No One Lives Forever- CH8

No One Lives Forever- CH8

(AO3 link)

Stardust Crusader Wolf Pack AU

[From the beginning- CH1]

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Unearthly light illuminated the ballroom floor causing the occupants to glow in their finery. Women in gowns and men in suits more suited for the fashion scene of a century ago promenade up and down the hall. Most look to be enjoying themselves, laughing and smiling with glazed eyes as if they’ve had too much to drink. Others however, glance around with terrified eyes, expressions frozen in false joy and forced smiles on their faces. The collars on their necks keeping them compliant and from making a run for freedom.

Others watch from the darkened corners, hungry eyes seeing clearly through the magic fog settled over the ballroom. Cruel laughter and smiles mocking the dancers as they feast and chatter to themselves. An old woman pushes her way through a group of these sycophants, her cane tapping on the marble floor out of rhythm with the music played by unseen musicians.

She hobbles her way past the others directly to the grandest feast table in the hall, laden with meats and fruits and drink. Bypassing all of this and the other occupants of the table she makes her way to the man sitting at the head on his throne.

“My Lord. My sincerest apologies but I’m afraid there is an issue that requires your immediate personal attention.” The crone bows as best she can with her crooked spine, her staff the only thing keeping her on her feet.

The man’s red orange gaze narrows on her for a moment, the only indication of his temper before he schools his expression again. He carefully sets his utensils down and she suppresses a shiver at the selection of obviously humanoid meats in front of him and on display on the banquet table. “Enyaba, I hope you realize this is neither the time nor place to discuss business? What could be so important as to interrupt my meal?” a trick question for sure, how to answer without angering him. He smirks at his little trap for the witch, a cruel smile spreading on his face.

“My Lord. I would never think to disturb you unless the matter was of the utmost urgency.”

“Very well. If you insist the matter truly cannot wait, I’ll trust your judgment. Let us retire to the study.” With a wave of his hand they are transported to the hall outside the ballroom. Dio looks winded for a moment before he straightens and leads Enyaba down the hall to his private study. Tapestries lined the hallway, depicting the former rulers of this realm in their prime. Flower motifs and depictions of nature surrounding the images of the long-gone summer court seem to move on their own when one looks away. Although this passage was kept mostly clean, it was a never-ending task picking up stray rubble and dust from the deteriorating stonework of the ceiling. Delicate carvings of branches and leaves in the stone proving too brittle to withstand time without constant maintenance.

The study Dio leads her to is more of a library, ancient tomes and relics lining shelf after shelf, most covered in a thick layer of dust and more unlucky ones buckled and toppled beneath their burdens. Only the ones immediately surrounding a grand desk and chair were cleared and kept in good condition. Dio takes his place in the ornate chair and motions Enyaba forward to share the news urgent enough to interrupt him.

“It’s about the hunting and scouting teams you dispatched my lord. We’ve lost contact with both of them.” Enyaba grips her staff as she delivers the bad news, watching Dio’s reactions carefully for signs of a violent outburst. His satisfied smirk turns into a frown as he takes in the information.

“The scouting team and my hunters? The scouts were an expected loss sending them that close to the Zeppeli territory, but what has happened to the others?” His voice remains calm on the surface but Enyaba has known her Lord long enough to pick up on the undercurrent of frustration he carries. She motions to the table where a large map of New York and the surrounding states takes up the majority of the surface. With a wave of her hand the small figure of a spyglass that was placed outside of New York City is recalled to her hand.

She turns over the figure in her clutches as she addresses Dio, “Yes, the scouts served their purpose well before they were found out. The last report indicated the Joestar pack had almost completely left New York City, only the matriarch, Suzie, stayed behind with the Zeppeli’s. The concerning loss is the hunting troop in the north west.” At her words the figurine depicting a bow and quiver slides over the map to rest in a small upstate town. “This is their last known location, the last report indicated that your gift was working well. Kavinsky was able to identify a wolf hiding among humans thanks to your gift and was preparing his men to give chase. Perhaps we put too much faith in his abilities…”

“You question my judgement, Enyaba? Need I remind you I selected him personally and bestowed my gift on him?” Dio stares at Enyaba with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“No! Of course not my Lord! I…”

“Silence.” He hisses at her as he leans forward in the chair and grips the arms hard enough that the wood creaks. Her mouth snaps shut at his order and it seems to appease him for now. Leaning back in his chair he continues, “I will give you this single opportunity to explain yourself, witch. Do not disappoint me.”

“I… just… You gave him a powerful gift my Lord. Humans are not known for their resilience of mind when presented with that kind of power. Could it have changed him, altered his motivations? Caused him to betray you?”

“Ordinarily this would be a concern, yes. But the gift I bestowed on him to better track wolves was not the only magic I cast. He was bound to me through an oath on his soul. Kavinsky’s greed for money outweighed his greed for magic. No, he would not have defied me before he had received his payment in full.” He eyes the spyglass figure still clutched in Enyaba’s hands and looks back to the map and the figures still in play. He plucks the hunter’s figurine from the table. “Tell me, do you believe in destiny?” He doesn’t give her time to respond as he continues, “The Joestars disappear from my view and suddenly my hunters are unaccounted for as well. It seems fate has finally stepped in to guide me to my destiny.”

He laughs lowly as he drops the figurine to the table. “Gather my court to me Enyaba. The final plan in my century long quest for revenge is finally ready to be put into play. Send the remaining scouts to the area,” he taps the map where the hunters had been, “and gather my generals. Fear not, you shall be rewarded for your service as promised.”

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Author’s Note:

Shorter chapter this week, but I’m happy with how much plot I was able to pile in. New writing system is working well for me so we are on track for weekly Wednesday updates!

Thank you to everyone who’s submitted names for the bad guy(s)! In true JoJo fashion the last names will be based on bands/music artists. 

giorno

No One Lives Forever- CH7

(AO3 link)

Stardust Crusader Wolf Pack AU

[From the beginning- CH1]

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It took Polnareff some time to cool off from the implications that the mysterious and frankly frightening man he met all those years ago was now behind some other shady business involving wolves, but by the time he reached the vehicles abandoned on the side of the road he was able to focus on the task at hand. Both were unlocked so it was easy to take a look inside the white van first. Opening the back door revealed the cargo area had been partitioned with metal cage sections like those in the backs of police cruisers.

Other gear was scattered around the back near the rear doors for easy access. Some more guns and ammo boxes and an overturned bin of the collar devices that they found on the bodies. Nothing really caught his eye but he took pictures on his phone for future reference. The keys were still in the ignition so he started up the vehicle and moved it off the main road to not draw unwanted attention.

It felt rude to go sniffing through your car, so after a brief look through the windows to confirm the hunters left no surprises, he opened the door and put it in neutral. With a few strong shoves he was able to rescue it from the shallow ditch it had been driven into. Your keys were also still in the ignition and luckily it started, but a few lights on the dash lit up- probably more internal damage than he first assumed from the crash. Driving slow and steady he was able to get it back to the cabin.

The slamming of the car door must have alerted the rest of the pack to his return, he saw Avdol peek through the window as he made his way to the door. Inside he was glad to see you moving about mostly unaided on your own, your wounds must be healing well thanks to Avdol’s expert care. Producing your car keys, he hands them over, “I was able to drive it back, but I don’t think it’s up for any longer distances without repairs. I thought you would want your things back though.”

You sigh as you realize you really are stuck with this pack, not that you mind them but the sudden loss of freedom is disheartening. You thank him as you take back your keys.

“Pol, did you find anything else? Any link to who sent them?” Jotaro asks as everyone stares intently at him, the rest of the pack must have already been brought up to speed on the situation.

“Just more of the same gear. I moved their van off the road so no nosey troopers get involved, at least not right now. Took some pictures of the inside in case you guys see anything I missed.” Polnareff hands over his phone to Jotaro who scrolls through the images before handing it to Avdol. Walking over to the table where the hunters’ things are still laid out Polnareff absently fiddles with the extra ammo before picking one up to examine more closely. “Hmm, that’s odd. There are no makers marks on this?”

“What do you mean?” Joseph scratches his beard as he holds one up as well.

“It’s weird that there’s no markings whatsoever. Silver bullets are always homemade but the quality of these, they look mass produced but have no manufacture marks.” Polnareff’s face is grim as he makes the connection.

“What does that mean? Is that unusual?” You ask as you try to understand the significance.

Jotaro sighs as Polnareff hands him the piece he was holding. “It means this group of hunters is experienced enough not to leave evidence linking to them. And their operation is probably much more complex and much bigger than the group we encountered here. The tech, the mass manufacture of silver ammo…”

“And the van was modified for prisoners.” Polnareff shakes his head and sighs.

“Polnareff, you said before you recognized the smell of one of the hunters.” Jotaro rolls his eyes as Joseph lets out a fake cough that sounds a lot like ‘DIO’. “Ignoring who it may or may not be for now, how do you know that scent?”

“I don’t know how else to describe it other than it smells like magic. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever smelled. There was only one person I’ve ever encountered that smelled like that.” Polnareff sits heavily in the nearest chair as the pack reconvenes at the table. “It was about five years ago now, before I met you Mr. Joestar. I was in New York City for the first time, trying to follow a lead on a case but having no luck. I heard rumors of a man who knew what had really happened to… in the case.” Polnareff gets a little choked up but controls himself and continues. “I was able to set up a meeting, but when I went to the spot, everything kind of… shifted? It felt like I was in a dream: it was hard to move, like weights on my feet. Everything looked just slightly wrong too, hazy like in a fog. I remember there was some sort of party going on, a lot of people everywhere like a medieval banquet or something. That’s where I met him. He introduced himself as Dio and I could tell he wasn’t human but couldn’t place what he actually was. He claimed he had the information I needed, but it would come at a price.”

“What do you mean by ‘investigation?” you tilt your head in confusion as you try to analyze his story so far.

“Ah, you wouldn’t know yet chérie but I’m one of the best private investigators in New York, probably the whole east coast!” Polnareff brags, jabbing his chest with his thumb.

“Focus Pol! What was his ‘price’?” Joseph groans out, exasperated with the younger man’s need to show off. “And why did you even need supernatural help? Not to inflate your ego any more than it is, but you are a good investigator.”

Polnareff looks down to the table, all sense of cheerfulness gone from his face. “The case had gone cold. It’s actually the reason I became a PI in the first place. My family, the whole town… they were murdered!” He slams his fists on the table as he shouts. “And not by just some maniac in the night! It was something inhuman! That’s the reason why I needed his help or whatever info he had on who did such a terrible act.”

You are frozen to your chair in shock with this new information. It seems to have taken the younger members of the pack by surprise too, Joseph and Avdol only nodding along in understanding. “The whole town murdered? You don’t mean…The one north of Quebec City, that was your home?” you say quietly.

Polnareff’s eyes shoot to yours, “Oui! Do you know of it?”

You swallow nervously as all the attention turns on you, “I heard of it, that was about seven or eight years ago right?” Polnareff nods and you continue, “That was about time I left my parent’s territory to try and find or start my own pack. They made me promise to not go that far north to Quebec, they were afraid whatever did that would get me too. They say the whole town was… torn apart.”

Polnareff hangs his head and you can see tears gather in his blue eyes. “Yes. It’s been years now but the pain… I wasn’t there when it happened, I was off in Quebec City partying while my family… When I got back, I was the one who found them. It wasn’t just a burglary gone bad or even ‘normal’ murder. Whatever killed them had used silver to do it. All of them, the whole town,” he chokes on his words trying to get the next ones out, “some of the bodies were eaten. Not by animals, by something almost human. I didn’t rest for days afterward. I swore I would hunt down the thing, the demon that did this to them. Unfortunately, I was not as good a tracker then as I am now, and the trail grew cold fast. So, I became a PI to try and keep looking and hone my skills.”

“That Dio guy, did he help at all? You said his help came at a price.” Jotaro directs the conversation back to the mysterious encounter.

“His price was too steep. He wanted information about other supernatural beings, to keep tabs and report to him directly.”

“Do you think he really did have the information though?” Kakyoin questions as he steeples his fingers together in front of him while he considers the information of Polnareff’s story.

Polnareff shakes his head, “It’s impossible to know now. He was so confident, about everything. I think I surprised him when I refused though. For a moment, it was like I saw his true face through the fog, he was suddenly terrifying and not at all charming. But I figured if he knew something, with all the people he had surrounded himself with someone else was bound to know as well. Whatever secret knowledge he had, it wouldn’t be secret for long. And why pay such a price for something that I could get for free later?”

“Did you ever find out his secret?” Avdol leans in as he asks, enraptured by Polnareff’s tale.

“Non, I don’t even remember leaving the place he brought me to. The next thing I remember after turning down his offer is, I suddenly found myself sitting in my car ready to head back to my motel.” He clasps his hands together and you can see his knuckles turn white from the tension. “I tried to find him again to, I don’t know… stop him? His intentions for the info on other creatures… It couldn’t have been good. And the slip of his façade I saw. The man, that creature is bad news. But he might have well been a ghost. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of him since.”

Polnareff turns to you, “A few years later I got hired by Mr. Joestar to keep an eye on a shady landlord working for him, and I guess the rest is history.” He shakes his head, “Who would have thought joining your pack would lead back to Dio again. Non- this is fate.”

Avdol gives Polnareff a pat on the shoulder before turning to Joseph. “Mr. Joestar, I think you should tell us what you know about Dio, or at least the person you know as Dio. I think it’s time the younger ones hear this.” Avdol says as he leans back in his chair and crosses his arms.

Joseph nods and runs his hand through his hair before he begins, “Right. Ahh, well,” he pauses to gather his thoughts for a second, “I know this is going to sound crazy but I guess there is no way around it. When I was young, I lived with my granny Erina, my parents were either dead or missing and her husband Jonathan had been dead since before my father was even born. Now’s not the time to get into the details of that but Granny used to tell me all kinds of stories from when Jonathan was alive. And most importantly- the majority of them involved an evil man named DIO! My grandfather’s adopted brother!” Joseph doesn’t control his volume in his excitement and ends up shouting his last sentence.

“Being an adopted son in a werewolf pack was strange enough, but Granny could tell there was something ‘other’ about Dio as well. Then one night, his schemes and plans finally came to fruition! There was a massive fight at the house, Granny said Jonathan would not speak of it except that his father George had died saving him from Dio’s magic and in the fight the manor was set on fire and burned down. Jonathan made it his life’s mission to find and destroy Dio, not for revenge but for the safety of England and the world!” Joseph turns his attention to look directly at Jotaro, “Dio was a changeling child. His actions confirmed it that night. He was one of the last remaining Fae on earth. And apparently not of the good and benevolent kind. So, you see why it could be possible that this man may be the same one my grandpa tried to destroy more than a hundred years ago.”

“That… that’s impossible! The Fae, they all disappeared long before that to Avalon.” Kakyoin is wide eyed as he tries to process the information. “I know some humans still believe in them, but…”

“I know! I know! I thought they were just stories from my granny too!” Joseph exclaims and puts his hand to his eyes, “But one time… I don’t think I was supposed to see it, but I found an old photo album. There was a family photo of my grandfather, his father, and Dio.” He turns to Polnareff, “Pol, the man you met. Did he have blond hair, angry eyes and three moles on his left ear?”

It’s Polnareff’s turn to go pale as he slowly nods.

Jotaro growls as he tilts his hat to hide his eyes before snapping his head up to face the pack. “As impossible as this all sounds, it doesn’t change the fact that someone is hunting down wolves. I don’t give a shit if it is Dio or not, or an extinct Fae or not. We are going to put an end to this.” He looks around the table for a second and you can tell his eyes linger on yours longer than the others. “If anyone has an objection to this say it now. There will be no opportunity later.”

Joseph slams his hand to the table palm down, “I’m in! lets show this bastard who he’s messing with!”

Joseph’s enthusiasm is contagious and you and Polnareff slam your hands to the table as well, surprising the group with the fire they can see burning in your eyes. “Hell yeah! They think they can just take me? No way! I’m going to help tear this guy to pieces! I’m with you all the way!” You say as you look directly at Jotaro. You’re not sure but you think that’s a look of pride on his face as you make your declaration.

Avdol and Kakyoin keep their cool but you can see the determination in their eyes as they nod and place their hands on the table as well. Joseph is grinning like a feral maniac and you suddenly believe his stories about saving the world with how excited he looks to do it all over again. “Then it’s settled! I’ll call Caesar and let him know to gather the Zeppeli pack too.” Joseph pauses as he stands and looks at you, “Oh, and (Y/N)?” you tilt your head at him to continue. “Welcome to the Joestar pack.”

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Author’s Note:

Sorry for the slow update! Guess who’s not good at regulating her personal time? This gal! I had to change up the process of how I’m writing this cause just trying to type on my computer had too many distractions and next thing I know I’ve been playing Stardew Valley for  3 hours.

Anyway, I have a favor to ask- I need a name for one of the dead bad guys. So leave a comment with a first name for the guy from Jersey, can be a bad ex, terrible boss, friend you want to embarrass by getting their name in a fanfic (first names only please- no doxing!)

more older gang designs but this time, i decide to make clean art for once. 

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