Disclaimer: I do not own the JJBA franchise at all. Nope. Do not sue me, I am in financial distress.
Previously on Arancione…
"I would sell your soul to the devil right now for a 5-minute shower, Polnareff." I answered back blankly.
"Never mind, forget I said anything!"
"You thought I was targeting you, Jean Pierre Polnareff?!" the rag doll repeated as it guffawed in laughter, as if the mere idea was ridiculous. "Fool! I was targeting the red-headed girl that Lord Dio ordered me to kill! He said that she was the most troublesome and the weakest, but because you changed places with her and guarded that pesky brat, I had to lie in wait! If you hadn't found me in my hiding spot, I would've been successful in assassinating her!"
"The Joestar bloodline!" I said, snapping my fingers as an idea appeared in my head. "Mr. Joseph, if it's possible that you could feel Dio's presence and detect his whereabouts using Hermit Purple, then he could be using the same bloodline connection to spot and watch over us as well! He could either be using his connection with Jonathan Joestar's body and you or Jojo's to keep a watchful eye over our movements."
"This means that he's not just killing us off for collateral or fun, but also considering us on an equal threat level as Mr. Joseph and Jotaro." Avdol finished, his amber eyes hardened.
"I'll ask Kakyoin to use Hierophant Green to help with the search. Jotaro and Anne would come by the room a few minutes after I talk to them, so expect them inside the room after you finish your shower." Polnareff informed before he left to head to Jotaro and Kakyoin's hotel room.
As I sat myself down on the balcony chair, I suddenly felt my entire body feel weightless. The peace and silence of being alone was so welcoming after the chaos of being in battle and frantically chasing around everybody else, making sure they wouldn't die.
Should I talk to him about it? I wondered as I placed my chin on my palm for support. Sometimes I feel like the walls he placed around him is too tall to overcome, but I have to at least try. He can't be alone in what he's going through. I can't let him feel as if the burden of the world is on his shoulders.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid. I'm the one who has to carry the world on my shoulders, not him. Stupid Jotaro and his hero complex." I said. "Nobody should feel the way I do. Nobody."
"I won't allow anyone else to feel the way I do. Not even him."
Chapter XIII
They Aren't Who They Say They Are
I didn't realize I fell asleep until Anne came bursting in the door of the hotel room and slamming it open.
Of course, as I was the epitome of grace and sophistication, I ended up garbling my words of surprise and falling off the chair I sat on. When I tried to sit up from the floor, I ended up hitting my head on the underside of the table and cowered slightly in pain.
"Arisu!" she called. "You wouldn't believe— but Jojo and Kakyoin— and then there was a beetle— and then Kakyoin grew bigger— and then—!"
"Okay, whoa, slow down!" I said as I slowly stood up from my place on the floor, holding the sore spot from where I hit my head against the table tenderly. "I don't understand what you're trying to say."
"Crazy! Crazy things are happening and I have no idea why!" she finally said, holding her head in distress as she shook her head from left to right. "What the hell is going on with you guys?! You all are mad!"
I stared at her for a moment with a quizzical expression before sighing loudly. My action snapped Anne from her freak out session and she quietly watched me as I headed towards her to shut the door before I slowly nudged her to take a seat on one of the beds of the hotel room.
She took a seat by the edge of the bed and I took a seat beside her. She stared at me curiously and tried to hide her nervous anticipation by clenching her fists, but the way her lips quivered and her body shifted slightly were all the signs I needed to tell that she was expecting some sort of bad news from me.
And frankly, she was right.
"Honestly, I don't think you should keep tagging along with us on our trip." I said evenly, watching as Anne's face morphed into disappointment and slight resentment. "We can't keep you safe and after the few days you've been with us, I think you can assume how dangerous our situation is right now."
"It's not like I have anywhere else to go." Anne mumbled in annoyance, looking away.
"And I know the story about your father is a lie too."
This time, she snapped her head to face me so fast that I was slightly afraid she would strain. As if caught red-handed with her hand in the cookie jar, her embarrassed expression and red-tinged cheeks was all the confirmation I needed.
"But… but how?" she asked, her voice small as if she didn't expect to be caught.
"Anne," I started with a tinge of exasperation in my tone. "Did you really think all of us completely believed that you had a father waiting all the way for you here in Singapore?"
"Then why did you let me come along then?!" Anne yelled, hopping off the bed to face me by standing right in front of me. "I don't need your pity! I'm doing fine on my own!"
I narrowed my eyes at her and sent her a cold glare.
"No, you're not." I said curtly. "Had we not saved you from jumping overboard back in Hong Kong, you would've been killed by the fake captain of that ship. Had we not saved you from getting involved with the orangutan from the freighter boat, you would've been killed and hurt. Had Polnareff not sent you away from the room to protect you, you would've been the first victim to go."
At my words, Anne took a step back. Reality seemed to seep in as she held her face, horror washing over her expression as she slowly realized what I was saying was right.
"Say what you want about being independent, but right now you're basically leeching off us to get wherever you want because you don't actually have a place to go." I stated firmly. "If I'm wrong, you can try and prove it by sending a message to your father right now to pick you up. I'll see it personally myself that he can take care of you or whether he actually exists."
I stood from my spot on the bed and walked across the room, grabbing the telephone and picking it up.
"Well?" I asked, handing the wired device to the younger child in the room.
She stayed quiet for a few moments, her shoulders tensed and fists clenched. She glared down at me, but I didn't feel the hostility due to the presence of tears leaking through her eyes.
"You're such a bitch!" she yelled as she tried to run away.
"No, that's not happening." I said coolly.
Lucky Knight appeared by the door, blocking the exit effectively. Since her body was directly in front of the door, Anne crashed against her chest with her nose bumping against the metal plates that supported her front and causing the child to fall back.
"What the—"
"Cut it out already!" I snapped irritably. "I'm trying to have a proper conversation with you! You're such a brat, thinking that things will go your way if you run away from your problems and yell at people you dislike!"
"You don't know anything about me!" Anne yelled. "You just want me gone!"
"Of course we don't know anything about you, you idiot." I said in annoyance. "You don't open up, you lie to us, and you're using me and my friends as a way to get free food and lodging. We've told you so many times that you can't come with us on a journey where we can die, but you're too stubborn!"
"I don't want to listen to you!" Anne yelled. "Help! Help! I'm being kidnapped!"
And just like that, I had enough.
I stomped over to her and without even giving a second's thought or notice, I slapped her across the face.
The action shocked her so much she froze, her eyes wide in disbelief as she gingerly touched the cheek I had slapped and looked at me as if she didn't expect me to act the way I did.
"I'm horrible with kids, but I know that if somebody keeps spoiling them and letting them get their way without accountability, they'll just mess up things for other people and keep being troublesome!" I said, crossing my arms. "You acted selfishly and rudely to the people who are trying to help you. At this rate, I have half of mind to leave you to the immigration office of this country and let them decide what to do with stowaways like you!"
Slowly, Anne's glare turned fiercer as she shoved me back. Her anger was seething as she tried her best to give me the same kind of look that would try to convey how much hatred she felt for someone like me, a complete stranger, to lecture her and try to discipline her the way I did.
"You're not my mom!" Anne cried. "You don't get to act like one!"
"And we're not your friends, so you don't get to treat us like we are either."
My harsh comeback against the child was what broke her. She sniffed, trying to maintain her angry façade, but the tears and the sobs broke through as she ended up crying loudly. She fell to her knees, rubbing her eyes as she tried to rid herself of the incoming streams of tears that fell on her cheeks, but was unsuccessful as she continued to sob uncontrollably on the floor.
I felt a bit regretful for causing her a lot of distress, but I needed to get my point across. Knowing that the others would either let her stowaway with us or just throw her carelessly aside, I had to take matters into my own hands. Anne was a child who probably grew up independently, but due to that independence she had gained a lot of pride in her decisions as well as her actions. If she continued to go down a path where nobody would criticize her or make her believe that her actions had consequences, who knows what kind of trouble she would get into in the future?
It wasn't my place to act as her guardian, but I didn't appreciate her ungrateful behavior either. She was a child, but it was because she was a child that she needed to be taught a lesson, even if it meant breaking her heart in the process.
"Once you've calmed down enough to be part of a proper conversation, I will let you leave the hotel room. If you continue to act like a brat, I'll just stay quiet and won't let you leave." I informed her dully as I sat back down on the chair, munching on the chocolate snack bar quietly and ignoring Anne's tantrum on the side.
She didn't give up without a fight. Despite not having a stand and not being able to see one for herself, she still tried to leave the room using the door. When she couldn't get past the 'invisible presence' that was blocking her from reaching the handle, she tried to run across the room and leave using the balcony. Lucky Knight activated her ability when she tried, freezing Anne on the spot before she could grab the glass door handle, rendering her immobile while I continued to drink my orange soda and munch on some snack bars.
Give or take half an hour of her screaming in protests and insults, she finally quieted down as she realized I wasn't going to budge from the terms I gave her. Our gazes met, both determined to reach our own goal, but inevitably a look of defeat crossed her face and Anne's body slumped weakly, allowing herself to just sigh and sniff as she tried to wipe away the remaining remnants of her sobbing tantrum away.
"Now do you understand?" I asked, half amused and half exasperated at her attempts of trying to escape. "The powers my friends and I have aren't limited to us— there are other people with the same kind of ability, except they aren't so merciful to let someone go just because they're kids."
"Where do you expect me to go?" Anne grumbled in annoyance. "I don't have anywhere to be. You're right, I don't even have a dad! If you push me away, I'm back to being a stupid street beggar or thief. I'd rather die fighting than die like some worthless scum."
I frowned and placed my orange soda down on the table.
"Kids really shouldn't talk like that." I murmured quietly.
"You're not that old either." Anne quipped.
"True, but I'm a different case." I said knowingly as I stood up from my place. Walking towards Anne, I looked down at her from my height and crossed my arms.
She watched me nervously, trying not to look as intimidated as she felt, but it really didn't work. I, on the other hand, was busy thinking of ways to try and give Anne a second chance. She was right— if we send her away, the chances are of her actually getting a good life would be slim to none. With no parents or guardians to look after her, she would have to resort to any means necessary to survive; petty crimes such as theft and burglary, if it came down to it.
Was there any way for her to pick up her life and turn it around? It may not be my business to meddle nor was it my responsibility to have to give Anne a chance…
"… but if I can't save one girl, how can I save everybody else and the whole world?" I mumbled to myself, biting my lower lip as an idea came to mind.
"What did you say?" Anne asked curiously, raising her eyebrow. "I didn't get that."
I stayed quiet as I mentally weighed my options and tried to placate the voices in my head that were screaming at me to shut up and stop talking. Thankfully, I ignored those voices and continued talking.
"I have two propositions for you." I said, piquing Anne's interest as her body straightened up. Lucky Knight's ability had been disabled, seeing as the younger child was no longer interested in running away, but the winged spirit stood at a small distance behind Anne in careful watch of her movements.
Anne and Lucky Knight both stared at me, one with curiosity and the other with disappointment. Despite the blank and carefully constructed facial expression I was wearing, internally I was screaming just as much as the other voices in my head were screaming.
Oh god, this is a bad idea. This is a horrible idea. I shouldn't even do this. I should just shut up and let this go. Don't do this Arisu, don't fucking do this. No. BAD IDEA.
It took me only a single second to allow the voices their chance of protesting my decisions in my head before I finally steeled my resolve and decided on what to do.
(・・ ) ?
"Jotaro! Jotaro, where are you?!"
Even with the knowledge of knowing that Jotaro was near the cable cars in the trade center, I couldn't find Jotaro or Kakyoin anywhere. I pondered the idea of meeting up with Joseph and Avdol first before catching up to Jotaro, but the fear of anything bad happening to him was stronger than the rational sense in my body.
When I reached the trade center and saw a crowd of people gathering, I jogged towards them and hoped that Jotaro would be nearby. It was very much like him to warrant unwanted attention, after all. But when I overheard bits and pieces of conversations such as "A strange naked man", "Attacking slime", "My popsicle", I came to the conclusion that only the man and the boy speaking with the authorities had the information I wanted.
"Excuse me– Excuse me, sir!" I cried out. The police who were questioning the father and the son turned to me. One of them stepped away from questioning the duo and stood in front of me with a hand poised to stop me from getting any closer.
"Ma'am, we're requesting you to leave. We're simply conducting an investigation right now." The officer stated.
"I just want to find my friend!" I said, slightly breathless from running all the way from the hotel to the trade center. "He's very tall and is wearing a black cloak! He has a really angry expression all the time and– and he's frowning too, but he's a good person! He's really kind and he's very considerate, but I think he needs help and–"
"Alright, ma'am? Ma'am! I need you to calm down."
I felt offended at the mere suggestion and instinctively grabbed the collars of his shirt and shook him violently. "NO! Do you understand what I'm saying? My friend is in trouble! Where is he? Have you seen him?!"
"Ma'am, let go of him!" The other police officer cried out as he abandoned the people he was questioning and tried to hold me back. "Ma'am, we will have you arrested for assaulting an officer like this!"
"Fuck you, don't touch me!" I snapped and shoved the other officer off, which was easy given that he was shorter and definitely physically weaker than me.
"If you mean the scary older brother who stole my popsicle is your friend, then he jumped out the cable car and into the water."
I halted my verbal and physical assault on the officers and turned to the little boy. He was sniffing and crying, but otherwise looked like he made the most sense out of all the people here.
I shoved both the officers away and quickly but also gently walked up to him. Seeing his distressed expression and small frown, I felt guilty for lashing out the way I did in front of him. I took a quick breath and gave him a small smile, trying my best to seem less scary than when I was threatening the police officers with shoving a stick so far up their behinds their own descendants would feel the phantom pain.
"Stop!" The man, presumably the boy's father, said as he stood in front of his son. "Please, he's just a child!"
I ignored the father and slowly knelt down in front of the boy. With the best calm expression I could muster and a gentle smile, I asked, "Did you say a really tall man with a dark cloak and a scary frown jumped off the cable car?"
When the boy nodded, I didn't know whether I should feel relieved knowing that Jotaro was alive or horrified knowing he leaped out a cable car for who knew what reason..
"He said he'll come back and give me a popsicle." The boy murmured. "He stole mine and used it for the slimy thing on his hand, but it hurt him. There was a lot of blood and slime everywhere."
That was enough for me. The cable car area hovered around the bay and until the building near a piece of land separated by water where the other side of the cable car buildings were placed. If Jotaro landed in the water, he would end up reaching the bay and looking for him around that area would be easy given that I could just walk by the edge of the port and search for him there.
I reached out my hand and gently patted the kid on the head.
"Thank you for telling me this." I said gently as I stood up from my kneeling position on the ground. "I'll come and find him and then he can give you back your popsicle, okay?"
At the mention of receiving a new ice cream treat, the boy's eyes brightened and he excitedly nodded. The father was somewhat flabbergasted, unsure of how to respond to the scary red headed lady who was cursing the officers' existence and descendants one minute then flipping the switch and treating his child with kindness the next.
As I ran towards the port, I heard the boy call out a "Come back soon!" which couldn't stop me from grinning slightly. When I reached the port area directly below the cable car attraction, I craned my neck and did my best to search for the brooding figure anywhere nearby. It was only when I heard a loud BOOM the familiar angry ORA ORA ORA did I grin in anticipation and ran towards that direction.
It wasn't long before I spotted Jotaro's figure slowly climbing up from the edge of the bay. He was soaking wet and made puddles of water with every step he took and I could see Star Platinum hovering around him in what seemed to be an attempt to help Jotaro dry off his clothes.
My heart was filled with so much relief I felt tears gather in my eyes.
"Jojo!"
Instantly, both Jotaro and Star Platinum turned towards me. As I finally caught up to them, I could see his shoulders sag down in relaxation and his eyes grow softer than it was previously. Even though his frown was still evident, I knew that he was much safer and definitely won his battle with whoever attempted to hurt him.
"Arisu." Jotaro said simply as he started to wring out parts of his cloak to get rid of the excess water.
I looked over at Jotaro's body and took note of his hand being covered in blood and large gashes and stab wounds. I grimaced at how large the hole in his palm was – seriously, why does he keep getting impaled like that? – and noticed the bloodied body that was floating idly near the edge. I figured that was the enemy stand user who caused this mess, but seeing as he wasn't even moving or twitching, I paid no more attention to him and instead focused back to Jotaro.
"Anne came to me and said you were battling someone– Kakyoin, she mentioned, but not really Kakyoin?" I repeated in confusion. "I didn't really understand what she meant, just that you were in trouble."
Jotaro hummed as he continued to wring out the water from his clothes. Beside him, Star Platinum hovered towards me and had a smile on his face that contrasted his own master's frown. His eyes scanned me over before he gently pointed to my now unbandaged arms and the small scabs and cuts which were exposed for people to see.
"Oh, don't worry Star. The wounds are shallow and healing well."
The crease in the stand's eyebrows was notable and it quickly darted off. Jotaro paused in his actions and watched as his stand went off again without his permission, causing the said green eyed teenager to click his tongue in annoyance.
"There he goes again, doing whatever he pleases." Jotaro grumbled.
I laughed, though my breathless state made it a bit difficult to. I turned back to Jotaro and saw something similar to a plastic sticking on the lower side of his jaw. Without thinking much of it, I reached out my right hand to his face and cupped his lower jaw, using my other hand to softly brush whatever was on his face away.
I didn't realize Jotaro froze and was staring at me until I flicked the piece of garbage away. By then, the notions of what I just did caught up to me and I felt my cheeks burn.
"There- there was a piece of something on your face- I think it was trash or- I'm sorry, I should've- I'll just-"
Since nothing I was saying was making any more sense than Anne was when explaining the Kakyoin-Not-Kakyoin thing, I decided to shut up and look away to conserve my dignity. It was quiet for a few moments until I felt a light sensation by the side of my face and when I looked up I saw Jotaro had leaned down slightly in front of me and was brushing the stray strands of my hair behind my ear.
"Your hair is wet. You couldn't have dried it before running here? You look like a wet dog."
"Wet dog– well, excuse me for being too concerned about you being alive or dead to worry about my hair!" I snapped irritably, no longer feeling embarrassment and instead feeling annoyed.
I saw the corner of Jotaro's lips quirk up slightly and in retaliation I just gave him a light smack on the shoulder.
"We should head back to Avdol and the others." Jotaro said as he removed his hat and wrung it out as well. It took a moment to hold my composure of indifference at the sight of his messy hair, which was a rare sight even for someone as close to him as me since he usually wore that hat every single moment of the day. Sometimes it felt like the hat and his own hair morphed into one with how often he wore it.
I nodded in agreement and was about to start heading back until I noticed Star Platinum returning holding a bunch of items in his arms. I raised an eyebrow at Jotaro, who visibly grimaced and twitched his eye as the purple stand returned.
Star Platinum grinned and approached me, showing a bunch of supplies situated on his arms. Rolls of bandages, bottles of pain medicine and disinfectants, and even a bunch of hair ties and clips of different colors and sizes rested on his arms.
"Are these… for me?" I asked hesitantly, pointing to myself as I looked up at the purple stand.
He nodded and stretched his arms, as if gesturing for me to take all the supplies he was holding. Unsure of what to do, I turned to Jotaro who looked like he wanted to strangle his own stand where it stood. Star Platinum, oblivious to his own master's glare, was still looking at me expectantly.
With an amused grin, I turned to Jotaro and placed my hands on my hips.
"Are you that worried about me, Jojo?" I teased lightly.
His green eyes darted to me and for a moment I was sure I saw his cheeks turn pink. Unfortunately, I couldn't confirm this as he lowered his cap and muttered a short "Good grief" under his breath before starting to walk out towards the direction of the hotel. Star Platinum and I exchanged knowing glances with each other before I caught up with his pace and walked beside him.
"You don't have to be shy, you know," I sang. "I always knew you were still soft and kind deep inside!"
"That was Star Platinum, not me." Jotaro said curtly.
"Well, he is your stand and stands are typically a reflection of their master's soul so…"
Just like any mature adult would respond to someone teasing them, he flicked my ear and ignored me afterwards. It wasn't painful, but the sudden sting did cause me to yelp in surprise. I held the spot he flicked and pouted quietly, though I didn't take the action to heart.
We took a short route before heading to the hotel and found the kid from earlier and his father waiting by the entrance of the cable car. After calming the father down and apologizing for my brash behavior, he allowed Jotaro to buy his son an extra popsicle to replace the one he got earlier. The little kid rejoiced and hugged Jotaro's legs, to which the teenager tried to look aloof and dismissive as he muttered a "No problem" as a response. We also managed to convince Star Platinum to return some of the medical supplies he got from whoever knows where, but I kept some hair ties and pins with me just for some extra measure.
By the time we arrived back at the hotel, we caught Joseph and Kakyoin rushing out the entrance with panic on their faces. When they caught sight of Jotaro and I walking calmly towards them, Joseph breathed a visible sigh of relief while Kakyoin waved and beckoned for both of us. It took a while to calm Joseph down enough for him not to be yelling our eardrums off, but once we did, we gathered back in Joseph's and Avdol's room.
"Where's Anne?" Jotaro suddenly asked as he closed the door behind us. I sat on one of the two beds in the room with Kakyoin sitting on the next bed beside me. Avdol and Joseph preferred to stand up while Jotaro walked across the room to stand by the wall near the bathroom.
"I asked Polnareff to look after her." Joseph replied. "Once we finished surrendering the enemy stand user– he called himself Devo– I asked the Speedwagon Foundation to start interrogating him and gather intel. We won't know how long it will take for him to crack, but for now we can rest easy."
"We can update Polnareff later on the events. Now, tell us about the enemy stand user that attacked you, Jotaro." Avdol said as he looked back at Jotaro. "What happened?"
Despite him normally being a quiet and reserved guy, Jotaro explained the fight with as much detail as he could. Yellow temperance, Dio's allies, and the man named J. Geil who was responsible for the murder of Polnareff's sister– by the time Jotaro had finished his story, the atmosphere was grim.
"At least we know which stand users are left." Joseph noted. "But without being aware of their powers or what they look like, we're still pretty much in the dark."
"And that's only the stand users Dio recruited, not the regular people or others under his control." I muttered in annoyance.
Nobody spoke for a while, but as always the silence was broken by Joseph who let out an annoyed grunt and cracked the knuckles of his real hand.
"What we can do now is focus on getting to Egypt faster." Joseph noted. "Even if we tried to avoid our enemies, Dio will still find us regardless because of the link between my grandfather Jonathan's body and his descendants. We can only try to get to him faster than he can send out any more assassins."
Avdol nodded. "We should head out as soon as we can. Arisu, are your injuries better now?"
"I feel alright enough to travel." I answered as I stood up from my place on the bed. "We can head out as soon as possible."
"Great!" Joseph said as he clapped his hands together. "I'll call Polnareff and update him on the situation. I'll arrange for a cab to pick us up and drop us by the train station. There we'll head to as far as the train can take us then we'll see about getting a ferry to reach India. Meet me at the entrance in half an hour."
We all dispersed and decided to go and prepare for the trip. As I started to walk down the hallway back to my hotel room with Anne, a wave of vertigo and dizziness overcame me. For a moment, my body felt weightless as I lost control of all movements and felt myself falling forward.
"Arisu!"
A pair of arms wrapped around my shoulders. It took a while for my vision to steady and clear itself before I realized that the person who caught me before I could crash land on the floor face first was Kakyoin. I turned to look further behind him and saw Jotaro staring at me with wide eyes, one arm outstretched as if he was also prepared to break my fall had Kakyoin not been fast enough.
"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, pulling me backwards so as to assist me in steadying myself.
Strangely enough, the wave of imbalance and loss of control of my own body disappeared as soon as it came over me. I was confused and trying to regain a sense of my surroundings until I heard Jotaro's voice behind me.
"Oi."
A simple word from Jotaro and I felt myself snap out of my trance. I stood up properly, not minding that Kakyoin was still hovering beside me and looking at me unsurely. I tenderly held the side of my head and shook it, trying to wake myself up from whatever just happened.
"I… I guess I'm more tired than I thought." I mumbled, though I was uncertain myself of what exactly just happened.
"Take it easy." Kakyoin said. "We can handle ourselves from here. Jotaro and I can collect your things and Anne too. You can head to the hotel's lobby ahead and rest first."
"No, I can handle it. I'm okay." I said stubbornly.
"Arisu, go downstairs." Avdol said as he caught up to the three of us in the hallway. Apparently he witnessed the scene right before he could follow Joseph through wherever the older Joestar was heading. "Rest. We need your abilities to keep an eye on us when we board the train and the boat, but if you're going to use Lucky Knight you need to be well-rested. It won't do any of us any good if you collapse."
I frowned, knowing he was right but refused to admit it out loud.
Avdol smiled gently. "Go, we'll handle it from here. Rest in the lobby. You have your guardian waiting for you, do you not? Maybe you can stay with her while we arrange everything else."
Kakyoin and Jotaro hummed in agreement and turned towards me, waiting for my reply. Seeing as arguing with all three of them would get me nowhere, I sighed in defeat and held my hands up.
"Fine, fine." I relented.
With that, I took a different elevator heading downstairs while the others went straight to their own business. As the elevator doors closed behind me, I situated myself to lean against the wall and stared at the palm of my hand in contemplation.
What on earth was that? Why did I suddenly lose control of my body? It wasn't like a fainting spell where I could actually feel the energy and the exhaustion come over me. I was perfectly fine. It was as if my soul was detached from my body and–
I felt my blood run cold as a horrifying thought came over me. Was that what happened? Did my soul momentarily lose control of this body? Was this body finally rejecting the soul it was hosting because it wasn't its original soul?
I'm running out of time.
The elevator dinged on the 5th floor and coincidentally, Minari stepped in. We both looked at each other, surprised, especially since we didn't expect to see each other so soon after what had just happened a few hours ago. She gave a small smile and a curt nod as she stepped in beside me, waiting for the doors to close.
A few moments of stillness passed before finally Minari broke it.
"I talked to your father."
I couldn't hide the surprise as I lurched forward and stood straighter. She turned to me with an amused expression on her face watching as I tried to regain my composure.
"He's here?" I whispered, trying to look cool and nonchalant.
"I can't answer that." Minari replied and I couldn't hide my disappointed reaction at her response. "But I sent word to him about what you said. He didn't approve or disapprove, but you should wait for him to arrive and discuss matters with him personally."
"I won't be staying in Singapore." I told Minari. "I'll be leaving the country."
This time it was Minari's turn to look as if I grew three heads.
"What?" she whispered in disbelief. "Where will you be heading?"
"I can't tell you the route we'll be taking or where we'll be heading." I replied. "The mission right now with Jojo and the others already has spies and assassins sent to track us down. I can't let anyone know, not even you."
"Minimizing the leak of information by not saying anything, not even to your trusted allies?" Minari asked, though by the way she smirked and gave me an approved glance had reassured me she wasn't upset by my answer. "You're learning quite fast."
I grinned back, though it looked more like a grimace with how tired I felt from today's events.
"Still, your father will want to find and keep an eye on you. Is there a way to communicate with you without Jotaro's enemies tracking your location back?" Minari asked.
An idea popped in my head.
"I have a way in mind that's non-traceable and won't leave any witnesses." I answered confidently. "You'll hear from me when Jotaro and I are safe after we leave Singapore."
"I trust you won't die before you send that message?"
"If 3 bombings can't kill me, I don't think anything less than a nuclear explosion will." I joked.
"Don't jinx it."
We both glanced at each other and started to laugh. It was morbid how we found humor in the fact I nearly died 3 times due to explosions which were either geared to kill me or happened on pure accident, but at the same time it was the only thing that made sense from the craziness of the situation we were in. Maybe I was slowly going insane.
The elevator dinged, signalling that we had finally reached the ground floor. As the doors slowly opened, we both stepped out and faced each other one last time. Minari then reached out her hand, a gesture for a handshake, which I found strange until I realized that this was the first time she would be treating me as an equal instead of a child. This would be the first moment that she will be treating me not as Arisu the high schooler, but as an adult on the same dirty, bloody, and treacherous playing field known as the world of crime.
"I look forward to hearing from you, Kurusu-san." she said in a professional tone.
I smirked and slowly shook her hand firmly, though the gesture seemed quite grim in my perspective. With the first step down into the path of organized crime, I knew the path further can only grow bloodier and more difficult.
There was no turning back now.
(・・ ) ?
After gathering everyone at the entrance, we all took a cab heading to the train station. Joseph had paid again for all the tickets and accommodations with cash (as per my suggestion) to lessen our paper trail. While it was doubtful Dio would try to track our location via Joseph's payments, we didn't want to risk it, especially if we were planning to take the train. Transportation with other civilians and a small cramped space was not the ideal place should a stand user attack us after all.
We all managed to sit in a rather comfortable space on the train, so I assumed Joseph paid a hefty amount to get us there. While the frivolous expense seemed unnecessary, I definitely wasn't going to complain, especially since I believed we deserved a good relaxation period before running into the jaws of death and the land of burning sand to battle a sadistic, body-stealing vampire.
Joseph, Avdol, and Polnareff sat on one side of the train while Jotaro, Kakyoin, and I sat on the other. We had ordered some refreshments and snacks and discussed the battle earlier with Yellow Temperance with Polnareff and the newly gathered intel about J. Geil.
"So the man with two right hands is called J. Geil…" Polnareff said, his gaze turning hard as he seemed to lose himself to his thoughts.
I sat beside Jotaro near the aisle of the train and saw how he stared at Polnareff, also observing the French man's behavior upon hearing the news.
"By the way, where's Anne?" Polnareff asked, suddenly changing the topic. "Not that I care what happens to that annoying brat, but does anybody know where she went?"
I giggled a bit at Polnareff's attempt to look as if he didn't care, but the crease in his eyebrows was telling the exact opposite of what he was trying to appear as.
"She said she would meet her father in the hotel." Joseph answered. "It's why she didn't bother packing or coming down with us when we checked out. Though I don't know why I ended up paying for her room if her father is going to come get her in the first place…"
"I can't help but think that brat was just lying about her dad, but who knew she was actually telling the truth?" Polnareff mused in amusement. "Though I suppose it would be quieter now with her gone, am I right Jojo?"
I was surprised Polnareff had called Jotaro with that nickname and was expecting Jotaro to brush the silver haired man off or tell him to shut up. To my surprise, the green eyed teenager beside me simply smirked in reply.
"It's still creepy how a stand could perfectly impersonate me." Kakyoin commented, looking disturbed as he recalled Jotaro's words.
"Apparently, it had already transformed by the time I left the hotel and Anne tagged along." Jotaro mentioned as he took a sip of his water. "He followed afterwards and… well you know the rest."
I hummed and took a sip of the mango shake I had ordered earlier. "It was lying in wait for Kakyoin to move away so he could replace him while he was gone. What a creepy guy." I mumbled.
"By the way, what happened between you and your guardian?" Polnareff asked. "It was pretty intense between the two of you when we got to the hotel earlier. Did anything happen?"
All eyes turned to me in curiosity. I grinned and stirred the contents of my glass with the straw.
"We came to an agreement." I answered. "Besides, she trusts me."
"She didn't convince you to return to Japan?" Jotaro asked.
I stared at the man beside me, contemplating whether I should answer truthfully or just brush off answering at all and play it cool. But the idea of not being honest to Jotaro didn't sit right with me, especially since he knew Minari personally as well.
"She tried." I replied before I shrugged. "She failed."
Jotaro raised an eyebrow as if wanting to hear a more detailed explanation, but Avdol chuckled.
"In any case, if your guardian trusts you to do what you must, then we are all the happier and much safer." Avdol said.
Joseph rubbed his chin with his fingers, deep in thought. "Still, it would be irresponsible for a guardian to simply let their own child run off and travel across the world with a bunch of strange men. It's suspicious how she agreed and let you go so easily."
"Should you really be saying that, Mr. Joestar?" Kakyoin asked. "After all, you are bringing your own grandson around this journey."
"Bah! This is different! This is a family matter!" Joseph rebuked. "But I won't lie, having Lucky Knight and Arisu by our side makes it easier to defend ourselves and detect enemy stand users nearby. We can afford to relax while she is here."
"Of course! Even against that scumbag captain, Arisu won!" Polnareff cheered, sending me an encouraging thumbs up. "Nice one, mademoiselle!"
I couldn't help but laugh at Polnareff's goofy demeanor. The atmosphere had lightened considerably after recollecting the encounter with Ebony Devil and Yellow Temperance, but I could still feel Jotaro's gaze on me.
"Even if Dio knows about Arisu, it won't matter." Joseph added. "We'll end this family blot once and for all and heal my daughter. But for now, we rest!"
Everyone nodded in agreement, resuming their own conversation on the other side of the aisle. But as I looked back between Jotaro and Kakyoin, something felt off about their behavior. Even though both of them weren't exactly talkative together, the silence was quite tense and even awkward. I couldn't help but feel as if I was trapped in a situation I didn't exactly want to find myself being a part of.
Finally, after 10 minutes, I broke.
"Are you guys okay?" I blurted out. "Both of you are acting really weird."
The two students looked a bit taken back by my concern. They exchanged knowing looks with one another, Jotaro's looking at Kakyoin expectantly and Kakyoin's looking as if he was unsure what to do.
"It's just…" Kakyoin started, but when he looked at me I saw the moment his indecisiveness won over him and he decided to back down. "Nevermind. I was just worried about you, Arisu."
I felt myself relax, thinking that it was just probably something simple that had bothered the two of them. Maybe it was the fainting (not really) spell from earlier that bothered them and they didn't know how to bring it up.
"I'm fine, really." I reassured softly while sending a smile at Kakyoin. "I know overexerting myself would be detrimental to us since my powers are our first line of defense, but I feel better now."
I then turned to Jotaro. "And Minari and I are alright. She was worried about me, but I explained to her what happened and about Miss Holly. I didn't tell her the specifics, but she understood why I wanted to come."
Both of them seemed unsure for a few more moments, but seeing how I wasn't showing any signs of worry or uncertainty, I spotted both their shoulders sag in relief.
"I see now." Kakyoin said with a relieved smile. He then looked at Jotaro with much more ease. "I think I understand your dynamic with Arisu a bit more now, Jotaro. I won't step over the line again and learn to be more trusting."
"Good." Jotaro answered with a small approving nod.
Confused, I looked over at both of the two students and wondered what exactly they were talking about. Seeing as they weren't going to provide any further details, I decided to leave it alone, especially since it looked like whatever was bothering them was resolved with what Kakyoin had just said.
I shrugged and decided to just focus on getting some rest, sipping my mango shake.
"You men are a complete mystery to me."
(・・ ) ?
| Minar's POV |
The older brunette was unsure on what to do.
When she shook Arisu's hand, she knew that the ginger-haired girl would understand the intentions behind that gesture. She was surprised when in that handshake, Arisu slipped the keys to her hotel room and quietly left to the lobby.
Of course, Minari knew that asking her directly what was going on would be counterproductive to the whole subtle and discreet facade they were opting for. So when she pocketed the keys and headed to room 918, Minari was expecting more of a message and a letter or anything that could hint to where Arisu's next destination would be and details on how to contact her without being traced.
Instead, Minari found a little girl who seemed to be no older than 10 years sitting on the edge of the bed.
"You're that old lady from earlier." the little girl said with a scowl on her face.
"... Yes, I am." Minari mentioned. "And you must be the little girl from earlier."
"I'm not little!" she snapped. "And Arisu promised she would adopt me! Now she's going to send some old hag to care for me? I should've known better than to trust her!"
Minari watched quietly as the girl continued her temper tantrum. Funny enough, the amount of energy and wide vocabulary for cuss words she had simply reminded the older brunette of Arisu herself. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what exactly Arisu had sent Minari out to do when she gave her the hotel keys and Minari quietly groaned to herself as she observed the foul-mouthed little girl continue on her rant.
"Arisu didn't give me all the details either, but if you tell me what happened and what she said, I know I can help you." Minari mentioned.
"And why should I trust you?" The little girl asked as she casted a wary glance at the older ripple user.
Minari was pleased to find that she wasn't so naive and trusting of strangers, but at the same time she didn't want to have to spend too much time trying to prove herself to a sour and grumpy kid. Quickly, Minari raised her hand and allowed the energy of her Ripple abilities to manifest as a visible aura that can be seen by the naked eye.
"Whoa…" Anne muttered in amazement.
"I'm not just your average 'old hag', as you put it." Minari repeated, watching as the little girl had the right to seem a little embarrassed for her earlier remarks about the brunette. "I was the one who raised Arisu and gave her a home growing up. And seeing as she sent me here with you, she wants you to have that same comfort and space as well."
"I… I guess?" the girl said, unsure as she scratched the back of her head.
"So tell me what she said." Minari urged as she allowed her Ripple to disappear from her hand. "That way I know exactly how I can help you."
The little girl stared at Minari for a bit, contemplating on whether it would be a good idea to tell the truth. Again, Minari applauded the small child for her wariness and knew it would come in handy in the future, but now was not the time.
Thankfully, the little girl caved and explained the entire ordeal to the older woman.
Earlier in the hotel room with Anne and Arisu…
"I know someone who can take you under their wing." I said. "And they can train you and maybe even give you a new life under a new name. You can start anew, but there are conditions that you need to follow and one of them is that you'll have to leave everything about your old life behind and become loyal to them and to me."
"Loyal to them and you?" Anne repeated suspiciously. "What are you trying to say?"
Oh god. I said it. I'm doing it. Oh fuck.
I bit my lower lip, but continued to talk.
"I'm saying that if my family were to take you in, I can give you a place for you to go." I said. "I live in Japan along with my guardian right now, but with my family's connections and some tweaks, we can get you a new identity and a new life there."
"You mean… you want to adopt me?" Anne asked, her eyes wide in incredulousness. "You're joking right? I've been a pain in the ass to you guys ever since we met! Why the hell would you want to adopt me?!"
I huffed, placing my hands on my hips. Avoiding eye contact with the girl in front of me, I mumbled, "Because I care about you."
"… what?" Anne asked, not able to hear what I said under my breath.
I clicked my tongue and tried to look as annoyed as possible, but feeling the heat rise up in my face probably made it impossible to cover my embarrassment.
"I said, it's because I care about you." I mumbled, this time loud enough for Anne to hear. "You're a good kid and… honestly, leaving you alone in a country you clearly have no idea about, isn't something I want in my conscience."
Anne gawked at me openly, as if unable to believe what I had just said.
"You… you mean that?"
I looked back at the younger child in front of me, seeing how her disbelief was starting to morph into an expression filled with hesitation with hints of hopefulness.
In that moment, instead of seeing Anne's face, I saw an overlap of my own childish face appear, almost mirroring the exact same expression on her face. The silent and strong pleading inside those eyes while holding herself back, unsure of whether what was happening to her was a dream come true or something too good to be part of reality.
But it was just a flash and a moment later, it was still Anne who was standing in front of me, awaiting my answer almost impatiently. I suddenly felt guilty, feeling the emotion creep up my throat and almost close it up to make speaking impossible.
Swallowing down all the small voices in my head that screamed at me to stop, I nodded.
The way her eyes lit up so clearly filled with joy made me chuckle a bit, but at my reaction she quickly looked away bashfully and muttered under her breath.
But what I was offering wasn't from the good of my heart. I didn't want to leave Anne alone, but at the same time, I admit that maybe the little girl could be worth more than just a nuisance in the road. While I did feel for Anne's situation and felt a soft spot for her past, goodness did not come without a price.
Well, not like Anne needed to know about that just yet.
With Anne now calmed down and the situation somewhat pacified, I sigh and rested my forehead on my palm with an exasperated smile.
"You're lucky I said this without Jojo around." I said, amused. "If he saw what I was saying, he'll probably be calling me–"
"No, wait! That's right, Mr. Jotaro!"
The alarming tone in Anne's voice wiped out all hints of amusement and lightheartedness from the atmosphere.
"What do you mean?" I demanded, taking a step near Anne. "Did something happen to them? Are Jojo and Kakyoin okay?"
"No!" Anne yelled. "Something weird happened to that red-haired guy and he was acting all sleazy and suspicious! I called Grandpa Joseph and the others and they told me to get back here to the hotel, but he's fighting a strange guy by himself! And the guy is Kakyoin too!"
I didn't know how to process the explanation Anne just gave me, especially the bit with Kakyoin. But there was no time for hesitation. I grabbed my shoes and slipped them on as fast as I could and removed the towel wrapped around my hair. I didn't even bother to comb or fix it anymore as I rushed out the door.
"Wait, what about me?" Anne yelled as I was about to shut the door behind me.
I paused for a moment and looked over her one more time.
"Stay here." I ordered sternly. "Before Jotaro and the others leave, I'll have my friend come and get you. When they do, you have to listen to them. Things will be more difficult for you now, but trust in me. I'll go and get Jojo and make sure he's okay, but promise me that you will do what you're told until I come back and get you."
Surprisingly, she didn't argue. Maybe it was because of our discussion or maybe because she knew that my tone meant that there was no room for an argument, but she simply nodded in agreement. Her eyes shone with fear and uncertainty, but the nod was enough for me to know she wouldn't do anything reckless while I was gone.
"Come… Come back, okay?"
I felt my heart lurch slightly at the vulnerable tone of her voice, but quickly shoved it away. The guilt gnawed at me and the voices inside of me screamed at me for being dishonest, but this wasn't the time to feel emotional, especially with Jotaro's and Kakyoin's lives at stake.
"... and that's what happened."
Minari stayed quiet as a million different thoughts ran through her head, though mainly the thought of giving the ginger haired girl a good smack in the head was the most prominent one. Already enlisting her own circle of people and starting off with an abandoned orphan? Really, Arisu? It may not be the worst of things, considering the kind of occupation her own family and Minari herself participated in, but it was still quite shocking.
It seems like Arisu may actually have what it takes if she intends for that to happen to this young child. Minari thought. Well, if this is what Arisu wants to happen, then she will handle the repercussions later on.
"I see," Minari said with an understanding nod. "Then let's get going."
"Wait, where?"
Minari opened the hotel door, giving a smile to the young girl who was watching the older woman expectedly as she held the door open.
"To your new home, of course."
Had the young girl looked closely, she would've noticed the grim expression on Minari's face and how the smile was less reassuring and more of a bitter one, devoid of happiness and simply a gesture of pleasantry.
And so it begins. Minari thought to herself as she walked beside the young girl, heading to her private vehicle accompanied by several suited men.
The start of another tragic tale.
(・・ ) ?
#1: Jotaro took note of how Polnareff said that Dio knew about Arisu's existence. He asked Avdol about it later that night in the train and the older man explained their theory on how the bloodline link between the Joestars and Dio worked both ways. It only increased his worry about the dangers of his journey, but he wasn't about to force Arisu back to Japan, especially since Dio already had attempted to kill her once. It only further resolved to finish the mission and get him and Arisu back home safely.
#2: Arisu wasn't morally torn about the fact she had just enlisted Anne to become part of her family's organization nor was she worried about Minari's reaction to saddling her with caring for Anne. She figured that Minari would either personally overlook Anne herself or have someone else assigned to her, though whatever happened wouldn't be a problem at all. With Anne no longer bothering them in their journey to Egypt, it made things easier for everyone without the burden of caring for a stubborn little girl. Arisu was more focused on what to do next and using her father's network in assisting the crew with defeating Dio.
#3: Minari wasn't sure whether she should be amazed by Arisu's actions. Taking in a child under the guise of giving her a home and new life while discreetly training her to become a fighter and forcing her allegiance to the Cruz family– it was something Minari expected from Anthony, not Arisu. Then again, misplaced morality wasn't a new ordeal with the Lupus Cruxis nor was it for Minari herself.
#4: Kakyoin is slowly trusting Arisu and Jotaro more than he usually would and feels a bit of pride in starting to understand the intricacies of social behavior with others. Though, he is quite curious whether what he observes between Jotaro and Arisu is strictly platonic or if he's watching the formation of something more happening in front of him.
Author's Note: And I am back from the grave!
First thing's first; I apologize for the late chapter. Life problems gave me lemons and I had to do what I had to do; throw those lemons back, have karma catapult them again at my face, then learn how to make lemonade with the tears of my pain and suffering. All in all, college sucks and I never want to make lemonade ever again.
Since the events of season 3 spanned around 30-40 days, it doesn't really provide ample time to plan and defeat Dio given all the distractions and assassins being sent their way. Laputa bless Arisu in her journey ahead, though I doubt that it will. Heh.
I want to thank you all for your patience with me and for tuning in. Reviews and feedback are always appreciated!