-
It wasn't long after when the Speedwagon Foundation had found you all, and safely transported all of you across the Arabian Peninsula, dropping the baby off at a small town on the way.

The Speedwagon Foundation had lended you one of their boats in order to cross the Red Sea and arrive in Egypt.

You fully had expected Polnareff to make some sort of Moses joke, but he hadn't.

As you sailed out, you very quickly made a realization. Mr. Joestar was steering you in the wrong direction.

"Hey, Mr. Joestar," you stood beside him. "Do you need a navigator? We're heading the wrong way."

"No," he replied. "We're heading the right way actually. I've been keeping something from you. Consider this a surprise."

He turns to the group.

"For the rest of you, we're making a slight detour. We're picking something up."

As soon as you saw it in the distance, you recognized it.

The island where Muhammad Avdol's late father once lived. The island where he trained you.

He was there, you knew it.

-

Mr. Joestar grounded the boat onto the sand. You were the first to get off.

Mr. Joestar came behind you and put his hand on your shoulder.

"You should be the first to go. Nobody knows who's here, so don't blow his cover yet."

You nod, as you walk briskly into the dense forest. Walking then running to the house.

Just as you remember it, a light blue house with a wooden door. Wooden shudders open, glassless windows exposing the inside of the house to the outside. A small purple fence gated the front yard, keeping the numerous chickens caged in. He was feeding them.

You pop out of the forest and see him, waiting there. He was dressed in a gray tunic, tied up to around his thighs. He must've been fishing at some point.

His hair had gone completely gray.

"When did you go and get old on me, huh?"

He turned around and smiled, waving you over.

As soon as you were within a couple feet of him, he pulled you into a hug. You kind of gasped in surprise.

"And you always tell me to be careful," you said. "You have to be careful too. These weeks without you, being the only one of the two of us... I-"

He cut you off. "I know, I don't plan on leaving you alone anytime soon. I'm sorry for everything that had happened."

"You didn't know, you were just trying to help. I'm afraid I rubbed off on you."

He laughed something you had missed.

"Come in, the others will be heading over soon," he walked you inside.

"For the sake of my safety, Mr. Joestar wanted Polnareff to not know about me. I know the others do, but he didn't want to risk Polnareff blabbering in front of an enemy."

"Smart move,"

"For the time being, I'm my father. Just go along with it."

You heard Polnareff yelling outside.

"I have to go put on a performance, don't mind me," he says, heading for the door. "If you want to come join me you can."

"I do," you follow, lighting a cigarette before shedding your coat. "Never thought I'd say it, but I've missed the chickens."

He chuckles, you head outside and sit against the wall of the house.

Avdol began feeding the chickens, you sat there observing them.

You hear the four of them approach, mumbling and whispering about how it "isn't possible", "he's dead!"

Polnareff exclaims something similar, walking towards the gate only to be stopped by Mr. Joestar, who said:
"I'll go and talk to him, just stay here and wait for now."

He approaches the gate.

"Pardon me, sir," he begins. "My name is Joseph Joestar. My friends and I, including Akira here, are traveling on an expedition to Egypt-"

"Go away! I won't hear it!" Avdol yells. You'd never seen him yell before, no matter how things had gone. "People only come to visit when there's bad news."

You see the boys on the opposite side of the gate, save for Mr. Joestar, stunned.

"I won't say it again, got it! Leave and don't come back."

He turns around dramatically, dropping the seed on the ground.

"Shut up, and go away!"

He runs into the house slamming the door behind him.

You stand from the wall, picking the seed up and feeding the chickens.

"That's impossible!" Kakyoin exclaims.

"It can't be, Avdol di-", Polnareff gets cut short by Mr. Joestar.

"That wasn't Avdol, it was his father."

You clear your throat. Time for your big performance.

"I apologize for my grandfather," you say. "He's always been a bit temperamental. Doesn't experience much social interaction unless, well, like he said, something bad happens. Mr. Joestar, come with me to talk to him. If I'm there he'll be willing to communicate."

Calling him your grandfather was a funny thought.

You run in to talk to Muhammad, from out the window you see Mr. Joestar consoling Polnareff.

"Polnareff looks all torn up out there, I wonder what Mr. Joestar said to him."

"I'm not sure," he shrugs. "After I talk with everyone, you and I need to converse. I've been through my fair share of bed rest and have had time to think. A very dire conversation is in need between us."

"Alright," you nod.

Mr. Joestar walks in.

The two men begin talking and you slide out, discovering that Polnareff had wandered off.

"Akira," Kakyoin grabs your attention from outside the gate. "Is that really Avdol's father?"

"No, it's him. The one and only Muhammad Avdol,"

"Why the big charade?" Jotaro asks.

"I'm not sure why it was an issue now. We all know it was kept from Polnareff before to keep Muhammad safe from his loud mouth, but I'm not sure why now."

You walk off, two men following suit.

"I do love this island, though. It was where Muhammad trained me after he found me It was nice here, just he and I. He taught me how to speak Arabic here, too. Fond memories."

"Seems like it," Kakyoin smiles.

Before you strayed too far, you heard Avdol calling for you.

Jotaro and Kakyoin discussed a plan to return to the boat as you walked away.

You walked back, watching as Mr. Joestar left the house.

This was it, time for the conversation. You didn't want to say it, but you already knew what it was about.
You walked back into the cabin, exchanging brief words with Mr. Joestar about him returning to the ship.

You sat down, pulling out a cigarette. For the first time in ages, you saw Avdol pull a cigar out of the cupboards.
"If you're going to smoke, make it worthwhile," he hands you a cigar.

You put the cigarette back in the box.

"This must be important if you're smoking," you smiled.

You pulled out your lighter and lit your cigar, he used his hand to light his.

"I know you're no idiot, Akira."

"You're right, I know why we're here."

You looked away, not wanting to say it. You know he didn't either.

You sighed.

"What happens if one of us doesn't make it?"

Silence, making a moment feel like an hour.

"I know what you're thinking," he speaks. "'We're both strong fighters, we'll live.' But I know you know there's a possibility we won't."

He shakes off the gray from his hair, and puts on his red robe.

"There's always a possibility, Muhammad. That's what happens when you fight people and are basically magic police officers."

"But none the less, this is different. DIO is more powerful than anything you or I have ever faced. We're entering the great unknown here."

You nod, taking a puff of the cigar.

"Muhammad, if I die," you look down into his eyes. "Don't remember me. Sell my stuff and move on as quick as you can. Or, write a book. Do whatever you can to make yourself some cash."

"I think I give you too much credit for your smarts, because that may have been the most idiotic thing I've ever heard," he laughs. "You don't understand the effect you have on the lives of those around you. I mean, sell your things and forget? You are my child, you have brought honor, purpose, and color to my once dull and lonely life. Raising you this past year has been an incredible journey, and forgetting about you is something I could never do. You may see yourself as a bother, but you are nothing even close to one."

You aren't quite sure how to react, so you just sit there in the same place.

"I don't remember anything from when I was young, but this year has made me feel more fulfilled than I ever thought was possible. And you, Muhammad, have made me feel important."

He stands up and walks to the other side of the table to hug you.

Hugging was not something you two frequently did, so he must be very nervous about all this.

"If I die, I don't expect you to move on. But I want you to live. You're still so young, and you've already had your youth stripped from you. I don't want your spirit to be taken as well. Live, and do whatever you choose to do with your life. And if I die, I want you to return to live with whoever on this trip lives."

And that's when it clicked. It's not a matter of yours and Avdol's survival, but everyone's. Anyone of you could die, and you had no insight into who would live. Who would die.

"I'll try," you respond. He returns to his seat. "It's so awful."

"What is?"

"Fate. Bringing us together, but also possibly tearing us apart."

"I know. You can't control the hand you're dealt, but you can adapt. You have, and you have to continue to do so for the rest of your life. You know better than most people that living isn't easy."

"No one ever said it was," you sigh. "And if they did, they're a fool."

He laughs.

"If I die, Akira, do everything you can to make sure I'm the only one."

"I will, you do the same for me, please?"

"I will."

You smoke your last puff of the cigar, putting it out on the corner of the table.

"I care about you, Muhammad."

"Skip the cipher," he chuckles. "I love you too, Akira."

You side smile, enjoying the moment for everything it's worth.

You sit and talk with him, catching each other up on everything he'd missed and you'd missed.

Needless to say, you didn't miss much, but he revealed that he almost didn't make it.

That was most likely the reason you'd had that conversation in the first place. He almost died, and would have left you without a family and without a plan to deal with it.

The thought made your mouth dry.

What would you have even done?

You were too blinded by anger after fighting Hol Horse to even think about it.

You beard knocking at the door and got up to answer it but Avdol beat you to it.
You walked over to find a very stunned Polnareff, who (upon seeing Avdol alive and well) yelled.

He was in shock, he couldn't believe it.

The excitement was funny, but Polnareff genuinely seemed relieved and happy, so you weren't going to tease him for it,
Polnareff was bleeding, prompting you to ask:

"What happened to you?"

He explains his fight with a stand user on the island, whom Avdol identified to most likely be the user for the "Judgement" card.

Avdol bandaged him up and you all left the house, heading towards the beach where the ship was anchored.
Polnareff ran down to the beach, you and Muhammad dragging behind.

You get to the beach to hear Polnareff mimicking the sound of trumpets, only to seem let down when everyone else reacted very mildly, only greeting him with simple "how are you"'s.

They walk down the beach, you following suit, but Polnareff continued stammering at the edge of the forest.
You went back and grabbed him by the single strap on his tank-top, pulling him down the beach. He shakes you off.
"Wait a minute, you assholes!" He yells, "How can you be so laissez-faire about the whole thing? A man we all thought was dead turns up to be alive, and you all can just brush it off?"

"Sorry, Polnareff. You were the only one who was kept in the dark on this one."

You pat his shoulder and walk towards the rest of the group.

"Oh yeah," Mr. Joestar turns around. "And when I said I'd taken it upon myself to bury Avdol in India, I may have lied."

"Yes," Avdol says. "Jotaro and Mr. Joestar were the ones that treated my wounds until the Speedwagon Foundation arrived."

"Wait! So, you sick bastards all knew about it, but didn't think to tell me?" He pointed at everyone incriminatingly. "Even you, Kakyoin?! Why didn't anyone tell me?"

He seemed hurt.

"Well, we had a good reason," Mr. Joestar defends.

"Oh yeah? And what is that?"

No one speaks, Polnareff crosses his arms and taps his foot.

"We didn't want you to mouth off."

"Akira!" Avdol hushes.

"It's true," you defend. "We didn't want you to blab and tell an enemy that one of the most powerful stand users in the world is in a vulnerable state of recovery. Simple as that."

Before Polnareff can do anything, Kakyoin and Jotaro agree, and back you up.

"Oh, Avdol!" Polnareff exclaims. "We found your dad living in a hut on this island, and Mr. Joestar told him you died! We have to go tell him the truth!"

Polnareff runs for the bushes.

"That was just me in a disguise," Avdol says, causing the running Polnareff to trip.

"Come on, you couldn't recognize him with gray hair and a soul patch?"

"If it helps," Kakyoin chimes in, "We all thought it was his father until Akira told us otherwise."

"You guys didn't have to go that far! How dare you leave me out of the loop?" Polnareff begins babbling and crying on the ground like a child.

Kakyoin, Avdol, and Mr. Joestar gather around him and apologize.

"This may be a good time to mention a real surprise for everyone," Mr. Joestar chimes in.

"Yes," Avdol agrees. "I didn't just come here to recover, I also did some shopping."

"What kind of shopping?" Polnareff sobs.

"Shopping for our next form of transportation. Since it was a, needless to say, conspicuous acquisition, I disguised myself as a wealthy Arab man."

"Cheer up, Polnareff," Mr. Joestar comforts. "Look, they're bringing it in now."

"Bringing in what? I don't see anything," Polnareff sniffs.

That's when you caught sight of it.

A submarine, poking up from out of the water.

It looked to be high tech, not some traditional military submarine. You looked, but saw no Speedwagon Foundation logo in sight.

"I knew the Oldman was rich, Jotaro, but not that rich,"

"You're not the only one."

"Submarine? It's really a submarine!" Polnareff yells in excitement, stark in contrast from the crying man he was not even a couple minutes before.

"That's right," Mr. Joestar yells. "And from here on out, we're taking this thing to Egypt!"

"Let's just hope he's not the one piloting it."

-
To be continued...>