Light explodes from the end of Sanjo’s pipe, filling the dark hallway with a blinding white. Josuke feels the smoke fall away from him and he inhales desperately, falling to his knees. When he looks up, Shizuka is standing in front of him.

“Don’t look, bro,” she whispers before turning back to face the old man. Sanjo rubs his eyes, growling and rubbing his eyes against the glare. “I should thank you, you know!” Shizuka declares, taking one step towards him. “After leaving us in the dark like that, it’s nice of you to provide a little light.”

Sanjo stares at his pipe, as various colorful sparks begin to snap right in front of him. Each burst of light stings his eyes, as he sees something form from the colors. Achtung Baby emerges, striking a pose, as the burning embers start glitter like stars.

They begin to glow brighter, stronger, and Josuke throws a hand over his eyes as he realizes what’s about to happen. Through his fingers, he sees the lights flash once more. Then they flash again, and again, each time faster and more intense than before.

Between the strobe lights, Shizuka sees Sanjo twitch, then double over, throwing his head back, while froth foams from his mouth. Sanjo continues to shake violently until his eyes roll into his head and his feet collapse from under him. The strobe continues until he stops moving.

Any smoke there was disappears, and Josuke instantly feels a weight lift itself from off his head. He staggers to his feet, shaking his head. “What did you do to him?” he asks Shizuka, once he’s sure he is no longer about to die.

“I… I gave him a seizure. Like a… fit, an epileptic fit…” she replies, absently pointing at Sanjo’s motionless form.

“Shizuka? Are you OK?”

“I… I gave him… Oh my God…!” she whispers, putting her hands over her mouth.

“Shizuka..?”

“Josuke!” she cries, turning suddenly with panic in her eyes, “I’m so sorry! Th-this is all my fault! If I had just listened to you, then - then none of this would have happened! I don’t what I… I just wanted to… i’m sorry…”

The policeman sighs. With a steady hand, he proceeds to smack his sister upside her head. “Yeah, God damn it!” he shouts, as she rubs her head, “All you had to do was listen to me, but instead you had to go all Clint Eastwood on me! I’ll tell you this much, little sis: you make a lousy gunslinger!”

“…I know…” she says, her eyes downcast.

He stays quiet for a moment, letting her sulk for a moment. Then he relents, patting her back gently, but still firm. “Come on, dumbass. Let’s heal the old bastard and find out what he knows.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“We’re here to find out what he knows about your mom, right? Can’t talk too well if his synapses aren’t firing in the right direction, can he?”

“…Right,” she says, smiling bashfully. Sighing, Josuke walks to Sanjo’s side. With the taste of toxic gas still on his tongue, he allows himself another few seconds before bringing out CRAZY DIAMOND.

***

When the old man wakes up, the first thing he sees is Josuke and Shizuka standing over him. Immediately, he snarls and tries to charge, only to find his arms being pulled painfully back, his wrists handcuffed to a railing. They stand on the deck, in the open air and sound of seagulls and smell of salt from the sea. Sanjo looks down at himself, searching.

“You looking for this?” Josuke asks, presenting the pipe in his hand. “Pretty handy powers you’ve got. Shame it’s all focused on this little thing. Take it away, and you’re just another old man.”

Sanjo glares at Josuke, then ignores him, turning to Shizuka. “What the hell did you do to me?” he says in a low voice.

“I beat you, that’s what,” she replies.

“You got lucky. If I hadn’t underestimated you, I would have…”

“Then I would’ve found a different way to beat you, creep.”

“Tsk! That superior attitude is what makes me sick to my stomach,” the old man growls.

“Now, now, pal,” Josuke chides, “you wouldn’t want to hurt our feelings now, would you? Especially after banging us up so bad just a second ago. You lost. It’s over.”

Sanjo grits his teeth, then his body goes limp with despair and his head drops down into his chest. “There’s a squad car coming to pick you up as we speak,” Josuke says, “cooperate, and you’ll be treated fairly.”

Sanjo doesn’t answer. Josuke goes to walk away, but Shizuka lingers.

“You want to know your biggest mistake, old man?” she says, “You shouldn’t have lied to me. That’s the one thing I can’t forgive.” With that, she turns her back on him and walks alongside her brother.

“I didn’t lie.”

The siblings freeze, turning around to look down at the old man. The voice was so soft, Josuke isn’t sure if he imagined Sanjo talking. “You say something?”

The old man raises his head, and pays no mind to Josuke. His gaze is pointed straight at Shizuka, who has turned to look at him as well. “It’s those eyes. Those fucking eyes. They’re just like hers. Just like your bitch mama’s.”

Shizuka frowns. There are tears glistening in the corners of the old man’s eyes, and his eyes are filled with bottomless, bottomless hate.

“Hey, answer me!” Josuke shouts, “What did you just say?”

“I said, I didn’t lie,” Sanjo says, tearing his glare away from Shizuka to glance at Josuke, before turning right back onto Shizuka. “That story I told you. In the living room. It was all true. All of it. I only lied about one thing. Your father’s name wasn’t Jouga. It was Gangak. Yeoh Gangak.”