[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure] Standstill Bonds

Chapter 15 ~ Looking for Trouble

The early morning sun bathed the sky in hues of gold and pink, casting long shadows over the quiet neighborhood. Josephine sat at her kitchen table, finishing her breakfast alone whilst her parents still slept. Outside, the world was beginning to stir; birds singing their morning greetings and the odd early riser or dog walker communted down her street. As she washed up, she decided to take a walk herself, hoping to clear her mind before meeting Jotaro later that day. It had been a week since their encounter with Pucci in the park, and though things had been for the most part relaxed since then (save for her parents relentless scolding), she knew it was only a matter of time before he reappeared. For now though, she did her best to embrace the calm before the storm.

As she walked, Josephine found herself standing at a road crossing. She looked both ways to ensure it was safe to go. Ever since the day she rescued the pigeon she thought twice then twice again when crossing any road. As she crossed, a person came to cross from the other side. Initially, it didn't even register, that is, until they passed her by. Instantly the hairs on her neck stood to attention, her skin prickling with a blanket of anxious goosebumps. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw they were a hooded figure whose face was obscured, just like Pucci was in the park. Their energy wasn't exactly the same however, so she was sure this wasn't him. Nonetheless, her stomach twisted; this wasn't some random passerby. She was certain of it.

She hesitated, everything inside her screamed to let it go, to continue walking and ignore the person. But her curiosity gnawed at her relentlessly until she could no longer resist, and she turned on her heel to follow. Keeping a careful distance, Josephine followed the figure through the winding streets, her steps light and cautious. She took cover behind lampposts and parked cars whenever she saw the figure glance back, making sure not to be seen.

As she continued to trail them, Jotaro's stern warnings from their many training sessions echoed in her mind. "Stay away from trouble. Don't go looking for it." His commanding voice replayed in her head, reminding her of the boundaries she was supposed to respect.

"Why am I doing this?" she muttered to herself, knowing full well she was treading on dangerous ground, both figuratively and probably literally. Jotaro had made it clear he wouldn't tolerate foolhardy behaviour, yet the desire to understand, to uncover the secrets behind why Jotaro seemed to have enemies pulled her forward despite her better judgment.

Their path took them toward the park which was cloaked in morning mist that clung to the trees like a veil. "You don't need to be involved in this any more than you already are," Jotaro's voice insisted in her mind, but Josephine pressed on, her loyalty to her mentor conflicting with her overwhelming curiosity. She wanted to understand what was really going on, she needed to.

A twig snapped under her foot, and her breath caught in her throat. The hooded figure halted, his posture stiffening as if sensing something was amiss. Josephine briskly flattened herself behind a tree, barely breathing. After a tense pause, the figure scanned his surroundings, after a moment, he seemed satisfied that he was alone and continued onward. Josephine exhaled softly, relief washing over her, but she still couldn't shake the image of Jotaro's disapproving glare from her mind. He's going to kill me, she thought with a grim smile. Still, she was in too deep to turn back now.

As she neared the clearing, she slipped behind a large tree, peeking through the dense foliage. Two figures stood in there, their hushed conversation barely audible. Josephine recognized the first; the figure she had been following, but it was the sight second person who made her heart drop into the pit of her stomach. Even with his face obscured by a hood, there was no mistaking Pucci's presence, his very aura was enough.

Pucci was the first of the two to speak, "Did you find him?"

The figure she had followed shook his head. "No, but I'll keep looking. He can't hide forever." The words made Josephine's stomach knot, whatever they were planning, it was not good.

She had heard enough, seen enough, but just as she was about to sneak away... her phone rang. The familiar ringtone pierced the silence like a gunshot. She froze, her heart slamming in her chest. She fumbled to silence it, but the damage was done.

Pucci's head snapped up, his voice cold with fury. "You fool! You've been followed! Kill whoever it is!"

Josephine's blood ran cold, then boiling hot with the panic that rushed through her limbs as she bolted from her hiding spot, her heart thundering with fear. The trees became a blur as she raced through the woods, dodging branches and roots in her frantic escape. Behind her, heavy footsteps pounded the ground, the sound of her pursuer closing in. She fumbled for her phone, her hands shaking as she tried to silence it again, Jotaro's name flashed on the screen, both a curse and a lifeline.

"Shit shit shit! If this guy doesn't kill me, Mr. Jotaro definitely will!" She knew he'd be furious, but he was her only chance now and so she swiped to answer.

"Mr. Jotaro!" she whispered urgently, her breath coming in short gasps. "I'm being chased, p-please, I need help!"

There was a pause on the other end before Jotaro's voice cut through the speaker, "Josephine?! What do you mean you're being chased? Where are you?"

"I...I followed someone, I had a funny feeling when they passed me by earlier" she admitted, dodging a low-hanging branch as she ran. "I saw him meet Pucci in the park... and they heard me. He's coming after me!"

A tense silence followed and she braced herself for the anger, for the scolding she knew was coming and rightfully deserved. Instead, Jotaro's voice came back calm, low and remarkably steady, "Is it Pucci chasing you or this other guy?"

"I think it's the other guy. I heard Pucci tell him to come after me." Her voice trembled with fear and guilt.

His reply was firm, all business. "Find somewhere to hide and STAY hidden. I'm on my way."

Quick to obey, Josephine found a thicket to hide in, crouching down as low as she could get herself. Her breaths and heart were rapid in equal measure as she waited. Josephine replayed the events of the morning in her mind and she cursed herself for her stupidity. Her curiosity had led her straight into the lion's den and now she had to deal with the potentially severe consequences. She closed her eyes, knowing Jotaro would come to her rescue, but the thought of facing him afterward... well, that might have just been the hardest part of the trouble she had gotten herself into.