Adrian Temple let go of his daughter, shoving her over with the tip of his shoe a moment later. Shirlie toppled over lifelessly, her face smearing against the invisible floor of the void they were drifting in. She wasn't dead. In fact, she wasn't even hurt. She just knew better than to put up a fight in her father's world. What were the chances? What were the odds? How on Earth did she end up back in her own private hell? They escaped. They were supposed to be safe! Yet somehow, they were grabbed by Digital Love in the night. Did the hunter even know he was grabbing Adrian's children, or was it just dumb luck? It didn't matter anymore. Shirlie had no escape.
"I'm going to ask a very simple question, okay? I expect an answer." Adrian towered over the teen, glaring down in disdain.
"Okay." She squeaked meekly.
"Did you kill Stella?"
That actually caught her off guard. "W-what? Why would I do that!?"
"DON'T YOU DISRESPECT ME WITH A QUESTION LIKE THAT!" He roared, the void distorting and glitching around them. It flickered, flashing between millions of different colors. Images came in and out of view faster than Shirlie could comprehend them. She felt things, horrible things. This always happened when Adrian lost control of his temper inside the void. He took a deep breath, clearing his throat and trying again. "You'd do that to escape. I'm not an idiot, Shirlie Temple."
"Don't call me that." She begged, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Oh why not, huh? Because your mommy named you and your sister after beverages? It's embarrassing, isn't it? I tried to talk her out of it. I guess I can understand why someone named Stella Artois would do such a thing."
Shirlie snarled, resting a palm against the floor. "Do not call Pepsi my sister."
Adrian raised a brow. He wasn't playing coy, it just seemed like he didn't know. "Why not?"
"They're not a she." She grunted.
"What year is it out there? You're older, nearly an adult I'd say… Is it the twenty-first century yet? Can people choose to be genderless now?" He rolled his eyes.
Pa-Pa-Power was invigorated once again. White-hot rage flowed through his spiritual veins. His muscles rippled, blossoming to a larger size as he pounded the ground with his boxing glove. The floor rippled for about ten feet, its color changing before turning to static. The Stand rose to his feet, looking Adrian square in the eyes before swinging his fist. The red glove tore through the air, stopping just short of the father's nose. It carried such force that Adrian's copper hair blew back in the wind. He didn't even flinch, though.
"Oh Power." He said with a sickly smile. "Always the softy. You represent everything that's wrong with my daughter. The strength she could possess. The utter, raw potential. But it's all held back by you. By your sensibilities. A sentient Stand… You're PATHETIC."
Feel Good Inc. emerged from Adrian's lanky frame. It was a tall humanoid Stand with charred skin. It radiated with an otherworldly glow, and thick tubes filled with boiling orange liquid lined its entire body. They all ended up connecting to a mask around its mouth, where the bubbles intensified. They were the only sound that could be heard since Power was a silent warrior. Feel Good Inc. wore tight black goggles, yet still managed to have a thousand-yard-stare. Its frame was willowy and frail just like its user. Shirlie certainly got her height from Adrian. The man was nearly seven feet tall. He looked very unhealthy, his pale flesh hugging his bones too tightly. He wore a green tee-shirt with a black button up undone on top. Despite being her father, the weathered man seemed to be thirty-years-old at most. He and his Stand represented illness in its purest form. They were repulsive.
Pa-Pa-Power tried to work up the strength to strike Adrian, but failed. He could only feel the man's profound grief. It was too much to kick him while he was down. Instead, Feel Good struck him in the jaw. Power and Shirlie stumbled back. She groaned in pain, cupping her cheek.
Adrian placed his hands in his pockets, taking a step toward the battered children. Feel Good nailed Power right in the nose. Without a moment's hesitation, it sent a barrage of blows into the Stand's chest. Power gasped, trying to get his bearings. That's when Feel Good grabbed his ponytail and dragged his face down to connect with its knee. It drove its leg up with all its strength, striking Power in the middle of the face with its jagged kneecap. It placed its foot against his chest, kicking him across the void. Power flew far and fast, twisting and turning in the air. A moment later, like a bungee cord connected their bodies, Shirlie was yanked in his direction. She rolled onto the ground upon landing, hitting her head a little too forcefully against the void's floor. Her ears rang, and she felt blood trickling from her nose.
Shirlie turned over, desperately looking for Power. He was about ten feet away from her, flickering and fading due to the distance. She reached out a hand, beckoning him over.
"P-Power… We need to fight." She whimpered.
Adrian's footsteps boomed like dynamite as he stomped across the void. Each step sent out a ripple of colors about three feet in diameter before soaking into the blackness once more. Red clouds formed above, and they began to rain down on the father and daughter. He put his foot down right in front of Shirlie nose, inches away from stomping her face in. Still standing casually with hands in his pockets, the tall man sighed.
"You know I don't like hurting you." He ran a hand through his copper hair, greasing it back.
He was telling the truth. He didn't like anything. He didn't enjoy anything. As Feel Good Inc. beat Power into the ground, he could feel Adrian's hopelessness. He could experience the father's grief in real time. He knew that the man didn't want to hurt them, but was doing it anyway. The potent emotions people experienced during battle was overwhelmingly intoxicating to Pa-Pa-Power. It's why Shirlie avoided direct conflict. How are you supposed to hit someone in the face when you're experiencing their desire to not get hit in the face? It felt wrong. It was inherently backwards.
"If you liked hurting me, this would be easier." Shirlie coughed. "At least then I'd feel some joy."
"Shirlie Temple, I'm only going to ask one more time. Who killed Stella? Who killed your mother?" He hissed through his clenched teeth.
She took a moment to think. Her long-freckled hand came up to wipe the blood from her face. Some had pooled into her mouth, so she spit it onto the invisible floor. Despite the horror of her current situation, she still found the strength to smile. The teen looked up into her father's eyes with defiance in her own.
"I guess…" She coughed, but the coughing quickly transformed into a weak laugh. "That's two things in this place you could say beats me."
Adrian's cold expression turned to one of recognition. "Funny, hmm? I don't remember you having this much spunk."
Feel Good Inc. grabbed Shirlie by the collar of her shirt, pulling her up to her feet. Adrian was one of the few people who could truly dwarf her in height. As he scowled down at her, a question formed in his mind.
"Who went and gave you the ludicrous idea that life can be good, Shirlie Temple?" He mused out loud.
"A little girl who's braver than I ever was." She admitted, heaving as adrenaline pumped through her veins. "If I was half the little girl she is, I'd have kicked your ass instead of running away."
A crisp slap sent Shirlie back onto her hands and knees. Adrian shook his hand a bit in pain after hitting her so hard.
"The little girl? Shizuka, right? She was in my grasp too. I didn't sense anything special. She wasn't the first to break free. She wouldn't have even gotten out without Pepsi's help. That's who you're aspiring to be? Average?"
Shirlie couldn't help but laugh. "At least she didn't run away from the world."
"That's how you see us? Runaways? Shirlie, we're saving mankind. Don't you understand? Did I really bring such a fool into existence?"
"You and Mom made a place so that nobody could GET you! Well guess what? They found you! She's dead, and you're next! You can't keep letting sharks into your pool, Dad, someone's gonna get hurt!"
Adrian stood still as a statue. The air stopped moving. It was completely and totally silent in the void. The only sound to be heard was Shirlie's panting as she attempted to catch her breath. She knew what was just said would result in more pain, but it wouldn't matter. She felt stronger for saying it. She felt brave in the face of her father for the first time in her life.
"Do you want to see why your mother and I made this place?" He asked in an unsettlingly calm tone.
All Shirlie could do was nod.
The world around them began to shift. It spun at untold speeds, causing Shirlie to feel sick to her stomach. Reality seemed to be tearing at the seams, but she's seen this before. It was Feel Good Inc. creating a new world… What was he trying to show her? What could be so important? She blacked out, succumbing to the Stand's power.
"Stands have existed for centuries. They originated from a meteorite that fell to Earth some time ago. We're not exactly sure when it struck. All research of the impact site was cancelled due to miraculous happenings." Adrian's voice echoed throughout Shirlie's subconscious. She was barely awake, drifting through the void. "The meteorite had a strange virus inside. When infected, most humans die. They grow severely ill, passing after around a month or two. During their sickness, it's natural to observe inexplicable phenomena occurring around the patient. However, unless they've been chosen by the virus, they will always perish."
Shirlie witnessed the virus infecting the silhouette of a man. His body slowly rippled, thrashing uncontrollably. After about thirty seconds of this, the man went limp. He was dead.
"This is the fate of the virus. It's to kill everything in its path. Many have wasted their lives pondering why the virus spares some. It's a fair question. Why would it grant some individuals untold powers? The power to take over the world?" Adrian continued.
The teen could see countless warriors with their unstoppable Stands throughout time. Conquerors, kings, lethal mistresses… They were all placed on a pedestal of strength. Each and every one of the chosen few had the power to rule life itself.
"The virus gifts some with power to help itself spread. Who wouldn't take such a chance? Anyone would infect themselves for the opportunity of glory."
Shirlie found herself standing on a skyscraper overlooking New York City. Down below, she witnessed thousands of people falling onto their hands and knees. They screamed in agony, their bodies rippling as the infection rejected them. They weren't worthy. She could feel their grief. The suffering of New York City hit her like a truck packed with dynamite. Millions of lives were lost, and she could feel them go.
Suddenly, she was on the streets. All that remained were mangled piles of corpses. A few people walked among the ruin, chosen by the virus. She felt numb, unable to truly focus on the sight before her.
"This is the future. All it takes is one person, Shirlie Temple. One single person can spread this virus across the planet. Think about the most powerful Stand User you've ever met. They were just an average Joe before the arrow. Eventually, the right person will be gifted, and all will be lost. As long as the arrows plague this world, no one is safe."
Pepsi and Josuke were left alone in the security room. He was trying his best to console the panicking teen, but he was never very good at that. Pepsi was pacing back and forth at an intense pace, muttering to theirself about Shirlie. After about a minute of this, Josuke rested his hand on their shoulder. Mist's shroud vanished, and they stared daggers at him.
"What?" They asked sharply.
Josuke pulled away, lifting his open palm up peacefully. "She's gone. That's a fact. What are we going to do about it now?" He questioned.
Pepsi just bit their lip, looking down in consideration.
"You can spend your life dwelling on things, or you can take action. Get a grip and think about your sister. Where is she? Who's the man you're talking about?"
"Our father. Don't you get it!? We're from here! Shirlie and I are from the Hotel California!" They shouted, shoving Josuke away.
The sergeant stumbled back a bit, narrowing his eyes. "You're what? How's that possible?"
"Our mom and dad made this place. I don't think we were born here, but we were really, really young. It's all we ever knew. Then something happened. Mom was killed. We used that as a chance to escape." They explained in a grim tone. Usually, Pepsi's voice was devoid of emotion. This time, it was hard not to feel the venom in their words.
"Oh…" Josuke mumbled, not entirely sure what to say. That was just a lot to take in. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"Meh. Life sucks, doesn't it?" They shrugged.
"It doesn't have to. That's why you escaped, right?"
"And look where it got me. I'm right back where I started."
"Well, I'm not sticking around. That means you can just leave again. Maybe this time we'll close the place down, just in case. C'mon, we've got to find the others." Josuke turned to face the monitors, looking for the rest of the group. His eyes scanned the screens for about thirty seconds before he pounded the desk with his fist. "There! C'mon, let's go! We're getting the hell out of this place!"
Hol Horse, Diva and Marina snuck through the halls carefully. They were in the same wing as the mysterious turtle, all they needed to do was find it. The gunslinger had his trusty Emperor drawn at the ready. Marina walked beside him, eyes constantly scanning the hall for danger. Diva walked behind them with hands in his pockets and poor posture. He glanced down the hall, raising a brow.
"I think I found our turtle." He mumbled, pointing his long pale finger toward it.
Coco Jumbo was slowly waddling down the winding halls at a respectable pace. Marina tilted her head. She couldn't help but let out a scoff.
"This is completely ridiculous. Two weeks ago, I didn't even believe in ghosts. Now I'm staring at a turtle and thinking, ' Blimey, we found 'em! Our friends are in there.'"
Diva stepped past them, approaching the Stand Using turtle cautiously. "We don't know that for sure. Let me check. You two stay back."
Marina summoned Bubblegum Bitch, and Hol Horse aimed Emperor at the turtle as Diva walked toward it alone. Tensions were high for a moment as he stood before the creature. Then, he disappeared into its shell rather suddenly. The other two recoiled back in shock. Hol Horse nearly fired his gun, but barely managed to contain himself.
"He just went into that turtle!" The cowboy shouted, pointing the gun at it.
"Quiet! Just watch, he's probably talking to them! It's like, bigger on the inside or something." Marina demanded.
Once again, there was dead silence. It dragged on for quite a long time. In fact, Marina began to feel a little awkward. What on Earth could be taking so long? There wasn't a battle or anything. If they were under attack, the enemy would have come out of the turtle, right…? She clenched her jaw, flexing her fists nervously.
"I'm not the only one who thinks this is taking a while?" She mumbled.
"Are they havin' a damn tea party in there? Tell yer boy to come out already."
After another painstaking minute or so, something finally happened. Marina and Hol Horse witnessed the impossible sight of a grown woman exiting the turtle. Her body morphed, bent, and grew in ways that their eyes wanted to deny. Still, they couldn't deny her presence. She certainly came out of the damn turtle. The woman was of average height, rather slim in build, and had styled pink hair. Her clothing looked like it was created by a bored designer. Mathematical symbols lined the collar of her shirt, the cuffs of her sleeves, and the orange scarf around her neck. She wore a tight-fitting white shirt that tucked into black tights. She wore high heels that looked incredibly uncomfortable. If Marina didn't know better, she'd say the woman looked like a celebrity. In fact, she could almost pin a name to that face.
"Who's the babe?" The blonde muttered under her breath.
"Beats the hell out of me. Where's Diva?" Hol Horse called across the hall.
The woman stretched her arms, cracking her neck and letting out a sigh. "You'd like to know, wouldn't you? He stumbled into Mr. President screaming about the crazy people chasing him. I assume that's you?"
Marina wore her confusion on her sleeve. "Pardon? I'm not in the mood for a laugh, sweet cheeks. Where the hell is Diva?"
A spiked purple vine came swinging out of Coco Jumbo's key. It tore through the air like a whip, wrapping around Marina's wrists effortlessly. She struggled against it, falling face-first onto the floor and smashing her head against the carpet. The vines began dragging her closer and closer to the mysterious pink-haired woman.
"Spice Girl!" She shouted, manifesting her Stand.
The pink and white Stand slowly emerged from behind the woman, draping itself over her shoulder and pointing at Marina. "That slut called us sweet cheeks, Trish. We hate being called things like that. She wants to own us. She wants to control us." The Stand growled.
"Easy," Trish rested a hand on Spice Girl's head. The Stand's personality represented her temperament. It was the side she kept hidden from the world to maintain her image as an idol. She had gotten quite good at it. Still, Stand Users got to meet her true self as it pummeled them into the ground.
Marina was too shocked by the vines to defend herself. That changed when she heard the booming roar of Emperor firing. The bullets hit those strange purple vines, tearing them to pieces right in front of Marina's wrists. She pulled away, using Bubblegum Bitch's bat to swat away the straggling whips.
"What the hell's going on, cowboy? Why are they attacking us? Why do they think they're protecting Diva from us? We're on his side!" She panted, stepping even further back.
The gunslinger fired his Emperor twice into the ceiling. Each shot packed one hell of a punch, practically vibrating the entire hallway. Everyone's ears were ringing afterwards. Everyone except for Hol Horse, of course. He pointed his gun right at Trish, narrowing his eyes.
"Seems like yer pal double-crossed us, little lady."
"That doesn't make any sense. Diva's been Shizuka's caretaker for a decade! He wouldn't just turn on us!"
Trish took a step forward as Spice Girl flexed in anger.
Hol Horse stomped his foot, shoving Emperor forward. "I'd hate to shoot such a pretty lady, but don't think I won't! I might respect women, but this place is a free-for-all!"
The pink-haired idol didn't stop walking. Not one to ever go back on his word, Hol Horse fan-fired Emperor six times. Spice Girl lunged forward, punching all of the bullets with incredible speed. They turned to mush, falling uselessly to the carpet. Hol Horse stared in shock for a moment. It was a rare day when Emperor seemed useless. Why didn't guns ever work? While the cowboy stood still, Marina decided to act. She grabbed him by the wrist, tugging him back.
"We've gotta go! C'mon! Back to Jotaro and Shizuka!"
"B-But, we came here for the turtle. Why would we leave without the turtle?" He questioned.
"Hol Horse." She spoke with a chilling desperation, grabbing his face and looking into his eyes. "Do you remember why we even want the turtle? Think about it. Can you even remember what's inside?"
It felt like he was going to be sick. His mind was empty… He was missing something; something he hadn't even realized was gone until he searched for it. Now that she mentioned it, he had no idea why they were looking for the turtle.
"What's going on?" He rubbed his forehead in confusion.
"Move, now!"
She dragged him down the hall. After a few steps, Hol Horse's stumbling turned to sprinting. Neither of them were absolutely certain of what was going on, but they knew it was dangerous. The gunslinger looked over his shoulder and saw Trish chasing after them. He reached into his pocket and fumbled for the diamond card from earlier. It was gone. He could remember putting it in his pocket! Something was seriously wrong. Despite that, he still had his gold card. It would have to be good enough. He grabbed Marina, stopping by a door and opening it up. They bounded through, slamming it shut.
As they caught their breath, Marina looked at the door. "Won't they be able to follow us?"
"No chance. They'd have to know what room I wanted to enter… Still, seems like I misplaced the diamond card." He huffed, leaning against a wall.
"Misplaced? You remember what you did with it, right?" She raised a brow.
"Course. I put it right in my pocket."
"Something's going on with our memory, Hol Horse. Diva forgot us! He thought he was running away from us."
The gunslinger raised a brow. "Say, didn't you mention fighting a memory Stand earlier? Ain't that how Jotaro got injured in the first place?"
Recognition lit on the woman's face. "Wait… That can't be. When Jotaro noticed the black feather in my pocket, we figured out that we had to know each other. I found the user, kicked his ass, and got my memories of Jotaro back! He can't still be messing with our memories if he's dead."
"And how do you know he's dead?" Hol Horse countered.
"Because I remember ki-" She stopped mid-sentence. Her body slumped against the wall, and she rested her face in cupped hands. "Oh Jesus Christ! This is bad, cowboy. This is really, really bad."
She heard Hol Horse's Emperor being drawn. Marina slowly lowered her palms to see the gun pointed directly at her. She raised a brow, pressing back into the wall a bit.
"Easy, pardner." She raised her hands in surrender, using a rather poor American accent in an attempt to add levity to the situation. "There's no need to shoot me over this."
"As far as I know, this memory stuff started when we found you. Shizuka, Diva and I weren't experiencing any funny business. How do I even know you're real? How do I even know Jotaro's real? Maybe yer just messin' with my mind."
"Okay… Okay." She cleared her throat, trying to speak properly despite how dry her mouth was getting. "That's, uhm, that's a fair assumption. I don't really know how to rebuke it at the moment. Maybe I could think a little clearer if you put the gun down? Pretty please?"
The cowboy narrowed his eyes. "I've never even seen yer Stand's ability. For all I know, you've been usin' it on me this whole time!"
"See, that's perfect! I can prove that my ability isn't memory manipulation."
"How?"
Marina lunged forward, Bubblegum Bitch appearing behind her as she bolted at Hol Horse. The gunslinger shouted in surprise, pulling the trigger. A bullet fired directly into Marina's shoulder. Her skin rippled around it, and the bullet actually stretched back about five feet, taking a string of the woman's skin with it. However, it eventually fired back with equal speed. The spiritual bullet was soaring right for Hol Horse! Luckily, he could manipulate its direction mid-air to some extent. It curved, narrowly missing him and slamming into the wall. By that point Marina was right in front of him. Bubblegum Bitch struck Emperor with its bat, sending the gun directly up and sticking it to the ceiling. Then, the pink Stand kicked him right in the chest, its foot riding him down to the ground and pinning him against it. Marina stared down at him with hands in her pockets.
"Are you ready to talk now?"
"This place is a nightmare. How many times am I gonna have to shoot at innocent women?" Hol Horse lamented.
"Get up." She offered him a hand.
Now that they were both standing, the gunslinger brushed himself off. He looked around for Emperor, finally noticing it on the ceiling. Instead of grabbing a chair and reaching up for it, he decided to just release the Stand, putting it away. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, pacing around the room.
"So, nothin' we know is real, anyone can be an enemy, and we don't even know if right now is happening?" He mumbled.
"No." Marina shrugged with a dry tone. "That's not how memory works. We can be positive of what's going on this very second. We just can't be sure what happened the last second really went down"
"Well what's the difference?"
"The difference is that we can still do things, just not with any confidence. We've still got to try, though. Let's think… The user made me fight Jotaro, didn't he? That's where his injuries came from."
"Unless the user hurt Jotaro and used you as a scapegoat."
"No, no, that doesn't make sense. Why would he give me the memory of an entire fight with Jotaro that never happened instead of making up some random enemy attack? He wanted a fight between Jotaro and myself. Why?"
"So you'd kill each other." Hol Horse said with a frown.
"Precisely… This Stand must not have any offensive capabilities. It relies completely on the strength of others to do its dirty work. The beast, whispering into man's ear…" She mused to herself.
Marina's ears perked up at the sound of a door closing. Her eyes darted over to see what was wrong, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary… "We locked the door behind us, right?"
"Of course I did." Diva replied with a smile, flashing his diamond card. "They won't be able to get in, not unless they've got a platinum."
"Good, good… The user must be walking among us. He's probably implanted himself deep into our memories so we'd never even question him. As far as I'm concerned, nobody's real until we defeat him." The blonde said grimly.
"You've got it, boss. What's the plan?" Diva questioned, pocketing his card.
"We need to get back to Jotaro and Shizuka, assuming they're even real. The user is probably still in the turtle. We've gotta be safe from this distance. His ability must have some kind of limitations. We just need to figure them out before he can force us to forget." Marina walked over to the door, holding up a hand. "Toss me the keycard."
Hol Horse passed his gold card to the young woman, and she swiped the door with it. They walked out and… And… And they were standing in the hallway with Jotaro and Shizuka. Of course they were. That's where they were. That's where they'd been. Marina had a strange, lingering sense of dread and confusion, but she managed to brush it aside.
"Right, we need to find Josuke." She rested a hand on her hip, looking around. "There has to be some kind of surveillance room in this place, right? Security cameras, monitors, all that. Jojo, you should come with me. Ripley, Trish, stay here and watch after Jotaro. Something feels off about this whole thing. I can't shake the feeling that we're being fucked with, so don't let your guard down."
"What about Diva?" Shizuka asked, standing up and brushing herself off.
Marina pondered about who the hell Diva was for a moment. Then it all clicked in her mind. "Oh! Of course, Diva! Sorry, I'm a little on edge. Diva can stay here too. The smaller our group is on the move, the better. We'll hug the walls with Ultra Violet and stay out of sight."
The plan was set, and the group split up. Marina and Shizuka walked through the winding halls of the hotel. The blonde still couldn't shrug that strange feeling. Sure, she'd been on edge for weeks, but something felt plain wrong. Sweat accumulated on her back, and it was a little difficult to breathe. They were staying close to the wall, masked by Ultra Violet's light manipulation.
"Can we slow down, Jojo…? I'm having trouble breathing." Marina panted, leaning against the wall.
Shizuka raised a brow, but slowed down accordingly. "Everything okay?"
"Don't worry kiddo, she's just recovering from her battle with Jotaro. Marina's tough as nails, but even she can be slowed down by a missing limb." Diva ran his hands through the young girl's hair reassuringly.
Marina gasped. Missing limb? What? When did that happen? She felt rather light on her left side. Her right hand immediately reached over only to feel a sticky stump. She'd sealed it off with Bubblegum Bitch… Her left arm had been completely torn off. When did that happen!? Her heart was pounding so hard that she could feel it in her forehead. That's why she was so weak! She was missing a damn arm! When... When….? When did she…?
Of course. Star Platinum tore her arm off during their fight. That's why they were looking for Josuke. He'd be able to heal them both.
"Can you give me a hand, Dee? I thought I'd be more useful than this." She groaned.
"Of course, Marina. I knew you asked me to come for a reason." He smirked, wrapping an arm around her and supporting the woman's weight as they walked.
"What would we do without you, Diva?" Shizuka smiled.
"No need to think about that kind of thing. I'm not going anywhere. We're going to get out of this place, and we'll stop Blondie too."
Marina's ears were ringing. Colors began to wash out of her vision, and all she could hear was the pounding of her heart, and the heaving of her tired lungs. She was dying, and she knew it. Something was wrong. Something was seriously, seriously wrong. They were being split up. She could remember that much… For some reason, they were always being split up. Why? Why split them up? They were safer in groups… Safer in numbers… Someone was keeping them vulnerable.
"We should go back to the others." She groaned. "I can't move… Bring me back, then you can look on your own."
Diva frowned. "Are you sure? You insisted on coming with us."
She needed to get back to the group. The user didn't want that, but she needed it. Something was nagging at her. Marina threw herself to the floor, pretending to be even weaker than she was. They were safer in numbers. The user struck stragglers… A primal survival instinct had been triggered in Marina's mind. All she could focus on was making it to the next moment. She couldn't rely on knowledge or strategy. She could only rely on now.
Shizuka and Diva managed to get her back to the others. The blonde slumped against the wall, panting in exhaustion. Her hair was sticking to her skin from sweat, and her face turned even paler. The group exchanged some words about Marina's return, but she was too dazed to hear them. She was in her own world.
"Something's wrong, Diva…" Shizuka bit her lip.
"Don't worry about it, kiddo. That's why we're looking for Josuke. C'mon, let's get back to it. Focus on staying conscious, Marina." He smiled, leading Shizuka away with a hand on the small of her back.
Marina was indeed losing consciousness. Her head flopped to the side, and she looked around for anything that could help. There had to be something she was missing. Her eyes glazed over with a lifeless haze, and she nearly blacked out. The woman just leaned against the wall, limp and motionless. Right before she faded, she noticed something… Down the opposite end of the hall from where Shizuka and Diva just went, something was barely visible around the corner. What was it?
It was important.
That's all Marina could remember. Whatever was down the hall was important. She needed to get there. She needed to get to it. Marina let out a desperate groan, unable to even produce words at the moment as she fell onto her side, clawing at the carpet with her one remaining hand in an attempt to move.
Important.
That word was ricocheting around her mind like a speeding bullet. It tore through every other coherent thought. She needed to get there. She needed to get whatever was down the hall. It was important. It was dire. Her movements were pathetically useless. She wasn't making any progress down the hall, not one bit.
Jotaro was staring at her in confusion. "Marina, what are you doing?" He trusted her enough to know she wouldn't be doing something stupid at a time like this.
"There. There… Need there." She whined, voice going hoarse as she dragged herself.
The professor could just barely see something at the edge of the hall. If Marina was that desperate, it had to be important. "Okay. I'll get you there. Brace yourself…"
Star Platinum emerged from his injured body. The Stand flickered a bit, obviously weaker than usual. Despite that, it let out a roaring cry, punching Marina right in the side. The woman's body rippled, and she was flung across the hall at an incredible speed. She slammed right into the wall with a splat, her body sticking to it like gum. After a moment, she dropped onto the carpet within reach of the object.
Her head turned to face it. She just needed to see it. That's when her eyes widened. Of course, it all made sense. That's why she was dying. How long had it been? Her mouth felt so dry, and all she could do was reach out a trembling hand to grab it.
Marina's severed arm was lying on the carpet, pooling blood.
She pulled it closer, inspecting it carefully. Why? Why was her arm there of all places? She rolled it over, carefully inspecting it. That's when all the air left her lungs. Her stomach dropped, and she covered her mouth in shock. There was something written on her arm in black sharpie. A simple, urgent message. Something she didn't even remember writing.
The user is DIVA.
That's why her arm had been torn off. She couldn't remember it happening, but logic could fill in the gaps. She must have figured Diva out somehow and subtly written it on her arm in case he made her forget! When he saw the writing, hell must have broken loose. It was likely that Marina sprinted back to the group in an attempt to get help. Did she even get a chance to tell anybody before he removed her arm? Did he make Star Platinum tear her arm off for him and lob it down the hall? Diva was dangerous. He was too dangerous. There wasn't a single way to defeat him.
Marina stuck her arm back in place. She'd still need Josuke to restore her blood, but at least she was in one piece. Her body wasn't getting any stronger, though. She was going to black out any second. Her mind was too hazy to formulate any kind of plan. She could only feel the desperate urge to win, to survive. Because of that, she resorted to the only plan she had left. She screamed.
"IT'S DIVA! JOJO, THE USER IS DIVA!"
But nobody would remember that scream. A moment later her head hit the floor. She was done.
Shizuka and Diva were alone. They approached one of the infinite doors in Hotel California, opening it with Diva's diamond card. Finally, they'd found the security room. Diva walked up to the monitors, and Shizuka stayed by the door. She felt some nagging itch in the back of her mind. Of course, she was worried sick about Jotaro, but Marina was bugging her even more. Something about her hysteria just rubbed the girl the wrong way.
"Do you see anything?" She glanced over to the screens.
"Nothing yet. Gimme a sec, kiddo."
The young girl leaned against the door, nervously biting her bottom lip. She always did that when she was anxious. She looked down at the floor, leaning forward onto her toes before leaning back onto her heels over and over again. That's when she noticed something strange… There was a red drop on her shoe. As she stared, another appeared. A hot pain ached in her mouth. She reached up and felt her lip, realizing she'd somehow bitten a hole in it. Her hand pulled away, blood dripping from it as well. She didn't remember doing that. What stressed her out so badly that she tore a chunk of lip out with her teeth? That's when it struck her… Shizuka's vision flashed white. She couldn't see anything for a solid three seconds. Then, flickering like an old film reel, she could see the cabin of an airplane.
She recognized this place, of course. It was the plane she took to Morioh with Jotaro. That plane ride was hell. She fought three Stand Users. One of them had a memory ability. She could erase any memory she wanted whenever you blinked. Why was Shizuka seeing this? Why couldn't she look through her eyes anymore?
A mature hum echoed through her mind. It slowly morphed from humming into clear singing. She recognized the words.
"And the seasons, they go round and round. And the painted ponies go up and down. We're captive on a carousel of time. We can't return, we can only look behind from where we came…"
That's it. The Circle Game was showing her this memory. Why was it pertinent? Shizuka's special "guest" never showed her something without reason. Why was some memory Stand she fought weeks ago suddenly important enough to interrupt her waking mind? She didn't even know The Circle Game could interact with her outside of dreams! A moment later she regained her vision. Apparently, she'd fallen onto her hands and knees from the trauma of interacting with her second Stand.
Diva was staring at her from across the room. He had this grim expression on his face. "Eighteen." He mumbled.
Shizuka couldn't breathe. She was in agonizing pain. More blood pooled on the carpet below. She stared at it in confusion. When we she hurt? She looked up at him in dangerous eyes.
"You figured me out eighteen times. That's shocking. No one's ever gotten that consistent. You're sharp, Shizuka. In fact, I'd say you're too sharp for your own good. I'm afraid this will be the last memory you ever have."
Words can't properly describe the anguish tearing through her. Mixed in with her confusion and pain was a potent grief. She was grieving the man from her memories… She felt a true betrayal from her nonexistent caretaker. Diva was the user; how could she be so blind? Well apparently, she figured it out eighteen times! What a fearsome Stand. Could anybody defeat it? She tried to lift herself up, but her mysterious injuries caused the little girl's body to give. She fell flat on her face, only able to look up helplessly at her enemy.
"I've been waiting here patiently, Shizuka… You see, I was sent here on a very particular mission. The only problem is how difficult escaping this confounded hotel seems to be. I took care of Stella. That should have been the end of it! But my ability doesn't work on ghosts… It tricks the electric discharges in your mind to create false memories. That's all your brain is, kiddo, the firing of neurons. Ghosts store their memories elsewhere. I can't force that damn specter to let me out." Diva explained, walking up to the dying child. He had a certain spring in his step that had been absent prior to the reveal of his malice. He crouched down, lifting Shizuka's head up by the hair.
"Today's my lucky day, though… The family is back together… With a healer, no less! That's my ticket out of here, kiddo. Forget a platinum swipe card… I've got the ultimate card. Her name is Shirlie Temple…"
Shizuka's vision was blurry. She tried to make eye-contact with the villain, but it was hard to focus. Diva noticed this as well. It would seem his monologue was falling on deaf ears. He let go of her hair with a sigh, the girl's head slamming back into the carpet with an upsetting thud shortly after.
"I must say, you're most clever opponent I've ever had. You almost got me once or twice… A kid your age shouldn't have that good of a poker face. I'd hate to fight you at your prime. Unfortunately, you'll never get there. Ten-and-a-half is as old as you'll get, Shizuka dear."
She closed her eyes, too weak to summon Ultra Violet. This was it… Shizuka was going to die. She was going to die a hollow shell of herself, unable to even remember the reason she embarked on this journey in the first place. Her nails dug into the bloody carpet, and she gritted her teeth. Sealing her eyes shut, she braced herself for release.
The child's eyes fluttered open. She felt sick to her stomach. Not only that, but she was incredibly weak. What had happened? She looked around, seeing her caretaker down the hall. They were in one of the many hallways of Hotel California. Diva was shouting at an enemy, scaring them off. When he saw Shizuka was awake, the man sprinted back to her.
"Hey, kiddo! You're up!"
She coughed, her voice sounding very hoarse when she spoke. "What happened to me?"
Diva chuckled. "You got a little dinged up in a fight, nothing serious. Can you really not remember?"
When she searched, Shizuka could vaguely remember fighting some sort of flame ability. It seemed like they successfully fought it off. She gave her caretaker a weak smile. "I did the heavy lifting."
He patted her shoulder. "Of course you did, sport. Let's get moving, hmm?"
Shizuka was about to get up. She was about to take Diva's hand and leave with him. Before she could do such a thing, however, a purple sprung from her body and struck him right in the jaw. Her eyes widened. She didn't do that! Was her Stand acting on its own again?
Diva let out a cry of pain, flying directly into the wall. The punch certainly packed some force behind it, because there was a Diva-shaped-dent upon impact. The tall pale man held himself for a moment, staring at the little brat with pure rage.
"I knew it… You're lying to me, Shizuka! How do you remember!? Tell me how you remember!"
She really, truly didn't. "Remember what!? Are you okay?" She tried to get up.
"Stay put, you ungrateful chore! You're lying! You can remember! You wouldn't have attacked me unless you remembered!"
Another three punches. They struck with unbelievable force. Each hit caused a powerful boom to fill the hall. Diva's body recoiled, getting sent even deeper into the unbreakable wall.
"Diva, I'm not doing this! Tell me you're okay!" She cried out, standing up.
"Enough! September!" He growled, pointing right at the child.
Shizuka's memory was wiped once again with such force that she stumbled back into the wall opposite to Diva. Her eyes were blank for a moment. When she came to, they focused on him.
"D-Diva? What's going on? Are we under attack?"
"More!" He shouted, snapping his fingers.
Her body convulsed like she was possessed by a demon. She twitched uncontrollably, and her eyes rolled up until nothing but the whites could be seen. She fell to her knees, cupping her face in pain. Eventually, she opened her eyes again. She looked around cautiously.
"What's going on here?" She mumbled.
"Do you recognize me?" Diva demanded.
She scanned him carefully before asking, "Should I?"
"MORE!" He screamed, snapping his fingers time after time.
He repeatedly wiped her memory of any trace. Then, when that wasn't good enough, he wiped everything else too. The man towered over her powerfully, repeatedly snapping his fingers as Shizuka was reduced to an empty body. He eradicated every single memory from her mind. Every word in the English language, every book she'd ever read, her own mother's face, it was all gone. Then, for good measure, he did it again! Once that was finished, he kicked her in the face, causing her to flop onto her back.
"There! No more! No more remembering! Just try to talk now!" He shouted.
Her eyes opened once more. This time, they were distant. She looked around the hotel curiously, as if every sight was the very first she'd ever had. Her gaze was no longer the piercing stare of a dangerous warrior. She was reduced to a concept, a body . Unable to remember anything, and unable to learn anything.
Shizuka Joestar was dead.
Diva couldn't help but laugh. He was spooked by her ability to retain some basic instincts about his harmful intent, but that's all it was. She was a clever girl, of course some part of her would remember to fear him. He killed that clever girl. Now all that remained was a shell! He threw his head back, laughing uncontrollably. He roared in joy, his chest heaving as he rejoiced. For a bitter moment Diva feared that he might have to fight. He'd never fought anyone in his life! Why would someone born with September need to fight? He could just make you remember losing a fight! He was invincible! He was immortal! He was… he was...
He was being punched again.
A barrage of purple fists soared out of Shizuka. They collided with Diva once again.
"W-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?" He screamed, flying back against the wall with so much force that every light in the hallway burst.
They were submerged in darkness, but only for a short while. Ultra Violet appeared behind Shizuka, glowing with a radiant energy and lighting the hall. Shizuka's mindless body rose to its feet, staring at Diva with empty eyes.
"W-W-W-W-What!? You're dead! You can't remember anything! You don't know anything! How do you even know how to stand!? How do you know to attack me!?" He screamed with a quivering voice.
A lovely humming echoed through the dim hall. An otherworldly wind gently blew around the two opposing Stand Users. Diva felt the wind against his skin. It caused him to shiver. Goosebumps rose on his arms. Something about that humming, that breeze, it wasn't natural. How was there a breeze inside a hotel?
Shizuka's hair blew to and fro in the gusting wind. It grew in strength. Her body shined even brighter with Ultra Violet's essence. The humming grew louder and louder with the sound of a drum. It seemed like the force was getting closer. Something was coming. Something was about to arrive in that hall.
A purple disc emerged from Shizuka's chest. It grew from the size of her palm to span about six feet in diameter. The foreign object spun clockwise, growing faster and faster before Diva's very eyes. A sphere of light appeared in the center of the ring. That sphere grew, eventually encasing the entire disc! It wasn't a weapon… It was a portal. Diva watched in awe as a purple figure stepped through the glowing ring. It was divine.
A Stand had appeared.
The new figure stood tall, nearly six-foot on the dot. It was a humanoid Stand with rather odd accessories. A metal halo hovered a few inches above its head. They were attached by thin pieces of wire. On top of the halo were beautiful wood-carved figures of horses. They circled around the circle, moving at the same pace as one another so they'd never clash. A similar halo hovered around the Stand's midriff. It too had basswood horses circling around the top. They were larger, as the entire halo seemed to be larger than the one hovering about its head. The Stand didn't have legs, instead a colorful canopy hung from its shoulders. It draped down the being's body, turning to a translucent layer of stardust around the waist. Diva couldn't see through it.
The most striking feature of the Stand was certainly the metal pole piercing its entire body through the head. Like a horse on a carousel, this Stand was held in place by a shiny golden pole. It hovered above the floor, holding its hands out like an ascendant being. It was terrifying… Diva was utterly horrified by that otherworldly Stand.
The wind continued to blow, growing even more powerful after the Stand's arrival. An echoing chorus sang in perfect harmony. Their voices were so loud Diva feared his ears might bleed. He couldn't even hear his own thoughts over the booming choir.
"And the seasons, they go round and round. And the painted ponies go up and down. We're captive on a carousel of time. We can't return, we can only look behind from where we came… And go round and round and round in the circle game…"
That was it. He knew it in his heart of hearts. It was as if the thought was planted into his mind. The Stand communicated via means beyond language. Diva knew everything, he knew the truth. He knew the secret of Shizuka's biological parents. He knew what happened back in 1999. Tears welled in his eyes as the beautiful chorus continued. This Stand…
The Circle Game had arrived.
September wouldn't work on The Circle Game because its user wasn't present. It was independent of Shizuka, lying dormant in her essence as protection. If anyone was truly on the verge of killing the young girl, The Circle Game would be there. She didn't know it, but Shizuka was being protected by a force of nature. The Stand determined what she could know, what she couldn't know, and what she must know. Only The Circle Game had a right to give Shizuka information. September had invaded its territory, and for that, Diva would pay.
The Stand levitated over to Diva, cupping his chin and looking into his eyes. Then, it actually spoke. It used words. The voice was chillingly calm. It spoke like a gentle librarian.
"Return Shizuka's memories. Return the memories of everyone you've ever fooled."
The air left Diva's lungs. He couldn't do it, he simply couldn't! That's not how his ability worked. He'd need to visit each of them in person. Besides, he couldn't restore Shizuka' she was too far gone.
"I… I can't. I can't do it." He looked into the Stand with pleading eyes. "I'm sorry…"
"I see." The Circle Game pulled away. "Then you will be reduced to a memory. A story I won't be sharing with Shizuka."
Diva didn't even have time to beg. The Stand let out another barrage of attacks with such ferocity that his body crumbled. It continued to assault him well after his death. Once he was nothing more than a corpse, The Circle Game spun its hands clockwise to manifest another portal. It sucked his body away, finally freeing him from the Hotel California. After years of planning, he got out of that hellhole.
Shizuka fell to the floor lifelessly. Her memories would be restored along with everyone else's because of Diva's death. The Circle Game looked to her compassionately, gliding over to her side. It lowered down to her level, brushing the hair from her face. The Stand treated Shizuka with such careful, delicate adoration. It rested her flat on her back, folding her hands on her stomach. Then, it circled its hands clockwise one more time. A glowing portal appeared. The Circle Game reached inside, plucking a rose from the other side. It carefully pulled the flower from the stem, placing it in Shizuka's hair. Satisfied with its work, the Stand elevated once again. The circle behind it began to spin counterclockwise, and soon the being collapsed into itself. With an odd whooshing noise, The Circle Game was gone…
Shizuka slowly faded to invisibility, lying safely in the hall until the time was right… Everything had its time, after all.
To be Continued…