Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I.

He exhaled deeply from his nose, his breath crystallizing upon contact with the air outside and becoming a cloud of white that hid his face from view for a moment before it dispersed in the sunlight. Another exhale, another wisp of white snaking around his face. He gripped the granite railing of the balcony, staring at the pair of foot prints that were still fresh in the snow. They led towards a desolate building at the end of the village--an abandoned hotel, rundown after years of being left to rot. No one could've guessed it currently housed the two most dangerous threats to mankind the world had ever seen.

How long had it been since his partner had left to challenge them on his own? Ten minutes? Fifteen minutes? His jaw still ached from where he had been hit, but he had come to block that out. He stood there with his gaze transfixed on the building. He cursed the trees that blocked his view of the hotel's main entrance. Was he already there? Was he fighting? Was he winning? Was he losing?

"Damn it!" Joseph exclaimed, bringing his fist down onto the solid railing. "That bastard's gonna get himself killed!"

"Caesar may be acting recklessly, but he is a skilled and intelligent fighter." A voice came from behind him, pulling him from upset state. "He chose to do this so he must be confident enough to know he can deal with it. Besides, his teacher is with him."

"I got lucky with Esidisi!" Joseph snapped as he turned around to face the woman that had spoken. "Even then it took both of us to kill him!"

Despite his large stature, Lisa Lisa remained unphased by his outburst. She merely stared back at Joseph, expression as serious as ever. "I'm confident that if Caesar had been the one to fight him, he would've been able to defeat him from the start."

Joseph scowled at her and turned away to face the hotel once more. Sure, he had learned a lot under Lisa Lisa's guidance, and he was grateful for that, but he hated this feeling of inadequacy he got when she spoke to him. He already knew Caesar was well-trained, was stronger, and was more calculated and more precise with his attacks. He knew Caesar was better than him in every aspect. He knew Caesar was the prodigy. He didn't need her reminding him of it every waking moment.

Even if she believed Caesar was perfectly capable of taking on the Pillar Men on his own, Joseph could not shake his feeling of dread. Of course he had faith in Caesar--if anyone would be the one to stop them, it would be him. Then why was he felt like he had to run and hurry to his side, to be there and fight with him? What was this premonition? How were his instincts so sure that Caesar was in danger?

"Fuck this," Joseph hissed under his breath. He pulled himself over the railing and jumped down to the snow covered ground below. He slowed the fall with the use of a Hamon pocket beneath him and laded safely, snow crunching under his feet.

"Jojo! What are you doing!"

Joseph took off at a run, following the trail of footsteps. He ignored the continued cries of his name, only speeding up. He couldn't stop to receive another lecture. He had to catch up with Caesar.

Lisa Lisa sighed, watching the boy run off and disappear into the tree line. How could she have expected any different? Joseph was brave and loyal, just like his father. She was surprised he hadn't run after Caesar sooner. She sighed as she turned away from the railing and made her way back inside. She would have to go after them. Joseph had a point--though it was very unlikely, she couldn't risk losing both her students in one go.

She couldn’t risk losing what was left of her family.

II.

Joseph skidded to a stop, staring wide-eyed at the scene before him. He had finally reached the hotel and expected to find Caesar and his teacher waiting outside. Instead he found a flurry of haphazard footprints, dancing about the front area. Joseph caught sight of a lump lying in the snow, a shade of dark maroon against the pale white. Joseph's heart dropped and he ran over, falling to his knees beside the figure. He let out a breath, relieved to find it wasn't Caesar, but still worried as he turned them over.

"Coach Messina?"

The older man made no response, but the subtle way his chest moved made it clear he was still breathing. Joseph's gaze followed the blood splattered across the other's clothes as he looked for the source. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that the other's hand was completely missing. A bloody stump was all that was left, staining the snow a vivid red.

Something had to be done, or Messina would bleed out.

Joseph cursed himself as he racked his brain for anything he could do. If he had one of Caesar's dumb lighters, maybe he could try to cauterize it.

Lighter. Fire. Heat.

Of course.

Hamon was just harnessing the sun's energy into something tangible--if Joseph could concentrate it, he could stop the bleeding. At least, he thought he could.

Joseph grimaced, realizing what he has to do. He took in a deep breath as he decided to focus on concentrating his Hamon instead of continuing to stare at the raw meat he would have to grip. He took another breath, gloved hands cupping around the bloody mess. He looked away as warmth seeped through the fabric of his gloves, leaving them sticky and wet at the same time. He let out another breath, allowing his Hamon to gather at the tips of his fingers. Sparks of yellow began to dance around the bloody stump and increased in intensity with each breath Joseph took. The heat that seeped into his hands increased with each passing moment, but it did not hurt. The energy grew brighter until finally Joseph pulled away, unable to keep it under control. The last sparks faded to reveal a charred scar where the exposed flesh used to be. Joseph relaxed, surprised at himself.

He grinned. He had done it.

"Jojo."

He looked up, caught off guard by the sound of his name. He turned to find Lisa Lisa calmly walking toward him, inspecting the scene. She stopped before him, looking down at the man in his arms. "That was smart of you. Good job."

He blinked. Was she really congratulating him?

"That will keep him alive and breathing for now, but he'll have to see doctor as soon as possible."

Oh man, wait until Caesar heard about this--

Caesar.

Joseph rose to his feet, turning to face the hotel. He caught sight of a large opening in the wall, as if someone had broken through. He had noticed the bits of rubble earlier, but he hadn’t seen the gaping hole.

"Caesar must've broken his way in," he mumbled. He did not wait for Lisa Lisa to respond and hurried over. He had not taken two steps before he felt the scarf around his neck tighten, stopping him in tracks and tugging him back.

"Wait," she warned as she tightened her grip on the striped scarf.

"What--"

A sudden burst of wind rushed out of the opening in the wall, sending the surrounding snow flying in every direction. The sound was loud enough to make Joseph's ears pop and he grimaced as he braced himself for a wall of snow that came right at him. It hit him straight on but did little besides push him back a foot or two due to the slick ice under his feet. As quickly as it began the wind was gone. Patches of ground were left exposed as the snow had been blown hundreds of feet away. Joseph stared, ears still ringing from the harshness of the sound. It could only be one thing. A divine sandstorm. Caesar was fighting Whamuu.

Joseph moved again, determined to get himself inside but he found his scarf being tugged yet again. "What?!" Joseph snapped, spinning around to face Lisa Lisa.

"I'm not going to allow you to run in there without thinking," she replied, calm yet stern. "For all we know, they are aware we're here and they're waiting for us to come on in so they can attack."

"I don't care!" Joseph replied, staring his teacher down. "If I go in it's still two against one! We can take him!"

"Jojo--"

"Take it from me!"

The pair stopped, the new voice immediately catching their attention. Joseph's breathing hitched as his mind put the voice to a face he had gone from loathing to wishing to see in that very moment.

"D--Did you hear that?" he asked, not breaking his gaze from the opening in the wall. "It was Caesar screaming."

"I did." Joseph could swear he heard Lisa Lisa's voice tremble. "But, it can't be."

Joseph found no one pulling him back when he took off for a third time, running straight for the opening. If Lisa Lisa called for him, he did not hear. He was too occupied with getting inside as fast as he possibly could. He leapt forward into the darkness, only one thing on his mind.

"CAESAR!"

III.

“You and your life are done for. Stop it, Caesar.”

No. I won’t. I refuse.

Another lame hit connected to the demigod’s chest, barely the strength of that of an insect. Caesar positioned himself to swing again and shifted his weight. He shifted too hard, unaware of how slick the stone steps had gotten under his feet. His foot slid out from under him and he found himself falling back. Slipping on his own blood—how pathetic.

But I almost had him—how did I fail? What went wrong? What did I do?

Everything had been going so well. Despite Caesar and Messina being caught by surprised and the elder man being put out of commission early, Caesar had quickly discovered Whamuu’s tricks and exposed him. He had chased him back into the building and had made a gaping hole to let the sunlight in during that process. He had everything planned out perfectly: corner Whamuu so he’d have no where to run and get him with every last drop of Hamon Caesar could muster. He charged in after him, determined to not let the demigod heal up even one centimeter of his scorched skin. He found himself not afraid, but excited. He was confident. He would avenge his father, and his grandfather. He’d personally smash that mask and the stone with it.

He found himself smiling when he came upon Whamuu waiting on the stairs, just out of the sunlight’s reach. Caesar would fix that. The room quickly filled with his signature bubbles and split the rays into separate rays of color. It seemed to good be true. All Caesar had to do was wait for all the bubbles to float into the right place to focus the light into one solid ray, right at Whamuu. A chuckle escaped Caesar—he was going to win.

He couldn’t help himself and stood there, taking in the excitement and beauty of the lights shining down onto Whamuu, how they seared his skin and how he began to crack and break apart. Just a few more moments and he’d be nothing but ash. Caesar found that he had relaxed. There was no way this could go wrong. He was quickly proven wrong as he watched Whamuu shift his stance, suddenly no longer bothered by the sunlight piercing into him. Caesar cursed and darted forward, already charging his fists with Hamon.

“No you don’t!” he growled as he hurried up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. He wasn’t going to let the other pull some trick at the last second. He wouldn’t allow it. Caesar leaped, fists sparking with Hamon as he got ready to throw punches. He came straight at Whamuu—it would be a perfect hit to his skull. He knew due to how his shadow was cast onto the other.

His shadow.

The sunlight.

That was his mistake. That  is where he failed. Whamuu only needed a split second of relief from the sunlight to regain his composure and begin his ultimate attack—his Divine Sandstorm. Unlike Joseph, Caesar had no where to turn to, no where to avoid the attack. He was heading straight for the center of it, and there was no calm at the eye of the storm.

Caesar cursed himself. He had been too confident, too cocky, too arrogant. Dammit, he had been acting just like Joseph. Joseph wouldn’t have been this stupid, though. He wouldn’t have blocked the sunlight and purposely put himself right in front of Whamuu, a sitting duck just asking to be torn into shreds. Joseph would’ve had a back up plan. Joseph was cocky and stupid and arrogant but he was smart enough to have a back up plan in case he happened to fuck up like this. No, he never would’ve fucked up this bad.

An explosion reached his ears, seeming to tear apart his ears and his sense of hearing was gone. He was launched off his feet, unable to take a breath. He collided with the concrete floor. Despite his hearing was still gone, felt something crack—no, various things cracked. His hearing began to return, first taking note of someone gasping for breath. Caesar soon realized it was himself, struggling to fill his lungs despite cracked and broken ribs. He found himself sitting up anyway, though he found himself from being seated to being on his feet. He could hear something leaking, right beside his ears. He looked at himself, trying to focus his eyesight in the low light. He took note of how his baby blue gloves were now a vivid purple—his whole pale outfit was now a dark shade of maroon. Where did all this come from? He had been cold a few moments before, but he had ignored the chill of the winter wind. Now he was warm—hot, even. It was suffocating him and making harder to breathe. He couldn’t figure out what this thick liquid was, wrapping around him and weighing him down. He couldn’t focus on that. He could still take on Whamuu, he could still fight.

Another flash and he found himself before Whamuu, putting all he strength behind the punches. Each hit that harmlessly connected with the other’s chest frustrated him. He pushed himself to keep trying to land a blow, but something inside him gave and he found himself spitting up globs of maroon, chocking on it.

“You’ll bleed out in a manner of minutes. Your breathing is so ragged that you cannot even produce Hamon.”

No.

Caesar swung again.

“You and your life are done for. Stop it, Caesar.”

Caesar steadied himself, catching himself before he connected with the concrete floor for a second time. He couldn’t just die like this. He had to do something. He had to be sure he didn’t just fuck up humanities chances at defeating these horrible, inhumane beasts. He could feel his body start to break down. He could feel his fingers go numb, as well as his legs. His head was aching and his hearing was starting to go again. He had to do something. He had to.

He charged towards Whamuu again, determined to get at him. He watched as Whamuu turned around, expression of surprise across his face to see the young man still coming at him. He saw Whamuu tense, no doubt expecting another attempt at an attack. Instead, Caesar reached for the ring around the Aztec’s lip.

He pulled with all his strength.

The demigod tensed, his initial reaction being to pull away from the other.

A small smile played at Caesar’s mouth as he took enjoyment from the metal ripped through the other’s lip. Caesar allowed himself to tumble back, but he did not feel himself collide with the stairs and slide back down to the floor. The feeling in his body was all but gone.

“My ring… with the antidote. But why?” he asked, furrowing his brow. The human could’ve killed him in one strike. Why waste that opportunity to obtain something that didn’t even concern him?

Of course something like this wouldn’t make any sense to an inhumane, monstrous bastard like you, Caesar thought to himself, unaware of how he was repeating his thoughts out loud.

“… It’s tradition. I can’t just let my life’s flame sputter out,” he muttered, looping the ring through his tessellated headband. He wheezed, weak sparks emitting from his clenched fist. They ran about the ribbon, circling the ring. “This is the last of my Hamon. Jojo… Take it from me!”

Chapter Text

IV.

“C A E S A R!"

Joseph sprinted, leaping into the opening without a second thought. Before his feet even hit the concrete floor his eyes had already focused on a sight he had not wanted to see. Caesar sat on the floor a few yards in front of him, slumped over and unmoving. Blood soaked into every fiber of Caesar's clothes, every strand of his hair--he was soaked it in it. Joseph's heart dropped. It couldn't have come from anywhere else but from himself.

Joseph hit the ground running, entirely focused on getting to Caesar. His focus was broken to the noise of heavy stone cracking and his attention was drawn away from Caesar to the roof above them. Cracks spider-webbed outwards and chunks had already begun to fall. A cross-shaped section of the stone roof was outlined by the cracks and it began to slip out, aiming to land right on Caesar.

No.

Joseph pushed himself to run faster. He had to get to Caesar and move him out of the way. If he was fast enough, he could pick him up and dive. The slab above had fully slid out of the roofing and now made its descent towards Caesar. Joseph cursed himself. There was no way he was going to be fast enough. He couldn't give up, however. He had to try everything he possibly could. He wasn't going to let Caesar go so easily.

Joseph continued to run straight at Caesar, steadying his breathing at the same time. He could feel the Hamon ripple through his arms and collect at his hands. He knew he could smash stone with Hamon, as long as he concentrated enough of it. He fell to his knees, sliding the last few feet to get to Caesar, pants now slick with the gore that pooled around his companion. With one arm, he reached for Caesar, wrapping it around his shoulders and pulling him close. With his other, he inhaled sharply and lifted his clenched into the air, punching at the air above him with all the strength he could muster. His knuckles connected and he felt the rock crack, but not shatter. He needed more Hamon, more power, before it crushed them both.

"I won't let you die so easily, you bastard!" Joseph yelled, pulling Caesar even closer and pushing into his punch. He could feel his hand begin to go numb due to how much Hamon he was producing, but he continued to concentrate it. Soon, his left hand was nothing but white noise, and a white light emanated from his palm and forced Joseph to look away. He buried his face into Caesar's hair as he let out one final, built up burst of Hamon. He felt relief against his hand along with a crack, like thunder. Lighting seemed to strike and the stone cross shattered and was strewn across the large room, not a single piece coming anywhere near the two boys.

Joseph let out a wheeze, slumping against Caesar. His hand was still numb and it \ twitched as sparks of Hamon jumped about. He clung to Caesar, thankful that his risky stunt had worked. He relaxed even more when found Caesar wheezing ever so slightly.

He was alive.

"Jojo, what were you thinking?"

He did not look up, preoccupied with checking over Caesar and the injuries across his body.

"What if the Pillar Men were still--" Lisa Lisa stopped herself, finally noting Joseph holding the bloody and mangled Caesar. She ran over, coming to kneel besides them.

"He's still alive," Joseph said, answering her question before she could ask it. "But he's losing a lot of blood. We have to stop it. S--Somehow."

"He needs Hamon."

"He's barely breathing!"

"We have to give him some of ours, like you did with Messina and Suzie. Just be gentle, don't overload him. He's too weak to handle large bursts."

Joseph nodded, managing to regain some feeling in his hand and allowed himself to refill it with Hamon, watching the sparks jump about. He was nervous--what if he overdid? He could either save him or kill him. He went pale. He didn't want to think about that.

He watched as Lisa Lisa ran her hands over Caesar's right arm, allowing the sparks to jump from her palms to him. The sparks disappeared in the soaked fabric, the blood regained its color for a moment before it dried, becoming nothing but a crust on Caesar's sleeve--the bleeding had stopped.

Joseph followed suit, running his infused hand across Caesar's cheek. He watched as the cuts and scraped closed up, leaving only dried blood in its place. He ran his fingers across Caesar's black eye--it went from a vivid purple to a dull green. He continued to gently caress Caesar, running a hand through his hair and getting all the wounds hidden under his shag of blond. He frowned. It was working, yes--he could swear Caesar was breathing more evenly now. Why did he feel like something was off, then? He ran his hand through Caesar's hair one more, prompting a wheeze from the other. His fingers brushed past the now-red feather clips in his hair as he brushed the hair back from Caesar's forehead. A thought came to him--no wonder Caesar wore his headband. Imagine having all that hair in his face all the time. It must be such a pain, Joseph thought.

His headband.

Where was his ribbon?

"Jojo, look."

Joseph looked up, following Lisa Lisa's gaze. He blinked, swearing he had to be seeing things. A red bubble floated towards them, reflecting the light that filtered in through the new hole in the ceiling. Joseph stared as it floated right to him. He reached out, an instinct. His fingers grazed it and a flurry of sparks shot out, running right up his arm. Joseph tensed--it was Hamon. It was familiar to him. He remembered Loggs has mentioned something about how well-trained Hamon users could identify other users simply by their Hamon. Every manifestation of it was unique, and the closer you were to another user, the easier it was to tell theirs apart from others.

The bubble burst, a mist of red sparkling in the sunlight. Joseph stared as he realized the bubble had been housing something inside it--Caesar's ribbon. It fell into Joseph's empty palm, faintly emanating Hamon. Joseph stared at it, realizing a small, golden ring was strung onto it.

Whamuu's lip ring.

"Jojo, what is it?" Lisa Lisa asked, watching him. "It was a bubble made of blood... "

"The Hamon in it told me everything," Joseph mumbled, gaze drifting from ring and ribbon to Caesar. "He could've used that Hamon to kill Whamuu... but he used it to make sure I could survive these damn wedding rings... " Joseph clenched the ribbon in his fist and pressed his face to Caesar's hair. "You idiot," he murmured, hugging Caesar once more.

"He's going to be okay for a few more hours, but he'll have to see a doctor as soon as possible," Lisa Lisa spoke, getting Joseph's attention. "Our Hamon stopped the bleeding but it can't do anything for any internal damage he might have suffered."

Joseph nodded. He understood.

"It's still daylight outside. Kars and Whamuu have to still be in the building. If we hurry, we can finally end this."

Joseph did not want to leave Caesar alone. Although he was no longer bleeding, there was no way Caesar would be able to defend himself if the battle came back to this room. He stood, picking Caesar up as well. He carried him over some of the cracked slabs that lay on the ground, laying him down in the small crevice they created. He was hidden from sight, unless you were really looking for him. The way the light filtered in through the roof and through the hole made it so if the Pillar Men did try to attack, they'd have to find a different way to get at him, giving Joseph and Lisa Lisa time to come to his aide if needed. Joseph tugged the ring off the ribbon and slipped it onto his finger. He returned the ribbon to its rightful place, wrapping it around Caesar's forehead. He gently tightened it, adjusting it to keep the hair out of his face. Joseph's fingers lingered on Caesar's cheek: he still looked like shit, but his wheezing was as even as it could possibly be. He would be alright.

"Jojo."

Joseph stood, turning to find Lisa Lisa was already making her way up the staircase. He walked away from Caesar, following after her.

V.

Take it from me.

Please.

Jojo.

Soft voices reached the young man, conversing in a tongue he couldn't quite grasp. He struggled to open his eyes and when he finally did everything was skewed into blurs of color. He let out a soft wheeze, aches beginning to creep from his chest and out into the rest of his body. 

"Signore Zeppeli?"

Caesar blinked, eyesight slowly adjusting. The voice came again and he turned his head. The slightest movement of his neck sent an ache rushing down his spine. Caesar whined, shutting his eyes once again.

"Please don't push yourself, Signore Zeppeli. You may be awake but you're still very weak."

Their Italian was fluent, but Caesar couldn't recognize the accent as being a native one from said country. So, he wasn't back in Venice. Where was he then? He couldn't remember. His memory only drew blanks. The last thing he remembered clearly was his final exam, back on Air Supplena Island.

"You're in the local hospital," the voice continued. They stepped into Caesar's line of sight, allowing him to finally put a face to the voice. Their clothing told him that they were a doctor; made sense, if this really was a hospital. The patch on their white coat caught Caesar's attention. An emblem simply stating SPW. He felt a pang of remembrance. He had seen that emblem before, but from where? Damn him and his failing memory. He had to have been in quite some accident to be forgetting so much.

"You lost a lot of blood and you suffered quite a lot of damage to your extremities and along with your organs. We were unsure if you would make it, but it seems luck is on your side and we managed to stitch you back together."

Stitch him back together? Another memory came to him--searing pain across his body, like hot irons tearing at his skin. Large cuts dug into his clothes and skin as he was knocked off his feet. He remembered not hearing anything besides rushing wind as if he was in the middle of a storm, being pelted by everything that could be thrown at him. He remembered thinking to himself that it couldn't be over like that. He had to do one last thing. He had to--

"J--Jojo," Caesar croaked, chest aching as he took in a breath.

"Calm down, Signore Zeppeli," the doctor repeated. "Remember not to strain yourself. You could very possibly pull your stitches loose."

"Jo--Joseph," Caesar wheezed, attempting to ignore the pain.

"Signore Joestar is alright."

Caesar let out another wheeze and released the tension from his body. Joseph was okay. He was alive.

Did that mean he was in the hospital as well?

"They have gone on to continue the mission you came here to complete in the first place," the doctor said, practically reading his mind. "I'm with the Speedwagon Foundation. I'm aware that the Pillar Men are in the area and that's why you all arrived here."

Caesar nodded slowly, the final rush of memories coming back to him.

The Hamon bubble, fighting Whammuu, Coach Messina, arguing with Joseph.

Caesar frowned. Did Joseph follow him, despite their argument? Caesar's memory went out right after he made a bubble out of his own blood, containing the antidote for the other. He swore he could vaguely remember being held. Someone warm had pulled him close and a soft voice spoke to him. However, his mind could have just been filling in the gaps.

Or perhaps he was just so close to death he had been hearing angels.

"You're going to be transported back to Venice this evening. An acquaintance of yours, a young lady named Suzie, will be there to help make sure you recover."

Caesar furrowed his brow. He prepared to protest--he couldn't be sent home! He couldn't let Joseph fight those monsters on his own! He had to be there! He had promised him!

"I know you feel like you must be there to fight," the doctor said, sensing Caesar's disappointment. "But, pardon me, in your state there isn't much you can do to help. Signore Joestar himself was the one who requested you to be transported. He wishes for you to recover in peace."

Caesar exhaled. Damn it, Joseph. Worrying about such trivial things such as how peaceful Caesar was while he recovered. It was so typical of him to think of stuff like this while they were about to take down the enemy once and for all. Despite that, Caesar did feel a twinge of butterflies in his aching chest--Joseph had come to see him and he had made sure Caesar was okay.

The butterflies disappeared and another thought hit Caesar; he couldn't do the same. If Joseph got hurt he couldn't run to his aide. He can't get him to a doctor and make sure he's peaceful. His chest tightened up and Caesar huffed. He silently cursed himself.

"I'll come back when it's time to go," the doctor spoke a final time. "I suggest you continue to rest. Ciao, Signore Zeppeli."

With that, Caesar was alone.

His body cried out for rest, every bit of him aching. Caesar knew he needed to sleep, but he did not want to. Lisa Lisa was one hundred percent capable of defeating pillar man. Joseph, however--how did he beat Esidisi? Not even Caesar was able stop one of them.

His body overcame his mind and his eyelids grew heavy despite his racing mind. Caesar found himself falling into unconsciousness but he still held onto one thought as he drifted away.

Per favore ritorna, Jojo.

VI.

“What do you mean you'll try your best?!"

"Mister Joestar, please, calm down. Your companion has suffered very serious injuries and we can't ignore that it is a very probable thing that he might not be able to recover."

Joseph gritted his teeth and stared down the Speedwagon Foundation doctor. He wanted to yell, call them out on their bullshit--he had stopped the bleeding, they gave him some more Hamon, what could they have possibly missed? Why couldn't they just let Caesar sleep for a few days and let the Hamon do its work?

Why were they telling him it could possibly be all for nothing?

"There's internal damage that has gone unnoticed for quite some time," the doctor continued. "If you had brought him even just a few minutes later, then I would have to tell you certainly that he would not make it. But that is not the case. There may be a chance it's too much for his body, but there's also a chance he pulls through and will survive.

Joseph's breathing hitched in his throat. He could survive. It wasn't certain, but he could. He cursed under his breath. That was as good of a chance as Caesar was going to get. He mumbled a "thank you" to the doctor and shuffled away. He stared at the ground, making his way through the various corridors of the hospital and found himself outside before a payphone. He dug through his pockets digging out various coins. He didn't bother counting out the exact change, putting all of it into the slot. He dialed in a number he had memorized, for instances such as this one. The line finally stopped ringing and a voice began to speak, but he cut them off.

"The Joestars, please."

"Okay, sir."

The line went back to ringing. Joseph found he had been chewing the inside of his cheek and tasted blood.

"Hello?"

On any other occasion, Joseph would've been relieved and content to hear this voice. He would've answered right away and asked about how his grandmother and Smokey were doing. Instead, he could not find his voice.

"Who's there?"

No answer.

"... Jojo?"

"... Yes."

"Jojo! Thank god, they told me you were in Switzerland following after the Pillar Men! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"Joseph." Such blunt and curt answers weren't normal for Joseph. It was clear something was wrong.

"Joseph, is Lisa Lisa okay? Is Caesar okay?"

"Uncle Speed--" Joseph's voice broke and he cut himself off with a sob. He was tired of trying to steel himself and trying to stay strong. He was tired and he was afraid. He let himself go and allowed himself to cry into the receiver, whole body shaking as he let his body slide to the ground, sitting them and curling into himself.

Four thousand miles away, Speedwagon felt his blood run cold. He knew his nephew well. Even as a child, Joseph never cried. He was always fighting his way out of problems. He couldn't even recall the last time Joseph had shed a tear or two, much less be sobbing like this. Something was terribly wrong.

"Jojo, it's okay," he cooed into the phone, a lame attempt at trying to calm the other down. "It's okay. What's wrong, what happened?"

"They--They're not okay," Joseph cried, wiping at his eyes. "Lisa Lisa, th--they have her, and Caesar--Caesar--" Another sob.

"It's going to be okay, Jojo," Speedwagon hushed, feeling his heart drop with each cry that came through. "You're all going to be okay."

He found himself regretting that. Jonathan had told him it was going to be okay, the day before he got on that ship. They thought it was all okay when Elizabeth and George got married. With the luck the Joestar's had, how could he tell Joseph it would be okay?

He spent much of their conversation speaking soft words of encouragement and comfort to Joseph, letting him know that they were all going to be okay. That he believed and trusted him. His grandmother and brother also felt the same. It took some time before Joseph was calm enough to explain that Lisa Lisa was with the Pillar Men, and Caesar was in the hospital. Joseph left out the bit where there was a possibility of Caesar not surviving.

“Uncle Speed, can you do me a favor?”

“Of course, Jojo. Anything.”

“Can you get Caesar back home?”

“Home? Back to Venice?”

“Yes. I know it’s stupid but I feel like he’ll be safe there. He’ll be able to rest without those damn Pillar Men coming after him. Also, Suzie is there. She can look after him and make sure he’s doing alright.”

“Alright. I’ll get him back to Venice as soon as possible. I promise you.”

“Thank you… “ The phone beeped at him, signaling he only had a minute left. Joseph sighed. “Let Granny Erina and Smokey know that… we’re alright. That I love and miss ‘em. And… I’ll try to get home as soon as possible.”

“Please be careful, Joseph,” Speedwagon said, clearly upset at the fact Joseph would have to hang up soon. “Please don’t do anything too brash.”

“I’ll... try.”

Speedwagon swore he could hear a smile in his voice. “Jojo, I’m going to die of a heart attack because of you,” he said, laughing softly.

“Hey now, I know you still have a few more years in you.”

“Perhaps, but you leech them away.”

Joseph laughed. Speedwagon smiled.

“Hey, Uncle Speeds?”

“Yes, Jojo?”

“I lo—“

The line went dead, nothing but silence on the other side. Speedwagon cursed, gripping the receiver in his hand. Just ten more seconds, that’s all he wanted.

“Robert, is everything okay?”

Speedwagon put the phone down, turning to face the woman that stood in the doorway. “Oh, Erina. It was Jojo.”

“Really? Is he alright?”

“He.. says he’s doing well. That he’ll be home before you know it.”

“That’s good. I hope it’s soon.”

The pair fell quiet, Erina calmly staring down the other before she turned and left the room. Speedwagon sighed—she knew he was lying. She had a knack for that. She knew when Jonathan was upset or worried about something, and now she was doing the same with him. Still, he couldn’t really blame her for being suspicious. Did they really expect her to believe that Joseph had gone off to Italy just because he could?

He couldn’t worry about that. He had to make sure Caesar was on his way home. Speedwagon paused, thinking to himself. Sure, Joseph had said he was in the hospital, but he had neglected to mention if Caesar was well, if his injuries were serious. Speedwagon could only think of the worst. What if Joseph was lying? What if Caesar wasn’t okay?

I’m sorry, William.

Speedwagon cursed again, softly under his breath. He could just stand around and mope. He would make sure Caesar was on his way back to Venice. He would make sure Joseph was truly okay, as well as Elizabeth. He was barely there for William, and he wasn’t there at all for Jonathan or George.

God damn him if he was just going to stand back and not go be with Joseph.

He was tired of being afraid.

He was going to be there whether Joseph wanted him to be or not.

Chapter Text

“Really, Jojo? Tired already?"

"Shut up! It’s not my fault my teacher hates me!"

Caesar scowled and rolled his eyes. "He's pushing you because we have ten days left and you still have a lot to learn!"

"I have ten days, you have weeks--months, even!" Joseph corrected, voice hissing through the regulator around his mouth. 

"We're both going to go fight them," Caesar said, ignoring Joseph's tone. "We both have to be ready for that!"

"I'm going to go fight them."

"Why do you keep doing that?"

"Because it's the truth."

"No it's not, Jojo. I'm going too!"

"You didn't make some half-assed deal with them!"

"So? I'm still going to be there to fight them alongside you!"

"You don't have fucking poisonous rings stuck in your throat that are going to kill you in ten fucking days!"

Caesar raised his hands in surrender, taken aback by how Joseph's voice raised to screams. "I know that, but what does that have to do with me fighting with you or not?"

"Just--Shut up!" 

"Jojo--"

"Stai zitto!" [1]

Caesar fell silent, again caught off guard. Being told to shut up in his native tongue hit harder than being told in English. He clenched his jaw, watching Joseph storm out of the courtyard and into the small manor. Joseph slammed the door shut behind him, sparks of Hamon bouncing along the metal handle when it slammed back into its frame.

It was silent, only the waves crashing up against the stone walls that encircled the small island made any subtle noise. Caesar had long learned to tune it out after four years of residing on the island. He understood that Joseph was stressed and upset--he was, too. The two of them were being pushed to their limits to ensure they would be able to take on the Pillar Men. Joseph had been a bit more short-tempered and snarky than before when they first began training, but this outburst of rage wasn't his usual attitude and snide remarks.

Joseph was upset--very, very upset. It wasn't snark, it was pure anger and frustration. Caesar had pried at something Joseph had been trying to bury and ended up triggering Joseph into exploding. It wasn't like him at all to be this furious. Sure, Joseph would get mad over something or other, but he'd be fine after a few comments and jabs at those around him and be back to making stupid jokes with that big dumb grin on his face.

Caesar continued to train on his own and thoughts momentarily drifted away from Joseph. He figured that he'd soon get over this, and would be back to apologize along with make some comment about how it was Caesar's fault. He just needed some alone time to cool down. Besides, Caesar wasn't going to let a silly outburst disrupt him from training.

The sun set low into the ocean and dark clouds began to roll in. He was aware that a storm was coming but it had arrived faster than expected. His Hamon bubbles couldn't be pushed around by any breeze, but the storm's winds were making it difficult for Caesar to focus on them. He sighed, dispersing his Hamon and allowing the bubbles to be blown away. Perhaps it was a way of telling him that it was time for him to rest.

He turned, facing the small manor. His eyes drifted up to the third story and stopped at a dark window. Joseph still hadn't returned. Caesar chewed on his lip. It wouldn't hurt to go check on him, he decided, and made his way inside, feeling light drops of rain land in his hair. He shut the door behind him, shivering. It was even colder inside the manor than it was outside in the rain. Something about how cold helped with the creation of Hamon, Lisa Lisa had told him once.

He made his way up the stairs, teeth chattering by the time he reached the proper floor. He frowned and noted how dim and dark it was. He knew their teachers rested on a different area of the island, and Lisa Lisa's room was one more floor above. He would've figured Suzie would've at least lit some of the candles if there was something going on with the electricity. He shuffled down the hallway and passed his room, only stopping when he reached Joseph's.

"Caesar."

He looked up, meeting the gaze of a young lady.

"Oh, Suzie. Ciao."

"Is everything... alright?" she asked, frowning at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Is everything alright with you and Jojo? Or, I guess, is Jojo alright?"

"Did something happen?"

"I tried to talk to him but he just ignored me and he slammed the door when he went into his room... I swore I heard him throwing things around in there... "

Caesar's face fell. How did he not notice just how upset Joseph was? To ignore Suzie was completely out of line for him, as well as throwing things about. Something was terribly wrong.

"I'm checking on him," Caesar assured her. "I'll make sure he's okay."

"Grazie, Caesar."

"Di niente."[2]

"But... be careful. I don't want you two getting into another fist fight!"

"No promises."

Suzie rolled her eyes before hurrying off down the hallway. Caesar watched her go, waiting until she was out of sight to go turn his attention back to Joseph.

"Jojo?" he called, knocking softly. Something smashed against door and Caesar jumped back. The door was momentarily infused with Hamon, a few sparks nipping at Caesar's fingers. If he had stayed put, it would've done more than just singe his skin.

"Fuck off!"

Caesar scowled. "Jojo, stop being a child!"

Another item crashed against the door, more sparks of Hamon seeping through to the other side and weakly bouncing off in an attempt to reach Caesar.

"Jojo, fucking stop!"

"Go away!"

Caesar huffed. If Joseph wouldn't let him in, then he'd just do it himself. He prepared himself, infusing Hamon into his fists, just in case Joseph attempted to attack him. With one swift kick, the door swung open, smacking against the wall. Caesar jumped out of the way, awaiting some other random object to be hurled through the open doorway.

Nothing came.

He approached warily, ready to smack away anything that came flying at him. He peeked inside, taking note of the state of the small bedroom. It looked like the storm outside had somehow made its way in there. Shards of glass were scattered across the floor from the various things Joseph had thrown about, as well as splints of wood from the shattered remains of what used to be a chair. The walls were cracked and fist-sized holes were embedded into them, making trails that circled around the room. Only one corner seemed unharmed, where the bed was. It still was pressed up against the wall and the small bedside table, covers a mess atop the mattress. Joseph was no where to be seen.

Caesar entered, still on guard. He slowly surveyed the room and searched for any signs of the young man still being in the room. He approached the bed, intrigued as to why it was left intact when the rest of the room was in shambles. He made his way around the foot of the bed, heading the open space between the bed and the wall, due to the bedside table being in the way. He stopped, finding Joseph just lying there, curled up on his side with his face tucked into his knees. He was trembling slightly but made no indication that he knew Caesar was there, standing over him.

"Jojo," Caesar whispered, getting down on one knee to better inspect him. There was no response.

"Joseph." He reached and gently placed his hand on the other's shoulder. He felt Joseph tense under him and watched him twist around. He saw the punch he threw, blind and wild, but Caesar easily stopped it by simply raising his forearm to block.

"G--Go away." Joseph’s voice quavered and broke, though he was clearly still trying to keep up his cold front. 

Caesar only stared. Now with Joseph turned around and looking back up at him, he could see his face.  His eyes were red and his cheeks were wet, but he glared at the older boy nonetheless. He couldn't recall a single time Joseph had cried. Caesar hadn't seen him cry before this point. He always figured Joseph was one of those people who didn't cry simply because he had other ways to cope with his feelings, through his remarks and such. Seeing him in a state like this was so different to Caesar.

"Go--Go away," Joseph repeated, struggling to keep his voice in check. He attempted to swing again but his fist harmlessly thumped against Caesar's arm. Tears had started well up in his eyes again and the fact he couldn't land a decent hit in was frustrating him further. He pulled away and curled back up, shielding his face from view. 

He didn't want Caesar to see him like this. No one supposed to see him like this. No one was supposed to know. Not even Erina or Speedwagon knew. Now he had to mess it all up after a lifetime of hiding it.

He was expecting Caesar to call him pathetic for throwing a tantrum and crying like some child. He was expecting him to lecture him on how there was no way in hell he'd ever survive if he was acting like this. He wasn't expecting Caesar to pull him up into a seated position and then into his arms. He wasn't expecting Caesar to hold him and hug him tightly, not saying a word as he pulled Joseph in his lap and let the younger press against him.

Joseph was still trembling, prompting Caesar to hug him even tighter. He buried his face in Joseph's hair, one hand rubbing at his back. "Sono qui,"[3] he mumbled into his brown locks. "Va bene." [4]

He pulled away and cupped his Joseph's cheek with his hand, wiping away some tears with his thumb. He tilted Joseph's head so they would be facing each other, but Joseph's eyes darted away. He reached behind Joseph's head, undoing the lock of the breathing regulator on his face. It clicked and it fell to the ground, leaving Joseph free to move his jaw and breathe.

"Talk to me, Jojo... What's wrong... ?"

Everything.

"Scared" was the only thing Joseph could say, voice cracking as he forced it out.

"Of what... ?"

"You... you have a chance... you can stop them. You've been training a lot longer than me and you can keep training even after the ten days... I--I can't... I either win or... I--I die." Joseph voice was cut off by a sob that he couldn't hold back. He curled up smaller, ashamed.

"Hey, va bene," Caesar cooed, tilting Joseph's head back up. "It's okay to cry, Jojo."

That was all he needed to finally breakdown. Another sob escaped him and he buried his face in Caesar's shoulder, crying and sobbing into the fabric.

"I--I don't want to die! I'm--not strong e--enough and I can't beat them, I can't protect you or--or Granny or Speed or Smokey or an--anyone! I'm going to die and I'm--I'm scared! I'm scared and I don’t want to die!"

He sobbed into Caesar's shoulder, each breath racking his whole body as he let everyone pent up emotion of the past month spill out. Anger, anguish, sorrow, fear--all mixed together and left him in this sniveling, crying heap in Caesar's lap.

How could anyone like him defeat an Aztec Demigod?

A month earlier, Caesar wouldn't have guessed he's find himself here, silently holding onto the sobbing mess that was Joseph Joestar. He wouldn't have guessed he would resort to quietly speaking to him in Italian, petting his hair and rubbing his back, much like one would do to comfort a child. Then again, Joseph was a child. Not just in his personality and how he made everything into a joke, no matter the severity of it. Joseph wasn't even nineteen. He was eighteen, barely an adult. He was still so young. No one else would've been able to live through countless near-death experiences and continue on with the prospect of their deaths and hide it as well as he did. Yes, Joseph was strong and could keep his emotions in check and focus on what was important, but he was still a kid and he was tired and frustrated and afraid. Afraid of losing his family, of losing his friends, of losing against the Pillar Men, of losing his life, of letting all of humanity down.

Joseph Joestar was eighteen years old and was preparing to fight for his life and for all of humankind in ten days time.

"Jojo, when I say we both only have ten days time, it's because I mean it," Caesar spoke, continuing to pet and hug Joseph. "You're my best friend and I'm not letting you fight this all on your own. I'm not going to let those monsters take you away from me. I swear to you we're going to get those antidotes and you're going to be okay."

Joseph sniffled, nodding his head. His cries had calmed down to sniffles and an occasional sob crept out from his throat. He became aware of how tired he was, how his body ached for sleep. Caesar's voice was so soft and sweet, and he was so warm. Joseph's eyelids closed and he exhaled against Caesar's shoulder. He settled against him as unconsciousness came over him

Caesar took note of how Joseph suddenly went quiet. He examined him and relaxed to have found him fast asleep. Caesar wiped away the remaining tears, taking in the details of Joseph's face.

He leaned forward, planting a soft kiss to the corner of Joseph's mouth. He did not stir. He then pressed his forehead against Joseph's and exhaled a soft sigh.

Vi prometto, si tornerà a casa. Giuro sul mio amore per te, Jojo.[5]

Chapter Text

VII.

“Go away."

"Come on!"

"I'm tired."

"You've been asleep all day!"

"And I want to keep sleeping."

"Caesar!"

The boy exhaled a huff, turning away. "Why can't you just do it later? When you don't have to wake me?"

"Well, excuse me for trying to make sure you don't get some deadly infection!" Suzie snapped, scowling at him. "Would you rather I just have you do it yourself?"

"I bet I can," Caesar said, still refusing to look at her. "I'm not completely bedridden."

"You can barely sit up. You can't even feed yourself."

"Stai zitta," Caesar grumbled.

"At least let me clean up your face."

Caesar sighed, finally turning to face Suzie as she sat down beside him, a small bowl of water and a rag in her hands.

"Grazie," she said, grinning. He stuck his tongue out at her. "Molto maturo."[1]

Caesar continued to scowl as Suzie reached around the back of his head, undoing the bandages that were wrapped around the side of his face. Caesar tensed, flinching when the fabric bandaged pulled at his skin. Despite Suzie's best efforts to be as gentle as possible, the dried blood underneath made it hard to pull away the bandages without tugging at the sensitive flesh. She finally removed the last loop, exposing Caesar's face to the air. A soft breeze nipped at the exposed skin, but it was welcoming to feel something that wasn't the wet heat from the bandages. Caesar blinked open his eye, squinting in the light. He couldn't see perfectly, but he could make out shapes and colors in the right half of vision. He could tell it was better than the day before.

He watched as the shape at the edge of his bed moved about, tossing away what he could only guess were the old bandages. She wet the small cloth and then turned back to Caesar, using her free hand to keep his head steady. She gently wiped at the scarring tissue, carefully removing gunk from around his eye. Caesar flinched, the cool water stinging at his injury. He whined and fidgeted, prompting Suzie to tighten her grip on his chin.

"Dio mio[2], you're such a baby," she scowled, continuing to clean him up.

"It really hurts."

"And you need to stop being a child."

Caesar scoffed.

She rewet the rag, the clear water now a shade of pale pink. She continued to clean his face, setting aside both the bowl and rag when she was satisfied. "It's such a shame," she commented as she retrieved a fresh roll of bandages.

"What's such a shame?"

"They said you're lucky you're keeping your eye--that your vision should come back soon."

Caesar furrowed his brow. "How is that a shame?"

"You may be regaining your eyesight but you're not going to be regaining your handsome face," Suzie teased, giggling as she rewrapped Caesar's face.

"I'm still handsome!"

"Not with this big ol' scar, you aren't!"

"I bet Joseph would agree with me."

Suzie's smile fell and she did not respond. She continued to quietly wrap the bandages around Caesar's head.

"... have they told you anything?" Caesar asked, breaking the silence. The foundation was refusing to tell him anything about the others back in Switzerland. Sure, it had only been a little over twenty-four hours since Caesar arrived back in Venice, but they had to know something about Joseph and Lisa Lisa. If this was something else Joseph had asked them to do, to keep quiet and not tell Caesar anything, he was going to kick his ass as soon as he saw him. Surely they had to be telling Suzie.

"Mi dispiace[3], Caesar," Suzie mumbled, fastening the bandages into place. "They haven't told me anything."

"Dio dannato," [4]Caesar hissed.

"Caesar! Don't be like that!" She waited for an apology but none came. She sighed. "I'm sure they're all fine. Jojo will be right back here in no time to tell you how handsome you look, even with half your face missing."

Caesar chuckled--the first genuine one in quite some time. He could picture Joseph, rushing in there to see him, immediately worrying about the stitches and bandages that crisscrossed across Caesar's body. Caesar would tell him that he was fine, to take a look. He'd take off the bandages around his face just to freak Joseph out with the raw flesh underneath. Joseph would scream at him to but the bandages back, that skin wasn't supposed to ever look like that. He'd question him about his eye, if he could still see. Caesar would give him a grin and state "yes, I can still see your ugly mug".

"Mi scusi."[5]

The pair looked up, noting a man standing in the doorway. Caesar found himself holding onto Suzie's hand when he noticed their uniform--SPW. No doubt he was here to deliver some news about Jojo and the others.

"We've received news from Signore Speedwagon concerning the Pillar Men."

Caesar frowned. Signore Speedwagon was with them? He couldn't decide if that was good or bad news.

"They've all been defeated. The Pillar Men are no more."

Caesar and Suzie relaxed, sharing a smile. Joseph and Lisa Lisa had done it. It was over.

"However, Signora Lisa Lisa suffered extensive injuries from Kars. They say she is going to be fine, however. She'll just have to rest, much like you, Signore Zeppeli."

That was reassuring. He never doubted his coach, but it was still a thought that came across his mind--what if Lisa Lisa couldn't do it? He was glad to be proved wrong. However, it seemed the SPW employee was avoiding a certain topic.

"What about Jojo?" Suzie asked, speaking what was on both their minds. Caesar clenched his jaw, waiting for the answer.

"When Signore Speedwagon arrived, he brought those under German Colonel Rudol von Stroheim for back up. Kars chased after Signore Joestar and Colonel Stroheim went after both of them."

"E' Jojo va bene o no!"[6] Caesar snapped, simply wanting an answer.

"Colonel Stroheim regrouped with the others... without Signore Joestar."

Suzie gripped Caesar's hand and Caesar could feel her trembling. His own blood had run cold and he felt numb. It couldn't be true. It had to be a lie. It had to.

"He said that Signore Joestar died on February 28th, while defeating Kars on Isola di Volgano."

The pair kept quiet, processing the information. Caesar could no longer make out whether if Suzie was the one shaking or if it was him--perhaps it was both of them. He heard a soft cry escape from the girl, her other hand coming up to her mouth in an attempt to stifle herself. Caesar felt bile rise up in his throat and his head began to ache. He had to be sleeping. It had to all be a bad dream. 

He couldn't be gone.

He had promised him that he'd come home.

He can't be gone.

"Le mie scuse."[7]

Suzie pressed against Caesar, soft cries coming from her. Caesar gently hugged her, but his gaze was fixed in the hallway behind the SPW member. He was holding on to some hope that Joseph was going to appear behind him, a dopey grin on his face as he would greet them. He stared, his vision blurring as tears began to well in his eyes. Joseph had to appear. He had promised him he'd make sure he'd come home.

He had promised.

"Fuori dai piedi! E 'in condizioni critiche!"[8]

The SPW employee stepped inside the room, allowing a group of nurses to by. They all pulled a gurney along, rushing to get a patient to an operating room. There wasn't much to see in the brief moments that they passed by. The only thing that stood out was tufts of brown hair, sticking out at awkward spikes atop the patient's head. Caesar blinked the tears out of his eyes as he watched them go by, noting the strange way it seemed to just naturally stick up.

Suzie glanced up when she felt Caesar sit up straight, moving away to give him room. She watched as he swung his legs down, pushing himself up to a standing position. She also rose, steadying him as he began to wobble. Despite clearly being in pain due to putting weight on his recovering limbs, he still manage to hurry out into the hallway, ignoring the SPW member and watching the gurney continue on down the hallway.

There was only one person who would have such ridiculous hair.

He hurried after them, Suzie following closely behind him and steadying him as they made their way. They managed to catch up at the end of the hallway, where they nurses and the gurney had momentarily stopped to assess whether or not the patient was ready for the surgery, waiting outside some double doors. As Suzie and Caesar approached, one of the nurses snapped at them in Italian, telling them to not interfere with their work. Suzie hesitated, but Caesar didn't. He stepped closer, peering over the bodies of the nurses and catching a glimpse of the patients face before he wheeled inside the room.

Time seemed to stop for Caesar as he got a clear look at their face; their square jaw line, their slightly puckered and open lips, their closed eyes, their relaxed brow, the globs of blood that were present in their hairline, turning the brown into an even darker shade. Caesar recognized all of this immediately.

He lunged forward, reaching for the body. A nurse held him back, demanding to know what he was doing. Caesar ignored them and the sudden pain in his side as he continued to reach and push to get to them. He watched as their eyes opened a crack. Even though their stare was glassy, Caesar knew their jade eyes were staring back at him.

Caesar reached, even though he was already disappearing behind the doors.

"JOJO!"

He was pushed back only to be steadied by Suzie. The remaining nurses followed the rest inside, disappearing behind the door and leaving Caesar and Suzie alone. Caesar stumbled to the door, becoming aware of the burning sensation in his side. He leaned against the door, out of breath.

"Caesar!" Suzie cried, watching how blood was beginning to blot through the side of his shirt. "You pulled out your stitches!"

"J--Jojo," Caesar breathed, digging his nails into the door. Suzie clenched her jaw, attempting to steel herself. They both heard what the man said. Caesar must have been seeing things.

"Caesar... " 

"Suzie." 

She stopped, taken aback by how serious Caesar's tone was. Had he been seeing things? Or, perhaps... just maybe...

"That was him. That was Jojo."

"A--Are you sure?"

"Si! Si, I am!" Caesar turned to face Suzie, hand clutching at his bleeding side. Tears streamed down his face, but they weren't of pain or anguish. The grin across his face made it clear they were of relief and happiness. "Jojo is alive!"

Chapter Text

VIII.

Caesar had refused to leave hallway, seating himself beside the doors. Suzie joined him, ignoring the attempts of other doctors and nurses to get them to return to their room. Eventually, Caesar and Suzie stubbornness won and a nurse was sent to stitch Caesar back up right in the hallway. It wasn't too bad--the stitches came loose but did not break. It was a quick fix to simply re-stitch and reinforce them.

The SPW member approached them again, asking if they were sure it was Joseph Joestar who was the one wheeled in there.

"Yes! I'm pretty fucking sure!" Caesar had cried, frustrated and on edge.

"Calmati[1], Signore Zeppeli," he said, raising his hands. "I don't want to inform Signore Speedwagon only to have it be a false alarm--it wouldn't do well for himself or Signora Joestar."

"Look for his birthmark."

"What?"

"Tell the doctors to check his left shoulder, by his neck. If it really is Jojo, then there'll be a stella[2] there."

The SPW member sighed. "Ottimo."[3] He stopped a nurse that was walking by, about to enter the operating room. He informed her of this and she simply nodded before continuing on inside.

"If it's there, then it is him," he continued, speaking to Suzie and Caesar. "Then, I'll contact Signore Speedwagon." He nodded before he turned and went on his way.

Caesar huffed, leaning against Suzie. His body ached for rest, but he refused to sleep. He had to be there when the nurse came out to confirm the star-shaped birthmark. Why would he care about such a thing if he was so sure that it was Joseph? That was the thing--so many people doubted him, it was starting to get to him.

What if he was wrong?

He didn't even realize he had fallen asleep, the ache of his whole being getting the best of him. It wasn't until he was awoken by Suzie, shaking his shoulder. He grumbled and blinked open his eyes, turning to glare at her. "Guardi!"[4] she whispered, gesturing down the hallway. The SPW member from earlier was talking with the nurse from earlier. They were speaking in hushed tones, but whatever it was was clearly important.

Both Caesar and Suzie kept quiet, trying to catch any bit of what they were saying. The pair stopped talking before they could hear anything, both going opposite ways. The SPW member headed towards them, pausing before them. Suzie was gripping onto Caesar's hand and the two of them were staring up at him.

"Well, Signore Zeppeli," he said, staring right at Caesar. "I'm on my way to inform Signore Speedwagon that his nephew is still alive, and will be coming out of surgery any minute now."

"Are you ready?"

"You're really asking me that."

Suzie scowled. "I don't want you to... pass out. Or something."

"I'm not going to pass out."

"He might."

Caesar scowled and turned away from her. It had been a few hours since Joseph finally got out of surgery and they were told he was going to be perfectly fine. Just like Caesar and Lisa Lisa, they all just had to rest. Speedwagon was preparing to get himself and Erina to Venice to see Joseph. Perhaps it was selfish of Suzie and Caesar to think of these few hours before they arrive as a special private time they would be ble to have with Joseph before he was swarmed by his family. He had been awake for a while, but they were restricted from seeing him to ensure that he was recovering well.

Finally, after so long, they were allowed to see him. Apparently, Joseph had been begging to see them as well.

As they made their way towards his room, a ruckus down the hallways made them stop. Someone was yelling and nurses were trying to calm them down.

"You told me I could see them!"

"Si, signore, but--"

"So I'm going to go see them!"

"Signore, you have to stay in bed!"

Suzie and Caesar watched as one of the patients stumbled out of his room, ignoring how nurses pleaded with him to get back to bed and rest. They found themselves staring at him as he turned to properly face them. The stupid bangs of brown that spiked up, the tanned skin, the emerald eyes that met theirs--for a moment all three just stood there, staring at one another.

Then Joseph ran at them, arms open. The other two followed suit, embracing him as he ran into their arms. Joseph ducked his head, pressing into their shoulders as he squeezed them with all the strength he could muster, fearing to be separated once again if he let go too soon. Suzie and Caesar did the same, burying their faces in his brown hair and hugging him tightly. Suzie began to cry and Caesar found himself breathing in deeply, burying his face in the crook of Joseph's neck. The trio stood there, holding each other in silence until Joseph spoke.

"I missed you guys so damn much," he squeaked. The way his voice quavered and how his voice cracked made it clear he was crying--this time out of happiness.

"Ci sei mancato troppo, Jojo."[5]

The trio settled into Joseph's room, all crowding around him as he finally got back into bed. Joseph entertained them by telling how he defeated both Whamuu and Kars--beating Whamuu in a gladiator-style race, how Lisa Lisa took on Kars, how Kars was a dirty cheater and used a double to trick her, literally stabbing her in the back. He went on and on about how he managed to outsmart him, saving Lisa Lisa in the process. 

Suzie was entranced--Caesar scoffed and shook his head.

Joseph told them how Speedwagon and the Germans showed up (his brother Smokey had tagged along as well) and how Kars used the stone to become the "ultimate lifeform" and conquered the sun. Joseph had experienced Kars abilities firsthand, and he was finding it hard to believe himself.

("No fuckin' way his hand turned into a goddamn squirrel." "It did! It tore through a bunch of Nazis!")

Joseph had then lead Kars away from the others by the use of a plane, figuring his best option was to run away and think about his next move. This only resulted in Kars sprouting wings and soaring after him. Joseph had gone with the logical option--pinning Kars with the nose of the plane and divebombing into an active volcano.

("Okay, this whole story is bullshit." "The scales turned into piranhas! I had to think fast!" "So you crashed the plane into Isola di Volgano?" "Oh, and Stroheim had snuck into the plane and we both jumped--completely shattered his new legs when we landed." "Cazzate!"[6] "Caesar! Stop interrupting Jojo's story!")

Despite crashing into a now-active volcano, Kars was still in perfect, fighting condition, attacking Joseph when he had his guard down and taking his hand. He had one more idea, a last try-or-die stunt. Using the stone, he triggered the volcano to erupt. Thanks to that blast, Kars and himself were launched into the atmosphere. Kars' confidence got the best of him, attempting to simply fly out of the way of the blast. This only left him wide open to be pelted by rubble also launched by the eruption.

"Last I saw of him, he was being launched into space," Joseph stated. "He's probably out there floatin' around."

"So, Kars, the ultimate being, is in space?"

"Yes."

"Jojo, you're so brave! You saved all of us!" Suzie said, grinning.

"Questo è tutto come stronzate."[7]

"You're so rude, Caesar!" 

"Well, I mean, I can't believe it worked," Joseph said. "I mean, launching him into space? It is kinda bullshit, like Caesar said."

Suzie rolled her eyes. Of course Jojo would agree with Caesar. In the end, they always ended up agreeing with one another. She reached for Joseph's hand, gently squeezing it. "How're you feeling, Jojo? Do you need anything?"

"A bit hungry."

"E tu[8], Caesar?" 

He shrugged.

"Alright. I'll go get us something to eat." She ran her hand through Joseph's hair before she rose to her feet. She gave Caesar's shoulder a pat as she shuffled off, leaving the two alone.

She wasn't going to actually get food. She knew the two needed to have a moment by themselves to talk. She didn't wish to intrude. If anything, Caesar was the one who deserved to have a few moments alone with Joseph. Sure, Suzie also came to like Joseph--like him a lot. But, she knew Caesar felt the same. It wasn't hard to notice that he cared for Joseph. She had known Caesar for almost four years. She could tell when he liked someone--no, he didn't just like Jojo. 

He loved him.

And Joseph loved him back.

Sometimes she got jealous about the whole idea, but she would quickly forget about the whole thing. Caesar met Joseph first, got to know him first, fell in love first--Caesar was her best friend. He was happy with Joseph, and she was happy for both of them. As long as they were both content, she was too.

Caesar and Joseph sat in silence as they watched Suzie go on her way. The door swung shut behind her, leaving them alone. Caesar found himself fidgeting, fingers anxiously twitching.

"How are you feeling?"

He glanced at Joseph, who merely stared back with a concerned face. He knew the younger man was staring at the scarring flesh across his face. Caesar let out a soft laugh, his hand coming up to gently graze the uneven skin. "I'm going to be fine. I'll keep my vision too... the worst of it will just be all the scars."

Joseph nodded, but he still frowned at him. He lifted his arm to reach out to gently caress his face, but he stopped himself, staring down at his own arm. Caesar couldn't help it either, staring at the empty space where Joseph's hand should've been. Instead, his arm merely stopped, stump bandaged and taped up neatly. Caesar should have been happy that it had been a clean cut, making it easy to deal with. At the same time, however, it seemed unnatural and made Caesar feel even more uneasy about it.

"I--I'm glad you're gonna be okay," Joseph spoke, failing at keeping his voice steady. Caesar glanced up to his face, noting how his eyes were glassy with tears. "They only told me that you were here, they wouldn't tell me if you were okay, or--or if you were--" Joseph cut himself off by allowing a cry to escape him. His intact hand came up to his mouth, attempting to stifle the other sobs that came out. He was trembling, struggling to keep himself and his emotions in checks.

Joseph felt Caesar's hands brush past his face and felt his arms wrap around his neck. He felt Caesar's weight shift into his lap as the other moved and seated himself on Joestar's legs. Caesar hugged him, burying his face in Joseph's hair. One hand ran through his brown locks as the other gently rubbed his back.

"Va bene," Caesar mumbled, into his hair. "It's okay to cry, Jojo."

Joseph let out a sob as he wrapped his arms around Caesar, gripping onto the fabric of his shirt and pressing his face into the crook of his neck. Joseph cried as he took in how Caesar's whole body moved with each breath he took, each movement of his fingers through his hair or his palms running against his spine. He took in every little detail he could, believing that at any moment, someone or something would try to take Caesar away from him. He couldn't allow that, not before he etched ever little inch of him into his mind.

"I--I thought I was going to lose all--all of you," Joseph choked out between his cries. "I didn't want to lose any--anyone--I didn't want to lose you! I don't want to lose you!"

Caesar squeezed him, hushing him. "You didn't, Jojo, I'm still here... I'm here because of you."

"I don't want to lose you, e--ever!"

"I don't want to lose you either."

"Cae--Caesar, I think--I think I love you."

It came out so suddenly that even Joseph was caught off guard. He didn't think that, he knew he loved him. He had always had a liking to him and it was only kindled by how close they grew during their training. He had tried to tell himself that it was merely a very strong bond he had with his best friend, but back in Switzerland, holding Caesar in his arms as he bled out, it told Joseph that it was much more than simply being friends. He loved him and he would give his life to keep Caesar safe, without hesitation.

There was no way he could know if Caesar felt the same way.

Joseph stopped talking, only the occasional cry coming from him as he waited for Caesar to do something--anything. He sniffled as Caesar pulled away, holding Joseph by his shoulders so they'd be looking at each other. Joseph regretted saying anything in the first place.

"I--I'm sorry--"

He was cut off by Caesar leaning forward and planting a kiss to his lips, silencing him. Caesar pressed into Joseph, fingernails digging into the other's shoulders, taking in the warmth and the chapped sensation of his lips. Joseph was in a bit of shock, too busy registering what was happening, even when Caesar pulled away.

"Non scusarti,"[9] Caesar hushed, his hand coming to cup Joseph's cheek and wiping away the tears. He smiled at him, rubbing his thumb along his cheekbone. "Ti amo troppo[10], Joseph Joestar."

Joseph smiled, more tears streaming down his face as he laughed.

"Hey, piangere non fa per voi[11]," Caesar scowled. He was hushed when Joseph leaned forward and planted a kiss on his mouth, being gentle with the uneven, scarred corner of his lips. Joseph gently pressed and pulled away from Caesar, lacing his mouth with soft kisses.

"I love you," he mumbled between each kiss, letting out everything had kept hidden inside for the past month, at least. "I love you, I love you."

"Ti amo," Caesar responded back, moving his hands to run them through Joseph's brown tufts. He exhaled against Joseph's lips, smiling into each kiss he received. "Ti amo," he breathed. "Ti amo."

Suzie returned an hour or so later, expecting to find the two arguing over something completely ridiculous. She found the room was completely silent, worry setting in. This soon left her as she saw the two were simply asleep. Caesar had taken up what little space there was beside Joseph, pressed against him with his face pressed into his neck. Joseph curled around him, right arm draped over him, fingers clinging to Caesar's shirt, and his face nestled against Caesar's hair. A soft chorus of snores came from the both of them.

Suzie smiled, making her way over. She pulled the covers over them, careful nor to disturb them too much. She watched them for a few minutes, surprised at how peaceful they were. She couldn't remember the last time she saw either of them so calm or content. It was nice to know that they had no reason than to be anything else than that--calm and content.

She finally turned away, making her way out. It had been a long journey for all three of them. They all needed to rest. They deserved it.

Chapter Text

“Why are we here, Joestar-san? Shouldn’t we be heading off?”

“Yeah! Aren’t we in a hurry?”

“We’re here to meet someone. The foundation has sent someone to help us.”

Jotaro scoffed. They didn’t need anyone else’s help. They had to get moving. They had been delayed long enough—they should’ve been in Egypt already, not still trying to get through Asia.

“It’ll be quick, everyone. It’ll give us a bit of time to relax,” Joseph assured them, heading into the small café.

“Great, I’m starving!” Polnareff grinned at Abdul, who only shook his head.

“You’re always hungry,” Kakyoin commented. “We just had breakfast.”

Polnareff ignored the teen, following Joseph inside. The group entered and seated themselves at a small table. Polnareff and, surprisingly, Joseph were the only ones to actually order some food. The others settled for some drinks. Kakyoin made small talk with Abdul, asking about the various places the older man had traveled to. Polnareff rattled on about something, assuming that someone was listening; no one was. Jotaro was watching all the other guests, sizing them up. Could one of them be the one the foundation sent to help them? Were they a stand user? And why would they send them in the first place? They were holding up on their own.

In his opinion, they didn’t need anyone else.

Joseph and Polnareff’s food arrived along with their drinks. Jotaro stared at what his grandfather had ordered, frowning. “Old man, what the hell is that?”

“Squid ink pasta,” Joseph replied. “Why? Do you want some?”

“It looks like black shit.”

Kakyoin giggled into his drink. Joseph scowled.

“I thought the same thing the first time I had some, but it’s pretty good,” he said. “You sure you don’t want some?”

Jotaro scrunched his nose and grimaced. Joseph shrugged. “More for me.”

Joseph glanced about as he took a bite. They should be here already, seated somewhere among the others. His gaze rested on one who was seated by themselves, at a small table by the window. Their back was turned to Joseph as they watched people move about outside on the street. From what Joseph could see, they had neatly cropped blond hair with hints of gray woven into it and one sole feather tucked behind their ear. They had a crisp, white suit on—it must be impossible to keep clean, Joseph thought to himself. He smiled, deciding he might as well have some fun.

Jotaro watched his grandfather as he picked out three ebony noodles, lifting them with his fork. He watched as Joseph breathed on them and furrowed his brown as sparks emitted from the pasta, all three now erect, as if they hadn’t been cooked. He was aware that his grandfather had some ability called Hamon, along with his stand. He had only seen him really use it twice, both times when destroying DIO’s fleshbuds. He didn’t know much, but he could tell the old man was to do something stupid.

“What are you doing?”

Joseph hushed him, turning to face the one who was seated by the window. Jotaro followed his gaze. Were they the one the foundation sent? Or were they an enemy?

Joseph flicked his wrist, flinging the Hamon-infused pasta across the dining room, right at the patron. Jotaro watched as the other simply raised their fork, lazily holding it above their shoulder and with expert precision, caught the pasta between the prongs, stopping it before it could even come in contact with the back of their head.

Jotaro stood and a large, purple-skinned being materialized behind him. The rest of the crusaders finally took note, Polnareff’s Chariot manifesting in a similar manner.

“What is it, Jojo?” Kakyoin asked in a hushed tone, eyes darting around to look at all the other customers.

“Mr. Joestar?” Abdul asked, turning to Joseph.

Jotaro stared down the patron Joseph had aimed at. They turned to face the small group, putting the fork with the impaled pasta onto the table. Vibrant green eyes stared back at the teen, not phased by Jotaro’s glared. Their eyes flitted from Jotaro to Joseph, and they crinkled as they smiled, the pink patches on their cheeks twitching. Something was off about the skin on the right side of their face—the light bounced of in a different matter than the rest of their skin. Jotaro wasn’t close enough to properly tell, though. Jotaro glanced over at Joseph to see that he had risen and was now approaching them. He  tensed, watching his grandfather.

“Where’s he going?” Polnareff asked.

“Joestar-san?”

Abdul kept quiet. Jotaro prepared himself to fight back if need be.

“Quindi, per quanto tempo hai aspettato?[1]” Joseph said to them, crossing his arms.

“Non molto lungo. Ti ho visto tutti in piedi al di fuori,[2]” They responded, turning from Joseph to the group one again. They seemed to glance right over Star Platinum and Silver Chariot—were they ignoring them or could they not see the apparitions? “Questi sono i buffone che hai raccolto per questo?[3]”

Jotaro glanced at Kakyoin, who merely shrugged. They were all aware that the stranger was talking about them.

“What’s he saying?” Polnareff asked. Abdul chuckled softly—surely he knew what was being said, but why was he laughing? “What is it?”

“They’re speaking Italian,” he said simply. Out of all of them, it was odd for him to be the most at ease.

“Pagliacci sono la soluzione perfetta per voi,[4]” Joseph laughed, grinning. Whatever he had said seemed to upset the stranger. They scowled and raised their hand, sparks emitting from their fingers. Jotaro responded, Star Platinum surging forward and preparing to throw a punch, planning to knock them outside through the window.

Joseph was faster, grabbing the stranger by their shoulders and pulling them into a hug. He also stepped back, staring as Star Platinum’s fist was a moment too slow, punching at empty air as it let out a cry. Jotaro scowled. “What the hell, old man?”

The stranger was caught off guard by the hug and scowled at Joseph, but he soon grinned. Joseph let out a yell and let go of them, rubbing at his side. The stranger chuckled—he had used the Hamon to give Joseph a shock. “Bastard,” Joseph mumbled, rolling his eyes.

“Old man, who is this guy?!” Jotaro snapped.

Joseph wrapped an arm around their shoulders and the pair turned to face the group. “This is who the foundation sent to help us. This is Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli, expert Hamon master, my best friend, and long-time partner.”

“Ciao.”

The group relaxed, Polnareff calling back Chariot and Abdul approaching Caesar. “It’s an honor to finally meet you, Mr. Zeppeli,” Abdul said, shaking his hand. “Mr. Joestar has spoken a lot about you.”

“Please, call me Caesar,” he insisted, smiling. “You must be Abdul. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”

“The other clowns are Jean Pierre Polnareff and Noriaki Kakyoin,” Joseph said, gesturing to the others. “They were under DIO’s influence and they’ve agreed to help us out.”

Jotaro watched Caesar carefully as he greeted Polnareff and Kakyoin. He finally saw why he had thought something was off about his face—a variety of pale scars crisscrossed across the entire left side of his face, cutting through his brow and misshaping the small triangle on his cheek. It was clear that it was quite old—he wouldn’t have noticed it if he hadn’t been looking closely, but you could make out that the skin was off and slightly lumpy. He could only imagine what had caused it, and how it had looked when it first scarred over.

“And this,” Joseph clasped Jotaro’s shoulder, getting his attention, “is my grandson, Jotaro—Holly’s boy.”

“He looks a lot like you,” Caesar commented. Jotaro only stared back. “Just… grumpier, it seems.” Jotaro scoffed.

“He’s a huge brat, but what can you do.”

Kakyoin chuckled again, as well did Polnareff. They grinned when Jotaro flipped them off.

“He’s such a brat he tried to knock you out with his Stand.”

“Did he, now?” Caesar said, glancing at the teen. “That’s a cheap shot. I wouldn’t have seen it coming.”

“Wait, you’re not a Stand user?” Polnareff ask, frowning.

“No, I’m not,” Caesar answered. “But I do come from a line of Hamon users, like Joseph. I’m the more skilled one, if you were curious.”

“Bullshit, we’re at the same level!” Joseph protested.

“I’m sorry if I come off as rude, Zeppeli-san,” Kakyoin spoke up, frowning. “But, wouldn’t a Stand user be more helpful?”

“DIO may be a stand user, but he’s also a vampire,” Joseph answered. “That’s how he survived at the bottom of the ocean for a century. Hamon is the one thing that can defeat a vampire.”

“You’re fucking kidding me,” Jotaro said. “Vampires? Really?”

“Jotaro, you’d be surprised from what me and Caes here have seen.” Caesar nodded in agreement.

Jotaro rolled his eyes. “Are all your friends as stupid and childish as you, old man?”

“Hey! Be respectful to him!” Joseph snapped. “He’s as much of Holly’s father as I am, so that basically makes him your grandfather too!”

“Okay. I’ll call him old man, too.”

“Jotaro!”

“What. I’m treating him exactly how I treat you.”

“He really is a lot like you,” Caesar chuckled. “Being an asshole must be a Joestar thing.”

“Alright, let’s get going!” Joseph said, clearly ignoring Caesar’s comment. That was the end of that, and the group headed out. They were to catch a train and ride it for as long as they could, willing any enemy Stand users didn’t attack them. Joseph hung back with Caesar as Abdul lead the way. He ignored the occasional glance he got from Jotaro and focused on talking with Caesar.

“How’s Holly?” he asked, voice serious.

“She’s doing alright, but it’s developing into pneumonia. The faster we do this, the better,” Caesar said. “Oh, by the way, Suzie knows.” Joseph groaned. He had hoped to get this all settled without her knowing—he didn’t want her to get worked up and he sure as hell didn’t want her getting involved in all this. Sure, she knew about Hamon and Vampires and Pillar Men, but there was no point in involving her in this DIO and Stand business.

“I thought you were going to help keep it under wraps,” Joseph scowled. Caesar also thought it was unnecessary for Suzie to get involved.

“Holly’s her daughter,” Caesar said. “She has a third sense for this kind of stuff. She asked me to come help you out. She called me from Japan.”

“So, she’s known for a while.”

“I went to see her and she had already gone to see Holly. Later that day, she called me and I basically had to tell her everything.”

“Caesar!” Joseph whined.

“Hey, she’s not going to kick my ass. She’ll kick yours for keeping this all a secret—especially the bit where Holly is sick.”

“You know it was for her own good.”

“Suzie can be ditsy, but she can handle things, Jojo. You should’ve told her from the beginning.”

Joseph chuckled. “You’re the first one to call me Jojo in a while.”

Caesar smiled back. “You called me Caes earlier.”

The pair laughed. Caesar turned to watch the rest of the group, only catching bits of pieces of Jotaro and Kakyoin’s conversation. They were speaking Japanese, but Caesar caught onto one word whenever Kakyoin wanted to get the other’s attention: Jojo. Caesasr smiled, turning to look at Joseph.

“They call Jotaro Jojo too?”

“It’s a Joestar thing,” Joseph said, shrugging. He tensed when he felt Caesar’s fingers curl around his. He felt the heat rise in his face—little things like this still flustered him after so many years.

“No matter,” Caesar said. “You’re still my Jojo.”

“Forever and always,” Joseph said with a smile. He closed his eyes taking in the warmth of Caesar’s lips when the other pressed into him. He pressed back, smiling and nipping at Caesar’s lips. He didn’t care if anyone else saw.

He felt at ease with Caesar here. He felt more confident. Caesar and himself were partners-for-life. How could they lose?

Caesar pulled away and Joseph whined and pouted at him. “Dopo,[5]” Caesar cooed, smiling at him as he held his finger up to Joseph’s lips. “Quando siamo soli.[6]” Joseph scowled as Caesar pulled away from him and fell in step beside Polnareff and started up a conversation with him.

Joseph soon smiled, watching Caesar as Polnareff happily conversed with him. Kakyoin soon joined in, asking Caesar if he was from Italy, judging from the language and the accent. Jotaro soon joined in, glancing over at Caesar.

“So, how long have you known the old man?”

Caesar chuckled. “Quite some time. Since he was your age, I’m guessing. You should be around eighteen, no?”

“Seventeen.”

Caesar shrugged. “Joseph acted like a twelve-year-old when he was eighteen, so it’s close enough. He still acts like a twelve-year-old.”

Kakyoin and Polnareff giggled while Jotaro exhaled a soft laugh. Even Abdul chuckled.

Joseph found himself relaxing, smiling at the little group. Caesar would fit in just fine—he was even getting along with Jotaro. With Caesar around, Joseph felt like they could take on the world. They took on a god—they can take on some washed-out vampire.

Caesar glanced back at Joseph, returning the smile. They were thinking the same thing.

They would all be okay.