Kickstart My Heart

No Shelter

Jōtarō froze.

The fight seemed to have been even more violent this time.

Blood had splattered everywhere.
The walls were streaked and missing some parts.
Two of the pillars were shattered to pieces on the floor and some of the ceiling had collapsed along with them.

A cloud of dust was floating around the whole room (unless it was the rest of Vanilla Ice's aura?).

The floor was covered in stone wreckage, to such extend that Abdul's arms were half buried under the ruins.

But not enough to hide the fact that no body was attached to them.

Two cut arms.

Just like the Polnareff from 1989 told him.

Vanilla Ice was dead... but he got Abdul.

Jōtarō felt overwhelmed by guilt.

He ground his teeth and dragged Kakyoin out by his wrist.
- Let's get outta h-

- Hey you two, wait up! Thank God I finally caught up with you!

The couple froze and turned back at Joseph's call.
The Englishman ran to them and wiped the sweat dripping down his neck as he tried to catch his breath.
- Any clue on where Dio might be? That mansion is a bloody labyrint-
He cut himself short as he spotted Vanilla Ice's corpse and the bodiless arms.

His eyes widened.

- Are... Are those Abd-

- It's too late, Jōtarō abruptly interrupted as he dragged both of them out of the room.

The three young men walked down the long corridor in silence.

Joseph walked in front, clenching his fists so hard it must hurt, Hermit Purple's vines wrapping themselves around his forearms.
His aura was growing more and more menacing.

- When all is over, I swear to God Mohammed Abdul will have the grand funeral he deserves...! he breathed between his teeth, his voice shaking with fury.

Kakyoin swallowed but kept his head up.
He walked closer to Jōtarō, their shoulders brushing at every step.

- You think Iggy and Polnareff...?

A tear rolled down from underneath his shades as he opened his hand, revealing one blood-stained, heart-shaped earring — which he must have picked up from the wreckage.

His boyfriend looked away without answering.

Polnareff had lost it last time, too. The earring in itself didn't mean anything.
(But it didn't make Jōtarō any less mad.)

- No idea, he groused, his tone coming out colder than intended.

He saw no trace of the Boston terrier either, whereas the Polnareff from 1989 had felt guilty for not being able to bury Iggy.
Which meant that his corpse should have been here.

... Yet if there still was hope, it was minimal.

Either Iggy had managed to make it only to agonize in another room, or he had remained stable enough to survive but was clearly out of commission.

Jōtarō highly doubted he'd reunite with them to face Dio.

They got to the upper floor and Kakyoin froze dead in his tracks.

He held out an arm to stop both Joestars.
- Stop! There's something up ahead, to the right! he warned.