River King Casino
Jotaro was lost.
Under normal conditions, to say that one was lost in a casino was an embarrassing statement. Unless the casino in question was what seemed to be stories upons stories of floors, some segments purely made of water.
Luckily, it hadn't seemed like anyone recognized him just yet. Nobody had paid him any heed, after all he wasn't even the strangest sight that was there to offer. Examples such as those fish people he had seen swimming around the lower levels as they played underwater poker. He raised an eye even when he saw that, even reminding him of Dark Blue Moon, The fish like Stand he had fought in his previous adventure.
He passed another row of slot machines, his eyes scanning for a way out. He had to be close, as this place seemed to be like the ground floor with new people coming in. He passed a point eared person who was busy handling a deck of cards before Jotaro passed another giant glass tube.
He saw the entrance, a spinning door which new people were entering. His chance to enter the outside world, he began walking towards it until a new batch of people entered.
Adorning a strange set of clothing, the group looked like a walking card deck, brandishing multicolored clothing.
The first one to come in was wearing a low cut dress, long sleeves, and diamond like stockings. She held a strange looking cap in her left hand as her eyes scanned around the place.
The Second, Another girl, wearing what appeared to be a Chinese performer outfit. With a red thin sleeveless shirt and tight black pants, wearing delicate slippers as she walked alongside the orange one. The next arrivals began streaming in, a lady wearing an assortment of knives on her leggings and cloak alongside what appeared to be a lion tamer of some sort.
The last one came through, with pointy purple ears, wearing a smiling mask and a red and checkered suit of some sort. His hand's looked as if they were made out of wood as he carried a instrument that seemed to take the shape of a naked woman with no arms.
They definitely were not here for gambling.
The way they walked made it too easy for Jotaro, they were looking for someone, and he wouldn't be surprised if that someone happened to be him. The man lowered his white cap before walking backwards.
He didn't know what these people were capable of, and he preferred to keep it that way by avoiding confrontation.
Meanwhile
It was already business as soon as most of the Cirque des Cartes had entered the Casino. Regino walked past Cerebella, her eyes scanned the Casino before turning to Feng.
"Find out what happened to the previous group." The tamer said before pulling out her ornate sword, although the Circus may have a ringmaster, it was Regina that they all answered to.
"Y-Yes Miss." The girl said, before the two birds on her head opening both of their wings as they flew her body at a quick pace.
Regina looked at the rest of them before turning around, "Beatrix, Cerebella, you both stay here. Me and Taliesin will look around the area. Nobody leaves this casino until we find the man." The rest of the performers nodded before splitting off, leaving Cerebella with Beatrix.
The blue haired girl groaned in annoyance as Beatrix crossed her arms. It was apparently obvious they both had an extreme dislike of eachother.
As soon as Regina was out of sight, Beatrix had been the first to speak.
"Great, Instead of actually being allowed to do my job I have to stay here and babysit you." The jealous knife thrower said.
"What? Me? Listen here Beatrix, If this is about this whole not getting your bit in the performance yesterday then can you please drop it." Cerebella said as he voice hinted frustration with a tiny bit of desperation.
"Why should I? Last time I checked, I wasn't the one who wanted to impress dear old Mister Vit-"
"Drop. The. Subject. Now." Cerebella said as she gritted her teeth.
"And to think about it, almost like a perfect bed time story, a poor orphan taken off the streets, now stuck with a close minded personality. Grow up, the Medici's are just using you by this point, the lease you can do is make money off of them. Like me." Beatrix said as she gestured a hand to herself.
Cerebella's eyes were hazed with anger. "Why you-" however she calmed down as soon as something caught her eyes.
A figure was watching them. Cerebella balled both fists in which Beatrix already received the memo, turning around cautiously. The figure pulled his cap down to cover his eyes before backing off, disappearing into a crowd of people.
"That sneak son of a- C'mon, let's get him!" Cerebella said. It was clearly the man described, wearing a white cap and coat.
"Oh you poor stupid girl, I believe you meant to say I and you." Beatrix said in disgust, Cerebella grunted as she shoved past her. Beatrix merely rolled her eyes before following suite, brandishing a knife in preparation as she tested it within her grip.
Medici Tower Bottom Floor
Feng anxiously looked around the carnage that had occurred by the hands of the spy, and so far she had been slitely if not outright terrified. The man was somehow able to take down a full mob of Medici's who were armed to the teeth as some of them were still attempting to lift themselves up.
The Ambulance was already in the process of arriving, but it would take a while longer. Right now the gang members looked absolutely pummeled. Feng walked up to the gangsters that were steadily rising to there feet despite there grievious injury's.
"Um, what happened here?"
The mobsters paused as they looked at her with beaten eyes only for a tiny voice to speak from the sidelines.
"What happened? What happened!? I'll tell ya what god damned happened!"
Feng turned to see a tiny pink salamander climb out of the fountain, she immediately recognized who it was.
"Ottomo?" Feng said as she rushed to him, the Pink creature struggling to walk as he held a giant bump on his head.
"The one n' only, Ow." Ottomo said as his had retracted from his tiny head in pain.
"You all look like you lost a fight with a Gigan."
"I only wish... This guy was something else entirely! Beat the crud out of all of us,-" Ottomo said as Feng listened. "And the weirdest part, it just... Happened."
"What do you mean 'Happen'?"
"Like I said it, we all had him surrounded, he said something to do with 'the world' and then next thing you know, all of us had been left like punching bags, it just happened, no second, no minute, we just got our asses handed without him even moving!"
Feng looked down in thought on who the guy could even be.
"It was like he could stop time to kick our asses."
Feng's face perked up, before shock began to take over.
"You guys stay right here, I need to get back with the others!" Feng said before her birds flew her off. Leaving Ottomo and the wounded gang members by themselves. There was a paused until Ottomo broke it.
"Hey! Aren't you gonna get us some god damn help over here!?"
River King Casino
So escaping would be out of the question for now, the new group had left two of there own behind to guard the entrance.
Jotaro had almost blown his cover, he needed to be more careful.
Passing another row of slot machines, the Stand user almost cringed at how loud they were compared to past Casino's he visited, probably to give the gamblers a more satisfying feeling of betting there life away. Regardless, he spotted a few left behind tokens next to a few slot machines.
"Might come in handy." before he quietly stashed them in his pocket. He looked right and left before exiting out of the row.
That is when he was hit by a force of something.
"Huh?"
Within an instant he was flung through the air, landing on his back before sliding back on the red carpet floor as the Stand user grunted in discomfort.
Jotaro had quickly gotten to his feet as he heard chuckling. The crowd of casino goers quickly dispersed, as they backed up from a single person who was looking directly at Jotaro.
It was the masked guy from before, standing there as he leaned on the women shaped instrument.
"Caught of guard there, eh?" Taliesin said.
Jotaro merely brushed himself before straightening his coat casually, "I really don't have time to deal with this."
"Is that so-?" The Bard said before hoisting his instrument, it was then Jotaro saw the man's trump card.
The instruments literal legs unhooked around the bards waists, it's eyes opened up, and unlike the inanimate object from before was now a wooden woman with no arms as she straddled the musicians waist. "-Then I suppose there should be a change of schedule."
"You tell him Talie." The mouth-less instrument said as it looked at Jotaro with a smirk.
Jotaro's eyes narrowed, this must have been what that pink creature had referred to. His opponent was a Stand user of some sort.
"And now, Monsieur spy. Shall we?" Taliesin said as his wooden hands brandished a deadly arsenal of sharp blades.
There was a pause before Jotaro stepped forward.
"Sure."
ORA!
Taliesin was shoved, a wobbly barrier of some sort appeared around him as Star Platinum attempted to throw a punch directly at the Bards face. The musician's legs skid across the carpet floor before the man straightened his hat.
His parasite, Muse looked at Star Platinum with anger.
"How dare you try to strike my Talie!"
Muse stood tall as he placed a hand on his hip, inspecting Star Platinum.
"Hm? Who's this? A parasite of some sort?" the Bard scoffed before his hands coiled around Muse, "Regardless he cannot even hope to hurt me, for I have the power of music on my side."
The Bard strummed a chord before the shield revealed itself, a wobbly blue shield of sound was projected around him.
"He has a shield of some sort." Jotaro thought before he recalled Star Platinum, the Stand disappearing within the User. Taliesin seemed intrigued by this before getting into a battle stance.
Without warning, the Bard lunged forward, his hands turning into a variety of sharp metal blades once more. Jotaro deftly dodged out of the way as Taliesin tore up the carpet where he had stood at.
Star Platinum came out once more, this time besides Jotaro.
"Star Finger!" Jotaro yelled, within an instant the purple Stands middle and index finger extended forward at an impossible distance and speed, it's power and precision was incredible, however even it couldn't break the shield as the purple finger dented it, only slightly.
Taliesin laughed before he strummed Muse, the shield strengthened even further. Then within a split second, the Bard lunged forward again, his sharpened blades nicked Jotaro just at the edge of his shirt, cutting the delicate fabric as well as a bit of his skin.
The Stand user backed off, putting a hand on his shirt before it came back red.
"You and your parasite are just full of surprises, but I'm afraid that will not do you any good so long as I am protected by my beloved."
Muse comfortably closed her eyes before leaning into the Musician.
"Yare Yare Daze, and I thought Steely Dan was annoying." Jotaro said, "Fine, here's the deal." the Stand user took out a piece of paper before rapidly scribbling on it.
"What's this? Writing down your Last Wishes?" The Bard said as he mocked the Stand user.
Jotaro's face remained unchanged before showing the piece of paper. "No, it's an IOU... Your Debt too me once that shield of yours breaks."
Taliesin laughed, so as Muse as she giggled. "Oh? And prey tell what is this debt?"
"How much I'm going to mess you up."
"Ha! Good luck with that Monsieure spy, did you not hear what I said? You cannot break this barrier of sound with the strength of your parasite alone."
Jotaro's face turned into that of a scowl.
"First off, it is not a parasite, it is a Stand.-" Taliesin tilted his masked face at that word. "-And second of all, I still have one more technique that I can use against you. One that will be sure to beat you."
Taliesin stirred uncomfortably, surely he was just bluffing.
"It has been passed down in my family, from generation to generation... And that technique...-"
Taliesin, prepared Muse as even she looked at Jotaro with worry.
"-Is to run."
The Joestar immediately turned tail before running in the opposite direction.
Taliesin paused before breaking out into laughter, chasing the Man.
Jotaro rounded the corner into a giant row of slot machines before Star Platinum went to work. Inserting a token into every machine before pulling the lever, his stand's hands were a blur of purple as the machines became obnoxiously loud.
He was about to move on to the last one before another force struck him at the back, this time it felt sharp as it cut through his shoulder blade. The Joestar grunted with pain as he held his shoulder before turning around.
Sure enough Taliesin was there, his hands close to Muses strings as if he had strummed something.
"Running? You almost had me worried there Monsieur Spy." Taliesin said before chuckling darkly. "But I'm afraid your plan ends here." the Bard said before he bought his hand close to Muse once more.
Jotaro merely smirked.
"Are you sure about that?"
Star Platinum came out once more, his purple face was rendered with a permanent scowl as his Stand rushed forward.
Taliesin's face showed that of annoyance.
"Are you deaf Spy? Have you forgotten about my Shield that you cannot possibly even hope to sh-"
ORA!
The shield Shattered.
"-atter?"
The fist crashed directly into Taliesin's face as his mask broke into pieces, revealing his now bruised purple face. The force of the punch was so powerful, it even propelled the Bard backwards, with his wide eyed parasite Muse flying right out of his hands.
The Bard slid across the ground before sitting up, feeling his face as an even purpler mark began to form on the skin.
"Im-Impossible! There was no way you could breach that shield!" Taliesin said in disbelief
Jotaro spoke the truth, "Then you must have been way too arrogant to notice. You think I just randomly ran here without purpose?" he said before continuing, "Listen around you."
Taliesin paused before he heard it, numbers upon numbers of loud slot machines. His eyes widened as the elf realized his folly.
"So now you figured it out, if your shield really was made out of sound, then I suppose the only way to weaken it would be the introduction of conflicting noises. Almost like Fire against Fire, or In this case, these loud ass slot machines against your shield of noise." Jotaro scoffed, "Yare Yare Daze, You should tell your employer to reduce the noise on those things."
Taliesin struggled to get up, as he brandished his blades within his hands.
"I-I may not have a shield Spy! But I still can easily best you!" Taliesin said as he desperately attempted to buy time to look around for Muse.
Jotaro merely lowered his cap, Star Platinum's gaze hardened before rushing forward once more.
"I doubt it."
ORA!
The first fist was even to fast to see as it connected against Taliesin's stomach, the Bard had all the air knocked out of him before the second one came.
ORA!
Bashing his chest this time.
ORA!
The third smacked him in the face. Again.
ORA!
And then it went on repeat.
ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!
Taliesin was getting absolutely decimated, Star Platinum completely annihilating the defenseless Bard as it went loose on him. Taliesin attempted to block with his wooden arms as a meager attempt to resist the Stand but to no avail.
ORA!
Star Platinum uppercut the hapless elf, punching the broken and bloodied Bard directly into a giant glass tube, a few Dagonian's who were watching in shock quickly retreated downwards as the water was drained.
Taliesin couldn't even register anything as he attempted to look despite his now swollen and bruised appearance.
Jotaro merely walked casually as Star Platinum cracked it's knuckles, standing over the fallen Musician.
The bard raised his arm in a gesture to stop, not even able to speak as water stained his red checkered clothing.
Star Platinum readied a fist.
"STOP!" Within an instant Muse stood in front of the purple elf, the parasite's eyes held a pleading look. "Please! Don't kill Taliesin! He's already hurt enough!"
Now this was a surprise to Jotaro, he supposed this is what the difference between a Parasite and a Stand was. The parasite held it's own form of consciousness compared to the like mindedness of a Stand.
Jotaro said nothing as he reached into his pocket, taking out the IOU he had wrote.
"Debt paid." before he ripped up the piece of paper, scattering it's remains on the Bard. Taliesin could only murmur with his swollen face in what sounded like appreciation as his Parasite Muse knelt next to him in worry.
Without further ado, Jotaro turned around, the faces of many curious and shocked onlookers.
The Joestar merely lowered his cap further before walking away.
Little Innsmouth
"A-Are they gone now?" A voice asked, the taller highschooler was hunched against the corner of the ally way whilst Koichi was looking outside. He retreated back when figures passed but otherwise the smaller highschooler grew more and more courage's.
"Okuyasu... I don't think there hostile."
"Yeah right! I bet there just waiting for us to come outside-" Okuyasu gestured with his palm before hitting it with his own fist. "-And then BAM! Were both fucking dead!"
"Don't you think your over exaggerating there? I-I mean, check it out! Some of them are even taking a train for crying out loud." Koichi said.
Okuyasu's fear vanished within an instant, replaced by curiosity. "Woah, seriously!?"
The smaller youth nodded as Okuyasu joined him in watching.
Sure enough, an assortment of fish people were busy boarding a crowded tram before it took off, going down the street before submerging in water.
Khoichi and Okuyasu's mouth hung open in amazement.
"Holy sh- Where the hell is this place? The Bahamas?"
Koichi's face scrunched up at how wrong that statement was. "I-I really don't know Okuyasu... But I think it's safe to come out. I even saw a few people walking around here."
"Really? Okay then fuck it! It's better then staying in here."
The punk immediately walked out of the ally way followed by the smaller teen. The two of them looked around, expecting to be jumped at any moment only to be met with nothing.
The two immediately calmed down, before looking around the place.
"A-Alright, so far so good. Now all we got to do is find our friends, right Okuyasu?" Koichi asked, he turned around only to sweat drop as the punk poked at a jellyfish.
"Woah! Check it out Khoichi, it's a real live-" The lantern sent a shock through Okuyasu as he eeped out in pain before his face turned red with anger. The Hand appearing by Okuyasu's side. "T-That green jelly motherfu-!"
"Okuyasu! Now's not the time!" Koichi said with a hint of frustration. The taller highschooler calmed down. Koichi let out a sigh of relief before looking to his right, the street ahead leading to another boardwalk.
"C'mon, Let's try this way." Koichi said before he began walking, however he heard a growl of some sort of creature. "O-Okuyasu. Did you hear that?" The smaller teen said in fear.
"Yeah, and I should know, cause I didn't eat breakfast this morning." the punk said as his stomach let out another ruthless growl.
Koichi paused, thinking up of a solution. "I think I have an idea. We should just find a place to calm down and possibly get a good idea of where were at."
Okuyasu's stomach growled again, "Yeah, great idea. Maybe even get something to eat!" the punk turned around before opening a random door around the corner.
"W-wait! Where are you going!?"
"Hmm? Oh to go eat, this place looks like it has food." Okuyasu said before closing the door behind him, a few fish people were lounging around inside.
Koichi put a hand to his head in panic before looking at the sign above.
Dak'kull Dubu
The smaller teen opened the metal and glass doorway, "Okuyasu! Wait up!" before rushing in. Closing the door behind him.
To be Continued