Sorbet was beginning to sweat. He'd never had his stand active for this long and Tulmine was beginning to fight Sorbet's manipulation. He'd been inside his mind for so long pulling strings that Tulmine seemed to be picking up on patterns. Sorbet had started with the obvious: fear and sadness. Those were easy emotions to manipulate to make a target bend to his will. But Sorbet wasn't looking for a quick manipulation, he was looking to keep him paralyzed until help could arrive which meant digging deeper. He started pulling at emotions he believed would be unexpected, like joy. The hard swing between two drastic emotional states would be enough to make anyone's head spin.
Tulmine was made of different stuff though. Joy led to pride and confidence and he fought back mentally. This user had strong defenses, but not enough that Sorbet couldn't stay in his mind. The strong push from Tulmine caused a sense of alarm in Sorbet. In a moment of panic, he began to pull on random emotions to catch the electric user off guard. Tulmine was learning every step of the way. Whatever emotion he pulled, Tulmine seemed to summon an emotional memory tied to it to inspire him to fight harder.
Come on, Risotto...help better be coming soon…
Not only did he struggle to keep Tulmine under his manipulation but it was also taxing on Sorbet. He was tiring fast. He wasn't sure how much time had passed but he knew that this was much longer than he'd ever done it before.
"Sorbet! Rip his mind apart!" He heard Gelato's shriek in his ear. His heart sped up at the encouragement from his lover and he pushed harder. He couldn't fail here, Gelato needed him. He was already teetering on the edge and Sorbet's death was certain to incinerate the last shred of reason in Gelato. Gelato was unstable and Sorbet couldn't be sure that he wouldn't snap and try to take as many people with him as possible on his exit from this life. Certainly Risotto.
He turned his attention back to Tulmine. Sorbet grabbed fear and sorrow again but delved even deeper, searching for a way to break him. Something sparked inside Tulmine. Perhaps the combination of feelings dislodged some memory in his head but Tulmine began to lose ground in the cerebral battle.
"Get out of my head you fucker," Tulmine growled and winced.
"Sorbet! Fugo's heading your way now! Just hold on!" Illuso said.
"You'd better come back to me damn it or I'll kill them all! The skies of Italy will burn and blood will run in the streets!" Gelato's voice cracked as he screamed. His voice growled hoarsely as he continued his shrieking tirade, "Italy will fall to its knees and I will make Giorno watch it all! He will be the last to go, and I swear to god, I will savor his torture and death for weeks before ending it all!" There was silence on the channel as no one in the group knew what to say to that dark statement.
Just as Sorbet predicted. His heart raced, but not in fear, it was pleasure.
God, I love him so much. He says I'm poetic, but when his passion gets the best of him, the words he utters are nothing short of beautiful and utterly romantic.
"I love you, Gelato," Sorbet breathed passionately. "You're absolutely incredible."
Someone ran into the room and Sorbet made the mistake of glancing away to assess the new threat. That was all the time Tulmine needed. He broke free and summoned Shinee but before he could do anything, a yellow bulb shot from the doorway and cracked against Tulmine's outstretched arm. A purple fog began to fill the air. Sorbet looked at Fugo and back at Tulmine. The enemy stand user was distracted, giving Sorbet an opening to run over to Prosciutto. The range of the attack wasn't too large and within a minute, the fog began to dissipate. Tulmine had already bolted towards the back of the room.
Sorbet lifted Prosciutto into his arms and checked his pulse. Alive.
"Risotto, Prosciutto is alive," he said as he slapped at Prosciutto's face. "Come on, Pro." Fugo came over and crouched next to them and watched. The blond lashes fluttered briefly and his eyes opened to look around him.
"Where's Tulmine?" Prosciutto mumbled.
"Fugo hit him and he ran. Take it easy," Sorbet said as Prosciutto sat up quickly.
"We have to kill him," Prosciutto said as he tried to get up.
"We have to find their leader. We'll deal with him later," said Sorbet.
"There are other stand users here, so we need to be careful. I ran into Sale earlier," Fugo said.
"I thought Sale was dead." Prosciutto rubbed his head.
"Guess Giorno brought him back too." Fugo shrugged.
"Fucking dipshit," Prosciutto mumbled. "So where are we going now?"
"Melone said there was a room in the northeast, probably head there," Illuso said in his ear.
"Alright, let's not wait around. Let's fucking end this already."
Angela smashed cameras as she and Sale made their way towards Andréa's office. She was convinced they were probably watching and even if they weren't, well, she had learned that being paranoid paid off sometimes.
"Is that really necessary?" Sale asked.
"I don't want them knowing where we are. Besides, there's no way we're staying at this point. Too many are dead now and the other assassins are still unaccounted for. Also, they know where our base is so Andréa will want to relocate," Angela explained as she smashed another camera.
"Why do you stay?" Sale asked.
"What kind of question is that?" Angela asked as they continued down the hallway.
"I mean, Andréa is just so…" Sale didn't finish.
"I love her," she answered automatically.
"I know," he said.
"My family is here, and I go wherever Terra and Tulmine go."
"So even if things got grim, you wouldn't bail?" Sale asked.
"Tulmine has done everything for us, and Terra tries her hardest to protect me. I still know about stuff even though she tries to shield me from it. It's just in her nature to want to protect. She basically became my second mother when my mom was hospitalized. So even if shit turns, I'm not going anywhere."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it," Sale said. "Just wondered is all."
"Whatever, let's just focus." Angela smashed another camera at the end of the hall. Just then, Tulmine came crashing down the hallway. He was clutching his right arm and sweating.
"Tul? What happened?" Angela asked. He stumbled over to them and grabbed Sale by the arm.
"I need you now," he began dragging Sale back from where they'd come.
"Uh, Surge?" Sale asked as he followed.
"Tul! What the fuck happened?"
"It's the dude with the virus. I have to stop it." Tulmine continued hobbling along.
"I already took him out!" Sale said indignantly.
"Maybe you should stay until you watch them die next time," Tulmine growled. A chill went through Angela. She had done the same thing. They were good as dead though, but she hadn't stayed to be sure. They hurried to the kitchen. Tulmine stumbled in and began searching drawers.
"What are we doing?" Sale asked.
"Angela, turn on the stovetop as high as you can."
"Which one?"
"Doesn't matter," Tulmine panted. "Sale, find the biggest knife you can."
"Okay," Sale began to rummage through cabinets searching. Angela turned up the largest burner in the front and then watched as Tulmine put down tea towels and a wooden spoon on the kitchen island. He yanked up his sleeve and put the diseased arm on the counter.
"Angela, be ready with the rags," he grunted. The determination in his eyes scared her.
"Tulmine, what are you doing?" Angela asked as Sale returned with a butcher knife.
"Cut it off," he looked at Sale and bit down on the wooden spoon.
"What?!" Angela exclaimed as Sale stood on the other side of him with the knife poised. "There's gotta be another way! Tulmine!"
"There's no time, Cat," Tulmine heaved.
"He'll die if we don't, Ange," Sale murmured as he froze the knife in mid-air over his arm. He began to tap it, but the disease was spreading quickly.
"Hurry…" Tulmine growled through the spoon. Angela picked up the hand towels as Sale and the knife glowed. Tulmine bit down hard and closed his eyes in anticipation. Sale tapped the knife one more time and released the kinetic energy he'd been building up. It sliced down hard enough into his arm that it broke the bone cleanly.
Tulmine screamed through the wood in his teeth. Angela quickly cradled the towels to his bleeding stump as Tulmine threw his other arm around her for support. The spoon fell out of his mouth as he began to stagger.
"The stove…" he directed and they hobbled over to the oven. He pulled his bleeding arm away and took several deep breaths in and out before plunging the bloodied arm onto the burner. Sale held the limb in place.
Tulmine's screams, the sizzling, the smell of burning. It was almost too much for Angela. She was frozen to the spot. He continued screaming until Sale let go of his arm and Tulmine stumbled into the counter behind him and fell to the floor. He continued whimpering and cradling his severed limb. All color had drained from his face and his lips were just as pale. He was shaking and sweating.
"Surge? You good?" Sale asked sternly as he knelt down next to him. Despite his condition, he managed to speak.
"I'll be fine but these guys are good. We at least have a chance now. I took out the guy making everyone old." Tulmine panted. "But no matter how this plays out, Andréa won't stay now that they know where we are. So grab what you need as you go. Angela, open the safe in the next room and grab the artifact. Bitch is gonna want that."
"Okay, I'll get some shit together. Just take a minute, Surge. We'll be back." Sale said and stood back up. He and Angela went to the adjoining office as Tulmine had instructed.
"What the fuck is she doing?" Illuso stared at the screen as Angela smashed another camera.
"She's trying to blind us. She's smart. Already figured we might be watching," Risotto said.
"Hey, Pro? Angela is smashing the cameras over in the northeastern section of the building so I think you guys are headed in the right direction."
"Finally something is going right," Prosciutto said. They ran into more guys on their way which Illuso saw as a good sign. The leader would want a lot of protection near the office. He switched cameras and saw Pesci leaning on an unknown woman and Ghiaccio leaning on what he could only guess was Babyface, but it didn't look right.
"Hey, Ghi? Are you guys okay? Who is that with you guys?" Illuso asked.
"That's Dr. Isabella Florence," Risotto answered. "What is she doing there?"
"It's Melone's doctor. She said these guys kidnapped and tortured her. They wanted info about us and Giorno. I don't know what for," Ghiaccio said. "Glacé found her and said that Melone and Formaggio are in trouble. Can you confirm that?"
"Yes, Formaggio and Melone are in a firefight with a flying stand user on the rooftop. Who's Glacé?" Illuso asked.
"Melone named his stand," Ghiaccio said as he used the stand for support. That was weird. Illuso had never known Melone to do that before, and he knew about most things going on in his squad.
"We're going to them now. Pesci can't fight and I've been better. We'll help them out best we can," Ghiaccio grunted. "We'll regroup with Pro after."
"Be careful, Ghiaccio," Risotto warned. "And hurry. Prosciutto's group is too isolated right now for my liking. Prosciutto can't fight and Fugo can only do so much."
"We'll hurry," Ghiaccio responded. Illuso turned to Risotto before next speaking.
"Why do you think they took the doc? Do you think she'd even know that much?" He folded his arms and sat back in the seat. Even Gelato had turned to listen since Sorbet was nowhere to be seen on the screens.
"Probably wanted anything they could get out of her. Probably saw she was on our payroll and figured she was an easy target. We don't know what kinds of things Melone may have said about us," Risotto elaborated. "I think these guys have another agenda besides just selling on the market."
"You think they're vying for Giorno's spot?" Illuso guessed.
"They are highly organized for just a splinter faction. I've been floating this theory now for a bit but wanted more proof of it first before saying anything. I think taking the therapist proves this. What information would they need to continue their drug market deals?" Risotto posited.
"Maybe so they know how to defend against us?" Illuso volunteered.
"Maybe so, but that seems like a waste of resources just for that. They could have tailed us just to see our abilities. But they went for the doc. They want to get in our heads. Why?" Risotto stared at the screen as Ghiaccio's group left the building.
Angela ran to the safe while Sale grabbed a bag and loaded up with weapons and anything else that seemed important to stash. She typed in the code and opened the little metal door. She grabbed their passports, money, and a large stone object. It was rough and heavy in her hand. She pulled it out and examined it closer. It looked like the face of a monster. The mouth had fangs protruding from its mouth and the eyes were gouged out as if it were intended to be worn but when she turned it over, there were spikes pointing out the side. It must have been meant as a ceremonial object or an art piece because it didn't look like it could actually be worn comfortably. It was also cracked and looked very old.
"What the fuck is that?" Sale asked.
"It's some kind of mask…" Angela said, shrugging.
"Did you get whatever artifact Surge mentioned?" Sale said as he finished stuffing the bag with supplies.
"I think this is it," she said as she looked back over at him. He looked perplexed.
"Must be worth a lot if Andréa wants it. Whatever just put it all in the bag." Sale walked over to her and she dropped the contents of the safe inside. "Let's get your brother and go help Terra and Andréa. The assassins are probably closing in."
They returned to the other room to find Tulmine unconscious on the floor. Angela tried to pull him to his feet but Tulmine was just too big for her to move by herself.
"Here, take the bag. I'll carry him," Sale said as he put the strap of the duffle bag over her head. He bent down and picked him up with some difficulty and slung him over his shoulder. "I'll do what I can if we run into anyone, but I'm gonna need your help."
"No problem." Angela adjusted the bag and exited the kitchen. They began navigating hallways towards the northeast corner. She glanced back at Tulmine. He was still pale, and he needed medical attention.
"Hey, we'll get him help, don't worry." Sale smiled at her.
"He said he wanted to leave. All of us." She glances at Sale's face.
"You mean leave Andréa?" Sale asked and Angela looked away.
"I couldn't leave her. It was just something he said." Angela wondered if he had said something sooner if they could have left before this attack. What if Terra dies out there fighting?
"It'll be okay. I won't let anything happen to you," Sale smiled reassuringly. He was very sweet and she appreciated the sentiment. She nodded at him silently and turned back towards the hallway. There was someone at the end of the hall in a red suit. She halted and put down the duffle bag just as Sale took notice. She took some steps forward and summoned Kill Kitty as she assumed a fighting stance.
"Shit, he really isn't dead," Sale said nervously. "Watch out, Ange. He has a deadly virus stand that has a larger range and he can shoot it at you too."
"Just stay back, I'll handle this," she said in a low voice. Don't fuck up, Caramella said in her ear, Tulmine needs you. The virus user approached them with his hands in pockets, his attitude seemed relaxed.
"Did I scare you?" He chuckled. She was waiting for him to make his move. She knew she couldn't get too close, so she wasn't sure how this battle would go. He lifted one hand like a claw and said, "Rawr."
"You attacked Tulmine. I'll kill you." Angela growled.
"Tulmine? What happened to Tulmine?" The stand user asked.
"You fucking know what you did, bastard!" She rushed him, blades poised.
"Angie Cat! Wait no! It's me!" The red-clad user cowered with his hands up. Angela halted at the last second.
"Terra?"
"Yeah, they got to the office. I was going to go take out the others and find you." He looked around Angela to see Sale holding Tulmine. "What happened?"
"Your ride here melted his hand and we had to cut it off," Angela explained.
"Oh, fucking shit!" He breathed. "Look, I think she has it handled, but you should still hurry. Just in case. I'm not much use now that I jacked this guy. There are two more in there." He began to walk down the hall away from them.
"Where are you going?" Sale asked.
"To kill the others. They won't expect their friend to turn against them." He grinned and took off down the hallway.