Steely Dan watched the gangsters mill about from behind a stall, scowling as they turned over yet another stall looking for Jotaro and the girl. Loathe as he was to admit it, Jotaro was big, bigger than him, so how the hell had they managed to lose him?

He'd have thought Jotaro would have tried to make a break for the exit by now. It wasn't like he had any other choice; with his Stand busy inside the girl's head, he couldn't hope to survive if they started a shootout in the marketplace.

And it wasn't like Jotaro hadn't tried to, either—Steely Dan had seen him try to make a break for it before, get shot, then scurry back into the shadows like the coward he was. Too scared to face any real danger without his precious Stand—if it weren't for that pesky Star Platinum, Steely Dan was sure even he could kill him by himself—but now that the dust had finally settled, maybe he had taken to the shadows a little too well, because how else could a 200cm school brat disappear just like that?

Checking in with Lovers again, he confirmed that his Stand was still in the girl's head. That meant Star Platinum was still looking for him, because there was no way Jotaro would be content to leave her at his mercy. No matter how tough he pretended to be, he was an idiot with a bleeding heart.

Beside him, the stall owner whimpered and ducked further behind his miniature stove. Steely Dan glared at him and shoved the barrel of his pistol against the man's head. "You'll stay nice and quiet, unless you want me to add a little something special to your next serving of nihari, understand?"

The man nodded wordlessly, and Steely Dan smiled back.

What a wonderful thing it is, to rely on others for once—especially if they don't know they're working for me in the first place, Steely Dan thought with a smirk. That way, I can have both the satisfaction of seeing that spineless brat Jotaro pay for humiliating me, and I don't have to risk a single hair to do so.

And once those thugs were finished softening up Jotaro, he could even sneak in and deal the finishing blow himself, then tell DIO that he'd killed the Joestar child himself. That was sure to get him in the crazy bastard's good book.

Of course, that all depended on those simpletons actually finding Jotaro. Steely Dan checked one of the nearby clock towers: a quarter to noon. That meant it had been a full minute, and they still hadn't found him.

This is why I always work alone. I don't know where that sniveling fool Hol Horse gets the idea; relying on others to do your work for you always ends in nothing but disappointment.

So far, the only work he'd had to do was send Lovers to kick around a few of the girl's nerves and nudge the gangsters in the right direction every now and then. He considered it generous enough that he'd helped them twice, but if they really could not figure out something so simple on their own, then he supposed he was going to have to work for his food once more and give them another.

With Lovers in the girl's head, finding Jotaro was a simple matter of locating his own Stand, so he closed his eyes to see where the hell he'd run off to. As he did, however, he couldn't help but wonder what was taking Star Platinum so long to find Lovers. By now, those bumbling morons Kakyoin and Polnareff had already run in with him, and yet Star Platinum was nowhere to be found. Just where had Jotaro gone?

Then, he paused.

No. That can't be right, Steely Dan thought, frowning. If my intuition is correct, the Lovers should be right–

He glanced over his shoulder. Jotaro froze, already halfway through stepping over the stall next to him, the girl in red peeking just over his shoulder.

The girl behind Jotaro was the first to break the silence. "Uh. Hi?"

Steely Dan shrieked and fumbled for his gun. Jotaro lunged, arms outstretched. Grabbing a fistful of spices from a nearby shelf, Steely Dan flung it at his face. Maybe if he got some in his eyes, he could buy himself a few seconds, maybe more.

Jotaro had seen it coming, though; the spices splashed harmlessly off his arms raised over his face. He only had a second to act.

The gun!

Jotaro's fingers grasped at the collar of his shirt. With a hiss, Steely Dan grabbed Jotaro's hand and tried to break free, but the boy had a grip like iron around his neck. He raised his gun to Jotaro's face. Jotaro hadn't taken the chance to seize him with Star Platinum just yet—he must have rushed over here before Star Platinum had the chance to return to him to catch Steely Dan off guard. That would be his mistake.

Steely Dan fired. Jotaro howled in pain. He hurled Steely Dan away, hands flying to cover his face.

Not bad, except for the fact that a shot this close should have blown his fucking brains out!

Had he missed? No, that was impossible. He couldn't have, not from this distance, but he could clearly see a bullet hole embedded in a nearby post. And what was the alternative? That the bullet had just bounced off his skin?

No, that's even more impossible! Steely Dan thought as he turned around and sprinted away. I must have missed, then! There's no other explanation!

He looked back, and almost immediately regretted it. Jotaro pulled down his hands to look him in the eye, and when he did, Steely Dan saw nothing but murder.

Steely Dan raised his gun and squeezed out three more shots. The first tore a hole through the tarp. The second buried itself into a nearby post.

The third ripped a hole through the nearby stove.

It hissed, then exploded and consumed Jotaro in a fiery blaze—or it would have, had the girl not grabbed him and yanked him to the side at the last second.

With that out of the way, Steely Dan turned his attention to the most immediate trouble right in front of him: getting the hell out of here.

Why the hell is he going after me? Shouldn't his top priority be getting Lovers out of the girl's head? he thought, trying to suppress his rising panic. Lovers is still inside her head. He's another one of those stupid heroic types, there's no way he would just let it stay there, right? So how–

Then it hit him. The girl. He'd been putting all his attention on Jotaro, but now that he thought about it, that girl was rather strange too, wasn't she? He was sure he'd still had Lovers running amok in her brain and yet, while her face had been wracked with complete agony, she had remained standing.

The Speedwagon Foundation agents had never shown that much resilience, and they were full grown men. How the hell could some puny girl shrug off such agonizing torture?

Unless... her Stand would let her take the punishment!

"Know thy enemy."

Again, Kakyoin's words rang in his head. But that wasn't fair! He hadn't known that she would be coming in advance! He had planned on kidnapping some girl and shoving her onto Jotaro, how was he supposed to know this specific girl would have some stupid Stand power that would negate his? It just wasn't fair!

"No!" he shrieked. "No, no, no! I'm not going to lose to that again! I won't!"

The first time was humiliating enough. But the second? No, he had to run now and come back when the fight was more fair. He wasn't a coward for that! This was just a tactical retreat.

Do I take Lovers out and cut my losses for now? Steely Dan thought. Then, he shook his head. No, Lovers can slow him down. He wouldn't dare leave behind an innocent girl, not when there are so many gangsters around. Besides, with Jotaro distracted, having Lovers escape will be a piece of cake.

Steely Dan had barely run more than a few dozen meters, and his lungs were already burning. Grabbing onto a nearby stall as he stopped to catch his breath, Steely Dan couldn't help but regret never working out. Everyone else had always mocked him for it, but he'd never thought he'd actually need to run! Lovers had always been more than enough to protect him.

It was just his luck that the explosion he'd set off had probably alerted the gangsters to Jotaro's location. He was just going to have to hope they were at least competent enough to keep him busy for Steely Dan to make his escape.

Jotaro scowled, watching through the flames as Steely Dan grew smaller and smaller in the distance, his fists clenched so tight he could feel his palms begin to bleed. He'd been right there! He'd had Steely Dan in his grasp, he'd been so close, and once again, he'd slipped the net.

Once had already pissed him off enough. But twice?

Without turning to face Ruby, he said, "You didn't have to do that."

The girl let go of him and stumbled back. "Oh, sorry!" she squeaked. "I just thought–I mean, I assumed–"

Jotaro cut her off with a huff. "Don't do it again."

She probably didn't mean anything by it. Hell, she probably thought she was helping, but Jotaro would've rather gone without it. Because of her, Steely Dan was getting away. If he ran, maybe they could catch up with him. Jotaro knew Ruby would normally have no problem catching up with her speed, but in her current state, he was just going to have to take her along with him.

What I wouldn't do to have Kakyoin here with me. Or hell, Polnareff! he thought with a snarl. Hierophant Green would have no problem reaching Steely Dan and dragging him back, and Silver Chariot would probably make cutting through all these stalls a breeze. I swear, anyone would be more useful than this stupid girl!

"There they are!" he heard someone cry out from the west.

That's our cue to go, isn't it? he thought, grabbed Ruby by the wrist. He started to run after Steely Dan, but Ruby didn't budge. Scowling, he turned to her, but her gaze was fixed on something else. He followed her silver eyes, past the growing flames steadily spreading to the stalls around them, and there, in the corner, he spotted the mangled body of the shopkeeper laid dead on the ground, his clothes still smoldering from the blast.

A twinge of guilt tugged at him.

Jotaro shook his head. No, that's stupid. I didn't fire the gun. It's not my fault he didn't get out when he could have.

But maybe if he'd just been a moment faster–

"I don't have time for this shit!" he hissed, grabbing Ruby by the arm and dragging her away.

A lot of good that did. With Steely Dan no longer trying to shoot at them, Lovers kicked right back into action, and Ruby doubled over with a pained cry. She managed to stay standing—and thank God for that—but Jotaro would be lying if she wasn't still slowing him down.

Behind him, he heard a few of the stalls break as the criminals tore through the marketplace looking for them. Checking in with Star Platinum, he could feel his Stand just beginning to move down the brain stem. At this rate, Steely Dan would get away again! He couldn't let that happen.

Unless...

Jotaro narrowed his eyes. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the girl's box weapon thing. If his memory served him correctly, not only was this thing a box and a scythe, but also a gun. If he could use this... maybe he'd change his mind about the girl being useless after all.

Turning to her, he asked, pointing it at Steely Dan, "How the hell do I use this thing?"

"Huh?" Ruby blinked. "What are you gonna do with–what are you gonna do with Crescent Rose?"

"I'm just gonna use it, don't worry."

"You–you can't–" Ruby gasped and collapsed to her knees. Her hands weakly pawed at his coat, and Jotaro, with no other choice, grabbed her and dragged her back to her feet. As soon as they were moving again, she sucked in a breath and said, "Let–let me do it! I can–I can help!"

"Hell no," he said, pulling the box thing out of her reach.

"But–but why?"

"Cause I don't trust you." Jotaro glanced Steely Dan's way again, but the man had gotten far enough Jotaro wasn't sure he'd be able to hit the shot without Star Platinum's help. "Directions. Now."

Ruby groaned, either from pain or because she just didn't like the idea, but she still relented. "You have to push the button."

Jotaro looked at the box, but there were so many parts he couldn't tell which piece was a button and which piece was just another confusing mechanical button.

"Which one?" he asked.

"That one! The one next to the bolt!"

"And where the hell is the bolt?"

"It's right next to the–"

One of the stalls next to them toppled over, and a man raised a rifle to Jotaro's face with a roar. Their time was up.

"Oh, forget it!" he snarled. He grabbed the box by the short end and smashed it into the side of the man's face. Another thug appeared behind Ruby, and his submachine gun spat fire. The stalls nearby collapsed into piles of ashes, sending a fresh wave of sparks into the air and spreading the flames further. A sharp pain jolted up his side, Jotaro grunting as he staggered back from the new hole punched through him. He thanked the criminal for that by batting him away too, sending him flying into a nearby stall.

Quickly, he looked over the red metal box in his hands. It didn't look damaged, but who knows? Maybe if he shook it, he could hear the little bits shake around inside.

Beside him, Ruby made a sound of protest. "You can't do that!"

"Do what?"

"You can't use her like that! What if you damaged her?"

Her? What did she–

Jotaro glanced down at the box and huffed, tucking it back into his coat. "Should've spoke faster."

Ruby didn't seem to like that very much, but it was true. For all her bluster, she really couldn't talk a damn when it really mattered.

Good grief, he thought with a scowl. At least Gramps never gave me this much flack over a stupid gun. Why, out of all people, did I have to end up with her?

Whatever he thought of her didn't matter—when Jotaro looked back, Steely Dan had disappeared. His chance to finally make him pay had passed. Snarling, Jotaro punched a nearby stall.

Maybe the fire had weakened the structure, or maybe he'd hit it much harder than he had intended, but the moment his hand impacted the wooden beams, the stall groaned and crumpled to dust. One beam struck the next stall, and then the next, and before he knew it, half the marketplace had collapsed, leaving it a mess of rubble and debris.

Like rats, people came spilling out of the ruined stalls—people who had been hiding from the gunmen. Cursing, Jotaro stepped aside as they spilled past him, ruffling his jacket and stepping on his toes. He looked past them just in time to see Steely Dan leaning up against a stall just thirty meters away, hands on his knees and gasping for breath.

They locked eyes. Huh. How convenient, Jotaro thought.

Steely Dan's eyes widened, and he immediately turned tail and ran north.

Where the hell is he going? Is he just trying to lose us in the city?

If he got out of here, Jotaro would have no hope of hunting him down, and Steely Dan would be free to try to attack again whenever he pleased. Jotaro would be damned if he was gonna let that happen.

"Come on!" Jotaro said, grabbing Ruby by the wrist and dragging her through the quickly forming crowd.

"Wait! There are too many–" she said—probably to complain about something pointless. Jotaro didn't listen. He didn't have time to. Stepping over broken beams and shoving his way through panicking civilians, he charged after Steely Dan. Already, he could imagine how good it'd feel to wring his hands around the sniveling bastard's neck—all he needed was to close the gap between them, a gap of a measly twenty meters, and a gap quickly shrinking with every step he took.

With a yelp, Ruby's foot caught on a bar laid across the ground, and she grabbed onto his sleeve to steady herself. Jotaro nearly fell over with her; he had to grab onto a nearby stall to hold himself steady. As soon as he dragged her back to her feet, he was after Steely Dan again.

Damned brat! What'd it take for her to stand by herself? he thought with a scowl. None of the others ever slowed me down like this. He checked in with Star Platinum again. Almost out of the ear canal. Just a second longer–

A flash of movement caught his eye. Jotaro threw himself behind a nearby stall, taking Ruby with him. Not a second too soon: six more gangsters rushed out through the crowd, guns raised.

A few panicked civilians froze at the sight.

If he were some kinda American superhero, Jotaro could have told them to duck, or maybe he'd have tackled them to the ground. Really, he could've done one of a million things, but by the time he'd settled on one, the gangsters pulled the trigger and let loose.

The civilians disappeared under a hail of bullets. A second later, so too did the stall they were hiding behind. Ruby clutched her head, trembling as she tried not to cry out in pain. And Jotaro–

"Star Platinum!" he roared, and at last, Star Platinum burst out of Ruby's ear with a cry. He jumped over what remained of the stall and charged. Bullets descended upon him. With Star Platinum's speed, not a single one reached him.

"ORA!" Star Platinum swung out, catching two criminals with a vicious backhand and sending them flying. They crashed into a nearby stall and collapsed in a heap.

A third turned to strike Jotaro with the end of his rifle, but Jotaro moved a split second faster, burying a knee into his gut. The man doubled over, to gasp for breath. The only thing he caught coming down was Star Platinum's fist coming up to meet him, and with another roar, he hurled the man into the fourth and fifth, downing them all in a single blow.

The six took one look at his fallen comrades, downed faster than he could blink, then back to Jotaro. Jotaro scowled back. Star Platinum stomped on the ground and let out a roar.

Then, the thug did the only thing anyone would do; he turned and ran.

Not on my watch.

Star Platinum ripped a nearby post out of the ground, pulled back, and hurled it at the back of his head, downing him with a wooden crack.

How many is that now? Jotaro asked himself. Counting the two from before, and the one back there, that's nine? That's all of them, isn't it?

His foot brushed against the dead body of a civilian.

What was it that Gramps said? No more involving civilians? If he was here, maybe he'd have led the fight away from such a crowded place. Suppressing a wince, Jotaro scanned the wreckage for Steely Dan.

Again, he caught a glimpse of him running away, watching him as he grew further and further. But this time, there would be no help coming for him.

"We're going," he said to Ruby.

"Huh?" was all she could muster before he grabbed her by the scruff and took off after Steely Dan.

Before, he had to be careful not to trip over any of the ruined stalls on the floor. With Star Platinum back by his side, however, he could afford to move a lot faster. Ruby's constant stumbling did little to help, sure, but Star Platinum more than made up for it, shattering smoldering wood with his fists and tossing debris aside like plywood.

Step by step, he closed the distance. Steely Dan turned over his shoulder, and he yelped when he saw them, but what could he do? Now that Star Platinum was out again, shooting them wouldn't work any more. He tried to run faster, for all the good that did him, but Jotaro could tell Steely Dan was already running out of breath.

Star Platinum reached out to grab him. The tail of his coat just barely slipped out of his grasp. Just a little further, just a little more–

Ruby saw it before he did: a trio of gunmen jumping out of the flames, guns aimed for him. He was too distracted with Steely Dan to notice them. She wasn't.

The faces of all the people on the floor flashed before her eyes, faces twisted in horror as they were gunned down in front of her. She couldn't help all those people before—but she could help Jotaro.

Biting down hard and suppressing the burning in her head, Ruby reached out, grabbed Jotaro, and dragged him back.

Bullets zoomed past Jotaro's face, missing him by inches.

Jotaro didn't even wait for a second to spring into action. Two of the gunmen's heads smashed together. The third barely had time to understand what was going on before Ruby saw his legs fly out from beneath him and his face slam into the floor.

As soon as that was done, Jotaro rounded on Ruby.

"What the hell did I say?" he roared.

What did he say? What did he say?! What about what I have to say?!

Ruby had had just about enough with this guy. Maybe it was all the pain that was making her so angry, or maybe it was the fact that he had used her baby like a bat, but she hadn't complained once while he was dragging her around. She had saved his life not once, not twice, but three times, and how did he thank her?

"I had him! You need to stay out of my way!" he hissed, jabbing a finger at her chest.

With all the agony she was feeling, it felt like a knife through her heart. Tears that she had just barely been holding back finally spilled through with a gasp, but she refused to tear her eyes away from his.

"They were gonna shoot you!" she snapped back.

"I'm fine!"

Ruby's eyes fell to the two holes in his coat, red seeping through black fabric. "No, you're not," she replied. "I saved your life back there!"

"Then do it in a way that won't be so damn useless!" Snorting, Jotaro turned away and muttered to himself, "If my friends were still here, they would be smart enough not to get in my way."

"Well, they aren't here, are they?"

The words surprised even Ruby herself. She liked to think she was a good girl, so to snap like that? Wow, the pain really must be making me lose my temper.

Suddenly, Ruby found herself pinned to the wall, feet dangling off the ground as Jotaro held her up by the scruff of her cape. "And who's fault do you think that is, you self righteous bitch? Because of you, I had to stay in a damn hospital for five days! Because of you, I got left behind! Because of you, I have to deal with all of this shit all on my own!"

"I have to deal with it too, don't I?" Ruby shouted back. "All this mess is my fault too, but you didn't think of that because you only think about yourself! You're a big, fat jerk, and that's all you are!"

Jotaro watched her, his shining blue eyes not straying from her for a second. Any other time, Ruby would have looked away. Not today—today, she stared right back, daring him to say something.

Finally, Jotaro sighed and let her down, pulling his cap down over his face. "Good grief."

Again, they resumed their trek through the burning marketplace. Jotaro shoved aside a few more stalls with his invisible Stand, some with more force than Ruby thought was necessary. As they walked, Ruby passed by a few dead bodies on the ground. An awful feeling welled up in her stomach. She could have saved them, but she was too busy with her own pain to do anything about it.

It's not my fault! she tried to tell herself. It's Jotaro's! I tried to tell him not to go somewhere so crowded, but did he listen? No, he didn't!

It was just like him to ignore her. He didn't care about the shopkeeper, and he didn't care about all those people. Blaming him was easy.

But there was still some part of Ruby that just couldn't.

When Jotaro pushed aside one last stall, and they saw Steely Dan hunched over and out of breath, Jotaro didn't hesitate to break into a sprint. Steely Dan didn't either, pushing down a nearby stall to block their path, but as the stall exploded into bits on its own, Ruby realized that they were both leaving her behind.

"Hey! Wait!" she called after Jotaro, but he had already left her behind before she could latch on.

If her dad were nearby, he might have had something to say about the language that came out of her mouth, but she was too angry to care. A fresh wave of agony pulsed through her, threatening to pull her to the floor. Ruby reached out and grabbed a nearby stall to steady herself.

The pain was pure agony, like all the worst fevers she'd ever had all at once, but Ruby grit her teeth and pushed through it.

I'm a huntress, she told herself. I'm a huntress, and a real huntress wouldn't let this pain put her down! I'll get through this! I know I will!

Slowly, she dragged herself after them, pulling her aching legs through the rubble until, at last, she stumbled upon a clearing in the rubble, what might have once been a road if not for the fires burning around them. And standing in the middle was a rugged man with a small girl held in his arms.

Snarling as the girl kicked and screamed against his hold, the man slapped the back of her head as he tried to drag her down the street. Vaguely, Ruby remembered hearing someone say something about a kidnapped child. Was this her?

Footsteps echoed further down the street. Ruby craned her neck just in time to see Steely Dan stumble past.

"Stupid thugs," she heard him mutter under his breath. "Can't even take care of a pair of dumb kids. If a bunch of criminals won't cut it, then maybe..."

Then, he noticed the kidnapper. He and the kidnappers locked eyes for a moment, and something seemed to occur to him.

"Get back here, you bastard!"

Jotaro's voice seemed to snap both out of their brief pause. Reaching into his pocket, Steely Dan hurled his wallet at the kidnapper.

"Take it!" he cried. "Just don't let them come after me!"

Eyes wide, Ruby tried to step in to intervene, but a jolt of pain caused her muscles to freeze, and she collapsed to the floor.

Grinding her teeth together to bear the pain, Ruby pushed herself off the floor just in time to see Steely Dan disappear around the corner and Jotaro sprint into view.

As soon as the kidnappers saw them, something seemed to click in his head. Drawing a knife, he pressed it to the girl's throat.

"Not another step, or I spill her guts on the floor," he hissed.

Ruby looked at Jotaro. Jotaro looked back. Ruby's eyes narrowed.

He didn't care about the shopkeeper. He didn't care about those people. He didn't care about her.

Ruby was not gonna let him leave this girl behind, Steely Dan or not. She had let too many people die already. This was gonna be different!

Pain lanced up her leg. Ruby ignored it. She broke into a sprint.

Then, Jotaro ran past her.

The sight surprised Ruby so much, she stopped. It was only when he turned to look back at her that spurred her back into action.

"Stay back!" the kidnapper said. "I'll kill her, I'll do it!"

With a cry, Ruby launched herself after him. There was no way she would be able to make it in time, but she had to try.

An invisible force grabbed her arms. Jotaro's stand? Ruby let it, for once, absolutely certain that they had the same idea. She jumped off as it lifted her up, spun her around, and hurled her at the kidnapper. The sheer shock of her flying through the air like a bullet must have stunned him to silence, because Ruby saw his jaw drop at the sight.

Too late, he realized that she was getting closer at an alarming rate. The kidnapper fumbled, drawing back his knife to slit the girl's throat. If he'd been a second faster, maybe he would have done it.

Ruby's foot kicked out. The sole of her boot landed on the kidnapper's face. Ruby pushed off, and his head snapped back, stunning him for a moment.

A moment was all Jotaro needed to close the distance. Like magic, the girl flew out of the kidnapper's hands, the two pulled apart by an invisible force. The kidnapper stumbled back, hands against his face to brace for a blow.

For all the good that would do him.

Ruby's legs crumpled out beneath her as she landed, and her face ground against the earth. She pushed herself up just in time to see an invisible force pry the kidnapper's arms apart. A shockwave spilled out from the impact, reducing all nearby stalls to dust. The man's bones snapped, and he soared over Ruby's head. The wall behind her cracked like a spiderweb from the impact of body against stone. The kidnapper groaned once, before he collapsed onto the ground, out like a light.

Ruby let out a long sigh of relief, nearly collapsing to the floor. She settled for setting her hands on her knees, her legs trembling as another wave of pain threatened to overwhelm her, sending more tears out of her eyes and down onto the floor.

T–this is nothing, she tried to convince herself. Not to a real huntress. You can do it, Ruby! Don't give up! Don't give–

Ruby's stomach lurched, and finally, her lunch spilled out onto the floor.

A shadow cast over her. Groggily, Ruby looked up, and for once, she was surprised to find she was not seeing things—Jotaro actually did look worried for her.

"You okay?" he asked, as if to drive that home.

Ruby nodded. "I–I think–" Another wave of agony wracked her head, but they were so frequent Ruby had almost grown, dare she say, used to it. "I'll be fine." She chuckled.

Frowning, Jotaro asked, "What's so funny?"

"You got so mad because I kept getting in your way, but you let him go too." She looked up at him, hoping she didn't look too pathetic with tears streaking down her cheeks and half-digested rice dribbling down her chin. "I thought you didn't care."

Jotaro looked away and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I never said that."

Ruby opened her mouth to speak, but a burning sensation overwhelmed her throat, and a fresh wave of tears spilled over her face. Immediately, Jotaro was at her side, catching her in his arms.

"I'm fine," she said.

"You're not," he replied.

Through the burning haze clouding her mind, she thought, Weren't those the exact same words I said to him?

"I'm gonna chase the Lovers out," he said. "Don't care if he tries to take another hostage. You're not fine."

Ruby shook her head. "No no no. You were right. Steely Dan, he needs to be stopped. I'm not gonna let him take another hostage."

For once, Jotaro looked hesitant. Any other time, Ruby might have felt vindicated by the sight. This time, she tried to smile for him. "I'll be okay," she said.

"Fine. But we're gonna have a hell of a time finding him. He could be anywhere on the north side of this city."

"Well he's gotta find more helpers, right? He's kinda weak on his own, so he's not gonna attack us by himself." Ruby's hands reached up to grasp Jotaro's jacket and clenched tight in an effort to ward off the pain. "Maybe he's gonna try to find more criminals to help him. You know where we can find some, right?"

Jotaro shook his head. "I've only been in this city for a week. Most of it, I've spent in a hospital." Then he frowned, and he gave her a look. "I'm not from this place, you know."

"Oh! Sorry, I thought–" Ruby cut off with a hiss, clawing at Jotaro's jacket again. As she did, something she'd heard returned to her. "But I–I heard him say somethings before he left. He said–he said that criminals weren't gonna cut it. Maybe he's not gonna go find criminals. Maybe he's gonna find someone else."

"Like policemen?" Humming, Jotaro pulled his cap down as he gave it some thought. "They're more trained than a bunch of thugs."

"So is he gonna go find a random cop and call them on us?"

"Maybe. They're already looking for us, so it's not like he needs to lie to them like he did with the thugs. But one cop isn't gonna cut it. He ain't gonna be stupid enough to assume otherwise. He's gonna have to find a whole bunch of them in a crowded place like the port, but the port's to the west. Where the hell would he find a crowded enough place to–" Jotaro's eyes widened. "The train station."

Ruby blinked. "The train station?"

"Yeah. The ports are on the west side of the marketplace, but the train station is to the north. That's where he's gotta be going!"

"Then what are we–ah–what are we waiting for? Let's go get him!"

DIO had warned Steely Dan that the Joestars never gave up. Steely Dan had thought it was just because they were stupid. Now, though, it had become much more of a problem than he'd ever thought it'd be.

I think I finally lost him! Steely Dan thought, hunched over and gasping for breath. Crazy bastard, I thought he'd never leave me alone!

He didn't think that kidnapper would hold Jotaro off for too long, but with how big the city was, it'd take him ages to find him. That would give Steely Dan enough time to regroup and find some other chumps to help him.

Speaking of chumps, as Steely Dan looked up, he was relieved to see that he'd managed to find his way to the nearest train station. He could already see a group of five officers gathered by the tracks, talking amongst themselves as trains sped past.

"Help!" he cried out, raising a hand as he stumbled toward them. "Please, sir, you have to help me!"

Immediately, the policemen rushed to his side to see what was wrong, the gullible idiots. "What is wrong, sir?" one of the policemen asked as he caught Steely Dan by the shoulder to steady him.

Turning away so they wouldn't see his smirk, he pointed back from where he'd come and said, "There's someone trying to kill me! You must help me!"

"What does he look like?" another officer asked.

"I–I don't know. They're both foreigners. Both white skin, one wearing black and the other wearing red. I think they're American—they were gunning down everyone in the Empress Market, it was horrible!"

The five policemen exchanged looks. One of them nodded, and another spoke into his radio. "Suspects are in Empress Market. Suspects are confirmed armed and dangerous, I repeat, suspects are confirmed armed and dangerous. Advance with caution, and–"

"Thought you'd gotten away from me, you slick bastard?" a yell echoed across the street. "You're gonna pay for all those people you got killed. Every. Single. One!"

Eyes wide, Steely Dan spun around. There, on the other side of the road, was Jotaro and his short lady companion in red. Though her eyes were blurred with tears and her skin was soaked in sweat, it was impossible to miss the burning intent to kill from both.

The five officers drew their weapons in an instant, five slick black handguns staring down the pair. Cursing, the one officer gripped his radio so tight Steely Dan thought it might break as his voice rose into a desperate hiss. "Suspects are at Wazir Mansion Railway Station. Requesting back-up, ASAP!"

"Protect me sirs!" Steely Dan shrieked, and he jumped behind them.

The police officers acknowledged his command by moving in to shield what they probably thought was another helpless citizen. Another officer spoke to Jotaro, raising his voice to be heard over the rising panic from the crowd around them. "This is the Department of Sindh Police! Put your hands in the air, and make no sudden movements!"

Jotaro and the girl looked at each other. To Steely Dan's mounting horror, their resolve did not waver an inch.

"You distract them," the girl whispered.

"You get through," Jotaro replied.

The officer at the front narrowed his eyes. "Surrender, or we will be forced to use lethal force."

Jotaro's foot slid back. He pushed his cap back. "Like hell I will!" he roared, and he charged forward.

"Fire!"

One after another, the officers fired their guns. Bullets tore into the sidewalk, into the road behind him, and into nearby telephone poles. To the officers, it must have seemed like extraordinary luck, but Steely Dan could see what they could not: Star Platinum's arms, flying out at lightning speed, deflecting each and every one with unearthly precision.

He also noticed the impossibly fast red blur streak out from behind him, through the legs of the officers, and straight towards–

Me!

Steely Dan's brown eyes met silver. Though she said nothing, Steely Dan knew that if she ever got her hands on him, Stand or no, he was a dead man.

"Help me! Help me!" he wailed, but with Jotaro bearing down on them like a hurricane, the policemen were too busy to hear him.

Behind him, he heard a train sound its horn. In just a minute, the train would be here—his ticket away from these two crazed lunatics.

He glanced back at the girl running towards him. If he could just hold out a bit longer, if he could just make her stop for a moment–

Steely Dan whipped out his gun. He aimed. He fired. This close, it was almost impossible to miss. Time seemed to slow as he watched the bullet fly through the air, straight for the girl's forehead–

And bounce off her pale skin like rubber.

No! No no no!

His panic growing with each step, Steely Dan fired a second time, then a third. Both struck her skin. Both failed to even make her flinch.

Now, Lovers was weak. Steely Dan knew that better than anyone else. He liked to tell everyone that it gave him an edge. He knew when and where to apply his Stand's powers so that he was never at a disadvantage.

But now, with all his plans up in flames, he could think of nothing else but raw instinct.

Lovers was not strong enough to do any permanent damage to her nerves... but if there was anything it could do, it could make her life hell on Earth.

"Lovers!" he howled, and his Stand went absolutely berserk. The girl cried out in pain and fell to her knees.

This was his chance to get away! Turning on his heel, Steely Dan broke into a sprint, arms out to jump onto the incoming train.

He had barely managed to take two steps before a pair of tiny arms wrapped around his legs and tackled him to the floor.

"Jotaro!" the girl cried out as soon as Steely Dan hit the floor.

Star Platinum's fists lashed out, sending all five officers flying. Like a raging bull, Jotaro thundered over and scooped up him and the girl in one fell movement.

"No! Please, don't hurt me! I'll do anything, I swear!" he shrieked, kicking and screaming and trying to break free.

As one, both Jotaro and the girl turned to him.

"You shut up!" the girl yelled.

"Shut the hell up!" Jotaro added.

Just as they crossed the train tracks, ten more officers spilled into the station, handguns out in an instant, all aimed at Jotaro.

"Hands in the air!" the one at the front yelled. "Drop the hostage and turn around!"

Jotaro dropped him and the girl without hesitation and thrust his hands in the air. As soon as he hit the ground, Steely Dan tried to push himself to his feet. A heavy force on his back stopped him—Star Platinum loomed overhead, keeping a firm grasp on both him and the girl. Weakly, Steely Dan clawed at the Stand. Star Platinum's only reply was to press harder. He could hear bones pop, his ribs cracking under the pressure. Whimpering, he let his arms fall back to his side.

No! This isn't fair! If this was a fair fight, I would have won! he wanted to say, but Star Platinum's heavy weight kept his words stuck in his throat.

Slowly, Jotaro turned around. "What's the matter, officer?" he asked in that flat, bored voice of his.

"Walk over slowly," the officer said. "Surrender, and we will make your trial short and painless."

To the right, a train horn blared again. The train was here. His getaway train. Steely Dan reached out for it. If he could just get free, if he could just get on–

Jotaro's eyes flicked to the sound, then he smirked. "Sure you will."

The horn blared a third time, and the train finally crossed in front of them. Reaching out, Jotaro grabbed the side and hopped on, Star Platinum bringing both Steely Dan and the girl with him, and by the time the train had passed, they were already gone.

I know I'm two days late, I'm sorry about that! This chapter has been a real hassle to make work, especially since there is so much stuff that happens; I had to go over it three times before I was satisfied, and given how long it ended up being, you can imagine how long that took.

Anyway, to make up for it, here is this chapter's fun fact: I mentioned last chapter that the general consensus is that an enemy Stand user becomes a lot easier to beat once you know what their powers are. That's not something I made up on my own—there is a Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Table-top RPG where, if you figure out the enemy's Stand power, I believe you get an advantage on your rolls against them. I will stand by the sentiment that most one-off encounters could probably be made more interesting if they were allowed to return, but it's not for everyone, and I get that.

I know that Jotaro said in the last chapter that the train station was east, but I checked the map again and it turns out that it's actually to the north. If anyone noticed that very small discrepancy, that's why.

Finals is in two weeks, but I usually write these chapters the week before and go over them the week of, so I don't think it'll affect my writing all too much. Until then, feel free to leave a review, it keeps the story at the top of my mind. Take care of yourselves out there, and stay safe!

Omake:

He glanced over his shoulder. Jotaro froze, already halfway through stepping over the stall next to him, the girl in red peeking just over his shoulder.

The girl behind Jotaro was the first to break the silence. "Uh. Meow?"

Steely Dan shrieked and fumbled for his gun. Jotaro decked him in the face.

[Steely Dan retires!]

You have no idea how tempted I was to just make this the whole chapter.