Funny thing, really. Three things happened that kinda hindered my progress on this. First, work. It's life, you know? Gotta make a living. Second, it's InkTober! If you wanna check out my work, check out hen_valor on Instagram. All the drawings are Jojo-based, so you readers might enjoy that. And third, I had to split this chapter into two. If I left it as is and finished it, it would have been much longer than other chapters I've put up. Hopefully nobody minds. With that said, enjoy reading and have yourselves a good October!

Ch. 34
Let's Go Forward

JANUARY 13TH, 1989
17:10
CAIRO, EGYPT

"What walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening?"

It was a question Mohamed asked everyone out of the blue. They had been relaxing in their seats as they took their train towards Cairo. At the moment, they were passing three immense pyramids in the distance: the pyramids of Giza. Somewhere close by was the giant structure of a sphinx that guarded them.

"That's an easy one," said Joaquín. "It's man, starting from infancy to old age."

"You are correct. This is the question asked to all travelers who crossed the sphinx, who continues to protect the pyramids of Giza to this day. Legends say that those who cannot answer the sphinx were killed and eaten."

"Don't tell me they believe that now," asked Jean Pierre, who was fixing his hair next to the fortuneteller. His question garnered a bark-like laugh from Mohamed, which made some other passengers jump and look bewildered at him.

"Oh, of course not! In this day and age, parents use it as a story to scare their children. And to serve as a subtle warning to not plunder from these titanic structures." He sighed and looked out the window. "Then again, legends never stopped thieves before. Like us."

The others gave him a rather confused look. "What do you mean by that," asked Della.

"We are thieves, in a sense. While we are travelling to save the life of Ms. Holly, we are also, in essence, travelling to steal the life of another. We are thieves, and Dio is the pyramid we are about to plunder. Before we can reach him, there are a few more sphinxes we must pass through."

It was an interesting analogy. They were thieves. All throughout their journey, they had faced traps, tricks, and sphinxes that hindered them. And they passed through them all just to get to their goal, even stealing several lives along the way. But unlike the men who dug within their homeland's catacombs out of greed, they were thieves with a selfless cause. They were saving and avenging the lives of, including that of Holly Kuujou.

"We've only got a handful of them left," stated Joaquín. "Four, right? Let's see… Nut, Osiris, Atum, and… And… Wait a minute…" He thought for a moment about the so-called Nine Glorious Gods of Egypt and the Ennead. We took down, what, ten, right?" Everyone around him nodded. "But Della said there was fourteen. I only count three when there's supposed to be four left. Who's the fourth? Mohamed, you have any ideas?"

Mohamed stood silent for a moment before saying, "Well, in some versions of the mythology of the Ennead, the god Horus I included among them as the tenth god. Perhaps the Stand representing him is the last of the four left for us to tackle."

"Hmm… That would make sense. But we won't know until we run into him. And kick his ass."

"Are we nearly there yet," asked an impatient Joseph, who was adjusting his fedora. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can start looking for the building."

"Abuelito, you can't be serious, right?" He turned to face him, sitting in the other row next to Joutarou. "I mean… we'll be in enemy territory. It's already sunset right now. By the time we actually start looking, we'll be in greater danger than in broad daylight. Dio's a vampire. He thrives in the night. And he could be anywhere in the city. The minute he sniffs us out in his domain, he'll pick us off before we could even react.

"Now, I'm all for wanting to start looking immediately. We're on a very tight time constraint… Mom.. Mom's only got a few days left. Three to four days, now, given that today's ending… But we gotta be smart about this. We can't stay in Cairo for too long."

Joutarou, who had remained silent since they received the awful news, agreed with him. "He's right. We should start looking tomorrow, as early as we can. We spend the day in Cairo and leave around or before sunset. And we certainly cannot stay in the city overnight. We get a hotel somewhere on the outside."

"Good call, Joutarou," said Mohamed, impressed by his train of thought. "We can book a hotel in Giza. While we are still at risk, it is still safer than staying within Cairo."

After several minutes, the train slowly started to lose speed. The cabin's P.A. system turned on to announce, "We are now approaching Ramses Station. Everyone remain seated until we have come to a full stop."

"We're here," said Della to her boyfriend in a whisper.

"Cairo," he whispered back. His heart began to beat hard in his chest with anticipation. They had travelled very far from country to country just to reach this city. Their adventure was slowly drawing to a close, and yet, it was far from over. One final obstacle lied in wait for them… The man he and his family were destined to fight… "God, this is it…"

"Is everyone ready for this," asked Joseph seriously. Everyone nodded in response. Even Iggy, who rested in Della's lap, huffed in agreement. They had been ready from the moment they departed Luxor. "Good... Let's keep our heads high and our bodies braced… Don't lose faith… And never give up…"

Their train eventually came to a proper stop. Everyone had grabbed their belongings and disembarked into the station. It was packed with all the natives and tourists coming and going, but they had no time to spend here among them. Joseph took a moment to make a call and joined the others as they walked outside. "I called the Speedwagon Foundation to take us out of the city. They've set up base outside Cairo and are still trying to investigate Dio's whereabouts."

"They have the picture, right," asked Della.

"Not yet. I'll ask them if they could make copies, too."

"Do they have a medical team with them," asked Joaquín this time. "I know it sounds weird, but given that we're gonna be fighting Dio at some point-"

"Oh, yes. No need to worry about that. They made sure they came well equipped. Of course, they can't fix my hand, if that's what you're wondering. The men who build my hand are back in America. But everything else, from stitching to resuscitation, these men can handle it all."

A van soon showed up, and while it bore no SPWF mark on it, one of its employees greeted them and took their luggage. They then drove out of the city a good distance until they were in the outskirts of another one. Giza, according to Mohamed. The plan for tomorrow was to have them be picked up after breakfast and taken back to Cairo to start their search. Until then, they bid their driver farewell, grabbed their bags and walked into the less-dangerous streets towards a hotel.

Along the way, Joaquín noticed that, among everyone else, Mohamed did not look too happy to have been back in Cairo, even for a moment. "Hey, is everything okay," he asked him. "You don't look like yourself."

Mohamed sighed and spoke in a somber tone. "I had anticipated the day I would return to my home. But at the same time, I was not looking forward to it. I do not know if any of you felt it when we arrived, but the station… the city itself… it did not feel the same as it did when I encountered Dio… His evil… It is everywhere…

"That's why we can't stay there for long. Because I knew his power had spread there. And given that he probably spent all four years of his revival there…"

"My home… how could I have been so… so cowardly to leave it in the hands of that monster..?"

"Nobody here thinks you're a coward. Not even Jean Pierre." The Frenchman in question gave him a nervous smirk, having called him out for this in the past. "You're one of the bravest out of all of us. Not to mention the smartest. Any one of us would have charged him. You didn't. You ran away to fight another day. And you coming back here, ready to face Dio again, is the bravest thing you can do."

To his surprise, a tear escaped from the fortuneteller's eye. Mohamed wiped it and gave out an almost choked, "Thank you, Joaquín."

Della touched his shoulder and assured him, "We'll free Cairo together, Mohamed. We can do it."

"I truly appreciate your sympathy. I should not dwell on this. After all, we have a grand task ahead of us tomorrow…"

~+JO*JO+~

And grand it was.

After a good night's rest and a hearty breakfast, the SPWF brought the group back to the outskirts of Cairo where they had begun their search. The foundation had made copies of the photograph left to them by Joseph, which would ease their search. It wouldn't make it easier, especially when they received this bit of news:

"We returned to the site where those nine individuals gathered," their driver told them. "Unfortunately, it had been completely cleared out. There's little evidence that it was inhabited, but otherwise, there's nothing there. We assume that Dio has changed locations since that gathering, and that the photograph you gave us is his current hideout."

So it was back to square one. Now the Speedwagon Foundation had lost sight of his whereabouts, and the only hint they had rested in Joseph's hands. They needed to find this building quickly. Holly had only at least three days left. They could not waste any more time. The minute they arrived into the city, they split into groups of two and three: Joaquín and Della, Joseph and Joutarou, and Jean Pierre, Mohamed and Iggy.

"There's a cafe right outside the city," Joseph said before they split. "Let's meet up outside the city around 4:30 and head out from there. Good luck, everyone."

The day was spent as they would have expected. They traveled through the city asking one stranger after another where the building in the photograph they showed them was. The answers were just as expected:

"I've never seen it before," said a teenage girl.

"Sorry, I cannot help you," said an elderly man.

"If you're not going to buy anything, then leave," said an irritable shopkeeper.

For some reason, nobody they approached could help them. Not even the elderly, who would have more knowledge about the labyrinthine city. Either they have truly never seen it before, couldn't differentiate it from other, similarly-structured buildings in the area, or there was something more sinister behind it all. Mohamed's words from last night rang in his head. Dio's evil was everywhere, something he slightly felt throughout the search. Perhaps he had anticipated them searching.

Perhaps he bribed the people of Cairo into not sharing any information with them.

"Do you really think Dio's that paranoid," asked Della when he told her this around lunchtime. They had topped in a cafe in the city for some sandwiches, and even during their break, they did not stop asking people about the building. Still nobody knew.

"Of course he would," said Joaquín, gulping down a bite of his meal. "He's the kind of man who has sent babies to kill us, assassins to silence other subordinates… Nothing is below this monster. That includes making sure our search was harder than it ought to be. But… At the same time, maybe his new hideout isn't a place people often visit."

"Maybe it's just an exclusive place. Like, they have to invited to even know about it."

Joaquín scoffed. "Like some Club Dio?"

"Maybe."

"Hm. Wouldn't that be something. We just find the place and it's some nightclub filled with blood, naked ladies and one pissed-off vampire DJ."

The two laughed at the stupid joke, the first genuine laugh they had since they arrived in Cairo. Given the stress they were under and how tired they were starting to feel, humor was a very welcome change of pace. After calming down, Joaquín finished his meal and said, "You know… when we go back to New York… What're you gonna do about your job at the antique store? You still wanna work there?"

"Well…" His girlfriend looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe. I mean, I do wanna launch a writing career. That's not changed. But I don't wanna leave Adam on his own. He's been getting along in years. He hasn't been able to run his store the way he used to back then.

"Of course. Can't stop aging. That's something that can't be fought, even with hamon. If he's really getting that weak, maybe you can talk him into retirement. Maybe sell the antique store, or just sell the antiques. Like a closing sale."

"Would that even work? If he does retire, I'd like to know that he's got enough money to live through his retirement without having to worry."

He nodded. "I believe so. Or maybe he can pawn them off. There's bound to be something among those baratijas that have incredible value. I mean, those paintings of Cajiga alone can fetch a lot if they're originals. It's worth looking into."

"I guess you're right. We won't know until we go back."

"Speaking of all that, what about your writing career? Have you thought more about those two stories?"

"Mhm. Most nights. I've been making notes every now and then and expand on what kinds of stories I wanna make. On top of that, well… I've been thinking…" She looked a little embarrassed now, as if what she had to say next was almost shameful.

"Thinking about what? Hey…" He reached over and patted her shoulder consolingly. "Whatever you have planned, there's nothing to worry about. I'll support you, Della."

"You won't get mad at what I wanna do?"

"No."

It wasn't much relief, but she continued on anyways. "I actually wanna write about this adventure… When it's all over, of course."

Huh… That's pretty unexpected, he thought. I thought she was gonna say she wanted to write some smut or something… A book about all this… That sounds rather interesting…

"Jojo, asked Della. "What do you think?

"Huh," he asked back, ripped from his thoughts. "Oh, sorry, I was just thinking. Uh, yeah, that's actually pretty cool. But, uh, if you were to do that, would you change some of the names and events? I think it'd be better if it wasn't exactly based on a true story."

"Of course. That's what I had in mind. I've been thinking about this back during the submarine trip. A book that everyone can enjoy, one that'll leave people hanging off every word, shocked by every twist, and laugh at every joke. All while leaving some things left unsaid or changed. Only we would know what truly happened these past almost fifty days."

"I'd like to keep it that way. So, do you have a title?"

She nodded. "How does Jojo's Bizarre Adventure sound?"

"A bit on the nose," he answered with a smirk. "That and if I'm the main character of this, I don't wanna be named Jojo. Use something else like… Antonio Belmondo? It was the name of my abuelita's dad and her mother's maiden name. As for the book itself…" He leaned back in his chair for a moment as he rattled off some names. "Heritage for the Future? A Bizarre, Egyptian Adventure? The Undead God? Starbound Crusaders? Lost-"

"Wait!" Her eyes widened as she leaned over to him.. "What was that last one?"

"What, Starbound Crusaders?"

Della silently mouthed those words for a moment before looking back at him excitedly. "Stardust Crusaders! That's perfect! Damn, I wish I had a notebook to write this down!"

"That actually sounds like a wonderful title," said a smiling Joaquín before finishing his sandwich. "And it'll be as crazy as this whole trip. I can't wait for it all to be over."

"As am I. So, you ready to get back out their and sweat our butts off?"

He was. With their moods lightened and their stomachs full, they left their money at the table before leaving back into the hot streets of Cairo. Of course, they continued to have horrible luck as they did before. Joaquín made it a point not to ask the same people twice if they happened to cross them, just out of kindness. But if we don't find it soon, thought Joaquín, then it may just have to come down to that.

About two hours later, after asking some other cooperative shop owners that couldn't help them, the two had bumped into Joutarou and Joseph on their way out. "Oh, hey guys. So hows it going on your end?"

"No luck," grumbled Joseph, who looked thoroughly annoyed with something.

"We've been getting nowhere today," said Joutarou. "I suggested to jijii that he take another thoughtograph of the building. Just so we could try and get a better angle of it."

"Do you have the pictures," asked Della. Rather than just handing them normally, Joseph simply took them out of his pocket and flung it carelessly before them. She knelt down and looked through them, soon standing up with some confusion on her face. "Wait… I don't get it, did you do something wrong? These aren't developed."

Joseph crossed his arms and huffed. "Oh, they are. Trust me. I've tried five times with my Polaroid. I even broke it, just to see if putting more power into the strike would generate a better photo. But all I've gotten back was crap. Normally, it would take a minute or so for an image to come up. Not this time."

"That doesn't sound normal," said Joaquín curiously. "What about a TV? I know it's risky, but have you thought-"

"I did," interrupted his grandfather. "And still, nothing came up. All I got for my efforts was static and an angry shopkeeper. It doesn't make sense…"

"No, it doesn't… A Stand's power shouldn't really crap out like that… My guess is that there's something else at work. Like, maybe since you're already here, Dio's caught on to what you're doing and blocked off the link between you both."

"But I'm not taking a photo of him or trying to read out his plans!"

"But you are trying to find him. And I think that's enough cause for him to put up a barrier. I know it sounds weird, but it's all I could think of that would make sense."

His grandfather didn't look like he wanted to believe it, but he was right. "God damnit," he growled, convinced by his grandson's theory. "It would… So now our only means of getting a better view of that bastard's hiding spot is gone. It probably won't work again until we deal with him."

"It's okay, Abuelito," reassured Joaquín, patting his back. "Don't let this eat you up. We just keep doing what we've been doing and keep searching. Cairo's big, but it's not that big. We can find it. Let's keep at it, okay?"

Their search didn't last too long. Hours had passed until it was finally time to leave Cairo. The sun was already in the east, and staying any longer was tantamount to suicide. The group had reunited in the outskirts and did one last sweep for information before they left. As expected, nothing came of it either. But the group was not disheartened. Especially Joaquín.

"I'm not gonna give up," he told the others as they waked out of Cairo. "Dio might have gotten lucky by changing locations, but his luck can only last so long… Eventually we will find him… And he will pay…"

Before they had left, a call was made to the SPWF for a truck they could use to travel back and forth between the cities. The foundation workers did not mind taking them themselves, but Joseph insisted to just borrow a vehicle so as not to impede their own investigation. Sure enough, when they were out of Cairo, there was a truck left for them and a note wishing them luck.

"They really are indebted to you, aren't they," said Jean Pierre as he hopped inside.

"They're more indebted to my family," answered Joseph, taking the wheel and driving off once they were all in. "Back then, my uncle Speedwagon was a London thug who loved to explore the world. He was tough, but he had a heart of gold. That man could sense good and evil in anyone's hearts. In that day and age, there was plenty of evil in the world. And he had spent most of his life seeing the rich as corrupt and selfish. Of course that all changed when he met Jonathan.

"When he first met my grandfather, he came to learn that he wasn't like all the snobby, greedy aristocrats he knew, but a pure-hearted, selfless man who was unafraid to lose his fingers if it meant saving his own father. Speedwagon came to admire him. He became his partner and closest friend until the day he died. Since then, he followed his example and paid it forward to people other than himself."

"That's where the Foundation comes in," said Joaquín. He started to feel some admiration to this Speedwagon. A simple act of kindness turned this man's life around to not only help the family of his best friend, but to benefit mankind. He would have loved to meet him.

"That's right. At the turn of the century, he came to America and crossed Texan deserts. He soon dug up an oil field and became one of the world's leading millionaires. With his his amassed wealth, he put all of his personal assets into medicinal advancement and wildlife preservation all around the world. Thus, the Speedwagon Foundation was founded in 1910, becoming a world-renowned, demilitarized biomedical research organization.

"But, as I'm sure you're aware, there is more to the Foundation than medicine. Back then, Speedwagon was researching the stone mask, the beings who created them, and the monsters they spawned. The "Supernatural Phenomenon Department" is the one that spearheads any and all investigations regarding the paranormal. Like vampires, Stands-"

"El chupacabra," asked Joaquín.

"Kappa," asked Joutarou, who seemed genuinely curious.

"Bigfoot," Della added sarcastically.

"No, no, no," denied Joseph, letting himself chuckle at the insinuation that they hunted after cryptids. "Thus far, it's only been on the undying and Stands, but they have been looking into ghosts. But they're the ones that have been helping us the throughout our adventure. And so long as the company stands, they will continue to aid the Joestar family whenever they're in need. Such is the last will and testament of Robert E. O. Speedwagon."

His explanation of the SPWF's founding and purpose seemed to leave an impression on everyone. Even Joutarou looked as if he had some new-found respect for the man they all owed their life to. They spent the next several minutes before they arrived at the small, Giza cafe, a sort of tourist sight with the pyramids standing silently in the distance. There were only a handful of people inside, each one relaxing in the heat and drinking.

"We still have a chance to ask around for the building," said Joseph as they entered. "Show these people the photo, but don't badger them. And ask for them back when you're done. We're running low on them. I've got some calls to make."

As his grandfather went to the phone, Joaquín and the others walked around the bar and once again asked the same questions to the patrons. Unfortunately, not even they could point out where the building was. At this point, they gave up for the day, vowing to continue their search tomorrow.

"Nobody knows where it is," grumbled Joaquín as he reached the bar with the others. "How the hell is this even possible…We've spent all day scouring the city… And I know we're all exhausted." The others seemed to not and grunt in agreement. "Someone's gotta know something… Someone..."

"Cairo has a population of six million and two to three million buildings alone," said Mohamed plainly. "Our search was never going to be easy. However you do have a point, Joaquín. Certainly… Someone must know. There is no way somebody has not seen this building at some point in their lives."

It was around this time Joseph had come to the bar, a grim look on his face as he rested his hands together on the counter. They all gathered to him, waiting to hear the bad news he undoubtedly heard over the phone.

"It's gotten more urgent. I called the Speedwagon team here. They've made no breakthroughs. Their luck is about as bad as ours. On top of that, my Hermit Purple has failed to make a new photograph ever since I took one of the building. Joaquín has surmised that Dio might have put up some type barrier between our link to him. Nothing works… And… I also called Japan… Holly…" The poor man swallowed before revealing Holly's current fate.

"Holly has fallen into a coma last night."

It was getting worse. Holly was truly in her last stages. Joaquín felt sick to his stomach. His mother, who he had just reunited with, was dying. A part of him wanted to forsake his mission and return to her in her last moments. But the greater part of him burned with the desire to set things right and save her. With an edge to his voice, he said, "Waiting around for a miracle won't save her… It's like I said the other day… She'd want us to keep going… No matter what."

Joutarou, ever stoic and not showing how deep the news had affected him, had spoken up and said, "Mom won't be alone, though… While we're here, she'll have company who won't leave her side. They're doing all they can to help. The Speedwagon doctors… and Suzie obaasan."

While everyone had been hospitalized from the fight with Nephthys and Anubis, Joseph's wife Suzie had left New York to visit her daughter in Japan. She didn't know what her daughter or husband was going through, but in her heart, she knew something was wrong. She had decided to stay with Holly and keep her company, believing in her family that all will be okay. They had discovered this around the same time they were recovering, although Joaquín didn't speak to his grandmother.

"You're both right," he said quietly, giving his grandsons a reassuring smile. "Holly won't be alone… None of you worry about that… We'll all do our part to help her." He then turned to the bartender. "Excuse me, sir?"

The bald, mustached man behind the counter stopped cleaning his cups and approached them. "Welcome, foreign travelers," he courteously greeted. "How may I help you?"

"Yes, there's something we have to ask you." Joseph set down one of the photos. "We've been looking for the building in this photograph. Have you seen it?"

He didn't even look at it. His gaze at the group was stony, but not at all malevolent. "My foreign guests… This is a cafe. Please order something first."

"Ah, you're right. Six iced teas, please."

As Joseph took out some money to pay for the drinks, the bartender was both pouring their glasses and looking at the photograph. When he had finished, he took the money and turned his back on them. His answer came as no surprise. "I've never seen it before." Without pressing any further, the chugged down their drinks and slammed their glasses on the counter in unison. A sense of unaccomplishment could be felt all throughout, mixing horribly with the news of Holly's condition.

We've gotten nowhere today, Joaquín thought discontentedly. And there's a chance we might not get anywhere tomorrow. But we're not stopping. No way in hell… I promise you, Mom…

"Lets go, everyone," sighed Joseph as he for the others to leave with him. "Let's keep asking."

"That building… I know about it. I've no doubts about at building."

Everyone swiveled back to who spoke. It was a handsome man sitting alone at his own table. He looked like a casino employee with his white shirt and maroon, gold-trimmed vest. His wavy, auburn hair was kept short, and his horseshoe mustache parted in the middle. Along his cheeks were grey strips lined in rows, almost like a snake's underside. He sat with a bottle of unopened scotch and was busy shuffling a deck of cards, which he placed on the table and slid them into a ring.

"W-Was that you," asked Joseph, his voice trembling with hope. "Did you say that just now? We heard someone say that they knew!"

The man nodded and politely answered, "Yes… I said I was certain I knew where that building in the photo is." He sounded as if he came from the western U.S., but his accent was more subdued than that of Hol Horse's.

The entire group lit up and spoke almost at once. "Are you serious," Joseph nearly shouted.

"We are very grateful, sir," thanked Mohamed.

"How lucky are we," exclaimed Jean Pierre. "We've finally found someone who knows that photo's location, and easily, too!"

They were. Perhaps too lucky. But none of them were complaining at all. Joseph showed him the photo and excitedly asked, "Where is it?! Can you tell us where it is?!"

No answer, except for an impressive trick. He tapped one of the cards, and all of them managed to stand up right, like reverse dominoes. They stood upright for a moment before resting their edges on one another, perfect and unmoving. He then asked, "Did you think I would tell you for free?"

"O-Oh, that's my bad." Joseph reached into his pocket and pulled out an Egyptian bill. "I'll pay you ten pounds. So where is it?"

The man chuckled, this time adjusting his sleeve. He then wiggled his hand for a moment before swiping an ace of spades from his sleeve so fast it looked like he drew it from thin air. "I love gambling," he said with a sly smile. "I have an eye for stupid thrills. I can't help but be addicted to it. Well… gambling is how I mostly make my living. How about you? Do you like gambling?"

Joseph's eyebrow raised. "I… don't know what you're getting at."

"If you don't like to bet then please, be honest about it."

"That's why I'm asking, what're you trying to say?"

With a sigh, Joaquín stepped up to his grandfather and said, "Abuelito, isn't it obvious? He wants to make a bet with you."

"And if you win," said the gambler. "I'll tell you the location, free of charge."

"No thanks. We're kinda strapped for time as it is to be making gambles." His eyes fell on the ring of cards for a moment. "Or playing poker. So just take the money and tell us where that building is. You want extra? Here." He pulled out twenty more pounds to add to his grandfather's offer. "Thirty. Take it."

But again, he ignored the money offered to him. "You can make a bet on anything, really. It won't take long. For example… Take a gander at that wall behind me." Looking over the man's shoulder, they could see a grey tabby cat leisurely walking along the top of a short, stone wall outside. The man then took two slices of some smoked meat from a plate on the table and threw them blindly to the dirt behind him.

"Alright! Now, why don't we make a bet on which slice of smoked fish that cat'll go for first? The right? Or the left? Which one'll it be? It might seem boring, but there is a thrill to it."

Jean Pierre finally snapped and voiced everybody's ire at the current situation. "Hey! Look here, you bothersome bastard! Just take the fucking thirty pounds and tell us immediately, you-"

"Relax, Jean Pierre," said Della, resting a gentle hand on his arm. "There's no need to take it out on him."

"She's right," agreed Joaquín, who eyed the man with as much annoyance as the Frenchman. "Look, I don't wanna play along with him as much as you do, but maybe we should. Just do it so we can get that info, okay?"

He looked at his his comrade with a raised, shaved eyebrow and then slammed his hand on the table determinedly. "Okay! I'll call you're bet! He'll take the fish on the right! The right!"

Satisfied, the gambler then said, "Good! Now we'll have some fun. Well then, I bet on the left." Everyone's attention turned back to the cat now, still prowling on its perch. Looking at the two strips of fish, Joaquín had to surmise that it would go for the right. It was more meat than the other strip, which he reasoned was why Jean Pierre chose it. All in all, this looked like a very harmless and boring bet. However, looking at this man, with his confident smile and his icy blue eyes…

"Gentlemen," Mohamed whispered discretely to both him and Joutarou. "Does this man come off as suspicious to any of you..?"

"Just a smidge," replied Joaquín as low as he could. "I mean, he's pretty adamant about all this gambling nonsense. And he won't even take any money. What kind of person won't accept money for information they already know?"

"He could be an enemy Stand user," pointed out Joutarou. "Then again, it's just gambling. Maybe he's just a bit crazy."

"All the same, boys," the fortuneteller implored. "If this man shows even the slightest sign of something strange, drive your Star Platinum and Preciosa into him."

The brothers silently agreed as they focused on both the gambler and the cat. The latter stopped in its tracks and sniffed the air, turning its attention to the fish laying out in the heat for it. It looked like it was time to see who would win the bet. But then, it occurred to Joaquín that, while they knew what they would win, nobody knew what the man wanted in return if he won.

"By the way," started Jean Pierre with a confident smile. "What do you want if I end up losing? How about a hundred pounds?"

"I don't need any money from you," he said politely. "How about your soul? Your soul will do... Hm hm hm…" The Frenchman clapped his head, perhaps thinking that his bet was utterly stupid. But, even when he halfheartedly agreed to do it, it was an odd wager to make… As this happened, the cat finally bounded off it perch and eyed the pieces of free food before it. "Ah, here it comes," he said in a hushed tone. "Not a sound. And please, restrain the dog."

As odd as it seemed, Iggy didn't need any restraining. He looked at cats with the same disdain they do with uncooperative humans. Joaquín knew this when the two had crossed some cats back in New York. He never glared, raised his hackles, or even barked. Perhaps it was because in some ways, cats could tell Iggy was like them, carefree and uninterested by the differing species.

"Aha," exclaimed Jean Pierre. "Ce minou va pour le droit!" And indeed it was, for the cat had immediately bounded for the right strip of fish. It looked like he was about to win this bet. But, as soon as he had his hopes up, the cat did something absolutely unexpected. It zipped to the left, grabbed the smaller bit of fish, and then zipped to the right to grab the one it was aiming for in the first place. This unnatural act left almost everyone dumbfounded.

The gambler, however, chuckled in amusement. "Well, would you look at that," he said with silky triumph. "Looks like I won."

"Hey, you lost, Polnareff," pointed out Joseph, gripping his shoulder consolingly. "But hey, what can you do? Finding out about this building… Nobody said it wouldn't be troublesome."

"Alright. A promise is a promise. It's time to pay up."

Jean Pierre looked bit befuddled. "Pay..? What are..?"

"The hell do you mean by 'pay'," asked Joaquín, who didn't like where this might go. "With his soul..?"

"Exactly," confirmed the gambler. "His soul. That's what he bet with a while ago. His soul!" His crafty smile did not falter as he spoke with such venomous politeness. "I'm a Stand user that takes away souls! Making bets is what makes human souls easier to take from their bodies! Taking them from there is my Stand's ability!"

It was as Mohamed had warned the brothers. This man was one of Dio's assassins. A Stand user that had lured them into a trap. There was no denying his claim about soul stealing, for when Joaquín was about to go over and beat him, Jean Pierre screamed. Turning around, he and everyone else were met with a horrific sight. The Frenchman's screaming, slightly opaque soul was in the veiny, muscular grip of a purple, alienesque Stand.

Jean Pierre's body, meanwhile, slumped over unconscious onto the table.

"Polnareff," cried out Mohamed as he caught his limp body.

"JEAN PIERRE, NO," screamed Della, as they watched the Stand take him away.

"Now, hold on," announced their enemy, just as the satisfied cat jumped onto his lap. "Don't think about killing me. It's too late for that. If I die, then so too shall Polnareff's soul! If you want to save him, then you have to keep betting with me! Oh, and by the way, this little fella's my cat, Howard."

So that's how this bastard won, realized Joaquín, whose blood boiled at the deception. This was all planned! He knew which slice needed to go where and how that cat would take them! He taught him and used him to cheat!

"My Stand is the Divine Osiris," continued the gambler, smug and cross-legged in his seat. "And my name is Daniel J. D'arby. That's D-A-R-B-Y. The D has an apostrophe after it. Polnareff lost his bet. Therefore, I took his soul."

He turned back to his friend and knelt at his side. His eyes were blank, and he looked completely unresponsive. Joaquín then took his hand and felt for his radial artery on his wrist, pushing two fingers against it once it was found. A moment of silence, and then...

"He's got no pulse," he said quietly. He didn't feel cold. His anger and hatred towards D'arby burned hotter than any dread could chill him. "He's dead… Jean Pierre's dead…"

Meanwhile, Osiris had gotten his suction cup-tipped fingers all over his captured soul and started to compress and mold him like putty. Jean Pierre made one final cry for help before he was nothing but a shapeless lump. The Stand then let go of it and clapped it flat. When it opened its hands, something small dropped onto the table. It was a poker chip with a green and white checkered rim. And in its white center was the resting visage of Jean Pierre Polnareff.

D'arby picked up the chip and showed it to everyone, saying, "This here is Polnareff's soul… I removed one of Lord Dio's obstacles, and quiet early, too… Quite the fool he was…"

And now we begin one of the most tense fights near the end of the story. I had fun with this one, even when it came to adding more to the chapter after I split it. The references to Jojo as a whole and a nod to Castlevania were something I've thought of for quite a bit. So I thought it'd be appropriate for Della to wanna make a series out of their adventures, given how her story ideas are based on Araki's older work. Anyway, I'm kinda thankful for both the anime and OVA for having a bit of material to help lengthen this chapter. It helps explain certain things and expanding on them nicely. Of course, I try not to use too much of it, given my main inspiration for the story's the manga.