It was Sunday, August 23rd, 2009. Blondie's demand was on Friday. By their safe estimate, that gave Shizuka's crew one week to make it to New York City with the feather. Seven days to cross the United States. The group had gotten a good night's sleep. Three Stand battles in a single day was definitely enough to tucker everybody out. There were only two beds. The twins shared one, obviously. The next decision was tough though. Ripley and Marina wanted Shizuka to have her own bed, but the child refused. Eventually, it ended with Shizuka bundled up on the floor while the two adults shared the remaining bed. She was young. Her bones weren't done cooking, that's what she said. It was the easiest for her to bounce back from a night on the floor.
After packing up what little they had, the twins made a quick run to the nearest general store. Pepsi kept them hidden the entire time. Meanwhile, Shizuka and Marina swapped notes with Ripley about their respective fights the night before.
"I see…" Ripley sat on a tacky sofa in the lobby of New York New York. "That's exactly how Estelle died. Reduced to white powder, begging some mother for mercy…"
"He wasn't really begging. He seemed resigned to it." Shizuka explained with a thousand-yard stare. She'd never admit it, but seeing Felix crumble to pieces like that disturbed her on a level she hadn't felt in a long time.
"So, these asses have a mother? That doesn't make sense. Estelle was black, right? With a Brooklyn accent? Felix was whiter than a startled ghost. And the Highway Lady was tan with long brunette hair. These people aren't siblings." Marina shrugged in confusion.
"Maybe they're all adopted?" Ripley suggested. "Shizuka's of Japanese descent, but her parents are both white. It's not the most outlandish thing in the world."
"What, it's some kind of mass adoption? Those three looked like they were each from a different set of parents. None of their ages added up, either. And to add onto that, they were all three Stand Users? Unrelated Stand Users that all happened to be adopted into the same family? No. That's too wild for my tastes." Marina shook her head.
"Maybe a cult?" Shizuka lifted her head.
The adults glanced down at her curiously. "A cult?" Ripley muttered.
"An organization of Stand Users, just like Red Eden? It's not the craziest thing we've ever heard of. The twins' parents run a spiritual hotel prison for crying out loud. Maybe this Mom is some kind of status? A rank? The leader? It's just a thought."
"It sounds farfetched, but it's also the most realistic proposition yet. What doesn't make sense to me is why they're attacking us? If they're not Red Eden, who the hell are they?" Marina sighed.
"What's infuriating is that this is on the tip of my tongue…" Shizuka gave the side of her head a light slap as if she were attempting to knock the knowledge right out of her little ear. "It's like I know what their group is, but I just can't find the thought in my head."
"Is this another one of those dreams, Jojo?" Marina leaned in a bit, raising her brow.
"Dreams, visions, memories… They're washing together. I can't tell what I've done, what she's done, and what she just wants me to see." Shizuka admitted.
"She?" Ripley asked softly. "You've never mentioned a 'she."
"It's a theory I'm working on. Most of the dreams focus on one woman now. She has to be the one who's showing me these things. Right? Otherwise it's just… None of it would make sense."
"Do you know who she is?" Marina asked.
"Tsuru. I don't know if that's her first name or not. Sounds Japanese, right? I speak the language, but I've only been there for about twenty hours in my life."
"Tsuru…" Ripley rested her chin against her knuckles in contemplation. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
"Maybe it's a celebrity? Could be a common name." Marina shrugged.
Ripley just mouthed the name to herself a few times before nodding in agreement. "Makes sense. Has to be. I've definitely never met a Tsuru."
Shizuka was uneasy. She somehow ended up traveling the world with the children of Stella and Cynthia. Now Ripley recognized the name of her presumed mother? And what about that Stand? The Circle Game? She missed the days when everything made sense. She missed being able to take a question to her father and have it answered immediately. Joseph knew so much about everything. He was the smartest guy she'd ever met. Sure, she was a kid, but she had a feeling that Joseph was a little sharper than most.
The automatic doors slid open. Somehow through the slot machines and roaring conversations in the distance, Shizuka managed to notice the twins approaching. Shirlie sat down on a small loveseat across from the others.
"We got some groceries. There's also a middle of the pack car on the far side of the parking garage. Doesn't look like it'd be missed." She shrugged.
"It'll sure be missed by someone. You followed my criteria?" Ripley raised a brow.
"Course we did. We're not animals, y'know. We have our own standards too. We typically steal cars from deadbeats. Cheating men, old geezers who hit on me, maybe someone with a mean face if we're in a hurry." Shirlie smirked.
"Rebalancing the world, one step at a time." Marina stood up, patting her legs and looking around. "I'll be the first to say that I won't miss this town. If I ever have to come back here, it'll be too soon."
"You didn't even get to play any of the games." Ripley chuckled.
"Had my fucking leg skinned and filleted by a damn stage. We're lucky that it doesn't take the king's horses and men to stick this fine body back together again." Marina rolled her eyes, patting Shizuka on the shoulder. "C'mon, Jojo. It's time to get going."
Shizuka had zoned out. She was staring at the other side of the hotel lobby. There, a tall, lithe Japanese woman stood with her hand wrapped around her daughter. She had short hair, a strong jaw, and pearly white teeth. She held her daughter close against her side, running her nails through the girl's hair. Shizuka just stared at her, gripping the arms of her chair a little tighter. A flash struck her vision, and she saw Tsuru in the woman's place… Her eyes drifted down to the little girl. Sure enough, it was Shizuka. A younger, more innocent version of the child. Her hair was jet black, no streaks of violet. Her eyes were vacant, lacking that sharpness they carried since her first battle.
Tsuru picked the child up and rested her on her hip. She placed a big kiss on the girl's cheek, rubbing her face against the side of Shizuka's head lovingly. The real Shizuka felt her nails digging into the fabric of the loveseat. The sound of the busy New York New York lobby flooded away from her mind. All she could hear was the sound of her heart pounding away as it resonated through her skull.
Joseph walked into the frame. He was older, but still able to walk without a cane. He put his arm around Shizuka and Tsuru, kissing the mother on the top of her head. Shizuka felt her stomach drop at the infidelity. That is, until Suzi Q appeared from behind and hugged Tsuru's other side. The three adults just nuzzled against Shizuka, squeezing the child safely. Even though the real Shizuka was on the far side of the room, she could feel their warmth. She could smell her father's signature cologne. The wonderful scent of her elderly mother wafted in next. Then, strangely, she could smell a third distinct smell. When she closed her eyes, she remembered it. Impossibly, she could recognize the fragrance of her birth mother.
"Is this what you fantasize about?" A mature voice asked from behind.
Shizuka gasped, turning around to see whoever was speaking. In her heart, she recognized the voice immediately. Another Tsuru was standing tall behind the girl's seat. Her long hands rested on Shizuka's shoulders. The mother gently rubbed her daughter's shoulders, working a bit of pressure into the skin as she felt resistance.
"Fantasize…? No. It doesn't make sense. None of the ages are right." Shizuka muttered to herself.
Tsuru hummed softly, digging her hands into the child's back. She cracked it in a few places.
"It doesn't have to make sense, honey. That's why they're called dreams." The mother smiled to herself.
"Mom…" Shizuka closed her eyes. The word seemed wrong. She didn't like it. Her mother was Suzi Q Joestar. "Why are you here?"
"I'm always here, Shizuka." She leaned down over the back of the chair. Her chin rested on Shizuka's right shoulder. Meanwhile, her arms slung around the girl, hugging her close.
The daughter tensed up. She gritted her teeth, shaking her head in disapproval. "Let go of me..." She whimpered.
"I'm wrapped around you like a vine, Shizuka." She whispered.
"I mean it… Let go. You're not real."
"You don't want me to be real. I've protected you in ways your 'family' never could."
"What, like they're not my family? How'd I end up on the streets of Morioh, Tsuru? An innocent mistake? Where are you? Where are you really? Why'd you leave me?" Tears trailed down the child's cheeks.
"Don't cry, child. It's not time for answers yet. I just wanted to ease your worries. Relax. Get in the car. Have a juicebox. You'll make it safely to the city." Tsuru whispered.
"How do you know that?" Shizuka challenged.
"I know everything."
"Right. And you get to decide what I know, don't you? What kind of crap deal is that? You have all the answers, and I'm the one getting bloodied and beaten along the way. Will I even remember this? Or will I flutter my eyes, look around and forget that we had this conversation?"
"Hmmm… That sounds about right. That's how it's happened every time before."
"Before…?" Shizuka echoed, sniffling as tears continued to pour. "God dammit… You're the worst. You're a monster, and I want you gone."
"Oh, quiet down. You don't want that."
"I mean it…" She whispered, shaking her head. "I'm going to find a way to pry you out of me. I'm not some plan. I'm a human being. And if you try to take my autonomy… I'll fight you. I'll k-..." She hitched her breath, but felt a burst of confidence. "I'll kill you…"
The room was silent for a moment. Then, the woman burst out into a condescending laugh. Tsuru shook her head, standing up and letting go of the child. She wiped her eyes, heaving with amusement. "Oh honey… If only you knew."
"Knew?" Shizuka's eyes widened. "Knew what?"
"Wake up, Shizuka dear." Tsuru purred, waving at the child.
Shizuka clenched her fist. She turned around on the loveseat and stood on her knees. One of her hands steadied herself on the back of the chair while the other lunged forward in a punch. She felt it connect, but not with Tsuru. The mother's body rippled, and soon she dissolved entirely. The world cracked. Fractured pieces twisted and turned before crumbling all around Shizuka. Everything lost color. All she could hear was the sound of shattering glass. That, and the faint whine of a carousel in the distance. When Shizuka opened her eyes, she saw Pa-Pa-Power standing before her curiously.
The child's fist was currently phased through the Stand's chest. He tilted his head, reaching down and taking her hand into his rubbery boxing glove's grip. Shirlie turned her head to see what was happening. She raised a brow at Shizuka. Her hands were in her pockets as Pa-Pa-Power gently rubbed the child's hand.
"T-Thank you, Power." Shizuka mumbled nervously. "Sorry I tried to hit you."
Power just smiled, pounding his chest triumphantly. Then, he flexed his enormous muscles with a big dopey grin. He gave the girl a light punch on the shoulder, lifting her up and out of the seat. Shizuka was placed on her feet. It took a moment to get her bearings. She didn't remember what happened. Still, if it were important, she'd remember eventually. The little girl shrugged apathetically before walking out of the hotel with her friends.
Once they were gone, the man behind the customer assistance desk reached for his phone. He watched them leave, waiting for the doors to slide closed behind them. Then, he dialed a phone number gingerly with his index finger. Holding the phone from the very top of the ear-side with only his thumb and ring finger, the peculiar man narrowed his eyes. After five rings, someone answered on the other end.
"Ma'am, they're leaving now." He spoke in a soft, docile voice.
His eyes went dark as he listened to whomever was on the other line.
"Yes, I'm absolutely certain. I have the sign-in logs right in front of me." He flipped through a large notebook with his left hand. "They signed in under a different name, but it didn't take much digging to identify the girl. These are the ones you've been looking for, Ma'am. After all these years. They're within your reach. The Joestars."
There was another long wait as he listened for instructions. Then, he nodded his head. "Absolutely. I'll follow them now. One more thing. There seems to be another group of Stand Users attacking them. What should I do if I run into one of these common folk?" His peaceful tone twisted at the very end with a drip of poisonous disdain.
…
"Understood."
He slammed the phone down onto the receiver and straightened his bowtie. Then, the man stepped away from the desk. He stepped into the employees only area located behind the counter and closed the door. There, a thin little rubbery depiction of a hotel worker laid flat on the carpet. It seemed like a deflated balloon. Absolute terror could be seen on the man's face. He was screaming for some reason, though no sound came through. He was simply a deflated balloon, after all.
The phony worker knelt beside the flimsy plastic depiction of a man and smiled. Then, a Stand manifested beside him. It resembled a bike pump, but seemed to have little hands along the bottom that it could use to walk when necessary. The man placed one hand on the pump's handle. Then, he grabbed the end of the long rubber cord and plugged it into the neck of the balloon. He pumped for a few moments, causing the depiction of a man to grow. Only his head gained dimension. As the skin bulged and the nose grew depth, those eyes screamed even louder. Then, in a miraculous instant, his screams were real. It was a genuine human head once again! From the neck down he was still a deflated, lifeless balloon. Naturally, this was rather distressing. Hence the screams.
"Shhh! Shhhhh! Sh sh shhh!" The Stand User hissed, covering his victim's mouth with a firm hand. "No screaming. Scream again, and I'll deflate you for good. Maybe I'll thread you into one of the seats in that dark, shady casino. How long would it take for someone to notice the slight crinkle under their ass? How many people would sit on you? The sweat soaking into that pathetic, thin form of yours? And then, when someone finally noticed, you'd be removed. The poor hotel staff wouldn't know you were a man, though. You'd end up in the dumpster… Then, your only hope left would be for a homeless man to dig you out of the trash, blow you into a balloon buddy and cuddle you on those cold nights. Of course, only my pump can turn you into a human being once more. You'd be left as a sentient balloon, silently screaming for the rest of your life. Do you want that, Peter? Do you want to be a lonely hobo's inflatable wife?"
How on Earth was anyone supposed to respond to something like that? Peter wanted to scream even louder, but some primal instinct kept him quiet. He could tell by the detail and tone that this man wasn't joking. It was a true threat. He felt his throat lock up.
"Good… Very good. Do you see what happens when you listen? You're not a bad guy, you've just gotten yourself into a terrible situation."
"Please! Please… Pleeeeeeease." Peter sobbed, nearly choking on his own emotions. "I'm sorry! It was only a thousand dollars! I said I could pay it back. I promised! I just needed a few days."
"No." The user hissed. Then, he covered Peter's mouth again. He gave the man a few gentle slaps on the cheek. "Wrong, wrong, wrong. You owe me a debt, Peter. I do not take that lightly. You could have paid with money, but you didn't have any. How could I trust you to come back when those adorable little legs of yours were so puffed and full of blood? No. The only way you can repay your debt to me is through service. This was a wonderful service. Providing access to the hotel logs and even letting me know where to find a spare uniform? You're well on your way, Peter." Only then did he remove his hand.
"B-But… What about my family?"
"Oh please, we've all got families, Peter. If having a family was any reason not to hurt someone, there'd be world peace. Grow up." His docile tone had once again veered into a dangerous territory of apathy.
"How much more debt do I have to repay?" Peter asked, eyes glistening underneath the bright LED's above.
"I'll let you know. Now, bye bye Peter."
The man pulled his Stand's tube from Peter's neck. This caused him to deflate almost instantly. A few cries slipped through his lips, but soon he was a perfect plastic sheet once more. The User whistled to himself as he rolled Peter's lifeless deflated form up into a perfectly manageable size. He then folded Peter up several more times, placing the man in his back pocket. The User gave his pocket a few loving taps, grinning to himself. He lifted a cigarette to his lips and lit it shortly after. After taking a quick drag, he let out a puff of smoke. It was illuminated by the bright lights overhead. The cigarette fell down with his hand, dropping ash onto the carpet as he flicked it around hip-level.
"Another day older and deeper in debt." He shook his head. "Poor soul. But then again, aren't we all? I owe my soul to a company store of my own."
With that, he dropped the cigarette and snuffed its light with his shoe. It was time to get going. The Joestars weren't going to capture themselves. No one's that helpful.
The sheer scale of the United States is often understated. By flight, you can get to pretty much any part of the country in a matter of hours. Taking the ground is a completely different story. The crew embarked from Las Vegas bright and early. They left the hotel at around eight in the morning. From there, they took I-15 N/US-93 N for about two-hundred-fifty miles. It was a little after lunch time, so they stopped to eat before getting onto I-70 for yet another five-hundred miles or so. It was a rather uneventful drive. Sure, they were a little afraid to trust the silence. If the Highway Lady taught them anything, it's that you can never be too comfortable with the current existence of your limbs. Poor Ripley was half expecting her arm to vanish at every single speed limit sign. They endured though, and after over thirteen hours of traveling they decided to settle in Aurora, Colorado. They'd hit a killer traffic jam just west of Denver and that pretty much stunted any momentum they had left. So, at a little past nine in the evening, they settled for a cheap hotel.
"Oh God, my legs." Marina groaned as they stepped into the room.
"Y'know what's the worst part about long road trips? You spend the entire day sitting completely still, doing nothing. Then when you finally get out of the car, it's time for bed! I mean, talk about a waste of a day." Shizuka sighed.
Ripley tossed her bag onto a nearby chair. "Hardly. Look at it this way. Being bored means nobody is actively trying to kill you. I'll take as many boring days as we can get."
"I call first shower!" Shirlie drummed on the bathroom door with her hands before slipping inside and slamming the door.
"Shirlie! Dammit, at least let us use the bathroom first!" Marina shouted.
"Use it when I'm done getting in! Sharing a space is essential to healthy relationships." She called back in a chipper voice.
Shizuka sat down on one of the beds and shook her head. "I have no idea how she's still so spirited after a day like today."
"Because," Pepsi spoke, revealing they were already on the bed. In fact, they were right beside Shizuka. "When you're like Shirlie, you have two choices: Tear everyone down to your level of misery, or project happiness to lift everyone's spirits. The room feels what she feels."
The child nodded her head in understanding. "Must be hard."
"It is. She slips sometimes. That's why we're patient when she does. Most of the time, she's carrying the morale on her own shoulders."
Marina stepped into the bathroom after hearing the shower curtains slide closed. She was so exhausted that her pants were halfway down before she met eyes with Pa-Pa-Power. Her stomach dropped, and she felt her face go pale.
"Shirlie! Power's watching me use the bathroom!" She groaned.
"Power, use your manners." The User called from within the steaming shower.
"Why isn't he in there with you?" Marina shook her head.
"It's not a very big shower! Tell him to face the wall. He's not a peeker."
With that, Pa-Pa-Power covered his eyes with both hands. He turned to face the wall, looking quite ridiculous with his enormous stature as he pushed his nose against it. Marina wasn't exactly thrilled with the circumstances, but it wasn't going to get any closer to ideal with five people sharing such a tiny space. She finished her business as quickly as she could and quickly fled the scene. This left Shirlie with some relative solitude. She ran her hands through her ginger hair with a sigh of content. The water was scalding. It boiled her skin, leaving it flushed redder than her hair. Those freckled cheeks relaxed a bit, and she finally allowed her face to drop. Her lanky arms wrapped around herself, and she rested her shoulder against the wall of the shower for a moment.
The hot water caused steam to fill the room. Once Marina left and closed the door, it only became thicker. Shirlie took a deep breath, letting the vapors fill her lungs. Her chest felt hotter, and it even carried a bit of a kick to her tired mind. There was nothing quite like a blistering hot shower after an equally exhausting day. The steam slowly crept into her, filling the teen with an essence of calm that in turn swept across the entire hotel room. Shirlie moaned softly, putting her head under the scorching faucet.
In the room, Shizuka rummaged through her bag in search of a treat. She smiled, pulling out a juicebox and stabbing it with the plastic straw moments later. Pepsi just fell back on the bed with a little grunt. Shizuka decided to join them, plopping down like a sack of potatoes.
"So…" She mumbled, sipping loudly from her juice. "Long day."
Pepsi made a noise, but their Stand made it practically impossible to interpret.
"You're not much one for talking, huh?" The child shrugged.
"I'm one for talking. Most people just don't know how to hold interesting conversations." The mysterious teen replied in turn.
Shizuka could respect that. She took another loud sip of her drink before considering her next words carefully.
"Well, what do you like to talk about?"
There was a long silence. Pepsi just stared up at the ceiling. For a moment, Shizuka wondered if she'd broken them. Or, perhaps she crossed some kind of line? It really was unnerving speaking to someone with no visual or verbal tells. She felt like an alien trying to communicate with humans for the first time. Oh, what strange rituals you have. Take me to your leader. Despite the child's expectations, Pepsi did indeed follow up moments later.
"Space."
"What?" Shizuka turned onto her side. "Did you say space?"
Pepsi just nodded.
"I can work with that! I considered majoring in astrophysics, but it's such a boy's club. Still, space is fascinating." She smiled.
The teen turned their head curiously. Mist's haze faded, and Shizuka could see their confusion. Pepsi still wasn't very expressive, even without their Mist. All Shizuka had to go off was their raised brow, and slightly wrinkled nose.
"It's not too late." They muttered.
"Too late?"
"To major in astrophysics. Y'know, if you wanna. You're still pretty young."
It hit Shizuka that she must have slipped up and said something unseemly. Her cheeks flushed crimson, and she nervously rested a hand over her nose. She leaned her head into the hand, closing her eyes. A pounding headache could be felt in the back of her waking mind. It almost felt like a distant dream. It was as if a different Shizuka was feeling the pain, and she only received cosmic echoes through the multiverse. Then again, she really hoped that wasn't it. A multiverse would really only serve to complicate things.
"I… Eh, yeah. It's definitely not too late. I guess I'm just more in tune with biology and stuff.
"Are you feeling alright?" They asked softly.
It was very strange. Pepsi seemed to notice things that nobody else did. Shizuka had to assume that it came hand in hand with silently watching most of life pass by from an invisible shroud. She could definitely relate. How much of her childhood had been spent hiding with Achtung Baby?
"Why wouldn't I?" She bit her lip, feeling as though she were being visually dissected.
"Your cheeks are just a little rosy. And you're rocking left and right."
"I am?" She blushed even more when she realized what was happening. She really was rocking! When did that happen? The headache pounded harder in the back of her mind. It grew more prominent with each passing moment. She finished her juicebox and placed it on the bedside table.
If Pepsi had any other thoughts, they kept them close to the chest. At least for the time being. Both of them just rested silently on the bed after that. Shizuka closed her eyes and thought about how strange she felt. Pepsi was right. Something seemed to be bubbling in her stomach, something she couldn't explain.
Marina had just finished a bottle of water when Ripley walked over to see her. They were by the vanity on the far side of the room. The blonde crinkled up the bottle and threw it into the nearby trash can. Meanwhile, the agent leaned against the dresser and inspected her nails briefly.
"Think you'd be comfortable driving tomorrow? I'm getting pretty exhausted. I could really use a day of rest."
"Of course. I think I understand your bass-ackwards roads well enough now. Besides, it'll be easier without disappearing limbs and a crazy bitch shooting at me." Marina chuckled.
Ripley smirked, resting a hand on Marina's arm. She just trailed her nails down the woman's pale skin until their hands met. Then, she locked their fingers together, stepping a bit closer and pressing their hips together. "How're you holding up? What with all the battles and sleepless nights?"
While she appreciated the touch, Marina scoffed at the idea that she could possibly be struggling. "Pffft, me? Agent, what're you implying? Everyone here has had the same few weeks as me."
"No one else just lost their only parent." Ripley countered.
Well, that was true. Still, Marina bit her lip and glanced away. She didn't want to be viewed as a bird with a broken wing. Ripley's hand moved up from Marina's and began massaging her arm once more. The blonde closed her eyes, shaking her head.
"I'm fine."
"Really?" Ripley leaned in for a bit of privacy. Shirlie was in the shower while Shizuka and Pepsi were quietly talking on the other side of the room. Still, she felt better whispering. "It's okay to be less than okay. And you can tell me. I want you to tell me…"
Marina leaned in to press their foreheads together. They just exchanged warmth for a brief moment. Then, Ripley raised a brow.
"Have you been drinking?"
That question was probably more shocking than anything Ripley had said throughout the heavy conversation. Marina pulled back a bit, moving her hand to Ripley's hip with a raised brow. What on Earth would give the agent that notion? Was she acting drunk? Had she been drinking? No. She couldn't even buy alcohol in the states. Their room didn't come with any, and Ripley sure hadn't bought so much as a can of budweiser at the last gas station despite Marina's pleas.
"Drinking? What are you talking about?"
"Your breath reeks of booze. Are you sure?" The agent looked rather skeptical.
"Where would I have even gotten any?" She questioned.
"I don't know. That's why I'm so confused."
"Agent, I'm not…" Marina tried to defend herself, but was cut short by a sudden churning in her stomach. She swayed to the left, having to prop herself against the wall with a shaky hand to prevent falling over. "Oh god…"
"Marina, are you okay?" Ripley rested a hand on the woman's stomach, looking very concerned.
"I do not feel well. I'm... I'm drunk." She muttered with wide eyes.
"How!? When did you even drink? You were lucid five minutes ago!" Ripley demanded.
"What'swithallthequestions?" Marina groaned in slurred speech. She tried to push herself off the wall, but that only resulted in her stumbling drunkenly to the side. She used Bubblegum Bitch's bat like a kickstand to keep herself bipedal.
"Hey, look at me. Something's wrong, right? You didn't drink? So why are you drunk? Maybe you had something that was spiked? Think really carefully. What have you had to drink in the past hour?"
Marina just pointed at the garbage can. Ripley quickly went over to inspect its contents. All there seemed to be was a single crumpled bottle of water. She returned to the drunk woman with it, raising a brow. "This? Ripley, this is just Dasani. We have a twenty-four pack. None of the other bottles have made any of us sick. Is this all?"
The blonde nodded, then hiccupped. "Whoa. I only hicc-AA… I only hiccup when I'm…" She couldn't finish the sentence without hiccupping three more times. "Agent, I'm hammered." She mumbled with shocking self-awareness.
"This isn't good. It could be the enemy. Or maybe just some punk trying to drug a hot blonde? Did anyone look strange on the way to our room?"
"Hey gang?" Pepsi called from the bed.
"Not now. We're dealing with something." Ripley dismissed the teen without much thought.
"Yeah, uh, Shizuka just threw up all over the floor." They shrugged.
Ripley turned her attention to the beds. Shizuka was on her hands and knees between the two. The poor girl was heaving, just finishing up a rather unpleasant endeavor. She let out a few more deep, guttural groans before settling with the progress she'd made. The ten-year-old had to weigh less than a hundred pounds. She was only four-foot-three! As she finished spitting onto the carpet, her head peered back over her shoulder to Ripley.
"Bad juice." Is all she could say.
The agent stormed over to the bed and fumbled through Shizuka's bag. She lifted the juiceboxes up and held them against the light. There didn't seem to be any injection points. And each container was sealed proper up top. She narrowed her eyes, inspecting the drinks even closer.
"Bad juice, baby? That's not it." She knelt down, giving Shizuka a reassuring pat on the head. Her long nails ran along the troubled girl's scalp. "Are you okay? Do you need to throw up again?"
The child just shook her head with a little whimper. Her eyes weren't focusing on anything in particular. She just stared into space.
"Go sit in front of the toilet anyway for me, okay? Just for a few minutes. Sip this." She took a can of Sprite out of the bag.
"Okay." Shizuka sighed, clutching the can between shaky hands and wandering into the bathroom.
Ripley stood upright and shook her head. "Oh hell, the room reeks now. Pepsi, can you open the door? I'll call the front desk and say she got carsick."
Marina stumbled over to the beds as well. She seemed far better than before. Now that she knew she was drunk, she could operate within her usual limitations. She sat down on the bed and looked down at the mess on the carpet.
"Poor kid." She frowned. "Kind of weird, though?"
"What?" Ripley asked as she dialed.
"I mean, I'm mysteriously hammered, Shizuka hurls like it's her birthday… Seems like someone's trying to tell us it's party night." Marina shrugged as she swayed left and right.
Ripley's eyes lit up with understanding. How had the drunken Marina put the pieces together before the lucid agent? Her eyes darted to meet Pepsi's. They seemed to be thinking it as well. Okay. Ripley just needed to stay calm. She'd hoped for one single day without an otherworldly attack, but that was honestly childish dreaming in their current situation.
She hung up the phone before anyone at the front desk answered. "We're under attack. Pepsi, get your sister out of the shower."
They nodded, hopping out of the bed and running into the bathroom. There was a bit of a shocking sight when they got inside. Shizuka was unconscious on the floor. She'd clearly hurled a little more into the toilet, but somehow she'd gotten even worse for wear since leaving. Her can of Sprite was overturned and pooling in her hair on the floor. Pepsi's eyes widened, and they rushed to her aid.
"Shizuka!" They shook her head for a moment to no avail. "Dammit… Power!" They snapped their fingers.
Pa-Pa-Power was facing the wall politely like he'd been informed to do whenever someone approached the toilet. Still, he was too loyal to Pepsi. He couldn't ignore them. He turned his head tentatively. Then, his jaw nearly dropped to the floor when he saw Shizuka sprawled out cold on the floor.
"I don't understand…" Pepsi eyed the pool of soda carefully. It was enormous, meaning Shizuka had barely taken a single sip. So, what on Earth was happening?
Marina drank water, Shizuka drank apple juice, yet both of them were drunk. The only commonality between them was liquid. Could this be the work of an enemy Stand? An ability that turned any liquid you consumed into alcohol, perhaps? Still, Shizuka was conscious and responsive less than a minute ago. She hadn't even had much Sprite! Pepsi was missing something. Sweat began to run down their back. It was that damn shower. Shirlie always loved to ruin the paint with her horrifically steamy hell-showers. Pepsi felt it in their lungs.
The moisture.
The shower's steam was filling the entire room! Shizuka hadn't been drinking anything. She'd been inhaling water from the moment she stepped into the bathroom! Not only that, but Pepsi was as well. Their eyes immediately jumped to Pa-Pa-Power.
"The shower! Turn the shower off, now!" They ordered.
Power stumbled across the room and reached past the curtain. He used his big boxing gloves to the best of his ability and eventually got the faucet to cease. Something wasn't right. Why hadn't Shirlie reacted at all to the commotion? Sure, her Stand turned off the shower, but that was only after Pepsi gave specific directions.
The answer came crashing down with the shower curtain as Shirlie fell out and onto the floor. She tore the shower rod and curtain down before crashing onto the damp tiles below. Shirlie was buck naked face-down. Pa-Pa-Power stared in shock. He reached for her, but felt his own strength fading. All he could do was look at Pepsi with fear and worry.
"Shirlie!" Pepsi turned their sister onto her back. They cupped her cheek, slapping it a few times with their free hand. "Hey, wake up! You were breathing in alcohol! We've gotta get out of here. Ripley! Ripley, open the door to the room! We need to air this place out! Stay away from water!" Pepsi shouted with their hoarse, underused voice.
They picked up Shizuka and carried her into the main area. After carefully putting her down on the bed, she made sure the door was open.
"Shirlie's in there. Help me grab her." They ran back into the bathroom.
After turning on the bathroom's fan, Ripley and Pepsi managed to sling Shirlie onto the other bed with a towel around her dripping body. They both took a minute to catch their breath.
"Okay, let's take inventory." Ripley looked around. "Our three strongest combat Stands are incapacitated."
"Excuse me, Agent. I'm just fine." Marina stood up from the chair Ripley forced her into. There was a slight sway in her step, but she seemed pretty much all there.
"I don't know. Are you sure?" Pepsi muttered.
The blonde just scoffed. "Oi, what'll you do then? Mist can't beat a rat's dick, and Electric Lady's tricks are situational. You need me! Just point me at the bugger and I'll turn him to paste." She posed next to Bubblegum Bitch dramatically.
"Then let's think! Where's the User? Where's the best place to sit and wait with an ability like this?" Ripley questioned.
"A neighboring room." Pepsi said.
"Good. You're the best one to check that. Search the four closest rooms then come back. Don't engage if you find him. Just come get us."
Pepsi faded into obscurity without so much as an "aye aye." That left Marina and Ripley as the only conscious ones in the room. Ripley propped Shizuka up with a few pillows while Marina gave Shirlie a little poke on the side.
"I understand Shizuka. The little tyke is probably fifty pounds or so. But why's Shirlie out cold? She's over six feet." Marina shook her head.
"She's probably never drank before. The twins are only sixteen." Ripley frowned.
"Pffft. Traveling the country with the ability to steal whatever you want? Zero parental supervision? You mean to tell me they're not lighting up and pounding back drinks every night? Pepsi seems the type."
"Ask the girl who's currently blackout drunk on the bed. She's pretty damn skinny. The bigger you are and the more you weigh is what matters for processing alcohol. Poor thing's gonna feel horrible in the morning." Ripley gently fixed Shirlie's hair.
With no warning or reason, the door swung open with such force that it fell off of its hinges and tumbled to the floor. It had already been open to air the place out, so whoever caused this was sending a blatant message. Ripley's eyes darted up from Shirlie with an electric gaze. Trouble had arrived.
A large man stood in the doorway. He had long red hair tied up in a tight bun. A curly beard cascaded down to his midriff, and he seemed to be rather well built at first glance. There was a bit of a roundness to his gut, though. He licked his lips, lifting a bottle of beer up a moment later. He chugged the entire thing, hurling it against the wall and causing it to shatter. After that, he let out a loud belch.
"He's drinking beer, Ripley." Marina heaved, like the very thought of another drink put her on the edge of vomiting.
The man let out a hardy laugh. After that, he flexed a little more. By God, he was shredded. In fact, he looked a little bigger than when he walked in.
"What's the problem, girls? Lightweights?" He growled.
"How the hell are you drinking right now?" Marina demanded.
Another laugh. "Hair of the dog, you little thing."
"The hell's that supposed to mean?" The blonde raised a brow.
"It's short for 'hair of the dog that bit you.' It's what drinkers say when using booze to remedy a hangover." Ripley explained.
"I know what it means, Agent. I'm asking how it applies here! This guy's chugging beer in the middle of all this? He has to be the User!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Not quite, sweetie." He laughed, drooling a bit.
Ripley's eyes focused on the more subtle features of the man before them. "Marina, take a closer look. He's swaying left and right with flushed cheeks. Not only that, but his words are slurring together. And he's drooling down his chin. This man is absolutely hammered."
"Right you are!" He took a clear flask from his pocket and began to feverishly slurp from the small opening at the top.
"At least he's switched to water." Marina muttered.
"Vodka!" He laughed, pocketing the flask and flexing. Once again, the man seemed to grow after downing the alcohol. It was subtle. One could mistake it for a change in posture, or a flexing of the muscles. But it happened twice, and now Ripley was certain.
"I think this is a second ability, Marina." She said.
"Second? Two alcohol abilities? Why does that make sense?" She demanded.
"The synergy! A Stand that gets everyone drunk, and a Stand that makes the User stronger the drunker they get!"
This caused the man to erupt with laughter. He finished the flask before shattering it against the wall. This caused him to grow another inch.
"Drunken fist…." He slurred, rocking left and right.
"Pardon?" Marina growled.
"There's an ancient martial art practiced in the east that loosely translates to 'Drunken Fist.' It's essentially what it sounds like. A fighting style that utilizes the effects of alcohol to become stronger, faster and unpredictable." Ripley explained with a little tremor in her voice. "But a Stand? That's something different. Who knows how powerful he can get?"
Before the question could even linger in the air, the man lunged across the room. Marina's eyes widened, and she stumbled forward in an attempt to counter the attack.
"Bubblegum Bitch!" She shouted, readying the Stand's bat.
The large red-headed man grinned wickedly, falling right onto the ground and face planting on the carpet. Ripley felt her jaw drop. Within seconds, his reasoning was clear. Bubblegum Bitch's bat swung where his head would have been. Meanwhile, he did a perfect flip back onto his feet. This displayed a shocking amount of agility.
"Again!" She shouted, trying to swing her bat correctly this time.
He flexed those enormous muscles hard enough to tear the sleeve off of his right arm. Then, his hand slapped Bubblegum Bitch's bat right out of its hand. It clinked onto the wall before fading away. Marina stared in horror. He simply squeezed the Stand's wrist even harder.
"How is he touching Bubblegum Bitch? He's not a Stand!" Marina demanded.
"His entire body is changing all around him. There's no way of telling where the flesh ends and the Stand begins! They're one." Ripley explained.
With that, the man swung his arm around and threw Marina toward the door. She slammed into the frame above, destroying it and tumbling outside onto the walkway. The momentum kept her going, and she fell right past the railing and into the foliage below. Ripley gritted her teeth. That wasn't good. It'd take Marina at least a minute or so to get back upstairs. That's generously assuming she was even still conscious! No, she was alone. Ripley had to defend Shizuka and Shirlie's bodies from this drunken maniac.
"The name's Barry." The large, rippling muscleman grinned.
"Nice to meet you." Ripley snarled. "Unfortunately for you, that was our tank. She'll be fine. Blunt force doesn't work on her."
"Oh, I'm familiar. I had an entire profile on your lot before coming here. That little tot is Shizuka. She has light abilities, and an x-factor that hasn't been recorded accurately. Shirlie's the redhead. She has Pa-Pa-Power, an empathy Stand that can force you to experience any emotions it wants. Packs a punch, too." He grinned.
"And what about me, hmmm? I'm sure the foundation has my Stand on log."
That toothy, yellow sneer turned even crazier as Barry heard the Agent's question. "Oh? Electric Lady? There was one note beside ya. Harmless."
That didn't bode well with her. Not one bit. She felt her nose twitch a bit. Then, with little thought, the light fixture blew above them. Wires snaked their way out of the protective covering and wrapped around Barry's biceps. Ripley had a dark expression on her face.
"I'll be sure to sear that into your pecs, Barry."
With that, she let it rip. Electric Lady's strength fluctuated in real time with Ripley's emotions. When she was enraged, it could reach further, conduct without physical contact, and shock even harder.
The wires coiled around Barry's arms sparked to life, surging powerful electricity through his body. He screamed at the top of his lungs as his body thrashed uncontrollably. Drool trailed down his chin and fell onto the carpet. Ripley felt nothing but rage as she fried him like a crispy chicken. When she felt like it had been long enough, the wires went limp. The agent panted heavily in the silent hotel room. She'd overdone it, and her body felt exhausted.
Barry stood with his arms spread, yet he did not move. His eyes seemed glazed over. Had Ripley really gone and cooked him with so little fanfare? After a brief pause, Barry fell right onto his back. The enormous man spanned nearly seven feet in height, and his landing caused quite the crash. Ripley walked up to him with hands in her pockets. She placed her boot on his stomach and applied some pressure.
"Can you see me?" She asked softly.
Barry's glazed eyes stared right at the ceiling. He didn't seem responsive at all. Ripley never liked hurting people. She felt especially sick about ending life. But this man was going to kill Shizuka. That was the directive of their group. She couldn't let that happen, not on her watch. She promised the girl's father that she'd be kept safe. Nothing would prevent Ripley from keeping that promise.
Barry twitched. After that, he let out a pained groan. The man lifted an enormous arm up, but it quickly fell back down over his face. The last squirms of a dying man? Ripley could only hope. She watched him carefully for a moment, but then her eyes wandered to the door. She really should go check on Marina. That elastic doll always got thrown around. She was so reckless because of her ability. Eventually, she'd get thrown far enough that it wouldn't matter. That's what the agent feared. She was about to step toward the door, but she heard something strange.
Slurp slurp. Slurp slurp.
No matter how she tried to justify it, Ripley couldn't deny the sound of insidious slurping. It filled the entire room. She turned over toward the two unconscious girls. Nothing. Then, she walked over Barry's body and leaned out the door frame. Marina wasn't back.
"Pepsi?" She asked, hoping the weirdo was just slurping something in the corner.
But wait. Why would anybody be drinking at such a dire moment? Didn't they all understand? Whoever was drinking would be in terrible danger. That's when a shiver ran up the agent's spine. She was afraid to turn around. Her mind had already solved the puzzle, but she didn't want to see the picture. Eventually she convinced herself to look. And what did she find?
Barry was still lying there. His arm was slumped right over his face. The arm that still had a sleeve. In fact, the sleeve was positioned right over his face. Ripley looked closer, and she could see a shimmer. A flask! He was drinking from a flask in his sleeve!
She sprinted over to stop him, but it was too late. He threw the flask right at her face. It crashed into her nose and sent her stumbling back. Then, Barry stood up with a drunken laugh. His head nearly bumped into the ceiling, By God, he'd grown huge! The alcohol had turned him into a giant!
"RIPLEY!" He roared with a slurred tongue. "COME HERE!"
She was swiped off the floor and lifted up by a hand on each of her sides. The agent struggled, kicking and grunting in discomfort.
"Toy… Like a little toy! You're such a small girl! So pretty…" He dragged a finger across her smooth cheek. "I like girls with shaved heads. I can see my grin reflected on their domes while I take them from behind!"
The agent growled. Her nose wrinkled up with a mix of rage and disgust.
"Electric Lady!"
"That won't work anymore, doll!" He shouted, laughing maniacally as the electricity surged through him.
After she was through, his body smoked and cracked like a burnt log. A few spots of his exposed arm looked like dried mud. Somehow, he was immune to being shocked. Was he just so big that Ripley's underpowered blast couldn't do enough damage? Maybe she'd fare better with her hand on an outlet. There was something else, too. He didn't even cry out in pain. He seemed to be so drunk that the electrocution was funny.
"Now… I wonder how hard it would be to tear this dolly in half?" He licked his lips, beginning to pull the two sides of Ripley apart.
Her eyes bulged as she screamed in pain. Those legs kicked helplessly, and she couldn't even get enough peace of mind to try and use Electric Lady again. She'd be torn in two, and then Barry would finish the girls sleeping beside them.
"If anyone's splitting the agent in two, it's gonna be my gigantic cock." Marina spat from the doorway.
Barry loosened his grip on Ripley as his eyes drifted to the door. Marina was a little worse for wear. A tree branch was stuck to her hair, and her jeans were torn. She used Bubblegum Bitch's bat like a cane to keep herself propped up in her drunken state. Still, aside from all of that, the anger on her face was clear. She was going to kill him for touching Ripley like that.
To be Continued...
