Visakhapatnam International Airport, 37 Days to Save Holly
"Joestar-san, are you sure about this?" Kakyoin's voice strains a bit as he crams himself into the back seat. The small, run-down plane creaks as the weight of four adults settles in on its decrepit wheels.
"Oi, Kakyoin. Stop worrying so much." Joseph turns around to look at Kakyoin and Polnareff, uncomfortably mashed together due to the small size of the aircraft. "This was all they had on short notice, but I grew up flying these things!"
"Crashing these things." Avdol clicks his tongue after saying this. Polnareff's eyes visibly tear up before he speaks.
"Oh god. I'm not even going to die fighting anyone. I'm going to die in a plane crash."
"Avdol, Joestar-san… please tell me this is a prank. That the real plane is further on the runway?" Kakyoin hesitantly speaks, the mere act of talking causing creaks and moans from the aged joints in the plane itself.
"C'mon, Kakyoin. Don't you trust me?" Joseph turns around and smiles, gently but not reassuringly.
"It's not that, it's just-"
"Excellent, let's get flying!" Hermit Purple lashes out from Joseph's arms and into the controls of the plane. The engine roars to the life and the propellers spin with unnatural speed. "Hope you all went to the bathroom before this! This is going to be a long ride!"
With a rush of speed, the plane launches itself forward, barreling down the runway as the fuselage shudders more intensely.
"OH GOD, KAKYOIN, SAVE ME!" Polnareff latches onto Kakyoin, who is equally as scared but far less hysterical. The drag and turbulence practically glue the two to the back of the cramped passenger seat. Yet both Avdol and Joseph seems perfectly tranquil.
Before long, they start catching air in the wings and take flight. Polnareff has sunken his face into Kakyoin's school uniform, all while Kakyoin nervously looks out the side window to examine the condition of the plane as it flies.
"Oi, Polnareff. Calm down." Joseph waves his hand at the back seat while focusing on the plane's controls.
"How? I'm going to die up here!" Polnareff clutches Kakyoin tighter. Kakyoin tries to shake him off as he speaks.
"Polnareff, he's already wrecked a plane not so long ago."
"That's not reassuring, Kakyoin!"
"Polnareff…" Joseph goes very quiet, almost too serious in his tone. "You won't die up here. I promise." He turns back with a thumbs-up and a smile.
"You…you mean it, Mr. Joestar? You promise?"
"Of course." Joseph's heartwarming smile fades into a goofy grin as he thunders out in boisterous laughter. "No one really dies in the air. They die when they don't stick the landing!" Amidst the screams of Polnareff and laughter of Joseph, the hours pass slowly as they drift over India…
Cramped in the back seat with Polnareff, ignoring his drool on my shoulder
The midday sun had long since set. What would've been a quick flight on a normal plane has nearly doubled due to the age of the antique they were flying. Kakyoin stares out the window, the anxiety long gone from his thoughts.
Judging from the shoreline up ahead, we're almost there. Seems as though we're taking an approach from the southeast…
Kakyoin's eyes look over everyone in the cabin. Avdol has his eyes closed, just as they had been when they got on the plane in the first place. Polnareff snores in a deep sleep, the panic tiring him out rather quickly. A gentle humming comes from the pilot seat, Joseph wide awake.
"Joestar-san."
"Yes, Kakyoin?"
"How do you manage to stay awake for so long? Is it Hamon?"
"Partially." Kakyoin hums in acknowledgement, expecting more a response. "I've always been like this, since before my Hamon training. Whenever I have a goal in my head, I can't seem to sleep. Takes me a few days before I get so exhausted that I have to sleep."
"Hm." Kakyoin's eyes drift to the two sleeping companions, Avdol and Polnareff. "You're a comforting person, Joestar-san. You always seem to know what you're doing, you never lose hope."
"I've faced a lot worse, Kakyoin. Imagine an unkillable vampire who can survive a lava bath, before single-handedly removing half your arm with a single swipe. Hell, I even flew a plane filled with piranhas…"
"Really." Kakyoin eyes the back of Joseph's seat with a particular scrutiny. "And how did that end?"
"Crashed the plane. It was a lot of piranhas." Joseph laughs loudly again.
Mostly comforting person…
A pit in Kakyoin's stomach seems to open up. The relaxed attitude Joseph takes to life threatening situations…
He really is amazing. But it seems he really was an idiot when he was younger.
Polnareff stirs as Joseph's laughter grows louder, stretching his limbs as much he can while he yawns.
"Are we there yet?" Polnareff sleepily rubs his eyes as he lifts his head, which turns and sees the land far below. "Oh. Good. We haven't crashed."
"Yet." Kakyoin replies, with a half laugh.
"Oh c'mon! This is stressful, Kakyoin." Polnareff pouts as he tries to avoid looking out of the window.
"Yes, Polnareff. But get used to it. Avdol seems to be adjusting just fine." Kakyoin points at the still sleeping Avdol, trying to lighten the tension a bit.
"Huh. Yeah, Polnareff. Avdol should've shared with you." Joseph scratches his chin, puzzling over something.
"Share…what, Mr. Joestar?" Kakyoin listens to the two of them talk over the still creaking fuselage of the plane, eyes drifting back to the night sky over Pakistan.
"How do you think he's asleep right now?" Joseph punches Avdol in the shoulder hard, causing the plane to swerve a little as he yanks the wheel slightly. Kakyoin barely moves, having grown numb to the recklessness at this point, but Polnareff clutches onto Kakyoin's arm for dear life.
"Hey, eyes on the sky, Mr. Joestar!"
"Oi, sorry. But see." Joseph points at Avdol, still fast asleep. "He took a bunch of sleeping meds right before he got on the plane. He always hates flying with me, I wonder why…" Joseph strokes his chin again in thought.
"Ugh…" Polnareff sinks into his seat, resigned to his fate.
Joseph…you're expecting the worst, hm? You always seem to joke around the most before we find ourselves in the worst situations. What are you thinking, I wonder?
1988, dans un avion avec un pilote fou
"There, everyone. See the lights?" Joseph points out the front of the cockpit. Polnareff sits up a little, straining to see over Avdol's rather large shoulder.
City lights…uh…
"I don't see shit, Mr. Joestar." Polnareff scoffs, tired of jokes.
"Polnareff, that's the airport. More than likely." Kakyoin eyes don't stray from the side window as he speaks.
"He's right, Polnareff. See the tall, skinny towers with the lights? That's to help us land."
"But, uh, Mr. Joestar." Polnareff nervously speaks as he points. "Isn't that airport, uh…covered in fog?"
Sure enough, it's as if someone got a perfectly sized fog bank and smothered the airport with it. Only the very top of the air traffic control towers were visible.
This is crazy. How the hell does a fog bank just sit perfectly were we need to be?
"Hm. The forecast said it was going to be a clear night…" As Joseph speaks, the plane creaks in response, as if to taunt Polnareff in his fear. Polnareff grips the back of Avdol's seat, gritting his teeth, before an idea pops into his head.
"Hey, wait, I have an idea! We can just circle it until the fog bank clears! Safe landing! No problems!"
I'm a genius!
"Polnareff…" Kakyoin pats him on the shoulder. "We used the last of our fuel a few hours ago. Hierophant has been on refueling duty with our spare, and…well let's just say we need to land soon."
"It'll be A-Okay, Polnareff!" Joseph responds with a chipper tone. "I checked the timetables, and from my watch, we're right on time. No one should be on the runways this time of night."
"Oh, thank go-"
"We just have to land it blind in this fog, no issues!"
"Oh, wel-"
"And hopefully, the plane's landing gear hasn't been too overtaxed, y'know this plane is really only supposed to hold two people…"
"Oh no…"
"So no issues!" Joseph finishes talking, his bright tone evaporating as he grips the controls. "Hermit Purple!" With a deep breath, Joseph exhales onto the cockpit glass, fogging it up slightly. Then, the mass of purple vines extends up and sparks as it contacts the foggy glass. Before their eyes, thin lines draw themselves on the glass's moisture, forming a crude diagram of what appears to be an airport.
Kakyoin hums a bit, smiling as he glances at the cockpit. Polnareff moves to speak, but Joseph interrupts him.
"The next thing you're going to say is, 'Mr. Joestar, that's amazing!'" A split second after, Polnareff exclaims loudly:
"Mr. Joestar, that's amazing!"
Airspace over Karachi International Airport, 36 Days to Save Holly
The planes shudders as it descends, Joseph's grip shaking in time with the turbulence. The nose of the plane dips into the fog, leaving the diagram on the cockpit glass as the only thing visible.
I'll have to take a shallow angle, feel for the wheels touching…I only have one shot to do this…
Silence looms over the cabin. Even the plane seems to have gone silent, the tension of the moment overtaking all. Joseph clenches his jaw, but does his best to maintain his breathing. After a few seconds, the plane catches something on its wheels before it bounces back up a bit.
Almost…
Polnareff gasps a bit behind him, but Joseph ignores as much as he can. The dense fog in front of him is brightly illuminated by the front light of the plane, but it was as if the plane was submerged in a sea of cotton. Joseph lifts on the controls again, angling the plane slightly more downward.
If only I could see more than a foot in front of the plane…
"Ugh…" Avdol wakes up, with a bit of grogginess in his voice. He looks out of the cockpit and at Joseph's strained face. "Mr. Joestar, allow me." He raises a finger, pointing out the front of the plane. "Magician's Red!"
The muscular bird Stand springs out of the front of the plane and sends a gout of flame in front of them, clearing the area of fog for a small stretch in front of the plane. Sure enough, they were barely a few inches off of the runway.
"Excellent, Avdol!" Joseph's focus renews with new vigor as the plane touches down. The fog, however, encroaches back in front of the plane as they speed down the runway. The immense pull from the landing launches the others forward a bit, their speed rapidly decreasing as Joseph engages the brakes.
The plane squeals loudly down the asphalt, its rusted gears grinding as they sustain the force of an overloaded landing. But in the fog, something catches Joseph's eye. A figure, shaped like a man, waving something large. Joseph tries to adjust his trajectory, but it was too late. The others barely notice the figure until it slams into the front of the plane, causing the front to crumple and twist a bit as the figure embeds itself into the aged propellers.
"Oh my god!" Joseph shouts loudly as he withdraws Hermit Purple from the controls and reaches out into the fog with them, hoping to find an anchor to bring the plane to a complete halt.
"Mr. Joestar, was that-"
"Hold on tight!" Hermit Purple finds purchase on something within the dense fog, and with a bit of strain on Joseph, the plane comes to a halt. Polnareff kicks the side door off and clambers out with Kakyoin to examine the mangled figure. Joseph and Avdol follow behind, finding a crouched Kakyoin examining the body amidst the dense, chilly fog. Polnareff's eyes are darting around, apparently uninterested in the body.
"Kakyoin, is that-" Joseph gets cut off by Kakyoin, who raises a finger to his mouth.
"Shh. Mr. Joestar, this person has been dead a while. They're ice cold. But look." He points to two perfectly round holes in each of the figure's palms. "These aren't natural."
"A Stand User…" Avdol mumbles, his eyes also searching the fog around him.
"They're here, ready for us…" Joseph clenches his prosthetic fist, the metal creaking from the pressure.
We have to find Jotaro, quick. Who knows how early they got here…
END of INTERLUDE 10