7th Stand User: A Wonderful World

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Fate is a terrible thing. It binds us, guides us, and leads us down a predestined path that all-too-often ends in terrible tragedy. Precious few are able to escape fate- perhaps they write the course of fate themselves to guide its path, perhaps they can see it before them and leap past what's unfortunate, or perhaps they can force fate to cease its endless turning altogether, and return its esoteric goals to zero.

But there is one more type who can defy fate- The Outsider. One who was never meant to be there in the first place. Such an outsider could forcibly invade the unchanging story written by destiny and throw it off its course. Are you such an outsider? Can you guide the ship to a more peaceful harbor? Or will you be caught in the merciless waves of fate and crashed against the rocks? Whether by wits, will, or pure strength, it's up to you to defy fate's cruel plan and replace it with your own.
Chapter 1: Only a Dream?

TheNine

I’ll compromise with the skeletons
Location
The good ol' US of A
Pronouns
He/Him
"Greetings! My name is Mohammad Avdol!"

You sleepily blink your eyes open, shaking your head to try to escape the muck your brain feels like it's floating in. Where are you? Is this a dream?

You're sitting at a table somewhere, though you can't tell where. A tent? The walls are fuzzy, and it seems you're surrounded by a haze. Sitting across from you is an Arab man you don't recognize, sporting a wide smile and disarmingly friendly eyes. On the table between you are a number of cards laying face down. Tarot? Is this a fortune-teller's shop?

"Avdol?" you mutter in confusion, rubbing your eyes. "How did I get here? Where is here? Who are you?"

The man, Avdol, clicks his tongue and waggles a finger at you dismissively. "I hope you'll forgive me for answering your questions in reverse order. First, yes, I am Muhammad Avdol, as I said. I am a fortune-teller, and quite a good one if you'll forgive me for bragging! Second, though the first answer probably gave you a hint, this is my tent, in which we will unravel the secrets of your fate. And as for the third, I can only say this- how you arrived here is none of your concern, only what you will take away."

You open your mouth to retort, but can't conjure up a response. Forget getting into this tent, you can't remember much of anything at the moment. What did you do yesterday? How old are you? What's your name? You have a vague impression that this situation is extremely suspicious, but you can't bring yourself to be worried. Maybe this really is a dream…

"Now, my friend, I can tell that you're confused, but I know one thing that may help fill in your memory- recently, you had a terrible nightmare, didn't you?"

You blink once, twice, and then like a flash, it's there! You're sure he's right! Like a flood, the memories pour into your brain, and without considering if this fortune-teller is trustworthy, you answer on a reflex.

[] "There was a man- a terribly powerful man… he had mental power, like a cult leader, and his words lured me to trust him, but he also had unbelievable physical power. I couldn't even imagine being able to hurt him… I had a terrible premonition that if this man was allowed to have his way, the world itself might come to an end…"

[] "I was walking around my home town, but I had this awful feeling that there was something watching me… some sort of deadly skulking monster just out of sight… an inhuman hunter who saw humans as nothing but an inconvenience at best… I knew no one was safe, not me, not my family or friends, none of the innocent people of the town could sleep soundly…"

[] "Somehow, I'd gotten tied up with organized crime… it wasn't too bad, in the dream I felt like I had joined it on purpose, but the problem was the boss… he was a terrible mystery, but what I knew for sure was that he wouldn't hesitate to kill- not just his enemies, but his subordinates, or anyone at all who he had the slightest whim to eliminate… worse, I knew he had a plan to extend his power until it was beyond anyone's ability to stop him…"

[] "I'd been convicted of a crime… I don't remember if I really did it… but it was something bad, and they locked me up in the state penitentiary. The other prisoners were scary people, but there was something worse going on… a plot within that prison by someone more terrible than I could imagine… I don't know what it was, but I felt like the world itself might end if it wasn't stopped…"

[] "There was a race, a terrible and vicious horse race where it seemed like almost every participant would die before they reached the finish line. It wasn't just the race that was dangerous, there were assassins, terrorists, and all sorts of murderers… also, this might be unrelated, but I think the President was also in the dream?"


After you answer, Avdol smiles at you, as though you said exactly what he expected. Well, that's a cheap trick any con-man can use, isn't it? Just act like you have more knowledge than you do… speaking of, more knowledge is coming back to you aside from the dream. In a flash, you know that

[] Your name is [[Write-In]]

[] You are a
- [] Man
- [] Woman
- [] Neither of the above
 
Intro
Hey gang, it's ya boi. So there's not much to explain here- inspired by 7th Stand User, you'll be invading one of the parts of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure as a new Stand-user, possibly drastically changing the path of destiny for you, your companions, and your enemies.

The first few posts will be character building, as we determine our intrepid hero's personality, Stand power, and perhaps a little something extra…

Parts 1 and 2 aren't an option because invading them with a Stand-user just seems kinda unfair. Part 8 isn't an option because idunwanna. Part 9 isn't an option because lmao.
 
Chapter 2: Who Am I?
"I was dreaming of this man," you explain, shivering at the very memory of it. "He was powerful, in every way someone could be powerful. He had the charisma of a cult leader, bottomless money, and such infinite, overflowing power that I couldn't even make eye contact without wanting to run for my life… every instinct in my body was screaming that this wasn't just a dangerous man, he was… something like the Devil…"

Sighing deeply, Avdol nods. "That man you dreamed of is DIO, and I regret to tell you it was not only a dream. You do not remember it now, but you encountered DIO yourself. You'll know what I mean when you leave this place, but by then you will not remember this either."

You blink, confused. There's a lot you don't understand, but it's hard to focus on any one thing. There is one thing that is clear to you. Your name is Marta Scamorza. You're a woman, and you're 19 years old. You speak Italian and English, and you're pretty sure you're Italian. But as for your life, your history, it's all still a blur. If this conversation is a dream, then where are you sleeping right now? But another thought interrupts that one, blooming across your mind like blood soaking into a white cloth- if you really did encounter DIO, that invincible, unstoppable man from your nightmare… how did you escape him?

"Now," says Avdol, interrupting your fightened thoughts and snapping you back to reality- or at least as close to reality as you are right now- "I have a few more questions for you. Questions that will reveal the contours of your soul, and uncover the hidden power deep within you. Do you understand?"

Not at all, you think. You nod affirmatively.

"First," the fortune-teller, who seems now more like a survey-taker, asks, "what is the best way to die?"

Though in other circumstances (or hell, in THIS circumstance), such a question would strike you as extremely bizarre, you nevertheless have an answer prepared immediately.

[] A1 "Not at all, if possible."

[] A2 "Gloriously and extravagantly, in a way that people will talk about forever!"

[] A3 "Quietly and peacefully, surrounded by family and friends."

[] A4 "Quickly and painlessly, and hopefully without me seeing it coming."

[] A5 "I don't care about the means, just so long as I die standing up for something I care about."

At your response, Avdol nods and moves on to his next question. "A senile old fool has locked himself in his room again, and you're requested to get him out. How do you do it?"

[] B1 "I'd grab a bobby pin and pick the lock."

[] B2 "I'd just walk away and leave him to rot."

[] B3 "I'd get a pistol and blast the lock off."

[] B4 "I'd trade for a cherry bomb and blow it open!"

Again, Avdol nods sagely, as if he knew what you were going to say. Has this guy told your future even once? This feels less like mystical clairvoyance and more like a crush compatibility quiz in a magazine for little girls. Nonetheless, as he asks the next question, you're rapt with attention.

"What is your favorite type of media, film, books, comics, or video games?"

[] C1 "Movies."

[] C2 "Books."

[] C3 "Comic books."

[] C4 "Video games."

[] C5 "Sorry, none of those options are "theater." For a mystical fortune-teller, you sure are uncultured."

Sufficiently pleased by your answer (regardless of its hypothetical rudeness), Avdol continues.

"Ideally, about how many very close friends would you like to have?"

[] D1 "Zero. Acquaintances and occasional pals are fine, but I don't want to emotionally rely on anyone."

[] D2 "One is best. One person you can always rely on, and who knows they can rely on you. Any more than that is just too much."

[] D3 "Two, three, four, give or take. A tight-knit group of close friends who can all trust each other and do fun group activities!

[] D4 "Uh, is there an ideal number? Ten? Twenty, I guess? Why would there be a max number of friends?"

"Alright then, just one more question for you. You're on your first date with someone new you just met. They're attractive and seem nice, but are doing nothing to keep your attention. How do you feel?"

[] E1 "A date? Right off the bat, that's a non-starter. I'm not interested in that sort of thing."

[] E2 "Pretty and sweet is plenty enough for me. I'd just be relieved to find somebody who isn't immediately clawing at my ass."

[] E3 "Bored, duh. Like you said, they're nothing special, where's the fun in a date with someone who doesn't excite you?"

[] E4 "It's no biggie! Whoever it is, they may not be super exciting, but I probably have someone else lined up for tomorrow anyway. As long as they're hot, they'll be fine for a night or a few no matter how boring they are."

[] E5 "You make it sound like I'm worried about the other person's performance. I'm probably just nervous that I'm not doing enough to keep them interested. I'm lucky enough to have a date at all…"

With that final answer, Avdol smiles and spreads the cards on the table in front of him out to either side, a motion so sudden it makes you jump.

"Excellent!" he cries out, standing from his seat on the other side of the table. "With that, the contours of your soul are finally revealed. There is a power deep within you, one that you've always has but that will now be uncovered at last. This power is called a Stand, and your Stand, Marta Scamorza, is named-



(When giving your quiz answers, for the sake of keeping the comments from being too floody, please just vote with the letter/number of your answer. In other words, your reply could look like

[X] A1
[X] B2
[X] C3
[X] D4
[X] C5


with any discussion or anything else added, of course. While the quiz does inform Marta's personality, since all the major decisions will come down to you guys' decision, the primary purpose of it is to decide your Stand power, so choose wisely!)
 
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Chapter 3: Flashdance
One by one, as Avdol asked his trivial personality quiz questions, you answered honestly. The best way to die is not at all, if you can help it. If you had to get an old guy out of the room he was locked in, you'd choose subtlety and pick the lock. Your favorite form of media is video games (though the ridiculous difficulty and awful game design of F-Mega made you question that from time to time). Your ideal group of close friends would have a few people in it, but not too many. And on a date, you'd generally be more anxious about not pleasing your partner than stressing about them being insufficiently exciting.

After each question, Avdol nodded, before finally reaching what you could only hope was the conclusion. He talked about some mystic nonsense about the "power of your soul," before finally getting to the point.

"The name of your Stand," he said with the gravitas of a practiced charlatan, "is『F L A S H D A N C E!

Instantly, every snarky quip you would have thrown out had you had just a bit more confidence drained from your mind, replaced completely by a flood of memories. How could you have forgotten? Your friends and protectors since you were a little girl?

As soon as you can focus enough to look around, they're all surrounding you. Each Flashdance, of which there are five in total, have struck a pose and taken up a position around the room.

Each is identical, save for their masks and body markings. Flashdance Uno, like her four sisters, is about 90cm tall, wearing a leotard and wrapped in a flowing cape. Unlike her sisters, though, she wears a bright red domino mask, inlaid with rubies and splaying forth with gaudy extravagance. Across her torso, from her left shoulder to her right hip, is the mark of a lightning bolt.

Flashdance Due, squatting on the table right in your face, is similar in appearance but drastically different in attitude, staring you down with an angry intensity that would make you flinch if you weren't so used to her. Her mouth is covered by a green facemask inlaid with peridot, and her eyes obscured by two crossed lightning bolts that divide her face into quarters.

Flashdance Tre floats upside down in the air behind you, sporting a bright orange headdress hung with ropes inlaid with topaz that dangle under the force of gravity that she so gleefully flaunts. Over her heart lay three lightning bolt marks, as if forming the Roman numeral of her name.

Silently, the furthest from you, stands Flashdance Quattro, her entire face blocked from view by a blue sapphire mask that matches her moody personality. In each of her palms sits a cross of two lightning bolts, which have come to remind you of the violence she tends to perform with them.

And last but not least is the useless Flashdance Cinque, relaxing on the floor with her hands behind her head, legs crossed, and eyes closed behind the diamond lenses of her white visor. As per the usual, she's barely worked up the energy to show up to your reunion, much less take up a pose.

Avdol leans back in his chair, gesturing to each of them in turn. "Many Stands in one, I see. A rare thing, but more such Stands seem to appear each day."

"Wait, you can see Flashdance? How!?"

He laughs. "I'm sure you picked up on it, but your Flashdance is what we call a Stand, the manifestation of your very soul. It is invisible to most, but those with a Stand of their own are an exception- that DIO is a Stand-user himself, of course."

You scrunch your nose. You'd forgotten until now that Flashdance even existed, but you hadn't even had time to hope that they could defeat DIO before that dream was dashed. Well, it's no real loss, you were afraid of him to begin with, what's the difference?

"Now, Marta, if my skills as a fortune-teller haven't failed me, I'll guess that the power of your Flashdance is to swap places, right? Could you explain that a bit?"

You blink. "Sorry, if you're so clever, and you already know Flashdance's power, and I also know it, who am I explaining to?"

Avdol chuckles. "Humor me, please."

You sigh and shrug. It can't hurt. "Well, you guessed right the first time."

You snap your fingers, and in an instant, you're standing in the corner of the room and Flashdance Quattro is sitting nonplussed in your chair. You give it another go and this time Quattro is hanging upside down in midair while Tre has taken her place in the chair.

"Each Flashdance can swap places with me or one another as fast as I can think it. I'm snapping for dramatic effect, but I don't actually need to do that. There's a problem, though."

You meander back to the table and pick up one of Avdol's tarot cards (the Seven of Swords), before snapping your fingers again. This time, Flashdance Uno just shrugs noncommittally as nothing happens. "We can't bring things with us when we swap except what I'm wearing or is in my pockets for some reason. But there's an answer to that problem too."

At your mental command, Uno grabs another tarot card (the Ace of Wands for her) and, in a flash(dance), the two of you have swapped places. "If two of us are both holding an object, we can swap just fine and bring the objects with us. Equivalent exchange."

You show Avdol your Seven of Swords, which has swapped places along with you. "I can't swap stuff that's stuck to the ground, and the objects that are switching places need to be of roughly the same size, but other than that anything goes. I've tested it out with stuff as big as some boulders in the mountains that must have weighed a ton each, and it was as easy as swapping those cards just now."

Avdol nods, pleased. "An effective power, I'm sure. With it, you maintain excellent control of any field of battle."

Finally, something rings an alarm bell in your brain, and you throw up your hands. "Field of battle? Listen, Flashdance can help me around the house or protect me from bullying or whatever, but battle isn't our thing. I like to rest where I'm nice and safe and comfortable."

Avdol sighs and look at you with enough sadness in his eyes to make you pause for a moment. "I'm sorry, Marta, but whether you realize it or not, you're already on a battlefield. I only hope you can escape it with your life."

Due and Quattro, taking his words as a threat, hover between you and him, raising their hands and legs in preparation to attack or defend. He shakes his head sadly.

"No, your battle is not with me. Well… perhaps for a moment, it is."

Before you have time to respond, a searing pain shoots through your ear and you snap awake.




Your hand snaps to your ear, and you feel blood trickling from a small cut on it. Tower of Gray, the fly-shaped Stand of your assigned ally Gray Fly (is that really his real name?) buzzes obnoxiously in your ear in Grey Fly's voice.

"Wake up, you buffoon! Were you dreaming? Joestar and his allies noticed me, the battle is about to begin!"

You blink awake, the process accelerated by the pain. Were you dreaming? You vaguely remember some hazy room, but the recollection is swiftly fading. Regardless, you need to focus.

You swiftly scan the plane cabin and spot the Joestar Group near immediately- it isn't hard, they stand out like sore thumbs. Joseph Joestar, the giant of an old man, is scrunched up on himself, chin in his mechanical hand, tapping his foot frantically in thought. By his side is his grandson, Jotaro Kujo (though also, Lord DIO told you when he gave you this mission, a Joestar). The teenager is just as huge as his grandfather, and you can't help but wonder why he's wearing that stuffy school uniform on a plane. Next is Mohammad Avdol, who for some reason you can't put your finger on, looks very familiar. Lord DIO's "gift" in your skull throbs, reminding you to keep your mind on the mission.

Last and most troubling is another teenager, a student with red hair, cheery earrings, and a green school uniform. He matches the description of Noriaki Kakyoin, but that's absurd. After Kakyoin failed to eliminate Jotaro, you were sure he had died- is it even possible that he's a traitor? That he betrayed Lord DIO? You feel rage bubble inside you at the very thought.

The whole group clearly has their eyes on Tower of Gray, which buzzes conspicuously about the cabin. Thankfully, they haven't yet noticed you. Aside from Avdol's fire-spitting Magician's Red, you don't know any of their Stand powers, but if you can eliminate them quickly enough, hopefully that won't be a problem.

Each member of Flashdance is on standby, ready to appear and attack at your command. Joestar and the other enemies of Lord DIO are within your 7 meter range. Each member of Flashdance is very weak as Stands go, but fast and tricky. You're confident that together with Grey Fly, you can exterminate these rats and present their hearts to your master with pride. The only question is how you'll go about it…

[] Write in…
 
Chapter 4: It’s Going Down
As tempting as it is to attack the traitor Kakyoin right away, you know Joseph Joestar is the most substantial threat to Lord DIO, and, aside from that, is probably most vulnerable to your surprise attacks, old man that he is. Leaving Uno and Cinque in reserve, hidden behind oblivious civilians, you have Quattro, the most efficient fighter among the Flashdances, slip below the plane's floor and sneak up beneath Joseph.

Patiently (if a bit anxiously, still unsure of most of your enemies' abilities), you wait for Tower of Gray to steal away the attention of the Joestar group, until your moment arrives. Gray Fly buzzes behind them, and the entire group turns, still not sure how to engage. Just as you see Kakyoin's Stand (something wet and green) begin to appear, you give your command and Quattro leaps up from the floor at Joseph.

Each Flashdance is physically weak for a Stand, but they're still far superior to any human. Quattro's chop can easily crush bricks, and you've even tested it on cuts of meat. One direct hit to an undefended person's vitals should be certain death. The instant before Quattro's blow lands, though, Joseph catches sight of her sapphire glint from the corner of his eye. You see his face contort in fear the moment Quattro makes contact, and through her senses you feel more resistance than you'd hoped for.

Shit! Going for the throat was too ambitious! I should have aimed for the heart!

"OH MY GOOOOD!!"

As Joseph's cry of shock gets his companions' attention, you figure out what happened. Reflexively, Joestar had summoned his Stand (apparently a thorny vine rather than a humanoid) around his chest and neck. It slowed Quattro's chop, and the attack had hitched on Joestar's collarbone after slicing a gash into his upper breast.

You curse under your breath, trying to keep your cool as everything happens at once. Joseph's alarm had distracted Kakyoin from his planned attack against Grey Fly and also gotten the attention of the other passengers, who clamored in confusion.

Avdol hadn't even had time to belt out "there's another enemy!" before Jotaro's Stand appeared, hurling a punch at Quattro. Humanoid, about the size and musculature of the Sasquatch, and about the speed of a thunderbolt.

Feels like you've been hit by one too, you realize a few seconds later. You're pressed into the back of your seat, chest throbbing like someone had punched right through to your spine. Of course, someone had. That monstrous Stand had brought down such an unearthly blow on Quattro that she was blown nearly in half, laying shattered and spurting something like blood in the isle. That gets better, right!?

Damage dealt to one Flashdance is returned to you at only 1/5 intensity, but you can still feel your ribs grinding as you breathe, and if it wasn't for the rising panic in the cabin (exacerbated, you're sure, by the fucking sonic boom caused by Jotaro's punch), you're sure the force with which you impacted the back of your seat would have given away your position.

Before you can even process that futile thought, out of the eyes of the hidden Uno, you notice that Jotaro is staring straight at you, before he suddenly points and says with absolute confidence, "The enemy is there!"

You blink for a moment, trying to process this. You're sitting in your seat, surrounded by civilians on the verge of a full riot, and he managed to track you down after hitting your Stand once? How sharp are this kid's eyes!?

"Don't mind that one, Jotaro!" Kakyoin yells, returning his focus to Tower of Gray. "Their Stand is destroyed, we should focus on the other enemy!"

"Not yet," Jotaro mumbles, standing from his seat and shoving civilians out of the way to head in your direction. "This one nearly killed the old man in one shot, I'll make sure."

You feel terror bloom up inside you, but realize he's making a huge mistake. He isn't discounting the possibility that you're somehow still in the fight, but he's completely ignoring Quattro's shattered body at his feet. Just as he steps by it, with a flash, Quattro's body is replaced with a completely-healthy Uno from her hiding spot, who throws a kick at Jotaro's ankle. You can feel his ankle crack, and with a groan he falls to the ground, obscured by the clambering civilians to his friends.

Cinque! Grab a civilian, hurry!

Cinque is slow to respond as always, and you nearly panic yourself as Jotaro gets to his knees, his Stand zeroing in on Uno, but thank god even a lazy idiot like Cinque is quick enough to grab one ankle about 20 centimeters from her before Uno can get splattered.

Uno grabs Jotaro's ankle too. This'll be an experiment. When two objects (or people) swap places, they swap postures too. But what'll happen to Jotaro's Stand? Will you be unable to move Jotaro at all? Will Star Platinum just stay behind and crush Cinque instead of Uno? Or will it maintain its position relative to Jotaro? With a flash, you find out.

Jotaro is snapped into the position of a still-sitting passenger, who was evidently harder-nerved than most. In the air a bit above him sits Star Platinum, floating in the same sitting position as Jotaro. Score! As the passenger who took Jotaro's place on the ground screams in confusion (and quite possibly pain, being stepped on by other civilians), Uno throws a knife hand at Jotaro's chest. He blocks with his own physical arm, which immediately proves an inferior defender to his Stand as Uno's hand pierces his arm and nearly completely impales it.

Said Stand prepares another devastating punch, but this time you know its tricks. Uno leaps backwards, passing through the seat in front of Jotaro. His Stand's cry stops at "OORR-" as he pulls his punch, realizing punching right through the seat would probably be pretty unpleasant for the person sitting in the seat. Allowing yourself a sly grin, you swap with Quattro's body, which is laying under the seat where Uno was hiding before. Thanks to the passenger sitting there joining the crowd in the isle, the seat is empty, and with some difficulty (and some serious chest pain, but nothing you can't ignore for Lord DIO's sake), you clamber into the seat. Having totally abandoned your previous position, Jotaro pointing you out before has ceased to be a problem.

As you relax and try to get a hold of your labored breathing, you hear Gray Fly's voice echo through his Stand.

"Hahaha! You're finished! Or do you intend to use your Magician's Red or Hierophant Green in this panicking crowd!? Go on, try it! Fry these innocent civilians! Or would you prefer to slice them apart!?"

Hierophant Green? Is that Joseph's Stand or Kakyoin's? If Gray Fly already knew, why didn't he tell you? Your precious gift from DIO throbs in your skull, reminding you to stay focused. Mentally, you thank it, and return your focus to the remaining Crusaders and the position of each Flashdance.

Uno is squatting like an imp in the lap of a passenger in front of Jotaro. Cinque immediately quit the second her job was done and is hiding at bottom of what is swiftly becoming a crowd crush. Due is slowly stalking her way toward Joseph, waiting for an opportunity to finish Quattro's job. Tre, formerly by your side for defense, has ducked under your original seat after you vanished.

You feel a bit of serious turbulence and see the whole crowd wobble. What's going on in the cockpit, you wonder? You imagine the pilot and co-pilot are probably very concerned with all the rioting in the cabin.

"Jotaro? JOTAROOOO!"

The cry is Joseph Joestar's, who's shoving through passengers that look like children next to him to reach where he saw Jotaro fall down. Through Uno's ears, you can hear Jotaro's reply- "I'm fine, old man!" Joseph, it seems, can't hear that reply over the din in the cabin.

"Wait, Joestar!" Avdol cries out, reaching a hand for Joseph, but it's too late. He's charged out into the aisle, and Avdol has worse problems on his plate.

"Don't forget about me, dead man!"

Tower of Gray, leveraging its extreme agility, weaves out of the crowd and dives for Avdol. He dodges out of the way, barely, but the fly's vicious proboscis takes a not-insignificant chunk out of his cheek. That despicable traitor Kakyoin seems to be as worthless for his new friends as he was for Lord DIO, as he's also helpless to assist, simply standing there and cringing. His green Stand hasn't reappeared since Quattro attacked Joseph, so you assume it's useless in tight spaces.

[] What's next?
 
Chapter 5: What a Feeling!
With your enemies scattered and on the back-foot, despite the two-to-one odds, you manage to find a moment of relative calm to examine the situation and develop a plan.

Your first move is to send Uno back under the floor, and damn good timing too, because as she slips beneath it, Jotaro's Stand floats over the seat Uno was on a moment ago, ready to snatch her from the lap of the passenger she was using for cover.

You're running into a problem now, though. When you swapped Jotaro back to Cinque's position, you moved him further towards the tail of the plane, while when you yourself swapped with Quattro's body, you'd moved up closer to the cockpit.

One convenient ability of Flashdance is that its range limitations aren't necessarily centered on you. Since meeting Lord DIO, you learned that most Stands can only travel a certain distance from their master. Flashdance isn't quite the same. While if you sent out one Flashdance on its own, it would be restricted to acting in a ring 7 meters in radius from you, that ring can also originate from another Flashdance.

In short, since Quattro's fallen body (you don't want to use the word "corpse," in hopes that she'll recover over time) is between you and Uno, Uno can move freely as long as she remains within 7 meters of Quattro or any other Flashdance, in spite of being further than that distance from you personally.

However, even with that advantage, Uno is at the end of your rope. She's hanging around 7 meters away from Quattro, which seriously limits her mobility in any direct confrontation with Jotaro.

Speaking of, as Jotaro sees Uno disappear into the floor, his Stand delivers a brutal punch to the floor along with an angry cry of "ORA," enough to make his own seat nearly collapse. He stops there, though- your best guess is that he realized he had no idea what sort of mechanical parts of the plane he'd be shattering by continuing to tear up the floor- and aside from that, the sudden appearance of a huge deformation in the cabin's floor has sent the passengers from the start of a panic to a full-blown frenzy. You can see them running over one another to try to make it to the cockpit, banging on the door-what are they even looking for? To force the plane to land early? Over the middle of the Pacific Ocean?

For a moment, you reflexively begin formulating a plan to use Flashdance to try to prevent the crowd from stampeding over one another, but a sudden throb in your head makes you think better of it. The worse the panic, the harder it is for Joestar and his lackeys to act- at the moment all four of them are basically pinned, Jotaro unable to attack with full force, Avdol unable to use his flames, Joestar struggling through the crowd, and Kakyoin unable to use whatever his "Hierophant Green's" power is. Plus, swapping one of them down into the midst of this crush would be an excellent weapon. Again, you mentally thank DIO's gift for reminding you of your priorities.

Next, you send Due up into the baggage compartments, snaking slowly forward to ambush Kakyoin, simultaneously swapping Tre with Cinque, leaving Tre at the feet of the crowd where Jotaro fell (and where you now think Joseph is heading) while Cinque is now beneath your original seat where the rest of your enemies probably still think you are.

In the few seconds this all takes you, you observe the battle between Avdol, Kakyoin, and Tower of Gray. The fly continues darting around Avdol, harassing him with non-fatal but no doubt painful wounds, the fortune-teller's brown cloak soaked mauve with his blood. Avdol has partly summoned his Magician's Red, its feathered hands parrying each of Tower of Gray's attacks, albeit at the cost of yet more gruesome wounds. You can practically feel Avdol's desire to unleash his power, but you know he can't- just fully summoning his Stand would subject the tightly-packed passengers to heatstroke, and letting out its full power would torch the cabin- no doubt certain death for everyone here.

"You fool! You think you can survive me by holding back? For the sake of these bags of meat!? They're all already dead anyway! Ahahaha!"

Your mind buzzes with a distant concern at Gray Fly's choice of words, but you're more focused on moving Due closer to Kakyoin, right at the edge of your range. The traitor, tor his part, seems almost like he's trying to retreat into the crowd. Cowards, all of them- cowards or idiots, in Joestar's case.

Suddenly, though, to your shock, you see a civilian seem to turn toward Tower of Gray, as if he noticed it! Another enemy? Another Stand-user on this flight by pure cosmic coincidence?

You open your mouth to scream a warning at Gray Fly, but the words die in your throat. If you give away your position, you'll be out of places to escape to! Quattro and Cinque are in your original seat, where they know to look for you. Uno is inside the plane's machinery, and aside from that right below that monster Jotaro. Due is in a damn luggage compartment right above two of your enemies, and Tre is under a crowd crush! On top of that, you'll be revealing your voice, and with it, your gender!

Perhaps if you'd had a few more moments to steel your nerves, you would have been able to take that risk for the sake of Lord DIO, but you've hesitated for far too long already. The passenger reaches out to grab Tower of Gray with superhuman speed, and Grey Fly, not for a moment considering a random rioting civilian as a threat, didn't even bother to dodge! In a split-second the fly is trapped within the passenger's three fingers.

"With your bare hands!? I don't know who you are, but you must have a death wish! Ahaha- ha?"

Gray Fly's mocking monologue stops dead in his insect Stand's mouth as, in a panic, he seems to realize that he can't move! How can a human's bare hand hold a Stand?

As one, you, Gray Fly, and Avdol seem to notice the same thing- that Kakyoin, who you'd thought had been cringing in fear and trying to escape until now, was doing nothing of the sort! That contorted expression, slipping back into the crowd… Noriaki Kakyoin had just been trying to hide his victorious smile!

Finally letting out his wide grin, he points mockingly at Tower of Gray.

"Moron,' you said? 'Dead man?' 'Death wish?' I could hardly keep myself from laughing! Considering you created the perfect environment for my Hierophant to fight in, I assumed you were talking about yourself!"

At once, you all notice the next detail you'd also all overlooked- a green tendril is hanging from the passenger's lips!

"Why you!? I'm not being grabbed by a human at all, but by Hierophant inside his body!? You self-righteous losers would dare use a civilian as a weapon!?"

"It's like you said," Kakyoin growled, his nearly sadistic grin replaced with a more serious expression, "these passengers are all dead if we don't stop you, right? I'm sure he'll be happy to get away with a few minor injuries, considering the stakes! You, on the other hand, won't be half so lucky!"

More of those green tentacles snake out from you-can't-even-tell-where and wrap around the passenger's fingers, in turn strangling and crushing Tower of Gray! Like your own Stand, Tower of Gray sacrifices durability for its unmatched speed and mobility- Gray Fly will be smashed to bits in no time!

Thankfully, Due is already in position! With no sound other than the whistling of the air, she descends from the baggage area with a crushing blow aimed for Kakyoin's cartoid! But before she can strike, she's stopped short, and a violent scorching feeling shoots across your back.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Avdol clicks as you realize the partially-manifested arm of Magician's Red has caught Due from behind! "Well well, mystery enemy, I was expecting you to leap out from the shadows again, and since Kakyoin here was doing such a number on your little terrorist friend, it didn't take a fortune-teller to guess you'd go for him first!"

SHIT!!! Was two vs four really too ambitious!? The Joestars are practically out of the fight, but you and Gray Fly are still completely pinned down! Swapping Due with another Flashdance would just leave that one trapped instead, and swapping with Quattro wouldn't help either- Gray Fly is gonna be defeated before you can charge in from another angle! To make matters worse, Due is being practically cooked alive just from this fraction of Magician's Red's power. Just how hot does that Stand get?

Before the situation can get any worse, though, the plane lurches, and badly. Already unsteady from blood loss, Avdol stumbles and slams his wounded hand into the plastic edge of his seat's armrest- the damage reverberates to his Stand's own hand, which twitches and releases Due!

Fate! It's fate! Fate is on the side of Lord DIO!

Due has lost her momentum and can't lay down a fatal blow onto Kakyoin, especially now that he has his guard up, but that's fine! You'll settle for second-best!

Move your ass, Cinque!

In an instant, Cinque, chilling beneath your original seat, sticks his leg out into the aisle like a schoolyard bully, catching one panicked passenger by the ankle. Simultaneously, Due reaches forward and just grazes Kakyoin's cheek- but that's enough. With a flash, Kakyoin and the civilian have swapped places. Hierophant Green, forcefully snapped out of the body where it was hiding, hangs in the same awkward position that Kakyoin is and that the civilian was in a moment ago, rocking and about to fall from Cinque's trip and the turbulence around the plane. leg out into the aisle like a schoolyard bully, catching one panicked passenger by the ankle. Simultaneously, Due reaches forward and just grazes Kakyoin's cheek- but that's enough. With a flash, Kakyoin and the civilian have swapped places. Hierophant Green, forcefully snapped out of the body where it was hiding, hangs in the same awkward position that Kakyoin is and that the civilian was in a moment ago, rocking and about to fall from

Losing his balance, Kakyoin falls back into your original seat- as Hireophant does too, you feel a sharp chest pain as it lands forcefully on Quattro's body. This swap was fully within view of Joseph Joestar, who stares at Kakyoin in confusion.

"Kakyoin!? Isn't that where the enemy was!? And… what's that covering you?"

You ignore him, focusing back on Tower of Gray. Without Hierophant to double up on his durability, the passenger is only human, and without a second's hesitation, Tower of Gray buzzes right though his fingers, tearing them apart, then up through his chin and into his mouth, before bursting from the passenger's teeth with his severed tongue! Like a puppet with its strings cut, the civilian collapses dead on the spot, falling directly onto other horrified people in the isle.

Avdol's face contorts with an incendiary rage. "You! You bastard! You'll be punished for this!"

You know that Gray Fly is your ally, but for some reason, you can't help but feel a deep anger rise up from inside you too- killing that man didn't offer the remotest tactical advantage at all!

At your half-focused order, Cinque moves in to strike Avdol, but when Magician's Red's fist blazes a fiery pattern in the air, countering the attack, Cinque ducks back and leaps from seat to seat until reaching the edge of your range and hiding there.

Seriously, Cinque!? The moment going gets tough? But… is it her resolve that's wavering, or mine? I have to finish this job for Lord DIO's sake!

Gray Fly returns to putting the pressure on Avdol, even more viciously this time now that he feels he's in actual danger. You realize another advantage- this distraction has finally taken Jotaro's attention off of Uno!

At your command, she leaps up from the floor and delivers another nasty kick to Jotaro's shins, and you hear the second one fracture! Victorious, and with Jotaro's Stand out of position, she flies up for his heart! But between you and Jotaro sits another man.

"You miscalculated, whoever you are," he cries, "with the seats empty from this panic, I have a clear shot!"

Hierophant Green rises into the air, facing away from you towards Jotaro, and presses its hands together with a green liquid flowing between them. "Emerald Splash!"

To your shock, green gems (emeralds, you suppose) burst forth from the green slime and hurl towards Uno, who's caught as blindsided as you. If you'd had the time to think of a plan, you'd have swapped in Quattro's body to literally body block, but you aren't able to react. Instead, it's Due who takes the initiative, swapping with Uno of her own free will and delivering a barrage of punches and kicks to try to deflect the Emerald Splash- but it's impossible.

Due is able to reduce the damage, reacting faster than Uno could have, but her arms and legs are still badly torn up. A split-second later, too quickly for even Quattro to have reacted had she been around, Jotaro's freakishly-powerful Stand is already in position to counterattack, and it grabs Due's head and slams it into the ground, shattering it like a porcelain doll and staining the floor with what counts for a brain in a Stand- your skull only takes a fraction of the damage, but 1/5 of catastrophic brain damage is still a massive concussion, and your field of view is filled with stars.

By the time it clears enough for you to see the basics of your surroundings, you notice that, at least, Tower of Gray has Avdol on the ropes. The Arab has been pressed up into the side window, which is nearly shattered, and his Stand's guard is as wide open as his gaping mouth.

"Time's up, Avdol! You've resisted long enough! If you're too righteous to burn these people, then I'm sure they'll have a place in Heaven waiting for you once I'm done tearing up your bloody corpse!"

Gray Fly surges forward, past Magician's Red's open hands- but stops dead!? What is it this time!?

Avdol, who before had looked completely defeated, copies Kakyoin's previous look bar-for-bar and switches to a victorious grin.

"A pesky fly like you… had ought to be caught in a bug zapper! Red Bind!"

Again, it's only now that you notice the shape Magician's Red's two seemingly-open hands had taken- they weren't helplessly waiting for Tower of Gray to fly through their guard, they were forming a net between their fingers- a net of flames! As Grey Fly flies into them, they surge to life, and he finds himself completely restrained!

That clever bastard! He couldn't use wide-range flames to attack Gray Fly, so he drew him into a short-range trap!

"Now," Avdol starts, "I'm not a righteous enough man to pass judgement on others, but I am a fortune-teller! And I have never been so sure of any prediction as I am this one- after I'm through with your scorched corpse, you can look forward to plenty more burning in Hell, Gray Fly!"

"N-no, wait! This plane will crash in a few moments! Only I can-"

Gray Fly's attempts at bargaining are stopped short as Avdol ups the intensity of his flames, burning Tower of Gray to a crisp just as surely as a bug zapper!

Ahead of you, near the cockpit, you hear an agonized scream. You turn and finally see Gray Fly himself for the first time this fight, hiding among the rioting passengers, his mouth wide open as flame spouts from his ignited tongue! After a few moments of writhing agony, he falls dead amongst more horrified civilians, who now seem prepared to tear the cockpit door from the wall.

I'm alone! I'm down my two best fighters, and badly hurt! I need to retreat and stop standing out! I can ambush the Joestar group again later!

At your command, all three off your odds slip under the cabin floor to where they should be safe, and you use the excuse of another lurch in the plane to basically fall out of your seat and slip into the aisle, trying to fit in with the other panicking passengers without being knocked over and trampled to death.

After a moment, though, you are bumped into, and hard. You've collided with the barrel chest of the 195 cm Joseph Joestar. Your concussed mind scrambles for a decent response to make in this situation.

"You're going to say 'H-hello there,' aren't you?"

"H-hello th- guh!?" How the fuck did he-

Even your thoughts are cut short as a metal fist slams into your face with violent force, sending you flying right back into your seat, barely conscious at all.

Through a sea of buzzing, throbbing, and popping stars in your vision, you can see the apologetic Joestar standing above you.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, I swear if I guessed wrong I'll willingly jump out of this plane myself in apology!" He reaches down and brushes your hair out of your bloodied face, squinting at your forehead. "But it looks like I didn't guess wrong, did I?"

"H-how…" you manage to gasp.

"Well, it wasn't too hard. Did you even notice? You're totally soaked in the same gunk your Stand bled when Jotaro punched it out earlier… I noticed when I saw Kakyoin covered in the same stuff."

Quattro's blood? Of course… when I swapped places with her, I was under the seat where she'd been bleeding all over the floor… I didn't even consider that… none of them have ever bled before…

Blackness fills the sides of your vision… all is lost. If you could help it, you'd swap with one of your Stands and fall out of the bottom of the plane, but you don't even have the willpower to do that. As your eyes go dark, the last thing you notice is that god damned traitor Kakyoin lifting himself over the seat and above you.

"Mister Joestar," you think he says, "I know this is Jotaro's specialty, but I think I can give it a shot this time…"


When you wake up, the pain in your chest is noticeably reduced, and the throbbing in your skull is perhaps 1% better, but you have a new problem- a scorching white light in your eyes. Once you regain partial consciousness, you realize you're staring directly up into the sun and painfully roll over on your side, realizing you're lying at the wooden bottom of a small boat.

"She's up," you hear a voice say. Kakyoin's?

"Hello, little lady," comes another voice. The Americanized British accent tells you no doubt that it's Joseph Joestar's. "Can you talk?"

You remember that you hate those two with a burning passion, but you can't remember why. Trying to sit up, you respond to Joestar with a groan that perhaps sounds remotely similar to a "yes."

He seems to take it that way, as he continues. "Your friend, Gray Fly, had already killed the pilots before the fight even began. The plane crashed, and we nearly all died and would have, if it weren't for the amazing piloting skills of Joseph Joestar! We made it out, and most of the passengers survived except the ones Gray Fly had already killed, and a few who got killed or too injured to escape in the panic. We're currently in a rescue boat from Hong Kong."
Your brain is still trying to piece this all together, but as you become more lucid, you start to remember your actions more clearly, and, horrified, start putting the pieces together.
"You got quite a few people killed, working with that terrorist. But Kakyoin here could tell you, you aren't the same person with that Flesh Bud in you. Now I just need you to answer me this… how do you feel right now?"
You finally force yourself to sit up on your ass, and see your four (former, now?) enemies sitting on the boat around you. Joseph squats down in front of you, examining you with what seems to be an impartial eye. Kakyoin looks on with sadness, Avdol with pity, and Jotaro, on the far side of the rescue boat, stares you down with a vicious death glare under the shadow of his hat.
As the memories all come flooding back and you realize what you did under the influence of DIO's brain parasite in your head, how do you feel?
[] Apologetic. You're devastated not only that you let innocents die, but that you pretty badly injured both Joseph and Jotaro. You apologize in shame for your actions and beg forgiveness.

[] Apoplectic. You were mind-controlled into this, so you aren't going to waste your energy taking blame that isn't yours. The reason those people are dead, the reason that you and Joseph and Jotaro are so injured, and the one who stomped on your free will are all the same- that bastard DIO! You'll make that piece of shit pay, you swear!

[] Apathetic. What's done is done. You were helpless to resist mind control, but aside from that, you're helpless to resist DIO too… aside from that, no one can resist DIO. He's invincible. Plus, two fifths of your Stand is dead, and your injuries are probably bad enough to cripple you the rest of your life… if these people want justice, they can feel free to throw you in prison or kill you right now.

[] Write in…
 
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Chapter 6: Memory
How do you feel? How do you feel!? What you're feeling right now is the unbearable throbbing in your head being swiftly overwhelmed and completely subsumed by a white hot wave of rage that seemingly envelops your whole body and soul.

You remember now. What that god damn worm in your brain had been making so dull. The world outside of Lord- outside of DIO. After you had saved up a decent chunk of change for your long-awaited university enrollment, you'd unexpectedly received a scholarship to the prestigious Sapienza University of Rome. In celebration of this fantastic news and financial windfall, you'd decided to take your first trip outside of Italy, using some of the money you wouldn't need for university.

Your trip had intended to cross each bastion of the ancient world (your particular field of study, and what earned you your scholarship), from Rome to Timbuktu, then Gondar, then Cairo, then Jerusalem, then Perseopolis, then Madurai. Next, you intended to circle back West and visit Constantinople and Athens before returning home. Taking the course of about three weeks and costing about two and a half million Lira, the trip was meant to be a joyous celebration of you finally dragging your way out of the muck and into a happier life going forward.

Instead, it didn't make it any further than Cairo. Because of him. During your couple of nights in Cairo, you'd met another Stand-user, a Singaporean tourist about your age named Son. At the time, both of you had been unaware that anyone else possessed Stand abilities, and had recklessly accidentally revealed yours to one another. Of course, you couldn't have imagined that you two were far from the only Stand-users in the Old City, nor that safety in numbers was nothing but a pipe dream.

As you'd been enjoying the new company (you hated to admit it, but just knowing that Son could relate to having a hidden power like yours made him immediately fascinating), a force like none other in the whole world lowered its suffocating weight down upon you.

The first harbinger of it was the birds. Two of them hovered above you, a falcon that stared down with a glare that chilled your blood and a parrot that simply idly observed from a greater distance. Neither of you knew exactly why the two birds were so unnerving, but you didn't have long to consider it.

Something terrible emerged from the shadows, something that seemed even blacker than the darkness it had emerged from. His face was the image of perfect beauty. His voice turned your bones to jelly.

"Are you afraid?"
Neither of you could answer DIO's question. You'd gotten to know Son as someone who was brash and nearly idiotically confident, but you could see even his breath was hitched in his throat, unable to deny the implied accusation.

"I believe all humans are afraid," he purred seductively. By then, Due had appeared in front of you, none of her sisters even able to step out from your shadow. Even Due, the most apathetic piece of your soul, trembled with terror.

"In your fear, you seek protection. Will you pray to God? Strengthen your body? Bunch up with other humans? Build weapons?"
With each word, he stepped closer, the click of his shoes on stone tile like gunshots, as even the air seemed too afraid to tremble.

"God abandons you. Your body fails you. Humans betray you. Your weapons are turned against you. For humans, there is no true escape for fear… but you may be an exception."
His voice was paralyzing. His gaze was heart-stopping. But he turned it to Son first, stepping closer to him until he stared him down from a body that seemed impossibly tall, taller than the buildings, taller than the sky. Your sweat ran so thickly down your face that you could taste it in your mouth.

He's the Devil, you thought hopelessly, the Devil himself is right in front of us.
Son, too, trembled in horror, although you could see the vicious claws of his Stand begin to slowly emerge from his shivering hand. You knew, more deeply than you'd known anything ever before, that if Son dared direct one iota of hostility toward this man, if he bared his claws against the Devil himself, he would die between the space of two heartbeats.

"You are special. You have been chosen. You do not need to be afraid any longer. You… can put your faith in DIO."
DIO reached out his hand, so perfectly still and steady in contrast to your helpless trembling that you knew without a doubt that nothing in all the world could trouble this man, and slowly drew one finger in toward Son's head. In your own mind, you visualized a thousand scenarios, all of them ending with Son fighting back and being splattered like a rat under a tire across this entire street.

In the end, it was Uno who worked up the courage before you. She dashed forth from your body, laying a hand on Son as Due dived in the other direction, grabbing a civilian who stood nearby, paralyzed by the mere proximity of the being that he'd had the misfortune of walking by. In a flash, the two were swapped, Son having escaped perhaps 10 meters away into the street. Finally, spurred to action by your own Stand, you turned to Son and screamed.

"RUN! JUST RUN AWAY!"

You knew for a fact he wanted to fight, but you could see in his eyes that his will to resist was near as broken as yours. He turned, and using the power of his Stand, blasted himself away. You watched the two birds follow him, but had no time to consider it for long, nor to think of any other plan of escape or resistance for yourself. DIO's cold, smooth hand already rested gently on your shoulder.

"It's alright, Marta Scamorza. I will forgive you."

With those reassuring words, and the beautiful gift he was generous enough to give you snaking into your skull, you felt all your fear wash away like water…


"I'll tell you how I feel," you growl, clenching your teeth hard enough to make your concussed skull throb, gripping the side of the boat and dragging yourself to your feet.

"I'm livid. That DIO… that monster… that devil… he invaded my mind. He stole away my will. It's his fault those civilians are dead. It's his fault that you people got hurt, and that I got hurt. It's his fault that Due and Quattro are…"

You trail off, your eyes blurring with tears of rage and grief alike.

"DIO thinks you three are a threat to him. I suppose that includes you too now, Kakyoin. And if you allow it," you say, finally making eye contact with Joseph Joestar, your voice breaking up with anger. "I swear to God that I'll be a fucking threat to him too. That monster needs to be put down."

You maintain direct eye contact with Joseph for a few moments, but soon your vision blurs and you swoon and fall to your ass.

When your eyes refocus, you can see that Joseph is grinning, arms crossed below the great red bloodstain on his shirt. "Well? Sounds like a good enough declaration for me! Any objections?"

Everyone's silent for a moment- it makes sense, you have the same goal as these people- but that doesn't last long.

"Apologize," Jotaro grunts almost under his breath from the other side of the little boat.You almost cough in surprise as everyone in the boat turns to him. You feel all your momentum drain in an instant.

"Eh, J-Jotaro," Joseph starts, "I don't think she-"

"You stabbed the old man and almost cut his neck out. Apologize."

You blink and start to stutter. "H-hey, listen, I know that, but I couldn't control what I was doing, it was-" Your retort stops dead in the face of Jotaro's steely stare.

"You did it, so say sorry. I won't forgive you otherwise."

"Now Jotaro," Avdol begins to complain, "I'm sure that she-"

"Sorry! I'm sorry. To you, Joestar, for trying to cut out your neck, and to you for hurting your ankles, Jotaro. Can you still walk right now, by the way? And also, I apologize to all of you as a group for trying to kill you. Obviously I blame DIO for this, but I still feel terrible. Please. Let me help. Let me just get one hit on that bastard, that'll be enough."
Jotaro lowers his hat so you can't see his eyes and grunts in a remotely affirmative way. "Alright, I forgive you. Let's kick DIO's ass together."
You let out a deep sign of relief. You're shocked that Jotaro's harsh words had so utterly smashed your vibe, and it worries you that if he can do it, DIO probably can to. You promise yourself to try to strengthen yourself mentally in preparation for meeting him again.
"Well, with that matter settled," Avdol says, obviously relieved, "I have other good news for you. You seemed to be worried that those parts of your Stand that Jotaro blew to pieces are dead for good. However, I am an expert in Stands, and in all my experience with them, never have I known a Stand to die before its user. Here, summon one of them now."
Your eyes go wide enough to hurt at his words. During the fight, you'd been overwhelmed enough by adrenaline to not consider it, but since then, you'd almost accepted the fact that Due and Quattro were actually dead. With a thought, you summon Quattro, who lays unmoving in the boat. The entire right side of her body is smashed from hip to shoulder, and her right arm is barely attached. She seems just the same as when you last saw her, and equally as insensate and unresponsive. Uno appears unbidden and kneels quietly by her side.
"No… she's really… just dead. Due too… I can't beli-"
"No, she's getting better." Again, Jotaro interrupts you. "There's more of her there than after I punched her."
You turn towards him in surprise. "What do you mean? She's just the same!"
"No, she's growing back, I'm sure of it."
"Don't underestimate Jotaro's eyes," Joseph says with pride. "If it weren't for them, we'd probably still be helplessly waiting back in Japan right now."
You stare down at Quattro, not sure what to believe. Quietly, Kakyoin puts a hand on your shoulder. "I can only imagine how you must feel. But put your faith in Avdol's wisdom and Jotaro's judgement. I have not yet seen them fail."
You sigh, trying to take his advice (and ignore the fact that he couldn't possibly have known those people for more than a week), and do feel yourself a bit comforted.
"Ah, speaking of good news," Kakyoin says as his Hierophant returns to him after being unravelled to its full length, "our saviors have arrived, and judging from the markings on the ship, we'll be taking a trip to Hong Kong."


Over the course of the voyage to Hong Kong, you get to know your new allies a bit better. You introduce yourself as Marta Scamorza, and each of your three still-motile Flashdances introduce themselves as well. You officially meet Jotaro's Star Platinum, and Tre even shakes its massive hand, in spite of what it did to her sisters. You're also introduced to Joseph's Hermit Purple, the Stand you saw the least of in the previous battle.

Avdol assures you that Stand-users like you are unusually resilient and that your injuries will likely recover a few days- speaking of time, the goal of these four crusaders is to eliminate DIO before his very existence strangles the life of Joestar's daughter and Jotaro's mother, Holly, who's estimated to have about 39 days left to live.

You learn that Joseph Joestar is actually exceptionally wealthy, and that as long as you aren't making pointlessly wasteful purchases, all five of you can consider yourselves to have blank checks during the trip for whatever you need.

Having gotten aquatinted, at last you arrive in Hong Kong. You plan to convene in a particular restaurant, but agree it may be wise to do a bit of scouting for enemies beforehand- plus, despite the dire circumstances, it's tempting to do a bit of tourism in this legendary city of commerce and colonialism. However, due to your injuries, it's obvious that you'll need to move with a buddy if you do go out scouting.

[] Go out scouting for enemies and maybe enjoy the city a bit in the meantime- Avdol even tells you spiritual healing may get Due and Quattro on their feet a little sooner.
- [] Bring Joseph with you.
- [] Bring Jotaro with you.
- [] Bring Kakyoin with you.
- [] Bring Avdol with you.

[] Scouting is both risky and probably a waste of time- we're in a rush, let's just head to the restaurant, eat a good meal, discuss our plans, and then figure out how we'll move forward.

[] Write in…
 
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Update
Ah shoot I forgot something this chapter. Some various information should appear at the end of each chapter (or perhaps in a follow-up post after each one?) Anyway here's the first.

F l a s h d a n c e

Location: Hong Kong
39 Days until Holly Kujo's death.

Team status-
Marta Scamorza: Fractured ribs, bruised heart and right lung, misaligned spine, fractured skull, concussed brain, internal damage to eyes. Estimated full recovery: 4 days.
- Uno: Fine
- Due: Incapacitated due to skull injury
- Tre: Fine
- Quattro: Incapacitated due to chest injury
- Cinque: No less useless than usual.

Joseph Joestar: Flesh wound to upper right breast, fracture of right collarbone. Estimated full recovery: 24 hours.

Jotaro Kujo: Fractured left and right ankle. Able to walk but limited mobility. Estimated full recovery: 4 days.

Mohammad Avdol: Superficial flesh wounds to face and sides. More serious cuts and bruises to hands. Dexterity reduced. Estimated full recovery: 36 hours.

Noriaki Kakyoin: Bruised tailbone from falling into a plane handrest. Estimated recovery: Don't worry, he's fine.
 
Chapter 7: Noriaki Kakyoin
Once you arrive in Hong Kong and Joseph books a hotel for you to stay in during your stay (hopefully not overnight, but it's getting late), it's agreed that the group should split up and do a little scouting.

Joseph and Avdol will stay behind at the hotel and make sure no one infiltrates your rooms while Joseph does some clairvoyance with his Hermit Purple (its power is clairvoyance, by the way, although it apparently needs to destroy some electronics every time? Seems inconvenient). You and Kakyoin will group up and head out into the city to make sure no enemies are watching you.

Kakyoin actually volunteered to join you, supposing that you'd have a lot to talk about. When he suggested that you two, the former servants of DIO, go out on your own because you had "a lot to talk about," you were sure the others would consider it extremely suspicious, but there was no sign that they found Kakyoin's offer the least bit suspect. Well, if they trust him…

Finally, Jotaro said he'd go off on his own- for a moment you worried that he'd be ambushed, but in all frankness, after the way he crushed Due and Quattro in one shot each, spotted you through a wall of rioting civilians, and is up and about on two broken ankles not 6 hours after you broke them, it's hard to imagine anyone getting the better of that monster.

As you and Kakyoin leave the hotel, your odd- numbered Flashdances take point all around you, providing nearly perfect 360-degree vision. Better yet, what you see through their eyes isn't nearly as blurry as what you see through your own scrambled retinas. On Kakyoin's part, his Hierophant, with its immense range, climbs about buildings keeping an eye out for anyone who seems to notice it.

"So," you have to ask, "why did you ask to come out with me?"

"Well, it's no one thing. Obviously, you and I were both brainwashed by DIO, and it may be productive to share stories, but there's something else. You've had your Stand since you were born, right?"

You blink. "Yeah. Hasn't everyone?"

He laughs. "I thought so too, but no. Mr. Joestar and Jotaro only developed theirs a few weeks ago, as a result of DIO's awakening. Avdol says his own Stand awakened as a young man when he underwent some sort of epiphany. It seems most people with Stands aren't actually born with them. My Hierophant has been with me from the start, by the way."

"Just a few weeks," you mutter. "Incredible. And Jotaro is already that strong. You said he defeated you when you attacked him?"

"Yes. I attacked him at school, and put several civilians in danger in the process. No one died, but one boy definitely lost his eye, and an innocent nurse suffered serious internal damage… of course that's nothing compared to the passenger who I got killed by using him against Gray Fly… I don't have the excuse of DIO's control for that."

You shake your head. "Don't blame yourself. I'm the one who saved Gray Fly, and you didn't know how my Stand worked. If it weren't for that, your plan would have worked. And like Avdol said, Gray Fly was a terrorist, if he hadn't been defeated he would have killed everyone on that plane, probably including me."

He sighs. "Small comfort for the family of an innocent bystander who I got involved in our battle of my own will. In the end, Avdol defeated Gray Fly all on his own. That sacrifice wasn't necessary at all."

You frown. "Yeah. I guess I don't have much to make you feel better… at the very least, Gray Fly's toast now, so he won't be killing anyone else."

"Yes… anyway, I got off-topic. Despite myself ambushing Jotaro and using a civilian for leverage, he was able to crush me through sheer overwhelming power. His Star Platinum is on a completely different level."

"No joke… anyway, I have to ask… growing up with Hierophant… was it lonely for you?"

Kakyoin grins like he was about to ask you the same question. "Yes. It was hard for me to relate to others my age when none of them could see such a fundamental part of me. Of course, Hierophant always kept me company- and in spite of all the evil Stand-users in the world, it's comforting to know now that Hierophant no longer has to invisibly hide from everyone else. Do you feel the same way?"

You shrug. "Sort of, I guess. The Flashdances have always protected me, but it's hard for me to think of them as companions. It's more like each of them is some reflected aspect of me."

"Really? Please, elaborate."

"Well," you say as you swing Uno around to face Kakyoin, "Uno is a lot like me. Or maybe she's more like 'the me I'd like to be.' She can be a little shy and reserved, but she's brave and always does what needs to be done when it comes down to it. Due is more of the 'me I don't like being.' She's moody, antisocial, borderline misanthropic. She sometimes gets depressed and she can be really violent too."

Kakyoin smiles. "It's a bit scary to know your most violent side was close to taking my head off."

You shake your head, though doing so makes it throb a bit. "Not the most violent. We'll get there. Next up is Tre." You command her to move in front of Kakyoin, which she does, bouncing from one foot to another completely uneccessarily. "Tre's the part of me that has fun. It's sad to say she might be the weakest side these days. She's just a freaky little clown lady, aren't you, Tre?"

You hold out your hand to her and Tre does an utterly frivolous somersault to weightlessly land on your palm, bowing dramatically to you and Kak in turn before you order her back to keeping an eye out.

"Quattro's the most violent side. I don't know exactly what part of me she is, but my best guess is, like, my intrusive thoughts? My negative impulses? She hates anyone I even mildly dislike, and she always tries to solve problems with violence. She's never actually killed anyone, but she'd definitely be the best at it." That last lie comes as naturally as ever. You're far more used to telling it than you ever would have hoped, but the practice comes in handy.

"I assume DIO's control of you made Mr. Joestar the most contemptible enemy imaginable, so it's natural you sent in Quattro first."

"Yeah, I can't even explain how relieved I am that I didn't just kill him immediately. Anyway, last of all is Cinque. Say hello to the nice man, Cinque."

She walks into Kakyoin's periphery and vaguely shrugs.

"No, honey, actually wave. Yeah, I'm gonna press the issue, go on." Finally, she complies, and a laughing Kakyoin waves back.

"If it's not obvious, Cinque is the side of me that just wants to lie down and do nothing. Not just laziness, but like, total disinterest. She does what I want when I really insist, but she's always slow on the uptake."

"It's amazing. You say they aren't really companions for you, but if that's the case, Hierophant must be even less of one. He dislikes open spaces and tends to be a bit shy and distrustful, but I suspect those traits are simply what I've projected onto him- in truth, he seems to have no personality at all."

"I guess it's in the eye of the beholder. I always saw the Flashdances as more like pieces of me. Backup dancers. You were looking for a friend, so you chose Hierophant. Anyway, had you met any other Stand-users before… him?"

"Not at all. Until that night, I was sure I was the only one in all the world who could see Hierophant. How about you?"

"Actually, I met another one right before I ran into DIO. I guess I'd ought to just tell the story." And indeed you do, running Kakyoin through the events leading up to DIO putting his flesh bud in your brain. Read Chapter 6 for the full story of how Marta met DIO, true believers!

"Fascinating. Do you know what happened to that Son boy?"

"Nope, he just bolted. I never saw him in DIO's mansion, but my memories of that time are really fuzzy. I only sort of remember the people I met there… those two birds were DIO's pets. He also had two guys who seemed really loyal to him… A black American guy, and a long haired, like… Eastern European guy? It was hard to tell. Anyway, how did you get caught? If you wanna talk about it."

"I was on vacation to Cairo, just like you, but with my family. It happened just over a week ago."

"So about a month after me," you say.

"That's right. I was there with my mother, my father, my uncle, my aunt, and their daughter, my cousin Ryoko."

"A kid?"

"Yes, she just turned 6 last month. Anyway, Ryoko and I were out exploring the city that night."

"A little girl and a teenager alone at night? Your parents and hers must be really abnormally relaxed."

He laughs and shakes his head. "Anything but. But I have a reputation of being very reliable, and as for myself, I was fully confident that nothing could endanger us with Hierophant around. Of course, I was wrong… DIO arrived and I knew on pure reflex that nothing could harm him. I had Ryoko run away to safety, but of course I couldn't escape him… I couldn't even try."

You nod, fully understanding the sensation.

"DIO had me return to my family. Ryoko was very upset, but I explained that she'd just overreacted to a scary stranger. We were both scolded for the event. I was acting quite strange at the time, but I think only Ryoko really noticed. Soon after, we returned home. I imagine I was still acting rather odd, dismissive of my family and responsibilities."

"That must suck to know… have you tried to explain anything to them?"

"I haven't had the time. I attacked Jotaro, he defeated me and removed the flesh bud in me, I slept at Mrs. Holly's house, and when I awoke, she was already sick and the plan to save her began. I sent my family a letter that I'd be gone for about 40 days and to not worry about me."

"And is that gonna work?"

He laughs, albeit much more bitterly than jovially. "Not a chance. My family is very prone to drama. I only hope I won't get disowned when I return home or something, for all the stress I'm causing them. One of my aunts is persona-non-grata in the Kakyoin household simply due to her decision to elope with a man my grandparents didn't approve of. Her daughter is about five now, I think, and yet I've never met her."

"That's a shame," you say, though you find it somewhat hard to sympathize with family drama on so trivial a scale. You hate yourself for thinking this way, but you can't help but feel that he's lucky just to have a family that treats him half-decently.

You open your mouth to start to say some other empty platitude in sympathy, but you pause when Uno spots something strange- someone just made eye contact with her. You raise your hand to have Kakyoin stop, and he, too, notices as the same man spots Hierophant.

The man in question is a shady-looking character even on his face, slouching against a wall in an alleyway, wearing a hood that shadows his eyes, and smoking a cigarette. His clothes are dirty and he's sporting a 87 o'clock shadow. As he, in turn, notices that you've noticed him, he grunts in your direction.

"You two have a special power too, right? Well fuck off. This is my turf. Get any closer and I'm gonna have to take offense."

Kakyoin retracts Hierophant closer to him, and the green Stand takes up a stance ready for battle if necessary. Your available Flashdances take up positions around you as well.

Looking closer, you can see this dirty-looking delinquent is standing in front of some large dark shape. It looks almost like a boulder? You have a bad feeling that this guy is the type to use his Stand for crime, but maybe that's just your bias? I mean honestly, he could just be a particularly coarse homeless man, you of all people have no place judging that. And even if he was a criminal, you're almost sure he isn't related to DIO, so it's hardly your business. Kakyoin seems prepared to fight, but not gnawing at the bit to attack.

[] This is stupid. You're not a barbarian. Just talk with this guy and make sure he's not shanking random civilians. If he is, though, this might give him the jump on you.

[] Nah, you're pretty sure the only reason this guy isn't already trying to mug you with his Stand is because he's worried you'll be able to fight back. Prove him right.

- [] Write in… an initial battle strategy. Tough without knowing his Stand power, admittedly.

[] This guy isn't trying to attack you and you don't see corpses scattered about his alleyway. Get over yourself, you're not the fucking Punisher. Let's just go and meet the others at the restaurant.

[] Write in…
 
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Chapter 7 Update
Flashdance
Nature: Incorporeal
Category: Swarm
Appearance: Biological Humanoid
Awareness: Sentient
Ability: 'Swapping Places.'
Combat Utility: C
General Utility: B

Location: Hong Kong
39 Days until Holly Kujo's death.

Team status-
Marta Scamorza: Fractured ribs, bruised heart and right lung, misaligned spine, fractured skull, concussed brain, internal damage to eyes. Estimated full recovery: 4 days.
- Uno: Fine
- Due: Incapacitated due to skull injury
- Tre: Fine
- Quattro: Incapacitated due to chest injury
- Cinque: No less useless than usual.

Joseph Joestar: Flesh wound to upper right breast, fracture of right collarbone. Estimated full recovery: 24 hours.

Jotaro Kujo: Fractured left and right ankle. Able to walk but limited mobility. Estimated full recovery: 4 days.

Mohammad Avdol: Superficial flesh wounds to face and sides. More serious cuts and bruises to hands. Dexterity reduced. Estimated full recovery: 36 hours.

Noriaki Kakyoin: Fine physically. Emotionally, he's hanging in there.
 
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