The Ludicrous Escapade Pt.4

Sketchy

The phone rang a few times before he picked up.

"Santana? What is it? Did you need something?" Giorno didn't sound much different from what you remembered. Although, he seemed a little more tired than usual. The result of countless sleepless nights. "No one's gotten a Stand that can help us, yet, but maybe..."

"Actually, this is-"

He let out a loud gasp. He'd recognize your voice anywhere. "...(Y/N)? You... you're..." He covered his mouth with one hand, sounding nearly on the verge of tears.

"Yeah... I just got back a few minutes ago. I figured I should tell you that it's okay to stop looking for me now." Then you paused, considering his earlier words for a moment, and what exactly they could imply. "But I have a quick question. When you say 'no one's gotten a Stand to help us, yet' are you saying you've been giving people Stands? You wouldn't happen to be stabbing people with a Stand arrow, would you?"

Giorno hesitated to answer, knowing you wouldn't like what he had to say. "...I was doing it for you." He glanced to the people behind him who were eagerly listening in on the conversation. None of them were initial members of Passione. Mista, Bruno, Abbacchio, Fugo and all of La Squadra were busy with actual missions for the gang. No. The people beside him were ones he knew had the same... dedication to the goal as he did. "We were doing it for you."

"We? Who else was helping with this?" You couldn't believe he was just going around stabbing people. Especially considering what the mortality rate would be for those unqualified for a Stand. "I can't imagine Bruno would've gone along with something like this."

Giorno slammed a hand down on his desk, loud enough for your to hear it through the phone. "That's because he doesn't know. And all things considered..." He started mumbling under his breath. "He doesn't deserve to know. He started seeing someone else three months ago. Can you believe that? If he truly cared about you, he would've waited."

"Exactly!" Exclaimed someone else in the room with him.

You're eyes widened. The sound of this other voice being all too familiar. "...Anasui?!" You couldn't believe it. "Giorno, don't tell me..." Santana had given him his power over the SPW Foundation, after all. Had really decided to use it for this?

"I needed people with the same resolve as me to help with this. Ones who would understand the lengths we might need to go to to bring you back." Even if he didn't particularly like Anasui, he was confident the man would do his best to help if it meant returning you to this universe. Giorno was sure you would understand. "My brothers are here with me, too."

You shook your head in disbelief. Of all the things you had expected for him to do, this hadn't exactly been one of them. "Giorno, just how many people did you... kill?"

He started tapping his fingers along his desk, his voice now a whisper. "It's probably best if you don't know. You're back now, and that's all that matters. Although, how did you get back?"

You didn't feel like elaborating much to him so you kept it relatively vague. "In the universe I was sent to, someone had an ability to traverse through different universes. I eventually made him my Stand."

Giorno nodded along, only half paying attention to what you were saying. Instead he was just focusing on the sound of your voice. He hadn't heard you actually speak to him in seven years. "Well, I'm glad you're back." He paused briefly. "But did you hear what I said earlier? About Bruno?" He had expected more of a reaction. He wanted you to be angry at Bucciarati.

You tensed your jaw. "Yes. I heard you."

You certainly couldn't blame Bruno. You had told him it was okay for him to move on before you had been forced away. Perhaps you were even a little relieved. While it still hurt to hear, you would just try to be happy that he had found someone else to spend his life with. Someone he could grow old with.