Warning: Contains mentions of near death and unhealthy relationships (caused by DIO)

Aswan, Egypt
Hospital - 12:15 AM

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The Crusaders returned to the hospital late at night to recuperate and tell Kakyoin of their experiences during their stays in Kom Ombo and Luxor, one of them was Medea's embarrassing failure regarding Alessi's attempt to age down Joseph. But during their stay at a hotel though, Medea was starting to get sick at an abnormally fast rate, with Polnareff and Avdol quickly recognizing the infliction as Blood Poisoning and the welts on her back and neck as Vampire bites, they quickly took her to the same hospital they were at afterwards.

While examining the infection, they found out that this was caused by DIO thanks to the SPW Doctors testing the blood and Iggy smelling the bites as it has Vampiric properties, so Joseph and the SPW Doctors started taking care of this problem by knocking Medea out with anesthesia and Joseph using Hamon on her body to kill DIO's influence.

Until about an hour later...

They're all waiting at Kakyoin's bedroom, worried about Medea's wellbeing and Joseph using lots of Hamon for it. Jotaro was silently smoking by the opened window probably to cope with the stress, a blinded Kakyoin was nervously playing with his long red hair with his right hand, Avdol was sitting next to Polnareff, comforting him. Meanwhile Polnareff was a complete mess about the whole thing, he was the most worried of the bunch as he bounces his left leg up and down and his fingers Interlaced together.

Suddenly, the door opened and in came Joseph, all tired and winded and completely out of breath from using Hamon, Iggy also followed behind, he strolled to Kakyoin's bed to jump on it and lay down to sleep. Polnareff stood up immediately with Avdol.

"How is she, Monsieur Joestar? Is Medea ok?" He asked in worry as Avdol patted his back.

"Give him some air, Polnareff." Avdol said.

Joseph just stood by the door, panting. "Hah...hah...hah..." After a long silence, he smirks and gives him a thumbs up, chuckling. "Heh heh heh." The operation was a success and Medea was saved. Avdol, Polnareff, and Jotaro let out a huge sigh of relief as if a large oppressive weight has been lifted.

"Thank God..." Jotaro said as he puts out his cigarette with an ashtray.

"Is she alright?" Kakyoin asked, he was currently unable to see Joseph's reaction due to his blindness.

"Yeah, she is." Jotaro answered, Kakyoin let out a relieved sigh as he flopped on his bed.

"Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Joestar. J'étais tellement inquiète pour elle." Polnareff cried out as he hugged Joseph tightly, to hyped up to speak English properly as the older man pats his back.

"It took an hour, but I was able to destroy his influence in her bloodstream, so now the Doctors can stabilize her Sepsis normally without any interference. It's also a good thing she caught it early to because she was 35 minutes away from losing a lung." Joseph explained, that answer shocked Kakyoin as he sat up in horror.

"That short!?" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, and the fact that it's unnaturally fast just shows that this infection isn't normal." Joseph continues.

Polnareff stopped hugging him to ask: "How did this happen?"

Jotaro looks out the window, think the same question before saying this: "...If Biology class taught me anything: there are many ways to get Blood Poisoning, each revolving around bacteria infecting the bloodstream, the most well-known of contracting it is getting an opened wound, bite, or cut without treating the infection." He explained. "...Those bite shaped welts all over Medea's back could be the source of the infection."

"But Blood Poisoning happens shortly after the open wound is exposed, right?" Polnareff asked. "Those bites looked like they were healed months ago, why would it infect her now and not then?"

Avdol steps in. "True, but as Mr. Joestar pointed it out: the infection Medea has isn't normal, even if it was at its advance state, it would still take a few hours for it to kill her. But the fact that it tried to kill her in a short amount of time shows that it was influenced by DIO's cells to kill her quickly." Fortune-teller explained before looking at the sleeping Iggy. "If it weren't for me recognizing the welts as Vampire bites and Iggy's sense of smell, we would've failed to save her, and it would've been written off as a rare form of Sepsis." He finishes his piece as Iggy yawns.

"Are you suggesting that DIO timed the infection to go off like a Flesh bud?"

"Well yes and no." Joseph answered as he summons [Hermit Purple] and tied it to a lamp, using it as a makeshift diagram. "When I was dealing with her, I was able to sense DIO's influence in those cells due to our spiritual link with my grandfather's body, and from that alone I found out that while it was made with the same cells that makes his Flesh buds." He says all of this as he points at spots A, B, and C on his Stand. "It doesn't have the same capabilities such as brainwashing or devouring her brain when time runs out." He then did a light flicking motion with his right finger like he's flicking on a light switch. "It did however have a mechanism that felt like it was... "switched off", but now it's "switched on".

"Wait a sec, does that mean the cells within her wounds were dormant but can be activated upon command?" Polnareff asked, becoming uneasy about what he's hearing.

"Based on Mr. Joestar's description, it seems to be the case." Kakyoin chimed in. "The question is though...why?"

Everyone was silent after hearing that question, pondering as to way this has to happened. Suddenly, as Jotaro was watching out the window in thought, he gasped when something has hit him.

He turned to Kakyoin and asked: "Hey, remember when Steely Dan killed Enyaba with [The Lovers]?"

"Yes?" Kakyoin asked.

"Well, the reason for that is because despite her loyalty to DIO, he still had Dan assassinate Enyaba with the very same Flesh bud she wasn't aware about because he fears that she would reveal his Stand's powers to us, showing that he doesn't trust her at all." Jotaro said as he walked ot Polnareff, stopping in front of him to ask: "Who's to say that the same doesn't apply to the infection he gave Medea through his bites?"

"...So that means..." Polnareff said, quietly.

"That's right, the cells used to cause Blood Poisoning was implanted in her as a failsafe to kill her if she failed him again or knew too much of his secrets, just like a Flesh bud." Jotaro replied, but just as he did, he sees Polnareff's face contort into a sneer and his face turning red, the Frenchman was furious with the answer.

"RGGH! THAT BASTARD!" Polnareff yelled out in anger, waking up Iggy and scaring the others. "HOW COULD HE JUST TOSS HER ASIDE LIKE THAT AFTER EVERYTHING SHE'S DONE FOR HIM!?"

"If he could screw over Enyaba, he's bound to screw Medea over as well." Joseph said. "He has a track record of throwing people under the bus just to get what he wants or save his own ass, even his own allies if he has to."

From his bed, Kakyoin sat there fuming as he grit his teeth and clawed at the sheets in his hands. "That son of a bitch, I knew he was careless about his allies, but what he did was just cruel." Kakyoin said, clearly angry with what he's hearing from the others, he then took a deep breath and lifted himself up. "But how did he know about Medea's failure?" He asked.

"My guess is that he can use prophetic powers like me since he's using my grandfather's body, either that or someone working for him knew of Medea's failure and ratted her out." Joseph replied.

"Well, whatever the case, the fact of the matter is that Medea's no longer useful to him and thinks she's dead." Avdol said as he watches Joseph rubbing the back of his neck.

"Mmm, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we're going to have to tell her about what we assume about DIO is true, and ask her why she has bite marks all over her back... I mean there's no way she didn't know about them."

"Well of course she knows." Polnareff said, calming down. "Why else would she have makeup on her back?"

Just then there was a knock at the door, Joseph answered, it was one of the SPW Foundation doctors, he seems to be an older gentleman like the former but not as old, appearing in his early to mid-50's. "Hello Mr. Joestar, sorry to disturb you but I got good news and bad news." The Doctor started.

"Alright?" Joseph said.

"The Good news is that we've successfully stabilized the infection so now we'll have an easier time de-contaminating Miss King's bloodstream, she'll be as healthy as a horse in no time."

"That's good to hear, doc." Joseph shook hands with the Doctor.

"It's no trouble at all." He replies with a smile, but then he started frowning. "The Bad news however is that Miss King cannot assist you on your mission anymore due to her compromised state, she needs to be laid up for a couple of days until the infection is cured." The answer has left everyone silent. Medea was a servant who serve DIO closely, without her, they won't be able to have their means of finding DIO's Mansion.

"Oh...." Was all Joseph had to say, quietly and awkwardly.

"Yeah sorry, Mr. Joestar, but it can't be helped, her health must come first." The Doctor replied as Avdol approached him.

"I understand, Doctor. We're just glad that she's ok." Avdol said.

"Glad you agree, Mr. Avdol." The Doctor then points out to the room left of Kakyoin's. "That being said she's resting in room next to this one, you're more than welcome to visit her but I strongly recommend that you be gentle with her, she's very vulnerable right now. And for goodness sakes: "NO excitement"." After saying that, the Crusaders started to leave the room. The Doctor sees Jotaro picking up Kakyoin bridal style, attempting to carry him out of the room. "H-hey, you can't take Mr. Kak-" Just before he could finish his sentence though, Jotaro glares down at him like he's ready to punch him into oblivion. ".....N-n-never mind, just be careful with him." The Doctor relented and lets the two Japanese students pass.

Inside the other room, the Crusaders see Medea sitting up in her bed, hooked to a pulse machine, and looking out to the window next to her and away from the door. She was also gripping onto the blankets she's covering herself with as she had nothing to wear except for the bandages that cover her neck, back, chest, and left arm, which is hooked to a drip. She doesn't seem to be responding to them at all, completely mute. They all went near her bed as Jotaro puts Kakyoin down on a nearby chair.

"Hey uh, Medea." Joseph greets her sheepishly as he reaches out. "I'm sorry about over doing it on the Hamon, but it's the only way to help the Doctors-" Just as he touches her shoulder, Medea pulls away harshly, not wanting anyone to touch her.

".............."

"..... Alright, don't talk to us, but at least hear us out." Joseph said as he removes his hat and sits on a chair next to her. "Me and the boys have been talking and we believe the reason why this happened is because of DIO." He explains as his face became serious. "This is just a theory, but he implanted his cells in your welts that's set to go off whenever he feels like it. We believed that he somehow found out about you failing to kill us and set off the infection in an attempt to execute you." His expression then turns from serious to sad. "...your Blood Poisoning was his fail safe just like the Flesh bud that killed Enyaba..."

".............."

"I know you don't trust us, but-" Suddenly he heard sniffling coming from her. "-Huh?" He looked at her with confusion on his face, he then sees a tear dropping from Medea's left cheek.

".....I knew it, I fucking knew it, I didn't want to believe it, but I knew all along." Medea finally spoke, she sounded completely broken. The Crusaders looked at one another in confusion, Medea knew? Knew what?

"...Knew about what?" Avdol asked.

"About DIO." She finally answers as tears began to run down her face. "...I knew he was just using me the whole time, but I didn't want to see it." She wiped the tears off her cheeks with her right hand. "...And I knew he was done with me the second I returned from the Red Sea. I couldn't take it anymore, you guys were unbeatable, but I had no other choice, I was afraid of what he will do to me if I go against him..." This was unexpected, a servant acknowledging their Master's cruelty?

"Really? You weren't wanting to kill any of us this whole time? That doesn't make sense." Polnareff asked, scratching his head in confusion with his left hand, only for Medea to glare at him, chills running down his spine.

"No, don't you get it? I never wanted anything to do with DIO's petty grudge against the Joestars in the first place." Medea snapped. "I only joined his side just to get my revenge on Jason for cheating on me and getting me kicked out of America, I was in a very bad state of mind at the time and was so desperate for some kind of solution." She then turned away from him, trying to hold back her tears. "But that ended up turning into a nightmare when I found out that he was a Vampire and tried to leave him, but each time I tried I get thwarted until I gave up and became his pathetic servant girl." She clawed at her sheets as her voice cracked. "...I claim to pledge loyalty to him, but I was more scared of him than I was loyal."

The Crusaders were confused, they've seen some enemy Stand users such as Steely Dan and Hol Horse who are cowards but still worked with DIO for money, but a household servant like her? This is new. Kakyoin finally spoke up, asking: "So, you stayed because of fear? Why would you hunt down Mr. Joestar if you want nothing to do with him then?"

"...DIO led me to believe that the Joestar Bloodline were a threat, he told me that killing Joseph would help me "give me peace of mind" because Jason was envious of his wealth, I thought I can give him a chance, but I guess that's too much to ask." She hangs her head in shame.

"Well, let me tell you something: what he said is obviously bullshit." Joseph huffed, knowing what kind of person DIO is.

Medea then looked at them. "...And please don't get me started on his Agents, I don't even like 80% of them because most of them are a bunch of lunatics, murderers, abusers, rapists, and con artists, all the things I was against before getting exiled... The other 20% were the ones that don't act like those assholes or don't treat me like crap, like these two." She points at Polnareff and Kakyoin as she continued. "But then you guys left us and that was the last straw for me, something in me just snapped."

As she was saying this, Joseph felt his delinquent grandson pat his right shoulder to get his attention. "Hm?" Joseph turned to him.

"You know, old man, I think that near death experience gave her an epiphany." Jotaro said.

"Jojo!" Avdol called him out.

"No, Avdol, he's right..." Medea said as she sniffled. "I completely disregarded your guys' wellbeing and mission just to make DIO happy and protect myself, I didn't believe that either of us were in the wrong until I was literally on my death bed..." Tears starts forming in her eyes again as she hugged her body. "It was then I realized that I ruined my own life over nothing." She then started to sob, tears falling onto her cheeks. "Everything that's happened to me was because I was a stupid filthy slut who couldn't even handle a simple break up."

Hearing that, Polnareff came over to her and grabbed her shoulders. "No! Don't say that! You're not a slut!" Polnareff called out, trying to comfort her.

"Yes, I am." Medea replied in a sad voice. "I haven't been a virgin since June." The answer had shocked all the Crusaders in silence, causing them to gasp in horror.

"WAIT, WHAT!?" Polnareff exclaimed.

"...I was having a depressive fit one day... and he came to me wanting to "comfort" me, but that was just an excuse to take my Chasity before I had a chance to marry." Medea was on the verge of tears as she continued, she then points at her bandaged neck. "Look at this, the bites on my neck were from our first night together, all the others on my back are from the rest of our affairs after I told him to keep our first one a secret."

"Hurk...!" Kakyoin covered his mouth as he gagged, feeling sick from the revelation and remembering his encounter with DIO.

Jotaro, meanwhile, despite his past altercations with her, now finally understood why she had been acting weird towards him. He had heard rumors that DIO's Stand is the same as his in terms of appearance and strength, so all the times she had been anxious around [Star Platinum] must've been from DIO using his Stand to intimidate her...or worse. "Tch." Regardless, Jotaro clenched his right hand into a fist upon hearing the dreadful story, he was absolutely furious. "I'LL KILL THAT BASTARD!" Jotaro yelled out in anger as he punches the wall next to him with his Stand's fist, making a medium sized hole leading to Kakyoin's room and scaring everyone in the room, as well as Iggy who had been sleeping in the other room the whole time.

"JOTARO, ARE YOU INSANE!?" Joseph exclaimed as he held onto his grandson's arm, trying to hold him back.

"That's terrible! Did anyone know about this?" Avdol asked in a worried voice.

"That's why I wore makeup, Avdol, I didn't want anyone to know at all." Medea sniffled. "Do you have any idea how crazy some of his devotees are? They would kill anyone either out of overprotection, jealousy, or just looking at him weirdly.... The one's that do know I had to force to keep quiet to protect them or didn't want to help me out of cowardice or apathy."

"My god..." Avdol covered his mouth in horror.

"What about [Flogging Molly], couldn't you fight back with your Stand?" Kakyoin asked after he wiped his mouth.

"Are you kidding me? My Stand couldn't lay a single hit on DIO without getting myself hurt or driving his groupies to attack me in retaliation." She wipes her tears again. "...And him gaining his Stand only just made things harder for me, I couldn't even use "Drunken Lullaby" on him because he somehow avoids it..." Medea sobs again as she finishes, covering her face with her hands.

Just then, Polnareff approached her again, this time to comfort her by hugging her tightly just as how he would've comforted his late sister. "Shuuu, don't say anymore..." He gently hushes her this as she cried into his chest and gripping his left arm with her right hand.

"I can't believe this..." Kakyoin said quietly in horror.

All this time, Medea was just as much of a pawn as Polnareff and Kakyoin, being used to do the Vampire's dirty work among other horrible things. The Crusaders had no idea how to process this, except for Avdol, he was deep in thought over what he'd just heard and at this point, his face changed from sadness into seriousness, he turns to Joseph and proclaims this: "Mr. Joestar, I think the Doctor was right to hospitalize her here."

"Well yeah, she has Sepsis." Joseph replied as he was calming down his angered grandson, but Avdol shook his head.

"It's not that, DIO has put her through the worst kind of hell by hurting and objectifying her and I don't want to put her through that kind of pain anymore." The fortune-teller explained. "Not only that, but I have a bad feeling that he could feel that his execution wasn't carried out and could attack her at any time."

Hearing this, Jotaro moved away from his grandfather, now having calmed down from his earlier rage and said this: "... I hate to admit it, but I think you're right. We be putting her as well as ourselves in danger if she continues to come with us, infection or not." He then turns to Kakyoin. "Hey Kakyoin, I know your eyes are still healing, but can you watch over her? Your room is next to this one."

"You can count on me, Jotaro." The redhead replied, giving him a thumbs up.

"Awesome."

Several minutes later

Joseph and Avdol drove back to the hotel to pick up Medea's backpack filled with her clothes and personal items, Avdol stays in the car while Joseph brings her things to a nurse that's standing outside. "Excuse me miss, but would you take this to a patient named Medea King, please? She's in the room next to Noriaki Kakyoin's." Joseph askes politely as he gave Medea's backpack to her.

"Yes, sir." The Nurse replied, walking back inside.

"Thank you, miss."

Just then he sees Jotaro and Polnareff walking out of the building as the Nurse enters with Iggy following close behind, pissed that he got woken up before entering the car's back seat. "Well so much for having our mole, DIO succeeded in making us find his hideout difficult again." Jotaro griped as he enters the car.

"I know, Jojo, but right now Medea's health and safety is one of our highest priorities. We're just going to find DIO's lair by ourselves." Avdol said as Joseph gets into the driver's seat, clearly upset with DIO's actions.

"He's right, and when we do, that douchebag will be eating a fistful of Hamon when I'm done with him." Joseph said angrily as his right-hand sparks from his Hamon, Polnareff enters the car after him.

"Save some ass kicking for me, Monsieur Joestar." Polnareff replies in an angry tone. "My [Silver Chariot] skewering his head would be for Medea after what he's done to her."

"Take it easy, Zorro, they'll be plenty of room for everyone." Jotaro said to the Frenchman as Joseph starts the car. Quickly, Polnareff stuck his head out the window to wave goodbye to Medea just as they're driving away. Medea sadly waves back at him from her bedroom window as she watches them drive away into the darkness, heading for Cairo...

After they did however, she begins to cry once more, feeling intense shame and humiliation over what had happened.

END PROLOGUE