4k words. Enjoy :)
Your eyes bore into the set across from yours. Jonathan sat across from you, his arms folded over his chest as he patiently waited for Erina to finish tending your wounds. Speedwagon stood behind him, his hand on the back of Jonathan’s chair. Your memory was foggy. The last thing you clearly remembered was letting go of Dio’s hand. After that, it was just blurred images and wispy figures. You had awoken to laying in the same bed as you had before, with Erina and Jonathan beside you.
“There, that should do,” Erina said, standing and collecting her supplies. She brushed her hand on Jonathan’s shoulder as she left, closing the door behind her quietly. As soon it was closed, Jonathan turned his attention back to you.
“Do you prefer Vex or Y/n?” He asked, leaning forward in his seat.
“I don’t care,” You replied quietly, avoiding eye contact with him. You instead focused on the watch in your palms.
“Come on, kiddo,” Speedwagon said, moving around Jonathan’s chair. The bed dipped beside you as he sat on the edge. “Don’t look so pitiful. Where’s your spunk?”
“Knock it off,” You mumbled. “I’m not in a playing mood. And I know you aren’t here for a cheer-up call, so just spit it out won’t you?”
Speedwagon closed his eyes and sighed. “Sorry, Y/n. I tried to get them to hold off, but they insisted.”
“On what?” You asked.
“Y/n, you were the closest person my brother had ever gotten to. I was shocked when he protected you against all of us and tried to keep you away from all the action. It wasn’t hard to see you were his partner in crime. And because of that, the police want to arrest you and sentence you to death,” Jonathan said, making you tense up slightly, but you said nor did anything else. “They’ve agreed to drop the death sentence if you agree to something.”
“You expect me to back out on him now?” Your voice was quiet.
“He’s dead,” Speedwagon said, putting his hand on your shoulder.
“I know that, dammit,” You growled softly, brushing his hand off your shoulder. “But it doesn’t mean his other minions and creations aren’t out there skulking around for me.”
“You’re afraid of him?” Jonathan asked.
“All of us were,” You said, looking up into his sapphire blue eyes. “There wasn’t a single person who didn’t fear Dio and his abilities. You saw what he did to your family, your home, your friends. He slaughtered people without a second thought. He made hideous and terrifying creatures to roam the Earth and do his bidding. He destroyed more than just your life, Jonathan. He destroyed everyone’s.”
“What about you?” Jonathan asked. “You have family and friends don’t you?”
“Do you know how long it’s been since then?” You laughed bitterly, shaking your head. “Dio knew my family because I made the stupid mistake of bringing him there. He knew what to use against me to keep me within his grasp. He was a manipulator. But you should know that one better than any of us, shouldn’t you? He weaseled his way into your family and tricked your father into thinking he was an innocent, festering boy. He tricked you into thinking he was your friend when he was truly your enemy. He did it to everyone. He all promised us something we couldn’t resist. Companionship, gratitude, wealth, envy, power; anything you wanted, he promised it in your hands. But, he had just enough credibility for you to trust him. Perhaps it really was only his charm and deception.”
“You were in love with him,” Jonathan said suddenly, making Speedwagon look at him in surprise before turning to you. Your scarred lips twitched into a small frightened smile. Your eyes were glossy with tears, a longing lingering behind them. A longing they both knew all too well.
“It’s such a stupid thing, isn’t it?” You asked. “It makes you lose focus on what your intentional plans were. It keeps you up at night, lying in bed as you stare at the ceiling with all your thoughts revolving around that one person. It keeps you worrying, ‘What if..’, this and ‘what if..’ that. All your thoughts and anxiety swimming around in the pit of your stomach as the concern you’ve never felt surges through you and you feel the sudden instinct to protect this person with every inch of your life, even if it means you don’t survive. It’s the helplessness when you’re sitting alone, asking yourself how you even got there in the first place. What actions led you to the point you’re at now? What did you do wrong to put yourself in such a horrible situation?”
Speedwagon placed his hands over yours, his throat and chest tightening at your broken words. This hurt for him as well, and you could easily tell. You and Robert had been friends for years, and maybe you weren’t so close and personal then, but seeing you now...it hurt him. He wanted to know where the grouchy, trouble-making, sly bandit went. Perhaps they were still hiding within you, curled up in the corner of your head as they allowed the emotions you’d pushed away for years to surface and control you. You looked over at Jonathan.
“Whatever it is you want, I’ll do it,” You said, surprising them both. Jonathan had expected to come and sit, only to be told to piss off back to Hell. “But it’s not because I don’t want to die. I could care less at this point. The only reason I’m agreeing to is because I want to see Dio suffer again. Even in the slightest.”
“Alright then,” Jonathan said, shooting you a kind smile. “We’ll allow you some time to clean yourself up and dress in some proper clothing.”
“Where are we going?” You asked as both men stood.
“You’ll find out when we arrive.”
Erina carefully pinned the waistband of your pants, trying to avoid jabbing you in the hip as she’d done for the past hour. First, she tried putting you in a dress, and that you threatened her life over. So, she settled with some boy’s clothing that her father had. H/c strands fell in front of your face as you reached up and brushed it back with your hands. It had gotten long. You would probably cut it soon.
“Here,” Erina said, standing as she handed you a black cloak. “It’s chilly out. You’ll need it.”
“Thank you,” You said quietly, taking it from her hands and placing it over your shoulders. Erina’s eyes lingered on the scars on your arms and hands. With every person, whether she’s treated by herself or with her father, she’s never seen quite so many.
“Do they hurt?” She asked before she could stop herself. She immediately regretted the words as soon as they left her lips. “I-I’m sorry. That was so rude of me! I-I didn’t-”
“Sometimes,” You replied softly, surprising her with your gentle voice. “Scars are reminders of our mistakes or even our achievements. Each one tells a different story. Just like a person.”
Erina gasped softly as you smiled over your shoulder at her. Your eyes were filled with kindness, and she wondered if this was what your true nature was like. Your tough and brash demeanor could have very well been an act to shield yourself. Erina’s lips turned up and she returned your smile.
“Thank you. Not just for now, but before too. You remind me of a little girl I know. I wonder if she’ll turn out to be as kind as you,” You said softly, before turning and leaving the room, leaving Erina standing in confusion and shock.
“Changed to a sweetheart now have we?” Speedwagon’s tone was teasing as you turned to see him leaning against the wall with a grin.
“I see you’re still an eavesdropper,” You responded, making him chuckle as he pushed off the wall.
“Well, not all of us can have a change of heart, kiddo,” He said, jerking his head towards the front doors. You got the message and followed him.
“Is it a bad thing?” You asked.
“To be kinder, absolutely not,” He said. “But to change because of something as horrifying and traumatic, yes. I’m sorry you were caught in the middle of it.”
You shook your head. “There was nothing either of us could have done about it. I made that mistake when I was thirteen and saved Jonathan from getting his arse handed to him in an alleyway.” Speedwagon chuckled and opened the door for you, shaking his head at the thought.
….
“The mask?” You asked, turning to face Jonathan as you repeated what he had just said. “What do you want that for?”
“Calm down, I want to destroy it,” Jonathan said quickly, not wanting to give you the wrong idea.
“We originally planned to do it after Dio was killed, but we were racing against the clock and couldn’t find it,” Speedwagon said.
“What do you mean?” You asked, frowning. Jonathan pointed to the mansion. You turned your gaze to it and gasped. Parts of it had crumbled in on itself, and it looked demolished. “Bloody hell. What happened?”
“We don’t know. One minute we were pulling you back from the edge and the next, the ground was crumbling under our feet,” Jonathan said. “We had to rush out, so we weren’t able to locate the mask. We were hoping you knew the last location it was, so we could possibly narrow it down. However, there is the off chance that the mask was destroyed during that time.”
“Still, we should collect the pieces to make sure. We need to destroy the pieces so there couldn’t be a way to piece them back together,” You said. Jonathan and Speedwagon agreed, and together, you made your way up to the destroyed stone manor.
“Be careful,” Jonathan warned. “Some parts could still be unstable.”
You quickly darted in front of him and pushed him back, quickly stepping back with him as a large piece of stone fell in the spot he’d been standing. You looked at him over your shoulder. “Maybe you should take your own advice, Joestar.”
Jonathan gaped at you as you grabbed onto a metal rod above your head and pulled yourself up on it. “Y/n!” Speedwagon exclaimed, as you balanced on the rod. “Are you mad?!”
“Just a little,” You murmured, looking around.
You more or less acted as a scout for the two bulky men. Being slim, fast, agile, and light on your feet, you were able to maneuver around the debris and test out unsteady spots. Speedwagon was swifter than Jonathan, and Jonathan was stronger than both of you, making it easier to move the debris around to make paths. You dropped onto the ground, brushing the dirt off your hands.
“The mask was kept in this room,” You said, looking around the broken room. “The balcony is there, and the chapel was down the hall.”
“Are you sure?” Speedwagon asked, kicking a stone over.
“Yeah. I had enough time to memorize this whole place,” You replied, looking back at them.
“The whole place crumbled in on itself. How can we be sure it’s not shattered already?” Speedwagon asked. “All these stone pieces look the same. It’s hard to tell which parts belong where.”
“We’ll just have to guess,” You shrugged. “I don’t think it’s shattered though.”
“Perhaps it's only chipped,” Jonathan said, kneeling down and moved a piece of debris away. He shifted through the rubble before retrieving a lighter piece of stone. It looked much more fragile than the other pieces.
“It looks like part of the mask!” Speedwagon exclaimed. Jonathan stood and handed it to you.
“What do you think?” He asked. You took the piece from him and ran your finger along the smooth edge.
“It looks the part of the eye piece,” You said. “Which means the mask can’t be very far from here.”
“Start rolling stones!” Speedwagon said, oddly excited about this. You couldn’t help but laugh at his enthusiasm, making Jonathan laugh as well. Once your laughter calmed down, the three of you split to search for the missing mask. You could understand why Jonathan wanted to destroy it so bad. The damned thing killed his entire family and a few of his friends. Of course, this was because it was in Dio’s hands, but it still needed to be destroyed completely. If it were to still be able to use, and fall into the wrong hands, then the same thing could happen to another unsuspecting soul, and perhaps wouldn’t end as Jonathan’s story did.
You shook your head and dismissed the thought. You were going to destroy the mask if it was the last thing you did. You know you told Dio you would use it if it meant for him to stay, but those were just words. They didn’t matter now that he was dead. There was nothing he could do about it now. There was no way he could do anything about it while he laid dead at the bottom of the cliff. You reminded yourself of this as you walked onto the balcony. You closed your eyes for a moment and breathed in some of the fresh air, sighing in contentment. You felt free. As if the chains that had been attached to your body were gone. And it was because you knew Dio was dead.
However, your momentary feeling of freedom washed away when you laid eyes on the stone mask. It was placed on the banister, leaning against the stone pillar as if it were intricately placed there. Your assumption was correct, and the top part of the left side was chipped away. You felt your stomach churn. Someone had been here before you, dug up the mask, and put it on display where you could easily find it. Maybe it was just one of the villagers who came up to explore and found the mask and placed it there. No. They would have taken it to sell it and get a few pounds out of it. You slowly walked towards it, your hand shakily reaching for it. When your fingers brushed against the rough surface, you couldn’t help but feel petrified. As you looked down at it, a pair of golden eyes stared back up at you. Your breath hitched in your throat, but when you blinked, they were gone. It had only been your imagination. You shook your head and snatched it from the banister. You needed to destroy this thing immediately. It was unnerving.
“Y/n? Have you got the mask?” Speedwagon asked, looking up to see you standing there, the mask in your hands as you looked down at it. It felt like you were fighting against it. Your hands gripped the mask tightly. You looked up at him, and he gasped at the fear in your eyes.
“Y/n,” Jonathan said, stepping beside Speedwagon.
“C’mon kiddo,” Speedwagon said, both of them becoming nervous as you remained in your spot. What were you doing? You weren’t...no. You couldn’t be thinking that. Could you?
“Give us the mask,” Jonathan said softly.
Their eyes widened as you slowly shook your head. “N-no...h-he’s...he's not dead,” You said quietly.
“Dio’s dead, we all saw him die,” Jonathan said. “It’s alright. He isn’t going to come after you.”
“I…” You swallowed hard. “I have to kill him.”
“Not that way, you don’t!” Jonathan yelled. “I’ll teach you Hamon, and we can kill him together. There are a hundred other ways to kill him.”
“Ways that will work?” You hissed quietly. “I’ve tried a hundred times to kill him!”
“Then we’ll do a hundred more,” Jonathan said.
“Listen...it’s hard, I know...he wronged you. So many people have wronged you. If anyone knows that, it’s me,” Speedwagon said in a coaxing tone. “You can stop, Y/n...I’ll help you. I’ll walk that dark path with you into the light...we can do this together,”
You flicked your eyes to him, holding the chipped mask in your hands tightly. Your throat was tight with emotions. Words have escaped your grasp, leaving you in silence. He could see the resistance in your eyes.
“I don’t have to end you...and you don’t have to end yourself. I know what you think about yourself...and I know what you think about this world. You hate it, and I don’t blame you. There are so many people who are cruel...monstrous...devilish. But...think...deep down, Y/n. There are some people that are worth fighting for. Your friends...your family...e-even...even Dio. If you can’t think of anyone, then let me be it. Y/n, you have virtue! You can’t let yourself descend like that. I told you, when I was fifteen, that I’d be your friend no matter what didn’t I? You do remember that, don’t you?” Jonathan asked, inching towards you carefully. By now, your emotions had overwhelmed you, making tears stream down your cheeks as your jaw trembled. You shakily nodded. “Come on, Y/n. I don’t want to see you become what he was. You’re so much better than him. You have humanity left in you...even if you don’t feel like you do, I know it. It’s not all just conjecture and gloom. It’s not too late for redemption. You can still turn this around. We don’t have to end this badly. He’s put you through enough pain. Let me be the friend that helps you.”
He looks at you with such compassion; such raw emotion and honesty as you stand there trembling. Your hands shake as you hold the mask in your hands, gripping it tighter to try and stop the shaking. You clench your teeth, jaw tightening as you lock in any pathetic sounds that dare to escape. What did Jonathan know? Your mind instantly dismissed the crude thought. Even though he tried not to show it now, Jonathan had been put in just as much torture as you were. Dio tormented him for years while you had only chipped the iceberg. You knew Jonathan was only trying to help you. He didn’t want you to turn into the very thing both of you despised. He didn’t want you to throw your life away because of a stupid stone mask that should have been destroyed long ago. He could only blame himself for it. If he just would have destroyed the mask instead rather than researching it, maybe this whole thing would have never happened. Curiosity killed the cat.
“Give me the mask, Y/n…” Jonathan said, stopping in front of you, opening his palm. You flicked your gaze up to him. You looked so vulnerable. So pitiful. So...hurt. “It’s alright, Y/n. Let’s end this now. We’ll prevent anything like this from ever happening again. Do you want that?”
You slowly nodded as your grip on the mask began to loosen. You were ready to end this. You were ready to shove Dio behind you. You were ready to shove the hurtful memories behind you. Jonathan was right. You could move forward, right? You could go back to the way things were before. You could go back to James’s house. You could play around with his kids again. You could keep Harry out of trouble. You could wake up and see Samantha nestled in your arms. You could sit up late at night, laughing and drinking with Elijah and James again. You could be normal again. Right?
“I-I’m sorry,” You whispered, voice breaking as you dropped one hand from the mask. “I should have been smarter,”
Jonathan smiled warmly. “You are smart, Y/n. You made the right choice,”
As Jonathan’s fingers brushed against the rough surface of the extended mask, both of you froze at the cracking under your feet. Your entire body went rigid, eyes blowing wide in pure fear.
“The ledge...it’s crumbling!” Speedwagon shouted. “Get back!”
A scream passed your lips as the ledge cracked and shifted back. You fell back against the railing, holding the mask to your chest with one hand and holding the railing with the other. You shakily looked over your shoulder at the large pit below. Fear filled your veins, making your entire body tremble with fear.
“Y/n!” Jonathan yelled, extending his hand towards you. “Hurry! Take my hand!”
“Are you mad!?” You screamed. “If I move the whole thing is going to plummet down the side of the mountain!”
“Y/n, please trust me!” Jonathan called, staring down at you with wide eyes. “Jump, and we’ll catch you!”
“No!” You cried, holding onto the railing tighter as it began to shift more.
“You’ll fall if you don’t! I swear, we’ll catch you, love!” Speedwagon urged, trying to soothe your nerves. Your breaths were uneven, panic filling you as you contemplated.
“O-Okay!” You said, hesitantly removing your hand from the railing, wincing as a piece of the stone sliced your palm.
“Come on, that’s it,” Speedwagon said, his fingers brushing against yours. Jonathan’s fingers curled around your wrist. Suddenly, the ground under you gave out completely. Your body slipped through both of their grasps.
“No!” Jonathan yelled. You let go of the mask in shock, your hand reaching towards him as your eyes went wide. The next thing you know, you fell something cold on your face. Your body became overridden with fear as you realized what it was. The mask had fallen on your face in the fall. No, it was like someone had grabbed it from the air and put it on your face. Your hands shot up to grab it, but it hadn’t registered in your mind. Your palm was bleeding. Your screams echoed as you felt something pierce either side of your face. Your vision became blurrier, the fading figures of Jonathan and Speedwagon becoming mere smudges as your eyelids grew heavier. The wind rushed around your body, nipping at your arms as your cloak snapped from your neck and fluttered above you. You watched the black color swirl into the air as your eyes closed. You wanted to thrash around and fight your way back up, but something surged inside of you, calming you into a slumber. Your mind became distorted, your thoughts fading away as you fell closer and closer to the bottom. Your thoughts blurred together, making it harder for you to remember one thing from another. However, one thing seemed to glow brighter than anything. A goal? Was this the last thing you wanted in life? The last thing you thought of? Or was it because of the mask? You didn’t know. You may never know. You only knew one thing. Your wings weren’t broken. You could still soar in the sky above him.
You could still repeat his tune.