- A/N -
Now, I know what I said last chapter about doing an episode in two chapters only. But for some reason, I managed to complete half an episode in one day on April 2, 2021. So I thought, "If I was able to get half an episode in a day, I might as well continue to write down the rest of the episode." So, here I am with another single-episode-chapter.
By the way, to answer my own question about the OPs being canon: I might as well make it canon, considering I'm putting in the effort to write the cast reacting to the OP, it'd be a waste if I didn't make it canon.
So to summarize: The first OP will be its own chapter released alongside the chapter begins Episodio 5, cast will react to it and it will be canon.
- Reviews -
Another World Jaune Arc: The terror and confusion King Crimson presents will definitely send shivers to the cast. Also, I didn't put Stand stats in this episode, but I'll consider to start using Stand stats in the next episode since [Black Sabbath]'s name was never said among the characters. As for that last question, I'll get to that in a future chapter.
23mooreb and guillermocejas767: Thank you!
E .Paradox: Thank you! Because the episode didn't mention anything about DIO's vampirism, I figured the cast wouldn't consider it since it hadn't even crossed their minds. As for making Jaune's mother manipulative, thank X3runner for that. If it wasn't for their review, I wouldn't have even put in much time to setting up her character.
X3runner: Neo does love inflicting pain on others! By the end of this, Jaune will very much be the trump card to overturn the eternal war between the two immortals. And indeed, Nicolas has a lot to unravel here, let's just hope he makes the right choice in how he handles it.
Guest: Thank you! And here I am again with another episode in one chapter. As for the 'OP being canon' question. I stated above that I would just go ahead and make it canon. Not to mention, no one voted for that, which makes sense since I'd just previously asked them to vote for OPs or not. As for the cast reactions on the lighter test, just continue reading!
Ill and awesomenessomar5: I appreciate it!
DeathlyJazzHands55: Thank you! I also checked your profile and saw that you were the one who made Dynamite and a Laser beam. I remember reading it once before, so I returned the kind gesture!
Henry Townshend1 and Wendel Santana: Here it is!
CGOLChris: Seeing how characters react to other characters from different shows is the best part about react fics. Thank you for the kind words!
Nobody: Hey, no problem! Your responses gave me a lot to consider for writing the characters, even something that I could write how they act in future episodes. Seeing their previous friend, student, family member become a criminal must've been heartbreaking for them. I figured since this Giorno was previously Jaune, who's attempt to be a hero was useless, I could tie it in nicely with GE's Stand cry. And, oh Neo, she really is like a child, except she'd actually kill someone.
Monkeylikespie: More flavor per bullet!
Greer123: Thank you!
JD1Kong: Holy shit! That was hype when it was announced for Part 6! Finally, I get to watch a Jojo part while it's airing.
Batman1998: It'd be a great miracle if I make it to that part in the series! And about the torture dance scene. I'm very nervous because how would I describe something so visually appealing and entertaining with just mere words alone? I'll probably spend a lot of time on that sequence and cast commentary.
Fireworks174: Indeed! I plan to make some characters faunus. However, I think I'm going to try and keep the main cast as they are. And Trish, I don't normally think that she has romantic feelings for Bucciarati. If anything, I think it's a respect for the mafioso who would risk his life to protect her. And I don't plan for Giorno to reveal his past to the gang. Mostly because I'm going to try and stick as close to the source as I can, and because Jaune has wanted to leave behind his old life, so I don't think he would tell them. Don't worry, you're not! I appreciate your love for what I've done.
Guest: They got some nice horses though. Honestly, it makes sense as the students are protected, so they would look down on things like crime when they might not consider the reason behind why they do it. It'll change when they see each of the gang's backstories as this progresses.
"So..." Ironwood kept his eyes locked on to Ozpin. "You really think so?" The two had never said anything to each other, but they both knew.
"Indeed I do. Stands were unknown to both of us. And perhaps with this viewing, we could see the possibilities they could provide to us." Ozpin told him as the other members of his inner circle listened in.
The lights in the room started to fade darker, signifying for all chatter in the room to quiet down as the screen started to light up.
The scene opens up with the bright sun, before it gets eclipsed by a soccer ball. Three school kids are playing in a grassy area off to the side where Giorno and Bucciarati are talking.
"Because you're going to join me." Giorno told him. "I plan on defeating your boss and taking over this city."
"What?!" Bruno was surprised.
"Uh… Didn't we see this last time?" Ruby turned to her teammates, when her sister responded.
"Yeah, and we also got reminded of Bucciarati's sweat fetish."
Ruby said off comment toward her sister. "Gross..."
"Yang, please don't say that." The heiress wanted to forget about that scene.
"Yes, this did happen last time." The Entertainer spoke. "A small portion of the previous session will play just to remind everyone where they left off."
"In order to get rid of gangs that sell drugs to children, I'm going to become a gangster myself."
"Are you saying… That you're going to join our organization?!" The two walked toward the balcony. "Are you serious?! Do you even know what that means?!"
"What a great view…" Giorno turned around to address the mafioso. "Yes. If I'm going to take over this city, I'll have to join the organization that rules it and work my way up."
Giorno placed his hand on his chest. "Bucciarati, I'm going to become a Gang-Star!"
The two stared at each other in silence.
"Pass! Pass!" One of the schoolboys called, kicking the ball as it came to him. The ball overshot and hit the mafioso in the back, shaking him from his thoughts.
Bruno turned around, startling the three as to what he'll do. Bruno kicked up the ball and passed it back to them, the tension easing up. All three of them gave him their thanks.
"Fine." Bruno turned around. "I'll report back saying I couldn't find the one who attacked Luca and introduce you so you can join the organization. However, if they find out at any time that you're going after the boss..." He walked closer to face Giorno.
"I'm not going to save you." Giorno's expression didn't falter. "Traitors can't be saved. You'll have to deal with your own failure."
Some of the students winced at hearing him tell Giorno that. They remembered how he felt about his fear of coming back home a failure.
"Jaune's failure at Beacon led him to have this new passion." Ozpin shared with the adults. "I wonder how far will he fall should he fail to achieve this as well."
The two teachers shared a grim look with each other, while the other adults resumed their attention on the screen.
Giorno's eyes looked at Bruno's face after his statement.
The two leaned against the railing.
"Otherwise, I'll wager on your golden dream and the honorable, golden resolve it took to go so far as to rip off your own arm, Giorno Giovanna." Giorno looked at him surprised. He managed to convince him into letting him join the organization.
"Well, he turned good real quick." Commented Yang.
"Jaune's leadership is enough to even soften the most hardened criminals!" Nora smiled as Roman in the back could be heard wincing.
"I guess Jaune was right about him." Pyrrha looked at the scene as the mood lightened up. "He really is a good person."
The scene changes to another view by the coast as Bruno briefs Giorno with information.
"Our organization oversees every industry in Naples." Views of everyday life throughout the city is shown. An outdoor cafe, a busy street with businesses open, and a high-class man and woman enjoying a fine glass of wine as they discuss something.
"Passione… That's the name of the organization."
"Oh no." The theater turned their attention to the wanted man in the room. "...You all want an autograph? Why are you staring at me?"
"Roman Torchwick." Glynda called him out. "You seem to know something about that organization. Tell us what you know." She sternly ordered him to do so.
"What? You've never heard of the largest, most powerful criminal organization known throughout the underworld for being ruthless? The one-"
"The one that pretty much runs the Kingdom." Everyone turned to Sun, who had a serious look to him. "They pretty much run everything from the shadows, even the government."
"What?!" Ruby was baffled how that could happen. "How could the government be run by some gang?!"
"Two words, red." Torchwick took a puff of his cigar. "Money, and connections." With that, he turned back to the screen.
"Passione means "passion," but that's not actually related to the boss's name." The two continue walking through the streets. "No one actually knows the boss's name, nor does anyone know what he looks like. We receive orders from a number of his capos."
As light shines on Giorno's face as they both exit an overpass, the scene changes just outside of a large wall onto the side.
"Giorno, the capo who'll be deciding whether you'll join the organization is a man named Polpo." With a click of his shoe, the two stop. "He's in this building." He points his thumb to where the capo is.
Glancing at its features, Giorno looks surprised. "But this building..." The looming presence of the building reveals itself.
"It's a prison."
"He's in jail already?" Weiss questioned.
"That might be difficult." Winter responded. "You'd have to schedule a meeting with him."
"Correct. Polpo was convicted of a certain crime and won't be out for fifteen years. But he gives me orders from the inside and commands the organization." Bruno said to him, as the scene changes to an overhead view, showing how large the prison complex is.
"He can leave this place whenever he feels like it, but he doesn't. There's simply no reason to."
"But why?"
"You'll understand once you go in." Bruno points his finger at him. "Giorno Giovanna, you're going to be interviewed by him, and you have to pass. It's basically like any other job interview. What the interview actually entails will depend on his mood, but whatever you do, don't let him find out your true intentions." Bruno started to sweat at the consequences for Giorno and him if anyone of the organization found out about their plan.
"All right." Giorno told him as he proceeded to walk in. "Oh, yeah. The Stand ability… That's what you called it, right? I never asked how you ended up with that ability, but there are others with it?"
Both Ozpin's group and Cinder listened intently to what Bruno is going to say next. They're about to find out how a person can obtain a Stand.
"That'll also be answered once you get inside… If you pass, that is." Bruno cryptically warned him.
"Just what kind of interview is this going to be?" Nora is worried about what Jaune has to go through.
"I can only assume the worst, considering it's for the most infamous gang in Vacuo." Ren shared his insights.
Cinder looked slightly annoyed at Bruno's response.
The sound of an alarm signals that a door is opening, as the scene shows the inside area. Giorno walks through to meet three guards, two armed and one at a desk.
"First, place your belongings, watch, and everything in your pockets into the tray," The officer by the desk pushed forward the bin. "then proceed to the next room for a body check."
As Giorno placed his briefcase into the bin and started to empty out his pockets. He takes a glance at the guards and sees them armed with submachine guns. As soon as he was finished, the door opened up, prompting the fifteen year old to walk through.
"Ah, prisons." Roman smiled. "How welcoming they can be."
"Stand right there and raise your hands over your head." The female officer instructed him. After doing as instructed, she proceeded to pat down the boy to check for any additional items.
"Once you go through that gate, please continue straight down the hall. N-28 is where Polpo's cell is. The room is divided with reinforced glass, but you'll be able to talk to him. Touching the glass, giving him anything, and receiving anything from him are all forbidden." She finished checking him for anything else.
"You have fifteen minutes." She nodded to the officer at the desk to open up the gate. "Once you pass through, the gate will close. If something happens, please yell."
Giorno was confused by that statement. "I'm going to meet him directly in his cell? Not in some visiting room?"
"You don't know who he is?" She responded with a stern look.
Giorno didn't push for more information as the door slid open into a dimly-lit hallway. As he stepped in, he saw in better detail the hall. Statued faces at the top being lit from below. Giving anyone walking through an ominous feeling.
"That hallway is surprisingly detailed, considering it's just for a prisoner." Winter commented, getting a hum from Ironwood.
The door slid shut, surprising him, as a white light filled the dim hall. Giorno turned around to see a prison room lit up. It has its usual amenities such as a toilet and sink, as well as a desk and a bed. However, Giorno couldn't find where the capo was supposed to be.
"He's not in the room?" Asked Neptune. "Is it because he has an invisibility semblance?"
"That would explain why he couldn't meet with him in a visiting room. He'd try to escape." Weiss analyzed the potential escape attempt.
He leaned up against the glass, placing his left hand on the glass.
"That left arm of yours..." A voice said out loud, surprising Giorno. "Is it injured?" Turning his head to where he heard the voice. He noticed that the bed appeared to form a hand, surprising Giorno even further.
As the bed moved menacingly, it gained a form more round than it was rectangular, revealing the round head of Polpo, his green eyes with black sclera looking right at the boy.
'That's no bed...' Giorno looked in disbelief. The scene showing how much the capo dwarfed the teen.
"Uhh… How is that…?" Ruby looked in awe and confusion. Blake finished her sentence for her.
"Possible?"
"Pfft. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't laugh but, "That's no bed!" That's too good." Yang felt bad for laughing about the… roundness of the capo.
"That guy's huge!" Neptune stated the obvious.
"That's an understatement." Sun snarked
"Students! Please keep such comments to yourselves." If Glynda had her riding crop, she would've whipped it at the group to emphasize her point more.
"Huh." Roman didn't think anyone could be that big. "If I had the amount of lien in his weight, I think I'd retire from being a thief." Of course, he received a slight glare from his employer, to which he continued to act like nothing happened.
"It's just on your right hand, but the fingers are slightly red, like you were holding something. Like lines that would be left after holding a bag. Which would mean that you were holding a bag in your right hand up until now."
After noticing he did have small red marks on his hand from the briefcase he had with him, his right hand flinched.
"Why's that?" The rotund capo craned his spine down to look at him.
"He seems very perceptive of small details." Winter noticed.
"If he's a high-ranking member of a criminal organization, then I guess it should be expected." The General commented on her.
"Well, uh… You're right." He shook out from his surprise. "I was holding a bag in my right hand, because as you observed, I hurt my left arm." The capo hummed to himself in the satisfaction that he was right. He reached over to a small door embedded into the wall.
"I envy your ability to be so reckless with your body." He opened a mini fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine and a glass.
"Would you like some wine? I have some exquisite Napoli Classico. It pairs perfectly with some Scamorza cheese and caviar on a cracker." He proceeds to open the bottle and pours himself a glass.
"That's pretty fancy for prison food." Weiss looked at the wine and other food in the mini fridge.
"Someone must've brought those in for him. Though, I don't know why they would allow it." Winter reasoned.
"I've been told that I'm not allowed to give you anything or receive anything from you." Giorno remained focused on his duty. But, Polpo blew a raspberry.
"They're just saying that. What people say and what they do..." He pulled out a remote, pressing one of the buttons caused a section of the wall to slide open, revealing the many things that a prisoner normally shouldn't have. "are vastly different."
The students were surprised at the things in the capo's hidden compartment. Fancy food, guns, and even a grenade.
"He shouldn't have those!" Saphron was also shocked at what the capo had.
"Sh-Shouldn't the guards there confiscate it?" Ruby stressed her point out.
"He probably paid them out to allow him to have them." Blake responded to the confused girl.
"Just how corrupt is the authority there?" Ruby couldn't get her head around it. "I thought they're supposed to maintain peace?"
"Hmph." Winter just realized now. "He probably paid them off to have his room custom-built." She looked irritated towards how much the capo could get away with.
"That's the best and worst thing about people. The only downside to being in this cell is…. Well…"
Giorno ignored his rant about all the things that he'd never be able to see from the inside of his cell.
'Polpo… It's not that he doesn't need to leave the prison. Things would just be the same for him whether he left or not.' He watched him eat some crackers as he drank his wine. 'With that body, he might actually be safer in the cell. More importantly, how did he get through the door?'
"The real question we need answered." Yang smirked at both Jaune's thoughts and her comment. Until she realized that the teachers are giving her a disappointed look at her.
Polpo finished eating to talk to Giorno.
"Bucciarati's told me all about you." He reached over to grab another cracker. "So you want to join our organization? Hmm… Giorno Giovanna, was it? Well, why don't we get this interview started?" He bit into the cracker, but not before he started eating his fingers. Blood smearing all over his mouth.
This slightly surprised the blond to the capo's actions. He watched as Polpo enjoyed his meal, savoring every flavor it presented.
"Ugh!" Weiss was disgusted, as was everyone else in the room.
"When will there be no more blood?!" Ruby averted her eyes once more while Yang still kept watching uncomfortably.
The teachers started to wonder if this was a part of the interview. But were confused about his actions.
Cardin felt sick after hearing that crunch of the finger.
As the clock on the Polpo-side table signaled it being three in the afternoon, Giorno took this as a chance to avert his eyes. Looking back, it was like nothing ever happened. Polpo enjoyed his glass of wine as he held a lighter where his bloodied fingers should be.
'What the hell was that? Did my eyes play a trick on me? For a moment, it looked like he took a bite out of his finger along with the cracker...' He looked at the lighter. 'No… Maybe Polpo is also a Stand user, just like Bucciarati. Either way, I can't let him find out that I'm one, as well.'
"No, I'm pretty sure I saw that he ate his own finger." Pyrrha commented, for the heiress to add on.
"Revolting, I might add."
"Could that be his ability? To make people see things or something?" Blake thought for a moment. "I mean, we saw him blend into a bed and saw that his bloody hand was not there anymore."
"That could be it, but it doesn't sound that… weird." Yang stated. "That would have to be his semblance."
Emerald kept her mouth shut the entire time as Cinder side-eyed her.
"What do you think is the most important thing when it comes to choosing someone, Giorno Giovanna?" He thought for a moment at the question.
"Is it what they're capable of?"
"Oh? And what exactly are you capable of?"
At Polpo's request, Giorno raised both of his hands, revealing the many items that he had taken from the female officer. Watching them all fall down, Polpo's expression showed a childlike wonder at how he did all of this.
"I borrowed a few things when she was patting me down." The officer's wallet and lire laid there on the ground. "I thought these would be useful for your test. Of course, I'll be returning them to her when I leave."
'I didn't even see him pickpocket her. How did-' Emerald was completely stumped. She's a good pickpocket, but not even she saw when Jaune got those.
Roman whistles. "Now that's some real skill. I should really hire the kid."
"The leader of Team JNPR would never join the likes of you!" Nora and her team glared at the criminal.
Polpo started to chuckle to himself. "Do you have anything else?"
"Other than that, the only skill I have is being able to completely fold my ear into my head." He proceeded to demonstrate to Polpo. Causing him to chuckle even more and the entertainment he was having.
"Please, don't. I'm starting to feel sick from the amount of body horror I've seen so far." Weiss felt like fainting. Either that, or throw up and risk embarrassing herself.
"That's rather amusing. But, you see..." He sets his glass down as he leaned toward Giorno, shrouding him in darkness. "There's something else that's far more important, and that's trust, Giorno Giovanna. The most important thing when it comes to choosing people is trust." He continued to pick at the food between his teeth with his pinky.
"In comparison, being smart of being talented means as much as this piece of cracker between my teeth." He flicked it away, the messy bit of food landing on the glass in front of Giorno. "This test is about seeing how trustworthy you are… with this lighter's flame."
"So… This is the test." Ironwood ignored the unsanitary action Polpo did.
"A test of trustworthiness. I wonder what it could be." Oobleck fixed his glasses as he rested his chin on his knuckles.
The small door opened to allow items to be shared with both sides, revealing the lighter place there for Giorno to pick up.
"Take it, and make sure the flame doesn't go out." Giorno walked over to the door to obtain the lighter. As his hand reached over to grab it, the wind it was displacing almost put out the flame. "Woah, there. Be extra careful to make sure the flame doesn't go out."
"That flame's pretty delicate." Ren noted. "It'll be pretty easy for it to go out."
"I mean, that still sounds pretty easy." Ruby didn't put much thought to the challenge.
"Yeah, Jaune will be able to keep it lit." Nora cheered on.
"I have hope for Jaune." Pyrrha gave a sad smile. "But there are a lot of variables to take into consideration that could make him fail this test."
"Fuller, the 17th-century theologian, said,"He's my friend that speaks well of me behind my back."" Polpo warned him.
"In order to join our organization, you'll have to show how trustworthy you are when we can't see you. For 24 hours, you will hold on to that lighter without letting the flame go out." Hearing the requirements for this test made Giorno sweat.
"24 hours?!" Ruby now started to realize the situation.
"I don't think Vomit-Boy will be able to win in this test. I mean, this sounds rigged!" Yang told the students.
Over with the teachers, they thought about the task presented to the ex-student.
"Jaune will have to keep a lighter lit for an entire 24 hours." Said Ozpin. "This does sound like a difficult task, but it doesn't make sense."
"Why's that?" Qrow prompted the headmaster to explain.
"According to Torchwick and our two students from Vacuo. Passione is a criminal organization powerful enough to control the Kingdom from the shadows." Ozpin continued his thoughts. "So how can they have that much power if most of their recruits are likely to fail the initiation?"
The teachers would've given it more thought to consider the possibilities, until the viewing continued.
"If you can do that, I'll approve of you joining the organization. Simple, right? The lighter has plenty of fluid in it. All you have to do is sit quietly in your room until 3 PM tomorrow and make sure the flame doesn't go out." Giorno continued to listen to the capo.
"If you're a careful man who'll work hard to make sure it doesn't go out, the flame shouldn't go out. Which means you're someone we can trust. However..." Polpo got Giorno's attention. "If you're a man who is taking us too lightly, and you fall asleep, sneeze, or knock it over, or a sudden wind blows the flame out… It means that you're untrustworthy, and I can't allow you to join our organization."
With that, Polpo was finished telling Giorno about his test.
"Now, take the lighter. This is your entrance exam."
"It sounds almost impossible." Blake looked skeptical of the test.
"This test might be more difficult than the initiation for Beacon!" Nora shot out of her seat.
Nicolas could feel relief, his son will fail the exam and hopefully, he'll consider leaving it all behind. Even though he seems dead-set on obtaining his dreams, at least he won't be in any more danger.
Giorno went to grasp the lighter from both sides, hesitant as he watched the flame dance from his hands. Grabbing the lighter with one hand, the other defended it from any breeze that blew its way toward it.
"You have 24 hours." He called out to Giorno from beyond the door. "I'm looking forward to seeing you come to visit me again tomorrow at 3 PM." Giorno backed away from the door.
'For 24 hours...' Giorno was shaken from his thoughts as the female guard instructed him.
"All visitors must go through another body check when they go through the gate." A thought came to Giorno making him flinch. "Once you're told that you can leave the facility, please continue to the next room and grab your belongings."
Giorno hid the lighter with his hands. "Wait! Polpo didn't tell you anything?"
This sentence immediately set off red flags for the officers working there.
"I don't think he did." Blake remarked while dread filled the air.
"That's… That's so unfair!" Ruby couldn't help but say.
"Ms. Rose." One of the teachers called out. "Nothing in life is fair, remember that."
"What?" The female officer quickly reverted back to her indifferent expression, as the two guards with their smg's aimed it right at Giorno.
"I'm going to pat you down now." She proclaimed. "Let me remind you that it's prohibited for you to accept anything from him!"
'Shit! I was under the impression that Polpo bribed all these guys, giving me permission to take the lighter out of here!'
"Visitor, put your hands up and proceed forward!"
'So Polpo's test for me has already started… And...' Giorno's face hardened with resolve. 'I have no choice but to go through with it! I have to pass this test and get into Passione!'
"How's he going to get out of this?" Neptune was getting nervous.
"Jaune will surely think of something!" Nora felt desperate to see Jaune get out of this.
Cardin started to get a nervous smile. 'If Jauney gets caught, they'll ask him about what it is he came to visit for. Then, he'll get arrested for trying to join a criminal organization.' He reasoned that if Jaune were to get arrested, he wouldn't have to worry about him coming back.
While Nicolas preferred it if his son didn't fail the test while in the presence of the guards, he considered that if he were to be put in jail, he could pay out the rest of his sentence and get him to come back home.
"Visitor, hurry forward! Put your hands up and proceed forward! I will conduct a body check!"
'Just like I hid her ID in my hand where no one could see earlier.' Giorno cupped the flame in his hand, smoke seeping between his fingers. 'I'll hide this flame!' Giorno felt the fire burn into his hand.
"He's really going to burn his hand just to pass?!" Saphron was dumbfounded. "Why would he really want to get into that terrible gang?"
"I can't say I approve of someone wanting to join a gang." Ironwood commented. "I commend his willingness to sacrifice for a cause. If only that cause was for something greater."
"Ooh… That has to hurt!" Sun winced at seeing the fire touch his hand.
"I think Jaune might be able to go through with this." Pyrrha told them as the students turned to her. "When I unlocked his aura, he had quite a lot actually. It might be enough to ignore the pain and make it through the body check."
Giorno watched as the officer patted him down for any items. She checked his legs before checking if there's anything on his back.
A bead of sweat rolled down his face.
As she checked his left arm, she got up to near his wrist before noticing that his hand was clenched. She turned her gaze toward Giorno.
"Oh no." Pyrrha's eyes widened.
"She knows!" Nora scrunched up her own hair. "Quick! Hit her with the life energy punch!"
Cardin felt his faint smile become more apparent. He quickly placed his hand over his mouth to cover it from anyone else seeing it.
'Good riddance, Jauney boy!'
"You're free to go." She releases him. "There are no problems here. You may leave this facility." Giorno's nerves relaxed as he was in the clear.
"However..." She immediately grabbed his left wrist. "Please open up your hand. Let me remind you that it's prohibited to accept anything from him. Visitor, open up your hand! I'm going to check it."
"What? No!" Ruby felt more worried for her friend. "I thought he was free to go!"
"Ruby, calm down. There might still be a chance he could slip out of this." Her sister tried to ease her worry, but she too was also worried.
"Well, kid." Roman said as he looked at the screen along with Neo. "It was a good run, I'll give you that."
Saphron was the most worried, while her father remained stoic the entire time. If he fails now, he can come and get him. If not, then he might fail at a better place than in a prison.
Giorno couldn't do anything to convince her otherwise, so he slowly opened up his hand.
She watched as the shadow receded. Her eyes widened to see a flower in his hand. Surprised, she picked it from him.
"A flower?" The female guard couldn't believe it.
"A real flower?" She held it up to her nose to smell it. "Very well. I'll allow you to take that out."
Ruby gasped. "How did he do that?" Only for Weiss to roll her eyes.
"His Stand's ability? Did you forget?" She responded, causing Ruby to facepalm herself.
"Phew. I thought for sure that he would've been busted." Yang breathed a sigh of relief alongside her team and Team NPR.
"It's as he said, 'What people say and what they do are two different things.'" Qrow quoted the capo as he was thinking whether he should actually get himself something to eat.
The sound of an alarm followed by the door sliding was heard, before Giorno was seen exiting the prison. The flower he held started to smoke, before fire erupted out of it.
"I turned the lighter into a flower and hid the flame within it." The flower stretched and returned back to normal. "That was too close."
"That was some quick thinking of him." Port complimented the boy.
"Wow! I didn't think he could do that with his ability!" Nora and along with the other students could be heard congratulating Jaune for getting out of that situation, but the adults remained to themselves.
"From what we've seen of these Stands, they have simple yet strange abilities that could serve multiple purposes at a time." Glynda said to them.
"Koichi's, I think that was his name, his Stand allowed him to weigh things down. Our student can bring life to objects that can do various things. And his gangster associate can place a zipper on anything, people or objects." Ozpin reviewed the abilities.
"They all sound so simple, but they each have a wide array of possibilities, which is what makes them terrifying." Ironwood reaffirmed his thoughts on the power Stands can have.
"Let's not forget, no one else can see them." Ozpin continued to watch the screen.
"But is this flame Polpo's Stand ability?" He asked himself, not a single person around.
The scene changes to show a nice multi-story building with a recreation area out in front of it. It was the dorm room building for the highschool Giorno was attending. As Giorno walked through the area, his attention remained solely on the lighter.
A light breeze rustled the trees as it came across the flame, startling Giorno. He quickly shielded the flame.
'The wind's definitely bad news!' Giorno decided to put even more attention on his lighter's flame.
"Hey Giorno! Perfect timing!" Someone called out to him. A stack of ten students were in a formation atop each other as a triangle. "Could you push the shutter button on the camera?"
"No." Giorno continued his way as each of the students looked at him with shock. Each of them could be heard crumbling in the background
"He would normally help anyone he can." Saphron was slightly taken back by Jaune's actions.
"Dang, Jaune." Neptune called out. "That's cold."
"Passing the lighter test seems more important though." Ren responded logically.
"Sorry, but could you help me out here?" A small elderly janitor asked him as he held on to multiple cleaning supplies.
"No." Giorno walked up the stairs. The elderly man was shocked at his lack of courtesy.
"It wouldn't hurt him to try and help." Glynda shunned him for his lack of help toward the janitor.
"He's very determined to bring the lighter back to his dorm room." The headmaster tried to at least explain Jaune's actions.
"Yeah, then maybe he could go back and help him." Ruby had hope in his friend's good side.
Inside the building, he walked upstairs to enter his dorm room. The clock on his table indicates it's 3:20 PM.
"He made it!" Nora cheered once more. "That's the leader of Team JNPR for you!"
"But it's only been twenty minutes! I'm not sure if he could keep it up." Weiss was pessimistic about this.
"He's in his dorm room, it should be easy to prevent the lighter from going out now." Ruby tried to keep people's spirits up.
'I finally made it back to my dorm.' Free to ease up a bit, he sighed. The wind enough to almost put out his flame.
Giorno quickly stopped himself, the flame returning bigger, before settling down to its normal size.
"Are you sure about that?" Emerald asked the red-cloaked student.
"She kind of has a point." Blake agreed with her. "That flame is way too weak, I wouldn't be surprised if it just went out by itself."
Ruby felt deflated. People were doubting Jaune's abilities to pass the test.
"Th-That was close..." He cupped his mouth. Looking around his room, he swiftly grabbed a piece of bread and took a bite out of it and placed the lighter firmly into it. Setting it on a plate, he surrounded the plate with a set of books, a clock, and a document cabinet.
"Now the lighter won't fall over, and even if the air moves, the flame will be protected." Giorno felt sure of himself. "Now, just as Polpo said, I just need to watch over this for the next 23 hours."
"I know." He felt restless. "I'll make sure my window is locked, just in case. I need to make sure it doesn't randomly open and allow the air to blow in here." As he reached over to the latch, he heard his door handle start to jiggle.
'What?' Giorno looked cautiously at the door. 'Who's opening my door without even knocking?'
As the door continued to open, Giorno saw through the mirror on the side that it was Koichi, the student he robbed.
'Th-That's-' Koichi set foot inside his thief's dorm room, glancing throughout the room, he could see that no one was present.
"He found him pretty quick." Saphron noted about the student.
"I'm pretty sure Jotaro gave him his address." Pyrrha replied back to her.
"They knew about my son's address?" Nicolas was a bit surprised. "I should've contacted them for information." He looked a bit defeated before Saphron tried to cheer him up.
"We didn't know they knew about Jaune, we can try contacting them later."
"Looks like he's out. Now's my chance." Koichi proceeded to search the room, as the camera zoomed out to show Giorno holding on to a pipe outside his window.
'It's that Mistralian guy again! His name was… Koichi Hirose!' Giorno eyed the student who kept looking for something. 'How did he find out my address?'
Koichi opened up the closet. "Looks like my suitcase and belongings are long gone. But my passport might still be around. It's probably harder to sell someone's ID." He left the closet seeing how his items were gone.
"I feel like a thief, sneaking into someone's room like this, but..." He checked under the chair and the bed before getting up. "No! He's the thief here! What's so wrong with me trying to find what belongs to me?!" Koichi reaffirmed his thoughts as he went toward the desk.
"I know, right?" Roman remarked, smiling as the students turned to him.
"You just steal lien and dust! It was never yours in the first place!" Ruby retaliated at him.
"Yes, but in my heart it was." His smile grew even bigger seeing the hateful looks on their faces.
'His passport? Shit! It's in the documents case on top of my desk because I'd planned to return it to him!' Giorno was sweating as Koichi checked through his cupboards. 'At this rate, Koichi's going to see the lighter's flame! Then he'll probably put it out! He'll think it'll set the place on fire!'
"That's very true. It does pose a fire hazard." Mercury snidely remarked before Emerald elbowed him to keep his mouth shut.
"No! Then Jaune will fail the test!" Nora kept her fingers crossed that Koichi won't see the flame.
"Do something, Jaune!" Yang sat at the edge of her seat along with her team.
"Yeah! Like punch him or something!" Nora, once again, shouted out.
"No, don't do that." Her partner deadpanned at the suggestions Nora is throwing out there.
'What should I do? I have to hurry up and retrieve that lighter!' Giorno's eyebrows were twitching. Noticing the lamp that's connected to the switch closest to him, he acted quickly.
'[Gold Experience]!' His Stand manifested and punched the light switch, electricity crackling as it coursed through the wires. The lamp above the desk morphed coiled into a green snake.
"From across the room?!" Weiss was surprised.
"That lamp was connected to the switch, so I guess he could send the energy through that." Blake responded to the heiress.
"Seems like he's improved since being expelled." Pyrrha relaxed a bit seeing how he got the lighter in a safe position now.
The newly created creature went down to bite into the piece of bread and slowly brought it back up. All without Koichi knowing any better.
'I used Gold Experience to turn the light cord into a snake. That bread is pretty delicious. Good job biting into it!' He congratulated the snake.
"He's got a quick mind, I'll give him that." Qrow commended him. "Especially with that Stand of his."
"Indeed. Though, I wonder what else he could do if given enough time." Contemplated Ozpin. "It wasn't long since he realized his power, and already he could do impressive feats with his Stand."
'Now I'll pull it up with the cord...' The snake went higher and closer together. The flame of the lighter burning the snake, causing it to drop the bread. 'What? Shit!'
The bread fell back onto the table with a small thud, Koichi easily noticing the sound. Looking up, the snake had already returned to being a lamp. Koichi got up to look on the desk, seeing the piece of bread with a lighter in it.
'I can't believe this. This isn't good.' Koichi picked up the bread with a makeshift candle. Giorno silently creeped in through the window. 'I have to make sure he doesn't blow the flame out!'
"Koichi! Don't do it!" Ruby begged the student on screen to hold on for a second. While most of the students held their breaths watching the screen, one of the students felt contrary.
'C'mon kid, just blow a gentle breeze on it!' Cardin mentally begged him to do so. This was his chance to see Jaune fail.
Koichi's attention was drawn to the case with smoke coming out of it.
"Oh?" He pulled the bin out to see his passport smoking. "This mark! The mark symbolizing Mistral! I found it! It's my passport!" He grabbed it, only to find that it's still smoking.
He screamed, quickly fanning it to cool it down. "I-It's burning!" As the passport finally stopped smoking, he relaxed.
"Thank goodness..." Koichi finally realized that the bread didn't have a candle on it anymore. "Huh? That's strange. I could've sworn I saw a lit lighter..."
The lighter is seen in the protective hands of Giorno as he quickly walks down the stairs.
"He's pretty fast at taking stuff." Emerald was actually impressed at the skill Jaune displayed in pocketing other's items.
"What? You gonna ask him for lesso-" Mercury stopped himself again as he felt the burning gaze of his employer.
"Phew." Neptune relaxed. "Now I'm starting to feel tense from this."
"Hah, I thought he wouldn't have been able to get it back!" Sun shared a smile with his teammate. The mood becomes less tense.
"That was close. He almost extinguished the flame." He walked down with a determined look on his face. "I, Giorno Giovanna, have a dream!" He said with a passion, making his way outside.
"And to take my first step toward that dream, I have to protect this flame, no matter what!" Suddenly, water came from the side. With his reflexes, he was able to avoid getting wet.
"Whoa, that was close." The janitor from before turned to him. "Sorry about that. I was cleaning the stairs. I'm glad it was just a slight mist and the water didn't actually hit you." He grabbed his mop and began to work.
"Hey! What the heck?" Yang was slightly irritated at how the old man didn't look where he was throwing water.
"It was probably just an accident though. Luckily, Jaune didn't get hit." Ruby excused the janitor.
The students didn't think much of it, but the adults thought otherwise. With how fragile that flame is, a slight mist might be enough to put it out.
"This must mean we've both done good things in our daily lives." Giorno noticed that his hands were out where the water hit. "Your daily actions are very important. If you weren't careful, you'd probably be wearing that bucket of water on your head."
Giorno didn't fully listen to what he was saying as he revealed that the lighter had gone out.
Nicolas felt a wave of relief seeing that lighter go out. He could rest knowing that his son can't continue on any further.
"What?! Noo! Fearless leader!" Nora cried out. "I'm so sorry you failed!"
"He might've failed, but isn't that a good thing?" Ren asked his partner. "He won't be able to get mixed in with that criminal organization now."
"Yeah, but how will he be able to root out the drug problem?" Ruby questioned the levelheaded student.
"That test was rigged from the start." Weiss shrugged the situation off. "There's probably a better way to solve that issue."
Meanwhile, Emerald and Mercury kept still as they could tell that Cinder was a little more than irritated. Her chance of seeing more of these Stands have gone out. Until her thoughts were interrupted by an annoying voice.
"Ha ha! What are you gonna do next? Fake your way into a gang?~" Cardin jeered toward Jaune. Much to the dismay of most, finding him annoying.
'Seriously? This isn't good.' Giorno couldn't believe it.
"The flame…" He said to himself as he thought for a moment.
'I wonder if I can ask Polpo to let me try again.' Giorno was grasping at straws before accepting it. 'No… If he were that forgiving, he wouldn't have tested me with this.' He set the lighter down as he tried to come up with another idea on how to get into Passione.
"Flame?" The janitor shot up. "Is that lighter not lighting up anymore? Is it broken? Is it my fault?"
"No, it wasn't you." Giorno lied. "I'm actually trying to process what happened…"
"At least he's being polite to him." Saphron said, to which her father nodded in agreement.
The janitor looked at the lighter.
"But from what I can see, it doesn't look broken. The lighter is still letting gas out." He told Giorno.
"Huh...?!" Cardin's smile broke immediately after hearing this.
"What? It shouldn't be working though." Ruby was confused. It can't be working, could it?
"But wait, Polpo didn't say anything about not relighting the lighter." Blake remembered the wording of the large capo.
"Then what would be the point of testing him with a lighter?" Sun asked the group as they all tried to discuss it.
"What did you just say?" Giorno asked as the Janitor picked up the lighter to his ear, hearing the faint exhaust of gas.
"Yes, there's still gas coming out. Is this the switch? Did you try pushing it?"
"No… It shouldn't be able to light."Giorno was still in disbelief as the janitor commented about the lighter.
"But look at this fine craftsmanship! It's a very impressive lighter."
"This whole test depended on if the flame was lit or not. If I were able to just light it again, there'd be no point in this test!" Giorno watched as he pressed down on the switch, igniting all of the flammable gas that seeped out. A large flame erupting out in front of them.
"Could that be the trick?" Ozpin held his chin in thought.
"That still wouldn't make much sense. Nothing's stopping anyone from just relighting the lighter at the last minute before meeting up with Polpo again." Ironwood debated with him.
"There has to be some reason why initiates would be tasked with such a ridiculous task." Glynda shared the same idea with Ozpin in that there's something else to this test.
"I was startled by the size of the flame, but it looks like it's working fine. See?" He presented the lighter to return it to him. "By the way, since you have that lighter, you're not smoking cigarettes, are you?"
"Do..." Ruby paused for a moment. "Do you think that he could get in again?"
"I don't see why not. All he has to do is go back to Polpo with a relit lighter, and he wouldn't know." Blake responded.
"Not that I approve." Nicolas said with a hint of sterness in his voice.
"Oh, right." Pyrrha realized that his father doesn't approve of his actions. She gave a slight nod in pity towards the father.
Giorno, however, didn't even recognize the question as he was still in deep thought.
'Something's wrong. It actually lit up again… There has to be something wrong!' He looked up to see a strange figure wearing Venecian hat and a dark cloak, with a carnival mask for a face. Faint whispers could be heard as it walked out of view.
"What is that?!" Sun was surprised at seeing the strange figure walking.
"Is that Polpo's Stand?" Weiss reasoned that's what it could be.
"But he's in a prison that's twenty minutes away!" Ruby blurted out.
"How could his Stand be all the way here?" Even Ren was curious about this.
'That couldn't be his Sta-' Giorno's thoughts were cut off as he heard something.
"You relit the lighter, didn't you?" The old man stood still as the strange being held on to a glowing apparition. "I'll give you one more chance. You have two possible paths."
Giorno turned around, shocked. "Th-That's…"
"The first path is to live and become a chosen one." The Stand spoke to the apparition as the real janitor was in fear. "Your only other path is death."
'A Stand! That's gotta be Polpo's Stand! There's no doubt about it!'
'That's interesting.' Cinder mused about the nature of the Stand. 'Could his Stand have long range capabilities?'
"Two possible paths. One being chosen, or death." Ironwood said. "Just what can Polpo's Stand do?"
"You relit the lighter!" An ornate arrow presented itself from the Stand's mouth. "This is your fate!"
The janitor's soul looked in horror as the arrow drew close. The arrow punctured through his entire skull.
"No way! You bastard! What the hell are you doing?!"
Pyrrha's eyes widened in shock. Hearing the word 'fate' said by the Stand. While her focus was more on the viewing and the situation of Jaune. She was quickly reminded of the proposition that Ozpin had given her.
"Noo!" Ruby quickly averted her eyes from the screen. Yang came in to hold her.
"N-No, he couldn't be…?" Sun didn't want to believe it.
Weiss looked in shock along with Pyrrha and Ren. Nora trying her hardest not to tear up.
The Stand retracted the arrow as the soul was unflinching, blood spurting out from the soul's head. "This soul… did not belong to one who should be chosen." The body of the janitor struggled to stay up.
'One who should be chosen?' The Stand tossed away the soul, causing the body to mimic the movement. Giorno quickly moved into action, catching the janitor.
"H-Hey, are you…" He saw the lifeless body before him. 'He's dead. He's uninjured, but he's dead…' He looked into his unmoving eyes before looking up at the Stand.
"He didn't deserve to die." Blake mournfully said.
Qrow decided to raise his drink to honor the janitor, who didn't have anything to do with Jaune's situation, who was killed.
"It's… truly, a shame." Glynda admitted, sharing a common sentiment among the teachers.
Mercury and Emerald couldn't really find themselves to truly care about a janitor they didn't really know about. He was caught in the crossfire of a situation he got himself into. That's how they saw it.
Though Cinder didn't care at all for the loss of an innocent life, she at least acknowledged that without his contribution, the boy on screen wouldn't have been able to continue. On top of that, because of him, she got to see how the capo's Stand functioned.
'Was it because… That Stand pulls people's souls out and kills them with an arrow? Is that it?' The Stand looked around to see if there was anyone else. Giorno slowly stepped away from it. 'But does "the one who should be chosen" mean someone who can join the gang?'
Giorno stepped into the shadow, the Stand quickly noticing him.
"You relit the lighter, too, didn't you? I'll give you one more chance. You have two possible paths…" The Stand leapt toward the Giorno with a strike ready.
To Be Continued
"Noo!" Nora slumped in her seat. "You stopped at the most tense part."
Ren looked at her with a neutral expression. "We're going to see what happens in the next session."
"But I need to see what happens next."
Besides the two members of Team NPR, the students were generally quiet. They'd watched an innocent bystander get dragged into a situation and killed.
"Polpo..." Blake said, causing them to turn to her. "He killed him with his Stand."
They all shared a saddened look with each other. Before Weiss spoke up.
"How is he going to get punished? He's in jail already, and even then he could get whatever he wanted in there. And no one else can see these Stands."
"But, he can't just get away with that!" Ruby tried her best to keep her composure. "An innocent man who helped Jaune died because of it."
No one among them knew what to say. How will Polpo be dealt with was something for them to think at another time.
"Perhaps that is the true test." Ozpin spoke to his inner circle. "The initiate will inevitably fail the lighter test, so that the true test can take place."
"That may be true, but what does the real test result in?" Ironwood replied to the headmaster.
"Either you become 'chosen' or you end up being killed. Whatever being chosen means." Winter backed up the General.
"This is the most strange thing we've seen. But perhaps it's better if we wait for the next session before we jump to conclusions." Ozpin faced the officials of Atlas. Though it was strange, he admittingly knew that his interest in Jaune and these Stands were increasing.
Sitting lonely and alone, Cardin Winchester was deep in thought.
'Damn him!' He mentally cursed. 'The only way to make sure he doesn't come back to get even with me is to hope that fat guy's Stand puts him to rest.' He hoped that maybe Polpo's Stand would be enough to ensure that Jaune can't come back to get even with him. He didn't want to see him get killed, but if it meant that he'd be safe, then he'd hope for it to happen.
- A/N -
Welp, as I write this, I completed the cast comments. However, I have to ask the reviewers. How was the dialogue of the cast? Personally it didn't feel up to my standards like how I did in Episodio 2. Though, I could chalk that up to this Episode being just a warm up for the actual fight.
Also, I guess I really should stop doing these one-episode one-chapters, because honestly, working on one chapter for a week plus doesn't instill confidence in me.
Regardless, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please tell me your thoughts and if there's anything I should do to improve. Thank you!
- Log -
Transcript started on April 2, 2021
Transcript finished on April 3, 2021
Cast Comments started on April 4, 2021
Cast Comments finished on April 12, 2021
Published on April 12, 2021