Chapter Text
~It was a year since he saw the boat led by Buccellati sail away. It was a year since he ever saw any of the squad he once considered friends.
Fugo's thoughts sometimes wandered towards them and what they would be doing now.
He wasn't affiliated with the mafia anymore. With the money he saved up from the missions he did previously, he went back to school and is now studying to be a teacher.
...Teaching Narancia wasn't the greatest but he knew that it was the only thing he knew other than fighting or Stand battles.
In the end, Fugo wondered if what he did counted as abandonment to the team, betrayal to Passione altogether of if he really was a coward the whole time.
He guessed he would never know.
***
It was a typical Tuesday. Fugo was packing up his bag and ready to head out of the university.
But it wasn't really so typical after all.
When he opened the door of the school, he found someone standing at the wall. One of his legs were on it and the other relaxed. He wore a red and blue hat that Fugo knew from the back of his head.
"M-Mista? What are you doing here?" How come they came back for him despite him abandoning him? Mista's hand went on his gun and Fugo could see Sex Pistols coming towards his bullets. Fugo had a feeling that Mista wouldn't hesitate to use it if needed force.
"You have to come with me. It's the Boss's orders." He said simply. The Boss? The same Boss that Buccellati was so set on betraying a mere year ago? Wasn't the Boss's identity supposed to be secret? How would Mista know what the Boss looked like?
Unless... Buccellati took over the Boss's position and Mista worked directly under him now? That seemed like a warming thought. Especially since the last time Fugo went Underground he didn't hear a single word about the importing of drugs which meant he was doing a good job.
Fugo nodded.
"Alright. I'll see him. Is there a reason why he wants to see me?" He asked.
"The Boss'll tell you. I can't tell you anything now." He said. Fugo didn't know what to say so he was quiet as Mista led him to the car. The ride was painfully awkward but Fugo felt an ecstatic feeling in his heart. He could see his comrades again! He wondered what Abbacchio was doing -was he the second in command after Buccellati?- and Narancia -did Buccellati force him to go back to school again because Fugo wasn't there to tutor him?- he also thought of Giorno. He was probably the strategic advisor. Mostly everything Giorno planned out came true. It would be in no better hands than his.
Mista and Fugo struck up a small conversation on how things were doing but for some strange reason, whenever Fugo asked about Buccellati and the others, he would become silent and would quickly change the topic.
Was it just Fugo or did he hear Number 5 cry louder in Mista's gun case?
***
Mista led Fugo to a dark office and turned on the light. In front of him was a table full of loose pieces of paper and behind the table was a throne like chair.
Fugo could only guess that it was from the previous Boss. Buccellati wouldn't actually choose that kind of chair to sit in.
"So, where is everyone? Where's the Boss?" Fugo asked. Mista stood by the door as if he was on guard for if Fugo ran away. He wasn't going to run away. He wanted to see his friends. Fugo might not admit it. but he missed them.
"The Boss will be here any second. He had to turn in a last minute assignment at school." This made Fugo raise an eyebrow. School? Why would Buccellati go to school? Maybe he wanted to complete university and now with the complete freedom of being 'Boss' he would be able to?
Or, the Boss wasn't Buccellati after all.
Fugo shook his head rapidly. No, the only person who could be the Boss of Passione was Bruno Buccellati. Good people respected him while evil people feared his name!
"I think Polnareffland would be a good way to gain some profit since we're not selling drugs anymore. You can help me with the blueprints after I check the amount of money and if the Speedwagon Foundation would allow it." ...Speedwagon Foundation? The organization that basically helped in every science in the world and had a oil industry to boot? How did an underground organization such as Passione ally with such a powerful organization above ground?! Fugo heard a voice from down the halls. It didn't sound like Buccellati at all. It sounded like-
"Ce serait génial! It's been my dream to make it but with that ordeal of le Stand Arrows I wasn't able to." Fugo wondered who the person was talking to. It sounded like French. Why was a Frenchman working in Italy? What were the Stand Arrows?
What was happening? What did Fugo miss in an entire year?!
The doorknob turned and Fugo awaited to see the person who was talking to the Frenchman.
A teen with blonde hair tied up in a braid looked up from the door. He wore a black suit with golden ladybugs as brooches on the corner of his suit and a bag was on his shoulder. In his hands was a large turtle. Giorno?! Fugo thought. Where was Buccellati?
Mista turned towards Giorno and smiled.
"I got Fugo for ya!" Giorno nodded and handed him the turtle. What was with the turtle? Was it Giorno's pet or something? Was the turtle the one talking?! Fugo had so many thoughts that he didn't know where to start from.
"Thank you, Mista. Can you take Mr. Polnareff and see if I have any meetings to attend? If I do, then send Mr. Polnareff in for me and you stand guard for him." Mista looked at Fugo and then at Giorno. Why do I feel like there is more to this than what meets the eye? Mr. Polnareff... the turtle... attending meetings?! Is he the Frenchman Giorno was speaking to?
Also, why was Giorno giving orders to Mista like that? He wasn't the Boss of him! Where's Buccellati? He would have set Giorno straight!
Mista sighed.
"I got it." He took the turtle from Giorno gently and went towards the door. "Also, Trish is asking if you're free tonight. She says she hasn't seen you in forever." Giorno laughed as Mista tried to change the subject.
"I think I have some time. I'll try to bring someone else with me too so save them a seat also." Was the someone Fugo? Was Giorno the second in command of Buccellati and he was going to ask Fugo to rejoin Passione?
Even with 152 IQ, Fugo couldn't figure this mystery out.
Mista agreed and said his goodbyes, shutting the door behind him. Giorno set his bag on the coat rack.
"If not for Mr. Polnareff I wouldn't have gone to school anyways, I already know everything they teach. It's completely inutili to." Fugo could only assume that Giorno was saying that to himself. He went behind the desk that Fugo thought was Buccellati's and sat on the throne like chair.
Keep your anger in Fugo...
"Fugo. It's nice to see you! I heard that you went back to your studies and want to become a teacher am I right?" Giorno greeted with a warm smile and tried to start a conversation. Fugo's eyebrows lowered.
"Why are you sitting on the Boss's seat? Shouldn't Buccellati be sitting there?" He didn't want to take any crap from him. He didn't want any fake kindness. Giorno's face darkened.
"Also, where's Narancia? He better have been studying otherwise there's going to be more than just a fork going into his face-" Giorno opened his mouth to speak in the middle of what Fugo was saying.
It was like Giorno stopped time. He came in and said two words at such a precise moment, Fugo would have thought it was already woven into his cut off sentence.
"He's dead." It felt like something cold trickled down Fugo's back. His hand started to twitch. "Buccellati and Abbacchio are also." The rock Fugo was skipping metaphorically dropped with a plop! into the river.
"N-no." This was a prank right? Fugo knew that Buccellati's Squad was known for doing tricks. Usually Narancia and Mista would team up and try and prank the rest of the team until Buccellati found out and would smack both of them for misbehaving.
Hell, Fugo, Narancia and Mista even worked on a dance together! It was Narncia's idea but Fugo wanted to because he figured it would help in his anger issues.
Anytime soon, Mista would jump in from the door and Narancia would come in by the window behind Giorno and yell, 'haha! You just got pranked!' Fugo really hoped that were the case.
"Narancia died in the Roman Coliseum and Buccellati died while we were fighting the ex- Boss. Abbacchio died while using his Moody Blues to replay the ex-Boss's memories." Giorno said with a straight face. "Seeing as there were no appropiate person to take over after the Ex-Boss's demise, I decided to take over Passione." Fugo's hand turned into a fist. He could say all of that so easily without any tears or any saying of regret?!
Fugo knew that Giorno was the new kid at the time, but Buccellati took him in like he was famiglia!
Just like how Buccellati did for him! How could Giorno just let it go?! Purple Haze stood behind Fugo and was ready for battle.
In the spur of a moment, Fugo figured how he could use his Stand.
"You probably planned this the whole time! You just wanted the Boss's seat for yourself and used Buccellati, Narancia, and Abbacchio as a stepping stone!" Fugo remembered once that he respected Giorno having his comrades' back.
All that respect washed away the moment Giorno stated the deaths of his friends without any remorse.
Without a word, Giorno took out a single picture and an envelope from his drawer and set it on the table.
"Take it." Giorno said. Fugo still had Purple Haze ready for combat in case this was a trap. He took the letter in one hand and the picture in the second. The picture was of Bruno's Squad. They weren't exactly smiling per say, but Fugo could sense the happiness even from a single piece of paper. He kept his tears in as he turned the envelope to the front.
-To Pannacotta Fugo was what it said on the front. Fugo could only wonder who it was as he opened the envelope. Inside were two pieces of paper. He looked over to Giorno, who had started to read a history book which Fugo could only assume it was for school.
Fugo opened the first piece of paper. It was stained with blood in the corners of the page and even in the middle enough for Fugo to barely read what was written below. He saw the first two letters written in cursive along with the rest of the letter which looked like it was written by a scribe. It would even rival Fugo's handwriting if he said anything about it himself. This is Buccellati's handwriting. How did he write this?
Dear Fugo,
I don't have much time to write this. Everyone's asleep right now. But I know that soon enough, I am going to die. I'm glad that you decided to leave us and save your own life. It takes a lot for a person to think about their own safety and be able to live on and I can only commend you for that.
When I met you, you were someone who was in the streets but your eyes were still brimming with knowledge. I knew that if that hunger for knowledge wasn't well fed, you would have killed yourself. I couldn't allow you to do that. Not when I could help it.
I thank you for helping me, and the rest of the team, even if you didn't come with us in the end. It was better for yourself. I hope that you go back to university. I made sure to send some money of mine to your bank account, enough to pay for a whole 4 year tuition. Follow your dreams, that was the reason why you decided to live.
Since you are reading this letter, I imagine that you are in one of Passione's buildings. If you do decide to come back to Passione and I am not here... I can only assuming Giorno has taken my place as Capo, or better yet, Boss. I hope that you would be some sort of a Strategic Advisor towards him. Abbacchio has already lost his life in this battle and I'm afraid to say that the rest of the members... do not have the skill to be the Advisor. Though Giorno could do it himself, he needs someone to help him and you are probably the only person I trust along with him.
Don't blame yourself for what has happened to me. Please look forward to the future. Control your anger because if you do, you could do wonders in the world.
-BB
Fugo's hands started to twitch. Buccellati knew he was going to die. He thought and gulped. He went out of his way to write this letter for me. Fugo looked up from the letter and saw Giorno still reading the same history book but it looked like he wasn't focused on it as much as he should be. His hand flipped to the second page. This one was neat. It was so neat that Fugo could practically smell the scent of new paper on it.
But the handwriting on the page wasn't. Neither was the grammar or spelling. It looked like a five year old wrote it but Fugo recognized it nonetheless. It was the reason why he started to teach in the first place. Narancia...
~Heya Fugo! So, Jorno aparently has a new Stand power that brought my soul back to my body! He says taht I cant be here that long and it can be only once. It is only long enogh to say goodbye to everyone. He said that even his Stand cant bring peple back from the dead. I didnt have time to say goodbye when we last met so here I am writing it now! Ah, Im not so good with words I think you know that. But... when Bucelati said for you to teach me, I thot that u would be lke the other teachrs and give up on me after one try. I was wrong about that! I loved praticing the 'tortre danc' with u and Mista! (I namd it that after u left! Mista thougt it was prfect!) Even thoug u said taht I was stoopid you still didnt give up on me. Im sorry to say that I stayed by Bucelatis side even tho u said it wasnt a good idea. I undrstand why u didnt tho! I was thinking the sam way too! So tahnk you Fugo, for helping me and being my freind.
Also! I finaly figurd out was 16 x 55 was! It's 879! I askd Bucelati for help in the aftrlyfe and he said i was rite!
-Narancia
"Y-you idiot." Fugo lost all the muscles in his knees as he fell onto the carpet. "Of course Buccellati would say that you were right, he doesn't have the heart to say you were wrong! The answer was 880 damn it!" He whispered. Fugo could barely hear the sound of Giorno coming towards him and putting a hand on his shoulder as if he knew what he was facing. He was quiet and Fugo preferred that because he knew that if Giorno tried to break the silence, he would have proably used Purple Haze on himself.
Basically half of his squad was dead and Fugo wasn't even there to help them!
Don't put the blame on yourself. Right, Buccellati said not to. But how couldn't he!?
When the last of Fugo's tears fell, he stared at the picture again. If only he could go back in time and slap his past self in the face for making a stupid decision. He would have probably swam after them like Narancia did.
If only he knew...
Now, Giorno was the Don of Passione and it looked like he was best suited for the job. He even allied himself with the Speedwagon Foundation for crying out loud! Fugo finally realized that he couldn't look upset for his fallen friends because he was the Don for crying out loud!
But if Buccellati saw him here, he would have asked Fugo to still rejoin. It wouldn't be a command obviously, he could have gone home right now and work on the thesis that was due at the end of the year.
But the last time Buccellati didn't command something, Fugo turned his head the other way and his friends got killed in the process.
"Giorno! Let me become your Strategic Advisor! I want to help you continue Buccellati's legacy in any way I can! I can even drop out of if you want!" He said in one breath. This is what he wanted. Nothing will change his mind.
"My friend, if I have to continue school because of Mr. Polnareff, then I'm pretty sure Mr. Polnareff won't let you drop out of University so easily. Narancia told me how you have a high IQ, but I don't think that even with that, Mr. Polnareff would let you go." Fugo figured that meant a yes in his book. He stood up and the new Boss followed.
"How about I tell you what happened since you left? You must have a lot of questions in your mind." Fugo placed both the letters in the envelope and Giorno set the picture next to a single zipper, a vase of lilies, and a old wine bottle.
"Yeah. How about you start with how you were talking with a turtle and how it answered back?!" Fugo sat on the couch in the office and Giorno moved his throne like chair away from his desk and in front of Fugo. He laughed.
"Now that is a long story but we both have time so I might as well say it."
Fugo regretted not being there for his team when they needed him.
He would do anything to make up for it.