject. He took another chunk out of his toast, scowling a bit more than usual.

When we had finished eating, we gathered our things and got ready to leave for school. Jotaro and I met at the front of the complex as we usually did every morning. We were about to leave before we heard a voice call out behind us.

"Don't go yet!" Holly jogged up to us, still wearing her pink slippers. She stopped in front of Jotaro as he turned around, "You forgot your goodbye kisses!" She leaned forward, up on the tips of her toes to reach him. She was still a few inches too short.

"You're such a bitch," Jotaro shoved her off. "Stop treating me like I'm still a little kid." He walked away without looking back.

"Okay!" She called to him with her usual cheeriness, a big smile on her face.

I looked back at Holly and shook my head. "He'll grow out of it," I whispered so Jotaro couldn't hear. " I'm sure this is just a phase. He used to adore you when he was younger."

"I know," she sighed, gazing at him with nostalgia in her eyes. "He's still the same boy that wanted me to watch him score his goals, and begged me to make him the same dinner every night."

I leaned in, giving her a brief hug. The scent of her perfume filled my senses. "Just be patient with him. He'll come around eventually."

"You're right," she said into my ear. She kissed my forehead and pulled away. "Watch him for me, okay? With all the trouble he gets into, I worry about him. "

I nodded with a smile. "I always do, Holly." I turned and ran to catch up with Jotaro. He didn't acknowledge me when I matched his long strides.

We walked the usual route to school, letting the comfortable silence surround us. It was how we liked it. That was how it stayed, until...

"Jojo?"

"Is that Jojo?"

"Hey, Jojo!"

"Jojo!"

"Over here, Jojo!"

The fangirls. They annoyed the hell out of the both of us. These girls saw Jotaro as prey, a way to gain status by taking the badass as a boyfriend. Once they figured out that I was just a "sibling," and not a girlfriend like they assumed, they started using every dirty trick to get his attention and affection. Jokes on them. Because of the number of girls fawning over him, there was immense competition. Fighting could turn violent at times. But they usually distracted each other, so we didn't have to intervene much.

A dark haired girl latched onto Jotaro's arm, butting in between us. I tried my best not to get aggravated as she nudged me aside. "So Jojo, where have you been?" Her voice sickeningly sweet. He ignored her and kept walking. "You've been out of school for four days! What happened?"

His only response was a cold glare, a warning to her. Despite his cold and menacing demeanor, all it did was make her blush and stare wistfully into his eyes. I scoffed a bit. She was probably more in love with the fantasy of him than the actual Jotaro. In order to do that, you would have to get to know him, and that was something these girls would never do. If they did, they would find out that he was a human, not the brooding god they were hoping for.

Another fangirl elbowed the brunette away from his arm. "How dare you!" she accused, her red hair vibrant in the morning sun. The only thing appealing about her, really. "I don't like how friendly you are getting with him."

I closed the gap between Jotaro and me. I wouldn't call their actions "friendly." They were much too aggressive, too selfish. The two girls chattered behind us, slinging insults at each other with increasing intensity.

I gave Jotaro a questioning look, asking him if he was still alright in one expression. He responded with an aggravated look. Not an uncommon thing with him. But I could tell these girls were getting to him. I looped my arm around his, partly to reassure him, partly to keep anyone else from getting to him.

Behind us, the two angry fangirls were becoming louder and more agitating. Their bickering reaching a terrible crescendo, voices hitting higher and higher notes. I was about to say something spiteful and bitchy, when I felt Jotaro twist around suddenly.

"Shut up!" He shouted. "You're so fucking annoying!" This wasn't his breaking point, but I knew this was his last warning to them. I turned and shot them a glare, trying to add to the aggressive message. It wasn't long before they were swooning again, faces flushed and letting out sighs. I shook my head and focused on walking.

The girls continued to walk behind us, a little farther behind and little more quiet. We continued our walk with the entourage trailing behind. We came to a long set of stairs, the divider between the suburbs and the main city itself, the tall skyscrapers framing the morning sky. We passed under the tall red gate and descended the stairs. Branches passed by as we took step after step, brushing against my arms and legs.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a fountain of blood splash across the stone. I felt Jotaro push me away, and I watched as he began the long fall down the stairs. I shouted his name, trying to pick myself up. I heard the girls behind me panic and scream.

This couldn't be happening. It all came out of nowhere, everything changing so fast. It seemed like a nightmare. Whether it was or not, I had to do something. I stumbled to my feet and tried to summon my stand, thinking desperately to figure out a way to stop his fall.

Jotaro must have had the same idea, because he summoned his own stand and used him to grab a hold of some of the branches passing by. They bent and warped, slowing his descent until he rested at the bottom of the hill. I stopped what I was doing. I grabbed our bags and went down the stairs as fast as I could without falling myself.

I met him at the bottom of the hill, letting out a sigh when I saw he was alive. His face was white, his breaths ragged gasps for air. He stood up and brushed the leaves and sticks off his clothes. He looked around like he was trying my figure something out.

"What happened?" I quietly asked. There was a long gash in his knee, blood oozing down his skin and seeping into the fabric of his pants. I reached into my bag, looking for a handkerchief. I thought I had one, but I guess I was wrong.

He shook his head. "I don't know. Something's not right," he said in a low voice, almost as if he was afraid someone would hear him.

"Jojo!" The gaggle of girls finally made their way to the bottom of the stairs. They circled us, asking all sorts of questions. Some were trying to get closer to Jotaro, offering to hold his hand to prevent any more accidents. He ignored them and looked through his coat, looking for something to tend his wound with.

I felt eyes on me, dark and devious eyes. I looked around me. Descending the stairs was a student around our age. His uniform didn't match our school's standard, being green instead of blue. His hair was bright red, almost unnaturally so. A white scarf wrapped around his frame like bandages for the dead. He was almost as tall as Jotaro, and his face was cold and stony. He stopped in front of us, reaching into his pocket and to bring out a square of cloth.

"You seem to be injured," he said, quiet and monotone. His eyes were dangerous and empty at the same time. "Use this. It will stop the bleeding."

"Thanks," Jotaro took the handkerchief. His eyes were narrowed with suspicion.

"And you," the stranger turned to me. Everything about him seemed so off, like he wasn't human. His voice sent a shiver down my spine. "It looks like you scraped your elbow." He pointed at my left arm.

I looked down at my elbow. The outer layer of my skin had been shredded, letting blood seep out between the little that remained. Now that I was looking at it, it instantly started to hurt. It must have happened when Jotaro pushed me away.

"It would be a shame if your wound got infected," he turned slowly and robotically, walking away with a strange stride.

"Hold it,"Jotaro called out. "You didn't let me thank you. What's your name?"

The stranger stopped, swiveling a bit. "My name is Noriaki Kakyoin."

"You don't look like you are from around here," I spoke before he could get away. "You're not wearing the proper uniform if you were a student."

"I'm a transfer student. I moved here two days ago." He lurched forward again. "See you around." He walked away without saying another word. Jotaro and I stood there for a few moments, trying to figure out what had just happened.

After a while, we finally made it to school. The girls said their goodbyes and wandered off to wherever they needed to go. When they had all left, I looked at Jotaro. His cut was still oozing. It might even need stitches. His injury was worse than he was letting on.

"Let's head to the nurse's office," I said quietly. "Your leg's still bleeding, and I need a bandage for my elbow." He gave me a slight nod, quiet as always. I walked off, leading the way.

We walked through the halls of the school, finding our way to the door with the white cross decal in the window. I swung it open, letting Jotaro stalk in after me. The nurse noticed us as she chatted with two other students laying cots across from her. She turned to us with her perfectly practiced smile.

"Jotaro, (Y/N). What a surprise," she let a bit of sarcasm slip in. The boys she was talking to had confused looks on their faces. "What can I do for you two, so early in the morning?"

I let the door close. "We had a bit of an accident. Can you patch us up?"

"Accident?" One of the boys spoke up. "Most of your accidents send people to the hospital." A smirk etched itself into his face. The other boy chuckled.

The nurse waved him into silence. "What kind of injuries do you have?"

I showed my elbow. "I only need a bandage." I motioned to Jotaro. "He needs more attention then I do. He's been bleeding pretty badly for a while now."

She looked between us. She reached into a drawer, pulling out the appropriate sized bandage. She walked over and carefully placed it on my injury. "You should be alright, it doesn't look that bad." She turned to Jotaro and gestured to a chair. "You will have to take a seat. I'll need a better look at your leg."

Jotaro silently did as he was told, leaning a little too far back into the chair. The nurse looked back at me. "If you don't have any other issues, you had better head to class. I don't want you creating any more trouble for yourself." She gave me a smile before heading back to work.

"Don't get your hopes up, lady," the other boy mused from his cot.

I glanced over at Jotaro. "I'll see you later, then." He gave me a slight nod. I turned and walked out of the door.

I stood outside the office, wondering what I was going to do next. I had a backlog of schoolwork to get caught up on. Holly pulled me out of school when Jotaro decided to not leave jail. Family emergency, I guess. To be honest, I was getting tired of school, and I didn't want to deal with it all today. Thing was, Japanese schools don't like it when people are up moving around, or in places they deem are off limits to students. What to do...

Well, I had packed a few snacks this morning. The roof was off limits, but if I was sneaky about it, I could hang out up there for a while. A nap would be nice as well. It was a nice place to waste time. I made up my mind and headed to the set of stairs leading to the roof. The door to the roof was always kept locked, but I had a way to get it open.

I snuck up the stairs. I had to work fast if I didn't want to be seen. When I reached the top, I pressed my hand against the door. I felt my stand materialize behind me. It reached forward with thin, needlelike fingers. They slid into the gears of the lock, pressing and pulling on the mechanisms. With a few expert motions, the lock gave a small click. I tugged on the knob and felt the door slowly swing open.

I stepped into the bright sunlight beaming down from above. I quietly let the door click shut, the lock resetting. I looked over the rooftop, trying to find a place where I couldn't be seen but still sit in the sun. After a bit of searching, I found a place that would work. I tried to make myself comfortable and brought out my snacks.

I chuckled to myself a bit. Japanese culture would say this was delinquent behavior. American culture would say that I was just being a normal mischievous teenager. Whatever it was I was doing, it felt kind of good. I opened a bag and took out one of my favorite foods. As I looked over the edge of the building I started munching a bit, watching the birds as they came and went.

I felt a rumble from the building under me. My first thought was earthquake. They happened often enough here. Thing was, this didn't feel like an earthquake. The trees didn't move much around me. Something had happened from within the building. God, I hope Jotaro wasn't getting into more trouble. But then again, there could be utility issues going on. Pipes bursting or the furnace giving out.

I started to pick up my things. Whatever it was, I needed to get off the roof. It would be a long fall if the building should collapse, even if it was just part of the structure. Getting caught was also not fun. Where would I hide after this? There aren't many places in the school where teachers didn't search regularly for misbehaving students.

I felt a few smaller quakes under me. Panic started to set in. I rounded up the rest of my stuff and ran to the door. My stand manifested, beginning its work on the lock. Damn it, why did it take so much longer to unlock something when you don't have any time? It fumbled around more than it should have, making silly mistakes.

The building started shaking again, more violent this time. It continued to gain energy, so much so that my stand couldn't keep hold of the lock. Suddenly, I heard the windows shatter and implode. Shards rained down to the ground and clattered against the concrete. The walls and floor began to crack. I watched as parts of the roof began to sink, small parts crumbling to the rooms below.

I took a moment to take a deep breath. I had to get out of here, and quickly. I couldn't do that if I was panicking. I looked at the door in front of me. The quake had caused the wall to warp and crack. Some fairly large ones ran around the door. I had to be careful about this. The wall could fall over any time if I was too reckless.

My stand inserted its fingers into the mechanism again, this time very slow and deliberate with its actions. Every movement felt like a dance with death. After a very tenses few second and a few more clicks of the lock, the door swung open with little effort.

With a little smile I called off my stand. So far, so good. I pushed open the door before it closed again and locked itself. Cautiously, I tiptoed into the foyer. The bells were ringing in alarm throughout the entire school. The walls were crumbling. All the windows had been shattered.

I should have been paying more attention. I had let go of the door, letting sling close like I would normally do. It was the force that caused the wall to give out. I heard the crumbling and the moaning. I whipped around to see it looming over me, beginning its slow descent to crush me. Panic set in, and I threw myself out of the way. The wall crashed and broke apart as it hit the floor. Debris hit me in the arms and torso. Dust filled the air and began to settle on my hair and clothes.

I took a moment to breathe. Had I been a second too slow, I would have been crushed. Another close brushed with death. I looked around. The wall had made a lot of noise, and it could have alerted someone. A few minutes passed by, and no one came wandering by. Somewhat relieved, I picked myself off the floor.

I carefully wandered down the stairs. If the wall could give out, the staircase definitely could. I needed to head to the first floor where the nurse's office was situated. After I found Jotaro, it would be best to get out of the school. Teachers would naturally be suspicious of us. Besides, the whole place was a death trap now.

I successfully made my way down two stories without the building collapse around me further. I hopped off the last step and rounded the corner, creeping down the hall. The bells had started to cause ringing in my ears. I had to avoid teachers and other students. I didn't want any more trouble. I made my way to the nurse's office, swinging open a door sitting on its last hinges.

The inside of that room had the worst damage in the whole school. Entire walls had been ripped out, the ceiling was falling to pieces. The windows had been blasted out, and the equipment and furniture had been rendered unrecognizable. I took a step inside and took a look around, searching for any sign of Jotaro.

In a corner of the room, the nurse was lying unconscious. Her blouse had been ripped open and her blood pooled around her. I carefully walked over to her, looking her over. Her wounds seemed superficial. If I didn't know any better, I would say that she might have been sexually assaulted. But things had been too strange around here to give any definitive answers. I didn't have the strength to move her, and I could hurt her just as much as I could help. It would be best just to leaver her.

I stood up and looked around. A figure moving around outside caught my eye. I moved to the empty windows to get a better look. Jotaro was walking to the front gate, a body slung over his shoulder. What the hell was he up to? Did he kill someone? I had to get to him. But I couldn't walk out the front door. I managed to hop though the window without cutting myself on the glass. I hit the ground and ran over to him.

"Jotaro, wait!" I huffed, pounding against the pavement. He gave me a slight look. It was all he could do and not lose the body on his shoulder. I slowed down to match his stride. "What happened? And who is that?" I gasped out.

He didn't say anything for a few moments. "He tried to kill me."

"What?"

He didn't speak again. "He attacked me in the nurse's office. The coward used the nurse against me, using her as some sort of puppet. I put an end to it."

I looked over the body. It was the transfer student we had run into before. Had he been the source of Jotaro's accident? I glanced back up to him. "Did you kill him?"

He shook his head.

I sighed. "Okay, so what are we doing with him?"

"I'm going to show him to the old man. He might know something about him. He might have something to do with DIO."

I took a few moments to think over what he said. "Alright. I'm coming along too. I can't let you have all the fun."

We arrived home soon after. Jotaro shifted the limp body on his shoulder and we entered the front building. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath. "This place is too big."

I instantly understood what he meant. "I'll go look for Joseph. You hang tight until I come get you, okay?" He paused a moment, but gave a reluctant nod.

I walked throughout the compound, opening doors to rooms they might be in. They had to be somewhere. I passed over bridges and slid open doors. It wasn't long before even I was getting irritated.

As I was opening another door, I heard conversation a little bit down. That is to say, I heard Joseph's booming voice. Unless he was crazy, he was talking to someone. Probably Avdol. I walked down a few doors and opened the one into the tea room.

As I slid the door open to find Joseph and Advol sitting on the floor, sipping on some hot drinks and deep in discussion. When they saw me in the doorway, they stopped and looked at me quizzically.

"(Y/N)," Joseph looked up at me. "What's going on? I thought you were at school."

"I was," I looked around to see if I could find Jotaro."But something came up. You're going to want to see this."

I popped my head out the door an glimpsed Jotaro. He was talking with his mother, doing what they normally do. I waved him down. He saw me and came over, Kakyion still bleeding over his shoulder.

"See what?" Joseph asked. He put away his tea set, which he was using for his disusting instant coffee. "What happened to you? Why are you covered in dust?"

Jotaro appeared in the doorway beside me. Joseph and Avdol took in the sight of us both. Me covered in plaster and rubble, Jotaro drenched in his own blood and the blood of our mysterious transfer student. He walked in and laid Kakyoin out on the floor in front of them.

"Do you know him?" Jotaro asked. "He tried to kill me." He then gave the abridged version of what happened in the nurse's office. I walked in and stood beside him as he talked.

Joseph thought it over, stroking his beard. "I hate to say this, but there's no chance he's making it out alive. He has a few days to live, at most."

"What do you mean?" I piped up. "Jotaro might have beat him senseless, but that couldn't be enough to kill him!"

"It's not Jotaro's fault." He leaned forward and pulled back Kakyoin's bangs. "Look!"

In the center of his forehead, just along the hairline, a thing that looked like a pimple with legs pulsated and moved. This wasn't regular teenage acne. This was something evil.

"What is that thing?" Jotaro asked with disgust. "Is that what made him swear allegiance to DIO?"

"Yes," Avdol said calmly. "It's called a flesh bud. It is constructed from DIO's cells. It may be small, but it has the power to control the mind of it's victim."

"CHARISMA!" Joseph announced with passion and fury. "DIO wields the same power that leads soldiers into battle, and believers to follow corrupt cult leaders! Kakyoin is only one of his lackeys! There will be many more, and they will not stop until we all are dead!"

"Then just remove the bud," Jotaro said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Joseph shook his head, his voice serious again. "That won't work. Removing it could cause severe injury to his brain. He would be subject to a fate worse than death. In the end, the bud always consumes the brain totally and completely."

During the conversation, the gears in my head had been turning and grinding. It was a bit of a long shot, but if Jotaro was set on saving Kakyoin's life, we didn't have much of a choice. "What if..." I said slowly, "I used my stand to separate the bud from his brain?"

"You never mentioned you had a stand," Avdol replied in his low voice.

I stood there a bit awkwardly. "I... never felt the need to bring it up. It's not very strong, and it doesn't seem very capable of fighting. It's very useful though. I think I'll be able to separate it from his brain, but my stand won't have the strength to remove it completely."

Jotaro summoned his stand. "That won't be a problem." His stern eyes bored into mine. "Get the damn thing loose, and I'll take care of the rest."

I nodded and summoned my own stand. I knelt on the floor, situated just above Kakyoin's head. Jotaro did the same on the opposite side. I reached out and held Kakyoin's head between my hands to keep him steady, with Jotaro mirroring my actions. Then, my stand reached out with its long fingers, sliding them between the flesh bud and the hard bone of his skull. They felt deeper and deeper, carefully feeling around the pulsing parasite. It slowly pulled the deep root of the bud away from the soft tissues of his brain. The stand's fingers plunged deeper, until there was no more root left to find.

"I think I got it," I said, the stress coming through in my voice. My stand held its fingers in place, waiting for the next part. "You'll have to finish it out, Jotaro."

He nodded. His stand reached out and grabbed the external part of the bud. The tension hung in the air, breathing it in as we tried to remain calm. The stand pulled the pulsing bud, exposing the root beneath. The legs began to slide out of the wounds they created.

One leg shot away from the bud. It hit Jotaro in the hand, writhing under the skin and working it way up his arm. I gasped as another dislodged itself and collided with my wrist. I could feel it sink under my skin, sliding over the muscle up my arm. Joseph and Avdol exclaimed beside me. As much as I wanted to panic and yank it out, it would kill Kakyoin. Any mistake would be lethal. I just had to trust Jotaro would succeed.

Kakyoin's eyes flashed open. They roamed over our faces and the stands as they worked.

"W-Why?" He managed to get out. "Why would you do this?"

"Don't move," I commanded. "This will all be over in a minute" Yeah, one way or another.

Jotaro's stand was still struggling against the flesh bud. I could feel the tentacle slide under the skin in my neck and into my face. I looked up to see the one in Jotaro had almost reached his forehead. I had to stay steady. I took a breath in to calm myself.

With one final pull, the bud was pulled free. Jotaro's stand took hold of the tentacles that had wormed into our bodies and pulled them out with a slurping sound. He launched the bud into the air.

"Overdrive!" Blinding yellow light erupted from Joseph's hand. With one swipe, the bud shrivelled and withered away. It left nothing but dust and the memory of the horrible thing. I didn't think his stand could do something like that.

I sat back and let my stand dematerialize. I rubbed the wound on my wrist. It was oozing blood down my hand. I hadn't expected the bud to fight back like that. I let out a ragged breath. I slowly stood up and walked to the door to breathe in some fresh air. I could feel Jotaro make his way beside me.

Kakyoin slowly sat up and rubbed his forehead. Blood was running from the hole drilled into his brain. I could tell he was a little out of it still. How much was in control the past few days? How aware was he of his own actions? His blurry eyes made their way over to us.

"Tell me..." He wracked his brain for the right words. "Why did you save my life? After all that I've done..."

Jotaro walked past me, stepping onto the porch. He let the sun hit his face. "I don't really know." He said curtly.

I shook my head. 'Because you're a good person,' I thought to myself. Whether he realized it or not, under that sulky and angsty exterior was a heart of gold. He deeply cared about people. I think he had a problem showing it.

Holly rounded the corner, a bowl of medical supplies in her hands. She was basically a nurse at this point. There were so many times she had to patch us up after fights or scrapes or accidents. She knelt down in front of Kakyoin and began work on cleaning him up. We quickly filled her in on what happened to get him into such a state.

When she had finished and had him bandaged up, she sat back in satisfaction. "There," she nodded to herself with a smile. "All done."

Kakyoin looked at his hands, avoiding eye contact with anyone. "Thank you. For everything," he said quietly, almost too low to hear. This whole ordeal must have been hard on him.

"From what it sounds like, you've had a very eventful day. You better stay here and rest up for a while." She turned to Joseph. "Papa, get a futon ready for him," she ordered

"Huh?" He looked at her with a confused look. "Why do I have to? I don't like sleeping on the damn floor anyway." He crossed his arms and looked pouty. "In fact, get that stupid thing out of my room and replace it with a real bed!"

"No way," Holly replied stubbornly. "You are in Japan now. And in Japan, we sleep on the floor."

This was going to go on for a while. It would probably be best to attend to the patient. I knelt down next to Kakyoin. "Do you have any family you need me to call? I'm sure they will worry about you."

He looked at me with a stunned expression. I could see the hesitation behind his eyes. "Yes, here." He took a pen from his pocket and looked for something to write on. He settled on a piece of bandage. He scribbled a number down and bashfully handed it to me. I gave him a smile and stood up.

"Holly's a beautiful name! I gave it to you MYSELF!" Joseph yelled, being much too loud for such a small room.

I walked out the door, passing Jotaro. "Yare, Yare..." he muttered before following me. He wandered his way back to his room, while I made my way to the nearest telephone. The sounds of argument followed me as I travelled around the compound.

I stepped inside the kitchen and picked up the receiver off the mounted base. I held up the bandage to get a good look at the number. The ink had bled some, almost obscuring the digits. I dialed the number into the phone.

As I listened to the phone try to connect, I thought to myself. I would have to use a different name to not confuse Kakyoin's family. An American name would only tip them off. Someone picked up the phone of the other end.

"Yes, Hello. My name is (Y/N) Kujo...

"HOLLY!"

I woke up to his sleepy, rambly yelling as he paced up and up the compound. I had planned on sleeping in. It seemed Joseph had other ideas.

"You gave me Jotaro's pants! Where the hell are mine?"

I sighed. Flipping the covers off me, I pulled myself out of bed. We had decided that it was too risky to go back to school. It was the perfect place for ambush, as yesterday proved. I dragged myself into the bathroom and brushed my teeth. Jotaro was going, but I think that was just to get away from all the craziness at home. It was getting to be a little too much. Can't say I blamed him. If anyone could deal with idiots and enemies, it would be him.

"No! My daughter has one name! HOLLY!" Joseph's voice echoes across the compound.

I stood in front of my closet, trying to figure out what I was going to wear. I was tired of the school uniforms. I looked around for something more casual. When I finally found something, I slipped it on and headed outside. Holly would probably be done with breakfast by now. It would be nice to eat next to the pond this morning.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Joseph's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. This wasn't what he usually sounded like. His voice was full of sadness and despair. It sent shivers down my spine. Something terrible must have happened for him to be like this. I ran across the compound toward the source of the cry.

I came to a halt in front of the kitchen. Intense conversation was happening between Joseph and Jotaro.

"We have to find DIO!" Joseph was saying. I had never heard him sound like this. "The only way to break this curse is to find him, and kill him!"

What?

I stepped into the kitchen. I felt my stomach tighten, my throat close. Before me, Joseph and Jotaro seemed to be at each other's throats. Behind them, Avdol was kneeling on the floor, cradling Holly's body. She was sweating from fever, her breaths coming short and haggard. Strange vines were starting to wrap around her.

I looked between everyone, not knowing who to ask. "What happened? What's wrong with her?"

No one said anything. After a while, Advol was the one who spoke up. Everything about him was serious and level headed. "Her stand is making her ill. It's too powerful even for her. If we don't find a way to stop it, she will die."

My blood went cold, then began to boil. No, not again. It can't happen again. I grabbed a hold of the doorframe to steady myself. This can't happen. I won't let this happen.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I glanced up to see Joseph towering over me. His face was etched with concern. "(Y/N), go get her bed ready, and something comfortable for her to change into. We need to move her out of here."

I gave a small nod. I walked towards her bedroom, feeling like the world was spinning around me. It felt like anger was taking hold in my heart as I got her futon ready and picked out her favorite nightgown. I watched in silence as Holly was carried in. After everything was settled, I broke away from the little group. Anger was causing me to shake a bit, and I didn't like it when people saw me out of control. I walked away as Joseph started to bring in a collection of cameras.

There was a little alcove of trees that sat right next to the water. It was easily accessible, while staying somewhat hidden. It was perfect for times like this. I sat myself down on the soft ground. I let the sounds of the bamboo fountain and the birds ease me. I folded my legs under me. I glared into the water below. Despite my best efforts, emotions started to bubble up from the depths of my soul. Emotions I hadn't felt in a long time. Emotions I didn't dare deal with, scared of what would happen if I did.

I don't know how much time had passed when I heard footsteps coming my way. I continued to stare into the water, pretending like I didn't hear them. Maybe they would go away if I didn't make myself known. I not ready to give up being upset.

I was extremely annoyed when Joseph meandered into my grove. "There you are. Jotaro said you might be here."

'Lovely,' I thought to myself. Of course, I couldn't be alone with these people.

He sat down next to me, hitting the ground with a groan. He rubbed the small in his back. "Sitting on the ground so much is starting to take its toll on my old body. I don't understand how the Japanese can do this all the time."

I didn't look at him, not really wanting to acknowledge him. "Did you find anything with Hermit Purple?" I spat out, very monotone.

He thought for a moment, pulling on his gloves. "We might be able to narrow down where DIO is. Jotaro was able to use his stand to draw a fly that was in one of the photos. Avdol is researching right now in the library. He thinks he can pinpoint where DIO is hinding. We're just waiting for him to get back to us."

"Oh," I muttered. I wasn't wanting to contribute to the conversation much, and I wanted Joseph to go away.

I could feel his eyes on me. "Are you okay, (Y/N)? You seem to be taking this pretty hard."

I could feel anger rise up inside me again. I turned my head with a dramatic glare. "So is everyone else. That tends to happen when people have a dying relative, right?" I let the attitude come forth.

His brows furrowed immediately. "Don't get testy with me, (Y/N). I'm trying to help you here."

"I don't want you to help me!" I snapped back. "Just leave me alone."

Joseph sighed and rubbed his neck. "I'm only doing this because I care about you. You're not acting like normal."

"Like you would know how I act normally."

"I've know you since the day you were born. I watched you grow up. I think I know you pretty well."

I shook my head. I didn't want this. I was so upset. All I wanted was to find DIO and end him. Make him suffer as I have suffered. Grind him to dust. Bring his head back on a pike and show it to Holly when she woke up. Let her go back to living like she did before. My heart ached, but my body was consumed with hatred.

I felt Joseph's hand on my shoulder. I reluctantly met his gaze. "(Y/N), every one of us is determined to save her. I promise you, we'll kill DIO and bring Holly back to normal. You'll see."

I felt the world spinning without me. Something forced its way to the surface, something I had never known before. "You make a lot of promises," the words formed slowly and concisely. My mouth moved on its own. "But you never seem to go through with them. You promised you would find out what killed my parents." I felt control slipping. "It's been six years! SIX. YEARS. You haven't told me anything in all that time! My mother was your best employee! She was your daughter's best friend! My father was your intermediary to the Speedwagon Foundation. I'd think you would owe them more than that."

Joseph's shoulders sank. "I know, and I'm sorry. I was going to tell you everything and give you some sort of closure. The thing is, the more I dug into it, the more I found it was more complicated than I first thought." His eyes pleaded with me. "I didn't tell you anything to keep you safe. You parents were involved in some dangerous things. Things the Speedwagon Foundation keep very secret. If I told you, well. I didn't know what would happen."

I clenched my fists. I could feel myself begin to shake again. "Do you even know how it feels? To lose your parents, and not know what happened to them? How could you do this to me?"

His voice was soft. "Let me tell you a little story about myself." He adjusted himself on the gound. "I didn't know who my parents were until I was eighteen. I was raised by my Granny Erina and my Uncle Speedwagon. I didn't even recognize my mother when I finally met her."

I sat in silence, not knowing what to say or do. Joseph hesitated, like he didn't know how to say what he wanted to say.

"She knew the entire time, of course. She was the one who ended up training me and helped me defeat the Pillar Men. It wasn't until after she thought I had died that she told me what happened." He took a deep breath. "My father had been killed by one of DIO's zombies, left over from his battle with my grandfather Jonathan. She was scared for us both. She gave me to Granny Erina to take care of, then she went into hiding. She focused on her Hamon, so that something so terrible would never happen again. The entire time, no one told me anything."

I let his words sink in. He hadn't told me this before. Of all his grandiose stories of crashing planes, fighting ancient vampires, intense training with his friend Caesar, finding his wife Suzie Q in Italy, he had never mentioned any of that. Was it too painful? Or did it just not come up? Whatever had possessed me started to die down, leaving an empty feeling.

"I'm sorry, I... You never told me. I'm just so worked up. Holly..." I couldn't control myself. Tears started sliding down my face. "You guys are all I have left. I can't... I can't..."

The overwhelming concoction of emotions overtook me. The tears came so fast and so strong. Joseph pulled me into a hug, letting me sob into his chest. He rocked me back and forth. He stroked my head with his human hand. It was the first time in a long time that I had been so vulnerable. I clung to his shirt as I bawled and bawled.

When my tears had run dry, he pulled me away so he could get a good look at my face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. "Here," he handed it to me.

I took it and began to clean my face. It was so wet, with what I could not tell. I didn't think I would get so emotional. This wasn't usually like me.

Joseph looked off in the distance like he was watching for something. "I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you, (Y/N). When all this is over, I'll get that information about your parents for you. Does that sound okay?" He waited for my answer.

I gave a small nod, handkerchief still pressed against my face. I looked down at his shirt. It was wet with all the tears I had shed.

He gave me a small smile. He slowly stood up with a groan. "I had better go see what Avdol's found anything. When you're ready, I think it would be a good idea for you to meet back with us. I think Jotaro has been worrying about you." After another nod from me, he quietly strolled away.

I sat next to the water, letting the last few tears slide down my face. I had never intended to get so emotional. I had hoped to drive him away so I could continue to languish in my emotions. I... Never thought he would end up telling me something like that.

I rubbed my face. Why had I gotten so upset in the first place? Why did I have to go digging up old hurt to use against Joseph? My past made me upset, for sure. But usually not that much. I had attacked him for something he had no control over. But then again, I didn't know that. I just... I don't think I was as at peace with myself as I had once thought. I didn't do any of the healing that was required to lay it to rest.

Did I still feel so angry and feel compelled to hunt down DIO? Yes, definitely. I would do whatever it took to make sure Holly was safe. I'll trade seven lives for one if I had to. Maybe more. The difference was, it didn't feel like it was consuming me. All I really felt was honor. Honor and spite.

I didn't know what had come over me before. Love? Hate? Fear? I couldn't tell. I didn't want to lose Holly. She was like a mother to me. Not that she could replace my own mother. But she had come into my life in a vulnerable time in my life. She had become important to me. Life wouldn't be the same without her.

I stood up and began walking back to Holly's room. I should check on her. I never got a good handle on her condition. The guys also probably made some headway in finding DIO. If they did, I wasn't going to let them leave without me. I wanted to be one of the reasons DIO comes to an end.

I wasn't okay. I didn't know if I was going to be okay. But if I had to sacrifice myself and my sanity to save Holly, I would do it in a heartbeat.

#jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo's bizarre adventure stardust crusaders #stardust crusaders #jotaro kujo #kakyoin noriyaki #joseph joestar #muhammed avdol #jjba #jjbaoneshot #jjba fanfiction #jjba reader insert #jjba x reader

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blazingopus · 3 years

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Get Outta My Dreams - Battle Tendency

This did not go as I had originally intended, but I am happy with the result. While I do not consider this a romantic story between the reader and Joseph, I will leave it to you to interpret it as you will. Please enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwyEKVlGLb8

Get into my car...

I sat down in the plush armchair, letting myself sink into the upholstery. I exhaled and let myself relax. I looked up. People were milling about, coming to and fro, standing and discussing, sitting and chatting. It was almost lunchtime, and Italians need to be kept fed. It just so happened that this hotel had a restaurant on the main floor, just beyond the lobby. How convenient.

I cracked open the book I had in my hand. I loved to read, but I never got to read much as a child. I was much too busy, I had younger siblings to take care of. Now, it seemed I had too much time on my hands. I let myself be absorbed into the words on the page, letting them take me away to another place in a different time.

I looked up again. Beside me, across the end table, my brother sat down with a thud. He leaned his elbow on the arm of the chair and supported his face with his hand. His eyes observed me with slight amusement.

I tilted the book down and looked over at him. "What are you doing here? I thought you would be out with another one of your girls."

"I am," he said with a smile. "I quite like the restaurant here. It would be easier to meet her here than go traipsing across Roma. Might as will fill the time while we wait."

"Sometimes I forget how much you don't like waiting," I stuck a finger in my book and let it close. I give him a quizzical look. "Is this girl different from the others? Or is she just another one to practice on?"

His eyes darted away from mine, almost afraid to answer. " I always hope the girl I am with is the one for me." A slight blush crossed over his face. "I hope she is different, but I won't know until I get to know her."

I open my book again. "I hope you find her soon. If anyone deserves to find love, it's you."

"I don't know about that," he crosses his legs very dramatically. ""You know, you could be looking for a man of your own. I don't think you would have much trouble finding one."

"I..." I felt my shoulders sag. We had discussed this before, and he never seemed to take the hint. "I'm not interested in looking right now. It doesn't feel like the right time for me. Besides, I don't think I would have much luck with men."

"Don't say that!" he dropped his arm and leaned in closer. "You could have any man you wanted. You just need to try hard enough."

I closed my eyes for a moment. "I appreciate your kind words, but we have more important matters to worry about. We are waiting for that phone call from Speedwagon. We should be meeting with him and the Joestar sometime today."

His face twisted at the name. "Joestars. They have been a plight on our family for generations."

"So have vampires. Don't blame Joseph for something that wasn't his fault."

"Caesar?" A voice broke the conversation between us.

We both looked up at the girl standing before us. "Emilia!" My brother immediately dropped the sour look on his face. He nearly jumped out of his chair and took her hand, giving it a polite kiss. The girl giggled a bit. "I am so happy you made it," he said as he rose from his bow.

"So am I," She looked over at me for a few seconds. Her eyes read of distrust, and she had instantly become fascinated with me. "Caesar," she said without looking away, " Who is this?"

He looked down at me with slight confusion on his face. "No need to worry, Emilia." His voice was full of reassurance. "This is my sister, (Y/N)."

Her eyes continued to bore into me. "Ah, yes. I can see the resemblance now." She gave a fake smile. "I can see I had nothing to worry about. I'm Emilia." She offered her hand to shake.

"Charmed," I said half heartedly, ignoring the handshake. Caesar was as bad at picking dates as he was at picking friends. Not only was she obviously fake, she looked like a wild cat. Her updo had this windswept look to it, making the sides of her head look like ears. I couldn't tell if it was deliberate or an accident. "You two have fun," I went back to my book. "I will meet you back here when you are done, Caesar." I let my irritation come through in my voice.

He gave me a nod, before offering an arm to Emilia. She took it daintily and they began the walk to the restaurant. I slumped into my chair and huffed. Another date that would end in failure. Another woman to add to the long list. And this one was particularly bad. She had this air of dishonesty around her. I opened the book again and began to read.

"Why, hello there." A voice said from above me. I dropped the book into my lap and glared upward. If I wasn't irritated enough, I had someone bothering me. A tall man stood before me, a mess of brown hair on his head and a smirk on his face. "What is a beautiful girl like you doing, sitting here all by herself?"

"Reading," I said with a hint of attitude in my voice. "Now if you would excuse me, I would like to go back to doing that."

The man walked to the chair next to me, and sat down with an exaggerated groan. "Don't be like that, Senorina. I just wanted to ask if you would join me for lunch."

I glared at him. "No. Now go away and leave me alone."

The man tisked at me. "Not very nice, now are we." He threw his hands behind his head and leaned back into his chair.

I looked down into my book, not really reading it. "No, I am not very nice. Especially with obnoxious Americans who like to invade my personal space."

He chuckled a bit. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm British, Senorina"

"You could have fooled me. Most Englishmen who come to Italia are not as loud and annoying as you are. "

A huge smile crossed his face. "I'm not like most people. It's a little too boring for me. I like to keep things interesting."

I looked at him, but don't reply. I didn't feel like playing his game. I flipped to the next page.

He looked at me for a long time. "You know," he said with a smirk growing on his face, "I feel like I've seen you somewhere before." He playfully rubbed his chin. "In my dreams, maybe?"

"I don't think so." God, his pick up lines were just as bad as Caesar's.

"Well, since you don't want to have lunch with me," I could see the gears turning in his head, "How about a tour of the city? I could hail a cab. We would drive around and you could show me the sights of Rome."

I closed the book and folded my arms. I dramatically crossed my legs giving him a confident look. "The thing is, I am not native to Roma. I don't know very much about the city. Even if I was, I am waiting for someone for a phone call. I am meeting with someone later, so I really don't have the time." I gave him a fake smile. "I'm sorry, but you should really ask someone else."

He leaned against the arm of the chair and looked intently at me. "Who are you meeting?"

I could feel my brows furrow slightly. "Someone important. My brother and I are meeting with them soon."

"How interesting," He smiled. "I am meeting with someone later too, you know."

"How nice," I said sarcastically.

He rested his head against his fist. "You know, you have been very rude to me since I got here. All I have done is be nice to you, and ask you out to lunch. I thought you Italians were more hospitable than that."

I looked away. He wasn't incorrect. I was being a little too... Harsh. I sighed. "I apologize. I just wanted to be left alone, alright? I am already a little aggravated at the girl my brother is on a date with right now."

He gave a very confused look. "What's wrong with her? Is she ugly? Or is she to stupid to have a conversation with?"

I chuckled. "I wish." I thought a moment. "She's the type of girl that will lie to your face with a smile." I sighed and looked directly at him. "My brother has always been bad at reading people. He doesn't make friends very easily because of it. He also likes to make a lot of assumptions about people before he gets to know them."

The man sat there and observed me. It felt like he was reading me like a book, words written on my face. "What about you? You were very aggressive towards me. My feelings are a little hurt from your cruel words."

I thought very carefully, mulling over my words. "I am a very cautious person. I don't like being intruded upon. And you seem to be someone who likes to cause trouble, to see what he can get away with."

"It seems you read people better than your brother does." His eyes were filled with excitement.

"I should hope so." I looked at the clock on the wall over the front desk. "If you want to have lunch before the restaurants get busy, you better get going. We Italians take our meals very seriously, and you probably won't get a table if you wait too long."

He gazed at me for a moment, before standing up and offering a hand to me. "My offer still stands, Senorina," he said with a smirk. "I would love to see across a table from me. I hear the restaurant in this hotel is top notch."

I shake my head. "I appreciate the offer, but I must refuse. I told my brother I would wait here for him. I don't want to have him looking all over for me when we need to leave." It was a bit of a lie, to be honest. We would be in the same restaurant as Caesar and his date, but I had a feeling that the meal would end in disaster.

The man pulled back his hand and stuck it in his pocket. "Alright then, but if you ever need a nonstop miracle," he pointed a thumb at himself, "I'm your man."

"What's that supposed to mean?" That was one of the stupidest things I had ever heard.

He shrugged "Whatever you want it to mean, Singorina." He walked off, leaving me slightly dazed and confused. I watched him as he disappeared into the crowd. He was one of the strangest people I had ever met. Confident and cocky, but had a way with people. It seemed that the world was just a giant game to him.

It was many pages later when I saw Caesar walk up to the front desk. The host handed him the phone, and he gracefully held it to his ear. I struggled my way out of the chair and quickly walked over to him. He was muttering into the receiver, listening intently during the silence between.

"Right, we'll meet you at the Fontana del Tritone," he said with an air of finality. "Yes, goodbye." He handed it back to the host, then turned to me. "That was Speedwagon."

I nodded. "I thought so. You had better tell your date the bad news. I'll get the car." I started to walk away. "I'll meet you outside when you're ready." I said with a smirk.

I sat on the edge of the fountain, listening to the water bubble and cascade behind me. It would have been relaxing for me, even with the people milling about. But God had decided that today was not going to be a relaxing day for me.

The man that had pestered me in the hotel was none other than Joseph Joestar, one of the people we were supposed to meet with. In a twist of fate, he and Caesar had met in the restaurant, and immediately decided they hated each other. So much for working together. The two of them were avoiding each other, Caesar moping and Joseph playing with the pigeons. Speedwagon was trying his best to get the two to communicate like civilized people, but they were too damn stubborn.

Speedwagon was not quite what I was expecting. Firstly, I thought he was American. With him being an oil tycoon with most of his work based in America, it took me by surprise to hear a British accent. He also seemed very kind-hearted. It takes a lot of ruthlessness to survive in the business world. He had remained caring and compassionate through it all. What a resiliant man.

Caesar had caught notice of a pretty tourist taking photos of the local architecture. "Where are you from?" I watched as he turned up the charm. "Shall I take a picture of you and the fountain?" She blushed a bit, and turned her head away.

"I don't think Emilia will appreciate you flirting with other women," I leaned over and whispered. I wanted to grind his gears a bit.

He glanced at me. "Emilia doesn't care what I do now. She wasn't very happy I had to leave early. She threw a tantrum and left."

"Oh, no. Really?" I said with fake concern. "I'm so sorry for you."

"Don't patronize me. I know you didn't like her very much," he said without looking at me. He was stubborn about staying moody to the bitter end.

Joseph was cooing at the birds as they swarmed him. He was really enjoying them. "These birds sure are friendly," he said to no one. "A lot smarter than the men around here, don't you think?" He turned and yelled at Caesar, who didn't react besides scoffing at him. Both of them were being stupid. We had a job to do, and the two of them were letting pride and ego get in the way.

"Knock it off, Jojo!" Speedwagon stood as quickly as his aging bones would let him. "We didn't come all this way for nothing. You two better start talking!"

Beside me, Caesar turned just enough to look at Speedwagon. "I'm sorry, but not a chance."

I put a hand to my face. "Oh, Holy Mother..." I mumbled. He was going to make this as long and painful as he could.

"After our Grandfather died fifty years ago, our father took up his torch and spent his life hunting the mask. We Italians value our familial bonds more than any other culture in the world. It is everything to me!" Caesar's voice rose with every word. He stood and pointed at Joseph with vitriol. "That is something he will never understand! He only learned of his grandfather three months ago! A true man knows his history."

Joseph rose from the ground, the pigeons flying away. "Tell me this, 'true man,'" he pointed back at Caesar. "Is your whole family really this dumb?" Felt felt my blood boiling at his words.

"Hold on, Caesar," Speedwagon interjected, motioning Joseph to calm down. "He didn't know about his family because I kept it a secret from him."

I looked up at my brother, anger coursing through my veins. Not only was he making a fool of himself, Joseph had just insulted our family because of his ridiculous rant. "You have no place to talk, Caesar." He didn't acknowledge me, but I knew he was listening. "We didn't know about our family until a few years ago. He's in the same position we were."

He shook his head, trying to downplay what I had said. "That doesn't matter. I was expecting some impressive strength after hearing he fought Straizo and one of the Pillar Men. That's why we were waiting at the hotel." He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as if it hurt him to speak. He hadn't mentioned that bit of information when we booked the hotel. "I am disappointed to say, his Hamon skills leave much to be desired."

I glared at him. "That's what you were doing in the restaurant? Playing around with Hamon?" I looked to Joseph, then back again. "I would expect this of Joseph, but not of you Caesar! We have more important things to worry about than your petty squabbles."

"Hey!" Joseph said in defense.

"Aren't you listening?" Caesar yelled back. "His Hamon is weak, near useless! His defeat of the Pillar Man was nothing but blind luck! How are we supposed to work someone so pathetic?"

Joseph growled. "Now, listen here!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Caesar!" I stood up and met his intensity. "We need Joseph to defeat the other Pillar Men, whether you like him or not!"

"I won't be forced to work with this imbecile!" Caesar interrupted, his anger reaching boiling point.

"Working with an imbecile is better than being dead! We need every Hamon user we can get our hands on!" Why was he letting his emotions cloud his judgement? These Pillar Men could put the world in jeopardy, and he was more concerned with who he was working with.

Speedwagon tried to calm the situation. "Caesar, please! Joseph hasn't had any proper Hamon training yet...."

Joseph stepped in front of him, cracking his knuckles. "We're done talking here. I'm going to settle this with a good thrashing."

Caesar grinned. He grabbed the tourist he had been talking to earlier, bringing her in close. "With your weak Hamon, you wouldn't be able to pick the petals off this delicate flower."

Joseph looked around hastily. "Yeah? Well, you couldn't beat one of these pigeons!"

I threw up a hand in dismissal. "You two are the stupidest and most reckless people I have ever had the misfortune of meeting." I began to walk away. "When you two are done beating the shit out of each other, I'll be waiting in the car to drive you to the nearest hospital. Just find me when you are done." I was so angry, I had begun to shake a bit. Caesar was being so unreasonable, letting his pride get in the way of everything we had been working towards. After we had come all this way, trained so hard, sacrificed so much, he was willing to throw it all away because Joseph was acting like an idiot.

I stormed away, heading across the street and around the corner where I parked the car earlier. I yanked the door open and climbed in the driver's seat. I slammed the door shut, letting myself slump against the warm leather and worked the crank to roll the window down.

I loved my brother. I loved him dearly. I didn't understand why he did this to himself. He was so good at making bad decisions. He always had been, even when we were younger. He had thought crime was better than working a job. He thought running away to Roma to escape his problems was better than staying with what little was left of his family. He let his emotion guide him, and his emotions usually had the worst solutions.

Learning to use Hamon was probably the best thing that happened to us. By then, the younger ones could take care of themselves, and I could go with Caesar to train under Lisa Lisa. Keep him out of trouble for a little while. But by then, he seemed to have leveled out some. Maybe it was because he finally had something to work towards. Whatever it was, it wasn't working now. He had become so blinded by his anger and resentment that he was willing to throw it all away.

I slumped against the seat even more. What I supposed to do? I had tried talking some sense into him. Well, more like yelling some sense into him, and it didn't seem to work.

A figure moved just outside my periphery. I leaned forward a bit to get a better look. It was Joseph, making his way to the car. "Are you two done yet?" I called to him, hearing the tiredness in my own voice.

He closed the gap, leaning against the frame of the window. "I rather think so." He gave his signature smirk. "You're brother's good, but not good enough for the likes of me!"

I narrowed my eyes. "So he did lose to the pigeon."

"Bingo," he said with a wink. "Speedwagon and Caesar are talking about a few things. They said they would be here soon." He looked around, then turned back to me. "What's Caesar's deal anyway? All I did was launch some Hamon de Seppia at him, and he immediately hates me."

I sighed and looked away. "I don't know. He's always been like this." A thought for a moment. "Hamon de Seppia? You had a food fight in the restaurant?!"

Joseph waved his hands in front of his face. "No, no, nothing like that at all!" He scrunched up his face. "If it wasn't for that Casanova being such a jerk and his stupidly obvious flirting, I wouldn't have used Hamon in the first place."

I didn't believe him for a second. "You know," I said slowly, "You complain that Caesar decided to hate you for no reason, but you acted the same way to him. You are guilty of the same thing he is."

His gaze wandered over my face. "The difference between me and that wet noodle is that I can read people. I can tell what kind of a person he really is."

"First impressions don't tell the whole story, Joseph." I returned the intense stare. "You made up your mind from the beginning, and you don't want to be proven wrong."

He began tapping the metal door with his finger. "I wasn't wrong about you, Senorina." Playfulness began to creep into his eyes.

His words made me suspicious. "What about me?" I asked cautiously.

I could see the cogs moving behind his eyes. This was just another game to him. "Well," he began with a sly grin, "When I first saw you, I could tell you were the quiet type. You have a temper on you, but you like to keep it under wraps." I could feel his eyes searching for a reaction from me. "But you are very protective about the people you care about. You also are spicy and sarcastic, having a fire to you that most people don't have."

I was thinking so fast, trying to come up with some witty comeback. Nothing was really coming to mind, but something was bugging me a bit. "What you say is true," I began, mulling over my words, "But you don't know why I am the way I am. You know my actions, but you don't know who (Y/N) is. You can read people very well, but you only read what is on the surface. It takes a lot longer to really know a person."

His grin turned toothy. "Do you want to know me better? Because I want to know you better, Senorina."

I glared at him. "What do you mean by that, Joseph?"

He shrugged. "It's whatever you want it to mean."

"Don't be coy. Give me a straight answer, damn it."

He chuckled. "I don't think so. That would take all the fun out of it, don't you think?"

I rolled my eyes. "If you want to be friends, I have no problems with that. If you want some sort of fling, I don't do those. If you are wanting some sort of serious relationship... We'll see."

"We'll see?" His eyes sparkled. "You sound eager, Senorina."

"Not a chance," I said, not as angry as I wanted it to sound.

"I think soooooo..." A goofy smile on his face. "You want a non-stop lover like me."

"I don't think you could last that long," I slid the comment in.

"Eh, uh," he sputtered, "You don't know until you try, smooth operator."

"You seem keen on convincing me," I smirked at him. "Go ahead. Give it your best shot. And keep in mind, Caesar will hate you more than he already does. It doesn't matter whether you succeed or not." I looked over his shoulder. "Here he comes, by the way."

Joseph whipped around to see Speedwagon and Caesar, deep in discussion and heading our way. He turned back to me, fire in his eyes. "Let's make a deal," he said hastily.

"A deal?"

"Yes." I could tell he was trying to think of something, and fast. "If I can defeat you in a Hamon battle, you go out to lunch with me."

I raised an eyebrow. "When would we have this battle?"

"Uhm... After we meet with this coach of yours," he manages. "The first free moment we get, we settle this."

I look back at Speedwagon and Caesar, who were just out of earshot. "You're on."

Joseph smiled and pumped his fist. "Alright! You better not back out!"

"I don't plan on it. Now, get into my car. We're leaving." I leaned out the window as Joseph moved away. "You two done?" I called out.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, (Y/N)," Speedwagon apologized. "Caesar and I were discussing our next steps."

"It's alright." I look over to the passenger seat. Joseph was trying to claim the front. "Get in the back seat. Caesar sits there."

"You better leave my sister alone, or I will beat you into a pulp!" Caesar threatened, pointing menacingly.

"Oh? Like you did that pigeon?" Joseph taunted, crossing his arms with his usual cockiness.

I hit my head on the rim of the steering wheel. This was going to be miserable. "Just get in."

"If you say so, Lady Driver," Joseph moved to the back seat, right behind the passenger. Speedwagon climbed in on the other side.

As Caesar settled in beside me, I looked over to him. "Are we still going ahead as planned?"

He nodded. "Yes. I'm still waiting for our man to get in touch."

"What man?" Joseph asked from behind us. He leaned forward so his head poked out between us.

"You'll find out." I said, shoving his head out of the way. I turned the key in the ignition, and the engine roared under the hood. This was going to be an interesting journey, that was certain. I just had to keep Caesar and Joseph from killing each other before it all ended.

#jojo's bizarre advenure #jojo's bizarre adventure battle tendency #battle tendency #joseph joestar #caesar zeppeli #jjba #jjba reader insert #jjba oneshot #jjba x reader

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blazingopus · 3 years

Text

No Quarter - Phantom Blood

A more platonic tale of mine. Please enjoy.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6fEHBOw4nLAvrmnIkW8yPJ?si=s9PG2NzdRp-lDFRAWW8ffw

She was a stranger in a very strange land.

The bright sun shone down on the British countryside. It had been miserable the past few days, being cold and snowy. It was so different from the Italian summers she was used to, and the eternally dry and cold Himalayas she had trained in. It was wet, and lingering. It seeped into your bones and stayed with you for days. The sun felt so good. It was nice to not be freezing constantly.

She had been sent here on an important mission. She was searching for recent vampire activity. Vampires tended to be chaotic forces that only did harm to the people around them. They gravitated toward the helpless and the morally bankrupt. That was why Hamon users like herself were often tasked with hunting them down and ending their miserable existence. That was why she was here. She was a stranger in a very strange land. And she didn’t like it much.

Something had happened out here. Something strange. An incident happened over a week ago at the Joestar manor. The Lord, George Joestar had fallen ill recently. In desperation to save his father, Jonathan Joestar left for London to find a cure. After three days, he returned. There was a confrontation at the manor with his brother Dio Brando. Everything fell apart then, leaving most people involved dead. The manor itself had caught fire, half of the structure laying in crumbled ruins. The other half, nothing but a broken shell.

She stood before the manor, in front of where the front door once stood. If her intuition was right, there had been some vampiric happenings here. She just had to find it. She wrapped her dark cloak around her and stepped into the mounds of ash, of broken glass, clumps of half-melted metal ornaments, charred furniture, fallen beams, and caved in walls. So much rubble, so much lost in just one night.

She had been sent here a few months ago. Tonpetty, her master, had seen premonitions of a great vampiric evil rising and taking hold here in Britain. If it was not put to an end, great calamity may befall the world. She was his scout, getting a lay of the land before Tonpetty, along with Dire and Straizo followed behind to deal with the threat. Somehow, the birth of one vampire would need to be dealt with by three of the strongest Hamon users in the world.

She flipped a large stone over. She wondered why Tonpetty had sent her to do this. While she didn't consider herself weak or unskilled by any means. She mostly felt she was inexperienced. She hadn't traveled and explored like most of the other Hamon users she had trained under, or the many others she had heard stories about. Off all the people who had vowed to serve under Tonpetty, why had he chosen her? There were hundreds of Hamon users and monks that could carry this mission, probably better and faster than her.

Something caught her eye. Through a scorched doorway, sitting in a beam of sunlight, there was a large hole in the rubble. It was too deep to have been dug by thieves, or by past inhabitants looking for prized possessions. She walked through the door frame and knelt beside the gash. It was the size of a large man, several inches deep. From the claw marks in the ash, it looked like there were at least two people here. One person who dug down to get to something. And one person... Who dug himself out of the hole. She couldn't be reading that right. Could someone have been buried alive? Was it the vampire she was after? If there was some sort of struggle with a vampire the night the manor burned down, he was still alive and had at least one zombie helping him. If her guess was correct.

The question is, where would they go next? There was a lot of chaos in London at the moment. It would be an ideal spot, with a lot of potential victims and places to wait out the day. But that might be too obvious. England had a lot of small villages to lay low in, away from the newspapers and prying eyes. Depending on what he is planning on, it might be more advantageous to begin her search in the countryside.

She moved her way out of the dilapidated building and into the warm sunlight. She looked down at her cloak when the light hit it. Ash spotted the bottom of the dark fabric. Normally, something like that wouldn't bother her, but this cloak was special to her. It was a gift to her from her father. He gave it to her before they started their long trip to the Himalayas. She had wanted to become a Hamon user like him, and he knew she was not used to the cold after living under the Italian sun. He turned out to be right. She bent down and brushed what she could off. It would have to do for now.

She looked off into the rolling hills and long winding streams in the distance. She would have to talk to some of the locals. They might have seen something or know what happened. But that would require finding people, and then actually talking to them. She didn't know where people lived out here or how to approach them. Another problem was that she would have to talk to them. She could speak English well enough, but her accent would give her away. That could make people distrustful of her. Others like Straizo and Zeppeli had travelled enough that they could copy the accent of the area and blend in. She had not encountered enough people to get a good handle on the British accent.

She looked around. There was a stone path nearby. Maybe there would be someone having a stroll or... Something. She let her cloak swirl around her and began walking towards the flagstone trail. This was not part of her training. All the breathing exercises, and the meditation, and the grueling workouts, there wasn't anything on information gathering. Maybe it came natural to some, but definitely not to her. How was she even supposed to do this?

A little ahead of her, a young couple was making their way down the path. A tall man, built like an ox, walking with the help of a cane. With him was a blond woman, arm locked onto his, also aiding him with his walk. From what she could tell, the man had probably been injured recently. A few bindings could still be seen from under his shirt and he was walking with a slight limp. One of his arms was supported by a sling. Could he have been involved in the incident? There was only one way she would find out.

She stepped out in front of the couple, standing awkwardly in the middle of the path. Her mind was spinning and trying to conjure up something to say. She took a deep breath in. Held it. Opened her mouth.

"Excuse me," Her voice sounded strange even to her. The couple gave confused, but not hostile expressions. " My name is (Y/N). I need to know what happened to the house up there." She pointed to the destroyed manor at the top of the hill.

The lady looked the Italian over, a strange accent draped in dark fabric. "Why do you need to know?" She cautiously asked.

"I... Ah...:" (Y/N) was seized with anxiety. How do you explain this? To strangers! Things were getting out of hand already.

The man smiled. "What is it?" The lady gave him a questioning look. He rubbed her arm in reassurance.

(Y/N) looked between the two, trying to figure out what to do next. What does she even say? Do these people even know that vampires exist? How does she explain that she was hunting down a being that could end the world? She mulled over her words before she spoke.

"My friend worked at the Joestar manor," she squeaked out. "I had planned to visit her today, but I did not know it had burned down."

The man gazed up at the cold ruins. His eyes seemed to be looking back, seeing something that wasn't there any longer. He turned back to the girl, a smile on his face again. "I'm sorry to hear that. Please, walk with us. I need to keep moving to heal properly. This is what I heard happened..."

They walked together, the man giving the story the girl already knew. A sick father. The Joestar heir leaving for London. A fight on Ogre Street gaining him an ally and an antidote. A confrontation on returning home with Dio Brando. An accident leading to the manor catching fire. He told her that some of the staff escaped, so that her "friend" may still be alive. He didn't give any new information, and it felt like he was hiding something.

The entire time, the girl noticed a strange figure trailing them. It might be an enemy, though it might be some person on holiday taking a stroll. She would have to be wary.

The man came to the end of the story. They had walked in a large circle, not wandering far from the manor. The girl had planned on asking the couple if there was anyone else she could ask, becoming anxious again that she would have to do this all over again. But before she could do anything of the sort, they came across a man sitting on a low stone fence. He took out a shaker to season the sandwich in his hand.

(Y/N) recognized him immediately. She began to relax again. He was a close friend of her father's, and he had trained her for a bit back in the Himalayas. Baron William A. Zeppeli. He took a bite of his sandwich, looking over the small group. He gave a sly smile.

"Mr. Jonathan Joestar," he put the shaker back into his pocket. "The lovely lady on your arm must be Erina Pendleton."

The girl looked over the two of them. Her feeling had been right. There was more to them then they had let on. But she didn't think he would be Jonathan Joestar himself.

Zeppeli launched himself into the air, not moving a muscle. It was one of his favorite tricks to do. "You have done well against the mask. But it, and the man who wears it still lives!"

That was all she needed to know. She stepped aside, knowing what would happen next. Using the force of his descent, Zeppeli extended his finger and plunged it into Jonathan's diaphragm. Jonathan hit the ground, having all the air forced from his body. Erina went to his side.

"You cad!" Erina accused. "He was already injured!"

(Y/N) remained quiet. This was all part of learning Hamon, something even she had gone through. If Zeppeli was doing this, he must have known what happened that night. He must also know that a dangerous vampire was on the loose. Having someone who knew what he was doing was a comfort to her. Finally, she wasn't alone in this strange endeavor.

After a few seconds, Jonathan clutched his arm, the one that had been held in the sling. "The pain," he muttered. "It's completely gone." He moved his arm back and forth. He reached over and picked up a large rock, one that would take a normal person both arms to lift. "What did you do?"

Zeppeli perched himself on the stones again. "I did nothing, Jonathan. I only unlocked the power within you. It was your breathing that healed your wounds." He took out his shaker again, seasoning another sandwich that seemingly materialized in his hand. "Forgive me, (Y/N). It is good to see you again. I assume that if you are here, then you must know what has been going on recently."

She gave a small bow. "Yes. Master Tonpetty sent me here. He has had visions of great evil rearing itself. He and a few others will be following behind to help deal with the threat. I didn't know you had been informed as well."

"I wasn't," he said with confidence. "I just followed the stench of death and evil."

"Then," Jonathan formulated, 'You did not come out here to find this friend of yours?"

She shook her head. "No. I am sorry to have lied to you, but I had to keep my mission a secret. Do not forget that you also kept information from me." She fiddled with the edges of her cloak.

Zeppeli sneezed. "That's not what's important. Your compatriot here has fought against the stone mask. He has shown great courage, but courage alone will not defeat its wearer."

"What are you talking about?" Erina asked, pulling Jonathan to his feet. "You seem to know a lot about us, yet we know nothing about you."

"I will answer all your questions in time," Zeppeli sneezed again, standing to his full height. "First, you must be ready to change your fate once again. Follow me."

He led us to a nearby river. An ancient castle lay in ruins, leaving large stone scattered around the ground and into the river. A tall set of stairs sat on the riverbed, leading directly to the water below. It seemed to be devoid of life except for a few frogs that had come up from beneath the mud. It must have become warm enough for them to swim without dying.

Zeppeli stepped into the warm flowing water. "Join me, (Y/N). We must show them the power of Hamon."

She slowly nodded. She unfastened the clasp on the front of her cloak. Removing it, she carefully hung it from a nearby tree. She eased herself into the water and waded over to Zeppeli.

"Hold out your hands, (Y/N)," He commanded. She did as he asked. He slid a small feathery object into her outstretched hands. After she took a closer look, she realized it was a small bird. The way it held itself, she could tell that it had a broken wing. It probably was attacked and managed to escape. In its current condition, it would not live long.

"I found this bird a while back," Zeppeli announced. "With Hamon, its broken wing can be fully restored. In the East, it is called Sendo. The Way of the Hermit. It is the breathing technique that healed your arm, Jojo." After speaking to the small crowd, he gave the girl a nod.

She swallowed. She always hated demonstrations like this. She took a deep breath, letting muscle memory do its work. Hamon began to flow through her. Small ripples started to radiate around her in the water. A warm, fuzzy feeling filled her veins. She focused this feeling into her hands and into the bird. With a few chirps, the pain disappeared and the wing smoothly reformed itself.

The bird gave a few flaps of its wings as a test. "Well done, (Y/N)," Zeppeli praised. "It seems you have developed much since I left. You may become a very powerful Hamon user, indeed."

"Grazie," she said bashfully. She held her hands farther out, letting the bird fly away. Jonathan and Erina watched it with smiles and sighs.

"Observe!" Zeppeli exclaimed as the girl sloshed her way to the riverbank. "Hamon and the stone mask are two sides of the same coin. Life and death are ever connected. We have harnessed life energy, fueled by the sun. It allows us to do many things not granted to normal humans."

He stepped in front of the remains of a marble pillar. Set atop was a large green frog. Zeppeli approached it, taking in metered, deep breaths. Ripples began to appear in the water around him, pulsing and coursing far into the distance. Intense golden light emanated from his form. With one last mighty yell, he threw his fist down.

"No, wait!" Erina cried out. Jonathan looked on in shock. Even after what they had seen, they still feared for the safety of the small animal.

Zeppeli's fist collided with the frog, causing it to squish and contort. With one last scream from Erina, the stone cracked in half. It was a perfect split. The pillar fell apart into the water. The frog fell, intact and in one piece, into the current below. It swam away, happy and content as a frog could be.

Zeppeli strode out of the water, his face serious. "If (Y/N) has been sent here from across the world, then that means that Dio is still alive. Not only that, but he is a danger far greater than I had first anticipated."

Jonathan looked aback, surprised at such a notion. Zeppeli continued. "(Y/N) found as much in her investigation in the manor."

She gave a quick nod. "It looked like someone had been buried alive, then dug out of the debris. He must still be alive. Otherwise, I would not have found two sets of claw marks. One coming from inside the hole."

"This Dio has worn the stone mask, and become one with the dark forces held within. As someone who has vowed to destroy the mask, it is my duty to defeat him. And it is you destiny," Zeppeli pointed to Jonathan, "To learn Hamon and fight Dio. Only you, his brother can finally put him to rest."

Jonathan looked distraught. He looked to Erina, his expression filled with words he wanted to say. He walked away and braced himself against the limb of a dead tree.

Zeppeli placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "(Y/N), I will need your talents to put an end to this menace. Three people trained in Hamon are much better than two."

"What about Tonpetty?" She replied quietly. "He sent me to scout ahead for him. I can't abandon him."

"I can send word to him," He answered. "We will tell him what we have found, and let him know how we are proceeding. Your mission is to find and gather information on this vampire of yours, yes? You will not be disrespecting orders in that way."

She gave a sullen nod. She had not expected this trip to go this way. At least she had Zeppeli to support her through this. He had dealt with more vampires than most anyone else.

Zeppeli gave her a pat on the shoulder, and began to walk away. He stopped when something caught his eye. "(Y/N), look there!" he whispered. He gave a slight motion to Jonathan. The tree he had been leaning against had begun to blossom with delicate flowers.

"That tree was dead!" She quietly exclaimed. "Not even Dire can do something like that!"

"This boy may be more powerful than I had first thought. Even after healing himself, he has enough energy left to revive the dead." He furrowed his brows. He was reading every part of Jonathan's body language. "I believe that may be how he survived. He must have some latent potential."

She looked up at him in confusion. "Does that change anything?"

He thought for a moment. "I may have to adapt my training for him. He may progress faster than I had first anticipated." He straightened his jacket. "Let us meet back here tomorrow morning. Training must begin immediately."

(Y/N) wandered over to the cold stone stairs. The morning was cold and overcast. It saddened her to think that the warm weather was already over. She spotted Zeppeli perched as always on the wall lining the river, a sandwich in his hand. The girl walked over and sat next to him.

"Good morning, (Y/N)," he said when he noticed her. He spoke in their native Italian. "It seems that you are the first person to arrive. We are still waiting on Jojo."

"Ah," she simply said. "In that case, I have a few questions to ask while it is just the two of us."

He gave a quizzical look. "Hm?"

She pulled her legs up to her chin. These words had been going round and around her head for days. "You know Tonpetty better than I do. Why would he give me this mission? From what he said, this is one of the most dangerous vampires we have ever encountered. You would think that he would have wanted someone more experienced to do this. I haven't even finished my training! I just... I don't understand."

Zeppeli paused in the middle of seasoning his sandwich. He gave her a serious look. "Do not doubt your abilities, (Y/N). And do not doubt Tonpetty. Your father is one of the strongest Hamon users I know. If you are anything like him, you should be more than capable to take on this mission."

She looked up. "But, I am not my father. I am not as skilled as he is, or as brave. He's traveled so much more that I have. He has studied Hamon for decades. Besides, there are others just as strong as him. They could do what I am doing much better than I ever could."

He stopped seasoning. He sighed and put the shaker down on the stone next to him. "You are missing the point of all this." He looked directly into her eyes. "When you left, you were not ready to take on this task. You were not the strongest or the bravest. There were many who outclass you in every way. BUT!" He held up a finger. "That is why you are here. This is your chance to prove yourself! This is a part of your training. Only by traveling and fighting real vampires can you, and anyone else, develop the skills to become the most powerful of the Hamon users."

The girl sat in silence, taking in his passionate words.

"Did you think that you would be truly alone?" He smiled at her. "He knew what he was doing. There are Hamon users all over the world! And you know full well that there is an entourage coming behind you to support you. You have been given a challenge, and it is up to you to determine how you deal with it."

She thought it over. He was right. She and many others had put their trust in him. Tonpetty had never led them astray. Even if it did scare her, it would do her good if she traveled and saw new lands, talked to different people, and did difficult things.

The girl looked up past the hood of her cloak. "Thank you. I needed that. While we are here, could you teach me some techniques to use against vampires? I haven't gotten to that part of my training yet. I have a feeling I am going to need it."

He smiled and bit into his sandwich. "It would be my pleasure." He looked up to see Jonathan come over the hill. "Speaking of, I think it is about time we get started."

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