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scarymonsters-andsupercreeps · 3 months ago

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The Miracle We Need

Prologue + Chapter 1

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After overcoming her sickness, Holly develops a Stand of her own and seeks to join her family in Egypt.

Read on AO3 here!

Warnings for: nightmare sequence, illness, mentions of death

Prologue

Suzi craned her neck to see better out the car window. They were coming up on Holly’s house and she wanted to see if her daughter was out in the garden. Unfortunately it was a school day today, meaning she couldn’t see Jotaro right away. It had been several years, and she was curious to see just how tall he’d gotten!

Suzi received a call from Joseph a few days ago saying he was going to be gone longer than he expected on his business trip to Japan. He didn’t give an estimate, which was odd for him. Usually he kept her informed.

She was a little miffed about that, and she felt like doing something spontaneous—so here she was. She booked the soonest flight to Japan despite the protests of her butler, Roses. She was excited to surprise Holly with her visit and hopefully see Joseph.

As the car neared Holly’s house, though, Suzi’s heart dropped and an acute feeling of dread settled in her chest. The driveway and streets around were full of vans and SUVs, some marked with decals she vaguely recognized. She’d seen Joseph dealing with people that had that logo: “SPW.”

She got out of the car quickly, marching up the driveway. At the door, a young person in scrubs stood with a clipboard. “What’s your name?” He asked. “Gotta check if you’re authorized.”

Suzi frowned. Authorized? This was Holly’s house, not some kind of military base!

“I’m Joseph Joestar’s wife. Does his name ring any bells? I’ll have you know he sent me.” She stuck her chin up, trying to sell her lie and praying these people were aligned with Joseph. They had to be, right?

The nurse looked at his clipboard. “You’re not on the list.”

“Is Joseph?” She asked. The nurse nodded, so she continued. “Well, as I said, I’m his wife, Suzi Joestar. He sent me here. Did you miss the call from him? I’m sure you don’t want to be the person who has to answer to him about who kept his wife waiting.”

“I…” the nurse wavered a bit. “Fine, go ahead.” He reluctantly stepped aside.

Suzi quickly elbowed past him before he could change his mind. She took off her shoes at the door and looked around. The front room was strangely empty, but she could hear voices a few rooms down. There were probably more doctors here.

Usually she would check the kitchen for Holly, however, this time she had a sinking feeling that her daughter wouldn’t be there. Suzi followed the sounds until she rounded a corner and saw a door propped open.

She approached slowly, her knees starting to feel a bit weak.

Inside, a hospital bed and heart monitor had been set up. There were multiple side tables with supplies, as well as an IV drip hooked up to the person in the bed—Holly. She was currently asleep. When she got closer, Suzi saw how pale Holly was, and the sweat shining on her brow.

What had happened? Suzi pulled up a chair and reached for Holly’s hand. She was burning up and her hand was clammy. Suzi sat there for a moment, taking deep breaths to try and collect her thoughts. What could have possibly occurred that would lead to such a sudden illness? Suzi had spoken to Holly on the phone just a few days ago. Worse yet, what illness would Joseph not tell Suzi about? Why did they bring all the medical equipment to Holly instead of just taking her to a real hospital? The more Suzi thought about it, the angrier she got.

Holly stirred and Suzi snapped out of her angry haze, realizing she had been gripping Holly’s hand too tightly. She leaned over and fussed with Holly’s hair. Clearly the people who had laid her here had no regard for her hair—it was a mess.

As she worked out the tangles, Suzi thought about the situation more. She needed to get ahold of Joseph. But how? Maybe the strange doctors would know.

She reluctantly stood, leaving the room. Now there was a doctor and a few nurses there, hovering to see what she was doing.

“Hey, you!” Suzi said. “Can you get me on the phone with Joseph?”

The doctor nodded. “Yes…but who are you?”

“I’m Suzi Joestar! Joseph’s wife!” She rolled her eyes.

“Oh, of course. Right this way.” The doctor briskly led her to the landline, seeming to sweat a bit. Suzi liked how effective name-dropping Joseph was.

At the phone, the doctor dialed a number swiftly and then handed it to Suzi, scuttling away before she could say anything. On one hand, she didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot with the doctors keeping her daughter alive, but on the other, she didn’t trust a single one of them.

The phone rang for a long while, and she heard the call being redirected a few times. Apparently the doctor didn’t actually know where Joseph was and the call was being sent through a few operators from within this mysterious organization. Suzi wondered if it would work.

Who cares about that? She thought. Who are these people and this company? What do they have to do with Joseph? Why does he trust them? Where is he? And will he even pick up?

But then he did.

“…hello? What is it?”

Suzi never expected to feel such mixed emotions upon hearing her beloved husband’s voice. One part of her was relieved he was okay, and the other part wanted his head on a pike for keeping this from her. She took a breath, trying to organize the tornado of questions flying around her head.

She must have been quiet for a while, because he said hello a few more times. She pursed her lips.

“Joseph Joestar,” Suzi hissed. “You’d better have an explanation ready for me.”

Chapter 1: It’s a Miracle

A dark figure, enshrouded in tendrils of smoke yet backlit by a sickly yellow flame. Golden curls cascading down his back, skin as pale as death, and flashing white teeth—no, fangs. He should have been beautiful, but there was something wrong. His neck came into the light. On it was a jagged, half-healed scar ringed with irritation, as if his head had been spliced back onto his body. His shoulder bore a purple birthmark in the shape of a star. This was a Joestar birthmark—meaning his body was stolen.

DIO.

Holly thrashed in bed, now trembling in fear.

A broad back wearing a black coat. Broken cogs. Bloodied glass shards. The boy in black hunched over, blood pouring from his mouth, shadows obscuring his face completely. The boy again, laying curled up in a circle made of knives with his face hidden in the crook of his own elbow. He was somehow still familiar. A faint heartbeat sounded in the distance. Complete and utter darkness. A lock of black hair fluttering downwards as the heartbeat got louder. Then it stopped. A glimpse of lifeless sea-green eyes, stagnant as a puddle.

Black eyelashes. Thick brows.

Jotaro.

Holly jerked awake, crying out in terror. Her hair stuck to her neck with sweat. She couldn’t stop shaking. Her breaths came in labored gasps.

Her head swirled with the need to protect Jotaro. It was so strong she could almost taste it.

After the adrenaline started to wear off, Holly looked around. Next to her, an EKG screeched in time with her racing heart. She was in a relatively professional-looking hospital bed, although it was set up in the guest room of her own house. Moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains and the dividers. What had happened? Why was she being tended to at home?

Given how high her heart rate was, a nurse would probably be here shortly for her to interrogate. She sighed heavily, leaning back to try and process the dream she’d had. As she calmed down, she remembered more and more of the details, and it threatened to make her panic all over again.

The first person she saw was without a doubt DIO. She recognized him from the spirit photos Joseph had taken. She had been comforted by what she had somehow subconsciously known was Jonathan’s body. She didn’t want to think about DIO, nor did she know why she dreamt about him. The image was still vivid in her mind, and it made her shiver.

More concerning was the second vision. That one was Jotaro, she just knew it. Its meaning wasn’t as clear as the first.

The last image haunted her. She knew by how glassy his eyes were that he was dead in it. Why did she dream about her son dying? Just the thought of it made her tear up. She was certain something bad was going to happen to Jotaro, and she was certain she had to stop it.

Just then, the door opened and a nurse trotted up to her. He was closely followed by Suzi, who was in a nightgown with a hastily donned cardigan over it.

“You’re awake!” She exclaimed.

Holly nodded absentmindedly as the nurse poked and prodded at her, sometimes asking questions or giving orders. “Where’s Jotaro?” She asked, her voice betraying her anxiety.

Suzi hesitated, and that told Holly everything she needed to know.

“He’s gone, isn’t he? Is he with Papa?” Holly started to shake a little. It’s another dream, she thought. It can’t be real.

“Yes. Joseph said they’re after…DIO? They thought you were going to die of this sickness so they left in order to save you.” Suzi sighed. “He wouldn’t tell me much, and what he did tell me didn’t make sense.”

“How long have they been gone?” Holly almost didn’t want to know the answer to that one. The nurse finally got done with her and scribbled on the clipboard attached to her bed before leaving quietly.

“Around a week. They left the same day you fell ill.”

Holly gasped. “I’ve been asleep that long? I need to go, now! I need to warn him!” She threw her legs over the side of the bed and immediately saw stars. Suzi grabbed her and laid her back against the pillows. Holly barely struggled, her energy quickly fading.

“Don’t do anything dumb, Holly,” Suzi scolded. “You need to get your strength back.”

“Time is of the essence here!” Holly said, trembling again. “Jotaro could die!” She recalled the vision again. It made her sick to her stomach to think about the horrible things DIO might do to Jotaro. Would DIO steal Jotaro’s body if it came to that? She remembered her wonderful great-granny, Erina. How had she been able to bear it when Jonathan was killed by DIO? And then his body stolen? Erina was much stronger than her, Holly thought.

“You could die if you keep pushing yourself like this!” Suzi shook her head, gently smoothing Holly’s hair. “You’re starting to act like Joseph! I couldn’t get him to sit still for the life of me. Those burns he got were more serious than he gave them credit for! You’ve been asleep with a fever for a very long time. Your body isn’t ready to move, okay? Don’t be like him!”

Holly thought of her father. The burns all over his arms, face, and torso. She remembered when she was little she would hold his hand, and it would be so hard and rough. Callouses, burn scars, the works. She would always ask for him to take off his glove so she could feel his skin. His hands were always warm, seeming to radiate life. Even his prosthetic was gentle in a way. She hoped he was okay. She needed him to be, so she could hold his hand again.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Suzi said. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Holly nodded, swallowing down the lump in her throat. “I had such a horrible dream…I saw Jotaro…I saw him die.”

As soon as she spoke it aloud, the tears came. She couldn’t imagine what her life would be like without Jotaro. He was all she had, ever since Sadao had divorced her in every sense but legally. She hadn’t seen her husband for so long she barely recognized him when he was in the news last time.

She had already lost him, but at least he was alive. There was a chance.

If Jotaro died for her she would never forgive herself. She bit down on her lower lip, trying not to spiral into hysterics.

“Don’t cry! It’s just a dream, alright? Jotaro is a very smart boy, he’ll be fine!” Suzi said with an encouraging squeeze of Holly’s hand. “The guy they’re after…he’s strong, but it’s a whole team against just one of him.”

Holly could tell by Suzi’s tone there that she didn’t believe that. Whatever Joseph had told her made her aware of the gravity of this situation, and the low odds of survival.

“I know, but something about the dream was just so real. I have a feeling that it’ll come true.” She pulled her knees up to her chest. “I’m scared, mama…”

“Try not to worry about it right now. There’s nothing you can do for him in your condition. The only thing that will help you is rest, okay?”

Holly nodded, drying her tears. “Okay.”

Suzi leaned over and kissed Holly’s forehead. “It’s the middle of the night, how about you try and get some sleep? Do you want me to stay with you?”

“No, it’s alright. I need a minute.”

“Alright. Sleep well.” With that, Suzi left, closing the door behind her.

Holly rolled over and settled under the blankets, but as soon as she closed her eyes she saw Jotaro again. Dead on the ground. Curled up in agony. She tried to think of something else, anything else.

She remembered when he was little, he used to ask her to push him on the swing and—

It wasn’t working. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a while. Why was this happening to her?

A few nurses came in to bother her some more.

No, that was mean. They were making sure she was okay after her fever broke. It was their job.

She rubbed her eyes, internally embarrassed for being grouchy.

Holly needed to talk to Joseph about these dreams. He always knew what to do, especially in strange situations like this.

She started to wonder where her father had even gotten all of his near-encyclopedic knowledge of the strange and occult. Come to think of it, he went on a suspicious amount of “business trips.” What could he possibly need to travel that much for?

If Joseph’s excursions weren’t for his job, what were they for, then? Was he some kind of ghost hunter?

Is that what those “Stands” would fall under? She trusted Joseph’s judgement, but she definitely didn’t blame Jotaro for thinking his was an evil spirit.

Jotaro’s Stand was scary, and not just in appearance. She recalled his flashing blue eyes, the same as Jotaro’s but colder and brighter. Harsher. He radiated power and sheer intimidation. But even more frightening was the thought of him allowing her son to hurt someone on accident. Jotaro said he had trouble keeping him at bay. Holly wondered if he would ever spiral out of control. Joseph certainly couldn’t do anything against this Stand—Hermit Purple wouldn’t be a match at all.

Hermit Purple had been strangely beautiful. The resonant sound it gave off was very soothing to her, maybe because it was her father’s Stand. She had liked its violet light.

And then there was Magician’s Red. Holly was glad Avdol was on their side, even though he had to rough up Jotaro. But something about watching Magician’s Red and Avdol work together was captivating. They were completely in tune, and Avdol had exact control of his flames. Maybe Avdol would be the key to getting Jotaro’s Stand under control should the worst happen.

Holly knew her son, and she knew that with power like that he would he even more self-sacrificial than usual. She wondered if he’d learned to use his Stand to its full potential yet. If he learned as much control as Avdol had, Jotaro might just have a chance against DIO. She knew he could do it. The thought offered her a small bit of comfort.

She wondered what her son was up to right now. Was he sleeping? She hoped he wasn’t having bad dreams like she was.

***

A couple of days had passed since Holly woke up, and now she was eating light portions of solid food and even walking for short distances. Last night she had cooked dinner for herself, her mom, and the nurses on graveyard shift. She was proud of her accomplishments, but worried she wasn’t improving fast enough.

This spike in her motherly instincts was making her very antsy. She didn’t like sitting around. She felt the need to help Jotaro, but she didn’t know how. She would just be a hindrance—any enemy they would face was far above her pay grade.

Holly wanted to talk to her dad; she missed him sorely. Suzi wouldn’t tell her whether that was possible. When Holly had asked why, Suzi had hedged until she gave up.

Were both of her parents now keeping secrets from her? The feeling was maddening—She just wanted to know what was going on.

Right now, Holly was talking a lap around almost the entirety of her house with the help of a walker the nurses had given her.

Her strength seemed to ebb and flow. Every now and then she could almost walk by herself, but other times her legs would be rubber and she could barely even stand. She was doing fairly well this time, although not having to concentrate on walking meant she was free to worry.

Today she just couldn’t shake the writhing clump of apprehension in her chest caused by Jotaro’s absence.

On her walk, she came to his room.

The door was slightly open and she could see the vase in his windowsill where she always left him flowers. The ones she had given him before she got sick were still there, now shriveled and brown.

Suzi had weeded her flower beds for her earlier and brought in a few hibiscus. Holly went and grabbed one out of the dining room, returning and switching it for the dead flowers. What had they even been before they dried up? She couldn’t remember.

The curtains were drawn, so Holly opened them. The flower would last longer that way, and with water.

Now that she could see better, Holly noticed how much of a mess it was in here. Jotaro never let his room get messy…he must have been in a hurry to pack. A few of his band t-shirts were thrown over his bed, and his school bag had been emptied.

Holly didn’t have the strength to clean for him right now. She felt guilty, but Suzi would have her head if she walked in on Holly cleaning.

She stopped beside his desk to throw away the old flowers. In the trash were very many pieces of paper, which she initially assumed was scratch paper from homework.

However, she saw English writing. Jotaro’s school didn’t teach anything in English that would need scratch paper. Not to mention the words:

“Dear mom,”

Holly’s heart skipped a beat. Had he tried to write her a note? With shaking hands she pulled it out of the trash, smoothing out the creases. It was written in a hasty scrawl, with several words scratched out or replaced.

“Dear mom,

We’re leaving to go after DIO. It’s me, the old man, Avdol, and Kakyoin. I don’t know if you’ll be awake to read this, but if you are then try not to worry. We’re flying straight to Egypt and we’ll have a long time to get ready once we’re there.

I don’t know how it’ll go. I don’t know enough about DIO to give you an honest guess about whether we’ll live.

I don’t even know why I’m writing this. If we lose you won’t ever see it. But on the off chance you might, I wanted to tell you I didn’t mean to take you for granted. You’re a good mom. I’m sorry I turned out the way I did. I’m”

It ended mid-sentence. Holly put a hand to her mouth, stifling a sob. Hot tears streamed down her face. What had stopped him from finishing the note? Her vision blurring, she grabbed the rest of the papers. They all had variations of the first paragraph written with varying degrees of care.

She knew he was terrified. He had to be to write like that. If he was in any way confident he wouldn’t have written it like a will towards the end.

She cried harder. Jotaro had packed up his belongings without question and set off to another country in order to fight the person causing her illness. He did it for her. Because he loved her.

Her son, not even of age yet, was fully prepared to sacrifice himself to save her and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

It made her sick with fear.

Holly forced herself to take deep breaths. She needed to be calm. Think.

She couldn’t. Recalling her dreams made her panic even more. She could remember it with perfect clarity, down to each hair on DIO’s head. She sat down so she wouldn’t fall and hurt herself.

She reached to grab one of the papers, but stopped. What was that?

It looked like her hand had been engulfed in green, thorny vines bearing holly leaves and too-bright berries.

Was she hallucinating now? The vines looked shimmery and were transparent in places, like they weren’t really there. She could hear a soft resonation that was familiar but that she could not place.

Holly turned her hand over. The vines had formed tiny spirals over her palm and each fingertip. She felt compelled to touch something with that hand.

Nervously, she reached out for the paper again, brushing her fingers against it.

A jolt shot up her arm, making her recoil back. It wasn’t painful, only surprising.

What did she just do?

She distinctly felt the sensation of touching the paper again, even though her hand was nowhere near it.

She wanted it to stop, and it did. She tried to make it happen again, and it did. This strange vision was under her control.

Was it not a hallucination, but a Stand? It would make sense; these vines had a striking resemblance to Joseph’s Hermit Purple. Now that she thought of it, the sound was similar as well.

Holly froze. If she had a Stand, that meant she might be able to help Jotaro directly. She might be able to save him. She had to tell Joseph she had a Stand now, that she could help.

Who was she kidding? No matter how powerful her Stand was, Joseph would never let her anywhere near DIO. She had to take matters into her own hands.

She stood, her fear now banished by resolve, and brought out the Stand again. This time there were more vines and they went further up her arm. Had it gotten stronger just from her using it?

It needed a name.

She turned her arm a few times, trying to let ideas come to her. The vines shimmered and sparkled, as if excited for her to decide.

This Stand…it was a miracle. The physical form of her beating the odds as well as her sickness. It could have killed her, but she had overcome it by the strength of her desire to protect her family. She felt connected to her ancestors, to Jonathan. She had received this Stand because of his body. She hoped her actions would make him proud.

Holly’s Stand would be called The Miracle. Its name would remind her of what she had done in the past, and what she was capable of in the future. It would make sure she never forgot what her goal was.

***

After she was done exercising, Holly sat down to rest for a moment. She used to see her dad breathe a certain way after he did something tiring, but whenever she imitated it her chest would hurt. Was that another of his occult practices or was he just strange? Holly laughed a little.

Once her energy returned, she closed her eyes, extending her arm to bring out The Miracle. She needed to figure out exactly what its ability was.

Most importantly, could she fight with it in any way? Or at least be of help? She intended to go to Egypt regardless of what her Stand ability ended up being, but a fighting ability would help her make her case to Joseph.

She was dreading that, actually. She didn’t want Joseph to be disappointed in her. She had to prove herself to him, so maybe he’d take her seriously.

The Miracle shimmered and shifted, its vines coiling around her fingers and snaking up her arm.

Holly touched the leaf of one of her houseplants. No jolt this time, but she did hear a faint click. Now pulling away, the sensation remained. The Miracle was able to catalog sensations, then. Out of curiosity, she tried to feel the paper from earlier again.

It worked. It was just like touching the object, but her hand contacted nothing but air.

Would it work with her other senses? She stared at the plant, focusing in on it. She closed her eyes like a camera shutter, hearing the click again. Now opening them, nothing changed. Holly turned her head so her view was different and tried to see the image again. It was a bit like trying to wiggle one’s ears, but eventually she figured it out.

Her houseplant, in perfect clarity, right in front of her eyes.

What about hearing? She listened closely to the clock ticking in the other room, captured it, and replayed it with no issue. It was jarring to hear the clock ticking over itself, but it meant she was getting the hang of her new ability. It gave her hope.

It didn’t seem capable of combat, but reconnaissance would be very effective with this Stand.

Now that she knew a bit more about The Miracle, it was time to talk to her mom.

Holly found Suzi sitting in the living room crocheting something.

“Mama?” Holly said, sitting down on the coffee table to face Suzi. “I’m gonna ask you something, and I need you to not question me.”

She nodded, so Holly continued. “Is there any way you can help me reach papa’s group in Egypt? I have something that’ll make beating DIO easier.”

“…I thought you might ask that. I’ve been listening for anything that might be able to help you.”

“Really?” Holly said, her shoulders sagging with relief. Finally, she was making progress.

“Yes. Joseph let it slip that the Speedwagon Foundation is trying to round up another person to join his group. He said the person they’re after is hard to get, so it’s taking longer than they expected. I think with enough luck I might be able to get them to let you go with him.”

Holly was on the verge of tears. “Thank you—“

Suzi cut her off. “One thing. You’re not strong enough right now. You have to rest, and eat, and exercise. Promise me or I won’t help you.”

She nodded vigorously. “Of course, I have been.” After a moment of thinking, Holly continued: “why are you doing this?”

“You have a chance to do something I never could. I wasn’t strong enough to go after your father when he left to fight the Pillar Men. I had to wait back home in Italy and just pray no one died. I felt so useless. I don’t want you to have to go through that, and you have the opportunity not to. Your Granny Erina and I would have wanted this chance more than anything. You have to take advantage of it for us.”

“Mama…” Holly said, taking a breath. “Thank you. I promise I’ll keep everyone safe.”

Suzi pulled her in for a hug. “Let them keep you safe as well, alright? Erina wouldn’t want me to let you go. Make it count so she won’t be angry with me forever.”

Holly hesitated. She didn’t think she would be able to let Joseph and Jotaro put themselves in harm’s way for her. They had already done so much.

“Alright?” Suzi urged. “You can’t let yourself act like anything other than a team. I know you love them, but you have to be careful as well. No self-sacrifice, and definitely no arguing! As soon as you join their team and fight together, you can’t act like everyone is your child.”

Holly sighed. “I’ll do my best.” That was probably a lie. She didn’t know how well she’d be able to control herself if things got too bad.

“Make sure Joseph comes home to me.” Suzi said quietly, and the depth of her sadness struck Holly like a wave of ice water. “I know you can do this, dear.”

All her life, Holly had gotten a sense that there was some kind of history her mother never told her about. Finally now she got a small taste of it. She realized Suzi was intimately familiar with this special kind of helplessness that followed the Joestar women, like the shadow of an early grave that followed their men.

“Mama, what is it? Did something happen with Papa?” Holly said.

“We fought, but I’m sure you already knew that. I doubt anyone could be civil after what he kept from me. I may be starting to forgive him. But I don’t care how angry I am at him, I don’t want him to die.

“Your father and I have a policy of never ending on a fight. Whenever we get upset with each other, we have to stop and say ‘I love you’ before we leave to calm down. Well, when I first got here I just hung up on him. I was so angry I forgot about our agreement. I haven’t been able to get ahold of him since, and I’m so scared he’ll get himself killed before i can say I’m sorry.”

“I’ll tell him, okay?” Holly said. “You know Papa can’t stay mad at you.”

“I know…I just don’t like leaving things like that.” Suzi looked down at picked at her crochet project.

“It’ll be fine! Papa won’t die so easily. They haven’t even found DIO yet.” She said taht as much for Suzi as she did for herself.

Suzi sniffed. “How do you know? What if DIO got to them first? What if he died right after he talked to me? What if—“

Holly cut her off. “Mama. Listen, please?”

Suzi nodded, dabbing at her eyes with an embroidered handkerchief.

Holly’s hand went to the birthmark on her shoulder. “I promise Papa is alright. He’s probably not mad at you, but if he is, he’ll get over it. You had every right to be upset. He loves you, remember? Something like this isn’t enough to get him to stop. Haven’t you two been through worse?”

“You’re right. We have.” She finished drying her tears. “Your father has defeated powerful enemies before, but this is just on another level. I don’t know if his Hamon is enough.”

“…Hamon? Is that the lightning?” Holly thought back to the times she’d seen Joseph do something that seemed improbable—they were all accompanied by the crackle of yellow lightning. She thought she’d just been seeing things.

When she was little and the adults would be talking, sometimes she would hear that word be passed around at their table. She never knew what it meant, but they always talked about it with such reverence. Even as a toddler she knew it was sacred and dangerous.

“Yes, and I’m sorry we never told you much about it before. Hamon is a special breathing technique that allows someone to harness life energy. Joseph was rigorously trained by an amazing coach, but…” Suzi trailed off, before straightening up abruptly. “Oh, that’s it!”

“Huh?” Holly said, staring in confusion as Suzi quickly got up and rushed to the phone.

“Holly, you’re going to learn Hamon! I know you can!” Suzi punched in a number, holding the phone to her ear anxiously.

Holly racked her brain. Who could Suzi possibly be calling? Who else used lightning?

Suzi jumped as someone apparently picked up. “Lisa Lisa! Please, when are you able to come to Japan?” She listened as the person responded. “Perfect! Please hurry! You must come and teach my daughter Hamon!”

Another response that made Suzi frown. “It’s life or death! Joseph will die without Holly’s assistance! You have to come help!”

Suzi listened for longer this time, and her face showed she was getting orders. She touched her chin. “Are you sure? You showed me how to do it, but I’m not sure it’ll be very effective.” Suzi nodded after a pause. “Alright. Whatever you say!”

“Holly, dear, come here for a moment,” Suzi said, covering the phone.

Holly obliged, still completely lost. What was—

WHOOF!

Suzi suddenly stabbed her hand into Holly’s diaphragm with the force of a sledgehammer, evacuating all the air in her lungs at once.

Holly doubled over, trying to get her breath back. When her vision stopped swimming, she saw that The Miracle had come out. Why was that? She stood back up shakily, grabbing onto the doorjamb for support and searching her mom’s face for an answer.

Suzi beamed, immediately picking the phone back up. “It worked, Lisa Lisa! She’s using Hamon!”

I am? Holly thought, looking up at her hand.

Where it contacted the wood, Holly’s hand was causing it to grow branches like it was still alive. She pulled away and the yellow lightning fizzed out of her hand. Just like Joseph’s. Was it that easy to learn this Hamon?

Looking back at Suzi now, Holly saw she was vigorously nodding as she received more orders.

“Sweetie, does your chest still hurt?” Suzi said to Holly.

“N-no…” she said, shocked. She touched the spot Suzi hit her. Surely that would be painful, right? It would at very least leave a bruise.

Suzi bounced on her heels. “Wonderful! Lisa Lisa, she healed herself!”

Healed herself? She used Hamon to do that? Holly supposed it made sense. Suzi had said it was life energy, after all. Whatever that meant.

After a bit more talking, Suzi said goodbye and hung up.

“What was that? Holly said. “Who were you talking to? Why did you hit me?”

“Do you happen to remember your grandma Elizabeth?”

“Yes, what does she have to do with this?” Holly said. Immediately after it passed her lips she realized. Elizabeth. Lisa Lisa.

“Grandma can use Hamon?” She tried to recall any evidence of this. She had met her grandmother maybe twice, both when she was very little. Her memory was foggy at best. All she remembered was a shining red scarf and expensive perfume.

“Use it? Lisa Lisa does more than Use! She was a Hamon coach! The finest one you’ll ever meet, in fact. And she’s coming out of retirement just for you!”

Suzi seemed to trust Lisa Lisa completely—any trace of uncertainty had completely evaporated once she contacted her.

“Her training style is intense. You’ll wish you were never born,” Suzi said. “You have to stay determined. She almost broke Joseph, and he’s the most stubborn man I know! She went easy on me during my training, but I still felt like mush when she was done.”

“You trained under her?” Holly echoed. She was a little surprised. Joseph told her stories all the time about how much of an airhead Suzi used to be, so Holly wasn’t sure exactly how that worked.

“Not nearly as extensively as your father, but yes, I can use a bit of Hamon. Lisa Lisa wouldn’t be caught dead with a maid who can’t defend herself! I dropped out, but I know you can do better than me.” Suzi grabbed Holly’s hands.

Holly looked down at her arms, The Miracle making spirals up her wrists. “I promise I will.”

Thank you for reading!

I received fanart for this chapter! Check it out here

#the poll isn’t over yet but it was a yes sweep so here you go #long ass post #💞💞💞#jjba #jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo no kimyou na bouken #my fanfiction #my writing #jojo fanfic #jjba fanfic #the miracle we need #the miracle au #Holly kujo #stardust crusaders #gen fic #Suzi Q JJBA

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