Special Chapter Two
Holy Diver IF II
Kyouko Kirigiri didn't consider herself an elitist.
She had high standards, but didn't judge others for failing to meet them unless they had to do with character and actions. Wealth and luxury rarely decided moral worth. All it really determined was the material quality of their gifts, which made little difference outside of coffee.
But even she had to admit that it wasn't nice to be sitting next to a fidgety Aoi Asahina on a plane stuffed with bodyguards, after an entire day of going in, out, and sitting through flights.
"Do you think he'll have a pool?" Asahina asked in what was her seventh question now. "Oh, maybe they'll have donuts in Italy!"
"That's not our concern. We're primarily here for business, Asahina." Kirigiri said. The stricken look on her friend's face made her change tack. "But yes, there could be a swimming pool for you and Italy will likely have donuts."
Why wouldn't they? It's one of the few fully-functioning states in the world. There was the United States, Japan, and a handful of other counties which included Italy, as far as Kirigiri knew. Some nations were unaccounted for.
Dio didn't have to leave Hope's Peak to destroy the world. His followers in Ultimate Despair were more than happy to spread destruction in his name. They were mostly made up of the Reserve Course, but the true leaders were the former Class 77-B.
The Tragedy had started with the Parade at Hope's Peak and sparked off a thousand other incidents. It was like wild-fire, after seeing the world's hopes destroyed. Entire nations burnt.
It didn't help that states like Novoselic and organisations like the Kuzuryu Gang went rogue.
The Future Foundation did what it could, but they were fighting against Stand users. The best they could do was hit-and-run attacks on single members of Class 77-B, and only have large-scale battles with the soldiers.
Dio's death in the Mutual Killing Game had turned the tide. Many of his followers either committed suicide, surrendered, or went underground. But tensions were still bubbling. Not everyone believed in the Future Foundation, and not everyone had abandoned former loyalties.
It was why they were on a flight all the way to Rome itself to speak to Giorno Giovanna himself. Kirigiri and Asahina being two-thirds of the main negotiators.
"For what it's worth, I'm glad you're here with me, but I was expecting your superior." Kirigiri confessed.
"Didn't you hear? They've been removed. Corruption, inactivity, and suspected links to the Towa Group. Real jerk." Asahina said. Kirigiri wasn't surprised. The Future Foundation was supposed to be the world's hope, but it didn't take long to find the hidden darkness.
"We'll just have to gamble that Giorno Giovanna doesn't take offence to us only sending two Branch Heads and a representative. Mob bosses are rarely rational on honour." Kirigiri had her experience with big-time criminals. If the memories were taking their time returning.
She only remembered her mother's face just last week.
Asahina crossed her arms and grumbled into her seat. "Can't believe we're making a deal with a crime boss. It's just wrong."
Kirigiri sympathised. As a detective, if one that prioritised the truth, she had an instinctive sense of justice. One that was firmly against making deals with criminals, especially on a large-scale like this.
Yet she had to have faith in Tengan. He had pushed this through against a lot of objections on the faith that this would win over Valentine. They were already sending diplomats to the US, yet this was the next big diplomatic offensive.
They had to show that their enemy was Despair, not people who could challenge their authority. Munakata and Sakakura, Heads of the 2nd and 6th Division, and normally advocates of 'hard' solutions, had strangely been against this.
Although that only makes it an argument for making a deal. Those two are zealots. Jealous ones at that. Kirigiri didn't trust that their objections were to do with morality. They were against any deal that weakened the Future Foundation, so long as Ultimate Despair still existed.
What choice did they have? Italy was almost fully-functioning again under the rule of Giovanna and his crime-lord underlings. The elections there only happened because of his oversight.
There were some admirable features as well. Human trafficking, a popular business in a world of Despair, was practically wiped out as were drug sales to children. There was crime, and certainly legalisation of certain former crimes that Kirigiri disapproved of, but Giovanna was not entirely Despair.
"They say he's like a dark angel. Triumphed over the previous head of Passione and forged it anew." Kirigiri said. Asahina didn't seem convinced.
"He better not be one of those Scarface kind-of guys. Otherwise he's gonna get a face-full of The Ocean." Asahina's Stand manifested behind her as she spoke. It had its arms crossed and the fluids inside it were bubbling. It only stopped when Asahina's eyes widened and she turned from her seat, looking down the aisle through a mass of heads belonging to their guards. "Where's the other Branch Head?"
"Currently handling flight-sickness. For the fifth flight now." They had to make multiple flights from Japan, the latest from Cairo, and their partner hadn't taken any of them well.
"Ugh! All these flight-changes. I could have swam to Rome at this rate." Asahina said, slumping against her seat.
From Cairo? Kirigiri didn't deny it. The Ocean had turned Asahina from an Olympic-tier swimmer to an underwater torpedo. But then she'd have to move Kirigiri, their bodyguards, and the other Branch Head.
Ultimate Despair was another problem. They had gone underground but the Stand users were still out there. Kirigiri preferred avoiding a fight when she could, especially when there were stories of them re-emerging in what was once Novoselic.
Maybe they're trying for the same thing we're doing. Seeing if Giovanna is an enemy or a friend. Kirigiri didn't want to think about the thought of Giorno Giovanna aligning itself with Ultimate Despair. There were even stories that the man himself was a Stand user. If he joined with them...
Kirigiri didn't want to think about the body-count in such a case.
"Do you believe that we can trust him? That Giorno Giovanna won't side with Despair." She asked. Asahina could be direct, but she was more trusting than others. The fact that she was biting her lip didn't inspire confidence though.
"I don't know. The guy is ruling Italy with an iron-fist... and he's a criminal! Maybe it'll be in his nature to side with despair." She replied.
"No," A voice cut through and both Kirigiri and Asahina turned to their partner for this trip.
Ryota Mitarai wasn't what you'd call an inspiring figure. He was as tall as Naegi but he looked starved in his suit where Naegi could fill his out, with hazel eyes (Kirigiri noting the thick bags under them) and light-brown hair that went down to his neck. A slight breeze could tip him over.
Yet there was passion to his denial. A faith in this man who he had never met before that almost matched Naegi's optimism.
She and Asahina undid their seat-belts to fully turn and face Mitarai from their seats. His strength faded quickly under the force of Asahina's confused look. The guards looked forward without reaction.
"I-I mean, h-he may be a criminal, but we shouldn't judge. We don't know why he went down that path. T-Touko Fukawa is Genocider Syo, isn't she?"
"Those are different personalities," Kirigiri said, with slightly more force than necessary. She felt compelled to defend Fukawa's name. "Unless Giovanna has a different identity he is trying to keep secret, his character remains at least partially suspect."
"He's stopped drug sales to children, he's keeping order, and he's refused to try and become some kind of new Caesar. Passione's become the only thing keeping Italy from Despair again." Mitarai replied, although he wasn't looking her in the eye. After a few quick breaths, however, he found his courage again and met her stare. "I believe that Giorno Giovanna won't turn to Despair. If anything, he'll side with Hope."
"A mob boss? Really?" Asahina asked. It was easy to forget that Mitarai was a Branch Head; a fact Asahina only remembered after Kirigiri helpfully coughed to remind her. The Ultimate Swimmer clapped her hands together and bowed her head. "I'm sorry! That was disrespectful, Mister Mitarai, sir! Please don't punish me."
"Ah-P-Please stop that. It's r-really kind of embarrassing." Mitarai somehow made himself look smaller and more bashful. He stared at the ground. "I don't even know why Tengan wanted to send me. You guys are the ones with the Stands."
"Maybe he had faith in you. There can be those around you who treat you with the respect a Branch Head deserves." Kirigiri said.
"My Division respects me fine!" He insisted, his face going red.
"I was talking about your pet."
Mitarai blushed even more. It was one of the worst-kept secrets in the Future Foundation that Mitarai's pet falcon only tolerated him for the sake of food and letting it fly free. It was more than most people got; which was pecking, clawing, and screeching and not necessarily in that order.
"He's kind of a grump, but he's had it rough. Once you get to know him, he can show a soft side. And he's really protective." Mitarai said, defending his bird's honour.
She'd take his word for it. There wasn't much time to argue anyway, as the lights above dinged to indicate that they should get their seat-belts back on, since they'd be arriving in Rome soon. A united front on Giovanna was needed, even if it didn't exist.
Tengan's instructions were clear. If they couldn't at least get an agreement to either join or align with the Future Foundation, they were to keep him from forming an alliance with President Valentine or Ultimate Despair. No cost would be too great.
There was the secret instruction -kept from Munakata's intrusive eyes- to investigate Giovanna and his council personally. To find out if they really were Stand users.
Is it true? Does the New Caesar of Rome have a Stand? Kirigiri had been waiting to use Detective Man for something more than just pure combat. It'd have to wait a while longer. Interrogation will have to come after diplomacy. The key is keeping him on the side of Hope.
Could a criminal, someone who broke the law, be a symbol of Hope? Could a law really be broken when the world was in chaos? Would Giorno Giovanna be an ally of Hope, or a servant of Despair?
Kirigiri guessed she'd find out in Rome.
"This is first-class?" Byakuya Togami gave the infamous Togami sneer. "I've been better economy seats on airplanes."
You've actually seen economy seats? Makoto Naegi assumed he saw them while surveying an commercial airline company that his family owned once. Or maybe he was being cynical because he had now lost his bet with Hagakure.
Make the entire trip without Togami being Togami about the travelling arrangements.
It was a doomed hope, in hindsight, and this was the Ultimate Hope saying that. It had been a week long trip from the Future Foundation base in San Diego to the settlement in Danville, Kentucky. A lot of it involved changing trains of varying quality.
One of the prices of moving around in a rebuilding country as large as America was that it was inconsistent. Some parts were almost at pre-Tragedy levels, mostly the West and East Coast. Others, however, were only starting to recover and the Mid-West had become the Wild West.
Part of why Naegi was here was to convince the President to let the Future Foundation help.
Funny Valentine. That's a pretty weird name. He'd just been sworn into office when the Tragedy struck, and was the only head of state to have survived this whole thing. Washington DC was in ruins so he moved himself all across America in secret. Probably has to avoid Ultimate Despair. Everyone's been avoiding them.
They may have gone underground, but the people still feared them. As if they'd return any day now. Rumours of them appearing all across America hadn't helped, nor did the collapse in modern infrastructure in a lot of places.
So that meant being a bit more willing to compromise with methods of transportation.
"Togami, you shouldn't be so negative. The government here were really generous in letting us travel like this." Naegi said.
"You're the Ultimate Hope, Naegi. They'd have given you these seats if you were a brute like none other."
"C-Come on." Naegi shuffled in his seat. He knew it was true but that didn't mean he liked it. "You know I don't like using the title that way."
"You weren't complaining about the fangirls."
"That's different!" Naegi insisted, while Togami just raised an eyebrow.
A few seconds of silence passed before embarrassment became humour for Naegi. He softly laughed as Togami cracked a smile. This picture would have been unthinkable back at Hope's Peak.
Just as Naegi had changed, however, so had Togami. He'd been more willing to put others ahead of himself and was a team-player now. He'd only complained for one week about not being made a Branch Head! That was amazing progress for him.
It was why he was on this trip with Naegi. Munakata had done his best to keep Naegi stuck in Japan -where he'd be a mascot- but he managed to get away. Kirigiri's condition for 'ordering' this mission was that he needed an escort.
Togami volunteered to make sure that nothing happened to him. Naegi might have doubted him; were it not for the many attempts by Ultimate Despair to avenge Dio.
I never realised how many people Dio had under his thumb. It's almost insane. Naegi only had to look outside to see the damage caused. The cities and towns turned to deserts, the fields of skeletons, and the horrific displays that still hadn't been taken down. Yet there were people who didn't just believe in Dio; they worshipped him. They're more slaves than followers.
He was reminded of when Dio brought back his friends with Holy Diver. The people they had been classmates and friends with for years, the people Dio killed to break the survivors, were turned into nothing more than mouthpieces. Just a new tactic for him to use to crush their spirits.
Naegi had never been more thankful for Livin' On A Prayer than that day. He'd been able to save his friends from an eternity of slavery.
He had put himself on the frontlines that day. With his friends by his side, fighting with him, he managed to stop Dio from destroying the world itself. It was almost shameful to compare it to what he did after that. Letting others do the dirty-work while he was just a pretty-face.
Not anymore. If Komaru had been able to survive Towa City and become its protector, despite everything that had been thrown at her, he could make these small journeys.
Although, there was another reason that he did it. A more personal reason.
"Do you remember that sign we saw? The one just outside of Hope's Peak?" Naegi knew this was coming out of nowhere. Togami looked at him, almost confused by the question.
His first reply with an irritated sigh. "Why? Did Kirigiri want us to check up on it? Naegi, we are not going to try and convert Ultimate Despair here. I don't know how you did it in Australia but they're not like the others." His eyes hardened as he looked at Naegi. "Livin' On A Prayer isn't a combat Stand."
"I know, I know. I meant the person it was memorialising." Naegi had some trouble getting the name right. English wasn't his strong point and they had only seen it for a few minutes. "Kirigiri did some research on him. His family's here.."
"That doesn't make sense. The Joestars were British nobility. I suppose if they fled to Kentucky; but then the timing is awfully convenient." Togami said. It was the opposite of what Naegi thought, as Togami's eyes narrowed. "Naegi, we cannot rule out their allegiance to Dio."
Naegi wasn't sure about that. Ultimate Despair were laying tributes, but they weren't all about worshipping Dio. Some were even pretty hopeful! It was the memorial by Dio that made everyone suspicious of him.
A part of him thought we were his friends too. That's why he didn't just kill us outright. It didn't mean they were on the same side. Naegi wondered if maybe this guy wasn't an ally of Dio. Maybe he had been in a similar situation as Class 78 had been.
"Whatever it is, they're the last surviving relatives of Class 77-B. Jonathan Joestar's death preceded the Tragedy, right? So maybe they're not loyal to Dio. We won't know until we try." Naegi said. Togami seemed reluctant, yet also unwilling to really fight over it.
"Fine. But I didn't come here just to sight-see. Don't go putting yourself in danger just because you feel sorry for the first person you see. I will not be embarrassed again by your failings." Togami replied, in what was Togami-speak for 'just don't get hurt'.
"Got it." Naegi beamed. Togami looked away and muttered something about him being an idiot.
Naegi knew why his friend was worried. Ultimate Despair were all Stand users and could actually be gathering in America. Maybe even to take advantage of him leaving Japan. They'd do anything to catch him.
If they did, their punishment would make an Execution from the Mutual Killing Game look like kid's stuff.
But he had to do this. Not only because his presence might finally convince Valentine to accept outside help. This was more personal.
If Jonathan Joestar wasn't Dio's ally then they had to get it on the record. They couldn't let the Future Foundation just write him off as an over-zealous follower who killed himself. If he was killed for opposing Dio, he had to be recognised for it.
His family deserved some closure as well. They probably never discovered what happened to him and wrote him off as dead. Did they even know what the Future Foundation were discussing about him?
Naegi, however, could do something about it, and he'd be a terrible Ultimate Hope if he didn't.
What's the worst that could happen? Naegi turned to look out the window, seeing Danville rise in the distance, and smiled. They finally made it. This is just going to be a short thing. Learn about whether Jonathan Joestar was friends with Dio, meet with Valentine, and then hopefully a deal with the latter and clear the former's name.
Boring; but Naegi was ready for boring.
"George, what are you even doing?" Johnny Joestar looked at the baby currently trying to shove its stuffed turtle toy into his mouth.
He'd probably be having some luck if he had teeth to bite through the material.
It shouldn't be Johnny sitting here, watching his baby nephew play with toys in his cot, but Erina and Jonathan. The two were meant to be living the married life back at the Joestar estate and being in their own perfect world. A happy family without any troubles.
It wasn't like their father wouldn't have complained. Jonathan and Erina would have gotten married before she started to show, they could have lied, and it'd just be a case of quick young love. It wasn't like Lord George Joestar would ever suspect anything.
Those kind of pregnancies were for the fuck-up son. The disgraceful bastard. The accident.
A happy gurgle cut off Johnny's thoughts. George, named after his grandfather in memory of Jonathan more than anyone, was gazing up at Johnny with happy little eyes. He liked to be picked up sometimes, but the yawn told him this wasn't one of those times.
He seemed so happy to see his uncle.
Not if he knew what you said to his dad. Not if he knew what kind of shit you really are. Johnny gritted his teeth and had to look away from George. It was bad enough that the kid would never know his Dad. When he was older, he'd know the last words Johnny said to his brother.
Jonathan didn't phrase it right, but any idiot could have realised what he was trying to say. That being unable to walk wasn't the end of his life. That he was free of his previous car-crash lifestyle. That he could grow.
In return, Jonathan just got paranoia and insults.
"So that's it. You're just like him. My wings are nice and clipped so I can be whatever you want." Johnny turned his wheelchair around and tightened his grip on the sides. He knew it. He knew his brother was glad that he got shot, even if the older Joestar hadn't acknowledged it himself. "I bet you're glad I got shot. I wouldn't have to go to Hope's Peak and ruin your little dreams by being a fuck-up."
Jonathan took a step closer. "Jorg-"
"Don't call me that!" Johnny refused to look at him. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing him cry. "Just fuck off!" He screamed, fleeing back to his room so that his brother couldn't see the tears.
His older brother left for Japan the next day. He had tried to get Johnny to come out of his room but the former jockey refused. The shame of what he had said was too much. All he got was a 'goodbye' from across the door.
It was the last time the two brothers saw each other before Jonathan's death.
My own brother. He just wanted to reach out and those were my last words to him. Johnny had to stop himself from crying. He didn't want to upset George, who was just about to go to sleep. Johnny staying here would just wake him up. Be a better man than I ever was, George. You got the right blood. All I have is trash in my veins.
They had to flee their home all the way to Kentucky and Johnny had been useless. Jonathan would have helped the family somehow. He'd be able to provide for them instead of relying on Erina making good with what they brought with them.
Speaking of Erina, Johnny decided to see how she was doing. She had him watch George while she dealt with these guests, but he felt like he had to at least listen in. It might have been those jerks trying to extort them for cash again.
The nursery was on the ground floor so it wasn't hard for Johnny to wheel himself to the kitchen where Erina was meeting those two guys. The Joestars had been pretty lucky in the Tragedy. They never had to worry about food or warmth.
If Danville had fallen to Despair, though, they'd not be nearly as well-off as they were.
Johnny managed to get close enough to hear a chair scraping on the floor and hands smacking on the table. The door was slightly ajar which made it a lot easier to listen in on.
"I'm afraid I must ask you to leave," Erina's voice had that chill to it. She only ever used it on people trying to intimidate them out of their home. "There is nothing left for us to discuss."
A male voice, the English almost flawless except for a slight accent, softly carried itself through the air. "Miss Pendleton-"
"Mrs Joestar." Erina replied. "You may think what you like about my husband, but I will not hear your slander here."
Johnny got himself closer to the door to peep in on the conversation. There were two people with Erina; one in a suit with blonde hair and a face suited to scowling, and the other in a dark-green hoodie and a total baby-face. They were both Japanese, by the looks of it.
The hoodie-guy looked like he wanted to say something, but his partner took the lead.
"What my friend here is trying to say is that the Future Foundation is considering such a judgement. We're here to prove that he's not-"
"He was a friend to the man he thought Dio Brando was. The man the world thought he was. I could see the hunger, the evil, in his heart but I kept silent thinking that he simply chose to hide it." Erina said. Her voice shook and Johnny kept himself from storming in the room himself. Were they really saying what he thought they were saying? "Jonathan was always a kind man. He saw the best in others and wanted to bring it out from them. Dio abused that trust and..."
"Dio took our friends away as well." The hoodie-guy said. His English was slow compared to his partner, but there was a sincerity in his voice. Johnny swore that he had seen this guy from somewhere. "Whatever he did to your husband, Dio claimed that they were close. We need to have proof otherwise."
"So you're asking me to go all the way to California? To take my child and brother-in-law across the country itself?" Erina asked, her voice softer.
That'd be insane. Erina had been a one-woman wall keeping the bastards of this city from taking away this ranch of theirs. The government did what they could to protect the property, but it wouldn't be enough. They needed time before those farms they bought could rebuild themselves.
If she left, they'd be homeless.
"I'm sorry, Mrs Joestar, but we need a relative and we won't ask you to send away your baby without you. There is the question of Stands. Your husband might have attained one himself. Dio gave all his followers in Ultimate Despair Stands, and there's data suggesting that Stands can be carried over to relatives without the use of the Arrow." The suit said. He shrugged his shoulders. "If we can show that you don't have a Stand, that might help our case."
"Bullshit!" Johnny snapped. He slammed the door open and wheeled in towards the table where everyone else was sat.
"Johnny?" Erina turned with tired but firm eyes, softening as she looked at him. Her mouth opened with Johnny already knowing what she'd ask.
"George is sleeping," He said, before turning a glare to the two of them. "What the hell is up with you two? You think you can just waltz in and tell Erina to just head for California! We're barely able to keep this place and the Mid-West is swarming with Ultimate Despair. Why don't you do something about that?"
The guy in the suit looked pissed off with Johnny and was about to say something to him, when his partner grabbed him by the arm. Johnny had enough experience to know when someone was motioning his wheelchair. Especially when they were trying to hide it.
"Don't pity me!" Johnny snapped. The small one jumped at that. "You think because of this," He smacked his fist on the left armrest of the wheelchair. "I'm just some useless cripple?"
That made the guy in the hoodie regain his senses.
"You got wrong!" He cried out, pointing at Johnny. Both he and Erina stared at the guy until he realised what he said; nervously laughing and blushing at the attention. "Sorry. My English isn't the best."
"What he means is that Makoto Naegi doesn't think in those terms." His partner replied.
Johnny's eyes widened. This shrimp was Makoto Naegi? The legendary Ultimate Hope who fought and defeated Dio Brando at Hope's Peak? Wielder of a Stand that could overcome Despair?
Neither he nor Erina watched the Mutual Killing Game. They already had enough tragedy without a constant reminder. But everyone else did and it was the talk of the town. People fearing who'd be killed next, whether Dio would just kill them himself, or if they'd ever realise who Dio really was.
Danville, like the rest of the world, had been on the verge of losing all hope before Dio's death. It wasn't overnight, but the city had become recognisable to its former state in the months after. It was like there was actual meaning in living again.
This was the guy? He was freaking whining to his partner about bringing up his name, and this guy killed Dio?
Still, appearances could be deceiving. Maybe there was a side to Naegi that Johnny hadn't seen yet.
Whatever it was, that sharpness and calculation wasn't missing in his partner. The guy was probably one of the infamous survivors who had helped fight against Dio. Johnny definitely didn't like how this guy was looking at him though.
"Jorge 'Johnny' Joestar. Younger half-brother to Jonathan Joestar," He said, looking Johnny up and down as gears turned in his head. "I'm a Togami, we're expected to know these things." He explained, with no small amount of arrogance. "We were going to ask Mrs Joestar to come along with us because we presumed her and her son to have been best suited for the journey. So we can show that Jonathan was not associated with Dio. However, maybe we just need written testimony from her, and can use you for blood-testing. We'll certainly make it worth your while."
"What do you mean?" Johnny asked. He wasn't exactly living rough at the moment.
"The shooting. It practically destroyed your spine." The room's temperature dropped at Togami's words. "I do my research. Even before the Tragedy, that sort of injury couldn't be healed, could it? Ruined your career as a jockey."
"What's the point?" Johnny spat. He wouldn't let his emotions get the better of him. There was clearly a goddamn point.
"There's an experimental treatment on offer." Togami said, making Johnny's heart stop. "It's in the California HQ of the Future Foundation and is looking for volunteers. Ultimate Despair and their minions liked to play with their food. We've been doing our best to reverse the damage."
This was it. This had to be a dream. This couldn't be real.
Johnny was less than zero. He was a negative existence; caused by all the sins that went into his birth and into his life. The crippling was a punishment for that. Only now he was hearing that there was a chance he could walk again?
There was a part of his heart that was leaping at the chance of this. He could walk again! No, better than that. He could ride again! Jonathan's name could even be cleared. This was his chance to wipe the slate clean!
He'd been given a chance to redeem himself, right? This had to be real!
Erina's eyes were shining with tears, but out of joy at the idea of Johnny walking again. Yet there was a piercing moment of doubt in Johnny's heart.
Why did Naegi look shocked at Togami's words? He almost looked like Togami had just lied to him. As if that whole thing was just a lie to get Johnny to go with them and go through this blood-test thing.
No...that'd be cruel. To dangle water to a man starving in the desert and then show that it was full of gasoline.
Still, he needed to be sure.
"Is this true?" Johnny asked, looking towards Naegi. Togami opened his mouth but Johnny didn't give him the chance to talk. "I'm talking to him! I wanna hear it from the Ultimate Hope? You better not be lying. Is this an actual thing?! Don't you dare lie to me!"
The room was silent. Johnny and Naegi were locked in a battle of stares, neither one willing to blink, as the sweat began to pour down Naegi's face. The Ultimate Hope wouldn't lie to him. He wouldn't make up some story just to make him go along with this.
Jonathan was innocent. They didn't need the Future Foundation to tell them that. But if there was a chance...the slightest chance, that he'd be able to walk again, then Johnny had to take it.
Naegi bit his lip and then sighed.
"Yeah. It's true. There is research going on and they do need test subjects. There is a small chance that it might help your spinal injuries, but..." Naegi's words became loud air to Johnny's ears.
Togami wasn't lying. There was hope for Johnny after all. Years he spent wallowing in Despair, his friends abandoning him and his family torn apart, forced to spend the rest of his days crippled, and now there was an escape.
He could feel the wind in his face again as he rode down the racetrack. The roar of the crowd and the applause of those close to him. That feeling of triumph when he held up the trophy. Being able to do what he loved again.
Johnny Joestar knew there was no real choice. He'd go with Togami and Naegi to California and he would be a volunteer for those experiments. Jonathan's name would be cleared for everyone to see as well. He wouldn't be less than zero anymore.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Giorno had that dream again.
He was in a laboratory of some kind, trapped in a giant test-tube, as scientists watched him and recorded results. It was warm and dark. There was another man there. Standing in a field of corpses looking down on him and whispering thirteen words to him.
'Reach the top of the world, Giorno. By any means necessary to you.'
He remembered little about his life before fifteen. Neglectful parents, a violent childhood, and forced to live out on the streets of Italy. He had been turned into nothing more than a glorified thug with a special power by those days.
Had he not met that injured gangster that one day, Giorno shuddered to think of the man he would have become. He'd have become another regular minion of Passione under Diavolo's rule, rather than removing the man himself. Giorno might have never met Bruno either.
Italy would be ruled by a Caesar in the shadows who had a vision of a new Roman Empire. A state ruled by criminal organizations and nothing more than another Novoselic.
Instead, Giorno had made his life's goal to become a 'Gang-Star' with a code and morals. He would be the true ruler of Italy, but allow its civic government to regrow itself. A corrupt state was better than a criminal state.
Giorno even had the option to expand his rule further. To venture into Europe and North Africa and bring it the same kind of recovery that Italy saw. The power he had was merely a bonus to that.
Yet now the Future Foundation wants to challenge that power. They did nothing to build this place and yet they want to rule it. Giorno had no intention of giving Italy up to those kind of people.
There was little time for reflection, however. The priority was addressing the concerns of the Capo he put in charge of Venice. By rights, they should have been made an under-boss, but Giorno saw little reason to make this snake one of them.
If they had a choice, they'd have ignored Giorno's rules on what they weren't supposed to do, and sold narcotics and guns to whoever asked for them. He was even using this meeting an excuse to push that agenda.
"I'm just saying, we can't keep food supplies going and keep drugs out. They keep pouring down from Novoselic faster than we can catch them." The Capo explained. It was a fair point, until his expression turned opportunistic. "It'd be a pretty good source of funds if-"
"Their target market is children." Giorno said. That ended the debate. "If adults want to poison themselves, they have the right and freedom to do so. But the packets have cartoon animals stuffed to the fullest at a time of starving and cold children. Novoselic has become poison to all of Europe. Unless you find a way to keep the drugs from kids, we're keeping it all out. Don't make me repeat myself."
"Yes sir." The Capo replied, bowing his head and almost fleeing the room.
He had been practically surrounded from three sides. Giorno sitting by the regal desk in the centre of the room, Trish Una by the left corner behind the chair where the Capo sat, and Guido Mista on the right corner. All three of them were more than ready to strike if he tried something.
Not that he would. Everyone in Rome knew the story of the Stands in Passione. No one knew that 'The Boss' had once been Diavolo, but everyone knew that he was a Stand user. It was only a matter of time before the world knew as well.
The Stand Arrow that Diavolo had entrusted to Polpo had a wider reach than Giorno had thought. Most of them were either dead or working for him, outside of Ultimate Despair and Class 78 of Hope's Peak, but Giorno took few chances.
The Capo's body language told him everything. His words were loyal and his body screamed in frustration at his superior's 'cowardice'. Fear of Gold Experience kept him quiet and that was it.
Giorno never realized how hard it was being a Mob Boss.
"That's not the end of it. One of them's going to make a deal with Novoselic." He said. If it wasn't Venice, it'd be Trieste.
"Want me to take care of it?" Mista asked, leaning forward.
"No. I need you and Trish here." Giorno replied. The last thing he needed was losing half of his Under-Bosses. "Is Fugo back from the Senate?" He asked.
Trish shrugged her shoulders. "Should be a few minutes. Not to criticize, Giorno, but I didn't think he'd be this far into the good graces again."
He's not. Giorno had forgiven Fugo for not fighting with them. He had done well in handling Volvo and shutting down the narcotics team of Passione. The sorrow he had showed, and the loyalty he vowed, were all true.
It was simply that he couldn't make Fugo an Under-Boss, no matter how irrational it seemed. As if there was a mental blockage keeping him from doing so.
Yet he trusted Fugo to make it clear that Giorno did not want to become Emperor, President, or be given any other title by the Senate. He was the true ruler of Italy, and beloved by its people, but could not make it de jure.
Maybe it was because he knew he only trusted a handful of people. Of those handful, he could only afford to send away one at a time. All to rule over minor crime-lords who all saw him as a naive idealist.
There was also the Future Foundation. They barely tolerated his rule as it was. If Giorno made himself the official master of Italy then they'd assume he planned on taking all of Europe as well. They'd never stand for it.
He didn't want a war with the Future Foundation when the peace in Italy was still so fragile. It was why he agreed to negotiate with the Branch Heads, against even Mista's advice, to make a deal over this 'situation'.
It didn't mean he didn't sometimes think of not accepting the offer and daring them to do something about it.
"I still can't believe we're playing along with those guys. The last thing we need are those Future Foundation kids acting like they own the place," Mista said. He might have had a point if not for the fact that everyone in the room was under the age of twenty. "We should just tell them that, if they don't back off, us and Valentine are going our own way."
"We can't reveal an alliance we haven't sealed yet. See if they agree to our continued arrangement in Italy and, if so, maybe get Valentine the same. We're not going to sacrifice ourselves for him though." Giorno didn't trust Valentine any more than he trusted the Future Foundation.
The only difference between him and people like Kyosuke Munakata was that the former stayed on the other side of the Atlantic.
He was under no illusions. Valentine would sell him down the river if it meant the Future Foundation would give him whatever he asked for. Giorno had to be ready to do the same. They'd be at an arm's distance, but if they let him keep Italy, then there was no reason to fight with them.
And then what? Giorno was only in his teens and he ruled over Italy. In a handful of years, he'd be running the world's largest criminal network in a nation that loved him. Was this truly his peak?
Why should he stop at Italy? Was there not a peak higher than the sky itself? It wasn't like the Future Foundation were doing wonders with Southern Europe. Novoselic would need a strong hand as well.
Deal with these things as they come. Giorno was getting carried away. He needed to consolidate his gains first and that was best done by negotiation. He could reach the top-
A headache came to him. It was the second time this week and it was the same as always. A piercing pain through the front of his skull that echoed throughout his cranium and made his head feel ten times heavier. He raised a hand to keep himself steady.
Trish and Mista immediately moved to his side to help. Giorno raised a hand to stop them.
"I'm fine. It's just a head-ache." Giorno had a lot on his plate. Stress was just another part of that job with all the headaches that it meant. There were more important things to worry about. "The Arrow is hidden, right?" He asked.
"It's in Mr. President. No one's going to find it there." Trish replied. No one needed to know about their secret; especially not the Future Foundation.
"Good." Giorno leaned back in his seat. His eyes focused on the map of the world just opposite of his chair, paying particular attention to the United States. "Gyro should have located Makoto Naegi and Byakuya Togami by now, unless Valentine's betrayed us. That'll be useful."
The Future Foundation thought that their secrets were safe. Giorno didn't know who the mole was that was giving Passione such valuable information, but he was thankful for it.
Negotiations with Valentine and the Future Foundation had to be simultaneous. Each could be used as leverage against the other, just as they would do the same to him, in order to get the best deal.
There was also another motive to sending the doctor's son abroad; to watch and monitor the Ultimate Hope and his friend as closely as possible.
The man who killed Dio Brando. What was he like? A simple question that could decide the fate of the world.
Giorno had little time for contemplating, however, as he heard the sound of an approaching airplane. One benefit of the Tragedy was that noise pollution was a thing of the past. You could hear an airplane easily now.
Now if only they could have accomplished this without making large parts of the world inhabitable via poisoning the air.
The Future Foundation delegates chosen to negotiate with him would be landing shortly and Giorno wasn't going to give them any reason to doubt his good-will. Sincerity would be his way of winning them over. Trish and Mista were already readying to stand by his side as he'd leave the room.
These talks would decide the fate of not only Italy, but of the world itself. The re-emergence of Ultimate Despair could change everything that both sides worked so hard to achieve. Giorno wasn't planning on their failure.
So that meant everything had to be nice and clean, and everyone on their best behaviour. Didn't sound too much to ask.
No time like the present. Giorno told himself as he made to leave the room.
The future awaited.
The barren deserts of Kentucky. One of the many landscapes changed by the will of the great Lord Dio and his crusade to make the world his. A crusade that outlived the Ultimate Master so long as his followers lived.
There had once been a mere few thousand of them fighting for Lord Dio. All of them from Hope's Peak Academy; the false idol of a decaying world. Their first victory had been slaying the students of that school, sparking the fires of war across the globe.
Now the original followers had dwindled down to the members of Class 77-B and those who had gone too far to hide in the shadows. But that was good! What God needed fair-weather worshippers? Lord Dio had conquered the world with his own two hands! Why couldn't his followers too?
No. That was sinful to believe. Lord Dio was Lord Dio, and they were nothing more than wretches that -in his infinite mercy- he chose to make the harbingers of The World's End.
All they were good for was to bring about his revenge and to find a new master. A Heir to carry on his legacy.
That noble mission was not for Gundham Tanaka. His purpose was something baser yet still holy in its glory. A true honour for a worm like him.
Valentine's soldiers didn't search out this far. They mainly protected the rails and roads leading into these cities and only checked on small villages when they were confirmed safe. All part of a plan to keep the head of government safe.
It did mean that Ultimate Despaie were able to hide out among the empty valleys just outside. Here they could wait by the Coalfields of Kentucky for a report by one of Gundham's spies. They'd been hiding in wait for some time now.
And we will hide for a century if it suits Lord Dio's purpose. If it meant revenge. That was why Gundham sat in wait despite the sun beating down on him.
His faith was rewarded when he saw the eagle flying over him. Welcome To The Jungle had blessed him in ways in which he was not worthy, by enhancing his Talent. Lord Dio's kindness as that of a God's to bless a disgusting creature like himself.
The eagle went in a circle three times as it slowed itself down enough to land just in front of Gundham.
"Lord Tanaka, the Ultimate Hope and the Lesser have begun to move out." The eagle said. To others, it came off as a single bird-cry, but Gundham could speak the language of animals now. "The train is heading for Georgia."
"Excellent news. Keep scouting for further information." Gundham commanded, as the eagle nodded and took flight once more.
The way to San Diego would be long and arduous. It would take a week by train alone by going through the Mid-West and then turning South-West. They would traverse the lands that the settlers of America over a hundred and fifty years ago had to travel down.
They would not travel by train. The forces of Ultimate Despair were more than ready to intercept them before then and would stop at nothing to make them go by foot. Capture would be a mere walk in the park. An incompetent could catch the group then.
Gundham had been blessed in being able to take command of this trial. Makoto Naegi and the younger brother of Jonathan Joestar both travelling together. This was a sign from Lord Dio that Ultimate Despair were not yet finished in their work.
We shall test the Lesser Brother and see if there is some of Jojo within him. Then we shall punish the one who slayed Dio. Gundham just needed the location of the next few train-stops and beating them there would be no hard task.
The Lesser Joestar would be put to the test to see if he was truly worthy to have been Jojo's brother. For Makoto Naegi and Byakuya Togami, there would be no test. The blood-eagle was the closest punishment they had to smite the latter.
The Ultimate Hope? No. His needed to be longer. Togami's execution would be recorded and televised, but Naegi's had to be live.
Nevada was where they set-up the stage. The crucifix was ready to be carried, the nails, salt, and knives all waiting for their use, and everything needed for a live-stream was on-hand. The world would watch as Makoto Naegi was slowly broken down into nothing.
The false Messiah would be in a Hell of his own making. He would renounce his ways, die, or be broken into a whimpering slave.
A wheezed chuckle from behind removed Gundham's good mood. It was him.
"You hear that, Monaca? We'll be seeing Makoto Naegi. Won't that be nice?" Nagito Komaeda asked the girl on his lap. His legs were crossed to leave a wide space for the child he had brought with him.
"I guess." Monaca Towa replied. Her elbows rested on her knees which supported the hands she rested her head on.
Monaca had been the only reason that Komaeda's presence was tolerated. How the heretic ended up being the protector of the last Warrior of Hope -but it was Dio's Hope so that made it acceptable for Ultimate Despair- confused Gundham. Either way, it kept them from exiling him again.
It was also why they agreed to not kill Naegi as they would with Togami.
Komaeda and Monaca wished to play with him.
The mere presence of Komaeda will horrify the one who slew the Ultimate Master. Monaca's She Sells Sanctuary will do the rest. Gundham would have his vengeance first. As would all the members of Ultimate Despair on this mission.
Kazuichi, Akane, Hiyoko, Ibuki, Nekomaru, and Teruteru would all have their turns breaking his body and spirit. The one who dared to defy Lord Dio. The one who dared to kill their master! He would wish he had stayed in Hope's Peak when they were done with him.
They were waiting and ready. All across the path from Danville to San Diego, they were lying in wait for Naegi and the Lesser Joestar to emerge and then they would have what they desired.
Gundham was ready to tear the ground to pieces before he heard the gentle strumming of a guitar. His mind was soothed and he felt at peace with the world once more.
There it was. The beautiful music that could come only from the Ultimate Light Musician when she put her mind to the desires of others instead of her own. The Despair of being nothing more than a human juke-box for others. Lord Dio had been wise to break her spirit.
Others had received the same treatment. Gundham had once refused to devour meat in empathy for the animals raised only to be killed and eaten. Yet it was Lord Dio who revealed the truth to him; the true reason for why he abstained from meat.
Now he was a true omnivore. The flesh of beast and the flesh of man were devoured alike. Gundham's tongue gently licked at the incisors that he had taken from Lord Dio's corpse. A reminder that he-as with all of Ultimate Despair-had been incomplete without Lord Dio.
Ibuki gently strummed along, bringing a smile to even Monaca's often-apathetic face, before stopping.
"I wonder what Shitty Jojo is going to think of this melody? It's so cool to finally be playing a song for us only! Ibuki loves her fans and loves people being happy, but it's when she hits the notes," Ibuki played an obnoxiously loud set of notes at that. The peaceful mood had been shattered. "That Feel The Noize really gets into gear!"
"Yes, the symphony of Lord Dio's revenge will thrill the hearts of all." Gundham embraced the despair of the agony in his ears. It was important for him to remember the importance of Despair; the reminder of their place in Lord Dio's world as his faithful servants. "Jojo would be pleased with us. We shall test his brother and see Lord Dio's glory be known once more."
Jojo would have been so proud of them. They had not wasted the lessons they gained from his martyrdom.
"Would he?" Ibuki asked. Her voice was quiet and had an edge to it that Gundham did not care for. "Jojo didn't seem like he was happy with Lord Dio, in the end. Didn't Dio ki-"
He moved swiftly and firmly. Welcome To The Jungle granted him the strength of a gorilla for this; although he dared not use his full-strength. Her jaw would be necessary for this mission.
It didn't mean he couldn't add more pressure. Her blasphemy could not go unpunished. The fact that Monaca watched with interest vindicated his actions.
"Speak about our master with respect. Your stupidity is why no one cares for your music. Dio and Jojo were two souls brought together by fate. Their friendship transcended beyond even blood. Their bond was like no other. Jojo's sacrifice taught us of the futility of Hope and the glory of Lord Dio's power. I will not allow you to sully that without punishment."
Gundham bared his teeth and tightened his grip. The incisors of Lord Dio were more than ready to tear out her flesh if need be; they too able to change from his Stand. Ibuki's eyes briefly shook with fear from the force behind his words.
How dare she insult Lord Dio! Jojo died for them and she dared question it? They shouldn't have allowed her the honor of Lord Dio's right lung. It made her spoiled and petulant.
Ibuki's eyes watered before the swirls of Despair ran round and round her eyes. Gundham felt a large smile press against his hand and let go of her jaw. She learnt her lesson.
"Ibuki forgot! Waa! She's so ashamed of herself right now. Right! She's going to remind herself of the super-tragic but super-despairing tale of Lord Dio and Jojo!" Ibuki raised her hand in the air and set-up her guitar to begin playing.
He'd been ready to hear something chaotic but was pleasantly (but not enough to lose Despair) surprised to hear something lighter and softer on the ears. This was Ibuki's Despair in full. Gundham bathed in it and smiled to himself.
"You're all super-pathetic. Y'know that, right?" Monaca spoke from Komaeda's lap, the heretic happily humming to himself, with a bored tone.
"You are right, Lady Monaca." Gundham replied, turning to fall to one-knee before her. A slave should bow to their betters, after all. "We are worms in the dirt without Lord Dio. That is why we must avenge his death by any means necessary."
"Don't get your hop-I mean, don't get excited just yet," Komaeda said. He had been one word away from Gundham clawing off half of his face from fury. He almost dared to say that word. "Maybe the Ultimate Hope will make it. Or maybe he'll withstand the torture and his Hope will only grow stronger."
"Unlikely. We shall make him watch as we show him what this world is. What we shall do to his friends." Gundham would not fail Lord Dio here.
"And Johnny Joestar really is disappointing. So much Despair." Komaeda sighed.
That was where he was right. Gundham remembered Jonathan's description of his half-brother and had always wondered if he had been too kind about him. Lord Dio spoke of an arrogant brat who had been shot down in his prime before he could kill himself via drug overdose. Jonathan spoke of a young man who was making a few mistakes and needed proper guidance.
Jojo's kindness had been his undoing; Lord Dio had showed them what a life of Hope would give them. How pointless it truly was. Lord Dio was God and was never wrong, so Johnny Joestar was the wretch he said he was.
But perhaps his crippling had taught him humility.
This would be his great test. Could he become the great man and friend like his older brother had been? Or would he live and die the same pathetic trash he had been before?
Gundham did not have faith in him. What they had seen from Johnny with their own scouts told a story of a man who stayed at home and felt sorry for himself. Where Jojo was a beast of a man but the heart of a saint, Johnny had the body of a twig and cared only for himself.
If he didn't evolve on this journey, he would never do so. He wouldn't even be worthy of death.
Lord Dio, watch over us and give us the power we do not deserve. Gundham clapped his hands and bowed his head in prayer. Lord Dio was watching them from Heaven and would not be pleased with their failures. Ultimate Despair would redeem themselves!
Gundham even had the appropriate way to pay tribute to Lord Dio.
Just in the distance, too far-off for any but Gundham to see, were a group of nomads. There had been rumors of some small towns in the US being able to sustain themselves through The Tragedy, or of communities that survived by fleeing civilization and hiding out. They were likely returning to their homes, or finding a new one.
People like those were often tired, hungry, and carried supplies useful for long trips.
Accept this Despair as tribute, Lord Dio! Gundham declared. Welcome To The Jungle manifested itself as Gundham raised his arms and allowed coils of bone to spout out from his flesh and resemble the structure of a raven's wings. Bones were followed by muscles, flesh, and feathers as his arms were no longer that of a human's.
They were now wings with which he could scour the skies and let the wind flow against his skin.
He wore few clothes for he was neither man or animal, but lower. Animals only chose him because he learned the proper way to manipulate them. He pretended to be a Dark Lord to ignore the fact that no human wished to be his companion. As if there was some greater reason that people would not even touch him. Now he had known the truth.
Gundham Tanaka was nothing. He barely had the right to wear a collection of rags and cloth that covered his most essential parts, but left enough bare for the proper transformations. Battle and moving around were what he did most of the time now. Those who even touched him would be cursed.
The Dark Devas of Destruction dug themselves in tightly to his skin and clothes. His wind-speed could be violent, so they buried themselves deep in pouches where they would be safe, and readied themselves.
It had been a while since Gundham has tasted food that had not come from the trees or soil. He licked his lips in anticipation for the blood and flesh that he would soon devour. The rest of the supplies would go to those who had not debased themselves as far as he had.
To some, Gundham appeared a leader of this group, but that would be wrong. That would misunderstand who he was. He only commanded those who could not command themselves. The way that beasts ruled over those who wished to be ruled.
That was who Gundham Tanaka truly was. A beast. That had been the truth Lord Dio showed to him. A beast that was meant to find and kill those who dared challenge his master.
Makoto Naegi's turn would come. Johnny Joestar's test would be soon enough. For now, Gundham had other matters to attend to, as he took flight.
The hunt was on.
The Kingdom of Novoselic was once a proud and peaceful nation ruled over by the benevolent Nevermind family. It did not know of war or famine. It was famed for its eccentric but harmless ways. It was small but friendly to its neighbours. The people were once joyous and filled with Hope.
The Kingdom of Novoselic was now a wasteland of ruin and death ruled over by a mad tyrant. It knew only slavery and death. It is famed for being the factory of Ultimate Despair's cruelest and foulest weapons. It had destroyed nearly all of Europe. The few people left were servants to Ultimate Despair.
That is why a man could be pinned down and slowly tortured into revealing information in broad daylight. Those around him were either Ultimate Despair or civilians praying they wouldn't be next to be butchered by their cruel masters. Freedom after Dio's death never came to them.
The woman who was once the mild yet strong-willed Princess of Novoselic was now the mad Supreme Empress of Europe. She sat on a bench nearby as if it were a throne of gold and diamond. The torture was done partially on her command. The regal dress she wore was now tattered and stained by a dozen battles and her skin was the same.
Few spoke of tales that not even her heart was her own. That she had given it to Dio Brando himself after their first bedding.
A more accurate description would be that she had the Ultimate Nurse transplant Dio's heart into her own body. Sonia would have the heart of the Ultimate Master. She would have the heart of her Ultimate Master inside her.
The other leader of this interrogation was Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. He had become leader of the Kuzuryu Gang after putting his parents-and fifty other retainers-to death with his bare hands. The young crime-lord had sparked off his reign by exterminating the Diet in Tokyo and slowly taking over multiple international gangs for their operations.
Drugs, guns, humans, all were valid products to be sold to pay for the armaments that fueled Ultimate Despair. The scum of humanity were paying for their own deaths. Perhaps that was why Fuyuhiko wished to see the world through the eye of Dio. The eye-patch he wore was slightly stained by the droplets of blood that spewed from the last few battles.
These two were the leaders of Ultimate Despair's European operations. These two were born to be rulers of their respective families and those who served under them. These two were meant to cooperate.
This was not happening.
"Why isn't he fucking talking?" Sonia snapped. Her ire was directed at Fuyuhiko. This was meant to be his interrogation, after all.
"I'm doing my goddamn best. The tool's just defective." Fuyuhiko took his weapon by the hair and yanked on it hard. It spun around to be punched in the left cheek. "Try fucking harder!"
"Yes, Master." Fuyuhiko's Tool replied. She did not react to the pain of the blow; both physical and emotional. Why would she? She had discarded all identity beyond being the bloody sword of Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu.
Swords did not complain about pain. Peko may be a defective tool, but she was a tool nonetheless.
Her body and face were littered with the scars of hundreds of battles. Wounds she had suffered fighting against her enemies were joined with wounds her master had taken and forced onto her instead. After all, any tool incapable of protecting its user was useless and had to be altered.
Beat It could be a cruel Stand. It could remove any injury on the user and transfer it to another. It was why Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu looked little different from when the Tragedy began, compared to others, especially Peko.
Not that Killing Machine was any better. The perfect Stand for someone like Peko was now; a weapon that took pleasure in duty and victory. She kept a grip on her sword pommel as the three more blades spawned from the original to pierce through the victim's flesh. That made it eight blades going through a rapidly-bleeding out body.
"Voodoo's ready if you need him in a better shape to torture." Mikan said from the side. Spit flowed down the sides of her mouth as she eyed the injuries.
"Shut up, bitch." Sonia replied. She gazed at the totem around Mikan's neck with disgust (and no small amount of jealousy), even when it was kept in a preservation container.
Mikan giggled at the insult. "Sooo high and mighty. You think just because Lord Dio is gone makes you in charge." Her smile became a frown as her entire face darkened. "My beloved loved me most. I was his first of all of us."
"Yeah, 'til he upgraded." Sonia snickered.
Mikan almost made a jump for her before Peko turned her eyes towards her. The threat of Killing Machine being turned on her forced Mikan back, but only made Fuyuhiko more upset. He yelled at Peko to do a better job.
Izuru Kamukura watched from the shadows in disappointment. This was why Ultimate Despair rarely worked together beyond a pairing-up. They slowly turned against one another and dragged themselves down. Nothing got done other than worshiping the very existence of Dio Brando.
Boring. He thought to himself. The man -an agent of Passione sent to investigate the new sources of drugs going into Italy- would crack soon. Then they'd have their information and actually do something.
They were broken slaves of Dio. Their Talents and intelligence had been blunted to make room for Dio-worship. Not to mention that their thirst for Despair was undermining them. Dio's death had destroyed all their momentum.
Only when Izuru revealed the existence of the Heir to Dio Brando did Ultimate Despair begin to show signs of life. That the servants of Dio would do more than whimper and cry over their parts of Dio.
There were some who fled for the US; both to find Jonathan Joestar's family and to capture Makoto Naegi. The Ultimate Hope had finally revealed himself. Revenge was finally a possibility for them.
It was the first time that the whole group co-ordinated with each other. Sonia, Fuyuhiko, Peko, Mikan, Mahiru, and the Imposter all stayed in Europe to find the Heir and deal with Italy's recovery. The rest would capture Naegi, test Jonathan's brother, and possibly handle President Valentine.
Cooperation was messy, but often more effective than not. For example, Mikan was able to tell Peko the proper way to castrate someone without killing them, even if the wound isn't cauterized.
"I-I'll talk! Just-please! Let me go." The gangster begged. "Rome. The Future Foundation are meeting Giovanna in Rome."
"Knew it." Fuyuhiko hissed as he looked to Peko. She nodded as another blade shot out from the original and went through the neck of the gangster, who died choking on his own blood.
Sonia threw herself off the bench and Ballroom Blitz already started kicking it in. The Stand was a warped portrait of the Ultimate Princess; a painted-on face of a peaceful smiling woman and a long-flowing red dress littered with blood, bombs, and guns all over. There was nothing peaceful about how it kicked the bench in.
"Now what do we do? Rome's a goddamn fortress!" Sonia howled.
"Venice isn't." Fuyhiko pulled out a cigar and put it in his mouth. Peko was there to light the cigar and was rewarded with a puff of smoke in her face. "Stuff it full of drugs and bombs and that'll lure out the do-gooders. Then we take 'em out one by one. It'll free up the time to find the Heir."
"The Heir...I wonder if he'll call me Mother? Maybe if I ask kindly." Mikan took the totem in her hand and began to stroke it. Voodoo emerged from her right shoulder, a tiny doll no larger than three inches tall, made entirely from brown straw, and stroked her cheek in turn. "I have his brothers and sisters ready." She whispered into the totem.
Izuru had remembered reading once that people attached emotions to animals and objects that weren't there. Delusions he thought he was immune from. Yet even he could feel the cold shudder of sickness coming from his right pocket. The pocket where he put the Space Invaders hair-clip that not even Dio knew about.
He thought of other things to take his mind off it. The rumours he had heard were of great interest to him; not least because this was Dio's son they spoke of.
They said that he and others were Stand users; that it was because of those Stands that they ruled Italy now.
Gold Experience Requiem. That was the name that someone had heard near the Colosseum. The Stand that slew the infamous Boss of Passione. It was a small blessing that only Izuru knew the identity of the Heir. It'd make things easier. Giorno Giovanna. I wonder what kind of man you are. A son of Dio rebuilding what he destroyed?
It was finally something of interest. Something of actual meaning. Izuru would see what Dio's Heir was like and exactly what it was that this 'Gold Experience Requiem' was.
Could it be a Stand that not even Boulevard of Broken Dreams could copy? Or was this the next stage in Stands? The stage that Izuru could never reach, even with the Arrow inside him.
What would he do when faced with the Future Foundation? What would he do when Ultimate Despair would fight him? Or when they would make him their new King?
Hope or Fate? Which one will triumph?
Izuru finally had something that could relieve his boredom. There was something that could even shatter the nihilism that ruled his existence. The world at large was basically Novoselic; ruins and decay with a broken people inside it.
The only question was whether Giorno would try to save this world, destroy it to rule the ashes, or abandon it for Italy alone. He left the group, who never even knew he was lurking in the shadows, and departed for Venice.
Things were about to get interesting.
Stand Stats
Get Lucky
User: Nagito Komaeda
Stats
Destructive Power: C
Speed: C
Range: A
Durability: A
Precision: E
Developmental Potential: E
Abilities
Stand's humanoid forms represent Miracle and Tragedy; each one reliant on bad luck and good luck to happen respectively. When an instance of good luck happens, the Tragedy figure begins to fill up with black energy, and when an instance of bad luck happens, the Miracle figure begins to fill with white energy. These instances of luck must happen to the awareness of the user.
When either Miracle or Tragedy fill up with their respective energies, the figure explodes and either a Miracle or a Tragedy ensues. What these entail is unknown and completely random. The figures reassemble themselves when both have detonated.
Welcome To The Jungle
User: Gundham Tanaka
Stats
Destructive Power: D
Speed: C
Range: D
Durability: B
Precision: B
Developmental Potential: B
Abilities
User can communicate with animals.
User has the ability to mimic traits of animals i.e. enhanced bodily attributes, etc. User must be aware of what animal whose traits they are copying and user suffers same weaknesses as that animal i.e. mimicking the traits of a fish mean cannot breath on land, mimicking features of a mole mean high light sensitivity.
Feel The Noize
User: Ibuki Mioda
Stats
Destructive Power: B
Speed: B
Range: B
Durability: D
Precision: D
Developmental Potential: C
Abilities
User can manipulate pitch and volume sound-waves emitted directly or indirectly.
Killing Machine
User: Peko Pekoyama
Stats
Destructive Power: A
Speed: A
Range: E
Durability: D
Precision: A
Developmental Potential: D
Abilities
User can only use this Stand wielding a bladed weapon and Stand effects are cancelled if the blade leaves the hands of the user.
User can summon additional blades and manipulate length of blades at a range of 100m without change to sharpness of blades. Expansion of metal does affect stability and extension of range causes blades to be easier to break. Increasing number of blades emerging from original blade has similar effect, but at half the extent to expanding the metal.
Damage to sword can be repaired, but only damage inflicted to the original blade.
Voodoo
User: Mikan Tsumiki
Stats
Destructive Power: B
Speed: D
Range: A
Durability: A
Precision: A
Developmental Potential: B
Abilities
Stand requires sample of user's DNA and target's DNA to activate. User inserts DNA sample (blood, hair, nail, tooth, bone, semen, etc) into Stand to activate it. User can summon up to seven versions of the Stand but requires unique samples of different targets for each one.
User can heal injuries of self and target by 'opening' and 'closing' Stand to manipulate skin and organs. Can push straw to open and close wounds on skin and organs. Stand cannot do harm to target or user while using this power.
Damage to user is 'reflected' onto target when assaulted. Attacks to the user in this state will not effect them, but the target instead. In turn, damage to the target not originating from the Stand is reflected onto the user.
Stand deactivates if either DNA sample is removed.