A/N: we're baaaaaaack! The Bizarre Adventure continues! Editing by Ghost Fire 6!
Chapter 20: Outkast
Friday, 5/20/20XX, After School
"Is he here yet?
"No."
"Ugh…" Jolyne, Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana were gathered on a walkway in Shibuya station, one that had a view of Shibuya square. "He's on the way though, right?" Ryuji asked from his spot on the ground, leaning against a support beam.
"He said he was. Remember, Kosei's a bit farther away compared to Shujin." Jolyne answered, scrolling on her phone. "Hey, when do they usually put out the test scores here?"
"It'll probably be on Monday. I'm so not looking forward to seeing how I did…" Ann sighed out, when Ryuji noticed Yusuke approaching them.
"Well well, look who decided to show up!"
"My apologies. I usually don't go past my line transfer, so I was a bit turned around." The newest Phantom Thief greeted.
"So...how are things with Madarame?" Jolyne questioned, causing Yusuke to frown.
"Well, as soon as I returned, he began apologizing profusely. He immediately began claiming that he had been overrun by emotion, that he was willing to forget my role in yesterday's events." The artist explained, he sighed. "For a second, I almost bought his apology, but then I remembered that...thing we met. That...what was it you called it?"
"His Shadow."
"Yes, that. All I could think about were those...things he said, the way he acted, the lives he admitted to destroying. I wanted to give in, to call him a liar and a monster right to his face." Yusuke continued. "But I caught myself, and maintained the facade. For now, at least, things are…well.'"
"That's awesome, I gu-"
"However…" The artist cut off. "...while Madarame seems to be willing to overlook my involvement in yesterday's events, he is far less willing to forgive you, Cujoh-san."
"Of course he isn't." Jolyne sighed out, leaning against the railing. "Is his private security going to be on the lookout?"
"I am afraid it is not that simple." Yusuke replied. "Madarame told me that he plans on suing you for libel and defamation." Jolyne's eyes widened, as she clenched the railing.
"No way…"
"I am afraid so. He also said he plans on suing the two of you as well, as he is certain you are involved somehow." The artist looked to Ryuji and Ann, the latter of whom turned to Jolyne.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm good." She responded. "It's just...this could really screw things up, y'know?" The team leader responded, and the newest member looked confused.
"Am I missing something?"
"Long story short, I'm on probation. Any kind of slip up like that, and I'm off to prison." Jolyne explained, getting Yusuke's eyes to widen.
"My goodness. Had I been aware, I-"
"Don't sweat it, you couldn't have known." The transfer student reassured him. "So, what's our timeframe? Is he calling the police today, or what?"
"No, I do not believe he will." Yusuke answered. "Madarame likes to avoid any and all unnecessary media attention and controversy during his exhibits, such as the kind filing a police report would bring. I believe that he will wait until after the exhibition has closed."
"So that gives us, what, a few weeks?" Morgana asked.
"Until the beginning of June. The fifth, to be exact." Yusuke answered, Ryuji simplybsighed.
"Figures. Can't be too easy…so, what's our gameplan?"
"Morgana, when we were in the Palace, could you sense the treasure?" Ann asked, he nodded from his spot in Jolyne's bag on the ground.
"I could. I didn't really have time to bring it up before the Shadow showed up, but the Treasure was definitely in that second building. Ryuji, Ann, you two disabled the security so that they couldn't fix it, right?"
"Uh, you can say that. Sure." Ryuji responded, Ann just rolled her eyes.
"So...what happens now?" Yusuke asked.
"Well, now we go to the Palace. Try to see if we can find the Treasure." Jolyne answered. "To do that, we need to head back to the shack. Once we're there we'll use the Meta-Verse Navigator to enter the Palace."
"Meta-Verse Navigator...say, is that a smartphone app by any chance? One that resembles a strange eyeball?" Yusuke asked, causing their eyes to all widen.
"Let me guess, it showed up on your phone right after we got back from the Meta-Verse?" Ann asked, and the blue haired artist nodded.
"Same happened with all of us. That freaky eyeball thing showed up on our phones right after we got our Personas." Ryuji stated.
"Not even I really know where it comes from." Morgana spoke up. "For now, however, it's our only way for all of us to get in and out of the Meta-Verse."
"In any event, it's a mystery for another day." The transfer student stated. She couldn't shake the feeling that the app was tied to Igor and his cryptic warnings, but such suspicions would have to what. "We can sit here all day and try to explain it, but we don't really know all that much ourselves. The easiest way to explain everything is just to show you. C'mon, let's head over to Madarame's place." Jolyne instructed, getting a nod from the others.
As they headed over to the train line that would take them to Madarame's shack, they passed by an info booth, past a group of people reading informational pamphlets. As they walked by, one man peered over from the pamphlet, watching the group.
'No doubt about it, that's her.' The man from the alleyway thought, watching them walk. 'Whitesnake was right on the money. Looks like she uses Shibuya to transfer over to Yongen-Jaya. Hmmm….' He thought to himself, noting the line they were walking to. 'That's not the line to Yongen though. Some sorta study session with her friends, maybe?" The man looked around the station, noting just how many people were in the station. 'Either way, can't move on her now. Too much collateral damage, too many eyes. Might as well wait until tonight.'
The Museum
"Oh my…" Yusuke gasped out, lightly massaging his forehead. "That is...an unusual sensation."
"You'll get used to it, trust me." Morgana stated, stretching the stubby legs of his true form, as Yusuke examined his new appearance.
"And how did I get in these bizarre clothes again?"
"It just happens whenever we get into the metaverse. At least you're not dressed up like some dominatrix…" Panther lamented, looking down at her own costume.
"Right after I got mine, Morgana said something about our Personas pickin' em out cause of our personalities or something." Ryuji explained, and leaned close to Yusuke. "Don't worry, it doesn't really make any sense to me either."
"Hm, that would explain the appearance." Yusuke touched his mask as Ryuji raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Yes. See, I have always admired the designs and aesthetics of kabuki theatre and this style of traditional Japanese clothing." The artist explained, examining his clothes.
"So, any more questions before we get started?" Jolyne asked.
"Yes, I have a few. FIrst, why codenames? Our enemies cannot follow us outside of this realm, correct, and the real person does not share the Shadow's memories, so why bother?"
"Well, you get that this is a realm shaped by Madarame's perception, right?" Jolyne asked, Yusuke shook his head.
"I am afraid I still have a hard time grasping the specifics."
"See, the things the Palace owner perceives in the real world affect things in here, but they have no memory of things the Shadow sees in here."
"Explaining why Madarame made no mention of our confrontation yesterday." Yusuke concluded, Jolyne nodded.
"So normally, according to Morgana, it's only supposed to go one way, but we don't really want to take any chances and scream our real names for the Shadow to hear. Hence, we use codenames."
"Plus, it makes us sound a little cooler." Ryuji piped in.
"When we're in here, call me Joker."
"I'm Panther."
"Call me Mona, and you can refer to the loudmouth as Skull." Morgana stated, Yusuke tapped his chin as Ryuji glared at the nonhuman. "Some of us base it off of our appearance, but in the end, it's u[ to you."
"Hm...maybe Da Vinci?" He suggested, getting a wince from Ann.
"I dunno, it doesn't really roll off the tongue...oooh, how about Kabuki? Y'know, cause of your
mask?" The model suggested, but Yusuke's lips thinned into a frown.
"That...doesn't really appeal to me." He stated, Ryuji looked hm over.
"Well you got that mask, and that weird tail…" He muttered, before he started giggling to himself. "Oh, how about Abura-age?" He suggested, and Morgana bit back a laugh.
"*SNRK*"
"Very well." Yusuke stated, startling both of them.
"Wait, seriously?!"
"If we cannot come up with any better suggestion, then I shall settle for…'Abura-age.'"
"Fox." The leader's voice cut through the chatter, drawing Yusuke's attention. "Why make it too complicated? You've got the mask, the tail...plus, it's short, simple, and rolls off the tongue."
"Ooooh, I like the sound of that!" Panther commented, Skull nodded.
"That sounds way better than my dumb joke."
"Well? What do you say, Fox?" Mona asked, the newest member mulled over the suggestion for a moment.
"Very well. 'Fox' it is, then." Fox stated, Joker smirked.
"Now that's what I'm talking about. Welcome to the team, Fox." She stated, turning to the Museum. "Alright, guys. We have a pretty vague idea of where the Treasure is, but we still need to actually work out our route before we can send the Calling Card. Let's move."
And so the Phantom Thieves embarked through the Museum of Vanity once more. They traced their way back through the Museum of Vanity, passing back through the first building with ease. After the events of the previous day, security had been tightened, but the group was still able to make their way through with little problem, easily dispatching any Shadows that got in their way until they reached the connecting bridge. Much like they had hoped, the security grid was still disabled, causing Skull to smirk.
"You guys are welcome. If I hadn't smashed that console, they'd probably have the security back up!"
"Actually, Madarame has yet to replace the lock. If this realm truly corresponds to his perception, then wouldn't it stand to reason that that is the cause." Fox stated, causing his teammate to deflate,much to Mona's satisfaction.
"C'mon man, you couldn't let me have that?" Skull stated, as Joker looked at the second building.
"Mona?" She didn't even has to ask, as the diminutive Thief began to sniff the air.
"The Treasure is definitely in that second building, all the way on the top floor." He stated, Fox went to open his mouth. "The Treasure is the manifested desires of the Palace Ruler, and is the center of the Palace."
"Don't worry, we'll make you notecards." Panther joked as Joker folded her arms. She held out one hand, seeming to trace a path through the building.
"You think you could make a rope with Stone Free, like back in the castle?" Skull asked, getting a shake of the head by Joker.
"No, I don't think my strings will reach that far. Besides, I could barely support you even before that big buffet." She teased, Skull sighed.
"Ah well, don't suppose there's no fun doin' it the easy way, is there?"
"It won't be easy. Madarame knows we're coming, so security's bound to be tighter the closer we get to the treasure." Mona stated, Fox couldn't help but clench his fists as he looked at the building.
"Hey, are you alright?" Panther asked, and he nodded.
"I am. I'm simply steeling my resolve. Should we face that Shadow Madarame again...I do not know what I will do."
"Just don't kill him, alright? The guards are alright, since they're not real, but if anything happens to the Shadow of the Palace ruler, we could kill him." She warned, causing his eyes to widen.
"I...I do not wish for him to die. Even after all he has done, I cannot bring myself to wish for his death."
"Neither do we. We don't really want to get a reputation for being murderers." The resident model commented, the artist let out a sigh of relief he had not realized he was holding in.
"We'll deal with Madarame when we get there. For now…let's move." Joker instructed, they headed into the tower.
At first, it was nothing special. A room here, a room there, and a few low level shadows. Then...then came the first challenge.
The Sculpture Room
"You have got to be kidding me." Skull deadpanned, gazing at the sculpture room. The problem? The whole room was surrounded by lasers, ones that provided little to no wiggle room.
"Fox, is...Madarame a big movie guy, by any chance?" Panther asked.
"Now that you mention it, he has always been a fan of the Objective Improbable movies…" The newest Thief remarked as they stared at the laser array.
"I can kinda see a way through, if ya squint…" Mona stated.
"Wonderful. Hope you guys remembered to stretch…" Joker sighed. "So...I can see a switch on the other side of the wall. Who wants to try first? Skull?"
"Aw hell no, man! I ain't makin' it through that!"
"Fox?"
"I believe I shall pass…"
"Panther?"
"I mean, I'll try…" Panther remarked, approaching the lasers. She gingerly extended her hands, yanking it back as it burned her hand. "Ow!"
"Well, it's nice to know that they're the burning kind, not the motion sensing kind." Mona piped up, as Joker stepped forward.
"Alright, my turn." She said, and extended her hand as she closed her eyes. Fox's eyes widened as her hand began to unravel into strings, watching as they began traveling across the floor.
"What the…"
"Oh, right, we gotta explain Stands, too…" Panther sighed out. "All joking aside, I think we need to seriously make notecards." Jolyne's arms continued to unravel, as they arrived at the switch. The strings began to form back into Stone Free's hand, pulling it down and depowering the laser grid.
"Whoa, you've gotten a lot better at that." Skull remarked as the strings raveled back into her arm.
"I've been experimenting with what Stone Free can do in my spare time after I fought that Matsumoto guy. Figure it couldn't help knowing what all I can do." The Stand User explained, rotating her arm as the strings finished raveling.
"What...is that?" Yusuke asked.
"It's my Stand, Stone Free." Joker stated as if that explained anything. "I'll have to explain later, but for now, let's keep moving." She ordered, which they accepted.
They continued onwards through the sculpture room and through the next three levels. It was relatively save for the occasional Shadows that were disposed of easily enough. "Are the Palaces...always like this?" Fox asked as they watched Panther and Joker destroy an Ippon Dattara with their Personas. "I must say, when you told me this was based off of Madarame's desires, I expected something a little more...dynamic?"
"Is that a fancy way of saying 'not boring?'" Skull responded, letting out a sigh. "Kamoshida's Palace was a lot like this too. Just hallway after hallway…hey, Mona, any idea why these Palaces are so boring?"
"Hey, no one's heart is that complex, no matter how twisted their desires." The mascot stated, Joker's lips creased into a frown as she looked around, before she pulled out the map.
"Let's see, we're here, by the weird statue thing…" She mumbled out, tracing her red gloved finger across the map, and her brow furrowed. "That...shouldn't be right." She mumbled, catching Panther's attention.
"Something wrong?"
"Come here." Joker beckoned, as Panther looked over her shoulder at the map. "So we're here-" Joker pointed at a spot on the map. "-we came in here. So there should be another staircase on the other side of the floor, right?"
"That makes sense, but…" Panther squinted in confusion as she examined the map, realizing what was missing. "There's no exit on this floor!"
"Wait, for real?!" Skull asked. "The hell kinda place is this?!"
"There must be a way out somewhere. Even a place as bizarre and nonsensical as this Palace must obey basic architectural logic…" Fox pointed out.
"We won't find a way out just standing here. Start looking for a way out, like a vent or a window or something." As soon as the leader gave her instructions, the group split up throughout the floor, searching for a way out. Several minutes passed, before Skull let out an exasperated sigh.
"This is so dumb…" He groaned out. "Man, this is ridiculous. How the hell are we supposed to get out?"
"Well, we could try smashing our way through." Joker suggested. "Between Stone Free, Arsene, and our other Personas, we should be able to break through a wall."
"But how long would that take? That doesn't feel like the most efficient way to progress." Mona piped up.
"Well, I'm out of ideas. So, pick a wall, and let's start punching." Joker instructed.
"Talk about a disappointment…" He groaned as he leaned against a painting of a landscape. "Didn't expect it to bWHOA!" Joker had been preparing to drive Stone Free's fist into a wall, when she heard Ryuji's yell.
"Skull?" She asked, spinning around. "Someone go check on him."
"Sheesh, what's that idiot done now…" The shortest thief muttered out as he approached where Skull had been. "Skull? What's wrong?" Mona's voice was met with silence, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Skull? Ryuji?" Again, nothing, and Morgana sighed. "Where are you you- gah!" he exclaimed, drawing the other's attention.
"Is something wrong?" Fox asked.
"O-over here!" The mascot called out, and the others all ran over there, weapons drawn to deal with a new enemy…
"What the hell?!" ...only to be greeted with the sight of Skull on the inside of the painting, slamming his hands against what appeared to be a wall. He appeared to be yelling something, but all the group could hear was muffled to the point they couldn't understand him.
"What happened to him?" Panther asked.
"How should I know?!" Mona asked, as Skull continued to pound against the wall.
"Just when I thought I understood all this…" The group's resident artist muttered, and Joker took a deep breath, composing herself as she began to think.
No visible exits on this floor, no windows or doors… but Ryuji fell into this painting and he can't get out… She looked around,until her eye caught something: another painting, this one of waves, positioned in a bizarre way that almost seemed in relation to the painting her friend was trapped in. I wonder…
"Skull." She practically shouted, drawing his attention through the painting. "Try walking to the edge!" Joker instructed, pointing to make sure she was clear. Skull nodded, and slowly walked towards the edge of the painting. He gingerly poked his hand through the edge, and Joker looked to see her theory validated as the yellow gloved hand appeared on the painting she noticed. Skull looked at Joker, and she nodded, and he went through the rest of the painting, appearing on top of the waves on the other painting. "And that's our way out of here."
"Wait, so the paintings are...connected?" Panther asked, and Fox rubbed his chin in thought.
"Hm...could it be metaphorical, symbolizing that all art is connected in some way…?"
"What kind of sense does that make?!"
"As much as anything else the past couple of months have." Joker stated, gingerly touching her hand to the painting. The painting's surface rippled as her hand went inside, and she stepped inside. The others all exchanged a look, before following her inside. It was like pushing through molasses, before the sensation went away, and Panther shuddered as they all gathered in the painting.
"We are INSIDE a painting. This is now the weirdest thing I've seen. Which, considering how our lives have been the past month, is saying something." She remarked, and Joker simply motioned for the rest to follow her. The group made it through to the wave painting, before heading into a forest landscape, before to a painting of falling leaves.
"I don't see anymore paintings in there to jump to." Mona observed, and Joker stared at the edge of the painting they were in.
"Then this has to be the last painting we have to go through."
"But what if it simply ejects us onto the outside of the museum?"
"Well, only one way to find out." Before anyone could object, Joker made the first move, running through the edge of the painting. At first, it felt like she was trying to push through a thin film, but the Joestar didn't let it deter her as she continued to push through. Eventually, she broke through, landing on a golden platform. She looked around, seeing that she was in a large, golden...room didn't feel like the right word to describe it. It was like a golden void, that stretched for as far as she could see. She could hear the others landing right behind her, and Skull let out a whistle as he looked around.
"Damn, I can't even see where this place ends…" He said, and Joker spotted a golden door made of light on the other end of the bridge.
"No time to sightsee. Let's move!" She instructed, and they ran through the door of light. It deposited them onto another golden bridge, and they repeated the process again and again, until they wound up in what appeared to be another area of the museum.
"Uh, did we just go in a circle?" Panther asked as Fox approached a window.
"I...do not believe so." He commented, gesturing for them to come over. They did so, and were greeted with the sight of the rest of the museum… several stories below them.
"Well damn…" Joker remarked.
"That's a hell of a view right there…" Skull states, Fox clenched his fist.
"This...this sums things up better than words possibly could." He spokeuo, drawing their attention. "On the surface, Madarame appears to be a man who creates works of great beauty, but on the inside, he is a vain, ugly man devoid of any creativity at all."
"Well, then I guess it's a good thing we're here to put a stop to it once and for all." The team's mascot smirked. "I can definitely feel it now, even more than when we were down there. I'm positive...that the Treasure is on this floor!"
"Oh thank god…" The model breathed out. "I was worried this was going to be like Kamoshida and go on for days. If we can take his heart and have this wrapped up in less than a week…"
"It's not over yet." Joker remarked. "Remember Kamoshida? We thought we were just gonna walk right out, but then, y'know, I almost died."
"Hey, I said I was sorry!" Ryuji shot back.
"And I told you, it's no big deal. That wasn't even the only time I almost died that week." Yusuke's eyes widened at this.
"That week…?" He muttered out, suddenly wondering just what he had gotten himself into.
"In any case-" Joker continued just before Yusuke could regret his choices anymore. "-let's keep moving. I wanna lay eyes on the Treasure before we call it a day."
"Well then you're in luck, because it's in the next room over!" Morgana declared, pointing at a doorway, Fox narrowed his eyes.
"At last, it's time to end this!" He declared, running towards the door, ready to fight any Shadow that got in his way...
Only for a series of iron bars to seemingly manifest out of nowhere, as an alarm began to blare. "Good grief…" Joker growled out, as Skull frowned.
"Uh oh." He remarked as Fox's jaw dropped.
"I...I didn't think-"
"Apologize later. Let's get out of here before we're trapped!"
A short while later, the Phantom Thieves were back at the entrance to the museum, heavily panting. "Good grief, Yusuke, that was close…" Joker panted out.
"My...my apologies. I let my emotions get the better of me." Fox apologized, Panther looked up at the museum.
"Well, at least we know where it is now. Do we wanna try going back?"
"Oh, hell no. I'm way too tired to go runnin' back through there." Skull protested.
"For once, Skull's right. No way we'd be able to get all the way back up there today." Mona agreed. "Still, we made significant progress today, and all we really need to do is scoop things out a little more."
"Which we can do another day." The leader spoke up. "I am exhausted, and I've got homework. Let's call it a day."
Shibuya Station
Ann, Ryuji, and Jolyne stepped off the train and onto the platform of Shinjuku station, the resident model letting out a yawn. "Man, I'm beat. See you guys tomorrow!"
"Later, Ann." Jolyne waved, as the Quarter American headed off towards the line that would take her home. "Later, Ryu-"
"Actually…" Ryuji cut off, rubbing the back of her neck. "...there's something I need to talk to you about. Wanna get a bite to eat?" He asked, causing her to raise an eyebrow.
"Ok…" They headed through the underground mall, heading towards the entrance that would take them to Shibuya Square. "What's up? You've been acting like there's something you wanted to tell me for a while now."
"It's...kinda hard to explain. Well, it's actually very easy, but you're kinda the only one who'd understand." Her friend replied. "So, lately, I've been seeing-"
"Hey, kid." A gruff, male voice stated, and the two turned to see a man in his mid-30's with close cropped dark hair and a wrinkly suit approaching him. "I need to talk to you."
"Uh, whatever you're selling, we're good." Ryuji responded, the man glared at him.
"I wasn't talking to you, blondie, I was talking to your friend." The man corrected, turning his attention to Jolyne. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a wallet and opening it to reveal what looked like a police badge. "Ryusuke Ishigami, Tokyo Police. I've been investigating a number of muggings around here recently, and several eyewitnesses have given consistent reports of a girl with green hair." The man explained, Jolyne's eyes widened.
"Wait, you can't be serious. Why would you think that's me?"
"Well…" Ishigami gestured to her green hair. "I've been camped out here for three days since the last incident, and you're the only one I've seen consistently come through here. Can't afford to let any leads go unpursued."
"But isn't that all...what's the word…" Ryuji furrowly searched his head, trying to remember a term he'd picked up watching some legal drama with his mother. "...circumstantial?"
"Kid, don't repeat stuff you hear on tv. I see someone who matches a witness description, and I gotta bring them in to the station for questioning. Gotta rule it out at least."
"And I see some asshole messin' with my friend, who's been nothing but an upstanding citizen, I gotta stick up for her." The former track star retorted, and Ishigami just narrowed his eyes.
"I don't got time for this. Are you coming, or do I have to make you, Cujoh-san?" He asked, Ryuji was about to say something else, when Jolyne grabbed his arm.
"Easy, Ryuji. I'll just go down to the station and-" Jolyne stopped talking when something clicked in her head. "Wait. How'd you know my name?" The general noise of the station faded away, and Jolyne saw the man's eyes widen.
"I...heard your friend call you that. T-the blonde one." Jolyne's eyes narrowed, as she began assessing the man. Yes, his hair was short cropped in a professional haircut, but a closer examination revealed that his hair was greasy, as if he hadn't showered in a few days. His clothes were disheveled and wrinkly, and Jolyne saw more than a few food stains. Not to mention that the man reeked of alcohol, and the Joestar spotted what looked like two large canteens on his belt.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?" She asked in a low tone of voice, Ryuji raised an eyebrow as the man began to visibly sweat, before he sighed.
"Ah hell, that would've been too easy." Ishigami's whole demeanor changed, and Jolyne narrowed her eyes as he grabbed her wrist. "One way or another, you're coming with me, Kid."
"Like hell she is!" Skull protested, trying to step between them, but Ishigami just shoved him away. He tried dragging Jolyne, but she dug her heels in, pulling against his grip.
"Piss...off!" She yelled, her hand temporarily becoming clad in Stone Free. The extra burst of strength allowed her to break free, and she prepared to smash her fist into the fake detetive's head...when she noticed his widened eyes become narrowed
"Shit." They both said, and Ishigami rapidly unscrewed the caps of his canteens.
"Stone Free!"
"Catch the Rainbow!" Stone Free barely manifested in time before water surged out of the cap, launching at the female Stand user. Stone Free's arms came together to block the water, but Jolyne still grit her teeth at the force. It pushed her back a few centimeters, before the water returned to Ishigami, swirling around him.
"So that's what this is about, huh? Another Stand user after me for my family name?" Jolyne asked, Ishigami scoffing at the notion.
"Kid, I couldn't give less of a shit who you're related to. All you gotta know is that you're worth a lot of money to someone." He stated, the water continuing swirling around him. As they spoke, the water began taking shape into a humanoid form, with eyes like whirlpools and a body of shifting water. "Though I woulda charged him differently if I knew you were a User."
"Who hired you? Are you buddies with Matsumoto?" Jolyne asked, keeping an eye on his stand. It didn't seem to operate the way Stone Free did, being stored in that canteen. Was the Stand bound to that object? Was the canteen the stand, and the water simply being controlled by it? Not wanting to take any chances, she stepped back until there was two meters between them, causing him to smirk.
"Smart. You're thinking that, because it's humanoid, it's gotta be close range, high power, right? I'm guessing that's what yours is." The false detective noted, and he smirked. "Too bad that's not what mine is." Jolyne eyes widened as Catch the Rainbow's fist shot forward, launching at her like a projectile. She was barely able to move her head in time to avoid it taking her head off, instead creating a small crater in the wall right behind her. It then used it's launched fist as a whip, hitting Stone Free and the chest and wrapping around it's body.
This had the effect of constricting Jolyne's actual body, her arms falling to her side as the whip wrapped around her. "Hey, you're the one who refused to do this the easy way." Ishigami taunted. "Now, as for who hired me, hell if I know. I don't ask questions about who's payin' me. Good or bad, doesn't make no-"
"Eff off, asshole!" Ryuji yelled as he slammed his bag into Ishigami's head, knocking him down and disrupting his control over the water. Stone Free was released as Jolyne fell down to the ground, and Ryuji helped her up. "You ok?"
"Yeah, I'm...I'm good!"
"Then grab Morgana and lets get out of here!" He yelled, Jolyne grabbed her bag and ran off. None of the normal people noticed what had happened, to self absorbed in their own lives to think anything else of the yelling teenagers pushing their way through the crowd. They tore up the stairs into Shibuya Square, Ishigami tracking them with his eyes.
"Catch the Rainbow!" A blue aura surrounded him, and the disrupted water convelaced back into a whip. Unlike Jolyne, his Stand wasn't bound to just a single humanoid figure. He could redistribute the mass of the water he was controlling through a variety of forms, which he could then use to increase his range beyond a few simple meters. His range was practically limitless, so long as a portion of the water remained in physical contact with him.
The whip snaked through the crowd, easily moving through the walking civilians towards Jolyne. It wrapped around her ankle and tripped her, almost causing her to fall. Stone Free's fist materialized to smash through the whip, dispersing it. However, it rapidly began to reform, but before it could wrap around her again, Stone Free caught it in both hands, and ripped it apart. "God, I hate this guy!" She yelled out, and the two ran up the stairs. Ishigami was about to pursue them, but he grinned as he remembered the forecast. There were a few complications, but soon, this would be the easiest payday ever.
The two ran into the same alleyway she'd hid from Matsumoto with Josuke, panting as they did so. "What the eff was that about?" Ryuji asked.
"How the hell should I know?! This is the second crazy person who's come after me!" Jolyne yelled back, as Morgana stuck his head out of the bag.
"That man said someone hired him. What if it's the same person who told Matsumoto about Josuke?"
"I don't know, Morgana! I'm sorry I didn't ask for a list of family enemies!" The youngest Joestar responded, and Ryuji spotted an object snaking it's way through the crowd.
"It's making it's way back!" He called out as it surged towards them, Jolyne prepared to bring out Stone Free...when something clicked.
"Wait you can see-?" Before she could finish her sentence, the air in front of Ryuji shimmered. Materializing in front of him was a figure that stood taller than him, bearing a large and muscular body that fancied black armored chest to match the arms and legs, and a skull like face with two horns sticking out that resembled some kinda mecha.
"Outkast!" His newly manifested Stand brought it's fist down just as the whip reached them, and it cracked the pavement as it smashed the whip into a puddle. The remainder tried surging upwards, but Outkast's hand moved up to backhand it away just in time. The remainder of the water snaked back to Ishigami, leaving a slack jawed Jolyne staring at Ryuji.
"I...what...how…" She stuttered out when it clicked for her. "When you picked up the arrow shard. It must've scratched you, and that's…all it took."
"Must've been." He commented, looking at Outkast. "This thing popped up a few days ago, and I was only able to get it to really come out right before everything with Yusuke." He explained, and everything started making sense to Jolyne.
"I'm guessing this is what you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Yeah, I figured you'd be able to help me figure out what it can do." He replied as they spotted Ishigami stepping into the square.
"Well, it looks like we're about to find out." The Phantom Thieves' leader commented, and Ishigami smirked as he spotted them.
So, the loud blonde kid was a stand user too. And from what it looked like, another close range and high power type. That was...less than fortuitous. The strength of the water he controlled was reduced further away from him it got, but that wasn't going to be a problem soon.
They braced themselves as he approached them...only for Jolyne to feel a drop hit her face, and a cold hand wrapped it's grip around her spine. 'No…' She forced herself to look up, taking note of the gray storm clouds above them. "Give me a freakin' break…" She muttered out, Ryuji raised an eyebrow.
"What? What's wrong?"
"Ryuji, look at the sky." Morgana pointed out from Jolyne's bag. "It's about to rain, and if this guy can control water…" He trailed off, and even Ryuji could piece together what was about to happen as the first raindrops began to fall.
"...we're effed."
"That you are." The enemy Stand User said as he cracked his knuckles and his neck, and as the rain began pouring down, it fell around him, an invisible umbrella keeping the water from hitting him. He reached into his jacket and pulled out some sort of mask with a rainbow on it, the humanoid form of Catch the Rainbow manifested in front of him, and it charged the two. Stone Free came out, slamming it's fist into CtR's face.
"Ora!" The water exploded around her fist, while Outkast's fist slammed into it's chest. The fist passed through with no visible damage to Ishigami. The Enemy User moved his hands apart, and to their surprise, Catch the Rainbow split in half. One half snaked around Outkast and bound it and Ryuji's arms behind him, while the other half slithered around in the air in front of Jolyne, it narrowly avoiding each punch. Eventually, she figured out to aim where it was going to be "Oraoraoraoraoraoraoraora!" The flurry of punches pummeled the water, but every piece she would knock away was only replaced by the pouring rain.
"Man, screw this!" Ryuji groaned out, Outkast's yellow eyes flashed.
"Uryah!" It declared, the bonds of water flying apart as it pulled its hands apart. Ryuji turned his attention to Ishigami, who simply smirked as he tucked his hands into his pockets.
"Take our best shot, kid." He taunted, getting a scowl from Ryuji. Outkast balled it's hand into a fist and swung at Ishigami, only for a shield of water to form in front of him. Ishigami grunted as the fist impact the shield, but the water barrier held. Ryuji tried punching again, only for more shields to be formed from the rain water. "Heh, that's what I figured." Ishigami commented, as shields blocked each slow punch. "Your Stand packs a hell of a punch, so much that I can feel it even through my water. And I'm guessing you can take a hell of a beating, too." He analyzed, before he smirked. He balled his hand into a fist, and rain drops swirled around to create a fist of water. The enemy threw his punch, but before Ryuji could move to intercept it, the fist was planted firmly in Outkast's gut. He coughed as the force hit him, but he was still standing. "Just as I thought. You're strong, but you're slow as hell. Too bad." Ryuji scowled as his Stand's fist cocked back to land a hit on Ishigami's smug face, but a second punch made Ryuji double over in pain.
With Ryuji inpactiated, Outkast dispersed, allowing Ishigami to step over him. The water that was distracting Jolyne returned to him, and she narrowed her chartreuse eyes at him. "You're gonna pay for that." She warned, he simply chuckled.
"Kid, I've faced down bigger and tougher peoplr than you, and they didn't have stands. You really think I'm scared by some high school kid?" He questioned, but she remained unfazed, holding her fists up in front of her as Stone Free did the same.
"Who are you working for? Why do they want me?"
"I don't get paid to ask questions. I just do whatever the buyer wants." The Stand user said, as Catch the Rainbow made the water swirl around him. The humanoid stand formed around him like sort of armor, and the head formed to make some sort of mask that reminded her of a hockey goalie.
WIthout another word, Stone Free charged him, fists flying faster than the eye could see. "Oraoraoraoraoraoraoraora!" It yelled out as it's fist pummeled the enemy. Or rather, it would have, were it not for the water armor absorbing the blows. He shot out blast of water just as he had done in the station, and this one caught Stone Free in the chest, knocking her back. Joker fought through the pain, and retaliated with Stone Free spinning and delivering a roundhouse kick to the ribs. Though it was more like hitting a brick wall made of balloons, she didn't let that deter her as she tried breaking through with a punch to his chest, to no effect.
'Just punching him isn't doing anything.' She thought to herself. 'The water itself isn't the Stand. So how is he-' A lightbulb went off in Jolyne's head as she stared at the mask on his face. 'It's not bound to the canteen, it's bound to the mask!' That explained how he was able to expand his stand's range, of how he was able to manipulate it without a Stand manifesting. If Jolyne had to bet, she would say that just having the mask on his person allowed him to manipulate the water, and actually wearing it allowed him to to do it with such precision.
So that's how the Stand worked. Now she had to figure out a way around it. Just punching her way through it wasn't going to get her anywhere, but all she had to do was get through that damn water armor.
"Hey...asshole…" Ryuji's voice groaned out, as he staggered to his feet. "That's...not all I can do." Outkast manifested in front of him, and slammed it's fists together, revealing a symbol of a lightning bolt. As the symbol came together, there was a spark and a low whine. Ishigami spun around and tried punching Ryuji, but he dodged to the side, and slammed both fists into Catch the Rainbow's chest. "Outkast...Xplosion!" He declared, Ishigami was forced to grit his teeth as electricity coursed through him, amplified by his water armor.
He staggered backwards, before he dropped to his knees, his mask clattering to the ground. "God...fughhh…" He groaned out, and he reached for his mask, only for Jolyne to pick it up. She examined it in her hand, before handing it to Stone Free.
"So, now that that's taken care of…" She stated in a low voice, as Ishigami glared at her. "Who are you working for?"
"Screw you. I don't have to tell you anything." He spat, Jolyne narrowed her eyes.
"Stands are manifestations of our spiritual energy. That means that anything that happens to them is reflected back on us. I wonder what would happen if I did this." Stone Free began to squeeze, Ishigami tensed up.
"A-alright, let's not get too crazy. If you wanna talk, let's talk!" He pleaded, Joker smirked.
'Knew it. You flip the tables and he's just a scared little weasel.'
"Are you even a cop?" She asked, and Ishigami looked more than a little ashamed.
"Uh, no. That's...that's a fake I bought a few years ago to pick up chicks. I'm...actually an IT guy." The Stand User admitted, the two exchanged a look.
"Who hired you?"
"I dunno, honest." Ishigami answered. "Look, a few years ago, I got a flyer for some kinda test group thing. It paid, so I figured why not. I went in, and all I see is this weird looking arrow thing on a stool with a note on it." This answer made Jolyne's eyes widen, as Ryuji looked at her.
"Doesn't that sound like what Josuke told us about where Stands come from?" He asked, and she nodded.1
"What did you do then?"
"I did what the note asked me to: I touched the arrow." He answered. "That sucker was sharp, almost took my hand off. Still, the guy there paid me, and all that happened was I felt weird for a few days, but then weird stuff started to happen. I picked up that mask a few months before Halloween and forgot about it, but then I started feeling...drawn to it, I dunno." Ishigami explained.
"So one day, I take it with me to work, and it starts to rain. Then I start to notice that nothing's actually touching me. I'm not wet at all. So, I started playing around with it-"
"And you figure out what it can do." Ryuji finished, their enemy nodded furiously.
"So I figure I can use it to make some money. I started takin' these jobs for this yakuza guy in Shinjuku, and I get good at using this thing to fight. Then...then some weird guy approaches me."
"How weird?" Jolyne asked.
"Real weird. As in, I never saw him face to face." He explained. "He's got one of those long range types, and he talked to me through that. He told me about Stands, told me he personally selected me for that focus group thing. This dude wanted me to leave the country with him, act as his security or something. I told him to piss off, but the other night, he found me. Said he wanted me to catch you and bring you to him." The false detective explained, and Jolyne narrowed her eyes. "He...he gave me money. Like, a lot of it."
"What was his name?"
"I never got his real name. All he gave me was some sort of alias." In the months to come, trials and tribulations that she would face, Jolyne would remember this moment. This was the day she learned the name of the man who would stop at nothing to capture her. "His name...was Whitesnake."
Whitesnake. If only she knew just how much trouble that name would cause her.
"Do you know anything about him?"
"Other than the fact that he's weird as hell? No, I don't." The man dug into his wallet with the fake badge. "Look, I-I'm sorry about all that. I-if you want the money he paid me, I have it in cash and-"
"And nothing." Jolyne cut off, tossing the mask on the ground. "You tried to abduct me, and hurt my friend. I"m going to give you one chance to walk away and get out of Tokyo. What you do with that is up to you." She stated, Ryuji's eyes widned.
"Wait, for real?"
"Yeah. I don't wanna waste anymore time on this guy than I already have." Jolyne stated, picking up the Morgana bag and slinging it across her shoulder. "C'mon, I'm hungry and wet. Let's get somewhere dry." Ryuji cast a glance at the downed Ishigami, before sighing and following her.
As they walked off, Ishigami looked at the mask that signified Catch the Rainbow, and scowled. Who the hell did these kids think they are? Yeah, he hadn't expected the blonde one to shock him with his stand. And what was with yellin' an attack name, like this was some kinda anime? Screw these kids. It was still raining, and that provided him with no shortage of ammunition. All he had to do was take out the blonde one and knock out the girl, and then he was set for life. No more cramped subway rides, no more shitty bosses, no more work. He reached for his mask, grabbing it and preparing to put it on…
Only for Jolyne to sigh. "Good grief. And here I was trying to be nice." Before Ishigami could react, Stone Free manifested, rushing at the man.
"Oraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraora!" The Stand yelled out as Ishigami was pummeled, before delivering a punch that knocked him into the trash cans.
Name: Ryusuke Ishigami. Stand: Catch the Rainbow. Status:Retired
Later
Jolyne sighed as the beef bowl was set in front of her, taking a moment to relish the heat after fighting in the cold rain. "That's the most delicous looking thing I've ever seen in my life…" She muttered out. After putting in a call to the Speedwagon Foundation so they could take care of Ishigami, her and Ryuji had decided to take refuge in the nearby beef bowl restaurant.
"So. That was...intense." Her friend commented as he stared at his bowl. "Honestly, that's probably the first time I've actually been in a fight outside of the Palaces."
"And you did pretty good." Jolyne said between bites of her food. "That trick with your fists? That was pretty cool."
"Thanks. It just felt...natural, I guess."
"Josuke did say that you'd know what all it could do. Like a muscle or something." She reminisced. "So, any questions or anything?"
"I mean, now that I've got one of these things, is that what my life's gonna be like?"
"Hopefully, this is limited only to my crazy family. Though Josuke did mention that Stand users are drawn to each other, so keep that in mind." The transfer student explained, as Ryuji dug into his food.
"MFFF! I'll keep that in mind." He replied between bites, occasionally stopping to sip from his drink.
"So, how long have you had it?" Jolyne asked, as Ryuji thought as she began to eat.
"Let's see, about...three days I think?" The former track star answered. "I guess that arrow thing musta scratched me when we were studying for exams, 'cause right after I started noticing it start to show up."
Jolyne sighed. "I'm sorry, Ryuji. I shouldn't have left the arrow out where you can get it."
"Hey, I'm not a little kid. It's my fault for picking up the damn thing in the first place." He admitted. "Way I see it, it's just one more thing we have in common."
"That isn't exactly what I had in mind…" She sighed. "Before he went back to Morioh, Josuke told me that Stand users are drawn to each other. And, given jackass back there, I'm inclined to believe he's right."
"I'm not too worried about it. My life's already been pretty crazy since I met you." Ryuji stated, Jolyne frowned.
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"Hell yeah it is!" Ryuji reassured, turning to face her. "Look, ever since Kamoshida busted my leg up, you know I haven't exactly had the best time. But ever since you showed up...I can't remember the last time I felt like this. Yeah, things have gotten weird, but it sure as hell beats moping around." He explained, and Jolyne saw the look in his eyes. When she'd first met Ryuji, he'd seemed unusually sad, like he was living under a fog. But now, in the month since their discovery of the Metaverse, she saw a fire in those eyes. The same kind of fire she saw in Ann and Yusuke, and even Morgana. As bizarre as life had become, Ryuji seemed..almost happy.
"I...thanks, Ryuji. That does kinda make me feel better…" She commented, Ryuji smirked.
"Know what I just realized? We're even now." He stated, causing her to raise an eyebrow.
"Even?"
"For the Palace! Don't tell me you already forgot!" He stated, and she remembered the fight against Kamoshida, how Ryuji's knee had given out at a crucial moment and she'd taken an attack to shield him.
"Y'know, I almost did. It's been a crazy month." She justified, returning his smirk. "I'm sure you'll get cocky against Madarame and give me a chance."
"As if! Between Captain Kidd and Outkast, I'm going to be the one protecting you." Ryuji teased.
"That a challenge?"
"Only if you're afraid I'll show you up in front of Ann." He retorted, and Jolyne involuntarily blushed.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about." She defended, and Ryuji rolled his eyes.
"Sheesh, actin' just like her…" He mumbled just audible enough for her, but before Jolyne's mind could go into overdrive, Ryuji held his fist up. "Tell you what. I'll watch your back, and you watch mine?" He asked, and Jolyne smirked.
"You've got yourself a deal." And with that, she bumped his fist.
Rank Up! Chariot Rank 3!
Evening, Undisclosed Location
Ishigami groaned as he limped into his apartment, slapping his keys on the counter as he kicked off his shoes. "Fuckin' kids…" He groaned out, limping over to his refrigerator to get something to put on his swollen face. With how he felt, he was going to have to call out of work for a few days, and that thought made Ishigami frown. He'd already taken a personal day in order to pursue Jolyne, and thanks to her, he was going to have to use up the rest of the time off he had saved up over the past year. Still, he supposed that was preferable to being captured by the strange black van that had appeared just as he limped into the subway station.
Ishigami opened his freezer, reaching for an ice tray...when he felt something off. Ishigami reached for Catch the Rainbow's mask, but before he could grab it and turn the ice into a weapon, a hand wrapped around his throat, shoving him against the wall. The figure was predominantly white, not as in caucasian but more like a candle, with a pointed black mask that looked like a crown. The body had some sort of writing all over it, the same symbol and letters appearing over and over again. "You failed me, Ishigami." Whitesnake growled out, tightening it's grip on his neck. "I expected you to contact me as soon as you had your target, yet I hear nothing from you. Tell me, did you use my money to drink? To filthy your soul with the sins of the flesh?!"
"N-no! I-I swear, I went after the kid. P-planned to grab her this afternoon!" Ishigami explained. "I-I had a plan. I was gonna pretend to be a cop, then stuff her in my car! It was all goin' good, but she figured me out!"
"That should not have been a problem! With your abilities, you should have been more than capable of capturing a teenage girl."
"That ain't no ordinary brat! Hell, I should be the one pissed at you! You never told me she had a stand!" Ishigami protested, and the room went dead silent. Whitesnake released its grip on Ishigami's neck, causing him to drop to the ground coughing.
"What did you say?"
"The...the girl. She has a Stand. You didn't say anything about a Stand!" Ishigami stated, Whitesnake's mouth creased into a frown. "Wait...you didn't know? How the hell do you not know something that basic?"
"What kind was it?" The Stand asked.
"Close rang, high power. Her friend had one too." Ishigami answered as he rose to his feet.
"Their name?"
"I didn't ask for his business card! All I know is that he's a Shujin student like her." The Stand User stated, Whitesnake was silent.
"This...this changes things." It stated, before casting a look at Ishigami with its expression less face. "Your failure is forgiven for now. I will have further use for you in the future. For now, remain in Tokyo, or I shall return to finish the job." Before Ishigami could say another word, Whitesnake seemed to melt into the floor, and Ishigami just collapsed into a chair.
"...fuck me."
Elsewhere
Makoto Niijima pushed the door to the apartment she shared with her sister open, panting as she shut it behind her. She staggered over to the table, vaguely taking stock of a note that her sister Sae had left informing her that there was food in the refrigerator. But she didn't care about dinner, where her sister was, or even studying for her next test. Instead...she was fixated on what she had seen.
Ever since Kobayakawa had assigned her to look into the Kamoshida incident, she'd been on the lookout for anything strange. So far, the student council president hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary, but there was something that bothered her. An unusual group of students who had each been surrounded by rumors involving Kamoshida had been hanging out together, and while that wasn't by any means illegal, something about it stood out to Makoto. So, following her hunch, today she had decided to trail them. Makoto had lost track of them in Shibuya Station, but she'd finally spotted them in the late afternoon, just as she was about to give up.
She'd watched them part ways with the strange Kosei student (was he involved somehow?), before things got really weird. The things she saw...they made no sense. What was the possible explanation for what she had seen? The brown haired student council president had taken video just to be sure of it, but it wasn't too much to reassure her she was going crazy.
Makoto thought she would find answers. But as she stared at the footage of Jolyne and Ryuji fighting Ishigami, of how Jolyne seemed constricted by something that wasn't there, of how the strange man was seemingly pummelled by an invisible force...she knew that there were no simple answers.
A/N: hey, nowhere did it say that I couldn't use elements from post-Reset parts. And trust me, there's more to come.