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Chapter Text

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- So this is the Nile?

The river ran steadily behind the rare tufts of reeds, its waters dark and opaque under the afternoon sun. Little poodles of golden light shimmered between the waves.They stood by a muddy bank, in the welcoming shadows of a few palm trees.

Avdol nodded.

- Yes. Some of the water here flowed down all the way from Tanzania, he smiled, pointing a finger South.

Maybe it was because of all he had learned about it, Kakyoin thought, but the river gave off a strong sense of experienced serenity.

- It is the longest river in the world, he heard himself saying, matter-of-fact-ly.

The landscape felt inexplicably old. Even though he knew its course was modified every year by the floods, he couldn't shake off the feeling that the view in front of him had stayed the same for millennias, calm waters flowing persistently through whichever event may have taken place around the riverbed. The last time he had seen it, it was much farther North, in Cairo but it had been filled with tourist boats, ferries, barges, busy and lively, full of noises. Here though, everything seemed much more ancient and, in a sense, timeless.

This river had seen lots.

Countless people living and dying by its bank, vicious fights between cattle and crocodiles, fallen trees and the growth of younger ones , desert sand tainted with mud, raging storms, cloudless skies....

His gaze met Joseph's, who seemed worried.

- How are your eyes, boy? he asked. If they get infected, we'll have to get you to see another doctor.

- It's fine, Mr Joestar. I can see much better, now that the swelling has reduced.

- Alright. Please keep the compress for the night. I also have painkillers if you need more. Well then. Guys, let's have a break here! he added, clapping his hands together.

- What? Polnareff exclaimed. We barely just left the city! he complained, gesturing opposite the river.

- Aswan, yes. I wanted to leave the crowded areas, Joseph explained. Since there's a high risk of being attacked, it's best to limit collateral casualties...

- That's right, Avdol added. He was changing the bandage around his neck to a clean one, revealing a rather ugly looking but thankfully shallow wound. We can't carelessly risk the lives of innocent civilians.

Kakyoin somewhat agreed, but Jotaro looked displeased and stepped in defiantly.

- Let's stop later, there’s at least four hours of daylight left.

Joseph nodded.

- Trust me Jotaro, we would if we could. Unfortunately, traffic is completely jammed straight ahead, a truck spilled it's freight on the road. It was on the radio.

- We're going to go by boat, Avdol added. But we'll have to leave the car behind, the ferry doesn't take vehicles. Just pack your stuff, we're leaving in an hour.

Jotaro shot an annoyed glance at his grandfather but wordlessly accepted the change of plans and turned to walk towards the river once again, lighting up a cigarette. Kakyoin watched how the smoke rose slowly in the still, heavy air, then sat down by the palm tree with a sigh.

It was true, when he had said his wound had gotten better, but he could still feel the thin slashes stinging painfully whenever he lifted his compresses to open his eyes and see. The blood continuously rushing towards his eye sockets made his whole head ache He had needed two stitches on each brow, lid and cheekbone - 12 in total - in the emergency room of Aswan, and had spent the previous night and morning in a feverish state, in the waiting room of the hospital.

- Say, Kakyoin, he heard as Polnareff sat by his side. If you were a rather small animal with fur and had the choice between a burning hot leather seat in the sun and a nice spot in the shadow of a palm tree, where would you sensibly choose to take a nap?

What is he on about... Kakyoin mumbled in his mind, taking his time to process the dilemn.

- The shade, of course, that car reeks of smelly feet... Where's the Fool... Iggy? In the car?

- Yeah. Lounging on the driver's seat, munching on it's stupid gum, pro'lly thinking he's the boss now or stuff like that. He bites if we try to get to the map he's sat on though, stupid little mutt...

His voice trailed off as he took off his shoes and slid into a more comfortable position

- Now if the others need me, tell them I'm sleeping. This heat is going to kill me...

A few minutes later, his breathing had turned into light snoring. Kakyoin smiled. He would have liked to sleep, too, but his head was throbbing and there’s only so much comfort a palm tree's trunk and an earthy soil can provide. In this case, it was not enough, so he rose up, lifted his bandage, dusted his uniform and headed towards the fire Avdol had lit. Joseph was boiling some water for coffee.

He sat next to Jotaro on an old metal bench and restrained a sigh. He felt guilty for having delayed their trip by almost a whole day.

- You sure you're okay? Jotaro asked, looking down at him. You don't seem well.

- Just a fever. But it's healing, I know it.

Jotaro turned his eyes back in front of him. The butt of his cigarette, already scrunched, was cooling off between his fingers. His shoulders seemed tense, and his thick brows were curved in a frown as he watched resolutely straight ahead. Kakyoin wondered how much of the scenery he could actually see beneath the brim of his cap.

What a trip, Kakyoin thought. All of this is crazy.

He sighed.

- Going blind, he announced as he leant into the backrest, reapplying the compress.

He let Hierophant spread around him to accommodate the loss of sight, making sure not to touch Jotaro or the others around the fire, and grimaced as the soil turned from earthy to muddy around the water. It felt cold and slimy.

He knew Jotaro had also summoned his stand. Star Platinum had been more and more present lately, half transparent and almost constantly looming over his master's shoulder, ready for an attack. Jotaro always made sure to hide his emotions, but the stress of being constantly in danger seemed to take a toll on him...

- You've already been here, Jotaro said after a while. In Egypt. How did you like it?

Interrupting his half-hearted analysis, Kakyoin searched his memories for the trip he'd made half a year earlier. They felt fuzzy, as if parts of them had been altered when DIO's flesh bud had drilled into his skull.

- We didn't go much inland. Stayed by the coast, Mediterranean Sea. We did go see the pyramids, and the Sphinx, and I remember a market too, he enounced carefully. Oh, and we went to Alexandria, you know, that city with the legendary library that burned two thousands years ago. They've got tons of museums now.

- What's in there? Books?

- Actually no, they haven't rebuilt a new library. But there are antiquities from Greek, Roman and Egyptian eras. I remember a freakingly huge black bull statue… a place full of precious stones… And mummies, of course. Pretty crazy to think about, the mummies. When you realize it was an actual, living human being, and an important one too....They conserved them by scooping out their insides and filling in with salt and spices, and, well, it worked.

- Hm.

- My favorite part was the catacombs. It's like, a whole temple carved inside a hill, underground, to store the mummies. There was enough room to keep hundreds of corpses.

- Creepy.

- Yeah, well, death does come into mind when you think of Egypt. But it's not all macabre, Cairo was very lively! Didn't spend much time sightseeing there, though.

There was a short lapse.

- DIO. Jotaro curled his lips, articulating the name with disgust.

- Hum, yeah. He found me the day we returned from Alexandria, if I remember correctly.

They fell silent.

The taxi drive from Alexandria had been his last sound memory before waking up in Jotaro's home in Japan. Everything in between turned sluggishly around his head like snippets from a book he could have read many years ago: events he had had no control over, out of which he could make out the general outline but had a hard time linking up causes and consequences. He shuddered and pushed these thoughts aside, concentrating on his surroundings through Hierophant. He was thankful for having such a versatile stand; losing his sight, even temporarily, made him feel uneasy and vulnerable.

- Here's the boat, Jotaro said calmly, about half an hour of silent waiting later.

Thankful for the notice, Kakyoin sat back up and retreated Hierophant Green. He removed his compress just in time to see Avdol wake Polnareff up, and they headed towards the small crowd that was forming on the pontoon.

~~~~~

Chapter Text

~~~

- Where's the French guy?

They all turned around at Jotaro's voice.

He scowled.

- Tch. Don't look at me like that, I'm the one who asked.

They looked around them. They were sitting on the wooden floor of a sailboat, along with a dozen other people. A piece of heavy cloth was stretched over their heads as a protection from the sun, but the heat was still scorching. Polnareff was indeed missing.

Joseph sighed.

- He better be back soon, we're almost at Kom Ombo.

- I'm going to look outside, Avdol said, standing up.

He made his way between the legs of other passengers and stepped out.

The others exchanged a glance.

- Maybe he's gone to the bathroom, Kakyoin suggested.

- Yeah... Let's hope so, Joseph said worriedly.

From under the tent, they could see how the lowered sun and the emerging campfires on the banks were tainting the sky orange. The deck was quiet, they could hear the faint buzz of a nomad market outside.

As the boat manoeuvered in the port, the passengers began to stretch themselves up. The three of them followed the crowd to the deck, Iggy curled up in Joseph's arms.

- Mr Joestar! they heard Polnareff calling.

Avdol was following shortly behind, looking somewhat apologetic.

- Where in god's name had you disappeared to? Joseph boomed when they caught up.

- Oh, I was just outside, enjoying the view. But as I was telling Avdol here, Polnareff added excitedly, I saw an extremely strange scene! It was on the other bank in the hills, a bit before we arrived in the city - five men with an ox, fighting each other...

- I'm telling you it isn't that strange, settlings of scores are pretty common in the outskirts, Avdol interrupted.

- I know, but that wasn't a normal fight! First of all, it was too sudden, like, I was contemplating the view and had spotted them walking up the road, no biggie, and the next moment, they were all on the ground, except one and the ox. And that's my second point: this guy was the only one standing! Either the others fought eachothers leaving him out for whatever reason... or he beat them all up.

- So you think he might have been a stand user? Kakyoin asked after a silence.

They got out the boat onto the rustic port.

- I don't know, man. Maybe.

- Let's not drop our guard, Avdol stated.

- Like always, Kakyoin said.

- Yeah.

Avdol led the way around the market to buy some provisions, and then to the counter to buy tickets for the next boat to Edfu.

The clerk, a rather little man holding a stand of wooden combs next to the ticket office, looked surprised.

- Five? He asked in arabic. The dog doesn't have to pay, Sir, as long as he's not on a seat.

Avdol turned around, perplex.

- Is everyone... Oh, he added, frowning.

Jotaro grunted.

Polnareff was nowhere in sight.

- Again!? Joseph exclaimed, exasperated.

- How does he just disappear like that?

- Actually, I may have an idea, Kakyoin said. You know, since his presence is usually so overwhelming, we probably only register it at a subconscious level when he's gone, meaning we somehow block ourselves from realizing that he...

- That's not the problem! Where did he go? The boat is leaving in like ten minutes!

- Okay okay, let's look around. He couldn't have gone that far. He's probably getting scammed by some merchant or something like that.

They searched the place, but Polnareff was nowhere around the small market.

- There's some ruins... I don't know why he would go there but it's the only place left before the desert... Kakyoin suggested, out of ideas.

They climbed to the antique temple and, sure enough, a figure with silver hair was crouching between the fallen pillars. He seemed to be holding something.
They exchanged a look and Joseph stepped forth.

- Hey Polnareff, were you here? You went missing and we were worried, he said. What would have happened if the enemy had attacked you?

Polnareff jumped slightly and fumbled with what he was holding before turning over

- Huh? Wha... Mr Joestar?

He laid the object on the ground. It looked like an old sword in its sheath.

- Why are you squatting on the ground? There are bathrooms here, you know...

- What's that... That sword? Avdol interrupted. Did anything happen?

- Were you attacked? Kakyoin added.

- I.. huh... Yes! I was ambushed by an enemy!

- What?!

As Polnareff detailed his interaction with Anubis, Kakyoin looked worriedly to the port where a boat was lining up. It was a much bigger (and more modern) boat than the one they had come from.

- That's ours, isn't it? Jotaro stated more than asked after stepping next to him.

Kakyoin looked up at his face. He seemed awfully annoyed.

- Yeah... Gentlemen! he shouted at the others. We have to hurry!

The other three turned over, and Joseph's eyes grew large. He let out his favorite ''Oh no!'', picked up Iggy, and they all ran back towards the ticket counter.

Chapter Text

~~~

It was a rather large hall, furnished with about a hundred teal blue plastic seats and lit by white neons. One of them had a short circuit and flickered erratically above a potted green plant. Two of the walls were glazed and a large double panel door, glazed too, opened to the deck. Almost all of the seats were taken, most passengers drowsing peacefully in the evening. The sun had set behind the desert as they had departed, and they were now sitting in a corner of the room, sailing tranquilly down the Nile.

- We'll find a decent hotel in Aswan, Joseph said as they ate the bread and dried meat they had bought on the market. But we'll spend the night on this boat until Edfu. We have a cabin for the five of us, it's pretty small so we'll only go there to sleep... In the meantime, we better try and stay grouped, he added, giving an insistent look to Polnareff.

- Yeah, yeah, I get it. How about we play a game while we're eating? Polnareff suggested eagerly.

- What kind of game? Avdol asked.

- I don't know, there are lots... We need something that doesn't need a board or cards, something oral. That way Kakyoin can play even with his blindfold on too.

He looked pensive.

- Truth or Dare? he suggested.

- No, Jotaro blurted out.

- I'd rather not, Avdol agreed.

- I wouldn't have minded, Joseph said pensively, but let's pick something everyone agrees on.

- Okay,okay. How about a Yes/No game ? Polnareff offered. We just talk, and the first one to say 'yes' or 'no' loses. 'Yeah' and 'nope' are not allowed either.

- That's fine. I'm in.

- Yeah, why not.

- Me too.

- Same.

- Okay then. Let the game begin!

They glared at eachothers for a moment.

- Guys, we gotta talk or we won't get anywhere, Polnareff said, a little bit too cheerfully.

- Okay, true. But we need a topic, do you have any ideas? Kakyoin asked.

His speech felt slightly slower than usual, as if the words were fragile little bombs delivered on a conveyor belt. He hoped the others wouldn't notice - it was unnerving, to think about every word before it left his mouth.

- How about these delicious dates we bought in Kom Ombo? Joseph let out briskly. Aren't they tasteful? he added, popping one into his mouth.

- They are indeed, Mr Joestar. Avdol smiled, taking one for himself. But these are dried, I prefer fresh ones. Have you ever tried some?

Joseph spat the pit and studied it by dramatically lifting it to the light, earning an annoyed glance from Jotaro.

- I'm afraid I haven't, unfortunately, he answered pensively.

- Aren't these made into pastries? Gazelle horns, I think they're called... I used to buy some on my way home from highschool, Sherry loved them, Polnareff reminisced.

Avdol bringed out a tissue from his pocket and carefully placed the pit of his date in it, before picking another.

- Well, gazelle horns are actually from Morocco, on the other side of Africa. The original ones are made with almonds too, not dates, though there are variations. In Egypt we have little cakes called Menenath, we can probably find some once we get to Edfu...

- Hey, I just thought of something! Kakyoin interrupted and turned to Polnareff. Are we allowed to say, like, words with the forbidden words in them? For example, I don't know, can I talk about the day before today?

- Uhhh.. Monday? We're on Tuesday, right?

Joseph shook his head.

- That's isn't what he's talking about. I think we are allowed to say words like ''Yesterday'', he said, since we all know that the meaning is completely different.

There was a silence.

- ...Right?

- Oh, y... I mean, sure, ''Yesterday'' is alright. I've never counted those as forbidden, at least.

- Ok, good, Kakyoin approved. It's an important clarification.

- It is.

- Indeed.

- Of course.

- Hm.

Silence.

- So there was an Arab pastry shop on your way to school? Avdol inquired.

Polnareff nodded.

- Actually, it was more of a greengrocer. Sold fruits, vegetables, stuff like that. It was not a big town, everyone in the neighborhood shopped there. And y... Um, there were also some pastries too, depending on the day. Always such a delight... Man, I'd love to run a pastry shop one day... once this is all over, of course.

- You can bake? Kakyoin wondered.

- Hell, I wish I could! But it doesn't matter, I can learn to. It's never too late to learn, right Mr Joestar?

Joseph nodded:

- Absolutely. It's something kids like you often have trouble understanding, I'm glad...

- Didn't you want to be a manga artist? Avdol cut in.

- And build a... Theme park? I think? Kakyoin asked.

- Oh, sure, that's also on the list. You know...

- Can you draw? Kakyoin asked. For the manga, I mean.

- That sort of skill is better to develop when you're younger, Avdol added. That way you can spend your whole life perfecting your style.

- I'm still working on my drawing skills, Polnareff explained confidently, but I do have a story in mind.

- Could you... Tell us about it? Kakyoin said carefully

- Of course! The main character is a young girl living by the ocean, and she often walks on the beach, around the washed up...

But he was cut once again, by Avdol:

- A girl living by the ocean, you say?

- Yes, exactly. So she walks among the tide-wracks and... What?

Kakyoin and Avdol had high fived triumphantly. They looked at him, both arboring a large smile, their eyes twinkling.

- Got ya', Kakyoin said. You lose first.

- Well done boys, Joseph commented. He was leaning back on his chair, with his arms crossed.

Polnareff's expression had melted.

- You can still continue your story though, it seemed interesting, Avdol offered.

- Uh, yeah, sure... i mean no, it's alright, Polnareff said, defeated. I can tell you later. I shouldn't interfere with the rest of the game, actually. Let's see who loses next!

He smiled, regaining his composure

- Jotaro, you haven't said anything yet, Joseph noticed. You can't just stay silent, that'd be cheating!

- He hummed at some point, Kakyoin inserted before Jotaro could answer. But I agree, it's unfair to stay silent for too long.

- I didn't say anything 'cause there was nothing interesting to say, Jotaro explained. Besides, Kakyoin has already lost, too.

- What? I haven't!

- You have. You said the name of the day before today.

- We said words like ''Yesterday'' didn't count!

- They do.

- No they don't! We already established...

He covered his mouth in horror. No way... How could he have lost so stupidly? He saw Polnareff faking a whistle and fanning with the tip of his fingers. Both Avdol and Joseph were looking at him with an amused look, and he could swear he saw Jotaro's mouth corners turn up into a satisfied smile before he covered his face by grabbing the brim of his cap.

- Jotaro, you sly rascal. I'll remember that, he mumbled, lowering the bandages around his head to cover his eyes.

- I'm sure you will.

- So now it's just the three of us, huh? Joseph uncrossed his arms and leaned frontwards, placing his elbows on his thighs. This is getting interesting.

- It is indeed.

- Avdol's always just saying 'indeed', Polnareff pointed out. You have to get more diverse, otherwise it's no fun.

- Avdol has always been saying indeed a lot though, even before the game, Kakyoin countered. And there were no rules against repeating the same expressions.

- True, Joseph agreed.

- Thank you, Kakyoin, Avdol added.

Joseph clapped his hands loudly on his knees and exclaimed:

- Then this is the perfect time to describe an adventure from my youth! Did I tell you about the time I made a rope with icicles and Hamon?

- A rope with icicles, Jotaro repeated flatly.

- And Hamon. Nearly got myself killed, that time...

- Mr Joestar, with all due respect, you nearly got us all killed about half a dozen different times since we left Japan. You are certainly both the least and most lucky person I have ever met, it is even written all over your palm...

- And you've only seen the right hand! Joseph exclaimed. But we are getting carried away here. Ok, so, you see, I was trying to prevent Kars... have I already told you about Kars?

- We know who's Kars, Jotaro said sharply.

He sounded bored, but wary. 'What is this old geezer up to?', Kakyoin could practically hear him thinking. From the way Avdol had hummed, he was not the only one feeling suspicious.

- Ah good, good. So I was trying to prevent Kars from obtaining the red Stone of Aja, and we ended up falling down a cliff. It was winter, you see, so I fell pass plenty of icicles during my fall...

- Actually I don't care about your story, Jotaro grunted. Seems boring.

- Hermit Purple would have been pretty useful in such a situation, wouldn't it? Avdol diverted.

- It would, of course, but I didn't have a stand at the time, and I was only just starting to learn Hamon. Plus, I had to think quickly, so after retrieving the stone, I used Hamon to make the icicles hold onto eachothers, and my friend was able to pull me out!

- That did not explain anything though, Kakyoin objected. There's so many flaws here... How did the ice withstand your weight, for instance?

- That is all thanks to Hamon, it can be used to strengthen about anything! You should learn it too, Jotaro, he added, turning to his grandson. Though you'd have to quit smoking...

- No, Jotaro replied, with such a no-room-for-arguing tone that none of the others dared to point out he'd lost the game.

Joseph's satisfied smile was nonetheless clear as water in his voice as he pursued:

- Honestly, I couldn't have made it alone. That's why it's important to work in teams, like we do, that way we can always have each other's back. After all, powers like Hamon and Stands can only...

He stopped talking abruptly, and Kakyoin heard Avdol curse under his breath.

- What...? Kakyoin asked after a moment, removing his blindfold.

He opened his eyes to Joseph smiling maliciously as a ticket inspector passed over to their seats.

- Good evening gentlemen, the man greeted in English. He had a thick accent, but his speech was perfectly understandable. May I see your tickets, please?

- Sure, Avdol answered, handing out five pieces of paper.

- I am sorry for this inconvenience, the inspector said as he checked the tickets. I know they were already asked as you got in, but we've had troubles with stowaways swimming to get on board, so we still have to check regularly, he added, handing the tickets back to Avdol.

- We understand, it's alright Avdol reassured him. It is your job, after all.

- Yes, it is. Thank you for your comprehension.

He stroked his chin casually, observing them with slight curiosity.

- Are you lot visiting the region? He finally asked, still addressing Avdol. It's not often we see tourists that far South.

- ...Yes, Avdol said reluctantly, shooting a furious glance at Joseph. We are visiting the ruins...

- They are beautiful indeed, the man agreed. Very different from Cairo's pyramids, but just as interesting. I, myself, used to be a guide at Gizah, and let me tell you, I've never felt more emotion than in the ruins of Kom Ombo...

- C'est drôle ça, moi aussi j'en ai un souvenir mémorable, de ces ruines… * Polnareff mumbled quietly.

- You will pass by Luxor then, I suppose? the inspector went on. A beautiful city, I must say. All the tourists go to the Valley of the Kings, and, well, they're not wrong in doing so, even though I prefer the temple of Hatshepsut... Ah, we talk, we talk, but I must really leave now, I have a report to deliver. It was a pleasure to meet with you, enjoy your trip!

Kakyoin grimaced internally at the irony while Avdol thanked him, and the voluble inspector walked casually out the double door.

- And this means I won! Joseph exclaimed once he had left the room. Haha! I had planned ahead, buying time for the inspector to reach us without you noticing! This is why I ended up winning! Never lose track of your surroundings, kids!

Chapter Text

That night, Kakyoin found it hard to find sleep. His eyes were still painful, but that wasn't what was keeping him awake. First of all, there was the heat; five (almost) adult men and a dog in a cramped, windowless boat cabin made the mercury rise quickly. With barely enough space for all of them to stand at the same time in the room, Kakyoin had not bothered changing into his pajamas and was still wearing his uniform; now he was lying on his back, on the highest mattress of a bunk bed, sweat sticking his bangs against his forehead. He could touch the ceiling by extending his arm, and the faint roar of the engines echoing through the walls and covering the sound of the others breathing added to the feeling of oppression.

Then there were the images. They formed in the back of his head and fell like pages from a ripped book in front of his mind as his thoughts wandered, carried away along the rhythm of the boat swaying. DIO came first, as always, with his beautiful but terrifying features hidden in the shadows and long, clawed fingers reaching close, way too close to his own face. Soon though, the hand in the shadows turned into another, much more luminous as it let the desert sky shine through. He hadn't been of much use during the fight against N'doul... Having hit his head after getting his eyes slashed and everything... But the burn of the sun against his injured eyelids was already turning into the worried face of his mother - except no, not worried, relieved, and she rose a transverse flute to her lips and started playing a song he couldn't hear. His gaze followed along the flute as it stretched and stretched, and it's surface tore open like nylon clothes, until it looked just like Hierophant's tentacles when he'd summon him in the middle of the night and the green slime would shine silver in the moonlight.

What phase of the moon was it now? he wondered. He could remember a full moon from when he'd fought Death 13... How many days had it been since? Ten days ? Two weeks? They'd changed years too, around the time they arrived in Egypt, but that didn't affect the moon... About the first quarter then, he decided as his brains quickly created an image of the boat as it could be seen from the bank, sailing in the chalky light. The water, cut by the sharp hull, shone dark blue, it reminded him of Jotaro's coat. Slowly, the river extending to the horizon turned into his friend...

He liked Jotaro. The guy did not say much and often barked rudely at people, but well, he was the only one his age here, and wasn't actually so bad once he had gotten used to the others. Also, his stand was no joke, a huge win in battle. Kakyoin kind of envied the way Jotaro managed to never lose any fight he was involved in...

He then thought of the other crusaders. They formed a powerful team, truly. He remembered Avdol's fire from back in Singapore, and the bitterness he'd felt when he'd realized that, were he to ever face Magician Red in combat, he would probably not win. Polnareff was strong too, even if he was always first to get into trouble, and - given that the stray deigned to cooperate with them - they had The Fool as well, way too great and versatile of a fighter for such a little dog. Joseph's stand was not that powerful, but the old man was good at thinking and seemed, indeed, to be bestowed with awfully tremendous amounts of luck. The lot of them seemed objectively unbeatable, and arguably DIO did not stand a chance.

But Kakyoin knew their team had a weakness. They didn't have a healer... Power, yes, and both close and long ranges thanks to his Hierophant Green, but no one to help them on the spot whenever they got hurt. Well, according to his stories Joseph could use Hamon to sort of patch himself up, but the others were completely vulnerable. He had already felt that something was wrong back in India, when Avdol had been incapacitated by Emperor and the Hanged Man, and felt it even more strongly now since he himself had been injured by N'doul's Geb...

The wounds over his eyes tinkled painfully. Surely there was some doctor among the world's stand users, no? He didn't think any non stand user would accompany them on such a mission, not considering what happened to the pilots from the SPW.

But they couldn't gather more allies now. They were too close to DIO, the only stand users they could meet from now on were probably enemies. They just had to be careful not to get too injured before the last battle.

Jotaro's gaze lingered back in his mind. It was nice having friends, and even nicer a friend his age. Jotaro had risked his life to save him, even after he had tried to kill him... He still didn't know why he had done that, but even though he felt guilty and uneasy about owing him so much, it did somehow bring him a hint of joy...

Someone cares about me, he thought, and his lips turned into a little smile.

And I have friends to care about too...

The images turned fainter in his mind as the fatigue finally pierced through. His eyelids were still throbbing and the room impossibly hot, but he didn't feel so overwhelmed now.

DIO doesn't stand a chance against me anymore, he thought again.

He doesn't stand a chance against us.

I have friends.

Chapter Text

Unlike Kom Ombo, Edfu actually looked like a real town. The buildings were arranged around actual streets and squares, and there were more than one boat at the time in the port.

- If there is stuff you wish to do on land, do it now, Joseph advised. We'll stay two nights and a day on the boat to Luxor.

- It would have been faster by car, Jotaro scowled.

- I already told you, the road is faster but there is hardly any maintenance. An accident could freeze our progress for several days, and there was already a problem when we left Aswan...

- Ah, we have no choice then, Polnareff deplored as he leaned with his arm on Joseph's shoulder. You said we had until three? Then I'll go to the barber! My chin is so itchy, you have no idea... I think we passed one earlier in the street, didn't we? he added, turning his back to them.

But Joseph grabbed his shoulder before he could storm off.

- Hey hey hey wait a second here. Ain't no way you're going alone, we don't want to lose you again.

He hummed pensively as he scanned the others.

- Jotaro, could you...

- Yare yare. Yeah alright, I'll come with you, Jotaro said, turning to Polnareff. But you'll have to buy me magazines for the boat.

- I can take care of myself, you know, Ponareff objected to Joseph. But I can do with Jotaro, he added after a second. Alright then, off we go!

Joseph let go of him and he left enthusiastically.

- He better get me the magazines before we get to that goddamn hairdresser, Jotaro muttered before following him.

He caught up quickly and the others watched as they bickered loudly, probably about which place they'd go to first.

- He's still carrying that old sword, isn't he? Kakyoin noticed.

Joseph nodded.

- Yes. I told him to bring it to the police station, I hope he won't forget. We don't need unnecessary trouble with archeologists and tomb raiders... Okay, let's find a place to buy some provisions, he added as he led onwards.

- We need to buy coffee gum for Iggy, too, Avdol completed as they followed, pointing at the dog which was scurrying away between some adjacent buildings. The stocks are running low, we need more to keep him close.

- Alright. Won't be easy to find, but do we have a choice...? Do you need anything, Kakyoin? That uniform is definitely not suited for the climate, you should probably...

- Thank you very much for your kind consideration, Mr. Joestar, Kakyoin interrupted, but you see, I am perfectly comfortable with those clothes. You know, as a student, I've worn a gakuran every day ever since I turned 11 and am as used to wearing it as a professional diver with his diving suit. Besides, I have a scarf to protect my head when the sun hits from above. Also long, ample clothes are actually very accurately suited to this kind of weather anyways...

He let his voice trail dramatically before adding, slightly uncertain:

-Nonetheless... There might be something I could need. Since I noticed that nowadays my head aches whenever I'm facing direct strong lights, I was wondering if I could find some sunglasses while we're in town.

- Right, no problem, Joseph agreed. We should be able to find some before we go.

They were arriving at a market. Lots of the booths offered trinkets and souvenirs of the nearby temple, but they could buy fruits and pastries at a large catering stall by the side of a square. There were quite a lot of people, mostly locals, strolling around from stall to stall under the cries of a few merchants claiming the quality of their stocks. Against all odds, Avdol promptly spotted a pack of coffee gum behind a counter held by a woman selling Horus themed jewellery and silverware - she gladly accepted to sell it once they offered triple the normal price. Then they set off looking for anything resembling sunglasses.

- Kakyoin, over here! Joseph finally said fifteen minutes later as they passed by an umpteenth souvenir shop.

Kakyoin and Avdol turned around to join back to him. A dozen sunglasses were indeed displayed neatly on the side of the store's window. However...

- Mr. Joestar, the store is closed, Avdol pointed out.

- Such a shame, I know. But now, this seems to be the only place where we can find some goddamn sunglasses, doesn't it? We've looked around the whole market as well as all the nearby streets...

- Are you suggesting...

- I can easily do it with Hierophant, Kakyoin interrupted. But I won't steal from anyone. Mr. Joestar, I only have Japanese yen on me, could I exchange them for some Egyptian pounds?

- I don't need your money, young man. Here, take this and do your thing, he added, cutting Kakyoin's protestations short by shoving three 5E£ notes into his hand.

Forcing his frown to turn into a smile, Kakyoin thanked him and turned over to the shop. By scanning the wall of the building, he noticed three openings: a basement window at the foot of the facade, an air duct opening and a large indent locally widening the gap at the top of the closed door. He decided on the door; the basement was probably locked from inside the building and he would have needed to remove gratings at some point if he had chosen the vents. Nonetheless, the gap was not that wide and he wasn't sure a pair of glasses could actually fit through it.

After checking that nobody in the streets was paying them much attention, he summoned Hierophant Green and had it fit the money through the gap. He neatly tucked two notes under a pen on the counter, then took a pair of glasses from the display.

- I like the blue ones better, Joseph commented. They're cool.

- No way. The shape is terrible. Besides, I can't wear blue glasses, it would clash horribly with my hair...

- I like these ones, Avdol chimed in.

He was pointing at a pair of black sunglasses with golden geometric patterns on the arms.

- They have nice decorations, he added

Joseph hummed.

- I agree, they'd go well with your buttons, he said to Kakyoin. Or you could try the brown ones, they kind of remind me of my mother...

- Hum. I think I'll pass, thank you.

Hierophant was already sliding the pair it had picked through the gap on the door. They hardly fit through, and he struggled for quite a while before they fell into Kakyoin's hands.

- There we go, Kakyoin said, slightly pleased with himself.

He flickered the glasses open and rose them dramatically to his face. Then he studied his reflection in the window.

Joseph snorted.

- What is it, Mr Joestar? Kakyoin asked with a little smile.

- Haha! Well nothing, actually. It does suit you. Young people have it so easy, you can really wear anything...

- Why the triangle shape though, if I may ask? Avdol wondered.

- To be honest I chose the smallest ones so that I could fit them through the door. But now that I have them, I think I kind of like the style...

He reshaped his bangs in the mirror and moved his head around to check for different angles.

Joseph clapped his hands together.

- Ok then, that's settled! he boomed. Let's not linger here for too long, we don't want the owner coming back on us, do we. Oh and Kakyoin, you just keep the leftover money, he added. Let's go find Jotaro and Polnareff !

- Iggy too, Avdol sighed.

~~~~

Chapter Text

~~~~

The sight before him washed the blood out of his face with dread.

Jotaro was bleeding.

A lot.

Blood was gushing out of his abdomen as Avdol hurriedly pressed on his wounds with a piece of his scarf, while Polnareff explained hysterically what had happened to an agitated Joseph.

Kakyoin was stricken.

Who could have managed to hurt Jotaro so badly?

As he looked around, he noticed the broken window of the barber shop spilling glass all over the pavement, and the dead body of a man laying on the debris.

He felt nauseous.

How many more people would have to die because they couldn't reach DIO faster? From what he could make out of Polnareff's disordered explanation, the barber had been innocent...

He turned back to Jotaro. His friend was looking straight at him - or maybe he was just focusing on thin air in order to bear the pain more easily, Kakyoin wasn't sure. His face was abnormally devoid of suffering, considering the blood he was losing.

Stabbed in the abdomen, Kakyoin thought. Right in the guts. Pain. More than likely future infections. How can you look so calm about it...

He approached and kneeled next to Avdol.

- Jotaro, he said.

- Kakyoin, Jotaro nodded.

Avdol sighed.

- Jotaro, you are lucky; it seems your wound is actually not that deep, didn't get much farther than the muscle layer... At least I think so...

- Yeah. That's how won, by stopping the blade.

There was a silence.

- The sunglasses, Jotaro noticed. Is it because of your eyes?

- Yes. Can't really stand strong lights and stuff.

- So it still hurts?

- I should be the one asking you that now shouldn't I?

Jotaro frowned, but Kakyoin started rambling.

- Stab wounds are vicious, you know, since the human body is not suited to withstand these types of unnatural objects. We have great defense mechanisms against impacts and can even deal with whole areas of burnt skin, but objects this smooth and sharp at the same time can't be found in nature, so considering how recent in evolution...

- NO! Jotaro suddenly shouted, making both Kakyoin and Avdol jump.

He had turned his gaze from Kakyoin to Joseph, talking with Polnareff a few meters away. Both turned over, slightly startled. Joseph grimaced.

- Not the fucking hospital, Jotaro spat out. We've already wasted too much time.

Kakyoin felt a pinch of guilt creeping up - the reason they had so little time was his own injuries after all - but forcibly pushed it away to the back of his mind. Joseph came closer and sighed.

- Jotaro you're badly injured, we should...

- I'm fine. Avdol said I was, too.

- Wait no, I... Avdol started protesting.

- I don't care, Jotaro cut. The boat is leaving in an hour, we can't afford to wait for yet another day. We're going.

- What good will that do if you are weakened? I could only secure the bare minimum with Hamon, we can't...

Jotaro's tone became menacing:

-Jiji, do you think I can't fight anymore? Wanna test it out? he snarled.

- What, how dare...

- Mr Joestar, I think Jotaro's truly not as hurt as it may seem, Kakyoin intervened.

He had made his way to the other side of Jotaro and had lifted the bloodied scarf to study the wound. It was ugly and rather deep, but still much less than he'd feared.

Jotaro turned to glare at him.

- Kakyoin, you are in no way qualified to judge whether a wound is worth going to the hospital or not, Joseph snapped angrily. He can't even stand, so stop spilling nonsense and just go look around for a phone somewhere to...

- If he could stand, would you take some time to reconsider?

- That's not the problem... Jotaro, stay where you are!

But Jotaro had already folded his legs under his body and was now standing face to face with his grandfather.

- See? I'm fine. We're getting on that boat today.

It suddenly felt as if the sky had lowered a few inches over the city; Kakyoin could practically see the air thickening between the two as Jotaro's frown turned even sharper. They glared furiously at each other for a solid ten seconds before Joseph let out a sigh.

- I suppose you wouldn't come even if I tried to force you now, would you, he said, lifting all the tension at once. Alright. We'll get the boat. Now sit back down and stop playing strong, let's not worsen what's already done.

Jotaro stood still for another dozen seconds before turning over and making his way to the roadside. The people who had gathered here scattered away as he sat on the pavement, his left hand holding the fabric tight against his lower stomach.

Kakyoin opened his mouth to say something but promptly shut it back up, and instead hurried over to Polnareff who was standing a little bit in retreat, unsure of what to do.

- Let's get Avdol and find a nurse quickly, he said as he took hold of Polnareff's arm and pulled him towards the place Avdol was still kneeled at, trying to clean some of the blood from the street.

- It was all my fault, Polnareff said sternly, letting himself be dragged around. Again. Again! I was the one to bring that sword... Hell, I even got possessed! In a sense, it was me, I am the one who put that sword through Jotaro's body, it's completely my fault...

- Now's not the time, Kakyoin replied.

He did in fact feel quite angry against Polnareff for once again carelessly causing trouble, now to the point of getting Jotaro injured, but arguing wouldn't have made anything better. Enemies were going to come at them anyways, whether they liked it or not. What Kakyoin feared the most was inevitably being realized, they were all getting injured, one after the other...

They joined Avdol and set up together in search of a medical specialist.

Chapter Text

- You were talking about evolution.

- I was?

- Adaptation to different types of wounds. Back in Edfu.

They were leaning against the railings of yet another boat, headed to Luxor this time. Jotaro's short hair was swinging peacefully in the cool breeze.

- Ah! Yes. Stab wounds especially are dangerous because, well, the blade cuts through pretty much anything short of bone indiscriminately. That means the wound is spread across a variety of different tissues... Particularly bad in the thorax, if it gets between the ribs, with the lungs and stuff... or the abdomen; almost no bones to protect soft tissues, and intestines all over, full of bacteria ready to spread should an opening be made. Avdol was right, you were extremely lucky...

- And evolution?

- Oh that was about how, you know, blade-like objects haven't been around for a very long time. At least not in terms of mammal evolution... So while we may be adapted to getting our skin regularly cut by sharp rocks or our muscles hit as we move, and have evolved characteristics that allow us to resist such accidents, we are extremely under-adapted to healing stab wounds...

- Turtles are not often in contact with knives but they still seem pretty damn adapted against blade like objects though.

- Uhm...

- Admittedly, turtles are preyed on by sharks so that actually explains the similarity.

- ... Yes, exactly. You know...

- Kakyoin.

-...Yes?

- What is DIO like?

That caught him off guard. He swallowed his saliva, though with great difficulty as his mouth had suddenly gone dry. His mind went blank and it took him a few seconds to pull himself back together.

- Let's say... that he's really powerful. Not necessarily in power, though I am sure he's a hell of a fighter, I mean more as in having an insanely strong aura. You know it in your bones whenever he's closeby... And he's...uhm... objectively very beautiful. Scary, but beautiful. I don't know how he does that but his charisma levels are stocked. He's a trickster too. Extremely cautious, uses traps, tries to confuse the enemy, never shows himself unless he knows he's having the upper hand. Dirty game, when you think about it.

To be completely honest, talking about DIO made him feel ashamed. It felt like exposing a huge weakness...

- But that's the thing with him you know... no matter how pitiful and miserable his actions may be, getting near him is incredibly... Fascinating, to say the least. Captivating. And yet, above all, frightening...

Jotaro was giving him a weird look. Kakyoin's cheeks grew warmer.

- I'm not under his spell anymore! he exclaimed indignantly. He aims at people who lack something and exploits their weaknesses... Polnareff's will to avenge his sister, for example. I would never side back with him, don't worry about that.

I won't betray you, was what he wanted to add. But it felt somehow suspicious, so he abstained.

- I am stronger now, he chose instead. I won't let him have it his way.

Silence.

- Good, Jotaro said after a moment.

But Kakyoin was still staring at him with an offended look, lifting his chin up defiantly.

- Calm down. I believe you, Jotaro mediated.

- You better.

- It's true, I trust you.

Stare.

-...Good.

And weirdly enough, as Kakyoin stared right into the piercing blue eyes, he saw Jotaro's lips curling up into an amused smile.

Chapter Text

- Kakyoin! Jotaro! The enemy's here! He has shown himself!

They turned around instantly.

-Huh?

- Polnareff?

- Polnareff, where are you !?

They looked at each other. Jotaro sighed.

- He said he found the enemy. Let's look out for him, he said while adjusting his cap.

-Yeah.

They set off running down the street, shouting Polnareff's name at every intersection. As they passed by a tableware shop, a child with ample clothing called out to them. However, he seemed confused once they actually stopped to listen.

- Hey kid, Jotaro started, saluting him with his hand to his temple. Have you seen a Frenchman around here? He's about that tall... With hair just like yours...

- Yes! That... That's me! the child exclaimed.
I'm him!

Kakyoin's interest piqued up. The boy did indeed look a lot like Polnareff. How interesting, to find a doppelganger in such a place...

- Yeah, he does look like you, but where is he? Where did you see him go? he intervened.

The boy only looked at them excitedly.

- Me! Me! Me! Me! he kept repeating, pointing expectedly at himself.

Kakyoin felt a bit uneasy. He'd never quite known how to act around children... A simple look at Jotaro's expressionless face confirmed that he wasn't very familiar with the feeling either.

- Uhh... he let out, looking away from the child, across the street.

They hadn't found Polnareff nor the enemy he was with yet...

- Yeah. Yare yare. It's wrong to ask a kid anyway, Jotaro stated and walked away.

After shooting a last glance at the rambling little boy, Kakyoin followed behind, thoughtful. As they resumed calling their friend's name around, an uncomfortable idea slowly took shape in his mind.

A child with white hair and blue eyes, just as Polnareff had disappeared... Who seemed to understand their broken English pretty well, too... And there was something else that made Kakyoin wary. That child...

- He called you Jojo, didn't he? he said after a while of fast paced walking down the street.

Jotaro froze.

They had arrived by the canal. Two little girls were playing with dolls on a piece of checkered cloth.

- And he did look a lot like him, too, Kakyoin added, slightly more unnerved.

Jotaro pinched the bridge of his nose.

- The enemy stand, he muttered exasperated.

After a second of indecision, both turned around and began to run back up the street.

- No wonder we lost track of him so easily! Kakyoin shouted. We were looking for a grown man! But then, he was right under our noses...

They got back to the shop window, but of course, little Polnareff was gone.

- He's much more vulnerable, now that he's a child, Kakyoin pondered hurriedly, slightly out of breath. I don't even know if he still has Chariot to protect himself... Also, it seemed like he had some trouble thinking clearly, I think his mind has also turned younger...

Jotaro interrupted him with a hum. He stuck his chin out towards the other side of the street, pointing at the figure of a man walking unsteadily and holding a hand over a wound on his neck.

It was a rather eccentric individual, with large tuffs of hair sticking out on both sides of his head. Little jingles and ribbons were hanging from the hairdo, and he was wearing a pair of bright pink, crescent shaped glasses. Also, he was swearing loudly as he wobbled down the street, seemingly screaming at his own bleeding neck.

- You think that's the enemy stand user? Kakyoin wondered. No wait, I mean, you're probably right, actually. But he doesn't seem that strong... By the look of it, Polnareff managed to injure him, even as a kid...

Jotaro's mouth corners twisted down into a grimace.

- Let's end him.

They crossed the street menacingly. Upon noticing them, the man stopped screaming and his eyes grew bigger. After a moment of hesitation, he ran in the shadows of a narrow alleyway.

- I'm not letting him escape! Kakyoin shouted as he ran behind him.

- Wait! Jotaro shouted back.

But Kakyoin had already reached the corner. The man was only ten to fifteen meters ahead, glancing scaredly behind him as he ran. Kakyoin stepped into position and summoned Hierophant Green.

- You're not getting away! Emerald Splash! he exclaimed, ready to launch his attack.

Suddenly, the man stopped running and turned back to face his pursuer. At once, his shadow grew about tenfold bigger and rushed towards him.

- Kakyoin! he heard Jotaro shout as the abnormal darkness reached him.

He jumped back right away, abruptly cancelling his Emerald Splash. Ahead, the unnatural shadow disappeared and the man had already returned to his flight...

Jotaro shot past him after the enemy, but stopped before the next corner, suspicious. He didn't know what to be wary of. Kakyoin had to warn him about the shadow...

- Jotaro! he called, raising his arms at him. The.... The shadow!

The pitch of his voice surprised him. Suddenly, he realized how large and heavy his clothes felt around his body, and how far the sky he could see between the street's walls had suddenly retreated to.

Oh.

So he hadn't dodged in time, after all...

Jotaro was now coming back towards him, looking much taller and more imposing than ever.

- Did you see how he attacked? he asked as he approached.

- Yes! He was using... He was using...

What was he using again?

Oh no... Was his memory fading already?

Jotaro was looking down at him expectantly. He was truly huge...

- Something very dark... I don't remember...

- Yare yare daze. It doesn't matter. Only now he's got two of us... Do you still know who I am? Jotaro asked.

- Ah yes, of course! Kakyoin answered. You are...

His voice felt way too high-pitched. Had he really had such a voice when he was younger?

- You're... he continued, his brows furrowing down. I know you. You're... Jo... hum...Jo... ra...

- Jojo's alright. Come on, we're going. We have an enemy to beat.

Kakyoin looked up at him in bewilderment. Who was that guy again? He knew he himself had somehow turned back into a little boy, and this Jojo was undoubtedly a friend, but who was he again…?

The teen was already pacing away.

- Wait up! Kakyoin exclaimed.

He hurriedly gathered up the sleeves of his now oversized gakuran and stepped out of the useless pants and shoes to follow him barefoot, almost tripping in the mess of fabric.

- Wai... Wait for me... he panted as he reached Jotaro's level.

Jotaro gave him a side look and stopped for a second, before making up his mind and picking him up from the ground. Then he set off running, holding Kakyoin in his arms.

Now sitting on Jotaro's elbow, Kakyoin held tightly onto the chained collar of his uniform. The sight of his own hand against the golden chain amazed him. Despite the rough skin, dried out from the desert sand, the small palm and thin fingers clutching onto the jewel looked exactly the same as the ones he remembered learning to draw and write with. He could also still feel the sting around his eyes, and, by absentmindedly raising a hand to his face, felt the relief of the thin slashes. Funnily, even though he had gotten younger, the wounds had not healed at all.

He looked up at Jotaro's face, half hidden under the brim of his cap, but the teen shot him an annoyed side glance and so he quickly turned his eyes away to face front. The silhouette of the man they were chasing after was wobbling faintly about a hundred meters ahead, like a paper cutout against the light of the morning sun.

- You took your clothes uh. Not a bad idea, considering we'll win, Jotaro commented as they came to a wider street full of people. Now Kakyoin, he added. You said you got your stand at a very young age. Can you summon Hierophant Green?

Stand? Kakyoin didn't quite know the word. However he recognized the name of his best friend...

- You know Hierophant? he beamed as the green shape appeared next to him.

- Uh. Yes. Can you scan the area? He hid himself in the crowd, but he couldn't have gone that far. The guy we're after, he added helpfully after noticing the confusion on Kakyoin's face. How young did you revert to anyways? You seem younger than Polnareff did...

- I don't know... But Hierophant can help us find the guy from earlier. Only, he can only look like five to ten meters around me, we'll have to move around.

- Sure.

Concentrating on the feeling of doom he remembered from his encounter with the jingle-haired man, Kakyoin asked Hierophant to spread around them. There were quite a lot of people, but it was easy to tell them apart...

- He's behind the orange stall. I can attack him, he's crawling away...

- No. We've already rushed in recklessly once, let's not do it again. Where is he heading now?

- Towards the alley behind, with the white house.

- We'll follow him. Hope he'll lead us to Polnareff.

At this very moment, a piece from a broken metallic gate, of considerable size, flew past them, scraping an inch above Kakoin's hair. Jotaro turned over sharply and studied the direction it had come from, his grip tightening around the little boy. A purple giant with galaxy-like hair had appeared behind him. A hundred meters up the street, the remains of the damaged gate swinged softly against their hinges, gazes of shocked passerbys forming a momentaneous guard of honour to the trajectory of the flying piece. Behind them, the loud 'clang 'of the gate hitting one of the few cars stationed in the street echoed in the air. There were some whispers and exchanges of worried looks, but people quickly returned to their usual activities.

- Are you okay? Jotaro asked without lifting his gaze from upstreet.

Kakyoin realised he had started trembling and promptly forced his body to calm down.

- Y... Yeah. It flew over me.

- Another one is coming. My stand, Star Platinum, can hear it.

This time it was a whole road sign, flying down the street like a javelin thrown by an unhinged olympian athlete. When it got to their level, Star Platinum leaped onward and caught it. However he was surprised by the unexpected force pulling the object and Jotaro had to take a step forward.

- You can put me down, you know, Kakyoin observed. If you need more strength.

For a moment, Jotaro's face got somber. Then Star Platinum smashed the road sign onto the road and Jotaro took his step back.

- No, he said, retreating his stand with a hint of satisfaction. I don't need to.

- Hm.

Kakyoin studied the path the road sign that was now embedded in the street had taken.

- These were not thrown at us, were they, Kakyoin stated more than asked. From the way you had to pull it down, it's almost as if someone had pulled them in with a string...

- Yes. Probably another stand user. Is there anyone suspicious nearby?

- No, Kakyoin answered after having spread Hierophant as far as he could around them. But the guy with jingles in his hair is gone.

- Flew away like a rat, the little shit... The alley with the white house, you said?

- Uh. Yes.

Kakyoin was a bit taken aback by the swear word and leaned slightly away from Jotaro, watching him judgmentally for a second.

They walked slowly down the alley, scanning the area with Hierophant. As they reached the white house, they heard screams coming from inside. Kakyoin froze.

- He's in th...

In a loud noise of broken wood and shattered glass, the man they were after flew through a window and crashed on the pavement in front of them. Kakyoin curled up under the shower of debris, and when he opened his eyes his view was temporarily blocked by Jotaro's hand shielding him from the glass.

The man on the floor looked up at them, panicked. His face was profoundly slashed, as if he'd been victim to the rage of a particularly large cat. Maybe a lynx, Kakyoin pondered.

Still holding the little boy by his side, Jotaro shifted his weight and looked down at the man, unbothered.

- You fell out of the window. That's kind of... Unusual, he said with fake interest.

The man looked up at them with a desperate look. His wounds were bleeding profusely.

- I... Well... Uh... I... I... Oh no! he exclaimed. The owner of the house is going to yell at me! I... I slipped! When I was cleaning the window! What do I do now!? I'm going to be punished...

Terrible acting, Kakyoin thought. Does he really think that's going to work on us? You've got to be completely stupid to fall for that...

He looked up at Jotaro, who was staring at the man with an air of pitiful disgust.

- Please! the man was pleading. How am I going to make up for the window! I have no money...

- Hey, you evil bastard! Don't run away!

They lifted their gaze, surprised. The voice had come from the open window frame; a naked child, no more than two or three years old, was shouting down at the man. He let out a surprised ''Ah!' when he noticed them looking up.

- Is that... Kakyoin started.

- Hey! Watch out for the shadow! the child shouted.

- Jojo! Kakyoin yelled, grasping tight onto the dark blue coat.

Surprised by the sudden attack, Jotaro leapt back slightly too late when the shadow of the injured man extended toward him.

- I got him! You touched my shadow!!! the man laughed hysterically as Jotaro landed a few meters away. Jotaro! You are under the effect of my Sethan now!

Eyes widening in horror, Kakyoin felt Jotaro tottering slightly. The shadow! That's what he had wanted to warn him about! Now he was going to revert to a young boy, just like him!

- This... This guy... Jotaro muttered as he shrunk at a noticeable speed.

Kakyoin jumped out of his arms and fumbled against his own oversized clothes to face the enemy. The man had risen up and was now looking down at them, laughing.

- Hierophant Green! Kakyoin shouted, spreading Hierophant's tentacles like an aura around himself, blocking the path between the enemy and Jotaro. Stay where you are! he added defiantly.

- HAHA! Think you're going to beat me with that? the man laughed hysterically, slashing the green strands that approached him away with the flat of his axe. Take this!

His shadow extended again, and caught Kakyoin before he had the time to flee.

- No! he heard the white haired child scream from the window.

This time he could actually feel himself becoming smaller and younger. He opened his mouth to say something, but only a wailing cry left his lungs. His head had become too heavy for his body, and every move felt awfully awkward, as if he'd been controlling his limbs via a spongy hydraulic system. Despite his vision having turned blurry, he saw the victorious smile on the man's face as he approached, lifting his foot to stomp on him.

Something moved beside him and stopped the foot before it could smash his defenseless body.

- Haha! You! Jotaro...

Kakyoin heard confusely as the enemy addressed the older boy.

- I heard you only recently learned to use your Star Platinum, the man pursued. Which means... you couldn't use your stand when you were young! You are just a normal kid! HAHAHAHAHAHHAAAA!

His back arched backward with laughter, and tears running from his eyes mixed with the blood covering his face.

- You can't prevent me from crushing your little friend over here! he yelled at Jotaro's face. He's going to die, and you'll follow him shortly! HAHA! I win!...I WIN!

He raised his axe over his head and screamed toward the morning sun:

- Lord DIO, I will kill Jotaro and the traitor Kakyoin! Please give me money! DIE, ALL OF YOU! DIE! DIE! DIE...

There was a flash from the vague shape formed by Jotaro in his pile of clothes, and the man's screams were interrupted as he suddenly flew backward.

- Don't underestimate me just because I'm a kid, Jotaro said menacingly, albeit with a much higher voice than usual.

Then the heap of clothes leaped forward and a shower of punches landed on the enemy's surprised face, cutting short to his sudden scream of horror. The hits rained mercilessly until the man collapsed, unconscious.

At once, Kakyoin felt how his mind became progressively clearer whilel he grew back to his original size. His head ached horribly. As soon as he could walk, he found his pants and shoes a few meters away and put them on with difficulty. Jotaro, also slowly regaining his original size, was sitting at the very same spot he had beaten the crap out of the user of Sethan. Polnareff had disappeared from the windowsill, probably gone to find his own clothes inside.

Kakyoin covered his eyes with his palms in an attempt at soothing the pain. The headache was worsening and his whole body felt numb, as if he had just run a marathon. He also felt slightly embarrassed from what had happened, having turned completely vulnerable in the body of an infant. What a shame, truly...

They stayed silent for a good twenty minutes, the time needed for the headache to slightly fade away. Polnareff soon showed up from the corner of the house and nodded at them knowingly.

- So, what do we do with him? He's soon gonna wake up, he said as he leaned against a potted palm tree and looked down at the unconscious man. You already beat him up pretty bad, Jotaro, it was nice to watch.

- Hm. He deserves worse, Jotaro stated after a while.

- Ah, I'm glad you agree! Polnareff exclaimed. Let's wait 'till he wakes up to give him what else we owe him then...

Kakyoin approached nonchalantly, fixing his gaze on the injured face.

- He doesn't even have a flesh bud, he spat with disgust. Must really have enjoyed himself, picking on little kids, huh?

The man's eyelid started twitching as he came back to consciousness. He unsuccessfully tried to blink the light and dried blood away and sat up in the shadow of the three men looming over him.

- Sup, Polnareff greeted. Had enough?

- Ah...

- Yeah. Didn't think so.

After exchanging a knowing glance with Jotaro, both of them summoned their stands and proceeded to beat up the unfortunate man in a profusion of Oras. Reckoning his participation was hardly of any necessity, Kakyoin watched in silence at the seemingly lifeless lump getting more or less punch-holed and beaten to the verge of death, wiping off the occasional droplet of blood that splashed over his face.

It was indeed satisfying to watch, there was no denying that fact. The guy had been ready to stomp on a baby... Still, the violence of the bones cracking under the punches, blood spurting and gathering into an ever growing puddle on the pavement, all of that, for a remote part of his mind, actually made him want to vomit.

It was not the first time they'd boxed an enemy to near death. He had himself, although then under DIO's command, used Hierophant for some very gruesome ends, all with crawling under people's skin and tearing up their internal organs... And even though he now tried to avoid having to resort to such tactics, he knew that he would do it again if there ever was the need to. Yet, the uneasy feeling upon witnessing violence persisted. He wondered if Jotaro ever felt the same, or if insensitivity to bloodshed came as part of the package of being a delinquent.

Once the others had emptied their rage on 38 years old stand user Alessi ( Kakyoin had found an ID in the wallet that had flown from the body earlier), they set what was left of him on the side of the pavement and followed Polnareff around the house to join the street on the other side of the building

Chapter Text

- Hey Polnareff?

- Hmm?

Kakyoin turned around in his bunk bed and leaned over the frame to look down at his friend in the semi-darkness. The man was lying on his back, hands behind his neck and looking melancholically at the bottom of Kakyoin's mattress. The column of hair towering above his head was looser than usual, and several strands had fallen from the sides onto his arms.

- You liked that woman, didn't you? She seemed kind.

Polnareff shot him a glance and turned to his side, sighing.

As they had been about to leave the street where they had left Alessi in Luxor, a woman wearing a flowery veil had hurriedly exited the house and looked around for a boy with broken heart earrings. She had exchanged a few words with Polnareff, but he had apparently prefered not to reveal his identity. However he had, as a result, been sulking like a distraught Romeo the whole day; they were now sharing a cabin on the night train to Cairo, and Kakyoin was starting to have enough of hearing his murmured laments.

- She was, Polnareff mumbled. The kindest I've ever met. She saved me from that madman... But I saved her too!

He took his broken heart earring into his palm and looked at it with a pained face. Kakyoin stayed silent.

- He had turned her all the way back to a foetus... what else could I have done...? But still, I saved her, and did a damn good job at protecting her. A true 'princess falling for her saviour' story, if you ask me. But she cared for the little boy she rescued, not for the man behind him...

- You seemed to be her type when she met you as we left, though.

Polnareff chuckled lightly.

- Well, yes, of course. The girls are all over me, I know that. But that doesn't mean we could necessarily have been a thing, you know. These types of stuff are way more complicated than you teens make it seem.

Kakyoin was dubious, but he didn't comment.

- You could go and meet her again once all of this is over, he said instead. Try to get to know her, see if it works out.

Polnareff stared straight up, visibly frustrated.

- ...Nah. I won't do that. Actually, I'd rather... uh. Look for love elsewhere. I'm a man of travel, you know, I don't often come back to places I've already been to.

- Sounds fair.

There was a pause, at the end of which Kakyoin started grinning mockingly. Albeit less enthusiastic, Polnareff smiled back.

- Hey! I see you haven't opened your pack of earplugs! Kakyoin exclaimed.

- What, these? I don't need useless stuff like that. I can sleep just fine without.

But Kakyoin ignored him completely.

- Do you know how to put them on? he asked, bringing out his own packet. First they need to be squeezed at the narrow tip like that, by rolling them between the fingers...

He demonstrated.

- Then you put it in your ear and wait for the foam to regain its size, it takes about 20 seconds. You know, the better they are fitted to your ear, the better the...

- I know how to use a damn earplug, thank you, Polnareff chuckled.

- Oh. I thought, since you didn't put them on, maybe that was why...

- I told you, I don't need them! If you've got some hairspray, though, mine has almost run out...

- I don't have any hairspray.

- Liar. I saw you use some...

- I borrowed it from Mr Joestar. But you know, I only need it for a few strands, my hair is naturally very flowy and stays in shape quite...

- Wait… Mr Joestar? Why would he...

Kakyoin shrugged.

- I don't know, he probably wants his bangs to stay still underneath the hat...

The door to the room slided open, and Jotaro entered. He shot them a glance before making his way to his own mattress. Kakyoin noticed the strong smell of tobacco as he walked past.

- Jotaro, you wouldn't happen to have any hairspray, would you? Polnareff tried.

- No, he rasped. Jiji has some, though, he added after a while.

- Wait, really?

- That's what I told you! Kakyoin exclaimed, offended.

- I thought you were pulling my leg!

- Why would I do such a thing?

- I don't know, seems like the kind of thing you'd do.

Kakyoin smiled.

- I am above such futile distractions. Besides, I already have the prettiest hair around, there'd be no point in sabotaging yours.

-Why, you little...

- Shut the fuck up, both of you, Jotaro commanded.

Kakyoin exchanged a glance with Polnareff. Jotaro had laid down and turned his back at them, fully clothed over the untouched covers. Kakyoin became suddenly aware of the loud mechanical noises of the train's machines.

- I think he missed having someone to smoke with, Kakyoin whispered to Polnareff after a moment, hiding his mouth behind his hand.

- What, him? No way, Polnareff replied in the same tone. He's not the type to hate being alone... Besides, I couldn't smoke with him tonight, I have motion sickness.

Kakyoin laid back into his mattress, causing a temporary symphony of creaks from the feeble bed base.

- Really? he replied once the noise ceased. I would rather say a pained heart...

- Anyways, he did not miss me, I can assure you...

- I can hear you, you know, Jotaro grumbled.

- See, Kakyoin? You shouldn't be making that much noise so late.

- You were the one talking. I was merely readying myself for a well deserved sleep. Going through the equivalent of ten to twenty years of growth in a day can't be anything but tiring, in fact, I am surprised we didn't pass out right away. Stand magic really is something, don't you agree…?

He waited a little for Polnareff's reply, but it never came. Kakyoin figured the Frenchman had gone back to his nostalgic dreams of love.

Failing to feel sleepy, despite what he had announced, Kakyoin turned to his side and let his gaze fall on the dark shape of Jotaro on the opposite bed.

The image of Holly Kujo, lying unconscious with fever the day they had left her, sprung back before his eyes. Kakyoin remembered clearly the face Jotaro had made when Avdol had told them about the stand illness, and the panicked aggressiveness he displayed whenever his mother was talked about. No one quite loved Holly Kujo as much as her own son did, he was sure of it. So there was no way said son could be peacefully asleep now, not with her unnatural illness reaching its final stages...

Somehow, knowing that Jotaro - who he otherwise generally looked up to - was distraught drew his shoulders tight. After a silent deliberation with himself, he summoned a discreet Hierophant Green and let it slide, invisible, along the wall.

When his stand reached the surface facing Jotaro, he let it reflect the light of the corridor with a green glisten. Star Platinum appeared immediately in Jotaro's back, but he relaxed quickly and, after withdrawing his stand, turned over to shoot a questioning look at Kakyoin.

Closing his eyes briefly and displaying a knowing smile, Kakyoin pointed at the wall with a nod. Jotaro frowned but agreed to look back.

Hierophant had shaped itself into thin characters, shining faintly against the textured wallpaper.

''DIO WILL FEED THE FISH''

A silent chuckle shaked Jotaro's body.

- It'll fuck up their diet for sure, he murmured in a barely audible voice.

Amused by the reply, Kakyoin let the words on the wall dissolve into disordered volutes and spirals. He then concentrated on coiling the filament in the approximate shape of an angry shark, but failed to properly convey the drawing and settled for a simple fish, making it swim around against the wall. The task was surprisingly difficult; he was used to precision work, but coordinating different fractions of his stand to shine and slide in the right time to give off the illusion of movement was much harder than expected.

After a moment, Jotaro raised his hand and his fingers passed through the emerald fish. Kakyoin's eyes grew wide; the fish wobbled out of composure for an instant, and he made it swim away, uncertain. Jotaro turned again to look at him.

- That was cool, he said.

- Huh? You said something? Polnareff called out, manifestly waking up from a dream.

- Nah. Go back to sleep.

Kakyoin had hurriedly retreated Hierophant Green back during Polnareff's interjection and was now looking down at Jotaro's face, drowned in the shadows. What he had originally wanted was to comfort his friend, but now the opportunity to show off was too tempting to let go...

He sat up and leaned against the wall, smiling. He summoned Hierophant once again and let it spread invisibly against the ceiling...

Let the show begin, he thought to himself as he twisted the first filament to reflect the faint corridor light.

The shiny green fish returned to swimming around in an improvised dance, swirling around the ceiling. Then it morphed to form an approximate replica of Hokusai's wave; curling around itself, the water actually never splashed but instead turned into the five round petals of a flower, turning around to the rhythm of the machines… Then he let the petals multiply exponentially, and the little flower quickly became a whole rose window on the ceiling.

A droplet of sweat rolled down Kakyoin's forehead as he concentrated on keeping the integrity of the pattern. Squares of golden light began to rush one after the other through the cabin's window as the train passed by an illuminated city, distracting him at the borders of his vision field and casting a flickering lightscreen on his improvised canvas.

Okay. The ceiling won't do anymore. He looked down in search of a flat surface still submerged in shadows, but had to resign to end the performance. Jotaro was still looking up at the ceiling... He let the rose dissolve into isolated little stars, then took advantage of yet another golden rush to restore Hierophant's humanoïd form in front of his spectator. After bowing extravagantly, the stand returned to his master to fade away.

Kakyoin's head became dizzy. He'd used way too much stand power for the day... He struggled to fix his gaze on Jotaro's, but kept his back straight and smiled smugly. Jotaro snickered.

- Yeah, t'was very cool. But could be much better.

Oh. Well, fuck you, Jotaro. At least I got you out of your thoughts, didn't I?...Could be better? Well. Wait 'till all of this is over... I'll show you the prettiest lightshow you've ever seen...

- Thanks anyways, Jotaro added, hurriedly lowering his cap over his face and turning back to face the wall. Now sleep.

- Uh...

Slightly bewildered but exhausted, Kakyoin blinked a few times before lying down himself and closing his eyes.

And as he fell asleep he could feel his heart pounding, slightly too noticeably against his ribcage...

Chapter Text

It was way past midnight. Short of the rhythmical thumping of the train's wheels on the rails, the corridor was silent. Kakyoin was coming back to the room after a quick trip to the bathroom, running his hand along the wall to navigate himself in the darkness, when he noticed the light under the door of the adjacent room.

Mr Joestar and Avdol were still awake at this hour...?

Intrigued, he approached the door silently and leant his back against the wall to listen. Avdol's low voice came out, muffled by the sound of the train :

- ...fourth one already. We could get more tomorrow...

Kakyoin heard Joseph answer something, but the man must have had his back to the door, because he didn't understand any word of it.

- Maybe a larger scale? Avdol replied. We could recognize a street's name or a significant location...

Joseph's inintelligible mumble cut in, followed shortly by a loud crash.

After a few seconds of silence, Avdol's voice arose again.

- He must have some kind of magic protection. We didn't struggle that much when looking for Iggy.

An indignant bark responded.

- Yes. Sorry for dragging you into this, I promise to let you free as soon as it is all over... You could follow Polnareff, he'd appreciate your company...

Iggy growled. There was the sound of someone rising up from a springy mattress, and when Joseph spoke his voice was clearer:

- I'll try again in the morning, at least we'll have a daylight picture... But Cairo's not a small city...

- It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. Without help, our chances are extremely low.

- Now, we still have around two days left. More than sufficient, if we search correctly.

- I know a guy who can help us... but we'd have to find him first. He doesn't disclose his address to anyone.

- Tarot?

- Same as with DIO, the cards are beside themselves. I'm starting to suspect he put a spell on the whole city... After all, he has the same kinds of powers regarding electricity as you, to some extent.

- Unfortunately, yes. Well, we'll see tomorrow how the search goes...

The mattresses began to squeak again loudly. Kakyoin removed his ear from the plywood wall.

So DIO was impossible to locate. Huh.

Up until then, they had relied on Joseph's photographs and Avdol's fortune telling to decide on the best route when simple travel experience did not suffice. It had helped them choose the most robust cars and find the quickest route when travelling by road, as well as notified them of the most important moments to listen to the radio. But now their artificial luck seemed to be countered by DIO's powers...

He could remember clearly his first encounter with the vampire. For an instant, he thought about contacting his parents to ask them the address of the hotel they had stayed at, but quickly brushed it away as he realised he hadn't contacted them in half a year and they probably thought he was dead. Getting an impromptu call from a disappeared son asking for an address they probably couldn't even remember was... Anyways, DIO had probably moved away from that place long ago. He was a cautious guy.

Oh, joy. They had no other option than searching around. The next day was going to be a long day...

Still careful not to make any noise, Kakyoin got back to his room and climbed to his bed.

~~~~~

They arrived in the outskirts of Cairo in the morning and immediately set off to look for DIO's mansion. For several hours they spiralled around the city towards the center, asking bartenders and grocers about the pictures Joseph had printed. The afternoon was already quite advanced when they agreed to take a break at the terrace of a restaurant.

- We're never going to find that house at this rate, Polnareff sighed as he sat heavily on a metallic chair. Can't we contact that Speedwagon Foundation of him to help us or something?

- Remember the helicopter pilots? Except us, no one against DIO would dare to approach Cairo now, Kakyoin argued. Why is it always cola, he added looking down at his stomach. I think I've drunk enough carbon dioxide to asphyxiate a small town...

Avdol's eyes seemed tired when he looked down at them.

- Polnareff is right, this is taking too long, he said as he sat down. We still haven't reached midtown...

- We lost wayyy too much time running around when that guy gave us false info! Polnareff exclaimed. We should have tracked him back and given him a lesson, that little vermin...

- But the very problem is that we don't have enough time, Kakyoin replied annoyedly. Are all french people stupid or is it just you?

- Oh, so maybe Mr the Genius has a solution? Polnareff snarled. A little magic trick to find us that damned house? Or do you just want to find out how thin my blade can slice your pretty face?

- Shut it, Jotaro said, lighting a cigarette.

- Jotaro this is your fifth one today, could you please... Joseph reprimanded as he took the last seat.

He had come back to them after a turn of the other tables asking the clients about the mysterious photograph, in vain. Jotaro looked at him defiantly and blew a slow cloud of smoke, keeping his expression fixed. Avdol shook his head.

- Tsk tsk, let's not argue now, we still have a lot to do to find DIO...

- Well, thanks for the notice, I hadn't quite noticed yet, Kakyoin dismissed.

Polnareff slammed his arms on the table and leant closer to Kakyoin.

- So you really want to get turned into sliced bread after all, don't you?

- Hah, you wouldn't get past my Hierophant. Come to think of it, we haven't dueled yet...

- You think you have a chance against me? How cute, truly... But I don't need a duel to teach you some manners!

- Says the one who spent an entire evening talking about a dirty toilet seat...

- When did I do that?

- Back in India, remember?

- There was a fucking pig in the toilet bowl!

- See? Here you go again!

- Still, doesn't change the fact I would beat your ass. You insolent little monkey... I would crush you, and throw you to the wind! You won't even...

- Stop it you two, we don't have time to fight now, Joseph interrupted.

There was a moment. Kakyoin and Polnareff exchanged a look. Suddenly, Kakyoin frowned.

- That... that was a Dragon Ball reference, wasn't it?

Polnareff's cheeks' tint got pinker.

- Yesss! You've read them?

- Of course. Not the last chapters, though...

- I've read Dragon ball too, Jotaro intervened.

- You have? I didn't know you read manga...

- I'm in highschool. Of course I read manga.

- ...Uh, fair. Man, I'd love to go to Japan...

- It ain't that exciting.

- Oh, I'd beg to differ, Kakyoin opposed. There are lots of unique landscapes in our country, and our history is exceptionally rich...

- I liked Japan when I was there, Avdol said. Although I hadn't come for tourism...

- Yeah, you got a tour of the town's prison, Jotaro smiled.

- Mr Joestar said he hated it there, but he still snored like a chainsaw on the futons...

Joseph sighed but didn't comment. Slamming a note on the table to pay for their drinks, he stood up and wordlessly walked to the street. The others followed him.

- Wait, does that mean I'm the only one here who has never gone to Japan? Polnareff realised.

- Well, as a matter of fact... Yes, you are, Kakyoin answered. But you've been to France...

- Right now we're in Cairo, so if you two would please pay a slight attention to your surroundings, we have a demon to find here, Joseph interrupted dryly.

- He's probably in the city center though, Kakyoin replied. I don't get why we started off with the suburbs...

- Listen, we have to do this methodically or we can't expect to find anything. It would be better if we could split up, but we have no way of communicating easily.

Kakyoin went silent. Even though he knew they didn't really have a choice, he was still bitter about the idea of wasting so much time asking around. They had all been restlessly awaiting the moment on which they'd meet DIO, and being so close yet not finding anyone felt insanely frustrating. It was like trying to catch a frog with hands covered in soap; the more they tried, the farther their goal slipped away.

Kakyoin didn't like to feel like he was played with. He knew DIO couldn't afford to keep them all in Cairo forever, sooner or later he'd have to come out from his hideout and take action to get rid of them. So why was he buying time? Why, after sending so many assassins after them, was he now keeping so quiet? To hide his location? Was he trying to flee? Kakyoin doubted this - had DIO ever intended to flee, he would not have waited for them to come so close. Besides, he had no need to, and fleeing would be like admitting defeat... DIO was a cautious jerk, yes, but a proud one too.

They entered yet another cafe and headed straight to the bar in silence. Kakyoin let his gaze run lazily on the shiny rows of bottles behind the barman while Joseph negotiated some information.

No... DIO wasn't planning to run away. Either he was buying time to prepare what was left of his troops, or he was simply toying with them. Anyways, either option made Kakyoin's blood boil with anger, and he looked angrily at the glass of iced tea before him before gulping it down in one go. Polnareff was right, it was easier to pass than cola...

All five of their glasses hit the table at the same time. Of course, the barman hadn't been able to help them. They bowed stiffly, then headed to the exit, resignated. Surely they would find someone to help them, if they kept searching hard enough...

- That building... I've seen it, said a voice from across the room. Yes, I know that building...

They all turned around instantly, unable to believe their luck.

- Eh?!

Sitting at a poker table by the terrace, a man was vigorously shuffling a deck of cards. He did a few tricks, spread them down in a perfect circle, then looked up at them, his eyes showing a mix of courtesy and disdain.

Chapter Text

- POLNAREFF!!

They screamed in unison as the stand twisted the pale figure abovePolnareff's body like some gruesome play doh. The entity then clapped his hands together; when they opened again, a poker chip fell from his palms onto the table and rolled flat. The face of their friend was stylistically engraved on it.

- This is Polnareff's soul, D'Arby said. Didn't take long to get rid of DIO's obstacle, he was pretty stupid...

- YOU SON OF A BITCH!

Kakyoin jumped; Avdol had rushed forward and caught the man by his collar, furiously raising his fist at him. All around them, the cafe had turned silent.

- Stop... Stop joking, Avdol gritted between his teeth. Gambling? That cat... It was yours all along... You tricked him... Cheated...

- Cheating? Didn't you know? If you can't detect when someone is cheating, then you can't detect failure... I think gambling is a game of social relations... It's a game of fakes and cheats, the one who cries is the loser...

Avdol's fist was trembling with rage as D'Arby spoke. Kakyoin had never seen him lose his calm so quickly before.

- You want to kill me right now? Go ahead, do that, D'Arby pursued calmly. That way he dies too...

Avdol's eyes widened in fear, then he frowned and whispered with a threatening voice:

- Listen here you little shit... You won't get out of this in one piece, no matter what...

But the man only looked back at him disdainfully, and his lips esquissed a little smile.

- Do you remember what you were doing on September 22nd of '84, around 11:15 pm?

- What are you on about...

- I remember clearly. I was gambling in California...

As he started rambling, Kakyoin flipped through the files in his mind to five years earlier. 1984, a month after the summer break... He was 12, and staying at a boarding school at the time. Of course the English teacher had had them study George Orwell... He remembered having to hand back the translation of a short extract for the 24th, and they only had English lessons on Tuesdays, therefore the 22nd was on the Sunday before. At 11:15 pm, he was thus either working on this translation, or sound asleep...

He was brought back to the present by a gasp from Joseph. D'Arby had opened a large book full of medals similar to the one with Polnareff's face on it, all labeled with a name and a date.

Uh. So the guy kept his victims as a fucking collection. What a creep. He looked at his friends and was surprised to see droplets of sweat running down their cheeks. Was it really that hot?

- If you want Polnareff's soul back... You will have to keep gambling, D'Arby said in an unctuous tone. What now? he added upon seeing their horrified expressions. You can run away, if you're scared... Or maybe, I don't know, order a drink... think about it, take your time... Want some chocolate? It's from Belgium...

Joseph was the first to pull himself together. He took a bottle of whisky from the nearest table and slammed it in front of D'Arby, sweeping the content of the table away with his forearm. Then he poured himself a full glass.

- Hum, Avdol risked. Mr Joestar, what are you...

- Do you know what surface tension is, Barbie ? Joseph interrupted.

The gambler rested his head on his left hand and contemplated the glass pensively.

- Well, that's what's keeping the liquor in that glass from spilling. What about it?

- Hah! Easy. We'll take turns dropping coins in the cup. First one that spills, loses.

The hair on Kayoin's neck straightened up. He had a bad feeling about where this was going...

- Hey Jiji, Jotaro warned.

His voice was devoid of fear, but Kakyoin saw his fingertips trembling slightly. Avdol gasped.

- What, no way! Mr Joestar...

-I'll wager my soul! Joseph announced loudly.

- GOOD! D'Arby exclaimed. I'll accept the bet! But please, let me watch the coins first...

- Mr Joestar! How can you do this? You know he's a cheater!

- It's alright, I chose the game. Jotaro, please watch him with Star Platinum. Kakyoin, Avdol... Would you make sure nothing disturbs this table while we play...

Jotaro nodded and approached the table, his arms crossed over his chest. Avdol exchanged a panicked look with Kakyoin, to which he replied by raising his shoulders. The attention then turned to the two opponents.

D'Arby opened the game by dropping five coins at once, raising the level of whisky by a great half a centimeter. Then it was Joseph's turn: Kakyoin found himself holding his breath as he lowered a single coin in the alcohol, but the liquid held its shape. When Kakyoin lifted his eyes from the glass, he was surprised to see Jotaro scornfully raise his lip. Had he noticed something? But he didn't say anything, so D'Arby was probably not cheating...

D'Arby nervously chewed on a square of chocolate before standing up and pushing him away to face the glass from another angle. Kakyoin bit his lip but graciously moved over next to Avdol, who put a hand on his shoulder. The surface of the liquid shaked greatly as it received a seventh coin, but it stayed in the glass.

- IMPOSSIBLE! Joseph stood up, sending his chair valsing behind him. It should have spilled over!

- What do you mean, it should have spilled? You saw it yourself, it didn't... Now it's your turn...

Disoriented, Joseph turned over to Jotaro, but the teen seemed just as surprised as his grandfather about the feat and didn't report any subterfuge. As Joseph lowered yet another coin in the liquid, his hand was much less steady than on the previous round and he was panting heavily. Avdol's clench got tighter on Kakyoin's shoulder.

- Unbelievable... Joseph muttered. It should have spilled...

His fingers were visibly shaking now, and suddenly his body sort of split in two as D'Arby's stand got a hold of his soul. The coin fell into the whisky, which overflowed and ran thinly down the side of the glass.

- NO! Avdol shouted. MR JOESTAR!

Like Polnareff earlier, they could only watch as Joseph's soul was twisted like bread dough and moulded into a poker chip. Kakyoin was shocked to see the small medal rolling on the table; watching Polnareff get in trouble for losing a bet was one thing, but seeing Joseph fail at a game he had chosen himself? This D'Arby was no joke... Now their best player was down, right from the start...

Avdol's nails clawed briefly into his clavicules, before he thrust forth and once again grabbed D'Arby by his collar. Before Kakyoin could stop him, he landed a blow right into the man's jaws.

- You son of a bitch…!

- Avdol, wait! Kakyoin exclaimed as he jumped forward to separate them. We can't kill him!

- Hey, what are you lot doing over there? came the voice of the barman. I don't want any fight in my establishment...

- Mind your own business and stay behind the counter, Jotaro commanded dryly.

He emptied the glass of whisky and coins and studied the table, then froze.

- Kakyoin... Avdol...

- Hehehe, but it's too late now, Jotaro! D'Arby laughed, rubbing his jaw.

- You scoundrel... You used that damn chocolate to tilt the glass...

- Wait, what is it? Avdol frowned, standing up.

- He cheated again, Kakyoin said flatly. But how...

- He used chocolate to raise one side of the glass, Jotaro explained. Then when it was his turn he moved away to let the sun melt it. Once it was level, there was just enough room to add in exactly one more coin...

- It's not cheating if you don't get caught, D'Arby argued. Even though, honestly, I didn't expect it to be so easy...

He stood up and dusted his clothes, looking at them. Jotaro exchanged a look with Kakyoin before announcing:

- Ok D'Arby take out your cards. We're going to play some poker.

- Eh?? Avdol exclaimed. This guy even outsmarted Mr. Joestar! He's too dangerous!

- You've clearly never played poker against Jotaro, Kakyoin intervened. This won't last very long, he added with a chuckle.

Avdol watched him, bewildered, but stayed silent. Of course, Kakyoin had never played any game of poker against Jotaro; the only cards they had on the trip had been Avdol's divination decks, which he had never agreed to use for games. He wasn't even sure Jotaro was any good at poker, and guessed he intended to win by relying on Star Platinum's ability. But D'Arby didn't need to know that... the only sure thing was that Jotaro would never engage in a fight he'd lose, and that was enough for Kakyoin to trust him.

Confident in his friend's ability, he watched with a satisfied smile as Jotaro showed off his stand's observation skills by enumerating the right order of the cards from a freshly shuffled deck and caught D'Arby cheating on the first card deal. They called a child playing outside to deal as a neutral party.

Then, Jotaro waged his soul... Six blank coins, pristine white under the combined light of the bar's neons and the afternoon sun, stacked into a tower against D'Arby's twelve...

- Wait a second, Kakyoin intervened. The bet is unfair, Jotaro has only got...

- He's got the coins he's willing to wager. Are you sure you have played poker before? Uneven earnings are the norm...

Kakyoin bit the inside of his lips but didn't answer. Maybe it was the norm, that didn't make it any less unfair. He watched the first round in silence, trying to contain his anger, and Jotaro finally folded after three bets.

- Two pairs! Eight and nine! he announced, laying his cards on the table.

D'Arby hid a smile behind his cards.

- Sorry. Two pairs, jack and queen. I win! he exclaimed as he swept the chips to his side, smiling triumphantly.

- Huh. Next deal, please, Jotaro demanded sombrely.

- Next deal? I would rather say last one... You need at least three chips to survive the game, I'm sure you are aware of that, and since the number of chips you have left is exactly...

- Nine, Kakyoin interrupted as he hit the table with the side of his fist. Nine chips left. A soul is six chips, right?

He stared right at D'Arby and slowly uncurled his fingers open, revealing a glowing stack of white coins. D'Arby's eyes opened wide in shock for a moment:

-When did you... D'Arby began, but he quickly pulled himself together and his mouth turned into a sarcastic smile - Jotaro... You have very loyal friends, truly... What a great addition to my collection, I might get you guys a specially dedicated page!

- Oh I don't plan on going into that filthy book of yours, thank you very much, Kakyoin replied dryly. Only, we don't have all day and I can't wait to see Jotaro wash that smug air down your face...

Jotaro nodded and brushed the coins from Kayoin's hands, next to his untouched cards. Then he looked back at D'Arby and waited.

- Hah, whatever. A few more coins won't grant anyone victory... I'll take one card, D'Arby announced.

Jotaro didn't flinch.

- It's your turn. Say, why are you not looking at your cards?

- I don't need to. I'm keeping these.

- What?

- I don't need to look at them. I'm keeping them, Jotaro repeated.

- But...

- I'm betting it all. My three chips, plus Kakyoin's, he said, sliding them to the middle of the table.

- Eh!??

D'Arby looked astonished, and his eyes jumped back and forth from Kakyoin, Jotaro and the cards and the table. Avdol looked at them, confused.

- What did you guys...

- Alright, I get it, D'Arby interrupted. You've got some nerve, truly... BOY! I said one card! Give it to me!!!

The child winced but dealt the demanded card. Kakyoin held his breath as D'Arby took it and carefully inserted it in his hand. Would the bluff be enough? Or did Jotaro have another plan? Maybe Star Platinum had already switched the cards...

- I'll raise you six more Joseph to match Kakyoin's soul! D'Arby announced.

Kakyoin bit the inside of his cheek, disappointed, but Jotaro turned over to Avdol. They exchanged a look, and Avdol sighed.

- Do as you wish. Maybe I shouldn't, but I trust you, he said as he picked Iggy from the ground.

The dog yapped.

- Alright. I'm adding Avdol's soul too then, Jotaro declared, sliding yet another stash of chips to rivalise D'Arby's. And in fact... Hmm. is a written note okay? I'm adding my mother's soul as well.

- What? Mrs Holly? Jotaro, she's not even here! Avdol exclaimed, dropping Iggy.

- I agree, Kakyoin joined in. For you to bet our souls is one thing, but she never agreed to any of this! You can't...

- Oh, come on. The reason I set off on this journey is to save her, I'm sure she wouldn't mind...

D'Arby's jaw had dropped wide open. He watched in horror as Jotaro took a piece of paper from his pocket and scribbled a quick contract.

- How can you...

- Of course, I'm not betting all these souls for nothing. If you want to fold, you'll have to promise me something else... Something worthy of my own mother's soul.

- I...

- Yes, I think so too. The location of DIO's mansion... You know where it is, right? You bet on it against Polnareff... No matter how sure you are of winning, a true gambler like you would never bet on something you couldn't give...

- ...DIO's... mansion?

- Yes. That's why we stopped by your table, remember? If I win, you must give me full instructions to find it.

D'Arby looked back at the cards, laying face down on the table, then back at Jotaro and tried to suppress a startled gurgle.

- When did you light your cigarette? he asked, faking calm.

- Oh come on, D'Arby. Even I saw it... Kakyoin half-lied.

He had noticed a quick movement on Jotaro's side when D'Arby had looked down at his cards, but hadn't been able to discern any individual action. D'Arby looked absolutely dumbfounded.

- Thank you Avdol, by the way, Jotaro nodded at his friend. My lighter had run out of fluid...

- It's a pleasure, truly. Always happy to help...

For a second, D'Arby's eyes flew from Jotaro to Avdol then settled back to Jotaro, determined.

- Okay, I get it. You're just trying to bluff so that I don't call...

- So you raise the location of DIO's mansion? Jotaro checked.

- I... Uh...

Droplets of sweat rolled down his forehead as he saw Jotaro casually sipping from the straw of a blue cocktail which had suddenly appeared in his hand. A paper umbrella floated around, stuck in a piece of mango.

- Don't worry, it's alcohol-free. I'm not of legal age yet. So? What are you doing? It's your turn...

- I'll just c... D'Arby began. I mean... I'll ca...

- Hey Kakyoin, I think your comb fell over, Jotaro interrupted, raising a black comb entangled with shining red strands to the light.

Surprised, Kakyoin instinctively put both hands over his pockets, from which his comb had of course disappeared.

- That pocket was closed with a zipper...

- Oh, then maybe someone tried to steal it. I wonder who. Can't trust anyone abroad, huh... So? he turned back to D'Arby. Are you going to fold or call? For the location of DIO's mansion, of course...

- I... Master DIO , I'm not betraying you I swear... ! he muttered. I'll win this, I know it... All I have to do is c-ca...

D'Arby's voice was trembling as he stared at his hand, eyes wide open, then at the drink in Jotaro's hand, the comb, the card on the table and back at Jotaro. His fingers clenched the cards so tight they were all crumpled, and Kakyoin could see a hint of foam forming at the corner of his lips.

- I... I am ca-calli... No...! I-I mean, yes, I'm ca...ca-ca...

Suddenly, his eyes shot backwards as his throat let out an agonising gurggle. He held still for a few seconds, before collapsing on his chair. Under his breath they could hear him mutter DIO's name in a beseeching tone.

On the Swiss clock hung on the wall behind the bar, a little wooden bird sprang from its box and rang 5pm. At each cuckoo, one of the piles of poker chips on the table evaporated into a golden ray and fluttered back to its original body. Kakyoin felt the warmth in his ribs as his soul reunited with his heart, and Polnareff and Joseph woke up to Avdol's greetings. A few seconds later, D'Arby's collection book popped open and a firework of liberated souls dispersed in the sky.

But Kakyoin's focus was on the crumpled cards which had fallen, face up, from D'Arby's hand.

- How... he began, but was immediately cut by Avdol exclaiming:

- Four kings! He had four kings! Jotaro, what did you...

His face froze as he stared at Jotaro's cards in utter disbelief. Kakyoin hurried behind him to take a look and felt his heart miss a beat, cold sweat running down his back. He had half expected the miserable hand Jotaro had been dealt, but the sight still made him shiver at the thought of what they had dodged.

- I knew it was crap, Jotaro said, but to that extent? Thank God I didn't look at them, I would have had a heart attack... Boy, I don't know how much D'Arby paid you, but you did your job well...

The child looked up at him in fear and quickly ran away, letting the cards he was still holding rain softly onto the floor. Kakyoin and Avdol exchanged a glance.

- Jotaro... Avdol began, pinching the bridge of his nose.

- Hum. We can't really get anything from him anymore, Jotaro ignored him. He's in shock... He feared DIO so much his hair turned white...

- That happens sometimes, when one is subject to extreme stress. For example when the queen of France Marie-Antoinette escaped to Varenne during the French Revolution, there are records of...

- What are you babbling on about again, Kakyoin? Polnareff asked cheerfully, sliding his arm around Kakyoin's and Jotaro's shoulders. Did you guys do that? he added upon noticing D'Arby on the floor. Well done! I knew you could be trusted. So, do we have DIO's location?

- Not exactly, Avdol replied.

He sighed and looked up, smiling.

- He lost consciousness before we could get the info... But it's great to see you both back. Mr. Joestar, your grandson is quite impressive, you can be proud of him...

Chapter Text

The force of the blow sent him flying against the wall. For a moment his vision went blurry, and a sharp pain took over the side of his head. Stunned, Kakyoin raised his hand to his cheek ; his fingers landed on something warm and sticky running down his hair...

Oh. So that explained the metallic taste between his teeth.

He tried opening his eyes but saw nothing, and came to the conclusion that they were probably already open but blinded by the blood, just like during the fight against N'Doul. Maybe this time he had gone blind for good... Only now his ears were failing him as well: sound came to his brains all mushed up, resonating excessively in his skull as if he had dived meters under the water. When he tried to move, a sharp pain in his thorax told him he had probably fractured a rib or two.

What had happened? His thoughts flowed thickly against his throbbing temples as he recapped. They had woken up early, to look for DIO's hiding place, and left the hotel after a copious breakfast... Then someone had disappeared for a moment. Who was it again...? Ah yes. Polnareff. It was always Polnareff... But they had found him pretty quickly this time. He was with someone else, an enemy, with a gun... Someone they already knew, what was his name ... ? Hol Horse. That was it. So he was still after them...

Suddenly, his hearing became clearer and light shone against his bloodied eyes as something heavy was lifted from over him. He heard someone calling his name... Low voice. Avdol. A hand wiped the blood from his brow, clearing his vision slightly, and he distinguished the colourful shapes of his friend's clothes.

- What... he mumbled, sitting up.

- You got stuck under the car. Are you alright?

- I think so, Kakyoin lied. Where is...

- Hol horse? We don't know, but they carried a body past just a minute ago...

Kakyoin still had trouble thinking straight. Every word echoed painfully against his ear.

- Okay, he managed to say. Is everyone...

- Everyone's safe. Don't worry. Can you stand up?

The light spun terribly before his eyes. Feeling the nausea coming, Kakyoin buried his face in his hands and tried to calm his breathing. Every inhalation felt like a dagger thrust in his lungs...

- Hey Kakyoin! You still with us? he heard Polnareff exclaim loudly. You totally killed it, man, we owe you lots...

What...?

A painful wave of tingling heat took over his whole body as a bright yellow light burned through his eyelids. Hamon.

- Broken ribs. Two of them, Joseph said. I can't do much...

- Which side? came Jotaro's voice.

- Left. The lungs are alright, I think.

The light dimmed down and Kakyoin sighed in relief. His breaths were now very slightly less painful than before. Then he felt an arm wrap around his back from under his right arm, and he was lifted onto his feet. He looked up to three pairs of eyes staring worriedly at him and smiled.

- Thank you Jotaro, he said, regaining his balance. What happened?

They all turned questioningly to Polnareff.

- What? he exclaimed defensively. I don't know! Hol horse was trailing us so I sneaked up on him, that's it! Weirdo for some reason decided to stick his fingers up my nose, I fought back, you arrived... Then that car hit us all by surprise...

- The driver died. It was an accident, Joseph said, stroking his chin worriedly.

- Am I the most injuried of us? Kakyoin asked bitterly.

While he felt like his stomach was about to fall from his mouth and gushed blood all over his uniform, the others seemed pretty much intact, spare the occasional, already dried up scrape. They exchanged a look.

- Well, yeah. We're all okay, thanks to you, Polnareff said in an embarrassed tone, raising his arm to scratch the back of his head.

Kakyoin looked at him, bewildered. Avdol caught his perplexed expression.

- Your stand protected us from most of the damage, he explained. I don't know for the others, but, for my part, you stopped a brick from smashing my head to pulp...

- You made a huuuge net! Polnareff recalled excitedly. I didn't even have the time to bring out Chariot...

- Great reflexes indeed, Joseph commented. Thank you.

-Uh...

Jotaro's hand squeezed his shoulder briefly and he handed him his miraculously intact glasses with a smile. Kakyoin put them on, grateful, and summoned Hierophant by his side. Jotaro was still holding him upright...

- Can you walk? Joseph wondered. We should get out of here before the police arrive or there'll be trouble...

The fog in his head had considerably cleared up. He took a decided step forward, leaning on Jotaro, and Polnareff came to his other side to help. It hurt, but the pain was bearable.

- I'll be alright. Let's go.

Chapter Text

Once they had gotten far enough from the site of the accident, Joseph and Kakyoin set off to look for a doctor while Avdol, Jotaro and Polnareff headed away in search of one of Avdol's acquaintances who could help them find DIO.

They found a nurse who agreed to check on Kakyoin without asking questions (although Kakyoin saw a few banknotes sliding swiftly from one hand to another) at a pharmacy. He was led to the backroom, on a chair facing an unstable shelf full of medication, and the pharmacist cleaned the blood and bandaged his head and thorax in complete silence. A chicken pecked the floor around Kakyoin's chair the whole time. Once his wounds were tended, they thanked the pharmacist and seeked shelter from the sun under a bridge, in a particularly quiet part of the city.

- How will they know to find us here? Kakyoin asked as he sat carefully on the pavement.

- Avdol knows this place, Joseph replied. I told him to meet us here… You know,that's where I first met him, actually.

- Really? How did it happen?

- I was travelling with my wife at the time... Jotaro's grandmother, you heard her on the phone when we were in that submarine. It was almost fifteen years ago… Jotaro was just a toddler, and Avdol a young teen. I remember him, pulling little magic tricks on tourists...

Kakyoin smiled at the thought of Avdol, usually so serious and responsible, pulling playful tricks on people in the middle of a busy market.

- Did it work on you? he asked.

- Oh, he pulled quite the little show for us. Guessed details of our lives we'd never told anyone, just by looking at our palms... Suzie was delighted! I didn't know what stands were back then and he's a natural, just like you, so of course he used fire for his divinations on top of tarot... He even had a crystal ball, though he told me later it was purely for the aesthetic. The best fortune teller I've ever met, and I have traveled a lot. You know, I know tons of talented people, but no one quite as reliable as that guy, I can tell you...

- You tried to recruit him for the Speedwagon foundation, didn't you? They told me they were looking for people with supernatural abilities while I was under their care...

- Well yes, I wanted to, but he refused. Said he liked it, made a good living with divination. He already had quite the reputation... No, he didn't agree on accompanying me on my trips until much later, when his old mother finally died. He has a sister too, just like Polnareff, but they don't see each others very often, she married abroad.

Kakyoin nodded silently. He thought of his own family, in Japan, and wondered if he would ever try to reach back to them. He didn't particularly miss them, to be honest - not that they had been mean to him or anything, his parents loved him and, even though he was an only child, he got on well with his cousins... But so much had happened, he hadn't really had the time to think about them. How could he actually come back into their lives? They had probably already mourned him, what if he died for real in the following years? Was he ready to risk making them grieve for him twice...? Do people who go missing often reappear like that, out of nowhere, after their own funerals? Yet, of course, not coming back to his family meant he would have nowhere to go after having defeated DIO - if they managed to do so... That was a serious issue. He was still underage, with no diploma, stuck in a country he did not speak the language of... well, Joseph and the foundation would probably pay him a ticket to Japan, but still...

- Mr Joestar? he asked hesitantly after a while.

Joseph had sat a few meters farther away to adjust the laces on his shoes. He quickly checked the time on his wrist before turning to him.

- Yes?

- What do you... Usually do during your travels? When you're not chasing down a hundreds years old vampire to save your daughter, I mean...

- Oh, all sorts of things. There's always problems in this world and, well, sometimes it's one I might be able to solve, so they send me...

- So you work for the foundation?

- Hah! not exactly. I've inherited enough money for a lifetime, I don't need to... But you see, Mr. Speedwagon was like an uncle to me, they know they can call me whenever they need a Hamon master...Or, more recently, someone who can see stands.

He chuckled.

- And what do they need a Hamon master, or someone who can see stands for? Kalyoin insisted. What missions do they send you on?

Joseph's smile faded. He tipped the brim of his hat lower.

Just like Jotaro, Kakyoin thought.

- Nasty stuff, usually. People who happen to have powers, and decide to use it to commit the worst crimes possible. They're usually not caught by official forces of order and roam around freely, pursuing whatever atrocious hobby they wallow in...

- What do they do?

- Ah, I can't talk about it! It's confidential! There's a reason I never told you stories other than from my youth... No, don't look at me like that, I won't tell you a thing!

- Okay okay, fine. It was worth trying, wasn't it?... So... basically, your job is to find those criminals but then, what…? Capture them? Kill them?... Recruit them?

- Capture, if possible. Now if they resist, and they often do, I may have no other solution than to get rid of them… Then, you'll ask me, how many people have I ended up killing ? What's my death toll?

- How many people have you... Hum. Yes.

Kakyoin passed a hand through his hair. Joseph, focusing on his other shoe, was grinning absentmindedly.

- ...so, how many?

- Honestly, I don't know either. Not too many, I'm sure of that. I've only killed bastards of the lowest sort... Or people who had tried to kill me first, but that's another issue. Can't blame a man for wanting to stay alive, heh?

Kakyoin watched the poodles of light in the water flowing lazily in front of him. Sunrays found their way everywhere, even among the shadows...

- Yes, I agree. Now what if...

His sentence was cut short by the sound of people approaching. Polnareff's voice came to them from above the bridge:

- ... and, you know, the heat always makes me feel so sleepy, I could literally fall asleep on the spot if given the opportunity! But once again, It's still better than the cold, I always get the flu in the winter... Say, Avdol, does having Magician Red only help you resist higher temperatures or...

- Have you found anything? Joseph interrupted, coming out from the shadows

- Mr Joestar! How's Kakyoin doing? Polnareff exclaimed.

- He's fine, don't worry... Avdol?

- I have a professional on the job. I trust him to find the mansion by the end of the day.

- Great. But we should still continue searching on our own, we can never be too many...

- I told him to come find us here when he finds something, so at least one person should stay, Avdol said.

Along with Jotaro and Polnareff, he followed Joseph under the bridge, towards Kakyoin. Then he took out a telescopic pointing stick from his bag and used it to draw a circle in the gravel.

- Since Kakyoin is recovering, I suggest we take turns staying with him; in the meantime, the others can go explore sectors of the city in a radius of two to three kilometers around here, he explained as he divided his circle in eighths, we split in pairs and go explore one sector each, then come back here every hour to swap and exchange info... That way if someone gets attacked, we might notice in time.

- Seems like a plan, Joseph nodded. I'm taking North-West first, with Polnareff. It's a quarter past two, we should get going...

- We can't make paired teams. We're five.

They all turned to look at Jotaro.

- No, if we count Iggy we're...

- Iggy's not here, Jotaro cut. Hasn't been for a while, if I may add... I thought he had stayed with you, but apparently that's not the case.

Joseph looked around, perplexed.

- I thought you guys had taken him with you! he exclaimed.

- What, that damn mutt? Polnareff replied. How could you expect me to take it anywhere? He hates me to bits, he wouldn't have followed me for the life of his bitch of a mother...

- Oh, he absolutely would, you're too much fun to annoy, Kakyoin inserted.

- We were looking for a doctor! Joseph said angrily. It was logical for you to take him, why would we have taken a dog to...

- Mr Joestar, calm down! Avdol moderated, slightly alarmed. Iggy has always been wandering around, he's a stray... Though I did not expect him to be away now, we can still...

- Someone's just gotta go alone, Polnareff pointed out. I can volunteer, if none of you...

- We're not making teams of one, Avdol stated. We could be attacked anytime, we can't take the risk of leaving anyone alone. So. It won't be as efficient, but we'll go in one group of three. I know these streets, I'll go first with you, mr Joestar. Now...

- I want Polnareff to stay with me for the first hour, Kakyoin demanded.

Polnareff looked at him warily.

-...Why so?

- I have some... Advice I'd like to ask you.

Avdol seemed slightly disoriented.

-...okay, why not. Then you come with us, Jotaro, and you'll switch with Polnareff in an hour.

- Hm.

With his foot, Avdol smudged the rough map he'd been drawing in the dirt and they left. Kakyoin and Polnareff stayed alone by the water.

- So, what did you want to ask me? Polnareff asked smugly. Being pretty experienced in many things myself, I'm sure I can be of great help to whatever...

- Oh, nothing, I just wanted to ask you what you did for a living, before DIO...

Chapter Text

- You've asked Jiji about his work at the SWF?

- The...what?

- The Speedwagon Foundation. You know, the ones that...

- No, yeah, I know about them, I just didn't know you called them that way...

Jotaro shrugged.

- It's shorter. Why did you want to know about them?

Their eyes met briefly before Kakyoin turned away. He rested his head onto his cupped hand and stared at the water without answering. In the distance, he could hear the clacking noises of someone beating the dust off a mat by the window, and the faint sound of a police siren resonated against the rustle of the city's peaceful hubbub.

The air felt heavy.

Through his peripheral vision, he saw Jotaro scrunch the end of his newly lit cigarette against the pavement as he sat down by his side.

- Still the same water, huh, Jotaro said.

Kakyoin nodded.

- I'm getting sick of it, he replied. Good thing we won't have to follow it much longer...

- Hm. Why are you watching it then?

- There isn't much more to watch. A bridge. A quay. Water. The water is moving, so it's the most interesting thing to look at...

- Fair enough. Although...

- ...yes?

- Yeah, no. Forget about it.

Jotaro turned his gaze away, but Kakyoin's interest was piqued.

- D'you have something on your mind? he asked innocently.

- I said to forget about it.

- I didn't expect you to be hiding something, out of all people...

- Cut it. I'm not hiding anything. All I want is to find DIO, beat his ass, and for this stupid trip to be over already.

-Oh, yeah. True. Me too, Kakyoin replied.

Jotaro didn't want to be here, he thought. Never did. He had insisted on coming here to save his mother, but in any other situation he would probably have prefered to stay home and go to school normally instead of playing heroes across the world. Besides...

- Are you...Uhm... Nervous about facing DIO? Kakyoin said hesitantly.

Jotaro clicked his tongue in annoyance.

- No, I'll just have to beat him. Only I don't know if I'll be able to save everyone.

He turned around and looked straight into Kakyoin's eyes.

- Avdol was shot in the head, Jotaro said. You, you almost died saving us all...

- Twice, Kakyoin muttered

- What?

- Nothing. Please go on.

Jotaro blinked.

- Anyways. We don't know how many times Polnareff scraped death, but it was probably much more than we're aware of. Iggy's a dog. Jiji's seventy or so. I...

- Ok ok, I got it. Don't worry, we'll manage. We've always done so far. Statistically speaking, if we boil the whole trip down to the number of deaths per unit of time, we're at a constant zero, so there's no reason... Is that Iggy!? Kakyoin exclaimed.

Jotaro turned around sharply. A black little silhouette was limping towards them across the quay, leaving a trail of water behind it. Jotaro stood up, and they watched in silence as Iggy crawled closer.

- Jotaro, Kakyoin said flatly.

- Yes, Jotaro answered. But someone already patched him up.

- He's lost a bloody leg...

- Just like Jiji. He'll live through it.

Iggy looked up at them and growled expectantly.

- Sorry, Jotaro said. I know you never asked for any of that.

Iggy rolled its eyes, then proceeded to catch the hem of Jotaro's pants and pull.

- What the...

- He's trying to lead us somewhere! Kakyoin exclaimed, standing up excitedly. Iggy doesn't care about humans and stands, but now he seems angry, he probably wants his revenge...

In the distance, they began hearing the voices of the others coming back.

- Just in time, those three. Come on, we must go!

Kakyoin quickly buttoned his bloodied shirt back to cover the bandage and set off toward the voices. However Jotaro grabbed his arm before he could leave the shadow of the bridge.

Kakyoin stifffened up.

- Huh...

- Don't die tonight, Jotaro said sternly, looking down at him.

- ... Of course I won't. You know that no one can defeat my...

But Jotaro had already let go of his arm and walked off in the sun.

Chapter Text

- Hierophant Green!!! Kakyoin shouted, sending his stand after Jotaro's arm.

- Hermit Purple! he heard as Joseph did the same.

Two minutes ago, they had arrived at Dio's mansion and strange man with green hair had appeared at the door, presenting himself as the butler of the house. Upon learning that he was, in fact, the younger brother of D'Arby the Gambler, Jotaro had attempted to fight him, but the man had anticipated and managed to pull him into a newly appeared hole in the ground.

Now, even Joseph and Kakyoin combined could not resist the force pulling Jotaro away, and they were promptly carried with him down the pitch black hole on the ground. The air wavered softly before Kakyoin's eyes before darkness swallowed him blind.

- Avdol! Joseph shouted near Kakyoin's ear. Avdol, can you hear me? If we don't... If we don't come back in ten minutes, burn this whole house down! Burn it!!

Avdol's faint reply reached them for a second, until it faded away along the rest.

After a few seconds of spiralling uncontrollably in the dark, Kakyoin felt his body straighten up as his feet suddenly hit a flat surface. Upon further inspection, he realised said surface was indeed downwards, and recovered enough balance to stand still.

- We... seem to be trapped in an illusion, he heard Joseph say next to him.

Slowly, the obscurity retreated and their surroundings took shape. A large silhouette a few meters away turned out to be a crooked palm tree, and he realised that the lapping sound all around them came from the waves of a body of water (a pool? A lake? The sea, even? It couldn't actually be the sea now, could it?) hitting the sand of the small island they were standing on. His left foot landed in a small poodle and water began to soak through his shoe, but he didn't move an inch to spare his foot.

This is too real. It can't be an illusion, Kakyoin thought. But then...

- Is this place really underground? he heard himself saying. Or are we above...?

- What the hell... he heard Joseph mutter.

From the other side of the (very small) island, D'Arby the youngest was standing smugly, next to a little table set on the grass and a large, rectangular door standing in a frame with no walls.

Jotaro stepped forth.

- Jiji. Kakyoin. I need you to figure this out for me, he said gravely. When I punched him... His stand knew I was going to use my right fist. How?

Kakyoin and Joseph exchanged a glance.

- We've got to figure it out, Jotaro insisted. If we don't... We lose.

A salty breeze blew past, whistling softly in the leaves of the palm tree. D'Arby leaned on a high coffee table that had somehow appeared next to him, along with a couple of bottles.

- Want something to drink? he offered. The bottles are real. And don't worry, the drinks aren't poisoned.

- Are we still in the mansion? Joseph asked, ignoring the offer.

- Yes, D'Arby answered.

Joseph seemed slightly taken aback.

- ...Where in the house, then?

- Regretfully, I don't know.

Frowning suspiciously, Joseph set off walking around the island.

- Underground, maybe? he asked once he reached the wall-less frame of the door.

- Maybe.

- Is a stand causing all of this?

- Yes.

- Your stand?

D'Arby's lips curved up into a smirk.

- No.

- DIO's stand, then?

- No.

- Who's?

- You don't need to know.

- I don't? You know, according to our sources there's about two to three stand users left to protect this mansion. Are there really?

- You don't need to know .

- There seems to be a lot of stuff I don't need to know. But I wouldn't anyway, you could very well be lying to us...

- It's true, you wouldn't know if I was lying. But I am not like my brother. I don't lie.

- Tch, Jotaro said from behind Kakyoin.

D'Arby turned a condescending look towards them.

- I assume you won't let us go unless we beat you, right? Joseph said. You want to challenge us?

D'Arby's expression turned into a satisfied smile.

- Exactly! he exclaimed and bowed humbly at them.

Now it was Kakyoin's turn to grimace.

- He's way too polite, it's annoying...

- He thinks he got us trapped, Joseph deplored. But, he added while addressing D'Arby, you seem to forget we're three against one. We are in a little bit of a hurry there, so we won't hesitate to attack you at once if you don't let us go quickly...

- Oh, I figured you'd want to rush things like that, D'Arby replied. But you know, doing so is not that great of an idea... Let me show you this, he added as he turned to a big wooden box behind him.

- My brother probably showed you his... collection...

Kakyoin's eyes widened behind his glasses. D'Arby the oldest, and his collection of souls trapped in poker chips... Had his brother somehow gottet hold of it? As if paralyzed, he watched anxiously as DIO's butler opened the wooden shutters of the box...

The inside was full of dolls. Not pretty, silk-haired and brightly dressed toys he'd seen little girls like his cousin play with. No. These ones had big puffy faces, and their limbs dangled awkwardly along their body. Their hair seemed greasy. But what struck Kakyoin the most was not their uneasy apparence, nor even the fact that some occasionally moved as if jolted by a sudden electric current and one of them smoked actual smoke from its pipe.

What was most noticeable was the smell.
A rotten stench emanated from the box, so strong it felt like the air had been thickened. It was like stumbling upon a pile of dead fish that had been decaying in the sun for days; a smell so foul it gripped your nose and mouth and yanked violently at your innards before laying at the back of your head like a heavy, melted piece of lead… It took Kakyoin all his willpower to restrain from puking on the spot, and he was thankful for having glasses to hide the tears he felt rising to his eyes.

As if blind to their disgust, D'Arby was explaining passionately.

- It's not a lot, but like my brother, I've also taken a liking in collecting them. And you know how it is with collections, once you have one, no matter how small it is, you just can't wait to show it to other people and receive their praise...

- No way, Jotaro sighed in shock. He couldn't...

- These puppets... Kakyoin began

- The D'Arby's don't collect normal objects... Joseph said. These must be...

Suddenly, the representation of a blonde woman in the middle of the shelves started twitching its eye uncontrollably, and leaned forward in a creaking sound. Her lips moved slightly, and a trickle of drool dripped from the corner of her mouth. They watched in horror as she gnashed her teeth and uttered in a painfully human voice:

- D'Arby... D'Arby, is that you? I'm so lonely... Please, D'Arby, stay with me...

- Oh... my god... Joseph whispered.

- They are alive... Kakyoin breathed weakly.

- They're souls, sure enough, Jotaro stated.

- It's a hobby of mine, to make puppets like these, D'Arby pursued his explanation. Once they're done, I like to infuse them with human souls. That's my stand's ability! It's much more interesting than my brother's boring poker chips, isn't it? Look, he added as he took the lonely blonde doll in his hands, that's Sophia! She lived a wonderful life, and...

Kakyoin could not detach his gaze from the whiny little doll while D'Arby explained the details of his victims' lives. The stench from the box felt somehow even worse, now that he knew what was inside. Fat droplets of sweat rolled down his face, and he felt feverish. Older D'Arby's chip collection was nothing compared to that...

- You give the impression of a gentleman, he announced blankly. But you are... truly the worst kind of madman to ever live...

- People's souls are incredible, D'Arby said ignoring his remark. The moment they admit defeat, their energy is so low it can be picked up as easily as a pen on a table! This is how my and my brother's stands work, as simple as that...

- Enough! Joseph exclaimed as he summoned his stand. Enough! We've had enough listening to you! All we have to do is beat you and move on!

In perfect synchronisation, Hierophant Green and Star Platinum appeared in their users' back and stepped in combat positions.

- Bring out your stands all you want, D'Arby sneered. But you have to listen to me! At least Jotaro has! You are already in my hand, Jotaro! Since you don't know how I foresaw your attack, and the shock you had when you realised was enough for me to touch your soul!

As if bitten by a snake, Jotaro jerked his arm up and lifted his sleeve. Here, on his forearm, the imprint of D'Arby's hand seemed to have merged with his flesh.

- I've got hold of your soul with my stand Atum, and I could easily break your arm right now! Master DIO would be very happy! However, if I do that...

He turned scornfully towards Joseph and Kakyoin.

- ... Your little friends over here would most likely beat the daylight out of me, and I'd rather not have that to happen... So! We'll gamble your souls on video games instead! If one of you manages to make me admit defeat, then I'll gladly release your arm!

Kakyoin drew a sharp breath.
Video games...?

Chapter Text

- The first to compete with me will be Kakyoin! D'Arby declared.

Huh?

- What the hell!? Jotaro exclaimed. It's my arm you're holding! I shall be the one playing you!

He's right, why me? Kakyoin thought. Although...

- Mr Joestar and you are related, D'Arby explained. But once I've beat you both, I can't know if Kakyoin won't change his mind and actually beat the crap out of me instead of saving you two...

He was wrong. Kakyoin would never have left them. They were his friends, and he owed them his life. However, if that game on the table was what he thought it was... Since D'Arby acted like such a gentleman, he'd probably let him choose...

- Fine, Kakyoin said out loud. I'll be your opponent.

- What!? Joseph exclaimed. Don't let him buy you like that!

- Kakyoin... Jotaro warned.

- Don't worry, I'm confident. I'm pretty good at video games, and all of those have already been beaten anyways, they're old games...

He approached the table and chose a box.

- Let's play this F-Mega game to see who's better, he announced.

As he lifted the box to show it to the others, he shot a glance at the notice on the back. 1986 Special edition. Excellent.

- I'll wager my soul! he declared as he sat in front of the computer.

- Perfect, D'Arby smirked.

- Kakyoin, there's really no need for you to go first, Jotaro argued.

- On the contrary. You'd be disrupted with that thing on your arm.

And I'm probably better than you anyways, he added in his head. He had a fairly strong intuition that Jotaro was not the type to play video games.

Next to the table, D'Arby fumbled in his pocket and took out a doll with red hair, dressed in a green gakuran. Although Kakyoin had expected that, it still felt weird to see a doll modeled to be his spitting image. Had D'Arby prepared one for each Crusader in advance? Apart from the overly wide open mouth and empty eye sockets, all the seams were spotlessly sewn together, down to the tiniest details.

He felt Jotaro's hand squeezing his shoulder briefly before he retreated behind the chairs. Joseph checked the equipment for cheating with Hermit Purple, but Kakyoin hadn't expected any ruse anyways; D'Arby had the manners of a gentleman. Slowly, dramatically, he removed his glasses, revealing the thin vertical scars over his eyes. If he was going to play his soul, he better do it proudly.

Then he grabbed his console.

F-Mega. He was good at this game.

Very good, even.

He had been six when his father had bought him his first game setup, and he had spent almost every afternoon and weekend with it during preschool. It was not only racing games; target shooting, roleplay, quest games, strategy, platform, he'd played them all. Hierophant liked them, too, and having a stand with reflex abilities above humans' had boosted his passion for the medium to a paroxysm.

When he had entered middle school though, he had changed his approach to gaming and had started focusing on a few specific games in particular.

F-Mega and other racing games, principally, were made to be played with an opponent. At that age, Kakyoin was already far above the level of the highest difficulty artificial player, and he had no friends, so he had begun training his stand to play against him. It was a hard switch, at first, and he often ended up simply playing the exact same way with two vehicles on the track. But, little by little, he had learned how to divide his mind enough to simulate two players, each with different tactics, and he had played like that for a while until, eventually, he could ignore Hierophant's console next to him and play against it like a real opponent.

One day, and he'd remember it forever, Hierophant had developed a tactic that he, Kakyoin, would never have thought of before, and he had lost against his own stand. Ever since, the two of them had continuously improved their skills to win against one another, looking for the loopholes and hidden combos hidden in the tracks.

Long time since we've last played on the same team, eh? Kakyoin thought. Let's see what that D'Arby can offer.

- Car number? D'Arby asked once they had chosen their type of vehicle.

- 28. The number of this season's winner, Kakyoin replied.

My number, he added to himself.

- Fine. I'll be 15, since I was born on January 15th. You can select the track.

- Track 1.

- Good. Are you ready?

- Stop acting like a gentleman and start already, Kakyoin said coldly.

The screen turned around on itself in a swirl of colors as the introduction music started playing. Kakyoin's mind was serene. It never helped getting stressed before a game, all you ended up doing were avoidable mistakes....Ok then. F-Mega, 1986 Special edition, track 1. Here we go...

Click click click click click click click...
A repeated sound disturbed his focus, and his heart skipped a beat when he realised where it came from: D'Arby was tapping repeatedly on the accelerator button to gather an extra power boost in the beginning...

Even though he knew of this tactic, Kakyoin had never really used it himself: he could easily beat the computer without it, and the few official competitions he had attended forbade the move to prevent cheating. Now though, nothing had prevented him from using it, he was just too late...

But a power boost at the beginning was not enough to win a game. The decisive actions were made during the race, not before. Plus, he'd promised himself he wouldn't succumb to fear... All he had to do was play better than D'Arby on the track. Resigned, he waited patiently for the game to begin.

'' Start!'' screamed the device.

As expected, D'Arby was no amateur: instead of using his boost to widen his headstart, he placed his car right in front of Kakyoin's to secure it by blocking it behind him. Alright. If that's how it was, then he would have no other choice... Kakyoin smiled internally.

Green, this is your time to shine...

And, leaving the direction pad to his stand, he made his car turn in circular motions without slowing down. As it spun around, the vehicle hit D'Arby's from behind and both slided uncontrollably on the track for a moment before coming to a stop side to side. Next to him, D'Arby gritted his teeth.

- This technique...Kakyoin... Could you actually be familiar with this game??

Kakyoin couldn't hide his satisfaction this time:

- That is something you don't need to know, he smiled as the engines let out little puffs of smoke in a perfectly synchronised manner.

- Kakyoin! Joseph shouted from behind. Hurry up and turn your car back to the track!

Joseph was impatient. But he didn't seem to have grasped the logic behind video games; in these worlds, everything was calculated. Both cars were the same model and had fallen at the same time, so there was no reason for one of them to recover faster than the other... All Kakyoin had done had been evening up their advancement; he wouldn't overtake D'Arby like that. And sure enough, when they returned to the race, the cars were perfectly sided up. That is, while the road was straight...

Kakyoin, whose car was unfortunately on the left-hand side of the track, had exactly three and a half seconds to act before the road turned right: if he didn't want to get behind again, then he'd have to take it at full speed... Concentrating all of his focus on the screen in front of him, he began counting.

2 seconds...
The turn was approaching. Next to him, D'Arby began to slow down, just enough to anticipate the curve...

1 second...
That's it, he was in it now. If he turned too early, he would crash into D'Arby's car and lose power. If he missed it, his car would be sent flying off track and he'd lose the game, along with his soul. So what he had to do was to turn...

NOW!

And he smashed the right of the direction pad, turning abruptly in the width of the track, scraping millimeters away from the edge. One second later, they were back on a straight path, both cars perfectly side by side.

- YES! He did it!! Joseph shouted. They both turned at the same time! It's a tie!

- Kakyoin! D'Arby said. You may be betting your soul, but you are not afraid at all! Not only are you good at this game, you've also surpassed your fear! You may be the best addition to my collection so far!!

Surpassed his fear... Yes, of course he had. That had been his goal since the very beginning. When he'd joined this journey, he'd even promised himself he wouldn't fall to fear again...

He had been weak when he had met DIO, six months earlier. Weak, both in physical strength and mentally. When he had stumbled upon the vampire in a dark alleyway of Cairo... His feet had been shaking. He'd had goosebumps all over his body, so strong he'd wanted to throw up. He should have run, but he hadn't been able to, as if he had suddenly turned into stone.... He'd been so viscerally scared that when DIO had deigned to spare him, when he'd spoken to him like a child and assured him he wouldn't hurt him, when he'd asked him to be his friend, he, Kakyoin, had given up completely to his fear and handed over both body and mind in order to stay alive.

Yet, waking up from this nightmare of servility had been even worse. All he could remember was Jotaro's face above his and the shame, the overwhelming, immeasurable shame that had taken over his mind as the images had flown back, scenes of what DIO had made him do and what he had done for DIO out of his own will. And he knew those images were still buried in him, somewhere, despite everything he had done to suppress them. And what he had decided, there in Jotaro's house in Japan, as he had unconsciously sealed part of his memory shut, had been his first truly personal decision in six months.

He had buried his fear along.

So yes, D'Arby was right when he said Kakyoin had surpassed his fear. The thing had been beaten, scared, and pushed back all the way to the depths of the human mind like a disobedient animal. For Kakyoin, 'Fear' was equal to 'DIO', and 'DIO' was equal to 'Never Again'. And so, just like he would never again serve DIO, never again would he, Kakyoin Noriaki, ever succumb to his fears. That had been his oath.

In this mental state, betting his soul on the game was nothing, and it certainly wasn't worth disturbing him while he played. Another turn to the right was coming on the screen, and his car was still on the left side of the road : Kakyoin passed it like the first one, at full speed, not losing an inch behind his opponent. The turns were not a problem. No, if he wanted to win, then everything would be set at the next step.

The acceleration tunnel. Whoever got in it, could get his speed doubled and would be assured victory. However, and that was the decisive point, the tunnel was only large enough for one, singular car. As they passed their sixth and last turn, D'Arby began pushing Kakyoin's car away and he had to reply to prevent getting too off track. He had less power, there was no way he could possibly push D'Arby away before the tunnel. Yet, it only allowed one car... Slowly, an idea formed inside his head.

Green, is that you thinking what I think you're thinking? You really think it could work?

Hierophant's head on his shoulder nodded imperceptibly.

I won't say I don't like the idea. It's bloody brilliant. We've got nothing to lose, anyways... Okay then! Here we go...!

He felt the familiar warm tingle of his stand's hands merging perfectly with his own and, together, they carefully slid their finger on the directional pad just as they were about to enter the tunnel.

- He got his car on two wheels! Joseph exclaimed. An... And now he's driving on the wall of the tunnel! he pursued excitedly. Jotaro, look at that, he's done it!! He was able to fit his car in a tunnel that only allows one car!!

- Shut up, I can't concentrate! D'Arby yelled, visibly annoyed.

Green, you're a genius. We're a genius...

But entering the tunnel was not enough. He had to get in front, otherwise... Wait, what was D'Arby doing? Why was he...

- He's using his car to smash yours! came Joseph's commentary.

Why was he doing that? Even if it earned him a small headstart at the exit, he'd have less power...

The screen turned black, but Kakyoin knew this track by heart, and had no problem navigating by sound alone. However, D'Arby's actions still tormented him. If he had a plan, it was a stupid one, there was no use losing that much power for such a small headstart... Had he panicked? Or maybe he had simply made an error, a finger slipping on the pad or something like that, and had had no other choice than to follow along...

Whichever it was, it played to Kakyoin's advantage. The cannon beams at the end of the tunnel confirmed that: D'Arby was leading, true, but by less than a car length...

- You are the one with less power, D'Arby! Kakyoin shouted as they exited the tunnel.

And once again, leaving the pad to Hierophant Green, he spun his car in circular motions, at 850km/h. The vehicles knocked together violently and turned around for a while, before D'Arby's car flew away at full speed, away from the tunnel and the track, and into the void. Kakyoin landed safely, still turning around slightly. It was only a matter of seconds before his car recovered.

- The one with less power is ejected, you should know that, Kakyoin explained in the meantime. You lost because you were too focused on speed, you didn't think losing power would be that great of a deal...

- You're the one who hasn't realized yet. That move...

- Haven't realised what? Come on D'Arby, just accept your defeat already, Kakyoin said as he started his car back on track. Do I really...

- That move was calculated! I lost power so you would push me! D'Arby shouted victoriously.

- What? Why would you...

- Quit your pretentious airs and look who'll win! D'Arby exclaimed.

Kakyoin couldn't help but turn his gaze around to look at the flying car. It hadn't disappeared into the void. No, instead it had risen high in the sky in a beautiful curving motion and was now coming down towards...

Suddenly, Kakyoin's mouth felt dry. There in the distance, in the direction in which D'Arby's car was flying, was the next portion of the track. Had D'Arby really done this on purpose? Could something like this actually be possible?

They watched in silence as the car slowly fell on the track, front wheels first, as if in slow motion. Kakyoin moved his lips to speak, but no sound came out.

- So, Kakyoin? D'Arby asked unctuously as he started his car. Do you still want to finish the race?

He did not answer and only watched as the car burst forward toward the finish line.

- Kakyoin, no! Jotaro shouted. Don't admit defeat!

Don't admit defeat? It was useless. He couldn't win anymore, he knew it. It was only a matter of time before...

- Kakyoin!

A metallic hand had grabbed him by his throat and lifted him upwards. D'Arby's stand, Atum... Next thing he knew, he was being forced into the filling of the disgusting little doll, under the horrified eyes of Joseph and Jotaro.

Sorry I failed... he thought weakly as he disappeared into the fabric.

Chapter Text

- Ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora! Ora!

Kakyoin woke up laboriously to the sound of Jotaro beating an enemy up. Had they managed to defeat D'Arby? The brightness of the room blinded him, and he searched desperately for his glasses. Ah, here they were, right where he'd left them on the table...

A loud crash resounded in his back. He turned around to see that D'Arby's body, flown across the room by Jotaro's punches, had violently hit a wall hidden in the sky around them.

- So it really was an illusion! Joseph exclaimed.

- I wonder who's doing that... Kakyoin muttered as he stood up. We're gonna have to find them...

As soon as he had finished his sentence though, the scenery around them began to wobble until it faded away to reveal the room they were actually in.

It was rather large, probably underground judging by the lack of windows. The walls were partially covered in plumbing, from which water seemed to have trickled on the floor into a large puddle. Fragile, dim lighted neon lights were clumsily installed on top of one wall. All that was left of the island where they had faced D'Arby was the wooden box full of dolls, the wet debris of liquor bottles smashed on the floor and, scattered around - partly in the water - the computers, consoles and boxes of game cassettes they had fought with. D'Arby himself was lying, unconscious, at the foot of a wall.

- Baseball? Kakyoin asked as he eyed one of the dying screens. Was that you playing, Jotaro?

- Yeah. Jiji helped me though.

- Come on guys, we've gotta go, Joseph called from the doorway. Since the illusion has been broken, its user was most probably defeated...That means Avdol and Polnareff are fighting up there!

They followed him into the corridor and ended up in a wide hall, with an arched ceiling supported by large stone columns. DIO may have been living in a mansion, but there wasn't much to see there apart from the building.

- Avdol! Polnareff! Joseph shouted. Where are you!?

A loud thundering noise answered him.

- They're upstairs! Let's...

- Jiji.

- Yes?

- Look at that...

It was... a hole. Kakyoin could not describe it otherwise: a large, circular opening cutting horizontally through a stone column, like the air bubble of an insanely big emmental cheese. The thing was about a meter in diameter, maybe a bit more.

- As if a cork was pulled off... Joseph breathed.

- The cut is fresh, Kakyoin said. If you observe the lustre of the rock, the inside is much shinier than the rest of the column, which has been dulled by alteration and dust...

- There's some soot here, Jotaro added.

- That's traces of Avdol fighting, Joseph said gravely. They're not here anymore, but their enemy must be very powerful if they could blast such holes...

- Yeah. We must go and find them, Jotaro agreed.

They left the large hall behind them and ran across yet another corridor, looking for stairs. The house shaked occasionally as heavy thumps could be heard from above.

After a few doors, they finally found some stairs and ran up, towards the battle noises. Kakyoin's lungs felt as if they were aflame, and he tried to ignore the stab of the fractured ribs on his left side. They had run up two flights of stairs when Kakyoin, who had extended Hierophant in front of them to prevent an ambush, stopped abruptly.

- Hold on! he exclaimed. Someone's ahead of us...

After a few seconds, the silhouette of a young woman emerged from the shadows of the corridor. The way she was walking was strangely mechanical, as if her legs were made of wood. She started sobbing as soon as she saw them and fell on her knees, pleading them not to kill her. Her hands were inverted, with both thumbs sticking down as she held them in front of her chest.

Kakyoin, Jotaro and Joseph exchanged a glance.

What a ridiculous stand... Kakyoin thought as Joseph approached her, speaking reassuringly.

- Don't worry, we're not vampires, he said. Here here, we'll save you... We're friends...

- F... Friends? she hiccuped.

- Yes, friends, Jotaro assured.

He summoned his stand and, in a harmonious sweep of the arm, Star Platinum punched the woman right in the face, sending her flying through the wooden doors that barred the corridor's way.

- Friends of justice...

They walked towards the body on the floor and saw it twist itself around, revealing an angry and rather vituperate little man with pointy vampire teeth and the woman's face on the back of his head. After Jotaro beat him up some more, they decided to capture him in a bag and use him to find DIO.

The room they were in led to a terrasse with an outside staircase, which they used to climb further up. This led to yet another terrasse which circled the whole house.

- The next staircase is probably on the opposite side, Joseph pondered. We don't have time to hang around. Jotaro, would you mind opening a way through this wall?

- Yare yare. Star Platinum!

The wall crumbled under the punches, and the setting sun behind them shone onto the intermediate platform of a staircase. Amidst the dust swept up by the collapse, they recognized a familiar silhouette...

- Mr Joestar! Polnareff shouted in a relieved voice.

- We're here, Polnareff. No worries...

They stepped through the opening into the stairwell, just in time to see a man dressed in yellow fly away to the upper floor.

- Was that... Kakyoin began.

- That was him! Joseph shouted. DIO!!!

Kakyoin, Joseph and Jotaro jolted forward to chase him, but Polnareff's voice stopped them.

- Before we go ! Listen to me... I have seen his stand... And I experienced his powers! I can't explain them, but maybe you will understand... Listen, this is what happened. I was trying to climb the stairs to fight him when, and this is the weird part, I ended up lower than I had started! No, don't look at me like that! You think I'm talking nonsense but I don't know what happened either, all I know is that it's not some super speed or hypnosis trick. It goes way deeper than that...

Kakyoin pondered the question. Maybe his power was to teleport objects or people...

- Polnareff. Where are Avdol and Iggy? Jotaro asked.

Kakyoin expected a reply, but Polnareff only lowered his head.

No...

A boiling sense of doom creeped slowly at the back of his mind as Polnareff's silence grew longer.

Come on, just answer... Don't scare us like that...

- They... Polnareff started with difficulty. They won't show... To save me... Both of them...

No.

No no no no no no no.

No...

Chapter Text

Kakyoin's mind was swirling.

Avdol.

The humming noises of Cairo's evening traffic pierced painfully through his eardrums as his vision went blurry, filled with the rays of the setting sun.

Avdol.

Avdol...

There was no dam in his mind to contain the images as they came rushing before his eyes, all at the same time, fighting to catch his attention.

Avdol, his wide shoulders draped in red, reading tarot by the campfire.

His low voice, translating Arabic news from the radio.

A pat on the back after a fight.

Hands pressing a bloodied scarf against Jotaro's wounds.

Avdol reading a map.

Avdol making coffee.

Avdol telling stories at night and illustrating them with fire.

Avdol, carefully sipping a bowl of miso soup in Japan.

His faint reply, slowly fading away as they had fallen through D'Arby's trap...

It was pure nonsense. It simply couldn't be. Kakyoin blinked, but the images kept storming, burning painfully in his brains.

Avdol.

Iggy. Missing a front paw.

Coffee flavoured chewing-gum. An indignant bark.

Avdol's smile, as the dog had fallen asleep on his lap...

Avdol. And Iggy.

Avdol. Iggy. Avdol. DIO.

DIO.

Suddenly, as abruptly as they had arrived, the images disappeared. For the first time in years, maybe for the first time in his life, Kakyoin's mind went completely clear. Crystalline. Limpid.

They had to kill DIO. That was it. Nothing else mattered.

It was DIO's fault that Avdol had died. His fault Iggy had been dragged into this and died, too. DIO had killed his friends and therefore he must die, as simple as that.

He looked around him and was shocked to see that no one had moved. Jotaro was standing still atop of the stairs, his eyes boring down into Polnareff's skull. Joseph had turned away and lowered his hat to hide his face. Polnareff was looking at the stair between his feet, sweat and tears running down his face and falling softly on the wood.

Why were they so still? Why was no one stepping forth, hurrying after DIO? Did he really have to do all the work here?

- Mr Joestar, he said coldly. The sun is almost setting. If we don't hurry...

- You... You're right. All we know is that DIO is afraid of sunlight...

But Kakyoin wasn't listening. He grabbed the bag they had stuffed the small vampire in and slung it mercilessly against the stairs.

- You, he called. The idiot. We don't have time to waste, so answer me when I ask. Got it?

-Ye...

- What's above this floor? Kakyoin cut.

- A... A tower... Master DIO sleeps there in a room at the top, during the day...

- Is there any other way up?

- N..no...

- Fine. Lead us there then, he added as he kicked the bag onward. HURRY UP!

As if stung by a bee, the little man scurried out of the bag and began climbing the stairs on all fours. Kakyoin followed him, soon joined by the others.

Spiralling stairs lead inside the tower. Kakyoin walked resolutely, watching straight forward and forbidding himself to think about anything else than DIO. His blood felt ice cold. They climbed turn after turn and, without Kakyoin realizing until his foot reached the last stair, they arrived to the top in a bare room with a wooden casket in the middle. Jotaro burst the panels protecting the window open, basking the room in sunlight.

- Uwaaaaaaa! the little vampire cried, hurrying away to hide in the shadows.

- Be careful, Joseph warned. He's not necessarily in the casket... Jotaro, take the right. Polnareff, you go left. We'll attack when he gets out. Idiot, you open it.

- M...m...meeeee?

- Do it! Kakyoin shouted.

The vampire jumped.

- Yes! Yes, I'll do it! I'll... Lo... Lord Dio... I... I believe in your strength, that's why I brought them here... you understand... I know you'll beat them up in no time...

- Shut the hell up! Joseph cut in. Just open it!

- Master Dio... Please, kill them... I know you will! Just kill…

\>.

argh...ghl…

- What!? Joseph and Polnareff exclaimed simultaneously.

- When did that idiot get in the casket!? I didn't take my eyes off him!

- See!? It was not some super speed or hypnosis! I told you, it's something else!

- Polnareff is right, Kakyoin agreed. It's not superhuman speed... The World...

- Wait, Jotaro said. Something is... a bit strange...

Kakyoin felt it, too. A wave of something, coming from under... Was it hate? Or...

- LET'S GET OUT OF HERE! Jotaro and Joseph shouted at the same time, dashing towards the window.

Without thinking any further, Kakyoin followed them and threw himself from the opening, into the safety of light.

- I know what you felt, Jotaro! Joseph screamed in the wind as they fell. It was an intent to kill, a very strong intent to kill! If we had stayed there any longer, we'd all be dead by now!

- It's the first time I've felt it! Kakyoin added, air whooshing at a high tone by his ears. We didn't see anything, but I know it was more terrible than any other stand!

- Yes! It felt like something cold running down your back! Joseph shouted.

- Like knowing a truck is approaching by the sound of the engine!

- Exactly! Kakyoin, you get it!

As the roof of the terrasse beneath them approached, Kakyoin summoned Hierophant Green to grapple the wall. Next to him, Joseph did the same with Hermit Purple, trailing Polnareff behind him, and Jotaro grabbed the edge with Star Platinum. They all gathered on the platform.

- This is bad... Joseph sighed as the sun slowly disappeared behind the buildings.

- His time has come, Kakyoin grimaced.

- Mr Joestar... You can't possibly be thinking of retreating until sunrise, can you? Polnareff intervened. Because, and I'll tell you fair and square, day or night, I am not running away now!

- Same here, Kakyoin announced.

Joseph seemed torn.

- I... I feel the same as you, but the situation has changed… We've encountered The World, yet we still have no idea how it works! It would be like running towards trouble to pursue DIO now! Look, he's going to try to kill us before sunrise, we have to use this to find out his secret... Then our only chance is in the morning, so we'll wait for that chance and end him!

- I won't run away! Polnareff yelled. Never, you hear me? Never! Iggy and Avdol died to save me! Mr Joestar, I respect you, but I won't follow your way!

For a fraction of a second, Kakyoin met his eyes. He had expected them to be blinded by anger, but was surprised at what he saw in Polnareff's expression instead.

His brows were trembling and his eyes reddened with sadness. Large trails of dried up tears ran down his face, and his lips were swollen where he had bitten them, teeth imprints still visible in his skin.

No, Polnareff was not acting on anger.

He was acting on despair.

- Why did we come here in the first place? he argued, almost plaintively this time. To kill DIO! It doesn't matter what we do, but running away... It is not acceptable! he shouted as he burst out running.

- Polnareff! Hold it!

- Jiji, you can't stop him.

Kakyoin turned around sharply. Jotaro. He must have a plan.

- Jotaro, what do you have in mind? he asked.

Chapter Text

A pincer attack.

Classic. Clean. Efficient.

Typical Jotaro that was.

Kakyoin trusted him.

Only...

- We can't let Polnareff go alone, he said. One of us must go after him...

He met Jotaro's gaze and instantly regretted his words.

Since he had suggested it, Joseph would be in the team running away. So the one who would follow Polnareff was either Kakyoin, or Jotaro...

Avdol would have run after Polnareff, said a little voice in his head. Avdol wouldn't have hesitated...

Shut it, Kakyoin replied.

But he knew it was right. Avdol absolutely would have followed Polnareff. He had already done it, in India, and that had gotten him a bullet in the head, but for Polnareff he would have done it again, as many times as was necessary. Kakyoin knew it.

Shut it. Avdol is dead. Dead! So shut it. We don't have time for this...

He wavered slightly on his feet, Jotaro's gaze still piercing through his. He knew they were thinking the same thing.

They didn't want to part ways.

Not now.

Not as they were about to face DIO.

- I'll go, Jotaro said simply. Take care of Jiji for me, he's not that young anymore.

Kakyoin felt his heart sinking. But Polnareff was injured. They couldn't leave him alone. At least he'd be safe with Jotaro...

He was safe with Avdol too. So safe that Avdol...

SHUT UP.

- Okay, he said resignedly. You better hurry up then.

Jotaro nodded, and turned towards Joseph who had followed the exchange silently.

- Jiji. I'm counting on you.

Then he set off running after Polnareff.

After a second of watching him go, Kakyoin and Joseph nodded at each other, summoned their stands and climbed down the mansion to reach the street.

- We need a car, Joseph stated as they reached the pavement.

- Um. I can try and steal one with Hierophant... Kakyoin pondered, looking around.

But Joseph was already leaning at the window of a small truck, fanning a fat wad of notes in the driver's face.

- ...I guess that's another way to do it, Kakyoin admitted as the man stepped on the pavement to marvel at his new cash, leaving the keys on the ignition for them.

He ran to get in the passenger seat as Joseph took the wheel, and they rushed slithering into Cairo's traffic.

- Here! This road's almost empty! We can take it! Kakyoin exclaimed after a few intersections.

- It won't change anything! Joseph grumbled, taking the turn nonetheless. We're at rush hour, we're gonna end up stuck sooner or later anyways... Kakyoin, please keep watch in case we get attacked.

- Roger Captain, Kakyoin murmured, screening the buildings going by the windows.

They drove like that for a moment, until Joseph sighed.

- DIO's following us, he announced. I can feel his dark aura moving as we do... That's good, it means he's not targeting Jotaro and Polnareff.

Kakyoin cheered. So far, everything was going as planned. Quite useful, he thought, that Joestars could feel DIO's aura so well...

Wait.

DIO could feel Joseph's aura as well...

He looked at the empty road around them. The street lamps lightened up, bathing the road in a warm, orange light.

- DIO knows exactly where we are, he stated.

- No. He can just guess approximately, not the exact position...

But Kakyoin shook his head hurriedly.

- He does! Mr Joestar, listen to me, if you know there's a plane in the sky and, when you look up, only one of the stars is moving, then you've found the plane, right? This is the same, we're the only ones moving on this road!

- But we're not the only ones, there's another car right here...

Joseph's eyes widened as he looked at the rearview mirror. His voice turned into a soft breath.

- ...behind us...

Kakyoin felt his back pushing against the leather of his seat as Joseph accelerated abruptly.

DIO... was already so close...?

Good. Just as planned. Now they had to find out his secret.

Kakyoin opened his window and unraveled his stand until it reached the level of the car behind. Hierophant's eyes confirmed Joseph's intuition: DIO was indeed sitting there, in the back seat, watching intently in front of him.

Why didn't he attack? To Kakyoin, the answer was simple. His stand must only have been able to act at close distance, like Jotaro's... He took mental note of this conclusion and proceeded to test him.

- Take this! he shouted and launched his attack. Emerald Splash!

A shower of green projectiles smashed DIO's window to pieces and flowed into the car
\>.
before bursting the opposite door up, leaving DIO unscathed. The vampire watched Hierophant smugly, his index risen in front of him.

Had... Had he truly blocked an Emerald Splash with only one finger? And that speed... Could anything really be that fast? He hadn't even seen the stand... Maybe it could create a protective barrier, or something like that - not that a defensive stand wouldn't fit DIO's personnality, after all - but then, how to explain the wave of murderous intent they had felt earlier in the tower? The World had to be offensive, somehow, or it wouldn't exude such a terrifying aura...

To be sure of it, Kakyoin launched a second attack, more concentrated this time. Emeralds shot from Hierophant's hands, straight towards DIO
\>.
and hit the roof of the car in a thundering noise, sending pieces of steel flying on the road.

Kakyoin was bewildered. How come his attacks were deflected differently each time? Was it a matter of
\>.
angle?

- What the fuck!? he exclaimed through Hierophant.

A huge, yellow stand had suddenly appeared in front of him, ready to punch. When had DIO called it? How had it stepped in that position so fast? Why...

A fist larger than his own head sent Hierophant flying. Kakyoin felt a sharp pain take over his skull and he called his stand back, panting.

- Careful, Kakyoin! That was way too close!Joseph exclaimed.

- Ye...Yes, sorry... He surprised me...

He raised his hand to his forehead to wipe off the sweat, swearing angrily at himself for letting his guard down. When he lowered it back in front of him, he realised his palm was bright red.

Great. His wound must have been reopened by the blow.

- Kakyoin, you're bleeding! Are you alright? Did you see The World?

- I did. You were right, it is probably a short range, power type... In fact it reminded me of Jotaro's Star Platinum; a range of about ten meters, and no projectiles, he attacks with his fists. But there's more to that... The same as Polnareff experienced, some secret I still can't really put my finger on... I thought if we sneaked up on him we could get him by surprise, but...

- Hm, Joseph cut in disapproval. Let's rather do this step by step. We must be careful, and instead of rushing in...

He looked in the rearview mirror and frowned.

- Now that's odd, he said slowly. DIO's car has stopped...

Kakyoin turned around to watch through the back window, but his view was obscured by a large, presumably human shadow growing larger.

- Look out!!! Something's flying this way! He shouted at Joseph. We must...

CRASH

Something heavy passed through the roof of the car and crashed right between them, making Joseph lose control of the wheel.

- Mr Joestar!!!

The truck made a quick turn right and one of the wheels got caught in the gutter. They slided against the pavement for a second, but Joseph's foot was still stuck against the accelerator; the truck finally turned over and tumbled upside down in a black puff of smoke.

Carefully, Kakyoin loosened the protective net he'd made around Joseph and himself with Hierophant.

- We have to run, Joseph murmured in the semi-darkness.

- By the air?

- Good idea. Okay, let's go from your side so he can't see us...

They crawled out of the fuming cab and used their stands to haul themselves to the walls of the nearest building. When Kakyoin looked down, he saw DIO glaring at them from the pavement. It was weird, seeing him from afar, nothing but an angry little silhouette in the street. It changed the perspective of the fight, to suddenly be above and able to see him with the big picture...

The truck burst into flames.

The big picture...

The memory of Jotaro's short hair moving in the breeze at the bank of a ferry boat sprang in front of his eyes.

- Kakyoin.

-...Yes?

- What is DIO like?

...a bastard, Jotaro. That's what DIO was. A bastard of the lowest sort.

A bastard, yes. But a clever one.

Since the beginning of the fight, DIO had been the one watching them from the backstage. He had hidden and waited for them to come to him, placing his loyal servants as pawns to entertain their progression, and only attacked when he decided to; that was, when he had control over the situation. He'd shown himself to Polnareff in the staircase, fully aware the Frenchman was both alone and injured, the perfect, easy prey. And he'd shown himself now, to Kakyoin and Joseph, because he knew they were trying to flee him, not attack him. DIO only appeared when he had the upper hand, against the minimal number of opponents possible.

The secret of his stand's power granted him this upper-hand, but no secret was absolute. Now that he thought about it, maybe that was another reason DIO didn't want to fight them all at once... Maybe it wasn't simply because he risked being overpowered... no, maybe DIO didn't want to face them all together because... he didn't want too many people observing him at once...

Then, Kakyoin realised, the quickest way to find out the power of The World was not so much to attack, but rather... to have eyes everywhere...

- I know how to reveal the secret of DIO's stand, Kakyoin said slowly. I...

- What'd you say? Joseph shouted.

Kakyoin sighed. He jumped on the roof of the building and looked down dramatically.

- I've got it, he said clear and loud as he removed his glasses. I know how to reveal DIO's stand!

- What!?

Kakyoin ignored him and set off jumping from building to building, trailing Hierophant behind him.

Chapter Text

As far as Kakyoin was concerned, Hierophant Green was, and would always be, the ideal stand.

Of course, that statement was a bit biased by the fact it was his stand, but even when he thought about it, Kakyoin found it difficult to see any flaw in it. It had everything: with its long range, powerful attacks and the ability to change shapes and sizes, Hierophant really was a sturdy and versatile companion. Plus, its shimmery green shone beautifully in the moonlight and the ivory frames that protected it when it was stretched looked cool and futuristic.

Kakyoin was very proud of his Hierophant Green.

For most of his life, though, he'd had to keep his pride for himself; for before encountering DIO, Kakyoin had never met anyone else who could see stands. With the years, and his family's tendency to take him to a counsellor every time he talked about his ''little imaginary friend'', he had learned to hide Hierophant's existence from others. And even when he was under DIO's spell, when he had fought alongside other stand users, he had kept that habit by making Hierophant creep invisibly like fungi, weaving its way into unsuspecting people's limbs and controlling them like puppets. Hierophant's emerald green had been a sight reserved to the ones who would die, under the shower of gemstones that was the Emerald Splash.

But he had promised himself to stop relying on such foul tactics when he had regained his senses in Japan. From that moment on, he had fought proudly with his stand in plain sight, and since for once he was with a group of people who displayed their stands casually and didn't think he was weird for talking about Hierophant Green, Kakyoin had made the most of it by being as dramatic, eye-catching and showy as he could with his newly popular stand. Hierophant had taken its humanoïd form more and more often, to the point where the thin creeping tendrils had become the exception during his fights, only appearing to scan his surroundings or protect Kakyoin's friends.

But having come out of the shadows didn't mean Hierophant couldn't hide back in if need be.Especially if it was to lay the groundworks for the most flamboyant attack he'd done so far, Kakyoin thought as he weaved his net between the roofs of Cairo like a human sized spider.

Kakyoin had read about spiders. He knew different species spun their webs differently to trap different kinds of insects: some were thin and vertical, stretched between grass blades to catch flying and jumping insects like grasshoppers or butterflies. Others, spread out erratically on larger surfaces, served as nets to collect small beetles and larvae falling from the trees. The pretty webs, with regular spiralling patterns that could be found in window corners, often acted as alarm systems, alerting its weaver whenever a fly was caught in its sticky silk.

To catch a DIO, Kakyoin had to make his web invisibly spread in three dimensions. A vampire didn't hop, nor did it fall from the trees: in this case, it jumped from roof to roof while laughing maniacally, his red cape undulating behind him, and kicking down the occasional chimney or antenna bowl that blocked his way.

When he judged the trap was tight enough, Kakyoin jumped on the spire he had spared in the middle of it and looked down at DIO as he stepped on a first strand. This triggered Hierophant, which immediately shot emeralds at the intruder from its sides. DIO blocked the attack with his fists but jumped backwards, triggering another strand. Once again, emeralds rushed at him like iron filings attracted by a magnet and he had to use his feet to deflect the attack this time. Kakyoin was satisfied to see that one of the shots had reached its target by drilling into DIO's shoulder.

He looked coldly into his enemy's infuriated gaze.

- This is a net that fires if you touch it, he announced. I have spread it in a radius of twenty meters around me, and it can detect anything you or The World does!

He looked around and saw Joseph staring at him from a roof opposite DIO. Down in the streets, he spotted Polnareff and Jotaro arriving on a motorcycle. The team was complete...

That'll be for killing Avdol, Kakyoin thought.And Iggy. Either show me your stand or die under my revenge.

- Take this, DIO! he shouted in the night. The TWENTY METERS EMERALD SPLASH!

Like an archer releasing the arrow of his armed bow, he gave in to the tension he'd created in Hierophant Green and let a flow of emeralds rush towards DIO from all directions, trapping him in the middle of a glistening sea of stones.

Get crushed...

His eyes met DIO's.

Slowly, smiling, the vampire opened his mouth and shouted.

- The World!

\>.

Every single one of Hierophant's webs snapped simultaneously as Kakyoin suddenly flew backwards, the air blowing his hair in front of his face. A fraction of a second later, his head hit a wall in a loud, metallic noise and water began trickling in his hair and down his face.

What... happened... he thought, trying to gasp for air in vain.

He couldn't feel his body at all. With great struggle, he half-opened his eyes and tried to understand the shapes he could make out from the blur of his lashes.

Was that... Himself?

Why… why was there so much blood…? And what was that on his...

Oh.

That must undoubtedly be fatal.

I'm going to die, he realised.

He beat me. I'm going to die here.

The wound opened, gaping, all the way through his abdomen. A continuous flow of dark blood escaped from it, soaking his uniform down to his shoes. It should have hurt, Kakyoin pondered, but it only felt numb, as if all the nerves from his neck downwards were plugged to a snowy television screen. Part of him marvelled at the sheer amount of blood coming from his body. Six liters was really a lot… And he couldn't even move a finger to try and stop the hemorrage… Blood flowed and flowed, without seeming to ever stop, but Kakyoin knew it was only a matter of seconds, a minute perhaps, before his body ran out and he would die.

Die. He was going to die now. Nothing could save him anymore, it was too late; his life was ending. He was going to die.

He really did not want to.

This feeling filled his whole head. He would never see the sun again. Nor the moon. Nor pretty much anything else, for that matter. The world was ending...

He did not want to die.

Not now, at seventeen, with his whole life before him. Not now that he had finally broken free of DIO's control. Not as he'd just found people who truly understood him and accepted him as he was.

Friends.

His parents would have been so proud to learn that he had made friends...

His parents. What were they doing now...? They were in Japan... What time was it there...

The image of a falling clock tower, the base of it destroyed by DIO a few seconds earlier, drew itself in its mind.

5:15. In Cairo.

5+7...

About midnight in Japan.

They're probably sleeping...

He managed to raise his gaze a few millimeters and caught sight of a yellow figure in the distance.

DIO... How on earth had he managed to block and injure him so bad...? Hierophant's web had every cube centimeter in a 20m radius covered, DIO couldn't possibly have dodged them all. And anyways, Hierophant never actually got to shoot...

It never got to shoot because it all happened at once. Hierophant's web had been shattered to pieces in an instant, without having the time to trigger the attack.

In an instant...

He hadn't even had the time to reply...

Time...

Kakyoin's eyes jolted open.

That was it.

DIO's secret.

DIO's secret was time.

No, but that was impossible, wasn't it...? DIO ...

No, actually it wasn't impossible. There was no reason for it to be. Why wouldn't stand powers be able to affect time? It seemed extraordinary, yet it shouldn't. Stand powers...

Now. Hierophant had been shattered in an instant. But DIO couldn't really have shattered everything at once... At least not from his point of view...

DIO could stop time. That was his secret. The World's hidden power.

He could stop time, and move in the stopped time.

Kakyoin had to make the others know.

Feeling his consciousness wavering, he looked desperately around him to find Joseph.

He had to warn him...

His eyes landed on the white disc of the clock from the tower DIO had destroyed, and an idea started to form in his head.

He had to act quickly.

Hierophant would die along with him. His first and closest friend. But they didn't have time to feel sad. They had to let the others know...

Gathering all of his remaining strength and energy, Kakyoin materialised his stand in front of him and prepared his attack.

Jotaro, you better be watching... he thought as his vision turned black. I told you... That I'd show you the prettiest lightshow...

A ray of green light flashed through his closed eyelids as emeralds burst from Hierophant's hands towards the clock.

There was a loud crash.

Kakyoin knew he'd aimed right. He always did.

He felt as Hierophant's presence beside him dissolved, and he knew it would never reappear again.

The last Emerald Splash had been shot.

Everything turned black, like a candle being blown away. Shapes disappeared, along with colors and their tints, fading into nothingness. A shimmery shade of green was the last to disppear, blurry flakes slowly engulfed by the darkness.

There were no more images in his mind as he finally lost consciousness.

Such a shame, was his last thought.

He would have liked to see Jotaro's face one last time before he died.

Chapter Text

Jotaro ran through the streets of Cairo, chasing after DIO. Polnareff couldn't follow because of his injuries and had quickly disappeared behind him, but that didn't matter anymore: it was Joseph who was being chased now, and Kakyoin was nowhere in sight to help him.

- Damn it Jiji, Jotaro muttered, out of breath. You're fast when you want it...

The motorcycle hadn't agreed to start again after they had stopped in the middle of the road to study the silk-thin strands stretching above the street. A green flash had burned through the sky, a tower had fallen a few streets away, and suddenly Joseph had shot jumping past them, Tarzan style, hauling himself from roof to roof with Hermit Purple. Ten or twenty meters behind, apparently floating effortlessly through the air, DIO was chasing him.

Now Jotaro was stuck running after his grandfather and the flying vampire, bumping against the parked cars and raising a cacophony of horn blasts and screaming brakes whenever he had to cross the road. Intermittently, his targets appeared to his view in between two buildings and he cursed quietly as he noticed Joseph's head start drawing shorter. Ignoring the painful complaint coming from his muscles, he forced his legs to run faster and ended up in a large alley, blood thumping against his eardrums. Where were...

THUMP

In front of him, Joseph had crashed against the pavement. A thin line of blood was running down his chin.

- Jo... Jotaro! he shouted, his eyes growing wide. Get away from here! You... His secret! His secret is time! He can stop...

- The World!

.< The air seemed to wobble, and DIO appeared in his field of vision. He moved in a strange way, slowly yet at the same time incomprehensibly fast: every move he did felt like an exaggerated stop on a cut scene, reminding Jotaro of an absurd game of red lights green lights. He was coming toward him... no, towards Joseph... had he just thrown something...? >.

A knife planted itself in Joseph's throat, splashing a fountain of blood on the pavement. Joseph fell backwards, his eyes full of a panicked surprise.

-Jiji!

- Jotaro! You are next! he heard him shout triumphantly.

Jotaro's gaze lagged for a second over Joseph's body, spreading blood all over the pavement, then he turned around slowly to face his opponent. A soft boil of cold rage started bubbling in his stomach.

- DIO... he said slowly, fixing his eyes on the vampire. You son of a bitch...

It was not the first time the air had wobbled like that under Jotaro's eyes this evening. However it was the first time it did while DIO was in plain sight...

Time. That was what Joseph had tried to say. DIO could stop time...

Behind him, Joseph's voice arose in a muffled gurgle, urging him to flee, but Jotaro ignored him and looked at DIO defiantly, ready to attack.

- Hah, DIO smiled. We finally face each other, Jotaro...

He snarled at the thought, revealing an abnormally long canine from under his lip.

- Has Polnareff gone into hiding? Good for him... But it doesn't matter. I've already taken care of Kakyoin...

Jotaro's stomach sank. The volume at which his blood pumped by his ear increased tenfold. He was bluffing, right...?

- You're next, Jotaro! he heard dully as the vampire shouted. Prepare to die!

Bastard. DIO, you absolute bastard. You're the one who'll die. You can try your little tricks with time on me, I don't care. You're done for.

Jiji, you better survive until I come back, 'cause I'm not losing anyone else to that fucker. I'm gonna win, be sure of it.

I never lose.

- Oh you're approaching me? DIO exclaimed in pretend surprise as Jotaro marched towards him. You're not running away? I'd thought you'd listen to your grandfather, he tried so hard to tell you to run before he died...

How the hell would I beat you if I ran away, you buffoon. I didn't come here to make sandcastles...

- I can't beat you if I don't get closer, Jotaro said coldly.

- HAHA! THEN DO, JOTARO!

- ORA! Jotaro shouted as Star Platinum punched forward, at the same time as The World materialised in front of DIO.

There was a short clash and a sharp pain took over his ankle, but he stayed upright. He looked over at DIO nonchalantly, putting his hands in his pockets

- Too slow, DIO snickered. Even without stopping time, my stand is better than yours...

Jotaro didn't listen. His fingers had landed on something round in his pockets. Like little discs of metal...

Magnets, he realised. Avdol had bought some for each of them after the fight against Mariah...

- The World is the strongest, most powerful stand ever! DIO was rambling. You cannot even hope to...

- It's about the same as my Star Platinum, Jotaro cut as an idea started clearing itself in his head. Moves fast, strong, precise. Same type of stand.

You're not special, he added to himself. You're just scum.

- Oh truly? DIO replied. But that was only a test... Now that I'm assured that my stand is the strongest...

- You call that a test? Jotaro interrupted, his hands closing on the magnet. A little scratch like that!? You ripped a 200 dollar pair of pants...

DIO muttered something angrily, hardened his gaze, and sent The World forth. Star Platinum replied instinctively to the punches and the two stands boxed each other violently.

The World was fast. Very fast.

Almost too fast for Star Platinum to grab its wrists in between two punches and imperceptibly slide a few magnets in each glove. The action cost it a hit in the jaw, which DIO promptly noticed.

- Hm. I see, he said as he withdrew his stand. Just as I thought, I am stronger, and more precise... Great. I'm satisfied now. Jotaro, you're not weak, but compared to me...

Jotaro groaned hatefully. He was bleeding from The World's punch.

- Alright, playtime's over! It is my destiny to kill you, Jotaro! Say your goodbye to the world, this attack will be my last!

Star Platinum jumped forward.

- Ora ora ora ora...

- The World!

.< The air wobbled once again. But this time, Jotaro was prepared... He concentrated all his focus on DIO, and when the vampire moved he seemed to do so slower than earlier: he still jumped from one position to another frame by frame, but they seemed to flow much more fluently now. Keeping his focus on DIO, Jotaro tried moving a finger: the task was much more difficult than just following DIO's moves. It felt as if all of his bones were held back against their articulated movement by a set of strong elastic bands... The effort was insane...

But not impossible.

DIO stopped abruptly when he caught the move. Jotaro's gaze was fixed in front of him, but from the corner of his eyes he saw how DIO jumped backward and stared at him in horror. Putting all of his willpower into the action, Jotaro managed to move his eyes to look straight at the vampire, but DIO didn't seem to notice that. Well, whatever… >.

- ...ora ora ora ora ora ora!! Star Platinum's attack resumed.

Somehow, in the midst of their previous encounter, both Jotaro and DIO had ended up floating in the air, and Jotaro realised only now at what height he was standing: a few meters below, the geometric shape of a concrete roof seemed silverish against the street's orange lights. Strangely unphased by the realisation he could fly, he looked up towards the taller buildings.

About seventy meters ahead of him, in a puff of dusty smoke raised by the rumbling of a nearby tower, a large cylindrical cistern had been crumpled like an empty can of soda.

Jotaro's jaw clenched so tightly he heard a tooth crack.

There, embedded in the metallic folds, laid the dislocated body of Kakyoin, soggy hair
smeared across his face and eyes. A fountain of fresh water, coming from the top of the broken cistern, sprinkled little diamonds drops over the body into an ever growing, red-tinted puddle at the foot of the tank.

The rage bubbling inside of Jotaro exploded into a raging oil fire and a painful ear-piercing noise set ringing in his head.

DIO had been serious when he'd said he'd...

Kakyoin...

It felt to Jotaro as if the world should have collapsed, yet it hadn't. How...

How could you!? he thought, as a weird, painful mix of sadness and rage gnawed through his mind.

How could you!???

Do you even realise what you've done, you idiotic scumbag...!??

You've killed him!

HIM!

KAKYOIN!

HAVE YOU SEEN WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO HIM!?

HOW FUCKING DARE YOU?

How... wait... I bet... He's... Kakyoin... Kakyoin, he's clever... He's...

How could you...

He's the one who found out your secret, isn't he...?

Time... But Hierophant is nowhere close to Star Platinum or The World, he can't have been able to see through the stopped time...

Is that... Is that how you killed him?

DIO, IS THAT HOW YOU FUCKING KILLED HIM? BY STOPPING TIME, AND SENDING HIM FLYING WITHOUT HIM EVEN REALISING?

IS IT??? YOU...

You coward.

You absolute dipshit of a coward.

You're not worth an ounce of him.

You killed him as he was defenseless.

After killing Avdol, you killed Kakyoin.

DIO.

You're dead.

Kakyoin won't get to live through tomorrow.

So you won't either.

Slowly, agonishingly slowly, he turned his gaze back towards the man who had killed his best friend and stared intently, feelings of hate burning in his cheeks. DIO...

The vampire was talking, but Jotaro couldn't hear him. As he apparently repeated it louder, Jotaro opened his mouth to answer.

- I don't know what you're talking about, DIO, he said.

And I don't care, he added to himself as he shot back flying towards the streets, away from Kakyoin's body.

I'll kill you.