Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion Chapter 196

[madimpossibledreamer]

finally finished this up!

Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: Father Styx wants to try a different approach to dealing with enemy Stand Users.
Word Count: 1065
Rating: Teen (Buffy|Jojo's level violence)
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS

 

          Fitz murmurs an apology and slips away, probably to grab Jojo.  Beefheart begins stuffing her face, probably still a little overtaxed from so many uses of Panzermensch.  She tends to view eating before a fight as required as a mechanical refuel.  Styx frowns as he describes the little girl, the creepy rabbit Stand.  He tries to remain unemotional, to limit himself to the facts, but has the feeling the traces of horror he felt leak through.  “While it is sometimes preferable to choose the nonviolent, compassionate approach, I can hardly become the shepherd abandoning his flock to the wolves.  I will talk to her first, but be prepared for failure.”  At Robin’s look of surprise, he smiles gently.  “What sort of man of God would I be if I failed to even give her a chance?  But fear not, I am fully capable of defending this holy ground from those who would seek to break the Ten Commandments.  Ready yourselves.  Murderers are not generally well known for their reasonable natures.”
          Robin nods.  It’s not the choice he would have made, but then, the encounter had just unsettled him.  He’s used to trying not to appear like a threat, and sometimes enjoying the young children who have any of the prejudices yet.  The moment that she’d dismissed him, the moment that Miss Murder had looked at him and decided even with him with a bow and arrow, preparing to hurt or kill her Stand, and had decided he was no threat, that he was ‘one of the good ones’.  He’s not sure whether he’s more disquieted by the fact that he’s fairly certain she’s wrong, that he definitely could have killed her in self-defense, or by her own relationship to death, an understanding and worldview that doesn’t belong with a kid.  Perhaps he doesn’t have the distance to make the right choice.  Or maybe it’s just that he doesn’t have the spiritual side that’s necessary.  At least he trusts Styx not to let down his guard.  The priest will make the offer, of course, but he’s not going to let himself get backstabbed, either.
          Darling hesitates, but she actually speaks up.  She really is getting better about facing her anxiety, which is good.  “It’s possible.  She doesn’t think like a normal person, but I told her that bad people can’t change or realize they’ve done bad things if they’re dead, and she ‘wanted to test my conviction’.”
          Honestly, that just makes Robin feel even more like they’re dealing with a horror movie, but Styx nods.  “It’s important not to judge her for her own failings.  If it’s a psychological condition, our task is to teach her to live in society or prevent her from hurting others.  We often moralize, but other than the legal system it’s not our place to play jury.”
          Darling nods, and Robin decides it’s also not his place to say anything.  Maybe they have a point.  His job is just not to die, and not to let the others die, either.  “Do you want to climb to the roof with me?  I won’t let you fall.”  It’ll be a good place for her, out of reach of anything that the horror movie ‘monster’ might conjure up, and he’ll be on hand to keep her safe.  She grins impishly at him and finishes off the cheese.
          “Actually, I’m pretty good about climbing.  Whisper helps.”  She darts a glance at Styx, who’s getting ready himself, and he understands immediately.  She’d probably been a cat burglar.  Snake burglar.  Whatever.  And despite his speech about not judging, she’d still feel bad if she announced her thievery to a priest.  Fair enough, if she’d grown up with it.  Styx begins to prepare himself, whispering what are probably Bible verses.
          Robin isn’t expecting the elbow and nearly jumps, but apparently he’d entirely forgotten about his partner’s existence.  Her smile at him is fond.  “I have also seen horror movies and don’t believe your worries are invalid.  I’ll come with you.  I won’t allow you to be harmed by a small girl.”  Apparently, she’s whispering because she doesn’t want to disagree with the priest too loudly.
          It’s a slight shock.  Usually, she’s oblivious to such things—his feelings, or what he goes through every day.  But then, he’s also forgotten her favorite movie.
          “At least it’s not twins,” he states wryly, and smiles as she snorts with laughter.
          She pats his shoulder, continuing to whisper.  “I believe The Exorcist would be slightly more relevant in this situation, but you’re not wrong.  Creepy twins are much worse than just one creepy child.”

          Robin would feel a little better if they were finding some sort of perch on the church roof.  Mostly from a height perspective.  He's heard about Styx’s powers, but never seen them firsthand, and in any case, from what he’d heard technopagans as a whole do better with the whole ‘ritual crowd’ angle.  At least it’s closer to the front of the property than the actual church, so they can actually hear when Styx greets this ‘Pixie’ like she’s an unexpected caller and not the actual serial killer little girl she is, but more distance would be nice.  Still, it’s a relief that Beefheart is taking it seriously, although whether that’s down to her hobby as a horror buff or his own uneasiness is hard to say.  She’s set up her sniper rifle next to him, ready to take the shot.  Fitz and Jojo positioned themselves casually on a bench on the path to the entrance, within a quick run of the priest should Pixie decide to attack instead.  It’d been a kind of funny sight watching Fitz grimly fill his water pistol, but in general it’s the best nonlethal weapon they have.  Honestly, other than some of his partner’s creations, it’s also probably the best lethal weapon they have, too—that melting function is kind of terrifying, and given the blond’s face at the point he’d discovered it he’d seemed to agree.
          “Hello, young Pixie,” Styx greets her with a smile, and she curtseys in return.
          “Good afternoon, Father.  I was wondering—can Robin and Darling come out to play?”  It’s mostly the tone, he supposes.  All innocuous and innocent, but it’s anything but.
          “I’m afraid I wanted to speak to you first.”  He sounds apologetic and unassuming.  Perhaps that makes him a good match for her.