Every law-abiding citizen adheres to a simple social contract informally signed with the government at birth. If you do as the government says, the government will protect you. Most people carry on their lives under the assumption that this is the case. However, the fact of the matter is that the government cannot protect everyone. Things slip through. People get hurt. These are facts of life, or rather, facts of death. So what is someone meant to do when society fails them? If you aren't protected, cared for, or nurtured in the way one would expect, should it validate breaking your end of the social contract? Perhaps. It's certainly the mindset of some...
It was fairly late at night when Jason Kendrick stumbled down the sidewalk in a drunken haze. He didn't make it very far before being interrupted by a seductive call.
"Hello there." A female voice purred in the distance.
For a moment he had to question if he was imagining it. Sure enough, however, he saw a woman walk around the corner of the sidewalk. He was blinded by beer goggles, but she didn't seem very old. If he squinted, maybe he could imagine she was eighteen. She was tall though. In fact, she was taller than him. He had to rub his eyes for a moment before raising a brow.
"Eh? Sorry, hun, but I think you've got me mistaken for someone else. We've never met." He slurred his words a bit as he swayed left and right.
The mysterious girl just laughed. "But we could get to know each other, right?" She asked playfully.
Jason thought about it for a moment. "Well." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You look fun." He admitted.
"Goodie!" She clapped her hands together. "Just one question before we start." She narrowed her eyes. "Are those car keys in your hand?"
The man was confused. "Uhm.. Yes? Yeah! They are. Why?"
The girl stepped closer, glaring down at him. "Car keys? You plan on driving even though you're drunk? Don't you know how wreckless that is? How many people die every single day because of that?"
Jason groaned. "Listen lady, I'm not here for a PSA. If we're not going back to my place, I'm leaving."
At that very moment Jason noticed that the keys were missing from his hand. His eyes widened. Where did they go? When did they go? The girl snapped her fingers, and he was filled with an overwhelming wave of remorse. It was too much to cope with. He fell to his knees and held his head as tears erupted from his eyes.
"I'm sorry!" He cried out, shrieking and sobbing like a child needing changed.
The tall woman just sighed. "That's good. Think about tonight next time you plan on driving drunk. I don't care if you die, but the people you're putting at risk don't deserve it." She turned her back to the man and began walking away.
As Jason sniffled, he felt his pockets were lighter than before. His cellphone, wallet, and watch were all missing. It didn't make any sense. How had he been robbed? Why was he crying? His mind couldn't put the pieces together. He just curled up on the concrete and sobbed.
Shirlie Brooks got into Jason's car and stretched her arms. After yawning a bit, she looked over to the passenger seat. "Nice work, Pepsi." She smiled.
Another teenager appeared seemingly out of nowhere a moment after Shirlie finished. They had an apathetic mist about them, and their face was clouded in a fog of distortion. It's not like they were invisible… It was just impossible to notice them. In fact, Jason didn't notice them stealing his belongings until it was far too late. They handed Shirlie the keys without a word, relaxing a bit in the leather seat.
"Where to next?" They asked apathetically.
A smile tugged on Shirlie's face as she turned the keys in the ignition. "Washington D.C."
Jotaro, Josuke, Shizuka, and Marina landed without incident at a small airport just outside the city limits. It was refreshing to go so long without some sort of enemy attack. Marina's private jet really helped in that department. Yes, they made it. Washington D.C., short for "District of Columbia" was founded as the nation's capital on July 16th 1790. It took ten years for Congress to officially set up in the city. Washington D.C. is unique among all other cities in the United States because it was founded specifically to host the federal government and serve as the nation's capital. It is not a part of any of the 50 states, instead acting as an independent district. It has no senators or conventional house representatives despite having a larger population than some states. Washington D.C. is the home to the Speedwagon Foundation's main facilities. There is also a location in Texas USA, and two smaller departments in Tokyo and Meguro Japan.
Before they could meet with Wagner, they had to wait a few hours for the Foundation to prepare him. Jotaro suggested a nice restaurant to pass the time. So, they found themselves arriving at a lovely little family bar on the outskirts of town. They were all fairly tired. Japan is thirteen hours ahead of Washington D.C., so it felt like they'd been up much longer than they actually had. It was only early morning stateside. Shizuka was slumped on the table with her head down, while Marina looked around curiously and Jotaro was reading a news article on his phone.
Josuke stood up, stretching his arms. "I'm going to get a drink. Jotaro, do you want something?"
Jotaro just shrugged. Marina lit up though. "I'll take a beer."
Jotaro smirked slightly. "Not in the United States you won't. The drinking age here is twenty-one."
Marina just stared at him. "Bull. Fucking. Shit. What in God's name is wrong with this country?"
Shizuka shrugged, sitting up lazily. "It's not all bad. You get used to it," She reasoned.
Marina scoffed. "Spoken like someone who can't drink in any country. Fine. I'll have Soda-Pop, or Squirrel Piss, or whatever they call it here."
"Three cokes, Josuke." Jotaro mumbled, wiping his face tiredly.
Josuke nodded his head, walking over to the bar and waiting to be seen. As he stood there, a young woman approached him. Emphasis on the young. She seemed to be about sixteen or seventeen. He wondered for a moment how she got in without an adult. Despite that, she smiled at him.
"Hey there. You from around here?" She asked seductively.
Josuke was far from interested. He just looked at her dismissively, taking his wallet out and waiting for the bartender. He grabbed a few bills, ready to pay and walk away as fast as possible. "Sorry, but I'm here with friends. I'm not really in the mood." He mumbled, hoping she'd walk away.
The girl was tall. Very tall, actually. Josuke noted that she was about his height. She had to be at least six feet. He rarely saw men his size, let alone a woman. It was a little jarring. She had shoulder-length red hair, pale, flawless skin, and a small scar underneath her right eye. She rolled her eyes a bit, walking closer. "Oh, c'mon. You can't buy me one drink?" She asked.
He stepped away, clearly uncomfortable. "Kid, I'm twenty-six years old. You're putting me in a really awkward position right now."
She stepped back, crossing her arms in a pout. "Fine, fine… Have a nice day." She muttered, walking away and sitting on a nearby stool.
Josuke sighed with relief, getting his drinks and sitting down at the booth once more. "Sheesh, that American girl just hit on me. Does that happen all the time?" He asked Jotaro, sliding his coke across the table.
Jotaro shrugged. "Women usually watch me from afar. Maura says I'm intimidating, dismissive, and cold."
Josuke laughed a bit. "All true. How're things with her anyway?" He was clearly oblivious about the divorce.
Jotaro just looked down at the table for a moment. "Not good, but it's fine."
Josuke frowned. "Not good? How come? You two are like, perfect for each other. Did you forget your anniversary again?"
Jotaro shook his head. "Now's not the time, Josuke. Maybe later." He mumbled, sipping his drink.
Shizuka was staring absentmindedly at her older brother. She noticed something strange. After tilting her head curiously, she mumbled. "Hey Josuke? Your nice heart necklace… Where'd it go?".
Josuke dressed very well, even in casual settings. He regularly wore button-downs with dress pants, a tie, and a long dark coat. Today was no exception. On top of that, he wore a gold locket shaped like a heart at all times. It had a "J" carved into it, and was given to him by his mother for high school graduation. He looked down in shock. "Wha- Wait… Where'd it go?"
He patted himself down, eyes widening in realization. "My wallet's gone too! And my badge... "
Everyone was a little tense now. "Did you leave it on my plane?" Marina asked.
"No, I just paid for these drinks like two seconds ago. How could I have misplaced them so fast?" He wondered aloud slowly thinking it through. His eyes narrowed darkly and he glared across the room. "Hold on…" He told the group, standing up.
Josuke walked over to the woman from before. "Excuse me, miss. Could I ask you a few questions?"
The girl's eyes shot wide with fear, and she let out a shrill cry. " HELP! This creep just grabbed my boobs! HELP!" She screamed, stumbling out of her stool and tearing up.
Josuke threw his hands up in disbelief, his face turning red in shame and fear. "W-WOAH! No I didn't! Oh my god! I just wanted to ask you a question!"
The girl was sobbing now, backing toward a concerned patron. The man put himself between her and Josuke. "Hey, punk, are you groping girls in a family bar? What are you, some kind of sick freak?"
Josuke was completely taken aback. "I didn't touch her! She stole my wallet!"
"Where would I put your wallet?" She asked between tears. The girl was wearing short-shorts, a crop top, and heels. All she had was a tiny purse.
Josuke looked carefully and realized she was right. His wallet was big. So was his badge… She didn't have them on her person. His face flushed red as he began to feel like a real piece of work. Multiple men approached as they tried to assess the situation. Jotaro walked up, resting a hand on Josuke's shoulder.
"What's going on, Josuke? Is something wrong?" He asked calmly, pulling the man further away from the girl.
Josuke frowned. "I… Well…"
A man stepped forward. "Are you two related?" He asked, crossing his arms.
Jotaro nodded his head. This caused the man to poke his chest roughly. "Mind if I see some ID? We might be reporting this to the police."
Against his better judgement, Jotaro reached into his coat pocket in an attempt to grab his wallet. Then…. Nothing. He froze for a moment, a shiver running up his spine. How was he robbed? He would have felt something! Star Platinum would have stopped it. He had no way to prove his identity.
"I'm Dr. Jotaro Kujo… I work for the University of Florida. My family and I are on business here. This is all just an annoying misunderstanding."
"Well, Doctor, I think we should all sit down and have a talk. Maybe wait for the police to come settle it?" The owner of the bar walked out of the crowd, patting a stool.
Shizuka's eyes moved to the crying girl. Something was definitely off. Josuke hadn't even touched her. The thought couldn't help but tug at the back of her mind; was this an enemy Stand user? How else would the girl have managed to rob Josuke and Jotaro? She scanned the room for anything suspicious, and came up with nothing. She noticed Marina getting up, however, and walk over to the growing crowd.
"Excuse me, but why're we all gathering around my good friends here?" She asked with a sour tone.
The owner of the bar raised a brow. "These pervs are your friends?"
She snapped her fingers. "Oi! Why're you calling them pervs? Because this girl says so? Well, I'm a girl, and I'm saying they're not. So then, let's settle on equilibrium and be on our ways, hmm?"
There was some hushed conversation amongst the makeshift mob. Finally, the bartender relented. "Just… get out of my restaurant. Deal? This doesn't need to be some big thing."
Marina snapped her fingers once more, pointing at the man. "Wonderful! Glad we're all in agreement. Just… One quick thing."
Bubblegum Bitch manifested, swinging her bat right at the girl. Of course, she stopped just short of her lying face. However, this was enough to startle the swindler. The young girl was paralyzed in fear. She could certainly see Bubblegum Bitch, proving that she was a Stand user.
The girl was in utter distress. Her Stand came out, towering over her. In fact, the Stand was enormous. It was as unnaturally tall as the user, standing easily over ten feet. It was tan, the color of the girl's flesh. Pink spikes protruded from its shoulders, and it had large muscular arms. It wore a blue sleeveless jacket, and a black mask that covered its eyes with yellow diamonds by each hole. Its jawline was strong, and it had flowing pink hair. The left side of its head was shaved, and the right went down nearly to its shoulders. Finally, it had pink boxing gloves on with blue stars on the back of each hand. Oddly, it seemed to resemble a man more than the feminine User.
The moment the enemy Stand appeared, something resonated within the others. Jotaro, Josuke, and Shizuka were shocked to feel their Stands come out without their instructions. The girl noticed all of their Stands, gasping again.
"You all have them too?" She asked incredulously, like she'd never even imagined such a thing was possible. She clearly felt cornered; eyes darting around the room as she searched for an escape. "Pepsi, we've got to go, now!"
Jotaro's eyes lit up. Pepsi? Was that the name of the girl's Stand? No, that didn't seem right. She almost seemed to be looking for someone. Were there two Stand users? He looked around for whoever the girl was talking to. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, she was gone. He let out a sound of shock, turning around and searching for them. "Did anybody see where they went?"
"N-No." Josuke was also rapidly searching, unable to find anything. "It's like she just stopped existing. Is this her ability?"
Marina groaned as Bubblegum Bitch slung its bat over its shoulder. "Shizuka, let's go." She shouted.
However, the Shizuka that was sitting in the booth flickered and disappeared. She wasn't there anymore. How long had a fake been posing in her place? Marina, Jotaro, and Josuke didn't have time to think about it. They just sprinted out of the restaurant in pursuit of the thief.
Shirlie Brooks stumbled outside in a frenzy. She stumbled into the nearest alley before pulling away from her twin. When she did so, the mysterious teen vanished from sight for a moment. Pepsi quickly made themself visible to Shirlie once more. Despite this, it was still impossible to read their expression. For as long as Shirlie could remember, Pepsi had a blank, expressionless face and virtually no body language to note. Still, she was able to tell that her sibling was frazzled by the experience.
"Pepsi.. They're like us. They have shades." Shirlie panted, leaning against a wall. "Maybe we should have talked it through? Maybe they're not bad people?"
Pepsi just looked down the alley, their eyes fixated on something. After a moment, their eyes narrowed a bit, adjusting to whatever abnormality existed in the air. There was a slight distortion that their enhanced perception could notice. "I see you." They said, manifesting their Stand and pointing down the alley.
After a moment, Shizuka appeared. She raised her hands calmly. "Listen, none of us want any trouble. Just give me back my brother's things, and you can go. Okay?"
Shirlie stepped forward, bringing out her stand. "Pa-Pa-Power, what do you think?" She asked the massive spirit hovering beside her.
The moment Pa-Pa-Power appeared, Ultra Violet was forcibly ejected from Shizuka. It felt strange and unsettling for her Stand to appear without direction. It had to be a part of Shirlie's ability. Shizuka just gritted her teeth, preparing herself for a fight. The large Stand thought for a moment, turning to its user with a frown. It seemed to give her… puppy-dog eyes? Like it didn't want to fight Shizuka. Shirlie crossed her arms in disapproval.
"Really, Power? You trust her? Why? "
Shizuka looked in fascination at the two. Shirlie was interacting with her Stand like it was a separate entity capable of independent thought. She'd never seen anything like it. The Stand looked down for a moment before shrugging and clasping its hands together.
Shirlie sighed. "Pa-Pa-Power, she wants to take the money back. We need the money. We've gotta fight her... So like, it'd really be doing me a big favor if you got amped up about it. You're seriously bumming me out."
Power relented, looking over at Shizuka with an expression of sympathy. Then, it gave a thumbs down, flexing its muscles. Shirlie laughed, striking a pose. "That's what I'm talking about! You're going down, kid!"
Shizuka had bigger problems. She looked behind Shirlie for a moment, only to realize she'd lost track of the other one. "Where's Pepsi?" She questioned, taking a step back.
Shirlie didn't have an answer. "Beats me. It's impossible to notice them unless they want you to. They're also not much for conversation, unlike me. I usually do enough talking for both of us though. That's why you and your friends are in trouble. Because if I pick the right words, I can drag things on… and on…. And on…."
Shizuka's eyes widened. It hit her. Shirlie was stalling. The other one had to be close. She couldn't see them though. Where could they be? Then, in a sudden jarring moment, Pepsi appeared before Shizuka. Of course, it was too late, because they were in the middle of punching her in the face with brass knuckles. Shizuka's eyes widened.
" What!?" She shouted, stumbling backwards and landing on her ass. Then, just as quickly as Pepsi appeared, they were gone. Shizuka held her face in pain. Something important definitely cracked; she'd have Josuke fix it later. "Listen! I know you're scared, but you just need to take a step back and talk!" Shizuka reasoned.
Shirlie scoffed. " Scared? Me? I think you're the one who's scared. Anxious of a building danger… You can feel it coming. It's bigger than anything you've had to face in your life, isn't it?"
Shizuka was confused once again. "H-How do you…?" She mumbled under her breath. Her face was throbbing with pain. She was getting dizzy, and could barely stumble to her feet.
This just brought a laugh from Shirlie. "Well then, looks like this is already over, huh?"
At that moment, Pa-Pa-Power emerged from the tall girl and crossed its arms. The Stand was clearly upset. Shirlie raised a brow. "What, you big baby? It's not like she's telling the truth. She wants to get back at us for stealing their stuff."
The Stand's face scrunched up, and it pointed at Shizuka once more. Shirlie shrugged, groaning. "We don't need more friends. You want more friends. This isn't a discussion. We're defeating her, and we're moving on."
Tears began to pour from the Stand's eyes, and it lets out silent wails of disappointment and anger. Shizuka was seriously confused by their interactions. How could a user argue with her own Stand? How could she be feeling something different than her Stand? It was too confusing. She appreciated that some part of Shirlie didn't want to fight. Still, her head was reeling from that punch; and she couldn't locate the other one… It was getting easier and easier to feel panicked.
Shizuka took a deep breath. She had to calm down. She needed to think. The real danger came from Pepsi. She couldn't see them until there was physical contact. That's a horrible disadvantage, but it wasn't unbeatable. Shizuka was confident with Ultra Violet's speed, she just needed to wait for another attack. She just needed to focus…
Shirlie was busy arguing with Power. She stomped her foot. "Knock it off, you big baby! Just because you're upset doesn't mean I am! I'm fine! We have a plan, and we need to stick to it!"
Power punched the wall with his boxing glove, shattering a few bricks and causing a loud sound. Shirlie's eyes widened for a moment. "Power! The others! They'll hear that! Stop it!"
Power didn't care. He started punching the wall more and more. Shizuka watched in fascination, still waiting for Pepsi. And sure enough, she felt another strike. The enemy appeared the moment their fist connected with Shizuka's stomach. Ultra Violet snapped into action, managing to punch Pepsi a few times, sending them flying back. They landed against Shirlie, disrupting their Stand ability. Finally, Shizuka could see their Stand. It was tall, like Power, and the Stand was long and cloaked, shrouded in mystery and darkness. It towered over the teen, glaring at Shizuka. When they made eye contact the Stand leaned forward and hissed. Shizuka stumbled back in shock. Why did these Stands have such personality?
Shirlie got back up, brushing herself off. "Watch where you're going, Pepsi. Sheesh! I didn't expect her to hit you. Did you even see it happen?"
Pepsi wiped their face in irritation. "Get a grip on Pa-Pa-Power. Use him to finish this." Is all they said.
"You heard them, Power! Do you wanna see Pepsi get hurt again? If not, let's get this done!"
Shizuka was ready for whatever would come next. However, everything was disrupted with a bang. The brick wall behind the siblings burst forward, sending debris everywhere. A loud battle cry could be heard, and dust filled the alleyway. Shizuka's eyes finally adjusted, revealing Jotaro standing on the other end of the alley. He glared down at the siblings.
"Yare Yare…. I found you. Shizuka! What's the situation?" Jotaro shouted.
Shizuka quickly replied. "The blurry one can vanish! Like me! But they don't make a sound, or anything! It's like they cease to exist! You've got to be touching them to see them! They're the threat!"
At that moment, Pepsi disappeared. Shirlie groaned, looking down at the ground in anger. " They're the threat?" She asked with a growl. "Really…? Y'see Power? They plan on defeating us. Are you getting this?" She stood up, bleeding from several cuts. The shattered bricks sliced both siblings up quite a bit. She was stumbling left and right as her Stand appeared. "They think we're weak! Are we gonna let them think that!?"
Jotaro narrowed his eyes. "Star Platinum!" He shouted. But he didn't finish. He didn't activate his ability. He felt a sudden and horrible strike of anxiety.
Shirlie turned to face him, staring into his eyes. "You've got a lot of emotions in there, tough guy..."
Jotaro couldn't explain it, but he was suddenly a total wreck. Sweat beaded down his face as he felt utterly horrified. It was like… Well, it was like that night in Egypt. It was the same feeling he experienced when facing DIO. He could recognize it instantly. Never again in his life had he ever felt such tangible, potent fear…. Shirlie tilted her head, smirking.
"Emotions are hard, huh? And you don't seem to deal with them. You bottle them up. How about we dig in then? C'mon." Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Let it all out for me!"
It all came crashing down. Jotaro was bombarded by every negative emotion he'd ever felt in his life. His fear of DIO, his anxiety over Maura… His utter hopelessness as a father… He couldn't help it… He fell to his knees, gasping with dry heaves. No oxygen was coming in, though. He was full-on panicking. Tears welled in his eyes, and a sob escaped his lips. Shizuka was in disbelief. Jotaro Kujo, crying? It seemed to go against nature itself.
At that moment, Pepsi struck him in the chest. He fell back, covering his face to protect himself. Star Platinum lashed out with hundreds of punches, but he couldn't see them anymore. Then, from behind, another impact. And another. And another. He was overwhelmed by his emotions. All the while, Shirlie had fallen to her knees as well. She wiped away her tears, looking at them. After a moment, she let out a sob.
"Oh my gosh…. Hah.. This is pretty intense." She admitted, clearing her throat. "You really know your pain, my man… I can barely cope with this."
Jotaro felt another strike against his face, causing white noise to whine in his ears. He couldn't focus. He couldn't think. He could only dwell on the many failures of his life. He could only suffer what he deserved. It had finally come to a boiling point. He must have broken… He couldn't protect Shizuka. He couldn't protect Jolyne. He certainly couldn't protect Maura. He would do everyone a favor if he died right there.
Shizuka was piecing it together. Shirlie was the source of whatever was wrong with Jotaro. But she seemed to be suffering the same misery. That's why Pepsi was attacking him. Shizuka ran over to Shirlie, getting ready to attack her. In a fit of rage, Pa-Pa-Power appeared. He swung at Shizuka with fury. Ultra Violet could only barely dodge the attack in time. Shit! So the Stand was protecting Shirlie. Shizuka had to get to Jotaro. She had to stop this now. She just needed a plan.
To be Continued...