[X] Split up in two group and find the user. Zenkichi and Sugar are on seperate teams as hornet punchers.
-[X] One group serves as the "obvious" search group AKA distraction, while the other group, with Rica, will try to use her ability to be more stealthy in the search.
"The hornets has been taken care of I hope?" Akemi asks. One hand is in his pocket while the other point at the man Rica knocked out. "In any case I suggest leaving: the hornets, differently from the other time, appeared and attacked when we interfered with what this man was doing. Based on what you told me about
Automatic Stands, it must be the
trigger to make the Stand react."
"You're right. Let's move out." You lead the others down another street. Finding a door to the side of an apartment complex you smash open the lock, enter together with the others and close it behind you.
"More precautions will not hurt." Taking out a card Nekomi pulls out of it a paper mug and pours coffee on the door. "Good thing there was that 7-Eleven on the way."
"Good thinking." You nod in approval before addressing everyone. "We'll divide into two groups to search for the user. Rica, you will use your Stealth Mode to search discretely. Sugar, go with her and deal with the hornets if you're found out. Myself and Nabeshima-san will search more obviously and thus act as a distraction." You look at Akiyuki. "Akemi-san, you can decide who to go with."
"To be perfectly honest, I want nothing more than to run away." He rubs his chin. "But after seeing what this Stand do to people...how to say,
it doesn't sit well with me. Even if I cannot see Stands and thus cannot do much, I guess that what I
want to do is to
help as much as I can."
You grin internally. Yes, that's it: the willingness, when the chips are down, to do face your problems head-on. Without a doubt, Akiyuki Akemi has the qualities of a
True Stand User.
"So, I think I'll join you and Nabeshima-san. Call it a
hunch, but I believe it's
less dangerous for me."
"As you wish. Nabeshima-san, do you have more of that coffee?"
"Sure thing." He takes out another paper mug and gives her to Sugar. "Now that's outside the card it will start cooling down again, but it should work even cold."
"If you find the Stand User don't wait for the other group, but take him or her out as fast as possible. Ready?" After a collective nod you check outside the door with your Stand. Finding no one you open the door. "Let's go!"
====
After splitting off from Rica and Sugar you, Nekomi and Akemi begin to walk around randomly, but without passing again through the same area. The suburbs you're in are full of abandoned buildings and places where nature is slowly reclaiming what was stolen from it by human progress. Even then you should have meet at least one person or a moving car by now, but the only people around are more of the mysterious Stand's victims. They ignore you, wholly focused on their task: some are taking apart old buildings, while others are slowly moving in the same direction while carrying a mix of various items and food in their hands.
You poke a woman on the forehead. When she keeps walking you briefly pull her back by the shoulder before letting go. She stumbles a bit before moving again, with no hornet in sight.
"So small interactions don't cause reactions." You muse while sitting back next to Nekomi and Akemi on a short wall. "It's probable we need to actively hinder them to make the hornets show up."
"Have you seen what they're carrying?" Nekomi adds. "It's either sweet food or things made of wood. Why is that?"
"If I remember right a hornet nest is made of chewed-up tree bark." Akemi muses. "Now I don't know if they do the same, but if the victims were given hornet-like instincts then it's possible they're trying to imitate real insects by building something similar to a nest with wood. Same with the food. I just hope there isn't a place out there full of larvae."
"Gross!" Nekomi shivers.
"Going by the rule of only one power for each Stand, their venom that enslave humans qualifies as one." You frown. "However, it isn't rare for a power to have broad applications or additional characteristics that compliment the main one. Even then the one to lay the eggs is the queen, which only the Stand User qualifies for."
"So what? Do we follow the people carrying stuff and hope they're going where the Stand User is?" Nekomi asks.
"That would be a serious oversight...unless they believe themselves to be safe even if someone follow the victims, since their Stand will protect them." You stand up. "It makes even more sense if they haven't meet another Stand User until now."
"Are we really going to just follow those people, then?" Nekomi asks, to which Akemi nods. She sighs, taking out a few cards and checking them. "I have this, and this...If I use them like this, it should be enough." Then she looks at you. "Can't you use your Stand's ability to do something?"
You shake your head. "My Stand's ability requires conditions to activate."
"Which conditions?"
"I need to get hurt. The harder the beating, the better. I could call the hornets and let them maul me a bit-" You shrug. "But if we can do without that it would make me happy."
"You need to take damage first?" Akemi tilts his head. "With such a price, it must be a powerful ability."
You grin knowingly. "
You have no idea."
====
Following the hornet's victims lead you to a warehouse, the entrance being the gate that trucks once used to bring the goods inside. Moving silently you and the others reach the entrance while sticking close to the wall.
"You stupid fucker! I told you to bring me a beer! A beer!" A shrill voice comes from inside, the first one beyond those of your comrades you heard since arriving here. Peeking inside you come face to face with a shocking sight: in the center of the empty warehouse a structure resembling a giant hornet's nest is under construction, the victims clumsily setting into place misshapen pieces of wood to recreate the hexagonal cells typical of a real nest.
Standing close to the unfinished part a woman is currently slapping a hornet's victim. She's wearing multiple sets of clothes, both for males and females, has shaggy dirty-blonde hairs and white Band-Aids put at random over her face. "It's always either milk or fruit juice to you! Milk or fruit juice!" She seethes. "What is wrong with you?!"
The man makes a buzzing sound while holding out the stuff in his hands, like an offering. The woman grabs a bottle before smashing it into the man's head, breaking it and drenching the man with juice. Then she kicks him and, when he's on the ground, begins to stomp on his face while screaming in rage: "Do I need to do everything myself?! I am the only one here with a brain?! You're all so stupid, it's a miracle you can even breath!"
While this happens the other victims keep working without a care.
What Strategy will Zenkichi and the others use?
[] Write-in.
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