Joseph and Josuke stared at the masked man in a mix of confusion and fear. Somehow, this new enemy managed to poison Lester from across the room. Not only that, but he successfully predicted what Joseph was going to say in response. They just stood there silently sizing up their new foe. He stood in a very strange way. His aura had no violent intent. It was almost as if he didn't plan to fight them.
"And who are you then?" Joseph faked some bravado, resting a hand on his hip.
"Tired of this conversation." The man said in a concise, gravely tone.
"Well Jesus. We just started, my man."
In a fluid, precise movement, the masked man kicked the leg of a lovely wooden chair. There were many like it in the massive dining area. However, he managed to kick the chair's leg in such a way that the wood snapped, sending it flying across the room at a high velocity. The broken end was about to connect with Joseph's face.
Crazy Diamond caught it at the last minute, crushing the wood in its hand as Josuke watched in shock.
"Was that his Stand? No." Josuke narrowed his eyes. "He didn't get his Stand out. He just launched that with his own human precision."
They were immediately intimidated. Something was seriously off. His stance, his speech, his attack. If Joseph didn't know any better, he'd say the man was oozing boredom and apathy. He was normally so good at reading his opponent, but this cloaked foe was beyond him. He grits his teeth, clearing his throat.
"Josuke, to beat this guy we're going to need to use the Joestar family's secret technique."
"Secret technique?"
"How are your legs feeling, my boy?"
"My legs?"
At that moment the enemy took a spoon from a nearby table. He eyed it carefully, placing his index finger in the dip of the top end, holding the bottom firmly with three fingers from his other hand. He looked up at the ceiling for just a moment before flinging the spoon directly up. The piece of silverware flew right into a nice chandelier, causing it to fall down and crash against a table.
That wasn't all, though. Shards of glass from the chandelier flew across the room and landed right in Joseph's eyes.
"Shit!" He cried out, holding his hands up to his eyes in pain.
Josuke was about to heal him, but he felt an imposing presence approaching. He turned just in time to see the man sprinting directly at him. The sergeant let out a sound of surprise, placing Crazy Diamond between himself and the attacker. Despite the appearance of an impending attack, the masked man actually stopped short of Josuke. He stood there perfectly still about two meters away. He'd placed himself just outside Crazy Diamond's range.
They both stared at each other for nearly fifteen seconds. What could the man possibly be waiting for? Why hadn't he gotten his Stand out? Did he even have one? Was it a combat Stand? All of these thoughts rushed through Josuke's mind as he waited for anything to happen. Joseph fell back onto his ass trying to wipe the glass out of his eyes.
The sergeant needed to heal his father. However, the moment he moved Crazy Diamond in the direction of Joseph it would be over. He became even more panicked at the realization. Somehow this man had put him in checkmate within a single move. It was all too perfectly planned. How did he know that the shards would go into Joseph's eyes and not Josuke's? How did he know they'd go anywhere near the men at all? It was all too coordinated. Too premeditated. In all his fights he had never felt hopeless within seconds. This was different.
"Aren't you going to move?" He challenged the mysterious man.
"I have no reason to move."
"I could attack you."
"We both know you'd miss."
The utter confidence was overwhelming. Josuke had seen misplaced confidence dozens of times. Enemies thought they could beat him because of their ignorance, arrogance, and overall stupidity. However, he could tell this man was the real deal. If Josuke wasn't careful he was going to die. He had to test something. A theory was digging in the back of his mind.
I'm going to attack in thirteen seconds.
He just stared patiently at the man, neither party electing to shift an inch from their comfy positions. However, the moment Josuke counted to thirteen in his head, the man began to duck. His eyes widened. Crazy Diamond was already in the act of attacking. Somehow before he'd even realized what was going on, the man ducked right under Crazy Diamond's fists. He knew when the attack was coming. How did he know!?
The masked man slid closer, getting a knife out and swinging it right at Josuke's stomach. Checkmate. It was over. Somehow this Standless individual managed to best him. None of it made sense. The knife didn't connect with his stomach, though. In fact, the man stopped in his tracks, backing away from Josuke immediately.
"That was a close one." The man muttered to himself.
Josuke's eyes widened. A close one? What had just saved his life? The enemy grabbed a knife off of a nearby table and threw it. The knife wasn't going anywhere near Josuke or Joseph. That's when the sergeant heard a grunt of pain. The knife seemed to stick to thin air. Then, a drop of blood fell onto the carpet. A moment later, Pepsi appeared about ten feet to Josuke's left. The sergeant's mind stalled. Pepsi was here? What the hell was Pepsi doing here!?
There wasn't much time to wonder about what happened. They were clutching the knife embedded in their arm, a dark shroud still covering their face. It was impossible to discern their emotional state, but pained was probably a safe guess.
"Pepsi! What's going on!?" Josuke questioned.
"Wait, the kid is here?" Joseph shouted in response.
The masked man was conflicted. For, you see, he had only received permission to kill Josuke. Blondie might have a use for this teen. Now he had to work around two opponents he wasn't allowed to kill in an attempt to defeat Josuke.
Pepsi was incredibly distressed. Although their face didn't show it, they were freaking out. No one had ever seen past Mist's shroud before. It couldn't be done. Somehow this enemy had managed to predict their attack, retreat, and accurately throw a knife directly at them. Panic set in shortly after. Their one ability was to go unnoticed. The only thing that mattered to them was tarnished by this man. It was hard to think straight, to strategize, or to even focus on the pain of the knife.
Things were getting more and more out of control. Josuke decided to use this opportunity to heal Joseph. The moment he was about to move, however, the enemy lunged forward once again. The sergeant cursed under his breath, forced to defend himself instead of healing his father. However, the masked man leapt away a moment later. He landed on a nearby table, perched like a bird as he assessed his opponents.
"He's so careful." Josuke mumbled. "Why is someone that's so strong this careful?"
"I'm not out of the fight…" Joseph stumbled to his feet, bleeding from his closed eyes.
Despite his blindness, Joseph threw his hand forward and summoned his Stand. "Hermit Purple! Be my eyes!" He shouted. The purple vines shot directly toward the masked man. He jumped directly over them, landing on another table. The man stomped on a fork's tip, flipping it into the air and catching it. When a vine appeared he stabbed it, pushing it down to the table with his foot. Another vine approached, grabbing his left wrist. He grunted, jumping high and landing right on the table. It gave out under his weight and force, collapsing to the floor. He grabbed a split piece of wood and jammed it into the vine holding his left hand, forcing it to let go.
The mystery man ducked out of nowhere, falling flat onto his chest. He kicked directly behind with great force, launching himself forward off of seemingly thin air. A moment later Pepsi could be seen falling back in pain. They had been ready to knock him out from behind, but he saw right through it. Somehow, in the heat of battle, he'd managed to detect Pepsi without even looking in their direction.
He rolled forward and sprang to his feet quickly. He at least seemed to look a little tired after all of that. Pepsi was holding their stomach in pain about five feet away.
"It doesn't make sense." They grunted. "At first I thought he could see me… But that's not it. Can he see the future? That doesn't explain his precision."
Josuke gritted his teeth. "Get away from him, kid! It's too dangerous!"
Pepsi had an idea. They rolled away and activated Mist's shroud once again. After regaining their breath, they stood up and stared the masked man down. He didn't seem to notice them. They circled around him carefully, never getting too close. His head didn't follow them. They came back directly in front of him, standing about a foot away. Still, he couldn't see. There was something different about their behavior. Pepsi no longer had any intention of revealing theirself to the man. They put their finger within an inch of his eye, threatening to poke it. Still, he wasn't paying them any mind. This was beyond bluffing. His eyes weren't reacting to their finger in any way. He truly couldn't see them. Pepsi was beginning to piece the man's ability together. If their suspicion was right, it was utterly horrifying. They could only think of one person who would even stand a chance against such a thing. Jotaro Kujo.
Josuke was busy hatching a plan. He had a blind father and a stabbed teen who needed his help. However, the masked man seemed to stop him in his tracks any time he attempted to heal them. He didn't know the specifics, but it was clear that planning against this man was impossible. He always knew what they were going to a moment before they did it. Sweat began to trail down his back as he grew more and more hopeless. How were they supposed to fight this?
The masked man had enough. He lifted a hand to his head, pulling the mysterious mask from his face. Mortimer revealed himself to the Joestar party. His eyes were apathetic as they scanned the room, adjusting to the light momentarily.
"Josuke," He said in a gruff tone. "You escaped Blondie's wrath. Not many people can say that. I'm here to settle the score. Joseph and the kid can leave. You're my opponent."
The sergeant was shocked, to say the least. " Me? You're only after me?"
Mortimer nodded. "Send them back to Naples. That way we can go all out."
It might not have made sense to Josuke, but it was crystal clear to Pepsi. Mortimer wasn't allowed to hurt them. Not in any serious way, at least. In fact, he was being extremely careful to make sure any attack was tame. Every strike was to put distance between them. Every cut was to intimidate. Even the glass in Joseph's eyes could be healed by Gold Experience with relative ease. Josuke was the only one that could be killed by Mortimer. That lead them to think about something.
What if I killed myself?
Pepsi appeared in front of Mortimer. They pulled the knife from their arm and held it up. He looked at them with caution. Then, they turned the knife to their own throat, about to cut it open. Mortimer lunged forward, slapping the knife out of their hand and kicking them back. Pepsi stumbled away, confident with their theory. He just protected them from their own demise. Mortimer had to keep them alive.
"What's wrong with you?" He questioned.
They were well past talking. The teen ran over to another table, grabbing a fork and attempting to stab theirself once more. Mortimer had to lunge across the room and stop them once more. Josuke couldn't figure out what was happening. He watched in awe as Mortimer wrestled three forks out of Pepsi's hands, kneeing them in the stomach and throwing the silverware across the restaurant.
The sergeant knew it was his opportunity. He turned to his father and summoned Crazy Diamond once more. Mortimer turned to face him, clearly enraged at the turn of events. However, the moment he averted his gaze from Pepsi the teen grabbed a plate and smashed it against the table. They held a single shard of the plate, trying to slit their own throat with it. Mortimer had to fight them for the shard, growling in anger.
Josuke successfully made it to Joseph, touching and healing him instantly. The eldest of the group wiped his eyes momentarily before springing into action.
"Josuke! What's happening?" He questioned.
"I-I dunno." He admitted. "They're trying to hurt theirself, but the man won't let them."
Pepsi kicked him square in the gut, but he took the opportunity to grab their leg. With the new grip, he swung their body away from the table, using his superior strength and size to lob them about six feet away. They crashed into another table, shattering a few glasses and getting cuts on their back. They were still alive, though.
Mortimer hissed in anger, turning his attention to the two men across from him. "So you fixed his eyes? That's fine. I can still take care of you!"
Before anyone could respond, Mortimer leapt behind a nearby table. A moment later six bangs could be heard from outside. One. Two. Three. Five. Six. Seven. They roared, echoing throughout the restaurant. A moment later the bullets came blasting inside through the window. They bounced around, searching for Mortimer.
"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAW!" Six little voices cried out.
That's when Guido Mista came rolling in through the shattered window, raising his weapon the moment he landed.
The sex pistols pinned down Mortimer's location and began their attack. Each of the bullets made radical turns in the air targeting behind the table. After a few seconds, it would seem they did their job. Mista still watched carefully with his weapon ready to fire again. After about fifteen seconds of silent tension, Mortimer stood from behind the table unscathed.
"What a terrifying power." Mortimer mumbled under his breath. "That gave these old bones quite a workout."
Mista fired again. The sex pistols weren't back yet, so he had to aim on his own. Mortimer easily dodged the gunslinger's perfect aim, gritting his teeth in anger.
"You know." He growled. "Being shot really hurts."
"You should try it!" Mista barked across the room.
"Who the hell are you?" Joseph questioned, assuming he was on their side.
"I'm Guido Mista. Giogio sent me to watch over whatever funny business you had going on in Munich. I didn't expect such a dangerous enemy to show up while I was on the can." He mumbled.
"You wouldn't happen to have extra bullets for me, would you?" Josuke held out a hand.
"Hmm?" Mista raised a brow. "Are you armed?"
"Armed enough."
Mista slid a hand into his boot, dropping twelve bullets into Josuke's palm. Mortimer was being calm, calculating his options. He was trying to decide which path was the best. A moment later he was interrupted by Crazy Diamond flicking a bullet right at him. He ducked, panting. Boston Foreplay was unbeatable, but even the strongest of people face hardships. Guido Mista presented yet another problem. If Mortimer was to kill an elite member of Passione, Blondie would have his head. The one person on Earth that Blondie feared was Giorno Giovanna. He remembered her words clearly.
"As I am now, Giorno Giovanna would destroy me. I'd appreciate not having to trouble myself with developing a way to destroy his Stand."
He knew what she meant. She wasn't positive she could beat him. While Mortimer didn't know Gio's ability, he feared it simply because Blondie did. Inspiring the wrath of Passione's boss wasn't an option. This wasn't a matter of facing consequences. Killing Mista was suicide. Isolating Josuke was seeming more and more impossible. Boston Foreplay didn't lose. It wasn't supposed to be an option. Despite that, he was backed into a wall.
"Mista!" Pepsi shouted in distress, finally recovering from their beatdown. "If he hurts Josuke, shoot me. You got that? Right in the head. It's his Stand! We have to work around his Stand!"
Mista hardly even noticed the teen before they spoke. He couldn't make out the details of their blurred face, but he recognized the outfit. They were one of Jotaro's friends. How hadn't he noticed them the entire time he tracked Joseph and Josuke? It didn't matter. He'd been in enough dire situations to take their words at face value. "Right in the head? You got it."
The cloaked man was becoming more and more unhinged. His plan had fallen apart. Presented with a million different scenarios, he couldn't see the one that led to victory. With the current circumstances, he couldn't win. Josuke would live. Even if he managed to kill the sergeant without harming Joseph or Mista, the gunman would kill Pepsi a moment later. There was no way to keep the other three safe and accomplish his goal.
"You four have no idea what you've avoided." He said calmly.
Mista raised a brow. "Oh yeah? Go ahead and fill me in."
"I hope you never know, Guido Mista. This is it for now."
Mortimer turned his back and walked toward the kitchen exit. Mista looked shocked. "Hey, jackass! We're back here!"
He began to give chase, but Pepsi grabbed his ankle. "No. Let him go. We're lucky he's gone." They panted.
"Are you crazy? We can't let someone like that go! How did he dodge all six of my bullets? Why'd you want me to shoot you?"
Sex Pistols emerged from behind the table a few seconds later. They all flew over to Mista in a flurry of tiny voices.
"MISTA!" Number Five shouted.
"He deflected all of our bullets, Mista!" Number Seven explained.
"With silverware!" Number One added.
The gunslinger rubbed his chin in confusion. "He deflected them using silverware? That's absurd. He'd have to know exactly where they were going to be. My Stand can change the direction of bullets in midair with extreme angles."
"Do you think he can see the future, Mista!?" Number Five whined, being smacked by Number Three a moment later.
"Don't be an idiot, Number five! The only one who could do that is dead!" Number Three barked.
Joseph and Josuke watched in awe as the Stands argued with one another. They'd heard of colony Stands, but never of groups that had unique personalities. In fact, they seemed to be at odds regularly.
"Quiet, all of you! I need to make a call." Mista groaned, grabbing his phone and dialing. "Gio? No, they didn't do anything suspicious. They were attacked by a dangerous user. He dodged my Sex Pistols by deflecting them with silverware. He didn't even get his Stand out. Seems like seriously bad news."
Everyone waited for a moment as Giorno spoke on the other end.
"Okay. I'll bring them back. You got it. Yes, I'll be safe." He rolled his eyes, hanging up and directing his attention at Pepsi. "You, with the weird face, get up."
He offered them a hand, lifting them to their feet and patting their clothes down a bit. "Why didn't I see you while I was tailing the others?"
"And for that matter, why are you here? You should have stayed back in Naples where it's safe." Joseph interjected.
Pepsi just stood there expressionless. "I saw you two leaving late at night and was curious. Things started getting really personal, so I put in some headphones and stopped listening. I just followed you guys around until it was time to go back."
Josuke sighed, walking up to the teen and healing their stab wound. "Your sister would have killed us if you got hurt."
"My sister will get it."
Mista checked his watch, placing his pistol back in its holster and tapping his foot. "Alright. We've got a direct flight to Naples cancelled. We'll be taking it instead. Let's go to the airport."
"Won't the passengers be pissed?" Josuke questioned.
Mista shrugged. "Probably. They can wait."
"Wait, I've had flights to Italy abruptly cancelled before. Was that Passione?" Joseph asked in an irritated tone.
"Could be. I'm sure you got over it."
The older man just grit his teeth. "Let's just go then, hmm?"
About an hour later they were cruising through the beautiful evening sky. Pepsi seemed to be asleep in their chair a few rows back. Joseph and Josuke sat next to one another. The younger man leaned his head against the window overlooking the ocean far below. After a very long period of silence, he spoke.
"Hey." He mumbled.
Joseph had been dozing off. His arms were crossed with his knee up against the seat in front of him. His eyes opened quickly, and he blinked rapidly as he came to. "Yeah?"
"You said you didn't regret your affair for a second."
"I did?"
"Right before we freaked out about the lemons, yeah."
"Oh, I suppose I did, huh?"
Another awkward silence.
"...why? How could you say something like that when it nearly ruined your marriage?"
Joseph just smiled softly. He adjusted himself in the uncomfortable chair before slinging an arm around his boy. "Cheating on Suzi Q was the biggest mistake of my life. But, like flowers rising from a corpse's decay, unbelievable fortune sprouted from that decision. You were born, Josuke. A son! A life. Something that shouldn't have happened, but still is so beautiful." He explained. "Not to mention all the good that's come from your life. You helped stop Yoshikage Kira all those years ago, saving countless women and letting that little girl's soul rest. You've lowered the crime rate of Morioh substantially, and have brought a sense of peace and security to the entire city."
Josuke couldn't help but smile, looking down at his shoes. He didn't know how to handle this kind of talk.
"And if I hadn't come to visit you that summer, who knows what would have happened to Shizuka?" Joseph smiled. "We saved her too. Another daughter. Another life. All from something that shouldn't have happened. A single mistake can lead to unbelievable misfortune, yes. But undoing something like that is cruel. No matter what goes wrong, it isn't the flower's fault for growing, is it? Don't they deserve to bloom, even if they're gaining nutrients from death?"
The sergeant couldn't help but agree with that perspective. Would any of them be alive if it weren't for tragedies of the past? Mass plagues, genocides, slavery… They took so many lives. Lives that never got the chance at happiness like he did. Despite that, dwelling on the past is a fool's errand. What's important is to respect the fallen and look forward instead of back. His Crazy Diamond couldn't repair broken families, war-torn countries, or even his deceased grandfather. All he could do was work to prevent the tragedies of the future. And god dammit, he would. He smiled a bit, resting back in his chair and closing his eyes.
"Leave it to an old man to have such a shining piece of wisdom." He chuckled.
"Ya mind sodding off, son?" Joseph laughed, patting the man's leg roughly.
"Maybe someday. For now, let's focus on tomorrow."
They arrived in Naples in the early evening. Mista escorted them back to the academy almost immediately. When they walked into the common area everyone sprang up from their seats.
"You're back!" Shizuka shouted.
Jotaro closed his book, looking up at the new arrivals. "Oh good." He stood up, walking over to them. "You didn't get yourselves killed."
Josuke rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry everybody, the old man just needed some help with something. We got a little carried away."
"Carried away? You were gone all day. Not only that, but you look like shit." Marina laughed, walking up to them as well.
As everyone talked, Pepsi couldn't help but look around the room. No Pa-Pa-Power. No Shirlie. Neither of them were anywhere to be seen. Didn't they want to greet them? The teen frowned, not that anyone could see it. They did what they did best, fading away and leaving the conversation. Pepsi wandered to the bedroom they shared with their sister, knocking on the door.
"What?" A quiet voice asked from the other side.
Pepsi pushed the door open, seeing their sister sitting on one of the beds. The moment they entered the room they were slammed with a wave of sorrow. Tears welled in their eyes as they stood in the doorway. Meanwhile, Pa-Pa-Power was lying face down on the carpet beside the bed. He was practically melting into the floor, his body stiff and weak.
"Sorry I didn't say anything." They mumbled.
Shirlie raised their head, frowning. "You left us. When was the last time we were apart?"
Pepsi didn't have an answer for that. They truly couldn't recall the last time they were separated from their twin. Perhaps they'd actually never been apart. That was an interesting situation.
"I don't know what happened." They admitted. "Joseph and Josuke were leaving, and I followed them. I can't explain why."
Shirlie wiped her eyes, sniffling a bit. "You were the one who insisted we attack Blondie in that hanger too. We were going to run."
"...I know."
"And now we're here in Italy, hiding away from an organization that wants us dead. I don't understand why we're here."
The mysterious teen walked over and sat down beside Pa-Pa-Power. Mist appeared, delicately petting Power's head. Meanwhile Pepsi just looked down at him fondly. "I don't know."
There was silence for quite a while. Power's mood improved drastically with a bit of affection. Still, he was upset. His ability allowed Pepsi to truly experience the pain they caused their twin. Despite that, they had nothing to say.
"I'm supposed to be the brave one." Shirlie muttered.
Mist's shroud dropped. At that moment, Pepsi's face could be seen by anyone. Their hazel eyes reflected the dim moonlight pouring in through the crack in the curtains. Their skin was very soft, and their nose was much sharper than one would expect. A small scar could be seen on their chin from the time they accidentally bashed their face open as a child. It wasn't a traumatic scar; kids could just be stupid sometimes. The most notable part of their face was their expression. Shirlie's face dropped in response. She rarely saw her twin's face. Mist always kept it hidden away within the shroud. In that moment though, she could see Pepsi's potent grief.
"...you are the brave one." They mumbled under their breath.
Their voice was chilling. Any time they dropped their shroud they became a different person. Unsure, nervous, shy, easily startled, all of these were symptoms of their face being exposed. Still, Shirlie could feel their inner emotions as they played out. She understood what was happening. She might have been the only person on Earth who could connect with such a person. Mist might hide Pepsi's feelings to the world, but Pa-Pa-Power could still sense them. They were two sides of the same coin.
"What do you mean? I wanted to run away from the foundation! We were almost away! When Blondie grabbed Josuke, Pa-Pa-Power was begging me to do something. I couldn't. I froze. That's when you told Power to use his empathy on Blondie. I was so surprised when you punched her right in the face. I was so scared."
"It's okay to be scared. I'm scared all the time. I'm scared right now." The other twin admitted. "I only fought because of you. I could feel your desire to protect Josuke through Power. You wouldn't have been able to live with yourself if we let him die there. I know it."
"So you fought because you knew it's what I wanted?"
"I fought because it's what we needed. What did we have to run away to? More life on the road? More uncertainty? Stealing more wallets from men we willingly decide are sleazebags even though they've done nothing to imply they are?"
Pa-Pa-Power lifted his head, looking Pepsi in the eyes with an expression of confusion and sorrow.
"What's the alternative? Is this supposed to be better? What if we die?" She asked as Power's lips trembled.
"What if we don't die? What if we live, Shirlie?" Pepsi questioned with more emotion in their voice than ever before. Their monotone drone was gone. The empowered voice of a young adult with purpose took its place. "We've lived our whole lives terrified of what could happen. What if we were excited about it instead? We have friends… Friends who would die for us in a second. How many people have that? How did we find that when we weren't even looking?"
Shirlie was speechless. She just looked down at her Stand. Pa-Pa-Power pulled himself up from the floor, sitting cross-legged in front of Pepsi. They had his full attention now. Even if Shirlie wasn't interested in what her twin had to say, her Stand revealed her true feelings. She wanted Pepsi to be right.
"I went with them because of that." They explained, only then realizing it. "Because if they're willing to die for me, I'm willing to die for them. I went because I was worried. I wanted to protect them if I could. And y'know what?" There was a fire in their eyes now. A passion that had never occupied their vacant hazel orbs before. "I did. We faced someone that was more dangerous than Santana, and we lived! We lived because I was there. I dunno if Josuke would have made it home without me. That's why I had to go. That's why I have to go everywhere with them until this is over. We can't split up. We can't run away. We're going to stop Blondie because she wants to destroy what we have. She wants to kill the Joestars. And I won't let her."
The taller redhead just nodded. "Then you shouldn't leave me either. Take me with you next time, okay?"
Pepsi smiled fondly, nodding. "Okay. I promise."
Pa-Pa-Power tackled Pepsi into a massive hug, pressing all of his weight into them with a silent laugh. The teen couldn't help but laugh as well, fueled by the joy Power was sending into the room. Shirlie hopped off the bed and got in on the hug as well, the three wrestling around the floor as they struggled to contain themselves.
In another part of the academy, Shizuka was wandering the halls invisibly. She had gotten a little stir crazy in their small wing of the large building. The floors were carpeted, so her footsteps couldn't be heard as she walked through the silent halls. She found an interesting door at the end of a corridor. It had a golden knob, unlike the silver ones every other door in the building. She opened it to find a large staircase. Always curious, she began to walk up the steps and see what there was to see.
Shizuka found another door at the top of the steps. On the other side of that, she found herself on the roof of the academy. There was a lovely breeze filling the evening air. It was a full moon, giving Ultra Violet plenty of light to work with. She stayed invisible, walking up to the edge of the roof and looking down onto the city of Naples. That's when she noticed something strange. A blonde man was sitting on a throne of vines suspended on the side of the building. He was reading a book, enjoying the breeze as well.
After a moment, the book closed. The man looked up, revealing himself to be Giorno Giovanna. He sensed something odd about the air above him. The vines lifted him up, delicately placing his feet on the roof's railing.
"Is someone there?" He asked calmly.
There was no real reason to hide, so Shizuka revealed herself. He smiled at her, hopping down onto the roof. "Hello, Jojo."
She smiled awkwardly, still incredibly intimidated by the boss. It was probably meant to be that way. All of his actions seemed calculated. He had this air about him. An air of confidence, strength, benevolence and grace.
"Hi," She waved nervously.
"What brings you up here? Enjoying the view?" He asked, leaning his back against the railing and looking up at the stars.
"I was just getting a little claustrophobic in that wing all day. Sorry for leaving without permission."
He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, your father already broke that rule. I suppose I have a soft spot for family. Who would have known?" He mused, turning to face the city and the moon.
Shizuka joined him by his side, having to peer over the rail on her tiptoes. "Do you have any other family, then?"
He shook his head. "An abusive step-father and a neglectful mother. It's hardly worth mentioning. I don't think anyone in Passione knows about my family history, to be perfectly honest."
"Sounds lonely, being at the top." She quietly mused. "I mean, the view is nice, but don't you ever get tired of looking down? Don't you want people up here with you?" She asked, not entirely referring to the actual roof they were standing on."
He smiled, shaking his head. "I have a few trusted friends. Yes, they all serve under me, but it's out of respect and admiration, not fear. I wouldn't be where I was without them." He explained.
"But no one in your life is just a peer, right? You're their boss."
Giorno took a button from his shirt and placed it in the palm of his hand. "Are you familiar with allelopathy?" He asked. When she shook her head, he continued. "It's when plants inhibit one another's growth. Sometimes it's chemicals, other times it's invasive, dominant roots. Take the black walnut tree, for example."
The button in his hand slowly morphed into a little tree sprout. Shizuka watched in fascination as it was granted life. He stretched it out as far as the little button could possibly grow, then handed it to the young girl.
"The black walnut tree produces a chemical called hydrojuglone from every part of its body. The leaves, the roots, twigs, all of it produces juglone. The dead bits fall back into the earth, sinking the juglone deep into the soil surrounding the tree." He explained.
"What's that do?"
"There are many plants that can be killed by juglone. Azaleas, pine trees, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, all of these are destroyed when they're too close to a black walnut tree."
"Are you the black walnut tree?" She asked softly.
He smiled at her, shaking his head. "No. I'm its replacement. The former boss of Passione was a black walnut tree. His roots dug deep into the heart of Italy, killing everything within its reach. He poisoned this country all to sustain his own growth. When he started this gang, he promised to rid the streets of drugs and violent crimes. That's why the people happily accepted Passione into their lives. Despite that promise, Diavolo was actually providing the most harmful drug Italy had ever seen. One of his underlings could turn salt into an addictive substance that lasted for two weeks. Since this only required salt and the man's Stand, production and distribution had never been easier. There was no need for risky labs or foreign deals to acquire the goods he desired. He could create these drugs in a matter of seconds right where they needed to be sold. The city of Naples was falling apart."
"So what happened?"
"I killed the boss, and a trusted friend took care of the drugs' source."
Shizuka was confused. "Why are you telling me this? What does it have to do with you being the boss?"
Giorno just smiled, taking the tree from her hand and changing it into a button once more. "I'm not like Diavolo. I'm not poisonous to the living things around me. Those who tried to get close to him were killed by his harmful presence. I'm the opposite. You asked if my friendships were weak because they view me as their boss? I promise you that's not the case. My closest friends call me by name and drink from the same glass as me. We can laugh all night and sleep in a dog pile on the floor. There's no skewed power dynamic. They look to me for guidance and strength because it's who I am, not because I told them they must. Anyone is free to leave Passione at any time with no consequences. We don't cause violence, we prevent it. I can assure you, I'm not lonely up on this rooftop. I'm accompanied by the strength and love of the entire city."
"Wow." Is all Shizuka could manage to say for a moment. "I guess you've got it all figured out, huh?"
"Far from it. We face problems every day. The difference is that I operate on the assumption that no problem is too big. I did the impossible years ago. Everything else seems small and manageable."
"What about Blondie? If she has her way, your country could fall apart. Aren't you worried?"
"You don't need to worry about that. I've set up a meeting with Madam Dolly."
" You've what!?" Shizuka squeaked, backing away from the railing.
"Relax. It's outside of Italy, and I'm not bringing anyone with me. We're discussing the breach of our treaty. At least, that's what she thinks is the purpose of our meeting. I'm going to assess her myself and see if your story is true. I can't go to war with such a powerful organization off the word of a few people. I'm sure you understand."
Shizuka nodded. "I guess if anyone could fight her, it's you."
"I truly hope it doesn't come to that. I can promise you this, however. If her goal is to infect the entire planet with the arrow's virus, she'll never reach that reality. I'll erase her from this world." He said with certainty. There wasn't even a sharpness to his voice. He delivered such an absolute threat with grace and poise.
"I hope you're right." Is all she could say.
He smirked, turning and leaning his back against the railing once more, his hands still wrapped around the bars behind him.
"You're not like most children, are you?"
She was a little surprised by that question. "I guess not?"
He chuckled. "For someone who's probably ten, you sure act like an adult where it counts. Why is that?"
Shizuka couldn't really think of an answer. "I've always been a little different from the other kids. I try not to think about it too much. Class is easy, social skills come naturally- I read at a high school level. I dunno, does there have to be a reason?"
"I feel a kindredness with you." He admitted. "I wasn't quite that far beyond my peers, but I can relate to the feeling of being removed from my years. I suppose it makes sense considering our relation."
She shook her head. "Oh, no. I'm not related to you by blood. I'm adopted."
He raised a brow, standing up straight and looking at her skeptically. "You're not the biological daughter of Joseph Joestar?"
"...no? Why do you seem so surprised?" She mumbled nervously.
His eyes went from skepticism to curiosity. "Because we're related by blood, Shizuka. I can feel it. You're my family."
She was beginning to feel incredibly confused. Related to Giorno? That wasn't possible. How could he even be certain about something so absurd? Was the boss of Passione a little deranged? Could he be off his rocker? What was the explanation?
"Your neck. Do you have a birthmark on your neck?" He asked calmly.
"No, because I'm not a Joestar by blood. I'm telling you that." She said firmly.
"Show me, please. Show me and I'll drop the subject."
She bit her lip nervously. Despite her hesitation, she took her sweater off and slung it over the railing. She was wearing a simple tank top underneath which showed the back of her neck in full. There was no star mark to be seen. Why? Because she wasn't related to Giorno. Still, he moved his hand closer. It began to glow gold as it hovered above her neck.
Giorno raised a brow. "I'm sensing some kind of energy surrounding your neck, Shizuka." He said under his breath. "Something definitely wrong with you. I can feel two sources of life in your body."
She nodded her head calmly. "I know all about that. There's a second Stand inside me. It's not harmful or anything."
"A second Stand?" He echoed her curiously. "Why haven't you been able to remove it?"
"I don't want to remove it. It's been showing me visions, things I need to know. It's how we ended up here in the first place. It showed me a vision of you helping a little girl on the street. That's why we came to have Josuke healed. It's because I saw you heal that girl's stab wound."
"Fascinating. Two Stands? Your body isn't rejecting it at all. What could possibly be the point of a parasitic Stand that helps the victim? Where did you get such a thing?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's been there forever? What's with all the questions? I thought you were focusing on my neck." She mumbled, crossing her arms nervously.
"This is about your neck, Shizuka. I'm feeling an energy right here. " He pressed his index finger against the back of her neck, near her left shoulder blade. "It's different from the second Stand. It's your ability. Your life force is focused right here. Why is that?"
She had no idea what he was talking about. For some reason, though, she was beginning to panic. Something deep within her was triggered by his questioning. She felt like she needed to fight. She needed to get away from him. Ultra Violet appeared, staring at Giorno intensely with glowing white eyes.
"What's the meaning of this?" He asked, calm as ever. "Are you planning to fight me over the mark on your neck?"
"There isn't a mark!" She shouted, gritting her teeth.
"Release your ability, and I mean release it completely. Even from your neck." He ordered softly.
She was panting heavily now, sweat forming on her forehead as she tensed up. Something in her gut was telling her not to do it. The word "no" bounced around her mind like a stray bullet in a metal room. It tore through all logic and reason. She couldn't entertain Giorno's question. She just couldn't. Her very essence was rejecting the notion.
"Gold Experience Requiem." He said softly, manifesting his Stand.
The golden hand touched her neck gently. A shiver ran down her spine, and it felt like all of the oxygen was siphoned from her lungs in one sweeping moment. Then came the pain. She cried out in agony as Gold Experience Requiem cancelled her Stand ability. It set Ultra Violet to zero, ceasing the light manipulation that it was currently using.
The little girl fell onto her hands and knees, barely catching herself before her head slammed into the concrete. She watched as drops of sweat appeared on the ground mere inches from her face. She felt naked. She felt like something was wrong. Something that could never happen had just happened. What was happening to her?"
"Jojo." Giorno said in a low, somber tone. "I see it."
Towering over the panicked child, Giogio could see the Joestar family birthmark clear as day on the back of her neck. He stood still, letting her catch her breath as he analyzed it carefully. There was no denying it. First Achtung Baby, then Ultra Violet protected this secret. Without Shizuka's knowledge or consent, her Stand had been refracting light in a particular way for her entire life. Since the day Joseph found her in Morioh, the Stand was obscuring the birthmark on her back. It was the best-kept secret of her existence.
Shizuka was a Joestar by blood.
That didn't make any sense! Why did she turn up in the middle of Morioh if she was related to the Joestars? Who were her biological parents? Which Joestar was she the child of? She felt her arms shaking and was unable to hold herself any longer. Shizuka collapsed against the pavement, falling unconscious under the weight of the world.
About twenty minutes later in the common room of the private wing, Shizuka was lying unconscious on a couch in the middle of the room. Jotaro, Joseph, Josuke, Marina, Ripley and Giorno were standing around her. None of them knew what to say. Everyone had seen the star birthmark that was revealed by Gold Experience Requiem. After deafening silence, someone finally spoke.
"So what's the big deal if she's a Joestar by blood? It hasn't mattered for her entire life, right?" Marina suggested, raising her hands as if to say "eh."
"It's troubling because we know exactly what's happened with our family tree. All the way up to my great grandfather George Joestar the First. He was an only child, so was his father, and that man's father." Joseph explained. "My grandfather died on a ship to the United States in the late 1800's. Luckily my grandmother survived and gave birth to my father. I only had one child, who gave birth to Jotaro. Jotaro has Jolyne. Dio Brando possessed my grandfather's body and had Giorno. That's all accounted for. So where does Shizuka fit into the mix?"
Marina didn't really have an answer to that. "Seems like this Dio guy got around?"
"No." Jotaro said firmly. In fact, it was a little too sudden. "Dio died in 1989. Shizuka wasn't born for another decade. It can't be him. She's not his daughter."
"Well damn, professor." Marina raised a hand defensively. "I guess that's fair."
"This is still concerning on multiple levels." Joseph rubbed his smooth chin thoughtfully. "My baby girl has two Stands? And she's somehow a Joestar despite all the odds? None of it makes sense."
"She's tough as nails, Jiji. You don't need to worry. We'll figure this out." Jotaro said more for his own benefit than Joseph's.
The old man couldn't help but chuckle. "To think, my first daughter couldn't conquer her Stand as a grown woman. My only son was nearly killed by it at a young age. And here we are, somehow with a ten-year-old girl handling two Stands at the same time? What's her spirit made of?"
"Platinum." Jotaro said with a small smile. "It runs in the family."
Ripley had been silently observing the entire time. Finally, she had something to add. "There's a question no one's asking." She interjected. "Even if Dio was somehow her father, who on Earth is the mother? How did Shizuka end up in Morioh at the perfect time to be found by Joseph? Are we really meant to believe that was fortunate happenstance? Especially with the new revelation that she's related to him?"
"I don't know." Joseph shrugged. "She says that second Stand is giving her visions of the past. They're key events that seem to be telling a story. I guess we might have to accept the fact that we can't have the answers yet. All we can do is wait for the Stand to show her the truth."
"Back in Morioh we had Rohan attempt to read her past with Heaven's Door. That's the first time the Stand showed itself. It attacked him to prevent the story from getting out. Who's to say it won't attack us if we try to figure it out? It's probably aware right now, even though Shizuka's asleep." Jotaro explained.
Once again, there was tension. The idea that a Stand inhabiting Shizuka's body could attack them at any moment was unnerving. Jotaro was right though. If they didn't poke and prod, it would likely leave them alone.
"If that's true, the Stand was alright with Shizuka learning about her bloodline tonight. I didn't sense any resistance from it while revealing the birthmark. Even I played into its plan." Giorno realized with a frown.
There was a knock at the door. Everyone turned their attention to the entrance. A moment later, Panacotta Fugo opened the door and stepped into the room. He looked just as serious as the rest of the present company.
"Gio." He said in a low voice. "There's a problem."
Giorno nodded calmly. "Go ahead then. I trust everyone in this room completely."
Fugo didn't necessarily agree with that trust, but that's why Giorno was the one making the decisions. "Polnareff is gone."
The boss's eyes widened, and he wasn't the only one.
"Polnareff?" Jotaro stepped forward, utter shock on his face. "Jean Pierre Polnareff?"
Fugo was skeptical of the man who once considered killing his boss. "Why do you know that name?"
Joseph stood beside his grandson, crossing his arms. "We go way back. He's a little too dead to be missing though."
This perplexed Giorno beyond reason. "You know Mr. Polnareff? He never mentioned a connection to the Joestars."
"He was part of the group that killed Dio. Jiji and I thought he died years ago. He went completely silent after investigating Stand-related crime in this country. The last message we ever received from him was, 'Danger. Never come to Italy.' Shortly after that I got word from the foundation that I needed to drop the subject entirely. They told me he was dead."
Giorno frowned. "His body was killed by Diavolo, the most powerful opponent I've ever faced. But his soul lived on inside of a Stand called Mr. President. It's a room inside of a turtle. The Stand is meant to hide people for easy transport, but Polnareff's spirit could actually survive inside it. He's been an informant ever since."
"You mean to tell me Polnareff is inside a damn turtle!?" Joseph demanded.
Jotaro couldn't help but smile. "It suits him."
Giorno wasn't entertained. "He shouldn't be missing. He has a security guard. What happened to him?"
"We found a lot of blood." Fugo said bluntly.
The boss grit his teeth together, nodding. "Okay. We'll find him. If he's been taken that means they want him alive. Or, as alive as Polnareff can ever be."
"How can we help?" Jotaro asked.
"By staying here. It's not that I think you're useless, but you have no knowledge of the area. We'll find Polnareff, I promise. Then we'll reunite you." Giorno snapped his fingers, pointing at Fugo. "Start looking. Shake every tree, understand? I have a few phone calls to make."
After another minute or so, the Joestar party was alone yet again. With nothing left to do, Joseph sat down on the couch and ran his fingers through Shizuka's hair. The girl's eyes fluttered open, and she let out a whimper.
"Shizuka! You're awake!" Joseph pulled her up into his lap, holding her close.
She felt groggy and weak. Her birthmark was still on display with her back turned to most of the group. "What happened?"
"Everything's alright." Joseph assured her. "It's getting pretty late. Let's take the boss's advice and do nothing. I'm taking her to bed. In fact, I could stand to get some sleep myself. It's been one hell of a day."
Everyone grunted in agreement, wandering to their respective bedrooms. Shizuka was placed in her bed and felt like her body was made of lead. It didn't take much longer for her to drift back to sleep. Joseph followed suit soon after, turning the lights out and lying down in his bed. He looked out the window and sighed. It would be easy to dwell on tomorrow's problems. Blondie, whatever was wrong with his body, the well-being of Polnareff… The truth was, he couldn't do anything about any of that for the time being. All he could do was sleep, and sleep he did.
Alarm clocks are the most infuriating tool that humanity tolerates. Despite their practical use, no one is overjoyed to hear the deafening blare of one early in the morning. Whether it's a beep, a chime, or your favorite song, it doesn't matter. Everyone can pretty much agree that alarm clocks are the absolute worst. That's why Shizuka was infuriated by the sound of hers filling her bedroom once more. She groaned, rolling over and turning it off. Her go-to radio station took its place, playing some song she despised but had heard a million times by now. She slowly dragged herself out of bed, walking into the bathroom attached to her bedroom. She threw her bra aside, stretching her arms. Then, she cracked her neck, letting out a groan. Shortly after this her underwear fell to her ankles, and she stepped out of them. She looked at herself in the mirror, inspecting her skin closely.
For a sixteen-year-old, she had pretty good luck when it came to acne.
She lazily trudged into the shower, getting her shoulder-length hair wet and shampooing it. She was pretty clean, so she skipped on using soap for the time being. She was just so tired. Who knew how long she just stood under the hot water? She didn't, because she was practically asleep standing up.
After a long while she turned the water off and got out. She patted her face dry with a towel and used moisturizer on her cheeks. She walked back into her bedroom, balling the towel up in her hands and tossing it into a laundry hamper. She stretched once again, letting out a loud yawn. The young woman collapsed onto her bed once more, the fabric feeling so inviting against her skin. She rolled up into the blankets, even bundling her head inside.
An undetermined amount of time later, she began to squirm inside the blanket cocoon once more. She managed to pop her head out, eyes adjusting to read the clock on her bedside table. She nearly screamed when she saw the time.
7:53 AM.
"I'm late for school!"
To be Continued...