''Who are you?'' You heard Gyro ask.
The light was fading into gray morning shadows and the woods seemed filled with all the despair and fear of the end of the world. Accompanied Johnny and Gyro, remaining hesitantly behind them the entire time. The man was finishing burying Gaucho's body and you could still see traces of the lifeless face under a thin layer of earth. The simian expression of suffering and astonishment stamped in the post-mortem. Johnny glanced at you as if he agreed to keep you behind them.
The strange man positioned the shovel at his side and turned away, nonchalantly. He looked each one over from head to toe, and you felt a chill run down your spine as his gaze lingered on you. Then he looked at Hot Pants, positioned at the back of the house.
''If we are to converse... I would like to do it one at a time. Would one of you and the lady move back, to where the other gentleman was standing?'' He suggested, in a calm and polite voice.
''Listen up...'' Gyro's brows drew together in discomfort and impatience. ''Whatever you're trying to pull, we don't care, alright? Just answer my goddamn question.''
''If we were engaged to a shootout now... if, of course, you would not be able to defeat me... '' Upon hearing his words, you sighed shakily, and his hand involuntarily curved over his gold from your ring. ''The gentleman on the left stands a chance. So you, kindly, step back''
That man's eyes were dark and didn't reflect even a glimmer of emotion. It was the eyes of someone willing to kill and die, without a doubt.
''And take the lady away. This is for your own good, step back.''
You heard Cadichon snort beneath you and shake her head as if she sensed something terrible. The woods whispered as the man spoke. The faint patter of foliage against the wind mingled with the muffled murmur of conversation. Johnny didn't do what the man said, so you didn't walk away either. You wouldn't do or say anything unless you knew exactly what was going on. Felt slightly queasy, as much of the anxiety as from the leaden fear put in the pit of your stomach. Underlying it all, you noticed a wave of seething anger in Gyro and Johnny.
Cadichon neighed and snorted louder this time, you didn't understand why, so you stroked the mule's neck in an attempt to calm it down. Without a saddle and proper reins, she could easily bring you down. You suddenly noticed that Gyro was acting strange, hunching over his horse and breathing heavily through his teeth, as if he had been shot. You thought about asking if he was okay, but you heard Johnny talking.
''What do you want from us? Are you a terrorist? Are you linked with the government?''
''I apologize for the delay, but allow me to introduce myself...'' He bowed respectfully. ''My name is Ringo Roadagain, I'm a stand user. I developed my abilities three years ago in the desert. I call it Mandom... please recognize it as such... Only six seconds. Not a second more, not a second less. For precisely six seconds I can rewind time.''
They listened intently to the man's every word. He was decent enough to explain what made you go astray. You didn't particularly understand almost anything, but you tightened your hands in the metallic form of your carbine, not relaxing for a moment. Cadichon voluntarily retreated.
''I want you to attempt to kill me.'' Ringo continued, answering a question from Johnny. ''A fair duel will allow me to grow as a human being. I humbly request your cooperation. This is the true man's world. Do you want to condemn it as backwards? This world that we live in... it seems as if our values are leaning heavily toward one of spoiled indifference.''
''This is a joke? This guy is really weird.'' You said, frowning in derision.
''She's right! I quit! Let's go, (Y/N)! Johnny! Gyro!'' You heard Hot Pants say behind you. ''I'm not putting up with this shit anymore! Don't indulge him any further!''
Distracted, you remained to look at Hot Pants. Confusion became clear on your face. He had made this plan, he was about to flank Ringo, and now he's giving up? You watched him slowly walk away, and then a crash echoed through the house.
Hot Pants attacked him with his spray. Whatever that was. But Ringo dodged exceptionally as if he already knew this was going to happen. Cadichon stirred more, she could sense you were nervous, so she walked away with cautious steps.
''Impossible! What was that?! My spray definitely got him!'' Incredulous at Ringo's prowess, Hot Pants exclaimed.
A shocked silence ensued until Ringo gave his word.
''Six seconds... I was fair and have already explained to you, in all fairness. You will never be able to escape unless you kill me!''
You froze when you heard a gunshot followed by a guttural scream of pain and agony. Ringo shot Hot Pants in the hand. Your eyes widened, watching the impressive exhibition of absurdities that Gyro and Johnny's dexterity and skill could achieve. Johnny was the first to attack. He fired fewer shots than he actually intended, as Ringo returned with a well-aimed shot to the jockey's head.
Gyro and Johnny's strengths were purely concentrated in their method of attack, it being simplicity and surprise itself. Ringo knew when and where Johnny would shoot, so he was able to avoid most of the shots by finishing him. From behind, Hot Pants attacked again but was also met with a fatal shot. With your hands clutching Cadichon's mane, your only objective now was to try not to fall to the ground, as despair had taken over every part of your body.
Your body shuddered more and, in a move purely driven by impulsiveness, you shot at Ringo. Or at least tried. Not unlike Johnny and Hot Pants, you were also answered with a gunshot. The throbbing pain and the adrenaline rush didn't let you assess the state of your wound or even where it was. You heard Gyro scream for Johnny, who was lying on the floor. A trickle of blood trickled slowly down his face. Looking at Johnny's body was, in many ways, worse than watching Gaucho's slow, agonizing death.
You let Cadichon drop you and turned, gasping. You tried to get up and staggered like an insect that has just been stepped on, dripping and squirming. The sound of more gunfire startled you and Gyro fell off his horse.
He too staggered back, hands clasped to his abdomen. He looked wildly around as if he couldn't quite believe what was happening and then dropped to one knee. You heard his breathing fast and hard.
There were clicks as Ringo idly dragged Johnny's body, scarce of life, and then disappeared into the dark house. You were on your feet, paralyzed by shock and acute pain. You felt something warm run down your arm and saw the blood spurt thickly between your fingers. Ringo was fast and his aim was impeccable, you had to admit, and you were pretty sure that shot in the shoulder was purposely a warning of sorts. He wouldn't shoot a woman the way he'd shot your other three partners.
Everything felt remote like it was happening in slow motion. You walked slowly to Gyro, balancing yourself with difficulty as if you didn't know exactly how to do it.
''That guy... this bastard...'' You heard Gyro growl between bloodstained teeth.
The pain in your shoulder was punctuated with a sharp rage. You bent down to pick up your carbine and your bag, opening it with the arm you could still move. Staining the old fabric with fresh, warm blood, you picked up a vial with your slick hands. Coca leaves soaked in jambu oil. If this anesthetic solution didn't make you pass out in a few minutes, it would ease the pain considerably. You opened the vial with your teeth and chewed all the crushed leaves in it, feeling your tongue burn terribly. You can't die there, so pathetically, from bleeding.
The image of Johnny's body invaded your mind again and a few tears trickled down to the corner of your mouth without you noticing. You sobbed, your good arm wrapped tightly around your injured shoulder. Now you regain enough control of yourself to go to Gyro. He sounded delirious, mumbling angrily. He got up with difficulty.
''Gyro!'' was the only thing you could say, but somehow your voice brought him back to reality.
''(Y/N), are you alright?'' He asked rudely, but the current situation made it affable.
''Yeah... It was just a shot in the shoulder.'' You replied right away. ''But I can't say the same about you.''
Gyro's face came up, partially hidden in the shadows of the strands of his messy hair. But the glint in his eyes told you all of his intentions. A dark determination you remember Ringo mentioning. Gyro wanted to kill him, and why wouldn't he? The long mouth, painted green, tilted in a smile. You didn't remember starting to cry, but you tasted the saltiness of tears the instant Gyro looked at you.
''Great...'' A few strands of hair clung to the sweat on his face. The pale golden hair was stained with the blood he spits. ''Listen, (Y/N), Johnny is still alive.''
''What?'' You said, your voice filled with shortness of breath. You frowned in concern. ''Gyro, you can't go back, you're too hurt!''
''Shut up and listen to me, (Y/N)!'' He leaned his face close to you, his mouth was warm on your ear and it, shamefully, reminded you of Diego. You pulled away and looked at him. ''Stay behind me and do as I say.''
You were silent for a few seconds, but then let out a tired sigh.
''If you're really going to go into the house... Look, I'm not really sure, but Ringo has a wound on his right collarbone. I couldn't see it well from afar, but surely your steel ball can do good damage in that area.''
''Alright, I get it... But I still need you to do what I say, do you understand, (Y/N)? Stay behind me and just do what I say.''
You didn't answer, but threw him a look of confirmation. Rising to his full height, you watched Gyro hurl one of his steel balls with utterly absurd force. The sphere's greenish glow gradually transformed into a translucent, intangible figure that soon disappeared before your eyes.
''He's definitely still alive... Johnny... That map... He knows where the next corpse part is now!'' He said. Your mind raced with cold rage when he mentioned the holy corpse, but you tried to push that feeling away, lest it interferes with the task at hand. ''(Y/N), stay behind me. When we get inside the house, get Johnny out of there. And that bastard, Ringo, has a very important map, can you get it too?''
''Yes.'' You said dryly, as watched Gyro approach the door.
Suddenly, he stopped, shaken just like a few moments ago. You didn't dare move.
''Still here...'' You heard Ringo's voice muffled inside the house. ''Your actions are meaningless to me, I've already expressed this. I can rewind six seconds in time! I can do this as many times as I wish! I will let you leave this orchard. Go, you and the lady. Return to your race, do as you wish!''
''You know...'' Gyro said in a relaxed tone, his mouth quivering in a short smile. ''Might just be me, but I'm getting the feeling you're looking down on us. I threw that steel ball to check your body, and (Y/N) was right. I'll tell you, to be fair, we found an old wound in your left collarbone. In my next attack, I'm gonna aim for that collarbone!''
He kicked the door down, or rather, split it in half with just one kick, and walked gracefully inside. Too gracefully for such a brute man, you thought. You watched Gyro's long and elegant hands holding the steel ball. Entering the house, you saw Ringo get up and look at you. The snow-white hair was dirty with the dust that Gyro's entry raised. Now, in the dark, those man's eyes had a purple tinge. Just below, on the floor, lay Johnny's body. Your breath hitched and your chest ached in a terrible tightness.
''(Y/N), get Johnny out of here.'' Gyro ordered, and you ran to his body.
Ringo didn't take his eyes off his opponent and didn't stop you.
With your light hands, you walked behind Ringo and pulled the folded map from his pocket without him noticing or at least appearing not to notice. Then you tried to drag Johnny's body out of the house, through the back door next to him. He was too heavy for you to be able to do that task quickly, especially with an unusable arm, but you managed to take refuge on the porch of the house.
You sat up and couldn't help but let out a loud groan of pain when felt the flesh on your shoulder dislodge like it was about to tear. Up until then, you had been blinking incessantly to try to stop crying, but the shock had taken over your body and now your eyes were watering and burning with tears. You sobbed and choked and cried some more. Cried pathetically because didn't know what to do or how to calm down. The whole time you heard shots and shouts from inside the house, which made you even more desperate.
''Oh...'' You sobbed, resting Johnny's head in your lap. ''Johnny... I'm sorry...''
It was impossible to concentrate. However you managed to activate your ability, it was now impossible. You couldn't be sure if Johnny was alive or not, though you struggled to believe Gyro. It took a few long seconds to calm down and stop crying, although you continued sobbing and moaning in pain. You felt pathetic and weak. On your left lay the body of Hot Pants. Two men, soon three, needed you to care.
Your chest rose and fell desperately, fighting for air. When your vision was no longer blurred with tears, you decided to do something.
Placing your fingers on Johnny's bloodied neck, looking for any sign of life in his jugular vein, two faint pulses were felt on the man's still-warm skin. Your bag was open and everything inside it spilled out on the floor. Among these things, is a small penknife. You caught it quickly and aimed it directly at the hole the bullet had made in his forehead. Terrified, your hands shook, and you held your breath to steady yourself.
It was not possible to know if that was your skill or simply desperation, but you quickly calmed down. Your fingers probed the wound area, feeling a soft and almost fatal metallic bulge under the skin. Unceremoniously, you poked the edge of the blade into the wound, brushing the blond locks away from Johnny's pale face.
A dying man, after turning pale, takes on a greenish appearance. First on the lips, then across the chest as the life force drained from the body. You've seen this happen far more times than you'd like, but you were relieved that this wasn't the case with Johnny. He was pale but livid. The warmth of his ears was evidence of that. In a clang of agony, the projectile exited the wounded skull and you could finally breathe.
Finished cleaning the other wounds, encouraged blood flow, and checked Johnny's pulse again. This time it was stronger and you let out a short laugh of relief, though there wasn't much you could do about his other injuries. Ringo had shot Johhny in the cheek, which hadn't done much damage beyond breaking a few molars, but the hole in his skin was an undeniably uncomfortable sight.
You rested his head on your bag and turned now to Hot Pants. Seeing that he was hit in the chest, you looked for a hole in his back that would indicate the exit of the projectile but found nothing. His pulse was weak. When you turned him over onto his back, lifted the fabric of his cape. The bullet lodged in his sternum. A bone perfectly made to protect the heart and lungs. You picked up your switchblade, ready for another bullet extraction procedure, but you hesitated for a moment.
With your hands resting on his chest. Feeling something soft and bulging through the thick fabric. Your mouth fell open in surprise.
You didn't take your hands off Hot Pants' breasts, still trying to process what had just happened. You analyzed the shape of his body once more and finally discovered what confused you about him.
Hot Pants had a slight build in the torso, narrow hips, and small breasts, although prominent under the clothes. She was undoubtedly a woman. Your eyebrows drew together. Although confused, you didn't have time to think about it. Then removed the projectile with the tip of your switchblade, far more easily than had with Johnny, and sat down between them.
The silence inside the house was eerie. It was possible still hear the two men muttering faintly, but a few minutes later, one last shot rang out. You feared the worst.
You let out a breath in a small sigh, then relaxed at the sight of Gyro at the front door, staggering and bloodied but alive. He pocketed his steel balls with a shaking hand and looked at Johnny. Tried to say something, but couldn't. You were angry and afraid, trying to quell the wave of mixed emotions that coursed through every beat of your heart. Gyro closed his eyes, took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, and knelt in front of you, looking at you as if you were a porcelain doll on exhibition. He tried to calm down, to be gentle.
He was exhausted, barely able to say a whole word, so you spared him that.
''They'll be fine. I got the bullet out of Johnny's skull, but I still need to sew up the other wounds.''
''Don't worry about it.'' His voice reassured you. ''How are your wounds?''
''It would have been better if he had just shot me in the head.'' Said, dismissive of the intense pain you were feeling.
He dragged himself, sitting on the floor, next to Hot Pants, and took the spray, which was stored in her holster. You looked at her inertly but soon turned your attention to Gyro, trying to understand what he intended to do.
The fading of the day made every feature of him golden and gleaming. Even the blood, present all over his body, had a beautiful glow. He held up his bullet-pocked shirt, his torso partially covered in dried, dark stains of blood. You've lost count of how many times you've seen his abdomen, thought wryly, as watched him deposit the froth of flesh from the Hot Pants spray into his wounds.
When Gyro saw that his idea had worked, he looked at you and walked over to do the same. Unconsciously, you backed away, but he didn't care. Gyro analyzed your wound, wrapping your shoulder so you felt the weight and heat of his hand. He applied the flesh foam, and although the pain continued, the throbbing agony and the bullet hole were gone.
Then he repeated the process with Hot Pants and Johnny. The shock had already left your body, but you still couldn't say anything. It was stained with blood, tears, and dust. The sobs stopped and you and Gyro waited for Johnny to wake up.