Mercurio's Office
Venezia
"I assure you, sir, the tie is fine."
Mercurio was currently trying on ties for his big TV interview later that day. He had brought ｢ELO｣ back to his person after delivering the message to the Joestar group. He wasn't sure they'd stay away, but he had contingencies in place for that kind of scenario.
"It's just… this red tie doesn't convey the right revealing-a-new-type-of-species message… you know?"
"Out of all things to be unsure about… it's a tie?"
"Well," he began, "none can compete with my Stand. The only thing they can compete with is my message."
"Such a message can't be argued with."
"Incorrect. There is always opposition." He began tying the red tie around his neck. "One cannot go through life without some kind of strife. Conflict is absolute — opposition is assured."
"Who would compete with a statement like yours? Surely everyone must agree with the betterment of society."
"Mario, Mario, Mario. Whatever will I do with you? So naive. It's not your fault. No one will believe what I say. I can assure you, the naysayers will always get the better of you should you not fight back." He finished the knot and threaded the tail into the back slot of the tie. "That's why I will make them understand. And what I will do today will not be able to be explained away with computer wizardry or stage tomfoolery."
"It's just… such an idea, such a promise… they'd be fools to not believe you."
"From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, there were hundreds of witch trials in Europe. The majority of them were in France. More than two thousand trials were held, accusing women of practising witchcraft and the occult. Too many people to count were killed as a result of the trials, through hanging, torture, burning, and some left to die in prison. Those people were pleading that they were normal… I will be pleading that I am not. They died for their perceived sins, due to the ignorance of man. I will not."
He stood up and straightened out his tie. "Even after hundreds of years, humanity remains unchanged. Though it may not be witches any longer, another target always takes its place – an enemy to pursue, an evil to reduce to ashes. By appearing so publically, I may simply be showing man where to aim, and I am giving him the gun."
?
?
"My… the guest still sleeps, and he has not yet awakened… I wonder why you are visiting so soon?"
Train Carriage
Between Populonia and Campiglia Marittima
The train carriage was deathly silent. Viale was pointedly ignoring his father. They had been on the train for around half an hour.
Shizuka, the actual billionaire, had not spared any expense. Executive class. Populonia to Campiglia Marittima, Campiglia Marittima to Pisa, Pisa to Firenze Santa Maria Novella, Firenze Santa Maria Novella to Venezia. It was the most subtle mode of transportation they had available (apart from the beloved fallen Van Halen). This route opened them up to enemies at the three changeovers, but it was still the fastest way back to Venice.
"Are you… hurt, Gioviale?"
Shizuka was about to correct the name but Viale spoke first. "I'm not hurt, thanks," he spat.
There was another lull. Shizuka decided now was the time to speak up. "Soooo what are you doing here? Not that I'm unhappy about it! Just that… don't you have a mob to run?"
Giorno was straight faced. "Passione has taken a hit. Napoli has fallen – only our secondary branches survived the bombing."
Viale's eyes widened. 'He lost?!' he thought.
Viale knew his father. For all the confidence Giorno showed on the outside, Viale knew that he was close to losing it. He was just holding it together for the benefit of the group, like he'd always done.
"There's… something else you should probably know, Gioviale…" he paused, "Apatia… they have your mother. They took her two nights ago."
Viale's mouth wobbled, but he held strong. "I-is it too late to get off the train?" He cracked a joke. No one laughed. He breathed out a shaky breath. "Why… why would they take her, of all people?"
"To get to me," Giorno answered, "I have something they want. I don't know what – they already have the Beetle-shaped arrow."
"He also has a stone mask." Beneficci voiced.
Giorno's eyes widened slightly. "That… might be it. My father was a… a big deal." He caught Shizuka's eyes, who seemed to understand. 'Don't tell my son about his grandfather.'
"What are you guys talking about?" Vuoto asked.
"The first major incident involving a stone mask was with an individual named Dio Brando, in the eighteen-hundreds." Shizuka explained, "He lived for more than one hundred years, and caused indescribable pain and suffering to many people… most of all, the Joestars, of whom he was adopted into in his childhood."
"Brando…" Viale repeated.
"I think I get it… why Mercurio wants the stone mask." Shizuka announced. The few conversations that had sprung up around them died down. "DIO becoming a vampire – yes, a vampire, Vuoto – gave his Stand, ｢The World｣, much finer control over his ability. There are two people in the world who use Time Stop, DIO Brando, and Jotaro Kujo, my nephew. Jotaro was limited to exhaustion when using his Stand's ability, DIO was not. He could stop time over and over again with little backlash to his body. That might be what Mercurio is after – free reign to use his Stand for whatever he wants, whenever he wants."
"But that doesn't account for the arrow."
"Or Esposito." Everyone turned to face Viale. "What? I thought he was in the office for Esposito? That's what he said, at least. 'After all, it's Espie's Stand I'm after.'" He said in a gravelly voice to indicate he was quoting Mercurio.
That changed things. "So Esposito's Stand, ｢Electric Boogaloo｣, a Stand arrow, and a stone mask… what is this guy planning…?" Shizuka pondered.
St. Mark's Square
Venice
In the heart of Venice, beneath the watchful gaze of St. Mark's Basilica, lay the historic expanse of Piazza San Marco. On this particular day, the cobblestones of the square echoed with the rhythmic footsteps of a gathering crowd, their murmurs blending with the distant call of seagulls and the soft lapping of water against the nearby canals.
Banners fluttered in the gentle breeze, their vibrant colours contrasting with the aged stone facades of the surrounding buildings. A platform had been erected at one end of the square, with a lectern in the centre, currently empty as the speech had not yet started.
The air was charged with anticipation, a palpable energy that electrified the crowd. Merchants paused in their daily routines, fishermen left their nets by the Grand Canal, and gondoliers docked their boats to join the throng. Faces of all ages and backgrounds were turned toward the platform, eager to hear the orator who would soon take the stage. Many news crews were set up on the fringes, ready to broadcast the event to all of Italy, possibly even the world.
The sun cast golden rays upon the scene, illuminating the intricate mosaics of St. Mark's Basilica and casting long shadows across the square. In one of the buildings sat Mercurio and a few of his top men.
"Are the preparations ready?" Mercurio sat at the head of the table, lightly tapping his foot against the marble floor in nervousness.
"Yes, signore, we have checked and double checked. The tests were conclusive – the virus works, and holds no danger."
With the meeting over and the clock nearing high noon, he stood up and began walking down to the square. As he entered the square he could see the people gathered. It gave him hope that the announcement would go off without a hitch.
The stage was well guarded, with Stand- and non-Stand users keeping the people from entering the off-limits area. On the stage were a few odd objects. A Ferrari SF90 Stradale sat on stage-left, while a crane holding several steel beams was suspended over stage-right.
As Mercurio approached the podium, his nerves settled and the crowd simmered down.
He took a deep breath.
And let it out.
"People of Venezia. Hear me and put your faith into what I am about to say. The world is not what it should be. There are liars everywhere – people who keep the truth and keep power away from you. I am one of those people." He paused to let the crowd express their confusion.
"I know, I know, I am ashamed of myself." He snapped his fingers. A nearly transparent white gas leaked out of nozzles dotted around the perimeter, the crowd unknowingly breathing it in.
"Many of you may not believe what you are about to see, but I assure you, you deserve to know what has been going on under your noses for at least a hundred years. What I am about to show you will change the way you see the world."
'This is it,' Mario thought. He had ｢Super Trooper｣ positioned on one of the rooftops, ready to strike if an enemy were to pounce. 'Come on, boss, you've got this.'
"This… is the world you've all been missing out on."
On that note, ｢Electric Light Orchestra｣ slowly materialised from Mercurio, his Stand aura flaring up a bright red. Audience members' eyes widened as they were able to see the Stand.
"This… is a Stand. Normally invisible to a regular man's eye."
ELO walked over to the Ferrari, grabbed it by the hood, and tossed it full body over the crowd and into a canal, sending water flying from the impact.
"You have been exposed to a harmless virus, and are now able to see Stands."
Speedwagon Foundation HQ
Tokyo
Evening
Josuke was just packing up when Maya – one of his subordinates – burst into his office. Josuke looked up as if he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Have you seen it?" she said frantically.
He responded in the negative, so she grabbed the remote on his desk and turned on the television on the wall. She flipped through a few channels before she landed on the worldwide news. It was being translated from Italian to Japanese live.
"This… is a Stand. Normally invisible to a regular man's eye."
Josuke's stomach dropped as he watched a car – a goddamn Ferrari – get flung across wherever this was being broadcast.
"When was this?" he asked.
She looked up, visibly concerned. "About half an hour ago, from Venice."
'Venice… That's where Shizuka was going,' he thought. "What else does he say?"
She silently pressed play on the prerecorded video.
Cafe LeBlanc
Yongen-Jaya
Evening
"You have been exposed to a harmless virus, and are now able to see Stands."
Akira turned to Futaba, who was frantically typing away on her laptop in one of the booths. Sojiro, now thoroughly old and grey, was now resting on a stool, also watching in concern.
"Is this guy… is he legit?"
"Yep," Futaba responded, her nose far into her laptop, "He's been a politician for like, fifteen years – major radical progressive advocate. He's also a major backer of that school Shizuka had a mission at. It's prolly related."
Akira was holding his breath without even knowing it. 'Shizuka… you better come back, to Makoto and the rest of us.'
Akira looked outside to see the same white mist from the event falling over Tokyo. He suspected this wasn't just Venice and Tokyo, but worldwide.
Miami
Florida
Jotaro Kujo was walking back from the supermarket when he got a text from Josuke. It was in the Joestar family group chat (which nowadays only consisted of Josuke, Shizuka, himself and his daughter).
Higashikata Josuke
Major Stand event. Virus that allows normal people to see Stands. Venice, Italy. Possibly more.
Jotaro took one look at the message, nodded, and continued to walk home. 'Good grief. I'm getting too old for this.'
Train Carriage
Between Populonia and Campiglia Marittima
The group had split up between a few carriages. Viale, Sana, and Vuoto had gone up a few doors to another room, while Beneficci, Shizuka and Giorno stayed behind. Vuoto was flipping through the TV stations while Sana used Viale's phone for something or other.
"So… your dad's back." Sana said.
"Yeah," Viale responded sarcastically, "great. Time to do what he wants."
Viale was about to continue ranting, but Sana interrupted him. "What's with you?"
"Huh?" he said dumbly, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, objectively, your dad has given you an amazing life. Sure, he's a gangster, sure, he doesn't talk to you. But you lived in a mansion! You– you have a loving mother! I wish I was in your position–"
"Guys," Vuoto interrupted. From contextual cues, Viale guessed Vuoto was talking to Sana. She turned to the TV, as did Viale. And what they saw would change the trajectory of their lives.
"You're Joseph's daughter." Giorno began the conversation. It was a blunt kind of speaking, but he was a mob boss. He didn't need subtlety.
"Uhh, yeah. Shizuka Joestar. Josuke is my brother– but you probably guessed that." Shizuka was flailing. This was Viale's scary dad who had killed before and would kill again.
"From what I've gathered from the eulogy at the funeral and what your family has told me, I believe your father and my son are similar kinds of people."
"What do you mean?" Similar to her father? That was hard to believe.
"They are both grandsons of Jonathan. The only grandsons of Jonathan."
Shizuka blinked. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Although I don't know much about Viale from when he was a kid."
"He was a fighter. Always picking them," Giorno said. "Very unlike me."
"Ha, the boss of Passione, not picking fights?"
"It might be difficult to understand," he chuckled. It looked like it was the first time he'd laughed in a long while. "I was… a quiet child. I only started fighting when I got my Stand, around fifteen years old. Viale has been fighting since he was in preschool."
"Maybe you're right then. When dad was thirteen years old he stopped a plane hijacking and caused the plane to crash just because the bad guys insulted his grandmother. And he lived to age ninety seven."
"Your father was quite the character."
"…"
"I met him, you know. Before he died."
"Really?"
Giorno shifted one leg over the other. "In Venice, too. He was visiting his mother's house."
"I didn't know grandma had a place in Venice?"
"This was before all… this." He gestured to the general surroundings. "Passione had a… vested interest in Air Supplena Island, which was in your grandmother's possession."
"I have this…" she summoned ｢Houdini｣ and it presented its right hand to Giorno. It was a gemstone, no bigger than her palm, pure red with a crucifix symbol in the middle. "My grandmother and technically your dad left it to me."
"My… dad? You don't mean my step-dad, do you?"
"No no, Jonathan. I had a near-death experience and spoke to him a few years back. It was kinda weird."
"That's… interesting." Giorno tried to hide the dejection in his voice.
"You would've liked him. And he would've liked you."
"I appreciate the sentiment, but I doubt I'll ever see what you did." Giorno remembered what Shizuka had said about her brother. "You know, I've fought with your brother before."
"Really?! When?!" This was the first she was hearing of it. She couldn't think of any time they would meet other than her father's funeral.
"Him, Jotaro, his daughter, and myself all fought one of DIO's friends. I forget his name now, but it was a tough fight."
"I thought… it was just Jolyne and her friends." That was what Jotaro had told her.
"You might want to confirm with Josuke, but that was the last time I used my full power – the last time I used ｢Gold Experience Requiem｣," he said. "Besides, I can't really use it now, because I don't have the arrow."
"Hey, did you do business with Kaneshiro or Mr. A?" She thought back to what ｢Super Trooper｣ had said during their fight.
"Akio Akatani, right? I had heard of him, but he made sure to stay off my radar," Giorno responded, "As for Kaneshiro… Well, we don't have much of a Japanese presence in the first place."
At that moment, Shizuka got a text message.
At that moment, their lives changed for the worse.
｢Mr. President｣
Venice
Polneraff watched as hundreds, thousands of people posted on social media. The term "Stand" was trending, and people were reporting worldwide that they had seen a mist-like gas sweep through their cities. New York, Tokyo, Delhi, Beijing, Melbourne, London, Los Angeles, and many more. This was a major event. Soon, every person in the entire world would be able to see Stands.
Matito, Fragi and Amicio were both still taking refuge in Mr. President, and ｢Sweet Child o' Mine｣ still made regular trips to visit. That would be much harder to do now, as people would be able to see him easier.
Jean-Pierre couldn't help but be concerned. He'd lost contact with Naples a few days ago, and it was a risk leaving the turtle to get supplies. He usually left that to Sweetie, who wasn't visible to most people, or Matito, who could tell friend from foe easily with ｢Take On Me｣.
Amicio had a stash of trash in the cupboard ready to fight, should the turtle be found. Polnareff was keeping constant vigilance, having someone move Coco Jumbo every so often.
Currently they were in the cafeteria. Mercurio had sent the children home after the announcement and Apatia had set up shop in the chemistry lab and reception, so the cafeteria was rather safe at the moment.
They had debated whether it was safe or not for the two students to leave and go home with the others, but Amicio was loyal to Viale, and Matito ended up staying because of the potential Speedwagon/Joestar/Passione payout. Fragi, however, was not having any of it.
"What are we still doing here?" He asked. "We haven't even done anything. You say we're gathering intel, but you haven't even talked to Giovanna. Hell, we don't even know if they're…" he trailed off. "...if they're still alive."
"Maybe… maybe you're right," Polnareff declared as he read a chat message on his computer. "It's time for us to act."
To Be Continued ===