They filed their way out into the street, keeping an eye out for Stand attacks; none, so far, were forthcoming. The whole area seemed almost entirely deserted, as if even DIO's minions kept away from the place.

Jotaro found himself wondering where Iggy had got to. The damn dog had probably wandered off again to eat or do whatever it was he did when he didn't give a shit about their lives.

"I was expecting… an attack." Kakyoin's muted voice seemed unreasonably loud in the cold and empty air (and this was Cairo, for god's sake, why was it cold?). It was like the fog Stand all over again, and he shuddered.

A few quiet murmurs of assent from the others echoed in the uncannily still air. (They were absolutely sure this was Cairo, right? Not some ghost town in the middle of nowhere?)

Avdol spoke Jotaro's thoughts. "Perhaps she has created yet another illusory world, Allah preserve us."

Jotaro could only grind his teeth in response.

A light tapping began to echo through the little street, a vaguely familiar clop-clop of something – or someone – getting nearer until –

"Greetings, Joestar and company." The woman was tall, thin, with white hair mostly hidden by a plain blue headscarf such as many women wore in this area. She seemed to be dressed in the typical robes of the region, with brown and blue robes hanging lightly over her body, but was clearly not Egyptian; her pale skin and almond eyes were proof of that.

"What do you want, bitch?"

The woman shrugged, a small gesture that could have meant anything and nothing. Behind her –

behind her, a slinking white shape coiled forward, and Jotaro half expected to see that second pair of ears with those floating golden rings. But it wasn't Kyubey, just a very fluffy white cat, its long fur dragging on the fur in places and its red eyes staring into his soul. (So that was why Iggy was staying away.)

"Allow me to introduce myself, Joestar-san." The woman stepped forward lightly, leaning against a lamp post and staring at them coldly. "My name is Putin Mitaki, or in the Western order Mitaki Putin. I believe you have found the snow globe which I so recently used to capture you." She gestured casually at the little thing, still clutched in Joseph's hand as if it were a trinket he were bringing home for his wife. "That city is the vessel for my Stand, Ra, to do its work, although I can use other means, as you have no doubt guessed." A sly glance down towards the cat, which seemed to be waiting patiently for her to finish. "And this is my cat, Incubator – or Kyubey, as you know him. His Stand, Metal Storm, wipes and alters memories, even the deepest memories of your heart. He is the source of the entire 'magic' system which you experienced, and he is the one who changed your memories of how even your own Stands should work."

"You… You can't have." Joseph, like all of them, stared at the cat, completely horrified. "That's too complicated, too – too dangerous! It's impossible – messing with the power of Stands themselves!"

"Hmm. Interesting. And yet you dared to wish for a return to the real world, even with such a possibility over your head. You could have stayed there, stayed happy magical girls together, never having to worry about assassins or vampires or blood feuds…" She moistened her lips. "So simple. You'd take his rings and be married to a simpler life."

Jotaro brought his hand up in front of his face. He hadn't noticed, but of course the little silver ring was gone. It hadn't been real in the first place, perhaps just a way for Kyubey's Stand to access their memories inside 'Mitakihara'. He felt… disappointed, as if he somehow wanted a reminder of his Stand to decorate himself. Beside him, most of the others were doing the same, as if once more awakening form Kyubey's trance.

And then there was Joseph Joestar, the old bastard, with a short, sharp laugh, and – "Ah, dear miss Putin! I have been engaged three times, twice to men, and married exactly once; I'm sure I'd be happy to fit something else in, with my wife's permission!" A hearty chuckle, as if this revelation is totally normal and un-concerning, and Jotaro couldn't see how such a flamboyant personality was fused with Madoka of all people. She had seemed like such a nice, quiet little girl… most of the time. It was hard to tell how much of what he'd seen had been really her and how much had been from the weird old man in her brain.

He wondered if he'd ever meet the real life Madoka. Perhaps, if she remembered this, they could be friends. He'd introduce her to Kakyoin, maybe, and she'd be with Homura or the others, and they'd laugh about this ridiculous situation they had been through. It would be nice, to have a girl as just a friend, nothing more; the annoying ones could go to hell. He felt safer knowing she wouldn't bug him for a reply to her confession or something.

Jotaro shook his head slightly, and returned to the conversation.

"So you refuse to back down, Joestar-san?" purred Putin Mitaki, sounding pleased. "Very well then. We thank you for a most entertaining… journey."

Something was wrong. He could feel it, feel pairs of eyes on him that shouldn't have been there. There was a metallic tinge to the air, as if it was about to snow.

"Do you know, Joestar-san, why Incubator and I always work as a team?" She stepped forward once more, relinquishing the lamp post to get a little closer to the five of them. He heard Polnareff swearing under his breath – "Mon Dieu…". It almost, but not quite, sounded like 'DIO'.

"We work together, Joestar-san, because it is more merciful to everyone to have their memories taken inside my Stand. Dear Kyubey likes to keep his prey captive and healthy for a while, after all. There's no reason for it, but…" She smiled blankly, her whole attitude and expression full of a cold, hard, killing ambition. "This time, I'm afraid, there will be no mercy for you."

And suddenly it felt like all the wind had been knocked out of him and he was on the ground with the others, choking and gasping and – dammit, of course they would have orchestrated a Stand attack to take out their most important targets, what had he been thinking? What had the old man been thinking? They hadn't thought of doing even the slightest preliminary search with Hierophant or on foot, and now they were paying for it. Probably with their lives.

"Pathetic." The woman looked down at all of them in disgust, her face haughty and her voice low. "These are the deadly Joestars that take out every assassin Lord DIO sends?"

With no answer, she slowly made her way closer to them, still looking rather cautious. Smart. "This, Joestar-san, is the power of Incubator's Metal Storm: with the power to change every memory you have and more. Your memories make up part of your soul, and your soul affects your Stand. If the smallest change is made –" She smiled again, leaning low over their writhing bodies. "Well, Kyubey can take your whole Stand away. That's what he's doing now – erasing the imprint that your Stands have. I'm told it can be quite painful in the real world."

"Unforgivable." Jotaro grasped at the ground and, shaking, made his way up to his feet again, trying to ignore the pain streaking through his body. "Absolutely unforgivable."

He took a step towards Putin and the cat, bunching his fists slightly; his body wavered in the cold air for a moment, but he managed to keep his footing to stand face to face with the white-haired bitch. "Kidnapping innocent souls and torturing them for pleasure is unforgivable."

Jotaro adjusted his stance, lower and more balanced, and crossed his arms loosely over his chest, pointing with both hands at Mitaki Putin. "In the name of the Star, bitch, I will punish you!"

He punched her, hard, in the face.

"ORA – FUCKIN' – ORA!"

Kyubey was next, before the thing tried to scamper away; Jotaro didn't fail to notice that the white cat's Stand was still in effect. He could even see the Stand itself now, looking just the same as when it had offered Madoka and Joseph their wish, swishing its tail in tandem with its user.

So, of course, he picked up Incubator – the real, non-Stand Incubator – by its tail, and threw.

The white cat disappeared, far, far above the rooftops, and Jotaro finally felt its Stand release its hold. He sighed and pulled his cap securely over his face.

"Good grief."