Chapter 6: She's like the wind
The story Giorno told them was almost unbelievable, if it wasn't for the faint hand still lingering on his shoulder, Luka would have certainly been skeptical. It felt odd to be made aware of an invisible ghost that had apparently been there from the beginning of the journey, the thought making his mind wander to all the times he truly thought he was alone.
Including that incident with Alice back in the Sutherland Inn... Did the ghost happen to see that too? That line of questioning turned Luka's ears red, embarrassing him with the idea of being handled like that again.
"So this thing is just following you around wherever you go?" Luka asked, not looking Giorno in the eyes.
"Yes, it's always been there. Ever since back then…" The blonde recollected, thinking about the encounter with that gangster in the alleyway. He must have unintentionally used his stand, near instinctively he might say.
Were stands born with humans at the get-go? Or were they only activated in stressful and key moments in a person's life? What determined the type of stand one would receive?
Those were all questions he had the foresight to ask Polnareff, who had nothing of substance in response.
"Giorno? Are you okay? You kind of spaced out there…" Luka worriedly mentioned, wondering if he said something that triggered bad memories within his ally.
"My apologies, I was just reflecting…" He dismissed, sighing as he focused on the matters at hand. This was no time to feel homesick, it was time for action.
"Your ghost… does it have a name? What should we call it?" Luka timidly inquired.
Giorno looked towards his stand, who silently hovered beside him. Was there really any harm in telling them? Especially after he'd told them so much?
"Well, he does have a name. It's …how do I say this, unorthodox?" Giorno advised, wondering how he'd explain the naming of his ghost friend.
"That's fine, it can't be helped." Luka assured, getting excited to learn about this supernatural being who'd helped him so much.
Giorno mumbled something unintelligible at first, coughing right afterward.
"Huh? Can you repeat that please?" Luka asked, wondering what the big problem was.
"His name is… Gold Experience." Giorno admitted.
"…definitely unique." Luka deadpanned, that name was very strange. It also sounded a bit provocative if you thought about it for a bit.
"In any case, are you still okay with me? Even after you heard all of this?" Giorno asked, concerned especially with Alice and her reaction.
"I mean… this doesn't change anything. If anything, I think this is great! We have one more ally now! It doesn't matter if he happens to be a ghost of some kind." Luka optimistically declared, thinking back to the fights in which this Gold Experience intervened.
"Don't you think so, Alice?" Luka asked, looking around for the lamia. He clumsily tripped on a coiled-up Monster Lord, shaking violently as she tried to rock herself into a calmer state.
"Ghosts aren't real… Ghosts aren't real…" She mumbled to herself, seemingly detached from reality.
Giorno cringed inwardly, knowing that she would take this poorly. Her fear of ghosts was just as bad, if not worse than Mista's fear of the number four. Hopefully, she could get over this with time…
The walk back to Iliasport was filled with Luka asking questions about his stand, and an uncharacteristic silence from Alice. She hadn't said a word to him since his confession, which was both good and bad. Good in the sense that she would not press any further, bad in the sense that she feared his general presence.
Once they reached their destination, they went off to resupply their exhausted stocks and chat with some of the locals.
This left them with just one issue, actually finding someone to take them to Sentora. Of the boats that sat in the harbor, only a handful were capable of making the journey in the open seas. And of those few, even fewer were in shape or had the crew to make the journey possible.
The trio passed some heavily damaged ships, with massive holes adorning the water lines. Some even had collapsed decks or masts, which served to only damper the mood of all the sailors.
One option remained, a ship with a full complement of sailors and full operational capacity. The crew scurried about, loading things onto the ship under the supervision of their captain.
"This will be my first time leaving the continent…" Luka spoke, standing on the pier.
"It's also the first time I'll step foot on the Sentora continent. I've passed over it in the sky a few times though." Alice added.
"You can fly?" Giorno inquired, wondering how that was possible.
"…Obviously." Alice coldly answered, refusing to look him in the eyes.
"Um… Didn't you only set out on your journey a few days ago?" Luka questioned, trying to save the conversation.
"That's right. After I left the castle, I flew right to Ilias temple. That's how I met you, Luka." She said, placing excessive emphasis on the words 'you' and 'Luka'.
"Haha… what a freak accident." Luka uncomfortably shrugged off, also noticing what was going on. He had no idea how to help reset this relationship back to how it was before they had the ghost talk.
Giorno remained calm despite the annoyance he felt over her irrational fear. How could a person holding such a position of power allow herself to act this way? It was eerily similar to Diavolo's aversion to being identified, but at least he had the guts to confront the groups pursuing him when he had no other choice.
He continued to immerse himself in pointless hypothetical solutions to his problem as Luka propositioned the captain of the ship to give them a ride across the sea. He quickly ceased his thoughts once he saw the negotiations deteriorate, and to be honest, he did not blame the captain for rejecting their offer.
A scantily dressed woman, a flamboyantly dressed teenager, and what looked to be a small child telling you to tie a bell to your ship mast to get past a storm? No reasonable person would actually risk their lives to go through with that.
He wasn't ready to see Alice hypnotize the captain, forcing him to obey her will. But he was grateful for the knowledge that she could use 'eye magic'. He would make sure to not get caught off guard again, another cave incident should be avoided at all costs.
They had been at sea for a few hours now, the orange hue of the setting sun had transitioned to a beautiful and clear starry night. Giorno sat by himself, opting to sit out of the training session tonight.
Alice had taught Luka a new skill, Demon Skull Beheading. Supposedly used by a Harpy to cave in the skulls of her victims. Luka hadn't appreciated that fact, whining to her about wanting to learn some more heroic techniques.
"There's a big issue in using this technique, though. As you saw, you need to be at a great height to use this technique… And since you're a human, you can't fly in the air." Alice warned.
"Yes… I know that." Luka deadpanned.
"So, there's a condition. If there's nothing to climb nearby, you can't use it. Even if you have the necessary skill, you won't be able to use it if you can't climb anything." Alice concluded.
"Yeah… I get it." He sighed before Alice closed the gap and inspected his ring. They had a private conversation thereafter, the only bits and pieces Giorno could decipher being the fates of their respective mothers. He had already learned the fate of Luka's mother from Betty, but hearing the confirmation that Alice too had lost her own piqued his interest.
That campsite was back before Iliasburg came into mind, back when Luka first spoke to her about his mother. She had reacted with pure empathy, which was wholly unlike her. That reaction made sense now that he had this tidbit of information.
Once they broke away, Luka nudged Alice and nodded towards the blonde. She hesitantly approached him, holding her breath to stay calm. She stopped just a bit out of his usual range, looking at him dead in the eyes.
"Ahem… I'm not scared of ghosts or anything. I was just caught by surprise as to your situation." She deflected, her prideful nature stopping her from admitting to the obvious.
"I didn't mean to distress you; I just have bad experiences when people know about my friend. They tend to get hostile…" Giorno truthfully answered.
"Against my own judgment, I would be willing to overlook your invisible friend." Alice revealed, sucking up another breath to keep a brave face.
"An interesting way to describe it…" Giorno answered, amused by her avoidance of his special circumstances.
"Just make sure your evil ghost doesn't go on a rampage." She strictly exclaimed, glaring daggers at him and the empty space around him.
"Understood, I'll keep an eye on him." He acquiesced, raising his arms in a sign of peace.
"You can rejoin my training, but only because you give Luka good ideas on what food to make!" She hastily concluded, slithering back to the purple-haired hero.
Just as Giorno took one step forward, the entire sea began to rage around them. The previously clear night instantly shifted to a view of dark clouds and lightning striking the horizon.
The ship they were on got repeatedly slammed by ever-increasing waves until the bell tied to the mast of the ship emitted a strange aura. That aura surrounded their ship, allowing them to glide through the ridiculous waves as if they were the calmest of waters.
"Alright! As expected of Captain Selene's treasure!" Luka cheered as he looked up at the bell.
"Hrm… What a wonderful treasure a human had." Alice commented.
"That heavy weather was something else…" Giorno pointed out, seemingly becoming alert to their exposed state.
He couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong here and that they were sitting ducks. He had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. One not too dissimilar to that of an impending stand attack.
"That storm… it was explicitly aimed towards us…" He declared, standing beside Luka as he observed the sea.
"What?" Luka exclaimed, alarmed by the information.
"The enemy… We're already under attack." Giorno suddenly turned his attention towards the bow, where their next foe now stood. He only just realized she was now here, a true testament to their next foe's speed and cunning.
"I see… So, you're that human. The boy that caught Alice's eye… You look delicious." She teased as she looked over Luka's body, not unlike how a lion would gaze upon a steak.
"And you…you must be the one Granberia spoke about. You also look like quite the snack." She added, particularly enjoying the free view of his chest cleavage.
"Alma Elma…" Giorno assumed, sizing up the now-identified succubus before him. As befitting a succubus, her attire was nearly non-existent. She had a pair of horns and a set of wings, as well as a tail protruding from her backside.
She finally turned her attention towards Alice, who had a grim expression on her face.
"Lord Alice… According to your order, I'll exterminate the Heroes who attack monsters." She dutifully bowed, still managing to keep the playful smirk on her face.
"May I execute your orders of defense?" She inquired, getting ready to deliver her punishment.
"Attacking monsters?" Giorno questioned, nearly baffled by the logic of this monster.
"…I don't give exceptions. I'm only observing these two. I'm not protecting them, nor giving them special treatment." She interrupted.
"Haha… I didn't think you'd say that. But I understand." Her smile transformed into an arrogant open-mouthed grin. "It's like that, Luka-boy and Gio. I won't let you through this area."
"Luka…boy?" The short hero repeated, feeling disappointed at his new moniker.
"I can't believe you… We haven't attacked monsters out of enjoyment. We haven't even killed any of them." He stated, turning to look his enemy in the eyes.
"I cannot allow any heroes to make it off this continent. That's just how it is." The winged girl giggled.
"It's useless trying to speak to you rationally, much like every other monster we encountered on our way here." Giorno resolutely declared, preparing for the fight of his life.
"We'll just have to pass through by force!" Luka aggressively added. He unsheathed Angel Halo and prepared to duel it out.
"Fufu… so full of courage." She drawled, her grin becoming more depraved. "How do you want me to violate you?"
She bent her knees, allowing the pair to get a good view of her ample cleavage before listing all the methods she could end them with. While they managed to get a rise out of the short hero, the blonde had no discernible reaction to her temptation.
"Aha! I'll do it with my tail! Without using my hands, feet, or magic, I'll play with you!" She sang, grabbing her appendage and showing them both the inside of the organ.
"Struggle as much as you can and let me enjoy myself. After we finish playing, I'll be sure to suck you dry." She laughed, as the fight began.
"You've come here to dispose of us… But you should exercise caution, succubus. You could very well become the one who ends up being disposed." The blonde threatened, choosing to scowl at his enemy.
"Ara ara, threatening a Heavenly Knight? You are a brave one… And quite foolish." She smirked, preparing to pay him back for hurting her precious friend and sparring partner.
"Thunder Thrust!" Luka yelled, promptly slashing at her with his fastest skill in her state of distraction. Angel Halo connected with her flesh, yet no visible damage was dealt at all.
"Huh?!" Luka yelled, before getting swept off his feet by her tail.
The appendage quickly tried to capitalize on his moment of vulnerability and attempted to rush straight for his groin.
Giorno summoned his stand and quickly pulled his downed comrade back out of reach with blinding speed. He quickly jumped in and tried to land his own Demon Decapitation on the succubus.
The tip of his store-bought blade was instantly stopped by her tail wrapping around it.
"Nani?!" Giorno exclaimed, his opponent was far faster than he realized.
"Too slow…" She exaggeratedly yawned and flung the blade out of his hands and into the raging seas.
"That tail is surprisingly durable." Giorno noted as he backed away.
"How did Luka-boy get dragged away? I felt something in the wind just now…" She analyzed, squinting her eyes a bit.
"I think I need to use 'that' move." Luka suggested as he got up to his comrade's side.
"She's directly in front of the mast…" Giorno whispered, looking around to see if there were any other obstacles for Luka to climb.
"Not good. There's nothing else to climb, and I don't think I can get around her." The short hero guessed.
"That won't be an issue. Trust me." Giorno nodded, grabbing a fistful of his knives and throwing it around the succubus.
"Ara… you missed-" She teased, before the knives themselves sprouted into thick vines, obscuring her field of vision. "Plants? How odd…" She hummed to herself, nudging the thick flora with her tail.
She deftly slid to the right, moments before a punch from the blonde narrowly missed her jaw.
"You're actually going to fight me? With your fists?" She excitedly inquired, looking very amused. Her grin widened ever so slightly as her heart pumped ever so faster.
Their brief scuffle while not in any way sexual, felt intimate in a way. A form of forbidden pleasure she couldn't help but feel. For a moment, she forgot all about being the Succubus Queen, now just a monster engaged in an actual fight.
Her thoughts were cut off by Giorno continuing his assault on her, displaying some degree of competency in hand-to-hand combat. Not that it really mattered at all, as she easily evaded his strikes and began retaliating. Each failed hit on his end opened him up for a devastating counter, courtesy of her tail.
Alma slammed her tail into his chest during one such counterattack, hearing a sickening crunch after the fact. Yet he had zero reaction to the pain and kept up his assault.
Yet another failed strike was followed up by an uppercut courtesy of her tail, forcing his jaw to snap shut over his tongue.
"Urgh!" He grunted, stepping back and holding his jaw as blood spewed from his mouth.
Alma froze up on the spot, looking down to see a pink mass of flesh on the floor. That pink mass being his own tongue.
"I…" She stopped, staring at the severed body part. All of a sudden, the memories of her dearly departed mother came flooding through her mind. The lecturing she received when she was caught practicing her skills in combat, and the heartbreak she suffered because of it…
In her state of shock, she had inadvertently fallen right into a trap. Giorno locked eyes with her, having hints of a confident smile on his face despite the constant stream of blood pouring out of his own mouth.
At that moment, a swordfish leaped out of a nearby raging wave, propelling itself towards the succubus in question who intercepted the aquatic creature by wrapping it in her tail.
"Demon Skull Beheading!" Luka called out, prompting the succubus to look up in wonder. He was somehow floating in suspension, higher than even the mast of the ship.
In the next second, he jumped straight down at her, propelled by an invisible force. With her tail wrapped around the swordfish, she had no choice but to resort to using her hands to catch the dangerous attack.
"Hahaha… it looks like I lost." She chuckled, letting go of Angel Halo and dropping the shota. She kept her attention on the still bleeding blonde, who was still somehow alive, despite biting his tongue off moments ago.
"You did…?" Luka asked in confusion, backing away again with his guard up.
"I promised right? I wouldn't use my hands, feet, or magic. But I used my hands… This time I'll give the win to you. Such a thing is fine, right Lord Alice?" Alma Elma inquired.
"If that's what you want, it's fine by me." Alice conceded, noting that Alma's smile was forced. Her subordinate was clearly shaken by what had happened here.
"Is he… going to be fine?" Alma asked, pointing at Giorno who had turned around to fiddle with his mouth.
"Oh… We've had scares like that before. He's fine." Alice insisted, avoiding the pools of blood on the floor.
Alma then felt the constant wiggling of the swordfish cease, curiously turning her head to see her tail wrapped around a sword now. The same sword she'd flung into the ocean minutes before.
She dropped the sword on the floor as Giorno turned back around, with a new tongue inside of his mouth. Relief flooded her consciousness once he appeared fine.
"I didn't know humans could grow tongues back." She remarked, still slightly shaken at the amount of blood he'd lost.
"…" Giorno refused to answer her, continuing his icy glare.
"Haha… So that's how it is. I'll retreat this time. But next time… I'll be a serious opponent. I'll violate you like this… Even if you scream… Even if you faint… Teasing you all over, I'll show you a hellish pleasure. Make sure you look forward to it, Luka-boy…. Gio" Alma Elma promised, looking directly at both men as she flew off.
"I'd rather she beat me to death…" Giorno muttered, disturbed by that entire scene.
"Ahem…" Luka coughed, hiding his blushing cheeks. Though he couldn't help but smile at their victory.
"Not using her hands, feet, or magic. Are you really happy that you won with conditions like that?" Alice interjected, back to her old ways of raining on their parade.
"You really just let that happen?" Giorno pushed back, he was getting fed up with her attitude.
"I'm not your ally, I'm barely your travel companion as it is. She was only acting on my orders of self-defense." Alice defended, though she didn't seem as confident as usual.
"Strange definition of self-defense monsters seem to have." He scoffed, walking off to the hiding places of the crew.
"I mean… he is kind of right. Aside from the Mandragora, every other monster we fought forced us into it. And even then…we never killed any of them." Luka agreed, feeling a stinging sensation in his heart seeing how carelessly Alice threw them to the dogs.
"I do admit that some monsters may interpret my order in unique ways…" Alice sighed, she felt conflicted on this matter. She couldn't realistically help two heroes when they got attacked by her subordinates.
But she did feel it was unfair for Alma to paint them in such a poor light despite their innocence. Luka was well past the encounter, as usual for his innocent and forgiving nature.
She replayed the events of the fight in her mind, noting his lack of interest in Alma's body or teasing. It was undoubtedly the first time someone had ever ignored the Succubus Queen's seductive aura.
This couldn't be said for Luka, who she'd caught glance downwards a few times during their battle. And this obviously didn't irk her for any reason whatsoever… Aside from the burning sensation in her heart, which was probably hunger.
Definitely not jealousy or anything like that.
But besides that burning sensation, she felt a great deal of shock.
Since when did Alma get violent with people?!
The captain and his crew were mortified at the state of the deck, the crew member assigned to cleaning duties had fainted after seeing Giorno's discarded tongue lying there. And the smell of his blood would certainly stick around for a while, piercing through the smell of the sea.
"Hey Giorno… You never really explained how Gold Experience functions." Luka pointed out as the pair settled in their cabin.
"Right, I didn't." Giorno aptly responded, closing up his posture in response.
"You look apprehensive… is it a sensitive topic?" Luka winced, noticing that his friend raised his guard.
"Yes. This isn't information you'd just give out. It's dangerous for everyone to know what I'm capable of." He explained, that a stand user was effectively a one-trick pony. If the enemy knew your gimmick beforehand, it would allow them to plan their ambush in a way that countered your ability.
"But what about the Four Heavenly Knights? We've encountered three of them so far…" Luka argued.
"Ah… That's certainly true then." Giorno admitted, Luka's reluctance to kill made this so much more difficult than a standard stand fight.
"And we are traveling with the Monster Lord… Wouldn't it be best if I knew what you were capable of too? Synergy and all that…" Luka sheepishly added.
"Yes… I understand. Sit down then, this is going to take a while to explain." Giorno sighed.
Meanwhile, in a very cloudy place…
Ilias was glad to see her Luka had managed to fend off the flying abomination. Though she wished he would do more than just seal them. Life was wasted on these lowly creatures called monsters after all.
And that was where that strangely dressed boy fit in, Giorno Giovanna. Unlike her Luka, he hit first and asked questions later.
Namely, he had swooped in time and time again to ensure Luka's continued safety.
His feat of wounding Granberia immediately put him on her radar. As much as she hated to admit it, that monster was powerful. And few humans in history would be able to touch her, much less heavily damage her as he did. Though how he managed it was still a mystery.
And then when he'd broken that idiotic Harpy's leg, she'd nearly burst out laughing. She would have liked to see him finish the job, but Luka had managed to intervene and save the flying creature.
Him being bitten by that spider was a bit of a shock, she expected to see him die. Those thoughts ended when he sliced his own arm off, only to grow another limb.
That fight with Nanabi… Exposed just how special he was, and how powerful of a tool he could be for her plan.
A ghost intertwined with a mortal human, who had no qualms about killing under normal circumstances. If Luka couldn't finish the job himself, perhaps a friend who hated the Monster Lord could.
And there was no doubt he'd dislike her now, given how carelessly she threw them to one of her lapdogs. That immature brat of the Fateburn family had practically given her the perfect conditions to ensure her victory.
She'd been presented with a wonderful opportunity; one she wouldn't waste.
But first, she'd have to deal with Promestein who'd made some sort of breakthrough on their arrow problem.
Sometime later, at the Monster Lord's castle…
Alma dropped down onto the floor; her wings somewhat exhausted from flying the arduous trek back home.
"I'm back! It looks like I lost!" She declared, trying her best to keep up her happy-go-lucky personality.
"What? You must have given them a handicap." Granberia spat out, she couldn't even beat the succubus herself. How in the world did those two manage it?
"Ah… But that Luka has some excellent potential. And Giorno is hiding something beneath the surface. I've got first-hand accounts of their amazing secret strength." Tamamo explained, fanning herself in her chair.
"Yeah, I'm sure those two will become really strong." Alma agreed, thinking about the events on that ship.
"When I met Luka earlier, he was still an amateur who just picked up a sword. And whatever happened back at Iliasburg with Giorno had to have been a fluke." The fiery swordswoman argued, before grabbing her trusty blade and walking towards the door to the chamber. "But if you two think they're so much stronger, I'll check it out."
"Huh…Where are you going?" The Succubus Queen asked.
"To test them…" She replied before she left the room.
"Stopping a nuisance before it grows. How unlike her." Tamamo thought aloud.
"I think it's just the reverse… By the way, where's Erubetie?"
"Shut herself in Undine's cave. She enjoys soaking in the waters of her birthplace." The golden kitsune put her fan to her chin in thought. "Shall I visit my hometown too?"
"It seems everyone's just doing as they please now, isn't this chipping away at the appearance of the Four Heavenly Knights?" Alma half-joked.
"Does that include your actions too?" Tamamo pointed out.
"Hahaha…" Alma giggled before she returned to a neutral expression. The golden kitsune finally saw through the ruse of the mask of the Succubus Queen.
"Hmm? Something the matter?" Tamamo questioned, noticing that her fellow Knight was thinking about something.
"You've got a first-hand account of Giorno right?" The succubus asked, pouting the more she thought.
"Yes, two of my kitsunes encountered him. Nanabi and Kitsu… Apparently, he was bitten by a Spider-Girl." Tamamo started.
"How'd he get out of that?" Alma interrupted before she could finish.
"Sliced his own arm off and made a new one." Tamamo replied, still in awe at what the implications were of this discovery. "I know… You probably don't belie-"
"I do. I saw him replace his own tongue." Alma corroborated. "And… I certainly felt something in the wind when he attacked me. Something I couldn't see. I think whatever it was picked Luka-boy up and floated him up into the sky."
"Excuse me? Luka floated in the air?" Tamamo raised an eyebrow.
"Yes… It was right before he used a Demon Skull Beheading. Something flung him at me, fast enough to where I had barely enough time to react." She recounted.
"Then… Maybe this Giorno has contracted with some sort of spirit." Tamamo guessed, it was the only way one could explain the blatant miracles he could perform.
"But I don't know of any spirit that can allow him to do any of the things he did so far." Alma sighed in frustration, getting visibly worked up.
"Just take a breather… what's causing this?" Tamamo pat her back. This kind of reaction was wholly unlike her fellow Knight, who'd usually be the playful member of the group.
Alma mentally slapped herself for getting violent with Giorno. While in the moment it had felt good to get revenge for Granberia, now she just felt like she had reawakened the trauma with her mother.
"I roughed him up a bit. But I went too far." Alma admitted, she almost laughed at the irony of her situation. A succubus who fought? She may as well have been born a fish who had legs…
"You hit him?" Tamamo's eyes widened. She never would have expected this from Alma of all people.
"Yes… A succubus got violent. I guess I'm proving my mother right after all this time." She bitterly added, before flying off out the door too.
"Hey! Don't just leave! We can talk about this!" Tamamo shouted before following after her.
One day later, on the Sentora continent.
The trio of travelers walked about on the streets of Port Natalia, with the naïve hero feeling a sense of determination at having made it this far.
Port Natalia was much livelier than Ilias Port, having suffered minimal disruption from Alma Elma's storms.
Many stalls adorned the main street of the town, including a few presences that were not at all expected. Those being the presence of Mermaids amongst the human population.
"Would you like to purchase some Mermaid grilled Starfish?" One such mermaid offered the trio as they came to a halt.
"A mermaid…" Luka spoke in astonishment.
"According to this book, Port Natalia is a port town that has a lot of Mermaids. This town accepts Mermaids as residents." Alice explained as she read through her traveling guide.
"But… your clothes are so ragged. Are you being enslaved by a bad man?" Luka questioned in concern.
"I doubt it, who could seriously take on a monster, much less enslave one?" Giorno argued back.
"My clothes are ragged because I can't make any money. If you feel sorry for me, please buy some Grilled starfish." The Mermaid said with a pout.
Her strategy of guilting him worked like a charm and netted her with some coinage as he folded and bought her wares.
"Humans and Monsters living together… Even if it's just mermaids, it's a beautiful sight." Luka gushed, prompting Alice to roll her eyes and for Giorno to wander off on his own.
Port Natalia reminded him a little of Naples, if only because of its proximity to the sea. But the people were completely different, they were wide open. Not a single person cared to protect their precious coin pouches.
At least the residents of Naples were a challenge to steal from, barring the tourists that is. He had doubts anyone would even notice, a coin or two here and there wasn't all that detrimental.
He came across that Mermaid again, the one selling the starfish. It wasn't at all difficult to see why she had a difficult time selling them. Starfish was not a particularly appetizing meal, nor was it feasible to go and catch them en masse given their nature of sitting on the sea floor or hidden under the sand of beaches.
"You could probably just invest your time into another type of dish." Giorno stated, buying a grilled starfish to sample.
Pulling apart the outer shell and digging into the soft flesh inside, he found it to be reminiscent of the taste of sand. At least he knew where she found them now.
"This is all I have… I don't know what else to sell." The desperate mermaid relented.
"Well, if you can boil starfish… Why not try something like octopus?" He answered. The mermaid in front of him thought about the idea for a while, not seeming very convinced.
"Octopus salad could work in your circumstances. Bring it to a boil, maybe an hour and a half. Slice the tentacles into small bits and add your standard greens and vegetables. A bit of olive oil over it and some salt and pepper. The market here probably has all the things you need." He advised, thinking back to the Italian cuisine he so appreciated.
"Maybe you could try another angle, make some sort of batter if possible. Flour, eggs, and some salt work fine. You cook them into little balls, before adding bits of the octopus meat in while they're still soft. Add green onions and even some cheese if you're feeling adventuro-" He stopped himself, he'd gotten way too nostalgic about his time back in Japan and Italy.
"Sorry, that was a bit much. I'll be taking my leave." He awkwardly went on his way, leaving the mermaid to think about what was said with a gleam in her eyes.
"That…Sounds pretty good actually." She mumbled to herself, making her way to the sea for some fishing.
Giorno stopped his little pickpocketing spree, standing in front of a nearby building. Peering into a window, he found what seemed to resemble a classroom. A classroom full of mermaids…
'Goodness… When was the last time I sat in one of those?'
A high school dropout becoming the Don of Passione…
That left a bitter taste in his mouth, maybe after this all over he could go back and at least finish school. It's not like it was particularly challenging anyway.
…?
Giorno sniffed the air, picking up a familiar scent. A smell he commonly associated with Mista and the Sex Pistols.
'Is that…Gunpowder-' was all that he thought before an explosion enveloped the area, consuming him and anyone unfortunate enough to be in the blast radius.
Seconds before that disaster, on the other side of the plaza.
"Ugh… That's wonderful, but where are we heading next?" The disguised Monster Lord questioned.
"For now, we'll head towards the San Ilia castle to the west. The faith in Ilias is very strong there, so they'll surely give a warm welcome to a Hero." He excitedly answered, eager to meet with the King of San Ilia.
"Will they also welcome a Fake Hero?" Alice teased with a smirk.
"I have the heart of a hero!" He screamed in retaliation, more so to convince himself rather than her.
"I don't know… The food doesn't look appetizing." Alice scoffed, reading on San Ilia.
"Is it always about food with you?" Luka deadpanned before the pair were approached by a beautiful mermaid.
"Um… Excuse me… Mr. Traveler… Could I speak to you for a moment?" She timidly asked.
"Uh… Y-yes, of course." He nervously replied.
"I noticed your sword, and couldn't help but think you weren't an ordinary person…" She explained, looking down at Angel Halo in its sheathe. "Someone who wields such an extraordinary weapon… Would you be willing to listen to my story?" She requested.
Before anything else could be said, a large explosion rang out from across the plaza. More specifically, right in front of the building Giorno had last been seen.
"What the?! An explosion?" Luka yelled, panic-stricken as the building collapsed and dust rose up throughout the plaza.
"Oh no! The mermaid school!" The Mermaid they'd been speaking to screamed, before making her way to the ruins.
More mermaids soon followed, swarming the area along with other concerned humans.
"What happened?!" Screamed a nearby youth.
"Isn't that the mermaid school?! How awful!" A woman commented.
Once Luka and Alice got to the scene, they quickly looked around the crowd for any sign of Giorno.
"Giorno?!" Luka yelled out yet received no answer.
"I smell… Gunpowder? It seems like it was a bomb." Alice pointed out, having a pained expression watching her injured subordinates crawling out of the ruins of the building.
A muffled scream could be heard in the ruins of the Mermaid school, along with the voices of children.
"There's still people in there…" Another woman said, horrified to hear their cries of anguish.
The screaming continued to get louder and louder until Luka could finally make out what was being said.
"MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA!"
A shockwave of air blasted out from the rubble, sending pieces of the building flying up into the sky.
"Woah! What the heck was that?!" A young boy asked.
The shockwaves did not stop, and more and more pieces of the school were being launched into the sky with incredible speed and power.
Before the falling debris could become an issue, they simply turned into roses and harmlessly pelted against the floor or anyone close to where the school once stood.
The barrage on the collapsed building finally ceased once all the major rubble was cleared up, freeing all the Mermaids who were still trapped.
"Thank goodness, it doesn't seem like too many were hurt." A Mermaid Teacher commented as her students finally joined the rest of them.
"Hey… Look at that." A person in the crowd pointed out.
None other than Giorno Giovanna emerged, sporting shredded clothing and disheveled hair. His body suffered some burn damage and had pieces of rubble and glass embedded within.
"My tail got burnt…" A child sniffled, rubbing a burn wound on her tail.
Despite every fiber of his being telling him to lay low, he limped his way over to her. And in full view of the entire crowd, utilized his stand ability.
"…Stay still." He reached out and put a rock on it, confusing the entire crowd before a golden light surrounded it. Once the light ceased, the rock had somehow melded into her tail and left her completely fine.
"It still hurts… But less than before." The Mermaid girl commented, swinging her tail side to side in awe. "Thank you, mister."
Giorno walked past the crowd, not even attempting to speak to anyone. Excited murmuring rumbled throughout the residents of Port Natalia, as they began speculating about the strangely dressed man.
"The hell?! That guy just blew up all that rubble!" An excited teenager exclaimed to a few of his buddies.
"He helped those mermaids out… How nice of him." An older woman smiled, happy to see no one had gotten injured or worse.
"He's kinda hot actually~" A nearby mermaid said with a salacious smirk on her face.
"You!" Luka suddenly yelled out, looking at the disappearing silhouette of a filthy man.
"What's wrong? You're sweating a lot. Is that filthy man an acquaintance?" Alice asked.
"Acquaintance… No. That guy probably doesn't recognize me… He was my father's closest friend." Luka grimaced, tightening his fists.
That man… He was undoubtedly behind this bombing. He'd not only tried to bomb monsters, but he'd also even gone after children too.
And Giorno… He'd been caught in the crossfire too… Yet he still helped them out, while the supposed hero froze up.
As much as he wanted to move on, Giorno's state was not compatible with travel.
He allowed Alice to drag him off to meet up with Giorno, who sat by his lonesome on a bench.
"Giorno… I'm glad you're okay. I thought…" Luka started, sweating profusely as he spoke.
"It's fine… Just let me rest a bit. We can still move on to our next destination." Giorno assured, trying to fix his ruined hair.
"Don't be an idiot. You both look horrible, we're going to a hotel and that's final" Alice insisted, grabbing both of them to the local inn. Along the way, she took note of the star-shaped mark on Giorno's shoulder.
Giorno listened in on the ensuing conversation in their hotel room, his wounds now fully healed. His blue suit, however, was written off and thrown out. The armor had been luckier and could be reused. The real shame had been the fact that he was carrying all his luggage at the time of the explosion.
His pink outfit had been completely ruined too and any ill-gotten gains during his pickpocket spree were lost in the chaos of his stand rush. This left him down to his original Don attire, of which he currently wore the pants.
As such he was currently lying on his bed, shirtless, and reading the traveller guide Alice had let him borrow. He ignored the odd looks he got from both his companions, this felt strangely natural to do. And it wasn't like he did this fragrantly in public.
Supposedly, the people responsible for this attack were a radical fringe group called Ilias Kreuz. Though they didn't seem that popular, according to Luka. Even the most faithful of Ilias didn't like them either.
"Hey… You don't think… that Ilias Kreuz had something to do with the Slaughter of Remina?" Luka voiced out of nowhere.
"You must be joking. Thousands of humans and monsters lived in Remina. How could a fanatical organization like that have enough strength to massacre them all." Alice scoffed, almost offended at the thought.
"Indeed, they failed to even kill mermaid children just now. I doubt they could seriously threaten an adult population of monsters and humans simultaneously." Giorno agreed, flipping over to Remina's section in the book.
"That's true…" Luka acknowledged.
Alice's stomach rumbled, interrupting any further conversation between the trio.
"I'm hungry…" She wistfully conceded, staring right at Luka.
"I'll give you some privacy then. Good luck, Luka." Giorno hurriedly left the room, not wanting anything to do with their private time.
By the first light of the next morning, Giorno was already waiting for the one sleeping member of the trio.
Currently, he and Alice were sitting around in the room of their inn as Luka rested. Likely exhausted from their 'activities' the previous night.
"So… you and Luka? Are you two an item?" Giorno awkwardly questioned.
"A-As if! I was just hungry!" Alice indignantly answered, blushing a bit as she screamed.
"Okay… I'll take your word for it." He answered, looking away as the conversation died out.
…
"Listen, I'm sorry for what happened on that ship. I shouldn't have allowed Alma to attack you. It wasn't fair to you or Luka." She thoughtfully apologized, not having the courage to look him in the eyes.
"…" The blonde stayed completely silent, staring holes into the side of her head.
"Don't just stare at me! Tell me I'm forgiven or something!" She yelled, crossing her arms and pouting.
"… Water under the bridge." Giorno simply responded, keeping that neutral expression. Though deep within he did at least appreciate her sincerity, he knew nothing much would change.
"I never took you for the hero type… What you did yesterday was something else…" I suppose I should thank you for helping my cute little subordinates." She added, grateful to see that Giorno had helped her people despite his relative indifference to them in general.
"I didn't do anything… They would've been fine regardless of my actions." He dismissed, ruining the mood.
"Okay, buzzkill… Is that a tattoo on your shoulder?" She pointed out, her finger poking the star-shaped mark.
"That's not a tattoo, it's a birthmark. Strange as it may seem, I was born with it." He clarified, reading up on the Sabasa region. He was not looking forward to walking the desert in his dress shoes.
"Strange indeed…" Alice commented before Luka suddenly woke up in a frenzy.
"Ilias!" He yelled out in a panic, before calming down once he realized he was in the company of his friends.
"Ah…Morning." He greeted, with a small blush on his face as he looked Alice in the eyes.
"Good morning…" Giorno politely responded.
"Hey Alice, should I really defeat the Monster Lord?" He stupidly asked, prompting Giorno and Alice to look at each other in confusion before turning to him.
"Why would you ask me that? Asking me such ridiculous things…" She scowled, almost offended by how much of an idiot he was.
"Are you feeling sick?" Giorno asked, almost worried that he'd gone mad because of whatever Alice had done to him last night.
"Ah…No. I'm sorry for making you worry." Luka rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed for putting his foot in his mouth.
"But isn't defeating the Monster Lord the only point to you Heroes existing? If you want to be a hero, isn't defeating me your final goal?" She asked, quizzically staring into Luka's eyes.
"Yes… That's true…" Luka contemplated, conflicted between the words of Ilias and his own judgment of the Monster Lord in front of him. "A hero, huh? I wonder what I should do…"
"Follow your own road, the one you want to travel. You might be sidetracked sometimes… But you can't always have it your way in this world." Alice stated, surprisingly being helpful.
"Very profound, Monster Lord." Giorno added, flipping the page of the guide.
"I'm honestly surprised that you didn't call me an idiot." Luka shrugged, not understanding a lick of what the other two were saying.
"I'm not so one-dimensional. I mean, do you actually think all I do is think about food?" Alice scoffed.
"Yes." Luka and Giorno answered simultaneously, much to her displeasure.
Now that they were going about their business resupplying in the port town, Giorno couldn't help but regret his actions the previous day. Rumors of his feats during the bombing had spread like wildfire and now they were facing the brunt of it.
Wherever they went, lingering gazes followed after them. Not that this didn't have any benefits, as shopkeepers fond of the mermaids in town offered them a few discounts on their purchases.
What was really annoying, however, was the incessant harassment from the monster population of the city. The flirtatious and downright crude comments from mermaids towards both Luka and himself were a challenge to push through. Especially given Luka's low tolerance for their teasing, leading to many instances of him blushing and running off.
It was after one of these retreats that they all decided to leave the place for good, lest they be trapped here for another day.
"You idiot… You fought far too many monsters to have such a weak will, especially for mere flirting." Alice characteristically mocked as Luka caught his breath.
"Every time we decline their thinly veiled attempts to bed us, they come at us ten times harder. Do monsters not understand the meaning of no?" Giorno asked, irritated after declining a staff member at the mermaid pub.
"Ah, that word may as well not exist for monsters." She explained, not seeing any problem with it.
"That's not a good thing..." Giorno shook his head.
"Okay… I think we're ready to depart for San Ilia now." Luka sighed before the trio made their way out into the wild.
They walked along the beach en route to their next destination, which Luka confirmed would be three days away at their current pace.
"I can't wait to ask the King about the true path of a Hero." Luka gushed once more.
"How stupid…" Alice scoffed before she froze up.
"Supposedly, they have the largest library in the world. Perhaps this trip won't be a waste of time aft-" Giorno commented before he was interrupted by a feminine scream in the distance.
"Ah! Get away from me!" A woman with a long dress yelled as she fled from a monster girl hot on her heels.
The monster girl was undoubtedly a sea cucumber, or at least had the bottom half of one.
"I'm hungry… Even someone like you is fine, let me suck out your energy." The Sea Cucumber girl drawled in a lustful tone.
"Stop!" She yelled once more before stumbling in the sand and falling down.
Luka interceded, placing himself between the monster and her initial target.
"Get away from her!" He shouted, helping the woman up onto her feet. Giorno immediately joined him at his side, sizing up the new threat.
"I suppose not all Monster Girls are created equal then…" Giorno commented, a small dig at their opponent.
"Who are you?" The woman asked in her state of panic.
"Leave this to us, please get away from here." He declared, unsheathing his blade.
"O… Ok." She stuttered, a light blush on her face as she ran.
As expected, the Sea Cucumber Girl eyed up her much more attractive targets, both her top and bottom mouths salivating at the thought of enjoying two meals.
"You look delicious… I'll hold you in my mouth and squeeze out all of your semen…" The monster drawled out in a tone that suggested sheer ravenous hunger.
"Like hell you will!" Luka screamed as he charged straight at her.
The sand beneath his boots blew away dramatically as he utilized Thunder Thrust, closing the distance between them at breakneck speeds and slashing her.
The Sea Cucumber's lower mouth opened up in response, oozing out liquid as it tried to swallow up Luka.
Luka demonstrated some keen agility and kept dodging her strikes, until she braced her entire body for a dangerous assault.
"Just wait a moment, I'll get ready to squeeze everything out of you… Warm and full of amazing juices… It will feel amazing." She said as Luka backed off even more to create some space.
She suddenly blurred right in front of him, demonstrating uncharacteristic speed. Her lower mouth was poised to swallow Luka whole, who looked very calm despite the circumstances.
"Now!" He yelled out, alarming the Monster who forgot her victim wasn't alone.
In that instant, a literal tree erupted from the sand where a broach was thrown during the initial blast of sand.
Luka grabbed onto a branch as it propelled him upwards to relative safety, avoiding her attack completely.
The Sea Cucumber's momentum meant it was impossible to change course, leading her to crash straight into the trunk of the tree at high speeds.
The moment her bulky body hit the tree; she felt a great concussive force hit her in the chest. As a result, she was sent back flying into the sand a few meters away, groaning in agony.
"Argh! W-What was that?!" She yelled, trying her best to regain her normal breathing patterns.
"You certainly aren't very difficult." Giorno noted, standing dangerously close to her.
"This…This is your fault!" She screamed in a fit of anger, swallowing up the blonde man who mocked her. Her tongues immediately went to work at covering his body, ready to squeeze all his energy out.
"What a useless action… You've already lost." He calmly stated, his body covered in a golden light.
"Aaaaah!" She screamed, spitting him back out almost immediately. Blood poured out from her lower mouth, gushing out from her cut-up tongues and flesh lining.
"You really shouldn't have told us about your tongues. I doubt they liked licking the thorns adorning my body." He gestured towards the thorn-studded vines all over his chest and legs.
"Demon Skull Beheading!" Luka screamed as he jumped down from the tree, hitting the immobilized and teary-eyed monster before she could ever react.
"It hurts…" The Sea Cucumber Girl stammered as light overcame her, dissolving into a normal Sea Cucumber.
"I'm glad I caught you up to speed on my abilities." Giorno commented, allowing the thorns to return back to normal pieces of his armor once more.
"Ah…Wasn't that a bit cruel?" Luka asked, feeling pretty bad for the pain their enemy suffered.
"It's fine, it wasn't lethal." Giorno waved off as the woman they'd helped returned.
He let Luka handle her, waiting for Alice's return. But when that didn't happen, the gradual feeling of unease returned to him.
Why wouldn't Alice come back? Did it have to do with food? Her getting distracted? Unlikely…
Unless… They weren't done yet.
"Um…Would you …Please be my husband? I want to have your baby…" The woman proposed, blushing a dark red as she stared deeply into his eyes.
"Ehhhh!? Suddenly saying something like that…" Luka blushed furiously as he stammered.
"Enough… You're fooling no one." Giorno intervened, dragging Luka back a few feet with Gold Experience.
"Am I no good, master?" She asked in a heartbroken tone, completely ignoring the supernatural event that just happened.
"He's not your master… "Giorno glared at her, readying a handful of knives.
"He can live with me for a while. Isn't that a good idea, master?" She sang as her true form was revealed.
Her skirt curled upwards, showing themselves to be shells once her transformation was complete.
"Let's spend some time together in my shell…I'll fully satisfy you, darling. The two of us can live together forever!" She said in a dreamy tone.
"I can't do that!" Luka denied, blushing all the same.
"Why not? Is it because I'm a monster?" She asked, sporting a frown on her face.
"No… You're just way too forceful…" He deadpanned, before drawing his blade.
"She's deluded…" Giorno agreed, noting how she completely ignored his existence.
Luka dashed right up to her and slashed her right down the middle of her chest, inflicting a critical strike right off the start.
Giorno winced as the shells on either side of the monster snapped shut on his ally, trapping him with the deluded monster.
"Fufu… I want to show my darling heaven." The Shellfish Girl happily sang, swarming her object of desire with tentacles.
"Let go!" Luka squirmed, wriggling in her grasp as she struggled with his pants.
Thanks to her lack of attention for him, Giorno was able to stroll right up to her closed shell and summon his stand.
"Molluscs like you can regenerate their shells… So don't feel too bad for what I'm about to do Luka." He warned before pointing straight at her, unleashing his stand upon her.
"WRRRRY!" Gold Experience wailed, pelting the shell with a flurry of kicks and smashing her porcelain white armor to bits and pieces.
One final kick decked the flabbergasted monster right in the jaw, pushing her back a few meters. Her tentacles went slack as her very perception slowed down to a crawl, leaving her unable to defend herself from Luka's hasty Thunder Thrust.
"M-My…Shell…" She whimpered before dissolving into particles of light, fully transforming into a shellfish. The sealed monster lay unmoving for a few more moments before frantically attending to her severely damaged shell in a state of panic.
"How useless… Too obsessed with you to bother having any situational awareness." Giorno spat, wiping himself clean of the previous Sea Cucumber Girl's mucus.
"What an annoyingly forceful monster. A monster like this only ruins our reputation. Your new appearance looks a little painful but… I hope you change your ways next time." Alice lectured, digging a hole and dumping the sealed monsters in it.
"Ahem…Luka." Giorno coughed, trying to gain his attention.
"Ah...yes?" Luka turned his head towards his friend, who started making some strange hand gestures.
A hand clap, a peace sign, an Ok signal, and a salute?
"Um…What?" He deadpanned, oblivious as to the meaning of his message.
"Your underwear is showing." Giorno stated, having tried saving him the embarrasment by using one of Polnareff's signals he told him about.
"Ahhh!" Luka blushed, pulling his pants back up and silently cursing the Shellfish Girl.
Alice's gaze lingered a bit too long on his underwear before he managed to fix it, making the situation that much more awkward.
"Let's hurry on! We should almost be to the road that will take us to San Illia." Luka declared after he finally managed to recover.
"Why are you in such a hurry to meet some suspicious King? You're quite an idiot." Alice insulted.
"Why are you doubting the King… He's a great person. We can't say anything like that if we want to meet him…" Luka lamented, slightly offended by her antics.
"Not everyone wants to meet him though. That's just you. I'm only going to get a look into his library." Giorno argued, not at all interested in meeting some Pope-like figure.
In all honesty, he was just going to steal as many books as he could find, how else was he going to entertain himself? Not that anyone here needed to know that…
"I'm a million times greater than some suspicious guy like that. Idiot." Alice pouted, jealous of the attention this King was getting.
In the next 3 days, they surprisingly ran into no trouble at all. Having ample time to set up camp and get some more training in during the nights, allowing Giorno to finally learn Demon Skull Beheading under Alice's supervision.
Though he'd surprised her when he asked her to teach him some proper hand-to-hand discipline. But she couldn't refuse when he'd thrown her own words against him, that small comment she made to that weapon smith in Port Natalia.
'My hands are the deadliest weapons in the world.'
This brings her to her current situation…
"Well…Since you can just sprout trees out of nowhere…You can use this anywhere I guess." She shrugged, watching as an invisible entity picked up his blade and practiced the skill over and over.
"Guh… How do you live like this? Having a ghost stick to your shadow at all times?" She questioned.
"…It's quite nice. Having someone like him around is the only reason I ever made it this far." Giorno fondly spoke, withdrawing his stand and sheathing his blade.
"What does he look like?" She questioned, slightly curious.
"Gold, as the name suggests. Doesn't actually wear much. A helmet and whatever that is covering his crotch." He described. "Think of an almost naked gladiator…"
"Perverted ghost…" She scoffed before Luka approached Giorno with intrigue.
"I've got a few ideas on some things… I wanted to recreate what happened on that ship with Alma…" He nervously requested.
"Mm… I don't see why not." Giorno agreed, listening to the strange ideas his friend suggested.
"Idiots." Alice grumbled, sitting down near the campfire.
They were close to their objective of San Illia, long since unable to smell the sea when a sudden life signature made its way to them.
"A snake?" Giorno muttered, getting Luka's attention.
"Enemy?" He asked, getting ready for a fight.
The monster emerged from the trees, revealing herself to be a Lamia. Of the same species as Alice, yet completely different aesthetically in all major ways.
She didn't hesitate to show off her sharp claws, likely using them as an intimidation tactic.
"Unbaptized travelers…How rare. I can't wait to coil around you…Squeezing the life out of you." She teased in a hungry tone, her snake tail swaying hypnotically.
"I prefer Alice…" Giorno muttered, not liking this monster due to her first words being a threat against their lives.
"Guh…" Luka grimaced, unsheathing his blade.
"Let's try it out, Giorno… Thunderstruck." He motioned, allowing Giorno to hold him from behind in a strangely sensual manner.
"Woah…Are you two lovers or somet-" The Lamia tried to speak before Luka slashed at her throat at blinding speeds.
The combined forces of Thunder Thrust and Gold Experience left her speechless as a dust cloud hit her in the wake of their attack. The dust cloud dissipated soon after, revealing a snake that soon scurried away in a hurry.
"We…won?" Luka laughed, trying his best to hide his giddy smile.
"That was…easy." Giorno commented.
"With a force like that, you managed to beat her in a single hit." Alice said, before looking towards the city in the distance and slithering onwards.
"Is that it? No 'good job'?!" Luka hysterically asked.
"For what it's worth… that was a good idea. We really seem to be quite compatible." Giorno complimented, before turning and following Alice.
"Can't wait to meet the King~" Luka giddily spoke, running to catch up with them as they approached the outskirts of San Illia.
AN:
I really am sorry for taking this long with the chapter.
Turns out getting a promotion at the end of a financial year gets you really busy after all, especially in finance.
Things are slightly calmer now, so I managed to cobble together this for you guys.
I'll try my best to not make you guys wait months for the next one.
Onto the chapter itself:
Really had some fun diving into the wiki and playing the VN again, if onlt to learn more about the characters I'm writing.
Did not know Alma had mommy issues, which should be fun because Giorno can relate. Won't spoil too much, but don't expect any shipping. I just don't get the vibe that Giorno is really concerned with women, he's much like Jotaro.(But he wouldn't go around calling them bitches)
Trying my best to include some more utilization for Gold Experience, including more applications that aren't just punching things.
Also doing my take on what can be considered a dual heat attack as per Eyes of Heaven standards: Thunderstruck. (Jeez, what a difficult reference./s)
I really want some great teamwork going forward with these guys, and want them to grow even stronger as they learn new skills and experiment even more.
Do feel free to point out errors or mistakes. As well as any canon things I got wrong.