Chapter 6: Lailah
In the industrial district of Vale, a lone man sat playing a piano in an empty building. Playing for no one but himself, he did as he pleased following his soul. However, he was interrupted when his scroll went off, stopping his lone performance.
"You reached Elton. What do you need?" Elton questioned.
"This is Syed. We have a problem. Three Stand Users are in Vale looking for the arrow. I need you to take care of them." Syed stated.
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"Oh, I see what's their names?" Elton asked.
"Richard Speedwagon, Maximilian Zeppeli, and Joshua Joestar. Their brands are as follows though Speedwagon's is estimated. Speedwagon is an A brand, Zeppeli is an A brand, and Joestar is a Star brand." Syed informed.
"I am sending you their pictures. I expect you to deliver." Syed added.
"Of course, it won't be a problem, boss," Elton assured as he hung up the scroll.
"Guess I'm going to have fun." Elton smiled as he began playing the piano once more, revealing an A brand under his neck.
The Stand Trio entered the Vale graveyard following Joshua as he led them to meet with a certain someone. Neither Max nor Richard had any idea what to expect as they walked, but they had the feeling that only one thing laid in a graveyard.
Sure enough, when they stopped, they were met with a single grave. On the tombstone, it read Lailah Pendleton. Who that was no one could say, but Joshua, but all he did was stare at the grave with a saddened look.
"So, JoJo, who is this?" Richard asked.
"This is Lailah Pendleton, and she was my cellmate during my stay at the Brando Institution," Joshua answered.
"She is…was the woman I loved," Joshua revealed.
"I'm sorry for your loss." Max consoled.
"It's fine. I'll make those who did this pay, but for now, you both deserve to know what happened to me during my stay." Joshua replied. Unknown to them, a figure watched them hiding close by.
12 Years Ago…
The boy that would one day be Joshua Joestar was currently being dragged through a pure white hall. He had been sedated when he resisted too much when they branded him with a star causing Joshua to be out of it.
Soon he was tossed into a large room with two beds, one bathroom, and a single girl. Unable to get up, Joshua laid on the ground on the precipice of sleep. That is until the girl who seemed to be around his age walked up to him and helped him onto a bed.
Before he could ask her who she was, he had passed out to sleep. When he woke up, he was immediately in a state of panic. He was scared of his current surroundings in the bright room. Joshua wished to go home, but it seemed like that would not happen.
"Are you okay you've been asleep for a full day?" The girl inquired, surprising the boy who had forgotten her.
"Where am I, who are you?" Joshua asked.
The girl in front of him was around his height. She had purple eyes and blonde hair, and on her right arm had a purple bracelet. She wore a purple jacket with a white undershirt and black jeans.
(AN: I am still going to use Joshua here because I think using a descriptor would be confusing, so don't worry about it.)
"My name is Lailah, Lailah Pendleton. This is…well, I assume it's the Brando Institution." Lailah answered.
"You mean the mental institution located in the south end of the Kingdom of Vale?" Joshua questioned.
"Yeah, that one," Lailah responded.
"I shouldn't be here. There's nothing wrong with me. It's just no one will believe me about the apparition!" Joshua cried.
"You have one too?" The girl asked.
"What do you mean?" Joshua questioned.
Suddenly he was surprised when a figure appeared next to the girl. The figure was of a woman with purple skin and wore a dress that was made of purple flames. Seeing it surprised Joshua for it made him think that his own apparition was real.
"Wha…What is that?" Joshua asked.
"I don't know exactly, but I overheard the people here call it a Stand," Lailah answered.
"At first, I was the only person to see it, which made it very tense at home. My parents were concerned about my mental health, so they sent me here." Lailah began.
"I've been here for a few days, and it seems like the people in charge can also see it along with you." Lailah finished.
"A…Stand? Is that what it is?" Joshua wondered.
"So, what does yours look like?" Lailah asked.
"Mine, I…I don't know how to bring it out," Joshua replied.
"Oh, you must have not summoned it voluntarily yet. Here's some advice just focus on its image in your head and will it to be. It's how I managed to summon mine." Lailah advised.
"O-Okay." Joshua stuttered as he closed his eyes and thought of the apparition.
Soon he felt the energy flow through him until it expelled through his back. Turning around, he saw the apparition that had haunted him in clear view. He fell to the ground in fear, but soon after getting a better look at it calmed down.
Unlike every other time, he saw it this time, it was in a bright room one where he could fully comprehend what it looked like. Taking a closer look, it wasn't all that scary, and as he moved towards it, he felt like it was like a part of himself.
"Wow, it looks really cool!" Lailah smiled with stars in her eyes.
"Y-Y-Y-You can see it?" Joshua asked, grabbing onto Lailah's shoulders.
"Yeah, I told you it seems like everyone here can see them," Lailah answered.
"Do you mind letting me go?" Lailah requested, blushing a little.
"Oh, I'm sorry that was rude me grabbing onto you like that." Joshua apologized as he let go.
"It's just that no one believed me for a long time save my two sisters, but even they couldn't see it. So, it's nice having someone to relate to." Joshua explained.
"I know the feeling." Lailah smiled.
"So, what is your name?" Lailah asked.
"My name is…" Joshua began, but before he could finish, the room was filled with gas, causing the two to pass out.
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Both were then taken as the doctors grabbed onto them and took them out. The two were separated and taken to individual rooms as the doctors strapped them onto chairs. Soon as Joshua woke up, he struggled to break free, but it was useless as a device was put on his head.
"It's time to start your treatments." The doctor spoke.
"For your treatment here, we will be teaching you to listen to what we say." The doctor began.
"What we say is the truth, and the truth will set you free." The doctor finished as he pressed a button.
Suddenly he felt a massive shock against his head, screaming due to the pain. His aura protected him from permanent damage, but it did not make the pain any easier. As soon as it started, his body glowed red as the apparition appeared to attack the doctor.
However, his apparition was stopped by another that seemed to belong to the doctor. The doctor's Stand caught the apparition's fist and punched it in the face. When the fist made impact, Joshua felt the pain on his own face causing great pain.
"Don't do that again." The doctor ordered. This continued for several hours with them shocking him and trying to convince him that he had to listen to them.
Eventually, he was tossed back into the room, unable to move due to the pain. Lailah, too, was back in the room just next to him in the same amount of pain. However, when the girl noticed him, she reached out her hand and took his.
Suddenly the boy's body was covered in purple flames, but instead of being burned, he was free from the pain. All the pain that he had felt had disappeared, and he was able to get up onto his feet. Joshua stared at the blonde-haired girl in disbelief at what she did.
"What did you do?" Joshua asked, but it seemed Lailah was unable to answer.
Wanting to return the deed in some way, the boy slowly picked her up and placing her on one of the beds. Taking the other bed, Joshua sat on it and just watched over for a while before exhaustion set in, and he fell asleep.
During his sleep, he thought about how the apparition that had haunted him tried to protect him during his moment his need. Though it failed, it did try, which confused Joshua at the time. He had no idea what it truly was, but maybe one day he would find out.
The Next Day…
Joshua slowly woke up from his sleep sitting up in his bed. He had no idea how long he had been asleep for, but it seemed that Lailah was still sleeping. Getting up, he went to check on her he noticed that she had been crying.
He didn't know the girl for long or at all, but it still hurt to see it. Why would these people do this to them? Joshua knew that some mental hospitals used shock therapy but only in extreme cases and never to this degree.
Not knowing what to do next, he sat next to her bed to make sure that she would be alright. Not that he could do much. All he could do was be there for when she woke up. However, his plan was cut short when gas filled the room, and the doctors came to take him away once more.
This time instead of shock therapy, they strapped him onto the table and waterboarded him. For hours on end, he felt like he was drowning. They only gave him enough time to breathe so that he would not die.
During the entire time, they tried to drill their philosophy into his mind. He had no idea why they kept doing that, but they did. When they were done, they tossed him back into his room, where he caught his breath finally.
"Are you okay? What happened?" Lailah asked to a surprised Joshua.
"I'm okay. They just put me through a questionable treatment." Joshua answered as Lailah helped him up.
"How are you feeling? You seemed in a lot of pain yesterday." Joshua inquired.
"Yeah, I'm better now, thank you." Lailah thanked.
"So, what did they do to you today?" Joshua asked.
"Nothing. I just woke up. Maybe they were letting me rest." Lailah responded.
"I see." Joshua murmured.
"I guess they give us reprieve if we are still recovering." Joshua thought.
"Thank you, by the way, for whatever you did yesterday to make the pain go away." Joshua thanked.
"Oh, it's no problem. I never like seeing others suffer, so I used my special power to burn away the pain." Lailah replied.
"Do you mean your semblance?" Joshua questioned.
"No, I think it's something else." Lailah began.
"I had this power ever since I was shot by an arrow when I was ten." Lailah continued.
"I think it has to do with the Stand or apparition we both have." Lailah theorized.
"With the flames, I am able to take away the pain from people or even cure illnesses, but I can't use it on myself for the flames still hurt me," Lailah added.
"I see, does the arrow cause these apparitions?" Joshua wondered.
"By the way, you never got to tell me your name yesterday." Lailah pointed out.
"Oh, right, my name is _ _." Joshua introduced himself.
(AN: Yeah, not revealing his real name just yet.)
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Lailah smiled. Thought behind that smile, he saw that she was still in some pain.
For the rest of the day, they exchanged information to get to know each other better. Lailah taught Joshua how to better use the power they now called the Stand. Though he couldn't figure out his special power, he was able to control it better.
They also spoke about the brands the doctors had given them and how they both had Stars. The stars they had were placed in the same place, and their Stands also reflected it. That night they got closer to one another as they got to know one another.
"So, what are you going to name your Stand?" Lailah asked.
"Name it…I don't really know I'm not great with names," Joshua admitted.
"Okay, well, how about Crimson Destiny!" Lailah suggested confusing Joshua.
"How did you come up with that?" Joshua inquired.
"Oh, it's because your Stand is red, and I added destiny because well, do you believe in destiny?" Lailah asked.
"Not really, but I can't say for sure," Joshua responded.
"Well, it's something my little cousin once asked me, and it intrigued me. She believes in destiny, but I don't. I think our fate is up to us and not some unseen force." Lailah began.
"So, I just thought it sounded cool for your Stand changed your destiny." Lailah finished.
"I see well that's still odd," Joshua replied.
"Does that mean you don't like it?" Lailah pouted, almost looking like she was on the verge of tears.
"No, no no no no I love it. It's great." Joshua assured, cheering Lailah up.
"So, what do you call your Stand?" Joshua asked.
"I call mine Burning Love." Lailah smiled.
"Really, why is…no, never mind. It's great." Joshua replied as they went to sleep.
Two Years Later…
The man who would one day be Joshua Joestar was now sixteen years old. For the past two years, he and Lailah have become great friends and each other's only comfort. Every day that they were conscious, they were tortured. The exact reason for this, they did not know.
What they did know is that it was not to help them. They figured that out soon after they arrived. But there was nothing either of them could do as neither of them was strong enough to fight. With their lack of training, it would make escaping near impossible from the doctors.
Though they were tortured every day, Lailah used her Stand's power to ease Joshua's pain. However, due to her Stand's limitations, not being able to work on herself, she was still in pain. So, in turn, Joshua helped her by comforting her and being at her side during the pain.
The torture in of itself was never easy. It was different every day and always worse than the day before. It almost seemed like they were testing things out to see what would happen. Other than that, life was mundane with him and Lailah living together in the room.
It was odd though that neither of them ever saw any other "patients" beside themselves. But Joshua couldn't complain too much about it though, since he did enjoy Lailah's company.
However, that being said, now that both were fully teenagers, it did make it odd at times being a boy and girl alone.
Joshua did find Lailah attractive and, at times, couldn't help but stare, but he didn't think he should act on those feelings. Whenever he thought about her and her odd yet kind nature, it made his heart beat that much faster.
But the two managed to get over this awkwardness between them. Their close friendship grew every day that they were together. Lailah even gave Joshua a nickname calling him Joestar, keeping up with her odd naming habit. He had decided not to question the habit of hers, either.
At the moment, both were waiting on their food, which was usually delivered whenever they weren't being tortured. When the food finally came, Joshua picked it up and gave most of it to Lailah, who was still in pain from that day's torture.
"No, you need to eat too." Lailah declined.
"I'll be fine, but you need your strength a lot more than I do," Joshua argued as he gave her the food.
"Do you think we'll ever get to leave this place?" Lailah asked as she ate.
"Do you mean, will they ever let us leave or if we could ever leave by our own means?" Joshua inquired.
"Either one." Lailah clarified.
"I don't know, but I hope to one day leave and feel the fresh air and just move around more than just this small room," Joshua answered.
"Don't you want to see your family?" Lailah asked.
"I guess I only care for my mother and sisters. The rest of my family I never cared for." Joshua responded.
"Are they really that bad?" Lailah questioned.
"Well, my father was the one who put me in here, and he supports this place financially, so yeah, not great," Joshua answered.
"I see well. I hope you can see your mother and sisters again." Lailah smiled.
"What about you, what would you do if you got out?" Joshua inquired.
"Well, I would definitely go see my family. Then I would like to become a huntress so that I can treat people all over the world with my power." Lailah began.
"Like a doctor of sorts." Joshua pointed out.
"Right exactly." Lailah agreed.
"You know sometimes I like to think about my family back in Vale." Lailah began.
"I hope they don't worry about me being here, and I hope that one day I'll be able to see their faces again." Lailah smiled.
"I also would like to go see Mistral. I have a cousin there, the one who talked about destiny." Lailah continued.
"Though she doesn't like me much because I think she may have been jealous about my power," Lailah added.
"Jealous? How could she be jealous of what she can't see?" Joshua asked.
"Well, she couldn't see my Stand. She knew I had power, and she isn't the strongest person in the world. She always craved power, and because I had it, she was always cold to me." Lailah explained.
"But I always tried to connect to her because she is my family," Lailah added.
"Sounds like you are more tolerant of your family than I am." Joshua smiled.
"Well, either way, after seeing my family, I would also like to….well…" Lailah stuttered, taking quick glances at Joshua.
"Like to what?" Joshua asked.
"Uhh, nothing! Don't worry about it!" Lailah responded, looking away.
As soon as they were done, the entire room was filled with gas, causing both Lailah and Joshua to fall unconscious. Before Joshua lost consciousness, he noticed several doctors with gas masks enter the room and take Lailah away.
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He did not know for how long he had been out, but when he woke up, Lailah had been returned. Not wasting any time, he rushed to her side to check on her. It made no sense why they had done that, for they were already tortured that day.
Joshua then noticed a note that was next to her and picked it up. The note read. If she takes away your pain, then we will give her double the pain. He crushed the note in anger for somehow, they had found out about Lailah helping him.
Calming down, he picked up Lailah and placed her on her bed with her wincing as he touched her. As he placed her down, he checked to see what happened to her, seeing the back side of her shirt was completely torn.
Her jacket had been tossed aside to do what they did, so Joshua inspected her closer. It seemed that they had whipped her mercilessly to the point her aura broke. He knew this by the distinctive scars it left on her back.
If only he could do more for her as she had done for him, but there was nothing he could do. Even though she was unconscious, she was crying, the pain must have been getting to her. He knew that these past two years that she had been hurting, but she was always able to grin and bear it.
"I'm sorry I wish I could help ease your pain like you've done for me, but I can't." Joshua apologized as he teared up.
Suddenly he felt Lailah's hand grab hold of his as if to beg him not to leave her. He stayed by her side for hours as she laid unconscious until she finally woke up. She looked up at him weakly, squinting, seemingly having a hard time seeing.
"Joestar, is that you?" Lailah asked.
"Yeah, it's me," Joshua answered.
"Are you okay? They seemed to have done a number on you?" Joshua inquired.
"It still hurts, but once my aura returns, I'll be okay," Lailah responded.
"That's good to hear, but from now on, I don't want you using your power to remove my pain." Joshua requested, as he explained the situation.
"They must be watching us because they knew you were doing it. If you continue, you'll be getting double doses in their "treatments" every day." Joshua explained.
"I just don't understand why they have to do this!" Lailah cried as she clung to Joshua.
"Why are we even here? Neither of us deserve this!" Lailah continued as Joshua held her close.
"One day, we'll get out whether that day is tomorrow or in another two years we'll find out a way to get out," Joshua assured.
The two looked at each other in the eyes, and in that moment, they knew that the odds of both surviving were slim if things stayed the same. So, both decided to enjoy what little they could in their life as Lailah pulled Joshua into a kiss.
They spent the rest of that night together in the same bed so as to not leave the other alone. For as long as they remained in the institution, they were the only people each other could trust. From that night on, this is how they slept together so that they could keep each other safe.
Though they had accepted that escaping was near impossible for the two of them, as long as they could be together, they would be happy.
Nine Years Later…
The last nine years had been hard for Joshua and Lailah, but with each other, at their side, both were able to endure. After they had started their relationship, they had gotten into the habit of sleeping in the same bed as one another.
While Lailah was spending time in the bathroom, Joshua was busy making his makeshift calendar. He had tried this project several times, but since there was no clock inside their room nor a solid time frame to work on, it made the project near impossible.
But this time, he was making some progress though it may have been off by a few months. At the moment, he believed that in eight months' time, it would be twelve whole years. Twelve long years that both he and Lailah had been locked up in the institution.
"That means I am twenty-five now and will be twenty-six in a few months." Joshua thought as he heard Lailah vomiting in the bathroom.
Joshua rushed to the door and opened it to make sure that she was okay. When he opened the door, he saw her leaning over the toilet, breathing heavily.
"Are you okay, Lailah?" Joshua asked as he went to her side.
"Yeah, I just felt a bit sick. To be honest, this has been happening for the past couple of days." Lailah answered.
"I tried to hide it from you so that you didn't worry about me," Lailah admitted.
"I asked you not to do that, Lailah." Joshua frowned.
"It's fine. It's just a small cold." Lailah smiled before she turned back to the toilet and vomited.
"I don't think a small cold does that to you." Joshua pointed out.
"It's at this point I wish I had medical training or if these guys actually cared that we get sick." Joshua wished as he helped Lailah back to bed.
"Stay here. I will get you water." Joshua insisted.
"No, it's fine. I actually feel a lot better. The cold just comes and goes." Lailah smiled.
"I'm pretty sure that's not how a small cold works." Joshua sighed as he sat down.
"Ok, tell me what your symptoms are?" Joshua requested.
"Well, every morning, I feel sick, and it comes and goes throughout the day, then I start having these cravings that I can't satiate because we're stuck in here," Lailah explained.
"I've also been really tired lately, more so than usual," Lailah added.
"Those sound like." Joshua began to think as he became increasingly nervous.
"Um Lailah, I know this may sound personal, but…" Joshua began as he whispered in her ear.
"Oh, uh, no, I don't think I had it yet," Lailah stated. This answer put Joshua into a state of panic. He didn't know if he was right, and he didn't know if he wanted to be right.
"I mean, it's entirely possible since we couldn't get protection." Joshua thought.
"Is something wrong, Joestar?" Lailah asked.
"Well, there is a chance, and I don't know for sure since I am not a doctor, but…" Joshua began.
"You might be…pregnant," Joshua answered. Silence befell the two as neither's facial expression changed before what Joshua had said set in.
"PREGNANT I CAN'T BE PREGNANT IF I AM. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE BABY IN HERE?!" Lailah questioned, concerned for both her safety and the safety of her potential child.
"HOW DID I NOT KNOW? I MEAN I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THIS STUFF, BUT I HAVE A LITTLE SISTER, SO I REMEMBER SEEING MY MOM LIKE THIS?!" Lailah panicked.
"Lailah, calm down. We'll figure things out." Joshua insisted as he grabbed hold of her.
"But with the torture, it will hurt the baby. What will we do?" Lailah asked.
"There is only one thing we can do." Joshua began.
"We have to escape because if you are pregnant, I will not let any harm come to you or the baby." Joshua finished.
"Escape, but…but how are we going to be able to do that? You and I both know that it's impossible?" Lailah questioned.
"In the past eleven years, we've indeed been here. We come to accept that escape is near impossible, but now we have no choice." Joshua whispered in case they were being watched.
"I've been practicing with my Stand for the past couple of months just in case. Though I don't know exactly what my special power is, I can feel that my Stand is strong." Joshua explained.
"So, we are going to fight our way out then, is that right?" Lailah asked.
"That's right, do you think you can do that?" Joshua inquired.
"Yes, if it is for this, I can though I don't know if my flames are capable of harming anyone but myself," Lailah answered.
"We'll find out when the time comes and with some practice," Joshua replied.
"When will we do this escape?" Lailah asked.
"That is a tricky question since if you are pregnant, then there is no real opportune time to do this." Joshua began.
"If we try now or soon, we will fail because neither of us is strong enough. But if we do it too late, like days after the birth…well, they may take our child away by then." Joshua continued.
The very idea made Lailah hold her stomach in defense. She didn't want her child to be taken if she was pregnant, that is. Lailah wished to have her baby and Joshua to be safe and out of this nightmare. To live as a family in the outside world.
"So then what do we do?" Lailah asked.
"Best chance that I can think of for all three of us to escape is to do it just as the baby is born," Joshua answered.
"I know that you might be weak during that time, but if we leave the fighting to me and only use your flame when needed. We just might pull it off." Joshua added.
"I'm scared though what if…" Lailah began, but she was cut off by Joshua taking hold of her shoulder.
"Don't think like that. I know it might be hard, but we should both try to be positive and remember that whenever we talk about this, we have to talk in a small whisper." Joshua interrupted.
"Okay, though, I think they know about the pregnancy due to my loudmouth." Lailah frowned.
"Don't worry, we'll figure things out." Joshua smiled.
"Though that being said, the odds are stacked against us." Joshua thought.
As soon as he said that, the room filled with gas, indicating that it was time for their daily torture. When Joshua woke up, he was hanging from the ceiling by chains attached to his arms. As hours went by, he was used as a punching bag by the doctors Stands.
Once it was done, they tossed him back into his room, where he noticed Lailah waiting for him on their bed. She ran to him and helped him onto the bed, where he passed out once more not to awaken till hours later.
"Joestar, you're away!" Lailah exclaimed as he got up.
"Yeah, but more importantly, are you okay what did they do to you today?" Joshua questioned, concerned for Lailah.
"I'm fine. They didn't do anything to me today. When I woke up, I was still in here, and you were gone." Lailah answered.
"So, they left you alone that is very unlike them." Joshua pointed out.
"They must know that I am pregnant, and maybe they don't want to harm the baby," Lailah suggested.
"That makes sense." Joshua smiled.
"Though that being said, the thought that they want the baby to be okay is concerning. Could they have some plans for it?" Joshua wondered.
"No matter what, I will not let them have the baby." Joshua thought.
Deep down, though, he knew that getting away with everyone safe was a near impossibility. Those who ran this place had absolute power inside, but he had to do something. He wouldn't be surprised if they were expecting them to attempt escape, but somehow, he had to make it work.
After that day, Joshua practiced with his Stand more often in secret, trying to get a better handle on is power. As months passed by, Lailah's pregnancy was confirmed as it became apparent due to her large stomach.
Nine Months Later…
Soon nine months passed, and the due date for the baby was soon. Joshua spent days planning on what they would do to escape. He knew that when she would go into labor that they would take her to an isolated area where he could not get to her.
"So, I need to break out soon after they take Lailah, then find her and take her and the baby out of here." Joshua planned.
"That is if they don't sedate me for the entire birth." Joshua thought. He was suddenly taken out of his thoughts when he felt a tug on his shirt.
"You look like your scared, are you okay?" Lailah asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just…worried about escaping. I feel like things won't work out, but. But I swear that I won't let anything happen to you or the baby." Joshua swore.
"I know you won't." Lailah smiled, taking his hand.
"If it's any consolation, I am scared too, but I will do everything in my power to protect the baby," Lailah stated.
"Thanks, but don't forget to protect yourself," Joshua replied.
"So, I was thinking about names for the baby." Lailah pointed out.
"That's not surprising. What do you have in mind?" Joshua asked.
"I was thinking Jonas if it's a boy or Jolyne if it's a girl," Lailah answered.
"Not bad I like them both." Joshua grinned.
The next day the hour came for the baby to be born as Lailah's water broke. Setting her down on the bed, Joshua was ready to do whatever he could. Though that being said, he didn't know much of what to do to deliver a baby.
Suddenly something strange happened where he suddenly saw the doctors bust into the room and take Lailah while injecting him with a needle. When he was back, in reality, his face could be read as shock. He spun around and summoned his Stand for just like he saw several doctors burst in.
The scene almost played like he had seen, but this time, he was able to fight back a little. Joshua took out three doctors with his Crimson Destiny, but soon he was pinned, and the needle stuck into his arm.
Before the entirety of the contents was poured into him, he broke the needle with his Stand. Soon after he broke the needle, he began to feel drowsy as he saw them take Lailah away. Unable to stop them, he fell to unconsciousness for hours.
Eight Hours Later…
Joshua woke up and, in a flash, got up from the floor. He struggled to get to the door as his body was still sluggish, but once he got there, the rest was simple. Summoning his Stand, he began to attack the door breaking it slowly but surely.
The room then began to fill with gas threatening to take him back into unconsciousness. Refusing to back down, he fought through it and broke down the door. Now free of the room that had contained him for twelve long years, he ran through the blank halls to find Lailah.
He had no idea where to go, but he followed his instinct. Suddenly new visions passed through his mind of the halls. It was like he was taking several paths at once or had already done so before until he had perfect knowledge of where Lailah was.
"That's the second time that happened. What is this?" Joshua wondered as he ran down the path.
"Could this be the special power of my Stand? It must be if all Stands have a special ability." Joshua thought as he rounded a corner and encountered a doctor.
The doctor summoned their Stand, and suddenly the hall twisted into a spiral causing Joshua to fall. But before he hit the ground, his Stand reacted and punched the ground, causing him to fly upwards.
With the doctor being wide open, his Stand was able to attack them, easily punching them into the ground and proceeded to bash the doctor in. Now that the doctor was incapacitated, the hall returned to normal, and he was able to continue on his way.
Soon he heard Lailah's cries of pain-causing him to run faster as alarms blared overhead. When he found her, she had been tied down to a bed where she was being stitched up by several doctors.
In a rage, Joshua bust into the room and took out every doctor there before they could react. His anger fueled his Stand shattering their aura and causing severe damage to each one. When his anger subsided for the moment, he rushed to Lailah's side.
"Lailah, don't worry, I'll get you out of this," Joshua assured as he broke the straps, pinning her down.
He didn't want it to be true, but he knew that something like this could be a reality in this place. The people in charge of this place could control anything. Deep down, he knew that escaping all together would be nearly impossible.
"Just stay still." Joshua insisted as he picked her up.
"Joestar, it's too late," Lailah stated.
"I knew that this was most likely going to happen as soon as I gave birth, they said that I had to catch up on all the treatments I missed." Lailah began.
"I don't think I'm going to make it, so please save our child. It's a boy, and he has a star-shaped birthmark just like our brands." Lailah continued.
"They took our son away only stopping to ask me to name him please save him." Lailah pleaded.
"I will just don't go!" Joshua cried as he held onto her. But it was all for not as he felt her body go cold, and her aura disappear entirely. Lailah had died.
"It was inevitable, sadly. For her to die oddly, it was a miracle she survived for as long as she did. But it was worth the shot." A voice rang from behind him.
Joshua turned to see the source of the voice seeing a man in a lab coat behind him. The man seemed only a couple of years older than him, but he could tell whoever he was he was important. Soon two other doctors joined him, one with blonde hair the other with red.
The doctor with the red hair caught his attention, for he was holding a baby in his hands. The baby had Joshua's hair and a star-shaped birthmark where Joshua's brand was. It had to be him, his son that Lailah had given her life to bring to the world.
"It's sad for here I was thinking I had planned the perfect treatment for her today." The man smiled, angering Joshua.
"Give me Jonas now," Joshua demanded, using the name Lailah had come up with for their son.
"Sorry, but there is too much we can learn from him. It's not every day that a child from two Stand Users is born. Especially of two star brands." The leader began.
"He even has a star-shaped birthmark due to the influence of your Stands." The leader declined, noting that both Joshua's and Lailah's Stands had a star mark that transferred to Jonas.
"Burgo, take the child away. I have some other business to attend to." The leader ordered.
"As you wish, Syed," Burgo replied as he ran off.
Before Joshua could go after either of them the door to the room, he was in shut blocking his path. It took him a while, but he managed to break down the door and escape. He ran through the halls, searching for where the man went.
But something was different about Joshua. He was no longer the same man as he was before for, he had a look in his eye that showed his determination and hatred.
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It was true Joshua was no longer the kindhearted man who did his best to just survive with Lailah. Now there was a fire in his eyes! One that showed his determination and readiness to kill anyone who got in his way!
This was the day that the man Joshua used to be had died, and Joshua Joestar was fully born!
Like before, he was guided by a strange vision showing him all the wrong ways before the right. But he was too late as when he reached where they were, they were taken away by a Bullhead.
"DAMMIT!" Joshua shouted as he watched the Bullhead fly off.
He couldn't keep either of his promises. He was a failure. Joshua had let the woman he loved die, and his own child get taken away. Maybe he should have known that this would have happened, but he was too naïve to understand the power the people in charge had over this place.
Present Time…
"Afterwards, I went back and retrieved Lailah's body and escaped. I broke many bones that day, both my own and others." Joshua explained.
"When I was out, I dropped Lailah's body off at the morgue, taking her bracelet to remember her before I tipped off the local huntsmen about the institution." Joshua continued.
"But it was too late to catch them for they had already abandoned ship. I traveled around learning more of my premonition that the institution never knew and searching." Joshua went on.
"I searched for any trace on the institution, and that is what led us to today." Joshua finished.
"I wouldn't have guessed that you were a father," Max commented.
"I'm a failure of a father even now I haven't found my son yet. I check orphanages just in case, but I'm not giving my hopes up." Joshua replied.
"One day, though, once this is over, I will find him and raise him, but as long as the people in charge of the Brando Institution are still out there alive, he will never be safe," Joshua added.
"We'll help you, JoJo. To find your son, we'll be there." Richard assured.
"Yeah, don't worry. We'll make these guys pay and save your son." Max agreed, placing a hand on Joshua's shoulder.
"Thank you. Even though we haven't known each other long, I still believe that we are friends." Joshua smiled.
"I agree. I have never been that close to people before, but with the two of you, I feel like we have developed a special bond." Max agreed.
"Though now it makes sense why you had trouble fighting me since you managed to just savagely beat down the doctors," Max added.
"They probably didn't have that great of Stands and depended on incapacitating us patients with the gas," Joshua suggested.
"So, did you ever look for her family?" Max inquired.
"Yeah, they died a couple of years back from a Grimm attack. At least now, she can rejoin them." Joshua responded. As silence befell, the Stand Trio Richard decided to change the subject.
"So, JoJo, out of curiosity, what is your real name?" Richard asked.
"My real name is…" Joshua began before he stopped to turn around.
"Is something wrong?" Max questioned.
"No, it's just I felt like we were being watched," Joshua responded.
"Let's head back to the hotel. I'll tell you then." Joshua insisted as they left the graveyard.
As they left, a figure emerged from the shadows walking up to Lailah's grave. The figure dropped burned black roses on top of the grave. Upon further inspection, the figure was revealed to be none other than Cinder Fall.
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"You know when I came here, I only did so out of spite to say that I survived to become stronger than you." Cinder began as she looked at Lailah's grave.
"But here I find myself learning of the power you and that man had, and I want it." Cinder smirked.
"So, in the end, your existence was useful to me, it's funny though I never expected you to be a mother." Cinder continued.
"I hope your watching, cousin, for I am going to kill your baby daddy and gain a power that will make me even stronger than I am now." Cinder declared as she spat on Lailah's grave.
"By the sound of their story, I need that arrow." Cinder thought as she left.
Elsewhere…
As the Stand Trio entered their hotel, they were being watched from a distance. The man known as Elton Jobe watched them closely, waiting for an opportunity to attack. While he waited, he listened to his own piano rhythms on his scroll.
"When you sleep, my Rocket Man will deal you a deadly blow." Elton sang as he waited.
===To Be Continued===
Next Time…Rocket Man
Author's Note:
Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I know not much action happened, and the little that did was short-lived, but that is because that wasn't the main part of the story. I don't really have a name for the only Stand that appeared because it was just a throwaway enemy.
Now I did reveal a lot of stuff in this chapter, excluding Joshua's true identity, which will be revealed in a future chapter (Duh). Now I know it might seem weird that Joshua and Lailah would even do it while locked in there, but sometimes they need an extra boost in morale in a sense.
Lailah's Stand name Burning Love, if you were curious, is actually the second accidental music reference I made by naming a Stand. This is for Burning Love is an Elvis Presley song. Also, the girl name for the baby was just a reference to Jolyne for fun.
As for how Joshua's Stand was able to guide him in this chapter and not others, that will be explained later on, so don't worry. Also, the reason why Joshua couldn't fight back, if not obvious enough, was that he was inexperienced and drugged during torture sessions.
The reason that neither tried to escape until Lailah got pregnant once again, if not obvious, was because they had lost hope and confidence in escaping. But now, with a baby on the way, the pressure to get out with the child alive and safe took priority.
Though at the same time, it blinded them of the hopelessness of the situation and how there was little to no chance of them all getting out alive. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed see you guys next time!