Chapter 4: Masquerade

Four hours.

They were four hours late.

"Seriously, what were you thinking?!", Kawakami, his short haired homeroom teacher, reprimanded with an exasperated tone. Akira followed her through the empty corridors of Shujin, evidence that classes were well on their way, and adjusted his glasses in mild embarrassment. "Being late on your first day? I understand getting lost for a while, but this is a whole new level!"

Akira listened to her complaints quietly, immensely frustrated by it but unable to argue with the woman. What would he even say? 'I entered some otherworldly castle and fought weird knights and some pervert P.E. Teacher with my punching ghost? Oh, and I also got knocked out for a while, so that's why I missed the first period' wouldn't be a good answer, as eloquent as it was.

Even himself didn't exactly understand what had happened back there: a whole world of cognition, shifting and swirling, full of dangers and notions so bizarre that his brain had some difficulty in comprehending. He would've thought he was insane, if it wasn't for Ryuji's own testimony.

And to top all that, there was the new and exhilarating sensation that he felt inside of him, its form ready to burst forth from inside him with nothing more than a thought. Helter Skelter: a 'stand', according to the strange talking cat that called himself Morgana. He understood the principle of it: the power of his soul, his will, his fighting spirit taken form. Its power had saved his and Ryuji's life, so Akira could ignore the sheer absurdness of such a thing appearing out of nowhere.

He had no idea of how that power came to be. Morgana mentioned that the strange arrow that he carried around could awaken such power from within a person, at the risk of killing the target. But Akira had no memory of ever being stung by the object: the only clue he had was the feeling Helter Skelter brought to the forefront of his mind, that being rage and anger towards the enemy, towards anyone who dared try to step on him. He felt that frustration before and during its awakening, so perhaps he had summoned it from sheer will? Or perhaps some people were born with it? Questions for another time.

Right now, he had to deal with more mundane matters: his absence from school for most of the first period, and the nagging from Kawakami. Both him and Ryuji were very surprised upon suddenly appearing in the middle of the street when they left the Metaverse, before being accosted by two police officers. The cops drilled on them for a few minutes about not being at school, making the two students scurry off to try and make it to class at an acceptable time.

Only to find the short haired teacher waiting for them, tapping her foot impatiently with a very unfriendly expression on her tired face. The two had swallowed dry, with Akira in particular expecting the worst: one slip and he would be expelled, after all. Everyone had made that very clear.

"Meet me on the roof after class. We need to talk", Ryuji had whispered to him, before walking off towards his own classroom. That left Akira to deal with Kawakami.

Surprisingly, the woman didn't take him straight to the principal: she sighed and motioned him to follow her, listening to Akira's shoddy excuses of being 'lost on his first day' with an uninterested face: It took a special kind of idiot to be four hours late, after all. Kawakami resigned herself to believe him, apparently not interested in making a bigger case out of it. Akira could see why: the woman was barely awake, dragging her feet and yawning once or twice on their way to the classroom. He didn't question it, obviously.

"Oh!", Kawakami suddenly perked up, making Akira raise his head. "Kamoshida-san, good afternoon."

Akira skipped a beat upon hearing those words.

The man, at least two heads taller than him, walked towards them at a carefree pace as if without any worries in the world, stopping in front of the woman with a wide smile on his face. Wearing a white shirt and red Shujin P.E. pants, the man looked very different from his otherworldly counterpart, but not enough so Akira wouldn't suck his breath as he saw the man who had tried to torture and kill them so casually before.

"Oh, good afternoon Kawakami-san", he replied, placing his hands on his hips and letting out a jovial laugh. Akira gripped his knuckles. "What's going on? Was class interrupted or something?"

"Well… not exactly", she sighed, pointing towards Akira behind her. "I was just taking Kurusu to class. He got lost on the way here."

Kamoshida apparently had just noticed his presence, prompting the man to frown, his expression now dangerous.

"Oh, is that right?", he huffed, staring at Akira with judging eyes and crossing his arms. Akira's arm twitched, almost taking a swing at the man instinctively: their last meeting wasn't exactly friendly. "Being late on your first day? You know you are on thin ice, Kurusu. I don't know how things were at your last school, but this is Shujin: one misstep and I'll personally throw you out, understand?"

Akira took a deep breath, calming himself down before raising his head and staring back at the man: he seemed so calm, almost cheeky, in the real world. No one knew the kinds of fucked up shit he was up to, no one knew what a rotten asshole he was (or they didn't care). The way he posed mirrored his Metaverse version, surely: high and mighty, in control of everything.

Akira simply nodded, still staring back at the man. He huffed again.

"Honestly, I don't even know why they would accept such a troublesome student. 'To show people that Shujin is able to rehabilitate young people back to society'?", he scorned, now talking to Kawakami. Sighing, he shaked his head. "You would think that my volleyball team would be enough to elevate this school to the top: I should have a talk with the Principal about this."

The volleyball team, Akira remembered. The ones Ryuji had seen back in the dungeon, being endlessly tortured and abused. He had wondered about it: if the other world Kamoshida was another version of him, what were those other people inside the place? Mirrors of their true selves? It couldn't have been the real ones, or someone would've noticed something. He should talk to Ryuji about that.

"Well, what's done is done, I'm afraid", Kawakami sighed, making Akira even more uncomfortable. They talked about him like he was simply a pushover, a problem to be disposed of like a lump of trash. For all he knew, he was exactly that to the school's faculty. "We should get to class. Oh, isn't there a volleyball rally next week?"

"Yep", Kamoshida grinned, rubbing his nose and faking embarassment. "It was kind of the Principal to give the students a time to develop their skills and show everyone how great of a sport volleyball is, hehe. We're aiming for nationals, after all: every bit of training is valuable."

So the team was aiming for national, Akira took note mentally. He didn't know anything about the team per se, but he had noticed quite a few trophies on the glass cases placed on the corridors of the school.

"Well, you two should get to class, I'm sure I'm stalling you guys", he joked, before leaning secretively towards Kawakami. "And be careful with him: who knows what such a troublesome student could do. Anything happens, you come straight to me, okay?", he offered, ignoring the fact that Akira could hear him.

The boy felt anger boiling inside him, but kept his composure: there was no benefit in attacking the teacher, at broad daylight at that. That disgusting man was more infuriating than he ever imagined, but once again, there was nothing he could do.

"Uh, of course", Kawakami awkwardly responded, not sure of what to say. "See you later, Kamoshida-san."

The man smiled again, walking past them. Before he did, he quickly glared towards Akira, with a look that said 'I'll be watching you'. Akira turned his head slightly, watching as he made his way through the corridor, his head tall and posture firm.

What a fucking asshole. Now he completely understood why Ryuji had described him as he did.

He heard Kawakami sigh. "You should listen to him, you know?", she said, hands on her hips. "I heard you come to school alongside Sakamoto, of all people. If you actually intend to keep yourself out of trouble, you shouldn't mingle with that kind of person."

'That kind of person'? Akira had gathered that Shujin wasn't very tolerant with its undesirable elements, but to speak of a student in such a way was a whole new level. Ryuji seemed like a good guy, bravado aside, and the way Kawakami spoke of him told him more about the woman herself than the student. Something about her bothered Akira, be it her dismissive attitude or her constant belittling of him: she was not a pleasant person.

Then again, Shujin was one of the top prep schools in Tokyo. Expecting leniency and pleasantry from them was too much to ask.

Even so, Akira took the bait. "What's wrong with him? He seemed like a good guy", he told her, the two of them resuming their walk.

"Good or not, he has been causing headaches for the school for a while now", she clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Having friends is good and all, but you should just keep your head down and stay away from bad influences."

Akira gripped his fists at her words. Helter Skelter burned inside him, but calmed down after a single thought. He needed to control his emotions better: he would hear a lot of unpleasant words directed towards him, so he should get used to it, even more than he already was.

"Okay, we're here", Kawakami suddenly announced, stopping in front of a wooden door identified as '2-D'. "Listen up: I'm gonna tell them that you were late because of family reasons, so you better confirm the story, all right? Less problems for the both of us", she explained, glaring at him.

Akira raised a brow, surprised. "Okay, I can do that", he answered. He didn't expect her to help him in any shape or form, so the little lie she concocted was welcomed even if she was doing it mostly for her own benefit.

She rubbed her temples, placing a hand on the doorknob. "And please, don't say anything weird", she pleaded, before opening the door and entering, Akira in tow.

As soon as he entered the room, the sound of loud conversation and whispering came to a halt, the entire class turning their heads to stare at him. Akira paused for a second with wide eyes like a deer caught in headlights, staring back at the whole crowd of students.

Fuck: they knew. How the fuck did they knew it already?!

Akira grinded his teeth and slowly followed Kawakami towards the front of the room, stopping besides her as she cleared her throat. A dead silence permeated the room.

"Well, as you may already know, another transfer student will be joining our class this year. Please excuse his tardiness: he had family matters to attend to", Kawakami announced, turning her head towards Akira. "Please, introduce yourself."

Akira took a deep breath, analysing the room. Dozens of cautious eyes glared at him, waiting for his next words. A few looked disgusted at him, others seemed afraid (Akira was fairly tall for a teenage student, after all), and others simply looked the other way, ignoring his presence completely.

He wasn't surprised: he expected as much. With a small sigh and a polite bow, he announced:

"My name is Akira Kurusu. It's nice to meet you all."

As no response came, Kawakami cleared her throat again, taking the reins of the situation.

"Thank you, Kurusu-san, we're glad to have you here", she forced herself to say. Someone snorted at her words. "Hmm, you can sit… there, behind Takamaki-san", she pointed towards the right side of the room, where a vacant seat stood.

As soon as he walked towards the seat, the whisperings and mutterings resumed, himself being the subject of most of them.

"I thought he would be scarier. He seems kinda normal."

"Don't be stupid: it's just an act. The second someone looks at him the wrong way, he's gonna kill ya."

"I heard smuggles drugs, and even killed a guy."

Akira didn't know whether to laugh or be angry at such rumours. Killing a guy? Whoever had leaked his records sure had imagination, although such was the nature of gossiping. He suppressed the urge to growl at their empty words, not wanting to make a scene in the middle of the class. He passed by several rows of chairs, every student leaning back as he walked close.

They were afraid of him? Good. Maybe that way they wouldn't pester him too much.

Approaching his seat, his eyes widened as he noticed the student that sat right in front of him: the blonde girl he saw before meeting Ryuji, still as beautiful as she was when he last saw her. He was taken aback for a split second, carelessly staring at her.

She slightly turned her head towards him, but not looking at his eyes. She wore a stern expression, a frown adorning her brows.

"Lies", she whispered. Akira blinked.

"Excuse me?", he asked out of instinct, but the girl ignored him.

"Ohh, do they know each other?"

"So Takamaki already made a move on the delinquent? Man, she works fast."

"He should keep it in his pants, though: nobody messes with Kamoshida's girl."

The whispers permeated the air around them, the words making Takamaki wince and turn her head towards the wall, where it was originally placed. Akira quickly walked a few steps and settled down on his chair, placing his bag on his desk and lowering his head.

Now that he thought of it, he remembered this Takamaki girl entering Kamoshida's car before Ryuji came running towards them, a few hours ago. This, added to the whispers from the other students, indicated that Takamaki was Kamoshida's girlfriend, something that was terribly disgusting in Akira's opinion. How old was he again?

He remembered the words from the other world Kamoshida: something about getting all the girls, their legs, their breasts and such things. Complementing the fact that the man wore nothing but a read cape and a thong, along with the nature of the Metaverse as explained by Morgana, it seemed that the P.E. Teacher was one sick perverted bastard. If Takamaki truly was his girlfriend, he wondered how much she knew about his true nature.

Kawakami started her lesson, interrupting his thoughts. For a while, he contented himself to simply pay attention and make notes, but after a while his mind buzzed with even more whispering and gossiping, the students around him shamelessly talking about him in a non-flattering manner.

They accused him of murder, smuggling, robbery, assault, arsony, prostitution, having ties with the Yakuza, sexual assault, among many others. Some talked with fear in their voices, a few seemed like they wanted to teach him a lesson, others had nothing but contempt on their tongues, and a select group wondered why couldn't all transfer students be like the last one.

Nobody wanted him here. They despised him, hated him and feared him. They wanted him gone, back to whatever hole he had crawled from. Akira growled internally, their constant buzzing making his patience run thin. He wished for nothing more than to be done with that place, and after a whole year inside a classroom that hated him, he would be glad to never ever having to stand at the same building as those whispering pricks.

But inside him, a flame raged on. The tickling of chains, evidence of the sheer power he held within his spirit, almost took over the noises from outside. Even with all the oppression and hate he would receive from everyone around him, he felt a small comfort in his heart: he was not weak. He was not defenseless. He had something no one else had, something that brought warmth and joy among a sea of contempt. They wanted to hate him? To despise him? So be it: he would do the same towards them.

Akira smirked devilishly, and he could feel Helter Skelter doing the same inside his mind.

Goro Akechi lifted the cup of coffee towards his mouth, sipping it. After a moment, his expression turned sour from the taste, cursing his expectations that he would find quality coffee inside the SIU building. Frustrated, he adjusted a button from his uniform suit and brushed a lock of his long brown hair from his face, sighing.

After that, he resumed the pastime he had adopted for the last hour: watching the newcomer detective Josuke Higashikata and prosecutor Sae Niijima completely ignore each other as they had their afternoon lunch. Niijima he was already acquainted with, having worked with her for the past months of the Mental Shutdown cases: a hard woman, one he had much respect for. But the detective he only knew from reputation and from the brief introduction they had before sitting down for lunch: the bastard son of the late Joseph Joestar, one of the wealthiest moguls in the world, coming from his small countryside town to help in a city wide investigation. Akechi had to admit he had some faint initial respect for the man because of his family status, but his own situation had been very different. Not all bastards were the same, after all.

As Sae had put it, she intended to begrudgingly introduce the two of them, judging by her attitude in the past hour alongside the state Akechi had found them on the elevator. The prosecutor and the detective hadn't started on good terms, it seemed.

He lowered his cup, smiling and clearing his throat.

"So, detective Higashikata: I assume you've been briefed on the case? Have you been given an office already?", he innocently asked.

Higashikata, who at that point seemed extremely focused on not spilling the cream inside his croissant, lifted his head in confusion.

"Huh? Oh, I mean, yes, they found a room I could use", he cleared his throat as well, placing his lunch back on the plate and adjusting his purple tie. "Niijima-san already gave me the files on the case, and I spent the night reviewing them on my desk. It's a lot to take on, but I already have a good idea about the ins and out of it."

Sae ignored the conversation, glaring at the menu. Akechi hummed in response, shaking his head: his initial impressions of the detective indicated a bubbly personality, not accustomed to the ways of the big city. The man took almost fifteen minutes to choose a dessert, something that bad bothered Niijima-san: apparently, she wanted that meeting to be over as soon as possible.

"I see. Well, to be honest, I'm a bit jealous: even if I'm working with the police, I don't have access to all the cases' files. I'm still a civilian, after all", Akechi gave a serene laugh, glancing at the detective's reaction.

The man intertwined his fingers, analysing the boy with curiosity in his eyes and a smile. "Ooh, you're the one they've been calling the new 'Detective Prince', right?", Higashikata asked, raising a brow. "But you're not a relative to the Shirogane family?"

The memory of his brief work with Naoto Shirogane passed through Josuke's mind. Terribly smart girl, if not a bit stiff.

"Nothing like that", Akechi clarified, a bit annoyed by the question. His reputation as a detective had been built by himself alone, not some family tie or another. In fact, that small piece of respect he had for Higashikata was almost completely overshadowed by the distaste at the fact that he was tied to such a wealthy background, bastard or not. "In fact, my training came from a place you should be very familiar with: I frequented S.P.Y.T."

Higashikata raised a brow again. "I'm sorry, what?", he asked, his knowledge of english confusing him for a moment.

Akechi smiled. "Speedwagon Program for Young Talents. Quite the charming place if I may say so, despite the name", he explained. Contrary to his words, his experience in the institute had been terribly annoying, with the place filled with morons of all sizes and forms. He had mentioned it mostly as a way to provoke the detective, who was already bothered by the constant reminders of his ties, if Akechi's sources were correct. "Were you involved with the Program? I learned quite a lot there."

His expectations were answered, as Higashikata fidgeted on his seat, uncomfortable by the Foundation being mentioned. Akechi smirked internally.

"Uh, well, I'm not really that involved with the Foundation's business", he explained, a flicker of annoyance passing on his face. "I didn't even know about… S.P.Y.T.'s existence."

They heard a huff from the other side of the table, both turning their heads towards Sae Niijima, who now had her arms crossed. It seemed that she wanted to join the conversation.

"May I ask where you have trained then, detective?", she asked, more subdued this time. Her discussion with him had her toning down her aggression, Josuke noted, if only by a fragment.

"Same as everyone else, prosecutor: the academy. I took criminology, criminal law and forensics at college as well", he explained, focusing on his courses. If the woman wanted to doubt his skills, she could at least be aware of his certifications. Josuke turned back to Akechi. "Do you intend to take this same path, Akechi-san?"

"Why, yes, if all goes smoothly", Akechi answered charmingly, smiling towards Josuke. "In fact, I'm sure I'll have much to learn from you, detective. Experience is invaluable in such a line of work."

Josuke smiled and scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Heh, well, then I'll be sure to give you a good example."

Akechi nodded, giggling at his words but scoffing internally. From what he gathered up until this point, the man had a bit of a goofy side to him, probably the reason Niijima disliked the man. His words were serious, but sometimes he would behave in childish manners, almost like a rookie on his first day at his job.

Which, now that he thought about it, wasn't far from the truth.

"Maybe Akechi should be the one giving you a good example", Sae told Higashikata sarcastically, her arms still crossed. "He has been involved with the case for a few months now: he has been of great help. Maybe you could learn a thing or two."

Akechi raised a brow. Sae, the ice queen of the SIU, complimenting him? Now that was something you didn't see every day.

"You know what, Niijima-san? You're completely right", Josuke smirked in response, not taking her bait. "If I can work directly with Akechi-san and the police, I'll be able to do some good work in no time. Maybe then you'll see what I'm capable of", he jabbed back, not wanting to confront the woman but still willing to push her buttons.

Sae scoffed, but the corner of her mouth lifted in a faint grin. "I guess time will tell", she said, before checking her wristwatch. "Lunchtime is over. We should head back, detective: still a lot of work to do."

"Actually, Niijima-san, I was wondering if I could talk with Akechi-san for a while", Josuke perked up, smiling innocently towards Sae. "Since we'll be working together, y'know."

Sae raised a brow, scanning the two of them momentarily, before sighing.

"Very well, but be quick about it", she conceded, lifting herself from her chair and walking off. "I'll see you another time, Akechi."

"Until then, Niijima-san", Akechi waved her off with a smile, before his attention turned back to Higashikata.

Truthfully, he wanted to know everything he could about the man, so his request for an extended lunch was opportune: how would he affect the investigation, how dangerous the man was, how deep his ties with Speedwagon were, anything that could help Akechi build a profile on him.

And anything he could use to dispose of the man if he became a liability. The power inside himself stirred for a moment, but quickly calmed down.

Akechi watched as Higashikata wrapped his croissant in a napkin, before pointing towards the doors with a smile.

"Do you mind if we talked outside? I need some fresh air", he chipperly asked. Akechi adjusted his leather gloves and smiled back.

"Certainly."

Josuke munched on his lunch as he walked besides Akechi, his pleasant expression never leaving his face. The first thing Josuke had taken notice was how nice the kid was. Too nice. Like someone forcing himself to be presentable and friendly.

It made him feel weird.

"May I ask something, detective?", Akechi started, resuming their conversation. They had just left the building, Josuke leading them towards a corner close to the street, where the buzzing of thousands of people passed by them constantly. "I noticed some tension between you and Niijima-san. Is there a reason for that?"

Josuke finished his food, throwing the napkin in a nearby trash can, before scratching his chin thinking. He couldn't blame Akechi for being curious: he and Niijima had known each other for less than a day and were already at each other's throats. If he was being honest, it was mostly her fault: her constant doubts and insults towards his credentials and tribulations were irritating enough to make his patience thin. Although, he couldn't exactly blame her: the case was bigger than anything he had ever tackled, and his inexperience with countrywide investigations could hinder their progress somewhat.

Then again, he doubted the police of the SIU could ever capture a Stand User capable of citywide mental shutdowns. His presence was needed: Jotaro had trusted him with this.

"You could call it a difference of opinion. She doubts my training, my ability as a detective… everything about me, really. I can understand that: I'm not exactly used to the big city, you know?", Josuke meekly answered, not sure of how to explain it. He thought about it for a few more seconds, before laughing dumbly. "Uh, and I guess some of her arguments hit a sore spot, that's all. It's nothing to worry about, I'm sure we'll reach an agreement eventually."

They had to, Josuke mentally noted, or else many more lives would be lost.

Akechi pondered on his words: Sae could be a very antagonistic person when she wanted to. Being one of the few female prosecutors in a male dominated environment was undoubtedly unnerving, the woman having to prove herself at every step of the way, sometimes even having to fight for her place on the SIU.

Although, Akechi hoped their antagonism kept itself alive for a bit longer: he didn't actually need their investigation to progress, after all.

"I see. Well, if you're willing to prove herself to Sae-san, I'm sure she'll reward your efforts eventually", Akechi humored him, leaning on the wall and watching the crowd of people pass by them. "She respects character, and nothing else, I swear."

"Hm, I understand. I hope you're right, Akechi-san: she's the last person I wanted to piss off, being basically my boss for the time being. I'm here to help you guys, after all", Higashikata hummed, now pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Akechi raised a brow at that: he was used to police officers having smoke breaks here and there, but for some reason didn't expect the detective to have such a vice. The man seemed impeccable on his personal image: brushed hair, clothes perfectly fit, a healthy appearance. If he was a heavy smoker, chances were he would've detected any signs of it.

"Not the healthiest of habits, detective", he said as Higashikata placed one slender tube in his mouth and lit it.

"Hm? Oh, sorry", the detective apologized, seemingly embarrassed. "I've been meaning to stop, but it's harder than it seems. Oh, you're a minor, right? Just a quick one and we'll be back inside, don't worry."

Akechi frowned at that, but didn't offer any other comments about it. Honestly, he didn't give a shit about his habits, only the instinctive worry for his own health. Second hand smoking was a problem, after all.

"Anyway, I wanted to ask you about… S.P.Y.T., right? That was the name?", Josuke suddenly questioned, sucking the cigarette and releasing a cloud of smoke.

It had been a lie, of course: he wasn't a smoker, at least not a heavy one ever since college. It was a simple artifice he would use in a few moments, when the time was right.

"Ah, yes, that's correct", Akechi answered, amused by his sudden interest in the matter. "They had special courses I took alongside highschool, mostly deductive thinking and criminal psychology. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the program", he lied. He would've been there anyway, S.P.Y.T. or not: his abilities far surpassed what that pathetic institute taught him. Shido had made sure of that.

"Yeah, I get it", Josuke replied, shaking his head. "I wasn't aware of its existence, though: contrary to what most people think, I'm not that involved with the foundation's business."

"But you used to be, at least at some point?", Akechi asked with curiosity.

"My father, mostly", Josuke lied, puffing another cloud of smoke. He suppressed the urge to coff. "I'm sure I don't have to explain it: you probably know who my father was."

"Millionaire, real estate agent, explorer", Akechi listed, before smirking. "And a major investor of the Speedwagon Foundation."

Josuke smirked back. "Exactly. But, even if I don't have much contact with the Foundation, I still hear a thing or two every once in a while", he continued. "There's been a lot of talk about the Mental Shutdowns, even back at my hometown. Whoever is doing this, it must be a very dangerous person."

"Someone capable of causing such a phenomenon from a distance? Of course: probably the most dangerous person Japan has ever faced", Akechi replied. He snorted internally.

"Correct", Josuke agreed. His expression had become slightly sharper as the conversation went on, Akechi noticed with a frown. "You see, there is a side of the Foundation that is mostly kept a secret from the public. It deals with certain problems that most people couldn't even comprehend, problems beyond their understanding."

Josuke slowly approached Akechi, making the boy raise a brow. What was he getting at? Was he talking about…?

The man stopped in front of him, still sucking from the cigarette's butt. "I said that I'm not that involved with their business… except, of course, for that particular branch of the Foundation", he explained, releasing another puff of smoke.

His expression now seemed dangerous, purple eyes staring at Akechi from way above, the man towering over him.

"...is there a point you're trying to make, detective?", he asked defiantly, staring back at the man.

He understood now. Of fucking course. How could be so stupid? It should've been clear to him from the start: the rumours he had heard, the origin of his abilities, Shido's connections with the Foundation. The Joestar clan was known for its outlandish exploits, feats that could only be possible if...

"Yes, actually", Josuke interrupted him, smiling mischievously. "Wanna know something interesting?"

Akechi tightened his grip. "What is it?"

The detective once more released a cloud of smoke, this time towards Akechi.

"If a Stand User inhales cigarette smoke", he explained. "A small vein twitches on their nose."

Akechi skipped a beat, instinctively raising his hand towards his nose. Halfway there, he gasped and stopped, staring back at Josuke Higashikata, who now had a smug grin on his face.

The fucker tricked him.

"Well, I can't believe it actually worked", he snorted.

Akechi gritted his teeth, slowly stepping back from Josuke. Fuck, fuck. He needed a way out, fast.

"I don't know what you're talking about", he tried to argue in vain. At the same time, he gathered his will and started to discreetly summon his power, ready for any sudden movements.

To his surprise, Josuke waved a hand in dismissal, urging him to calm down.

"Wouldn't do that if I were you, kid", he laughed, before placing his hands on his pockets. "I don't wanna fight you, if that's what you think."

Akechi stared at the detective for a few seconds, analysing every movement of his. His posture seemed relaxed and calm, and he couldn't see any evidence of any Stand ability being activated. He scanned his surroundings, but didn't find any signs of a surprise attack.

Begrudgingly, he relaxed as well, adjusting his posture but still cautious. "I should've known you had an ability similar to mine. You Joestars are a notorious bunch, after all."

"Yeah, you could say that", Josuke smiled. "We're not your usual kind."

Akechi adjusted his tie, still staring at Josuke. His mind raced, eventually settling on reality: even if the cat was out of the bag, it changed nothing. Tokyo was home to an immense population of Stand Users, most of them harmless. Whatever reasons the detective had to expose him in such a way, he doubted he had any notions about his activities or even that other World.

With that, he calmed himself.

"So, how did you know?", he questioned, lifting his arms on his sides. "Was it a hunch, or did you figure it out the moment you saw me?"

"More of a hunch", Josuke explained, a hand on his chin as he analysed Akechi. "After many years, you can tell with a look: the posture, the attitude, etc. It's not hard once you know what you're looking for."

The silence stretched itself for a few more moments, before Akechi's patience ran out.

"What now? You're gonna arrest me? Take me to the Foundation and lock me up?", he accused, a speech already forming on his mind. "If I've used this power to help in my investigations, is there something wrong with it?", he said, playing the detective prince card: someone eager to seek justice at any cost, even with his own arrest. He gathered that Higashikata must've used his own powers at work as well, so he expected the man to relate to it somewhat.

His gamble paid off, as the man raised his hands once again in a gesture of peace.

"Nothing like that, Akechi-san", he replied calmly, before crossing his arms. "I'll not ask what your ability is, or if you have used it for your own benefit. Hell, I'd be very hypocritical if I accused you", he laughed to himself.

"Actually, I have a proposition", Josuke raised a finger in the air, making his point. Akechi raised a brow crossed his arms, ready to listen and be done with it. "From what I've heard, you're the shining example of a detective, solving an impressive amount of cases even at your age. I'm not surprised you involved yourself on this one."

Akechi adopted a determined expression. "It's my duty to use my skills to solve this case, Stand ability or not", he said, his expression never betraying him. "My deductive skills are as real as they say: even if I didn't have this power, I'd still be here."

Josuke hummed in approval, smiling.

"Then listen: you may already know this, but the culprit is most likely a Stand User as well", he explained. "The Foundation sent me here to investigate and neutralize him or her. After all, I doubt the SIU can solve this matter alone."

"I suspected that. Things like Mental shutdowns don't happen naturally", Akechi replied.

"You're right: they don't", Josuke smirked, now approaching Akechi with a slow pace. "It's my job to find the culprit, as I doubt the police of the SIU have the means to do it. Otherwise, they would've sent me here."

"There is a fact that I've learned all these years, Akechi-san: Stand Users attract stand users. It's the reason I found you, it's the reason there will be many obstacles in this case, and it's the reason I'm sure we'll find the culprit eventually."

"Since you are a Stand User yourself , I must admit that I was at a disadvantage here alone", Josuke snorted, scratching the back of his head. "I'm good, but not good enough to simply tear the city down to find the culprit."

"I'll need help, Akechi-san. Preferably, your help."

Akechi looked down to the ground, faking a state of deep thinking. It seemed that Higashikata had no evident suspicions over him, a fact that tranquilized him immensely. He didn't know his ability or how powerful the man was. Being his enemy could prove problematic and mess up his plans.

He should report that to Shido, whether he wanted to or not. The man would probably be in possession of one file or another that could help him.

If he allied himself with Higashikata, he could add another cover to himself: he was already the detective prince, but if he were to involve himself with the Foundation's agent, the curtain of smoke around him would be even wider. The knowledge of that world was severely limited, and he doubted that Higashikata even knew about its existence. Shido had made sure of that.

"So, what do you think? Deal?", Josuke questioned, extending a hand with a determined smile.

Akechi answered with his own, secretively malicious one. He grasped the man's hand with his gloved one.

"Deal."

To be Continued -

A/N: I'm sorry for such a rushed chapter, things have been crazy around here. I fully intend to come back later and do some severe rewriting, so bear with me.

The beginning of the story is moving at an exceedingly slow pace, but soon enough the story will flow more dynamically, don't worry. Some chapters barely contain more than two scenes, something I intend to change in the future.

See ya.