Chapter 8
Tomoko Higashikata mulled through her gardening tools in her garage, trying to find everything she needed. It was a bright Saturday morning in Kuoh Town, and so the beautiful mother decided to plant her flowers in the yard. "Where's that shovel?" She grumbled irritably, tossing several items out of the tool box. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the milk man walking towards her doorstep for the weekly drop off, but didn't bother to say anything at first. But as he approached, something on the sidewalk caught her eye and caused Tomoko to speak up. "Hey, watch out! On the ground, there's-"
She was a bit late in her warning, and so the man took a solid step in a pile of dog crap. He tensed for a moment before turning around to look down at his shoe. Tomoko sighed and walked out to meet him, giving a sympathetic look. "So, you hit the jackpot?"
"... Yeah, stepped on gold." He sighed, trying to wipe his shoe on the ground. "Right on target."
"That pisses me off!" Tomoko spits in annoyance, looking around. "That man and his dog! He never cleans up the messes! I swear, next time I see it, I'll put it in a plastic bag and shove it in his pocket!" She sighs before looking at the milk man's shoe. "Need to clean it off?"
"Ah, it's not a big deal. This kind of thing happens all the time." He told her, waving off the idea. "I'll just leave your milk here for you and be off." He told her, setting the case down and turning to his bike before hopping on. "Have a good day!"
"Ah, just a moment, sir." Tomoko called out, causing him to pause. "You're not the usual milk guy, huh?"
Slowly the man turned his head to her, giving a polite smile. While Tomoko was ignorant to his true identity, people in the know would have recognized him as Angelo, the Devil Stand User. "I'm just a temporary work agent. The usual one called in sick is all."
"Ah, I see." Tomoko nodded in understanding, accepting his words. "I'm sorry to bother you with this, but this milk bottle's seal is broken." She pointed out, holding up said bottle. As she spoke, she showed him that the sticker on top was slightly peeled back. Angelo closely inspected it, feigning his innocence rather well.
"Is that right?" He asked, almost as if he didn't see it.
"Yeah, it is." She assured, handing it back to him. "Sorry, but I want another bottle."
Angelo paused for a small moment before offering a smile and holding up another one and taking the broken sealed bottle. "Sorry about that. Here you go."
"Thank you." Tomoko said as she took the bottle before watching him start to pedal. "Are you sure you don't want to wash your shoes off?"
"It's not a big deal, but thank you for the offer. Pleasure doing business with you!" He politely declined as he started to ride off. He watched as Tomoko waved him goodbye before quickly snapping his attention forward. "That fucking bitch!" He growled out in aggravation. He held up the slightly opened milk bottle, his Stand suddenly rising from it and wrapping around his neck. "I have to give it to her, Josuke's mom is really careful. If he had taken a drink of the milk, my Stand Aqua Necklace woulda gotten inside his body!" He rounded the corner just a street down from the Higashikata household, bringing his bike to a stop and getting to a point where he could view the house.
"That's an awfully comfy place they live in." He almost spat in disgust, narrowing his eyes with a rather grotesque expression. "Not to mention havin' a sexy mom that makes people jealous. I'll ruin his mind and his life completely!" Angelo growled as his Stand coiled further around his neck. "I hate how that little shit just strolled out of the crowd and ruined my plans. I love killin' fuckers like that." He cackled quietly. In the corner of his eye he caught sight of a short fat man walking his dog on the sidewalk, causing him to coo.
"You have to go again? Geeze." The old man sighed in annoyance as his dog started to sniff around the ground. He took a hefty puff of his cigarette before flicking it away. "You just love takin' your dumps anywhere." He grunted before looking back at his dog. He trembled as he saw Angelo pick up his dog and mercilessly bite a chunk of the dog's nose off. He was rendered speechless for a moment before screaming in fear. "AAH!"
Angelo quickly put a stop to that by grabbing the man's throat and choking him slightly. "Uwa-" He tried to scream again, but Angelo cut him off once again by spitting the dog's blood in his mouth directly into his, causing him to choke a bit as Angelo shut his mouth and made him swallow it.
"You're the asshole who doesn't pick up his dog's shit. And tossin' cigarette butts everywhere... You got some balls, mother fucker." Angelo hissed out with a dark crazed look. "You think you own this place?! Huh?!" He growled out, holding the man in the air with one arm. "People like you will be killed by my Stand." He declared darkly. Moments later, the arm of Aqua Necklace burst from the man's ear along with large streams of blood that stained the pavement, immediately killing the man. Soon after, the Stand moved across the ground and into a nearby water hose, cackling in Angelo's crazed voice as it moved through the pipes and towards the Higashikata household.
Josuke stood in front of his living room bathroom as he brushed his hair, while his mother was making a pot of coffee in the other room. Currently he was speaking to Jotaro before planning to leave and join the ORC for the day to hang out. He had missed his chance to speak to him the day before, so he made to update Jotaro now. Issei was planning to meet him there since Josuke's hair was slightly out of control that morning.
"So you ran into the Stand yesterday?" Jotaro questioned with a small sense of surprise in his voice. "Why didn't you mention it before?"
"Sorry about that, Jotaro-san. I kinda forgot since the girls took all that time to explain the whole devil thing to you." Josuke admitted sheepishly, fighting with a stray strand of hair that refused to be combed down into his well kept pompadour.
"... I guess that makes sense. It was a lot to take in. I'm still not sure how I feel about all of it." Jotaro sighed from the other line. "But back to the matter at hand, have you seen that guy Angelo around?"
"Nah, not really." Josuke told him as he brushed through his hair. "I only saw his Stand, never saw the guy himself. Man, I cannot get my hair to cooperate right now…" He mumbled in annoyance.
"I see. Well, it's a relatively weak Stand, but it can be remotely controlled." Jotaro explained, causing the tall teen to pause and listen. "It's the type of Stand that can enter bodies. I'm coming to your house now. Don't even think about taking a piss or showering yet."
"Y-you're coming over now?! But I haven't told my mom about you!" Josuke whisper-shouted, causing Jotaro to pause. Josuke let out a sigh before glancing back at his mother through the door. "My mom's really strong, but she still loves my dad. Whenever she thinks about him, she cries, and if she sees you, she'll know that you are connected to him somehow." He declared, watching as Tomoko picked up the pictures of Angelo Josuke had left on the table.
"Hey, Josuke. What're these pictures?" Tomoko asked as she took a sip of coffee from her cup. "Hey, isn't this guy… the milk man? Hey Josuke, you know this guy?" She called out as she lowered the coffee from her mouth. Josuke widened his eyes in fear as he saw something small crawling on her lips. He could make out the small form of Aqua Necklace slipping inside of her mouth and disappearing from sight.
"Josuke? Josuke, what's wrong?" He heard Jotaro question as he had clicked his tongue. He immediately picked up a glass bottle and emptied it into the sink.
"Damn it, it's too late Jotaro-san. I just saw the Stand enter my mom's body." Josuke explained before lowering the phone and walking over to his mother in the kitchen.
"Josuke? Josuke, what's your plan?" Jotaro questioned, unsure of what was going on. Josuke ignored it, acting casual as he stood in front of his mom.
"Hey, Josuke. Want some coffee?" She asked kindly as she set another cup on the table.
"Yeah. Milk and sugar, please." He told her, Tomoko nodding in acceptance and turning her back to him. As soon as she did so, Crazy Diamond took hold of the bottle in his hand. He immediately followed up by punching straight through his mother's chest, causing blood to cover his Stand's hand. Once he felt a good amount of liquid in its hand, it crushed the glass in its grip and quickly pulled back. All of this had occurred faster than Tomoko could even process, her chest healing the instant that Crazy Diamond was withdrawn. The glass bottle was also fixed, causing Josuke to turn around and head to the bathroom as the bottle was now filled with water.
"Milk and sugar, right?" Tomoko asked as if nothing had happened, her son glancing back at her and nodding.
"Er, right." He said before raising the phone back to his ear. "Hey, Jotaro-san. I've caught the Stand. What do I do with it?" He asked, watching as Aqua Necklace slammed its full physical form into the glass in a vain attempt to escape.
"Good work, Josuke." Jotaro told him. "But don't underestimate its power. It can turn into anything from milk to coffee. Angelo is also probably somewhere around your place watching you. He'll most likely do whatever he can to escape the bottle. Watch it carefully until I get there."
"Got it. I'm gonna let Rias and Issei know that I've got the Stand user too. I'll see you soon." Josuke informed before hanging up and dialing another number on his cellphone. A few moments and rings later, he heard a familiar brunette answer.
"Yo, Josuke. You leave yet?" Issei asked, making Josuke sigh.
"I haven't yet, I'm waiting for Jotaro-san. I've caught the Stand in my place so he's going to deal with it." Josuke explained, earning a small gasp from his best friend.
"I-is everything alright? You get in a fight?" He asked in concern.
"No, I caught him before he could do anything. Just let Rias know what's going on. I'll see you later." Josuke told him.
"Alright, after I tell her I'll head over to help." Issei declared, causing Josuke to pause.
"Hey man, you don't have to-" He started but Issei hung up before he could finish. He released a sigh before smiling. "That jerk."
It had been around half an hour since Josuke had contacted Jotaro and Issei. While he was on his way and going as fast as possible, Jotaro's hotel was a bit farther from Josuke's house than he would have liked. For Angelo though, it was probably the luckiest break he could have gotten that whole day. He was lying on the ground just outside of the Higashikata household, gripping the ground in frustration as he struggled to move much thanks to the predicament that his Stand was in.
"F-fuck, that damn brat!" Angelo growled in frustration as he clawed the dirt out of the ground. "I have to… I have to get out of that damn bottle! That mother fucker, I'm gonna kill him! Him and his hot mom!" He hissed in anger. "But how… I can't fuckin' give up now! I have to break the damn bottle somehow! I-if I was closer, I coulda use my magic to try but I can't do it from this distance…"
Angelo paused in his plotting as he saw an officer approach the house on a bike. He tensed up in fear as he thought that they might have contacted the police, but knew that wouldn't be the case. Stand users (and mystical beings) were the only people who could see Stands after all. "What the hell's that cop doin' here?" Angelo growled in annoyance before catching full sight of the man's face.
"Working overnights is getting to be too much for an old man like me…" Ryohei Higashikata complained before walking inside Josuke's house. "I'm home!" He called out before entering. Angelo smiled darkly, knowing exactly who he was.
"What a coincidence! It really is that old bastard Ryohei! Makes sense, they share the surname after all…" He cackled darkly. "I remember everything about that old fart! Including his habits! That bastard arrested me when I was twelve. Guess I'll get a bit of payback after all this time~!"
Inside the house, Josuke waited patiently for Jotaro and Issei to arrive. He was flipping channels on the television, keeping a view of the bottle in the corner of his eye. When it suddenly stopped moving around, he decided to take a closer look at it.
"Hey, you still in there?" He asked, knowing the answer. The water didn't make any movements and was perfectly still. "Huh, looks like no one's home." Josuke then smiled before shaking the bottle very roughly, making the Stand appear again and looking rather pained. "Oh good, you're still here." He chuckled before setting the bottle back down on the table. The Stand let out muffled cries, trying to pound on the glass but too weak to even make it budge.
Josuke went back to relaxing in his seat, at least until his grandfather snuck up on him, placing a gun to his head. "Don't move!"
"Gramps, you can't just pull that trick twice in a row!" Josuke complained, making Ryohei roll his eyes.
"Oh fine, you big baby. I hope you didn't wet your pants over it." The elder Higashikata laughed, pulling the unloaded gun away from his head. "How was school yesterday? You're lucky I was able to get you to still go after the stunt you pulled."
"Uh, it was fine." Josuke told him with a shrug, not wanting to think about his freak out the day before. "Hey, someone's coming to pick me up so you know. So put that thing away, will you?"
"Fine, fine." Ryohei waved off as he was about to head to the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway as the news came on, hearing the anchorman speak about the mysterious deaths in Kuoh.
"This is a special report: The police have found the seventh victim who died mysteriously, trauma caused in the mouth and ears of the head along with heavy internal damage. Police suspect foul play as this is the seventh victim to suffer from such a death and are looking into the case. But with little evidence to work with, they believe it may be a new disease or virus that could be causing it." The reporter announced, causing Ryohei to narrow his eyes and become quite serious.
"Seventh victim, huh?" Josuke voiced suspiciously, glancing back at the still water knowingly.
"Seems like a killer has come to our town and hid himself away." Ryohei commented, his expression hardened. Josuke had seen this look many times before, and felt quite proud to have a grandfather like him. He may have been a beat cop but he did everything in his power to protect Kuoh from crime.
Josuke was pulled from his musings when he heard a car pulling up to the front yard, making him stand up from the couch. "Looks like he's here. I wonder where Issei's at?" He mused but shrugged before walking over to the window. Outside of the house, Angelo laughed as he could see Josuke removing his attention from the bottle, starting to solidify the water a bit to make a small insignia.
"I know all about you, Ryohei! I know that when you work overnights, you take some time to relax by having some brandy!" Angelo cackled darkly before finishing his Stand's work and placing several letters and the symbol across the bottle, making it look strikingly like an actual bottle of alcohol.
Josuke walked up to the window and slid it open, leaning out to talk to Jotaro who was sitting in a convertible. "Hey Jotaro-san."
"Hey. Go ahead and grab the bottle. Find a place to come out where no one can see you and-" Jotaro started until he saw a certain brunette in the distance start to pedal up the sidewalk on a bike. Josuke chuckled, smirking in amusement as he watched Issei arrive.
"O-oh good, I made it just in time…" Issei huffed, catching his breath. "S-so you got the guy?"
"His Stand at least. It's inside." Josuke told them before turning to go and grab the bottle containing the Stand. A thud in his living room caused him to pause, widening his eyes as he spotted the bottle on the coffee table, the top open and slightly spilled over and empty. On the ground behind the table, he could see an arm sticking out from behind it, causing Josuke to hitch his breath. He took several steps forward in fear, biting his bottom lip as he tried to get a good look. Immediately he recognized the man on the ground: his grandfather, Ryohei Higashikata.
"Gra-grandpa!" Josuke called out in shock, getting ready to move forward but stomping when a puddle of water started to form up next to Ryohei's body into Aqua Necklace.
"Hehehe...hehehahahahaha!" Angelo sneered through his Stand, pointing at Josuke tauntingly. "It's all your fault, Josuke! You took your eye off the bottle and your gramps paid for it~!" He laughed darkly, watching as Josuke approached with a red hot fury in his eyes. "Seeing you act so desperate is so~ satisfying! Haha~!" He cackled out.
Josuke didn't say or make a noise in response, his eyes only glimmering with pain and anger before Crazy Diamond appeared before him. DORARARARARAAA~! It roared, punching faster than light at the water based Stand. Angelo couldn't even respond in time to do anything, but was unharmed as the water splashed against the wall harmlessly. It reformed into its physical form, narrowing its eyes at Josuke.
"S-so fast and strong… you got some balls!" He spat in annoyance, angered that he didn't get to see Josuke cry or become desperate. "I'll be comin' back for you, so don't blink!" He growled before soaking into the ground and moving out of harm's way to escape the house. Josuke didn't linger, quickly jumping to his grandfather's side.
"Sh-shit, he's hurt pretty bad…" Josuke muttered fearfully, trying to hide it with a fake grin as he sweated. Issei and Jotaro came barging in behind him, but he paid them no mind.
"We heard loud noises outside! Is everything all-" Issei started before feeling his heart stop. "G-gramps?"
"Grandpa opened the bottle…" Josuke explained to them but tried to give a confident smile. "It-it's cool though. These wounds are nothing. I'll heal him with my Stand." Josuke pointed out, summoning Crazy Diamond and using its hand to heal over his head. "Done!" He declared, dismissing the Stand. Ryohei's wounds appeared to be healed, but he remained silent and cold, not breathing.
"H-hey, why isn't it working?" Josuke asked quietly, slightly shaking his grandpa's shoulder in fear. "Come on, grandpa. I know you're probably tired from work all night, but I-"
"Josuke." Issei spoke quietly, gripping his shoulder. Josuke turned to him in panic.
"But he's heal-" He stopped speaking as he stared at his friend. In that instant, he knew what was going on. Just like Issei, he had been too late. His grandfather was gone, and there was nothing he could do to bring him back. Issei gave a sad frown, kneeling down next to him to look over his friend's grandfather.
"Josuke." Jotaro spoke up, causing the two to glance at him sideways. "The human race is made to destroy other things. Your power is the most kind and gentle one that exists in the world. But-"
"I know, Jotaro-san, it's okay…" Josuke cut him off quietly, well aware of his power's limits by now and gripping his hand. "... He's been a street cop for over thirty five years. It's not the best job in the world, but he always protected the people of this town every day." He looked back up at Issei and Jotaro, his eyes becoming hard. "When he heard about the murders on T.V., he immediately turned into a hunter."
"Yeah, I always thought he was cool like that." Issei said, his eyes misty as he glanced at Ryohei's still form. "This city's gonna be a little darker without him…"
"There's no telling how many people have died at the hands of Angelo. He does this as a hobby. He'll keep doing this, and his next targets will be you and your mother." Jotaro declared plainly. Josuke was quiet for a moment before standing up slowly, his legs trembling for a little before rising firm and strong.
"I will protect this town and my mom." Josuke proclaimed firmly, gripping his hand in front of him. "No matter what happens, I'll do it for my grandpa."
Josuke stood close to his mother as she cried into his shoulder, keeping a tight grip on his shirt. It had been several days since his grandfather's death, thankfully without incident, and so his funeral was being held. Josuke had opted to take the week off from school and had only seen Issei the whole time, who had been given permission from Rias to support his friend after school. At the moment they were at Ryohei's memorial service, listening to a speech of remembrance and honor from his police captain and receiving a three-volley salute for his long but strong time in the line of duty. Jotaro would have attended, but because of his mother's state, Josuke requested that he held off.
Josuke was silent for the most part in the past few days, especially now at the funeral. He had mostly been comforting his mother. Issei was becoming increasingly worried about him, knowing this was far different than when he had died. With Issei and even Asia, they had both come back to life thanks to Rias. But now, there was no bringing Ryohei back. Issei considered asking Rias if there was something she could do, but Josuke had put a stop to that. The brunette hadn't even mentioned it, but he had told Issei straight out not to ask her about it.
He had wondered for a time why this was, but he had then realized that Josuke just didn't want to be disappointed. For one, Rias would have to bring him back as a servant for it to work, and Ryohei would have to accept it in his heart after death. But knowing Ryohei, Issei knew that Josuke's grandfather wouldn't accept such an idea even if Rias was willing to try. Not to mention it would take another one of her pieces which she would most likely be against.
"I-I'm going to go talk to some of daddy's co-workers, okay Josuke?" Tomoko told her son, pushing off of his chest after the final eulogy was over.
"Will you be okay? Want me to go with you?" Josuke asked quietly, but his mother shook her head.
"I can manage, Josuke. Go and talk to your friends." She told him before walking off. Josuke was quiet before turning around to see Issei, who was dressed up in a suit. To his surprise, behind him were Rias and the entire club. Rias was dressed in a black dress along with the girls of her peerage, and Yuuto wore a suit similar to Issei. His friends all gave sympathetic looks but tried to smile for Josuke.
"Guys? What are you-" Josuke began to question before Rias stepped up, quickly hugging him tight and silencing him.
"I'm so sorry that this happened, Josuke-kun." She told him, hoping that she could comfort the tall teen. Josuke was silent for a moment before returning the hug, seemingly accepting the comfort.
"Yeah, me too." He mumbled, his gaze still downcast. Rias broke the hug slowly and allowed for her peerage to approach. Surprisingly Koneko stepped up to him before the others.
"I'm sorry, Jojo." She said quietly before giving him a hug. She broke off after a moment, Josuke showing his appreciation with a small smile. Next was Akeno, whose usual seductive smile was replaced with a sympathetic frown.
"You know that if you need anything, you can come to us." She stated kindly before leaning in and hugging Josuke as well. The tall teen could only nod but nonetheless accepted her gesture.
"May God-ow!-guide his soul to heaven." Asia offered, her eyes slightly misted before hugging the tall teen next. Josuke let out a soft, almost sad chuckle as he returned Asia's embrace, thankful for her words.
Kiba walked up and placed a hand on Josuke's shoulder, gripping it firmly. "Akeno-chan is right. Remember that we're here for you no matter what." Kiba reassured, hoping that the tall teen might heed his words. Josuke looked around at his friends before offering a smile he was unable to give for the past few days, showing his appreciation.
"Thank you, everyone. It means a lot to me." He told them, his eyes still heavy and crestfallen before it dropped again. "The man who did this, Angelo, is going to come again. And I'm going to be ready for him. If you guys could help me find out where he might be hiding at, I'd appreciate it."
"Whatever you need. We'll do what we can." Rias nodded sternly. Josuke gave a nod back before turning around.
"I'm gonna check on my mom real quick. Thanks again for showing up, it means a lot to me." Josuke told them before walking off. Rias sighed before glancing at Issei.
"How has he been this whole time?" She asked, receiving a frown from him in response.
"He hasn't cried the entire time. Josuke's the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve, but he hasn't really shown much the past few days." Issei admitted, watching as Josuke talked to his mother. "He's saving all of his emotions, bottling them up inside."
"Why?" Asia asked curiously, though the rest of the group knew the answer. Issei gave a more focused look and narrowed his eyes.
"He's saving them up for when he finally beats that monster down."
Another few days had passed since the funeral. There were still police uniforms hanging in the closet. Even further inside, there were still shirts, shoes, pants and socks collected by Ryohei Higashikata over the years. All placed neatly where they belonged. Josuke believed they should be cleaned out of the house, their remnants only serving as a reminder of what they had lost. His mother disagreed, thinking that they were part of the memory of her father. But nobody would be using any of it anymore…
Rias and her connections couldn't find Angelo anywhere in the city. He had hid himself quite well, though Jotaro suspected that he wasn't far away. Josuke had convinced his mother to spend some time in a hotel while he stayed at home, awaiting Angelo's attack. Jotaro and Issei had remained by his side, hoping to be as ready as possible for when the Stand made another assault. The elder Stand user popped open a bottle of water and observed it closely as he poured it into a cup, being cautious about what he drank.
"Everything you drink has to come from a freshly opened bottle. Anything else is too risky to leave to chance." Jotaro told them, offering a bottle to Issei. Josuke was silent, sitting there seemingly staring out into space. Jotaro and Issei watched him from the side but made no comment before Jotaro turned to the young Devil. "I know that you want to help, but it's still most likely best if you leave. I have no idea what his Stand could do to your kind."
"You're risking your life just the same as me here. I'm not leaving, I wanna help." Issei argued, giving a stern gaze. Jotaro was silent for a moment before nodding.
"If that's what you want." He agreed, deciding there was no point in trying to argue. Who knew, after all, perhaps a Devil might be more useful in a fight against a Stand than he knew. "Still, we need to be careful." A strand of hair suddenly popped up on top of Josuke's head, his power seemingly going a bit out of control. Jotaro didn't notice at first while Issei could only sweat as he watched from the side. "Until we defeat Angelo, we have to be on guard at all times." Jotaro finished, barely noticing as Josuke's hair stood up all together. He quickly turned to Josuke in surprise, but the younger Stand user quickly fixed his hair with a comb.
"Sorry. It's not that I'm impatient, but… I've got a lot of heat in my head. I'm fine." Josuke tried to reason away.
"I don't know about that…" Issei trailed off, glancing past Josuke. On the tall teen's right side, almost everything from the clock to the shelves had been twisted and morphed into unrecognizable objects.
"It's not my stuff, so I don't have a right to interfere." Jotaro slowly stated before holding his chin. "But about your healing power. Is there anything I should know?" He asked, wanting to know all their weaknesses.
"Hm… yeah. I can't heal myself." Josuke stated simply, leaning on one arm.
"You can't? What happens if he gets inside your body then?" Jotaro asked, sounding a bit less sure now that he realized Josuke was more open to attack than he had originally thought. Josuke held his chin in thought before shrugging.
"Then I lose. If Angelo gets inside me, then I don't have a choice but to die." Josuke admitted, making Issei gulp.
"M-maybe we could ask Asia to come here? She could heal you if anything happens." Issei suggested hopefully, but Josuke shook his head.
"She can't fight or defend herself. We'd just be putting Asia in harm's way." Josuke dismissed, making Issei sigh. Jotaro watched the two for a moment quietly before turning to the window and glancing out at the sky. Dark clouds blocked any sunlight from shining through, and it would most likely rain.
"Anyways, it seems the only way we'll beat this thing is by catching it." Jotaro told them, causing the teens to return their gazes to him. "Attacking it won't do anything. We have no idea where the wielder is even if he is close by. If he attacks but escapes again, we may lose him forever." Josuke gripped his hand at the idea, the thought of the killer escaping only further aggravating him.
Outside the home, not even a street away, Angelo spied into the house with a pair of binoculars, chewing on a cheeseburger. He was camped out in a tree, hiding in plain sight almost. No one would have thought that he'd be so close for so long, which Angelo took advantage of. "More bottles? They think they can catch me again?" He grunted through the food of his mouth. "Fat chance! I know your abilities, you ain't catchin' me again!"
He stopped mid-rant as his phone rang, making him set his food down and picking it up. "Hello~, mistress. Did you need something?" He asked with a maniacal smile.
"You've been gone for quite some time, my Knight. I thought you would be finished by now taking care of the boy." Angelo's master stated, sounding a bit impatient though with a rather amused tone.
"Don't worry, mistress! I'm almost done here! I've just been waitin' for the perfect-" He stopped for a moment when he felt a small rain drop hit his head. He grinned far more sinisterly, looking back at the house. "Chance. Don't worry, I'm just about to finish everything off~!"
"Good. If you can be quick about it, I might reward you when you come back." She told him before hanging up, making the Stand user cackle lustfully. "Don't worry, mistress. It's about to be all over~!"
Jotaro walked into the yard, glancing around the house. On the ground, he spotted a pattern of footprints, making him narrow his eyes and kneel down to inspect them. "Looks like he's been here. Must've come when we weren't home." Jotaro hummed, glancing around with little hope of spotting Angelo. "But what's taking him so long to attack? It's been a few days already." Jotaro wondered aloud. It was then that he started to feel raindrops hit his hat, causing him to look at the sky.
"It's raining…" He mumbled, holding his hand out. Instantly his eyes widened as he realized the implications of this fact while the rain came down harder and harder. "It can't be…" He mumbled. From the water on top of his head, Aqua Necklace started to form. It instantly went for Jotaro's mouth and grabbed his cheek as it prepared to crawl inside, but the veteran Stand user was able to react just in time.
ORA~! Star Platinum roared as it launched a punch at the smaller Stand, knocking it harmlessly against the wall of the house.
"Hahaha~! Excellent! I was wondering what a stranger was doing here!" Angelo cackled through his Stand, pointing at Jotaro. "So you're a Stand user as well. I'm guessin' that other brat inside's got some kinda Stand power too! But it doesn't matter now! This house is mine now. With the rain out, you're all as good as dead!" He laughed boisterously before forming into a stream of water and slipping inside the house. Jotaro felt his cheek spew a bit of blood, the spot where Angelo's Stand had touched his face clearly wounded.
Inside the house, Josuke and Issei blinked as they heard several pots whistling and boiling on the stove and the sink's water running. "Issei, did you turn all of this on?" Josuke asked with a raised brow, but the brunette shook his head furiously.
"Who would be dumb enough to turn on any of this with that Stand running around?" Issei declared, glancing back at the stove. Jotaro burst inside the kitchen, causing Issei to turn to him in shock.
"Josuke, Issei! Get away from the water! Angelo wasn't waiting for you to drink something. He was waiting for it to rain!" He declared, causing Josuke to look back at him and raise a brow. As soon as he did though, the steam rising started to form above Josuke's head into Aqua Necklace, making Jotaro's eyes widen. "Josuke, above you! He's in steam form!" He warned, causing Issei to quickly turn back and gasp.
"Josuke, watch out!" He called out. Josuke didn't bother looking back, the steam starting to flow into his ears and mouth. Instead, he used Crazy Diamond to grab another glass bottle, shattering it in his hands before attacking the steam. DORARARA! It cried out fiercely, reforming the bottle in the air. Sadly it was to no avail, the steam only harmlessly floating away from his Stand.
"Damn it, didn't work." Josuke relented, clicking his tongue. "Can't catch him in a bottle like that."
"Get away from the steam. We have to get out of the kitchen." Jotaro told them but Issei hesitated in the doorway. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know if going anywhere else in here is better…" Issei mumbled, pointing into the living room. "There are leaks everywhere!" Issei pointed out, making the two JoJos pause in shock as they looked up at the ceiling, water leaking down from it rather hard in the cracks.
"Shit, Angelo must have been digging around in the roof this whole time!" Josuke ground his teeth in irritation. "The other rooms are probably the same! We can't escape!" Steam started to follow the three of them out of the kitchen, causing Jotaro to take the lead.
"Either way, we can't let that steam get near us. Let's move!" He told them, running up the stairs with Issei and Josuke not far behind.
"I-it's weird that this Stand is so weak but actually has us on the run!" Issei admitted aloud, sweating in fear as they moved.
"Certain Stands may not be strong, but the right user can make them bypass their weaknesses in other ways." Jotaro explained as they were now in the upstairs hall. The three soon stopped as steam flowed out of the bathroom, literally trapping them.
"What the hell?! Up here too?!" Issei complained as he looked around for some way out. "I can't even use my Boosted Gear to do anything!"
"This Angelo's a lot smarter than I gave him credit for. Even if he is insane…" Jotaro commented as he tried to go over their options in his head. He was pulled from his planning when he and Issei heard Josuke start to laugh, sounding a little strained but nonetheless laughing. "What are you laughing about at a time like this?!"
"A-are you okay, Josuke? You're not losin' it on us, right?" Issei asked, a little fearful for his friend's mental state. Josuke only offered the two a rather dark grin in anticipation despite the sweat of fear going down his brow.
"It's just that this is great. My grandpa's killer is so close, and I'll be able to get revenge for him real soon." Josuke declared, causing Issei to gulp. This truly was worse than when he had died. It seemed that he was now unhinged, willing to do whatever he wished to get his revenge.
"That's nice and all, but we need to focus on escaping first." Jotaro reminded them, focusing their attention on the growing problem at hand: the steam was steadily creeping closer to them. "He can control his Stand's malleable form so well, it's unbelievable. Either of you have any thoughts on how to get out? The best I can see us do is trying to cut through." Jotaro asked, glancing back at them while keeping a sideways eye on the advancing clouds. Josuke looked at the wall before nodding at the two.
"My strategy's a bit different. I prefer to 'break' my way through instead of 'cut'." Josuke told them before summoning his Stand. DORA! It roared as it busted down a nearby wall and creating a large hole. Josuke quickly jumped through, looking back at them. "Come on! The wall's gonna reform!"
Jotaro and Issei didn't hesitate, quickly following him inside before Crazy Diamond repaired the wall and cut off the steam clouds. "This will at least buy us some-" Josuke started as he looked further into the room. He immediately hitched his breath as steaming machine blew a cloud directly into his face.
"He had a heating machine in here too?!" Jotaro proclaimed as the steam started to form around the tall teen and slip inside his mouth.
"Josuke!" Jotaro and Issei cried out in fear, watching as Aqua Necklace cackled as it slipped inside of Josuke's mouth.
"I've won! I knew you'd destroy the wall to escape the steam!" Angelo laughed cockily, continuing to slither further down. "Horse races, exams, all that shit! I'm always right! I'm feelin' real lucky! I'm gonna enjoy rippin' you inside out!" He disappeared further into Josuke's mouth, making him gag and fall to his knees.
"It's over…" Jotaro mumbled, sweating in fear as he stood helpless.
"J-Josuke! Y-you gotta be okay! C-come on!" Issei teared up, knealing down next to his best friend. He was utterly helpless, unable to heal or stop the Stand from killing Josuke. All he could do was watch as the tall teen was basically dying in front of him. But hope was not lost, for Josuke started to cough something up.
"Y-you're wrong, Angelo…" Josuke grunted, having trouble speaking. Jotaro and Issei widened their eyes as they watch Josuke glow with the power of his own Stand. "Even if you can guess what I do, you're still wrong." He declared as his Stand appeared above him. Immediately Josuke finally choked out what looked like a rubber glove, grabbing it with Crazy Diamond.
"Guwaaa~!" Angelo cried out through his Stand, stuck inside the glove and unable to escape.
"C-caught him." Josuke smirked, holding the glove up in front of him.
"Josuke! You bastard!" Issei cried out, smiling happily as a couple tears escaped his eyes. "You scared the shit outta me!"
"Sorry for worrying you guys." Josuke apologized, catching his breath a bit after all the choking. "I swallowed the glove earlier in case he was able to get in." He walked up to the window and opened it wide, looking out to see if he could spot Angelo as he did this:
DORARARARA~! His Stand growled as it shook the glove rather violently. In his tree, Angelo found himself thrown back and forth in the air like he was being swished around before flying up into the air at high speeds.
"Uwaaa~!" He cried out in pain as he fell to the ground and landed rather harshly.
"So he's been watching us from right there, huh?" Jotaro mused with narrowed eyes. Issei jumped out of the window and grinned.
"Let's go say hello!" He told them, running forward. Josuke smirked and followed him out, knowing there was no escaping for Angelo now and content with taking his time.
"Shit, shit! I can't believe he caught me…" Angelo mumbled to himself, trying to push up to his feet. He stopped for a moment when he felt a presence behind him, looking to see Josuke, Issei and Jotaro already looming over him.
"D-damn it!" He cried out, jumping up and attempting to run away. Josuke merely held the glove containing the Stand up before thrashing it back and forth. Angelo immediately flew up in the air before violently hitting the ground.
"You must be Angelo." Josuke said, walking up to him with his hands in his pockets, Jotaro and Issei following shortly after him. The serial killer started to laugh, though with an obvious fearful edge to it as he pointed at Josuke.
"H-hey, you… you don't think you're gonna kill me, do you?" Angelo asked, still laughing rather darkly. "E-even if I'm the worst criminal in Japan, only the law has the right to prosecute and find me guilty! You guys can't judge me!" He started to laugh confidently, looking Josuke dead in the eyes, who looked on almost bored as he spoke. "Josuke! Just because I killed your grandpa, doesn't mean you can just kill me! If you do, you'll be just like -" His rant was cut short when Crazy Diamond punched Angelo's pointed finger, breaking it like a twig before smashing it into a rock behind Angelo.
"Don't you know it's rude to point?" Josuke asked, staring down at him apathetically as the criminal shook, looking at his hand. It had now fused with the rock, looking unrecognizable and completely morphed.
"Wh-what the hell?! What did you do to my hand?! It's part of the fuckin' rock now!" Angelo cried out in shock, unable to make sense of what just happened to him.
"Nobody's going to kill you. Not us or even the Japanese government." Josuke declared, causing Issei to raise a brow. Jotaro seemed to understand though, tilting the brim of his hat down.
"Josuke, he's all yours." He told the tall teen, crossing his arms patiently. Angelo shivered in fear, trying to crawl back from him but running into the boulder that sat behind him.
"Wh-what are you gonna do? Huh?!" Angelo cried out, holding his normal hand up in surrender.
"Not too long ago, I found out I'm no good at killin' people." Josuke admitted, Jotaro raising a brow in question while Issei gave a more understanding look. "So at first I had no idea what I was gonna do once I found you. But I eventually figured it out. So you should be happy. Because you're gonna live on forever. We'll be seein' you forever, living as a memorial to those you've killed along with my grandpa."
"N-n-no!" Angelo cried out before he was punched at speeds he couldn't even process.DORARARARARARARARAAAA~! Crazy Diamondroared as it laid into Angelo mercilessly, smashing him into the rock. As soon as the rock shattered, it reformed into Angelo's body and quite literally fused with the murderer.
"And done. You and the stone are now one." Josuke smirked, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Now you can live forever in this town."
"Man, you really got creative with how to avoid killing people, huh?" Issei whistled with a chuckle, proud to see that his best friend was able to handle the situation without killing Angelo. Although for many people this was probably a fate worse than death. Jotaro let out a grunt, walking up to the mess of a former human being.
"Since you can still talk, I've got a couple questions to ask." Jotro declared, pulling attention to himself from the boys. "Like how did you become a Stand user?" He asked, causing both boys to raise a brow in question.
"F-fuck! Why you wanna know about that?" Angelo griped, glancing down at the glove containing his Stand. If I can buy some time…
"You're not a born Stand user, right? How did you become one?" Jotaro questioned again, narrowing his eyes at the serial killer. Angelo raised a brow before starting to cackle weakly, moving his Stand across the ground as little as possible.
"Y-you wanna know, huh? I'll tell you… They'll kill you eventually on their own!" Angelo spat. "The one who changed me into a Stand user was a student! Last year, before my execution, I was just waitin' for it all to end. But then, one night, this student came into my cell! I don't know how or why, but he shot me with an arrow." Josuke's eyes widened in realization, remembering the story that Sona had given him only weeks before. "You probably think I'm crazy or dreamin', but he did! Right into my head!"
"You're already crazy as hell as it is, so it makes sense." Issei huffed, looking down at the man with disgust.
"Continue. I'll decide whether or not I believe you." Jotaro encouraged, listening rather intently to the story.
"I thought I was dead for sure, but I was still alive. He pulled the arrow out of my head and walked away, sayin' that I could be useful to him. But that there was someone else that wanted to speak to me first."
"Someone else?" Josuke repeated with a raised brow. "Who?" Angelo started to slowly cackle again as his Stand got in a good enough position and glowed. Suddenly a magic circle formed in front of his morphed body, causing the three to widen their eyes in shock.
"The person who gave me the power to do this~!" He laughed.
"What the hell is that?" Jotaro mumbled, but both Issei and Josuke knew.
"Th-this bastard's a devil!" Josuke cried out, preparing to attack with Crazy Diamond again. It was too late though, a flame being launched toward the glove to free it from its hold.
"He's trying to free his Stand!" Jotaro declared, sweat running down his brow.
"Not on my watch!" Issei growled, raising his arm. Sacred Gear! He called out, his red bracer taking form. He quickly swung his arm, a green glow igniting and negating the fire before it could hit. Angelo gaped in shock, growling and fuming over the outcome.
"Sh-shit! You're a devil too?! What the fuck!" He groaned in anger, losing his chance to be free.
"Nice going, Issei." Josuke said, giving him a thumbs-up. Jotaro refocused on Angelo, glaring at the killer now.
"So you're a devil servant now. I guess there is no avoiding the subject anymore. Yare yare daze." Jotaro sighed shaking his head. "But that makes this even worse. Someone is turning them into Stand users then apparently turning them into you devils."
"I-it's not us! I swear!" Issei defended, though Jotaro nodded easily in understanding.
"I'm sure there are more of you than just the group I've met." Jotaro turned back to Angelo and narrowed his eyes. "If that's so, then who's the person who turned you into a devil?"
"Hah! Like I'd tell you assholes! I'd never betray my mistress! She'll come for me~!" Angelo cackled again. Jotaro sighed, knowing they most likely wouldn't get more out of him from that point on.
"Well at least I know how Dio received his Stand. But now I've got more questions than answers." Jotaro sighed. Suddenly the three heard a young boy scream, looking back to see the glove was now grabbing a young boy in rain gear by the back of his neck and starting to crawl in his mouth.
"Hah! You were so distracted by the fact that I'm a devil, I was able to grab that kid!" Angelo cackled manically, though still having trouble breathing thanks to his current situation. "Now get me the hell outta here!"
"Well, I still hate you honestly." Josuke sighed, pulling a comb from his shirt and starting to brush his hair. "So I don't really wanna." Josuke knew they were in control of the situation. Angelo's hostage was safe for now, and both Jotaro and Josuke were too fast for him to do much. He knew that.
"You still have time to worry about that chicken cock shit hair of yours?! If you don't get me outta here, I'm gonna kill that brat!" Angelo screamed at them, Issei widening his eyes in horror. Jotaro had never seen it before, raising a brow as the tall teen took a step forward.
"What'd you just say about my hair?" Josuke growled quietly, his eyes filled with fire.
"Josuke, remember the kid!" Issei tried to reason, but knew it was too late to do anything now. Josuke had been triggered.
"What's the big-" Jotaro started but without another word Crazy Diamond pounded Angelo even further into the rock, completely fusing his body. When the Stand withdrew its attack, Josuke turned around to leave, the glove around the boy's neck falling harmlessly off of him. Angelo on the other hand was completely gone, his face being the only image that could be viewed in the morphed rock face.
"Damn…" Issei muttered, staring at the rather disturbing sight.
"What the hell was that?" Jotaro asked quietly, glancing at Josuke from behind. The tall teen merely finished combing his hair before putting it away.
"Sorry, I just wasn't angry enough before. Guys like him should be embedded in stone." Josuke stated simply, walking toward his house. The rain started to stop, the sun shining through small rips in the clouds.
"Sorry about that." Issei apologized, rubbing the back of his head. "We kinda forgot in all this time to tell you about Josuke's trigger. He doesn't like anyone mentioning his hair in a bad way."
Jotaro stared at Josuke from behind as he walked away, victorious in gaining his vengeance for his grandfather. The veteran Stand user let out a deep sigh before following after him. "Yare yare daze. I thought the most dangerous thing about him was his Stand. Turns out it's his personality."