[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure] Standstill Bonds

Chapter 31 ~ Tempo è dell'essenza

A gentle knock on the door interrupted Jotaro's and Holly's tender moment. As they pulled apart, Polnareff, positioned with one hand on the wheelchair armrest, used the other to gently push the door open.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Giorno's here."

Jotaro and Holly nodded, and Polnareff moved aside, allowing the door to open wider. The doctors from the Speedwagon Foundation reentered Josephine's room, resuming their roles in caring for her.

Holly affectionately squeezed Jotaro's shoulder. "Let's go to the living room. Giorno's here to help."

Jotaro followed his mother down the hallway, leaving Josephine's room in the capable hands of the medical team.
-

As they reached the living room, Giorno Giovanna stood waiting. He wore a stylish black jacket and his immaculate golden hair rested just over his shoulders. Bowing respectfully, he greeted them in his smooth, controlled voice.

"Piacere di conoscerti, Signore Jotaro, Signora Holly. I wish we could meet under better circumstances."

Holly returned his greeting graciously. "The pleasure is ours, Giorno. Please, have a seat."

They all settled down and Polnareff, sitting nearby, filled them in. "I already gave Giorno the basics over the phone, but he's here to help us now."

"Thank you, Polnareff," Giorno said, before turning to Jotaro. "Now, Jotaro, if you could provide me the full details. What is Pucci's current power level, and how urgent is Josephine's situation?"

Jotaro took a deep breath, preparing himself. Holly, sitting beside him, could feel the pressure on her son's shoulders and kept a reassuring hand on his arm.

"Josephine's Stand, Shadow of the Eclipse, was taken by Pucci's White Snake," Jotaro explained. His voice was steady but tinged with frustration and worry. "Along with her Stand, her memories were stolen, she's comatose. The doctors say her body can hold on for about a month, maybe less. She needs her Stand and memories back, or she won't survive."

Giorno nodded solemnly, clasping his hands together as he took in the dire information. "I understand. I swear to you, Jotaro, I'll do everything in my power to help."

Jotaro appreciated Giorno's commitment, but his mind swiftly shifted to the looming threat of Pucci's Stand evolution.

"Pucci is dangerous as he is now, but if White Snake evolves into C-Moon, we're in serious trouble. After that, there's a chance it will reach its final stage, Made in Heaven. If that happens, Pucci will accelerate time itself, reshaping the world in his twisted image, we can't afford to let him reach that point."

Polnareff's hand gripped the armrest of his wheelchair tighter and Jotaro continued to speak to Giorno, "I've heard about your Golden Experience Requiem. Do you believe it can counteract Made in Heaven's effects? We need to be ready for the worst-case scenario."

Giorno leaned forward slightly, "Since my stand holds the power to reset any action to zero, it could be our best weapon against Pucci's powers you've mentioned, I will do my absolute best to use it to help you, to stop him."

-

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit church on the outskirts of the city, Pucci sat in a confessional booth, the disc containing Josephine's Stand held in his hand. Aoi, Pucci's loyal green-haired accomplice, listened carefully from the other side.

Pucci's fingers traced the edges of the Stand disk as he spoke aloud, more to himself than to his companion. "Unremarkable, perhaps, but her courage... that was surprising."

Aoi, eager to understand his master's motivations, ventured a question. "If her Stand is of no use to your plans, Father Pucci, why take it? What purpose does it serve?"

Pucci's smile was cold, calculating. "The Stand itself may be inconsequential, but it has now become a key piece in a much larger game. Josephine is Jotaro's new weakness." His eyes gleamed with a dark understanding of human nature. "Jotaro may seem indomitable, but no man is immune to fear when it involves the ones he loves. By taking Josephine's Stand, I've placed her on borrowed time and planted fear in his heart. And fear... fear can destroy even the strongest."

Aoi tilted his head, a hint of doubt in his voice. "Jotaro Kujo, afraid? He's faced death before, isn't he prepared for anything?"

Pucci's voice remained calm, but there was an unmistakable edge to his words. "Jotaro is not a fool. He won't come after me recklessly, not when he remembers what White Snake is capable of. He'll hesitate, and in that hesitation lies his downfall. Once my Stand evolves, once I reach Made in Heaven, he will be powerless to stop me. His fear will paralyze him."

Aoi listened, nodding in reverence. But the question lingered in his mind. "I have the utmost faith in your grand design but... do you think it wise to underestimate Jotaro, Father Pucci? He's beaten you before. What if he finds a way to stop you again?"

Pucci's gaze never wavered from the disk in his hand. "Jotaro's victory in the past was a mere postponement of fate. This time, with Josephine's life hanging in the balance and the memory of his daughter's death haunting him, he will be weaker and emotionally compromised."

Still, he recognised some truth in his companion's worry and handed Aoi a new directive. "Watch the streets. Jotaro and Polnareff will move soon. Bring me any information you find. We must ensure that they do not discover us."

As Pucci issued these orders, his grip tightened on the disc. He remained unaware of Giorno's entry into the equation and how it would soon shift the balance in ways he had not anticipated.