Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You woke to the sound of an argument.

“-e can’t stay here!”
“Polnareff, they were being controlled”
“We still don’t know for sure, it could be a trick!”

God, whatever they were arguing about, you wished they would shut up.. Your head was throbbing… you reached up to touch it, your eyes shooting open when you found a bandage there.

“Hey, they're awake.”

You were suddenly aware of your surroundings. It looked like a hotel room of some kind, you had been laid down on the only bed. There were four men in the room, each of them staring directly at you.

Fuck, how did you even get here?

“Uh…”
“Silver Chariot!”

the noise barely left your lips before one of the men shouted, before you could blink, a stand clad in armor had its blade against your throat.

“Polnareff! You're being too hasty! We haven't even heard what they have to say!” A man clad in a long robe was interjecting, grabbing at the first man's shoulder.

You of course, were more concerned by the blade poking at your neck to even think of what to to. Calling out your stand at this point would probably be a death sentence after all. They all had their eyes on you after all. There were two other men there, near the back of the room. An older looking man with silver hair, and a younger guy with red hair. He had abnormally long bangs on one side of his face… must be a stylistic decision…. They were speaking to each other behind their hands. You couldn't make out anything they were saying over the arguing of the first two men.

“Hey, uh… listen… What do you guys even want?” you asked, not really enjoying the way the blade subtly moved against your skin as you spoke. The sound of your voice seemed to shut everyone up for a moment, their eyes were focused on you again.

Now the two men in the back were stepping forward. “Hey, Polnareff, put your stand away.” said the older man, putting his hands on his hips.

“I think it's obvious they were being controlled by Dio’s Flesh Bud.” the man with red hair continued.

“Well of course that's what they want us to think! What if it's a trick?” the first man, the one who was using his stand, shouted. His eyes were digging into you with such an intensity that you had to avert your own gaze.

“Well… I guess that could be true…” the older man spoke, rubbing his beard thoughtfully.

“However, it’s unlikely.” the robed man interjected. “We dealt with both Kakyoin and Polnareff while they were affected by the flesh buds, and both claimed undying loyalty to Dio. This situation is the same.” He said, gesturing to you.

God, you had no idea what the hell they were talking about… flesh buds? Dio? Dio…. Why did that name sound so familiar?

There was a long silence, and you looked up again to find all their eyes on you again. What the fuck…. Did all these guys know how to do was argue and stare? It was giving you the heebie jeebies…. “Listen, uh…. I don't even know what's going on right now… what the hell are you guys even saying right now… Dio-?”

The words caught in your throat as you were suddenly caught in the memory of yourself kneeling on the ground at someone's feet, whispering their name like a prayer… dio… dio… Dio…. DIO….

A hand clapped on your shoulder, and you gasped, looking up to find the robed man staring intently into your eyes. “Are you okay?”

“I… yeah… my memories… are kinda hazy… but I remember that guy… Dio…” you muttered, rubbing a hand over your face. “I was with him…. But I can't remember why…” you looked up, “You said his name before, who is he?”

The mood in the room had darkened. Everyone seemed a little more serious than before. Whoever this Dio guy was… he must be important…

“Dio…. He’s the one we’re up against.” said the older man, crossing his arms.

Somehow, that name made you feel sick.

Chapter Text

A voice you haven't heard broke the silence.

“They should join us.”

You looked over to see a different man entering the room from the balcony. A lit cigarette was dangling from his fingers. His gaze was icy, and it made you shiver.

“Hey, Jotaro, this is a non-smoking room y’know.” the older gentleman said, sounding kind of annoyed, but he looked back towards you. “But I agree. We’ve all seen their stand ability. I think they’ll be worth it.”

There was a murmur of agreement throughout the group, and the man, Jotaro, stepped back out to the balcony.

“Hey, Hey! I didn't agree to Join your group at all! I don't even remember how I got here!” you protested, starting to get out of the bed. You were stopped by a pain in your leg, letting out a pained grunt. You looked down to find your leg bandaged. “W…What the hell…” You looked up at the guys for an explanation, which just made everyone look a bit uncomfortable.

“Well…. I’ll explain the best I can..” said the robed man from before, rubbing his chin.

So basically, the gist was that you were under control of Dio via one of his ‘Flesh Buds’ which penetrated your brain and basically forced your loyalty to him. You attacked the group head on whilst they were on their way to egypt.

Your stand supposedly caused them a lot of trouble, “Green Onions” was a bastard of a stand. Its main attack ‘bubble blast’ was a bitch of an attack if it caught you. It spit little pea shaped bubbles at its enemy. They were sticky as hell, and rapidly expanded, sticking to whatever it touched, and either suffocating or crushing the enemy under its weight.

It was an ugly bastard too. A little green puff of slime, with fox-like eyes and a big toothy smile. It ran on big human shaped feet, though it could float around if they so chose.

During your fight with the group, you had managed to incapacitate Kakyoin, Avdol, and Polnareff, but somehow, Jotaro and Joseph as a team managed to stick themselves to you, forcing you to release your stand. When you tried to escape, you jumped off a roof, knocking yourself out and injuring your leg at the same time. That's when everyone caught up to you, discovered you were being controlled and decided to take you back to their hotel to remove the flesh bud.

You learned everyone's names, the first man was indeed Polnareff, the old man was Joseph, the red head was Kakyoin, the robed man was Avdol, and the man with the icy gaze was Jotaro.

It seemed however, they all knew your name, since you so boldly announced it upon meeting them at the beginning of your fight.

So you sat there on that bed, processing the new information you had been given. You didn't doubt their stories, your own vague memories of what happened seemed to back up their claims.

“S-so…. This Dio guy… I guess he’s pretty strong, right?” you asked, letting out a nervous breath. “No offence… but if he’s so strong, why is he sending random people like me to come fight you guys? You don't seem particularly weak…”

“That we don't know.” said Kakyoin, backed up by a nod from the others.

“It could be that he’s just trying to delay us from reaching him, which is all the more reason why we should get there as soon as possible.” Joseph said, “There's got to be a reason besides the sunlight that he hasn't come to fight us yet.”

“It doesn't matter the reason. Let's just hurry along and rip that bastard a new one!” Polnareff said, pointing his finger at Joseph.

You…. still haven't decided to join them for sure, but it did piss you off that Dio had been controlling you, and almost got you killed by this lot. THe more you thought about it, the more appealing it became to join them. Yeah…. Yeah.

“Okay…. I want to join you guys. I want to take down Dio… I’ll pay him back in full what he did to me!” you said, starting to stand from the bed again, wincing softly at your injured leg.

There was a nod of approval from Kakyoin and Avdol, and a Thumbs up from Joseph. Polnareff however, shook his head, pointing at you. “I still don't trust you yet… I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

You just smiled.

Chapter Text

Traveling with the crusaders…

It would be fun if it weren't so terrifying. The first day you were with them was relatively normal… until it wasn't.

“Alright, so Avodol and I will room together.” said Joseph, holding the three room keys.

“Naturally, Jotaro and I will room together because we’re both students, so that leaves…” Kakyoin trailed off, looking between you and Polnareff.

There was a silence for a few moments, you could feel a bit of tension building. “Uh…. I don't have a problem with it... “ You said, rubbing the back of your head.

You knew Polnareff was still suspicious of you, so it would be kind of awkward to room with him… but really it probably wouldn't be a big deal, it's not like he would try anything. He was well in his right to be suspicious.

“I’ll swap-”
“I don't have a problem with it either.”

Avdol had started to offer to swap places with one of us, but Polnareff cut him off before he could say anything more.

Right…. It wouldn't be a big deal…

At least you hoped not.

Everyone was handed their key, and split up. It was kind of odd, but everyone's room was on a different floor. Didn't they usually put people in the same party in rooms close to each other?

Hm… They must be short on rooms in that case. Yeah, now that you thought of it, you vaguely remember the woman saying there was only one room left besides these three....

You trailed behind Polnareff, letting out a sigh.

“Man, I can't wait to take a shower somewhere where it's safe.” commented Polnareff as he climbed the stairs in front of you.

“Mh, yeah…” you hadn't even encountered any enemies yet. Though they did say they were getting attacked almost every day… but there's no way that was the case, right? They hadn't been attacked at all, and it was nearly sunset.

“So what's your deal anyway?” you found yourself asking. “You were under control of the Flesh-bud too, right? I’m not asking you to put your life in my hands or anything, but… I just don't get why you’re so suspicious…” you said, putting a hand on your hip.

“Because you’re just damn suspicious!” he protested, waving his hand like it was obvious how shifty you were supposedly being. “Besides, none of the other stand users we’ve encountered recently have been controlled, so it's just too suspicious… like you could have just done that to disarm us and make us trust you…”

Yeah…. That kind of did make sense… you understood the reasoning, but you hated how verbal he was with his distrust. It was like he was waiting for you to make a slip… though maybe the others distrusted you just as much, and Polnareff was just the only one to verbalise it so openly…

You sighed again, crossing your arms as you both stopped in front of your hotel room. Polnareff fumbled with the key for a few seconds before inserting it into the lock opening up the room for you both.

He went inside first, and you followed after, immediately going to put your things on the bed. Polnareff checked the bathroom

Wait… The bed?

There…. There was only one bed…

Your cheeks went a bit pink at the thought of sharing the bed with Polnareff… he was a handsome guy… even if his hair was a bit ridiculous…

You went over to the landline, picking up the phone and calling the front desk.

“Hey Polnareff, they only gave us one bed, I’m calling down.” you said as the phone rang once, twice, three, four… then rang busy. You let out a deep sigh, turning as Polnareff came out of the bathroom. “They didn't pick up. I’m going to go back down and see if they can swap it.” you said to him.

“Yeah, I’ll stay here.” he said, throwing his bag down on the bed as you exited the room, heading down the hall to where the stairs were, going down to the front desk.

Chapter Text

You stepped in front of the Lady behind the desk, smiling. “Hi.. uh, our party just checked in about 15 minutes ago, and my… er, friend and I were only given one bed in our room.” you said.

The lady smiled at you, “What room are you in?”

“Uh, We’re room 912 I think?” You said.

The lady nods and looks down at her sheet. “Okay, let me check if we have any other rooms available…” She says, “This might take a couple minutes, thank you for your patience…” she said.

You nod at her, leaning against the counter while you waited for her. Really, come to think of it, she said earlier that there was only one other room available besides the ones that you had reserved… surely it wouldn't take that long to figure it out, right?

But it did you guess…

After a few minutes, the lady looked back up to you, giving a winning smile, “looks like the only other room available also only has one bed. If you’d like, we can reserve you that room for only one thousa-”

You put up a hand to cut her off, “uh, I think we’ll be just fine in the room we’re in, thank you.” you said, and turned on your heel to head back upstairs.

Really! Who did that lady think she was! One Thousand Singapore dollars? That was like what… $750 in USD? Crazy….

You continued muttering to yourself, heading up and opening the door to your hotel room and calling inside. “Hey, They can't change our roo….” You trailed off as you saw blood splattered along the floor.

“Green Onions!” you called out your stand, charging into the room only to halt in your tracks.

Polnareff was sitting on the bed, wrapping his ankle in some kind of cloth, phone balanced between his ear and shoulder. “Yeah, we’ll meet up in 5 minutes in your room, (y/n) just got back” he spoke into the phone, looking at you as he hung up.

“What happened?” you asked, gesturing to the blood around the room, “I was only gone for 10 minutes…”

“We’re being attacked by a stand user.” Polnareff said, “Devo The Cursed.” he went to stand, only to yelp, crumpling to the ground out of your sight on the other side of the bed.

Your eyes widened, and you ran over to help him, only to find…. He was gone? You looked around, behind you, at the door…. He had only gone out of sight for a second, so how…

You hear footsteps behind you, you whip around and see nothing.

Hehehe… a little giggle, it definitely isn't your imagination. You were under attack. “Polnareff… can you hear me right now? What kind of enemy is it?” you said, slowly turning, keeping your senses ready for anything.

“Mmgh…” there was a muffled noise from under the bed. You glanced around the room again before looking under the bed.

There he was.

Under the bed was polnareff, tied and gagged….. It had only been a couple seconds.. They must be fast..-

Out of the corner of your eye you saw something move.

“Green Onions! Bubble Blast!” You shouted, scrambling to your feet as your stand shot its bubbles at the movement before you could see what it was. You only needed one to hit, just one bubble to hit….-

Now you could see what it was. A doll… no, a wooden puppet, animated and running at full speed at you, brandishing a razor.

Your stand spit bubbles at it while you dodged the first attack. But it was too fast, and you yelped in pain as it slashed your arm, painting your clothing red with blood. “F-Fuck…!”

It came running at you again, but was yanked back suddenly as one of your bubbles hit the edge of its jacket. The bubble had already expanded enough to stick him to the floor.

“Bubble blast!” you commanded again, and Green Onions shot more bubbles, ensuring he couldn't just slip free of his coat and attack that way.

The puppet let out a screech, throwing the blade at you, which you easily dodged, getting down to try and drag Polnareff out from under the bed. “God, you weigh so fucking much you absolute behemoth” you grunted, having to use all your strength since he was completely bound.

He made an indignant grunt, and you could just feel the sass in it.

“You know, you are a lot easier to get along with when you're gagged.” you teased, “and you look better too.” you said with a snort. Polnareff grunted behind his gag, making some sort of noise that sounded a whole lot like insults.

You moved overtop of him, reaching down to untie his arms and legs, moving to untie the gag as well.

“Dammit! That bastard!” was the first words out of Polnareff's mouth. He pushed himself to his feet, walking over to where the puppet was, slamming his foot down on it, smashing the head open with a loud crunch.

You released your stand, the bubbles fading away and allowing the puppet to crumple to the ground.

“So… is that it?” you asked.

“Yeah… that's it.”

Chapter Text

After you had both calmed down, you called over to Joseph's room.

“Polnareff, are you okay?” came Avdol's worried voice through the phone.

“No, it’s (y/n). We were attacked in the hotel room, but we were able to take care of it” you said smoothly, “we’re both a little injured, but it's nothing to cause a fuss about.” you continued, drumming your fingers against the nightstand, gazing over at the smashed doll on the floor.

“I’m glad to hear you’re both okay.” He sounded relieved. “I’ll let everyone know it's been taken care of.”

“Thanks, I’ll call again if anything else comes up” you said before setting the phone back in the receiver. You turned back to polnareff, who was sitting on the bed watching you. “What?”

He shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “Guess I should thank you, huh?”

You snorted and shook your head, going into the bathroom to get a wet towel to help clean your wounds. “Nah. we’re in this together, no need to thank me.” you said, sitting on the bed beside him. “Lay down and let me see your legs.” you said.

Polnareff looked like he would protest for a moment before laying down on his stomach on the bed. Both wounds were on the back of his legs, so him laying in the bed was the easiest way to do this.

You gently dabbed the towel at the uncovered wound, wiping up the smeared blood. “Mh… you really should be getting stitches for something like this…” you muttered, reaching into your bag to get out the gauze pads you kept specifically for reasons like this. You carefully dressed that wound, then began to unwrap the wound on his ankle. The white cloth was suspiciously shaped….

“Is this underwear?” you asked, brow raised.

Polnareff grunted, his cheeks pink tinged. “It was the first thing I pulled out! I was being attacked!” He protested, “I didn't know you had all these bandages hanging around!”

You couldn't help but laugh, which only made Polnareff blush harder. You carefully cleaned the wound, then wrapped that one as well. “All right, you're done…try not to move around too much at least until tomorrow.” You said, smiling at him.

He nodded, “I don't really like staying still, but I guess I can since you asked so nicely.” he said, rolling over onto his back, putting his hands behind his head. “It's good to just relax sometimes..”

You nodded in agreement, getting up and picking up the puppet that lay still smashed, dumping it into the trash can.

“Hey, since you're up…. And I’m not supposed to be moving around, can you grab me a drink?” Polnareff asked, a smug look on his face.

“Just because I told you not to move around doesn't mean I’m going to be your maid.” you said, but you went over, grabbing a drink from on top of the fridge and tossing it over to him. “Hey… why are all these drinks not in the fridge? They're making a mess…” you said, picking up one of the condensation covered drinks examining it before putting it and the rest back in the fridge.

“Mh.” polnareff cracked open the drink. “That guy was hiding in the fridge.”

You looked over at him, brow raised, but Polnareff just shrugged at you.

“Right…” you said, sighing and shaking your head. “Anyway, I’m getting in the shower.” you said, going to the bathroom and shutting the door behind you.

The hot water felt amazing. You were able to relax, wash your greasy hair and scrub the dirt off your skin. It wasn't easy traveling like this. As gross as it was, showers were a bit of a luxury here. You did your best to stay clean though.

You finished up, wrapping a towel around your body as you came out of the bathroom, digging clothes out of your bag. “Hey, I hope this isn't too much trouble, but do you think you could wrap up my arm after I get dressed?” you asked Polnareff, finding a clean pair of clothes and turning to face him again.

His face was bright red, his eyes focused on the wall instead of you, “u-uh.. Yeah- that's… not a problem at all.” he said.

“Right… thanks.” you said, feeling confused by his sudden change in personality, but going back into the bathroom to put on your clothes. You finished up by combing through your hair with your fingers until it laid semi-flat. It was enough for now.

You came back out, sitting on the side of the bed, handing over the gause and wrapping to Polnareff and giving him a smile.

Polnareff took them from your hands. His face wasn't so red anymore, but he was looking at you a little differently now. He was gentle as he wrapped your arm. You didn't really expect how soft his touch was…. But it was nice… you felt yourself being able to relax.

“It's done.” He said, giving you a smile.

“Thanks.” you took the leftover bandages and put them in your bag. You were… pretty tired after all today's events. Maybe it was time for bed? But…

You looked over at the bed. It… was just being shared between acquaintances… it's not like you expected, or even necessarily wanted anything to happen…. It was just an embarrassing thought to share a bed with someone…

“Scoot over some. You’re hogging the whole bed.” you said, pointing at Polnareff.

“Hey, it's not my fault they gave us such a small bed.” he complained, but he scooted over some anyway, allowing you to flop yourself in the spot next to him. Even though it was a bed for two people, Polnareff's shoulders were so broad that his arm touched against yours. The heat there was… admittedly very nice…

“Mmh… I wish I had a brush right now…” you commented, stretching out.

“I have a brush.” Polnareff said, looking over at you.

“Oh! Can I borrow it?” you ask, perking up a bit. “I haven't brushed my hair in a couple days… forgot my brush, and it's… not really a priority…” you said, laughing softly.

“Yeah.” he reached for his bag, grabbing a comb out and handing it over to you.

You thanked him, gently combing through your hair… until you got to the back.

There was a knot. A big one. You felt it tenderly with your fingers…. You'd have to cut it out…. You let out a deep sigh.

“You’ve got a knot? I can fix it.”

You looked at Polnareff, surprised. “Really?”

“I used to brush my sisters hair all the time. She would get knots like that occasionally.” he said, taking the brush from your hands and scooting up behind you.

He was gentler than expected. Just like the bandages on your arm, his fingers expertly working at the knot, using the comb sparsely. It actually felt pretty nice…. His fingers brushed against the back of your neck, making you shiver. You could feel your cheeks heating up.

“There we go mon cher…” he whispered, and you could feel his breath on your ear.

Chapter Text

You could have jumped directly out of your skin.

You jolted forward, turning to look at him.

Polnareff looked back at you, seeming surprised at your reaction. He was nowhere near as close as he felt. Your cheeks went bright red.

“Are you okay?” he finally asked.

You just nodded your head, “yeah, yeah… I was… the pet-name just caught me off guard I guess?” you said, laughing.

It was his turn to blush, “I didn't mean anything by it.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck, “er, the knot is out…. Wasn't as bad as it felt.” he said, moving back to his spot on the bed.

“Yeah… thanks.” you said, stretching out.

“Anytime you need a hand with something like that, let me know.” he said with a smile.

You just nod in response, pulling the covers back and climbing into bed. It was comfortable enough, so you quickly fell asleep next to him.

You slowly woke the next morning feeling heat against your back. It was nice, so you pressed back into it without a second though　

That was.. Until you remembered who you were in bed with.

You jolted, turning over in bed a bit to see Polnareff's peaceful sleeping face. Oh…. he actually looked pretty nice like this. When he wasn't making a ruckus or being fairly narcissistic about his hair…. Yeah.

You found yourself studying his features, how they had softened when not affected by the stress of the journey so far… just wow…

You slowly got up, sitting on the edge of the bed as you checked the clock. 6:13 am…. The rest of the group would be meeting soon. They all usually rose early since there was such a long journey ahead.

You reached over, shaking Polnareff's shoulder gently. “Hey, if you want to get a shower before we go, you should get up. It's after six.” you said, nodding to the clock.

He awoke with a grunt, blinking up at you before sitting up. He rubbed his hands over his face. “Yeah…”

“Be careful of your injuries.” you reminded before standing up. “I’m going down to see if they offer breakfast.” you said. “I’ll grab you something.”

Polnareff grumbled something that sounded a bit like a ‘thanks’ as he stumbled into the bathroom. Looks like he wasn't much of a morning person… You shook your head, checking your appearance in the mirror before heading out into the hall.

You headed for the main floor, surprised to see it was actually somewhat crowded. You spotted a familiar looking figure and called out. “Avdol?”

It was indeed the robed man, and he turned to face you with a smile. “Good morning, (y/n). Did you sleep well?” He asked.

“Yeah, I slept okay..” you said, blushing a little at remembering how you woke so close to Polnareff. “Uh, do you know if they provide breakfast here?” you asked him.

“Yes, they do. That's actually where I’m headed now. Would you like to join me?” he asked, smiling at you.

You nodded, following after the other man. You kind of looked up to Avdol right now. He seemed so put together, so level-headed. He was the kind of guy you would go to for advice.

He led you over to a small food bar, there was some fresh fruit, baked goods, cereal, some pre-packaged foods, and beverages.

You didn't realise how hungry you were until you saw it all. You grabbed yourself a plate, grabbing a couple pieces of fruit and prepackaged food, shoving them into your pockets for later. You never knew when you might need a snack. You helped yourself to a muffin and a bowl of cereal.

Avdol was already sitting at a table, so you went to sit with him. He had a couple pieces of fruit on his plate and a drink.

“Is everyone else asleep still?” you asked him, starting to dig into your muffin.

“Yes, despite his looks, Joseph usually sleeps in. I don't know Kakyoin and Jotaro’s morning routine, though they usually join the group together.” Avdol said, starting to peel the orange on his plate.

God, That orange smelled great right now. It smelled sweet and perfectly ripe…. But it was incredibly embarrassing to even consider asking for some of Avdol's food.

Avdol must have seen you staring at it. He finished peeling the orange and placed half of the slices on your plate, giving you a smile.

“Oh… Thank you-” you said, trying to pretend as if you hadn't been ogling it for the last thirty seconds. You took a bite of one of the slices and it was just as sweet and juicy as it looked.

“... since we’re alone, I think I should let you in on something important.” Avdol suddenly said, looking soberly at you.

“Mh?” you looked up at him, shivering as you felt the mood change.

“... Last night, Joseph used Hermits Purple on our TV to see if we could gain any more information about Dio, but…”

“What did you find?” you asked, a chill creeping up your spine.

“Well… we may have a traitor among us… it said to be wary of Kakyoin.”

Chapter Text

“Now… things like this are usually accurate, however…” Avdol let out a sigh. “If we start doubting our teammates now, we’ll never stop. We have to believe in each other.”

You nodded. The news initially had you panicked, but once again, Avdol was able to be a voice of reason during this time… it was honestly a relief you had someone like him on your side.

“Now that you know this.. I have another request for you….” Avdol stared into your eyes. “Please keep this to yourself. It’s important that we don't spread any uncertainty.”

You nodded, you understood his reasoning. It would do no good to start being suspicious about each other…

“Either way, due to that prediction, we’ll be spending the day here doing a bit more research..” Avdol said, and for a brief moment, he looked very tired. “Our train tickets have been rescheduled for later in the afternoon, 5pm, so please make sure you keep an eye on the time.” he said, giving you another smile.

“Right… yeah, Of course. Thank you for letting me know.” you bowed your head and stood, “I’m going to let Polnareff know about the change in scheduling.” you said, giving him another quick bow before heading off. If not for the circumstances, you would probably be relieved to know you were staying in one place for a little longer. But in this situation, knowing something could be going on with Kakyoin, it only heightened your worry.

You headed upstairs, smiling when you saw Kakyoin and Jotaro coming down the stairs together. “Good morning!”

“Good morning” said Kakyoin, mirroring your smile.

“Morning” said Jotaro, icy as always.

“I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but we’re staying a bit longer than usual today.” you said, “Avdol said something about doing more research on Dio I think.”

They both nodded, “Great, I’d love to get out and see some of the local sights.” said Kakyoin, glancing over towards one of the large windows in the lobby.

“Mh…. I have to go let Polnareff know what's going on.. But I’ll see you two later… our train leaves at 5pm.” you said, giving a wave as you passed them, going towards your shared room.

You went inside the room, finding Polnareff packing up his things.

“Our train tickets have been rescheduled for 5pm. So we have some time if you just want to relax.” you said, heading for the fridge and pulling yourself out a drink.

“In that case. I'm going back to sleep. A guy like me needs his beauty sleep.” Polnareff said, flopping back on the bed.

You laughed and pulled some of the prepackaged food and a piece of the fruit out of your pockets, setting them on the bed next to Polnareff. “Here. Breakfast.”

You turned, opening the door to the balcony and stepping out to sip your drink. It was a fruit juice of some kind. It was really good. You looked at the label, trying to keep it in mind for later.

You spotted two imposing figures heading away from the hotel, one with red hair, and one in an unmistakable coat. “Huh… looks like they actually went… wonder where they're heading…” you muttered to yourself, kind of wishing you had tagged along at this point… would Jotaro really be okay alone with Kakyoin…?

You pushed the thought out of your head. Of course he would be fine… you had to believe in Avdol's words and not doubt your teammates…

But still…

You took a deep breath, finishing up your drink. It was really nice outside today. The weather was perfect for swimming…

Didn't they have a pool here?

You looked around from your balcony, spotting it on the corner of the hotel's property. Huh… you could really go for a swim if you wanted to…

It was pretty crowded down there though… you looked over the different people lounging by the poolside.

Wait… that red hair… Was that Kakyoin? No… it couldn't be. You just saw him walking the opposite direction with Jotaro!

Your heart was pounding.

You turned, running out of the hotel room, heading down to where the pool was.

You needed to talk to Kakyoin yourself.

Chapter Text

You were out of breath by the time you reached the pool, hunching over with your hands on your knees. You came as fast as you could from the 6th floor.

But…

Now came the real scary part. You could see him from where you stood. No question, it was definitely Kakyoin… What was going on here?

As you approached, you could see that Kakyoin looked a little annoyed.

He noticed you and smiled, “Oh, (y/n). I’m glad you're here.” he said before you could ask him anything. “Did you see Jotaro at all? He was supposed to meet me here, but it's been almost thirty minutes. We were supposed to go see some of the local sights, but I feel like I’m being stood up.”

You blinked, surprised. “Uh.. yeah… actually, I saw him leaving the hotel…” you trailed off, wondering if you were mistaken. The person you saw earlier sure looked like Kakyoin… but then again, you were up on the balcony… maybe it was someone else…?

“Really? Did he decide to go out without me?” Kakyoin frowned.

“No, I…I saw Jotaro leaving with you earlier. That's why I came down here.” you said running a hand through your hair. “I think he could be in trouble…”

“What do you mean you saw him leave with me? What… we need to go after them!” he said, standing up and staring down at you. “Come on!” Kakyoin got up, taking off towards the hotel.

You followed after, brow furrowed.

“We need to let Mr. Joestar what's going on” he said, racing up a nearby staircase.

You followed behind to the best of your ability, but goddamn… you just got done running down the stairs… running right back up them? It was really too much…

You were wheezing by the time you reached Josephs and Avdols hotel room, panting loudly. Kakyoin, on the other hand, looked fine, and seemed like he had only come back from a leisurely walk. What was this guy made of?

He knocked on the door, “Avdol, Mr. Joestar-!”

The door opened, showing a concerned Avdol, “what's going on?” he said, looking between the two of you.

“I…” you started, just trying to catch your breath. “I saw... Jotaro leave the hotel with someone who looks like Kakyoin.. B-But…!”

Kakyoin spoke, “I was supposed to meet up with Jotaro, but I was stood up.” he said, looking back at you.

Joseph appeared behind Avdol. “Do you think this is what Hermits Purple was talking about?” he asked, looking deep in thought.

Avdol nodded. “There's no mistaking it.”

“We have to go help Jotaro. He’s in trouble-” you protested, stepping forward.

“That's true, however..” Avdol started.

“We have no idea where they went” Joseph finished the statement, raising his arms in a shrug.

“He’s right, we can't really do anything… as much as I hate to admit it, running around blindly won’t do us any good…” Avdol said with a sigh.

“Wait… I might know where he went.. I said I wanted to ride the gondola lift nearby… there's a chance that Jotaro could have headed in that direction with the imposter…” Kokyoin said, brow furrowed, “we should check there.”

You nodded in agreement. “Let’s go-”

You turned, heading back towards the stairs, thinking briefly about how much your legs were going to ache later. All this damn running-

Kakyoin was behind you as you rushed down the stairs, your chest heaving.

You both reached the lobby soon enough, running out the front door, after which Kakyoin took the lead.

“(y/n), we shouldnt run from here on out.” said Kakyoin, starting to look a little winded himself. “If we cause too much of a ruckus, the enemy might spot us first. And we need to keep an eye out in case they aren't there” he said, brushing his bang out of his face.

“I… yeah, you're right.” your chest felt tight from all the running. Each breath coming out in a soft wheeze. Honestly, you wanted to keep running. The quicker you got there, the quicker you could help your team member! But… Kakyoin was right.

You caught your breath for a few moments before nodding, letting him know you were ready to keep moving.
Kakyoin turned, leading the way to where the hanging gondola station was. You weren’t running anymore, but you sure were walking quickly… or maybe it was just because of how long Kakyoin's legs were…

Soon the Station came into view… you scanned the area, but you didn't see him. Where could they have gone? If they already used the Gondolas, who knows where they went! You bit your lip, feeling the panic well up in your chest.

There was a bit of commotion, as you both approached, you could see one of the gondolas had the bottom of it blown out, people pointing and talking amongst themselves…

There was blood.. You could see blood in the Gondola. Like an omen…

“I should have gone after them… I knew something was up, I should have…” you muttered, putting a hand to your head, “dammit… why didn't I follow them?! What if he’s dead? What if I-” it was all your fault. If Jotaro was hurt, it was completely your fault-!

You jolted as you were suddenly pulled against Kakyoin's chest, his arms tightly around you. “It's okay. Jotaro is strong, he will be okay.” Kakyoin said softly, his hand cradling the back of your head.

You were trying desperately not to cry, your teeth clenched so hard they hurt. You couldn't let a member of your team be lost from your own stupidity!

“(y/n), this isn't your fault…” Kakyoin said, as if reading your mind.

The tears spilled over, and you clutched at the front of Kakyoin's uniform, quietly, silently letting it out.

It was then you heard it, off to the side. It was a distance away, but it was unmistakable!

“ORA”

Chapter Text

No one else sounded like that… it… it had to be him!

You pulled out of Kakyoin's arms, looking over in that direction for a moment before taking off running in the direction of the voice.

You could hear Kakyoin behind you, running just as fast as you were.

The water soon came to view, and so did Jotaro. You and Kakyoin got there just in time to see Jotaro hoisting a beaten man up onto the edge of the pier.

“Jotaro…-” you came closer, reaching down your hand to help him onto the walkway.

He looked at your hand, muttering something under his breath before taking it and climbing up. He was soaked…

“Hey, are you okay?” you asked looking up at him, “were you injured? Let me see-” you said, trying to examine him.

“(y/n), I’m fine.” Jotaro brushed you away, not meeting your eyes.

“Don't lie to me, Jotaro! I saw the blood in that gondola! I can see that you’re bleeding now!” you protested,

“That was from a dog.”

“Huh?”

“The blood in the gondola. It was from a dog.”

“A… a dog?!

“Yeah.” Jotatro was already walking away from you with his hands in his pockets.

Kakyoin just shrugged his shoulders at you, starting to trail after Jotaro.

You just let out a huff. If he wanted to be so hard-headed then fine! You started following them back to the hotel, lips pursed.

After a couple minutes of walking, Jotaro let out a sigh. “I know who will be coming after us next.” he said, “Death, the Empress, the Emperor, and the Hanged Man… but that bastard wouldn’t spill their stands powers… I’ll talk to Avdol when we get back.”

You nodded, brow furrowing. Four assassins… would you really be okay?

Well… Jotaro did seem to be able to take one of them head on by himself… surely the rest wouldn't be so bad?

Once you returned to the hotel, Jotaro went to talk to Avdol and Joseph, leaving you and Kakyoin alone in the lobby.

“Uh, hey, thanks for comforting me earlier… I didn't mean to get all emotional on you…” you said, rubbing the back of your head. “Everything turned out okay, so I'm okay now..”

Kakyoin shook his head. “Don't worry. I was just as worried as you were.” he said, “you shouldn't apologize for your natural emotions.” he said, smiling gently.

You nodded, laughing awkwardly, “right… well, I’m gonna head up and finish packing my stuff…” you said, glancing over at a clock that was on the wall, “we’ve only got a couple hours before our train leaves.” you gave a little wave, heading up the stairs towards your room.

You unlocked the door to go inside your room and went in. it sounded like Polnareff was still sleeping, so you decided to get in the shower again. You were sweaty from all the running, so it would definitely be relaxing.

You washed yourself quickly, getting out and dressing in a new set of clothes. When you came out of the bathroom, you could hear a soft whimpering noise.

Was Polnareff…. Crying?

“Polnareff…?” you asked gently, slowly coming around the side of the bed, unsure if you should even interrupt. He didn't respond, actually… It looked like he was asleep?

You sat on the edge of the bed, reaching over to gently touch Polnareff's shoulder. He was mumbling something in his sleep, tears dripping down his cheeks.

“She…rry…. No…. d-don’t-”

You bit your lip, gently shaking his shoulder, “Pol… Polnareff-” you tried to wake him.

He awoke with a gasp, sitting straight up. “Ah- oh… (y/n)... what's wrong?”

“I think I should be asking you that… you were crying in your sleep… who’s Sherry?” you asked gently, grabbing a tissue to gently wipe Polnareff's tear stained cheeks, “You were saying her name in your sleep…”

“Sherry? Oh… Sherry was my sister..” He said, taking the tissue from you.

“Was?” you asked gently.

“She was murdered… by a man with two right hands.” he said. You could see his fists clenching with rage. “She was beautiful… she was mon chéri…. ma sœur... “ he muttered, placing his face in his hands for a moment. “I swore I would avenge her death… that's why I joined the crusaders… I’ll kill him… I’ll kill that man if it's the last thing I do….”

You nodded, “its an honorable goal… getting revenge for what happened? I admire that…” you said, gently touching his arm.

He looked over at you, giving a smile. “Thank you…”

You moved to stand up. “I have to finish packing. We’re leaving in a couple hours.” you said.

“Yeah. I’m eager to get on the road again.”

Chapter Text

Later that day, you and the rest of the crusaders waited at the station for your train to arrive. You were completely exhausted, you couldn't wait to get on that train so you could finally get to sleep. It was supposed to be a long train ride, so you would likely be able to get almost a full night's rest… that was, assuming that nothing happened on the way there.

Soon, you all climbed onto the train, settling down in your seats. You were seated next to Joseph. Kakyoin and Jotaro were across from you, and Avdol and Polnareff sat across from each other on the other side of the aisleway.

The seats were pretty comfortable. You were pretty hungry too, so you would probably wait until after dinner was served before you let yourself drift off.

The server came around, taking everyones order and walking off towards the kitchen.

Everyone's food came shortly after the orders were put in.

“So I looked into the names we were given from Yellow Temperance.” Avdol started once everyone had gotten their dinner. “I have names for a couple of the assassins, most importantly, one of those people is the man with two right hands.” he said, looking over at Polnareff.

You could see Polnareff stiffen, “... I see.” he muttered,

Avdol continued, “now that we know who is coming after us, we need to be on high alert. Anyone around us could be a stand-user. It's important we keep our eyes open at all times.”

Everyone gave a bit of a nod in agreement.

You soon finished your meal, but you were so tired, you could barely taste it. Everyone else seemed to be chatting among themselves, but you couldn't keep your eyes open any longer. You slowly drifted off, your drowsiness overtaking you.

When you woke up, you felt warm. You slowly opened your eyes, realising you were covered in someone's coat… not only that, you had nuzzled yourself into the side of the person next to you, their arm wrapped around you gently.

You looked up, and saw Joseph looking down at you. “(y/n), you're awake.” He said, patting you with the hand resting on your waist. “You fell asleep and started shivering.” he said with a laugh. “I felt bad, they turn the air conditioning up so high on these trains.”

Meanwhile, your face was turning an aggressive shade of red, did you really just start cuddling up to Joseph while you were asleep? It seemed like he didn't particularly mind, but-

You quickly sat up, “ah… Joseph, I’m sorry-” you apologised, starting to hand back his jacket.

“No, No, (y/n), It's no trouble at all,” he said, “besides, you were so cute while you were asleep, like a sleepy little kitten~”

You weren't sure if he was trying to embarrass you on purpose, but your whole face felt hot now. “J-Joseph…” you hated how whiny your voice sounded right then.. You heard a little snicker, looking over to see Polnareff smirking at you.

“Oy, Old man, aren't you married?” came another voice, you looked towards it to see Jotaro glaring at joseph.

Josephs pulled his arm away, putting up both hands defensively, “I am-”

“Then stop flirting.” Jotaro cut him off before he could say anything else.

You kind of appreciated Jotaro coming to your rescue, giving him a little smile.

Jotaro just nodded to you.

“I wasn't flirting..” Joseph leaned towards you, smirking a little, “I was just teasing… you can keep my jacket if you want, I can tell you’re still cold.” he said, giving you a little wink before sitting back in his seat.

You just pursed your lips for a moment, ready to protest, but in the end, you just tugged the coat closer around your body. He was right. You were still cold. You were actually kind of missing the heat from Joseph's body now…

Chapter Text

Five more hours, and you arrived in India.

The first few minutes of getting off the train were a blur of people and voices. But soon enough, Avdol had led the group to a nice and calm cafe.

You sat down at the table, looking relieved that you were finally out of that ridiculous crowd. It was a cute little cafe. Avdol ordered a round of drinks for everyone.

“Try it, it's Chai.” he said, passing one of the drinks to you. “India is a great country, I love it here. It's just a matter of really getting used to it” He said, laughing.

You took a sip of the drink, surprised, “it's really good!” You said, it was perfectly sweet, but it had some sort of spices in it that made it taste wonderful.

Jotaro spoke up, “I like it here”

Polnareff looked over at him, “huh? Really, Jotaro?” he shook his head, starting to get up, “anyway, I’m heading to the bathroom.”

Joseph looked up, “wait, what do you want to eat?”

Polnareff waved over his shoulder, “surprise me” He soon disappeared out of sight.

Everyone ordered their food, Joseph also ordering for Polnareff. Everything on the menu looked pretty good, but unfortunately, you couldn't read anything on the menu at all. Luckily Joseph helped you find something that he thought you would like.

As food was being served, suddenly you heard a crash from the bathroom, and Polnareff came running out, looking around the room, “where is he?! Where is the Stand user? The man with two right hands?!”

You stood up, “Pol-” you cut yourself off, watching as he ran outside. You quickly grabbed your bag, running after him. “Polnareff! What happened?” you called after him. The rest of the crusaders were close behind you.

Polnareff stood there looking out into the street. “.... Mr. Joestar… I’m going to fight on my own from now on.”

Your eyes widened, “w-wait, Polnareff, you can't be serious…” you started.

“Now that I know my sister's murderer is around, I’m not going to wait for him to come after me. I’d be at a disadvantage if I let him attack me, and it's not my style…” he paused for a moment, “ I’m going to find him and kill him!”

Kakyoin spoke, “You don't even know what he looks like, or what his stand is like!”

“I know he has two right hands. That's enough to find him.” he said, “he knows I’m after him too. He should be more worried that I'll come for his head while he’s asleep.” he said, swiping his thumb across his neck. He turned his back, “see ya.”

“Polnareff, wait… we should work together….” you said, but the words held no power.

“You’ll go out for wool, only to come home shorn.” Avdol said, his voice sharp.

You saw Polnareff tense, and then stop, turning back to face Avdol, “ And what's that supposed to mean?” he asked.

“Take a guess”
“Are you implying I'm going to lose?”
“Indeed.”

Polnareff stepped closer to Avdol, rage clear on his face.

Avdol didn't stop speaking though, “can't you see that man purposely attacked you to get you alone? I won't let you go by yourself!” he said, pointing at the other man.

You started to step forward, but a hand on your shoulder stopped you. You looked back, and Jotaro shook his head at you.

When you turned back around, Polnareff was up in Avdol's face, poking his finger into the man's chest. “Listen up, I’m going to make this clear for you. I never cared about Dio.”

Avdol looked surprised, but did not speak.

Polnareff continued, “I told you back in Hong Kong that I was only traveling with you so I could get my revenge. Mr. Joestar, Jotaro and (y/n) should already know this.”

He said that… but you had no clue that was the case… What about the flesh buds? Wasn't he angry about what Dio had done to all of them?

“I’ve been alone from the start. I've always been fighting alone!” Polnareff said.

“What a selfish man you are!” Avdol was now the one getting in Polnareff's face. “Have you forgotten you were brainwashed by Dio? Have you forgotten that (y/n) and Kakyoin were brainwashed by Dio? Everything leads back to Dio!” His voice was harsher than you’d ever heard it.

You agreed that Polnareff shouldn't leave the group… but…

Polnareff jabbed his finger into Avdol's chest. “You have no idea how I’ve felt since my sister was killed!” he said, “I heard that last time you met Dio, you got scared and ran away.”

You couldn't see Avdol's face, but you saw his body tense.

“You're a coward. Don't act like you can understand how I feel!” Polnareff spat.

“What did you just call me-?” Avdol started before being cut off again

Polnareff started to turn away, “You only beat me in Hong Kong because you got lucky. Don't lecture me.”

You could see Avdols form start to shake with rage, “why, you..”

“Polnareff, that's too far-” you started to say.

He ignored you, speaking to Avdol “oh, did that piss you off? Well just remember, I’m 100 times more pissed off than you! So go on, keep acting like you’re the mature one here.” he said, pointing his finger in the man's face.

“Why, you--” Avdol growled, pulling back his arm to strike. Luckily Joseph stepped forward, grabbing his wrist before he could swing.

Polnareff stepped back, surprised, “Mr. Joestar-”

“Avdol.. That’s enough.. Let him go.” he said, keeping a hold on the robed man. “If he chooses to be like this, none of us can stop him.”

Avdol's body seemed to relax, only slightly, “I know… I’m just disappointed…” he said, lowering his hand, “I thought he was a better man than this…”

You looked at Polnareff, watching him spit onto the ground.

“I did indeed run from Dio…. but that's how I can see we will win… and I can say with certainty that you will lose.” He said, looking at Polnareff.

Polnareff glared at Avdol, “haah? Then I’ll say this with certainly too. That vision of yours is wrong.” He said, and turned on his heel, walking off down the road.

“What… Just happened…” you muttered, balling your hands into fists.

“Polnareff… he’s being completely unreasonable.” Avdol muttered, turning away, going back inside the cafe.

Kakyoin and Joseph followed after him, but Jotaro stood behind you as you watched Polnareff's retreating figure. “... I don't recommend going after him… but if you do, we’ll wait here for you.” he said, turning and going back into the cafe.

You were silent for a couple long seconds before taking off running after the silver haired man, “Polnareff!”

Chapter Text

You ran after Polnareff, chasing after his retreating form.

After a few moments, he turned, “(y/n)...” you heard him say. You could tell he was still angry. You tried to put himself in his shoes, but… “Can you believe that guy? Telling me I was selfish when he knew from the start….” Polnareff trailed off.

You were both standing in the middle of the street, “can we talk?”

His features hardened, but he nodded, and you led the way into a quiet alleyway.

You let out a soft sigh, looking up at him once you were out of sight of others, the sound of people down to a whisper. “Polnareff… let us help you, please.” you begged.

“This again? So what, you’re siding with Avdol now?” he asked angrily.

You put up your hands defensively, “no, that's… well. I don't think you’re being selfish… but…”

“But?”

“But, I do think that you going off on your own is a suicide mission! I don't want you to end up dead, Polnareff!” you said.

“Listen up, (y/n). You may not be a coward like Avdol, but you’re acting like him. This is my fight, and it always has been.” he said, shoving his finger into your chest.

You took a step back, brow furrowed, “and what will you do if you’re unsuccessful? What if you die before you can avenge your sister?”

“That won't happen.” he said, taking a step forward when you took a step back. “I won't fail.”

“But Pol-”

“Enough. I won't repeat myself again.” He said, turning his back to you and starting to leave the alleyway. Before leaving, he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes a bit softer than before, “y/n… take care of yourself.”

Your chest grew tight, you could do nothing but watch him go.

You waited a while before coming out of the alleyway, running a hand through your hair. This was all spiraling out of control… you didn't know if anything you could do would remedy this situation… you had a feeling you just made everything worse…

You walked down the street awhile, looking around.

Wait…. Was that cafe this way? Or was it the other way… nothing here looked familiar… you turned back, going the other way. Wait… this isn't familiar either… You’d somehow gotten yourself turned around, totally lost.

Suddenly a voice came out of the crowd, “Hey there, sweetheart… you lost?”

You turned, finding yourself face to face with a man in some sort of cowboy getup. He didn't look like he was from around here…. Instantly, your guard was up.

“Hey hey, no need to look at me like that…” the man laughed, tipping his hat. “Just trying to help. Can tell you aren't from around here… and you got that sort of lost look in your eyes.” he said.

“... yeah. I’m on vacation with my family.” you said, “I got separated from them” you weren't sure why, but something was pushing you to lie. You glanced down at his hands. He wasn't the man with two right hands...

“Your family? I see… your family lets such a cutie roam all alone?” he asked.

Your cheeks went a little red, “so what if they do?”

“I’m just saying, baby… this place isn't safe for someone so adorable…” he said, “why don't you come with me for awhile? I’ll keep you safe… I’m looking for someone too.” he said.

You purse your lips. Everything was screaming at you to say no to this man. He seemed nice enough, but… “sorry… I really should decline…” you said, starting to turn away.

“Suit yourself, darlin’ “ the man said.

You turned and hurried down the street. If that guy was a stand user, you likely couldn't defeat him by yourself. Your stand might be quick, but you had no idea what that man's abilities were…

Soon enough, your surroundings started to get a little more familiar, and then you came across that cafe once again. You breathed a sigh of relief, going back in to see the rest of the crusaders sitting at the table from before.

When they saw you approaching, they seemed relieved.

“(y/n), where have you been? We were worried when you disappeared so suddenly.” Avdol said, standing up from the table.

You glanced over at Jotaro, “I… I tried convincing Polnareff to come back…” you said, letting out a sigh.

“... if both Avdol and (y/n) couldn't convince him… then I doubt anything we do at this point will help.” said Joseph with a sigh. “Lets just prepare for the next stand users attack.”

You nodded in agreement, running a hand through your hair.

Suddenly, Avdol spoke up.

“I’m going to follow him.”

Chapter Text

You immediately spoke up. “I’ll come with you!”

Avdol shook his head, holding up a hand to stop you, “no. I don't want him to know I’m following him. Any more than a single person, and It will be too obvious.” He said.

“Avdol… Are you sure about this?” Kakyoin said, “Knowing Polnareff, he’ll be furious if he catches you.”

Avdol laughed, “I’m more concerned about what will happen if i’m not there… If Polnareff attacks me, then so be it.”

You frowned. You weren't sure if splitting up further was really a good idea, but Avdol was one of the most experienced in the group as far as you knew… he would probably be alright…

“Avdol be careful…” you said, clenching your fist for a moment.

“I’ll be fine.” He said, and got up from the table. He gave you a reassuring smile before going out into the street, disappearing from view.

You… didn't feel very reassured…

A hand touched your back, “He’ll be okay.” Joseph said, giving your back a little rub before getting up. “We should get going, our hotel isn’t far from here”

You nodded and stood up, Kakyoin and Jotaro following suit.

Joseph led the way out of the Cafe, and the remaining members followed along.

Half-way to your hotel, your stomach gave a loud rumble. Right... you didn't get to eat anything since the whole thing happened with Polnareff. You were starving actually.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Kakyoin staring at you. You looked over at him, frowning a little, “What?”

“Er… That was your stomach just now, wasn't it?” he asked, his cheeks flushing slightly.

“Oh… uh, yeah… I didn't actually get to eat anything before…” you said, laughing nervously, “but it's fine.. I can just get myself something later!” you said, your cheeks going a little red. “Sorry, was it really that loud?”

He nodded, his eyes trailing over the shops on either side of the street. He suddenly grabbed your hand, and pulled you over to a street food vendor. “I’ve been wanting to try this food. Avdol said it’s called aloo tikki. It's made with potatoes, peas, and curry spices.” he said, ordering some from the vendor and paying for it.

You nodded at his explanation. Your cheeks were bright red…

He… was still holding your hand. His hand was warm.. And very soft. You wondered briefly if he used hand lotion.

He pulled his hands from yours once the man behind the stand handed over your food. Kakyoin took it, humming. “It smells amazing, don't you think?” he asked you.

You nodded a little, “y-yeah…” you were trying to ignore the now empty feeling in your hand.

While you were distracted, Kakyoin had scooped up a bit of the aloo tikki, blown on it, and then held it up in front of your mouth, “say aaah….” he said, smiling down at you.

You blushed brightly, but opened your mouth for the spoonful of food.

It… was delicious! The flavor exploded on your tongue. “Mmh! It's good!” you exclaimed, looking up at him.

“I thought you would like it.” he said, holding out another spoonful of food, this time, you took it without hesitation, munching on the food.

Hey, wait… weren't you supposed to be following Joseph to your hotel?

Kakyoin saw your panicked expression and laughed, “don't worry, I got the location of the hotel from Mr. Joestar earlier.” he said, holding out another bite of food for you.

“I can feed myself you know…” you protested, but you ate the bite.

“I know, but you’re cute when I’m feeding you” he said.

You couldn't help but blush again. Well… it probably couldn't hurt to let him feed you the rest….

A few minutes later, and Kakyoin had spoon-fed you the whole meal, it was kind of embarrassing, but honestly, you didn't mind it.

Kakyoin smiled, gesturing for you to follow him. He led the way to the hotel, going up to the front desk to inquire about what room your comrades were in. Once you figured out the room, you both went up together, knocking on the door.

Joseph opened the door, giving you two a sly grin, “welcome back lovebirds~”

Your face likely went bright red again, because Joseph just laughed and opened the door wider so you both could come in.

You stepped into the room, waving to Jotaro who was lounging on one of the two beds.

Wait…

Two beds?

Chapter Text

You turned, facing Joseph, pointing an accusing finger at him, “There are only two beds!” you said.

He put up his hands defensively, “this was the only room left!”

Great, so that meant you were stuck sleeping in the same bed as one of these guys again…

“Well, I think Jotaro and I should share a bed. We’re both students after all.” Kakyoin spoke up, gesturing to the bed where Jotaro was laying.

Wait, so if Kakyoin and Jotaro were sharing a bed, then that left.... You glanced over at Joseph, who gave you a smile. Well… it wasn't the end of the world to share a bed with someone again.

You sighed and shrugged your shoulders, “That works for me…” you said, giving a stretch. You were ready for this day to be over already. Tomorrow would surely be better.

You went into the bathroom and showered, cleaning yourself and dressing in clean clothes before climbing into bed next to Joseph. Jotaro and Kakyoin had already settled down for the night, and you could hear Jotaro quietly snoring.

Joseph on the other hand, was propped up on his elbow, grinning at you.

“What's that look for?” you asked suspiciously.

“You know, it's not every night I get to be in bed with a fresh face…” he said, giving you a wink.

“Goodnight, Joseph.” you said, and turned over.

“Hey, Hey, I was just kidding…” he protested.

You ignored him.

“... Do you want to hear a story?” he asked.

A story…? You purse your lips for a moment, glancing over your shoulder at him, “.... What kind of story?”

He grinned triumphantly when your eyes met, “just about how I saved the world as a young man.”

“No wonder you’re so full of yourself.” you said, but you turned to face him, your interest piqued.

“So it all started with a stolen wallet…”
The story he told was an unbelievable one. Full of Adventure, Friendship, Love, Heartbreak, Death, Fear, and overcoming all odds.

You listened, completely enraptured by his words. You expected something dumb in the beginning, but you quickly found out that the man in front of front of you really did save the world. He’d been through events you never could have imagined.

“... so, uh… That story is real, right? Like you didn't just bullshit me on that, right?” you asked, looking at the man across from you with new eyes.

“Yeah. It’s all real.” He said, chuckling, “There was a time when I couldn't talk about what happened... it's been a long time though.” he said, finally rolling onto his back, resting his hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling.

“Why did you tell me?” you asked, staring at him.

“Hm. Who knows.” he said, shrugging and shooting you a grin. “Just thought you would like to hear it.”

You chuckled, “I see… Thanks then.”

He nodded.

Silence passed between you for a while. It was comfortable… surprisingly, you no longer felt any awkwardness. You felt safe.

“Goodnight, (y/n)” you finally heard him say beside you.

“Sleep well, Joseph.” you said, and closed your eyes.

The next morning, you woke up to a weight over your middle.

Joseph was snoring directly into your ear. He had his arms wrapped around your body, hugging you tightly against his chest.

Gh… what was it with these guys…- you tried to squirm free, with no luck.

You glanced over, seeing Jotaro looking at you with an amused expression. “Good grief… That's why I wont sleep in the same bed as that old man.” he said, chuckling. He was holding some kind of drink in his hand.

“Wow okay, thanks for the heads up.” you said sarcastically, trying to pry yourself free.

He chuckled softly, taking a drink out of his juice.

Another couple minutes or so, you had pried yourself out of Joseph's arms. “That man has a grip of steel…” you muttered to yourself, going to gather your things.

Hopefully, today would be a better day than yesterday.

Chapter Text

The morning was fairly normal if you were honest. It was raining pretty hard, but otherwise nothing much happened. You went and ate breakfast with Kakyoin, Joseph, and Jotaro. You had Idlis, which was kind of like a pancake, but was made with steamed rice dough. It was delicious!

After breakfast, you stood with Joseph and Jotaro under an overhang to avoid the rain. Kakyoin had gone off by himself, saying he wanted to check out some store he had seen the previous day, but didnt get a chance to go in.

The rain just stopped, and you were getting ready to suggest going to the same shop Kakyoin went to when you heard screaming from nearby.

“O-oh no…” you muttered, taking off running without another thought. You could hear the pounding of footsteps behind you. Jotaro and Joseph were following the same noise.

It was too far, it was taking too long… where…?

Suddenly you saw someone laying in the street ahead of you.

Someone… familiar-

“No… Avdol!” your voice cracked as you yelled his name. No… No, he couldn't be dead… not Avdol… You fell to your knees at his side. Joseph kneeling on the other side of him. Jotaro stopped a few feet away, looking on.

What happened here?

Joseph slowly leaned down, pressing his fingers against Avdol's neck. “... He’s alive, but his heartbeat is weak, we need to get him to the hospital now.” He said, carefully gathering the man into his arms.

As Avdol was lifted, you could see that the entire back of his robes were covered in blood.

You felt sick. How could you let this happen…

Twenty minutes later and you were in the hospital, Avdol had just gone into surgery, and you were waiting for Joseph to finish up talking to one of the doctors.

Jotaro spoke, “I spoke with one of the onlookers while you and the old man were tending to Avdol.”
“What did they say?” you asked, chewing your lip.

“Avdol pushed Polnareff out of the way of a gunshot. It looks like we’re dealing with two stand users instead of one.” he said, “Kakyoin and Polnareff fled together… from what they said, I can only assume that the stand user who uses mirrors followed them…. But the stand user who uses a gun stayed put… we’ll go to look for him after this.”

You nodded, looking over when Joseph approached the two of you. “They say he’ll be fine. He will rejoin us when he is properly healed… until then, he’s staying here… I’ll get updates via phone…. But more importantly….” he let out a deep sigh. “I spoke with Avdol before he went into surgery.”

“Huh? He woke up? What did he say?” you pressed, stepping forward.

“Well… eh… he wants us to let Polnareff think he’s dead…” he said, rubbing the back of his head. “... I… don't exactly understand it, but it was his wish… so I think we should listen.” he said.

You didn't understand it either… but… Avdol was smart. You trusted his logic. “Okay… yeah…”

You saw Jotaro nod out of the corner of your eye.

So it was decided then… Muhammad Avdol was from this point on… dead.

The three of you walked back to the street where Avdol was found, heading down a side path when you suddenly heard voices. Joseph's arm shot out in front of you and Jotaro.

You stopped short, looking over at him with a questioning look.

Joseph pressed a finger to his lips, motioning for you to listen.

A voice drifted over to where you were.

“....stand a chance against the invincible Hanged Man. Polnareff, your jokes suck.”

Polnareff…? Wait… why did that voice sound so familiar?

You could hear Polnareff's voice now. “That piece of shits body is about two or three thousand meters that way. Want to take a look?”

There was a long pause, then you heard that same familiar voice say, “Okay, I will!”

Suddenly, you heard footsteps running towards where you stood. Jotaro beside you let out a chuckle, stepping forward.

As the mystery person came running around the corner, Jotaro slammed his fist into the man's face, knocking him to the ground.

It was then that you realised why his voice sounded so familiar.

“Y-You!”

Chapter Text

Hol Horse was laying on the ground in front of Jotaro, looking stunned.

At the same time, Kakyoin and Polnareff came running around the corner, “Jotaro, Mr. Joestar, (y/n)!” Kakyoin said, surprised to find you there.

“We already know about Avdol.” Joseph said, stepping forward, “Though it was a simple Funeral, we buried his body.”

You saw both Kakyoin and Polnareff flinch at his words.

Everyone turned to face Hol Horse, except Jotaro, who pointed at you, “You recognised this man?”

You glanced at him for a moment, everyone's attention reverted to you, “I.. it's nothing that deep. He was trying to flirt with me when I got lost after talking to Polnareff… He was trying to convince me to go with him....” you said.

A look of confusion passed over Hol Horse's face. “Listen baby-”

He cut off when everyone's eyes returned to him, making a frightened noise.

“The one who stabbed Avdol in the back was the man with two right hands,” said Kakyoin, “but the cause of death was Hol Horse's bullet…. What shall we do with him?”

Polnareff stepped forward. “I’ll give him his sentence.” he said, approaching the man slowly, looking more menacing than you’d ever seen him. His stand appeared, and he shouted, “Death!”

But before he could strike, Polnareff was suddenly tackled to the ground by a young girl.

“Mr. Hol Horse! Please run!” she yelled, clinging tightly to Polnareff.

“H-huh? What's with this woman?” Polnareff yelled, trying to push her off of him.

The girl continued “I dont understand whats going on, but I’m always thinking of you! That is my reason to live!”

What was this girl on about? What was even going on right now? Everyone else had the same confused expression as you.

“Please run! Hurry!” the girl continued.

“You bitch! Let go of me! What are you thinking?!” Polnareff yelled, shoving at the girl, who only held tightly to him. “Jotaro, (y/n), Don't let Hol Horse get away!

Your eyes shot over to where Hol Horse had been. He was gone…?!

“Too Late” Jotaro muttered, staring pointedly at the distance.

You and polnareff both looked over, just in time to see Hol Horse on a horse, waving to the girl. “Well said, baby! I’ll gladly accept your feelings and keep on living... “ he glanced over to you, “I’ll see you again too, sweetheart… hopefully sooner than you think!” he said, giving you a wink before riding off.

Polnareff finally seemed to be able to get up, “W-Why you…! Come back here!” He yelled after him, slowly heading in the direction Hol Horse had disappeared in, dragging the clinging girl behind him.

She fell, scraping her arm on the ground, but still clinging to Polnareff's leg with all her might.

“Get off, you bitch!”polnareff looked down at her, then in the direction of Hol Horse…. But the man was long gone…

“Polnareff, stop-” you said, stepping forward, “Hol Horse is already gone!”

“Polnareff, that woman is just another one Hol Horse was using” Joseph said, passing you with a handkerchief in hand, kneeling beside the girl, “besides, he no longer had any intention of fighting us.” he started to wrap the girls arm with the cloth. “We’ve wasted enough time here already…. Avdol is gone… but we need to move on.”

Polnareff grimaced and looked away.

Joseph continued, “It's already been 15 days since we left Japan…”

Polnareff cursed under his breath, looking towards the sky. “Well… I guess it can't be helped…” he said, walking off a ways before looking back at the group, “All right. Lets resume our trip to Egypt.” he took a deep breath. “ Listen up, in order to defeat Dio, our hearts have to be as one. We can't go off on our own.. That's when he’ll come after us. Got it?”

It was a little late now… but… You let out a sigh, nodding in agreement.

“Alright, let's get going!” he said, turning and continuing on.

Kakyoin and Joseph shrugged, following after him.

“Hey, wait a second!” you yelled after them, going to help that girl to her feet, “you can't seriously be expecting to just leave this girl here! She's just a kid!” “ you protested.

“Well…” Kakyoin started.

“Yeah, actually. She’ll slow us down! She let Hol Horse get away!” Polnareff said, pointing at you.

“Yeah? And she's a kid! Hol Horse was using her! I won't let her be left!” you said, putting your hand on the girls shoulder.

She looked at you in shock, then quickly averted her eyes.

“Actually, I agree, we should bring her with us for now…” Jotaro said, crossing his arms.

Polnareff sighed and turned, “Fine, fine. Lets just keep moving.”

You smiled at the girl, starting to follow the rest of the group with her next to you.

Chapter Text

You and the Crusaders were currently heading to a nearby city, Varanasi, by bus. You felt pretty lucky, since it was one of the few that actually had air conditioning.

Joseph and Jotaro sat next to each other in the first row, then Kakyoin in the second row, Polnareff in the third, and finally, you sat next to the girl in the 4th row.

The both of you had been chatting quietly between yourselves. Turns out her family actually lived in the city you were heading towards, so it was pretty convenient to be able to take her back home. There was a bit of a silence, when Polnareff turned around, looking at the girl beside you. “Listen up. I don't usually lecture, but.”

You let out a sigh. Here we go.

“Stupid people are stupid because they dont understand something even when you keep repeating it.” Polnareff said, “You know guys like that, right? Idiots that just don't understand.” He paused for a moment before speaking again, “You know, I never got your name.”

The girl, who had been avoiding his gaze until now, finally spoke, “It’s Nena.”

“Nena! That's a great name!” he said, continuing his spiel, “You’re the daughter of a wealthy family, right? You’re good-looking, and I can see you’re a smart girl. I have an eye for people, so I’m going to lecture you.”

You sighed pointedly, “Polnareff, I think she’s been through enough at this point. Just let her relax.”

Polnareff waved you off, “it's important that she hears what I’m about to say! No one else will tell her once she's back home.” he said, turning back to the girl, “Hol Horse is a horrible, lying bastard! You’re being tricked, your parents would cry!”

You could see Nena was just shutting down. She didn't want to hear that about the man she had devoted her life to, so she was just blocking it out.

“Ponareff, seriously…” you muttered.

“Listen up, you can't end up like this” he said, using his hands to imitate horse blinders, “It's easy to do that when you’re in love.” he turned, “but you can't look at things this way.” he said, making a show of looking around with his fake blinders, “It's important to look broadly and be rational.”

Kakyoin suddenly interrupted, “Hey, it's coming into view.” he said, looking out the window into the distance.

You turned to look, your eyes wandering over the city, it was gorgeous… Polnareff seemed to be distracted as well, temporarily forgetting the lecture he was subjecting Nena to.

Joseph had been distracted the entire ride, a strange bump had shown up on his arm. You took a look at it back in India, but it really only seemed like a bug bite to you.

“It's getting worse..” he muttered, catching your attention. You saw him examining the spot on his arm. Hm… you’d have to ask to take a closer look again later.. You had some bandages in your bag you could give him. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Nena staring at him…. It almost seemed like she was glaring… but maybe it was just your imagination.

A couple minutes later and you were dropped off at the station with everyone, stretching your back and letting out a deep sigh.

You heard Jotaro speak up, drawing your attention as well, “What’s wrong, old man? You don't look well..” He said, approaching Joseph bluntly.

“The spot that I thought was a bug bite got infected..” he said, lifting his arm. What was a small spot before had now tripled in size.

You grimaced, stepping forward, “I have some bandages in my bag, but you should definitely go to the doctor for that…” you said.

Kakyoin nodded in agreement, “It's definitely swollen, I agree with (y/n), you should go to the doctor before that gets any worse.”

You suddenly felt Polnareff leaning over you to get a look as well, “Hey, doesn’t that kind of look like a person's face?”

You elbowed Polnareff in the gut, to which he made a ‘gh’ noise.

“come on, don't freak him out.” you said, looking back at him.

Joseph covered it with his hand, turning away, “come on Polnareff, stop kidding around..” he said.

“Sorry.. Want me to go to the hospital with you ?” Polnareff offered, putting his hands on his hips with an amused expression.

“No, stop treating me like an old man!” he said, turning and starting to walk off by himself.

You let out a sigh and turned, noticing Nena was standing a bit away from the group with a strange expression on her face.

You turned to her and smiled, “Hey, Nena. Are you okay?”

She nodded, but did not approach the group.

“Well, don't stand over by yourself, you should come over and stand with us.” you said, gesturing for her to come over.

She seemed nervous, but did approach, coming to stand between you and Polnareff.

You gave her an encouraging smile, but she didn't respond to it. Maybe she wasn't feeling so well.. Car sickness?

“Hey Nena, why don't we take a look around the city while we’re waiting for Mr Joestar?” Polnareff suddenly suggested, smiling down at the girl.

You rolled your eyes, but were surprised when Nena agreed with a nod of her head.

“Hm… I’ll come too.” you said, worried that Polnareff would continue to harass that poor girl about Hol Horse.

Polnareff shot you a grin, giving you a thumbs up.

Kakyoin spoke up, “Jotaro and I are going to the hotel to relax for now. We’ll regroup for dinner.” he said, giving the three of you a wave before starting to walk off.

It wasn't long into the walk through the market that Polnareff started up again. “Really, Nena? Real men don't talk big. That's how you figure out who’s a liar.”

You let out a groan, “Polnareff, please for the love of god, shut up. Nena isn't going to change her mind just because you’re talking at her like this.” you said.

“I’m trying to help, (y/n)” Polnareff said, looking back over at Nena, “look, instead of a petty guy like Hol Horse, how about a guy like me?”

You paused for a long moment, trying to wrap your head around all the things wrong with that. “Polnareff… please tell me you’re not coming onto a sixteen year old girl right now.” you said, turning to look at him.

A bit of a panicked look came over his face, “huh..? Oh- no, no! That's not what i meant at all! Just that… she should look for an honorable guy like me is all!” he said, “and besides, Nena isn't even my type!”

“Whether or not she's your type doesn’t matter. Her age is the real issue here.” you said, pointing at him, “besides, you don't even have a type, I see you flirt with just about any girl who’s breathing.” you said with a laugh.

“I do have a type.” he protested, you could see his cheeks starting to go pink.

“Oh yeah? And what's your type?” you asked, crossing your arms and looking up at him.

“Er… well…I actually really like y-....” he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. His cheeks were redder than you’d ever seen them.

You laughed, “see? I knew you didn’t have a type!” you said, slapping him on the shoulder playfully. “Come on, I’m starving, I wanna go eat.” you said, motioning to Nena and walking towards a nearby food stall.

Chapter Text

After everyone had eaten, the three of you were again walking down the road, looking around at the various sights and shops.

“Hey, Nena, you said that your family lives in this city, right?” you asked, turning to face her, “shouldn't we get you back home?”

She paused, “ well… actually…” she paused, suddenly grabbing both of your arms, dragging you into an alleyway.

“H-huh…?” you made a confused noise, but you let yourself get dragged along.

Polnareff glanced over at you, seeming just as confused as you were.

Finally, she released the two of you, in some back alleyway out of sight of the road. “... I… I’m a girl who can't survive without a reliable partner… please… let me join you.”

“Huh? Where's this all coming from?” Polnareff asked, glancing over at you.

“Hey… Nena, you know life isn't just about finding a partner… and the journey we’re on is dangerous…” you said, crossing your arms. “I really think you should go back home…”

She shook her head, “please, let me come with you! I don't want to go back home!” she begged.

“Nnh… no, I’m sorry, but absolutely not.” you said, shaking your head. “No question, I would not allow something like that to happen.”

Nena suddenly got a bit of a distant look in her eye, starting to tremble, before suddenly puking onto the ground.

You lept back, your eyes going wide, “N-Nena, are you okay?” you could hear Polnareff make some kind of disgusted noise.

Suddenly she hunched over, blood spurting from every pore before someone else entirely seemed to burst from Nena’s skin, collapsing to the ground in front of you.

“W-what the hell…” Polnareff muttered, staring down at the woman.

“I think I’m gonna be sick…” you muttered, turning away from the gruesome sight.

“So… That's the Empress’s stand user.”

Your eyes shot over to where the voice came from, finding Joseph leaning against the wall, staring down at the bloody scene.

Both you and Polnareff quickly moved away from the woman, going over to where Joseph was.

Joseph must have seen your still shocked expression, because he continued, “This woman… she attached her stand to me in the form of a tumor with a human face, and camouflaged herself as a helpless girl.” He turned to look at you both, “That was pretty careless… she totally played you two.”

You just stood there, completely shocked by this new turn of events. “S-so… then… Nena wasn't actually a real girl?” you asked shakily.

“No, it was this woman the whole time.” Joseph said.

“She totally fooled us... “ Polnareff muttered, shaking his head.

“Come on, we have to get out of here before the cops show up…” Joseph said, “A lot has happened since we arrived…. The cops are after me now…. I can't go back to the hotel, so we’re just going to have to keep moving. I already called the speedwagon foundation, they have a car waiting for us just out of town.” he said, tilting his hat down and leading the way out of the alleyway.

A couple hours later, you had retrieved Jotaro and Kakyoin from the hotel, you all had just approached the car outside of the city. It was already night, darkness enveloping your surroundings.

“And here I thought we’d finally be able to sleep in a bed.” Kakyoin muttered, letting out a deep sigh.

“Maybe if the old man hadn't screwed up, and gotten cops chasing him down. ” Jotaro said, closing his eyes.

“Jotaro, that's a little harsh…” you said, shaking your head, to which Jotaro just shrugged.

“Hey Polnareff, you’re driving.” Joseph said, tossing Polnareff the keys.

“Ah, yeah.” Polnareff nodded, catching the keys and moving to get into the front seat.

Jotaro and Joseph climbed into the two back seats, and Kakyoin got in the front seat.

You stood outside of the car. There… weren't any seats left, and there wasn’t room to sit between Joseph and Jotaro either, they were shoulder to shoulder…”

You grimaced. “Hey, where exactly..?” If this was how it was, you were going to have to end up sitting on someone's lap… you didn't mind doing it, but it would be uncomfortable for whoever was underneath you...

Jotaro seemed to have come to the same conclusion, tipping his hat down, “good grief…. Here, you can sit on my lap.” he said, holding out a hand to help you into the car.

“Are you sure? I’m probably heavy..” you said, but you took his hand, climbing into the car and settling down into his lap.

“You aren’t.” he said, “Just don't move around too much” he said, shutting the door and leaning against it with a sigh.

You nodded, hunching forward slightly. It would be a little awkward to lean back against him like this…

Actually, more importantly, how were you supposed to sleep like this? Being well rested was pretty important for a mission like this…

Joseph glanced over, grinning at you, “hey, (y/n), if you want, you could always just come and sit in my lap~” he said, winking, “ you can even lean all over me if you want.”

Jotaro grunted, “They’re fine here, old man” he said, grabbing your shoulder and pulling you back against his chest, your head leaning against his shoulder.

“Fine, fine… it was just an offer” Joseph said with a laugh, nudging Jotaro.

It was actually pretty comfortable laying here against Jotaro. He was warm, and even though his body was full of rock-hard muscle, you really didn't mind it. You scooted yourself a bit sideways, leaning your head against his shoulder again and closing your eyes. “Jotaro… is this really okay? Are you comfortable?” you asked, your voice soft. You were sleepy.

Jotaro shivered slightly, “Good grief… I said it was fine.” he muttered, touching the brim of his hat.

“Mh… okay…” you said, before slowly drifting off.

Chapter Text

You woke up to gentle arms cradling you. One was tucked under your knees, and the other was behind your back, holding you close. You slowly blinked awake, glancing up at whoever it was.

Right…. Jotaro. He didn't seem to notice you were awake yet. Maybe you could relax for a little while longer then…

you started to go back to sleep when you heard Kakyoin speak from the front seat, “Soon we’ll reach the Indo Pakistani border. We’ll be saying goodbye to India very soon.”

You sat up a little, yawning slightly and rubbing the sleep from your eyes. Jotaro let go of your legs, and you shifted to sit up properly in his lap.

“Indeed. At first, I wondered what kind of country we’d walked into,” Joseph said, shooting you a smile when he noticed you were awake, “But now, I miss the hustle and bustle of Calcutta, and the rushing waters of the Ganges.”

“I’m gonna miss the food.” you said, smiling and laughing a bit, “I imagine it won't be so easy to just grab lunch at a food stall from here on out.” You could hear Jotaro and Kakyoin chuckle at that.

Polnareff spoke, “I’ll be coming back again, so I can make Avdol a proper grave.” he said, and you felt the mood change in the car. Was it really right to keep letting Polnareff think that Avdol was dead? Maybe it was teaching him a lesson, but morally…

“Mr. Avdol…” Kakyoin muttered, tilting his head down.

Right… even Kakyoin didn't know… was it really right to keep him in the dark too? You looked over at Joseph, but he either ignored your gaze, or didn't see it.

The darkened mood was soon changed though as Polnareff spoke again. “Hey, the roads getting narrower here…” he complained.

You leaned forward to get a look out of the front windshield to see you were quickly approaching a car in front of you. The windows were open, and the dust from the car in front of you came in, making both polnareff and you cough.

Polnareff grunted, sounding annoyed, “They’re driving so slowly! I’m going to pass them.” He said.

“The road is kind of narrow, maybe you should wai-” you started nervously, but Polnareff was already driving around them, going off the side of the road and kicking up dust and rocks as he did so.

“Polnareff, you’re being reckless-” Kakyoin protested.

Polnareff ignored him, “This four-wheel drive is great.” he said, with a laugh.

Joseph grimaced, looking behind at the car you just passed, “Hey, do you think that might have flung pebbles at their car?”

“Who knows. It could have.” said Polnareff, not really seeming to care whether or not it did.

“I can’t imagine it didn’t” you said, “we have enough on our plate with stand users coming after us, we don't need someone angry we scratched their car.” you complained.

“I agree. We don't need any trouble or accidents right now.” said Joseph, still looking out the back window at the car now behind you. “ I’m wanted because of what happened in Varanasi, you know.” he turned to look at Polnareff, “I’d like to get across the border safely.”

There was a heavy silence for a while, weighing down on you all. Too much happened in india. For now, you just wanted to move on and forget.

Not long afterwards, a car drove up behind you, blaring its horn and riding your cars ass. Everyone except Polnareff turned in their seats to look behind.

“It's the car we passed earlier.” Jotaro said, “They appear to be in a hurry.”

You pursed your lips. He was right. It was the same car as before.. You wondered why they were in so much of a hurry now when they had been driving so slow before.

“Let them pass.” Joseph said, still staring behind.

“Yeah, yeah... “ Polnareff said, rolling down his window to motion the car to pass.

The car passed, getting in front of your vehicle, then gradually slowed down until you basically at a crawl,

“Oy, oy…” Polnareff grunted, “what are they trying to do? I let you pass, so hurry up and go.” he complained.

The dust from the car in front was causing you to cough again, covering your mouth.

Kakyoin sighed, “Maybe they’re mad because you were so reckless earlier.” he said, looking pointedly at Polnareff.

Jotaro leaned forward to talk to Polnareff, his chest pressing into your back, “did you see the drivers face?”

Polnareff shook his head, “No. The windows were covered in dust,” he said, “I couldn't see them.”

Jotaro let out a hum, “So, you couldn't either? ….mh, It couldn't be.” he muttered, leaning back.

Joseph narrowed his eyes, “Be careful, Polnareff…”

You were starting to get the feeling that this wasn't just a normal angry driver… maybe that's what everyone was thinking right now…

You saw the drivers window open on the car in front of you, a man's arm coming out to motion you to go around.

You frowned, something just felt off about this, but you weren't sure what… Why were they in such a hurry to suddenly slow down? And why were they now telling Polnareff to go around?

Polnareff snorted, “Now he’s telling me to pass.” he said, scoffing, “Looks like he remembered how shitty his car is. You should have just stayed behind me in the first place, dumbass”

As Polnareff went to pass them, a tractor trailer appeared seemingly out of nowhere, barreling right for your car.

“A truck, that's impossible!” Polnareff yelled.

Kakyoin braced himself, “It's no use, we’re going to crash!”

Jotaro turned with you in his arms, pressing into you with his body to shield you from the truck's impact.

“Star Platinum!”

Right as you were about to crash, Jotaro summoned his stand, using a powerful blow to divert the force of the crash. Your vehicle flew through the air, flipping, but landing on its wheels without too much damage.

The impact knocked the air from your lungs, gasping for breath as everyone slowly came down from the panic of the almost crash.

“That was too close.” Polnareff was the first to speak, leaning out of the window to look at the tractor trailer that was now smoking on the side of the road near you, “If it wasn't for Star Platinums power, we would have been crushed.”

Jotaro grunted, “are you okay?” he asked you. He had pulled away a bit, but was still hovering over you, brows knit with worry.

You looked up at him. “Yeah.. uh.. Thank you..” you said, “That was.. Terrifying.”

He nodded, moving back into your previous position.

Joseph let out a low growl, “Where is it?! Where's that car?” He was yelling, straining to see the road.

“Looks like it took off.” Jotaro said, his brow furrowed, “Do you think that cars driver might be one of the stand users after us? … Or do you think it's just some random asshole?”

Polnareff turned around in his seat, “Of course it's someone who's after us!” he said, “We were almost killed!”

“But there hasn't been anything like a stand attack yet..” Kakyoin said, shaking his head.

“All we can do for now is be careful as we approach the border.” Joseph said, looking at Polnareff, “If someone comes after us again, we’ll just take them down, no matter who they are.”

“Sounds good to me.” said Polnareff, starting up the car again, starting the drive in the same direction you were previously headed.

“What should we do about that truck?” Kakyoin asked, pointing to it with his thumb. “Star Platinum punched it, so it’s pretty messed up.”

Jotaro tugged his hat down, “Just ignore it, pretend you never saw it.”

You let out a sigh, leaning back against him again, “we sure do cause destruction wherever we go, huh?”

Chapter Text

After a while of driving, a building appeared off to the side of the road.

“A roadside teahouse...” Joseph commented, “let's stop for a break.”

Polnareff parked the car, and everyone got out. You stretched a bit, leaning from side to side and outstretching each leg. It felt good to not be stuck in that cramped car anymore. As much as you enjoyed sitting on Jotaro’s lap, after a couple hours, your legs had started to fall asleep…

When you were done, everyone started approaching the building together.

“If we take our time here, we may avoid running into that car again.” Joseph said, running a hand through his hair.

There were quite a few people sitting around at the shop, all sipping at their drinks or talking among themselves. It was surprisingly busy considering it was a tea house in the middle of nowhere.

The man behind the counter was making some strange kind of juice using a cane and a press when you and Joseph approached together.

“What's that you're making?” Joseph asked, peering at the strange colored juice.

“Its sugar cane juice.” the man replied, “want to try some?”

“Sugarcane Juice? Sounds delicious” you said, eyeing the juice. You wanted to try some too… maybe Joseph would share it?

Joseph chuckled, taking the cup as it was handed to him, and giving it to you instead. “Here, looks like you wanted it, am I right?” he asked with a smirk.

You blushed slightly, but nodded, taking the cup. You were about to take a sip when something in the reflection of the glass made your eyes widen, “hey…” you turned to look, pointing, “There! That car from earlier is here!”

Everyone else turned to look, immediately on high alert.

“It’s him!” Polnareff yelled, “That car’s here!”

Slowly, everyone approached the car, peering inside only to find it empty. If it was empty, that meant…. Your gaze dragged over the various people sitting at the tables. It had to be one of them, right? One of those people had to be the owner of the car!

Everyone went back to the tea house, Joseph approaching the man behind the counter. “Hey, I need to ask you something.” he said, his body language intimidating even you, “where is the driver of the car that’s parked over there?”

The man behind the counter looked nervous, “uh, I’m not sure, I didn't notice who got out when it parked over there....”

The mood immediately changed, everyone speaking in hushed tones.

“I doubt that the driver will just come out and announce himself.” said Kakyoin.

“He’s messing with us” Growled Joseph, “That leaves us with only one option. Right, Jotaro?”

“It’ll involve some innocent bystanders, but..” Jotaro said, a little too loud, because the men at the nearby table looked up with shocked expressions.

You were also shocked, grabbing onto Jotaro’s arm, “you can't be serious! They might not even be involved!” you protested.

“If you’re not going to help, then get out of the way, bastard.” Jotaro said, shaking you off and pointing at the men at the table, “We’ll beat them down until one of them admits it!”

Before you could even react to that, Jotaro had grabbed one of the men by the collar, slamming him up against the wall.

“H-Hey, Jotaro, stop!” Kakyoin protested, starting to approach the two, but was stopped when Joseph grabbed the other man, shaking him, “Mr. Joestar, you too?! This is going too far!”

“Oy, A face like yours looks the most suspicious” Polnareff said, lifting the third man by his collar, pulling back his fist to punch him.

Th-This was madness…

“Enough! Green Onions!” you yelled, calling your stand. You were about to stop the three men from your group when you heard a car door shut. You turned to look, seeing the car from before starting to drive away. You turned back, seeing everyone else staring as well.

“... D-Did we just get played?” asked Polnareff, a look of shock on his face.

“Did anyone see his face?” asked Joseph.

“N-No. What is he trying to do?” Kakyoin muttered.

“You guys are idiots.” you said harshly, shaking your head, “he’s totally messing with us…”

There were a couple beats of silence before Kakyoin spoke up again, “He seems like a random crazy driver, but also like someone who’s after us..”

Polnareff let out a frustrated noise, clenching his fists, “It's going to piss me off if we don't chase him down and take care of this.” he said, and turned, running towards the group's car.

The rest of the crusaders followed his lead and got in the car. You were seated on Jotaro’s lap again.

“Not to mention, we owe him payback for the truck that almost hit us earlier!” Polnareff said as he started the car, tires kicking up dust as he drove in the same direction after the other car.

Chapter Text

With the way Polnareff was driving, it didn't take you long to catch up to the other car.

You were frankly, terrified. While you didn't doubt that one of the other crusaders would save you if you got into another crash… you weren't wearing a seatbelt.

“Damn it! For a piece of shit car, it goes pretty fast” Polnareff cursed, gritting his teeth.

Kakyoin pulled out a map, beginning to study it, “...Thats strange” he muttered, before speaking up, “According to the map, we should be running parallel with train tracks here.” he said, brow furrowed.

“Who the hell cares?!” Growled Polnareff, “We’re gonna catch him in a second.”

There was a curve in the road, and polnareff grunted, “That bastard! I’m gonna nail him on that curve!”

Something about this still felt off to you, but you braced yourself, grabbing onto the grab handle above the door.

As Polnareff went around the curve, he made a noise of shock, “Impossible! It's a dead end!” He yanked the wheel, slamming on the brakes, and the car skidded to a halt right at the cliffs edge.

Luckily you had been holding onto that handle, or you would have gone flying. You glanced out of the window, seeing how far the drop was and letting out a shaky breath. There's no way you would have survived a fall that far…

Joseph spoke immediately, “He’s gone! Where did he go?!”

Right, it was a dead end, but that car was nowhere to be seen!

“He disappeared after the curve?” Polnareff asked, obviously shaken after such a close call.

“And a car couldn't cross that suspension bridge…” added Kakyoin.

Suddenly, without warning, something rammed into the back of your vehicle with a loud crash.

You let out a yelp, everyone turning to look behind you, “w-what?!”

The car backed up, and rammed into you again.

“It's him!” Yelled Joseph, “He’s coming from behind!”

The car rammed into you over and over again, slamming into the back of your vehicle.

“How did it get behind us?” yelled Kakyoin, bracing himself.

The shock seemed to wear off for Polnareff. He shifted into reverse, slamming his foot down on the gas. You could hear the tires spinning, kicking up dust all around the vehicle. Your vehicle was pushing on the car behind you, but it was no use. Your car was moving closer and closer to the cliffs edge.

“H-He’s pushing us with immense horsepower!” Polnareff yelled, staring at the vehicle in the side view mirror, “What the hell kind of car is this? A tank?!”

The car was slowly pushed closer and closer to the edge, “ It’s no use! Everyone abandon the car and get out…” Polnareff said in a panic, starting to undo his seatbelt.

“Polnareff!” Kakyoin yelled, pointing his finger at the man, “What kind of driver gets out of the car before everyone else? Who’s going to hold down the brake pedal?!”

Polnareff froze, looking back over his shoulder with an expression of horror.

Immediately, the car slipped over the edge of the cliff, free-falling, plummeting towards the ground.

You clutched at Jotaro, unable to stop the scream that escaped your lungs, but Jotaro slapped a hand over your mouth to keep you silent, “shut up, screaming wont help anything!” he growled.

You stopped screaming.

“Hierophant Green!” Kakyoin yelled, his stand bursting forth, flying up towards the top of the cliff.

“Stop! Hierophant isn't strong enough to hold this much weight!” Joseph said in a panic, “It’ll just tear its body apart!”

Kakyoin was scarily calm, “I beg your pardon, Mr. Joestar, but I know myself quite well. I am not a fool.”

Suddenly the car stopped mid-fall, flinging you out of Jotaros lap into Joseph, who caught you, his arm locking around your waist, “whoa, I gotcha-” you heard him say, but you were too disoriented to respond. The car stopped falling..?

“Hierophant Green flew up, holding the car’s wire winch!” Joseph said, and you could see him grinning, you looked out of the windshield, seeing the cord from your vehicle leading up to where it had been hooked… The other car!

“Not bad, Kakyoin” you heard Jotaro say, “By the way, do you like Sumo?”

Jotaro’s stand burst forward from his body, flying up and grabbing a hold of the wire. “In particular, deadlocks at the edge of the ring…” He said, and Star Platinum yanked the wire, “It's exciting, isn't it?!” The force of the yank propelled your vehicle up and over the edge of the cliff. As you flew past the other vehicle, Star Platinum gave it a powerful punch, pushing it over the cliff's edge, the wire disconnecting at the same time.

The car landed hard on the ground by the cliff, everyone giving a collective noise of pain. You were relatively unharmed though, maybe a little bruised at most… you underestimated how strong Joseph's hold was…

Kakyoin gave a little groan of pain, holding his head, “ gh…. Indeed. I quite enjoy sumo.” he was smiling though as he turned to look at Jotaro over his shoulder, “But Jotaro, in sumo, it's against the rules to punch your opponent.”

Jotaro just smirked in return.

Once everyone had taken a moment, you got out of the car. You could see smoke rising over the cliff edge. You approached with the others, leaning over a bit to see the car down at the bottom, flames rising from where it had landed.

“Since I didn't see anything that looked like a Stand attack, I guess it was just some weirdo.” Joseph said, peering down at the mess.

Was that true though? Well… you guessed there really were some strange people out there who would hold a grudge like that… “I dunno… don't you think this whole thing was kind of weird though? I mean…” you trailed off.

Polnareff laughed, putting his hand on your shoulder comfortingly, “Yeah, but either way, he can't possibly survive something like that.” he said, “well, I guess he got what he deserved.”

“Yeah… but how did he get behind us?” you asked, “I mean, when we came around that corner… I don't remember seeing him at all… even Joseph didn't see him, don't you think that’s strange?” you said, crossing your arms.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind you.

“It's not strange at all!”

Chapter Text

There was a beat of silence, but Polnareff pointed to the group's car, “It's the radio! He yelled, “It’s coming from the car radio!”

The voice spoke again, “It was able to do that because it’s a stand, Joestar!”

“What?!” Joseph was the one to yell, “If it knows my name, it must be one of the stand users that are after us!”

“Where is it coming from?” kakyoin looked over at Jotaro, “could it be coming from the car that just fell?”

Polnareff shook his head, “That's impossible! That thing is totalled!”

“How did the stand user survive that crash then?” you asked, brow furrowed.

“No… There’s a possibility that the whole car is a Stand” Jotaro said, “Just like the Stand for Strength was a boat.” he looked pissed…

“Wait, you met a guy whose stand was a boat?” you asked, eyes wide, “stands can do that?”

“Actually, it was an orangu-”

“We can talk about this later.” Jotaro interrupted whatever Kakyoin was about to say.

The voice coming from the radio continued, “The Wheel of Fortune. That is what my stand suggests.”

“The Wheel of Fortune?!” Joseph yelled.

Immediately after, the ground around you began to tremble.

“What's that tremor?!” Polnareff yelled.

“This isn't good!” Kakyoin did his best to stay upright against the shaking ground.

“Everyone, Get in the car!” Joseph yelled.

“No, don't! Jotaro immediately yelled over him, “Everyone get away from the car!”

“It can't be” said Polnareff,

“Th-The ground-” Kakyoin said, starting to back off.

The ground under the group's car began to crumble, everyone quickly backing away fearfully.

The stand users car from before suddenly burst from the ground, launching the group's car into the air. The force of it knocked everyone to the ground. You landed on top of jotaro, grunting softly from the impact. The two of you locked eyes for a moment before your attention was dragged back to the car.

“Impossible! It burrowed up through the ground!” Polnareff yelled, “I think it’s pretty obvious that car is a stand!”

“It appears the Stands user is inside.” kakyoin said, pointing towards the car.

As he spoke, the car began to transform. The dents and scratches slowly smoothed out, until the car was looking brand new. Spikes grew from the tire rims, and the grill, giving it a sinister appearance… just when you thought it couldn't get any scarier, pincer-like claws grew from the front of the vehicle.

“W-What the hell?! It's like a living creature!” Joseph said.

The car revved its engine, then charged towards where you and the rest of the group were.

Jotaro pushed you off his lap. He stood, approaching the car and clenching his fist “It wants to see who’s stronger..” he said, smirking like he already knew the answer.

“Dont, Jotaro. Don't fight yet!” yelled Joseph, “Not until we know what that Stands power is!”

The car revved its engine, there was a flash of light or… something, you couldn't tell what it was, but blood suddenly burst from Jotaro’s shoulder and side, staining his coat. He coughed, blood staining his lips.

“Jotaro!” You yelled, starting to run towards him, but someone grabbed your shoulder, stopping you. You looked back, seeing Joseph shaking his head at you.

“Impossible... I couldn't see it.” Jotaro said, holding his shoulder where it was bleeding. Blood was starting to dribble from the corner of his mouth, “What did it shoot at me, and how?”

The car began to shake, as if it were the one laughing instead of the user, “you couldn't see it? You’ll soon find out… When you’re about to die, that is!”

The car revved its engine again, and charged Jotaro. Polnareff and Kakyoin both took off, attempting to pull Jotaro out of the way, but there was that same flash of light again. All three of them were shot with something that you couldn't see, blood staining their clothes and skin.

“No!” you screamed, starting to run towards them, but Joseph grabbed you by the back of your shirt, yanking you back to him.

“Are you crazy?! You'll end up hurt too!” he yelled, turning and shielding you with his body as the car swerved past the two of you.

“What the hell is this?!” Polnareff held his arm. You could see the wounds. They almost looked like bullet wounds. Blood was streaming down his arm. “The wounds aren't deep, but it’s digging in!”

Kakyoin clutched his shoulder, “I can't see it at all! The stand appeared to be throwing something at us, but there's nothing sticking out of our wounds!”

Joseph called out, “are you alright, Jotaro?”

“Don't worry about me.” Jotaro paused as the car spun its wheels, feigning like it might charge again, “... anyway, I’m not sure what kind of attack it is, but it's got good control.”

The Stand user in the car laughed wildly, “I’ll go after your legs next so you can't run anymore, and then mow you over!”

Running was actually sounding really appealing to you right now.

The car began to charge again, but Joseph grabbed your hand, pulling you along after him, “Everyone, run between the boulders!”

The passageway there was barely big enough for a single person to fit through, but you and the rest of the crusaders quickly slipped between them just as the car reached you, slamming into the rocks right after Kakyoin jumped though.

“Stop running away!” The stand user screamed. Just as you thought you were safe, the car seemed to compress itself, breaking through the rock to do so. Soon it was thin enough that it could fit through the same spot you did. “What are you guys?! Cockroaches?!”

“Oh, no! It's forcing its way in!” Joseph yelled,

“We’re no match for it!” Kakyoin said

“It’s acting like some stupid muscle-head who couldnt figure out a puzzle ring, so he just pitched a violent fit instead!” Polnareff yelled over the noise.

“Head further back.” Jotaro ordered, and everyone turned, running further into the crevice. You couldn't even tell where the car was anymore. You could hear it, but the dust it was kicking up from destroying the boulder walls was impossible to see through.

With the rest of the crusaders leading the way, you headed for the crevices exit, the car closing in from behind.

Until you tripped, falling hard on your face.

Chapter Text

There was no time to waste. You immediately pushed yourself up on skinned hands, looking forward towards the exit of the passage to see… no one?

They… left you behind? How did they run off so quick….?

Suddenly, a hand grabbed you by the back of the shirt, easily lifting you. You let out a fearful shriek, shouting for your stand, “Green Onions!”

“Shut up and climb!” you heard Jotaro’s voice yelling at you, realising he was the one who had lifted you up. You looked up, seeing the rest of the crusaders had been climbing up the boulder ahead of you.

Oh…

You grabbed onto the wall, quickly climbing beside Jotaro. Once you had gotten to the top, you turned, reaching down to help Jotaro up over the edge.

“Climb if you want.” called the Stand user from the car, “There are literally no roads left for you! Not for escape, not for survival, not for Egypt, not even a road toward your shining future. Because….” The car was beginning to transform again, and your blood ran cold, “this Wheel of Fortune is going to grind you into hamburger and splatter you all over these boulders!” the wheels of the vehicle grew spikes, allowing it to easily start climbing the wall of rock after you.

Jotaro was standing on the edge of the cliff, staring down at the car. He looked pissed… but maybe he was just as scared as you were? You couldn't tell how he was feeling at all right now…

“I-It’s climbing up..” Kakyoin said. You could see the perspiration on his brow.

“Is there anything this car can’t do?” Polnareff asked, biting the nail of his pointer finger.

Any second, the car could come over the edge of the cliff… what was everyone planning on doing? None of you had even figured out the Stands power yet, so how exactly would you fight it? You couldn't even get close to it without it shooting at you… you backed off from the edge of the cliff, just trying to think.

“Good grief.” Jotaro said, sweeping his arm out. “Looks like we’re going to have to face it… Everyone, stay back. Once it climbs up here, we’ll see the car’s underside.” he paused for a moment, “That’s when we’ll find out who’s stronger.”

“I see.” said Kakyoin, “ once the car’s underside is in view, we may be able to attack it.”

Immediately after, the car rose up over the edge of the cliff, its underside exposed to everyone in the group.

Jotaro let out a yell, his stand appearing.

The Stand user laughed, “You’re quite energetic, Jotaro! But not smart at all! Your bodies reek of something, and you haven't even noticed!”

Jotaro grunted, and Star Platinum faded back into his body.

“Come to think of it, I smell gasoline.” Kakyoin said, eyes wide with shock, smelling his arm.

Polnareff sniffed the air, before he let out a grunt, “It's our bodies! Our bodies smell like gasoline!”

“It was shooting gasoline at us!” Joseph yelled, “It was shooting small amounts of gasoline at high speeds, like bullets!”

“Impossible… So his attacks weren’t to wound us, but to soak our bodies with gasoline!” Polnareff yelled, staring down at one of the holes in his arm.

The Stand user attacked again, blood spurting from Jotaro’s arm and shoulders.

“Looks like you finally caught on, but it's too late now! These electric wires will spark!” The Stand user grabbed onto a cord from their driver side door, pulling-

“Green Onions! Bubble Blast!” you yelled, your little stand appearing, spitting sticky bubbles at the Stand users hand, preventing him from pulling the wires out.

“What?! What is this?!” The stand user screamed, trying to pull his hand from the wires now, but it was stuck fast.

Wait, now was your chance! You turned, calling out, “Jotaro!”

Jotaro grinned at you, “Star Platinum!” he yelled. His stand burst forward, slamming its fists into the front of the car, pummeling the front of it in.

You heard the stand user screaming in pain, “I’m being crushed-”

With one final blow, Star Platinum sent the stand user flying from the car. He tumbled along the ground, finally landing hard on his back some ways away. After a few seconds, he sat up, screaming in fear.

The man was definitely…. Not a normal shape. He was almost twiggy. He had a bit of a beer-gut though. The strangest part was his huge muscled arms. He had quite the disproportionate body type.

“What an odd character.” muttered Joseph

“His arms were so huge, yes everything else is so small.” Kakyoin said, looking amused, “Talk about a bluff.”

The stand user turned and started crawling away, making pitiful noises of fear…. It was kind of pathetic.

Polnareff chuckled, walking over and digging his heel into the man's back. “Hey, don’t you run away!”

The stand user looked up, “Don't kill me! I’m just in it for the money!” He screamed.

You burst out laughing at that, the other crusaders seeming to find it just as funny as you did, you could hear their laughter around you.

There was a noise behind you like a gush of air. You looked back, seeing the Stand users car slowly deflating. It looked so intimidating before, but now…. What you were looking at was a small four-seater buggy.

“To think that the Stand was hiding such a small car, too..” Mused Joseph, smirking, “It looks like a sheep that’s just been sheared.” he shook his head, chuckling, “How pathetic.”

You couldn't take it. You let out a snort, laughing even harder at the visual of that, doubling over slightly.

The crusaders decided not to kill the man. Instead, they tied him up for some other passerby to find. Which likely wouldn’t happen until you were long gone and already in Pakistan.

“Well then, let's take this car across the border, since our car has been destroyed.” Joseph said, pausing before letting out a sigh, “It’s pretty beat-up. I wonder if it’ll last that long.”

You all piled into the shitty little car, Polnareff in the driver's seat as usual, Jotaro in the passenger seat, and Joseph and Kakyoin in the back-seat.

“You know. It would be nice to have my own seat once in a while.” you complained.

“Come on, what’s wrong with sitting on my lap?” Joseph said, helping you up onto him.

“It’s kind of awkward for me y’know.” you said with a sigh. You pulled out your bag, starting to fish out some of your medical supplies, “Kakyoin, could you take off your shirt for me?” you asked. “I’m gonna disinfect those holes.”

He flushed, but nodded, carefully stripping off his shirt. He tucked it under his arm so the wind from driving the car wouldn't end up blowing it away.

Now that you could see them closer, the wounds really weren't as bad as they looked. They were shallow, and had already stopped bleeding. You pulled out a cotton puff and some alcohol, wetting the puff and starting to gently dab at his wounds.

Kakyoin let out a soft hiss of pain at the first touch of the alcohol to his wounds, but after a few moments gave no reaction besides gazing down at you as you tended to him. “.... were you injured at all?” he asked.

“Me? No… a little shaken maybe, but physically, I’m fine.” you said. It wasn't completely the truth. You skinned your hands when you fell, but it would be kind of embarrassing to say that when everyone else's injuries were so bad.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” said Kakyoin, smiling softly.

Soon enough, you had taken care of the wounds on Kakyoin, so you turned to Jotaro, who was sitting in front of you. “Hey, Jotaro. You next, take off your coat.”

Jotaro looked over his shoulder at you, brow furrowed, “I’m fine.”

“Are you? Because you’re all bloody from what I can see.” you said, putting your hands on your hips.

Behind you, Joseph laughed, “just take off your coat and let them treat you.”

Jotaro grunted, but he shrugged off his coat.

You pulled out a clean cotton puff, soaking it in alcohol to gently clean him. He didn't make any noise of discomfort from the alcohol in his shoulder wounds. “Alright… you got hit in your arm as well, right? Give me one.” you said.

Jotaro looked annoyed, but he turned sideways, leaning his arm over the side of the backrest.

You gently maneuvered his arm, treating the wounds there. Once you cleaned those, you gestured for his other arm. This time, Jotaro didn't complain, he just gave it to you willingly.

You smiled up at him, cleaning the wounds there before letting out a breath, “alright, all done….” you said, stretching.

“Hey hey, (y/n)! What about me?” Polnareff turned, glancing back at you. “Don't I get pampered too?” he asked, sounding almost hurt.

“Well… for one, you’re driving. Second, I’m not pampering anyone.” you said, your cheeks going a bit pink, “I’m treating wounds… I figured it would be too much of a distraction.”

“How would having my wounds treated be distracting? Besides, it's not like we ever have time to stop.” Polnareff protested.

“Mh… fine, but pay attention to the road.” you said, glancing over at Kakyoin. “I can't reach him from Joseph's lap, so is it… uh, okay?” you asked.

Kakyoin went a bit pink, but he nodded.

You moved yourself onto Kakyoin's lap, pulling out another cotton puff and soaking it in alcohol, gently dabbing it around a wound on Polnareff's shoulder.

Polnareff yelped in pain, “H-Hey! Watch it!” he looked over his shoulder at you.

“I told you it wasnt pampering.” you said, “ and keep your eyes on the road.”

The car went over a bump on the road, throwing you off balance, but lucky for you, hands on your hips kept you from falling over completely. You looked back, finding a bright red Kakyoin staring at you. “Uh… Thanks Kakyoin.” you said with a smile, turning back to finish up with Polnareff's injuries.

Polnareff complained the whole time, but soon enough you were done, starting to pack up your supplies back into your bag. You looked over at Joseph, “next town we stop in, I need to do a supply run.” you said, “you boys get hurt too often. I’m running low.”

Joseph let out a laugh, “Guess we’re pretty lucky to have someone like you, huh? We’ll get your supplies, I swear.”

You weren't sure, but you thought you heard Jotaro mutter a ‘Good Grief’ from the front seat.

Chapter Text

Somehow, the speedwagon foundation was able to give you a car that was even more cramped. You were currently sitting on Jotaros lap, your knees pressing hard into the seat in front of you.

“You know, you would think they’d let you request a bigger car.” you complained for what felt like the hundredth time, turning to look at Joseph. “You aren't doing this on purpose, right?”

Joseph sighed, “I did put in a request… for their best off-road vehicle. I didn't imagine it would be something so tiny.” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “Besides, if I was doing this on purpose, I think my grandson might kill me.” he said laughing.

You were on some dirt, cliffside road. It started out as a clear day, but soon a strange mist began to swirl around your vehicle, “wow, it's really getting foggy..” you said, looking out, “I can't even see the bottom of the mountain anymore.” you said.

“Polnareff, is it safe to drive right now?” Kakyoin asked, looking over at the man beside him, “(y/n) is right, it appears the fog in this area is getting quite thick.”

“Yeah, It might be a bit dangerous..” Polnareff said, “Since there’s a steep drop to one side and no guard rail.”

You pursed your lips at that. You didn't think about it before, but now that the thought entered your head, it was kind of freaking you out. You gave a little shiver, looking away from the cliff edge now.

“The fog seems to get thicker up ahead.” observed Joseph, pulling out his pocket-watch, “it's not even 3:00 yet, but I guess we have no choice…” He sighed, “Looks like there's a town down there, we can find a place to stay for the night there.” he said.

You looked over, looking at the town completely enshrouded in fog. It looked kind of ominous…. What was this bad feeling you were getting?

“I wonder if there’s a nice hotel.” Polnareff mused.

“A nice hotel?” Kakyoin asked.

“One that has a decent toilet, of course!” he said, letting out a deep sigh, “I still can't get used to the toilets in India and West Asia where you wash yourself with your hands.”

The conversation naturally died off, and you were looking over at the approaching town, when suddenly, you felt Jotaro tense, inhaling sharply.

You turned to look at him, but he was looking back on the road behind your vehicle with a worried expression. “Hey, are you okay? Did you see something?” you asked.

Joseph also seemed to notice, because he spoke, “What’s the matter, Jotaro?”

Jotaro averted his eyes, “it’s nothing.” he muttered, but he still seemed troubled.

Polnareff pulled off the main road into the town, driving in towards the center.

“This is a nice little town.” said Joseph, looking around with a smile.

You… weren't so sure. Something wasn't right about this town… you couldnt put your finger on it though… maybe it was just the way the fog made the whole place look so eerie.

“I’d say it has a population of a few thousand.” Joseph continued.

Polnareff stopped the car alongside the road, and kakyoin got out, pointing to a nearby building, “Let's ask about a hotel at that restaurant there.”

There were various people walking around, but even the people who stood together didn't seem to be talking at all.

“But it sure is a weirdly quiet town,” mused Polnareff, “every other place has been super crowded and noisy.”

“It's probably just because of the fog.” Joseph said, waving his hand, “Listen everyone,” he said, confidently, pointing his thumb at himself, “In Pakistan and further west in the Islamic world, this is how you greet people.” He said, glancing over at you and smirking a little, “First, you smile and say..” he turned to face the man standing in front of the restaurant, “Assalamu alaikum!” he said, drawing out the syllables, his pronunciation was almost comedic.

The man in front of the restaurant's expression did not change, he looked completely bored out of his mind, or like he was brain-dead…

Joseph's confident grin started to waver, he looked almost nervous now.

The restaurant man reached up, slamming the open sign the opposite way so it now said closed.

Joseph seemed shocked, “e-er…” he waved his hands, “Uh- You didn't have to close up shop so suddenly..” he said, nervously laughing. “We just wanted to know if there happened to be a hotel nearby..”

Again, the man gave no response, just staring at Joseph.

It was honestly starting to freak you out.

“Hello?” Joseph said, pretending to dial a phone in a comical way.

The man finally responded, “I dont know.” he said, turning on his heel and retreating back into the building.

“Huh?” Joseph called, “Hey, wait a minute. What do you mean, you don't know?” he said, starting to go after the man before suddenly stopping, making a shocked noise. He rubbed his eyes, staring after the man. “What’s with that guy…?”

You didn't see anything strange, but just his reaction had you freaked out.

Polnareff laughed, “I’m sure he just couldn't understand you because your pronunciation was so bad. Let’s ask the guy sitting over there.”

You looked over, seeing there was indeed a man sitting up against a pillar.

Polnareff went over confidently, smiling, “Hey, guy! Sorry, but we’re looking for a hotel. Preferably a hotel with nice, clean toilets. Do you know any?” There was a moment of silence before Polnareff let out a shocked noise, grabbing the man's shoulder. “Hey! You! What’s wrong?”

At that, you and the other crusaders came closer, seeing that the man sitting there was very much, in fact, dead.

Chapter Text

Even though Polnareff let out a shocked noise, and the corpse was now sprawled out on the ground, none of the other residents around you seemed to react. They all just went about their day as if nothing at all was happening.

“H-He’s dead! He died with that look of fear on his face!” Polnareff yelled, starting to ramble in his panic, “What the hell is this?! Why are they lying dead in the road? What was the cause of death? A heart attack? A stroke?”

Joseph pushed past Polnareff, leaning down to get a better look, “That could be.. But it doesn’t seem to be ordinary heart failure.”

You nodded, but did not dare get any closer to the body than where you were, “Even a stroke… It doesn't seem righ-”

You were cut off as Polnareff suddenly pointed at the corpse, “A gun! This guy is holding a gun?”

“You just noticed?” Asked Kakyoin, looking back at the other man. Truthfully, you didn't notice it either, you were too …. Preoccupied with the exaggerated look of terror on the mans face. It was like you couldn't look away from it…

“There’s smoke coming from it. He’s fired it.” Jotaro muttered.

“And it was just fired. Maybe two to five minutes ago.” said Joseph, looking awfully troubled, “Either way, it was right before we got to this town.”

“Was it suicide? Did he shoot himself?” Polnareff asked,

“No. There don't seem to be any wounds on the body.” Said Kakyoin, shaking his head.

“And there's no blood anywhere on his clothes…” you said, biting your lip, “could it be a disease of some kind?” You asked, taking a step back and covering your nose and mouth with your hand.

“No, I doubt that. He looks relatively healthy..” said Joseph, crouching down beside the body.

“Then how did this guy die? Look at him!” said Polnareff, “His face is distorted like he was screaming in utter terror!”

“I dont know.” muttered Joseph, “What did this man shoot with his gun? What in the world is going on?”

“If the gun was shot so recently, why hasn't anyone reacted? Did no one call the police?” you asked.
“No one in the town seems to have noticed anything.” said Kakyoin, glancing over at you for a moment before calling out to a nearby woman, “Excuse me, ma’am.” He stepped away from the group to go talk to her.

You could vaguely hear Kakyoin ask her to call the police, but the woman talked so quiet and slowly that you couldn't understand a thing she was saying.

When he returned, he looked rather disturbed, “The people here are more indifferent than people in large cities like New York or Tokyo.” he muttered, shaking his head.

Jotaro stood next to you, staring at a dog that was standing nearby on the sidewalk, his brow knit.

“It feels like the fog just keeps getting thicker.” complained Polnareff, you could see how tense he looked.

“The town seems to be engulfed by this fog.” said Kakyoin, nodding in agreement.

“It's really creepy… Doesn't that part there look like a skull?” asked Polnareff, pointing up to the sky.

You looked up, and for a moment you saw it. A skull in the fog. Your stomach filled with dread.

“What do you think we should do, old man?” said Jotaro, “You dont think it's the work of another Stand user, do you?”

“It seems impossible. There’s no motive.” Joseph muttered, “Would someone who’s after us kill a man who has nothing to do with us, before we even got here? If they did, why did they kill him?” He said, shaking his head.

“But there is a possibility,” said Jotaro, “His death seems pretty extraordinary… Let’s investigate the body as much as we can without touching it before the police come.”

“Right..” agreed Joseph. He pulled out a pen, using it to carefully peek into the man's pockets, “Mh. Looks like he was traveling, too, just like us. He has bus and train tickets.” Joseph leaned back, “And he appears to be Indian. He’s carrying Indian money. He’s not from this town.”

“Listen… Maybe we should just get out of here,” You said, “this place has been giving me a bad feeli-”

“Oh!” Joseph cut you off, shocked, “There's a wound!”

Your attention turned back to Joseph, brow furrowed, “a wound?”

“Right under his throat,” Joseph said, moving over so the others could see, “there’s a wound about the size of a ten yen coin. Could this be the cause of death?”

Kakyoin and Polnareff came over, crouching next to Joseph to get a closer look.

“But why isn't there any blood coming from it?” muttered Jotaro from beside you, “With a hold this big, there should be tons of blood gushing from it.”

“Normally at least.” Kakyoin stood back up, looking at Jotaro.

“Looks like this is no ordinary murder.” said Jotaro, gesturing to the body, “We need to know if this is the only wound. Let’s not hold back.” Jotaro leaned down, grabbing the corpse's shirt and pulling it up off of his body.

“What-- What’s with this corpse?!” Polnareff took a step back.

The man's chest was littered with the same type of holes, all about the same size.

“He’s covered in holes!” Polnareff cried, “He looks like the cartoon cheese you’d see in Tom & Jerry!”

“And there’s no blood coming from any of these holes.” said Joseph, “How on earth was this man killed? What does this all mean?”

“Be careful…” Jotaro muttered, looking at the rest of the crusaders, “The odds that there’s a new Stand user nearby just grew.”

Joseph turned, quickly heading out of your line of vision, “Everyone! Get in the car! We’re leaving this town!” there was a pause before he yelled, “What?! Impossible!”

You turned to look, letting out a shocked noise. Joseph was jumping a spiked fence, but lost his balance, seeming to fall in slow motion down towards the spikes. “Hermit Purple” He yelled, able to stop himself with his Stand’s vines right before being impaled.

You were just standing there in shock before Jotaro spoke beside you, “Hey, Old Man. What the hell are you doing? Are you stupid?”

“Jotaro, shut the hell up!” you said, quickly running over to help Joseph down from the predicament he had gotten himself into, “Hey.. Joseph, are you okay?” you asked the older man.

“I’m fine, (y/n)” he said, seeming mostly relieved that he hadn't been impaled on the fence. He looked at Jotaro, “What do you mean, “what am I doing?”. The car was right here a minute ago!”

“What? Car? We just parked the car over there.” said Polnareff, pointing at it with his thumb.

“What?” he looked at you, but you just nodded, agreeing with Polnareff. The car had always been over there…. “But, Just now….” he trailed off, looking past you.

Was Joseph okay…?

“Listen, we should go now.” you urged Joseph, grabbing his arm “Before the stand user attacks! We need to leave. I want to lea-.” you said, but were cut off when you heard a strange noise behind you.

You turned to look, seeing the figure of an old woman slowly approaching through the mist.

Chapter Text

You and Joseph returned to the group, watching the old woman slowly approach. As she got closer, you started to feel anxiety swelling up inside you, breaking out in a cold sweat. Why did you feel so nervous? Why was this random old woman making your heart pound, and your hands sweat?

The woman stopped in front of your group, giving a light bow, which the other crusaders returned politely.

The old woman smiled, looking between the people in the group, “You seem to be travelers. With this fog, it’s dangerous to leave the town now. There are many cliffs, you know.” she paused, “I run a little bed and breakfast. If you’d like, why not stay there for the night? I’ll make it cheap.”

“We finally met a normal person!” said Polnareff, smiling at the woman.

Soon after, police arrived to take the corpse away. You and the crusaders stood, watching them.

“There’s a strong possibility that a Stand user is hiding somewhere in this town.” said Kakyoin, “This thick fog also gives them the upper hand. We cannot let our guard down at all tonight.”

“Wait, are we seriously staying the night here?” you asked, brow furrowing. You turned, grabbing Joseph's shoulder, “let’s just leave. If we drive slow, it won't be bad! We’ll just be careful!”

Joseph shook his head. “Let’s just wait for the fog to clear. We can always leave later tonight if we need.”

“But.. that old woman…” you trailed off, shaking your head.

“... even without anyone attacking us, this town is really creepy.” said Polnareff, looking over his shoulder at some of the people passing by.

The old woman led the group over to a fairly large building, “come now, Mr. Joestar, That is my hotel.” she said, smiling sweetly, “I shall lead the way, please come with me.” she gave a little bow, “This hotel is small, but about 20 years ago, one of the 007 films was filmed here, and John Lennon from The Beatles even stayed here once.”

“What? Really?” asked Polnareff, grinning excitedly,

“No, not at all.” The old woman said with the same sweet smile.

“Huh?”

“But it’s still a very nice hotel. She said, slowly heading over to the entrance, “There are currently no other guests. Would meat for dinner be alright? Or would you prefer fish?

Anxiety over this woman was still swirling in your stomach. You didn't want to go inside that hotel, but you certainly did not want to leave the crusaders either… you were stuck.

“Hold it, old lady.” Jotaro suddenly said. “You just said ‘Joestar,’ didn't you? How’d you know that name?”

The woman went still for a few moments, “Come now, sir. That person there just said “Mr. Joestar” a moment ago” she said, turning to face the group again with a smile.

“Huh? Me?” asked Polnareff, thinking hard, scratching his cheek, “Well, I guess I might have.” He muttered.

“You did, sir.” She said quickly, her smile seeming to grow, “When you’ve been in customer service for many years, you learn to memorize people’s names quickly. So I’m sure of it.” she said, laughing.

Jotaro was still staring the woman down… was he suspicious of her too? Did he have the same feeling of anxiety as you? It was impossible to tell.

“By the way, ma’am, what happened to your left hand?” asked Polnareff, pointing.

You hadn't noticed until now, but the woman's entire hand was wrapped in a bandage, leading well up her arm.

“Oh this?” she asked, laughing lightly and waving her hand, “I just burned it a little? It might be because of my old age, but I accidentally spilled boiling water on it.”

“Age? What are you talking about?” asked Polnareff, flirting playfully with the woman, “you only look to be about 40. Maybe I’ll ask you out on a date.” he said, chuckling.

The woman laughing, seeming to enjoy it, “Please don’t tease me so, sir.”

They seemed to be having just a swell time together, laughing between themselves… but somehow, you still couldn't help but feel uneasy about the situation.

The group was led into the hotel by the Woman. It really was quite lavish on the inside. The lobby had a tall ceiling, and the tile looked magnificent… What was a hotel like this doing in such a strange town?

Polnareff started to sign his name in the guest book.

“Oh, this doesn’t look too bad.” said Joseph looking around.

Polnareff handed the pen over to Kakyoin. “Kakyoin, here.” Polnareff turned to the woman behind the counter, “My autograph’s worth as much as Lennon’s” he teased with a grin.

Kakyoin turned, handing off the pen to Jotaro, “here”

“I’m Paul-nareff, after all” Polnareff finished his joke with a laugh, “Make sure you take care of it.”

“My, my… I will do just that.” said the woman, laughing lightly.

Jotaro handed you the pen, and you nodded, looking down at the guest book.

Joseph Joestar
Noriaki Kakyoin
Jean Pierre Polnareff
Qtaro Kujo

Wait, what?

You read the names again, staring hard at where Jotaro wrote his name. So maybe he really was more suspicious of this woman than he was letting on. Why else would he change his name in the guestbook? Well… if Jotaro was changing his name, then you would too!

You added your name at the bottom.

(y/n) Kujo

You closed the book, glancing over to see Jotaro had been peering over your shoulder with knit brows. “Oh, uh-” your cheeks went red. Maybe you shouldn't have used his last name… was he mad?

He turned away, muttering, “Good grief”

But… you could have sworn you saw him blushing.

As soon as you stepped away from the guest book, the old woman spoke, “Well, then, If everyone is finished, I will show you to your rooms.”

Chapter Text

The fact that everyone was put in separate rooms definitely did not quell your worries. Immediately after putting your items in your room, you went to Joseph's room, only to find Kakyoin and Jotaro were already there, looking at the TV in the room.

“Ah, (y/n)” Said Joseph, smiling at the sight of you, “do you know how to fix electronics?”

“Uh… not really” you said, smiling, “is your TV not working?” you asked, coming closer, leaning over to look at the Tv. It was only playing static. Well… you at least knew that it was plugged in.

Kakyoin banged his hand against the side of the TV to see if it helped anything.

It didn't.

“It appears to be broken.” said Kakyoin,

Joseph let out a deep sigh, “Then I won’t be able to use Hermit Purple to get information on the enemy.”

Suddenly you heard the door push open, Polnareff peeking in, “Hey, Mr. Joestar.”

“What’s the matter?” Joseph asked, straightening up.

“Is there a bathroom in this room?” Polnareff asked, “There doesn't seem to be one in mine.” Right, Polnareff did say something before about wanting a hotel with a nice bathroom.

“Maybe the bathroom here is communal.” said Kakyoin with a shrug.

“I didn't see a bathroom in my room either.” You said, shaking your head.

“Oh, right!” Polnareff said, ducking back out without another word.

“Good grief. He’s so carefree.” said Joseph, seeming annoyed, “An unknown Stand user could attack at any moment.”

Jotaro was staring out of the window, silent as usual.

“Hm… speaking of.” Joseph said, suddenly turning to Kakyoin. “Now that Polnareff isn’t here, we can clue you in.

Kakyoin's brow furrowed, “clue me in?”

“About Avdol.” Joseph sighed.

The explanation was fairly simple. Joseph told Kakyoin that Avdol was still alive, along with his last wish. Kakyoin took it well, though he cried from the relief of knowing his friend was still alive.

“So... We need to keep this secret from Polnareff then?” asked Kakyoin, drying his eyes.

Joseph nodded, “yeah… He’s too carefree, he won’t be able to keep it a secret, and we don't want Stand users bothering Avdol while he’s recovering.”

“I see. I’ll keep it to myself the-”

Suddenly there was a noise from downstairs, interrupting Kakyoin.

You immediately stood, “we should check that out.” you said, not waiting for their response, heading out into the hallway. You could hear them behind you anyway.

As the hallway opened up, you saw Polnareff already heading down the stairs.

You heard Joseph's voice from behind you before you could say anything though, “Is something wrong, Polnareff?”

“We heard a strange noise.” Kakyoin said from your side.

“I’m going to take a look downstairs.” said Polnareff, “I’ll be in the lobby, so call me if you need me.” he said, pointing to a room to the left of the lobby counter and continuing down the stairs.

You heard Jotaro sigh, but he watched from where he was.

You let out a sigh, glancing at the others.

“I’ll head back to my room for now then.” said Kakyoin, turning and walking down the hall towards his room. Joseph headed in the same direction.

You looked at Jotaro, “are you going to stay out here?” you asked.

He nodded, “Yeah. Get some rest.”

You sighed and headed for your room, stepping inside and sitting on the bed there.

You…. really didn't want to sleep in this room alone… You already got so used to hearing people sleeping around you… and there was possibly a stand user hanging around…

You sighed, getting up from the bed. Maybe you could convince Kakyoin to talk with you for a while so you weren't just hanging out by yourself. You went out into the hall, heading over to Kakyoin's door, giving a gentle knock.

There was silence from inside, and you almost thought maybe he wasn't there, when he suddenly cracked the door. He seemed surprised to see you, opening the door wider. “Oh, (y/n), what’s the matter?” he asked.

“I just don't really want to be in my room alone, y’know? There’s a stand user hanging around, and it’s got me freaked out.” you said, “can I come in for a little while? I mean, If you’re already planning on going to bed, it’s fine..”

Kakyoin shook his head, opening the door further so you could come in, “No, no. It’s no trouble. Are you going to be able to sleep? I was saying to Mr. Joestar earlier that staying in separate rooms really isn't a good idea.” he said.

You stepped into the room, and Kakyoin shut the door behind you, “Yeah, I was going to ask later, but since you brought it up on your own…” you paused for a moment, rubbing the back of your head, “Can I maybe crash on your floor?”

“Of course.” he answered immediately, with no hesitation.

“Oh… really?” you were surprised to hear him agree so easily, “uh, are you sure?”

“Like I said, I was telling Mr. Joestar we shouldn't have separate rooms. If we stay together, it will be safer than if we were apart.” Kakyoin said, sitting on the bed, patting the spot beside him.

It was like a weight had been lifted off your chest. Kakyoin was always so nice to you, why were you so worried about coming over to his room? “Thank you…” you said, sitting beside him on the bed, “So… The innkeeper, how do you feel about her?” you asked bluntly.

“Hm… you know, Jotaro asked me the same thing.” Kakyoin said, leaning back on his arms and staring up at the ceiling.

“He did?” you asked, brow furrowed.

“Mh. I don't know that I sense anything wrong with her, but I’m not really great at judging people.” he said, looking over at you, “your instincts tell you something is wrong though, don't they?”

You nodded in response, and he looked back up at the ceiling, “You have the same instincts as Jotaro.” he looked over at you, gently placing one of his hands over yours on the bed. “It’s a good thing.”

You blushed, turning your face away so he couldn't see. “Th-Thanks…”

You both sat there in silence for a while before there was a knock on the door. Kakyoin got up, cracking the door. You heard Jotaro in the hall, “(y/n) isn't in their room! We need to find them!” he sounded desperate.

Kakyoin swung the door open wider, and you made eye-contact with a panicked looking Jotaro. “... (y/n)” he straightened up, immediately turning away. “I took care of the Stand user. Lets go.”

“Huh?” you stood up, “you found the Stand user? Are you okay?” you asked, “was it that old woman?”

Jotaro paused, looking at you, “yeah.”

You nodded, running a hand through your hair. “I see…” So your instincts were right then...

“Also, Hol Horse is here.”

Chapter Text

“Wait, what?! Hol horse… like the guy who tried to kill us?” You stared at Jotaro, hoping he would elaborate.

Jotaro sighed, “Yeah… He saved Polnareff while I was fighting the old woman.” He said, “He’s saying he wants to join us against Dio.”

You stood there frozen, trying to process this, “and uh… you believe him?”

“You wound me, baby. I’m a man of my word.” a voice came from down the hall.

You turned to look, and there Hol Horse was, hands in his pockets, looking just as cocky as you remembered him.

“I told you we’d meet again sooner than you thought.” he said, lighting the cigarette that hung from his lips.

You turned to Jotaro, “you can't seriously expect me to trust this guy.”

“I don't trust him either.” said Kakyoin from behind you. “We’ll have to keep an eye on him if he’s joining us. It’s not as if he was being controlled by a flesh-bud, correct? He joined Dio of his own accord.”

Jotaro nodded, looking over at you again. “Grab your bag. Polnareff needs your help.”

You tensed a little, but nodded, running to your room to grab your bag, “how bad is it?” you asked Jotaro when you came back out, expecting the worst, but hoping for the best.

“It’s not bad.” He said, but did not elaborate any more.

You headed down the stairs into the lobby with Jotaro, Hol Horse and Kakyoin not far behind. Joseph was laughing loudly, while Polnareff was standing there, looking awfully red.

“Oh, (y/n), good.” Joseph said when he saw you approaching, “Polnareff needs some alcohol, he uh” He burst into another fit of laughter, “He’s been licking a toilet”

“Hm. That's not good.” you said, seeing Polnareff was pretty upset about it. You didn't want to make him feel any worse. “Were you hurt in any other way?” you asked Polnareff.

He looked at you, nodding and sticking out his tongue, there was a hole in it, big enough for you to stick your pinky through.

You grimaced a little, “yeah, that’s definitely not good.” you pulled out a little bottle of isopropyl alcohol, looking up at him. “Swish it around your mouth. It's the best we have right now to kill any bacteria that’s there.”

Polnareff started to grab the bottle, but you pulled it out of his reach, pointing a finger at him. “Do. Not. Swallow. This.” you told him.

Polnareff sighed, and took the bottle from you, “I wasn't going to!” he said, taking a sip from the bottle, grimacing at the taste and pain.

“Everyone, come outside.” Jotaro called from the doorway, going out.

You frowned, and followed, your eyes growing wide when you saw what was out there.

“What in the world… “muttered Joseph as he came out behind you, “We step outside of the hotel and this place is…”

“It's a graveyard.” Said Kakyoin, staring out at it all.

Rows and rows of headstones stretched out in front of you. It sent a shiver down your spine.

“That old woman was using her Stand’s fog to make this graveyard look like a town and a hotel?” Kakyoin shook his head.

Even so, that didn't seem possible.. The people that the group talked to… had they been….?

“So we were talking to the corpses that were buried in these graves.” said Polnareff, taking the words right out of your mouth.

“That's…” you trailed off, turning away.

A couple minutes later and the crusaders had tied up Enya, making sure she wouldn't be able to attack or use her stand at all. Jotaro suggested the crusaders bring her along.

“Huh?! Take her with us?! The old lady?” polnareff asked, staring at Jotaro.

“Yeah.” Jotaro said, sticking his hands in his pockets, “We need to know how many more stand users there are, what their powers are, where in Egypt Dio is hiding.” his brow furrowed, “And what Dio’s Stands power is.”

“If we’re able to get the old lady to tell us what it is, it’ll give us a definite advantage.” mused Joseph.

“I doubt she’ll actually tell us anything though.” said Kakyoin, shaking his head.

“Well that's not a problem, we just need to use my Hermit Purple to project what she’s thinking onto a TV” Said Joseph, looking down at the woman, his Hermit Purple appearing out of his hand threateningly.

“I see! Since there isn’t a TV in this graveyard, we’ll do it in the next town.” Polnareff said, grinning.

Suddenly you felt an arm around your waist, Hol Horse's voice in your ear, “Hey there, Baby. You’re coming with me~”

Before you could even scream, Hol Horse hoisted you up over his shoulder like you weighed nothing, hopping into the Crusaders car and starting the engine.

You immediately tried to get out, but he pulled out a gun, pointing it at you. You froze in place, eyes wide.

“Try and get out, and I’ll shoot.” He said, giving you a cocky grin.

You could hear the other crusaders yelling your name, starting to run towards the vehicle, but Hol Horse took off before they even got close, looking back to yell, “Yeah, I’m gonna stick with Dio after all! See you later!” He laughed, “Provided you don't die first.”

He looked over at you, “Sorry about this, darlin’, but we gotta talk.”

Chapter Text

You glared at him, but did not dare call your stand, not when you had a gun pointed in your face. “What do you want?” you asked, fists clenched.

“Come on, baby. Don't look at me like that.” He said, smirking a little. “Listen, doll. I’ll be real with you. Dio wants you back. He’s been throwin’ a fit ever since you started travelin’ with the Joestars.” he said.

Anxiety began to build in your chest… You couldnt remember much of anything about your time spent as Dio’s henchman… “I don't know anything about that…'' you muttered, trying to figure out how you could escape. Whatever Dio wanted from you, you wanted no parts of.

“And truthfully, Darlin’, I’d like it if you came back too. It would do well to have some eye-candy around, and…..” Hol Horse continued speaking, but you had blocked it out, thinking.

There was a sharp turn in the road up ahead. Hol Horse would probably need both hands on the wheel for that… and he would probably have to hit the breaks as well… if you jumped from the vehicle right then, there was a chance you could get away….

“Plus, I think we would make a good match.”

You weren't paying attention, that curve was coming closer.

“I know Dio has his eye on you, but I think we could make a better couple-”

As Hol Horse went to turn the curve, just as you thought, he hit the brakes, pulling the gun away from your head so he could turn the steering wheel.

Now!

You threw yourself from the vehicle, tucking your limbs, the rough ground scraping and bruising your body as you rolled to a stop… but you couldn't just lay here.

You pushed yourself to your feet, taking off in the direction of that graveyard. You could hear Hol Horse yelling something as he stopped the car some ways away from where you initially jumped from the vehicle.

You glanced back-

Oh, fuck- The bastard was coming after you, he was actually chasing you!

“Just come back (y/n), you can't escape my bullets!” Hol Horse yelled after you.

You were looking at the cliff beside you as you ran. It was too high and steep to jump down. There was no way you would survive that jump… right?
You had to think quickly.

What if… it wasn't ideal, but what if…

“Green Onions! Bubble blast!”

You called for your stand, starting to cover your body with its bubbles.

“What the hell are you doing?!” You heard Hol Horse yell behind you, and heard a gunshot. A bullet whizzed past your head, “Next shot won't be a warning! Put your stand away now!” Hol Horse yelled at you, “Dio wants you back, so you’re gonna listen!”

You paused, glancing back at him with a little smile. You were….. At least 80% sure this wouldn't kill you.

You threw yourself over the edge of the cliff towards the graveyard below. Green Onions sticky, mucus-like bubbles rapidly expanded, covering your entire body. You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath as one expanded over your face, covering you completely.

You hadn't hit the ground yet. You could feel the bubbles getting bigger, expanding outwards… and inwards. They were slowly starting to crush your body… growing bigger and bigger, squeezing your limbs.

You prayed they would break your fall… if they didn't, you would probably die… but at least you weren't going to become one of Dio’s puppets… being under the control of someone like that was the last thing you wanted.

Faintly, beyond the bubbles, you heard a gunshot, but didnt feel anything besides the bubbles continuing to crush you.

And then you hit the ground.

You immediately released Green Onions, falling another 5 feet to the ground with a yelp, a sharp pain running up your arm…. But at least you had not been crushed to death by your own stand..

But you couldnt worry about that right now. Looking up to the top of the cliff, seeing Hol Horse aiming his gun at you. He stood there for what seemed like hours before lowering the gun, “I’ll see you around, Baby.” He said, before disappearing out of your sight.

What the fuck….

You slowly got up. You had to make it back to that building where the crusaders were. You were cut, bruised, and bleeding, but… you couldn't stop here. You could see the building in the distance, and slowly made your way towards it.

Soon enough you heard voices, yelling. Sounded like an argument. Was that Polnareff? And Joseph?

“-ou’re not going to go after them, then Jotaro and I will go on our own.” Polnareff's enraged voice carried over to you.

A slightly calmer voice, Joseph, said “I never said we wouldn’t go after them! I’m just saying we should come up with a plan first! This is obviously a trap!”

“We already lost Avdol! I won’t lose (y/n) too!”

The argument continued as you came closer, and slowly the crusaders came into view.

Polnareff was the first to spot you, his rage filled face melting into one of relief, “(Y..Y/N)!” he pushed past the others, running towards you.

“Polnareff-” you looked up, seconds before you were crushed in his tight embrace. “Ow, Polnareff, that hu-” you were cut off as his lips mashed against yours.

Chapter Text

Polnareff broke away before you could even react, pulling you into another crushing hug. This time you didn't complain, even though it felt like he was trying to break you.

Polnareff released you, his cheeks suddenly looking awfully pink… you’re sure you looked the same. You were still trying to process exactly what just happened, but before you could say anything, the other crusaders were at your side, staring down at you with worried expressions.

“Are you okay?”
“Did That bastard do anything to you?”
“Did he touch you?”
“Where are you hurt?”
“Let me bandage your arm.”
“How’d you get away?”
“I’ll fuckin’ kill Hol Horse next time I see him!”

They all asked their questions at once, making your head spin. “I’m fine… really… a little cut, a little bruised. I’m fine.” you said, managing a smile, “I can handle myself, y’know. I don't need you all babying me.” you laughed, almost a little offended they thought you couldn't manage something like that.

You thought about telling them about what Hol Horse said about Dio wanting you back… but you decided to keep it to yourself for now. It would probably only cause more issues at this point… besides, it probably wasn't that important.

“It’s not that we’re babying you, (Y/N). We’re worried.” Said Joseph, rubbing the back of his head, “Especially Jotaro, I’ve never seen him get so wo-”

“Shut up, old man.” said Jotaro, turning his back, “They said they’re fine. They don’t need special treatment. Lets get going already.” He was already walking off with his hands in his pockets, leaving you with the other three.

Kakyoin shook his head, “(Y/N), let me take care of your injuries. It would be bad if anything got infected.” He said, gently taking your hand, lifting your arm up so he could examine it.

Ow- You winced. You were certainly bruised up, though you were pretty relieved to know that nothing felt broken.

“Sorry, (y/n). It looks like it hurts.” Kakyoin said, releasing your hand.

“We should really get going,” Joseph said, glancing back, “we still have that woman to worry about…” he muttered.

Kakyoin nodded in agreement, and the two of them started heading back.

Polnareff was very pointedly avoiding your gaze right now. Was he embarrassed? He was the one who kissed you all of the sudden! Eventually, he looked over, meeting your gaze.

You started to open your mouth to speak, but Polnareff cut you off, “Listen (y/n), uh. For the sake of everyone else, we should probably forget what I just did…” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Huh?

Wait, what? He couldn't just kiss you like that, and then tell you to forget that it happened! For the sake of everyone else? What was that even supposed to mean? Your brow furrowed. “I… guess? What does everyone else have to do with it though?” you asked.

Well… it probably didn't. It's not like Polnareff expressed any interest in you in the past, so this was probably just an excuse right? Just a heat of the moment thing and nothing more? He just didn't want to hurt your feelings by saying it outright. That was fine with you.

He paused for a couple long moments, “If you haven’t figured it out yet, then it’s probably best if you realize on your own.” he said, “Come on, they’re waiting for us.” he said, turning before you could question him any further and walking back towards the building.

You followed after, but… What exactly was this thing you were supposed to be realizing?

Whatever… you could forget about the kiss. It wasn't like you were on this mission to find love. You were here to whoop some bastards ass, and then return to your everyday life.

But you wondered if you would really be satisfied with just that. This adventure was already more than you ever expected to experience in your life. Would you really be okay with returning to a normal everyday life?

Chapter Text

God knows the crusaders somehow had the most amazing luck. Somehow, within the hour, the crusaders had acquired a carriage. After a long ride, you arrived in Karachi, a coastal town that leads Pakistan in commerce and industry. It was near the Indus River Delta.

You never rode in a carriage before, but you really weren't expecting how bumpy it would be. You didn't really mind it, but found yourself wishing you were back in that cramped car…

Jotaro and Joseph sat beside each other in the front, with Joseph holding the reins. You were sitting in the middle seat between Kakyoin and polnareff. While it wasn't as cramped as the car, it was still a tight fit there, as you were pressed uncomfortably between the men. Enya was still tied up, but she was in the back of the carriage to keep her out of sight of anyone who might wonder why such an intimidating group of people might have an old woman tied up.

Suddenly, Joseph seemed to brighten up, “Hey, a doner kebab place. Why don't we stop and get something to eat?” he said, stopping the carriage on the side of the road in front of the place.

It sounded like a plan to you, you were absolutely famished. You leaned forward to get a better look at the food. It looked absolutely amazing to you… and it smelled awesome!

Joseph got out and approached the man standing in front of the booth, “Excuse me, I’d like six of those.”

The man smiled in response, “Six will cost you twelve hundred yen.”

“Twelve Hundred yen?” you couldn't see Joseph's face, but you saw him remove his hat as he spoke. “Twelve hundred yen?” he repeated, this time laughing loudly, “Don’t mock me. That’s far too much.”

“Well how much would you buy them for?” asked the man at the stand.

Joseph paused to think, touching his chin, “Hm. Make it three hundred yen for five!”

The man laughed in turn, “Seriously? Have you no sense?” He suddenly stopped laughing, “If I sold them for that much, my whole family would starve to death.” he said, running a finger across his throat.

As hungry as you were, you suddenly got a bad feeling… like something bad was about to happen.

Joseph sighed, starting to turn back to the carriage, “Then maybe I’ll just buy them somewhere else.”

The man at the stand waved his hands, “Okay, friend! I’m very kind to foreigners. I’ll sell you five for seven hundred yen.”
Joseph shook his head, “Make it three hundred.”

“Six hundred!”
“Three hundred and fifty!”
“Five hundred and fifty!
“Four hundred!”
“Four hundred and fifty!”

Then at the same time, both men shouted, “Four hundred and twenty five!”

“I’ll take them!” said Joseph, and you could practically hear the smug grin on his face.

You watched as Joseph handed over the money, and got a bag of food in return. You were ignoring the bad feeling you had. It was probably just because you were starving…

Joseph turned to walk back to the carriage, the man at the stand giving a wave, “Bye-bye, thank you!”

Joseph suddenly froze, staring past you for a split second, the bag of food slipping from his hand and hitting the ground. He pointed, “Hey, that old lady’s awake!”

You tensed, quickly looking behind you to see he was right. The woman was awake, but she was sweating bullets, in complete distress. She wasn't looking at any of you though… Was she looking at Joseph..? “I haven’t said anything.” she muttered, then began to raise her voice, “Why are you here before me? Do you think that I, Enyaba, would actually tell them the secret of Lord Dio’s stand?”

You realized she wasn't looking at Joseph. She was looking past him! At the man running the doner kebab stand!

The man at the stand didn't react for several seconds, before slowly reaching up, removing his head covering and glasses, grinning at the group.

Suddenly the old woman behind you made a strange noise. You turned to look, letting out a little shriek of fear.

The woman had worm-like appendages coming out of her eyes, nose, mouth and ears. She let out a pained scream. The appendages lashed out, starting to destroy the carriage you were sitting in. You and the others quickly jumped from the carriage just as it crumbled to the ground.

“What the hell are these tentacles?!” yelled Polnareff, disgust evident on his face.

“Why..” The old woman yelled, blood spurting from where the tentacles emerged, “Why have you come to kill me?!”

Suddenly the man from before spoke, and you whirled around to face him instead, seeing him shrugging off the robe he had previously been wearing to reveal an expensive looking, obviously tailored outfit. “It means that Lord Dio truly trusts no one.” He said, dropping the robe to the ground. “I will be making sure you never speak again.”

The man turned, looking at you and the crusaders, “And as for you five… I will be taking your lives.”

Chapter Text

As soon as the man uttered those words, blood began spurting heavily from the woman. She toppled from the carriage onto the ground.

“Old Lady!” Polnareff yelled, looking over at her worriedly, but pausing when the Stand user spoke.

“My name is Dan.” he said, smirking slightly at the group, “Steely Dan. My Stand resembles The Lovers card.” his smirk widened, “I will see to it that you all meet the same fate as Enyaba.”

“How could you?” Polnareff yelled, pointing to Enyaba, “That old lady was one of you, wasn’t she?” He turned, rushing towards the woman, stopping short when the tentacles lashed out towards him. “Old lady!”

“Lies! It’s a lie!” she grunted out, her body trembling from the effort of speaking, “Lord Dio would never do this to me.

“The thing coming out of the old lady’s body is not a Stand.” Kakyoin said. “They’re real, moving tentacles!”

Wait, not a stand? If it wasn’t a stand, what was it?

“He would never do something like this to me.” the woman repeated, “He would never plant a flesh bud.

“Flesh bud?” Kakyoin asked, his eyes widening in horror.

Wait.. wait, so that was the thing that Dio put inside you..? That was the thing he was using to control you? You felt nauseous, turning away and covering your mouth. You didn't want to get sick, not now…

“Lord Dio is my reason to live. We trust each other.” said the woman, straining to speak around the tentacles.

“Old lady!” Polnareff yelled, before calling for his stand, slicing through the tentacles easily. As they dropped to the ground, the tentacles fell into a ray of sunlight shining between the buildings. They immediately began to shrivel, turning to dust before your eyes.

“They melted from the sun's rays.” said Joseph, shock clear on his face, “The flesh bud is from Dio’s cells!”

“Precisely, I’m surprised you were able to figure it out.” said Dan, leaning against the wall near where he was originally standing, watching the situation with a smug look on his face, “That is what the flesh bud, made from Dio’s cells, looks like when it’s grown. I just grew it inside of Enyaba.

When it’s grown? … so then… if the crusaders hadn’t removed the flesh bud from you, then that could have also… A wave of nausea washed over you.

“Enyaba, I hear you were the one who told Lord Dio about the Stands.” Dan said, pointing his finger condescending, “But there is no way that Lord Dio would trust a little old woman like yourself.” He smirked down at the woman, “It seems you hadn’t realised that.”

Th-This bastard… saying that to a dying woman.. It wasn't right!

Joseph knelt by the woman's side, gripping his hat in his hand, “Old Lady! Tell us the true identity of Dio’s stand!” He urged, looking down at the dying woman.

The man, Dan, looked surprised, but he didn't do anything to stop Joseph.

“Tell us! You placed your hope and trust in Dio,” Joseph said, leaning forward, “and now you know he’s not the man you thought he was! I have to defeat Dio! Please, tell me!”

You slowly came over, kneeling on the other side of the woman, “Enyaba, Dio betrayed you, so please, tell us…!”

“Tell me! Tell me about Dio’s stand!” Joseph raised his voice, frantically begging the woman.

“Lord… Dio…” the woman struggled to speak, but her eyes slowly focused on you. “(Y/N)... return... to him…” she said, “He… awaits you…”

You went pale, your face reflecting just how confused you felt. Return to him? Why would you do that? After he planted a flesh bud in you, and practically sent you to your death? Why would you return to him? You didn’t even remember anything about the time you were supposedly with him.

The woman gave a shudder, her whole body trembling, “Lord Dio… Believes in me. I can’t tell you.” And with those final words, what final strength she had left Enyaba’s body, and she went limp against the ground.

Joseph let out a cry of frustration, slamming his fist into the ground. “God Dammit!”

You heard laughter behind you, everyone turning to look at the same time. Steely Dan was sitting at a nearby cafe table, sipping from a coffee.

“How sad.”

Chapter Text

Steely Dan repeated himself, “How truly sad that old woman was.” he said, still laughing to himself, “But the fact that she trusted him so deeply shows how powerful Lord Dio’s evil charm truly is.” he said, tapping his temple and chuckling.

You felt rage bubbling up inside your chest. Even until her last breath, that woman stayed loyal to Dio… even though she was your enemy, she didn’t deserve a death like that.

Apparently you weren't the only one who felt that way, because as you approached the man, the other crusaders were beside you.

Steely Dan sipped his coffee casually, an annoyingly smug look on his face.

Polnareff was the first to speak, “Since Enyaba was connected with my sister's death, I’m pretty conflicted about this.” he clenched his fist, “but I will kill you.”

“It’ll be five against one, but we won't hesitate.” Kakyoin said, “prepare yourself.”

Jotaro looked down his nose at the man, “Stand up.”

The man stared at your group for a moment, before taking a long sip of his coffee, seeming generally amused by the situation.

“Oy, Jackass! Don’t try to act cool at a time like this.” Jotaro said, pointing his finger at the man, “Even if you won't attack us, we’re gonna fight”

Steely Dan chuckled, “Do as you please. But none of you will be able to lay a finger on me, Steely Dan.”

Jotaro immediately summoned his stand, Star Platinum punching the man in the stomach with a shout of “ORA”

The man was thrown back from the blow, crashing into the cafe’s front window, smashing the glass, but at the same time, Joseph was also blown back.

“W-What?” Jotaro muttered.

You turned, eyes wide, “Joseph!” you rushed over to his side, trying to help him up.

“What happened, Mr. Joestar?” Polnareff asked, looking between Joseph and Steely Dan, “He flew back just like that guy!”

Steely Dan slowly pushed himself up, “You fool! I was still in the middle of my explanation! You were very close to killing your own grandfather!”

You looked up sharply, eyes going wide. Wait… what?

He pushed himself to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, “Listen carefully. Do you think I appeared before you just to Enyaba?” He asked, spitting blood onto the ground.

On the other hand, Joseph was shaking as you helped him to his feet. Blood was running down his chin, staining his beard red.

Joseph looked over towards Steely Dan, “You bastard, you said you had the Stand of The Lovers card, didn’t you?” He asked, coughing into his hand, grimacing when he saw blood on his hand. “What kind of stand is it?

“Joseph, are you okay?” you asked, touching his arm.

“I’m fine, (y/n), don't worry” he said, eyes trained on Steely Dan.

“The battle has already begun, Mr. Joestar.” He said, that smug look coming back onto his face.

The crusaders quickly looked around, trying to catch sight of the man's stand before it got another chance to attack.

“You idiots.” Dan said with a laugh, shaking his head, wiping a bit of blood away from his mouth, “No matter how hard you look, you won't be able to find my stand.” He said.

There was a young boy nearby, sweeping off the sidewalk. Dan looked over at him, “Hey, brat.” He said, pulling out a single bill of paper money, “I’ll give you a tip if you hit my leg with that broom.” He tossed the money over to him.

The boy caught the money in his hands, his eyes growing comically wide. He gripped his broom in both hands, starting to smile.

“I-It can't be-” Joseph said beside you.

Before you could even react, the boy hit Dan’s leg with the broom, and Joseph let out a cry of pain beside you, reaching down to clutch his leg.

“Mr. Joestar, what happened?” Kakyoin yelled over to him.

You were looking between Dan and Joseph, starting to understand what was going on… but how…?

“I-It hurts!” said Joseph, panicked, “I don't know what’s going on, but there’s a tremendous pain!”

“You haven't figured it out, have you, Joseph Joestar?” Said Dan, smirking over at him, “My Stand goes inside the bodies of others.” He gave a low chuckle, “The moment that Enyaba died, It entered your brain through your ear.”

“What?!”

“Meaning the Stand and myself are one and the same. If my stand gets hurt, then so do I, and vice versa.” Dan said, waving his hand, “If you so much as scratch me, my stand that is within your brain, will react to my pain and suffering in that same moment by going berserk.” The man tilted his head back, confidence radiating from every word he spoke, “It will inflict pain several times greater to the same part of your body.” Dan pointed towards your group, “I’ll say it once more… You will not be able to lay a single finger on me!”

Everyone seemed frozen, unsure of how to handle this situation. You couldn't attack Dan without hurting Joseph… How could the crusaders possibly win something like this?

“Not to mention..” Dan said, pausing, “The Lovers has Taken Lord Dio’s flesh bud into your body. It’s growing within your brain. Just like Enyaba, it will eat you from the inside and you will die!”

Chapter Text

The silence was broken by the young boy slamming the handle of his broom into the back of Dan's legs, proudly holding out his hands for more money.

Beside you, Joseph cried out in pain, his legs going out from under him.

You grabbed onto his arm, trying to keep him from falling, “Joseph!”

“When did I say you could strike me again?” Dan said, drawing back his hand and slapping the boy, “You little brat!”

The boy fell to the ground, holding his cheek, quickly getting up and running off.

What a fucking asshole! You clenched your fists, staring the man down. It was taking all of your self control to not give him the beat-down he so clearly deserved. You were practically shaking from your rage.

Dan slowly reached down, carefully brushing the dust from his pants like nothing had happened, “Well, to be honest, my Stand, The Lovers, is very weak.” He said, straightening up and putting a hand on his hip, “It isn't powerful enough to move even a single strand of hair. It is the world's weakest Stand.” He pointed at your group, “But you don't need power to kill humans… Do you understand?”

How were you meant to remedy this? You couldn't hurt Dan in any way. You couldn't even threaten him, because you had nothing to back it up.

“If I were to be in a car accident, hit by a baseball, or even trip and fall, Mr. Joestar…” The man said, grinning, “Your body would suffer far greater damage than mine.” He said, cracking his knuckles.

Joseph let out a shocked noise, looking down at his hand, “I can feel real pain in my artificial left hand!” He said, moving his fingers as if to test the feeling.

“And in ten minutes, your brain will be eaten through, and you will die like Enyaba.” he said, giving a condescending thumbs down.

Red clouded your vision, clenching your jaw until it hurt. You started to approach, but before you could, Jotaro grabbed the man by the collar, raising his fist.

Kakyoin quickly jumped between the two, holding out his arm, “Jotaro, calm down! Don't do anything stupid.”

“No. I’m going to kill him so quickly, he won’t have time to feel pain.” Jotaro said, holding his position.

Joseph let out a fearful noise beside you. You’d never seen him look this scared… You turned, calling out, “Jotaro, don’t! It’s not worth the risk!”

Jotaro looked back at you, pausing for a couple long moments before releasing Dan's collar, his brow furrowed in frustration.

“No time to feel pain?” Dan asked, straightening his collar, “That’s a great idea.” he said, giving Jotaro a confident smirk, “Let’s see you try it, Jotaro. It sounds fascinating.” he turned, raising his hands in a shrug, “What were you planning to destroy?” Dan tapped his temple with one finger, “Come on! My face? My throat?”

You could practically feel the rage radiating off of Jotaro. It was so heavy, you could almost see it.

“Come on, what’s wrong?” asked Dan, laughing, “Just try it! Let’s just see what happens'' Dan tugged the sides of his shirt open, “How about busting a hole through my chest?” He turned, waving his hand like he didn't have a care in the world, “Or how about you give up on using your Stand, and crack my head open with a rock?” He reached down, grabbing a rather large rock from the ground, “Here, I’ll even get the rock for you. Is this one big enough?”

Jotaro grabbed Dan by his collar again, “You don't want to underestimate me. When I say I’m going to do something, I do it.”

For a brief moment, you saw fear pass over Dan's face, but then Joseph next to you grunted, clutching his chest.

Star Platinum appeared behind Jotaro, about to slam its fist into Dan's face.

“Don’t do anything rash, Jotaro!” Kakyoin yelled, using Hierophant Green to stop Star Platinum from swinging, “You’ve already seen what his powers can do! Are you trying to kill your own grandfather?!”

Polnareff hurried over, putting his arm in front of Jotaro to help stop him, “He’s the type that might actually do it!”

“Jotaro stop! Please! Joseph is-” you called out to Jotaro, touching Josephs back as he struggled to breath.

Dan spoke, “You aren’t taking me seriously.” he said, taking the rock and slamming it into Jotaros arm.

Kakyoin stepped back in shock, Polnareff looking between Dan and Jotaro nervously. Jotaro slowly stepped back, releasing the man's collar.

Immediately, the man pulled back, slamming his fist into Jotaro’s gut.

“Jotaro!” Joseph yelled.

“Don’t underestimate me, you bastard!” Said Dan, “After that geezer Joestar dies, next it’ll be…” He lifted the rock, slamming it down into Jotaro, who did his best to block with his arms, “your brain I send The Lovers into and kill!”

Jotaro crumpled to the ground, you and the others rushing over to his side, “J-Jotaro!”

“What the hell are you doing?” Joseph yelled at Dan.

Dan laughed uncontrollably, his whole body shaking from the force of it.

Jotaro pushed himself to his hands and knees, blood dripping from his mouth.

Suddenly, Joseph let out a gasp, turning to look at Kakyoin.

Wait… what was going on? You glanced over at Kakyoin just in time to see him nod at Joseph. Did you miss something?

You were just about to open your mouth to say something when Kakyoin grabbed your hand, turning and starting to run away with Joseph. “H-Hey! Kakyoin, what about Jotaro?”

“Hey!” you heard Polnareff yell, running after the three of you.

Kakyoin turned as the two of you ran, pointing at Jotaro, “Jotaro! Keep Dan away from Mr. Joestar! We’re going to get as far away from him as possible!”

Oh, right- Maybe if you were able to get Joseph out of range of Dan’s Stand, it might lose its effect, right?

Kakyoin was still holding your hand when he suddenly shouted, “There!” and ran over to what seemed to be an electronics shop. “It’s an electronics store! Mr. Joestar, they have TV’s”

You were completely out of breath at this point, panting softly. You were getting more and more used to running while with the crusaders. Seemed like every day you were running to or from something.

“Hey, what are you trying to do?” Polnareff asked, brow furrowed. You saw his gaze flicker down to Kakyoin and your clasped hands.

“Polnareff, did you think we were just running away?” Asked Joseph, starting to sound a little more like himself now that he was away from Steely Dan.

Wait… were you not just running away? What was going on here?

“I’m going to fight the Stand that’s inside my head.” Said Joseph confidently, pointing a thumb towards himself.

“Fight?” asked Polnareff.

“We only have a few minutes” said Kakyoin, squeezing your hand, “you’ll be assisting us, Polnareff.”

Chapter Text

Joseph put two hands on the glass in front of the store, “Hermit Purple!” He yelled, the vines of his Stand seeming to sprout from his hands, coiling around a TV behind the glass.

The TV flickered to life, showing static for a few seconds before an image appeared, a creature, that you could only assume was Steely Dan’s Stand was crouched in a dark area, messing with something you didn't recognise with its claws.

“There it is!” yelled Kakyoin, he leaned forward towards the TV.

“Oh, no!” muttered Joseph, grimacing, “How can it be that I had to see inside my own brain?”

Polnareff made a face, “I can see now there’s a really tiny Stand inside of you, Mr. Joestar.” he shook his head, looking over at Kakyoin, “but how do you plan on defeating it?”

“Your Stand and mine will enter Mr. Joestar’s body, and defeat it there.” Kakyoin said, looking at Polnareff. “(Y/N)’s stand will stay outside and make sure that there’s no other stand users waiting nearby to strike.”

“What?!” you and Polnareff said simultaneously.

“Stands are images made of energy. They should be able to shrink.” Kakyoin said confidently.

“Kakyoin!” Polnareff protested, seeming taken aback by the whole idea.

“Hey, Take it easy on me.” Joseph said, you could hear how nervous he was.

“There’s no time to lose! We’re going in, Polnareff!” Kakyoin said.

“A-Alright!” Polnareff said, looking determined.

It was only now that Kakyoin released your hand, “Make sure no one suspicious approaches!” He ordered, and you nodded in response, taking a couple steps back to survey the area.

“Hierophant Green!”
“Silver Chariot!”

Both men's Stands appeared. You could see how hard both Kakyoin and Polnareff were concentrating.

“Smaller, we are entering a blood vessel, we have to get smaller!” Kakyoin said, looking over at Polnareff.

You couldn't pay attention to what they were doing right now though. If another Stand User approached, you would need to make sure they didn't get to any of the three men around you.

Suddenly, Joseph let out a loud cry of pain behind you. You turned to look, seeing him now balancing on one foot.

“Joseph! Are you okay?” you asked. What was Jotaro doing right now?! Was he really going to continue to let Joseph get hurt?

“My leg…. It’s going numb” Joseph said, but you could see his body shaking. “G-Gh..” he released Hermit Purple, falling down onto one knee, “What the hell is Jotaro doing?”

You had your back to Joseph, Kakyoin and Polnareff, keeping an eye out for anyone who got too close. You knew it was important they were able to concentrate while doing something so delicate.

You heard Kakyoin speak behind you, “Mr. Joestar, the enemy’s stand, The Lovers, is in the brain stem, the point where the nervous system begins. Polnareff and I will enter the vein from inside your ear, then swim through the blood vessels towards the brain stem. Polnareff, open a hole in the wall of the blood vessel”

“Hey, hold on a second! You’re using your Stands, right? Can’t you just slip through it?” Joseph asked.

“At this size, it’s not possible.” said Kakyoin, “The blood vessel’s wall is too thick. The hole will be microscopic, so there’s no need to worry. Cutting through a blood vessel or nerve right now would take several minutes. Otherwise, our Stands would have already cut down the enemy Stand.” he shrugged, “through we may have already started.”

“Keeping our Stands this small is really exhausting.” Polnareff said, his voice sounded strained, but you didnt turn to look. “It requires a lot of stand power… Here we go!”

“I-I don't feel so well...” Joseph muttered.

You really had no idea what they were doing back there. You were keeping watch, so you really couldn't spare your attention… that was, until Joseph started making some strange noises.

“Mr. Joestar?” Asked Kakyoin

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Asked Polnareff.

“It feels like someone’s tickling my back!” Said Joseph, “I can't concentrate on my stand like this!”

A crowd was starting to form around you, looking at Joseph with pitying eyes.

“H-Hey guys? We need to get out of here-” you said nervously, eyes scanning the crowd.

Kakyoin turned to look, “When did all these people show up?” he asked, sounding nervous, “Mr. Joestar, keep your voice down!”

“People are staring..” muttered Polnareff.

You turned towards the others, “Just buy the TV and let’s get out of here! I can't keep an eye on all these people!”

“Oh no…”
“Poor man.”
“Let’s give him some change”
“It’s not easy having an older relative like that.”

You heard people in the crowd start to make comments. They probably thought that Joseph was just a crazy old man. You’d probably make a pitying comment too if you saw something like this.

“Kakyoin, (Y/N)’s right, just go buy the TV!” Polnareff said, “Let’s get out of this crowd”

Kakyoin went to buy the TV, while you and Polnareff guided Joseph out of the crowd. Soon enough, whatever sensation Joseph had been feeling was gone, and you all rushed away from the street to find a secluded place to use the TV.

“Over here!” Kakyoin suddenly said, leading the group up a set of stairs, “We only have minutes left before the flesh bud eats through Mr. Joestars brain!”

Polnareff set up the TV under an overhang, and Joseph came, kneeling in front of it, “Hermit Purple!”

His Stand’s vines entered the TV once again, and the image from inside Joseph's brain showed up again on the screen. Suddenly, Those tentacles filled the screen's image.

“Wait… is that the flesh-bud?” you asked, disgusted. They already grew so large… Was there really enough time?

“They are.” said Kakyoin.

“We finally got into the brain stem…” muttered Polnareff, “but the flesh bud has already grown so much!” He made a frustrated noise, “Dammit!”

The screen moved instead to the stand now, who was messing around with the flesh of Joseph's brain.

“There he is!” said Polnareff.

“He’s using his scissor-like hands to knead Mr. Joestars brain-cells into a gooey mash, so he can feed them to the flesh-bud!” Kakyoin said, “If we can’t beat him, and sever all the flesh buds roots quickly, it’ll grow big enough to eat through his brain!”

“Alright!” said Polnareff, “I’ll cut them all apart!” He paused for a moment before laughing, “No, not cut. I’ll grate them! Like daikon radish!”

You could see the fight between Polnareff and the enemy Stand user play out on the screen. It almost felt like some kind of sci-fi movie you were watching instead of a real life scenario you were all dealing with.

You felt a little annoyed with yourself that you weren’t able to properly help…. But you knew if any enemies were to show up, it would likely take too long for Polnareff or Kakyoin to bring their stands out of Joseph's body fast enough to counter an attack.

“Yes! We did it!” Said Polnareff suddenly, and you turned your attention back to the screen. You saw the stand crumple to the ground. Was it really that easy?

“That thing’s pretty fast, but I’ve already seen through his moves.” Polnareff said confidently, “If that’s the best he can do, then he’s no match for me!”

Suddenly, blood burst from Polnareff's mouth, and he hunched over, clutching his stomach, “Gah-!”

On screen, a double of the Stand that Polnareff just killed had attacked him, punching its claw into Silver Chariot.

“Polnareff!” Yelled Kakyoin, “Be careful! That wasn’t the stand! He’s creating clones out of Mr. Joestars brain cells! What you just destroyed was just a dummy!”

Polnareff suddenly leaned closer to the screen, “Kakyoin! Look! They’re multiplying!”

You bit your lip. Polnareff was right. On screen, you could see the Stand was rapidly cloning itself, creating more and more copies. How would they be able to tell which was the real one?

“Emerald Splash!” Kakyoin used his Stands ability, cutting down the couple stands on screen.

“Is that it?” you asked, leaning forward.

On screen, you saw the remains of the Stand bubbling, then starting to form more clones.

“No..” said Kakyoin, “They’re just making more dummies! A person can only have one stand! Only one is real!” He looked panicked, “Which one is the real one?”

“I’m here!” one of them cried, leaping at Polnareff’s stand from behind, striking its back.

Polnareff yelped, blood starting to stain his shirt in the same place his stand had been hit.

“Emerald Splash!” Kakyoin used his ability on the Stand’s again, cutting down all those in sight. But it seemed to be no use, because the copies just multiplied again before your eyes.

“The more we hit the wrong ones, the more it multiplies!” said Kakyoin, brow furrowing.

“Polnareff, that’s enough! Withdraw your stand!” Joseph suddenly said, “I can't bear to see you get hurt trying to defend my brain!” He said, grabbing Polnareff’s arm to steady him.

“No!” Said Polnareff, shaking his head, “I won’t just leave things like this!”

“Withdraw your stand! You’re going to get killed!” Joseph urged, but suddenly looked solemn, “Besides… It’s already too late. There’s no more time.”

Chapter Text

“Joseph! We still have time!” You said, shaking your head and grabbing his shoulder, “Don’t accept death so easily!”

Kakyoin nodded beside you, “don't give up until the very end!” He turned his attention back to the TV, grimacing, “I can't tell which is the real one… Which one is it?”

“Isn't there any way to see which one it is without killing them?” You asked, leaning closer to the screen. There really was no way to tell them apart… at least not visually.

“Hm…” Kakyoin was suddenly smirking, staring at the screen, “Didn’t you already realize, (Y/N)?”

“Huh?” You asked, looking at him, wondering where his sudden burst of confidence came from.

“My Hierophant Green spread its roots along the ground, so now I can inspect each one of those Stands!” he said, grinning.

“Eeeh..?” you looked from Kakyoin back to the TV, your eyes growing wide. He was right! His Stand had extended tentacles all over the ground, wrapping, or at least touching, all of the stands within view.

Wait, how did he do that without even you noticing? How long had he been planning something like this? “K-Kakyoin! That’s amazing!” you said, looking at him with a new sense of admiration.

He flushed, but seemed more focused on the screen now. “There! You’re the stand!” He said, leaning forward, “Emerald Splash!”

This time, instead of the enemy melting, the attack seemed to hit with a deadly force, knocking the stand back.

“Yes! We did it!” said Joseph, giving Kakyoin a thumbs up.

You grinned, clapping Kakyoin on the shoulder, “Nice going!”

But you couldn't celebrate for too long. You glanced back to the screen, “h-hey! He’s making a run for it!”

“He’s realised he’s out of his league, He’s trying to escape into the artery!” Polnareff said, “He’s going to escape!”

“He’s trying to get out of Mr. Joestars brain.” Said Kakyoin.

“He’s leaving?” muttered Joseph.

“All right! That’s great!” Said Polnareff, pumping his fist in the air.

“Mr. Joestar! Hurry! The flesh-bud!” Said Kakyoin, pointing to his head.

“R-Right!” Said Joseph, raising both hands to his head, “Overdrive!”

What looked like orange electricity burst from Josephs fingertips, making a loud buzzing noise as they entered his head.

“Look! The flesh bud is disappearing!” said Polnareff, grinning wide.

“I-I’m saved…” muttered Joseph, the stress finally seeming to leave his body.

Everyone seemed to heave a sigh of relief. It was finally over…

“Now we can be more buddy-buddy with Mr. Joestar.” said Polnareff, chuckling softly.

“Polnareff, you know…” Joseph paused, panic flashing over his face, “wait, If it’s leaving my brain, that means the Stand-”

“It’s going back to Steely Dan!” said Polnareff, his eyes going wide.

“That’s not good! Jotaro doesn't know that!” Joseph yelled, clenching his fist.

You tensed. If Jotaro didn't know, The Lovers would probably take him over before he even realized what happened! “We need to go find Jotaro now!”

“There’s no need to worry, (Y/N), Mr. Joestar.” Kakyoin said, strangely calm.

“What do you mean?” Joseph asked, looking over at Kakyoin. “If it enters Jotaro’s brain- We don't even know where they are!”

“That won’t happen. I attached my Stand to it as it was escaping. We can follow it over to where Steely Dan is.” Said Kakyoin, giving Joseph a confident smile. “I figured he wouldn’t be brave enough to try and fight us here. Not when we’ve already figured out his tricks.”

Joseph relaxed again, letting out a deep sigh.

“We should head over there now!” said Polnareff. “In case Jotaro needs back-up!”

Kakyoin nodded to Polnareff, “Let’s go!”

The two of them took off. You started to follow them, but Joseph put a hand on your shoulder, stopping you in your tracks, “Joseph?” you asked.

Joseph stared down at you coldly, it sent a shiver down your spine seeing him looking so serious. “We need to talk, (Y/N)”

Chapter Text

Joseph stared down at you like he was trying to intimidate you, and boy was he sure intimidating. You bit your lip, whatever he wanted to talk about was probably important, right?

“What’s wrong, Joseph?” you asked. You wondered if you looked just as worried as you felt. You weren't sure what he could possibly want to tell you.

Joseph's eyes studied yours for what seemed like an impossibly long time before he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well. This has been weighing on my mind.” He said, his eyes seeming to soften a little as he looked down at you. “Dio seems to have an unusually high interest in you.” He said.

You didn't say anything, your brow furrowed in worry.

“I think it's suspicious that so many of Dio’s henchmen seem to take an interest in you specifically.” Joseph muttered. “What Enyaba said was especially concerning.” He said, looking back into your eyes. “Do you really not remember anything from when you were working for Dio?”

So that’s what this was about. You didn't remember anything at all. You wished you could recall something of importance, but your whole memory regarding Dio was completely blank. “I can’t remember anything.” you said, sighing.

“I see.” said Joseph, letting out a sigh and running a hand through his hair. “What about when Hol Horse kidnapped you? Maybe that was just a ploy to exchange information?” He asked.

“What? You can't be serious!” You protested, looking up at Joseph, “You think I went with that creep willingly? You know I threw myself off a cliff to escape him, right?” You said, grimacing at the thought of being buddy-buddy with such a guy.

Joseph studied your face as you spoke, “Hm. I guess that’s true…” he said, turning. “Usually, If you were an enemy, I would use Hermit Purple to find out exactly what you know.”

You went pale, your fists clenching at the thought of Joseph rooting around in your brain. Even if you had nothing to hide, you didn't want something like that done to you.

Joseph continued, “But you’re not an enemy. At least I would like to believe that you’re not.” He said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I dislike using my stand for things like that. It’s invasive and cruel.” he said. “But. I will use it if I think you know something about Dio’s Stand that you’re not telling us.” he said.

This… was probably the best time to tell him those things Hol Horse said… “I don't know anything about Dio, and I don't know anything about Dio’s stand.” you said, “Trust me, I’m just as freaked out about this stuff, if not more…” you said. “.... While Hol Horse kidnapped me, he was talking about Dio.”

Joseph's brow rose, “... What did he say, (Y/N)?”

“I didn't think it was anything important, to be honest, that’s why I didn't say anything sooner.” you explained, brow furrowed.

“Everything is important, even if you think it’s not,” Said Joseph, leaning forward.

“... Well… He basically said that Dio wants me to come back.” you said, clenching your fists. “I don't understand why he would, but Hol Horse said that Dio was… pretty upset that I’m traveling with you.”

Joseph nodded, listening to what you had to say, “... I see.”

“He was making it sound like…” you paused, embarrassed by the thought alone, “Like Dio had some kind of romantic interest in me.”

Joseph was silent for a few seconds before chuckling softly, “Hm. It sounds to me that Dio wasn’t actually planning on you surviving our attack… now he’s angry that you’re alive and on our side. A romantic interest… I don't know if Dio can feel something like that. Possessiveness… jealousy, maybe… but romance and love? It’s not him.”

“I don’t want his love. I don’t want anything from that man!” You hissed, clenching your fists.

Joseph was silent for a long time before letting out a deep sigh. “I want to believe you.” He said finally, “But…”

You look up, anxiety starting to bubble up in your chest. There was always a ‘but’, wasn’t there? “But..?” You asked

“I think it would be best if from this point forward, we have you under surveillance.” He said, crossing his arms.

“Surveillance? What is that supposed to mean?” you asked, brow furrowing.

“It means that everyone in the group will be keeping an especially good eye on you from now on. No private rooms, no going off by yourself, we’re going to make sure that someone is with you at all times.” Said Joseph, pausing for a moment before continuing. “And this isn't because I don't trust you.” he added.

“Is… that not what this is? Watching me to make sure I’m not contacting Dio?” you asked, probably sounding just a little bit bitter about the situation. You were the victim here! Why were you being put under such scrutiny? Though… you supposed if it were someone else, you’d probably feel the same way about what was going on…

“No, This is for your protection, (Y/N)” Joseph said, his eyes finally seeming to soften as he looked down at you, “If Dio wants you back, then I doubt Hol Horse will be the last Stand user to come after you. I… We want to keep you in the group. You’re important to m-… us. To all of us.” he said, reaching out and putting a hand on your shoulder, “please try to understand that we’re doing this for you.”

You bit your lip. Yeah, you can understand it. If anything happened to anyone else in the group, you don't know what you would do. You remember the despair you felt when Avdol had gotten so hurt… You didn't want anything else like that to happen.

“I understand, Joseph… Thank you.” you said. You stepped forward, wrapping your arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. You felt him tense a little against you, before wrapping his arms around you as well.

Chapter Text

After the conversation with Joseph, you went and met up with the other crusaders. Jotaro already finished defeating the Stand user before Kakyoin and Polnareff even got over to him.

You and the group next got on a boat, crossing the Arabian Sea at Karachi, and entered the United Arab Emirates.

You and Polnareff accompanied Joseph into a car dealership. It was one of those places where they expected you to be dressed up just to walk in the door.

You were standing beside Joseph while he looked over some papers. You weren't really listening to the conversation. It was all technical talk about the car and payment plans, and things like that.

“Now, are you sure you don't want your spouse on the contract as well?” You heard the salesman ask Joseph.

You glanced over, realising the salesman was looking at you. “Huh? Wait, I’m not-” you started to say, your cheeks going bright red, glancing up at Joseph.

“They don’t drive, so I see no reason to add them.” Joseph cut them off, but did not deny the man's assumption.

“Joseph..” you muttered, trying not to let on how embarrassed you were by that.

“Not now, Dear.” Joseph said, stressing the pet-name, making you blush even harder.

Ah, that’s what it was, he was teasing you again. You turned your head, letting out a sigh.

“Alright then, If you are happy with everything, you can go ahead and sign right here” the Salesman pointed to a spot on the paper.

Joseph leaned forward, signing the document. He handed the salesman a check for the vehicle. The salesman handed Joseph an envelope with the contract and then handed over the keys.

Joseph turned, putting a hand on the small of your back and leading you away from the counter.

You could see Polnareff in the waiting area, talking to a saleswoman. As you both approached, you could hear that he was flirting pretty heavily with the lady.

“If a cute girl like you asked me to, I might buy them a car.” He said, grinning coyly at the woman, holding one of her hands.

“My, what a talker.” said the woman, looking him up and down.

You weren't sure why, but the fact that Polnareff was flirting with some random girl really annoyed you. You were all on an important mission, right? Shouldn’t he be keeping an eye out for stand users or something?

“How about we get dinner or something?” Polnareff asked the woman, smiling in that way he did when he was trying to be especially charming.

You clenched your fists, your face getting a little hot. Did he have to be so blatant about it? He really didn't take any responsibility! Why did he even kiss you if he was just going to go around flirting with anything that moved!

Joseph must have noticed how upset you were getting, because he put a hand on your shoulder before stepping closer, smacking Polnareff over the head with the envelope of papers, ruining his perfectly styled hair. “Polnareff, I’m terribly sorry to interrupt when you’re so busy, but…”

“Mr. Joestar!” Polnareff jumped up, annoyed. His eyes met yours for a moment. “(Y-Y/N)!”

You wondered if you looked as upset as you felt. You quickly tried to compose your expression, averting your eyes.

“We’re leaving.” Said Joseph.

“C-Come on! Don’t mess with the hair..” Muttered Polnareff, quickly moving his hair back into its normal style, “It’s really hard to get this hairdo right!” You could feel him keep glancing over at you. Maybe he was waiting for you to say something.

“Who cares about your hairdo?” Joseph said, glancing at you for a moment before looking back to Polnareff, “Come on, we need you to drive.” He said, tossing him the keys.

Polnareff caught them, “Sure thing.” He said, and the two of you followed Joseph out of the car dealership.

“So.. did you get her number?” Asked Joseph, glancing back at Polnareff.

“H-Huh? Why would I… we were just making friendly conversation! She came onto me, I wasn't even interested! She’s not even my type!” Polnareff was protesting an awful lot, he glanced over at you, and your eyes met.

You really weren't sure why you felt so annoyed by it. So what if Polnareff was out flirting with random girls? It didn't matter to you….

Maybe you were just jealous.

The thought came to you out of nowhere and you grimaced. If you were being honest with yourself, that was probably the case. You really were annoyed by him kissing you, and then expecting you to pretend it didn't happen. You understood it was because of the mission you were on. Having no attachments was probably for the best, but…

You were still annoyed that he kissed you so casually.

Chapter Text

A couple minutes later, and you were in the car with the crusaders, pressed tightly between Kakyoin and Jotaro in the backseat. This was even worse than the carriage from before! You were actually kind of missing lap-sitting, because then you didn't feel like you were being crushed…

Hm… maybe if you asked Jotaro real nicely…- your thoughts were cut off as Polnareff spoke.

“Man, I can't believe this country!”complained Polnareff suddenly as he drove, glancing out the window, “Every house we see is like a mansion!” he said, looking over at Joseph.

“Indeed” agreed Joseph, looking down at a map he held in his hands, “All the houses around here would cost three to four billion yen in Japan.” he said, raising his gaze from the map and looking out of the window, “Apparently this is the norm for people here… Twenty years ago this was all desert, but thanks to massive profits from the oil crisis, this place turned into a dream-like city.”

“The sun is harsh.” Commented Polnareff, “It’s a good thing this car has air conditioning! It’s pretty comfortable in here.

Oh, he was one to talk! He had a whole seat to himself! You let out a soft sigh, closing your eyes.

Kakyoin also let out a sigh next to you.

“What’s wrong, Kakyoin?” Jotaro asked immediately, looking over at the other man.

“It-- It’s nothing” he said, smiling wryly over at Jotaro, “The view here is amazing. If anyone were after us, I’m sure we’d spot them, but I feel like someone’s watching us, so I can't help looking back.”

A bit of anxiety welled up in your chest. Kakyoin was right… you really could be being followed at any point… it was a really scary thought.

“Yeah, I can’t blame you.” said Polnareff, nodding.

“Well, with that in mind, I’ve been thinking about our route from here.” Said Joseph, looking down at his map. “About 100 Kilometers northwest is a village called Yarpline. Because of the desert and mountains, the road is heavily curved. It takes two days to reach by car, so the villagers use a Cessna to travel.” Joseph said, hitting the map with the back of his hand, “I think we should go to the village first, buy a Cessna, and cross the vast Saudi Arabian desert.”

You purse your lips, would you all really be okay crossing the desert? You trusted Joseph… so you’d probably be fine, but… Thinking about not showering for that long was kind of disgusting.

“Up until now, I’ve been worried that attacks by Stand users would cause any airplane we would fly in to crash, putting innocent lives at risk. But if we get a Cessna, I can pilot it, and it’ll shorten our travel time.” he said, pointing a thumb at himself confidently.

Jotaro leaned back, “I don’t really want to board a Cessna with a man who’s been in three plane crashes.” Jotaro said flatly, holding up three fingers for emphasis.

“He’s right you know… Maybe you’re bad luck” you said, smirking slightly at Joseph.

Kakyoin chuckled softly beside you.

Joseph didn't seem amused, looking between the two of you before looking back at his map, “Well, Anyway.” he said, “I think we should first cross this desert to get to the village of Yarpline. On camels, it would take one day.

Wait, what?

“Camels?!” Polnareff asked incredulously, “A Cessna’s one thing, but wait a minute! I’ve never ridden a camel before!” Polnareff complained.

“I don't really want to ride a camel either…” you said, uncomfortable with the very idea of being on such an animal. You’d never even ridden a horse before!

Joseph just laughed, “Leave it to me.” he said, giving Polnareff a thumbs up, “I know them very well. I’ll teach you how to ride.” he said, but then he looked back at you, “You, on the other hand… I think it’s best if you ride with someone else for the time being. You can just sit back and relax.”

Right… you were ‘under surveillance’. You weren't to be left alone. You let out a little sigh. At least you wouldn't have to try and wrangle a huge animal all by yourself. You really could just sit back and relax… Maybe if you were lucky, you could sleep against whoever else you were riding with.

Chapter Text

After an hour of driving, the distance between houses grew further and further. You were leaving the city and heading out into the desert. Eventually, Polnareff pulled the car up to a small tent with a fence enclosing several camels on Joseph's instruction.

You all got out of the car, approaching a man who was sitting out in front of the tent, “we’d like to buy four of these camels.” Said Joseph.

“You want camels?” the man asked, looking up at you dubiously, “Sure, I’ll sell them to you, but they’re pretty expensive, and not easy to care for.”

“We’re in a life or death situation,” said Joseph, smiling down at the man, “So we need them. Whatever it takes… As for payment..” He jutted his thumb towards the car, “How about a trade for that car?”

Huh?!

Everyone seemed just as shocked as you, most of all, the man sitting in front of the tent, “That’s way too much, sir!” He said, incredulous.

“Yeah, Mr. Joestar!” said polnareff, clenching his fist and stepping forward, “Besides! You just bought that car!”

“Why do you think I bought such a fancy, expensive car?” Joseph asked, completely confident in his decision, “An off-road vehicle is better in the desert. But I wouldn't be able to write a check in a place like this, and they dont trust cash here.” he crossed his arms over his chest, “In a place like this, trading is far more effective.”

Polnareff looked like he might start crying at the thought of trading such a nice car for a bunch of camels, distress clear in his features.

“If you try to buy safety for cheap in a time of emergency, you’ll end up even worse in the end.” Joseph raised his arms in a shrug, “Well, it just means we’ve suffered a lot already.” He turned on his heel, grabbing the man from in front of the tent’s hands, “Hey mister!”

The man looked up at him, “eh?”

“This seals the deal, right?” said Joseph, shaking the man's hand enthusiastically, “Oh, I know!” he said suddenly, “To make things more even, I’d like the water in those tanks there. In the desert, that’s the most important thing.”

“Water is cheap compared to that car” said the man, looking up at Joseph, “You sure are an odd one”

You were pretty sure that Joseph was crazy. Who even did stuff like that. You saw the check that Joseph wrote, that car cost him $455,000…. Maybe when you’re rich, that kind of money doesn't even matter?

Joseph let out a laugh, “All right everyone. Let’s get ready! Crossing the desert is a tough task! Let’s keep our wits about us!”

Soon enough, the camels were saddled and packed with all your necessities. You were still pretty hesitant about riding one of these huge animals, but you trusted that Joseph had the right idea here…

“It-- It stinks!” Polnareff complained loudly as he approached one of the animals, holding his nose, “Hey, Mr. Joestar, How do you get on it? It’s, like, 3 meters tall!”

“Well, you see, with camels, you make them sit first, and then get on” he said, taking hold of the Camels reigns, trying to pull it down to sit.

The camel made a grunting noise, refusing to get down. Joseph tugged harder at the reins, “You just… make it sit--!” He said, starting to strain to try and pull the animal down. “You just…!”

You looked over at Jotaro, who just shook his head.

“It- It’s going to sit now!” you heard Joseph say, you looked over to see him practically hanging from the neck of the creature. You couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous sight.

“Hey, you’ve actually ridden one of these before, right?” Asked Polnaref, doubt showing in his eyes.

“I’ve seen that really long movie, Lawrence of Arabia three times!” Said Joseph, only slightly less confident than he was about 2 minutes ago, “I know very well how to ride a camel!” he paused for a long moment, “Though, two of those times I slept through half of it.”

“M-Movie?!” yelled Polnareff “Wait! You’ve never actually ridden one?!”

In almost perfect comedic timing, the camel turned its head and spit directly on Joseph's face.

He paused for a long moment, then turned to the rest of you, grinning, “It’s great sunscreen! Didn’t you know that?” He said, laughing loudly.

Oh my god… You were all going to die.

Chapter Text

“Listen up.” Joseph soon gave up on trying to wrangle the huge animal, walking over to his bag on the ground. “When dealing with animals, It’s important to understand how they feel.” He said, crouching down and digging around in his bag. He pulled out an apple and held it up triumphantly, gazing at the group over his shoulder.

He stood up and approached the camel again, holding the apple out to the huge animal, “Here, doesn't this apple look delicious?” he asked, waving it enticingly. The camel took notice, the fruit catching its interest. “Come on, Come on..” Joseph urged the animal, slowly lowering the apple until the Camel sat down in order to reach it. “Good boy..”

You were actually pretty impressed at his thought process here, but… not quite as impressed with him as someone to thoroughly think out plans…. You let out a sigh.

“Look, see? It sat down!” Said Joseph, giving the rest of you a thumbs up. “If you take the time to understand the camel, it’ll sit down for you!” He said, tapping his temple and pointing at you all.

No one seemed very impressed by the antics at all.

` Soon enough, everyone had seated themselves on a camel. It was decided you would sit with Kakyoin. You were behind him on the camel, your arms wrapped around his waist tightly to hold on. It was slightly terrifying being on an animal that was so tall… if you fell off, you would definitely die. It made you tighten your grip on the man in front of you.

“Are you alright, (Y/N)?” Kakyoin asked, trying to look at you over his shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m fine.. It’s just, uh, really high I guess.” you muttered, “I’ve never ridden on an animal before… this is really weird..”

“I see. Hold on tight then.” He said.

Joseph suddenly spoke up, getting everyone’s attention. “Alright, Looks like everyone got on as smoothly as planned! Let’s go through that desert, everyone!” He said, “Onward toward the northwest!”

And onward you headed. Surprisingly, it didn't take you long to start drifting off against Kakyoin's back. Even though you were currently sweating buckets, the gentle swaying of the Camel was actually putting you right to sleep…

Kakyoin suddenly spoke, snapping you out of your trance, “Something’s wrong.” He said, glancing back. “I still can’t shake the feeling that someone’s watching us.”

You turned to look behind, the rest of the crusaders also taking a look around. There was no one in sight… the desert was flat, there was no place for anyone to hide… unless they were somehow invisible…

You really couldn't be worried… it was so hot right now… you leaned away from Kakyoin, slowly fanning yourself with your hand.

“Kakyoin, I think you’re worrying a bit too much” Said Polnareff, waving his hand. “We’re covering our tracks, and we can see a great distance around us. If someone was here, we would know.”

“Actually,” said Jotaro, “I can't help but feel a presence, too.”

“Jotaro, look into it.” Said Joseph, pointing a finger at him.

Jotaro nodded, pulling out a pair of binoculars, using Star Platinum to scan the surrounding area.

“Do you see anything suspicious?” asked Joseph.

Jotaro lowered the binoculars, “No, I don’t. There’s nothing. But…” He paused, “Something’s weird. Something is.” He muttered.

“Let’s hurry up and go.” said Polnareff, drinking from his canteen.

“Yeah.” Said Joseph, but you could see the wariness in his gaze. “Let’s get as far as we can, and once the sun goes down, We’ll stop and put up our tents.” his eyes narrowed, “It’s too dangerous to travel at night.”

“But, man, it’s hot” complained Polnareff, “Look, it’s 120°” He said, showing Joseph his thermometer.

“It is hot.” said Joseph, frowning and looking down at his pocket watch, “But it’s always hottest around this time of day.” He said. After a moment, he let out a gasp, “Eight o’clock? What?” he snapped it shut, looking over at Jotaro, “What time does your clock say?”

Jotaro fished in his pocket, pulling out a pocket-watch, “Ten after eight.” He paused, before he looked up sharply, meeting Joseph's eyes, “Oy, Old man!”

“So it is..” muttered Joseph, “I-- I know we lost track of time, but what’s going on?”

You honestly had no idea what they were talking about… you felt pretty confused.. But maybe it was just the heat getting to you, “Hey, what are you guys talking about?” you asked, “Why are we still stopped, shouldn’t we keep moving?”

Joseph looked over at you, “It’s past 8:00 p.m.”

You heard both Kakyoin and Polnareff let out a gasp.

“So… why hasn't the sun gone down?”

Chapter Text

“The thermometer just jumped up to 140°” Said Polnareff, sounding panicked

“Not-- Not only is it not going down...” Kakyoin said,

“But it’s actually rising higher and higher in the west!” Polnareff continued the other man's train of thought.

“Could that sun actually be..” Joseph paused, like he didn't want to say it, “A stand…? I-- I can't believe it. We’re in the middle of the desert!” said Joseph. “Try to hide behind some rocks!”

Everyone suddenly began to dismount their camels, Kakyoin turning to help you off, lifting you down by your waist. You all ran over to a cluster of rocks, ducking behind it. There was a little bit of shade there, so you weren't in the direct light of that sun.

“That sun is a Stand?” asked Polnareff, gazing up at it, “We were careless. I didn’t realize.”

You could see the steam starting to rise off everyone’s bodies. There was some relief to the shade where you were, but you knew it couldn't last for very long…

“It felt like we were being watched, but I couldn't see it at all.” Said Kakyoin, you could see the sweat running down his face. You were sweating just as badly right now….

“At this rate, all day long-- no, all night long. That stand is planning to boil us overnight like octopuses, and kill us!”

“No, it won’t take that long.” said Joseph, peering over the rock to look at the stand. ”It’s dangerous to even be in a sauna for more than 30 minutes.”

“How can we fight it?” Asked Polnareff, looking at his thermometer, “Dammit! It’s 160 degrees now!” He said, “Not to mention, we can't even tell if that stand is close or far away! The distance is impossible to judge!”

“The quickest way to settle this is to take out the user” Said Jotaro, his brow furrowed.

You… were starting to feel a little light-headed… you could barely follow the conversation.

“Yes, the Stand user… Whoever it is should be nearby. They’ve been concealing their presence from us somehow while following us all this way. We must find them.” said Joseph.

“Hold on, what if it's like The Lovers, that we encountered in Pakistan, a Stand that can be remotely controlled?” asked Polnareff.

“That’s inconceivable!” Said Joseph, “A weak stand can be controlled from a distance, but I’m sure you can feel The Sun's energy. The user must be nearby.”

You let out a little grunt, closing your eyes for a moment, just a moment. How was it getting even hotter right now? You couldn't even think…

You felt a thud in the ground, then another and another, making you open your eyes again, “what.. Was that..?”

“This isn't good.” Said Jotaro, tugging at his collar, “The camels collapsed from the heat..”

“Just staying still wont help us!” Kakyoin said, “ I’ll use Hierophant to look around.”

“Kakyoin!” Joseph protested.

“I’ll just find out the enemy Stands location.” Said Kakyoin, looking determined, “If we know how far away it actually is, we might be able to find the user.”

Hierophant burst forward from his body, starting to fly up towards The Sun.

“Is it twenty? No.. Forty meters… no… One hundred..?” Kakyoin was muttering to himself.

Jotaro suddenly spoke, “Something’s not right!” he sounded frantic, “Kakyoin, call Hierophant back!”

“Something’s coming at us!” Yelled Polnareff.

“Gh. Before that happens, Emerald-!” Before Kakyoin could even finish his sentence, Hierophant was attacked with something. Kakyoin collapsed next to you, blood dripping down his face.

Flaming balls from The Sun seemed to rain down around you, hitting the rocks the crusaders were hiding behind with enough force to topple them.

You really had no idea what was going on, but you forced yourself up. You sat up just in time to see one of those balls hit the last remaining camel, killing it.

“I’m busting a hole in the ground, so get in!” Jotaro yelled, Star Platinum appearing, punching the ground and sending rocks and dirt flying in all directions.

Soon, he had a little shelter built, and you all had climbed inside to try and shield from the heat. You still felt like you could pass out at any moment, but you were holding on to the best of your ability.
Kakyoin was near the front, breathing heavily, blood staining his uniform from the initial attack.

“Are you okay, Kakyoin?” asked Joseph, looking over at him worriedly.

“Yes. I was in the middle of using Emerald Splash.” He said, “That guarded me, so I’m not badly hurt… But more importantly, it’s hot. I feel like I’m going to go crazy.” He muttered, holding his head.

“That attack was perfectly aimed,” Said Polnareff, “That means that the enemy is definitely watching us!” He said, agitation heavy in his tone, “Where are they? Where could they be?!”

“Don't talk so loud! The enemy will find us!” said Joseph, shushing him. “Calm down and let’s just see what happens.” He pulled out his canteen, only to loudly curse when he found it empty, throwing it out into the desert.

You scooted up near the entrance, trying to look out.

“Jotaro, give me your binoculars!” Joseph said, taking them once Jotaro handed them over. He scooted forward, peering through them, when a sudden attack from The Sun knocked them out of his hands, destroying them. “Son of a bitch!” He yelled, slamming his fists down onto the ground. “How are they watching us?! Is the enemy invisible?!”

“Let me take a look.” you said, moving closer to the front, looking out across the horizon. There were a couple of rocks, but nothing else for miles all around. Huh… That rock kind of looked like a slug… you shook your head, trying to dismiss the strange idea. It was probably just because of the heat, that you were thinking of strange things… but you automatically looked over to the other rock, finding it strange that the other rock… also looked like a slug. Something about the two of them was giving you a strange feeling.

“Hey… uh… Kakyoin.” you muttered, beckoning the other man, “Does that rock look strange to you?” you asked, pointing them out to him.

He was silent for a couple of moments, studying both of the rocks. All of sudden, he began to giggle. “Hey, Jotaro, come here.” He said, gesturing for the other man.

Huh? What was going on?

Jotaro came over, looking out at the rocks, suddenly he began to laugh as well. Behind him, Polnareff began to giggle.

“Oh my god… They’ve all gone crazy from the heat!” Said Joseph, “We’re the only sane one’s left, (Y/N)...” he said sorrowfully.

“Mr. Joestar, you have the wrong idea.” said Kakyoin between giggles, “here, take a better look at those rocks.”

Both you and Joseph leaned to look. You still didnt know why everyone was laughing… What was going on?

“Look at the shadows… one’s facing one way, the other ones facing the other way.” Kakyoin said, chuckling.

“A reflection!” you said, suddenly realising. So that’s why it looked so strange!

“Move.” Jotaro said, pushing between you and Kakyoin, standing and starting to go out of the little shelter.

“Jotaro! If you go outside right now, you’re all but asking to be attacked!” Said Joseph, his eyes growing wide. “It’s dangerous!”

Jotaro glanced over his shoulder for a moment before Star Platinum appeared, grabbing a pebble off the ground and hurling it towards the rock that's shadow was facing the wrong direction.

Right before it looked like it would hit the rock, it instead hit something else, what looked like glass shattering.

Immediately around you, the light from The Sun faded, plunging you into an inky desert night.

Chapter Text

The air around you immediately cooled, and you almost began shivering at the sudden change. You could now see the stars above..

“Good Grief. It’s finally dark.” said Jotaro, looking out into the sky.

Slowly, you all approached, seeing the large mirror up close. You could now see a man sprawled out on the ground behind it, knocked out cold by the rock that Star Platinum threw.

“It’s a mirror!” Said Joseph, stopping to examine the piece of glass, looking almost impressed. He hadn't realised until now?

“Take a look” said Kakyoin, “Check out the machines behind this mirror. It’s pretty comfortable. It even has air conditioning!”

“Man, I didn't realize he was reflecting the desert landscape and tailing us from behind.” Polnareff said, laughing loudly,

“He has a tank of water.” said Jotaro, “we’ll gladly take that.”

“Ah, a drink!” Polnareff said, seeing one sitting on the little table that was set up there. He took it, starting to drink from it.

“Don’t drink that, Pol! It’s gross-” you protested, trying to take it.

“No! I’m thirsty, and it's perfectly fine! He barely drank any.” Polnareff said, holding it out of your reach.

“It’s got germs!” you protested, straining to reach it, your chest bumping his as you reached up for it.

“It’s no use, (Y/N), he’s too stubborn. Just let him drink it.” said Joseph.

You frowned. He was probably right. You stepped away from Polnareff, but not before seeing how pink his cheeks were. Probably still from the heat, right?

There was a silence, before Jotaro suddenly spoke up. “The Sun cards Stand, huh? It was quite the opponent, but once you figure it out, it’s pretty stupid.”

“Let’s hurry to our next location.” said Kakyoin, spreading out his arms. “It’s quite chilly in the desert, isn’t it?”

“Wait a second! Traveling at night is dangerous!” Protested Joseph. “Now we might get lost!”

“We defeated our enemy, so we can have sweet dreams tonight.” Polnareff said, laughing.

“So it's decided then, we’re setting up camp here?” Asked kakyoin.

Joseph nodded, going over to one of the three remaining camels, who had since gotten up, starting to unpack the tents. Jotaro came over to help.

After about half an hour, there were two little tents set up. Everyone got a chance to drink and eat before it was time to settle down. You let out a quiet breath. Looks like you’d be sharing with at least one other person, right? You wondered who would go with who.

“Oy, Mr. Joestar, didn't we pack more tents than this?” Asked Polnareff, looking at the set-up. Whoever got stuck in a tent with three people was going to be majorly cramped.

“The camel that got killed was carrying the other tents.” Said Joseph. “So they were burnt up. We’ll draw straws for who stays in each tent.” he said.

Soon, everyone gathered around. The straws were drawn, leaving the group in half. Jotaro and Joseph were in one tent, which left Polnareff, Kakyoin, and you in the other tent. You were slightly annoyed at being put in a small tent with two other people, but it wasn't like you had any other option unless you wanted to sleep outside by yourself.

Polnareff and Kakyoin went ahead to the tent you would be sharing, and you trailed after once you said goodnight to both Jotaro and Joseph.

You stepped inside the tent, seeing Polnareff had chosen the right bed, and Kakyoin chose the left bed… which meant you were going to be crushed between them….

You sighed. Why did it seem like you were always forced to be in the middle?

You removed your shoes, settling down onto the ground. The beds were basically just a simple bedroll on the floor of the tent, but they were so close together, the three of you might as well be sleeping in one bed. You let out a soft sigh and looked over at Kakyoin. You remembered the earlier attack when you saw blood on his clothing. “You got hit by The Suns attack, right? Do you want me to take a look?” you asked, looking over at him worriedly.

“Thank you, (Y/N), but I’m fine. It was just a couple scratches, so I’m fine now.” he said with a smile, taking off his jacket and setting it aside, laying down in his bed.

“You can take a look at me.” said Polnareff, grinning at you. “I didn't get hit, but I wouldn't mind getting examined anyway.”

“Yeah, okay.” you said, rolling your eyes. You couldn't help but smile though as you settled down into your bed, pulling the covers around yourself and closing your eyes. “Goodnight, Polnareff, Kakyoin.” you said,

“Goodnight, (Y/N)” Said Kakyoin.

“Goodnight, mon amour.” Said Polnareff.

You slowly drifted off without a second thought.

Chapter Text

You couldn't sleep after all.

It was terribly cold in the desert at night, and no matter how much you curled up and tucked the covers around yourself, you seriously couldn't just fall asleep. It was almost annoying, especially when you had felt so disgustingly hot earlier. The fact that you were so cold right now was really starting to piss you off.

You tugged the covers closer. You had been trying to hold off, but your teeth had started to chatter. You were seriously trembling from the cold… what was with this?

“Too cold for you too?” you heard a soft voice, looking over to see kakyoin looking at you with a slight smile. Looks like he couldn't sleep either.

“Y-Yeah.” you said, rubbing your hands together. “There's no way I can fall asleep when it’s this cold.”

“The average temperature for a desert at night is 25 degrees fahrenheit.” He said. “I can see my breath, so I can only assume we’re already around that.” He said.

“Really…” you let out a breath, seeing it fog up around your face. It certainly felt that cold, but you didn't expect the actual number degree. “You really know a lot, huh?”

He chuckled, and you could see that his cheeks had turned a little pink. “I believe knowledge is power… but I do enjoy learning various things… they may not always be useful, but they make good conversation.”

“Mh. I agree.” you said, but you were still shivering…

“And it’s important to fully devote oneself to one's studies. So I learn a lot by going above and beyond with that.” he said, rubbing his arms, trying to work the warmth back into them.

“Well.. you know a lot about this kind of thing, right? What should we do in a cold situation like this?” you asked, smiling wryly, “I would like to try and actually sleep tonight if possible… who knows what will happen tomorrow.” you said with a little laugh.

He paused, looking at you. His face suddenly went bright red, “er.. Well… uh… usually, in a situation like this.. You would, uhm… huddle together… to share body heat..” he said, avoiding your gaze.

“Oh.” you said, your own face growing hot. “Well… That actually isn't a bad idea…” you muttered, biting your lip.

“Are you guys done talking? I’m trying to sleep…” Polnareff grunted.

“Sorry.. Did we wake you up?” You asked, looking over at him.

“I apologize, Polnareff.” said Kakyoin.

“... it doesn't matter, just go to sleep..” Polnareff muttered, and rolled over.

“Sure…” you muttered, then looked over at Kakyoin, “so uh… if you scoot over, you can share my bed mat..” you said, a little embarrassed about it, but much more concerned that you would get a good night's rest than anything else.

Suddenly, Polnareff sat straight up, looking over at you, “What are you two doing?”

You were surprised by his sudden interest, “Uh, well… it’s cold, so we were going to share body heat…” you said, rubbing the back of his neck, your cheeks going red, “it's nothing weird or anything.. I’m just cold.”

Polnareff looked like he would say something, opening his mouth, but then shutting it again. After a few moments of silence, he protested, “I’m cold too, you know!”

“Well, we can all huddle together then..” you said, trying to hide how red your face was getting. This was only happening because it was so cold… or at least that’s what you told yourself.

Polnareff scooted in closer to you, pulling up his blanket so your bodies could touch directly, laying the blanket over the both of you. On the other side, Kakyoin did the same, his body pressed up against your back.

Polnareff's arm went around your waist, Kakyoins doing the same from the other side. Immediately, you could feel the heat radiating off both men, almost instantly warming you up and making you sleepy.

“This is really nice…” you muttered, tiredness entering your voice. You leaned your cheek against Polnareff's chest, quickly falling into a deep sleep before you could even say goodnight.

Chapter Text

Soon enough, you arrived in the village of Yarpline. It was a nice little town, and soon enough, you secured a hotel for the crusaders to sleep in for the night. Joseph already talked to a man at a small nearby airport, and you would be going there the next morning to purchase the plane that you would be using to fly across the Saudi Arabian desert.

After the last couple days, you were hoping nothing too strange would happen while you were flying. You always got nervous getting on planes, and knowing that there was always someone after you definitely didn't help your worry that the plane could potentially crash.

Though, even with that being said, you trusted your teammates to keep you safe, and you knew they trusted you to do the same. It was a give and take situation, and you all had the same goal at this point. Everyone was relying on each other, with a system of trust, and believing in each other's instincts.

You had all already eaten dinner at a nearby restaurant, and headed back to your hotel for the night. You were already exhausted from your earlier travels across the desert, and you were really just ready to climb into bed for the night.

You all headed back to the hotel, making idle conversation along the way. It was a peaceful night, and you found yourself staring up at the stars. They were so beautiful when there was no light pollution, like freckles on a sun kissed face.

You suddenly felt yourself being watched, glancing over to see Jotaro looking at you.

You smiled at him, “The stars are amazing here… I’ve only seen them look like this in the movies.” you said, returning your gaze to the sky.

“Yeah.” you heard him say.

“I’ve always lived in places near big towns, so I guess that’s why.” you said, “I wish I had more time to look at the stars… it feels so peaceful..”

He was still looking over at you, not speaking. But he didn't seem annoyed by what you were saying.

You let out a hum. You were almost to the hotel by now. It slowly appeared in the distance, and soon, you and the crusaders were right in front of the building. You stopped before going in, and Jotaro did as well, looking over at you, “What’s wrong, (Y/N)?” he asked.

You didn't want to go in yet. “Hey Jotaro… stay out here with me for a bit.” you said, “I’m not ready to sleep yet.” It wasn't’ the entire truth. You were really tired, but you didn't want to give up this view just yet.

Jotaro was silent for a while before sighing, “Good Grief.” he muttered, and moved aside, leaning against the front of the building.

“So, the two of you are staying out here?” Asked Joseph.

“Yeah… just for a little while.” you said, giving him a smile.

Polnareff paused, looking between you and Jotaro for a few moments before sighing and going inside without saying anything.

Joseph and Kakyoin went into the hotel, leaving you alone outside with Jotaro. You went and stood beside him, staring up at the sky. It really was amazing how many stars were in the sky. It was impossible to describe how beautiful it really was.

When you looked over, you saw Jotaro staring at you again. “What?” you asked, your tone joking, “Is there something on my face?”

He suddenly stepped in front of you, blocking your view of the stars. You slowly met his eyes.

Jotaro put his hand on the wall beside your head, slowly leaning down.

You could feel your face going bright red, your whole body going tense. Jotaro was getting too close. Why was he leaning in so close? It almost seemed like he was going to k-kiss…

When his face was only about five inches from your own, you closed your eyes, too nervous to keep them open any longer.

Suddenly, you felt a touch against your cheek, making you jolt, and then his presence seemed to fade. You cracked open your eyes, only to see that Jotaro had moved away, and was now looking at you a bit strangely, “you had an eyelash on your cheek.” he said.

Your face couldn't get any more red. You couldn't meet his eyes. Why did you think he was going to kiss you? Your own assumption was more embarrassing than what actually happened.

“Uh… I think I’m ready for bed.” you said, quickly turning to go into the hotel.

“Yeah.” he said, following after you.

Chapter Text

You woke to the sound of a baby crying.

You opened your eyes, letting out a loud groan, “who’s letting their baby cry like that…” you muttered, rubbing your eyes. You started to look around, suddenly realising that the thing you were laying on top of was actually Kakyoin!

You quickly sat up, eyes going wide. “Kakyoin?”

Wait, more importantly… Where the hell were you? You seemed to be on a ferris wheel. As you looked out, you could see various rides, and bright colors. Was this… an amusement park? There was carnival type music playing, but it was completely empty, so it felt rather ominous...

Kakyoin sat up as well, holding his head. “(Y/N)?” Asked Kakyoin, “What is this place?”

You moved off his lap, “I have no idea… I’ve never seen this place before…” you said.

“Why were we both asleep on a ferris wheel?” he asked, looking down at his hands for a few moments, “Something’s wrong… We were traveling through the desert on Camels, weren't we?” He asked.

You nodded, “Yes, but we already stopped for the night, don't you remember--” you paused for a moment, “Oh, isn't this a dream?” you asked, looking over at him, “I remember going to bed… but I don't remember anything past that. This has to be a dream, don't you think?” you said, now speaking mostly to yourself instead of him.

“A dream… no, this is too lifelike” Said Kakyoin.

You were mostly ignoring him now, since he was only a part of your dream after all. You actually didn't usually have dreams where you realised within the dream that you were dreaming, and you almost never had dreams where you could actually control what you were doing.

“(Y/N), listen to me. I don't think this is a dream, It’s more likely we were kidnapped by a Stand user.” He said, frowning.

You looked over, he was actually right, and suddenly you felt a little dumb for assuming it was a dream so readily when it was most likely not the case. “I’m sorry, you’re right… I should be taking this more seriously.” you said, biting your lip nervously.

You heard a noise, and were immediately distracted when you saw that there was a dog in the carriage with the two of you.

“Oh.. A puppy…!” you said, quickly swapping seats to the other side to scratch it behind the ears. It licked your hands, pushing its head into your palm, “How cute!” you cooed, smiling at it. “How did you get up here with us, huh?”

The dog just panted at you.

You soon turned your attention back to Kakyoin. “Even so, isn’t it weird? Why would an enemy Stand user leave us in a ferris wheel in some amusement park… and why would they leave a dog with us? It’s just too weird…” you looked at him suspiciously, trying to see if there was anything strange about him. It was just so weird… and you could still faintly hear that baby crying

“I wonder where that baby is.” Kakyoin said, frowning slightly.

“Hm… do you think that crying baby is the Stand user that kidnapped us?” you said, teasing him just a little, “I’m just saying, we’ve been here for a couple minutes and we haven't even been attacked yet…”

He looked troubled for a moment, but didnt say anything.

Suddenly, from somewhere in the park, a bunch of balloons were released, fluttering up, closer and closer to the Ferris Wheel.

Just as the balloon was about to get close enough to reach…

You opened your eyes.

Joseph was standing over you, his hands on both of your shoulders. “(Y/N)? Are you okay?” He asked. The look on his face was one of concern.

“Huh…? Yeah.?” You asked, looking around a little. You were laying in bed, Jotaro standing a couple of feet away. You felt like you were having a strange dream, but you couldn't remember any of it now that you were awake…

“You wouldn't wake up..” Said Joseph, pulling his hands away from your shoulders, “come on, go get ready.”

Chapter Text

“Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Just a second there Mister!” Joseph said, pointing at the man in front of him, “What do you mean you can't sell us this plane now?”

You had only gotten to the airport about five minutes ago, and already, things seemed to not be going your way. You hefted your bag over your shoulder, glancing up at Jotaro. He looked back at you, letting out a sigh. Kakyoin and Polnareff still weren't here yet, but you had no doubt that they would soon show up.

Right now though, it seemed like you were going to be staying in this town for another night or so. The man Joseph talked to the previous night was now refusing to sell the plane for some reason.

“You said last night you’d sell it, and even took my money!” Protested Joseph, now pointing with both hands at the man.

“I’ll return your money” the man said, brow furrowing, “You see, the baby’s sick. It’s a 102-degree fever.” He gestured.

A woman, covered from head to toe came from a nearby building. She was carrying a basket that held a tiny little baby.

A baby, huh…

“Well, How about that plane over there?” Asked Joseph, pointing to a nearby plane.

“That one’s broken.” Said the man. “The others won't be back any time soon…” You tuned out a bit as you saw Polnareff and Kakyoin approaching.

“What’s going on? Is it some sort of argument?” Asked Polnareff, looking over at where Joseph was still talking with the man.

“Yeah.” said Jotaro.

“They’re refusing to sell us the plane now.” you said, crossing your arms. “There’s a baby that’s sick, so they’re taking it to a doctor.”

“A baby?” Kakyoin asked, brow furrowing. He was staring intensely at the baby for some reason.

“The plane will be back tomorrow night.” said the man, now stepping away from Joseph, “I can sell it to you after that.”

“Tomorrow night?” Joseph asked angrily, grabbing the man by his collar, hefting him up, “Someone’s life is on the line for us, too!” he said, pointing his finger in the man's face, “We can't afford to spend two days idling around!”

“Then you’ll let that baby die?” Asked the man.

Joseph’s eyes widened, and he let out a groan, releasing the man, “Well…”

Suddenly, the woman that was holding the baby spoke up, “Um, How about this?” she asked, looking between everyone, “Let’s leave the baby with these people, who can visit the doctor on their way.”

“Eh?!” Joseph asked, shocked.

“You want us to take the baby?” you asked, incredulous. “But…!”

“The Cessna only carries five.” said the woman. “But there’s enough room for a baby.”

Kakyoin let out a sudden noise beside you, making you look over him, murmuring a quiet, “What’s wrong?”

“I… that baby just grinned…” He said, staring at the infant a little harder now.

“You sure, lady?” Asked the man, “You wanna leave the baby with these guys?”

“Hold it! That’s also a problem!” Joseph said, putting out a hand as if to stop the woman, “It’s dangerous for a baby to come with us.”

“I agree…” you muttered. You didn't really want to deal with a baby… especially not a sick one…

But after everything had been said, you still ended up taking the baby. Joseph relented after everything he had said. But it was more important that everyone got to egypt. Staying in this place for more than a day was out of the question.

Everyone ended up piling into the plane. Jotaro and Joseph in the front, and you in the back between Kakyoin and Polnareff. Somehow, you had gotten stuck with the job of holding the baby’s basket. How troublesome…

Although, for some reason, since you were sitting between Kakyoin and Polnareff, you were suddenly reminded of that night in the desert… your face went bright red at the memory.

Polnareff glanced over at you, brow raising, “what’s wrong, (Y/N)?”

“N-Nothing..”

Chapter Text

“I said this would be dangerous…” Joseph said from the pilots seat, adjusting his headphones with a deep sigh.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Joestar.” Said Polnareff, seeming to have not a care in the world about this situation, “No one would send their Stand after us in the air.” He said, knocking his fist against the wall of the plane, “We even made sure the plane itself wasn’t a Stand”

“I’m more worried about the old man’s flying than enemy Stands.” Grumbled Jotaro from the front.

Soon enough, everything was ready, and Joseph took off. You were high in the air before you knew it.

Your heart was pounding though. It was scary enough being in such a small plane… and for some reason, you had a bad feeling… but surely everything was fine. Everyone took all necessary precautions, so there was no way that you would be attacked while in the air… but still…

You’d been in the air for almost 30 minutes now. Kakyoin had been staring at the baby in your lap for almost the entire trip. It was actually starting to worry you… Was he feeling okay?

Beside you, Polnareff let out a yawn. “I always get so tired when I get on a plane..” He said, leaning against the window, “Sorry Mr. Joestar, but I’m going to nap for about 30 minutes.” and then he closed his eyes.

“Yeah, sure.” Said Joseph.

On the other side of you, Kakyoin also seemed to be drifting off. You really didn't understand how they could be sleeping right now… but

You sighed, leaning back and closing your eyes. You weren't going to sleep, but you just wanted to close your eyes for a little bit….

You heard Joseph say something to Jotaro in the front, and suddenly you could smell something.

Oh… ugh… the baby needed it’s diaper changed.

You sighed, resigning yourself to your fate as you opened your eyes again. You turned, nudging Polnareff awake, “Hey… Hey, Polnareff... “

He slowly woke up, groaning quietly and holding his head. “I feel like I had a terrifying dream…” He muttered.

“Mh… you can tell it to me after you give me that bag.” you said, pointing to the baby’s supply bag that was tucked under Polnareff's legs.

He nodded, leaning down to get it, handing it over to you.

You quickly began to change the baby’s diaper, grimacing. The enclosed space certainly did not help the smell at all.

Polnareff looked awfully disgusted, “The kid crapped his diaper!” He exclaimed loudly.

“Yeah, Pol. He’s a baby. That’s why he’s wearing a diaper.” you said, looking over at him.

You went ahead and carefully finished changing the baby, pinning a clean diaper closed around his little body. Some of your family had babies before, so this wasn’t the first time you changed a diaper.

As soon as you had finished, suddenly, Kakyoin, who had been sleeping soundly beside you, lashed out, kicking and screaming in his sleep.

You turned, using your body to protect the baby from being kicked, looking over, “Kakyoin! Kakyoin, wake up-”

Before you could do anything more, Kakyoin had kicked out, one of his feet slamming into Joseph's head.

Joseph was shoved forward, The plane suddenly dipping down, “Shit!”

Almost immediately, the plane was spiraling out of control, heading for the ground!

Without thinking, you shoved the baby into Polnareff's hands, “Green Onions!” you called your Stand, using its bubbles to stick and restrain his hands. As soon as you had an opening, you slammed your fist into the side of Kakyoin's face, yelling his name, “Kakyoin!”

“I can’t control it!” Yelled Joseph, desperately pulling at the yoke, trying to regain control of the aircraft.

“We’re gonna crash!” yelled Jotaro, bracing himself.

“He was like that this morning too!” Said Polnareff.

“Whatever! Just calm him down!” Yelled Joseph from the front.

“Old man! Hurry up and regain control!” Jotaro said, holding one of Kakyoin’s legs down “we’re gonna crash!”

“What are you doin up there?” Polnareff yelled.

“Hurry up and level us out!” said Jotaro.

“Stop fussing! I’m a man who doesn't know panic!” said Joseph, concentrating, “I’m working on it!”

Kakyoin for some reason still hadn't woken up even after your punch, so you drew back your fist once more, punching him again. “Kakyoin! Wake the hell up!”

You noticed blood on his arm. Did he cut himself in the struggle? No… It didn't matter- You grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him, “Kakyoin!”

“Fuck-!” Joseph suddenly yelled, “I’ll have to use my Hermit Purple!”

Just as the plane was about to crash, Joseph was able to pull it up, and you narrowly avoided crashing into the ground.

“Yes! I did it!” Joseph cheered.

You let out a sigh of relief, your hands trembling.

“Did you all see that?” Joseph said, looking back triumphantly, “How do you like my flying now, huh?”

Polnareff clapped him on the shoulder, happily congratulating him.

But something was still bothering you… you punched Kakyoin twice… why didn't he wake up after that? He was never that deep of a sleeper before, so why….? You were about to open your mouth to say something to the others when-

“Hey,” Jotaro said.

And suddenly Joseph let out a yell “Why is there a palm tree out here?!”

Right then, you impacted.

Chapter Text

You crashed in the middle of the desert, but luckily, no one was hurt. It was also in the middle of an oasis, so there was plenty of wood for a fire. All in all, despite the fact that you literally just crashed in a plane, things were pretty okay….

Your main worry was Kakyoin, he only woke up as the plane was crashing, but besides that, Kayoin had been acting strange this whole day… You wondered if perhaps he was getting sick? It was so strange… Even what he said about the baby this morning was kind of strange...

You helped Polnareff gather some wood. Jotaro was gathering everyone's things from the plane. Joseph was starting up a fire to keep everyone warm for the night.

You and polnareff brought over the arm-full of branches you gathered over to where Joseph was, sitting them down.

“Is this enough firewood?” Asked Polnareff, setting his arm-full down as well.

“Yeah, Thanks.” Joseph said, looking up at the two of you.

They both turned their gaze over to Kakyoin, who was sitting a little ways away, holding his head.

You grimaced. You had an idea of what was coming next.

“We survived, but…” Polnareff narrowed his gaze, “Kakyoin, What’s going on? This is all your fault.”

You turned, jabbing Polnareff with your elbow, “Stop-”

“I.. Dont know.” Kakyoin muttered, drawing your attention back to him, “I feel like I might have had a terrifying dream… When I woke up, I was dead tired.” he said, closing his eyes, “Is there something wrong with me?”

Huh? Didn't Polnareff say something like that earlier? That he had a terrifying dream?

“Cheer up. I’m sure you’re just exhausted.” Joseph said, looking over at him, “It’s been about a month since we left Japan, and the enemy has been attacking nonstop ever since.”

Jotaro approached with the last of the sleeping bags, setting them down and approaching the baby in the basket. “Hey. Looks like the baby’s fever’s gone down.” He said.

“Oh, Thank goodness he’s safe. “ Joseph said, a smile coming onto his face. He got up, quickly going over to the baby’s basket, “If we lost him, I don't know what we’d do.” Joseph crouched down, smiling at the baby.

Huh… did Joseph like children?

Just as you thought that, you saw Joseph start playing peek-a-boo with the baby, making faces as the baby giggled.

“Such a cute smile!” Joseph exclaimed, going back to playing peek-a-boo, the baby giggling.

“What’s so funny about that?” asked Polnareff, “It’s not even a joke or anything. What an idiot.”

You slowly approached Joseph, peering over his shoulder to get a better look at the baby. It was kind of cute… but you weren’t particularly interested in children, much less babies for that matter.

“Hey, old man.” Jotaro suddenly called out from near the plane, “The radio’s not busted.” he said, gesturing towards it. “What should we do? Should we send out an SOS?” He paused for a moment, “It’ll mean Dio could find us, but…”

Joseph let out a sigh and stood up, “It can’t be helped. Let’s call for rescue. We’ll do it for the baby.” He said, walking over towards the plane.

You crouched down in front of the baby. Looking at it. Kakyoin said he saw it grinning… but it was just an ordinary baby, right? You turned to look at where Kakyoin was, seeing him looking at his arm.

Right… on the plane, you saw blood on his arm… he got hurt at some point, right? You should probably see if he wanted it bandaged.

You got up, going over to grab your bag. It got left in the plane, so it was a little troublesome. Joseph and Jotaro were there, messing with the radio near the front of the plane, and Polnareff was already in the back, grabbing the rest of your things, “Hey, can you hand me my bag?” you asked.

“Yeah, just a minute.” Polnareff said, reaching for where it had tumbled to.

Suddenly, you heard the baby start crying from the camp. It was so happy a second ago… was something happening?

You turned to look, but Joseph was already running over to Kakyoin, who was holding the baby up by it’s collar. “Oy, Kakyoin, What are you doing?!” Joseph yelled, then took the baby from Kakyoin’s hands, “Come on, that’s too rough…” He said, “You could strangle him doing that! What’s wrong with you?”

“M-My apologies…” Kakyoin said, and you noticed he quickly pulled down the sleeve on his injured arm before you could see what was wrong with it…

Why did the cut on his arm look like letters?

Chapter Text

Joseph was gently cradling the baby, saying things like “There there” and “It’s okay.” to the baby. “Let’s get something to eat.” He said, “I’m sure you’ll calm down once you eat.”

As you walked back, you heard Polnareff whisper something to Jotaro, “...Kakyoin...really….losing it….” you turned, giving the Polnareff a death stare. Sure… There was definitely something wrong, with Kakyoin right now… but to so quickly say that he was losing it…

It just didn't sit right with you at all.

You walked over to where Kakyoin was, starting to unzip your bag. “Hey, Kakyoin… you hurt your arm, right?” you held out your hand, “Let me see, I’ll bandage it for you.”

Kakyoin stared down at you, clutching his arm, “What are you talking about?”

“I saw it on the plane… your arm started bleeding while we were crashing…” you said “I know you’re hurt, so just show it to me.” you crossed your arms.

“What? You said it started bleeding on the plane?” Kakyoin asked, his eyes widening.

“Well… Yeah, you probably hurt it when you started flailing all over the place.” you said, crossing your arms. Why was he being so secretive about the injury on his arm? “Come on, let me disinfect it for you. I have plenty of supplies left, so you don't need to worry about me wasting them or anything like that.”

“No…” he said, clutching his arm, moving it out of your reach. “L-Like I said, It wasn't a bad injury, so really, I’m all right.”

You purse your lips, “Well… I guess… but let me see it at least, so I know for myself.” you said. If you saw it now, you could confirm what you thought you saw earlier… right now, Kakyoin was just acting strange.

“No, really, it’s fine…” Kakyoin said, waving his hands and starting to back off from you. “It was just a minor scratch.”

“Mh… I guess… But I would still feel better if I got a look at it.” you muttered, but before you could pressure him any further, he was walking away from you.

There was definitely something up with his arm. Something he didn't want you or the others to see… what could he possibly be hiding…?

After a while, Joseph had put together a dinner for everyone. Joseph's cooking was delicious as usual, and you eagerly ate after not having anything else at all that day. Jotaro already got up, and walked a bit away, drinking coffee off by himself. Maybe you should go talk to him about Kakyoin…

You finished up your food and headed over to where Jotaro was, following his gaze up to the stars. “... you can see them clearer here than we could last night.” you commented, glancing over at him.

Jotaro’s brow was furrowed as it usually was. He seemed to have something on his mind though… “I’m going back to the camp.” he said after a few moments, and started heading back.

“Hey, hey, wait a minute! I came over here to talk to you.” you protested, grabbing his arm. “Kakyoin-”

“He’s acting weird, I know.” Jotaro said, pulling his arm away and continuing to walk.

“Well, yes, but..” you paused, “Hey! Don't walk away from me so casually!” you called after him, quickly grabbing his arm again. “He has an injury on his arm, and he wont show it to me…” you said, frowning, “I saw it for a second when he was talking to Joseph, and it kind of looked like letters…”

“.... and? Why are you telling me about it?” Jotaro asked.

“Well… You’re his best friend, right? I was thinking you could talk to him.” You said, crossing your arms.

“.... You’re noisy.” Jotaro said, turning again and heading back towards the group.

He said that, but… You let out a defeated sigh. Why did it feel like you were the only one who was actually paying attention? But… still maybe he might listen to you...

Chapter Text

Jotaro went and sat where he had been before next to Polnareff. You could see him staring at Kakyoin… maybe he was thinking about what you said after all? Or maybe he was thinking the same thing as Polnareff…

You sat on a rock between Kakyoin and Joseph. You couldn't help but look over at Kakyoin as well… he looked so distressed right now… What was he thinking about? You didn't want to consider it… but what if he really was losing it?

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Polnareff lean over, talking to Jotaro about something…. Were they talking about Kakyoin again…?

Kakyoin put his face in his hands, just staying there like that.

Even if he would just tell you what was wrong… you could at least try to help… the fact that he wasn't saying anything at all was the worst part…

Joseph had been mixing something at the fire for a while now, and you saw Polnareff leave Jotaro’s side to go talk to him instead.

“That smells great! What are you making?” asked Polnareff, looking down at the pot.

“Baby food.” Said Joseph, lifting it up so Polnareff could get a better look at it.

It had your interest piqued as well, you came over to get a better look, “baby food? You’re making it yourself?” you asked, brows raised, “That’s pretty impressive.”

“It’s milk, egg yolks, bananas, and bread all stewed together.” Joseph said, “I used to make all of Holly’s food when she was a baby. And when Jotaro was born, I taught Holly all the best recipes.”

“That’s amazing.” you said. Joseph didn't seem like the type to take an interest in baby stuff, but perhaps he was! He seemed like he was the kind of father who would spoil his children.

“Mh… Polnareff, want a taste?” Joseph offered, holding out the spoon for him.

Polnareff seemed unsure, but after a moment or so, he opened his mouth for it, and Joseph fed him the bite of food. He tasted it for a few seconds before his eyes widened, “It’s good!”

“Huh? Seriously?” you asked, leaning in. “Is it really that good? Let me try some!”

Joseph turned, feeding you a spoonful of the mash as well. It was good! It was mellow and sweet! “It’s really good, Joseph!” you said, “Make some for me next time!” you joked.

Polnareff took the spoon from Joseph, sneaking another bite before Joseph could protest, “Make me some too!”

“Hey now! There won’t be any left for the baby.” Joseph said, grabbing the spoon back from him before Polnareff could eat any more.

“Come on, just one more bite!” Polnareff begged, reaching for the spoon again.

“Fine fine… use your own spoon.” Joseph said, holding out the bowl so Polnareff could get another spoonful, “But that’s all you get!”

From behind you, Kakyoin yelled, “Mr. Joestar, Polnareff, (Y/N), did you see that?”

The three of you looked over, and your brow furrowed. “Huh? See what?”

“That baby isn’t normal after all! He just killed a scorpion!” Kakyoin yelled, pointing his finger at the baby, “In the blink of an eye! He stabbed it with a safety pin!”

So… The baby was a stand user then? It wouldn't be the craziest thing you’d encountered yet. You believed him.

From the corner of your eye, you saw Jotaro look up.

Joseph and Polnareff looked at each other before Joseph spoke up, “Kakyoin, hold on, what are you talking about?”

“That is not a normal baby!” said Kakyoin, looking over at the baby, “He’s not even a year old, but knew what a scorpion was? And he killed it with those tiny hands!”

Chapter Text

“A scorpion?” asked Joseph, his eyes going wide. He ran over to the baby, picking it up out of its basket and examining it to make sure it wasn’t hurt.

Kakyoin knelt by the basket, “Where…” he pulled up the blankets, his hands shaking, “The dead scorpion on the pin should be here!” He pulled out the bedding, faltering when there was no scorpion to be found. “It’s.. not here.” he muttered, looking defeated.

Everyone was silent. You could tell that no one believed him. It was one odd thing after the next… you wanted to believe him, so you did.

“But it’s true!” protested Kakyoin, standing up and looking at Joseph, “Where did you hide it?!” Kakyoin yelled, approaching Joseph, his eyes focused on the baby. “Is it in your clothes?!”

“Kakyoin enough! We get it!” Joseph said, shoving him back, pulling the baby against his chest protectively. “That’s enough”

“But.. Mr. Joestar..!” Kakyoin protested, desperation clear in his gaze.

“Kakyoin, I said this before, but you’re tired…” Joseph said, frowning and looking at him. “Let’s talk tomorrow morning, after you’ve calmed down.”

“I think we should listen to what Kakyoin has to say!” you said, crossing your arms. “We’re supposed to be trusting each other, right?” you protested, “Besides, if a monkey can be a Stand user, I don’t see any reason why a baby can’t”

“Actually, It was an Oranguta-”

“Not the point.” You said, waving off Kakyoin, who tried to correct you. “The point here is that if an actual animal can be a Stand User, then I think a baby can also be a Stand user.”

Joseph looked between you and Kakyoin, before letting out a sigh.

Polnareff crossed his arms, turning away, “If you want to believe in this craziness, then be my guest. But you really think that someone who shits his pants has the capabilities of a Stand user?”

“I mean. Yeah.” you said, looking frustrated, “His fine motor skills have barely even developed yet. And…. Look, can we just check the baby’s clothes?” you asked, crossing your arms.

“Fine, fine” Joseph said, handing the baby over to you.

You took it, frowning slightly. You… didn't really want to be the one to check. “Okay… well I’m going to lay him on the ground here…. Can everyone come watch so if something happens it’s sure to be caught?” you asked, grabbing a blanket and laying it out on the ground.

Everyone came closer, hovering over you.

Way to put on the pressure, huh… You carefully felt at the baby’s clothing, testing for any mysterious lumps. The baby was… suddenly sweating an awful lot. You’d never actually seen a baby sweat like this… it wasn't like you were close to the fire or anything like that either. But… you checked the baby’s diaper last of all before letting out a deep sigh. You weren't able to find the scorpion anywhere on him.

The mood almost immediately turned sour, everyone’s gaze turning to Kakyoin.

“Kakyoin, I think we’ve humored this for long enough.” Said Joseph, letting out a sigh. “With this, we proved that the baby is not hiding anything… Let’s just all calm down, and go to sleep, alright?”

“But… I swear, I saw…” Kakyoin said, “No! It has to be him! I have the very thing to prove it!” Kakyoin said, suddenly yanking up his sleeve, showing everyone the wound.

So that’s why he was hiding it then. “Kakyoin-”

“Look at the wound on my arm! At what it says!” Kakyoin said. Carved into his arm were the words ‘baby stand’.

You went pale, covering your mouth with your hand.

“This must be a wound I got in my sleep!” he said, looking between everyone.

Wait… you remembered when he got that wound… it was when he suddenly started thrashing and yelling in his sleep on the plane. You assumed originally that he got it while he was lashing out, but…

“Kakyoin… did you do that to yourself?” asked Jotaro, looking at him with an almost disgusted expression.

“Wait, wait!” you said, putting your hands up, looking between Jotaro and Kakyoin. “There’s no way he could have done that to himself.” you said, shaking your head. “I was there when it started bleeding.”

Chapter Text

“You were there? What do you mean you were there?” Joseph asked, frowning. “When did you see it?”

You rubbed a hand over your face. “I didn't know it was that at the time.” you said, looking over at Kakyoin, “It was when he was asleep on the plane. I thought that he injured it while he was having that fit, but..” you shook your head, “anyway, there was no way he could have done it before that either, because we were all around each other, one of us would have surely noticed if he were cutting himself.” you said, looking down at the baby.

When your eyes met the baby’s, it quickly turned its head to avoid your gaze.

It… avoided your gaze. You swallowed thickly, “I… I don't think he did it to himself.” you said, “I think he’s right… This baby is a stand user… I don't know how he’s hiding that scorpion, but… I believe in Kakyoin.”

There was silence for a few moments before Polnareff spoke up, “Well. If he’s a Stand user, then why hasn’t he attacked yet?” he asked.

“I think…. Maybe there’s a reason he hasn’t attacked us yet…” you murmured. Was there anything else you were forgetting? There had to be something, right? Some other evidence… “Hey… Polnareff, didn't you say you had a weird dream this morning?” you asked.

Polnareff paused and looked at you, then glanced over at Kakyoin. “Yeah… a nightmare, but I doubt it has anything to do with this…” he said.

“You don't remember any of it?” you asked.

“No, I don't, sorry.” He said, shaking his head, “I don't remember anything about it at all.”

“Kakyoin… you’ve had two nightmare’s recently, do you remember anything about them?” you asked, looking over at him.

“No, I don't…” Kakyoin said, “I haven't been able to recall anything about them.”

You nodded, sighing. You hit a dead end…

“Wait, Wait… so you’ve both had nightmare’s recently?” Joseph said, frowning. “And neither of you could remember any of it?”

Wait a second. “Hey… What if he can only attack people in their dreams?” you asked.

“Oh! Like Fr*ddy Kru*g*r from Nightmare On *lm Str**t!” Joseph said, clapping his hands.

“Uh… Yeah, actually! Exactly like that!” you said, surprised.

“Good Grief… so that’s how it is… what should we do with the brat then?” Jotaro said, turning his gaze down to the baby.

“Well… I guess we shouldn't go to sleep for one.” said Joseph, rubbing the back of his neck. “As for the baby, I don't know how I feel about harming a child, even if he is a Stand user….”

“I don’t want to harm him either…. We’ll just go to the next town and drop him off at the doctors like we originally planned.” Said Kakyoin, running a hand through his hair.

“Well, I guess it’s good that he can’t attack us while we’re awake, or we’d be in a lot of trouble, huh?” Said Polnareff with a laugh, “Still, who would have thought, a baby Stand user…”

“Yeah…” you muttered, sighing and reaching down to pick the baby up. His face was twisted unnaturally in rage. “What… are you mad we caught you?” you asked, chuckling, “you should just be happy that we’re only going to take you to that doctor and not do anything else.” You looked over at Joseph, “Still… I wonder where he ended up hiding that scorpion.”

There was a sudden pain in your arm, making you yelp. When you looked down, you saw the baby had stabbed a scorpion stinger into your arm. “What… you can't be serious…” you muttered.

Your vision slowly dimmed around the edges, and you swayed before collapsing onto the ground. You vaguely heard someone calling your name before everything went black.

Chapter Text

When you awoke next, it was to white lights and soft beeping.

Where…

Last thing you could remember was holding that baby, and then… You raised your arm, looking at where you remembered the sting being. There was a little mark there, but nothing further… You actually felt pretty good right now… How long were you asleep for?

You sat up, looking around. Were you in a hospital…? That’s what it looked like… white walls, vinyl flooring…. You were in a hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown… yeah, sure did seem like a hospital to you.

To your right, there were a couple of chairs, and a man was sitting, wearing a khaki colored uniform, and a hat that read ‘Speed Wagon’.

The man smiled at you and stood up, “Y/N, it’s good you’re awake. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, but we really have to get going.” he said.

“Uh. Okay…” you glanced up at the man's hat. Speedwagon Foundation, huh. “So, uh… where’s everyone else?” You asked.

“You’ve been asleep for a couple days, so they had to move on without you.” The man said, handing you a package.

You took it, starting to stand up, “What is this?”

“New clothes.” He said, “You should hurry and get changed. We leave soon.”

“Right….” you went into the bathroom, opening up the package and pulling the clothing out. It was almost a perfect replica of your previously, but without all the branded tags.

Huh…

You quickly got dressed, pulling the clothes on. They fit perfectly… you glanced at yourself in the mirror. Your hair was a wreck, so you combed your fingers through your hair until it was acceptable.

When you were done, you stepped out of the bathroom, looking at the man. “So, where are we going?” you asked, crossing your arms. “Am I being taken to where the crusaders are?”

The man nodded, glancing at his watch. “Yes, please follow me.”

The man led you out of the room, taking you up to the roof. As you stepped out, the sound of helicopter blades filled your ears. You winced softly, “we’re taking a helicopter?” you asked, brow furrowing. You didn't really like the idea of getting in a flying object again so soon, but… well, there was nothing really to be done..

“You can sit in the passenger side, it’s probably best that you don't sit in the back..” The Man who led you up said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Why? What’s in the back seat?” you asked, brow furrowing as you strained to try and see.

“... He’s.. a helper… he’s joining your group on request of Mr. Joestar, and he doesn't like to be disturbed…” The man said, looking at the helicopter nervously.

“Uh… alright, I guess I’ll be quiet then..” you said, sighing, turning to look at the helicopter again. You could see a man sitting in the back seat. He was wearing the same Speedwagon uniform as the guy that led you up to the roof. Was that man the Stand user?

“Anyway, we need to get going.” said the first man, ushering you towards the helicopter.

You got in the passenger side, the man getting in the pilot's seat. You glanced into the back seat, giving the man sitting there a nod. He didn't like to be disturbed, huh? Then you wouldn't talk to him. There was also a wadded up blanket sitting on the seat. Maybe it belonged to the Stand user?

Either way, you figured you would just keep your mouth shut for now. There was no reason to step on the toes of your new group member…

After the pilot checked everything, you took off, heading to where the Crusaders were surely waiting.

Chapter Text

You flew for what felt like forever. When you weren't staring out the window, you were dozing, leaning back against the seat. You really wished you had been allowed to sit in the back, but the fear of upsetting your ‘ill tempered’ kept you from complaining.

Though, while you were flying, you periodically saw the man unwrap something, leaning over and putting it in that wadded up blanket.

What.. What was that? What was he putting in that blanket? You didn't dare ask, but once you noticed, you couldn't help but watch the man a little closer. Maybe he had a pet that he was feeding?

Next time the man unwrapped something, you paid a little better attention. Was that? Coffee gum? You frowned. Surely he wasn't feeding an animal chewing gum, right? And especially not coffee flavored…

You couldn't even ask a question. No one had spoken a word the whole time you were in the helicopter, so you followed suit as not to disturb the peace.

Another 30 minutes went by after your chewing gum discovery, and you let out a sigh. Surely it couldn't be too much longer, right? You were getting bored, you didn't even have a book to read, or anything to look at. The helicopter had been flying over the desert for the last hour or so, and you were growing tired of staring at sand…

Well, looks like it was time for you to go back to sleep.

You were about to close your eyes and return to dozing when you saw something off in the distance. Five men, standing by a car, seemed to be looking in the direction of the helicopter as it approached.

You sat up, a grin spreading over your face, even though it only felt like a couple of hours for you, you could barely sit still. You were ready to rejoin your friends and continue your journey.

Soon enough, your helicopter was touching down, you quickly got out, going to greet everyone. You were completely ecstatic to see that Avdol had returned to the group. He looked safe and relatively unharmed. You felt so relieved to know that he was truly okay.

“(Y/N)!” Joseph waved, grabbing you up in a big bear hug before you could even say hello. “How are you feeling? Are you feeling any after effects of the scorpion's poison?” He asked, pulling back and looking down at you, concerned.

“No, I’m fine, really.” you said, holding up your arm for a moment, showing him the small mark, “I feel just as fine as I did before.” you rubbed the back of your neck.

“Good to have you back, (Y/N)” Polnareff said, coming over and patting you on the back, “We missed you.”

“We meet again, (Y/N)” Said Avdol with a smile, “Glad that we’re both in good shape this time around.”

Kakyoin nodded, “I’m glad to see you’re safe and sound.”

“Yeah.” Said Jotaro, a rare smile on his face. “so, uhm… What even happened? I remember getting stabbed, and then everything went black…. Then I woke up in the hospital.” you said, looking up at him.

“Well…” Joseph glanced over at the helicopter, “That might be a talk for another time… the Stand user in that Helicopter is the bigger concern here.”

The two other men got out of the helicopter and approached. Joseph walked past you to shake their hands, “Thank you for coming all the way out here, I appreciate it.” He said, “And for Keeping watch over (Y/N) While they recovered in the hospital”

“So,” Said Jotaro, stepping forward, “Who’s the Stand user?”

You glanced over at the man who had been sitting in the back seat. It was definitely that man, right?

Neither man answered.

“Hey, I’m asking which of you is the Stand user.” Jotaro said again, gaze narrowing.

The two men looked at each other, before the pilot answered, “It’s neither of us. He’s in the back seat.”

...What?

Chapter Text

Jotaro looked just as confused about the situation as you did. He was in the back seat? What was that supposed to mean? It wasn't the man who’d been sitting in the back…?

“The back seat?” Jotaro muttered, eyes locked on the helicopter as one of the speedwagon foundation men walked over, opening the door.

There was still no one there… except that pile of cloth that you had earlier dismissed. Was the Stand user perhaps very small…? Could it possibly be another baby? You had no idea of knowing.

“I don’t see anyone.” Said Jotaro, his eyes searching the back of the helicopter.

“Actually.. I think…” you started, but were cut off by Polnareff pushing past you.

“Hey, Hey, Hey…” Polnareff said, grinning as he walked over to the plane. “You say he’s there, but where is he?”

“Er, Polnareff…” you said, trying to stop him. The Pilot did tell you that he didn't like to be disturbed…

“What, is he really short?” asked Polnareff, patting the pile of blanket, “Get the hell out here! Come on!”

“Watch out!” said the man who’d been piloting the plane. He took a couple steps back, so you did the same, staring at the Helicopter.

“H-Hey.. What’s this sticky stuff?” Polnareff said, looking at his hand.

“He’s been in a bad mood since this morning, s-so…” The pilot said.

Joseph looked just as worried as the pilot… you hadn't even caught sight of the stand user yet… what kind of guy was he…?

“Polnareff, don't get too close to him!” Joseph warned, looking between Polnareff and the helicopter, “I told you! He has personality issues!”

“Polnareff, you can’t win…” Said Avdol, watching.

So that’s what this was… Polnareff was trying to intimidate the guy. “Polnareff, just leave him alone!”

“I’m just asking where the hell he is!” Polnareff said, turning to face the rest of the group.

There was a sudden noise from inside the helicopter. Polnareff yelled in shock as a snarling boston terrier jumped out from the blankets, running at Polnareff. It jumped onto his chest, snarling and barking aggressively.

“H-- He’s a dog!” Polnareff yelled

“Don't tell me this dog is..!” Jotaro said from behind you.

The dog was grabbing mouthfuls of Polnareff’s hair, ripping it out as Polnareff flailed, trying desperately to pull the dog off himself.

“Yes. He is The Fool’s Stand user!” Said Joseph, sighing and shaking his head, “His name is Iggy. He loves to tear human hair out by the mouthful.”

You subconsciously touched your hair. W-Well… you would do your best not to get on his bad side then…

“We don't know where he was born.” Said Joseph, rubbing his chin, “When even the dog catchers in New York couldn't catch him, Avdol was able to find and finally capture him.”

You glanced over at Avdol, who gave you a smile.

Joseph's brow furrowed, looking over, “oh, I just remembered. When he’s ripping out hair, he likes to..”

Before Joseph could even finish his thought, a loud farting noise came over from where Polnareff and Iggy were.

“Er.. He likes to fart in the humans face. He’s kind of vulgar.” Joseph said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Avdol rubbed a hand over his face, turning away from the situation.

“Uhm… and how exactly is he supposed to be helping us?” You asked, “I mean… I trust your judgement and all, but…” you looked back at Polnareff, who was still struggling with Iggy.

Suddenly, Iggy leapt off of Polnareff's chest, knocking him to the ground.

Yeah, you didn't really see this working out…

Chapter Text

Before you could even say anything else, Polnareff let out a yell of rage, “Goddamn it!” He sat up, glaring at the dog, “You’re gonna pay for this!”

“Polnareff, don’t-'' you tried to stop him, but he was too focused. He wasn't paying attention to you.

“Silver Chariot!” Polnareff yelled, calling his Stand forward.

You saw the dogs eyes focus on Polnareff's stand, and before you could even warn Polnareff, sand began to swirl around Iggy, slowly forming a large intimidating stand.

“Th-- That’s--!” Polnareff yelled.

“So… That’s the fool.” Jotaro said, staring at the newly appeared stand.

“You met a monkey stand user already, so…” you muttered, brow furrowed.

“Actually, it was an Orangutan.” Kakyoin cut you off.

You… feel like he’s told you this before…

But before you could think any more about it, Polnareff yelled, “Who do you think you are, you stupid mutt!” His stand charged forward, swinging its blade, “Don’t make me cut you in half!”

Silver Chariot slashed at Iggy's Stand, but it just turned to sand, splitting around his blade and reforming.

“What the--?” Polnareff protested, “His Stand is made of sand! I can't cut it!”

The sand swirled around Silver Chariot's blade, swallowing it up and becoming solid again so he was unable to pull it free. Chariot was unable to even move its arm at all now, sand solidifying up to his shoulder.

“Simply put, It’s a Stand made of sand.” said Avdol, his gaze set on the battle between Polnareff and Iggy.

“Yeah? And the simpler they are, the stronger they are.” said Jotaro, frowning, “I’m not sure If I could hit it…”

“I couldn’t do anything either…” you said, frowning. Even if you were to use Green Onions, the sand would stick to the balls, rendering them useless… it was only the surface that was sticky. If it were to get covered in anything (Sand for example), it would be quickly rendered completely useless, unable to stick to anything else it touched.

When you looked back over, Polnareff was on the ground again. Iggy was on his face, ripping out mouthfuls of his hair. “Oy, help- Someone do something about this dog!”

“You kind of did this to yourself. You should have just left him alone.” you said, crossing your arms and looking at the ridiculous scene.

“Sorry Polnareff,” said Kakyoin, flipping his hair, “I’m not about to get my hair ripped out, too.”

Avdol approached the Pilot, “Do you have his treats?” He asked, holding out his hand.

“If we didn't, there’s no way we would have made it here.” Said the Pilot, shaking his head, He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small brown box.

What was that? Was that the gum you’d seen the man in the back of the helicopter have? Did they really feed that to Iggy? Surely a dog wasn't supposed to eat chewing gum, right?

As the pilot was handing it over to Avdol, Iggy suddenly came running full force, barking excitedly.

“His sense of smell is incredible.” said Avdol, looking impressed.

“What is that?” asked Kakyoin, coming closer to take a look, “it doesn't look like any dog treats I’ve ever seen.”

“I don't think they’re dog treats.” you said, pursing your lips.

“(Y/N) Is right. They’re not dog treats,” said Avdol, “It’s coffee flavored chewing gum.” He pulled out a slice of the gum, “It’s Iggy’s favorite treat, and he’ll do anything for it.”

The Pilot suddenly spoke up, “Er.. Mr. Avdol, you should probably keep the box hidden from him--”

Before Avdol could react, Iggy leapt forward, snatching the entire package of gum out of Avdol's hand, running off and starting to tear into it a little ways away.

“H-He got the box..” said Avdol, looking a bit defeated.

“Well.” Said Joseph, “He loves coffee flavored chewing gum… but he still won’t let his guard down for anyone.”

“There’s no way he’s actually going to help us..” said Kakyoin, and you nodded in agreement.

“Stupid dog!” Muttered Polnareff, his hair sticking out every which way.

“Iggy should be fine while he’s eating the gum.” said Joseph, “we should get the supplies out now.”

Chapter Text

Joseph and the Pilot slowly unloaded everything from the plane. It was new clothes, food, and water for the crusaders.

From this point, you still had to travel over the rest of the desert to make it to your next destination. Egypt wasn’t a small country, so despite the fact that you had reached it, you still had the long journey of finding where Dio was actually hiding.

“Oy, (Y/N), can you give me a hand over here?” Joseph said, calling for you. When you looked over, you saw him holding a new mechanical hand.

You approached, and he handed you the new hand, when he removed his glove, you saw that his current metal hand was practically crushed, “Joseph… What happened?” you asked as he carefully began undoing it.

“An enemy Stand user, what else?” he told you, tone playful, “I wasn’t hurt during it, just the hand, so really I can’t complain.” He said, handing you the broken hand, and taking the new one.

“Yeah, but…” well, really, he was right. How many times had Joseph come close to death? Probably more times than he would ever admit to you. You wondered how a man who saw so much death and destruction, so much sorrow, could still keep up such a happy and childlike attitude.

“Hey, (Y/N), are you okay?” A gentle hand touched your shoulder,

You jolted, and you looked up at Joseph again. “Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking..” you mumbled, your cheeks going a little red.

“Thinking? What about?” asked Joseph, smirking a little, “maybe about a dashing old man with a metal hand…?” he asked.

“Hm… actually, yes.” you said, chuckling a little.

“Oho, is that so?” He asked, brows raised, “Good things, I hope?”

“Always.” You said, giving him a cheeky grin.

At that point, you were interrupted by the pilot walking up, “Mr. Joestar, We brought you a new camera for taking spirit photos.”

“Tv’s don't work so great for spirit photography, so this is a big help.” Joseph said with a smile, taking the camera from the man.

He looked over it for a moment, before his eyes suddenly lit up, grabbing you around the shoulders and leaning in, pressing his cheek against yours. He raised the camera up, facing it towards the both of you, “Say cheese!”

You barely managed a smile before he snapped the shutter, pulling away and grabbing the photo, shaking it a couple times and looking at it. “Stunning as usual, (Y/N)...” He said, handing you the photo.

You flushed, looking down at yourself in the photo. You… looked the same as you always did. Joseph was the attractive one here….

“Hey, actually…” Joseph turned, gesturing for the other crusaders, “While we still have film, let's take a photo together!”

Everyone made their way over, and Joseph handed the camera back to the Pilot, “could you take this for us?

The pilot nodded, and everyone gathered in one spot. Joseph and Polnareff sat in the front, and Jotaro, Kakyoin, and Avdol stood in the back. You were standing between Jotaro and Kakyoin, smiling and flashing a peace sign.

It was then that you knew.

You could never go back to a normal life after this. How could you? Going back to a normal school or work day? After weeks of adventure… Would everyone else just go back to a normal everyday life after this? How could they accept something like that so easily..

The pilot snapped the photo, and you were forced back to reality.

After the photo had been developed, you and Jotaro looked down at it together. You might be wrong, but you thought you might have seen him smile.

“It’ll make a good memory.” said Kakyoin, approaching. “We’ll get copies made when we return to Japan.”

“That sounds really good.” you said, smiling at Kakyoin.

“Yeah.” said Jotaro, and he slipped the photo into his pocket.

Chapter Text

Kakyoin passed out and bleeding from the eyes, Avdol was bleeding out from the wound the enemy Stand user gave him on his neck, and Jotaro had just taken off across the desert with Iggy in hand. You were left alone with Joseph and Polnareff….

As soon as you were able to confirm that the enemies Stand was following Jotaro, and was no longer going to attack, you ran over to Avdol, pressing your hand against his wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

Luckily, it seemed like the wound on Avdol's neck didn't injure anything vital. The wound isn't bleeding aggressively like you originally assumed it would be… but he still needed to be taken to a hospital as soon as possible. This isn't something you could fix with the little supplies you had… “Polnareff, can you grab my bag out of the car?” you asked.

“I’m on it.” Polnareff said, getting up and running over to the car.

Joseph walked over to where you were, crouching down beside you, “It doesn't look too bad… the blood wasn’t spurting, right?” He asked.

“No, it’s just dripping. I don't think it hit his artery at all… We got lucky.” you said, pursing your lips and looking in the direction that Jotaro disappeared towards. “Do you think Jotaro will be okay fighting that Stand user by himself?” you asked.

“He’ll be fine. I trust in his abilities…” Joseph said, nodding. But even though he said that, you could see the concern in his eyes, “We have to leave it up to him.”

Polnareff jogged up to you, crouching down with your bag, “What do you need?”

You bandaged up Avdol to the best of your abilities. It wasn't a fix, but more of a temporary hold until you got him to the hospital. It…. it would have to do for now.

You went and bandaged Kakyoin's eyes as well. For the delicate skin of his face, a couple of the butterfly closure bandages would have to do. “If he wakes up, make sure he doesn’t open his eyes…” you said, frowning.

“... They’re bad.” Polnareff said, watching you, “His eyes, I mean.”

You nodded, staring down at Kakyoin. “... we should move them back into the car. We should be ready to get moving.” you said, and stood up.

“(Y/N) is right, let’s get moving.” Said Joseph.

Polnareff and Joseph got the two injured men into the vehicle.

By this time, the sun was starting to set. The desert was beautiful at night… there was something so serene about a scene like this… but you couldn't stop to think about it.

“Should we head towards Jotaro and Iggy, then?” Polnareff asked, looking over in that direction, “That stand user hasn't sent his stand after us again, so Jotaro probably took care of it.

“Indeed.” said Joseph, “I’m sure Jotaro was able to defeat the enemy Stand user.”

You gave a nod, and everyone piled into the car again. Joseph and Polnareff sat in the front, and you were in the middle row with Kakyoin, keeping an eye on both of their injuries.

As Joseph started the car, Avdol gave a shudder against you, groaning softly.

“Ah… Avdol, are you awake?” you asked softly, leaning forward to see his face.

Avdol's eyes were open. They were a bit hazy, but they focused on you, “(Y/N)... What happened?”

“You were attacked… it doesn't look bad, but you shouldn't move around too much, okay?” you said, “Jotaro was able to lead the stand user away from the group, so we’re going to find him now, and then we’re taking you to the hospital.”

Avdol looked weak, but it seemed he was coherent enough to understand your words, “Jotaro… I see… Give him my thanks…” He leaned over against you, his head resting against yours.

You blushed a little, glancing over at him, but you didn't dare move now that he was leaning against you, “... I’m glad you’re back, Avdol.” you said softly.

Now, Hopefully, everything would be alright, and the crusaders could stay together….

Chapter Text

Avdol and Kakyoin were safely transported to the hospital. Joseph was the one who went inside to speak with the doctors, while everyone else waited outside.

When Joseph came out, everyone began walking down the street. After being in the car for so long, no one wanted to stand still.

“So how are those two doing?” asked Polnareff, a cigarette hanging from between his lips. You’d never seen him smoke before, so it was a little bit of a surprise when you first saw him light one up.

“Fortunately, nothing vital was damaged on Avdol's neck.” said Joseph, looking over at Polnareff as they walked, “He should probably be released tomorrow.”

“That’s good!” you said, breathing a sigh of relief. Neck wounds could be really dangerous if they weren't taken care of immediately… it was lucky that it was such a minor injury.

“It is. However on the other hand, Kakyoin’s injuries are serious.” He said, shaking his head, “There's a possibility he could go blind.”

“I’m worried..” Muttered Polnareff.

“Going blind… Kakyoin…” you said, brow furrowing.

“Sadly, he might be out of action for the rest of this trip.” Said Jotaro.

It sounded like the case no matter how you might try to deny it… injuries to the eyes were difficult. You hoped that the wounds were not actually as bad as they looked.

Polnareff must have noticed your worried expression, because he clapped a hand on your shoulder. “Hey, there’s a lot of cafes around. Let’s get a drink and relax, okay?”

You glanced over at him, finally letting a smile grace your face, “Yeah, a drink sounds pretty good right now actually.” you said.

“Oh? So which one?” Asked Joseph, grinning over at Polnareff. “You suggested it, so you have to choose.”

“Hm, Okay then.” Polnareff took the cigarette out of his mouth, flicking it up into the air. As it fell onto the ground, the lit side pointed to a cafe on the corner. “My cigarette picked that one, so that’s my answer.”

You purse your lips, looking at the cigarette where it had fallen, “you are going to pick that up, right?”

Polnareff glanced at you, his cheeks going a bit red, “Yeah, yeah, I was gonna pick it up..” He muttered, bending over to retrieve it.

You gave him a grateful smile, following the other crusaders towards the cafe.

Everyone sat together at a table, with you sitting between Jotaro and Joseph.

“What a nice cafe.” you commented, looking around. It was casual, with a calming atmosphere. The smell of tea surrounded you. You didn't drink tea very often, but for some reason, you were suddenly craving it… black tea specifically.

Just as you thought that, the owner walked over, “What would you like?”

“Do you have black tea?” you asked him.

“Yes, we do.” said the man, a glint in his eyes. “Is that all?”

“I’d also like a black tea.”

“Me also.”

“I would also like one.”

“Alright, four black tea’s then.” asked the man, and he turned to walk back to the counter.

“Hey, we better not.” Said Joseph, suddenly looking a bit serious. “We’re in Egypt now. It's enemy territory, so we should be more careful. There will be more enemies lurking around than ever before, so we should be careful about poison.” Joseph waved his hand, “From now on, we should only drink from bottles or cans.”

“I understand what you’re saying,” You said, leaning back in your chair, “but if we’re only going to drink from a bottle or a can, there really wasn’t a point in coming to a cafe.”

“I’m serious, (Y/N). Don’t underestimate Dio.” Joseph said, frowning at you. He turned towards the owner of the cafe, “Hey, forget the black tea. We’re going to have cola instead.”

Man, what a drag…

Chapter Text

The owner seemed shocked that the four of you would want Cola instead of tea, but he went over to the fridge anyway to get your drinks, while Joseph instructed the man to exactly which bottles you would want

You felt a little annoyed at the situation. You really were craving tea right now, so there was no way that a soda was going to have the same satisfying effect…. All in all, you guessed it wasn't really a big deal… but still…

You were pulled from your thoughts when a man at another table suddenly stood up, shouting at the owner, “Hey, this cola isn’t cold at all! I cant believe your shop would serve this! I’m not gonna pay, asshole!” and with that, he stood up and stormed out.

Ugh, seriously? Not only did you have to drink cola, it was going to be warm cola? J

“Hey, wait a second, are the colas not cold?” asked Joseph, making a disgusted expression.

“Well..” said the man, rubbing the back of his head, seeming embarrassed, “the refrigerator is broken, so everything is warm right now.”

“Come on, Mr. Joestar, you’re being paranoid right now.” said Polnareff with a laugh, “Even if the owner was our enemy, how could they possibly know we would choose this cafe instead of any other one on this street?”

You nodded. You actually agreed with what Polnareff was saying, “He’s right. There are a lot of cafes in this city. How would the enemy know that we would choose this one specifically?” You asked, leaning back in your chair. “Besides, we could just get up and go to a different cafe at any point. We could go to the one across the street if you dislike this one…”

Joseph seemed to think for a moment before waving his hand, “No, no. This place is just fine. It’s good to always be cautious though. We should keep our wits about us.” He turned to the owner, “We’ll take four black teas after all.”

You couldn’t help but feel a little happy about it. You were craving black tea after all.

After a little while, your teas were brought out. The owner sat them on the table, one in front of each of you.

You went to take a sip out of your cup, but quickly put it down when you burnt your lips on the hot liquid.

Well… he did just bring it out after all…

The other crusaders went to take a sip, when…

Suddenly a scream came from another table. A woman stood up, yelling, “Kyaa! That dog just ate my cake”

Someone else yelled, “Who the hell brought a dog in here?!”

The three men at your table spit their tea in perfect unison, quickly standing up. You looked over to see none other than Iggy scarfing up some poor lady’s food.

“I-Iggy!” you yelled, getting up from your seat.

The woman threw her plate at the dog, and he took off running outside.

Joseph ran after him, yelling his name, the other two crusaders following.

“H-Hey-” Not wanting to be left behind, you ran after them, “Wait for me..!”

Chapter Text

It was later that day. Joseph, Polnareff, and you were walking back towards your car. Jotaro left the group earlier, saying he was going straight to the hospital. You were kind of wishing you went with him now. You were worried about Kakyoin’s injuries, and you were hoping that the hospital had some good news for you.

You were following Joseph and Polnareff down the street, when they suddenly stopped, and you bumped into them, “H-Hey, wh-”

You were cut off by Joseph yelling, “Who’s there?”

You jolted, quickly peering around the two. You could see the shadow of a person inside the crusader's vehicle, but you couldn't tell what they looked like at all.

“Oy, Don’t ignore us, who’s in our car?” Yelled Polnareff, stepping closer.

“Wait..” you said, squinting slightly, “isn’t it just Jotaro?” the build was kind of the same…

“Jotaro said he was going to the hospital, so I don't think…-” Said Joseph, frowning.

“Listen, don't let that guy get away!” said Polnareff, and he ran over to the car, his stand appearing.

“H-Hey, hey-” you said, but you summoned your stand, just in case it wasn’t Jotaro after all.

“Don’t hide in there!” Joseph said.

“Come out!” Polnareff ordered, ready to strike as soon as he saw who it was.

Suddenly, the top of someone’s head appeared over the edge of the top of the car.

“Hey, who is that- stop fooling around!” Yelled Polnareff.

“Hey, hey, Why the panic?” Suddenly, the person stood up, “Polnareff, it’s me.” It was Jotaro after all!

You breathed a sigh, your Stand dissipating. You were feeling pretty relieved that it was just him, and you wouldn't be thrust into another battle. “Jotaro… you had everyone freaked out..” you complained.

“Mh, it’s just Jotaro after all..” muttered Polnareff, looking at him a little suspiciously, “But what happened? Weren’t you going straight to the hospital?”

“E-eh? Well, I left something in the car, so I came back to get it…” Jotaro said, smiling.

“You… left something?” you asked.

He looked at you, “er… my… wallet? Yeah! I left my wallet! Good grief..”

Now that you were looking at Jotaro… What the hell was with that outfit? He was wearing

“Hey, where’s your school uniform?” asked Joseph, coming closer.

“That’s not a good look for you…” Said Polnareff, looking closer. “Is that a jean jacket?”

“Where did you even get these clothes?” you asked, laughing a little, “I only see you wearing the same clothes every day… did you get your jacket dirty or something?”

Jotaro nodded a little, “oh, right, clothes… they’re at the cleaners! I didn't have any money though, so I had to come back and get my wallet!”

What Jotaro was saying definitely made sense, but he had this nervous look on his face. It was kind of freaking you out… “Uh… I guess…”

Polnareff and Joseph seemed to accept that answer as well. Polnareff sighed and shrugged, “Alright. Anyway, hurry up and get in the car. we're going to the hospital.”

You got in the backseat, stretching out a little. This was the first time in awhile you weren’t crammed between two guys, or sitting on someone’s lap. You were going to savor this moment….

“Actually..” said Jotaro, “I think I’m going to walk.” and he started to walk off.

Huh..? Why would he walk?

“Huh? What the hell are you talking about?” asked Polnareff, grabbing Jotaro’s shoulder, “From here, it’s a lot faster by car!” he said, practically forcing Jotaro into the seat beside you.

With that, Joseph got into the driver's seat, and the four of you drove off.

Chapter Text

Jotaro seemed really anxious for some reason. You’d never seen him look so worked up before… What was going on here?

“Hey, Jotaro…” You started to ask him if he was okay, but before you could get it out, he reached between you, grabbing an orange and throwing it out the window.

“Uh….” you muttered, looking at him. “Why…?”

“It had mold on it.” He said, smiling at you. “I didn’t want it to contaminate the other oranges.”

“Right…” you said, brow furrowed. Yeah, that did make sense… but you picked out those oranges yourself.. Was it really possible that you missed mold on one of them?

“Hey, Iggy! How the hell did he jump into our car while it was moving?” Said Polnareff.

You looked over, and sure enough, there was Iggy, crawling in the window with an Orange in his mouth.

“Where did he get that?” asked Joseph, chuckling, “Don't tell me you stole it, Iggy?”

“Ah, it’ll be a nice gift for Kakyoin and Avdol.” Said Polnareff, laughing at his own joke.

Beside you, Jotaro let out a yelp of what sounded suspiciously like, “Yow!”

Yow?

Polnareff turned in his seat to look at Jotaro, brow furrowing.

“Hey, are you okay?” you asked him. Jotaro looked so nervous right now… was he not feeling good? Maybe he was sick.

“Jotaro, you usually don't make noises like that. You’re being weird.” said Joseph, weighing the orange that Iggy had brought in his hand.

“Er… no… I, uh…” Jotaro stuttered a bit, fumbling for his words before he pointed out the window, “No, What I was saying is that there’s a Yow over there.”

You followed where he was pointing, seeing a man walking down the street, guiding a cow with a rope. Yow… Did he really mean that cow? He really was acting pretty strange… What was going on with him?

“Uh, you mean ‘Cow’?” you asked, looking back over to Jotaro.

“Jotaro, you’re acting really weird today…” Added Polnareff, looking at him suspiciously, “you’re not together, man.” He paused before laughing, “You’re not actually a fake, right?

“G-Good grief. What the hell are you talking about, Polnareff?” asked Jotaro, adjusting the brim of his hat. “What’s taking us so long to get to the hospital?”

Polnareff didn't answer, but instead, he lit up a cigarette in the front seat. You couldn't help but make a face about it. Did he really need to smoke while everyone was in the car together? It was kind of disgusting. You didn't want to smell like cigarette smoke for the rest of the day...

but before you could complain about it, Polnareff turned, looking at Jotaro again, “Oy, you should show (Y/N) that trick you showed me!”

“What? Trick?” Jotaro asked, looking over at you with wide eyes.

“Come on, the one you taught me to do!” said Polnareff, “Hey, (Y/N), watch this!” Polnareff said, turning to face you, flipping the cigarette in his mouth, so it laid back against his tongue, and he closed his mouth, the smoke starting to come from his nose.

“Oh, you’ve gotten pretty good at it…” Said Joseph, looking over.

Huh? Did Jotaro really do tricks like that? You’d never seen him do anything like that… maybe they were just teasing him? You really couldn't tell.

“Oh… That’s what you meant.” said Jotaro, “I can do that, It’s easy!”

Huh… Maybe he really did do tricks like that… unless they really were teasing him, and he was too prideful to do anything different.

“All right!” said Polnareff, “Do the one where you have five in your mouth at once!”

Chapter Text

“F-Five?!” Jotaro looked shocked, glancing over at you again.

You really couldn't remember a time when you saw Jotaro acting like this…. But at this point, you had no doubt that Polnareff was screwing with him. Five at once? Was that even possible? Either way, seeing Jotaro looking so shocked was actually pretty funny.

“Hurry up and do it! I wanna see it again.” Polnareff said with a grin.

Jotaro took the cigarettes, sticking five of them into his mouth at once, lighting them with a lighter.

“Come on, Jotaro, hurry it up!” Polnareff urged.

Jotaro was sweating pretty hard, but he slowly, carefully flipped all five of the cigarettes into his mouth, looking pretty relieved he had managed the feat.

“W-Wow…” you were actually impressed that he managed it…

“Here.” You were surprised when Polnareff thrust a drink into Jotaro’s face, “I think I remember you saying you could drink juice while doing it without letting the cigarettes go out…”

You grinned. You wanted to mess with him too… it had to be something that Jotaro would be sure to refuse… “Hey, didn’t you say you would kiss me before you did it last time?” you asked.

There was no way in hell Jotaro would kiss you, much less any other person… He would definitely have to give up whatever prideful act he was doing!

That's why you were surprised when you saw him leaning in. Jotaro’s lips touched yours. It was only briefly, before he pulled away, grabbing the juice that Polnareff handed him.

Your cheeks felt hot, you knew you had gone red. Jotaro... he kissed you? But… you were only teasing him, so why…?

Seconds later, Jotaro spit juice and cigarettes everywhere. Seems he wasn't able to do that trick after all. You handed Jotaro a cloth to mop himself up out of your bag. He took it, but was blatantly avoiding your eyes.

Polnareff had a sour expression, “Oy, Jotaro… what was that?” he asked, “You’re acting really weird today…” Polnareff looked over at you. He seemed pretty upset about something.

Could it be because Jotaro just kissed you?

Hm..

No, that probably wasn’t the case. He was probably just mad that Jotaro got juice everywhere in the car.

You were disrupted from your thoughts to hear Jotaro speaking again.

“Uh… er…. W-Well, like I said… I’m feeling really sick…” Jotaro mumbled, clasping his hands nervously.

Feeling sick was one thing, but… did it really explain him kissing you like that?! Your face went all hot at the thought of it again.

“(Y/N), are you okay?” asked Joseph, who seemed pretty amused at the whole situation. “I didn't expect him to actually do it…. But it’s your fault for egging him on, y’know.” he said, giving you a big, shit-eating grin.

You just grumbled a bit, “yeah, I’m fine…” you glanced over at Jotaro, who seemed to be painfully ignoring your gaze at this point.

“Are you sure you’re okay, (Y/N)?” Asked Polnareff, looking pointedly at you, “you can say if you feel uncomfortable.”

“I’m not uncomfortable….” you mumbled, growing increasingly embarrassed by the whole situation.

What a pain…

Chapter Text

The rest of the car ride was a bit of a blur. Polnareff spent it continuing to mess with Jotaro, giving him a hard time about everything he could.

You just basically kept your mouth shut. You were still pretty in shock about the situation in general. Imagining Jotaro kissing anyone, much less you, was really out of your reach.

At some point, Jotaro had gotten out of the car, but you were really too deep in your own thoughts. He was freaking out about something… maybe it was using the bathroom…? You didn't know, but next time you saw him, you were really going to have to talk to him about this….

As the three of you arrived at the hospital, you saw Jotaro walking up to the door. He was wearing his normal clothes now, complete with his school coat…. It had only been about five minutes since they let him out of the car… So why was he already here? And with his normal clothing?

The three of you approached him.

“Jotaro?” said Joseph, looking at him.

“Ah. took you long enough.” Jotaro said.

“Long enough?” asked Polnareff, “You’re way too fast at taking a shit outside!” he protested, pointing his finger at the other man.

“You got here faster than a car.” Added Joseph, putting his hands on his hips, “and you got your jacket from the cleaner too?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Asked Jotaro, looking between the two of them.

“Well… nevermind, we’re going inside.” said Polnareff, waving his hand.

Jotaro glanced over at you, making your cheeks go red. His brow furrowed.

Well… it was now or never.

“Jotaro, can we talk?” you said, keeping your voice firm. You wouldn't let him deny you an explanation…. And you refused to let him ignore the whole thing like Polnareff did…

You saw Polnareff pause for a second, looking back at the two of you, but Joseph put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him into the hospital before he could say anything.

“... (Y/N), can it wait until after we talk to Kakyoin and Avdol?” Jotaro asked, putting his hands into his pockets, “What do you want to talk about?”

“Don't act like you don’t know.” you said, crossing your arms, “It’s about what you did in the car.”

Jotaro stared at you for a long moment before he shook his head, “(Y/N), what the hell are you talking about?”

“... You’re kidding, right?” you said, frustration slipping into your voice, “How can you stand there and act like you don't know?”

Jotaro just stared at you for a few seconds before letting out a sigh, touching the brim of his hat. “I have no idea what this is about.”

“... Seriously?” you clenched your fists, glaring at him, “Fine, I’ll spell it out for you. You kissed me in the car! You kissed me, and now you’re just going to pretend it didn't happen?” you said, pointing an accusing finger at him.

His cheeks started to go a bit pink, his eyes studying yours for a few moments before he sighed, “Yeah, I am.” He said, “because it didn't happen.”

“Wha-” you started, shaking your head, “You did! You kissed me!”

“Good grief… I didn’t kiss you. I wasn't even in that car.” said Jotaro, slowly approaching, peering down his nose at you.

What, was he trying to intimidate you or something? Well, it wasn’t going to work!

You jabbed your finger into his chest, “You did kiss me! Polnareff and Joseph saw you do it!”

Jotaro brow twitched, his mouth set into a frown. He reached down, grabbing you by the face with one of his hands. Before you could even react, he leaned down, kissing you.

Your eyes widened, letting out a tiny whimper against his mouth. What…. Why-?

After a moment, Jotaro pulled away. He released your face, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “There. Now it actually happened.”

You were shocked into silence, your face going bright red. “I… Why did you….?”

“Thought it might make you shut up.” Said Jotaro, turning his back to you and heading towards the hospital's front door, “I was right.”

Chapter Text

Well… Jotaro was right. It did shut you up. Why did he deny the first kiss so hard, only to kiss you during the argument? It didn't make any sense. You couldn't wrap your mind around that sort of logic, but there really wasn’t much you could do about it… starting another argument was out of the question….

So instead of arguing, you followed Jotaro into the hospital.

You met with the other crusaders. Luckily, Avdol was fine. He would be able to continue the rest of the journey with you. You were so happy to find that he was going alright, and his injuries really weren't all too bad.

On the other hand though… Kakyoin was going to be out of the game for a couple days, if not weeks… The crusaders couldn't afford to wait for him.

You sat at Kakyoin’s bedside, the rest of the crusaders standing around the bed.

“I’ll be able to take my bandages off in a few days, I’ll catch up with you then.” said Kakyoin with a gentle smile.

You hoped he was right, but you couldn't help but worry a little. Would he really be okay here alone?

“Well… as much as I would like to stick around, we really should get going.” Joseph said with a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck, “We’ll have a Speedwagon foundation worker come to keep watch for anything suspicious, that way you can focus on your recovery.”

Kakyoin nodded to show that he understood.

“Get better soon, Kakyoin.” said Jotaro, turning to head out of the room.

The other crusaders followed him out.

You stood up, but before you could take even a step, Kakyoin grabbed your hand, “(Y/N), could you stay for a few minutes? There’s something I wanted to talk with you about.”

You hesitated.

Joseph stuck his head back through the door, “Oy, (Y/N), are you coming?”

“Uh, yeah, sorry… I’ll meet you outside.” You said, giving him a smile.

He nodded, and you could hear them walking off together. You looked back down at Kakyoin, seating yourself on the bed beside him again. “So what did you want to talk about?”

Kakyoin was silent for a couple moments, “Well… It’s a little difficult to say…”

You were glad that Kakyin’s eyes were bandaged, because you couldn't help the frown that spread over your face. You were just hoping it wasn't something like what Joseph had said to you before…. “What is it?”

“Well…” he sighed, brow furrowing, “mh… I want to tell you how I feel… Just in case something happens to either of us before this whole thing is over…”

You frowned, “Huh?” you asked, shaking your head, grabbing his hand, “Hey… Why are you talking like that? We’re both… We’re both going to make it through this journey, you know that, right?” you said, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

“.... (Y/N), I…” he said, “It’s very possible one of us might not make it to the end of this journey.”

“I won't let that happen.” you said, shaking your head again, “We’ll both make it through this safe and sound… okay?”

Kakyoin paused, frowning, “(Y/N), I..” he trailed off, before suddenly reaching forward, pulling you into a kiss.

Chapter Text

To say you were shocked was an understatement.

As the kiss ended, and you pulled away, Kakyoin spilled his feelings for you like a rush of water. Words that flowed over your body, covering you completely. You didn't know how to react, you didn't know how to speak

“You don’t have to give me an answer… but once this mission is over, and we both survive, I plan to pursue you properly.” Kakyoin said, gently taking your hand in his own.

You really weren’t sure how to feel about this yet.

“I-I see…” you found yourself saying, staring down at your joined hands. “Kakyoin… I..” you started, but were cut off by Kakyoin speaking.

“The other crusaders are waiting for you, you should join them.” Kakyoin said with a smile, releasing your hand, “I’ll see you soon.”

You could only nod dumbly, getting up from the bed, “Yeah.. I’ll see you soon.” you muttered, before leaving the room.

You met back up with the crusaders outside the hotel. Joseph waved you over to where they were standing outside.

“Thanks for waiting for me.” You said, giving them a grateful smile, “I hope I didn't take too long.”

Polnareff gave a little grumble, but Joseph shook his head.

“No, no, It was no problem at all” Joseph said, waving his hands, he paused for a moment before smirking slightly, “so… What did you and Kakyoin talk about?”

You went a bit red, averting your eyes, “oh… it was nothing…” you said, rubbing the back of your neck. You certainly weren’t about to say that Kakyoin just confessed his feelings to you. Even the thought of talking about something like that was completely embarrassing.

“Hm… Nothing, you say?” Asked Joseph, chuckling.

Polnareff pursed his lips, then turned away, sighing, “We should get moving.”

“Polnareff is right. We can't afford to hang around this Hospital for the rest of the day.” said Avdol.

Later that afternoon, you were riding in a boat with the crusaders down the nile. Joseph was talking, telling about the local culture of the next area you were going towards. It was kind of calming to just sit and listen to his voice.

Everyone else seemed to also be relaxing during this small moment of peace.

“They say Ancient Egyptians always buried their dead beyond the Niles boundary, where the sun sets.” Joseph said, “That’s why the whole city is on the east side of the Nile. All structures built on the west side involve graves and the dead.”

You looked up, wondering where he was going with this trail of thought.

“... Our enemies don't care about east or west.” Joseph said finally, “They’re going to attack us from every direction.” he looked over, meeting everyone’s eyes. “We need to tread even more carefully than before.”

You nodded in agreement, the others murmuring their agreement or nodding as well.

Being careful… it was a little subjective. After all, how careful could you really be when the crusaders had assassin after assassin sent after you. It was really something impossible.. As much as you didn't want it to be, that’s just how it was.

Chapter Text

You’d been on the boat for a few minutes now. The only noise was that of the motor running, and the soft noise of water.

You glanced over at Avdol. He had been holding Iggy this whole time. It was a little strange to you. Iggy was so head-strong, you weren't used to him allowing himself to be held.

“So…” you said, “Iggy must like you.” you said, smiling at Avdol.

The man glanced down at the dog, giving a soft laugh, “I don't know if he necessarily likes me more or less than the other crusaders.” he said.

“Well, it seems like he respects you, at the least.” you said, tilting your head.

“I don't know that he really respects me either.” Avdol said, closing his eyes, “If anything, I respect him. He’s a member of the team, dog or not, his abilities are to be respected. I think I would also be quick to anger if everyone I came into contact with underestimated my abilities.” He said, looking over at you again. “Don't you agree?”

You nodded, glancing down at Iggy. “I do agree.”

Avdol was truly an honorable man. You couldn't help but always admire his way of thinking. It was always straightforward. It made sense… He was kind, and always seemed to know what to do.

He seemed like the kind of man you would enjoy spending time with. He always seemed to be a perfect gentleman. The conversations you had with him were always interesting, and you always felt like he was listening to what you had to say.

He was an ideal partner.

As soon as you had the thought, you blushed. Why would you have thoughts like that? Maybe it was just because you’d been in so many strange situations lately…

Soon, the boat you were riding in stopped at a place called Kom Ombo. It was only temporary for now, you were leaving again in about an hour to move onto the next area.

“Kom Ombo?” Asked Polnareff, “Do we really have time to stop here?” Asked Polnareff.

“Stop griping.” said Joseph, waving his hand.

“As long as we’re allowed to ride the ferry, we really can’t complain.” said Avdol.

Polnareff glanced back, looking between you and Jotaro for a moment before making a ‘tch’ noise, “Man, I’m starving! Let’s get something to eat.” He said, before turning away.

That actually sounded like a good idea to you.

Chapter Text

“(Y/N), I know there is not a lot of time before our ship departs, but there’s something I’d like you to try.” Avdol said, looking over at you.

You had only been standing around with the other crusaders for about 10 minutes. Polnareff had gone off somewhere by himself, and Joseph and Jotaro went off to look for them. Avdol and you decided to stay near the harbor and wait until they were able to retrieve Polnareff.

“Oh?” your interest was immediately piqued by his words. In the past, the couple of things he wanted you to try had been delicious, so you certainly wouldn't pass up an opportunity to try something new, especially when it was Avdol who recommended it! “I’d love to, what is it?”

“It’s called Hawashi.” Said Avdol, leading the way to a small food cart nearby, “It’s a traditional Egyptian dish. It’s a pita stuffed with minced meat and spiced with onions, pepper, parsley, and occasionally chilies.”

“Sounds amazing” you said. As you got closer to the food-cart, you were able to smell the food wafting up through the steam. “It smells amazing too.” you said with a laugh, peering at the food from where you were standing.

Avdol approached the man behind the cart, ordering two servings of Hawashi. The man behind the cart made your food, handing it over to Avdol, who paid for it, then handed you yours.

“You can eat it with your hands.” Said Avdol, “It’s a convenient food for on the go.” He lifted the Hawashi to his mouth, taking a bite out of it.

You mirrored his actions, testing to make sure it wasn’t too hot before taking a bite of it. Flavor and spices explode against your tongue. It wasn’t too spicy, but it certainly wasn’t mild either. It was a perfect balance. The meat was flavorful, and perfectly salted. It was one of the best meals you’d had this entire trip.

“This is amazing!” you said after finishing that bite.

Avdol chuckled, “I thought you might like it.” he said, smiling at you. “This used to be one of my favorites when I lived here.”

Right, Avdol was Egyptian.

“So, how long did you live here for?” you asked, smiling up at him.

“Mmh… I lived here for most of my life. I read fortunes for both tourists and locals. I pride myself in being able to read people’s fortunes accurately.” he said with a nod. “There are many people who don’t know how to read the cards correctly.” he said, shaking his head slightly.

“And you do?” you asked, tilting your head.

He paused, before laughing, “No, I would hardly call myself an expert. There are many who have much more experience than I do when it comes to reading tarot.”

You paused for a moment. Hey… maybe Avdol would read your future for you! It sounded like something that might be fun to see! “Hey, could you read my fortune?” you asked.

“I… don't usually like to read tarots during a time like this.” Avdol said, but when he saw how excited you looked, he let out a sigh, nodding, “Sure. but we won’t look too deep into the cards, the future is too uncertain during a mission.” he said, “Let’s find a place to sit.”

You nodded, and followed him over to a grassy area that was a little more secluded. Avdol sat cross-legged on the ground, and you did the same, sitting across from him. He pulled out a mat, setting it between the two of you.

“So, how exactly does this work?” you asked, looking down at the mat.

“Well, I’ll shuffle the cards,” Said Avdol as he pulled the deck out, starting to shuffle them, “and then I’ll need you to touch the deck.” he said, extending the pile towards you.

You reached out, placing your fingertips against the smooth surface of the cards.

“Perfect, we’ll do a three card spread today.” he said, setting the cards down on the mat. He cut the deck in half, taking the lower set of cards and setting it on top, then pulled three cards from the deck, placing them face down between you.

“Alright, this is your prediction.” Avdol said.

He flipped the first card.

It read Knight Of Swords.

He flipped the second card.

It read The Tower.

Avdol’s hand hesitated over the third card. You looked up at him, finding his features overcome with worry.

“Avdol?” you asked, tilting your head at him, “What’s wrong?”

Avdol looked up at you sharply, he forced a smile, “It’s nothing, I apologize…” he put his hand over top of the third card, “... I wonder what is taking the others so long?” he muttered.

You were starting to worry a bit as well, why wasn’t he flipping your last card?

Avdol glanced around one last time before letting out a sigh.

He flipped the last card.

It read Death XIII.

You went pale, looking up at Avdol, “Death? What does that mean? Am I going to die?” you asked.

Avdol's brow was furrowed, but he looked over at you, “No… Death XIII doesn’t necessarily mean death. It more often signifies a rebirth.” he said.

“So… being reborn… What does that mean?” you asked.

“Well, the thing about tarot cards is that they can mean a lot of things. Rebirth can just mean that you have a big change coming in your life… that could mean anything.” he said, reassuring you.

In the distance, you heard the ferries whistle.

“Mh. that’s our boat. Let’s get going.” said Avdol, gathering his things and getting up.

You got up as well, following the other man.

Chapter Text

Of course there was another stand attack, Anubis, who was a possessed sword, attempting to kill Polnareff and Jotaro. Luckily though, they were able to thwart the attack, and threw the sword into the bottom of the Nile.

A day later, and you arrived in Luxor. Everyone in your party was injured in various ways and degrees of severity, so the travels had become a bit slower than they usually were. You didn't necessarily mind it, but you knew the others were becoming a bit antsy in their need to keep moving.

You had been standing near Avdol when he turned to you, jutting his thumb out towards the distance behind him, “The tomb of the famous King Tutankhamun lies in the valley of the kings.”

Right, you remember him pointing out that area earlier. It was pretty impressive. When you were younger, you were pretty interested in Egyption mythology. It was an interesting topic for sure. Being so close to such a historical area was actually pretty cool.

“I wish we had the time to go visit and get a closer look.” you said, smiling, “when I was a kid, I was pretty enamored with Egyptian history.” you said with a laugh.

“This place is pretty historical, huh.” Said Polnareff, gazing out across the area.

“Apparently, there are still people who secretly dig underneath their houses without the government's knowledge, hoping to find gold and treasure.” Said Avdol, turning his gaze over to the nearby town.

“I wonder if there are still any tombs or treasures left to be found.” Said Polnareff, following his gaze.

“Still, don’t people worry about being cursed?” you asked, frowning, “There are so many stories about people dying from King Tutankhamun’s curse.”

Avdol laughed, “and they are just that, stories.” he said, smiling at you, “The curse of King Tut is nothing more than a rumor. Something passed along archeologists as something of a ghost story.”

“Really?” you asked, tilting your head, “But didn't a bunch of people from the initial team die after they opened his tomb?”

“Just another ghost story.” said Avdol, holding up a finger, “In reality, there were 58 people there when the sarcophagus was open, and in the following 12 years, only 8 of them have died.”

“Oh, I see!” you said, smiling. Avdol really was a smart man. Even though what you were saying was wrong, he had taking the time to correct you without making you feel dumb, and then help quell your worries.

“I’m actually quite happy to be able to clear up misconceptions like this.” Said Avdol, “Feel free to ask me anything else you might be worried about.”

Jotaro butted in, “Hey, did you see where the old man went?”

Right, Joseph had walked off a little while ago with Iggy, you didn't catch where they were headed towards though.

“Mr. Joestar went to the bathroom.” said Avdol, “Iggy went with him, so if anything odd happens, they’ll be alright.”

“The bathroom?” asked Polnareff, touching his chin.

“What, do you need to use it?” Asked Avdol, pointing to a small building a little ways away, “It’s right over there if so.”

“Sure, if it’s a real bathroom.” Polnareff said, waving his hand.

“I think you’ll find yourself disappointed then.” said Avdol, chuckling, “the toilet is a hole that’s been dug in the ground… there’s no toilet paper, and instead, you use sand to clean yourself. The sand is sterile, so it’s clean.”

Polnareff turned his back, “I couldn’t possibly be expected to use that. I’ll just wait until we get to the hotel then.”

You didn't really blame him.

Chapter Text

Soon after that, the crusaders stopped at a small cafe near the water. It was hot, so everyone ordered a cold drink to help cool down. There was a radio playing on the counter, so it was nice and peaceful for the moment.

You held the cold bottle in your hands, bringing it up to press the cold drink to your cheek. It almost burned with how cold it was, leaving your skin tingling once you pulled it away.

Next to you, Avdol opened his soda with a bottle opener, reaching over to open yours up for you as well.

“Thanks.” you said, raising your drink to him, Avdol responding with a smile and nod.

Avdol soon spoke up, “We could make it to Cairo in two days, but we’re all injured and exhausted.”

“You could say that again.” you muttered, leaning your chin in your hand, sipping from your cold drink.

“Why don’t we take tonight and tomorrow in Luxor to recover somewhat?” Avdol continued, glancing over at Joseph.

“Sounds good to me.” Polnareff spoke up, looking over at Joseph as well. “Ever since we got to Egypt, the enemy Stands have been getting stronger.” he pursed his lips, “Recently, we’ve only been winning by a hair.”

“It’s because we’re getting closer to Dio.” you said, sighing. “He’s sending the more powerful enemies… like a video game when you start getting closer to the boss battle.”

“Mmh.” Joseph muttered. Just now you realized he’d been staring at his mechanical hand pretty intently, opening and closing his fist slowly over and over.

“Hey, Mr. Joestar, is something wrong?” Polnareff asked before you could, raising a brow at the older man.

“My prosthetic is acting up.” said Joseph, raising his gaze up from his hand for a moment, “I probably just need to oil the joints…”

There was a moment of silence where you realised the radio that had been playing earlier was now only playing a crackly static. You turned, looking slightly annoyed.

“Oy, your radio is busted.” Polnareff called to the man behind the counter, “can’t you turn that thing off? It’s annoying.”

“A-Ah, sure….” The man responded, muttering something to himself as he turned off the radio.

When you turned back, Joseph was holding a bottle cap between his fingers, looking at it suspiciously.

“Joseph?” you asked, brow furrowed.

He looked over, giving you a reassuring smile, “ Yeah, I suppose we should rest up before heading to Cairo.” The smile disappeared, “but we can’t let our guard down just because we’re resting. There’s no telling if another Stand user might show up.”

Everyone gave a nod of agreement.

Joseph stood, putting a hand on your shoulder, “All right. Let’s go find a hotel for the night.” He turned, giving a wave to the man behind the counter, “Thanks, Mister.”

Walking down the street, the group soon found a hotel. You were all put in one room together. It was more convenient that way, and everyone was able to keep an eye on each other as well.

You walked into the room, and were greeted with a familiar sight. There were only three beds.

“What a surprise.” you said, 100% not surprised by this very common occurrence. Of course there were less beds than people. When were there ever not?

“Let me guess.” you said, looking over at Joseph, “This was the last room they had left. Now we’re going to choose straws to see who will get the last bed alone.”

Joseph's brow raised. He already had the straws in hand. “Uh… Indeed, this was the last room left…” He said, squinting slightly at you, “I figured we would… pick straws to see who would bed with who.”

“Wait, wait. Hold on a second. How did you know?” Polnareff butted in, looking between you and Joseph incredulously.

“Lucky guess.” you muttered, smiling.

After it was all said and done, the beds were decided by draw. Jotaro and Polnareff shared a bed, You and Avdol shared a bed, and Joseph was left in the bed with Iggy.

Avdol had gone into the bathroom earlier, and now came out wearing a comfortable looking cotton pajama set. You barely changed out of your own clothes besides taking your pants off, so you were surprised to see him wearing an entirely different outfit.

Now that you were properly looking, you realized his hair was also down, pulled into a ponytail instead of up in his usual hairstyle. It was odd to see him looking so casual. You found yourself struck by how nice he looked.

“Have you been wearing pajamas to bed this entire trip?” you asked, propped up and smiling at him. “What if a stand user attacks in the middle of the night?”

“Then I suppose I’ll just have to be comfortable during the fight.” Avdol chuckled, settling down in the bed beside you. “And yes, I have been wearing pajamas every night. Sleeping any other way is far too uncomfortable.” he said, adding, “Sleep is one of our most valuable assets at this time. We need to be well rested.”

“I agree.” you said, leaning back on the pillow, putting your hands behind your head. “I was just surprised is all.”

“To see me wearing pajamas to bed?” Avdol asked, looking over with a chuckle.

“No… Well, yeah, kind of. I was just surprised seeing you so casually.” you said, “I’m used to you looking so serious, and in a more formal style outfit. Your hair is carefully styled and maintained, and you clearly take time putting yourself together.” you paused, “I just found myself surprised with how attractive you are both ways.”

There was silence from beside you. You turned to look, finding the man blushing, hiding his mouth behind his hand.

“So, (y/n), you find me attractive?” Avdol spoke after a few moments of silence. It was your turn to blush now. You quickly averted your eyes.

“Well.. yeah, of course… how could I not, I mean…” you trailed off, trying to hide how embarrassed you were.

“Don’t try to make excuses. Just let me appreciate the compliment.” Avdol chuckled, waving his hand, “Thank you. It’s nice to hear it from someone as good looking as yourself.” he said, giving you a wink.

Your face was properly burning now. So Avdol thought you were attractive… this was, uh… hm.

It was certainly some information.

“Sleep well, (y/n)” Avdol said, rolling onto his side.

“You too.” you said, closing your eyes.

Chapter Text

You woke the next morning to Avdol getting out of bed. You let out a soft groan, stretching out and looking up at him sleepily.

“What time is it?”

“My apologies, (y/n).” Said Avdol. “I didn't mean to wake you.” He gave you an apologetic smile.

“No, no, it’s fine.” you said, sitting up and looking around for a moment. Everyone else seemed to still be asleep. You glanced over at the clock, seeing it was about 5:00 in the morning. “Did something happen? It’s early.”

“I’m an early riser. Usually I’m the first one up so I can take my time.” he said with a laugh, heading for the bathroom.

You let out a soft groan and pushed yourself to your feet, heading for the balcony. The sun was just coming over the horizon in the distance, dying the sky a beautiful yellow, orange and pink. You leaned over the railing, just breathing in the already hot air. You wondered what you would do after this was over.

Everyone in your group had come close to dying at least once… wasn’t it likely that all of you would die before you were able to even complete your mission? You wondered if you were even determined enough to lay your life down for the cause. Wouldn't it just be easier, safer, to just… give up?

As soon as you had the thought, you shook your head. No. You weren't a coward, you weren't afraid of failing your mission, you were afraid of letting down your friends.

Deep in thought, you didn't notice that someone else had joined you on the balcony until they leaned onto the railing besides you.

You glanced over, giving a gentle smile, “Polnareff, you’re up early.”

Polnareff stood beside you, gazing out at the sunrise. “I could say the same for you, chéri.” He turned his gaze over to you. His hair was down, framing his face attractively. You didn't know why he didn't wear it down like that all the time. But you were caught suddenly by the look in his eyes. He seemed troubled.

You frowned a bit, studying his features for a moment. “Did you come to talk to me?” You asked mildly, turning your gaze away from him.

“Mh, Oui.” He let out a soft breath, turning to face you properly. “What are you planning on doing after we defeat Dio?” He asked.

You let out a soft laugh, closing your eyes. That really was the question of the hour, wasn't it? You turned to face him as well, “Honestly, I’m probably just going to go home. I mean… What else is there to do besides going back to a boring life… 9-5 Job and an empty apartment.”

Polnareff leaned in, “I’m doing the same thing… going back to my empty house in France… but what I really wanted to ask was…” Polnareff took a deep breath, “If we’re both going to be alone… why don't you come and live with me? I have a big house, there's plenty of empty rooms, the countryside is beautiful…”

You stared at him. He was asking you… to come live with him? Your face went bright red when you realized the implications of living together. Living in France sounded… amazing. Living with Polnareff was… even more of a dream. “Polnareff… are you sure?” you asked seriously, “are you really sure? I don't want to become troublesome for you…”

“Well… it would be beneficial for me too. I won't be all alone… and you won't be all alone…” Polnareff said, leaning back a little, turning his gaze back ro the sunset. “Just take some time to think about it, amour”

You nodded, looking at him. You would take some time to think about it. But the offer was more than tempting. You would probably end up accepting such a gracious offer.

“Either way, I’m starving, so we should all get breakfast.” Polnareff said, grinning and straightening up, heading into the hotel room.

You could hear him going in to knock on the bathroom door, complaining loudly for him to ‘Hurry it up in there’. What a rambunctious man. You decided to go wake up Jotaro. If you didn't, you were sure that Polnareff was going to do so anyway.

You walked back into the room, looking over to Jotaro’s bed, surprised to see that he was already awake. You felt a little anxious, wondering if he heard the conversation between Polnareff and you.

If he did, his eyes didn't betray anything in particular. You gave him a smile, “Morning. You’re up early too…” you said, leaning against the wall.

“Hard to sleep in when everyone is so loud.” Jotaro said, looking over at Polnareff.

You chuckled softly, “I guess that’s true.” you said, turning to look out at the sun rising over the horizon.

After a while, everyone had gotten their chance at the showers except Joseph, who was still blissfully asleep in his bed. Polnareff had been rambling on about an interesting breakfast cafe he had seen on the way into town, and was insisting everyone go. Polnareff and Jotaro were outside waiting, while You and Avdol were tasked with waking Joseph up and hurrying him along.

“Hey, Joseph.” you said, reaching down to shake Joseph's shoulder a little, “it’s time to get up.”

The older man grumbled a little, peering up at you with sleepy eyes, “(Y/N)...?”

“Polnareff is waiting for us downstairs, so we should probably get a move on if we want to actually eat breakfast instead of lunch.” you said, flashing him a smile.

As if to punctuate your words, you heard Polnareff yelling from outside the open window, “Tell that geezer to get a move on! Arent old people supposed to get up early?”

You stifled a laugh, but Joseph groaned, sitting up some, “Damn smart-aleck. Has no respect…” Joseph grumbled, “Tell him I’ll be down in a minute…”

You frowned when Joseph sat up, noticing something red sticking to the back of Joseph's shirt. “What’s that?” you asked, reaching forward to pull one off. It was a metal bottle cap. “Were you drinking in bed last night?”

“Drinking in bed? Of course not…” Joseph muttered, squinting at the bottlecap in your hand.

You opened your mouth to ask him if he was sure, before wondering why you cared if Joseph was drinking. It wasn't really your business. “Well, okay…”

“Come on, (Y/N). Let’s give Mr. Joestar some privacy to get ready.” Avdol said, opening the door out into the hallway for you.

“Okay.. we’ll meet you downstairs.” you said to Joseph, before going out into the hallway, Avdol close behind you.

You and Avdol walked down the hall together. Something was troubling you. Joseph’s hand was acting strangely before, and now the bottle caps? Anytime something weird happened, it was usually the work of an enemy Stand user. But maybe you were just overreacting. The two incidents were completely unrelated anyways, right?

Once the two of you were downstairs, you decided to just sit and wait in the lobby. You chatted idly with Avdol about this and that before you noticed something strange. Nearby where you were sitting, was a fake plant with an outlet embedded in the stem.

“Huh. technology really is amazing.” you muttered, leaning in to get a closer look. “I’ve never seen a fake plant with an outlet in it. That seems really convenient. Aesthetically pleasing too.” you reached out to touch it, only to yelp loudly as it shocked you.

Avdol looked over, brow furrowing, “(Y/N), are you alright?” he asked, worry clear in his features.

“Yeah, this outlet shocked me.” you said, nodding over to the fake plant.

“What outlet?” Avdol asked, looking over.

“On the fake plant.” you said, going to point it out. But there was no outlet there.

It was just a normal fake plant.

You swallowed hard. Whatever was going on here, it couldn't be good.

Chapter Text

Before you could worry any further about the mysterious outlet you had touched, you heard the screaming that could only belong to one person.

“OH MY GOOOOOD!!”

You and Avdol quickly stood up, heading over to the source of the screaming. Joseph Joestar, who was caught in the escalator by what looked to be a woman's necklace.

“MY NECK!! I’M GETTING PULLED IN!” Joseph screamed. .

Avdol hurried to the side of the escalator, pushing the emergency shut off button.

You quickly came to help Joseph, “what happened?” you asked, anxiously helping him pull the bindings away from his throat. If Avdol hadn't been there to push that button, who knows what might have happened? It could have ended gruesomely.

Joseph quickly stood up, brushing himself off. He pulled both you and Avdol aside, looking around anxiously. “ It’s a Stand. An enemy Stand got me.” he muttered, “My body seems to be a magnet now.”

As if to prove his point, at that moment, a metal ashtray flew off a nearby table, colliding with the back of Joseph's head, flinging cigarette ash everywhere. You gave a little cough, making a face at the smell even as you reached out to help brush the ash from Joseph's shoulder and chest.

“The magnetic pull is getting stronger.” Joseph muttered, frowning. Avdol reached up to pull the ashtray away from where it was stuck to Joseph. Joseph let out a sigh, looking down at you. “Keep an eye out, The stand user is a woman with amazing legs.” Joseph said, nodding to himself.

“Wonderful description.” you muttered, “any other defining features you could mention besides her legs?” you asked, crossing your arms over your chest. “Maybe what she was wearing?”

“She’s wearing a red hooded coat… and a short skirt.” Joseph said, before his eyes locked on something past you. “Hm?” before pointing, “That’s her! That woman is the stand user!”

You turned to look, catching a look of a woman in a dark red coat running off across the hotel lobby. “Come on-” you said, immediately pursuing the woman, Joseph and Avdol close behind.

“We should get Joseph and Polnareff! They’re right outside!” Avdol called, before exclaiming loudly.

You turned to look, eyes going wide. A metal statue had fallen towards Avdol. He fortunately caught it, however he was struggling to hold up the weight of it.
“We don't have time to get them!” Joseph yelled, looking towards where the woman was disappearing around a corner, “She’s getting away!”

You started to go for Avdol to help him, but shook your head, instead running after the woman, calling your stand out, “Green Onions!”

You could hear Joseph's footsteps close behind you. Heading towards where you saw the woman last.

As you went to turn the corner, something slammed into your ankle, sending you crashing to the ground.

“(Y/N)!” Joseph yelled your name, running the rest of the way over to you, crouching down at your side.

You pushed yourself up with a loud groan, your ankle throbbing. You looked down, there was a small metal horse stuck to your ankle… so that’s what it was then… Wait, what? You reached down, prying the horse off your ankle with a little difficulty. You went to put it aside, only to find it clung to your hand.

“Did you touch an outlet recently?” Joseph asked, reaching down to help you up.

“Yeah… don't tell me that’s how she gets you.” You muttered, grimacing at your own stupidity. You took his hand, climbing to your feet. You went to pull your hand away, but found that your hand stuck to Josephs, making it particularly difficult to pull away. “This isn’t the way I wanted to hold your hand, (Y/N), but it’ll do.” he teased, but you could see how nervous this Stand user's power was making him.

Avdol finally caught up as you wrenched your hand away from Josephs. He looked down the hall past you, visibly tensing. “Is that where she went?” Avdol asked, gesturing with his head.

You turned to look, pursing your lips when you saw what was written on the door.

“Ladies Bathroom.”

You rolled your eyes, heading towards the door without hesitation. It didn't matter whether she went into the women's room or not. What mattered was stopping her Stands ability before it got dangerous.

“(Y/N)-” Joseph called after you, hesitating before following you reluctantly into the bathroom, Avdol close behind. “Our lives are on the line, we can't afford to waste any time.” Joseph muttered, though you could tell it truly did bother him.

The three of you went into the bathroom. Private stalls lined the wall, most of them being already occupied. You stepped forward nervously. Now what? You couldn't very well just start opening stall doors…

“Just as I expected.” Avdol muttered. “We’ve got a problem on our hands.”

“Shh-!” Joseph shushed him, pressing a finger to his lips. Avdol covered his mouth nervously, before shushing him right back.

You rolled your eyes at both of them. This wasn't that big of a deal. It was a bathroom… They were being too suspicious…

“Forgive me, but I haven't a clue… Which stall do you think she’s in?” Avdol asked softly, perspiration shining on his face.

“She’s got amazing legs.” Joseph muttered, looking between you and Avdol.

“You mentioned that before.” you said, nodding and looking over at Avdol, “She was wearing pantyhose too. Black ones I think.” you said, touching your chin.

“H-Her legs…?” Avdol asked, brow furrowing, “surely you're not suggesting…”

“Look for her legs.” Joseph urged, nodding, “You can't miss them.”

“We’re going to peek?” Avdol asked, eyes going wide at the clearly preposterous idea.

“That is a horrible idea, and also probably illegal.” you said, brows raising.

“Well, we can't just sit here and wait for her to come out.” said Joseph, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, but…” you trailed off, shaking your head.

“Unless you have a better idea?” Joseph asked, looking at you expectantly.

“I don’t.” you muttered, giving a sigh.

You watched as Avdol got down, peeking at the woman's shoes underneath the door. The first three stalls seemed to be wrong, but as he went to look at the 4th set of shoes, he jolted, looking back at you and Joseph, pointing at the stall in front of him. “Mr. Joestar- here.. Come look, are these her legs?” He whispered.

As the two of you headed over to the stall in question, you heard the locks to the rest of the stalls clicking open. It was about to get a little awkward.

You were still formulating an excuse for the reason you were in the bathroom with two grown men, when the three doors swung open, revealing women in the middle of their business. You squeaked, quickly turning your head respectfully. You needed a better excuse for this one-

At the same moment, there was the sound of a toilet flushing, and the stall in front of you opened, revealing a woman who was Definitely Not the Stand user you had been chasing.

She was an older lady, giving Joseph a coy look, “Oh my.. You’re that handsome fellow from before..” she touched her cheek, “Did you come looking for me here?~ What a dirty old man you are~”

“D-Do you know this woman?” you asked Joseph, looking up at him.

“I- We had a misunderstanding on the 2nd floor-” Joseph tried to explain, backing off a couple of steps.

“This isn't good!” Avdol looked at you in a panic, “We got the wrong person- This is very troubling..”

“More than troubling-!” you hissed, “We need to leave-”

“How could you mess that up?” Joseph yelled, “(Y/N), Avdol, run!” He took off, jumping through the window at the end of the room. Avdol only hesitated for a moment before following after.

“PERVERTS” screamed one of the women behind you.

Yup, okay. You ran after the two men, leaping through the window and taking off after them.

“I don't deserve this-!” Avdol yelled as he ran, “Polnareff’s the one who should be getting called a pervert in the Ladies room!”

“I hate to break it to you, but Polnareff wasn’t the one peeking under bathroom stalls!” you called towards Avdol, shaking your head.

At the end of the alleyway, the Stand user stood, watching the three of you with an amused look on her face. She laughed, before turning to run off down the road.

“That’s her!” Joseph yelled, pointing and speeding up a little. “Damn- How did she get so far ahead?” Joseph turned to look at Avdol as you ran, “Avdol, I forgot to tell you, but don't touch any electrical outlets. No matter where they are! That’s what her stand is!”

“What?” Avdol asked, looking over at Joseph. The two men were a little ways in front of you, but… weren’t they running entirely too close together…? Their shoulders were rubbing as they ran.

“You’ll get zapped, and then the magnetism will get you.” Joseph added.

“... I’m afraid I already did, Mr. Joestar.” Avdol said, frowning.

“Huh?! Where did that happen?!” Joseph yelled, looking over at the man beside him.

“When I pushed the emergency stop button on the escalator…” Avdol said, “There was a socket next to it! When I went to push the button, my hand brushed it, and it got me!”

“That sneaky bitch-” Joseph yelled, loud enough for the woman ahead to hear.

You frowned, already a bit out of breath. If only you were a bit closer, you could use your stand to stop the woman. But… you paused, noticing Joseph and Avdol were practically attached at the hip. Wait… Wait a second… Did the magnetism affect other people afflicted with that woman's stand? You slowed down, not wanting to get any closer to Joseph and Avdol. Just in case.

“Mr. Joestar, Could you please give me some space-” You heard Avdol say, “I can barely run with you sticking to me like this.”

“You move!” Joseph insisted.

“What do you mean?” Avdol asked, “you’re the one who’s running close to me!”

Seconds later, the two men stumbled and fell down together into a heap. You stopped a fair bit away, “That woman’s stand is making you stick together?” You called over to them.

“What does it look like?” Joseph called back, desperately trying to pry himself away from Avdol. “The Stand user is getting away, go after her!”

Up ahead, the woman was sort of standing there, smirking at you, as if she thought you wouldn't give chase on your own.

“Dammit-” you muttered, giving a wide berth around Avdol and Joseph, giving chase. The Stand user looked surprised, but she took off running again.

You followed after her, readying your stand to attack when she turned down an alleyway. You hesitated, but followed after her.

Chapter Text

The alleyway was empty when you turned down it. Anxiety sparked in your chest. Following that woman alone was probably a mistake, but… really, you didn't have a choice…

You stepped cautiously forward. There was a large dumpster up ahead. You had a feeling that the Stand user was probably hiding behind it. There really wasn’t anywhere else to hide in the alleyway.

You readied your stand, slowly approaching the dumpster. You felt a gentle tugging, and that’s when you remembered something.

Dumpsters are made out of metal.

You tried to scramble away from the giant hunk of metal, but your feet slid along the dirty ground, and your back slammed into the side of it, your head hitting against it with a metallic thwang, making your vision go dark for a couple moments.

You let out a low groan, your vision swimming. The back of your head was throbbing. Why did you think going off on your own was a good idea again? Now here you were, stuck to a smelly dumpster, with the enemy stand user nowhere in sight.

You heard a giggle, and rustling from the other side of the dumpster. You strained to look, and saw the enemy stand user stand up. So she was hiding there! “Looks like you’re in a jam.” She said, smirking at you.

“Not as much as you’re about to be!” You growled, “Green Onions! BUBBLE BLAST!” You used your stand, spitting sticky bubbles at the woman's feet. You heard her yelp, and a thump as she fell to the ground and out of your sight.

“W-What the hell is this?!” She yelled, and you heard scrabbling against the ground as she tried to free herself, “You bastard!”

“Release your stand, and I’ll release mine.” you called over to her, but you just received silence in response.

In the distance, you heard someone calling your name, and after a few moments, a familiar figure turned into the alleyway.

“Avdol?” You called out to him, relieved that he arrived so quickly.

“(Y/N)!” he quickly approached, concern clear in his features, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay..” you started to answer, but stopped when you felt a little tug, and your eyes went wide, “Avdol, wai-”

It was too late, Avdol seemed to feel it at the same time, and before you knew it, all 200 pounds of Avdol's body slammed into yours, forcing the air from your lungs. You gasped for breath, letting out a pained whimper, “d-dammit-” It was difficult to breathe being sandwiched between Avdol and the dumpster, so each breath was a bit painful.

You moved to look up at him, but as soon as you did so, your face magnetized directly to Avdols, your lips mashing against his. Your face went red, and you slowly raised your gaze to meet Avdols, finding he wore a similar expression. Your breath hitched audibly, but you couldn't find any words to say.

It seemed like Avdol felt the same, and you sat there in silence for a few moments, just looking into each other's eyes, lips pressed together. It would be nice if it didn't feel so awkward. Avdol's lips were soft, and you could feel the breath from his nose hitting your face lightly. His chest was broad, and it completely overshadowed your own. You wished kissing Avdol didn't happen in such an awkward way… even if something like this could be considered a true kiss. This would be really romantic… if you weren't being crushed to death, and there wasn’t a stinky dumpster behind you.

Only a couple seconds passed before you heard Joseph's voice at the end of the alleyway, “Oh? What’s this?”

Joseph was quick and efficient. He took care of the stand user, and you were able to separate yourself from Avdol as soon as she was knocked out.

“(Y/N), I would like to apologize for that. It must have been very uncomfortable for you.” Avdol said as the two of you left the alleyway.

“Well. It was, but… Kissing you wasn't a bad thing.” you said, trying to make light of the awkward situation.

“I feel the same.” Avdol said, looking over at you. “It was under unfortunate circumstances, however… I didn't dislike it.”

Your face went bright red, meeting his gaze, “I see… I… I’m not sure what to say.” you finally admitted.

“You don't have to say anything if you don't want to.” Avdol said, nodding. “… When you’re fighting for your life every day, there are certain things you can't keep to yourself. You may only get one chance to say them.”

You lowered your gaze, thinking about what he said. “Thank you, Avdol. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Of course.”

“We should probably head back to the hotel.” Joseph said, approaching where you and Avdol were standing. “I imagine Jotaro and Polnareff are still there waiting for us to go to breakfast.” He laughed, clapping Avdol on the shoulder.

“You’re probably right.” You said, sighing. You led the way out of the alleyway, and took a look around. Which way was the hotel again?

“This way, (Y/N)” Avdol said gently, touching your shoulder. He led the way back to the hotel, but unfortunately, there was no one there waiting for you.

“Do you think they're okay?” you asked, looking at Joseph. “Do you think there could have been two stand users?”

Joseph pursed his lips. “Well… There’s a possibility, but it’s probably more likely that they just went out to eat without us… Polnareff was complaining awfully loudly this morning.”

You nodded, looking down at your watch, “mh. It’s only 9:00AM… do you want to go looking for them?”

“Sounds good to me.” you said, giving a stretch, “I wouldn't mind taking a look around this town anyways, so it’ll be nice to explore a little.”

The two men gave mutters of agreement, and the three of you headed into town together.

Chapter Text

Later that afternoon, you finally met up with Jotaro and Polnareff again, and the six of you went to a local restaurant to eat. You had Avdol recommend you something good, and you immediately began to eat when the food was set in front of you. It was delicious, as was anything Avdol had ever recommended you to eat.

As everyone finished, Joseph spoke up, “Finally, a moment to relax..”

“Quite the late breakfast if you ask me.” Avdol said, leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed.

“Yeah..” Polnareff said, letting out a sigh, leaning his face into his hand.

“We’re almost to Cairo.” Joseph said, holding out his hand to Avdol, “We’ve got to figure out where Dio is hiding.”

Avdol pulled a camera from his robes, handing it over to Joseph.

Polnareff leaned forward, grinning, “oh? You’re going to use your stand?”

“Is it going to work?” Jotaro asked, frowning down at the camera.

“I don't know,” Said Joseph, “But we’re close, so the results should be more precise.”

You leaned in a bit, excited to see Joseph's stand in action. You had only seen him using his Stand on a TV in the past.

Joseph set the camera on the table, “All right, here we go!” He yelled, raising his arm. Electricity crackled around Joseph's arm, and he slammed his fist into the camera on the table, smashing it.

A moment later, a photograph popped out of the broken pile of pieces, and Joseph picked it up, waiting for it to develop.

“Well?” you asked, feeling the tension at the table rising.

“I’m not sure yet.” Joseph muttered, squinting at the photo, “I can see something, but…” He suddenly jolted, eyes going wide, “There!” He slammed the photo down on the table.

You quickly leaned in to look, the image of a terracotta building slowly coming into view. There was a large cylindrical tower, and vegetation scattered about. There was a large fence surrounding a good amount of the building, obscuring much of it from view.

So. This was your final destination.

The rest of your time there passed by in a blur, and soon you were back on your way again, heading for Cairo.

The six of you boarded a train for the last leg of the journey, it was about a ten hour train ride, so you finally had a moment to sleep.

There was luckily a room on the train that had enough bunks available for everyone. It was always a little nerve wracking when everyone got split up.

You entered the room, immediately collapsing down on the nearest bunk and letting out a loud sigh.

“Tired, (Y/N)?” Polnareff asked, putting his things down on the bunk above yours, then giving a stretch.

“Mm, yeah.” you muttered, rolling over onto your side, gazing up at him sleepily. “I’m gonna sleep for a while…”

“Got it, mon amour. I’ll wake you if anything happens.” he said.

“Mh, thanks, Pol.” you said, closing your eyes and slowly drifting off to sleep.

When you woke up again, the whole roomette was bathed in inky black. The train moved along the tracks, but it was peaceful, almost enough to lull you back to sleep. You squinted at your watch, finding that it was about midnight. Well. That’s what you get for going to bed so early.

You slowly sat up, giving a soft yawn and rubbing the sleep from your eyes. You looked around. Everyone seemed to be in their bunk, except…

Jotaro. His bunk was empty.

Your brow furrowed, anxiety blooming painfully in your chest. Where did he go?

You got up, going to the door and quietly opening it, peeking out into the hallway. A ways down, you could see the door to the caboose. Through the window, you could see a figure standing there, and the faint glow of a cigarette.

That had to be him.

You breathed a sigh of relief and walked down the hall, opening the door that led outside to the caboose's small railed platform.

“You’re up late.” you said, giving Jotaro a soft smile. You leaned against the railing on the other side of the platform, looking out at the passing scenery.

He didn't respond, but acknowledged you with a nod of his head.

There was silence between you for a couple of minutes before Jotaro fixed a sharp gaze upon you. You felt it before you saw it, slowly looking over to meet his icy gaze.

“What?”

“So you’re planning on going to France after this?” He asked, blowing smoke out of the corner of his mouth.

You purse your lips, wincing softly. So he heard that conversation after all, “Well. I haven't given Polnareff an answer yet, but… Probably.” you answered honestly, crossing your arms over your chest.

Jotaro did not respond at first, seeming to be thinking about what you said. But finally he spoke, “... When we return to Japan, I’ll have to finish high school. Then I’m planning on going to college.” He said, looking at you.

“College, huh?” you said, trying to prompt him to keep talking, “anything in mind for that?”

“Marine Biology.” Jotaro said, closing his eyes, “I’ll be out on the ocean often after that. Lots of field research.” He said.

“That sounds interesting.” you said with a smile, “and being out on the ocean is really cool.”

“You could come with me.”

“Huh?” you asked, unsure if you misheard him.

“Come with me.” Jotaro said, looking into your eyes. He stepped closer, until there was only a couple of inches between the two of you.

Your breath hitched softly, “are you being serious right now?” you asked, studying his face, “What am I supposed to do while I’m waiting for you to be done with school?” you asked.

“The Speedwagon Association will hire you.” Jotaro answered without hesitation. Seems like he had thought about this, “I talked to the old man about it.”

You swallowed hard, meeting his gaze. “I..”

“You can give me your answer after we defeat Dio.” Jotaro cut you off before you could finish what you were going to say. “Just think about it.”

You nodded, swallowing hard. “Okay.”

Before you could realize what was happening, Jotaros face was obscuring your vision. He tilted up your chin with one hand, kissing you gently.

Your heart pounded in your chest. You could taste the cigarette on his lips. They were slightly chapped, but moved sweetly against your own. You reached out, bracing one hand against his muscled chest.

“Jotaro..” you muttered, slowly pulling away. You looked up, meeting his intense gaze. Before you could say anything, he pulled you against him, and kissed you again. One of Jotaros hands cupped the back of your neck, the other holding the small of your back.

You could help but melt against his broad chest, letting out a soft whimper as you kissed him, tasting the smoke on his breath. You leaned into the kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him down closer, lifting up on tiptoes to reach.

It was several long moments later when the two of you parted again. You were breathing hard, and Jotaros face was bright red. You pulled away, unsure if you should say anything.

“Jotaro..”

“We should head back before anyone else wakes up.” Jotaro said, putting out the cigarette before heading back inside.

Chapter Text

The next morning, you arrived in Cairo. You gave a yawn as you stepped off the train, raising your arms over your head in a stretch.

You were finally here, huh… you took a quick look around the train station. “Think Dio knows how close we are?” you asked, looking over at the others in your group.

“I doubt there's any way he couldn't know,” said Avdol, “but even though we’re close, Cairo is a vast city. We will have to search thoroughly, and work our way in towards the center.”

You nodded, letting out a sigh. Maybe the end of your journey wasn't quite as close as you believed.

The six of you climbed into a car, driving off towards the city. You were dropped off at the edge of the vast city, and began your search.

By the afternoon, the five of you were exhausted. You’d been walking around the city for hours, asking random people if they’d seen the building in the photo that Joseph's stand had produced. So far, you had no luck.

Morale was getting low, and you could tell, “Hey,” you said, “why don't we take a break?”

Joseph gave you a look.

“Just for 30 minutes. We can go grab a drink at a restaurant, okay?” You clarified, looking around at the others, “and while we’re in there, we can ask some of the patrons if they’ve seen that building, Okay?”

“I, for one, would like a cold drink,” Polnareff said, crossing his arms, “whether the rest of you come or not, I’m going.” and he started off for a nearby cafe.

The others shrugged a bit and everyone followed after him, going into the cafe, and going up to the bar at the front.

The barista turned as everyone approached, “Greetings, strangers. What can I get you?” he asked.

Joseph pulled the photos out of his wallet, “We have a couple questions first.” He said, placing the photos down on the bar, “We’re looking for this building. Have you seen it?”

“Stranger.” The man said, looking up at Joseph, “This is a cafe.” he gestured to the array of bottles behind him, “It is customary to order drinks before asking questions.”

Joseph nodded, “we’ll have five iced teas”. At the same moment, Avdol pulled out money, placing it onto the counter.

You would have liked to order for yourself, but you didn't bother to complain, iced tea was fine.

The barista looked at the photos as he poured the teas, finally pushing the drinks forward.

You reached for yours, taking a sip of it. It was so cold that it almost burned in comparison to the hot air. You held it between your hands, just savoring the cool feeling on your palms.

Beside you, the four men downed theirs immediately.

Alright then. Seems like they weren't planning on staying long. You quickly finished your drink as well, pushing the glass back towards the barista.

The man sighed, and pushed the photos back towards Joseph, “Never seen the place.” he said, turning away.

Joseph took the photos, heading to ask the rest of the patrons of the cafe, while you stood back with Polnareff.

“... it would probably just be easier if we got attacked. Then at least we could interrogate them.” you said with a sigh, leaning against a pillar.

“Right? Maybe they’re all scared or something.” Polnareff said, flashing you a grin.

You laughed, shaking your head, “maybe they’re all concealing themselves so we can’t take anyone hostage.”

“What a pain.”

After a while, Joseph walked back over, frowning, “let’s go ask somewhere else.”

Right as all of you were getting ready to leave, a voice called out to your group.

“I know where that building is.”

A man sat in the far corner of the cafe, shuffling cards, “ I’m rather familiar with it, actually.”

“You know where it is?” Joseph asked, stepping forward “You said you know where this building is?” He asked, approaching the table with the rest of you following behind him.

“Indeed.” the man said, spreading the cards out over the table in front of him, “I do know where that building is.”. The man was wearing a wine colored vest. He had broad shoulders, curly black hair, and the stupidest mustache you’ve ever seen. It was like a combination of a handlebar mustache and a horseshoe mustache. You wondered who told him that looked good.

“What? Really? What great news!” Joseph said, putting both hands on the table excitedly.

“Yes!” Polnareff yelled, pumping a fist into the air excitedly, “I can't believe we just stumbled upon someone who knows where it is!” he said, grinning.

You however, were not quite convinced. This guy was way too suspicious. He looked exactly like a stand user that Dio would send after your group. You didn't say anything yet though, letting Joseph handle it.

“Where is it?” Joseph asked, leaning forward, “Please tell us!”

The man smirked, spreading the cards he held out in front of him into a perfect circle. “You expect me to tell you that information for nothing in exchange?”

Joseph paused, then reached into his pocket, “you’ve got a point. Sorry about that.” He said, pulling a bill out of his pocket, extending it toward the man “Here's ten pounds, so where is it?”

The curly haired man put up a hand, chuckling softly. A card appeared between his fingers, “I am a gambling man.” He said, “A sucker for cheap thrills… you could even say I’m an addict.” he twirled the card between his fingers, “It’s how I make my living, you know… So tell me.” he looked at Joseph, “Do you like to gamble?”

“I’m not sure what you’re getting at,” Joseph said, frowning a bit.

This man was so clearly a stand user. You bit your lip, stepping forward and touching Joseph's arm to get his attention, “Joseph…”

“I’m talking about Gambling.” The curly haired man said, cutting you off before you could voice your concerns, “If you dont fancy it, just say so.”

“I’m saying that I’m not sure what you mean.” Joseph said again, brow furrowing.

“What I’m saying is, would you like to play a little game?” The curly haired man said, “ If you win, I’ll tell you the location of your building.” he leaned his chin into his palm, leaning casually against the table.

“You mean a bet?” Joseph asked, “Look, I’m a lucky guy, but we don't have time for poker right now.” He closed his eyes for a moment before reaching into his pocket again, “I’ll give you another twenty pounds, so tell us.”

“A bet can be anything.” the curly haired man said, grinning, “It won't take long.” he had a glint in his eye as he turned, “for example, take a look over there. See that cat?”

A little distance away, there was a tall terracotta wall, and a cat walking along the top of it.

The curly haired man picked up something off the table, tossing them out near the cat on the ground. “So, two pieces of dried fish…” He turned to face the group. “Which will the cat eat first?” He chuckled, “It’s simple, but oddly thrilling, isn't it?”

“Joseph,” you touched his arm again, “This guy is too suspicious… lets just find it on our own, okay?” you said, glancing at the curly haired man.

There was a bang. You turned to look, only to see Polnareff having slammed his fist against the table, glaring openly at the man, “Enough games!” He yelled, “Just take the thirty pounds and tell us, bastard!”

Joseph quickly moved to hold Polnareff back before he did something stupid. “Polnareff, that’s not the way you ask someone for a favor! Just calm down!”

“Polnareff, let’s just go, okay?” you begged, glancing at the curly haired man, who was looking awfully smug.

Polnareff broke away, slamming his open palm against the table, “Okay, fine! I’ll take the bet!” He yelled, “I pick the one on the right!” he pointed to it.

You groaned quietly, putting a hand to your forehead. Well… maybe Polnareff would win?

“Good!” The curly haired man said, grinning, “Now it’s getting fun… I’ll bet on the left!”

Jotaro and Avdol seemed to be speaking to each other, Avdol motioning you over when your eyes met.

You walked over, Jotaro meeting your eyes and then looking away, “Think he’s a Stand user?”

You nodded, crossing your arms. “I tried to say something.” you muttered, annoyed now.

“He could just be a compulsive gambler.” Avdol said, studying the scene laid out before you, “Either way, we’re all here. So we’ll stop him if he tries anything.”

At the table, Polnareff pointed over where the cat was, “so If I lose, what do I owe you?” He asked, grinning, “A hundred pounds?”

“I don't need money.” the curly haired man said, smirking at Polnareff, “How about your soul? Yes… your soul will do just fine.” He said with a chuckle.

“Eh?” Polnareff asked, faltering slightly, but just rolled his eyes, leaning his face into his hand.

“Sounds good?” The man asked.

“W-”

“Yeah, whatever.” Polnareff agreed before you could stop him, waving his hand dismissively.

“Are you stupid or something?” you asked, glaring at Polnareff. “You do realize this guy is probably an enemy stand user, right?” you stomped over, smacking him upside the back of his head.

Polnareff yelped, holding the back of his head and looking up at you, “Eh? A Stand user? He can't be a Stand user, or he would have already attacked us!”

“Are you serio-”

You were cut off as the curly haired man spoke, “The cat has taken notice of the fish.” He said.

The cat quickly ran over, heading for the piece on the right, but at the last second, it changed its mind, and went to the left one first. It grabbed it in its mouth, then grabbed the right one and scampered off.

The curly haired man turned, looking at Polnareff, then everyone else, “well? You all saw it. It took the left, then the right, and ran off with them.” he chuckled softly before declaring, “I win.”

“Nice going, Polnareff.” Joseph said, frowning, “Now how are we supposed to get the information out of him?”

“I think you’re missing the gravity of the situation…” you muttered, anxiety blooming in your chest. Polnareff just lost his soul to this man… What did that mean for him?

“Yes, they’re right…” the curly haired man grinned, “Now, then. As per our agreement, time to pay up.”

“Wait, what? Pay what?” Polnareff asked.

“Your soul.” the curly haired man said, pointing at Polnareff.

Polnareff went pale, looking at the man, “my soul? You’re joking, right?”

“There is no joke.” The curly haired man said, “That is indeed what you just wagered. Your soul… I am a stand user who steals souls!”

You let out a soft groan. You guessed an ‘I told you so’ would probably be inappropriate at this point, even as much as you wanted to say it.

“It’s much easier to take people's souls when they lose a bet.” He said, folding his hands together, “That’s when my Stand swoops in to take its prey!”

At that moment, his stand appeared, pulling something wispy and human shaped from Polnareff, who crumpled to the floor.

“Polnareff!” Jotaro yelled, turning towards the curly haired man, who merely held up his hand.

“Hold it! I wouldn't kill me if I were you. It’s too late!” he smirked, “If I die, Polnareff will die too!”

Avdol rushed to Polnareff's side, quickly pressing two fingers against Polnareff's neck, “He has no pulse! He’s dead! Polnareff is dead!”

You choked back a sob, staring wide eyed at where Polnareff lay limp on the floor. If only you tried harder to warn him. If only you were able to stop him… why did your last words to him have to be ones of anger? Tears began to spill down your cheeks.

The gamblers Stand began to mold the wisp in its hands, forming it down into a little chip with Polnareff's face on it before disappearing.

The man picked up the chip, “this is Polnareff's soul.” He said, “ Now Lord Dio has one less enemy to get in his way. What a fool your friend was…”

“You know, I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is D’Arby.” D’Arby said, leaning his chin into his palm. “D-A-R-B-Y. There’s an apostrophe after the D.”

As he finished speaking, the cat from before, the one Polnareff had bet on, jumped into D'arby's lap. “By the way. This is my cat.” D’Arby said, gesturing to it with a smirk.

Avdol stepped forward, grabbing D’Arby by the collar, yanking him out of his chair, “You bastard!”

Your eyes widened through your tears. You’d never seen Avdol so angry before, and you’d definitely never seen him lose his temper like this.

“How dare you! You call that a bet?!” Avdol yelled, “You cheating, son of a bi-”

“Cheating?” D’Arby cut Avdol off before he could finish his statement, “It’s his own fault for lacking the insight to consider all possibilities.” He smirked at Avdols' enraged expression, “You see, gambling is an analogy for man’s relationship with his fellow man. It’s a dance of deception. The one who cries loses.”

Avdol grit his teeth, raising his fist like he was going to hit D’Arby.

“Are you going to kill me?” D’Arby asked, a particularly smug look on his face, “Go right ahead… If you don't mind losing your friend’s soul, that is.” He said, displaying the chip boldly in Avdol's face.

“You listen to me.” Avdol snarled, “Don't think you’re walking out of here alive!”

“Do you remember what you were doing on September 22nd, 1984 at 11:15 p.m?

“What are you talking about?” Avdol growled, clearly losing his patience with the whole situation.

D’Arby quickly brushed Avdol off, taking a step back, “I remember quite clearly.” He said, “I was in California ,gambling against an American named Stephen moor.” D’Arby pulled out a book from his belongings as he spoke, “He said the same thing you just said.”

D’Arby flipped open the book, showing it was filled with Soul Chips just like the one Polnareff had been turned into. D’Arby pointed to one, “This is him. The chip below is his father, and the one next to him is his wife.” D’Arby held up Polnareff's chip, “If you want Polnareff's soul back, you have no choice but to continue playing our little game… So what will it be?”

You didn't care. You did not care. How could you care when your friend was dead, and the one who killed him was sitting in front of you so nonchalantly. He was the devil. You clenched your fists. You stormed over to the table, slamming your fists down against it.

“I’ll wager my soul!”

Chapter Text

D’Arby grinned, threading his fingers together and leaning his chin into them. “Oh? You’re going to wager your soul?” He asked, “Lord Dio won't be very happy with me when I steal your soul.”

“Your ‘Lord’ Dio can go to hell.” you snarled, glaring at the man in front of you.

“Ah… I see.” D’arby said tilting his head, “so you’ve chosen these people over Lord Dio?”

“Without question” You said, placing your hands flat against the table. “They are my friends. I would never choose anyone else above them.”

“Then I suppose Dio shouldn't care too much what happens to you.” D’Arby said, a smirk on his face, “So what kind of game would you like to play? What kind of bet shall we make?”

You clenched your fists, trying to think. You were not skilled at gambling… you weren't even good and playing card games. What was your best shot at actually winning a bet against a man who was obviously eager to cheat?

Joseph stepped forward, putting a hand on your shoulder, “ you don't have to do this. I’ll play his game.”

“No.” you said, smiling weakly up at Joseph. “I want to take care of this myself… avenge me if I mess up.” you said, before turning back to D’Arby.

“I could suggest something for us to play.” D’Arby said, “Unless you plan to keep stalling for time.”

You grit your teeth, glaring at the man, “shut up and let me think.” you muttered, wracking your brain. Something short and easy that D’Arby would have a hard time cheating at…

Well. What was better than a 50% chance?

“Coin toss.” you said, looking at D’Arby. “It's as easy as heads or tails. Good enough of a game for you?”

His brow twitched slightly, “A coin toss… Yes, that would be adequate.” he said, starting to reach into his pocket.

“No, not one of your coins.” you said, holding up a hand. You looked over at Avdol instead, “could you pull out a coin and do the flip for us?”

Avdol nodded, pulling a coin out of his pocket.

D’Arby’s brow twitched again. “To keep this completely fair, why don't we ask one of the patrons of the cafe to do the flip for us instead?”

You scoffed, shaking your head, “For all I know, you could have hired some of the people sitting in this cafe. People are much easier to pay off than animals.” you said, leaning back in your chair.

D’Arby raised his arms in a shrug, “well, if you’re that distrustful…” He said, smirking at you, “you must at least let me examine the coin to make sure it hasn't been tampered with.”

“... Fine.” you relented, shaking your head. You looked over at Avdol, giving him the go ahead.

Avdol came over, showing D’Arby the coin. D’Arby went to reach for the coin, but Avdol quickly pulled it out of his reach.

D’Arby scowled openly at you, but after a moment his smile returned, “Good, let’s continue.”

You let out a soft breath, anxiety filling your chest. “Avdol, flip the coin.” you said.

Avdol flipped the coin, catching and closing his hand around it. “Heads or tails,” he said.

“Tails.” D’Arby said.

“Heads.” you said, your voice wavering slightly.

You held your breath as Avdol opened his hands displaying…

“Tails.” Avdol muttered, looking almost horrified.

Feat clawed itself up your spine, paralyzing you. You felt like you couldn't breathe, tears welling up in your eyes. You had been so eager to risk your life for Polnareffs, but now…

You turned, locking eyes with Jotaro. Opening your mouth, trying to choke out the words before it was too late.

“Jotaro- I’m sor-”

Everything went black, you were bathed in ice before feeling nothing at all.

You awoke with a gasp, sitting bolt upright in your chair. What… What happened? You looked around for a moment, noticing Jotaro and Avdol looking down at you, concerned, “Seems like it worked.” Avdol said, looking back at Jotaro, “I can't believe you won!”

Jotaro nodded, his face stoic, but you could see the relief in his eyes.

You looked over, seeing D’Arby collapsed on the ground. “What did you do? Challenge him to a fist fight?” you asked weakly, starting to stand up from your chair.

Jotaro came over, putting a steadying hand on your back.

You glanced over, seeing Polnareff start to move around a little, then stand up, holding his head.

Your eyes widened, “Polnareff!” you stumbled a little, running over and hugging him tightly, “I’m so glad you’re okay!” you said, tearing up.

“Mh? Mon amour..” Polnareff muttered, hugging you back lightly, but then leaning back and cupping your cheek, “as if I could die that easily.”

“But you did die!” you protested, punching him lightly in the chest, still crying a little, “you asshole!”

Polnareff laughed a little, “I’m tougher than nails, chérie.” He muttered, stroking his thumb over your cheek.

You just punched him in the chest again before hugging him tightly once more.

The rest of the day proceeded without a hitch. You and the rest of the crusaders questioned people around the local area until it was dark out. Finally, someone suggested dinner, and the five of you went to a local restaurant. Once you had all finished eating, you headed for a hotel, Joseph getting a shared room for everyone. You started to follow everyone up the stairs, before a hand touched your shoulder.

You turned around, meeting eyes with Polnareff, who smiled down at you, “I want to take you somewhere, chérie” he said, reaching up and touching your hair gently.

Your face went bright red, glancing at his hand before nodding, “Uh.. Sure? Where are we going?” you asked.

“You’ll see.” He said, holding out his hand.

You smiled, but placed your hand in his. You trusted him.

Polnareff led you out of the hotel, and down the street. You looked around at the dimly lit streets, drinking in the local scenery. Polnareff squeezed your hand, and you gave his hand a squeeze in return.

You only walked a little while before the streets became a little brighter. You could hear music and chatter in the distance. There were decorative lamps and colorful flags waving in the air the closer you got to the noise.

The street you were walking slowly opened to a large and crowded plaza. There was a band playing music nearby, and people dancing together and chatting along happily. You stared with wide eyes, eagerly drinking in the festivities. “This is amazing..” you muttered, watching the people nearby dancing.

Polnareff smiled, following your gaze for a moment before stepping back, bowing and holding out his hand to you, “may I have this dance?”

You laughed, taking his hand. He pulled you out to where others were dancing, spinning you around in a more casual sort of waltz.

The songs were easy to dance to. Light and upbeat, keeping your attention. You could almost forget why you were here in Cairo. Polnareff kept your attention, twirling you around into a playful dip. You laughed happily and clung to him, having the absolute time of your life.

As the most recent song ended, instead starting a sweet and slow melody. You blushed, raising your gaze to Polnareffs nervously.

“Now why are you looking at me like that, amour?” Polnareff whispered, squeezing your hand. He gently pulled you close, his right hand finding the small of your back.

Your playful dance became something softer. Something more intimate. You leaned into polnareff gently, letting out a quiet content sigh. “Polnareff…”

He smiled down at you, “What is it, beau?” he asked, his voice soft/

“Thank you for this… seriously.” you said, leaning your head against his chest for a moment.

“You are welcome..” Polnareff said. There was silence for a minute or so before he spoke again. “Although, I am not entirely without motive.”

You looked back up at him, meeting those perfectly blue eyes of his. Your breath hitched softly, drawn in by his gaze, “ Motive?”

Polnareff seemed almost tentative now, opening his mouth, and then shutting it again, cursing quietly and averting his gaze away from you before muttering, “Pourquoi doit-il être si difficile de déclarer l'amour?”

You just tilted your head, looking up at him, waiting for him to continue.

He glanced down at you, his cheeks flushing. “Tu es juste trop magnifique. C'est comme regarder le soleil.” He muttered, “Et je sais que je ne suis pas le seul à le remarquer. Ne pense pas que je n'ai pas vu comment le reste de notre groupe te regarde.”

“Pol… you know I don't speak French..” you said quietly, but did not want to interrupt what he was saying.

“C'est trop douloureux à dire si je sais que tu comprends, mon amour.” he said with a little laugh, looking into your eyes in a way that made you shiver, “je t'aime. Ça me donne envie de te voler à tout le monde... surtout à cet écolier au chapeau.”

Your breath hitched softly. That one phrase sounded familiar, but you couldn't remember where you heard it before.

“(Y/N), I understand if your answer is ‘no’, however” He paused, averting his eyes nervously for a moment, “May I kiss you?”

Your eyes widened, a blush warming your cheeks. You wanted to kiss him. “Yes”

Polnareff leaned down, capturing your lips with his own. You leaned into the kiss, reaching up to pull him closer. He kissed you so tenderly, it made you feel like you were floating. When you finally pulled away, Polnareff instead planted his lips on the spot between your neck and shoulder before leaning back.

You were breathing rapidly. Your face felt hot, and you could only imagine the sight you must be, embarrassment washing over you.

“Do you want to keep dancing?” Polnareff asked, swaying you gently along to the music.

You gave a little nod, glancing back up at him demurely, “Only if you kiss me again.”

Polnareff chuckled, leaning back in for another kiss.

Chapter Text

The next morning, everyone returned to the hunt. You all asked around town a little more before coming across some men working on a roof.

“I’ll go ask.” Polnareff volunteered, climbing up the ladder to talk to the men. “Hey, have any of you seen the building in this photo?”

“The building in the picture?” One of the men said, taking the photo out of Polnareff's hand, squinting down at it, “I’ve been repairing roofs in Cairo for over 40 years, and I’ve never seen a place like this.”

Beside you, Joseph sighed audibly.

The roofer glanced at Polnareff before continuing, “Though, from the looks of it, this building was built about 100 years ago. I’d guess it’s somewhere South of here.” He pointed off into the distance, “The buildings in Cairo get older the farther south you go.”

“Huh… thanks.” Polnareff said, taking the photo back.

“Sorry I couldn’t be much help” The roofer said, getting back to work.

“No, Thanks, sir. Sorry to bother you.” Polnareff said, descending the ladder and turned to look at everyone, shaking his head a little.

Joseph sighed, rubbing the back of his neck for a moment, “I’m going to go make a call.” he said, walking over to a nearby payphone.

You sighed, looking at the others in your group, “When are we gonna catch a break?” you muttered, pushing the toe of your shoe against the dirt at your feet.

“I’m sure we’ll find it soon. We know it’s in this city. It’s only a matter of time.” Avdol muttered.

You nodded, but it didn't make you feel any better.

A couple minutes later, Joseph hung up the phone, walking back over towards where everyone was waiting, “I called Japan.” he said, his expression troubled, “My daughter’s much worse.” he pressed his lips together, brow furrowing, “She’s lost all her strength. She has three, maybe four days.”

Your eyes widened. That’s all the time you had left? Jotaro’s mother was really that sick? You glanced over at Jotaro, but his expression was unreadable.

Joseph stood there for a couple more moments before turning away, “I can feel it.”

“Feel what?” you asked, taking a step towards him.

“Dio is near.” Joseph muttered, “He’s hiding somewhere close by. He has to be around here somewhere.”

“We’ll find him, Joseph.” you said, frowning slightly, “Let’s keep moving. We’ll talk to everyone we can.”

Later, your group had wandered into the Market, talking to anyone you saw. It was tedious. Everyone you talked to said that they’d never seen the place before.

As you were all walking, you suddenly noticed Polnareff tense beside you, frowning. You turned to look at him, “What’s wrong?”

“Someone’s following us.” Polnareff said, glancing over his shoulder.

“You think?” Joseph asked, scanning your nearby surroundings before looking at Polnareff again, “Can you tell where they are?” He asked.

“I think so…” He muttered, looking over his shoulder again, “I’ll go check it out.”

You frowned, “Want backup?”

He shook his head, smirking at you, “I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Polnareff started to walk over, his stand appearing behind him. He disappeared from view.

You glanced over at Jotaro, crossing your arms, “Think he’ll be okay alone?” You asked, looking back towards where Polnareff disappeared to.

“Probably.” Jotaro muttered, but his eyes were trained on that corner.

Avdol shook his head, calling out, “Hey, Polnareff, did you find the guy following us?” There was only silence in response. Avdol frowned, and started heading that way.

You followed behind him, calling your stand. “Polnareff, what’s going on?”

“He isn’t answering,” Avdol muttered.

“Polnareff, answer us. Did you find out who was tailing us?” Joseph called.

As you rounded the corner with the others, you found Polnareff standing there casually, leaning against the wall.

“Oh. There you are.” Avdol said, brow furrowing, “What’s going on? Was someone following us?”

“Uh…” Polnareff muttered, seeming nervous.

“Polnareff, is something going on?”
“No.”
“Polnareff...”
“No one was following us. Guess it was just my imagination.”

“I see…” Avdol muttered, pointing a finger at Polnareff, “Then why are you standing there like that?”

Polnareff stiffened. He had an odd look on his face that you couldn't quite place.

“Oh, you know.. Just taking a wizz.” Polnareff said, laughing.

“What?” You asked, making a disgusted face, “That’s kind of gross.”

“You were peeing in the middle of the street?” Joseph asked, “you amaze me sometimes.” He said, but seemed like he also thought it was gross.

Polnareff winced a bit, looking between everyone and doing something weird with his tongue.

You squinted at him, “What are you doing?”

“Ah, well. You guys go on ahead.” Polnareff said, then made another strange motion with his tongue.

“All right then.” Avdol said and nodded, starting to turn away.

You quickly grabbed Avdol's arm, shaking your head silently. Something wasn’t right. “Come with us.” you said, “We shouldnt split up right now.”

Polnareff didn't say anything, but Joseph nodded and said, “What are you doing? Let’s go.”

“Wait..” Avdol said, “I think he’s signaling something behind.” Then his eyes widened dramatically.

“Wait, you don't mean-” Joseph yelled, stepping forward.

At that moment, a man stepped out from behind Polnareff, holding a gun to his head.

“Hol Horse?” Your eyes widened, staring at the man.

“Hey there Darlin’... Wasn’t tryin’ t’ make a whole production outta this…” He muttered, eying you up openly, “Listen’... an’ I’m only gonna say this once, got it?”

“We’re listening…” Joseph said, narrowing his eyes.

“I’m takin’ off… got a bad feelin’ I’m not gonna make it outta this fight alive… figure you’re my best shot of Dio not comin’ after me… so I’m here to give ya’ the location before I skip town.”

“And why would you do that?” you asked, watching him nervously.

“Didn’t I jus’ say? Dio’s gonna be after me. I’m tryin’ t’get outta this town before he realizes I’m not here t’kill ya. Believe me or not. I’m outta here after this.” Hol Horse said, shoving a piece of paper into Polnareff's pocket before backing off, quickly disappearing out of view.

“... Should we go after him?” Jotaro asked.

“I don't know… What if it’s a trap?” you muttered, “Think he could be lying?”

“It doesn't seem like it… either way, Polnareff, check your pocket.” Joseph said, pointing his finger at the other man.

Polnareff reached into his pocket, pulling out a scrap of paper, squinting at it. You came over, looking over his shoulder. It was a map. crudely drawn, but still understandable, with the streets labeled, and a star, which you could only assume was Dio’s mansion.

Avdol and Joseph came over, looking at it as well. Joseph went a little pale, “if this is right, We’re only a couple streets away.” He muttered, looking around a little.

“Should we go check it out?” you asked, brow furrowing.

“If we’re going to go, we should be ready to infiltrate the mansion.” Avdol said.

Joseph nodded in agreement.

Jotaro suddenly looked off down the street, “did you hear that?” he asked.

“Hear what?” Polnareff asked, following his gaze.

“Sounded like… someone calling out to us.” Jotaro muttered.

In the distance, someone stepped out of the shadows.

Kakyoin?

Chapter Text

Kakyoin stood at the end of the street. He smiled before pulling off the pair of sunglasses he had been wearing.

“Kakyoin!” everyone yelled in unison.

You ran over, practically tackling him in a tight hug. “Kakyoin! You’re back!”

Polnareff came over, hugging the red-head tightly as well, “Kakyoin! It’s good to see you, man!”

“Kakyoin, How are your eyes?” Avdol asked, grinning at him, “I’m glad you’re safe!”

“We missed you.” Joseph said, coming over, Jotaro behind him, a rare smile on his face, “were they able to treat you fully?”

“Yes, I’m fine now..” Kakyoin said, bowing his head in thanks to Joseph, “I’ve got a few scars, but my eyesight is back to normal.”

“That’s good..” you said, letting out a sigh of relief, smiling up at Kakyoin.

“Thank goodness.” Joseph muttered.

Kakyoin turned, making eye contact with Jotaro, “Jotaro. Good to see you.” He said, shaking Jotaro’s hand in a sort of greeting between friends.

At that moment, Iggy gave a short sort of bark. As if to say, “I hate to break up this reunion, but we have more pressing matters to deal with.”

“Right…” you looked at Kakyoin, “Hol Horse gave us the location of Dio’s mansion… he said he was done being involved.”

Kakyoin's face grew serious, “are we going now?”

You looked at Joseph, who nodded, glancing at Jotaro and Avdol, who also gave a little nod.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go?” Polnareff said.

Joseph looked at the map in his hand, then started to lead the way to where the map led, his expression resolute. Everyone followed behind, their intent clear in their footsteps.

As the seven of you drew closer to the point on the map, the air grew heavier. You broke out into a cold sweat despite the hot air. Your heart was beginning to pound. You looked at the others, wondering if they were feeling the same thing you were.

“Hey.. what is this?” muttered Polnareff, his face set in a grimace, “I’m getting goosebumps..” He wiped sweat from his brow, “there’s a feeling of oppressive doom…”

At the end of the road, you could see it. It was like your veins had turned to ice at the sight of it. That building.. It was the building in the photo… that was where Dio was hiding.

“This feeling.” Joseph said, eyes going wide, “This is an aura of evil!”

“This is it.” Jotaro said, “This is the mansion from the photo.”

“I cant believe Hol Horse was telling the truth.” Polnareff muttered.

There was a sinister aura enveloping the building before you. You could feel that the very embodiment of evil was within that mansion. This was the destination you had worked so hard to find. Finally within your grasp. All the tears, sadness, and rage you’d felt up until this point. Helping your friends in this final battle would make it worth it. You would make Dio pay for the things he did to you and to your friends. This was it.

“We’ve finally reached the end of our journey.” Joseph said, clenching his fists, “Are we ready?”

There were noises of agreement from everyone.

And with that, the seven of you entered the gate.

Joseph went a bit ahead, scouting the area carefully to make sure there were no stand users waiting nearby to attack.

You followed, sticking close to him, keeping an eye out for anything dangerous. Near the gate was a dead falcon. It looked like it had been shot… Poor thing. Dio’s henchmen were evil enough to kill even innocent birds…

“I can sense Dio in that building.” Joseph said, “However, if I can sense him, he can certainly sense all of us.” He let out a sigh, looking back at everyone, “Entering this mansion would be like walking into a trap. This is Dio’s territory.” Joseph looked a little troubled, “What should we do?”

Suddenly, the front door of the mansion swung open.

You quickly took a step back, calling your stand to keep on guard. Everyone else did the same… but the doorway was empty. That was an invitation if you ever saw one.

“Let’s do it… He knows we’re here. We might as well fight now. We’ll never have a better opportunity than this.” You said, clenching your fists. “I’m ready to do this.”

The others nodded, and you all headed for the door.

Polnareff was the first to peek his head inside the door. “Hey, look at this corridor. It looks like it goes on forever.”

You moved to look down the hall. It went on farther than you could even see. There was no way this was real, “This has to be some kind of trick.. Maybe an illusion created by a stand user?” you asked, brow furrowing.

“Don’t go through that door yet.” Joseph warned, “Dio’s probably got one or two Stand users left to fight us… The last thing we want is to get separated.”

At that moment, you saw something coming down the hallway towards you. You let out a gasp, “Guys- something’s coming!”

As it grew closer, you could see it was a man, floating a couple inches off the ground. He was rapidly approaching your group.

“He’s got to be a stand user-” Polnareff shouted, taking a step back, his whole body tensed.

The man stopped a little ways away from the entrance. He was dressed all in white, with his hair done up in some strange sort of beehive. The man bowed low, placing a hand on his chest, “Welcome.” He said, looking over at your group, “Mister Joestar, we’ve been expecting you.” His eyes landed on you, “oho… (Y/N).. I see you’ve returned as well…”

You grit your teeth, “Only to kill Dio!”

“Is that your final answer?” He asked, staring into your eyes.

You nodded, clenching your fists.

“I see…” The man nodded, “back to business then… I am the butler of this house. My name is D’Arby.”

You jolted. D’Arby? Wasn’t that the name of the other man you encountered recently? The gambler?

“D’Arby?” Jotaro asked, seeming to come to the same conclusion as you.

“Yes. My name is Terence T. D’Arby.” D’Arby gave another little bow, “The D’Arby whom you defeated is my older brother.”

You jolted, eyes going wide, “So… you want to avenge your brother then?”

D’Arby moved to the side of the hallway, “No, of course not.” He said, seeming almost amused by the conclusion you reached. “I would never do anything of the sort.” D’Arby bowed low, looking up at you, “Did my brother not share with you his personal motto?” He straightened out of the bow, “The deceived, not the deceiver, holds the blame.” He said, “It’s an adage I hold dear, as well. My brother lost. He is the wrongdoer. I hold no grudge towards you people. My brother is my brother, And I am me. We are two different people.”

He was saying all this, but you weren't convinced, just keeping your guard up for now. He might just be trying to get you to let your guard down before he attacks.

“My brother and I are ten years apart.” D’Arby said, averting his eyes almost as if he were embarrassed by that detail, “but we are of different generations. My brother tried to win by deception. He is old-fashioned.” D’Arby smirked a bit, “He could win against only the outmoded and the inexperienced.” His smirk turned to a full grin now, “Master Dio realized that as well, which is why he kept me by his side and made me his butler.”

This man sure did love to talk a lot, didn't he? Just straight up telling you his entire backstory.

D’Arby glanced over at you, narrowing his eyes for a moment before smiling, “if you wish to fight me, then I invite you to enter our manor.

“Stay on guard, everyone.” Avdol said, staring down D’Arby.

“We don't have time for games.” Said Jotaro, “Take us to Dio!” He pointed a finger at D’Arby.

At that moment, D’Arby’s stand began to appear.

“Jotaro! Be careful! His Stand is appearing!” Joseph yelled.

You called for your stand, ready to strike if D’Arby tried anything.

D’Arby’s Stand appeared, hovering behind him, but not doing anything just yet.

“He brought out his Stand.. What should we do?” Polnareff asked, brow furrowing.

“Come on, Who shall be my first opponent?” D’Arby said, clearly trying to encourage one of you to strike.

“Forget that!” Polnareff yelled, pointing his finger at the man, “Jotaro, hurry up and take him down!”

Jotaro nodded, stepping through the doorway, Star Platinum appearing behind him menacingly.

Before he could though, D’Arby pointed his finger at Jotaro, “I’ll bet you Star Platinum will first attack with his left arm.”

Jotaro made a shocked noise, brow furrowing.

Wait.. was D’Arby right? You looked at Jotaro, seeing the confused look on his face. With Jotaro’s reaction, you could only imagine it was right… but how could he possibly know that? \

“His first attack will be a punch thrown with his left arm.” D’Arby clarified, smirking, “How much shall we bet on it?”

“It doesn't matter!” Polnareff yelled, “One punch is all it takes!”

“Yeah, Jotaro, don't let him psyche you out!” You yelled, clenching your fists, “Hit him!”

“ORRA!” Star Platinum screamed, attacking with his right hand. But… the punch didn't hit. D’Arby’s stand moved faster than you could even see.

“He dodged it?!” Joseph yelled, eyes wide.

“How..?” you muttered, how was there a stand faster than Jotaro?

You could only see his back, but you could tell Jotaro was tense. He set his shoulders, but before he could attack again, D’Arby’s stand grabbed Star Platinum's wrist.

“Seems like I lost the bet… Well, in exchange, I’ll take you somewhere interesting…” D’Arby said, his Stand tightening its grip.

Jotaro tried to yank his hand away, but to no avail. Before he could react, a pit opened up underneath them. Jotaro was dragged in by D’Arby.

“It was a trap!” Avdol yelled

Joseph and Kakyoin stepped forward, quickly using Hermit Purple and Hierophant Green respectively to try and grab onto Jotaro. Though before they could pull him out, D’Arby grinned, grabbing onto both of them, “Guess I have no choice, you two will have to come as well.” and dragged both Joseph and Kakyoin into the abyss as well.

“Joseph, Kakyoin!” you yelled, starting to follow before you were held back by Avdol.

“Wait! It’s too dangerous to go in after them!” Avdol said, holding you back. The abyss Jotaro, Kakyoin and Joseph were dragged slowly closed.

“Avdol!” Joseph's voice came from the closing void, “If you don't hear from us in ten minutes, torch that mansion!” and with that, the void closed, disappearing completely.

Your eyes went wide, staring blankly at the floor where your friends had disappeared. You were left alone with Avdol, Polnareff and Iggy. Avdol set his hand on your shoulder comfortingly, but didnt say anything.

“So we just sit here and wait then?” Polnareff said, clenching his fists. “How can he just expect us to sit here and wait?”

“... I dont know…” you muttered, “I want to rush right in and fight… but…”

“We should wait…It’s no good to be separated…” Avdol said, grimacing.

You turned away from the front door, deciding to keep watch to make sure no one snuck up from the back. “Fine. let’s just wait then.”

The next ten minutes were agonizing. Never had time passed so slow for you. But slowly, the seconds ticked past, until Avdo spoke up.

“The ten minutes are up.”

You stood up, biting your lip. They had not returned yet… “Now what?”

Avdol looked between you and Polnareff before shaking his head, “Mister Joestar said to set the mansion ablaze, but I say we go in after them.”

You nodded, “I agree.”

“Yeah.” Polnareff agreed. He stepped towards the door, but Avdol spoke, stopping him.

“Before we proceed, there’s something I need to say to you three.” Avdol said, “If you lose your way or are injured and can't go on, I will not save you.”

You grimaced. Of course you knew that was the reality of going into battle. But it still hurts to hear it out loud.

“I know it sounds cruel, but we’ve come here to defeat Dio.” Avdol continued, “If I become injured or separated from you, promise me you won’t attempt to save me either. You must think of your own safety first and foremost.” Avdol shook his head, “We can't let ourselves get killed trying to save one another.”

“Yeah, I got it, Avdol” Polnareff said, his face unreadable. “If we get out of here, let's all go out and get dinner, got it?”

Avdol looked at you, and you shook your head, “I refuse to make a promise I can't keep.” you said, clenching your fists. “You are all very important to me. I don't want to see anyone die here.”

Avdol closed his eyes, brow furrowed. When he opened his eyes, his gaze had softened slightly, “I understand, (Y/N)”

And with that, the four of you stepped through the doorway.

Polnareff called Silver Chariot, using it to check the ground in the hallway, making sure that hole wasn’t still there. Once he confirmed it was safe, he quickly went in, followed by you, Avdol, and Iggy, glancing down one of the hallways.

You followed, looking down what you thought was a hallway, but actually opened up into a strange labyrinth.

“What should we do?” Polnareff whispered, “It looks like it goes on forever.”

“I know Mister Joestar told us to set the mansion on fire, but this structure is an immense labyrinth.” Avdol said, “Setting it alight would put us all in grave danger.”

You nodded. That made sense.. You could likely end up trapped due to the fire.

“Instead.. Magician’s Red!” Avdol yelled, calling his Stand. It appeared in front of him in a flurry of flames and sparks. Magician Red clapped its hands together, and What looked like a giant jack appeared, each end holding a ball of flame.

“What is that?” you asked, looking at the jack that slowly floated out in front of your group.

“The flames detect lifeforms.” Avdol said, “They will sense anything that breathes, human or animal. They can even detect cutaneous respiration and minute movements.” He turned to look back at you, “They will also sense a Stand’s energy. We’ll use the flames to safely lead the way.”

Avdol began to follow after the jack, having it float out in front of him.

“So, why are there six points?” Polnareff asked, following next to Avdol.

“There is a flame for each of the four directions, as well for the space above and below us.” Avdol said, “If something is hidden within fifteen meters, regardless of size, the flames will detect its presence.”

“That makes sense.” you said, nodding to yourself, “Fifteen meters is a pretty big radius. At least nothing can sneak up on us.”

The four of you came upon staircases, one leading up, and the other down.

“Mister Joestar and the others were pulled below us.” Avdol said as the jack led the way towards the staircase leading down, “Let’s head down.”

Halfway down the stairs, two of the ends of the flame suddenly sparked, shining brightly towards the front left.

Avdol's eyes widened, “The flames already picked up something. There’s something in front of us to the left.”

You looked in that direction, but the only thing that was there was a stone pillar, “The pillar?”

Iggy sniffed the air before growling softly. His stand appeared out of the ground, attacking the pillar there without hesitation.

You gasped as the pillar shattered in front of you, revealing a now dead stand user. He fell to the ground, blood spreading out underneath his corpse.

“What was that guy doing in there?” Polnareff yelled, eyes wide.

“Look!” Avdol yelled.

You looked around, the Labyrinth around you was slowly fading away, revealing a totally normal looking parlor.

“The maze is gone!” Polnareff said, looking around incredulously.

“It must have been his Stand that created the illusion.” Avdol said, stepping forward and looking around. “When Iggy killed him, it vanished. The mansion is back to normal. For now, at least, the flames are not detecting anything else.” Avdol stepped forward, turning towards Polnareff, “where to now? Should we look for another staircase down?”

You knew this wasn't going to be easy, but it was really nerve wracking… at least Avdol's Stand would let you know if any Stands were coming.

You sighed, leaning against a pillar next to you. At least you knew this pillar was real… right? You looked over at it, noticing something scratched into the surface. You squinted at it, leaning forward to read it.

[HE WHO READS THIS CARVING AND TURNS ABACK SHALL PERISH]

Fear clawed itself up your spine, your breathing going ragged.

Perish?

You looked at Avdol and Polnareff who were standing so close in front of you… Avdol's fire had not reacted, and Iggy wasn’t reacting either… What did that mean?

You wet your lips, holding your breath as you looked over your shoulder.

There was something there. A Stand! Why hasn't anyone sensed it?!

It lunged forward towards you, and you did the only thing you could do.

“Polnareff! Avdol! Watch out!” you yelled, shoving them both out of the way.

You were swallowed up by darkness. The last thing you heard was Avdol and Polnareff screaming your name.

Chapter Text

You opened your eyes to the sound of the radio playing. You gave a slow stretch before sitting up, rubbing your eyes.

[Mori-Mori-Mori-Mori Morioh Cho Radio! (Morioh Cho radio)]

You got up out of bed, going to your closet to pick out something to wear.

[Good Morning. This is Morioh Radio. I’ll be at your service today. I’m your neighbor, Kai Harada.]

You pulled it out of your closet. Your highschool uniform for this year. You were excited to finally be going to a new school, where new adventures awaited you.

[What a lovely morning today, in the lovely year of 1999. How about we listen to a song that fits this mood?]

You quickly got ready and went downstairs. Breakfast was a simple piece of toast, and a bottle of orange juice. You didn't have time to enjoy it though. You were running late for your first day, so you hurried out of your apartment, and headed down the road to where the buses were to take students to the nearby highschool.

The walk was a short one. The closer you got to the plaza, the more students you saw gathered. It was reassuring knowing that you at least wouldn't be alone on your way to and from school.

You were looking around as you walked, not paying attention, when you bumped into someone, falling onto your butt with a little yelp.

You looked up, meeting eyes with a tall black haired man, dressed entirely in white, and a long, red haired man, wearing sunglasses. Their eyes widened as they looked down at you, seeming unable to speak.

There was something so familiar about the two men that you could not place. Like you’d seen them in a dream before. Something about them was making your heart pound like it had never done before. You couldn't even breathe.

Finally, the man in all white finally spoke.

“...(Y/N)?”