Excited to debut this project!

Eagle eye readers may have noticed that one of the Crusaders is currently missing. I just thought it would be too Big of a missed opportunity for Korra to miss his flamboyant entrance along with the rest of the group.

This opens the story up to some fascinating new possibilities, since the geography of the world of Avatar is vastly different than our own and Stardust Crusaders follows a "Monster of the Week" formula; meaning I can move around the Stand encounters any which ways that benefit Korra's character development.

I hope this keeps everyone on their toes as much as the Crusaders(+1), always wondering who's around the next corner…


[Track 1: GIRL]–

The Speedwagon-leased boat lulled gently in the sea, in stark contrast to the frantic shaking inside Joseph Joestar's luggage. All four Crusaders stared in confusion as the contents wiggled about, finally finding a zipper, and wrenching it open. A small child, no older than 12 stuck their head out, gasping for air!

"Oh My God!" Joseph screamed, clasping his hands to his face.

"Mr. Joestar," Avdol spoke hesitantly, "Did we just kidnap a child?"

"What do you mean 'We'?" Jotaro scowled, pointing at the gold monogrammed "JJ" leather suitcase the girl was still struggling to free herself from, "That's JiJi's bag".

He coolly ignored Joseph's angry-betrayed glare burning holes in his back.

Kakyoin sighed and went forward to greet their "guest".

"Here, let me help you".

"Hey, I don't need any help!" The girl yelled, a foot still stuck in the trunk. "And no one kidnapped me. I came because I wanted to".

"But~ if you're all too scared about people chasing us, don't be!". With a tear of expensive leather (and tears from Mr. Joestar) she pulled herself free. "Nobody knows I'm here. Made sure to not leave any clues, not even a note!" She smugly stated.

"Eh… well-" Kakyoin began.

"Wasn't really sure where we're going so I just raided my stuff for everything. Couldn't fit any of it though… My room now looks like a Tasmanian devil-boar tore through it all for nothing".

"I-I see…" Kakyoin sweat dropped as Joseph utterly died in the background.

"Ha-ahh, well be that as it may little girl {KORRA!}Korra, we're all headed on a very dangerous journey and it wouldn't be right to take you along, so if you can tell me how best to get you back to your family…" he trailed up hopefully.

The gleam in Korra's eyes dashed said hope soundly.

"Oh, it's dangerous is it?"

"Yes, but—

"WATER!" She bent up a jet stream carrying with it several chunks of seafloor.

"EARTH!" She spun up with the water current before crashing down with an elbow cleaving a rock.

"FIRE!" Both arms swung infront, catching the thermals and igniting them in a power display of flames.

The stunned silence was exactly what she hoped for. "Looks like you just lucked into the best person to join your little group".

…"…oh my shit you're the Avatar. Oh My Shit, you kidnapped the Avatar!" Kakyoin whirled back around to glare at an increasingly flustered Joseph.

"HOW!? HOW DID YOU KIDNAP THE AVATAR!?"

"I don't- You can't think this is my fault! Back me up Jotaro".

"I don't know you…" he said, pulling down his hat and walking away. Joseph frantically turned to his one remaining lifeline.

"Avdol please, you've gotta say something. I'm too young to go into a White Lotus prison!"

"Well, uh- This is very concerning, *cough* for you—"

"Aren't you a damn fortune teller?! Why didn't you see this happening!?"

"I foresaw no children in my bags".

Joseph grabbed Avdol's lapel and shook him back and forth with all his might. Meanwhile Korra snickered at all the chaos she caused.

A sudden shadow blanketed her in darkness.

"Well, what do we have here!? A no-good stowaway on my ship".

The stranger's muscled hand painfully yanked Korra above their head. She cried out in pain and tried to firebend her attacker away, only to get smacked in the face.

"I don't tolerate stowaways on my ship," the man in captain's clothes said with venom in his voice, "Regardless of who or what they are".

He jerked her up again!

"Stop! You're hurting her. Put her down now!" Joseph demanded.

The captain looked nonplussed at the livid Crusaders. "Hmmm.. Now why should I do that? It's well within my rights to apprehend stowaways. Just as it is within my rights to defend myself from attack, or did you not see her try to maim me?"

He slammed her into the railing eliciting an air-crushing gasp of pain.

"On the Sea my word is law. No one, not even the Avatar, is above it". He gave her a condescending smirk.

Korra leveled back a glare that promised unending suffering. Suddenly the skin beneath her captured arm began to bubble. A liquid metal "something" rose out, clenching into a fist. The metal-hydraulic hand solidified, creaking and groaning as it fought against tightly wound "muscles".

The fleetest bit of worry crossed the captain's face, before it morphed into a predatory smirk—

and Korra abruptly found herself flung overboard below the waves!

"KORRA!" the Crusaders scream.

All four Crusaders crowded to the railing to see Korra slipping further and further away, barely keeping her head above water. Joseph whirled on the captain, ripping him up by his lapel.

"How could you do that to a child!?"

The captain smirked and calmly pulled out a thick book from his breast pocket, titled "Maritime Laws of the Sea", tapping it against Joseph's chest.

"Page 127, Paragraph 13, in the section titled 'Sentencing at Sea'. You will find everything I have done to be in exact accordance with international laws".

Joseph glared at the man, taking his book but refusing to put him down. As he read through the section he became increasingly flabbergasted.

"How could this be? It's insane?!"

"What's insane is taking a long voyage like ours with only enough rations for my crew and yourselves, then trying to feed another hungry mouth". He pried himself free, capitalizing on Joseph's moment of shock".

"Besides, what's there to worry about? She's the Avatar, and a natural born waterbender. A 70 km swim to shore shouldn't be a problem".

The Captain grew a sadistic smile. "Really, you all should be thanking me. Now you're not kidnappers…"

Avdol turned around, robes flying, furious! "But This Area Is A Feeding Ground For Octo-Sharks!"

The other three Crusaders gasped in SHOCK! All converging on the captain as he gave his most cruel grin yet.

"Ooops…"

A black blur dove into the ocean.

"Jotaro!" both Kakyoin & Joseph called out.

He cut through the water, swimming to where Korra was being tossed back and forth. Still struggling to waterbend, she was completely unaware of the massive 8-armed shadow beneath her.

The Octo-Shark, a gigantic hydra-like creature, erupted from the water. Its shark-headed tentacles lashed out at a terrified Korra.

ORA!

A 'guardian spirit' (that's the only way Korra could describe it) uppercutted the Octo-Shark, launching it into the sky in pieces! Her eyes went starstruck, taking in every inch of the spirit, until their eyes darted fast-as-light to hers! She suddenly felt microscopic, like being underneath one of those reverse-telescopes she'd read about. Every cell scrutinized…

Judged…

Then the sky was clear and the spirit was nowhere in sight.

"What! Where did they g—

"Hey, Kuso-Gaki! Get back to the ship".

Korra snapped back to reality as Jotaro pulled her towards the boat.

"I can swim by myself!".

"Then do it," Jotaro scowled.

She's about to bite back with a scathing string of insults (probably about his stupid hair-hat Ծ_Ծ), but as she turned to let him have it, she saw his face and the similarities…

The features, those piercing blue eyes, were the exact same as the spirit's…

"Lookout below," Joseph warned before chucking the life preserver.

The still dry Crusaders began hoisting them aboard as Korra plumbed the events over in her mind.

🌊SPLASH!🌊

Something leapt out of the water, grabbing the life preserver in its teeth! It pulled down with inhuman strength, snapping their lifeline apart! Korra screamed as they tumbled back into the sea; only for them to be caught at the last moments by a green strand?

Floating the ocean's surface, the life preserver rests with a massive bite, before it's quickly pulled away into the deep.

ゴゴゴゴ

The first thing Jotaro does on board is light up a cigarette.

Korra's mind was racing a mile-a-minute. Those strings... That spirit? That wasn't bending!

Were they like… Could they see hers?!

Her lips wavered up into a smile.

Finally!

But first…

"HEY YOU-!"

Korra stalked toward the captain, a ghost hand rising from her fist. Kakyoin quickly pushed himself in between the two.

"We each will be using less of our rations, leaving more than enough over for Korra. There's no justification for throwing anyone else overboard".

"Hmmp. Have it your way, but this—"

He noticed and swiped Jotaro's cigarette.

"Is a smoke-free ship. I won't have you dirtying my deck, or worse, the sea".

"Understand?". He extinguished it on Jotaro's hat, looking down at the boy. Jotaro glowered back.

…"He's the Stand user".

All Crusaders gasped in shock!

"What's a stand?" Korra asked, "Doesn't matter, if it means we beat him up I say he's got one!" She slammed her fists together with an audible *Klunk!*

"Huh… A Stand? What's that" the captain asked nonplussed.

"Jotaro…" Avdol counseled, "You can't just throw accusations around like that {Yes he can!} His conduct may be harsh, but that's not proof. In my travels I've found men of the sea to be just as strict, if not more so".

"And his credentials check out," Joseph chimed in. "Everyone onboard has been vetted by the Speedwagon Foundation. Besides, what Stand are you talking about?"

"The one that followed us underwater and took a bite out of our preserver. The one he summoned". He pointed at the captain, dynamism in every inch of the gesture, drilling into his blank expression!

"What's a Stand…?"

Jotaro chuckles, "Play dumb all you want, I found a way to separate all Stand users from normal people". He takes out another cigarette and sweeps it up to eye level.

"I saw, after users sniff smoke from a cigarette, their blood vessels will show on their nose".

"What?! (x4)"

Everyone except Korra grabbed their noses in shock!

Jotaro calmly brings his cigarette up to his mouth (suddenly lit!) and takes a deep inhale. No blood vessels appear on his nose.

"AHA!" the Crusaders scream

"Aha-! Wait, what's happening?" Korra asked, still a little lost.

ゴゴゴゴ

"Where's the real captain?".

ゴゴゴゴ

ゴゴゴゴ

The "imposter" captain removed his cap. "Hmmm… the real captain? He's at the bottom of the ocean, diced for the fishes".

"He's what?…" the world fish-lens zoomed around Korra and sound faded away. All she could hear was her heart thundering in her chest.

Before she could move a massive scaly arm appeared, grabbing Kakyoin and pulling him off the ship.

"KAKYOIN!" Jotaro called out!

The Imp-Cap jumps to the railing, grinning with sick manic glee. "Some of your Stands are a mystery, but Lord DIO's forces informed me about yours! A long-range Stand that is as weak up close as a common snail-ant!".

Kakyoen screams as razor claws dig into him. His Stand is ripped out in full view, trapped in its talons.

"I was planning on taking you out one-by-one, killing you quietly in your sleep, as a kindness…

But you betrayed that kindness!

Treachery and Deceit. The shadows blanking the Deep.

My Dark Blue Moon will await, as you come and join your friend's fate…"

He jumps off the ship, Kakyoin in tow, causing everyone to scream in fear!

"Your Stand is fast Jotaro, quick as your mind. But underwater even bullets slow to a crawl-ORA!A massive fist cut him off!

ORA!

ORA! ORA!

ORA! ORA!

ORA! ORA!

ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!

The 'Guardian Spirit' was back, wailing into the sea monster with lightning fast punches! There was no question in Korra's eyes, that spirit came from Jotaro!

ORA!

Dark Blue Moon, decked with fist imprints, flew off Kakyoin. Bizarrely, the imposter captain was thrown as well, marred with the same fist imprints on his body.

"Fast enough for you?"

It's without a doubt the coolest thing Korra has ever seen.

But…

"What's wrong, Jotaro?" Joseph demands, "Why aren't you pulling Kakyoin up?"

Light drained from the sky as they all began to realize something had gone terribly wrong.

"I can't! The bastard's grabbing him!"

Monstrous Barnacles raced up Jotaro's arm, crusting over his entire limb and hemorrhaging his strength.

"I can't even pull back my Stand-!"

The Barnacles' weight multiplies and plummets them both overboard.

"JOTARO!" everyone screamed.

With his last bit of strength he threw up Kakyoin into the waiting vines of Hermit Purple. More vines sprout, trying to save Jotaro, but the Barnacles devour them instantly and Jotaro is swallowed by the sea.

"NOOOO!"

He fell deep beneath the ocean waves and saw the Imp-Cap floating in balladry with his Stand, like a grotesque pair of sinking gargoyles.

"Welcome to the world of Dark Moon Blue…"

HA HA HA HA HA HA

The Stand was laughing? He didn't even know they could do that.

"…What do you want to be?"

"?…"

"I mean what kind of seafood? Sashimi? Fish filet? Maybe fish paste?"

The captain glowered, the water's shadows lengthened his grimace. Dark Blue Moon lashed out with its webbed hand.

The onlookers watched in horror as the placid sea became a turbulent nightmare.

"A giant whirlpool has appeared!" Avdol exclaimed.

Kakyoin jumped into action. "I'll go save him. Hierophant Green!"

The Stand dove down, but a mere touch of the vortex shreds its hand, blood spurting from Kakyoin's!

"There are Thousands of razor sharp scales in there!"

"We can't jump in or we'll be killed," Joseph realized.

"I can see Jotaro, he's not moving!" Avdol calls.

The four react with shared shock and horror, all except…

"…Hmm, he's out of strength, but not struggling? Maybe that's a good thing". 'What's he planning?' Joseph contemplated...

"KORRA NO!" Kakyoin suddenly screamed.

Korra rocketed off the side of the boat, firebending her way to breakneck speed. She struck the surface, waterbending it away just in time to save from going splat, and torpedoed toward the whirlpool!

"Let me guess what you are thinking now: 'There is a point in the pool that doesn't move'".

"…"

"HEHE… That was easy".

"'There is the center. If I can get there I can attack'. HEHEHE.

YOU MUST BE THINKING THAT NOW?".

"…"

"WHY DON'T YOU TRY… WITH THE FISTS YOU WERE SO PROUD—"

Korra blasted onto the scene and both Stand User's eyes darted over to her. The Imp-Cap grew a malicious smile, while Jotaro's face flashed between shock and fury.

Quicker than the fastest fish, Dark Blue Moon swam at Korra, bringing with it its user and leaving Jotaro leagues behind. Korra saw them come and tried to waterbend her own vortex. Turbulent murky water swirled infront of her, creating a moving wall to cut off Dark Blue Moon attack, but…

"Do you know nothing of our power!? Only a Stand can pierce another's intangibility. I choose which currents touch my Dark Blue Moon!"

"Your Bending is Useless Useless!"

Dark Blue Moon effortlessly phased through the murky water wall, 6-inch claws ready to shred her flesh, and saw… empty ocean?!

KORRA

•°•°ORA!•°•°

Korra's Stand-covered fist erupted from behind the Stand within the vortex's ring, decking Dark Blue Moon squarely in the right temple!

The Imp-Cap and Stand reeled back and screamed as Korra triumphantly grinned.

"RHAAA!" his Stand wailed, before:

ha! ha ha!

HA HA HA HA HA HA!

The imposter captain began laughing maniacally.

HA HA HA HA!

"One weak punch, is that all you could do?" HA! "Phase through the waters or tackle them head on, it doesn't matter which! Your momentum will be gone!"

"I wa?•°n't trying° •° punch •° u. I just want•° to put° •°th•° PIN in •° ur •° head•°•°.

"Hmm you'll have to speak up," he said, condescendingly putting a hand to his ear.

"PIN? What PIN—"

He now saw it! A PIN jutting out of Dark Blue Moon's head in the shallow dent of a fist. All at once an overwhelming pain pummels the inside of his head. It builds and builds with no signs of stopping. The Stand tries to pull it out; its claws attempt to rip it to pieces, but it holds firm.

KORRA

° •°Hey Loser•° whoevr°• your name is°•°

She brings up her Stand covered hand and gives him a thumbs down

KORRA

°•The real Captain sends his regards… From The Bottom Of The Sea!•°•°

Bubbles rushed out the imposter captain's mouth as her Stand's mysterious force caved half his head in!


「STAND NAME」: ?

「STAND MASTER」: KORRA

「Stats」:

Power (A)

Speed (?)

Range (E)

Durability/Staying: (?)

Precision: (?)

Development/Learning: (A)


Korra burst through the surface, hacking and spitting up water. An angry Jotaro popped up nearby, his body looking like it went through a blender.

But no water was coming out of his lungs… 'Weird?'

"Hey, need a hand?"

Joseph was waving down at them, both his and Kakyoin's Stands out and reaching for the pair. Avdol was off to the side smiling proudly.

Korra is gently put back on deck, only to immediately fall to her knees, still sputtering water.

"So miss Avatar, are you still a fan of Danger?".

She rolled onto her back and gave him a wry smile.

"OI JiJi! What do ya think you're asking?".

"An Avatar and a powerful Stand user… HA! DIO won't know what hit him!".

"She's still a Kuso-Gaki!".

"But remember, Aang was just as old when he began his own journey," Avdol chimed in.

"Hmm.. And I suspect her reasons are similar to… well, if she wants to come, how can I fault her?" Kakyoin added.

"Hmph!" Joseph crossed his arms and nodded, "Well then, Democracy has spoken You're all Idiots, Avatar Korra, want to join us on our quest to save my daughter and bring an end to the greatest evil this world has ever seen?"

"HECK YA!" Korra coughed💦, pumping her fist into the sun!

◎⃝⃘

Three years later Korra pulled back the same fist, its shadow dancing over the walls in the cargo ship hull. Her arm creaked and groaned beneath its black shoulder length glove, but she paid it no mind, punching out with her other, ungloved fist. Each strike aimed at a crude drawing clipped to a low hanging intercom line.

The paper didn't so much as rustle.

"Come on! Come on! Come on, AIRBEND!" She screamed, each word punctuated by increasingly frantic punches.

The blonde man trapped in the terrible drawing mocked her increasingly desperate efforts.

Korra's eyebrow shot above her head, bounced by a twitching eye. All at once she throws everything she has at it: Katas, strikes, bending forms from all elements, the kameha-wave attack and spider-spirit hand signs. But…

"Will- You- Just- Freaking- MOVE!"

The blonde was laughing now. Fire sparked in Korra's hands, begging to burn it to ash.

'No, wait!'

"Ok… you wanna play that way? Well then, watch me bend air with air".

She reached up the fabric of her glove all the way at its top, near her bicep. Her fingers dove underneath, in perpendicular, down to the last knuckle. They worm around, searching until with a *klunk!* her arm fell to the floor.

"Ok buddy, get ready for some Stump-Bending!"

She swings her stump at the drawing.

"HYAH!"

"WA-CHAH!"

"WOOOOOOO-ooooOOOO-WAHHHHHHHH!"

It somehow moved even less.

Red seeps through her everything, boiling over into a scream of pure frustration!

"Hey, did you hear that?!" a voice called from within the cargo hold.

"Yah! Someone's down here with us. We've got a stowaway!"

"Oh Crap!" Korra gulped and quickly scurried her arm into her bag, leaving behind the drawing.

"HEY, GET BACK HERE!_

Korra hectically ran across the ship's deck dodging the crew, twisting and dancing around the thrown elements with a bright smile growing on her face.

"Get back here you No-Good Stowaway" one shouted as they lashed a water whip out at her. Korra caught and bent it around, spiraling her up to the top of the ship.

"Ah, but a No-Good Stowaway would have been caught before we reached the harbor". She turned around to give her "loving" audience a bow, "I'm a Great Stowa—" Fire erupted from one of the crew's fists, engulfing her! Firebending on instinct, she's barely able to stave being burnt as the flames blasted her overboard!

"HA! Great Stowaway my Butt!" the firebender chanted down, running to the railing to see Korra sink beneath the surface.

All the crewmates joined them, boots sloshing through the water bent moments before.

"Um, wait- hold on…did she just Water and Firebend?" the crewmate next to them asked.

Their eyes drifted to the singe marks left from the redirected flames. As one, everybody turned on the firebender with the faltering grin.

"Oh my Shit. Did we just kill the Avatar!?"

"…Whaddya mean 'We'?"

◎⃝⃘ ◎⃝⃘

The ocean roared, splashing Korra on the rocky shore. She stumbled off the rough landing, quickly reminding herself that yes, 'Waterbending really was harder with only one arm attached', and shook herself dry like a Polar Bear-dog.

With a heave, she pulled up her "Dry?!" bag and let a smile creep as she looked at the four PINS humming with power. 'That never gets old' she thought with a smirk. Still, she gave the bag a once over. Never hurt to be too carefu–

There was a hole in her bag. A burnt hole! That Idiot Burnt a Hole in It!

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, No!"

She tore open her bag and found the entire thing filled with water

"NO!"

Her hand plunged in, pushing everything, even her arm, aside! At the back was her zippered compartment. Quickly, she tore it open and pulled out a photograph.

It's of Them… the 6 Crusaders and her, one last time together. And thankfully, only the polaroid frame was wet.

Korra collapsed into a sigh, clutching it close to her heart. She sat there as the waves rose and fell around, giving it a wistful smile.

The photo is safely placed in her jacket's breast pocket. With fire in her eyes she picked up her bag and headed up the shore, toward Republic City's open gates.

◎⃝⃘

It was time to learn Airbending!… and see the people she left behind.


Korra : Destiny's BIZARRE Child!

Play next track?

[ ⏮ ▶ || ⏭ ]

Author's Note

Finished the first "real" chapter of this story in record time (for me). If anyone's here from my other story 'What if Ruby was VENOM...' (Go check it out if you're not), they may know it takes a while for me to update. I'm hoping that thanks to the style and subject matter of this story, it'll allow for much quicker updates. I really want to capitalize on the Pulp Adventure of this work, and have much less "existential worry", for a lack of a better term, put into it. Expect shorter, but more frequent chapters for this story. This chapter is longer than the expected norm as it had to cover alot with no clear break off point till the time skip (•᷄- •᷅ ;)

I hope you all enjoyed and I will see you soon!

...

PS. Whoever guesses Korra's Stand's ability/abilities First gets a cookie! 🍪 ⬅ See its real!