Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion Chapter 159

[madimpossibledreamer]

Realized that by this point Yukako and Koichi would probably be married, whoops (fixed in earlier parts)

Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: Koichi, Yukako, and Hol Horse fight the Stand User mercenaries.
Word Count: 1356
Rating: Teen (Buffy|Jojo's level violence)
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS

           They manage to make it into a darkened closet.  Koichi’s sobbing into his shirt-sleeve so he doesn’t give them away before he manages to place the silence sound at the doorway.  They flatten themselves against the sides, Hol Horse with his gun at the ready, Koichi crouching behind a few boxes of what looks like papers, clutching his shoulder, Yukako looming over him, scary look on her face.  He gulps.  It’s been a while since he’s been afraid of her, but her expression right now feels like the moment he’d woken up in that unfamiliar house.
           She notices and looks a little hurt, trying to smile.  It sort of works, even as she crouches down to look at his wound.  Her face looks a little weird, but honestly she’s trying, for him, which means a lot.  Even as Okuyasu whined for probably weeks about how both Koichi and Josuke had managed to get girls before he had, his friends had been happy for him.  Okuyasu had finally sort of calmed down when the both of them had named him as Best Man, which he hadn’t stopped boasting about.  At least he’d been happy about something.  “Honestly, it would help if my therapist could tell me how much homicidal rage when someone you love is hurt is normal,” she mutters, and he giggles even if he’s trying not to (even though, with the ‘silence’ word near the door, they won’t hear them for a bit at least.  It’s like the world’s most deadly version of hide-and-seek, and hey, there’s an idea. 
           He sends Echoes Act 1 out, which yeah, is terrifying and Yukako looks a little worried even as Hol Horse pays even more attention.  Yukako’s hair, cut off, can act as a bandage.  He only manages to place a few ‘whispers’ around before he hears someone walking in the direction of his Stand and quickly changes to Act 3, the Stand cursing quietly and robotically and crawling into the vents to make its way back relatively quietly.  “Hopefully, they’ll chase the whispers around for a bit to give us some breathing room,” he explains.
           “Long enough for me to play nurse, though I’d imagined something a little more vivid, and a little more private,” Yukako states playfully, probably just to watch Koichi’s cheeks turn bright red.  Hol chuckles, amused by his embarrassment, though he hasn’t taken his eyes off the doorway.  They all freeze for a minute, not even daring to breathe, which almost seems dumb for a second before Koichi remembers that, oh yeah, the mere movement of a breath in could be enough to alert whoever it is out there.  It’s the briefest of glimpses, but it’s not a blond in a suit.  He gets the briefest glimpse of leather and a scar and makeup, and it’s safe to assume this is Lacuna Coil, not Peter Gabriel.  They haven’t seen his Stand yet, but he’s carrying a sword that looks like someone tried to mash one of the Egyptian symbols together with a sword and used some mummy wrapping for the hilt.  They all breathe in a sigh of relief when he’s gone.
           “Most of their targets die by what seems like an unidentified poison,” the self-professed mercenary whispers (it’s not necessary, but then, trying to keep a low profile in general is probably a good idea right now).  “I’ve heard Gabriel’s a good shot, though not as good as me, though he hasn’t drawn his gun yet.  Probably knows I’d beat him to the draw.”  And there’s that ego.  Koichi certainly hopes Hol is that much better.  “You still feel fine, right?”
           “As fine as I can be when I was stabbed.”  Koichi tries to sound brave, but knows it’s coming off a little flat.  Every time, in situations like this, he wonders how he ended up working for the Speedwagon Foundation, rather than Josuke or Okuyasu or practically anyone else who would be a better fit.  He feels a little bit like passing out, but he’s not about to let his wife or his partner deal with the situation themselves when it’s life or death.  He can wait to black out.
           “I’m sorry about the pain, Ko-chan.”  He braces himself as she pulls the dagger out, blinking away the tears at the accompanying ache, and then again in confusion as her hair wraps tightly around his arm.
           “Yukako?”  He’s a little more breathless than he intends but this hurts, though he’s come to the point where her hair’s comforting in a weird way.  Like he knows he’s safe, even though that makes absolutely no sense.
           “It’s not exactly a bandage, but it’ll work well enough for now.  Your blood is better off staying inside your body.” She reaches up, wincing and—oh no, she isn’t…
           But no, she’s used the dagger to cut her hair before he can say anything.
           She smirks at his look of dismay.  “My Stand is my hair.  It’ll grow back quick enough, and I’d go bald if it’d save you.”  She would, too, which is simultaneously touching and kinda scary.  Then again, that could summarize his wife pretty easily.  As it is, she’s nowhere near bald, though he doesn’t think he’s ever seen her even with medium-length hair.  It’s weird.  “As for you, Hol Horse, why didn’t you shoot?”
           That’s a good question.  It wasn’t one of the things his partner tended to brag about, but apparently he hadn’t even hesitated when it was DIO in front of him, daring him to shoot, and while Hol can be a bit of a coward (maybe their battle approach was the reason they were partnered in the first place?  that’d never occurred to him before), in a situation like that he wouldn’t hesitate or let his gun hand tremble, so why?
           He’d still been steady, but he hadn’t shot.
           “Instinct, the same instinct that got me out of a couple close calls with Mr. Kujo’s friends.  He’d been trying to get me to shoot him, and confidence like that meant he wasn’t worried about a bullet through his skull.  I think he, at least, considers my Emperor the only dangerous Stand, and was waiting until I used it to make his move.  I might be faster on the draw, but Sobek’s pretty fast.  If he’d even gotten one of you, I’d be at a disadvantage.”  He’s got a touch of affection in his voice, but that makes sense that he’d be thinking logically, rather than emotionally, about this.  It’s one of the things that allows them to work well together, covering each other’s weaknesses.  “It was a pretty hairy situation, and maybe he’d just been stalling so his partner could catch up, but I took the chance and waited for him to make a move first.  If his partner had been the one through the door, I would’ve filled him with lead.”
           Koichi nods, before something catches his eyes.  The scrawl of the English word ‘arrow’, small and easy to miss, on the box behind Yukako.  The one beneath it’s labeled ‘mask’.  “I think we might’ve accidentally found what we were looking for,” he points at it, and Yukako turns to look.
           Before she can take the lid off, though, they’re half-deafened by the sound of a gunshot directly next to them, and there’s a looming figure in the doorway.  “Pity you won’t get to take advantage of the discovery.”  He’d almost think this is the other Stand User except for the fact that those are still the same color suit pants.  That, and he thinks it sounds like Peter Gabriel’s voice.  He’s even raised his voice so they can hear him over the ringing in their ears.  It’d almost be polite if not for the situation.  He raises his arms theatrically, posing.  Suit Stands had been recorded, but Koichi’s pretty sure he’s never heard of one that could be both, though it’s changed in appearance, a little.  It’s more humanoid, now, and Peter’s chest is bare, now, muscled and dangerous-looking, though not more so than the crocodile head that’s replaced Peter’s own, complete with some Egyptian headdress.  “Surprise.”