Ch. 9
The Heat Is On

NOVEMBER 28TH, 1988
13:10
NARITA, JAPAN

"Her Stand is still on her back… For now…"

Joaquín was standing beside the entrance of his home, alongside Mohamed and Noriaki. They were waiting outside the Kuujou residence, watching as several cars and men in suits walk briskly past them. Doctors and bodyguards from the Speedwagon Foundation, an organization founded by his grandfather's surrogate uncle dedicated to medical and paranormal research. He had only heard about it in passing before, unaware up until now that they had a family connection to such a prestigious business.

"Mohamed, you know there's nothing they can do, right," asked Joaquín quietly. "None of them are Stand users. They can't see or do anything about it."

"Correct," nodded Mohamed. "The most they can do at the moment is monitor Mrs. Holly's condition. But even they cannot stop her Stand from growing. Over time, it will begin to entangle her. And she will become susceptible to other diseases apart from her current fever. Once her disease has advanced to it's worst stage, she will fall into a coma she could never awaken from… and she… Forgive me, Joaquín… but she will die."

Joaquín was really tempted to slap Mohamed for saying that, but it would have gotten him nowhere. He's right, despite his heart wishing he was wrong. She's going to suffer… Which is why we need to act quickly.

"This is not the first time I have seen such a phenomenon, Joaquín. Those who have a weak or kindred spirit cannot handle the power of a Stand, no matter how weak it is. In these cases, the sickness they suffer is too powerful, resulting in an unavoidable death."

"But this is my mom we're talking about. There is a way we can undo this, and that's killing Dio. And we will do it before it's too late."

"Indeed. We have fifty days before she dies. More than enough time to get to Egypt. And while our flight will head directly there, save for several stops, we should not take that time for granted."

"Agreed." Joaquín sighed and turned back to the house, heading back in to see his mother. He was confident that their flight to Egypt would go without a hitch, but he was also worried. They were dealing with a man who was certain to plan ahead. He had already sent two of his henchmen after them. Who's to say that he wouldn't plant one in the plane? It was a troubling thought, but he was certain the others shared the same concern and would prepare for such an event.

It took a moment to navigate the large house and come upon his mother's room. Everyone was inside, Joutarou leaning against the sliding door stoically as their grandfather trimmed his daughter's nails. Della was there as well, brushing her hair. Holly looked okay, sitting up and smiling at them all despite her paleness and the creeping vine on her neck. It was as if she was unaware she was sick. But he knew she knew better than that. She had to feel that.

"Really, I just don't know what came over me," said his mother, her sweet voice betraying her illness. "I came down with a silly old fever and passed out… Thankfully, that medicine helped calm it down."

"Well, you did give us a little scare, Holly," said Joseph, though little was an understatement. "Just let us work and we'll take care of you before we go." It was almost funny seeing his grandfather brush his mother caring for his mother, a middle-aged woman, as he would a little girl. But it just showed how much he loved her, willing to do anything for his child. And that included brushing her teeth, feeding her, and washing her up.

But it did not include changing her panties.

"I'm only kidding," giggled Holly as she twirled a pair in front of her embarrassed father. She set them down and turned her sons and asked, "Joutarou, Joaquín, would you two like anything for dinner tonight?"

The elder of the two was about to protest, but the younger beat him to it with a rather fierce shout. "No! You shut up and don't move!" The room went quiet, and the smile on Holly's face faltered. Everyone was surprised at how commanding Joutarou's voice was. It seemed to surprise himself as well, for he tipped his hat and calmly said, "Look j-just don't do anything until that fever goes down. Just get some rest and you'll be okay."

Holly's smile returned as she chuckled and laid back in her futon. "Everyone's so kind whenever I get sick," she said, her eyes resting on her sons. "I'm so glad I have such a wonderful family to look after me."

"Why wouldn't we," asked Joaquín frankly. "You're our mom. We love you." Joutarou, still looking away, gave a brief nod.

"And I love you all, too… Please be careful..." And without warning, she fell unconscious again.

"Mom," exclaimed Joaquín. Before he and his brother could approach, their grandfather held his hand out to stop them. He moved it to her forehead, his face one of suffering. This was hurting him as much as it did the brothers.

"Even with a high fever, Holly still puts on a brave face for us… We haven't spoken to her about it, but I could tell by her demeanor that she knows… She knows about her Stand… In fact… She's been trying to conceal it. She didn't want us to worry… Oh, Holly…" He knew his grandfather had gone through enough pain in his life. He did not want him to go through more loss at the hands of the man who plagued his family.

Joaquín took his mother's hand in his and spoke in a low tone as if she would be the only one to hear him. "We will help you. Don't worry. We will put a stop to him… And we will come back to you... I promise..." And then he hugged her as tightly as any son would his mother. He didn't want to leave her so soon as he had re-entered her life, but he had no choice. He had to save her.

After they all bid Holly farewell, the group had congregated outside, where Noriaki and Mohamed were waiting and still talking.

"You know," began Noriaki earnestly, "Holly-san certainly is an extraordinary person. Her very presence is enough to put any heart at ease, even in the most troubling of times. This may sound odd, but if ever I fall in love, I wish it to be a with a woman like her. Someone I could protect, whose warm, cheerful smile I could see."

"You've got a big heart, Noriaki," said Joaquín, patting the youth's back. "Don't worry. We'll all see my mother smiling by the end of this. Now let's not waste any more time. We've got a plane to catch." A black car pulled up for them, also from the Speedwagon Foundation. They had their belongings, which were kept to a minimum, placed in the trunk before all six of them departed for the airport. Looking back at what would be his new home, Joaquín silently prayed for her safety while they were gone.

It didn't take long to reach the airport. They had no problems getting through security and to their terminal. It would take a while before their plane left, so they all simply relaxed and waited patiently for the time being. Joseph had even bought them some food to keep them filled before the trip. But no amount of food could help them relax. A curtain of dread hung silently over them all. They all felt it behind their smiles and laughs.

And none felt it more than Joaquín.

He was deep in thought as he paced back and forth a considerable distance from the group. Going to Egypt to hunt a vampire sounds easy enough to anyone else, but I know it damn well isn't. Dio's not a fool. He's spent the last century to plan his revenge. He would be prepared for anything and everything. And he's had four years to amass a group of Stand users to hunt us in turn. Us? All we can do is try to survive. Nobody is safe from him or his lackeys.

There was so much that could go wrong. He could feel it in his heart. And Joaquín was certain the others felt it, too. Like with his mother's Stand disease, they didn't want to let it worry them. They needed to stay focused and prepare for anything that came their way. Despite the risks they faced, they were all willing to put their lives on the line to push through. They all had Stands. With their powers, they could tackle whatever that immortal bastard had to throw at him.

Joaquín took a moment to list them off in his head.

There's my Preciosa and Joutarou's Star Platinum, both fast and precise.

Abuelito's Hermit Purple, able to divine distant locations and people.

Mohamed's Magician's Red, who's the master of his own flames.

And Noriaki's Hierophant Green, which, according to him, can attack at long distances.

But as he thought about Stands, his mind wandered to Della. Not for the first time, of course. The fact of the matter was that Della Brown didn't have a Stand to call her own. Well, she has one, given that she was capable of seeing them perfectly. Mohamed confirmed that for them. But there was no way of telling when it will manifest. It could be today for all he knew. And until that happens, she's in danger, thought Joaquín worriedly. But his next thought was filled with resolve.

I will protect her. I will be her Stand.

All that pacing and thinking made Joaquín not pay attention to his surroundings. An abrupt turn was all it took for him to bump into someone and make them drop their briefcase.

"O-Oh, I'm so sorry," said Joaquín, looking flustered as he helped pick it up.

"No, it was my fault," said a male with a calm, silky voice. "I should have moved out of the way."

Joaquín stood up and handed him his briefcase. He looked like a businessman of sorts, wearing a periwinkle suit that matched his eyes. His hair was short and wavy, blonde, unlike most other Japanese men he had met. He looked as old as Joaquín, but the pronounced chin and high cheekbones made him look very mature and handsome. "You speak very good Japanese for a foreigner."

"Thank you. Are you going on a business trip?"

"Yes, actually. To China." The man adjusted his tie quickly before handing him a business card. It had a turtle in a blue box, over which read "kameyu". Turtle friend. I hope I read that right. "I work in corporate for Kameyu in S. City. Have you ever been to any of their stores?"

"Um, no. To be honest, I've only been here for a few days, and I haven't had the opportunity. I came to visit my mother, but something really important came up and I have to go."

"Really? Well, that's quite a shame." He could tell he meant it, despite his rather flat expression."Should you come back, you should make a home here in this country. If I may make a suggestion, try looking into housing in Moriou. It's a really beautiful town. I used to live there in my youth."

"I'll keep that in mind. Well, I don't wanna keep you. Oh, my name's Joaquín, by the way."

The man smiled and quickly shook his hand. He noticed that his nails looked rather neat and long. It sent a small shiver down his spine. "A pleasure," he said without even giving his name. And the two parted ways, leaving Joaquín to silently crumple the card in relief. As charming as he was, there was something off-putting about him that made him feel uncomfortable. Could it be that he's…

No, that's silly. Not everyone's a Stand user. And not every one of them works for Dio. 'Sides, he's going to China. It's not like I'll bump into him again.

"Now boarding Japan Airlines Flight 187 to Egypt at 6:25," called a woman over the intercom.

"Hey, Jojo," called Della from afar as she pointed out to the window. The plane had arrived and everyone was boarding. "It's time to go."

"Coming," he called back as he ran back to his group, ready to leave Japan. But before the two got on, he pulled Della aside, who asked, "Is something wrong? What did that guy say? You look a bit tense."

He shook his head and spoke in a concerned tone. "It's not that, but about our trip. Well, about you… Listen, Della... Do you... Do you really want to come? I mean, this is your last chance to back out You can ask to have your luggage removed and get a refund. None of us would think differently of you. It's just-"

"No, Jojo," she interrupted defiantly, her voice a decibel louder. She wasn't smiling, her bright eyes boring into him. It was the same look she gave him last night when they both got into an argument about her tagging along. He remembered how it had ended with her crying herself to sleep in a separate room. It was clear she didn't want a repeat of that any more than he did.

"You're my friend, Jojo. Do you really think I'm gonna let you go on your own to some strange place and never see you again? No. You're... You're special to me, damnit!" She suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled him closer so that their foreheads pressed together. Joaquín could barely smell her floral-scented shampoo as their eyes, blue and green, locked on one another. Della choked back a sob as she said, "I don't wanna lose you. I would never forgive you if you died out there on your own."

Guilt set in for making her cry again, just for suggesting she could turn back. Joaquín sighed and resigned himself to hug her tightly. "You can't forgive me if I died," he whispered into her ear, his voice calm and somewhat sad. "I can't forgive myself if you died. You know that. You know I would lay my life down for you as you would me. And as sad as that sounds, I'm honestly grateful to know there are such loyal people like you looking out for me.

"I'm sorry, Della. I care about you." He let go of her and wiped her eyes. "I mean, that's what friends are for. To look out for one another. Even if it does lead to arguments."

"I forgive you, Jojo," Della said, giving him a watery smile. "You're just someone who thinks about everyone ahead of yourself. There's a word for that, you know. Selflessness. And thus far, I think you're the most selfless person I've met."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Of course. Now let's not keep the others waiting." She held out her hand to him, which Joaquín took thankfully. After having such an emotional moment, and having just shaken an odd stranger's hand, he welcomed her grip. Without another word, they boarded their plane, ready to leave Japan for the trip ahead of them.

~+JO*JO+~

"...

"It's as Enya and I thought... They have sensed my whereabouts...

"They are coming to Egypt...

"...

"Joseph... Joutarou... and...

"... Joaquín...

"...

"You look just like him...

"I look forward to meeting you face to face... Jojo..."

~+JO*JO~

The time was 10:35 PM. Flight 187 was currently thousands of miles above the East China Sea. It wasn't a straight flight to Egypt. The plane would be making several small stops along the way, the first of which was Bangkok. Joaquín and the others had no problem with this. It just meant they would be getting to see different countries for a moment before heading to Cairo, where they would begin their search.

His grandfather and the others were resting. As for Joaquín, he felt on edge. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he felt an odd sensation emanating from where his birthmark was. He looked around. Everyone, including Della beside him, was fast asleep. He looked over his seat and tapped his grandfather's shoulder. The poor man jumped and turned to him.

"Abuelito, did you feel it too," he asked in a whisper.

"Yes," said Joseph hurriedly. He looked as shaken as Joaquín felt. "Just now, I felt like I was being-

"Watched by Dio?"

"Yes." His grandfather turned to Joutarou. Looking over the seat, he could see his brother looked just as disturbed as his relatives. He felt it too. "Joutarou, Joaquín, we have to keep our guard up. I feel as though Dio has already placed an assassin aboard this plane."

That didn't help calm Joaquín's nerves at all. The last thing he was hoping for was some agent of Dio to try and kill them here, of all places. Even more worrisome were the innocent people around them, who could be at risk of being caught in the crossfire of battle He only hoped it wouldn't have to come to a fight.

As he reclined back in his seat, Joaquín heard an odd sound. There was a buzzing mixed with the mixed snores and the hum of the plane. A low, angry sound like a propeller plane. Everyone around him seemed to notice, Noriaki and Mohamed waking up to the noise. He sat up straighter and peered around for the source. Sure enough, he found it in the shape of a large, slate blue stag beetle flying around. Joaquín sat back down and tried not to draw attention to the fact that he spotted it.

The bug flew over their heads as if ignoring them. He tapped his grandfather again and said, "Abuelito, there's a stag beetle on this plane."

"I noticed," he replied before speaking to Mohamed. "Avdol, you saw it too, right? Is that a Stand? Was I actually right about Dio sending an enemy Stand user?"

"Possibly," said Avdol. All the passengers seemed not to hear the buzzing. "I have heard of an insect-shaped Stand that likes to rip out tongues for fun. But it cannot be-"

"Joaquín, behind you!"

Della's cry made the group stand up and turn. The stag beetle was so close to Joaquín. He could see its crimson eyes and sharp teeth between its pincers. "Disgusting escarabajo! I'll crush you good!" In response to his threat, the bug opened its mouth to reveal a second mouth beneath its teeth. It reminded him way too much of the xenomorphs in the Alien movies. Joaquín got out into the aisle and summoned Preciosa. His Stand delivered a swift punch to this beetle, but...

It dodged?! But that's impossible! It's just an insect, there's no way it can be that fast!

The second mouth shot out at Preciosa's own mouth. He held up his hand to catch it, but it pierced through and it grabbed his tongue. Preciosa held it in place with his teeth before the beetle could pull away. The group swiftly stood up, ready to fight.

"Shit, this really hurts," muttered Joaquín, his hand now bleeding. "Mohamed, is this the Stand you were talking about?"

He nodded and clasped his head in worry. "Yes, it is him... 'The Tower', the card symbolizing destruction, disaster and interrupted journeys... The Tower of Grey! Its user was responsible for several plane crashes, derailments, and building fires... It is a mass-murdering Stand who specializes in these crimes. Last year alone, there was a plane crash in England that resulted in 300 casualties and one survivor. They all had empty pockets and missing tongues. I cannot believe this user is following Dio's orders..."

"Interrupted journey my ass! ¡TOMA!" Preciosa immediately tore away from the mouth-like tongue that pierced his hand and let out a flurry of punches. While the tongue was shattered, the Stand avoided each blow. He couldn't believe it. Not only did he avoid a single-handed punch, but also double-handed punches. Preciosa spat out the remnants of the bug's tongue just as another formed in its mouth.

Tower of Grey laughed and spoke in a buzzing voice. "You could be a centimeter away from me, you could shoot at me with ten guns, and you'll never touch my Stand! Not like bullets can hurt it anyway!" And then, it disappeared. Everyone began looking around frantically. The Stand user was definitely amongst them. They had to find him quick before it was too late. It took a moment, but they found the bug again, hovering behind a row of passengers. It flew straight through the chairs...

...and out the backs of four heads.

"Oh my god!" shouted Joaquín in disgust. The ripped-off tongue's hung off of Tower of Grey's tongue as his victims slumped over dead in their seats. "Y-You just-"

"Bingo", laughed Tower of Grey. "And now, in the name of Lord Dio, I'm gonna pull off one hell of a..." It then flew towards a wall and began writing with the blood from the tongues. M... A... Everyone gasped when it finished its own sentence with a chilling word.

MASSACRE.

Mohamed summoned a crimson humanoid with a bird-like head and flaming, feathery legs and wrist. Their surroundings immediately grew hotter by the second. So this is Magician's Red, thought Joaquín in amazement. This avian Stand seemed to give off so much heat, especially from his mouth. It became all too clear how powerful and dangerous this Stand was,

"I'm going to burn you to ashes, you monster," calmly said Mohamed, his Stand ready to set the bug ablaze.

"Wait," quickly said Kakyoin. "Don't rush into this, Avdol."

There was a yawn, beside them. Tower of Grey disappeared as an old and nearly bald man had just woken up, rubbing the sleep out of his tired eyes. "What's all that racket," he mumbled as he stood up. "What's going on? Hmm... Guess I'll just go to the bathroom." They watched as the old man shuffled past them, his hand unconsciously touching the bloody wall. He stopped and looked at his hand, then at the word the blood spelled out. It took a second, but he reeled back and his teeth popped out of his mouth.

"B-Blood," he gasped. "T-This is b-blood!"

They didn't need anyone awake to see this. Joaquín went behind the horrified elder and used his hamon to chop his neck and knock him out. He turned to the others and said, "We gotta work fast, but we need to not do anything rash. Mohamed, Magician's Red's flames could blow us all up. Plus, if Joutarou and I aren't careful, we could punch a hole in the cabin, and that's just as bad."

"So that just leaves Mr. Joseph and Noriaki," said Della.

"I'll handle this," said Noriaki, stepping forward as Tower of Grey showed itself before them again. "Hierophant Green is a quiet Stand. More than appropriate enough to dispose of you."

Tower of Grey huffed as it said, "Kakyouin Noraki. I've heard about you from Lord Dio. You defected from us to join these scumbags! If you know your Stand is a "quiet" one, then you should quit while you're ahead! You can't dream of catching me with your pitiful speed!"

"I don't think so". Hierophant Green, a biomechanical Stand with silvery green armor and lots of streaked and exposed green skin, manifested behind him. It held its hands a foot apart and formed a fountain of water in its hands. "Emerald Splash!" Tilting it hands, Hierophant Green began to shoot what looked like emeralds riding along tidal waves. It had to be a vision because nothing was getting wet. And nothing was being hit. The gems were swiftly dodged by Tower of Grey at impossible speeds.

The bug then launched its tongue and scrapped off the other Stands mask over its mouth. Noriaki fell to the ground with his mouth almost cut open and bleeding. Tower of Grey cackled and taunted him. "Throw all the projectiles you like, you can't get me! I'm to speed for the likes of you! Hahaha! Bingo! You're too slow! And now, Kakyouin, my 'Tower Needle' will claim your tongue!" Noriaki tried in vain to launch another Emerald Splash from the floor, but it did nothing as Tower of Grey dodged and prepared its fanged tongue.

"Don't you get it! Once I tear out that tongue, you'll be quivering with the pain of death! Now suffer!" It was drawing near. The Emerald Splash had failed. It was going to kill him.

"Noriaki," cried out Joaquín and Della.

"What's that," said Noriaki with cool confidence. "I'll be shuddering in pain when you tear it out? My Hierophant Green..." All too suddenly, silvery green tentacles shot out from empty seats and pierced right through Tower of Grey. It twitched in shock, unable to move. "..shudders in pleasure when it tears things up." The tentacles squeezed together and sliced the stag beetle apart in its grip.

"Hierophant's tentacles went under and into the seats," said Noriaki as he stood up. They could see that the Stand's feet had flattened and stretched out into tentacles against the floor. You could barely tell what it was doing unless you looked down. "I realized the only way to get him was with a surprise attack. That last Emerald Splash was to push him into their radius."

There came a pained noise below them. The man on the floor was awake and writhing. He screamed in agony and lolled his tongue out. It had a nasty tattoo of a stag beetle. They barely had a moment to examine it before the tongue and most of his head split apart.

"It was… It was him," said Della with horrific fascination in her voice. "Tower of Grey's user…"

Joaquín lifted the man up and placed him in his seat. "A horrible Stand attached to a horrible man." He looked closer at whatever was left of his torn head. "There's not a flesh bud on him. That must mean he joined Dio willingly."

"He is a man who enjoys chaos and robbing his victims," said Mohamed as he discreetly covered him in a blanket. "It looks like Dio payed him to do this."

It was still hard for Joaquín to swallow. Dio was paying these people to hunt them down. And it wasn't just ordinary Stand users either. As demonstrated with this man, he wasn't below hiring madmen to do the deed. Willing ones, at that. Now that he had a better idea of the type of users working for him, Joaquín can be better prepared for whatever they had thrown at them.

Except, of course, for the plane tilting. He wasn't prepared for that.

"Shit, this is bad," exclaimed Joseph. "Come on!" He motioned for them all to follow him as they ran all the way up to where the cockpit was. Two stewardesses saw them and approached them.

"Excuse me, sirs, madam," one of them said politely. "But passengers are not allowed to enter pat here. Please return to your seats."

"I'm sorry," grunted Joseph as he pushed past, "but this is an emergency!"

"Sorry, ladies, but he's right." The two stewardesses turned to the sound of Joutarou, Joaquín standing beside him. They fawned at how handsome they were, but they were moved aside as he and his brother followed their grandfather. As Noriaki stood behind to apologize for their actions, the group was greeted by a horrific sight. The pilots were dead, their tongues torn out. Blood splattered the windshield and the damaged panels.

"Oh man," whispered Joaquín as he beheld the disaster. The plane felt as if it was falling faster. "That bug must have come here when we weren't looking. He even screwed over the autopilot controls! We're fucked!"

"Indeed you are!"

The group turned to see the old man staggering behind them. He was bleeding profusely, looking half dead with his split head and tongue. He laughed maniacally and spoke in an almost incomprehensible garble.

"Interrupted travels! Accidents! These are the traits of my Stand's card! Even if you survive this crash, Egypt is still ten thousand kilometers away! Those who swore loyalty to Dio as I did will pursue you day and night! In this world, there are Stands the likes of which you can't possibly comprehend! And Lord Dio's reigns supreme over them all!"

The dying man pointed threateningly and cried out, "You will never reach him! You will never live to see Egypt," before laughing his last and crumpling to the floor. He was finally dead. The nearby stewardesses were shaking, but they didn't scream out.

"Very professional of you, ladies," commended Joutarou as he sat in the co-pilot's seat. His grandfather took the main pilot's seat and looked over the controls. "You didn't scream and draw attention to this situation. My grandfather's gonna make an emergency water landing. Do us a favor. Tell the passengers, and make sure they get some life preservers on. And cover up the four others who were killed before you do." He really was polite when the situation called for it. When the ladies had left, Joaquín laughed nervously as he went over to his family.

"O-Okay, there's no need to panic," he said as his composure slowly began to break. "It's just an emergency landing, no big deal. Uh, Abuelito, please tell me you can fly a plane."

"Of course. Its the same as flying a propeller plane." The confidence in such an absurd declaration had everyone looking at him as if he were a madman.

"Propeller," muttered Noriaki.

"What the- How is that the same?!" Joaquín was almost beside himself in exasperation. "The structure! The controls! You can't just pilot something if you've only piloted something completely different!"

"So, I guess this is a bad time to tell you all that this is gonna be my third crash." His grandfather turned to all of them and smiled. "Have you guys ever known anyone else who's crashed a plane three times in his life?"

With his composure finally broken, Joaquín screamed.

He was never going to fly with his grandfather again.

~GREY FLY: (1902~1988) RIP~