Guilty Conscience ~Abbacchio/Fem Reader

Chapter 27: One in the Same

"Yes," Fugo repeated for the seventh time. "The turtle has a Stand."

"But," Y/N stammered, her fingers massaging her temples as she tried to understand what was happening. "This really doesn't make any sense. . . At all. How can an animal have a Stand — let alone a turtle?"

Fugo rolled his eyes as he searched for an explanation, but nothing came to mind. "I don't know, Y/N. Stands themselves don't make any sense as is, so how am I supposed to know how the turtle works?"

"Of all people, I thought you'd know," Y/N pointed, "seeing as you are a genius after all."

"That's flattering, truly. But what does my vast knowledge of the legal system, politics, mathematics and philosophy have to do with a damn turtle!?"

"I don't know Fugo! I'm trying my best here! I was a dead woman only a few hours ago, and now I'm here, stepping into the 'secret room within the shell of this turtle who is also a Stand user'." Y/N gestured in quotations.

A gentle hand warmed the backside of Y/N's shoulder as Bucciarati leaned into the Phantom's side. "I suggest going in," he said gesturing to the tortoise that sat on the boat's damp floor. "It's much more spacious in there than it is up here. And Fugo and I will be focusing on directions, so small talk will be kept to a minimum. The traitors' boat rocked as soft waves splashed up to tickle the men and women within. Fugo, Bucciarati and Y/N sat huddled together on the surface, reviewing their maps and selecting a safe docking area while the others retreated to the secret room hidden under the mysterious tortious' shell. "It will be good for you to rest. To talk with the others," Bucciarati continued. "Plus, with the files you brought, you could get an early start on locating Passione's leader."

"That's true," she agreed, "but what of the others? Won't they be upset that I'm there — in their space? I thought it would be best for me to give everyone some room."

"We don't have space," Fugo interjected. "We're on a boat that barely fits the lot of us and to make things even better, our only area for actual resting is within a damn reptile."

"It's better than nothing," Bucciarati mused. "And at this very moment, Y/N, locating the Boss surpasses the priority of monitoring the feelings of those around you. Once this is all over — once Trish's father has been dealt with — then we can discuss whose feelings got hurt by who, but for now, I need you inside the turtle and getting to work."

A passionate flame flickered to life in Bucciarati's eyes as he instructed her to move — reminded her that hungry dogs eat before they lift their noses to look around. What was important now was her duty and not the mixed emotions that fluttered in the air, swirling all around her task. Y/N looked to her side where Bucciarati sat and nodded once, ready to begin the hunt for Italy's most wanted crime lord.

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With a first name, date of birth and the residence he used to occupy, Y/N had little to go off of when searching for Passione's nameless leader. Her fingers moved quickly, pressing into the keys of Fugo's computer as she ran through multiple identity searches. But to no one's surprise, the results were slim pickings and unlikely the true man she was looking for. The officers working under Italy's undercover unit managed to identify scraps of information regarding the true identity of Diovalo, but aside from the little that they had found in their 4-year-long search, there were no other leads that Y/N could follow. She was left in the dark with nothing but a name and a shimmer of hope.

To her surprise, the "turtle" was a lot roomier than she initially expected. There were multiple sofas in the fully furnished room to match the plush carpets that lined the inner walls of the hidden chamber. A mini fridge stocked with cold drinks and even a closet sat neatly within the shell of the secret Stand user. It was the perfect hideout and great workspace for the Phantom to uncover the identity of Passione's very own boss.