Wednesday, July 29th

Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel

Shizuka had many opinions of her Uncle. She believed that he was trying his best, but was deeply flawed. He had a mysterious ability that she barely understood, an immensely powerful Stand, and a composure that screamed "Don't fuck with me." Yes, she thought many things about her Uncle Jotaro, but never once did she consider him as someone who scared easy. That's why she was so shocked when he dropped his fork at the mention of "Dio." To be fair, she had brought it up completely out of the blue. And don't mistake the situation. Jotaro wasn't shaking, sweating, or even breathing faster than before. He was just so shocked to hear the name in the middle of breakfast.

"Where did you hear about Dio?" He questioned casually, picking up his fork.

Shizuka was a little afraid to continue, worried that he might drop his coffee next. "I don't really know. Dad might've mentioned it once? I can't really remember. All I know is I dreamed about him last night."

"Him? You mean you saw a man called Dio in your dream?" He mumbled, taking a bite of his eggs.

"Well, no. It was actually a different guy… I think his name was John? Jonathan, maybe? It was really weird and vague." She explained.

Jotaro swallowed, nodding his head. "Jonathan Joestar. Your Great-Grandfather. He died young on a ship during his honeymoon. Dio killed him."

" Killed him? What happened to Dio?" Shizuka mumbled.

"I killed him." Jotaro said plainly, taking a sip from his mug. He put it down, looking at Shizuka. It was easy to tell she was confused. "Dio was immortal. He lived all that time after killing Jonathan. That is, until I punched his lights out in 1988."

"How was he immortal?" Shizuka asked, fascinated by the story.

"He was a vampire-" Jotaro began, but was interrupted by Shizuka's laughter.

She couldn't help but snicker, wrinkling her nose and covering her mouth a bit with her hand. "A vampire? You killed Edward Cullen in the eighties? Couldn't even wait for the books to get big?"

Jotaro wasn't amused one bit. He waited for her outburst to finish, patiently holding his mug in both hands. "Dio was a killing machine. We found over thirty dead men and women in his mansion after we killed him. All bloody, violated, clothing tossed around the place. And those bodies were fresh. There's no telling how many people he killed in the six years he spent terrorizing Egypt."

Shizuka calmed down a bit, being reminded of the reality of Jotaro's story. People were dead. Innocent, good people. "Who's 'we?'" She asked softly.

"Your father, myself, and a few friends. We traveled to Egypt and killed him. Half of us didn't make it." He said grimly.

"Oh.." She whispered, biting her lip and looking down. "Dad was there? Why hasn't he ever mentioned it?"

"We don't talk about it. We don't like thinking about it. We spent almost two months on high alert, being attacked by mysterious, horrifying powers the entire way. Then, in one day, three of us were killed. It's not a campfire story." He explained.

Shizuka was silent for a few seconds. She didn't really know how to continue the conversation. Jotaro really seemed to be opening up to her in a way she never expected. It didn't seem like these things were easy to relive. Finally, she found the right words. "So… Why did I have a dream about Jonathan and Dio?" She mumbled.

Jotaro thought for a moment. "Stress? It's entirely possible that you've overheard bits and pieces of this story. The old man loves to talk about his adventures when he's drunk enough. It's nothing to worry about. Dio's dead. Deader than dead. I destroyed his Stand, and watched his body turn to ash. He's not coming back." He assured her, though it seemed like he was trying to convince himself too.

The conversation was cut short by a familiar face approaching their table. Marina was pulling her luggage behind her with a smile on her face. She certainly looked better than the day before. Not that she was well dressed or anything. She was wearing sweatpants, a hoodie with a white tank top underneath, and aviator sunglasses. Her hair was up in a bun, and she was sipping from a beverage she grabbed from her hotel room's refrigerator.

"Morning, cretins. Fancy seeing you here. Almost like fate." She said dryly, sipping her drink.

"Going somewhere?" Jotaro mumbled, relieved that the conversation was over.

"Home. Unless I'm under arrest or something. Can your fancy men-in-black organization do that? Are they funded by the Queen? Are we doing the whole Torchwood thing?" She rambled, tapping the side of her drink.

"I don't get most of those references." Shizuka sighed, sitting up. "You're free to go. Just be careful, y'know? It's a big world out there."

"I'm just happy to be leaving this stuffy hotel. Feels like I've spent an eternity here. A change of scenery will be refreshing." Marina mumbled, looking at her phone. "Well, I'd better get to my flight. To be frank, I hope I never see you two again. Have fun with the whole dumb and dumber adventuring thing." She mumbled, walking away.

The two watched her leave. After about fifteen seconds of silence, Jotaro spoke up. "Dumb and Dumber is a comedy from the nineties. In case you didn't get the reference." He mumbled, sipping his coffee.

Shizuka groaned, leaning back in her chair and watching Marina fade from view. "She could be in serious trouble. How's she so calm?"

"Denial. Or bravery. Which one is keeping you going?" He asked.

"Hope." She mumbled, sighing as she thought about Morioh and everything that would come with it.

Thursday, July 30th

Netherlands Countryside

Wednesday had gone by without much to mention. After Marina left, Jotaro and Shizuka had a relatively quiet day. They discussed going to a museum, but mutually agreed to stay at the hotel. The next morning, Jotaro woke her up and explained their plan. They packed up, got in a taxi, and rode out of town. He'd found a small airline about a hundred miles from Amsterdam. He said it was safer for them, and for others if they didn't get on a massive commercial flight. That being said, they were currently on a runway waiting to board the thirty-five passenger plane. Shizuka noticed that Jotaro seemed to be analyzing every potential passenger closely. He'd certainly done this before.

After a while, everyone began to board. They took the seats, and Shizuka began to relax. Jotaro got out a book, speaking under his breath. "This is a twelve hour flight, so there's plenty of time for things to go wrong. If you see anything that's off, go to the bathroom, turn invisible, and investigate."

Shizuka nodded, stretching her legs and yawning. "You got it.." She mumbled, looking up at the ceiling.

A mother and child sat behind them. Shizuka didn't think much of it until the kid began to absentmindedly kick at her seat. She gritted her teeth, waiting for the mother to correct her misbehaving child. It never happened, though. Eventually the kid lost interest, playing his Nintendo DS instead. Shizuka was relieved, relaxing back in her seat once again,

The flight was peaceful for a few hours. After a bit, Shizuka looked over and saw that Jotaro was sleeping. She'd never actually seen him do that. It made sense… He had to be exhausted after the way their week went. He deserved a bit of relaxation. She looked out the window, watching the clouds as the plane tore through the air. She felt a tap on her shoulder, turning her head to the flight attendant.

"Hey hun, can I get you or your dad anything?" The woman asked with a smile, speaking softly as to not wake Jotaro.

Shizuka thought for a moment before shrugging. "No thanks, I'm fine."

The stewardess frowned, tilting her head. "Hmmm? Nothing? We have soda… Chips… Peanuts? Dinner will be ready soon."

The young girl was a little uncomfortable. "Yeah, really, I meant nothing." She mumbled.

"Okay then dear. If you excuse me, I'm going to go kill the pilot with my stand." The woman smiled, walking away.

Shizuka's jaw dropped. Had she hallucinated that entire conversation? Did that flight attendant really just say such a thing so boldly? She could only watch in horror as the woman walked toward the cockpit. Then, regaining her senses, she began to shake Jotaro.

"Jotaro.. Jotaro, wake up!" She panicked, shaking his arm in a frenzy.

Then, the woman closed the door to the cockpit, and everything was gone. Shizuka had completely forgotten about the entire encounter. Her anxiety plummeted to regular levels, and she felt very calm. She noticed Jotaro grunting.

"What is it, Shizuka?" He mumbled, wiping his face groggily and adjusting his hat. "Is something wrong?"

She tried to remember waking him, but couldn't. "Hmm? Oh.. Well, the flight attendant asked if we wanted anything a minute ago." She mumbled, unsure of her own words.

"You woke me up for snacks?" He groaned, pulling his hat back over hit face and slumping in his seat. "Yare Yare… I'm not hungry."

Shizuka felt a pang of embarrassment in her chest. Why would she do that? It seemed completely out of character. But the blurriness began to fade, and she remembered doing it clear as day. She frowned, feeling odd. Then, that feeling was replaced with the feeling of the snot-nosed brat behind her kicking her chair. She gripped at her arm rest, gritting her teeth. Every few seconds, kick kick kick.

She tried to clear her mind, looking out the window and taking a deep breath. She was just on edge from the eventful week. Once she got to Morio, she would relax. She just had to endure another few hours. Eventually the kicking ceased once more, and she sighed with relief. Nothing noteworthy happened for quite a while after that. She succeeded in relaxing, sinking further and further into her comfortable chair. Her tiny body made it very easy to stretch out and take full advantage of her space. After some effort, she actually managed to fall asleep…

Kick. Kick. Kick.

Jotaro was stirred awake by the sound of Shizuka's seat being kicked. It didn't seem to bother the sleeping girl, so he didn't bother saying anything. He grunted, looking around. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. He rubbed his face, feeling his scruffy chin and sighing. He really needed to shave. When they arrived, he'd pick up some basic essentials. He left most of his hygienic things at home. His eyes wandered over to the flight attendants speaking to each other by the cockpit. Apparently, they noticed him as well, because one of them approached his chair after.

"You're awake! We served dinner earlier, but she said not to wake you. Are you hungry now?" She smiled.

He considered it for a moment, and then nodded his head. "Yeah, I could eat."

With a big sunshine smile on her face, the stewardess giggled. "You can eat shit , Kujo." She grinned.

It was so unexpected that Jotaro had to relive it in his mind multiple times before he fully comprehended what was said. She began to walk away, but he grabbed her roughly by the arm. "Excuse me, Miss, but I think we're still talking." He growled in a low, threatening voice. He stood up, towering over her little frame.

She just giggled. "No, we were talking, Father of the Year. Now I'm going to go check on the dead body in the cockpit."

Jotaro had heard enough. Star Platinum manifested, balling a fist. Then, in an instant, he completely forgot what has been said. It's like the past thirty seconds didn't even happen. He blinked a few times, looking down at the terrified woman in his grip. She was staring, struggling against him.

"Sir, I said let go. " She whined loud enough to draw attention.

He immediately complied, dropping his hand to his side. Star Platinum was still ready to knock her lights out, but why? Why did he get his stand out…? All he remembered was waking up, the stewardess approaching him… And then this. Had he reflexively snapped at her? Star vanished, and he took a step back, silently considering the situation. This had happened once before, eighteen years ago. One of the first nights he spent in bed with his wife ended poorly. She rolled over in the night and wrapped herself around him, kissing the back of his neck. In pure shock, Star Platinum sent her across the room. Upon hitting the wall, Maura's arm was broken. She had to wear a cast for six weeks. She was lucky to scrape by with so few injuries, too. Jotaro had never forgiven himself. It was the only time he lost control in their entire marriage. In the coming months and years, she learned to wake him carefully, and to let him tremble in his sleep without intervention. Was this a similar situation? He was obviously on edge after multiple Stand battles… Was he about to seriously injure an innocent flight attendant. He looked down, his hat obscuring his expression as he cleared his throat. "Sorry." Is all he said, sitting down.

After a few awkward moments, he felt the child slowly kicking his seat. Normally he'd say something to the mother, but he was so flustered that he decided to ignore it. He was more sure than ever that divorcing Maura was the right thing to do. He couldn't trust himself. Only a Stand User could truly relax around him. Someone who could see Star Platinum, and could defend against him. That was his fate. There was no such thing as power without consequence. He understood that.

Shizuka began to wipe her eyes, groaning. "What's going on?" She mumbled, opening them and seeing Jotaro's expression.

"Nothing. I thought there was an enemy. There wasn't." He mumbled.

"I got a weird feeling earlier too. I think we're just on edge. It'll all get better when we land." She sighed, looking out the window and into the sunset.

Despite her words of reassurance, something was troubling her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she couldn't rest. Even her sleep was filled with anxiety and visions. She felt like they were in the mouth of the beast, moments from being swallowed whole. But there was no danger to be seen. No enemy to fight… They were safe. So why didn't she believe it? Her fingers were wiggling in her lap, and she felt unbelievably restless.

Her anxiety was interrupted by rough voice of a man. "Hey you, stand up!" A stranger barked.

Shizuka barely had time to think as someone stormed across the plane and grabbed Jotaro by the shirt. Jotaro didn't even hesitate. Star Platinum slugged the man right in the chest, breaking several ribs and instantly silencing his cries. Everyone was paying attention now. The man choked silently, stumbling back and supporting himself on a seat. His look was one of genuine confusion and terror. Jotaro stepped forward, slapping the man across the face and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.

"Take it easy. Why'd you just jump at me?" He demanded, his voice filled with irritation.

The man just choked on his fear, tearing up. No one could look away. It was clear that everyone felt off, and they were transfixed by the sight before them. Jotaro raised a brow in curiosity, manifesting Star Platinum's hand and moving it closer. He waved it rapidly, and the man's eyes didn't follow. The assailant couldn't see Star Platinum… He wasn't a stand user. Jotaro let go of him, allowing the man to fall onto his ass.

" Answer me. " He growled. "Why'd you grab me?"

Finally, the man found his voice. It was pained, panicked, and weak. "I…. don't.. Know.." He whimpered, gagging and writhing on the carpet.

"Don't know? Why not?" He mumbled, kneeling down and giving the man a closer look. He noticed something strapped to the man's hip. It was a concealed weapon in a holster. It had been obstructed by his nice coat until he fell to the ground. The pieces began to come together. "You have a gun on an airplane? You're a marshal. What's a marshal doing on a flight this small?" He questioned, looking around.

Everyone cowered back a bit as Jotaro analyzed them. "Shizuka, something is seriously wrong with this flight. There's a Stand somewhere."

Kick. Kick. Kick.

Shizuka woke up to her seat being relentlessly kicked by the young man behind her. She was filled with dread. Had she been having a nightmare? Jotaro was asleep next to her, and the entire plane seemed to be quietly resting. She panted, her heart beating out of her chest. She needed to stretch her legs… Come to think of it, she needed the restroom. She stood up, carefully maneuvering around Jotaro and heading toward the back. She sat down on the toilet and rested her cheek against her palm, yawning. Then, her cell phone vibrated in the pocket of her jacket. That was odd, since she had selected "airplane mode" hours ago. She tapped the home button and saw a single notification.

"Storage Device Full."

She raised a brow, having never had something like that happen. She tapped the notification and was brought to her gallery. There, she saw a video. A seven hour video. Her stomach dropped. How could she have taken such a long video? Sure, she had an external SD card for more space, but even then, that was pushing it. She checked her storage and realized that everything had been deleted. Everything except for a single memo. She opened it, and gasped.

"Remember." Is all it said.

Remember? Remember what? Her thumb immediately clicked the back button and went to the gallery as quickly as she could. How would she check all seven hours of the video? Sweat gathered on her forehead as she watched. Nothing was happening…. It was silence. The screen was completely black, since the phone was in her pocket the entire recording. She decided to hold the fast forward button until she heard a decent stretch of sped-up audio. After a few boring conversations happening around them, she heard something odd.

"Shizuka, something is seriously wrong with this flight. There's a Stand somewhere." Jotaro's voice spoke with urgency.

She furrowed her brow. How could she not remember any of this? After a moment, she heard another voice.

"Sorry, Kujo. But you won't get to remember this." A chipper woman called from a distance.

"Oh? Is it because you're going to wipe my mind just like this Marshal?" Jotaro growled.

All Shizuka could hear was a grim chuckle from the woman. Then, the snap of her fingers. Shizuka could hear everybody's limp bodies hit the floor. She thought she felt sore, but had just assumed it was from sleeping sitting up. She listened intently as the woman continued.

"Clean this up, and get everyone back in their seats. I'm going to go check on the captain."

Shizuka's blood was boiling. The Stand User had an accomplice. Maybe more than one. Not only that, but she seemed to have the ability to erase people's memories. How could she fight them if their memories might all be wiped instantly yet again? Her morbid curiosity got the better of her, and she began to wonder if the captain was okay. She summoned Achtung Baby and turned the entire plane invisible just for her eyes. Her stomach dropped when she saw the Captain lying dead in the front of the plane, an identical copy of himself piloting instead. She also saw the two flight attendants walking around, conversing with the passengers politely. Who was the Stand User? A passenger? A flight attendant? She knew it was a woman, but had no way of identifying the body of the voice… She knew what she had to do. She turned herself invisible and slipped out of the bathroom silently.

Shizuka prowled through the plane carefully, the carpet on the floor below making sneaking around quite easy. She was making virtually no noise at all. She just had to listen to everyone's voice and determine who the Stand User was. But what good would knowing even do her? She needed to know how it was done too. Was the snap just a theatrical effect? Or was it essential? Could that woman really knock out the entire plane with the snap of her fingers? That was way too dangerous. There had to be something more, Shizuka just couldn't remember. Most of the passengers were either asleep, or completely occupied with something mundae. None of them were talking at the moment. She just had to wait…

After a few minutes, an old woman waved over one of the flight attendants. "Yes, Miss~?" The young woman asked happily.

"I was wondering if you could get me some water? My throat is very dry." The elderly woman smiled.

With an expression of pure joy, the flight attendant grabbed the woman by the jaw and spit right on her mouth. "Drink that, bitch. " She growled.

Shizuka's blood began to boil. Who in the actual fuck did that woman think she was? She balled her fists, glaring across the plane. The old woman was just confused, wiping her face with a pale face and stammering.

"I-I-I don't understand…" She said with a shaky voice.

" I.. I… I… I… p-p-p-please don't hurt me! I just want water! " The attendant mocked before back-handing the passenger.

The woman fell out of her seat and into the aisle. She was cupping her face, looking helplessly up at the terrifying stewardess.

"Get bent, granny. You're an anchor on society. Your kids are waiting for you to die so they can split the inheritance, and six months from now you'll be buried and forgotten. " She growled, kicking the woman right in the stomach.

Everyone was watching in horror. It seemed like they were all confused, dazed, and waiting for someone else to do something. Jotaro was unconscious in his seat. How long had they all been tormented like this? Were any of them in any position to challenge the woman? Yes. Shizuka was. Despite her soreness, she was ready to take that bitch down.

" Hey! " She shouted, turning visible again. She was seeing red, unable to reason anymore. "You're going to regret doing that."

The stewardess slowly turned her head to Shizuka, recognition clear in her twisted eyes. "Oh, hello dear. I see you've left your seat. We'll be arriving soon. You should really sit down." She warned.

"Touch that woman again and you'll be the one going down." Shizuka growled, gritting her teeth.

"Oh, you're too cute! Do you know how many times you and Jotaro have threatened me on this flight? You talk a mad game, and then you lose. Every, single, time." She chuckled.

Shizuka walked through a row of seats, brushing past people on her way to the stewardess. She wasn't saying anything. She was livid, and she was ready to lay waste to this abusive bitch.

"That's right, in the blink of the eye, you'll be dazed and confused, just as always. It's so fun to watch your faces scrunch up in confusion as you try to figure out what happened! You're all too adorable! All of you."

Shizuka froze in her tracks for a moment. "Is that how it works, then? In the blink of the eye?" She asked calmly.

The stewardess tilted her head. "Oh? What could you possibly mean?"

Shizuka grinned. "So that's the trick. When our eyes are closed, you can wipe a certain amount of memory from us before we open them again, like changing a stage's furniture during a blackout during a play. But that probably only works for small things. You have to knock us out to wipe out extended periods of time. That's why I keep waking up from naps."

The attendant was amused. "Oh? So you figured it out then?" A stand manifested from behind her. "House of Memories is unstoppable. How do you plan to avoid blinking? Even if you try, you'll fail! I just have to punch at you, like this!" She swung her Stand's fist, causing Shizuka to flinch. "See!? You're fucked, kid! Now, I think it's time you got back to your seat! And when we land, you and your friend will be dead! Thank you for flying with us!"

Shizuka didn't look amused in the slightest. On the contrary, she didn't seem to look like she was feeling much of anything but boredom. She certainly wasn't afraid.

"Good grief. That was close. I was actually worried your Stand posed a threat." She mumbled, checking her nails. "But that's it? A parlor trick? All I have to do is keep my eyes open? Good. After what you did to that woman, I wanna watch your face while I beat the shit out of you." She growled, flexing Achtung Baby's arm and sending a punch toward the woman.

The stewardess deflected the punch with House of Memories, swinging right back. "You piece of shit. You're really that confident!? Well here!" She grabbed a flashlight out of her coat pocket and flashed it in Shizuka's face.

The girl didn't even flinch. She stared right into her, her pupils dilating as she sent a flurry of punches forward. The stewardess wasn't expecting any attacks, and was wide open. She took every punch right with her center-mass, stumbling backward and looking up at Shizuka. "You bitch! You think conviction is enough to defeat me!? How about this!?" She pulled out a container of pepper, removing the cap and throwing it right at Shizuka's face.

Shizuka just stared at the stewardess with open eyes as the pepper landed all over her face. She didn't flinch. She didn't blink, and she didn't wince. Her eyes were wide open.

"W-Wh-What the hell!? How are you doing that?" The stewardess demanded.

" Wh-Wha? Whaaa? How are you doing that? Please, don't hurt me!" Shizuka shrilled mockingly as she stepped closer. She stomped on the woman's ankle hard, getting her to cry out in pain. "You're not invincible. You're weak. You hide behind memory and torture people like they're worthless. Like a kid aiming a magnifying glass at ants on the sidewalk. But do you know what I did to kids like that growing up?" Shizuka stood over the weak, whining stewardess, glaring into her terrified eyes.

"W-What..?" The enemy cried out.

"I beat the shit out of them. Just like this." Achtung Baby readied her fists, punching harder and faster than ever before. " Hora, Hora, Horrraaaaaa! " Her Stand wailed in anger, pummeling the woman relentlessly, without a trace of mercy. After a solid twenty seconds of punishment, she pulled away and fixed her bangs, spitting right onto the bitch's face. "I told you so. Didn't I? You'd regret doing that."

The woman was a stuttering, groaning mess. Blood oozed from her clothing slowly as she cried, sobbing as she choked on her insides. Shizuka noticed a growing wet spot on the floor and stepped back.

"Did you piss yourself? As I live and breathe? You're pathetic." Shizuka mumbled, wiping her face off.

"H-how… How didn't you blink…? Even when I got stuff in your eyes…?" The stewardess begged.

Shizuka rolled her eyes, and then suddenly her eyelids appeared, revealing that her eyes had been closed the entire time. "I made my eyelids invisible. That way, I could just keep them closed, but still see. Like I said, your stand really isn't all that." She groaned.

The stewardess turned completely pale. "I… I can't believe... " She stammered.

"I will say, it was incredibly stupid to repeatedly use the expression 'blink of an eye,' I never would have figured it out otherwise. I guess you're just too stupid for this line of work." Shizuka sighed, punching the woman right in the face, knocking her out cold. "Now, where were we? Literally." She walked over to Jotaro, shaking him. "Jotaro, get up. There's a Stand on the plane. I defeated one of them, but I think there's a second in the cockpit." She mumbled.

Two stands… What a dangerous thing. Then again, what was to stop someone from bringing three onto the plane? Or four? For a moment, Shizuka hesitated. Her stomach sank, and she felt a growing urgency. "Jotaro, seriously, get up! I know your memory's been messed with for hours, but we're in danger!"

Then, before she could even register, the chair Jotaro was sitting in flew forward, sending both of them hurdling across the cabin and against the far wall. Shizuka groaned in pain, thinking that she broke something in the fray. She managed to stand, looking over and freezing for a moment. Right behind the row they were sitting in was a woman with a massive blue leg emerging from her physical one. She was an unassuming woman in her thirties with a common haircut, a bland dress, and an average face. However, the grin on her face was anything but normal. It was unsettling. That's when it hit Shizuka. All of the kicking hadn't been from the snot-nosed brat behind them… It was a Stand User taunting them. The kid was asleep like everyone else.

"You have gotta be kidding me." Shizuka groaned, wiping blood from her face.

The woman clapped, snickering. "That was quite a performance! You took out Sandy like it was nothing…"

Shizuka was absolutely, positively one-hundred-percent done with Stands for the day. "Sandy? Is that the stewardess?" She whined in a mixture of boredom and irritation.

The new enemy nodded, standing up. "I'm Joan Jett, and I promise I won't go down as easily. We let Sandy have her fun when she can, she's a bit of an eccentric show-stealer, but I'm the one who gets things done."

"And who's the kid?" Shizuka demanded.

Joan looked down at the sleeping toddler as if she forget he was even there. "Huh? Oh, I think we took him from a train station or something. It helps set the scene, don't you think?"

Shizuka just groaned. "And Sandy was the performer of the group? At least she didn't have human props."

"The world's a stage, sweetheart. What can I say? I like to get invested in the role." She licked her lips.

Shizuka didn't say anything for a moment. She had noticed something in the corner of her eye. It caused her to smile. "So, you plan on killing me then? Is that it?"

Joan laughed, nodding her head. "Unfortunately. You, and everyone here. It's nothing personal. We were just offered too much money to turn down."

Shizuka just shrugged. "You heard the lady. Take your shot."

Joan raised an eyebrow, but it didn't do her much good as a bullet tore through her head and was embedded in the wall next to her. She fell lifelessly to the carpeted floor, bleeding all over the lovely blue decor. Shizuka just let out a sigh of relief.

"Wow… She actually went down. I was expecting that to take longer…" She mumbled.

On the other side of the plane stood the Air Marshal, gun drawn. He panted, watching to make sure the woman stayed down. Shizuka didn't know why a man had a gun on a plane, but it sure came in handy. The marshal ran up to her, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" He asked quickly, checking her for injuries.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Who're you? How'd you get a gun on this thing?" She mumbled.

"I'm an Air Marshal." He explained, panting.

"What? Aren't those just for big planes?" Shizuka mumbled, skeptical.

"Well, normally I wouldn't be on a plane this size, but someone called in some suspicious activity. He was pretty worried. So I volunteered to ride in the back. It helps that he was pretty high profile." The marshal explained.

"Who was it? Are they okay?" Shizuka looked around for anyone noteworthy.

"Oh, he didn't show up. I think he was named Neil? He was paranoid about his flight out of the country. Had some business to take care of. Maybe he got caught up?"

Shizuka's eyes lit up at the name. Neil? Neil Archer was heading to Japan? Why? It must have been his exit strategy after getting his Stand. But that didn't explain the striking coincidence. This plane was meant to land right outside City S, a mere twenty minute train ride from Morioh. And besides, did he plan on dragging Marina across the world while he accomplished whatever it was he had planned? Then, she was struck by reality as she remembered something.

"Shit, Jotaro!" She mumbled, turning around and grabbing the seats he was thrown with. She shoved them off, seeing him lying limp on the floor. She began to slap him in the face repeatedly, shouting his name.

Finally, he groaned and opened his eyes. They rapidly scanned the room, and he let out a sound of confusion. "Why am I on the floor?" He mumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'll explain everything after. We've been under attack by a stand trio, and there's one more in the cockpit!" Shizuka shouted.

Jotaro was up to his feet in less than a second, narrowing his eyes at the door. "Do you know its ability?" He asked, able to cast aside all of his questions and trust Shizuka.

"No. It looks exactly like the dead captain, but that's all I could see." She explained.

"Woah, woah, woah, dead captain? The captain's dead?" The Marshal questioned, stepping forward.

Jotaro blandly looked at the man before glancing at Shizuka. "Who's this?"

"He's an Air Marshal. I guess he's coming with us?" She shrugged.

Jotaro nodded, pointing to the man. "Listen, there's a lot going on right now that you don't understand. If you want to come into the cockpit, be my guest. But don't act hysterical with that gun, or I'll get pissed." He warned, kicking the door open with Star Platinum. The door flew forward, shocking the pilot's copy and causing it to shriek in terror.

"Star Platinum: THE WORLD!" Jotaro shouted.

Then, instantly, blood exploded all over the wall. The person's head was completely and totally destroyed by Jotaro's horrifying Stand. Shizuka just watched in a mix of fascination and surprise. "Huh… Those last two really went down… I guess they were counting on their memory-wiping-friend to keep them safe."

Jotaro sighed, adjusting his hat. "Yare Yare… The Captain's dead, and I have no idea where we are. This is bad…" He mumbled, walking over and shoving the limp body out of the chair.

Just then, the Marshal screamed in terror, finally processing the death he just witnessed. " HOLY SHIT! You… You.. you just made that guy's head explode! How the fuck did you do that!? Why did you do that!? You're… You're under arr-"

" Shut up! " Jotaro shouted in a voice commanding enough to startle a statue. "If you're not gonna help, go check on the passengers. Now!" He ordered.

Shizuka approached the pilot's chairs, looking at all the buttons, knobs, and displays. "Do you have any idea how to fly this…?" She mumbled.

"No." He admitted, putting on the headset. "Sit down. We're crashing this plane."

She took the co-pilot's chair, watching through the window as they tore through the sky at unreal speeds. "I think this is meant to show our coordinates, but it's busted… I have no damn clue how to tell where we are." He growled, hitting the console.

Shizuka thought for a moment. "What does that matter? All we need to know if where we're gonna land, right?"

Jotaro grunted. "Hilarious. We're going to land on the ground."

Shizuka shook her head. "No, listen, I can do this. Hold on…" She got her cell phone out and hit the first speed-dial button. It rang, and rang, and rang as she mouthed the words 'pick up' over and over. Finally, she heard a tired voice.

"Hello?" Joseph questioned in his scratchy, slow tone.

" Dad!" Shizuka shouted urgently. "Dad, it's me! I need you to get to a computer now!"

The line was silent for a moment. "Shizuka, dear? Is that you? Are you okay? Jotaro found you, right? He's been avoiding my calls! That ungrateful punk. I swear-"

" DAD! Computer! Now!" She screamed, her hand shaking.

"Woah, woah, what's the problem, Jojo? Is something wrong?" He asked with concern.

"I'm in a plane, and it's going to crash. I need you to get to a screen! Something other than your flip phone! Fast!"

" Oh my god!" He yelled in sheer panic. "A plane crash! Shizuka, my baby! Where's Jotaro?"

Shizuka slapped her face in frustration. "Dad, use Hermit Purple to find out where we're going to land! I need exact coordinates! And an amount of time!"

"Oh shit, of course! Of course! Uhm… Where's my laptop? Suzie! Suzie, where's my laptop?" The line was silent for a moment. "The store!? Woman! You can't send my things to the store without telling me!"

Shizuka leaned back in her seat with an exasperated sigh. "We're going to die."

Finally, Jotaro interjected. "What good will coordinates do? Do you have a plan?"

"I'm working one out. It's kind of dependent on where we are…" She admitted.

After a short argument, Joseph got back on the line. "Okay, Shizuka, I have one of those handheld games from a McDonald's happy meal. What did you want again?" He asked kindly.

"The coordinates of our plane crash!" She shouted.

"Oh my goodness, I almost forgot! Of course, of course! Hermit Purple! " He shouted. "Okay! It's typing out…. There we go." He listed off the coordinates. "What else do you need?"

"I love you, Dad. I'll call you back when we land." Is all she said, hanging up and taking a deep breath. "Okay. One more call…" She sighed, scrolling through her contacts. "Let's just hope this works…."

It was a quiet morning in rural Japan. Dew lined the grass, birds sang perched in their trees, and the sun was only barely peeking over the horizon; blessing the land with an orange glow. Yes, it was a wonderful and peaceful morning, until the sound of tires peeling out against asphalt filled the air. A car swerved off the road and into the grass. Two men got out, sprinting across the field and looking up.

"We're not going to make it!" One of them grunted.

"Quiet! It's right there. They haven't crashed yet.." The other shouted.

The plane could be seen in the distance, nose-diving down toward the peaceful field. Jotaro and Shizuka were watching helplessly from the cockpit, counting entirely on their backup to save the plane. The men stopped, readying themselves for what was about to happen.

"Don't go slipping up on me now. We've only got one chance to get this right." One of the men grunted, fixing his hair. "It's time…."

The plane was seconds from the ground. In an instant, one of the men manifested his stand, swiping at the air. "The Hand!" He shouted, pulling the plane directly toward them and correcting its course.

" Great. " The other man smirked. "Now it's my turn…." He took a deep breath before opening his eyes and shouting, " Crazy Diamond!"

Josuke's stand shot forward at an incredible speed, pummeling the plane. Initially, the aircraft shattered on impact, exploding and sending everyone in different directions. Shizuka felt herself getting hurled at an unbelievable speed away from Jotaro and the others. But then, as if it was a dream, she was gently and smoothly returned to the seat of the cockpit. Everyone was placed right where they were before. The plane was even shining with some strange energy. Shizuka couldn't believe it. She sank back in her seat, exhaling for the first time in a very long time.

"Oh my god… We actually landed." She groaned, cupping her face in her hands. "Like… I didn't believe it was gonna work for a second. " She admitted.

Jotaro couldn't help but smirk. "That was a pretty good plan. You really brought a lot of moving pieces together."

She sighed, shaking her head. "I just relied on my family… C'mon, let's get off this thing." She groaned.

Jotaro fixed his hat, standing up and looking out of the cockpit. "I'm never getting on a plane again."

To be Continued...