"Okay." Shirlie sighed with defeat. "Wake me up."
There was another long pause. For a moment, the teen wondered if her twin was gone. A moment later, Pepsi materialized right in front of her. Shirlie yelped in surprise, reaching forward and hugging them immediately.
"H-Hey! Why'd you come back in? Aren't we trying to get out?"
"Not yet. Josuke isn't listening to me. We need to find him in the dream. I've already snapped out of it. I can barely keep hold on Feel Good Inc.'s reality. You're still inside, though. You need to find Josuke and wake him up."
"What's the issue? Can't he see you?" Shirlie asked, frowning a bit.
"He's ignoring me. I don't get why. Something has to be incentivizing him to stay. He probably laid a trap." The teen referenced Feel Good's user, a name the siblings vowed to never speak again.
Shirlie nodded. "O-Okay. Then I'll find him. He's a cop, right? I could probably find him in the city phone book too."
"Just get it done. I need to let go. I've hung on too long, he can feel me. I'll be waiting for the two of you, okay? I promise I won't leave." Pepsi insisted.
Shirlie felt the teen fading from her arms. She just nodded, closing her eyes. "Okay. I'll see you on the other side."
Then, in a flash, Shirlie woke up in her fake bed. The bedroom was familiar, but it wasn't hers. She had once again succumb to Feel Good Inc.'s dream-reality. Memories of the outside world slowly faded. She didn't have much time before her mind fully assimilated once again. That's when she felt a powerful pair of arms wrapping around her from behind.
"Pa-Pa-Power!" She squealed, kicking her legs in delight. "Oh my god! I almost forgot about you!"
He lifted her up, swinging her left and right as his face nuzzled in her hair. The Stand let out a silent, jovial laugh. Then, he put Shirlie down.
"Alright Power, you know the drill. We've gotta find Josuke. Can you help me look for a phone book? There's gotta be one somewhere in this house."
He nodded, flipping the bed into the air and crashing it into the wall. Several wooden planks broke away from the frame, and the drywall was severely damaged. Shirlie cheered, jumping up and punching the air.
"That's the spirit! Now c'mon! Let's dig through this junk!"
The two tore Shirlie's room apart in search of a phone book. After a few minutes, she let out a sigh.
"Ugh, this would be easier if we had a cell phone. Or even a computer! I'm such a freak. Why did my dream-self exist off the grid? So in character, too. It's uncanny…" She mumbled, throwing all of the drawers out of her desk and dumping the contents onto the floor.
Power crossed his arms and fell back onto the pile of rubble that was formerly referred to as a "bed." He huffed, kicking his feet a bit.
Shirlie stood up, brushing the red locks from her face and sighing. "You're right, Power. Who even owns phone books anymore? There's no way we're gonna find one."
The Stand raised his arms, throwing them out in frustration.
"I don't know how we're gonna get a hold of him! He could be anywhere. It's not that big a town, but it's big enough."
Power bit his nails anxiously. Then, struck with realization, he looked over to Shirlie eagerly. The teen raised a brow.
"You're right. He is a cop…" She mumbled.
The Stand nodded, getting up and clapping his boxing gloves together.
"We could commit a crime."
A long sneaker pressed up against the glass door of a local gas station. With a powerful shove, the door flew open. Shirlie stomped in with her hands in her pockets.
"ALRIGHT, NOBODY MOVE! THIS IS A ROBBERY!"
Pa-Pa-Power grabbed a magazine rack and threw it across the store. It slammed into one of the drink displays, shattering the glass and causing sparks to fly all around. Neither of them felt particularly bad about doing this. The people screaming in fear weren't real. They were echoes, memories of people Feel Good Inc.'s user had met in the past. Then, their ideas and appearances were used as canvases for characters to inhabit his fantasy realm. The only real people left in this hellscape were Shirlie and Josuke. That's all that mattered.
Pa-Pa-Power grabbed a pack of mentos and a two-liter of diet coke. He shook the bottle up before depositing the entire pack of mentos inside. Then, he put the cap back on, aiming it at the cashier. A moment later the cap flew out, slamming the cashier in the chest and sending him back into the wall behind him. Shirlie would admit, she was having a bit of fun.
"Someone call the cops! Someone bring the police! I wanna see Detective Higashikata NOW!"
No one could see Pa-Pa-Power. All they saw was the destruction he caused. Newspapers levitated in front of Shirlie before tearing themselves to pieces. Knicknacks were snapped, stomped, and thrown all around. Power was throwing quite the temper tantrum.
Many people have taken part in the wonderful activity known as "rage rooms." In simple terms, it's basically a room filled with breakable things. You're allowed to break everything, and you're even provided with a handy assortment of tools to facilitate said destruction. Some view it as barbaric, and the jury is honestly out as to whether or not it's healthy for certain people. Despite that, it's still stupid fun. This fictitious gas station was a sort of rage room for Shirlie. There were no real-world consequences for what she did, so she and Power were going kind of crazy.
After a few minutes of cathartic mayhem, Shirlie could finally hear sirens outside. She groaned, rolling her eyes and dusting her hands off.
"It's about time the fuzz rolled in. I was getting pretty bored." She admitted.
Pa-Pa-Power grabbed the cash register and tore it from the counter. He lobbed it across the store, causing it to burst against the far wall. An ear-piercing sound tore through the gas station, and countless coins rolled across the floor. A single lone quarter rolled all the way over to Shirlie's foot, hitting it and falling down flat. She looked at her Stand with disappointment.
"The moment's passed, Power."
He crossed his arms with a silent huff.
Multiple officers approached the door, walking in with their guns drawn. Shirlie just turned to face them apathetically.
"Put your hands up! You're under arrest!" One of them screamed.
"Now that's not standard protocol at all." She said under her breath. "The least he could do is accurately depict the Miranda warning."
"HANDS UP!" The officer warned again.
None of these policemen were real either. They were slates with directions. Because of that, their emotions were incredibly artificial and malleable. Shirlie knew from past experience how easy it was to manipulate these dream-people.
"Quiet, quiet." She raised her hands, looking at Power over her shoulder.
"If you don't get on your knees right now, we-"
"I've heard enough." Shirlie rolled her eyes, snapping her fingers.
All three officers fell to their knees with unbelievable grief. It didn't even take much on Shirlie's end to make that happen. Sure, she was still feeling rather down, but it was nowhere near the turmoil that would normally be necessary to bring down three emotionally shut-off men. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked around.
"Where is he?"
The officers were too busy curling up on the floor.
"Power, where's Josuke!? We need to find him. He needs to wake up!"
Pa-Pa-Power frantically ran around the store, but couldn't find the detective anywhere. After about a minute of this, Shirlie rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration.
"Fuck. He's not here? I guess I was being a little hopeful. There are tons of policemen." She groaned.
The tall ginger strutted over to one of the officers, crouching down and lifting his head up carefully.
"Hey, you! Where does Detective Higashikata live?" She demanded.
He was a little busy on the emotional rollercoaster caused by Pa-Pa-Power's ability. The teen groaned in frustration. If she didn't wrap this up soon, she'd lose all memory of the outside world. Then she'd go back to being an ignorant high-schooler completely unaware of the dream-world's grip. The officer was still just whining. Shirlie raised a hand, really reving it up before striking the officer across the face with it. A powerful CLAP filled the room for a moment. Then, his cries ceased.
"Where does Detective Higashikata live!?" She grabbed him by the collar, ordering Power to cease his empathy assault at the same time.
"D-detective Higashikata? Why do you want to know?"
Another slap.
"For the love of God, man! I don't have time! An address! NOW!" She demanded.
"Okay! Okay! Please, just let go of me." He begged.
She let him fall back, running a hand through her hair. "Alright, now talk."
Shizuka was still reeling from her fight against Casanova's Supermassive Blackhole. She trembled, looking at her hands in alienation. Santana the Pillarman had claimed she wasn't human. Giorno Giovanna revealed her Joestar blood. She had two Stands? None of it was adding up. Who was she? What relation did she have to Dio Brando, a man who died over a decade before her birth? Who was this Tsuru woman? Her birth mother? Why would her mother be working for such a wicked man.
The young girl panted in exhaustion on the damaged hall's floor. Supermassive Blackhole had created a hole in the carpet using Shizuka's body, but there seemed to be some layer of bedrock beneath to prevent escape. She wondered if it completely encased the hall. What was beyond it? A void? The had no understanding of the Hotel California. It eluded her.
"You gonna be alright, kid?" Hol Horse, the ultimate #2, offered her a hand.
She slapped it away gently, nodding. "Her body, go check her body." She gestured over to Casanova's crumpled form on the far end of the hall.
"Why on Earth would I do that?"
"She said that the room she was hiding in ran out of champagne, right? That implies that she had access to a hidden room. How can a room be hidden in a place like this?"
Hol Horse's mind lagged behind for a moment. Eventually, he came to an understanding. "Oh! Her keycard! She must have a higher quality keycard!"
"Atta boy…" Shizuka groaned, standing up and brushing herself off.
The gunslinger ran over to Casanova's body and pulled it from the wall. He was a little grossed out, but it was better than having the kid do it. He lowered the woman to the ground, going through her pockets with the respect of a gentleman.
"I'm not finding anything!" He called back.
"She has to be keeping it somewhere. You checked her pockets?"
"Front and back! I even checked the one on her chest." He whimpered a bit.
Shizuka paused for a moment. Then, she got an idea.
"...check her bra."
"HER WHAT!?" Hol Horse dropped the woman, stumbling away with red cheeks.
"Sometimes women keep important stuff there. I don't know! Do I look like I wear one?"
"This entire conversation is making me uncomfortable." He protested.
Shizuka walked up to the body, rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Gimme a break. Move out of the way then."
She got onto her knees and reached right up the shirt. Hol Horse wasn't watching her hands, though. His eyes were fixed on her face. Such an apathetic look plagued an otherwise youthful appearance. She wasn't like most kids. She was different. Everything about her was different. That made him more uncomfortable than anything else.
"Here we go." She pulled her hand out, lifting up a light blue card.
"D-Diamond! That's a diamond card!" Hol Horse pointed in disbelief.
"That sounds important." She mumbled.
"Important!? It's second only to platinum! And the only platinum card belongs to Adrian himself."
"So…" She twirled the card between her fingers. "We can pretty much go wherever we want now?"
"Except the very room Adrian's in, yes. He'll have that locked with the platinum card."
Shizuka stood up, clicking her tongue a few times. She pocketed the diamond card, looking down the hall. "Well, things are already looking up for us. Where should we go from here? Does Adrian ever leave his room?"
"There are stories about it, but no one really knows. People don't exactly last long here. It's hard to get credible information."
She nodded, walking over to one of the dozens of doors lining the long hall.
"Where should we go then?"
Before Hol Horse could answer, he noticed something. Emperor appeared in his hands, and he pointed it directly down the hall.
"Alright partner, keep your hands up where I can see them!" He barked.
Shizuka turned her head quickly to see the source of danger. Then, her eyes widened. "Wait, I know him!"
"You do?" Hol Horse questioned, taking a step back. He didn't lower his gun.
"Of course I do. He's a part of my group." She walked right past the cowboy. "Diva, you're alright! Where are the others?"
On the far end of the hall stood a tall, beautiful man. His hands were in his pockets, and he seemed to droop forward a bit, leaning so drastically that it was a surprise he kept his balance at all. His outfit was simple, forgettable. He wore a stainless white hoodie, black pants, white dress shoes, and had a shaggy head of white hair. His skin seemed rather pale too. Despite that, he was a classically pretty man. His blue eyes reflected the lights from above, his chin was raw and defined, and he stood around six feet. His willowy skinny body reminded Hol Horse of a fairy from old mythologies.
Diva smiled, walking down the hall toward them. "Hey, kiddo! I'm so glad I found you!"
The cowboy rubbed his chin skeptically, stepping closer. "So is this your brother? He doesn't look like he's related to you."
Shizuka had already bounded over and hugged Diva. She was so relieved to find one of her friends.
"I'm so glad you're alright!" She spoke into his chest, clinging to him.
He rested a fond hand on her head, looking over to Hol Horse for the first time. "Hello there. I don't think we've met. I'm Diva, Shizuka's caretaker. I've been raising her since she was a child. You see, her parents are very old."
Something about it seemed wrong. This man gave off a strange aura. It wasn't menacing. No, it wasn't any kind of presence at all. In fact, it was hard to even look at him. It was almost as if he wasn't even there. Hol Horse didn't like focusing on the man.
"Well, I'm glad to see you're alright. I'm sure you've got some questions?"
Diva raised a brow. "Hol Horse, I already asked all of my questions when you found us. Do you remember?"
Those words lingered in the air. They seemed to pierce Hol Horse's mind, causing him to endure a small headache. Then, as quickly as the sensation began, it ended. All he felt was a bit of déjà vu.
It all came back to him. After his mind lagged for a moment, Hol Horse could remember. He found Shizuka and Diva together in the hall earlier. The man even helped defeat Casanova? How could he forget such a thing? All of the new events taped right over his previous memories like a VCR. He even forgot being confused about forgetting.
"Oh, right. Sorry partner, that's just the way the hotel is sometimes. You lose it every now and then."
"It's alright," Diva gave Hol Horse a sickly smile. "Now, where were we? Heading off to meet the big, bad wolf?"
"Definitely. Lead the way!" Shizuka smiled, pulling away and letting Diva take point.
In the dream world, Shirlie walked up the path to a lovely suburban home. After robbing a gas station and assaulting an officer of the law, she finally got Josuke's house address. There had to be something keeping him asleep. If he wasn't even listening to Pepsi's calls, he had to be willingly ignoring them. Why would someone do such a thing?
Her question was soon answered. Through the dining room window, Shirlie could see Josuke enjoying a family dinner. An old man, presumably his grandfather, was sitting at the head of the table. Josuke set a plate down for him, patting his shoulder. The two men laughed. Then, his mother walked into frame. Apparently, he said something snarky, because she slapped his back and gestured for him to sit down.
Finally, it would seem Josuke's father joined the family. Shirlie raised a brow. She knew his father was Joseph Joestar. That man wasn't him. Tomoko Higashikata seemed to be married to some random American man. They held hands at the table, and she gave him a brief kiss on the cheek.
Warm rays of positive emotional energy emanated from the home. She knew that there was only one real person inside. As she soaked in the pure happiness, she knew it was all coming from a single source. Somehow, Josuke was this content inside the dream world. Shirlie could experience that happiness with him due to her Stand.
Tears welled in her eyes as she watched the dinner unfold. She hadn't spoken with Josuke much, but his current emotions spoke louder than words ever could. He was so lonely, tethered to his hometown to watch after his mother. He never even considered moving away. As his friends and peers all moved on, leaving the small bedtown of Morioh, he stayed behind. He wanted to keep his mother happy.
This dream world was the culmination of Josuke's deepest desires. All he wanted from life was to have this nuclear family. A present father who loved and cared for his mother, a grandfather who got to grow old and retire, and a general sense of safety.
Shirlie wiped her eyes, sniffling a bit. She looked up at Power only to find him crying as well. She cleared her throat, punching his shoulder.
"C'mon, you big softy. We've gotta wake him up."
The Stand looked down at her pleadingly. She knew that he wanted to leave Josuke. How could you interrupt such total joy? Still, it was artificial. It was fake. Even if he was happier here than in the real world, he had responsibilities. The true Josuke would want to get back to his true family.
With newfound resolve, Shirlie stormed up to the door and knocked on it. There was a small delay, but eventually the door opened. On the other side stood a surprised Josuke. He raised a brow, straightening his posture the minute he saw who it was.
"Oh! Hello." He cleared his throat. "Is this about the deaths? Should we talk outside?"
Her memories were currently battling within her mind. She remembered both the Josuke of reality, and the Higa of the dream world. It took a moment to remember the one interaction she had with him inside of Feel Good Inc.'s grasp. When she did, the teen replied.
"Yeah, we definitely need to talk."
He nodded, walking onto the porch and closing the door. "I know that Shizuka girl was found outside of the school yesterday. How're you holding up?"
Shirlie just waited a moment, trying to figure out how to word it.
"Detective Higa, I need you to listen very carefully, okay?"
He seemed confused, but nodded.
"Okay, good. This is going to sound a little strange, but-"
"But I'm dreaming. Aren't I?" He interrupted her.
Shirlie froze. She didn't really know how to continue from there. "I-If you know that, why are you still here?" She questioned awkwardly.
Josuke chuckled a bit. "I guess I wanted to milk it? I dunno, it's nice. I know it's not real, but I would do anything for one more night with my grandpa. How could I turn down five? Or ten? Or however long I've been in here?"
"The others are in trouble, Josuke. We've gotta wake up." She warned.
He looked up considerately, deep in thought. "The others… I can barely remember who you're talking about. We're in trouble, aren't we?"
"Deep trouble. More than you know. That's why we've got to go. They're probably floundering out there. Pepsi and I have to take control."
The detective sat down on the stone railing of the front porch, closing his eyes. "Okay. I'll get up. But I'll miss this place."
Shirlie bit her lip, looking down. "I mean, you don't have to miss it. You just need to make it in the real world."
He raised a brow. "Make it? My grandfather's gone. My mother's still unhappy. I can't just make it."
"Take it from someone who knows. You can't let your own happiness be bound to the state of others. People change. They move. They die. You need to be able to find happiness in yourself. If you can't, maybe it's time for a change?"
Josuke looked longingly toward the door, resting a hand on it. "Yeah… maybe."
"So c'mon! We've got a bunch to do!"
"Alright. It's time to wake up." He sighed.
Joseph and Ripley were aimlessly wandering the halls of the Hotel California. Neither were sure how long it had been. Time seemed to operate differently confined within the hotel's walls.
The agent's legs were beginning to feel incredibly sore. She leaned against the wall, gesturing for Joseph to wait a moment.
"I need a minute, Mr. Joestar." She sighed, panting in exhaustion. "I know you're not bound by stamina anymore, but I sure as hell am."
Joseph rubbed his chin, feeling a little uneasy. "I didn't even notice. Sorry, Ripley. It seems like these hallways go on forever, huh? I haven't even noticed a loop yet."
"All I'm sure of is that we're in danger. Maybe we should have stayed put. The others could be awake by now."
Joseph looked around cautiously, dragging his nails up one of the doors in thought. "If you're tired, we could just open a room? I'd keep watch while you slept."
Ripley considered it for a moment. However, her thought process was quickly derailed by something strange meandering down the hall. She barely noticed it at first. It was the type of thing that took a minute to register. It seemed to blend in with the carpet very well. Despite that, her eyes slowly focused on it. Then, she was positive.
A turtle was walking down the hall.
She immediately stood tall, pointing at it. Joseph didn't say a word, manifesting Hermit Purple and staring directly at the creature. Everyone was silent. Joseph, Ripley, the turtle… It would seem they had reached a stalemate.
Deciding that someone had to do something, Agent Ripley slowly trekked closer to the creature. Standing about a foot away, the woman bent down and observed it up close. It had some sort of strange object in its shell. She raised a brow, leaning even closer. That's when a pink Stand's fist came flinging out, connecting with Ripley's face and sending her flying back.
"Holy shit!" Joseph cried out, bracing himself for an attack.
Ripley went crashing back into the wall, holding her face in pain. Once she caught her breath, she called out. "Joseph! There's a key in its shell! Pull the key out!"
"You got it! Hermit Purple!"
Spiked vines fired across the hallway and wrapped around the turtle. He pulled it closer with one hand, readying the other with a healthy dose of hamon. He planned on jamming the turtle in the stomach, surging the hamon through its body and forcing it to eject the key. Right as the creature was getting close, though, the Stand's fist came out once more.
Joseph barely dodged it, dropping the turtle and stumbling back. He panted for a moment, considering his options. That's when something very strange happened.
A beautiful woman with pink hair began to emerge from the key's stone. She rested an elbow on the turtle, looking at Joseph and Marina skeptically.
"Your name is Joseph? And your Stand's called Hermit Purple?" She questioned.
He paused for a moment, wondering if this was some sort of trap. "Uhmmm.. Yes?"
"Get in." She mumbled, sinking back into the key without a trace.
Joseph had seen a lot of strange things in his time. He'd witnessed a grown man being forcibly infiltrated by an ancient entity, he'd fought beside a Nazi Cyborg, and he was even killed by a vampire capable of stopping time. All of that being said, it was still rather difficult for his eyes to accept the sight before him.
Still, with few other options, he approached the turtle. The man extended his hand toward it, touching the key. Then, he fell right inside. The turtle's insides didn't exactly resemble normal biology. In fact, it seemed like some sort of luxury suite. Joseph's eyes darted around in confusion,
"What the hell's going on here?" He demanded.
"I could ask the same question, old man." A familiar voice laughed from behind.
He recognized that voice. How could he ever forget such an annoying frenchman? He turned around slowly, eyes wide in shock and disbelief.
"Polnareff…?"
Standing before Joseph was none other than Jean Pierre Polnareff. He snickered a bit, throwing his arms out. The two embraced, hugging each other as tight as they could. Joseph's arms slung around the man, loudly slamming against his back as he pulled him closer.
"Polnareff!? What the hell? When they said you were inside a turtle, I didn't really think…"
The spirit laughed, patting Joseph's back. "You're one to talk. How'd the group geezer end up looking so good? You've got to share your skincare routine."
The only other person in the room was an annoyed woman. She leaned against the wall, tapping her foot and crossing her arms. "Listen, this is heartwarming, but we're kind of in the middle of a warzone. Can we save the pleasantries for later?"
Polnareff laughed, pulling away and gesturing to her. "This is Trish Una! She's a famous pop icon. It's kind of hard to explain how we know each other. Long story."
She snapped her fingers, pointing up. "Pretty boy, wanna get your friend in the turtle? It's not safe out there."
Remembering Ripley, Joseph nodded. "R-right! Then we have to look for the others."
"Is Jotaro here?" Polnareff question.
"Yes."
The frenchman chuckled, crossing his arms. "Then we're in business, aren't we? This place is about to go down in flames."
Dr. Tessa Coste wasn't expecting such a thing to happen on her first day. It was so chaotic. Sirens, news vans, screaming reporters, the chief of medicine barking orders all throughout the halls. She didn't really understand what was going on. Despite that, she had a job to do, and she intended to do it. The short brunette walked down the hall, wheeling a heavy cart as she went. A corpse was lying underneath a white sheet on the cart. She didn't know much. All she was told to do was move it to the morgue.
Tessa pushed the door open with her back, pulling the cart into the morgue with a grunt. Another doctor was waiting for her. He stood up from his chair, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
"Is that him? I just got the page. Tell me it's him."
Tessa rolled her eyes. "And who's him? I could barely hear anything with all that racket."
The older man walked over and rested a hand on the sheet, considering yanking it off then and there.
"The Notre-Dame killing? Have you been listening to the news?"
"No, it's my first day. I haven't had time for a cigarette. You think I'm listening to the radio?" Tessa muttered, glancing curiously down at the corpse. "...what's so special about him?"
"Let's see for ourselves. They say his chest cavity was completely destroyed, oozing a green substance. And he had a fatal wound all the way through his forehead."
The doctor pulled the sheet off, revealing the corpse. Tessa held her stomach, trying not to gag. She hadn't seen many dead bodies yet, and this one was particularly disgusting. The seasoned veteran quickly grabbed his tools, observing his subject closer.
"Hmmm… Blond man, early twenties, in good shape. Which do you suppose was the cause of death?"
Tessa bit her lip. "You said this was a killing? Who could do such a thing?"
The doctor chuckled. "You clearly don't know enough about the world, young lady. They know it's a killing because of the deliberation. Now look closely and tell me the cause of death."
She squinted a bit, leaning closer. "I suppose it's the chest, right?"
"And what of the head?"
"Well… It was a double-tap? To make sure he stayed down?"
"Precisely. Whoever this man was, he terrified his killer. The sheer brutality is immeasurable."
Giorno Giovanna's eyes were still wide open. They were glazed over with a lifeless sheen, but they were open nonetheless. That's why Tessa nearly shrieked when she felt his green eyes focus right on hers. His eyes… They were moving.
He wasn't dead.
To be Continued...