Quinn's eyes widened as a huge gust of wind blew her farther back onto the sidewalk. The power the two enemies were emitting caused the breeze to turn into a tornado, Jotaro and DIO lifting into the air due to the sheer strength the two Stands created. Despite the horror of it all, Quinn knew that the universe had flipped onto her side, allowing the young woman to soar through the skies as well.
Neither of the opponents noticed Quinn's presence as the two threw dangerous attacks at each other, the precision and strength of The World and Star Platinum being put to the test. "Take these punches!" DIO yelled at Jotaro, the yellow and golden Stand beginning to slightly overpower the purple one.
The two men came at a standpoint as their fists clashed, bringing them to a stop. Using that split second, DIO flashed the delinquent a smirk as he furrowed his brows in anger. A string of Stand cries filled the empty street as the pure and fake Joestars battled it out, the victor walking out with their life.
Suddenly, The World sucker punched Star Platinum straight in the jaw with full force. Quinn gasped as she watched crimson blood spew from Jotaro's mouth, a look of extreme suprise spreading across his frustrated face.
"So, my The World's power and precision are both superior!" DIO chanted, placing his hands onto his hips with a sickening look of triumph. Quinn was getting increasingly ticked off, Hypatia still holding a strong stance in the raging current of the skies. "I've seen enough. I'm satisfied. I will end you now!"
Jotaro let out an enraged battle cry, catching Quinn by surprise as he continued trying to barrage DIO with any sort of punch or kick he could manage. The desperation in his movements made what was left of the young woman's heart ache. The blonde vampire still stood proud, taunting the Joestar as he rambled on. "I have decided that I will show no mercy when fighting one of the Joestar bloodline, and will kill them instantly! The way to end you is with The World's true power!"
The platinum-haired young woman felt her heart stop once more. The world once again came to a stop, almost as if the Earth withheld it's orbit. Quinn could not see or breathe like before, her mind becoming a blank canvas as her brain filled with television static. Yet, somehow she still felt alive.
Maybe not in the physical world, but in her mind she could still sense some sort of current. Her conscious was still booming with liveliness as she felt herself be lost in the endless abyss she was pulled into. Quinn knew this was DIO's Stand. The only question she had was; Why and how am I still mentally active?
"With this, the Joestar bloodline will finally end." A voice suddenly said. Quinn was extremely confused, not understanding how this was possible. Despite being entangled in the halt of time itself, the young woman could still sense her surroundings. Yet, she could also hear like a normal person. Feeling the vampire's presence shift, the teen began to focus on figuring out how to move. "My archenemies who dared to make an appearance in my destiny,... Farewell!"
Quinn felt shock pulse her being. The seemingly endless void she was in stirred with another presence. It was so small, yet felt extremely powerful in the nothingness she was trapped in. It had to be Jotaro, which created even more questions in her mind. Still, the woman tried with every fiber and cell in her body to move a muscle. If the delinquent somehow figured it out, she had to as well.
"Huh?" DIO gasped, watching Jotaro's fingers lightly twitch. To him, this was an extremely large surprise. It was definitely not a pleasant one either. Feeling threatened by the sudden movement, the vampire flew away from the teen in the school uniform. Somehow, he didn't notice the body of Quinn Forester was completely nonexistent. "What? He just moved! He... Impossible! His finger just moved! It can't be..." Staring at Star Platinum with horror, DIO let out an agonized expression. "They're... the same?"
Turning to where Quinn was last sensed, an overwhelming feeling of confusion and anger ran through DIO's brain. He had just realized that the battered and bruised young woman who was on the sidewalk was nowhere to be seen. She definitely had not ran away, so how?
Both DIO and Quinn wanted the answer to that question.
Feeling the world around her return, Quinn inhaled a sharp breath as she quickly summoned Hypatia once more. She did not want to end up almost falling to her death like earlier. Still, the young woman withheld many questions. She wondered why her Stand would disperse after DIO resumed time. The feeling she felt when the current of time was stopped completely was indescribable as well. She felt like she were time itself, a current flowing in the continuum of space.
Jotaro and Quinn turned to DIO as time resumed. In particular, the delinquent in the black school jacket eyed the vampire with blood thirst and a want for vengeance. His aqua marine eyes were almost terrifying. The pain and anger swarming in his orbs was insane, some would say it was even the first time they had seen that much emotion from him.
"Could you two see me?" DIO questioned, glaring daggers at the duo. His tone had flipped from cocky to extremely serious. It was obvious that the vampire felt extremely threatened. That feeling further progressed as Jotaro and Quinn stayed silent, staring straight at the monster before them. Their eyes held different emotions. Quinn's were stirring with a faint feeling of grief, but were now overpowered with wonder and questions. Jotaro's were cold with ferocity, carrying the death of their comrades within their tattered hearts. "I asked if you could see me, vermin scum!"
"Who knows?" Jotaro stated, causing Quinn's tired eyes to flicker with confusion. In all honesty, she had thought the teen was aware of his movement. Yet, the clashing emotions in the delinquent's eyes contradicted the young woman's thought. "I don't know what your talking about, DIO."
Swallowing the uncertainty in her voice, the questioning in Quinn's eyes disappeared. The emotion she previously held disappeared, swiftly developing into a planning state. If she revealed she could see and feel every motion DIO took when time stopped for some reason, he would surely find a way to stop her. She had to feel the current of time once more, and somehow manage to move through it.
Jotaro suddenly flew off with Star Platinum, the pure energy the vampire and delinquent created propelling him to wherever he wished. The young woman blasted off with Hypatia in pursuit, not knowing what move the teen would make next. He was very unpredictable, reminding Quinn of a raging current in the sea. Wind whipped through the girl's platinum locks, each strand dancing in the violent breeze.
Luckily for Quinn, DIO had not been able to grab an understanding of what just happened to her. From his point of view, the young woman did not exist in the frozen void. Her presence was still booming with vibrancy, but her physical state was unknown. This angered him, due to the young woman ruining many of his plans prior. He could only pulse in pure hatred as he thought of the three days he spent lost in the space of his jumbled mind. Firing after the fleeing duo, he gritted his fangs. "If you can move the same way as my The World, let me see you moving!" He yelled towards Jotaro.
The two teens continued shooting through the skies of Cario. Quinn felt the nervous pit in her stomach become even more prominent as the wind pushed her beside Jotaro. This was the one time her plan was a complete gamble. She had always fought with certainty, knowing that doubt would only weigh down her chances of survival. What she had in mind was extremely risky, but she knew she had to try it. It all just depended on when DIO stopped time.
While Quinn thought of the execution of her plan, Jotaro turned his head to her. The range of thoughts pulsing through her violet eyes made his heart clench. He had noticed how throughout this journey, her personality had changed along with the feelings which expressed it. Starting out as a bit timid, she had begun opening up to the group after a long month of silence. It pained him to see the woman he truly cared about cripple back into an old shell of hers after the losses she faced in the past few hours.
"I, Dio, had truly surpassed all forms of life and all Stands!" The vampire cried from directly behind the teens. Quinn's pupils shrunk in slight fear as Jotaro's eyes narrowed in anger. The duo attempted to speed away from the blonde demon, the young woman pushing the wind towards DIO in attempt to push him away. "And now, I can stop time for five seconds and for longer and longer intervals each time! Jotaro! I shall see just how powerful you truly are! Quinnzelle Shiobana, I will uncover your secret!" Quinn's eyes filled with determination as she knew what the vampire was about to do. Taking Jotaro by surprise, the young woman pressed herself onto the teen's back, not knowing this involved her plan. "The World! Stop time!"
Feeling the change in time currents overflow her senses, the woman clutched onto the delinquent's black school jacket. The smell of light cologne and cigarettes filled Quinn's nostrils, clutching on the slight sense of feeling she had in her finger tips. A tiny feeling of comfort squeezed at her heart as she embraced Jotaro, but she knew she had to stay on guard. She knew for a fact that the teen had moved during the paused time before. Hypatia would not fail her detection of movement unless a Stand existed that could avoid it. If Jotaro was able to fully embrace the power of his Star Platinum and make a move, the young woman planned that she could use his sudden movement to propel her own.
Quinn began to focus purely on movement, a little sad to have to block out Jotaro's addictive scent. She placed her senses directly onto DIO's movement, feeling his presence come closer to the duo. Feeling Jotaro flinch his hand in the slightest, the young woman felt the dark void around her begin to crack. It was almost as if she was frozen inside of a current instead of time itself, leaving her aware of anything in her sensual state. Sudden movement could have the power to pull her out of it.
Suddenly, DIO began cackling humorously. His deep voice bounced off the buildings which surrounded them and left Quinn confused. Feeling his presence touch Jotaro's, the woman felt her stomach somehow churn, not appreciating the nervousness but fascinated to feel something physical. A small magnetic force attached to what seemed to be the delinquent's arm. The young woman was left to only wonder what it was.
"You had placed that magnet on me... when we were testing each other's strength earlier. It looks like a magnet taken from a wallet or a pocket planner." DIO said with a menacing feel to his tone. Quinn panicked as she felt the vampire's presence change, The World manifesting at his side. "You completely fooled me. My eyes can't leave you for a second. But! If you're losing a trick like this, that proves you can't move during stopped time! You only added a few more seconds to your life! This time, you will die, Jotaro!"
Then, the woman felt it. The powerful aura of another Stand surrounded her senses. Not only was it an extremely strong feeling, it was a familiar one. It was Star Platinum raging from Jotaro's arm which had magnets attached to it.
Feeling the world around her begin to resurface, Quinn forced Hypatia to appear. DIO could only gasp in horror as Star Platinum's fist plunged into The World's stomach. What suprised him even more was the woman who suddenly appeared clutching Jotaro's school coat.
Quickly jumping into action, Quinn attempted to clutch onto the current she once was stuck inside of. From what she gathered, the woman learned that DIO was technically manipulating the current of time. One The World's ability is activated, it most likely threw Hypatia off course, causing the young woman to merge with time itself. It seems like she was unable to control the current completely, but through the movement of others, she could withstand the freeze.
"What?!" DIO cried in a mix of anger and confusion. Blood spewed from his wound as Quinn stared the vampire down, her violet eyes flickering with a new flame as she realized there was a chance of success. "H..He can move. Only for a moment, but he can move! And you, you can move too!" The blonde continued as Jotaro froze back into place. The woman's breath hitched as she realized her body was merging with the time due to the delinquent's presence disappearing.
"I can." Quinn challenged, her Stand beginning to fade away as time was about to resume. "I realized that time itself is a current, a stretch of matter moving into one direction. You see, my Stand can control currents, so I cannot succumb to your The World. You're powerless against us, Dio Brando."
With Quinn's last sentence, time resumed. Star Platinum's fist began rocketing into DIO's chest once more, sending him flying as the young woman continued clutching to Jotaro's back. The young woman quickly sprung into action, using Hypatia to land the duo onto a nearby billboard.
"I could move for a moment?" Jotaro said in disbelief, eyeing the opening of the store DIO was just thrown into. "Just a moment." Quinn's violet eyes met Jotaro's, the two relieved to finally be able to be so close without the fear of being torn apart for just a second. Still, the two had many questions about their Stands. "But, it was only enough to get one punch in."
"Jotaro, that's still something." Quinn said, her voice still raspy from the tears she cried and the many times she had screamed in the past few hours. Placing her calloused hand onto his shoulder, her eyes softened at the delinquent's distressed expression. "I could only muster a few sentences towards DIO when we were in there. But, it was something. I've realized it's about trial and error. We won't know what we can do until we experiment. After all, I found that if I have physical contact with you I can use the currents you create when moving to manifest my Stand."
"Yare yare daze." Jotaro muttered, tipping his black cap over his eyes as the duo dangled from the green billboard. "I guess you're right. We have to peruse the bastard while he's still weak."
Giving a nod in response, Quinn grabbed onto Jotaro's hand. Both of them had extremely battered palms, leaving a stinging sensation on the young woman's skin as her light wounds were pressured. Ignoring the itching feeling, the two jumped down. Swiftly landing on their feet, the duo reached the ground. A slight ache filled the violet eyed woman, but was not as painful as before.
Quinn winced at the sight before her, annoyed to see that DIO was still standing. In fact, he wasn't even scratched in the slightest. It had to be due to his vampire powers. Still clutching onto the young woman's hand, Jotaro glared at his lifelong enemy. "I guess I have to bash your head to pieces or it'll be like nothing ever happened. You've already recovered your energy. Because that hole I put in your gut is closed up now."
The last of the Stardust Crusaders felt a jolt of time burst through them, even if it seemed for merely a millisecond. Quinn and Jotaro turned to DIO, who now stood atop a road sign, balancing perfectly on it. "Your eyes followed me in the world of stopped time? And you sensed me in it as well?" The vampire questioned, looking over the teens as if they were peasants and he were a mighty king. "So you can truly see and sense my movements."
Slanting her eyes at the villain, Quinn felt the breeze cause her loose tank top to flow. Her stance was rigid as she met his amber orbs with her violet ones, the contrast depicting the good and evil which stood between them. "It seems so." She said, cold and harsh emotions present in her tone.
"Kakyoin did quite well for you." DIO teased, his mouth curling into a sinister smile. Quinn felt her stomach drop, immediately being consumed with guilt and agony. "Because he figured out the secret of The World's powers, you were able to figure out that the both of you can resist the world of frozen time, and so, you were able to invade my world." Jotaro squeezed the young woman's hand as he felt her shake in place. "And to think he sacrificed himself so you could save your dear sister who didn't love you. How shameful."
Jotaro snapped, surprising Quinn as the two turned into the direction DIO had teleported to. The teen delinquent had his teeth bared, the collective anger which used to lay in his orbs bursting into a large flame. Yet, the vampire only found this humorous, still taunting the bruised warriors. "Just how long can you move within my world of stopped time? Two seconds? Three? Or perhaps you can move five seconds, just like me, and you're just pretending that you can't? And so on." A dark chuckle left his lips as he stood upon the ledge of a building. "Well? How about it?"
Silence deemed over the three, Jotaro and Quinn contemplating what they could do. Since the two just mustered their ability, they had no clue how to use it. Quinn was unsure of almost every part of it, not knowing if she even stood a chance against The World's powerful punches. Yet, she refused to give him the satisfaction of superiority.
"If I was forced to make a guess, I'd say you could only move for a second, Jotaro. And as long as you can only exist in my world of time for that shortly, Quinnzelle can exist for even less than a second." DIO taunted, his lips curling into a psychotic smirk. Quinn winced as she heard Jotaro grunt in frustration, realizing the two were in an extremely bad position. "Be that as it may, you still manage to infiltrate my world. Only a fool would risk approaching the two of you now. And though I am many things a fool would not be considered one of them. While it's achingly clear my advantage over you two is overwhelming, I've still devised a way to execute you! So regardless of how long you can move in my world, you'll never escape your demise!"
Jotaro's eyes shot open in visible fear as DIO pulled knifes from his coat. A terrified gasp left his mouth as Quinn felt a shiver run up her spine. If this teen showed emotion, it was either for a very good or terribly bad reason. In this case, it was very bad for the remaining Crusaders.
"Wow, you look white as a sheet! Does this bring back memories? Do they remind you that you're going to die a death even more horrific than your pathetic grandfather?" DIO teased, the evil glint in his amber eyes causing Quinn to grip her companion's hand even tighter. She did not see it, but the mix of rage and horror in Jotaro's expression was immense.
Visibly paling at the vampire's words, Jotaro made sure to continue holding onto Quinn as he blasted off with Star Platinum. The two teens made a desperate escape, clutching onto the need for survival and victory to keep them going through this catastrophe. Silently reminding themselves of their promise to each other and the duty they were destined to fulfill, the Stand users flew through Cario's dark sky.
"You can't escape!" DIO cackled, summoning The World immediately. Then as quick as she could clutch onto Jotaro's palm one last time, Quinn felt herself dissipate into the endless stream of a frozen current. Within a second, the young woman felt various objects coming towards the delinquent. She then realized, even if he did manage to move and she could manifest, she'd perish the same way Mr. Joestar did.
"Do you think your Star Platinum can defect all of the knives once time resumes? Do you think that Hypatia will be able to blast every one away with a gust of wind?" DIO questioned, his overpowering aura shifting towards the duo. "If I were a betting man I would give that plan a one in a million chance of working. Four seconds!" Even more knives were thrown towards them. "It must be terrifying to stare death in the face and be helpless to stop it. Only three seconds remain!"
Right as those words were spoken, Jotaro summoned Star Platinum. He quickly attempted to punch the knives away as Quinn appeared at his side, merely missing a knife which almost poked out her violet eyes. Hypatia blew a few weapons back, but it was not even close to enough due to there not being any natural air. As quickly as she came, Quinn felt herself starting to slip away.
"You're down to two seconds. Are you tell me that's the best you've got?" DIO said, spinning a knife lightly on his finger as Quinn struggled to hold onto her physical state. "That's just another example of your ineptitude in the presence of one such as myself. One second left to go." The young woman felt the world around her to spin, realizing the duo had failed. Life surrounding her began to resume, the knifes charging mercilessly towards the two.
Jotaro began to use Star Platinum. The Stand's iron fists push the knives back in attempt to keep himself and the girl he has just begun to love and understand safe. Quinn was doing the same, desperately pushing the current towards the weapons. Yet, it was no use.
The young woman shrieked in horror, watching as three knives slit directly into Jotaro's built chest. His hand twitched in obvious pain as she held onto it, gripping the calloused skin for dear life as she realized she was next. Just as the vampire calculated, four knifes cut deeply into Quinn's arm, specifically the one she held Jotaro with.
As DIO taunted the duo, Quinn's violet eyes spotted with stars. She had never felt such pain. Every cell in her arm felt as if it were being ripped to shreds. She could not even move a muscle as she watched a knife plunge directly into Jotaro's forehead through his hat, blood gushing from his mouth as he let out a horrified gag.
"Oh, and just to be sure about you, I'll be finishing this up." DIO said as he watched Quinn fall to the ground in indescribable agony. A fifth knife plunged into her built arm, the muscle clenching in over stimulation as the cold blade sliced directly through her arm. "We can't have you entering my world anymore. But, as long as you don't touch that Joestar scum, it seems you cannot. Farewell, Quinnzelle Shiobana."
Quinn's hair was caked with blood, heaps of crimson fluid oozing from her open shoulder and onto the rest of her body. A distressed scream left the woman's throat as she could not summon Hypatia, the pain controlling her senses as she was left defenseless.
Knowing that she would very well die from the blood loss, the woman weakly turned her head to Jotaro, who was staring at her dismantled upper limb. A small frown over came her expression as she felt tears cascade down her face. As she took her final breaths, the battered girl could feel the delinquent she had fallen in love with wrap his arms around her.
Closing her eyes for which she thought was the last time, a whisper escaped her raspy throat as blood spewed from Quinn's open wound.
"I'm sorry I couldn't keep our promise, Jotaro."
Author's Note:
Thank you so much for getting me a high ranking on #JotaroKujo ! I never expected too many people to read this fan fiction, and really just started all of this for fun. But, the incredible attention this book has received is absolutely unbelievable to me, so I give you all 1,000 thanks!
Expect one to three more chapters before the story of Quinn Forester is finally concluded!
-Bohemianict