CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Need You Tonight - Part 2



Clutching and unconscious Shizuka in its twisted hand, NEED YOU TONIGHT flies through the air to its unknown destination, googly eyes staring straight ahead, unblinking. Neither it nor its master takes notice of the yellow strand of hair, stretched impossibly long from Shizuka’s head to around Trish Una’s middle finger. The pop star revs the motorcycle down the brightly lit LA streets, ignoring traffic lights.

They have been driving for around ten minutes before Kilo Staples looks behind him to see what was causing the racket that was gaining on them. “Oh shit,” he exclaims, not so much angry as he is annoyed.

No less than six garishly-colored vehicles chase them down the highway, revving their engines loud and close enough to make Kilo’s ears ring. They maneuver around the few cars that are still out in the evening. From the passenger window of the lead car, a young man with a nautical star tattoo over his left eyebrow pokes his head out. “KILO STAPLES!!” he shouts even over the sound of the engines, “THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING! STOP YO RIDE AND THIS DOESN’T HAVE TO GET MESSY!”

“It’s the first goddamn warning!” he shouts back at them. They continue chasing them, of course, and he mutters curses under his breath. “They must be friends of that guy whose car we wrecked! Who even was that guy?!”

“Now’s not the time for sulking, Kilo!”

“I know that, damn it! It’s just fucking annoying! ” Kilo replies, grunting as he swings around in the seat to face the convoy. “I didn’t even want to go to the concert…!”

“What a tortured existence…” Trish says to this, just as the Star Tattoo loses his patience.

“THAT’S IT MOTHERFUCKER!! YOU A DEAD MAN, AND YOUR LADY TOO!!” With this declaration, the thugs produce firearms. Shiny, automatic handguns and rifles that they cock to the side as they hang out the sides of their cars. Without even waiting for an order, they begin firing. The civilian cars swerve to avoid the carnage. Kilo grimaces.

SATURN BARZ emerges and swipes its talons. The bullets immediately liquefy mid flight, becoming little more than hot globs of goo on the asphalt. Its master stands up in his seat, balancing on the back of the vehicle. The dark leather beneath his soles bubbles into liquid over his feet, then solidify, mooring him in place. Trish glances back and whistles. “So that’s your Stand, huh? Looks fearsome! Most impressive!”

“If you say so!” Kilo replies, focusing on the continuing barrage of hot lead. SATURN BARZ keeps up its defense, but it is not quite fast enough to get all of them. Two bullets slip past its shield, and both find their target. One enters Kilo’s arm, the other burrows its way into his side. He grunts and spits up blood.

“Kilo?!” Trish exclaims, glancing back at the sounds of his pain. “You’ve taken damage! We need to stop-!”



“NO!” he shouts, cutting her off. “Keep going! Don’t stop, don’t slow down! I’ll take care of this…”

Even as SATURN BARZ continues to fend off the projectiles, it spares some of its power to melt the bullets inside of its master, allowing them to spill out of him before solidifying the blood into red scabs. He hisses sharply as this happens, as it chills him strong to burn.

“… That’s far too reckless!” Trish declares, turning back to focus on the road. “If you take too much damage before we even reach the Stand user, you won’t be able to help Shizuka at all!”

“I didn’t ask these assholes to come and start shooting! Unless you got a better idea, keep your eyes on the road!”

“It’s true that I have to keep my attention on driving, but… that doesn’t mean we can’t help!”