JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Gotham Fortune

Chapter 7: Academic Pursuits

"How long has the Bat been dead?"

"Man, I don't know. Long enough that we don't gotta worry about him anymore." The two men stood by an ATM, one breaking in and the other keeping watch.

"That don't mean that we can be doing this broad daylight."

A third voice chimed in. "I agree with him." The men each turned, and saw a kid, about high school age, staring them down.

"Ah, shit, I knew we were gonna get caught, it's Robin!" the one thief proclaimed. He charged at Robin, but a slash appeared across his chest. "What the hell? Who stabbed me!?" he yelled, as Robin charged at him, dropkicking him into a dumpster. The other thief ran away in fear.

"Damn, what a workout. And it's only..." he checked his watch. "...shit." He took off for his dorm room, realizing his terrible mistake. "I'm late, not again!" he grappled through the window, trading his costume for the uniform of Gotham Academy, Gotham City's premier boarding school. He bolted out of his room, racing for his class.

Joue Jonouchi walked down the hallway, absentmindedly. She heard loud footsteps coming from around the corner. Curious, she circled the corner.

Slam! A loud thud could be heard down the corridor as Joue and Robin collided into each other. She shook it off like it was nothing. "Oh, hey Damian. What are you doing up?"

"I'm late for class, dumbass!" he yelled.

"Heh, that rhymed." She replied.

"That makes you late for class, doesn't it."

"Nope." She replied smugly.

He stared at her for a moment. Then it hit him. They were off today. That whole mad dash, all of it was for nothing.

Joue laughed at him, "Who's the real dumbass, huh?"

Damian laughed a bit. "Maps, one of these days I'm gonna kill you, you know that?"

"Nah, you love my company. See ya around!" she yelled, walking away.

Damian smirked to himself, before sighing. Now what? He kept walking, before being pulled into a dorm room. Inside the room sat a boy wearing dark sunglasses. Damian grabbed him by the collar. "Colton, what the hell?" he asked.

"You're Robin, aren't you?" he replied.

"What makes you think that?" Damian asks, smugly.

"Your Stand is showing." Colton replied, equally as smug. "Assuming you forgot to get rid of him before coming back here?"

"Wha-wait. You can see Headbang Club? Why? Are you a Stand user too?"

Colton laughed at him. "Your Stand is called Headbang Club? Dumb name. But yeah, I have a Stand. Don't tell anybody." Damian shook him by the collar. "How!?"

"Dunno. I got hit by an arrow about a year ago and now we're here. How do you think I get the stuff I sell?" As he said this, he reached into a small portal appearing beneath his hand, and pulled a soda from it. "Want a Sprite Cranberry?" 

"You use your Stand to get items to sell?" Damian asked, taking the Sprite.

"Pretty much. Not why I called you here, though. Called isn't a correct word. Forcibly brought you in, that's more accurate."

Damian cracked open the soda. "What do you want with me? Blackmail, is it?" Colton shook his head.

"No, I need your help. See, the thing with my Stand is I don't always get the thing I'm trying to. That happened, except I didn't get something."

Damian looked around the room. "Then what did you get?"

"I got someone."

A man stepped out of the bathroom, struggling to turn off the light. He seemed to be in his late 50's or early 60's. The first thing that Damian noticed is that both of his forearms were missing.

"Who the hell are you?" Damian asked.

The man looked at him. "Young man, my name is Mohammed Avdol."