Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion Chapter 90

[madimpossibledreamer]

TODAY WAS SO BIZARRE AND NOT EVEN IN A GOOD WAY, JUST, LIKE, A REALLY WEIRD WAY.  I mean...people were crazy driving, Barnes and Noble ate my membership (but I was able to get it fixed with a phone call...apparently it was under my first and middle name??) that I'd used just fine in the past, like...is this a Stand attack or what, yo?
...at least GioGio's was consistently blow your socks off sorta way and MAN BLACK SABBATH (that Shadow Sabbath though...)
~Dreamer~

Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: Fitz, Robin, and Darling encounter another sinister statue...
Word Count: 1063
Rating: Gen
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS.

 

            What’s slightly concerning is that, as Fitz begins to walk back to the meeting place, the library suddenly feels deserted, and some of the lights are off, like they’re encouraging patrons to leave because they’ll be closing soon.  It’s not the first time.  He’s been to libraries and spent enough time reading that he doesn’t notice the passage of time and suddenly it’s eight o’clock, but when there’s an enemy around it’s a little more concerning.  The silence in a library is usually comforting, but the instant it turns sinister, it’s an oppressive feeling, weighing down every step down the staircase.  He sees Whisper before he sees the others.  ‘Shh.  We’re not alone.’
            He’s usually quiet enough in libraries, but if there’s an enemy here, he’ll be even quieter.
            It takes him a moment to realize that it’s not Whisper talking to him.  It’s Darling, talking through her Stand.  He pulls out Lotus Juice to reply.  If there’s an enemy watching, they’re already aware there’s a Stand User present.  ‘What, the dragon came to life?’  Could it be the original Brown and Von Stroheim had seen, hiding in the library all along, pretending it was normal?
            ‘No, we’re hiding from another one.  A normal statue, maybe we would’ve…been able to take it on, but…but this one looks…weird.’  She sounds a little worried, but then, she’s getting used to the idea she has to fight.  ‘None of the rest of the statues we saw had glowing eyes, right?’
            It’s easy enough to think back and recall, even as he flattens himself against a bookcase in order to hide.  ‘Not at all.  This one does?’
            ‘It’s a giant, demon-looking horse with glowing red eyes and green…not skin, because it’s a statue, but if it was alive it would’ve been skin.  There’s something else weird about it.’
            He nods and waits for her to continue.
            ‘It doesn’t look like it’s eating enough.  But it’s a statue.  It doesn’t need to eat.  So someone made it like that.’  He…doesn’t like the implications of that.  But Darling doesn’t look any skinnier than any other kid.  He’s certainly seen actually starving children on the streets, and she doesn’t look like that.  Perhaps even more disturbing, how did Jojo know?
            You can see the ribs on the statue, okay.  Of course, any giant horse statue in the area is suspect, but it’s in keeping with what he learned in the article.  Love is the type of artist to create such a perverse work of art showcasing the suffering of a horse, so it is likely that she was the creator.  While the fact that the other statue was also hers might have been a coincidence, she also doesn’t make too many, if her reputation is correct, and her personality fits that of the Stand User, so it’s entirely possible.
            ‘I’d use the cell phone, but I don’t want to get attention from the Stand or User.  Tell Robin that while his ability may only stun them, that’s more than enough for me or you to get a hit in if we’re quick.  We’ll need to coordinate our attacks, though.’
            He glances out.  No sign of it.  No sign of anyone else, either.  Where did everyone go?  There was no sort of announcement, as would occur with most emergencies.  Even if there’d been a man or woman with a gun, he would’ve seen people running, or heard them.  There had been people around when he’d been wandering around attempting to find the books he was looking for, right?  Honestly, it’s hard to tell for sure, but it’s probable he would’ve heard the running because it doesn’t fit in a library.
            ‘I can do that,” she responds through Whisper.
            ‘Where did it go?  Where did everyone else go?’ he asks.  Did the Stand already kill people?  Did it scare them off?  Did the librarians usher everyone to safety?
            ‘They ran.  I think they thought it was a runaway normal horse.  I’m not sure where it went,’  She sounds confused, and yes, it’s certainly an odd idea, but then, civilians like to explain things away rather than face the idea of the unexplained.
            He listens.  It’s deadly silent when no one’s speaking.  No hooves, or the sound of rock on wood.  Even the fluorescent lights seem to have stopped making sound.  It’s honestly kind of terrifying, like a well-set up Spielberg.  Since when was a giant statue-horse stealthy?
            ‘Well, tell Robin to prepare, and if the bow and arrow cause a problem we’ll deal with that.  With no one around, it probably won’t be, but it’s better to be prepared and survive.’
            ‘True,’ she agrees.  ‘I’m going to pull Whisper back, just in case it appears,’ and he nods.  It’s a good idea.  Honestly, out of all of them she probably needs the most protection.  Whisper begins flying away, sticking to the ceiling, which is a good idea.  Hopefully the horse can’t reach it there.
            He carefully inches along, quietly, along the bookshelf and glances around the side.
            And comes face-to-face with it.
            It’s entirely unfair that a horse statue can be stealthy, but he doesn’t waste any breath on the surprise, even as he feels a little frozen in shock.  The statue is frozen as well, nostrils wide as if it was a real horse, eyes wide and wild.
            They’re red and glowing, and yes, it does honestly look possessed.  The ‘skin’ is, in fact, tinged green.  Honestly, it looks Chinese, like it’s made of jade.  The effect is more subtle than it’d be if it was jade, but it’s still noticeable without too much inspection.  Its mouth opens in shock, and those teeth don’t look right on a horse, like it’s some sort of predator instead.  They’re sharp and pointy and could probably tear the flesh right off his bones.  He should assume that the stone is sharp as a razor and not allow it to bite him.  The ribs are indeed showing, and it’s thinner than a horse should be, as if it’s a horse that’s been starved.  The legs look like skin has been stretched over unnatural bone structures.
            It rears up, hooves at the ready, and he falls back on the floor, caught unawares.  He’s been in this situation once, with his cousin.  Hopefully he can roll out of the way in time, but his responses feel sluggish.