880The night of the battle was tense for everyone. It wasn't hard to see them, off in the distance. A monster who kept the shape of his former humanity walked among the creatures of Grimm, laughing and pushing them forward. Trees were felled by their footsteps and villages were burnt out behind them, leaving nothing but the charred, hollowed remains of what once was the expansive network of Kingdom Colonies in their wake. The land seemed to be blighted by their very presence, rotting away under their horrendous march, a stampede of black ink washing across the countryside as they marched for the last bastion of human and Faunus presence on the continent; a little riverside village that had been dwarfed by the once great towns and estates that had, formerly, dotted the landscape.
The Mistrali village of Morioh would be where they dug in their heels and resisted. It had to be; there was no other choice. All other terrain had been taken, all other settlements had been overrun. If Morioh fell, then the monster would cross the sea and bring his terror to the Four Kingdoms. This was humanity's last stand before that apocalypse could be brought about.
Death had already visited them, decimated their numbers. Not at the hands of Grimm or the hands of the monster, but their own hands. An arrow clutched in their grasp they had stabbed into their breast… and many had fallen for doing so, dead as their souls were torn asunder. The handful that lived stood now, watching the approaching horde. Few had been battle-hardened soldiers or scouts; after all, those had been the first to fall in the monster's march to cleanse humanity from the face of Remnant. They were blacksmiths and butchers, the poor and the rich, the young and the old. Anyone who survived the Test of The Arrow marched forward to face their destiny. Without training, without expectations of survival. They dared not say it aloud, as if the words themselves would shatter what small courage they had plucked up, but all knew it in their hearts that it was true.
They were scared.
Even Speedwagon was afraid.
After all, why shouldn't he be? Speedwagon was one of the people on the continent who had damn near lost everything he had ever held dear to him over this past month of chaos and destruction. Robert wasn't the most upstanding citizen in the Valish Quarters of the various colonies, granted; he had killed his fair share of men merely for looking like they were rich and had some money on them. He and his gang of hoodlums would haunt the streets of various cities and look to take their marks for everything they were worth… even if it meant taking their heads while they were at his.
His hat, which had become his signature over time, still had blades resting in its rim, his weapon of choice that had spilled more than its fair share of blood. Yet despite his own experience and influence, none of it mattered even in the slightest. The monster had run roughshod over everything, even after having been beaten once. He'd come roaring back like a nightmare and, with a massive force of Grimm at his beck and call, had managed to lay waste to the land. The place he had called his home for his entire life was just… gone. He wished it could be said that he'd lost it in the blink of an eye but… no. The Grimm didn't work like that. The Grimm had taken everything from him and from the people he'd known slowly and painfully.
All the struggle, all the resistance and all the loss came down to this one moment. All of it would come down to this last moment, this last struggle. This podunk little town that he hadn't even heard of until they were driven back here. So, of course, he was afraid and of course everyone else who had survived the test was afraid. To look at this monster of a man in the face, to see the army he led, was to look death itself in the eyes.
Yet despite his nature, despite his darker impulses and despite the cowardly way he'd lived his life, Robert Speedwagon did not flee. He didn't think of it even for a moment. Why?
Because of the man who stood before all of them. The man who stood facing the coming wave of terror and destruction, upright and tall, without a hint of worry or fear. A man who stood for all that was just but merciful. A man who had given even Speedwagon a second chance, despite his attempt to brutally maim him for little more than his coat and the money he might've pocketed. A man who had taken every risk, every fight with this monster and had managed to come out on top. A man who stood for all that was good… not just in the world, but what had been good in his father.
A goodness, a purity of heart and soul, that had been passed down his family line. The merciful and heroic nature of these men, bound to their very blood, shined brightly to all who witnessed them. One that led him to leave no man behind and to leave no risk to others that he would not take himself. The first to pass the Test of The Arrow when Zeppeli had yet lived and, now, the first to stand, ready to fight for everything good and decent. A man that Robert Speedwagon admired above all others… for he stood for the best in the human and Faunus spirit.
That man turned to them all, his blue-hair blowing in the breeze, those blue eyes that shined as they took them all in. Everyone stood at attention when the man they'd all chosen to follow to this moment, come Hell or high water, turned to speak to them.
He would lead him through this.
He would defeat that monster and banish his memory to the darkest corners of Remnant where he belonged.
Because it had been what Jonathan Joestar had promised them… and JoJo always kept-
"Okay, I'm sorry, I don't mean to keep interrupting but the longer this goes on, the less these guys even sound like real people."
Koichi flinched at that, Okuyasu's hackled being raised as Weiss interjected, the white-haired young woman just looking on in bland disbelief at the entire situation. Even though everyone was trying their best to sit by and listen to this, admittedly, rather gripping story… Weiss' sentiment wasn't exactly uncommon among everyone gathered to listen to Koichi and Okuyasu explain the story of Morioh's family and the Joestar Curse.
"Weiss, come on, you can't go sayin' stuff like that! This is Jonathan Joestar we're talking about here, you know! Show a little respect." Okuyasu remarked, scratching at the back of his head. Despite Okuyasu's usually stubborn and sometimes irreverent displays when it came to things like manners, respect and authority, Okuyasu was not kidding around here or being sarcastic. Referring to Jonathan Joestar in such a way did seem to unsettle the teenager and make him uncomfortable. Weiss, despite this, just heaved a sigh as he looked at the two Morioh-born teenagers.
"I'm trying to, really I am." Though even Weiss could admit, as the story went on, it was getting increasingly harder and harder to try. "It's just… come on." Weiss flailed her arms out there, the young woman exasperated by everything as Okuyasu just crossed his arms.
"'Come on', what? Be a bit more specific." Well at the very least Okuyasu's stubborn streak hadn't gone anywhere. "What exactly about all of this seems so unrealistic, exactly?"
"Can we start with the part where a guy nearly sawed one of his arms in half with a deadly weapon and he didn't immediately cave his head in?" Blake remarked, glancing up at Okuyasu after taking a moment to think over the best response. Okuyasu gasped in surprise at that, the teenager blown away by the comment, before Nora stepped in.
"Yeah, that's definitely what Jotaro would do… he did do it, even. Multiple times. I saw it… it was pretty cool." Nora commented idly, the young woman giving a slight nod as Ren stroked his chin.
"Given what we've seen of the rest of the Joestar family it does seem… very, very magnanimous on Jonathan's part to just let Speedwagon off like that. Even the speech and reason the story gives seems…" Ren slowed down as he tried to think of the best possible way to phrase this.
"A bit much?" Pyrrha suggested as Okuyasu just glanced over at her, a look of stinging betrayal on his face as she just bowed her head. "I'm sorry!" Koichi just sheepishly scratched at the back of his head, the much smaller teenager looking out at the crowd of people as he took a breath.
"Look, maybe it does sound a little… unlikely. Especially with the way Jotaro and Joseph can act." Okuyasu nodded, though he seemed far more hesitant about the latter point. "Still, it's all true! Jonathan had been the one to first beat DIO… and then when DIO returned with his Grimm horde, Jonathan Joestar beat him again! He only died… well, in circumstances that'd become more clear later." Neither Koichi nor Okuyasu had exactly wanted to get into the nitty-gritty of how exactly Jonathan had died, especially given its ties to the body that DIO had walked around with for all those years. "A lot of the story might seem a bit much but everyone knows those parts of it are true and, well, those parts of it show just how much of a hero Jonathan was. So it's not that unlikely." Koichi insisted as Okuyasu just nodded.
"Yeah, for real. Yeah, some of Jonathan's family might have… y-you know, rough edges." Okuyasu remarked, the teen scratching his scars awkwardly as everyone thought to the eccentric Joseph Joestar and… well, everything about Jotaro. "Still, you guys know Josuke, and he's a lot like him if you ask me!"
"... Okuyasu we've seen Josuke beat the tar out of someone for insulting his hair. Josuke's a little out there too, sometimes."
"... Okay, bad example." Okuyasu admitted as Weiss leaned forward.
"We're not trying to pick apart every little thing, Okuyasu, Koichi. We believe you guys about the broad outlines of this. We've seen and heard enough to know that a lot of this is true." Morioh's isolation, Jonathan's sacrifices, the Arrow, the last stand. All of it had been ingrained in the minds of the Four Kingdom hunters of the group here. They understood and well and truly believed these aspects of Morioh's story. "Still, if this is a story about Jonathan Joestar, how the curse started and about this hero you all have… well… it's just hard to believe all of this stuff about him, Speedwagon and his family. Jotaro, Josuke, Joseph, the rest of the family we've heard about and met. Sure they're a bit out there and weird but, well, Jonathan's on a whole other level from what you're describing… and his father even more so."
"Really; if DIO was this evil from such a young age then it seems negligent that Jonathan's father didn't notice anything about it. It just doesn't fit with a man who would be that good to let evil like that go unnoticed in his household… or that he'd treat Jonathan like that." Jaune had been upfront with his thoughts, the young man trying to go a bit softer than Weiss had even as he pounded the point home. Okuyasu seemed flustered by all of this, the scarred teen crossing his arms and sitting there as he tried to think of the words to fight back with, to argue against all of these points.
"Well… we don't know what to tell you, then." Koichi said, the young man just shrugging his shoulders as he leaned back. "This is the story we've passed down ever since Jonathan died and ever since Speedwagon led Morioh. It's what everyone knows and, well, the Joestars haven't exactly said anything to the contrary." Koichi awkwardly scratched his cheek. The fact was that what his friends were saying made a lot of sense. They were right; a lot of the details didn't fit together. It didn't make sense that George Joestar was such a good man, such a shining exemplar and a razor wit himself, and yet could let something as noxious as DIO into his household. That he could be so easily manipulated and especially against his son, Jonathan, who everyone else had found so easy to love and so easy to see the man in.
Still… even if he could see their point, he couldn't agree with it. Couldn't reconcile with it. It'd been the only story they'd ever known about Morioh and its Hero, about its legendary family. Even if the other Joestars didn't live up to Jonathan's character in direct ways, even if they could be flawed themselves… Koichi also saw the inherent heroism inside all of them. The goodness that the stories described. Even at the Breach, he'd seen it… Hell, especially at the Breach, he'd seen it. Josuke had been so ready to give up his own life to save people, to save everyone he could, that they hadn't even realized that was his plan until it was almost too late. He was ready to die for them… and at that moment Josuke had seemed to match every bit the legend of Jonathan Joestar.
He couldn't believe anything otherwise.
"Yeah, Koichi is right." Okuyasu agreed with a firm nod. "If the story was anything different then Josuke or the others would just say so. So, whether it sounds unbelievable or not is pointless anyway! Cause the Joestars? They believe it!"
"So… you're saying a lot of that was a little exaggerated?
Yang tilted her head to the side as she continued to work over Josuke's hair. The pompadour style had disguised it for a lot of their time knowing each other but Josuke had a lot of hair; most of it was just tired up in maintaining that extremely large pomp. So working with his hair in order to try and style it to his liking was proving to be a bit more of a challenge than she might've originally figured. Still, Hell, she was Yang Xiao Long. A decade and more working with her absolutely massive head of hair had more than prepared her for this challenge!
What had proven more interesting, in her opinion, was listening to Josuke slowly but surely plot out the story of his ancestor, this Jonathan Joestar's, story. It started off sounding, well, to be frank, kind of cheesy and bombastic. It wasn't that she didn't believe certain events of it, Hell she'd seen her fair share of crazy of the course of these past several months. Something would have to get pretty far out there now in order to get her to not believe it. No, the thing that seemed cheesy and out there, to her, was less what was going on and more… well, the descriptions of Jonathan Joestar and Speedwagon themselves.
Josuke was a hot mess of being super brave, very kind and extremely just… but she couldn't even see him acting like this. Hell, she'd seen him get royally pissed and beat the everloving shit out of someone. If he were in the old man's shoes with Speedwagon, she doubted Speedwagon would be walking out of there with a whole jaw. This Speedwagon guy also sounded like a trip. He sicked an entire mob of mangy criminals literally crawling out of the woodwork to get to Jonathan and yet the two of them made up as soon as it was clear that Jonathan wasn't beating Speedwagon as severely as he could…
Because… reasons? It was a trip, needless to say, and one that made Jonathan and Speedwagon sound more like superheroes than people. Still, Yang had understood why Josuke had started there; if Josuke and his mom were in on slightly more subdued versions of these secrets due to her relationship with Joseph, then it made sense to start with the overblown and crazy versions, right? Josuke had thought much the same, the young man focusing in on telling the story to ignore the twitchy instincts to defend his hair that perked up every now and then.
Really, he hadn't let anyone other than his mom style his hair, could you blame him for feeling a bit defensive on instinct? Still, focus on the story, less on slapping her hands away was the game plan for the young Higashikata/Joestar.
"Well 'a little' I guess depends on your own definitions." Josuke admitted as he scratched his cheek at that, chuckling at that as Yang worked over a lock of his hair before slowly geling it into place. "Truth is that, from what mom could gather, a lot of the story was kind of… well, overblown in certain aspects. Things were exaggerated to give them slightly more… I dunno, mythical, I guess is the word?"
"Mythical sounds good."
"Right, then we'll go with that." Josuke resisted the urge to nod his head in agreement as he continued on. "Point is, Robert Speedwagon wanted the Joestar family to feel larger than life. Things in Morioh were tense, especially after Jonathan died. Setting up this living legend that the village could rally around, and when people found out Erina was pregnant could rally around his son, was important for keeping things from falling apart. So things had to be… buffed up a bit." Josuke said with a nod as Yang looked down at him.
"Speedwagon actually told Joseph all this?" She remarked, tilting her head to the side. "That sounds like the kind of thing I'd want to take to the grave, if you ask me."
"He kind of had to tell Joseph, if you think about it. If the point was giving Morioh a grand story to keep close to the chest, then Joseph would have to be the person to keep it up, right?" Josuke remarked as he folded his arms. "I don't exactly like the idea of it but… well, what mom heard wasn't all that bad as far as changes go. It wasn't like they lied about much."
"How do you mean?" Yang asked, working his hair over with a come in the back to help her get ready to set the distinctive pattern.
"Well, let's take George Joestar, Jonathan's dad, right?" Josuke started off, raising his hand up to count Georgeo ff of his finger. "The story goes that George was just so noble and believed so much in people and wanted to believe the best in them that he couldn't see the faults in them, like with the Brandos, and that he wanted Jonathan to live up to his example."
"Right, yeah. That always sounded kind of weird. Like, with how… I don't mean to be insulting, so forgive me but, you know, stupidly evil the Brandos sounded-"
"No insult taken, that's a pretty apt description." Josuke remarked, causing Yang to giggle at the resigned tone of his voice of his as she continued.
"-right, good. Anyway, with how evil they sounded… well it kind of makes George come off like he's got a few screws loose for believing them or trusting them… or that maybe he wasn't all there if he could get tricked so easily." Yang's comfort increased as she went on, Josuke nodding slowly.
"I can't speak for the older Brando but… well… Dio is another story." Josuke shrugged his shoulders. "Still, your point stands, and it's part of kind of exaggerating George's goodness. The way Erina and Speedwagon passed it down to Joseph, and him to my mom, George's… strict nature was kind of undersold and given a more noble bearing." Josuke looked forward to the wall, resting his chin in his hand. "He really expected a lot out of Jonathan. He was his only son and the heir to his entire estate and the Joestar family name. He wanted the best out of him, alright, but his prodding and poking was less about bringing what he knew to be there in Jonathan and more to… force it in, you know?"
"Sounds like an old-fashioned sort of guy." Yang muttered; a parent who tried to teach their children how to act through strict instruction. "Still, why be so rough on Jonathan in the first place? He sounds like a pretty amazing kid, if you ask me. Like Ruby but, you know, a giant." She said with a chuckle as Josuke smiled a bit.
"Ruby is pretty remarkable in her own rights but she's still a pretty normal kid in a lot of ways." Yang nodded, relenting to this reality as Josuke sighed. "Which… was Jonathan's thing. The stories kind of exaggerate what Jonathan was like as a kid and even into his young adulthood. He was… just kind of normal." Yang looked down at him at that as Josuke lifted his hand to count off his fingers again. "Like he wanted to box but was apparently pretty bad at it, liked riding horses but wasn't the best at it, he could eat like a slob according to Erina, which you have to imagine-"
"Yeah, the old man probably hated that one." Josuke nodded in agreement as Yang stepped in to remark.
"He wasn't especially well liked either. He had some kids he hung out with to box and stuff but… well, you know, he didn't fit in exactly, part of his upbringing. He got the nicknames he did mostly out of familiarity but, otherwise, a lot of people were more than willing to knock the rich kid down."
"Sounds… yeah, like a normal kid. George probably wanted more than normal though."
"... Yeah, it sounds like it." Josuke shrugged his shoulders. "It's another change I don't have too much of a problem with because… well, Jonathan was still a good guy. Like, really, fundamentally a good person. Even the story of how he met Speedwagon underlines this, even when you strip away some of the… sillier elements."
"Oh yeah?" Yang asked, working at creating the distinctive spikes at the back of Josuke's pomp as he leaned his head forward to give her more room.
"Yeah, it does. You see, the way my mom told me it growing up, a lot of it starts the same. Jonathan heads to this rundown part of the city after figuring out what's been making his dad sick. He's looking for a way to treat him and the guy who's been selling Dio the poison. Meanwhile-
Robert Speedwagon huffed a bit, raising the rim of his coat up around his cheeks in order to try and keep the wind off of his face. Gods above, he absolutely hated doing stings in the winter. It was probably the worst part of casing the streets, aside from running into the odd, dumb bastard who wouldn't just hand over the goods to avoid a fight. At least in the latter he could warm up by throwing fists, even in the dead of winter. Hanging around and waiting for somebody to show up, however, didn't exactly leave a lot of room for a man to warm himself up, especially if he was sitting in some dark, dingy alley…
Which, hey, wouldn't you know?
Still… part of running a gang well, and keeping your boys loyal, was sharing in their suffering. If he just kept sending his boys out to mug people on their own while he sat cozy and warm in some house or tavern, then that might build up a little resentment. People respected leaders who shared in their suffering; it was a cheap and easy way to build up morale.
Even if it was a fucking pain in his ass. Oh, what he would give for even a fire pit with some hot coals to stand by right about now. Still, even that would give his position away. It had to be quick, quiet and discreet for him to get the jump on whatever sadsacks ending up showing up today. If you hit them with the element of surprise, they were more likely to just fold immediately and give up, after all.
Which, really, was what he generally wanted. It not only kept him and his boys safe but… well, frankly, he wasn't that big of a fan of decking it to people. He'd do it to survive in this rundown, shitshow of a city, of course, but it never sat exactly right with Speedwagon. Speedwagon cupped his hands and heaved a hot breath into them, rubbing them together to keep warm as they waited it would be worth it, he assured himself, when someone came by… and he was about to be proven right.
A very fancy carriage pulled up at the end of the street, something from the ritzier part of town, surely. You never saw them carriages round these parts because, generally, the rich and idle knew better than to swing by neighborhoods like Speedwagons. They'd send their attendants or servants to go pick up something if they really wanted something illicit, after all. They certainly wouldn't advertise themselves by riding in something so opulent, either.
It must've been someone from out of town, Speedwagon had reasoned to himself, and the second the bloke stepped out of the carriage Robert realized he was spot on. He didn't recognize him ,for one, and by the Gods Robert Speedwagon was pretty damn familiar with most of the rich bastards in this city. Secondly he didn't dress up like someone from around these parts. A warm cloak was laid across his shoulders, broad and strong but leading down into a trim figure that suggested someone from the country. Fancy boots stepped and crunched into the snow beneath the carriage as he jumped out, and atop of his head was a woolen hat, decorated with some small designs as it was pulled down over his ears, only a few tufts of blue hair peeking out from underneath it.
Blue eyes looked out over the street, careful and slow, before he turned back to the driver.
"You said this was the street, right?" The young man spoke, purposeful and driven, as the driver just nodded.
"Should be around these parts, sir. You'll find nowhere more rundown and crime-ridden then this here shithole."
Robert would've taken offense… if not for the fact that he was about ready to get out and mug this guy, of course. The young man, around his age if he wasn't mistaken, nodded and handed off a small amount of money to the driver, sending him off before turning to look down the street. The young man paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady himself and work up his confidence before marching forward.
Right into Speedwagon's trap.
"Evening, sir!" The young man almost immediately stopped as Speedwagon spoke up, the blond man keeping a hand on the rim of his hat as he stepped out from the shadows. Right on queue the two members of his jolly gang stepped out from their own hiding spaces, cutting off the young gentleman's avenues for escape as they did so. Robert watched he man closely, keeping an eye out for any sign he might try to bolt or try to do something very, very stupid.
Instead what he saw was a consternated, if resigned, expression as he just rubbed at the bridge of his nose.
"Of-fucking-course…" He seemed to mutter, the young man shaking his head before he raised his head back up to look at Speedwagon. There was still a grim sort of determination there, despite his exasperation, as he fixed Speedwagon with a hard look from those blue eyes of his. "What do you want? I've got places I need to go and I honestly don't have a lot of time to waste."
"Oh, straight to the point. Quite like it when marks get down to business like that. It never exactly feels great to have to talk them through the panic, after all." Speedwagon smiled; this could actually turn out to be a very fine little transaction. He and his boys would make a big score with this guy and, given his temperament, he'd let them have it without much hassle. After all, he didn't have time to waste! "Alright then mister, if you want to get this done so quick, hand over your wallet, your coat and your boots. I've leave ya with the rest; wouldn't want you too far out in the cold, after all."
"I see. You'll leave me stranded here with no money, no boots and no coat, but more than that would be too much?" Robert almost laughed at that; the sardonic, sarcastic remark had tickled him.
"You get the idea. I'd say sorry but, well, we all have to eat, after all. Now, if you'll be so kind…" Robert extended out his hand, keeping his other on the rim of his hat. His other boys, to help encourage the young man to just play along, pulled out pocket knives, ensuring that he knew he didn't have an out here. The young man just watched them all for a moment, his blue eyes looking over each of them. For a second Robert was actually a little anxious; would this come down to a fight after all, he wondered?
…
The blue haired fellow sighed as he reached underneath his jacket, pulling out a coin purse and tossing it over Speedwagon's way. The criminal just smiled, catching it out of the air and popping it open to check its contents. Sure enough, this would be a very nice score. Plenty of money to go around for this job here and they hadn't even looked into fencing that cloak or the boots.
"I need something out of my cloak first. I don't really care about the rest of it, I'll find a way around it, but it's the one thing you can't have." Robert nodded his head slowly, closing the coin purse as he did. A fine enough trade, he supposed; if this bloke was going to be so good about playing along then he could definitely let him keep something out of this. Hell, maybe toss a few coins his way for a carriage back to wherever he came from. Speedwagon was feeling generous.
…
The good feelings immediately turned to some unease when he saw what, exactly, the young man pulled from his pocket; a small packet, familiar to Speedwagon's eyes. It was thin but, even from where he was standing, he could hear the grinding of silt in there, the thin grains.
"I have to admit, I was about ready to hear out your request there, sir. Now you've got me curious; what's a rich boy like you doing with a packet like that. Pretty sure I know what's inside it too." Robert readjusted his hat, hand back on its rim, as the two men looked each other in the eye.
"Not really your damn business so long as you get everything else, right?" The young man remarked, removing his cloak from his shoulders.
"Well I have a tendency to make things my business, all the same to you, sir. After all, someone carrying around a packet of poison should worry anyone with sense." The young man bit his lip at that, clearly frustrated at being called out like that. Still, he mustered through it, folding up his cloak as he did so.
"Whatever… I'm here looking for whoever would sell this poison. I want to have a few words with them." The man insisted, stubbornly refusing to say much more. When Speedwagon glanced at his boys, and those boys raised their knives, the young man became even more frustrated. "My father's been poisoned by this shit and I'm here to figure out who sold the poison and what the cure is. Happy?"
…
Now.
Speedwagon knew his response should've been that this was a 'likely story'. That suuure, he was just here to make sure his father was cured or whatever. That he wasn't here to poison someone or, more likely, to get more…
However, looking at the expression in this man's eyes, the determination that shone through, the hard edge that unsettled even Speedwagon, the purse of his lips…
Speedwagon couldn't help it.
He believed him.
"Someone's poisoning your old man, sir?" Speedwagon asked, his blond hair shifting across his shoulders as he tilted his head to the side, curiously.
"I just said… yes. Yes, someone is poisoning my father."
"You have any idea, or am I to just assume you figured out one without the other?" The young man bit his lip at that, seeming to be getting tired of Speedwagon's insistent questions or his games.
"My brother, alright?" Speedwagon had to admit; that was kind of a gutpunch. "Now can you please just shut up and take my stuff? I honestly don't care what you want or what'll make you get the Hell out of my way, I need to get to whoever sold this to him and force him to hand over some kind of antidote before my father ends up dead."
He was serious. He really was willing to just give up whatever he needed to get this done. He was dead set and determined to get to the man who sold this poison in order to save his father. Speedwagon probably could've asked for the shirt off of his back and he would've handed it over…
The only thing he was certain he couldn't ask for was the poison. No, that gritty determination almost certainly foretold a terrible fate for Speedwagon and his men, even if they did take him down, if they tried. It didn't matter what he had to give up… or what he'd have to do. He was going to get his father an antidote…
…
His brother. Poisoning their father?
Speedwagon stood there for a moment, his lips twitching and his brow furrowing in thought. It was a long moment, tense and pulse pounding, as Speedwagon's men waited for a sign, any sign at all, from their boss.
The sign they ended up getting was a surprise; Speedwagon sighing as he tossed the young man's coin purse back to him, but to the blue-haired man's surprise, as Speedwagon turned to his two compatriots.
"Fellas… run off somewhere and get yourself warmed up. Sounds like this stranger and I have some business." Speedwagon reached into his pocket and pulled out some coins, throwing them over to his men as they just looked at him like he'd grown a second head.
"Er… sir, are you sure? I mean, he's right-"
"I'm sure. Now run along." They hesitated but, sure enough, the loyalty that Speedwagon had built among his men paid off. They nodded, understanding the order, before roaming on off to a tavern or who knows where. At that point, it didn't really matter to Speedwagon. The young man fixed him with a perplexed look.
"So, think I might know what you're looking for. There's basically only one guy to go to if you're looking to poison the rich and fancy, after all." Robert said, dipping his hat ever so slightly as the stranger just furrowed his brow, his gaze untrusting.
"So what? You nearly mug me, even for my shoes, and now you're just turning around and offering to help me?" It was a funny thing. The blue-haired fella's voice seemed to be a mix of distrust, naturally, but also strangely disbelief. As if he couldn't believe such a fortunate turn of good luck without immediately trying to pick it apart. It was a good instinct that, sadly, was wasted in this case.
"What can I say, my good man. Few things worse in this world than a son trying to poison his own father. Sickens me down to my guts. Inversely, nothing that warms the heart more than seeing somebody risking getting mugged in a dark alley in order to save their own flesh and blood." Speedwagon said with a laugh; the entire situation just seemed so out there but, well, the man's expressions really sold it, even if it seemed he didn't believe Speedwagon's words quite yet. "Listen; you need to find who sold this poison to get an antidote, and I know who probably did it. If you want to get back to your old man in a timely manner, you're going to want my help."
…
"Fine." Speedwagon grinned, watching as the blue-haired man placed his coin purse back into his pocket while placing refastening his coat.
"Splendid! Now then, I think introductions are in order. Robert Speedwagon's the name, though most folks just stick with Speedwagon." Robert dipped his hat off of his head, giving a short bow to Jonathan as the man just fixed him with an odd look that expressed more confusion than distress.
"... Jonathan Joestar. Now can we please move along." Jonathan, apparently, said quite firmly, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as Robert smiled.
"Now that's a fine name, any nicknames though? Perhaps JoJ-"
"Not on your life." Robert laughed at the reaction, Jonathan just pushing past him with a frustrated expression as Robert quickly followed up behind him.
"Well then, 'Jonathan', perhaps something a little more friendly for our venture?" An odd fellow… though really, that just made Speedwagon feel more familiar with him. After all, Robert was a pretty strange man himself, he recognized.
He had to wonder, idly, just where someone like this could come from...
Damn it all.
Perhaps not the proper thoughts of a lady but, Gods above, she just felt so… helpless. Terribly so. All because of a handful of ruffians. The Pendletons might not have been the richest family on the continent or even among the highest echelons of the wealthy and influential, but sadly what wealth they did have was still enough to draw upon the jealousies of some people. Being a young woman still coming into the prime of her life had also drawn its own unfavorable behavior from a certain… group of her peers.
"I told you these rich types were fuckin' weird. I mean, look at this! She's still playing with dolls!" Erina chewed on her bottom lip as she took a deep breath, standing up after having been pushed down trying to keep a hold of her doll. She took a moment to gather herself and to try to keep herself centered, closing her eyes for a moment before gently bowing to her two tormentors.
"Please, give her back, sirs. I don't want any trouble. Just let me go on my way back home and I won't say anything about all of this." It was humiliating. However, it was expected of her. She was a woman of the upper class, meant to be refined, gentle and, more importantly, polite. More than that, though, showing too much steel, too much of a reaction, might incline her bullies to further push her, trying to get more of a reaction out of her.
Her parents had raised her to be the very picture of a proper lady… even if they still indulged her taste for dolls as she grew older. She wanted her doll back, something her father had gotten her so recently, and she wanted to be left along. Frustrating as it was, keeping her emotions tapped down was just going to be the way to resolve this.
"Oh man, listen to her. Miss Hoity-Toity here talking like she's so much better than we are." Erina grimaced under her calm demeanor. Seemed like these fellows were just in a mood and looking to pick a fight. Well… whatever. She'd endure it and, if it got worse, she'd look for some kind of help. If things truly got worse, she'd be forced to try and defend herself… though truly, she didn't like her chances.
"HEY!"
Erina had been drawn out of her thoughts as she blinked, looking up the length of the dirt road she had been traversing before these two bullies had gotten in her way. Up the road, in a finely put together ensemble, a brown jacket over a dark blue vest and a dress shirt, marked by an ascot tied around his neck. A shock of blue hair and a pair of blue eyes marked him as being quite unusual… though that only helped Erina recognize him almost immediately. After all, such distinctive looks must've made this-
"Oh look, JoJo's crawled out of his daddy's mansion in order to mingle with us poor folk again!" One of Erina's tormentors crowed, the both of them laughing as the young man who she recognized as Jonathan Joestar, slightly thin and gangly but nonetheless fit, continued to walk down the street towards their confrontation, determination burning in his blue eyes. "Sorry to say there JoJo but the rest of the lads aren't boxing again till the weekend! If you want to get in on some fun you're more than free to join us." The two's gestures, more mocking than friendly, just seemed to upset Jonathan even more.
"Don't you two have anything better to do than pick on a girl?" Erina honestly couldn't help but feel… a bit relieved. Frustrating as the situation had been up until now, she didn't exactly have the tools to end it herself. Much as it might've been a bit laughable, having a Joestar of all people come to intervene on her behalf left her relieved; surely the situation would cool off and she could thank him for stepping in. "Just give her back her doll and get back home."
"Oh? What if we don't, JoJo?" One of the boys asked, leaning forward to loom slightly over Jonathan, the young man just frowning.
"I'll force you to if you don't."
"Oooh." The other one said, laughing as Erina sweat a bit, the situation not exactly cooling down as Jonathan Joestart seemed to be more confrontational than anything. "How exactly do you plan on making us do that? Calling your daddy down to-"
Before the taunt could even be finished Erina watched in stunned surprise as Jonathan Joestar threw a punch right into the kid's mouth. This was probably the first time in her life that Erina Pendleton had ever seen someone throw a suckerpunch. To see it come from someone with the pedigree of a Joestar was even more shocking. Still, Jonathan didn't hang around, using the surprise of the situation to throw more haphazard punches at the guy before, suddenly, being assaulted by his friend.
Those suckerpunches would turn out to be the only ones that Jonathan would land as he was quickly beaten down by the pair while Erina watched. As the violence got to be too much even the sense of propriety she'd been raised with couldn't stop her as she rushed forward, grabbing one of the ruffians and trying to pull him off.
"Stop already, you're going to hurt him!" Erina shouted before being shoved off, pushed down into the grass. Thankfully it seemed her cry had gotten them to stop, at the very least, leaving Jonathan groaning in the grass as they both stood up.
"Rich shithead, throwing a fuckin' punch like that. Feel lucky girly here start crying about it, Jonathan, when the club meets to box again you won't get off so easy." One of the ruffians tossed Erina's doll at Jonathan before leaving, the young man just rubbing at his face as a few bruises began to darken on his skin. As the bullies quickly made their way back down the road Erina watched, uncertain, as the young man slowly forced himself to sit on his ass, Jonathan Joestar reaching into his jacket to pull out… a little embroidered handkerchief. His name was patterned in one corner, while a series of galloping horses were patterned around the edge of the cloth. Jonathan raised it to his face, trying to dab at some bloody spots as the effort only caused him to flinch and abruptly pull his hand away.
"Um…" It seemed like Jonathan only just realized Erina was there, the young man turning to look up at her as she kept her hands folded in front of her. The entire display had been… confusing, to say the least. A strong showing of chivalry in the attempt to help her marred by a decidedly dishonorable first strike. Still… despite it, the young Pendleton couldn't help but feel grateful for the help at all. "My father's a doctor… he's shown me a few ways to help in situations like this. I think I can do that for you, if you wouldn't find that too forward." Erina curtseyed, mindful of her position in society and just how forward she was being for a young woman of her class.
Jonathan just seemed to look at her for a moment, those blue eyes of her fixed with momentary suspicion before he lifted the handkerchief up to her. As she kneeled down and took it, she began, much more gently, applying some pressure to a few of Jonathan's cuts. He still winced but her own light touch proved to be more bearable than his own, it seemed.
"Thank you for stepping in like that. It was… very brave of you." Erina remarked, not wanting to focus on how badly he'd gotten beaten up for his trouble. His blue eyes glanced up at her again, again measuring her, trying to get some feel on her, before he looked back forward.
"It's… fine. I would've done the same for anyone in trouble like that." He kept his eyes forward and away from her and, through the bruising, Erina couldn't exactly tell if he was red in the face or not. "It's what gentlemen are supposed to do when people are in trouble, my father says." Erina nodded; George Joestar would know a thing or two about that, to be certain. Despite the man's sometimes serious demeanor, George Joestar's charity and fine attitude were well known in the region.
"I'm not sure how throwing the first punch like that fits in…" Erina commented idly, blushing a bit at speaking so frankly as the young man just scratched the back of his head, looking down and somewhat forlorn at the obvious being pointed out. "S-Still! I think your father would be very proud of you, Mr. Joestar! You got them to stop bullying me and got my doll back! I think that should count for plenty!" Erina quickly said and, again, she was being so silly and so utterly inappropriate about these forward pronouncements. Still, the gesture did seem to work; Jonathan Joestar lifted his head as he glanced back at her, the turn of his head allowing her to work over the other side of his face.
"... You think so?"
"I'd find it very hard to believe he wouldn't." Erina quickly corrected herself, doing her best to bring herself back down. The words seemed to do the trick. The young man, while still withdrawn, reserved and quiet, held himself a little higher at that idea. It made sense; a lot of young men wanted to make their fathers proud. It was probably even more of a priority for boys of Mr. Joestar's rank and class. The two of them sat there for a moment, letting time crawl by as Erina treated Jonathan's injuries with his handkerchief.
"My name is Erina Pendleton. Thank you for helping me." She said, finally, a small bow of her head accompanying the gesture as Jonathan just nodded, the young man awkwardly shifting around in his seat.
"Jonathan Joestar… ignore what those asses called me. People who really know me well call me…
"Johnny."
"Jotaro… can I ask you something?"
Ruby had to admit, she was almost kicking herself for interrupting the story going on. It had been very interesting so far and she was enjoying it… though she did get the sense that maybe she wasn't supposed to be enjoying it. Though it was hard to get a sense of what all of this was for in the first place. Jotaro's kidnapping attempt, as she'd almost panickedly referred to it as initially, had turned out to be more of a recruitment effort. After The Breach a lot of Grimm had slipped into Vale by virtue of the wide open hole that had been left in the city's defenses and the distractions suffered by the Huntsmen and Huntresses meant to defend it. While most of them had been killed in the first wave as they had recklessly attacked positions and tried to overwhelm defenses… well, the Grimm weren't all reckless like that.
More than a handful of Grimm had slipped off into the wider city, taking advantage of the chaos in order to try and plant themselves among the population in hidden places. Abandoned buildings, warehouses and dark alleys where they could hide out and, on occasion, reach out and grab for some victims before disappearing again. It had been several of these disappearances and deaths, in fact, that had alerted everyone to the fact that, yes, there were still Grimm inside of the city. So an effort was being made to hunt them down and kill them all.
Part of that effort had included Jotaro… and now included Ruby. Crescent Rose had been equipped with a silencer; by Jotaro's logic, if there were Grimm that were high up or far away that they wanted to kill without drawing too much attention, picking them off from a distance was bound to cause less chaos and draw less attention to the threat then having Star Platinum wail on them loudly and distinctively. At first Ruby had even fully bought into the situation, happy to help and do her job after what a disaster The Breach had been.
When Jotaro had asked if she wanted to learn more about the Joestar Bloodline that he'd hinted at before Joseph arrived, she'd been positively ecstatic! Learning more about these heroic Hunters that Okuyasu and Koichi idolized and that she, herself, had seen the heroism time and time again? Learning about this dark secret that had only ever been hinted at? She'd been thrilled; killing Grimm and learning more about her friends sounded like a perfect afternoon.
The story had been… good. However, it was all qualified and weird. Jotaro would explain, shortly, how the story usually went. Instead of lingering there, though, he'd go into the story as the Joestars knew it and… well, it was kind of heartbreaking, all told.
The death of Jonathan's mother protecting him in the crash, the hard feelings that left in his father as he pushed Jonathan to be better, Jonathan's struggles with it. It, perhaps, wasn't the profile of perfection that Okuyasu and Koichi had prepared her for but, by the sound of it, they didn't know the story as well as the Joestars had. Which… had been the first uncomfortable thing about it.
The second had been hearing about Jonathan himself. How rough around the edges and difficult he could be. After a while of a few scarce Grimm being shot, Ruby began to wonder something…
"Mmm?" Jotaro muttered, looking over his shoulder at her as she frowned slightly, trying to find the right words for it.
"Ummm… well, is there a reason you're telling me all this now, Jotaro?" Ruby asked, chirping out her question as she rushed up to fall in line right behind him. "It's all very informative but… well, it seems a little weird, you know? Telling me this while we're working and… you know, like this?" Ruby just got the feeling that there was more to what Jotaro was trying to tell her. Something he was leaving unsaid… but Ruby wasn't much one for subtlety. She preferred to talk things out directly, to speak earnestly, after all. Jotaro just fixed her with a look for a moment, his brows furrowed, before he turned back ahead.
"Oyecomova. Why didn't you kill him when you had the chance?"
…
That had hit Ruby like a ton of bricks. The young woman didn't even really know how to respond. She choked for a moment, the silver-eyed girl trying her best to make sure her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. If Jotaro had actually asked her that question.
"I'm sorry… why… didn't I kill Oyecomova?"
"Yes. You had the opportunity. Why didn't you take it?" Ruby had to admit that she'd been flabbergasted by the question, the young woman just shaking her head at it.
"Because… I dunno. I didn't…" She frowned; she knew by the way Jotaro was saying this that he'd expected her to do it. That he was pushing as to why she didn't. It was hard to put a good reason to it, to make a compelling statement about why she didn't. However… well, she had one. She had one that was near to her heart.
She just knew how Jotaro would take it.
"Because we're Hunters. We don't kill humans, we kill monsters. We're heroes." She said, speaking true from her heart. Jotaro seemed to nod at that, the older man having basically expected that as he looked forward.
"I figured as much. 'Heroism.' I figured that'd be the answer after the trip out to Mountain Glenn and how the others spoke about you." Ruby blushed at that, opening her mouth for a moment. "It was flattering, don't worry." She sighed at that, even as Jotaro readjusted his cap. "That's the biggest part of the reason why we're out here. You need to learn just how dangerous that attitude is. How pointless it is. How much you put everyone at risk by not taking your chance with Oyecomova when you had it." Ruby frowned at that, the young woman kicking a rock at the two of them walked along.
"I mean… I probably should've done something to try and stop him, you're right." Ruby remarked, before shaking her head. "That wouldn't have to mean killing him. You left Roman Torchwick alive."
"Roman might be able to actually tell us something." Jotaro said, firmly, as Ruby stood up tall.
"Oyecomova could have too. I just… froze. I didn't think about it at the time so, yeah, I do need to do work. I just don't think we have to kill. It's not what being a Huntsman is." Ruby said, watching Jotaro move as the older man just heaved a sigh. "I mean, everyone describes you as a hero, Jo-"
"I'm not a hero, kid." Jotaro said, flatly, interrupting Ruby and looking down at her. "Not by their definition and especially not by yours."
…
"Have you killed people, Jotaro?" Ruby asked, the young woman being especially forward for a moment. Jotaro just looked down at her, a quick 'tch' escaping his lips as he looked back forward.
"If that's your line for what is or isn't a hero, then it's a bad one, kid." Ruby opened her mouth, before Jotaro continued. "The people of Morioh call us heroes. They think so much of us that it's hard to actually move past that expectation. It was something gramps built up over is life and that he inherited from that old bastard Speedwagon. They think of us as heroes in the same way you think of Hunters as heroes. I'm here, telling you this story about Jonathan, because thinking of it all that way, approaching being a Hunter like that, will get you and others killed if you don't shape up."
Ruby had to admit, the cold, hard edge that Jotaro spoke with when saying that, the matter-of-fact manner in which he was speaking, had actually knocked her on her butt for a moment.
"I don't get it though… sure, Jonathan isn't living up to the story you all have been telling about him, but that doesn't mean he doesn't sound heroic. If he was like this before he sacrificed everything for Morioh, then that just means he was more heroic. He was-"
"Desperate to live up to his father's expectations and guilty over the death of his mother. That's Jonathan Joestar in a nutshell, kid." Jotaro said so flatly, so blatantly, that Ruby had to flinch at that description. Just from the way that Okuyasu and Koichi spoke about Jonathan, what Jotaro had said was just an amazingly stark break. "So much of what he did was colored by those feelings. Every good or great, terrible or damn stupid decision he made was driven by the desire to push forward, to live up to his father's ideal and to work back the guilt he felt over his mother's death. It led to his death in the end, and others too." Jotaro looked back down at Ruby, who had stood there in some defiance of him, keeping her head held up. "I'm telling you about him and his life so you can see that too… and give up on this idea of what being a Hunter means. For your sake and your team's sake." With that Jotaro continued marching forward, seemingly content to just continue on with the story.
…
"Then why bother holding it up?" Ruby asked, causing Jotaro to pause. "You think so little about the idea of heroes or being a hero, or your ancestor being a hero. You're the guy who's going to be in charge next, right? Why keep up the idea of Jonathan being so perfect then? Why make people believe in him if you don't? You have to believe in these ideas, even if a little, if you haven't just given up." Ruby said, her brow furrowed and her demeanor serious as Jotaro just kept a close eye on her."
"... Because, kid." Jotaro began, reaching into his pocket to pull out, to Ruby's surprise, a cigarette. "There is something worthwhile there… there was before and, even now, there still is.
…
"Yang, I understand why the changes were made, to one degree or another. Even if I think Jonathan is still a man to look up to without then, I understand why it had to happen… because of what Morioh was expected to stand up to."
…
"You can't truly appreciate how much a man like Jonathan Joestar, and his family, were needed, guys. To know that such good could exist, could stand up and guide us, in the face of something so overwhelmingly… dark. Evil. Monstrous."
"Koichi's right. Without Jonathan or the other Joestars… Morioh would've fallen a long time ago. To an evil that matched their goodness.
"To DIO."
…
"Because even if Jonathan wasn't perfect, the fact he could stand up to a thing like Dio means more than any rough corners could possibly mean."
…
"Because for however much my family might've exaggerated our heroism, Jonathan's heroism… Dio Brando needed none of it. He always was a monster hiding under the skin of a man."
-To Be Continued- Bound By Blood and Destiny (Act 3)
A/N: So, saying a few things quickly. Yes, I'm still writing RBA. I'm keeping it at its own pace due to all the projects I'm juggling, between school, my other writings and now attempts to be published for original work. RBA is still something I want to end solidly, so I'm also taking my time. I can't promise when new chapters will come out, but they'll come as I'm satisfied with them.
2020 was a rough year to boot, but hopefully, next year will be better.
For those curious about the My Huntsman Academia Adaptation, my two Editors have been hit by 2020 especially hard themselves and I'm giving them time to get back on their feet at their own pace. Once they're both back on solid footing, it shall continue, but not before. My Huntsman Academia still continued unabated on Spacebattles, so feel free to come check it out if you're hungering for it.
Thanks to someone angling for it over on the unmentionable website for supporting creatives, I'll have an extra bit of RBA content for the Chibi version for the fic, though it won't be in the old Chibi style and will, instead, be its own Semi-Canon Short. Expect it in a handful of days.
This Arc in the fic is meant to deal a great deal with the idea of Legacy. I'll get more into it as the arc goes on but, I imagine, you're already seeing a few of the themes I'm getting at. The reworking of Phantom has been pretty fun, incorporating aspects of Steel Ball Run where necessary and bringing it more in line with other parts of the series. Deconstructing the idea of legacy through it has been a big part of the appeal in writing this arc and I'll get more into it as we go on.
I hope you all have enjoyed this chapter and I hope you all have a very, Merry Christmas!