The crowd within the store continued to panic as the two individuals began to lose distance between one another, only a soft snicker could be heard through the smoke.
Before another word could escape Johanne's mouth, the boy who seemingly orchestrated the assault spoke up, "What is that you say? Judging by the fear of your pathetic face. You can see him. Allow me to provide some introductions. I am Avelessi Barlem... and this." Avelessi remarked as he struck a pose that parted his legs, making it seem as if he was standing a cane with both hands and smirking, a long arm sweeping away the remaining smoke to reveal the figure. "This is Eminem!"
Once the large gust was pushed away, Johanne sprawled back some in fear as this large figure appeared behind Avelessi. It was a tall, lanky and spinny figure wearing a fashionable pinstripe suit, it's body seemed to be composed of an entirely black model with piercing eyes through the shade of a top hat it wore, along with a clearly visible handlebar mustache. In its right-hand pointing at Johanne was a cane made out of gold with spiral jewels leading up from the huge pearl on the bottom to the teddy bear shaped pommel on the head of the cane, the figure upon introduction only muffled, "Hmm..." Loud enough for Johanne to hear.
"Where did the smoke go...? Is this store haunted? Is that boy some psychic or something!?" A woman in the background commented on the encounter, Johanne was listening clearly, wondering to himself; 'C-can no one else sees this thing...? Will they be able to help me out of this...?'
"What do you even want with me? I don't even know you kid." Johanne said taking another shuffled back on the floor feeling something soft yet firm to the touch brush his palm.
"First of all, I'd watch where I was scurrying little rat..." Avelessi pointed at the ground where Johanne's hand was pressed, the edge was another piece of candy.
"A Rolo...?" A small chocolate and caramel disc was there, slowly starting to flicker like the lollipop, "Shit!" Johanne screamed, using every bit of reflex he could to push off the ground and roll away revealing a few more, that caused a loud boom and damage his hand upon the roll. Using this momentum, Johanne sent his leg into one of the tables kicking it over for cover and holding his hand.
'This is bad. This is really fuckin' bad. Fuck me...' Johanne thought to himself watching the blood trickle off his hand. Avelessi only snickered as he twirled another candy in his hand.
"Truly, you are sneaky. You cannot be a normal specimen. Surely my theories are correct and you must be destroyed. Just as father wished." Avelessi boasted with his lead in the battle, his pose distorting with his head cocked and licking his lollipop.
"F-father!? Look kid I haven't done shit to anyone. I know Ichiro doesn't have kids..." Johanne scanned the area whilst most of the other guests were screaming bloody murder.
"Hey, you damn brat!" At this point, the shop owner hopped over the counter with a bat in hand and came at Avelessi, "You wrecked my shop! Take your damn fight and fireworks outta here before I -" He was cut off by Avelessi's hand.
"Do not bother me, peasant. I've tried to keep things a minimum because you have quite a wonderful selection of music. My mother sends our butler here often. She has wonderful taste and is fond of your selection. So do yourself a kindness and move on. I have business to attend to." Johanne watched from the other side of the table carefully.
"Business!? Who the fuck do you think you are!? I worked hard to make this shop what it is and you disrespect me! Now you're gonna get it!" The shop owner swung the bat at him, which was stopped by an invisible force to him, but Johanne saw it was Eminem holding the bat.
"Begone fool." Eminem snapped the bat after a moment of force, smacking it into his gut, causing his mouth to pry open, "A farewell gift." Avelessi placed a jawbreaker on his tongue and had Eminem kick him behind the counter, "Kaboom..." As a bright color flash was seen following another burst and smoke cloud.
'This dude Avelessi... He's mad. What am I supposed to do about this?' Johanne used the opportunity when searching to grab a chair that was on the ground next to the table and tossed it over the table while he wasn't looking.
Avelessi quickly dispatched the chair with Eminem's cane causing chips of wood to fall around and cloud his vision for a moment, allowing Johanne to rush him around the table, "Gotcha asshole!" Attempting to throw a punch at Avelessi, which brought a shock to him.
Eminem quickly responded to the charge and smacked his arm away with the cane, causing Johanne to groan in pain then another scream followed Eminem kicking him across the room.
Tumbling over another table and into a display stand, his back was pressed against it groaning feeling a sharp pain in his side from the kick, following some coughing a bit of blood. "W-well... That was sorta worth a shot." He spoke to himself trying to get up.
"Tsk. Stay down already. Where your kind belongs." Avelessi taunted the wounded Johanne, flicking his wrist and making sticks of pocky fly out between his fingers. "Funny thing about Eminem's ability. It's so enjoyable. It can turn simple pieces of candy, into so many fun kinds of fireworks. Like so." His wrist flicked, igniting the ends of the pocket in a sizzling flare that ran up it like a fuse.
"Oh no," Johanne whispered, making a mad dash to the side as they were sent flying already with a loud whistle popping against the displays leaving large black streaks against it and destroying some of the CDs. The last one crashed against Johanne's back and exploded causing him to tumble forward and reach back holding the wound for a moment before rolling to his knees groaning in pain.
Avelessi slowly approached him with a grin, swinging his bag of treats that He had been retrieving the ammunition from. "Oh, how the prideful have fallen. I heard your little speech at the Ice cream parlor. It was hilarious that you think you can make a difference."
Johanne's eyes flashed open in anger, leaning his chin up to see Avelessi. "W-what? Say that again punk..." His body battered but his spirit unbroken slowly began to push from the floor.
"I was blessed. Gifted even to be above all of this. A product of my beautiful mother. Above you trash below these wonderful hills. This ability was proof of my father's trust in my ability to steer these issues away." He moved his hand to place it on Eminem's arm, turning to glare at Johanne with a cheeky grin. "You're nothing and you won't be anything. Your society will be crushed by the weight of mine. Father and I will make sure of this. Then Mother will be proud again. Father won't keep her away from me. We can be a family again as soon as you and that PEST JOTARO DIE!" A bright aura flowed around Avelessi and Eminem as he took a few PEZ from a dispenser in the bag and riddled them between his fingers.
"Piece of shit..." Johanne muttered under his breath, blood dripping to the floor from his head and hand in small bits. His eyes were filled with rage as he looked past his frilled blond and silver hair. His fists clenched and pointed at Avelessi quickly, "It's shit like you and your Dad that are ruining this place. Many families starve away into nothing and disappear because of you! Bloodlines come there to die because they can't live on scraps and hope! I'll be damned if I die here and let this go on! I'll come at you and this twisted reality like never before!" An aura as well began to form around Johanne which started to make Avelessi jerk back slightly.
"Is that so!? Do you think you have what it takes? Some school skipping little dirt child!? Die!" Avelessi tossed the PEZ between his fingers at Johanne preparing for another attack.
"No, you spoiled brat! I don't think so, I WILL!" His scream echoed as the candies flew closer then flickering into another bright burning flash in front of Johanne. Avelessi covered his eyes slightly as the smoke cloud shaded the area, awaiting the dropped body of Johanne. "Don't you get any new tricks?"
Avelessi panicked quickly and stepped back as the smoke began to clear. Johanne's aura was brighter than before, his posture was solid and his rage was as pure as his piercing glare. A shimmer came from in front of him, along with a black silhouette that was even closer than that. "It can't be... You too!?"
As the smoke faded a tall, lean figure appeared before Johanne. It wore a solid, jet black marching band coat with matching straps that seemed to take the place of lower garments that hung off a straight jacket close to its legs, long stringy hair and normal humanoid eyes that had several black streaks on a white painted face almost like a doll. Gloves that had little daggers on the knuckles. "Would you look at that. I got a ghost too Avelessi."
"IMPOSSIBLE! HOW THE HELL WOULD YOU GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO MY FATHER TO GET THAT!? THIS IS A DREAM! IT CAN'T BE REAL!" Avelessi quickly passed more treats to his Eminem in which it tossed them by two waves.
"Stop them!" Quickly the black figure by Johanne waved its hand in front of the first wave making it seemingly explode on the air and the other hand reaching over and tossing a smaller table across the second wave and making it explode sending wood and dust across the area but knocking Avelessi back some.
"But how!? How did you get a ghost that strong!?" Avelessi was freaking out at this point, suddenly more footsteps appeared in the entrance.
"Yare Yare... Took you long enough kid. I know the arrow takes time but you always seem fired up on the surface." Johanne and Avelessi both turned their heads to see Jotaro in the doorway with a grin softly brushed across his lips and his hat tipped down. "Don't let me intrude."
"Not a chance!" Johanne was already dashed forward and in front of Avelessi. His right arm reared up and sent speeding towards his face, smashing Eminem's cane and sending Avelessi flying over a few more tables.
'S-shit I couldn't react fast enough...!' Avelessi barely composed the thought as he flew over and groaned in pain, quickly trying to regain his stability and grasp of the situation. "F-father said I only had this ability around here... Me... You can't..." He reached into his bag retrieving another piece of candy.
Johanne was tossing up a can of soda that had rolled off one of the snack displays next to the CDs and tossed it to his ghost, "Ah but you see jackass. I can. And I will." He pointed his finger toward Avelessi and the ghost beside him tossed the can at Avelessi's hand with such speed and force when he was preparing to toss the candy that it smacked the bag out of his hand, making him scream.
"W-why!? Why did it feel like a brick hit my hand!?" Avelessi's hand was now swollen from the impact and twitching profusely, stepping back more. "Y-you're nothing... I can't believe this. M-mother... This is impossible..." Some tears flooded his eyes in fear, his reality shattered while Johanne approached him once again and sent a devastating uppercut to him. Eminem quickly emerged to stop the attack but was quickly met with another attack from the black figure and received several jabs to the head and chest tracking the block making Avelessi cough blood before Johanne's attack hit and sent him back and slamming him onto the far end of a table against the wall propped against it.
"This isn't right... Why did I have to lose to you?" Avelessi was half conscious and looking for his bag, to which Johanne was holding and tossing up and down in his palm until he dropped it to his feet crushing it. Johanne slowly approached the table and was about to deliver the last blow.
"Hold on," Jotaro called out to Johanne before he peeked over his shoulder at him, "These ghosts usually have names. As you saw with his. And also, don't forget to say something cool. It'll feel better. Trust me." Jotaro grinned some more covering his face again.
"Hmph. Idiot..." Upon turning back around, Johanne glanced at the shelf and smirked, "Don't let me catch you degrading my folk again. Or you'll catch another set of these hands! Go M.C.R!" The newly named M.C.R slammed its fist into the table with incredible strength smashing it and flinging Avelessi into the air towards it before assaulting him mid-air with a large barrage of punches, the impact of each one hitting Avelessi echoed just barely through a loud, "NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA!" coming from M.C.R as it delivered a final blow to his back and slamming him into the rack they originally spoke at for the Owl City CDs.
Panting heavily and filled with adrenaline-fueled rage, his legs shuffled apart, his head rolled back and turned to the side and forearms crossed over his chest flaring out his fingers to pose with M.C.R as it stood behind him confidently posing with his fist raised to the air. Soon after his body caved in and collapsed to the floor, M.C.R fading into thin air soon after.
"Hmm. Well done kid. Look like you've got the heart of a Joestar after all." Jotaro walked over to Johanne, kneeling down picking up Johanne and slung him over his shoulder before turning his head to the still frightened people behind the counter, "Ah. You all have a nice day." Before exiting the building.
Sometime later...
Later in the day, much later after things had calmed down and the events of the Music Store passed around in rumor. Johanne slowly woke up in his bed to the sound of a couple of faint voices. The sun was setting slowly out his window as he tried to get up with a quick wince of pain, "F-fuck..." He said remembering the beating he took.
"Looks like you broke that promise. But I'll let you take it easy." Johanne's father slowly approached the bed, reaching his hand out and onto his shoulder. The man was dressed in a white shirt and camo jeans. Muscular, old in age but still well kept with brown hair and a sort of gray hairs on the edges, scars lining his face and arms and a star necklace. "Heard from your friend there... You got in quite the fight. Nothing like your old ones from school."
Johanne remained silent for several moments looking down at his bandaged hands and body. "I almost died today." They both grew quiet until looking in the window and jumping back seeing M.C.R in the window staring him back. "D-do you see that Dad?"
His father scratched his head observing the window, "Beside those hydrangeas I planted. I don't see a darn thing. That bump to the head hit you harder than you think?"
Jotaro approached the bed, catching Johanne's attention with a tap on the shoulder, suddenly once his head was turned Star Platinum was behind his back staring him down. "You have a ghost too...?"
"Ghosts? We've got ghosts too? What the hell is going on? You know what. I'm makin' some god damn tea." His father rose from the chair muttering to himself about his son being injured and superstition.
"So you weren't lying about anomalies and strange events. We've got these ghosts. So does Avelessi. Who knows who else might have one. Shit..." He fell back against the bed, his hair no longer pinned in the ponytail.
"Stands. These are called Stands. They are special spirits in a sort. I used to believe mine was a demon possessing me to do no good deeds. Contrary to that belief, It's a manifestation of one's inner fighting spirit. Who they are. Your fighting spirit woke itself up when you were fighting Avelessi. Of course, after you were pricked with this." Jotaro said pulling out an envelope with an arrow in it, much like the one in the pictures before.
"No fuckin' way. So that's what it was ya jerk. That hurt you know." He said turning his head back to the window groaning some. "It helped me though. So I can't be too mad."
"Stand users are attracted to one another. That might have fueled Avelessi to attack you more than just his ulterior motives." Jotaro took a seat once again making Star Platinum fade behind him. "The way he spoke. His father might have just what we are looking for." Jotaro said looking at the other arrow He was possessing.
"I'll help you. I don't know why and my back hurts like hell. But I can't just sit around with all this power and do nothing after that speech. Now, can I? Besides, I have to figure out what the hell M.C.R can do. I'm too excited Mr. Jotaro!" Johanne rolled his arm in a stretching manner, following another groan in pain then laughing at him while falling back. Jotaro only smiled and his father stood in the doorway with a wide grin holding the tray of tea.
Suddenly being pushed aside by another figure, almost dropping the cups of tea another young boy's voice chilled the room, "Hallmark moment over! Caught another beating have we? And boy did they do a number on you. Hahaha!" A young brown haired teenager around the same height, age, and build as Johanne came through, dressed in a similar uniform as him but with multiple strands and buttons with a string sash across his chest, and work boots up to his ankles instead of usual causal goth boots like Johanne.
"Ah great. Barge right in why don't you. I should call your father and have him beat you straight!" Johanne's father addressed accordingly.
"Forgive me Mr. Nobura. I was just DYING to see the shape my good friend was in." The boy said dropping beside Johanne on the bed, the shame made him groan in pain.
"Goddamnit Kiba! Watch yourself, this shit hurts like crazy. If I wasn't beat up I'd headlock your ass." He threatened back which Kiba only smiled at manically and laughed.
"Oh, you couldn't fight your way out of a wet paper bag with that mummy look you got going on. But whatever. I overheard your conversation.I'm always up for a scheme whatever the hell you mean with all these ghosts and what not. But you'll need grounds. Foundations must be broken and the information is our first stop. We need to know who to go after."
Jotaro and Johanne both sat there in silence at how informed he was with just eavesdropping. "Yare yare… Looks like you've accumulated the mind of a crook at such a young age."
Kiba snickered under his breath and flicked a pocket knife out of his wrist, juggling it over and close around his fingers with a wide smile, "What can I say? To live in this town you need skills and connections! My father brought me up to believe that. It wasn't my fault! Hahahaha!" The boy continued his cackle, obviously giddy about the trouble he was about to get in.
Johanne, Jotaro, and Nobura sighed under their breaths, distributing the cups of tea and going back to their casual ramblings past the loud noises extruding from Kiba. This was only the beginning of our adventure.