Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: A New Universe
Chapter 197: Three Days Remaining
Previous Chapter Next ChapterWes didn't know how to process the revelation he heard. Pucci was his older brother. That was the information Rikiel revealed, and it explained the reason for the star-shaped birthmark appearing on his neck. Pucci likely got a similar mark from merging with the remains of DIO, infusing him with Joestar blood. "This answers some of my questions," he noted, "But leaves others unanswered. Why would my own brother remove my memories? Does it have something to do with who I was trying to kill?"
Ermes looked around the area where Pucci had been staying still. "You're sure this is the place, Jolyne?" "I'm sure," Jolyne replied, "He's here, and the last brother too. He's probably taking the time to rest. It won't take him three days to reach Cape Canaveral, after all." "He's biding his time then," Rainbow noted, "But while that's happening, we may have a chance to strike at him here and now. However, there's still the matter of the remaining brother, and whatever Stand he may have."
"Knowing Jotaro he's probably still heading for Cape Canaveral himself," Ryusei noted, "So even if Pucci somehow slips away he'll have someone waiting for him." Wes looked up at the hospital. "They're both inside, but one of them feels... Weaker. Like he's still suffering from whatever placed him in the hospital in the first place." "Let's not get too excited," Anasui said, "Rikiel recovered after unlocking his own Stand. The same might be true for the third brother."
Inside the hospital room, Pucci was sharing a meal with Versus. "What do you think about this food, Versus?," Pucci asked. Versus was sitting a wheelchair. He had been the burglar that was reported shot when Pucci first approached the hospital. "Can't you taste it for yourself?," Versus asked. "I'm allergic to shellfish," Pucci explained, "It makes me sick to eat it." Versus chuckled. "Better than most cases of food allergies. At least you don't suffer anaphylaxis."
"True," Pucci said, "But it's unpleasant all the same, and the cooked shrimp around the dish makes me a little nervous." Versus took a spoonful. "Hmm... Tastes more like a white meat fish. Halibut, perhaps. The flan is made from mashed crabmeat, with sliced asparagus. I don't taste any shellfish." He sniffed the air. "Hmm... Perhaps I'll have another with some of the sauce. Smells a little like cream sauce with scallop juice." He took a taste. "Yes, that's definitely scallops I'm tasting. I wouldn't recommend using the sauce if you're truly allergic to shellfish."
Pucci nodded. "Thank you for your honesty." "Seems to be something I inherited from my father," Versus noted. "Yet you still know deceit because of your mother," Pucci noted, "Did you know the two of them met a hundred years before you were even born?" "Is she a vampire too?," Versus asked. Pucci shook his head. "No. You'd know if she was, because she wouldn't be able to go out into the sunlight." Versus become sad. "Mother... Never gets out much. Father's death hit her hard."
Pucci sighed. "I'm sorry to bring it up... Anyway, Enya merely gained everlasting youth by drinking DIO's blood." "What's with all these tests, anyway?," Versus asked, "Measuring my body, checking my sense of taste, blood pressure. I get that you have some time to kill before reaching the next New Moon, but I can already feel Jolyne's presence right outside the hospital, and I haven't even seen my own Stand yet."
"Yes I know," Pucci said, "But perhaps it's already unlocked and we just don't know it's power. After all, not every Stand has a physical form. Take, for example, your sister-in-law Rarita Giovanna. Her Stand seems to have a physical form at first glance, but the form that is shown is just a manifestation of its power. I know this, because prior to meeting you and the others I took the time to try and convince Giorno to help. He refused, because his business took too much of his time. I feel he has recently moved to Florida, perhaps drawn by the same force that led me to you, but I suspect he will throw his lot in with the Joestar family."
He finished checking his blood pressure. "I ordered this dish because it said that there was no shellfish in it. You can finish it if you like. And don't worry about Jolyne. I suspect she won't be able to find this room so easily." Versus looked at the dish, and was shocked when an image of a crying child appeared in the flan. "It was fun riding in the ambulance," the image said, "But my daddy doesn't like me... He shot me... Daddy shot me!" Versus instinctively backed away as a shot was heard, a bullet being thrown out of the child's throat, as if he was shot. Versus smiled. "I see..."
Meanwhile the group had split up to look around the hospital. It was likely that Pucci had given a false name to meet with the brothers, and they didn't even know the last brother's name, so finding him wouldn't be easy. Jolyne lead one group while Wes lead another, hoping their connection would help them track down Pucci and the last brother. Jolyne was with Ermes, Anasui, and Atroe, while Wes was with Rainbow and Gwess. Ryusei was staying outside with Emporio just in case Pucci decided to leave.
"This hospital is like a maze," Anasui said, "How are we supposed to find that priest anyway?" Suddenly a shot rang out behind them, followed by someone grunting like their throat was hit. "Darling!," a woman called out. The four of them turned to see a strange sight. The door they had just passed was off its hinges, a bullet hole in the middle of it. Nearby, a man had been shot through the throat and was bleeding, his wife kneeling over him in shock. Anasui recognized them. "I think I saw that couple outside. Their son was being admitted for a gunshot wound." Jolyne looked at the door. "But who shot the father...?"