Singapore, 5140 Miles from Cairo
In a silver flash, Polnareff lunges forward with his Stand, aiming Chariot's rapier straight for the foe's left leg. However, the yellow slime around his body reacts just as fast and swells to meet the strike, stopping the rapier dead in its trajectory.
"Hey, let go, asshole!" Polnareff watches bewildered as Chariot's shaking arm is trying to extricate the rapier from the faker's Stand.
"Polnareff, back off! He's got you in range!" A tendril from the enemy's back engorges and slams right into Chariot's torso, knocking both Polnareff and his Stand on their backs. Kakyoin manifests Hierophant Green and wraps a tentacle around the Chariot's hand and the weapon it's holding. Avdol also reveals Magician Red, and together the three Stands tug hard on the embedded sword.
Finally freeing it with one united pull, the three keep their distance as the enemy begins to laugh maniacally, "You're lucky your Stand is armored, Polnareff! Or you might've ended up like this!" The man hops back a few feet and slams the trunk of a large tree with Temperance. The bark begins to fizzle and bubble, and tree begins to topple towards the road and the still recovering Polnareff.
This isn't good, that man has a powerful Stand. It might take all four of us to beat it.
"Magician's Red! Crossfire Hurricane!" An ankh-shaped blast of fire emanates from in front of Avdol and his Stand, smashing into the falling tree and nearly incinerating the middle section of it entirely. Hot ashes fall gently over Polnareff, who tucks and rolls out of most of the heat.
"And again, Crossfire Hurricane!" Another blast of fire bursts out, this time aimed right at Yellow Temperance and its master. The man simply stands there, and his Stand takes the full brunt of the flames. After only a few seconds of what looks like incinerating, the yellow slime quenches the flame and begins pulsing larger than before.
Even my flames? It melted through that tree with ease, and soaked up Chariot's stab and…Hm. I'll have to see what Mr. Joestar thinks. He always has a plan.
Avdol glances over at Joseph, who is standing still, seemingly analyzing the fight happening before him. "Emerald Splash!" Kakyoin peppers the enemy with green gems, but the sludge catches each one despite the direct hit and disgorges them into a pile around him. "Mr. Joestar, do you see an opening?"
Joseph cocks his head towards Avdol, a glint in his eye. And before Avdol can meet his gaze fully, Joseph breaks into a full out sprint back towards town, over the ashes and burnt logs in the way. "RUN AWAY, MAKE WAY!"
Ah. I see. It'll be up to us three then.
Kakyoin, Polnareff, and even Yellow Temperance's master have all stopped fighting, simply looking in confusion at the fleeing old man. "C'mon Mr. Joestar, get back here and help!" Kakyoin takes a glance at the shouting Polnareff, and then back at Avdol. Avdol just nods at Kakyoin, and with a look of recognition, Kakyoin nudges Polnareff. "Focus. It'll just be us three versus him." Polnareff scoffs for a moment, then tightens his eyes back towards their enemy.
"That's just fine by me. Run away, or hell, bring some more guys at me! My Stand, Yellow Temperance, is invulnerable! A weapon that defends, a shield that attacks! None of you stands a chance, do you understand?" The three of them look at each other, and ready their stance.
Singapore, 44 Days to Save Holly
Okay, so let's review here. They're about half a mile back, so I cut back through the woods on the road ahead, I should be able to-
A car screeches to a stop in front of Joseph, the driver honking his horn and poking his head out of the window. He seems to be yelling in Malay, of which Joseph knows none. "Hey, go the other way, there's a fire!" The driver yells what seems to be an apology before slamming into reverse and turning around.
There has to be something close. I'll check across the road first, just try to hold out until I get back.
Joseph keeps up his sprint as bobs and weaves his way through a crowd, although he stops dead in his tracks in front of a white brick building…
Singapore, 5140 Miles from Cairo
The rest of the Crusaders had been fighting with this man for at least 15 minutes. Each blow repelled, each fallen tree dodged. Smoke plumes high and hangs in the canopy above them, and scorch marks litter the forest floor. Avdol catches his breath after having dodged another falling tree.
He seems to have noticed we're keeping our distance except Polnareff. He'll knock down half the forest if it lets him get away from this stalemate. He can't seem to stay in the smoke long either, even if his Stand is invulnerable he still needs to breathe.
Sure enough, their enemy tries to take off back into the unburnt forest, coughing as some low hanging smoke flies his way. Before he can make his escape though, Chariot manifests and blocks his way. After sustaining many heavy blows from the yellow sludge, its armor was beaten and dented, almost ready to fly off from the next b low. Chariot draws its rapier and makes some quick feints, trying to keep its distance but still checking the foe's advance. The man calls his Stand's barrier, but still can't advance safely.
Good, Polnareff, just a bit longer. Joseph should be here soon.
Temperance lunges a tendril at Chariot, but retreats as soon as another shower of gemstones rains from a hanging Hierophant above him. The green snake-esque Stand had slithered up to the treetops to pin down the foe using the smoke as cover, and the enemy seemed stuck in place absorbing the force smashing into him from above.
This is the spot, just hold him there you two.
"Crossfire Hurricane!" Magician's Red launches another gush of flame from behind which engulfs the shell of slime in the middle of the three Crusaders. From behind Polnareff, Joseph appears from a cloud of smoke holding…something. "Duck, you flattop Frenchy!" Without a retort, Polnareff drops to his chest and Chariot moves aside.
With a swing of his left arm like throwing a disc, Joseph flings a 20 foot length of steel cable horizontally straight at Yellow Temperance as he jumps over Polnareff. The cable seems to lodge itself into the sludge, and the man laughs as he dispels the shield around his head. "You ran all that way just to make a trip to the hardware store? Pathetic, Gramps!" A yellow tendril shoots out at Joseph, but Chariot flies between them and tanks the hit. Steam starts to jet from Chariot's shoulders, and bolts fly loose as the armor flies off, revealing the gears and inner workings beneath.
"Thanks Polnareff. Now, both of you, pull!" Almost twice as fast as before, Chariot speeds off and grabs ahold of one side of the cable, circling around Temperance counter-clockwise. The man within looks momentarily confused, but turns and sees the other end of the cable being pulled clockwise by a green tentacle. On closer inspection, he sees the tentacle has wound its way down a tree and dragged the cable around a tree on the other side, where Hierophant grabs hold of it and pulls.
The metal digs into the pile of sludge, cinching it tight. The pressure of both Stands stringing him tight pushes both of the man's arms to his sides, and the slime tries in vain to grab ahold of and move the cable from around him. "Even if you trapped me here, you'll still can't hurt me! My Stand is unbeatable!"
Joseph stands there, hand on his chin, stroking it like a cartoon character before grabbing his cheeks and shouting. "OH MY GOD! Why, you're right, good sir! Let's ask my friend Avdol if he has any solution!" Joseph does a comic point to behind the trapped foe, who turns his head from within his reformed slime helmet.
Always theatrical. But I'll let him have it, he did leave us a map in those ashes with Hermit Purple. He always has a plan.
"Of course, Mr. Joestar. Let's get some firewood, we shall make camp while we think. Kakyoin, have Hierophant fetch a few palm leaves for us." Kakyoin squints a bit, but Avdol could hear the leaves rustle as a tentacle slithers off toward the shorter trees by the road. Avdol licks his fingertip and holds it up, and then points to a spot just to the east of the trapped man. "Come, Mr. Joestar, this is a fine place to set up camp!"
Time passes…
Chariot and Hierophant are still clinching the man tight with the cable, as Avdol, Joseph, and Kakyoin sit by a roaring bonfire made of logs from the previously felled trees. Smoke gushes from the flames, blowing westerly towards Yellow Temperance and the man within. Polnareff is on the other side, next to Chariot, fanning some smoke back in the direction of the pinned man.
The man coughs and sputters, getting less and less airflow as the smoke billows upwind of him. "Please, I'll stop hunting you! Just let me go and I won't tell DIO anything!" Joseph props a leg up on the still large pile of spare firewood, before comically scratching his head. "I don't know, we still haven't figured out a way to beat you." Polnareff also coughs loudly, "Just hurry up and pass out, asshole."
Even longer….
The yellow slime begins to wobble, and starts shrinking as the man within's eyes begin to roll back in unconsciousness. Catching themselves, both Chariot and Hierophant slack their grip a bit, so as not to immediately slice their captive in half once the slime stops resisting. The two drag the knocked out enemy back to the secluded road. Thankfully, it seems the fire engines are on the more populated side, so they still have a few moments of privacy.
Magician's Red stamps down on one end of the cable while Hierophant Green coils its end around a heavy log and holds steady, practically pinning the man down to the asphalt itself. Joseph walks over carefully to right beside the knocked out enemy's face and crouches down, the stripped down Chariot hovering beside him while holding the tip of its rapier to the man's temple. Joseph takes his metal arm and smacks the man's face until he hacks and wheezes awake.
"Tell me what I want to know."
"Yes, please, anything! I'll tell you anything, just let me go! DIO was just offering me money, please let me live!"
"Alright then. First question. Tell us who DIO is sending after us next."
"Uh, well, to be honest. More powerful Stand users than me. Even if I don't kill you, they will."
"Who are they? What are their Stands?"
"I don't have that information, all I know is that there's an old hag who is DIO's right hand, and that her son is an assassin as well! All I could tell you is that her son has two right hands…"
Polnareff's grip tightens, and so does Chariot's. "Him! When's he coming?"
"Listen, all I know is that they're coming. His elite assassins are next. Be afraid, Joestar."
"One more question. Did you really kill Jotaro?"
"What, you worried about your little precious grandson? I'd be more worried about waiting around too long. I told you stronger assassins are coming!" The man wriggles in his binds a bit. "Are you gonna let me go even if I did kill him?"
"Hm…" Joseph's eyes are smoldering with anger as he goes to stand up. "I don't think so."
"Well it doesn't matter either way, because I'm busting out!" The man shoots a tendril of slime from his pinned back at both Joseph and Polnareff's unguarded legs, having freed one arm from its binds. But before it can contact either one, Silver Chariot lunges decisively. The slime dissolves into the air, and blood runs across the asphalt.
Time passes…
The Crusaders sat once more in silence in their hotel room. The sun sets behind them through the balcony window. Kakyoin turns another page in his book, then lifts his head. "It's almost time." Polnareff is clutching a pillow with both arms, tears welling in the corners of his eyes and his hand shaking in rage. Avdol is just listening, eyes closed, to the room around him. The phone rings, and Joseph springs up in tense quietness, grabbing a pen and paper as he answers.
"Yes, this is Joseph Joestar. Yes, thank you. Of course, let me write it down. Thank you again." Joseph sullenly sets the phone back on the hook. "Our train leaves in two hours. Get your things together."
Polnareff slams the pillow to the floor as he rises to his feet. "We're just giving up on him that easy? There's no way Jotaro died to that chump."
"Relax Polnareff. Let him speak."
"It's easy for you to say, Avdol! I got attacked twice in a row now, and Jotaro's way tougher than me! We have to wait and see if he comes back!"
"Polnareff. I have no doubt in my grandson's abilities. But…we can't wait any longer. More assassins are coming and we have to stay on the move. I haven't given up on him." Joseph steps towards the door, back turned to the rest. "I had Speedwagon Foundation arrange something. If he does come back after we depart, he'll have a way to catch up to us. We just have to hold out hope and wait. So please, gather your things." Avdol can hear the trembling in his voice.
That was brave of you, Mr. Joestar. I share your faith. Let us not lose hope.
END of INTERLUDE 2