《JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Twisted Destiny》


 Johana Joestar

    He strikes late at night. His target, a pretty young woman with brown curls, is walking home from class. He chuckles to himself as he thinks about what he¡¯s about to do. Quickly, he moves from the bushes, drawing his knife and lunging at the woman.


    She runs, screaming as loud as she can. He doesn¡¯t mind; he expected her to run. She dashes for the nearest building, hoping to get away. That¡¯s when she steps into his trap.


    Her foot falls into a slipknot made thin string, so thin that she can barely make it out. She falls to the ground and feels a creature crawling on her back, creating more string and binding her limbs. Suddenly, she feels very, very tired. As she slips from consciousness she looks at her back, at the creature tying her up, and sees nothing.


    He walks over to his trap and smiles. The creature abandons the woman and returns to its master, taking its place on his shoulder.


    +++


    Our story begins in the summer of 2011, in the City of London, on a swelteringly hot day. A young university freshman sits in the stuffy office of one of her professors, a small windowless room filled with bookshelves overflowing with old tomes. She wipes a few drops of sweat from her brow and regrets her decision to wear black. She¡¯s been sitting in the office for ten minutes now, watching as her professor silently flips through an old history book. Then she notices it, an ice cold can of soda sitting on her professor''s desk next to a tuna sandwich. Beads of condensation drip down from the can and plop on the professor''s wooden desk.


    The student glances at her professor, who is still enthralled by his book. Slowly, she reaches for the can of soda. The ruler moves faster than the eye can see, bursting through the air and striking the student in the hand the moment her finger touches the can. The student glances up at the man holding the ruler, her professor with an angry look on his face. ¡°I do not recall giving you permission to touch my belongings, Miss Jonestar,¡± he says. ¡°In fact, I recall instructing you to sit here quietly while I finished reading this passage, an instruction you seem incapable of following.¡±


    ¡°Joestar,¡± the student mutters.


    ¡°Excuse, me, I didn¡¯t catch that,¡± the professor says. ¡°Speak louder when you¡¯re spoken to.¡±


    ¡°My name is Joestar, sir,¡± she says.


    The professor rolls his eyes. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he says, voice full of sarcasm. ¡°Please forgive me for misremembering the stupid name of one of my countless students.¡±


    The professor, an old man named Dr. Dre, is a tall, chubby man with horn-rimmed glasses. He wears a tweed jacket and a tie covered in the logo of his favorite soda brand. He has been a history teacher for thirty years now, a position he adores because it gives him a microcosm of power, a power that he enjoys abusing as much as possible, much to the dismay of his students.


    He pulls the ruler back and discovers that Miss Joestar¡¯s finger hasn¡¯t moved from the soda can. She stares at him for a moment before slowly pulling her hand back. The professor rolls his eyes.


    ¡°You made me lose my place in my book, young lady,¡± the professor says with a scowl.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Miss Joestar mutters.


    ¡°Now then, what was it that was so urgent that you felt the need to bother me during my lunch break?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Dre-¡±


    ¡°Dr. Dre.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Dre, I was hoping to talk to you about the recent exam.¡±


    Dr. Dre scoffs. ¡°Of course you are,¡± he says. ¡°Every hour another one of my students comes here to complain about receiving a bad grade. It isn¡¯t my fault that you children decided against showing up.¡±


    ¡°Sir, you changed the location of the test to a room on the other side of campus,¡± Miss Joestar says. ¡°You also moved the time of the exam to six o¡¯clock in the morning instead of noon. And you only notified us of this change two hours after the test ended.¡±


    ¡°Excuses, always with the excuses.¡±


    ¡°Sir, I was wondering if there was any way I could retake the exam, seeing as it is worth thirty percent of my grade.¡±


    ¡°Sucks to be you.¡±


    Miss Joestar sighs. ¡°I''m¡¯ sorry to have wasted your time, sir,¡± she says before walking out of the office.


    Professor Dre chuckles and grabs his soda. He pulls the tab and a torrent of soda bursts out, soaking his coat.


    +++


    The Joestars. This proud clan of British aristocrats immigrated to the United States in 1892 and became one of the wealthiest families in the country after earning fortunes in the oil and real estate markets. Using this wealth, they co-founded the Speedwagon Foundation, a top of the line medical research organization. Unbeknown to most people, the true purpose of the Foundation is the study and acquisition of supernatural phenomena.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    For generations, the Joestars have dedicated themselves to this purpose, transforming themselves into honorable warriors dedicated to the protection of the world. But, after more than a century of battles, the family has begun to dwindle.


    Johana Joestar was born in 1992 to Foundation President Joshua Joestar. Johana¡¯s childhood was dedicated to preparing her for her destiny as head of the Speedwagon Foundation. From the moment she was born, she spent every waking moment studying history, science, and mythology, as well as training in martial arts, so that she could one day protect the world, like every Joestar that came before her.


    Johana rejected this path and ran away from home at the age of fifteen. Three years later, she moved to her family¡¯s country of origin and began studying history at Lonely Castle University in London. She wants nothing to do with her family. But, destiny is a fickle mistress, one that few can slip away from.


    +++


    Johana walks out of the class building. Her friend, a Japanese girl named Kan, is leaning against the doorway, strumming a guitar. ¡°So, is Mr. Dre still a dick?¡± Kan asks.


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Johana replies.


    ¡°I had him my first semester. I remember one time, he gave us fifteen minutes to do a fifty-page test. One of the guys in my class actually started crying. Does he still drink that crappy knock-off soda, Sparite?¡±


    Johana smiles. ¡°Yeah,¡± she says. ¡°Actually, I met with him during his lunch break, so he had a can with him. I shook it up while he wasn¡¯t looking.¡±


    Kan laughs. ¡°You know, people say you¡¯re an unfriendly jackass with absolutely no sense of humor, but you can be pretty clever when you want to,¡± she says.


    ¡°Who says that about me?¡± Johana asks.


    Kan ignores Johana and places her guitar in its case. ¡°I¡¯m putting up flyers for the concert tonight, can you help me?¡± she asks.


    Johana nods her head and Kan does a little victory dance. She runs off to the library to print off fliers, Johana following closely behind.


    +++


    Johana Joestar and Kan Nijimura met their first week of college. Both freshman new to the country, the duo bonded and quickly formed an ironclad friendship in spite of their different hobbies and temperaments. Kan is boisterous, energetic, and quick to make friends. She has bleach blonde hair cut into a mohawk that hangs down over half of her head. On this hot summer day, she wears black jeans, a gold belt, a t-shirt with an infinity sign and a diagram of the evolution of man printed on it, black heels, a pair of spike covered bracelets, and a denim jacket. The left arm of her jacket has been ripped off, showing a variety of rock band tattoos.


    Johana, on the other hand, dresses plainly, wearing a tank top, skirt, tights, and boots, all black. Her dark blue hair is pulled into a bun and a pair of glasses sit on her nose. She¡¯s the quiet, studious girl who always sits in the corner of a room while Kan is the girl who yells out the answer before the teacher can even call her name.


    As she chases after Kan, Johana flashes back to the night they met. She was walking home from class, late at night, when she saw a man in a ski mask following Kan, holding a knife in his hand. At first, she turned her head away and continued on her way, not wanting to get involved. Then she heard Kan scream.


    She moved without thinking, dropping her books and running to save Kan. Johana jumped into action and kicked the man in the face. He dropped the knife and ran away while Johana tended to Kan.


    Kan was fine, she¡¯d screamed before the man could do anything. In fact, instead of being terrified like Johana had expected, Kan was starstruck. ¡°You saved my life!¡± she said.


    Johana blushed. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°That was so cool! You came out of nowhere and beat the shit out of that guy! It was like something out of a kung fu movie.¡±


    From that day onward, the two were inseparable. They ate together, they studied together, they even started living together during their spring semester. Johana taught Kan self-defense and Kan introduced Johana to her favorite bands. For the first time since she ran away from home, Johana had a friend.


    +++


    ¡°I think tonight¡¯s show is going to be really good. We managed to borrow a small stage and some equipment from the music department, so it¡¯s going to be like a real show!¡± Kan says while she and Johana wait for the flyers to finish printing.


    ¡°Show¡¯s at eight thirty on the quad, right?¡± Johana asks.


    Kan nods her head. For five months now, she has been the bass guitarist of a rock band she co-founded called Lifeless December. ¡°Are you coming?¡± Kan asks.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world,¡± Johana says.


    They pay for the flyers, handing handfuls of change to a library employee with buck teeth who gives them a dirty look, and leave the library to go get lunch. As they walk through the college campus, they come across something rather odd.


    A large white cocoon, as tall as Johana, sits by the doorway to one of the dormitories. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Kan asks while reaching her hand out to touch the cocoon.


    Johana slaps her hand away. ¡°What?¡± Kan says.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it, it looks weird,¡± Johana replies.


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t touch it. That doesn¡¯t answer my question though. What is this thing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably just a modern art exhibit or something. Best to leave it alone.¡±


    As the duo walk away, Johana glances over her shoulders at the cocoon and feels an aura of menace that chills her to her bones. She knows that, whatever the cocoon is, it is evil, and she wants nothing to do with it.


    When she walks into the school cafeteria, she sees something incredibly bizarre. A young man with blonde hair balancing with one foot on the back of a chair and the other folded over his waist. The young man wears a tight black tank top that shows off his toned body, dark green pants covered in white stars, a striped scarf covered in hearts, and a black beanie covered in four-leaf clovers. In his left hand, he holds a green banana. He taps it with his right hand and the skin of the banana turns yellow. He peels the banana and takes a bite.


    ¡°What¡¯s that guy¡¯s deal?¡± Kan asks.


    Johana doesn¡¯t say anything. She knows exactly what the guy¡¯s deal is. It¡¯s been years since the two saw each other last, but she¡¯d recognize that dumbass smile anywhere. And, even if she couldn¡¯t, she¡¯d still recognize the star-shaped birthmark on the man¡¯s left shoulder.


    The man notices Johana and smiles. He does a backflip off the chair and walks over to Johana. ¡°Cousin!¡± he says, arms spread for a hug.


    Johana groans.

 Nero Zeppelis Viva La Vida, Part 1

    The man with the clover beanie hangs upside down from the ladder of Johana and Kan¡¯s bunk bed. Johana stands in front of him, arms crossed, with a scowl on her face. Kan sits off to the side in a desk chair with her hands in her lap.


    Johana and the man have been staring at each other for ten minutes now, beginning when Johana drug the man away from the cafeteria by the ear. Neither has said a complete sentence to the other in this time. ¡°As I was saying,¡± the man in the beanie begins, ¡°It¡¯s so good to-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Johana shouts. ¡°We aren¡¯t doing this. We aren¡¯t going to sit here and reminisce and talk about how happy we are to see each other. The only thing you¡¯re going to do is leave without another word and never come back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you again,¡± the man in the beanie mutters.


    ¡°Without another word, Nero.¡±


    Kan chews at her fingernails, a nervous tick that¡¯s been with her since childhood. ¡°So, um, would you mind telling me what¡¯s going on?¡± she says.


    Johana doesn¡¯t respond. ¡°You ran into this weird guy at the cafeteria, and he called you cousin, and tried to hug you, then you punched him in the stomach and brought him back here, and now you¡¯re telling him to leave?¡± Kan says. ¡°I¡¯m not criticizing, I just don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going on. Also, you both have that weird star thing on your shoulder, which is weird.¡±


    Johana places her hand on the star-shaped birthmark on her neck, a mark she shares with each member of her bloodline, and sighs. ¡°His name is Nero Zeppeli,¡± Johana says. ¡°He¡¯s my cousin.¡±


    Nero jumps off the ladder and extends his hand for Kan to shake. ¡°A pleasure to meet you, miss...?¡±


    ¡°Nijimura,¡± Kan says.


    ¡°It is nice to see that Johana has a friend. Her grandfather will be happy to know that she isn¡¯t all alone at college. He worries, you know?¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re here?¡± Johana spits. ¡°Because Grandpa Joe was worried about me?¡±


    ¡°Alas, that is not my reason that I have come here,¡± Nero says, frowning. ¡°I¡¯m here on business.¡±


    ¡°What do you do?¡± Kan asks.


    ¡°He¡¯s a traveling salesman,¡± Johana says.


    ¡°I work for a top-secret organization that researches supernatural phenomena,¡± Nero says without a second thought.


    ¡°Wow, not even going to try to be subtle,¡± Johana mutters.


    ¡°There are dark clouds hanging over London, Johana,¡± Nero says.


    ¡°There are always dark clouds hanging over London. It rains every other day.¡±


    ¡°Metaphorical dark clouds. There is an evil force in this city. I don¡¯t know what it is, but I know that something big is coming. You might be in danger. Let me protect you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m flattered by the offer, but I¡¯m going to have to say no.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kan and Nero say together.


    Johana places her hands on Nero¡¯s shoulders and drags him out of the dorm room. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m sure you can handle whatever this evil force is,¡± she says.


    ¡°JoJo, please,¡± Nero begs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything to do with you, or the Speedwagon Foundation, or Julius, or Holly, or Grandpa Joe, or any of the other bullshit you¡¯re tangled up in,¡± Johana says. ¡°Have a nice day, Nero. Just have it far away from me.¡±


    Johana slams the door shut. Kan stares at her. ¡°So, secret organizations that research supernatural phenomena?¡± she says.


    Johana forces a laugh and sits down on the bed. ¡°My cousin¡¯s a bit insane,¡± she says. ¡°Best to ignore anything he says.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay to just leave him alone like that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be fine. And even if he isn¡¯t fine, it¡¯s not really my problem.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he your family?¡±


    Johana sighs. ¡°My family and I don¡¯t exactly get along,¡± she says.


    ¡°Are they bad people?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re great people. That¡¯s the problem.¡±


    Kan makes an I don¡¯t understand face and Johana rubs her temples. ¡°Some bad stuff happened when I was a kid and I ran away from home,¡± Johana says. ¡°That¡¯s all you need to know.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I understand,¡± Kan says.


    Johana sits there for a moment, tapping her foot on the ground. ¡°You still want to know what Nero was talking about, don¡¯t you?¡± Kan says.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just, last time I saw him, Nero promised he wouldn¡¯t bother me ever again. He¡¯s kept that promise for three years.¡±


    ¡°Which means that this thing that has him worried is probably really serious.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Nero¡¯s a moron, but he wouldn¡¯t go back on his word if it wasn¡¯t serious.¡±


    ¡°Go talk to him! Besides, stopping an evil force from destroying London sounds a little bit more important than hanging some flyers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Nero was exaggerating. And even if he wasn¡¯t, it¡¯s more complicated than that. I barely managed to get out of this life. I don¡¯t want to jump back in.¡±


    ¡°I mean, if something big is coming, you¡¯ll probably get drug in whether you want to or not. You¡¯ll at least have your cool secret agent cousin with you if you help him stop it in advance.¡±


    Johana sighs. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the concert tonight,¡± she says while walking to the door.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    When she opens the door, she finds Nero on his knees, begging. ¡°You get one hour to convince me you need my help,¡± Johana says.


    Nero leaps to his feet. ¡°I shall not let you down, JoJo!¡± he says while putting an arm around Johana¡¯s shoulder.


    The two walk out of Johana¡¯s dorm together. ¡°So, have you kept up with your Hamon training?¡± Nero asks.


    ¡°Are you planning to get into any fights?¡± Johana retorts.


    ¡°No, but they often happen in our line of business.¡±


    ¡°First off, your line of business. Secondly, would you mind telling me what exactly you need my help with?¡±


    Nero pulls out a stack of Rorschach inkblot tests. He holds one up for Johana. ¡°What do you see?¡±


    ¡°An inkblot test.¡±


    ¡°I know, but what does it look like?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, and elephant maybe?¡±


    Nero flips the picture over and frowns. ¡°Sorry, wrong photo,¡± he says.


    Johana sighs. ¡°Why are you showing me an inkblot test?¡±


    ¡°My mother¡¯s stand allows her to predict impending doom in the form inkblots,¡± Nero says while flipping through the pictures. ¡°They can be hard to decipher, but everything in the inkblots she creates comes true.¡±


    ¡°You bothered me over some inkblot tests?¡±


    Nero pulls out another inkblot, this one showing a series of interconnected lines. ¡°What do you see?¡± he asks.


    ¡°A bunch of random lines,¡± she says.


    Johana leans in to get a closer look. ¡°Wait, is that a map of the London Underground?¡± she asks.


    Nero nods his head. ¡°There¡¯s more,¡± he says. ¡°Inkblots showing various landmarks around London, and one unnerving inkblot that is the reason for my visit.¡±


    He holds up another inkblot, one resembling the face of a woman. Johana looks closely at the image. The woman looks so familiar, but Johana can¡¯t quite place her. Then she notices a star-shaped smudge of ink by the woman¡¯s neck. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± she mutters.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have bothered you if it wasn¡¯t vital,¡± Nero says.


    ¡°So Holly predicted impending doom in my future. Awesome,¡± Johana says flatly.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t as bad as it seems,¡± Nero says. ¡°If the inkblot had shown you with a slit throat, or a bullet hole in the center of your forehead, you¡¯d be destined to die. This picture only shows you frowning. Something is coming, yes, but we may be able to mitigate its danger.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea what this doom is, or how we can stop it?¡±


    ¡°I have an idea.¡±


    Nero pulls out a final inkblot. ¡°What does this look like to you?¡± he asks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, a skull?¡± Johana says.


    Nero looks at it again. ¡°You know, it does kinda look like a skull,¡± he says. ¡°Personally, I think it looks like a cocoon.¡±


    ¡°A cocoon?¡± Johana repeats, thinking back to the odd sculpture by the dormitories.


    ¡°I looked online for any supernatural stuff going on in London involving cocoons, and you know what I found out? A bunch of giant cocoons have been popping up all over this college campus in the past few weeks.¡±


    ¡°I know where one is.¡±


    Johana leads Nero to the large cocoon outside of the dorm building. ¡°Interesting, very interesting,¡± Nero says while poking the cocoon with a pen. ¡°This silk, it isn¡¯t like anything I¡¯ve ever seen before.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strong and thin, like normal silk, but nearly invisible. If it wasn¡¯t wrapped so tightly I don¡¯t think we¡¯d be able to see it.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t silk normally strong and thin?¡±


    ¡°Not to this extent. Plus, normal silk doesn¡¯t give off this much heat.¡±


    Johana places her hand on the cocoon, before rapidly pulling it back. She grimaces at the new burn on the palm. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s weird,¡± she says.


    ¡°Stand back,¡± Nero says.


    A pair of barely visible arms appear in front of Nero and strike the cocoon, hitting it dozens of times in the span of a few seconds before disappearing. The silk cocoon rots away, leaving a gaping hole in its side. A skull rolls out from this hole and lands on the ground in front of Johana.


    Johana covers her mouth to keep from vomiting. ¡°That¡¯s a human skull,¡± she mutters.


    ¡°More than just a skull, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Nero says while peering into the cocoon.


    Johana glances inside the cocoon and sees a rotting corpse missing its head. ¡°Did you do this?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Did I do what?¡±


    ¡°This! You rotted away the cocoon, did you accidentally rot away this body?¡±


    ¡°My powers don¡¯t work on people. She was like this when we got here.¡±


    ¡°Wait, she?¡±


    ¡°Her clothes haven¡¯t fully rotted away yet. Judging by her fashion and height, I¡¯d guess that this body belongs to a woman in her twenties, presumably a student at this university.¡±


    Nero notices a lanyard hanging from the corpse¡¯s neck and grabs it. ¡°It¡¯s a student worker id for the library,¡± Nero says. ¡°Does the name Louise Ciccone ring any bells?¡±


    Johana snatches the id from Nero¡¯s hands. She stares at the picture on the front, a picture of a pretty young woman with brown curls. ¡°I recognize this woman,¡± Johana says. ¡°She went missing a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°A few days ago?¡± Nero asks. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why?¡±


    Nero looks inside the cocoon again and scratches his chin. ¡°Bodies don¡¯t decay that fast,¡± he says. ¡°Nearly all of the fat and muscle has faded away, leaving only bones. That doesn¡¯t happen overnight.¡±


    ¡°What does this mean?¡± Johana asks.


    ¡°It means that we¡¯re dealing with a stand user.¡±


    Johana sighs. She¡¯d hoped to never hear those two words ever again. ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asks.


    Nero nods his head. ¡°We have a stand user to stop,¡± he says.


    The arms reappear on Nero¡¯s shoulders and grab the cocoon, ripping it out of the ground. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Johana shouts.


    Then she notices it, a series of silk cables leading out of the bottom of the cocoon and going underground. ¡°These cocoons, they burn the energy in people¡¯s flesh and drag it somewhere belowground,¡± Nero says. ¡°Are there any buildings nearby that have a basement?¡±


    ¡°I think the library has a basement,¡± Johana says. ¡°People don¡¯t use it very much though.¡±


    ¡°Perfect!¡± Nero shouts before running off in search of the library.


    ¡°Are you just going to leave the body?¡± Johana yells back.


    ¡°Someone else will figure out what to do with it!¡±


    +++


    After Johana shows him where the library is, Nero sprints down the stairs to the basement, leaping over three steps at a time. The library basement isn¡¯t the evil lair Nero hoped it would be. Instead of the large room filled with death traps and fire, he finds a cramped basement filled with shelves containing textbooks, lit by flickering fluorescent lights. The basement is empty, its ceilings covered in cobwebs and its floor covered in dust.


    ¡°Looks like nobody¡¯s been down here in years,¡± Johana says.


    Nero bends down and looks at the floor of the basement. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± he says. ¡°It¡¯s faint, but there are footprints in the dust.¡±


    Johana leans down and notices the faint footprints. Specifically, she notices two sets of footprints leading to a door on the other end of the basement and a single set leading back. ¡°There¡¯s somebody behind that door,¡± Johana says.


    Nero slowly walks towards the door. Johana follows close behind. Around halfway to the door, Johana grabs Nero by the shoulder and stops him. ¡°What?¡± he asks.


    Johana points at a pair of bookshelves sitting in Nero¡¯s path. Nero narrows his eyes and notices the giant web sitting between them, made of the same silk as the cocoon. One flurry of punches later, the web and the bookshelves it was attached to are gone. ¡°We¡¯re definitely in the right place,¡± Nero says.


    The door sitting at the end of the basement is a heavy iron door, locked with a padlock. A sign sitting near it proclaims that it is used for the storage of old newspapers. Nero places his hand on the padlock. It rusts and falls off the door. Slowly, Nero pushes open the storage room door.


    Five cocoons sit on the other side.


    TO BE CONTINUED IN


    Chapter 3: Nero Zeppeli¡¯s Viva La Vida, Part 2

 Nero Zeppelis Viva La Vida, Part 3

    Light from the setting sun shines on Viva La Vida¡¯s crown. The Stand¡¯s tattered red cape waves back in forth in the breeze as it stands behind Nero, ready to fight. ¡°My Viva La Vida has a single, deadly ability. Anything its fists strike decays, including your webs.¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening,¡± Rabbit Jimmy mutters. ¡°My abilities are supposed to be unique. I can¡¯t believe you have the same type of abilities as me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more, Johana over here also has a Stand,¡± Nero says.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a Stand,¡± Johana says.


    Nero raises his eyebrows. ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± he says.


    ¡°No. When have I ever said that I did?¡±


    ¡°I just assumed. I mean, everyone in our family has Stands!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not part of our family anymore.¡±


    ¡°You can see Viva La Vida though, right? And Jimmy¡¯s weird spider Stand, you pointed it out earlier.¡±


    Johana sighs. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you,¡± she says. ¡°I have the potential to unlock one, I suppose, but I¡¯ve never had the need nor the desire to try and summon one.¡±


    Nero places his arm in front of Johana. ¡°In that case, let me handle this,¡± he says. ¡°Stand battles can be dangerous for regular people.¡±


    Nero and Johana turn back to Rabbit Jimmy and notice that Wrap God has left his shoulder. ¡°The spider¡¯s gone,¡± Johana whispers.


    ¡°I noticed. Fortunately, I can get rid of it if I knock its user out,¡± Nero says.


    Nero charges at Rabbit Jimmy. Viva La Vida bursts out from behind Nero and strikes Jimmy in the stomach, knocking him on his ass. Wrap God crawls out of the ground holding a cord made of silk in its teeth. Rabbit Jimmy grabs the cord and leaps to his feet.


    Jimmy turns his head to the side and dodges a punch from Viva La Vida. Jimmy uppercuts the Stand. His fist, instead of doing any damage, simply bounces off. Viva La Vida kicks Jimmy, knocking him away.


    ¡°Word from the wise, James. Stands can only be hurt by other Stands,¡± Nero says.


    ¡°Good to know,¡± Jimmy snaps.


    The spider crawls out of the ground once more, bringing Rabbit Jimmy a new silk cable. Jimmy grabs the cable and smiles. His muscles grow as he stands back up. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the cables?¡± Nero asks.


    ¡°Wrap God¡¯s strings bring me energy to increase my strength and healing,¡± Jimmy says. ¡°Earlier, while Johana was trying to remember my name, I had him tie up some new victims for me to drain.¡±


    Nero frowns and Viva La Vida punches the ground a few times, trying to find where the cables are located. Rabbit Jimmy laughs. ¡°Good luck finding my cables,¡± he says. ¡°They¡¯re buried far too deep for you to dig them up while fighting me.¡±


    Wrap God climbs down onto Jimmy¡¯s hand and attaches a long string to his fist. Jimmy spins his Stand around his head like a ball and chain. He approaches Nero in an attempt to strike Nero with his Stand.


    Viva La Vida crouches down and punches the wire connecting Jimmy and Wrap God, severing it and sending Wrap God flying away from its user. As it flies through the air, Wrap God spits a glob of silk at Nero, hitting him in the back of the head.


    Nero closes his eyes and yawns. ¡°Nero, you have to rip the silk of!¡± Johana shouts.


    Nero¡¯s eyes shoot open. In an instant, rips Viva La Vida off the silk. ¡°That was close,¡± Johana says.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, I just felt really sleepy all of a sudden,¡± Nero says.


    ¡°It¡¯s that silk, it sedates people so the spider can tie them up. Remember when we were in the basement? We both fell asleep when the silk touched us.¡±


    Nero turns back to Rabbit Jimmy. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to keep my guard up then,¡± he says.


    Wrap God crawls around the battlefield in a circle, covering the grass in string. ¡°That¡¯s the beauty of my Wrap God,¡± Jimmy says as Wrap God finishes the web and burrows underground. ¡°When I create webs like this, all I need to do is knock you over once and I win.¡±


    Nero charges at Jimmy, being careful to avoid stepping on the web. Viva La Vida launches forward to strike Jimmy. Wrap God climbs out from underground once more, bringing with it the silk cable. Rabbit Jimmy grabs the cord and the Stand. He punches Viva La Vida using Wrap God as a brass knuckle.


    The blow knocks Nero over onto the string covered grass. At first, Nero tries to strike the grass with his Stand. But, before long, he falls asleep. Wrap God crawls over and ties its latest victim up in a white cocoon.


    ¡°Nero!¡± Johana shouts.


    ¡°One down,¡± Rabbit Jimmy says while putting his mask back on. ¡°Now for you, Johana.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Let Nero go before I break your neck,¡± Johana says.


    Rabbit Jimmy laughs. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± he asks. ¡°Even if you could defeat my Stand, which you can¡¯t, the energy Wrap God brought me makes me strong enough to win any battle.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a monster.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know the start of it, dear archenemy. Where do you think I¡¯m getting this energy from?¡±


    At that moment, Johana realizes that she hasn¡¯t heard the concert since the fight began. ¡°No,¡± she whispers.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I ensnared an entire concert full of people, including your friend Kan Nijimura, to increase my strength.¡±


    Johana closes her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to start beating the shit out of you, and I don¡¯t know when I¡¯m going to stop,¡± she says.


    Johana takes a deep breath. Energy from her lungs spreads through her body, filling her muscles with strength. Power ripples through her fists as she charges at Jimmy. ¡°Wait a minute, something¡¯s different!¡± Jimmy shouts. ¡°You¡¯ve changed!¡±


    Johana punches Jimmy in the stomach. ¡°It¡¯s called Hamon,¡± she whispers. ¡°It works kind of like your string energy, allowing me to punch harder and heal injuries.¡±


    Johana kicks Rabbit Jimmy in the stomach, knocking him away. Wrap God climbs up Jimmy¡¯s leg. He swings his Stand around by a string once more, releasing it and throwing it at Johana.


    Johana ducks to avoid being hit in the head by Wrap God. She grabs the string hanging from the Stand and uses it to fling the Stand dozens of meters away. Johana approaches Jimmy as he draws his knife.


    Jimmy lunges at Johana, knife aimed for her throat. Johana grabs his wrist and squeezes, forcing Jimmy to drop the knife. Johana kicks the knife as it falls, sending it flying into Jimmy¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Right now, that knife is lodged in an artery. If you pull it out or even move to quickly, it¡¯ll fall out and you¡¯ll bleed to death. If you let Nero, Kan, and the rest of your victims go, I¡¯ll heal your wounds and let you live.¡±


    Jimmy rips the knife out, swinging it at Johana¡¯s throat. Johana sighs and kicks the knife out of his hand. ¡°What did that accomplish?¡± she says as he grabs Jimmy by the throat.


    ¡°A distraction,¡± he whispers.


    Johana turns around just in time to see Wrap God shoot a pile of string at her face, hitting her in the glasses. Johana rips the glasses off, throwing them away before they knock her out.


    She turns back to Jimmy as he grabs the silk cord leading to the concert cocoons. He absorbs the energy and the hole in his throat closes up. ¡°I don¡¯t need your mercy, dear archenemy,¡± he says. ¡°Any injury you give me I can heal from.¡±


    Wrap God fires a glob of web at Johana. She jumps to the side to dodge it as Jimmy charges at her with the knife. She pulls her arm back and it rockets forward, dislocating itself from her shoulder and striking Jimmy in the nose.


    Jimmy smiles. ¡°You¡¯ve fallen for my trip, dear archenemy!¡± he shouts. ¡°My mask is made of Wrap God¡¯s silk! By punching me in the face, you¡¯ve exposed yourself to my sedative silk! Soon, you¡¯ll-¡±


    Johana¡¯s fist engulfs in flames, setting Jimmy¡¯s mask on fire. Jimmy screams and rips the mask off. ¡°What the shit?¡± he screams.


    ¡°Scarlet Overdrive,¡± Johana says as she ignites her other fist. ¡°It¡¯s a Hamon technique that allows me to set myself on fire. I wasn¡¯t going to use it because of the damage to my body, but then you reminded me that I can heal.¡±


    Johana unleashes a rush of punches on Jimmy, beating him to a pulp and knocking him out of the web. Wrap God lunges at Johana and she grabs Jimmy by the shoulder, using him to block his own Stand. Jimmy wrestles himself free and slaps Johana, knocking her away.


    Jimmy and Johana both fall to their knees. The fires on Johana¡¯s arms and Rabbit Jimmy¡¯s clothes peter out. Johana looks at her burn covered arms, one dislocated. Jimmy looks at his burn covered body, filled with broken bones. Wrap God brings Jimmy the cable, Johana takes a deep breath, and both fighters begin to heal. ¡°We¡¯re almost evenly matched,¡± Rabbit Jimmy says. ¡°We can both heal any damage the other deals. The difference is, if I can knock you on that web, I win. This fight can go on for hours, but inevitably, I¡¯ll win.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right that one of us has a slight advantage, but you¡¯re wrong about which one,¡± Johana says. ¡°That web you made? Take a closer look.¡±


    Rabbit Jimmy looks at the web and gasps. Fire, lit by the sparks falling from Johana¡¯s arms, has engulfed the web. ¡°I never intended to defeat you using my fire,¡± Johana says. ¡°The true reason I set my fists ablaze was to destroy your net.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, I can just make another-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t realize, do you? If the web is burning, so is the cocoon connected to it. Nero¡¯s free.¡±


    The cable in Jimmy¡¯s hand whithers away and turns to dust. ¡°Nero¡¯s started freeing the people you wrapped up in cocoons,¡± Johana says. ¡°You know what that means, don¡¯t you? Your strength is gone!¡±


    Rabbit Jimmy runs away from Johana, making his way towards the stage. ¡°If I can¡¯t kill you, I can at least kill your friend!¡± Jimmy shouts.


    Kan and her band lie unconscious in the center of the stage. Nero stands in front of them, arms crossed, Viva La Vida at his side. ¡°It¡¯s over, Jimmy,¡± Nero says.


    ¡°My name is James!¡± Jimmy shouts.


    He throws Wrap God at Nero. Viva La Vida punches Wrap God, sending it and Jimmy flying back into one of the support beams for the rafters. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening,¡± Rabbit Jimmy yells.


    Viva La Vida flies forward and punches Rabbit Jimmy through the chest. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be invincible,¡± Rabbit Jimmy says as he dies.


    Rabbit Jimmy - Age 20 - Deceased


    Johana climbs up onto the stage. ¡°Did you take out Jimmy?¡± she asks.


    ¡°He won¡¯t be a problem for anyone else going forward,¡± Nero says while gesturing to Jimmy¡¯s corpse.


    Johana gags. ¡°Thank you for assisting me in defeating him, JoJo,¡± Nero says. ¡°Your friend and the people at this concert are unconscious, but they will live because of your help.¡±


    ¡°How are we going to explain all of these people falling unconscious? And what about the bodies?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. The Speedwagon Foundation specializes in this kind of thing,¡± Nero says. ¡°Speaking of the Foundation, they could use someone like you. You did an excellent job defeating the enemy Stand user.¡±


    Johana glances at Jimmy¡¯s body and sighs. ¡°I hate fighting, Nero, and I hate watching people die,¡± she says.


    ¡°I understand. After I clean this mess up, I¡¯ll let you enjoy the rest of your life far away from me.¡±


    Suddenly, Johana hears a creaking noise coming from the rafters. ¡°Oh no,¡± Nero says.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I may have, completely by accident, of course, decayed the support pillar for the rafters when I killed Rabbit James.¡±


    The metal rafters begin to collapse. ¡°Kan!¡± Johana shouts as she runs for her friend.


    As the rafters fall onto the unconscious band, Johana reaches for Kan. As she reaches for Kan a blue arm appears in front of her and strikes the metal rafters. The rafters fly off the stage and twist together into a large ball.


    ¡°That¡¯s new,¡± Johana says.


    TO BE CONTINUED IN:


    Chapter 5: Coldplay, Part 1


    STAND STATS


    Name: Viva La Vida


    Dub Name: Long Live Life


    User: Nero Zeppeli


    Namesake: ¡°Viva La Vida¡± (Coldplay Song)


    Appearance: Takes the form of a large, muscular man made out of salt crystals. Lacks a mouth, a nose, ears. Has yellow eyes without pupils. Wears a rusty metal belt with a ¡°V¡± shaped buckle, a rusty crown, and a tattered red cape. Has the letter ¡°V¡± printed on the backs of each of its fists.


    Abilities: Viva La Vida has the ability to ¡°decay¡± or age objects by punching them. Using this ability, Nero can rust metal, rot wood, melt ice, and turn stone into sand. This ability doesn¡¯t work on living beings.


    Stats: Power-A, Speed-B, Range-D, Durability-B, Precision-D, Potential-D