Dr. Tessa Coste had quite the stomach. She'd seen bodies cut open, analyzed, and preserved for science. In her time as an intern, she saw some repulsive sights. Amputations, lethal infections, and incidents with fishing hooks she'd rather not revisit. That's why she managed to handle her rising bile when the sheet was lifted off of Giorno's body. His gaping chest cavity was repugnant, but manageable. Seeing the table through his forehead caused her spine to crawl, but she swallowed back her disgust.

This was different.

Seeing the dead man's eyes move sent her over the edge. Her jaw dropped, and she barely held back a scream. Instead, a pathetic whimper escaped her lips. She lifted a shaking hand, pointing at the corpse. Luckily, her colleague saw it too. That was good, as Coste would have no idea how to explain the anomaly.

"Doctor…" The older man whispered fearfully. "Doctor Coste. You see it too, right?"

Tessa reached into the pocket of her lab coat and grabbed a cigarette. She lifted it up to her chapped lips, closing her eyes and exhaling sharply. Then, she raised the lighter. After a moment she felt relieved. Giving into her addiction helped ease the tension of the situation.

"Doctor Coste! You can't smoke in here."

"I don't think the zombie's going to mind. Do you?" She asked, puffing a cloud of smoke out the side of her lips. The woman ran a hand through her hair, sighing loudly.

"I'd suppose not." Dr. Bardin admitted. "Still, this is a place of healing."

"With all due respect, Doctor, I don't think this is what our oath had in mind. We should just put the sheet back and walk away."

Dr. Bardin leaned in closer, gasping as Giorno's glazed eyes followed his movements. "Do you really believe that? You want to leave this to someone else?"

Tessa puffed out another cloud of smoke, shaking her head. "No. I don't."

"That's the spirit. Now, first thing's first. This could just be the final firing of neurons. He's had untold damage done to his brain. Perhaps this is just an echo of life." He rubbed his chin.

Dr. Coste pulled the cigarette from her mouth. "Do you honestly believe that?"

"...no. I don't." Dr. Bardin said softly.

Taking another puff of her cigarette, Tessa got closer to Giorno's corpse. She waved a tentative hand in front of his face. The man's eyes tracked her hand perfectly. She was fascinated. Then, a shocking realization struck her.

"Wait." Dr. Coste whispered. "If he's conscious, how much pain must he be in?"

Dr. Bardin mumbled under his breath. It seemed like he hadn't thought of that. "Pain shouldn't be possible. His brain is missing an enormous chunk."

"His eyes shouldn't be able to move either. Yet here he is."

The corpse let out a violent cough.

It was so shocking that Tessa dropped her cigarette. She quickly stomped it out, stepping back. Her heart nearly beat out of her chest. The blond man on the table was coughing. His chest had a hole in it! His lungs were gone! How was he coughing? She didn't have to ponder for long. As his coughing continued, his body began to heave. It trembled and thrashed on the examination table. The same strange green fluid from his chest cavity was propelled from his mouth with each cough. Then, impossibly, the cavity began to shrink.

Tessa witnessed Giorno's chest healing in real time. Strands of muscle and flesh met one another before being covered by a new layer of flawless skin. Still, he coughed. His thrashing got more violent. Finally, Tessa remembered that she was actually there and could influence the situation. She walked up to the table and held him down. Falling onto the floor was the last thing he needed, after all.

The lifeless glaze was gone from Giorno's eyes. He seemed fully present, but still in immense pain. The wound on his forehead was closing as well. His brain restored itself magically. He was cheating death. That's when Tessa noticed something bulging in his throat. That must have been the cause of his coughing. What was it?

A triangular bulge became even more prominent as it worked its way up Giorno's skin. He was coughing up an object, but that wasn't the most shocking part. Tessa didn't even see it happen, but the wounds seemed to be completely healed! The blond sat up, still coughing wildly. He lifted two hands to his throat, trying to feel the bulge with his fingers. He was just as confused.

Giorno rolled off the table, scattering several medical instruments onto the floor on his way down. He landed with a thud, coughing even harder than before. Dr. Coste and Dr. Bardin quickly followed him down, trying to provide him with some sense of security. Tessa rested a hand on his back, and Dr. Bardin tried to soothe him with words.

"Just get it out, son. Come on, you can do it. Just cough it up!"

Cupping his hands below his face, Giorno pushed even harder with his throat. Then, in one last cough, it fell. The Stand Arrow landed in Giorno's palms. He opened his eyes, gasping when he saw it.

"That's… Not possible." He whispered.

"What!?" Tessa questioned. "That's an arrow! Why did you swallow an arrow?"

"I didn't." Giorno stood up urgently, losing his footing and falling against the table. He caught himself with one hand, panting in exhaustion. "Where am I!? What day is it?"

"You're in Paris. Remember? You were attacked at Notre-Dame!" Tessa explained, opting to use the word attacked instead of killed.

"What day is it?" He growled desperately.

"August sixth!"

Giorno nodded, mouthing the words "August sixth" to himself. That's when the next curveball was thrown. The arrow in his palms began to crumble.

"What?"

The beautiful antique arrowhead seemed to turn to ash in his palms. He shook his head in disbelief, completely lost. His hands trembled as he tried to wrap his mind around the current situation. Everything from Notre-Dame to the present was a complete haze. He couldn't even remember how his conflict with Blondie ended. Only one thing was for certain.

Giorno's Stand Arrow was destroyed.

"It's gone." He whispered to himself.

The ability to create new Stand Users, the key to unlocking Gold Experience Requiem, Giorno's power, it was gone. The arrow that built his legacy had crumbled to ash right in front of him.

"What was it?" Tessa asked softly, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Everything. It was everything."

Dr. Bardin cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for your loss, but we have a few questions. As a man of medicine, I'm rather curious how you managed to recover from those wounds."

"I'd like to know as well." Giorno mumbled.

"It has to have something to do with that arrow. I mean, I know enough about medicine to know men don't go throwing up arrowheads every day." Tessa fixed her hair restlessly.

The boss just stared at his crumbled relic in thought. "This arrow grants people incredible abilities. If you're judged as worthy, it could give you the strength of a thousand men. You have to be pierced by it, though. Some just cut their hands, others are shot through the chest. I've never given it much thought, but it's impossible for the arrow to be fatal if you're worthy. You'll always recover. It heals its chosen few…" He mused to himself.

"Why was it inside your body?" Tessa questioned.

"Because I was one with it. I suppose I'm worthier than most. I could fuse the arrow into my body to obtain greater strength. Despite that, I was taken off guard." He chuckled a bit, looking down in defeat. "I thought I was invincible. But my Gold Experience Requiem was distracted. Such a simple thing, really. It was afraid of that man, the impossible man. Meanwhile, I was focused on the woman. I just didn't anticipate being attacked by a ghost."

The two doctors stared in confusion. They didn't have anything to say. Giorno was practically speaking in tongues.

"The arrow must have even more secrets, more uses. It healed me. I was completely defeated, and it healed me. But now it's gone…" He let the dust fall to the floor. "One final trick. In exchange for the arrow, you can cheat death."

"The people who did this to you, are they still out there?" Dr. Bardin asked cautiously.

Giorno nodded. "They've probably fled the country. You have nothing to worry about for now."

"For now?" Tessa raised a brow.

The boss stood up tall, looking around. "I have an advantage. Blondie thinks I'm dead. It needs to stay that way."

Dr. Bardin laughed. "That'll be hard. I can see the international headlines now! The Notre-Dame body rises. She'll know for sure."

Giorno seemed to be gathering objects from around the room. He took small things like pens, pencils and notebooks. Then, he stripped the curtains from the door's window. The boss seemed to be deliberately grabbing objects that wouldn't be missed. Once he gathered a hefty mass together, he piled it onto the examination table. He spread them out evenly.

"That's why I'm going to give you a Notre-Dame body. I was never here, you understand? Nobody can know I'm alive."

Tessa took another cigarette from her coat, placing it between her lips. She was reaching the end of her rope. It was all just too mad. "You plan to fool everybody by placing a blanket over some appliances? It won't even look human."

The doctors couldn't see Gold Experience as it emerged from Giorno. However, they could still see its radiant light as he morphed the objects on the examination table. The appliances slowly transformed in the blinding flash. When he was done, there was a body. His body. An exact replica of Giorno Giovanna laid slain on the table. He created the corpse by turning the inanimate objects into organic matter.

"This will only last for about a week. Then, it'll change back to pens and curtains. I'm sure you guys can rush the process. Just get your autopsy and cremate it. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. If you run into any legal trouble, call this number." He took a slip of paper, quickly writing on it. "This is Pannacotta Fugo's contact information. He's my most trusted subordinate. Just explain the situation. But only if you must. I don't even want Fugo knowing I'm alive unless it's absolutely necessary. Do you understand?"

Tessa reached over and took the paper with trembling hands. She looked into Giorno's eyes like he was of another world. She was terrified of him. Not only that, she was completely taken by him as well. Her cheeks flushed a bit, and she nodded.

"This Blondie, is she going to hurt more people? Is she going to do this on a larger scale?" She whispered.

Giorno walked toward the door, turning his head to give the doctor one last look. It wasn't one of urgency, but one of reassurance.

"No. You're all going to be alright. I, Giorno Giovanna, have a dream. A dream that can't be unless she's gone. So, you can believe me when I say that you're safe. Goodbye, doctors, and thank you."

The door closed, and he was gone.

Shirlie and Josuke both fell onto their respective beds in the room where everyone else woke hours ago. The redhead immediately sprang up, looking for her twin. After a few silent seconds, her eyes fixed on Pepsi. The mysterious teen was just difficult to notice, even if they weren't using Mist's shroud. Without a word, Shirlie walked over and hugged her sibling. Her hand smacked against the teen's back, and she brought them closer. Pa-Pa-Power joined the hug, causing Mist to emerge from Pepsi. All four of them just held one another.

Josuke watched fondly from the bed. On one hand, he ached for such a connection. He wished that he'd grown up with a sibling. On the other hand, he missed the sister that he had. Shizuka was somewhere, and he didn't know where. Not only that, but Holy. They weren't exactly an orthodox pair of siblings, but what about the Joestars was normal?

After a moment, Shirlie pulled away a bit. She stared into the blurred void of Pepsi's face, raising a brow. The taller sibling raised a hand, resting it on her twin's cheek.

"Pepsi, you're shaking." She whispered.

"I'm fine." They responded without an ounce of emotion.

It was clear that the mysterious teen was relying on Mist's shroud more than they usually did. There was a thick fog. Josuke had absolutely no idea what they were feeling. Looking at their face just felt wrong. He had to avert his eyes.

"It's okay, Pep. I didn't think we'd ever come back either." Shirlie sighed.

"Don't lie. We both knew he'd come for us. I can't hide my feelings from you. It's not fair to hide yours." Pepsi muttered.

Josuke raised a brow. "Excuse me, come back? You've been here before?"

Shirlie closed her eyes, her expression showing remorse. It was clear that she didn't want him to know that little bit of information.

"Yes. We don't have time to explain. This is the Hotel California, and the only way out is through Adrian's room."

Shizuka, Diva and Hol Horse were walking through the winding halls in search of something. It seemed like Diva was leading them with a purpose. Neither questioned his judgement. He was just so trustworthy, and had never failed them before. As they turned a corner, a man could be seen leaning against the far wall. Diva raised a hand to stop Shizuka and Hol Horse before ducking back around the corner.

"Hol Horse, get your gun out and walk up to him. He looks hurt." Diva snapped his fingers.

The cowboy nearly questioned that order. Since when was he letting Diva boss him around? That's when he remembered how they met. He tried to draw his Emperor, but Diva swiftly knocked it out of his hands. That's when he earned his trust. Of course! How could Hol Horse forget such a thing?

"You got it." He nodded, materializing Emperor and turning the corner.

Shizuka waited with baited breath. She really expected to hear a gunshot any second. However, she heard something much more surprising.

"J-J-JOTARO!?" Hol Horse shouted, raising his gun and pointing it right at the man's head.

Injured, confused and losing consciousness, Jotaro raised his head. His eyes widened as well.

"Hol Horse? What the hell are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here!? Don't give me that crap!" Hol Horse narrowed his eyes. "And what in Sam Hill happened to you? You look like trash."

The astute professor noticed something as well. "Wait… You haven't aged a day. You were, what, thirty? Why don't you look older after twenty years?"

"Twenty years? You've really lost it! It's only been a few months!"

Shizuka had heard enough. She turned the corner, stomping down the hall with balled fists.

"Hol Horse! Put the gun down, now!" She barked.

The grown man immediately lowered Emperor, shocked by the sharpness of the girl's voice.

"Shizuka?" Jotaro groaned, trying to sit up.

"Wait, you know Shizuka?" Hol Horse questioned.

"Of course he knows me! How do you know him?"

"Get away from him, Shizuka. He's ruthless!" Jotaro warned, reaching a hand out toward her.

The endless shouting and finger-pointing ended rather abruptly by a piercing snap. It was just the right pitch, just the right force, and just the right amount of authority. All three of the shouting Stand Users quieted down immediately. That's when Diva, a hand on his hip, walked up to the scene.

"There you are, Jotaro. I was worried about you. And where's Marina off to?" He asked calmly.

There was the slightest bit of hesitation before Jotaro's answer. "She went looking for the way out while we waited for you."

Diva nodded, rubbing his chin in thought. "Well, that's no good."

Shizuka looked up at her caretaker with concern. "What happened to Jotaro? Were you here with them earlier?"

Diva reached down and ran a hand through her hair, patting her head after. "We were attacked by some kind of memory Stand. It completely wiped our knowledge of each other. Marina did this to Jotaro while we were still under its spell. Luckily, she defeated the user."

Hol Horse raised a brow. "A memory Stand? It's always bottom feeders that last long in the hotel. People with stealth abilities, memory powers, gravity… Whatever happened to good old gunslinging? Why are Stands so complicated nowadays?"

Diva rolled his eyes. "Memory abilities are definitely at the top of the food chain. You can make friends into enemies, enemies into friends… Hell, you could insert yourself into someone's life and piggyback off of their progress. But you're right, Hol Horse, they're bottom feeders."

"Who the hell are you?" A woman's voice questioned from across the hall.

Marina had come back from her search empty handed. Despite that, she was very confused by the innocuous-looking man standing among her friends. She certainly didn't recognize him. Why was everyone else speaking to him like it was normal. When no one answered, she pointed her finger and asked again.

"You, cowboy, who the hell are you?"

Hol Horse immediately dropper Emperor, raising his hands peacefully. "Hold on, little lady! I'm a friend! I'm with Shizuka and Diva."

The blonde sighed, nodding her head. "I didn't find a way out. These halls seem to go on forever. What about you, Dee? Anything?"

Diva shrugged. "I found Shizuka and her new friend. That's about it."

The exhausted millionaire walked over and brought Shizuka into a hug. "It's good to see that you're safe, Jojo."

The young girl hugged back before pulling away. "I knew everyone was okay. We just need to find the others. Then we can have a talk with Adrian." She crossed her arms, looking around. "I say we put that diamond card of Casanova's to good use."

"How so?" Diva questioned.

"This is a hotel, right? It has hallways, bedrooms, bathrooms and all that stuff. Even if it's some magical place, it seems to be following the layout of a hotel perfectly. That means we can find the others if we go to the security room."

The caretaker raised a brow. He'd truly never thought of that. "And you think this diamond card can get us into such an important room?"

"If Hol Horse is right, this card can open any door except for Adrian's. We just need to open a door with the security room in our mind. The rest should happen on its own."

Jotaro tried to stand, but struggled. He fell back against the wall, clutching his stomach. Bubblegum Bitch had sent over thirty seconds worth of Star Platinum's fury right into his stomach with a single blow. He was lucky to be alive. The man let out a pained grunt, shaking his head.

"I can't move. We need Josuke. I won't be able to walk out of here without him."

Shizuka looked at him with great concern, her eyes shooting between the other members of the party as she considered her options.

"We can't just leave you here. This place isn't safe! None of us are exactly strong enough to carry you, though." She rested her fist against her mouth, biting into her knuckles anxiously.

"Go, I'll be able to defend myself." Jotaro waved a dismissive hand.

"Not a chance, professor." Marina rested a hand on her hip, looking around cautiously. "Someone needs to stay here with him."

"I'll do it." Shizuka crossed her arms. "I can keep us invisible. It'll be the safest. You three find the others and bring Josuke. Then we'll storm Adrian's room."

Diva looked uncomfortable with the situation. Despite that, he put aside his worries. "Okay. Be safe, kiddo. We'll be quick."

They walked up to the closest door cautiously. Then, the tall pale man grabbed Casanova's diamond card and swiped the scanner with it. The door opened to reveal a security room. Hol Horse, Marina and Diva walked inside. They closed the door, all three of them scanning the room for potential threats. Marina walked to the center of the room and sighed. She was the least concerned about a possible attack due to Bubblegum Bitch's defensive capabilities.

"There shouldn't be anyone in here. There are only a few diamond cards. The chances of running into another one are low." Hol Horse mumbled; gun still drawn.

Marina approached the security console. It spanned wall-to-wall with dozens of camera feeds. Each screen regularly switched between rooms, all of which were labeled on the bottom right corner. She reached her hand down and tapped one of the keys on the control board. As she flipped through the cameras, Diva searched the room.

"Do you think the others are together? They might all be separated." He flipped through some paperwork resting on top of a filing cabinet.

"Finding Josuke is our top priority. Jotaro's a sitting duck until we do." Marina blew some hair from her face, hitting the keys louder in frustration.

Hol Horse wandered over, stopping beside the blonde. "Say, little lady…" He cleared his throat.

"Whatever you're about to say, I'm gonna hate it."

"Easy, easy!" The cowboy raised his hands defensively. "I was just gonna ask how you managed to beat Jotaro so badly! I mean, he's real strong."

Marina scoffed. "And I'm not? Why's that?"

"Now hold on! Hold the god-damn phone! I see what you're tryin' to do here, and I won't let'cha! Hol Horse doesn't have a sexist bone in his body! If anything, I think women are superior to men! I love women, and women love me! I've got girlfriends all over the planet! Never in the same country, though. I'm a gentleman."

"I'm quivering. Now give me some space, ey? I'm working." Marina droned, unimpressed.

The screens showed a multitude of different people walking through the halls. Unfortunately, Josuke wasn't one of them. Marina bit her lip, flipping through them even faster. He had to be somewhere. He couldn't just disappear.

"You know…." Diva mused, walking up to the console with hands in his pockets. "If they're with Pepsi, we won't find them. Mist's shroud is pretty ideal when walking these halls. It's what I'd do."

"God dammit." She gritted her teeth, pounding the table softly. "Then what're we supposed to do?"

"I know you wanted me to be quiet, but…" Hol Horse cleared his throat, pointing at the bottom-left monitor. "Maybe we should investigate that weird turtle on the fifth floor."

Marina and Diva quickly turned to the screen in confusion. Despite how odd the cowboy's claim was, they actually saw a turtle meandering through the hallway all alone. It had a strange stone in the shell, and seemed to be walking as fast as it could. Diva rubbed his chin in thought.

"Say, didn't that Giorno fellow mention something about a transport turtle?" He mused to himself.

Marina's eyes widened. "I completely forgot about that. Is there any way to zoom and enhance this?"

The caretaker scoffed. "Zoom and enhance? You watch too many cop shows. The existing pixel data is all we have. Stretching it to be bigger will cause distortion, blurriness, and eventually it'll just look like colored squares. Unless the physical camera has a zoom function, you can't zoom. And, just so you know, enhancement doesn't exist."

There was an odd silence lingering in the air.

"...aren't you a nanny?" Marina questioned.

"I did three years of digital editing in college."

"You went to college for nannying?"

"I recognize that hallway. We should go check it out. Your pals might be inside if it's a transport turtle." Hol Horse interjected, walking toward the door. "Unless you two wanna continue this important conversation."

"Fuck off, cowboy." Marina groaned, walking away from the console.

Shizuka and Jotaro sat alone in the long hallway. It was fairly quiet. The man was in quite a bit of pain, and the girl was busy deep in thought. Still, after a few minutes she remembered something. It was an odd bit of information to think of at such a tense moment, so she smiled. She stretched her feet out, letting out a sigh. They couldn't see each other due to Ultra Violet's ability, but she still knew where he was.

"Back to the start, huh? Just the two of us." She leaned her head against the wall.

"Yeah. Feels like it's been months." Jotaro stared up at a flickering light. His tired eyes fixed on it, vision growing hazy. He was losing a decent amount of blood internally.

There was another bout of silence before Shizuka decided to get to the point. "Do you remember what I said back at the hospital? Y'know, when you found me with Wagner?"

"No."

"I was just so angry with him. When I got the upper hand, it was hard to stop. I didn't stop. The only reason I didn't finish the job was because you stormed in. Remember what I asked you?"

"You asked if it was wrong to kill a killer." He nodded in recognition. "I've gotta admit, it's a troubling question coming from a kid."

"But you've killed killers, right?"

"Oh yes."

"When was your first?"

He thought for a moment. "I was seventeen. During my trip to Egypt with the old man we ran into loads of terrible people. Some of them got off easy by spending the rest of their lives in the hospital. The rest? We normally left them on the side of the road."

Shizuka just considered the man's words for a while. Then, she finally responded. "I killed someone earlier."

Jotaro was eerily silent.

"Her name was Casanova. She had gravity powers. Basically, she could control three incredibly strong forces of gravity at once. I tricked her into using all three on herself, and she was crushed. It wasn't my hands, but she's dead because of me."

"Did she deserve it?"

"I think she was going to kill Hol Horse. I mean, maybe not, but she definitely tried to kill me. She really did her best. I don't really know how I'm alive, if we're being honest."

"You were protecting people. That's the one justification for murder. I wouldn't worry about it." He reasoned.

"Y'see the thing is that I'm not. Isn't that worse? Shouldn't it bother me? She was a human being with thoughts and feelings and a future. Now she's not going to wake up tomorrow. She's not going to wake up ever again. And that's because of me."

"Honestly? Yeah, it's a little odd. But you're not going to catch any flak from me. It's not like I'm much better."

She rested her hands in her lap, twiddling her thumbs together anxiously as she built up to the big reveal. "Santana said I wasn't human. I didn't really think about it for a while, but I've kind of found out that he might be right."

Jotaro raised a brow. "How?"

"Casanova was trying to crush me into the ground with the full force of her Stand. The room was shaking, the floor was breaking, and I was fine. The same power killed her, but I'm okay. She's gotta weigh almost twice as much as me! It doesn't add up."

"I guess we've all been ignoring whatever's going on with you these past few days. There's just been a lot more at stake. Still, that's not natural. Did it hurt?"

"A little, but it was more of a squeezing than anything. I don't really think I've ever been hurt before. Even in all these Stand battles, I've turned out just fine. Something's always felt off, I guess. None of the other kids really get me, and I don't get them."

Jotaro let out a small chuckle. "I remember your first day of kindergarten. The old man called me in a frantic panic because you turned a kid invisible at lunch."

"He called a girl ugly! I said that no one wanted to look at him either. It was perfectly fair."

"Your dad was worried sick about whether or not you'd fit in. You were still wearing the cowbell until your fifth birthday."

Shizuka let out a small giggle. "I wasn't trying to be a problem. When I was little and things scared me, it was just easy to disappear."

"But you didn't disappear when Santana broke out." He let those words hang in the air for a few seconds. The respect in his tone was obvious. "Everyone else ran away, didn't they? You stayed and stared him down. That man was four times your size, and yet you took him on."

"He wasn't that tough."

That actually got a hardy laugh out of the bruised professor. He let his head fall back, laughing in a way Shizuka rarely heard from him. In fact, hardly anybody could get that kind of reaction from the stoic Jotaro Kujo.

"I bet you really believe that. It's why you're so dangerous. Something in your brain just doesn't click where it should. You don't experience the fight-or-flight reaction that's meant to protect little girls from taking on Pillarmen. Because of that, you'll do anything."

"It's gotten me this far, hasn't it?"

"It has."

There was another awkward silence. Shizuka didn't get many chances to just talk to her uncle. As she searched for something else to say, a troubling thought came to mind. She frowned, contemplating whether or not she wanted to kill the mood by asking. After mulling over it for a bit, she decided to bite the bullet.

"Aunt Maura's mad at you a lot." Her words were slow, as if she was tempted to stop every time another left her lips.. "Jolyne too."

That hit hard. Jotaro had nothing to say in response. "Yeah."

"The thing about being young is that people talk a lot around you. They think you're not listening. I'm always listening, though." She explained, discomfort clear in her tone. "You don't seem neglectful to me."

That word shook Jotaro to his core. Neglectful. It was something he always feared being. He did everything in his power to keep Jolyne and Maura safe. It killed him to imagine them using such a word. Despite that, he knew it to be true. In his tireless effort to keep his family away from harm, he had pushed them away from himself. He found it so impossible to reach out to them, to tell them why he did what he did. Sure, Maura knew about Stands after their unfortunate fight back in Florida, but how would that change things? He never told her about those things for a reason. It was because she couldn't do anything about it. He'd rather her live in ignorance than fear.

"I saw the way you got with Aunt Maura. You just shut down. I assume she doesn't know anything about this? Only what she needs to know, huh?" Shizuka continued.

Jotaro was silent.

"You find talking hard, don't you? It's easy when someone asks you a question about biology, or how to get to the gas station. But when someone asks you about your feelings, you completely close shop."

…

"But you talk to me. You told me about Egypt. We didn't even know each other too well back then. I was just your runaway niece, but you told me about the most unpleasant time in your life. Aunt Maura doesn't know about Egypt, does she?"

"No."

"Because what good would it do for her, right? You told me that story because it mattered to me. It was something I needed to know. Right?"

"Yes."

"Wrong." She countered. "I didn't need to know any of that. Dad could've told me, but he didn't. You were just desperate to confide it in someone. To have someone else understand it. Someone who wasn't there. You knew I'd get it because I'm on my own Egypt right now. It was for you."

…

"You view everyone as one of two things… Civilians and Stand Users. Maura and Jolyne are civilians, right? But I'm a Stand User. It doesn't matter that I'm a kid, you still felt like I could relate more than your own wife. Am I wrong?"

Jotaro just sat on that for a good while. Eventually, he came up with a response. "You weren't like this when we started."

That wasn't what she expected at all. "Huh?"

"When we started back in Amsterdam you were different. Sure, I thought you were bright for your age, but you were still a kid. That little spiel felt like a psychiatrist picking at my brain. How the hell did you put something into words when I never even understood it myself?"

"Giorno asked me the same thing. He said I was wise for my age."

"Wise for your age? You're wise for any age. It's uncanny. It almost makes me afraid of how you'll be when you're grown."

"You did a good job dodging my question, by the way." She sighed, crossing her arms and stretching her legs again.

"Your question?"

"You find it easier to relate to Stand Users than your own wife. That's not really gonna last, huh? You've got two choices: give her a Stand, or divorce her."

"..." Jotaro simply frowned. He stewed in thought, the reality setting in. He'd hoped that Maura knowing would be enough. That was really just wishful thinking. Shizuka was right. If he didn't give Maura a Stand, he wouldn't last.

"You're afraid because Stand Users attract Stand Users, right? You feel like you'd be endangering them?"

"Yes."

"And where are they right now? Do you even know? Roses took them someplace safe, but none of them can really defend themselves against a Stand attack. They're in more danger now because of it."

"That's why I have to kill Blondie and divorce Maura. Then she and Jolyne will be safe."

"Jolyne goes to school with a Stand User, Jotaro! Her friend Sid nearly killed me by accident! The only way to guarantee their safety is to give them a way to fight back."

"Enough." He warned, gritting his teeth.

"You need to put aside your own fears and do what's right by-"

" ENOUGH, Shizuka!" He shouted, a booming voice filled the entire hall.

She was shocked into silence. Needless to say, the conversation was over. She just hoped that he listened…

Josuke, Pepsi and Shirlie were walking through the halls of Hotel California. The twins had already explained the basic premise along with the urgency of finding the rest of the group. They were all hidden in Pepsi's shroud, slipping by undetected as they searched. Pepsi seemed to be leading the way as Shirlie repeatedly checked over her shoulder. Josuke was enamored by their movements. They both had a system, an understanding. It was hard to imagine they hadn't done this before. That only piqued his curiosity even more.

"Where are we even going? Couldn't they be anywhere?" He questioned.

"We're looking for a good door." Shirlie responded.

"What's the difference between a good and bad door?"

"There's no time to explain, okay? We just need to find the security room." Pepsi hissed.

They both seemed to be under great distress. Josuke had never seen the twins so irritable before. Whatever this hotel was, it totally changed them. Pepsi tried every door knob as they patrolled the winding halls. After a few minutes, they finally stopped in front of one.

"This one will do." They gave the door a sturdy pat.

"Okay. Then let's do it." Shirlie reached into her pocket and pulled out a simple black wallet. She carefully plucked a platinum swipe-card from inside, shoving the wallet back into her pocket shortly after. The tall redhead slid her card through the reader and was greeted by a flashing green light. The door swung open to reveal the security room. As Shirlie walked through, something seemed wrong.

Her body passed through the doorframe, but it didn't end up on the other side of it. Josuke watched in awe as the young woman's body seemingly disappeared bit by bit. She slid through thin air, as if being swallowed whole by a nonexistent creature. She was gone a moment later, slipping between a point of something and nothing. Pepsi's eyes widened, and they let out a devastated scream.

"NO! NO NO NO NO NO!" They ran into the security room, eyes darting left and right. Mist's shroud faded, allowing Josuke to see the burning rage on their expression. "Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" They ran back to the doorway, shoving Josuke out of the way and carefully examining it.

"What happened!?" He shouted, trying to give them space.

"She's gone! Shirlie's gone!"

"Gone where? This place is filled with tricks, right? She's probably just in a different room!"

"Not a different room, HIS room! He must have noticed the platinum card. FUCK! I knew we shouldn't have used it!"

Josuke grabbed Pepsi's shoulders firmly. "You need to calm down right now! This isn't helping Shirlie one bit! Now take a deep breath and explain it to me. Explain everything. How do you two know this place so well? Where'd that card come from? Who on Earth is this man you keep referring to!?"

Pepsi swallowed heavily, their face turning pale as they considered the sergeant's questions. "I…." They cleared their throat. "He's…"

Shirlie stood in a black void once more. Her eyes meandered around the empty space, completely accustomed to it after so many visits. She wasn't alone this time. It was all happening again. Everything was just as she remembered it. A lingering presence grew closer and closer, as if it was peering right over her shoulder. She felt the depraved rage of that man hovering above her. The teen took a deep breath, readying herself. Then, a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. She felt breathing on the back of her neck, and smelled that awfully familiar scent. The scent of his cologne. The scent of Adrian.

"Hello, Shirlie Temple." He purred in a soft, calming voice.

Her throat was agonizingly dry. She just trembled in place as she searched for her voice. When she finally built up the strength to speak, her legs gave out. She was shaking like a startled rabbit, kneeling in the void. Her hands came up to protect her face as she let out a sob. Pa-Pa-Power emerged, swinging his gloved fist at the man with a silent cry. Adrian lifted an open palm up, stopping Power in his tracks. The Stand fell to his knees as well, and the sensation of utter defeat washed through both him and his user a moment later.

"Say it." Adrian growled.

Shirlie shook her head, tears streaming down her hands.

"SAY IT RIGHT NOW." He shouted in rage, stomping his foot.

"H-Hello, Dad!" She managed to squeak.

After so many years, Adrian's children returned to him. He never doubted that they would.

To be Continued...