Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion Chapter 307

[madimpossibledreamer]

I forgot what pyramid this was set at. It’s Ixtepete, since it’s a tourist location but not one that gets a lot of action, since it doesn’t look like too much at the moment, and the caveat that there’s probably not secretly most of the pyramid buried unlike another Mexican tourist spot.

Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: They still keep trying to save Johan.
Word Count: 1256
Rating: Teen
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS

 

         Josie doesn’t remember much of the trip back to the entrance. One minute Uncle Kakyoin’s declaring they’ve stabilized Johan as much as they can. The next they’re walking back out. The Captain’s Stand, Panzermensch, transforms a slab of rock into a stretcher, which appears to be a strain enough, or she’d suggest something better. Apparently, Captain Beefheart von Stroheim (who absolutely has to meet Grandpa and should change absolutely nothing; she’s perfect) probably exhausted herself a bit getting here, so she can’t exactly go ham. Pity.
         Johan’s carefully placed on the stretcher, with Robin Brown (who also has to meet Grandpa and is equally great), Okuyasu, Papa, and Buffy supporting him as best they can while Hierophant helps stabilize and tries to prevent as much jostling as possible. Okuyasu had tried to argue he could use The Hand too, but was quickly overruled. Like, what if he tripped? None of them wanted to see that. He’d whined a bit when Papa kept using Crazy D to heal his grandson, too, but he hadn’t slipped, at all, so stopped, evenutally. Cousin Jotaro considers helping briefly, but probably decides that it’s best if he’s ready to use Star on anything hostile, which is fair. And now that she’s feeling a little better, she’s absolutely willing to join in on any planned future-pummelings.
         Willow attempts to make a portal and announces that the spells preventing such a thing are still in effect. She’s absolutely not making anything up, either, because B3’s doorway shortcut just doesn’t work, which is unfair, but whatever, no point whining about it. The teenager, Violetta-chan, whispers a tearful explanation of something she doesn’t catch to Cugino Giorno, who listens solemnly, promises something else she doesn’t catch, and then keeps sending his snakes out to check out side corridors, which leaves a pit in Josephine’s stomach that she refuses to acknowledge. Violetta-chan then grabs Josie’s hand. It’s unclear which of them that’s meant to reassure. Both of them, maybe.  One of the two weirdo Mayan gods announces he’s going to fetch Wyndam-Price’s ‘sacrifice’, whatever that means, and basically not to wait on him, he’ll catch up. Giles has a bunch of questions for the other Mayan god, so there’s just this chatter as they retreat. Cousin Shizuka keeps darting forward and returning, probably scouting, just a little, but they don’t really encounter anything on the way back. Well, nothing alive, anyway, though most of the blood has drained down to the centre of the pyramid, now. A team will probably be sent to retrieve the bodies of the Agents, at least.
         She is absolutely astonished to find there’s a man with glasses in a paramedic’s uniform and matching cap waiting for them. He looks just about as shocked to see them emerging from a low, unassuming stone wall in the ground, but admirably reacts professionally. “Speedwagon Foundation, Geoffrey’s the name. I got a call some agents might need my services?”
         Cousin Jotaro grabs the rim of his cap and steps forward, but then, he’s pretty much the Joestar face of the organization. “Four didn’t make it,” he announces gruffly.
         Geoffrey sighs. “Sorry to hear that. But the stretcher behind you…? Is he still alive?”
         “It looks like he’d used a not-so-well known hamon technique that put him into a healing coma. I’d only heard of it, myself—supposedly the last to have mastered it was Elizabeth Joestar, and even then she hadn’t really had a chance to practice,” Robin explains.
         “Ah, yes, I’d found records about the use of the Ripple. Well, if you think it’d help, my ambulance is parked at the entrance, beyond the gates…” Geoffrey suggests. Maybe it’s for the best they didn’t end up using a Stand to carry the stretcher, considering the way his eyes gloss over B3 like she’s not even there. Not that, as a Speedwagon Foundation employee, he shouldn’t know about the presence of Stands, but it’s better to avoid distracting the guy when he’s trying to save her son.
         “It looks like he’s been underwater for some time, though you’ve done an admirable job keeping him warm and breathing. However did you find him?” he asks, trotting alongside in the grass without a single protest.
         “His Stand actually came to me for help,” Uncle Kakyoin explains, which, grr, he should have mentioned something, and that reminds her, she’s mad at him. “I found him due to my experience with dream-related Stands.”
         Cousin Jotaro frowns, turning toward Uncle Kakyoin. “...When?” So that hadn’t happened when they were working together, huh, and probably wasn’t in any of the files, because while he’d have trouble saying it out loud because words are not her cousin’s strong suit, he’d have read all the relevant files out of some obsessive need to know they’re all doing okay.
         “Don’t worry about it.” That’s...oddly snappish and dismissive, which, okay, Uncle Kakyoin can be a bit of a jerk, but he’s never like that to Cousin Jotaro.
         Uncle Jotaro leaves it alone, but he continues to stare at Kakyoin, frowning thoughtfully. And sure, it’s a mystery, which he can’t leave alone any more than she can, but right now she’s a little preoccupied, because there’s a chance, but if so, why hasn’t he woken up? Even if it’s a self-induced coma, surely now that he’s doing better, with breathing and heartbeat and everything, he should be waking up.
         “Don’t worry, young lady. I’ll do my best. I can guarantee nothing, of course, but the chances are good, with all the aid you’ve all given him.” The paramedic pats her other hand.
         “The outlook for drowning victims isn’t great,” Cousin Jotaro corrects, and Josie nearly yells at him until she notices he quickly places his hands in his pockets, a tell that they might be shaking and he doesn’t want anyone to notice. He’s freaking out, probably. Okay.
         “Don’t you dare jinx us,” Buffy snaps, rounding on him and poking him in the chest. He barely moves, expression unchanging, and the stretcher...doesn’t. At all. Slayers really are something else.
         Willow joins in. “Yeah! Besides, I think between Giles and I we could improvise some sort of magical healing spell with supplies from an ambulance!” She’s ruthlessly cheerful and that’s the admirable sort of attitude Josie should totally be copying.
         Geoffrey looks a little overwhelmed again. “At least make some sort of note of what you use so I can requisition more supplies, thank you.”
         Papa grins and throws an arm around the guy’s shoulder. “Oh, I can actually fill out the forms, if you need. I’m actually a police officer, so I’ve worked with the paramedics sometimes. Besides, Jotaro-san, you’re forgetting something: most drowning victims don’t know the Ripple, and I haven’t been on hand with Crazy D.”
         Cousin Jotaro nods, but from the look of things he’s still got pent up energy from the stress. If she didn’t have to be there to watch every little twitch (like, she’s not kidding about have to, she’s pretty sure her heart might stop if she didn’t keep his unconscious body in her peripheral vision at all times), she might suggest a spar just so that neither of them vibrate through the ground. Then again, maybe the cat goddess could fill in? She looks like she’s ready for a fight.
         So close, yet so far, but with any luck they’re in the final stretch, and Papa has a point, he’s lucky this happened with all these healing Stand Users around (plus healing magic users, plus the Ripple User).