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Chapter Text

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"Make no mistake about it. We are born blind, deaf, and mute. It is neither these eyes that give us sight, nor these ears that give us sound. It is not even these lips that give us voice. It is only love. Love makes us seek beauty and truth. Love yearns to connect. To experience. To understand. So close your eyes at once. Don't utter a word. Perk up your ears and listen to that silent sound inside you where all this is found." ― Kamand Kojouri

A woman with long, raven-black hair, laid in her bed, smiling tiredly at the small bundle sleeping peacefully in her arms. After hours of being in labour, the woman and her beloved husband had finally received their long-awaited baby girl. The doctor and nurses smiled at the small family and left them alone for privacy.

"I'm so thankful she's healthy." The woman said as she stared at her baby. "Healthy and beautiful. Just like her mother." Her husband said as he placed his hand on their child's head, soothing her to sleep with his thumb gently rubbing her head. Though it was his wife carrying her, he was so terrified of what could've happened. What if the love of his life faced complications? What if his child suffered during birth? What if both of them didn't survive? But seeing her holding their child, glowing in radiance and smiling kindly, eased his mind and put his fears to rest.

"I want her to grow up with a gentle heart." The woman said. "A good mind to match." The man added.

"I wonder what she'll grow up to be?"

"Anything she wants. She could be whatever she chooses to be. To her, the sky's the limit."

"I just want her to be happy. That's my wish for her."

"Then it's up to us to make that come true. Our little lullaby."

The woman looked up at her husband with tears in her eyes, "Do you want to hold her?" Her husband paled considerably and shook his head vigorously. "No... no, I don't think I should." He didn't believe he should even touch something so pure. "Of course you should. Don't tell me your afraid to hold your baby." She said with a sweet smile.

The man continued to get paler. "I don't want to hurt her." He said.

"You won't." she protested.

The woman could have sworn she saw her beloved begin to tremble. She'd expected him to be a little nervous, but not terrified. "I won't have her father be afraid to hold her." She said, handing the infant over.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. I'm not very good with fragile things and she's so little." Her husband said, trying to reason with her.

"My darling, she's a baby. Of course, she's little. She'll get bigger." She says with a giggle.

"I know that. I just don't want to accidentally hurt her." The man defends himself.

"You won't hurt her. Just remember to support the back of her neck." She says.

"Mio bellissimo amore, I don't think this is a good idea." He protests again.

The mother of his child wasn't going to be denied though. She completely ignores his continued protests and gently places their newborn daughter in his arms. The father looked at her as if she had just placed a bomb in his hands. Was she out of her mind?! What if he dropped their baby or something?!

"You'll be fine. I know you can do it. It's as easy as it can be." She reasons.

The man stared in silent fear for a few minutes. He finally gulped and carefully adjusted his arms to try and make his baby safer and comfortable as his wife smiled encouragingly at him. The baby quickly made herself at home in his arms. The woman laid back and watched her husband as his trembling began to subside and became more confident. He smiled as he looked at his daughter. He had a daughter. The most beautiful baby he'd ever seen. So tiny...so small. A gift from God above.

He was terrified to hold her, but now he couldn't bring himself to place the babe back down. He gently bounces his daughter as she slept. The never thought this day would come. He had a beautiful wife, and now he had a daughter with her. He held his child tighter. He would do anything for her, anything. The man had never been so happy and proud. He couldn't think of anything better, here was his greatest achievement. Here in his arms was his very own piece of Heaven.

"Our beautiful little girl...just look at her." He said with a smile.

His wife giggled. "We have to think of a name..."

"I...think I know the perfect one."

*******************

"Shh, shh. Easy, darling. The baby's still sleeping." The woman gently scolded her husband as he neared his daughter's crib. He had just returned from business and he wanted to see his family's face. He had already seen and kissed his wife, and now he wanted to see their Little Lullaby. "I'll try not to wake her. Just let me see her face." He quietly pleaded.  The woman smiles. He had such the cutest pout. How could she turn away his request?

It always made her happy to see her husband being so relaxed and loving towards their baby. After six months, he had become such a doting father. She giggles as she walked past him and opened up a music box. A gentle song began to ring out, lulling the baby into a deeper sleep as the woman motioned her husband to come closer. His heart was swelling as he glanced into the crib. He let out a sigh. She was still so little. So pure.

"She has your raven hair." He says with a smile. Thinking back to when their daughter was up and playing around. "And your eyes." He added.

"Haha, but she has your smile too." The woman says sweetly.

"No." He stated firmly. He was still smiling as he looked in between his wife and child. "She has your face. Hmm, she has my ears I think." The man muses as he gazes down in wonder at their daughter. She was so adorable. That wasn't a word that he often used. Hell, it was barely in his vocabulary. It fit though. His little angel was the most adorable infant that he'd ever seen.

"Honey, she's your child too. She has some of your features, I can see it."

"Then you have the eyes of an angel too. Not just your voice." The man said, smiling up at his wife. But then it faded away from his face the more he looked at her. His eyes gazed sadly down at his child. His sweet innocent child. "I just hope she doesn't grow up being afraid of me..." His wife blinked in shock and walked over to him. Giving him the biggest hug.

"Mi amore, don't say that."

"But-."

"You said the same thing before you asked me to marry you. I know you better than that. You may be feared but, to me, you're kind, honest, and a good man. Everything you've done was for me and her. I love you, and I'm sure she'll love you just as much. We're a family, my darling, and we'll always be together. Strong and loving."

*******************

A little girl, now 6, stood still, smiling, as her father buttoned up her cardigan. He looked up at her, smiling as he gave her little nose a pinch. She gave a small squeak of a giggle as she playfully smacked his hand away. Her father laughed and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead as he stood up and took her tiny hand in his. Remembering to bring the bouquet of sunflowers and gentians. They walked the streets of Naples, hand in hand, smiling as the people who would pass them by, greet them. The little girl smiled brightly and wave at them as her father gave a respectful nod.

Living in this town with her father for the past years has made the little girl happy beyond her wildest dreams. Living in a serene town in a nice home, having a father who loved her without a shadow of a doubt, and having kind neighbours. The little girl would've gone her whole life enjoying the peaceful serenity...if not for one small detail. One that happens whenever she and her father would take walks together.

The little girl would become a bit confused whenever her father picks her up and hold her protectively in his arms, as a couple of men looked their way. Giving her father dirty glances. She looked up at her father, wondering why they were looking at him like that. When she tried to ask, he would just say that they were just in a bad mood. He would  continue to hold her and keep looking forward.

The little girl didn't understand. Even if they were in a bad mood, she couldn't find any reason why they would look at her father with such scary looks. And why were they always in a bad mood every day? Her father was kind, tough and an amazing man. A good person. He was her protector. But she decided that it wasn't something for her to worry about. Not when her father held her in his warm embrace. She gave a small smile as she leaned in his hold. Eventually, the father and daughter made it to their destination. They walked through the gates and walked until they found her.

They kneeled before her and the father placed down the flowers on her grave. The man gave a sad smile as he said, "Ciao, amore mio. How are you doing today? We're doing fairly well. Your sister and mother have been there to help whenever they can. We've all made sure that our girl was taken care of. That your wish for her would come true. You won't believe this, but," He paused before engulfing his child in a big hug, tickling her, making her squeak in glee.

"Our little lullaby has become something of a prodigy. She can play music as easily as breathing air. We were right... You were right, she is special. How we wish you could've heard her play. I know you've would've said 'I told you so'." He chuckled. The little girl smiled brightly as she looked at her mother's name on her gravestone.

She didn't remember much about her mother. The kindly woman had died from sickness when she was only three years old, but she's been told many stories from her family. Her mother was a kind and beautiful woman. She had a voice that seemed to be a gift from the angels themselves. Some considered she was one when she married her father. From those stories, the little girl had grown to love her mother.

As she sat there with a smile, her father gazed at his young child's face and his smile began to falter. So many thoughts ran through his head as he looked at her smile and the wish his wife wanted for her.  The man loved his daughter more than anything else in the world. She was his most cherished possession. His Little Lullaby. There was no length he wouldn't go for her. There was nothing he wouldn't give for his beloved little girl. He had felt this same passion towards his wife and now there were more pronounced for the child she gave him. He promised he'd keep her safe. That she lives life freely and with no regrets. "Little Lullaby?" He asked. The little girl looked up at him and blinked when he had a look of sadness on his face. His eyes were swelling up with tears. ".....?" She asked before he turned to face her.

"My sweet girl, listen to me. I know you believe that this world we live in is warm, bright and beautiful....but that's only a fraction of the truth. In reality, you have to understand the world can also be cold and unforgiving. People often face a lot of sad times. This world, and where we call home, will do what it can to hurt you. But you're stronger than that. I see that in you." He tells her. He reached out and brushed a few stray hairs away from her face. He stared into her beautiful shining eyes. How she looked so much like her mother...  "You have a brave and gentle heart. I know you have the strength to smile and keep living.  Never see the world for what it is, see it for what it could be."

Her father let out a broken sigh as he pulled her in a gentle hug. Hugging her close to his heart. Savouring her warmth. Her sweet scent. Her soft touch. He prayed to God that she knew that he was pouring every last once of love in his embrace.

"Aria, I love you so much... I want you to be free. To live happily. I want you to smile. Even though nobody will praise you, don't forget to smile in any situation. As long as you're alive, as long as you're able to smile, you will find the strength to keep moving forward. Life may be rough now, but trust me when I say, it is all worth it in the end. You will get to where you need to be and you will be happy."

Little Aria hadn't understood much of that, but she knew that what her father was telling her was something very important so she did her best to remember his words. She gave a nod and hugged him back. Almost panic when she heard her father choked back a sob, but he pulled back and smiled at her, telling her he was okay. They stayed at her mother's grave, talking and giving her a few updates about their lives a while longer before getting up. The father told her they love her and kissed his fingers, placing them on her gravestone and Aria did the same.  The father scooped his daughter in his arms and the two went home.

*******************

*Nine years later*

In the quaint city of Naples, many people enjoyed their time taking in the wonderful sights and attractions the lovely city had to offer. Shops and restaurants were busy as new and old patrons visited their locations. But within this beautiful city, one must always watch their back because you never know what could be hiding just around the corner. Though the beautiful city was two-faced, it didn't deter the heart of a young girl. She held the belief that it had the potential to become something great.

Aria was now fifteen years old and had grown up to be a very beautiful girl. She had pale skin, neck-length short black hair with long locks falling over her shoulders and had ruby-red eyes. She wore a red dress with sleeves that stopped in the middle of her arms and a black ribbon tied around her waist, black tights, a pair of brown laced boots and wore a black thick choker around her neck. She also had a grey violin case with a pouch that she made sure she carried with her every day. It also had backpack straps in case she got tired of carrying it in her hands

She gazed at the people, young and old, smiling brightly and gently as she passed them by. Most have greeted her back when she did and some have acted that she didn't exist and completely ignored her, oftentimes slamming their shoulders against hers. But she didn't mind.

Ever since that visit to her mother's grave, Aria had tried her best to live her life with her father's words etched in her heart. She tried to see both sides of her city and the people living in it, the good and the bad. Thinking that there was always both sides to a story. She knows that not every person she comes across is going to be kind, nor welcoming. Ever since she was little, Aria took the precaution to analyse if a person was harmless or dangerous based on the way they spoke and acted.

Aria wasn't as naive as many would believe, she knew full well that the picturesque Italian city of Naples is plagued by crime: pickpockets, corrupt police officers, and drug dealers that lurk within the streets. In no way was this place even remotely perfect, but that didn't mean that beauty and kindness didn't remain. It was still her home and knew her father had wanted to make it safe for her. To protect her from it. Aria knew that she was just one girl, but she always tried to be helpful to everyone by doing a good deed each day. To make her father proud and finding a reason to smile.

Aria walked down the streets and stopped when she saw two teen boys in a motorcycle drive rather recklessly and knocked over a trash can, spilling its garbage onto the sidewalk. She walked over to it and knelt, pushing the garbage back in its rightful place before putting the trashcan right side up. Aria smiled and nodded in approval before continuing on her walk, reaching into her pocket and cleaning her hands with some hand disinfectant wipes she carried just in case.

For most of her childhood life, she had been living happily with her father, but then one day he dropped her off to live with her aunt and grandmother...and had just disappeared. Never coming back. He had sent her a letter once, with no return address, expressing how much he loved her and how sorry he was for vanishing the way he did, but told her it was the only way to protect her.

Her aunt had attempted to explain his reasoning but Aria had already known the truth. She knew why he left, but that didn't matter. She still loved her father very much and every day would pray to God that, wherever he was, her father was safe and in good health. Praying that they would meet again someday.

Her aunt, Concordia, was both a nun and a teacher so she took care of Aria's education and taught her about Christianity. While attending a catholic school, Aria had learned what her father had meant and acknowledge how the world could be. Aria wasn't exactly the most....well-liked in her class. The students didn't bully her per se, but it was clear that they wanted nothing to do with her. Whenever Aria tried to walk over to them, they would walk away from her with a look of disgust in their eyes. When she tried to talk to them, they would ignore her or laugh in her face, making fun of her. And sometimes, they would talk trash about her even when they knew she was in earshot.

Aria didn't get angry with them, nor did she hate them. Instead, she remained strong and smiled despite the way she was treated, thinking that if today's hard then tomorrow's sunrise will be all the more beautiful. Besides, she didn't think there was a reason to be so upset just because a couple of kids didn't like her. She had a home to go back to, an aunt and grandmother who loves her and had a father who adored her. Aria felt she was the luckiest girl in the world but she still would've liked to have at least one friend. Eventually, that wish came true.

When Aria began middle school, she had excitedly joined a music/dance club and through it, had met her first group of friends. Grace and Fia, two girls who were in the same grade as her and Eliza, a member of her aunt's choir. Eliza was a bit older but was one of the people in charge of the club and Aria viewed her as an older sister. They were nice people and treated her with respect and Aria was grateful to have them as friends. They protected her whenever some of the students would go up to bother her. There was also one more person that Aria considered to be a friend, but he wasn't a student at her school and she didn't know his name. And yet, he would always show up just to see her and make her smile. Something inside her told her she could trust him.

They first met during her final year of elementary school where she was confronted by three of her bullies. They didn't touch her but they did mock her. Teasing her for her father essentially abandoning her. Saying how much of a freak she was. When she tried to defend her father, they told her to stop acting like a freak and be normal like everyone else. That's when a brave little boy charged in a placed himself between them and her. Stretching out his arms to protect her. Aria hadn't known who this boy was or why he would come up this way, but that didn't matter. The boy had scared her bullies away and they became friends ever since. Sometimes, he would come to see her during class and would sneak in notes through the window.

Aria made her way to her school's courtyard and went to a nearby bench to place her violin case on it and began to practice. Her middle school was performing at the end of next week so she needed to work hard to do good in it. She was in her little world when she twirled around and stopped when she saw a white lily placed inside her violin case with a small note. She looked around but didn't see anyone nearby. Aria walked over and picked up the note. It read 'I'm happy you finally found friends. A soul as pure as yours doesn't deserve to be alone.' Aria felt joy upon reading as she knew exactly who wrote it.

She heard small laughter coming from one of the trees and saw him. A young boy about her age smiling down at her. He had short black hair and dull green eyes, but his smile shined brighter than the sun. She smiled back and waved back at him. She heard Grace and Fia calling out to her to come to follow them to the music hall for practice. Aira turned back to the tree and her friend nodded in understanding and motioned for her to go on ahead. She mouthed a thank you and packed up, taking the flower with her.

It didn't matter when or where. That little boy would always be there for her and make sure she was okay. Like some sort of guardian angel.

Another time, Aria had gone to a cafe for a small lunch and read her favourite books to calm herself down. She had a hard time in the music club and it ended with her running away in tears. The last thing she heard was Grace loudly chastising the girl who had her cry. She was pulled out from her reading when she was approached by a waiter who set down a plate of lemon semifreddo on her table. She was about to tell the waiter that she didn't order it but paused when he also presented her with a white lily and a note. "This was already purchased. A young boy had ordered it for you and wanted you to have these." The waiter told her.

When Aria recognised the lily, she smiled and asked where the sender was. The waiter turned to point him out but was left confused when he said that the young boy was gone. The waiter shrugged and walked away, leaving the confused girl alone with the cake, flower and note. She wondered why he didn't stay around this time. She picked the note and read 'You looked sad, so I wanted to cheer you up. I don't know what happened to you, but I'm sorry. Please don't cry. Tears don't belong on a girl like you, a smile is what suits you best.'

Aria's eyes widened at the note and felt the kindness, even a hint of love, within the words. Aria had smiled brightly and given a silent laugh. She thanked her dearest friend and happily ate her cake. For the next four years, Aria had always received those kind notes and lilies without fail. Her meeting with the boy had been cut short and she hadn't seen him for quite some time. But she knew he was still out there. She knew that he still truly cared about her well being and was looking after her. Aria didn't know how the boy's name or why he was watching over her the way he was, but knowing that someone else cared about her made her happy. She had kept every note, every flower he had given her and held on to the hope that they will meet again. Perhaps even finally knowing what his name was.

Currently, Aria walked through the streets when she spotted a gelato stand just up ahead and smiled in anticipation. That sounded good right now. She walked up to it, and the owner had asked her what she would like. Aria reached into her bag when she noticed a young man walking up to the stand as well. He was a teenage boy of average height (175 cm (5 ft 9 in)) and a slim yet muscular build. He has fair skin, golden hair of moderate length tied back in a short, braided tail, with three distinctive oversized curls arranged in a row over his forehead. His eyes were seafoam green and sharpen at the end.

He wore a golden-trimmed pink two-piece suit with a checkered coat tail and several ornate features, including golden wing-shaped emblems on the collars and a heart-shaped opening in the chest area. The most distinctive feature of his suit are the three blue ladybug emblems located on either side of his chest and directly below his zipper. His shoes were dark blue and also have the same ladybug emblem on them.

When he walked up to the counter, Aria took a step back and smiled, allowing him to order first. The young man smiled kindly at her while she went behind him as she searched for her wallet and notebook. The young man walked and placed his order. "Mi scusi. I'll take a cioccolato and a pistachio, please." He said. He turned his head to look at the girl behind him when he noticed that she was walking towards a child standing nearby. She took out a notebook and pen and began to write. Upon completion, she held it up to the boy. The boy read what she wrote and shyly nodded his head. Aria smiled at the boy and was about to lead him over when the young man then said, "Make it two."

"Va bene." The owner smiled as he prepared two gelato cones. Aria gently took the boy's hand and brought him over as the blonde-haired young man gave him his cone. The boy smiled brightly as he thanked him and took his yummy treat. Aria looked up at the boy and smiled in gratitude. "It was no trouble." He said with a kind smile as he walked away with his gelato. After Aria ordered her frozen treat, she resumed her walk as she enjoyed the blissful breeze that blew in her hair. Not knowing that the golden-haired young man was watching her go with love in his eyes.

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, at the airport, many travellers and natives were getting impatient as the slow-paced taxi services were being strictly handled as most of the drivers were unlicensed. As two of the security guards deal with them, a man watched them and the ever-increasing line, and turned back to the old couple he was trying to scam.

"There, ya see? A mess. I can bypass that." He told them with a charming smile. "What do you think?" The elder man asked his wife. The woman was sceptical about it and gave the younger man a look that said so. "There ain't a cheaper way downtown." He told them, maintaining his good-guy smile. Then suddenly a deep, serious voice asked, "Yeah? What do you call cheap?"

The man nearly flinched as he and the couple turned to see a man walking towards him. He was a man of average to below-average height with a hutched stature. The two distinct features of his appearance are his constantly leaking right eye, with the scar noticeable under his eye, and his bangs which come down into two points. He had tanned skin, brown hair and green eyes. He wore a light brown coat with green flower patterns covering it over a burgundy button-up shirt with orange trimmings. He wore black pants, grey and white shoes with yellow trimming and blue laces. Dragging behind him was a shovel with "S.P.Q.R." embedded on it.

"Luca!" The man shouted in shock.

************

The man grunted in pain as he was harshly knocked to the ground. Flinching when the shovel was slammed in front of him. Luca stood above the man with a heated look in his eyes as he talked down to him. "Did you forget? You fork over the street taxes owe me before doing business."

"Have mercy, please!" The man cried out.

"I thought I was pretty clear. Taxes first, then work." Luca said.

"But-."

"But what, dead man?" Luca asks as he got in close to the scammer's face.

"I've got a family to feed." He told him, trying to gain his sympathy and let him go. Luca's initial anger faded as he softly said, "Oh..." He wiped away the tear that swelled in his eye and looked back at the man. All at once, his rage came back tenfold and let out a yell. Striking the man across the face with his shovel. The man was knocked back as he cowered before him. "P-please, no!"

"I like to say I feel for ya, guy, but friendship is thicker than blood. Got it?!" Luca shouted as he raised his shovel and swung it to kill the man when he suddenly made one last attempt to save himself by shouting an important piece of information.

"If you off me, you won't know who else is dealing behind your back!!"

Luca stops mid-swing and stares down at the man. Glaring coldly at him. "Name."

"..."

"Give me the rat bastard's name."

"I-It's Giorno! Giorno Giovanna!"

"Giorno." Luca said with instrest.

"Yeah, and the kid's been making a killing too!" The man told him.

"So that's how it is." Luca says as he looks back towards the airport. He hadn't heard of a name like that before but it didn't matter. This was his turf and his own business, and it didn't matter who this Giorno kid was, he needed to learn the rules around here and he was going to teach him a lesson. Luca turned back to the man and said, "Thanks. The info's much appreciated." Then he swung his shovel at him.

At the same time, a taxi cab had arrived at the airport and immediately two of the security guards ran up to it. Annoyed that they had to deal with some other poser working without a license. "Hey, buster! Did you hear what I just said? No license, no work!" "Keep it moving!" They shouted. Stepping out of the car, a familiar boy with golden hair, sea-green eyes and clade in pink looked up at the two guards and smiled at them. "Buon giorno!" Giorno Giovanna greeted.

A few minutes later, Koichi Hirose has just landed at Naples. It was a long flight and as soon as he walked through the clearing gate, he stretched his body. "I finally made it." He says as he wheels his suitcase. He let out a tired yawn and stretched once more. Koichi was now wearing a blue uniform with his original jacket being replaced with a much longer double-breasted variation featuring golden metallic wristbands and the Roman Numeral for three (III) on each side of his collar and grey shoes. "What a journey. I'm definitely not in Japan anymore." Being on that flight had made Koichi think about all of the events that occurred in the past two years since Kira's death. And boy, heh, what events they were.

With Kira gone, things have certainly gone back to the peaceful quiet town of Morioh. For the most part. The gang had all graduated from high school together and were now headed off to make roads towards their future. Koichi and Yukako were studying up for college and were still deciding on what career choices they want to make. Josuke had decided to enter a police academy and become an officer like his grandfather. Officially taking up his mantle as the protector of his beloved town. Saya had chosen to work in her father's fashion business and plans to take over for him once the time came.

Rohan and Airi had gotten married a few months after their victory over Kira and were now the proud parents of a healthy baby girl. A baby girl named Reimi. Airi claimed it was Rohan's idea but the mangaka was steadfast and said it wasn't. It had extremely surprising that Okuyasu had managed to even graduate and enter college. Though everyone called it a miracle from God himself. But that wasn't the end of His miracles, for Okuyasu had finally gotten himself a girlfriend, an aspiring model, much to the complete shock and disbelief of his friends. Even more so when they found out that she was as smart as she was beautiful. And the most important event of all, in Koichi's opinion, was the celebration they all had when Josuke proposed to Saya.

Looking back, it made Koichi smile at how much had progressed in the past two years. How much they had grown. He let out a small laugh as he quickly remembered why he was here in Italy to begin with. "Okay, let's get down to business." Koichi says as he reached into his pocket and took out a photograph of a young teenager with short black hair and seafoam green eyes. "Haruno Shiobana. That's not a name you hear every day."

He flipped over the picture and read over the note that was written behind it. He stuffs the picture back in his pocket and grabbed his suitcase. "I should head for the hotel. I can't track this guy down carrying my bags around with me." With that in mind, Koichi headed outside of the airport and searched around to find the best spot to call for a taxi.

"Alright, now to find a taxi stand." He said.

"Damn, look at him go!!" A man suddenly yells. Koichi turned and saw two security guards standing around with Giorno. "I know, I can't think of anyone who can flex with their ear like that! It's one hell of a crazy trick." His partner exclaimed.

"How is he even doing that?!" The two guards watched in both fascination and mild disgust as Giorno stuffs his entire ear into his head. "Gross! That's foul!" "How this guy folded his entire ear?!"

"Wow...!" Koichi quietly says as he reached up to touch his ear. He didn't think it was even possible to do something like that. If he tried, it would've hurt. "Gotta say kid, that just made my whole day!" One of the guards said.

"Grazie." Giorno says as his ear goes back to normal. As the guards turn to leave, Giorno reached into his pocket and hands one of them a packet of cigarettes. However, from where Koichi was standing, he noticed that were was a sum of money inside of the packet. The guard stealthily took it and pockets it. "Just keep it on the down-low, yeah? You stay weird now." He says as the two of them walked away.

Giorno smirked at them before he took notice of the Japanese foreigner. Oh, now this should be interesting. He hadn't seen that many tourists from Japan before...this might be fun. "Need a taxi?" He asks Koichi.

"N-no, no. I'm fine really, thank you." Koichi quickly says as he turns to walk away, not wanting to get involved in something potentially weird. But that was just his luck, wasn't it? Even as he was walking away, Giorno followed him. "Are you sure? I'll drop you off for 180,000 lire, that's a pretty sweet deal, and I can at least get you to the centre of town." He tells him.

Koichi thought about that and he was looking for a taxi. However, he also took into account how much he was charging. "Let's see now... so the conversion would be about 10,000 yen." He said to himself. Once that number clicked in his head, Koichi stopped and snapped his attention on the younger boy. "Not interested! That's double the going rate, buddy!"

Giorno was slightly taken aback by his outburst but was genuinely surprised at how fluent he was. "Wow, nice job. You speak excellent Italian. Have you ever lived here in Italy?"

"Huh? Oh no, I just had my friend, Rohan-sensei make it so- N-never mind that, it's not important!" Koichi says before slipping out that important detail. "So, are you willing to drive me to town? I mean, you look like you're in junior high or high school at the very most. And what was that thing you handed to the guard? I'm pretty sure I saw cash, did you pay them off?"

Giorno raised his hands in defence and shook his head. "No, it's nothing like that, don't bust a gasket. So, 10,000 lire then. And forget the tip. Let's get going before it gets late."

"Wait, isn't 10,000 lira...500 yen?!" Koichi says, happy to have been given a cheap price for a taxi ride, but immediately felt suspicious about the whole thing. Maybe it was of the instincts he developed during his battle in Morioh, but something told him not to trust this kid fully. "Uh, that won't be necessary. I'll just wait like everyone else." He tells him as he walks over to the taxi stand, only for him to quickly stop when he saw how big the line was to even get a taxi in this part of the country. Koichi looked at the line with wide eyes as Giorno asked, "Still wanna wait?"

Though still very suspicious of him, but desperate to avoid the long queue, Koichi reluctantly accepts Giorno's proposition. Besides, he wasn't the same wimpy high school freshman anymore and was well-rounded with experience. He was confident enough that if anything happened, he can handle it. "10,000, you said?" He asks.

"That's right. Trade-off is you have to carry your own luggage. You don't have to tip remember?" Giorno says with a friendly smile. He guides Koichi out of the airport and leads him to his car across the street.

As they made their way into the car, Giorno walked over to the driver side and points over to the seats. "Bags upfront. You're taking the luxury spot. The backseat." He tells him. Giving him nothing but the best customer service. Koichi opens the passenger door and complies. However, he was still suspicious about Giorno's authenticity and gave him a stare. "I should warn you in advance I'm not some naive Japanese tourist, you better not try anything funny, got it?" He said as Giorno hops into the car. "I expect this car to head straight to my hotel."

"Certo. You want me to go straight to your hotel." Giorno said, still smiling at him. Koichi didn't buy his friendly demeanour one bit and slammed the car door shut. Preparing to get into the back seat. That's when the blonde-haired teen's smile quickly changed into a smirk. "Sounds good. Though your bags will be empty on arrival." Giorno quickly starts up the car and drives off, leaving the Japanese teen behind. Confused at what just happened.

"What the...? He left. Why would he take off before I could get in?" Koichi questioned. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the two guards from earlier standing across the street from him. His eyes nearly went wide when he realised that one of them was laughing under his breath. To which his partner chided him for. "Hey, pretend you didn't see." He tells him. All at once, Koichi realised that he had just been played.

"Shit, no, no, no! Come back!" Koichi called out to Giorno. The blonde-haired young man just looked over his shoulder, smiling to himself as the image of the Japanese tourist got smaller and smaller. Hmph. Okay, maybe not as fun but can't argue with the results. Now all he has to do is find a place where he can sell this stuff. "Ciao for now." He says.

Although, he should've listened to Koichi. If he did, he would've known he was right. Koichi was not your average, everyday guy. Koichi glared at the car and light green energy swirled within his blue eyes. No way was this kid going to make a fool out of him. "Reverb ACT3!" He commanded. Suddenly, Giorno's car had come to a halt. The engine was still going but his car refused to move. What was going on? Was the car malfunction or something? Even as Koichi made his way over, Giorno tried to get the car to move and make his escape. But nothing he did worked.

"It didn't have to end this way." Koichi says as he tapped the glass behind the car. Catching Giorno's attention. "I told you, don't try to pull anything funny." He said. Seeing that the car wasn't going to move anymore, Giorno decided to escape on foot. He got out of the car and stared at Koichi.

"I'm not gonna stop you from running. Once I grab my belongings, we'll be all done here." Koichi tells him as he walks over to the passenger side door. Not breaking eye contact with the younger man. Of course, Koichi had expected that this boy would make an expression of panic, of defeat, or at the very least guilt upon knowing his plan had failed. But...this boy... He didn't seem to be feeling any of those emotions... The boy was merely smiling. He simply glanced at Koichi with that composed, calm smile. His expression conveyed a shining serenity...or something to that effect. With the smile still on his face, Giorno calmly flees the scene.

"Look at him go. Giorno must've botched the job." Koichi turned his head and saw the same two guards talking. They had witnessed the whole thing but didn't do a thing to stop it. Hmph, must be due to the money Giorno used to pay them. "What did the kid expect? Scamming a Japanese tourist when he's half-Japanese himself." The guard says. Now this made Koichi's eyes widened. What did he say? "But with that hair colour and a name like 'Giorno Giovanna', who'd ever guess he doesn't have a drop of Italian blood in him."

Doesn't have...? Half-Japanese? Wait...if he thinks about this carefully, could it...could it be possible that..? "There's no way." Koichi softly says to himself as he opens the car to get his luggage. Once he gets it and makes it to his hotel, he'll contact Jotaro and ask him. But when Koichi opened the passenger door, he was shocked to find that his luggage had somehow disappeared. "What?! It's all gone! How?!" Koichi questioned as he searches the car to figure out it just vanished like that and wonders if Giorno had something to do with it. Then his eyes caught something...weird. A small egg-like ball laying on the passenger seat. It was carefully wrapped in some golden slime.

"It's like some kind of weird egg." Koichi says as he slowly reaches out to touch it. Just as his fingers were about to graze it, a small face suddenly sprouted. Looking up at him. Koichi let out a yell and jumped back in fright. Like a beating heart, the "egg" slowly morphed into that of a small frog. When it grew, it broke its way out of the confines of the slim and stepped out into the open. "Is this thing a Stand?! Why would one show up the moment I touched down in Italy?!" Koichi shouted as he stared at the frog. When it suddenly jumped onto his hand, the young man let out a frightened scream and frantically shook it off him. The frog jumped off and landed safely on the sidewalk. Peacefully hopping away and Koichi took a moment to calm himself.

"I must've been out of my mind. That's not a Stand, it's a living, breathing thing! Creepy, tree frogs aside, how'd my suitcase just disappear? There's no way he could've hidden it that fast! Ugh...! What's happening?!" Koichi exclaims. He began to feel a headache starting to form. He squatted down and held his head as he tried to make sense of what was going on. The photograph of Haruno Shiobana. That boy, Giorno Giovanna. Being half-Japanese. That frog. His missing suitcase! What does it all connect to?!

"I've gotta get some answers." Koichi says as he stands up and goes around the car to call out to the two guards. They seem to know a few things. "Uh, scusi! Could you tell me anything about that cad driver?" Koichi ran over to the guards as the small frog leaping into a sewer grate. It needed to go back.

Elsewhere, Giorno stood alone by a parking garage. Waiting as he looks up at the sky. "Any minute now." He says to himself. As he waited, a thought ran through his mind and he began to think very fondly of a certain someone. Feeling a need to see their face, Giorno reached into his pocket when he suddenly heard something metal scraping against the ground. He turned around and saw Luca standing behind him. Giorno stared at him, taking in his appearance before glancing down. Seeing that he was carrying a shovel.

"You're Giorno Giovanna, right?" Luca asks him. Giorno response back with a small bow. Seemingly accepting that, Luca motions him to follow him to a nearby bench. "We haven't met before, have we? Giorno, you have any clue who I am?" He asks him as a tear swelled in his right eye.

"Leaky-eye Luca. You were in a dispute a while back and when it turned ugly, you took a knife to the face but kept fighting and swinging despite your wound. The complications from that little scrap left you with a perpetually leaking eye, hence your moniker." Giorno tells him. Revealing he knows full well who the man was. Luca sat down on the bench and took out a rag. Drying his eye and patting the space beside him. "Here, take a load off and make yourself comfortable." He says. Giorno stayed where he was as he stared at Luca. Almost as if he was observing him. "What's the hold-up, pop a squat. Looking up at you is hurting my eyes." Luca said.

This time, Giorno complied and sat down beside him. Deciding to see where this will go. Luca dried his right eye again as he asks the young boy, "So, how old are you?"

"Fifteen and change." Giorno said.

"What, really?! Haha, you're a baby! So, here's the thing, Giorno, any true friendship has to be built on the firm foundation of three "T's", you've heard of them haven't you?" Luca asks with a smirk. "In case you're drawing a blank, the first one is Truth. The second one is Tolerance. Last but not least, you have the third T, Tribute. And voila, the three T's of true friendship."

"Was there something you needed?" Giorno asked him. Up until now, Luca had been somewhat civil with him, however, when Giorno began to question him, it set off Luca like a switch and he grabbed his shovel and held up the handle up to Giorno's chin. "I wasn't finish showing you the ropes, so shut your face-hole! Nobody said you could ask questions, stronso!" He shouted in anger and he shoves the handle into his face. "As for what I needed, I hear you started a hustle at the airport. Huh?! Surely, you can see how this would be confusing. After all, I don't remember receiving any tribute from you. And without tribute, how can we remain true friends? Now hand over your wallet." Luca reached over without waiting for a sign of compliance and began searching for the young teen's wallet.

"Signore, you've got it wrong. I've already paid your tribute, I don't have any money." Giorno tells him. Still so calm and collected.

"You talking about that guard?! You have to be a special kind of stupid to think I'm working with that oaf!!" Luca shouted at him as he yanks out his wallet. Opening it to take whatever money he has on him. When he did, he was caught off guard by the photographs inside. One held the picture of a very familiar man practically engulfed in shadow. He had shoulder-length blonde hair and his eyes were glowing gold in colour. The second one was much brighter. It was a picture of a beautiful young girl with long waist-length black hair and ruby-red eyes. She smiled happily at the camera as she held onto a black violin case.

"The hell is this, family photos?" Luca questioned when stares at the photographs. He shook his head to dismiss them and turned to glare at the young boy. "I know you're holding out on me! So fork over the cash right now, blondie!!"

"Signore Luca, I really hate having to repeat myself." Giorno says. Though he was calm, it was visibly clear he was getting annoyed with him. "And as I've already said, I don't owe you anything."

"Huh?"

"Now please don't make me say a third time now-." Giorno tells him with a heated glare as he quickly dodges back when Luca suddenly swung his shovel at him. Missing him by an inch. Luca slammed his shovel into the ground just as a familiar little frog leapt from the sewer grate. "Testa di cazzo!!" Luca shouted, preparing to swing his shovel again when he stopped. Flinching when he saw the frog had come out of nowhere and began climbing onto Giorno.

"Time out, kid. What the hell is that?" Luca questioned as he pointed the frog out. Giorno looked down and was surprised to see it. "So he came back." Giorno whispered to himself.

"Flick it off!"

"No, the frog has nothing to do with. Please don't ask me to do that." Giorno tells him.

"That wasn't a freaking suggestion, amico!! And you still haven't paid the taxes you owe, are you seriously gonna refuse both of my orders?! You've got some brass balls, kid!! No one says 'no' to Leaky-eye Luca twice!!" Luca shouted.

"This frog is a living creature with a will of his own. He thinks and acts for himself. Let's go our separate ways." Giorno tells Luca. He didn't want things to escalate more than they already have. Whatever Luca was planning, it didn't need to happen. They can walk away now and forget this ever happened. As Giorno tries to tell Luca this, the man was still enraged and talked over him.

"Flicking him off is something I just can't do. I hope you understand." Giorno said,

"You're really starting to piss me off. Ugh, just shut your damn mouth already!!" Luca shouted as he moves in to attack Giorno with his shovel. He wasn't going to be talked down by some snot-nosed little prissy punk like him! He was a true thug and no one was going to tell him otherwise.

"Stop! He's harmless if you leave him alone!!" Giorno warns him, trying to prevent him from making a huge mistake.

"Get ready to die, you insubordinate dick!!" Luca shouted as he bashes his shovel squarely in Giorno's chest and right onto the little frog itself with all the strength he had. And then, silence. Luca glared at Giorno as both men stayed still. The little frog then peeked its head from under the shovel. "Don't say I didn't try to warn you. This little guy here isn't totally loyal to me as you're about to find out." Giorno says with a cold look in his eyes as the frog hopped on to him. "Just remember he's only protecting himself, as anyone would protect something as precious as life."

Now, Luca's eyes were dull and vacant. He didn't move. He didn't speak. He merely stood there. Though, let's be honest.... there's no way anyone would be functioning if they were in Luca's position. After all, the entirety of the back of his head was caved in the exact shape of his trademark shovel. "Do you get it now?" Giorno asks as he takes the frog into his hand. "An attack on him is an attack on oneself and a fatal one." Soon gravity took over Luca's body and he fell face-first into the ground. His shovel caught Giorno's suit's zipper and dragged it down. With his upper body revealed it was quite hard not to notice an interesting feature on Giorno's body. Specifically, the one at the back of his neck. A very familiar star-shaped birthmark.

"But bear this in mind, I asked you very nicely not to make me repeat myself a third time." Giorno said. He straightens and zips up his suit as the frog suddenly transforms back into Koichi's luggage. "Repeating oneself is futile. It's a big waste of time and a bigger waste of breath. Totally useless." Giorno walk around Luca's body and picked up his wallet. Looking at the photographs inside. His eyes narrowed when he noticed specks of dirt on the girl's picture. He set down the luggage and cleans it up. Though it was only a photo, Giorno didn't want anything to sully the girl's angelic face. Once it was clean, Giorno smiled down at the girl's gentle smile and brought it closer to him. Under his breath, he recited a vow and grabbed the luggage. Putting away his wallet and nonchalantly walks away from the scene.

Chapter Text

*Sometime earlier, back at Morioh Town.*

Now, some might wonder what Koichi was doing in Italy and why he had that picture of that boy named Haruno Shionbana. Well, back in Morioh, after Koichi had finished up with classes, he was spotted by Jotaro. At first, he invited him to sit with them at the local cafe. However, once he was settled, the marine biologist came clean and told him that he had a request they liked to ask him. That was when Jotaro gave him the picture.

"You want me to get a skin sample from this kid?" Koichi asked, looking down at the photo a bit confused.

"That's right. Send it to me as soon as it's secured." Jotaro said. "The Speedwagon Foundation and Hikari will examine his genetic makeup." Jotaro maintains his classic hat in the same white colour now with a noticeably much larger rip at the back of his hat. A circular gold/bronze pendant with the iconic hand symbol is shown on his hat as it's seen attached to a belt that seemingly wraps around, comes from within the hat and ends at the gold/bronze metallic lining of his visor. His white coat appears much more form-fitting with its large collars adorned with metallic "J" symbols. It has rounded diagonal teal slits across the sides and only the top button is buttoned. Underneath Jotaro's coat is a blue-grey turtleneck shirt with another hand symbol on his neck. The shirt displays two bright purple stripes intersecting with each other and his sleeves are rolled up. Jotaro's two vibrant belts are worn orderly and he has long pant legs appearing slightly pushed up above his teal shoes.

"His DNA? What's so special about him?" Koichi asks.

"Let's just say that his dead father was unique. Hence the analysis. Hikari doesn't need much to begin. She said an epidermal sample will suffice. That's the rundown." Jotaro informs him. Koichi stared up at the older man in slight awe. On the one hand, he was honoured to be asked of this, but on the other, he didn't know much about this young man or how he was even going to get a sample from him. "I'll cover your travel expenses." Jotaro then tells him.

"What, you're covering them all?!" Koichi exclaims, shocked that Jotaro would do that for him. He knew that protesting against it would be undeniable pointless against someone like Jotaro, so Koichi just decided to bear with it. When Koichi looked back at the picture. He was...now getting a sinking feeling. It wasn't anything to be too concerned about, but he felt he had to say it. "That's sort of eerie. About this kid, not to sound weird, but he bears a real strong resemblance to you." Koichi tells him. However, even with that point address, Jotaro didn't speak a single word about that and looked to be almost as concerned as he was.

*Now*

With the picture and a map in hand, Koichi walks the streets looking for Haruno's most known location. "The address written on this photo should be around here somewhere." Koichi says to himself. As he walked about, his blue eyes caught sight of an unsupervised briefcase. The apparent owner of the said briefcase was standing behind it as he chatted with another man. "They should watch that." Koichi mumbled to himself. This caught the ears of a waiter of the restaurant beside Koichi and he said, "There's no reason for you to be concerned. No one around here will be foolish enough to steal their bag. Not if they wanted to live." The waiter tells the young man with a smile. Knowing full well who the men are. Of course, since he was only visiting Italy, Koichi had no idea.

"Wow, that's impressive. This area must be pretty safe, huh?" Koichi says as he looks around. Eventually, his eyes caught sight of a very delicious, hand-made baked pizza nearby. Just looking at it nearly made Koichi drool. It looked so good that it made his stomach grumble a bit. Now embarrassed, Koichi jumped back and tried to hide it. The waiter only gave him a small amused smile and asked, "Signore, how about some lunch?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass!" Koichi said as he tried to steer away. Honestly, he was hungry and he could go from food, but since he didn't have his wallet, there was no way for him to pay for it. Then he looked over and saw three girls blushing and talking around a table with some guy that to be very disinterested in them.

"Hey, mind if I sit next to you?"

"No way, I'm sitting there!"

"Why not have a drink with me, I promise you won't regret it."

"I'll pay for it!"

"Can I come?"

"How about, no?" The young man said, dismissively. "Now all of you just go away and leave me be."

"Okay." The girls said in unison, slightly sighing in defeat. "Adomani, Giorno." One of the girls says as they left the table. Giving Koichi a full view of the person they were talking to and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw him. He didn't think he would meet up with him so soon and by pure chance. He wasn't that lucky. "Ciao now." The girls say as they walked away.

"It's the guy from before?!" Koichi exclaimed.

Giorno then reached into his pocket and pulled out a decent stack of money. Flipping it as to count how much he has leftover. As he was in the middle of his counting, Giorno glanced up and was shocked to find Koichi standing beside him. He jumped out of his seat when Koichi began to yell out, "I finally found you, you lousy crook! That's my money you got!"

"You! How'd you know I was here?" Giorno asks him as he steps away. However, Koichi ignored his questioned and responded with his own as he slams his fists on the table. "Where the heck is my passport and what did you do with my bags?!" He furiously asks the boy.

"It really pains me to have to tell you this, but your stuff is gone. I sold it. Sorry, amico. Now you know so stop chasing me." Giorno says, rather nonchalantly. However, though he had stolen Koichi's luggage, seeing him standing in front of him like this, did spike a sense of guilt in his heart. Still, now that he has told him the truth, he has no business staying here. Giorno quickly turned around and tried to make a break for it when all of a sudden his hand weighed down and stuck the table, making a sizable crater around his palm and making him drop the money. "You're not getting away again!" Koichi shouted. Reverb ACT3 was hovering beside him.

"What's weighing down my hand?" Giorno quietly asks himself as he stares in shock at how heavy his hand had gotten. That's when he thought back to the events at the airport. When the car had shut down on him no matter what he did. "So earlier, that wasn't the car malfunction? This stranger could he have the kind of powers as me?"

This caught Koichi's attention and raise his guard. "Hang on, what did he just say?" Soon the table caved in under the intense gravity pressure and Giorno fell to the ground with a shout. Seeing he wasn't going to get out of this on his own, Giorno had no other choice. He had to use that. "Golden Wind!!" Giorno yelled as, for a quick instant, a golden armoured Stand appeared. It rushed and struck the ground beside Giorno's hand. When it did, vines with white flowers began to grow from underneath, spreading across the ground. "Plants the seeds of volatility. Bring forth new life!"

A small tremor shook the ground and before Koichi had realised it, Giorno had suddenly disappeared. Leaving a cloud of dust behind. But Koichi knew that there was more to it than just a simple vanishing act. "There was something there, I'm sure of it! ACT3, go!" Koichi commanded as Reverb ACT3 flew after Giorno with him following close behind. When they rounded the corner, they were met with the dead-end of an alleyway.

"The target has vanished." ACT3 tells him as he floats around.

"Damn that guy. How'd he manage to break free from 3-Freeze's pressure grip so easily?" Koichi asks himself as he places his hand on a nearby tree. Wondering how Giorno was able to escape. Almost nothing could escape ACT3's pressure ability. He soon found his answer when he felt the tree beginning to move. As if it were growing at a rapid pace. Koichi looked up and was shocked to see Giorno among the branches. The tree was helping him by lifting him onto a nearby roof.

"I'll say it again. I strongly suggest you abandon following me. I despise saying something a second time when once is sufficient. Repetition is the very essence of futility." Giorno tells the young blue-eyed man. "Some friendly advice for you, stranger. Try not to lead a useless life."

This guy...Just who is he? Though the info he got from the security guards were helpful enough, he still needed more answers. He has no idea who this kid was or why he acts and thinks the way he does. This young boy held answers of his own. "Take him down ACT3 before he gets away!" Koichi commanded ACT3. The humanoid Stand quickly flew towards the growing tree and struck it. However, before it can launch an assault or subject it to its 3-Freeze ability, the force behind the initial hit had somehow reflected at him. Knocking him down to the ground. The stoned streets had crumbled into a crater below him and Koichi could barely move from the impact.

"The force ricochet back to me when I hit the tree but why?" Koichi questioned.

"I stole all your belongings and yet you still held back when you attack me." Giorno says as he hops onto the roof. Looking down upon Koichi and taking note of his injuries. "Your injuries tell me everything I need to know about you. You, amico, have a good soul." With that, Giorno turned and ran off. When the force subsided, Koichi got the feeling back in his body but he carefully sat up as he watched the boy disappear.

"There's no doubt about it. Giorno Giovanna. That kid...is a Stand user." Koichi says to himself.

Giorno ran across the roof, hopped onto another, and jumped safely to another part of an alleyway. When he glanced up, he believed he was far enough and walked away into the town. He'd done enough for today. Maybe he should head back to his dormitory.

*Later*

Jotaro was doing some work regarding his research on his part regarding Haruno Shiobana in his office when he heard the phone ringing. He placed down the papers and went to answer it. "Hello."

"Jotaro! It's Koichi!"

"Ah, good to hear from you. Did you make it to Italy?" Jotaro asks him.

"I found him! The kid you asked me to look into, Haruno Shiobana!"

"That was record time." Jotaro said, now getting a little concerned. The area where Haruno lived was a pretty big place so the odds of suddenly running into him right off the bat was pretty low. He hoped the kid wasn't what he thought he was. Well, not more than he already was.

"Yeah, well I hope you're holding on to your hat. I ran into him at the airport and we...kinda had it out. But now we have confirmation." Koichi tells him. Speaking through a nearby payphone with whatever change he had on him. He glanced back at the restaurant before saying, "He's a Stand user and a strong one. He goes by Giorno Giovanna here. It's just as you said, Mr. Jotaro. Stand users are somehow drawn to each other. Our meeting was completely by chance. He looks like a student but acts like he's in some sort of gang. He stole my bag and all my money. And then there's his Stand ability. Seems like he can reflect attacks right back at the attacker."

"I'm sorry about all the trouble. I'll get you a room and some money, just hang tight." Jotaro tells him. His eyes slightly widened when Koichi mentioned the kid's Stand ability. He didn't know much about him, but he was worried he'd have the same abilities or the same attributes as his deceased father. He was worried it be more dangerous than The World. Even so, if Koichi was still talking to him, he can take some hope that Giorno didn't.

At the same time they were talking, Giorno walked down the streets of Italy with a school bag in hand. He had done enough work for today so he was heading back to his school. He had thought about stopping by that flower shop on the way. As he thought this, he looked up ahead and saw Aira walking past his way. Seeing her again brought a strong sense of warmth to Giorno's heart. He blushes pink when he saw her smiling face. As she walked on, he walked down the steps and turned to follow her. They were heading in the same direction anyway so he hoped it didn't seem creepy. Still, he wished he could go up and talk to her again. He missed being at her side.

"Thank you, Mr. Jotaro. Oh, and the picture's outdated, he's blonde now. I've spoke to some people who know him and they say he didn't dye his hair. It just changed, and recently too." Koichi tells him. "This is probably a sensitive subject, but you mentioned his father when I started all this. Mr. Jotaro, are you two related somehow?" He asks.

Jotaro fell silent during his talk and reached over to grab onto a framed picture. He stared at it in both fondness and bitterness. It was a time where they were all together, fighting side-by-side. Surviving together and supporting the other. Ensuring a bond that'll never break. A time where he had fallen in love. But it was also a time where they were ripped out of normality and entered death games with psychotic Stand users and faced off the most dangerous monster this Earth had created. The memento photograph of the Stardust Crusaders. "His father and I go way back. I'm the one who killed him."

Koichi's eyes widened in shock at that.

"His name was Dio Brando." Jotaro admitted.

"Did you say 'Dio'?! As in the bow and arrow, Dio?!"

"The very one. I learned this year that Dio may have fathered a child. I needed to uncover the truth. I had to know whether Giorno Giovanna was Dio's son and if he was, how much he took after his father." Jotaro explains as he looks over to a small corkboard and glanced over at the photos that were taken regarding Haru-... Giorno. Dio. As well as the family he lives with and which school he goes to. He needed answers from a closer standpoint. He could've asked the others to take up the role, but he chose Koichi because Jotaro wanted someone reliable to stealthily investigate the boy.

"But didn't Dio's body once belong to a Joestar?" Koichi asked.

"You said he has blonde hair now. Be careful, that may be proof that Dio's blood has only recently awakened his Stand power. Something must've triggered it." Jotaro tells him. "There's a good chance a powerful Stand user has arrived in Naples."

"Man, just what we didn't need." Koichi said. Getting anxious about encountering that boy again. He had only got a small taste of what his Stand could do and who knows what else it's capable of.

"You've been through enough already. So keep your distance from this kid, got it?" Jotaro tells him.

Meanwhile, Giorno puts a ticket through the machine slot and hops aboard on the funicular. Making sure Aira was safe and sound as she made her way up the small steps to sit by the window. As he entered, Giorno was unaware that he was being trailed by a man in a white suit. Giorno takes his seat directly behind her and smiles when he glances up at her just as the funicular takes off.

"One last thing... Do you think he's a true enemy? More to the point, could he be an ally?" Koichi suddenly asks Jotaro.

"What does your gut say?" Jotaro asked. "You're the only one who's met him. How'd he come across?"

Koichi paused for a moment. "I can't say for sure but there was a... How do I put this...? He had a certain eloquence about him."

In the funicular, Giorno gazes out the window. Looking at the many passing buildings. He opens up the window to get let some air in before smiling to the outside. That's when he heard something drop to the floor. He glanced down and saw a coin spinning before settling down. Then a man came in to pick it up.

He was a man of above-average height with a slim build and fair skin. He has sky blue eyes, black chin-length hair with blue-grey highlights and straight-cut bangs covering his forehead. His hair is adorned with a braid going along the top of his head and a hair clip surmounted on each side of his bangs. His attire is composed of an all-white suit covered in small black spoon-like symbols, with an open chest similar to Giorno's, and golden zippers in random places of the suit. Underneath his jacket was a lace-like black tattoo and dark grey shoes.

When the man picked up the coin, he looked over to the blonde-haired young man. "This yours?" He asked.

"It's not." Giorno simply says.

"Hm, I see. It's my lucky day." The man in white says with a chuckle as he tucks the coin away. He then sits across from Giorno and asks, "Tell me. If you were to find a bag on this tram, a bag that had a billion lire inside, would you turn it in?"

This made Giorno chuckle. "Hahaha...you're joking, right? It's finders keepers." He said. Meanwhile, Aria was about to place headphones on her ears to listen to music when she overheard the two men's conversation. She knew it was rude to eavesdrop, but these two, in particular, caught her attention. Aria carefully sat still as she listened in. The man in white laughed.

"At least you're honest. But what if I was really an undercover cop and I saw the whole thing?" He asked.

"Ah, well, in that case, I'll let you mosey off with half the money to look the other way, probably." He tells the man with confidence. Hm? Why does that voice sound so familiar? This type of response made the man in white let out a wholehearted laugh.

"Ahahahahahaha!! Now that's the spirit, and you know I get the sense you really would. The look on your face isn't the expression of a bluffing man. I can clearly see that you're telling the truth. You see, I have a special knack for telling whether someone's being truthful, and I don't often make mistakes. Have you ever noticed how the face often glistens with sweat? That's normally the first tell, but what's important is the sweats flavour. That's the tell-tale sign." The man said with an unnerving smile. Licking his lips to emphasise his point on tasting out liars.

The once friendly aura had suddenly vanished. Giorno had a bad feeling about this man and could feel the hostile intent from him. He raised his guard as he carefully asked, "Ciccio, who exactly are you?" The man jolted from his seat and glared daggers at the young boy. "Leaky-Eye Luca got his head bashed in his own shovel and was conveniently found unconscious on the outskirts of the airport. He's critical and it's looking like he's never going to come too. And I've come here to hunt down the culprit." He tells him as he got in close.

"So let's talk. No one has the slightest idea why Leaky-Eye Luca was even at the airport, however, I spoke with the security guard and was told that a young man named Giorno Giovanna was there." The man said, beginning to explain. Aira's ruby red eyes slightly widened. What did he...? That name. No, it couldn't be...could it? Now Aira had to listen further in. She carefully moved over in her seat and leaned her out to hear more.

"If it's not too much trouble, I thought we'd have a quick chat about the matter." The man said, more calmly as he sat back down.

"Chat, huh? You a cop or what?" Giorno asks him, growing suspicious. He didn't know who this man was or what he was after. However, he did know that this man had enough strength to fight back when push comes to shove and he much likes to avoid another conflict, if he's not careful, he could get Aria involved. The man narrowed his eyes at the young boy. "Don't be ridiculous." He said, rising to his feet once more.

"Luca wasn't some ordinary street punk, he was a mafioso, and several people had reason to off him. He had a special knack for being hated. Problem is, that's not how his boss is electing to see the situation. A member of the famiglia has been slain and what honour he had has been several compromised. He's ordered me to find the perpetrator and sort out everything surrounding this mess." The man says as he grips Giorno's wrist and stares right into his eyes. "Make this easy cooperate. Understand? Did you meet up with Leaky-Eye Luca at the airport?" He ominously asked.

And as easy as the air he breaths, Giorno lies. "Leaky who? Never heard of him." The man stayed where he was, gripping Giorno's wrist tightly as his eyes bore into him. Waiting for the tell-tale sign of a liar. They both gave each other a stare as the tram came to a stop and opened its doors for anyone getting off. "You're not perspiring. Right then, that's all I need. You're in the clear." The man says as he lets Giorno go and walks away. Aria let out the quietest breath she didn't even know she was holding. Dear God, that was scary...but that's to be expected from a mafioso like him. ..Was that boy okay?

"Sorry to bother you, Giorno Giovanna." The man said before exiting the tram and walking away. Aira peeked at his retreating form and carefully stood up. She walked over to Giorno, who was slightly surprised to see her as she moved her hands to communicate when a thought came to her. Oh no, no... he might not understand. Aria reached over to her bag when Giorno then said, "Yes, I'm fine. I'm not hurt at all."

Aira lifted her head and was caught off guard. Giorno smiled kindly at her as he lifted his other hand and signed an 'okay'. Aira's eyes lit up as she moved her hands again. "Oh, you know sign language?" She asked.

"Haha, yes, I do. I thought it seemed interesting." Giorno said. Aria smiled at him, a little relieved that she met someone else who understands sign language, it's not that often as far as she was aware in Italy. However, not that she was looking at his face and hearing that laugh of his...he did...remind her of someone. Someone very special to her. They even shared the same name. But...was it the same boy? Aira raised her hands to ask him a question when Giorno's attention fell to his clenched hand. He felt...something odd. Wet...and slimy.

Giorno slowly opened his hand and was overwhelmed with horror and shock when he found an eyeball, a fresh human eyeball, staring right back at him on his palm. Both Giorno and Aira jumped back in horror while the young man let out a yell as he threw the eyeball away from him. "What the hell is going on?! And why was my fist clenched?!" Giorno questioned.

"You're looking at Luca's right eye. It's not currently in use, so I thought I'd bring it along." The man in white says. Suddenly reappearing outside the open window behind Giorno and leans in to lick the sweat off of Giorno's face. "What a surprise. That's the distinct tang of a liar, right Giorno Giovanna?!" He shouted.

The blonde-haired young man jumped back from the window and stared in stunned silence as the man reentered the tram. Giorno's heart sank when he looked over to Aria. The poor girl was shaking like a frightened animal as the man in white made his way over. No...whatever this man wanted...whoever he was, Giorno can not allow this innocent soul to get hurt. He promised to protect her!!

"I have to apologise. I know I said we were done with questions, but it seems the game has changed a bit. Wouldn't you agree, Giorno?" The man asked as he stands over the boy. "I know you're a liar. But the question is, why? Don't be shy, amico. I'm really very interested in hearing what you have to say!!" He shouted as he suddenly punched Giorno in the face, knocking him down. Aira let out a silent gasp as she stumbled back. Tripping over and falling back, staring up at the man in fear. What...what was this? What's happening? What...how did he...?

The man in white took a glance at her and the other passengers who were looking their way. "What's with you all? Jealous or something? I'll gladly let you in on this!" He called out to them. When he did, all of the other passengers quickly turned around and pretended not to notice a thing. He took another glance at the snivelling girl before turning his attention back to Giorno. "You can call me Bruno Bucciarati. Time for the truth. We've already progressed from questioning to torture." He tells him.

Giorno's eyes widened when he felt that something...no, several things were in his mouth. And they felt and tasted vile. He felt like throwing up. Nearly choking, Giorno quickly coughed up what was inside his mouth and spatted them onto the floor. Bucciarati only smirked down at the boy and said, "Well, what do you think? Terrifying trick, isn't it?"

"Are those-?!" Giorno exclaimed when he saw what exactly he coughed up. Five human fingers.

"They're Luca's fingers. My turn to confess. Luca bit the big one courtesy of our aforementioned boss. He didn't see the use in keeping dead weight around." Bucciarati says as he swipes the fingers away with his foot. "His fingers make a fabulous torture tool."

'Not again! What did he do?! Damn it, could he have powers like that Japanese tourist?!' Giorno thought to himself as he held his mouth.

"Oh, and I'm not just a human lie detector. I've other tricks up my sleeve. As you've just seen for yourself, I can fit almost anything inside your mouth. For example," Bucciarati says as his sky blue eyes trailed over to a nearby fire extinguisher. "It'll be child's play to slide that extinguisher between your jaws. Of course, if I did, you'd be joining Luca in the afterlife." Bruno says as he kneels to Giorno's height, laughing at his misery. That's when Giorno noticed something on his left cheek. What was... A zipper? Why was there-?

The zipper moved on its own and began to move up to open up his face, showing off a swirling black and purple void. "Now talk!!" Bucciarati shouted as he punched Giorno again. "You know exactly who attacked Luca. Were you paid to keep quiet? Although I suppose it doesn't really matter. You'll still tell me what I wanna know." The zipper on Giorno's face had extended to his throat and he could feel his was about to fall off.

'I guess that answers my question. He definitely has powers!' Giorno thought.

"You will tell me everything. Or the torture is going to intensify, Giorno Giovanna!!" Bucciarati shouted as he struck the boy once again, but this time his right arm had changed to that of a blue and sliver armour-plated one. The great force behind this attack caused Giorno to go flying across the walkway and slam to the other side of the tram. 'This guy's...deadly!!' Giorno thought as his back collided with the ground. Aria snapped out of her fearful daze and ran over to him, checking if he was okay. Giorno stared at Bucciarati and quickly understands that his opponent has the same powers as he does. 'There's no other way...If I wanna have a chance in hell at winning this fight, I'm gonna have to use Golden Wind!' Giorno gets up and pushes Aria behind him as he summons out his Stand.

It was a humanoid Stand of slender build and average height, like Giorno. The top of its head is similar to that of a typical helmet of a soldier, with curved markings similar to the letter J coming down from the eyes on both sides. There are stylized light grey wings on its shoulders and large purple ladybugs all over its body, which seem to parallel the ladybug emblems present on Giorno's suit. Its design is based on the scarab beetle, as a symbol of creation in ancient Egypt, and on ladybugs, symbolizing regeneration, with its angel wings as a symbol of peace. It wears light grey slings around its hips. Befitting its name, Golden Wind has light yellow skin, covered in golden armour and has violet coloured eyes.

This Bucciarati guy is dangerous and the methods he had used to torture him are nothing short of nightmare-inducing, but with Aria standing behind in terror-filled confusion, Giorno prepares himself to fight with everything he's got. Everything to protect the angel that had captured his heart. No matter what, he must protect her! He'd promise!

Chapter Text

Giorno Giovanna, 15 years old, a cunning thief and troublemaker, and a citizen of Italy. Living in the dormitory of his school. However, from the very beginning, Giorno was not meant to be just an ordinary boy. He was the son of Dio Brando. Women were nothing more than a means of an end to him. Objects of sustenance. But miraculously, 15 years ago, Dio had spared his lover's life. She was to give birth to Giorno. A child of improbable origins. Anywho met Giorno's mother would call her a vision of unblemished beauty. She was of Japanese origin and had long black hair with grey eyes and red lipstick. While people can say she was beautiful, she was everything but a good mother. Motherhood was a struggle for her. After Giorno's birth, she and her son moved to Japan, where she would leave him alone at home in favour of a nightlife of glamour and bacchanalian revelry.

"Are you really gonna leave him there by himself?" A young woman asks her. While she wasn't a mother herself, she was still a little concerned that she would be so willing to leave her child. Especially since she was waiting on her, fixing her makeup. She was dressed in a pink dress, a yellow bead necklace with golden links, and silver and blue earrings. "Isn't he, like, two?"

"Hm? Oh, he'll be fine." His mother would say. Practically dismissing her friend's concern without a care in the world.  "There's no way I'm gonna let some kid take away my freedom and that's that." And just like that, she had finished her makeup, hoisted up her purse and walked out of the bathroom, welcoming the nightclub with open arms. Completely forgetting about her son. All her friend could do was shake her head in disappointment and follow her.

At the apartment where they once lived, a two-year-old Giorno had woken up from a bad dream and was about to cry out to his mother, until his eyes grew wide at how dark and alone he was. The apartment was rather messy and created small images of monsters in the eyes of a child. Countless nights Giorno would wake up to a vacant room. And every time, the fear and desperation that terrorised his soul must've been immeasurable. The boy knew crying was futile, so all he could do was tremble.

 Then two years had passed, and four-year-old Giorno was present at his mother's wedding. He could still remember how she looked that day. A white wedding dress with her hair tied back with a headband and a corsage in her hand, a transparent veil and silver earrings. Her new husband was an Italian man and it was through this marriage that would make Giorno an Italian citizen. He remembered how happy she had been that day. But...he couldn't find it in himself to be happy for her. Since he had been neglected by her. he had been standing by the wall, in the shadows as his mother and new step-father posed for a wedding photo. The photographer was about to take their picture when he took notice that something - or rather someone- was missing.

"Pardon me, but, uh..." The photographer trailed off as he pointed over to the small boy on the sidelines. This was just a family photo as it was a wedding one and the photographer wanted to include the lonely looking child. Giorno was just standing patiently and silently as his step-father approached him. "Now why are you hiding over here?" He asked him before kneeling to his height and giving him a warm pat on the head. "Come on, Haruno. Come with daddy so we can take the pictures. Mommy's waiting for you too."

Giorno timidly raises his gaze on the man. His step-father had spread the kindest smile he had ever seen and looked so gentle and honest. For a very brief moment, a twinge of happiness began to stir inside Giorno. He took his hand and went with him to take their pictures. Giorno looked up at his step-father with hope. Hope that maybe he'll be able to be the parent that his mother couldn't. He thought maybe he'll have a bond with him.

But he had been so foolish to cling to that hope. Because whenever his wife was away from the house or she wasn't paying attention-

*SLAP!*

Giorno let out a whimper as he tried to protect himself. He was on the floor and had his arms over his face while his step-father loomed over him with a leather belt grip firmly in his hand. "You're always trying to skulk around corners and spy on me. You annoying little brat!" His step-father shouted as he repeated to hit Giorno over and over again. Gone was the kindly man he saw that day. Giorno learned the hard truth that his step-father was a violent, intolerant man. Giorno suffered greatly at his hands.

The child was always so cautious around him. He always kept an eye on how he was. Even when he wanted to go into a room and get something, whenever he saw him, Giorno would stay back and watch him. Right now, he was sitting at the table in the kitchen area as he was counting some money with a smile on his face. He was even humming a little tune. It looked to be safe this time, so Giorno stepped out of the corner and walked into the room. His step-father almost immediately took notice. "Huh? What's the matter?" He asked in a demanding tone. Giorno didn't give him an answer as he steadily walked towards the small basket of fresh rolls.

"Oh, hahaha...the bread." The man laughed as he reached for one of the rolls and tossed it at Giorno. Making him almost jump as he takes it in his hands. "Here, take it. You're a depressing little shit, you know that?"  Giorno could only look up at his step-father with dull, solemn eyes. He was a constant observer of human expression, thanks to the very man who stood before him. 

But Giorno had also become an easy mark for the frustrated youth rooming the city.  They were relentless. They always found a way to make his life even more miserable. Whether they're at school or out in the streets, they'll be there to torture him. Giorno cried out as a bully stuck his foot out and made him trip and fall into a dirty puddle. "Whoa, what's with you, Giorno? Why are you tripping over your own feet like some klutz?" The bully mockingly asked as he and his friends laughed at the poor boy. Giorno picked himself up, wiping the murky water from his face as he looked up at the two adults that were right in front of them. One was an officer of the law. Though he was silent, he pleaded with them to help him and get these bullies to leave him alone. But then he saw the man giving the officer money, and him pocketing it and staring down at them like they were nothing.

"Hey, you punks, move your asses and get home." The officer told them in an annoyed tone as he and the man turned their backs on them, leaving them on their own. The look in Giorno's eyes had never been as hopeless as they were now. "Fine." The three bullies groaned out. Upset that their fun was cut off so short. "Let's beat it."

"Yeah."

"Go back to your country, you Japanese freak."

"He never even fights back."

"What a weirdo."

The boy soon saw himself as the scum of the earth. He worried it would be a matter of time before he became another crooked member of the Neapolitan underbelly plaguing his city. But little did Giorno know a single incident was about to change his life. One day, when Giorno was walking home from school, he saw an injured man lying in the shadow of an alley. He was an adult Italian man with an athletic build. He had long wavy brown hair that was kept at shoulder length, wore a beige coloured coat and was wearing a black suit. From where he stood, Giorno saw that the man was covered in blood, he was breathing and...was holding something? He couldn't see as it was completely covered by the man's body. Seeing that he was breathing, Giorno was about to walk towards the man and see if he needed help when he heard a voice shouting.

"Merda, where'd that bastard go?!"

Giorno turned his head and saw four suspicious men running up in view. They were angry and were frustrated someone had escaped from them. "Grab him before he slips away! He won't get far with those injuries."

"Could he have hidden in someone's house?"

Giorno looked back at the man for a quick moment before facing back the four others. Piecing two and two together that they were looking for him. But why? Giorno gazed at the wounded man. Taking note of his expression. It seemed...familiar to him somehow. "Make sure you check the ground, he's got to be bleeding out." The wounded man must've heard that as he pressed himself further into the ground to avoid getting seen if they were to show up. Though the shadow of the building was providing a layer of shadows to cover him the grass and plant life around him wasn't nearly enough to hide from view. "You go straight. We'll check out this way." The hint of desperation, the small twinge of fear...it was something Giorno was all too familiar with.

"Ragazzo!" Giorno lifted his head and saw that the suspicious men were now standing in front of him. Staring at him with cold, deadly eyes. Even as a child, Giorno knows that these men, whoever they were, were extremely dangerous. "You haven't seen an injured guy around here, have you? He's pretty tall and has black hair." One of the men said. The wounded man's right arm twitched as he let out a weak groan. His arms wrapped tightly around the unseen object and began to pray for God for mercy. If not for him, then-

Giorno, expressionless and being completely calm, stared up at the men and pointed. In the exact opposite direction. "I saw him go that way." He told them.

"Over there?!" The men followed the boy's direction and began to move out. "Well, he won't be moving very fast in his condition, let's move." While the rest of the men began to run after their target, one of the men wasn't too sure and looked down at the child. Attempting to see anything that might be a sign of him lying. But fear had no grip on the boy. The only thought Giorno had when he saw that helpless man was that he was friendless and alone. Just like him. The man couldn't find a speck of a lie in the boy's eyes and turned over to the alleyway beside them.

"Come on!" The others called out to him.

"Yeah." He says. Taking one last look behind him as he rushed to catch up with the others. In a strange turn of luck, a patch of weeds sprung up and obscured the man. Unbeknownst to Giorno, it was a consequence of his Golden Wind ability. At the time, he had no awareness of the power and activated it on pure instinct. Once that he was the man sitting up, Giorno considered his deed done and walked away. The man sat there, stunned at what had happened, before gritting his teeth as he stand back up. Rushing away from the scene as best he could.

Two months had passed and Giorno had more or less forgotten all about the incident. He did still think if that man survived once in a while, but it wasn't of his concern. It was raining heavily and he needed to get home. However, as he walked down the street he saw someone stepping in his path. He looked up in surprise to see a tall man with a lonely look in his eyes. He blinked. Strange. Had he seen him before? He looked down and saw a familiar black suit underneath a familiar beige jacket. Then the man spoke, his voice was filled with gratitude. "You saved my life back there. I won't forget that." And with that, he turned away and walked away before Giorno could say anything.

Before long, the beatings Giorno received from his step-father had ceased altogether.

His step-father had caught him watching him again and took out the wretched leather belt. He dragged Giorno from the corner and raised the belt over his head. Giorno flinched and let out a whimper as he raised his arms to defend himself. His step-father swung his belt but froze in mid-air. A look of terror appeared on his face as a bead of cold sweat ran down his face. His blood began to boil as he argued with himself at wanting to punish the brat, but then the man's words rang through his head. He trembled for a while before growling, "Damn it!" He swung his arm down and walked away from Giorno without laying a hand on him. "Why does he care about this kid?" He asked himself. Confusing the boy.

"Sit with us, Giorno!"

The bullies no longer pestered him.

The boy turned his head in surprise. Staring at his now-former bullies with wide eyes. They sound so...friendly? He had decided to go to the cinema as there was a movie he wanted to see but when he arrived he changed his mind. The room was packed full of patrons and he saw his bullies. Knowing he was going to be picked on, he quickly made his way to leave until they called out to him. Now they were guarding and presenting him with the only available seat in the whole room. They were acting so friendly and nervous at the same time, he didn't think they were for real. They had to be extra nice to him because that same man was watching them from a safe distance. The man that Giorno had saved was a mafioso.

"Ecco qui." The gelato vendor happily says as he hands Giorno a double scoop of chocolate and pistachio. His step-father and bullies were one thing, but this... receiving such an act of kindness from a stranger, had touched Giorno's heart and a red blush coloured his cheeks. "Wow...two scoops. I think you gave me too much." Giorno said in a soft voice, handing his cone back to the man. He couldn't accept this. He just couldn't. It was just too nice. But the vendor just gave him a kind smile and shook his head. "The cioccolato is my special treat." He tells him. Giorno was stunned. He'd never experienced this level of kindness before and seeing that the vendor wasn't going to budge, Giorno timidly accepted the gift.

"Thank you." He said softly.

"Of course, kid. I owe a heck of a lot to that guy." The vendor suddenly says as he looks up ahead. Taking off his hat and giving someone a kindly nod. Giorno, momentarily confused, turned to see what he was talking about. And there he was, the man he had saved. He was standing across the street and was watching over them. That's when Giorno realised. Everything that has been going on, was all because of him. He stopped his step-father's beatings. He stopped his bullies tormenting him. He was making his life brighter with each passing day. Giorno couldn't even begin where to start with this. Yes, he saved him, but he never expected to be treated with this much kindness and respect. He...he had to thank him.

The silent gangster then turned and begin to walk away. Prompting Giorno to quickly run after him and talk to him again. He was about to cross the street but quickly jumped back when a car blared its horn as it drove past him. When it passed, the gangster and Giorno met their gazes. The man tilted his black fedora to him and walked away.

The man continued to watch over him from a quiet distance. Being an observer of human expression, Giorno could tell he was paying his respects not to a lowly child, but to his fellow man. Through him, Giorno learned a basic skill from this silent stranger. One that his parents never managed to teach him. The ability to trust. He had become his role model. Giorno looked down at the frozen treat, and for the very first time, smiled. Giorno walked away from the corner and didn't notice a little girl running from across the street. She blew out a whistle, catching the attention of the gangster. He turned around and spread a smile of his own. Spreading out his arms and welcomed the girl with a loving hug.

Then...one day...Giorno became the witness to his hero's darker side.

Giorno was on his way back home from school. The sun was setting in the distance and there were several people scattered around doing whatever. Everything was fairly quiet when it was suddenly broken when a loud gunshot echoed into the streets. Everyone jumped and turned in the direction of the gunshot, seemingly inside one of the buildings, were both scared and confused as to what had happened. Not liking this dangerous situation, Giorno turned to leave the scene and take another route home. Until he stopped and saw the silent gangster leaving the building. He had been the shooter. He took off his black gloves and, accompanied by another, told him about something that Giorno couldn't hear. But that didn't matter. It was him. Finally, Giorno thought that this was his chance to talk to him and thank him for what he'd done.

He gripped the straps of his backpack and ran up to meet with them. "Scusi." He began, looking up at the man. His partner stopped when he saw him. "Huh? What is it?" He asked. However, the man had acted like Giorno wasn't even there and ignored him as he walked past. He was just a child. He was a bearer of innocence. Something that this city severely lacked. The man was determined to keep him far away from the grips of the mafia world. "Hey, don't run off without me." His partner said as he ran to catch up to him.

Then rapid footsteps approached from behind Giorno and he was pushed to the side and another boy shouted, "Hold it!" The man stopped and turned his around. He could see the rage in the boy's eyes. "It was you! You killed my father!" He shouted as he held up a gun to him. Much to Giorno's shock.

"Little punk, screw off." The partner narrowed his eyes at the young brat and reached into his suit. More likely to grab a gun of his own, but then the man placed a hand on his shoulder. Stopping him.

"Damn you...! Damn you!!" The boy shouted as he felt the tears burning in his eyes.

"Your old man was trash. He knew the rules but he didn't care, he was a drug peddler. Even women and children bought from him. So I took him out." The man told the boy without a hint of remorse. Justifying his execution as this was an infringement of their code of honour. Hearing his words and seeing that he had no regrets in killing his father, the boy felt his tears run free as his eyes burned with absolute hatred and let out a scream of distress and rage. He pressed against the trigger. But the gun didn't go off. He tried several times, but the gun failed to fire. The boy couldn't bring himself to do it. "What's going on?! Why can I shoot?! I wanna kill this guy but the stupid gun won't fire!" The boy cried as he felt his legs grow weak. He fell to his knees and cried. "You called my papa trash....but you're no better than he was!!" The man said nothing more as he turned and left.

Despite the drug dealer's son crying in front of him, Giorno only looked up to his hero further. Giorno would never have thought to describe his silent defender with such a word. In a bizarre twist of fate, it was this lawbreaker, this mafioso, who guided Giorno's soul towards righteousness and virtue. In a city where plead with corrupt politicians and unscrupulous police officers, along with receiving a final letter from his hero, Giorno found a reason to live. He had no aspirations to become a top Serie A soccer player, he was to become a primo mafioso. 

"You can call me Bruno Bucciarati. Time for the truth. We've already progressed from questioning to torture." The white-suited man tells the blonde-haired boy. Giorno's eyes widened when he felt that something...no, several things were in his mouth. And they felt and tasted vile. He felt like throwing up. Nearly choking, Giorno quickly coughed up what was inside his mouth and spatted them onto the floor. Bucciarati struck the boy and his right arm had changed to that of a blue and sliver armour-plated one. The great force behind this attack caused Giorno to go flying across the walkway and slam to the other side of the tram.

"It feels as if your head is about to roll off your shoulders, doesn't it?" Bucciarati questioned. "I suppose it's understandable that you have no idea what's going on."

'Why's this zipper embedded in my skin?' Giorno asked himself as he looked down at the long zipper that trailed from his face, shoulder and down to his chest. He put an experimental hand down and was a cold chill when he felt the emptiness of the inside of his body. Aria stared at Giorno in shock, wondering what was happening, before she quickly ran over to Giorno's side. Checking if he was okay. She didn't see anything too bad but the way he looked at himself told her that something was very wrong. But she doesn't know why.

"Giorno Giovanna, make no mistake if I wanted, I could very easily roll your head all over this funicular while I force the name of Leaky-Eye Luca's attacker out of you." Bucciarati said. Giorno picked himself up and held his arm, trying to keep the zipper from going any farther.

'If this guy gives off another attack, I'll be nothing but a pile of body parts. What's worse, Aria will get caught in the crossfire.' Giorno thought to himself as Bucciarati began to make his way over to him. A blurry image of Giorno's Stand hovered behind him. 'I've known about my powers for months now, but this is the first time I've ever had to seriously consider using them to attack another human being.' Giorno stood back on his feet and pushed Aria behind him as Bucciarati was now a few steps away. 'So far, I know that a strike from Golden Wind can breathe life into an inanimate object. Whatever I target can be turned into a living organism. But...what the hell is gonna happen if I hit an actual person? I'll find out soon enough! I have to keep Aria safe from him!'

"Time to come clean, Giorno Giovanna!!!" Bucciarati shouts as he dashes in to punch the boy. Aria's whole body tensed up with fear and gripped Giorno's arm as she cowered in terror. Giorno briefly closed his eyes and, quickly made his decision. He has to do it. Or else he and Aria will be killed. 'Right! It's now or never!' Giorno thought. In a blaze of glory, Giorno summons Gold Experience. "MUDA!" It shouted as it blocked Bucciarati's attack. "What?!" Bucciarati questioned. Staring at the golden armoured Stand with wide eyes, jumping back from the boy.

"So that's how it is. You're a Stand user." Bucciarati declared. "You could see my powers this whole time."

"What did you just call me?" Giorno asked. Aria stared at the two men. What was even going on at this point? Who were these boys? What was this man after? What powers? What-....what in Heaven's name was a Stand user?

"It's all adding up now. You disgraced Luca!!" Bucciarati shouts as he tried to make another attack, however, Golden Wind was faster and intercepted his punch and rushed in with a punch of its own. Its fist glowed in a golden light as it launched through the air and stuck Bucciarati square in the chest. Sending him flying across the funicular. Sending powerful shockwaves all over Bucciarati's body. He crashed against the metal floor in a loud thud as the people of the funicular let out various screams and yells as they watched the unknown happen before them.

Aria was no different. She let out the softest and faintest of whimpers and clung to Giorno's arm even tighter as her whole body began to tremble. Wishing that...whatever this was, would be over. Wishing that this was all just some bad dream and she would wake up in her bedroom. Giorno glanced back at his beloved and reached to hold her shaky hand. Silently telling her that he was right here with her. He hated seeing her like this. He turned back to Bucciarati with Golden Wind on standby as he waited for something to happen.

But Bucciarati lay there, completely motionless. Not even a twitch could be seen from him. Golden Wind vanished and Giorno cautiously took a step forward. What exactly had Golden Wind done? Had it done anything? Giorno kept his eyes locked on Bucciarati as he turned his body to gently push the ruby-eyed girl back. "Aria, stay here and take cover, okay?" He told her before walking down the steps towards the unmoving man. Aria quickly hid behind one of the booths and peeked out her head. Wondering what the young boy was up to now. After all, he had done something to-

Wait a minute... Did... Did he just call her by her name? How...how did he...? How could he have possibly known her name if they had never met before?

Chapter Text

Giorno kept his eyes locked on the still form of Bucciarati as he cautiously makes his way towards him. But as he grows closer, Bucciarati's body twitched and let out a pained groan. Halting the blonde-haired boy in his tracks with eyes wide. The mafia man, though still reeling from the attack from Golden Wind, slowly picks himself from the floor. However, all this confused Giorno as he questioned what exactly his Stand had done, if anything, at all.

'There's no way... Golden Wind hit him dead on. A blow that strong should've at least broken a few of his bones.' Giorno thought to himself as he watched Bucciarati steadily get back up. Maybe Golden Wind's ability doesn't work on people? In any case, maybe he should try and hit him again.

"Bastardo." Bucciarati growled as he glares at the punk who so unashamedly disgraced the member of the family. That was just one lucky hit. He won't get another one who easily when he puts a zipper in his-

*Break!*

Bucciarati jumped back in shock. He had tried to pull himself by grabbing the handrail when it suddenly bends in half under his grip. What the-?! How did he-?! Did he seriously just do that? Bucciarati looked towards the younger boy and questioned, "What did you just do, you son of a bitch?!" Bucciarati sprinted from his feet to go and demands answers from him when he quickly realised that he appeared before him much faster than he originally intended. This didn't just shock Bucciarati further, but Giorno as well. Before he knew it, Bucciarati was floating in the air.

"What the hell? I was barely standing a second ago, but now my body was brimming with power. I can feel the energy stronger, it's like some kind of life stirring gasoline pulsating through my veins!" Bucciarati says to himself, wondering what exactly Giorno had done. His eyes slightly widened when he saw Golden Wind rush at him with another attack. But...it was...slower? 'What?' Bucciarati easily took a jump back and evaded it. 'It's like it's moving in slow motion.' A smile crept onto Bucciarati's face and he zipped around the funicular until he was right in front of Giorno. 'Could his Stand's punch have left me in this heightened state? A Stand that supercharges your enemies... What foolish power!' Well, with being this unbelievably fast and strong, why not put it to good use?! "Invigorate this, Giorno Giovanna!" Bucciarati yells as he threw a punch towards Giorno's head.

However, for the third time, Bucciarati was left speechless when he suddenly went right through the young teen like a ghost. Nearly falling behind him. Bucciarati quickly turned around, wondering what the hell just happened, when he felt his blood run cold. He saw Giorno, Golden Wind....and...himself?! This Bucciarati looked like...he was in a daze and was moving rather sluggishly. "What's this...? That's my body. I'm standing behind myself? And the handle's perfectly straight. There's no way..." Bucciarati says with wide eyes. Looking down at his hands. "My mind's playing tricks on me, that's it. I only thought I was moving with some kind of extraordinary power. But what if my body really has been separated from my consciousness?!"

Bucciarati looks back up and gasped when he saw that Golden Wind was in the process of throwing another punch at his body. He understood too late that his spirit was overwhelmed by the life energy, creating a delusion of strength while the body remained still. "Miseria! I have to get out of the way!" Bucciarati rushes to get back into his body somehow and avoid Golden Wind's attack, but he was too late. Golden Wind's fist made contact with Bucciarati's jaw and his spirit was quickly transported back into his body. Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Bucciarati. 'Damn it! Searing pain is draping across my jaw!' Bucciarati thought to himself. Feeling a long agonizing moment as the Stand punches one of his teeth out. 'Giorno isn't moving in slow motion. My consciousness is working in hyperdrive!'

"MUDA!" Time had turned back to normal and the strength behind Golden Wind launched Bucciarati through the air. Throwing him at the bottom of the wagon. Aria flinched when she that bad fall. That punch was so brutal...was the man okay? It must've hurt. She poked her head out again and saw Giorno standing more confidently. "I see. It seems that using Golden Wind to flood a living person's body with extra life force, ultimately leads to delirium. At least to the senses." Giorno says as the zippers on his body had disappeared. "I still don't know why I was granted these powers but I think it would be a waste not to use them."

"Holy shit! The hell you guys doing?! Hey, I'm gonna call the cops!" A passenger on the funicular cried out. He had a look of panic and bewilderment on his face. Aria couldn't blame him. None of this was making sense at all. How could these two men do the things they do? She briefly wondered if God had been the one to gift these two with these special powers as Bucciarati put it. After all, His miracles were absolute, but she also wondered if there was another reason for this.

"Sorry for the commotion." Giorno says, reassuring the passenger. "You have my word. This fight won't involve ordinary citizens. There's no need to worry."

Bucciarati coughed violently as he sat up. Wheezing as he tried to catch his breath from the attack. He held his mouth as blood began to drip down his chin. His sky blue eyes burned as he glared at the golden-haired boy. 'So this is the power of Giorno's Stand. Still, it seems he doesn't have a clear grasp of what a Stand is. Which makes his prowess all the more fearsome.'

"What do you know... These Stands of ours have a limited reach. Only a few meters from the look of things." Giorno said.

Bucciarati sharpened his glare at him. "I thought you were some ordinary kid. Just an unaffiliated 15-year-old shitheel. But now I know better, you're the one who assaulted Leaky-Eye Luca! I want to know why you did it. The boss demands a straight answer."

'The boss?' Aria thought. Then she blinked. 'Wait, that's right. He mentioned Giorno attacking the member of the famiglia, and if he's going to this much lengths, means he's a mafioso as well.' Aria left her heart swell up inside her, along with growing fear. If Bucciarati is a mafioso...then that means he has connections outside of the city, right? But...he was still too dangerous to go near right now. Maybe she can ask Giorno for help instead?

"I'm guessing "It was an accident" isn't what you want to hear? And now that you found me, it's my turn to be eliminated?" Giorno questioned him. "Admit it, you came fully prepared to kill, didn't you? You got executioner written all over your face. You boarded the car knowing that you might be ending someone's life and an executioner must always stand ready to be executed."

'This isn't a bluff. I can feel the bloodlust in the air. This little punk is actually willing to kill me. Despite his calm demeanour, he has a savage side, which makes him dangerous!' Bucciarati thought to himself as his eyes slightly widened when he saw Golden Wind throwing a punch his way. The gangster understands that Giorno is indeed the culprit, but the misunderstanding can only end in blood for the two determined men. So there was only one thing to do.

"Zipper Man!" Bucciarati shouted. Rising out from his blue aura, a figure appeared in a blink of an eye and threw a punch to counter Golden Wind's. The sudden force from his opponent sends Golden Wind back to Giorno's side. Bucciarati's Stand, Zipper Man, was a humanoid Stand that mirrors the height and build of its user. Covering the upper half of its face, it wears a blue helmet adorned with a column of short light gold spikes in the centre, resembling a mohawk. It has a dark blue body suit over its torso, exposing its chest and stomach. Zipper Man also wears light grey padded shoulder pads, elbow pads, forearm guards, knee pads, and shin guards. It has numerous gold zippers of different sizes all over its body: there is one on each cheek below its helmet, one hangs from the base of its neck and extends down to its abdomen, one is on each forearm guard on top of its wrists, a large zipper is on the centre of its waist, and there is one longer zipper on each leg below its knees and extending down to its feet.

"That must be this guy's Stand." Giorno says. Golden Wind and engages in a fight against Zipper Man. Golden Wind throws the first punch but the greyish armoured Stand effortlessly blocked it and went on the defence when it threw another. The two Stands traded blows, showing Bucciarati's advantage in strength. But they were able to block or avoid each attack simultaneously without landing a hit before Zipper Man pushed Golden Wind back. The golden armoured Stand rushed back in but the Stand appeared to be on equal grounds as they were getting into a standstill with every attack thrown.

"Don't be a fool. You must be aware that my Stand is the more powerful one." Bucciarati tells him. "Luckily, I'm not obligated to return you alive, so I'm good killing you here." Giorno let out a small gasp as he stared at the sky-blue eyed man. He knew he was serious, but something was telling him that this wasn't going to end things as planned. "That said, I believe I've had my fill of exposing myself to your strange talent." Bucciarati then called back his Stand and jumped back out of Golden Wind's range. "If you will excuse me." He says as he falls behind one of the seats. Giorno's eyes widened and quickly followed after him.

"Enjoy this reprieve, I'll take you out when you least expect it." Bucciarati tells him. There was a giant zipper on the corner of the funicular and the gangster was slipping right out of it while keeping his eyes locked on the young boy. Aria slowly rose from her hiding spot when she saw Bucciarati suddenly disappearing from view and Giorno's shocked expression. What was going on now?

'You're kidding? He can put a zipper on a wall and pass right through it?!' Giorno thought to himself as Bucciarati back away and the zipper was pulled up, sealing the wall close and vanishing from sight before Giorno could grab it. 'Cazzo! Things just got a lot worse now that he's outside!' Giorno looked out the window and saw Bucciarati standing safely on the sidewalk before running away. 'If I lose track of this freakshow now, it won't matter what I can do with Golden Wind. He'll be able to monitor my every move. Losing sight of him means opening myself and Aria up to be killed at any second.' Giorno narrowed at Bucciarati's retreating form and used his Stand to punch the window. Jumping out of the funicular much to the shock of everyone on board.

Aria's eyes went wide when he jumped out and landed hard in the moving ground. Why-?! Is he going after him?! Will he be okay?! That gangster had really scary abilities, but so does Giorno. But...what if he gets hurt? Aria knew she had no business in doing what she did...but she had to know. When Giorno pushed her behind him the way he did, the way he protected her...it was a feeling that felt all too familiar. She felt she could trust him. She wanted to know why she could, why he knew her name and whether or not she could trust either of those two men to help her obtain her wish.

Aria grabbed her bag and ran to the conductor of the funicular. She banged on the door to get his attention. Swiftly writing down on her notebook and pressing it against the glass, urgently telling him to stop the funicular. The man was confused as to what was going on, but seeing the pale faces of the other passengers, he stopped the car. As soon as he did, the doors opened and Aria quickly ran out. Hoping to find Giorno before he is lost to the streets of Naples. She ran in the direction she believed she saw Giorno had gone and tried to ask people if they had seen him. Of course, most of them looked at her like she was a freak and brushed her off. Aria ran up a long stairway in the hopes of finding the golden-haired boy when she heard a loud commotion coming from a dark crowded alley.

She ran down the alley but then quickly hide in the shadows when she stumbled upon a bizarre, yet intense scene. Giorno and Bucciarati were staring down at each other in an open space with a young teen laying on the ground unconscious. Aria backed up into the shadows as she watches the battle unfold. "Giorno Giovanna, you've done very well. It's clear that your abilities demand respect. I've no choice... I shall face this fight head-on." Bucciarati says as he wipes the blood from his lips. "Fool. You force me to eliminate you where you stand." Bucciarati began to walk towards Giorno, which prompts the young boy to do the same.

The two walked until they were at arm's length from one another. Staring each other down as they prepared for a fight. "I refuse to let you get away. I'll fight with my life to keep you here." Giorno strongly declared.

"Oh please, I wouldn't concern myself with that. I think if I were in your shoes, I'd worry about what would happen after being zipped apart and strewn across the ground." Bucciarati threatened. Holding up his arm. "Whichever one of us lands the first will end up the victor." Giorno raised his guard. Why was Bucciarati flaunting his arm before him like that? Was he daring him to attack?

"Is something wrong? Vieni, vieni, Giorno Giovanna!" Bucciarati challenged. The golden-haired boy quickly summoned his Golden Wind and attacks the gangster. He goes to attack him from the right but his punches were intercepted by Zipper Man's arm, parrying them at a rapid pace. Once Bucciarati shoves them aside, he then moves in to attack Giorno head-on with his left arm. "MUDA!" But Golden Wind moved in faster and punches his arm. Using its abilities to send shockwaves all over Bucciarati's arm and make him stagger backwards. Stunning him for a moment. "Now say goodbye to your senses." Giorno tells him. Golden Wind jumps in to follow up on the attack, but Bucciarati surprisingly retaliates, punching the golden armoured Stand near the solar plexus area. A zipper appeared around Golden Wind's waist and it was cut in half.

Bucciarati pushed the Stand out of his way as he ran after the user. Immediately striking him all over his body and activating his Stand's ability. Opening up zippers all over Giorno, and sending him colliding to the ground. Giorno groaned in pain as he raised his head to send daggers at Bucciarati's way. "You're thinking, "Why? I struck him first". I supposed it's only natural that be running through your mind. You lost because it's not my arm." Bucciarati tells him as he begins to unzip his white jacket. "Fortunately, with my Stand's special ability, I can conjoined objects to virtually any part of my body."

Bucciarati sheds off his jacket just enough to showcase his left arm. Giorno's eyes went wide when he saw a zipper around Bucciarati's forearm. "So you know, this arm belongs to that goon. I made a quick exchange." He says. Referring to the unconscious teen in the back. Despite his body hanging on by a thread, Giorno gritted his teeth as he try to get back up. "Given your Stand's abilities, I'm sure you can understand my wanting to give myself some extra protection. You can never be too careful." Bucciarati unzips the arm, allowing the useless limb to fall out from his sleeve and onto the ground. "Do you see now? That's why your Golden Wind rendered ineffective." Bucciarati was smirking rather smugly but then it fell from his face when he pauses for a moment. His eyes were fixed on the discarded arm and for a moment, one could see that he was unnerved at the sight. And Giorno took note of that.

However, because he was distracted, Giorno uses the opening to attempt a last-ditch attack. He got back up to his feet and gripped his left unzipped arm. He gripped it tightly in his hand causing it to spew out blood. Bucciarati snapped out of his daze and wastes no time moving in to finish Giorno off. "It's too late now, just give up already!" Bucciarati shouted as his right armed transformed into that of Zipper Man and rushes in. "This is the end for you!"

Giorno let out a mixture between a yell and a scream as he rips it out his own unzipped arm. Causing Bucciarati to halt in shock for a brief moment. Using this chance to get his attack in first and Giorno throws it at Bucciarati, summoning Golden Wind in the very same second and punching Bucciarati in the face. 'Incredible. He actually tore off his own arm to lengthen his range and strike just a moment faster.' The gangster thought.

"Golden Wind, do it!" Giorno commanded. The armoured Stand obeyed its user and quickly influenced Bucciarati with its life energy once again. Time slowed to a crawl for the gangster as he felt his senses be obliterated. Bucciarati looked up and was panicking when he saw his body in front of him.

"Damn, not again! He's forced my mind into hyperdrive! Shit, I'm finished!" Bucciarati shouted. 'The destruction power of Giorno Giovanna's Stand may be neglectable, but that just makes things much, much worse.' Vulnerable, Bucciarati sees with dread the boy approaching to finish him off. 'I've done it once, but to endure that pain in slow motion over and over...there's no question. I'll die from the shock!' Before Bucciarati knew it, Giorno was standing directly in front of him, holding on to his wounded, bleeding arm. 'Don't....!' Even so, he clenched his fist, ready to unleash a fury of blows. 'Stop!!'

His heart pounded rapidly in his chest as he was gripped with absolute horror for the oncoming attack. This was it! He was going to die! His breath grew heavy and hollow as he saw the fist growing closer to him. Bucciarati shut his eyes and let out a terrified scream.

Then suddenly...Giorno stops his attack. Stepping out of his Stand's range and walking right past Bucciarati. Cancelling out Golden Wind's effect. The zippers from his body vanished from his body as he approached the unconscious teen. Bucciarati was was nearly speechless. He had him right where he wanted him, so why did he spare him like that? "Why did you step out of range? Wait, Giorno! Explain yourself! You had me! Why did you stop?! Why didn't you kill me?!" He questioned him.

Giorno checked his arm, making a fist a few times to get some feeling back into it. It seemed to be okay and despite him ripping it earlier, it didn't appear to have any after-effects. Once that was done, Giorno turned to the man with an observant look. "It's because you have a good soul." He tells him in a matter-of-fact tone. Surprising Bucciarati.

'A good soul...' A stunned Aria mused from the shadows.

"You're in the mafia, but you're decent. Earlier, you went to attack me but hesitated a bit. That's when I realised I needed to stop my attack." Giorno said. Kneeling to the motionless teen. "When you looked over at the arm of this kid, the abnormal marks on his skin caught you off guard. Which made you freeze up for a moment. You didn't expect to see the arm of an addict and it shocked you." What made Bucciarati so disturbed by the arm of the civilian was because he had seen the raw, purple-ish red, dried bloody needle scars left on his skin.

"I wonder who old his is." Giorno mused as he looked around the teen's body. Spying his wallet, showcasing his I.D, sticking out from his pocket. Giorno reached for it and read its context. The kid was only thirteen years old. Giorno stood up and looked over at the white-clad man. "Thing is, an ordinary mafioso wouldn't have been impeded. If you were that type, I'd already be grounded into these stones by now. You're different from the other goons. Once I saw that I didn't see the need in us fighting."

Giorno walked away but still kept his attention on Bucciarati. "Some here will even stoop to selling drugs to kids. Totally unforgivable, right?" He asks. Recalling the moral code of his hero so many years before. "I know that's how you feel." Bucciarati fell silent as he stared at the young teen with wide eyes as he zipped back his real arm on. "But you've got a real big problem, cause your boss is the peddler. The truth has you split down the middle. That's why the sight of the arm pained you. You have a chivalrous heart."

"What does my heart have to do with anything? Chivalrous or otherwise, I still have to kill you. My mission is to find the person who took down Luca and execute him like the treacherous dog he is." Bucciarati firmly tells him. But Giorno could see it in his eyes that he was right. "You didn't have the stomach to go through with killing me. But don't expect me to show that detestable weakness!"

"No. Trust me, you just don't have it in you to take my life." Giorno said, calmly.

"Come again...?"

"You won't kill me. I'm sure of it." Giorno told him. Bucciarati was just dumbfounded. How could he sound so confident about this? He was just a kid himself....so how could he be this sure that Bucciarati wouldn't go around and kill him while he had his back turned? "How do you know?" He asked.

"Because... You're going to be joining me on my mission." Giorno told him. Taking Bucciarati off guard. Was he seriously recruiting him as his ally? He wasn't the only one. Aria was also surprised by the boy's claim. He was on a mission? A mission on what? "You see, I'm planning to beat your boss and take back this city for the people." Giorno declared. Bucciarati gasped in shock at that and stared at him like he had gone insane. "What?" Aria's eyes widened at that. The power behind his voice was strong and just. The righteousness of his soul was radiating off of him like the warm sunlight passing through a window.

"To rid the city's drug dealing and child-abusing Mafiosi, I've no other choice but to become a mafioso myself." Giorno says as he begins to walk towards the ocean sidewalk view.

"What are you trying to say? Surly your mission doesn't involve joining our syndicate, it's absurd! Do you have any idea what you're saying, what something like that would entail?!" Bucciarati questioned as he walked over to the young boy. Still bewildered by the bold announcements of Giorno. "Isn't it beautiful?" The golden-haired boy said. Briefly ignoring the mafia member and looking out into the crisp, clear waters of the ocean as well as the bright city of Naples. The place he grew up in and the home of his beloved. This town was full of corruption, but he plans to change that.

"Yeah, it's risky. But to take back the city, I have to join the syndicate that controls it and work my way to the top." Giorno says. Turning his attention to Bucciarati and sitting on top of the railing. "Bucciarati, trust me. I'll be a primo mafioso."

Now, Aria has gained her answer. This Giorno, whoever he was, isn't a bad person, and neither is Bucciarati. As Giorno said, if he was a bad person, he wouldn't have been distressed over seeing an addict's markings. They were both good people with righteous hearts and fully intend to cleanse the bitterness of this city. "Never see the world for what it is, see it for what it could be", Aria mused to herself. Recalling her father's words. She placed a hand to her heart as she looked up to the sky. She'd always been content to live her life as it was, continue with school and expand on her career as a violinist, being happy where she stands. But...she had seen far too many people get hurt by the city's corruption. So many children like her are left alone on the streets to fend for themselves. And while her church does everything to help, it wasn't enough. She had always known about this ever since-

Aria glanced down and traced her fingers over her choker. It's been so long... Aria looked back to the sky and kneeled to the ground. Raising her hands in prayer.

'Dear God, holy Father of Heaven. I wish to thank you for listening to my prayers and blessing my loved ones with love, protection and guidance. I thank you deeply for watching over my father, wherever he might be. I shall forever be your child and remain faithful, however, I ask for your forgiveness. While I perform my good deeds to the best of my abilities, many of your children are being hurt. They are losing their hope for salvation. I pray that you will forgive me, Heavenly Father because I sense the goodness in these two young men. And...I'm going to join that boy in his cause. To cleanse my home for my people, and to locate and reunite with my father once again.'

Chapter Text

As three children happily played together with a soccer ball, Giorno and Bucciarati continue their talk. All the while, Bucciarati was still stunned by Giorno's bold declaration to join the gang, and get rid of the drugs plaguing Naples. He had never met anyone with such an unyielding ambition before. "I'm open, pass it!" A little boy called out to his friends. The soccer ball was thrown at him and the child tried to kick it back or at least father away, but he had accidentally kicked into the direction of the white-suited gangster. Hitting him in the back. Bucciarati turned around to face the children and they immediately went pale as they knew they were going to get into a lot of trouble. However, instead of being scolded or yelled at, Bucciarati went to the idle ball and with great skill, kicked it up and passed it back to the three boys.

Giorno smiled at that. This single act was even more proof that he was right. Bucciarati had once again demonstrated his good heart. After the children thanked Bucciarati and gave him a sincere apology, the boys ran off to play their game elsewhere. "Fine then. I'll report that I was unable to locate Luca's attacker, then I'll introduce you to begin the initiation process." Bucciarati tells Giorno. Deciding on giving him a chance at changing things. He then gave him a very serious look. "But you should know, if it ever gets out that you're attempting to take down The Boss, I'll be forced to cut ties with you. A traitor stands alone on an island of isolation. Your failure will be yours and yours alone." He said. Turning to lean against the railing beside him.

"Nothing certain yet, but your resolve is undeniable. I respect that kind of nobility, and I commend your golden aspiration. You have my support." Bucciarati said. Giving a rather kind smile. Giorno smiled back, glad to have found an ally in the sky-blue eyed man. That's when Giorno looked in the corner of his eye, and his whole face went pale. Bucciarati blinked in confusion and looked out in front of them. That same girl from the funicular was now approaching them. What the..? Had she followed them here? She looked nervous but still had some courage to keep moving.

"Excuse me, but who exactly might you be?" Bucciarati asked her while Giorno stayed oddly quiet. The ruby-eyed girl bowed her head and went into her bag to take out her notebook and pen. This caught the gangster by surprise when she began writing in it. When she was done, she shyly handed it to him. Bucciarati looked in between her and the notebook before taking it in his hands. "'Buongiorno, my name is Aria Serenità. I deeply apologise but I had overheard your talk about cleansing the city of the drug trading, and I ask if I could be a member in your syndicate as well.'"

Giorno's eyes widened and he felt his heart sink to his stomach. No! She can't join! That is what he desperately wanted to shout. Aria was a gentle soul and had no business entering the mafia world. She meant everything to Giorno. He swore that he would never get her involved in this type of life. If she joins, then anything that would happen to her would be all his fault and he couldn't live with that guilt. But he couldn't do anything. He already made the mistake of calling her by her name and if he tries to steer her away, she'll no doubt question him about it. 'Aria...please...don't do this. Whatever you wish to do for this city, let me do it for you.' Giorno pleaded. Hoping that Bucciarati would send her away.

Bucciarati re-read the girl's words and started to go deep in thought. Aria...that name sounded familiar...where did he-? His eyes slightly widened as he began to remember. That's right, he remembered being told about this girl a few times before. Bucciarati regained his composure and took a glance at the now anxious Giorno. "And may I ask why you wish to join our syndicate? Is your resolve the same as Giorno's?" Bucciarati asked. Aria nodded and pointed at her notebook, holding out her hand.

Bucciarati gave it back to her and she wrote out her next words on the page. She then held it up for both of them to see. "I want to do something good for my home and the innocent children that are suffering from the unseen cruelty. That is my wish...as well as...wanting to find my father. I know it's not going to be easy, but I promise to work hard and do what I can to help. You have my word." Aria looked sheepish but tried to look strong. There was a moment of silence between the three of them before Bucciarati began to walk away. "Both of you, come with me." He said. Authorising the young girl's request to join them. Aria quickly put away her notebook and followed him. With a heavy heart, Giorno did as well.

Giorno and Aria trailed behind Bucciarati as he guided them to their next destination. Walking through the busy streets and dark alleyways of Neapolis, Bucciarati describes to his new ally how his gang, Passione, works. "You'll find that our famiglia is in control of all the business here in Neapolis. The name of our group is Passione. It's a fitting enough moniker, but understand that it's not the boss's actual name. To be frank, no one knows his true name nor does anyone know what he looks like. Orders are passed down via a multitude of capos" Bucciarati explained. "Giorno. Aria. The capo who will decide your future in the famiglia is a man named, Polpo."

Bucciarati then suddenly stops and turns to face the would-be new members. "Go on now. He resides here in this building." The white-suited gangster pointed up at a large fortified building. Giorno gasped a bit as he looked up at the building. Aria felt her heart stop when she realised where they are. "B...but this is... It's a prison." Giorno said.

"That's right. Polpo was convicted and promptly sentenced to 15 years in prison. He still issues orders and manages the famiglia, but he does it from within those walls. He can leave his confinement whenever the desire strikes him, but he chooses not to. He simply has no need." Bucciarati explained.

"Perché?" Giorno questioned.

"Your answer's inside. Listen, both of you. In a matter of minutes, he'll conduct your interview, it's imperative you pass. It's no different from an ordinary interview, his mood will dictate its content. And remember, he cannot find out." Bucciarati said.

"I understand." Giorno said. Aria gave Bucciarati a nod and the two began to walk towards the prison, but the young boy stopped and turned to the gangster as another question popped into his head. "Before I forget, you mention our powers are called Stands, yes? I never asked, how did you acquire yours, and do others have them?" Giorno asked.

"Once again, the answer's waiting inside, if you pass." Bucciarati said.

Aria's ears stung a bit when the prison's buzzer blared throughout the halls of the prison. She and Giorno entered the prison, taken through a series of hallways. They had arrived at a room with steel bar doors, several guards with guns placed inside. Though she was scared beyond belief, she knew she made the choice herself and was determined to see this through. Plus...she felt somewhat better when Giorno stayed close to her side and held her hand.

"Before you head in, I'm going to need your watch, and everything in your pockets on this tray, after that you can move to the pat-down." The officer tells them. Aria placed her bag on the table and Giorno placed his school bag in the bin. Going through his pockets as he takes a moment to the other officers and their guns. After checking through his pockets, the two young teens moved on to the next room for the body check. A female guard was waiting for them ready to begin. "Please stand over there. Hands above your head." She instructs them.

First, she started patting down Giorno. "Once we open the gate, proceed forward, then stop at the end of the hall, got it? Polpo's cell is labelled N-28, you can't miss it." When she was finished with Giorno she moved on to Aria. "Reinforced glass keeps him inside, but you can still converse. Keep in mind, exchanging objects, either from him or yourself is strictly forbidden, so don't try anything." She pulled back from the silent girl, ending the pat-down. "You only have 15 minutes to complete your visit." A buzzer sound and the gates leading to Polpo's cell started to open. "Once you enter, I'll close the gate behind you. If he gets hostile, just yell and we'll assist you."

"We're talking to him while he's locked up in his cell? We're not gonna get a special room?" Giorno questioned.

"Not a chance. Don't you realise who he is?" That was all the guard stated before the gate opened.

Giorno and Aria entered the cell and the gate closed behind them. The room was dark with eerie faces carved into the ceiling. "Stay close to me, okay?" Giorno whispered to the girl. Noticing her trembling form. Aria nodded in agreement and took in a deep breath. The darkness of the room was washed away when a bright light came on revealing a small room behind a thick panel of glass. Within the room were a toilet, sink, a nightstand, some paintings, and a large bed that took up a majority of the room. Giorno and Aria approached the glass staring into the room searching for Polpo. Putting a hand on the glass Giorno leaned in. Wondering where this Polpo person could be.

"It's injured, isn't it?" A deep voice spoke, catching the two teens off guard. "Your left arm." The so-called bed formed an arm then a second one. It slowly started to lift off the ground morphing into a large man. He was huge and even though he was sitting down he still had to hunch a bit within the room, as his round body took up most of the space in the room. Polpo was a massive and morbidly obese man easily towering over regular people, having an exaggeratedly large head proportional to the rest of his body. His most recognizable features were his black eyes with light green pupils and pointy nose. Polpo wears a red cap with multiple greyish white mushroom-shaped protrusions, a green bracelet on his right wrist and a two-layered yellow tunic laced at the bottom and brown boots.

'What...? I thought that was a bed..!' Giorno thought to himself in shock.

'This... What on earth is he...?' Aria thought, covering her mouth as she looked at the capo with wide eyes.

Polpo faced the window looming over Giorno and Aria. "I spy a faint, yet distinct red marking on the fingers of your right that signifies that you were gripping something." He said, gesturing to Giorno. "I'd say they're the marking left behind by a bag, and based on that fact, you've been carrying the exclusively in your right hand. Now, why would that be?"

"Well, first of all...you're correct." Giorno said, looking at his hand. "I carried my bag with my right hand, also, I did injure my left arm earlier." Polpo pulled back from the glass with a deep chortle. He reached behind him opening a small secret compartment in the wall, revealing it to be a mini-fridge. "I envy your youthful body and reckless spirit." Polpo pulled a bottle of wine and wine glass out of the fridge. "By the bye, do you drink wine? This Chianti Classico is molto buono. And when paired with a few crackers, scamorza and  the right amount of caviar, it's perfection." He spoke, pouring the red wine into the glass.

"We're not allowed to give you anything. And we can't accept anything from you either." Giorno said. To which Polpo scoffed.

"That's just a silly formality. What people say when watched and what they do when no one else is around," Polpo began to say as he leaned against the wall taking a minuscule sip of wine. The lump of dough then held up a remote, pressing a button and suddenly a segment of the wall, next to the fridge opened. "are two entirely different things." Within the second hidden compartment was a small collection of contraband items. A small t.v., two consoles, a toy car, a small box, a baseball, a teddy bear and a violin. Along with some...other things a person locked up in a prison shouldn't have, such as three firearms and a grenade. "Therein lies the beauty and ugliness of this fickle thing we call humanity. I suppose the only real tragedy to being held up in this cell is...well,"

His words were tuned out by the two teens as they were left speechless at the sight of Polpo's lifestyle. He was a prisoner. A convicted man. And yet, everything he wanted, he's got it. It was like he was living in a five-star hotel. Aria didn't know what to think. She knew that the police was scummy at best...but this...?! How could this be allowed?!

'Polpo... He's living like a king, but that's not the reason he stays put in there. It wouldn't matter if he left or stayed. And let's be honest, with that carcass, he's probably safer in there. The thing I wanna know is how the hell the guard's even managed to fit him through the door.' Giorno thought. Giorno and Aria stared at the large man in silence as he snacked on some crackers and cheese.

"Bucciarati's already told me all about you." He said, gesturing to Giorno. "But nothing about you." His eyes fell to the silent girl. Honestly, he barely noticed her at all since she wasn't spoken a damn thing. Aria lifted her hands but hesitated. Becoming very anxious under the capo's stare. Ah, now he understood. This can't speak at all. This was certainly interesting. He left out a small chuckle. So Bucciarati recruited a little quiet mouse, did he? And one that isn't much to look at either. He smiled in amusement when Giorno moved in to shield her from him. "So you desire to be a part of our famiglia, do you? Uh, it was... Giorno Giovanna and Aria Serenità, wasn't it?" Polpo asked. "Well then, if you're ready to begin, what say we commence with the interview?" He put another cracker in his mouth and began to eat, along with devouring his own fingers.

Giorno's eyes went wide as he stared at Polpo in shock. He wasn't sure if he was seeing things as he watched the man chew down on his own fingers. He glanced back at Aria and saw her covering her face as her body began trembling in horror. Letting out faint whimpers. Confirming that he wasn't imagining it. Their attention was diverted when the sound of a cuckoo clock began to ring out. When the two looked back at Polpo, they were shocked to find that his fingers were back to normal, and he was finishing off his glass of wine, he also had a fancy lighter in his other hand.

'What was that? Are we hallucinating? For a second, it looked like he was munching away at his fingers.' Giorno thought. Was it even possible for two people to hallucinate at the same time? 'Or maybe...this cazzone Polpo is simply another one of those Stand users like Bucciarati. Either way, I have to what it takes to keep him from finding out about me.'

"When you're separating the wheat from the chaff, what do you think is the most important factor for one to consider? Think carefully, Giovanna. Serenità." Polpo said.

"What a person can do, correct?" Giorno guessed.

"Ooh. Then what can you do, ragazzo?" Polpo asked. Giorno raised his hands opening them as several things fell out. Money, a wallet, an ID card. All belonging to the female officer from before. Polpo made an impressed sound pushing his face against the glass. "While that guard was patting me down, I took some souvenirs. I thought they might come in handy during our test. Of course, I'll return on my way out." Giorno said. Aria looked at the items in surprise. When and how did Giorno manage to do that? She had been with them during the body check and she didn't see him take anything. She surmised that Giorno was a master pickpocketer before deciding to join.

Polpo laughed in amusement. "Is that all you brought to impress me?"

"Well, besides that, I have this other little trick I can do. I can fold my ear into my ear canal." To prove it, Giorno performs his little party trick earning more laughter from the large man. "Ah, molto interessante." Polpo said, setting down the wine glass. He looked towards Aria. "And what is it you can do? Besides never speaking that is?" Aria shifted her gaze away at the capo. What exactly can she do? She's not as sneaky as Giorno and she wasn't a thief. She wasn't cunning or tactical. All she can do is play the violin and help teach sign language at school. What could she possibly offer... Wait a minute. That's it. She knows now what to say. Giorno looked over to her and saw that she was frozen where she stood. He began to feel worried. If she doesn't pass, what was Polpo going to do to her? He can't let her fail, he has to think of something to help.

Just as Giorno was about to step up, Aria raised her hands and began to move them. She figured that if Polpo had such an analytical mind when seeing the markings on Giorno's hand, then he should be able to decipher her own. "I think one should consider loyalty as an important factor. I am loyal to myself and my goals, and I am more than willing to give my loyalty to Passione. Loyalty itself is priceless and it's all a person needs. I'm also quite observant and am able to distinguish between the good, the bad. And the truth and lies of those around me." She said.

Polpo stared at Aria for a moment before he broke out in deep laughter. "You're quite straightforward for such a little thing. Straightforward and simplistic. But you see...there's something very important we haven't discussed yet." Polpo said as he started to pick at his teeth. "And that is the delicate subject of trust, Giono Giovanna. Aria Serenità. That's the most important quality in selecting an associate, they must be trustworthy. When compared to that essential characteristic, intelligence and talent are no more significant than this piece of slobbery cracker stuck between my teeth." Polpo pulled out a piece of cracker and flicked it against the glass. Much to the two teens' disgust.

Polpo then held up the lighter to them. "My test will tell me exactly how trustworthy you are. The discerning flame of this lighter reveals all!" A small door was opened and Polpo placed the lighter there. "Now take it in hand and go. You are not to let the flame expire." Giorno walks over going to pick up the lighter, but as his hand got closer the flame flickered.

"Aspettare. I warn you, exercise extreme caution. The 17th-century theologian, Fuller once said, 'He's my friend that speaks well of me behind my back.' You do well to remember those words. If you want to become part of our famiglia, you'll need to demonstrate your trustworthiness even when no one's looking. 24 hours. That's how long you'll possess the lighter, you must never let the flame go out." He said, surprising the two. "If you pass this test, you'll be welcome to join us. Straightforward, yes? And don't worry, there's plenty of fluid. All that is required to pass is for you to sit in your room until 3 PM tomorrow, looking after that flame. As long as you're both truly one of prudence and perseverance, then nothing should happen to that light. Do this simple task and you will have proven your trustworthiness, but don't get too complacent. If you happen to be the kind of person who would take what I have to say lightly, let's say you nod off, or you sneeze, or maybe you stumble. Or perhaps a gust of wind extinguishes that precious flame. I'll know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you, my friends, can not be trusted as a member of our famiglia. Now take the lighter and be on your way. Behold the key to our famiglia."

Giorno, with careful hands, reached for the lighter. He covered the flame as he and Aria stepped out of the cell. "You have 24 hours. I look forward to our second meeting tomorrow. 3 PM, don't be late." Polpo tells him for one last time. Giorno turned his back to hide the lighter as he repeated the words '24 hours' in his head. Wondering how he and Aria could keep an eye on the lighter and keep it lit until tomorrow. He raised his head and saw Aria giving him a supportive look. Spreading a small smile. Seeing that alone eased the worry growing inside him.

"All visitors must proceed through the gate for a final pat down." An officer spoke, surprising the two. The gate opened and in came the female officer. "Once we give you permission to exit the premises, you may proceed to the next room to retrieve your belongings." While the officer talked, Giorno and Aria tried to keep the lighter from view from them. "Wait a second! Didn't Polpo didn't say anything to you?" Giorno questioned.

The officer paused mid-step. "Huh?" She then got a very serious and furious expression on her face as her colleagues all went into defence mode, raising their guns and pointing them at Giorno and Aria. The silent girl was now stricken with terror as she quickly put her hands up. "Time for your search!" The female officer declared with an authoritative tone. "You've been warned, accepting anything from a convict is punishable by law!"

'Merda! I was banking on the fact that he would've bribed these cops to let us walk out of here with the lighter scott free!' Giorno thought to himself. Considering all the junk he had in his cell, it was a very fair assumption that Polpo would bribe the guards with a lot of money. But now that the guards caught wind that he might have taken something from Polpo, without their Knowledge, it was going to be much harder for him to get the lighter out, wit the flame intact.

"Attenzione, hands above your head and step forward now!!"

'I get it. Polpo's test has already started. Which means...there's no turning back. We have to pass. We have to become a Passione famiglia, at any cost.' Giorno thought to himself. He has to come up with a way to slip the lighter past the guards.

"Step forward. Nice and slow." The female officer ordered. Obediently, Aria stepped up first, hoping to buy any time for Giorno to come up with a plan. He concealed the officer's ID in the palm of his hands, so she had faith in him that he can do the same with the lighter. Giorno thought the same as he gripped the lighter in his hands, covering it entirely. He held back a pained groan as the flame burned away at his skin. As Aria walked forward, Giorno put his hands up, following after her while trying to ignore the pain. The female officer patted down Aria first, but she was doing a half-assed job, especially since the officer kept her eyes on Giorno. Deeming him to be more suspicious. "You're good," She said to the ruby-eyed girl.

Aria stepped to the side, letting out a scared breath as she turned to Giorno. The officer moved on to the golden-haired boy. Spending a great deal inspecting every part of him. Aria glanced up and nearly flinched when she noticed the faint black smoke puffing out of Giorno's hand. 'Oh dear..! That's a very risky move...Oh please...please, let him go without getting caught.' She prayed in her mind. The officer's hands moved up to Giorno's arm. The boy tightened his grip to stop the smoke from rising.

"You're good to go. Doesn't seem to be anything out of order. You're free to leave the premises." The officer told him. Aria closed her eyes and let out a silent breath. Oh, thank goodness... At least the hard part's over, right? "But first!" The female officer suddenly shouted. Just as Giorno was about to relax, she had gripped his wrist and stared at him in the eye. "I ask that you show me your palms. I'll say it once more, you're prohibited from accepting any objects from convicts. Now open your hands immediately, that's an order!" Giorno matched the serious stare of the officer and without breaking eye contact, used his Stand ability. Slowly he opened his hands to the officers. To the surprise of the female officer and Aria, resting on his hand, was a beautiful white flower.

"A flower?" The officer asked, almost stunned as she takes it in her hands. Looking it over and giving it a quick whiff. "Well, what do you know, this thing is an actual flower. Fine, if this is the worst you've got, you can have it back." She says, handing Giorno back the flower. "Our visitors are free to go." The prison buzzer rang out and the two felt a wave of relief as they left the building. Before long, the flower erupted from the flower and it transformed back into its lighter form. He had transformed it into the flower and hid the flame within the petals. But still, that was way too close for comfort. Now that he thought about it, could the flame be a part of Polpo's Stand?

Giorno barely had any time to think on that before Aria suddenly lunged at him. Wrapping her arms around him and brought him into a warm hug. Giorno's eyes went wide and stood frozen in place. His heart began to beat at a rapid pace and he felt his face burning up. Aria, just as he remembered, was warm and soft to the touch. Her sweet scent infiltrated his senses and this sudden embrace was sending lightning through his body. Oh, how he wished he could hug her back. Aria then pulled away from him and was now blushing red. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I was just so scared for you back there. I wasn't sure what to do if you had gotten in trouble with the officers. But I'm so glad that you didn't." She told him.

Giorno was quiet for another second before he cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "N-no, no. It's alright, but yes, thankful I managed to slip by." He said. Giving her a kind smile. "Thank you for worrying about me."

Aria placed a hand on her heart and nodded. Sighing in relief. "You're welcome. Although, I'm rather curious. How...did you turn the lighter into a flower?" She asked. "Was that...your gifted abilities? The same you and Mr. Bucciarati had back on the funicular?"

"Yes, it was. It's a bit of a long story. One I promise to tell you soon, but right now, we should head somewhere safer to secure this lighter." Giorno told her. Aria nodded in agreement and adjusted her bag. Ready to follow him to wherever he thought was best. Until she remembered his hand. She reached for it and saw the burn marks left behind. A sad look appeared in her eyes. She spotted a bench nearby and dragged him towards it. Ignoring his questions for the time being. She set down her bag and began searching through it. She smiled as she took out a special cream and held Giono's hand. Soothing out the burns. "There. You should feel better in no time." She said.

All Giorno could do was stare at her so lovingly. He had never felt so lucky...so honoured as to have met her than he does now. "Thank you." Giorno may not like her decision to join the mafia, but he understood her reasoning. She had very good intentions for the city and the people. She had her own sense of justice like her father. He'll still keep his promise because he was in love with her, Giorno will protect Aria no matter the cost.

Chapter Text

Aria trailed behind Giorno as he walked, hunched over protecting the flame like it was his lifeline. While he was securing the fire, Aria stayed close as she made sure that his path was clear of any obstacles. Polpo's words were still circling in her head and she has to make sure Giorno passes. Though they were both involved in keeping an eye on the lighter, she felt a bit nervous when getting close to where she discovered was Giorno's school. She hoped they won't get into any trouble considering she wasn't a student and they were most likely going to his bedroom for the rest of the day. Aria clenched onto the straps of her case as she kept her head down. Too shy to look up at the faces of the other students.

A breeze blew in and it grazed through the flame. Giorno quickly caught sight of it and covered his hand to keep the wind from touching it again. 'This wind is a major problem.' Giorno thought to himself. Focusing all his attention on the lighter. He needs to get back to his room and quickly and safely as possible. As he walked across the school's campus, Giorno briefly acknowledged a group of his schoolmates. Soccer players, stacked up like a pyramid, struggling to maintain their position.

The star of the pyramid took note of Giorno's appearance and called out to him. "Yo, Giorno! Perfect timing, h-hey could you be a pal and press the shutter button?" He asked as he pointed towards the camera sitting nearby. Aria looked up at the team and noticed that it wouldn't take much longer until they lose their balance. "Nope, not a chance." Giorno bluntly told him she ignored them and walked off without so much as a glance. Much to the students' annoyance and anger. Aria waved her hand to get their attention, went over to the camera and took the picture for them. The ruby-eyed girl smiled sweetly at them which caused the whole team to blush and were left speechless by the presence of such a cute girl.

Aria waved them goodbye and jogged to catch up to Giorno just as the team let out cries and yells as they've lost their balance and fell towards the ground. As they were nearing the staircase, a short old man came up to them. His arms were full and struggling to hold up five brooms, a mop, a wiper, two buckets, and a hose reel. "Excuse me, youngster, but would you mind lending me a hand with all this?" He asked Giorno, but the young blonde kept on walking. "Not now." He said, equally as blunt as before. Shocking the old man. Aria went to the old man's side and smiled at him. She took the brooms, the bucket and hose reel from him. Lightening his load.

The old man looked up at the girl in surprise but was grateful for the help. With his arms free from most clutter, the janitor was able to open up the storage closet and set the items down inside. He stretched his back and let out a content sigh as Aria walked in and put the items she was carrying in the correct places. "Ahh...thank you so much, young lady. Most youngsters these days have no respect for the elderly, I suppose." The old janitor told Aria. The mute girl smiled and bid him farewell. Rushing to catch up to Giorno. She went up the stairs she had seen him go and discovered that he was a little ways away. Patiently waiting for her. Aria sighed in relief and hoped he wasn't upset with her before heading over to him.

Giorno led Aria up the stairs and through the hall until they reached the small student dormitory of his school. Giorno had to look around several times because the school rules forbade any girls, especially girls who aren't students, in the boy's dormitory. So he needed to be extra careful. He grabbed Aria's hand, while still protecting the lighter, and he rushed them into his dorm room, pushing the girl inside as he entered shortly after. Closing the door behind him. 'Finally made it back to the dorm.' Giorno let out a sigh of relief that they had gotten safely to the dorm, but his sigh caused a small breeze, making the flame flicker. He had a mini panic attack as the flame wavered. Shifting back to normal.

Giorno covered his mouth and froze, still as a statue until he was sure the flame was still intact. 'That was a close one.' He thought. Aria looked towards Giorno in concern and went over to him. Gently reaching out a hand to touch his shoulder. Looking up at him with worry-filled eyes. Giorno slowly relaxed, shaking his head. "Don't worry, I'm alright." He told her. Aria nodded her head, still worried that this might be too much for them to handle. But they had to see this through if they ever want to get accepted into the gang.

Giorno then began looking around the room. His eyes fell upon his desk and went over to grab a loaf of bread. He took a good bite from the top and shoved the lighter in the newly made hole. Keeping it in place. Then he gathers various objects from his desk, effectively creating a small fortress so the flame would be protected from any stray wind breezes. Seeing his work, Giorno took a step back and breathed a sigh of relief. "This should keep it upright, and even if there's a little draft, it shouldn't be enough to blow out the light." Giorno said.

Aria looked over at the small fortress and nodded in agreement. This was a smart move. Plus it makes keeping watch a little easier in the long run until tomorrow. She gently tugged on Giorno's sleeve and signed, "Good job on keeping the flame secured. Since we're both in charge of taking care of it, we should take turns watching over it so neither of us will fall asleep."

"That's a good idea. As Polpo said, all we have to do is remain diligent and watch this flame with our lives, for 23 more hours." Giorno said. His eyes went towards his bedroom window and got a little nervous. Oh, yeah, he should make sure the window stays shut. "Please, make yourself comfortable, Aria. I'll make sure the window is good and locked. You never really know when a gust of wind might suddenly strike."

Just as Giorno was about to lock the window, the two teens unexpectedly hear his door opening slowly with the door handle jiggling about. The two teens tensed up as the door creaked very quietly as it opened. Giorno quickly reached over and grabbed Aria. Pulling her close to him, holding her tight to keep her out of sight. 'The hell? Who would just go and open my door?' Giorno questioned. His attention was caught to the mirror that was right next to his door. As the door opened, the silent intruder came into view and Giorno saw a very familiar face. 'Wait, that's-!'

Koichi looked around as he quietly entered the room. This was supposed to be Giorno's dorm room, but it doesn't seem he's here at the moment. Nonetheless, he might come back any minute now, so he has to be quick about it. "I guess he hasn't come home yet. It's now or never." Koichi says to himself as he began to search the room. Unbeknownst to him, Giorno and Aria were hiding right outside. Right by the window. Giorno held Aria firmly by her waist as the two of them held onto a pipe. Aria glanced inside the room and wondered who on earth was this grey-haired stranger and why he was intruding in someone's private room like this. Something that Giorno wondered how he knew where he lived.

'Isn't that the Japanese tourist? Yeah, it's Koichi Hirose. How the hell did the guy find out where I live?' Giorno thought to himself. Koichi searched through Giorno's stuff, checking inside his closet, clearly looking for something. More specifically, searching for the belongings that the kid had stolen from him at the airport. "He must've already done something with my suitcase and everything inside. Although, he may have left my passport around here somewhere. Selling off a personal I.D.? That process has got to be a lot more involved." Koichi says as he kneeled and looked underneath Giorno's bed. "I can't believe I'm sneaking around his room. I feel like a common thief." Like a common thief... Like a common... W-wait a second! Why is Koichi feeling so guilty all of a sudden?! Giorno's the thief here! He's only taking back what belongs to him, right?! Yeah, that's it!

'That's right! His passport!' Giorno thought to himself as he anxiously watched from the window. Koichi was now searching through his desk. Getting way too close to discovering the lit lighter. 'Cazzo, it's in the box on my desk. I was gonna give it back to him! It's only a matter of time before Koichi finds that flame! There's no question he'll put it out once he does, he'll just think it's a fire hazard. Damn it, think! I've got to somehow get that lighter back before it's too late.' Giorno thought to himself. As his mind was going into overdrive into fingering out how to get the lighter, his eyes fell upon the small lamp hanging right above his desk. Then it hit him. That's it!

"Golden Wind!" Giorno called out. While Koichi was distracted, Golden Wind came out, punching the light switch in the room. The power travelled through the wires of the light fixture and Aria watched in pure fascination as the lamp morphed and shapeshift into a living, breathing snake. This power is known as a Stand... the wonders they can create... Aria briefly wondered how it is that this came to be. The green snake hissed softly before it opened its mouth and sank its fangs into the bread. 'Awesome! Golden Wind managed to turn that lamp cord into a snake. I had a feeling you'd like that bread. Nice job digging in. Now to reel it in.' Giorno thought. The snake lifted the bread along with the lighter but as it twisted its body, the flame from the lighter grazed across the reptiles underbelly, burning it. The snake let out an angered hiss, dropping the bread before it turned back into a lamp. 'What the-?! Shit!'

The lighter's flame was safe but the faint sound of a thud the bread made as it landed back on the desk caught Koichi's attention. The young man blinked in slight confusion and looked up to see the swinging lamp. Curious, he rose to his feet and almost immediately caught sight of the light on the desk. 'Oh come on! He still found the lighter?!' Giorno thought as Koichi takes the bread in his hand. The aspiring mafioso quietly opened the window and helped Aria get back inside, with him following close behind. 'Everything's going to hell?! I just need to make sure he doesn't blow it out!'

Koichi held the bread in hand and was so confused as to why there was a lighter sitting on top of the bread like this? Was this some sort of weird art project that Koichi isn't familiar with or was this just a quirk that Italians do? Either way, it seemed dangerous to just leave a lit lighter like this. Maybe he should- Koichi's attention then went to the black smoke that was rising from one of the smaller compartments on a mini file cabinet on the desk. "Huh?" Koichi opened the top compartment and nearly gasped. "You're kidding me! That's the imperial seal of Japan!" Koichi smiled and snatches the passport. Happy to have finally gotten him back. "Found it! I got my passport back!" Koichi happily exclaimed. But then his joy quickly turned to panic when he realised that the smoke was coming from the top left corner of his passport and quickly tried to put it out.

"Aaaaagh! But I didn't mean to set it on fire!" Koichi shouts as he quickly puts out the smoke and prevented any serious damage to the passport. Once that was over, he breathed out a sigh of relief. That's when he turned back to the bread and saw that the... the lighter was gone? "What the...? That's weird, where'd it go? I know I saw a lit lighter here." Koichi asked himself. Unaware of the now open door behind him.

Aria could feel her heart threatening to leap out of her chest as she struggled to breathe. Clutching the lighter with shaking hands. Giorno was right at her side as he held her hands and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Reassuring her that she was okay. Somewhat impressed that she had managed to take the lighter without making a sound and alerting Koichi. "Another close call. That tourist guy almost put out the flame accidentally." Giorno said. Aria took in a deep breath and nodded her head. Looking up at Giorno with worry in her eyes. "Don't worry, nobody's gonna extinguish our dreams. And the first step to realising our goal is protecting this flimsy flame with our life." As Giorno made that little proclamation, something had happened out of nowhere. Catching them by surprise, a splash of water headed straight for them. Giorno's reflexes were fast and the blonde-haired boy pulled them both back.

The old man, the very same that Aria had helped, stepped out from the room at the bottom of the stairs. "Just missed you there. Sorry about that, was cleaning the stairs and got carried away. Glad you were able to dodge that. I almost gave you an unwanted shower." The Janitor said as he grabbed a wet broom and started scrubbing the ground. "I suppose we both done our fair share of good deeds today, wouldn't you say so, sonny? Living each day as the good Lord intended is very important." The whole time the old man was speaking Giorno stood unmoving not saying a single thing. Aria covered her mouth and felt sick. Fear crept up and had a firm grip on her heart. The water might not have splashed their bodies, but it did get her hands, the ones that were clutching the now extinguished lighter.

"Are you shitting me..? I don't believe it... The flame..." Giorno stammered as he takes the wet lighter in his hands. Too stunned to even speak. To even think. 'Maybe if I go back and grovel, Polpo will let us start the test over. No, I can't. If he were that forgiving, he wouldn't be putting us through this test in the first place.' Giorno thought to himself as he sets the lighter down on the bannister. Wondering what he should do and what exactly is going to happen to them.

'Oh no... Oh no, oh no, oh no! Please, this can't be happening...' Aria was beside herself with fear. She was shaking uncontrollably as tears began to swell up in her eyes. Why did this...why now? Was this God's punishment? Was this her father's way of telling her to stop? But...but if this fails...would Polpo have them killed?! Aria reached up and held her neck. Polpo's a Capo, a higher rank in the mafia world. He has more power and control than his subordinates. She was sure he was going to do something even worse. Aria knew she wouldn't be able to survive a second time. She raised her hands in prayer and hung her head. 'Please, Oh Father, who art in Heaven, please do not forsake us. Please grant us mercy... Father...father...help me.'

The old janitor stopped his cleaning and looked at the distressed teens. "Something wrong?" He questioned. "My, what do we have here? Is your lighter not working for you? That's some bad luck there. Wait, I didn't break it, did I?"

"Sorry, but this doesn't concern you. I'm just trying to figure out what my next move should be." Giorno tells him. Turning his attention back to the lighter. The janitor looked at the lighter and tilted his head, taking a quick analysis of the thing. "From the looks of it, it might still be in working order. The lighter itself look fine and if I'm not mistaken, I think I hear the sucker releasing its fuel." He said. Immediately catching the two teens' attention.

"Hold on, what did you just say?" Giorno questioned in slight shock as Aria rose to her feet. The old man picked up the lighter, holding it up to his ear. He could hear a soft swishing sound of air being released. "Yes, sir. Something is coming out of here. This must be how you switch it on. Like this, you see?" The old man says as he took some time admiring the design and structure of the lighter. Though he was trying to help, Giorno and Aria were left confused. Wait, so this whole time they could've just...turn it back on? But if that were the case, then what was the point of this test. If they had turned it back on after the flame was extinguished, they could easily go back to Polpo's cell and just tell him that they succeeded in protecting it and he would've had known.

"No, that's impossible. Why would you be able to turn it back on? The thing is either on or it's not. That's the point of the test. If I could reignite it whenever I wanted, the test would be futile." Giorno said. Mostly to himself. The old man eyed the lighter and found the switch for the lighter. As soon as he added pressure to the switch, a large flame shot out of the lighter, shooting up to the sky like a rocket and lighting up the space around them. "Granted, that was more a blow torch than a lighter, but I think I got it working again, so score 1 for persistence. See?" The old man says as he handed the lighter back to Giorno. Going back to his sweeping. "Gotta say, it's kinda strange you're carrying a lighter when you don't seem to be much of a smoker, but to each his own."

Giorno and Aria looked down at the small flame, more confused than ever. What was the whole purpose of this test if they can reignite at any time they wanted? Had Polpo set them up or something? Was this just some sort of scare tactic? What did any of this mean? 'No... Why'd it reignite? Something has to be wrong!' Giorno thought to himself. Beads of sweat trailed down his face. Aria moved until she stood before him. She signed, "Giorno, I'm scared... I feel like something is watching us." Giorno opened his mouth to reassure her when he suddenly looked behind her and let out a gasp. Walking ever so slowly behind the rudy-eyed girl, was a strange figure cloaked in all black.

It appears as a large humanoid with a light grey body, purple toes, and a Venetian carnival mask-styled head, bronze-coloured eyes, and was bound in a black laced cloak and black Venetian hat. It had gold horns, arrows and features around its collar, and had red chest pads. It also had small stitch-like patterns on its face and near its eyes. The figure continued to walk on and Giorno followed it, but the thing only took a few more steps before the figure mysteriously vanished right before his eyes. Aria grew worried as Giorno went oddly quiet and seemed to be in a daze. She slowly waved her hand in front of him before startling her as he ran to see where the figure could've gone to. 'What the hell did I just see?! That couldn't be a Stand, could it?!'

"You're the one who reignited the flame!" Giorno froze before quickly turning around. The figure, now becoming more confident that it was another Stand, had appeared behind the janitor. It was holding what looked like to be a glowing, transparent version of the old man in its hands. Holding his face firmly in place as its soulless eyes bore deep into the poor old man. The man himself was frozen in place, a look of fear was plastered on his face. He stood stiff and was shaking. But it was clear to anyone that he couldn't move a muscle. "I offer two paths. But you must pick the one that will lead to salvation."

"Shit, I was right!" Giorno exclaimed.

"Time to choose; Do you live on and become one of the chosen or do you proceed along the path of death?" The black-cloaked Stand asked the old man. But the elderly man couldn't speak. He was too scared as to why he suddenly couldn't move. There was a deep chill in the air and he had no idea what was going to happen to him. Aria, due to being a normal girl, couldn't see the Stand or the transparent clone, went to the old man's side in a futile attempt to help him. 'It's a Stand! And not just any Stand either. It's got to be Polpo's!' Giorno thought.

"You're the one who reignited the flame! You shall receive my arrow." Polpo's Stand opened its mouth and a golden arrow sprung out. The arrow aimed, pointing right at the old man's forehead. Without any warning, the arrow was released and was plunged right through the spirit of the old man's forehead. Blood spewed out from the man's wound. "That's too far, bastardo! You've messed with the wrong guy!" Giorno shouted.

The Stand wretched the arrow out of the old man and saw that blood was still spilling out, flowing quickly from the head wound. The old man's real body staggered back and forth. His eyes were blank and dull. It appears this was just a feeble, old guy with no real talent or potential. What a waste. "No! This is not the one. This soul does not belong to the chosen."

'What's that supposed to mean?' Giorno questioned. The Stand no longer had any use for the old man's soul. So it tossed him away without a second thought. The man's real body was thrown back too, his spirit going back inside him. Aria let out a silent gasp as she stretched out her arms and grabbed hold for him. Giorno rushed and caught both of them before they could fall to the ground. Aria gently set the old man down and checked on him. Her eyes went wide. He doesn't have a pulse. "Hey, old man, are you-?" Giorno tried to ask, but then he saw his face. The blankness of his eyes. The look of confusion and fear was forever frozen on his face. He wasn't breathing. 'There's not a single wound on him, but he's dead. The arrow didn't pierce him physically, it pierced his soul.'

Giorno looked back up at the Stand and saw that it was standing in place. It was looking around as if searching for something. Could it...could it not see them? Giorno picks up the old man's body and pushed Aria behind him. Quietly telling her to stay where she was and he backed them away from the Stand. Not daring to make any sudden noise. 'So he rips a person's soul from their body and ends their life with a pierce from the arrow? Is that how he does it? He said something about the soul of the chosen receiving the arrow. Is that what they call someone who joins the Famiglia?' Aria clenched Giorno's sleeve as she wondered what was going on? What happened to the old man? What exactly caused his death? Then it hit her. This situation felt very familiar to her.

'I've been through this before..! This is something only Giorno could see! This is the work of a Stand, isn't it?!' Aria thought to herself as she took a few more steps back. Her left foot backed up and she stepped on the shadow of a nearby tree. When she stepped onto the shadow, small ripples formed under her foot as if she were standing on a puddle. That's when the Stand suddenly snapped its head towards them. "You too have reignited the flame. Salvation awaits! Prepare, as before you lie two paths!" The Stand shouted as it lunged at the two.

"Aria, run!" Giorno shouted and they jumped out of the way. Aria ran to the open stone courtyard, while Giorno went forward, landing on the wide bannister of the stairs. 'So he attacks anyone who sees the lighter being reignited!' Giorno thought. His heart skipped a beat when he thought about Aria. His love had also seen the lighter being reignited and sooner or later, this thing was going to go after her! He said, the soul of the chosen. The path of salvation and death... He can't take that risk! Giorno cannot allow her to die! The Stand whipped around,  grabbing Giorno's shadow and started pulling him down. Giorno yelled as his soul was being ripped out through his body. "What the hell?! This freak just came out of my shadow! This must be how he's gonna rip out my soul!" Giorno exclaimed.

He watched as the Stand ripped his soul and held it in his hands. Giorno's soul morphed and transformed into that of Golden Wind. The cloaked Stand gripped Golden Wind by the neck and held him in place as he opened his mouth and the arrow sprung out, dripping with what can be assumed as saliva. "Salvation awaits! Before you lie two paths! Will you live and become one of the chosen?" Golden Wind grabbed hold of the cloaked Stand's wrists and tried to pry him off, but no matter how hard he try, it felt like he was made of lead. 'It's no use, this guy's way stronger than Golden Wind. The old man died after the arrow impaled his soul! But what about me?! What'll happen if he pierces my Stand?!' Giorno shouted in his thoughts.

"Or is it your destiny to perish?!" The Stand shouted. He opened his mouth wide and the arrow shot out towards Golden Wind. With his fast reflexes, Golden Wind grabbed the arrowhead before it could hit him, trying to hold it back. The Stand let out a yell as he tried to force the arrow through. When Golden Wind grabbed the arrowhead, a bubbling puff of steam erupted and it seemed to burn both Stands as the cloaked one sounded like it was in pain. Golden Wind tighten his grip on the arrowhead so hard, blood gushed from his hand and the same wound appeared on Giorno's hand. "What's with this arrow?! If he drives that thing through me there's no way I'll survive!"

The arrow was digging in through Golden Wind's hand and the cloaked Stand was adamant on piercing Giorno with it. He tightened his grip around the golden Stand's neck, nearly driving his thumbs into his skin. Suddenly, the cloaked Stand whipped his head around, wrenching the arrow back. Giorno followed his gaze and his blood ran cold. Aria, though she couldn't see the Stand, had gotten the impression that whatever it was, reacted when she stepped on that tree's shadow. Seeing Giorno in danger and seeing his hand bleeding like that, she couldn't just sit back and do nothing while he's fighting against it. So, she stepped on the shadows at the bottom of the stairs to try and save him. 'I can see handprints on Giorno's neck. If I'm able to distract it, maybe he can use his power against it.' Aria thought as she took a step back. With her foot skidding against the shadowed ground.

"You too have reignited the flame. Salvation awaits! Prepare, as before you lie two paths!" The cloaked shouted as he released Golden Wind and lunged towards the unsuspecting young girl. He outstretched his hands and opened his mouth wide, fully prepared to launch the arrow. But he wouldn't get that chance, for a firey determination burned in Giorno's eyes as he glared daggers at the Stand. "Guess I have no choice! I don't really give a damn if Polpo is a Capo! If that bloated bedroll thinks he can derail my dreams, murder innocent bystanders like that nice old man, and dare to attack the one person precious to me, then he'll have to die by my hands!"

The cloaked Stand grabbed Aria by the throat and raised her soul high above the ground. Aria's eyes turned to pinpricks as she felt the air of her body be ripped out of her. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. Was this the Stand?! The cloaked Stand pointed the arrow to her forehead. But just as it launched the arrow, now that Golden Wind was free, he sprinted towards the two and threw up his fist. Uppercutting the cloaked Stand. The arrow launched and the sharp head cut the side of Aria's head. Making a deep gash and her blood flowing down her face as he was forced to let her go. As Aria fell to the ground, Golden Wind grabbed the cloaked Stand by the collar and kicked at his feet, making it trip over. From there, he began his onslaught. "Muda! Muda! Muda! Muda! Muda! Muda!"

"Now my Stand, Golden Wind, will set your senses on fire. Sending you into a slow-motion haze." Giorno declared. From the force of Golden Wind's attack, Polpo's Stand fell back towards the edge of the steps. It knocked over the Janitor's bucket of water, and as the water splashed over the Stand, it had suddenly disappeared again.

When the Stand suddenly disappeared, Giorno immediately ran to Aria's side. He fell to his knees and slowly helped her up. Aria sat on her knees as she kept her head low. Her hands were pressed up against her face. Giorno grew anxious when he saw a drop of blood fall from her elbow. "Aria? Aria, are you okay? Let me see?" Giorno gently tells her as he goes to lift her head. Aria took small, quick breaths. Trying to calm herself down. The blood flowed so much, she could barely see from her left eye. She reach to hold Giorno's arm, lifting her gaze to meet his and sighed, "I'm fine... It hurts a little, but I'm okay."

Giorno removed her hand and looked at the wound himself. It was a deep gash, but it didn't seem to be life-threatening. Which was something he found comfort in, but it still infuriated him that Polpo's Stand had hurt her. Giorno held her blood-soaked hand and helped her get up. He held her close as he stared back at the stop where that Stand had vanished. "He's gone. But he should have zero motor control right now. At the very most, he should only be able to cry. How'd he just disappear?" Giorno questioned as he looked around the area. There's no way he could've gone far. "He has to be nearby. He's got to be."

Aria wrapped her arms around Giorno as she began to feel...dizzy. Maybe her injury was major than they realise, because right now...she felt sick. Disoriented. And her vision was slowly going in and out. Was she losing that much blood? She closed her eyes and rested her head against Giorno's shoulder and the young teen held her in his arms. Aria then opened up her eyes and was greeted by the stairs. ...Huh..? What...what is that? Aria, through her blurry vision, saw something strange coming out of one of the steps. She blinked a few times to adjust her sight and once she was able to see again, her eyes went wide in shock. She saw a hand phasing out of a shadow from the steps. And it was reaching towards Giorno!

Chapter Text

"Golden Wind's ability won't last forever. If he breaks free, I'm done for." Giorno said. He was caught off guard when Aria suddenly began making quiet, hoarse sounds. She had a look of panic on her face and tried to push Giorno away. But she was too late. A cut formed on the side of Giorno's neck and before Giorno realised it, Golden Wind was captured by the Stand once more. Seemingly dragging half of him into the shadows as the Stand held on tight to him. "Wh-...what's going on?! M-merda, he was hiding in the shadows! He's definitely slower but is powerful as before and I can't move a muscle!" Giorno yelled as Polpo's Stand started driving the arrow into his Stand's neck. Aria rushed to grab hold of Giorno's arm to try and pull him free when Polpo's Stand had suddenly dropped Golden Wind, and Giorno fell back over the stairs' bannister, collapsing to the ground.

Aria run down the steps and went to her new friend. Wh-what was that? Did she really just see that?! Was that the thing Giorno was fighting against? Was that a Stand? How was she able to see it now? Aria held Giorno's arm and helped him slowly sit up when his hand touched the shadows next to him. His fingertips created the ripple-like effect and at an instant, Polpo's Stand sprung to life from the shadow and poised for attack. Aria saw the Stand and jerked Giorno away from him and reached for his neck. But then...it paused. The Stand pulled away and began to walk away. He...was now ignoring them. Giorno wondered why he was being so calm when he noticed something. When he showed to attack, Aria had... Giorno turned to Aria in confusion and asked, "You pulled me back. Can you... Are you able to see this thing?"

Aria shakily nodded her head. "I don't know how...but I can see it! This creation, known as a Stand, it's terrifying. Although, doesn't it seem to be acting strange?" She signed, turning back to the cloaked Stand. The two stared curiously at the Stand's actions. He was walking within the border of the shadow cast by the school building. Seeing this, Giorno reached out placing his hand in a shadow. The Stand sprung out of the shadow with his arms raised up for an attack. But he didn't. He only stood up straight, crossed his arms and ignored them completely. "That's it! He's been using the shadows! He can move from shadow to shadow, travelling at lightning speed. But he shouldn't be able to touch us here still in the sunlight." Giorno said. The Stand was still walking around in the shadows. Keeping his distance from the sun. Giorno looked at the sky and saw that it won't be long until the sun goes down.

"Still, the sun will disappear behind the school in a matter of minutes. Once that happens, we're screwed. But then again, if I can drag him in the sunlight, there might be something I can do." Giorno said, standing up to his full height and keeping his eyes on the cloaked Stand. "It's worth a shot at least. Question is, how do I draw him out? Think, he's waiting for you to act. That's all he has to do, wait and watch the sun set with that creepy grin of his."

Aria stared at the Stand before her, and soon, the reality of the situation hit her hard. This was all real. It was all real. From encountering Bucciarati in the funicular to now. She had witnessed unexplainable events and was attacked by this thing, meaning there were people in this world with powers she can't even begin to understand. And the fact that this belongs to a member of the mafia, made Aria realise that her home was in more danger than she thought. Normal people couldn't see them and they use that to their advantage to commit their crimes. She briefly wondered if this was part of the reason why her father left. Knowing these people were too dangerous to handle, even for him. Her father... She didn't fully understand his place in the mafia world, but she knew that he had been fighting alone to protect her. To protect their family.

A small flame began to stir inside her heart. For years, Aria had witnessed her home become more and more corrupted with each passing day. Drug dealings. Murders. Missing persons. Innocent people live in constant fear that they could be the next victim, and the police aren't doing any to stop it. Instead, they turn a blind eye and take hush money from the criminals themselves. She wanted to do something to help others, and now she has that chance.

The flame was growing and turning bright. Her rudy eyes were now burning with determination. Things were getting so bad, her father felt he had no choice but her leave her behind. To try and protect her...and she never saw him again. Her people and her city will always be in danger and as long as people like Polpo remain in charge, they'll never be safe. 'That stops now. If I can see this Stand now, then that means I have the very same power as Giorno and Bucciarati. Because of that arrow...If that's the case, then I'll use it to protect people! But first, I must help Giorno defeat Polpo's Stand!'

"Giorno! Is that you down there?! The heck are you doing?!" A voice called out. The two teens nearly flinched at the sudden shout and looked up to find Koichi standing at the top of the stairs. "Koichi?!" Giorno said in shock. "Out with it! Why is there a dead man at the bottom of the stairs?! What the hell did you do to him?!" Koichi shouted as he pointed an accusatory finger at the dead old man. Firmly believing that Giorno had something to with his death.

"You've got it all wrong, I'm innocent, I swear! That Stand right there atta-!" Giorno began to explain the situation to Koichi and show the old man's real killer but he froze. When he turned back, he saw that the cloaked Stand was gone. "You're telling me I'm wrong? I know I saw you, Giorno! You and that girl were talking to that old man!" Koichi shouts as he pointed up towards the one of the windows. "I was watching the whole thing from the window!"

'He was watching us? If he saw everything then-... Oh no!' Aria thought as she stared in fear at the young Japanese tourist.

"Really? So then... Koichi, did you see the lighter reignite?" Giorno asked him. Polpo's Stand was slowly moving along the shadow of the stairs. Inching closer and closer towards Koichi, who remained unaware of the Stand's presence. "Huh?" Koichi went. Confused as to what he was talking about. Falme? What flame? "You can't step into the handrail's shadow! If you do, Koichi, you'll be killed!" Giorno shouted. He tried to warn him, but he was too late. Koichi took a step back and his foot made contact with the handrail's shadow. That very second, Polpo's Stand immediately sprung up and grabbed Reverb. The Arrow was already in place to shoot.

"Oh no, he got him!" Giorno shouted. Polpo's Stand gripped Reverb tightly around his neck, squeezing him as he recited his proclamation. "You saw the reignition of the lighter. Before you lie two paths. Do you live and become one of the chosen or is it your destiny to perish?" He asked. Koichi felt the same pressure around his neck as Reverb and couldn't move his body at all. He stared up at the cloaked Stand in wide-eyed confusion. "What in the hell?! What is this?!" The shadow-warping Stand opened his mouth wider and the arrow was now in full view. Koichi's eyes fell upon it and let out a gasp. No, it can't be! Why is that arrow here?! It should be locked away! "This arrow is-!"

"Intercept him, Golden Wind!" Giorno shouted. Aria stared in wonder as she saw Golden Wind for the first time. Marvelling at the glistening armoured Stand. Golden Wind flew from his master, and he went straight to Koichi to save him. He rushed to his aid and grabbed the arrow to keep it from piercing Reverb. The sharp arrowhead cut deep into Golden Wind's hand and Giorno let out a yell as blood spewed from the open wound his hand. "Talk about searing pain... That hurt like all hell, but...at least now I'm able to give you a healthy dose of sunshine." Giorno said. The railing of the staircase then began to morph and transform before Koichi, and now, Aria's eyes. The stone railing turned into long flowing vines and within them, beautiful morning glory flowers sprouted. As the vines grow and the flowers bloom, the sunlight peeks through and shined upon the cloaked Stand.

Feeling the warm sunlight, Polpo's Stand let out a pained scream as he was burned by the light, thrashing around and holding up his arms to try and shield himself against the sun. But it was pointless. "It serves you right. I turned the handrail into morning glories. So much for hiding in the shadows." Giorno smirked. The cloaked Stand continued to scream as the longer he was exposed to the sunlight, he was getting progressively smaller. He whipped around and reached out his hand. The tips of his fingers made contact with a nearby shadow and the Stand was able to make his escape. Saving himself.

"Damn it! There were more shadows nearby." Giorno said in annoyance. "If I can just pull him into the complete sunlight, I have a chance at offing him for good." Koichi, still in light shock over what he witnessed, stared at the place where the Stand once was when he had attacked him. But what exactly was that Stand? It seemed Giorno knows a lot about it. Koichi stood back up and went to the edge of the stairs. "What the hell? What was that Stand?" He asked the young teen as he leapt to ground level.

"Didn't you see? The murdering kind. It killed the old man after he relit the lighter, we happen to see him do it. So now the damn thing has made targets about of the three of us." Giorno explained. Holding up his bleeding hand. He blinked in surprise when Aria reached up to hold his hand. Bringing it close to her and she began to clean and dress it. Giorno blushed at the action but his attention was taken when Koichi said, "That's not what I meant. That arrow..." He paused. A dark, concerning look was overshadowing his face. "I'm sure it's from THE bow and arrow! To think there'd be one here. Just what in the world have you been getting into?! What did you do to make this arrow wielding Stand come out of the woodwork?!" Koichi shouted.

Aria stood in front of Giorno and moved her hands to communicate with Koichi. She tried to tell him about Giorno's innocence and that neither of them had anything to do with the Stand. They were trying to fight against it as it was their enemy. But one confused look from Koichi told her, he had no idea what she was doing or saying. "Wh-what are you-?" Koichi was caught off when he saw something from the corner of his eye. He slowly turned and saw that the cloaked Stand was standing ever so still and silent in the shadows right beside them. Seeing they were still standing in the sunlight, it won't attack for now.

"It'll take too long to explain, and really you know as much as we do. What do you know about it? And tell us everything, and don't leave out the stuff about the arrow." Giorno said.

"Why did you save me just now?" Koichi questioned.

"Forget that, I need to know more about the arrow! Besides the sun is setting!" Giorno harshly snapped at him.

"Tell me why you save my life?! Don't think for one second I would ever feel indebted to some thief!" Koichi shouted. Making Giorno pause as he stared at him. He had a point... he did steal from him, so there wasn't a chance he would be obliged to tell him anything or even cooperate with him against this Stand unless he was given a valid reason. He turned to Aria, and the girl offered a small smile and a nod. Placing a hand on his arm, showing that he had her support. Giorno took in a breath and faced Koichi. "The lighter was ignited because of my careless actions. The old man just got caught up in this mess. The whole thing makes me sick. I believe in what I set out to do. But that doesn't make it hurt any less. It's terrible, but I can't stop now. There's a dream burning in my heart and I'm seeing through no matter what!" Giorno said, full of passion and conviction. Aria and Koichi stared in awe at the golden-haired teen. Taken aback at the power of his words.

Koichi was just left speechless. The way this kid carried himself...the way he spoke. His spirit seemed to shine brighter than that of precious gold. It was so new, and yet, so familiar to him. As if he had seen this type of person several times before. For some reason, Koichi felt like he can trust him. So, he decided to do just that. Koichi turned his attention back to the cloaked Stand and began to share his knowledge. "Two years back, I was wounded with a similar arrow. It's what awaken my Stand. If the power doesn't awaken, the victim is killed instead." He said. Making Giorno gasp and Aria's eyes to widened.

'I was right..! The arrow grazed my head, but I'm able to see Polpo's and Giorno's Stands. So my power was awakened when it hit me.' Aria thought to herself. 'But...exactly what kind of Stand to do I have?'

'Awakened the ability? Of course, 'one of the chosen'. That's what it meant. The chosen are those whose Stands have awakened! That must be what Polpo is testing! And that means Aria has passed! She can see it and gained a Stand of her own!' Giorno thought as he stared down at the lighter in his hand.

"I'm not sure about the arrow, and I have no idea where it came from, but I faced this kind of Stand before. It's self-piloting and long-range. It's deadly." Koichi explained.

"Well, that's terrifying." Giorno stated.

"Thankfully, it's limited to just simple attacks. But it won't give up until it destroys its target." Koichi said. "Our best strategy is to find the user and take him down."

"As much as I would like to, we can't. He's safely behind bars, out of reach. Either way, he's stuck hiding in the school's shadow for now. So we need to get to the side facing the sun while we can. Then before the sun sets completely, we'll lure him into the shadow of some moving object, before ripping it away when he least expects it. He'll get totally whammied, and not even know what hit him." Giorno said. Laying out his plans to the others. It sounded a little risky, but it's the best plan they got. They've got to at least try.

"Got it." Koichi says. With all in agreement, the three students started to run, heading out of the school grounds and staying within the sunlight. While they were running, they were unaware of the two crows flying overhead. The birds grabbed the attention of the cloaked Stand and quickly sprung into action. In a fast motion, the Stand rose from the ground. Koichi looked up at the sky and saw the two crows when he heard the sound of their wings. He then looked back to where the Stand was, but he stopped immediately. Seeing nothing but an empty space. "He's gone!" Koichi exclaimed. Giorno and Aria hadn't stopped running and were already at the gates of the school. Giorno had run past a nearby tree, stepping on the shadow. The shadow created ripple effects and before he realised it, Giorno tripped over as the cloaked Stand grabbed him, and Golden Wind, by his ankle. The Stand had outmanoeuvred the three by using the birds above to move between shadows to get to him. "Preso."

"What?! Where did you-?!" Girono shouted in shock. The cloaked Stand swung his body around and slammed the young boy to the ground. Making him land painfully on his back. 'Giorno!' Aria cried out in her thoughts. "You witness the reignition." Koichi looked up to the sky and his eyes caught sight of the two crows, immediately piecing the pieces together. "The crows! He snuck out of the school's shadow and hid in the shadow of the crows!" He said.

"This bastardo..!" Giorno shouted through gritted his teeth. This Stand... Polpo was beginning to piss him off! "MUDA MUDA!" Golden Wind came forth and began kicking at the Stand with great speed, but the long-range Stand easily dodged each attack and grabbed the golden-armoured Stand's leg, immobilizing both Giorno and his Stand. Holding him in place. "Merda! He's faster and stronger when he's surrounded by darkness!" Giorno shouted as the Stand opened his mouth. The arrow aimed and positioned to fire. Aria felt her heart racing. A cold sweat ran down her face. Giorno was in danger! Polpo might kill him if they don't do something. She...she had to do something...! She had to! She didn't know who Giorno really is or why he knew her name, but that didn't matter. He was her friend and ally to make her home a safe place to be in. To make it for what it could be. She had to protect him! Suddenly, she felt her blood burn hot, and yet, felt a serene calming overtake her. She felt...weightless? And...was that music she was hearing?

"Go Act 3! 3 Freeze!" Koichi's voice snapped her out of her mild daze and Aria let out a silent gasp as she found herself falling back on her feet. Stumbling a bit before seeing Koichi's Stand being brought out and hitting the cloaked Stand. All at once, the Stand was frozen in place and felt a massive weight fall over his body. Feeling himself be forced into the ground. His hands were crushing against the concrete ground due to the strong gravitational force. "My Reverb Act 3 can weigh down Stands. It can do the same to ordinary objects too." Koichi said.

"The target's hands have been subdued. Consider him super glued to the ground, Master Koichi." Reverb informs him. With the extreme increase of gravity, the cloaked Stand should have let go, as Koichi had expected him to, but instead, the Stand had only gripped on tighter to Giorno/Golden Wind's legs. Causing Giorno to let out a yell of pain as he felt his bones slowly breaking. "He shouldn't be able to hang on! I applied pressure to every centimetre of his hands! This force should make bending his fingers impossible!" Koichi exclaimed.

"He's too strong. Nice try, but this bastardo's not gonna let go!" Giorno said.

"Once more. Before you lie two paths." Polpo's Stand declared as he brought forth the arrow, inching it closer towards Giorno. Koichi was in both fear and disbelief that this Stand could have enough strength to keep his hold on Giorno. 'It's no use! When a Stand suffers damage the same injuries are felt by the user! At this rate, he's going to shatter Giorno's bones!' Koichi thought to himself. This wasn't good at all. If he keeps Reverb's effect on, both Giorno and this Stand's user will receive some serious damage. He has to pull it back now! "Act 3, release 3 Freeze no-!"

"No. I'd prefer that you didn't Koichi." Giorno suddenly said. Making the the former and Aria look at him in confusion. What? Why not? If he doesn't pull back his Stand's ability his legs will be broken to bits! "You heard me. Don't even think about releasing your ability, t's just what I needed." Giorno told him, looking up with a smirk. "Nice going, Mr. Tourist, you've couldn't have done me a bigger favour."

"Look out! He's gonna crush your legs!" Koichi shouted as Golden Wind tried to move his leg, seemingly trying to break free from the cloaked Stand's grip. And then, everything went silent when they heard a loud crack. Aria felt her heart leap to her throat when she thought of the worst. Koichi let out a gasp and quickly looking at Giorno's legs. But to his confusion and relief, found them unharmed and still in tact. But...but how? That sound...if that wasn't his legs, then- Something had fallen behind the two, creating a small thud. Aria and Koichi turned around and saw and saw that the tree beside them was snapping and some of the branches were breaking off. In an alarming rate, the tree started to grow and be filled with life. "Holy crap...that tree..." Koichi began.

"Golden Wind can continuously inject lifeforce into any organism. I exhilarated its growth to progress through its entire life cycle, and now it's withering away." Giorno said. Just as he said, the tree was going through its natural cycle at a rapid pace. It was full and flourished with life but seconds later, it grew older and the leaves dried up to dust. Eventually, the tree itself was beginning to break apart into nothing. "That's your power? But the tree's ten meters away, how did you-?" Koichi began to ask before his eyes fell upon the cracks of the broken concrete. Aria glanced down as well as she now understood. Giorno had this planned out when he attacked earlier.

'I understand now! Giorno had dug a hole and struck the roots, that's how he was able to use his powers without Polpo's Stand knowing..! Such a great tactic!' Aria thought with a smile. Very soon, the tree broke into bits and pieces, and quickly became dust. When the smoke and shadows cleared, there was nothing holding the sun from shining down its serene warmth and burning the Stand! The Stand started screaming, turning a bright reddish-orange colour as it burned from the sunshine. "Wow, you did it! The shadow's totally gone! He dragged that creeper right into the sun!" Koichi said. The Stand cried out in pain and fell back to the ground. He saw the hole Giorno had made and desperately tried to crawl away, but a heel dug into his hand, halting his movement. Golden Wind wasn't going to let him get away that easily as he covered up the hold with the debris and powered concrete. Making the Stand scream aloud.

"You were rattling on about us having two paths, but there's only one path that's lying in wait for you. Sorry to bother, koichi. Aria. But could I ask you both to step to the right for me?" Giorno asked. The two were a little confused by his request but did as they were told anyway. "Oh...sure." Koichi said. Giorno tilted his head to the side and seemed to be in deep thought about something. "Hmmmmm..." And just like that, Golden Wind powered up and pummelled the weakened Stand into a crumpled pile. "MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA!" Golden Wind shouted as he sent the shadow-warping Stand flying to the sky.

"Now bask in that southern Italian sun. Like I said, just one path. Enjoy the ride, stronso." Giorno said. The Polpo's Stand collided with the ground, and he let out one final pained scream as he was completely evaporated by the sunlight. It was finally over. For now... Aria placed a hand to her heart and breathed out a sigh. So...that was what Stand battles are really like. But this was just Polpo's Stand... Who's to say the other members of Passione won't be just as deadly or stronger than this one. 'But it's way too late to back out of it. Like Giorno, I have dreams to change this city for what it could be...and I have powers of my own too. I will be strong. I have to be. Holy God that rules over Heaven, may you watch over us during our endeavour.' Aria thought as she gave a prayer.

She looked up to the sky and saw that the sun had descended far beyond behind the school and the night was nearing close. The light purple and pink coloured the sky above. Aria turned over to Giorno leaning down to pick up the lighter. Even after all that, the flame was still burning bright. "But I wonder, was that enough to us into the Famiglia? I guess we'll see." He said. Aria walked towards him and reached up to hold his hand, along with the lighter. She looked anxious, but she still smiled happily. They'll be just fine, so have faith. That's what Giorno believed she wanted to say. A light blush coloured his cheeks and smiled back at her. Yeah, whatever happens, they'll just have to see it through. Together.

"That arrow... It's existence in Italy only means that more innocent people are going to end up being killed!" Koichi says as he quickly ran over to a payphone that was located just a few feet away. He put in the change he had on hand and frantically pressed the number pad. "I've got to let Jotaro know everything!" While Koichi was failing Jotaro's number, a hand reached out and pressed down on the receiver, cutting off the call before it could go through. Koichi was caught off guard and looked up to see Giorno standing next to him with Aria, with a notebook in hand, following close behind. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?" He questioned.

"You... You mentioned there were more. I destroyed Polpo's Stand. You saw it with your own eyes." Giorno said.

Aria wrote in her notebook and held it out for Koichi to see. "From what I could tell, when Stands get hurt, the same happens to the user and vice versa. Doesn't that mean Polpo has also been burned like his Stand did?" She asked.

"Is that what you think? You couldn't be more wrong." Koichi strongly told them.

"Huh?" Giorno went.

"Look, I'll admit things would've been a lot worse if you hadn't taken care of that Stand, but don't let yourself be fooled. The sun only stopped the Stand from attacking. Wherever he is, the user's perfectly fine." Koichi said.

"He's alive, really?" Giorno questioned, beads of cold sweat ran down his face. Even after all that, Polpo was still alive?! No way... Aria was also taken aback by this, but thought about it for a moment. Koichi said that the Stand was self-piloting...did that mean that type of specific Stand won't reflect the same damage to the user? Where there different categories for Stands?

"Most definitely. Long-rang Stands like we just fought have almost no effect on their users. He probably has no idea that this fight even took place." Koichi explained to the two teens.

"Say what? So he's completely oblivious? Do you think he knows I'm a Stand user? Or even Aria? She wasn't directly pierced by the arrow but she was cut by it. Does he know?" Giorno asked.

"You're relentless. If he felt anything, it was maybe just an unusual heaviness in his hands. But there'd be no way that the three of us are Stand users just from that fight." Koichi said. Turning back to the payphone. Giorno fell silent. If that was a case...then this whole thing just became a lot bigger than he thought. Much bigger. This was Poplo's test...which meant there were many other members of the Famiglia were Stand users too much like Bucciarati. If Koichi gets into contact with his allies then there was a high probability that the entire Famiglia will know about. Which means that his beloved will be killed as a result, and he can't let that happen. 

"Hey, I'd really appreciate it if you move your hand now." Koichi said, looked at the golden-haired boy.

"Sorry, but that's a call I just cannot allow you to make. It's not one guy. It's an organisation. A big one. If you call in backup, word could get out to the enemy." Giorno said in all seriousness.

"Enemy? Organisation?" Koichi questioned, confused as to what he meant.

"This stays between us, Koichi." Giorno said.

Chapter Text

Later into the night, Giorno and Aria sat in silence. Resting up in Giorno's dorm room, sitting side by side on his bed as they watched the flame of the lighter lit up the small part of his desk. Though there was hardly ever a point to it, they figured to just complete the "test" as normal. Giorno glanced at the girl beside him in worry. When they made it back to his room, he immediately took action and cleaned and patched up the wound on her head. "Are you okay? How's your head? Any pain?" He gently asked.

Aria looked up at him in slight surprise but shook her head. Smiling that warm smile of hers. "No, I'm okay. Please don't worry about me. I'm just... a little tired after today." She signed.

"Hm...I don't blame you. Anyone would've been overwhelmed taking that all at once." Giorno said, trying to smile back, but...the look of guilt on his face was evident. "I'm sorry... It was my fault you got hurt in the first place. I should've-." He began to say before Aria waved her hand. Cutting him off.

"Please, don't blame yourself. That Stand was strong, and I'm okay. Honest." Aria signed. "The wound still stings a little, but it'll get better eventually."

Giorno wasn't entirely convinced, but looking at her smiling face made him decide to trust in her words. Aria has always been an honest person and has no reason to lie about anything. Giorno nodded in head and slowly relaxed. "Alright, if that's what you say." He said. He let out a sigh as he rested against the wall. Looking towards the lighter. Aria smiled at him and made herself comfortable on the bed. She was still anxious about tomorrow, but when she remembered Polpo's Stand mentioning that the two paths involved being a part of the chosen or death, she had some confidence that they'll be able to make it out okay. If she gets accepted into the Famiglia, she'll be one step closer to finding her father.

Aria looked at her bag, resting against the frame of the bed and then back to Giorno. Something was still bothering her. She didn't know how Giorno knew her name before she introduced herself, and she didn't understand why those vibrant seafoam green eyes looked so familiar to her. Should she ask? Had she and Giorno met before? Or was it all just some big coincidence? Maybe she was overthinking things... "There's something you want to ask me?" Giorno suddenly asked, breaking her out of her thoughts. Aria looked up at Giorno in surprise. She raised her hands to sign but Giorno beat her to it. "Whenever your brows furrow and place a finger to your chin, it means your deciding whether or not you want to ask something." Giorno said, smiling.

Aria's eyes slightly widen. She hadn't realised she was in her habit until he said it. But...wait a minute, how could he have known that? The girl nervously looked at Giorno and took in a deep breath. "I'm not sure if it's any of my business...but it's been bothering me for some time. How did you know my name? You seem to know a bit about me and I was wondering...have we met before?" She asked. Now it was Giorno's turn to be surprised. Crap... He didn't know he had blurted out her name back on the funicular. Ugh, idiot! He should've kept his mouth shut and he should've known better than to expect Aria to forget that little detail. But... it was too late to try and work around it. Especially after tonight.

Giorno sighed and turned to face her. "You may not believe me." He said. Aria tilted her head and smiled softly. "I think I'll believe anything at this point. But...please be honest with me?" Aria asked. She was taken aback when Giorno reached out to hold her hands and leaned in close. The way he looked at her...was so warm and filled with affection. "I will always be honest with you." He said. Aria's face turned pink as Giorno leaned back against the wall. He never thought he'd be revealing himself so soon. He had hoped that once he took control of the city, he would find her again and tell her everything. But things took a different turn. And besides, she was right here, in front of him. He has to, at least, tell her part of the truth about himself.

"When I was a kid, I didn't have any friends. I was usually the target of bullies and every day they'd come up with new ways to make my life miserable. But one day...I came across this little girl. She was being picked on by a bunch of kids and it made me mad. Seeing them taunt and make fun of an innocent girl. So I decided I wouldn't allow her to face the same sorrow I did. I ran up and defended her. From then on, the two of us became close friends." Giorno said. Smiling at the memory. It was the beginning of a wonderful friendship and the start where he began to fall in love with a person. The person who had given him the strength and reason to live and to achieve his dream.

As he spoke, Aria stared at him, perplexed by his story. But it did sound strangely familiar to her. After all, that's exactly what happened to her when she-? .... No... Hold on... Aria looked up towards Giorno. Her brows furrowed as she took a closer at his face. Wait... Is Giorno...?

"I cherished that girl and the friendship she gave me. I've never met such a kinder girl in my life. Everything she did, she tried her best to do good for the people around her and brought joy through her beautiful music. She wouldn't hesitate to help people in any way she could. I've always exchanged notes with her, and watched over her."

'Defending a girl from bullies? Notes? Watching over...?'

"The more I looked out for her, the more real the danger was in our city. I knew that eventually the wickedness would come and hurt her too. So I had to keep my distance from her...but not once have I stopped thinking of her." Giorno said, turning his head to look at the stunned girl beside him. He smiled and reached to hold her hand. "I miss being by your side, Aria. But now, I'll never leave you alone again. I'll always be here to protect you."

Aria stared at Giorno with wide eyes. She couldn't believe it. Was it...really him? It couldn't be. She held on to the memories of that sweet boy who had stepped in and begun her first real friend and remembered his appearance perfectly. She held on to the notes he gave her and the times they shared. When he suddenly vanished, Aria had prayed for his safety and for the chance to see him again. And then, she stared deep into his beautiful green eyes. Those eyes... Aria let out a gasp. She had looked for a very long time, knowing that it had to happen, but it took her a long time to find someone...and she'd finally found him. Her dearest friend. "It's you, isn't it? You're the boy I had met so long ago! You were that boy weren't you, Giorno?!" Aria signed. A smile formed on her face as tears swelled in her eyes. Giorno cupped her cheek and smiled back at her. "I am. I missed you, Aria."

Aria shut her eyes, the tears were flowing freely as she wrapped her arms around Giorno. Sniffing as she thanked God for taking care of him and reuniting them. She had missed him just as much. Giorno sighed contently as he allowed himself to hold her again. From now on, they'll never be apart. They will always be together. Even if they are only friends. Aria buried her face in his shoulder as she continued to sniffle. She was so happy to have her friend back, she was beginning to hear music again. "Aria..? Aria, look at this." Giorno suddenly said. Aria raised her head and silently gasped as she and Giorno looked around his dorm room. Dancing across the walls, ceiling and floors were glowing white musical scores. Identical to those you'd find in music sheets. The room was filled with beautiful violin music. Music fills the air without effort, like the waves filling holes in beach sand; the sound rushing in and around the two. A warm glow suddenly lit up from Aria and the two teens looked down and saw that three rings of the musical score were surrounding the young girl.

Was this part of her Stand's power?

The next day had arrived and the test was nearing its completion. Giorno and Aria headed back to the prison to see Polpo. After getting past security, successfully sneaking the still lit lighter, and once they made it to his cell, placed the lighter in the same window where they first received it. As they looked inside his cell, however, just like the first time, all they found was an empty cell. Polpo was nowhere to be seen. How in the world is he able to do that? Giorno leaned in to see if he can find any clues when Polpo's voice echoed out. "I was about to dig into this luscious donation." He said.

The teens looked up and saw Polpo chewing and biting right through the centre of what they thought was the wall. But in actuality, Polpo was eating a massive-sized pizza. Polpo took several bites of the pizza before he inhaled it and slurped it in its entirety. He stayed still as he let out puffs of air before a loud burp erupted from his mouth. Aria felt herself gagging and covered her mouth. Quickly looking away as the rotten taste of bile reach the back of her throat. Giorno was grossed out by Polpo's unusual eating habits but remained calm, looking away from the sight. "I can't seem to recall where we left off. Who are you again, boy? Who's the puny mouse beside you?" Polpo asked as he reached for the mini-fridge and began searching through it.

"Ah, that's right, you're...uh...Giorno...uuhh..." Polpo said, spacing out on his name.

"It's Giorno Giovanna, and this is Aria Serenità." Giorno clarified as the mute girl gave him a respective bow.

"Ah-haha, of course. My apologies." Polpo says as he pulled out a banana and an apple from the fridge, already getting to work to peeling and eating the banana. "My mind is always going elsewhere when I'm having a snack." He says, eating half of the banana before taking a bite of the apple. "All my blood goes to the stomach. If I may be so bold, Giorno. Aria. Is either of you a man or woman of God?" When he was done, he poured himself a glass of wine.

"Well, I'm not devout if that's what you mean." Giorno said.

"I am. I was raised by a nun, so my understanding of God came from her." Aria sighed.

"Hmph...in that case, then you're more pitiful than I thought." Polpo said, giving her a condescending stare. Aria tensed up and looked away while Giorno stepped in front of her. Blocking Polpo's view of her. "You, on the other hand, that may be for the best. For what I'm about to say to you runs counter to the word of God. But I ask that you take our chat to heart. If having faith in one's fellow man is paramount, then it must also be true that there's no greater offence to a fellow man than the act of disrespect. Listen carefully, abusing that trust is unacceptable. Not only does the act dishonour the benefactor of that fragile trust, but it also jeopardises his very life and livelihood. Money and profit mustn't cloud your judgement, it doesn't matter if you've lost a seat at the theatre or even a bus stop, we don't engage in actions that'll risk one's own life. Conflict's a sport for barbarians. It's a pastime for fools. But," Polpo paused as he points towards Giorno and Aria.

A cold, serious look on Polpo's face darkened as he stared down at them. "If I or any of my men are disrespected, all bets are off, pivello. In the eyes of God, murder is acceptable when one has been disrespected." Polpo tells the two. Giorno narrowed and sent a glare in Polpo's way. He knew he was threatening them, but he did take something out of that. God will forgive a murder if one's honour and life had been disrespected, huh. "I'd commit that to memory." Polpo darkly said. Then just as suddenly, Polpo quickly lost the serious attitude he had just displayed and put on a jovial smile. "Now, bravissimo, you're a member of the Famiglia. Trust me when I say I had every confidence you'd return the lighter aflame. You passed."

Polpo reached into his tunic and pulled out two golden button-like pins. He flipped them up into the air and they landed through the small window of his cell. Landing perfectly near the edge. "This is the badge of the Passione syndicate. It's proof that you succeed. For the time being, you shall be receiving your orders from Bucciarati." Polpo tells them as he takes a moment to sip some of his wide. Aria went over to the window and took her badge, stepping to the side to allow Giorno to get his. However, she noticed a dark look in Giorno's eyes. Giorno reached out his hand towards the badge, but he bypassed it and instead reached inside his cell. Polpo closed his eyes for a brief moment, but it was all Giorno needed to have Golden Wind's hand emerge from his own. 'He's using Golden Wind's ability...?' Aria asked herself. She peeked over to see what he was using it on when snapped into attention and kept her hands clenched tightly around her badge as Polpo let out a content sigh. Having finished his wine.

"How about it? This calls for a toast." Polpo says as he held the wine bottle, intending to share some with his newest subordinates when he saw Giorno and Aria walking away. Polpo pressed his face against the glass and shot down a dirty glare at the two teens. Ungrateful upstarts. No manners whatever. But that was the least of his concerns as his eyes fell towards the still burning lighter. 'Did that moccioso and muta nessuno really pull off keeping the lighter on for 24 hours? Did they reignite the flame and get reborn as a Stand user. Hmph...oh well, who the hell cares? It's always so easy to pull the strings of the young and confused. Whatever they are, I'm positive they will serve us well.' Polpo thought as he chuckles to himself.

Polpo poured himself another glass of wine and as he swirled the enticing liquid in the glass, he noticed something odd. The mini-fridge was left open. "How strange. I could've sworn I closed that door." Polpo says as he further opens the door as was only greeted by the sight of fresh bananas, apples and a two wine bottle. "Must be all my blood rushing to my stomach again." He said, closing the door without a second thought.

After going through the guards and determining they were clean, the teens were free to head back outside. Giorno pauses and turns back to the prison. Feeling that it was only a matter of time. Aria gently tugged on his sleeve and sighed, "If I may ask, what did you have Golden Wind do?" The golden-haired boy only smiled at her and shook his head. He took her hand in his and the two walked away from the prison. "Come on, let's go to that café you like to go to. We have a lot of catching up to do." He told her. Aria tilted her head. She didn't understand why he avoid her question, but she thought that maybe it would be better if she didn't know. As far as she knew, the mafia holds a lot of secrets. Maybe this is just one of them. She let out a breath and smiled happily. Accepting his request.

Watching them from a distance, Koichi stood by. His eyes followed the boy until he was gone from view. He came here with the intent of taking a sample from him, but, as expected, things took a different turn. Elsewhere, a phone went off and Jotaro picked it up, hearing the recent report from Koichi and informing him of his latest encounter with Giorno. "So you met again?" He asked.

"I'm really sorry, Jotaro, but I've been thinking about it. This guy, Giorno Giovanna... He doesn't pose the kind of threat you were worried about." Koichi tells him. Contacting him at a payphone at the side of the prison.

"Why do you say that?" Jotaro asked.

"Well..." Koichi began. Recalling how Giorno saved his life, his incredible strategy in dealing with that Stand and, of course, the passion and the bravery he heard in Giorno's words when he spoke of the dream he had. It took Koichi a while, but he was sure that whatever he felt from the boy, it was the very same he had experienced two years ago. "Actually, let's discuss it in person. Would you mind?"

"Not at all. If that's what you want, then that's what we'll do. I'll be waiting." Jotaro said.

"I'd appreciate it. We'll talk soon." Koichi said as the two ended the call.

Jotaro placed the phone down on the receiver and leaned back against his chair. Letting out a sigh as he closed his eyes. He trusts Koichi input as he had met with Giorno, but it didn't make him worry any less. He still is the son of Dio, but that's only half of the reason. He was his son, yes, but that also means that he's a member of Jotaro's family. He opened his eyes when he felt a warm pair of arms wrap themselves around him. "I'm sorry for listening in, but it sounds to me that Koichi trusts him. Considering what you told me." A gentle voice said. Jotaro took one of her hands and raised them to plant a kiss on her soft knuckles. He looked and saw Hikari's beautiful smile.

"I'm sure he does. But even though I have no ill will towards him, I can't help but worry what kind of person he'll be." Jotaro said.

"I understand. I was concerned when he found out about him, we all were. But I have faith in him. He's Dio's son, but technically, Giorno's also Jonathan Joestar's son. So I believe that he's inherited the noble, polite, kind heart from him. Just like the man I fell in love with." Hikari said. Hugging him close. Jotaro let out a small chuckle and held her arms. Agreeing with her.

Back in Italy, Koichi stood in front of the payphone and gathered his thoughts. He was certain he was making the right decision. What he saw in Giorno wasn't a lie. He was exactly like them. 'Mr. Jotaro, in the beginning, I wasn't sure about him. I guess I'd be lying if I didn't think Giorno was insane for having such lofty aspirations. But now...I feel it in my bones. He truly has a heart of gold! I'm absolutely certain of it.' Last night, before they parted way, the trio went back to the corpse of the innocent old man that had been killed and caught in something that had nothing to do with him. Koichi had stood back but Giorno kneeled at his side, giving his respect for the man. Aria sat on her knees and shed silent tears as she began to pray for the old man. Praying for a blissful sleep without any fear or pain, for God to take care of him and welcome him in Heaven, and for forgiveness for not being able to save him.

'I've watched three generations of Joestars fight for good all the way back in Morioh. It was as if their righteous hearts became their life energy, their motive to carry on. I witness the same fire in his eyes. I have no doubt the blood coursing through his veins holds the determination of the Joestars.' The righteous heart, the fire in his blood, and the honourable, courageous nature. Koichi knew that Giorno belonged to the Joestar family alongside Josuke, Jotaro and Joseph. 'And that's why it's only right that I honour his wish and keep his secret in confidence. He deserves that much. I promised to protect that golden dream with everything I got.'

Koichi believes in Giorno and knows he will be just fine. He will not become a threat and he'll always carry the same characteristics of the Joestar family with him. His mission was a resounding success. And now that his mission was done... "Okay, I'm long overdue for some sightseeing!" Koichi happily says as he runs off to enjoy the rest of his vacation in Italy. Oh, that's right, he should remember to pick up some souvenirs for his friends!

*************

The next day, Giorno and Aria met up with Bucciarati at the same courtyard they were in two days ago, and where they showed them their new badges. Confirming their admission within the gang. Bucciarati gave a small smirk. As if he knew they would succeed. He then turned around and said, "Nice job. Now come with me." Bucciarati began to walk away with Giorno and Aria following close behind. This was now the start of their new lives in the Passione mafia. At the same time, Polpo was relaxing in his cell, humming a song to himself as he peeled a banana for his latest snack. As he was peeling, he suddenly heard a strange 'clicking' sound. Confused, he looked around for the source of the sound but found nothing unusual. "Huh? That's odd, what was that noise? Oh well." He says as he goes to take a bite of his snack.

'So, an act of disrespect is justification for murder in your book, huh?' Giorno thought to himself. 'I see now. You taught me a very important lesson. Which is handy since you disrespected the life of that innocent old man.'

As soon as Polpo bit down, his eyes went wide as that same clicking sound was heard. Not only that, but the fruit was now as hard as steel. Polpo was filled with shock, confusion and a small twinge of fear as right before his eyes, the banana had transformed into a gun. Or rather...it turned back into a gun.

'I took the liberty of changing one of your guns into your favourite snack.' Giorno thought as he turned his head in the direction of the prison with cold, unforgiving eyes. 'It's your last meal, Polpo. Hope you enjoy it.'

Before Polpo could even move or think what was happening, the gun went off. Shooting the capo, and his Stand, point blank and painting the cell walls with his blood and bits of brain matter. This was Giorno's gruesome revenge for the janitor. The Arrow was incidentally destroyed as a result.

"So, where are we going?" Giorno asked.

"You're going to meet my team. They're all Stand users." Bucciarati said as he led Giorno and Aria down the city streets and began to give them a small review of what their gang is all about and its structure of power. "Passione is an extensive mafia syndicate. At the bottom of an intricate totem pole, are groups of six to ten members like us. Above us, are the capos, like Polpo. Each capo oversees their own territory of business and each team has its focus. Be it assassination, drugs or otherwise. While I am part of the Famiglia, I don't involve myself with other team members and capos. At the head of the Famiglia, is the Boss. He has a trusted right-hand man with whom he has maintained exclusive communication, so we have no means of acquiring info about him. Italian Mafiosi hate attracting attention as it puts a target on their backs. Even capos will dress themselves like ordinary citizens, and some will even operate front businesses as well. The boss is the most secretive of all and never reveals his identity. Any investigated effort is immediately uncovered. I know many who tried and failed."

Bucciarati stops and turns to face the newest members of his team. "So, Giorno, if we ever want to find our man of mystery, we have to get him to notice us. We have to gain the trust of someone close to him or we'll never be able to overthrow the boss. Our first job is to improve our standing in the Famiglia. We'll earn the rank of capo. But you and I can't do it alone, we need a team we can trust. If we want to beat the boss...if you want to find your father, Aria, this is the only way."

************

Though it had been mere moments ago, the news of Polpo's demise spread amongst Passione capos like wildfire. Everyone everywhere was speaking of the man's "suicide" and were interested in what he left behind.

In one place, three men were speaking in a restaurant. "The guy's in intelligence say that it might've been suicide."

"Nah, the big guy would never."

In another, the discussion was between two men who were in the middle of firing an insubordinate bastard. He struggled against the men in black suits who were keeping a tight grip on him. "Bastard was in a maximum-security cell, no one could get to him." One of the men pointed out as he cocked and readied a gun.

"Think maybe he betrayed the boss?" His acquaintance asked.

"You couldn't find a more loyal capo than him. There's no freakin' way he'd do that." He said as he pointed the gun at the fear-stricken man.

In a clothing store, two members were discussing the possibility of a new capo while waiting for someone in the changing room. "I know, but-."

"What I'm most worried about is who's gonna replace him." He tells him before his girlfriend came out, calling to him as she showed him the dress she was planning to buy.

And lastly, the real talk was between two partners who were driving through Rome.

"I heard through the grapevine that the capos are fuori di testa. Apparently, Polpo committed suicide." A young man tells his partner. His partner was a dopey looking man. He was a man of average build and height, fair skin, navy green eyes, and is keeping his lime-green hair attached in a strange-looking ponytail that points straight back before curling at the end. He wore a long-sleeve collarless white tinted-green shirt with spikes on his shoulders, sleeves, and back. He has long dark green trousers that cover his feet, acting as boots. When his partner mentioned Polpo's death, he foolishly looked towards him. Taking his eyes off the road.

"Hey, eyes on the road!" His partner loudly tells him.

"I got it. So lard-ass actually offed himself?" The lime-green haired man asked. The brainless idiot wasn't paying any attention to the road and nearly crashed with several other cars before he swerved out of the way, driving down the street recklessly as many of the other drivers angrily honked their horns at him. "I told you to watch the road!" His partner shouted. "No one knows why he did it. Maybe he was just tired of being a slob or maybe life in lockup finally got to him. Whatever the reason, now we know he was a waste of hot gas. Damn coward bit down on a peashooter and painted the walls with his brains."

"You sure he killed himself? Someone else could've did him in." The lime-green haired man said. Not focusing on the road at all again.

"Well, the autopsy guy told me it was suicide. Any expert worth a damn can tell the difference between suicide and murder. There's a light, dunce." The other man said, pointing to the traffic light just up ahead.

"Huh?" The lime-green haired went. When he finally did put his eyes on the road, he saw the light turning red and stopped the car.

"Hey, you know the rumours about Polpo's fortune, right?" His partner asked.

"Rumours? I know more about astrophysics than I do any damn rumour." The dunce tells him. He never really cared about stuff like that unless it interested him. Besides, he can admit that his partner was the smart one in this.

"Before Polpo got locked up, he converted some of his cash into a nice stash of rubies and gold, at least that's how I remember the rumour going. It's a hidden treasure trove. He had so much to own not even the bank of the Famiglia could handle it all. No one had the balls to look for it while the inflatable idiota was still alive, but now he's taking his eternal dirt nap so his treasure is up for grabs. It's free money really. And the way I hear it, he hit five billion lira." He explained. When he mentioned the large amount of money Polpo had stashed away, it got the green-haired idiot's attention right away as he stared at his partner with wide eyes.

"Are you shitting me?!" He exclaimed. He then got a stupid grin on his face as he began to laugh to himself. "If I picked up that kind of moolah, I'd go abroad with a bitch and babe on each arm."

"Get real, I'd rather work my way up in the Famiglia. Once I buy my way to capo, I'll live a life most people can only dream of." His partner says, being more careful and sensible when coming across that type of money than his partner. "But where the hell did he hide it?"

"Isn't there anyone who knows?"

"No, although a thought occurred to me just now. The guy couldn't crawl out of that cell without a crew of helpers." His partner points out as they began driving again. "You think an oaf like that could hide five billion in loot all by himself? He had to have some help, some kind of loyal confidant type. And as we all know, true confidants are few and far between. Polpo liked Bucciarati didn't he?"

"Bucciarati? You mean that teppista from Napoli?"

"That's the one. If he had anyone hide it, it'd be him. And now that Polpo's dead, Bucciarati has probably made his move. Especially with five billion lira there for the taking. I'm sure even he has a greedy streak when he's in the mood." The man said. His eyes glanced over and his heart dropped when he saw that his partner was now gone! Completely vanished from sight and he was stuck in a still-moving car as it swerved and drifted dangerously in the road. "Hey, Zucchero!!" He angrily called out as he quickly took hold of the wheel and steadied the car. "That bastard actually hopped his happy ass out of the car! Did he believe that crap?! But if you're gonna try and tail Bucciarati, I'd be real careful. Word is, he and his cronies are Stand users."

Chapter Text

Eventually, Bucciarati, Giorno and Aria had arrived at the restaurant where the latter's team was waiting for them. It was a quaint restaurant called Libeccio. Inside was simple, yet held a homey touch. The ambience was peaceful and warm. The patrons were enjoying their meals while also enjoying the company of one another. However, in an isolated corner of the occupied restaurant is where Bucciarati's team were seated. And it was anything but peaceful. A waiter had come in and brought in four slices of delicious looking strawberry shortcake.

"Fugo, can we please be done? It's freaking beautiful out there, one day away from the books isn't gonna hurt. And besides, I'm just not into it today, you know." A voice said, half whining as he stared absent-mindedly at the math textbook and notebook in front of him. He was Narancia Ghirga. Narancia is a teenage boy of average height and has a gangly figure. He has a childish/feminine face, fair skin. His hair was black with purple highlights and was messy with bangs over his purple eyes. He sports an amethyst, slim tank top, purple pants and shoes. He has on lighter accessories, including an orange bandana, matching orange wrist bands, and a light orange/yellow short skirt.

Fugo, who was sitting beside him and trying to tutor him, let out a sigh. "Don't say that, Narancia." He says kindly as he places a supportive hand on his back. "You should be commended. Trust me on this, it's not easy to ask for academic guidance especially when you barely attended grad school. And yet, you still learned your multiplication tables. You can do it, just remember what I taught you. You got this." Pannacotta Fugo was a young man of slim to average build with fair skin, purple eyes and spiky strawberry blond hair. He has large bangs going down the right side of his face. Fugo wears a light green two-piece suit filled with holes on the sleeves and legs. He also wears a belt to support his pants and a tie with a pink strawberry pattern. His blue shoes have the same strawberry pattern on the front of them.

Narancia let out a tired groan as he knew there was no getting out of learning the hellscape that is mathematics and leaned over the table. Getting even more tired. "Now then, multiply the 6 by 5." Fuga says as he held up the notebook. On it was a simple multiplication problem; 16 x 55. Narancia looks at the problem and tries to remember what it was. "6 x 5... 6 x 5... is it 30?"

"It is. Bravo, I knew you could do it! You're practically halfway to solving it." Fugo said with a bright smile.

Confidence was boosted through Narancia and he spread a smile of his own. "I get it! 6 x 5 is 30, nice!" He says as he began writing it out on the paper. While he did that, one of the members put down the book he was reading and turned around to grab some cake when he bolted from his seat when he stared down at the platter with wide eyes. "Hey, what the hell is this supposed to be?!" He shouted as he pointed at the cakes. Fugo turned his head and looked at his comrade and the cakes in confusion. "What that? It's a strawberry." He said, simple as that. Not so much for the anxious man throwing a fit.

"I can see what kind of cake it is, dumbass! It's not like I can confuse the damn thing with a chocolate or cheesecake! That's not the problem here, there's four slices! They might as well have told us to die!" The man making an idiot out of himself was known as Guido Mista. Mista was a teenager of above-average height and medium build. He had slightly tan skin and black eyes. He wears a uniquely shaped vermilion and white hat with white spots and white and diagonal grid pattern and on the front is a blue arrow pointing downward. Mista's attire consists of a blue and white turtleneck crop top cashmere sweater with vermilion trim and with a design similar to his hat, vermilion leather pants with black zebra stripes, a thick blue belt, and black/vermilion boots.

Fugo gave his friend a look and sighed. Not again with this...and why's he freaking out so much? There are four slices because there's one for each of them. "Another freakout, Mista?" Fugo asked. Getting tired of having to deal with Mista's irrational fear/hatred towards the number 4 every time.

"Shut up!! It's bad luck to take one of the four pieces, everyone knows that! Making a selection from five is okay! Choosing from three is also a safe move. But picking anything from a group of four practically invites disaster!" Mista tells him, pleading his case that the number 4 was all-around bad news. Although Fugo couldn't care less about that. At all. "When I was just a kid, a neighbourhood cat had four kittens, and one of my friends ended up adopting one of them. Well, much to his surprise, that fickle beast scratched my friend's eye clear out of the socket! Of course, he then beat that kitty until it was dead and gone."

While Mista and Fugo were too busy talking about how stupid or not that superstition was, the final member of the group, who was ignoring everything and just listened to the music playing in his headphones, rose from his seat and went over to the platter and picked up a slice of cake. Leone Abbacchio was a tall man of a slim build. On his head is a serrated purple headpiece that acts as a headband. He had fair skin, light purple lipstick and had yellow-purple gradient eyes. He keeps his long, white tinted violet hair, dividing into spikes that angle outwards or upwards at their ends, being shoulder-length. He wears a long, dark indigo lapel-less overcoat with purple laces that cross his bare chest and purple cuffs, dark indigo bell-bottomed pants, and dark purple shoes. The buckle of his belt bears a gold insignia of the letter "A".

"That's some idiotic superstition. Just think for a moment, if you eat one slice at a time, eventually someone will have to choose one piece from the four." Fugo said, looking at it from a logical standpoint. But Mista took it and went in a different direction. "Exactly! This is when the restaurant staff should take the hint and bring out three slices. Service here sucks hot ass!" Mista exclaimed.

Okay, by that point, Fugo reached his limit for the tetraphobic and turned away from the conversation. "You're more than welcome not to eat it." He told him. But he might as well gave the biggest insult from the way Mista reacted. Not to eat it, was he crazy?! "No way, I demand to eat torta di fragole!!!" He yelled out. So he wants to eat one, but refuses to take one because of the number of cakes? Honestly...

Yeah, I figured it out! All done, Fugo, see!" Narancia happily cheered as he held up his notebook to show him.

"You're finished already? Let's have a look." Fugo says as he takes the notebook. Somewhat impressed that he was able to figure it out so quickly. Hm, he must be improving-. Fugo fell silent when he saw that Narancia had done the multiplication completely wrong, writing 28 as his answer. As well as drawing a few doodles around. "What's this?"

Narancia only gave a small cheeky laugh. "Did I get it right?" He asked. A dark look appeared in Fugo's eyes and without any warning, grabbed a fork and violently stabbed Narancia in the cheek with it. Fugo stood up from his seat and grabbed Narancia by the head, grabbing a fistful of his hair as he yanked him up. Fugo's face was contorted with rage as his glare burned through Narancia. "Little punk shit! You think you can mess with me?! How many times do I have to keep teaching you this lesson?! You dense cagacazzo!!" Fugo shouted in pure anger as he slammed Narancia into the table. Sending the small plants and tea set clattering around and spilling the tea all over the table. He kept slamming his head and yelling at him as Mista and Abbacchio just sat there with impassive expressions.

"Uh-huh...now he's definitely gone off the deep end." Mista says as he goes back to his book. Drinking his cup of tea, one of the few that was spared from the onslaught of anger coming from Fugo. His eyes then fell on the slice of cake and turned to the long-haired man. "Hey, Abbacchio, are you gonna eat the rest of that cake or what?"

Narancia wrests himself free from Fugo's grip and pulled out a switchblade. Holding it dangerously close to Fugo's throat. "What you call me..? A dense cagacazzo, was it..? You know, talking down to people isn't very nice. I'll cut you. I swear I'll slice you to pieces, Fugo."

"Bastardo...!" Fugo growled. Before things could escalate any further, all the chaos was put to a screeching halt when Bucciarati entered the room. Loudly demanding, "Enough, you fools!! Get it together!" Immediately the uproar deflated itself as everyone turned their attention to Bucciarati. He stood in the doorway as he shot a glare at his team. "I could hear your bickering from the front of the building. You're bothering the other customers."

With them quiet down, Bucciarati stepped into the room followed by Giorno and Aria. The girl was trembling a little by all the yelling they were doing and held onto Giorno's jacket, hiding behind him as they were introduced to the four men. "I brought along the new associates we talked about. Pay attention, don't dishonour us." Bucciarati sternly tells them. Aria shrank even further behind Giorno as they just stayed in place, staring at them. Giorno reached over and held her hand. Lacing his fingers with hers. Aria looked up and saw him giving her a small reassuring smile. 'It'll be okay.'

Aria closed her eyes, took in a deep breath. Slowing coming out of hiding while grasping her friend's hand tightly as they both took a step forward. "I'm Giorno Giovanna. It's a pleasure to meet you all." The golden-haired boy said as he gave them a respectable bow. Aria followed with a bow of her own. The other members just stared at them with unimpressed expressions on their faces, although they did raise an eyebrow that a girl was joining the Famiglia. Let alone join their team.

Aria then moved her case around and unzipped one of the pockets. The guys' expressions changed when they saw her take out her notebook. She flipped through the pages and held it up for them to see. "This book is for written communication. It's very nice to meet you. My name is Aria Serenità. I hope all of us will get along and become true allies. Please use the notebook to talk with me. I can't speak."

Reading all that, a small reaction evokes on them and took another look at her. She was a mute? For real? Why the hell was a girl, who is mute, allowed to be a part of the Famiglia?! One look was all they needed to know that she was a very innocent little one who shouldn't have known they even exist. They all stared at her with questionable looks which made Aria very uneasy. It reminded her of how the people at her school would look, and mock her when they found out she couldn't speak. However, they quickly shifted back to their indifference and went back to what they were doing, completely ignoring them. "Sorry about that, Fugo." Narancia said, sincerely apologizing.

"I'm sorry too. Will you forgive me?" Fugo asks, suddenly becoming more calmer and gentler than how he acted just a few moments ago.

"Of course! And I promise to study harder if you'll please keep teaching me." Narancia tells him.

"Listen everyone!" Bucciarati shouted, grabbing the teams' attention once again. "I went out of my way to bring them here! Show them some respect!" His harsh scolding was cut off when a waiter appeared by the doorway. Getting his attention. "Mr. Bucciarati."

"What is it?" Bucciarati asked.

"You have a phone call."

"Right, thank you." Bucciarati said as he regained his composure. "Now then, all of you properly introduced yourselves, capito? I'll be right back, Giorno. Aria. You should get to know your fellow team members while I'm gone." Bucciarati said as he left the room with his two recruits along with the four other members. "Sure thing." Giorno said. Aria nodded at his request. As he left the room and the two teens' attention was on him, Abbacchio took the teapot and turned his back. The other three saw him unzip the fly of his pants and urinate into it. "Giorno and Aria. Am I right? Don't just stand there, take a load off. Let's have a drink and chat." Abbacchio said, taking off his headphones as he sets the teapot on the table with a small smile.

Out in the main room, Bucciarati walked over to the front desk where a waiter was present. "They're waiting for you." He told him. He was about to hand him the phone, but the blue-eyed man politely stopped him. "Grazie." He says as he picks up the phone. "Bucciarati here." The leader of the team was silent as he listened in to the voice on the other side of the phone. Bucciarati was then caught off guard by what he was hearing. He almost didn't believe it, but that didn't matter right now. He just have to follow the orders he was given. "Understood." That was all Bucciarati had to say before the call ended. He internally sighed. Things were starting to change...maybe he should get in contact with her and inform her about Aria. She needs to hear about this as soon as possible.

"Is something the matter?" The waiter gently asked when he noticed the deeply concerned expression on Bucciarati's face. The man lifted his head and only smiled at him to reassure him. "No." He said.

"Bucciarati?" A soft, weak voice called out along with a light knocking on the restaurant's window caught his attention. Bucciarati turned and saw a kindly old woman standing outside. "Bucciarati, do you have a moment?" She asked.

"Signora Menini, hello. What's on your mind?" Bucciarati asks. Putting down the phone back on the receiver and goes to greet the old woman, but he paused when he noticed another old woman standing behind Signora Menini. He could see the bruises on her face. "If you have time, could you lend me an ear and speaking outside would be best." Signora Menini says.

"Yes, of course, ma'am." Bucciarati said as he steps outside the restaurant to see what it was the old woman wanted to speak to him about. He figured it must be urgent if she asks for him to step outside.

Back with the others, Giorno and Aria took their seats with the other members. Aria flipped to a new page and took out her pen. She didn't know if either of them knew sign language like Giorno, but she didn't want to assume anything. Talking with them through pen and paper would be easier for them. Aria looked up and saw Abbacchio picking up an empty and pouring a cup of "tea". It must be freshly made, it was still warm that steam was rising from the cup. "I hope you enjoy it." Abbacchio says as he placed the cup in front of Giorno.

Mista, Narancia, and Fugo were all tensed up and stared with wide eyes at Giorno and the cup. Why did they all look so high-strung? Aria glanced at each of them and looked at the teacup. What was strange about it? It's only tea, right? She began writing in her notebook and Abbacchio caught that. Quickly, he asked, "How old are the two of you?" Abbacchio stood up for a bit and gave her his slice of strawberry cake. "We're both fifteen." Giorno answered.

"What, really? Ha, I got two whole years on ya, buddy boy. And can you seriously not say a single word, piccoletto?" Narancia said with a taunting tone. He reached out and pinched her cheek. Tugging at it. Aria lightly winced and tried to write in her notebook when Fugo smacked Narancia's off of her face. "Ow!"

"Narancia, honestly, don't be so rude towards a young lady." Fugo scolded him before turning to the ruby-eyed girl. "I apologise for his behaviour, please don't hold it against him." He said. But he surprised her when he responded through sign language. It brought a smile to her face and happily signed, "Oh no, it's alright. I'm used to that type of reaction." While she was happy to meet someone else who knows sign language, she was left unaware that Narancia and Fugo partially got her attention so she wouldn't interfere with their little prank. "Thanks for the tea." Giorno said. He picked up the teacup and brought it up to his lips. But then the smell wafted under his nose and he was now able to see the liquid more clearly up close. He choked back a gasp as he realised what this was. He glanced up and saw that everyone was giving him a smirk. Oh...now he got it.

Aria tilted her head. What was wrong with him? Is he just not fond of tea or something? She raised her hands to speak, but Mista pushed the slice of cake closer to her. "Hey, you like strawberries, right? Abbacchio was nice enough to give it to you and you don't want to be rude do you?" He told her. Aria tensed up and quickly shook her head as Mista placed a fork in her hand. Abbacchio waited for a moment for her to eat a piece of the cake and the strawberry before turning to the other teen with a smirk. "Is something wrong? You've already expressed your gratitude for the tea. What's with the sudden hesitation? I believe we're past the niceties, it's time to drink up. Is it not warm enough for you?" He questioned.

Fugo let out a low chuckle while Narancia covered his mouth to keep himself from laughing, his whole body was shaking as he tried to keep it together. Aria looks back at them in confusion. They are such strange young men, she mused. Still, they didn't seem like they were bad people. She got the sense that they, while mischievous from the way they were speaking, could be trusted. Aria briefly wondered what kind of Stands they possessed. If they went through Polpo's trail, then they must've also been pierced by that arrow.

"Maybe he's afraid to down it because he doesn't want to be one of us." Mista said in a teasing tone. Huh? Of course, Giorno wants to become a part of the team. It would go against his dream if he didn't. Aria didn't like where any of this was going and looked up to see Bucciarati coming back. She waved her hand to get his attention and when he did, he looked towards the scene in front of him and immediately could sense that something was wrong.

"Now what's going on here?!" Bucciarati demanded as he steps into the room. These guys did something, he just know it. He could tell by the way they were acting that they had pulled some sort of dumb act. But, surprisingly, Giorno glanced up at the team's leader and smiled. "Nothing. Everything's fine. He went to the trouble of making a special cup of tea for me. He even gave Aria his cake as a sign of goodwill." Giorno said. The boy turned his attention back to the teacup and slowly raised it to his lips before downing the whole thing in one sitting. Everyone's eyes went wide in astonishment and disgust. They couldn't believe he just did that!! Did he even know what that was?!

"That's nasty as hell!!" Narancia exclaimed.

"What you do? Speak up!" Bucciarati questioned, getting angrier now. Honestly, if they did something, he was going to end them! Aria looked up at them in more confusion. What's gotten into them? Why were they suddenly disgusted after Giorno drank his tea? It's not like they had tampered with it. .....did they? Giorno placed the cup down back on the table and everyone saw that it was empty. So he did drink it?! "Holy shit! He guzzled down every ounce of it!" Narancia shouted, pointing at the empty cup. Grossed out by what he might've done. Mista, on the other hand, burst out laughing. "You're gonna be fun to have around! Major props, bud!"

"There's no way you drank that stuff, right? Go ahead and tell us how you did it." Fugo said, not believing that Giorno would be that idiotic to have seriously drunk it. He saw his reaction and he knew that he knew that it wasn't tea! He must've somehow got rid of it, right? Abbacchio's surprise quickly wore off and the man was now frowning, staring at Giorno. Tch, he was hoping for something more humorous. "If you tell me, it'll be our little secret. Spill!" Mista said, urging Giorno to tell him the truth if he did or didn't and if he got rid of it.

Giorno gave a subtle, yet cheeky smile as he stared at the other members. "Can't recall. But you all are keeping abilities under wraps as well, aren't you?" He asked, coyly. Catching the other members off guard by that remark. Abbacchio stared down at the boy with a steel gaze. He was more shrewd than he thought. 'So this stronso a Stand user. Which means this youngling must be one as well.' The duel-gradient eyed man thought. Looking in between of the two members. Initially, he wasn't going to pay Aria any mind, but now that he knows that Giorno's a Stand user, he wasn't going to let his guard down with either of them.

Giorno continued to smile at the team, making sure that it didn't spread any wider as he had to keep the little guy well hidden. 'I transformed my left front tooth into a jellyfish, and since it's 98% water, it was able to absorb all the liquid in the cup.' Giorno thought.

"Can you transport matter?" Fugo questioned.

"Open your mouth! There has to be a hidden cavity!" Mista said.

"I still can't believe you drank it! Is it like your favourite drink?" Narancia questioned.

"Well, I'll show you, but that's if you guys want to go first." Giorno said. Bucciarati hadn't had a clue what was going on or what they had done, but he was once again impressed by Giorno. Despite being so young, his level of intelligence and charisma was beyond a normal person of his age. 'I don't know what it is, but there's something about Giorno that gives him the unique ability to charm almost anyone.' Bucciarati thought. Aria sat in her seat, stunned at the change of atmosphere. Just a moment ago, they were unimpressed, teasing and might've pulled a mean prank, and now things were lively and bright. She smiled wide as breaths of air escaped her lips. Honestly now. These boys were just too much, but she could tell that they were all good people and were very funny. Plus, it did make her feel better that at least three of them were around the same age as her and Giorno. She hoped they could be friends. The men then looked at her and were almost confused at the soft sounds she was making, but she was smiling a lot.

"Wait a minute, are you laughing?" Mista asked. "Is that how you laugh?"

"I thought mute people can't make any sounds at all." Narancia said. "Hold it, are you laughing at us?!"

"Leave her be. We can hardly judge her for laughing." Fugo said, giving her a friendly smile. She didn't know what they were doing and seeing react so strongly about it, Fugo thought it was only natural for her to find them and the situation humorous. As he and others sat back down, the strawberry-blonde haired teen said, "You think before you act. A smart habit."

"Have you told Bucciarati?" Mista asked.

"Kind of." Giorno said.

"And what about you, shorty? Do you have a Stand too? What can it do?" Narancia asked Aria, making everyone turn to her. Aria slowly stopped laughing but kept her warm smile. She wrote her words in her notebook and held out the book for them to see. "Yes, I do. I can't say for sure what it can do just yet, but I hope to find out soon. I want to prove my worth and help out any way I can." The other three teenagers of the group were taken aback by both her declaration and her smile. She looked so cute right now. But they still don't get why a such a pretty girl would join their syndicate.

'We're not exactly a cohesive team yet, but we have no choice. We have to act. There's no time for indecision.' Bucciarati thought. Hmm, he's going to have to contact her later, they need to get going right away. "Focus up! We're heading out so be ready." Bucciarati said.

"Huh? Where to?" Narancia asked.

"Just follow me. Come on." Bucciarati said as he walk out of the room. Everyone took a moment to look at one another. Bucciarati sounded almost impatient, but of what? Well, they were sure they will learn that soon enough if it's him. The team stood up one by one following Bucciarati outside, walking down the streets towards the destination. Throughout the walk, several people had seen Bucciarati and took the time to smile and greet him.

"Hey, Bucciarati. Good morning!" A young woman greeted.

"Have a great day, signore." Said a friendly young man who was just passing by.

"Hey, Bucciarati! Drop by my shop again sometime!" A man in a white uniform called out as he drove by, riding his moped. Bucciarati smiled at each of them and waved 'hello'. He turned his head towards the rider and called out, "I'll have to take you up on that!"

"And the car?" Mista asked.

"It's handled." Abbacchio told him as the group talked amongst themselves. Something about how Mista destroyed their last car. Aria smiled at Bucciarati. She thought it was so sweet of those people to stop and greet him with such kind words. He sure was popular amongst the people here, but Bucciarati was as humble and courteous as any common man. She lightly blushed as he was beginning to remind her of her beloved father. They did have matching qualities after all, at least in her eyes. Giorno looked towards Bucciarati and had similar thoughts as well. 'Just as I suspected. People really trust him.' Giorno thought. In the middle of their walk, out from the corner of Bucciarati's eye, he saw Signora Menini and her friend standing across the street. Staring at him with hope and sadness in their eyes and were holding their hands up in prayer. Seeing them, Bucciarati gave a firm nod. Making a silent vow to them. Recalling their conversation from earlier.

"Bucciarati, this is one of my dearest friends in the world. Her troubled son has recently started beating her and she's quite distraught, aren't you?" Signora Menini says, turning to her friend. The woman shakily nods her head as she began to tremble. Tears swelled in her eyes.

"I see. Well, no wonder you're upset." Bucciarati says, understanding the woman's pain. He kneeled before her and made a promise. "I'll make it clear he crossed the line. What's your son's name?"

"Thank you so much. Deep down, he's a good boy...but those damn drugs... They've changed him." She said. Hearing her say that, Bucciarati's heart stopped and felt his blood run cold. A pang of deep-seated guilt hit his very soul as he stood back up. "Bucciarati, I've lived in this neighbourhood for the past 50 years. In all that time, I've never been filled with such worry. What would make him do such a thing? I don't think I've ever been this scared." Signora Menini says as both she and her friend began to cry. "Please, you'll keep all of us safe, won't you, Bucciarati? You're one of us, aren't you? I need to hear you say the words."

Bucciarati was left deeply disturbed by the pleas of the citizens against the drug trade plaguing the city. The kind that his very organisation was dealing with. It caused him grief to no end and he hated himself every day for letting it go on for so long. With determination and strength in his eyes, Bucciarati gave them his word. "Yes. You can rest easy. I'm going to fix this." Giorno's dreams and Aria's goals were rooted in their wish to put a stop to drug trafficking ruining countless innocent lives in Italy. Innocent people like these two old women and even the children of their hometown are being affected by it. His goal was the same as his. He will fix this. They will overthrow the Boss and make the streets clean of the drug trade. No matter what.

Chapter Text

Eventually, after walking through the streets of Napoli, the team arrived at their destination. A dock lined with dozens of boats, or to be more accurate yachts, resting on the beautiful crystal blue sea. "So you meant we were going yachting?! That's awesome!" Narancia said, enthusiastically. Staring at the boats with stars glistening in his eyes.

"When did you get a hold of a yacht?" Abbacchio asked.

"We're renting one." Bucciarati stated as he walks towards the small rental shop belonging to the dock. Narancia's face completely fell when he realised that owning a personal yacht was nothing more than a pipe dream. "We don't get to keep it?" Narancia said, dispirited.

"Hey, Bucciarati. Do me a favour and stay away from yacht #4, okay? We'll sink to our deaths." Mista said with a grim tone. Aria tilted her head at him and hide her smile behind her hand. Her shoulders shook slightly. 'Mista is such a funny person.' Aria thought to herself. She wasn't why Mista hated the number 4 so much, but she thought that everyone has their unique quirk to them. Giorno gazed down at her and he couldn't help but smile at her. She has such the cutest laugh, he mused. "Relax. The yacht looks like it's in tiptop shape." Fugo stated. Overseeing the boat and saw that it was just in working order, neat, and well-maintained as the other boats. However, Mista and his irrational fear of the number 4, wasn't having it. "Shut up! If you like it so much, you take it!" Mista yelled at him.

The group head inside the rental shop and, while Narancia goes to gather some snacks, Bucciarati speaks with the man in charge of the establishment. "We like to rent a yacht if you don't mind." He says.

"Of course, choose whichever one tickles your fancy the most." The owner tells him.

"Just not #4...!" Mista said with an anxious whisper.

"I know." Bucciarati quickly says to the Tetraphobiac before turning around and pointing to the boats outside, telling the owner, "Alright, we'll take the one on the far left." Mista looked outside and nodded in relief and/or approval when he saw the boat's number. Good, good. They'll have a smooth, safe sailing trip now. "Certainly, signore. I'll fetch your keys."

"I'm interested in renting the craft for three days. How much?" Bucciarati asked the man. The owner was about to hand him the keys when he pulled back in surprised. "What? Oh, I can never take money from you, Bucciarati. Use it as you see fit." He tells him as he hands him the keys. Aria glanced down at them and tilted her head in confusion. How odd. The yacht they were renting was the second boat, so how come these keys have the number one on them? Aria raised her hands to speak, but she quickly put them down and gripped the ends of her dress. It was probably nothing. Maybe each key was the same and it didn't matter which key they give out.

"Grazie mille." Bucciarati says with a smile.

"Hey, old guy! Get over here and ring me up!" Narancia called out as he dumped several bags of chips, sodas, and other variety of snacks. Seems he's more of the childish type compared to the rest of the others, Aria mused as she smiled at him. Still, she thought that it was nothing to comment on too much as he seems to be just as funny as Mista since he is only seventeen. Not every teenager has to be serious all the time. After Narancia purchased his items, the team went to their rental yacht and climbed aboard, with Bucciarati taking control over it.

As they set sail to the vast open sea, Aria nearly jumped when the boat began to move. She had never been out on the water before, but her initial worry was quickly replaced with a sense of wonderment and she ran towards the front. She gripped the railing of the bow of the ship as the sea breeze moved her hair. Her smile widened and her ruby eyes began to sparkle as the boat swayed beneath her feet. Seeing the sunlight glistening in the ocean waters, feeling the breeze past her by, and smelling the fresh salty air... Aria took in a deep breath and exhaled a sigh of contentment. It was such an incredible experience. 'I wish my father was here to enjoy this with me. He often talked about wanting to spend a day at sea with me.' Aria thought to herself. Her once bright smile slowly faded to a sorrowful one.

"Are you alright, Aria?" Giorno asked as he walked to her side. The girl looked up at him in surprise, but she smiled happily and shook her head. She raised her hands and signed, "Oh yes, I'm okay. I was just thinking how wonderful this yacht ride is. I'm sorry if I had worried you."

"You have no reason to apologise for anything, Aria. I'm a little surprised you're adjusting yourself fairly well, being in a gang and all." Giorno said.

"Yes. I'll admit, I was very anxious about joining. But I was taught that adaptability is the key skill needed in a world where we don't know what tomorrow's challenges will bring. So if I want to achieve my goals for my home and the children, I have to adapt constantly and be ready for what's to come." Aria told him. Giorno grinned as he felt a sense of pride for her. For as long as he's known her, Aria has always been as kind as a nun, but he knew better than anyone else she was stronger than most. Whatever she plans to do once they gain control over the organisation together, he'll be there to help in any way he could.

"I think that's a sound lesson to teach. And whatever these challenges are, know I'll be there with you." Giorno says as he stepped closer to her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, bringing her into a side hug. Aria silently giggled with a nod and leaned against him. Resting her head on his shoulder. Bucciarati watched them from the boat's steering wheel, keeping his eyes firmly on the young mute girl. He briefly wondered how she was going to react once she learns that Aria is a part of the Mafioso.

He didn't doubt that she would be pissed beyond belief. Bucciarati shudders at the thought of being at the end of her wrath but hopefully, she'll relax when she knows that Aria was placed under his protection. 'It's not as if I'm planning to keep this a secret forever...she's way too smart to be played tricks on. Once we reach our destination, I have to find the nearest payphone and call her before she begins plotting my demise.' He thought to himself.

After some time, seeing that they were far enough away from the coast, Bucciarati left the wheel and the others began walking around the boat. Taking the time to relax a little as they enjoyed their smooth sailing. Aria explored the boat a little, wanting to ingrain the experience into memory so she has something to tell her father with Giorno keeping her company. As they walked, Giorno briefly locked his eyes with Abbacchio's. The white-violet haired man had some hostility towards the young blonde youth and it was clear to him that he didn't exactly trust him at all. To which Giorno didn't want to be bothered by that, but then he turned his cold gaze onto Aria. Who, thankfully was unaware of the older man's disliking of her. Giorno shot Abbacchio a warning glare before walking to Aria's side and bringing her close to him as they went over to Bucciarati at the bow of the ship.

"Yeah, this is the life." Fugo said with a sigh as he took in the sea breeze. On the other side of the boat, Mista was lounging while reading a popular magazine. Or at least, he tried to if Narancia wasn't jamming out as music blared out from the boombox radio. Even if he was wearing those headphones, he could still hear it beyond that. Seriously, how the hell hasn't he gone deaf yet from all that noise. Mista let out a grunt of annoyance and sat up to get the purple-eyed youth's attention. "Yo, Narancia. Hey!" He shouted as he waved his hand at him.

"Huh? What?" Narancia asked as he removed his headphones a little to hear him.

Mista opened his mouth to tell him to keep the music down when an idea popped into his head. "Oh, well, uh...I was gonna say... Hey, I seem to recall you buying a bunch of drinks, what would you say about selling me one?" He asked.

"Huh? It sounds great, but I know you're never gonna pay up." Narancia shot at him.

"Ugh, what's the difference? Just gimme! Come on, toss me a cold one." Mista says as he stretches out his hand and urges the other teen to hand him a soda. Narancia let out an annoyed sigh and went over to the cooler beside him and checked to see what kind of drinks they'd got inside. "You want a cola or a fizzy water?" He asked.

"Cola-... No, a fizzy water. I wanna see all the little bubbles." Mista says with a small laugh as he goes back to his magazine. Narancia grabbed the soda can and went over to hand it to the onyx-eyed teen.

"All yours."

"Thanks, man. Here, hold this book for a sec." Mista says as he hands Narancia the magazine while he opens the can. Luckily for him, Narancia was easily distracted on a good day so he has no idea what was gonna happen. "You know, you're the best. Grazie." Mista said as he took his time to take the magazine back and keep Narancia's attention long enough for him to pour some of the soda right onto the boombox. He pulled away and repositioned himself to relax while Narancia went back to happily dancing to his music.

Until the radio began to let out sparks of electricity and cut off the music, killing the radio completely. Narancia jumped when he heard the music become distorted and died out. He quickly went to the radio and began frantically pressing the buttons. "What the-?! Why the hell did it just stop playing?! It doesn't make any sense, I just bought this thing! Son of a shitter, that bastard sold me a dud. That cheap geezer isn't gonna get away with this!" Narancia shouted as he fiddled with the radio while Mista calmly sips his drink.

He then looked over to the leader of the group and called out, "Hey! I think we've had just about enough of the surprises, Bucciarati! Where are you having this boat take us?"

"We're far enough away that it's safe to tell you." Bucciarati tells them. The rest of the gang gathered around to listen to the blue-eyed young man with Narancia sitting on top of the upper deck. "Our destination is Capri."

"What's waiting there?" Abbacchio asked.

"I take it we're not going for the amazing views." Fugo stated.

"No."

"So, then what's the point of all this? Just lay it on us." Mista said.

"This morning, the Capo Polpo...killed himself!" Bucciarati tells them. An overwhelming sense of shock and disbelief washed over the others. They all had known Polpo and what kind of man he was, but not once had they ever thought that he could kill himself. Aria let out a small gasp when she heard the news. It made her heart sink about the unspeakable action. She turned over to Giorno and saw that he had lowered his head so that others wouldn't see the impassive expression on his face.

He didn't seem all that concerned with the news of Polpo's death. Her eyes slightly widened as she recalled the moment when Giorno activated his Stand. 'Could...could he have...?' Aria lowered her gaze to the wooden floorboards of the boat. It does make sense. Then when she saw his Stand, he must've used its ability to set a trap for him. And if that's true... Aria glanced up back at Giorno and scooted over to her childhood friend. Reaching up to hold on to his sleeve and rested her head against his shoulder. Giorno looked over at her and reached to hold her hand.

Though she didn't like it, she knew Giorno had a good reason for doing what he did. An innocent old man had lost his life in that fight... She could only pray that God would show love towards the old man's soul, give righteous punishment for Polpo and his misdeeds, and for Him to forgive Giorno and herself and cleanse their souls.

"Wait, he did what?! No, that's crazy!" Mista shouted.

"You're shitting me!" Narancia exclaimed.

"Why would he-...?" Fugo tried to ask, but his voice trailed off. Too shocked to make sense as to why Polpo could off himself.

"The 'why' is inconsequential. Polpo was an influential Capo who courted Death daily." Bucciarati tells them.

"Hold on. Let's focus back on Capri, how are the two connected." Fugo asked.

"Polpo was stashing away a vast personal fortune. A fortune worth....ten billion lire!" Bucciarati declared. Shocking everyone around him.

"T-Ten billion?" Abbacchio asked with wide eyes.

"I'm currently the only one who knows the location, as he ordered me to hide the treasure. That lira belongs to us now! With capital like that, we'll claim the rank of Capo!" Bucciarati proclaimed.

"Hell yeah!" Narancia cheered with a wide smile. The others, though stunned by the news, quickly changed to pride and happiness for their leader, Bucciarati. After everything they've gone through, they all unanimously agreed that no one was more worthy of taking on the title of Capo than him. Fugo smiled at the older man, he was beaming with fulfilment. 'There's no question about it. My prediction will come true, he's destined to become a Capo.' Fugo thought.

Abbacchio smiled as well as he looked at his friend. 'This is an opportunity born of perseverance and hard work. I wouldn't expect anything less.'

'Well, what do you know. Thing's just got a lot more interesting.' Mista thought. Feeling the hype from just the thought of achieving such a high-ranking position with that money.

"Where is it?! Where'd you stashed such that kind of treasure on Capri, Bucciarati?" Narancia excitedly asked. His eyes were dancing with sparkles.

"I can't say just yet. The Famiglia has long spread rumours about the cash's whereabouts. Until we secure the goods, we must remain on high alert." Bucciarati said. The very moment the words left his mouth, his eyes widened when Narancia was suddenly pulled and grabbed from behind by an unseen force pulled below deck. "B-Bucciarati!" He called out with a pained, hoarse voice.

"Hey, something's not right! Say something, Narancia!!" Bucciarati shouted as he pointed over to the purple-eyed teen. Everyone quickly turned around just Narancia's feet vanished from sight with a puff of smoke. A wave of disturbed anxiety overtook the rest of the gang as they realised exactly what they had just witnessed. "Narancia! Quit messing around!" Mista shouted as he raced over to where the young teen had been sitting. His heart skipped a beat with what he discovered. "Guys, you gonna want to look at this." He called out to the gang. They quickly went over and were shocked to find that Narancia had completely vanished. His shoe was the only thing left behind in the small storage space on the deck of the ship.

"Just one lone shoe." Giorno says as he reached into the storage space and pulled out Narancia's shoe. Abbacchio stepped up and snatched it out of Giorno's hand. "Hand it over!" He shouted.

"None of this is making a lick of sense. I don't get it, where the hell could he have gone?" Fugo questioned.

"None of you saw anything?" Bucciarati asked the group. But all of them, unfortunately, shook their heads. They hadn't seen anything nor knew what happened to their comrade. "It was quick, but it looks like Narancia was pulled into this box. The question is how?" He says as he stares down at the small space.

"He went where?" Fugo asked in disbelief.

"No, that's totally impossible. I mean, he couldn't have plopped straight into the ocean, could he?" Mista said. It was a rational assumption, but Aria had to disagree. She had no idea how but Narancia was pulled through down this small space. If he had fallen overboard, then at the very least they would've heard a splash. Aria went pale as a steady realisation came to her. 'Oh no... We're under attack by an enemy...' She thought as she began looking around. They managed to capture Narancia right in front of them without giving themselves away. How are they hiding? They were in the middle of the ocean stuck on a boat, there was no way they could anywhere else. 'Could the enemy somehow sneak aboard before we left the docks? Or were they already inside the boat?'

"Narancia, where are you?" Abbacchio called out. "Hey, Narancia! This better not be a joke!" Mista shouted as jumped over the railing going to the lower deck of the ship with a lifebuoy in hand. "Just say something, damn it!" Aria's eyes widened. Mista's voice and his footsteps were cut off way too quickly. While the others were calling out for Narancia, Aria went over to the railing and looked down the direction she thought Mista had gone down. To her horror, the lifebuoy came rolling down with no sign of Mista. He had vanished just like Narancia.

Aria ran to Giorno's side and tightly grabbed his arm. "Aria, what's the matter?" He asked. Placing his hands on her shoulders to help keep her steady. He became worried when he saw her fearful expression. The other three men turn to them just in time to see her sign. "It's Mista! He's gone too! I just check and there's no sign of him anywhere!"

"What? No, it can't be!" Fugo said as he checked over the railings himself. "Mista? Mista! Where'd you go?!" He called out. He climbs down to the lower deck to search for him. "Not again." Bucciarati said. "Come on, Mista! Don't tell me you're in on this too." Fugo says as he opened the hatch leading inside the ship.

Silence.

"Fugo?" Bucciarati called out. But no answer had come. Fearing the worst, Bucciarati quickly rushed over to see what happened. "Hey, Fugo!" The hatch was open. One of the metal bars was bent and destroyed. The left side of the hatch had a giant hole. But Fugo was nowhere to be found. He had been taken. Aria covered her mouth as she stared at the destroyed hatch with fearful eyes.

"What?"

"Oh no..!"

"Abbacchio! Giorno, Aria, I need the three of you to stick together! We're under attack!" Bucciarati exclaimed. The remaining members got back to back in a group huddle, staying close to one another and making sure that they were fully aware of everything around them just in case the enemy was to make another attack. "I'm certain of it now, a stowaway snuck aboard, and they have a Stand!"

"But why all of a sudden here?" Abbacchio questioned.

"The money." Bucciarati told them. Making them look over at him in surprise. "Yes. Word must've gotten out that I know where the treasure lies and now they're after it too. Someone else from the Famiglia."

"But how long do you think they've been stalking us. Is it possible that they were at the docks?" Abbacchio questions.

"Seems likely. They knew I'd never mistaken reveal the secret, they got impatient. Our pursuer will kill you all and try to force me to confess. We're sitting sardines waiting out here, so they're taking their time." Bucciarati explained.

"so you think the others are goners?" Abbacchio asked.

"I'm not saying that, but ten billion's at stake. They won't hesitate for a second to kill one of their own." Bucciarati said.

"Listen. The others are still alive. They're still somewhere on this boat. I'm not at all certain if they're being held hostage or not, but they're at least." Giorno said. His seafoam green eyes were focused as he stared off ahead. Aria glanced at her friend and followed his gaze. Wondering what he was seeing, she let out a breath of relief in knowing her teammates were still alive. Bucciarati was willing to believe in that notion as well, but Abbacchio, on the other hand, wasn't exactly thrilled to trust the word of some unknown punk kid. "What makes you so sure? You happen to have any proof? I won't just take your word for it."

Giorno didn't answer yet, but he pointed down the deck of the ship. The others looked and saw that a fly was buzzing around the hatch where Fugo was taken from. "I used my Stand to turn Narancia's shoe into a fly. And now that fly is trying to return to its owner. If Narancia had been killed, the fly wouldn't be hovering and searching." Giorno said.

'The more I see it, the more fascinated I am about Stands. Giorno's in particular. His Stand can breathe life into almost anything.' Aria thought to herself. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the little fly. She briefly wondered what the others' abilities are, and just as important, what hers can do. Her friends... though they were alive, they're still at the mercy of their enemy. What can she do to help save them?

"Can you locate him?" Bucciarati asked the blonde-haired teen.

"He's still alive....but something isn't right. It's not descending into the lower cabin or locker. For some reason, it seems to be completely fixated with searching for Narancia over there." Giorno said. Observing the fly closely and taking in any details it gave out.

"Just what the hell is this guy's power?" Abbacchio asked, mostly to himself.

"Stop talking and listen." Bucciarati said to the long-haired man, raising a hand to him to keep him quiet just as Giorno rose just a little to get a better look at the fly. "Narancia is somewhere over there by the cabin entrance. I've positive. But for some reason, it can't pinpoint his location, so it's disoriented. We should consider Narancia's location and the enemy's one and the same. In other words, the enemy is hiding, yes, but they're not simply in the shadows of the hall." Giorno explained.

"Va bene. Unless we can decipher the enemy's abilities, a single misstep could cost us our lives." Bucciarati summarized as he kneeled to Giorno's level.

"Yeah. They may be able to attack while in hiding, but that's also a weakness. We'll study their Stand and learn how to take them down." Giorno said.

Aria kneeled to Giorno's side, placing her bag beside her. Glancing back towards the fly and thought about how each of her friends was taken. Narancia. He was taken right in front of them, and while they never saw what exactly happened to him, she recalled hearing a strange sound. And with Mista and Fugo, they were taken before they could even react. And it was all too quiet. 'Okay, so this Stand can attack while it's still in hiding...does that mean it's a long-range Stand like Polpo's? No, that's not it. The others had to be in close range for it to take them...but if we can't seem to know where the Stand, let alone the enemy is...' Aria thought to herself before she reached for Giorno's sleeve.

When he turned to her, she had already taken out her notebook and begun writing. Once she was done, she turned it over for the others to read it. "That does sound like a good idea. Even if the enemy's in hiding, as long as we attack the Stand, it will expose them. But it was able to take Narancia, Mista, and Fugo quickly and without making a single noise. How are we supposed to learn its capabilities if we don't know where to start?" She asked them.

Bucciarati read over her words and turned to Abbacchio, who had been oddly quiet for a while now. Aria blinked in pleasant surprise. Could he be the key to solving this? "The real battle begins now." Bucciarati said as he moved closer to the long-haired man. "Abbacchio, our secret weapon, might be your Stand." Giorno's and Aria's eyes slightly widened as they both stared at the older man. His Stand was this team's secret weapon? What abilities does it have to make the perfect tool for this situation?

"Why's that? Do you have the ability to solve this mystery?" Giorno asked Abbacchio. Aria clutched her notebook close to her as she nodded her head in agreement. Scooting a little closer in anticipation to hear what type of Stand he had. Abbacchio refused to make eye contact with either Giorno or Aria, casting his multi-coloured orbs off to the side. "Maybe." He said, almost dismissively.

"Abbacchio!" Bucciarati said in a low growl. "I hope for all our sakes, you're not letting a hang-up get in the way of survival."

"Is that what you think? I'm not. I value my safety far too much. I can't reveal my Stand to just anyone, especially two complete strangers who has zero loyalty to me." Abbacchio said. His words were ice-cold and cut through her like a knife. Aria flinched away from him. The way his eyes were...she could see the bitterness and hate in them. "Bucciarati, I don't know why you're placing so much trust in these guys, including in a weak little kid who can't even talk, but as far as I'm concerned, neither of them is an associate of mine." Abbacchio said. Giorno bit back a growl as he glared daggers at him. He didn't like how he insulted Aria but kept his temper.

"If we don't crack this mystery, the enemy will kill us all!" Bucciarati exclaimed.

"And how do you know that? All of that crap is just this outsider kid's random guess." Abbacchio stated as he pointed an accusatory finger at Giorno. "It's his cowardice talking. He hasn't seen anything."

"Abbacchio!" Bucciarati shouted.

Abbacchio pointed at the door of the cabin. "I bet that bastard is just hiding out somewhere below deck. I'll force them out here and give them a helping of payback."

'What?' Aria thought with wide eyes. Okay, yes, she can understand where Abbacchio was coming from. She and Giorno were very much new to the gang and it wouldn't make sense if the others didn't trust them so quickly...but... there are lives on the line. Abbacchio wouldn't take that risk with his comrades, would he? They're alive for now like Giorno said, but what if the enemy kills them if they go after them head-on? Not to mention none of them knows how the enemy took the others.

"Unless you die first, which will likely happen if we rush in now-." Giorno began to say before Abbacchio got in Giorno's face with a hateful glare. Giorno moved his arm and pushed Aria behind him so she wouldn't get caught by the end of Abbacchio's anger. "Cork it, culo." He shouted with a furious growl. "You're just a piece of shit. Aria gripped tightly at her notebook as she began trembling. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. The two were locked in a heated staredown and she was scared that a fight would break out between them. 'This is wrong...! We can't be fighting amongst each other. I-I have to stop them...!' Aria thought. Slowly reaching out a shaking hand to try and stop the potential brawl when Giorno spoke up.

"Come what may, I refuse to give up my dream." He says, his voice rich with determination.

"What the hell does that mean?" Abbacchio questioned before Giorno stood up and started running to the cabin door. "Go on, solve it then! Don't let me down. My one command is that you keep Aria safe!" Giorno said.

"Giorno! Have you lost your mind?!" Bucciarati shouted. Aria silently gasped and bounced on her feet. She tried to go after him, but the black-haired man quickly grabbed her and held her back from rushing in as well. Aria struggled against his hold as she outstretched her hand, filled with worry for her dearest childhood friend. Abbacchio narrowed his eyes at the teen as he lept over a railing towards the doorway.

Suddenly, shooting up from the entryway a slinky-like, white tinted turquoise, spiked hand sprung forth and gripped Giorno by the back of his jacket. A second arm shot out and this one was holding a short, dagger-like rapier, and stabbed Giorno right in the back. 'Giorno!' Aria screamed in thought.

"No! Giorno!" Bucciarati gasped. The blonde-haired teen's face started to lose all its colour and his body was shrivelling, no, deflating like a human balloon. Becoming inhumanly thin and wrinkled. "That's where the enemy's hiding! Merda, Giorno's in trouble!" Bucciarati was about to come to Giorno's rescue but Abbacchio stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "Abbacchio...."

"Giorno Giovanna, you're one full idiota. To go to these lengths to prove yourself. This kid's even crazier than I thought." Abbacchio says as his entire being glowed. He was impressed by Giorno's resolve despite his misgivings and a blue-purple figure appeared behind him.

Chapter Text

Before he became the sombre, bitter member of Bucciarati's team, Leone Abbacchio once had grand aspirations and wanted to commit himself to making his city safe. After graduating from high school, Abbacchio immediately followed his deep sense of justice directly into a job with the police force. At the time, his hair was trimmed short in a crew cut hairstyle, and he wore his standard Italian police uniform with pride. He was such a dedicated policeman and committed to his mission to help the people and fight for justice.

But the realization of his dream did little to quell the unease he felt from the contradictions plaguing his daily work. The people he was expected to defend each day, were the very ones causing trouble around the city he risked his life to serve and protect. These ne'er-do-wells seem to revel in destroying law enforcement property, stealing from the public and committing other heinous acts of depravity.

Abbacchio stood by his car as he stood proud and diligent like the justice-seeking police officer he was. Overseeing the citizens and making sure that no criminal activity was taking place. He jumped in surprise and shock as two large stones flew in and damaged his car's windshield. He swiftly turned around and saw two teen boys, laughing and jeering as they continued to throw rocks at the car. "Hey!" Abbacchio shouted as he rushed to chase after them and arrest them for damaging police property. However, he was forced to let them go when he heard a woman's scream. He turned back and saw an older couple in trouble. The man was on the ground and the woman soon collided with the harsh concrete as two punks grabbed her purse and rode off on their motorcycle. Seconds later, another motorcycle zoomed after them.

"Honey!" Her husband called out as he crawled over to her. Seeing that she fell pretty hard. The people standing nearby had begun to walk over to them as Abbacchio ran to their aid. Ready to offer his service and help them up to their feet. He wanted to help. All he ever wanted was to protect his home and the people in it. "Are you alright?" He asked as he made it to the woman's side. "Damn it!!" But as soon as he was in reach, the older man whipped around and shot down the young police officer with a hate-filled glare. "Come on, what was that?!" The old man shouted as he shoved Abbacchio away.

It was a thankless job and the demands never seem to stop. Nor did the insults or verbal humiliations. No matter how hard he tried, the people were ungrateful and pelted him with every curse word and insult in the book. Everything they said was beginning to chip away at his heart. "Enough!" An authoritative voice shouted. The crowd of people who were insulting Abbacchio halted and turned to see a policewoman stomping over.

Behind her, they could see that the two robbers were already handcuffed to a light post. Her eyes glared down at the people and she went over to the older couple. She handed the woman back her purse and went to Abbacchio's side. "How dare you go on spouting such nonsense to my partner? He's one of many officers we have on the force who's dedicated to protecting you. While I'm sure he feels horrible for not arriving in time, and though I'm not making excuses on behalf of the force, we are just as human as the rest of you! We try our best but it's never enough for any of you isn't it?! And yet, we strive to go out on the streets and protect you because that's our job! Our duty for this city! So unless any of you can do it better, be our guest!" Her eyes were ice-cold but held a hint of sympathy towards the crowd. Her voice was firm, authoritative, and professional.

Some of the people opened their mouths to speak, but they faltered under her gaze. Seeing they didn't have any more to say, the policewoman turned to Abbacchio and placed a hand on his back. Leading him away from the scene and towards the robbers. As they walked, the woman turned to him and spread a comforting, reassuring smile. The woman was one of Abbacchio's partners and had been on the force a year longer than him so she was always there to help him out and defended him from those who belittled him. Abbacchio couldn't have asked for a better mentor. She was his idea of who he wanted to be as an officer. Intelligent, strong, and so beautiful. He strived to improve himself and become someone who will protect her.

But petty insults were just the beginning for him. Abbacchio imperialized his life, again and again, to put the dregs of society behind bars, but this was a city where money talked and criminals, more often than not, walked. Abbacchio stood outside of his station and he watched with silent hatred as he watched a young criminal walk away freely. And with his accomplices waiting for him. "Quit stirring trouble."

"Sorry."

"It don't matter now."

None of them showed any signs of remorse for what they'd done. They didn't even care that they were still in front of an officer while they spoke about how to be more careful from now on. Probably because they knew that as long as they had the money, they can get away with anything they want. Abbacchio's eyes grew cold and dark as he turned away and walked back inside the station. The contradictions became one of Abbacchio's greatest teachers, even more so than his beloved mentor. Her teachings of how an officer should be, the seeking of justice for the innocent, the duty to protect. It steadily faded away. And it wasn't until one night that his sense of justice was completely eroded.

"Aw, come on, officer." A man says to him. It was nighttime and Abbacchio was sent out to investigate a pimp who was causing trouble in the streets. Upon confrontation, he quickly knew that he was the man in charge as he was standing next to a young woman wearing makeup, a short white dress that showed off most of her cleavage and a purple fur coat. "Cut her some slack, what do you say? You wouldn't arrest a lady whose daddy was in debt, would you? She needs the cash real bad. We're just minding our own business." The pimp tells him.

"Would you hurry it up? I've got a good customer over here." The woman said.

"I'm working on it!" The pimp shouted at the woman before turning back to Abbacchio. He let his hands fall to his side as he stepped closer to the officer. Abbacchio glanced down and felt his stomach roil when he saw the pimp holding mound of money in his hand and tapping away with his own. A bribe... the pimp was offering him a fucking bribe! Abbacchio's eyes lost all colour as he stared down at the money. Father's in debt...yeah, right. That was a lie. That woman didn't seem to care less that he was standing right in front of them and was focused on doing her nails. She also looked pretty eager for her "customer". Abbacchio knew full well that he should arrest them both right this minute. But...he couldn't. He had lost his peace.

'Even if I do arrest these bastards, they'll just post bail and walk away. They'll either pay me off or they'll just throw cash at the courts and lawyers.' Abbacchio thought to himself as he accepted the bribe from the pimp. Though deep down, it made him sick. The pimp smirked at him, very thankful for such a loyal, devoted cop. He gave a small chuckle. "You're a real man of passion, aren't you? The kind of cop who takes his job seriously." He said. Abbacchio had nothing to say to him. He gripped the money and walked back to his car. Telling himself that he was only keeping the peace.

It had been a month after that, and Abbacchio never told anyone about the bribe he took. He knew that some officers had done the same he had, but he didn't find any joy in it. Even so, he didn't want to risk losing his job for it and he didn't want his mentor to know what he had done. The last thing he wanted was for her to hate him...for him to lose his partners who had helped him get this far in the police force from the very beginning. Over a month, Abbacchio himself had forgotten the bribe incident and continued to do his job as an officer. Then, on a rainy night, Abbacchio and his partners received a call about a robbery nearby. Abbacchio's mentor gave out instructions for him and their other partner to go around different sides of the building and find any clues about the robbery. She had told them to be careful and not to take careless risks.

While she stood outside the building, surveying the area and making sure that, if the robber got out, she would catch him. With their glass drawn, Abbacchio and his partner went inside the building and searched for the robber. The two men split up to cover more ground and after searching a few rooms, Abbacchio found one that was locked so he kicked it down. Pointing his gun into the darkened room, his flashlight illuminating the hallway. That's when he saw something from the corner of his eye and aimed his gun at the figure attempting to flee from an open window. "Police! Freeze!" He shouted. The robber flinched at his voice and slowly turned to him. His face was as pale as a sheet as he held up his hands with an uneasy smile on his face.

"Oh, hey. It's been a while. Guess I, uh, really screwed the pooch this time." He said. It was the very same man, the very same pimp, Abbacchio had taken that bribe from.

"You again..!" Abbacchio said, his eyes widening in shock.

In another room, Abbacchio's partner had found another person in the building. The register on the counter was cleaned out and the man sat in the corner, dead. Sitting in a puddle of his blood. It took him a few seconds to learn the cause of death was, possibly, a close-range gunshot to the forehead. "Someone blew his brains out..." He says. That's when a jolt run through him and he looked to the side Abbacchio! Oh no, he was in trouble!

"Y-y-you can just pretend you never saw this, right? Come on, it'll be our little secret, I'll never bother you again." He says, growing nervous by the second. He kept his hands up and tried to act calm. Keeping his gun hidden behind his back. Abbacchio glared daggers at him, disgusted by his attitude. "Not a chance! You're finished!" He shouted. He never should've let him go! He should've known he wouldn't just be a simple pimp! No more, he was gonna arrest him and he'll make sure he's locked away.

"Hey, let's not be too hasty. If you arrest me, what incentive would I have to keep quiet about that bribe?" The pimp asked him with a smirk, though it was tight and unconfident. But his words cut through Abbacchio. His body froze and a bead of cold sweat ran down his face. He had forgotten. He had taken a bribe from a criminal. Even if he had him arrested, the pimp will tell everyone what he did. He might even say that they were partners in crime. What should he do? If he lets him go, he'll go out and continue his unlawful actions, but if he arrests him, Abbacchio will lose his job, his beloved mentor...everything! "One more thing, y-you shouldn't play with guns. Mind pointing that thing somewhere else?" He asked.

Abbacchio, destabilized by the pimp's threats to reveal their deal and out of self-hatred, turned away and lowered the flashlight and his gun. However, due to this, he couldn't see the criminal smiling widely and reaching behind him to get his gun. At that very moment, Abbacchio's partner jumped out of the dark, pointing his gun at the criminal and used his body to shove Abbacchio out of the way. "Move Abbacchio, he's got a gun!" He shouted. And two gunshots rang out, breaking through the silence of the night.

The policewoman gasped when she heard the gunshots and rushed inside. She found the victim's body first and nearly fell over when she saw and smelled blood. She covered her mouth and nose to block it out and hurried to find her partners. When she did, she was met with a scene straight from a nightmare to her. The criminal was on the ground in a fetal position clinging to himself as he screamed in pain. Abbacchio was near the corner of the hall with a look of disbelief and guilt on his face. Looking down, the woman's eyes went wide as she saw the body of her other partner. Lying still on his back on the floor with a frozen shocked expression on his face. His blood steadily pooled from beneath. Seeing him dead on the ground made the woman choke back tears as she fell to her knees.

Abbacchio could only stare down at his partner with horrified eyes. He had taken a fatal bullet for him. He was killed because of him...all of this...was because he had committed one of the biggest sins a police officer should never have done. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't hear anything but the relentless pounding of his heart. This was his fault. This was his fault. He did this. He caused this. He had murdered his partner. All this hit Abbacchio like a speeding train, and he screamed in absolute torture and despair.

It was at this moment that would mark the beginning of the end for Abbacchio. He was labelled a dirty cop and punished accordingly. What was worse, he'd lost both his partners because of his actions. A truth he would forever have to endure. His mentor, a woman who had grown deep feelings for, was fired for his crimes. Because she was in charge of his training, she was held responsible and her termination was declared soon after he was thrown out. He had never seen her again. Abbacchio had a few rough years and the compounding disaster sent him spiralling into a deep depression and became a destitute and hopeless man.

Live, die, or suffer. It seemed nothing would ever free him from the grief that had entangled his heart. Every night, with a bottle in his hand, Abbacchio would always go back to that same building where he had lost everything and lamented. Hating himself. Despite the building being boarded up and left abandoned, Abbacchio always came back, walked through its empty halls and drink away his misery. After staring down at the hallway where his partner died, Abbacchio stumbled on his feet as he walked out of the building. As he stepped into the cold, rainy streets, someone had walked into his path. Abbacchio glanced up with dull eyes. Thought that maybe it was just another punk who wanted to pick a fight. But when he did, he found a man in a white suit, holding an umbrella before him. "Abbacchio. Pleasure's mine." Bucciarati says as he greeted the shell of a man.

"Maledetto, what's going on with this Stand...?" Giorno questioned in a pained, hoarse voice as he felt himself grow weaker and weaker. The blade pushing into his back, he could barely feel it anymore as he felt the hands pull him down. "Quick, use Golden Wind!" Bucciarati shouted as he rushed over to try and save him, but Giorno was pulled down and seemingly disappeared into the floorboards. Leaving no trace of him except for a trail of blood circling the small space where Giorno was taken.

"Impossible... Giorno where are-?!" Bucciarati shouted as he tried to run where Giorno was pulled down, but a hand on his shoulder and a pair of arms hugging his own held him back. Abbacchio stood to his left while Aria, still trembling, stood to his right, both were gripping the leader of the now dwindling team.

"It's best you remain up here, Bucciarati. Better yet, stay back with the girl. Try not to misunderstand, I still don't consider her or Giorno one of us. But given his words, he thinks that you're going to come to his rescue as well as our comrades." Abbacchio says as he turned to the place where Giorno was taken with an unreadable look in his eyes. "Honestly, this guy's a total whack job. What the hell are you thinking, those juvenile theatrics could've gotten your dumb ass killed." The duelled-coloured man then turned back to his friend. "Listen, Bucciarati. You have to remain up here."

Aria wiped her eyes clean of tears. Placing a hand on her chest, taking several deep breaths to calm down her rapid beating heart. Giorno... Giorno was... Aria tightens her grip on Bucciarati's sleeve. 'Calm down... You have to calm down... He was taken but he's still alive. They all were. We can still get them back.' Aria thought as she took in another deep breath. She glanced back at the floorboards and her bright eyes widened. Aria tugged at Bucciarati's sleeve and pointed to something just up ahead. Bucciarati followed the mute girl's finger and he saw a familiar sight buzzing around. "Wait, isn't that fly...Narancia's shoe? Giorno's powers are still active. He could still be alive!"

"The others are here!" Abbacchio shouted, noting at the fly's movement hovering above the deck. "Narancia and that bastard are down there!" Without wasting a moment, Bucciarati pushed Aria behind him and called forth his Stand. "Zipper Man!" He shouted as the white and blue Stand rushed into action, punching the deck and activating his abilities. Aria's eyes widened in awe as she took in Bucciarati's Stand. Before, she had no idea what was happening on the tram, but now, she was seeing Zipper Man for the very first time. Aria was fascinated as she watched the Stand create a long series of zippers that appeared on the deck. They unzipped, revealing the empty lower level of the ship.

'Incredible....! From what I wasn't able to see before, Mr. Bucciarati has a powerful versatile ability with these Zippers.' Aria thought. She swallowed her uneasiness as she stepped out from behind Bucciarati and peered down into the opening. But there was nothing. Just an empty room. She turned to the two men and wrote in her notebook. Holding it up for them to see."There's no one down there."

Bucciarati and Abbacchio looked down for themselves and saw that she was right. There wasn't anyone inside nor was there anything out of place. It was all clean and in order. "Narancia. Fugo. Mista and Giorno are gone." Bucciarati says.

"Could they be right under the fly?" Abbacchio asked.

"It's just like Giorno said. The enemy isn't hiding in some locker or shadow. There's something else going on here." Bucciarati said.

"Look. The fly's coming this way." Abbacchio said as he stood up enough to keep the insect in his sights.

"Bizarre. Just where is it going now? How are they hiding like this? Where could they be?" Bucciarati pondered aloud.

"I've never seen anything like these powers. I can't believe it. That show-off actually managed to get something right. I'm gonna expose this bastard. But first," Abbacchio said as he pushed Bucciarati and Aria down to the hole towards the bottom deck with him falling close behind. "We have to get away from this spot." He says. Just as they all fell through the opening, the zipper quickly sealed shut and vanished. Blocking the fly from following them. As the three walked through the small corridor of the bottom deck, Abbacchio suddenly whipped around and pointed a finger at Aria. "You!" Abbacchio shouted at her. Making her flinch and step back. "Cover your eyes! I don't want you to see my Stand." He said in a cold tone.

Aria silently gasped and she quickly nodded her head. Not wanting to make him angrier than he already was. She shut her eyes and went behind Bucciarati's back. Abbacchio narrowed his eyes at the girl, making sure she wasn't looking before walking on ahead as a mint green aura flared around his body. "Moody Jazz. Let's jam!" He said. Finally bringing out his Stand. Aria's curiosity was rising as she heard a mechanical, almost rhythmic sound. Similar to a dial tone. But she didn't dare open her eyes for the sake of Abbacchio's privacy. Appearing before Abbacchio and Bucciarati was Moody Jazz.

A humanoid Stand of a height and build similar to Abbacchio's. It is clothed from its head to its knees in a semitransparent piece of varying shades of purple and blue, open between the base of its neck and its crotch (revealing a light silver surface), and which forms a tent between its head and its shoulders. Its body is made of vinyl. It has a depressed, digital teal timer on its forehead; while its eyes resemble the speakers of a cassette player; repeated on the sides of its shoulders, the back of its hands and on its knees.

"Let's try Narancia five minutes ago." Abbacchio said.

"That should be more than enough." Bucciarati said in agreement. Moody Jazz's digital timer started up and it gave off a fast-forward winding sound, like that of a VHS tape. The sounds stopped as it reached the five-minute mark. The purple-blue Stand then started to drift out of the cabin and flew back to the deck above. The three quickly followed behind. Since she was still keeping her eyes closed, Bucciarati gripped Aria's hand and kept her close as he lead her back to the upper deck. Once they were back on the upper floor, the two men scoured the area.

"What about that fly?" Abbacchio asked.

"It's heading toward the bow. We don't have much time, work fast." Bucciarati tells him.

"Right." The former officer said as the three walked towards the back of the ship where Moody Jazz was standing at. While they were getting close, Abbacchio glanced back at the mute girl. Despite holding on to Bucciarati, she was trying her best to walk without tripping over herself with her eyes close. He didn't trust her at all. He didn't trust Giorno for various reasons but with her... He didn't like the vibe he got from her.

She may look like an innocent girl, but he had this feeling that she was hiding something from them. She wasn't like Narancia. She had no reason to be a part of any of this and yet went on to go through Polpo's test and pass it. He had no idea what secrets she has and whether that would affect his team or not, remains to be seen, but he did find some tiny bit of relief that she'll do what she's told. "Hey, kid..." He called out. Aria slowly raised her head at Abbacchio's voice. Signalling that she was listening. "You've got only five minutes. You can open your eyes now."

Aria nodded her head and slowly opened her eyes. Carefully trying not to catch a glimpse of Abbacchio's Stand as she lifted her gaze to the place where Giorno was taken. She let out a silent gasp as she saw something transform itself into a perfect copy of Narancia, but the first thing she noticed was the digital timer on his forehead. The clone opened his eyes, making himself comfortable on the floorboards as he sat down. Then the countdown began. The clone smiled to himself as he began moving to the rhythm with the faint music that suddenly started playing.

"What's that noise?" Bucciarati asked.

"His headphones. About five minutes ago, Narancia was listening to his music." Abbacchio told him. Aria glanced at the older man before moving her eyes to the Narancia clone with a perplexed expression. Maybe she was just wired different, but why was Narancia listening to music that loud and the choice of music was rather...uh... wild in comparison to classical, but she cannot judge. To each their own, she mused. Suddenly the music was cut off and the duplicate Narancia jumped in surprise and confusion. "What the-?! Why the hell did it just stop playing?! It doesn't make any sense!" He shouted in an echoing effect as he fiddled with an invisible boombox.

"No, this isn't it. Whatever attacked Narancia did so after this," Bucciarati said.

"I'll fast-forward a bit." Abbacchio said.

'Fast-forward?' Aria thought in confusion. Before she could ask what he meant, she was started when the clone sprang up to his feet and started to move at an intense speed. The timer on his forehead was speeding up. He hopped over the small platform and began walking towards the front of the boat with the three of them chasing after him. The clone took a seat on the upper deck and the conversation Bucciarati had to announce Polpo's treasure was now heard.

"That lira belongs to us now! With capital like that, we'll claim the rank of Capo!" Bucciarati's voice rang out.

"Oh, hell yeah!" The clone Narancia cheered with a wide smile.

"I heard my voice just now." Bucciarati says as he, Abbacchio and Aria stood around the clone. "It was right after this that Narancia was taken. This had better show us exactly how he was attacked, Abbacchio." Bucciarati said.

"My Stand can replay anything it records. We can observe everything from his heart to his perspiration. And it'll follow him wherever he goes." Abbacchio replied. Aria looked up at the man with stars in her eyes. It can do all that..? Ah, what a fantastical ability. "The time's come." Bucciarati says as he, Aria and Abbacchio moved to stand behind the clone. "Get behind Narancia and watch for when he's grabbed." Bucciarati said. No sooner than those left his mouth a puncture wound appeared on Narancia's shoulder.

"There, look! Giorno had that same gash!" Bucciarati exclaimed. The Narancia clone was then yanked back into the storage space, falling limp on the spot. The trio paused when they saw, what looked to be smoke being released from Narancia's wound. They watched in bewilderment as his body started to shrivel up and flatten against the floorboards as if his very bones and organs no longer existed. "It's like watching a deflating balloon! He's withering away!" Bucciarati exclaimed.

'Wh-what is this...?' Aria questioned as she covered her mouth, feeling her stomach roil at the sight of it.

"His wound is releasing air, deflating his body." Bucciarati says.

"Looks like we got the scoop on this cazzone's ability." Abbacchio said. When Narancia's body was left in a hollow, deflated state, he began to move again but this time his body was being pulled inside a pipe. "Something's pulling him in! Abbacchio, pause it now!" Bucciarati shouted and Abbacchio quickly did so. Stopping it at 2:32:12, halting Narancia's body so only his arms and legs were sticking up. Bucciarati kneeled near the storage space and observed the scene. "I see. He's inside the pipe. We might find the answer here." He says as he takes one of Narancia's noodle-like arms. "Everything from his nails to his bones is rubbery like some kind of weird condom. Even his shoe and buckle are rubber. Good news is I still feel a pulse. It's as Giorno said, he's alive." Bucciarati said.

Aria placed a hand on her heart and sighed in relief. Yes. She had faith in Giorno and believed they were still alive, which meant he must be too. Abbacchio's Stand was certainly the perfect ally to help them in this mysterious series of attacks. Now they were one step closer to finding the enemy and getting their friends back. She turned to Abbacchio to thank him for doing all of this when she saw that his attention was on the fly that was still buzzing around. She looked over at it as well. Hmm...well, they might've gotten a clue about the enemy's ability, but how to pinpoint their location is a different story.

"That explains it then. Our enemy is also rubber. He's shifty, hiding between pipes, planks and walls. That's how he managed to capture Mista, Fugo, and Giorno. And why fly got a small blip, but despite its best efforts, couldn't completely hone in on the enemy's exact location." Bucciarati says.

"Looks like we exposed the enemy's secret. Now we track down that rotten rubber, once we do that, we rescue Narancia and the others, and then we deliver one hell of a beat down. But first, get ready for more Moody Jazz!" Abbacchio said. Shocking Bucciarati. With a 'click' sound, the timer had started up again and the clone of Narancia was sucked into the pipe. "Track it down? Have you lost it?!" Bucciarati shouted as the former cop kneeled beside him. His duel-coloured eyes stared down at the pipe. "You can't attack or defend during replay, it's too risky. You're asking for it if you go in there!" Bucciarati tells him.

'He can't?!' Aria thought. Now that they know how the enemy was capturing everyone, Abbacchio sending his Stand down there is way too dangerous for him. He'll get captured too, and from the looks of it, the older man wasn't concerned for Bucciarati's warnings. "I know the precise movement and location of Moody Jazz at all times. When the bastard gets close, you unzip the floor and beat his ass to kingdom come. We won't defeat him by sitting here, twiddling our thumbs, let's attack." Abbacchio said. Though he said it to Bucciarati, Aria gained a sense of urgency. Abbacchio is risky his safety to track down the enemy and is putting his trust in Bucciarati to take him out.

She held her hands tightly as she gazed down at her teammates. 'I have to help them. I chose this life and there's no turning back. I have to play my role and aid my friends to achieve their victories. I must do more. I can't be afraid anymore.' Aria thought. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly. Concentrating. She was able to somehow unlock a small power from her Stand that night after dealing against Polpo's Stand, so there's no way to say she couldn't do it again. Focus... focus... try to remember what was the trigger. She has to. She has to be strong to protect her people.

A soft sound reached her ears. An orchestra of violins suddenly began to play for her. The music seemed to swim through her cerebral cortex like a wakeful dream, the notes relaxing her, enabling the song to call to her entire being. Somehow the scent of lavender was infused with the beats. She opened her eyes and she was taken aback. Dancing around her hands were circling white musical scores.

Chapter Text

Abbacchio rose to his feet and his eyes trailed towards the metal railings. Through his Stand's eyes, he could see where it was going and where it was located. He set his on the curve of the railing and began to follow it. "It went left. That's where he got Mista." Abbacchio says as he went to the railing and he and Bucciarati looked down to the walkway where Mista was taken. The lifebuoy laid still where it was. "Moody Jazz is passing underneath the buoy as we speak. Now it's taken a detour to the cabin where it got Fugo and Giorno." The two men walked down to follow Moody Jazz to pinpoint the enemy's location while Aria stayed behind at the storage space. She kneeled to it and looked over her shoulder to glance at Abbacchio.

'He's at risk of getting seriously hurt as long as his Stand's replaying Narancia's capture. I don't know how long until time's up, but I got to protect him. I hope this works...' Aria thought to herself as she lowered one of her hands towards the drain pipe. 'Please...protect Mr. Abbacchio.' She prayed. Praying that her new power was strong enough. She then felt something pulsating within her, making her gasp and the musical score slithered from her hand and down to the drain. Aria quickly rose to her feet and took several steps back in shock. Not expecting that to happen so suddenly. But had it worked? She could still hear the orchestra...so maybe? She stared down at the drain for a few moments before going back and rejoining the others.

"So the enemy can hold them captive and move them exactly where he wants." Bucciarati says as he and Abbacchio paid close attention to the small insect. The former cop blinked as he noticed the change in the fly's movements. "Look, the fly's beginning to slow down. It's the same spot he was hiding before. Yes, on the inside of that rope-tied. He's directly below the deck!" Abbacchio shouted. The fly hovered above the rope tied for a moment before it rapidly flew towards them.

"It seems he's heading our way. He might know we found out the secret behind his attack. Aria, stay behind us." Bucciarati says. Reaching behind him to grab hold of the mute girl's back. Aria nodded as she stepped closer to the blue-eyed man.

"He's got balls. Now's our chance! Cut the pipes and pull him out!" Abbacchio shouted. Bucciarati quickly summoned Zipper Man and activated his ability. Unzipped the deck and the pipe below, but they were left baffled when they discovered nothing was there at all. What? But the fly was heading towards them? So why? Wait... Where was Moody Jazz?

"They're nowhere to be found! Where's our target now, Abbacchio? Where's Moody Jazz? Where are the others?" Bucciarati questioned.

"Right there." Abbacchio said as he pointed to the open pipe. "There's no doubt my Stand is still in front of us. It's right over there."

"But I don't see a damn thing!"

"It's right where you opened the zipper! Just trust me on this, I know where my Stand is." Abbacchio said, trying to assure Bucciarati that what he was seeing through Moody Jazz's eyes was exactly what it appears. Bucciarati looked at his friend with uncertainty, but since he couldn't think of any other way, he had to trust him. He summoned Zipper Man and had him attack all across the deck, unzipping several openings on the ship, and yet still the enemy found nothing. 'What? But....he should be there..? Why isn't he-?' Aria began to think before she flinch in pain. She reached to hold her ear as she suddenly heard a sharp, high pitched off-key violin string. 'What was that...?'

"Where are they?!" Bucciarati asked.

"Good question." Abbacchio says as he stared down with a perplexed look on his face. This wasn't making any sense. Where were they? If he was hiding within the pipes, then they should've found the enemy by now. 'There's no way he vanished. He's right there. Is there another mystery we haven't figured out?'

"Something's wrong. Stop the replay and recall your Stand!" Bucciarati said.

"I already did." Abbacchio told him. Bucciarati and Aria stared at him with wide eyes. He did? Then where was his Stand? It should've come back the moment he gave out the command. So why-? "Something's wrong. I'm not recognising this wall." He said as his eyes burned through the pipes. Moody Jazz, now finished with the replay, had returned to its original form and had come to a dead end. Feeling around the small space. The pipe had suddenly ended and now found itself had been cornered. "Which crack did you crawl into now?" Moody Jazz searched around to find something a crack or hole or something that the enemy might've run into, but after finding nothing, Moody Jazz decided to do something different. It pulled back its fist and punched from inside the pipe.

From above, the trio heard a low, but audible thud. They looked down and saw that it was coming from the pipes. Abbacchio narrowed his eyes and said, "Hear that hollow thud. That sound was the pipe wall. Look, I know neither of you can't see it, but Moody Jazz is currently under our noses. Inside the pipe." Abbacchio went in and kneeled above the pipe where the sound was coming from, getting a closer look so that he may find another clue to this mystery. As he did so, Bucciarati and Aria spotted the fly and saw that it was flying around across from them.

'What he's there now? But...why is Moody Jazz still in this spot? Shouldn't it have found him through Narancia's replay?' Aria thought. She reached out her hand to touch Abbacchio's shoulder when the music broke apart and let out a distorted, awful screech. She winced as she covered both her ears to block out the sound. What was that?!

"What are you doing?" Bucciarati questioned, but Abbacchio ignored him.

"The pipe's wide open."

"The enemy's right in front of us!"

"But there's nothing there."

"He's closing in!"

"He's hiding under us somehow."

"We got to go!" Bucciarati shouted as he grabbed Abbachio's shoulder, attempting to pull him away from the pipe and get away from the fly as he had no doubt the enemy was coming towards them now to take either one or all of them. Abbacchio paused as he glanced up at his friend. "You wanna run?" Abbacchio questioned as he turned his head with a cold stare. "Damn that grating do-gooder Giorno. Ordering me to solve this mystery and defend a helpless girl. Impotent punk, he's lucky I'm nice."

"Abbacchio." Bucciarati says. Just above their heads, a flock of seagulls began to caw as they flew overhead of the boat. Abbacchio caught sight of them and...began to study them. His eyes trailed towards the mast of the boat. Hmm...he wondered if- "It's coming!" Bucciarati shouted. Breaking Abbacchio from his thoughts. He turned back around and saw that the fly was getting closer.

"There's one more mystery. And I've just about cracked it, once I do, I'll crack his skull!" Abbachio shouted as within the pipe Moody Jazz got into a fighting stance. 'There was something about that mast. Something wrong.' Abbacchio thought. Thinking back to the mast. The words printed on it. The dock. The boats. The boat they took... Wait a minute. The boat number...the remaining ships. The mast... Abbacchio's eyes widened. "The enemy's here withdraw your Stand!" Bucciarati shouted. But the former cop showed no fear. He looked very pleased with himself as he spread a smile.

"I got it! I just blew this whole mystery wide open!" He proclaimed. Shocking Bucciarati and Aria as the fly got closer to them. A rapier dagger appeared out of the empty darkness of the pipe, shooting toward Abbacchio's Stand. In a split movement, the musical scores shot from the darkness and flew past Moody Jazz and straight towards the enemy. Aria jolted when she felt an invisible force hit her. Moody Jazz charged forward attacking unleashing a flourish of punches, but the enemy was faster and struck Moody Jazz. Above deck, the fly flew away from them and Abbachio convulsed as blood shot out from his wounds and a wide gash appeared on the side of his neck. Air was rapidly spewing out.

"Abbacchio!"

'No!'

"Now the coup de grace, Bucciarati..." Abbacchio says in a pained voice as his body begins to shrivel up. "It's a neat trick and an impressive hideout." Reaching out from another hatch the ropey arm appeared and grabbed hold of Abbacchio's ankle. Pulling him down to the bottom of the boat. "It's got you too! Grab on to me!" Bucchirati shouted. Rushing to grab his hand and save him from getting pulled in. Aria ran up to help but fell to her knees when the sharp, high pitched sound came back, but it was louder and rang repeatedly in her head. It was unbearable. What's causing this?!

Bucciarati tried to grab Abbacchio's hand, but with little strength he had, he lifted it to his face, getting some of his blood on Bucciarati's cheek before he was swiftly dragged down below, his blood trailing on the floorboards. Bucciarati sprinted to the hatch but it was too late. Abbacchio and that Stand were long gone and vanished without a trace. "Damn it...he's gone. Where'd he go?" Bucciarati asked himself as some of Abbacchio's blood trailed down his cheek. He had lost Abbacchio to the enemy, they had no idea where the enemy was hiding and what's more, that stupid fly is still flying around. Bucciarati's heart stopped for a moment and he quickly turned around. Overcome with worry for Aria.

He found her in a fetal position on the floor as she gripped her head. Covering her ears and looked to be in a lot of pain. "Aria!" Bucciarati shouted as he rushed to her side. He placed his hands on her shoulders and slowly lifted her to her knees. "Aria, what's going on? Are you alright?" He asked. She could barely hear him. Aria kept her head down as she pressed her hands on her ears. Trying to block out that horrible sound, but it just kept getting louder and louder. Seeing that the fly was flying around them, Bucciarati glared daggers at the insect. He helped Aria to her feet and held her close as he moved them away from the bug. "Stronzo! What did you do with Abbacchio!!" Bucciarati yelled as he brought forth Zipper Man. In a fit of rage, Bucciarati let out a yell as his Stand unzipped the deck in several more places. But it didn't matter at all as there was nothing for him to find.

"He's not in the cabin and he's not the pipe. Where are they? What did you do to my famiglia?!" Bucciarati shouted after he took a moment to catch his breath. This was driving him mad. How the hell was the enemy hiding? Bucciarati was momentarily distracted by the cawing of seagulls from above. Recalling that Abbacchio had seen something when he looked up, but what did he see? He then blinked in confusion when he heard...music? Why was he hearing music all of a sudden? Bucciarati's breath was caught in his throat when he glanced down at Aria. She was covering her ears in pain and was trying desperately to fight whatever she was hearing. Could this be a part of her Stand?

On the other side of the spectrum, the loud noise was beginning to quiet down. Becoming less painful and she can hear normally again. But it continued to ring out, so Aria kept covering her ears just in case it came back again. Just as suddenly, Bucciarati and Aria then heard the distinct sound of laughter echoing around them. Along with a voice speaking from thin air. "Surely you see the seagulls around you. Hmmhmmmhmm...I supposed we're finally approaching land, and I'm close to having you all to myself, Bucciarati. The broad is pretty and the fact she can't speak is a plus, but she's the perfect tool to make you talk." The voice...Zucchero said. Speaking through the fly as it hovered across from him.

"You bast-!" Bucciarati began to shout before he cut him off.

"Oh, aspetta, aspetta, aspetta. Ah, ah, ah...I'm the one who's talking here, not you. Now unless you want that girl to die in your hands right now, you keep that mouth shut until I tell you otherwise, testa de cazzo!!" Zucchero shouted. Bucciarati, with a steeled expression, backed off. Holding Aria protectively in his arms. "That's it." He chuckled. "Know that I can eliminate you at any moment, your little minions live only because I allow it. They're in a state of suspended animation. You should be grateful they aren't sleeping with the fishes. I'd have to chop them into bite-sized pieces for the little ones. If you decide to cooperate, however, I can turn your crew to normal. Of course, you need to tell me where Polpo has been hiding that wonderful treasure of his!"

"Tell me, are you part of Passione?" Bucciarati questioned.

"Gee wiz... You really just aren't getting it, are you?" Zucchero asked as the fly rested against the boat's platforms. He stayed silent for a moment before he exploded and began screaming in pure rage. "I'll kill you, cazzone!! Listen up! I only want to hear about the location of the loot! Try to shit out anything else from that disgusting butthole slap across your face and see what happens!! If you so much as scrunch without permission, one of your pals is getting off'd!! Say nothing and I'll kill them, and if I find out you lied, they die!!!" He screamed as the fly rapidly flew all around Bucciarati, spewing threats and growing impatient in knowing the location of the large fortune waiting for him in Capri.

Throughout his whole yelling, the sounds were getting louder again and Aria hung her head as she again tried to block out the awful sounds. The music kept getting distorted and scratched with each passing second. She tried to use her power to quiet it down, but it kept building up and growing louder. If she can't figure out how to stop it, her head will explode! Eventually, the fly stopped and hovered around. Zucchero paused to catch his breath as the adrenaline past him by. "Capito? Choose your words extremely carefully. Now, to address the ten billion lira manatee on the boat, where can I find the money left behind?" He questioned. Bucciarati briefly stayed silent as he watched the fly hover above the deck. Then he spoke. "Black-tailed gulls."

'Black-tailed....what?' Aria thought to herself as she stared up at Bucciarati in confusion.

"Huh? Come again." Zucchero asked dumbly. Bucciarati looked over to the side and gestured to the birds flying close to the boat. "Those birds are black-tailed gulls, not seagulls. If you're wondering how I can tell, it's because they sound like they're meowing. You mentioned before they were seagulls, but they're really black-tailed gulls." He explained. Aria only blinked in even more confusion.

'Huh...? O-oh, well, that's is an interesting factoid...but.... why would Mr. Bucciarati mention that now?' Aria thought. Silence permeated the air and despite the fact, that the enemy couldn't be seen his confusion and anger could easily be felt. He was silent but sputtered out a laugh at the idiocy he had just witnessed before he yelled, "Say goodbye to your comrades!!"

"Just try it! If hell doesn't drag you down first!" Bucciarati shouted. At Bucciarati's words, water spewed out of one of the zipper openings in the middle of the deck. The ship started to rock back and forth as it quickly took in water. "Wh-What the hell are you doing?!" Zucchero shouted. The sounds... that awful music was now becoming unbearable! It was driving her crazy! Tears stung her eyes. Why is this happening?! She just wanted to protect Abbacchio from his guy! Why was she listening to this! 'Dear God above...! Heavenly Father, why am I being succumbed by this dreadful noise?! What sin have I committed? I only wanted to protect my fellow men! I wanted to save my home! Cleanse me of whatever sin I committed and give me strength! Please, God! Give me the strength to stop this man!!' Aria loudly prayed in her thoughts. Praying to God to forgive her for whatever she had done wrong and to stop the noise.

Then. Silence. For a brief moment, all sounds had stopped and a surge of power began to pulsate inside her very soul. Aria shot open her eyes, and in place of shining rubies were solid glowing white energy.

When the water began to breach the edge and flood the deck, a roaring symphony orchestra erupted from the water and a river of musical scores wrapped itself around the boat. Within seconds the ship started to sink the stern of the ship already submerged. Bucciarati was taken aback by the sudden violin music and Aria's glowing eyes, but he had no time to think about it. He quickly pulled themselves on the upper deck towards the bow, holding on to the railing and wrapping an arm around Aria's waist. "I didn't strike the deck in order to find out where you'd hidden Abbacchio. I just needed to create a little leak." Bucciarati said

"B-but why?!"

"Abbacchio unravelled the mystery behind your special hiding spot and he was nice enough to leave some evidence there." Bucciarati said as he climbed to the upper deck, holding onto the mast. He briefly glanced at Aria and saw that she was in some type of trance as she hasn't made any sign of responding to what was going on. "Evidence of your location and even of your distinguishing features, he did it with his blood. Abbacchio went as far as to injure his own hand, so as to leave behind a trail of blood. He was taken but the blood never seeped below the deck. It stops right at the floorboards, which I find more than a little curious. There must be a reason. Where were he and the others taken." The boat continued to sink and was already at a high altitude position, continuing to go deep into the water.

"I rented the yacht that was on the left. Abbacchio realized that when he looked up at the sky. Your cover's been blown. If you don't want to drown to death, I suggest coming out." Bucciarati said. His response was a mishmash of gurgled, watery gasps for air. Slowly the mast of the ship started to peel away, following the rest of the boat, similar to a snake shedding its skin, and a second boat started to come forth. "There were two boats all along!" Bucciarati exclaimed. When the second boat was fully formed, Bucciarati scooped Aria in his arms and jumped from the sinking Lagoon 1 landing on the second boat's deck.

When he landed safely in the second boat, the real Lagoon 2, Aria snapped out of her trance and let out a silent gasp. Breathing heavily to refill her lungs with oxygen. She snapped her head towards the sinking ship and her eyes widened. She saw the musical scores circling it and leading back to their ship. Wait...did Bucciarati say two boats....? Was that why that awful sound kept on persisting? Classical music is always meant to flow freely and smoothly to produce an emphasis on elegance and simplicity... But if the music had gotten distorted, was it because the two boats were making it clash against each other. That must be it! She had felt something hit her before. When she sent the scores to protect Abbacchio, they must've attached themselves to the enemy, alerting her to him. Now that the boats were separated, the music was free and expanded itself.

"You bastard...." A wet hand appeared from below deck and someone pulled themselves up. Zucchero, who was huffing for air, after nearly drowning. He let out a scream as he was suddenly yanked from the hatch and thrown into the air. The musical scores followed and coiled around him like a snake. Wrapping themselves tightly around his body. "What the hell is this?!"

"You hid yourself by stretching one yacht over another like some kind of thin skin. You moved within the slim space created within between the boats ambushing us as you pleased. Quite the conundrum. You have my deepest compliments." Bucciarati said.

"I'd stay still if I were you, Bucciarati! Or do you want your comrades to die?!" Zucchero threatened as his Stand held Abbacchio's deflated form with its dagger aimed at Abbacchio's neck. His Stand was an armoured humanoid figure with orange robotic eyes, a light green face and no visible mouth or nose. Most of its entire white tinted-green body is covered in a series of large spiked nubs, with green bullet-shaped objects protruding from the top of its head. "You of all people should you wouldn't last one day as a mafioso if a feeble threat like that rattled your bones. Give up and I'll show mercy. But the moment you injure Abbacchio...I'm putting you down for good."

Zucchero stared at Bucciarati, the two men locked in a heated staredown. Almost daring each other to make the first move. Zucchero, unfortunately, took no heed of Bucciarati's warning and let out a maniacal cackle as his Stand moved in to stab Abbacchio. 'No! Mr. Abbacchio!!' Aria shouted as she stretched out her hand towards him. From the musical score, a transparent figure rose and snatched Abbacchio in their arms. Holding him close just as Bucciarati transformed his arms into Zipper Man's and unzipped his right arm, throwing a fist at Zucchero. With the added length of the punch, he struck the green-haired man right in the face. "It's just like Giorno said. Your need to remain hidden while attacking is a point of weakness. You need some speed." Bucciarati said. A zipper appeared around Zucchero's neck and his head popped right off.

With Zucchero finally defeat, one by one everyone was located and freed from his ability. Bucciarati and Aria carefully laid them down on the floor as their bodies returned to their natural state. Giorno's eyes slowly flutter open. In his confused state, half delirious from the effects of Zucchero's Stand, he wondered where he was and winced at the sudden brightness of the sun. But he wasn't alone. A raven-haired young lady was kneeling over him, looking at him with a worried expression through those gorgeous ruby eyes. 'Beautiful...' Giorno thought as he stared up at Aria with a smile. Thank goodness, she was okay. Aria reached for her heart as she smiled, gasping as she tried to hold back her tears. 'Giorno..!' Her tears trailed down her face as she leaned in and hugged her dearest friend. Extremely thankful that God had brought him back to her.

Abbacchio soon woke up a few moments after and looked to see that his body had returned to normal and that he was alive. He turned his head and Bucciarati at his side. "Abbacchio." The blue-eyed man said with a smile. Happy to have him back. Abbacchio himself smiles back, satisfied that they have won the battle. "Bravissimo." He said, congratulating the leader of the team.

As Abbacchio stepped into the cold, rainy streets, someone had walked into his path. He glanced up with dull eyes. Thought that maybe it was just another punk who wanted to pick a fight. But when he did, he found a man in a white suit, holding an umbrella before him. "Abbacchio. Pleasure's mine." Bucciarati says as he greeted the shell of a man. "Abbacchio, the end result isn't what matters most. It's the moments along the way." The beaten-down man said nothing as he could only stare at the man. Wondering why he was here and why he was telling him all this. Bucciarati closed his umbrella and looked at Abbacchio straight in the eye. "I want you to join us. Don't live your life stuck in the past."

Those words struck something within Abbacchio. His eyes widened as he stared at the man before him. He saw it. He saw that Bucciarati was honest and true. He had no idea why he was offering a hand to him, but there was something about him that he could trust and maybe, whatever he was opening the doors to, could grant him a new purpose in life. He looked back to the halls of the abandoned building. He knew that the guilt would never leave him, there wasn't anything he could do to turn back the clock and fix anything...but... at the very least... he could do something. Anything to do right by his partner and his beloved. Abbacchio placed the bottle of booze on the ground and took in a deep breath. With a clearer head, he agreed and joined his team.

Chapter Text

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQx_KMoCgJU

Now that everyone was free from Zucchero's grasp, they had woken up one by one. Aria once again sighed in relief when she saw that none of them seemed too terribly injured. Narancia seemed to have a bump on his head, not nothing to be concerned about. She looked over to where Zucchero's body lay. The colour drained from her face when she saw that it was just his body. His head was a few feet away and she could see that his mouth was zipped shut. 'Had Signore Bucciarati done that? I'm starting to think his Stand is the scariest I've seen. Or at least one of many.' She thought to herself as she stared at Zucchero's unmoving, headless body.

"Aria, come here. Don't look at him." Giorno softly tells her as he went to her side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gently guided her away from the body, moving her head towards the crystal blue ocean. "Augh! Yup, that's it!" Narancia winced, hissing in pain as he held the back of his head. "How does it look back there? Give it to me straight, Fugo."

"To be blunt, he did a number on you." Fugo tells him as he examined Narancia's head. "This is a real goose egg." When he tried to feel around the bump, his fingers accidentally pressed down on it. Making the purple-eyed teen jolt from the pain. "Ow! That hurts, damn it! I asked you to take a look, not to make it more excruciating." He shouted. In an instant, Narancia's pain quickly turned to anger, and he let out a furious growl as he glared daggers at the man responsible.

He delivered a strong kick to Zucchero's back as he shouted, "Testa di merda, you gave me this fat knob on my noggin!! So it's only right that I make you suffer!" Reeling his leg back, Narancia kicked Zucchero over and over again. "Getting attacked doesn't feel so good, does it?! Well, too bad, here's some more!" Then Fugo joined in, delivering his swift-footed kicks toward their kidnapper/attacker. "Did you really think you were better than us?!" He angrily questioned.

"You limp-dick cazzone!" Abbacchio shouted as he suddenly joined in on literally kicking the man while he - or his body in this case - was down. The former officer delivered a strong kick and sent Zucchero's body flying into the air. When Zucchero's body fell back onto the deck, the trio showed no mercy in attacking the body with a flurry of kicks and spouting insults.

"Isn't that a bit much? I mean I understand their frustrations, but he can't do anything to us anymore. Shouldn't we try and stop them?" Aria signed as she stared at the three men nervously. Giorno stared at them for a moment before shaking his head. "No, just leave them be. Once they get it out of their system, they'll back off." He told her.

"I-is that so? Well, if that's what you think is best..." Aria signed. Still uncertain if the extra beating was still necessary, she didn't want to get in the middle of all that. She glanced back at Zucchero's head and noticed he was letting out a muffled scream. Aria wasn't sure if she should be amazed or terrified. Even though his head was detached from his body, it seemed that he could still feel the pain that was inflicted upon his body. 'Yes, I do believe that Signore Bucciarati's Stand is the scariest!'

As Zucchero's immobile body was subjected to more abuse a harsh jolt from a kick caused something to fall from his pants pocket. "Hm? Something fell off him." Giorno said as he bent down to pick it up. Upon closer inspection, he discovered it to be Zucchero's wallet. "Let's see." The young blond-haired youth opened it and pulled out the man's ID. "Mario Zucchero. Says he's from Rome. What's a Roman thug doing out here?" He questioned. Aria turned her head to see Bucciarati staring out in the distance with a pair of binoculars. Checking to see if there were any others following them or if anything seemed suspicious. And if that was the case, then Aria had a good idea of why Zucchero was here.

While Narancia, Fugo, and Abbacchio continued to vent their anger by kicking Zucchero's body, Mista squatted down to his zipped-out head with a calm, stoic expression on his face as he held a pair of glasses and some fishing line with a small hook attached to the end. Just looking at him filled Zucchero with fear as his cries were muffled by the zipper. Mista lifted the glasses and looked through the lens like a magnifying glass, spotting something stuck on Zucchero's cheek.

"Yo, is that a piece of trash stuck to your face?" He asked. "On second thought, maybe it's a piece of seaweed. Yeah, I much rather it be seaweed, but there's something about it that screams plastic to me. Gotta say it pains my soul to think it might be trash. That'll mean these beautiful waters are teeming with pollution. You're cool with me inspecting the specimen, right?" Zucchero panicked further as Mista leaned in closer. He wanted to scream. To shout for Mista to get away from him and leave him be. He wanted to plead for mercy. But with the zipper in place, his voice was rendered useless. "Hey, butt-munch. I asked to take a closer look on that thing on your face. You could at least have the common decency to answer my question." Mista tells him, his tone rising in a mixture of both anger and impatience. The boat then gave off a small, but powerful rock as it sailed through the ocean. Causing the six members of the team to look up ahead and saw the large white mountains of Capri.

Capri. Long ago, when the ancient Greeks began to colonise the Mediterranean, explorers sought out the most stunning landscapes of the great cerulean expanse. Upon discovering the isle, they knew they'd found their destination. It is an area blessed with azure waters and brilliant skies. Steep ivory cliffs sour above the sea like a single grand fortress. One Roman emperor even built private villas on the island, where he remained until his death ten years later. Now, the mystifying locale sits before Bruno Bucciarati and his crew. Hidden in it, was a dazzling fortune worth ten billion lira. But who knows what else could be awaiting them?

"Bucciarati, we should map out our route to the island, don't you think?" Giorno asked the team's leader. The young teen turned to the man and found he was still staring at the ocean with the binoculars. "I've been on the lookout for a while now. But I haven't spotted any more enemies still trying to tail us and there's no way that anyone would know this boat is heading to Capri."

"Alright, we're clear." Bucciarati says as he sets down the binoculars. "Still, I wanna know who told that bastard about the secret fortune. The way he knew about our plans, he had to have been working with someone." The sky-blue-eyed man knew that Zucchero was too stupid to come here by himself, considering that he thought Bucciarati would falter if he threatened the life of that his teammate. Plus his arrogance had proved that enough as well. Bruno turned to the former officer and without having to speak a word, Abbacchio nodded.

A frightened Zucchero eyed at the finishing line and glasses. Many terrifying thoughts filled his head at what exactly Mista had in mind in doing with them. He had heard that Bucciarati was and can be a ruthless man, but now he wonders what his teammates were like. He flinched - as best as a disembodied head - when Mista returned his attention to him. "You know, I noticed you've been eyeing these things for a while now. They're for sure not mine, so I'm not really sure how they got on the boat." Mista tells him, picking back up the glasses and fishing line. Scotting closer to the green-haired man.

"Loser's choice, which one should I use? The glasses or the fishing line? If we don't get some answers out of you, it's not gonna be pretty. Your answers will help keep us out of danger, so spill your guts. You're not working alone, are you, Mr. Zucchero? Let me guess, your partner's a Stand user. Yup, that's why I'll be using these. Still don't know which one you want me to use, huh? Well, if you can't decide..." Mista paused as he unravelled some of the fishing line. Making sure he did it in full view of Zucchero and having him know what he was going to do to him. "I'll just have to use both and see which one gets the best results!" Mista shouted.

He put the fishing hook through Zucchero's eyelid and then swung the man's head, wrapping the fishing line around a rail so that Zucchero hung midair. His eyelid was forced to remain open due to it being pierced by the fishing hook. Aria held her hands up to her mouth as she visible flinched at the sight. Feeling a wave of nausea hit her stomach. Were all mafiosos this creative in their punishments or was this group in particular just that creative in the most insanely sadistic sense of the word? Mista climbed up to his level on the upper platform and joined him. "How's that? Now, are you in the mood to chat?" The headgear-wearing young man asked.

Narancia suddenly climbed up to join Mista and stood near the mast. He held his hand up and began playing some type of rope game by going down each finger. "Ma-ri-o...Zu-cche-ro. Heaven, Hell, Purgatory. Heaven, Hell, Purgatory." He chanted as Mista tightly secured the fishing line to the railing before setting up the glasses on Zecchuro's face and keeping it in place in front of the sun as the onyx-eyed youth moved away. That's when Narancia spread a wide grin as he went travelled to his thumb after saying 'purgatory'. He then bursts into laughter. "Hahahahaha! You lucked out, my man! Looks like purgatory it is!" He laughed to himself as he turned around and switched on the boombox. Playing an awesome, catchy beat.

As soon as the music started, Narancia danced to the beat in front of Zucchero. The beheaded man's open eye teared up from the excruciating pain of having it forced open, but he screamed as the sun's rays beat down on his exposed eye. The harsh light was only intensified by the magnifying properties of the glasses on his face. And without a body, there was nothing for him to end the pain while Narancia continued to dance in front of him. Whether compelled by the beat of the music or Narancia's surprisingly good dance moves, Mista and Fugo joined in on the dancing, the trio performing a choreographed dance. Effectively mocking Zucchero as he suffered.

Aria was watching the entire ordeal in stunned silence. Unsure how to even think about this situation. On one hand, she was disturbed about this unique level of torture for their assailant and wondered how long this would go, but on the other, she wondered if she should laugh at the way the three boys were dancing. They were having some fun and enjoying the moment. Either way would be the same result, it was morbidly fascinating. 'The fact they're having fun and being silly with this is concerning enough, but I guess this just means some people are born for this kind of lifestyle...m-maybe.' Aria thought as she smiled awkwardly. 'But at the very least, they are quite the dancers. Haha, I'm sure Grace would love to test just how good they can be.'

"If you won't fess up about the name and powers of your stalker friend, then I suppose we're done. You might wanna start worrying about the well-being of your good eye. Get what I'm saying, you bobble-headed turd burglar." Mista said. Zucchero kept on screaming as his eye was burning to the point that smoke was coming off of it.

"How are you long are you gonna dick around?!" Abbacchio shouted over the music. Catching the three teens' attention. Narancia quickly went over to the boombox and shut off the music. The trio looked over and saw that he standing by the main cabin. "Idiots. Come look at this." He had summoned Moody Jazz and activated its "replay" ability, taking the form of Zucchero. The clone was standing by a radio with the receiver in its hand and held a cocky, smug look on its face. "He was using the boat's radio." Abbacchio said.

"So, Moody Jazz's replay found something. Let's check it out." Bucciarati says as he and the others walked over to gather around the main cabin's entrance. "This boat may have been flatter than a pizza, but now it's all back to normal, along with our culprit here." Abbacchio said. A groan of pain from Zucchero rang out. The man was pretty sure he was permanently blind in his right eye if it hadn't been reduced to a sticky puddle first.

Abbacchio took one glance at their attacker before whipping around and smashing his fist into Zucchero's hanging head. The blow was hard enough to snap the fishing line and Abbacchio sent Zucchero's head flying across the boat, bouncing several times on the deck before lying helplessly on the floor. Though he was no longer being forced to stare at the sun, the fish hook was still through his eyelid and he was still in a lot of pain overall. Now that was dealt with, the former cop turned his attention to the two recent recruits. "Giorno! You haven't earned my trust yet, so you don't get the privilege of looking. Turn around. You're lucky I'm even letting hear his voice." He told him. "Aria, I've already given you five minutes but that was it. You turn around too."

Giorno let out a small sigh but made no arguments whatsoever and silently turned around. Aria nodded in understanding and faced the other direction. Walking with Giorno a few steps away from the others to give some privacy. With the two members looking away from them, Abbacchio began to explain to his comrades. "His replay clearly shows him using the radio in the cabin to contact someone. But I don't know who." He says as he had Moody Jazz hit play.

"Hey, I'm already holding four of them hostage. It's down to Bucciarati, the other guy and some brat. I'll be done before you can miss me, oh, and one more thing... They're going to Capri." The Zucchero clone said in an arrogant tone. This shocked the whole team. Bucciarati had taken great care to make sure that no one was following or even knew where they were going, and yet this bastard had heard every word.

"Now what are we supposed to do? The bastard heard everything!" Mista exclaimed. Aria held her hands as she became worried. Their location was outed and who knows what kind of powers Zucchero's partner had. Not to mention, since they have already dealt with the guy, it was only a matter of time before his partner would get suspicious if he doesn't hear back from him soon. The only person who didn't seem troubled by all this was Giorno. Instead, he maintained a cool head and calm expression. Giorno paid close attention to their new predicament and briefly wondered about what strategy they should use.

"But once I get rid of his boot-lickers, I'll make Zipper Boy squeal. Over." The Zucchero clone says as he released the receiver. The radio light went green, signalling an incoming transmission and a new voice rang out from the replay. "What was the name of that yacht again? Lagoon? Also, identify your whereabouts." The partner told him.

"We're about two hours away from landing Capri. Bucciarati's trying to lose potential pursuers by taking a roundabout way to the island." The clone said with a smug smile.

"Understood. I'll take a speed boat to Capri and meet you there. Dock at Marina Grande. Over and out." His partner said. Once the transmission ended, the timer on Moody Jazz's head had reached its limit and returned to its original form.

"It's done. The radio cuts out after that." Abbacchio said. Looks of worry filtered through the group.

"Well, that's just perfect. Damn it, that speed boat is gonna get him to Capri in less than thirty minutes!" Fugo said as he turned in the direction of the white mountains.

"That means he's already on the island!" Mista said.

"You're kidding. Just who the hell was that guy on the other end?" Narancia questioned.

Anxious and impatient, Mista ran over to Zucchero's head and grabbed him by the hair. "Alright, no more games! Time for this sunburn ballsack to tell us exactly what we want to know!"

"No, he's a die hard mafioso. Getting him to come clean is going to take some time. I doubt he'll be spilling his guts today. Even if he did talk, we don't know if he's seen his partner's Stand. It's likely he kept it a secret, even to him." Bucciarati explained.

"Then where does that leave us? Let's just go to the harbour and take him down. Imagine what'll happen if the guy finds out Zucchero isn't the only one left on this boat." Mista told him.

"Mista's right, we have to hurry. We only have an hour to get the boat to Marina Grande. If we don't, the guy on the radio will think something happened to Zucchero. Once that happens, we can kiss that fortune goodbye. No. We'll be lucky to make it back to Napoli in one piece." Fugo said. Bucciarati was silent as worry built up inside him. They have no idea what kind of Stand Zucchero's partner has or even if there were more of them waiting on the island. It was too big of a risk to just dock the boat in the harbour. Not only that, but at this point, she could also be on the island as well.

He had told her in advance about Polpo's fortune in secret and had her go to the island to keep watch until he got there. Bucciarati didn't doubt her strength, not in a long shot, but without the proper information, he couldn't risk her life as well if Zucchero's partner ends up finding her. He needed a plan. But what? "It's your call. What's next?" Abbacchio asked. The group waited for Bucciarati to give out his orders, to come up with some idea. Anything that could work. With the group desperate to figure out a solution to a potential ambush, the clouds overhead begin to cast a shadow on the boat.

'Indecision isn't an option. We have to take action and outsmart our opponent. I have to make it to that island before-.' Bucciarati was brought out of his thoughts when Giorno stepped up. Walking across the deck until he stood in front of Capri's mountains. "Now before this boat docks, someone needs to scout ahead. Taking this guy out first is our best option." The blonde-haired youth said. Everyone stared at the Giorno with various expressions crossing their face.

"Just what the hell are you yammering on about, newbie? You must be a freakin' idiot if you think one of us can get to the island faster than this boat. How'd we even do that? Swim?" Narancia asked.

"Yes." Giorno stated simply.

"Huh?!" Narancia exclaimed. Wait, was he being serious? Was he expecting them to swim there?! How?! It was impossible. Giorno gazed down and nudged up the lifebuoy with his foot. "I'll use my Stand to turn this buoy into a fish. Believe me, it can pull someone along faster than this boat can sail." He says. Using his Stand's ability, the lifebuoy shifted and moulded as it became a large grey fish, surprising the rest of the team. Aria glanced at the newly-made sea creature before looking toward her friend with worry. Now she trusts him without a shred of doubt and he has proven to be a capable tactician from what she saw during his fight with Polpo's Stand, but she was scared of him going alone to the island. Maybe she should go with him?

"Don't worry, it's my Stand, so I'll go. Nothing is going to get in the way of my dream. I want that ten billion. We'll use it to make Bucciarati a Capo. We'll use the money to work our way up through the Famiglia." Giorno tells them. As he spoke, rays of sunlight peek through the clouds over him. The sun perfectly hit his face to illuminate him in a golden light. Aria's eyes slightly widened at the sight. He looked like an angel.

"Giorno..." Bucciarati says softly.

Abbacchio stared at Giorno for a moment before letting out a laugh. He thought the kid was full of it. He didn't believe someone like him could pull this off. "Hey, you got a death wish? Then knock yourself out. You've dreamt up some clever idea, boy. Too bad you don't have a clue as to his name or what he looks like." He says as he begins to walk up to the blond-haired youth. Aria flinched and quickly went to his side, placing herself in between the two men as she moved her hands in a defensive position, trying to keep Abbacchio calm. Giorno placed a hand on her shoulder and kept a firm grip when the older man got close. "And the port of Capri's crawling with lots of tourists, how do you think you're gonna find him in a crowd of peacockers?" Abbacchio questioned, shooting a quick glare at the red-eyed girl before reaching over and poking Giorno in the chest.

"You know what, I'm actually on with Giorno on this one." Mista suddenly announced. "So we don't know the identity of this asshole, big deal. If he's waiting for Zucchero to arrive in this boat, then I think we've got a fighting chance, we got to take it, no matter what the risk is. Why wait for him to make his move?" Mista reached into his boot and pulled out a gun. A short-barreled, snubnosed purple revolver resembling a Smith & Wesson model. The revolver is equipped with a hammer shroud, contains six bullets in the swing-out style cylinder and is used with hollow-point bullets.

"The bastard won't know what hit him. So, about that fish, how many people can it take, Giorno?" Mista asks as he loosens the cylinder and lightly pushes up the bullets. Crawling out from the small cracks between the bullets and the chamber, six, tiny imp-like beings rose to greet their master. "My Stand, Six Bullets, is specifically designed to kill. Which means they're more than up for this little mission. Just leave it to us." Mista said, locking and loading his gun and ready for a fight. Giorno gave the gunslinger a small smile before giving him a nod.

Mista puts his gun back in his boot and went down to the main cabin to get the radio Zucchero was using, knowing it was going to be useful later. Giorno tied the midsection of the fish with rope so it would be easier for him to manoeuvre it when they hit the water. As he was carefully setting the fish into the ocean, he felt a hand tug at his sleeve. He turned and saw Aria walking toward him with a worried look. "I know I can't stop you, and I'm sure Mista will be a great help to you. But...please be careful while you're on the island. I don't want to lose you again." She signed.

Giorno smiled lovingly at her and reached out to hold her hand. He shocked her when he brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "I will, Aria. But rest assured, I have no intention of leaving you again." Giorno promised. Though touched by his words, Aria felt her cheeks burn red at the bold action - in her opinion. Also, with the way he was looking at her, she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Still, she smiled in relief and nodded her head. Giorno gave a small chuckle as he gave her a gentle pat on the head. Of course, he would never leave her. That was a given. How could he do something as cruel as that to an angel like her? But promising that did put a smile on her face, so that's all that mattered. Plus seeing that adorable blush on her face was a nice bonus. He glanced over and pulled away from Aria when Mista came back with the radio, which he placed inside a large black bag. With that, Giorno and Mista swam toward Capri.

Chapter Text

Even with the fish pulling them to shore, it still took the two some time to get to the island, but they managed. They hide beside the rocky shores of the dock so they wouldn't be spotted. The fish swam around in the water for a moment before leaping up and reverting into a buoy. Giorno looks out into the docks of Marina Grande while Mista goes through his gun. "Swimming over here from the boat took a bit longer than I expected. We only have twenty minutes before the meeting before with our man of mystery. Let's hurry. We need to finish the job quickly." Giorno said.

"Giorno, how's it looking from the marina?" Mista asked.

Giorno pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked towards the marina where a few boats, a few umbrellas and a lot of people walking to and fro on the marina, having a nice lunch on sight. "Not that great. Abbacchio wasn't kidding, there are tourists everywhere. They all seem to be waiting for someone. Of course, most of them are waiting for arriving ships, but still. Signore, we only have twenty minutes to weed this guy out, do you have a plan on how we're gonna do that or do we improvise?" Giorno asked. He turned around, but only to see that Mista was gone. Perplexed, he looked around, wondering where the gunslinger of the team had gone, only to find Mista a few feet away sitting on a rock, using a second rock like a table. Mista had spread a small tablecloth on the rock and had set up a nice, but simple lunch with utensils and wine included.

"Wha...what the hell are you doing?" Giorno said, very confused as to how Mista got all this stuff with his and why the hell is he wasting valuable time with something like this.

Mista opened his mouth to answer but stopped as he checked the time on his watch. "I take it you haven't noticed, it's way past lunchtime. What I really like to do is go to that restaurant there, but everyone knows the restaurants right on the water service that shitty touristy crap. I don't have any idea what the enemy looks like, but I'm guessing he wouldn't be able to say the same for me since I'm a member of Bucciarati's team. Bet he's seen your face by now too." Mista said.

Giorno sighed. While that may be true, that still doesn't explain why Mista was just sitting here. "Sorry, but I'm not following your train of thought. If I can speak my mind for a sec, I know I said we had twenty minutes left, but if he's a worrywart we might only have ten minutes to get him. Five, if he gets antsy. He may get suspicious if the Lagoon fails to arrive and catch on to the fact that something shady happened to Zucchero. If that happens, our man will go off the grid. We can't waste another minute sitting around-."

"What part of 'lunch break' don't you get? It's lunchtime now, so I'm eating lunch." Mista said, cutting him off as he sliced pieces of salami. "Go to any boutique or bookstores in this country and you'll find out. No one can work on an empty stomach. I mean, I'm obviously not like that but these little fellas take the custom pretty seriously." Mista reached for his pistol and flicked open the barrel. Pointing down to the bullets within it. Giorno was briefly confused but then he got his answer.

Six small pale yellow creatures, about the same size as a bullet, crawled out of the barrel of Mista's gun. They were numbered from 1 to 7, skipping the number 4. They have teardrop-shaped heads, wide eyes with black outlines and small stripes going outward from the centre, and extremely small pupils, some of which appear cross-eyed. They have segmented bodies with pointed shoulder pads, knee pads, elbow pads and long, pointed shoes with toe caps that curve upward. The tiny imp creatures all shouted out, opening their mouths to reveal their crooked teeth as Mista held up a few pieces of meat over them. "Settle down, now. You'll all get your num-nums. Salami Toscano is served." Mista says as he gave the little guys the meat and immediately began devouring the slices.

"Yummy!" No.1 says happily.

"The best!" No.2 shouted. He has the typical number on his forehead, much like the others, but he was also identifiable by having eyes with a black bar running between them, giving the appearance of goggles.

No.5 smiled as he goes in to take a bite of his salami, he was identified with a spot on his nose, when suddenly No.3 came in and shoved his head to the side as he grabbed the piece for himself. "Hey, gimme some of that!" He shouted as he chomped down on the meat and tried to take it away from No.5, effectively making him cry. He was easily identified as having a belligerent face with squinted eyes.

"Come one, No.3, knock it off already. You're hogging the meat and making No.5 cry! Enough with the bickering, there's plenty of food for everyone." Mista scolded. Honestly, it's all the time with these little guys. Giorno just sat there dumbfounded as he stared at Mista's Stand. He wasn't sure what to make of them, their personalities were bouncing off the walls and he'd never thought a Stand could eat, but apparently, these guys do. "Each one thinks he works the hardest, so each one thinks he deserves the most food when it's chow time. I make it a point to ensure no one gets left out." Mista said as he continued to feed his Stand.

Suddenly, for no apparent reason, No.3 delivered a hard sucker punch to No.5's face. Effectively make the crybaby of the sextet of the Stand to cry even louder. "Easy No.5! You can't keep crying about everything." Mista said, raising to his feet.

"So, what's the deal, Mista? How many of those things do you have?" Giorno asked. He only has his Golden Wind, but Giorno couldn't imagine having to deal with six little Stands with wild personalities and picks fights with each other.

"Hey, don't call them 'things', it's rude. They get really irritated when you treat them like pets. There are six of them, but you won't find a Number 4 because it brings nothing but bad luck. I have one of these guys for each of the bullets in my gun." Mista explained.

"But what for?" Giorno asked. But instead of answering, Mista focused his attention on Six Bullets. "Hate to break up the party but this guy wants us to get a move on. It sure would be nice if you could take your nap after you finish the job." Mista said in a tone that Giorno believes a single father would use when he's reaching the breaking point with his children. Six Bullets unanimously groaned and complained about that little request and all went back inside the gun, but not before No.3 punched No.5 again. "Hey, quit No.3! What did I just say about hitting?!" Mista scolded.

'Yeah, he's acting like a dad....' Giorno thought to himself as he suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. He shook his head and gave his teammate a stern look. "Mista!" Giorno said.

"I know what you're gonna say but I'll get them on task. We should get started. Do me a favour, and grab the radio out of that bag there." Mista said. Giorno headed over to the black bag and got out the radio, setting it up on the steps of the dock. Once he got it prepared, he nodded to Mista. The gunslinger nodded back and headed towards the marina. "Once we're done working, it's gobble time!" No.1 shouted with a grin.

"It's balls to the walls, you guys!" No.2 yelled exuberantly.

The plan was simple but risky. They were going to use the radio to call the radio room on the marina, indirectly calling for the enemy while Mista lies in ambush. Giorno turned on the radio and called into the radio, posing as Zucchero who was asking for someone in the marina. As he did so, Mista towards the station and hid in the shadows beside the building. Mista carefully peered out and saw a man walking out of the building. He cupped his hands around his mouth and started shouting. "Can I please have your attention?! Calling all passengers of the Lagoon! Any Lagoon passengers out there, we have a message from Signore Zucchero! Please make your way to the guard shack on the double! I repeat, calling all passengers of the Lagoon! We have a message from Signore Zucchero that requires your immediate attention!"

While Mista watched from the shack, Giorno held a pair of binoculars and kept a close eye on the people in the marina. Watching each person see who would stand up and go take the call. So far, none was making a move. 'So he's playing it safe and ignoring the announcement. Or he thinks they found the loot and he's about to jump and celebrate being ten billion lira richer. It's all a gamble. Whoever hears the announcement and heads to the guard shack to get their message is our mystery man.' Mista thought to himself as he readies his gun. 'I'm counting on you, Giorno. If anyone makes a move toward the guard shack, give me a sign. Whoever answers that call is gonna get a head full of lead! Then again, Bucciarati wants that ass alive, so I should avoid his vitals. We'll see how that goes.'

'Crap, no one wants to make a move. No one's heading over.' Giorno thought as he scourers through the marina with the binoculars, trying to figure out who it was. There were running out of time. Where is he? Where is he hiding? Amongst the crowd of people, two youths, in particular, were seated having a light lunch when the man began making his announcement. One of them was enjoying a fresh cup of tea when she paused when the man mentioned the boat's name. "He said "Lagoon". Isn't that the same boat he's supposed to arrive in? I don't see it yet." She said as she stared out the sea, but found no boat in sight.

Her companion was mainly silent as she read through her dark-covered book. She barely paid any attention to the announcement while she ate her food. Without looking up, she said softly, "It is, however, this seems rather strange. Signore Zucchero...." She mused over that name. Her companion turned to her with a curious look and drank more of her tea. "So what should we do? Should we go answer it?"

The other girl closed her book and slowly shook her head. "No, it is best if I go see what's going on." She said. She pushed her chair back and was about to stand up when her companion raised her hand, halting her. "Wait, hold on. Let's just wait a minute for the boat to arrive. We would've been informed if there was a change in the plans, right? Hurry, stay down before we get unwanted attention." She says quietly, keeping her head down and calmly sipping her tea. The other girl stayed in place and lowered her head as well. Reaching out to open her book. Hoping they looked normal enough.

"Attenzione, this is the last call! Calling all passengers of the Lagoon! We have a message from Signore Zucchero that requires your attention!" The man shouted. Mista glanced out to the crowd of people but couldn't make out any strange behaviour or movement from any of them. Worried, he looked towards Giorno, looking for a signal to give him an answer if the enemy was taking the bait. Unfortunately, Giorno shook his head. 'No one yet. Nothing's happening! He's got to be on the island somewhere, could he really be playing it safe and hiding out?!' The blond-youth thought to himself. He too was growing anxious. The enemy should have been on the island by now with that speed boat. They were sure that the enemy would be here waiting for a call from Zucchero, so where the hell was he? They were losing time!

"Hey, Zucchero, did something happen?" Giorno froze in place as he stared with wide eyes at the radio's receiver. It was him! Zucchero's partner! But...how?! Where was he that he was able to get in touch with the radio?! "What did you request an announcement? Is there a problem? Over." Giorno used as much self-control as he could not to throw down the receiver and gripped his binoculars, looking through them as he desperately searched for the guy. But of course, found nothing.

"What is going on?" Giorno questioned. "No one's showing up at the damn shack..!" He adjusted the view on the binoculars to see if he had somehow missed anyone but when his eyes travelled to the guard shack, his eyes widened in shock. Zucchero's partner had already infiltrated the radio room to answer the call. "What?! He's inside! But when did he-?! That lookout must have another entrance and that bastard knew exactly where it was!" Giorno exclaimed. He tried to look through the window of the shack, but the inside of the building was too dark to get a clear view and it looked like the guy was wearing a hat. What's more, from where that window was located, he was directly beside Mista who has no clue what was going on.

'It's too dark to see his face and Mista hasn't noticed him. If things don't turn around, he'll catch on to our rouse and run! I have to let Mista know!' Giorno thought to himself. Mista glanced out to the crowd before noticing movement on Giorno's end. He looked over and saw Giorno waving his arms. He was trying to warn him but with the distance between the two, Mista was unaware of what Giorno was trying to relay to him. 'What? The guy from the radio is finally coming?' Mista wondered as he peered further from the corner, stepping out from his hiding spot. 'Which one is it? Who's coming to the lookout shed?' Mista questioned as he stepped further out.

'No, Mista! No one's going to the lookout! He's already inside! Just stay put!' Giorno shouted in his thoughts as he desperately tried to warn Mista of the danger he was putting himself in. Giorno gasped in shock when he saw his comrade inching closer to the window. If he doesn't do something fast, the enemy will see him and know something's up. They won't be able to catch him if he runs. "The enemy is by the window!" Giorno shouted, trying to get Mista's attention, but it was too late. Mista was now right in front of the window. In full view of Zucchero's partner, who in turn was caught off guard by the gunslinger's presence. Seeing his face, the man was filled with a mixture of fear and anger as he recognised Mista's face. And if he's here... then what the hell happened to Zucchero? 'This bastard..! He's one of Bucciarati's goons! Zucchero was supposed to get rid of him while he was on that boat!'

"Mista, behind you! The target is on the radio! Mista!" Giorno shouted as loud as he could to warn his comrade but they were just too far away for him to hear anything. If Giorno doesn't get the message to Mista soon, the target will either attack or make his escape and inform whoever it is he might be working for. "Damn it, he can't hear me!" Giorno glanced down at the radio and cursed under his breath. "I've got no choice!" He grabbed the radio's receiver and yelled loudly into it. "On your left! Mista, he's already on the radio!"

His voice echoed loudly in the small building, scaring the enemy and finally getting Mista's attention. Mista took only one glance to his left before turning around and aiming his gun at the window. The man inside quickly lowered the blinds, blocking Mista's view of the inside, but that was no problem to him. Mista pulled the trigger and fired two shots into the window. In slow motion, the enemy ran away from the window. Glancing back at the two bullets but found some relief that he wasn't in range of them. He was halfway to the back entrance when one of the bullets shattered a water pitcher beside him. But he wasn't getting away that easily. No.1 had jumped high into the air before his bullet hit its mark. He used the wall for momentum and got himself aligned with No.2.

"Come on! PASS PASS PASS!" He shouted, making himself wide open for No.2, who was riding on the bullet.

"Right. Now, go Six Bullets!"

"Here we go!!" No.1 and No.2 shouted in unison. No.2 rode the bullet towards No.1 and together raised their leg high. Both kept a grip on the bullet before using their power to kick the bullet to redirect them. They altered the bullet's trajectory and it landed on its target, hitting the mystery enemy right in his leg. The man grits his teeth as he shouted in pain, collapsing to the ground. No.1 and No.2 landed on a table and did a small dance of victory once they saw they hit their target. "Yay!!" They said in unison.

"Booyah, baby!" No.2 exhilarated.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!!" They both cheered.

When Mista fired his gun, Giorno leapt over and began running towards the guard shack. He almost couldn't believe what he saw. Mista had fired off his gun with no hesitation at all. "Whoa, did he get him?" Giorno wondered in amazement. The commotion Mista caused had caught the attention of the many patrons in the area, including the two young mysterious ladies who quickly rose from their seats to go on the defence. They narrowed their eyes when Mista walked from behind the open door, the gun still in his hand. The boathouse worker saw this and shouted, pointing at Mista. "Hey! Who the hell are you?! Also, what was that noise?!"

"Gunshots." Mista answered, nonchalantly. Showing his gun off. "Sorry, did I disturb you? Cause I'm sure it wasn't as bad as anything you hear in the movies. But if my work really disturbed your day...I'm in the middle of something right now. And I'll address all your complaints once I'm done." Mista said. Shooting a cold glare at the man and the many patrons, making them fall back in fear. The gunslinger looked behind him and saw Giorno running down the path towards him. He couldn't help but sigh at his youngest partner. "Giorno's always in a hurry." He says as he aims his gun inside the shack. Prepared to take the guy in for questioning when he stopped. The guy had completely vanished, aside from the trail of blood leading outside.

"A rear entrance, huh?" Mista says as he walked inside the building and kneeled at the blood trail. "He must've made his way in through that door in order to use the radio unnoticed. Either he's taking caution to a whole level or the sneaky bastard has a weird habit of always trying to enter buildings on the down low. Regardless..." Mista glared down the blood trail, knowing that he was out there, before turning around with a bright smile. "That was some killer work, boys!" No.1 and No.2 let out a series of cheers as they floated over to Mista, landing on the palm of his hand.

"We got his leg! We got that right leg good, didn't we?" No.2 said.

"Yeah, I'd say you nailed the sucker. He's not going anywhere." Mista says. The onyx-eyed man swiftly stepped outside with his gun drawn, first up to the roof and then to the sides, spotting a large truck leading up to a road towards the mountains. He moved within the shadows of the building and looked towards the marina, evaluating the situation. "The usual tourists out front and back here is a freaking cliff. No way he'd climb that thing. He must be stumbling around here somewhere...show yourself, coward." Mista says to himself. He looked around on the ground to find more traces of blood but oddly found nothing. That is until he went to examine the truck. Thinking as a possibility, Mista flattened himself on the ground and found a distinct blood trail above the driver's side of the truck.

"He must be hiding that truck." Mista surmises and got back up. Running to and hiding behind the truck, gripping the gun tightly in his hand. 'If he's a Stand user, then he's more than likely a close-range one with striking power. If he were the long-range type, it's safe to say he would've attacked me a long time ago. Now that he's got a bum leg, he's not gonna be travelling any kind of distance, so he's probably laying a trap for me. I bet he's behind this truck waiting to lure me in for the kill. Well, it's not like he could hurt me even if I did get close.'

Mista stepped from behind the truck, aiming his gun. Of course, he didn't find the guy, but he did see the blood trail leading towards the front of the truck. 'He's probably just beyond there. But I'm still in the dark as far as what his Stand can do. Going in without backup would be risky, to say the least. I should wait for Giorno and-.' The sound of the truck's engine roaring to life and preparing to leave forced Mista out of his thoughts. Damn it, he should've seen that coming.

'Shit, guess that option's out. So the stronzo's in the driver's seat, he must've jump-started the engine. I can't let him escape now, especially here.' Mista thought to himself. He cursed under his breath when the truck started to drive away and up the road, far from the Marina. "Damn this prick! I still don't know what the guy looks like and neither does Giorno! His Stand will have to stay a mystery for now. This is for the ten billion and Bucciarati!" Mista shouted.

He ran, chasing after the truck as fast as he could until he jumped to the passenger side, grabbing the pole to keep him stable and aimed his gun at the raged-fearful driver. "Die!" Arriving at the marina, Giorno hears a gunshot. "Mista." The blonde-haired youth said in worry.

On the other side of the shack, one of the girls was standing over the blood trail the enemy had left behind. She stared at it blankly before slowly lifting his gaze towards the truck speeding up and heading up a windy road towards the mountains. She spotted Mista hanging on the passenger side door from where she was. She tilted her head to the side before taking one small step forward. Suddenly, two massive clawed handprints imprinted themselves through the solid concrete and the girl flew across the air to catch up with the truck.

Before Guido Mista became the gunslinger of Team Bucciarati, he was once an ordinary teenager. A carefree individual. His outlook on life has always been summarised by the saying, "Simple is best". He found joy in the banality of sleep, the sway of branches, the smooth creeping of clouds. The aroma of wine, the texture of Formaggio. He would flirt with a beautiful girl despite her disapproval. But it wasn't all that bad. Even if he was shot down, the girls would find him funny and a joy to talk to whenever they would pass him by. If he needed money, he'd wait outside the theatre for some poor soul to slander the featured actor and beat them for every last lira they had. But sometimes, the beatdown befell him. He got his ass handed to him more often than he liked to admit, stopping only with police intervention.

It had its ups and downs, but Mista considered his life, a happy one. Even as he walked away with a few cuts and bruises, he still smiled as he looked up to the shining sun, the fresh green trees and blue skies. Some might've called this foolish naiveté, but in the mind of Mista, it was simple calculus. Over analysing was the bedfellow of fear, and fear wasn't part of the equation. But soon after Mista turned seventeen, something changed his view on life. He concluded that the destiny of every soul is set. In youth, one may feel helplessly stuck that nothing feels straightforward, but in the end, we all travel down the path we're supposed to take.

It was a clear summer's night and Mista was on his usual passeggiata. He had no real destination in mind, he just let his feet do the walking and see where the night takes him. He glanced up and smiled brightly when he saw two beautiful girls walking his way. The girls in turn smiled when they saw him and happily greeted him. "Hey, Mista." One of the girls said.

"Hey, you ladies wanna party tonight?" Mista asked in a flirtatious manner. The girls couldn't help but laugh and shook their heads.

"Sorry, doll, but we got other plans." She said.

"Ciao." Her friend said with a small wave.

"See ya." Mista said, smiling to himself. Ah, another failure yet again. Meh, oh well, there's always next time, he mused to himself. He hummed a little tune in his head as he walked down the streets, wondering what he should have for his next meal when he heard and eventually stumbled upon a terrifying sight.

"No! Let go of me!!" A woman screamed in horror.

"Now why would I do that, you little slut?!" A man shouted.

Mista found a car park on the side of the street, making it obvious to anyone on the street as it rocked back and forth vigorously. The sounds of screaming radiated from within and Mista narrowed his eyes, feeling his blood boiling when he looked inside the car. "I've heard enough squawking out of you!" The man shouted. Mista saw a nearly nude woman being assaulted, her attacker was beating her down to keep her quiet. Blood was gushing from her nose and mouth, and she was nearly unconscious. Mista growled in anger under his breath. The urge to not get involved was strong, yet...

Without thinking, Mista rushed over to the car and furiously opened the side door. He grabbed the assailant by the back of his shirt and dragged him out like the scum that he was. The man barely had any time to react before Mista delivered a powerful knee to his gut. The force of the blow caused the man to stagger back against the car and fall to his knees, clutching his stomach and he emptied it. Mista's instincts had taken over, causing his body to spring into action. He turned back towards the car when he heard the doors open, revealing that there were two other men with this human garbage.

"Cazzo!"

"Hey, you! What do you think you're doing to my brother?!"

The main assailant glared daggers at the dark-eyed youth and pulled a gun on him. Firing two shots his way. However, even if a shooter fired within proximity, it wouldn't guarantee a hit. In a state of panic and momentary fear, the shooter can easily fire the gun without having acquired the proper aim. The aggressor let out two shots, but both bullets grazed Mista's arm before fading into the darkness. "Wh-what?!" The man shouted in shock. He fired the gun. He let out two shots and it should've killed him...but how did it miss him? Mista stared down at the man and walked over to him. "Get away from me, you freaking weirdo!" The man shouted, firing off his gun.

3...4...5...6...

Each bullet was somehow swallowed up in the darkness. His accomplices frantically fired, but in what could only be called a miracle, or perhaps because the shooters were drunk and couldn't keep calm enough to aim, they all missed. Not a single bullet struck Mista. Mista was surprised by his ability to keep calm in this torrent of bullets. "What the hell?!"

"Who is this guy!"

"Bro!" Reacting quickly, Mista ran to the aggressor and delivered a solid punch to his face, kneeing him in the gut and wrestling a gun out of his assailant. Grabbing four extra bullets from the man's front breast pocket. Despite the volley heading his way, he cooly loaded the chambers. Like a nurse sliding the syringe into a bulging vein, he pulled the trigger. Calmly and deliberately. He aimed and fired four perfect shots. He'd never taken another man's life before that night, yet he felt no hesitation or regret even as the police lights came through the distance. In a moment of hopelessness, Mista found the strength to cut through the darkness that gripped his soul.

Chapter Text

Mista ran, chasing after the truck as fast as he could until he jumped to the passenger side, grabbed the pole to keep him stable and aimed his gun at the driver. Seeing him directly in the eye before shouting, "Die!" He pulled the trigger and aimed up. Shooting the real enemy hidden on the roof of the cargo box, taking a bullet to the forehead. The Driver stared back at Mista in a mixture of fear and shock at what was going on.

"It looks like the driver is the real owner of the truck. I couldn't tell before, but his right leg isn't injured." Mista says. Thinking that even if the driver was the enemy there would still be traces of blood along down his leg with a bullet hole in place. So he knew that the real enemy was hiding somewhere else otherwise there would be no point in this truck moving up. "I wasn't off you, but now...." Mista trailed off. The enemy's body convulsed, twitching from Mista's attack. One bullet to the leg wasn't enough to kill a person, but one shot to the head has definitely-

"Damn it, that hurts!!" The enemy, Sale, shouted in pain and anger as he gripped his bleeding head. Mista stared back at the young man in shock. "Screw you, that's twice now you shot me, you gun-toting pyscho!" Sale was a young man of slim build with slightly tan skin and spiked orange hair on the sides of his head that fell away halfway up, and magenta eyes. Sale wore a pink sleeveless shirt with an exaggerated V-neck. It is hollowed by his hips. The pants and arm warmers were blue with light green stars and brown shoes.

"Quit squirming. Next time I'll be sure to take better aim!" Mista shouted as he kept his gun pointed at him. Though he was still shocked at how someone can survive a bullet to the head. 'Geez, what kind of lame ass line was that?! What I should've said is, 'How are you not a pile of sausage meat? I shot your ugly mug square on?' Is it possible that the bullet just missed his brain somehow?'

"You know, Mista, that last ditch effort of yours was quite endearing." Sale says as he struggles to stand up. The onyx tried to suppress a flinch. So not only did he know that he was a part of Bucciarati's team, but he also knew who he was. "I mean, Mista is your name isn't it? Help me out with something. It seems even your friends are on this beautiful island, enjoying the sights...but only you, have gazed upon my visage. Isn't that right?" Sale says as he takes one step towards Mista. Knowing full well that he was going to kill him to regain his anonymity, Mista shoots again at him three times, but Sale's Stand Arts & Crafts, a short-range power type Stand, quickly appears and easily deflects each bullet. Arts & Crafts appeared to be almost robotic, with smooth, streamlined olive green armour with dark green, brownish-green, and orange patches. It has a spike on each side of its head, bared teeth, and red eyes patterned with vertical lines. It also features striated muscles.

"You fooled me with that radio boobytrap and you even nailed me with two cheats shots, but now that we're face to face, and I'm armed with my Stand Arts & Crafts, I can knock down any bullet fired from that ridiculous pea-shooter you point around." Sale tells him as his Stand disappeared from view. "By the way, I can't say I was paying attention back there, how many bullets did you fire off? Let's see, I'm fairly certain you fired four on this truck and you shot off two back at that dumpy shack. What do you think? I did a good job counting, huh, Mista?"

Mista pulled back the hammer of his gun, but let out a gasp when he saw that he was completely out of bullets. The look on his face made Sale laugh. "Now I can get in nice and close and beat the shit out of you without a care in the world, right?" He says as he begins walking toward the gunslinger.

'Shit, he's right! I got to reload!' Mista thought to himself. It was gonna be painful, but he had to jump. Mista let go of the handle and tried to get away from the truck but he was suddenly hanging in place. He looked up and saw that his hand was stuck to the handle, keeping him in place. "The hell is up with my hand?! Damn it, it's like it's stuck to this thing!" Mista shouted as he tried to get his hand free from the handle but his feet slipped on the metallic parts of the truck and felt his heart stop a few times as he tumbled towards the speeding ground, briefly being thankful that he was stuck. He lifted himself and stared at the diver.

"Hey, idiot! Why are you still driving, hit the breaks, dumbass!" Mista shouted at the man,  pointing his gun at him to indicate that he will shoot him if he doesn't stop the vehicle. "Believe me, I wanna! But I need some help over here!" The Driver says, his voice quivering in fear as he begged for Mista to help him. "Seriously, kid! You've got to help me, it's out of control!" He struggled in his seat and Mista could see his arms shifting in place on the steering wheel. The driver too is stuck in a driving position. What the hell was going on here?

"Ponder it for a sec. Why do you think I'd go to the trouble of telling you that you were out of ammo? Out the goodness of my heart?" Sale questioned while he held back a laugh. "No, Mista. It was cause I knew you'd crash and burn with this truck, so why hide it? Your driver can't take his foot off the gas and his hands aren't going anywhere. I'm only telling you all this because I know full well you can't reload with your hand fixed on the truck." He says. Mista flinched and stared at his empty gun. He can't defend himself like this. He had tugged at his arm, but his hand was stuck to the pole. He turned to glare at Sale and nearly gasped when he saw the bullets he had fired were floating alongside him. Surrounded by a red aura.

'Those are the bullets that bastardo's Stand deflected! They're frozen in mid-air, like in suspended animation. Moving in tandem with the truck. So that's his game, he must've immobilised the bullets with his power. That's how he's cemented me and the driver to this truck!' Mista thought to himself. Finally understanding his foe's ability as he stared into the wound on Sale's head. 'His ability lets him freeze objects in the exact place he touches them. That's why my bullet never made it past the skin on his forehead. Of course, a surface wound wouldn't finish him off!'

"You know, Mista, if I'm honest, I couldn't be happier that you decided to take off after me." Sale suddenly says. "I'm so happy in fact that I'm willing to forgive this little scratch you gave me. After all, till now, no one knew for sure whether Polpo's great treasure even existed. It's always been a desperate rumour, but the ferocity with which you're trying to kill me proves that it exists!" Sale gloats with a mad look in his eyes. He threw his head back and raised his arms as if he were praising God above. "You, friend, just reignited my hopes and gave me a brand new reason to live! I'm gonna savour every single moment of swiping that sweet lira from that cretin Bucciarati!!"

He didn't have a choice, he has to reload his gun now! Mista unlocks the gun chamber and emptied the bullet shells. He holds the empty chamber close to him and shakes his head, allowing for the extra bullets he had hidden inside his hat to rain down. The two of Six Bullets had managed to catch them, but unfortunately, No.3 punched No.5 again and causing him to miss one of the bullets and allowed another to fall to the speeding ground. Sale let out a gasp when he saw Mista had managed to reload even with his hands full and shot at him at point-blank range. But with his Stand's ability, he wasn't concerned for Mista's pathetic attack.

'I already told you I can knock away your petty bullets like the annoyances they are!!' Sale thought to himself. Arts & Crafts moved quickly to protect its master and deflected the oncoming bullet, however, as it did so, it wasn't enough for the second one hidden behind with No.6 and No.7 riding on it. " YEE-HAW!" They shouted in unison.

'What?! There was another bullet in the shadows? So, Mista's Stand allows him to fire two bullets in a single shot, but I still have a chance to work my magic!' Sale thought to himself as Arts & Crafts goes in on the attack with a direct punch, but No.6 and 7 were a bit faster. They jumped off the bullet and struck it with their fists. Combining their strength to redirect the bullet and hit Sale in the throat. Causing him to fall off the truck and collided painfully with the concrete ground. "Hell yeah!" No.6 and No.7 cheered as they gave each other a high five.

"Way to go! I don't know what I'd do without you guys, No.6 and 7!" Mista said, praising the two members of his Stand. "Now that your fugly ass is out of the way, our worries just became roadkill." Mista smiles to himself as he felt his hand wrap around the metal bar and freely move around. With Sale knocked off the truck and with the distance in between them, his Stand's ability was nullified.

However, the fight wasn't over yet.

Sale lay crumpled on the ground in a rather bloody state, he felt his blood gargling in the back of his throat. He could barely breathe thanks to that bullet. He positioned himself and shot a death glare at the moving truck. He let out a sickly-sounding cough as he let out a low growl. "I let that bullet-brained asshole get me again..! I swear, he'll die for this! That ten billion lira is going to be mine!" While Sale struggled to get back up, he froze as he felt a chilling wave wash over him. He shot his head up but saw nothing. But he did feel like something had phased right through him. Now he was free from Sale's ability, Mista hoisted himself up on the top of the truck and stared down the road where the magenta-eyed Stand user was thrown to and released the gun's chamber. Allowing the empty bullets to fall.

"There has to be a way to beat him, but it won't be easy. This guy's a tough one. Time to dig deep." Mista says. He may not know how yet, but he has to take Sale down before Bucciarati and the others arrive. He can't let him down and ruin his leader's chances of becoming Capo.

Back at the Marina, Gorino was standing behind the radio room but found no trace of Mista anywhere. Well, other than the small puddle of blood. Growing concerned, Giorno went over to it and kneeled to inspect. He wasn't sure if it belong to Mista or Zucchero's partner, but he did see a blood trail heading up the island. This means they must've gone to higher ground and is likely fighting right at this moment. "Would I even be able to make it there in time? No, I can't do that. I just have to find them." Giorno says as he runs off.

On the truck, Mista gathers his bullets to reload, only to grow sick in his stomach as he stared down at the remaining ammunition in his hand. "Four bullets...? What the unholy hell is going on? How can I only have four bullets?! This doesn't make a lick of freaking sense?! What happened?!" Mista shouted, beginning to go into another freak-out episode. With a sense of dread, Mista held up his gun and reloaded it. Something bad was gonna happen to him, he just knew it! The number 4 was a mark of the devil in his mind. 

"Really, Mista? It's because you dropped one." No.1 tells him.

"Yeah, you dropped the other bullet." No.3 chimed.

"You of all people should know the number 4 is bad news." No.6 said.

"You can't load four bullets into the gun, it won't end well." No.5 warns him in a timid little voice which caused Mista to flinch. They were right. These four bullets were gonna screw him over. It was only a matter of time. The Driver of the truck let out a gasp of relief when he noticed that he could move his body again. Whatever paralysis he was under had been lifted. "My hands are finally free, my feet are too, I can stop this thing!" He says with joy. He was just about to hit the brakes when Mista shouted at him from the roof of the driver's seat. "No way, bub!"

The Driver looked up at the young man in shock. "Huh? But a little while ago you were screaming at me to stop the truck!" He says. His eyes widened in fear when Mista pointed his gun at him. "Well, I changed my mind, so deal with it! Now be a good driver and listen." While Mista was busy speaking with the Driver, he was unaware of the arrival of the new passenger on the truck. She had seemingly materialised out of nowhere and gently landed her feet on the truck. She tilted her head at the gunslinger, wondering if she knew who he was, and began to walk towards him, hardly making a sound. "I need you to take me to Marina Grande, hurry! I've got a friend waiting for me. There must be another way for us to get there. Look, I promise I'm not gonna hurt you. I'll even make it up to you later, got it?" Mista says.

The Driver didn't seem to have much of a choice, especially since he had a gun pointing at him, so he kept on driving. Now with that taken care of, Mista lifted himself and sat on the roof. Trying to rethink his strategy for taking down Sale, though was left completely unaware of the mysterious girl standing right behind him. 'My bullets only skin deep with this bastard. I can't inflict any major damage. He can also fix things in place, making this an uphill battle. If I could just get a bullet in his mouth, he couldn't defend himself from there. It might actually kill him.' Mista thought to himself as he stared down at his gun. His uneasiness increased. Those four bullets might just be the death of him... 

The mysterious girl leaned down ever so slightly and glanced over his shoulder, taking notice of the gun in his hand and making note of the purple colour of the revolver. 'Hmm, now that's a unique-looking firearm.' She mused. Now where had she...ah, that's right. Now she remembers. She had been told all about Bucciarati and the members of his team, so this one must be Mista then. Well then, this just makes things easier...hopefully. The girl lifted her hand and began to reach toward Mista when her eyes glanced upwards and froze in place. Quickly disappearing. 'But I only have four bullets left. I just had to get stuck with that number. Three would've been way better. I know what he looks like and how he fights now, I should book it. I'll head back to the harbour and reconvene with Giorno. I have a bunch of extra ammo back there too...' Mista thought to himself. He glanced up the road and tried to see if there was a route back down to the Marina when his eyes widened in shock.

Floating high up beyond the winding road, Sale was back and staring down at Mista with a look of murder in his eyes. 'That bastard! What the hell?! When did he climb up the cliff?!' Mista internally shouted before he leaned over the passenger side window and yelled at the driver. "Stop the truck!"

"Huh? W-w-what are you talking about?"

"I said, stop the damn truck! Now get to it!" Mista shouted. The Driver had no other choice but to do what Mista said and went to step on the brakes, and he did so quickly as the feeling of fear swept over him when he saw Sale up ahead. "It's that maniac again!" He cried out as he stopped the truck with a little more force than he intended. Now Mista and Sale were right across from one another.

"Wow, Mista. If you thought I'd just let you tell your friends about me, then you're an even bigger lummox than I took you for!" Sale shouted as he tossed many pebbles into the air. However, all of them had locked into place. Mista let out a gasp when he saw Sale beginning to use the pebbles as a makeshift rock climbing wall and scale himself towards the road. "Struggle all you like, you're never getting away from me!"

'So he can hold rocks in the air just like he did the bullets, huh? He must've used them like a ladder to get up here.' Mista thought. He then turned his attention to the driver and angrily shouted, "Why the hell you'd stop the truck, you ass?! Get moving!!"

"Huh?! Bu-...Wha-..?"

"You need to step on it now! If you so much as slow down, you're dead!" Mista threatened him. The tires screeched beneath the truck before they sped up the road just as Sale made it across and stood directly in front of the truck, but made no effort to move out of the way. "If this is how you wanna settle things, then come and get some!" Mista shouted as he pointed his gun and prepares to shoot. Sale lifted a bullet and held it in place in the air, and began tapping away at it. His crimson orange aura began to surround it. "Hey, dick noddle, drive this truck like your life depends on it!" Mista yelled. Keeping his eyes locked on Sale. Though he was a little worried. Why was he just standing there?! What's he planning?! The mysterious, invisible girl kneeled to Mista's level and stared at Sale, sharing in the gunslinger's worry. She had passed him by earlier but she should've known better than to simply write him off as dead.

'A few light taps will do the trick. You'd be surprised what a little steady tapping can do. Power tends to accumulate at the point of fixation. It's best not to strike at full tilt, proper aim becomes unattainable and projects the one's projectile to the opponent, and then... the release!' Sale thought. After tapping away at the bullet for some time, Sale finally released it, sending the bullet flying fast towards Mista.

"What?!" That was all Mista could shout as he and the girl saw the bullet heading his way. He was able to fire off three shots just as the bullet hit him in the gut. Though, all things considered, it was a good thing it had shot through him, escaping through the other side. It had barely missed the girl behind him. Mista let out a painful yell as he coughed up some blood and was pushed back by the force of the bullet. The mysterious girl undid her invisibility and caught Mista in her arms, stopping them both from falling off the truck. Mista's bullets fired but all of them missed as Sale used the remaining pebbles to jump and avoid them, managing to use them to jump back onto the truck.

"It came right back to you, Mista." Sale tells the gunslinger. His eyes slightly widened when he suddenly noticed the girl beside him. She was a pretty girl with pale skin, long, knee-length white hair tied back in a low ponytail with a purple ribbon with black trim and with long locks framing her face and dark brown eyes. She wore a thigh-length dress, the top being black and purple striped with a bow on the chest area and the bottom being a black skirt. She also wore Midnight blue tights with a spiderweb design and black laced boots. The girl paid no attention to Sale and gently held Mista, who was hunched over in pain, holding to the left side of his gut and tightly gritting his teeth.

Sale, deciding that he could deal with the girl later, stared down at the wounded man. "I saw your bullets fly out of control. Those little stands of yours are a bit unruly." He told him. He raised his hand and revealed a second bullet, tapping at it as Mista shot up his head and glared daggers at him. "It doesn't take a lot. All you need are a few taps and a tiny bit of force to get the job done. It's very much like entering SOS in morse code. The aim's not perfect and it's not great for things that can't seem to stay still but we've finally reached the perfect moment to end your existence."

The girl glanced up at him. Alright, she's seen enough, Sale was the enemy in this situation. She looked at Mista for a moment before standing up and positioning herself in front of him. She raised her arm to keep Mista at a safe distance. Sale glared at the girl, not caring who she was or how she managed to get on this truck, he'll just kill her along with Mista. 'Kinetic energy manipulation...that seems to be his ability. I sincerely hope I'm adept in striking him down.' The girl thought to herself. She brought her fingers up to her lips, merely grazing them before pulling away, and thin silk threads appeared on her fingertips and were held by her teeth.

'Of course, I'm in this mess... My luck is totally shot. Four has never been a good number, even as a kid I knew that. Never know what you're gonna get when it shows its ugly face!' Mista bitterly thought to himself. 'Thankfully, the other numbers are there to pick up the slack. I've got one shot left, which must mean the worst is behind me, right? Lucky Number 1, don't fail me now!'

"No.5, No.6, let's do the damn thing! Together we can end this prick." No.7 said with a southern, country accent as he helped No.5 up the final bullet with No.6 climbing up next. "This is our last shot, boy-o's, so we have to make it count!"

"Yeah!" No.5 and No.6 cheered in unison.

Sale and the girl heard the sound of the gun clicking and looked over to see Mista shakingly raise his gun, trying to aim it at the kinetic manipulator. 'He needs to stop moving. He'll lose more blood if he does.' The girl thought, now growing worried for the young man. "You can drop the pathetic bravado act, Mista. Your trigger-happy days are over, moron! I don't care what your bullet-ridding stooges can do or how many of them you shoot at me, at this distance I can do whatever the hell I want! I can protect myself and have time to spare. Come on, you should know by now that it's utterly impossible to best me, right? Admit it, Mista-."

"Hey, loud mouth!" Mista cut in. "If I said I had one bullet left in this chamber, would you believe me?"

"Huh?" Sale went as he stared down at the wounded gunslinger with sceptical eyes.

"That's right, you heard me. I still got one shot left. If I shoot this off and you managed to knock it away, then I'll be out of bullets and completely at your mercy. You'll find out sooner or later, so why lie to you? If I screw up this last shot, you'll know anyway. I'm out of ammo after this, so I thought you'd appreciate my being upfront." Mista proudly announces.

'He's risking his survival on a bluff like that, yet shows no fear. He has my respect for that. Even so, if he's part of Bucciarati's team, I cannot allow him to die.' The girl thought to herself. Using her abilities to keep Mista safe from Sale's attacks, the girl was prepared to take over the fight if Mista's bullet does miss its target. If he was Bucciarati's member then she must give him this chance to take him down. Which isn't much as the bullet wound in his gut spurted out more blood.

"But honestly, whether or not I botch this play is still up in the air, although if we're being real with ourselves, we both know you're gonna die!" Mista declared.

"Why do you insist on spewing nonsense, Mista? Prattle on about your silly bullets all you want, it doesn't really matter. You can shoot one or a hundred of those at me, but you're never gonna be able to bring me down." Sale tells him in a confident tone. A little too confident.

"Oh, it wasn't nonsense." Mista insisted as he took his bloodied hand away from his wound and held himself up. Getting a better aim. "You'll drop your guard soon enough, there's no question about it. Especially since you know I only have one shot left."

"You're full of it, you know that?" Sale said.

Mista shoots his final bullet with the No.5, 6, and 7 riding on it. Even with the oncoming bullet, Sale wasn't concerned in the slightest, he was smiling as he believed that he was going to win this fight and take the ten billion lira all for himself. "Get ready, he's gonna use his Stand!" No.5 warned the others.

"Leave it to me! Alright, here we go! We've got one target, so put your backs into it!" No.7 ordered the other two as they sped towards Sale. However, the magenta-eyed man shocked both them and Mista when he willing opened his mouth for them.

'Ah, you're aiming for the inside of my mouth, aren't you?' Sale mused.

"He just opened his mouth for us!" No.5 says.

"You know what they say about gift horses." No.6 said.

"Sure do; Shoot 'em in the kisser!" No.7 shouted as they fired directly in the man's mouth. It stuck him on sight and Sale silently collapsed onto the metal surface of the truck. Mista was breathing heavily, not realising he was holding his breath that whole time. He had put on a gamble on that final bullet but it seemed to have paid off. Right? The mysterious girl narrowed her eyes on the crumpled form of Sale. That felt a little too easy. Sale knew he was aiming for the inside of his body and yet he willingly gave him a clear shot. The girl stepped back closer to Mista. "It was a gamble, but don't relax just yet." She told him.

"You might be right, but I'm sure that-...." Mista blinked once. Then twice. And then he let out a yell of fright as his eyes went wide in shock and confusion. He stared up at the white-haired girl and freaked out, wondering just how long she had been standing there and when she had shown up. Mista was so caught up with Sale that he didn't even notice her until she said something. "Wait, hold on a second, who the hell are you?!" Mista said in a panicked voice as he nearly jumped out of his skin. Briefly wondered if she showed up when he had those four bullets before. Was she a sign of bad luck?! The girl opened her mouth to introduce herself but quickly shut it when Sale's body twitched and he slowly raised his head.

"I knew it..." Sale said in a gravely, hoarse voice. Shocking Mista. Sale slowly sat up to his knees as he gave out a low husky laugh and he stared at Mista with wild eyes. "Damn, that hurt...a lot. I knew that's exactly where you were going to aim. It was obvious. It's common sense to aim for the mouth. My power to anchor objects would be rendered useless inside there. Fending off your attack would suck, so I thought I'd open my mouth for you instead."

"So even if he was hit inside his body, his Stand would still block the bullet." The white-haired girl said, unfazed by it all. "What a troublesome ability."

"What the hell..? Now the guy can even stop bullets with his mouth, give me a break." Mista said in a worried tone.

"Grrah...shit, this hurts more than I expected." Sale says as he let out a sickly cough. "Still, I guess you were telling the truth when you said that would be your last shot. You don't seem so eager to shoot now. What happened to that can-do spirit? If that's all you got, then allow me to show off the firepower on this beauty." Sale smirks as he reaches toward the stilled bullet and resumed tapping away at it. With all that tapping, the bullet was getting more and more strength. The white-haired girl backed up and kneeled in front of Mista, ready to protect him. "It's finally ready for launch, Mista! Now, bombs away! Suck on this, and die!" Having already announced his victory, Sale was more than ready to release his bullet. However, it wasn't gonna go his way.

He didn't notice them before, but he did now. Looking over to his bullet, he saw Mista's Six Bullets walking on his finger and onto the bullet. Huddled together on it. "Mista's plan really worked." No.1 said with a smile.

"He knew he was out of ammo and let his guard down." No.6 added.

"It's just like they always say, Closer the better. And when we're in point blank range, our aim is even better than before." No.7 said.

'Wait, this was a part of Mista's plan?' The girl thought in amazement. So that would mean it wasn't a bluff or even a gamble, Mista knew he would let his guard down, exploiting his overconfidence so his Stand would hijack the bullet to use as their own. 'Incredible.'

'Wait, what? But how...? When could they have...? Shit, they're too close!' Sale shouted in his head. He tried to undo his attack but it was too late, the bullet was blasted through the air and aimed straight toward the other two Stand users. As soon as they were soaring through the air, the sextuplets jumped high from the bullet and combined their strengths into one. "Give it your all, fellas!"

"Aim...and..." They all let out a yell as they kicked the bullet right back at him, altering its course.

"Arts & Crafts, guard up!" Sale summoned his Stand to protect him and use its ability to deflect it and gain back control, but then his eyes widened in shock as the bullet was split in two, most likely because all six of Mista's Stand have kicked it all together. Arts & Crafts moved to deflect the split pieces but they swerved out of the way and went in separate directions. 'I know I could take another direct hit, but there's no way. He couldn't be aiming for that, could he?' Sale thought as he saw one of the halves flying towards him...no, towards one specific place. 'No. I'm just imagining it. Tell me, he isn't really shooting for THAT! His target-!' His thoughts screeched to a halt when the shard hit its target. One of the shards had struck right into the bullet Mista put in Sale's head earlier. Pushing the bullet further into his brain. Sale didn't move. Didn't speak. All he did was stand in an eerie silence with a few sputtered gasps.

"You managed to hit him..." The girl said. Though sounding monotone, she was impressed by what she witnessed.

"Yeah, I did. I aimed at the bullet hole from before." Mista tells her. "Hitting the previous bullet head-on forced it deeper inside your skull, and now it's on a one-way collision course with your brain, good luck anchoring that, Dopey Dick! But like I said, I'm out of bullets, so if it doesn't kill you, I'm screwed." Though he says this, Mista didn't have to worry about a thing. With the force of the impact behind that bullet, it proved more than enough to put Sale sown and he fell to the ground face first. Seeing that he was finally defeated, the girl lowered her head and closed her eyes while Mista let out a sigh of relief.

"We did it!!" Six Bullets cheered as they each gave the other a high five in celebration. Except for No.3, because he punched No.5 in the face. Again. And made the timid member of the group whimper and cry. "Would you give it a rest already, No.3? How many times have I told you to stop badgering, No.3?" Mista said with an exhausted sigh. Ugh, honestly, why was this one an aggressive troublemaker?

Chapter Text

The white-haired girl stood up to her full height and walked over to Sale's body. Looking him over, it didn't seem like Mista's attack wasn't enough to kill him. Sale's body was twitching about as he gurgled in the small puddle of blood. "I have to give him some respect for his will to survive." She said. Mista glanced over to her, briefly wondering what she meant when he nearly jumped when he saw that Sale was still alive.

"Man, he's still hanging on, with a bullet to the brain, no less. I guess his Stand really is invincible. I know Bucciarati told me not to kill him, but..." Mista said, trailing off a bit. Not sure what to do with him since he wasn't sure if Sale would be able to provide any answers or what once he brings him back to the others, but hopefully they'll think of something. He blinked when a shadow loomed over him and looked up to see the girl standing in front of him before she kneeled to his level. Her dark brown eyes stared down at his bullet wound. Her eyes softened and she gently reached toward it. Her fingers stopped just at the edge of the wound. Mista couldn't help but blush deep red when the mysterious girl had gotten close to him. She looked so cute and he still had no idea who she was or how she even got on this truck.

"You're bleeding quite a lot there...but I don't think it's anything too serious. You're lucky that the bullet had gone straight through. We should get you back and get that treated, but for now..." She softly trailed off as she raised her hand just slightly and Mista was left in slight amazement as he saw silk threads leave from her fingertips and began covering his wound. Blocking it to prevent any more blood loss. "Wh-whoa..! Wait, are you a Stand user?" He questioned.

"This should help you until you get proper treatment, just try...not..to..." The girl's voice was lost on her when she raised her gaze to meet Mista's solid onyx eyes. She blinked once. Staring deeply into his eyes and taking his image in. Now that she was looking at him more closely like this...

The girl startled Mista when she suddenly shot up to her feet and walked toward the edge of the truck and lead down to look into the driver's side window, her sudden appearance had scared the man. "Excuse me, do pardon the intrusion, but someone is injured and in dire need of medical attention. Please, take us back to the harbour." She says to him. Hoping she sounded polite.

"Who the heck are you?! What?! What was going on up there?! I'm so confused!!" He shouted.

"I understand, sir, and I deeply apologise. But please, sir, turn the truck around." The girl says before pulling her head back and leaving the driver in a state of frozen confusion and fear. The Driver let out a small whine but obeyed her request. Though her expressionless face freaked him out, she at least sounded considerate. More or less. The Driver started the truck up again, turning it around to go back down the mountain. The girl straightened the skirt of her dress as she sat down on the truck. She sighed as she closed her eyes. This was...an experience. But it was only to help serve as a learning one for her. She was new to this just as the others are as they've only been told by their own leader of the ins and outs of Passione and how they work and who to trust. 'At least we've met up with someone from Bucciarati's team. This means he must have arrived on the island as well. I should go back to the rendezvous once I'm back at the harbour and give my report.' She thought to herself.

They arrived back at the marina, just in time for the boat to make it safely to the harbour, the girl gracefully floated towards the ground before turning around using her ability to help Mista and Sale get down safely, though Mista let out a small yell when he was suddenly pulled up by the back of his shirt. When she saw that Mista was stable enough to stand on his feet, she turned and began to walk away. "H-hey, wait!" Mista called out. The girl stopped and froze a bit, feeling her heart flutter. She looked over her shoulder and met Mista's gaze. "Just who are you? You look like you're the same age as Aria. Why did you help me?" He asked. Mista wasn't sure why at the time, but for some reason, he felt that the girl wasn't a threat to him. She stayed by him and even attempted to protect him if his plan had failed. If she was an enemy aiming to get the ten billion lira, she would've ended him the moment Sale failed.

The girl stared back at him with an emotionless expression before turning away. She felt her ears beginning to burn. "...Fia Bellini. That's my name." She told him before she vanished from sight, leaving Mista baffled and with many questions. But that would have to wait, he adjusted his hold on Sale and dragged him back into the radio room with the driver staring at him through the window. "Dumbass shits... what do they take me for? 'Stop the truck, driver', 'step on it, driver', this ain't some taxi, stronzo!" The Driver said as he threw his hat down. "You assholes don't scare me! I let you off easy, but if I ever see you again, you're gonna pay!" He may have sounded tough, putting up his fists as he was preparing to teach those people a lesson for messing with him, but that false bravado burst when he heard the passenger door open and turned to see Giorno getting into the truck.

"Sorry to intrude, but we have to move it. I'm after someone and need you to take me to the top of the island right now!" Giorno tells the Driver with urgency in his voice. The Driver just stared at him. This is not happening, is it? This just can't be his day, can it? Giorno grit his teeth and, along with the strength of Golden Wind, slammed his fist against the glove department, creating a very sizable dent. "Well, don't just sit there, we have to go!! You are planning to help me, right?!" Giorno shouted at him. Effectively intimidating the driver. "Right, let's go." He said in a scared tone and drove the truck back up the island.

*********

With the threat eliminated, the group met up again heading to the location of Polpo's hidden treasure. But first, the group had to make a pit stop to patch up the injured Mista. Although they weren't sure why it was sealed with a wed-like substance, but Mista promised he would explain after they helped him out. Aria, Giorno, Bucciarati and Abbacchio were standing outside a restroom while Fugo and Narancia tended to their expert gunslinger. "Ooww...arrgh..." Mista groaned in pain as he sat on the sink and clutched at his bullet wound.

"Hmm...you should really have a doctor take a look at that." Fugo said as he examined the wound.

"Yeah, yeah, I already know that! But I want you to give me a bit of first aid in the meantime!" Mista shouted.

"Alright, take it easy." Fugo says as he reached into a bag. Mista glanced down and flinched when he saw Fugo had pulled out a stapler. His blood ran cold and felt his heart racing as he got closer to it. "Wait, Fugo, you're not gonna- AAAAAUGGGHH, HEEYY!!!" Mista screamed as Fugo held him down and stapled his wound shut. From outside, Aria was staring into the men's restroom, shaking where she stood when she heard Mista screaming. She wasn't sure what was going on in there, but it sounded downright painful. Also, why did she hear a stapler going off?

.... She quickly shook her head and turned her back on the restroom, shutting her eyes tight. 'On second thought, I take it back! I don't wanna know!' She thought as she covered her ears. A pair of warm hands covered her own and she opened her eyes to see Giorno standing in front of her with a soft expression on his face. He smiled at her and pressed his forehead against hers. "It's okay." He says in a reassuring tone. Aria let out a sigh, relaxing. She nodded at his words and smiled back. Still, she was greatly worried about Mista and his condition. In the restroom, Mista stared down at his...well, patched-up wound in horror and anger.

"Have you lost your mind?!" He shouted at Fugo.

"Did that just happen?!" Narancia questioned as he pointed at Mista's gut with laughter. "Holy shit, you sealed him up like a freaking manga!"

"Hey, Narancia, you mind grabbing the duck tape and wrapping up his midsection?" Fugo asked.

"I'm on it." Narancia said as he made his way over, reaching into his pocket and taking out the roll of duck tape.

"This hack job isn't gonna get infected, is it?" Mista questioned.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine." Narancia tells him as pulls a length of the tape and began wrapping it around his waist. Mista takes another look at his wound and a small, uneased smile spreads on his face, letting out a chuckle, he said, "It's actually kinda growing on me."

"May I chime in?" Bucciarati says as he entered the restroom with Giorno and Abbacchio. Aria was very hesitant about entering because...well, for obvious reasons, it was the men's room and it's a universal law for people to never enter a restroom of the opposite gender. Plus she was worried about what her aunt would think if she ever were to find out about this. Oh, she would be so furious with her. Aria took a step back, planning on just waiting outside until Giorno step up and held her hand. Pulling her inside with minimal effort. Though Giorno brought her in so they could avoid suspicion with her loitering outside, he couldn't help but chuckle when he saw her face burn up, holding up her hands to block out her view and staring directly at the floor. His little songbird was so innocent and adorable.

"Ragazzi, you've made me proud. It's thanks to all of your efforts that we made it to Capri alive. Our would-be attackers have been neutralised and are being held on the ship for now. The obstacle has been cleared." Bucciarati says to the team.

"Then let's go, there's no time like the present. Our ten billion lira treasure awaits!" Narancia said with excitement.

"Enough suspense, where'd you hide it? A hidden safe at the bank? No...you must've buried it in some cave on the island." Abbacchio said. Bucciarati didn't answer him right away, instead, he pulled up the sleeve of his suit and looked at his watch. "I need you to wait a little longer." He tells the group, much to their confusion. "Where's this coming from? And why do we need to wait around? are you so worried about the time?" Fugo asked. While Fugo spoke, Narancia's ear picked up a sound coming from outside and quickly shushed everyone. He walked out of the bathroom and met with the two janitors outside cleaning, sweeping away at the ground. One was a rather short older man, wearing a light green cap, and the other was a pink-haired boy who wore a pair of blue-green rimmed glasses and a white cloth wrapped around his head. Both were wearing a white T-shirt over a grey long-sleeve shirt, blue pants, and black boots.

"Could you wait a few? They're still some people left in there. Well, think you can clean this place later?" Narancia asked. The pink-haired young boy stopped sweeping and looked up at Narancia. He straightened himself up and then asked, "So you must be...La Toilette?"

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Narancia asked, confused. The boy pointed over at the sign of the building. "If your name was La Toilette, that would make this place your house, giving you a say. After all, one calls the shots in their own home. Of course, if this isn't actually your house, then you really have no business ordering me around." The young boy said, with a hint of attitude as he proceeded to walk past Narancia to enter the men's restroom. "Wha..? Hold it, moron!" Narancia shouted. He grabbed hold of the boy's shoulder and whipped out his switchblade and placed the blade close to the boy's neck. "What part of "Come back later" don't you understand?"

Despite having a knife near his neck, the young boy showed no fear whatsoever. He dropped his mop swiftly, turning around and bending Narancia's arm, easily reversing his knife back onto him. The young boy held his arm in a tight grip and lowered the blade close to Narancia's face, stabbing him in the cheek. "The hell?! What do you think you're doing, pal, knock it off!" Narancia shouted. Hearing him yell, the rest of the Bucciarati team went on the defensive as they turned towards the sound.

"What the-?!" Fugo shouted.

"A user?" Abbacchio wondered.

Narancia, using his free arm, whipped out a second knife and aimed, ready to stab the boy. "Come on, I'll slice you up apart!!"

"Wait!" Bucciarati shouted, immediately halting Narancia's movements. His knife stopped a mere inches away from the boy's neck. "But I wanna cut this fool!" Narancia yelled.

"Back off now, Narancia!" Bucciarati said as he and the others came back outside. "Things aren't as they seem." The old man, who hadn't stopped sweeping since the time he arrived, halted his task once he had heard a familiar voice. He looked up from his cleaning to see the team's leader. "That stern voice. We've kept you waiting." The old man says as he walked over to the group.

When he approached them, Bucciarati immediately bowed in respect at his presence. "Gentlemen, bow your heads." Bucciarati ordered. Surprising the other members. "This is Mr. Pericolo, a capo of Passione."

"I've come all the way here for ten billion lira, Bucciarati." Mr. Pericolo tells him. He was a short, mature man with tanned skin, adorning a grey beard connected to his matching short grey hair and a moustache, and dark grey eyes. One of his eyes seems to constantly wander. Now that they knew of his identity, everyone bowed at Mr. Pericolo. "I reached out to him as soon as we arrived. Mr. Pericolo was kind enough to meet all of us here to receive the money." Bucciarati explained. Giorno lifted his head and glanced over at the older man with steeled eyes. 'So he's a Capo from Passione.' He thought to himself. Taking note of his age, Giorno briefly wondered how he was able to make it through the life of a mafioso of Stand users and if he had a Stand of his own.

"We're humbled by your visit. Thank you for coming." Bucciarati said.

"None of that. I was the one who requested your team travel here in the first place. Please, everyone at ease." Mr. Pericolo said with a surprisingly warm and gentle tone. Something that Aria had picked up. She hadn't expected him to sound as friendly as he did, but he was. Her heart skipped a beat when the old man looked at her and Giorno. "You two must be the rookies, huh." He said.

"Sì." Giorno responded. Aria nodded her head and bowed once more to him.

"Bucciarati's told me all about you two. You're with Passione now which makes you part of the Famiglia. I know we've only just met, but by all means, call me Mr. Pericolo." The old man said kindly.

"I appreciate that, sir." Giorno says as he turns to Aria with a smile. "We both do." The ruby-eyed girl nodded her head in agreement. She couldn't believe there was such an amiable man in the Famiglia, but then again there was Bucciarati himself. Even her father was a man of honour at his core. Mr. Pericolo gave a small smile, accompanied by a chuckle as he turned to Narancia. "Oh, sonny, pardon the rough reception earlier. She hates it when people touch her without her permission." He says as he gestured to his young companion, whom the latter turned her head away from the group. Aria tilted her head at the younger being. 'Is she a member of the Famiglia as well?' She thought.

Narancia shot a glance at the young lady before casually turning away. "Whatevs." He says. His informal speech was well received with a swift punch in the stomach from Fugo. "Gauh! Not cool!"

"It's 'Yes, sir!'" Fugo seethed at him.

"Mr. Pericolo." Bucciarati spoke up. "If I may, why the elaborate disguise?"

"Oh, I have my reasons, but I'll clarify later. Before that, are you positive that you have it? The ten billion lira contribution to the Famiglia?" Pericolo questioned the blue-eyed man.

"Indeed. Right here in fact." Bucciarati says, gesturing to the restrooms. Much to the shock of his team.

"Back it up a bit! What did you just say?!" Mista questioned.

"He said it's here!" Fugo shouted.

"But where?!" Narancia asked. Bucciarati smiled at his team's bewildered faces and walked back inside the restroom with the others following close behind. This time, Aria wasn't concerned as much as before since they were now close to what they came here for. But how in the world did Bucciarati manage to find a large amount of money in a place like this? There wasn't anywhere she could think that she...wait a minute. 'That's right, of course!'

"You're gonna have to be more specific." Mista says as Bucciarati put on a pair of gloves and stands in front of one of the urinals.

"Sorry, but all I see are urinals." Fugo stated as he looked across the rows. Unsure of where Bucciarati was going with all this. That's when he brought out Zipper Man and punched the one Bucciarati was standing in front of and two zippers appeared and opened themselves up to reveal a massive pile of gold and various priceless jewellery that was hidden within it. The group gasped amazed at the sight. "What?! You hid it inside of that?!" Abbacchio said.

"Well, I can't deny it was secured, but holy moly, if those guys knew what they were pissing on!" Mista said with a wide smile.

'Incredible! I've never seen such a treasure as this..! Not to mention that this is the most inconspicuous hiding spot for it.' Aria thought as she stared at the gold and jewels that Bucciarati held in his hands. She let out a breath and placed a hand on her heart. 'I'm so glad we managed to secure it. With this, Mr. Bucciarati will earn the title of Capo.' She thought, smiling proudly at her new leader.

When all the treasure was taken out, it was brought to Mr. Pericolo for examination. He took out a mini monocular scope and carefully inspected each gold and diamond there to ensure that it was real. "Hm, it's authentic. This necklace alone is worth at least seven or eight hundred million." He says as he held a silver and ruby necklace. "Bucciarati, I won't badger you for details on how you obtained this cash of riches. The Famiglia cares not about your methods, only that you follow through with the funds." Mr. Pericolo then began to move the treasures into a large brown bag, much to Mista and Narancia's dismay.

"Wait, hang on, you're putting it away already?" Mista asked.

"Could I touch it a little?! I'd settle for a whiff!" Narancia said. Though Mr. Pericolo couldn't help but laugh in amusement at the youthful teen's enthusiasm. It was always so charming to see the lively spirits of the young generations. Now that he confirmed that the riches were authentic, Mr. Pericolo exited the restroom with everyone else following him. "This treasure is proof incarnate that the man standing before us today is one of tremendous intellect and faith. Well done, Bucciarati, you did it. I hereby promote you to the rank of Capo." Mr. Pericolo said.

"Hey, did you hear that, he did it! After all that, Bucciarati's finally a Capo!" Narancia exclaimed.

"Since Polpo is no longer among the living, you are now the successor to the entirety of his territory. You'll oversee all interests relating to the Famiglia in Napoli, including gambling, extortion, port contraband, and restaurant and hotel operations. 50% goes to the Famiglia, and the rest is yours for the taking." Mr. Pericolo tells him. Most of Bucciarati's team stared at him with pride in their eyes. Aria was beaming for him and Narancia was blown away by many things Bucciarati was now in charge of. Mista couldn't be any more proud of him and almost couldn't believe the weight of this new power.

'Incredible! So much power just like that! With Bucciarati's smarts and charisma, our little gang is gonna be rolling in dough!' Mista thought with a smile. He glanced over at the two new rookies of the group. 'Man, it's like everything started being set into motion once the new guys, Giorno and Aria, got here. They're a pair of crazy good luck charms!'

"Oh, and there's one more thing." Mr. Pericolo stated. "I know you haven't had time to digest your new duties as Polpo's successor, but you should know he still had one job left unfinished. Naturally, this responsibility will now rest on your shoulders. Are you willing to accept his final mission? It'll be a heavy burden to bear." Pericolo said.

"So I'm to finish what he started." Bucciarati said.

Mr. Pericolo nodded. "Be aware this is a direct order from the Boss." He said. And a cold chill fell upon the group at that very moment.

"The Boss? ...I see." Bucciarati said, almost speechless.

"Unreal." Abbacchio said.

"Isn't this the same Boss no one's ever met in person?" Mista asked.

"And now we're getting an order right from him?" Narancia asked, nervously.

"That's right. I'll deliver his words myself. Your mission is to safeguard the Boss's daughter. Laying down your lives if needed. End of message." Pericolo said. Upon hearing this new bit of information, every one of Team Bucciarati was left shocked. They know next to nothing about their Boss, so the fact that he has a child was a huge deal for all of them. No matter how absurd it sounded.

"His daughter?!" Narancia exclaimed

"Did he say, daughter? The Boss has a daughter?" Fugo questioned.

Giorno felt a little anxious when hearing this piece of info. Though he'd do anything to rise up the ranks and take the position of boss for himself once the time came, he was left stunned that his first mission would involve the man's own flesh and blood. 'The Boss... The daughter of the Boss we were planning on tracking down and eliminating?!' He thought.

"You're safeguarding obligations begin now. I'm turning her over to you." Mr. Pericolo said.

"Turning her over?" Bucciarati questioned, confused at what he meant. The others looked around searching for any girl in the area, but that's when Giorno turned to the young cleaner standing behind Mr. Pericolo. Then it hit him. "Bucciarati...could that guy be... No, that woman! She must be the Boss's daughter!" Giorno exclaimed. The group gaped surprised that the golden-haired youth was right.

"Could that really be her?!" Bucciarati questioned.

The pink-haired girl removed her gloves and said, "I have to...well, you know."

"That's fine. Go ahead, Trish." Mr. Pericolo said. The cleaner...no, Trish held her gloves and picked up the mop she had on her and began making her way towards the women's restroom, passing through Fugo, Mista and Narancia but turned her head to meet with Aria's gaze. The girls locked eyes for a moment before Trish went inside the restroom. "For now, stay by her side. She is now our priority." Bucciarati tells the three young men. Obeying his orders, they trailed after Trish. Stopping just outside the entrance of the restroom and keeping guard.

"Bucciarati!" Mr. Pericolo called out. The other four members turned and saw the older gentlemen standing by the railing that overlooks the ocean waters. They went over to him as the man kept looking out into the horizon. "Her name is Trish Una, and she's fifteen years old. Her name Una comes from her mother, so it has no association with the Boss. Trish has also never met the boss, so she doesn't know anything about him." Mr. Pericolo said, beginning to explain Trish's story to them. Hearing that Trish had no idea about the Boss caught Giorno's attention. "Bucciarati, as you know, no one has knowledge of the Boss's true identity. But of course, even someone like the Boss has a past. His youth is especially intriguing. Two months ago, in a hospital in a small town in Calabria, a woman named Donatella succumbed to illness."

'Illness..?' Aria's eyes widened at that and looked towards the restroom Trish was in. 'Trish lost her mother to an illness?' Aria turned her attention back to Mr. Pericolo as he continued. "Just days before her death, she initiated a frantic search for a man named Solido Naso. The man she was looking for was Trish's father. I assume it was a final act of love for a daughter who'd soon be left to fend for herself, but..." He trailed off.

"She couldn't find him because he doesn't exist. It was just an alias, used by the Boss to conceal his true identity. Am I right?" Bucciarati asked. Mr. Pericolo silently nodded at him before looking towards the ocean again. "But he who seeks Naso must exercise caution. Anyone with any standing whatsoever in Passione knows to take these words to heart. To peer into the depths of the Boss's past is to defy the Familgia itself." He said, surprising Giorno. "Word of Donatella spread like wildfire. As you can imagine, with news of a daughter, rumours exploded. Of course, the hearsay reached the Boss too. His resolution was unsurprisingly swift, by way of several intermediaries, he extended his order. Upon Donatella's death, I was to become her guardian. He must've known instinctively. He lived his whole life without knowing she had ever existed, yet suddenly he knew. Trish was his own flesh and blood." Mr. Pericolo turned away from the oceanic view and faced Bucciarati.

"Shortly after taking Trish into my custody, I discovered that someone was attempting to hunt her down and take the girl out for good." He told him. Sending a bad feeling to the blue-eyed man. "Had the directive arrived thirty minutes later, I've no doubt Trish's pursuers would've taken her away. They would've surely killed her."

"But who'd do this? Who would want to kill the Boss's daughter?" Bucciarati questioned.

"Traitors to the Famiglia, of course." Mr. Pericolo answered immediately. "And there's no telling how many there are. They're attempting to overthrow the Boss and take control of all the drug trafficking routes."

"Drugs again..." Giorno muttered under his breath. Aria's breath was caught in her throat and tightly held her hands. There were traitors in the Famiglia? That was bad enough, but these people want full control over the drug trafficking business and if that happens, then God only knows what will become of her home and the innocent children within it. The beauty and life she sees every day will be lost forever.

"These idiotas have convinced themselves the girl possesses secret intel on the Boss. They want intelligence on how to topple the Boss when they carry out their coup. But she has no such knowledge, Trish is a vulnerable teen in a strange new life." Mr. Pericolo tells them.

"How long will we protect her?" Bucciarati asked.

"About seven days, and likely it'll be even shorter than that. You'll be relieved of duty once the Boss eliminates the traitors. Leave this island immediately and place her under concealment. This arrangement is top secret. Only the Boss and I know of it." Mr. Pericolo said as he prepares himself to leave.

"Mr. Pericolo." Giorno spoke up, stopping the man from going anywhere. "To clarify, this mission was first Polpo's, isn't that right, signore? Which means..."

"That our enemies are Stand users. Mmm...I'd say that is a good guess, my boy." Mr. Pericolo says as he puts on his hat and picks up his bag. "In all likelihood, they'll be working in teams as well. Unfortunately, we don't yet know how many there are. I don't possess a Stand. I've now done everything I can to assist you. If I obtained further intel, I'll find a way to reach you." Mr. Pericolo begins to make his leave as Bucciarati and Abbacchio bow to him. However, he didn't make it very far as he stopped to give one final bit of information.

"Oh, right. Before I forget...Bucciarati, before we had arrived, I had secretly met up with her." Mr. Pericolo said. Giorno and Aria were confused when bboth Bucciarati and Abbacchio gave out a visible flinch. Her? Who's 'her'?

"She's already been informed of this mission and will be contacting you momentarily. She'll be waiting in the countryside. Although," Mr. Pericolo paused as he gave a small laugh. "I'd watch myself if I were you, Bucciarati. She looked pretty mad." And with that, Mr. Pericolo laughed the whole way out leaving the two men in a frozen state.

"Bucciarati...why do you suppose she's angry?" Abbacchio asked, nervously as a bead of cold sweat ran down his face.

"I...might have an idea...but I think it's past the point for an explanation." Bucciarati said softly. "Who knows how far she'll go if her anger lets loose."

"I'm ready to die yet, Bucciarati. She's a monster." Abbacchio said.

Aria looked at the two men with concern and a little bit of fear herself. Who were they talking about? And why do they seem to be scared? Giorno wasn't sure who it was this woman is to them but for the most part, it sounded like she was an ally to Bucciarati and by extension to him and Aria as well. Though why they were trembling with fear like that left him with serious questions.

*********

"Are you sure he said, Aria?"

"Yes, I'm positive. He even said we were around the same age. I have no doubt he was talking to the same person." Fia says softly as she walks down the road of the countryside. They had finished some food shopping and were heading back to the house as there was going to be a special guest arriving soon. Given the circumstances, it would be best to try and make things comfortable for her.

"Then that means she's joined the Famiglia through Bucciarati...and didn't have the courtesy to tell me?" Fia glanced up at the taller woman beside her, noticing the controlled rage on her face. Uh-oh, she'd seen that face before. Back at the Marina, before Bucciarati's team arrived, Fia had passed down her full report to the woman who was standing by at the restroom, guarding Polp's treasure. She should've known something was up when she became eerily quiet when she brought up what Mista said. "If I may, from what you told me about him, I'm sure Mr. Bucciarati would've told you as soon as he could have."

"Regardless, I want to hear it from him. If I find that he had planned to keep it a secret from me..." The woman's voice grew cold and a bite of a growl behind it. "You have better give me a good explanation for this, Bucciarati." As she spoke they walked past a shop and the people inside jumped back in fright when the display window suddenly shook and erupted in an explosion of cracks. Very close to shattering into pieces.

Chapter Text

'From the way Mr. Pericolo had spoken just now, Trish has never met her father in her entire life. Her mother was all she had until recently... The poor dear must be so lonely.' Aria thought to herself as she stared at the restrooms, feeling sympathy for Trish. She had just lost her mother and now was in a situation like this. It has to be tough on her. Aria didn't have her parents either but was blessed enough to find love in her aunt and grandmother. She then gave a smile. 'But we're here for her now. And I'm certain she's a very sweet girl deep down inside, maybe this could be a chance for us to be friends.'

Eventually, Trish had finished changing and was washing her hands in the sink. Now that she had changed into a more befitting outfit, showing off her feminine features. Trish was of average height and slim build. She had short pink hair with a loose whirl atop her head, fair skin and green eyes. She wore a black brassiere with violet highlights connected to a necklace patterned in tiles of alternating shades of mathematical symbols. She wears a long black, pink, and yellow skirt of a similar design, split at the top of her left thigh, and a pair of brown knee-high small-heeled boots without any legwear/footwear underneath. Trish finished and walked out of the restroom, spotting Mista, Fugo, and Narancia waiting outside for her just as they were instructed. Trish looked over all of them before turning to Fugo. 

"Um...." Trish went softly.

"Ah! Do you need something?" Fugo kindly asked her.

"Yeah, uh....will you be... um, well... are you...the group that'll be escorting me from now on?" Trish asked.

"Yes. That is correct. The seven of us are here for you, Trish. While you're with us, we will protect you with our lives." Fugo said. Wanting to reassure the young girl in any way he can about her situation.

"You said seven of you... Does... that mean that girl over there...?" Trish trailed off as she turned to face the ruby-eyed girl across from them. Aria blinked when she noticed her staring, and smiled kindly. Giving a friendly wave. "Yes. She's promised to protect you as well. Oh, the thing you should know now is that she's mute. You can communicate with her through her notebook in case you don't know sign language. Of course, I'll be happy to translate for you." Fugo explained.

"I see. Then do me a favour, could you please take off your jacket for just a minute?" Trish suddenly asks, pointing to Fugo's jacket. Catching the young genius and the other two off guard by her bizarre request.

"You want me to take off my jacket? But what for?" Fugo asked, visibly confused.

"Don't worry, just take it off. Trust me, I have no interest in seeing you devoid of clothing." Trish tells him.

"You've made that clear." Fugo says as he proceeded in removing his jacket. Aria flinched and quickly turned away, covering her eyes to give Fugo privacy while Narancia and Mista were still very confused as to why Trish wanted him to take it off in the first place. Fugo held it up for her and then Narancia let out a shocked yell. He and Mista watched with wide eyes while Trish dried her hands on his jacket. "I'm out of handkerchiefs, so go buy me one. While you're at it, get more nylons and Givenchy Blush No. 2. Oh, and those nylons better be the ones with a garter at the thigh. And grab a copy of Vogue Italia. Mineral water would be nice too." Trish paused as she lifted her hands to check on her nails. "But it has to be from France. I'd rather keel over than drink that other stuff. When you're done ogling the scenery, get started at that list." With that, she turned around and walked away. Mista and Narancia stared at Trish, not believing what she just said. Fugo was frozen still from when she had dried her hands on his jacket for a moment before he let out an enraged yell and threw it on the ground.

Trish then walked over to Aria and stopped to stare at her. The ruby-eyed girl was a bit anxious but maintained a kind smile. She stood straight with her hands clasped together while Trish looked her over. As if she were trying to analyse the other girl before her. She then took a step closer and cupped her face. "He said you're a mute. Is that true?" Trish asked. Aria nodded. Even opened her mouth but all she could get out was barely audible noises.

Trish looked over one more time before squishing her cheeks. "Well, you're cute enough. So I guess I'll let you be my friend. Come on." She said, taking Aria's hand and leading her away. Much to the other girl's surprise.'Oh....w-well, it's a step in the right direction. Right?' Aria thought.

As the group was departing from Capri, Giorno privately thinks this was his best chance at getting closer to the Boss of this whole organisation and one step closer to achieving his and Aria's dream. 'Protecting the daughter of the Boss, huh? One minute we're hunting the bastard down, and the next we're face to face with his flesh and blood. Still, it has to be done. If we really follow through on this, the Boss will give Bucciarati the same kind of trust he gave Polpo. But if we fail, our story won't end well. Everyone on board this ship is aware of that cruel reality.' Giorno thought to himself as he glances at his team. To his angelic violinist. She knew from the very beginning that going down this path, in taking this mission, would result in her death. But for the sake of her dreams and wishes for her home, as well as for the chance of finding her father, she was willing to take that risk. Just like the rest of them. Giorno felt a twinge of pride for her. He could see she was scared of it all, but she still stood strong and determined. His beloved had always been strong, but her death wasn't something he was EVER going to let happen. He was going to protect her, no matter who got in his way.

Meanwhile, sitting alone in his apartment, a man was sitting by the window as he held onto a struggling cat who was trying to get away from him. Hissing and growling all the while. "What's with you? Chill out, sweetie baby, I'm just trying to show you some love." He says. A beeping sound came from his computer and the screen lit up to reveal to him an online chatroom. A person by the name of Ghiaccio was initiating the discussion. "Hey, come on. Quit moving around so much, can't you see I'm to trying read these messages?" The man said as he looked at the screen. "At 9:25 this morning, officials at the prison in Naples were shocked to discover...that Polpo had shot himself dead?!" He exclaimed in disbelief at what Ghiaccio wrote. "Shit on a stick! I thought for sure Polpo would be the girl's guardian. If it's not him, who is it then? Who'd stick their neck out to look after that disappearing act Trish?" He wondered aloud.

Around different parts of the city, other operatives from the rogue group had received the same message and were curious as to who would be taking Polpo's place in guarding Trish now that he was dead. As well as wondering whether it was one person or a group and what kind of Stands they possess. "Well, I'd better get after it." The man said as he rose from his chair, taking the cat in his arms. Walking over to his desk. "Find them, eh? Who would be more capable of protecting her than Polpo? They'd definitely have to be a Capo, no one else would be assigned to such an important job. Them being a Stand user is also a no-brainer. The question is, who the hell checks all those boxes?" He asks himself as he turns to leave his apartment. All while leaving the cat...stuck fully inside a glass bottle on his desk.

Narancia let out a small huff as he placed a heavy shopping bag on the passenger seat. He let out a sigh, finally giving his arms a rest as he stood up straight. "Groceries, check." He says as he closes the car door. He turned around and gazed at his surroundings. Other than a few empty cars, the street he was on was pretty empty. "Surroundings, clear. Let's see." The purple-eyed youth reached into his pocket and pulled out a map and a pen. "So I'm supposed to go through here, make a turn there, end up back on this street and then head in the opposite direction." He says to himself as he used the pen to mark the locations, that Fugo had strictly laid on him, in which directions to take when heading back to their safe house. "Right. Nice." Confident that he got this in the bag, Narancia got into the car, turned up the radio and started driving. Grooving to the beat of the music as he glanced at the small red-clad figure on the keyring.

"Narancia, you listening?" Fugo questioned him. "That's a list of groceries from the group, along with everything else we need. And these, are the keys to the car." The group had taken the boat back to the mainland and once they were back on dry land, they made their way to the safe house. Located in the countryside. When they arrived, Trish went upstairs and shut herself in one of the rooms. The group had barely any time to discuss what to do next when a figure stepped out from the kitchen. Mista's eyes widened and immediately called her out, recognising her as the one who helped him out against Sale. Giorno recognised her as well, so he was surprised to find her out here. Fia froze at their sudden arrival as Abbacchio and Fugo got on the defensive. Demanding to know who she was and what she was doing at their hideout.

Things had almost gotten physical when Aria looked past them and spotted the white-haired girl. She let out a soft gasp, rushing past the men and giving the other girl a big hug. Squeezing her tight as the Fia returned her embrace. Aria then proceeded to explain to them that Fia is one of her closest friends as a member of her club back at school, mentioning she played the harp and was also a ballet dancer. However, Aria did ask what she was doing here as well. Fia glanced between her, Bucciarati, his group and lastly Mista. She flinched when she saw the sharpshooter and quickly looked away. Telling Aria that she would explain later but assured them she was working with them to keep Trish safe.

After that, things had settled down. With Mista and Aria vouching for her, the group decided to trust Fia. For now. While Trish was in her room, Bucciarati and Mista stayed upstairs to stand guard, Aria and Fia were in the kitchen preparing some food that the white-haired girl had brought in only moments ago, and Abbacchio, Giorno, Narancia and Fugo remained in the main foyer. Where Fugo gave Narancia a list of both Trish's requests as well as what they needed. "Now listen up, I have faith in you. This will be a walk in the park." Fugo strongly tells his childish teammate. Encouraging him that he will succeed in his little mission. Narancia was mostly standing there with dazed look on his face, but he was listening to Fugo's words. More or less. However, he was a bit suprised by the amount of trust Fugo was placing in him, but it gave him some confidence. He gave the golden blonde-haired teen a smile and a firm nod.

"One more thing." Fugo says. He walked over to the open door of their safe house and gazed out into the picturesque beauty of the countryside. "No one has the faintest idea our group is hiding out here. Not even the vetivers out front are aware of our presence. When you're done with the shopping, I want you retrace your path. Then do it again more times then you think necessary. Also, make a u-turn every once in a while. That way you'll know whether anyone's tailing you. After that, I want you to take the car I left for you in the parking lot. Then, and only then, do I want you to come home. No one should have any inkling that we're looking after the boss' daughter. But just in case someone does know what we're up to, this run around strategy should keep them off our trail. You understand? We need the things on the list, that much is still true. However, it's absolutely imperative that nobody finds our hide out."

"For crying out loud, I get it! I get it! Just leave everything to me." Narancia says, folding his arms behind his head with a confident smile on his face. But Fugo wasn't the type to outright believe everything Narancia says. So he shot him with a sceptical look. "Alright. Now repeat everything we've just discussed, start to finished."

Narancia's smile dropped as he looked at Fugo. "Huh? Well, uh... I buy all the stuff on the list. Then drive around and around in a field until-." He began to say before Fugo held up the car key and jabbed Narancia above his abdomen with it. Making the black-haired teen recoil in pain. "That's the wrong answer, quit screwing around and get serious! Now tell me what I said from the beginning!!" Fugo shouted, getting angry but not yet close to completely losing his shit.

"You told me to...drive around in an empty lot so I don't get dizzy-." Narancia said, completely getting the details of his mission wrong and earning another painful jab from the key, curtesy of Fugo and the two entered a glaring match.  "What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you seeing this, Abbacchio?! Tell him to stop stabbing me with the damn keys!" He shouted at the former officer. The older man just let out an annoyed sigh as he watched the two teen boys get into another argument.

"Whether you two man-babies want to keep playing with keys is your own business. As for me, I'm interested in Narancia's Stand. If we're being followed, he'll put an end to them before they know it. That's why Bucciarati gave him the task he did." Abbacchio explained. Although Fugo still had his reservations about Narancia being able to avoid being trailed, the dopey young man snatched the keys from Fugo and spun it around his finger as he made his way to the door. "Long story short; I need to get my ass back here without a soul knowing. No stalkers allowed!"

Which brings us back here. Narancia driving around to keep any potential stalker from following him back to the team's hideout. And away from Trish. After driving for some time, Narancia pulled the car over and stepped outside. Looking out into the open and vacant street. Everything seemed to be fine, however, for some reason, Narancia got a strange feeling that something wasn't right. It all felt too quiet. "Something's off. My eyes tell me I'm all by myself. But my gut says otherwise." Narancia says to himself. 'If that wasn't bad enough, this car Fugo got me is giving off some bad vibes too.'

An impatient sigh suddenly came from behind him and Narancia quickly turned around, but saw no one that could've made that sound. The street was completely empty. So who could've-?

"Come on now already. I'm dying to know. Where oh where could you be heading to Narancia?" A man voice asked. Narancia's eyes widened when he heard the source coming from...underneath the car? But how and why would there be someone underneath? He was watching the roads the whole time and there wasn't anyone in sight. But was it possible that someone had snucked in and hitched a ride while he was getting everything. Narancia kneeled down and looked under the car. "It came from here." He says. But oddly enough, there was no one.

Then a dark chuckle rang in and Narancia's heart skipped a beat when he realised that it was coming from above him now. He quickly got back on his feet and was shocked when he found an unknown man with a wicked smile sitting inside the car. He was a fair-skinned, gray-eyed, short gray-haired man with a buzzcut hairstyle of athletic build and average height. He wore a mesh green shirt with assorted arm warmers, over which he wears a leather orange jacket decorated with studs on the shoulders. He also wears a pair of dark red trousers and blue shoes. The man, let out a laugh at Narancia's expense before he became deadly serious. "Now like I said, where are you running off to, stranger? You keep looking behind you. Worried some big, bad boogeyman is following you or something?" He questioned.

Narancia, not liking this situation one bit, as well as getting a bad feeling from the man who had appeared out of nowhere, brought out his switchblade. He was quick on it because as soon as he flipped out the blade, he all but dove into the car and held the tip of knife against the man's neck. "Just who the hell do you think you are?!" He demanded. The man held up his hands in defence. "Whoa there! No need to act so scary. Is that how you treat someone asking you something? I didn't realise you'd be so rude. Answering a question with a question."

"Shut your face, freak! I want you out of this car, right now!" Narancoa shouted at him. However, the man was completely unfazed by Narancia's threats. He just let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck as if this whole thing was a major inconvenience for him. "This isn't getting us anywhere. You can call me Formaggio. I'm part of the Famiglia. You are aware that Polpo passed last night aren't you?" The man asked. Making Narancia freeze up. Tightening his grip on the switchblade. As the man continued to talk, the young teen was panicking within his thoughts. 

'Merda! Talk about bad news. I don't know how this guy found out about our mission, but he's on to us. Just great, I wonder if he's a Stand user.' The purple-eyed teen thought with worry.

"Narancia, this is the rudest welcome ever. What gives, amico? Where's Bucciarati and the rest of your playmates?" Formaggio asked him, resting his hand on his chin. Narancia took a moment to relax himself. He needs to be careful with this guy. He may not understand how he was able to get into the car without him noticing yet, but whether or not he was Stand user was more important. He has to calm down and not let him figure out his friends' location. He let out a scoff and said, "No clue, friend. How should I know where they are, I'm not their keeper. Did you check the restaurants around here?"

"This car you're using, it's a rental isn't it? And Bucciarati's the renter." Formaggio said, cutting him off. Silencing Narancia once more. "Why would you be in this car if you weren't aware of that? Well?" He spread a smug smirk.

"I-...I always drive around in his car, everyone knows that. I'm seventeen so I clearly don't have my own. That's why I'm borrowing his." Narancia tells him.

"Hmm. Oh yeah, did you hear the news? Polpo's colossal corpse is causing the mortician trouble cause he doesn't know how to torch the thing. There's no way to squeeze him out of the damn oven." Formaggio said, laughing to himself about the predicament of Polpo's corpse. He leaned over and got real close to Narancia's face with a wild look in his eyes. "Guess they'll just have to hack that fat calzone into tiny pieces! Hahahahaha!!" He laughed. Narancia was trying his best to play dumb against Formaggio's insistent questioning and falsely affable attitude, but he was seriously getting annoyed with him. Maybe he should just kill him right now. "You shut up!"

"What? Aren't you thinking the same thing?" Formaggio asked. Tilting his head to look over Narancia's shoulder. The young teen nearly jolted as he swiftly turned around. Panicking that there had another person with this freakshow. However, when he did, he was greeted by the empty street. Which greatly confused Narancia. "Huh? Wh-what? Who are you talking to?" Narancia asked. With his back turned, Formaggio's body was engulfed in a turquoise-blue aura and his Stand appeared from behind him. It has a humanoid appearance with mostly robotic features. It has dark rubbery segments covering its neck, upper arms, wrists, and torso, while its head and shoulders are armored. Bolts of varying size cover its body. Most of its fingers are normal with pronounced knuckles, while its index finger is that of a sharp, slightly curved blade and much longer than the others. Its face has two bulbous eyes with massive pupils (lacking irises), no visible nose, pronounced cheekbones, and a large rectangular frown with a flat panel of vertical lines representing teeth. It's primarily metallic dark blue, dusty blue, and green eyes with a green index finger.

The rogue assassin had his Stand to go quickly on the attack and used its long sharp index fingure to claw Narancia's face. The sudden attack took Narancia off guard, causing him to drop his knife and stumble backwards, falling to the street and clutching his wounded cheek. Formaggio rolled down the window and laughed at him. "Wow! Haha, you totally fell for it! You're such a disappointment. Say Narancia, answer something for me. Why are you fools nowhere to be seen while a Capo's being laid to rest?" He asked while ignoring Narancia's threats as he laid rolling on the ground. "Get to snitching already. I don't have all day to follow your ass around. When I'm finished, kid, you won't have a secret left."

"Eat shit..!" Narancia growled in a low tone. He sat up, still holding his wounded face as the air around him began to shift. "Better yet... Drop dead!!" Angry, Narancia's body flared up in a crimson energy as he unleashes his own Stand. Flying high above him. It has the shape of a toy fighter jet, coloured in red, silver and gold, piloted by a very small pilot inside. The plane itself  is propeller monoplane fighter in a tractor configuration (the propeller situated at the front), given features resembling eyes and a mouth. Its wheels are retracted under the fuselage and its weaponry includes two machine guns under the wings and a single bomb attached under the fuselage. Formaggio was taken aback by the Stand and quickly rolled back up the window as he stared at the miniature plane. "What is that thing?!"

"Li'l Bomber!" Narancia shouted. The fighter jet obeyed his command and prepared for combat. Flying towards the car. Formaggio stared at both Stand and Master with wide eyes. Quickly realising that this could be a very deadly fight, especially with that thing Narancia's controlling. "So he's a Stand user..! Get him Tiny Feet!" Formaggio's Stand appeared and tried to attack. Slashing it with its finger, but the plane was quick on the evasive and flew out of its reach. Flying in the air before circling back. Opening fire, blasting everywhere inside the car. Formaggio let out a scream as he ducked for cover behind the passenger seat. While Li'l Bomber was blasing away, Narancia got back up and began kicking the car in anger. Creating sizable dents.

"Damn you!! Look at what you did to me, bastardo! I'm bleeding! How dare you hurt me?! I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you!!!" Narancia screamed.

Li'l Bomber ceasefire for a moment as it flew inside the car. Positioning itself directly in front of Formaggio's panicked face. 'Freaking hell, this guy's a psycho!' He shouted in his thoughts. Li'l Bomber opened fire with its machine guns. Formaggio pressed himself against the car's side door while Tiny Feet stood in front, rapidly deflecting the oncoming bullets. "Die, die, die, die!!" Narancia shouted.

"Damn, he doesn't quit!"

"I'll slaughter you!!" As if fuled by Narancia's rage alone, Li'l Bomber put more force into its machine guns and managed to bypass Tiny Feet's defensive and strike Formaggio in the shoulder. 'This crazy kid's completely blown a gasket. He's shooting everything in sight like a madman and I'm stuck inside this tin can with nowhere to hide! Staying in this car is gonna do me in!' Formaggio thought. Understanding how powerful yet imprecise the plane is and that he was at a disadvantage in a cramped space. Li'l Bomber stopped its assault and flew out of the car. Only to circle back and, literally, dropping a bomb on Formaggio.

"That's...a bomb?!"

"Blow him away, Li'l Bomber!!" Narancia shouted giving one more kick at the car just as the bomb made contact while Formaggio reached for the car door, attempting to escape. An explosion ruptured everything inside the car, leaving behind a trail of smoke. "How do you like that?! Did it feel good?! You pile of ash, shit?!" Narancia shouted, still kicking the car in anger. His excessive kicking knocks his right shoe off. He finally stops when kicked at the car with his unprotected foot and he hissed in pain. Throwing a punch at the car window. "Damn it, did we get him?!" Narancia went over and peeked inside the car, hoping to find a burnt up body, but was shocked when he saw Formaggio wasn't inside anymore.

"What? Where'd he go? Did the blast knock him into the stratosphere? No, but there's not a piece of him left. Where'd he go?" Narancia questioned as he opened to car to see what was going on. He unleashed a powerful bomb on him, how the hell could anyone disappear after that Meanwhile, Formaggio was smiling to himself as he watched the teen searched for him. Right ontop of the car.

'You're so oblivious, kid. I'm right under your nose. I can microphy myself, that's my very secret weapon!' Formaggio thought with a smirk. 'My Stand's is called Tiny Feet and all the other guys said it wasn't worth anything. They can talk shit till they're blue in the face, but personal talent is all about how you use it.'

"What the hell?! I don't see him anywhere!" While Naranica circles around the car, Formaggio, now small enough to fit into someone's palm, sneakily jumps down grabs onto the teen. Hiding away in his pocket. "This is ridiculous, how did he just disappear?!" Narancia questioned, opening the passenger door. "Is he here? Augh, the same damn thing happened when he first showed up in the car."

"You can look around to your heart's content. I'm gonna buy some time while you parade around looking like a fool." Formaggio says with a small smirk. That's when he noticed the women's items that Narancia had bought in the car. "Huh? It's a chick. What do you know, the bastard's buying stuff for a chick. He's got nylons and lipstick in there. There's even some designer blush. Who's all this shit for? This cagacazzo's mom? His big sis? No way. Women are super picky about stuff like this. They buy their own makeup and clothes. The only chick who'd entrust a guy with this kind of thing, is one who thinks they'd be in mortal danger if they went outside! This all stinks to high heaven, it's looking like my instincts were spot on after all. The ones who were chosen to protect the boss' daughter are Bucciarati and his backscratchers, it has to be them!"

Formaggio vowed to find their hiding place and, to his delight, Narancia is going to show him how. His powers should start kicking in any second. While Narancia was still searching for him, he was unaware that his body had shrunk down, but not to the point where it was easily noticeable. Although he declared that he would find and kill Formaggio and get back to base, with Narancia shrinking at a slow pace, he will soon be at a huge disadvantage.

Chapter Text

Due to the loud explosion created by Li'l Bomber, several people came outside and inspected what exactly happened. A few were a bit scared as it was a very quiet town so to suddenly hear a bomb going off in the middle of the day set off some alarm bells in their heads. Seeing that ordinary people were now beginning to gather, Narancia quickly calmed himself and called back his Stand. "We better retreat, for now, Li'l Bomber." Narancia says. As the small jet was coming back to its Master, Narancia uniquely spread his arms horizontally and made the Stand land on them like a plane landing on a runway. The jet disappeared in a puff of smoke. Now that his Stand was called back, Narancia held his stinging cheek and placed his foot back in its shoe. But has yet to notice that it was much bigger.

'I know that cazzone's hiding somewhere nearby, but I got to focus on getting out of here. It's not gonna be pretty if I bring out my Stand with all these people hanging around.' Narancia thought to himself. He moved his hand a bit cheek on the cut but was surprised that it had stopped bleeding. But so quickly? It was flowing before when Formaggio's Stand slashed at him. "What the-? How'd my face stop bleeding? I could've sworn he got me pretty deep." Narancia says in shock. He then glanced down at the pocket knife he had dropped earlier. Only that it was much bigger. Narancia squatted down and picked up the sword-sized blade. "What...? Where the hell did this come from? It's too big to be mine. This behemoth is practically a machete. Gotta focus, now where'd my knife go?"

Narachia stood up and started to walk around the car, looking for both the assassin and his pocket knife, however, because of the large shoe he was wearing, he nearly collapsed to the ground. Narancia's eyes widened at the enormous size of his shoe and quickly sat down inside the car to see what was going on. Not just with his items, but with what was happening around him. "There's no way these clown shoes could be mine! They're freaking gigantic! Come on, first my knife, now my shoes?!" Narancia exclaimed. His eyes trailed over to the car seat and slowly the panic was getting to him as he noticed that, even though he was sitting down, it was two heads taller than him. "Wait a second....there's something strange about this seat." Narancia said. He turned over to the steering wheel and, with shaking hands, tried to hold on to it, but he was just out of reach. "And this steering wheel. M-...my arms don't reach. I can't touch the pedal. And the seat is crazy big. I can't even see over the dashboard in this damn thing!" Narancia shouted. He jumped out of the car and began frantically looking around for the real car.

"This is some bullshit! Where'd my freaking car go?! I was just sitting in it, so how in the world did it vanish without a trace?! I'm totally stuck here without those wheels, damn it!!" Narancia shouted. Completely oblivious to what was happening. He was still unaware of Formaggio relaxing inside his pocket. He looked up at Narancia with an amused yet mocking look on his face. "You're a special kind of stupid, kid. You're too dense to realise your whole body is shrinking, meaning my powers have kicked in. Looks to me like that little scratch I gave you did the trick."

Narancia suddenly broke into a cold sweat. Glancing down at the knife and shoe in his hands, taking a good look at the items. His eyes steadily widened as the realisation hit him. "Wait. What if these shoes and this knife are mine? That would mean I'm-." The purple-eyed young man said as, this time, felt his body shrinking and let out a gasp. However, this did not help him. Even if he knew now what was happening to him, the effect had already taken place. And Formaggio knew it. "So it finally dawned on your dumbass. Your ship has sailed. Good luck driving away from this fight with that body, jailbait."

"Well, at least now I know how that stalker guy's powers work." Narancia says to himself as he looks down at his body.

"You are about to tell me where the Boss' daughter is hiding. Let the pissing contest begin. Hope you're ready to spill your guts, kid." Formaggio said with a cocky smirk.

Meanwhile, back at the hiding place.

Fia casually stood by one of the open windows of the kitchen. Her eyes were closed and folded her hands behind her back. She remained silent as she listened and watched in all four directions of their hideout. Listening and looking out for even the smallest changes in the area. Upon coming to the hideout with the others, Fia was put in charge of sweeping around the area, as her Stand was capable of overseeing everything around her at a 50-meter range. With her Stand special ability, if someone other than her group was in the area, it would quickly attack and deal with them. However, Fia was careful to not harm those who might be innocent civilians. Fia checked in the surrounds every 30 minutes or so. She soon opened her eyes, nothing was out of the ordinary and they were safe. For now.

Fia's eyes glanced over to Aria. She was standing by the counter, making the finishing touches on the sandwiches they had made for the group, plus a fruit salad for Trish. They weren't sure how long they would be in the house so it was important not to make/leave too many things in case they would have to evacuate in a hurry. Fia walked over to her friend and the mute girl turned her head to her. Fia stopped when she saw the confusion, worry and hurt in her eyes. Fia felt her heart twinge in guilt, wondering how she could earn her trust and forgiveness. Fia had her reasons for joining Passione, and she could easily guess why Aria had as well. Aria was a kind soul, Fia knew that she only kept secrets when it was necessary and, seeing it as pure luck that she met and was recruited by Bucciarati, Aria would've told them the truth once she had the opportunity. But the difference was that Fia had been involved with Passione a bit longer, and she kept silent. And only now was Aria finding out.

Fia clasped her hands together as she stepped up to talk with her. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way." She sighed. "I didn't want to keep this from you, but we thought it was safer if you didn't know."

Aria's eyes widened at her. "'We'? What do you mean by 'we'? Who else is a part of this?" She signed. Fia lightly flinched. She gripped at the ends of her dress, hesitating to continue. She didn't mean to let that slip, but it was already too late. Fia lowered her gaze and told her the truth: All of Aria's friends were involved with Passione.

Aria stumbled back in shock, Fia reacted by holding up her hands, intending to catch her if she fell over but Aria gripped the table behind her as she realised that all of her closest friends had been a part of Passione and not once informed her about it. While she could understand the obvious as to why they wouldn't, no sane person would just come out and proclaim to the world that they're in the mafia, but... But to learn that all of them had been doing this for quite a while...enough for them to know what was going on and find them here? She had no idea about any of this. She looked back at Fia with a hurt expression. Aria's hands trembled. "All of them?" She signed, her movements sharp and frantic. "Everyone? You're all a part of this? Why have none of you told me? And....safer for who?"

Fia sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Safer for you. Passione is a dangerous gang, Aria. And you know why. We've all gained these abilities called Stands the same way these young men had. Our shared dream and your happiness were the main reasons why we decided to enter this little "family"."

Aria's expression softened a bit, but the hurt was still there. She signed slowly, "Why didn't you trust me? Was it...was it her idea? Did she not believe-?"

Fia shook her head and walked over to hold Aria's hands. "Of course, I trust you. All of us did, and we always will. And...yes. It was her idea to not tell you. We know you would never tell another living soul about this if we had... But this... This wasn't about trust. This is different. We're just trying to protect you. She understood your dream better than everyone, and we decided to shoulder this burden so you didn't have to." Fia took a deep breath. "We should have told you," She said, her eyes pleading for understanding. "But we were afraid. We didn't want to drag you into this life, and we didn't know how to explain it without you hating us."

Aria's eyes softened slightly at the white-haired girl. She thought back to what Giorno said. How he had kept his distance just so he could keep her safe. Everything he said had been sweet and genuine. Giorno knew exactly what the risks were yet he still went ahead and joined Passione anyway. Like her. This was no different. Aria nodded and signed, "Fia, there's nothing that can make me hate you. And I understand. If I had made this decision much sooner, I probably would've kept it a secret for you as well. But now we're all in it. We have to face it together."

Fia spread a ghost of a smile, relief mingling with her guilt. "Yes, together." There was a moment of silence between them, the air heavy with unspoken words. Finally, Aria outstretched her arms as she signed, "Let's just promise that there will be no more secrets between us."

The white-haired girl nodded in agreement. "Deal." Fia and Aria stepped forward and hugged one another. The warmth and familiarity of the hug reassured them both that their friendship was still strong, despite the dangerous life they were now a part of. As they pulled back, they smiled at each other, reaffirming their friendship and making a solemn promise to protect and rely on one another.

"Um, should I give up on the mineral water or what?" Trish asked, stepping out of her room to speak with Bucciarati and Mista, who were out in the hall standing guard. "Just so you know, I'm dying of thirst over here. I might not be able to carry on under these conditions." She tells them as she steps back into her room.

"She has a point. We should probably break for lunch pretty soon. I mean, I'm not feeling the munchies, but these guys need the nourishment." Mista says as he opens his revolver's cylinder, and his Stand immediately starts demanding some food. Bucciarati made a small "hmph" sound as he checked his watch. He was starting to feel a bit uneasy. Narancia has been gone for a while now. What was keeping him?

"Mr. Bucciarati." The former and Mista nearly jumped out of their skins and quickly spun around, startled by the sudden appearance of Fia. Unearved that she was able to walk up the stairs and stand behind them without so much as making a sound. Bucciarati quickly regained his composure and addressed her, his tone calm but authoritative. "Fia, what is it?" He asked, eyeing the burner phone in her hand.

Fia's cold, emotionless expression didn't waver. She flipped the phone open and began pressing several numbers. "She's waiting to speak with you." She told him. Bucciarati nearly flinched when she handed him the phone. The number showcased on the screen immediately told him exactly who would be waiting in the other line. "....Yes. Thank you very much." Bucciarati said, trying to ignore the sense of dread. Fia nodded, giving him a gentle tap on his arm before going back downstairs. Bucciarati stared down at the phone in his hand and took in a deep breath. This moment would've come sooner or later, and the more he waited, the more pissed off she was going to be. They were right, he had to talk to her.

Back at the foyer, Aria left the kitchen and stepped into the main room, blinking in surprise. They were still waiting for Narancia? Oh dear, how long has he been gone? Has something happened to him? Was he caught up in some kind of trouble? Trembling, Aria shook her head to ease her anxiety. She couldn't think like that. Narancia was....probably lost. And he was making his way back to them. At least she hoped. Aria glanced up at the others and saw they were getting uneasy as well. Fugo was sitting in front of the staircase with his back facing the door, Abbacchio was sitting at the edge of the steps, Giorno was standing by just above him, and Fia was sitting at the top of the second floor. Seemingly resting.

Aria thought about playing her violin to help ease the tension in the air, but she knew that was out of the question. So instead, she walked up the steps and sat on the stair landing. She clasps her hands together and sends a silent prayer for Narancia's safe return. But her mind raced with worry for Narancia. The silence was only broken by the occasional creak of the house. Giorno glanced at her and moved up the steps to stand at her side. He leaned down and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's been too long, don'tcha think?" Giorno asked the others.

"It's as I thought. This just proves that he shouldn't have been the one to go." Fugo said.

"You're still on about that? Get over it." Abbacchio said in annoyance.

"I will NOT get over it! I told you this would-!" Fugo began to shout, feeling his anger bubbling up inside him. However, he managed to keep it together and slump back down in his chair. "Sorry..! I-I didn't mean to snap at you." Fugo was sincere in his apology, but the tension about Narancia's long absence was still there. He hunched over his seat as he began nervously scratching at his knuckles. This made Giorno and Aria stare at him in a mixture of worry and confusion. Something about this didn't seem...normal. However, Abbacchio wasn't in the least bit bothered by it and remained calm. From above, Fia narrowed her eyes at him. She had only heard bits and pieces about Fugo, but she gathered enough to understand. His infamous temper was one thing, but for everyone's sake, she hoped Fugo didn't have to unleash that...thing he calls a Stand.

Back with Narancia,

"Anything Tiny Feet slices shrink into oblivion." Formaggio says as he gazes up at Narancia's helplessness. The young man understands that he is slowly shrinking, but he can't do anything to stop it. His best bet was finding the bastard who caused all this, but he had no idea where was. "I'll admit, it takes a little bit to get started but you can't argue with the results." Narancia felt his body getting smaller and smaller with each passing second and when he took a small step back, he slipped against the stoned pavement and fell over. "That getup and bandana you're sporting are shrinking along with you. The dwindling dimension of your shoe and knife halted the moment they left your body. Put it into dead man's terms, your entire world is outgrowing you at an alarming rate."

Narancia groaned in pain as he sat up. He looked down at his body and the knife behind him. He doesn't know just how far his body will shrink down, but he does know that if he doesn't figure something out soon he'll be in major trouble once Formaggio shows himself again. He looked around and saw a building nearby with a public use of telephones. "Yeah, that's it! I've got to contact Bucciarati." Narancia said as he rushed towards the building. Hoping to get in contact with the rest of the team. Once they hear of this, they'll be able to strategise a plan and waste this piece of-!

*SMACK!*

Narancia fell backwards after he ran right into the closed glass doors, landing hard on the ground as he held onto a nearby pole. He stared up at the doors with wide, confused eyes. "Ow!! What the heck is going on with this door?!" He angrily questioned as his body shrunk down even further. "Just great..! I'm still getting smaller." He looked up at the doors and saw that they were automatic, they were made so that when you stepped on the mat you were allowed to enter-! Narancia let out a small gasp. "That must be it. I'm so light, the mechanism that opens the door won't work."

"Esattamente, ya blockhead." Formaggio said with a smirk.

"Still!"

"Huh?"

"If I want some help, I got to get myself to that phone before I shrink down to nothing! Now here we go!!" Narancia shouted as he rushed for the doors again, this time he jumped high in the air, aiming to use the momentum combined with his current full weight to get the mechanism to work. He landed as hard as he could on the mat and just as he hoped, the door steadily began to open. "And that's the way you open a door!" Now that the doors were open, Narancia stood up and quickly went inside. Or at least, he tried to. As soon as he did, the mechanism set back into place and closed the doors, slamming against Narancia and trapping him in place. "Oh come on! Give me a break!" He strained out.

'Talk about a waste of effort.' Formaggio thought to himself. He was worried for a second, but it appeared that things were going exactly as he wanted them to. 'Guess it still hasn't dawned on you that your wallet and clothes have also been shrinking along with you. And you can't make a phone call without a phone card or some coins! Good luck phoning your friends with that pint-sized pocket change!' 

Naracnia struggled to break free from the glass door, he could barely breathe and he was wasting valuable time just standing there! He banged at the door and kicked his legs but nothing made so much as a dent. He pressed his hands against the glass and tried to squeeze through but it didn't work either. He snapped his head and let out a scream. In an instant, Lil' Bomber appeared and fired its machine guns, blasting the doors to pieces. Effectively freeing Narancia and shooting one of the payphones, aiming for the lower part of the machine and gaining all the coins collected over the many uses from it. With that done, Narancia resumed his urgency and ran towards the phones. His body had shrunken considerably now, standing at 62.5cm (roughly about (2.05 ft)).

'So he had some brains in there after all.' Formaggio thought bitterly. Narancia may have been small, but he was able to climb up to one of the phones. He jumped across to the one he shot and picked up the receiver, quickly gathering up some of the coins. "I'm gonna be in some deep shit if his buddies find out how I operate. And if Bucciarati gets wind of my powers, he'll just hide the bitch somewhere else! It'll be the ultimate disaster! I have to act fast!"

Narancia put the coins in and was about to make the call. Fortunately for him, he had the number written on his hand. However, he never got the chance because he glanced down at the phone and saw that the wire had been cut. Not just that but all of the phones had been cut. Gritting his teeth in anger, Narancia slammed the useless phone down. "I have had enough! I know you're around here somewhere! Are you over here?! Or down here maybe?! Show yourself!" He shouted as he began searching around for any sign of that grey-haired punk!

'Que Bello. You've got two to three minutes before you're the size of a cockroach.' Formaggio thought while Narancia searched around hurling insults at him. He stopped mid-rant as his body shrunk again. Currently leaving him at 58.0cm (1.9 ft). 'Soon your Stand will be as tragically weak as it is small. Then I'll really have some fun torturing you! I can already taste victory.' The grey-haired man smirked to himself. He was still safely hidden away inside Narancia's back pocket. He just needed to wait a few more minutes until he was small just enough for him to easily kill him. But not before figuring out where they were hiding the Boss' daughter. Just then, Formaggio got a creepy chill. He glanced over and saw Lil' Bomber flying just above him. Almost...a little too close to him. Getting a bad feeling, Formaggio quickly ducked deep inside to the bottom of Narancia's pocket, escaping from Lil' Bomber's sight line.

"It's unfortunate, but really, he can't find me but I still need to wait." He says. He reached into his leather jacket and pulled out a pen. He was thinking back on his plan when his heart stopped as he heard Narancia speak up.

"I've figured it out, dick! You're hiding in my back pocket!" Formaggio let out a surprised yell as Narancia suddenly reached in and grabbed him. Yanking him out of his hiding spot and holding him up. Seeing the size difference, Narancia was very easily tempted to just crush him there and now. "You sneaking bastard. So your power is shrinking things down and you were hiding in my pocket this whole time. Freaking A, figures that your powers have match your puny personality."

'What the hell's going on?! How'd he figure out I was in his pocket?!' Formaggio thought, staring at Narancia with wide eyes.

"Lil' Bomber! Massacre this runt!" Narancia ordered as he held up Formaggio for his Stand to fly in. Positioning itself to get a clear shot of him.

"Time...to turn back!" Formaggio said as he held up the pen in his hand. Lil' Bombeer fired its machine guns directly at the rogue assassin in Narancia's grasp, shooting him down in a burst of gunfire and a cloud of smoke. But instead of holding a dead man in his hand, Narancia's eyes widened in shock as he stared at his palm.

"What the-?! A ballpoint pen?!" He yelled out as he stared at a half-broken pen stabbed into his hand and Formaggio was nowhere in sight. Narancia grits his teeth in pain as the pen falls out, and his body shrinks down more, leaving him standing at 53.0 cm (1ft 8.87in). "You bastard! Where'd you go and what the hell did you just do?!" Narancia yelled, searching around for Formaggio. Believing that he couldn't have gone far. He jumped down from the broken phones and ran back outside. "You listening?! Quit the stalker shit and fight me fair and square!"

While Narancia was shouting and looking for Formaggio, the assassin himself was hiding behind a traffic sign on a pole just across from him. He was beginning to sweat, breathing heavily as he watched the gangly young man from a safe distance. "Shit, that was close. It takes a lot of energy to do it, so whenever Tiny Feet has to shrink other than myself, I need time on my side. Returning things like that pen to their original size is another story entirely. The instantaneous propulsion that created catapulted me up and out of his hands and way over to here." Formaggio stated. "That said, how did the kid know I was there at all? Guess it's possible I could've been moving around too much and tipped him off."

Formaggio wasn't sure how Narancia managed to find him, but for now, he had to make sure he stayed out of sight until he came up with another plan. However, before he could even think of how to get out of this, Formaggio felt a cold chill run down his spine as he slowly glanced behind him. To his shock, he saw Lil' Bomber flying above him. And it was locked onto him. "Th-...there's no way! He couldn't have possibly seen me so how the hell did he figure it out?!" Lil' Bomber unleashed a barrage of bullets, breaking off half of the traffic sign and just barely missing Formaggio as he fell from the damaged sign. He let out a scream as he fell back towards the ground, managing to land safely on his feet. Unfortunately for him, it caught Narancia's eye.

"There you are!" He shouted. "You're not getting away, Stalker Boy!" Lil' Bomber flew after Formaggio as he began to make a break for it, keeping him in its sight as it prepared for another assault. And he knew if he tripped or didn't find a way to save himself soon, Formaggio would be a dead man.

"I'm a goner!" Formaggio screamed as he desperately tried to avoid the rapid gunfire. He screamed as a few of those bullets hit dangerously close to him as he ducked for cover underneath a car. He had lost his footing during the scuffle and when he hit the floor, one of Lil' Bomber's bullets had hit in the leg. But Lil' Bomber wasn't done with him yet, seeing he was down, it flew under the car and prepared to finish him off. "Shit..! Screw this!! Tiny Feet!" Formaggio called out. His Stand appeared and unleashed two of its sharp blades on its fingers, slicing a large X-shaped cut onto the tyre with Formaggio jumping right in front of it. Under the effect of Tiny Feet's ability, the tyre burst open, shrinking down and the air within it launched Formaggio across the air. Lil' Bomber up, down and around the car, but it couldn't find trace of him. He had escaped again.

"Where'd that asshole go?" Narancia questioned. "We're not done!" As Lil' Bomber began circling the area, searching for the assassin, Formaggio breathed heavily as he hung on tightly to the metal grate. The excess air from the tyre had flown him across the air and now he was left hanging high above a sewer system.

"That was way too close for comfort. If it hadn't been for that tyre pressure, I'd probably be a dead man right now..!" Formaggio said. "At least he won't be able to find me down-." At this point, Formaggio believed that he was somehow cursed with bad luck because just as he thought he could have time to catch his breath, he heard the distinct sound of a plane engine above him. "No freaking way...! His Stand doesn't just blast shit to bits, it has another ability!" Seeing that he didn't want to have another experience escaping rapid gunfire, Formaggio didn't have a choice but to let go and cling to a small gap between the walls under the grate. 'Somehow it's finding my location and tracking my every move!' He thought to himself as he watched the plane go by. 'There's no other way..! He has to be using something more than...just moving or sound detection. Otherwise, how would he have known that I was hiding out in his pocket or that I used that blast of air?'

Sounds of small squeaks and wet slurps caught his attention and Formaggio snapped his head towards a small colony of rats inside a sewer drain eating small spiders while the larger, mother spider was up in the corner. Seeing them put Formaggio on edge, and then one of the rats let out a loud, aggressive hiss.

That was enough.

"Well, lookie here, you were hiding in the drain!!" Narancia shouted, sending Lil' Bomber straight towards the sewer grate. Formaggio held back a scream as his eyes widened in fear. Lil' Bomber fired up its machine guns, shooting up the grate to bits and causing Formaggio to fall deeper into the sewer and into the water below. As Formaggio's back hit the bottom, he opened his eyes and panicked when he saw the plane was right above him. "Seriously?! He can still find me even when I'm underwater like this?!" Formaggio exclaimed. Lil' Bomber fired again.

"Go, Tiny Feet!" The assassin's Stand reappeared and protected its user. Although it has mediocre physical capability, Tiny Feet's ability was still useful enough to cut at the rapid-fire bullets and make them small enough so that they wouldn't kill Formaggio. 'Damn it! Think, think, think, think, think!! This can't be happening! Not like this!!' He screamed in his thoughts as he began to weigh his options. He can't afford to die here! There was a mission he and his team needed to complete and he wasn't going to let Narancia, Bucciarati or anyone get in the way!!

Chapter Text

The Hitman Team consists of nine members. Formaggio has counted among their numbers. This was something that happened two years ago in Naples. Something that shook the Hitman Team to their core, and how fueled their desire for both revenge and the goal to overthrow The Boss. It was all normal at the time. Formaggio was in the bathroom in one of the stalls as he held up his hand. Resting in the palm of his hand was a car and using Tiny Feet's ability, shrunk so small, it was about the same size as a grain of salt. Formaggio tucked his hands into his pocket and left the bathroom of the fancy restaurant where he and a few members of his team were currently gathered.

As Formaggio walked past the other dining patrons, he stopped for a moment. Pretending to look into a wine cabinet while he looks back towards one specific man across from where he stands. "I'll be addressing waste management at the meeting." The man says to his wife.

"During parliament?" She asked.

"Yes. I'll make the minister of the environment choose the best option, just like always." He says with confidence.

"I just worry you may be working too hard." She said, worried about his health. As they spoke, Formaggio casually walked past their table and with quick, subtle movements, dropped the tiny car into the man's wineglass. Formaggio smiles to himself as the mission is a resounding success, walking away as the man drinks his poison. "Don't you think you've had enough to drink this evening?" He heard the woman ask as he rejoined his team in the other room.

"What the hell is with you, Pesci?  Are you really back to drinking milk? " Formaggio asked.

"Yeah, cut me some slack. I don't want to drink it, but espresso always makes my tummy all rumbly." Pesci says as he hangs his head in shame before he gulps down his glass of milk. Pesci was a man with fair skin, was of average to athletic build, being of under average height, his most prominent feature being his lack of any chin, more than likely caused by Klippel Feil syndrome, a rare bone disorder. His hair is shaved, save for several green locks at the top of his head. Pesci also has cauliflower ears. Pesci wears a black jumpsuit with pink hearts and purple fishing hook motifs, complete with assorted arm warmers and shoes. Over that, he wears a sleeveless long tan coat decorated with brown fur.

"Really?" Questioned another member, giving him a cold glare. "And you wonder why I refer to you as Mammone. You know, you sipping on milk like some lame-ass suckling doesn't exactly do much for our reputation. Why do you think we even brought you along with us in the first place? Cut it out and get your shit together." This man was Prosciutto, and he was one of the more ruthless assassins of the team. Prosciutto was a man with fair skin, was of slim build, dark blue eyes, and had short blond hair, keeping it braided into four short mats at the back of his head and his lower eyelashes were thicker than average. Prosciutto wears a dark grey two-piece suit with a spiderweb-like motif running along it, under which he wears a bright yellow shirt. Prosciutto keeps a dark collar and a large stylized brown pendant hung by a purple lace around his neck.

Pesci was intimidated by Prosciutto's menacing look of severity and trembled at the sight. "Aaugh...! Will do..!"

Prosciutto glared at him for a moment before turning his attention towards Formaggio as he took his seat. "So Formaggio, how are things going?" Formaggio answered with a small smug grin as he whipped out a key and threw it at Pesci's glass, leaving it hanging on the edge. The sudden action caused the green-haired man to recoil back.

"There, Pesci. Just consider it a gift, from me to you." He said.

"Then things are moving smoothly?" Prosciutto asked.

"You bet your ass." Formaggio responded. "The job is as good as done. We can just sit back and enjoy the show. Now let's get the hell out of here and go watch some calcio."

Eventually, the target and his wife finished their meal and went to the front after paying. The man gave the host his compliments before leaving, with the host bowing in gratitude and suggesting that they visit again soon. All while the Hitman Team watched them closely. One of them...a little bit more so. As the woman leaves the restaurant, this one stares intensely at her long, smooth legs and feet and the sight of them sends shivers of ecstasy down his spine. He openly licked his lips in delight, smiling to himself as his teammates stared at him with pure disgust and were visibly disturbed.

This man was an expert in setting traps in executing his targets among the team. His name was Melone and he was a young man of athletic build and average height. He has blue-green eyes and keeps his long, lavender, straight hair descending to his shoulder. He wears a dark suit with a concentric circle motif, lacking the right sleeve and a large part of the right side. Melone also wears matching gloves and shoes and a transparent mask covering his right eye. Over his trousers, Melone sports two decorative chains at the shins' level in each leg.

Formaggio suppressed a creepy chill and quickly ignored that, turning back to the others. "Right. How about we finish this?" He says as he brings forth Tiny Feet and undoes its ability. The couple were only a few feet away from the restaurant before the man doubled over in agonising pain, clutching his stomach as his wife watched in worry. She thought about calling for an ambulance but then the man began to scream. Screaming in both pain and horror as he felt like something was growing inside his body. And it kept on growing and growing, his stomach expanded like a balloon...until it popped. The upper half of the man's body was practically blown into bloody chunks as the car returned to its normal size. His wife was in stunned horror as she watched the scene with wide eyes. She could barely even let out a scream before the car landed on top of her, killing her instantly.

People began to gather around, wondering aloud what had even happened as they saw the carnage before them. A taxi cab came driving down from around the corner and stopped when he saw the car, believing it was placed there by someone looking for an easy place to park. So he honked the horn and yelled at the supposed driver. "Hey, you can't park your ass here, get out of the way!" The cab driver shouted, sticking his head out the window, preparing for a confrontation. But he froze when he saw the gruesomeness from underneath the car. "Is that... blood seeping out from under the car?"

"Come on. Time to bounce." Formaggio said. Now that the deed was done, there was no reason for them to stick around anymore, so they got up to leave.

"Yeah." Prosciutto said, ready to go when they saw Pesci staring out at the brutal massacre. He was shaking in fear, pale as a ghost and sweating buckets. He looked completely terrified at what he had been forced to witness. "What's the matter, Pesci? Your leg's broken?"

With their assassination mission completed, the team gathered with the rest of their members at their base of operations to share their payment. Formaggio walked through the door of their meeting room with a laid-back grin as he jokingly said, "Honey, we're back." Waiting for them inside were three men, resting on luxurious green sofas and chairs. Two had looked up at them while one was zoned in on his laptop.

"How did it go?" Asked the more serious of the three. His name was Risotto Nero and he was the leader of the Hitman Team. A 28-year-old man of above-average height and possesses a tall and muscular build. He wears a black, hood-like headpiece from which hangs several small, metallic baubles, bearing letters that make up his name. This piece hides his hair; though his grey bangs almost reach his eyebrows. His eyes were red and his sclerae were completely black. Bare-chested, he wears a long, black, lapelless coat with straps crossing his chest in an X; and pants in thick horizontal stripes of black and white.

"Went perfectly, of course." Formaggio said with a smile. "Rat bastard's nothing but a bunch of smoke now."

"But you off the bitch who was tagging along. Don't forget." Prosciutto called out as he sat next to a man with multiple pigtails. While Formaggio claimed the mission went well, Prosciutto saw things differently. He believed that he had botched an assassination with an unneeded casualty.

"Hey now, looks like your good-for-nothing Stand's good for something after all." The other man said with a sneer. His name was Illuso. A man of above-average height and slim to medium build. He has red eyes and brown, past shoulder-length hair tied into six pigtails. His outfit is entirely quilted: a white jacket vest with a long-sleeved dark grey suit. With this outfit, he wears green dress shoes and cuffs on the sleeves. He also has on green circular knee and elbow pads with straps and a purple belt with a green square, metal buckle. Holes are cut into the outfit to reveal most of his abdomen and neck areas.

"Keep talking. If you don't like how I work, you do it." Formaggio shot back.

"Just between us, how much was this job, Melone?" Asked the final member. He looked up from his laptop as he addressed his teammate who sat down next to him. He was Ghiaccio. A man of below-average height and slim to medium build. His light blue hair clings to his head in a few large spirals, and he wears a pair of red thick-rimmed glasses. Ghiaccio also kept a blouse buttoned at the side of the chest and band-patterned trousers, with white leather fingerless gloves attached to his suit and wore a pair of red sneakers.

"20 million lira." Melone told him.

"Is that all it's worth?!?!" The spectacles-wearing man shouted in anger, nearly spitting everywhere. He was furious at the meagre chump change they got from that man.

"Ghiaccio." Risotto sternly said. "Take it easy, we'll talk finances later. We have more pressing matters. Where are Sorbet and Gelato?" He pointed over to the empty seat across from him. At this point, their other members should've already been here. So it made him wonder why neither wouldn't show up, let alone be so late.

"Do you think they're playing hooky?" Ghiaccio asked.

"Maybe they're making sweet, sweet love. Crazy kids, to be in love." Illuso said with a grin.

"Man, do you ever shut your mouth?" Formaggio questioned.

"I don't know, there's something strange here." Risotto says, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "Gelato is one thing, but Sorbet definitely likes his money. You can always count on that one to show up in time to claim his cut of the pie." His words struck something cold within the other members. They soon got a bad feeling about this just like he did.  There comes a time in the life of every established organisation when the workers finally rise and rebel against the leaders. And when smuggling drugs from Central Asia to Europe and the US can be done cheaply, profits can multiply by a hundred times more than the original price. Leading to the phenomenon of the emboldened risk-taker who attempts to seize a drug lord's territory, even at the cost of their own life.

The Hitman Team was one of these risk-takers, and Sorbet and Gelato were no different. They only received their money through payments for their assassinations and it frustrated them, to the point where they decided to look into The Boss' past. To see if they could use anything they could find as a weapon against him. With the disappearance of two of their members, the remaining seven members split up and spent some time searching for them, keeping contact through their laptops. Melone stayed with Risotto and Ghiaccio, exploring the local area. Later, they returned to their meeting place and Melone began communicating with the others. " Did you find them?"

"No, there's no sign of them anywhere."  Prosciutto said. He and Pesci were seated at a waterfront cafe where they stopped to take a break from their search. Pesci got a scared look as a thought came to his mind. "Then they must've been eliminated! That's what they get for trying to sniff out The Boss!"

"It's possible." Illuso said, typing at the airport. Chuckling to himself, he smirked as he wrote, "They're both lunatics.

"Polpo controls the gambling network." Ghiaccio pointed out as he sprang up from his seat. He felt his temper boiling in his veins. "Those goons handling the drugs are making a killing too. But us hitman team losers are getting nothing but chump change from The Boss! It's starting to get to me. There ain't a single person in the Famiglia better than us! We deserve way more respect around here!"

That's when the phone began to ring.

On the other end, Formaggio was standing in a kitchen, unsure how to think or react. The kitchen looked to be the site of a massive slaughter. Blood was all over the island, the floor and some on the cabinet and refrigerator. And that wasn't even the worst of what he found when he entered that house. He told him everything.

"So it was asphyxiation?"

"That's right. But only Gelato's been I.D.'d. We don't have Sorbet's body." Formaggio said as he turned around to see the corpse of his former teammate. He was sitting on the floor, bound by rope and gagged with a white cloth, and was resting on top of a large pool of blood. However, it wasn't his own. Formaggio's eyes widened in horror as he saw the look of absolute terror on Gelato's face with dried tear stains running down his cheeks. Based on what he could tell, Gelato choked to death with his own gag. Formaggio lowered his gaze and saw that a piece of paper was left on him. It had only one word.

"Punishment."

Several days later, a shipment of anonymous packages mysteriously arrived at the teams' doorstep.

"This is getting out of hand, who's sending these?" Ghiaccio asked as the men opened the many packages. "If I had a name, that'll be all she wrote."

"Looks like a frame. But this isn't a painting." Melone said. Taking a closer look, he noticed that the frames were too thick and that the "canvas" was formalin, a colourless solution of formaldehyde in water made for preservation.

"So is this some kind of modern art? I see something weird floating in them." Formaggio said. Everyone swiftly turned around when Pesci screamed and fell over, scooting away from one of the frames.

"Hm? What?" Prosciutto asked.

Pesci raised a shaky finger, pointing at the frame he had backed away from. "L-look inside the frame, that's the same coloured nail polish Sorbet always wears. I've seen it before. He and Gelato use the same shade!" A sinking feeling fell upon the group as they looked at the frame. Inside were two little pieces of fingers. And on the tips, they too saw the coloured nail polish.

"Get the frames off them and line them up." Risotto instructed. At his command, the group took the pieces out of the frames and began putting them together individually. Thirty-six works of art had arrived at the teams' hideout, and the more they lined up the pieces, the more terrifying the situation had become for them.

"This can't be real." Illuso said.

"It's a joke, it's got to be!!" Formaggio shouted, not wanting to believe what was happening. They lined up more and more pieces. Soon, the truth of what happened to Sorbet became crystal clear.

"I can't look any more!" Pesci wailed as he shut his eyes turning away from the brutality.

"Quit your crying!" Prosciutto shouted.

Again, they continued to line up more of the pieces.

"This is...!" Melone began.

By the time they were done, Formaggio's eyes had gone wide and he let out a bloodcurdling scream. This was Sorbet's punishment. Within those slabs of formalin, held the preserved sliced body of Sorbet. The slices formed a face contorted in terror. The face of a man who was tortured with a razor-sharp blade from head to toe. Formaggio quickly held a hand to his mouth, feeling his stomach twist and turn as he felt the urge to throw up at the sight. It was a way of sharpening and prolonging the pain and for the Hitman Team, it was a day of revelation.

"Hey, guys..." Illuso started. "You don't think Sorbet...was sliced up right in front of Gelato, do you?"

"Yeah, the fear and anguish must've made him... Well, let's just say he probably used the gag to suffocate himself!"

Without speaking a word, The Boss had made his message clear.

Sometime later, the Hitman Team had gathered their bodies and laid them to rest. As they buried their comrades, Risotto gave his team a fair warning. "Listen. From this moment on, the two of them never existed." The team knew and accepted that they were on thin ice. While everyone slowly left the funeral one by one, Risotto stayed behind a little longer. They knew that uncovering The Boss' identity was unequivocally off the table. And ever since then, they never tried to do something like this again.

That is... until the news of The Boss' daughter reached their ears.

Meanwhile, at the safe house,

While everyone was still guarding awaiting Narancia's return, Trish had asked Aria and Fia to come to her room as she was getting a little bored and she needed some other girls to talk to. With their help keeping everything under control, Bucciarati took this as an opportune moment to step into a secluded part of the house. His hand shook slightly as he pressed the call button on the burner phone Fia had given him. He took a deep breath, knowing that this conversation was inevitable and the woman on the other end would not be pleased. As the phone rang, he quickly rehearsed his explanation, trying to find the right words to justify his decision to recruit Aria.

After a few tense moments, the call was picked up. "Bruno." She greeted. The woman's voice was calm, but he could hear the restrained anger beneath her composed exterior. "It's about time I received word from you."

"Yes...," Bucciarati replied, trying to keep his voice steady. "I called... to explain about Aria." There was a brief pause, and he almost felt her anger simmering beneath the surface before she spoke again.

"This had better be a good explanation. You know full well how I feel about Aria being involved with Passione. I thought I clearly expressed that she should never have even known about them. Were you planning to keep this a secret from me?"

Bucciarati quickly responded. "No! No, of course not. There's no way I could've. Look, I know you're angry,"

"That's putting it mildly."

"But I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think it was necessary. I remember you telling me quite a bit about her and once I figured out who she was, it all made sense. She's a kind, adorable little girl who doesn't belong in this life." Bucciarati told her. "But... that girl? She's just recently obtained a Stand, and she's already proven to be brave and capable. Without fully realising her strength, she helped me in saving Abbacchio's life and she had multiple opportunities to leave. But she didn't. I believe she has great potential. She told me she wanted to make a difference in her home. Your home. And I have no doubt she'll aid us in accomplishing what we set out to do."

He was met with silence on the other end for a moment before he heard the woman letting out a sigh. A sound that carried both frustration and resignation. "I just wanted to protect her from this. She's already been through so much as it is." She said, her voice now just above a whisper.

"I know." Bucciarati said gently. "But circumstances changed. She joined Passione of her own free will, and I couldn't turn her away. I promise to guide her, to protect her with everything I have. We can discuss this further when we meet face-to-face."

Another long silence followed, filled with unspoken emotions. The woman sighed again and replied, sounding much calmer this time, "Alright. We'll talk more when we meet. Please, make sure she stays safe. I don't want to see her cry any more."

"I will." Bucciarati promised, feeling the weight of the conversation settle on him. "We'll talk soon."

There was a moment of light hesitation before they spoke again, almost in unison. "I love you." As the call ended, Bucciarati felt a heavy burden on his shoulders. He knew the meeting would be difficult, but he was determined to protect Aria while honouring his commitment to guard Trish from the rouge assassins. With a deep breath, he returned to his team, his resolve strengthened by the promise he had made.

Back at the battleground,

Formaggio struggled as he tried to avoid the continued onslaught that Lil' Bomber rained down on him. 'Like hell, I'm gonna die here like a common rat! The Boss and his sweet drug business is ours and no one's taking it away! We're not just giving up! We're gonna claw our way up to the top!!' He screamed in his thoughts as he tried to figure out how to get out of this predicament when the gunfire suddenly stopped completely. Formaggio looked up and saw that the two of the rats he'd seen before had been shot dead, slowly sinking to the bottom as blood pooled from their wounds.

'It's riddled with holes? But...why would he shoot that rat to death?' He wondered. Curious, Formaggio swam back to the surface. Taking a big helping of oxygen, he looked up to see Lil' Bomber still hovering around. However, oddly enough...it wasn't firing relentlessly at him as before so why-? Ah! Wait a minute... Could that be it?

"C-...could it be-?" Formaggio started to ask before he quickly covered his mouth, watching as his heart pounded in his ears as Lil' Bomber passed him by overhead. It didn't seem to know he was even there. Almost as if... It couldn't see him. 'Went the other way. It's trying to weed me out.' That's when another one of the rats made a noise and began running down the sewer drain. Immediately Lil's Bomber turned back around. 'Respiration! That's it! Narancia's Stand detects and follows its victims' respiration. It's the exact same way mosquitoes feed on the blood of their victims, by detecting the carbon dioxide they give off when they breathe! That has to be it. It's how he found me in his pocket too. And that must've been why he gave up the hunt back in the alleyway when all those onlookers started crawling out of the woodwork, he could've hit an innocent bystander. It was tracking my breathing from the start!'

On the surface, Narancia looks through a small mechanical radar that was levitated over his right eye. This was a part of Lil' Bomber's ability to see the location and size of sources as circular blips on the radar. Narancia spots one, in particular, near the upper right of the radar and he believes it was Formaggio. "There you are." He said. Lil' Bomber unleashed another burst of gunfire, shooting the rat. This confirmed Formaggio's theory.

"He shot again. It looks like he can't tell the difference between me and the rats down here. In that case," Formaggio climbed out of the water and ran down the side towards a sizable hole on the wall while covering his mouth so Narancia wouldn't catch him. He had planned to use the hole as a way to escape and somehow get around and gain the upper hand, but as soon as he turned to enter, he held back a yell and jumped back when he saw there was a massive swarm of rats. 'Look at these disgusting excuses of mammals.'

From above, Narancia's eyes widened as he now saw a heavy increase in carbon dioxide emissions appearing on his radar. "There's so many of them and their movements..." Narancia says to himself as he looks closer at the radar. He notices that all of them are going in the same direction. Curious, he had Lil' Bomber follow them but quickly realised exactly what he was looking at. "...Oh, I must be tracking a pack of rats!" Although Narancia could see the rats, he hadn't noticed that Formaggio was hitching a ride on one of them. With so many running around him, he knew he was safe. "They're going the same speed and moving the same way!"

"You're good kid, but now I know how your powers work. I didn't know how you were following me, but now that I do, you're about as worrisome as a pesky mosquito on a balmy summer night, Narancia!" Formaggio shouted. Once he saw Lil' Bomber flying past him he took this as his chance to fight back finally. He brought out Tiny Feet and had it attack the plane's left wing. Narancia grits his teeth in pain as a large gash appears on his shoulder.

"I win, Narancia! I'm getting out of here and waiting for you to shrink into oblivion where you belong!" Formaggio shouted. But his confidence was put on hold as Lil' Bomber suddenly positioned itself right in front of him. "Huh...? H-h-how could he have-?"

"Every rat in the pack moves the exact same way, but there was one rat that was huffing and puffing a lot more than any of the others." Narancia said. Formaggio's eyes widened as he quickly realised that riding on the rat's back, he made it a bit heavier than the others thus releasing more carbon dioxide. "Are you tired? Out of breath maybe? Could a traveller be hitching a ride on your back? I'm feeling lucky and getting a little target practice in might do me a world of good!"

"Not good!" Formaggio shouted as Lil' Bomber shot at him at point-blank range. The assassin was hit by the rapid fire, getting riddled with bullets and fell back against the wall. "Direct hit!" Narancia proudly declared. But he froze in shock as he looked back at the radar. The blips of the rats were still running about, however, he saw one massive blip up on the left corner. Formaggio breathes heavily as he glares at the small fighter plane, though everything hurts like hell, he considers himself lucky to be still alive.

"That was too close..! If I hadn't returned to my normal size I'd be dead right now!" He said. "Luckily time was on my side. Your wimp ass shrinking down to nothing again....was the best thing to ever happen to me!" During the time he had spent chasing down after Formaggio, Narancia had been getting smaller and smaller with every passing second. He now stands at 13.2cm (5.13 Inches)!

"Damn..! He's still breathing! My Stand's power...could this bastard's ability have made it shrink along with my size?! How the hell am I supposed to shoot him dead now?!"

Chapter Text

"Damn it...!" Narancia yelled out. "Could that chatty dickhead have pulled a 1-2 punch and weakened my Stand's power when he shrunk my body?" This wasn't looking good. Narancia was growing increasingly worried because he had no idea how small he was going to be, all he knew was that he was helpless against the assassin. Lil' Bomber's powers have weakened drastically and will no doubt continue until Formaggio comes out and kills him. Narancia looked through his sonar and gasped in shock when he saw that Formaggio's blip had begun to move away. 

"He's on the move again. Come back, Lil' Bomber!" Knowing that his attacks could not hurt the assassin anymore, Narancia had no choice but to recall his Stand. He couldn't fight like this. He had to get somewhere safe to lay low and think of a way to regain control over the fight. Once Lil' Bomber returned to its master, Narancia quickly ran over the sidewalk and climbed over the edge. "I want him to taste some major pain, but for now, I got to hide. He's a loose cannon. If he finds me, he'll do whatever it takes to make me squeal about the location of the Boss' daughter." Narancia looked around, searching for a place to hide when his eyes fell upon several bottles in an alleyway across him. Given how tall the bottles were and his size, Narancia was sure he wouldn't be found by the ruthless assassin under the cover of the dark alley. With that in mind, Narancia runs towards the alley.

Of course, he ran as fast as he could.

But with his nearly microscopic size, the distance between him and the alleyway seemed like it was a thousand miles. "It's so far! Why's the sidewalk so damn big?!" He exclaimed. As he struggles to reach the alleyway, his eyes go wide when he hears a low growling coming from up ahead, he lets out a yell when he suddenly gets confronted by a hungry cat that seemingly popped out from the bottles, yowling at him. "Move it! You're in my way, puddy tat!" Narancia shouted as he brought out Lil' Bomber and shot at the cat, aiming for its head. Although, thankfully, due to Lil' Bomber's weakened state, its attacks didn't kill the cat, instead, hurt it enough for it to run away from the alley. Now that the cat was gone, Narancia scaled up one of the bottles, preparing to jump to the other side. "Shit, this sucks...!" He gasped out as he reached the top of the bottle.

Just as he was about to jump, he froze when he saw large droplets falling around him. He caught the sweet scent coming from it and when he looked up, he saw Formaggio standing above him, pouring a soda can on him. The soda acted like a waterfall and carried Narancia away from the alleyway, sending him crashing back down to the sidewalk right in Formaggio's line of sight. Narancia glared up at the assassin as he laughed to himself, anticipating the agony he was going to put him through before he killed him. Formaggio had a wide smirk on his face as he squatted down and pressed his foot on top of Narancia's body, being extra careful he didn't crush him to death, but still enough to cause him some severe pain.

"What have we here? It's been a fun ride, Chuckles. You're a slippery one, to say the least." Formaggio says as he adds more pressure onto Narancia. His eyes went wide and he could barely breathe. He let out a strained cry/scream as he felt his body, his organs, slowly but surely being crushed under the weight of Formaggio as he coughed up blood. "Once Tiny Feet breaks the skin, you're doomed to live out a life in a small, small world. Now, let's have a little chat. Bucciarati and crew, where are they hiding the Boss' daughter, out with it!" He angrily shouted.

Even when he was enduring this nightmarish torture from Formaggio, Narancai refused to submit to him. But not just out of pride. "...K-kill me, stronzo!" He practically demanded. "You might as well get it over with already! Just end it, cause I actually value the lives of my friends! I would never screw them over like that, got it?!" Enrage, Formaggio raised his foot and stomped Narancia under the sole of his shoe. Blood flew from his lips as the purple-eyed youth let out an agonised scream.

Narancia Ghirga has been called many things. A street rat, a loud, hot-tempered boy, a childish, foul-mouthed degenerate with a casual disregard for the mayhem just to name a few. However, there was one thing he held himself in high regard for, and that was being a loyal friend. He meant what he said to Formaggio. He would rather die than betray his friends. Even if it meant that he might make it out alive, he'd refused that offer a thousand times over. To him, nothing was more important than his friends- his family.

He was born a Leo in 1984 to a young couple in a small city. For the first ten years of his life, he was happy. Narancia was once a normal bouncy child like any other. He went to school, he had a warm home to go back to, and he had someone who truly loved him. His father was an honest gardener and was good at his job, however, he didn't care much for him, even when his mother tried to get him to. At best, his father would spare him a glance and share a few words, but no more than that. But Narancia didn't mind it too much, because he saw that his father loved his mother and showed it in his own way. So long as he did that, he would give his father his space. His mother, on the other hand, was warm, kind, and loving. She gave him twice as much love due to his father's imprudence, but to him, his mother was also his best friend and greatest source of comfort and strength.

However, everything changed when his mother got severely ill due to an eye infection and had to be hospitalised. For days he and his father would come to visit her and every time, she would get weaker and weaker until she couldn't sit up anymore. She couldn't open her eyes anymore. Narancai would always sit by her bedside, staying close to her. His father would do the same, but on this one particular visit, he stood by the window, staring off into the distance.

"Narancia..." His mother, Mela, weakly called out as she breathed in small, short bursts. Though she could barely move, she still lifted her hand and her son was quick to grasp it in his. Gently squeezing it, he looked at her with sorrow-filled eyes, holding her hand.

"Here, mama. Beside you." He said.

Mela turned to the sound of Narancia's voice and though she could not see him, smiled. She was happy. Happy just knowing he was so close for her to hold and hear. How she wished she could sit up and hug him. "Mama." Narancia softly called out. His father watched from the window.

Later that same day, his mother passed away.

Narancia could still feel the cold rain pelting his skin as he stared at his mother's grave. He was heartbroken and devastated over her death, at the same time, somewhat emotionally numb as he couldn't cry during the funeral. He knew he would eventually, but for now, he didn't know what to do. How are things going to be like now that she's gone? Were things going to be alright? Will they be alright? All these questions swirled in his head as he turned to his father who was standing beside him holding an umbrella.

"Hey, papa? Mama had an eye sickness, right?" He asked.

His father stared at his wife's grave for a moment longer.... before walking away. Leaving Narancia all alone in the rain. It was that moment where any respect Narancia had for his father had vanished instantly. His wife had just died. She died, and all they had was each other. In times like this, his father should put aside whatever the hell was wrong and just... Narancia didn't know what he wanted from him, but for him to just blatantly ignore him the way he did...? "Piece of shit..." He muttered bitterly to himself.

That dismal morning was the beginning of what would become Narancia's new life.

"Scusa, could you explain something to me?" Narancia asked the owner of a local bakery. He had a small smile on his face as he held up a map for the man to see. "I was wondering, how many minutes do you think it would take me to walk here?" While the man looked at the map and began to explain to Narancia about the distance and time, Narancia glanced over and tried to keep his smile from widening as he watched two other kids steal a handful of bread and stuff them into their bags. Narancia had rebelled against his father and began fraternizing with the wrong crowd, committing petty thefts and other crimes. He  refused to come home, stopped going to school and survived on whatever he stole that day.

"Wow, it really worked! I couldn't have done it without your info, big bro!" Narancia said as he gave some of the stolen bread to one of the older thugs of the group. He had lost any hope of receiving anything remotely positive from his father, but when spending with this kid, Narancia believed he had found what he had been looking for from him. He looked up to him and considered him to be an older brother figure.

"I guess, but... shouldn't you be in school?" He asked. His question made Narancia scowl and turn away. "You come from a decent family, right?"

Narancia scoffed. "Like I care about them. Only one thing matters in this world," He declared with a bright smile. "Your true friends!"

"Yeah..!" His big bro said, matching his smile and giving him half of his bread. "You know you should dye your hair blonde like mine. You would look so damn cool."

"Wha? I will!" He said. Sometime later, when Narancia met up with the others, they burst out laughing as he had dyed his hair blonde exactly like his big bro. They couldn't help but laugh, they honestly didn't think he would go through with it, but there he was standing and flipping his hair, looking so proud of himself.

"Ahahahaha!"

"Hahahaha, oh shit, you did it..!"

"Like the new look?" Narancia asked, slicking his hair back, nearly copying the older thug's look.

"Wow, what a tool, hahaha!"

"Have you guys seen big bro?" Narancia asked, looking around for any sign of him.

One of the boys shrugged. "Come to think of it, it's been a few days."

"Oh..." Narancia said, a little dejected as he wanted to show off his new look to him. But he raised his head and decided to wait until he had the chance. However, Narancia would soon come to regret ever taking his suggestion to dye his hair, because the very next day...

"Aaaugh!!" Narancia yelled out as he was slammed against a wall. He whipped his head back as he glared at one of the three police officers who had punched him seemingly out of nowhere. Two had him surrounded while the third pointed his gun at him. "Damn you, you stupid dicks!"

"Get your grubby hands on the wall!" One of the officers shouted as his partner patted Narancia down for any concealed weapons. "Stronzetto, your thieving ass is going to juvie!"

"What are you even talking about?! I haven't stolen anything! I wasn't-!" Narancia shouted before the officer pulled his gun away and grabbed him by his hair. He looked down at the boy with anger and hatred.

"Save your breath, kid. A witness saw the whole thing." He told him.

"Wha-?!" Before he even knew what was happening, the officers grabbed him, threw him into the back of the police car and drove him down to one of the stations where they interrogated him for hours. Asking where he'd been, who'd seen him, anything and everything that would pin him to the crime he knew he didn't commit. From what he had been told, someone had broken into the home of an elderly woman and assaulted and robbed her. Narancia did not know of any of it and continued to shout his innocence. During the interrogation, the victim herself was brought in and when they locked eyes, Narancia was almost appaled when he saw her. She was bruised up badly, had bandages on her face and her arm was in a cast. Whoever attacked her didn't hold back in the slightest.

When the woman saw him, she stared back at him with a mixture of anger and fear. "That's him!" She shouted as she pointed at him. "That's the blonde terror who robbed me!"

"What?!" Narancia yelled, jumping from his seat. "You're wrong!"

"He's lying! He beat me senselessly and took all my money!"

"You better come clean, old bag! I'm innocent and you know it!!" Narancia shouted as he rushed towards the old woman. The officer who was interrogating him quickly jumped from his seat and grabbed Narancia by the collar, nearly lifted him off his feet and slammed him hard against the wall.

"I've had enough of your damn lies! Just confess already!" He yelled at him. That's when he headbutted Narancia directly in his right eye, severely bruising it. Seeing that he had hurt the young kid, the officer's partner rushed over and grabbed him by the shoulder, forcing him to drop Narancia to the ground, where he lay practically motionless.

"Hey, I know we need answers but you have to let the boy go!"

"Didn't you see that?! He was about to attack her!"

It was all a blur from there. He wouldn't plea guilty and with the old woman's testimony, things had only begun to get worse for Narancia. The next thing he knew, he was sentenced to reform school for a year and was labelled as a criminal for something he didn't do. Narancia sat alone in that dark room as he stared into nothingness. The injury in his eye didn't receive any treatment and quickly turned purple and swollen. An infection. He could barely see out of it. However, the one thing that was swirling in his mind over and over was how the woman reacted when she saw him and the things she said.

"A robber..." He said softly to himself. "She called me...Blonde terror." How did this happen? Why did this happen? Why was she so convinced that it was him who had beaten and robbed her? Why would she look at him that way when they had never-... Wait.... Blonde terror. The culprit had blonde hair, that was what she distinctly remembered. Which meant she got a look at the culprit's face. Thinking back... "Could it be him?" Narancia wondered as his uninfected eye widened in shock. He was told to dye his hair...and a few days later...this had happened. The distinct hair colour....and when he thought about it...their eyes were similar. Was it possible that... his friend had planned to commit the crime and had told him to dye his hair so that he could use him as a scapegoat?!

"No way, he'd never! Don't even think that! Damn it!" Narancia shouted at himself, shutting his worries down. He refused to believe that. It was all a big mistake, it has to be! Just one big misunderstanding! His big bro would never do something like that to him! He wouldn't! They were friends! Friends were everything in the world! ....We'ren't they?

After one year, Narancia was released from reformed school but was left in extremely poor health. The infection that the officer caused him was unrelenting. It was painful. It was unbearable. And it was getting worse by the day, but there was nothing he could do to fix it. Not knowing what else to do, Narancia got some bandages and haphazardly made a makeshift eyepatch to deal with it. But this was just the start. When Narancia returned home, his "friends" were unusually standoffish. He thought they'd be worried about him and happy he was back, but when he arrived, they stared at him with contempt and whispered about him as if he couldn't hear them.

"Disgusting..."

"His mom died from that eye disease..."

Narancia felt his blood run cold. 'How did they know that? That was a secret between big bro and me.'

"Wow, so they let you out already." A familiar voice said. Narancia let out a silent gasp as he looked up to see the same blonde friend he had looked up to. But instead of a warm greeting, all he got was a smug look and a humourless laugh as he slicked his hair back and walked away. "You and that infected eye should keep your distance from now on." Narancia's entire world became a murky black mess. It was all true. His "big bro"...his "friends" never once cared about him. The thug did rob and beat that woman. He did use him as a scapegoat while he got away scot-free...and he used that delicate bit of information about his mother he had confided to spread rumours about him and ostracised him.

'It's true... Big bro did it. He was caught, so he blamed me.'

The rumours surrounding the horrible eye disease scared no one more than Narancia himself. Betrayed and ill, Narancia became desperate and lived from that point on as a miserable vagrant in the streets, letting himself slowly die. "This is my destiny... This disease...! It's gonna kill me...! I'm gonna die just like mama!" He had no home. No shoulder to cry on. And no hope to hold on to. He was fifteen and awaiting his inevitable death.

He was shifting through the trash in an alleyway, looking for something even remotely edible to eat as people walked past him like he was invisible. No one bothered to stop by and help him. Even two women walking by stood behind and stared at the boy in pity. "How sad, he's just a kid."

"Yes, but we should keep our distance." Without sparing him a second glance, the two women walked away, leaving Narancia alone again. However, at the same time, a new face had arrived at the scene. Overhearing what the woman had said, he walked over to the alleyway and spotted the sickly boy. He stood there, staring intently at him as Narancia grabbed a piece of bread and began to eat, coughing slightly as he tasted some of the mould and dust. That's when the expression on the young man's face shifted, becoming more concerned and gentle and he approached him. He snatched the old bread out of Narancia's hand, threw it back to the trash can and grabbed him by the arm. It all happened so quickly that Narancia didn't know how to respond nor did he know where this guy was taking him.  Before long, the young man had led Narrancia to the Libeccio restaurant, a rather fancy-looking one in his opinion, and brought him inside just as he was about to voice his worries about not having any money to afford the food there. He walked into the restaurant with him in hand as if he owned the place, which raised more questions for Narancia. Wondering who he was.

In an isolated corner of the restaurant, a waiter poured two glasses of sparkling water for the young couple that was dining there for the day when Fugo walked into the room. There, he had a word for his friends and the waiter. Narancia slowly walked in and once he did, Fugo spoke up.  "Hey, this kid needs a plate of spaghetti pronto! You can handle it, right?!"  Narancia stared up at Fugo in complete shock. Why? Why was he doing this for him? He had no obligation to him. He didn't even know him and had nothing to offer in return. So why? Narancia glanced over at the couple, if anything, he hoped they would look at him in disgust and shoo him away. But they hadn't.

They didn't show hate or annoyance. Neither of them asked a single question.  The woman stood from her seat and went immediately to Narancia's side. She gently placed her hands on his shoulders and guided him to their table, seating him down. Narancia looked up at the woman with wide eyes, and she gave him a warm smile in return. She was so beautiful and her smile caused him to look away in embarrassment. His embarrassment was quickly replaced with astonishment as she and the man placed the food they had ordered for themselves in front of the dishevelled boy without a second thought.

Narancia sat there in stunned silence, his mind racing to process what had just happened. He had expected disdain or indifference, something he was used to, but instead, these strangers were showing him kindness. Bucciarati offered a reassuring nod as he pushed the plates of food closer to Narancia. "Go on, eat." The woman said softly, her voice like a soothing melody. "You look like you haven't had a proper meal." She smiled at him as she walked back to sit next to Bucciarati.

Narancia blinked, still too shocked to respond. He glanced over at Fugo, whose stern expression softened just slightly. "Don't overthink it." Fugo muttered, crossing his arms. "You needed help. That's all."

Narancia hesitated for a moment longer, his fingers trembling as they wrapped around the fork. With a deep breath, he took his first bite. The warmth of the pasta filled his mouth, and suddenly, he felt the tension in his body begin to ease. For a brief moment, it was as if all the hardships he'd endured melted away in the kindness of these strangers. "Thank you." Narancia whispered, his voice barely audible, as his heart swelled with gratitude.

Sometime later, Narancia was placed in the hospital by the kind strangers who had taken care of him and provided the proper medical treatment he needed. For three weeks, Narancia slowly began to heal, physically and emotionally. The infection in his eye was treated, but he wasn't used to the kindness he received during his recovery. Every few days, Bucciarati and the woman who had first shown him such warmth would visit him, bringing a sense of comfort and stability he hadn't felt in years.

At first, Narancia didn't know how to react to their frequent check-ins. Bucciarati, with his calm but commanding presence, would sit by the bed, asking about his health and making sure he had everything he needed. The woman, who never failed to bring him small gifts, a few books, fresh fruit, or something to cheer him up, became a quiet source of reassurance for him. Narancia, unsure of how to express his gratitude, often found himself simply nodding or giving short replies. But deep down, he was touched by their continued visits. Each time they came, he felt a little less alone, a little more like he belonged somewhere.

One day, he decided to finally ask the question he'd wanted to ask since the moment Fugo first took him to the restaurant.

"Why do this for me? Why go through so much trouble?"

"I have no pretext." Bucciarati simply said. "You're welcome at my home but the choice lies with you. I strongly suggest you go back home to your parents. You need to go to school. Got it?"

Narancia hesitated before asking. "Hey...um, are you by any chance...a mafioso?" 

Bucciarati did not respond to that. His expression was calm, but unreadable. His gaze shifted to the woman beside him, but her face mirrored his. Serene, yet giving nothing away. She didn't offer an answer, and the silence between them hung heavy in the air. Despite their silence, something inside Narancia clicked. He knew. He knew they were involved in something far bigger, far more dangerous than he had imagined. And for some reason, that didn't scare him in the slightest. It gave the complete opposite effect. It gave him hope. Hope that there was a way to escape his old life and build something new. "I don't want to go back to that life. I want to work with you and become a mafioso-!"

The words barely left his mouth when the woman's hand struck his face, the sharp sound of the slap echoing in the quiet hospital room. Narancia's head snapped to the side, his cheek stinging from the force of her blow. Shocked, he looked up at her, his eyes wide. Her expression had transformed. No longer was it gentle and kind, but fierce, her eyes blazing with fury that froze him in place. "Just what the hell are you even saying?!" She shouted.

At the same time, Bucciarati shouted, "This isn't some game we're playing, you eager shithead!!" 

Narancia flinched and nearly fell back against the bedrest, but the couple weren't done with him yet. "You ever spew that kind of asinine crap again, we'll give you the beating of your life!" Bucciarati shouted at him.

"If you don't want that, you will stay out of our business, go back to school and get your life together! Do you understand me?!" The woman questioned angrily.

Narancia, still reeling from the sting of the slap and the intensity of their words, opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, unable to find the right response. The weight of what they had said sank in as he saw the look in their eyes. Silently, Narancia nodded, taking their warning to heart. Over the next few days, Narancia returned home and started going back to school.  Things were peaceful on the surface, but beneath it all, something didn't sit right with him. No matter how much he tried to focus on his studies or try to settle in back in his home, there was a gnawing sense of emptiness. When he returned home each day, the hollow feeling only deepened.

His father, who should have been the one to notice his return, barely acknowledged him. There was no worry, no anger. Just indifference. It was as if Narancia had been invisible for the past year, and now, after everything he'd gone through, it was painfully clear that his father hadn't cared at all. He hadn't noticed when Narancia quit school. He hadn't noticed him not coming back home or when he started running the streets with thugs. He was never there. Never present during the darkest moments, when Narancia needed him the most.

The reality of it all weighed heavily on Narancia's heart. His father may have been his blood, but he was never truly family. Never has been. And never will be. He learned his lesson, and he would never trust his father again.

One quiet afternoon, carrying a bouquet, Narancia made his way to his mother's grave. The cemetery was serene, the wind gently rustling the leaves of the trees above. He stood in front of the headstone, staring down at the engraved name that had been a source of love and warmth in his life. He stood in silence, his thoughts swirling around the encounter with the young couple. He replayed the moment over and over in his head. The sharpness of their words, the slap, the fierceness in their eyes. At the time, he had felt small, even afraid, but now that he was alone, he couldn't shake the feeling that there had been something more behind their anger.

'I wonder...why those people got so serious with me all of a sudden. It's not like I have anything to work toward.' He thought to himself. He remembered the look in their eyes. They had been angry, that much was clear. But as he thought more about it, he realized there had been no malice in their voices. Their anger had barely masked something deeper. Narancia could feel it, even though he didn't fully understand it initially. 'But...their anger had no resentment or hatred. Nothing about it came across as if it was meant to insult. It was nothing like the way my dad and those cops treated me. Thinking back on it...it was like their words filled me with courage. I have to be a warrior.' They cared for him, got him the needed treatment, and saw him as a real human being when the world seemed to turn its back on him. Narancia clenched his fist, the resolve hardening in his chest as he turned and walked off with his head held high. He knew what he had to do.

"That's the only way to join up with someone like them."  Six months later, Narancia made up his mind and met with the capo Polpo without Bucciarati's knowledge. He passed the test and became a mafioso.

Narancia had no regrets since then. He understood what would be waiting for him once he took hold of that lighter, but it was all worth it. In the end, Narancia finally received what he had longed for.

The team was his family, and he promised himself that he would always be loyal and protect them with everything he had.