Una Extraña Aventura: A Zeppeli Tale [ON HIATUS}

Chapter Eight: The Team Grows

Stand User: Enrique Martin

Age: 18

Stand Name: Instant Crush

Power: A

Speed: C

Durability: A

Range: C

Precision: D

"You El Pacto thugs!" Rosalia cried as she drove down with her elbows, attempting to strangle Enrique. "You took someone away from me! I'll make sure you get back what you give! Fuck you, go to fucking hell!"

"Rosalia, you're gonna kill him!" Carmen beckoned to the older girl. Rosalia simply stared cold daggers as she continued to choke the young man.

"I know exactly why they came for me, Carmen! And I will show them I'm not just another target of theirs!"

"Listen, you probably have some history with those people, but if you keep doing this, you're gonna be a murderer!"

"Nothing compared to the blood they've shed." Rosalia dismissed.

She's really gonna kill him! And if he dies, Vitale and I will be accomplices. I've already been to jail once, can I afford to get locked up again?

"I like your spunk, Signorina Rosalia," a voice whispered as two strong hands grabbed her arms, prying them from the gang member's throat. "But he can give us answers if he stays alive. Nothing's exactly as it seems. Pretty straightforward, no?"

"V-Vitale?" the young woman turned around, looking the handsome Italian man in the eye. She felt her cheeks warming, but her focus was quickly redirected as sputtering sounds emerged from Enrique's lips.

"He's awake." Carmen announced.

Enrique sprung up into a seated position, gasping for air.

"Where-- where am I?" he panted, catching his breath.

"You have no room to be asking questions," Vitale said, as he continued to restrain Rosalia with her hands behind her back. She ceased showing aggression, but he didn't want to take any chances. "Who are you and why were you attacking these two ladies?"

"I'm not answering your damn questions, prick--

Carmen brandished a knife and held it against the edge of his throat.

"There's three of us and one of you. I noticed you were using some kind of ability that my friend Rosalia has explained to me is called a Stand. You might have that, but remember we still boxed you in, and we can definitely do that again. So answer like a nice young man."

"F-Fine. What do you want to know?" he muttered as Carmen withdrew her knife.

"When you tried stealing from my cafe, you were really just scouting, weren't you? What kind of schemes did you freaks have in store for me?" Rosalia asked, wrenching her wrists out of Vitale's grasp. It took all the self-control she had, but she refrained from attacking Enrique further.

"I don't make the plans, woman," Enrique scoffed. "I'm only a soldier. The man from Cerberus told me the jefe deemed you a threat, so I was supposed to eliminate you."

"Why didn't you attack me right away at Tacvba, then?"

"Because I didn't have a Stand then. Didn't I tell you I'd just acquired it?"

"So having a Stand means I pose a threat to El Pacto? Is that why you were given a Stand so suddenly?"

"Only a Stand can only defeat a Stand. That's what the third head of Cerberus told me."

"Cerberus?" Carmen asked. "Like that three-headed dog on your arm?"

"Soldiers are given their orders by Cerberus," Enrique explained. "The jefe makes the decisions, but Cerberus--his three lieutenants, do all the heavy lifting. Supervising, delegating tasks, they do all that. Us soldiers rarely, if ever, get to see the jefe."

"Which is the one that ended the life of a security guard at the Puerto de Las Palmas in 1986?" Rosalia tightened her fists as she fought the urge to scream.

"What do you mean?" Enrique furrowed his brow.

"Five years ago, the police found the body of Eduardo Alfajores inside a shipping container at the Puerto de Las Palmas. The man who did it said he was a lieutenant. Who killed him?" Rosalia said, on the verge of fuming.

"Well... I can tell you who it wasn't. The man who gives me my orders, Salmorejo, has only been a part of Cerberus for three years. And the first lieutenant is a woman."

"So that means it's the second lieutenant. What's his name?"

"His name is Menudo... the most trusted man in the jefe's circle. He's the one who primarily operates the drug transfers at the port. If there's anyone who did your Eduardo guy in... it's Menudo."

Rosalia took deep breaths as her anger fought the idea of turning into sorrow. She took a step back, Vitale giving her space. She crossed her arms and gazed at Enrique defiantly.

"You're going to help me look for this Menudo, Enrique. And if we fail at that, I will take your life in his stead."

"I... I hate those El Pacto freaks just as much as you do!" Enrique suddenly cried. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but I am looking for answers, just like you are! And the only way I knew how was to do it from inside. Believe me, Rosalia."

"What makes me think I'm going to believe you? You have their brand on you. As far as I know, you're one of them."

"Wait, Rosalia... I think he has a point. I think... he's not as bad as he seems." Carmen intervened, standing in between Rosalia and Enrique.

"Why do you think that?" Rosalia asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Because... because if he really was loyal to this El Pacto, I think he would've killed us from the onset. His power is definitely capable of it. He would've just killed us with his nails as soon as he saw us on the beach. But he didn't. He gave us many chances to save ourselves. He revealed his Stand's ability to us, and he even told us what he was going to do before he did it. He didn't want to kill us."

Rosalia's tense body relaxed as the realization set in. Carmen was right. She had seen Instant Crush's power firsthand and knew that it could've killed the two girls instantly had its User wished. But they were given a chance, an opportunity to show that they had the power and will to fight and survive.

"Your boss must realize that you've been gone for a while now, right?" Rosalia asked Enrique. 

"Of course he does!" Enrique groaned. "If he finds out I didn't fulfill my assignment..."

"Vitale, do you have a hoodie with you?" Rosalia turned around, the taller man looming behind her like he was her bodyguard.

"I can grab one from my suitcase. Why?"

"Enrique needs to hide himself if he wants to get out of here in one piece. He definitely has eyes on him. Lend him one, please."

"Capito." Gotcha, Vitale nodded, before walking out of the lounge doors.

"Blondie, I'll admit you did me a solid just now," Enrique breathed. "But since we're allies, I'll let it be known that you absolutely reek of being spoiled and pampered. It's nothing personal, but that kind of person makes me sick to my stomach. Don't expect too many favors from me."

Rosalia side-eyed the young man, reminding him that had Carmen not stepped in a few moments earlier, she herself would've still counted him as a threat. 

"My name's Carmen. You could at least get that right." Carmen snorted in displeasure.

"Quiet, Blondie." Enrique scoffed, before retrieving a Walkman from the pockets of his pants, whisking himself away to a world of tunes while he waited for Vitale to bring his hoodie to him.

"Say, Rosalia," Carmen said, guiding the girl to another area of the room, far enough from Enrique that he wouldn't hear him, but close enough that the two girls had clear visuals on him. "Who is Eduardo Alfajores?"

"Eduardo Alfajores..." Rosalia breathed. "...was my father."