The auditorium might have been roaring with excited spectators, but Shizuka and Marina were far from cheerful. If the child's hunch was correct, Felix Felicis had sown "seeds of fate" into the universe to bring the two there that evening. Now it was time for his harvest. He had them right where he wanted them. What could he possibly have planned? Was there a hitman waiting in the pitch-black audience? Was a section of ceiling on the verge of collapse? Or would he finagle them into a box and saw them in half? Magicians can't be trusted. That's definitely the lesson to take away from this. Felix waited for the applause to die down before continuing his show. Once the audience was a little tamer, he twirled his staff around with a smirk.
"Thank you, everyone! Thank you oh so much! Now that the skeptics are gone, let's begin anew. Allow me to take you on a journey through your own mind. By the time you leave tonight, you will believe in magic. Not only that, but two of you will walk away with seeds planted in your fate! That's right! I'm going to give two lucky members of the audience their own seeds of fate to harvest!"
Shizuka had a bad feeling about that. Two? A little too specific for her tastes. It seemed painfully obvious that the lucky winners would be the unexpected recipients of the Joestar reservation. Things were heating up. They needed to find a way out. Fighting Felix was an impossibility. He was surrounded by adoring fans. Not only that, but the building was likely bustling with security guards. They were at a severe disadvantage. Not only that, but Felix seemed to be able to be able to plant seeds at least a few hours in advance. It also seemed like there were limitations to his ability. Otherwise, he would have gone through the trouble of bringing them here. He would have had their hotel collapse, or cause a car to plow into them on the sidewalk. Was he just toying with them? Or were there "rules" to killing people with seeds of fate?
If she couldn't figure out the secrets of Felix's Stand, they were going to lose.
"How are you feeling about walking into the bear trap now, Einstein?" Marina growled.
"You're the one who followed a ten-year-old into the trap." Shizuka gnashed her teeth together anxiously. Things were bad. Neither of them were paying much attention to the show. He could fire doves out of his sleeves all he wanted. They were more focused on getting out and regrouping with the others. Felix wasn't an idiot, though. He must have planted seeds that would harvest if they tried to leave. A falling piano? Maybe a shooting? No, for the time being it was safer to remain seated.
"What's your plan, Jojo? You're better at plans. I just need to get close enough to crack that pretty face with Bubblegum Bitch's bat." She whispered.
"When a fly squirms inside of a spiderweb, all it's doing is wasting energy." Shizuka explained with a surprisingly calm tone. "If we try to escape without a solid strategy, all we'll be doing is squirming in his web. I need a minute to work some things out. So just keep your guard up."
Marina leaned back in her seat with a sigh. "Christ. We went from bears to flies rather quickly, didn't we?"
The child wasn't paying attention to her friend anymore. Her eyes were locked on the performer. Even though he wasn't returning the favor, she knew that she had his undivided attention. The battle had already begun. Not only that, but Felix had made the first move. She needed to figure out what that move was, and fast. Calculations, probability, the butterfly effect; Felix needed to be using his Stand to comprehend all of these things in real time. No one is that quick. Could she really hope to outthink such a Stand? If Shizuka Joestar knew anything, it was this:
Tempt your fate with luck and a smile.
"Before we get to the fun bits, I have something to say. There is a very special little girl in the audience. In fact, I was informed that she might just be my biggest fan." He smirked.
Everyone applauded as they searched the room for the girl in question. Shizuka had a bad feeling that she knew the answer. Sure enough, a spotlight came to life moments later. She was illuminated for the entire crowd to see. Her lavender eyes adjusted to the sudden burst of light. It caused the violet streaks in her hair to shimmer a bit, contrasting the stark black locks surrounding them. Then, through the beam, she could see Felix glancing down at her with a big grin. He made one miscalculation, though. The moment the spotlight flashed, Shizuka used Ultra Violet to mask Marina from view. The blonde was confused for a moment, but it was her only way to communicate her plan in such a hurry.
Shizuka was going to have to go up on stage, leaving Marina to deal with Felix from behind the scenes.
As long as the brit stayed within twenty meters of Shizuka, Ultra Violet would be able to keep her hidden with minimal issues. It helped that the venue was so dark to begin with. That lowered the amount of manipulation Ultra Violet needed to perform to hide Marina properly. The child cleared her throat, preparing herself mentally for what came next.
"There you are, sweetheart! Don't be shy! Stand up, stand up now! Come up here! You're a very special guest." Felix pointed at her with his staff.
All Shizuka could hope was that Marina understood her directions. She stood up to thunderous applause. Then, she took to the stage. Her shoulders were tense, and she hunched into herself as everyone stared. Every step toward Felix felt like another nail in her coffin. He wouldn't kill her in front of an audience, would he? Still, she couldn't let him touch her. Maybe he had some sort of fast acting poison that could seep through her skin? Or a GPS tracker that would make evading his group impossible? She couldn't be too careful. Her eyes drifted across the auditorium. Only the User of Ultra Violet could see those being hidden by its light. Shizuka saw Marina stalking around the perimeter of the audience. Perfect.
"Now, darling, tell everyone your name! Go on, don't be shy!" Felix snapped his fingers and beckoned for a member of the stage crew to bring a microphone.
Shizuka took the device cautiously, tapping it once or twice to see if it was on. "Uhm, Suzy. Suzy Lane." She said quietly.
"Suzy, everybody! What a special little thing!" Felix didn't bat an eye at Shizuka's lie. "And, if I understand correctly, you're here with the Make a Wish Foundation?"
That was something. "R-Right…" She stammered awkwardly. "I… Uh. My brain isn't doing too hot." She completely screwed up that one. Then again, her response seemed right at home with a dying child whose brain wasn't doing too hot.
"Well, Suzy, even if your end might be near, that doesn't mean you need to go out with a whimper. In fact, I promise to make tonight worth every ounce of hardship coming your way. I hope that in your dying breath, you'll thank me for the memories."
This entire thing seemed a little on the nose. First of all, "Suzy" definitely wouldn't feel better about her death just because some jackass set off a couple of fireworks. Secondly, Shizuka knew that the "end of her life" Felix was referring to would be by his hand, not brain issues.
"Gee, thanks Mister." She mumbled, eyes darting around the room for any potential signs of danger.
Felix chuckled, slamming his staff against the stage and folding both hands over the top. "So, Suzy… I figured we could have a bit of fun together. Would you like to be my little assistant for the rest of the show?"
Everyone let out a happy little coo when he offered the sick child such an important role. However, something clicked in Shizuka's mind at that moment. The audience wouldn't be able to see Ultra Violet. She could just attack him. It would be so easy. He wasn't even looking at her. This Stand of his, how much could it predict? Which was more dominant? Its ability to sow seeds of fate, or its ability to predict likely realities? Did they go hand in hand? How many realities saw Shizuka attacking him in that moment? Ultra Violet was fast. Too fast for Felix to react to if his Stand wasn't out.
Shizuka cleared her mind of all doubt and decided on a plan. She clasped her fist, veins protruding in her wrist as she prepared to attack. Ultra Violet's glowing purple hand emerged from the User's flesh, lifting into the air and flexing with even more intensity. Then, it swung right for Felix's head. Shizuka's eyes widened. Had she done it? Would this fight be over before it began?
Ultra Violet's fist connected alright. Unfortunately, it wasn't with Felix. Shizuka had been so laser-focused on her enemy that she completely lost track of her invisible companion. Marina was right beside Felix when Shizuka launched her attack. The child could see things masked by her Stand, but only faintly. Ultra Violet's fist slammed into Marina, causing the blonde's body to ripple. She looked over at Shizuka in utter confusion.
Then, Shizuka had little time to react for what came next. Marina's skin convulsed around the point of impact for a moment before launching toward Shizuka in the shape of Ultra Violet's fist. It struck Ultra Violet right in center mass, knocking Shizuka onto the floor in pain. She held her stomach, and her head throbbed after landing against the wooden stage.
Everyone gasped.
"Suzy fainted!' A member of the audience shouted in horror.
Shizuka was seeing stars as she stared up at the overhead stage lights. Despite the pain, it was rather humbling to experience the force of her Stand. Achtung Baby was incredibly weak. Ultra Violet packed a real punch. She had grown so much in just a few brief weeks. It wasn't a good time to reminisce, though. She was in the middle of a battle. She regained her wits and glanced up at Felix with newfound respect. The way he looked at her verified that her little fall was by design.
Somehow, Felix had put everything into place. What seeds had he sown? What words did he utter? How did he cause Shizuka to attack Marina at just the right moment? He perfectly blocked Marina's assault and dealt with Shizuka's attack all at the same time. Not only that, but he did it all without lifting a finger and alerting his audience. It wasn't over, though! Marina was right next to him! He'd let her get too close! Bubblegum Bitch was unmatched at a close range. Felix didn't seem to be brandishing a water gun filled with vinegar.
Felix leaned down and offered Shizuka a hand. When she wasn't receptive, he swept her up into his arms and cradled her. She was too shocked to fight back for a moment. The audience roared as he helped up the poor sick child. Shizuka's eyes wandered to the side. She saw Marina ready to swing. At the last minute, Felix did an abrupt turn. Bubblegum Bitch had to stop just short of pummeling Shizuka into paste. The child watched as BB's bat hovered inches from her face. Marina was forced to back away. Shizuka was being used as a human shield.
How accurately could he predict Marina's movements? How many possible futures were there for any given moment? More importantly, how the hell could she get out of this jackass's arms? Felix turned back to face the crowd, leaving Marina with the perfect opportunity to strike his back. She didn't, though. Marina was caught in the same kind of anxiety as Shizuka.
"Okay, everyone! I'm going to make sure this little one is okay! For now, enjoy the Tragedy Dance Troupe!" He shouted triumphantly.
Within seconds the stage was flooded with colorful characters. They were all dressed just as strangely as Felix. Two men were walking on stilts. There were bearded women. They all donned obnoxious top hats. Some of them had tattered clothes with holes all throughout. Others looked like they were worth a million dollars. One man seemed to be dressed entirely by Rolex watches. Who on Earth thought this was entertainment?
The invisible Marina had to carefully dodge all of the choreographed movements around her. Despite her best efforts, the dance was too unpredictable. She was kicked to the floor, and the troupe began to trample over her body. She didn't feel any pain thanks to Bubblegum Bitch, but the position was unfavorable. She lost Shizuka, as well. In all the madness, Felix had disappeared with the child.
In order to prevent her cover from being blown, Marina had to allow her body to be utterly flattened by the feet stomping away at her. A keen observer would notice the texture feeling off, but it was better than the crunch of a normal body. Now that she had several foot holes in her stomach, she rolled over and began to crawl away from center stage. That bastard had really set up an annoying mess.
Eventually, Marina dragged herself up onto two feet at the edge of the stage. She carefully pushed her skin out to normal levels and took a deep breath. That's when one of the dancers ran right at her with a knife. Her eyes widened. The way the dancer was moving seemed too deliberate. She was wearing a clay mold over her face shaped to resemble a screaming man. As the enemy grew closer, Marina took a swift step to the side. The dancer swung her knife, narrowly missing the blonde.
This caused Marina to pay more attention to the dance at hand. Most of the troupe was armed. They did careful moves that could be perceived as attacks from the right angle. It was all a part of the show? No, that didn't go deep enough. Felix must have choreographed the dance himself. He did it to cover all possibilities of Marina's movement. Just when this realization struck her, she felt a firm blow to the back of her head. The blonde fell face first onto the stage with a grunt of pain.
She rolled onto her back once again. The dancers stomped and stabbed and flipped around the stage with impossible precision. They must have been told to ignore anything they might feel during the dance number. To an outside observer it was an entertaining dance. To Marina, it was like a human blender. She was caught in the middle of it. Felix must have accounted for any method of escape.
Sure, she couldn't be cut or bludgeoned by these attacks, but she couldn't exactly ignore them either. Eventually the kinetic energy would build to a bursting point. She also couldn't tell if they were willing enemies or peaceful performers. The air of uncertainty plagued the auditorium. What the hell was she supposed to do?
Felix walked backstage with Shizuka in his arms. Once they left the public view, he threw her onto the floor. She rolled immediately and propped herself up with her hands. Ultra Violet appeared above her, swinging its fist with rage.
"Hooooooooooooooooora!" She roared.
Felix countered by summoning his own Stand. It appeared in a blast of steam, deflecting Ultra Violet's punch in the process. Once the dust settled, Shizuka could see it. I Write Sins Not Tragedies was a peculiar looking Stand. It looked very old fashioned, donning a large brimmed feather hat and an elegant renaissance era doublet. The outfit matched Felix's with bold reds and pure whites. Its pants were poofy, tucked into pointed shoes. Four large exhaust pipes protruded from its back, blowing steam into the air behind it. Aside from the outfit, the Stand seemed completely featureless. Its skin was glossy and reflective like a cheap mannequin. It didn't hold any type of weapon. Rather, its right hand was occupied by a large electric violin. The bow was strapped to its belt, ready to draw at all times.
Shizuka inspected the Stand carefully. It seemed very human-like aside from the strange exhaust pipes. She couldn't help but note the personification of Felix's spirit was made of cheap plastic. The man posed dramatically with his Stand, towering confidently over the child. He was ready to attack at any moment.
"You know, Shizuka…" He purred as the Stand drew its bow. Felix dragged the electric violin's bow across his own tongue, causing a strange hiss to emit from the spiritual instrument. "I don't like getting my hands dirty. I like to look at myself as a modern-day bard. I tell stories! I don't get in on the action."
The child pulled herself up to her feet. She just snarled. "You're a modern-day Shakespeare. Except I don't think he had to pull cheap tricks to entertain the masses."
"Cheap tricks? Is that what you call my art?" He grinned. "First, I'll take care of you. Then, I have something very special waiting for Marina Archer."
"You think you've got what it takes?" She asked, a violet aura resonating around her body. "You're not the first schmuck to try today."
"Yes, Veronica was… unfortunate. I never liked her much anyway. Sort of the black sheep of the family." Felix rolled his eyes. "Don't worry though, I'm not going to give you a pop quiz. I'll be very straightforward."
Shizuka wasn't afraid. She pointed right at him, standing tall with confidence. "Your Stand is weak."
That was certainly unexpected. "Pardon?"
"You can manipulate outcomes… But you have limitations. Otherwise you'd have set up our deaths hours ago. You said it yourself, you're just a bard. You wouldn't pick a fight unless you had to. I've figured out your Stand. You can do incredible things with it, but killing people is tricky. Am I wrong?" She narrowed her eyes.
A dark aura overcame Felix after that. I Write Sins Not Tragedies lifted up its bow and dragged it across the electric violin. A deep, powerful chord vibrated within Shizuka's skull. She could feel it in her bones. Musical notes flew out of the magic instrument and into the distance. Felix just smirked, resting a hand on his hip.
"These vibrations are the butterfly effect, Joestar. My Stand can look into the trillions of possible near-futures and determine the most desirable version. Then, the violin's vibrations reverb through the air and cause whatever subtle changes I need to bring that future into fruition. Do you really think you can stop this? Are you willing to gamble on that theory of yours? Look up!"
Shizuka's eyes drifted to the rafters. Enormous lights hung all throughout the theater. Sandbags, balconies, heavy metal spotlights… All of these could fall at any minute.
"When is my Stand going to make one drop, Shizuka? Ten seconds from now? A minute from now? Or maybe I'll let you kill me… Maybe you kill me, and then a car strikes you on your way home. You can't challenge me!"
"All I've heard so far is a lot of talk! C'mere if you're so tough!" She shouted, clenching her fists.
Ultra Violet swung once again. Felix's Stand tore across the strings of its violin and roared with a powerful vibration. Shizuka didn't care. She followed through, striking Felix right in the middle of his face. The performer was sent flying back into a prop table. It broke under his weight, falling into pieces and scattering zany accessories all over the floor.
Shizuka stepped closer, ready to finish the job. Before she could, Felix lifted his hand.
"Stop right there, Joestar!" He ordered. "If you take one more step, something horrible is going to happen!"
She raised her brow. "Really?"
"Look! Look past the curtain! There's an old woman to the left. She's wearing a large yellow hat, isn't she?"
Shizuka didn't want to risk leaving herself open for attack. Despite that, she felt herself glancing over to the audience. She could only see half of the seats due to the angle from offstage. Sure enough, the woman in question was present.
"In fifteen seconds, she's going to get a phone call and leave! That's what my Stand just wrote into reality! I gazed into her future and caused the right butterflies to flap! She's going to leave, and then something horrible is going to happen to her!"
The child gritted her teeth.
"Within five minutes of leaving, the old woman will be robbed at gunpoint! The situation goes south, and the gunman shoots her dead! It will happen within five minutes, Joestar! It might be thirty seconds, or it might be the entire five minutes! What will you do? Are you going to stay here and fight me? Or are you going to save that poor old lady's precious life? Granted, there's not much of it to save! She's ancient!"
Shizuka's pale little fingers twitched with pure rage. She felt a fury that rarely plagued her young mind. It was directed at that awful man. How could someone come up with such a sick ploy? Just because he could see possible futures, why was that the one he jumped on? Why would he cause such a fate for a sweet, tender old woman? She bit so hard into her bottom lip that it drew a bit of blood.
"You bastard…" She growled, eyes darting back to the audience.
Sure enough, the old woman picked up her phone. She blushed in embarrassment as several members of the audience gave her a stink eye. She grabbed her cane, standing up and walking into the aisle as the dance continued on stage. As she waddled out of the auditorium and through the doors, Shizuka felt her heart drop.
"What's it going to be, Joestar?
She directed her attention back to the enemy for a moment. "Like you didn't lay a trap for me too?" She snarled.
Felix chuckled, shrugging. "Maybe I did? Are you willing to let that stop you? Look at that woman… So fragile... So precious. She looks just like your mother, doesn't she?" He tilted his head.
Something snapped in Shizuka's mind. She stumbled back, heart pounding a thousand times a minute as her body took over.
"Y-You…" She growled.
"Bye bye, Shizuka Joestar."
With that, she bolted in the other direction. The child flashed into invisibility and jumped off of the stage. She landed with a roll, bounding back to her feet and sprinting up the aisle. Within seconds, she was gone. Shizuka had pursued the old woman. Moments later, Marina's invisibility faded away. She returned to normal view with quite a shock. The blonde's eyes quickly scanned around in confusion. The audience seemed rather perplexed as well…
That's when a slow clap filled the silent auditorium.
Felix stepped out from stage left with a wicked grin on his face. With a wave of his gloved hand, the dancers all shuffled off stage. No one knew what to make of this. Marina was worried about Shizuka. Ultra Violet's ability deactivated, and yet the child was nowhere to be found.
"Marina Archer…" Felix purred, sizing her up from across the stage. "I love the look. Blonde hair, pink highlights." He glanced down at her jeans. "You'd look better in leather pants, though."
"Why's that?" She growled as Bubblegum Bitch appeared. It slung its bat over its shoulder, leaning against Marina as it levitated beside her. "My ass looks great in anything, babe. You're the one who wears your Halloween costume all year."
"Ho, ho, ho, I love it!" He laughed, shaking his head. "You're fun, Archer! Well developed, confident, and a hint of dangerous moxie that just screams SEXY! I'd love to write about you. You're so much more interesting than that little tot. What's her name again? Suzy?"
Marina narrowed her eyes, shifting her weight and guiding Bubblegum Bitch to stand upright. "What'd you do with Jojo, hotrod?"
"We have very clear instructions from up top. Retrieve the feather, and kill Shizuka Joestar. It's just business, sweetie. I'm sure you understand. Your hands aren't exactly clean."
None of this made sense. Why was he speaking so candidly in front of the audience? Surely, they'd be mortified by what he was saying? Felix just admitted his intention to murder Shizuka, after all. Yet when Marina glanced out into the audience, none of them seemed the least bit concerned. In fact, they looked deeply invested. Could it be…? Did they think this was part of the show? Felix was famous for mixing up his act with experimental entertainment. Marina did appear out of thin air. The audience was convinced that their fight was a scripted event! Imagine that. What kind of psychopath would write something like this?
"Kill Shizuka?" Marina raised her brow. "Why? Doesn't Blondie just want the feather?"
"You'll have to ask her yourself, Archer. If you make it past me, of course."
The brit snarled, taking one step closer toward her arrogant opponent. "You talk a big game, but-"
"But you won't be talking much at all when I shove my bat up your ass." Felix finished her sentence, shaking his head. "You're very consistent. Millions of different Marinas said that throughout millions of different possible futures."
"That's it, c'mere!" She began to sprint across the stage.
Marina's right foot slammed down against the stage at just the right spot to cause a fracture in its base. Her foot went right through the floor, tearing her body down to ground level in the process. Her leg was buried all the way up to her right thigh, and the rest of her body struggled to break free from the hole. Her eyes darted up at the enemy.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… You've got to be more careful, Marina! Old stages like this are delicate! Are you alright? The wood didn't tear up your leg, did it?" He lifted his head, glaring down at her.
"God dammit." She spat, trying to get her leg out of the stage. Her leg would have been torn up, but Bubblegum Bitch protected her from any permanent damage. Now her skin was sticky and mushy as it hung around the jagged wood. The strength of her Stand also seemed to be its downfall. She was stuck! And if she disabled her ability, her leg would be torn to shreds.
"You wanna know what I think about your Stand, Marina?" Felix questioned, stepping closer to the hole in the stage. "I think it talks a mad game, but it's one of the weakest things I've ever seen… If anyone comes prepared, you're done." He smirked.
Marina's heart began to pound. Felix could see potential futures. He knew things that no other enemy possibly could while going into a battle. Did he come prepared? She braced herself for whatever might come next. Felix proudly waltzed even closer to the trapped girl. He licked his lips in pure delight as she squirmed. Then, he reached into his coat and revealed something from a hidden pocket inside. Felix was brandishing an unidentified bottle of liquid. It wouldn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out what was inside. She braced herself as Felix mercilessly threw the bottle right at her head.
Her ability managed to tank the initial blow. As the bottle shattered, vinegar burst all over the woman's body. Every spot it touched began to fizzle. She winced, shaking her head as her body bubbled. Then, Bubblegum Bitch's ability faded. Slowly but surely, she lost her adhesion, and her elastic durability vanished along with it. That's when she really felt the wooden planks that dug into her leg. Marina's skin had been bent and stuck around the broken bits of stage, completely unharmed at the time. Now that her power was nullified, she let out a scream of agony as the splintered wood settled into her newly hardened flesh. Bubblegum Bitch collapsed onto the stage next to its user. The Stand's body flickered and faded, seemingly melting into the stage as her power drained.
"That's right, Marina! Feel free to lift your leg out now! You'll tear your leg up all the way out! But it's the only way! I wonder if you'll bleed out? What are you going to do? What's your plan, darling?"
Why wasn't the audience reacting? Marina's screams were too authentic. None of them even looked remotely disturbed. Blinding lights hit the stage, making it hard for her to see most of their faces. Still, from what she could see, they were eating this display up. She felt like a gladiator being devoured by a rabid lion to appease the ravenous onlookers above. Felix stepped closer, slamming his shoe down onto one of Marina's hands. She was holding herself up to lessen the weight on her injured leg. As the performer's dress shoe dug into her fingers, she let out a guttural cry.
"Your Stand is useless, Marina! What good does it do you? Just a little bit of vinegar and you're screaming for mercy! Go on! Beg! Beg for me to spare you! Maybe I will! I only need that feather of yours, after all!" He laughed triumphantly.
Something strange was happening inside Marina's head. She felt a new pressure building in her jaw. Still, it was hard to focus on something so unassuming while enduring such an assault. Felix continued to grind her finger into the stage with his shoe, glaring wickedly into her eyes.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? C'mon, try something! I can see it all! Every possibility! Trillions of potential futures! All of them! What are you going to do? What will you try? There isn't a victory for you! I've WON! So start begging for your life!"
She couldn't. For some reason, Marina's ability to speak seemed to be hindered by something. Her tongue. The woman's tongue felt fatter… In fact, it felt like it was growing progressively larger over time. Her eyes widened, and she stammered for a moment. Marina was choking on her own tongue! How the hell could this be happening? Felix's Stand had a very clear, obvious ability. None of it involved growing tongues. Something else had to be in play. Another Stand User? As if Felix wasn't enough already? But what would growing Marina's tongue do to help Felix? How would it help him retrieve the feather?
"What's that, dear? I don't hear you? Are you choking on your own blood already?" He asked teasingly, lifting a hand up to his ear and leaning down.
The tongue was getting too big. At this rate, it would come erupting out of Marina's mouth. What kind of body horror was this? She wanted to cry. On top of everything, now this? It started to press up against her top row of teeth. She closed her eyes, shaking her head. She wanted it to stop. It nearly pushed past her lips. What the hell was happening to her?
"What?" Felix raised a brow, taking a step back. For just a moment, true confusion plagued his face. He did a good job covering it up, but Marina could see his true shock for a flashing second.
Felix didn't know what was wrong. Somehow, despite having his Stand, he didn't see what was happening inside Marina's mouth! That meant two things: His Stand couldn't truly see all, and this wasn't the work of some accomplice. Then what was happening?
Marina felt the tongue brush against her bottom row of teeth as well. She winced at the sensation. It felt different from a typical tongue. In fact… if she didn't know any better, she'd say it was a little rubbery. The woman's green eyes widened, and she gasped for a moment. This wasn't some enemy Stand. It became abundantly clear what she had to do. Even if the idea turned her stomach a bit… She'd see this through.
Marina bit her tongue off.
It felt a tad brutal in the moment, but she was quickly flooded with adrenaline. The tongue came off so easily, as if her teeth were warm knives cutting through butter. With nothing else to do, she began chewing on the appendage. It easily gave, meshing together like bubblegum inside Marina's mouth. It didn't hurt, not in the slightest. This felt right. It was an extension of her being. She glared up into Felix's eyes with resolve.
"Hmm? Excuse me?" The man tilted his head curiously. "What's that? Are you chewing something? When did you get that?"
She didn't give him much time to find out. Marina furiously chewed, completely rendering the severed muscle to sticky chewy gum. She could feel it vibrating in her mouth. Not only that, but she felt this deep, primal urgency to get Felix away from her injured body. Her fight or flight instincts were firing on all cylinders, and flight wasn't an option. How could she fight without Bubblegum Bitch? Somehow, beyond reason, her body knew the answer.
Felix reached down and grabbed the blonde's face with one hand. He tilted his head, squeezing her cheeks in an attempt to open her mouth. "What the hell do you have in there, Archer? Don't play games with me?"
Marina spit her tongue out and directly into Felix's face. It stuck to him, causing the man to squirm in horror. It didn't look like a tongue anymore. It wasn't bloody, or even very wet. It was just like a wad of gum. However, the moment it made contact with Felix's face, he thrashed haphazardly. It's like his body was reacting to a jolt of lighting. Then, without rhyme or reason, Felix began sprinting backwards. He ran away from Marina without taking his eyes off of her. Soon, he slammed into a nearby table offstage and fell onto it. Various dancers and members of the stage crew got out of his way. They were all paid not to ask questions.
Speaking of questions, Marina had quite a few. What the hell was going on? Her tongue was gone! She spat it into Felix's face, and it forced him to run away. Not only that, but his Stand couldn't foresee that event.
Felix was lying on the collapsed table in disbelief. His chest heaved, and he felt his heart pounding like a drum. Everything was going wrong. Literally everything was going wrong! None of these events were transcribed by I Write Sins Not Tragedies. Not a single one! His Stand operated by gazing into trillions of possible futures and narrowing down the most likely ones for Felix's approval! Once his Stand narrowed the futures down to just a few options, he picked the best one! His human mind wouldn't be able to comprehend trillions of possibilities. It had to be this way! Still, I Write Sins Not Tragedies was meant to pick the most likely scenarios! How was it that Felix didn't even see one instance of Marina spitting out her tongue?
"Oi! Emo boy!" Marina called across the stage.
This caused the performer's eyes to widen. How was Marina speaking if she just spat out her tongue? He lifted his head and stared at her. The woman had changed… Her entire aura felt different from mere moments ago. She parted her lips, revealing a brand-new tongue. It wasn't natural, though. Marina's tongue was jet black! She dragged it across her lips, coating them to be slick, glossy and black. The blonde smacked her lips together a few times, as if she'd finished applying lipstick and was inspecting herself in the mirror. Those black lips curled into a grin.
Why wasn't Felix seeing any of this? He had a master plan! Things absolutely needed to go a certain way. He had to calm down. Felix needed to calm down and take a moment to collect himself. Sins emerged in front of him protectively, pointing its bow at the enemy.
When I Write Sins Not Tragedies glances into the infinite sprawl of time, it has two primary restrictions. First: The Stand can only predict events twelve hours into the future. After that, the possibilities become too broad to accurately foretell. Since he can only see twelve hours into the future, his ability to sow seeds of fate is also limited to that timeframe. The second limitation of the Stand was far more dramatic. While killing someone seems simple from an outside perspective, death is actually entwined quite tightly into the tapestry of fate itself. Every human being is born with a cascading tree of potential fates and timelines. Along the branches of this tree lie a multitude of cruel and tragic ends. Seemingly random events are actually determined by an unloving, mindless force called Destiny. Human life serves a purpose, even though no human can determine the nature of it. When life ends, a cosmic wave ripples through the rest of existence. Death, in its purest form, has meaning. It cannot happen without cause or reason. Because of this universal truth, it is only possible to die in certain situations. You can only die when Destiny has guided you to an end. For example, a human being could die during their commute to work on any given day. Just because death is a possibility in the literal sense does not mean every human has a death point on their tree of fate on any given commute.
To most, the universe is a jungle of chaos and confusion. However, to the very few who are gifted enough to see the tree of fate, things are much clearer. Felix is able to view each human being's tree of fate. Because of this, he can guide you toward potential dooms with pinpoint accuracy. Sure, you could die any time, but Felix is able to know with absolute certainty when any of those times actually are. This is important for one simple reason. If you disrupt the flow of fate in a way Felix has not predicted, your tree of fate branches away from the point of death he had planned for you. That would be disastrous. If you manage to cheat your intended death, there may not be a single remaining point for his Stand to guide you toward for the rest of the night. That's why he needed to get control of the situation and fast. Marina was trying to change her fate. Unfortunately for her, she was walking blind in the infinite forest of probability. Felix? Felix could see.
He stepped up from the table and dusted off his coat. The performer's eyes narrowed with determination. Felix would check for new possibilities. There had to be new options now that Marina's ability had grown. Sins only picked the most likely of futures to present to Felix. That must have meant that Bubblegum Bitch's evolution was incredibly unlikely. He hated trite garbage like that. If he didn't know any better, he'd call it plot armor.
The man's Stand ran its bow along the strings of its electric violin. His eyes widened, and he allowed his head to fall back. A low drone filled the theater as his Stand searched through trillions of possible futures. All he needed was a deep breath, a pinch of luck, and perhaps a dash of misfortune. That was the Felicis recipe for success.
"Let's see what we have to work with, Archer." He spat her name out with pure contempt. It was time for things to get serious…
Shizuka was stalking close behind the lovely old woman in the big yellow hat as she walked down the street. The child was incredibly anxious. Her eyes glanced over to a large digital clock displayed on top of a tall building further into the city. It had been three minutes. She'd left Marina alone with Felix for three minutes. All he said was that the woman would be killed within five! She had to assume Felix would draw this out for as long as possible. Perhaps it'd be even longer than that?
She gnashed her teeth together in pure rage as she watched the woman walk. This poor old lady was limping with a bad hip as she meandered down the sidewalk. How could Felix arrange for such an awful thing to happen? Shizuka was absolutely livid. Few things got her blood hotter than the disrespect and disregard elders face every single day. They're spoken down to, treated as if they're useless, walked all over and left for dead in lifeless retirement homes. As she grew up and watched her parents wither well into their eighties and early nineties, it became abundantly clear that younger adults had an edge in every single way. People were just so mean to Joseph, and so dismissive of Suzi Q. Sure, some people were kinder to them than others. That didn't change Shizuka's wrathful disdain for anyone who'd dare shove past an old man on a walker. She was young and powerful. She'd protect the golden generation at all costs.
The woman in the yellow hat stopped at a crosswalk and waited for her time to pass. Shizuka was about fifteen feet behind her. Of course, the child was invisible, so there wasn't even the slightest bit of suspicion. Her eyes cautiously scanned the area. Would she be hit by a car? Perhaps a runaway drunk would swerve onto the curb and strike her? That was too risky. Shizuka stepped closer, and that's when she noticed something strange.
There was a cloaked, hooded figure watching her from the opposite side of the street.
She hitched her breath and weighed her options. How could someone see her? Ultra Violet manipulated the light around Shizuka's body to perfectly blend her into any environment! Sure, an expert eye might notice a slight shimmer, and a computer could likely be trained to notice the inconsistencies of her invisibility, but a random passerby shouldn't be able to stare at her with absolute certainty. Could they sense her?
The opposing crosswalk lit up and allowed the figure to walk toward her. The old woman was still waiting to walk straight as the figure came from the right. Shizuka clenched her teeth even harder. Who the hell was this? They looked like bad news. She stepped toward the crosswalk. The figure's head moved with her, if a bit off at some points. Shizuka prowled around the end of the sidewalk. As soon as the figure was within range, Ultra Violet sprang forward and grabbed them by the throat. She swung them away from the road and toward a nearby alley. The child took a moment to remember her track record with getting into scraps in isolated alleyways.
She managed to pin the mysterious figure to the wall, only then revealing herself to the taller adversary.
"I found you! Start talking right now! How could you see me? Why were you following that woman?" Shizuka snarled.
"I'm not following her." A gentle voice spoke from inside the hood.
Shizuka raised a brow. That voice… It seemed eerily docile for an enemy. Not only that, but it was distinctly feminine. She used Ultra Violet to remove the hood, revealing the woman beneath. She certainly wasn't expecting to see such a youthful face.
"Who the hell are you?" She loosened her grip, but refused to let go.
The woman was of average height. She still towered over the tiny child, though. Her platinum hair was tied up into an incredibly thick bun with two black sticks piercing through. She wore a skintight black suit that seemed to go from her ankles to her nose with very few seams and creases. In addition, she wore a fashionable black jacket with gold trim and a black rose pinned to the collar. The tight-fitting outfit revealed a rather lithe form. Muscles could be seen if one looked close enough at the dark arms of the suit, and the woman's chest was average if not a tad on the small end. Her face was barely visible, as the tight fabric covered everything up to and including her nose. The woman's skin was as pale as the moon, and her eyes showed that she was of ambiguously Asian descent, possibly mixed with something else.
"I'm Ezra Dawn, and I'm here to help." She explained calmly.
"Help?" Shizuka raised a brow. "I've never seen you before in my life. What kind of friend just drops by in the middle of a life or death situation without any kind of history? Are you trying to pull a Diva on me right now?" She warned, the girl's eyes burning a little as she stared the woman down. Shizuka wouldn't tolerate another situation like that. She still wasn't positive that she remembered the entire story of Diva.
"Shizuka, you don't have time to argue with me." Ezra insisted. "Your friend is in trouble."
"And why should I believe you?" She countered. "Some ninja-looking hag comes strolling down the street right while I'm being attacked by an enemy? Why're you hiding your face? How do you know my name?"
"Two minutes."
"What?"
"You have two minutes to make it back to your friend before she dies. You've been walking in this direction for over three. If you run, you can make it. If you argue for another thirty seconds, it'll be too late." Ezra explained.
Shizuka's grip became even lighter than before. A moment later, though, she doubled down.
"Then I'll argue for twenty-nine." The girl snarled.
"I admire your conviction, but this isn't the time. The feather, Shizuka. It's with your friend too."
"All of this is just a part of Felix's plan! He can plan the future! How the hell are you any different from the other traps he's set for us?"
"I am beyond fate." Ezra said with dark eyes. "Removed from it. Felix couldn't see me."
The internal clock in Shizuka's mind was ticking. Soon, an alarm rang in the back of her head. She completely let go of the woman, but her face hung with anxiety.
"What, are you some sort of ninja warrior from the future? I'll be honest, things are crazy enough without some kind of time-traveling subplot."
"This isn't the time to joke around!" Ezra stepped out of the alley. "Now you need to sprint, not run. Get back to Marina right now."
Shizuka followed the woman to the sidewalk. She glanced toward the woman in the yellow hat. Then, she turned her head toward the venue she came from. Never before in her life had she ever been so conflicted. Should she leave a stranger in charge of the old woman's fate? If she did, she could save her friend. Not only that, but she could save the feather from falling into Blondie's clutches. If Blondie got that feather, it would be all over. The child ground her teeth together in anger. However, her eyes drifted up to Ezra's. They were the only humanizing part of the mysterious woman. Those eyes were the single vulnerable asset she had. Everything else was covered in layers of cloth and armor.
"Do you trust me, Shizuka?" Ezra asked softly.
The child couldn't answer. Not immediately, at least. She just stared past Ezra's shoulder and watched as the woman was approached by a shady looking man. His hand was inside his coat, most likely brandishing some kind of weapon. Her throat closed up. If she didn't let Ezra take care of things, the woman in the yellow hat would die. If she stayed put and took care of things herself, Marina would die instead.
What was she supposed to do?
Back at the theater, Marina was preparing to attack. Her body radiated with a powerful pink Stand aura. She bit her tongue off once again, rapidly chewing it inside her mouth as she plotted her next move. Felix didn't know the extent of her new ability, but she understood. It was intuition! The entire thing came to her as a second nature. After properly pulverizing the tongue in her mouth, she glanced down at the messy situation down below. Her leg was still lodged into the stage with large pieces of wood piercing her skin. Bubblegum Bitch's primary ability of stickiness wasn't working anymore. That didn't stop her from using Liquor Liquor Lips.
She pursed her lips, spitting the sticky substance down into the hole her leg created in the stage. The tongue connected with her leg, causing it to convulse repeatedly. Then, it shot out a gust of air. All of the wood that stabbed into her was blown out at high speeds. This allowed her to pry herself out of the stage, stumbling to her feet. The woman leaned mostly to the left, putting pressure on her other leg as she stared Felix down.
"I understand how your ability works now, Marina!" Felix shouted from across the stage. "Every time you use it, I can narrow down the possibilities! I can predict your most likely actions! It's like watching raindrops race down a car window! Eventually, the best drops absorb everything in their path, creating fewer possible winners as time goes on! Soon enough, it's clear which will win. That's how I see the world, Archer. Everything is just a drop of rain to me."
After that tangent, Marina let her jet-black tongue slip out once more. It took about thirty seconds to grow back. She ran it along her lips, pulling it back in as she rested a hand on each hip.
"Was that supposed to be cool? If we're spewing metaphors, let me take a stab at it. You're that kid everybody knew in first grade whose parents bought a magic kit. They got it for you because you're fuckin' annoying, and it really backfired. Instead of becoming reclusive in your bedroom mastering the arts, you learned one simple trick and expect people to marvel at it for the rest of your life." She growled.
Marina bounded toward Felix with Bubblegum Bitch drawn at the ready. Felix stood his ground, confident in his chances while she was drenched in vinegar. Bubblegum Bitch swung its bat, but Sins effortlessly caught it against its electric violin. Felix snickered, shaking his head.
"It seems like your Stand is significantly weaker when wet. Who could've guessed such a thing?" The performer raised a brow.
His expression quickly sank when he realized what she was doing. Marina hadn't even meant for the strike to hurt. It was just an opportunity to get close. She was furiously chewing on something. His eyes widened, but it was too late. The blonde spit right into his face. The black muscle stuck to his cheek. The moment it did so, the word "FALL" was plastered across his face in big green letters. A supernatural force of gravity weighed against his shoulder's moments later. No, that wasn't the right way to describe it. His own body was willing itself to the ground.
Bubblegum Bitch always possessed a secondary ability. Aside from its adhesive power, the Stand could also store and distribute kinetic energy. She only grew better and better at containing raw force as time went on. Liquor Liquor Lips was the logical extreme of such an ability. She could repeatedly chew on her own tongue, charging it with as much kinetic energy as she wished. Then, when she was ready to fire, she could spit the tongue out with one single order. Upon contact with an object, the energy would manifest with that command in mind. Earlier, she used it to force Felix to back away. Then, she had her leg shoot out fragments of wood. This third shot was much more focused, though.
Felix slammed into the ground with a resounding thud.
Then, Marina towered over him. She still leaned to her left, because her leg was bleeding rather graphically. She wouldn't be able to seal it up until she was dry. In the meantime, she'd need to find satisfaction in pummeling Felix to a pulp. A smile flashed across her glossy dark lips as she brandished her Stand's bat. Then, Bubblegum Bitch struck Felix in the center of his chest.
The performer felt as all of the wind was expelled from his lungs. Bloodshot eyes attempted to glare up at Marina, but everything was just a blurry haze. The woman felt no mercy whatsoever as she slammed the bat down again. It continued to emit booming CLACKS as she connected with his ribs. In the heated frenzy of it all, Felix was only defending himself with his hands. Surely by now Marina had broken a few ribs. If he didn't think fast, one of them could collapse into a lung. Or even worse, his heart!
Another crack of the bat. And then another. And another…
Felix felt light as a feather. How could things go so far beyond the pale? He'd planned everything perfectly. It wasn't fair! It simply couldn't be! Some cosmic gag had to be toying with his emotions. The best laid plans simply couldn't fail. White hair cascaded down over his eyes, and he struggled to see anything beyond the powerful spotlights. The audience would just think this was an elaborate art piece. He did insane things on stage all of the time. Marina had managed to spin her execution into a massive upset. Felix just let his head fall to the side. He was surrendering to fate. If the cruel mistress of Fate willed for his life to continue, she needed to give him a sign.
He always had an intimate, personal attachment to the chaotic nature of existence. Felix felt that Fate was a lonely entity longing for someone who understood her woes. He understood. He could see what no man dared to. Fate was the closest thing to a love he had in the world. Had she betrayed him? Did he anger her in some way? The performer merely closed his eyes and said a silent prayer to her in his heart of hearts. It was all in her hands, now.
Pop.
Marina's eyes darted above. Shards of glass fell onto the stage beside her. She needed to hold a hand along her eyebrows to see past the bright lights. One of the dozens of lights above seemed to be smoking. It had blown out. Marina narrowed her eyes for a moment. Was this by design? Had Felix planted that? A fire could start. People might be in danger! Or was it just a fluke? A coincidence? She'd heard of big industrial lights like that burning out or bursting with power.
She was quickly brought back to reality by the deep vibrating roar of Felix's electric violin. Her eyes darted down to the man with a scowl. The bastard took the tiniest distraction and used it to gaze into the future again! Before she could react, Marina felt Sins's powerful foot slam into her center mass. Still lacking the elastic abilities of Bubblegum Bitch, the blonde found herself flying back a few feet in immense pain. She reeled on the stage floor, clutching her stomach with a clenched jaw.
A sinister laugh filled the auditorium. Felix stumbled to his feet. His body swayed like a drunk as he threw out his arms. The performer roared with booming laughter. His eyes were bulging, veins growing prominent inside as he screamed with joy into the lights above. His sultry and theatrical demeanor was long gone. All that remained was a deeply unhinged man.
"Yes! Yes! YES!" He rejoiced. "I found it! I see it! The path! One single branch! The branch of death for Marina Archer!" Spit flung from his mouth as he proudly proclaimed his epiphany.
The blonde began to recover from her blow. She propped herself up with her elbows, glaring up at Felix.
"Bastard…" She growled.
Felix's dark eyes drifted down to her. He couldn't help but turn his nose to the inferior foe. His leather boot slammed against her stomach. The man applied as much weight as he could to her torso, grinding his heel in with morbid satisfaction.
"Oh? So you have your tongue back? That's good. I was worried you'd die without getting one last jab at my appearance. Go on. Are my eyes too far apart? Do I have a tiny penis? Would no woman ever love me, even if I were the last man on Earth?" He asked, miming out every description like a deranged lunatic as he listed them.
Marina began to chew her tongue. Felix raised a brow, clicking his own tongue a few times in disapproval.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… C'mon, Marina! That gag is getting old! This gag is all the rage!" He shoved the tip of his dress shoe against her lips, pushing past her teeth and brutally parting her jaw to its limits.
The blonde choked and gagged against Felix's shoe. She rolled on the floor, desperate to get out from underneath him. Felix's left foot was standing on her stomach, and his right was pushing as far into her mouth as it could. Marina was tough as nails, but she was still a woman of average height and build. Felix was crushing her.
I Write Sins Not Tragedies took its bow and lowered it to the woman's throat. Felix laughed even harder than before.
"I was moments from defeat, and I said a prayer to the mistress of fate! As my vision faded, I begged for salvation! I desperately pleaded for an opportunity to turn the fight in my favor! Then that light burst! That was a sign! A sign from her! Imagine how giddy I felt next when I searched for new possibilities and saw your death before my very eyes! In the trillions of possible outcomes, I found your demise! The single branch of victory for me! Don't you see, Marina? The water is settling at the bottom of the window! All of the drops are accumulating into one finality. A swan song. Which rain drop do you think it was? What outcome do you think I picked? What did Fate do for me?"
"She sent me."
Felix's stomach dropped at that. His confidence faltered, and he felt his head turning back to glance over his shoulder. Against all the odds, he was staring right into the eyes of Shizuka Joestar. The man stumbled back and off of Marina. He turned his attention to Shizuka with crazed eyes.
"W-What!? What's going on? How did you get back so soon?"
Shizuka lifted her pale hand up and pointed directly at Felix. She used the other to lower her sunglasses down over her eyes.
"What was her name?" She gritted her teeth.
"Don't change the subject, Shizuka! Did you seriously leave that woman to die? You'd never do that! Not in any of the projected realities! You were guaranteed to stay away for five whole minutes! What's wrong with you?"
"What was her name, Felix!?" She demanded.
"WHOSE NAME?"
Shizuka took a step closer. Sins attempted to attack, but Ultra Violet moved with such terrifying speed that it couldn't even be seen. Both of their hair blew back with a resounding strike. Felix was rendered mute as all of the air left his lungs. It really did a number on his broken ribs as well. He was in too much pain to move.
"That woman. The one in the pretty yellow hat. You sent her to get shot just to inconvenience me. What was her name? What was the name of the woman you deemed disposable? You'd better be able to tell me, or else I'll get really pissed off."
Felix felt beads of sweat trailing down his cheek. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get his lungs to start back up again. His skin turned pale as a ghost as he desperately gasped dry heaves of empty air. He wasn't absorbing anything. No matter how hard he tried the reflexive action of breathing, he wasn't taking in oxygen! How could he be expected to speak without the use of his lungs?
"Are you sweating? Good." Shizuka stepped even closer. The toes of their shoes were touching. She had to tilt her head up all the way to look him in the eyes. All he could see were the empty voids of her shades. "Last call."
The drops of sweat trailed along Felix's jawline. Dozens of tiny shimmering beads culminated into a larger drop at the center of his chin. Shizuka reached up with her index finger, swiping the drop and inspecting it carefully.
"I only see one outcome now. What about you?"
"P-P-P…" Felix gasped with empty lungs.
"Puh? Puh? Puh?" She held a hand to her ear. "You're going to have to speak up, Mister. I'm all the way down here."
"P-Please... Please." He whimpered.
Shizuka just adjusted her sunglasses. The other hand rested on her hip. She shook her head of dark hair with disappointment.
"Oh gimme a break. You could've said her name, but you begged for mercy instead? Now I'm furious."
The performer's expression sank even more as he realized the severity of the situation. Before he could attempt to speak again, it was too late.
"HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORA!" Shizuka screamed, flexing both arms as Ultra Violet sprang to life. The Stand struck Felix right in the center of his chest. He couldn't go far though, because it connected another flurry of devastating attacks to him as he flew backwards.
"Hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora!" She revved up with even more anger.
Felix found enough air to scream in agony as he soared through the air. Shizuka stepped over Marina and strutted over to the limp body of her enemy. He was playing dead, keeping his eyes sealed shut in hopes that Shizuka would retrieve her friend and flee. Ultra Violet lifted him up by his hair. The Stand looked him in the eyes before using its free hand to punch him three more times in the stomach.
"HORA! HORA! HORA!"
Then, it swung Felix around and threw him once more. He landed on his ass, back against the wall at the far end of the stage. She followed him once again, punching one fist into her cupped hand.
"W-Wait! Wait, Shizuka!" Felix shouted desperately.
She froze in place, cautiously eyeing him through her sunglasses.
"Don't! Don't you dare take one step forward! This has all gone exactly according to my plan!" He laughed triumphantly. At least, he laughed as well as someone with punctured lungs could.
Marina rolled onto her side to watch them both carefully. Shizuka seemed to be considering his threat.
"If you take one more step towards me, you and Marina will die! N-Not only that, but everyone in the venue as well! This is my ultimatum, Joestar! If you take one single step, everyone will perish!"
Shizuka's expression was hard to read through her shades. Marina just lied there in deep thought. She didn't know what to believe. Felix was a wild card, a mad man… This was just crazy enough to be true. Perhaps he had countless backup plans laid out in case they got the best of him? It was entirely possible. The stalemate lasted for nearly thirty seconds. Then, she came to a conclusion.
"Bullshit."
She took one more step forward, then three more for good measure. Felix shook his head, but knew there was nothing more to do. Shizuka lifted him by the collar of his shirt and began to pummel him senseless with Ultra Violet. She cried out with rage, the Stand going faster and faster with each blow. After a few moments Felix's body collapsed through the wall and stumbled backstage. They ended up in a dressing room. Shizuka stepped through the hole in the drywall and carefully avoided a few studs. Ultra Violet grabbed Felix and threw him onto the nearest vanity. He cracked the mirror. His Stand came out to counterattack, but Ultra Violet was simply too fast for him in close quarters.
"Hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora hora!" Shizuka went on and on as she laid waste to her opponent.
Sins managed to kick a chair at her. She grabbed it, swinging the chair against Felix hard enough to break it into various pieces. Then, Ultra Violet grabbed him by the leg and threw him over onto another vanity. He broke the mirror from the table, throwing it across the room. Ultra Violet effortlessly punched it out of the way, providing Shizuka with a clear path to her foe.
"Stop what you're doing! Stop this instant!" He demanded.
"I just get so pissed off when people disrespect their elders. You used a helpless, innocent human being as a tool. Most people can't defend themselves against a Stand User. That means it's up to ME to defend good people from bastards like you."
"Sins!" Felix cried out. The Stand wielded its electric violin, drawing the bow across its strings with an evil hiss.
Ultra Violet slapped the bow out of the enemy Stand's hand. Then, it grabbed the electric violin and struck Felix across the face with it. Shizuka pushed UV's foot against Felix's stomach, readying the instrument like a bat.
"HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRA!" She let it all out one last time, swinging the violin with such ferocity that it burst on impact. The Stand's instrument broke into two pieces. Upon destruction, a rainbow of colors and energy flowed skyward from between the violin's shards.
Felix watched in horror as his Stand was essentially destroyed. Playing that violin was how he predicted the future. Without it, he wouldn't be able to sow seeds of fate. Not only that, but he wouldn't even be able to make accurate predictions of what was to come. Shizuka didn't care, though. She took each half and threw it at Felix's face. They slammed into him before fading from view. Sins seemed to be fading as Felix's strength wavered.
Shizuka adjusted her sunglasses before crossing her arms. She lifted her head, looking down at the pathetic man with total disdain.
"So you're worthless now? I could tell by the look on your face how important that violin was. Better start talking. Otherwise, I might get mad enough to start hitting again."
The performer just shook his head. He held his ribs with one hand, using the other to keep himself propped up as he sat on the damaged vanity. The defeat was clear on his face. Felix's body began to emit white smoke from its pores. Then, dust fell from his hands. His skin turned even whiter than before, and a look of acceptance was plastered on his face.
"No… Unfortunately for you, I don't need to start talking." He admitted.
Shizuka lifted her shades up and rested them in her hair. She stared at him in utter confusion. In all her years, she'd never seen something like this. Felix seemed to be… She didn't even have a good word for it? Rotting? Decomposing? Ascending?
"What's going on? I can help." She stepped closer, taking a completely different tone.
"Heh, help? Sorry kid… This is because you've cornered me. I'd have no chance but to shoot my mouth off for you now. The only way you'd spare me is if I gave you information."
"Who's doing this then? This isn't your Stand." Shizuka questioned.
"I'm sorry, Mom! I couldn't do it! I didn't make you proud. But that's okay… In the end, all that really matters is the family. You taught me that much." He shouted to the heavens, letting his head fall back.
"Felix, tell me what's going on. Mom? Is this Rapture? How would Rapture be working from such a distance?" Shizuka grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
"Look at that… I guess in a way, I do win. This is the end of my little tragedy, Joestar. My climax. I died while keeping information away from you."
Then, Felix collapsed into a pile of white powder. It slipped right through Shizuka's fingers. She watched in disbelief as he vanished before her very eyes. It slowly ran through the cracks of her hands, meeting with the rest of the pile on the vanity. Soon, the piece of furniture collapsed after all of the abuse it took. The powder shot up into the air, getting everywhere. Then, it slowly faded to dust. Shizuka's hands were clean of it. She stared at them in distant terror. It was so unsettling, but not in any direct way. She was disturbed in an abstract fashion. What kind of Stand would do that? And why did he call the User "Mom?"
"Felix fucking Felicis." She muttered underneath her breath.
To be Continued...
