The old man takes another step forward, and Josuke’s eyes flash. CRAZY DIAMOND appears and throws a punch, but its movements are sluggish and telegraphed, and Sanjo side-steps it easily. He drives a savage kick into Josuke’s stomach, leaving him gasping for breath.

The old man crouches and reaches behind Josuke’s head, untying the respirator round his face. “You should really lighten up. That stuffy uniform, must be uncomfortable. Hey, what do you think the good folks of Morioh would think if they saw their fine Sergeant Higashikata lolling about like some junkie, high as a kite!? I don’t think they’d be quite so proud of you. What do you think?”

He doesn’t wait for an answer and kicks Josuke again, across his jaw, then stomping on his chest. The policeman coughs and groans.

“…bro…” Shizuka whimpers.

The old man turns. “Oh, don’t worry. I didn’t forget about you.” He steps over to her, as ACHTUNG BABY weakly materializes. “Oh, how colourful,” smirks Sanjo. He dodges Achtung Baby’s already feeble punch and kicks Shizuka onto her side. He spares no time firing a kick into her gut.

“You’re lucky, you know. With most drugs, it takes at least fifteen minutes to get a high like this going. But SMOKE ON THE WATER is about a hundred times more potent. I’m kind of jealous, honestly. Ever since I got these powers, I can’t get high, or even drunk anymore,” he laughs.

Curling up against the pain, Shizuka murmurs something under her breath.

“What was that, princess? Did you have something you wanted to say?” Sanjo says, squatting down to her level.

“…so it’s… the pipe?”

Sanjo says nothing.

“…i bet… all this power… i bet it’s all concentrated on that pipe… if we take that away from you, then you’ll be helples-”

He grabs her by the hair and slams her head onto the steel floor, cutting off anything left she had to say. Sniffing, he stands up and steps away from them.

“I wish we could have more time to play, but since he’s here,” he gestures to Josuke, “I assume the rest of Morioh’s finest is already on their way. So, before I go, I’ll tell you something interesting. SMOKE ON THE WATER is too potent for its own good. And in a closed space like this? Let me think… I’d say, five minutes. That’s how long before you overdose, and your bodies completely shut down. That’s how long you have to live.”

Hissing against the pain and fog in her head, Shizuka whispers a response. “…i disagree…”

There is a grinding of metal, and Sanjo turn to see Josuke standing, back against the wall, and CRAZY DIAMOND reaching up and grasping a metal pipe running overhead. With one flex, the pipe is broken and a torrent of steam cascades out, filling the tight space with hot air. The sudden burst of steam displaces the toxic smoke hanging in the air.

Sanjo clicks his tongue, frustrated, then turns and runs towards the door to the corridor, fleeing as he opens it. Josuke lets him, as he attends to Shizuka. CRAZY DIAMOND reaches out and presses its finger against her breastbone. She coughs, and from her nose and mouth, all of the toxins in her system are ejected, floating up and flowing down the corridor after Sanjo.

“Josuke…?” Shizuka whimpers.

“I’ve got you. Let’s get out of here already.” He says it reassuringly, lifting her up and putting her arm over his shoulder, as he leave the engine room. But still, his mind swims under SMOKE ON THE WATER’s influence. And CRAZY DIAMOND cannot heal its own user.

They could have been walking for a hundred years, or for a single minute, it didn’t matter to Josuke. It all felt the same. His vision blurs, and he doesn’t know where they are. The dark, cramped halls of the ship become a winding labyrinth, until finally, he trips over his own feet and he stumbles.

From far away, he hears her crying his name. Josuke says something in response, but he can hardly understand his own words. He can feel his eyes going bloodshot. He can feel his fingers and toes going numb.