Chapter 7: Rock the boat.
I woke up to someone shaking me awake, it was Narancia. "GIORNO WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UPPPPP!!!!"
"I'm up! I'm up! What's going on?" I said with a slight yawn as I sat up and stretched my neck, quickly noticing Fugo already dressed up and ready to go, same with Narancia.
"Bruno told us all to get ready like 10 minutes ago, but we forgot to tell ya'!"
"You, you forgot Narancia." Fugo said with annoyance, "I was talking with Bruno and specifically told you to wake Giorno."
I didn't really care to listen to them both continue arguing, I stretched some more before grabbing my shirt and pants from my bag and into them, and handing Fugo his spare pants back.I grabbed my backpack while Fugo and took
. By the time we got out of our room, we already saw the others waiting for us. Leone scoffed, "Took you long enough, I knew Giorno was going to slow us down..." I did ONE thing to ruin her prank and now she can't stop blaming me for anything, her dog could run into a fire and she’d STILL blame me.
Bruno looked much better now, she clearly needed sleep more than anyone here. She smiled, "Let's get going guys, we have the whole weekend and the sooner we get done, the quicker we can leave! Now come on, let’s get going!” She said enthusiastically before walking off to get to the lobby to drop off the keys to our rooms but not before telling us to head towards where the car was as she handled the check out.
As soon as she came out, she unzipped the ground where she last put the car
As soon as she came out, she unzipped the ground where she placed her car but she unzipped everything in a certain way (almost like she’s creating a ramp?). She jumped down to get to her driver seat before immediately starting the car and pressing on the pedal to get her car out of the underground parking she made earlier.
As soon as the car got out, Mista took everyone’s bags and threw them in the trunk. I opened the car door to get back to where I sat last before Bruno spoke to me
“Giorno, sit up front with me!” I changed direction and sat in the passenger seat as the others were still pushing each other into the van.
“Sorry for Leone not letting you sit up here yesterday, she just gets motion sickness,” Bruno said as she got the car started and already started driving out of the lot.
“It’s fine, I don’t really mind.” I looked back and saw Leone with her headphones on and her eyes closed, she looked like she was trying to relax but her face just still looks naturally angry.
I looked back at Bruno as she focused on the road before she suddenly started speaking again.
“I wanted you up here with me because I want to give you some more information of the entirety of Passion, that I know of at least…” Bruno said before continuing
“So there’s the actual boss, he’s in charge of EVERYONE. He’s the “don” as we all also know him as but we don’t know anything else besides that, we know he’s possibly also in high school, he’s in Indiana, but we don’t know his face or his actual name.” I was about to ask her something before she already answered it,
“And no, no one in the organization has successfully found out. Actually, two were killed when trying to find him, very sad really…they were boyfriends, a very cute couple!” She took a moment before continuing to talk again,
“But to continue with the actual info: there’s the guy below the actual boss but, still above the rest, who doesn’t do much work but gives orders, that’s what Polpo’s job was. Then there’s the actual teams: Mine’s job is to escort, we mainly just drive around to pick up and deliver items or people where the boss needs them. Then, there’s team execute, they kill people that the boss wants gone, they have to be pretty heartless, I talk to some of them personally,”
“You actually know them?”
“Of course! I like being personal with all of the people in the organization! Anyways, there’s also the special unit, a bit smaller but kinda crazy all together, they’re all a bit more closer to the boss. I don’t really talk to any of them, they’re all a bit…much.”
“One of them stalked one of my friends for about 5 weeks not too long ago, two of them are into medical malpractice, and the other two…I don’t know, they’re just too touchy with each other. But that’s it for any very important information you should know that I know of. there’s more but it would take a novel and a few magazines to get it all down.” She said lastly.
“Okay…” is all I could say back. Maybe Bruno is just making it more than it actually is? I don’t really think I can ask for any more information, it sounds like even Bruno is limited on some knowledge, especially about that boss…
It’s been about an hour and 24 minutes of driving now. We have Narancia’s CD playing a bunch of explicit rap, Bruno is still smiling with her lips as she steers the wheel and is pressing the pedal, Leone is either still ignoring everyone with music or she’s dead asleep, Narancia is doing some weird dance movements in his seat which is clearly annoying Mista who’s trying to read some type of male sports magazine he somehow had on hand. I think I saw the top of Fugo’s head in the third row, no clue what he’s doing but he might have some headphones in as well. I’m the only one not really doing anything, I feel awkward, I’m just sitting here in the passenger seat of my new friend’s car. Should I do something? I left my bag in the trunk, I can’t do any homework or reading without bothering people. I think I’ll talk to Narancia, get him to warm up to me and to also stop annoying the guy who could probably choke him out.
“Ya, Giovanni?” He said with a sleazy tone as he stopped bopping for a moment.
“Giorno…but anyways, can you tell me who burns the mixtapes for all of you?”
“What? You want a tape too? What you listenin’ to? J-pop? You probably listen to that real bitchy shit, right?“
Mista shoved Narancia forward roughly so as to not disturb Leone.
“Dude, stop talking like that! You’re a phony ass gangster thinking that talking like that makes you some hot shit.”
“Owww! I’m gonna tell Bruno and she’ll beat the shit out of you and then he’ll use his zippers to open yo’ fuckin’ chest and start doing freaky shit to fuck you up like last time!”
“Narancia! Don’t try to make me be your fucking weapon. Also, don’t bring up last time.” She grumbled as she refused to look back at them. I just turned back in my seat and looked out the windshield again…Man, this is getting me nowhere.
I closed my eyes for a moment to try and relax again.
I must've passed out or something because in just a few seconds, the car stopped completely and when I opened my eyes, I saw a large body of water in front of the car.
"Alright guys, take what you think you need; snacks, drinks, whatever. We'll be on a boat for a few hours now but we'll still come back later this afternoon or midnight." Bruno explained as she turned her car off, grabbed her wallet and keys before she unbuckled and slipped out of the car. I stretched my legs before getting out as well, hearing my shoes step on the crunchy pebbles below me.
I looked around and saw a few boats lined up around a dock, and turned my head to see a small booth standing at maybe 10 feet tall with some old woman reading a paper as Bruno approached.
I quickly noticed that everyone else was standing behind Bruno and then quickly jogged over to not be stranded and lost in the plan.
"Excuse me ma’am? We would like to rent a boat for the day, please." Bruno said with a polite smile and her hands behind her back. The older woman looked up before quickly smiling.
"Ah, Bruno! It's been such a long time since I last saw you! Of course you can get a boat! I'll even give you 50% off as payback for last week!" The woman sounds like she might be from Italy, maybe she migrated decades ago.
"No, no, Ma'am, please let me pay full price! I have the money, and you know you need it!" Bruno argued back with a smile as he pulled out a stack of cash and was handing it to the woman.
"ah, noooo! You're being too kind and pushy again, girl!" The lady used her hand to wave off the money.
"ugh, okay, fine...I'll pay half..." Bruno said with a fake pout as she split the money and handed it over. The two kept talking nicely to each other before we finally got the keys to the boat. Bruno could tell how tired and inpatient some of us were getting, she quickly finished up with the woman before walking to the boats.
"Okay, so the keys can work on any of these boats, which should we get?" she asked as we all stared at the 7 different boats, all with their respective numbers painted on their sides.
"I don't really care, they all look the same...we can use number 4?" Leone suggested as she stuffed her hands inside her skirt pockets.
"NO. we can't use 4! you should know that it's bad luck! I knew this kid in my neighborhood who adopted a cat from a liter of 4, and guess what? He got his eye scratched out!"
Bruno sighed before heading towards the second boat, "Let's just go with number 2..."
Bruno got on first and started helping everyone get on the boat. When she grabbed my hand to steady me, I could feel warmth in her palm. It was as if she had her hands under a heating pad all day. After she let go of my hand, I watched as she removed the rope from the hook on the dock and rushed over to grab the wheel and start setting the boat for a straight path.
I just leaned against the rim of the boat as I watched everyone do their things; Bruno was steering, Leone was just watching Bruno, Fugo was looking at the water, Mista was sitting on the ground while reading his magazine still, and Narancia was sitting next to Mista with his music pumping as loud as possible
After we got on a nice straight path for the boat, Bruno and Leone stood in the center of the boat.
"Now that we're all alone, I feel safe enough to tell you all where we're going..." Bruno paused before saying, "We're going to Metamora to get Polpo's fortune."
"Fortune?" Narancia asked.
"Why the hell does Polpo have a fortune?" Fugo inquired.
"I don't really care whose fortune it is, as long as it's a complete jackpot!" Mista laughed with a nudge to Fugo.
Bruno continued by saying, "Polpo trusted me to hide the Fortune for him. He also told me that I was the only one allowed to get it as I will also get his job if something happened." She was clearly trying to stay formal but had a small smile on her lips, she must be happy to now move up a rank in the gang I guess.
Mista got up and put his arm around Bruno's shoulders as he smiled even wider than her.
"Great for you, Bruno! How about this, to celebrate; you, me, and Leone in Sẽnor Frogs in Mexico? We can drink legally there, same with Fugo and Narancia but come on! You can do a shot and get your boobs jiggled with a smack on the ass there!" He laughed as he was half hugging Bruno still as Leone was standing by Bruno's other side.
As that was happening, we all suddenly heard Narancia yelp.
Mista immediately stopped laughing and looked over where Narancia was supposed to be, but nothing was there? All that was in his place was a single black, white, and orange KangaROO shoe.
"Narancia?" Fugo broke the new silence as he walked over and looked at the shoe and looked around, "He's gone?"
Bruno rushed over and looked around the area, she looked over the railing of the boat as well.
"Where did he go? He's not in the water, I didn't hear him get up and move, he wouldn't leave a single shoe either..." She backed up to get back in the center of the boat while grabbing Fugo's arm to bring him into the rest of us.
"It's a stand user...All of you better stay close together, we can't be-" Just that second, Fugo disappeared as well, leaving nothing this time.
"SHIT. Where the hell are they going???" Mista asked rhetorically as he grabbed a purple revolver from his crotch inside his pants
"Mista, don't shoot anything. We don't know what the stand can do exactly. For all we know, Narancia and Fugo could be turned to be invisible and mute..." Bruno warned as she had her stand at the ready.
"Wait." I said suddenly as I grabbed Narancia's shoe. "I can find Narancia, My stand can turn objects into nature, if I do this..." I explained as I turned Narancia's shoe into a fly, "The shoe will go back to Narancia because it naturally wants to be with its owner. Where the fly is, is where Narancia, Fugo, and possibly the user is. We know they can't leave the boat so let's watch what it does." I said as the fly flew around quickly over the boat and stopped suddenly by Mista, and before Mista could even bring his pistol up, he looked like he was quickly pulled down as well.
It was just me, Bruno, and Leone now...I watched the fly as it buzzed around the boat more slowly now.
Bruno moved and stared at where Narancia first disappeared,
"Leo, I think your stand would come in handy right here."
Leone grumbled as she glanced at me and then back at Bruno,
"I'm not gonna do it if he's going to fucking see, I still don't trust him."
Bruno sighed in annoyance.
Leone pushed me far away from her, "Look away, dick."
So I just faced out at the water.
I had to bite on my tongue to not say anything more.
I watched as Leone walked over to the spot while she called out her stand, Moody Blues.
"Go back about 5 minutes…” I requested as I stared at where Narancia was.
“Alright.” Leo said as she got her stand to copy what happened and rewind to when Narancia was still there.
I saw Narancia staring straight forward with a smile as I heard Mista talk again.
“-smack on the ass there!" we saw Narancia laugh before he suddenly looked scared and looked…flat? He looked deflated and was as thin as paper as he was quickly pulled down into the floorboards of the boat.
“Rewind and stop right when Narancia is flat.” I demanded as I kept my eye focused on the fake teen boy.
As Leone rewinded the scene again, I got to see right when Narancia was actually deflated. I walked around him as I saw a hole in his shoulder, I touched his skin and rubbed it between my fingers.
“His skin is rubbery…like a condom…” I explained as Leone walked closer to me and felt his skin too.
“Damn…Weird stand…” Leone said softly as she seemed just as bewildered as I was.
I looked at the small hatch of the boat that led to a small area, I opened the lid of a door and pointed at a radio station that was already there.
“This stand is weak. They can’t be working alone. They had to have contacted someone." This stand sounds so familiar to me but I can't remember who it belonged to...has to be someone I don't talk to a whole lot. I looked at Leone.
"Use moody blues on the radio and see who the user is, I doubt they didn't use the radio at least once." I looked back at the radio as Abbacchio got her stand to find where the user was standing and what they looked like...It's-! fuck, I don't know her name. I think it started with an S? no- a Z? Damnit. All I know is that she's a pain in my ass.
"Buccirati is heading to Metamora. Polpo's fortune is confirmed!" The girl's replay said with a grin into the radio. Leone cut off the replay with a scoff.
"That cunt already gave us away. When we find her, we gotta kill her-" "Shhh!" I shushed Leone as I looked at the bottom of the staircase to see the fly slowly moving around before facing me, then shooting up back to the first floor, I scrambled to go back up and saw Giorno get stabbed then pulled down just like all the others.
"NO!" I screamed as I tried to grab him, but it was too late, he was gone too. I panicked, what if the fly goes away and we lose track of the others? I looked over and the fly was fortunately still there. Leone was watching it carefully and she moved to get away from it for a moment.
"It's just me and you, Bruno...But, I think she's trying to get just you..I have an idea." She said before sprinting towards the fly, she was then stabbed in her hand and reached it out at me.
"LEONE!" I shouted as I tried to grab her palm, but it just smacked me and gave me a smudge of her blood on my cheek. I noticed how her blood trail abruptly stopped on the floor, right at a hatch, but it didn’t go in.
I was alone now. I stared at the fly before bringing my stand out. I started punching all over the boat to unzip every inch of it. I heard a laugh, it was her...
"Bruno! You idiot! I hid your team where you'll never find them! They're all empty carcasses now. Tell me where Polpo's money is! Or else I’ll feed your friends to the bass below!" She spoke through the fly.
“..." I carefully moved to be in the center of the boat once more.
"haha! You're nothing but a stubborn bitch, Bruno! You lost! I win! If you don't tell me, I'll just take you and parade your body around town!" She cackled, trying to sound edgy and intimidating.”Now, you better start talking before I actually kill each of your friends one by one! You stay silent, I’ll kill! You say something cocky, I’ll kill! So you better say your next words carefully!” She threatened.
"...Slaugers" I stared right at the insect watching me.
"Huh? What the hell are you saying? Are you going crazy now?!” She yelled.
"The Fish. You called them bass, but they’re Slaugers. Basses are more robust and these fish are slimmer and have more of a camo coloring." I smiled as I looked down at the water flooding in from the bottom of the boat.
“Anyone can tell the difference…and I'm sure you’ll be able to tell soon.”
The ship started to sink on one end where the fly is.
"What the fuck!?" She cursed as the fly kept trying to go up towards me but kept sinking back to the bottom.
"Gurgh! B-BRRUNO!!" She screamed before gurgling while I ran up to hold onto a pole on the top of the boat as I looked at the fly struggling to come up. I used my stand to then keep unzipping the boat more before I got the second (hidden) boat to snap out and land on the water next to the sinking one. This was the layer she was hiding on, and there she was, coughing up the water she had in her mouth and fixing her crooked glasses as she was scrambling back up. My team was all still flat and deflated.
"Fix them. You lost." I told her as I still had my stand on standby.
“Fuck you! I can still win…” she huffed before grabbing Leone’s deflated balloon-like body.
“I’LL KILL LEONE!” She screamed with a crazed smile before I used Sticky Fingers to launch my fist at her to punch her down.
I walked over and grabbed her by her collar to pull her up and away from Abbacchio before dropping her on the ground in front of me.
She quickly got up to be on her knees and began tugging at my white capri pants as I stood over her.
"p-p-please Bruno! It was just a simple mistake! I'm sorry! I'll just stay still if you take me to Metamora and drop me off-" I grabbed her and zipped her mouth as my hand was around her throat.
"I don't give a shit! Shut up!" I spat at her before looking over at my thin team that were all beginning to inflate back to their usual forms.
Back to Giorno’s point of view:
As I opened my eyes, I was able to see the sun beaming right above me. I groaned as I sat up to stretch my body again. Everyone else was in the same position as me, trying to recollect themselves, I saw what I assume to be the stand user, grabbing at her zipped mouth, Bruno was sitting by Leone and smiling at her, Narancia was rubbing at the back of his head and trying to massage his his shoulder while telling Fugo to check his crown.
I stood up with a wobble right when Bruno got up to strut back to the enemy. He grabbed her hair and decapitated her with a zipper he added onto her. I witnessed Bruno then just toss the head to Mista.
“Do something with her.” She said simply as Narancia walked over to the body of the green haired girl.
“You bitch! You fucking left me with a bruise!” He yelled as he kicked at her bod with a violent force. Leone quickly joined in and kicked at the paralyzed torso. Fugo bent down and started searching her pockets.
“I found her wallet!” He announced as he stood up and started to open it to see what information we could get from the item.
“Her school ID says she’s Mariah Zucchero, She’s another senior at our school.” Fugo explained as he stared at the card before handing it to Leone and walking away to sit at the front edge of the boat.
I looked over to see that Mista was holding Mariah’s head while he stared at her face. His finger was tapping his chin in thought.
“Mmm...What to do, what to do with you…Y’know, your hair is kinda reminding me of a fish! What’s your opinion on fishing?” Mista asked with a wide grin.