Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion Chapter 124

[madimpossibledreamer]

Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: Buffy has a conversation with an unexpected guest.
Word Count: 1288
Rating: Gen
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS.
 

          Buffy’s so very done with arguing with her friends.  She’s not good with being told that she can’t do something, and while they’re right that Council resources almost overnight became something a lot smaller, they can spare, say, a day to check some of these threats out, because one threat less is another threat that’s not going to come to kill them later.  It was nice having a short break teasing Andrew about the cute police officer flirting with him, but it didn’t provide enough of a distraction. 
          She walks into her room, exhausted, and freezes, as if time itself has stopped.  There’s a young blond man posing in the nice fluffy armchair she’d hauled down to her new room in their new base.  From the way he’s sitting, it’s like a throne, and he’s the king.  “Excuse me, can I help you?”  It’s her idea of banter before she has to attack the intruder, but he treats it seriously, as if it was an actual question.
          “I was hoping we could help each other.”  The voice is familiar, but she can’t quite place it.  It’s quiet, polite, gentle almost, but there’s something underneath the careful enunciation and slight accent.  “I’m afraid I made a move without asking about your own plans, but the situation is a dynamic one, and I’m sure you would not begrudge us acting on our own interests.”
          Buffy doesn’t think he’s one of the new Watchers, partly because she doesn’t recognize him and partly because the way he’s talking suggests he’s not part of the new Slayer’s and Watcher’s Council.  “Uh.  Who are you?”
          He coughs politely, looking for but a fraction of a second embarrassed.  “Of course, my apologies.  I should have realized that expecting Dr. Kujo to explain is a futile effort.”  He holds out a hand languidly for her to shake.  “My name is Giorno Giovanna, Signorina Summers.  I called about the theft of the Stand Arrow before.”
          She breathes out carefully.  “That got the love of my life killed.”
          He blinks, and actually takes a moment or two to respond.  “That reinforces my resolve to act against Wolfram and Hart.  I’m not sure your people could be called ‘innocent’ any more than mine, but they have gone too far.”
          That’s…not exactly an apology, but it’s acceptable.  From one warrior to another, it’s a focus on what really matters.  It’s better than false sympathy—well, not that this person would give her that; it sounds like he honestly would be sorry, because he’s seen and experienced the same sorts of tragedy, but the apologies aren’t productive, and it’s not like he’s sorry for actually warning them about the Arrow since apparently that’s a big deal.
          “You feel weird,” she realizes, eyeing him carefully.
          There’s a spark in his eyes—amusement, excitement, something else.  “Interesting.  My research called you a Vampire Slayer, but the exact abilities were not detailed.  What you probably sense…is my father.”  He produces an ornate golden cross from somewhere, twirling it between his fingers.  If it wasn’t such an elaborate production, it would be showing off.  “My father was a vampire named DIO.  I believe his name was mentioned during the phone call.  I have been working to undo the damage he caused.”
          “You’re…the son of a vampire?”  She’s trying to remember whether she’s actually heard of anything along those lines before.  Is she supposed to attack him on principle, or—wait, is she supposed to treat him like…like Spike and others like that, if he’s actually working to protect people?  Was the dad one of those new vampires they hadn’t encountered before?
          “Yes.  He stole padre Jonathan’s body, which is why I share the birthmark, according to Polnareff.  I do not believe most vampires are capable of reproduction.”  He shrugs elaborately.  “I explain this to you so you can trust me to be honest with you.”
          He says that, but she senses his resolve.  He’s ready for a fight, should she start one.
          “…You realize how all of this sounds, right?” she responds, finally sitting down on the bed and letting herself relax a little.
          That’s the slightest sign of a smile.  “Oh, I’m aware.  My best advisor is a ghost trapped in the soul room of a turtle.”  He lets the cross hang from his hand casually.  “I am aware that such things also need verification.  It would be irresponsible not to check your facts, after all.”
          She snorts.  “Is that what you do?”
          “Of course.”  He’s still amused.  “I’d be a poor leader of the Passione if I did otherwise.”
          Of course, he’s not the only one, either.  He looks a bit bemused as she bursts into a fit of full-body laughter.  “…Okay, that sounds like either a strip club or a boy band.”
          He coughs, and for the first time looks not entirely in control of the situation.  He hadn’t been expecting that, apparently.  “It’s a gang,” he corrects softly, once he gets his voice back.  “I believe it would be comparable to the Mafia, if you are inclined to think of it in such a way.  Naturally, the traditional Mafia doesn’t have Stands.”  Well, that explains the whole Italy comment Jotaro had made earlier.  A whole country full of mobsters with powers (whose boss was related to Xander, how weird was that) would definitely be a deterrent. 
          “Naturally,” she echoes.  “So, assuming I believe you are who you say—why would you be here expecting my help and vice versa?”
          He nods, pulling—is that a mouse?—out of one of his pockets.  He pets it.  “Relax,” he reassures her, before making a complicated gesture with his hands that she suspects isn’t entirely necessary, and it’s—
          It’s a bunch of papers?  Does he know magic, or?
          “It’s the power of Gold Experience.”  He’s definitely smug about it, but then, she’d be smug if she could, say, create spider webs as tough as Kevlar with a ghostly representation of her soul.  “Research, though naturally I didn’t copy everything.  Wolfram & Hart has involved itself in places it should not have been, only they pose more danger than the vampires that established themselves on the island.  Fugo volunteered to deal with them and with his Stand the cleanup was relatively easy.”  The smile turns slightly nasty. 
          That’s the sign of a killer.  It’s taken her forever to accept her own predatory nature, the nature of a Slayer.  “Sorry about our mess.  We’d meant to clean it up.”
          He waves it off casually, as if it really was the spilt milk that required a few towels she’d treated it as.  “On the other hand, Wolfram & Hart is not so isolated, and therefore unleashing Purple Haze among a civilian populace would be highly irresponsible.  I dispatched a few of my Stand Users, ones good at assassination, to deal with the representatives of Wolfram & Hart they could, but I feel neither our forces nor yours could stop them entirely on our own.  Joining our power to deal with this threat is the best way.”  He nods at the now-inanimate files sitting on his lap.  “From what I can tell, Wolfram & Hart is recruiting already existing Stand Users, making themselves a clear and present threat, particularly when they don’t know their place and seek mastery of the Stand Arrows.”
          “Recruiting?”  That doesn’t sound good.
          “The test to join appears to be successful elimination of a name on a list.  Cugino Johan’s name is one of these targets.”  The wrath in those blue eyes promises danger to any idiot going that far.
          Well.  That’s definitely not good.  “Come with me.  Giles needs to hear this.”
          He inclines his head and gestures for her to lead on.