After Joden walked Iris to the shopping gallery, he wanted to get back to his apartment. He needed to change his clothes, freshen up and do some chores he had been neglecting.
He treaded through the cleaner part of Nexus Arcadia, moving past corner shops, ad screens, and holograms that painted the streets in neon colors. There was a steady stream of traffic, people rushing to their jobs in sleek chrome cars or on foot, their faces illuminated by glowing billboards. Still, the streets weren't just filled with commuters. Freelancers, hobos, and antiwork anarchists mingled in the same space, each lost in their own world, some preaching revolution, others just looking for survival. All thinking they had it figured out, in one way or another.
Joden moved at a steady pace, the hum of electric engines and distant chatter blending into the usual city noise. Nexus Arcadia had a way of making you feel both alive and insignificant at the same time. Massive ad screens flickered with images of the latest chrome upgrades and high-end lifestyles, while down in the streets, small corner shops sold basic necessities to those just trying to make it by. Neon lights reflected off every surface, casting a colorful glow over the sidewalks, and holograms of virtual guides flickered at intersections, offering directions or sales pitches. It was the kind of day where the city seemed alive, but not in a way that comforted you-more like a machine that kept running no matter what.
The scent of street food drifted by as he passed a row of vendors setting up shop for the lunchtime crowd. A cart selling synth-noodles steamed up the glass, and the smell of fried protein made his stomach rumble, though he wasn't hungry. He felt the faint vibrations underfoot as delivery drones buzzed overhead, flying between buildings, dodging the massive digital billboards projecting virtual ads. Joden paused for a moment near a kiosk, watching a holographic news feed briefly flash headlines about the latest corporate scandal and unrest in the outer districts. Just the usual chaos of Nexus Arcadia.
Despite the city's energy, there was an edge to the air, a slight tension that only his instincts picked up. The cleaner part of the city, where everything looked shiny and well-maintained, had its own darkness lurking in the shadows. Joden couldn't shake the feeling that someone, or something, was out of place. As he passed beneath a dimly lit overpass, the light from the holograms and streetlamps seemed to fade, leaving only the cold steel and concrete around him.
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High above in a room overlooking a quieter street in the district, a middle-aged man with a gaunt face stood by the window, the faint glow of the city's neon lights painting soft shadows across his sharp features. His pale skin, tight against his cheekbones, gave him an almost ghostly appearance in the dim light. The faint hum of traffic far below barely reached the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts, the low buzz of Nexus Arcadia's energy a distant hum in his mind.
- He must go this route... - he mumbled to himself, voice low and quiet as he stared out onto the street below. His eyes tracked the empty alleyways like a hawk, cold and unblinking. - He must! I've stalked him for a couple of days now... Comparing his actions now to those a month prior, he hasn't changed much. He has to go this way. It'll be easier for me this way too...
His words faded into the air, barely more than whispers, as his mind worked through every possible outcome of the confrontation he knew was coming. His grip on the window frame was steady, his hands unmoving despite the weight of his calculations. The hunt wasn't about excitement or adrenaline for him; it was about precision, about the certainty that when the time came, everything would fall into place just as it should. Cold, methodical, yet somehow still... thoughtful.
Suddenly, the door behind him creaked, shattering the silence he had been steeped in. He turned swiftly, eyes narrowing. There, in the doorway, stood the woman who owned the apartment-a plain, middle-aged lady with wide, fearful eyes. Her face drained of color as soon as their eyes met, her body frozen in terror.
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JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: fanpart "Days Of The Future Past"
FanfictionStory set in the "JoJo's bizarre adventure" universe in a cyberpunk city. Follow Joden Joestar and his clique as they try to take down a powerful organisation that terrorizes their city. Along the way they will find themselves trapped in a web of in...
