water under the bridge. (jjba)

DUE

Of course, the peace didn't last for long.

Following the battle with Dark Blue Moon, the ship they had just been on decided to explode, causing the crew and their group to hurry to evacuate. Everyone boarded a small boat and watched as the ship was engulfed in flames. Caesar tended to Jotaro's injuries as best as he could with the little supplies they had. He was fortunate that he only had a few shallow cuts that could easily be covered by a couple of bandaids. Caesar couldn't help an amused smile. It would seem that the grandson is just as tough as the grandfather. As soon as he finished patching Jotaro up, he received a short grunt as a thanks which he felt was the closest he could get to having a real conversation with the teen. Well, at least in this stage of their relationship.

Their group managed to float a rather large distance from the burning ship and could finally breathe air that wasn't polluted by smoke and ashes. This set them at ease, if only a little bit as they were still stranded in the middle of the ocean with no clue as to how close they were to shore and with no way of communicating anyone for help.

Caesar sighed. Already, things were turning for the worst. He had hoped that they wouldn't encounter any major battles until they reached Egypt, but of course that damned Dio was desperate for their demise. With a glance around the small boat, he took in the weary faces of his comrades and the crew of the now sunken ship. He felt that their solemnity was much more suffocating than the smoke and ashes were and decided that it was his duty to at least attempt to brighten the mood. He cleared his throat and the attention of some turned to him. He offered half of a smile, the best he could muster without looking hysterical, given the situation.

"You know, this is nothing compared to when Joseph and I fought a group of Aztec vampires," he began, glancing to the old fellow mentioned. Fortunately, the years had been kind on Joseph and he had gained some intelligence, at least enough for him to catch on to what Caesar was trying to do.

"Ah, yes, those old bastards," Joseph recalled brightly, crossing his arms and putting on his storytelling mask. "It was over fifty years ago when I first fought those Pillar Men. They were tough, but of course, nothing I couldn't handle."

Caesar snorted at that, remembering that it was a battle to remember and that Joseph had gotten into a pinch with that Wedding Ring of Death. He took a glance around again and could see that some, such as Kakyoin and Polnareff, appeared to be intrigued by the story. Avdol, who had certainly heard it before, also seemed to be enjoying himself. However, Caesar heard a muttered "good grief" from Jotaro and it was clear that perhaps he had heard it one too many times.

The two of them immersed themselves in the story, making quite the show of it. Joseph would often exaggerate the details, which Caesar would correct with a more accurate representation of what really happened, evoking some laughter and complaints from Joseph. But it was a long tale to tell and by the time they had finished, hours had already passed. It wasn't like Caesar minded, however, as it had done exactly what he had hoped it would. Everyone seemed to be brighter, like a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. That solemnity was gone, and he was happy for that.

It was nice having moments like these on perilous missions such as the one they were currently on. One moment to be carefree makes quite the difference.

As time passed once more, Caesar began to notice something strange in the distance. At first, he thought it was only a figment of his imagination, a hallucination on the water. But as its silhouette continued to grow in size, he realized that it was very real and it was approaching them quickly. As soon as he could make out its shape, he could tell that the figure was a large ship, a freighter. The others on the boat noticed it as well as the ship was close enough to touch now. Relief was expressed all around and everyone was glad that this ship had appeared, believing they were saved.