The Ludicrous Escapade Pt.4

A Little Unhinged

"Wonderful." You replied with a faint smile. You didn't mind helping Gappy with the situation at all.

The expression unnerved the usually stoic old man. He briefly considered that you might be someone he didn't want to get on the bad side of. Even so, he tossed the thought aside. He had been operating on this street for years. There was no reason for him to stop. He felt that this was his domain. As long as he pushed a little more, he'd get the money he wanted.

In an attempt to regain control of the situation, he began aggressively waving his cane in the air while shouting. "Hey! You better not start spouting bullshit, brats! You're thinking I'm a liar, aren't ya? You have been the whole time, haven't you?! Then let me prove it to you that I'm not! Those two over there are police officers. Call them over here. C'mon. Call them!"

Soft & Wet waved a hand in front of the man's face. Gappy knew Dio said that the leaves or whatever had the Stand, but he just wanted to check for himself that old man wasn't hiding some ability of his own.

Neither the old man nor Joshu paid the floating figure any mind.

"Listen, I know you're trying to threaten us by calling the police over, but I really don't think that would turn out as well as you hope." You calmly grabbed the end of the cane the man was waving around. "I could kill you here and now and get away scot-free. That's the kind of connections I have."

The old man yanked his cane out of your grip. "Are you threatening to kill me? What is wrong with young people these days?! You should have more respect for your elders!"

"Eh?" You cocked your head to the side. "Maybe you should follow your own advice." You were, after all, much older than he was.

"...what?" The man was confused, to say the least.

"Regardless, I'd like to ask you about this business of yours that you're running." You gestured to the pet shop behind him. "Do you actually sell pets to anyone or do you just get them all killed as part of this scam you pull? You can expect a thorough investigation by the Speedwagon Foundation. If they find anything I don't like, things won't turn out well for you."

It would probably be best to get the old man's dog to a better owner, as well. For the creature's own safety.

The man's shoulders slumped ever so slightly. As much as he wished otherwise, you didn't appear to be lying. Trying to scam your friend had ultimately been a mistake. By the time he had decided on how to respond, you were already walking away. So, he decided it would be in his best interest to not pursue it any further. He'd have to be a little more careful in the future about who he decided to collect money from.

"Wow. I can't believe that worked." Joshu moved with his arms tucked behind his head. "Do you actually know people at the Speedwagon Foundation or were you just bluffing? If so, was that why my dad was fine with letting you stay with us? It would probably be good for the fruit business or whatever if he could strike a deal with them."

"I am part of the Speedwagon Foundation." You were currently texting someone there to deal with the pet store guy. "Norisuke hasn't brought any sort of business deal to my attention, though." It wasn't a terrible idea. The SPW Foundation had yet to expand into the fruit industry.

"(Y/N), can I borrow your phone? I want to take a video." Gappy knew the camera on the flip phone he snatched from Daiya didn't have the best recording capabilities. He had been leaving it at the house, anyway, since the maps went all funky from the Stand trying to help him out. And, while he did believe you about the leaves, he still wanted to get some video evidence of it happening.

"Sure. If you want." You started to hand the device over.

Joshu stepped in between you and Josuke. "No. You don't have to do anything for that guy, (Y/N). He just thinks I'm going to fuck up the video. He probably doesn't even know how to use it."