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jojolymes · 5 months

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𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐎; thirty-five

࿔*:･ﾟ xxxv.

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YOUR CHEST was aching— or rather, everything was aching, aside from a few parts of you that were dreadfully numb. A groan slipped past your lips as you opened your eyes and adjusted to the light that flooded in through the cabin windows. Your hands tried and failed, to push you up, and when your eyes finally grew accustomed to the light, you almost screamed at the sight of Ringo standing over you. Still, there was not enough air in your lungs for you to do that, and your body seemed to refuse to do anything but lay there.

"Ah, so you're awake. Good," Ringo muttered, leaning back so that you had to turn your head to see him, "he wouldn't appreciate it if you were dead. Though, I made sure not to shoot within range so you should be fine by the time he gets here." Who the hell was he talking about? Gyro? You couldn't say a word without blood seeping from your lips, making your stomach sink. What was Ringo planning for you? He sighed and looked down at his wrist before looking back at you.

"I suppose I should question you now just in case. What do you know about the Corpse Heart?" Ringo asked, face devoid of any emotion. The Corpse Heart? You went to speak once more but started coughing, blood splattering onto the timeworn, wooden floor of the cabin. Ringo watched until you willed yourself to speak, glaring up at him with your cheek still glued to the bloodied floor.

"I... I don't know anything."

"Hmm. He tells me you were related to Robert Speedwagon. Is that not correct?"

Robert?

"Wh-What the fuck do you... know about Robert?"

"So you are related. Alright, well, you must know about the heart then. After all, he was the one who had it."

Robert had the Corpse Heart?

No, he couldn't have. Robert didn't have a stand like you did and if he had indeed had the Corpse Heart, surely you would have known. He would have told you. You were the closest to one another and none of your other brothers had ever compared, as harsh as the statement was. Robert would have told you if that was true. He couldn't have had it. He just couldn't have.

But... he had made it so far into the race. Farther along than any of your other brothers. Far closer to that prize money. You could still remember how much happier your father and your brothers had been every time you read his name in the paper. People all around the neighborhood would come up to you and say how great it was that Robert was one of the finalists. How great that one brother had somehow managed to outdo all the others.

How lucky you were.

How lucky to have a brother who had decided to keep something from you.

How lucky to be told by a stranger that your brother had kept the biggest secret from you and died without uttering a single word.

You couldn't say anything as Ringo studied your expression. His eyes dragged over your face, your bandana now hanging loosely around your neck. You couldn't even find it in you to care as you fought back tears, blinking them away. You wouldn't let them fall now. Ringo hummed, seemingly discontent with your reaction. Your brow furrowed as he turned away from you, to lean over Johnny instead with a map in his hands that you hadn't noticed. Your hand shot out before you could stop it, fingers digging into the fabric of Ringo's shirt with as much power as you could muster.

"D-Don't..."

"I'm not going to hurt him. I need to see how this map aligns with his arm," Ringo said, prying your weak fingers from his shirt, gazing down at you with no hint of pity. There was nothing more for you to do but let your hand fall to the floorboards, staring at the blood that slowly dripped down the side of Johnny's face. With your ear to the floor, as you watched, you wondered if you'd hear Johnny's heartbeat but feared how faint it might be.

You pressed your ear harder against the wood, breathing hard. But you heard no steady thrum echoing against the boards. Instead, you heard a whisper of soft clicks and taps, dull enough to catch your ear. It didn't thump but made a steady, endless symphony, never growing louder or softer as it went. You turned away from the floor and toward the wall of the cabin, eyes narrowing as bits of dust sprinkled through the gaps in the wood.

"Huh?"

The wall burst open, splintered shards of wood hitting the floor as Gyro's steel ball hit Ringo straight in the temple with a sickening crack. There in the sunlight stood Gyro, brows furrowed when he saw your smiling face. Your spirit sang at the sight of him but as the wood started flying back at him and the hope you felt dissipated, you realized that Ringo had used his stand again. Gyro was hidden by the wall once more and you could feel a wave of nauseating dread fall over you.

"Still here... Your actions are meaningless to me. I've already expressed this," Ringo stated as his stand manifested, wrapping itself around his shoulders, "I can rewind six seconds in time. I can do this as many times as I wish. My employer will most likely tell me to dispose of you as well, but doing so is worth nothing to me. I will let you leave this orchard. Go, alone. Return to your race. Do as you wish there..." Your nails dug into the floorboards, splintering into your nailbeds as you bit your lip. Would Gyro try again? Would he save you and Johnny...?

Surely, he'd only save Johnny.

"Ya know, might just be me, but I'm getting the feeling you're looking down on me." Your heart jumped when you heard Gyro's voice, clear as day through the cracked wood of the wall. There was still dust seeping through the cracks. You quickly pressed your ear to the floorboards again and heard that same whirring, growing faster now. Your lips twitched into a smile, ignoring all the inner turmoil you felt as you lay there.

"You said you fiddle with that wristwatch to turn back time but, you know, I threw that ball to check your body. I'll tell you just to be fair. My steel ball's scan found an old wound in your left collarbone—" Ringo twitched, just barely noticeable in your peripherals, "—In my next attack, I'm going to aim my attack at that collarbone. And that impact on that old wound will most definitely paralyze your whole left side. And I don't think you're gonna be able to turn that wristwatch with a paralyzed left hand."

"Not just your left arm, but your left leg, even your left eyelid will drop. You won't even be able to speak. Even if you wanted to there won't be a redo. No more six seconds back in time. The paralysis will also stop your heart." Gyro's voice was getting louder now, the crunch of dry grass announcing each approaching footstep. His voice was like death incarnate, unwavering in its words as the ticking of Ringo's watch echoed in the cabin. But death didn't wait for anyone. Ringo didn't falter and just stared at the door, blood spilling over and down his ear.

The door broke apart with a single kick, revealing Gyro once more. The splintered wood fell around him like a warped halo, hitting the floor with each step he took closer to Ringo. Ringo slowly rose to his feet, letting the map he held in his hands flutter onto Johnny's unmoving body. The tension was palpable, so thick and stagnant that you almost choked on it. You couldn't see Gyro's eyes from where you lay but you knew it was for the better. You lay there, a witness to the trembling men who were fated to stand in each other's way in this very moment.

"From this distance, neither of us is going to miss this shot."

Ringo stared straight back at Gyro, not saying a word, back turned to you and Johnny. Your hand twitched when you realized this— if you could just summon Iron Maiden, you could try and help Johnny. Ringo and Gyro didn't dare look away from the other and you knew that if you were going to save Johnny you'd have to do it then and there. You willed yourself to move, even with your aching body, and slowly pushed yourself toward Johnny, hoping that the threat of Gyro was more important than you.

"So, now what? We can't back down now. It doesn't matter what we want anymore," Gyro stated, hand inching toward the steel ball in his holster. Ringo's hand was sitting on the handle of his gun, fingering the leather. You didn't let the gunshot stop you, nor the crack of Ringo's collarbone, and instead managed to throw yourself onto Johnny, protecting him from the shards of wood that fell from the roof. You felt Iron Maiden's warmth fill your body, hovering over you and Johnny as she repelled any shard away from you.

Gyro flew across the room, landing on a bookshelf that crumbled under his weight. Ringo did the same, landing a ways from you and Johnny, twitching in the pool of blood he found himself in. You sucked a breath from between your teeth, looking at Gyro's unmoving body with a stomach that sank far past your feet.

"I-Iron Maiden!"

Another gunshot rang out and you found yourself back on the ground, lying beside Johnny. Your breath caught in your throat as you stared up at the roof, the shards of wood that would fall on you in the future still partially intact. You looked over at Gyro, meeting his gaze for just a moment, barely even a second. Had he planned to use the wooden shards to beat Ringo? You looked up at the ceiling once more, trying not to be obvious. The wood had been falling all over you, Johnny, and Ringo so if Gyro planned to use those shards, you and Johnny would have to move.

You grabbed Johnny's arm and started pulling him toward you, willing Iron Maiden to reappear and help you. You felt her warmth fill you once more and you almost laughed. Of course, Gyro would use the shards. It was surprising that Ringo hadn't noticed them at all. Your body ached as you strained to pull Johnny closer, his hair falling in front of his eyes. You'd have to heal him with Iron Maiden later, even if he wasn't going to thank you.

"Thought so... So, you turned back time? Six seconds. So what now? One more time?" Gyro asked with blood dribbling down his chin, "One more time?!" Ringo gritted his teeth and took a half step backward as Gyro took one closer. You flinched but continued pulling Johnny toward you, wincing as you went. Your body protested but you wouldn't stop. You'd do something even if Johnny and Gyro hated you right now. You had to.

"Interesting, Gyro Zeppelli," Ringo said with a strained smile, "your eyes have taken a better glow, but you are still merely a conformist!" You could feel the tiny splinters of wood start to fall on you now and you tugged on Johnny's arm a little harder, biting back a cry as you felt your wounds sear hot and excruciating. Gyro's hand was on his holster once more, readying himself for his attack.

"That's not for you to decide! Neither of us can back down now!"

Gyro lurched forward, winding one arm back before chucking it hard at Ringo's collarbone as Ringo pointed his gun at Gyro. You heard a crack and a gunshot and yanked on Johnny, pulling him onto your aching body. You wrapped your arms around him and with a shrill cry, you managed to pull him to the other side of you, holding him tight to yourself. His blond hair splayed across your cheek matted with blood as you watched Gyro land on the bookshelf for the second time.

"This is the second shot! This decides it!" Ringo screamed with his left hand glued to his left collarbone, with blood pouring from the middle of it. He reloaded his gun with a single click and kept it pointed at Gyro, gritting his teeth as he pressed his hand harder into his collarbone. You held Johnny a little tighter, looking at Gyro frantically. Had it worked? You hadn't been too busy shielding Johnny to see if Gyro's plan had worked— your stomach churned.

Gyro met your gaze, his eyes shining with self-assurance. It was unexpected to see a man— he had always been so wishy-washy about you in retrospect, constantly flipping back and forth between thinking you were amazing and wishing you were dead somewhere— staring into your eyes the way Gyro was doing. It tugged hard at your heart, almost like he was trying to rip your heart to bury it six feet under. So when Ringo began to choke on his own blood and unspoken words, you couldn't help but let your heart go.

"With your left arm, Ringo Roadagain, you guarded your collarbone," Gyro began, sitting up with his gaze fixed on Ringo who writhed on the ground like he had six seconds before turning the knob on his watch the first time, "you wanted to finish me off with that second shot. And because of that defensive stance, your attack didn't hit any vitals and instead hit my shoulder. The end would be when you fired your next shot..." Gyro started getting to his feet as Ringo's body went slack.

"A shard of wood... the pieces of wood that were falling ...you remembered where they were from the first six seconds and used your steel ball to launch them at me," Ringo muttered in shock, eyes trained on Gyro's every move. You, on the other hand, let yourself relax, staring up at the shattered ceiling with Johnny still cradled in your arms. You could feel his faint breath against your neck, feather-light but still there. It was something, better than nothing, for sure.

"Admirable, Gyro Zeppeli... I was one move behind."

"If you hadn't been guarding yourself with one arm, you would have definitely hit my vitals... someone as capable as you..." Gyro trailed off, putting his steel ball back in his holster as he watched Ringo inch his right hand forward, fingers nearing the handle of his gun.

"But that would have brought the match to a duel again... another six-second rewind... it would have gone on. The duel would have never ended. Though it seems as if those six seconds are already up," Ringo said with a faint smile, starting the shakily wrap his fingers around the handle. His wristwatch was still ticking and Ringo knew if he played his cards right, he could kill Gyro right then and there.

"Stop it. Don't try anything funny. There's no second shot for you. Put that gun down. I'm satisfied... there's no reason for me to finish you off," Gyro ordered as Ringo's face fell, his hand sitting comfortably on the gun's handle. He managed to sit himself up, slowly, but up regardless. The shard still poked out of his collarbone, centimeters away from piercing into the flesh of his cheek. But that wouldn't matter soon.

"That's why you are a conformist! Find the path of light! The shining path that one must tread! These are societal values and also a true man's values. They used to be synonymous in the past but currently, the two are not necessarily one and the same," Ringo babbled, blood dripping down from his chin as his heartbeat started to slow, "Man and society are completely different ideals now. But the true road to victory requires embracing the true man's values and you should be able to see it now. Continue the race and find out for yourself... the path of light."

Ringo could see it now, the forest he had grown up in as a child. His mother and his sister waiting for him, big smiles on their faces. How long had it been since he had seen their faces? He could still remember the time before that man had come and taken it all away from him. Back when he couldn't rewind six seconds to stop their brutal deaths. Now, he'd leave it all behind, and finally see what he had only ever dreamed of.

"That is what I will pray for. And I thank you."

Ringo used the last of his strength to point the gun to the right, the glimmer of the metal catching your eye. You didn't even think when Iron Maiden appeared in front of you, deflecting the bullet away from you and Johnny. Gyro didn't either as he chucked the ball he had just put back into Ringo's chest, creating a cacophony of cracks that Ringo could only smile at the sound of. As your head fell onto Johnny's barely rising chest, Gyro stood back and let the light of the sun beat down over him.

"WELCOME TO THE TRUE MAN'S WORLD."

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