SuShi's Bizarre Adventure: Twilit Curtain Call

by Jojoleopard

Chapter 14: The Scorpion Strategy

Skyburn Dash eyed both enemies warily, keeping his own Stand back for the time being, at least until he could figure out a winning strategy here. From what he knew so far, Wiseau Sirius’ Stand, Wind of Change, which took the form of a football, was able to change people’s genders, and alone, that wasn’t a very powerful ability, but that just meant his Stand had a longer range, able to affect large areas around itself.

To him, this meant nothing, but to the simple minded, it would cause them to wreak havoc across the streets as proven by the violence that was happening below.

The other one, High Mark, who was supposed to be a man, had the Stand, Taken by Force. As of now, Skyburn still didn’t know what it could do, but it had thrown a boomerang at him earlier and it had hurt pretty bad. He wanted to assume that it had the power to throw boomerangs, but another part of him pulled at his gut, telling him that there was more to it.

“You do know that killing all the rich people in the world won’t solve a thing, right?” Skyburn said. He just had to buy enough time until he could think of a good plan.

“Do you understand life?” Wiseau suddenly burst out. “Do you?”

Skyburn waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t say more.

“Do you know what it’s like? To struggle to get by everyday?” High Mark was the one to continue. “I was once an aspiring actor, but not one of my movies took off and year after year, I was getting hired less and less and now I’m a nobody, left to rot on the streets. I took up jobs to at least pay off my apartment rent and my meals, but the prices rise every year and my job no longer pays enough.”

“And I make movies, but my movies don’t earn millions like I wanted to,” Wiseau said. “And all people do is laugh at my movies, which are serious, not comedy. Everybody betray me, so I’m fed up with this world. That’s when Die Die Riches came to me. We might be poorer people, but our leader, she is capable to find out what she needs without money and then she sends us to accomplish our task.”

“You’re a long way away, then.” Skyburn picked up on what he said. Their leader was female. “You must’ve come from somewhere beyond Canterlot. Beyond America.”

“You have no idea. I hate plane rides. So many hours…” Wiseau began fanning at his face with a hand. “Ten hours of flying. And your summers are so hot. I hate your country.”

“Whereas I’m native born, right here from Canterlot.” High Mark bent lower on a knee and leaned forward as she folded her arms. “That’s why I’m dressed appropriately, Wiseau.”

“Bah, I just want to finish killing everyone in Canterlot, then I can go back and report…” the strange man groaned. “You, girl, you must die first so that we don’t have more opposition. I didn’t know there are Stand masters here.”

“Oh, you’ll be surprised. I’m one of many.” Skyburn got into a combative stance. “If I fail here today, if I lose my life, I know many more who would take you down easily. But you know what?”

“What, what is it?” Wiseau waved a hand, asking him to hurry.

Skyburn clicked his tongue twice. “I’m not going to lose. Die Die Riches killed my girlfriend right in front of my eyes. Before that, I was willing to let you carry on, but now you’ve made it personal. Do or die, I’m taking your entire movement down. How’s that for a plan?”

“I don’t like it. Do you, Mark?” Wiseau looked at his companion. “His plan is nasty. I want to kill him.”

“Sounds good to me.” High Mark cracked her knuckles as a red and yellow sword appeared in her right hand.

Her Stand snapped its fingers again and a red and yellow cannon appeared beside it, just by the door that led down the building.

“Let’s see what you can do, puny one.” High Mark rushed at him from the right, holding her sword high. Skyburn sent Runaway to engage her, swinging a baton just as she threw her sword forward.

With a well-timed deflect, it sent the sword spiraling away, only for Wind of Change to hit it in the side of the head, the blow knocking it off its feet. Taken by Force took this chance to grab Runaway’s feet, before swinging it round and round as Wind of Change bounced back, hitting Runaway in the face once again as the cannon’s barrel began to glow orange.

Skyburn had stumbled back with each hit to his face, but he kept his eyes on the cannon, spotting their attack pattern. Wiseau would throw Wind of Change from his right, while High Mark and Taken by Force would attack him from his left.

“You’re trying to keep me in line with the cannon,” he surmised. “One of you attacks me from the right and the other from the left, keeping me from getting away as your cannon charges its power.”

“Perceptive one, isn’t she?” Wiseau chuckled as he caught his Stand again. “We call it our scorpion strategy. Normally our enemies don’t notice our cannon, too busy fight against us to pay attention and then boom, they die only realize too late.”

“Though our last opponent didn’t die. She just ended up in some hospital on Burrito Street,” High mark added.

“What a story, Mark.” Wiseau laughed again.

“But… there’s no hospital on Burrito Street.” Skyburn recalled. He knew his city well and there were only two hospitals in Canterlot and they certainly weren’t on a street that was famous for Mexican food.

“Is so hot out here. Just die, will you?” Wiseau threw his Stand at Runaway again as Taken by Force let go of its legs. “I want to leave your country. It doesn’t like me.”

“Here’s a better idea,” Skyburn said, deflecting Wiseau’s Stand with one of Runaway’s batons. “How about I pulverize you both?”

Runaway spun in the air, then got out of the way just in time as the cannon fired its payload. A giant orange fireball blazed past it and Skyburn, breaking apart the corner of the roof as it detonated just past the building in the air, shattering all the windows facing the road.

“That’s big. I better not get hit by that.” Skyburn looked at the damage, then back at the cannon as it began charging again.

“You’re fast, and so is your Stand,” High Mark remarked. “But you can’t contend with the both of us together! Taken by Force, do your thing!”

A bright yellow sword appeared in High Mark’s hands and he swung it at Runaway. Skyburn’s Stand deflected the blow with its batons easily.

“Keep deflecting them and I’ll keep them coming!” High Mark stretched her arms out to welcome Skyburn to keep trying. “Taken by Force has the ability to manifest almost every kind of weapon in someone’s hands! I have already equipped people around the city with my weapons as they go crazy from Wind of Change’s power. And these weapons are made by my Stand, meaning they can hurt Stands as well!”

She opened a palm and a shuriken appeared in it before she threw it at Skyburn. He got Runaway to deflect it, but then another two shurikens came at him before he could see them and they struck his Stand in the chest.

He gritted his teeth together in a silent groan as bloody cuts appeared on his chest, staining his shirt red.

“Your ability to make weapons is powerful, I admit,” Skyburn said as he sprinted towards High Mark. “But a Stand is still stronger than a human! Yeeargh!”

Taken by Force gave High Mark a throwing knife and she threw it without hesitation, but Runaway knocked it out of the way before throwing its other baton against the ground at a forty-five degree angle. It bounced off the concrete and flew straight up into Taken by Force’s face, stunning it and its master.

Skyburn tackled High Mark around the torso and knocked them both to the ground, where Skyburn began driving his fists into High Mark’s face. The two of them rolled around on the ground until High Mark got her Stand to pull Skyburn off him.

“Ha! Good effort, but you’re just a kid. I’m an adult! You can’t outfight me!”

As he stood back up, something fell out of her tank top pocket and fluttered onto the ground.

Wiseau Sirius glanced down at it. “High Mark. What’s that?”

High Mark looked down and a panicked look came over his face. “Oh, uh, nothing! I’ll just take that,’ He tried to pick up the small piece of paper, but Wiseau was faster.

“Why do you have a picture of Lisa in your pocket?” Wiseau asked slowly, forgetting about Skyburn for the moment.

“I don’t… even know who that is. I… found it.” High Mark stuffed the picture back in her pocket. “It’s nothing. Come on, we have to finish what we started.”

“I saw it. It was Lisa. My Lisa. I recognize her everywhere!” Wiseau threw his hands up. “Oh I miss her back home, I’ve been here too long.”

Skyburn looked between the two Stand masters and a lightbulb went off in his head. This was exactly what he needed to turn the tide, and now he had a chance to take them both out at the same time.

“Hey. That’s Lisa, yeah. I saw her. In Mark’s pocket.” Skyburn waggled a finger at the woman who was normally a man. “You know her well, don’t you? That’s funny. Now what is she doing with you, Mark?”

“No, I’ve never met her in my life. How can you believe this boy, uh girl, uh boy, whatever he is. She never knew who we were until now!” Mark pleaded. “She’s trying to turn us against each other!”

“I know enough to see that you’re going behind Wiseau’s back about Lisa,” Skyburn told them. “Why do you have a photo of Lisa in your pocket if there’s nothing between you then?”

“Why do you even know Lisa?!” Wiseau grabbed High Mark by the shirt. “You only been to France once, did you meet her then?”

“I told you, I don't’ know what you’re talking about!” High Mark shoved Wiseau away. “It’s… it’s just a joke, okay? Why so serious? I found this picture in your coat and it fell into my pocket, okay?”

“Wow, that’s so many inconsistencies strung together, dude.” Skyburn shook his head. “Are you even trying?”

“Shut up, kid!” High Mark snapped. “There’s nothing going on with me and Lisa. Nothing at all. I just have her picture because… she asked me to give it to you, Wiseau! Yeah, that’s it.”

“You liar!” Wiseau reached out and grabbed High Mark around the neck. “You’re sleeping with Lisa I know it now, aren’t you?”

High Mark stuck her tongue out and began choking, but then Taken by Force grabbed Wiseau by the coat and tossed him back. Skyburn scurried back on his hands as Wiseau got back up and threw his Stand at her. Electricity buzzed around Wind of Change before Taken by Force caught it in one hand. It pulsed blue and the electricity coursed through to the humanoid Stand. High Mark began to shake and convulse as her Stand did so, but it she managed to get a sword materialized in her hand before throwing it at Wiseau.

It punctured through his shoulder and he fell back on a knee, but he yanked it out and yelled at the top of his voice, “I do everything for you and Lisa! And you do this to me? When you come to visit in France at our base, I am always glad to have you and you sleep with Lisa?”

“Come on, man, she just doesn’t love you anymore, you got it?” High Mark got on her feet and wiped blood off the corner of her mouth. “She doesn’t want to live with a man who can’t make a decent movie anymore.”

Wind of Change returned to Wiseau’s hand and he pointed at High Mark as more electricity started to burst from his Stand. “Now I’m serious. So get out! Get out of my life!”

“What planet are you on, man?” High Mark pointed back at Wiseau. “Lisa likes me, not you. You can drop off the Earth.”

“You are tearing me apart, Mark!” Wiseau bellowed, falling to his knees and throwing his arms down. “It’s over. Between you and me. It’s over.”

High Mark blew a raspberry. “What are you going to do?” She stretched her arm out and a boomerang appeared in it as Taken by Force slid an arm down to its waist and raised the other one to the side of its head. “I have a Stand that can give me weapons. You have a football. Why don’t you just keep your stupid comments in your pocket and die so Lisa and I can be together?”

“You- You’re not good, you’re just a chicken, cheep cheep cheep!” Wiseau flapped his arms like a chicken again. High Mark’s face contorted in anger and he tried to grab Wiseau, but he was repelled. “Don’t touch me, melon farmer!”

He bent back and he threw his energized Stand at High Mark’s chest point blank as she brought the boomerang down on Wiseau’s head. The edge of the boomerang broke through his skin and stuck into his skull as Wind of Change launched High Mark back as she got shocked by its powerful charge. Skyburn could see her skeleton for a few seconds before she dropped back to the ground, smoking.

“Auuugggghhhhhh, my head!” Wiseau Sirius fell back and held his head as he screamed in agony and rolled around. “How you do this to me?”

High Mark pushed off the ground, panting hard as blood dripped from his ears and nose. “I got you… I got you… Dead. Dead. Lisa is mine now. Once I’m through with you, you won’t even go to Burrito Street. I’m sending you… straight to the cemetery.”

“I’ll kill you!” Wiseau recovered from his anguish and got back up as he charged at him, the boomerang still in his head.

Skyburn watched as the two men grappled each other and it was here that he realized that High Mark was indeed a man now. He looked down at himself and blew a sigh of relief as he realized he was back to normal as well. Wiseau Sirius must’ve dropped the enchantment when he got hit in the head.

“That means that everyone below will be cooling off…” Skyburn patted down his body. “About time. I never knew I would ever miss my normal body. Now to end this…”

High Mark and Wiseau Sirius continued to club each other with their fists and rolled around the roof. Wiseau kicked High Mark in the face, but Taken by Force jumped over them and pulled Wiseau away before sticking a knife in his gut. The director coughed out blood in Mark’s face, but still managed to throw his Stand far into the air above them.

Wiseau suddenly leaned back and grabbed High Mark’s arms, pulling him down on top of himself. Mark struggled to get out of his grip, but Wiseau held strong as Wind of Change began falling back down towards them, buzzing with electricity.

“You’ll doom us all, just let go!” Mark struggled more, but to no avail. “Lisa is mine now! She wants nothing to do with you anymore!”

“I don’t care you betray me! Lisa betray me!” Wiseau spat in his face. “You stole from me the only person I have left beside you! And then now you betray me too. Everybody betray me!”

Wind of Change returned and dropped against High Mark’s back. The impact almost bent his body in half and the discharge of power shocked him till his tall hair had gone frizzy and puffy. Wiseau let go of him and kicked him off as he unsteadily stood up, clutching at the knife in his belly.

“Ah, it hurts…” he gasped as he yanked it free, spurting blood out on top of High Mark. “Now you, child, you will join Mark. After I’m done with you, I will go back to France and find Lisa and finish her as well for her betray before I report back…”

“So, France, huh?” Skyburn said. Wiseau Sirius realized he was no longer standing where he had been and turned around, finding him by the cannon. He had forgotten Mark’s cannon was still there, charging all this time. Skyburn had angled it lower, its barrel now pointed at them. “I’ll be sure to pay your boss a visit. Say hi to her for me, will you?”

Waving, Skyburn ducked as smoke poured from the side of the cannon. With a deafening bang, it blasted out a giant fireball and Wiseau could only swing his arms up and down before the fireball consumed him and High Mark, launching them off the roof and into the air before it detonated with a furious might. Both men were sent flying into the sky, screaming as they grew smaller and smaller and smaller until Skyburn could no longer see them.

“Have a nice trip back!” he called, then he spun on a heel and gave Runaway a high five. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

He walked over to the edge of the roof and looked down at the streets and Porky Park. All the fighting had stopped and people were busy shaking out of their earlier madness. He spotted Spike and Twilight headed back this way and he waved to them before heading for the stairway. They were going to want to hear what he had learned from the two imbeciles.

“France… I’ve never been to France. We’re one step closer now. One step closer to taking down Die Die Riches.” He looked to the sky and smiled. “Appy, I hope you’re watching me. We’re going to finish this. For you. Then you can rest easy knowing the ones who had caused your death have been dealt with.”

He pushed the door open, more determined than ever. They had a location now and things were working out for them. With Die Die Riches out of the way, the world would certainly be a better place to live. But he couldn’t blame it all on them. The world had been going the wrong way for years now and it was going to be hard to get it back on track. Hay, he didn’t even know if the world could get things back on track at this point. They were running out of resources and inflation was on a sharp rise. People were getting displaced more than ever and with global warming picking up speed, it was also getting harder and harder to survive on this planet, man or animal or plant.

But Skyburn did know one thing. He was going to avenge Appy and bring justice to her killers.

Author's Note:

Two for the price of one Stand chart today! If you proceed here.

Comments

[ArcticAce01]

Gotta say, this was funny

Skyburn not only, got both enemy stand users to fight each other. But, also got information Aswell because Wiseau kept talking.

Man, can’t wait to see what’s next

[Roboman3000]

Turning enemies against one another, nice

[Genocide Games]

ah yes, a reference to the infamous "The Room".