After quite an eventful night basking in nature's beauty, the crew was sprawled around a modest cabin-styled motel room at Panamint Springs Resort, California. It turned out that Hotel California got its name for a good reason. They were spewed into Panamint Valley about three miles from civilization. Luckily, Jotaro had his wallet on his person. Joseph couldn't rent a room on account of his face contradicting his ID. They didn't plan on staying for long, though. The group just needed a few hours to lick their wounds and plan their next move.

Joseph, Jotaro, Josuke, Marina, Ripley, Trish, and Polnareff were sitting on the far side of the luxurious queen cabin. Shizuka was still unconscious on one of the beds. Pepsi and Shirlie weren't speaking. They were shaken up from everything that happened inside the hotel. Someone definitely had to talk to them, but nobody wanted to be the one to step in. There were more pressing things putting them in immediate danger. Shockingly, none of the Joestars were mental health experts.

Professor Kujo spread his legs, resting his folded hands in his lap and leaning down to get a better look at Polnareff's turtle. The Frenchman in question was peeking out the top like a child's toy. It was a little strange to say the least. Jotaro cleared his throat, lifting a hand up and running it up from his chin to his mouth.

"I just don't understand, Polnareff. We picked continents and split up. I didn't expect that to be the last I ever heard from you."

"Things got dicey. By the time I realized how much trouble I was in, it was too late. There wasn't a way of getting into contact with you. If I tried, Diavolo would have set his sights on you too."

"Diavolo?" Jotaro raised a brow.

"The original head of Passione. I'm not at liberty to say much, Giorno wouldn't approve. I'll just say that he was dangerous. I'm not sure if you would have even stood a chance."

"Unlikely." Jotaro mumbled under his breath. "Never met a jackass who lived up to the hype."

"This jackass did, Jotaro." Polnareff warned. "Giorno only beat him because of his Requiem."

"And what is a Requiem Stand, Polnareff?" Joseph leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. "How is he so strong?"

The silver-haired muscle man frowned. "Mr. Joestar, you know I can't reveal gang secrets. I'll never forget our journey to Egypt, but Passione has been a home to me for almost a decade now."

Jotaro stood up. Everyone looked up at him in surprise. His expression seemed unreadable. He reached down into his jacket and pulled out a cigarette. Placing it between his lips, he walked outside and closed the door. There wasn't much talking for a minute or two. Finally, Trish spoke.

"And what's his problem?" She mumbled.

"I've never seen him act like that." Marina crossed her arms, glancing over to the door.

"He'll tell us what's wrong when he's ready. We've got bigger things to worry about." Joseph said sternly.

"Sorry, hotstuff, but I think you're the one with big problems. I need to get Polnareff home. Giorno's probably tearing the place apart looking for us." Trish sighed.

"Getting a flight to Italy might be a problem right now. Madam Dolly's tendrils run deep. If she thinks you're a problem, you're not getting home." Ripley muttered grimly.

"And who's Dolly then? I thought you were fighting a Blondie?" Trish spat.

"What's your problem, babe? We're all stuck here together. No need to get your thong in a knot." Marina sat up, leaning a little closer to Ripley defensively.

"My PROBLEM? My problem…" Trish stopped herself, resting her face in her hand.

"Trish." Polnareff waved his hand to get her attention. "Come in and calm down for a minute."

She stood up, rubbing her face with a sigh. Then, she stepped right onto the turtle, her leg being absorbed inside. She was gone in a flash, leaving a few of them rather speechless.

"So, we jump into turtles now?" Marina chuckled, unable to remember seeing that very thing earlier in the Hotel.

Josuke patted his lap a few times, biting his lip. "Maybe I should go talk to Jotaro? Tensions seem high. Can't have that when the stakes are even higher."

Joseph waved his hand dismissively. "No need, my boy. I'll go ask him what the fuss is about. The man needs to talk about his feelings for once in his life."

He stood up, patting his son on the shoulder before walking over to one of the beds. He fixed Shizuka's hair, kissing her forehead softly. He didn't want to wake her up. He rested his head in her hair for just a moment, standing upright and tucking his shirt in. He undid his tie, tossing it aside and walking out of the motel room. Once he was outside, it wasn't long before he found Jotaro brooding at the bottom of the steps. His dress shoes clicked against the wood as he made his way down, finally stopping beside his grandson. They didn't say anything right away.

After a short while, Jotaro raised a cigarette.

"No thanks. Bad for Hamon." Joseph sighed, rubbing his hands together.

Another bout of silence.

"So… California in the summer. Pretty hot, huh? I've never been used to the heat. Spent my early years in England, spent the rest in New York. Never been one for humidity like Florida. I get swampy."

Jotaro let out a puff of smoke, eyes staring into the horizon. "New York gets hot too, Jiji."

A smile tugged at Joseph's lips. "Not Florida hot, that's for sure."

Jotaro inhaled once again, letting it sit in his lungs for a moment before blowing it out slowly. He closed his eyes, just letting the smoke drift through the fresh air all around them. It would appear that he didn't feel like talking.

"You know… I've spoken to Maura." Joseph spoke in a low, factual tone.

Jotaro's eyes darted over, and he hitched his breath. "Since?"

"Before all of this. The morning that Shizuka disappeared, I called your house. You typically catch it before the second ring on a summer morning."

"Typically." The younger man sighed, putting the cigarette between his lips and looking away.

"Maura picked up. I was in such a frenzy that we didn't talk long. She was in a frenzy too. I get in my own head from time to time, if you can believe it, so I didn't really ask why she was so upset."

"Jiji, you're kidding." He grumbled sarcastically, putting his cigarette out in the ashtray before flicking it away.

"Easy, you little punk. You're never too old to get an ass-kicking from Grandpa." Joseph pointed his finger right in Jotaro's face.

Jotaro gently slapped it away with a weak smile. "It's hard to view you as Grandpa when you've got fewer wrinkles than me."

The senior laughed, feeling his own skin for a minute. "I will admit, it's been nice not complaining about my damn back. Feels like that's been my go-to line for over twenty years."

"What did Maura say on the phone?"

"She said that she had no idea where you were. That one day you just weren't home when she got back from work. Next thing she knew, there were divorce papers sitting on her desk."

No response. He just stared into the trees.

"Jotaro, I know you've never been one for sensitive words."

"Actions speak enough." He interjected, gripping the railing.

"And what do your actions say to Maura, then? That you don't love her anymore? That you don't even view her with enough respect to do this kind of thing in person? As far as screwing up marriages goes, you're gonna have to get in line if you want any sympathy from me. From what I see, you still love her, and you're making your problem her problem for no reason."

"When did this adventure turn into a seminar on improving my marriage? Shizuka might not be blood, but she landed pretty close to your tree, Jiji." Jotaro groaned.

"She talked to you about this?"

"Won't stop talking to me about it. Especially since she saw how the house was doing. Jolyne hates my guts, Maura's a mess, and now they're both in some remote protection because Dolly might try to kill them. Let me ask you something, old man, what the hell am I supposed to be doing? It seems like everyone's got a real good idea from the outside looking in, so go ahead and tell me how I should be keeping my wife and daughter safe."

"Safe from what?"

"Everything. How am I supposed to sleep in that house knowing the next Dio might waltz through the front door? How am I supposed to relax on the couch when a Stand User might be plotting their deaths? Maybe next time it'll be someone I can't stop. I was so close to losing last time, Jiji. So close…" He gritted his teeth, shaking his head and turning it away. He clutched the railing so hard that his knuckles turned paper-white.

"Is that what's going on, then? You've spent your whole life spooked about the next Dio?"

"Dio wasn't anything special. He was a man that got his hands on the arrow. Anyone could do that. Stand Users are drawn together like magnets. Every minute I spend in my home is another minute they're in danger."

"Christ almighty, Jotaro, why didn't you ever talk to me about this?"

"Because what could you have done for me, old man?" He shouted, his voice bouncing off the mountains. As he listened to his own hostile tone reverbing through the resort, he sighed. "Nobody can protect me. I'm the strongest there is. It all stops with me. If there's something I can't do, it can't be done." He spoke in casual defeat, like there wasn't any way to fix his woes.

It would seem he finally let his heart out.

"Oh, gimme a break." Joseph scoffed.

That wasn't the reaction Jotaro expected.

"You ever fly a plane into a volcano, hot stuff? You beat a scary vampire, try beating three. Try beating something that can't be killed. I had to launch Kars into space using the eruption of a god damn volcano. He cut off my hand! I thought I was dead. You know who can share that experience with me? You know who I have to talk about that whenever it keeps me up at night?"

"...nobody?" Jotaro looked down with a frown.

"My wife, you little punk." Joseph poked the man's chest. "She's the most perfect, loving, understanding firecracker this side of the Milky Way. Anytime something's bugging me, I sit her down and talk about it. Of course she can't understand. Nobody can! But it still feels nice for someone to know. Have you ever talked about Egypt? How it made you feel?"

Jotaro just shook his head.

"So you've let this fester and grow to the point that it's ruined your marriage. I can almost excuse that. Relationships fall apart. You live and learn. But what I can't let slide is your bond with Jolyne. You've been this distant brooding sack of shit for her entire life. She can't see inside your head, Professor Numbnuts. As far as she's concerned, you're just a deadbeat who abandoned her mom! Of course she's pissed. She's a Kujo. I'd expect nothing less."

"I don't want her to understand, Jiji. I want her to live a happy, normal life. I don't want her to worry about Stand attacks, or the end of the world!"

"Well boo hoo, little man. Life can't always be what you want." Joseph crossed his arms.

"I'm doing this for them." Jotaro growled.

"You're doing this for you. You're doing it because you don't want them to be scared. You don't want them to live life in the real world. Well guess what, champ, they already live in it. You're depriving them of more than just yourself, you're depriving them of a choice. Have you ever considered giving Maura a Stand? That way she could protect your daughter? Hell, go ahead and give one to Jolyne too. She's tough as nails."

"Are you hearing yourself? I can't do that. They'd be in danger."

"They're already in danger, Jotaro. So, you have two choices: Leave them in the dark and hope nobody ever comes knocking, or give them a fighting chance if anybody ever does. I feel safer knowing Shizuka and Josuke have Stands. No normal Joe is ever going to give them a hard time. And if they're ever unfortunate enough to get attacked by a Stand User, they can actually put up a fight."

Jotaro was silent. He just leaned against the railing and looked down at his folded hands. He seemed to be considering everything Joseph said, conflict obvious on his face.

"You know… The only thing that really baffles me here is that you feel alone. I mean, look at us. You're in neck-deep against the most powerful enemy we've ever had, yet here you are with a cabin full of people who'd die for you in a heartbeat. A cabin of fighters. You can tell us anything, even if you don't think you should. I'm not gonna force anything, but you should just keep that in mind."

"Yeah…" Jotaro sighed, taking out another cigarette. "While we're on the topic, there's something we need to talk about."

"We haven't already been talking?" Joseph chuckled.

"I think we need to ditch the kids."

Pepsi and Shirlie sat quietly in the corner of the motel room. Pa-Pa-Power held Shirlie close as she rocked herself slowly. Pepsi just stared into oblivion, their eyes focusing on nothing in particular. Nobody had really asked them how they were holding up. That wasn't their fault, though. In times of great stress, Pepsi's Stand emitted a powerful sphere of effect. For all intents and purposes, it was as if the twins weren't even there. Sure, everyone knew they were in the room, but they wouldn't catch any intention until Mist's shroud fell. Additionally, nobody really noticed what they were saying to each other. It was as close to privacy as they could hope to get.

"So… are we gonna talk about it?" Pepsi mumbled, not used to being the one to initiate emotional conversations.

"It?" Shirlie mumbled.

"Don't be like that." They sighed.

"There's nothing to talk about. We got out, and he's gone. What else is there to mention?"

Pepsi scooted a little closer. "What did he do to you before we caught up? Did he use his Stand?"

Shirlie could only nod.

"What happened?" They whispered, resting a hand on their sister's face.

Unable to communicate the grief with words, Shirlie decided to use Power instead. She projected her current despair into her twin's mind, letting them feel the burden. Recognition flickered in Pepsi's eyes. They just leaned closer, nodding their head softly. Shirlie was damaged by her father, possibly irreparably so. Even though the false reality of Feel Good Inc. was fading, she still felt the wounds it left in her mind. She remembered the utter emptiness of Power's absence. She remembered how it felt to be completely alone. It was like the shaky sensation one felt after a particularly upsetting nightmare, but it lasted for hours. Would it ever fully go away? Could the twins really move on knowing their parents still existed in some sense? What if Stella decided Adrian was better and let him go?

They could never sleep.

The clicking of shoes against a wooden floor alerted the twins that someone was approaching. Josuke stood right in front of them, hands in his pockets. He wasn't looking at them, though. He merely turned his head left and right, as if he were trying to figure out where exactly they were.

"I know you two are in here somewhere…" He smiled softly. "Mind letting me into your bubble, Pepsi?"

Shirlie's eyes shot over to her sibling's. They had never been bothered inside Mist's shroud before. How did Josuke even know to look for them? By all logic he should have forgotten they existed until the shroud was lifted. Despite that, there he stood. She reached over, tapping Pepsi's arm.

"S-Should we let him in?"

Pepsi lifted their hand, expanding Mist's shroud of effect to allow Josuke access. Keeping the shroud in a bubble-state was rather exhausting. Typically, the shroud merely clung to their skin, keeping their body hidden from most people's attentive eyes. Expanding the effect to multiple people took concentration. It wouldn't last long. Josuke suddenly noticed the twins sitting in the remote corner. He seemed a little shocked, but recovered quickly.

"Hey you two." He squatted down to eye-level, resting his elbows on his knees. "We should probably talk about what happened earlier?"

Pepsi's expression was hard to read as always. Shirlie was clearly disturbed, though.

"There's nothing to talk about." She mumbled.

"Listen, nobody else knows what happened. I passed out, right? Next thing I know, I'm face down in the grass. That means you two defeated him somehow."

Pepsi shook their head. "It wasn't us."

"Huh? Then how'd we escape?"

"Shizuka." They spoke softly.

"Shizuka got us out? How'd she manage that?" Josuke raised a brow.

"I don't really remember." They admitted. "I was a little distracted, Shirlie was too."

The sergeant rubbed his chin for a moment, shrugging it off. "That doesn't change anything. You two had some old wounds opened up tonight, that much is clear. I've dealt with domestic cases a few times. Thankfully, they're less common in a town like Morioh than you might think. I'm not an expert, but I know things like this don't just get better."

The twins nodded, neither of them making eye-contact with Josuke.

"If your parents were in the hotel, does that mean you two are foster kids?"

"We were in the system for a while. Eventually we slipped away. It was easy enough with Mist." Shirlie explained, hugging her own legs as Power hugged her entire body.

"Why'd you go and do that?"

"We were tired of everyone looking at us with pity." Pepsi grunted. "Tired of bouncing from house to house, always being the outsiders. Everyone always treated us like those poor little kids who needed extra hugs. We didn't want to be reminded of it every single day."

Josuke sighed, shaking his head. Being a Stand User really changed the way you could live life. That didn't make it better, though. If anything, Stands allowed people to avoid coping with reality. It isolated them from the rest of society, solidifying their sense of alienation like a self-fulfilling prophecy. He wouldn't trade his Crazy Diamond for anything, but sometimes he wondered what life would be like without it.

"What did you see?" Shirlie broke the silence.

The sergeant looked a little surprised. "What?"

"He put you under, right? What did you see?"

There was a brief pause while he contemplated. "I don't remember."

Pepsi leaned back against the wall, stretching their arms and letting out a sigh. "That's for the best anyway. It wasn't anything good."

Josuke nodded, seemingly deep in thought. He scooted a little closer to the twins on the carpet, wrapping an arm around each of them and bringing them into a hug. They both seemed a little shocked by this. He didn't let that stop him, though.

"I'm really proud of you two." He said softly.

Shirlie's eyes were wide as dinner plates. "I… I don't understand?"

"You were dealt a rough hand, but you made do. You didn't give up, and you didn't let it turn you rotten. I don't think you understand just how impressive that is." He explained.

The twins didn't have a response. They weren't exactly used to positive reinforcement from adult male role-models. In fact, they had absolutely no idea how to thank him for it. Instead, the three sat there in silence for about twenty seconds. After that, Pa-Pa-Power grabbed Josuke and lifted him up into the air in a big hug. Power squeezed the man so hard that the air was expelled from his lungs. He grunted, then started to laugh as he hugged the Stand back. Despite Shirlie's inability to communicate the meaning of Josuke's words with words of her own, she was able to directly inject her emotions into him with the help of Pa-Pa-Power. He understood just how much it meant after that. There was a connection between them, an understanding.

"Get up here, you two!" He grunted, waving for them to join the hug.

The four of them embraced, laughing among themselves. All the while, everyone else in the motel room was completely unaware anything had even happened in that little corner. It was just a nice, sweet moment of privacy. Even though the twins still felt torn and wounded by seeing Adrian again, they felt for the first time that things might get better. They had a new family, after all.

On the other side of the cabin-style room sat a mini bar. The selection wasn't massive by any means, but it was certainly enough for a few people to enjoy a rowdy night or two. Marina had meandered on over to the bar while everyone else seemed distracted. She lifted one of the bottles, inspecting its label.

"Shouldn't a pretty lady like you be drinking something pink and fruity?" Ripley chuckled, walking around the bar and leaning against the counter.

"I bet you wanna know what my sign is too, hmm?" Marina smirked.

"You're in the states now, Princess. Can't be drinking anymore." She playfully swiped the bottle out of Marina's hands, placing it on the bar behind her.

Marina groaned, reaching over dramatically in an attempt to reclaim the sinful drink. "Oi! Don't ruin the first good thing to happen all day."

"Those are the words of a woman with a drinking problem." The agent stepped a little closer, still grinning ear to ear.

"The only drinking problem I have right now is that I'm not drinking, Secret Agent Buzzkill." She wrapped an arm around the shorter woman's waist, pulling her a little closer. She used this as an opportunity to reach past Ripley with her free hand, grabbing the bottle and placing it on her side once again.

"I've been a professional buzzkill for five years. What can I say?"

"You can start by saying 'I want a drink too, Marina.'" The blonde opened the bottle, grabbing two shot glasses.

"I think I'd prefer to keep my wits. Besides, we're sharing this room with three kids, a ninety-year-old man, two enormous dudes, a strange woman, and a turtle-ghost."

"I'm not trying to get into trouble, agent. I've been a good girl my whole life. Just because I want a drink doesn't mean I'm some conniving temptress."

"You're a temptress alright." Ripley sighed, taking the bottle and pouring it into both glasses. "Do you even know what this is?"

"Some kind of whiskey. Why?"

"Have you ever had straight whiskey without ice?"

"First time for everything. Down the hatch?" She raised the tiny glass.

Ripley grinned, taking the shot and watching Marina's face carefully. Within a second the blonde's face scrunched up. She coughed, holding a hand over her mouth as her nose wrinkled. She moved her hand away, parting her lips as her jaw locked up for a moment. Then, she let out a soft groan.

"Want me to call the front desk and see if they have anything fruity?" Ripley laughed.

"Kiss my ass." Marina groaned.

"Gladly under different circumstances. Maybe when this is over."

Both women fell silent after that. The idea of their journey being over felt so foreign. To be perfectly frank, Marina hadn't even considered her life after everything. For a good bit she was on a pseudo suicidal vendetta. She had some time to think clearly, though. There were reasons to survive. She could have her cake and watch Blondie die a slow death.

"So, what's your plan?" She broke the silence.

Ripley didn't even realize that was directed at her for a moment. "Hmm? Plan for what?"

"Let's say we roll out tomorrow, right? We kill Blondie, destroy Red Eden and restore peace or whatever. What's your plan after that?"

The agent chuckled at the thought. "Well, I'd beg for my job back, for starters. Shooting the head of the foundation with a plasma cannon wasn't really resigning on good terms. I could have at least given her two weeks' notice."

"You'd go back to the Speedwagon Foundation? Why?"

"Why wouldn't I? It's what I do… It's my job. I'm no good at anything else."

"Don't you want to be president? What's the next step there?"

Ripley sighed, sitting up a bit. "I've been saving up for college. Well, that's my story, anyway. I'm mostly waiting for the whole phantom thing to blow over. I guess I'm tight on cash too, when I really think about it. The foundation pays well, but I've been sending most of my money to my family. They need it more than I do. So, once I've got enough saved, I'll probably get an education. But that's a long ways down the road."

"I'll pay for it." Marina said a little too quickly, her tone dead serious.

Ripley's eyes widened, and she nearly choked on air for a moment. Once she caught her breath and recovered from the shocking proposition, she only had one question. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"Blondie killed my dad. I tried to go home, but Red Eden attacked me in my own living room. The house burned down during our fight. My family, my home, my bed... All of my possessions are gone except for the suitcase I packed to Amsterdam. The only thing I have left to my name is a bank account filled with my bloody inheritance. Dad left me millions, but for the life of me, I can't think of a single thing to spend it on. I don't want to go back to my old life. Hell, I don't want to go back to the United Kingdom. If you can make something of yourself with my money, consider it yours."

The agent had nothing to say. How could she possibly accept such an offer? At the same time, looking into the woman's pained eyes, how could she refuse? She just reached over, taking one of Marina's pale hands into her own. She circled her thumb around in a gentle pattern, nodding her head.

"So, you're going to live in the states then?" She asked softly.

"Seems like the place to be, hmm? It's where all my friends live."

"Applying for a green card can be a bitch. Maybe you can enroll in a university? That'll give you a few years stateside."

Marina groaned, letting her head fall back. "Why does it have to be so difficult? I've got nothing I wanna study. Seems like a waste of money going to uni."

"I mean… You don't have a lot of fast options. I guess you could marry an American and get citizenship. Washington D.C. just passed a bill to allow gay marriage. It should go into effect soon." Ripley shrugged.

The blonde raised her eyes, her pale skin turning a tad pink as she laughed. "That's an odd way to propose, Agent."

Ripley choked on thin air again. She straightened her posture, hands roaming the bar awkwardly as she tried to scan Marina's face for some sign of how to respond. "I!" She started to speak, but couldn't find the right words.

Marina laughed even harder, leaning in and placing a chaste kiss on the agent's cheek. She ran her hand over the woman's shaved head. "I accept, but you still need to get a ring. We can pick them together. Y'know, when we survive this."

"Just for citizenship, obviously." Ripley cleared her throat, cheeks flushing with warm embarrassment.

"Now who's the law-breaking troublemaker?" Marina pulled the woman closer, pressing their shoulders together as they both faced the bar.

"It'd be ridiculous for us to get married for any other reason. Not so soon… I mean, c'mon. We've known each other a week?" Ripley stammered.

"I'm just messing with you, Agent Frowns. Let's keep our options open, no? It'll work itself out."

Ripley sighed with relief. She rested her head against the woman's shoulder, reaching down and taking her hand. "You really think it will?"

"Hmmm?" Marina looked down at her.

"Work itself out, I mean? All of this?"

"No use fretting about it. Either we win, or we die. In that case, there's only one reasonable outcome to make plans for."

The door swung open. Jotaro and Joseph strutted back inside. The professor stepped in front of the turtle and crossed his arms. He decided that there was no time like the present, stepping onto the turtle and letting himself sink into its key. He arrived inside a lovely room that seemed disconnected from reality. Upon looking up at the ceiling he could see the motel room he just exited.

Trish was sitting on one of the many couches of the turtle's interior. Polnareff was beside her. She seemed rather upset. Jotaro couldn't hear them too well; they were keeping their voices down. Polnareff gave him a signal to hang back for a moment. He finished up with whatever he was saying then gave Trish a reassuring pat on the back. She stood up, glancing over at Jotaro for a moment before stepping up and vanishing through the transparent ceiling. That left the two alone. Jotaro walked up to Polnareff, seeing his friend at a regular size for the first time in twenty years.

"I don't suppose you can smoke in here?" He revealed a box.

Polnareff chuckled. "I can't, but I'd love to see if you've still got it"

"It?" Jotaro raised a brow.

"Y'know, the trick."

It all came back to him.

He remembered a cold desert night. The Crusaders were huddled up in some trashy hotel in the middle of nowhere. Everyone's spirits were low. Their clothes were filthy, their bodies were caked in sand and sweat, and the power was out. They had a few candles to provide light, but it was unbelievably cold. Huddled up in blankets around a fire controlled by Magician's Red, they all sat in silence. That is, until Jotaro came up with a way to cheer them up. It was uncharacteristic for sure, but maybe that's why it was so effective. He simply got out a cigarette and asked a vague question.

"You guys wanna see something cool?"

No one really expected him to speak. He was always relatively quiet, never known to break the silence. How could they resist? Eventually, Kakyoin nodded.

"I'll bite. What do you got?"

Jotaro placed the cigarette on his bottom lip. Then, he lifted the lighter up to get it going. With the lit cigarette carefully balanced on his mouth, he snaked his tongue up and lifted it about an inch. The cigarette was pointed directly up for a moment. This held everyone's attention. He then let it fall back, the lit end facing down his throat. Everyone stared, marveling at the precision. Any misstep could result in some painful burns. After the cigarette settled, he closed his mouth and crossed his arms. The Crusaders waited with baited breath. Then, with a curt little grin, Jotaro expelled smoke from his nose.

"WOAH!" Polnareff sat up right, pointing at Jotaro in disbelief. "How the heck did you do that?"

"Try it." Jotaro tossed a cigarette over.

Polnareff lit the end over Avodol's flame. Then, he carefully placed it on his tongue. He lifted it up, but failed to balance it properly. The cigarette fell down onto his chin. He let out a short yelp, slapping it off of his face without second thought.

Star Platinum immediately caught the cigarette. It was still lit. Jotaro took four out of the carton, carefully accepting a fifth from his Stand. No one said a word. They just watched in horrified awe as Jotaro placed five cigarettes in his mouth. Star Platinum struck its wristbands together, causing a sharp spark. This spark lit the other four, causing Jotaro to have FIVE cigarettes smoldering in his lips.

"You wouldn't." Joseph whispered, cheeks clenched as he watched attentively.

Jotaro once again lifted his tongue up, tilting his head back and positioning all five of the cigarettes to face the ceiling.

"No! No fucking way! You can't! It can't be done!" Joseph slapped his knee.

"You're a mad man! You're insane!" Kakyoin leaned back, heart pounding.

"Jotaro, your precision is truly unmatched." Avodol bowed his head, still peeking up to see if he could stick the landing.

Without another moment's hesitation, Jotaro allowed the cigarettes to fall back onto his tongue. He closed his mouth tightly, looking at the Crusaders. The punk took a moment to let them stew, building anticipation. Then, he let his eyes widen, expelling an enormous gust of smoke from his nostrils.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOH MY GOD!" Joseph threw his head back.

Everyone lost their minds. The room was simply incorrigible. They wailed, they laughed, they screamed. It was the hardest any of them had rejoiced since embarking on their grueling quest to Egypt. Tears streamed down Joseph's cheeks, Kakyoin produced an almost parodic wheezing sound as he desperately gasped for air, Avodol was slamming his hand against Polnareff's back, daring him to try and replicate the trick.

Jotaro just leaned back with a tiny smirk. The next hour consisted of hardy laughing, storytelling, and each Crusader displaying some odd talent they possessed. Polnareff made it look like he was removing his thumb. Kaykoin had a spot-on impersonation of President Regan. Avodol could put both legs behind his head. Joseph balanced a cup of water upside-down on his nose. His skin surged hamon through the glass, keeping it from spilling down onto his face.

The going was rough, and it would only get rougher from there. Still, it was unbelievably refreshing for everyone to have a good laugh. Kakyoin would never make it back to his own bed, nor would Avodol. For them, the quest was all they had left. They didn't waste their last days, though. Through pain and sorrow, they kept their heads held high. Nights like that kept them sane. In a sense, they almost outweighed the suffering. The Stardust Crusaders had a comradery few could understand. The strongest blades are forged in the hottest flames. Through the fire came a bond unmatched by the rest of the world. That is, for the ones who survived to share it…

"You remember that stupid trick after all these years?" Jotaro asked, the memory nearly bringing a tear to his eye.

The Frenchman smirked. "I've told like a dozen people about it since. They didn't believe it was possible."

Jotaro shook his head, lowering his hat over his eyes for a moment. He cleared his throat, using Star Platinum to instantly draw five cigarettes. His Stand placed them between his lips with lightning-fast precision. Then, sparks flew, lighting all of them. Polnareff watched carefully as Jotaro balanced them upright. He let them fall back, closing his mouth and expelling the smoke from his nostrils.

"You've still got it, you crazy bastard." Polnareff clapped.

"Polnareff…" Jotaro spoke in a serious tone. "How did you end up here?"

Polnareff frowned, looking down at the carpet for a moment. "It's a long story."

"Then give me the short version."

"Well, you took Africa. I searched through Europe. Things seemed normal enough until I started to investigate Italy. At first, it was just simple stuff. My luggage went missing at the airport. I would get phone calls in the middle of the night, but nobody was on the other end. One time a car nearly hit me on the sidewalk before veering down the street and out of sight."

"Someone was trying to scare you." Jotaro mumbled.

"But not kill me. I think they knew about my ties to the foundation. Or at least they had a good idea that killing me would complicate things. Eventually though, I became too much of a pest to ignore."

Jotaro chuckled. "You, a pest? C'mon, don't say such a thing."

"I was getting close to discovering the identity of Passione's leader. Once he felt like you were sniffing around his territory though, you were in trouble. Long story short, he nearly killed me. I was left for dead by the shore. Somehow, I managed to hold onto life long enough for the water to carry me from the rocks and onto the beach. A kind old woman found me. I begged her with my last conscious breath not to call an ambulance. By some stroke of luck, her son was an emergency room surgeon. He patched me up, and that began the long road of recovery. I got prosthetic legs, but they never really worked. I spent the rest of my life in a wheelchair."

Jotaro felt a chill run up his spine. It was quickly followed by rage. "You got lucky, Polnareff. Why didn't you go home after that?"

"I was in too deep. The bastard took my legs. By all accounts I should have been dead! I took it as a sign, some divine intervention. All of the pieces aligned properly for me to keep fighting. So I did. I spent years undercover in Italy. It was difficult evading Diavolo's watchful eye, but I managed to discover a secret. I found a way to win."

"The secret you aren't comfortable sharing." Jotaro sighed.

"You have to understand Jotaro… It's not that I don't trust you with it. I'm just worried about letting anyone know. The only people I've told were there the day we killed Diavolo. Giorno Giovanna, Guido Mista, and Trish Una. We've all sworn to take it to the grave. I got a head start on that." He chuckled.

"How did you finally die?" Jotaro clenched his fists.

"Diavolo killed me. It was a complicated situation that involved a body-swapping Stand. In the end, though, Giorno defeated him and took his place. Since nobody knew the boss's identity, it was easy enough for Giorno to slide right in."

"This Giorno… You trust him?" Jotaro muttered.

"With everything. Honest to God, Jotaro, he might be the best man I've ever met. Pure, strong, smart… The only man on Earth who's more of a total package is me!" He laughed with a toothy grin.

"You know who he is, though?"

Polnareff looked a little more serious. "Yes, he's the son of Dio. We eventually figured that out."

"And you don't mind?"

"I know you sent some high school kid to investigate him. Bold move, Kujo. I get why you did it, but you really didn't have to. Giorno's clean. He's not his father."

The professor sighed, rubbing his face and letting out a quiet yawn. "Why didn't you tell

Passione that you had ties with the foundation?"

"I received a message from Madam Dolly personally. She told me that sharing foundation intel with Passione could lead to dire consequences. I didn't want to start anything. The thought of you and Giorno fighting was a disaster."

"She told me not to go looking for you all those years ago." Jotaro said grimly. "I was told that your body had been found, and that the situation was resolved. They wouldn't even let me see it."

Polnareff didn't really know how to respond to that. After an extended silence, he just hung his head. "Fuck… I'm sorry."

"You're the one who's dead. Why didn't you go home? Diavolo was bad news, right? What happened to returning to France and settling down with a cute brunette?"

"That was never for me. My life ended the moment my sister died. Everything after that was a vendetta. There wouldn't be peace. Even if I survived Diavolo I just would have picked some other hill to die on. That's pride for you." The spirit sighed.

"You spent years plotting his death. Why didn't you ever call?"

Polnareff just laughed. "Isn't it obvious? Summer of 1990, we got in touch. The foundation wanted us to investigate a photo, so we returned to Egypt. Wanna know the one thing I remember from that trip?"

"What?"

"You talked more than I'd ever witnessed in my entire life. You wouldn't shut up about that gal back home. You talked about the things she liked, the stuff she said, the way she held you responsible for your bullshit."

A genuine smile tugged at Jotaro's lips. In return, he had to fight back tears.

"I could tell you were in love. When we split up, you searched Africa. But you made it very clear that come September you'd be back in Florida. I knew that was for one reason. An education could wait… You didn't wanna miss your chance with that woman."

"You didn't call because of that?"

"You were becoming a family man, Jotaro! How could I risk that on a hunch in Italy?"

"I should have been there for you. We could have both lived." Jotaro argued.

"I'd rather have died alone than risked your life too. It was my choice. Don't let it be in vain, Kujo. Tell me how it went with the woman."

It struck Jotaro in that moment just how much Polnareff had missed. He was nearly twice as old and had so many new experiences since they last spoke. Where would he even begin? He lifted up his hand, presenting the wedding ring that always shined on his finger. Polnareff smiled, pointing right at it in disbelief.

"I married her. It's been seventeen years now." He lit up like a Christmas tree thinking about that day.

"And?" Polnareff egged him on, demanding to know more.

"And," Jotaro mocked teasingly. "We had a daughter. Jolyne."

"A DAUGHTER? Oh my God! Tell me you have a picture." Polnareff was nearly wheezing, his voice cracking as he rejoiced.

The taller man chuckled, shaking his head and reaching down into his jacket. He pulled out his wallet, opening it up and removing a picture from behind his license.

"This is her at homecoming last year." He handed the photo to Polnareff.

The Frenchman just stared with a dropped jaw. He couldn't even find the words to express his joy. He just pointed at the picture, turning it to let Jotaro see before turning it back and marveling some more.

"A daughter." He sniffled, wiping his eye. "This is the most beautiful thing I've seen in years… Not your daughter, I mean… More the fact that you have one. You're daughter's gorgeous, but she's not a thing. And she's your daughter." He stammered a bit.

Jotaro just gave him a firm pat on the back, taking the picture with a smirk. "Down, boy." He looked at the picture fondly. "She is though, isn't she? Takes all the best qualities from her mother. All the worst from me." He chuckled, feeling a tear running down his cheek.

"What do you mean? Is she a punk too?" Polnareff laughed.

"The punkiest. She's got this fire in her. Maura says it's the same look I get sometimes. That stubborn, righteous attitude. The inability to back down. It's gotten her in trouble. Lots of trouble." He sighed.

"I wouldn't worry about it. She's got the best dad on Earth looking after her. How much trouble can you really let her get into?"

Jotaro pinched the photo a little tighter between his fingers. He couldn't look away from her. It'd been days since he'd seen her. Not only that… He couldn't remember the last time she looked at him with anything but disdain. Polnareff's words cut him deep. He'd really failed her. He lowered his head, resting it against the photo. The tears flowed freely now, dropping onto the carpet. Polnareff took a moment to realize it was happening.

"Woah, woah…. Jotaro, are you...?" He stepped closer.

Jotaro pulled away from the photo, clearing his throat. When he lifted his head up into the light, Polnareff could see his glistening eyes. He put the picture away, shoving the wallet into his jacket once again. Then, the professor cleared his throat a few more times, seeming to struggle with it.

"I'm fine. I just miss them. I miss her. Kids... It's so nice watching them grow up, but sometimes you just want them to be a little kid again. You want them to look at you like you're Superman. Nothing really beats the adoration in your daughter's eyes… Makes you feel like you can do anything." He wiped his eyes, clearing his throat one last time. "It slips through your fingers, Polnareff. Not even I can freeze a moment forever."

"Poetic. That's not like you." Polnareff joked, trying to cheer his friend up. "And besides, if there's anyone I've met who can do anything, it's you. I'm reckless. I storm into a fight emotionally and without a plan. You do the same thing, but you've got the gusto to pull it off. If I ever heard you lost a fight, I'd hang my hat up certain that the fight just couldn't be won."

"You're too kind." Jotaro mumbled sarcastically.

"You sure you're okay, hotshot?" He asked one more time.

"Better than okay. I'm gonna kill Blondie." He vowed, that fire beginning to shine in his eyes. "And I need your help."

The motel room was rather quiet. Everyone sat in their groups speaking quietly among themselves. Shizuka was still lying in one of the beds completely out cold. Joseph was sitting on the edge next to her, running his hand through her hair. She felt cold to the touch, but perhaps that was his skin. His youth might have been restored, but that didn't mean he felt perfect. Quite the opposite, in fact. He felt like his body was cannibalizing itself. Whenever he had some down time to think, he could feel it happening. The Hamon in his blood was slowly eviscerating every cell of Pillarman DNA Blondie injected into him. He had no idea how long it would take, but eventually they'd all be gone. That would leave him as a ninety-one-year-old man with lung cancer once again.

He cleared his throat, bringing his daughter a little closer. Deciding to raise a baby in his eighties might have been Joseph's most idiotic decision yet. Of course, he loved Shizuka with every fiber of his being. He wouldn't trade her for anything. Still, he wanted to live just a little bit longer. He wanted to see her on her first day of high school. He wanted to see her in a prom dress… He wanted to see her in a cap and gown giving a valedictorian speech in front of hundreds of her peers. He wanted to walk her down the aisle… To hold her child in his arms someday. Then he wanted to watch that child grow too, and to see all of those milestones again.

He just didn't ever want to die.

Joseph had been around a lot of death in his time. The ravages of World War II, polio, Korea, Vietnam, September 11th… When you're as social as Joseph and live for so long, you're bound to know someone who's died in nearly every tragedy. There was a consolation he always held close to his heart, though. When his grandmother Erina died, she said something that stuck with him. She said that she was ready. Unfortunately, Erina was younger when she passed than Joseph was currently. He still didn't feel that content satisfaction; that willingness to let go and run the gambit of some afterlife awaiting you. He'd died once before, mind you. Jotaro informed him that his spirit left his body in Egypt. He could remember, though. Perhaps the human body just wasn't built to understand the great beyond. Or perhaps your soul's remaining vitality returned to the Earth in a never-ending cycle. Joseph had spent so much of his life feeling carefree, but the cancer diagnosis made him very introspective.

Shizuka began to stir in her sleep. It didn't seem like she was awake, but her mouth was moving. If she was speaking, it wasn't loud enough for Joseph to hear. He leaned a little closer.

"Heaven…" She whispered, beginning to look distressed.

"What…? What're you talking about, dear?" He shook her a bit, to no avail.

"Obtain... Heaven..."

"Heaven?" Joseph raised a brow. "What do you mean he-"

The father was interrupted by his cell phone abruptly buzzing in his pocket. It wasn't his business phone; he lost that back at the foundation. That meant it had to be his personal cell. Who on Earth would be calling? He pulled it out, flipping the device open and checking the caller ID. His entire body froze upon reading the pixelated text.

Dolly Harris.

He hitched his breath, a million different thoughts running through his mind. Despite that, his body seemed to move on its own. He cleared his throat, lifting the phone up to his ear and clicking the green button to answer.

"Hello, Dolly." He spoke in a sickly smooth, calm tone.

"Joestar… It's so good to hear your voice. I might go as far to say it's divine." Blondie purred on the other end.

At this point, everyone in the room had perked up and glanced over at Joseph. They weren't sure they heard him right, but his expression said it all.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" He clenched the phone, small purple vines leaving his fingertips and slipping inside. Hermit Purple was gathering information.

"Put me on speaker. The entire room deserves to hear this." She ordered.

Joseph pulled the phone back a bit, tapping the speaker button and motioning for everyone to gather around. Marina shoved her hand into the turtle, gesturing for the people inside to come out and listen. Once they were in place, Joseph continued.

"I'll ask one more time, why are you calling me?"

"You really shouldn't leave your phones on, team. Now I know exactly where you are. Panamint Springs Resort, California. Such a lovely place. Have you gone for a hike recently? Enjoyed the fresh air?"

"Hang up. Whatever she wants, it's nothing good." Marina looked seconds away from bursting with rage.

"That accent… Is that Marina Archer I hear? Darling, it's so good to put a name to the face. I didn't know you were Neil's girl when we met. You're the one with the feather, I take it? The one who killed Joyce?"

Ripley placed a hand on Marina's shoulder for both support and control. She didn't want the girl to freak out and ruin whatever Joseph was doing with Hermit Purple.

"You're the one who had my father killed. And the reason my house burned down. How's it feel knowing you're only days away from feeling my bat plunge so far up your ass it sticks up through that perfect hair of yours and turns you into a skanky kabob!?"

Everyone let that sink in for a moment. Blondie sounded delighted on the other end. She laughed for a solid five seconds before responding.

"You're just an absolute treat, aren't you? But the adults are talking, poppet. Be a good girl and sit down. I'm speaking with Joseph."

Marina nearly lunged forward, but was held back by Ripley and Jotaro. She was fuming, yanking her arms free of their grip and crossing them in rage. She stood there silently, grinding her teeth together for some release.

"You've got five seconds to tell me what's going on, Dolly. Otherwise I'm hanging up and smashing the phone." Joseph warned.

"Easy, easy, easy… What could I be stalling for? I already know your location. This is a peaceful call, I promise. Consider it an olive branch I'm extending to you."

"Go on." Joseph wasn't convinced in the least.

"We know how this song and dance goes. I want the feather. You have the feather. If I don't get it soon, I'll need to reinfuse myself with new Pillarman DNA. That's rather painful, and it doesn't last forever. You, on the other hand, have no more DNA. If you don't come to my lab soon, you'll die. So, help me help you. Bring the feather to New York. I'll grant you the immortality you deserve. Your entire family can have it. You're strong, Joseph. The Joestars deserve a place in my new world."

"Dolly, you have no idea how much it hurts to hear you talk like this. I used to respect you. What happened to you?"

"Oh grow the hell up, Joseph. If you think something caused this, you're naiver than I thought. The feather, BRING IT TO ME. Don't try anything cute, either. You've got no more friends in the world. I took care of Giorno Giovanna. Without the foundation, you're just a man. A brilliant, dangerous man. That's why I'm offering this deal. If you don't come, I'll have to hunt you down. Do you want that? Do you want to watch your daughter die, Joseph? Both of them? Your son too…"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Some part of his heart still refused to believe that this was his Dolly. It was undeniable, though. She wasn't the woman he thought he knew.

"New York, then?" He pulled Hermit Purple out of the phone.

"I know where the rest of your family is too. They'll be fine as long as you come to me in time. You have ten days. That's more than enough time to get your affairs in order. If I don't have what's mine by then, you lose a family member a day until I do."

Jotaro was terrifyingly silent. He just glared at the phone, dreaming of the hundreds of ways he could pummel her with Star Platinum.

"D-Did she say she took care of Giorno?" Trish mumbled, trying to wrap her head around that.

So much information was being thrown their way that the group nearly missed that.

"You're lying." She shook her head. "You're just lying!"

"So many fun accents. Is that woman Italian, then? So you have some members of Passione with you? Perfect. That saves me a phone call." Blondie growled. "If I feel like Passione is trying to interfere with my plans… There are going to be problems. If there's a member of Passione anywhere near New York… If there's any reason to suspect that they're hacking our networks or tapping into our calls… If I see an unattended bowl of spaghetti within a hundred god-damn miles of my base… There are going to be fucking consequences. Have I made myself clear? This is between me and the Joestars. Foreigners need not apply."

"You think I'm going to let you get away with this, Blondie?" Joseph growled.

"Oh Joseph, I've never needed a man's permission to do anything. You can't stop me."

"Stronger beings than you have said the same thing, you vile woman." He clenched the phone even tighter. "Underestimating a Joestar is hazardous to master plans."

"Which is why I'm not underestimating you. I have files on each and every one of you. I know what to expect. I know what you will try. I'm accounting for all of it. Then bring the feather, try to stop me… I implore you. See you in ten days."

With that, she hung up.

"We need to move Jolyne and the others. She knows where they are." Jotaro said right after the line dropped.

"Move them where? How long will it last? No…" Joseph dropped his cellphone onto the carpet, smashing it with the heel of his shoe. "We're going to New York."

"It's obviously a trap." Josuke grunted.

"Tell me, son, how effective is a bear trap against a steamroller?"

"Well… not very?" Josuke raised a brow. "Not sure I get the analogy, though."

"It doesn't matter if she's trying to lure us into some kind of ambush. We're stronger than her. We're smarter than her. We'll walk right in and kick her ass. I've got ten days to come up with a plan." Joseph proclaimed confidently.

"Still feels silly walking right into a trap." Jotaro sighed.

"Name a single better choice." Joseph countered.

"Fair point. Then we should really consider what I talked about earlier."

Joseph frowned, looking down before nodding his head. "Oh I know... "

"What did he talk about earlier?" Marina mumbled, not liking the sound of it.

"In a minute. Let's just take inventory…" Joseph rubbed his chin. "We have two members of Passione with us. They aren't involved. It'd be best to get them home."

"Can't think of a way to make that happen. Blondie's shut the border for us. Think we'd make it through customs?" Polnareff sighed.

"Looks like that bitch went and got us involved." Trish ground her teeth together.

"I still refuse to believe Blondie killed Giorno. It has to be some trick. She's trying to get into our heads." Joseph theorized.

"I have to call Naples. Give me a minute." Polnareff sank back into the key.

"Is there anyone we're missing? What happened to the cowboy?" Marina glanced around the room.

"Cowboy?" Jotaro raised a brow.

"Oh yeah, I think I remember him. Horse guy." Ripley nodded.

"Hol Horse?" Joseph was bewildered. "Hol Horse was in Hotel California?"

"Definitely. Big guy, gun Stand, looked to be around thirty. You know him?" Marina said.

"Hol Horse shouldn't be in his thirties. He's got to be nearly sixty by now. Are you absolutely sure?" Jotaro questioned.

"Listen professor, I know old dudes when I see them. Maybe he had a skincare routine like Gramps over there?" Marina shrugged.

"That's not how the Hotel works." Pepsi spoke in a soft voice from the corner.

Everyone was reminded of their presence, a little startled when they spoke up.

"Then explain." Joseph said.

"The Hotel isn't a part of time. It's possible that Hol Horse was grabbed decades ago for us, but only spent a few weeks in the Hotel. Maybe a few months max." Shirlie elaborated.

"That doesn't make any sense. Shouldn't the hours we spent there have translated to months in the real world?" Jotaro asked.

"Well," A little voice cut in. "If your view of time is limited to a linear flow with equidistant points moving along a predestined path, yes. Fortunately, that's not how it works. A Stand that works with time is complicated. I've thought an awful lot about this."

The room fell silent. That voice… It was Shizuka.

"It's very likely that a Stand like Hotel California operates more on a time-flux. A temporal loop, as it were, constantly cycling through the remaining lifespan of its user. Look at it more like a clock than a line. The hands move, but they constantly overlap. They always return to the same numbers time and time again. In this case, Stella's life is the clock." Shizuka hopped out of bed as she explained this, her expression seeming completely alien. She wasn't composed like a child. Not only that, but the way she used her voice seemed different too. It was as if a completely different person had awakened in her body.

"Shizuka…?" Joseph stepped toward her cautiously. "Do you... feel okay?"

"Why wouldn't I? I'm per-" Her back suddenly arched, head tilting up as she fell to her knees. The child hugged her stomach, eyes staring up in shock as she choked on thin air. Then came the throbbing headache. She cried out, clutching her forehead as she fell onto the floor. She quickly went into fetal position, grunting in pain.

"What the hell!? Shizuka! Shizuka, are you okay!?" Joseph lunged toward her, placing a careful hand on her shoulder.

"BRAIN!" She cried out, gritting her teeth.

The entire room crowded around her. Josuke pushed past everyone else. Crazy Diamond touched the girl, but nothing happened.

"She's not under attack… Crazy Diamond doesn't work on illnesses. But if she were having an aneurysm or something, I'd be able to fix it!"

"Shizuka, can you hear me?" Joseph laid her on her back.

Her eyes were still bulging wide. She stared up at her father in confusion. The little girl was mouthing something rapidly, but it was too sloppy and haphazard for anyone to understand. Jotaro had a deep understanding of biology, yet he had no guess as to what was happening. He knelt down beside Joseph, looking into the girl's eyes.

"Old man, you're gonna have to forgive me for this." He sighed.

"What? What're you going to do?" Joseph turned to face him

It wasn't a fancy Stand maneuver, or even an act of medicine. Jotaro just took his right hand, reeled it back, and slapped Shizuka across the face. Her little head swung to the side, providing no resistance to his strike. She stopped mouthing silent words, and her breathing hitched rather suddenly. The girl's pupils began to shrink, and some focus returned to her eyes. After another second or two, she coughed. Shizuka stirred on the floor, rolling onto her side and coughing a few more times. Tears were welling in her eyes, but she seemed to be regaining control.

"Ouch…" She groaned, reaching up and rubbing her cheek. "Uncle. Uncle." She waved a hand in surrender.

Joseph finally exhaled, bringing her into a huge hug. "Oh Jesus Christ… Today has officially been too much. For Pete's sake, what did I do to deserve such a rollercoaster?"

"I'm up, I'm up." Shizuka whined groggily. "Where the heck are we?"

She finally looked up and saw everyone huddled around her. They all just stared with baited breath as her father hugged her tight.

"Wait… I'm not dead, right?" She laughed nervously.

That broke the tension. Everyone laughed with her, absolutely spent from the gauntlet of both physical and emotional trials they'd endured. It wasn't long before the adults started heading to bed. They were all so tired. The lights were out within ten minutes, and everyone quietly settled in all around the room. Pepsi and Shirlie shared a pullout couch, Trish slept inside the turtle, Jotaro and Josuke shared one bed while Joseph and Shizuka took another. They found an air mattress that had been shoved into a closet, so Marina plopped onto that. She was too nervous to offer Ripley to join her, so the agent slept on the floor with a blanket and three pillows.

They all finally got to enjoy some well-deserved rest. It felt like an eternity since some of them had slept in a bed. Their bodies all felt heavier than lead as they relaxed into the bedding. Soon, the room was absolutely silent. Despite waking up mere minutes before, Shizuka was quickly out like a light. Everyone else followed suit. Yes, it seemed like they were all in for a full night's sleep. They had a short respite before the trials ahead.

That's how it seemed.

After most of the room fell asleep, a group meeting was actually gathering inside the turtle. Joseph, Jotaro, Josuke, Trish, Polnareff and Ripley all sat around the lavishly furnished turtle discussing ideas for their next move. They spoke with hushed voices, not wanting any of the kids to hear if they peeked inside.

"You're suggesting we leave the kids here?" Josuke questioned.

"It's not the most comforting option, but those don't seem to exist at the moment." Jotaro sat back on the couch with a sigh. "Let's face some facts… Those kids have nearly died over ten times in the past week because of things that have nothing to do with them. If we take them to New York there's an even greater chance of losing them. So what if we leave them here? Pepsi's ability will make them all nearly impossible to find. Shizuka can also turn them invisible if need be. Marina's a brute. If they need to fight anybody off, she's got that front covered. Not to mention the psychological damage Shirlie could deal in a bind."

"Are we disarming ourselves by leaving such useful abilities behind, though?" Josuke frowned.

"They're kids, Josuke." Jotaro retorted.

"Hell, I was the same age as the twins when Kira terrorized Morioh. What's the problem?"

"That was different. You were at home. There wasn't anywhere for you to go. We shouldn't take children into a warzone just because they're strong."

"You're being pretty quiet, Joseph. Not really like you." Josuke raised a brow.

The man just ran a hand through his brown locks, shaking his head. "I think Jotaro's right. It kills me leaving Shizuka here, but I can't imagine what I'd do if something happened to her on the road."

"So, you don't trust that Blondie's going to make getting to New York easy?" Polnareff asked.

"I think there will definitely be attack dogs trying to steal the feather. She knows that bringing us right to her is risky. If her men can kill us on the way, that's just a bonus." Joseph sighed.

"What about you, Trish? You don't have to come with us. You could wait this out with the kids." Polnareff offered.

She just scoffed. "Like hell. If that bitch killed Giorno you need all hands-on deck. I'm not babysitting while you get yourselves killed."

"Then it's unanimous. We should leave before sunrise. It'd be best to have everyone sleep in shifts. One person can travel outside with the turtle while the rest shelter inside. I'll take the first shift outside. Get some sleep, Jiji, you're next." Jotaro stood up, stretching his arms.

"Oh brother, I'm getting deja vu…" Trish groaned, resting her cheek against her hand.

Ripley was rather uncomfortable. She was considered just old enough to be a part of the adult group. Still, she'd grown quite close with Marina over the past few days. Not only that, but she really related to the twins. And Shizuka? She felt like that little firecracker was more dangerous than any of them. The agent sat there on the sofa, clenching her hands down on her knees as she looked for a way to articulate her feelings. Jotaro noticed this.

"Raven." He spoke her first name, something she rarely heard. "You look a little pale. Is everything alright?"

Her eyes shot up, and she cleared her throat. The woman straightened her back, shaking her head. "I don't think we should leave them alone. I think," She hesitated for a moment. "I think I should watch over them. Y'know, give them some expert supervision."

Jotaro glanced over at the old man.

"It really would make me feel better to have someone with her credentials looking after the kids." Joseph admitted. "This isn't your fight anyway, Ripley. If you think this is best, you have my support."

She simply nodded, swallowing heavily.

"Okay then. Everyone, get ready to move out. Grab whatever you need. Do it quietly." Joseph ordered, standing up and glancing through the ceiling. "I need to do something, too."

As everyone silently clamored for what little possessions they had in the motel room, Joseph made his way over to his daughter's sleeping form. She was bundled up in the luxurious comforter with two big pillows under her little head. He squatted down beside the bed, resting his forehead against hers and taking a deep breath.

"Goodbye." He whispered, kissing her forehead.

He took one last look at his daughter, fearing beyond reason that it would be his last. Wasting little time, he grabbed his wallet and got into the turtle. Soon, the room was empty except for Ripley, Jotaro and the sleeping children. Jotaro placed a hand on the knob; keeping the turtle tucked snugly between his arm and chest.

"We left you about two-thousand dollars cash for food. Keep charging the room to my card. If anything suspicious happens, have Pepsi shroud you all and find another place to stay. Make the money last. I don't know when we'll be in touch again." Jotaro explained carefully.

Ripley nodded nervously. "You've got it. What am I supposed to tell them when they wake up?"

"Tell them we're sorry." He sighed, opening the door.

And with that, they were alone in the world.

The next morning, Shizuka rolled over in the large bed. She kicked her feet out of the wadded bedding, thrashing her arms lazily to break free. The child let out a tired groan, her dark hair frizzy and stuck at odd angles. She finally sat up, wiping her eyes and looking around. She expected to see a busy room filled with family and friends. Despite that, she didn't hear the muffled conversations of considerate early risers… She didn't smell Jotaro's coffee, or Josuke's hair product. As her eyes focused, she was rather surprised to see a nearly empty room.

The only people she could see were Marina and Ripley. The two were quietly conversing by the bar. Shizuka hitched her breath, quickly turning herself invisible with Ultra Violet. She left a light clone lying in the bed, quietly stepping onto the carpet and approaching the women. What were they talking about? Where was everybody? Could she just be acting irrational?

"And you're okay with this?" Ripley asked softly.

Marina was still trying to rub the morning gunk from her eyes. She'd barely been up two minutes and already had a bombshell dropped on her. Life seemed to come fast lately.

"Do I have a choice? They left. You guys didn't give me a chance to object. Guess I have to be okay with it."

"I'm sorry… It wasn't my idea. At least I stayed, right? I didn't want to leave you… Any of you, I mean."

The blonde just groaned, nodding her head. "Fine, fine… I'm just worried, that's all. What if they're not enough? We're talking about the fate of the world here."

"We still have the feather. If they fail, I'm sure we'll get our chance to stop her." Ripley spoke grimly.

"Well I sure fucking hope it doesn't come to that? What're we supposed to tell Jojo? Papa went to pick up a pack of smokes? This is the little tyke who stole daddy's wallet and flew to Japan without an ounce of shame. Now we're supposed to keep her out of this?"

"She's a child, Marina. Surely you can see that." Ripley spoke through clenched teeth.

In a wispy flash of light, Shizuka appeared between the women. Her expression was cold. She just stared a thousand yards into the wall, deep in thought. Ripley stepped away from the bar in shock.

"Sh-Shi.. Shizuka!" She caught herself from swearing last minute.

Marina's eyes darted over to the bed. She was just in time to see the clone fade away. The blonde smirked, shaking her head. "We've got a damn trickster on our hands."

"What do you mean they left?" Shizuka interjected, dialing back a few lines in the conversation.

Neither woman had the heart to break the news. Eventually, Ripley swallowed her emotions and cleared her throat.

"Well, honey…" She looked for the right words. "Blondie called last night. She provided us with an ultimatum… Er.. She gave us a clear choice."

"I'm not five years old, Ripley, I know what an ultimatum is." Shizuka pounded the bar, glaring at the agent.

"Woah, cowboy…" Marina raised her hands defensively. "Reel it in. We're pissed too."

"What did she say on the call? Where is everyone?" Shizuka turned to Marina.

"Simple, really. If they don't bring the feather to New York in ten days, she's going to kill your family."

"But you just said we have the feather? What's going on? Just talk to me like an adult for two fucking seconds! This is important!" Shizuka demanded.

Ripley's eyes widened. She mouthed the word "language" but knew better than to scold the girl at such a tense moment.

"Uh… Shit, kid… I don't know what to tell you. They left the feather because they're going to fight. We're supposed to hang back and protect the goods." Marina shrugged.

Shizuka stumbled back with a desperate expression. "No." She shook her head, "They won't be able to beat her. Nobody can. Don't they understand? It's supposed to be… There's a plan."

"That is the plan, Jojo. What's been up with you? You keep talking about things that make no sense! You ran right for the firebird. We nearly died trying to find you in all the smoke. Now you're saying that there's some grand plan that we've derailed? Who's the mastermind, then?" Marina questioned.

"Tsuru! Agh, it doesn't matter. I can't explain because I don't know! I just know that there's something really, really important that's going to happen in ten days. Where are we? What country? What state?"

"Panamint Valley, California." Ripley leaned against the bar, narrowing her eyes with skepticism. "Why?"

"Ten days… Around two-thousand-five-hundred miles… We can make that easy. I need an Atlas. Somebody go buy an Atlas from the gift shop or something." She snapped her fingers, pointing for the door.

"Shizuka!" Ripley shouted. "We're not going anywhere! We're staying right here and protecting Kars's feather. Bringing you and the feather right to Blondie's doorstep is pretty much the exact OPPOSITE of what your dad asked me to do!"

"You can't stop me, so why not help?" It wasn't even a threat. She just spoke it so casually, like it was a fact of life.

"I just! Because…. Gah! What makes you so special, kid? Blondie's unbeatable, unless we bring you to fight her? What's your plan? How can you stop Rapture?" Ripley demanded.

"I've got ten days to figure out a plan, Ripley. Be reasonable."

"Be reasonable?" She squeaked. "I'm the only one in this room being reasonable! We're not going! We're keeping the feather right here, and that's final."

"That's final, huh?" Shizuka crossed her arms, giving Ripley a quick one-over with judgmental eyes. "Pepsi, Shirlie! Where are you?"

After a moment, the twins appeared right beside the bar. Marina jumped a bit in shock, groaning.

"Fucking hell! We've got to put some bells on you guys. If anyone else pops into existence I'm gonna flip."

"Are you two with me?" Shizuka asked the twins.

Pa-Pa-Power was clutching Shirlie's shoulders from behind. He clearly looked conflicted. The tall girl just crossed her arms, looking away for a moment.

"They left. Why risk our asses for them?" She mumbled.

"What?" Shizuka looked genuinely surprised. "What about you, Pepsi?"

Their expression was masked by a thick purple fog. Shizuka felt her stomach drop. Sure, she would go even if they all stayed behind, but she really expected some support. The child looked down for a moment, feeling a little embarrassed. Was she being unreasonable? Something deep within her just knew the adults wouldn't be able to succeed. She had a role to play. With few options remaining, she looked up at Marina with a silent plea. Her eyes dug into the woman's conscience. After a moment, she was visibly uncomfortable.

"Why're you looking at me…?" Marina frowned, shifting nervously.

"You haven't said whether or not you're going." Shizuka fired back.

"Well, the feather's under my protection. So don't expect to take it with you." Marina warned.

"Guess you'd better come along then, right?"

"Guess you'd better stay here. We can't go, Jojo. Your dad made it clear. He wants us to stay put. Why can't you just let them take care of it?" Marina sighed.

"Why aren't any of you on my side!?" The child shouted, stomping her foot.

"We're all on your side, Shizuka. That's why we're staying here." Ripley tried to reason.

"Tell me something, Ripley…" Shizuka pointed at the agent. "When Blondie infects the world, what will you tell the survivors? When the virus has ravaged our population to a fraction of its current size, what are you going to tell the grieving, confused stragglers that remain? Will you be able to look them in the eye knowing that you did nothing? What about your family? Will all of them live? Are we going to be sitting on the ruins of society whining about what we could have done? Will we ever forgive ourselves for sitting around a motel room, gorging ourselves on room service while the world is destroyed? Or are you going to stand up and TRY? Will any of you just try with me?"

The room was silent. None of them could look her in the eye. She felt completely alone. Sure, her family abandoned her, but that was for her own good in their eyes. She could forgive it. But her friends were supposed to have her back. She felt the crushing weight of doubt on her shoulders. They all thought she was insane… They didn't believe her one bit.

"Is that a no…?" She asked softly, squeezing her left arm with her right hand, biting her lip anxiously.

No response. They couldn't find the right way to counter what she said.

"...you only get to be young and stupid once, guys." Pepsi mumbled.

Everyone stared in awe. They really didn't expect Pepsi of all people to break the tense silence. Marina couldn't help but chuckle at their comment. She reached over and grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the night before. Pouring another shot, she shrugged.

"I'll drink to that."

"It's nine in the morning, Princess." Ripley quipped.

"Not a fuckin' role model, babe." Marina threw it down the hatch, slamming the shot glass against the bar with a hiss after.

"It's a 'drink at nine' kind of day, isn't it?" The agent sighed.

Everyone felt Shirlie's anger at the same time. It was literally impossible to ignore, all things considered. She huffed, tapping her foot.

"You're really considering this? Even after they abandoned us?" She questioned.

"They didn't abandon us, sis. They did this to protect us." Pepsi placed a hand on her shoulder.

Shirlie slapped the hand away. Power immediately grabbed it, rubbing the hand against his cheek as tears welled in his eyes. He scooped Pepsi into a big hug, lifting them off the ground and crying silently. They all felt his desperate plea to get along. Shirlie's subconscious was at it again.

"Alright, alright. Put me down, big guy." Pepsi gave him a hefty pat on the back.

"How would we even travel? Y'know, in the hypothetical situation where we actually went?" Marina raised a brow.

"Oh, we can get you a car." Shirlie shrugged like it was nothing.

"That's kind of our thing." Pepsi admitted.

"Well, that's a car. But we only have two-thousand dollars cash. With gas, hotel rooms, meals… It'd be tight." Marina mulled it over. "Unless… I might be able to access my bank account. Not here, obviously. I'd need to get to a bigger city. We'd pretty much be golden from there."

"You guys can't be seriously considering this." Ripley asked in disbelief.

"Honestly Agent, I'm a little confused by your reluctance. Didn't you already throw away your comfy position and join a rebellious squad when you shot Blondie with a hulking plasma cannon? Methinks you protest too much." Marina smirked.

"I'm not protesting too much! I owe so much to the Joestars. If something happened to Shizuka, they'd never forgive me. I'm responsible for her. I'm the adult here!" Ripley pleaded.

"Nothing's going to happen to me, Ripley." Shizuka reassured her confidently.

"You can't know that!"

"I can. I don't know how, but I just can. You have to believe me." She looked dead serious.

After short consideration, Pepsi stepped forward.

"I trust you." They said firmly.

"Me too." Shirlie joined her twin.

Pa-Pa-Pa Power stomped into line and gave a slick salute, puffing his chest out proudly. Then, Marina stepped forward and smiled at the child.

"You're one hell of a kid, Jojo. If this is just a matter of trusting you , I'm sold."

Shizuka smiled, cheeks warming as she was flattered by her fellow ne'er-do-wells. Finally, her eyes drifted to Ripley. She held her breath, waiting to see what the agent would say. She feared that without everyone's support the mission would fall apart. The oldest of the group just rubbed the bridge of her nose, groaning in defeat. She shook her head, stepping forward.

"I don't wanna say I sat around eating room service while Blondie destroyed the world." She admitted.

Everyone cheered. A haphazard group hug started out of nowhere, probably by Pa-Pa-Power. They all squeezed together, laughing as Power lifted the five into the air. Eventually, he put them down. They caught their breath, quickly shifting gears.

"Okay. We've got ten days to cross the country. Mr. Joestar was right, though. Odds are Blondie's sending Stand Users to intercept their group and steal the feather early. Once they find out we're traveling in two groups -and it is a matter of when- they'll be on our case too. I'd say we have about a day of free travel before they pick up on our trail." Ripley explained.

"Got it. So, what's the plan?" Marina asked.

"Pepsi and Shirlie, go get us a car. Don't pick something exotic. Think old and crappy. We want to be one of many on the road. We'll mess with the plates to make it even harder to track." She ordered.

"Aye aye." The twins quickly fled the room.

"Marina, take the cash and go to the general store. It's about a ten-minute hike up the path. Think rationally. We need food that can last a few days in the car that's also rich in energy. I don't want to stop anymore than we have to." She snapped her fingers.

"You got it, boss. Anything else?"

"An Atlas. We don't want to use any kind of GPS. It's too insecure. We'll be using cash and maps the entire way. Old school, off the grid, just like the pioneers." She chuckled.

"Did the pioneers pack Coca Cola? Because I'd like some of that on the road." Shizuka nudged Marina's arm.

"Snacks, food, maps! I'll be back in thirty!" Marina hurried outside, closing the door behind her.

This left Shizuka and Ripley in the room alone. The agent looked down at the child with a sigh.

"I'm sorry." Ripley mumbled.

"Don't be. You were only trying to keep me safe." She smiled.

"Let's just hope I'm not even more sorry down the line."

"I'm not dumb enough to ask what could possibly go wrong, but I'm feeling pretty good about this." The child grinned, walking over to the bathroom and flicking on the lights. "No reason we can't all take quick showers before we go. I'm pretty gross right now. Five minutes tops." She shut the door, leaving Ripley alone with her thoughts.

Within an hour they were packing up the car. Pepsi kept Mist's shroud over the entire vehicle. It took a great deal of focus, but they didn't want its owner to notice a bunch of teens packing groceries into the trunk. Soon, they were all loaded inside Ripley got into the driver's seat and turned the keys in the ignition. It roared to life, the engine chugging just a bit as it got started.

"A 2002 Honda Accord, huh? That's your definition of crappy and old?" She sighed.

"Pretty crappy." Pepsi shrugged.

"Pretty old." Shirlie added.

"Oh, for crying out loud… I drive one of these." The agent shook her head, pulling out of the parking lot and leaving the resort.

"Alright! Let's hit the road!" Shirlie cheered, kicking the seat in front of her. That happened to be Marina's seat, as she was sitting in shotgun.

"Oi! Don't make me come back there and stick your feet to the floor." She threatened.

"Don't make me turn this car around." Ripley threatened.

Shizuka was in the middle seat of the back row, scrunched between the twins. Pa-Pa-Power was partially materialized and shoved in the trunk. His body phased through the groceries, and his head peeked through into the inside of the car next to Shirlie. It was hard being big. He rested his chin on her head, just happy to be so close to all of his pals. It was going to be a fun road trip! That much was absolutely certain.

Somewhere in a hidden basement, Aura sat in a beanbag chair. The room was very small. In fact, there was only really room for the beanbag chair. The bed was indented into the wall. It was about seven feet long and four feet high. An outsider would say it looked more like a casket than a bed, but Aura liked the enclosed feeling. Instead of a door, she had one of those beaded curtains that barely obscured the view inside. She was resting her head against the wall, multiple speakers playing alternative music in a delightful surround-sound experience. Tons of witchy trinkets and new-age memorabilia packed the tiny room. She was really into pagan stuff lately. The best part of having such a small room was the ability to swap out your decorations whenever your passions changed. You get a lot of mileage out of five or six knickknacks when the room only allows for one person to stand in it at any given time.

Her transcendent auditory experience was cut short by the feeling of a phone vibrating in her lap. She groaned, pausing the track and lifting the phone up between her toes. She focused, managing to answer the call using only her right foot.

"Yes?" She groaned, the very existence of whoever was on the other line clearly annoyed her beyond understanding. "2002 Honda Accord?" She raised a brow, taking a sharpie and pulling the cap out with her teeth. "Yew… gott-et." She spoke poorly with the cap between her lips.

Aura wrote the car's make and model on the wall with her sharpie. She carefully inserted the market back into its cap without writing on her flawless pale skin. Then, she spit the sharpie across the room and leaned back. Her leg was still angled toward her head, the phone situated between her toes as she listened.

"And you're absolutely sure? Good… Yes, you're right. Staying behind and watching for stragglers was the right move. It seems like we've got two Joestar parties to crash. Which one has the feather, though…. Oh, this is so stimulating." She stretched her arms, moaning as her back cracked. "Well go ahead and follow them. We've only got two orders… Get the feather, and kill Shizuka Joestar. Everything else is at your discretion." She pulled the phone away for a moment as her foot cramped.

The short woman dropped her phone, cursing under her breath as she grabbed it with her hands like a regular person. "Yes, yes… I love you. Now make me proud." She purred, hanging up and turning the music back on at full blast. She closed her eyes, running a hand down her body sensually.

"You… are so… beautiful." She whispered to herself.

To be Continued…