Hey, King Spike Rules here and this is the start of the last arc in the journey with the Mayor Mansion slowly getting into the sight as our heroes nearing their end.
Chapter 33: Past Power.
Normal people strolled through the city, unaware of the secret battle being waged all around them. From hurried businessmen to casual passerby, none of them paid any special attention to a decaying building lodged between skyscrapers. The only sound from the building, too faint to be heard over the crowd's footsteps, was the gentle music of a guitar.
Mary's eyes scanned the people outside the window, instinctively searching for suspicious characters. There was the screech of metal against the floor, and Mary twirled back towards her companion. Doc had shifted in his seat atop a rusty table, crossing his legs to get more comfortable. The man happily strummed away at his guitar, humming along to each note.
"Are you getting any info from Franky or John? Anything about when we can get out of here and head to the mansion?" Mary asked.
Doc paused mid-note to look up from his guitar. "Nope, nothing yet. But they have American Pie's speaker, so they'll let us know when the coast is clear," he said with a soft smile, then resumed playing his guitar.
Mary turned back to the window, watching the street with a dissatisfied expression. After Franky had told them to head to the safehouse, the others had been completely quiet. She'd waited in the house, hoping to hear that they'd defeated their enemies. By now, though, the silence was beginning to worry her.
Suddenly, there was a loud scream from the street, interrupting Mary's thoughts. Doc knocked over the table in his scramble to join her by the window, and the two looked down at the street with wide eyes. Mummified bodies were falling to the ground all around the building. In the midst of the chaos, one man walked calmly through the panicked crowd.
"That must be one of the enemies," Mary whispered numbly. Doc pulled her away from the window and slammed the shutters, placing his back to the window to keep it from blowing open.
"Crap, I thought the others would have taken them out," Doc muttered to himself, sweat dripping down his face. The Stand seemed to be emitting some strange force, if the weird tingling in his back was any indication. Still, that gave Doc an idea of where the user was, so he could tell that the guy was walking around slowly. Clearly, he was trying to draw them out of hiding.
"What are you doing?" Mary asked, confused at how fearful Doc was acting. "Why not hit him with your shrieking power from afar? Not like you'd be in any danger."
"American Pie can only attack with the speakers on its hand, and right now, those are with the others," Doc explained, wincing at the painful sensation in his back. He stepped away from the shutters, which were now dry and splintering from the exposure to the Stand's ability. Mary moved towards him to get a better look, noting that his back was covered in wooden shards. She quickly used Burmingham to restore his back to normal.
"We need to move and get out of here before he takes the house out on us," Doc said, rising to his feet with a worried expression. Mary nodded, meeting his eyes for a moment before leading him out through the back of the building. They made their way to a sewer looking at him for a few seconds before leading him out of the back and down the secret way leading to the sewers. A strong stench filled their noses when opening the secret hatch and they looked down.
"He even dried the sewers too?" Mary groaned, but moved down the ladder. She turned on a flashlight and walked in the opposite direction of the enemy. As Doc followed behind her, her mind focused on what she'd just learned from him. In particular, the realization that they were defenseless if something were to happen. "Doc, did Kite know about this fact of your Stand?"
Doc looked away from her guiltily, his own mind trying to decide exactly how to answer. Finally, he hung his head and quietly said, "N-no, he's not aware that my Stand can only fight with its speakers."
Suddenly, he bumped into Mary's back. Before he could apologize, she turned back to look at him, eyes burning with fury.
"Why? You put us and your friends in danger-in fact, they still think that they'll be able to get backup if they call you. So why, exactly, did you think this was a good idea?" she demanded, taking hold of his collar and forcing him to look at her.
Doc just stood there, giving her an anxious look for a few moments. Finally, he said, "I-I didn't want you to get hurt."
Before Mary could ask exactly what he meant, a voice called out to the duo. "Well, isn't that touching." They both turned to find Stu slowly walking towards them, his Stand already floating in place above him. He wasn't afraid to show its form to them. "You two aren't really that good at stealth, what with closing the shutters and moving so suddenly in a creaky old building. Made finding you much easier."
As he took a few steps towards them, they both felt heat wash over them. In a matter of seconds, sweat covered their faces, and they were panting for breath. "H-his ability is heating things up," Doc managed, backpedaling away from Stu. Mary followed suit, and the two stared in unease at the enemy Stand, looming motionlessly over their heads.
"Sure, that's my Stand's ability," Stu said, seeming to mock them with how obvious it was. mockingly looking at them and moved closer, making them both feel some kind of pressure out of nowhere and they stepped back.
"Mary," Doc began, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "I don't think his Stand is very physically strong."
"Doc, shouldn't we wait until-"
"Go, American Pie!" Doc yelled, sending his Stand flying towards Stu. It reared back an arm, but just as its fist shot forward, Stu's Stand shifted to take the attack. American Pie's hand made contact, and in an instant, shattered into mist.
The duo stared at the display with shock, until Doc suddenly grasped at his own arm. "Ahhhhhh!" he screamed. Mary turned to look at her friend, only for her eyes to widen in horror at the sight of his now mummified arm.
"You should have really thought that through before going for an attack," Stu said casually, taking another step closer. Mary quickly jerked her leg up, kicking off one of her shoes directly into his face. The sudden attack hit one of Stu's eyes, leaving him yelling incoherently while he brought his hands to his face.
In his moment of distraction, Mary took hold of Doc. "Come on, we need to move," she said, helping to steady Doc as they made their escape. Once Stu lifted his hands, he was left staring blankly at the empty passage. His face was already developing a bruise, and a few drops of blood trickled from his nose, but his only emotion was annoyance. He wouldn't fall for such a simple ruse again.
On the surface, Mary and Doc hid behind a wall, keeping watch for Stu. Ready to move once he entered sight, Mary turned her attention back to Doc. The man was looking at his arm, wincing as he brought his fingers against the decayed flesh. She noted that his nerves must still be intact, since he was able to feel pain even with a slight touch.
"Here, let me heal you," she said. Birmingham materialized in front of them, and placing its hands on his arm, focused its energy into his injured limb. Almost immediately, his arm repaired itself, his skin becoming healthy once again.
"Thanks," he said, looking over his arm and curling his fingers. He smiled at her, only to see that she'd already turned away. His heart felt heavy as he realized she was still upset from their talk in the sewer. "Mary, listen-"
He was cut off by the feeling of her hands against his mouth. He almost reached up to remove them, but as his head shifted, he caught a glimpse of the street around the corner. Immediately, he realized what she had been worried about; Stu was walking around the area with his Stand still hovering nearby.
"Come on out. If you do, I will go easy on you," Stu said. He scanned the nearby area for any sign of them, before adding, "You must understand that we need her to save this country."
He stepped towards the wall that they'd hid behind. Mary covered her mouth and looked straight forward, trying not to make audible breaths. She racked her mind, trying to find the solution that could save them from the situation. Suddenly, there was a flicker of movement from a few feet away. Stu turned and smiled, stalking away in the direction of a small noise. Mary turned to her left, noticing American Pie fade back into Doc, who rose to his feet.
"I got my Stand to throw a rock or two from the roof. Now come on. We need to move while he isn't looking," Doc whispered, taking her hand. She nodded, and the two began to creep away from Stu, trying to get closer to the mansion in the hopes that their friends might be there already.
Before they'd even made it to the next street, the wall of a nearby building disintegrated, creating a cloud of dust. From that cloud, Stu walked out with a faint smile on his face.
"Nice try, but November Rain can feel all liquid move around me. You can't hide from me," Stu said.
Before he could take another step, Doc placed himself between Stu and Mary. "Mary, get to the others and tell them to move forward with the plan. I-"
His words were cut short as November Rain's hands gripped his shoulders. The touch spread through his body, leaving him only enough time to cry out in pain before he collapsed. Most of his body had been transformed into a husk, and his chest barely rose with his breathing. Mary stared in utter horror at his mummified form, barely able to process what she was seeing.
"If you agree to come with me, I'll let you heal him to save his life," Stu offered, placing a hand on Doc and taking out a set of handcuffs. He secured the husk's wrists, then turned his gaze back up to her. "Well, what shall it be? Run or save your friend?"
Mary weighed her options for only a moment before lowering her gaze. She moved towards Doc, summoning Birmingham to heal him while Stu observed them both closely. Mary didn't have any intention of trying to attack, however. She simply knelt next to him and closed her eyes as her Stand worked its magic. Within a few seconds, Doc had been restored to his former state.
His eyes fluttered open, and he blearily called out, "M-Mary?" Then he seemed to notice Stu standing behind her, and his eyes widened in shock. "Why didn't you run?"
"Because I couldn't abandon you. I couldn't let you die here," she murmured, lifting him up and embracing him. Stu looked awkwardly at the scene, looking away in an attempt to allow them their moment. As he did, Mary continued in a quiet tone. "I have an idea. Trust me."
Doc blinked in confusion, neither him nor Stu noticing as Mary's ability expanded from his body into the nearby area.
Stu turned back to the duo, noting that Doc had been returned to perfect health. "Alright, he's fine," he said, reaching out to her. "It's time to-"
He was cut off as the wall suddenly appeared in its former position, trapping his hand inside a thick layer of brick. Stu stared at his hand in shock, then lifted his voice and furiously shrieked, "Oh, you fucking bitch!" Still holding onto Doc, Mary helped him to his feet. Once he felt steady on his feet, the two ran off, leaving Stu trapped in the wall for the time being.
"H-how did you know that would work?" Doc asked, looking at her with fresh admiration and holding her hand while they made their escape.
"I didn't. Just had a thought, turns out I could do it, and it worked," she said, leading them through the old part of the city with a smile forming on her face. "Actually, I think we should try testing more of my powers before we get to the mansion."
Stu turned the wall back to dust, looking around for a few moments as he tried to figure out which direction they'd left for. His anger built up, and he slammed a hand into the next wall, leaving a jagged hole in the brick. "That bitch will pay," Stu muttered darkly, heading off to hunt them down.
TBC
