Chapter Text
“Ouch… Ow!” You winced, tugging against the mountain of a man pulling you down the sidewalk. His grip neither tightened or loosened, holding you in a vice. “Hey, can you slow down?! My legs aren’t a thousand miles long like yours!”
This seemed to only make Jojo speed up and you swore you saw his cheek rise in a smirk as you almost fell on your face.
It didn’t take long for a large estate to come into view, much grander than your common home. Holy shit… Was Jojo loaded?! Small ponds, aged bonsai, and tranquil stones dotted the yard, huge cut slabs of dark stone paving the way up to the entrance of the home and you suddenly felt so small.
You didn’t get much of a chance to take in more of the beauty when Jojo roughly pulled you into the landing, kicking off his shoes and almost glaring at you in silence. Your cheeks lit up in embarrassment and frustration, quickly removing your own shoes while grumbling under your breath. At least the asshole followed standard manners at home…
You placed your shoes nicely against the wooden step, not wanting to look sloppy, and yelped when Jojo snatched your wrist again. “Hey!” You tried to wrench it back but it only ended in him fixing you with another glare. “You already dragged me to your house, you don’t have to lead me around like a dog!”
Jojo rolled his deep blue eyes, adjusting your still unconscious friend on his shoulder, and tugged you along. Again you felt the barely there surface of his Stand hovering behind you, a silent threat that either you could comply or he’d make you. You cast a sullen glance up to the purple behemoth only to find it (him?) staring down at you. You sighed and relented, inwardly thankful that Jojo wasn’t borderline sprinting now.
You then glanced down at the face of your friend, his brow creased in discomfort. A pang of helpless guilt twisted in your chest, knowing there was nothing you could do for his wounds now. He wasn’t a fan of you constantly taking on his injuries, knowing you couldn’t heal yourself, but you did so anyways. You felt like you owed him that much.
“Jotaro?!”
You perked up, shaken out of your thoughts as a new voice reached your ears. You could barely peek around Jojo’s form, (e/c) eyes landing on a blonde American woman standing next to a basket of laundry.
“Why aren’t you at school? And who is that boy on your shoulder?!” The woman’s attention snapped to you, her hands flying to her mouth with a little gasp. “And this girl?! They’re both covered in blood!”
Suddenly feeling sheepish at your appearance, you glanced down, noting how soaked your blouse and jacket had become. It would take weeks to get all this blood out…
A small gasp left your lips when Jojo shoved you forward, feet stumbling as you avoided crashing into the woman. You whipped your head around, fixing him with a sharp glare, “Hey-!”
“Oh, my!” She helped steady you, her soft hands landing firmly on your forearms. “Are you alright?”
Jojo answered for you. “She’s fine, but I’m sure you don’t want her dripping blood all over the floors.”
The woman regarded him for a moment before looking back at you, a kind smile gracing her features. “Jotaro’s right. We should get you cleaned up. Are you injured anywhere?”
You shook your head, feeling rather young having her fawn over you. “N-No, I’m okay… Just a little nosebleed.” Your heart quickened in pace when you noticed Jojo starting to walk away, moving to chase after him. “Wait-!”
But he was gone, leaving you alone with this strange woman in this strange house. Your shoulders visibly drooped and you sighed, wincing at the soreness still evident in your throat. The woman placed her hands gently on your shoulders, guiding you into the traditional home.
“Jotaro may seem a little cold sometimes but he means well,” she chirped, moving to grab a first aid kit from a cabinet in one of the bathrooms. She then ushered you down the hall and into a smaller room, having you sit on one of the most beautiful cushions you’d ever seen. You almost felt bad that your dusty skirt was coming into contact with it. “Now, I should have some of his old clothes in here somewhere…”
You cleared your throat the best you could, “Um… Are you Jojo- er, Jotaro’s mom?”
“Mhm!” She dug around in a closet, mumbling to herself for a moment. She retrieved a large shirt and some blue shorts from the depths of the tiny space, shuffling over to hand them to you with a smile. You nodded your head as a silent thanks as she situated herself in front of you, producing a water filled bowl and rag from seemingly nowhere. Man, you were spacing out… Maybe some of Noriaki’s head trauma had transferred to you, too. “My name is Holly Kujo, but feel free to just call me Mrs. Holly!”
You offered her a smile back, bowing your head as you introduced yourself. While normally you’d feel completely uncomfortable being in a stranger’s home, something about Holly just… Soothed any trouble you had. It was nice, given the day you’d experienced thus far with her son. You twitched suddenly, aggravation rising in your soul. “Wait, you mean to tell me he,” you jutted your thumb over your shoulder, not sure if it was aimed at Jojo or not, “Came from someone like you?!”
She chuckled, dipping the rag into the water and squeezing out the excess. You relaxed under her touch as she began to gingerly clean the blood from your nose. “Jotaro used to be such a sweet boy,” she sighed, kindness still swimming in her green eyes, “It’s only been recently that he’s run into so much trouble…”
You quirked a brow. Trouble? Could Noriaki be involved in that same kind of trouble?
You hissed, a sudden wave of sharp pain pounding in your head causing you to double over slightly. It branched from the center of your forehead and down your spine, hitting you in waves.
‘It is Noriaki,’ your Stand informed, her voice echoing louder in your pounding mind, ‘He is in distress.’
You shot to your feet, startling the already concerned Holly who tried to have you sit back down. “You might be injured somewhere!”
A pained grunt huffed through your lips and you shook your head. “I-I’m fine..!” Another painful wave almost sent you crashing down onto the floor.
‘To the west, in a room,’ your Stand elaborated softly, peering over your shoulder to point in the right direction, ‘He is surrounded by Jotaro and two others.’
Gasping out an apology, you rushed from the room, nearly careening off the wood floors and into the grass. Your stockings slipped along the polished ground but you followed your Stand’s intuition to guide you to a room on the adjacent wing.
The pain intensified as you neared the room, the door open to give you a view of Noriaki placed on the floor, Jotaro and his Stand kneeling over him. You stumbled into the room, eyes wide when you noticed the purple Stand pinching something sticking out of your friend’s forehead. Noriaki's face was twisted in pain, his violet eyes wide and lined with fear as he honed in on Jotaro's hand poised millimeters from his skin.
“Wh-What are you doing to him?!”
Jotaro only spared you a glance, the rest of his body still as stone as he bit out, “Stay back or I’ll kill him.”
You bared your teeth in a growl, “Is that a threat, you asshat?!” Just as you moved to push Jotaro away from Noriaki, you were swept away by two strong arms clad in red. You fought against them, thrashing and wriggling, panic rising inside you. “Stop! Please, don’t hurt him!”
“Please, take a breath and calm down,” a deep voice spoke, just above your head. The arms around you tightened until you ceased your kicking legs, loosening almost immediately. You glanced up to find a darker skinned male looming over you, hair tied up in various knots with two wavy scars branching down his face. He offered you a gentle smile, dipping his head down. “My apologies for having to physically restrain you.”
You flushed, mumbling a ‘It’s fine’ under your breath before glancing back to the pair on the floor. Another wave of pain racked your body, grabbing onto the male’s arm for support as you grunted.
He steadied you, brow dipping in concern as you cradled your forehead. “Are you in pain? Are you injured?”
“N-No, but,” you wrenched your eyes open, watching Jotaro closely as you ground out, “Whatever he's doing… I c-can feel it.”
Jotaro grunted, sweat lining his brow before he cursed under his breath, arm flexing only a fraction of an inch. You could see something crawling up beneath his skin, wriggling like a worm inside is arm, eyes widening in horror when you realized that thing was coming from your friend's forehead.
“Jotaro, the fleshbud!”
You winced at the booming voice that didn’t come from the man keeping you from crashing to the floor, your eyes screwing shut again. You didn’t get the chance to look at the other occupant as the pain intensified almost tenfold, a weak cry escaping you.
“Hurry, pull it out before it infects you, too!”
Hot, bitter tears stung your eyes as the pain became unbearable, your knees giving out as you finally lost consciousness, slipping through the man’s arms and crashing to the floor.
~
You weren't sure what time it was when you woke.
There was a pounding in your skull unlike anything you'd experienced before, the room spinning when you opened your eyes. A tiny groan left you as you sat up, the heavy quilt falling from your shoulders.
You peered down, blinking when you noticed you were no longer in your soiled uniform but the clothes that Holly had given to you before-
A ragged gasp caught in your throat and you hurried to your feet, cursing silently as they became slightly tangled in the bedding. You had to check on Noriaki... You had to make sure he was okay!
The shoji door slid open and you all but crashed into a broad chest, sending you stumbling backwards. Light spilled into the room, proving it was still daytime, and you had to blink a few times to get used to it.
A familiar face began to swim in your vision, but you couldn't quite place why it was familiar.
Green eyes, scruffy beard, silver hair... Suddenly you remembered a photo on a shelf in your living room, containing your father, your mother, a much younger you and-
You furrowed your brow. "Mr. Joestar?"
A wide grin almost split the man's face in half as he let out a laugh, the booming sound rattling your brain inside your skull. "I knew it was you! These old eyes may not be as sharp as they used to be, but I'd recognize (y/D/n)'s little girl anywhere!"
A surprised yelp escaped you when the hulking man slipped his hands under your arms, lifting you clean off the wooden floor. "W-Wait-!"
"You're so much bigger now, but you barely weigh a thing! How long's it been? At least ten years since I saw you last!" Joseph's broad smile fell for just a moment as he quirked a brow, still holding you at least two feet off the floor, outstretched like you were a child. "But what the heck are you doin' here?"
You opened your mouth to respond but were cut off by an irritatingly familiar voice. "I brought her here."
Joseph turned to glance quizzically at the broody male that had joined the two of you, Jotaro hardening his cerulean gaze when you cut your eyes at him.
"She's a Stand user, and though I haven't seen much of her abilities, I thought it'd be best to ask her some questions."
Joseph turned back to you, green eyes wide, "You're a Stand user?!"
You huffed, kicking your legs lightly as your face flushed in frustration. "I don't know what that even means! I just learned they were called 'Stands' today, and as soon as I learned that, THIS ass," you pointed an angry finger at Jotaro, "Almost kills my best friend!"
The black haired male closed his eyes in annoyance, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Good grief... He attacked me first. If I hadn't stepped in he would have killed me and the nurse at school."
Your anger ran cold, brow furrowed in confusion and shock. "W-What..?"
Joseph slowly lowered you to the floor, you swaying under your weight as you attempted to digest the bombshell Jotaro had just dropped on you.
"That can't be true," you bit out, nails biting into your palms as you clenched your hands into fists, "Noriaki would never... You're lying!"
"Hold on now, (Name)," Joseph mumbled, placing a hand on your shoulder, "I know it may be hard to believe, but Jotaro's right. Kakyoin used his stand to attack him, and in doing so injured a student and a faculty member."
"It wasn't his fault," Jotaro supplied, looking at you again, "He was under a sort of mind control. His actions weren't his own choice."
You furrowed your brow, "M-Mind control..?"
Joseph let out a sigh, "Maybe we should all sit down and explain everything. Let's join Avdol in the tea room."
You were silent as you walked behind Joseph and in front of Jotaro, mind running ninety miles an hour. Today had been filled with so much to absorb... Stands, mind-control, others like you and Noriaki. Your world had become so much bigger and smaller at the same time.
Once you stepped into a small room, your eyes landed on the same man who restrained you earlier in the day. Although he sat on the floor, you could tell he was just as tall as the others, dwarfing you from what you could remember. The soft light glinted off the gold that hung from his ears and a kind smile graced his face. He tilted his head down in greeting, "I see you've finally come to. How are you feeling?"
You flushed a little, slight embarrassment creeping up your neck at the memory of your frazzled actions. "I-I'm alright, thank you for asking, um..?"
The dark skinned male placed a hand to his chest as he introduced himself, "My name is Mohammed Avdol, I'm a friend of Mr. Joestar." He then politely offered the vacant cushion next to him before pouring you a small cup of green tea, "Might I say, you speak English very well."
You took the offered seat, tucking your feet beneath you before kindly accepting the tea. "Oh, my father is American. We lived in America until I was five, then we moved here to be closer to my grandparents." You smiled as Joseph sat opposite you, his impossibly long legs comically struggling to fit in the small room. "My father actually works in Mr. Joestar's real estate company, but he's currently in New York," you stopped suddenly, quirking a brow in Joseph's direction. "Actually, why are you here, Mr. Joestar?"
A stiff silence fell over the room, broken only when Jotaro said a single name: "DIO."
You glanced up at the only person still standing, giving Jotaro a confused look. "DIO..?"
It was then that Avdol and Joseph explained who this 'DIO' was and what exactly happened to Noriaki in Egypt. The Stands, the mind control by fleshbuds, the entire Joestar bloodline (again, you were shocked that two people like Joseph and Jotaro were related) and the man who vowed to wipe them from existence.
Your tea had gone cold by the time they'd finished explaining everything, blank eyes trained on the low table in front of you. "So, let me see if I got this right," you started, hands folded stiffly in your lap, "Your great grandfather's adoptive brother, turned vampire, stole said great grandfather's body, laid in a coffin at the bottom of the ocean for one hundred years, got fished up about five years ago, triggered the two of you gaining stands, and is sending brainwashed Stand users to kill you to end the Joestar bloodline?"
Joseph met your incredulous disbelief with a serious face, "That's right, and we're doing everything in our power to find out where he is and how to stop him."
You shifted uncomfortably before asking, "So, what does me having a Stand have to do with it?"
"You are a Stand user that has somehow evaded DIO's sight, and depending on what your abilities are so far, you may give us an upper hand regarding his downfall," Avdol supplied.
"My abilities..." You glanced down, turning your hands over in your lap, eyeing the twin-like scars on your palms that you received seemingly forever ago. "I can heal things. But only recent injuries, after around twenty minutes there isn't much I can do."
"Healing could be a valuable asset to our cause, Mr. Joestar," Advol spoke, to which Joseph nodded in agreement.
Jotaro lightly scoffed from his spot slightly away from the table, gaining all the attention. "But after twenty minutes, she's useless. There's no point in taking her if she's just going to be in the way."
You fixed the smug teenager with a pointed glare. "For your information, that's not all I can do!" Avdol and Joseph turned their gazes back to you and you sighed, ignoring the warm annoyance that had started bubbling in your chest. "I haven't used it much outside of keeping an eye on Nori, but it seems that if someone else's blood enters my body, I can form a bond with them."
"What do you mean 'bond'?" Joseph asked.
"Meaning, any harm that comes to me gets transferred to them, and vice versa. My Stand can also track them as long as they're within my range, which is about fifteen meters."
Joseph crossed his arms over his broad chest. "That seems like a risky ability."
"It's not ideal," you chuckled uneasily, "But it has its advantages."
The two men took a few moments to ponder your words before Joseph slammed a hand on the table, startling you slightly. "It's decided then!"
You blinked a few times, quirking a brow at his sudden outburst. "What's decided..?"
"You'll join us on the quest to defeat DIO!" Joseph's face split into a grin again, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "I think you would be a great addition to the team, given your abilities and all."
"Mr. Joestar is right, one can never be too careful on a quest such as this one," Avdol agreed.
"Wait-"
"Of course, we still have to find out where DIO is hiding. But with Hermit Purple it shouldn't be too difficult."
"Hold on-!"
"There must be some kind of clue we can find using your spirit photography, Mr. Joestar. And if we use Star Platinum's impeccable sight it may make things a bit easier."
"Stop!" You shot up to your feet, nudging the table in your haste, hands shaking at your sides.
The men in the room stopped in their tracks, casting you confused looks and you sucked in a breath.
"No." You shook your head, twisting the front of your large shirt in your fingers.
You felt Jotaro's cold stare piercing your soul and you squeezed your eyes shut.
"I'm not going."