How is it that my word count on WPS Office (Like Microsoft Word) is so high, but when I put it here it ends up being 1000 words less? Maybe it's how the words are counted up on here? Idk. It's no big deal. The story isn't damaged in any way. Speaking of which, as always, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Ch. 33
Big Deal

JANUARY 13TH, 1989
08:30
LUXOR, EGYPT

Back when she was little, Della Brown had always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling. She was an only child to both sets of parents. And when she had asked them for one, she gotten different responses. Her birth father had had a vasectomy (which he passed off as some teen accident) and her adoptive mother had her uterus removed to prevent cervical cancer. She never got a brother or sister as she had hoped.

And yet, despite everything she had gone through these past few months, she never saw her friends as brothers. Sure, they had looked out for one another and shared some interests and humorous experiences siblings would, but she never truly felt a sibling bond with any of them. She didn't understand why. Perhaps it was because she hadn't spent enough time with them, or their clashing personalities.

No, that's crazy, she thought to herself with a brief, humored smile. If that were the case, then how could Jojo bond with them so easily? It's not just because they're men. They all have clashing personalities… He's not as stoic as Mohamed or Joutarou, nor is he air-headed like Jean Pierre. So how..? Maybe once he gets back, I can ask him.

"Come on," whined Jean Pierre, ripping her out of her thoughts. "What're they doing? How can they be slower than women getting dressed?"

"I'm right here, you know," Della chided at the sitting Frenchman. They were all outside, waiting for Joseph and Mohamed to come down. Jojo and Iggy were also supposed to be back from his locket hunt by now. And yet, they they stood, still waiting. Just where is everyone, she thought as her stomach growled. I understand Jojo, but what could be keeping the others..?

Jean Pierre stood up and stretched. "I say we just go to a diner now. We're all hungry, so why not?"

"But they won't know which diner we've gone to. They could end up lost."

"Are you kidding? Iggy can sniff us out. He can track us all the way to wherever we go."

He was right, but… "I want to play things safe," she said, leaning against a pole It'd be rude to just go without them."

The Frenchman grumbled and looked away. But his disgruntled scowl soon softened when his eyes were drawn to some children playing by the road. Three girls, poor in looks, sat happily in some mud, using cups and making little crude cakes with the sludge. They were pretending to be adults, idly chatting about mature topics. The sight was certainly a heartwarming one.

"It's nice to see innocent kids like this, isn't it," asked a smiling Jean Pierre.

"Sure is," said Della with a chuckle. "It's a refresher from what I've had to see in New York. The kids back home are a little less than innocent. You know how many run-ins with gum and spitballs I've had cause of them?"

"Well, it all comes down to how they're raised and where. Kids are very influenceable, you know."

She turns to Joutarou, who was looking down at his watch and asked, "What about the kids in Japan, Joutarou?"

All he did was shrug and say, "Jijii and Avdol are running late…" They were. A bit more than usual now that she thought about it. It was almost nine o' clock and they still weren't here. Della would have thought Jojo to be back, given how he rushed out to retrieve his locket, but he wasn't. And while Joseph was old (69 years old), he wasn't that old that he'd be taking almost half an hour to get ready. Did something happen on their way down?

"Maybe they've encountered an enemy."

"I don't wanna think that," sighed Della, "but you may be right. It wouldn't be the first time we were attacked leaving a hotel."

"Do you think we should go look for them for a bit," asked Jean Pierre.

Joutarou didn't even wait before he started walking. "Yeah. Yare yare daze…" There was nothing they could do just standing around. She and Jean Pierre followed, keeping their eyes and ears peeled for their friends.

Several minutes passed into their search, and there was no sign of any of them. They were keeping their search close to the hotel, assuming the others would have an easier time being found if they were nearby. But they had no such luck. Maybe they've wandered out farther? Darn, if only Iggy were here, we'd find them almost immediately. But Della dismissed quickly dismissed this. Or maybe not. He's pretty unpredictable. He'd probably just wander off on his own causing trouble…

Speaking of trouble, she could sense some right nearby, a cold, killing intent best reserved for those working for the madman Dio. It crept up slowly behind her like a shadow, sending a chill up her body. And following it came a soft, tinkling of bells. Della turned around to find a short, bespectacled man in an open, striped purple shirt held by suspenders. With his curved upper lip, beady eyes, and massive, burgundy wings for hair (tied with bells at the bottom), he looked like an overgrown vulture.

When they made eye contact, his stoic, murderous gaze snapped to surprise for the briefest of moments. He played it off as looking around as if he lost something. "U-Um… U-Uh," he stuttered as he lifted his glasses to scan the ground and toe around. "I dropped my coin… Uh… Where is it..?"

She wasn't falling for the act. "Excuse me," asked Della sharply. "Can I help you with something?" The man looked up at her, then looked around as if she were talking to someone else before curiously pointing to himself. "Yes, you. What do you think you're doing? You were following us like you wanted to hurt us."

"She's right," spoke up Jean Pierre, who had stopped to confront their stalker as well. "Don't tell us you're not out for our blood."

"M-Me," asked the man with a disingenuous smile and a thin, lifted brow. "You're talking to me? W-what do you mean? I got these eyes from my parents. I'm not out for anyone's blood. Oh, look!" He pulled out a coin from within his shirt. "Here it is!"

His act was so fake, and his nervousness shone through the sweat beading on his face. It was too pathetic for even Jojo to laugh it. Both All My Love and Silver Chariot appeared beside their users, fists and rapier aimed straight at the man. "If you really mean that," said Della coldly, "then you have nothing to worry about. But that's not gonna stop us from taking any chances. You could be a Stand user… And if you are… then you better pray…"

It was obvious he was one. His calm facade was betrayed by his sweat, which seemed to increase when Silver Chariot's blade nearly grazed his chin. He looked ready to break at any moment. But that never happened. Instead, his shadow beneath him warped somewhat. While it took his shape, its head became rounded with a pointed crest, and a pair of green, dead eyes blinked into existence. And then, it shot straight for the two, barely grazing their feet before they jumped out of its path.

"That was close," barked Jean Pierre as they landed. The shadow shrank back and turned its head to show off its crest and cruel beak. 'So you are a Stand user!"

He didn't answer, nor did he smile. He must have only wanted to make himself known, for he did nothing else except turn tail and run for his life.

"H-Hey, come back here," shouted Della before running after him.

"W-Wait up," called out Jean Pierre, who followed after. He then shouted out behind him, "Hey, Joutarou! It's the enemy! The enemy's shown himself!"

"Jean Pierre, let's split up! We can catch him easier if we trap him!"

As they chased him down the street, Della quickly ducked into an alley away from the two men. Knowing how some of Dio's assassin's worked, this Stand user would have ran into one as well in hopes of losing Jean Pierre. But if her idea worked, then she could catch and ambush him. But as she went between the homes and shops, everything seemed to be growing farther and farther away. Her clothes also seemed to be growing heavier on her.

What's going on? Is this an illusion? Did touching that shadow cause this? Did Jean Pierre get affected, too?

She then turned another corner and bumped into something large and covered in cloth, which made her yelp and fall to the ground. What did she hit? When Della looked up, she saw that they were pants, belonging to a large, bearded old man with worry on his face.

"Oh, I am so sorry," he apologized in a high voice,. "Little foreigner girl! Are you okay? You're not bleeding are you? Here." He knelt and easily helped her to her feet. He was so gigantic. "Why don't I take you home? You look very hungry."

"N-not right now," she said hurriedly. "I need to help my friend! Thank you, though!" And as Della resumed her chase, her mind slowly clouded with mounting worry. Something really bad happened, she thought as she kept running down the street, avoiding the towering pedestrians she passed. Everyone's so big… and… I feel small… My clothes are all heavy and… my voice sounds so high..! Just what the hell did he do to me, shrink me or something?!

And when she took a quick glance around, she came to a stop. There was something disturbing reflected on a store window. A shocked little girl looked back at her, thin with light brown curls on her head. Bright green eyes shone on a freckly body was swimming in a red tunic and a black undershirt and leggings. Boots swallowed up her legs. And on her ears were a pair of pearl earrings. The same one she was given for Christmas.

This is… no… it can't be… is that...

Then Della looked down at her body, and everything horrifically made sense.

"I-I've been turned into a kid," she yelped. "That bastard turned me into a kid! And-" She had another realization, just as awful as this. "And if I'm a kid… then that means-"

"Hey! You there!"

An equally high but boyish voice called out to her. She looked beside her and saw, to her horror, a young Jean Pierre running after her. She knew it was him because of that short pillar of silver hair and those half-heart earrings. But now he looked like a brat, with buckteeth and faint freckles on his cheeks. his large clothes hung loosely to his small body, and he was missing a shoe, as well.

"Did you see him go by," he asked as he caught up to her. "A guy with big hair like wings?"

"Jean Pierre, it's me, Della," she squeaked.

"W-What," he yelped, stopping to look up and down her body. "N-No you're… wait… you're the same size as me..! But everyone else-"

"Is bigger because we've been turned to kids," she finished before turning his head to face the window. "Look!"

The realization slowly settled in for him when he gazed upon his younger self. "N-no way..! This boy… this brat... Impossible..! I'm a k-k-kid?! How am I a kid?! Mesonges, mesonges, mesonges!"

She took a hold of his shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. "Listen, I'm just as freaked out, too, but we have to calm down and plan this out. That guy's shadow is his Stand. Stepping on it is what made us kids. Right now, we're in massive danger. We need to get help. We can't fight this guy in this state."

"But who should we-" He stopped when his attention turned to someone walking by. Della turned and saw that it was a tall boy wearing a navy blue cap and jacket. She knew him. And so did Jean Pierre. "H-hey, that's-

"Hey," called out Della to the boy, whose attention turned to them. "Jo… Jou…" She stopped, but not because of his stoic gaze. "Joe… No, Johnny… Jordan..?" Della had forgotten his name. But… I know him, she thought, confused that she would forget. I know him, but not his name? He's so… familiar… I know he can help us… So why can't I… Did turning into a kid… make me forget my adulthood..?

"Hey," he addressed her gruffly, his stoicism hiding only the slightest hint of worry. "Just now, did you two kids see a Frenchman and a girl around? The man is about my height, the girl shorter. Their hairstyle is almost like yours."

"O-Oh, that's me," said Jean Pierre excitedly.

"And me too," squeaked Della, knowing well that he was talking about them.

The youth's face was unreadable. She couldn't tell what he was thinking at all when he looked down at them both. But it was clear that he didn't believe them when he turned around and walked off, muttering in a different language, "Yare yare… Kodomoni kiitanoga machiga idattaze…" She was supposed to know this language, and she was supposed to know him. But she didn't, and it made Della feel crushed and afraid.

No, she shouted fearfully in her mind. We need his help..! He's the only one that could help..! Both she and Jean Pierre tried running after him, only to stop when the vulture-haired man who turned them into kids stepped out from an alley. His cold eyes, cruel smile and chuckle froze them both in place.

"You've both have the body of children," he said silkily. "That is to say, you both have the brains of children, and your memories will slowly revert back to your current age. Heh heh heh… I guess it's time, then? Picking on the weak… I just looove it..! I'm so great…"

They didn't need the confirmation that they were children, but the memory loss was worrisome. She could feel her time as an adult slipping away. The boy beside her… All she knew was his name, and that he was a Stand user and her friend. Everything else was a blur. Her journey, her friends… and the man who made her feel like the most special woman in the world. She couldn't even remember him, and it made her want to scream at this man.

But she had no time for him. She needed to get the youth's attention again. She and Jean Pierre tried running past the man, but he stepped in front of them and blocked their path. "Sorry," he growled teasingly. "Ain't letting you through, you little urchins!" The man chuckled and knelt before the children, whispering even as the youth was out of earshot.

"You know, I can't say this out loud, but it's in my nature to bully the weak… Heh heh… I think I have a perverted personality… But, you wanna know what I always say? 'If you think you're weird, then you really aren't.' With that logic, I'm not weird at all. And it gives me a the sense of security I need to know that I'm not gonna lose to a bunch of kids…"

They were in deep trouble, and they needed to get away. They needed help.

"MISTER," cried out Jean Pierre frantically behind their predator, "WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS, HEL-" He couldn't even finish his sentence as he was kicked right in the stomach and into the alley. Della tried to say something, but his large hand muffled her. He rushed her into the alley as well and pushed her onto her back. She saw the silver-haired boy trapped within some pipes and planks from an awning the moment she landed on her back.

As she slowly got to her feet, aching from the impact, the man parted his shirt to unholster a gun. "That being said," he muttered ruefully, "my only mission is to end your lives." He then took out out a stubby pipe and affixed it to his gun's muzzle. It was a suppressor, from what she could remember. "Unfortunately, I've got no time to bully to bully you two." And then he took aim at Della. Fear slowly started to swell up inside her. She had no means to defend herself this close. She was doomed.

The man shot several rounds at Della, who instinctively closed her eyes and waited for the piercing pain of death. But it never came. After a few seconds of nothing, she dared to peek and saw several bubbles floating between them, having caught the bullets. And beside her was a pink, fairy-like spirit in a magenta, hole-lined bikini armor. She was about as tall as Della.

"Huh… So this is All My Love… I had hoped that you wouldn't have your Stand, given that you never awakened it until just recently..." He looked at the bubble in annoyance. "But I guess a near death experience summoned it early. And as a kid, just like you."

He's right..! My Stand..! I remember it now..! But this young… it has to be weaker than before..!

"She's not the only one with a Stand," cried out Jean Pierre. "I've had mine ever since I was a kid! Silver Chariot!" And so he summoned a silvery, robotic knight with a rapier. But his appearance was stunted, just like his user, and it was quite a shock to the French boy. "Oh no! He's a kid, too! Come on!"

"As my Stand, Divine Sethan, can make you revert to children," started the man, "it can also do the same to your mental strength. In other words, your Stands will come out as children! And just as underdeveloped as you both." He chuckled sadistically and reached into the other side of his shirt. "Do you understand?" When neither of them answered, he muttered, "So you do… Good kids…" and pulled out a large, silver axe from within his shirt.

His shadow, which he called Sethan, blinked to life with the axe in his own hands. As it grew and loomed closer, Della backed herself against the wall beneath the now-struggling Jean Pierre. "But, even though it has such a weak power… the fact that you can still use a Stand…" His Stand was now against the wall, both his and user's axe raised and ready to strike. "… means that I must kill you with my own..!"

"No!" Without giving it much thought, Della used All My Love to fire several bubbles at both the man and his shadow. The merely cracked the wall and made the killer wince slightly and chuckle.

"What, did you expect to knock me unconscious or something," he sneered. "I told you, your Stand is underdeveloped! I know about your bubble's concussive and conductive properties already. And these… All I feel is a kid's slaps on my skin, you little brat! On top of that…" The shadow's hand and axe oozed out from the wall into existence, becoming physical. "You can't hurt my Stand at all! Now watch as I kill Polnareff! He's all mine!"

The blade swung for both Jean Pierre and Silver Chariot, defenseless in their perch. But as he shouted "OH NO!" in fear, his Stand tried valiantly to block the oncoming strike. While he succeeded, the force of the blow broke off the thin blade. The man laughed at his misfortune before said blade spun down and pierced into his neck, making him lose his composure and panic in pain.

"S-Serves you right," said Jean Pierre with false bravado. "I was aiming at you the whole time!"

"Hurry, get down," called out Della "Come on, we gotta get out of here!"

The boy fell in a bloody, dirty mess from his perch, but he immediately scrambled to his feet and grabbed the blade from their attacker's neck The children then ran out of the alley as fast as their little legs could take them.. They needed to get as far away from him as possible and get the help they needed. Rather than finding the youth in the jacket, they ran into a tall, kindly woman with a cloak over her head. "Oh my," she gasped concernedly. "Are you both okay?"

Della looked behind her to see if they had been followed. Thankfully, their attacker hadn't. He wouldn't dare approach knowing there was another adult in the vicinity. This woman's presence alone gave them safety. But it wouldn't be for long.

"Y-Yes, we're fine, lied Della, trying to move past her. "We're looking for a friend of ours, and we need his-"

"Hold on," she interrupted. "What about your friend's injuries? And all that dirt on you? What happened?"

"W-Well, uh… I… we…" How was she supposed to explain to her that they were attacked by a Stand user? She wouldn't understand. Della could barely understand it herself. "I… We have to-"

But the woman stopped her when she grabbed them by their hands. They tried struggling away from her, but her grip was both firm and strong enough to lift them off their feet. "I don't know what's going on, but it won't do to find this friend of yours in your current state. You both need to be taken care of. Come, I'll clean you both up."

This wouldn't do. They needed to find the youth so that they could confront Divine Sethan again and restore their adulthood. But, thought Della as she slowly calmed and walked with her, as long as we're with this woman, he won't attack. Maybe this is a good thing… We can both think of a way to get him ourselves while we get cleaned up… Yeah… We'll have time… He'll come to us again… Just not near her…

~+JO*JO+~

"You think that guy followed us?"

Both Della and Jean Pierre were taken to the woman's home, who kindly introduced herself as Malèna, and were being drawn a bath. They were both looking over the balcony over the city as they spoke. And there was no sign of their attacker, or of the youth whose name they forgot.

"I don't think so," responded Jean Pierre, wiping his bloody forehead. "What should we do if we see him again?"

"We grab him by the neck," answered Della with a mean smile, "and beat him until he turns us back into adults."

"How?"

"With our Stands! Your Silver Chariot's sword might not be strong, but it is sharp. You could poke his eyes out! And my bubbles can hit him in sensitive spots!"

The boy giggled, and playfully punched her arm. "You're so evil! But the nice kind. I like it."

Malèna, who was testing the water in the tub nearby and listening, couldn't help but chuckle. "My, what strange imagination you have," she said, thinking that they were playing. Della couldn't blame her. Even if she were an adult again, this woman would never understand her. "You're both very interesting children. Are you related?"

"No," said Jean Pierre. "We're good friends."

"I see. Now then… " She began to undress to a silky camisole. The little boy looked absolutely enraptured, ogling at her beauty. "I want you both to undress. Girl, if you wish to bathe on your own, you're more than welcome. But you, boy… I have to wash you myself. Get all the mud off and put some medicine on those injuries."

Della didn't waste time undressing, but she immediately climbed into the bubble-filled bath without giving the boy a chance to see her. I don't know why, she thought as she turned off the water and started scrubbing her hair, but I don't want him to see. I'd rather someone else. Someone… I know… Or, I should know…

As Jean Pierre floundered, whined about his premature masculinity and drooled over Malèna's beauty, Della tried her hardest to think. She wanted to remember her adulthood, and the friends she had met up until now. But it was a massive blur. All of it. And all she could remember of those friends were shadowy figures. An old man in a hat, a black man in robes, the youth in blue and his friend in green, Jean Pierre himself, a little dog…

And the man she wanted to remember the most.

She felt a deep connection to this mysterious man, more than she had with anyone. And she wished she could find him, just to look at his face and maybe remember something, anything about him. But try as she might, he too was a blur. All she could vaguely recount was a smile and a warm, feeling of safety just by thinking of him. The rest of him, including his name, was a mystery. However, odd as it may seem, this man reminded her of someone she could remember:

Lobo…

She had memories of this boy, with his messy hair and his constant smile. They had met around this time when she was little, and became fast friends. She remembered he had problems pronouncing both his and her name. So she told him to call her Adi and him Lobo. Three days, and one horrible night that changed her life… But he made her feel special and safe in the time they spent together. He meant a lot to her, and she had hoped that somehow, that boy would find her here in Egypt.

"Now let's wash your hair," Malèna stated.

"Non non non non non," fussed Jean Pierre in her grip. "I hate shampoo!"

It would take a miracle, she thought as Jean Pierre and Malèna played rock-paper-scissors to determine his hair's fate. I shouldn't get my hope up on that. What would be the odds of meeting him here? She looked over and saw that the boy had lost his battle and gave in to the woman's careful washing of his silly hair. Slim… But we both need to focus on who's here now… We still need help finding and taking down that man.

As she was finishing up washing her body, she heard Malèna ask in her sweet, soothing voice, "Does that sting?,"

"Yes, it's stinging my eyes," whined Jean Pierre.

"Well, can you wash it on your own?

"Of course I can!"

"Hm… Good boy…"

Della's blood ran cold. That voice, and those words… They did not belong to Malèna at all. And when she turned back to the two, she gasped in shock. The woman was gone, and standing in her place, washing poor Jean Pierre's hair with his grubby hands, was Sethan's user.

"I'll say it again," he gushed after a chuckle. "Good boy…"

The man's shadowy ax reared from behind him, just as both All My Love and Silver Chariot burst out. A flurry of bubbles shot at the man from the tub, but he shrugged them off and grabbed Della by the throat with both his giant hands. Malèna was nowhere in sight. Where was she?

"You're the least of my problems," he said as Sethan's axe slammed into Silver Chariot's wrist. The strike not only pinned him to the wall, but it made his user's wrist slice open in a spurt of blood. "A weak, pathetic little girl with a Stand to match. Your bubbles don't mean jack to me!" He then plunged her head into the water, trying to choke her. She could hear him with her Stand, taunting and laughing. "They're about as useless as your own air bubbles!"

She tried to struggle free, but his grip was too strong. All My Love's continuous bubble shots did nothing to faze him. And when she pulled the bath's plug to drain the water, he pushed her head against it so that her hair would clog it. "It's gonna take quite a while before this water drains," he pointed out after a giggle, looking hungrily down at her from above the water. "So can you hold your breath until then? It'll take maybe five or ten minutes. In the meantime- OUCH!"

As his attention was focused on Della, he didn't notice Silver Chariot had aimed his rapier at him and fired. It made direct contact with his neck once again, throwing him into a fit of pain. The distraction was enough to not only free the Stand, but for Della to pull her hair out of the drain and gasp her way out from what would have been her watery demise.

"Y-You little half-pints," he growled as he pulled out and tossed the blade. "That's the second time! What kind of kids are you to make me look like a fool like that?! Have you no basic human morality?! No real hero would think like that… You're not good kids at all! Not good kids!"

"Shut up already," shouted Jean Pierre in as he pointed an accusing finger at him. "L-La dame… Où est-elle?! Where is that lady?!"

"He's right," piped up Della, joining the boy at his side. "You did something to her! She couldn't have just disappeared that fast! So just tell us where Malèna is!"

The man's composure slowly returned to him, his face turning smug and cold as his arms crossed. "Where… do you think," he asked coolly. But when the two tried to approach, he hurriedly said," Watch your feet! If you step on her, you'll kill her…"

Step on her? What do you mean..? She looked around the bathroom, but there was no sight of her. The only evidence of her even being in the same room as them was her camisole left on the floor. But when she looked at it, she felt a cold dread in her heart. She knew what was under there. She just knew. He had done it to her as well. Cautiously, she approached the pile and lifted the hem of the fabric. Laying inside, shrunken and slimy like an uncooked chicken…

Was Malèna, regressed to a fetus.

The man wiped off the blood off his neck, still looking and sounding smug "All who cross my Divine Sethan's shadow… will steadily grow younger. In both your cases, because you noticed my attack and jumped out of the way in an instant, you ages regressed to… I'd say seven, eight years old…" His smile then widened maniacally, excitement spilling into his voice. But this woman stood in my shadow for at least a dozen seconds! She's turned into a fetus! AH HA HA HA HA!

This guy's so sick, thought Della, both disgusted and horrified. How can anyone enjoy this kind of stuff..? He's not normal, no matter what he might think..!

"It's alive for now, but since she's not in her mother's body, that fetus will obviously die! This woman… just seeing you and getting involved is why she's frying now! Such a stupid bitch!"

Della had enough. She aimed All My Love's Fist at him and started to blow a large bubble at the end of it. "She did nothing wrong," she growled. "She didn't deserve this..! We're the ones you want, not her..! You… You… You..!"

"Hm? Me what?" He leaned in with a cup ear. "Tell me, Della? Or are you so angry that you can't think of anything witty to say?"

"You… are a horrible monster!" The bubble shot straight for him, but he kept his teasing posture. He must have thought it wouldn't do anything, given how her previous bubbles barely fazed him. But not this time. The bubble exploded against his face and knocked him against the wall. She then shouted, "Now! Grab her and let's go!" Jean Pierre scooped up the tiny bundle where Malèna rested and ran out with Della. Not far behind was their attacker, scrambling to his feet and giving chase.

"Jean Pierre, we gotta find a way to beat him faster," she said frantically, running out into the living room of the house. "If we don't, Malèna will die!"

"I-I know," he panted as he cradled the clothes close to him. "She took care of us… This lady was so kind and gentle to us… We… We have to save her..!"

"And we will! Just come on!"

Their little feet could barely outrun their attacker, who cackled and hounded them through the house like a mad hyena. "Why's running and protecting a dying fetus that important to you both," he shouted after them. "Especially when I can do the same to you?!"

Nobody needed to look behind them to sense the creeping shadow of Sethan shooting after them. Della sidestepped out of the way, but Jean Pierre could barely do the same. His body shrunk a bit more, losing several more years. He was probably a four year-old now. "O-Oh no," he squeaked as they rounded a corner. He nearly stumbled, one of his earrings falling off. "W-We gotta hide! He got me!"

"YAHOO," screeched the man as he skidded behind them. "Oh, this is fun! At this rate, victory will be mine!"

All My Love shot more bubbles from behind, but they barely stopped his advance. The two soon came upon a room and swiftly ducked into it. It was small, containing only a clock, a fish tank and lamp on a small table, a teddy bear, a mirror, a bucket and broom, and-

"A window," pointed out Della. "Quick, lock the door!"

While Jean Pierre locked the door, she set up the bucket and climbed up to the windowsill. There was no glass, but there were bars. She could barely fit her arm through the gaps, and there was no way she could break or bend them with her Stand. It was like they had entered a jail cell. Behind her, she could hear more cackling and the jiggling of the door handle. "Locking the door's useless," he taunted. "I can still get in!"

We can't hide anywhere, she thought worriedly. If we go in the clock or even the bear, that guy will just tear it up with his axe! The tank won't do anything… Oh man, do we just try to fight? Can we even-

"Oi, Joutarou!"

Someone's voice reached the room from outside. Looking out onto the streets, she saw a sight that made her heart skip a beat. It was the youth in navy blue, but it was someone else's voice who called out in that strange language. She could hear him approaching and asking, "Min'na doko ka?"

"Wakaranai," replied the youth to the man who ran into view. He was tan with messy hair, a black tank top and dark jeans. He was also joined by a little black and white dog. Both looked very exhausted. "Dera to Porunarefu o sagashiteita. Dokoni itaka?"

"Sutando tsukaitachi. Shikashi, sarani futatsuarida… Soshite, karerawa ima, tanin o tsuikyuushiteimasu!"

"Yare yare daze," muttered the youth, pulling the cap over his eyes. "Yoshi. Oretachiwa sorera o mitsukeru hitsuyouda."

"Hayaku, hayaku!" He then began to hurriedly call out "Della! Jean Pierre!" into the streets. She knew he was talking about them, and she wanted to get his attention. But I don't know his name! Neither of them! And if I try, what's to say he'll recognize us! They can't help, but we need them to!

And then, Della caught a glimpse of his face as he passed by He had a chiseled, mature look, and his eyes were a bright blue that blazed with both care and mischief. He might be an adult, but she knew whose face it belonged to. She might have forgotten in her adulthood, but she certainly didn't forget it now. That face belonged to-

"LOBO," she screamed through the gap of the bars. "LOBO, WE'RE UP HERE!"

The man, who recognized his nickname, quickly looked up and went pale the moment his eyes landed on her at the window. "Della," he shouted back, and he immediately jumped up to the window. Grabbing onto the bars, he looked in and was shocked to see the state they were in. "Oh god, that Alessi got you, didn't he?"

He must have been referring to their attacker. "Yes, yes! We're trapped! He's on the other side of the door! And he turned us into kids with his shadow! There's a lady, too! He turned her into a fetus! Please, help us!"

"Alright, hold on!" A pair of black-gloved hands grabbed the bars just as there was a splintering at the door. Della looked back to see the so-called Alessi cutting into the door with his axe. Meanwhile, Lobo was growling and pulling with all his might. The bars were bending in his grip before he broke them off and pulled two more. By the time those came off, the door was cut through by the axe, leaving behind a jagged hole for Alessi's ugly face and wriggling tongue to peek through

"Heeere's Alessi," he taunted. "Here I come, ki-"

He stopped when he saw Lobo tearing into the room like a raging beast. With a frightened scream, he lot his bravado and ran away from the door. But he wasn't going to get away. Lobo and his Stand, a slick, pale-gold boxer, punched the door off its hinges and sent it slamming into Alessi. With the attacker down, he approached him and stepped onto the broken door, which let out a pained squeal from beneath.

"Alright, enough games," he said with authority. "Turn every one of them back, or I will beat you to death. Understand?"

When there came no answer, he pushed down hard on the door and made Alessi yelp in more pain. "O-Okay! Okay! Get off! I'll do it! I'll turn them back to adults! I swear!"

He was exactly as Della remembered, that caring, charming boy who befriended her. His seriousness and bravery shone through as bright as it did all those years ago when he defended her murdered family. She admired him for these qualities back then, and seeing them once again made her heart swell. Oh, Lobo, she thought with a sigh. If only I was older… I would kiss you so hard…

"And I swear to god, if you use your Stand against me," warned Lobo as he yanked his prey to his feet by his suspenders, "I will knock you back a few years myself. Do you understand?"

"O-Okay," gasped Alessi. "Okay! Look, I'm doing it!"

His shadow blinked several times. Before they knew it, Della, Jean Pierre, and Malèna began to grow back to their normal sizes and ages. All of her memories came flooding back to her, from her teenage years to the hectic adventure that was her adulthood. And it was now that she remembered that Lobo was none other than her best friend and lover Joaquín. Her Jojo.

"Y-You did it," she happily cried out. "Oh, thank God, Jojo, you did it!"

"Where were you, anyway, asked Jean Pierre ad he set the passed out Malèna gently on the floor. "Last I heard, you were chasing after some thieves, right?"

"Stand users," he said shortly, grabbing and holding onto a fistful of their former attacker's wing-like hair. Alessi looked absolutely pathetic now that he wasn't hovering over them like a vulture. "They told me you guys and Abuelito were being chased by two other Stand users: Mariah, who has a magnetizing Stand, y este tonto. I saw the others just as they crushed the girl with a bunch of magnetized junk, so I wasn't too worried."

"Your timing couldn't have come sooner."

"You're damn right. So, you guys wanna get your clothes back on?"

The excitement of being back to normal made Della forget that she was standing naked in front of three men, one of which was naked as well. On realizing this, she covered herself and ran out to the bathroom where her clothes were. She grabbed them and immediately changed away from Jean Pierre, who wasn't as perturbed about his nudity. Her mind was set about who she would rather see her naked, and it definitely wasn't the Frenchman.

When they both returned to Jojo, Joutarou had joined his older brother in the little room. They had cornered the now cowering Alessi, who was so scared that he couldn't muster up anything to bargain with.

"So, are we going to send him to the hospital," asked Jean Pierre as they approached.

"We gotta aim it right if we wanna land him a room there," answered Joutarou plainly.

"We were too lenient on him when he turned us to kids," pointed out Della, whose eyes bore into the whimpering man.

"Then let's make doubly sure we don't hold back." said Jojo with a smirk.

All of their Stands, including the now adult Silver Chariot and All My Love, greeted Alessi with glowering smiles. All four of them pummeled into him with their fists and sword, letting out their frustrations on this man for all he put them through. With one last blow, they sent him fling out the window into the streets. Whether he landed in a hospital or not didn't matter.

Alessi was retired.

~+JO*JO+~

Several things happened after the encounter.

The first of which was Malèna catching up to the group as they left, looking for both Della and Jean Pierre. Or rather, the children that looked like them. She said nothing to her, but her eyes expressed her silent gratitude for the hospitality. The Frenchman, however, denied seeing any children. When Malèna pushed him more, even showing off his missing earring he left behind, he reassured her sternly that they were foreigners and have never seen her in their life. And why he did it was clear.

He wanted to protect her. Her getting involved with them would only endanger her life again. Jean Pierre would rather die than see that happen again.

"Not a word, guys," he choked as they walked off. "Not a word."

Reflecting on everything that had happened during their escapade, Della grew to respect Jean Pierre more. He wasn't the best at times, like when he shows off for women, but he was a very wonderful and courageous man. Not to mention selfless when it came to others' well beings. He reminded him of Jojo in some way. Were she not taken, she would probably have grown to love him. But instead, she had grown to see him as someone she could look up to. Someone she always wanted in her life.

A brother.

The second thing was their reunion with Mr. Joestar and Mr. Avdol, who had returned from their fight with Mariah and Goddess Bastet. By the time they had cleaned up and sat down at a diner, it was already lunch time. They took this opportunity to tell each other of their battles, relax, and, most importantly, use Joseph's camera again. They were so close to Cairo now that a thoughtograph would greatly help them locate Dio's whereabouts.

And sure enough, with a non-shattering strike to the Polaroid with Hermit Purple, Joseph was able to procure a photograph of their final destination. It was a tower belonging to some old building, walled off from society. It was almost like a metaphor of sorts, with the wall blocking their way. But Della was certain that they will break through and finally reach the man who had caused too much pain and suffering to too many lives.

And the third thing was the horrible news they were leaving town:

"I just phoned Japan… My daughter's condition has worsened… Her strength is already reaching its limits… She only has four.. maybe five more days left…"

The shock was felt through all of them. It's almost too late, Della thought worriedly. We've wasted more time since we got to Egypt… If we dawdle any longer…

"Then we need to get a move on," said Jojo seriously, his eyes burning with their usual determination. "Mom wouldn't want us to just mope and kick ourselves. She'd want us to keep going. Now let's go! Cairo awaits!"

It wasn't the biggest speech, but it certainly was motivating. He's right. There's no stopping now. We've come too far... Holly's life can still be saved… And we'll see it through that it is! With her heart steeled and her will resolved, Della held her head high like her friends and made their way to the train that would take them to their destiny.

To Cairo.

To Dio.

~+JO*JO+~

"Damn... It's so dark… Can't see a thing… Where is that sonovabitch, anyway..? 'S damn near hard to find him in this mansion… I'm certain that room was over here somewhere… The one Dio's in…

"Hm..? What in… These're Dio's… leftovers… Blegh..! These girls sure weren't unwilling to let this guy suck their blood… I don't get their mentality..! Then again… he's got the devil's charm… What a terrible man, that Dio… Plus, all these treasures and artwork… How's he able to get this crap, wherever and whenever he wants it? It's like there's nothin' this guy can't do…"

"What… do you want..?"

"Huh..? Dio..!

"... m-my lord…"

"What do you want..? I'm listening, Hol Horse…"

"Er… Uh… U-Um… R-Reportin' to you… The seventh, eight, ninth and tenth of the Nine Glorious Gods, the Thompson siblings, Mariah and Alessi… have just been defeated earlier…"

"...

"... And..?"

"... A-And… that's my report… The Joestar group'll arrive in Cairo tomorrow… where the last four of the gods are…"

"I said and… because of you, Hol Horse…"

"Huh..?!"

"When will you go and defeat them for me… Hol Horse..? You say you swear allegiance to me… and yet you haven't gone to fight them at all…"

"I-I've fought-"

"Do not lie to Dio, Hol Horse… You fled when both J. Geil and his mother Enya were defeated by the Joestar group. In fact… if I remember correctly… you fought back against Enya… alongside Joaquín…"

"I-I didn't… She was… W-What about that girl, Lennox?! All she's done is sit around, give you reports and mope around like some-"

"Still your tongue and show your respect towards her…"

"Y-Yessir…"

"...

"Lennox is an exception… Her Stand and her body are completely unfit for combat… Even if she so chose to, I daren't send her to fight for me… She is also like me, a vampire… Yet despite these shortcomings, I keep her… She is excellent company, for one… And for another, her Stand is useful…you may say it is flawed… And you are correct… Her Stand is a one-way bridge of transportation, but it is also a bridge of communication… You should know this by now…

"Every report I have received came through her Stand… Sometimes, if others are too busy, she herself will relay news to me… She may not enjoy it… she may hate me with every fibre of her being for making her serve me, but she does continue to do so… And she has shown more loyalty to me than you have as of late. Were it not for you, she would have reported to me of those four's loss…

"What I'm saying, Hol Horse, is that anyone can be an information liaison… But there is a difference between you and her… While Lennox has shown undying loyalty… you… have not… You have failed me twice… And then you fled… and dared to return to me…"

"..!

"...

"..?"

"From the neck down is the body belonging to a man named Jonathan Joestar. He was once Joseph Joestar's grandfather. Look at my fingers… See how the left heals its wound slower..? The left side of my body is weak. This is proof that I am still not completely used to it…I am not invulnerable… I am still unprepared to face my foes… This time, please kill the Joestars for me…

"Otherwise… I will kill you…

"...

"Well… What're you waiting for..? Hurry up and go…

"...

"Are you really going to shoot me..?"

"H-Huh?! H-He's gone…"

"I like that…"

"...!"

"At that moment, when you were about to kill me… you didn't break a sweat… and your breathing had an undisturbed calmness to it… Just as I'd expect from you… Hol Horse…"

"...

"...I-I couldn't see his m-movements..! A-And even if I could… there was no way he could get behind me without breakin' the cobwebs..! It wasn't speed… So how..?! How did he get behind me..?! I don't get it… Just now… Was that Dio's Stand, The World..?! And he said he ain't ready to fight the Joestars..?! That's bullshit..!"

"But I… f-finally… I understand, Lord Dio… What more can I do… but to follow you to the bitter end…

"You… c-completely beat me…"

~MARIAH: RETIRED~

~ALESSI: RETIRED~

I hate Alessi as a character, but he was pretty nice to write. Plus his Stand, despite being used to fuel his creepy nature, isn't that bad. A shadow that can de-age? He's got a literal fountain of youth! He could make some mad money off of that. But, he chose a life of crime. He'll never know what it's like to help others with his Stand.

As for Malèna, I actually named her Lori for a bit. I changed it back because I honestly had no idea she was given a name. Just something I wanted to point out.

So I had to go back and fix a bit during the end involving this Lennox character. I was gonna make her a separate character like Enya, but I changed that to fit better with something I had in mind down the road. So what's her relation to Dio? Why does he keep her, if not for her Stand? You'll have to keep reading to find out. Her Stand was made as a way to explain how Dio's assassin's have been able to get to the group so quickly. And how Dio's been able to find out if they failed or not. I felt that little thing should have been better explained in the story proper.