Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Louise Vuitton gazed out the window of her therapist’s office, it was a sunny day outside. Kids were playing in the street, a gull squawked as it flew in the clear sky. It was such a pleasant day. She lost herself in the clouds to escape from facing the matter at hand. It had been 13 years since she had stepped foot in Egypt. Her therapist’s voice echoed through her trance, making her snap out of it.

“Miss Vuitton. I know this is hard for you, but I can’t help if you aren’t able to tell me anything. I’m going to ask again, what happened during the fall of 1989? You’ve been avoiding this for a while, you know we had to get to it eventually.” 

She had no clue what to say to him. Even after telling him bits and pieces of the events, it was still difficult. The cold voice that caused shivers down her spine, the large, dominating structure with flowing blond hair that haunted her dreams and those eyes. They were enough to make you freeze in place. If looks could kill, she would have died back then. In fact, she almost did. As luck would have it, she survived, but at what cost? In her mind, it was anything but lucky.

“Start from the beginning. Take as much time as you need.” 

She felt more at ease that her therapist was as patient as he was. Louise took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself and let the memories flood through once again.

1989

“It was my final year of high school, I was living the teenage dream. I was loved by the majority of my peers, I was in the top 5 of my entire school and I had many scholarships from the top universities in Japan and I haven’t even graduated yet. Everything was perfect. That was until that bastard showed up.”

Louise walked to school, minding her own business. There were birds chirping and Sakura petals falling to the ground. She felt a sense of peace until her mood suddenly soured. Louise scoffed at the same tiring sight. There he was, Jotaro being surrounded by his posse of fan girls like always. Their shrill shrieks made her ears ring from how annoying they were. It was made worse by the fact that she detested Jotaro and didn’t see him as someone worth the time of day for her or anyone else. He was a delinquent, always coming to school whenever he wanted and caused a ruckus everywhere he went. In summary, Jotaro Kujo was a punk and in her perfect world, he was a nuisance.

“SHUT UP! I DON’T WANNA HEAR YOUR ANNOYING VOICES DAMN IT!” He shouted, followed by a mass of squeals. 

Louise rolled her eyes, trying to brush it off. She didn’t know which was worse, Kujo being a belligerent jerk to every person he interacts with or the various girls encouraging it by falling into his arms. It was hard to understand the appeal. If she was in their shoes, she would have smacked him with her pink, crocodile skin Birkin bag. 

‘Who does he think he is?!?’ She thought.

Her Mary Jane pumps made a noticeable clack against the sidewalk of the school, causing those who passed by to direct their attention to her. She had her chin held up high as she walked with her blue eyes closed and a straight posture, making sure to walk as proper as possible. Her graceful steps reinforced the aura of perfection she projected. Louise’s blonde curls fell flawlessly into place, the back of her hand brushing them away from her face. 

“Tch, spoiled brat…” Jotaro muttered under his breath, pulling down his hat.

‘The hell did that asshat just say?!?! Just ignore him, just ignore him. He’s not worth getting worked up over. It’s FINE!’ She felt her blood boil just from a few words alone. She loathed that a delinquent would have this much effect on her. She was about to talk back before someone touched her shoulder, extinguishing her fury. It was her closest friend, Yui greeting her with a cheery smile that could melt anyone’s negative feelings away.

“Hey, Lou! I didn’t see you this morning, were you hiding from me?” She teased, bumping her arm with a gentle nudge. 

“Oh no Papa insisted on our chauffeur driving me today. Otherwise we would’ve walked to school together, sorry about that, Yui.” 

Yui just shrugged, laughing without a sign of resentment. 

“Don’t worry about it! Oh speaking of your dad, how's he doing? Did they find out if that thing on his head was a tumour?

“Hm? Oh no Papa said he went to the doctor and they said it was nothing to worry about” Louise's stomach churned. She had a feeling it wasn't as light as he was making it out to be.

"Oh, that's a relief. I’m glad it’s nothing. Say, are you going to the spring festival this year? I was planning to have my boyfriend come too and we can all catch some koi to bring home. He’s really good at it! Maybe you can invite Touji so it can be a double date”

“No thanks, I’ll pass. I’ll just end up becoming the third wheel, Touji and I broke up yesterday” Louise felt herself getting annoyed by Yui bringing it up. She knew that she meant no harm, but she wished that her friend could read the room just a little

“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t know.” She looked down in shame before Louise nudged her shoulder

“It’s alright, he wasn’t really anything special anyways. Can you believe he asked me to pay for dinner? Unbelievable!” Louise huffed dramatically, raising her chin up

Yui giggled, finding Louise’s primadonna ways to be amusing. They chatted for a bit until it was time for them to part ways and head to their assigned classes. She walked into her Chemistry class, sitting in her regular seat which was right behind Jotaro’s desk. If it wasn’t assigned by their teacher to be seated there, she would have avoided sitting near that asshole within a 20 feet radius. Unfortunately, she had to listen to the noisy babble of his groupies everyday. ‘Oh, JoJo, you look so handsome today! JoJo, your muscles are so big. JoJo, you’re so mysterious and dreamy! BLAH BLAH BLAH!’ No matter what happened it was always about Jotaro, it’s like they were dolls programmed to only talk about one thing. She thought that she would finally have a peaceful day now that he decided to not attend his classes for the 5th time in a row and this time, he was back after being absent 4 days ago. But of course, they had to ruin that too.

“Did you hear about JoJo? He almost fell down the stairs this morning, he had a huge gash on his leg!”

“Oh my God, really?! I should have gotten up a bit earlier, I could have tended to his wounds!”

“Shut your mouth, you tramp!”

“Hey, don’t be mad that I’m making a move! Are you scared that I’ll steal him from you?”

“In your dreams! JoJo wouldn’t date a girl like you!”

“Did you see that new kid earlier too? He was so cute! I love his unique red hair”

“Yeah, but he’s not as cute as JoJo. I like him way more!”

“Me too!”

“Same here!”

They kept droning on and on, so much so that it made her head hurt. She covered her ears, keeping her head down until their teacher told them to settle down much to her relief. At long last, the classroom was quiet. For those brief moments, the only sounds were the teacher’s lectures and the ticking of the clock. Louise jotted down some notes, her mind was at ease. Until, all of a sudden, a resounding boom echoed throughout the whole building, smashing all the windows and glassware. The shards flew towards the students, causing them to scream. Louise ducked under her desk to avoid the raining glass, curling her body up underneath. Due to sheer luck, no one had any serious injuries to speak of. Students started to help out their fellow peers by pulling them out of the wreckage.

“Lou, are you okay?” A fellow classmate asked, dragging her away from the dangerous site.

She nodded, letting go of his hand without a second longer. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a recognizable figure walking outside the school building with a random body on his shoulder. Louise ran towards the stairs of the school, holding onto the rails to prevent her from slipping down the steps. Once she was outside, she sprinted towards him and stopped a couple metres away. On closer inspection, she was able to spot the boy’s red hair. She realised it was that new kid Jotaro’s fangirls were gushing about. Louise called Jotaro by name, determined to get answers from him, consequences be damned.

“Hey! Kujo! Stop right there! What are you doing carrying that guy around?! I’ll have you know, I can call the police on you if you’re doing shady things during school hours!” 

Jotaro said nothing, glaring at her with a hardened gaze as he kept walking. She dialled the emergency line before something grabbed onto her wrists, taking her by surprise. Its grasp was strong, the invisible force was so powerful that it could have pulverized her hand if she didn’t let go of her NEC 9A handheld. The phone flew out of her hands and fell before she could catch it. It clattered on the stone path, being crushed into pieces seconds later. She cried out, bending down to pick up the pieces of the damaged phone.

‘Oh God, no! That was expensive!’ Louise grasped her head, dreading the lecture from her father when she got home.

As the distance between her Jotaro drifted further apart, the force pulled away. She put two and two together and pinpointed the effect to be from that brooding jackass in front of her. Her fists clenched and she took one step on the pavement, pausing immediately. She noticed a weird flesh bud on the new kid’s forehead. It was akin to one that was on her father’s head she observed a week ago. 

‘Is Kujo somehow related to Papa’s recent condition? He’s a dickhead, yes. But I never thought he would be that malicious. This is just taking it way too far!’ Once again, She felt her body shake with her muscles tensing up.

Louise planned to follow him until her family’s Rolls Royce car arrived in front of the gates, their chauffeur emerging from the other side. 

“Ren, what are you doing here so early?” She asked, puzzled beyond belief.

“Hurry! Your father asked me to pick you up, he said it was a matter of importance. Get inside.” 

She tilted her head, getting in the car. As soon as she was inside, her body was forcibly thrown against the seats while Ren skidded down the road without prior notice.

“Slow down, Ren! What’s this about?” She clutched the white, ostrich leather seats, her manicured nails digging into the material.

“It’s your father. He said it’s urgent. Apparently, there’s a bunch of people coming after you and on top of that his condition has worsened! When I left he was on the ground clutching his forehead and told me to go get you and to make it fast.”

Louise felt her blood run cold. She thought back to a few minutes ago, when she saw that brute Jotaro carrying a beat up boy with the same bump on his head as her father’s. Louise swallowed a lump in her throat, her heart was racing. She knew that something was wrong with him, but didn’t expect it to take a turn for the worse. She grabbed onto her seatbelt strap, having only one thing in her mind. She hesitated for a moment, shaking off her worries

“Ren, take me to this address…” She showed him the pad where she wrote down Jotaro’s residence area that she heard from his boisterous fangirls. 

“What?! Miss Vuitton, you know I cannot go against your father’s orders-” 

“Just trust me!” Louise interrupted him mid-sentence.

She didn’t think it would come in handy nor was she certain that was where he lived, but she had to count on what she was given. She crossed her fingers, biting her tongue as he turned the car in the other direction.

“Now is not the time to see your friends, this is urgent! We are going home right now whether you want to or not and that’s final!”

“Do you want my father to die?! I know the man responsible for this and if we don’t go to stop him then who knows what else he’ll do? Just take me to this address, I want to see if it’s truly where he lives so we can call the police and they can take care of it.” Louise lied. She had no intention of calling the police, instead she was going to give Jotaro a piece of her mind. She had enough of him and if he’s behind her father’s condition she’s willing to take him down a peg. Even if he had some supernatural force at his disposal she didn’t care, he already crossed the line!

“Fine. As you wish, Miss Vuitton…” They sped off towards the given address, Ren’s knuckles turning white from his tight grip.

She fought the urge to nibble on her nails, looking out the window. Before she knew it, the car stopped abruptly in front of a gate. With no time to lose, she left the car and knocked on the door. What she didn’t expect was for a sweet woman to be behind the gates, a friendly smile on her face.

“Oh, hello! Are you one of Jotaro’s friends? I’m Jotaro’s mom. I’m sorry, dear, but he’s busy right now…studying! Yes, studying! You know how busy Jotaro is, well I’ll let him know you stopped by. I apologise for the inconvenience.” 

“Wait, Mrs. Kujo.” Louise caught her attention just before she closed the gate again. “I apologise for bothering you, but I need to speak to him immediately.” Out of respect for his mother, she was biting her tongue to stop herself from cursing in front of the approachable lady. How could someone presumably so sweet create a demonic hellspawn?

“He can’t, dear. I’m afraid that you’ll have to leave.” The woman tried to be firm, but it was clear that being strict was not her strong suit. 

Louise grit her teeth, slamming the door open to force her way inside. Mrs. Kujo tried to run after her, but she was light on her feet. Ren frantically followed suit after Louise but he was locked out. She didn’t want to have to resort to trespassing, but when it comes to her family, it was fair game. It was either his life or her dignity. She noticed a group inside one of the rooms of the large estate and rushed right in, unannounced. The group gazed up towards her direction. She looked at the person they were surrounding, it was Jotaro. He was holding the transfer student’s head in place while focusing intensely on the bud on his forehead. There was no doubt in her mind now, Jotaro was the culprit and he needed to pay!

“Holly! Who’s this?!? I thought I told you to not let anyone inside!” The old man shouted, having no regards to the people around him. Apparently no one ever told him to use his inside voice. 

“I’m so sorry, Papa! But she was too fast!” Holly panicked, clutching her chest.

Louise gasped, preparing to cause an uproar and was stomping towards Jotaro until her mouth was covered by a man behind her. He wore orange robes, bearing gold jewelry around his neck and his wrists

“Good job, Avdol! Now that she’s quiet, my grandson can finally pull the damn thing out! Holly! Just get the first aid kit, we’ll handle this!” The old man bellowed, tone-deaf to his environment. Holly nodded, rushing to find a med kit. Louise was infuriated. She wanted to save her dad, but could not do anything about it as her screams were muffled and she was restrained.

“Great. The royal brat showed up. Just what we needed.” He thought aloud, gritting his teeth as he tried to concentrate on the dire situation. 

“Do me a favour and shut your mouth... I’m kinda busy here.” He said, causing her to give him a dirty look as she kicked the man restricting her.

Jotaro narrowed his eyes, holding the boy’s face in between his hands. Out of the blue, the flesh bud began to move without using his hands. It seemed to float up for a brief moment before one of its tentacles injected itself into his body, travelling from his arm up to his neck. He kept his cool, his eyes being the only indication of the pain. The group around him cried out his name to plead with him to stop. Louise felt her stomach churn, worried for his well being which shocked her to say the least.

‘What the hell? Am I actually worried about Jotaro Kujo’s safety?... Yeah right, when hell freezes over!’ She thought to herself, watching the scene unfold. 

“W-what are you?” The boy opened his eyes, confused. He didn’t know why the man he just tried to kill would risk his life for him. He was at a loss for words. 

“Don’t move a muscle. The less you struggle, the easier I can pull this out without damaging your brain.” The bud kept getting closer towards Jotaro’s brain, despite this he did not tremble and kept pulling it out without so much as a twitch. 

“Wait, JoJo! Stop! It’s already past your neck-” Avdol called out, being blocked by the old man. He grasped the young lady in his arms a bit too tightly, garnering some muffled complaints from her.

“Hold it, Avdol. My grandson knows exactly what he’s doing. Star Platinum’s more precise than any surgeon. His hand is as steady as a martial artist,” The old man said with confidence.

Jotaro yanked the bud with an invisible force that was both powerful and precise, the sickening thing flew away from his hand and landed near the old man.

“Overdrive!” His hands were surrounded by lightning bolts for a split second, disintegrating it once and for all. 

The boy sat up, touching the wound that used to house the very thing that clouded his judgement. Jotaro walked away like nothing happened, looking out into his home’s garden. Louise was finally able to break free from Avdol’s grip. She watched their short exchange, lacking the ability to speak.

“W-Why would you risk so much just to save someone like me?” The boy stared at Jotaro’s back with deep regret reflected in his violet eyes, disgusted by his actions. 

“I dunno. I just felt like it, that’s all.” Jotaro shrugged, brushing it off.

Louise realised that she got it all wrong. Even if Jotaro was rude, he meant no real harm. He was someone she could trust to help her. She swallowed her pride, dragging her feet within Jotaro’s direction. She played with the white ribbon of her school uniform, clenching her jaw as the words struggled to come out of her mouth. 

“Hey. Jotaro? I’m really sorry I judged you unfairly. I know you don’t like me and to be honest I really don’t like you either.” She hesitated, looking away from him as soon as he turned around.

“But. I need your help. My father also has the same lump on his forehead and he’s been acting uncharacteristically since then. He’s been more aggressive and paranoid, I’m scared that he’ll die. Please. I’m begging you. Please help him.” It was humiliating for Louise to bring herself down on her knees, but she had no choice.

“Good grief. You’re damn lucky that I’m in a good mood today, helping a bitch like you was not on my wish list.” Jotaro pulled down his signature hat.

Her blood boiled, she felt completely disrespected. Here she was, already humbling herself to him and he still had a word to say about it. She would say she was surprised if she didn’t know what kind of punk she was dealing with. Usually, she would have argued with him, but now was not the time. She ignored him, heading out the front gate to find Ren desperately trying to reach her phone. He breathed out a relieved sigh, glaring at Louise.

“You have got a lot of explaining to do, young lady. I was trying to call you.” He tapped his foot, crossing his arms.

“My phone’s broken, okay? But we have other things to worry about. I found someone who can help Papa.” As soon as she finished talking, three men with broad builds appeared behind her.

“You can’t be serious. Miss Vuitton, we don’t have enough room for guests! Unless they’re paramedics, they can't come with us!” Ren was about to lose it. He had already gone through the trouble of deviating from his initial orders and didn’t want to be pushed around any longer.

“Look, we don't have any time to waste. These flesh buds can get real nasty, you can ask the guy sitting on the floor of my house right now. If you want to wait on paramedics to get here and then have them take forever to perform surgery then be my guest. That bud’ll shred his brain by the time they get him on the operating table but I can remove it in a few minutes. The brat saw me do it so if you want to keep Mr. Vuitton alive, I recommend letting us hitch a ride.” Jotaro gave him a thousand yard stare, causing the smaller man to yelp.

“Erm… Alright, fine! I’ll take you to the Vuitton estate.” His voice cracked before clearing his throat. Ren opened the door of the white car, the men squeezing themselves in with Lou.

“Wow, this is one sick ride! Needs a bit more space though. I’m Joseph Joestar, this little punk right here is my grandson, Jotaro Kujo and this is my friend, Muhammad Avdol! Say, is this a Rolls Royce?” Joseph had a shit-eating grin on his face, shoving his entire body inside the car much to Avdol’s dismay

“Nice to meet you all…Yes, it is. The Vuittons have fine tastes.” Ren gave an exasperated sigh, stepping on the gas as they rode away.

“I can tell. By the way, I'm a realtor in New York City. If your boss is interested in owning some real estate in America, I’m your man!” 

“Good grief, old man. Now’s not the time to be advertising your goddamn company.” Jotaro rolled his eyes, curling his body to take less space. For once, he said something that Louise can agree with. 

“Oh right sorry I erm… Forgot hehe….” Joseph laughed sheepishly, his hand smacking Avdol in the face.

“Mr. Joestar, please mind where you’re moving your hand…Your prosthesis is made out of metal, not fluff.” Avdol rubbed his nose, glaring at the old man beside him

“Oops, sorry about that, Avdol.” 

‘So these are really the men I’m trusting with my father’s life huh?... What was I thinking?’ Louise covered her face in her hands, sinking in her seat with a disgruntled look. 

The car ride was agonisingly silent for the rest of the trip; Louise had a lot of time to think about her concerns. She hoped that whatever Jotaro had in store was enough to save her father. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt, unable to relax as her worries brewed over. If someone were to tell her a week ago that she would need to ask a favour from everyone’s favourite delinquent, she would have told them they were the biggest moron on the face of the planet. But there she is, relying on him to save her father’s life. The ride lasted for what felt like forever, until the car stopped in front of a fancy gateway. The gates opened on their own and let them inside. The estate was 3 stories high and wide as far as the eye could see, being decorated with the finest materials like marble and gold. It looked like a palace fit for a king. Ren unlocked the doors and escorted them into the mansion, walking as fast as he could to get to Mr. Vuitton. He stopped at a set of double doors, ramming them open to find Mr. Vuitton on the ground. His other daughter surrounded him, trying to wake him up.

“Papa!” Louise screamed, rushing towards him. The rest of the group made their way in.

“Louise, who are these people?” Her older sister, Belladonna, narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She cradled their father’s head in her lap, shifting slightly away from the strange men.

“They’re here to help.” Louise moved out of the way, pulling her sister from the scene to let Jotaro have a closer look. She silenced her complaints by putting a finger to her lips.

Jotaro approached Louise’s father and grabbed his head. Romeo jolted and tried to move away but Jotaro kept holding his head back in place.

“Agh! W-who are you people? What do you think you’re doing?!”

“I’m saving your life now, hold still. That nasty thing in your head needs to come out and the easiest way for me to do that is if you don’t struggle.” Jotaro gripped his face, trying his hardest to keep the man still.

“Don’t you fucking dare! Are you on his side?! Did he send you to finish me off?!” Romeo screeched, twitching erratically.

‘Finish him off?’ Louise was confused by her father’s choice of words. Who was he talking about and why would anyone want to kill her father? The questions she had flooded her brain as she watched, her sister tried her best to provide some comfort while their father writhed in agony 

“No I’m not working with Dio, I’ve never even heard of that blonde bastard until yesterday, but he’s already becoming a huge pain in my neck.”

‘Dio? Who the hell is that?’ Louise’s confusion was slowly turning to vengeful anger. She now had the name of the man who was behind this and she wanted to know more.

“I don’t know who you people are but get the hell away from our dad before I call the police!” Belladonna shouted at the top of her lungs trying to scare off the strange men but it was to no avail

“Will everyone just SHUT UP and let me do what I came here to do?!?!” Jotaro lashed out in frustration. He was slowly getting more fed up trying to keep Mr. Vuitton from squirming until Joseph intervened

“Don’t worry, Jotaro, I got this. Hermit Purple!” He cried out while Mr. Vuitton was temporarily paralyzed moments later. He was stiff and barely moving like he was restrained by something that they couldn’t see. 

Everyone in the room felt unnerved by the sight except for the three strangers and Louise. She didn’t know what exactly was going on, but had an obligation to trust them. Jotaro grit his teeth as he began extracting the bud. He was as precise as he was just moments prior. 

Ren and Belladonna stood frozen, baffled by the sight of the revolting lump floating from Mr. Vuitton. The tentacles proved to be as dangerous as Jotaro described, prying its way inside his body. Louise crossed her fingers, closing her eyes and buried her face into her sister’s chest as Belladonna clutched her tightly in return. Romeo gave one last cry until the alien creature was completely removed, being thrown Joseph’s way to turn it into dust permanently. He gradually sat up, his pupils returning to their normal size. His vision was now clear and he was at peace.

“Papa! You’re okay!” Romeo’s daughters threw themselves onto him, embracing him closely. He hugged them back, the awful thoughts no longer plagued his mind.

“Ren, call Mama and tell her that Papa is feeling much better.” Belladonna stood up, running off to get their medical staff as Ren rushed to the nearest landline. 

“Please rest, Papa. You really need it.” Louise held up his body, her father leaned onto her as he dropped down onto a black armchair.  

Jotaro stood up, and wiped his brow. He didn’t say a word as he turned back to face Joseph and Avdol but turned around after hearing Lou’s footsteps approach him.

“Hey, Kujo. I know that I am asking a lot from you, but I still need some answers.” She gazed up at him with a serious expression.

“Fine, I know if I don’t answer you now you’re just gonna show up at my doorstep and keep bugging me. What do you want?” He snarled, clicking his tongue. He wanted to just go home and just be done with this, but he begrudgingly gave in to her request.

“I want to know about who this Dio guy is. Why did he put that thing in Papa’s forehead? What did he want from him? Who the hell is h-” She shook her head, avoiding the subject. She didn’t want her curiosity to get the better of her. She only wanted to know one thing only.

“Where do I find him and how do I make him pay?” She was dead serious. 

The men looked at each other before turning back to face Louise. Joseph placed a hand on her shoulder, crouching down to her level. He understood where she was coming from, but he knew he couldn’t let her get involved. It was bad enough that more innocent people are getting wrapped up in their unfinished business.

“Look, this Dio guy’s no slouch. He’s a powerful vampire who’s been antagonising our bloodline since he met my grandfather and he intends to wipe us out. He put that flesh bud in your father for the same reason he put one in that boy. He wanted to have power over him, so he uses those things to mind control his victims. He lures them in by making grandiose promises like those of wealth. We don’t know where he is but wherever he is it’s too dangerous for you to come along I’m sorry.”

“What? Why?!?!” Louise felt her temper flare up.

“Didn’t you hear me?! He’s a vampire! ”

“Just because I don’t have any weird psychic abilities like you guys that doesn't mean I’m useless you know! I’m one of the top students in my school. I excel in chemistry, I’m not a dumb blonde.” She crossed her arms, turning her back on them with a huff.

“Kid, I’m sorry but that’s not gonna help us. Especially not against the people we’re going up against”

“Wait here.” Louise left to get a bottle of water from the kitchen and returned after a few seconds. 

She took out a 100 yen coin and began scraping some of the dried nail polish off her nails. She put the nail polish shavings in the water and shook it up. She then lit a match and waited for it to almost die out. There were still some embers burning on it, she let it fall into the bottle and threw it. After a few seconds the bottle ignited and lit up into a bright flash as it exploded. It left burn marks on the floor.

“There’s Nitrocellulose in nail polish, it’s what makes it stick to your nails. Mixing it with water creates Nitric Acid, which is highly volatile. Not that you would know anything about it.” She turned her nose up in the air, a smug grin present on her face.

The group of men looked at each other and then huddled together, talking amongst themselves while Louise tried to listen to their whispers, but was too far away to hear anything.

“I don’t know about this, Mr Joestar. Louise Vuitton is not a stand user, we could very well be putting her into danger if we let come with us.” Avdol knitted his brows, nervous about adding more non-stand users into the equation.

“Well, she’s not completely helpless. Maybe her abilities can help us in some way, I mean mixing things together to make bombs is pretty useful.” Joseph pondered for a moment, stroking his chin.

“Whatever, just don’t make me her personal bodyguard. I already went through the trouble of saving her dad.” Jotaro lit a cigarette, which was immediately taken away by his grandfather. He glared at the old man, breathing out an irritated sigh. 

“I’ll be taking this. I already told you, smoking is bad for your health. Besides, you’ll have to make sure that she’s well protected. She might not be a damsel, but she still doesn’t possess the same powers as us.” 

“Understood. We need to be sure that she’s with at least one of us at all times. She also can’t wander too far and if she’s too much of a liability to us, she has to go home.” Avdol said, his terms being agreed upon by the group.

They nodded and came to an agreement, turning to face the petite girl who waited for their answer.

“Fine, you can come, but you have to make sure you follow our terms or else we have to send you back to Japan.” Joseph responded.

Louise sprung up, clapping her hands. She lit up at the opportunity to get revenge on the man that tried to hurt her family. 

“Alright! So where are we going? I need to know what to pack for the trip after all.” 

“Well um we’re not sure yet” Joseph looked embarrassed. He was met by judgmental stares from everyone in the room.

“What do you mean you don’t know where the hell he is? You had a whole plan to kill the man that’s been terrorizing your family for generations and you guys still haven’t bothered to find where he is, first?!?” Louise crossed her arms, tapping her foot irritably. 

“Hey it’s not my fault! All I had to go off were these stupid pictures my stand gave me. It’s just Dio in a dark room, what am I supposed to do with this information?” He pulled out the pictures from his back pocket and held them out to show everyone.

“Good grief old man let me see those.” He took the photos from Joseph’s hand, he held them closer to get a better look at them but couldn’t make anything out.

“Hey Vuitton, get me a pencil and a pad of paper. I have an idea.” He kept his hardened gaze on the pictures, barking orders.

“Hmph! Fine, but you better not get used to ordering me around like this. I don’t care if you have psychic powers, you’re not the boss of me.” Louise grumbled, leaving to get the items he asked for before he could get a word in. She came back, handing him a notepad and a cute pen with a feathery ball on top. 

“What the hell is this?”

“It’s a pen, why? You got a problem with it?” She put a hand on her hip, raising an eyebrow

Jotaro rolled his eyes, staying silent as it began to float alongside the dark photos. Louise stumbled back, still getting used to his abilities. The pen started to sketch intensely, its lines made a scratchy noise as it kept drawing. They all moved closer to look at the picture, discovering it to be a fly.

“A fly? That's an impressive drawing, but how is that going to help us?” Joseph scratched his head.

“Wait! I think I know this fly. If we identify where this fly’s natural habitat is we can find exactly where DIO could be lurking. Ms. Vuitton, do you have a library?” 

“Yeah, we do. It’s just on the other side of Papa’s office, the first door on the right.” She pointed to the white double doors facing them.

“Perfect! I’ll do some quick research!” Avdol made a rapid exit, leaving the group to discuss their next move.

“Alright, while he’s doing that. I think we should check on that boy at home. Let’s go!” Joseph left the mansion, standing near the gates as he waited for the Vuitton chauffeur to take them home. 

Ren appeared once again, this time with a black limousine. He came out of the car to open the door, letting them in. The three entered inside, breathing out relieved sighs as they finally had enough space to roam. Jotaro and Lou inched further away until they were at least two feet apart, turning their backs from each other. Joseph sat across from them, fighting the urge to crack a smile. They didn’t argue during the ride, content with keeping it peaceful. The car came to a halt, parking near a black gate. The trio walked out, Jotaro unlocking the door with a spare key he kept in his pocket. 

“Hey, Holly! We’re home! Holly?” Joseph hollered, but there was no answer. They all grew suspicious and went to look around the house, cautious for any enemies that might be hiding.

Jotaro peered around the corner to check the living room, only to discover his mother on the floor, breathing rapidly. The boy he saved tucked her into a futon, trying his best to keep her alive. He frantically placed a cold towel over her forehead, wringing the towel as fast as he could to the point that it chafed his hands. 

“Oh no..Holly!” Joseph cried out, whilst Jotaro felt his palms get sweaty. Their worst nightmares became a reality. 

They’re no longer the only ones affected by Dio's actions, this was only the beginning. Soon more and more people will get involved and it was only a matter of time until Dio reigned over the entire planet, destroying whatever’s left for his quest of ultimate power. 

To Be Continued —->

Chapter Text

“I-I’m sorry, I heard something fall earlier and found that Mrs. Kujo was on the floor with a high fever. I knew I should have called for help, but I didn’t know who to call. Her head was burning up and she was trembling. I didn’t know whether this was just a sickness or the work of Dio” The boy trembled, feeling the chills course through his body.

“Holly…” Joseph whimpered, holding his precious daughter close before noticing something bizarre just peeking over from her neck. 

He gently rolled her body over, pulling down her shirt. He stumbled back as he saw a glimpse of roses and thorns for a brief moment before they vanished, his body shook and balled his fists. Joseph gave a resounding yell and slammed Jotaro against the wall, clutching the collar of his jacket. Louise covered her mouth, standing frozen from shock. She knew Holly for less than a day, but she was petrified by the current state Holly was in. She felt worse seeing that the boy who was supposed to be recovering was tending to Holly in his condition. 

“I’ll take care of that, just go back to bed. You shouldn’t be taking care of other people, you’re still recovering” Louise took the cloth from his cracked hands, bending down to soak it in the cold water. The boy made eye contact with her then nodded, but stayed where he was. 

Jotaro’s jaw was tense, his lips curled inward as he grabbed his grandfather’s wrist. He knew that he would have to face Dio eventually, but this was the last straw. Another reason to kick his face down onto the pavement.

“Then what are we going to do about it? Standing around isn’t going to solve anything.” He let go of his grandfather, clenching his fist.

Joseph pulled himself together and took a deep breath, shaking his head. Now was not the time to get worked up. Now was the time for action.

“You’re right. We need to call Avdol and tell him what’s going on. Jotaro, get some water and Louise, I’m gonna need your home landline.” 

Louise nodded, following Joseph as they headed to the nearest phone as quickly as possible. She dialed home with each number making a soft click, the phone revolved a few times until it started ringing. Joseph put the receiver close to his ear.

“Come on Avdol. Pick up, pick up…” After a few rings the other end of the line clicked. 

“Hello? Who is this?” A familiar female voice picked up sounding rather defensive. 

“Hey you’re Louise’s sister right? This is Joseph Joestar. I was there earlier, is Avdol still there? I need to talk to him.” Joseph tapped his foot impatiently.

“Oh yes he’s here, he was just looking through the phone book right now he said he has some important news to tell you. I’ll go get him right now.” 

“Yes yes thank you Miss! I appreciate that a lot, thank you.” Hearing that Avdol had news for him too made Joseph feel conflicted. 

He was hoping that Avdol got Dio’s location but he was also anticipating any bad news Avdol might have as well. He wasn’t sure whether he should tell Avdol about Holly’s condition first or not. He anxiously waited until he heard Avdol’s voice beaming with enthusiasm.

“Mr. Joestar, great news! I found Dio’s location!” 

Joseph’s face brightened up. He was so full of hope, but that excitement was short lived as he remembered Holly’s condition.

“That’s great Avdol, but please hurry. Something came up and we were wondering what you got for us..” 

Avdol’s enthusiasm quickly turned to concern. He nodded his head and spoke in a serious tone.

“I see. Well after doing some light research, I was able to conclude where that fly is from. It’s native to Cario, Egypt. That's where Dio resides. Now tell me what’s going on in your end, is there an enemy?”

“It’s Holly, she developed a fever all of a sudden and seems unresponsive. I think I saw a stand behind her neck for a few seconds, but now I’m not sure.” Joseph felt the dread seep in as the other line went quiet.

“I’m afraid she’s experiencing something known as Stand Fever. It’s rare, but when stand users aren’t ready to handle their stands yet, their resolve gets tested with a fever. It’s unknown what the cause is. But since Dio is attached to your grandfather’s body, I believe that’s what’s forced Jotaro and now Holly to acquire their stands. Jotaro is better equipped to handle his stand while Holly on the other hand isn't, which is why her will to survive is being tested by this fever. Those who survive are able to keep their stands while those who don’t, well…They end up succumbing to the fever.”

“What?!? How do we make this stop? Is my Holly going to be ok?” 

Louise didn’t know what to make of the whole situation. She was worried for the sweet woman that she just met and checked in on her by looking around the corner. What she saw she couldn’t believe. Jotaro was at Holly’s bedside, he looked stoic but was kneeling down as he rested one arm on his leg. She couldn’t see his eyes as they were covered by the brim of his hat. His fist was clenched and his lips were quivering.

“I believe that since the distress signal is coming from your grandfather’s body then we have to destroy it. In other words, we have even more incentive to go after Dio and take him down.” 

“Then it’s settled, we leave for Egypt first thing in the morning.” Joseph nodded with a determined look on his face.

Louise turned her head back after hearing Joseph. Her heart was filled with an invigorated will. She now knew where to find that bastard and was looking forward to meeting this undead fiend so she could make him pay for all the lives he’s affected. That boy, her father and now Ms. Kujo. She knew she couldn’t let Dio get away with this any longer and was ready to assist in his defeat in any way possible.

“Pack your bags, Jotaro. We’re going to Egypt tomorrow morning.” Joseph said while walking into the room. The determination burned bright in his eyes.

“Wait, Mr Joestar! I want to come along too!” The boy raised his voice, causing all of them to turn their attention to him. He gulped, averting his eyes.

“Look, I know I was already used by Dio to attack your family. But I would like to make it all up to you. You saved me from a life of serving Dio and doing heinous acts for his sake. The least I can do is help you save Mrs. Kujo. Her tender care was enough to ease the pain I had, I feel like I have been given a second chance. She has been nothing, but kind to me. I owe this to her. I know that if I was to ever fall in love with someone like her, I would do anything just to see her smile.” 

Louise’s face shriveled in disgust, the room felt more awkward as the painful silence trailed between them. Joseph coughed, trying to brush off the strange subtext of his words. Jotaro looked like he was both on the verge of punching his face or kicking his ass out the door, whichever was the best option.

“Well yes that is in Holly’s nature… She’s like that with everyone.” Joseph commented trying to give the boy a hint.  

“Yeah, I felt the same after meeting her. Not the exact same way you might, but you know she is a sweet lady.” Louise narrowed her gaze, holding her urge to vomit.

“Yeah. She is.” The boy lightly tapped his hands on his lap, scrunching up his lips with pure agony reflected on his face. 

“Ahem, well then. I guess this conversation is over. You guys know what to do, just make sure to pack some sunscreen tomorrow.” Joseph gripped his grandson’s arm, subtly urging him to not proceed any further. He had a wide grin, his forehead gathering up nervous sweat. Louise left without anticipation, the awkward tension becoming too much for her to handle. 

“Alright, I’ll see you guys later. I’m gonna have Ren drive home so I can pack up. I’ll bring Avdol back too.” She said as she walked with straight posture out the door, her arms swinging unnaturally quick. 

She got into the limousine without looking back as it sped off. Louise didn’t say a word as she headed home, she was staring out the window thinking about how many people Dio might have already possessed. Chills ran down her spine but she pushed those thoughts away, knowing that her courage couldn’t waver. Not now. She balled up her fists and grit her teeth thinking of how she’ll beat down all the enemies she’ll encounter along the way. She was silent when she arrived at her house. Her and Avdol exchanged a knowing glance when they saw each other again and then went off to pack.

Avdol settled into a guest room since his luggage was at the Joestar residence and Lou went straight to her room. She spent all night going through her closet grabbing all the necessities, at least what she considered to be necessities, before changing into her pajamas and laying in bed. Her mind raced with thoughts of what was to come until eventually she fell asleep.

The next day passed with Louise waiting outside for the rest of the group as they made their way towards her family’s limo to drop off their baggage in the trunk to find that it barely had any room for the rest of their belongings. Avdol gave an exasperated sigh, staring at Louise with disappointment

“What? I need more than a few overnight bags. I have to make sure I have a different outfit everyday. I have a reputation to uphold, you know!” Louise puffed her cheeks, crossing her arms as she averted her gaze.

Avdol stayed silent, putting the rest of their bags inside the car after the trunk filled up. Joseph followed with the boy right behind him.

“Come on, Jotaro. We’re burning daylight!” Joseph hollered.

Jotaro walked with his head hanging low like he was lost in thought. As his foot passed the front door, he stopped for a brief moment. He turned back to look behind him, ready to scold his mom like he did every morning when she gave him his goodbye kiss. He came to a realization with his face twisting into disappointment and left in silence then walked to the limo. He squeezed his body beside Louise’s and the car rushed off to the nearest airport. 

The events seemed to go by in a flash. Louise’s mind was completely occupied by her thoughts, pondering about what Dio was like. His name carried weight, even seeing his back was enough to make your body freeze in place. She could only imagine what the figure was like in person. She was so lost in her own head that she failed to realize that she rammed into Jotaro near the waiting line, knocking his passport from his hand. 

“Hey, watch where you're going, brat.” Jotaro shot her a cold stare, bending down to pick up his passport. Louise kicked back it towards her, then snatched it from him. 

“Well, this brat now has your passport so I suggest you stop being a jackass or I’m not giving it back!” She stuck out her tongue while she waved his passport around just out of his reach.

“I said give it back, bitch!” The corner of Jotaro’s lips curled inwards, scowling at the spoiled, arrogant girl in front of him.

A few seconds later, something grasped her wrists tightly and pulled onto the passport to snatch it from her. But she did not budge, her grip was strong as iron. They kept going back and forth, only shuffling forward when the line moved closer to the desk. The rest of their party just watched as they kept fighting. Jotaro himself eventually stepped in to seize control, but did not expect Lou to grab the passport with her other hand to shove it up her skirt. His nostrils flared as the force that grabbed her wrists was now pulling up her skirt, he saw his passport now nestled in between her thighs. This further infuriated Louise. Her face was bright red, she was making a scene as she tried to pull her skirt down.

“AHHH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF YOU PERVERT!” Louise proceeded to scream, the majority of the people’s attention was now on them. Joseph was forced to step in, pushing the two apart with his bare hands.

“ALRIGHT!!! THAT’S ENOUGH YOU TWO, I DIDN’T WANNA HAVE TO DO THIS, BUT YOU TWO ARE GETTING TIMEOUTS!” He yelled out, causing more people to glance their way. Joseph's face flushed from the embarrassment as he tried to keep it down.

Avdol hid his face from view while the boy with red hair buried his face in a brochure and squeezed his way through the line, pretending he was not associated with whatever was going on. The passport clattered on the ground, giving Jotaro ample time to hide it in his pocket before any more hijinks ensued. Joseph grumbled, placing a hand on their shoulders as he moved them along. 

“He started it…” Louise muttered, earning a glare from Jotaro.

“Shut up.” Jotaro clenched his jaw, pulling down the brim of his hat while Joseph dragged them by their wrists.

They fortunately boarded the airplane without further complaints and were urged to avoid sitting next to one another, the red haired boy was put in between them to separate the two. Louise crossed her legs and folded her arms, raising her chin with a scoff. She ignored the brooding asshole two seats away and turned towards the stranger beside her.

“Hey, I’m sorry you had to see that. I didn’t think there would be a PERVERT on this trip, but I hope that doesn’t affect anything.” Louise put her hands on her hips, glaring at Jotaro.

“That’s alright…I don’t think I ever got your name, miss. I guess I never formally introduced myself either after the whole incident. I’m Noriaki Kakyoin” He had a sheepish smile on his face, brushing the strands of his bright red hair.

“That’s okay, my name is Louise Vuitton, but my friends call me Lou. Emphasize on the word FRIENDS!” She directed it towards Jotaro, who kept ignoring her with his nose in a magazine.

“Okay then, Lou. Nice to meet you, I heard your family is a household name in the fashion and beauty industry.” Kakyoin laughed, finding some humour in their immature behaviour.

“Yes they are. I have 4 older sisters. I’m the youngest and the last one to graduate. I have a bright future ahead of me, a lot of people are counting on me to succeed.” Louise looked out the window, her hand clutching onto her skirt. She stopped right there, not wanting to dive any further.

“I see. I’m also about to graduate, a lot of things are changing, I guess.” Kakyoin sighed, without elaborating further. He seemed to sense her worries, but decided not to comment about it, much to her relief.

Her eyes started to drift closed, the exhaustion setting in. Her body felt heavier as time progressed. She yawned, leaning onto a travel pillow. After a brief moment, she was already dozing off. The flight to Cairo seemed peaceful with nothing to keep Louise from her dreamless sleep, until she felt a nudge on her shoulder. She was only half awake when Kakyoin shook her body.

“Lou, wake up. I got a bad feeling, there’s something wrong.” Kakyoin looked around, completely alert.

“Huh? Are you sure, Noriaki? Maybe you’re just being paranoid. We just left the airport and we’re miles away from Dio.” Louise rubbed her eyes.

“What do you mean? Don’t you see that bug flying around?” Louise shook her head, which made Kakyoin even more anxious.

“Could that really be an enemy? It does look suspicious.” Jotaro stood up, his eyes gazing towards what seemed to be empty space.

“What are you talking about? I don’t see a bug anywhere. You guys are acting weird.” 

The rest of the group turned their attention towards Louise, putting some unwanted spotlight on her. It was making her uncomfortable and she had no idea why or what was happening. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. They all got up from their seats, blocking her from the looming threat. 

“Lou, get behind me!” Kakyoin grit his teeth, staring in the same direction.

She was about to question them further before something hooked onto her teeth, feeling something sharp barely reach the tip of her tongue. She almost choked, causing the thing to pry her mouth open, getting closer inside. Louise was backed into a corner, her body shaking as she feared for her life. 

“LOU!!!” They all shouted.

“It targeted her tongue! It was able to deduce Louise wasn’t a stand user and went after her. Knowing all of this there’s no doubt about it. This must be the infamous stand TOWER OF GRAY! I heard stories about him, his user’s a dangerous serial killer who targets trains, ships and planes. His killings are made to look like complete accidents but it’s clear from the unusual holes found in the vehicles he crashes that this man is a sadistic killer. Could Dio have managed to get the user on his side?! If that’s the case then we’re in trouble. Lou’s going to die and soon this plane will go down too!” Avdol blurted out.

Louise’s eyes widened as she vigorously shook her head to get rid of whatever was attacking her. She felt a gust of wind blow past her face, the feeling of the force around her teeth disappearing moments later. Her mouth was free, but she could see from everyone around her that it was still an imminent threat. Jotaro grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer behind him.

“Damn it, the bastard managed to dodge me. This thing’s fast.” Jotaro clicked his tongue.

“Where is he? Where is that son of bitch?!” Joseph darted around the plane, scanning the sleeping passengers. 

It was dead silent until sounds of holes being drilled through people's seats and heads filled the plane. Louise jumped backwards bumping into Jotaro. She covered her mouth as she watched the carnage ensue. 

“There he is! He’s-”  Kakyoin choked on his words, unable to continue as more blood was spilled.

Tongues flew around the plane, the seats were now torn to shreds. She yelped when she heard a dripping sound and saw the word "Massacre" written in blood. 

"Don't worry I'll put an end to this." Avdol took an offensive stance, the air started heating up around her until Kakyoin put his hand on his arm.She felt sick to her stomach as Kakyoin stepped forward with confidence to face the invisible opponent.

“What’s all this commotion? Can’t a man just nap peacefully?” An older gentleman got up to use the bathroom, unaware of his surroundings. He shuffled around, leaning onto any nearby surfaces with his hand.

"Hey sir! Get back in your seat, it's too dangerous for you to be walking around!" Joseph yelled out.

"Please sit back down! I'll have this taken care of with my Hierophant Green.” He stepped forward valiantly 

“It's too dangerous to use Magician Red's flames so I'll take the liberty of shredding this scumbag apart." He had a determined look in his eye, but the drowsy old man rubbed his eye and gave a confused look.

"Too dangerous? Just what are you talking abou- huh?" He felt a weird liquid on the wall. He felt it drip between his fingers before he looked up, seeing the words written in blood. 

"M-massacre? Is this some sort of sick joke…" He turned back and saw the murdered passengers with holes in their seats and their heads. Upon realizing the danger he let out a scream before being hit in the back of the neck by Kakyoin, causing him to fall unconscious.

"I'm sorry, but you gave me no choice. As for you!" He pointed at the empty space across the airplane. 

Lou hyperventilated, covering her mouth. Her eyes shot in every direction not knowing where the next attack would be coming from. For the first time in her life she felt completely helpless. She was in an entirely different world now. No longer a highschool girl, but a soldier on a battlefield with enemies she couldn’t see. She thought to herself.

“What did I get myself into? I should’ve known the danger when Jotaro’s ghost broke my damn phone!” She looked over at the old man passed out on the floor. Right now he was the only person she felt understood her, being unaware of the forces around them. The only thing they could do is cower in fear and hope they survive.

Kakyoin stepped forward and was talking at nothing, he shouted out "Emerald Splash," and when he did dents appeared on the backs of seats and on the walls like something hard was launched at them. At one point, his mouth began to bleed and he stumbled back, he looked up and gave a cocky smile.

“KAKYOIN!!” The group yelled altogether.

"Is that all you got?" It was silent as Kakyoin declared his confidence. The longer the fight dragged on the wider his grin got until he stood up and struck a pose.

"Looks like you should've paid some more attention to where you were going while you were flying around.” 

Louise’s heart pounded right out her chest, looking at where the rest of the group’s gazes were even when there was nothing there. She gripped onto Jotaro, who in turn held her close to protect her. She watched Kakyoin, waiting around to see what would happen next.

“EMERALD SPLASH!!” Kakyoin cried out once again. A faint noise echoed across the cabin, more dents appeared on sides of the cabin and seats. 

“Damn! This is impossible! How will he be able to defeat him if none of his attacks are doing any damage?” Avdol grit his teeth, unable to do much. It made his blood boil, forced to helplessly watch Kakyoin bleed.

Louise covered her eyes, quivering slightly. She hated feeling powerless, she loathed standing idly by in a crisis but she was helpless.That feeling stood out above every emotion she was feeling at that moment. The reality of what the forces she was fighting against began to sink in.

“Is that right? I’ll go mad? Yeah, I’ll get mad alright…Madly delighted from seeing Hierophant Green RIP YOUR BODY TO SHREDS!” 

Moments later, holes appeared in empty seats. Kakyoin’s purple eyes glint with determination.

“His appendages were already underneath the seats, waiting for the right moment to strike. You didn’t notice that I was already using Emerald Splash to keep you in a predictable trajectory? Maybe in the amount of time you had to gloat, you could have spent it more wisely.” 

Lou peeked from her fingers, slowly putting her hands down. The old man she thought she could relate to began to convulse, his tongue stuck out to reveal a mark shaped like a beetle. It split in half with his forehead bleeding, before he laid down at his final resting place in a pool of his own blood.

She could barely swallow the lump in her throat, the weight of her situation finally caught up to her. She couldn’t trust anybody. She was blindfolded in this hidden universe of theirs, hoping that she would come out to the other side. The only people she could rely on were these men she met just days prior and Jotaro. Though they’ve known each other much longer than she’s known them, they were still strangers for the most part. She regretted judging Jotaro when he was protecting her, he was the only one who could right now.

“That repulsive geezer was the stand user? Figured. Stands really are the extension of their user’s souls.” Kakyoin clicked his tongue, helping the rest of the gang by pulling the old man’s body onto a seat in an upright position.

They shriveled in disgust, staring at the corpse. Joseph took a curtain from the back of the plane and gave it to Avdol to cover his corpse. 

What Kakyoin said about stands being extensions of one’s soul stuck with Lou. What did that mean? She pondered about the implications of that notion.

“That’s odd, he doesn’t have Dio’s flesh bud stuck on his forehead.” Kakyoin pointed out

“He doesn’t need one. He was notorious for making deaths look like accidents at the cost of being paid a handsome reward. Dio used his greed to get him on his side, he was already evil to the bone.” Avdol scrunched his eyebrows, covering the body before it became any source of panic for any regular passengers.

Her breathing settled, she regained the ability to move again so she hesitantly crawled on the floor and inched her way between Kakyoin and Jotaro. She was still slightly shaking. She tried to avoid touching the pools of blood on the floor keeping her head low. She was shifting her eyes all over the place not paying attention to her front line of sight. She was about to hit Jotaro’s leg but stopped when he heard his voice.

“Don’t worry it’s safe, he’s the only bastard on this plane.” Jotaro reassured her with a stone-like expression on his face.

Lou looked up at him and nodded, she stood up and brushed her skirt, but still kept her guard up. She felt like everything was going to be ok now, but she was proven wrong a few seconds later. The plane suddenly hit a bit of turbulence, the floor shaking beneath their feet. Louise lost her sense of balance and fell before being caught by Kakyoin, gripping her wrist. A cup clattered on the floor, causing them to turn towards it as it kept moving.

“That’s weird. Is it just me or are we flying crooked?” Joseph’s eyes fixated on the cup, the realization dawning on him.

“Wait, we are!” Joseph rushed to the cockpit, passing through aisles of empty seats and unconscious passengers. The rest of them followed him, trying their best to be quiet.

He was stopped by two well dressed flight attendants, but they were no match for his stubborn persistence, pushing them to the side without allowing them to argue any further.

Jotaro approached the two, making them flustered before being pushed away. They gasped, falling freely with their eyes closed, too stunned to react. They landed into Kakyoin’s arms. 

“I apologize for my friend Jotaro. Usually, I wouldn’t let such disrespect slide, but this is an emergency. I hope you understand.” Kakyoin caught them, holding them close to his chest. They swooned, looking at him like he was Prince Charming.

Avdol and Lou exchanged confused looks with one another. She felt like gagging, she rolled her eyes at him as she tapped his shoulder. Kakyoin looked back to see her, crossing her arms with Avdol. They had disapproving looks on their faces, standing there in awkward silence. 

“Ahem. Plane about to crash, remember? No time to flirt with women twice your age.” She dragged him by his arm, groaning as he waved back to the heartstruck flight attendants.

They burst into the cockpit, they were greeted with an awful sight. Lou was paralyzed once again seeing the carnage, both pilots murdered with their tongues ripped out. Her heart sank as the plane continued to plummet. There was no one who knew to man the controls, or so she thought. 

“The autopilot is busted too! We’re gonna crash!” Lou panicked as alarms blared throughout the room.

The presumed corpse of the old man jumped out into the doorway of the cockpit, his disfigured face caused her to back away as he blubbered out something she could barely make out.

“I control the Tower card, the symbol of calamity and interruption. You fools will never get to Lord Dio! Even if you survive, you're 10 000 kilometers away from Egypt! Those, like me, that have sworn their loyalty to him will make sure that you will be reduced into nothing more, but the ashes that blow in a sand storm! Lord Dio is the only one to rule over every stand! You’ll never reach him!” He finished delivering his final words, collapsing once again.

The two women they saw earlier backed away, too shocked to make a sound. All they could manage was a slight gasp.

“You two are well trained. If you started screaming, it would have pissed me off.” Jotaro turned towards them, earning a glare from Louise for his insensitive words.

“I have a request. Gramps here is going to make an emergency landing in the water. Get the passengers life jackets and make sure they’re buckled up.”

They nodded, quickly getting the passengers to safety before turbulence inevitably hit.

“Well I do have experience flying with propeller planes, but Jotaro. This is the 3rd time I’ve crashed a plane. Have you ever heard of someone who crashed 3 times?” Joseph’s random fact destroyed their confidence regarding the whole situation.

“You WHAT?!?!” Lou screamed, much to Jotaro’s dismay causing him to groan.

“I’m never going on a plane with you ever again.” Jotaro gripped his seat, fighting the urge to vomit as they descended from the air with a violent rumble. 

To be continued

Chapter Text

The gang landed 35 km off the coast of Hong Kong, forced to leave their belongings behind as they all were escorted onto a lifeboat. They only had what they could fit inside their pockets. To say Louise was furious would be an understatement. She mourned the loss of her clothes and accessories the whole lifeboat ride, much to the dismay of the Crusaders.

“UGH!! You don’t understand! I left tons of Gucci shoes, designer bags and clothes in that plane! The very least you could do was not land on the water!” She cried tears, shaking her head sobbing into her hands.

“I can’t believe I lost my limited spring collection 1988 Gucci red pumps! OHH the humanity!!!!” She kept moaning about her loss, annoying the rest of the Crusaders with her constant whining.

“Would you shut up already?! You’re not the only one who lost their shit. It’s either you move on or swim and grab your stuff back there. Your choice.” Jotaro sighed, taking out his pack of cigarettes before a shoe was thrown at his head. He grit his teeth, trying his best to hold himself back from hitting a woman. Even if she was a pain in the neck.

“You have NO idea how expensive all those things were! Some of them were my babies! Not that you would know since all you ever wear is that stupid delinquent garb of yours!” Lou took off her other shoe and was about to toss it towards him, but was stopped by Joseph

“Alright! ALRIGHT! That’s enough! I get that things didn’t go to plan, but that doesn’t mean you get to have that attitude! And that goes for you too, Jotaro!” Joseph was struggling to hold back Louise, the teenage girl was tougher than she looked.

“Hey, what did I do? All I said was for her to shut up. She’s the one being a goddamn brat.” He remarked as he casually took out a cigarette. Which Joseph once again took from his mouth, causing Jotaro’s blood to boil.

“Not one more word out of you two! If you two can’t play nice then I’ll have to assign Speedwagon workers to watch you two, do you know how expensive that is?” Joseph threatened them.

“No.” Jotaro answered.

“Well… I don’t know if they offer babysitting services to our family for free, BUT I’LL STILL HIRE THEM!!!!” Joseph yelled, causing the two teens to roll their eyes at him. But it was enough for them to keep quiet.

“This is humiliating…” Louise crossed her arms, turning her nose up at Jotaro while he sank deeper into the boat and hid his face underneath the brim of his hat.

Avdol pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head, watching the scene unfold like a disappointed mother with her kids. Joseph was only barely keeping it together, keeping them both at a distance before they started brawling. The group was left to drift the vast sea until a few rescuers led them to shore, leaving them in the docks of Hong Kong. They were left to roam the busy streets, wondering what to do next.

They wandered aimlessly through a series of shops and restaurants, hoping to find a way to contact anyone for some help. Louise and Jotaro were now walking at a distance, avoiding each other’s gazes. She thought to herself.

“God if this is how he’s gonna be the whole trip this is gonna be a long journey… Yeah he protected me on the plane and I guess he isn’t all bad, but I can’t stand his attitude. I guess I don’t exactly help to keep the peace either… Maybe Mr Joestar is right. Maybe I should try to play nice but it’s gonna be hard.” She looked up at Jotaro with a begrudging expression on her face and sighed.

“Ok I’ll try to play nice. You better do the same Kujo.”

They all stopped when they saw a payphone at the other side of the street, Joseph left them waiting where they were while he called someone.

Louise scoffed, turning away from Jotaro with a huff while he clicked his tongue and pulled down the brim of his hat. Avdol sighed, shaking his head from their immaturity. Kakyoin chuckled at their antics, finding it oddly adorable.

“Hey, are you guys tourists? Wanna try my rice porridge? Hong Kong has a lot of things going for it, you shouldn’t leave before you try some dim sum and rice porridge. We also sell some hot cola too!” A nearby local got their attention, listing off the things he was selling in his quaint shop.

“Mhmm that sounds delicious. Did you guys know that rice porridge is a staple food here, unlike Japan?” Kakyoin smiled, turning to his travel buddies to give them a short fun fact. 

Louise chuckled slightly, finding the out of the blue short lesson to be endearing. She had the urge to tease him about it, but his enthusiasm was infectious. He seemed so happy to share his random facts he was keeping stored in his head. He turned towards the vendor, about to order some food. 

“Are you guys getting food already? No need, we’re going to a shop owned by one of my good friends!” Joseph approached them, who had just finished his phone call.

“Say, you look pretty thirsty, good sir! Would you like to try some hot cola?” The shopkeep noticed him coming their way and did not let the opportunity to sell him some goodies slip.

“Hot?! Cola is supposed to be served cold!” Joseph protested.

“Gramps, it’s just how they serve it, there’s no need to make a scene about it. Who were you talking to on the phone with anyways?” Jotaro chimed in, giving an exasperated sigh.

“I’ll explain everything when we get there. We’ll need to create a plan that’ll get us to Egypt as quickly and as safely as possible.” Joseph walked the other direction, urging the rest of them to follow.

“Mr Joestar, we can’t allow any more innocent people to get hurt. I know traveling by plane is the quickest way to Egypt, but it’s way too risky for both us and others.” Avdol caught up to him, consoling Joseph with his concerns.

“I know. Planes are no longer an option.” Joseph said with a serious and grim tone.

They stopped by a fancy building, its entrance akin to a temple shrine and a sign with golden Chinese characters engraved on stone hung up high. A golden dragon sat over the roof. The double doors were decorated with pictures of gold dragons against the dark wood material, Joseph pushed them aside and burst his way in. His friend greeted him with open arms, embracing him like it’s been long since they met. Joseph engaged in some banter, while they were escorted to a seat. 

The group sat around a round table, Avdol urging Kakyoin to nudge between Jotaro and Louise to avoid any more trouble from their antics. Joseph sat down beside him, getting serious once again. The waiter gave them tea cups and left them to discuss.

“If we encounter another stand like that, we’ll put more people in danger. It was already bad enough when it targeted Lou. We’ll have to travel to Egypt either by land or sea. However, if we don’t reach Dio within 50 days…” Avdol trailed off, looking down. His silence was enough to get the message.

They couldn’t afford to fail, a lot was already on the line. The journey had barely begun and they were already being targeted by Dio’s minions. She frowned, seeing all the men with melancholic expressions on their faces. 

“If we took another plane, we would be in Cairo by now…” Kakyoin said with a glum look.

“We can’t afford such a risk, what if we fall out of the sky again? I was lucky to be able to pull off that crash landing… Planes are out of the question.” Joseph further cemented. They were at a crossroads, not knowing what their next course of action would be.

She didn’t know Holly all too well nor most of the people on the trip, but she sympathized with their pain. It invigorated her sense of justice, giving her another reason to fight the evil forces lurking even when she stood no chance. She knew that surviving for her would be daunting, but she still had to try even with a huge disadvantage. She stood up from her chair, hyping herself up.

“Hey, we can find another way to get there! Whether it's by boat, train or whatever we can still make it to Egypt. The only way we’ll really fail is if we give up! So as long as we keep going it doesn’t matter what we take! We just can’t give up.” They turned to look at Lou, determination reflected in her blue eyes.

The Crusaders stared at one another, they didn’t say a word yet they shared the same feeling. They gave subtle nods finding confidence that the others weren’t willing to give into despair just yet.

“She’s right, the only way we fail is by giving up. You know that little speech reminded me of something. 100 years ago, Jules Verne wrote a book where a man went around the world. In total, he traveled 40 000 kilometres in 80 days. That was during a time they used boats and steam trains. Even without a plane, we’ll manage to get to Egypt for less. As for the route.” Joseph took out a map from his pocket, unfolding it and placing it on the table. They gathered around, looking at the map.

“We’ll get to Cairo by boat, we’ll go around the Malay peninsula, and cross the Indian Ocean. It’ll be the Silk Road of the sea.” Joseph pointed out the locations, mapping out their plan.

“That’s a good idea, Mr Joestar. If we travel by land, we will have to deal with the borders or cross both the desert and the Himalayas. A boat won’t cost us a lot of time and it’s the least dangerous.” Avdol agreed, leaving it at that.

“I haven’t been to any of those places, so I’m not that picky. I’ll leave the rest up to you two.” Kakyoin chimed in. Jotaro and Lou nodded without any further comment. 

“Then it’s settled. The greatest danger is any stand user Dio throws at us. Let’s do our best to not get spotted while trekking through Egypt.” Joseph folded his map back into his pocket, finalizing their plan.

Kakyoin took the lid of their teapot, placing it on the top while keeping it open. Jotaro noticed at the corner of his eye and stared at him with a puzzled look.

“This is how you ask for more tea here in Hong Kong.”

The waitress passing by spotted the empty pot and approached their table, pouring some tea. Kakyoin tapped the table two times, giving her a warm smile.

“And this is how you say thank you.”

Lou copied his action, earning another smile from the waitress as she walked away to serve more customers. She flashed a grin towards Kakyoin, who reflected it right back. Their menus were laid in front of them, the words inside being exclusively Chinese characters. Lou read through them, not understanding a thing. Hiragana was already a hard language to decipher, despite growing up in Japan, but she couldn’t find it within herself to even guess what any of the symbols meant.

She looked around the table, observing the rest of the group. It seems like she wasn’t the only one feeling a bit clueless. Even Kakyoin was struggling to read the symbols. Despite Hong Kong being familiar to him, he still couldn’t read their language. She sighed, giving up and placing her hope on the others to order for her.

“Excuse me, may I have a moment of your time? I’m a tourist from France and I’m having a hard time understanding the menu, could you please help me?” A man approached them, closing the menu to reveal his friendly face.

The french tourist had tall, white hair that was shaped with product, blue eyes and pale skin. A pair of heart earrings, broken up into halves, dangled from his ears. He had a strange black shirt with no sleeves, but an odd strap over his right shoulder and a pair of wrist cuffs.

“I don’t mean to be a bother, but do any of you think you can help me out?” The French tourist asked again.

“This guy is so annoying. Fuck off and go away.” Jotaro blurted out, Louise glaring daggers at him for his rudeness.

“Come now, Jotaro. Don’t worry about it. I’ve been to Hong Kong hundreds of times, so I should be able to know a bit of the language. Why don’t you join us?” Joseph reached for the stranger’s menu, extending a kind hand towards an empty seat beside him.

“So, what did you want to order? Shrimp, duck, shark fin, mushrooms? Whatever it is, it’s my treat.” Joseph listed off dishes, calling a waiter over and pointed to random things on the menu.

The group stared at him in bewilderment, occasionally looking at each other. They had a feeling that he had no idea what any of the things he was ordering on the menu were, content with just pointing things at random. Indeed, they were correct. Moments later, dishes filled with roasted frog, stewed fish, clams and some rice pudding.

“Ugh, are you fucking kidding me?! None of this is what we wanted!” Lou crossed her arms, sinking onto her seat with a pout. Her excitement for trying some pork would have to wait as her and the others had to eat whatever Joseph asked for.

“I see neither duck, shrimp, shark or mushrooms…” Avdol remarked with a disgusted and disappointed look on his face.

“Mr, Joestar, I know you’re not a local. But next time, please just ask…” Kakyoin sighed, clicking his tongue.

The old man scratched the back of his head, laughing sheepishly.

“Hehe well I guess my Mandarin is a little rusty… But come on, no need to be picky eaters. Go on, eat up!” He urged them to dig in with a jolly smile. 

Jotaro muttered his favourite phrase under his breath, Avdol was now on the verge of having a breakdown and the french tourist sat there with his jaw dropped. Despite the obvious disappointment, they all collectively took a bite from the feast in front of them out of respect for the staff.

Kakyoin took a bite of the clam, his eyes widened as he encouraged Lou to have a taste. She let her lips sink into the tender and flavourful meat, letting the salt of the soup accompanying it dance on her tongue. It was a wonderful surprise and quelled their sour mood instantly, making the most of what they had. A wide grin was plastered onto Lou’s face, trying to chew slowly to avoid pigging out. 

“The way they plate these dishes is simply divine, everything is prepared with so much care and detail.” The tourist broke the silence, holding up a star shaped carrot from the fish’s plate.

“Take for instance, this lovely carrot slice. You know this reminds me of someone I know. Someone who has this exact mark on the back of their neck…”

They turned to look at the stranger, all with the same suspicious look. All eyes were on him, nobody moved as if they were anticipating something. a shiver ran down Lou’s spine. She didn’t even have any time to think before the rice pudding started to boil, the contents of the bowl splashing at the table.

Avdol turned the table sideways, everything crashing to the floor. He pushed Lou off her chair and onto the floor in an attempt to distance her from the stand user. He called his stand’s name, the room feeling much hotter than before. He stepped back, watching in shock as he stared down the hostile tourist.

“Another stand user! Louise watch out!”

As she fell, a gust of burning hot wind brushed past her blowing her curls in its wake. It barely missed her as it swirled across the restaurant, a series of charred marks appearing upon a table’s surface. It resembled a clock, with the numbers and a hands on the center, continuously moving as the seconds ticked. She was observing the strange phenomenon. Even though she couldn’t see the flames, it kept burning away at the material of the table. She gasped when Jotaro caught. The group huddled around Lou to protect her from the incoming danger.

“His sword is too fast, he was about to hit Lou!” Kakyoin used his body as a guard, covering her further.

“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t dream of hurting an innocent young Mademoiselle. My swordsmanship is precise and each swing is made with purpose. Silver Chariot is my stand’s name, it represents the Chariot tarot card. I intend to take you all out one by one and it seems that you, Muhammad Avdol, wish to die first.” The french man stood with pride, pointing to the burned table.

“I’ve created a clock from your flames on that table’s surface. I’ll guarantee your death before the arrow points to 12!” 

Louise clutched her chest, she was breathing fast and her mind went blank. She was petrified, almost burnt asunder by their attacks. It didn’t help that the restaurant’s climate became akin to a desert, the invisible flames burning across the room. Even with all this going on she couldn’t help thinking.

“ Those flames…That gust… Non-users can’t interact with these things, yet they can still influence the world around them… I need to crack this, I need to figure out just how the hell I’m gonna fight against them. I need to focus. I need to find how these things work…”

“Hmph, your sword is fast. It’s very impressive, but do you really believe you’ll be able to defeat me before the flames strike twelve? Does this not strike you as being conceited, umm..” Avdol trailed off.

“...Polnareff. I apologize, I have not properly introduced myself. My name is Jean-Pierre Polnareff!” The french man announced. 

“Merci Beaucoup, I appreciate your formality, but-” Avdol pointed towards the burning table, exploding a few seconds later with its face turning upside down on the ground. Louise flinched as it clattered on the ground with a loud crash, the charred marks spreading across the floor.

“Monsieur Polnareff, do not be so foolish as to think my flames would burn as they would naturally. Magician’s Red has the ability to manipulate them freely into how I see fit.”

Louise's heart pumped, she felt relief that Avdol possessed power, but his explanation perplexed her. She wondered what powers other stand users could possess, could they be more powerful than any abilities her teammates possessed? The danger and adrenaline was finally getting to her. The invisible world of stands laid in front of her, hidden in plain sight. She could not see them, but their effects around their environment were evident.

“Don’t behave naturally?! These stands… Can they affect matter without anyone noticing like that?? Without abiding by the rules of nature?! Mr. Avdol I hope you’ll be okay, this guy… he seems very dangerous…”

She zoned out for a second, but snapped out of it when Polnareff threw a series of coins in the air. They fell in a single file line with a hole in the center, floating in one direction. The faces of the coins were bending downward, indicating a source of unseen heat between them. Shivers ran down her spine, stunned by the force’s superhuman display of speed and power.

“He pierced all of them in a single swing!” Joseph exclaimed.

“No. Look closer.” Jotaro added, his jaw clenching tight.

“I see. The flame is connected between each coin.” Avdol’s resolve was unwavering, his opponent’s threats going from one ear right out the other. 

“I’m glad you finally understand what I’m talking about. I mean it when I say I’m no conceited man. My stand has the ability to sever fire by cutting air, creating a vacuum in between. Magician’s Red is NO MATCH for Silver Chariot!” Polnareff declared, the coins fell to the ground with a series of clinks.

“ Vacuum?? How can these things create a vacuum? If this guy’s stand can swing its sword so fast it can create a vacuum, it has to be a clue to how they interact with the world, this has to mean something right? Right?” 

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Polnareff was already standing near the exit. He looked back at Avdol, resting a hand against the door.

“My stand represents the Chariot, suggesting conquest and victory. I could end things right here, but your flame does better in open spaces, no? It’s only fair I challenge you to a fair duel, to achieve a true victory.” He walked out, letting them follow. 

They passed through the streets of Hong Kong, the locals haggling them for business. Children ran around, barely missing the group as they kept playing. Louise noticed Joseph gazing back at her for a brief moment, before turning away. His face said it all, concern reflected in his eyes. She was confused, mildly irritated by the vague signals he was giving.

“Why is Mr. Joestar looking at me like that? Does he know something I don’t? But why me? Does this have to do with Avdol? I’m not sure, but it has something to do with me…” As she kept walking, she couldn’t stop thinking about that look Joseph gave her. 

She had no idea what he was thinking, but it made the nervous pit in her stomach grow larger. Right now, she was walking along the path of possible doom for her new friends. She was still unsure if Joseph was also at the same wavelength. Only one thing was certain, death could very well be knocking on their doors and the thought of it made her anxious. Her mind went blank.

They stopped near a grand archway with tigers skillfully painted on the top indents of the pillars. Beyond that, lies a series of statues, filled with wonderful colours and a variety of exotic animals. It was an vibrant explosion of creativity, Louise couldn’t help but gasp. Polnareff waited for them on the top of the stairs.

“What is this place?” Joseph's jaw dropped, looking around at the bizarre sight. His senses were overloaded by the statues and detailed carvings.

“Tiger Balm Garden. It was built by Burmese-Chinese tycoon, Aw Boon-haw, in 1935 and was opened to the public during the 1950s. It was supposed to advertise their product, Tiger Balm.” Kakyoin said, trailing behind the others as they all moved towards the top.

Louise gazed at the beautiful art and history behind each piece, it made her forget her anxieties for a while. She was so entranced that she ended up bumping into Jotaro’s back, almost falling down the stairs. She was held up by Kakyoin, preventing her fall.

“Watch it, Vuitton…” Jotaro scowled. 

Her blood boiled and she was about to snap back, before she felt someone grab her arm. She looked at Kakyoin, shaking his head. Her shoulders dropped slightly, biting her tongue and pressed forward until they reached the top of the hill. She kept glaring at Jotaro, crossing her arms. 

“Ugh he’s such an asshole! I just bumped into him by accident, he’s lucky Noriaki was here or I would have given him a piece of my mind!”

Her fiery temper was extinguished by a cloud of dust flying near Polnareff, a hand on his hip and a stance ready for battle. 

“I’ve got a prediction for you, Avdol. That you will be destroyed by your own stand’s power.” Polnareff taunted him with a cocky grin.

“Avdol.” Jotaro’s eyebrow twitched.

“Jotaro. You do not need to intervene, I can handle this. My stand will be able to fight to its fullest potential with all this open space.” Avdol stepped forward, the air around him getting hotter as it blew towards them.

Lou was huddled with the rest of the Crusaders. Avdol and Polnareff met each other’s gazes standing still like a standoff in an Old Western film. Lou’s eyes darted back and forth waiting for something to happen, while the rest of the Crusaders waited. The two were silent, their eyes narrowed with an intense stare darted towards another. Time seemed to be frozen for a few moments, before the French tourist cried out.

“Engard!” A gust of wind blew across the platform of the wooden garden soon followed by a flurry of more wind sent their way. Polnareff gleefully boasted as he sent hurricanes blowing past the Crusaders. Avdol seemed unimpressed.

Lou’s eyes roamed across the battlefield, focused on every slight nick on the ground from Silver Chariot’s rogue slashes. Every minute detail was taken a note of, the kicked up dirt from the ground or the occasional leaf sent into a tailspin. Her mind was spinning with the overload of information and possibilities.

“ Damn this guy is powerful… I don’t know how Mr. Avdol’s doing but he seems so self assured. Maybe this Polnareff guy isn’t a big deal. I guess that makes me feel a little better, now I can really try to see what I can do. There has to be something here I know i-”

An explosion of heat flew past her curls. She heard a crumbling sound, the statue behind Avdol collapsed. It also caught the Crusaders off guard, all eyes were on it as pieces fell to the ground. Lou had no idea what to make of this, her eyes squinting to get a better look of the strange rooster figure.

“ What the hell? What is that? This Polnareff guy has a weird sense of art, he just made this random carving for no reason.” She thought to herself. She didn’t look as shocked as the rest of the Crusaders, who were all clearly disturbed by this arrogant display of skill.

“That bastard, he’s just toying with us! He used Magician Red’s fireballs to make a statue of it!” Joseph exclaimed. He knew things were gonna get serious. If this was merely Polnareff toying with Avdol then who knew what else he had up his sleeve.

“ Hold on a second, that's Magician’s Red?? That looks like a demon! Is that what stands are?!” The blood in her veins ran cold. 

It was the first time she saw a stand or some form of it. The statue struck fear into her chest, her heart beating faster. A pool of sweat gathered at the edge of her forehead. She had always assumed all stands looked human-like, but was proven wrong.

Polnareff began to taunt Avdol more. He was getting cockier, the longer they dueled. He was so sure of his victory he hadn’t even been fighting at his full potential just yet. He tilted his head back with a sinister expression on his face beginning to chuckle,

“My, my. I say, your monstrous looking stand fits this odd artificial menagerie. Don’t you think so, Mohammad Avdol?” His last taunt managed to dig under Avdol’s skin.

Avdol was clearly annoyed by his opponent’s antics, but regained his composure. He raised his hand up to his face and closed his eyes like he was meditating. He raised up his left arm, the air around their battlefield began to refract from the heat. It looked almost wavelike from how it was vibrating. Polnareff’s jovial expression turned to one of hardened stone. He was ready to get serious, waiting in anticipation.

“Well here it comes, the supposed coup de grace. Be my guest. But just know, Avdol, that despite your best efforts, it’s futile.” Polnareff said with a stern straightforward tone.

“Whatever’s coming it’s gotta be big, I can see the water in the air vibrating... That means energy is transferring from Magician’s Red’s flames… Despite these things being supernatural, do they still abide by the laws of physics?” She pondered for a few brief seconds.

“Take cover! Avdol’s about to lose it, come on!” Joseph knew what was coming, leaving the rest of the Crusaders perplexed.

Before anyone could ask any further questions, Joseph grabbed both Lou and Jotaro’s arm. The old man took off in the other direction, and Kakyoin followed suit.

“Crossfire… Hurricane!!!” The Crusaders all ran for cover, ducking behind statues. A rush of hot air blew just overhead, the power was unimaginable. It caught all the Crusaders off guard with the exception of Joseph, who was covering Lou as she processed what was going on. Her eyes were closed, the intense heat flying across the field.

“Oh God! If there are stands this strong, it wouldn’t even take a single breath before it’s all over! Think, Louise, think! If humans can’t affect stands, are they just ghosts? They can’t be, they’re invisible, they can still affect everything else… Like energy. Wait, is that it?! Maybe I’ve been thinking about this all wrong..”

“I already told you. Your attacks are useless against my Silver Chariot! I can create a gap in the pockets of air in your flames so I can redirect them!” Polnareff’s ego grew more and more already believing he seized his victory.

“These things aren’t just magic, they’re manifestations of energy! Now that I think about it, I’ve been able to track them this whole time, using everything around them. If his flames can be redirected by wind, they still act naturally, despite being generated and controlled by his mind! I need a way to see the wind from a stand’s movements…Something like smoke or even powder! Yes, that's it!” Lou was so caught up celebrating her breakthrough, she forgot about the danger Avdol was in.

There was a collective gasp which caught Lou’s attention. Avdol wailed out in pain, smoke was rising from his clothes and flesh as he fell to the ground. Polnareff stood with confidence that he had left his enemy as dust.

“Haha! It played out exactly as I foretold. Being defeated by your own ability, an inferno of your own creation just as predicted.” His hands were on his hips, emerging as the victor. 

“Wait, is Mr. Avdol gonna be ok? He can make those flames disappear, right Mr. Joestar?” Kakyoin nervously asked.

“Unfortunately, just like real flames, Magician Red’s fire can be just as unpredictable. There’s no telling if this is some ruse Avdol is playing up or not. But he’s always had very good control over them. It can’t be his final battle, it just can’t.” Joseph’s eyebrows narrowed, he put his arm around Lou’s shoulder and gave her that concerned look again.

Avdol’s fury burned like the flames that surrounded him, the air kept vibrating around him. He kept his gaze on Polnareff, persevering through the fire. As Polnareff taunted him, a silhouette hurled itself at Polnareff as a seemingly last ditch attack by Avdol.

“ Wait a second… Isn’t that?? Avdol, you genius!” Lou cheered, stars twinkling in her eyes.

“Good Grief! You still haven’t given up?! One last cry?! This is pathetic!” Polnareff laughed at his enemy’s pain, but was humbled with a burst of an unseen inferno. His clothes began to smoke, he knew something was wrong as soon as he swung his sword and sliced that figure in half.

“What the- What is this?! These are the flames I used to burn him to a crisp, how?! I destroyed your stand!” He continued to grovel and writhe in agony. Lou was mesmerized.

“ I see it, I see the energy in action. His clothes are smoking, it’s clear as day what stands are…” She clutched her fist, empowered with this bit of knowledge she was itching to use. Her mind raced with ideas, all the possibilities that she could do to take on stands and their users invigorated her.

“That wasn’t his stand! It was the statue from earlier!” Joseph grinned with pride.

“Your eyes were obscured by the flames. The only thing Silver Chariot sliced was that statue you so arrogantly made. I have already told you I have the power to control my own flames. The fire you sent back, melted the joints and allowed the statue to move. YOU are the one who’ll be defeated by your own stand’s power. Now, it’s time to finish this.” Avdol called out confidently. He called out his signature attack, its unbelievable power caused Polnareff to fly back and crash flat on his back on the ground.

“Your mistake was attempting to out-predict a fortune teller. I’m sorry to say, but you’re 10 years too early.”

The Frenchman was now lying on the dusty field, his body smoking from his supposed burns. It seemed like the fight drew to an anti-climatic close. Though Lou was relieved Avdol was safe, she couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed that the fight ended so quickly. 

“There’s no way he’s getting up from that. If he did, he would have to live the rest of his life with those nasty burns.” Jotaro clicked his tongue.

“Either way doesn’t matter, he’s not going anywhere fast. Serves him right for being cocky.” Kakyoin turned to leave, walking down the stairs. 

Lou looked in awe at the man on his back, she just witnessed the power of two strong stands right in front of her. She watched as the embers of his clothes kept wistfully flying in the air with the wind. She turned to walk with the rest of the group, She sauntered with a new found confidence and gave her own remark.

“That’s what that idiot gets for talking so big, I knew Avdol could beat him. This was child’s play for him.” She followed along cheerfully, ready to embark to their next location.

They were about to leave when they heard an explosion behind them, a cloud of dust shooting out from underPolnareff sending him up into the sky. Their eyes turned to see the man floating, he clapped with his head hanging upside down

“What the hell?! He looks unharmed! Does that mean Avdol didn’t really hit him? He looked like he was done for, how did he get up there?!” Her mouth gaped ajar as she gazed at the spectacle.

“His stand’s armour is gone! It just flew off in an explosion!” Joseph bellowed.

“Excellent observation, Monsieur Joestar! You see that’s precisely the reason why there’s not a single scratch on me. My stand’s armor was protecting it, but it was also slowing it down. Now that it’s off it can move MUCH faster.” Polnareff chuckled, feeling even more unstoppable now.

“That must mean it’s vulnerable to my flames now, correct?” Avdol shot back.

“Oui, indeed. However with less weight comes more speed and flexibility. Watch closely and observe.” The Crusaders looked in awe like they just saw something impossible. Lou looked at them with confusion and nervousness.

“How is he doing that?! There’s multiple Silver Chariots at once! Is he cloning his stand somehow?” Kakyoin stepped back, looking up into the sky.

“ Multiple?? What does he mean by multiple Silver Chariots? God damn it what’s he gonna pull out of his ass next? A nuke??” Sweat gathered on her forehead.

“Non non non! You see, they aren’t clones at all. Since I am a very honourable man, I’ll give you all the privilege of knowing how my abilities work. If you don’t mind.” Polnareff touched a finger to his forehead with a smirk on his face.

“Very well.” Avdol begrudgingly agreed.

“Since my Chariot’s armour is gone it can now move freely as fast as its heart desires! It can even move so fast the human eye can’t process it. Therefore these are merely illusions, it’s up to you to figure out which one is which.” Polnareff pointed a finger at Avdol, challenging him at this impossible game.

“Critique my swordsmanship now!! Monsieur Avdol!!”

The breeze shifted in all directions like the wind itself was being kicked up rapidly by unseen swings. In the blink of an eye Avdol’s face was pierced, sending him flying back. His blood seemed to gush out after each cut, like it was suspended in midair after each cut. Avdol grabbed his face then looked back at his opponent. Streams of hot air seemed to dance all around as Avdol desperately tried to hit his target to no avail.

“ Oh my God! Is this the end?? This guy’s gonna kill us all?? We barely started our journey, it can't just end here! I need to think of something, I need to think of a plan B to kill this guy.” 

He kept striking back, his breaths becoming heavier by the second. Avdol unleashed Crossfire hurricanes, one after the other. He even unleashed one so powerful it burnt a hole in the ground. Avdol kept getting slashed. He grabbed his arm, his jaw clenched. He roared as he unleashed another flurry of attacks, this time striking some statues in the process. He was forced to swallow his pride as his opponent approached him.

“So tell me, what do you think? I’ve been training my stand for 10 years now in order to take care of some personal business. I’ll say despite failing to land a single hit on my stand, your Magician Red is rather impressive.” Polnareff delivered the haphazard compliment to Avdol. 

“I’ll admit your swordsmanship is indeed impressive and your chivalry knows no bounds. Therefore, I shall let you know my secret before I attack again. Crossfire Hurricane has several variations. Its flame is shaped like the Ankh, it does not need to stay whole. Which means, I can separate it as I please.” A ring of heat surrounds Avdol, leaving a series of burn marks in its wake scorches into the ground.

“Haven’t you learned your lesson? That’s useless! My stand can cut those away twice without breaking a sweat!” He let out a battle cry and struck a pose, the dust around him began to kick up in a ring surrounding him. 

“They’re circling around him! No opening anywhere!” Kakyoin pointed out.

“Sever his flames now Silver Chariot! Send them right back to him!” Polnareff shouted, ready to finish this and move onto the others.

Polnareff unleashed his counterattack, his afterimages of Silver Chariot were about to collide with Avdol’s Crossfire Hurricanes. Lou’s eyes widened as she saw an enormous heat wave of vibrating air coming down, then witnessed It being pushed back by a power cyclone of air picking up everything around it. It was something truly amazing to behold. She had never seen such displays of intense forces meeting each other before, it was both exhilarating and bone chilling. If her friend’s lives weren’t on the line she would be able to marvel at the sight completely without fear.

A blast of hot air bursted out of the ground, causing Polnareff to fly towards the other direction. His flesh burned from a hidden fire, the embers seared the edge of his clothes. He collapsed, losing the strength to fight. He had admitted defeat. A sword was thrown near his hand by Avdol himself. He pointed at the blade and told Polneraff.

“Here. Since you yourself were an honorable man, I’ll give you the mercy of a quicker death. Use this to finish yourself, it’ll be much less painful than being cooked alive I can assure you that.” He turned his back on the burning man leaving him there to die.

The Crusaders all spectated as Avdol made his way back to them. Lou herself had her eyes fixed on the defeated man. She covered her mouth, suspecting him to sully an act of mercy with an unchivalrous act of vengeance. However despite his temptation, Polnareff stuck to his morals. He put the knife to his throat and closed his eyes, which prompted Lou to look away.

“I was arrogant. I have underestimated your ability, it’s only right I burn from the flames that I misjudged so hastily…” He dropped the dagger, letting it clatter on the floor.

Avdol peered towards Polnareff, snapping his fingers as the burns from his flesh disappeared in an instant. He walked over to the unconscious man and pulled him into his arms.

“You truly are a man of your word. Even when my back was turned, you dare not attack me. Your honour shines through, despite Dio’s control. I wonder what could’ve made you walk down this dark path.” He had a sneaking suspicion and parted his hair, only to reveal what he expected.

“It all makes sense now. Dio had to have manipulated you somehow and probed your mind with this putrid parasite. Jotaro, mind lending a hand?”

Jotaro nodded and walked past the crusaders. Polnareff was placed on the ground and Avdol stepped aside to let Jotaro work his magic. Despite seeing this be done before Lou couldn’t resist the urge to gag.She thought to herself.

“ I can’t let them know how grossed out I am by this. I’m already a non-stand user, if I wince I’ll definitely get made fun o-” Joseph’s booming voice interrupted her train of thought. 

“Hurry up, Jotaro! I’m about to throw up from those tentacles!” Joseph squirmed, shaking his hips in disgust. He seemed to be a little more dramatic than expected. Lou’s disappointment trumped her disgust for the flesh bud removal in front of her.

“Shut it, gramps! This shit isn’t easy, you know!” Jotaro sighed, the bud ripped out of Polnareff’s forehead and was held up in the air. It quickly turned to dust in direct sunlight. There was a sense of calm in the air, ready to continue on their journey with a new member.

“Good now that’s out of the way. We can officially be BUD-dies!” Joseph had a shit eating grin on his face, a bit too proud of his corny joke. However, the look on the Crusader’s faces said otherwise.

“Good grief that has to be the lamest joke I’ve ever heard. Don’t you guys just hate it when idiots make stupid puns?” Jotaro groaned and rolled his eyes.

Lou covered her mouth, fighting the urge to laugh. Kakyoin politely smiled, not knowing how to respond to Jotaro’s question. The group watched as Polnareff slowly opened his eyes, confused and lost. He looked around, noticing he was surrounded by the people he fought against just moments prior. Regret was present on his face

“Why… Why did you guys save me?” Polnareff asked, not able to look them in the eyes.

“A man that is guided by his principles is still a man worth saving.” Avdol replied, meeting Polnareff’s gaze. The two had just met and finished fighting an intense battle yet they seemed like comrades already. Their duel brought them closer together.

“Yeah we really thought you were going to kill Avdol as a last ditch effort to win! You gained a lot of respect from me!” Louise smiled, helping Polnareff up.

“How about I treat you to some good Hong Kong food again? My treat.” Joseph said with a cheeky smile.

“Only if you promise to ask a local to translate.” Polnareff replied, causing the rest of the group to laugh.

“It’s a deal!” Joseph said with a nod, giving a hearty chuckle. They all walked away, leaving to get something to eat. Again.

To Be Continued →

Chapter Text

They stood near a dock, waiting for a cruise ship recommended to them by the Speedwagon Foundation. Lou couldn’t shake off the feeling of Joseph staring at her with that same worried look in his eyes. If she was being honest, it was really ticking her off. 

“Why does he keep staring at me like that? The first time, okay, it probably wasn’t intentional. But he’s been giving me that weird look the whole time since we met Polnareff!” Lou was about to confront him about his strange behaviour, but was interrupted when Ponareff approached the group, cutting her off before she could even ask her question.

He looked serious like something was still on his mind. He stopped right in front of them which caused the Crusaders to halt. It confused the group, causing Joseph to ask

“Is something wrong, Polnareff?”

“I’m afraid so Monsieur Joestar. I am grateful for everything you and the rest have done for me, but there is one thing I must ask of you before I can go. Say, can you please show me your hands? I’ve noticed that you always keep your gloves on.”

“ Huh? What's this guy talking about? Is this what he interrupted me for then? I’m gonna be so pissed, where the hell is this idiot going with this? ” Lou thought to herself, crossing her arms while she pouted.

“Show you my hands? That’s an odd request but ok, if it’s so important I’ll show them to you.” Joseph complied and took off his gloves, showing Polnareff his metal prosthetic, the fingers clicking as he wiggled them around.

“I lost this hand in a battle years ago. Is this what you wanted to see? I’m confused.”

“No, my apologies. I just had a feeling that you were the man I was looking for, but it was my mistake. I’m searching for the man with two right hands, the man that killed my sister.” The Crusaders all went quiet upon the mention of something so dark. Lou especially felt a pit in her stomach, regretting her previous thoughts.

“Thank you for everything, I’ll be off and I will bother you no longer” Polnareff frowned, turning away to leave before he felt a cold hand on his shoulder.

“Polnareff, wait.” Joseph said.

“Come with us. I know it’s a big ask but I think that we can help you avenge the death of your sister. You see, we’re all on our way to get our revenge too. If there’s any way we can help you out, please tell us.” Joseph gave a comforting smile to the sad man with a twinge of concern.

Mr. Joestar’s compassion emboldened Polnareff to open up to another person for the first time. He walked near the docks, closing his eyes as the painful memories in his head came flooding back.

“3 years ago, my sister and her classmate were walking down a country road in France. On the side of the road stood a man with his back facing them. Strangely, he was dry, the raindrops bouncing off like there was a shield around him. Then, all of a sudden, her friend’s chest started to bleed like the wind cut through her.”

He paused, swallowing the lump in his throat.

“My sister was alone. That bastard took her innocence and he killed her. It was all he wanted from her. Her friend lived to tell the tale. She didn’t see their tormentor’s face, but noticed that the man had two right hands. No one believed her testimony about that cruel man, except for me. I kept my powers a secret by then and that bastard sounded like a stand user too.” Polnareff grit his teeth. Lou felt her blood run cold upon hearing his testimony. He turned around to face them and he cried out.

“I took an oath! I promised my sister vengeance! I would make him pay with his life, make him suffer like what he did to my sister! Then a year ago, I encountered Dio during my travels.”

They all shifted around nervously, the feeling of dread in their stomachs. Louise held her breath. The tension rose with the mere mention of that name.

“He showed me my desires in a crystal ball and calmed my aching heart, he gave me exactly what I was looking for. He promised to help me find the bastard, not knowing I was playing by his hand. He used me like a puppet. After he implanted that bud in my mind, I questioned nothing and did what was asked of me, to kill all 4 of you, including the girl.”

Polnareff clenched his fist, the regret so clear on his face. He seemed to be holding back tears, but managed to pull himself together. He looked down on the ground and swallowed the lump in his throat. They all pitied him, not knowing the right words to say as they stood silently for a brief moment with Joseph breaking the tension by approaching him, causing Polnareff’s eyes to look at the old man, he had kind eyes and a warm smile.

“I’m sorry about what happened to your sister. It was cruel for Dio to take advantage of your weakness like that, but none of us mind if you tagged along. It sounds like you have unfinished business with Dio too, like all of us. Judging from your battle with Avdol you’re a skilled fighter, I think you’ll make a fine addition to our team. Isn’t that right, gang?” Joseph turned around to look at the rest of the group, flashing a winning smile.

They all looked at each other and nodded, a bit cautious about involving another person in such a dangerous trip. They gave a hesitant smile towards the French tourist, with the old man looking excited like a schoolboy on a field trip. 

The atmosphere lightened a bit as Polnareff gave a sigh of relief, the light coming back in his eyes and his cheeks curving up into a grin. He stood up straight, looking invigorated more than ever. His blue eyes caught a glimpse of two ladies, asking Jotaro for a picture. 

Jotaro grumbled, frustrated that two strangers would approach him out of the blue for something so meaningless. Louise rolled her eyes once again, anticipating the inevitable hostility towards an innocent bystander, followed by screams that would make even the most patient soul rage. She moved towards the edge of the docks to avoid the calamity, drowning them out. She looked out into the horizon, the seagulls flew across the sea and the ocean breeze blew her curls back. Louise didn’t notice the person behind her until she heard them speak, causing her to flinch. She turned around to find Kakyoin with a concerned look on his face.

“Hey Lou, are you feeling ok? You looked off during that whole duel.” He asked.

“What do you mean?” She raised an eyebrow, a bit confused. If anything, Joseph should have been the person he was asking about, he had been looking at her funny since they landed in Hong Kong.

“Well you weren’t really saying anything and you were mostly standing still. It was like you were in some kind of trance.” He clarified.

Lou blinked for a second, lost in thought before remembering how she was acting throughout the entire duel.

“Oh that. Yeah, I’m alright. I was just doing some thinking while watching the fight, thanks for asking though.” She brushed him off, but it seemed that it wasn’t enough.

Although he still seemed bothered by the subject, he stayed silent. The words didn’t leave his lips and he left with a nod, questions left unanswered. The duel was fresh in her mind like the sensation of heat in the restaurant hours earlier. What the hell wasn’t she seeing that the others seem to? Why could she still feel something there in the atmosphere? What was she missing here? More and more questions kept piling up, becoming too much for her to handle.

The sound of a fog horn interrupted her thoughts, a ship docking to shore with the waves below clapping against the pier’s supports. 

“Ahh, finally! You guys arrived! What took you so long?” Joseph called out to the crew, who were setting up the ramp to get them all on board.

Louise kept those questions at the back of her head for now, following the group as they entered the boat in a single file. It rocked slightly from their added weight. Louise tiptoed carefully across the ramp, losing her balance and was about to fall into the water until a man, with a red handkerchief around his neck, held her delicate hand with a gentle grip. He smiled and kept her steady, tipping her hat a little. 

“Good Afternoon, young lady. Watch your step there, you could have gotten hurt back there. The name’s Tenille, I’ll be your Captain for today.” He chuckled, his aura a bit unsettling. 

“Thank you, sir.” She gave a polite nod. The shivers down her spine didn’t subside even as he gave her a casual grin.

Something about him was off-putting, alarms were going off in her head even if he looked friendly on the surface. Maybe it was because they were ambushed by an enemy when they least expected, twice, but there had to be a reason for why this guy seemed so menacing. She was breaking out in a cold sweat, despite how casual the rest of the group was about this weirdo. Louise looked around to find them relaxing on the deck or chatting with no worries after the events that transpired.

Maybe she was being too paranoid, it was unfair to judge someone who she just met and barely knew. She shook her head, looking into the man’s eyes for a brief moment before walking away. She stayed close to Jotaro and Kakyoin, the two boys now sitting on a pair of beach chairs. Despite the heat, they remained in their modest uniforms. She sat down beside Kakyoin while he was reading a book.

“Hey, Noriaki? Do you think something is a bit weird with the Captain? He seems a bit…” She hesitated for a moment.

“Strange.”

“A little, but I don’t think Mr. Joestar or the Speedwagon Foundation would let someone on board without a background check.” Kakyoin lifted his eyebrows, his nose scrunching slightly at the notion.

Louise frowned, not pushing the subject any further. Kakyoin noticed however, closing his book and sat up. He reached out, resting his hand on hers to get her attention. Her gaze was now on him, a concerned expression grazing his features.

“But what about you, Lou? You seemed preoccupied with something even at the docks earlier. I know something has been bothering you for a while now.”  

She bit her lip, thinking of the right words to tell him about her observations. A part of her felt nervous about potentially being wrong or sounding crazy, but they have all gone through enough bizarre events for one day that she decided to cave in.

“Well, I’m still thinking about Avdol and Polnareff’s battle, a few hours ago.”

“But we already took out the bud from Polnareff’s forehead, if you’re worried about-” Kakyoin tilted her head, before getting interrupted by Lou’s finger on his lips.

“It’s not about that. I just have this nagging feeling about stands. If I want to be able to keep up, I need to figure them out. I want to be more than extra weight on this trip.” Lou sighed, her shoulders drooping a little

“It’ll be a little hard to explain to someone who can’t see Stands, but I’ll do my best.” Kakyoin gave her a friendly grin, temporarily easing her worries.

“Well, I was paying close attention to the fight and noticed a few details that I think were interesting. Stands are a manifestation of a user’s soul, right? What did you mean by that?”

Kakyoin sat in silence for a brief moment, thinking of the right words to explain the concept to her before he opened his mouth

“Well you see stands are technically more so an extension of someone’s personality. Their abilities are tied to their user’s interests, desires or their self-image. I don’t think there’s a limit on what kind of ability a user can have, but there’s always a flaw that balances out their strengths.”

“So does that mean they can be beaten by observing the environment around them? They must act like energy! Only being transferred, but not created nor destroyed, right?” Louise’s eyes twinkled with excitement.

“Not exactly. Stands don’t follow the laws of Physics the same way physical objects do. While they can manipulate the environment around them, they can also disappear at any time or go through objects if the user allows it. Some stands are only affected by other stands, others can only be beaten by destroying the stand user. But you only ever know once you encounter them in a fight.” Kakyoin watched the cogs turn in her mind. 

“Don’t worry, you’re on the right path. For a non-stand user, I’m impressed you figured some of it out just by observing. That’ll come in handy, Louise. Stand fights are a little different from Martial Arts. Although they both have an emphasis on fighting with a clear and disciplined mind, the former is more flexible and uses unorthodox methods depending on your opponent. It’s a battle of wits and mental strength.” 

Louise nodded, keeping those words in mind. She put a finger near her lips and looked out at the clear waters beyond the horizon. 

“That’s great and all, but how in the hell am I gonna even go up against these bastards if I have no clue where these forces are coming from? No, there has to be some way to sense them before they get way too close for comfort. Maybe some soap might work? Thank God, I took that taser earlier. Even if it’s not a stand it’s better than nothing. If what Noriaki is saying is true, I may have a chance.” She thought.

She felt like someone was watching her. She turned her head and  noticed that Jotaro was looking in their general direction at the corner of his eye behind Kakyoin, turning away as soon as their gazes locked. Her face twisted into a scowl. He definitely eavesdropped on their conversation. 

“Hey, Kujo! You got a problem? I didn’t take you for the type to be listening to stuff that doesn’t involve you in the slightest.” She was not about to let him off the hook by just hiding behind his hat, like he always did.

“Good Grief, it’s not like you were whispering, I could still hear you all the way from here. I do have something to add though.” Jotaro walked towards them, holding onto the brim of his hat.

"If you want to be useful, don't get cocky and stay out of a fight that you can't win."

She felt her anger bubble up, his rude attitude being the final straw. She stood up in front of him, shooting him the dirtiest look. 

“Excuse me if I want to do more than just stand around and become a bigger burden than I already am. I’m not stupid, you know. I’m not some damsel in distress, I can take care of myself!” She snapped at him, putting her hands on her hips.

“I didn’t say that. For fuck’s sake, Vuitton. I’m only giving you some advice before you get yourself killed. You can’t expect yourself to go up against people who have abilities that you can’t even see. If you want to jump headfirst into danger, be my guest. Don’t say I didn’t warn you though.” Jotaro scoffed, lighting a cigarette and walked off to the other side of the deck before she could argue back.

Her fists were clenched as she watched him walk away, her blood boiled with her face turning red. She huffed, sinking into the beach chair and crossed her arms. 

“Don’t take what he says the wrong way, Lou. I’m sure his heart was in the right place. He’s trying to look out for you, even if he has a funny way of showing it.” Kakyoin gave her a sympathetic look, leaving her to sit in misery. Kakyoin went back to lounging and reading his book.

“In the right place, my ass! Kujo was yelling at me about how useless I was! Jeez, talk about being rude! Who does he fucking think he is?!” She scoffed, narrowing her eyes as they followed Jotaro, who was standing there across the deck. 

She watched him smoke until the Captain snatched his cigarette right from his hand, causing her to smirk.

“Hmph, serves him right for being a punk.” She could barely hide her snicker, satisfied that he was getting his just deserts.

That feeling of petty revenge was short lived however when she saw Captain Tenille crush the cigarette against the pins of his hat, presumably lecturing him about smoking on board. Even that was crossing a line for her.

“Okay, that was a bit much. He didn’t need to do that to get his point across. This guy is definitely bad news, I need to tell someone.”

Right as she was about to approach Joseph in regards to her suspicions, something fell off her pocket. It was a gold charm that her mother gave to her when she was just a little girl. She gasped, diving to grab it while it rolled away. She reached out in desperation before it fell into the ocean. A wave of panic hit her all at once as she tightly grasped her hair, leaning onto the boat’s railing. 

“My mother’s charm!” She was about to jump off the edge until Kakyoin grabbed her waist and pulled her back from the railing.

“No! Lou! It’s too dangerous to dive head-first into shark infested waters! It’s not worth getting that thing!” 

“That thing is a charm my mother gave me to remember her when she was away! I’m not losing something important!” She squirmed in his grasp, screaming while she watched it sink deeper into the waters. She was about to cry, her heart wrenched as she lost the one thing that comforted her when her parents were abroad. 

Before she had the chance to grieve, a force grabbed at her ankle and tried to pull her down along with Kakyoin. She screamed, thrashing her foot around in an attempt to shake it off. Everyone looked into their general direction, rushing to their aid. Kakyoin called out his stand. A few seconds later, Louise felt something slither around her arms and legs, pulling her as hard as it could away from the edge.

“Oh my God! A stand was following us the whole time! It’s sticking itself to the ship’s hull and pulling Lou towards the water!” Joseph yelled.

Hearing the term was enough to make her skin crawl. A stand?! It can’t be! There shouldn’t be any users on this ship except for their group, right? Unless. The ship crew had something to do with it! The realization dawned on her, she had to tell everyone about the Captain. They struggled against the force until it finally let go of her leg, leaving them all to lay down on the ship’s deck. Louise gasped for air, avoiding the clutches of death. She was still catching her breath as she stood up, pointing fingers at Captain Tenille.

“You set me up, didn’t you?!” She clenched her jaw, not even caring about the potential superhuman ability he might possess.

“I know you did! You’re the one controlling the thing that was pulling me down!” 

“What? What are you even talking about, young lady? You must’ve slipped on the deck again. I told you to watch your step.” Despite her accusations, Captain Tenille remained calm and composed.

“Don’t play dumb with me! I know what I felt! The others also saw it! That stand was yours, wasn’t it?! I knew you were suspicious the moment we went on board!” She growled, his composure infuriated her even further. 

“What the-” The rest of the group exclaimed all together.

“That is completely impossible, Louise! He’s already been checked by Speedwagon Foundation and was highly recommended by them! He can’t be the user!” Avdol yelled out.

“I know you’re paranoid as a non-stand user, but do you even have any evidence? Throwing around blind accusations won’t get us anywhere!” Polnareff added. 

Jotaro stepped forward, glaring at the Captain. Louise half expected him to also wave away her accusations until:

“Calm down everyone, there's a little trick I know that’ll speed this little investigation right up. You see, you can actually differentiate a stand user from a regular person.” He paused, taking a hand out his pocket.

“Whenever a stand user gets a whiff of cigarette smoke, a vein pops out on the tip of their nose.” Jotaro said with confidence, putting a finger to his nose.

What followed was the whole group, excluding Louise, doing just that. She could feel the sweat dripping down their forehead as they stood there like idiots with their hands pressing against their noses.

“What the hell are they even doing?! They look ridiculous.” Louise raised an eyebrow, waiting to see what they were going with whatever this was.

“You’re not serious are you, Jotaro?!” Polnareff cried out.

“Jeez, relax. I was bluffing. That being said, Vuitton was definitely right about this idiot.” Jotaro shot Captain Tenille with a dirty look.

The fake Captain’s jaw dropped, he had been exposed without any warning. All eyes were now on him, the group slightly backing away. Louise could feel her heart pound right out her chest, finally being vindicated for her suspicions she had all along. It took everything in her power to stop herself from rubbing it in the group’s face, the early celebration a bit too inappropriate due to the looming threat. The man took off his cap, chuckling slightly while he threw it away. He narrowed his eyes and gave a smirk. 

“Smart thinking, Jotaro, but how did you know?” Joseph asked.

“I didn’t. In fact, Vuitton noticed it right away before any of us did. I was going to pull this trick on him earlier to test that theory right before she almost got dragged down.” Jotaro continued to glare at the imposter.

“And I fell for it. You guys are more perceptive than I thought, I’ll give you that. You’re right, the real Captain is already sleeping with the fishes at the bottom of the China Sea.” The Captain laughed.

“If that’s true then you can sleep in the depths of hell, you bastard!” Jotaro clenched his jaw, pointing his finger at the fake bastard.

Before any one of them could move, something grabbed at Louise’s leg again and clutched her in its slimy grasp.

“Shit! He got Lou!” The whole party shouted at the same time.

She screamed at the bastard to let her go, squirming around to break free but to no avail. She looked like she was floating on air, but she could definitely feel something tight around her body.

“The plan was to hide my identity and pick you all out one by one. Five on one is too much for even a guy like me, but you leave me no choice. Five on one it is then!” The imposter sat near the edge of the railing, rocking from side to side.

“I thought that I was unlucky, failing to pull her down the first time. But as fate would have it, I still succeeded. Think I’ll dive right into these cool and shark-infested waters below if you all don’t mind. If you want to get her, you’re gonna have to take a dip.” As the imposter boasted Lou could feel her vision blur.

“ H-he can’t be serious can he?? Fuck! It’s hard enough dealing with these things on land but in water?? Am I gonna die here? ” She felt a pit in her stomach form as the despair set in.

“Not to pat myself on the back, but the ocean is my domain. I can take on all five of you without even breaking a sweat!”The fake Captain Tanille bragged.

“Don’t underestimate me by taking a girl that can’t fight back. It’ll take a lot more than that to shake me up, you dumbass.” Jotaro said.

“Underestimate? No, this is a prediction. I heard Star Platinum was fast, but let’s put that to test! My stand, Dark Blue Moon, is King of the Sea. It’s swifter than any fish in the water and certainly faster than a vulgar meathead like you.” The fake Captain stood up on the edge of the boat.

“Come get me if you’re not afraid of a little saltwater!” Tenille leaned back, letting himself fall from the ship and took Louise down with him.

Louise could feel the ocean breeze rushing past her as she fell closer and closer towards the ocean, the invisible thing kept clinging onto her like a vice. All she could do was scream and watch as Jotaro got farther away. She felt like she was suffocating, a lump formed in her throat.

“Oh God, I thought that people who said they saw their lives flashing before your eyes during life threatening events were just being overly dramatic. But now I know they weren’t. Once I hit that water, I’m a goner! I’m going to sink like a rock!” Tears formed in her eyes, feeling them fall down alongside her body

“I should have told my mom and dad goodnight before I went on the plane, I should have told my sisters that I still liked their boring stories abroad! I should have told Ren thank you for all the things he’s done for my family! Now, I’ll die without even getting to say those things or even graduate! I’m going to die a disappointment. I’m sorry I wasn’t the mature young lady you all wanted me to be.” Her regrets and fears came all at once to haunt her, possibly being the last few thoughts she will ever have.

Her body was sinking, her eyes looking up into the boat with Jotaro standing there. He was the last face she’ll ever see. Despite their arguments and his rude attitude, she didn’t mind. She had no idea why, but had little time to figure it out. Louise swallowed her pride for a moment to prevent her last thoughts from being bitter, instead just letting them be. She closed her eyes, anticipating the splash below. 

“I’m sorry I took everything for granted. Goodbye, cruel world. I shouldn’t have flown too close to the sun.” She bid a quiet farewell, accepting her sad fate.

To be continued →

Chapter Text

A gust of wind blew through her curls, the tight grip around her ankle let her go for a minute then she felt her hair dangle around her face, realizing she had been flipped in the air and caught by her wrist. She opened her eyes, her body being left suspended with a strong hand imprinted on her skin. She was thrown up for a brief second before being caught by the invisible force, clutching her waist. Louise caught her breath, the adrenaline of almost dying had yet to wear off as she floated near the boat’s edge.

“I’m alive! Oh my God! I’m alive! Did he?” She looked up and saw Jotaro there, calm and cool as a cucumber.

“You’re the only one dipping into saltwater today, pops! Tell him Avdol.” Jotaro gestured towards the man behind him.

“It was a mistake for you to bet against a fortune teller. Too bad for you, you were just spouting out nonsensical predictions.” Avdol huffed, lifting up his chin with pride.

“Well said!” Polnareff grinned.

Louise gave a sigh of relief, now safe in the force’s grasp. That victory was short lived, however. Out of nowhere, Barnacles grew out of the ship’s hull and surrounded the invisible arm that was holding onto her body. She gasped, her gaze turning towards Jotaro’s direction seeing him struggle to stand up. He grunted, his body being pulled down against the railing.

“Jotaro!” She called out to him, fearing for his life.

The rest of the group held onto him as tight as they could, fighting tooth and nail to keep him from falling.

“Pull up already, Jotaro! You’re gonna fall overboard!” Joseph screamed on the top of his lungs, panicking.

“What the fuck do you think I’m doing, old man?!” Jotaro clicked his tongue, his body twitching while he tried to stand up straight.

“Those barnacles growing around the hull and on Star Platinum won’t stop spreading! They’re covering his arms and digging into his skin!” As soon as Kakyoin spoke, Jotaro’s arms started to bleed.

His arm banged against the metal railing, sweat starting to form on his forehead.

“He’s not going down without a fight! Damn it… I- my strength is getting drained!” Jotaro shook, struggling to carry the weight of even his hand. His fatigued body couldn’t take it anymore, he fell over the railing and plummeted into the water.

Louise screamed as she felt her body sink down, being dragged down alongside Jotaro. Kakyoin called out their names, but it was too late. They fell into the ocean with a big splash, sinking slowly towards the coral reef below. Louise squinted her eyes slightly, looking around to find where Jotaro was while she tried to hold her breath. A mocking laugh echoed around her, the ocean was vast and empty. 

“Welcome to my humble abode! I know there isn't much down here, but it's not like you two can comment. Except for maybe Jotaro.” The impostor grinned, the water had no effect on his speech.

She looked around frantically to find Jotaro, his body falling down towards the ocean floor as a burst of water pushed him against the coral. Louise swam towards him, but not before getting swept off to the side by a wave. She pressed her hand against her face before she could scream, barely floating in the vast sea. 

“It was a bad idea to underestimate me, boy. Although, I’ll give you one last chance to mock me with your Stand. Go ahead, just try.” Tenille chuckled, licking the wounds on his hand. 

He waited for an answer with a cocky grin, crossing his arms. The silence was deafening, but Jotaro was unphased. His eyes briefly locked with Louise’s before turning back to the impostor, while Louise watched with bated breath.

“Oh God, don’t tell me he’s relying on me to think of a plan?!? I can’t pick a fight with someone where I’m at a complete disadvantage, he said it himself! And now he’s waiting for me to make a move, are you kidding me?!” She almost wished that she could throw another shoe at him.

“Don’t act so tough, boy. You’re still young and foolish. You might be thinking that you can outlast me in the water, Two minutes is probably you and your lady friend’s limit.” The fake captain stroked his chin, cackling once again in a condescending tone.

“But unfortunately for you two, my lungs have 3 times the capacity compared to yours! I’ve trained myself to last at least 6 minutes!”

Both Jotaro and Louise’s eyes widened, their blood running cold.

“6 minutes??? We’ll be dead way before then!” A sense of panic rushed through Louise, the hand against her mouth was shaking

A ship passed above the fake captain, the man floating up towards the boat and kept his eyes on them with a smile that was getting wider with every second. Without any warning, the propellers broke off and were sliced into pieces. When the ship stopped, the water began to swirl into a terrifying cyclone that blew through anything in its path. Louise was caught up in its direction, swimming as hard as she could away from the hurricane that was about to form. 

“Not only that! Dark Blue Moon has fins that can cut through anything underwater, they cut through water better than any ship’s propeller!” He boasted, causing Lou to panic even more as she got thrown around in the whirlpool.

“Before you get too brash, take a good, hard look at yourself. I’m sure you noticed those acorn barnacles absorbing your energy. Wel they won’t stop until there’s nothing left to drain! You’ve got nothing on me, boy!” The impostor kept taunting him, watching the barnacles put in the work on Jotaro’s hand.

Jotaro tried to swim towards the top, but was overwhelmed by a large whirlpool that became bigger and bigger. Louise and Jotaro were no match for the water’s strong grip, their bodies being pulled deeper towards the center. It loomed over them while Tenille was left unphased in the eye of the storm.

“Trying to swim away, eh? Don’t be so naive! Haven’t you realized that Dark Blue Moon has already been busy creating an underwater whirlpool! Swim, swim, swim like a little dolphin, you’re never getting out no matter how hard you try! You’ll drown before you can even scream!”

“Shit! It’s no use! I can’t swim! The waves are too strong! He’s pulling Jotaro in too! AHH! What was that?!” Louise felt something cut her leg, ripping her pink stockings followed by a stream of blood.

Her heart stopped for a moment, realizing the wave of scales that was flying past her. They sliced through Jotaro’s skin then headed right towards her. A few more slashed through her body. 

“Scales?! Oh no! With how strong the cyclone is, we’ll get chopped to pieces before we drown!” Louise frantically looked around for an opening, some sort of thing that would get them out of here. 

All hope seemed lost, this was it. The end of the line for them. She was ready to accept her fate once again, until her eyes caught a glimpse of something glistening in the water. It was faint, but bright enough to notice. She squinted, focusing her eyes towards that glittering object. Something golden struck Jotaro’s barnacle-covered hand, enough to chip at them before getting stuck.

“Wait, is that?! My mother’s charm! That’s it! What if I use something stronger and throw it towards Kujo’s direction! It might be crazy enough to work! But how do I do it without the Captain noticing?” She searched around the whirlpool, luck striking her in her last moments once again.

The propeller that fell off the boat earlier was whipping right by, barely avoiding her as it whirled past her in the strong current. She took out her shoe and placed it on her hand, using it as a way to block the propeller’s way and grab it without cutting her hand. It stopped for a brief moment, giving her the opportunity to snatch it before it swam away.

“Got it! Now let me just-” She put her shoe back on, holding the propeller with both of her hands and raised it towards the passing scales. 

It was sliced in half without much of a struggle, giving her two pieces to use. She focused on the Captain, watching him closely. As soon as he was distracted, she tossed one of the pieces as hard as she could towards his back and caused the propeller to be lodged into his shoulder. The impostor screamed in pain, the wound being deep enough to make him twitch. Louise frantically threw the other piece in Jotaro’s direction while Tenille’s attention was now on her.

“You little bitch! I knew I should have dealt with you first!” He growled, gnashing his teeth as he glared at her. 

“If I dealt with you first, I could have been riding easy with all of them dead! But no! You had to be a blabbermouth! Since you seem so eager to get on my bad side, you’ll get the privilege of being killed by my own two hands! I’ll watch that bratty face of yours choke as you lose your breath.” Tenille grabbed her ankle, pulling her close to him as he squeezed her neck. 

He cackled, watching her mouth open as she convulsed in his tight grip. The impostor cracked a smile, satisfied with his own wicked actions. His reservations were thrown out the window, embracing his malicious impulses as he suffocated the young girl.

“Not so tough now, huh?! You thought you could defeat me, huh?! Not a chance! You don’t even have a stand, you couldn’t beat me in your wildest dreams. You’re nothing but an arrogant tramp who is naive as she is fooli-” He was cut off by a strong force, his face getting punched by something Louise could not see. 

The fake Captain flew across the water, the tides settling down while he was left choking on his words. A few teeth fell out his mouth as a stream of blood trailed from his bleeding face. Louise couldn’t understand a word he said, being quickly drowned out by the water. He sank to the bottom of the sea, disappearing into the dark abyss. 

Her body collided against Jotaro’s chest, his arm pulling her closer. She felt her breath dwindle, with her head becoming dizzy. Jotaro looked at her with his piercing blue eyes, swimming as fast he could towards the surface. She fought to keep her eyes open, but slowly everything was fading to black. 

For a brief moment, she felt her life fading away. She floated into a dark and empty space, her eyes now forced shut. Louise didn’t know where she was, but still heard screams of panic and frustration ringing in her ears. She felt her chest getting pushed down by a pair of hands, the water being pumped out her body.

A rush of oxygen made its way through her lungs, her heart beating once again. Louise gasped for air, sitting up to find the group now crowding around her and began to celebrate. 

“Oh my God! She’s alive?! Lou’s alive!” Joseph yelled at the top of his lungs, putting his hand on top of his head and pointing at her. 

“You worried us for a second, Lou!” Polnareff gave a sigh of relief.

“Thank the heavens you’re okay.” Avdol’s shoulders relaxed, finally at ease.

“I don’t think I would have been able to live knowing that a friend didn’t make it.” Kakyoin said with a smile. 

Jotaro stayed silent, pulling the brim of his hat down. Louise was safe. Everything was now okay. Her mind was now clear and the day was saved. She was sitting on the deck of the ship, the breeze now blowing against her bare body. Wait a minute. Where are her clothes?

She looked down and her eyes widened, realizing that was naked with only her panties covering her. She shrieked, scrambling to cover her chest. Her face reddened, glaring at everyone around her. 

“What the hell?! You took off my clothes?! You are a bunch of perverts!” Louise snatched her dress, covering her bare body as much as she could. 

“It’s nothing like that, Lou! You’re getting the wrong idea!” Polnareff frantically waved his arms around, while the rest of the group scrambled for the right explanation.

“Good grief. I had to take them off so I could perform CPR so you don’t die. You’re welcome.” Jotaro clicked his tongue, pulling the brim of his hat even lower than before.

Louise could have sworn that she saw a slight pink tinge on his cheeks, but he turned away before she could tell for sure. Still, it was quite embarrassing to be exposed in front of a bunch of men, but as awkward the situation was, she was glad that they went through the trouble to save her life. Although she would have much rather preferred to be clothed. 

“Thank you, everyone, but can I ask you all for a quick favour?” Louise gave them a sweet smile.

They all returned a nod, waiting patiently as she took a deep breath.

“TURN AROUND SO I CAN CHANGE!” 

She shrieked so loud that she caused the boat to rock a little, prompting them all to turn around in less than a second. She slipped her bra and her dress on as fast as possible before someone took a peek, standing up to brush the dirt off her clothes. Louise squeezed her hair, wringing the water off her strands. 

The boat began to sway, a sudden explosion bursted at the back and destroyed the back then more followed as it surrounded every corner of the ship. 

“What’s happening?!” Louise screamed, the fire growing larger and creeped ever closer to them. 

“The impostor must have planted the ship with bombs!” Joseph hung onto a railing, almost falling overboard from the way the boat tipped. 

“Everyone evacuate and board the lifeboats! Hurry, we don't have much time!” One of the crew members called out, scrambling to get the boats ready and help everyone else on board. 

The group rushed towards the small boats, watching as the ship was blown to smithereens. It was a close call, Louise could feel the tips of her hair get singed by the fire while they were being lowered down onto the water below. She noticed that she was holding her breath, finding relief that she could breathe normally again, but they have yet to find solace. 

Their transport was compromised once again by Dio’s cronies and they are floating in the middle of the sea, waiting for someone, anyone, to come rescue them. They all squeezed themselves together in such a tiny space, with the Crusaders on one boat and the ship crew on the other. The exhaustion was prevalent on their faces as they all struggled to stay awake. Kakyoin was falling to the side, but was startled awake by the feeling of gravity pulling his body down.

Louise was handed a flask of water from Joseph, urging her to drink. The coolness of it was enough to satiate her dry throat that she had just noticed after the calamity was over, it was like she found an oasis in the middle of a dry desert. The old man gave her the same worried look. Before Lou could comment he broke the tension.

“Lou I’ve been thinking about this for some time now, but after what just happened it can’t wait any longer. The next time we dock, we’re getting you to an airport and sending you back home. This trip is far too dangerous for non-stand users like you.” Joseph sighed. 

“Wait, what?! You can’t send me back! What about my father?! I need to avenge him! I have a personal stake in this too just like you do with your daughte-” Louise tried to argue, but was cut off.

“This isn’t up for discussion, Lou! I’m responsible for you while on this trip and I can’t have you die! You can’t even see the threats in front of you, how can you expect to fight them? I’m sorry Lou but I made up my mind.” Joseph put his foot down, furrowing his eyebrows. 

Louise felt a lump form in her throat, she struggled to hold back tears to the best of her ability. She couldn’t quit now, she was just getting started! But there was no way around it, she knew deep down that he was right. She’d already had too many brushes with death. Just as she was about to give up and sit in silence, Jotaro cleared his throat. 

“Hey, old man. You know that’s no way to talk to the girl who saved your grandson. You should be thanking Vuitton for helping me out.” Jotaro said out of the blue, causing the rest of the group to look at him in shock. 

“Good grief, I know it was hard to see what the hell was going on in that whirlpool, but you think I got us out of there alone? If it wasn’t for Lou, we’d both be goners. She’s not as useless as you think.” 

“Jotaro, I appreciate your input, but this is different. She’s not a stand user and her life’s already been on the line too many times for my comfort.” Joseph argued back.

“Well, so have ours. I mean hell we were all on that plane together weren’t we? What about that time Polnareff attacked us? And even just now I went overboard with Lou, but she helped me break out of those barnacles.” Jotaro rebutted, testing his grandfather’s limits.

“All I’m saying is don’t count her out yet. She might surprise you.” 

He turned away, muttering his catchphrase under his breath and leaving Joseph frustrated. The rest of the Crusaders were left stunned, shocked that he of all people would defend her after how much the two argued like clucking hens. 

“By the way, I forgot to give this to you. You said it was important, right? Don’t lose it again.” Jotaro dropped a golden charm in Louise’s hand.

It was her mother’s charm, the one that she thought was lost in the bottom of the sea. She couldn’t believe that he remembered and retrieved it for her. The corners of her mouth started to twitch. She gazed up at him. Although he was rough around the edges, maybe Jotaro wasn’t such a bad guy after all. A warm feeling formed in her chest.

“Well, I guess he really does care somewhat, even if he’s still a bit rude. I can’t believe he went through the trouble just for this. I guess my mother was right when she said this charm brought good luck.”

She held it tight in her grasp, looking out into the sea. The horizon was fogging up and there seemed to be no land in sight, they were left to drift along and wait for help. At the corner of her eye, she noticed a large thing coming closer. Louise rubbed her eyes, certain that it was just her imagination, but no it was really a ship. She gasped, her hand twitching as she reached out to point at the big freighter heading right towards their direction.

“G-Guys, look! It’s a ship! A freighter!” Louise stuttered, the mere size of it was enough to make her sweat. 

They looked towards its direction, its massive hull looming over them with its shadow. Words failed to leave their lips, eyes marveling at its huge size. Something about it felt ominous, giving all of them a feeling of apprehension as it floated ever closer. The ramp was already down, like it was waiting for them to enter. Their tiny boats collided with the stairwell, with Polnareff jumping onto it without so much of a thought. 

“Polnareff, wait! This seems kind of dangerous. We just got attacked by a stand and it seems a bit eerie that no one has greeted us yet despite the ramp being down.” Kakyoin called out to Polnareff, who was already itching to get on board. 

“For all we know, there might be some stand users on board, let’s not be too hasty. I advise you to proceed with caution.” Avdol warned him, but it fell on deaf ears as Polnareff kept climbing up the stairs.

“Stand user or not it beats being a drift in some tiny canoe.” Polnareff turned to look back at them, presumably waiting for them to follow despite the doubt present on their face. 

“I don’t care if there are stand users on board, whoever is up there came all this way to help us. There has to be someone on board or at the very least something we can use to get to shore. I’m not going to stay in a small and dingy boat any longer. We can deal with whatever happens to us up there.” Polnareff kept moving, no longer willing to wait.

The group looked at each other, still apprehensive, but eventually followed along as the crew helped them all board. They walked along the ship’s deck, the cranes creaking while the hooks swayed softly side to side. Louise alongside the rest of the party searched around for any signs of life. Kakyoin grunted as he turned the handle of a door, its shiny metal grinded against the floor with a screech. They all entered the bridge, but nothing.

Not a single soul was inside. What’s even more odd was the fact that all of the navigation equipment was still active, not one meter or radio was broken. Everything was in working order. The wheel kept turning all on its own, confusing things further. Almost every place they looked was deserted.

“What the hell is with this ship?! The captain isn’t here turning the wheel, there’s no operator in the radio room. How come everything is still working as normal?! I don’t get it!” Joseph walked around, watching the meters turn with no input. 

“Oh relax, it’s probably one of those fancy automatic ships or something. Maybe they’re all stuck in the bathroom with a bad case of the shits?” Polnareff halfheartedly suggested the idea. 

Joseph shot him an annoyed glare, ignoring his comment as he kept yelling for someone, anyone to come and put all their questions to rest. Louise wandered around, catching a glimpse of something brown and furry in the next room. She walked back to take a closer look. An animal was kept in a large cage, staring at her with its beady eyes. Its hand was gripping the bars tight as it huffed. 

“Hey, guys, you’re gonna want to see this.” Louise urged them to come along and check it out.

“It’s a monkey, there’s a monkey inside that cage.”

The Crusaders weren’t very interested however and brushed it off with a sigh. 

“That’s an orangutan.” Kakyoin said with a deadpan expression.

“A sumatran orangutan to be more specific” Jotaro added in a blunt tone.

“Who cares about a damn monkey?! We should be finding the guy feeding it. Let’s split up and look for clues. We’re wasting our time here!” Joseph grit his teeth, walking off with the rest of them not falling too far behind.

Louise hesitated however, paying close attention to the animal as it stared at her intently with its piercing gaze. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat while a shiver ran down her spine. It didn’t move, barely blinking with its focus completely on her. Something about this creature was making her uncomfortable. She ran out the door, walking closer towards Jotaro and Kakyoin. 

“I don’t like the look of that animal, it was a bit uncanny. Why is it the only living creature aboard we’ve seen on board? We checked everywhere, but no one’s here!”  

Everything seemed wrong, no matter which way they looked at it. This ship seems particularly odd. Nothing made any sense at all. She almost wished that she was back on board that last ship that sunk, at least it had people on board. They approached Avdol, who stayed behind with the crew to observe the crane controls. 

“Doesn’t look like any of it is busted, but…” One of the crew members trailed off, inspecting the meters closer. 

The hook above them took a violent swing, whipping around without any prompting. It swung lower, close to the crew below. The scene became even more bizarre as it headed straight for a man standing behind the group, swinging like it was preparing to sink itself into his body. 

“Avdol! Watch out!” Joseph yelled, but it was too late. 

Avdol was able to avoid the hook but it curved into the back of the worker’s skull and pulled him up. The innocent man was now dead, his body dangling with no way to recover. Louise screamed, her legs shaking after witnessing such a brutal sight. Her eyes were covered by Jotaro’s hands. Anything was better than what they just saw. 

“Damn it, I knew something was off.” Jotaro growled. 

The crew shook in fear, slowly backing away while they gaped at the lifeless body that was once their crewmate. Red dripped down his pants and onto the deck, forming a crimson puddle below. 

“N-no one was touching anything! All our hands were off the controls!” one of the men said, gawking at the horrible sight. 

“That crane moved, even though nobody was operating it! I saw it! I-It did that on its own.” another added. 

“Listen up! Someone is definitely on board! Before any of you panic, I want you all to back away from any machinery!” Joseph wasted no time barking out orders.

“Don’t lay a finger on anything that moves or runs on electricity! We don’t know what’s going on, but we’re trying our best to figure it out! If you want to live, do as I say and don’t leave the cabin below the deck until we tell you otherwise. Is that clear?”

The crew members nodded, shuffling towards the cabin.

“That includes you, Lou. I don’t want you getting hurt again. Just stay put until we find out what’s going on.” 

She was urged to accompany the crew, looking behind her while the Crusaders were talking amongst themselves. Louise walked inside, not wanting to cause any more trouble. The ship was cold, the breeze was pricking at her delicate skin. She rubbed her arms faster, trying to warm herself up. She stopped by the orangutan’s cage once again, the creature shaking at the bars.

Against her better judgement, she approached the cage. Maybe this creature could give her a clue about the missing crew. It pointed at the lock that was keeping it inside.

“You want me to open the cage?” Louise asked while the orangutan nodded. 

“I-I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t know where the key is and I already know that you shouldn’t let out a wild animal, especially on a ship.” 

The orangutan offered her an apple, reaching its arm out offering it to her. The apple was sliced perfectly and the colour was yet to change. Her eyes widened.

“Where did it get that sliced apple? The orangutan couldn’t have cut the fruit itself, by the looks of things, it’s still quite fresh, There must be someone on board feeding it.” She put her questions aside and responded to the ape.

“Oh, haha. No thank you, I’m not hungry, Mr. Orangutan. Say, do you know where the person feeding you is? Wait, why am I asking you? You’re an orangutan. It’s not like you know what’s going on.” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose

She felt a bit stupid that she was asking an animal who can’t speak, putting aside her questions for later. That bad feeling was definitely getting harder to ignore. Especially with the uncomfortable stare of the orangutan fixated on her. She heard the strike of a match, causing her to pay attention to the creature that was now holding it close to its lips. A cigarette was stuck between its teeth, holding the match closer to light the end. The creature blew on the match, extinguishing the flame. 

“Huh?! Where did that cigarette come from?! Did it just strike that match on its own?! This animal is pretty smart, but that still doesn’t explain where it’s getting all this stuff!” 

She noticed it reaching out under a pile of cloth in the corner, pulling out a Playboy Magazine. It let the pages trail down and expose the lewd pictures in front of her. She gasped, moving back out of repulsion as she grasped the hem of her dress.

“W-why do you have that? That doesn’t seem like a thing you should be interested in.” As soon those words left her lips, a disgusting realization hit her all at once. 

“D-don’t tell me you’re looking at those to get off! Do you find human girls…” She trailed off, struggling to finish that sentence. 

It looked askance, its eyes sweeping up and down her body. She stepped back, quivering slightly as she put a noticeable distance between them. She knew something was disturbing about this animal. She could barely contain her disgust, feeling sick to her stomach. The door opened with two men standing there, saving her from that unsettling nightmare. 

“Hey, be careful, miss! It’s dangerous for you to be out here especially with a wild animal. Orangutans have five times the strength of a human and you’ll be ripped to pieces if you go anywhere near that thing.” The crew member rested a hand on her shoulder 

“Come on. Stay put with us in the room on the other side. You’ll be safe there. No more wandering off, okay?” 

The men led her to a room with a desk that housed buttons and radios, where the rest of the crew was trying to contact anyone for help. They kept twiddling with the knobs, trying everything but with no luck.

Louise stood near the doorway, watching them fiddle around for a connection. She started to notice a weird smell radiating off her, sniffing her clothes. She was all sticky from the salt water and needed to freshen up fast. 

“Eww! I need a shower, now! I’m not about to go back to shore smelling like a pig pen! There’s gotta be one here somewhere. It’s a big ship, right? They wouldn’t mind if I just took some time to clean myself a bit.”

She searched for a bathroom, hopping in excitement when she found one just a few steps away. Louise pushed a stall’s shower curtain aside, turning the knob and reaching out her hand. At last! Her luck was beginning to turn around, feeling drops of water drip down her skin. A few toiletries were already provided in the stall. 

She clapped, slipping off her dress and undergarments, diving in and closing the curtain behind her. The water was warm and refreshing. Louise hummed a little tune, combing through her hair to untangle the strands. 

“Finally, a nice shower after a long day. I hope whoever is on board doesn’t mind me using their soaps. After all, it seems complementary if they were just going to leave it around for anyone to use. Seems like a waste, it even smells like Gardenias too!”

Louise giggled to herself, rinsing off the suds and then turned off the warm water. She took the fluffy towel that she found plopped on a bench earlier, drying herself off. She slipped her panties on, clasping her bra at the back. She was about to grab her dress from the floor when she noticed that it was gone, leaving her in a frenzy as she ran around the shower room and almost slipped on the wet tiles. 

“Where did my dress go?! It was here a minute ago, don’t tell me I lost it! Oh God, what if it got wet?! What am I gonna wear now?!”

She was so busy searching that she didn’t notice a figure standing right behind her, until she heard its heavy snort. Her blood ran cold, recognizing that she was no longer alone. Her head turned back, her throat clamming up as she locked eyes with…

IT.

To be continued →

Chapter Text

The orangutan’s soulless eyes were locked on her body, making Louise back away and trip on a bench. She fell on top of its wooden surface, her back colliding with a thud against the seat behind her. She shook, her hand clutched onto a towel, trying to cover herself as much as possible. The creature loomed over her and smacked its lips. With nowhere to run and nowhere for her to go, it pounced while its arms reached out to grab her. She could do nothing but scream. 

She braced herself, gripping the towel with a firm grasp. Before she could even close her eyes, a massive lock was battered across the creature’s face. It yelped in pain, limping away.

“Hey, ape! You forgot your fucking lock!” Jotaro stared down the lowly creature, lobbing the lock into the back of its head before it could even get a chance to escape. 

“Jotaro!” Louise called his name, relieved that he came to rescue her just in time.

The orangutan was thrown across the room, stretching out its arm to grab Jotaro’s collar. Its hand yanked him closer while it swung its leg to attack him, but was blocked by an invisible barrier. A fan broke off and without a second too soon, slicing through Jotaro’s shoulder. He grit his teeth, glaring at the animal. 

“Oh my God, Jotaro! There’s a fan on your shoulder!” Louise couldn’t help but wince, the metal cutting deep into his skin

“Stay the fuck back, Lou! Don’t think about the stupid fan on my shoulder and get the fuck out of here! That ape isn’t normal in the slightest, he just might be the bastard behind all this!” Jotaro shouted.

Louise watched him clench his jaw, his body swaying while he struggled to stand straight. She stood her ground and didn’t move another step, eyes searching for the source of where that fan came from.

“I can’t just leave him like this! Think, Louise, think!”

“ Hey I’m not gonna say it again Lou, get out of here! I don’t even know where his stand is, it could be anywhere.” Jotaro exclaimed.

“ Wait what?? He doesn’t know where the stand is?! That must mean that he’s as blind as me!! ” Lou was paralyzed with terror. Her mind came to a screeching halt when the fan lodged in Jotaro’s shoulder began to morph and deform, smacking him across the face and sending him flying.

“Shit! Jotaro!” The sight gave her goosebumps as he got knocked into the next room. It made her break out in a cold sweat. 

She not only feared for her own safety, but also Jotaro’s. She sprinted towards the direction of his body, Jotaro colliding with the door with a loud BLAM! The orangutan followed him as they both flew off down the hall, a glass window shattered and its shards were coming straight towards the young man. 

Before they could even touch a hair on his head, the shards were floated into an organized cluster and rushed their way into the orangutan’s head. The shards missed as the animal started to melt into the ship’s wall, leaving only a dent on the where the shards fell. Louise felt a little dizzy, only getting the chance to catch her breath once the dust settled, leaving the silent ambience in its wake. 

Jotaro leaned against the wall, his body trembling just a little. He was trying to stay strong, but the wound was still deep enough for Louise to notice his shaking figure. She approached him, pulling him up.

“You’re hurt, Jotaro. Here let me see.” Despite his attempts to push her away, Louise persisted and supported his aching body. 

She grimaced at the open cut on his shoulder, inspecting it closer. 

“That needs to be bandaged. Hold on, I’ll use this towel. You may need to take off your coat.” Louise pulled off the towel that covered her body and used the glass shards to slice a piece off.

“Lou, no. I’ll be fine. Stop doing that. Fuck..” Jotaro hissed, his head banging against the metal.

His pleading words fell on deaf ears, however, while Louise raced to the bathroom to snatch the soap and dampen the rest of the towel. She skittered her way to his body, bending down to help him peel off his coat. She lathered the liquid soap onto the wound and washed it off with a wet cloth, causing him to grit his teeth in response to the stinging pain. 

“Sorry. I’ll be more careful.” Louise winced, trying her best to be gentle. 

“You didn’t have to use that towel, it was the only thing covering you from that nasty orangutan. You should’ve ran for the hills. For fuck’s sake, you’re not invincible.” Jotaro frowned. 

“And leave you to die? I don’t think so. You might be an annoying asshole, but I’m not leaving anyone behind, especially with that creep.” Louise brushed off his concerns, too focused on patching up his wounds. 

She hummed, lifting her chin with pride as she finished tying up the fabric around his shoulder. She reached out her hand, hoisting him up and supported his body. He pointed to his coat, with Louise shooting him an inquisitive look 

“Good grief. Don’t let the ape see you half naked, use my jacket to cover up. That towel isn’t gonna be enough.” Jotaro sighed.

She picked it up, smiling to herself while she slipped it on. She buttoned it up, feeling safe and covered. A faint musky scent emanated from the fabric, the smell was comforting and warm somehow. 

“Thank you.” She whispered.

The moment was interrupted by a screech, the ship rumbling as it morphed. She was losing her balance, only being caught by Jotaro before she fell backwards. The orangutan was back, its face popping out the walls as it snickered. Jotaro tossed Lou aside, away from the slobbering beast.

She was about to chastise him, but was cut off by the creature revealing itself from the wall it was hiding in. None of them could predict what happened next. 

A series of pipes bursted out of the wall behind Jotaro and wrapped themselves around him, pinning him against the wall. He fought against his restraints, but it was no use. Jotaro was stuck. Every time a pipe floated away, a new one replaced it seconds later. 

“This fucking ape..” Jotaro’s fists clenched.

Even from a distance, Louise could sense his seething rage. She knew that something had to be done or they’ll both be screwed. She had to come up with a plan and fast.

While Jotaro struggled against the metal pipes and kept him bound to the wall, the orangutan took the opportunity to boast. Taking a puff of his pipe, solving a Rubix cube then holding up a book towards Jotaro. It was an odd spectacle indeed, but more so terrifying to the level of sentience this creature had.

“ It might just be an ape but it’s intellect can almost rival a human’s! ” Lou eyes darted across the hallway and the pipes tangled together as a result of its ability. 

She might have no idea what this thing’s stand ability is, but she began to plot regardless. A sneaking suspicion was creeping around the corner. Something about the freighter was off, ever since they arrived. She noticed a room where the crew members used to be was gone. The door that used to be there is now a hunk of steel.

“This can’t be a regular boat. Both the crane and fan moved on their own. The orangutan disappeared into the wall and came out of it without so much as a struggle. Those pipes too came out of the wall like tentacles.” 

Her head was hurting from all the possibilities, the situation was turning into a jigsaw puzzle that was getting more annoying to deal with by the second. Her head was spinning, it seemed nearly impossible to beat him. Her concentration broke however when she heard something rolling on the floor. Jotaro’s button. She turned to see him still restrained, with a few other pipes constricting another invisible creature within its line of site.

“So we know this creep is the one controlling the ship, but how? It can control every part of the ship to its benefit, but I’m still free. I wonder what its limits are though, it seems like it’s way too focused on Jotaro...”

She snapped her fingers, thinking up an idea on the spot. She picked up the button, glaring at the revolting creature as it observed her. The very idea of it, leering at her body while she was doing something as small as bending down was vile and revolting. 

“I got it! What if it can only focus on a few things at the same time? It doesn’t seem very observant compared to a human. Sure, it’s smart for a monkey, but it definitely gets caught up with its impulses. It can’t strategize to save its life.”

The corners of her mouth morphed into a cheeky grin. She chuckled, throwing the button up as it landed on her hand. She rolled her shoulders back, putting one hand on her hip. Jotaro groaned, shooting her a dirty look.

“What the fuck are you doing, Vuitton? This is no time to mess around.” Jotaro grumbled. 

“Don’t worry, Kujo. I know what I’m doing. You just stay put.” Louise flicked the button in the orangutan’s direction, hitting it in the center of its forehead. Snapping it out of its perverted trance. 

“Oops, silly me. I guess you didn’t expect that, huh? After all, you’re just a simple monkey.”

The creature started to tremble, snarling while a puff of oxygen blew through its nostrils. Its seething rage was building up. She just needed to give it one last push. Her chin lifted up, a smirk was smacked dab across her face.

“Aww did that upset you? I guess it’s true that you’re nothing, but a monkey.” She paused for dramatic effect.

“A dumb. Gross. Ugly.” 

“MONKEY!”

As soon as those words left her lips, the orangutan roared and screeched. Its fists pounded the floor, going into a frenzy as it followed suit. Without a moment too soon, she made a run for it. She sprinted across the hallway, turning to the right. Her head turned back, looking for it before it had the chance to get one step ahead of her. She came to a halt, noticing that it was gone. 

“Damn it! Where is that fucking monkey?!” She clenched her fists, her gaze whizzing through the halls. 

She tried to steady her breathing and concentrate. She was beginning to lose control and hyperventilate, that’s when she heard it snicker behind her. In an instant, she threw a glass shard into its face, the sharp glass cutting into its cheek. Its pained cry thundered, echoing through the ship’s walls while it grasped its face. She scrambled her way towards the opposite direction and slid her way across the place where Jotaro was restrained. 

“As soon as you get out of those pipes, go straight to where I’m headed! Don’t make any turns! Don’t ask any questions and just do it!” Louise shouted, disappearing once again towards the other direction. 

She kept running, running until she didn’t have the strength left. Her journey came to an abrupt end, the path in front of her was now a dead end. She turned around, facing the creature head on. Louise gathered up the courage and determination by taking a deep breath. No longer was she going to let this vile animal make her cower in fear. She was putting it back in its place, right beneath her and everyone else. 

“Take a peek at this, furbag!” She snatched the bottle of liquid soap from one of the pockets on Jotaro’s coat and squirted its contents straight into the orangutan’s eyes. 

It bellowed, falling onto the floor while its body rocked back and forth. Its arms and legs shaking around, its eyes now tightly shuts with the suds seeping its way inside the sockets

“I knew you wouldn’t see that coming. You might be a smart monkey, but you’ll never be as clever as a human. We might act as primal as animals sometimes, but at our best, we can seize opportunity when we see it. That’s what a meathead like you wouldn’t understand.” Louise huffed.

“One thing that you’ll ever have in common with humans is your pride and that’s what makes you an ape. But no amount of animal instinct will pardon you from what you really deserve.” Jotaro added, standing right behind the hollering creature.

He took one step closer, clutching the brim of his hat. 

“You’re in our turf now, ape. And in this part of the jungle, you get no truce.” His fingers slid across the edge.

The creature was lifted up in a flash, its face getting beaten up by a force that Louise could not see, but the effects were prevalent. She watched as it pummeled the ape in all directions, showing no mercy. It knocked out the animal’s teeth, its bones cracked under the weight of the ghost’s punches. By the end of its harsh beating, the orangutan could no longer utter so much as a whimper. Its body soared across the halls and landed with a crash. The orangutan was out of commission.

There was hardly any time for Louise and Jotaro to celebrate. The ship began to deteriorate, the floor dissipated and the walls were sagging. Every part of the freighter was mutating into a pile of mush. 

“Damn it. Looks like my suspicions were right.” Jotaro claimed.

“Huh? Wait, what suspicions?” Lou asked, but before Jotaro could give her an answer a piece of pipe came crashing down to the floor in between them.

“I’ll explain later. We need to hurry!”

Lou nodded then took off up the deck with Jotaro, supporting his weight while they ran out with his arm slung over her shoulders. They scurried towards the rest of the Crusaders wedged into the floor and proceeded to help yank their bodies out. 

“Holy fucking crap! What the hell’s going on??” Polnareff yelled as Lou struggled to use all her strength to drag him out of the ground like a carrot.

“Good grief enough with the question! Let’s go, come on!” Jotaro barked after helping out Kakyoin from the floor after freeing Avdol and his grandfather.

They all raced to the lifeboats, leaping across the drooping ship’s ramp while it sank into the bottom of the ocean. It left no evidence behind, transforming into a teeny rowboat that gradually floated away. The group took a collective deep breath, sinking into the dingy boat that was now their only source of transportation. They were all speechless, drifting aimlessly once again in the vast ocean.  The only thing they could look at was the horizon as they departed from the location of the death trap they were just on.

“So. Did you guys find the stand user?” Kakyoin broke the silence.

“It was that ugly monkey.” Louise wheezed.

Her heart was still racing from the recent events, grasping her head while she let out a whine and leaned her head back towards the night sky.

“W-Where was the stand then?” Joseph stuttered, gripping the white hairs on top of his head.

“The boat. The boat was the stand.” Jotaro’s eyes did not blink for even a second. 

There was a long and uncomfortable stillness in the air, the waves clapping against the boat filling the empty void. The sun had already set, leaving only the stars in the dark sky. They heard the soft coos of the whales beneath the deep sea, taking their sweet time to process the events that just transpired. 

Although the tension felt thick, it was shattered by Polnareff’s resounding scream. He shot up with ease and grabbed Jotaro by the collar of his shirt. 

“WHAT DO YOU FUCKING MEAN THE BOAT WAS A STAND?? THE USER WAS A MONKEY?? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!” Polnareff kept shaking him around. 

“I DON’T FUCKING KNOW! WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME?! YOU THINK THAT I HAD A SINGLE IDEA WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON?! I WAS LITERALLY PINNED TO THE WALL BY PIPES HALFWAY THROUGH! LOU WAS ABOUT TO GET ASSAULTED BY AN APE!” Jotaro was frothing at the mouth, close to decking Polnareff in the face.

“Alright, that’s enough, you two! I understand that today has been… a long day, but that is no excuse to be unreasonable! I suggest you seize this idiocy and sit your butts down before I throw both of you overboard!” Avdol put an end to their screaming match, causing them both to mutter out an apology and sit back down on opposite sides. 

“Wait, what did you say about Lou and the orangutan?” Kakyoin’s gaze veered towards Jotaro’s direction.

“I really don’t want to talk about it…” Louise muttered, prompting Jotaro to put a hand on her shoulder.

“That doesn’t matter, what matters is that Lou saved my ass again.” Jotaro announced.

“Wait what?” Kakyoin tilted his head slightly, raising an eyebrow.

“She did? But how??” Joseph’s jaw dropped.

“Didn’t you see her helping me out of that collapsing doorway? I even let her support me for fuck’s sake.” Jotaro pulled down the brim of his hat as an attempt to cover his reddening face.

“Why don’t you tell them yourself Lou? I’m all out of energy to go through it all.” 

Louise jumped back, all eyes were now her, waiting with bated breaths. She felt her stomach churn with her body curling up and made her body smaller, hiding into Jotaro’s black coat. Her eyes darted up, their gaze still anchored towards her direction. She growled, harboring a bit of a grudge towards Jotaro for putting her on the spot all of a sudden after everything she went through.

They did not give up, however, and continued to stare at her until she gave in and provided an explanation. She gave a deep sigh and sat up straight, mustering up the courage to talk.

“Yeah I guess I did. Well, I can’t take all the credit… Jotaro was the one who found me when that ape got too close for comfort.” Louise covered her eyes with her hands, taking a small peek through her fingers.

Her short explanation didn’t seem to be enough to put their questions to rest, causing her to whine and raise up her arms in frustration.

“Ok, fine! When he got tangled up in those pipes, I made a run for it after taunting the monkey so it could chase after me. I just kept running and acted as a distraction so that Jotaro could get out and kick its sorry ass. There, happy?!” She pouted, crossing her arms.

“So you ran away and used that as a way to outwit your opponents huh? Heh, that sounds familiar.” Joseph grinned, stroking his bearded chin. 

He stared out into space, letting himself reflect.

“You know what, Lou? I think I changed my mind. I think you’re ready for this trip.” Joseph nodded.

“Wait, are you serious Mr. Joestar?? I don’t have to go home anymore???” Her eyes lit up, pulling Louise out of her slump.

“Nope. You can stay and avenge your father. I think you’ve shown me that you’re more than capable of tagging along with us.” Joseph gave her a large grin, putting her at ease. 

She sprung up from her seat, rocking the boat from her sudden burst of movement. They all hollered, their arms grabbing onto the edge while they were on the verge of tipping over and diving headfirst into the cold ocean. Louise sheepishly chuckled, scratching the back of her head. 

“Oops. Sorry.” She mumbled. 

Their humble boat drifted across the vast ocean, the calm waves enough to lull half of them to sleep with half of them staying awake on the lookout  for any passing ships that would finally rescue them. They took turns on the night watch, keeping their vigilant eyes peeled for their chance of finally making it to land. 

It was already sunrise when things began to turn around, another freighter arriving with a crew that welcomed them with open arms. They could all finally rest easy, the possibility of the ship being controlled by a monkey was now off the table. 

The ship landed near the shores of Singapore, their feet getting the chance to stretch and walk on stable land. Joseph felt so grateful he nearly kissed the ground, before being pulled up by Avdol while the fortune teller shook his head. They stopped near a fountain surrounded by palm trees and long bushes that stretched across the sidewalks, huddling up together to figure out their next course of action. They were interrupted by a cop racing towards them.

“Hey! Sir! Didn’t you read the sign?! No littering! I’m gonna need to ask you to pay up 500 Singapore Dollars for dumping this trash here!” The cop chastised the unsuspecting Frenchman. Polnareff scoffed, unable to keep himself from laughing as he looked at the sack he lugged around during the entire trip.

“Sorry, officer, but all I see is my luggage sitting right beside me! Would you be so kind as to point out this trash you’re referring to?” Polnareff poked at the officer’s chest, while the man bit his tongue. 

“U-uh oh I- had no idea… I’m so sorry for the trouble sir, I’ll let you be on your way now.” He apologized profusely while he walked away backwards with his hands up in front of his chest.

They laughed, watching the embarrassed officer skitter away. 

“Alright, now that that’s settled. Let’s try to find a place to rest for tonight and regroup so we can plan out what to do next.” Joseph opened a map, muttering to himself while he squinted

Louise noticed a rancid smell radiating off the group, she plugged her nose as her eyes watered.

“Before we do that though, I have to ask.” She hesitated, trying to be as polite as possible.

“When was the last time you guys took a shower? No offense but you all stink…We really need to find some new clothes, don’t tell me you plan to reuse the same outfit for the rest of the trip.”

They were all silent. Jotaro pulled down the brim of his cap while others kept gazing in different directions, some of them were even whistling. Louise’s jaw dropped for a split second before her face scrunched up, she was close to vomiting right on the sidewalk.

“YOU GUYS ARE ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! I DON’T CARE IF YOU ALL SHOWER LATER, YOU ARE NOT GOING OUT LIKE A BUNCH OF SWEATY VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS! WE ARE ALL GOING SHOPPING NOW!

She yelled, talking way too fast that could barely be understood by any of them while she kept yapping about. Louise tugged at Joseph’s striped shirt, crossing her arms while she turned her head with a huff.

“Mr. Joestar, would you do the honors by lending us your wallet? You still have it, right? I think you’ll be able to pay for all of us.” 

“Huh? Oh of course I do! I only have a couple 4,000 Hong Kong Dollars, that’s not nearly enough to buy all of us clothes… Buuuut I do have the emergency Speedwagon Foundation Credit card just in case.” He pulled out his wallet proudly, flashing a cheeky smile.

“Mr. Joestar, you can’t be serious! Using those funds for just clothes?” Avdol responded with a look of utter disappointment on his face.

“Yeah that’s a little excessive don’t you think?” Polnareff responded.

“Do you really think that you can buy a fresh pair of clothes with the few dollar bills you all have in your pockets?” The old man raised an eyebrow.

Polnareff and Avdol looked at each other and shrugged. They had a feeling this was a bad idea, but went along regardless.

“Good grief, old man, you've got to be kidding me…” Jotaro lamented, he was caught by surprise when his grandfather put an arm around his shoulders and shook him around.

“Oh come on! This is the perfect opportunity for us to spend some quality time together. The last time we went shopping was when you were only 12 and you looked so adorable with your slicked back hair and oversized suits!” Despite Joseph’s nostalgic recollection, Jotaro was not pleased and tried to peel off his grandfather's arm on him

“Good grief, I looked like a dork. I'm not wearing those stupid clothes again.”

“Awww but you looked so adorable! Look, I still have the photos in my wallet!” As the enthusiastic old man reached for his wallet he was cut off by his grandson.

“ IF YOU SHOW THOSE PICTURES YOU’RE DEAD, OLD MAN! ” 

His glare was sharper than any blade, making even the most hardened man quiver. The old man chuckled, slipping his wallet in his pocket. The rest of them were left shaking like a leaf. 

“Alright, Alright. Jotaro. Your ol’ gramps won't show anyone those embarrassing photos. But you won't be able to keep me from buying you some proper clothes. If you want to be a proper young man then you have to dress like one!” Joseph gave him a pat on the back

“I never said I wanted to be one…” He muttered with defeat.

“Hey!! Are we gonna stand around all day or are we gonna go shopping?? Come on, come on! It’s been forever since I got some cute outfits to wear. Besides you guys still owe me, after what happened to my precious clothes when Mr Joestar crashed that plane!” She puffed up her cheeks and kept tugging at the old man to get him to finally budge.

“Wait, he did WHAT NOW??” Polnareff shrieked. 

“It's a long story…” Kakyoin replied while they all grumbled. 

Joseph laughed it off, scratching the back of his head. The group ventured off to the shops to find something suitable to wear. They split off in the markets, pulling garments off the racks and rushing their ways towards a fitting room. 

Louise stood in front of a mirror, switching between two dresses; one being pink and green with a flowing skirt and drawstring puff sleeves, frills were sewn onto the hem. The design resembled a strawberry. The other blue and white with a high collar and elbow length sleeves that were divided into 3 puffy sections, the bubble skirt was billowy and full. It reminded her of a jellyfish. 

“This one has a pretty strawberry pattern and has a long and dainty skirt, but this other one is so puffy and has a nice colour scheme, it’s different from what I usually wear. Do I pick this one or this one?! UGH, I CAN’T DECIDE!”

She pouted, growling as she kept switching between different dresses. She knew she had to make a choice now if she wanted to set aside time to buy some matching accessories, she couldn't spend all day on this decision. She could feel her face getting hotter, she was about to pass out before she heard a knock on the outside of her changing stall.

“Lou? Are you in there? It’s been a long time, are you feeling alright?” Kakyoin called out from the other side

“ Oh thank God! Maybe somebody else can make this decision for me and I can finally move on! ” She thought to herself as she eagerly pulled back the curtain.

“Oh thank God you guys are here! I need your help, I can’t pick between these-” She stopped halfway through her sentence, her eyes colliding with a chest. She backed away while rubbing her nose like she walked into a wall.

“Ow! You know you don’t need to stand right in front of me, maybe give me a little spa- woah.” Her eyes rolled up, she saw Jotaro and Kakyoin standing there in their new clothes.

Jotaro in a new pair of black pants with suspenders hanging from his sides the same pattern as his belts. The shirt he wore was a skin tight white shirt with thin blue zig zag lines going across his body horizontally. Kakyoin wore a red turtleneck with his open school uniform jacket. He wore his same green pants as well, he was rocking a pair of black shades with gold plated frames. They stood with confidence, puffing out their chests like birds.

“Sorry. You just rushed out the door before we could even have a chance to move, be careful next time.” Jotaro sighed.

“Is everything ok Lou? You said you needed some help, didn’t you?” Kakyoin asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No no, well, it’s nothing serious. I was just having trouble choosing between these dresses.” She held them up, the decision getting harder by the minute.

“I can’t decide which one I want more. I really like the color of this strawberry dress but I also like the shape of this cute bubble skirt UGHHHH I CAN’T DECIDE!!!” She stomped her pumps against the ground, gritting her teeth. She let out a sigh, her arms dropped as the hems of the dresses brushed against the floor.

“Oh is that all? Well whichever dress you like more should be fine, Lou. They both look good.” Kakyoin shrugged his shoulders, smiling as a weak attempt to reassure his friend.

“Thanks Noriaki, but I needed help deciding because I can’t choose which one I like more. Ugh why is this so hard?!” She whined, distraught over her indecisiveness. 

It was the hardest decision she had to make in her short life, she felt like everything depended on whatever she left the store with. Although, she had to admit it was a little dramatic, she couldn’t afford to be caught DEAD in an outfit she’d hate being in! She only had a limited time and budget left to buy what best suited her to trek along the Singapore streets, it had already been an hour since they left to buy some clothes. Joseph would kill them if they spent any more time bumbling around the markets.

“The blue one.” Jotaro pointed at the dress, clearing his throat. Kakyoin and Louise were left befuddled from his sudden response.

“You should get the blue one. I like it, the puffs remind me of the bells of a jellyfish.” His tone was blunt, but it was enough to put Louise’s mind at ease.

“Alright, the blue one. Thanks Jotaro, you know I didn’t take you as someone with an eye for fashion.” She gave him a cheeky smirk, poking at his arm.

“Of course I do. I don’t go to school dressed like a dumbass, I actually like having my shit together. Also I need my coat back.” He rolled his eyes, the corners of his mouth slightly twitching.

She went back inside, changing into the perfect dress. Louise pulled back the curtains and gave a twirl, posing like she was on the cover of Vogue.

“I’m ready for my closeup!” She lifted up her chin, batting her eyelashes. 

Kakyoin laughed, shaking his head while Jotaro gave a long sigh, pulling at the brim of his hat as he muttered his usual phrase. Louise had a spring in her step, skipping through the shops to get some accessories to finish the look. They all left to meet up with the rest of the group, praying that they were still waiting. After all, there’s nothing wrong with being fashionably late.

To Be Continued →

Chapter Text

The trio caught up with the rest of the group near a tall building, the polished windows shone like crystal under the bright Singapore sun. Jotaro glanced at his watch, swearing under his breath as they rushed to get to the address they were given before going their separate ways. They were 30 minutes late.

Joseph turned around to give them a stern greeting. He surrounded himself with dozens upon dozens of shopping bags while Avdol and Polnareff carried the rest. The two men in question grumbled as the old man used them as unpaid butlers.

“What took you guys so long?! I almost bought the whole bazaar in an hour! You should have been able to get one outfit in less time!” Joseph barked at the three teenagers, crossing his arms. 

They all stopped to catch their breath, while Joseph kept tapping his foot and waited for them to finish.

“Louise couldn’t…decide on anything,” Jotaro wheezed.“Give us a break…old man.”

“Still, you’re all 30 minutes late, it’s not easy getting luxury suites here in Singapore! Come on, let’s check in before more spots get filled up! Also some of those bags are fragile, don’t drop them!” Joseph left them to their own devices, grabbing 2 small bags and walking through the hotel doors. 

The rest of the group groaned as they were burdened with the rest of the things that Joseph decided to splurge the Foundation’s credit card on. They all wondered what crap he must’ve haphazardly thrown into his cart without a care in the world. Who would have guessed that a man in his late 60s was as much of a shopaholic as Louise? 

“What did he even buy?!” Louise’s arms were covered in large shopping totes that she could barely carry, almost falling off from the load.

“Mr Joestar wandered off before Polnareff and I could keep up and all of a sudden, he had a large pile of everything!” Avdol sighed.

“He made us his delivery boys and just expected us to hold his things like donkeys!” Polnareff grit his teeth, barely managing to carry a large box in his arms while his body was shaking from the weight.

“I can’t believe this is all for him. He doesn’t strike me as the type to be doing this sort of thing, but knowing how excited he was…It now makes sense.” Kakyoin slipped, the bags he held were sent flying. He regained his balance and made the bags float in thin air, wiping the sweat off his forehead in relief.

They all stumbled their way towards the lobby, their bodies bumping into each other. They couldn’t help but argue as they clumsily made their way through the busy hallway. Louise could feel Polnareff’s elbow shove into her chest, causing her to yelp out in pain.

“OW! Watch where you’re going, Polnareff! You just elbowed me!” Louise growled, glaring at the French man through the pile of bags and boxes.

“It’s not my fault! Jotaro stopped in the middle of the hallway! I almost broke my nose, bumping into the back of his head!” Polnareff protested, swinging his arm and nearly hitting Jotaro before the young boy dodged in a split second.

“Hey, what gives?! Are you trying to knock me the fuck out?!” Jotaro clenched his jaw, accidentally bumping into Kakyoin and causing him to tip over. 

“NO NO NO! NOT AGAIN!” Kakyoin’s arms swayed as he balanced himself on foot, dropping everything in his arms as it all fell on top of Avdol.

Avdol screamed, swinging his arms behind Jotaro and slamming into him without warning. With no time to grab the falling items, he landed on the floor with a thud. The whole group tumbled down alongside the fortune teller like dominos. They were buried underneath a mountain of shoeboxes, bags and whatever crap Joseph made them carry along the way. What was left was a huge mess that people took a second to ogle at, before walking away to go about their business. 

“Ow…” Kakyoin’s words were muffled against the heavy pile that was now crushing him and the rest of the gang. 

Louise fought her way through the crap, pushing the shoeboxes off with her arms. Her head popped out of the wreckage, noticing Joseph approach them. The old man was oblivious to their plight, however and continued to tap his foot, crossing his arms.

“Ohh come on! It’s bad enough that we couldn’t get rooms next to each other, but you guys couldn’t even do the one thing I asked?! I told you some of those bags are fragile! Who the hell is gonna clean this up?!” Joseph furrowed his eyebrows, watching them crawl their way out of the mess.

After what felt like hours, they picked off every item from the pile one by one until it got smaller and smaller. The exhausted Crusaders stammered their way into Joseph’s room, waiting for him to hand out their keys so they could finally just go and get some well deserved rest. If going through two stand battles out at sea wasn’t bad enough then being the equivalent to Joseph’s maids was just the cherry on top.

“Alright, gather around everyone. Here.” Joseph reached into his pockets and rummaged for their keys. He took them out and placed them into the palms of the Crusaders.

“Avdol, you’ll be staying with me. Kakyoin, Jotaro and Lou, you all are going to share a room-” Joseph was met with immediate protest by the short, blonde, teenage girl’s shrieking voice.

“WAIT WAIT WAIT!!! HOLD ON!!! Mr. Joestar, are you really saying that I should share a room with TWO boys??” Louise caused the old man to sigh before explaining himself.

“Yes I am. You may be a capable fighter against stand users now but you still can’t see their stands. You’ll be easy picking if you’re on your own so Jotaro and Kakyoin will be your eyes in a sense.” Despite Joseph’s explanation, Louise was not satisfied.

“But what if I need to change?? A girl needs her privacy, you know? What if they try to take a peek while I’m showering??” Louise crossed her arms, giving her two soon-to-be roommates a suspicious glare.

“Tch don’t flatter yourself, Vuitton. I can’t even stand hearing you half of the time, what makes you think I want to go out of my way to look at you while you’re showering? I’ll finally get the peace and quiet I’ve been waiting for.” Jotaro’s response prompted Louise to retaliate.

“You better shut your mouth or so help me Kujo! What I did to that monkey will be nothing compared to what I’ll do to yo-” Before Lou could continue, she was cut off by Kakyoin interjecting.

“I think what Jotaro is trying to say is that we’re not those kind of guys…” He placed his hand on Jotaro’s chest and stepped forward between the two of them, before they could start duking it out like cats and dogs.

Louise’s anger simmered down, her eyes locking with Jotaro’s for a split second before looking away. She huffed, extending her arm out and let Joseph drop the key into her palm. She turned back to look at the boys she’d be sharing a room with and sighed.

“Alright, fine. I guess it could be worse.” Louise rolled her eyes.

“Well I’m glad that’s settled. I guess that leaves me with one more key. Polnareff, you’ll be-” Before Joseph could finish his sentence the French man snatched his key from his hand with jolly delight.

“Staying in my very own room! Hehe! Sorry you all have to share a bathroom and fight over the TV but, for moi, I will be living it up in my private suite!” He gleefully boasted, dancing around to celebrate.

They watched him goof around with dead pan looks, unimpressed with his immaturity.

“A suite is a bit of a stretch. It’s just another room Polnareff. Don’t get such a big head over it.” Joseph tried to humble him, but it was no use. The french man was not listening, already on his way to his room with a jolly stride.

“I can’t hear youuuu! I’m in my room, with no one around me. Au Revoir!” Polnareff waved his hand as he continued on his way to his private abode.

“Hey, wait just a minute! Polnareff! We’re not finished yet! Don’t just- And now you’re gone. Oh my God…” Joseph’s palm collided with his face, shaking his head.

“We’ll catch up to him and brief him on the details, Mr. Joestar. As for you three, listen up. Please behave and don’t leave this building without telling either of us where you’re going.” Avdol narrowed his eyes at Jotaro and Louise.

“Especially you two. Noriaki, keep an eye on them and make sure they don’t kill each other before we get to Dio…” 

“Uhm, of course, Mr. Avdol. I’ll keep them in check.” Kakyoin gave him an awkward grin, while the other teens behind him glared.

They all went their separate ways, with the trio making their way to the elevator, their room being 3 floors up. Louise jammed the key into the lock and flung the door open. They were finally in sweet civilization yet again after a harrowing time out on the open ocean. She couldn’t help, but gush about the simplest amenities provided to them in their room.

“Oh my God!!!” Louise squealed, jumping onto one of the queen beds. 

“This is heaven! I’m never going to take this for granted ever again!” 

She flopped face first into the mattress. It felt so heavenly she could cry. She rolled around the silk sheets, sighing as she melted onto the pillows. The blankets were light and airy, the pillows soft as clouds.

“I’ll admit, I can get used to this.” Jotaro admitted with a small grin on his face as he got himself settled in.

“I wouldn’t have pegged you as the kind of guy to like lavished things, Jotaro.” Kakyoin chuckled.

“What can I say? I’m only human after all.” Jotaro sank into the velvet chair in the corner, lighting up a cigarette. Louise could hear the clicks of his lighter, making her eyebrow twitch. She cleared up her throat, trying to get his attention.

“Ahem. What are you doing? You’re not supposed to smoke inside, dummy.” Louise grumbled.

Jotaro rolled his eyes, ignoring her as he took a puff of smoke and blew it towards her face. She squeaked, fanning her arms around her face as she growled at the delinquent. The balcony door slid open on its own, giving the room some well-needed ventilation. She threw the sheets aside, confronting him with her hands on her hips.

“What? I just opened the door and you’re still bitching about it? Good grief, I can’t even smoke in my own room with you around.” Jotaro was unphased, tapping his cigarette near an ashtray. 

“It’s not just YOUR room, Kujo. We’re all sharing it and that means you should also consider the other people sleeping here too!” Louise interjected. 

It was beginning to look like another one of their arguments. Kakyoin grabbed the cigarette from Jotaro’s hand, crushing it against the ashtray. Extinguishing the flames of their anger before they were stoked any further. 

“You two are ridiculous, you know? Come on, you were able to work together on that boat a few hours ago…” Kakyoin scolded them.

Louise and Jotaro’s gazes locked, sparking a burning tension between them. They couldn’t let it go despite how hard they tried.

“I would get along with him if he wasn't such an asshole all the time! He’s always been like this ever since 1st year!!” Louise scowled.

“Oh yeah? Why don’t you quit acting like such a bitch then? You just LOVE to look down on anyone who doesn’t fit in your high ass standards, huh? Everything has to go your way or you’re not satisfied. You’re so demanding!” Jotaro balled up his fists, standing up from the chair while he narrowed his eyes. 

“What are you talking about? You just showed up to school one day being an irritating punk and made it everyone else’s problem for no reason! What did I even do to you?! I only told you to pick up your beer cans around school property. Which by the way, you weren’t allowed to have in the first place!” Louise poked her finger at his chest.

“I’m gonna do whatever the hell I want, you just like telling people what to do because you think you’re somehow the authority for anything. Fuck off!” 

And on and on it went, each digging up one thing after another to bring up as ammo. There was no end in sight to their childish war.

Jotaro and Louise argued for what seemed like hours, raising their voices over top of one another with their words going through one ear and right out the other. Kakyoin finally had enough and he let out a big, exasperated yelp, causing their arguments to come to a screeching halt.

“Can you two just stop for 5 minutes?! I’m getting really tired being the one having to break you up every time you fight.” Kakyoin shook his head, facepalming.

The pair’s cheeks turned red, the embarrassment was written all over their faces. The room was now quiet. A little TOO quiet for comfort. 

The tension between Louise and Jotaro was so thick that you could drown in it.

“Seriously, guys. You’re telling me that this feud had been going for the entirety of high school? What even started this?” Kakyoin gave them a blank stare, enough to make them sink further into their shame.

How did they even get here?

1987

They first met, back when she was just a first year. Louise was walking home from school when she saw a group of 3rd years huddled around a boy on the ground.

“Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” The short girl ran up to them. 

Despite how they towered over her, she didn’t waiver in her resolve and confronted the despicable group. She stood up to them with hands on her hips and furrowed brows. It made the boys crack up.

“Bahahaha!! Oh, man, what are you gonna do? Tell on us? Pfft, go mind your own business, we don’t need you interfering.” One of the boys mocked her.

“Yeah, you wouldn’t understand. You’re a foreigner like this kid. Hafus have no place here.” Another boy remarked, gesturing over to a young Jotaro Kujo who was on the ground covering his face. His clothes were roughed up.

Her eyes widened in shock for a brief second until it grew into a fiery rage. Without a moment’s notice, she started to smack the boys with an umbrella. She had no chance in hell against the tall and stronger brutes, yet she was not deterred. 

“You think you boys can do whatever you want just because he’s different?! You bastards!” Louise taunted them as she kept beating them up with her umbrella. The boys laughed at her, shoving her towards the ground.

She yelped as her body slammed HARD against the pavement, landing on a dirty puddle. Her dress was ruined. She trembled, feeling something prick at her arm as she struggled to get up. She held her hurting arm, glaring at the awful group through her tears.

A boy grabbed her wrist, sinking his nails onto her pale skin. She cried out in pain, the boy finding pleasure in her suffering.

“Not so tough now are you? Maybe next time you’ll learn to mind your own damn business and keep your nose out of other peopl- YOWWW!!!” The boy dropped her arm, rubbing the red bite mark on his hand. 

She started spitting, using the muddy water to wash away her mouth. The foul taste of mud on her lips was nothing compared to that scoundrel’s hand.

“What the hell is this crazy bitch doing??” One of the other boys questioned, looking perplexed.

The boy who grabbed her hand, snapped. He balled up his fist, wounding his arm back.

“What the hell are you trying to say about me?? You think I’m filthy or something?? I’ll show you. You arrogant little brat-” He was about to punch the girl that sat on the pavement, before getting thrown across the sidewalk. 

The young man who was cowering minutes earlier, rose up despite his heavy breaths. His body battered and bruised, yet there he stood with the same conviction as the girl that defended him. The boys turned back to look at Jotaro Kujo. All eyes were on him. No one said a word. It was as if time itself stopped, waiting for the next move.

Before any of them could take a single step however, a series of sirens blared nearby. The noise came closer, scaring off the group as they fled the scene. The pair was left alone, two officers making their way over to them. One of the officers helped Lou up while the other turned to Jotaro and questioned him.

“Alright young man, who did all this? What did the suspects look like? Where’d they go?” THe officer took out his note pad, ready to write down every detail. 

Jotaro stayed silent. Louise had a blanket over her, she was waiting for him to say anything but he didn’t. Louise grew impatient. She took a deep breath then spoke up.

“Well officer, we got beat up by a group of-”

“Thugs.” Louise was cut off by the formerly mute Jotaro. She turned to him in complete shock.

“Yeah, a bunch of guys just approached me and asked if I had any money. I told them to fuck off but they didn’t take that well as you could imagine.” He lied right through his teeth, pulling down the brim of his hat.

“Wait, wait what?! No that’s not what happened at all! Aren’t you gonna tell them what they were calling us-” She was cut off yet again.

“Why does it matter what they called us? They just wanted money. It was a simple mugging, nothing more. Don’t stick your nose into someone else’s business, brat. ” Jotaro didn’t even look her in the eyes, picking up his muddy bag without even so much as a thank you.

Louise felt her blood boil, clenching her fists. She was about to throw her bag at his head, but not before an officer took her away, wasting her chance to give that ungrateful punk a piece of her mind.

“Alright miss, we’ll take you home. I think we’ll get all the information we need from this boy, you can go home now.”

“Wait! No! Ugh! That’s not what happened, I saw it with my own ey-” Her protests were ignored however as she was pushed into the cop car. They drove away, leaving the poor boy in the rain as an officer stayed behind for further questioning.

Ever since that day, her bitterness had grown for Jotaro Kujo.

How dare he call her a brat after she tried to help him? What did she do wrong? What was his problem? She just didn’t get it. 

“I’m just gonna get some fresh air.” Louise sighed, leaving the room to ponder for a while. 

Chapter Text

Louise leaned against the railing, watching people go about their day. She sighed, letting her mind wander. She reflected on Jotaro’s words, unable to make them go away.

“Am I really that demanding? I just wanted to help. Maybe I’m taking it too far.” She felt her insecurities poking through, revealing an ugly reflection.

Her face soured, hearing the voices of her family all over again. Painful memories of their words flooded her mind one after the other. Each memory fading as soon as the next one entered her mind.

Starting with her mother pulling her out of the dining room, bending down and giving Louise a stern look. She had embarrassed herself in front of their guests, ruining their portfolio with juice, by accident. 

“Louise, dear. You can’t just barge in the middle of an important business meeting. It’s not a place for a small girl to be in. We’ll talk more about this later. For now, please stay out of the dining room.” Her mother shook her head, leaving her in the quiet hallway to think.

She remembered her father pacing around the room, clicking his tongue. He urged her to sit down on the couch, scolding her once again for talking back to her elders. It was after the party that the Vuittons held every year for important people all over the world, and she had made the arrogant decision to criticize a politician’s toupee. 

“Young lady, you are officially taking things too far. Think about how your attitude is making our family look right now. I didn’t raise you to be a disrespectful girl with no manners. ” Her father glared.

She could already hear her eldest sister, clicking her tongue and shaking her head. Too peeved to even look at her. It was the day she tried to prove to her that she was already grown up by trying to iron her clothes and fixing her outfit together, only to end up burning the fabric and leaving behind a mark. 

“Oh, Lou, you have a long way to go before you become a responsible woman, you’re way too naive to understand that sort of thing. That’s why I asked the maids to do the task.” Danielle sighed.

The memory of her second elder sister’s nervous chuckle invaded her mind. Louise could feel the sweat down her forehead as she avoided her gaze. She had always been the kindest out of all of her siblings, but even she couldn’t find the words to tell her something comforting.

“Umm, let’s just say that you’re not exactly the most mature out of all of us, but it makes sense since you’re still our baby sister.” Katrina gave her an awkward smile.

Followed by another memory of her sister, Liliana, ignoring the small girl tugging at her dress. She did not give her little sister much attention, too busy putting on mascara to pretend to care about her problems. She couldn’t care less about Louise’s lack of friends outside of primary school.

“Yeah. No offense, but maybe the reason why you don’t have that many friends is that you’re really annoying. I don’t know, maybe cool down on your sassiness. People don’t really like it when you keep trying to insert yourself in everything.” Liliana rolled her eyes.

The slideshow in her mind continued, with Belladonna screaming at Louise. She crossed her arms, stomping her feet as the pair were sent to their rooms. They had never gotten along, always feuding over something petty. This time, being a fine china dish that they had broken while playing hide and seek.

“Ugh, you’re such a tattletale, Lou! You got both of us in trouble! I told you to be careful and look at what you did!” Belladonna plopped down onto her bed, a sour look on her face.

“Well, at least I was telling the truth. It’s not my fault you were also there when the plate dropped!” Louise stuck out her tongue.

“Shut up! You were the one that bumped into the cabinet!” Belladonna talked back, before crying out in pain.

Louise tugged at her sister’s hair, earning a retaliation from Belladonna as their match grew into a whole feud. They kept pulling at each other’s hair until a nanny had to get involved, sitting the two girls in their own separate timeout corner. Maybe that last one was kind of justified. She was, after all, being unfair. She cringed at the thought of her being so immature.

“I guess I was just way too in over my own head. Why did I have to be so stupid?”  Louise pouted, resting a hand on her cheek.

Louise stood with her back against the door. She stayed silent for a second, marinating in her embarrassment. Her utter failures washed over her until she lifted up her chin, gazing forward with adamant eyes. She thought to herself.

“ What am I thinking?! Am I really gonna let that brute get in my head? Hmph! I’ll give him a piece of my mind. I’ll get Kujo to shut his mouth about me forever! ” She huffed, puffing her cheeks.

Her unresolved feelings of shame were pushed back to the recesses of her mind, pivoting herself to face the sliding door and stomping her foot flat on the ground. She placed her hand on the handle, hyping herself up one last time, before she swung it open.

Her momentum diminished quickly, however, when she saw Jotaro and Kakyoin’ backs facing her while they gathered around the hotel phone. Her anger was snubbed without a moment’s notice, gradually approaching them as their conversation was coming to an end.

“Yes Mr. Avdol. Understood.” Kakyoin responded, placing the phone down and hanging up.

Louise stood behind them for a few seconds and tilted her head. She raised her eyebrow and cleared her throat, prompting the two to look at her.

“What’s going on? Why was Avdol on the phone? Didn’t we just get here?”

"Apparently Polnareff is dealing with a stand user named Devo the Cursed. His stand is known as Ebony Devil and is extremely dangerous. Mr. Avdol and Mr. Joestar told us to stay put and not to leave. They said they'll handle this"

"So that's what all that ruckus upstairs was. I just thought there was a couple above us who really liked going at it rough." Jotaro remarked as he nonchalantly closed his eyes, tilting his hat down.

"Now's really not the time to make jokes like that Jotaro." Kakyoin shook his head.

"Hold on, did they say anything else? What's its abilities, what's its range? Those things are important for taking down a stand user, right?" Louise’s eyes sparkled with determination to know more. 

Kakyoin held his hands up, trying to simmer her down. Her shoulders dropped a little, staying silent as that fire in her eyes was extinguished.

"I don't know. That's all Mr. Avdol told me. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. If they told us to stay put then I think we should." He stared off into space, something clearly weighing on his mind.

"Well, we can’t just sit here and wait for something to happen. If Polnareff couldn't handle this guy's stand, then what makes you think Gramps and Avdol can?" Jotaro leaned back against the wall. 

He pulled out a cigarette, about to light it before he stopped. His gaze met Lou’s piercing glare, forcing him to surrender and tucked away his cigarettes in his coat. He sighed, rolling his eyes as he closed his lighter with a clink. Louise's scowl melted away, turning her attention to Kakyoin.

"I hate to say it, but Kujo has a point. It doesn't feel right just sitting down here, knowing nothing at all about what's going on. Who knows what's gonna happen to us? Or to them! I think we should try to contribute somehow."

Kakyoin nibbled on his lip, weighing the possibilities for a brief moment. Until finally, he clenched his fists, closing his eyes and spoke up.

"Ok fine, you two are right. I just don't know how we're gonna do this. I mean, we’re already a few floors down."

"I can send my Star Platinum up there and beat the bastard's ass. Simple as that." Jotaro pointed up at the ceiling. 

"No, that's too risky. How are you going to see where they are from down here? Star has a limited range, even if you were able to use him as your sightline, you still wouldn’t be able to reach the inside." Kakyoin's eyes darted around, pacing across the room as he observed every corner of their suite.

"I thought about sending Hierophant up there, but I also can’t do that. Shooting Emerald Splash into the room, might hit Polnareff, Mr. Avdol or Mr. Joestar. It's just too risky."

"We don’t have a choice, Kakyoin. If we sit around here and wait, who else knows what's gonna happen? To them or us. We need to take that risk." Jotaro countered.

"How can we even fight if we can't see what's going on? We need a way to look into Polnareff's room. There’s also the possibility the enemy could see us and we end up putting ourselves in danger." Kakyoin reinforced his statement. The trio stood in silence, contemplating their options.

"Well, at least you guys know what I’ve had to go through. I've had to fight things I couldn't see this entire time…”  Louise scoffed, before a lightbulb appeared on top of her head. 

“Wait a second, then I might know what to do! Come on Lou think think think.... Ughhh! I don't know! We can't look up there unless we have X-ray vision or something. However..." Louise's eyes glanced over to the open balcony. 

"I got it!" She eagerly piped up, catching both Jotaro and Kakyoin’s attention.

"There is a way we can look up there." Louise rushed to her makeup bag and took out two foundation powder mirrors. She winced a little as she took out the reflective surface from them.

"I'm so sorry, makeup mirrors. I promise I'll treat the next ones I get better..."

Louise held the two mirrors in the palms of her hands, careful not to smudge their surfaces. The two boys stared at each other with confused looks. 

"Um, Lou? What are you doing?" Kakyoin tilted his head, raising an eyebrow 

"Just hold on. Crap! I need something long. Like a tube. UGH NO NO NO!! There’s nothing here! Damn it! UGH!!!" She growled, gritting her teeth.

She ran around their suite like a headless chicken, breathing rapidly as she could feel the pressure building up. Kakyoin gave her a concerned look, putting a hand on her shoulder to make her stay still.

"Look Lou, we can't help if we don't know what you're trying to do. So just tell us what it is so we can all be on the same page. Ok?" Despite Kakyoin’s slight aggravation, his voice was comforting and gentle.

Louise tried to calm herself down, taking a deep breath. She looked over at the two boys, anticipating her response.  She really didn’t want to have to do this with their help, but she was left with no choice. The girl put her pride aside and caved in, letting them into her plan.

"I really need a long tube. Something wide enough for these mirrors. I'm trying to make a periscope. See?" She held them up. One in each hand between her index fingers and thumbs.

"A what? Sorry Lou I don't know what that is-" Kakyoin narrowed his eyes.

"You mean like the things people in submarines use to look over the ocean's surface?"

Louise and Kakyoin turned to look at Jotaro. Louise wasn't expecting for him to cooperate, especially after he was acting like a huge jerk, but she definitely needed all the help she could get. She nodded her head.

"Right. You know what I'm talking about?"

"Of course I do, it's a pretty simple invention. You take a tub and put one mirror on the bottom and one on top. You tilt both mirrors to a 45 degree angle so that the reflection from the top mirror gets reflected to the one on the bottom. In other words, it'll help us look up into Polnareff's room." Jotaro’s eyes widened, causing Kakyoin’s face to gradually light up

"Of course! That's brilliant, can you make one right now Lou?" Kakyoin clapped

"I could if I had a pipe or a tup where I could put these mirrors into. Ugh, I would also need to find something to put at the top and bottom of the tube to hole the mirrors in place. Ugh! This is hopeless." She let out a dramatic whine, falling to her knees. 

She stared up to the ceiling with her eyes closed, before her head dropped as she gave in to despair. Her brilliant plan blew up in her face before she could put it to work. How embarrassing.

"Hold on, I got something." Jotaro spoke, a hole appearing right next to him.

He proceeded to stick his head in, leaving both Louise and Kakyoin stunned with many questions running through their minds. To their surprise, Jotaro pulled out a metal pipe from inside the walls and dropped it on the floor in front of them.

"There, see if that works."

"Hey is this from the plumbing?! Oh no, is our room going to get flooded now?? I can't have my clothes ruined by any more water damage!" Louise grabbed her face, falling deeper into dramatic despair. 

"Relax, there was a valve in the back I had to close. It's not like I just tore this thing out of the wall. I used Star Platinum to undo the bolts. Trust me, the only damage there is the giant hole I punched in the wall with Star Platinum."

"Jotaro, that's incredible!" Kakyoin exclaimed.

Louise grabbed the pipe and looked inside, the metal wet and dirty. There was no doubt that the droplets would fall onto the mirrors and obscure their vision. Let alone the rest of the debris in the tube. She held up the mirrors to the tube and saw it was a perfect fit.

"This is great, Jotaro, but it's too dirty. I don't know how we're gonna use it..."

Louise was caught off guard, jumping back as the pipe began the float in mid air. Her eyes full of awe, the soggy debris from inside the pipe floating around an unseeable ribbon. She was blown away

"Well, my Hierophant can get into cramped spaces pretty easily. I'll have this cleaned out and polished in a few seconds, just wait." Kakyoin nodded with confidence, concentrating on the pipe.

"There, how's that?" 

Kakyoin handed her the pipe, her eyes looking into the tube. She couldn’t believe it! The metal was shiny and brand new, like it just came straight from the factory!

"This is perfect! Now we'll need something to hold the mirrors in place. Something bent that is the same size as this pipe so the mirrors can fit." She turned her gaze towards Jotaro.

"Hold on, there should be some elbows in here that fit this pipe." More holes appeared as he kept searching. 

Kakyoin and Louise’s eyes flickered towards the clock in the corner, the arrow ticking every second. Minutes felt like hours. The room was starting to feel hotter than before. They had no idea what was going up upstairs besides the occasional thud, each second taking away more time they had before it was too late. They waited with bated breaths as the holes on the wall kept appearing. All hope seems lost, until at last! Jotaro uttered those words they were both waiting for.

"I found them. Two elbows, the same size as that pipe. Just hold on."

Kakyoin and Louise jumped for joy, celebrating their small victory. Louise snatched the elbows from his hands as soon as he took them out, screwing the parts on the tube without a moment’s notice. She inserted the mirrors, tilting them at an angle as she looked through her makeshift periscope. The girl could feel her heart soar, unable to stand still as she bounced all over the place.

"YES!!! Ok guys let's put this to the test." She skipped out to the balcony, positioning the periscope towards the room just above them. She looked through the tube, groaning as she saw the hotel wall on the other side. It was too short to reach Polnareff's room! 

"Hey guys! It needs to be longer!" Louise looked away, calling out to her friends for help.

"I got it." Jotaro nodded and retrieved more parts from the wall behind him. 

He passed them out to Kakyoin, who in turn, cleaned them out and polished them to perfection. Kakyoin handed them to Louise, who unscrewed pieces and put them back all together again. They kept working like a well-oiled machine until…

"There it is! I can see them!" She could feel her heart racing faster than a bullet train.

Louise gasped, seeing the chaos ensuing inside that room. There was broken glass everywhere, the carpet was wet, the curtains were on the ground, torn and the rod snapped in two. A small doll ran around with a broken bottle in one hand and a giant cleaver in the other. Its maniacal cackles could be heard outside the balcony. She stumbled back, almost dropping the periscope in the process. Her hands barely caught it just in time.

“Lou? What’s wrong? What did you see?” Kakyoin was biting his nails, trying to stay calm.

Louise was hyperventilating, struggling to compose herself after the shocking sight she just witnessed.

“T-t-there was a killer doll! Like from one of those horror movies where they go around killing people! It was running around the room like a maniac!” Louise shrieked at the top of her lungs.

“What?! Are you serious?” Kakyoin asked in utter disbelief.

“Where’s Polnareff? Did you see anyone else in the room?” Jotaro inquired.

“I don’t know, let me check.” She took a few deep breaths and mustered up the courage to look into the periscope again. 

Her eyes watched with vigilance, searching for any signs of life. Polnareff was nowhere to be found. There was no sign of Joseph or Avdol either. She grit her teeth, losing track of even that bastard doll. Her heart stopped when she saw a man, laying face down on the ground in a pool of blood with what looked to be his sliced off face on the floor right next to him.

Louise couldn’t help, but let out a shriek.

“HE’S DEAD!!!!”

Jotaro's and Kakyoin’s blood turned cold. Terror plastered across their faces like they had seen the massacre themselves.

“Who is it?? Polnareff? Avdol? Mr. Joestar??” Kakyoin shot his questions out in rapid succession.

“N-no no!” Louise responded, taking a closer look into the periscope. She focused on the dead body, examining the corpse despite how much it made her sick.

“I don’t know who this guy is. He looks like he was hotel staff… It’s not anyone we know.”

“Then where are the others?” Jotaro chimed in, leaning closer as he clenched his fist.

She scanned the area, seeing nothing but broken bits of glass and slashes across the wallpaper. Despite the chaos, it was quiet. A little TOO quiet. Louise focused on the bed, noticing a myriad of ropes and strings tied around the mattress and underneath the frame. She looked closer, seeing the sliver of Polnareff’s white hair. She cried out, seeing his undeniable silhouette struggling against his restraints.

“I found Polnareff! He’s trapped under the bed. He’s still alive, but that doll…” She scanned the room frantically searching for that cursed thing, slightly tilting the periscope up. Only to find the awful doll hanging from the ceiling fan, with a flaming hair drying in his hand.

“It’s right above him! I think the doll is gonna set the bed on fire, we need to hurry!” Louise screamed, gripping the tube tighter in her hands.

Jotaro and Kakyoin ran onto the balcony. They stood in readied stances, prepared for combat.

“Alright, let’s destroy this fucker once and for all. I’ll Emerald Splash him into oblivion. You got eyes on him, right Lou?”

“No wait! He’s too quick. If you miss him then he could dodge and run down here to kill us. You need to shoot the bed.” Louise replied.

“That’s a good point. As powerful as our stands are, they lack the speed and precision that Polnareff’s Silver Chariot wields. If we free him then that asshole will be caught by surprise and Polnareff can deal the finishing blow.” Jotaro added.

Kakyoin was unsure about this plan at first, taking a second to ponder it a bit before nodding his head .

“Alright, let’s do this. You got eyes on the bed Lou?”

“Clear as day. Position Hierophant Green a little to the left. The bed is right against the wall. If you tilt him down about a 25° angle you should be able to get a clean shot.” Louise’s gaze was completely fixed on the target, not ever daring to blink.

The tension on the balcony was thick. Kakyoin was steadying himself at just the right angles, prepared for her signal. The puppet dangled the hair dryer limply over the bed before the flaming object fell from the ceiling, Her heart stopped as time came to a momentary halt. 

Louise screamed.

“NOW!!!”

As soon as those words left her mouth, the bed was ripped to shreds by invisible projectiles spraying out like the pellets of a shotgun. The hair dryer was destroyed and the flames coming from it extinguished. The doll looked confused by what had just happened as it swung on the loose ceiling fan. It lost balance and fell right towards the rubble. Before it could land, something wisped through the dust cloud that had formed. The once animated object now suspended in the air, twitching slightly.

Louise could barely make out what was happening, anxious to see what she would find when the dust settled. 

“Come on, Polnareff. Please tell me you’re still there…” 

She gasped, the corners of her mouth curving into a grin. Low and behold, there he was, Polnareff standing proud, pointing at the tiny fiend with his eyes full of righteous justice.

“There you are! Time to make you pay, you insolent insect.” Regardless of his injuries, Polnareff did not tremble or trip in the face of danger.

Instead, the French man remained strong, ready to give the revolting doll its retribution. Louise cheered him on in the sidelines, watching it all unfold. She balled up her fist and pumped it in the air.

“HE’S GOT HIM!”

To be Continued →

Chapter Text

Louise wrapped the bandages tightly around Polnareff’s head, causing the man to clench his teeth and hiss. She winced a little, loosening her grip slightly as she rubbed the aching bump on his forehead.

“Sorry. I’ll try to be more careful next time.” Louise frowned.

“It’s okay, haha. I’ll be okay. It’s just a scratch.” Polnareff tried to laugh it off, sitting up. Only to let out a resounding shriek, his body flopping back down onto the mattress. 

“You should take it easy, Polnareff. That wound looks very serious.” Kakyoin grimaced, looking uncertain.

"Really guys, don’t worry too much about me. I’ve been through a lot worse.” Polnareff gave them a strained smile as a weak attempt to reassure their worries.

“I still can't believe that Dio's goons would stoop to killing us in our hotel rooms. Man, I can only imagine if he waited until I fell asleep. I would have been a goner." 

He sighed, closing his eyes for a few seconds. Louise handed him an ice pack, helping him press it against the bump in his forehead as she tied the bandages together with a safety pin.

"I couldn't imagine what that would've been like. Could you imagine how much of a hassle it would've been to cover up a murder?? We're already drawing enough attention as it is, especially with Mr. Sledgehammer over here putting holes in the wa-" Joseph was interrupted by Avdol, jabbing his side and clearing his throat.

"HEY that hurt!!! I didn't know I was banned from telling jokes now..." The old man complained as the Crusaders judged him silently.

"Get over it, old man, we did what we needed to do. All that matters is that Pol's ok and so are the rest of our asses. Who cares if there’s a little property damage?" Jotaro leaned against the wall, rolling his eyes.

"I guess we didn't have time to think of that, given the dire circumstances..." Kakyoin broke out in a cold sweat, avoiding the old man’s gaze.

Louise’s jaw dropped, before it quickly twisted into a glare. She crossed her arms, tapping her foot as her gaze burned straight towards Joseph’s skull.

"Are you kidding me, Mr. Joestar?! You're more worried about property damage than Polnareff almost dying?! Seriously?!" 

The old man awkwardly laughed, scratching the back of his head. The spotlight was now entirely on him, the rest of the group giving him a dirty look. 

“I was just kidding... Hehe, well, maybe I should watch what I say more carefully next time..."

They shook their heads, turning their attention on something else as Joseph sulked in the corner of the room. Jotaro leaned over Louise’s shoulder, inspecting the bandages wrapped around Polnareff.

"Damn, that's a pretty clean wrap. It looks like it was done by a professional nurse." Jotaro spoke as he observed her. He had accidentally caught her off guard and made her jolt out of shock.

“Oh, um, Thanks... You’re a little close, can you back up a little?” She leaned away from him as she grimaced with discomfort.

“Huh? Oh sure….” Jotaro awkwardly replied before he backed away, flopping down onto a chair just across the room.

Louise side eyed him as he walked. She kept tending to Polanreff’s wounds as she grumbled under her breath.

She could feel her blood boil as she remembered their argument they had just a few hours ago. Even something as small as the way he sat in his chair pissed her off. That nonchalant and hardened look on his face, like he didn’t give a shit about anyone other than himself, got under her skin. She felt the urge to walk up to him and finish what they started, but stopped herself before she got the chance. Louise pondered for a second. 

What the hell was she doing, chasing after him like that? What was she even accomplishing by trying to retaliate? Louise couldn’t believe that he was letting him bother her this much, to the point that she’s letting him take residence in her mind rent-free! 

“Ugh, what’s wrong with me?! I can’t just let him affect me like that! Who does he think he is?! Okay, okay, that’s enough. You’re better than this, Lou. You’re very mature and responsible. You don’t need to respond. Just ignore him.”

She clenched her fists, her shoulders rising as she took a deep breath. In and out. In and out. Until her temper finally simmered down. 

Louise turned up her nose, ignoring Jotaro as she kept reassuring herself of her maturity. She sat quietly on the bed, avoiding his gaze. The last thing they needed was to get into another petty argument. 

“Yeah he’s right, Lou. It’s a pretty good wrap. In fact, I can feel myself getting better already-OW!” Polnareff hollered in pain as he tried to sit up, only to let out another agonizing scream. 

“You’re still recovering, Polnareff. Get some rest at least.” Louise sighed, laying him back down as she pressed the ice against his bump, while the man muttered a small thanks. 

“Well what do we do now, Mr Joestar?” Kakyoin asked, dragging the old man out of his stupor.

“Huh? What do you mean?” The old man questioned the young boy.

“Well Polnareff is still pretty injured isn’t he? It might not be safe to take him with us. What if we run into trouble again?”

“O-oh well I haven’t really thought that far ahead. Hmm..” Joseph stroked his chin, pacing around the room as his eyes glanced over Polnareff. 

Polnareff was clearly in no condition to go anywhere. Who knows when Dio’s men would show up? Joseph stood in the middle of the group, all eyes on him, waiting to see what the new game plan was. They waited with bated breaths, before the old man gave an exasperated sigh and gazed over at the injured Polnareff.

“Well. There’s no way around it, we’ll have to postpone our trip to India until tomorrow.”

“W-Wait a second! We can’t do that! What if Dio’s minions show up before then?!” Polnareff protested.

“I know, but you’re not even in any shape to walk around, Polnareff. If you force yourself to move around like that, you may end up getting yourself killed. You need to rest.” The old man affirmed with a stern gaze.

“L-Look I’m fine, see nothing to worry about-AGH!” Polnareff fell onto the bed once again, rendered out of commission.

“Polnareff, you really should rest up. We can’t let you go out like this.” Avdol frowned, approaching him as he silenced the French man’s protests while replacing the ice pack

“I’ll go take care of him, the rest of you can figure out what you want to do.”

“Alright, you heard the man. You all have a free day to sightsee and spend to your heart’s content. Just remember. Dio’s minions are still following us so don’t lose sight of each other. Also don’t forget to get some train tickets to India before you get back. Got it?!” Joseph gave the three teenagers a cash allowance and a serious look.

They all nodded and left the room behind, wandering off to see the sights Singapore had to offer. Despite the possible danger ahead, they were all excited and ready to goof off at a moment’s notice.

“More time to buy clothes? Ha, count me in! Ohhh I can’t wait to see what kind of dresses or shoes they have on sale!” Louise squealed, her eyes twinkling at the possibilities.

“Good grief. It’s already bad enough we had to haul the old man’s stuff. I’m not dragging your bags along just because you wanted a new pair of shoes. I thought you already got your fill on that shopping spree we had earlier.” Jotaro sighed.

“Hmph! Well I’ll have you know that a girl has many needs, and those include having more than one outfit in her wardrobe. Something YOU don’t clearly know anything about.” Louise scoffed, flipping her hair back. 

“Come on, guys. We’ve been over this. Let’s not get into any more pointless arguments, alright?” Kakyoin sighed, leading the pair behind him to stew in their embarrassment as they muttered a quiet ‘okay’ and left it there. 

Fortunately, their walk was peaceful without a fuss from Louise or Jotaro. They walked at a distance, careful to avoid eye contact as they left the hotel. Kakyoin took a deep breath, taking in the sights of Singapore as they wandered around from shop to shop. Louise pressed her face against the glass of a boutique window, squealing as she dragged Kakyoin inside, who in turn pulled Jotaro behind them. 

Louise bounced around each rack, piling up garment after garment as she rushed to the changing room to try them all on. She modeled everything, switching from outfit to outfit until she found the perfect pieces. She left with several bags in hand, dragging Kakyoin along for the ride. They raided every store, picking out outfits for each other as Jotaro rolled his eyes and followed them throughout their spree.

“Look, Noriaki, this cherry printed blouse would go great with those pants! It’ll also match your earrings too.” Louise enthusiastically held up the buttoned-shirt for him to inspect. 

“Hmm, yeah that looks very nice, it has a light material and would be perfect for hot weather. I really like the print too. Although, the sleeves are kind of short. I don’t know, I’m not used to wearing anything shorter than elbow length.” Kakyoin scrunched up his nose, hesitant to take the garment.

“Nori, I think you’d look great regardless! Why don’t you try something for a change? Ya know, spice it up?” Louise pleaded, pouting her cheeks as she gazed at him with those puppy eyes.

“You know what, you’re right. I should try something new at least. What’s the worst that could happen?” He threw caution to the wind and disappeared into the changing room.

A few minutes passed until he pushed aside the curtain, revealing his new outfit. Louise clapped, skipping her way towards the well-dressed teen. 

“You look so good, Noriaki! We should buy it! I’ll pay for it! A good friend always pays for their friends’ perfect outfits!” Her eyes sparkled, quieting his protests as she pushed him into the dressing room. 

She could barely stay still as they stood near the register, unable to contain herself as she snatched the receipt from the cashier. They left with several bags in hand, their wallets a little lighter. They kept wandering around, taking little detours along the way. Louise was blown away by everything Singapore had to offer, wishing that this day would never end. 

The trio stopped by the hotel pool, resting after a long day. Louise sighed, taking off her shoes and stockings as she dipped her feet into the cold water. She felt the sweat on her forehead trickling down her shoulder, trying to cool herself off with a paper fan. Her arm ached as she kept fanning faster until eventually, she grew weary and conceded to the heat. 

“Ugh, if only I bought a swimsuit! I could have at least taken a small dip.” She whined, her body melting further against the sunlight. 

The cool water was no match for the sun’s rays. Louise looked around for a semblance of shade, but to no avail. She growled, her eyes wandering over to Kakyoin as laid down on a beach chair. The boy did not seem affected by the heat, opting to suntan in a red turtleneck and his green school coat without a fuss.

“What the? How are you not hot under those layers, Noriaki?!” Louise’s jaw dropped. Kakyoin sat up, taking off his sunglasses.

“Huh? Oh. Well, I kinda got used to it after spending a lot of summers in Japan outside with long sleeves. Just didn’t feel too comfortable showing off my arms if I wasn’t swimming, you know?” Kakyoin shrugged, laying back down as he tanned under the hot sun.

“Geez, you would think he kept a fan underneath that coat. He really wasn’t kidding when he said he didn’t wear anything that wasn’t past his elbow.”

Louise continued to suffer under the hot sun, leaning her head back as she groaned. She has had enough of this. She needed something else to cool her down. She stood up from the pool, drying her feet as she put on her shoes. 

“I’m gonna grab some ice cream, do you guys want anything?” Louise called out behind her.

Kakyoin shook his head, while he continued to sunbathe. She shrugged, about to leave when Jotaro got up from the beach chair and started to follow her.

“I’m coming with you. I need to get us tickets for India tomorrow anyways, and someone needs to look out for you since you don’t have a stand.” Jotaro loomed over her, blocking the sun with his height.

“Tch, whatever.” She rolled her eyes, grumbling under her breath as he accompanied her towards a few concession stands up ahead.

Louise walked faster, the heat becoming too unbearable to walk through as she started to sprint. She wanted to. No. NEEDED to get cold before she faints. She trudged through the park, practically crawling her way towards a concession stand, which to her delight, also had shade. She cried tears of joy, trembling as she placed a few bills onto the counter with a loud SMACK!

“T-Two ice creams, please…” She fell to her knees, with Jotaro’s gaze following her sinking body.

“Umm haha, we’re all out of ice cream…” The stall owner rubbed the back of his neck.

Louise felt her heart stop, her widened eyes gazing up at the owner in shock. She raised her arms, letting out a cry of despair before melting onto the ground. It was over. The sun had beaten her to a pulp.

“But! I’ve got something better than that! Some chilled coconut juice!” The stall owner called out, holding a large coconut in his hand.

The distraught girl gazed up at the man, who chopped off the top of the coconut to reveal the sweet, cool juice inside. She grabbed the coconut, sipping through the plastic straw as the refreshing drink cooled down her aching throat.

Relief washed over her body, feeling the light in her eyes sparkle again. It was amazing! Louise twirled around, transforming into a new girl, one that was ready to face the danger ahead of their journey. The breeze that had conquered her before was no more, leaving behind a cool wind that blew through her curls.

“Good grief, you’re so dramatic.” Jotaro rolled his eyes, sipping the juice with a hardened gaze.

She ignored his foolish comment, taking another sip and letting herself be transported to Cloud Nine.

“Oh my God! This is perfect! It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for all day! Noriaki has to try this!” She jumped, excited to share this gift with her friend.

Just as she was about to rush over to the red-headed boy, but stopped when she saw Kakyoin approaching the pair in the nick of time. 

“Hey, Nori! We were just about to get you some coconut juice! It’s really good! You should try some!” Louise frantically waved, trying to get his attention.

As he walked towards them, something about him seemed odd. His usual calm smile felt sinister and eerie, his eyes without their usual luster. He pushed her away without any concern, almost pushing her onto the ground if not for Jotaro swooping in to catch her. 

“What the-Hey! You didn’t have to push me like that, Noriaki! That was rude!” She burned a glare onto the back of his head, watching him approach the stall without even a care in the world.

“My bad. I didn’t see you there.” Kakyoin spoke, giving her a side eye.

Louise felt her mood sour in disbelief. She couldn’t believe what just happened. Something was wrong, she could feel it. 

“What is wrong with him? He wasn’t acting like this when we left to get something to cool off with. Did something happen while we were gone? Maybe we took too long to get back.”

She brushed off her concerns, hoping they were only paranoid thoughts. She stood back, taking another sip of her coconut while she observed Kakyoin closely. Just as he was about to grab some cash from his wallet, a thief snatched it right from his hand. Before Louise could take another step, Kakyoin turned towards the sprinting crook. His eyes darkened for a brief moment until a flash of green appeared from his body, crawling its way towards the criminal. 

Louise blinked for a second, rubbing her eyes as she leaned closer and tried to make out what came out.

“What the hell was that?! It looks so weird…It’s so shiny like an emerald and its body unraveled like ribbons! It was crawling towards that man like some weird combination of a snake and a spider! It’s giving me the creeps!”

She shuddered at the thought, but it was nothing compared to what happened next. The green alien creature grabbed the man by the ankle, causing him to trip before he got away. Kakyoin stood right behind him with a menacing glare in his eyes. 

“YOU CROOK! HOW DARE YOU?! YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD GET AWAY WITH STEALING FROM ME?!” He shouted, catching both Jotaro and Louise off guard. 

Kakyoin grabbed the whimpering thief by the hair, the man’s face colliding with his knee as blood poured out onto the student’s pants. Without any warning, he lifted him up and cracked the man’s back with his shoulders. Kakyoin did not stop, stretching the man’s back until he coughed up blood. The brutality caused Louise to scream with Jotaro rushing to stop the violent scene unfolding in front of them. 

“Kakyoin, that’s enough! You’ve made your point, you’re gonna kill him!” Jotaro clenched his jaw.

Despite this, however, Kakyoin ignored him and kept on cracking the crook’s back. Louise felt her body shake, shivers crawling down her back. For the first time in her life, she was terrified of what her friend had become. She saw another side of him she would rather forget.

“W-Why, Noriaki? What happened to you? I thought I knew you, but maybe I was being too trusting. No. He wouldn’t just do that, right? Jotaro already took out his flesh bud so why?” 

It was a hard truth to swallow, one she hoped wasn’t real. It made her sick to her stomach, thinking about the short time they’ve had together and all of that being nothing more but a fabricated lie. 

“I told you to stop, Kakyoin! Are you even fucking listening to me?!” Jotaro punched Kakyoin at the back of his head, making him drop the man and stopping dead in his tracks. 

Kakyoin freezed for just a second before he picked up his wallet, brushing the dust off his coat.

“Kakyoin, you bastard. What the hell is wrong with you?” 

Jotaro glared at him, Kakyoin meeting his gaze.

“That hurt. You didn’t have to push me like that. That guy deserved it, he tried to steal my wallet.” Kakyoin brushed away Jotaro’s concerns, snatching the coconut from Louise’s hands.

“He needed to be taught a lesson. Isn’t that right, Jotaro?” 

Kakyoin stared at him with a blank expression on his face, his eyes never leaving Jotaro’s as he drank from the straws. They heard a group of children fawning over 4 rhinoceros beetles up on a tree just a few metres from them, causing Kakyoin’s attention to drift off towards the bugs that fed on the trunk. He laughed as he brushed his hair between his fingers.

“Jotaro, my buddy, I was just having a bad day. No biggie. This trip has been exhausting for me to say the least.” 

“Tch, is that so? Seems to me you were fine just a second ago.” Jotaro gave the boy a thousand-yard stare.

They were both silent, the tension becoming unbearable as the heat once again burned through Louise’s body. She gulped, being rendered speechless. Jotaro placed a hand on her shoulder and started walking towards the other direction, bringing her back to her senses

“Come on. Let’s go. We need to get those train tickets to India tomorrow before we get back to the hotel. We’ll need to take a cable car.” Jotaro kept moving, too impatient to wait any longer. 

“Come on, Nori…we gotta go. Can you please finish your coconut on the way? I really don’t want you to keep walking in the hot sun like this.” Lou gave him a worried look, tugging at his coat before quickly retracting her hand 

His Gakuran felt unfamiliar, Its green threads were slimy and frigid. All the warmth and life she felt earlier was gone. How was it possible for something to feel so inhuman? She slowly reached her hand out to touch it again, only for Kakyoin to move away before she had a chance. He gave her a blank gaze, walking past her without any acknowledgement 

“Fine. Just stop doting on me. You’re not my mother.” Kakyoin said, his voice cold as the snow on top of a mountain.

Louise could feel shivers running down her spine, unable to shake off the feeling that made her sick to her stomach. As Kakyoin walked past her, she noticed something in the corner of his lips peeking out for just a second before he spat it out a few moments later. 

“Hold on…Was that a beetle leg in the corner of his mouth??? Did he actually?” She questioned as she stared at the leg on the ground ahead of her.

She turned her head behind her, checking on the tree behind her only to find the 4 beetles gathered around to have disappeared. She gasped, rushing past Kakyoin and walked right next to Jotaro, pinching at his jacket as she broke out into a cold sweat.

“Hey. What’s the matter?” Jotaro asked.

"There’s something wrong about Noriaki…He has been acting weird ever since we left the pool." She peered over at Kakyoin. 

Jotaro’s eyes met Louise’s gaze, his expression resting into a stern, stone-like look. Jotaro's baby blues darted towards Kakyoin, watching him carefully like a hawk for a few seconds before squinting. 

"Yeah. He’s not acting like himself. He’s rude, rash and impatient. He’s acting a lot like me." 

"Well, I’m glad you said it and not me. This is certainly more than just him having a bad day... Do you think he's been given another fleshbud? Like last time?" Lou inquired. 

Jotaro stared at the floor, mulling over that possibility over in his mind as he strolled. 

"No. In order to have gotten one Dio would've had to come here all the way from Egypt. Plus, he likely would've killed all of us too if we were asleep. That's impossible." 

Louise came to a conclusion she didn't want to believe. She dare not speak it aloud. Too afraid that doing so will make it come true, but swallowed her fears and asked Jotaro the uncomfortable question. 

"Do you think that Kakyoin has been a spy for Dio this whole time?...I mean there was that weird green thing that crawled out, maybe there’s something he’s not telling us." 

Jotaro paused. Louise stopped alongside him. His silence was killing her.

"Hold on, what green thing?” He grabbed her arms, eyeing her down with that intense gaze.

“There was a shiny green and white alien that came out from underneath his feet. It was moving like an octopus and had these yellow eyes. It scared the hell out of me.” Louise was taken aback, feeling the grip in her arms getting tighter.

“What? You saw Hierophant Green? How? You’re not supposed to see his stand.”

“Yes? I don’t know, okay?? How was I supposed to know about what a stand was supposed to look like?” Louise squirmed around, trying to get out his grasp.

Jotaro muttered an apology, letting go of her arms. She breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing the red skin left from his iron grip. Before she could take another step however, Kakyoin stared back at them a few meters ahead, causing her to flinch. His soulless eyes burned into her, enough to make Louise stop dead in her tracks.

“What’s the matter you two? Got something you want to talk about?”

Louise hesitated, looking off at the distance as she held her arm close. She didn’t want to believe that the one person on this trip that she felt she could trust and rely on, was nothing more than a traitor. Her eyes met his gaze, hoping to see something, ANYTHING, to convince her that they were wrong. She didn’t want to do this, but she was left with no choice. They had to know what was going on. Just as she was about to confront Kakyoin on his behaviour, Jotaro suddenly chimed in 

“In matter of fact, we do. Why the hell have you been acting like such a prick today? Got something you wanna say?”

Kakyoin gave Jotaro a piercing glare, before breaking out in laughter just seconds later.

“Oh what? Me?? Guess I was just in a bad mood, I’m sure you get how that is right Jotaro, good pal?” He chuckled to himself for a second, holding his hand to his forehead with his eyes closed.

“What spurred this on? Pft, this guy. Am I right Lou-”

“Noriaki, your jacket felt weird. It was like it was made of some kind of slime or something… Y-you’re acting so weird. You’re not like yourself at all…” Louise interrupted, interrogating him further. 

“Nori, if something is bothering you, please tell us. We’re your friends, we’re just worried about you.”

Kakyoin said nothing. His face froze as he gave them a thousand yard stare, making Lou feel a pit in her stomach.

Jotaro approached Kakyoin, moving closer as Louise broke out in a cold sweat. She watched as he took his hand out of his pocket, anticipating for Jotaro to sock her best friend in the face. Time slowed down as Jotaro took a step, the clack of his loafers became louder every time he got closer and closer. Louise held her breath, covering her face with her hands as she expected the worst. She peeked through her fingers, watching Jotaro take his hand out of his pocket. 

It stopped right at Kakyoin’s chest, his fist holding up a pamphlet about cable cars. Louise opened her eyes, baffled at the events that were transpiring

“Since you don’t wanna talk, why not go sightseeing with us? I heard the cable cars were good. How about it?”

Kakyoin stood in front of him without saying a word. His unamused glare cracked back into a smile. His hand rose and clasped around Jotaro’s wrist. Louise stayed frozen, watching the bizarre interaction.

“Sightseeing, eh? Sounds wonderful.”

Kakyoin grabbed the brochure from Jotaro’s hand, walking away while he played around with the pamphlet. Jotaro followed suit, prompting Louise to cautiously follow behind them.

“What just happened.”

Louise gazed at Kakyoin’s back, questions littering her mind. She cleared her throat, trying to get Jotaro’s attention.

“What are you doing? What was that all about?” She whispered, careful to avoid Kakyoin eavesdropping once again.

“I got a plan, just trust me.” Jotaro replied, ignoring her as she kept tugging at his jacket. 

She crossed her arms, pulling at his chain until he finally stopped. Jotaro grit his teeth and turned around with a growl.

“What?! What do you fucking want?”

“If you’re gonna be doing something, at least fill me in with all the details. It’s not gonna work if the other person doesn’t know what’s going on, you know? I didn’t leave you and Noriaki in the dark when we made that periscope. I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off if I didn’t say anything.” Louise raised an eyebrow, urging him to fess up. 

“Fine, fine, whatever.” Despite his stubbornness, he gave an exasperated sigh and surrendered. 

He leaned close to her ear. His eyes kept drifting towards Kakyoin, watching him like a hawk to make sure he didn’t eavesdrop. Jotaro cupped his hand around Louise’s ear, moving back to his regular position every time Kakyoin turned around to check on the pair. Jotaro whispered, staying as quiet as possible.

“Alright. Here’s the plan.”

To Be Continued →

Chapter Text

The cable cars creaked slightly as they gradually moved down the line. Jotaro handed Louise a small vanilla soft serve, waiting for the moment to arrive. Kakyoin had taken a little detour, promising to catch up with them soon. 15 minutes had passed, and there was no sign of him.

Louise and Jotaro gave each other worried looks, unable to do anything but stand around and wait. Did he manage to figure out their plan?

The thought made Louis break out in a cold sweat, causing her to take a few bites of her ice cream to relieve the tension. She didn’t realize how fast she was eating, until a sharp pain stabbed at her head.

“Ah! Shit!” She yelped, gripping her forehead.

“Eat it slower next time.” Jotaro sighed, giving her a water bottle to wash down the cold dessert. 

Louise took a drink from the bottle, letting the liquid warm her aching throat. She sat on the floor, leaning against the railing. She groaned, pouting as she puffed up her cheeks before standing up. 

“Hey Kujo, it’s been a while since we last saw Nori.” Louise looked around, leaning closer towards Jotaro. She pulled him by his chain so she could speak into his ear.

“Do you think he was onto us?”

Jotaro brushed her arm off his chain, grumbling as he dusted off his coat.

“I mean he could have been. Also, don’t go grabbing onto my chain like that… I’m not a dog. Even if he was here, I doubt he’d be able to hear us. These carts are so damn squeaky.” His eyes narrowed, observing their surroundings with a sharp gaze.

“So what do we do? You know, when he does come back. How are we supposed to confront him?” Louise asked.

“That’s why we’re here. His stand is a long range type. So naturally, it would be useless in a confined space like one of these cable cars here.” He pointed at them as they rolled by, stopping to pick up new passengers.

“Ohhh I see. That’s some quick thinking. Wait, but what about me? What am I going to be doing while I'm there?” Louise put one hand on her hip, raising an eyebrow.

“Lucky for you, Star Platinum is the perfect remedy for that. He’s a close range type so he has the obvious advantage in this situation.” Jotaro continued, trailing off without stopping. 

While Jotaro yapped on and on about stands and Kakyoin, Louise felt a burning sensation on her index finger, similar to an ant bite. She held up her hand, noticing a small puddle of slime coalescing on her skin. She grabbed a pack of tissues, about to wipe the strange substance when suddenly the pain started to intensify. 

It clung tighter and tighter until…

The formless goo stabbed right into her finger, causing her to shriek as the blood dripped down her palm and onto the concrete floor below. Her cries snapped Jotaro out of his monologue, her body curling into a ball as her hand trembled.

“Hey, are you listening?! I was trying to explain something-Huh?!.” Jotaro yelled, before noticing the yellow sludge eating away at her hand. 

Louise shook it off as hard as she could, resorting to wiping it on her dress as a last ditch effort to save herself, but to no avail. She screamed louder, feeling her heartbeat pound against her chest as she felt the slow, grueling tick of every second that passed. Jotaro dropped his ice cream, taking out a lace handkerchief from his pocket.

“Here, give me your hand.” Jotaro grabbed her wrist, rushing to scrub the nasty substance off.

But before the cloth could even touch the goo, it chomped at the corner of the fabric and fought hard to keep it in its powerful grasp. Jotaro clenched his jaw, pulling as hard as he could. Sweat began to drip down his face as he wrestled with the substance, unwilling to let go until the handkerchief SNAPPED in two! His body stumbled back, leaving him with only a half of the cloth behind. The yellow slime chewed at the fabric, dissolving it in its gelatinous body. 

“What the hell is this? Fuck, it damaged Mom’s handkerchief…” Jotaro grit his teeth, wiping away the sweat on his forehead.

“Crap! D-did it just grow?! What is this?!” Louise kept shaking her hand around, recoiling back in disgust.

“It has to be a stand… Somehow….” Jotaro remarked, deep in thought.

Something wasn’t right about this. From Kakyoin disappearing without a trace to this flesh-eating slime thing on her hand, it was truly bizzare. She was beginning to suspect that his behaviour has something to do with this revolting substance, could it be that Kakyoin was being controlled  again somehow? More and more questions piled up that were left unanswered, forcing them to ponder until…

“Hey. Whatcha two talkin’ about?” Out of the blue, Kakyoin appeared with the same blank gaze from earlier and a bag of cherries in his hand.

Louise flinched, hiding her hand as quick as possible and giving her friend a grin that was a little too wide than usual. Jotaro moved closer and pushed her slightly behind his large stature, his presence melting away her fears for even just a brief moment. Louise could already feel her voice trembling, but tried to stay calm and collected.

“O-oh, we were just talking abou-”

“Where the hell were you?” Jotaro scowled, cutting right to the chase.

Tensions rose between the two boys, enough to make even the most hardened soldier choke. She felt her heart stop, holding her breath in anticipation as they stood there. Waiting. Staring. Silent as a mouse until the only thing they could hear was the crowds and the squeaky cars just a few metres away. 

“You wanna know what I was doing, eh Jotaro?!” He raised an eyebrow, chuckling to himself as he plucked a cherry by its stem.

“I was picking up some cherries, you see. I heard they were good for the heart so I thought "what the hell, why don’t I just get a whole bag?”.”

Kakyoin shrugged, causing Jotaro’s blood to boil. Louise swore she could see a vein pop in his forehead as his body trembled. 

“And leave us waiting for 30 minutes? We didn’t even know where you went.” Despite Jotaro’s monotone voice, Louise felt the fury radiating off of him.

Kakyoin paid no mind to any of his concerns, brushing him away with a gleeful chuckle and a cold gleam in his eyes. He put a cherry in between his lips and suddenly started rolling it across his tongue, making a licking sound until the fruit bounced from his lips and onto the ground a few metres away from Jotaro’s shoe. 

Louise gripped the hem of her dress, hiding herself a little more behind Jotaro. Something about Kakyoin rolling that cherry around made her stomach churn, her cheeks warming up as they turned a slight shade of pink. She shook away her weird fantasies, snapping herself back to reality as Kakyoin gradually approached them. 

“Come on, I was getting hungry, you know. I needed something to munch. You wouldn’t let me starve, eh my buddy Jotaro?” Kakyoin shrugged.

The silence between all three of them drowned out the noise of the bustling station. The only noises they heard were the squeaking cable cars rolling in and the ominous ticking of the station clock, each second syncing with their heartbeats.  The doors opened with a bang, waiting for the next passengers to board.

“Get on. I’ve got your ticket right here. Kakyoin.” Jotaro raised his fists, glaring at him with a fire in his eyes.

Before the second hand of the clock could move, Jotaro’s knuckles collided straight onto Kakyoin’s face, sweeping him across the station as his jaw split in two. His body smacked onto the walls of the cable car behind him.

“What the fuck?! How?! That shouldn’t be possible! Did he use his stand to make his punch stronger?!”  

Louise stood, paralyzed at the grotesque sight. Kakyoin struggled to stand while his tongue dangled low from the sides of his dislocated jaw. 

“What the hell, Kujo?! You could have killed Nori!” Louise tugged at Jotaro’s sleeve, shooting him a dirty look. 

“That’s not Kakyoin. I don’t know who he is, but I don’t feel like I'm bashing in an elastic watermelon like the last time I beat the hell out of his sorry ass.” Jotaro walked past Louise, approaching the imposter that was now cornered. 

The stranger laughed, his voice echoing as he came face to face with Jotaro. His eyes looked down towards the stoic teenager, his head barely peeking out the cable car doors. Hold on, something about the impostor was uncanny. Louise’s eyes narrowed, taking a closer look and blinked a few more times. Just to check if her eyes were deceiving her. Did he grow a foot taller the last time they both saw him?

“So, you noticed it, did you, blondie? I’ll admit, you’re more observant than I gave you credit for.” The fake Kakyoin tosses a plastic bag onto Jotaro’s face, the only contents being the cherry pits and stems inside.

“I’ve been doing nothing but eating. I was buying myself time to let my beautiful body grow.”

Suddenly, the stranger dropped his mask and revealed himself from the sea of yellow goo. His lips curled into an arrogant smirk, letting his black hair flow in the wind. He was as every bit disgusting as his slimy personality. His vanity still manages to shine through.

“My stand’s tarot card is the Temperance, and if you think that you’ll be able to find its weakness. You’re as brainless as the old man Dio sent on that plane.”

“Tch, don’t get so cocky, you bastard.” Jotaro grit his teeth.

“Cocky? Oh no no. You should have stopped while you had the chance. You thought you were being so clever trying to corner me into a cable car. Look at that hand you punched my handsome face with.”

Louise peered at Jotaro’s hand, noticing a familiar substance sticking to her hand. Similar to the goo that was stuck on her skin. She gasped, feeling her heart stop as the stranger laughed.

“There’s no way of beating Yellow Temperance. Anything you throw at it will simply be absorbed or reflected. Your lady friend should have minded her damn business or she wouldn’t have gotten it on her finger. It’s useless to try and fight it and soon, your friends will meet a similar fate as you two will.” He cackled.

“Do you finally get it now, Jotaro? Do you understand???” The vain man yelled on the top of his lungs.

“ What?? There’s no way that’s true. A stand with no weakness?! No. Every stand has a weakness. This guy’s full of it! It has to have one! But… ” 

Louise gulped. She was looking at her hand as the slime grew, along with the intense pain.

“ How are we supposed to figure it out? ”

“Lou.” Jotaro called out her name, snapping her right back to reality.

“You go ahead and find a way to beat this thing. You’re good with chemistry, right? I’ll keep an eye on this bastard.”

Before she could protest, he went inside the cable car with the doors closing right behind him. His blue eyes gazing at hers as the car moved farther and farther away. She felt the pressure  weigh on her shoulders, she was now fighting against the clock to figure out a solution. 

Louise grabbed a payphone nearby, her fingers shaking as she punched in the numbers as quickly as she could. A drop of sweat dripped down her back as the phone line rang, each ring reminding her of how little time she had. 

“Hello?” 

A familiar voice of an old man uttered a simple phrase that she was dying to hear, relieving some of her worries momentarily. 

“Mr Joestar! Oh thank God, you picked up! Jotaro and I got attacked by a stand user!” Louise shrieked.

“What?! What happened, Lou?! Where are you right now?!” Joseph called out from the other side of the line.

“We’re at some cable cars near the trade center! We thought we brought Noriaki with us, but it turns out to be an imposter this whole time! He put some weird flesh-eating slime on us and he has Jotaro trapped in a cable car!” She could barely breathe, her head feeling light like she was about to sink.

“Calm down, Lou! Stay put and don’t do anything else! We’ll get there as soon as we-” The old man was cut off, followed by an indistinguishable conversation in the background that Louise couldn’t hear. A few minutes later, Joseph returned.

“Kakyoin is with us, he was apparently still at the pool earlier. Again, stay right where you are and don’t do anything rash!”

Before Louise could respond, she heard some glass shatter from a distance and a boy jumping onto one of the columns supporting the cable lines. His body flew across the air as he reached out for the ledge.

“Oh my God, HE JUST JUMPED OUT THE CABLE CAR! JOTARO!” Louise dropped the phone, ignoring the old man’s inaudible cries from the line as she sprinted near the railing and watched Jotaro miss the pillar’s ledge.

She screamed, her heart stopping for just a split second before he was able to pull himself up with an unusual force. She rushed down the stairs of the station, running towards his direction to meet him there. 

“You almost gave me a heart attack, Kujo! At least warn me next time…Talk about putting me under pressure! How am I gonna find a way to get rid of this thing before I become slime food?!”

Louise's eyes darted around, searching for some water to wash away the substance. By sheer luck, she found an open water bottle sitting at a park bench, grabbing it with her quick hands. She poured the contents on her hand, shaking the slime off as hard as she could, only for it to spread out from its initial source. It dripped from fingers to her elbow, growing in volume. 

“Shit, maybe I should have just burned it? But how??”

She looked around for any heat sources, but was left empty handed. Her mind was being pulled in all directions, her thoughts becoming disjointed as she ran across the park searching for a way to get rid of the expanding ooze. 

In a panicked frenzy, she tripped on a rock and the contents of her bag spilled all over the pavement in a jumbled mess. She cried out, rushing to pick up her stuff. As she scrambled to shove everything inside, the new hand mirror she had just bought reflected the sun in her eyes.

Despite the sun's attempt of blinding her, an idea popped into her head.

“Of course! I can use the sun as a heat source! Why haven't I thought of that earlier??”

She grabbed the mirror, tilting it at just the right angle and watched as the sun's rays hit the slime directly on her hand. After a few seconds passed she heard something sizzle, followed by a tiny cloud of smoke.

“ Woah! I can’t believe it! It’s actually working! Hahaha! ”

An elated smile grew across her face. She began to giggle, celebrating her triumph until she noticed the slime begin to bubble and proceed to engulf the rest of her arm. She screamed, dropping the mirror as she swung her arm all over the place.

“ AHH! It’s now covering my arm! Oh God, I’m gonna die with this thing stuck to my body! How are they gonna find my remains without any skin or bones??? ”

She grabbed her chest, breathing rapidly as she started to feel dizzy. Louise was sweating under the pressure, her eyes darting around all over the place as one. She heard the pounding of her heart ringing in her ears, slowly losing her resolve until Jotaro’s words echoed in her mind.

“‘Find a way to beat that stand. Use chemistry’…Use chemistry. How am I gonna kill this thing if everything I do just makes it grow? It’s hopeless…”

“Unless…”

She thought carefully this time, coming back to her senses as she took a deep breath.

“This thing is a stand right? If stands are a manifestation of their user’s soul… Then the only option we have is to take that guy out! I need to find a way to get that guy to lose his focus. Maybe his stand is similar to that creepy orangutan’s a few days earlier! The thing is that guy could still beat my ass, with or without a stand.”

She looked around her environment, noticing a general store at the corner of her eye. 

“Use chemistry…I GOT IT!”

Inspiration struck her lightning bolt, causing her to rush towards the store without a moment too soon. Louise stumbled through the crowded aisles, praying that the chemicals she needed were still in stock. Her eyes twinkled as she saw a small bottle of bleach, her hands eagerly reaching out to grab the last stock. 

“I got you! Now to find some vinegar and some masks!”

She pushed her way towards the seasoning aisle, taking a small jug of vinegar and searched the whole store for some gas masks. With just her luck, she found two masks amongst the empty aisles and sprinted towards the register. The cashier looked to be exhausted, with bags under his eyes as he slowly scanned her items. Louise tapped her foot, crossing her arms as she watched him move at the pace of a sloth. 

She groaned, pulling her face down. She grew restless with each passing second she spent at this register. Finally, he had finished lethargically scanning the few items she slammed onto the counter. Before Louise could check out, the machine printed the receipt in a slow and agonizing pace that would make even the most patient person lose their mind.

“Ugh! J-Just keep the change!” Louise threw a 10 Singapore dollar bill and a few coins at the poor cashier, hitting him in the face as she rushed out the door.

Louise grabbed a few glass bottles left at the side of the road, stuffing them inside her bag. She looked up to find Jotaro falling from another cable car, surrounded by the yellow ooze as he took the stranger down with him.

“Shit! Shit! I gotta hurry!”

She poured the bleach inside the bottles, scrambling to put on a gas mask before mixing in the vinegar to create a bomb consisting of Chlorine gas. Louise stuffed in a few tissues at the opening, getting into position and hiding behind a statue as she observed the two people from afar. 

Jotaro was in the water, covered in Yellow Temperance’s goo as the user stood near the canal, gloating about his stand once more. 

“You won’t be able to attack me. Looks like what I told you about the man with two right hands will go to waste, Jotaro Kujo!” He taunted the trapped Jotaro as the teen’s body struggled against the slime’s grip.

“To think there was a manhole I could sneak onto and use as a way to crush you up and turn you into jam! Even better, it was surrounded by crayfish I could use to power up! Man, am I pretty lucky, don’t you think so? Tell me I’m lucky, you ball-less little butt munch!” The stranger laughed, too caught up to notice a figure gradually approaching him from behind.

Louise tiptoed her way closer, armed with a bottle that was ready to burst. Her eyes flickered towards Jotaro, their gazes locked for just a split second before he grinned.

“Good grief. It’s hard seeing yourself up to this point, not realizing that you used up all your luck. Before, you were lucky to only have suffered a broken nose. But now..” Jotaro gave her a subtle nod, glaring back at the user as he kept him distracted.

“Your luck has just run out!” He screamed, giving Louise the signal to throw the bomb onto the ground.

The bottle shattered into a million pieces, releasing a cloud of Chlorine gas that spread like wildfire. She chucked a mask at Jotaro, scrambling to help him up from the canal as the goo from their bodies melted off. The substance retracted back to its user, as the two teenagers fled from its suffocating grasp.

The pair watched as the man grabbed his throat, wheezing as his eyes started to water. After a few seconds, they took off their masks while Jotaro clutched the crown of his head.

“Hmph, looks like you were too busy bragging to notice me sneaking up behind you. It turns out, your stand does have one big weakness. Your pathetic ass! Haha!” Louise laughed, standing with her hands on her hips.

The man’s watery eyes widened with horror as the impossible became reality. He knew in an instant, with his head in Jotaro’s grasp, that he was finished.

“H-Hey I was just joking! I didn’t mean anything by it, guys. It was just a prank!” The stranger rasped, his reddening eyes pleading for mercy. 

“Y-You’re not thinking about hitting me again, are you? I’m already…huuu…having a hard time breathing. My nose is broken and my jaw is dislocated too, the hospital will have to wire it…shut. I’m already injured here, hahaha…”

He coughed, laughing nervously as he flashed a toothless grin.

“Shut up, I have nothing more to say to you. Talking to you is a waste of breath.” Jotaro’s grip tightened, keeping him steady.

“Something you were familiar with, just a few seconds ago. Haha!” Louise added. 

The beaten man began to cower, shaking like a leaf. Before he could even register it, his face was getting pummeled into the last century by a strong, invisible force. His bones cracked, blood spewing out of his mouth as his head thrashed around with its only support being Jotaro’s iron grip. Each punch dug into the enemy like a shotgun blast, until his body was sent flying into the water with a large splash. 

What was left of him was now floating on the river, with the waves washing him away from shore. Yellow Temperance was forced to retire.

To Be Continued →

Chapter Text

The train cars bumped slightly against the railroad tracks, chugging across the green fields as it made its way towards their destination. Jotaro and Louise sat across Kakyoin, looking out at the peaceful view outside and sharing a fruit dessert amongst themselves. 

“Man, to think someone was trying to impersonate me. I thought you guys left me on purpose, I was about to look for you two before you managed to kill each other.” Kakyoin teased, chuckling as he watched the pair shift away and keep a significant distance. 

“Yeah, I’m glad that wasn’t you. If you were really a traitor, I don’t think I’d be able to trust anyone ever again.” Louise sighed, relieved that everything was back to normal. 

The tension from yesterday dissipated, what was left behind was the sweet and caring Kakyoin they had grown to know and love. She could finally rest easy and release all her worries with a breath. Louise observed Kakyoin with a smile, his violet eyes warm and friendly as the sunlight that peered from windows to the train car. 

“That guy was really weird, I had a hunch that the bastard was a fake.” Jotaro huffed, resting a hand on his cheek

“Glad that’s over. Say, JoJo, is it alright if I take some of your cherries? They’re my favourite fruit.” Kakyoin pointed to the cherries that Jotaro had left on his plate. 

“Yeah sure.” Jotaro casually responded.

“Thanks, you’re the best.” Kakyoin grinned, picking the fruit by its stem.

He dropped in his mouth and proceeded to roll it around with his tongue, his eyes wandering to the flamingos outside. Jotaro cringed, moving back as he uttered his favourite words while Louise squirmed in her seat. 

She felt her stomach churn once again as she gripped onto the hem of her dress, looking away while her face turned beet red. Jotaro turned to her with a horrified look, covering his eyes with the brim of his hat.

“Look, guys. Flamingos in flight.” Kakyoin pointed to the birds outside, oblivious to the reactions of her friends. He was none the wiser. 

Louise cleared her throat, stuffing herself with cake as a distraction. She sneaked onto another bench, avoiding Jotaro’s gaze as she put her head down. Her cheeks were burning as she kept trying to shake off those nasty thoughts that plagued her mind.

“Does he not notice what he looks like when he rolls his tongue like that?? Oh no, block it out! Block it out!” 

She thumped the heels of her Mary Janes on the ground, in an effort to drive away the overwhelming thoughts only to be broken out of her frenzy by a tap on the shoulder.

She turned to her left, only to find herself staring at an empty aisle. Her eyes narrowing, darting around to find the annoying culprit. But to no avail. She slumped in her seat, too exhausted to put up with anyone’s shenanigans. Another tap, and nothing. And another.

Louise was about to give the prankster a piece of her mind, before she heard someone muffling their laughter. Her eyes wandered over to the source of the sound, flinching as she finally noticed another person sitting right next to her. Low and behold, the culprit was none other than Avdol.

“Bahahah! Forgive me Lou, you just seemed like such an easy target to pull a prank on. You didn’t even seem to notice I was sitting here.” Avdol cracked up at her reactions, wiping a small tear from his eye.

“Mr. Avdol?! I didn’t think you’d do something so juvenile. I thought you were more mature than that…” Louise scolded him as he kept laughing to himself. She didn’t know what he found so amusing about it, this seemed so unlike the Avdol she knew.

“Well it’s true, I am rather serious. Especially on a dangerous mission like this, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun from time to time.” Avdol took a small box out of his pocket, opening it to reveal a deck of tarot cards.

“I guess not… I’m very sorry for disrupting your peace Mr. Avdol. I’ll get out of your way-” Louise was caught off guard by the sounds of cards shuffling.

She looked over at the fortune teller’s hands and saw the cards shooting from one hand to another, shuffling each one with his thumb sliding against the edges. He divided them into two once again, inserting a pile in between another. Finally, he curved all of the cards together as they all fell into a neat little pile in his hand.

“I’m no expert at poker, but I do shuffle my tarot cards pretty well, don’t you think?” Avdol flashed her a prideful grin, setting the pile down as he slid them into a straight and well-ordered line on the table.

Her eyes drifted towards the deck, analyzing them carefully as her curiosity got the better of her. She was no stranger to tarot cards, getting her future read back in primary school a few times over the course of her life, but never did she actually take any of it seriously. All of it was just pure coincidence, just a probability of picking a specific card that a person could project onto. It wasn’t a scientific system, meaning it could not be trusted. Something about this particular deck felt otherworldly, making her stomach to sink

“I can give you a tarot reading if you’d like.” Avdol brought her back from her stupor, noticing her unwavering stare towards the cards. 

“Alright, but I don’t exactly believe in any of this spiritual stuff, you know? It seems to just be a series of random coincidences rather than anything that is backed up by rational thought. How does it work?” Louise asked. 

“You ask a specific question, one that cannot be answered with a yes or no, that you want the deck to answer and draw a few cards from the pile. There’s different types of spreads people use, but a common one is the 3 card layout. The first one symbolizes your past. The second, your present. And finally the third, your future. Go ahead. Pick three and place the cards in front of us. I’ll read them for you.” Avdol answered, waiting in anticipation.

She rolled her eyes, but shrugged and decided there was no harm in entertaining the thought. Before she picked any of the cards laid in front of her, Louise gave it a lot of thought, looking around the train car for a crumb of inspiration. She mulled over the possibilities, rejected one after the other until…

A lightbulb appeared on top of her head as she finally got the perfect question in mind.

“Hmmm how about, what will my love life look like? Can you tell me about that?” Louise asked, bouncing up and down her seat in excitement.

“Of course they can! It’s actually the most common question I get asked.” He chuckled, leaning back on his chair.

Louise’s eyes scanned the cards on the table one by one, meticulously observing each row. With shaking fingers, she pointed at each one. She swallowed the lump in her throat and fidgeted with her mother’s charm around her neck, unsure if she made the right choice as she looked at the eerie images drawn on the other side. She looked up at Avdol, a drop of sweat dripping down her forehead as she waited for his response.

“Hmmm… Very interesting….” Avdol nodded.

“What? What??” 

“Seven of Cups, The Star and The Tower… Well, it looks like a very interesting reading…” The fortune teller replied.

“Oh no… Is it bad?” Louise winced, anticipating the worst.

“No no. I’ll just tell you what the cards are telling me.” Avdol started with the Seven of Cups, holding it up to Louise as he started his explanation.

“Seven of Cups may indicate that your love life was filled with fantasy and illusion. You were most likely caught up in your invented future about a possible partner.” 

Louise’s jaw dropped, placing a hand to her chest as gave him an offended look.

“Excuse me? Just because I know what I want doesn’t mean I’m too caught up in anything! There’s nothing wrong with having standards! Without standards, how am I supposed to find my prince charming?” She huffed, a slight furrow between her brows as she turned her nose up.

“Well, if it’s a prince charming you’re looking for, you don’t have to look far. The Star card represents hope, strength and rejuvenation. Whatever you have in the present will most likely be a relationship that stays strong and will bring you happiness as long as you have faith.” 

Louise's eyes narrowed, nodding as her lips gradually curved into a grin. Her heart fluttered for just a brief moment, before clearing her throat to bring herself back down to reality. She took a minute to calm down, reminding herself not to take these cards at face value. They were nothing more than paper with pictures to project your feelings onto. She looked at the card closely once again, noting its familiarity before it struck her hard like a bullet train.

“Hey, wait a second…THIS IS JOTARO’S STAND NAME!! Are you saying I’m gonna end up with that brute?? No way!!!” Louise shrieked, waving her arms around as she tried to take the card from Avdol’s grasp.

The fortune teller held the card up high, leaning back as she reached her hands up as a last ditch effort to take it away. 

“The cards are what you make of them, Louise. I’m only telling you their meanings, they’re meant to be interpreted in different ways.” He laughed, finding her immaturity to be entertaining as he dangled the card above her head.  

“Ugh! Whatever! I wasn’t even thinking of his dumbass anyways! You can keep your stupid card!” Louise puffed out her red cheeks, crossing her arms as she surrendered.

Avdol covered his grin with his hand, clearing his throat to compose himself.

“Okay, if you say so. But Louise, are you sure you want to know what your future card means? You seem to be not taking it well.” 

Louise took a brief second to glance at the last card before giving a curt nod, her curiosity getting the better of her. Despite her doubts, she wanted to. No. She NEEDED to find out before she went crazy with unanswered questions. 

“As you wish. The Towers card represents a loss of control and transformation. There may be circumstances that may create a sudden change in your romantic relationship in the future, that is completely out of your control.” Avdol placed the last card right in front of her to reflect on.

Louise frowned, her shoulders drooping slightly as she glanced up towards the fortune teller.

“S-so bad things are gonna happen to me in the future?” Her voice shook.

“Try not to think of it as a good or bad thing. You won’t really know whether or not this will change that leaves you in ruin or allows you to go through a significant breakthrough. It is neutral as change typically is. Don’t be discouraged, Louise. There’s plenty of opportunities to change your future.” Avdol placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to give her some sort of comfort. 

However, the somber girl was not easily convinced, her body curling up into a ball and was sulking on the train seat beside him. 

“Pfft. Figures. Whoever the poor bastard will be probably couldn’t stand your demanding ass for a second longer.” Jotaro scoffed, butting into their conversation while he slid his way towards a seat across from them, with Kakyoin following closely behind. 

Louise was launched out of her small pity party by her least favourite delinquent, bringing her back down to earth. Just hearing his irritating voice was enough to grind her gears. 

“Don’t you know it’s rude to barge into private readings, Kujo? You shouldn’t just slide into conversations like that whenever you please! This is a sacred place where only the fortune teller and the person being read can be!” Louise pressed her lips together, giving the delinquent a dirty look. 

“I don’t think there is a place that is specifically reserved for such things, but that being said, it’s still a private session and I would appreciate it if it was treated as such..” Avdol gave the two boys a warning, causing them to bow their heads in embarrassment.

“We apologize, Mr. Avdol. We were just curious about tarot cards and wanted to see if we could also get a reading.” Kakyoin scratched the back of his head.

“I don’t see why not.” Avdol shrugged, gathering the cards on the table before being promptly stopped by the girl beside him.

“Wait wait wait! I still have one more question to ask. Can I just have one more reading? Please?” Louise pleaded, pouting her lips and giving the fortune teller a pair of puppy-dog eyes.

“Alright. Alright, I’ll let you have another turn.” Avdol conceded to her request, letting the deck accumulate in an organized palm in his palms.

Louise bounced in her seat, squealing with excitement while she watched Avdol at work, shuffling the deck once more. The cards flew in one direction into another, filing into a single pile before being spread out on the table. 

“Okay, let me think of one first. Hmmm…How will I be affected by this trip to Egypt? That’s a vague enough non-yes or no question, right? Yeah! That’s what I wanna know. " She gave a confident nod. 

“I thought you didn’t believe in any of this crap. You sure seem to be buying into it now.” Jotaro pointed out.

“I’m not! It’s just for fun... And, hey, how did you know that?! Were you eavesdropping again?” She narrowed her eyes and put her hand on her hips, glaring at him as he rolled his eyes and avoided her stare.

Fortunately, he didn’t further comment and let the sounds of the train fill the silence. Louise huffed as she smirked, pointing at three random cards while keeping her gaze towards the meddling delinquent. 

“Hmph! I knew it. You finally shut your mouth for once, Kujo. Nothing funny to say about me now, huh, punk?”

While she was too busy stewing in her small victory, Avdol tapped her shoulder and brought her back to the present moment. The 3 cards had already been flipped over, revealing their faces to the group.

An upside down King of Pentacles…

Two of Wands…

And The World, upside down like the first card…

Louise kept gazing at Avdol, anxiously watching his expressions carefully with her doe-like eyes. She anticipated with bated breath, time slowed as his focused gaze shifted between each card. The suspense was killing her, driving her to tears. She grabbed Avdol’s arm, shaking him around. 

“Come on, Mr. Avdol, come on! What does it say?! What does it say?! I wanna know!” Louise shrieked at the poor man, before Noriaki took her wrist and shook his head. 

Avdol took a second to compose himself, holding onto the edge of the table as he shifted in his seat. He clawed his way back to a proper seated position, his body spinning slightly as he used the cabin’s walls to orient himself. 

“Sorry hehe…” Louise muttered, hiding her face through her curls. 

“It’s alright, Louise. Although, next time you ought to be a little patient.” Avdol sighed and continued with the reading.

“The upside down King of Pentacles. This card represents an excess in material wealth. Bordering on greed.”

“Tch, sounds spot on.” Jotaro remarked before Louise shushed him and impulsively smacked her hand against his mouth like a cartoon character. She was at the edge of her seat, anticipating what came next in her future.

“As I was saying. Two of wands, this is a more matured version of the Ace of Wands. With that being said, this card represents moving forward and planning for the future. Turning your fantasies into a realistic plan and putting it into action.”

“Huh, that one doesn’t sound too bad.” Kakyoin nodded, cautiously optimistic.

“Well there’s one more. The World reversed.” He sighed with a heavy heart, his eyes reflecting his gradually piling worries 

“This card typically represents achieving something great or gaining a sense of fulfillment. Like overcoming a mountain. However, The World reversed represents seeking closure like a deeply emotional relationship or perhaps even a more disparaging event like losing a loved one.”

The news hit Louise like a ton of bricks. Nothing could prepare her for her rotten luck of the draw. Kakyoin came to her aid, placing a hand on her back and patting her as she sat there, defeated. 

“So that’s it, huh? My future’s gonna be one big disappointment?“

“I’m sorry, Lou.” Avdol winced, looking away to avoid her sad gaze.

“Good grief, you can’t be serious.” Jotaro scoffed. 

Louise’s eyes glanced towards the delinquent. Surprisingly, she didn’t feel the same rage she did earlier, rather curious about what he would say next. Jotaro rolled his eyes, the spotlight now entirely on him.

“What I mean is, you’re really gonna let these pieces of cardboard have that big of an effect on you?”

“I hope you’re not insulting the art of the tarot, Jotaro. I’ll have you know, these cards hold more wisdom than you know.” Avdol sternly warned him.

“Relax Avdol, I’m not trying to insult you. All I’m saying is, if you could overcome a homicidal bug, a perverted orangutan and help us beat up a psychotic doll then it’s ridiculous to let these cards get to you. Your fate is what you make it.” Jotaro poked at her forehead before he continued

“And if I know your stubborn ass, you’re gonna have things your way no matter what anyone says. Especially these cards. So stop throwing yourself a pity party, Lou. You’ll be fine.” 

The whole cart was silent, rendering the group speechless as they stared at Jotaro . Louise felt a bit of warmth form inside her chest, lifting up her spirits as perked right up from her seat. The colour on her face returned as she nodded. 

“Yeah. Screw these cards! Oh- sorry Mr. Avdol, I didn’t mean that…” She sheepishly laughed, rubbing the back of her head. While Avdol closed his eyes, shuffling his deck as he laid back against his seat.

“It’s fine. I don’t suppose you want a reading. Do you, Jotaro?”

“Nah, I’m fine. Unlike some people, I’m firm in my skepticism.” The delinquent pulled down the brim of his hat, taking a playful jab at the young girl sitting across from him. Louise saw his lips curved into a smile for just a brief moment, before he walked away and left.

“You know, he has a point. Fate is what we make of it. These cards are a nice guide,  but at the end of the day that’s all they are.” Noriaki nodded, giving Louise another pat on the back.

“So I take it you don’t want a card reading either. Do you, Kakyoin?” Avdol raised his eyebrow as he set the deck down on the table in front of Louise.

“Maybe next time, Avdol. it sounds like a lot of fun, but for now, I think I’ll just savor the present for a bit, you know?” Kakyoin remarked nonchalantly, walking back to his seat and staring out the train window. Enjoying his cherries like before.

Louise trembled, trying to ignore his lewd eating habits as she avoided looking towards his general direction. She looked at the deck in front of her, drawing a card out of sheer curiosity. She raised an eyebrow, tilting her head.

“Huh, I wonder what this card means. If this was Noriaki’s reading, I guess he would’ve gotten this one. I should go ask Mr. Avdo- ” 

She was about to bother Avdol for more information, until she saw the fortune teller fast asleep, with his arms folded as he slouched back in his seat. She shrugged, placing the card back on top of the deck.

“I guess I’ll just remember to ask him later… Oh well. ”

The train bumped against the railing, making the cart jerk. The sudden movement caused cards to spread out all over the table in a chaotic, unorganized pile. Louise yelped, scrambling to pick them all up before Avdol could notice. As she rushed to clean up the mess, one card was facing up amidst the clutter. The lone card being the one that Louise drew prior;

8 of Swords

To Be Continued →

Chapter Text

The train halted with a thud, stopping in front of a platform as the conductor yelled out instructions and guided everyone out of the carts. The station was crowded, surrounded by people of all different backgrounds rushing to get from one place to the next. Louise squeezed her way out of the train, keeping her bag close as a group of children tugged at her dress to beg for money.

She could feel her armpits sweat as she pushed her way past a sea of endless bodies, ignoring the hands that reached out towards her. She politely declined the locals’ offers of massages, tips, tours or whatever nonsense was being thrown her way. She glanced back at the rest of her friends, watching them struggle to even take a step as the crowd grew around them. Louise tugged at her bag, rolling away from the mob and successfully escaping without a single scratch.

“This is India?? I feel like I’m in a can of sardines! I’d have an easier time walking through a glue tra- Shit! I think someone snatched my wallet!”

Louise panicked, pushing her way through the crowd as she tried to look for the thief. But before she could wander off, a hand grabbed the back of her collar and pulled her backwards.

“No! No! My wallet!” She cried out, trying to squirm out of the stranger’s hold, but to no avail.

She heard someone click their tongue behind her, dropping her wallet in her hand and letting her go. She turned around to find that it was none other than Jotaro Kujo.

“Don’t go wandering off out of the blue like that. This place is packed, you could easily get lost.” The delinquent sighed, pushing through the sea of people and ignoring the beggars that tugged at his coat.

Despite getting scolded, Louise didn’t seem to sense any hostility behind it. She put the wallet back on her person and followed Jotaro’s lead. His tall stature stuck out like a sore thumb in the endless crowds, enough for him to be seen just a few feet away.

“Hold on everyone! Rough seas ahead! Ahahahaha!” Joseph joked as he held onto his hat and traversed the waves of locals. The crusaders all squished together until they finally arrived at a restaurant.

“Phew! I’m sure glad we got out of that mess. I’d rather fight that murderous puppet again than travel through a crowd like that…” Polnareff chuckled, wiping the sweat on his forehead

“Yeah no kidding… Not to sound conceited, but getting jostled around like that was really messing up my hair.” Kakyoin took out a comb and brushed out the loose strands.

The group could finally take a sigh of relief as they walked inside the quiet and air-conditioned building. The restaurant didn’t seem too busy with only a few customers, sitting on a round table while waiting to be served. The party made their way towards a spot in the corner of the room, taking a seat. A waiter approached them, dropping off a few menus as they settled down.

“Man, one part of traveling that I’ll never get tired of is all this great food!” Joseph proclaimed, opening the menu first while his eyes skimmed over the text. “Yes, but are you sure you can understand what’s on the menu this time?” Avdol asked with dread in his voice, giving the old man a knowing look.

“I actually know a good deal about Indian cuisine. I know for sure whatever we order will be good. India’s known for its excellent cuisine.” Kakyoin chimed in, putting their worries at ease.

“Well then you can order for me! I’ll be heading off to the men’s room to drop off some carry-on luggage if you catch my drift.” Polnareff winked, prompting the group to recoil in disgust.

“EW!!! You don’t have to say it like that, you know?!” Louise gagged while she glared at Polnareff.

The Frenchman just balled over laughing from his friends’ reactions. He sauntered off, wiping tears away from his eyes as he went off to find a restroom. The group all took a second to recover from their repulsion and turn their attention back to the important task at hand. Figuring out what to eat for lunch.

“Anyways… What do you recommend Kakyoin? I don’t know exactly what any of this is so I’ll just take your word for it.” Louise passed the menu to her trusted pal.

“Well, let’s see…”

Kakyoin took his time reading over the menu and listing off the dishes that he thought best suited each Crusader’s palette. Mild Butter Chicken with a Mango Lassi drink for Louise, a spicy Tikka Masala with a side of garlic Naan and Salted Lassi for Jotaro, A plate of Samosas with a Coke for Joseph, Saag Paneer with a Chai for Avdol and for the absent Jean Pier; Aloo Gobhi, a side of Chaat, two Galub Juman and to wash it all down, a glass of Shikanji. It wasn’t long before it all arrived one after the other, a festival of food being carried by several people.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the dish placed in front of her. The mild butter chicken was doused in a beautiful, orange sauce that dripped down onto the fragrant yellow rice below its tender meat. To top it off, a series of chives had been delicately placed on top to give it some added colour. The aroma alone was enough to make her mouth water.

She looked around the table, curious about what she may find. Indeed, she found paradise on ceramic platters. Jotaro’s dish was similar to hers in appearance, yet the sauce was more creamy vibrant in colour, with the chicken bathed in its glory and green peppers placed on top. The naan had a fluffy texture, its chewy dough brushed with a light heap of butter.

A dish of Rogan Josh was given to Kakyoin, leaving behind a distinct and flavourful aroma in its wake. The supple lamb was doused in a fiery red stew, a dash of yoghurt spread across the sauce like a graceful brush stroke. It collaborated well with the rice placed on the other side of the plate.

Joseph’s dish was nothing to scoff at either; the triangular pastry had a crispy and flaky texture that gave a symphony of subtle crackling into every bite, hiding a cascade of lamb, spiced potatoes, onions and peas stuffed inside.

Yet it was Avdol’s meal that had caught her by surprise. The combination of spinach arugula and mustard greens had delivered a rich curry, surrounding the golden and delicate paneer cheese inside its potent embrace. It was the perfect pairing for the warm naan on the side. The creamy texture was enough to make Louise herself green with envy. She definitely needed to sneak in a healthy serving for herself later.

But that was nothing compared to the diverse buffet that Jean-Pierre Polnareff was given; a yellow curry dish consisting of mouth-watering potatoes, cauliflower and a range of Indian spices was up first, being accompanied by a dish of fried dough. It was bathed in yogurt, chopped onions, coriander, thin dried noodles, and a spice blend as a garnish. Followed by another fried dough dish, this time emitting a sweet and confectionary aroma, as it soaked in a generous amount of rosewater syrup. The mountain of flavours seemed endless for the girl who ogled at the food parade.

“All of that for Polnareff?? You might as well have just ordered him the whole restaurant at this point. I’m kinda jealous.” Louise snickered, rolling her eyes.

“Well, I’ve noticed he eats a lot compared to the rest of us. Besides, whatever he doesn’t finish we can have.” Kakyoin shrugged as he began scarfing down his meal, too impatient to wait any longer.

“I guess so, but I don’t think I’ll even be able to finish my plate…” Louise clutched the back of her head, feeling her stomach getting full just from the sight of their orders alone.

She reached for her drink of Mango Lassi, hoping that it would be a good starter before she dug right in. Her eyes widened as the sour tanginess and sweet flavours of the drink danced around in her tongue, almost causing her to squeal. How could she have gone her whole life without trying a single dish from India? It was a crime for her to be missing out this much. “Speaking of Polnareff tho, where is he? He’s been taking a while, do you guys think he’s ok?” Avdol asked, putting Louise out of her stupor once again as she worried for Polnareff’s safety.

“Yeah, it’s kinda concerning how long he’s been in there. I should go check-” Jotaro was cut off as he stood out of his seat.

“Wait! You shouldn’t go alone, I’ll go with you.” Kakyoin stood up as well. “Yeah, me too. If this is anything like last time, we’ll need all three of us to hel-” Louise was cut off by a rambunctious man charging in without any regard for the environment around him.

It was none other than Jean–Pierre Polnareff himself, flipping every object in sight as he scrambled around the restaurant. His blue eyes darted around the room.

“The man with the two right hands! Where is he?! He’s here! Where is he?!” Polnareff hollered.

His words made the rest of the group stand on edge. Their quiet lunch would have to wait until they found the assailant.

“Wait, he is?! Who is he?? What does he look like??” Louise called out,

“I-I don’t know. His stand- I-it was in the mirror! He has to be close by!” Polnareff stormed out of the restaurant to the street. Louise followed after him, but stopped when another Crusader ran past her.

“Polnareff! Get back here you idiot!” Avdol called out while on Polnareff’s heels.

Amongst the spontaneous chase, Louise trailed behind as the rest of the group followed them into the streets. Polnareff’s gaze darted across the crowds, gritting his teeth. He nearly chucked his knapsack onto the ground out of frustration.

“Damn it! That bastard got away!” Polnareff clenched his fists, growling as he kicked the dirt below. He sighed, gripping the strap of his knapsack as he dropped his head for a few brief moments.

“Hey, what’s the matter, Polnareff? What happened?” Joseph asked

Polnareff looked off into the distance, his body trembling for just a second before he puffed up his chest and gazed back towards the Crusaders.

“That filthy oaf that murdered my sister, I finally found him. The stand user that attacks through mirrors is finally within my grasp.”

The whole group looked at one another, unsure on what to do next or what to even say to the grieving man. Louise was about to approach Polnareff, reaching out a hand before the man turned away. He refused even so much as a glance towards her direction.

“Mr. Joestar, this is where we must part ways. I must go off alone. I know the man with the two right hands is close by, I can’t just sit by and wait for him to ambush us again. For one, it’s better to act now before your enemy has a chance to counter. Second, it’s not my style to hang around and wait for something to happen. I’m going to find that bastard and kill him.” Polnareff’s tone was cold and more callous than before, leaving Louise wondering where his warm, bubbly self went.

Louise swallowed the painful lump in her throat, slinking her hand back down to rest at her side. She looked away, feeling an ache in her heart that kept picking at her brain. Despite her attempts at hiding it, she couldn’t help but grimace as her sadness twisted into anger and her hands clenched into fists. She glared at Polnareff, puffing up her chest as she cried out his name.

“So, you’re just going alone without knowing what that guy could do?! Do you even know what his stand thing does?! Are you really that stupid?! You’re just ditching us to get revenge?! I thought we were supposed to stick together!” Louise clenched her jaw, screaming as the crowds started to stare towards the brewing commotion.

“Are you even listening to me?! Don’t you dare walk away, Polnareff! I know you can hear me!”

Despite her attempts to get the man’s attention, her words went into Polnareff’s ear right out the other. Her frustration came to a boiling point as she ran to smack him in the back of his dumb head until Joseph grabbed her wrist before she took another step further.

“What the hell?! Hey! Let go of me Mr. Joestar! Why are you holding me?! He’s the one getting away! Let go!”

She struggled against Joseph’s grip, pushing against his tough body with all her might, but to no avail. Polnareff didn’r respond, ignoring her concerns as he withdrew from the group with each step he took away from them.

“I know he has two right hands. That’s enough for me. Besides, he knows I’m coming for him too. That should put him on the defensive, giving me the advantage. See ya.” And that was the end of it, Polnareff walked away without any further explanations.

“Those are some bold words for a man digging his own grave.” Avdol clicked his tongue, stopping the man dead in his tracks.

“What did you say?” Polnareff turned around, glaring at the man who dared to interrupt his journey.

“You heard me, my friend. You’re walking right into the enemy’s trap and you don’t even know it.” Avdol stood his ground, causing Polnareff to approach him closer.

“What was that? So, you think I’m going to lose?!” Polnareff grit his teeth.

“Yes, isn’t it obvious? The enemy attacked to isolate you, he’s exploiting your biggest weakness! I’m not letting you go off to die, Polnareff.” The fortune teller pointed at him, his hand being smacked away as Polnareff poked at Avdol’s chest.

“I’m going to only say this once. I never gave a single damn about Dio. I already told you in Hong Kong that I was only tagging along to get revenge. Mr. Joestar and Jotaro already know this. I’ve always worked alone from the very beginning, and that isn’t going to change!” Polnareff turned up his nose until Avdol suddenly grabbed the strap of his top.

“You fool! Did you forget that you were brainwashed by Dio?! Are you so blinded by your anger that you’ve forgotten that he’s the one who started all of this?!” Avdol screamed, his blood starting to boil.

“You have no idea what it’s like to have your own sister get murdered so shut the hell up! You have no right telling me what to do when you yourself ran, pissing your pants, the last time you encountered Dio! A coward like you can never understand what I’m going through!” Polnareff struck a nerve within the fortune teller, smacking his hand away.

“Get your hands off me! You were lucky to even beat me in Hong Kong so don’t you dare lecture me!”

“How dare you.” Avdol’s glared, his body shaking as he clenched his fist. Joseph let go of Louise’s wrist, sensing that things were bubbling up just underneath the surface.

“Ohhh did that offend you? Keep in mind, the anger you’re feeling right now is NOTHING compared to what I’m feeling, and with better reason. You’re in no position to talk with that high horse you keep lugging around, Avdol!” Polnareff prodded at him, until the fortune teller had finally snapped.

“Why you-” Avdol raised his fist, ready to knock the living daylights out of the stubborn man until Joseph gripped his wrist and pulled him back. Avdol was left in shock as the old man shook his head.

“Let him go, Avdol. There’s a reason why I didn’t let Lou go after him. He’s already made up his mind, there’s no point in stopping him. Calm down.” Joseph narrowed his eyes, letting go of the fortune teller.

Avdol avoided Polnareff’s gaze, sweat coalescing down his forehead as he closed his eyes.

“I’m perfectly calm, Mr. Joestar! I’m just disappointed. I thought he was a better man than this.” He sighed, while Polnareff spat on the ground below.

“While it is true that I ran away from Dio out of fear, I am absolutely certain foresight will let us win. Rushing in without a plan is the fastest way to meet your doom.” Avdol glared at the stubborn man.

“Hmph! Here’s one thing I’m also certain about, your precious little divination will be wrong!” Polnareff clicked his tongue. As the last insult to injury, he slapped Avdol’s tassel on the end of his necklace before going his merry way.

Louise watched as he moved further and further away until he disappeared into the crowds, the people quickly moving on from their little debacle. Yet it was not over for the girl, Polnareff’s words kept echoing in her mind, adding fuel to the fire stoking deep inside her. The heat of the crowded Indian city made matters worse, feeling her body get covered in sweat underneath the blazing sun. She grumbled, giving Joseph a hard look.

“You should have let me knock his ass into the pavement, Mr. Joestar! He was being so rude and-” She scowled before being interrupted by the old man putting a hand over her mouth, earning him another nasty glare.

“That’s enough, Lou! I already explained it to Avdol, this conversation is over! Understand? Over! Let the man be.” Joseph sighed, pulling the brim of his hat down as he gave an defeated sigh.

He turned towards Jotaro and Kakyoin, both avoiding his gaze with their features hiding their expressions. They kept quiet, the tension weighing down on each of them. They were unable to muster even a simple response. Joseph cleared his throat, catching the attention of the three adolescents under his care.

“Come on, let’s go. There’s no use in standing around moping, we have a mission to accomplish. It’s been a long day and we haven’t gotten some lunch yet, let’s go back inside.”

Joseph stared at Avdol, furrowing his brows with a narrow gaze. He called Avdol’s name, urging him to follow. However, the fortune teller refused to move. He stood there, looking out into the distance, silent and unwavering. Joseph called his name once again, yet nothing. He kept the same pose without any explanation. Joseph was about to yell out his name for a third time when suddenly; Avdol took off, sprinting towards the same direction where Polnareff was heading.

“What the-Avdol! Where do you think you’re going?! Avdol! Avdol!!”

Joseph’s words fell on deaf ears as Avdol ran faster, leaving them in the dust. The old man cussed under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose as he clicked his tongue.

“Goddammit, what is with everyone taking off by themselves?! Okay fine. Lou. Kakyoin. Go follow Avdol and make sure he doesn’t get lost or killed on the way. Jotaro and I will stay behind to pay for the restaurant’s damages! Don’t wander off alone, got it?!”

Kakyoin and Louise nodded, following the same direction where Avdol had disappeared into and pushed their way through the bustling crowds. Their eyes darted around, while the streets became more claustrophobic as they rushed to find any sign of the fortune teller. They kept looking amongst the chaotic streets, until she saw it; a sliver of Avdol’s dark ponytail along with the white headband wrapped around his forehead.

“There he is!” Louise jolted, pointing to their target. She grabbed Kakyoin’s wrist and yanked him out of the shrinking space of bodies he found himself in, earning her his gratitude as he attempted to keep up with her eager stride.

“Shit! We’re losing him!” Kakyoin grit his teeth.

She panicked as she pushed her way through the crowds, barely able to keep up with Avdol before being stopped by a line of men, carrying large boxes and sacks over their shoulders. Louise and Kakyoin squeezed their way around hordes of honking motorcycles, rickshaws, animals and people. The obstacles piled up with each passing minute, making it harder to keep track of Avdol until he had inevitably disappeared into the crowd once again.

Louise scrambled around, her heart hammered against her chest as her stomach dropped to the realization that Avdol was gone. The man was nowhere to be found.

“Ohh this is just great! First, that bastard, Polnareff turned his back on us, and now we just lost Avdol because of him!” She growled, kicking at the dirt road and leaving a small cloud of dust in its wake.

“Are you…Are you okay?” Kakyoin coughed, taking a moment to catch his breath.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I can’t see Avdol anymore, this place is too crowded.” Louise grimaced.

“I just don’t get it, why would he go after Polnareff after that asshole basically spat on his face? I hate him so much!”

The girl’s temper flared up, the streets around her becoming nothing more than background noise as her fists clenched. All the positive feelings that were associated with Polnareff had been thrown out the window, with the man becoming enemy number one for the naive girl. Kakyoin rested a hand on her back, pulling her out of her head as she was brought back down to reality.

“I think it’s more complicated than that, Lou. I know what Polnareff did was really stupid, but I don’t think he is a bad guy by any means.”

“Whatever. He can rot on the sun for all I care. After what he did to Avdol, he is dead to me!” Louise huffed, turning her nose up and crossing her arms over her chest. She refused to hear him out, letting her animosity fester.

“Lou. Don’t be like that. Polnareff is endangering himself, yes. But it isn’t without reason. Avdol went after him because he still cares about him, even if he can be a pain in the ass. Polnareff is misguided, but I don’t think he’s that heartless as he tries to make himself out to be” Kakyoin frowned.

She stayed silent, unable to find the words to speak. The girl was still set on her perspective on the man that had run away. She understood Polnareff's reasons for leaving, but she couldn’t find it in her heart to forgive him after showing his true colours. How could someone be so mean to a caring man like Avdol?

“Come on. Let’s stay calm and ask the locals around here if they’ve seen him. He isn’t a hard man to spot.” Kakyoin held her wrists, causing the girl to look up at him with her burning blue eyes. She could feel a few tears forming before she sucked them back in, trying to keep it together as she nodded.

The pair walked together in the marketplace, talking to every merchant they could in their quest to find their friend. They searched high and low, following the directions of any person who managed to catch a glimpse of the fortune teller for what felt like hours.

“Ugh we’re getting nowhere. Come on, where did these two go?! Ugh, I swear if we find Polnareff first, I’m going to wring his neck out and make him pay!” Louise grumbled.

“We’re getting close… Even if it doesn't feel like it. But any second now I know we’ll find them both and bring them back.” Kakyoin kept looking, reassuring her .

“Pft, yeah right. When pigs fly- OUCH!!!” Louise scoffed, before screaming as she walked face first into a hanging piece of wrapped ham.

”That hurt!...”

She whined, rubbing her nose as she glared at the rack of meat and rolled her eyes. She was about to turn the other way, when suddenly she noticed a crowd forming around a certain area, trapping both her and Kakyoin in a random butcher shop. They didn’t move, instead, they stood there and gawked at something that Louise couldn’t care less about. The girl clicked her tongue, squeezing her way around them as they refused to even make a single step.

“Come on! We have places to be! Has anyone around here ever heard of minding their own business??”

Louise was one second closer to shoving these people towards the pavement, until she heard a conversation between two men behind her.

“Woah! These foreigners are really going at it!” One man cried out.

“I know! I got my money on the guy with the tall haircut. He's gonna beat that cowboy’s ass.” Another man snickered.

“What the? Cowboy?! They have cowboys here in India?? And he’s fighting a guy with a tall haircut…” Louise thought for a moment, before connecting the pieces together.

“That has to be Polnareff.”

She scowled, grabbing Kakyoin’s arm and marched towards the rowdy group of men surrounding the street.

“Come, Noriaki. I think I found Polnareff. Which means Avdol can’t be too far behind.” She clicked her tongue. Before they could even squeeze their way through the sea of people, a man exclaimed; “Woah! Who’s this guy?! He just tackled the guy with the white hair!” “I don’t know, but I bet his jewelry will fetch a pretty penny if we can snatch it!” Another man celebrated. Louise gasped, perking up. “Wait a second, that must be Avdol!”

She pushed through the masses, her heart fluttering with hope starting to flourish. She pleaded to whatever god was listening that she was right, that the man standing there was indeed her friend.

Sure enough, her prayers were answered. In the middle of the streets was none other than Mohammad Avdol himself, lecturing Polnareff for his idiocy.

Louise’s face lit up, a sense of relief and excitement washing over her all at once. “Yes, it is! There you are, Avdol! We found you!” She took a step forward, barely able to control her giddiness as she felt the urge to reach out and pull the man into a tight hug.

The girl ignored everything around her, her mind set on bringing Avdol back. That bastard Polnareff didn’t matter. That weird and smelly cowboy didn’t matter. Nothing else matters.

“Let’s get back and tell the others. Ooooh I know they’re gonna be so happy to hear that we found you! I know I am…”

Her excitement was shortlived however as she heard a distant voice, calling out from the other side of the street.

“Tch, you fools. Did you forget? The bullet is a part of my stand too.” He bragged with a cocky smirk.

She was shaken out of her stupor, feeling her stomach drop from the mere mention of a stand. Louise stopped dead in her tracks. Before she could even react, she heard her friend cry out in agony. Her attention was dragged back to Avdol, a stab wound forming on his back as it bled through his robes.

Not even a minute later, a hole; the size of a bullet, appeared in his forehead and caused his body to fall backwards. The thumping of her chest pounded against her ears, being the only sound she could hear. Time felt like it was slowing with every second he fell further and further towards the ground.

Louise could do nothing but watch in horror as his body landed with a thud. His white headband ripped in half, falling down beside his lifeless body. A pool of his own blood gradually spread onto the pavement.

The girl trembled, feeling tears form in the corner of her eyes. One after the other, drops fell down her face until they all gushed out like a waterfall. She let out a resounding shriek;

“AVDOL!!!!”

To Be Continued →

Chapter Text

The crowd dispersed, running in all sorts of directions in a panic as they screamed. Louise and Kakyoin rushed towards Avdol’s dead body, with the former holding him close to her as his blood stained her clothes. Yet that didn’t matter to her. Avdol was dead, and there was nothing any of them could do.

“H-He’s just hurt, it’s just a minor wound. That’s all, right? He can’t be dead.” Kakyoin’s voice trembled, placing his hand on the man’s back as he observed the blood staining his palms.

He could barely keep himself together, his voice cracking as he struggled to swallow.

“He’s going to start speaking any second now. He’s gonna open his eyes, right? You’ll be alright, won’t you Mr. Avdol!? Right?! Mr. Avdol! You gotta wake up! Come on!”

The boy’s voice raised with every word that came out his lips, gripping Avdol’s robes tightly as he shook his body in desperation. He grit his teeth, calling his name. Louise rested her hand on Kakyoin’s arm, shaking her head as she urged him to let go. His denial had subsided, leaving sadness in its wake as he hung his head low.

Her face was stained with tears and snot, her sorrow too great to care about her appearance or clothes as she tried to wipe them away. The girl clinged to her recently departed friend, sobbing loudly as Kakyoin placed a hand on her back; a sign of solidarity between them as they grieved together.

She heard a spitting noise behind her, causing her to look towards Polnareff’s direction as he kicked the dirt with his boots. He turned his back on them once again, avoiding eye contact.

“That’s what he gets for lecturing people. Serves him right.” Polnareff clicked his tongue, his tone slightly shaking.

Louise felt a pang in her heart, lighting a fire to her rage as she clenched her jaw. How dare he talk about Avdol that way after what he did? It was all his fault. How could one man still be so prideful after letting her friend die? She mustered the dirtiest glare she could, hoping that it was enough to melt this man like candle wax.

"Are you happy now? You just had to try to be the big man and go after this guy by yourself, now look at what you did!" Louise screamed, clenching her fist so tightly that her knuckles began to turn white.

"Avdol's dead and it's all your FAULT!!!"

Her blood boiled like never before. No one, not even Jotaro Kujo himself, had come close to invoking pure rage within her. That wrath stirred inside her, storing up all the energy she could muster. She gathered it all up in her fists, rushing to beat Polnareff into a pulp until she was suddenly stopped by Kakyoin behind her.

Louise cried out, struggling to squirm out of Kakyoin’s tight grip as she kept her burning eyes on Polnareff. The man in question still stood there, his back facing them, without an ounce of guilt.

"Lou, that's enough! Beating up Polnareff isn't going to avenge Avdol." Kakyoin grunted, pulling the girl back as her heels kicked and dragged across the dirt.

Tears began flowing down her cheeks, her screams slowly turned into wails of grief. Her spirit eventually broke, little by little until she broke down into a sobbing mess in Kakyoin’s arms. He loosened his grip around her waist, gradually letting her go.

Louise’s legs gave out and the girl fell on her knees, her dress caked in dust and tears. She could no longer see the ground beneath her, her vision melting into a puddle of sorrow. Kakyoin kept his composure, kneeling beside her and brought her closer into his comforting embrace.

"There's a truck over there. If we want to make this right, we'll have to track this guy down and take him to Hell ourselves." Kakyoin said, with conviction in his voice.

“The only way to avenge Mr. Avdol is if Polnareff HIMSELF makes it up to him personally.” He growled, his gaze burning holes at the back of Polnareff’s head. If looks could kill, the man in question would have been dead right where he was standing.

“Why bother? That old fool did this to himself.” Polnareff clicked his tongue, leaving both Kakyoin and Louise in shock.

That was the last straw. Polnareff’s horrid words were enough to wear Kakyoin’s patience thin, causing him to grit his teeth and cry out;

“Mr. Avdol was worried about you! He saved your life because he cared! How dare you!” Kakyoin’s face twisted into a scowl, a vein in his forehead about to burst.

Louise grabbed a pebble from the ground, shrugging Kakyoin’s arms off as he made a half-hearted attempt to hold her back. Even he was getting tired of Jean-Pierre Polnareff’s brutishness.

“I knew you were stupid, but I didn’t take you for a heartless bastard! You’re a coward! A fucking coward!” She cried out, throwing a few pebbles at his back.

Louise nails clawed against the dirt, gathering more ammo while Polnareff kept his back turned. He said nothing, every second of his silence adding to the tension between them. It was made even worse by the fact that he couldn’t so much as glance their way. The girl cursed to herself, throwing more dirt his way in hopes of getting him to finally look her dead in the eyes and tell her those piercing words.

“I can’t believe you’re willing to let yourself die rather than think about all the things you could be doing tomorrow! What then, if you died for her sake?! If she really cared about you as much as you do with her, she would have wanted you to stay alive! Your sister is probably turning in her grave right now seeing you end up like this!” Louise screamed, hoping to knock some sense into that hard head of his.

Polnareff’s body started to tremble, with his shoulders drooping slightly as his head hung low. Louise was about to throw another pile of pebbles, before hesitating as she heard a few soft whimpers coming his way.

“Don’t remind me what my sister would have thought of me, Lou. Don’t you dare.” Polnareff finally spoke, stumbling over his own words.

“I don’t want to be told how disappointed she or Avdol would be. I already know.”

The man turned around, his blue eyes covered in tears that trailed down his pale face. His mouth slightly quivered, causing Louise to drop her hand and let the dirt fall away from her palms.

“I’m sick of failing the people I care about. I’m sick of seeing them die on me. I’m SO sick of it! You hear me?!” Polnareff shouted to the highest heavens, finally letting out his grief without any shame. The man let the tears fall, the macho persona breaking away.

Louise just watched him break down, completely speechless as he let himself go. Her anger subsided momentarily, leaving behind sympathy as she met Kakyoin’s gaze. Both of them looked at each other, not knowing what to do nor what to say to soothe the poor man’s worries.

“Alright, I'm sick of all this talkin!” The tall man with the wide brimmed hat calls out, holding his hand out like he was holding a pistol.

He brought the group back to the situation at hand, reminding them of the enemies that were right in front of them.

“That bastard. He ran away at the slight chance of danger.” Kakyoin muttered under his breath, clearly responding to a voice that Louise couldn’t hear. He pulled her by the arm, leaning close to her ear.

“Stay here, Lou. I have a plan. Polnareff and I will make a quick getaway in that truck I saw earlier. Both of us will deal with those two, while you stay here and wait for Mr Joestar and Jotaro. They’re close. I can feel it. All you need to do is to make sure Mr. Avdol’s body is safe and sound before we can find a proper place to bury him. Got it?” Kakyoin whispered.

Louise nodded in response, leaving him to slip away into the stalls while the cowboy was distracted. He spoke to a voice that Louise couldn’t hear, looking at things that were beyond her view.

“So what if the others are coming? We can take’em can’t we? With you by my side there’s nothin’ we can’t do. Ay J Geil?.. Geil?” He flailed around, his eyes looking for his partner. In his search, he failed to notice a boy slipping into a truck just a few blocks away.

Suddenly, an engine roared as the vehicle charged at the cowboy! Its horn blared as it came closer and closer, forcing the man to roll to the side before he became human roadkill. Louise watched in shock as the truck zoomed past her, the wind blowing her hair. Before she knew it, Polnareff was scooped up by Kakyoin and he was pulled inside of the passenger seat. The cowboy pointed his hand towards the truck, while its tires skidded across the dirt road. Kakyoin looked back, sticking his head out the window..

“Stay here, Lou! Polnareff and I are going after J. Geil! We’re finishing this!” He called out towards Lou, causing the girl to wipe her tears.

She gave a nod, pulling herself back up from the slump they all found themselves in to once again fight for their dead friend. She cupped her hands around her lips, calling out towards the truck.

“Go get them, you guys! And Polnareff?!” She stared at him through the back window, giving him another hardened glare..

“You better not screw this up! Got it?!”.

Polnareff nodded, putting his thumb up with a determined look upon his face. He turned his gaze towards the front of the vehicle, the truck speeding away as it left behind a cloud of smoke from its exhaust pipe. Louise scrambled to take Avdol’s side, making sure to never leave the enemy out of her sights as her blue eyes followed his every move. She pressed her head on Avdol’s chest, as a make-shift effort to shield his unconscious body from the cowboy.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

Louise couldn’t believe her ears. Could it be? Her eyes widened, pressing her ear closer against Avdol’s chest again.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

It was! There was no denying it, it was the sound of Avdol’s heart beating. He was alive! Louise barely managed to contain the squeak that left her lips.

“Be quiet, Louise. That guy is still right there. He can’t know Avdol is alive. Just hold it out until Jotaro and Mr. Joestar arrives. It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay. Mr. Avdol, I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”

She clasped Avdol’s robes, close to tears as she vowed to protect him with her life. She trembled, fearing for the worst as she heard a pair of boots clinking against the ground. The sound got louder, the man coming closer and closer until his shadow loomed over the pair.

Louise sniffed, her puffy eyes piercing into the stranger’s face as brought her friend’s body closer towards her.

“Now, why the long face little lady? I ain’t gonn’ hurt ya. I, Hol Horse, am a lover of women. I would never dare!” The cowboy boasted, his lips curling into a skeezy smirk

“Although you are an enemy, I think I can make a deal with Dio and J. Giel to spare your life if you tell me where your friends are.”

Hol Horse chuckled, the girl giving him a blank stare as the cowboy brought a cigarette to his lips. His hand reached inside his right pocket, pulling out a lighter as he sparked a flame near the cigarette. He took a long whiff, before blowing out a puff of smoke. Louise scowled, fanning her face from the stench of his breath.

“Aww, come on, just tell me where they are, darling~ I’d never dream about hurting a beauty like you.”

“Oh yeah? How about us, big shot?” A familiar voice grumbled from behind, causing the creep to turn around and meet Jotaro’s sharp gaze.

Hol Horse’s jaw dropped, leaving his lit cigarette to fall on the ground as a pair of purple loafers rubbed its soles against it to extinguish the flame. The two Joestars gave him a thousand-yard stare, the brim of their hats casting a shadow against their piercing eyes.

Joseph slapped a hand on the trembling Hol Horse’s shoulder as his forehead began to sweat. Hol Horse scuttled back, pointing his hand like a gun. Switching between the two as his hands jolted around.

“Ha! You two really believe you can take me on?! Me and my partner will make quick work of you!” Hol Horse puffed up his chest, his confidence unshaken despite his sweating body.

“Really? Where is he now then?” Joseph teased, rubbing his chin. A tense silence lingered in the air for a second before the cowboy responded.

“I’ll go get him right now!” Hol Horse stated before turning on his heels and taking off in the opposite direction. The Joestars watched, dumbfounded, as he left a trail of dust in his wake.

“Huh?! Wha? Hey! Come back here! You’re not getting off that easily!” Joseph yelled, prepared to chase after him with Jotaro following suit, before Louise pulled at the hem of the old man’s shirt.

“Mr. Joestar, wait! He’s still alive! Avdol’s still breathing!” Louise called out, prompting both men to stop dead in their tracks and turn their heels back towards her.

The Joestars ran back, kneeling around the unconscious man’s body. Joseph winced, closing his eyes for a minute before looking directly at his injured friend. The old man took off his hat, leaning his ear close to Avdol’s nose before feeling a puff of air blowing against his skin.

“OH MY GOD! He is! It’s a miracle! My God, he’s still alive!” Joseph cried out, wiping a tear off his face as he gently clasped Avdol’s head to observe his injuries. There was a slight dent on his skin where the bullet had supposedly hit his forehead.

“Jotaro, get the SPW on the line! I’ll hold Avdol’s condition steady.”

“Got it.” Jotaro nodded, rushing to find a phone line.

Joseph took a deep breath and held his arms out, a surge of yellow electricity surrounding him as he placed his palms on his friend’s chest.

“Come on, stay with me, Avdol… Dang it! I should’ve kept up with my training for moments like this… Come on Hamon, don’t fail me now.” Joseph persisted as he began to sweat.

The old man gritted his teeth, the energy around him becoming brighter by the second. He wiped the sweat coalescing across his forehead, maintaining complete focus. The crackling energy gathered around Avdol’s wounds, closing them little by little and left a small scar across his skin. However, the man’s eyes did not open and he was left unresponsive.

“Son of a bitch! He’s going to need more extensive care. Not even my Hamon can bring him back…”

The old man sighed, hanging his head low as he kept his hand resting upon Avdol’s chest.

“Mr. Joestar, how'd you do that?? Was that a part of your stand? That’s amazing!” Louise was astounded, feeling hopeful for Avdol’s recovery.

“No, it’s a trick a good teacher of mine taught me many years ago. If I was better, maybe he’d open his eyes up and stand up. If only…” Joseph vented, burying his face in his palms and shaking his head.

Louise frowned, placing a hand on the old man’s back as he sighed. Jotaro sprinted his way towards the group, grabbing his knees as he took a second to catch his breath. He coughed, barely wheezing out the words from his lips;

“They’re on their way. The SPW says they’ll be here in a few minutes. They’re sending over aid from their India branch nearby.” Jotaro reported back, gasping for air.

Louise let out a sigh of relief, looking towards Joseph’s way in hopes of the news being somewhat of comfort for the old man. Yet his expressions still stayed the same, his brows were furrowed and the corners of his lips refused to turn up. Joseph placed his hat on top of his head, standing up without so much of a word. Sure, Avdol’s injuries had been somewhat healed, but the man was in a state of perpetual sleep for who knows how long?

Still. Despite the bleak situation, the girl held out hope that Muhammad Avdol would once again open his eyes. He still had a chance. She knew that this can’t be the end for him.

“Don’t tell Polnareff about this.” Joseph said, his eyes giving Louise and Jotaro a hardened gaze.

The old man’s words left both Louise and Jotaro baffled, with the two glancing at each other as they struggled to find the words to articulate their feelings about the matter. This was a bad idea, a cruel thing to do to a man. Louise could feel herself getting riled up all over again.

“Wait wait wait, Mr. Joestar, you can’t be serious! Why not?? Polnareff should have the right to know that Mr. Avdol is still alive!” She grit her teeth, her voice getting louder with every word.

“Yeah what gives, old man? It’s kinda cruel to make him believe he killed his best friend.” Jotaro spoke, unable to stay silent about this potentially terrible decision

“Look you two, it’s very hard to explain but if Polnareff knew that Avdol was hanging on by a sliver of his life… It would weigh harder on him than knowing if he were dead.”

Joseph stood his ground, avoiding the pair’s gazes as their jaws dropped in horror. Louise has had enough of this. She stomped her way towards him, forcing the old man to look at her as she continued to get his attention.

“What?? I’m sorry, but if I were Polnareff I know I’d feel MUCH better knowing that my friend was still alive! I’m sorry Mr. Joestar, but I am not leaving him in the dark like that!” Louise growled.

“So you’d rather be thinking about your friend laying comatose in a bed for possibly the rest of his life? Never knowing when he’ll wake up? Is that the kind of Hell you’d rather be living in?? Do you want Polnareff to suffer that too?!” Joseph scolded her, as tears began to swell in his eyes.

He wiped them away and took a deep breath, keeping himself together as he held Lou’s shoulders.

“Lou, I know you think that telling Polnareff the truth will make things better, but it won’t. If he knew that Avdol is like this, it’ll be all that’s on his mind. It’ll kill him. We need to make sure that Avdol has completely recovered before breaking the news to Polnareff.” Joseph muttered, his tone softer than before.

Louise was at a loss for words, her heart was still indecisive. A part of her still felt this was wrong, yet she knew the old man was right. Polnareff wore his heart on his sleeve, going in guns blazing without any thought of the future. If he knew, he would be even more erratic. Deep down, Louise knew that this was the right choice no matter how dirty it felt.

“Understood?” Joseph gripped her shoulders tighter, grabbing her attention.

Louise had no choice but to nod her head, still uncertain of the outcome. The old man let go of her body and walked away, waiting for the SPW members to arrive.

Her head hung low, the girl gripped her arm and let out a heavy sigh. She turned her head and met Jotaro’s gaze. They stared at each other, saying nothing at all. Neither of them moving an inch, letting the somber moment sink in with only the street’s ambience to fill the silence.

”Polnareff’s gonna be here soon… What am I supposed to tell him now? I’m not a very good liar, but I guess I have to try… For Polnareff’s sake…”

A loud whirring sound hummed closer, snapping Louise out of her trance. The sound of chopper fins got louder and louder, until…

Louise’s head turned up and saw a helicopter descending from above. She covered her face to protect her eyes from the dirt the vehicle kicked up as it landed near the group of three, forcing the waves of crowds to part. As soon as the helicopter’s legs met the ground, a group of people jumped out of the back with a gurney. They wore a pin on their buttoned navy blue shirt, a cap with the words “SPW” embroidered on the fabric placed neatly on their heads.

The men wheeled out the gurney, laying Avdol’s unconscious body as gently as possible. A series of straps were buckled across him, with one man tugging at each one to ensure its security. They gave each other a thumbs up before turning to Joseph.

“Alright sir, we’re gonna take great care of the patient. We’ll keep you up-to-date on his condition.” The man saluted.

“Alright, understood.” Joseph nodded, allowing the men to roll Avdol into the helicopter and take off.

The wind from the blades blew at Louise’s skirt, causing the girl to shriek and pull at the hem to keep some semblance of modesty. Just like that, the chopper flew away and disappeared into the cloudless sky, leaving without a trace. Louise, Jotaro and Joseph were left there waiting for their friends to return.

Louise felt a heaviness in her heart, dreading Polnareff’s arrival. She paced around, tugging at her mother’s charm around her necklace. Her forehead started to sweat as she prayed that the moment would not come too soon, hoping that she was given enough time to prepare. Her silent pleas went unnoticed however as a familiar voice called out towards them.

“Hey! Guys! We’re back!” Polnareff hollered, his arm flailing around as he walked beside Kakyoin.

Her blood ran so cold she froze in place. She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut as she panicked.

“No no no! It can’t be them! Maybe I’m seeing things. They can’t be back just yet, right?!”

Louise rubbed her eyes a few more times, hoping she was right. until their silhouettes came into focus. There was no doubt about it. It was Kakyoin and Polnareff, returning with somber smiles upon their faces and a few injuries to boot. She felt her heart sink as they approached.

“So. Did you guys do it?” Joseph popped the hard question, getting right to the point.

Polnareff nodded, his smile fading into a stoic expression.

“We did. We avenged Avdol’s death and my sister… They can both rest easy now knowing that their killer is now in Hell where he belongs.” Polnareff’s statement tugged at Louise’s heart.

“By the way, where is Avdol?”

Polnareff, filled with concern, scanned the area looking for his friend’s corpse. Louise’s body flinched, feeling her forehead sweat as he kept searching around. His blue eyes narrowed as he noticed her whimpers, her body quivering under his hard gaze.

“Lou, what’s wrong? Did someone steal it while we were gone?” He frowned, placing a hand on her shoulders.

The girl sniffed, feeling the tears well up once again as they fell down her soft cheeks. Polnareff’s eyes widened, bringing Louise into his arms in a warm embrace. The gesture made her heart ache more intensely, likened to a knife twisting into her chest. Although, if given the choice, she would have preferred if she was physically stabbed instead.

“T-They…took Avdol away. The SPW took him away.” She trembled, unable to hide her guilt as she sobbed onto the fabric of Polnareff’s top.

“Oh I see now…” Polnareff’s face soured.

“I suppose it’s only right that he’s given a proper burial. I only wished that I could have given him my last respects…” He gave a somber sigh, before raising his shoulders.

Polnareff patted the girl’s back one last time, pulling away while giving her a tender smile. Louise wiped away her tears, feeling a hard lump in throat that she could barely swallow.

“Hey hey now, no need to cry ok? He’s in a much better place now. We avenged him and now he can rest at ease. If Avdol were here, he wouldn’t want us to dwell on his death. Let’s carry on. We should honor his memory by moving forward and accomplishing our goal of defeating Dio.” He spoke, his eyes burning with determination.

The man let go of Louise, walking past the girl as he quickly strode to the front of the pack. He looked out into the distance. The sun was close to setting, with the sky gradually changing to reflect a warm orange glow.

“We shouldn’t waste anymore time. Come on guys, let’s go kill this bastard and put an end to his evil once and for all.” Polnareff boldly proclaimed.

Jotaro pulled at the brim of his hat, his hand brushing against her shoulder for a brief moment as he gave a silent nod. He trekked ahead, matching the speed of Polnareff’s stride.

The girl straggled behind, her friends walking with no slight hesitation in their steps. She bit her lip, trying to ignore the guilt and shame that was eating away at her. She watched Polnareff confidently walk with new purpose. Being emboldened by a lie, with most of his friends withholding the awful truth.

Louise could already feel her sins crawling down her back.

To Be Continued →

Chapter Text

The group trekked through the streets, the sky getting darker as the sun set across the horizon. Louise felt the desert winds getting colder with each passing moment, goosebumps forming on her skin as her body shivered. She rubbed her arms as a makeshift effort to keep herself warm.

“Mr. Joestar, are we going to stop at a hotel soon? It’s freezing out here.” Louise pointed out.

“It’s ok, Lou. Here, you can take this.” Kakyoin took off his green Gakuran and draped it over her shoulders.

“Thanks Noriaki, but there’s a slight problem…” Louise looked down, gesturing to the hem of his jacket dragging across the dirt road as it started to gather dust in every step. Kakyoin rubbed the back of his neck, giving a nervous chuckle.

“Besides, aren’t you going to be cold too?” The girl noticed his pale skin gather goosebumps as the small, red hairs puckered up from his arms.

“I didn’t realize how much taller I was in comparison. Don’t worry about me, Lou. I’m alright.” Kakyoin gave her a suspiciously wide grin, his body curling up as he failed to hide his shivers.

Louise shook her head, rolling her eyes as she grabbed Kakyoin’s arm. She pulled the boy beside him, draping the other side of his coat around his shoulders. The tall coat hung over her messy curls as the pair bundled inside the fabric. He was about to protest, before being silenced by her finger pressing against his lips. Their shared body heat was enough to ward off the cold for now.

“We’re almost to the hotel guys. The SPW got us an Inn further away from where Avdol passed… They wanted us to be as far away as possible from any potential enemy stand users as possible.” Joseph assured them, the group following his lead.

Louise’s stomach churned, feeling the guilt chew her up once again. The girl wondered how easily Joseph could lie that much. It was already hard enough to twist the truth without a heavy weight hanging over her head, yet he did it without a single thought.

Her gaze trailed over to Polnareff, noticing his expression sour for just a split second. The sight was agonizingly painful to witness, making her debate on whether to finally tell him the truth. She was dragged out of her thoughts when she felt a hand get placed on her shoulder, causing her to flinch.

Her gaze met Jotaro’s eyes as he gave her a knowing look, almost like he could read her mind. Louise sighed, dropping her shoulders as she silently agreed to keep up this cruel facade. The girl avoided looking towards Polnareff’s direction, in fear that seeing him would cause her to reconsider her vow of silence.

She knew it was wrong to tell Polnareff about Avdol’s true condition, yet watching him be distraught by a horrible lie was just as painful as the truth.

“We’re here! Taj Bengal Hotel!” Joseph called out, stopping in front of a swanky set of double doors as he gave a sigh of relief

Louise’s jaw dropped, looking up to see a grand structure that looked like it spanned for miles. Its exterior was angular, with its roofs flat yet pristine. Each room window was exquisitely lined up across its pale walls. Plants decorated the balconies in perfect order, breathing new life and colour. The giant geometric building was a rectangular palace that loomed over the trees and the greenery that surrounded its location. The group spared more than a short glance, unable to look away at its architectural beauty.

When they entered inside, they were greeted by a breathtaking sight. Geometrical pillars made of stone lined the halls with impeccable symmetry. The lobby had a high ceiling, with stained glass windows that revealed the night sky above the hotel. Balconies were lined up with more greenery that complemented its symmetrical form. The floors were a polished marble without a single scuff or flaw on its surface. It was a masterpiece.

She didn’t even notice Kakyoin’s coat slip off her body as she ran across the halls, twirling around in a dramatic flair. For a brief moment, her worries had melted away while she danced in the lobby and looked up into the night sky peeking through the sky lights ahead. Time seemed to be at a standstill, her head was up in the clouds.

“Hey. Lou. Earth to Lou. Vuitton, hey. I’m talking to you” Jotaro tapped her shoulder, calling her name several times before she was finally brought down to reality.

“What? Come on, I was basking in the luxury of this lobby before you so rudely interrupted me.” Louise grumbled, while the delinquent rolled his eyes.

“We haven’t even gotten to our rooms yet, calm down. The old man wants to put you in the Presidential Suite as some kind of penance for what happened.” Jotaro took a lighter from his pocket, opening it with a click and lighting up the end of his cigarette.

“Wait, what about you and Noriaki? Are you getting your own suites too? It seems way too big just for one person…” Louise raised a brow, watching as Jotaro turned a few inches away from her to let out a puff of smoke from his lips.

“I guess with one daughter sick, gramps decided to adopt a new one. Even though his grandson is right here…” Jotaro clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes once again.

Louise couldn’t help but chuckle from his sarcastic quip. There was something about his effort to make a joke while he still had his signature thousand-yard glare that was odd, yet in character for someone like him. Maybe, he didn’t have a big stick up his ass like she had initially thought. Just maybe.

“Hey! You two, come over here! I got your keys waitin’ for you!” Joseph called out from the reception desk, waving around the keys in his hand like a dog toy.

They headed over to the desk, side by side. Louise lingered behind, distracted from the many shiny trinkets from the lobby that caught her eye. Jotaro breathed a heavy sigh, grabbing her wrist and dragging her along to keep her from lagging behind. Louise let out an annoyed grumble, her arm getting tugged away until she had no choice but to follow.

After what felt like an eternity of her making many stops, they finally met up with the rest of the group. Joseph handed each one of their keys, clearing his throat.

“Alright, now that you all have your keys, you all should go ahead and get some sleep. There’s no telling what we could encounter tomorrow. So rest up, all of you.” Joseph was on his way to his room, until a certain girl tugged at the back of his shirt.

“Wait wait! Hold on! Mr. Joestar.” Louise interjected, stopping the old man right in his tracks. “Do you think that Kakyoin and I can hang out for a bit? I haven’t gotten to see him all day, I’d like to talk to him for a bit before I sleep.” The girl stared at him with blue, puppy dog eyes.

Joseph gazed at her with a stern contemplation, while Louise poked her two index fingers as an attempt to convince him to say yes. The last thing she wanted to do was be alone with her thoughts. At the very least she could enjoy a friend’s company to distract her from the weight of the secret that was now placed upon her shoulders.

Eventually after a whole minute of the girl batting her eyelashes, the old man sighed.

“Oh, alright. Just don’t stay up too late, ok you two?” Joseph caved in, his features softening from her cutesy routine.

Louise couldn’t believe it worked. The girl squealed, dancing around as her shoes squeaked against the marble floors. Her terrible dance moves and overall obnoxiousness caught the attention of strangers walking around as they stared at her awkward display, yet the embarrassment of unwanted attention wasn’t enough for her to drop the spring in her step.

“Thank you thank you Mr. Joestar! Don’t worry we won’t. I know we have a long day tomorrow.” She eagerly shook his hand, jerking the old man around while he held onto the desk behind him for dear life.

Louise rubbed the back of her head, muttering an apology as she helped Joseph stand up on his own two feet. She watched him walk away, leaving them to their own devices. The girl squealed once again, urging Kakyoin to follow. She could already feel the tension brush off her shoulders, the thought of being surrounded by a friend made her feel at ease.

As the rest of the group was about to go their own separate ways, Louise stopped and gazed towards Jotaro’s direction. Her thoughts drifted towards him, wondering about his current mental state. She knew that he, too, carried the responsibility of keeping up this cruel lie. She called out his name, trying to get his attention.

“Hey, Jotaro, you wanna join us? Come on! We can all hangout and watch a movie together or something.” She invited him with a smile.

Jotaro was taken aback by her sudden shift in tone. Gone were the growls and the passive-aggressive quips, replaced by a warm sincerity she rarely possessed. He hid his eyes under his cap, walking towards them without a second thought.

“Sure. I guess I have nothing better to do.” Jotaro pulled at the brim of his signature hat, one hand tucked inside the pocket of his leather pants.

With their plan set in motion, the three headed up to the top floor. Louise couldn’t help but blab about every small detail she saw on the way up. Kakyoin couldn’t even get in a single word as she gushed about the gorgeous patterns lining the top of the horizontal wooden beams that bordered the ceiling. It was as if they had stepped into an elaborate painting and she was loving every second of it.

Fortunately, there were no quips to be heard from Jotaro as she kept excessively rambing to no end. The girl found his silence refreshing, being finally free to yap away.

When they arrived, Louise inserted her key inside the lock and turned the door knob. As the door opened, they were all greeted with a breath-taking sight.

The suite gave way to a grand lounge; it was furnished with a white couch, armchair and two white wicker chairs that were all arranged in a rectangle around a wooden table. Just behind the makeshift living room, was a small circular dining table with four chairs placed around them. She stepped onto the black and white checkered floor with stars in her eyes, taking it all in.

“Oh. My. GOODNESS!!!” The girl couldn’t help but shriek, spinning as the hem of her dress swished around from her delirious movements.

“Somebody catch me, I think I’m gonna faint.” Louise pressed a hand against her forehead, her body falling in a dramatic fashion while Kakyoin caught her in his arms.

“It’s nice and all, but where’s the bed and everything else? Is it all just a living room and dining room?” Kakyoin looked around the room as he helped Louise up to her feet.

Jotaro walked past them to a hanging mahogany door on the other side of the room, opening it to take a small peek inside.

“Hey guys, I think I know where it is.”

The delinquent uncovered more of the suite’s hidden wonders, allowing Louise to catch a glimpse of the luxuries that were now laid bare. She squirmed her way out of Kakyoin’s grasp, heading straight into the other room. Her jaw dropped, rubbing her eyes as she was left in complete awe.

Inside was a white room with two chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Two giant windows were framed by white arches above. In the wide space, there were two tables set up parallel to one another.

Louise stumbled, holding onto the wall to stop herself from fainting again.

“This room is gonna be the death of me! I almost wish I'd never stepped foot in this glorious place! I don’t ever wanna leave!” She screamed, her body gradually sliding down the wall until her bum hit the floor.

“How much do you think Mr. Joestar spent on this room?? It’s basically a penthouse.” Kakyoin questioned as he walked into the room with an awestruck look on his face.

“I don’t know, probably too much. I swear our rooms better look half as good as this one or else I’m gonna have to restrict his spending…” Jotaro shook his head, pulling at the edge of his cap.

Louise flopped over onto the couch, grabbing the remote as she turned on the tv screen. She flipped through cable channel after cable channel, looking for something to watch. The options seemed endless, each playing one after the other as Louise kept pressing the right button.

Kakyoin opened a large book filled with channel numbers, skimming through each page to find more.

“Wow, there’s a lot more channels here than the TV I had at home. This place really is fancy.” Kakyoin read the descriptions, even more indecisive than ever.

Louise kept pressing the buttons, grumbling in frustration as she found nothing of interest. It was all just, news, cooking shows and Bollywood movies, all of which were in a language she didn’t quite understand. She was about to switch to another channel, until Jotaro grabbed her hand.

“There.” He didn’t elaborate any further, his turquoise eyes dead set on the screen. Louise raised a brow, looking in the same direction.

“Huh? What’s this? It just looks like a boring military movie like Rambo or Full Metal Jacket.” Louise watched as a woman walked around a dark hallway with a gun in her hand, the scene further enforcing her view.

“Tch, boring? Are you living under a rock or something?” Jotaro scoffed, leaning against the seat cushions before he continued.

“It’s Alien. One of the best movies ever made.”

“EWWW! You mean that movie with the gross thing that has a slimy head in its mouth?? No thanks, I'll pass.” She gagged before flipping to the next channel, her eyes lit up when she saw a familiar scene.

“Guys, guys! I got the PERFECT movie for us to watch!!!” Louise shrieked as she turned up the volume.

“What’s this movie about? It’s just some kid and his grandfather reading him a bedtime story.” Jotaro clicked his tongue.

“Oh hey, I didn’t think they’d have this on TV yet. And it’s just starting too? I’m ok with watching it if you two are.” Kakyoin sat beside Louise, his eyes fixated on the screen.

“YUP!!! It’s settled then! The Princess Bride it is!” Louise proclaimed with a giddiness in her tone.

“Hold on hold on, The Princess Bride? That sounds like a chick flick, I don’t wanna watch that. Alien is way cooler.” He argued, a force suddenly snatching the remote from Louise a few moments later as it landed in his hand.

“W- Hey! Stop using your Star ghost thing to steal! Besides, it’s 2 to 1, the majority ruled, Kujo. I don’t think I'll be able to sleep at night if I saw those aliens eating people or slurping up their juices or whatever they do… Right, Noriaki?” She protested, looking over at Kakyoin for support.

“Well actually, I kinda like the movie too. It’s pretty suspenseful and also makes a nice critique against capitalism and how bosses throw their workers under the bus to do their work.” Kakyoin shrugged, much to the dismay of Louise.

“Hmph, who’s 2 to 1 now?” Jotaro smirked, crossing his arms as he took a seat. The remote floated back onto the table.

“Well, I didn’t say that I would want to watch it over The Princess Bride. I’m ok with either one honestly, I like both of them.” Kakyoin stayed neutral.

The boy’s indecisiveness has struck once again, leaving their lighthearted feud in a temporary stalemate. Jotaro groaned while Louise held out hope, determined than ever to convince him to finally give her movie a shot.

The pair locked eyes, ready to duke it out for the chance to win. Louise smirked, confident that she had all the cards to change the tides of battle in her favour.

“Ok ok Kujo, hear me out. I know that it technically is a romance, but it’s SO much more than that!” She stood up and reached for the remote, flipping back to The Princess Bride.

“See? That’s Wesley, although right now he’s The Dread Pirate Roberts… Look look! He’s about to get into a sword fight with that Spaniard and then he’s gonna take on the giant!” She pointed at the screen, flailing her arm frantically as an attempt to gain Jotaro’s attention.

He tilted his head to look past the girl, prompting her to move out of the way so that he could watch Wesley scale the cliffside. The seconds tick away as Jotaro stays silent, his sullen gaze fixated on the screen.

Despite his initial protests, the delinquent couldn’t look away. If Louise were crazy, she would have sworn he hadn’t blinked. Finally after waiting for an eternity for his response, he sighed.

“Ok fine. I’ll give you 5 minutes, if it doesn’t manage to grab my attention by then, we’ll give Alien a shot? Deal?” Jotaro stuck his hand out, accepting his defeat.

She could feel her heart pound against his chest, the excitement bubbling up inside as she cried out in honour of her victory. The girl flashed her pearly whites, shaking his hand with a lively pace.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Kujo!” She rushed to take a seat, causing the cushions to slightly bounce underneath her weight.

“Wow, that went a lot more peacefully than I thought it would. I’ll be honest, Jotaro, I didn’t think that you’d actually agree to watch it.” Kakyoin lamented as he settled into the soft cushions.

“She made a pretty convincing case for the movie. I thought I’d give her the benefit of the doubt. Besides, it’s got Columbo in it.” Jotaro admitted, leaning back against the couch with his arms crossed.

“Who’s Columbo?” Kakyoin asked, but Jotaro did not reply as his eyes were glued to the screen.

5 minutes had passed, yet still no complaints from Jotaro. The movie got him hooked, causing his hardened glare to soften for just a brief moment during several scenes.

Louise couldn’t help but gush about every single frame of the film, declaring it as peak cinema and occasionally rolling on the couch whenever Wesley was on screen.

The girl kept praising every aspect of it; from the brilliant cinematography to the chemistry between the characters. When Wesley managed to defeat PrinceHumperdink, Louise shrieked as she melted in her seat.

“He’s so dreamy~~ Ugh! I wish he was real!” She swooned.

“I see why you like him so much. He’s pretty cool, he thinks a lot like I do.” Jotaro remarked. As soon those words left his mouth, Louise gagged.

“Great, you ruined him for me. Now whenever I think of kissing him, I taste tobacco on my mouth! Thanks a lot, Jotaro!” Louise wiped her mouth with a napkin, spitting onto the tissue as she started to taste the bitterness of his cigarettes.

“Gross! Now I can really taste him. I’m never seeing Wesley the same way again!”

The girl grabbed a bottle of water that sat on the coffee table, chugging it all down in an attempt to wash it all down. She grabbed a handkerchief from her pocket, rubbing her face against the fabric to scrub the taste from her lips.

“I'm kinda shocked, Lou. I thought that would be your type. A suave rogue with a bad boy streak.” He chuckled, making the girl gasp as she shoved him against the couch.

“YOU TAKE THAT BACK, Noriaki! I am into princely types! Gentlemen who come riding on a white horse to sweep me off my feet like Snow White! NOT Delinquents!” She puffed up her cheeks, pouting as her friend was reduced to cackling fit.

Jotaro covered his face with the brim of his hat, using it as an attempt to avoid the awkward tension starting to build up between them.

“Good grief, Kakyoin… Let’s not drag this out further, I’d rather do something else.” He clicked his tongue, his gaze drifting towards the cards that sat in the center of the coffee table.

Jotaro picked up the box, taking out the full deck and leaving the Joker card inside. Louise watched as the cards fell from palm to palm, before he split the deck in his hands and curved them against the bridge of his fingers. Until finally, he arched the entire deck as they fell into a neat pile. He placed the stack of cards down on the table, throwing out a few as he started to deal for each one of them.

“Umm, Kujo? What’re you doing?” Louise raised an eyebrow as he threw her 5th card towards the pile that was gradually building up.

“We’re playing poker. I’ll be the dealer and you two are gonna be the first to play.” Jotaro explained before reaching into his coat.

“And this… Will be the ante.”

He slammed a clear bottle of alcohol on the table along with two shot glasses. The label was in a foreign language and the pictures didn’t do much to help her identify what it was, she could only guess as to what vile stuff was inside. Louise covered her mouth, gasping at the sight of it.

“Beer?! Jotaro Kujo! Are you insane?! I am NOT gonna drink that, you’re crazy! Where the hell did you even get that?!” She gave him a glare.

“Tch, it’s not beer, it’s Feni. I heard it was a popular spirit here in India. It’s made from Cashew Apples so it ought to have an interesting flavor. I nabbed it on the way up with Star Platinum when we passed by the bar downstairs. Come on, it’s either betting with money or betting with shots. It’s your guys’ pick.” Jotaro laid out their options, barely giving them much of a choice.

Louise felt her stomach turn, sweating bullets as she gazed at the bottle that sat on that table. The only experience she ever had with alcohol was taking a sip of Rosé from her mother’s glass for a taste test, and almost throwing up in the process. Besides, drinking just for a simple party game was stupid. And Louise wasn’t stupid.

“Hmph, no way! I’m not an idiot, Kujo! Unlike you, I have standards and class. I don’t drink and I DEFINITELY don’t steal things randomly either.” She laughed at the idea, crossing her arms as she turned her head up.

“Tch, you don’t need to go on your high horse just because of a drink. I thought adding some stakes would make the game more interesting. But if you can’t handle your liquor then I guess we’ll-” Jotaro's sentence was cut off by the prideful girl’s shrieks.

“Oh please! I can handle my liquor, Kujo! Who says I can’t?! If anything, I bet I could drink you under the table!” She boasted, puffing up her chest like a bird to show off her false sense of confidence.

Louise and Jotaro’s eyes met, the electric sparks of determination were blazing between the pair. Their competitiveness started to brew, before being smothered by Kakyoin as the boy stood up without much care for their rivlary. He simply opened the bottle of spirits, poured out the liquor in a shot glass and held it in his hand.

“Look, I’m not going to agree to play this reckless game, but I do want to give a toast to Avdol. We lost a very beloved companion today. And wherever he is, I just hope he found the peace he brought to all of us.” Kakyoin lifts his glass, proposing a toast.

Louise felt a pit in her stomach, a stone-cold reminder of the secret that she was forced to keep. Her conscience picked at her heart, while Joseph’s voice echoed in her brain. Something about Kakyoin raising his glass in honour of a man who was alive, yet half of the group had to act like he was long gone, made her feel sick. The girl wasn’t sure if it was the smell of alcohol or the guilt, but it was enough to make her physically hurl.

Kakyoin’s words of concern went one ear right out the other, while she fought to keep her nausea at bay. She couldn’t take much more of this, he had to know. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head as she sat up and brushed off Jotaro’s hand on her back.

“AVDOL ISN’T DEAD!” Louise screamed before covering her mouth with her hands.

Kakyoin had nearly dropped his drink, with a few drops spilling out the glass and dropping onto the table. He didn’t realize the mess he had made, completely taken aback as he was only able to utter a single word;

“What?”

Louise’s guilt had spiraled all over again, her queasiness coming back in full force. She could barely look into her best friend’s eyes. The tension between them escalated, leaving behind a gnawing sensation of agony in her chest.

“I don’t know if you should tell him, Lou.” Jotaro chastised her, making things worse.

“Why? T-That’s amazing news! Why would you keep something like that secret?” Kakyoin was knocked out of his daze, fumbling over his words.

Louise winced, lacking the guts to explain this terrible lie away. She wanted to hide, to curl up into a bunny cave somewhere and sink into the ground until it was over. The cat was out of the bag and there was nothing her nor Jotaro could do about it. Her cowardice left Jotaro to take the initiative, breaking the silence.

“Gramps didn’t want us telling Polnareff about it so that he would be able to focus on the mission at hand without being caught up in Avdol’s condition…” Jotaro leaned in closer, his voice barely above a whisper.

“But he didn’t say anything about hiding it from you I guess.”

Louise could hear a pin drop from the silence that had now befallen the room. Her heart was beating right out her ears, causing her body to sweat as she waited. Waited for someone, anyone to say something. Eventually, she got her wish with Kakyoin clearing his throat.

“What’s Avdol’s current condition? Where is he now?” Kakyoin tried to play it cool, hiding his true feelings with a blank expression.

“Last we saw him, he was in a coma. The SPW took him away in a helicopter to one of their facilities nearby.” Jotaro uttered.

The red-headed boy sighed, the corners of his lips twisting into a meager grin. His shoulders relaxed, his back leaning against the soft couch once more. He pressed the brim of the glass against his lips, taking a delicate sip.

“Well, at least he’s okay now. I do understand Mr. Joestar’s logic though. Polnareff would probably endanger himself if all he’s thinking about is Avdol. He would be wracked in so much guilt that it would practically kill him.” Kakyoin nodded.

“You’re not mad?” Louise tested the waters, her blue eyes meeting his gaze.

“Maybe a little, but I know you’re not doing it out of malicious intent. You want to protect him and Avdol, so do I. If keeping this a secret is the way to go, then so be it. You can both rest easy knowing my lips are sealed.” Kakyoin reassured her, giving her a warm smile.

“You’re really something else, Kakyoin. If I found out my friends were lying to me about something this big, I would’ve put a hole in the wall.” Jotaro sighs, his shoulders rolling back as the tension on his body disappears.

“Pfft. A fly could land on your shoulder and you would have still put a hole on the wall.” Louise jested, reducing the trio into chortling fools.

It took at least a whole minute for the laughter to finally subside, giving way to the warmth and fun that had permeated the room a few moments prior. Louise looked up at the ceiling, breathing a sigh before Kakyoin broke the silence once more.

“I still do want to toast though, in Mr. Avdol’s honour at least. As a way for him to make a speedy recovery.” Kakyoin raised his glass once more.

He looked over at Louise and Jotaro, urging them to join in. Jotaro held up a shot in front of Louise as the girl gazed at it with an anxious anticipation. She noticed the murky translucent color of the liquid, its rancid scent almost burning her nostrils. Her friends watched as her shaky arms gradually reached out to take the glass from Jotaro’s hand. Until finally, the small thing was delicately wrapped in between her fingers.

She looked around the room, her friends’ beady eyes not being much help as she felt the pressure placed upon her. Despite the idea still making her stomach tied up in knots, she swallowed the lump in her throat and surrendered.

“Ok fine… Just this one drink. For Avdol.” She raised her glass, causing the two boys to give out a hearty cheer.

“For Avdol!” The two boys cried in unison, with all three of them clinking their glasses in a toast.

Louise closed her eyes, downing the shot in one go. The liquid burned her throat, causing the girl to wheeze as she reached for a bottle of water.

“BLEGH!!! That tastes like paint thinner! If it wasn’t for Avdol, I would have never drank any of this. This awful stuff!” She coughed.

“It is a little hard going down… What percent of alcohol is this, Jotaro??” Kakyoin asked.

Jotaro smiled as he guzzled down another shot with no complaints, showing off his high tolerance in front of the two inexperienced drinkers.

“Who knows? You don’t drink it ‘cause it tastes good. You drink it because of how it makes you feel.” He shrugged, before pouring their shot glasses to the brim once again.

Jotaro grabbed the deck of playing cards once again, dealing himself a pile of five cards and held it up in his hands. He urged them to pick up their hand, roping them into his scheme. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

“Since you two are lightweights, I thought it’d be fun if I would get in on the action. I’m a pretty good poker player myself, so you two better be prepared to handle your shots tonight.” He gloated, moving over to the armchair as he made himself comfortable.

There was something about Jotaro’s smug confidence, the way he placed his ankle over his lap and leaned his back against that chair, that lit a fire within Louise she couldn’t ignore. The girl wanted to wipe that smirk off his stupid face, to back up her own hype. She wanted to out-do him in a way that would finally make him shut his stupid mouth.

With a new sense of determination fueled by alcohol, Louise stepped up to the challenge. She slammed her hand against the table, causing it to shake as she grabbed her cards.

“Yeah right! Just you watch, Jotaro! In just a few rounds, you’re gonna be passed out on the bathroom floor!” Louise cackled, arranging her cards as a neat, little fan.

She looked at her arrangement; 2 Ten of Hearts, Five of Spades, Three of Clubs, Two of Clubs, and an Ace of Hearts. The girl had only a vague sense of the rules, her only experience being observations of her father’s poker matches, but that wasn’t going to stop her from beating Jotaro Kujo at his own game.

“Lou, are you sure about this?? I mean you were close to throwing up when you drank a single shot earlier. Do you even know how to play poker??” Kakyoin asked, still unsure whether to play this risky game.

“Of course I do! It isn’t just about pure luck after all.” She brushed away his concerns, slamming her shot glass in the pot.

“How about it, Kujo?? Are you gonna match my ante?” She placed a hand on her hip, looking him dead in the eye as she gave him a cocky grin.

Jotaro placed his shot glass in the middle, matching her false bravado as his gaze trailed over towards Kakyoin. The red-head let out a breath of exasperation, giving into the pressure as he pushed his glass to the same spot as well. Louise cheered, her enthusiasm quickly twisting into a serious demeanor. A way to prepare her poker face for what’s to come.

“Alright, so the deck will be in the center of the table. The discard pile is right next to the deck. Loser has to drink all the shots that we bet as ante, got it? So worst hand drinks’em all. Understand?” Jotaro explained the stakes and additional rules, before the match had officially started.

The game was on. Louise held her cards close, peering at her hand as she felt the corners twitch into a slight grimace for a brief moment. Before reminding herself to keep her expression neutral. The girl could already feel her heart jumping out her throat, her gaze switching between her hand and the group of intimidating shot glasses on the table. She took a deep breath as her palms were sweating, trying her best to stay focused.

“Ok, so I have three hearts cards. Two of which are a pair… So naturally I guess it’d make sense to get rid of these three….”

She took out the Five of Spades, Three of Clubs and Two of Clubs, discarding them into a messy pile. The girl could feel her two opponents eyeing her like vultures as she took three cards off the top of the deck. Louise was only barely able to control her shaking as she replaced the missing cards in her hand, expecting her terrible luck to resurface until suddenly…

“NO WAY!!! 2 Queen of Hearts and a Nine of Hearts?! No way! This is called a Flush, right?! OH MY GOD! AHHHHHHH!!!!”

Louise had struck gold. The girl felt her heart skip, ready to jump up with delight before clearing her throat. A half-hearted attempt to regain a regal and calm composure. The two boys raised their brows, staring into her soul while she was sweating bullets. She groaned to herself, chastising her inability to lie under the pressure.

Regardless of her quiet disposition, her wide-eyed expression made it clear. Her face was a billboard, flashing with bright lights as it screamed for attention. But the girl did not want attention. Not when her friends had most likely figured her out under the scrutinizing glares. She was truly a goner.

Louise held her breath, her body tensing up as she snuck a glance at her opponents. Her eyes followed their hands closely as they discarded their cards, drawing new ones in their place. Eventually, the time had come to place their hands down. The girl was already preparing herself for her crushing defeat until;

“I WON!!! YES!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!” She rejoiced.

“Damn, my hand was pure trash. Guess that means I have to drink up three shots. Oh well.” Jotaro lamented half-heartedly, taking the first batch of shots.

“You know Jotaro, despite being a self proclaimed poker pro, you got a pretty bad hand…” Kakyoin narrowed his eyes.

“Well what can I say, I guess lady luck just wasn’t on my side this time.” Jotaro shrugged, surprisingly taking his first defeat in stride.

“Right. That’s why you discarded every card in your hand and got a whole new one…” Kakyoin raised another eyebrow, not buying his bluff.

“Who cares?! I wanna play another round! You ready to eat your words, Kujo?” Louise scoffed, gearing up for more.

Jotaro chugged his three shots down, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. The delinquent shuffled the discarded pile back into the deck. He started over as the cards flew back into a neat little pile in his large palms, setting the deck in the middle for the next round.

“Alright, if that’s what you want…” Jotaro pulled out a notepad from his pocket, making three tally marks along the lines and haphazardly throwing it onto the table.

“Since you feel so lucky, Lou. How about upping the ante some more? I’ll bet another shot. You guys ready to meet my bet?”

Logic dictates that something about this was a disaster waiting to happen, that Jotaro was dangling a carrot on a stick in hopes of luring her into his trap. But another part of Louise screamed at her to play, begging her to risk it all just for a chance to get that carrot.

“Are you crazy, Jotaro?? It’s like you want your liver to keel over and die tonight! That’s utterly irresponsible.” Kakyoin scolded him.

His concerns fell on deaf ears, the possibility of her getting drunker than she had ever been before wasn’t enough to dissuade the pride of the teenage girl.

“I’ll do it, Kujo! Add my shot to the pot as well!” Louise caved into her impulses for a second time.

Kakyoin shook his head, before he reluctantly added to the wager with another shot. Louise grabbed her pile of cards, throwing out the ones she saw fit. Her first lucky win got her hooked, drawing her further into the game. The girl had no doubts she would become the victor, until Jotaro revealed his Poker hand;

An Ace, A King, A Queen, A Jack, and a 10. All belonging to the Suit of Diamonds.

“What the- NO WAY!!! A Royal Flush?! How is that even possible??” Louise growled, smacking her cards against the table in a fit of rage.

“I told you it was a bad idea Lou… Now you have to drink 6 shots….” Kakyoin pinched the bridge of his nose.

The girl clenched her jaw, her gaze switching between his cards to her cards to make sure she was seeing it right. How could this be? Did he switch up the cards somehow? There was no way he was able to get a perfect set on the second round. She must have been seeing things. So she checked…

And checked…

And checked again…

She checked until she could check no more. Yet sure enough, it was the same 5 cards with the same suit of Diamonds, and the same bitter end.

“N-no this can’t be happening! You cheated! You had to, y-you used your star thingy to mess with the cards!!” Louise grasped at straws, still in denial.

“I didn’t see him take out his stand, Lou. I'm sorry, it looks legit.” Kakyoin confirmed her deepest fears, dashing her hopes of another easy win.

Louise could her stomach sink as Jotaro placed the bottle down in front of her, opening the cap and tipping it close to the brim of her glass. She didn’t fail to notice the smile that gradually widened on his stupid face while he was pouring her first shot. That bastard.

The girl had barely blinked as she watched the glass fill up in no time at all. The boy did not hesitate to raise the glass closer towards her, pushing it a few inches away from her lips.

“Well then, ready to drink me under the table, Vuitton?” Jotaro taunted.

She felt her blood boil as she met his cocky gaze. Despite his subdued expressions, it was clear.

The bastard was enjoying this.

He enjoyed it to the point that he started to sway the glass around, further adding to the devastating humiliation. Louise gritted her teeth as she snatched the glass from his hand.

The girl gave Jotaro the hardest glare she could muster, setting aside her fears to salvage what was left of her bruised ego. She pinched her nose and slammed the foul drink down her throat, leaving behind a fiery sensation as she started to cough. She pushed through each shot, until only one was left.

Her last shot hit her like a truck, rocking her skull once it slid down to her gut. The room started to feel like jell-o, the walls constantly wobbling around while her head spun. She struggled to stand up, rocking backwards and regaining her balance with her flailing arms.

The girl huffed, taking a few steps before her body, stumbled forwards and landed on the table. Louise fingers clawed onto the edge, smacking her hand against the surface;

“I’m okay! Alright! *hic* Next round I’m gonna get you back, Kujo… *hic*” She drunkenly called out.

She saw Kakyoin bury his face in his palms out of the corner of her eye. Despite Jotaro’s strong resolve, Louise’s stubborn tenacity refused to wane. Her drunken state won’t be enough to deter her from beating Jotaro motherfucking Kujo.

Another round came and went. The cards were dealt and rearranged again. Jotaro called, Louise followed his lead, and Kakyoin folded. All the while he watched the two butting heads, fighting for dominance.

Unfortunately, Louise remained defeated yet again. She slammed her head against the table, growling while Jotaro poured her 5 shots back to back. Even after two devastating losses, Louise fought through her growing headache and cried out;

“One more… *hic*”

The next round ended up in the girl’s favour, with Kakyoin having to drink 3 shots after his loss. Much to her relief. She caught another lucky break in the round after that, Jotaro being declared the loser and having to drink a total of 6 shots. The girl danced around the room, revelling at her 2nd win.

Possibly as a result of her impaired judgment fueled by her coerced alcoholism, she began to escalate things further. Louise pounded on the table again, taking her 5 cards.

“A-alright, I’m gonna *hic* draw! Wait, shit. What is it called again? Whatever. *hic* I’m gonna take more cards.”

The girl was riding high, throwing caution to the wind as she kept making riskier plays. Luck was on her side however as she scored a 3rd win against Jotaro, urging him to take 7 more shots while she cackled. It took a colossal headache and the willpower of a God to avoid throwing up, but she had finally done it.

She had gotten her sweet, sweet REVENGE!

“Hold up, we’re playing. One More. Round.” Jotaro belched, shaking his head as he shuffled the deck.

The delinquent kept the game going, holding his liquor despite being on the verge of collapse. Louise snatched a bottle of water, squeezing it hard as it spilled all over her clothes.

“I-I can’t do this anymore, guys. I have to-” Kakyoin was unable to finish his sentence as he covered his mouth and booked it to the toilet.

Louise’s mind was already slipping away to the point that she could barely make out Jotaro’s muffled words. Her eyes glazing over while she stared at him with a dumbfounded look on her face. It was like her head was getting dunked in a bucket full of water.

“Huh?! What??? I can’t hear you, I’m being *hic* waterboarded!” She yelled, putting a hand over her ear

She brushed off her waterlogged brain and threw her cards on the table. Her beer goggles distorted the symbols on the cards to the point they were incomprehensible, except for the colors. All of them were red. She didn’t even bother looking at Jotaro’s cards.

In celebration, she poured a shot and raised her arms up into the air.

“YEAH! I AM THE *hic* BEST AT POKERRRRRR!” She giggled, swaying around the room like a Hula dancer.

The girl was living in a kaleidoscope, her eyes watching the pretty colours spin as she twirled around. She was reduced to a giggling mess, feeling her body rocking around like a little horsie. Time had melted away alongside her physical senses.

“In your face, Jotaro Kujo! *hic*” She boasted, thrusting her hips up in the air as she did another victory dance.

She could see the walls dissolving into a puddle of goop. Just goop. Goop was everywhere. The tables and chairs were goop. The living room was goop. Even the cards have become goop.

Only one thing was goopless however. Jotaro Kujo. Him and his stupid black hat…His stupid chain he stuck onto his stupid Gakuran…His stupid belts…

His stupid, stupid face…

Louise hated how stupid he made her, despite him being so stupid too. He was so pretty it was stupid.

She sighed, admiring his stupidly pretty eyes as she drowned deeper into the endless turquoise blues. Their colour reminded her of the vast, blue seas.

“Your eyes are so stupid…so stupid and pretty. Pretty, stupid…eyes.” The girl muttered.

It was the last thing she remembered saying before passing out, falling into complete blackness.

To Be Continued →

Chapter Text

A spike of pain shot across Louise’s skull as she was slowly waking up from her unpleasant slumber. She could feel the nausea coming back while her stomach turned.

“Ugh…I’m gonna throw up. What the hell happened last night?”

Her eyes fluttered open, squinting from the intense stream of light that beamed from the window as she raised her hand to cover them. She felt like she was melting into a puddle. All she wanted to do was lay on the floor forever. Or at the very least, until her head stopped pounding.

Last night’s events came crashing down as she came face to face with Jotaro Kujo. He was slumped next to her on the floor with both of their bodies leaning against the couch. His hatless head exposed his black curls. His jacket was also missing, leaving him in only his green tank top. The delinquent’s eyes met her wide-eyed gaze, the pair staring at one another with the tips of their noses barely touching.

“Huh? Kujo? What the hell?... His eyes, they’re so…WAIT A MINUTE!!!!” Louise thought to herself before she frantically pulled back, her face flushed from the encounter.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE KUJ- AGH-” She screamed as she felt the intense headache coming back.

“SHUT UP! My head’s killing me…” He growled, clutching the back of his head.

“W-why were you sleeping next to me, Kujo?? Don’t you know anything about personal space?? Why are we on the floor???”

The girl’s face reddened, her brain fried from both the alcohol and the situation she had found herself in. She wanted to curl up into a ball and roll away, pretending none of it had happened. How could she be so stupid? How could she have let herself be so reckless?

“I said stop yelling already! I tried to carry you somewhere comfortable for you to sleep, but your dead weight made it nearly impossible… I was gonna leave you on your bed then crash on the couch but it’s obvious I didn’t make it that far…. You weighed a ton.” Jotaro remarked back with a defensive tone.

Louise puffed her cheeks and thwacked him on the arm. She folded her arms as she huffed.

“Hey! You shouldn’t talk about a lady’s weight, Kujo! Besides, maybe I wouldn’t have been dead weight if a certain somebody didn’t suggest we all get blackout drunk…” She glared at him, pushing the blame onto him as a feeble attempt to take back her wounded pride.

“Good grief, I get it. No need to haul my ass further… Speaking of ‘we,’ where in the world is Kakyoin?” Jotaro looked around to find the boy in question.

Right on cue, the redheaded boy came out of the bedroom, stretching while wearing his purple striped pajamas. He yawned as he casually walked by the two idiots who were waking up groggy on the floor. He waved at them, nonchalant about last night’s events as he gave them a pleasant smile.

“Hey you two. That bed was really comfortable. You would’ve really liked it Lou. I never slept on silk sheets before. I’m totally gonna save up for some when I get back to Japan.”

Louise was mortified. Her opportunity to sleep on that luxurious california king size bed all by herself was squandered. Instead of getting the chance to indulge in luxury, she fell asleep on the hard floor next to Jotaro fucking Kujo on the couch. No words could describe the pure anguish and betrayal that twisted deep inside her chest.

Such cruelty would not go unnoticed. The girl stood up on her wobbly legs, hurling a throw pillow at the traitor known as, Noriaki Kakyoin while he walked past without even a hint of remorse.

“How could you, Noriaki?? I thought we were friends! Now I’ll never get the chance to experience a glorious bed like that again!” She whined, unable to recover from her dear friend’s act of sabotage.

The girl raved and muttered to herself about his treachery. Until she felt..It.

The familiar sensation of nausea that had reared its ugly head as her stomach churned.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t hold it back. The bile was already traveling up her upset stomach and up her throat, forcing Louise to cover her mouth.

With no time to lose, the girl made a mad dash for the toilet. Louise shoved Kakyoin the traitor out of her way before he had a chance to claim her spot. As she was about to slam the bathroom door close, she could hear that backstabber laugh.

“It’s not my fault that I chose to play smart. You guys do know that folding was an option, right?” Kakyoin called out.

Louise brushed his quips aside, curling over the toilet and spilled her guts out into the bowl. She held her own hair back, spilling out every reminder of last night’s decisions down the drain. The girl made a silent vow to herself that she would never ever drink again. She coughed, feeling the burning sensation on her throat as she retched.

She groaned, sitting on the floor as she took a second to ponder about earlier events.

Her thoughts drifted towards the first time she opened her eyes, waking up next to Jotaro and meeting him face to face. Despite the moment happening for just a brief moment, her head playing it back like a cassette. The strangest part of it all was the sense of serenity she felt in his presence. Almost at peace as she gazed into his ocean eyes.

The girl’s heart stopped, her body gradually heating up at the short-lived memory that threatened to persist in the recesses of her mind. Her face turned a bright shade of pink, remembering his bare shoulders, the wide frame giving way to his well-built arms.

Dare she say, he even looked cute with his messy and untamed hair flowing out of his scalp. She didn’t notice it before, but even the long curl that stuck out the side of his face that bounced with every movement was also quite charming.

Her eyes widened, before shaking her head

“OH no, No, NO, NOO! Me and Kujo?? GROSS!!! Kissing a frog would probably be better than tasting his cigarette breath! At least if I kissed a frog there’s a chance he’d turn into a prince…It’s probably the Feni talking. Yeah, that’s it. Come on, pull yourself together, Lou.”

The girl stood up near the sink to open the faucet, letting the cool water splash against her face. Louise wiped her face with a nearby towel before screaming as she looked at herself in the mirror. The sight was a complete catastrophe.

Huge eyebags hung down her eyes, her pink lipstick had smudged, her mascara was all over the place and her once perfect curls had become a mop of yellow strands.

She doused herself again and again, yet it did little to make her look any less tragic. The water drenching the bodice of her dress with every failed attempt.

“I can’t go out like this! Fuck! Where’s my makeup remover??”

Louise scrambled through her travel bag on the sink’s countertop, before realizing that she had left it inside her purse. Which was currently in the living room, where her friends were…

“I look like a clown, the guys are going to make fun of me if they see me looking like this. Great, today’s even more of a disaster than it already was.”

She leaned against the bathroom door and slid down to the ground. She pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in them. The voices of her classmates taunting her echoed in her mind. Their shrill laughs, their legs kicking dirt towards her way, everything coming back from just one look in the mirror. She snapped out of her terrible memories when she heard a knock at the door.

“Louuuu. Come on. Hurry up, I need to use the restroom too.” Kakyoin called out, his knocks getting more frantic.

“Wait! You guys have your own rooms! Just give me a sec!” Louise screamed, scrambling to wipe away her ruined makeup with toilet paper.

Her eyeliner smudged against it, making matters worse the harder she tried. The girl frantically rubbed under her eyes. Despite her desperate efforts, she looked more akin to a raccoon than anything considered presentable. With every frantic attempt, her spirits were getting crushed until the toilet paper crumbled, and fell down the drain.

It was over.

Louise’s shoulders dropped and her body curled into a ball as she sobbed into her palms. She jolted when she heard more pounding knocks coming from the door behind her.

“Lou? Hello? It’s an emergency! I can't hold it until I get to my room!” Kakyoin begged.

The girl stood up with her head hanging low, opening the door with a defeated posture. She knew Kakyoin was her friend, but she could not shake the nagging sense that he, too, would ridicule her for her hideous appearance. The girl braced herself.

“Lou, is everything alright? You look like you were crying.” Yet the taunts never came, only Kakyoin prodding her for an answer.

She stayed silent, on the verge of tears and avoiding his gaze. Her vision became blurry, feeling her eyes water until she was reduced to a sobbing mess. The girl quickly covered her face, plopping down the couch as she curled into a ball.

“Oh I look terrible… No one’s ever seen me like this before. Not since my first year of highschool! The other students kept making fun of me for the rest of that year…calling me names like ‘pig-nosed girl’ or ‘‘fat bitch’...” Louise laments, her voice being muffled by her palms.

“I didn’t want you guys to see I was ugly. I know you think I’m stupid for caring so much…But no one likes me when I’m not pretty… I was just scared you guys wouldn't either….”

The girl wallowed in self-pity, ashamed of herself for being so melodramatic in front of her friends. Louise could already see their reactions coming. She expected them to roll their eyes and to brush her feelings aside as an exaggerated breakdown, calling her a dumb diva for such a trivial thing like many others.

Yet neither Kakyoin nor Jotaro spoke a single word, letting her weep silently.

A warm, comforting hand rested on her back, causing Louise to look up and meet Kakyoin’s tender gaze.

“Come on, don’t say that about yourself, Lou. It’s not stupid, the only thing that’s stupid is people talking about you like that. If you really need to use the bathroom to freshen up, you can go ahead. I’ll run to my room, alright?” Kakyoin reassured her.

Before Louise could argue, her makeup bag plopped down beside her without any warning. She flinched back as it randomly dropped on the couch, causing her to meet Jotaro Kujo’s eyes from across the room. The delinquent sat at the dining table, drinking some coffee.

“Here. We don't care what you look like. But if wearing this crap makes you feel better, I won’t get in your way. Even I’m above something as shallow as attacking a girl’s appearance. Just remember, you’ll always be the same primadonna brat to me, no matter what.” Jotaro huffed, taking another sip from his coffee cup.

The girl sniffed, wiping away her tears as she nodded. Her hands dug through the bag, finding her makeup wipes inside.

“Y-You don’t need to run to your room now, Noriaki. I’m okay with using the kitchen sink. Just go.” Louise smiled, her heart skipping a beat.

Jotaro chugged down the rest of his coffee without a word. If she didn’t know any better, she swore that she saw the corners of his mouth twitch. The girl rubbed her eyes, sneaking a second glance towards his direction. Only to find him with the same thousand yard glare on his face.

Oh well. It was just her imagination.

She watched Kakyoin race towards the bathroom and close the door behind him, leaving both her and Jotaro to sit in a comfortable silence.

Louise’s anxieties were wiped away along with her smeared makeup. She got a much needed cleanse after a rough morning. She powdered her cheeks, gaining her confidence back as she covered up her blemishes.

The day started off on a terrible note, but with the help of her friends her spirits were raised once again. The girl batted her eyelashes at the mirror in her palm, ready to take on the world. She knew with both Kakyoin and Jotaro on her side, that she could do anything. Even ride through her hangover!

In the lobby

Or maybe, she spoke too soon. Louise spewed last night’s mistakes all over the ground, right in front of Joseph as the old man slammed his fist against the receptionist desk.

“ARE YOU THREE INSANE???” Joseph scolded the teens while a worker cleaned up Louise’s vomit off the lobby floor.

Louise was slumped over on a lounge chair, while Jotaro and Kakyoin hung their heads low as they were continuously chastised by the old man. Louise wasn't used to doing irresponsible things like this. What made the whole humiliating situation worse, was Polnareff puffing his cheeks behind Joseph, trying his hardest to stay serious amidst their misfortune.

Despite his best efforts, the Frenchman ended up bursting into a laughing fit and his cackles embarrassed each and every one of them further.

“Polnareff, you cut that out!...” Joseph called out as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I’m very disappointed in you, Lou. I would've never expected you to do something so stupid… This could delay our travel by another day, depending on how long it takes for you to recover…” Joseph’s harsh words made Louise shrink in her seat.

The shame was enough to bring her to the verge of tears all over again, until a certain someone had come to her aid.

“Good grief old man, quit hounding her already. If I didn't pressure her into taking shots, none of this would've happened. So cut her a bit of slack, alright?” Jotaro asserted, his support was enough to make the situation a little bearable.

However his aid didn’t help with the nausea that was quickly building up in her stomach, the strong incense and cleaning products that filled the room were burning the hairs off her nose. Oh God. Louise could feel herself about to puke.

She covered her nose and mouth with her hand, raising the other to get Joseph's attention.

“Mr. Joestar… Can I be excused please? I need to get some fresh air before I-” Louise suddenly gagged, making Joseph panic.

“Just go, Lou! Just go!” The old man scrambled to push her out the doors, while she struggled to keep the bile at bay

Finally, Louise saw a nearby bush and ran towards it, spewing out onto the dirt. A hand grabbed her blond locks behind her, prompting her to recoil from the figure behind her and scream. Until she heard a deep voice she was well acquainted with.

“Good grief, calm down, It’s me. The old man asked me to keep an eye on you, in case you got ambushed.” Jotaro sighed, his grip on her hair was gentle despite his aloof demeanor.

She breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders dropped as she let her guard down once again. The girl coughed up in the bushes without any worries, Jotaro’s shadow looming over her being a source of comfort during these trying times.

“Here. I picked this up on the way. It’s Alka-seltzer. It tastes like shit, but should make the hangover more tolerable.” The boy tapped a bottle against her head.

The liquid inside was clear, with little bubbles floating up to the surface. It made a slight sizzling sound as Louise twisted the cap, before guzzling the drink down her throat. She stuck out her tongue, wincing from the slightly bitter after-taste. Even so, it was enough to satiate her quesiness and the pounding headache to cease.

“Thanks.” Louise muttered while she stood up, her legs wobbling before her body was caught in Jotaro’s arms.

The girl wanted to slap herself for being so stupid, needing help from Jotaro Kujo of all people to even walk straight. If someone told her that he would be the one holding her hair back during a hangover, she would have laughed at their face. Yet here she was, being helped by him of all people.

“This is so humiliating… I’d rather be attacked by an enemy stand user…” She thought to herself as she stood up, but was caught off guard when she felt him hold her arms to keep her stable.

“I can walk by myself you know...” She grumbled, brushing him off while she stood on her shaky legs.

“Tch, alright. Just don’t go crying to the old man when you crack your head open.” Jotaro snapped back.

Louise didn’t respond, folding her arms as she leaned against the hotel’s exterior. She looked off to the side, rolling her eyes as she moved to avoid Jotaro. The delinquent stood there without moving an inch, leering over her like a painting from the Louvre.

Even ignoring his presence wasn’t enough to stop the feeling of his gaze burning into her back. She went for a light stroll along the hotel’s front yard, hoping it’ll lessen the growing discomfort between them. Unfortunately for her, she had an unwanted guest tagging along.

A vein throbbed in her forehead as she heard his steps halt every time she stopped, resuming when started to move again. She was at her wits end, her fists clenched at her sides as her temper flared up.

“For fuck’s sake, is he just gonna be following like me a guard dog? Ugh! He’s so annoying!”

Louse puffed her cheeks turned around, locking eyes with Jotaro as she matched his intense glare.

“Okay, why do you keep doing that? It’s kinda creepy when you’re skulking behind me without saying anything, y’know?!” Louise put a hand on her hip, leading the delinquent to let out a sigh.

“You can’t see stands, remember? So if you wanna wander aimlessly in a foreign country while deadly assassins come after us, be my guest. Also, I forgot to tell you that the old man wanted us to look for some breakfast places around here. He said the food at the hotel was too overpriced so he’ll meet us in the market with the others in a bit.” Jotaro pulled down the brim of his hat, completely unbothered.

The girl had no choice but to keep trudging along with her arch nemesis as her companion. She clicked her tongue, turning her back towards him and moving along.

Although she’d rather be alone, he had a point. There was no reason why she should be going anywhere by herself, especially knowing there were more enemies coming after them. He wasn’t exactly bad company either whenever he shut his damn mouth for a while.

“Hmph. Alright, fine. You can follow me, I guess. But I’m not gonna like it!”

She assured herself, her pride was too great to admit that he won this round. The pair strolled across the street, coming across a bustling bazaar. The place was packed to the brim with people of all backgrounds. Each one had somewhere to be as they moved along the crowds with haste.

Louise had lived in Japan since she was a little girl, but to say that Tokyo was less busy and chaotic than Calcutta would be an understatement. Regardless of how many days they’ve been in India, she still hadn’t gotten used to the crowds and kept bumping shoulders with whoever was passing along.

“If younger me could see how crazy it is here, she’d shut up about Tokyo being so busy. I can’t even see my legs anymore. Wait, shit! Is Jotaro still behind me??”

Her heart stopped, her forehead starting to sweat as she came to the realization that she might be all alone. Louise turned her head in every direction, her breaths becoming heavier as she frantically searched for the delinquent.

How could she have lost a literal 195 cm, bulky pain in the ass? He wasn’t supposed to be that hard to miss, right?! If so, how did she lose him?

“This is bad! Fuck! I should have really stayed close to him. Great, if I get attacked by a stand here, I’m toast! This is what I get for being so stubborn. Lou, you idio-”

Louise snapped out her thoughts, the back of her head being flicked by something behind her. She rubbed her head, glaring at the perpetrator only to find herself face to face with Jotaro Kujo once again. They really needed to stop meeting each other like this.

“Stop going off by yourself. You’re just as bad as Polnareff, we might have to put a leash on you two. Good grief.” The boy grabbed her forearm, dragging her across the crowds to a spot with less traffic.

Like getting to dip into a nice, cold pool after a hot day, his presence was a relief. Despite her reservations towards him, she couldn’t help but feel relaxed once more as they traverse the busy market together. In spite of the pair being jostled around with every step, being able to walk with a friend side by side was enough to make it somewhat bearable.

Jotaro raised up his wrist, clicking his tongue as he checked the time from his TAG Heuer watch. The band was made of steel, its center segmented with two thinner bands in an alternating pattern. Its rim and facing were white, with three black clock hands. Two of which, being a Breguet type. The feature that Louise admired the most was the triangle accents on the watch’s face, which matched the patterns on his outlandish belts.

She didn’t see him as the type to be lugging around an expensive watch across the Middle East, but here he was with a swanky accessory in his wrist like it was just another ordinary bracelet.

“How long has he had that on? During the whole trip? Geez, it’s a wonder he hasn’t been robbed yet. I didn’t know he cared enough about his appearance to wear something so particular and fancy…”

It was strange to see him as anything close to respectable, especially since he wore his Gakuran around like it was his second skin, but he seemed to have good taste. Maybe if he switched around his delinquent garb every so often with different coats, she might consider him fashionable. Then again, the way he wore it definitely made him stand out.

Louise held that thought and pushed it away into the recesses of her mind as she caught herself staring. Was she really out here admiring his stupid clothes? How ridiculous! She scoffed at the notion, rolling her blue eyes.

Well-Dressed and Jotaro Kujo didn’t belong in the same category. He wore his school uniform to bed, not even bothering to change while smelling like a pound of cigarettes and cologne. Nothing about it screamed elegance.

She gagged, pinching her nose and took a step away from him before his smoke-breath had a chance to burn her nostrils. He didn’t seem to notice, however, too busy looking around for a place to eat.

“Great, it's almost 10 am. Every place seems to be packed to the brim. We might have to wait until Varanasi if we want any luck in finding a decent meal without being rushed.” Jotaro grumbled, clutching his stomach as he started to walk back to the same direction they were prior.

“Let’s just go back to the hotel or find a payphone. We can tell the others that we weren’t able to find anything.”

Louise felt her mood sour, her stomach bellowed in protest. The heat didn’t help matters as her throat started to dry up. They endured the sweltering crowds for nothing.

“How the hell are we gonna find a payphone or the hotel?! We can’t even retrace our steps with this many people in the way! Every path looks the same!” She crossed her arms.

"I don't want to sound like a nut, but my family's got this connection. Despite how much the old man annoys me, we can 'sense' each other when we're nearby. I don't wanna get into the specifics, just trust me." Jotaro trailed off, dragging her by the wrist without going into further detail.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, do you really expect me to trust your vague supernatural nonsense?? If we get lost because of your so-called sixth sense, Kujo. I will scream.”

Just as she was about to revolt, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw someone in the corner of her eye. Someone familiar. In spite of Jotaro pulling at her arm, she stood her ground while she stared at this familiar stranger. He had that stupid cowboy hat that stuck out like a sore thumb even from a mile away.

A lump formed at her throat, unable to look away from the stranger passing by. She narrowed her eyes, leaning forward to take a closer look. The tourist glanced to the side, showing his face just for a split second before going on his merry way.

It was just for a brief moment, but the girl could recognize that skeevy look and the goofy slacks hanging at the sides of his hat, anywhere.

Hol Horse was walking free without a care in the world.

His laid-back poise indicated he didn’t notice them pass him by, going off on his little shopping spree. Louise’s blood boiled, his ugly face being a reminder of Avdol’s desperate plight. Her friend was close to death’s door, while this bastard had the audacity to be strolling around casually. For Hol Horse, getting rid of Avdol was just another Tuesday.

She snatched her arm away from Jotaro’s grip, pointing towards the heartless dunce in the crowd. His complaints were quickly silenced, the boy directing his attention to where she was pointing.

“Look! It’s Hol Horse, that ugly cowboy hat is totally his!” Her screams caused Hol Horse to jump out of his skin, his head gradually turning behind his face towards her direction.

His eyes met Louise’s, a drop of sweat trickling down his forehead. Before Jotaro could reason with her, Louise was already pushing her way across the dense streets. Her figure squeezed through the sea of bodies, while Hol Horse fumbled towards a narrow alleyway.

The wannabe cowboy’s boots slid across the dirt roads as he tried to escape, another person was following behind him as their veil flapped in the breeze. The girl tried to maneuver across the dingy paths as fast as her legs could go, before her body collided against the concrete wall with a hard thud.

“OW! Fuck! That was not a soft landing. Please don’t tell me I broke my arm…”

She moved her right arm around, breathing a sigh of relief as the sharp pain subsided. She lived to see another day. She continued on with her high-speed chase, while the girl ignored Jotaro’s cries of her name, pursuing Hol Horse through the winding halls of Calcutta’s alleys.

Left. Right. Right. Left. Straight.

Louise was getting dizzy from the amount of turns she was making, yet her resolve did not waver. She was going to teach that coward a lesson one way or another.

Right. Left. Straight. Left. Right…

Her chest tightened up as her vision began to blur. Still, the girl refused to stop for even a second, even as her form leaned against the wall for support. She clawed her way out towards a beam of light peering from the left path. The girl gritted her teeth, dragging her body towards the end of the city’s endless maze.

She pushed on and on, until she stopped at the end of the alleyway. The sight made her heart sink.

It was people as far the eye could see, with her target making a successful getaway by blending into the crowds. Hol Horse was gone. Her friend’s attempted murderer was gone. And there was nothing she could do about it…

Her legs gave out, causing her entire body to collapse on the floor. She was caked in dirt and sweat, her will power dissipated as the exhaustion started to cave in. Her eyes fluttered close, succumbing to the darkness.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

Her heart pounded against her ears, several voices calling her name. They start off not much louder than a mouse tiptoeing its way to its hideout during midnight, before they gradually become louder and louder. Until…

“Lou! Lou! Lou! Wake up! Come on!” A gravelly voice cried out.

A stream of cool water chugged down her parched throat, while a breeze brushed through her messy curls. She came face to face with Joseph Joestar, trying his best to hydrate her. His grizzled features expressed his distress as he gripped her body tightly.

“She’s awake! Lou! Hey, it’s us! You’re lucky that we found Jotaro in time. You could have been seriously hurt!” Polnareff frowned, waving a fan in front of her face.

“We heard you found Hol Horse. Still. You shouldn’t have gone off like that, especially by yourself.” Kakyoin chided, his brows twisting into a slight glare.

Jotaro stared at her, pulling at the brim of his hat. No words left his lips, only a grunt of disapproval while he leaned on the wall behind him. The scene panged at her heart, leaving behind a subtle ache in her chest.

Louise didn’t understand why, but the look in his eyes gave her an overwhelming sense of guilt that she couldn’t shake. She felt like a puppy being chewed out by its owner.

The girl was pulled up to her feet, the old man dusting off the skirt of her orange dress and handing her another water bottle.

Her eyes trailed over to the girl standing beside Polnareff, her figure hunched over as an attempt to appear smaller. She avoided her gaze, taking a step back to blend into the background

“Who’s she?” Louise asked.

The strange girl shrinks further into her shoulders, hiding her face inside her purple veil. Louise noticed her bare arms were covered in bruises and a bandage wrapped around her elbow, before she hid them behind her back.

“Oh, this is Nena. We found her while we also ran into Hol Horse earlier. She was trying to protect him, but that damn coward left her behind to save his own skin. The bastard…” Joseph slightly growled, clenching his fist.

“She’s a little shy, but she seems like a sweet girl. She begged us not to bring her home and to drop her off at the nearest airport. I suspect that some things haven’t been going well at home, so we let her come along until we’re able to find a better place for her in India.”

Louise couldn’t help but sympathize with the pitiful girl, grimacing at the sight of her battered figure. It was obvious that she had yet to see better days, tossed aside by the people around her that had no regard for her well-being.

Yet there was a thought in the back of her mind that something about her felt…off. Besides the fact that she was following Hol Horse around, her presence did not do much to quell the anxiety bubbling under the surface.

This felt wrong…No matter how irrational it seemed, she couldn’t shake those doubts pricking at her skin.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

To be Continued →

Chapter Text

The bus ride to Varanasi went as smoothly as one could expect from a dangerous trip like this. There was something tranquil about being able to travel from point A to B without some weirdo coming after them, a luxury that Louise had taken for granted until now. Even the mundane views of desert, sparse plant life and asphalt was a breath of fresh air.

Louise was finally able to relax for once in this entire trip, except for the fact that she was now sitting next to that strange girl they just picked up. She looked over at the aloof girl as her hollow, brown eyes stared out the window.

In spite of her gut sensing that something was deeply wrong about her, Louise couldn’t help but sympathize. The girl appeared ghastly, her tanned arms were covered in all kinds of bumps and bruises. Some of which were purple, being large enough to be noticeable with relative ease.

“Her name is Nena. That’s all we could get out of her earlier… Poor thing, she looks like she could be one of my classmates. Who knows where Hol Horse picked her up at?? I wish we could return her to her parents but she won’t give us anything outside of her name. She looks so disinterested in everything…She must be depressed.”

Louise didn’t notice how long she was staring at Nena, until all of a sudden, the two locked eyes. The abrupt, unwanted spotlight was enough to make Louise nearly fall backwards into the aisle, before she clawed her nails into the leather seats.

Her cheeks burned from the shame as Nena continued to glare at her. The girl’s cold, dead eyes could make India freeze into place, sending chills down Louise’s spine. The latter felt her throat tighten up, being placed under further scrutiny.

“O-oh sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. I must’ve just spaced out or something. Sorry about that….” Louise let out an awkward chuckle, while her attempts of lightening the mood were met with silence.

Nena kept peering at her with those same hollow eyes, before glancing back to the window without a single word. Not an explanation or an apology, nothing. Just an uncomfortable hush that weighed between them.

Louise gave a drawn-out sigh, pouting slightly as she slumped into her seat.

“Ok geez, she didn’t need to act all catty like that! I was just trying to be nice! It’s not her fault she’s here. That creep Hol Horse probably just dragged her along. Slimy asshole.”

“Don’t bother with her Lou. She’s not gonna talk. She’s trying to protect her lover boy, Hol Horse. Even though he left her behind like a coward.” Her ruminations were cut short as Jotaro bashed in his unhelpful comments, making things even worse as Nena finally snapped.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, you lousy oaf! Hol Horse will come back and rescue me, I know he will! Just you watch. He’s no coward, he’s more of a man than you’ll ever be!”

Louise slapped a palm against her forehead, pulling her face down while the situation escalated further. This was NOT what she wanted to be dealing with early in the morning. For heaven’s sakes, they haven’t even had any breakfast yet.

“Jotaro! That’s enough.” Joseph berated the delinquent, forcing Jotaro to sit back down. He sighed, turning his attention to the agitated girl while scratching at his arm.

“Please forgive my grandson, Miss Nena. He doesn’t seem to know how manners work. That’s something that I should have taught him more of obviously.” Joseph apologized sheepishly, knocking some sense into his grandson while they argued amongst themselves.

The sense of awkward tranquility pervaded the bus returned, leaving Louise to ponder once more. She snuck a few glances towards Nena, before turning away to avoid another embarrassing moment.

The corners of her lips sunk into a frown, while Louise pitied the poor girl beside her. She knew what it was like to be heartbroken by a guy, but Nena’s case was more severe than any of her high school break ups. Her heart ached for what appeared to be an abused girl in complete denial of her horrible treatment.

Louise’s skepticisms gradually melted away as she scooted closer to the lonely girl, tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention. Nena gazed back with those empty eyes once again, making Louise hesitate for a split second before giving her a friendly grin;

“Hey, I’m sorry about that… My name’s Louise, but you can call me Lou. It’s so nice to have another girl around here. As nice as these guys are, I can get a little tired of them sometimes…” She puffed her cheeks, glaring daggers towards the back of Jotaro’s head, while the jerk just sighed in response.

She shook her head, turning her attention back to the girl and noticing her beautiful red garment.

“Oh! Your dress is so pretty! If we ever go shopping together you have to show me where to find one just like that! I’m absolutely jealous!” Louise shrieked, her blue eyes sparkling with colour and excitement. However, Nena did not share the same enthusiasm she had.

“It’s a Sari. A specific one from the region I’m from, I doubt we’ll find one like it anywhere else in India. Even if we tried.” Nena glanced back to the window, disinterested in humouring her zest.

“Oh, I’m sorry…I’m still not very cultured.” Just like that, Louise’s ambition was deflated like a popped balloon.

The girl sunk into further despair, relinquishing her hopes of clearing the tension that surrounded the group the entire ride. What came next, however, made things a whole lot worse.

“Well Nena, I can surely promise you won’t be SARI if I was the one escorting you around the market. I’ll gladly be your knight in shining armor!” Polnareff flirted, flashing his pearly whites.

That dopey expression on his face was enough to make Louise gag, feeling second-hand embarrassment for both herself and stupid Polnareff. As if it weren’t bad enough, he kept yapping about love and whatever bullshit his dumb head could come up with, further digging his own grave.

His monologues were met with more silence, yet the braindead Polnareff was too interested in his “riveting” one-sided conversation to notice. After a few more minutes of this nonsense, Louise was approaching her wits’ end, her patience dwindling with every word that reached her ears. Someone had to shut him up before she popped a blood vessel.

While the idiot kept droning about, Louise took out one of her Hot Pink Gucci horsebit kitten pumps, bonking Polnareff in the head with its chunky heel.

“Don’t be weird, Polnareff! She looks my age, what the hell is wrong with you?! Wait, how old are you again, Nena?”

“Sixteen.” Nena replied curtly.

The girl’s response earned Polnareff a glare from Louise, his head being assaulted by the same heel over and over again. Scuffing her shoe was worth it to knock some sense into his dumb ass.

“OW!!! Okay okay! I get it! I didn’t know that she was actually 16! Stop hitting me, you’re ruining my hair!” Polnareff screamed, waving his arms around to shield his poor head from Louise’s attacks.

The rest of the group watched as Louise kept battering Polnareff. The man cried out for help, his hollers going completely ignored. Kakyoin couldn’t help but crack a smile while Jotaro stayed silent, rolling his eyes as he stared out the window. “Good grief, Polnareff. Grow up already, will you? You’re too old to be hitting on teenagers!” Joseph scolded him before turning his attention to the bus driver.

Polnareff surrendered, sinking into his seat with his hair ruined and his ego punctured by the wrath of one angry teenage girl. Louise turned her nose up, satisfied with the results of her divine punishment, and sat back down.

The girl slipped her heel back onto her lacy socks, swinging her legs around her seat. Even with her worries still ever present, a small weight was lifted off her shoulders for just a little while.

“Hey, driver! How long until we get there? I got a mosquito bite here the size of Texas! I need to see a doctor, ASAP!!!” The belligerent American hollered.

“We’re about 10 minutes away from the city’s entrance. Please stay seated.” The driver called out, keeping his eyes on the road as they moved along.

Before they knew it, the Crusaders had finally arrived in the sprawling city of Varanasi. As the bus drove through a bridge, they witnessed the Ganges River, filled with the multitudes of people bathing in its murky waters and livestock lining the river’s edge. The sight left them in complete awe.

“This city is humongous! AH I bet there’s so many opportunities here to go shopping! Oh can we? Can we? PLEASEEE!!!” Louise clasped her hands together, giving Joseph another one of her cute puppy-dog eyes.

“I guess we can after breakfast, I’m going to get this lump looked at anyways so maybe all of you have some time to screw around before we go. Polnareff, make sure Lou and Nena don’t leave your sight. You’re the only adult left. Don’t disappoint me now. Got it?” Joseph shot him a serious glare, letting him know he has to shape up for real this time.

“Wait, don’t leave me here with Lou! What if she attacks me again??” Polnareff curled up into a ball, whimpering like a dog.

“Then don’t give her a reason to!” The old man shook his head, scratching his arm once again.

Louise rolled her eyes, walking towards the exit and gesturing to Nena to follow behind. The doors open to let them all out, with the entire party hopping out the bus and watching it drive off.

“Damn it! My bug bite is getting worse!” Joseph furrowed his brows, scratching at the same spot on his arm as before.

“You should really stop touching it, Mr. Joestar. It might get infected more. Maybe I have something in my bag that could help?” Louise frowned, trying to look closer before he snatched his arm away from view.

“Thanks for your concern, Lou, but this thing needs to be seen by a professional. It's vile! There’s no escaping it, we might have to go to the hospital right now!” Joseph cried out, showing off the affected area.

Louise’s heart sank at the mere sight of it. The infection had grown larger, its size now akin to a tennis ball and almost covering half of the old man’s arm. What was even more disturbing was the lump growing in such a manner that resembled a face. There was no way that any home remedies could fix that.

Her hopes of finally getting to eat breakfast were dashed, but more importantly, Joseph’s bug bite was getting worse the more they stood around and waited. Despite her concern, the girl could already feel her stomach grumbling at the thought of having to wait at a clinic for an emergency trip. Who knows how long it would take until Joseph was seen by a doctor?

A heavy silence pervaded the group, each of them swallowing their complaints down their throats as they accepted the reality of their situation.

Their chances of being able to explore or shop in Varanasi before the day is over was out the window.

“Hey, none of us were able to eat before leaving, right? I’ll go to the hospital myself while all of you grab some proper breakfast.” Joseph declared, his decision being met with protests before he put up his hand to quiet their concerns.

“I’ll be fine on my own! Go eat something for crying out loud! Just promise me you’ll all stay together. This goes for Jotaro AND Kakyoin. Now with two non-stand users to take care of, we need all the help we can get! They’re at a serious disadvantage, so I expect all of you men to have the girls’ backs! Got it?!” Joseph barked out his orders, forcing the rest of them to nod in compliance.

With a heavy heart, Louise watched the old man go his separate way and disappear into the crowd, leaving the group to look for a map or a guide.

After a few minutes of asking around, their chaperone managed to acquire one.

“Alright, let’s see here. It looks like we’re by the Durga Temple? Hmm I see… So the market is juuuust about…. 3 blocks away! Sweet! Alright everyone, let’s get goi-AGH” Polnareff took a few steps forward before a monkey had randomly pounced on his head.

The man cried out, rocking around as he attempted to shake off the monkey off his head. The creature danced about his tower of white hair as he mocked the man beneath him.

“Hey! What was that about?? Ugh, you ruined my hair. You bastard!”

Louise couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurd event. She covered her mouth as she snorted to herself, watching Polnareff desperately try to salvage his finely quaffed hairdo. However her laughter came to a swift end when she felt something rummaging around in her purse.

“What the hell?! Hey! That’s not yours, let go of my Fendi!” She shouted at it, holding onto the strap of her purse as she tried to tug it away from the stubborn creature.

The monkey chattered, throwing a mango at her head as the fruit smacked her in the face. The girl screamed in frustration, swinging her arms around as an attempt to get the animal to let go of her Fendi Zucca Canvas shoulder bag. This was definitely not the idea of fun she was expecting when they got to Varanasi.

“The Durga Temple in Varanasi is also known as the Monkey Temple, for obvious reasons…” Kakyoin remarked with a snide smirk while the corners of Jotaro’s lips turned up.

The girl glared at the two snickering boys, looking away while pretending that they didn’t find the whole scene quite amusing. The nerve of them.

“Ugh! None of this is funny at all! If Danielle knew that the bag she gave me was ruined, I would never hear the end of it!”

She kept tugging at the bag, trying to not pull too hard in fear of potentially ripping it by the seams. While she was struggling to fight against the animal thief, the girl saw a bunch of ripe bananas in the corner of her eye.

Bingo. A bright idea had popped in her head.

Louise reached out to grab the bananas, holding it up for the creature to see. Its eyes widened, finally letting go of her purse. The monkey jumped up, trying to steal it from her hand but to no avail.

She held it up high, shaking it around to get its attention. However, the creature was not alone in its trance, a few more monkeys gathered around and rushed towards Louise.

And another. And another, until even the group of monkeys that were swarming around Polnareff was now also caught into the fray.

“Uh oh-” She thought as her plan quickly devolved into chaos.The animals clawed at the girl, fighting each other for the chance to get the bananas first.

But before they had a chance to stampede all over her, Jotaro grabbed the bunch and THREW them across the market, sending all of the creatures into a frenzy. The onslaught of monkeys made a mad dash towards the flying fruit, disappearing into an alleyway.

“Come on, let’s go go go! There’s a chance they might come back!” Louise cried out, sprinting away from the frenzy.

“Yeah, let’s! Come on guys, follow me!” Polnareff shouted, fleeing the scene as fast as he could with the rest of the party trailing behind

The gang made their way towards the markets, bumping their way through crowds, traffic and winding paths that looked more similar to the next. Regardless of the less than circumstances, they had managed to stick together without a single one of them getting separated. A miracle for what it’s worth.

A few more wrong turns and a couple minutes spent arguing over how to read the map later, they had finally arrived. The bustling marketplace was, as expected, absolutely swamped with people. Despite how overwhelming the sight was, Louise has grown quite accustomed to the markets of Asia.

“Alright everyone, make sure to stay in one single file line. Make sure you do not lose sight of me, got that?” Polnareff asserted.

The teens all nodded as they got into order, from tallest to shortest. Louise looked back and made sure Nena was behind her. The girl just looked off to the side with the same bitter expression plastered on her face. Louise grabbed her wrist and guided her through the crowd.

As they ventured through the market, Louise saw something shiny in the corner of her eye. She stopped to find a humble stall lined with beautiful jewelry, luring her towards it with its gleaming stones and lustre metals.

Louise gasped, dragging Nena behind her as she admired the dazzling accessories that were delicately placed on fabric displays. She held up a rhinestone inlaid gold necklace with paisley motifs, her eyes glistening as she held it to her neck. She looked at herself in the tiny mirror placed on the stallkeeper’s table.

“It’s so gorgeous! Don’t you think so, Nena?!” Louise squealed, modeling it with exaggerated poses one after the other.

Louise looked into the mirror’s reflection, meeting Nena’s unimpressed gaze behind her back. Her smile had diminished once again as she handed the necklace back to the stallkeeper.

“Do you see anything you like?” Louise asked, still holding hope that she could salvage her already terrible social rapport.

“No. My mother has many necklaces like that one. And many others that are nicer.” Nena’s monotone voice did not waver, walking away while Louise continued to follow her around like a lost puppy.

“O-oh? Does your mom own a lot of jewelry? So does mine, but she has nothing like this! I’m totally jealous!” Louise fumbled over her words, trying to keep up her friendly demeanor but to no avail.

“How is your family by the way? What are they like?”

Nena’s demeanor had noticeably changed. Gone was the disinterested look that she wore at all times. Instead, her eyes had darkened and her mouth started to twitch. Nena’s body shifted around as she turned her back towards Louise, refusing to spare her even a single glance.

Louise’s heart jumped out her throat, realizing her massive screw-up a little too late. Soon after, her big mouth slammed shut, feeling the tension grow with every moment she gazed upon Nena’s back. All the while, Louise continued to scream within the confines of her thick head.

“I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to bring up such a sensitive subject!” Louise’s arms waved around frantically, digging her grave further with every hysterical motion.

Nena, however, did not answer. Her body kept twitching, while she left Louise to stare at her back as the latter sunk deeper in her shame.

Louise was close to tears. She had really done it now, she had committed a faux pas. If her father were here to witness this catastrophe, he surely would have gone into cardiac arrest.

Just as the girl was about to slam her head against a nearby wall, Nena finally turned around and responded.

“My mother is a housewife while my father is a powerful businessman who owns businesses all over India. He manufactures everything from textiles to sugar. Our family’s been very wealthy for a long time. We’re one of the wealthiest families in India. So wealthy in fact, that I was about to be married to the son of another wealthy family.”

Although Nena did not make any attempts to apologise nor explain her prior behaviour, a sense of relief washed away some of Louise’s anxieties. The tension on Louise’s shoulders had yet to dissipate, but seeing Nena revert back to that familiar hollow gaze was enough to somewhat gauge a semblance of normalcy

Louise’s self-impact worries gradually dissolved into pity for the poor girl, her heart breaking from her plight.

Despite coming from a wealthy family herself, she never once thought of being forced to marry someone she didn’t want to. How lucky she was to have parents that cared for her. People that she had yet to call during this entire trip

“I’m so sorry, Nena. That must’ve been horrible. I can’t imagine that…” Louise trailed off, reflecting on the blessed life that she took for granted.

“It’s fine…” Nena brushed her concerns, appearing to find no comfort in her pity.

“I just can’t believe you have to go through something like that. To make things worse, you got kidnapped by Hol Horse of all people! Talk about rotten luck, huh?” Louise's sarcastic remark caused Nena to shake, igniting a spark in her eyes that burned hotter than India’s climate.

“No, Hol Horse saved me! When we met, he promised to take me far away from that life and offered me a life full of adventure. He’d give me all the freedom that I was never promised. That’s why I’m waiting for him, I know my hero will return for me!” Nena proclaimed.

Louise was at a loss for words, feeling her confusion bubble into anger. Aher head was immediately flooded with defensive thoughts swarming her mind.

“Seriously?! Saved?! That guy ditched you to save his ass! What kind of hero creeps on underaged girls, anyways?! Are you really that dense?!”

She clenched her fists tightly, biting her lip. She felt a vein pop inher forehead as her self control began to wane. The words were right at the tip of her tongue, the temptation to let her true feelings out was boiling hot within every nerve of her body.

“I’ve been trying to be nice to you this whole time we’ve been together, yet you’re still hung up over some…jerk! What the hell is wrong with you?! Who do you even think you are?! You think you’ve got everything figured out?! You’re just some naive girl! A girl who’s being taken advantage of by the people around you…”

Despite her head dying to liberate her wrath bubbling up beneath the surface, the sympathy she had in her heart outweighed the allure of her animosity.

“It’s not your fault, but I can’t help feeling so…. So pissed off! Still…what am I even gonna gain from going off on a girl who’s been mistreated? I mean she’s already suffering enough and here I am telling her she’s stupid. I’m not any better than the people she’s surrounded with.”

Against her better judgement, Louise swallowed her pride and took a few deep breaths. The fury that welled up inside her had gradually diminished, reminding herself of the most important thing.

“This isn’t about me. It’s about her. I just need to calm down.”

With cooler heads prevailing, the girl responded;

“Nena, with all due respect, I don’t think going back to that man is a good idea. He is just using you in order to escape his crimes. A guy like that isn’t someone you can rely on at all. You deserve someone better who doesn’t abandon you, and who isn’t a grown ma-” Louise cries were ignored as Nena suddenly flew off the handle.

“You shut your mouth! You have no clue what you’re talking about! Our love is nothing you’ll ever understand! Do you hear me?! What do you even know about love, huh?!” The crazed girl lashed out, her eyes going in opposite directions as she screamed at Louise.

The girl felt her temper flare up for a second time and opened her mouth to speak up, yet nothing came out of her lips. She was left fumbling to find the words to argue against her claims. Nena was so sure that her true love with Hol Horse was her answer, that Louise began to doubt her better judgement.

She knew that if she were to let Nena come with that sleazeball Hol Horse, he might leave her in the streets again when it suited him. But on the other hand, if she returned to her parents there’s also a good chance that she would be rescinded to a life of servitude to a man she doesn’t love.

Both seemed like such bad options, but at the end of the day, Nena would have to return to one of them. It was a lose-lose situation that wouldn’t make any of them happy. She sighed, her heart sinking the more she pondered the problem further.

Deep down, she knew that Nena was right. Louise had no idea about what real romantic love was. Maybe she didn’t know how to help Nena after all. I mean, what did she even know about matters of the heart? She didn’t even have a boyfriend.

Her pity party was suddenly interrupted, however, by a familiar, booming voice behind her.

“Hey. Window shopping’s over. Come on, we found a few food stalls and a spot to sit.” Jotaro grumbled, causing her to yelp and smack him on the shoulder with her bag.

“AHH! Don’t SCARE me like that, jerk!” Louise glared.

“Ow! You didn’t need to fucking hit me! Geez… Just, hurry up. I’m hungry. We’ll have lots of time to dick around after we eat.” He sighed before going back towards Polnareff and Kakyoin.

Louise puffed up her cheeks, crossing her arms while she glared at his back. She was tempted to chew him out for being rude, but a growl from her stomach quickly reminded her of her growing hunger.

With her ravenous appetite screaming for food, she had no choice but to bury her thoughts in the back of her mind for later.

Louise glanced back at Nena, still feeling a little raw from their prior interaction. She debated whether it was worth even asking her to come.

Yet regardless of their prior animosity, she put those feelings aside, giving Nena a warm smile and urged her to follow.

“We should get going now. It’s already past 10, so we should really eat.” Louise rubbed the back of her head, cutting through the awkward tension between them.

The poor girl stayed silent, but ultimately complied to her requests as she trailed right behind Louise. The gang traversed the endless crowds, stopping to check behind them to ensure that they had not lost sight of the girls.

Louise could tell they were getting closer, the smell of the spices hit her nose and made her drool while her stomach growled louder. At long last, the group had landed in the middle of a bazaar strewn about with non-stop delectables to feast upon to their hearts content.

With not a moment too soon, the entire gang went their separate ways to wander about this food paradise. Louise’s heart jumped, thinking about one thing, and one thing only; the perfect dish to fill up her stomach and take her on a journey of flavours.

She had barely gotten a chance to try India’s street cuisine, but now the moment had arrived. Maybe this time, she could finally eat in peace without any stand users to ruin her experience. One could only hope.

“Tch, if they’re gonna go ahead and stop me from indulging myself, they’re gonna get a heel beating from yours truly! No one messes with Louise Vuitton while she’s hungry and pissed off!”

Smoke came out her ears while Louise the famished dragon puffed her cheeks, bearing her horns towards anyone that stood in her quest for some glorious eats. She shoved her way from one area to the next, getting dizzy from the boundless options that surrounded her.

Her stomach growled louder with every second that ticked, souring her mood further. After a few more seconds of this nonsense, Louise was at the end of her rope, and SCAMPERED her way towards a random stall.

“I don’t care if it’s spicy, bitter or raw! I NEED to eat right now!”

The girl’s heels clacked, clacked, clacked against the dirt, her body clattering about across the sea of people that flood the streets. They were but an obstacle that were easily vanquished by Louise the conqueror, parting to let the girl through before they felt her wrath.

At long last, Louise was standing face to face with a random kiosk, selling a dish she didn’t know the name of but NEEDED to have. She smacked a few rupees down on the table, startling the poor stallkeeper that the misfortune of engaging with one angry, starving teenage girl.

“I want that one…please.” Louise grumbled, pointing at the sign with the words “Chole Bhature, 30 rupees” and “Badaam Kesar Thandai, 20 rupees” written on its surface.

The trembling clerk frantically nodded, falling victim to her thousand-yard, ravenous gaze. By the skin of his teeth, he prepared her dish and presented it with gravitas one can have during that very moment.

Louise grabbed a metal plate, with several divots around its surface, from his shaking hands. She couldn’t help but take a drawn-out whiff to let the flavours sink in. It was heaven.

A helping of chickpea curry laid inside one of the pockets, its aroma having a beautiful kick that tickled her nose. Beside it, was a serving of onions, garlic and pickled vegetables that blended together with the curry’s fragrance. But the real star of the show was placed on top of the largest indent, barely fitting inside as it threatened to fall from its expansive shape.

It was puffed-up pastry, made of wheat and deep-fried onto a balloon-like form. Just from its mouthwatering appearance, she could already sense the softness of the dough that was screaming for her to take a bite.

Louise could hear the angels sing, with them bestowing one last gift upon her trying times. A clay pot overflowing with a cold drink made of milk, a mixture of nuts, spices and saffron. To top it off, rose petals lined the top of the beverage delicately as garnish.

“Thank you…” Louise muttered, nearly shedding tears from the sight.

The dragon was satiated at last, leaving the stallkeeper to live another day. Louise’s eyes scanned around the marketplace, searching for her friends until a certain redheaded boy caught her eye. Kakyoin waved his arms around to get her attention, while Jotaro sat beside him and gorged upon his delectable fare.

“Hey Lou! We’re over here. Woah, that looks really good, what is it?” Kakyoin asked before stuffing his face with a bite of his samosa.

Louise nearly skipped just from the sight of her friends alone, before being reminded of the mouthwatering food in her hands. As carefully as one excited girl could be, she sat between the two boys and dug right in.

“I think it’s called a Chole Bhature? I just saw this delicious looking piece of flatbread smothered in a spicy chickpea paste and I knew I had to have it! Mhmm yeah, that’s so good!” She struggled to give her compliments, her words being muffled by the food stuffed in her cheeks.

Louise nearly choked from how fast she scarfed it down, prompting Kakyoin to pat her back several times to dislodge her throat.

“Lou, you should maybe slow down a bit, maybe drink something? I see you got some Badaam Kesar Thandai. I’ve actually gotten a chance to try some before during a Holi festival, it’s really creamy and sweet.” Kakyoin handed her the clay pot, encouraging her to drink up.

She obliged, taking a sip as the creamy milk drink slid down her throat. Her body perked up, the coolness of the beverage hitting her like a gentle breeze.

“Oh my God! It’s so good! AHH!” The girl squealed, her eyes brimming with excitement.

However, her enthusiasm slowly died out when she glanced over to the opposite end of the table. It was Nena, staring into the tiny piece of bread on a paper plate. Not a single bite was on it as the food sat there, getting warm under the hot Indian sun.

Louise’s high spirits dissipated from the sad scene. Louise couldn’t help but feel pity where she once felt anticipation to sit down and eat. Kakyoin and Jotaro didn’t say a word, content with letting her be as they continued to eat and chat amongst themselves.

While Louise’s guilt hung heavy in her chest, unable to think of anything else as her eyes fixated on Nena. She cleared her throat, leaning in closer to grab the girl’s attention.

“What’d you get, Nena? That’s a pretty small breakfast you have there. Are you sure you don’t want something else? We might be walking around for a while.” Louise asked, trying her best to cheer her up with a warm deposition.

Nena didn’t reciprocate her goodwill however, content with just sitting in her chair. She picked up the piece of bread by one corner, staring at it while she fidgeted with the crumbs.

“It’s Malai Toast. It’s toast covered in cream and sugar. It’s fine. I’m not hungry.” She responded before dropping the toast back on her plate.

Her mood soured the atmosphere around her, infecting the rest of the group with her negativity. There were no stand users thus far, and yet Nena was already making the entire place fill up with dread.

Louise couldn’t even enjoy the delicate array of spices that smothered that buttery piece of bread, nor the chilled creamy drink that had brought her joy. She sighed, feeling a hint of regret sink in. She even started to question whether it was even a good idea to bring her along.

“Told ya it was pointless... That girl’s not gonna talk to us. We just brought her along because the old man felt bad.” Jotaro clicked his tongue as he took a spoonful of his Tamatar Chaat, his voice being barely above a whisper.

“I know… But she looks really sad and lonely. Her family life is horrible and her only close relationship is that slimy creep, Hol Horse.” Louise argued as a half-hearted attempt to convince, not only her friends, but herself to persist with this futile endeavor.

“We barely know this girl, Lou. As sad as her situation is, she’s clearly not interested in our help. We can’t afford to get too attached to someone here. For all we know, she could still be our enemy. Her ties to Hol Horse don’t exactly make me feel at ease.” Kakyoin murmured, the three now engaging in a quiet conversation amongst themselves.

“Yeah. We’ve been getting attacked with users left and right, and I’m wondering why we’ve been able to get off scot-free for the last few hours. Something about it feels dodgy.” Jotaro added, planting seeds of doubt into her head.

Louise’s heart stopped. The notion of it all being just a trap felt too painful to be true. A part of her was in denial. Their evidence was not exactly a smoking gun, but was plausible enough to make her rethink all her prior interactions.

“But, what if you’re wrong? What if we end up accusing an actual victim of foul play? What’s gonna happen to her after we actually leave her to fend for herself? I mean, we all have homes to return to and people waiting for us, but her? She has nobody…” Louise shook her head, the guilt sinking her deeper into despair.

“Lou. We. Can’t. Trust. Her.” Jotaro looked at her dead in the eyes, enunciating every word before he continued.

“She’s still clearly still hung up over Hol Horse. I don’t care how gut-wrenching she wants to look, but I won’t cater to someone who’s willing to turn a blind eye to that bastard’s crimes.”

Despite his harsh words, she knew that Jotaro was right. Nena clearly wasn’t interested in becoming friends and it was useless to think that she had any hope of coming to her senses about Hol Horse.

“Maybe you’re right. I should just call it quits… I just don’t know what’s gonna happen to her after all of this.” Louise surrendered, taking another bite of her Chole Bhature.

“If she wants to keep chasing that bastard to the ends of the Earth, by all means let her. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” He sighed, drinking his Mango Lassi in peace.

Regardless of the guilt that weighed heavy in her chest, Louise had no choice but to give up and let it all go. She ate quietly before looking around and realized someone was missing. She swallowed her food before asking;

“Hey guys, where’d Polnareff g-” Louise was quickly cut off by the man of the hour.

Polnareff sat down across from her, struggling to balance three plates in his arms while holding a drink in each hand. The man made a ruckus, bumping into chairs as he tried his best to set down each dish on the table. His body wobbled in every direction, juggling each individual plate and cup in his hand.

Louise watched Polnareff clamour to set everything down on the table. Despite how much the obnoxious man was testing her patience, she refused to comment and let him maintain his ridiculous balancing act.

Was this really the man entrusted to watch them in Joseph’s absence? He seemed to act more like a child than any of them. Still, Louise chose to bite her tongue and play nice. She couldn’t be bothered to argue, content with enjoying her meal as she tried her best to ignore the impromptu chaperone.

“Sorry, sorry guys… I just needed to make sure my stomach was full. I’m a big eater you know? And if we’re gonna be walking then I’m gonna make sure I have the fuel to walk!” Polnareff laughed, before accidentally knocking over one of his drinks.

His smile dropped while Louise shrieked as loud as she possibly could. The once uncaring crowd was now staring at them as the scene spiraled down into calamity. The cold drink that soaked into her dress did nothing to extinguish the burning hot rage that boiled within her tiny body. The Crusaders all fell silent, Louise swore she even saw Nena’s expression change.

“UGH!!! THAT WAS MY ONLY DRESS POLNAREFF!!!!” Louise shouted, bearing her horns while she scrubbed at her ruined clothes.

All the mild annoyances, all the stupid decisions that Polnareff made, all of it blew up right in the man’s face. The flood gates of her ferocious wrath came into full force. The notion of polite courtesy went out the window as she stood up from her seat.

“How could you so… SO STUPID???” She erupted, bearing her horns at the dim-witted man.

Polnareff quickly scrambled backwards until he fell out of his seat, holding his hands out in front of him begging for mercy. He grabbed a few napkins, rushing to make things right.

“I-I’m sorry Lou, it was an accident! I can get you a new dress, o-or let me clean it up for you. Here, let me-” Polnareff fumbled over his sentences, reaching over to wipe at the ruined fabric.

His efforts to quell the situation were in vain, escalating things into a complete catastrophe as Louise took out her shoe. The girl held it up to his head, intent on unleashing her wrath upon him for his crimes.

“NO!!! I’ve had it up to HERE with your shenanigans today! You better hope one of Dio’s assassins show up soon, because I promise… They’re NOTHING COMPARED TO ME!!!!”

Just before Louise could exact her wrath with the sole of her trusty shoe, her rage was put on hold as she noticed something moving out the corner of her eye. Her fiery gaze peered over towards its direction.

To her shock and disbelief, Nena was twitching in her seat while her eyes parted. She began to froth at the mouth once again, her jaw trembling as she struggled to speak.

Despite the distance between them and the background noise, Louise swore she heard Nena mutter out; “Dio… Dio… Dio….” over and over again. The sight filled her with dread as she rushed over to Nena’s side and started to panic.

“Nena? A-are you ok?!” Louise reached out her hand to place it on her back.

However, the second her palm landed, Nena quickly swatted it away and stumbled out of her seat. Louise and the rest of the group watched in horror as Nena tried to hide her foaming mouth with little success. Her body convulsed and scampered away towards a random direction, quickly disappearing into the crowds of people.

Louise ran, throwing her suspicions and logic out the window. Her friends’ words fell on deaf ears as she ignored their warnings, fully intent in chasing the runaway girl. Even with the signs pointing to their claims, Louise still held onto the belief that Nena was just an innocent victim.

However before she could take off, Polnareff gripped her arm tight, giving her a warning look. His lips were moving, yet Louise could hear none of the words that escaped them. It all went one ear and right the other

The girl scowled, tugging her trapped arm frantically. Despite his best efforts, Louise managed to slip away his grip and SHOVED him back. She had just about had it with that bumbling fool.

Polnareff fell on the ground, while the boys rushed to restrain her. Louise swore that she even felt a slippery tentacle pulling at her ankle. But it was too late, the girl made a quick getaway before they had the chance to notice her absence.

She felt her chest tighten, her breaths becoming rapid as she scrambled to keep up with the runaway girl. She took a second to catch her breath, while scanning the crowds of people with their eyes fixated on her. Louise ignored their gazes, setting her sights on finding Nena as quickly as possible.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a familiar red shawl. She wasted no time, pushing through the crowds to reach her.

“Nena! It’s ok! Come back here, we’re going to take care of you!” She desperately cried out.

Every time she got close, Nena would disappear. The cycle continued with Louise having to pause, being forced to play this ridiculous game of iSpy with her surroundings every single time. Her eyes skimmed the area until…

There. She finally spotted her. Nena was taking a turn into a side street about 4 stalls down.

Louise locked in, taking off through the crowds and squeezing through each person in her way. At long last, she reached the street, seeing a red sari turn a corner as she bolted towards the same direction.

She meandered through the alleyways, chasing down Nena. It felt so familiar; the constant hard pivots around street corners, the violent pounding of her chest, and her target slipping through her fingers. Though her lungs could barely keep up, Louise was headstrong.

This wasn’t going to be a repeat of her prior mistakes. She was determined not to collapse and find her target. Hol Horse managed to escape her sights, but she wasn’t gonna lose Nena. She was gonna make sure this girl stayed safe.

Just when Louise turned a corner and found herself in an empty courtyard, she stopped dead in her tracks. The girl felt something whizz past her curls, causing her tremble. She took a second to compose herself before noticing that something was wrong.

Her head felt a little lighter, a curl on the right no longer brushed against her neck. Louise’s stomach sank, slowly glancing down as she feared the worst…

A piece of her blonde locks was chopped clean off.

The girl felt like screaming, but no sound came out her lips as she stood there. Shaking as she looked to the left, seeing a kitchen knife lodged into the wall right by her head. If she didn’t stop right there and then, there was a good chance she would have left…headless in Varanasi.

Despite the initial shock of barely making it out alive, her attention quickly shifted to the center of the courtyard when she heard a scream.

A mustachioed man stood over Nena with an elaborate black cape wrapped around him. He had wide circular lensed glasses and slicked back hair, looking much like a caricature of a magician.

Louise shrugged off her anxieties, her courage burning inside her as she stepped towards the oncoming danger. She planted her feet on the ground, staring the bizarre man down as he watched her take a wide stance.

“Step away from her! If you so much as lay a finger on her, I’ll pummel you into pulp! Understand?!” She screamed, gripping her bag closely as she got ready to clash.

The man didn’t seem fazed however, pulling nonchalantly on his thin mustache before letting it curl back up once he let it go. Nena stumbled away from him, hiding behind Louise as she trembled.

The strange figure opened up his cape with dramatic flare, before taking out a wand that was a deep ginger color. He tapped it on the palm of his gloved hands, red embers sprinkling off the wand with each strike.

He took out a carrot from his pocket, chomping on it as it crunched.

“I’m afraid you’ll be doing no such thing young lady. For that matter, I don’t believe you two will be going anywhere. For you two have the honor of being the first to be picked off by me and my partner, before we get to your friends.” The mysterious man spoke, his tongue clicking with every bite he took of his carrot.

His shadow loomed over Louise, cloaking her in a menacing darkness while the man’s cold eyes stayed fixated on her.

Suddenly, the man spat out a piece of chewed up carrot, hitting a glass a few inches to the right before ricocheting off its surface. The carrot piece then flew onto a nearby beer tap, letting the contents pour out onto an empty glass.

The man made his way towards the free drink, closing the tap and taking a swig. He let out a satisfied gasp, finding Louise’s confusion amusing as he drank to his heart's content.

Before she could speak, Louise felt something whizz past her curls again. The girl froze up, yelping as the sudden sound of invisible bullets colliding with the concrete caught her off guard.

Her body trembled, her bravery slipping away. She could feel something smoking behind her, daring her to peer towards it as her curiosity got the best of her. Against her better judgement, she slowly turned around to find a ghastly sight.

Her silhouette, accurately outlined in bullet holes on the wall. She had no idea where they came from, it all happened so swiftly and with such precision.

Louise heard the sound of spurs clinking together in rhythmic steps. Her heart dropped to her stomach when she realized who it was.

“No… It couldn’t be. That bastard. He didn’t.”

Her suspicions were confirmed when the man himself walked up right beside the mystery man. Hol Horse. He tipped his hat up with his index finger and let out a chuckle as he placed his arm on the man’s shoulder.

“Tch, alright man, I’ll let you dispose of these two lil ladies and I’ll take care of the others when they come around. I just don’t have it in me to hurt a hair on any woman’s head. That’s just not my style. But you can have fun carving them up to your heart’s content, buddy.” Hol Horse patted the man’s shoulder.

Louise scowled at the lowlife. Despite how powerless she felt, she knew that Nena needed her to be strong for her. The poor thing was curled up on the ground behind Louise with her hands over her head. Not even the sound of her supposed ‘true love’s’ voice could snap her out of her panic. Louise kept looking forward when she noticed something odd tucked into Hol Horse’s belt. The same red sparking wand that the man had in his hand.

She tilted her head with her eyes fixated on the strange object, before being pulled back to reality when the strange man pulled out another kitchen knife.

“With pleasure, Hol Horse. My accuracy and power have increased tenfold! This next knife will skewer your skull like it’s nothing, blondie.” He licked his lips as he readied his aim.

“Man, you’re one twisted bastard! Let’s just get this over with now and move on. Go ahead, end this,” Hol Horse paused before speaking his stand’s name;

“Auburn Wands.”

On que, he propelled the knife straight towards Louise’s head. It happened in a flash. Before Louise could even blink, the point of the blade was already inches away from between her eyes.

Louise’s heart stopped. Could this be it? Her fate was sealed. Louise closed her eyes tight and braced for impact. Thinking one last thing;

“I’m so sorry, everyone. I failed you all. Mom, dad, Mr. Avdol, Mrs. Holly… I’m sorry I couldn’t save you all. Good bye. Please forgive me….”

To be Continued →