Chapter 32: J. Geil: Confirmed Dead
Staring into the cold, crimson eyes of the new Stand, J. Geil felt his heart stop. A moment later, he let out a guttural, inhuman shriek. "GYAAAAAAHHH!! STAY AWAY! DON'T COME NEAR ME!"
He squeezed his eyes shut and threw his hands up, a pathetic, reflexive defense. He waited for the final, killing blow... but it never came. He slowly opened his eyes.
The black Stand was gone.
"It... it vanished..." J. Geil panted, his body trembling. He scanned the area, then used his good arm to push himself up. He had to run. He had to get out of here.
He had just turned his back when the black Stand reappeared, a new, ornate dagger in its hand. It plunged the blade deep into J. Geil's shoulder.
"GAAAAHH!"
I can't go on like this! I have to escape! His mind raced, his survival instinct overriding the pain. He looked frantically for Hol Horse. He was his only hope!
But when his eyes found the spot where the cowboy had been, J. Geil's heart sank into a new abyss of despair. Hol Horse was gone. All that remained was a faint, yellow-hatted silhouette, already disappearing into the distant darkness.
Hol Horse was, at that moment, running for his goddamn life.
Just before J. Geil had been stabbed, he'd seen it. He'd seen the black, ninja-like Stand sink into the ground... and merge with J. Geil's shadow, only to rise up from it.
It's a shadow-traveling Stand! his mind screamed. And it's the middle of the night! It's raining! The entire world is a shadow!
This was not a "Number Two" situation. This was a "Get the Hell Out" situation. His philosophy was clear: RUN!
"AAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!" J. Geil shrieked again as the black Stand's dagger pierced his lung. This new Stand... its attacks didn't inflict that soul-tearing agony of the other one. But it was faster. It was precise. And, to his horror, he realized it wasn't even trying to kill him.
It was torturing him.
With Hol Horse gone, he was alone. He had one last chance. He commanded [The Hanged Man], forcing it into a puddle that reflected the new Stand, and lunged at its image.
The black Stand, as if sensing the attack, merely tilted its head. It raised one hand, empty, in a throwing motion. As J. Geil watched in confusion, black particles swarmed its palm, solidifying into a razor-sharp shuriken.
SHIIING!
The Stand threw the shuriken—not at J. Geil, but at the puddle. The projectile hit the water, shattering the reflection and violently ejecting [The Hanged Man].
Before J. Geil could react, the black Stand formed another dagger, lunged, and plunged it straight through his hand, pinning him to the trunk of a tree.
"GYAAAAAAAHHHH!!! IT HURTS! IT HURTS SO MUCH!!"
His screams were becoming weak and thin. He was at his limit.
Polnareff, his face grim, gently covered Sherry's eyes, shielding her from the brutal spectacle. But Sherry, her ears covered, turned her head and looked past him... at Jonas.
She couldn't see the particles, but she could see the result. The gaping, fatal wound in his chest... it was closing. The skin was knitting itself back together.
She found herself staring. His shirt, torn and bloody from the battle, revealed a physique that was... perfect. A deep crimson blush spread across her rain-soaked cheeks. She tried to look away, but her eyes kept drifting back. She found herself taking a step closer... and then another.
Just as she was completely absorbed, Jonas's eyes snapped open.
The first thing the resurrected Jonas saw was Sherry's face, inches from his, her eyes wide with what could only be described as infatuated awe. She yelped, her face turning a shade of red that put his Stand's eyes to shame, and she spun around, mortified.
Jonas sat up, rubbing his neck. He felt... incredible. Clear-headed. Refreshed. It was like finally, finally squeezing that last, stubborn bit of toothpaste out of the tube.
"Mister Jonas!" Polnareff rushed to his side, helping him to his feet. "You're alive! Merci! Thank you! I am forever in your debt!"
Jonas blinked, his mind still rebooting. He saw Polnareff, then the blushing Sherry, then the crucified form of J. Geil. The memories came flooding back.
"It was nothing," Jonas said, brushing himself off. "He was my target, anyway."
He walked toward the whimpering, broken man. J. Geil was a sight. He was bleeding from a dozen wounds, pinned to the ground and the tree by a collection of black daggers. Each one had been placed with a surgeon's precision, artfully avoiding every major artery, guaranteeing a slow, agonizing fate.
J. Geil's breathing was a faint, wet rattle. He couldn't even scream anymore.
As Jonas approached, the black Stand detached itself from J. Geil's shadow and moved to its master's side, standing at attention like a loyal servant.
Seeing Jonas, his fatal heart wound completely gone, J. Geil let out a wet, defeated chuckle. This man... he hadn't even used his full power against his mother. He'd saved it all... for him.
But even now, one last, venomous trick remained.
"I... I know..." J. Geil gurgled, blood trickling from his lips. "I know... where... my mother... is... Come... closer... and I'll... tell you..."
Yes... just a little closer... and [The Hanged Man], hidden in the reflection of my own eye, will sever your head from your neck...
Jonas's eyes narrowed. He let out a sigh of pure contempt.
"Listen to a piece of trash like you?" Jonas said, his voice dripping with disgust. "I'm afraid it would dirty my ears."
As he spoke, the black Stand raised its hand. Black particles coalesced into a long, flawless katana.
With a single, fluid, merciless motion, it plunged the blade straight through J. Geil's heart.
J. Geil's eyes went wide. His body twitched. He tried to speak, but only a bloody gurgle escaped. His life, and his final, desperate gambit, were over.
J. GEIL: CONFIRMED DEAD.
...
...
...
Stand User: Jonas Jourdan
Stand Name: [Invisible Black Monster · ????]
Destructive Power: ?
Speed: ?
Range: ?
Stamina: ?
Precision: ?
Developmental Potential: ?