Chapter 2: Still The Same
It was always the same.
No matter what he tried, nothing changed. Every day was the same process with only minor differences here and there.
This was his fate.
"Look at him, I think he's gonna cry!"
"Alberto, this time aim for his cheek!"
"Alright, but only because you asked so nicely!"
He had learned that a long time ago.
Pain flooded his body as his head whipped around. His vision faded to black before it quickly returned after a moment, just in time to see himself land on a black trash bag. Whoever tied it hadn't done a good job, as he felt moldy garbage fall on top of his hair.
"Eww, disgusting! Don't you know how to bathe!?"
"Of course he doesn't!"
They laughed. The same mocking laughs that he heard for almost his entire life.
A boy was slowly trying to get the garbage out of his black, shoulder-length hair. He could smell the stench now infused into his black button jacket and blue shorts.
He turned his head just in time to see a shoe land on his face. He fell back down onto the garbage, this time with a bit of blood running down his lips.
The much bigger boy did not let up as he continued to push down on his face.
"You'd think a bastard like you would get it at this point."
His voice became low. It was quieter than a whisper.
"You can't run from us."
He hadn't tried to. He just forgot. He honestly just forgot to pay them. That was it.
"You just gotta accept that you're our bitch."
The bigger boy did not need to tell him that.
Alberto, just another one the people who punished him, lifted his shoe and slammed it down on his face again.
He let out a grunt. He had become so used to this that his tolerance for pain was far above a normal child's. He was truly thankful for that. At least he didn't have to worry about any permanent damage.
The three of them gave him another round of laughter. It was somehow even crueler than before.
They then walked away and left him to sit on the filthy garbage. They left him alone in the alley they had trapped him in.
But they would be back.
They always came back.
There really was no use running.
Throughout the beating, his eyes had remained the same. They held the same gaze no matter how hard they punched him. Even now, they were empty.
He let out a sigh. He wiped away the blood on his lips and then tried his best to get the garbage off his body.
But no matter how thorough he was, no matter what he did, there would always be a massive amount of garbage on his presence. Because his entire body was made of nothing but the most disgusting trash.
Nothing but filth existed within his soul.
"You little shit!"
For the second time, his cheek was hit with something hard and fast. This time though, it was a leather belt. A belt that bit into his skin.
A belt that belonged to his step-father.
"What the hell is up with that stench!"
He hit the floor. He could already feel the bruise forming on the side of his face. Once again his vision faded to black.
He thought his step-father would be at work. Or perhaps drunk at a bar. He hadn't expected him to be home so early.
"You're bringing in piles garbage into my house!"
He hadn't. At worse, there had only been a tiny amount of the trash that had once covered his body. But it was still enough to make his stepfather furious.
"Who the fuck do you think you are?!"
Nobody. He didn't think he was anybody.
He barely even qualified as human.
Another strike landed on his side. The force sent him tumbling over to his back. He now looked right into his stepfather's eyes. Eyes that held a smoldering fury he had seen so many times before.
But there was something else within his step-father's face. It was anger, but it was a different kind of rage than the one burning within his expression. This anger looked... Fragile. Like at any second, with just one word, it would-.
"You son of a bitch are you trying to read me!"
His eyes were still empty.
But he must have had on that expression. The expression his step-father hated.
The expression of someone whose eyes never knew when to stop looking. To stop searching for something that would only lead him to more pain.
And in his step father's words, the expression of someone who didn't know his place.
"You're nothing but a shit stain!"
He knew that.
The belt came down again. Hard enough to cause blood to fall down his forehead.
This was not worse than his other beating by his father. Perhaps it hurt more, in the physical sense, but in other ways, it was the same.
Because every beating from his stepfather always reminded him how much of a worm he truly was.
He had finished wrapping his bandages as his mother came home. His step-father had already gone out after he was satisfied with the punishment he gave him.
This was rare. Normally, his mother wouldn't be home until the darkest hours of the night. Yet it was only eight thirty.
She stood in front of him. She hadn't even glanced at all the bandages that covered his head.
"I need some cash for another ladies night. Do you know where I put my wallet?"
He shook his head.
She rolled her eyes and let out a sigh.
"How come you never pay attention to the important stuff?"
He didn't respond to that.
She walked past him and went into the kitchen.
"Ahh, I found it."
He climbed up the stairs as his mother came out of the kitchen.
"I got beat up again."
His voice sounded more hollow the usual; as if it had somehow found an even deeper pit to burrow under.
He didn't know why he even bothered saying that.
"What, that again? Those boys probably aren't as bad as your making it out to be. You've gotta get a thicker skin. You're seven already."
He was eight. And he didn't know how to get skin thick enough to withstand a belt.
"Francisco did too."
"Oh come on."
She didn't even glance at him as she opened the door. He didn't need to see her face to see how annoyed she was.
Why did he even say that? Now his step-father was probably going to beat him again tomorrow when he heard about what he told her. Even though both he and his stepfather knew telling his mother wouldn't change anything.
That telling anyone would change anything.
"Your father get's a little rough, he's told me that, but you're a man. You have to learn how to take it. Do you know how whiny you sound right now?"
He was aware. Which was why he hated himself for even speaking.
His mother gave another sigh as she still did not turn around to look at him.
"Don't expect me to be back anytime soon."
He didn't.
And with that, she closed the door.
And he was alone.
Just like always.
He limped up the stairs and eventually made it to his room. He reached his bed and slowly climbed on top of it. He then laid his head on top of his pillow.
His eyes were still just as empty as when the day had started.
Why did he have to be born like this?
He felt his hands slowly clench into fists.
Why did he have to be such a piece of shit? Why did he have to be born as such a pathetic boy?
He was beaten almost every day by seemingly everyone because he was a failure of a human being. No one ever helped him because he wasn't worth the effort. He deserved to get such cruel treatment from his fellow men because he was nothing more than a disgusting child.
It wasn't fair. He hadn't asked to exist. He hadn't asked to go through this hell. He hadn't wanted to be born such a waste of a person.
But fate seemed to want him to live a life of misery.
His eyes were as empty as they always had been and always would be. His expression never changed from the melancholic look permanently etched into his skin.
This was how he would die. A boy who would forever be the world's whipping boy. All because he was the most despicable of scum. All because he was worth less than zero.
Damn it.
Haruno Shiobana cried into his pillow. He did make a single sound as he did so. He wept until he fell to sleep.
Though...it was strange. There was something he felt right before he fell to sleep.
It felt like...a hand. A hand that rested on the back of his head; a warm hand that made his body a lot less cold. It was like...something had entered his body and created a light inside it.
He must have been dreaming.
For there's no way someone like him deserved such a soft and gentle touch.
He did not expect Maroon would take him to a café of all places.
Perhaps a bar. Maybe even an apartment where the man had been staying. But not a café.
Yet here he was.
Giorno Giovana looked up from his cup of coffee towards Maroon. The man had gotten rid of his torn pants and shirt and replaced them with something less conspicuous. He now wore a long-sleeved blue shirt and jet black jeans. On his head were an equally black baseball cap and sunglasses that hid his eyes from the world. And in his hands was a cup of tea; he rose the white porcelain up to his mouth to take a sip. His arm was trembling though, so parts of his tea spilled onto the table that separated the two.
Even behind those glasses, he could see Maroon's eyes glancing in every direction. See how they sometimes lingered on the people who were sitting on the opposite end of the cafe. There were beads of sweat traveling down the man's forehead as he shakily put the cup back on the table. Maroon's other hand was clenching the leg of his pants in a tight grip.
He could hear how heavy the man's panting was as he brought an arm up to wipe the sweat from his brow.
After they had disposed of the White Fang bodies, Maroon had led him to a store where he could buy clothes to replace the rags the man had been wearing. To avoid suspicion, Maroon had stayed outside while he went in and bought the only clothes he could buy with the money they had. When he had acquired the clothes, Maroon changed as quickly as he could as he ditched his old clothes in a trash can.
And just as Maroon finished changing, he heard it. A familiar noise he had heard so many times back in his home.
Police sirens.
Maroon started to tremble the moment the sound of the sirens reached his ears. The man could barely take even a step forward. He glanced in every direction as his breathing became labored and erratic, eyes were bulging out of their sockets as fear twisted his expression. He was a bit surprised that this man used to be a part of a gang if this was his reaction to the mere sound of the police.
He had tried to calm him down, but nothing worked. Maroon was convinced that those sirens meant that the police had found the bodies they had hidden. It had only been about twenty minutes since he had killed the White Fang members, so he would admit there was a chance that the man was right. And for all he knew, the cops in this town might actually have the power to find the culprits who killed those men in minutes. The police in his old town were morons, but perhaps the police here actually did their jobs.
So he had decided to listen to Maroon when he said they needed to find someplace to hide quickly. He said that they couldn't make it to the place he had originally intended to take him to, so he had asked the man to take him to whatever place he considered safe and was not too far away.
Which was why he was currently sitting in a small booth located near one of the corners of the café. Maroon had said that this was the only place he could think of in such a short time. Any other place would have taken too much time and would risk getting caught by the police. While it was rather public, by this hour the only people here were the waiters and about a few other patrons scattered throughout the cafe.
Maroon had told him that this would be one of the few places open now. Apparently, it had become a trend for stores and other business to close before nightfall. He immediately understood why.
Who would want to have their store opened when there were gang members roaming the streets?
He reached for his cup of coffee and took a sip.
Hmm. A bit too bitter for his taste, but it wasn't awful. They had enough money leftover from the corpses they robbed to place an order, that way they wouldn't get kicked out of the store.
He looked back to the Maroon, who was still sweating and glancing in every direction. He was constantly fidgeting in the brown leather seat of the booth, adjusting the cap on his head every other second. Maroon was expecting someone to attack him at any moment. As if he was expecting someone to walk in through the doors and shoot him in the head.
And because of that, he looked like the textbook example of someone who was hiding from the law. Anyone looking at him would immediately think Maroon was suspicious. He was thankful no one was really paying attention to them right now, but that could change very quickly.
"I know you're scared, but you need to stop shaking."
His voice was a whisper, but it was still sharp and clipped. The severity of his words demanded Maroon's attention.
Maroon's head turned towards him. The man's trembling had decreased slightly. Even from behind his sunglasses, he could see Maroon was staring right into his eyes.
And he could see the fear slowly slithering into Maroon's expression. It was a different kind of fear than from before. It wasn't a fear born from worrying about getting caught by the police. It was a fear that had been created by him. Maroon was still afraid of him. And after his emotional display from before, he could not really blame the man.
He made sure to make that his next words were spoken as softly as possible.
"I understand that you're afraid, but you shouldn't be. Even if those sirens outside are looking for us, I highly doubt they'll think to look in a café for the ones responsible for those mens' death. You were the one who picked this place, and I have confidence in your ability to find a decent location to hide for the time being."
Maroon seemed to relax at his words. He could see the tension slowly leaving his shoulders. And while he still trembled, it was far less noticeable than before.
When a man gets complimented by someone who possesses great strength, there are a number of reactions to expect. The reaction he got from Maroon was the one he knew the man would take. If he, the one who defeated several armed thugs who were set on killing Maroon, had faith that they were safe, then surely the man must have been fretting too much. Maroon would think that since the one who rescued him was absolutely confident he had chosen a secure place to hide, there was no reason to be scared.
And adding in the kindness of his voice, Maroon would also start the think that maybe he shouldn't be afraid of the man who had such great power across from him.
He could see most of the anxiety and worry within Maroon slowly fading away.
"I'm... I'm sorry, you're right."
He glanced at the cup of coffee sitting on the table.
"It's just... Before tonight, I thought I was done."
Maroon let out a long sigh.
"I thought that I could finally put all of this stuff behind me. I thought that after today I could stop worrying about the White Fang."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Why did you think that?"
This might be a chance to gain more information about this world. Or, at the very least, let him know just how desperate this man's situation was. It might let him know how to get this man to give him the answers he needed.
"Because after being on the run for so long, I finally did it. I found a way to get out of Vale. I had to hide for months. I've had to steal from stores that had already been robbed. But I finally got enough cash to pay someone to help me get out of this city."
Maroon let out a long breath. Even with his glasses, he could tell the man had closed his eyes as he leaned further back into his seat.
"And then this shit happens. I think I'm about to die, just as I finally found a way out of this place."
He placed both hands on the side of his temples. He was shaking again.
"I'm thankful that you saved me. I would have been just another corpse they killed if you hadn't helped. But right now, all of this shit is just another reminder that I need to leave as quickly as possible."
His glasses fell down his nose a little. And he could now see how wide Maroon's black eyes were. The rings under his eyes were deeper than before.
"I just want to have a normal life."
Maroon leaned forward, resting both his arms on the table. He could see just how tired the man was. His earlier assumptions were right. The man in front of him had been running for a very long time. Never stopping, and always in fear of getting caught.
He glanced towards his coffee before gazing back at Maroon.
"There is nothing wrong with wanting a normal life."
Maroon looked up at him.
"I do not know your past, but I can tell that whatever your running away from is something that you're not proud of."
He saw the man's hands clench into fists. His hat seemed to move a little, the wolf ears twitching from underneath it. Maroon's actions confirmed his words. Not that he had any doubts, reading the man across from him was rather easy.
He slowly reached for his cup.
"Whatever you did, you wish to put it all in the past and move on with your life. You regret whatever crimes you had committed, and now want a second chance."
He brought the cup to his lips and took a long sip of his drink.
"If you desire a normal life, then that is fine. I do not know you well enough to cast judgment."
That was a bit of lie. He had been able to figure out a large portion of this man's character through their limited interactions.
Once he was finished, he slowly put the cup of coffee back onto the table. He wished they had enough "Lien" to ask for cream. Cream would have made his drink taste so much better.
"However, I can say that being gunned down in an alley before getting tortured would be a fate only the cruelest of bastards deserved."
He looked right into Maroon's eyes. Calm ocean blue met fearful black. Maroon could only hold his gaze for a second before he glanced away. The man was once again biting his lower lip.
"I believe it is safe to say that you're not such a person. You might have sinned, but you're not the worst person out in the world."
Maroon turned and stared at him. Within Maroon's eyes, he could see the man was slowly processing his words. Maroon was trying to figure out whether his words had been a reassurance that he was not as bad as he thought, or if the man across from him was mocking him in some way.
He was not. He did not know everything about Maroon, but he did know some things. Maroon wasn't anywhere close to the same level of evil as Diavolo. One look into his black eyes told him that much.
The contemplative expression on Maroon soon faded as he let out a sigh.
"I guess not being the worst person in the world is better than nothing. Considering...what I've done."
Maroon slowly pushed his sunglasses back onto his face. His eyes once again concealed to the world.
Now with Maroon at the very least somewhat less agitated, he decided it would be a good time as any to ask his questions.
"As soon as you answer my questions, you can leave."
His made sure to soften his eyes before he spoke his next words. He could feel his lips morphing from a firm line to a regretful frown.
"I know you just want to get away from this city, but I need your help right now. So please."
He saw Maroon once again bite his lower lip. The man had a rather obvious tell. Whenever he was hesitating or fearful of something, he would bite his lip.
And the fact that the man who saved him, the man who did not judge him even though he was a part of a gang was only asking him to answer a few questions...
Well, he knew Maroon well enough to know he wouldn't refuse.
He saw the hesitance fade from his expression.
"Alright, ask away."
Those words confirmed it. Maroon was a person he could easily get his answers from. And nothing was going to stop him now that he could finally get them.
"Thank you."
Now, how to begin? If he asked questions that were too idiotic, he might end up making the man across from him believe he was crazy. He needed to make sure that he did not scare Maroon off, else he might never get his answers.
An idea came to his mind.
"First, let me give you a...disclaimer, of sorts."
"What is it?"
"I'm going to be asking you questions even a baby would know the answer to."
He saw Maroon quirk his head to the side. His cap once again was shaking slightly from underneath.
"Um...why?"
"Becuase I do not know you."
There was an edge to his voice now; a steel that was present in his every word. And his eyes were now cold.
Fear was once again beginning to engulf Maroon's expression. He could see the man slowly scooting further back into his seat.
"I do not know who you are, where you came from, or even if you plan to answer me honestly. The only thing I know is that you have committed crimes in your past, and that does not exactly instill me with confidence."
That was it. Play off the fact that Maroon's past made trusting him next to impossible for most people. By making it seem like he was distrustful, this man would immediately be worried. By being somewhat hostile, the man would become fearful that perhaps his savior might turn him into a corpse just like he had done to his former comrades.
"I-I'll answer you honestly! I-I promise!"
Maroon raised his voice slightly. He could practically feel the anxiety lodged in his every word.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"If you truly are, then you will not mind answering simple questions that everyone should know. And once you do answer these questions, it will give me a better picture as to who you are as a person."
He paused. He could see fear and perplexion expanding within Maroon's expression.
"You see, people always insert tiny biases into every answer they give to others. Ask two men what he thinks about this city, one may say he loves it because of the people, and the other one may say he loves it because of the food. These biases help others understand how people think. How they function and what motivates them."
He placed a hand under his chin and put his elbow on top of the table.
"They can try to hide these biases of course. But, some men can tell when people are purposely trying not let their opinions slip into their answers. And I am one of those men."
He once again reached for his cup and took another sip. He lowered the cup so it was now near his chin.
He heard Maroon swallowing audibly.
"I want you to answer every question as if you're the one asking it. Do not hold anything back. Let your opinion be known. Act as if I am have been living under a rock for my entire life and have just now ventured into this city. If you hate something, tell me why you hate. If you love something, tell me why you love it. I want to get to know you as a person, that way I can tell if you're lying to me about important information."
He knew his eyes were as sharp as daggers by this point.
"So for your sake, I truly hope you answer every question of mine, no matter how simple, as honestly as possible."
Maroon immediately nodded his head. The fear continued to envelop his face as he let out a shaky breath.
"I-I understand. Any questions, I'll answer. No matter what."
"Good."
He put his cup back on the table.
It was preferable to be intimidating than to be kind right now. He needed his answers as quickly as possible. By eliciting fear from Maroon, the man would be less inclined to hesitate when answering. And it also meant that Maroon would not even think about lying to him. From what he knew about Maroon and given his situation, being cruel would be his best option to get every answer he needed without the worry of the man thinking he was some lunatic.
So with the proper preparations in place, it was time to begin.
"Now, let's start with something easy."
His eyes looked at his cap.
He might as well go with the most obvious question in his mind.
"What are you?"
"A Faunus."
Images of the men he had killed appeared in his mind. Specifically their eyes and faces.
"The other men who were chasing you were Faunus as well?"
"Ye-Yes."
"And what exactly is a Faunus, in your words?"
Maroon paused. His eyes glanced around the table, trying to form the best words to answer his question. After a moment, he seemed to come up with an answer.
"We're like humans, but the only difference is that Faunus have animal traits."
That was... a rather simple definition.
There had to be more. He could still feel the strange energy emitting from the man across from him. It was unlike anything he had ever felt. Gentle yet ferocious. Warm and deadly. It was something that fascinated him.
"Is that really the only difference between humans and Faunus?"
There was another pause as Maroon looked at his hands.
"I mean when you get down to it...there really isn't that much of a difference between us. Physically I guess we have some advantages over human's like night vision."
So his race had night vision? Well, that sounded like a rather useful ability.
"But other than that and...the obvious..."
Maroon's eyes glanced to his head.
"There really isn't much of a difference to me."
So did that mean that all of these Faunus had animal traits? And if so, was it just limited to their physical appearance? Could one say have the traits of a camel and be capable of going long periods of time without water? He wanted to ask similar questions, but he only needed answers to the most important ones now. Ones that were detrimental in staying inconspicuous and understanding this world.
The rest he could find out later.
He remembered the device Obsidian had shown him.
"What is a Scroll?"
Obsidian raised a brow.
"A Scroll?"
"Remember what I said before."
His eyes narrowed. Fear once again returned to Maroon's expression. The...Faunus quickly nodded his head.
"So-Sorry."
He brought a fist up to his mouth before coughing into it.
"A Scroll is...well, how people communicate with each other."
"Be more specific."
"It's a device that lets people talk to one another even if one of you is in Atlas and the other's in Vacuo."
So they were like phones. In addition to that, Maroon had just said "Atlas." The same place Obsidian mentioned. And "Vacuo," a new word that sounded like it was just as important as "Atlas." Were they countries? No, if Vale was a kingdom, then there might be a chance that those two places Maroon mentioned might also be Kingdoms. He couldn't rule anything out. He needed more information.
But then again, this was just the beginning of their conversation.
And apparently, Maroon wasn't done describing Scrolls.
"They let you take pictures, send messages to other people, heck, I even seen some that can tell you how much aura you have left."
Again with "aura." Maroon seemed to have a different definition as to what aura was then his own. What exactly was that term so important to him?
"And thanks to the improvements on the CTT, the range of Scrolls have increased."
And yet another term that sounded rather important appeared.
"And what is the CTT?"
"The Cross-Continental Transmit System. It's what makes Scrolls able to send messages to other people or videos. It has like a lot of information stored inside it, and we can look up the info with our Scrolls."
This was beginning to sound like the internet. Granted, it seemed to be different in some ways, but the core design looked to be the same.
"So how does it work?"
"I... I can't really explain that. Not that I don't want to! I just... It's really complicated to explain. If I had my Scroll I could maybe show you, but I lost that thing a while ago."
He had expected this. From what Maroon had described, it sounded like this CTT was a bit too complex for an ordinary man to describe. It was just like with the internet back in his world. People knew what it was, but they did not know how it functioned.
God did it feel strange to think about his world like that. Like it wasn't even around anymore. As if it had just been destroyed-.
He crushed those thoughts.
Focus only on the questions. That was all he had to do.
And there was one important question that was better to be asked now rather than later.
"Before, you mentioned "aura" when talking about Scrolls."
He made sure to keep his face in an emotionless mask.
"Tell me, what do you think "aura" is?"
He knew this word was important. To him, aura had always been nothing more than an overtly flashy light show that would always activate whenever he used his powers. But normally, ordinary people could not see his aura. Only Stand users should be able to see the energy that was channeled whenever he summoned his partner. Yet somehow, a group of normal people could see not only his aura but also his Stand.
This world apparently altered the rules of Stands. Somehow, ordinary people could see the manifestation of his soul now.
And this was...an undesirable outcome.
He needed to know what exactly aura was here. It was obvious the people here had their own version as to what it was. Since Maroon had said the energy that surrounded him was "aura," then that meant there was one similarity. Both his and this world's definition of aura was an energy that could surround a man, though that couldn't be all. There had to be other differences or similarities.
He prepared himself for whatever was about to come out of Maroon's mouth. He needed to keep his mind alert and sharp. Whatever the man across from him would say, he needed to be able to dissect his words and realize the meaning of them.
"Aura is the... manifestation of the soul."
...Well, that sounded familiar.
"At least, that's how I've heard it being described."
"Keep going."
This topic was now even more important than before. Unless this world had a completely different definition of the word "soul," Maroon had just described something he knew a lot about. Something that sounded the same as what was lying in wait within his body.
For it seemed like Maroon was describing aura as the same thing as a Stand.
His aura was related to his soul, but it wasn't the manifestation of it. It was a byproduct that he would come as a result of unleashing Gold Experience. It wasn't the personification of his will, it was just the signal that would sometimes surround itself around him if he ever decided to release his full power.
But here, it appeared that aura was far more entwined with one's soul.
"Aura is kinda like a...forcefield?"
"Are you asking me or are you telling me?"
"Telling! It is a forcefield. It protects you from attacks. It's basically a shield that surrounds your whole body."
Well... That was rather interesting. A shield that protected your body sounded incredibly useful.
"And about how much damage does it protect against?"
"I think it depends on how much aura someone has. From what I've heard, if someone with aura got hit by a truck speeding down a highway, the worse injuries they would get would be a few bruises. But, I could be a little off."
From the sounds of it, aura could protect one from an immense amount of physical damage. Compared to his aura and the aura of other Stand users, this world's version of aura was something that actually helped one in battle.
He could imagine all the ways it could aide someone in a fight. Punches that would have one spitting teeth would not even sting. Blows that would leave one crippled now only left bruises. If he had something like that when he was fighting Stand users throughout Italy, then his journey would have been far less painful.
Mista would have greatly benefited from such an ability. Out of everyone in his group, he seemed to be the one to get the worse injuries.
In an instant, he felt his finger dig into the table. And his frown became a little deeper without him realizing it.
He...he couldn't think like that. He had to stop thinking about his friends now. The only thing his memories were doing right now was distracting him.
He could still hear the distorted voice echoing his name into his ear.
The questions. Just focus on them.
He let out a tiny breath.
"So, I take it from your words you don't have aura?"
"No."
That only made things more confusing. If the man across from him had aura, then perhaps it would have explained why he had seen Gold Experience. But since he didn't, there went the only explanation he could come up with.
He needed more information. He needed answers.
"How exactly do you unlock aura?"
"Um..."
Maroon's expression once again became hesitant. His eyebrows furrowed together.
"Well, I've heard there are a lot of ways to get it. Like, if someone who has aura says some kind of chant to a person who doesn't, then that person's aura is unlocked. Or they can unlock it naturally; though, I think how they do so vary from person to person. There are stories of people unlocking their aura when there in danger. Or their aura just one day unlocks by itself for seemingly no reason."
It took a second for him to process this new information.
"In other words, the method for unlocking aura, at least to do so in the natural way, is rather vague."
"Yeah."
That also sounded familiar. He would have to do further research on aura. He knew that he couldn't get any more information on this subject from Maroon. The man seemed to be struggling enough as is, so it would just waste time trying to get the Faunus to remember anything he could about aura.
It was time for the next question.
"Before you called me a...Huntsman, correct?"
"Yeah."
"What exactly is that?"
Maroon did not respond right away. Instead, he paused. His expression became contemplative. It seemed like whatever a "Huntsman" was, it was something that required some thought.
"Well...do you want me to just give you...the simplest answer?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"If you agree with it, then I do not care how simple it is."
His eyes narrowed.
"But please hurry up."
Maroon swallowed.
"Well...I guess...To me Huntsman are..."
He scratched the back of his neck. His eyes glanced to the side.
"Are the soldiers who train to fight the Grimm."
A voice in his head let loose an enormous wail.
Something was wrong.
There was something about that word, Grimm. Something in the way Maroon said it. He had heard a hidden layer of disdain in his voice the moment he said that word. And his disgust seemed to be the starting point of something more. He could hear the beginnings of a fierce animosity that sounded almost like his own for that bastard Diavolo. It seemed like that one word had caused a myriad of different emotions within the Faunus.
And that made every instinct within him scream.
What was it about this word that could cause such a feeling in Maroon? How horrible were these "Grimm" that there was apparently a group of people trained to deal with them?
And...why did he suddenly feel fear slithering in his chest when Maroon said that.
"But if you want-."
"What are Grimm?"
His voice was steady. He made sure to show no emotion whatsoever in his expression.
Maroon blinked.
"Wha-?"
"I absolutely hate repeating myself. I don't think you want to see what will happen if you force me to do that."
Fear twisted Maroon's expression. Maroon once again swallowed as the man took a moment to compose himself.
He needed to be ready for anything. He had no idea what to expect so he needed to prepare for-.
"Grimm are the creatures that have essentially destroyed the world."
His thoughts came to a halt. He felt a coldness enveloping him as he stopped breathing for a moment.
...What?
"Explain."
That word left his mouth far too quickly.
There...there was no way Maroon could mean what he thought the Faunus meant.
"Well, you know...they're responsible for wiping out most of the population."
Suddenly he could hear Obsidians words again. He could hear how shocked the man was that he didn't know the places he named. How Maroon threw out names of places and expected him to know where they were.
The coldness became more agonizing with every second.
"Maroon...how many places in this world would you say are...uninhabitable."
He chose his words carefully. He kept his voice in the same emotionless tone as before. Even as he felt his fear strangling his heart.
Maroon gave him a strange look. As if he needed a moment to comprehend his question.
"I mean...If by "uninhabitable" you mean places that aren't destroyed by the Grimm, I guess there are some settlements here and there but otherwise..."
He paused.
"The only real places that can fully count as civilizations are basically just five. Atlas, Vale, Mistral, Vacuo and Menagerie."
Ahh.
Of course.
Not only did he get transported to a new world...he got transported to a God damn post-apocalyptic one!?
Suddenly he could hear his friends frightened screams again. He could see the shadows from his dream appear right in front of him. They blinded him. They strangled him as his fear swallowed his entire body. He suddenly couldn't move; he suddenly felt trapped.
He felt his body began to twitch, spasming and he could do nothing to stop it.
Of course, being transported to another universe wasn't bad enough, he had to be transported to one that was apparently like Mad Max. Being taken away from his friends wasn't a cruel enough sentence, so he had to be sent to a place where the world was literally at risk of collapsing.
The dread slithering throughout every inch of his body became colder, almost freezing. He could feel it digging into his body and-.
No.
Subdue the fear.
Do not succumb.
You are Giorno Giovana.
You do not bend to fear's will.
You make fear bend to yours.
His conviction grew. The fires of his resolve burned within him. The immense dread that had been slithering in his body had been incinerated.
This changed nothing.
His shaking stopped, at most lasting only a few seconds.
Seal your emotions. Throw them into the deepest pits of your body.
No more. No more allowing his feelings to overwhelm his thoughts. It didn't matter if this world was ravaged by monsters. Because no matter what, he would survive and get back home. He would see his friends again and accomplish his dream.
He let out a breath.
"Before, you said Huntsman were the ones that fight the Grimm."
The fact that there was still fully functioning society left even when most of the world had perished meant they had found a way to deal with these "Grimm." That meant it didn't matter if the outside was full of monsters. It wouldn't even matter if the rest of the planet was on fire.
All that mattered was finding out the best way to survive in this society. He could find out more about these monsters later. What he should now focus on was the people who apparently fought these monsters.
The ones who, if he had to guess, played a part in preventing the world from falling apart.
"Tell me, what do you think makes them competent enough to deal with the Grimm."
Maroon paused, eyes gazing at the table as he thought about his question. After a moment, he looked back at him.
"Well, they train for years in schools learning how to fight them. They have specialized weapons that make killing Grimm way easier than it would be for normal people. And all of them have Aura and some kind of Semblance."
"And what is a Semblance?"
"It's their...ability?"
"Be more specific."
"I mean, it's kinda like...A more tangible version of Aura. Semblances are basically Huntsman's personal powers. Every Semblance is different from person to person, so their's no other word I can think of to describe them other than ability because there are so many variations. Some people get super speed because of their semblance and other people can control certain elements."
He couldn't help but feel like he had heard this before. It seemed Semblances were this true version of Stands in this world. Abilities that varied from person to person. None the same as the last. The wielders of Semblances able to do things that average people could only dream of.
He suddenly thought back to the alley, of the terrified faces those men had as they looked at his Stand. A question soon rose in his mind.
"Have you ever seen a...Semblance like mine?"
From now on in this world, he would refer to his abilities as a Semblance. Right now that word was strange to say, but with time he would get used to it. He would not draw any attention to himself unless he wanted to.
Maroon's expression once again became contemplative.
"Well...I've heard about the Schnee's being able to do some kind of...what was it called, summoning? Yeah, summoning. But it was nothing like what you did."
He would have to do research on these "Schnees."
"And why is that?"
"Because, well, I'm pretty sure they use Glyphs or something like that while you just...called that thing in an instant."
Maroon paused.
So this was a normal person's reaction to seeing a Stand. A glazed look on their face as they thought about the being that seemed so human yet so different. A touch of awe in their eyes as they recalled the speed and strength the creature of will had displayed.
And a fear that, while small at first, was slowly growing within them as they realized just how easy it could kill. A dread that whispered to them how lucky they were that they weren't his enemy.
Maroon's words and expression confirmed something he had begun to suspect since the beginning. He was the only one with anything remotely like a Stand. Even in a world where extraordinary abilities seemed to be close to the norm, he still stood out. It seemed like no one had anything close to his Gold Experience.
And that was a troublesome fact.
He sighed.
"I see."
There was a pause. There were more questions he could ask, but now that he knew there was something akin to the internet here, he could look up any trivial things that weren't truly important right now.
So that meant there was only one question left. The question that had been on his mind since the beginning.
"Tell me, what was the name of the gang you had been a part of?"
That wasn't the actual question, but he decided to ask something that could get him the answers he needed. Perhaps there was no need to be subtle and he should have just asked directly, but he could never be too cautious. He had to make sure no one, even a stranger whose life he saved, knew what he was really after.
"We're not-!"
Maroon raised his voice but stopped as he realized that he was close to shouting. The anger he heard told him that the Faunus still had feelings for the group he had once been a part of. Even when they tried to kill him, he took offense that someone called their group a gang.
And that was interesting to him.
His gaze was still blank as Maroon's eyes flickered to the table.
"...They're not...at first they weren't like that, but now..."
Maroon let out a sigh.
"Now...the White Fang is something far worse."
Maroon's fingers adjusted his sunglasses as he bit his lip. One hand clenched into a fist while the other went towards his side, the place where he had gotten shot.
"Damn it...We used to be better than this."
Was that a fact?
His eyes narrowed.
"What exactly is the White Fang?"
Of all the reactions he had expected, a small chuckle had been somewhere halfway along the list. The bitterness in his laugh began to leak into his expression as Maroon gave him a melancholic smile.
"The White Fang...the organization that fights for the rights of Faunus everywhere. The group that won't rest until Faunus are treated the same as human beings everywhere."
He raised an eyebrow at Maroon's sarcastic words.
"The White Fang that tried to get equality for all through peace, the one that those words actually applied to is basically dead."
Equality?
Once again this sounded familiar. From how Maroon was describing the White Fang, he made it sound like Faunus were discriminated against. And that the White Fang had done something to try and change it. But something happened to the group along the way.
He watched as the anger in Maroon's eyes came back. He needed to choose his next words carefully.
"So then, what is the White Fang now?"
Another laugh.
"Now... they're nothing but people who want to give every human hell because of what some of them did to us Faunus. They...I gave up on peace just like the rest of them and choose to get violent."
That confirmed his suspicions. In this world, Faunus were seen as the lesser beings to humans. Similar to the Civil Right Movement in America, it seemed like the Faunus had protested this treatment through organized groups in an attempt to get the same rights that humans did. Though, here it seemed like the peaceful protest didn't work. It looked as if the White Fang adopted a more violent philosophy in an attempt to be treated the same.
"And do you think their new actions helped the Faunus?"
Maroon's expression became irritated. Though, this irritation was born not from his words, but from the memories they brought back up. Memories that made the Faunus grit his teeth.
"I...damn it, that's what really..."
Maroon couldn't finish. The Faunus turned his head to the right as he stared at the window. After a moment, Maroon returned his gaze to him.
"Do you know what it's like?"
He blinked.
Even behind his sunglasses, he knew Maroon was looking right into his eyes. He could almost feel how tired the man's expression had become the moment those words had left his lips.
He did not respond, but Maroon took his silence as a cue to continue.
"Do you know what it's like to be seen as something to be hated? To be treated like your nothing but shit just because of how you were born? To be called a mongrel?"
Yes.
Yes, he did.
He still remained silent as Maroon let out a small hiss.
"I...we all tried to be better than those assholes. We tried to be civil when they spat in our faces, we tried to be peaceful even when they wouldn't ever do the same. But...but it wasn't working. We were still seen as animals by so many, we still couldn't get even an ounce of respect from anyone. We had families to take care of but barely anyone would hire us, and the ones that did were essentially working us to death. We were starving in the streets but no one ever helped us."
Anger consumed his voice. Maroon was no longer looking at him, but instead his eyes could only see the people who had hurt him and so many others like him.
"Nothing was working. And when our old leader stepped down, the new one that took his place saw the same thing we did. That we were still being treated like garbage, that we weren't even seen as people to humans. So...Sienna Khan changed the White Fang."
The hatred that had been growing in his expression suddenly faded. Remorse took its place as Maroon bit his lower lip.
"We went from peaceful protest to killing the people who treated us like garbage. We attacked the business and corporations that had it out for Faunus and slaughtered everyone there. We assassinated the people who were hell-bent on denying us basic rights."
The Faunus took in a shaky breath before he continued.
"I...I went along with all of it. I mean, I never once considered killing people before, but I...I thought I was doing the right thing."
"Really?"
When he spoke, his voice was hard. He hadn't meant for it to be, but his control slipped slightly.
Maroon flinched.
"I...when the White Fang changed, people were...were listening to us. Finally, we were actually making progress. With every attack, I thought that the humans realized just how much this was their fault. They were giving Faunus decent jobs, and now they could support themselves and their families. I thought that the Fang was changing Faunus lives for the better, and it was. But..."
He trailed off as he stared at his lap.
"The reason why humanity was treating Faunus better was that they were scared of us. They were terrified of what would happen if Faunus were still treated like dirt. I thought that was fine, that because they were scared of us things would get better faster. But while some things did get better, other things got worse. The fear that we caused was only amplified the hatred human's had for us. And that was before we got involved with...her."
Her?
He immediately felt the urge to ask who "her" was, but he held himself back. Maroon wasn't done talking, and he wanted to hear the rest of the White Fang's effect on this world.
"The ones in charge told us that even with people's hatred for Faunus increasing with every attack we launched, we were still helping. And I believed them, we all did. They told us that this was inevitable and a sign that we were getting closer to our goals. That soon humanity would learn the costs of what their hatred had done to us and we would create a better world. And I didn't start to even question their shit until..."
The sorrow that drowned Maroon's every word was almost tangible.
"When we joined forces with...that woman we became more violent than ever. We...we blew up buildings full of people. When we launched raids we no longer even bothered making sure to not hurt any civilians, whether they be Faunus or humans. And the more violent we got the more I saw that the other members seemed to be doing accepting our new actions with...glee."
There was disgust in his voice now. He especially heard it in the last word the Faunus spat out.
"I...that was when I started to question what the hell we were doing. We were killing people, humans and Faunus. We were doing shit that was so messed up and calming it was in the name of freedom. That we were...heroes. I...I couldn't be a part of that place anymore and left. I hated what I become and couldn't even look myself in the mirror. So...I left. And then I was hunted like...an animal by people I once thought were my brothers."
Maroon brought his hands to the side of his head and gripped his hair.
"Damn it...I...I still can't believe that I...that so many people killed without a second thought. I...The fuck was I thinking."
He heard a strangle sobbed escaping his lip. Maroon wiped away at the tears brimming in his eyes with his arm. The man was barely able to stop himself from breaking down right in front of him.
Well, he supposed he was wrong. The White Fang wasn't a gang.
They were domestic terrorists.
Blowing up buildings, killing innocent people in most likely the hundreds was abhorrent. And claiming that it was the right thing to do, convincing men into killing others by playing on all the hardship they all had to endure was equally repulsive. If their leader truly believed that killing innocents, even the people they were supposed to be fighting for, was "just" then he must have been the highest form of idiot on the planet.
He could perhaps respect the "goals" of the White Fang. To end racism against Faunus. He was well aware peace would not always work, so even some acts of violence he could accept if they really did help achieve their goals. But, that did not mean they had the right to delude themselves into thinking they were the "heroes" of this world. That people who killed both the innocent and the guilty could call themselves anything other than criminals.
If they couldn't see that, if they couldn't see just how atrocious their acts were, then they had no right to claim their dreams "just."
He made sure that his anger didn't show on his face. His eyes were still emotionless as they bore into Maroon who could not hold his gaze.
As he said before, Maroon was far from the cruelest person he had met. He could even understand why the Faunus had stayed with the White Fang for as long as he did. One look into his brown eyes told him everything. They told him just how badly he had suffered at humans. How he was sick of his kind being treated like trash and wanted to do something about it. And he latched onto the first thing that seemed to work, no matter how vicious said method was. He could understand that.
Just like he could understand why Maroon was running away. The man wanted to just forget his past and try to have a normal life again. And that was fine. After all, it wasn't like he could stop the White Fang. Maroon wasn't the type of man who could stand up to such an organization, he knew that.
At the very least, Maroon realized his mistakes. That was something far few people could ever do.
He let out a long breath as he reached for his cup. He took another sip of his drink. It was lukewarm now at best.
The sorrow on Maroon's expression was growing as he placed his beverage back down at the table. Now that he had a general idea about the White Fang and their effect on this world, he wanted to ask just who "her" was. The person, or perhaps group of persons, that had made that White Fang apparently act more violent than they had ever been before. But he could not do that with the man on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
"Maroon..."
His voice was gentle, soothing even. Soft enough that his words would be comforting, yet still holding just enough sharpness that it would instantly draw one's attention but not frighten them. It was like the voice a father would use in order to console his distraught child. Warm yet firm. Calming yet just slightly commanding.
It had taken him years to get that tone right.
Maroon turned his gaze towards him. There were still drops of tears in the corner of Maroon's eyes as he continued to tremble. Slowly, he reached for one of the shaking fist Maroon had placed on the table. He gently wrapped his own hand around Maroon's fist as his lips turned into a small smile.
"It's okay...it's okay. It's over now, you don't have to worry about the White Fang anymore after tonight."
Well, perhaps he should. If they had hunted him this far already, who's to say they wouldn't continue to do so even after he fled this city? Of course, he didn't say these thoughts to Maroon. Not when he needed him for one more question.
The tension in the Faunus shoulders decreased.
Adjust your tone. Make it warmer, erase any sharpness left in words. Tell this man what he wants to hear.
"You've finally escaped, and a new, quiet life is just around the corner. You've fought hard, and now it's time to rest."
Maroon's trembling soon stopped. And a small, almost unnoticeable smile graced his lips.
Finish it.
"All you have to do is answer just one more question, and your new life can begin. That's it, just one question and freedom awaits you. The men who were after you are dead, and now it could not be any easier to reach your dream. You've sinned, but that shouldn't make you feel like you don't deserve a normal life. So just answer this question, and never again do you even have to think about the White Fang."
Maroon's savior was telling him that he needn't worry. The man with calm blue eyes was staring right at the Faunus and telling him there was no need to feel bad about his past. The kind "Huntsman" was speaking with so much sympathy in his words it made Maroon feel at ease, better than the man had felt in weeks no doubt.
And he knew the Faunus would take his words to heart.
The remorse on Maroon's face faded. There was still some lingering sadness in his expression, but it was barely noticeable. And there was now a gleam in his eyes. A hopeful gleam that while small, was slowly getting bigger. He slowly pulled back his hand as Maroon uncurled his fists.
"Ye-yeah, you're right."
Maroon was nervous, but that didn't stop the gleam from growing.
"Just...Just one more question...and that's it. No more hiding from the White Fang, and I...I get a normal life."
He kept muttering those last words like a mantra. He was well aware of the desperation in Maroon's words, of the shuttering breaths the man took in...but he had to get the information he needed now. The man was slowly getting more anxious with each second, and he had to ask his question before Maroon had another panic attack.
And he had done enough for the Faunus.
His smile was replaced by a frown.
"Just one more question Maroon. That's all I need."
"O...Okay."
"Now, then..."
He let out a breath.
"Who is this 'her'."
Maroon's eyes widened.
"Wha...what? Why do you want to know that?"
"I have my reasons."
"But-."
"Maroon, answer the question."
His eyes narrowed. Every icy word he spoke was as sharp as a dozen knives. His voice let the man across from him know just how poorly this conversation could go if he didn't answer him this second.
Fear returned to Maroon's eyes as he saw the man's throat bob. His brown eyes looked away from him and to the table.
"I...you know about the Dust robberies, right?"
He decided to lie.
"Of course."
"Then you know that...Torchwick has been the one behind all of them."
He nodded. He made sure to look up this "Torchwick" later. As well as just what "Dust" was.
"But...he's not the only one. The Fang...the Fang has been helping him with his crimes."
The way Maroon said his words made it sound like the White Fang helping "Torchwick" was impossible. But if that were the case, then what changed?
He instantly had an answer.
'Her.'
"I take it that is because of whoever the White Fang got involved with, yes?"
"...Yeah."
Fear slithered in that one word.
"You still have yet to answer me, Maroon."
He saw the Faunus bite his lip.
"I...I don't know who exactly she is but..."
Despite the dread rising with his every word, Maroon still pressed forward.
"But...I was once friends with the Lieutenant of the White Fang. When we first started working with Torchwick, I...I asked him why were suddenly working with a human. And...and he said it was because...because some crazy bitch made them an offer they couldn't refuse. He said that someone...slaughtered hundreds of us and...forced us to work under her. Someone got the White Fang, one of the biggest terrorist groups on the planet, to...to bow down her basically. Someone was able to make Roman Torchwick, a man with enough resources to scare every kingpin in Vale, to serve under her. And...and..."
He was trembling again.
"Apparently...she... has some kind of plan. No one, at least not the Fang, has any idea what the hell it is...but it can't be good. You don't recruit the White Fang and steal enough dust to blow up a city for anything good. God knows what exactly she'll do, but...it's gonna happen soon. That much I'm positive on."
He could see why Maroon was so scared. Because this woman did sound terrifying. She had the strength to control such powerful groups of people the will to get these people to serve her without them even putting up a fight. And this woman was plotting something. Something that required immense preparation, from the sound of it. Something that required the aide of who knows how many criminal contacts and organizations.
Something that would most likely put thousands of people at risk.
For a moment he saw pink hair and a red fist.
He immediately crushed the anger his thoughts had brought before it could grow.
His eyes looked over Maroon. The man was still staring at the table, but he had stopped trembling. He was panting as his ears were twitching underneath his hat. He looked even more exhausted now than he did before. This conversation had taken its toll on Maroon; it looked like the man wouldn't be able to answer any more of his questions.
And that was fine.
He already answered his most important question.
"You may go now."
Maroon's head jerked upward to look at him.
"Wha-What?"
"You heard me."
He tilted his head towards a door behind him.
"The exit's right there. Take it."
Maroon did not expect his words, but to him, there was no need to continue. He had gotten enough information from the Faunus to stay inconspicuous and act like he was from this world. And right now, he would prefer to be alone. There were some things he had to go over in his head.
Maroon looked towards the exit. Then he looked back to him.
"I...Thank you. For saving my life... I...I'm really grateful."
He knew that. He couldn't possibly miss the gratitude in Maroon's every word.
"I wish you the best of luck in the future."
And he truly meant that. Because Maroon would need all the luck he could get.
The Faunus slowly rose out of his seat, adjusting the hat on his head as did so. Maroon did not run towards the exit for he did not want to attract any attention to himself. But once he pushed open the glass door, he ran. He ran down the curb of the cafe until he vanished around a corner.
And he was alone. He grabbed his chin with thumb and pointer finger as he leaned back in his seat.
Let's see...
He was in a post-apocalyptic world, but there was still a fully functioning society here. The reason for most of the world's destruction was because of the monsters that here that had apparently killed off a large population of the people here. There were only five real places left on this planet that could be called civilization. And this was mostly thanks to these "Huntsman," people with abilities that were born from their very souls called Semblances. They were similar to Stands, but it appeared no one could call about a literal being born of pure fighting spirit like he could.
And normal people could see his partner now.
One of the things he liked about his Stand was that unless there was another user like him around, for all intents and purposes Gold Experience was invisible. If he were to say be jumped by an ordinary man with a pistol, he could call Gold Experience and have it crush the pistol in the man's grip. And to the man, it would look like his gun had been just collapsed by itself. But here, that was no longer the case.
Here, if he called his Gold Experience, anyone could see it. Anyone would be able to see the glowing otherworldly being floating right beside him. It would no doubt draw a great deal of attention to himself if someone were to tell other people about his Stand. And in this world, anonymity would be key. If he used his powers without caution, he would quickly become someone who everyone wanted to know more about. He remembered every Stand battle of his past, how figuring the users' true capabilities was the key to thoroughly crushing them. So in this new world, he needed to keep as much about his powers a secret as he could.
He lifted a hand and brought it up to his face. And for one second, he called on his partner. He didn't use nearly as much energy as he usually did, but instead only used a fraction of it.
In an instant, his hand turned to gold as his appendage had been replaced by his partner's.
And in the next second, it was gone. No one had been watching him, and even if they had they wouldn't have realized what he had done because it happened far too quickly.
Though, there were other ways to use his powers. He just had to be even more creative than he usually was in order to hide his true capabilities.
He made a mental note to buy gloves at some point as he stared at the ceiling.
What else...
There was something akin to the internet here. With any luck, he could perhaps steal a Scroll and gather information through it once he figured out the basics of the device. It sounded quite common, so acquiring it shouldn't take too much effort. And then there were the Huntsman, soldiers who apparently fought off the monsters that ravaged this world. But something told him that was not the only thing they did. It would be best to learn everything he could about them, from how they operate to the skill sets they might possess.
Because for all he knew, he might have to face them at some point.
Moving on...
In addition, there was another sentient race on this planet known as Faunus. They were apparently viewed as the lesser species, and the way they had been treated was so bad that a good number of them had gone from peaceful protesters to terrorists. The White Fang—that name actually sounded familiar to him, but right now he couldn't say why— apparently were working with someone named Torchwick. Something they would never do, but someone forced them too. Someone powerful. Someone ruthless.
Someone he needed to defeat.
He thought of the question, the main question that had been on his mind since before he even started talking to Maroon, but had held off on asking the Faunus.
Who ruled the underworld?
Maroon had answered that question the moment he started talking about this mysterious woman who subjugated some of the most powerful people here. The Faunus had confirmed to him that this woman was the one he needed to beat. She was the one he needed to overcome if he wanted to find even a minuscule chance of returning home. He needed resources, money, and most of all the influence in order to explore every means to try and find some way to get back. Becoming the ruler of the criminal underworld would be by far the easiest way for him.
He sighed again as he massaged the bridge of his nose.
He was under no delusions that getting home would be easy. Or even if it was possible. Defeating yet another mysterious boss hidden in the shadows would no doubt be...cumbersome, to put it lightly. And trying to recreate the process of dimensional traveling when he did not even know how he did so in the first place made his journey all the more difficult. It seemed to make returning home impossible.
But that was just a word.
And reality was far greater than any single word could ever hope to match. He would get home, he would find a way. For his friends. And his dream.
He would get back to Italy, no matter what or who stood in his way. All that was left was to find out the best way to defeat this mysterious woman. She had far more resources and power than Passione had, considering she had both a terrorist group and who knows what else under her boot.
So how would he, a man who knew barely anything about this world and who had nothing to his name save the clothes and items on him, even begin to go about defeating her?
He thought for a moment as he stared at the now cold cup of coffee on the table.
An idea soon came to his mind. And he felt his lips turned into a grin.
Well...if that worked once before...he supposed it could work again.
He reached for his cup and once he brought it to his lips, he down the remainder of his drink in seconds. It was indeed cold, and now the bitter taste was very overpowering. But he didn't care.
Becuase now, he had a plan. Now, he had a physical goal he could reach.
Once he was finished, he placed the cup back on the table and got up from his seat.
Now then, it was time to gather more information and as many supplies he could get in order to work out every detail of his plan. To see how it could go wrong. To see just where he needed to refine it in order for it to succeed.
He pushed open the glass door of the exit as he walked onto the curb.
First thing was first, he needed to let this woman, or at least the people who worked for her, know he was here.
It would be the courteous thing to do, after all. To let this person know that there was a danger, unlike anything this world had faced before now walking in the streets.
Mista...Trish...just wait.
He would be back soon.
To Be Continued~
Hello, my faithful readers!
So, it's been a while since I updated this story, hasn't it? Once again, sorry for the wait. I've just been working on my other JoJo crossover Gems are Unbreakable and that eats away at a majority of my spare writing time.
And let me just say, thank you all so much for all the love you've already shown for this story! It only has one chapter, yet it's already gotten 22 reviews, almost 90 favorites, and almost a 100 followers! That is amazing as I have never had any story that's gotten such support from just one chapter, so truly, thank you all from the bottom of my heart!
And as for the chapter itself, there are a few things I want to talk about.
This chapter was...difficult, to put it lightly. I had trouble figuring out just what I wanted it to be. I took a while to even figure out how it begins, and that almost never happens with me. Eventually, I decided to make this a setup chapter for Giorno to learn more about the new world he's in as well as establish his new goals and what he plans to do.
Now, I am aware that a lot of this information most readers know, but I feel like I couldn't skip over Giorno's reaction to learning more about Remnant and its people. I feel it was important to show him adapting to the new rules of this society and culture in order to properly come up with a plan of action. And if I skipped it and went straight into him already having a plan, it would feel rushed.
Now, onto the beginning of this chapter, specifically the "Haruno" portions. For those of you wondering, in future chapters, there will be something similar to the foreword here. I plan on covering major aspects of Giorno's past, original events that take place during Vento Aureo that delve deeper into his relationship with Bruno's gang from when he first joined to the end. Until finally, we get to the point where how exactly he got to Remnant is revealed. It might not be every chapter, or perhaps there will be interludes that are made up of nothing but Giorno's past and his interactions with the Gang, right now I can't say.
But what I can say is that the next chapter will be action packed. In it, Giorno well meet two major characters...just not the ones you're thinking about.
And on that note, let me address a question a lot of people have had about this story. Many have asked me if Giorno will attend Beacon and join Ruby and the rest of her team. He will not. In this story, Giorno isn't going to be a "hero." At best, he will be the anti-hero and at worst...well, you'll see.
If you guys have any thoughts, theories, or suggestions you can post them in the reviews! Or if you just want to have a general discussion, I posted this story on Space Battles so head on over there with any questions you might have.
This is The Black Mage of Phantasm signing off. Peace!
And next time:
Chapter 3: Tactics