Monday, July 27th
OLVG, Location West Hospital, Amsterdam
The sound of medical equipment filled the room. Mechanical whirs, high pitched beeping, and distant conversations all muddied together to form what can only be referred to as "Hospital Noise." It faded in and out of Shizuka's conscious mind as she slowly came to the world of the living once again, waking up. Her eyes fluttered open, and she let out a long groan. Her throat hurt, and it felt like she got hit by a bus. Wait.. was she hit by a bus? She fell asleep in the middle of the street, after all. After a moment's deliberation, she realized that she'd be in a lot more pain if she were run over.
Shizuka shifted a little in the hospital bed, feeling a few things attached to her. Probably to track vitals… She watched every season of Scrubs, so she pretty much had a full understanding of the medical world. Her mind slowly came back to her over time, and she remembered everything that lead to this hospital bed. The Flying Dutchman, Neil Archer, the Hellhounds, the chip… How could she just pass out like that? She pushed the blankets off of herself, groaning. Her eyes narrowed when she heard footsteps in the bathroom beside her bed. Who was in her room? Was is possibly Wagner? Did he sneak in to finish the job? She noticed a tray of food within her reach and grabbed a fork, ready to attack. The bathroom door opened, revealing a large man. Unfortunately, Shizuka recognized him. She groaned, dropping the fork.
"Uncle Jotaro?" She mumbled dryly, clearly displeased. "It's not Christmas time. Why are you here?" She questioned, referring to how she only saw him one day of the year.
Jotaro looked down at her with a neutral expression. "When you were admitted, they found your passport and called the old man. I was actually on layover in Paris when I got the call. I took a train, and got here about an hour ago." He explained, sitting down in the chair across from her bed. "I guess you probably want to explain what happened?"
She wrinkled her nose in annoyance. Shizuka idolized Jolyne, and because of that she had a very sour opinion of Uncle Kujo. Her cousin would always rant about Jotaro at Thanksgiving and Christmas whenever they spent time together. He seemed like a real neglectful loser. Then again, he was there, wasn't he? He came for her. Not like she wanted that. But still, it meant something…
"Dad warned me that I'd run into Stand Users if I traveled. I didn't believe him." She admitted, crossing her arms.
Jotaro looked alert. "A Stand? In Amsterdam? Did you take care of it?"
"Does it look taken care of? I ran." She grunted.
Jotaro leaned back in his chair, sighing. "What was its ability? Who was its user?"
Shizuka just sighed. "Why are you here? I can take care of myself. Don't you have a family to take care of?"
Jotaro was shocked by the child's blunt questioning. He really didn't expect to be scolded by a ten year old. "You're family. Jiji's family. Jolyne and Maura are safe in Florida. This took priority."
She rolled her eyes. Something always took priority. "His name was Wagner. His stand, Flying Dutchman, could control the dead."
Jotaro thought to himself for a moment. "I've seen something like this before. This city could be in a lot of danger."
"How are there so many Stand Users, but nobody knows about them?" Shizuka questioned.
"Stands used to be rare. Certain people were born with them naturally. About twenty years ago, arrows with the ability to grant Stand abilities began circulating. We don't know their origins, but we're pretty sure we have all of them."
It all clicked into place. Granting Stand abilities? That must be what Neil paid for. She sat up urgently. "Wagner.. He offered a man power in an alley. I was watching invisibly… He shoved some kind of thing into the guy's hand. Could that have been one of the arrows?"
Jotaro considered it for a moment, lifting a hand to his chin. "You're sure that's what happened? He offered a man power, and stabbed him?"
Shizuka nodded, feeling like she stumbled into something big.
"And the man? Is he the one you were found with?" He questioned.
"Yes. Is he okay? I got him away from Wagner. It took everything I had, but I did it." She gripped the bedding, biting her lip.
"Neil Archer died shortly after arriving at the hospital. With the wound on his hand, their guess is he opened an artery and bled out." Jotaro said grimly. "But if he wasn't strong enough to handle the arrow, that would be the real cause of death."
Shizuka felt the air leave her lungs. Her head felt light as a feather, and she fell back against the pillow. She just stared up at the ceiling for a moment, drowning out Jotaro's voice as he asked if she was okay. She put everything she had into saving that man. And he died anyway? The sound of her heart beating filled her head, pounding against her forehead and deafening her. She could vaguely feel Jotaro grab her. Then, his rough, gravely voice pierced her shock.
"Shizuka!" He shouted.
She snapped out of it, feeling a tear streaking down her cheek. "Wha…? Oh.. Right. Sorry. I'm okay." She sniffled, raising a hand to wipe her face.
Jotaro looked at her with recognition. "Just because you're special doesn't mean every life is your responsibility. Trust me. You don't wanna go down that road." He stepped back, sighing. "Yare yare daze… I can't leave you alone here, but I can't leave this Wagner walking around the city either."
"I'm okay. I can come with you. I feel fine." She groaned, taking the equipment off of herself and stretching.
"I don't think your old man would be happy about that. I can't take you into a fight. I'll put you on a flight back to New York and handle this myself." He mumbled, getting his phone out.
"No!" She shouted, hopping out of bed. "I'm not going home. You can't make me." She protested.
He looked down at her as he dialed the number of the airport. "Yes, I'd like to purchase a ticket. Your soonest flight to New York City. One way." He got his wallet out, ready to write a check.
Shizuka was furious. Nobody ever listened. This was her life. Her fight. Her family. She was going to avenge Neil and then get to the Morio Grand Hotel even if it killed her. She noticed her bag sitting on a counter on the far side of the room, and her clothes folded neatly beside it. If Jotaro wasn't going to help her, he certainly wasn't going to stop her.
"Thank you. I'll be dropping her off and walking her to the gate. My name is Jotaro Kujo. K-u-j-o." He mumbled.
Then, something felt off. He pulled the phone away from his ear, looking around. His grip on the device tightened as his jaw tensed up. Shizuka was gone. Vanished into thin air with her belongings… He growled. "Shit." He closed his phone and shoved it into his pocket, slamming the door open and walking into the hallway. She wasn't going to get away from him. She had no idea what kind of danger she was in.
Down the hallway of the hospital, a tall man peeked around the corner. Wagner reached into his coat and pulled out his throwaway phone, dialing a number. After two rings, the other line picked up. "Boss… We're in trouble. There's been a complication." He mumbled, sweating.
"And what could that be? You had one job. Get the money, bring back the shard. This girl had better be worth the time you're spending there." The voice on the other end warned.
"I was about to walk into her hospital room.. But Jotaro Kujo beat me to it." Wagner explained.
"Jotaro. Kujo." The Boss said slowly.
"Yes sir… The one and only. That means that the little kid is-"
"Shizuka Joestar… Adopted daughter of Joseph and SuzieQ." The boss interrupted him.
"What should I do? What are my orders?" He asked, feeling his blood boil. "I don't think I can take Jotaro."
"No. You cannot. Leave Amsterdam immediately. By train. Once you're three countries away, take a flight under a false identity. Take every precaution necessary. Do not rush this. Do not leave a trail. Do not leave a trace. If you don't do this perfectly... He will find you. And if he does, we will not protect you."
After that, the line died. Wagner clenched the phone, sweating. He walked the opposite direction of Jotaro, pushing the "down" button on the elevator and walking inside. He leaned against the wall and began to tremble. He wouldn't have the organization's support if Jotaro attacked? That seemed so unfair. How could they turn their backs on him? Was the boss really so afraid of Star Platinum? "Fucking hell…" He mumbled, getting out his phone and preparing to plan a route out of the country.
"Language." A small voice warned.
Wagner's eyes widened, but by then it was too late. Shizuka appeared right in front of him, Achtung Baby holding a scalpel to his throat. There was pure hatred in the Stand's eye. He'd never seen such emotion on a Stand before.
"Shizuka… how much did you hear?" He growled, resigning himself to the situation.
"Enough to know that you're running. But I won't let that happen. You haven't paid for the death of Neil Archer." She said firmly.
Wagner chuckled. "Little kid, you're gonna gut me right here in this elevator? You don't have it in you."
"Don't tell me what I'm capable of! I might be a kid, but you've really pissed me off!" She threatened, stomping her foot.
"Well, you're running out of time. We're almost on the ground floor… Do it, Shizuka. Do it now, or I'm going to get away." Wagner grinned.
Shizuka slammed her fist against the alarm button. A high pitched ring filled the elevator. "I don't have to gut anything. I just have to scream."
Wagner barely had time to process. All in an instance the doors opened, and Shizuka let out a shrill cry, backing away from him and letting the weapon fall to the floor. "Someone help me! That man's trying to kidnap me! Please, help!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.
The man's heart stopped. Jotaro was probably still in the building. If he heard her cries, it was all over. He grabbed Shizuka, slamming her against the wall and holding her mouth shut.
"Quiet, you little punk!" He growled.
"Hey!" A random man shouted, pointing at them. "Let go of her!"
Soon, a small crowd surrounded Wagner. They were all demanding that he drop Shizuka and back away. Then, two security guards approached, one speaking into his communication device as the other readied his weapon. Wagner had been backed into a corner. He couldn't help but chuckle. Even though Shizuka was weaker, she really got him. But he wasn't done yet. He still had fight left in him.
"Because of you, everyone here's about to see something very unpleasant." He growled.
Flying Dutchman manifested, raising his hands up and emitting a purple glow. Of course, the common observers couldn't see the stand. They'd see what it did, however. As the commotion grew more and more out of control, the security officers were screaming at Wagner. He just had to wait…
Jotaro was walking quickly down a hallway, trying to think of where Shizuka would run to get away from him. He was interrupted by the scream of a terrified man somewhere close by. He paused for a minute, trying to locate the source. He noticed a door labeled "morgue" on the far end of the hall. He raised a brow, walking up to it. Right before he could reach for the knob, the door burst open. Multiple doctors ran out, screaming. One of them cried out, "They're not dead! Something's wrong!"
This caused Jotaro to clench his fists, looking inside the morgue. He could see a woman climbing off of the examination table. She was in the middle of an autopsy, her stomach hanging open as guts spilled onto the floor. Jotaro had an iron gut, and didn't throw up. Still, it was a very disgusting sight. It was also obvious that this woman had to be dead. Was it the work of the Flying Dutchman? He was about to close the door, but he heard a woman crying inside. She was backed against a wall, the undead blocking her way out.
Jotaro sprinted inside, shoving the reanimated corpse aside and lifting the doctor to her feet. Always one to get to the point, he questioned her. "Is this the only morgue in the hospital?"
She shook her head, staring at the bodies. "T-There are three rooms on this floor… Oh god, is this happening in all of them?"
A body grabbed Jotaro's shoulder. Star Platinum sent it flying across the room, spattering against the wall. They didn't seem to be any more durable than humans. That was fortunate. Still, their fear factor alone gave them an advantage against the terrified civilians. He grabbed the woman by the wrist, dragging her out of the room. "Do what you need to do to get this place evacuated. Go." He grunted, sprinting down the hallway. He had to find the User before innocent people got hurt. That's when he saw a fire alarm. He shattered the glass with his elbow, pulling the lever down.
"Put the girl down, now!" An officer shouted at Wagner.
Shizuka struggled, unable to overpower the grown man. She was in the middle of formulating a man when the fire alarm was pulled. The panic was cranked up to eleven after that. People began to scream "Fire!" in the middle of the active hostage situation taking place. Shizuka was trying to determine if the fire was real, or somehow a ploy by Flying Dutchman. Either way, she decided that it was time to struggle a little harder. Achtung Baby appeared, punching Wagner right in the face. He stumbled back, letting go of her. Apparently, her stand hit harder than a ten year old girl, and that was always appreciated.
She ran forward and into the crowd as they frenzied around the room. Doctors began to enter and direct people out of the building. She could already hear sirens in the distance. It was total mayhem. Surely, nothing could add to the current level of chaos.
"Zombies!" A doctor screamed, sprinting into the room. "The morgue has come back from the dead! There are zombies running the halls! Everyone run for your lives!"
Shizuka kicked herself for thinking that it couldn't get worse. Fucking zombies? It had to be the work of the Flying Dutchman. She turned in an attempt to locate Wagner, but he was nowhere to be seen. The panic would be a perfect way to escape from Jotaro. She sighed, running down the hall in search of him.
Alarms blared throughout the building, and hospital staff were crowding the way at every turn. It became nearly impossible to navigate the foreign halls. Did she really lose him? She refused. In a fit of pure rage, Achtung Baby manifested. It threw its hands out and shouted. Then, in a flash, all of the walls surrounding Shizuka became invisible. She could see right through them. Her eyes focused on the man she was looking for. She could see him! He was a couple halls down. She began sprinting once more with a new resolve. She was going to catch him. And if he wouldn't go willingly, she was going to kill him.
Jotaro got to the bottom of the staircase, arriving on ground level. It seemed like things were only getting worse. Panic had overtaken the hospital, and he had no idea where the undead were lurking. If Shizuka fell victim to Wagner, he'd never be able to live with it. He balled his fist, Star Platinum's hand emerging from it. The Stand roared, punching the wall and making a shortcut to the lobby. He stepped through, looking around. He stood there calmly with his hands in his pockets, standing out in the crowd like a sore thumb. The leopard pants sure didn't help.
He saw the entrance, and exit, as people flooded through. He didn't have any idea what Wagner looked like. That was certainly a disadvantage. However, the positive to him escaping is that the zombies would probably die once more when Flying Dutchman got far enough away. Maybe he should focus his attention on protecting the innocent from Flying Dutchman's minions instead of tracking the user.
Police began pouring into the building with drawn weapons, shouting for everyone to evacuate the building. An officer pointed to Jotaro. "Sir, please leave the building. There's an ongoing crisis." The officer shouted.
Jotaro adjusted his hat. The officer saw him. He'd have to slip away without being seen. "Yare yare daze…" He sighed, manifesting Star Platinum. "Star Platinum: THE WORLD." He focused, and a ripple enveloped the room. In frozen time, Jotaro slid around the corner and out of the officer's sight.
When time resumed, the officer's jaw dropped. "W-Where'd he go..?" He mumbled under his breath. However, in the commotion, he could only dwell on it for so long.
Jotaro was already halfway down the hall when time resumed. He leaned against it for a minute, panting. He managed to hold it for three seconds. That was an improvement. Still, it drained him. He needed to keep his energy for Wagner. The man had to still be in the hospital. Otherwise the zombies would return to corpses. Why would he stay? Where would he go? For what reason? That's when it hit him...
Wagner stumbled through the door, slamming it shut and panting. There he was, the security surveillance room. There was footage of him holding a child hostage. That tape had to go. If not, the organization would likely cut all ties with him. He sat down in the chair and looked at the monitors. Mass panic, just as he liked it. When he was done he'd sprint out screaming with the weaklings. He couldn't help but smile. Who else could evade Jotaro Kujo as well as the daughter of Joseph Joestar? He'd likely get promoted for such a feat.
He reached over to the console and hit "eject." However, no tape came out. He hit it a few more times, only for the monitor to display "drive empty." How could that be? Was there no recording to begin with? That made his job even easier. Unless…
"Shizuka, I know you're in here." He growled, standing up.
She threw the tape against the wall, letting it shatter. To be perfectly honest, she wanted it gone too. There'd be too many questions to answer otherwise. Wagner summoned Flying Dutchman, looking around for the invisible child. "Are you honestly trying to avenge Neil Archer? You're so much better than him. You're ready for the new world! Why fight it?" He questioned, circling around the room slowly.
Achtung Baby was able to punch hard enough to shock Wagner earlier, but Shizuka wasn't confident in a conventional brawl. They were in an enclosed space, and far enough away from any threatening dead creatures that she wasn't concerned about Flying Dutchman's ability. Still, that left her with the odds any ten year old would have against a grown man. She needed to stick to the shadows, and keep her position hidden.
"If you've really been using your stand since you were a baby, you might be the strongest User I've ever met. You could join us. Imagine what you could become. Imagine what you could do!" Wagner reasoned, listening for the most subtle of sounds to give away Shizuka's location.
She flicked an invisible penny across the room, causing a sound opposite to her. Wagner turned his back to Shizuka, giving her the golden opportunity. Achtung baby grabbed a monitor from the desk, slamming it against Wagner's head. The large man fell to his knees, swearing in a mix of pain and shock. Flying Dutchman began to swing wildly in an attempt to hit its enemy, but Achtung Baby swiftly dodged each sloppy attack. She might be weak, but it's hard to fight something you can't see. The stand grabbed another monitor, slamming it against the man even harder than before. Then it used the swivel chair, a box, and a coffee mug.
Wagner let out pained grunts with each hit, unable to think straight amidst the attack. Shizuka was in a blind rage at that point, hitting him time after time with no sign of stopping. She wanted the grunts to stop. She wanted him to be limp and motionless. She wanted to kill him. She began to shake, letting out a scream as her attacks increased in speed and cruelty, stomping on his back and kicking him as her stand relentlessly bludgeoned him. Something deep inside her was snapping. A rage kept subdued for too long. A primal need to survive. It was Wagner or her, and she was never going to die.
Flying Dutchman began to flicker, its punches slowing down as Wagner coughed. He really didn't expect to be beaten by a little kid. The door flew open, revealing Jotaro and Star Platinum. He saw the floating chair attacking a man on its own and knew who was behind it. "Shizuka, is that Wagner?" He questioned.
For one moment, the hitting ceased. Shizuka became visible, her hands trembling as Achtung Baby floated perfectly still, the chair ready to swing down at any moment. Shizuka fixed her hair with a shaky hand, biting the tip of her index finger. Then, she spoke with an uneven voice. "Uncle Jotaro… Would it be wrong to kill a killer?" She asked softly.
Jotaro Kujo had simple morals based on the fundamentals of justice. "No. But do you want to?" He asked, looking at the twitching man.
Shizuka shook her head. "I want to… But I don't want to…" She explained. "I'm just… so angry with him. And there's no way someone like him could go to prison… Stand Users have different rules from everyone else… We have to be each other's police…" She mumbled, still shaking.
"Judge, jury, executioner. I've played those parts plenty. But maybe you shouldn't? I was never unsure. If you are, you should probably stop. Put the chair down and let me take care of this. I want to get some information from him anyway." Jotaro stepped closer.
Shizuka nodded, stepping away and putting the chair down. Jotaro knelt in front of Wagner, lifting his head by balling a fist in his hair. "Can you talk?" He asked calmly, keeping his anger in check very well.
Wagner spit blood in Jotaro's face, smirking. "Never… for you… Jotaro." He growled. Then, he bit down as hard as he could. He groaned, blood spurting from his mouth and trickling down his jaw. Jotaro's eyes widened, and he let go of the man.
Shizuka watched in fascination. "What's happening?" She questioned.
"He bit his off." Jotaro stood up, glaring down at the man. He pulled a handkerchief from his coat, wiping the blood from his face. "Now he couldn't spill information even if he wanted to. It's a tactic used by mobsters, soldiers, and anyone else dedicated to their cause. The willpower needed to do that… He's a hardass." He mumbled, watching blood ooze onto the floor.
"Is he gonna die?" Shizuka asked softly.
"No. He could, if he kept reopening the wound after the blood clots, but it'd be incredibly slow and painful. This is just an extreme way of keeping himself quiet. If we had the old man, he could try to get the information with Hermit Purple." He mumbled, rubbing his chin. Then, he got out his cellphone. He dialed, waited a few moments, and spoke. "Kujo. Yes, we have a stand related issue in Amsterdam. I think there might be another arrow, or at least a piece of one. I've got the guy unconscious, and he's not recovering any time soon. Can you send the foundation to pick us up?"
Shizuka raised a brow. "The foundation?" She questioned.
Jotaro listed off their location before hanging up. "The Speedwagon Foundation. An old friend of your Dad started an organization dedicated to tracking, detaining, and preventing the supernatural."
"Like men in black?" She tilted her head.
Jotaro smirked. "Yeah, but they're good at their jobs." He looked down at the bleeding, unconscious man and sighed. He lifted Wagner up, slinging him over his shoulder. "C'mon, Shizuka. Let's slip out before this place is overrun by cops." He mumbled, walking out of the room.
Shizuka looked at the puddle of blood, shaking a little like before. It wasn't fear though. It was something different. A burning fire deep within her soul was lit during her last encounter with Wagner. She wondered if she'd ever turn it off again. If she'd ever go back to pranking bullies and defending the elderly. She didn't feel violent. On the contrary, she wanted to end violence, even if it meant hurting those who caused it. She didn't fully understand those feelings, but she knew one thing: She wasn't afraid anymore.