Giorno immediately ran, or rather, hopped towards where Neo was. Seeing the destroyed rubbles, he grabbed one of the debris and turned it to a foot for better mobility.
He considered calling out for her before remembering that she can't respond.
500 people used to live here, now it's a ghost town.
He heard a screaming guy from the other side of the street, so he immediately sprinted towards it. Seeing Hazel growling as his body can barely contain his power while Neo was slowly falling unconcious.
..
"YOU MADE ME DO THIS. RAAAAAGHH!" Hazel punched the seemingly unconcious woman, but to his surprise, he almost hit Giorno.
His fist stopped short before touching his forehead.
"MUDA!" Gold Experience Requiem suddenly swept him off his feet. As the gigantic man lose his balance, he heard the young man spoke.
"You hesitated."
"OOF!" Hazel landed with a thud.
"You're quick." Hazel chuckled as he slowly got up. "Why did you stopped?" Giorno asked. "I was asked to bring you back." the man replied.
"No. No I don't think so." the blonde continued. The gigantic dust user remained silent.
"You aren't a bad person." Giorno simply stated.
"I'm not good either. What made you arrive to that conclusion?" Hazel replied.
"It sounded like you weren't doing this out of your own pleasure. And that you initially didn't want to fight. Unlike your subordinate."
"Where is he?"
"Dead."
Hazel chuckled "I knew it's only a matter of time before he bites it."
"Yeah, he's repulsive." Giorno agreed.
"You're quite reasonable. Now, will you come with me?" Hazel asked as he dusted himself off. "I'm afraid not. Look. Before you do anything, don't worry, because we're coming for her." Giorno said.
"We? You and her?" Hazel asked.
"You, her and me." Giorno simply stated.
The man broke his stoic demeanor and laughed heartily. "What are you on about?"
"You're a good person working for the wrong people. You hesitated, you didn't want to fight, and you were disgusted by that scorpion man's actions that led to unneccessary deaths. Now, you swore loyalty for reasons I am not aware of, but I know that your heart is still in the right place." Giorno's words echoed through the silent battlefield.
Hazel squinted his eyes "You still killed my ally."
"The way I see it, it's either him, or me... And I figured it might as well be him."
Neo whimpered to remind Giorno of her condition. He glanced at her and back to Hazel.
"If you still persist on getting in my way, then leave her, out of this." the blonde sternly said.
Hazel simply turned his back on the two "If you said you were going after her anyway, I don't see why we should continue this useless fight." he walked away.
The blonde lowered his guard and turned to Neo, who was barely concious. "Come on, let's... Let's get you back on your feet."
Neo became submissive, she even held her arms out to let him hoist her up.
Giorno carried her all the way to an empty inn.
Laying her down to a sofa, her temperature was unusually high yet her hands are eerily cold.
"Were you stung by the scorpion?"
She nodded.
Giorno furrowed his eyebrows, he was also stung but the effects of the venom disappeared after he cut off his foot even when Tyrian said his venom travels fast.
'It's too late to even cut whatever limb she was stung on. How did I manage to neutralize the venom? How?'
Giorno's eyes widened in realization.
Flashback, Vento Aureo behind the scenes.
As they walk towards the prison that held the capo Polpo, Giorno asked his newfound ally.
"What does it feel like?"
Bruno continued walking "What do you mean?"
"Getting punched by Gold Experience. You seem to be quite stunned after getting hit."
Flashback ends.
Bruno described it as being imbued with life force, he was basically overflowing with energy.
Giorno concluded that the attack imbued his body with Gold Experience life energy and managed to neutralize the venom somehow when he chopped off his foot with the stand.
His attention returned when Neo started coughing blood. She was in such a pitiful state.
She was sweating madly, her hands were shaking and her teeth chattered. Neo looked at his turquoise eyes, pleading for him to do something.
Giorno sighed and ruffled her hair, he let his palm cup her cheeks, which for a moment, put the dying girl at ease.
"Neo. Everything's gonna be okay." he softly said, he placed his hands on her forehead and chest (boobs) and let his stand work it's magic.
Neo flinched as she saw his hands glow gold and the difficulty in breathing, intense migraine and heart burn disappeared and was replaced with a nice feeling of relief.
After a moment, she was fully healed. Neo pushed him away so she can sit upright. She's not dizzy anymore, she feels alright.
After losing Torchwick in a fight against Beacon's strongest Huntsmen, and being thoroughly beaten along with Cinder when they try to take Salem on, later watching her die. She felt numb, directionless and suicidal.
Neo thought she could never feel anything again. But that venom, it rattled her very core. It made her afraid of pain once more, it woke her up. And this blondie saved her even if all she did was treat him like garbage and intend on using him as a pawn.
'You earned my respect...'
They both stared at eachother's eyes, Giorno averted his gaze first but his glance return when she held his hand, and smiled at him. Not the sarcastic, mocking one she usually dishes out, but a sincere and genuine one this time.
'Thank you, Gino Giovanni.'
...
He suddenly jolted awake on his desk, shocking Fugo who was about to bring him his morning coffee, effectively splashing it on his own torso.
Fugo screamed in pain as it burned his skin.
Giorno immediately stood up to aid him "Hey, shhh, shh, calm down."
...
"O-Ow!" Fugo groaned as Giorno healed the burnt skin. "This would be less painful if your shirt doesn't have any holes, Fugo." Giorno said with a faint hint of amusement in his tone.
"M-My fashion sense is none of your concern, bo-boss."
Giorno chuckled "Relax, I'm just saying it's not very ideal to wear all the time. Now, let's take your pants off or Shiela will mock you and mistook you for pissing yourself."
"G-Giorno! You don't- I can do it myse-"
"HEY BAMBINOS-" Mista bursted through the door and saw the rather awkward position Giorno and Fugo were in, the boss was in the middle of pulling down the underling's pants.
"M-Mista, it's not what it looks like-" Fugo stuttered. "Hmm?" Giorno turned around to face Mista "Oh, buon giorno. Any news?"
"I knew it! You are gay!"
"I'M NOT GAY."
"Then I take it that you are bisexua-"
"NO."
"Aww it's fine! Shiela told me you were pretty gay for the boss."
"I'M NOT, WHY WOULD YOU BELIEVE HER, SHE IS A TWAT."
"Uhh, guys, I'm still here. If you're gonna talk about me atleast make sure I'm not around to hear it." Giorno rolled his eyes.
"I'm gonna kill her..." Fugo muttered. "Anyways, I've got a lead from the Cily. They said the Camorre had her or something."
"Cily... The small time loan sharks?" Fugo asked. Mista simply nodded.
...
"Can we just return her?! She talks too damn much she makes me wanna die!" the young mafioso with the birthmark on his cheek said. "Just be patient, it'll be worth it." the woman said.
"Hey! HEY! Can you guys let me go?! I promise I won't leave as long as you guys feed me." the blindfolded Ruby yelled from the room.
The two glanced at eachother.
...
"I keep telling you, I'm not gay!" Fugo was fuming at this point, he would have smacked Mista if he weren't the driver. "That's enough, Mista. We need to focus on the task at hand." Giorno sternly told the cackling gunslinger "Okay, okay! Sorry! It's just, it's been awhile since I saw Fugo go apeshit. Let's just listen to some tunes."
*click*
"Vocal percussion on a whole nother level, coming from my-"
*click*
"Why'd you turn it off, Mista?" Giorno asked as he noticed that his two subordinates suddenly had grim expression on.
"It's..." Fugo gulped.
"Hmmm?" Giorno urged him to continue. "It's... Narancia's... Favorite song." he said with difficulty. "Well, turn it up." Giorno used GER from the backseat to turn the radio back on.
"Giorno." Mista said.
"Gioryes." Giorno said. "Why? Please just turn it off. It hurts." Fugo mumbled. "This isn't what he wanted. If it was his favorite, then he'd be sad if he ruined the song for you because he left." Giorno explained.
"But it brings back bad memories." Mista complained.
"Continuing to mourn his death isn't what he would've wanted. I know that you two know that. Instead, celebrate the life he lived." the boss said.
The two momentarily glanced at him, they are reminded why he is the boss. He always know what to say.
Mista suddenly screamed along with the radio "HAAAAAAA~ WE'RE GOLDEN WIND!"
kono me amoreri maroreri merare maro
"So you wanna learn the dance then, boss?" Mista asked cheerfully. "... Some other time." Giorno replied.
"Mista, take a left around this street." Fugo instructed. "Whatever you say, Fugay."
"Fuck you."
"That's quite enough." Giorno sternly scolded.
The car slowed down as a mafioso with a dark blue suit stopped leaning from a post. Blowing off a smoke from his cigarette, he observed as Mista got out of the car, a guy with some holes in his suit also emerged and the muscular don followed soon.
"Good day gentlemen. It's nice to see you in this fine day." the mafioso greeted. "Pleased to meet your acquaintance." the don replied.
Giorno already noticed that something is a bit off.