The Valkyrie tore through the sky at an unbelievable speed. Marina had never flown anything so nice in her life. Joseph hadn't flown anything at all since the eighties. (It should be noted that the aforementioned occasion in the eighties was crash landing a commercial airline in the ocean, but that's neither here nor there.) The initial adrenaline rush of escaping such a grim situation wore off about fifteen minutes ago. Now, the crew was somber and quiet. Shizuka held Josuke's sizzling body against her, resting her face in his hair. He seemed to be cooling down slowly, and he hadn't died yet. That had to be a plus.
Pa-Pa-Power was sitting beside Josuke with a sad expression. He was holding the man's hand, rubbing it slowly as he frowned. Shirlie sat beside Power, resting against him as she attempted to get some sleep. Jotaro was sitting on the far side of the room tapping his foot anxiously. He placed a cigarette in his mouth, lighting it with a snap of Star Platinum's fingers. No one on board but Joseph knew what was going through his head. Blondie… She felt like Dio. She resembled him in so many ways. Her aura, her power, her intimidation, all of it reminded him of the long-dead vampire. He wasn't strong enough to beat her. If he had tried, he might have died. His mind was conjuring up scenarios where he might stand a better chance. He couldn't touch her, that much was obvious. As morbidly ironic as it was, he'd likely have to throw knives in frozen time. If she knew they were coming she could just get rid of them. He needed to assassinate her. How does one kill one of the most important people on Earth? It seemed he was back to the drawing board.
Joseph walked into the room and stretched his arms. "How's everyone holding up?" He asked, to little response.
Shizuka just looked up at him with sad eyes. "She tried to kill Josuke, Dad." She mumbled into her brother's hair.
Joseph rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "She did, sweetheart. But it didn't work. Your brother's gonna be fine. I promise." He flashed her a winning smile, turning to Jotaro. He leaned in close, speaking softly. "Come to the cockpit."
Jotaro put out his cigarette and adjusted his hat. After a moment he stood up, walking out of the room. The now youthful man spent another minute or so consoling his daughter before exiting as well. He closed the door to the cockpit isolating himself, Jotaro, and Marina from the rest of the crew. Once they were alone, he let out a sigh.
"Good grief, this day keeps getting worse." The young man rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Jotaro grunted.
"Oh, c'mon now Jotaro. Don't go quiet on me. We need to come up with a plan."
Marina scoffed, taking her headset off and looking over toward the men. " Plan? We could try flying this thing into her and it still wouldn't work. What kind of plan are we talking about?"
"Well if we stop talking about how we don't have a plan, maybe we'd have time to plan the plan, don'tcha think lady?" Joseph groaned.
" Lady?" Marina echoed in a sharp tone. "I know you're from a different time, but I'm not above slapping a geezer."
" Quiet." Jotaro hissed at both of them.
The cockpit was silent for nearly thirty seconds. Finally, the large man cupped his face in his hands and groaned. "This isn't the same as before, Jiji." He whined, sounding truly exhausted.
Joseph knew exactly what his grandson meant. The last time they faced impossible odds Jotaro was a young man with no responsibilities and one goal. Things were different now. He rested a hand on his kin's shoulder empathetically. "I'm worried about it too. Maybe we're thinking about this the wrong way. Let's be defensive first. What would Blondie do to hurt us? To draw us out of the woodwork and get the feather?"
"Target our family." Jotaro answered calmly.
"Then we need to get our family to safety." Joseph agreed.
"Not to be that gal, but isn't your son dying in the back? We need to get him to a hospital before we do anything else." Marina cut in.
"Jiji, is there a doctor that can help with supernatural wounds besides the foundation staff?"
Joseph rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "There's just one. Dr. Piaf, but she's in Paris."
"And Blondie won't expect us there?" Marina questioned.
"Blondie could be anywhere in a matter of hours. We just need to hope we pick the place she isn't." Jotaro mumbled.
"What about your family? It's reasonable to fear for them." Joseph asked.
"Josuke's dying. He comes first."
Marina shrugged. "You know how fast this thing flies? We could make two stops."
"Splitting up? It's risky." Joseph frowned.
"You and Marina can get to Dr. Piaf. I'll take Shizuka to Gainesville. It'll take a little time to explain this to Maura. I need to decide how much I'm even telling her. When you've dropped Joseph off, Marina can fly back and get us."
"It could work." The young blonde shrugged. "Better than either alternative."
"I don't like it, but it seems like our only choice. Set course for Gainesville, Florida." Joseph ordered.
Shizuka had fallen asleep with Josuke in her arms. The events of the day were just too much. She couldn't manage to stay awake now that they had a bit of downtime. She wasn't resting, though. A familiar song began to play in her subconscious as she drifted in a blue void. Her eyes fluttered open, but she wasn't in the Valkyrie. She was in that dream realm once more. She wasn't confused or eager this time, she was just tired. The lovely voice from before started to echo off the nonexistent walls of whatever place she was drifting.
And the seasons… They go round and round. And the painted ponies go up and down. We're captive on a carousel of time.
Her body felt light as a feather. She was being pulled through reality and into the same projected state from before. Her mind left her body, and she was sent through time once more.
We can't return, we can only look behind from where we came.
There was a bright light as white noise droned in her ears. The area around her was rapidly shifting to reveal something long past.
And go round and round and round in the circle game…
Her surroundings stableized moments later. She was standing in some big city late at night. The sound of distant conversations and vehicles flooded the streets as she got a bearing on her surroundings. The buildings looked just a little different than she was used to. Once again, she couldn't move, she could only watch as the world shifted around her. A Japanese woman walked down the sidewalk toward Shizuka. She was writing notes haphazardly in her binder as she went along.
The air changed around them quite suddenly. It was noticeable enough that the woman looked up from her notes and raised a brow. A shadowy figure stepped out of a nearby alley and looked at the woman. He licked his lips, walking toward her. He wasn't some drunken low-life. His clothing and stature displayed that he was a man of good fortune. His blond hair fell to his shoulders, and his left ear had three distinctive moles trailing up in a line. It took a moment for the woman to notice him. When she did, her body froze completely. Her eyes widened, and she dropped her notes.
The man confidently strutted up to her, lifting her chin with his right hand, resting his left on her hip. "Hello." He said in a deep, seductive purr.
The woman didn't seem to be fighting at all. Was it possibly that she couldn't? She just stared up at him in horror.
"What's your name, woman?" He asked, his voice smooth as butter. It was soothing to the ears, as much as Shizuka hated to admit it.
"Tsuru." She said softly.
"Tsuru? A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Tell me, Tsuru." His left hand slid up her body, unbuttoning the top button of her blouse and sinking in. "What's such a beautiful woman doing alone this late at night?"
His fingers sank into her skin effortlessly, just like Santana's. The veins in her body bulged, and the man's fingers pulsated as they absorbed her blood. She didn't scream, or cry, or even sniffle. She stared at him with utter fascination.
"You're a higher being." She said calmly, raising a hand to his face and cupping his cheek.
Now, he was never one to turn down being referred to as a higher being. He did have to admit this was a strange time for such a thing to happen. Was it an attempt at flattery to save her life? He raised a brow, smiling. "Yes, I am."
"P-please." She begged. "Let me run an experiment on your brain tissue."
This was certainly an unexpected turn of events. His grip loosened on the woman. "My brain tissue?"
"I'm a world-renowned biologist specializing in neurology and unlocking the potential of the human mind!" She explained quickly. "I've always dreamed of working with a living slab of human brain! But it dies the moment you poke it! Yours won't, though."
The towering man was amused. "In my time, women like you would have their spirits broken young. Very few got to actually practice science."
She wasn't phased. Not in the slightest. The fear had left her face a long time ago, being replaced by passion and curiosity. "You're holding all the power here. You could kill me right now. Or you could kill me later. Or, maybe, you could keep me. And I could be useful."
He loved being told that he held all the power. Of course, he already knew that. It was just nice to hear a human admit his superiority. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Tsuru." He said thoughtfully. "I'll keep you. As long as you find a way to be useful."
Shizuka watched as Dio lead Tsuru away. The woman's notes and purse were still lying on the sidewalk. She wouldn't be needing them anymore.
The scene shifted to a dark room. The only lighting was provided by a few candles. Tsuru's hair had grown longer than before, causing Shizuka to assume a decent amount of time had passed. The woman was working with tools Shizuka didn't understand. There was a strange mass of bloody tissue on the table in front of her. The scientist poked and prodded at it as she conducted her research. When she pinched the brain with two tools in a specific way, large tendrils shot outward. She pulled away in shock, but a smile crept onto her face.
The appendages seemed to be attempting to reach her. They couldn't move much further than their original lunge, but it was fascinating nonetheless. She quickly grabbed one of her test mice, placing it on the examination table next to the flesh. She poked it again, and the tendrils lunged directly for the mouse. Tsusu watched in amazement as the flesh surged through the mouse's body, eventually reaching the brain. The entire chunk of brain slowly crawled over to the mouse, sinking into the body and becoming one with it. The mouse didn't move. It didn't blink. It didn't do anything.
Tsuru's mouth practically watered at how delicious this discovery was. If her theory was correct, it would be absolutely game-changing for her master. She grabbed the mouse and rushed out of the room. She ran through the mansion and finally arrived at Dio's room. She knocked on the door eagerly.
"Lord Dio!" She called out to no response. She pushed the door open.
Dio had just finished sucking a victim dry (in more ways than one.) He cast the man aside, the lifeless body landing in a small pile beside the bed. Tsuru looked down respectfully.
"Sorry, are you busy?" She asked.
"Never too busy for my Tsuru. Come in. Now." He ordered.
Tsuru had learned how to deal with Dio's temperament and ego at this point. She had to constantly suck up to him, occasionally have sex with him, and conduct interesting research. That was her place in the world now. She didn't mind. It was far more interesting than what she had before. She rushed over to the bed, presenting him with the mouse.
"Lord Dio, I think I finally made the discovery that will justify sparing my life."
The vampire chuckled. "Oh? Do tell."
"It's just a theory, but I'm feeling very good about my chances. Lord Dio, command this mouse to flip."
Dio looked at her with skepticism. He'd never known Tsuru to be the joking type, so he knew she was serious. Still, the very idea was ludicrous. Sure, he could command any human, but humans feared him. Mice were idiotic. They didn't know how dangerous he was. He decided to humor her anyway.
"Mouse. Flip." He ordered.
Nothing happened.
"No, my Lord. With your mind. Use your brain." She insisted.
Dio was frustrated, but decided to give it another shot. After a moment, the mouse twitched. Then, it stood up on two legs for a moment and jumped backwards. It didn't stick the landing, but it was clear as day that the mouse attempted to flip. Dio's eyes were wide as he stared at the creature. He quickly grabbed it from Tsusu's hands, ordering it to do small things like blinking out of sync, and opening its mouth.
" Tsuru. " He whispered. "I have complete control over this creature. Even down to its wiggling toes. What did you do?"
"It's your brain, Lord Dio. Just like it took over the body of Jonathan Joestar, it can take over other creatures. The only difference is that your soul is here, in this body. When a piece of your brain is attacked, it attempts to burrow into and take over the closest living thing. Like this mouse."
"You're saying that chunks of my brain can control people completely and unconditionally?"
"You could make a preacher sin, my Lord." She smiled.
Dio held the mouse up high, inspecting it closely. Gone were the days of relying on charisma, fear, and strength. He had obtained the ability to control life itself. Would his powers just keep growing? Did he have a limit? Or would he eventually take over the world? He grabbed Tsuru by the collar and shoved her into bed. From there, everything seemed to turn foggy.
Shizuka woke with a start. She looked around in confusion for a moment before remembering where she was. The Valkyrie. Right. They were on the run. Her mind drifted to the strange visions from the past. Why did she keep seeing and hearing about this Dio? Where did that little girl from the thirties fit into it all? She groaned, stretching her legs.
Jotaro walked into the room and cleared his throat.
"We're splitting up. Joseph and Marina will take Josuke to a special doctor in Paris. Shizuka and I are going to my home in Gainesville to get my family." He announced.
Ripley looked up at him curiously. "What about us then?" She asked.
Pepsi, Shirlie, and Ripley were kind of wild cards. They were hardly involved in the conflict, and had all three joined the team that very day. To be honest, Jotaro had nearly forgotten about them while planning.
"You can go with whoever you want."
"I'll go with Marina." Ripley shrugged.
"Pa-Pa-Power doesn't wanna leave Josuke's side. And Pepsi won't leave mine, so we'll go too. We're leaving the country, Peppy!" Shirlie cheered.
Pepsi just shrugged, having no clear opinion on the matter.
"We're going to Gainesville?" Shizuka asked Jotaro softly.
He nodded. "Blondie probably plans to target our families. I need to convince Maura and Jolyne to go on a vacation or something."
"What about Holy and Mom?"
"The old man's arranging for them to be taken care of. Roses should be taking your Mom to pick up mine any minute." Jotaro assured her.
"Our old butler?" Shizuka asked.
"Yes. He's actually good for a hell of a lot more than grabbing tea. Trust me."
"What about your dad? Is he going too?"
Jotaro actually smirked. "And Sadao too, I suppose. I doubt Blondie would think to use him against me, though."
"We're almost at Gainesville! Whoever's going better get ready to get!" Joseph called out from the cockpit.
Shizuka wanted to stay with her father and brother, but something told her that she needed to be with Jotaro. He wouldn't have taken her if he didn't need it. Besides, it would be reckless to send Jotaro alone in their current situation. Safety is always found in numbers. At least she'd get to see Jolyne again. It'd been nearly a year since she'd gone to the Kujo residence.
Jotaro and Shizuka walked up to the pleasant suburban home with caution. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. The man took a moment to prepare himself before opening the door and walking inside. Maura was sitting on the couch reading when they walked in. Her eyes darted up in shock. The panic she experienced at the sight of a potential intruder quickly shifted to rage at her husband.
"You son of a bitch." She slammed her book down on the coffee table and stood up. "You bastard. You emotionally shut off, isolated, distant, mentally abusive prick! You-" She stopped her verbal assault when she noticed Shizuka standing hesitantly behind the giant man.
The young girl was staring in shock. She had absolutely no idea that Jotaro and Maura were having such serious issues. He could only hide it for so long. Now the cat was out of the bag. Maura took a moment to stammer as she reconsidered her next words.
"Uhm, S-Shizuka. Shizuka, honey. Hello! It's such a surprise!" She went around Jotaro to bring the girl into a tight hug. "I didn't realize you were coming. Are your Mom and Dad in town?"
"No, just me." She mumbled awkwardly.
Maura pulled away and fixed her hair. She was clearly flustered by melting down like that in front of her niece. That was exactly what Jotaro anticipated when he brought her along. He didn't have time to do this the right way. He just needed to get his family to safety.
"Maura, we need to talk." He said in a serious tone.
"Talk?" She laughed in disbelief. "Well… Yeah. Of course. God, it's just weird to be on the other end of this. Now you're the one who wants to talk." She rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration. "And I'm supposed to just sit here and wait for you to be ready. Is that it?"
He stiffened up. He'd never been good at this kind of confrontation. After about ten seconds it became painfully obvious that Jotaro wasn't going to respond. Maura took a deep breath.
"Shizuka, dear, can you leave my husband and I in private for a bit? We need to talk, apparently."
She nodded sheepishly, walking over to the staircase and heading up. Anything to get out of that situation. Once they were alone, Jotaro tried to speak.
"I can explain."
"Oh that's rich. I know you can explain. I just don't believe you will. What was it this time? What's your excuse? Another seminar? Another emergency with your mother? More late nights at your cushy professor job? I called your aide! He says he's been teaching most of your classes for over a month! Just be honest with me for one goddamn second and tell me where you've been!" She demanded, stomping her foot.
He looked down silently as she went off. "A motel, hiding from you. Then, the Netherlands. Then, Japan. Then, Washington D.C." He sighed. "And here. That's it."
"That's it!? I have so many more questions now!"
"Shizuka ran away from home. The old man couldn't keep up with her, so I tracked her flights."
"That little angel took three flights without permission!? Why is she here now?"
"It's complicated. I know that there are things about this you don't understand, but I need you to listen."
"No." She said bitterly. "I'm done with not understanding. That excuse was fine for the first year of our marriage. But I'm sick of it. I thought you'd eventually open up! I thought that if I just gave you space you'd eventually tell me whatever's been haunting you all this time. But it's never enough! And you take and take and take! If I give you an inch, you take a mile! I say go outside to clear your head, and you leave for a week! So… I did what you asked." She wiped underneath her eyes for a moment before grabbing a folder from underneath some books on the coffee table. She shoved it against his chest. "I filled out the divorce papers. If you're really done, I can't stop you. I can't make you be a husband. And as hard as it is to accept, I can't make you be a father. You helped give Jolyne life, but you've never been there for her. If you're not in, and I mean one-hundred percent in, then leave. I don't want our daughter to see you."
Jotato held the divorce papers against his chest. His mind and body were numb. Her words cut him like knives, but they were all true. He wanted to reach out and embrace her. He wanted to kiss her and say he'd change. He wanted to grovel and cry, begging for forgiveness and promising to find a way to take it all back. That wasn't Jotaro Kujo, though. Maybe it's the man Maura wanted, but it wasn't him. It was a torturous existence. He knew he could do these things. It was as simple as moving his mouth and making a few sounds. Despite that, he couldn't. He couldn't do it, and it killed him. The best he could manage was,
"We're in danger."
Maura raised a brow. "What are you talking about? My mother was right, wasn't she? Are you seriously mixed up in some kind of mafia?"
"What?" He questioned. The accusation caught him off guard. "No. Why does your mother think that?"
"Can you blame her? You come from money, but never talk about where it came from. You disappear for weeks at a time, you obviously have PTSD, and you think someone's always out to get you. What are we supposed to think?"
"I should have never had a family." He admitted.
As much as it hurt Maura to hear those words, she had no counter-argument. "Maybe not…" She looked down with tears in her eyes. "But, once in a blue moon, you give me some glimmer of hope. You make me think that there's a husband in there. Why can't you let him out?"
"You don't want to see the real me." He looked away. "I told you that on our first date, didn't I?"
"I thought you had anger management issues or something! I was willing to look past that! What could be so awful that you can't tell your wife? You can't be that bad. Are you a serial killer or something?"
"No." He said honestly. "No. I'm not. I'm not a criminal. That's not it."
"Then what the hell is it? Just fucking tell me, Jotaro. Tell me and we can fix this. Don't you want that!?"
"Yes. I want it more than anything. You don't understand. I just want to be here with you and Jolyne. I want to fire up the grill and drink a beer. I want to threaten any guy who talks to our daughter and laugh with you when they're out of earshot. I want to be your partner. I want… I want..." He grabbed her hands. "Maura, if you don't believe anything else I say for the rest of my life, believe this." He looked into her eyes. "I want to be here."
She looked down, shaking her hands free and rubbing them on her shirt like they were dirtied by the touch. "Don't." She whispered. "You don't get to do that." She cleared her throat, letting out a quick sob. "Get out." She wiped her eyes, clearing her throat again. "Out. Go on."
"Maura." He frowned.
"Jotaro, I mean it. I want you gone. You've had your chance. Too many chances! I just gave you another, and you shit all over it. And the worst part is I'd still take you back if you just told me! I might never get over you! Not for as long as I live. How fucking pathetic is that? I'm not some hopeless woman settling for all she can get. I could get another man! A better man! One that wanted me! So why have I waited for you for almost twenty years? What's wrong with me!?"
He was paralyzed by that. "You." He took a moment to think. "You think it's something that's wrong with you?"
"Yes! There has to be someone you're telling this stuff. And it's not me. It's got to be because you don't trust me with it, right? If it has you this worried, shouldn't I get to know? If I'm in danger, don't I get to know!? "
The front door opened, startling both of them. Jolyne walked into the room casually, holding an apple to her lips. "Hey Mom, I'm home. Sorry I'm late, I was-" Her eyes widened when she saw her father. She bit into the apple loudly, staring into his eyes. There was a terrible silence for about ten seconds. Ten, long seconds passed. Her hand trembled for a moment before it crushed the apple completely. Juices flew everywhere, and the crumbled remains fell from her hand onto the floor. It was just a mushy paste.
"I thought we agreed you wouldn't come back." She said with her mouth full.
"Jojo…" He frowned.
" DON'T." She said in a shockingly loud voice, causing him to flinch. She spit the rest of the apple into her hand, wiping her mouth. She walked right up to him, looking him up and down. "Put out your hand." She mumbled.
Jotaro extended his hand, opening his palm.
Jolyne placed the chewed up apple piece in his hand, smearing it around a bit before pulling away. Her eyes were piercing. If looks could kill, Jotaro was sure he'd be dead. Anyone could cut the room's tension with a knife. After a moment she scoffed, spitting on his shoe. "I'll be in my room. Tell me when he's gone." She mumbled, walking up the steps.
When she was gone, Maura sniffled. "I don't like seeing her like that." She whispered.
"Neither do I." He looked down at the apple in his hand. "When did she get so… psychotic?"
"I told you," She hissed. "Our daughter is hanging out with dangerous people, Jotaro. This is what happens with single parenting. I don't always have time to monitor her every move. I don't know what to do."
Jotaro clenched his fists. "Okay. Okay…" He sighed. "What do you want me to do?"
Jolyne kicked the door to her bedroom open, slamming it shut with a grunt. She leaned against the door, cupping her face and screaming into her hands. It took a moment to notice the little girl sitting on her bed. Her eyes widened. "Shizuka!?" She questioned. "What are you doing here?"
Shizuka's legs were kicking absentmindedly as she sat on the bed. "Your parents sent me upstairs so they could talk."
"Well where are your parents, kiddo?"
She just shrugged. "Not here."
Jolyne thought for a moment. "Everything okay? You look a little… messy."
Shizuka was covered in dirt, dust, and some of Josuke's blood. Her hair was a static mess, and her clothes were torn in several places. She didn't even realize how rough she looked until Jolyne pointed it out.
"Uhm.. I guess I'm messy, but I don't have any of my stuff." She pulled her legs up onto the bed, hugging them. All of her stuff was left on Marina's private jet in D.C.. She had no clue when or if she'd ever get that back.
Jolyne frowned. "Wanna use my shower?"
Shizuka shrugged. "I dunno. I don't have anything else to wear.
"I've got old clothes. Just get in the shower, okay? I'll be right back." She ran her hand through Shizuka's hair. "I like the dye, by the way."
Shizuka hopped off the bed and walked into Jolyne's bathroom. It was attached to her bedroom. That was pretty cool. She was so exhausted physically and mentally. It felt like she was an outsider observing her own movements. She saw herself in the mirror. She really did look like shit. She threw her clothes off, figuring out with faucet was hot water before turning the shower on.
She got into the shower and leaned her head against the wall, letting the warm water run down her body. Steam filled the room, going into her nostrils and clearing a bit of the stuffiness in her head. She took a deep breath, allowing the hot air to fill her lungs. Earlier that day she was being devoured by an ancient stone man who wanted to take over the world. Now? She was just standing in her cousin's shower.
Normal little girls didn't have to worry about things like Stand attacks. She remembered being normal not too long ago. Then again, she'd always had her Stand ability. It set her aside from her peers. She never feared strangers, or worried about being kidnapped. She regularly picked fights with assholes on the streets who disrespect their elders. It seemed like she was never a regular kid after all. Did her Achtung Baby prevent her from having a real childhood? Would Ultra Violet, the evolution of her power, also get in the way of future happiness?
Standing was becoming very tiring. She sat down, letting the water run down her back. She slowly laid back in the shower, closing her eyes and stretching her legs. The water poured onto her stomach and pooled in her closed legs, warming her body. It seemed like having a Stand kind of ruined Jotaro's life. She couldn't help but wonder if a similar fate awaited her. That is, if she even lived to tell the story of Blondie.
That was something to worry about after her shower.
Shizuka was sitting on Jolyne's bed once more rubbing a towel all over her head. She was wearing an old "Black Parade" shirt that nearly reached her knees and hung from her body with countless wrinkles. Jolyne managed to dig up some old shorts and underwear from a crate of old clothes in the attic. Maura kept them in case they ever had another daughter. They might not have been her own clothes, but at least she was clean.
Jolyne walked back in a few minutes later a smirked. "There you go. All good."
The two heard Maura yelling downstairs. It was clear that the discussion wasn't going very well. Jolyne groaned.
"It's always like this. Dad sits there like a statue and Mom cries."
Shizuka felt pangs of grief in her chest. She'd grown up with such a wholesome, loving family. Joseph and Suzi would give her the world, and they were so in love. Even with what she'd learned about their marital struggles, she could still tell they needed one another. They wouldn't let anything break them apart. She couldn't imagine such yelling being the norm. She started to understand why Jolyne was irritated with her dad.
"We don't have to sit here and listen to this. C'mon." Jolyne smiled, walking over to the window.
She opened it up, revealing that the roof curved in such a way that one could easily slide down onto the roof of the front porch. From there it was an easy drop into the grass. Shizuka raised a brow. They were sneaking out? It seemed like Jotaro would be upset about that. She wanted to spend time with her cousin while she could, though. And besides, hadn't she earned a little bit of fun after the day's events?
"You comfortable with this?" Jolyne asked with one leg out the window.
Shizuka just nodded.
"Heh, hell yeah. Watch, it's just like this." Jolyne demonstrated the art of sliding down the roof, hopping onto the next one."
Something odd was boiling in Shizuka's chest. She really wanted to impress her cousin, and she knew exactly how. She'd never used her Stand to show off before, but there was a first time for everything. She braced herself before jumping right out the window. Ultra Violet's legs appeared over her own, and she landed on the grass without issue. The impact was absorbed into Ultra Violet's legs, leaving Shizuka perfectly fine. She stood up, smirking up at Jolyne.
The older girl was staring with wide eyes. "Holy shit." She said loudly, quickly covering her mouth and laughing. "I mean… What the heck? Shizuka, how did you do that?"
"Coming down?" Shizuka asked playfully.
"Not like that. Jeez. Kids these days, must be something in the milk." Jolyne grumbled with a smile, carefully dropping herself down into the grass. "So, wanna see the cool parts of town?"
"Uh huh!"
Jolyne walked over to the motorcycle parked in the driveway. She picked up the single lonely helmet and looked over at Shizuka. "Here, champ." She tossed it at Shizuka's chest. "Wear this."
Shizuka caught the helmet, looking over it closely. It was sleek and black with some red designs around the edges. She placed it on, but it was nearly too big for her head. She looked a little silly, but she was safer than she'd be without it.
"Alright, kid. I'll take you somewhere cool." Jolyne got on the bike, turning the ignition. Jotaro and Maura would know they'd left, but it didn't matter. By then, they'd already be gone.
Shizuka climbed on as well, wrapping her arms around Jolyne from behind. They peeled out of the driveway and were down the road in seconds.
Jolyne obviously wasn't going to take a ten-year-old to one of her many shady hangouts. She wanted to get Shizuka out of the house, but she'd never put her in harm's way. She decided to fall back on an old joint she hadn't visited in over a year. The Game Place, a teen hangout downtown. She lead Shizuka inside, looking around. A nerdy looking girl with big thick rimmed glasses noticed their arrival.
"Jolyne!?" She stood up from her seat.
The nerdy girl ran up to them with excitement. "What're you doing back at The Game Place? Finally done messing around with those assholes?"
Jolyne shook her head, resting a hand on Shizuka's shoulder. "Just needed a place to bring my little cousin."
The girl's expression fell. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to call your friends assholes." She mumbled, shifting left and right awkwardly.
There was a painful silence.
"Well it's good to see you." Jolyne smiled.
She lit up once again. "You too! You should let me know if you're free sometime. I haven't seen you since May."
Jolyne didn't hang around her old friends much anymore. They couldn't keep up with her lifestyle. This particular friend, Linsdey, used to be one of her closest buds. They drifted more and more as she started to spend time with "dangerous" people after school. Eventually they stopped hanging out altogether.
"Yeah, totally. Just let me know when you're free."
Lindsey once again had nothing to say. After a moment she jumped a bit. "Oh! You should sign Sid's card."
"Sid? Is it his birthday or something?" Jolyne asked, knowing fully well that Sid's birthday wasn't for three months.
"No, he's sick. They can't seem to diagnose anything. He's just… Not himself. He's got chronic fatigue, night terrors, insomnia, and manic episodes."
"That's horrible." Jolyne mumbled, taking the card and writing something.
"I was actually about to bring it to his place. Maybe you could walk with me?" Lindsey smiled.
Jolyne shrugged awkwardly. "I mean, I promised little Shizuka that we'd play some games. I don't wanna disappoint her."
"We can go." Shizuka mumbled, refusing to be the cause of Lindsey's sadness. "I'm not much of a gamer anyway."
"Then I guess we're free." Jolyne surrendered. "After you, Lindsey."
The scrawny blonde lead both girls outside The Game Place and down the sidewalk. It was a lovely evening. The sun was nearly set, the breeze was steady and cool, and the humidity wasn't overly offensive. Jolyne and Lindsey spent most of the walk catching up after the past few months. Shizuka trailed behind, hoping this would make Jolyne consider opening up to her friend again.
After a few minutes of walking, Shizuka's keen eyes noticed something. They were being followed. She could see through her Ultra Violet, so she manifested the Stand and had it look behind the group. It was a little difficult to walk steadily forward while also seeing backward, but she managed. It was clear as day to Ultra Violet. A dark figure was following them from a long distance. The Stand's enhanced eyes could barely make the face out.
The sun was almost completely set, and Shizuka felt a growing danger. Could they be under attack? What if one of Red Eden's members found them? She had to protect Jolyne and Lindsey. She faded from view, standing perfectly still. As the other two girls continued walking forward, the figure got closer.
Ultra Violet's eyes focused on the figure's face. In retrospect, Shizuka really, really wished she hadn't done that. That thing's face- it's face was horrifying. Its skin was white like paper and looked like it had an odd texture. Its eyes were massive bulges with no sockets and eyelids. Its mouth was carved into what appeared to be a permanent smile. Something seemed off… Sure, the sight was horrifying, but it was also strangely familiar. It was like she'd seen it before. How would she have forgotten that face, though?
She was so startled by the figure's face that she appeared once more. They made eye contact, causing it to bolt into the shadows. Shizuka considered giving chase. She'd have to deal with it one way or another. However, Jolyne turned her head and noticed her little cousin was just standing there.
"Shizuka?" She raised a brow. "Everything alright?"
The little girl calmed herself down, getting her breathing in check. "Yeah." She said casually, turning back to face them. "Just saw a stray dog or something."
"Well we're almost at Sid's. C'mon."
They continued walking with no incident. In fact, she couldn't even see the figure for the rest of the trip. They arrived at Sid's house shortly, and Lindsey knocked on the door. Nobody answered. She frowned, knocking once again.
Meanwhile, Ultra Violet was still keeping a close eye on their surroundings. It seemed so bizarre… Jolyne was bigger, cooler, and tougher, but she had no idea of the danger they were in. She was just a person.
"Let's just go in. I'm sure he'd be happy to see us." Lindsey shrugged, opening the door and walking inside.
She called out for Sid when they entered the house. Once the door was closed behind them, she raised a brow. All the lights were out, and there were no cars in the driveway. Jolyne looked around casually. "Looks like nobody's home, Lindsey. Let's just leave the card on the kitchen counter or something."
"No, we can put it in his bedroom. Besides, I really doubt he's not home. He doesn't go anywhere anymore." The blonde walked up the staircase cautiously.
Shizuka wanted to turn the lights on, or at least provide the halls with a glow. She decided against it, however, following the two closely. That figure could already be inside. It seemed to dwell within darkness very well. A shiver ran down her spine as she pictured its face. It couldn't be human, that was certain. What kind of person would manifest a Stand with such a twisted face? Part of her didn't want to find out.
They arrived at Sid's bedroom door. Lindsey knocked gently, calling out.
"Sid? It's Lindsey and Jolyne. Are you in there?"
There was no response. Shizuka tensed up even more than before. She really didn't like this one bit. After some silence, the door suddenly opened. Ultra Violet nearly knocked Sid's lights out. Luckily, Shizuka realized it was him a moment before she attacked. She let out a deep huff, really psyching herself out. The Stand disappeared a moment later. Sid looked at them with confusion.
"Linsdey? Jolyne? What're you doing here?" He mumbled.
It would be a disservice to say Sid looked like shit. He looked like shit's shit. There were massive bags under his eyes, and his hair was a disheveled mess. He was slouching, and his body swayed unsteadily as he leaned against the doorframe. It seemed like he was struggling to stay awake. There was something else that especially disturbed Shizuka. His eyes seemed to be darting all over as if he was looking for something. He'd check over his shoulder, he'd check behind the girls, and he'd even check the ceiling. He was seriously paranoid.
"We were worried about you." Lindsey smiled, offering him the card.
" Jolyne was worried? When did she even start hanging out with us again?" He mumbled, opening the card up.
Jolyne looked away in irritation. The fact is, he was right. That only made her feel even worse. She abandoned her friends, and she was finally facing some backlash for it. Sid held the card with shaking hands. After a moment, he faked a smile. "T-Thanks, you two. I was actually gonna sleep though. Catch ya later…"
Shizuka finally made herself speak. "Why do you have all the lights out?" She asked innocently. "It's pretty dark."
Jolyne nodded in agreement. "Yeah, maybe we could get the lights-"
" NO." Sid barked, standing upright. His face turned pale again, only illuminated by the ever-fading sunlight barely coming through a window on the far side of the hall. In a few minutes the place would be completely black. "I don't want the lights on because I'm trying to go to sleep. Okay? Okay. Bye bye, see you soon." He closed the bedroom door.
Shizuka raised a brow. The situation just went from suspicious to downright alarming. Was Sid hiding something? What reason would he have to keep the place dark? The two older girls just stared at the door in shock for a moment.
"Guess he wants to sleep." Jolyne mumbled, putting her hands in her pockets.
Lindsey looked much more upset. Her bottom lip quivered a bit as she looked down at the floor. "Guess so. I… Uh. I gotta go home. See you in another three months or something." She turned and quickly went down the staircase.
Jolyne and Shizuka were both taken aback by that. This was Lindsey's mission to begin with. Why would she leave so suddenly?
"What's her problem?" Jolyne scoffed. "The guy wants to sleep."
Shizuka wanted to point out that Lindsey's attitude probably soured because two of her friends seemed to be cutting themselves out of her life. She wanted to tell Jolyne to chase after her friend and apologize. She couldn't seem to find it in herself to scold her older cousin, though. She thought the world of Jolyne, and the idea of correcting her just felt wrong. Jolyne was the cool one, the strong one, and the smart one. She'd idolized her for as long as she could remember. Why couldn't the older girl see the problem? Was she willfully ignoring it?
The front door closed as Lindsey left the house. This left the two girls standing awkwardly in Sid's hallway without permission.
"Guess we should go, huh? Sorry this didn't go as I planned. It was at least a little interesting." Jolyne mumbled, walking for the stairs.
There was nothing else to do. After a moment Shizuka followed. They walked out of the house and back toward The Game Place. They didn't really talk along the way. Jolyne was working through some stuff in her head and Shizuka was busy keeping an eye out for the figure that was following them. After a few minutes, Jolyne stopped abruptly. Shizuka nearly bumped into her since she was busy looking around.
"What is it?" She asked the older girl.
Jolyne's eyes were nearly bulging out of her head as she stared across the street and into a yard. She tensed up completely, taking a step back out of pure instinct. "We should walk faster." Is all she said, taking Shizuka's hand and dragging her along the sidewalk.
Now Shizuka was seriously confused. What did Jolyne see? How could Jolyne see? That must have meant whatever was tracking them wasn't a Stand. That couldn't be possible. A real person could have a face like that?
"What's going on?" She questioned as they jogged along.
"Don't worry about it. We just need to get to my bike, okay?"
Shizuka was definitely worrying about it. Ultra Violet looked in the direction Jolyne had been staring. She nearly froze in place when she saw… Well, she didn't know how to describe it. It looked humanoid, but there were some serious issues with it. Its limbs were too long, that was the simplest critique. Its fingers were stained red, and were oddly tipped at the ends. Its mouth was hanging open revealing how widely its jaw could extend. Not only that, but it seemed to be completely naked with no genitals to speak of. Its eyes were dark, empty holes. She could understand why Jolyne was running.
It didn't make any sense, though! Shizuka had seen a completely different entity earlier. Was there more than one creature stalking them? Her mind wandered to Wagner's ability to control the dead. She knew better, though. Wagner was dead, killed by Blondie in the Valkyrie. It could be a similar type of Stand. Maybe she'd be better off fighting it instead of running.
The streetlights began to turn on as the sun was nearly finished setting in the west of the sky. The lighting made the sky look green, and frogs could be heard in the summer evening.
"Some of the guys I hang out with talked about this part of town. People have been seeing weird things. I guess I just got a little spooked, that's all." Jolyne tried to explain to Shizuka, but was mostly comforting herself.
That changed things yet again. If it had been happening before, that meant it probably wasn't an enemy Stand Blondie sent after them. Now she was even more confused. What in God's name were they running from? They arrived at The Game Place about a minute later. Jolyne looked over her shoulder and saw nothing. She panted a bit, shaking her head. "Alright, kiddo. Let's go in, huh?"
"I thought we were going to your bike?" Shizuka mumbled.
"Nah, I just got spooked, that's all. I don't feel like going home yet. Do you?"
Jotaro was at home. Maybe he'd be able to protect them. Or maybe Shizuka could ask some of the kids inside about whatever was terrorizing the city of Gainesville at night. She shrugged, following Jolyne inside.
They walked into the gaming room and saw that only a few kids were still there. Jolyne walked over to one of the couches and sat down. She needed a moment to think about whether what she saw was fact or fiction. Unsurprisingly, calling her father wasn't even a thought in her head. What would her paper-pushing-college-professor-master's-degree-wielding father even do to protect her?
Shizuka walked over to one of the computers set up at a long desk. There was only one other person sitting there. He seemed to be fairly enamoured with some internet forum. Shizuka cleared her throat.
"Uh, hey. Have you been seeing anything weird lately?" She mumbled, immediately realizing the wording was awkward and cursing herself internally.
The teen turned to look at her. "What? Y'mean the ghosts? C'mon, kid. Don't buy into that stuff."
Jolyne turned her head on the couch. "So you haven't seen anything at night?"
"Listen, that stuff will mess you up good. I tried to warn Sid, but he just buried himself in it."
"What stuff?" Shizuka questioned.
"Creepypasta, duh." He said as if it was completely rational, and also even a word to begin with.
"We didn't see a noodle." Shizuka mumbled under her breath.
The teen scoffed. "You seriously think you saw one of these things? Okay. I'll bite, which was it?"
"Well…" Shizuka trailed off nervously.
That's when Jolyne stood up. "A big naked dude with a huge jaw and claws." She said with zero shame. She didn't like the way he was talking to her little cousin, and was ready to take all the attempts at shaming.
"Oh, you mean the rake." He mumbled, turning back to the computer. After a quick search on google, they saw the very creature from before.
"Holy hell." Jolyne mumbled, stepping closer. "Brian, I've never heard of this stuff, and I saw that outside."
Brian rolled his eyes. "Sure, Jolyne. Maybe it's the drugs then."
She gritted her teeth. "What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing. Word's gotten around is all I'm saying."
Shizuka frowned. She was getting the idea that Jolyne maybe wasn't as cool as she thought. "I saw it too." She mumbled.
"You're impressionable. That doesn't mean the boogeyman is real."
"What about…" She trailed off nervously. "A man with a cut up smile? And big eyes? And pale skin?"
Brian let out a small chuckle. "Jeff the Killer. I actually kind of like that one. He started off as a ghost or something, now people are coming up with all kinds of stories."
He typed Jeff the Killer into the search engine and clicked "search." Dozens of pictures of the maniac showed up. There was no doubt in Shizuka's mind. She definitely saw Jeff the Killer on their walk. What in god's name was happening? She bit her lip.
"Sid got too deep in this stuff. He's freaked out. I think it's just a bad genre overall. Who wants to be a part of a community that exists just to scare each other?" Brian shrugged. "Last time I talked to him he thought The Slenderman was after him."
" Slenderman?" Jolyne mumbled. "Sounds pretty dumb."
"It's a new one. Started in a contest on the 'somethingawful" forums, I think. It's about this tall thing in a suit that abducts kids. Totally freaked the fuck out of Sid. Poor guy."
"It it powerful?" Shizuka asked a little too seriously.
"It can teleport, has weird tentacle things, and who knows what else. That's fine though, because it's not real. Why aren't you two getting that?"
"I'm going to Sid's." Shizuka said in a confident voice, turning and walking toward the door.
"W-What!?" Jolyne questioned. "Shizuka, you can't just go around town without me."
"Then c'mon." She mumbled, leaving The Game Place.
She knew as a matter of fact that Sid was being haunted by these beings. She didn't want to drag Jolyne into it, but she didn't have many options. He needed her help. She might be the only person capable of giving him what he needed. It was her responsibility.
Jotaro and Maura were sitting on their living room couch. The husband was sitting with his hands folded, unsure of what to say. The wife cried her way through half a box of tissues. He hated seeing her in such a sorry state, but had absolutely no skills in the field of calming her down. She cleared her throat.
"Do you understand where I'm coming from?"
"Of course." Jotaro answered quickly. "It makes sense."
"Then why can't you meet me halfway? Or a quarter way? Hell, I've already come all the way, you're just not opening the damn door." She wiped her eyes.
Jotaro had no idea what to say. He was screaming inside his own mind. It was like a prisoner begging to be let free. His emotions had been repressed, morphed, and snuffed out for his entire life. He didn't have the emotional equipment needed to unpack everything wrong with himself. That's when his eyes wandered away from his wife. It was just too painful. They were both lucky he did, though. His eyes happened to fixate on a strange face right outside the window. They widened, and his jaw tightened up. He didn't know it, but he was looking right at Jeff.
Maura noticed his change in posture and turned to look out the window. She let out a shriek, standing up and raising her hands for no particular reason. "What the fuck is that?"
"You can see it?" Jotaro questioned, standing up as well.
"Well, yeah. It's right there! Is that a costume or something? Oh my god, I think I can see a part of his skull." She held her mouth like she was about to vomit.
There was no way that thing was human. Could it be a Stand attack? Was he too slow in rescuing his family?
"Shizuka!" He called up the steps, to no response. After a moment, he shouted even louder. " SHIZUKA!"
"Why are you calling for our ten-year-old niece?"
Jeff seemed to be amused by how riled up the couple was. He lifted his hand to reveal a large butcher's knife dripping with blood. He dragged it against the window, scratching the glass and filling the room with a terrible sound. Jotaro gritted his teeth, manifesting Star Platinum. He didn't want to have to do this in his own home, but when did he ever get what he wanted?
"Maura, stay back." He began to walk to the front door.
" What? " She demanded. "And what the hell are you going to do? I know you stay in good shape and all, but that thing's got a knife!"
"Go upstairs and get the gun. Find Shizuka and Jolyne. Keep them safe in our bedroom." Was all he said, walking out the front door and slamming it shut.
He stood outside his own home, staring at the being across the yard with pure disdain. His eyes scanned the lawn cautiously. "You've got a lot of nerve attacking me at my house." He growled.
Jeff tilted his head curiously. "Oh?" He asked in a deep, revolting voice. It sounded like he'd been smoking twenty packs a day his entire life. "And why's that?"
Jotaro appeared behind the man suddenly. His dangerous eyes showed absolutely no mercy. "Because now I'm angry." He mumbled, fixing his hat.
Star Platinum roared in pure rage, destroying Jeff's skull with a flurry of powerful punches. The unsightly face was long gone as Jeff's head burst in a massive blast of blood and brain matter. The body fell lifelessly to the ground. Jotaro wiped his eyes, glaring down at him. "Yare Yare, if you were going to just die like that, why waste my time in the first place?"
The body began to steam strangely. After a moment, the body and blood turned to a strange mist rising into the sky. Jotaro was completely clean of the man's blood. That was certainly different. He had to wonder if the man was truly dead.
He quickly went inside, going upstairs and looking for his family. He opened the bedroom door without thinking. Any normal man would be dead after that. Maura had fired the shotgun the moment he opened the door. The shotgun pellets soared through the air in less than a second. Before Jotaro even realized what was happening, Star Platinum caught every single pellet.
Jotaro's eyes widened. Star's hand phased into his own, and he looked at the handful of ammunition. Maura was the one experiencing true surprise. She lowered her gun and stared at her husband in silence. It seemed like the jig was finally up. After so many years of marriage she was finally presented with direct evidence that something was truly wrong with her husband.
"When I was hospitalized…" She mumbled, looking down at the carpet. "...because I startled you, remember?"
He nodded his head. How could he forget? She had frightened him in his sleep, and Star Platinum sent her flying across the bedroom.
"The doctors never believed that you threw me. They said my trauma was consistent with a car accident." She explained.
Jotaro had never heard that part. Why would she keep it from him. He clenched the pellets in his hands, feeling his stomach twist and turn with anxiety.
"They thought I was hit by a car, Jotaro." She repeated herself. "But I knew that wasn't what happened. I knew you lashed out in shock and hit me. So why did they say that story was completely impossible?"
What was he supposed to say? There was no talking his way out of this one. "They were operating under their own view of the world."
"What's that supposed to mean, Jotaro? I assume that guy didn't lay a scratch on you with that knife. How'd you manage to do that? I've never seen you take any kind of martial arts, or even a self-defense class. How did you do it?"
Jotaro approached her slowly. Star Platinum reached out, taking the shotgun from her hand and placing it in Jotaro's. Then, the Stand touched her back, pushing her toward him. She stumbled in shock, looking at him with a mix of panic and fascination.
"You…" She whispered.
"I wasn't ever lying. There are things in this world you can't understand. Things I don't want you to understand. Things you shouldn't need to worry about." He explained.
She felt a strange fear weighing on her chest. His words were scaring her, just like he feared they would. "You said we're in danger. What did you mean?"
"There's a group of people who might want to hurt you, or Jolyne. It's to get to me."
"So what are we going to do?" She asked softly, taking the entire thing in surprising stride.
"Jiji's butler is going to take everyone somewhere safe for a week or so while we deal with this."
"We? Who are you working with?"
"A group of people like me. We're going to take care of it. I promise." He placed the gun on the bed. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."
"You should be. If I'm in danger, I deserve to know about it. Especially if our daughter is in trouble too." She crossed her arms.
"Where are the girls?" He raised a brow. "I said to grab them, didn't I?"
Her expression sank as her skin turned pale. "I completely forgot. Jolyne's window is wide open, and neither of them are in the house. They left."
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and trying to calm down. "She's with Shizuka. She'll be fine." He said more for his own benefit than anything.
"Don't you have that backwards? Shizuka's a child." Maura mumbled.
Jotaro got out his phone, raising a finger. "Hold on. I need to make a call."
Shizuka was jogging down the sidewalk when her phone rang. She was about to ignore it, but thought that it might be important. She picked up. "Yeah?"
" Where are you?" Jotaro asked calmly.
Only Jotaro Kujo could pack those words with a million different meanings. Was he upset? Worried? Disappointed? She didn't have to interpret his words.
"There's something weird going on in town. I think I know the source."
" Yeah, I know there's something weird going on. Why are you and my daughter out there? I just took care of something outside."
Shizuka raised a brow. "It came to your house? Why?"
" Beats me. You and Jolyne need to come home right now. We'll deal with it together."
Shizuka arrived at Sid's front yard. It was difficult to notice at first, but when she really looked with her spiritual mind she could clearly see dark energy emitting from the house. It was powerful, ominous, and menacing. She just stared for a moment. "I'm gonna call you back."
" Shizuka, do not han-"
She put the phone in her pocket and looked around. She almost missed the figure standing on a distant hill. It was so small, so far away. She could barely make it out. She recognized it from the pictures, though. It was a tall, featureless man in a suit. Its skin was paper white, and its limbs were extraordinarily long. That must be Slenderman. She blinked, and it was gone. Her stomach dropped in fear. Where did it go? She turned left and right, eyes darting all around. Ultra Violet appeared above her protectively. She decided to run right in.
The front door swung open as Shizuka cautiously scanned the house. Ultra Violet harnessed the street lamp's light, projecting it into the home and darkening the street. There didn't seem to be anything in the house. She bounded up the staircase and approached Sid's door. As she reached her hand out, she felt something grab it. She looked up and met eyes with Jeff. She shrieked. It was hard not to cry out with such a horrifying face inches away. He grinned, shoving her away from the door.
"You're not getting to Sid." He growled.
She was about to attack him, but she heard something crawling along the walls. The rake dropped down between them, hissing at her. Shizuka's eyes widened as the rake pounced on her, taking her down the staircase. She landed beneath it, pounding against its chest with her fists. It drooled a foaming, warm liquid onto her face, causing her to groan in disdain. Ultra Violet's foot appeared right against the rake's stomach, kicking with all her might. It was sent flying across the house.
Shizuka rolled over and stood up, wiping the goop from her face in disgust. That's when she saw Jeff had come down the steps. He kicked her right in the stomach causing her to stumble back into the front door. She held her stomach, dry heaving as she desperately tried to fill her lungs. He approached her again, shoving her onto the sidewalk. She was really getting the shit beaten out of her. Jeff possessed inhuman strength and force. If her theory was right, this was an insane amount of power for one person.
She wiggled her fingers as Jeff stared her down. Ultra Violet had displayed quite a bit of leg strength. It gave her an idea. Maybe she didn't need to take the stairs. Her Stand's legs phased into her own and braced tightly. Then, she released, kicking off the ground and leaping through the air. She was heading right for Sid's bedroom window. That's when Slenderman appeared, slapping her right out of the sky.
The little girl flew back and landed in the street. Ultra Violet took most of the impact, but Shizuka was still cut and sore in several places. Slenderman appeared in front of her, dark tentacles emerging from his back. Her vision began to morph, and she heard a potent staticing sound in her head. The world around her flickered, and she felt like she was about to pass out. That's when the roar of a motor filled the quiet street. Jolyne swerved right through Slenderman, causing him to disappear. She leaned to the side, resting one leg on the ground as she revved the engine of her bike.
"Gimme a fuckin' break." She mumbled, flicking her cigarette onto the asphalt. "Shizuka, what in the hell are you doing? Get on the bike, right now."
The young girl held her head in pain for a moment. That's when Slenderman appeared behind Jolyne. Shizuka gritted her teeth. She grabbed the beam of light shooting from the motorcycle's headlight and caused it to bend at an angle, hitting the creature's face. It stumbled a bit, vanishing into thin air. "Ride away Jolyne." She warned.
"Away!? What are you talking about? What did my light just do?"
The child growled, standing up and looking for any attackers. Her eyes caught Jeff sneaking out of the darkness. Ultra Violet lunged forward and struck him in the face. He hissed, swinging his knife right at Jolyne. Shizuka's eyes widened, and she turned her cousin invisible out of instinct. Jolyne stumbled away from the knife, noticing something odd. She couldn't see any of herself in her entire field of view. She raised a hand up, and saw nothing.
Shizuka stood tall, taking a defensive stance as the rake, Jeff, and Slenderman all circled her. Things were beginning to look very grim. She had to protect Jolyne. That was easier said than done considering she had no idea how to protect herself. That's when the noticed someone new standing in the doorway of the house. It was Sid.
Her eyes widened. "Sid!" She called out. "Sid, it's alright!"
He looked at her with utter confusion, but she could see it. The dark, seeping aura that was fueling these nightmares… It was coming from Sid. He was the host. He was the Stand User. He just didn't know it.
"It's okay, Sid. These things aren't real! You're just spooked by some online stories! You don't have to let them own you like this!" She called out desperately.
He gripped the doorway, fear obvious in his expression. "You seem pretty scared to me." He mumbled.
Jolyne had nothing to say. She had no idea why she was invisible, or how her little cousin was standing up to these creatures. She watched in a mix of fear and fascination as it all unfolded.
Shizuka attacked Slenderman with the streetlamp's lights, focusing them all on its face. At the same time, she struck Jeff in the stomach with Ultra Violet. Things were going well until she was tackled by the rake. It began to gnaw at her neck. She cried out in pain, slamming her fist against the asphalt. " SID! This is you! You can control it! Take control!"
Sid was panting in fear. This child was going to die, and he had to watch it happen. These creatures that haunted and tortured him were going to hurt someone else. He fell to his knees, fueling the dark beings with more negative energy. That's when he felt himself being grabbed by the collar of his shirt.
Jolyne appeared above him, lifting up upright. "Sid." She said calmly, completely trusting Shizuka's intuition. "Just relax."
He looked into her eyes and felt the first hint of ease he'd experienced in months. He'd always looked up to Jolyne. In their childhood she was the tough, strong, passionate one. She'd defend him on the playground, walk home with him, listen to his worries, and always seemed to be there. Lindsey, Jolyne and Sid were inseparable for years. The Three Musketeers. But then Jolyne stopped coming to The Game Place. She stopped answering their calls, and stopped walking home from school with them. She disappeared. Lindsey couldn't make him feel safe in the same way as Jolyne. She just had this noble fire in her heart that inspired everyone around her. Seeing her stumble down a dark path troubled him. And when he was afraid of things he read online, he had no one to confide in. He thought they were real. When he actually saw them outside his window, he was irreconcilable. She didn't answer any of his calls. She was a ghost.
That wasn't the case anymore, though. She was right there. Not only that, but she didn't seem afraid. It truly warmed his heart to see that. He took a deep breath, nodding. "I.. I know I need to relax." He admitted. "It's hard."
She smirked. "'Course it's hard, we're being attacked by monsters. But Shizuka thinks you can stop them. Can you?"
He shook his head. "I… I can't control them, Jolyne. I can't."
She thought for a moment. "Who could?" She asked softly.
"W-Wha?"
"Who could beat them? What's another character who could stop them?"
"I don't.. I don't.." He panted, face turning pale as his chest heaved.
"Shhhhhhhh." She gripped both his cheeks. "Don't. Don't slip. Tell me what character could defeat these guys. That's all."
He racked his brain for a moment in thought. "I guess… Maybe…" He mumbled. "Simon Belmont?"
Jolyne had never heard of him. Despite that, she nodded. "Right! Wouldn't it be good if he was here right now? Wouldn't he be able to defeat them?"
"Yeah." He nodded in agreement. "I think he could. Right?"
"Right!' She repeated.
Shizuka was busy fending off the demented creatures. She wasn't faring too well. They were otherworldly, and didn't seem to stay injured for long. She was getting knocked around mercilessly by the creatures. They were taunting her, never dealing any serious attacks, making it perfectly clear that they could end it at any time. That's when the unbelievable happened.
A massive, muscular blonde man wearing a brown tunic stepped forward. His long, muscular, hairless legs were almost completely revealed by his attire. He posed with a hand on his hip, brandishing a large chain whip. Without a word he swung the whip at the rake. It wrapped around the creature, squeezing it into oblivion. Jeff attempted to run at him, but he threw a dagger right into his heart. The killer collapsed, perishing as well.
Slenderman towered over the hero, the air around him distorting in a static haze as large tentacles emerged from behind him. Simon Belmont had no fear. He revealed a small glass of holy water, kissing it with his eyes closed. Then, he threw it at the dark creature. Upon contact the water turned to blue holy fire, igniting Slenderman and burning him alive. There was an otherworldly wail as the creature melted, eventually fading into mist like the others.
Shizuka watched in absolute confusion. She looked over to Jolyne and Sid. The teenage boy already looked like he felt better.
"H-Hey… He did it. They're gone." He mumbled.
"See? It's all in your head. You don't have to be afraid of them, because there's always someone stronger to keep them in check." Jolyne smirked.
Shizuka stumbled over, looking at Jolyne with curiosity. "How did you know to do that?" She questioned.
A small smile came to the girl's lips. "I've always known Sid was different. Whenever he got scared growing up, we'd see things in the corner of our eye. One time Jeepers Creepers appeared outside his window. We freaked out." She laughed fondly. "But he could always control it. He knew not to be afraid."
"I'm sorry, Jojo… I know I let it get out of control this time." He frowned.
"Don't sweat it, okay? Nobody got hurt too bad."
"If you knew he could do this, why didn't you say so?" Shizuka questioned.
"I guess I wanted to believe it wasn't true. It hasn't happened in so long, I just pretended it was a weird fantasy we had as stupid kids. When I heard about monsters appearing around town I ignored it. I ignored him."
"Why?"
"Because it's easier to. But that's not what you should do. That's never what a strong person does." She sighed. "Sorry I've been so distant, Sid. I'm just going through some stuff too. Maybe you could get in touch with Lindsey and figure out the date for a movie night?"
He smiled. "I'd like that a lot."
Maybe Shizuka was a little quick to judge her older cousin. It seemed like she was a reckless person who abandoned her friends, but that wasn't the case at all. She came around all on her own. It made the little girl smile a bit.
"You won't bring any of your biker friends, right?" Sid asked with a smirk.
Jolyne shrugged. "I should probably reel it back with them anyway. They think I'm nineteen." She admitted, laughing. "I'll tone it down. Some of them are cool, but I really ought to pick my company carefully. Never know when someone like that might try to screw you over."
Shizuka looked down at her phone. Seven missed calls from Jotaro. She sighed, sending him a text. "All done. On way back."
Jotaro and Maura sat in the living room awaiting the arrival of the girls. Neither of them said much. Eventually, Jotaro broke the silence, which was quite rare.
"I don't want Jolyne to know." He admitted.
"Oh no, that makes total sense." Maura said in agreement. "I'll just tell her that we're going on vacation with Grandma Joestar."
"Think she'll really buy that?"
"I think she'll go along with it. She has this way of gliding along through life like nothing's wrong. Part of me thinks she just wants to believe it herself. If you don't tell her outright that something's a problem, she won't go out of her way to bring it up."
"This shouldn't take more than two weeks. I promise."
Maura nodded, leaning back on the couch and rubbing her forehead. "We have some serious work to do, Jotaro."
"I'll do my best."
"I'm going to need someone else's best. Your best clearly isn't enough." She said dryly.
This actually caused him to smile. "With my asshole of a dad, and Jiji's infidelity, I still can't help but feel like I turned out alright."
"You're hilarious." She mumbled, standing up. "Call Roses. I'll go up and pack now." She walked to the staircase, stopping for a moment. She glanced over her shoulder at him. "I love you." She said softly.
That caught him off guard. His instinct was to grunt in approval, or to say ' you too' or something else dismissive. He managed to fight back the urge, though, and settle on an acceptable middle ground. "Love you too."
That was more than enough for Maura. She smirked, walking upstairs without another word.
The women of the house had packed and left with Roses. That left Jotaro and Shizuka sitting on the balcony outside the master bedroom. They were kicked back in reclining patio chairs, a cigarette between Jotaro's fingers. He puffed smoke into the night sky. It was almost dawn. Hints of light could be seen in the distance. He looked over and saw that the child had actually fallen asleep. He shook his head, flicking his cigarette into the ashtray and resting back in the chair comfortably. It had been one hell of a day, but one way or another every day comes to an end. Nothing Blondie could do would prevent the sun from rising over the horizon in just a few minutes. The new day would bring new opportunities, new challenges, and possibly a way to defeat her.
None of that could be addressed at that very moment, though. It was all for another time. Problems for the future. So, for once, Jotaro Kujo pulled the rim of his hat over his eyes, crossed his arms, and fell asleep on the balcony.
Tomorrow is a new day.
To be Continued...