Hospital in Karachi, 34 Days Remaining
Exhaling a deep sigh, Jotaro takes his headphones off and stows them in his coat pocket. He knocks on the edge of the hospital room door in front of him while eyeing the rushing staff around him.
Gramps pulled this many people to help? I'm sure he'll bankrupt the Speedwagon Foundation by the time we get to DIO…
"Come in!" The familiar voice of his grandfather comes from the other side of the door. Jotaro casually opens the door in response, walking with his hat down. Early morning light floods the room, casting grim shadows beneath the beds as the sun looms low in the windowsill. Underneath the brim of his cap, Jotaro's eyes scan the beds in the room.
Avdol, Polnareff…the cowboy.
Overnight, it appears that the two vacant beds left by Jotaro and Anne's quick recovery were replaced by the other two injured men in their group, though it also appears that Hol Horse is slightly more injured in the face area than before.
"Jotaro, glad you're here." Kakyoin looks up from a book he's flipping through, lingering with a smile for a moment before returning to the page. His grandfather, though, sits with arms crossed in his seat, tapping his foot impatiently.
"You haven't seen Anne and the idiot, have you, Jotaro?" Annoyance oozes through Joseph's teeth, but Jotaro only shakes his head in response. With a few measured footsteps, he approaches Polnareff and Avdol's still unconscious bodies.
"How bad is it?"
"Well…" Joseph stumbles a bit of a response before Kakyoin interjects.
"It's bad. The holes missed bone, but were big enough to still require a bit of healing time. Both Avdol and Polnareff rely on their limbs to effectively use their Stands…the doctors gave us at least three weeks for recovery time accompanied by minor surgeries and grafts…but-" Joseph cuts in at the end, a flustered look on his face.
"With some Hamon healing on the side, probably down to two weeks…maybe a week and half…" A troubled look clouds Joseph's face. Jotaro squints his eyes a bit to stare at his grandfather, before speaking up.
"Hm. I'm glad they're alive. That could've been bad back there."
"Yes…" Joseph taps his foot a bit more before muttering, "Where is that assho-"
As if on cue, the younger Joseph bounds through the door, Anne groggily behind him.
"Morning, party people!" The younger Joseph happily exclaims as he sits on the one vacant bed in the corner. The first response is from the older Joseph, who groans, and the second comes from Anne.
"Ugh, that's what I get for showing him those American shows last night…" She rubs her eyes, exhaustion on her face. "Why did we have to meet so early?"
"Because…" The older Joseph breathes in a bit before he continues, "Because we have to decide our game plan."
"Game plan? I thought it was pretty straightforward. March up to DIO's place, kick the door in, then his teeth in." The younger Joseph chuckles a bit, trying to read the room for a reaction. Most give him the same look that the unconscious and injured men are giving. General discomfort.
"It's not that easy, Joseph." Kakyoin explains, "Both Avdol and Polnareff are badly injured…Hol Horse here, too." Everyone's gaze slowly gravitates towards the still groggy Anne.
"…What? Sorry I wasn't paying much attention." She yawns and sits in a chair towards the door, half looking like she will pass out at any given moment.
"So," Kakyoin continues, "It would be in our best interest to wait for them both to heal. But that begs the question-" The older Joseph stands up and interjects, a solemn look on his face.
"Do we stay to protect them, or do we forge on before we lose more time?"
The room is silent for a bit.
For more than a bit. It was if the room itself was caving in on itself with the tension in it. Finally, the one to break the silence is-
"We don't have to choose, gramps." Jotaro says, putting a hand on the older Joseph's shoulder. "Jojo and I will go on ahead. You and Kakyoin can stay behind to protect them while they recover."
"Oh! And while we're already ahead of you in Egypt, we can scout ahead!" The younger Joseph exclaims, having stretched himself out on the hospital bed like it was a luxury mattress.
"Again, Jotaro?" Kakyoin asks gently. "We just got you back."
"Hm." The older Joseph turns to the window, a hand stroking his beard. "No, Kakyoin. He may be right…There's still one ace up our sleeve. Though I've been hesitant to pull it…"
"Your unreliable friend?" Kakyoin closes his book and inquisitively looks at the old man.
"Are they worse than Jojo over there?" Jotaro points at the younger Joseph, who is currently playing with a spare IV drip.
"Hey!" As the younger one protests, the older Joseph responds grimly.
"Sadly…yes. But I trust you'll be able to rein him in. I'll arrange transport for him tonight…but to make good time, you'll both have to leave soon. You will more than likely have to meet him halfway."
"His name?" Jotaro goes back to the corner and props himself up against the wall as the older Joseph responds.
"Iggy. He's… a bit different than the normal Stand user. I'll give you the details and instructions on how to…deal with him with the Speedwagon transport." An instant look of regret clouds the older Joseph's face, but Jotaro shrugs it off and continues.
"Will you two be okay guarding these three?" Jotaro again indicates to the unconscious bodies, though a slight snort catches his attention. One coming from a certain, presumably unconscious cowboy.
"It won't be a problem, Jotaro." Kakyoin smiles as he speaks, looking fondly at his battered friends. "Mr. Joestar and I's Stands are well suited for defense."
"Hm." Jotaro walks over to Hol Horse's bed and jams two fingers into the blond man's stomach, causing the cowboy to leap to life in pain.
"Yowch! The hell was that fer, Jotaro?"
"Looks like you have two and a half people here to worry about." Jotaro turns without saying another word, returning to his spot. Hol Horse, however, looks like a deer in the headlights as he anxiously glances at each of the people in the room.
"Naw, I'm still injured! Looks like I might need some more shut-eye…"
"No, you don't! You're coming along with us, Hol ol' buddy!" The younger Joseph leaps out of his reclined position and grabs slaps Hol Horse right on the knee. Even with a quick glance, Jotaro could see the fear in the cowboy's eyes.
"I mean, what good would I-"
"Joseph has a point…" Kakyoin muses to himself as he opens his book again. "Your Stand doesn't really need much of your physical strength to use from what you've told us…"
"But, uh, won't I need some time to recove-"
"Hamon, baby!" Joseph has a full on grin as pulls out his clackers and spins them around his fingers. "Besides, if you try to run from us, Anne will rearrange your face again." At the mention of her name, Anne sleepily looks around with half-closed eyes before shutting them again.
"I…I uh, I guess I don't have much a choice, then."
"You're in capable hands, Mr. Horse." Kakyoin pats him on the shoulder, pointing past the younger Joseph towards Jotaro. "Besides, I'm sure you'd rather be in the group with the man who saved you from DIO. A couple of us here owe a lot to Jotaro, and I'm sure you feel the same way about Joseph."
"Yeah…sure…well, uh, best I get my rest in!" Hol Horse turns in his hospital bed and puts a pillow over his head to block out the sun and noise. Despite that, Jotaro can hear a faint panicked scream from under the pillow.
"As far as travel…" The older Joseph produces a map, focus intent on the new task before them.
In an uncomfy chair with everyone in the room, so sleepy…
Anne stirs a bit, stretching in her chair.
Oh god. I shouldn't have stayed up so late…how come Joseph's never this tired…
In front of her, both Josephs, Kakyoin, and Jotaro are all gathered around a map. Apparently discussing "fuel stops" and "lodging".
"Hey, idiot, when are we leaving?" Anne shouts across the room, causing the younger Joseph to turn around.
"Day after tomorrow, early!"
"Wait, we?" The older Joseph looks around everyone to stare incredulously at Anne. "You're not taking her with you, are you?"
"Of course! She's a fierce Hamon warrior, right?" The younger Joseph winks at Anne, who takes a karate pose.
"She doesn't even have a Stand, Jojo." With a groan, the older and significantly less fun Joseph puts a hand to his face.
"Hey, she's helped plenty! She told me herself, she chopped off that Steely Dan guy's hand! I hate you, by the way, Anne, never do that again."
"That doesn't mea-"
"Gramps. Let her be. She wants to fight, that's brave enough." Jotaro says, without betraying an inch of emotion.
"Ugh. Fine. Don't let a poor middle schooler die, Jotaro…" His face in his palm, the older Joseph groans once more.
"Hey! I'm old enough to whoop your as-" Anne fumes as she rises from her chair,
"Now now, Anne." The younger Joseph smiles, "We've got plenty of enemies to fight, no need for bullying the elderly."
"By the way, speaking of no Stand…" Anne stops in curious thought for a moment, before formulating her question and continuing. "Tell me some more about them. They seem so cool! I know a bit about Jotaro's and Jojo's…"
"Well," Kakyoin steps away, making a gesture as if something were to appear at the end of it. "My Stand is Hierophant Green. It has long range and can fire a stream of gems as projectiles. I've had it since I was young, though I lack the words to describe it to someone who cannot see it. Polnareff also has had his since he was young. Silver Chariot, an ironclad fencer with a swift blade. Avdol's…again, difficult to describe if you cannot see it." Kakyoin smirks a bit as he explains, but is cut off by Anne.
"Oh, oh! That one shoots fire! Magician's Red! And I was wondering how Polnareff was cutting down those zombies…" Anne bobs up and down in excitement, trying to imagine the Stands fighting invisibly beside her.
"Mine is more than likely exactly like Jojo's." The older Joseph explains. "Hermit Purple. Countless purple vines that can restrain people and provide limited views of far off places and knowledge I might need, usually at the cost of some way to display that knowledge…"
"I mean, that's KIND OF close…" The younger Joseph scoffs a bit as he scratches the back of his head.
"Kind of?" The older Joseph looks at him with a concerned look. "How different could our Stands be? We're the same person."
"Apparently different enough." Jotaro pipes in. "I've only ever seen him use one vine at a time, and his most effective precognition is audio based."
"Yeah!" The younger Joseph embarrassedly chimes in. "I was JUST about to say that, Jotaro!"
"Right…" The gray haired Joseph scratches his chin, "And your Stand's name? Is it Hermit Purple?"
"No? How am I supposed to know a vine's name?"
"You don't really." Jotaro responds. "Avdol named mine."
"Well, MOST people," The older Joseph says with annoyance in his voice, "are in tune enough with themselves to know their Stand's name."
"Uhh…well. It's a vine. And it's purple…" The younger Joseph's brow furrows as he thinks, and thinks, and thinks.
"Just call it Hermit Purple." The older Joseph puts his face in his palm, again.
"No! That's lame. Right, Anne?"
"Yep! Very lame."
"Okay, so…" The younger Joseph snaps his finger. "Just like that voice in Tibet said! Look inside my self…"
"Idiot Purple!" Anne shouts.
"No, that's not cool at all! Oh, oh, you're all tarot cards, how about 'The Fool's Purple'!"
"Sadly, that's both stupid and taken." The older Joseph sighs. In all the commotion, another voice whispers from the other side of the room.
"Mr. Joestar…" Avdol's weak voice comes to life on the other side of the room. The older Joseph rushes over and sits down beside him.
"Avdol, you should be resting…"
"I heard someone say tarot…" He chuckles a bit, his body still obviously wracked with pain. With a deep breath, the older Joseph uses some Hamon to ease his pain. "Thank you, Mr. Joestar. I thought you needed my expertise to size up our next foe…"
"No, this idiot doesn't know his Stand's name." He points to his younger self, a look of disdain covering his face and voice.
"Ah…then permit me to draw from the deck. I trust you have it?" Avdol motions with an open palm, and the older Joseph produces it from his pocket. With a swift motion, Avdol pulls the top card of the deck and reads it.
"Oh, come on, Violet Strength or something!"
"Sadly, also taken, but by a gorilla…" Kakyoin muses, having stepped back while everyone was fussing to continue reading.
"I see…" Avdol chuckles a bit. "I gave this card to another already. But, like most cards, they have many meanings." He flips the card around, revealing it to be 'The Fool'.
"I knew it!" The younger Joseph exclaims, to which his older self responds with more annoyance.
"That you were an idiot?"
"Hey, Caesar always called me that, an idiot or a fool."
"From what I've seen and heard of you, young Joseph." Avdol smiles, barely able to stand even the numbed pain. "You're not quite a fool. You have more wiles than lies. Since you're related to Mr. Joestar here…let's say…"
Anne nudges herself to the edge of her seat, soaking up the drama of the moment.
"Your Stand, Joseph Joestar. Fate has decided its name." Avdol strains a bit as he tries to sit himself up. "Trickster Purple. May your journey take you to the World, as the story of the tarot goes…" With another pained grunt, Avdol goes back to a reclined position and closes his eyes.
"You heard the fortune man." The younger Joseph grins ear to ear, holding his hand out as if there were a rope coiled around it. "Trickster Purple it is. Much cooler name than Hermit Purple…"
END of CONVERGENCE 9