Chapter 31 - Seasons don't fear the Reaper

Laying in a hospital bed within the Zeppeli Foundation Glasgow building, Chester Park remains unconscious under the covers, his body wrapped in bandages and medical equipment. His vitals are normal, as are his brain waves. Two doctors stand beside him as they examine his current condition. "Thanks to the implants sent from the German branch, his injuries that would have taken months to heal, are taking just days." One of the doctors comments out loud towards the other. "In my opinion, I'd say he'd be back on his feet by next week." The same doctor pats Chester's leg, "Do you hear that Mister Park? You're one lucky sod to survive a building collapsing, and to get such medical treatment." The two doctors leave the room, leaving Chester alone to recover. During his sleep, he stops breathing. The vitals on the monitor go silent and freeze like a frozen computer.

[Opening - God save the Queen]

Chester wakes up on a solid floor. His hand touches beneath him, feeling the rough, bumpy land. He is fully covered again, trading his bandages and medical wiring for leather jeans, a tight t-shirt, and a long sleeve shirt with cut off sleeves. He looks around while laying on his back, seeing rows of aging trees with illuminating lights sparking from the branches like fireflies. Chester starts to pick himself up, pushing himself off the dirt floor and onto his feet, now wearing shoes again. He is disoriented at first. Standing straight makes him lose his balance like being on a cruise ship with a restless tide. He throws himself at one of the trees to balance himself, allowing him to grow familiar with standing again. I take a breath before slowly walking forward. Each step, he grows more close with his balance, keeping himself from falling.

A thick gravity feels like it weighs him down, pushing against his struggle. Feeling alone, Chester calls out to the open sky, a smokey purple and green skyline, "Hello! Is there anyone there?!" There is no reply. Nor is there any other sound that is made, save from his own footsteps. Watching him from a tall branch is a lone bird of primary coloured feathers.

Chester walks out of the rows of trees to an open field of ink stained grass. Walking through the grass, he can hear subtle waves of sound. Gasps for breath, and moans of fear. Haunting sounds. "Where am I?" He asks himself, speaking out loud just to hear a normal voice. Above him, the clouds start to move. They take form in the sky of a crude skull shape. In the empty sockets meant for the eyes, two bright yellow orbs illuminate the sky. A deep, booming voice calls out to him, "Chester Ben Park!" The demonic tones echo through the field, down the rows of trees. "Many have been met with death, while you cling to life like a rat on a sinking ship! You are not worthy of such a gift! Especially after taking it from so many!"

Chester stands with his head held high, gawking at the cloud skull head. "What are you talking about..." He hears a rattling of metal and mechanical engineering from the trees. A stump explodes into wood shavings and roots as a barrage of bullets comes towards Chester. He kicks the ground, shoving himself out of the way, letting the bullet riddle the trees on the other side of the field. The firing stops as Chester looks over at the exploded tree. His hand grazes a rock. He picks it up and tosses it towards the remains of the tree. In the air, another gun fires, striking the rock with enough force to split it into two. As the rock fragments lay on the grass, Chester can hear rattling from behind. A stampeding bull of a creature comes at him. Chester lays on his back, and rolls himself to the right, spinning his body as the creature misses him. It passes Chester and runs towards the sound of the gun shot. It stops over the rock fragments and stands there with its head back. Now in the light, Chester can see that it's Blind Love, the stand of Seelva Bullet. "That's it. The barrage of bullets, the single gunshot that accurately hit the rock, and now Blind Love. These are the stands I've faught." Chester slowly picks himself up, trying not to make any sound. "That means the others must be Blake Smith's Guns and Roses, and Gon Smith's Thunderstruck." He monologues to himself before taking a stand.

"Hold on there. I never killed any of these users. Hell, I remember leaving Gon alive for questioning, so what's that about?" Chester calls the skull in the sky out on the illusions. "Hmm, you make a good point there. How about I reintroduce you to one you did kill." Blind Love's body starts to take a new form. It's limbs retort out of its back, and a face grows from the back of its head. Chester's eyes widen as he is brought face to face with a crown of thorns and a cross like pattern. "Judas. Fozzy's stand." Chester stares down the hunter stand as he growls and pulsates like a wild animal. "I defeated it once, I can do so again."

The hunter stand charges at Chester, fangs and claws bearing with intent on killing him. Chester strikes a pose, throwing the tail of his shirt back like a gun slider, and points with his index finger extended, and back of his hand facing down, "Hybrid Theory!" Chester calls for his stand, but nothing happens. "What?!" He exclaims as the stand closes the distance between them, and leaps at him.

[User: Chester B. Park Stand: Hybrid Theory Stats: Destructive Power C, Speed B, Range C, Persistence C, Precision B, Development Potential A]

As the gap between them starts to close, the bird from the forest soars out of the branches. At falcon-like speeds it brandishes its talons and strikes Judas in the face, catching its eyes. Judas throws itself back as it falls onto the floor in pain. "Stands don't usually show pain" Chester remakes before pulling his attention to the bird. "What a minute, I recognise that type of bird. It's Maps." The bird lands onto the floor. A blinding light emerges from it as it grows in size, taking human shape. Chester's eyes widened once again, this time with a tear falling down his cheek. The bird turns into Adam Daylight. "Adam!" Chester closes the gap between them, and hugs his deceased friend. "What the hell? How are you alive? Is this even happening?"

Adam smiles, putting his hand on Chester's shoulder, towering over him. "Yes, this is really happening Chester. But I'm sorry to say, I am dead." The joy from seeing his friend's face quickly dies as Chester is reminded by that revelation. "So where are we?" Chester asks, his attention returning to the stand on the floor as it clutches its own face. "We are in a purgatory realm caused by that stand." Adam points to the sky, directly at the skull made of clouds. "And he is the user." Gesturing to the stand on the floor. Judas changes form into that of a normal human, the doctor that patted Chester's leg.

The doctor stands up and starts laughing like a mastermind. "Well done. You've figured it out. This is the work of my stand, Don't fear the Reaper. After making contact with someone unconscious, I can bring them into my stand's realm, make them compete for their life." Both Adam and Chester stare down their foe. "My name is Blue Cult. I disguised myself as a doctor in the Foundation to get close to you, and finish what Fozzy started." Blue grabs their doctor's lab coat, and flings it off their shoulders, revealing a full latex suit that covers their ankles to their collar. "You said I was to compete for my life, is that what those stands were?" Chester asks. "No, I think he was just trying to psych you out, although I doubt he'd be able to harm you." Adam comments, pointing out the near misses on Chester's life. "Yes. I didn't expect someone actually living in purgatory to come to your aid, and a stand user at that. But alas, he can't help you in our game?" Blue points out, their voice sounding twices and unhinged.

"A game?" Chester asks, wanting the details. "It's simple really. All you have to do is play me at a game. I'll even let you pick the game. If you win, then you get to wake up, fully healed from your injuries." Chester tilts his head, keeping quiet as he thinks about something. "And if he loses?" Adam asks. "Then Chester will have a heart attack in real life, killing him, and thus, joining you in hell." Blue walks across the field of grass. A chair emerges out of the ground, and he sits down with his legs crossed, waiting. "This shouldn't be too difficult." Adam comments, "Just choose a board game, and you'll be free." Chester remains quiet, letting Adam talk before speaking up. "There is a problem however." He pauses before talking, "I don't know how to play most board games." Adam looks concerned. "Last time I played a traditional board game was before my father remarried." Chester keeps a straight face, keeping up the poker face. Putting his hand on his chin, he starts to think harder. "Unless..." Chester walks over to Blue, crossing the field. "Blue Cult. I challenge you to a game of Yu-Gi-Oh!" Both Blue and Adam are stunned by this revelation.

[User: Adam Daylight Stand: Maps Stats: Destructive Power E, Speed B, Range A, Persistence C, Precision B, Development Potential C]

Adam comes running standing beside Chester. "Did I hear that right?" Chester nods, "Yeah." Blue smiles, "A game of Yu-Gi-Oh! Huh? Now that's something. Not traditional mind you, yet I welcome something new like that." Adam pulls Chester back a little, "Do you even know how to play, or did you think a curve ball idea would throw him off?" Chester remains straight faced. "I used to play when I was younger. I fell out of the game when I was about 15. I doubt the game has changed much since then." Adam gets a sweat on as another chair appears for Chester to sit down on. A table rises up between them. "I've played the game before too, much like you I fell out. So we'll use the cards we're most familiar with." A game mat appears on the circle table between them. Cards fall from the sky, and land perfectly in a pile on the gameboard. "So Mister Park. Is that anything you want to say?" Chester keeps a straight face, arms crossed before responding, "It's time to duel."

To be continued...

[Ending - London Calling]