25. All-Star~Curse of the JoJo Family~

Muffled screaming and arguing could be heard from outside their room. Screaming went louder as Kariel, a 5-year-old boy, hugged his older brother, Miguel, a 13-year-old boy.

"Kuya..." said Kariel. "Why are Mama and Daddy mad at each other?"

"Probably because Dad tried to show off his muscles to a bunch of women downstairs," said Miguel, sighing. "Hay Naku. Honestly..."

Their father went into the room, revealing...

Arthur JoJo.

"Hey, kids!" laughed Arthur. "I'm sleeping in your room tonight. Ha, ha, ha!"

Miguel sighed as Kariel shouted, "Yay!"

Arthur laid on their beds as Miguel and Kariel are forced to be pushed away.

The bedroom is mostly just wood with two desks beside each other. One has piles of written ideas and has a laptop while the other has just a single piece of paper with a drawing of all of them as a family holding hands, from left to right, Arthur, Miguel, Kariel, and the mother.

"Daddy, why are you and Mama always fighting?" asked Kariel.

"Because, love, people fight when they don't understand each other," said Arthur. "That's why, never fight each other, the both of you, okay?"

Kariel nodded immediately. Miguel sighed and nodded.

Kariel Camael JoJo later grew up to be a handsome and dashing fellow. He becomes 190 cm. He has black hair and light brown skin with slightly thinner eyebrows than his brother. He sports a pompadour haircut and has a rather fit and slender build.

Kariel was well-known to be the favorite between Arthur and his wife, though they never admitted it. Their love for Kariel was much stronger due to his academic excellence. Miguel was also intelligent as well, but Kariel's IQ is 400 while Miguel's was 310. Kariel graduated high school when he was 13 and was sent to University at 14. He finished at 16. Kariel was also more into sports than Miguel was at the time. Miguel was known to hate basketball while his younger brother loved to play the game.

However, despite these differences, Miguel often loved his younger brother very much, and Kariel still loved him back just as much. Miguel would often guide Kariel, and when Arthur would often go out of the country for his business trips, Miguel would take his place and be the man of the house, taking care of Kariel.

However, when Kariel was still 16, Kariel lost the little family he had.

His father, Kuya, and his mother, on June 5, 2026, were lost to him. He found his mother dead, torn into pieces by an unknown person. Meanwhile, his brother had mysteriously disappeared. His father never came home and never notified him about anything, disappearing without a trace.

He went around asking his friends about his disappearance, but they kept their mouths shut. But then...

...Kariel was recruited...

...by a man named Cutlass...

"I'm from the Helsing Organization," said a man in front of Kariel. "I work for Cutlass. I'm here to recruit you."

Kariel listened intently.

"You have currently finished college and are searching for a job, right?" asked the man.

Kariel nodded.

"I can give you two," said the man. "The first one, you'd work for us. The other, your dream job. You get to start your own company. What was it? The engineering company? The JoJo Foundation?"

Kariel nodded softly once more.

"We can give you that job. We can give you a certain amount of donation to get you into the system and make you the world's richest man," he said. "You will be inheriting the money that is owned by the Filipino government. We've signed a contract already, and you'll inherit it. You see, your ancestor, a man named Crisostomo Ibarra, was arrested by the civil guards."

Kariel raised his finger and tried to speak.

"Yes, Crisostomo Ibarra was a real person, and yes, he was in fact your ancestor," replied the man. "Crisostomo Ibarra, you see, was to inherit the money of his father, Rafael Ibarra. His untimely death, however, led to a friar he knew well taking the money and raising Crisostomo himself. Since he had no heir, the money was offered to the government. Right now, that money was untouched until now."

Kariel sips his coffee.

"You will be inheriting twenty billion pesos."

Kariel spits his coffee.

"Money gets bigger through time," said the man. "Your ancestor was an Illustrado, after all. Would you choose this life?"

Kariel looked down and thought for a second.

"Oh," said the man, putting a cigarette in his mouth, lighting it, and puffing some smoke. "Your brother... he's alive."

Kariel's eyes widen with astonishment.

Five years later...

Miguel sat by the piano and played a piece of music.

(theme begins... cant add it tho but it's Fur Elise)

He was in the library on the first floor. Books were freshly lined up The walls were wooden. Three wooden seats are found behind it and are all empty. The seats are rather rectangular. One seat is much longer, and that one is facing away from the door. The seats each have a large furry cushion. There is a shelf with Begonia flowers neatly tidied in pots above it. There are three large windows shining light into the room at the center across the door. The door is across from where Miguel was, and beside it is a mirror. On the piano, there is also a mirror.

A headless woman with a white dress sat on the chair behind him. Miguel sees her through the mirror.

"Good morning, Emilia," said Miguel, still playing. "How was your night? Have you found your head yet?"

Emilia shrugged.

"Too bad," said Miguel. "I learned piano on the island... among other things... Marvel or DC, Emilia?"

Emilia points to the left.

"Oh, Marvel? I prefer DC," said Miguel. "There's a certain humility in the passion of DC. Why? Because DC has this artistic heart to it... its mythology of grandeur is just there... I'm that kind of person, you know? It's not the darkness... it's the mythology... the lore... the plot is what matters the most in every story. It's what makes that story tick. That's what's so beautiful about it. You might not agree with me, but that very much doesn't matter to me. Your opinion is utterly... useless... to me... what matters is what I can do. What matters is what I can achieve through my very own opinions... what matters is what I think... that is what matters to me. Call it selfish, but is it selfish to see your own opinion above others'? Is that not just people? I believe all people put their own opinions above others'...Believe in your own dreams. Screw what other people think of you.Because I, Miguel JoJo, have a dream I believe is just.That dream. That very dream has a mythology to it. It has a form of lore to it. It has something to do with a plot more sinister than anything else. It's something that makes you tick. What is my dream, exactly? What is my dream? Is it to kill Salvi? Is it to prove the ones who bullied me wrong? Is it to be the Superhero I always dreamed about? What is my dream?"

Miguel stopped playing, so... theme ends.

"My dream is to prove...that is not everything...is so useless..."

"Hi, Daddy!"

"Pumpkin!"

"Found a report about an Anne Zeppeli?"

"The failure? The descendant of Zeppeli, you mean? Mis Anne Blunder-eppeli?"

"Yes."

"The one who somehow messed up all but one of her drug traffickings? The one who tried to kill me, but completely failed so I ended up murdering her family? The one who keeps mixing up her clients."

"Yes."

"She mixed up illegal drugs with her own medication and was arrested! It took us a fine donation to the precinct that they'd bring her out!"

"Yeah, Daddy..."

"She messed up the cookies meant as greetings gifts on her first day!"

"Yes!"

"She accidentally shot my dog because she thought he was a raccoon! There aren't any raccoons in the Philippines and she never left the country according to her files!"

"Daddy!"

"She accidentally drugged the both of us once. It didn't work because I am a Vampire. She ended up forgetting which drink she drugged and ended up drugging herself."

"DADDY?!!"

"I pitied her so much that I allowed her to stay in as a soldier so that she could have another swing on me."

"DADDY, PLEASE SHUT UP!"

"Oh, right. Sorry... I was flashbacking. What about her?"

"She's a lawyer again."

"But I threatened her!"

"Exactly."

"Bah. Let her be. They don't seem to be trouble. Just watch them."

"You're being awfully careless, Daddy."

"Because in the end, it is useless for them to attack me. I like to play with my food, darling. Let's see what'll happen if they try to hunt me down. I know, in the end, they will fail."

"And The Reaper?"

"If Miguel JoJo really is The Reaper, then we send Stand-Users to kill him. I entrust you and your team in doing this."

"Yes, Daddy!"

"Thank you, pumpkin. Also, we need Miguel JoJo... he may have the answer to unlocking the full potential of our Stands..."

"Yes, father."

"Also, have you found the Ark of the Covenant?"

"Not yet, father..."

Meanwhile...

Jessica and Jedan are shown playing Smash with a Nintendo Switch on the Smart TV in the living room. Miguel is shown playing the piano in the lower-ground library outside the living room. Miguel is playing, "Requiem in D Minor." Anne is shown reading Harry Potter sitting by the table while sipping some tea.

A soft earthquake could be felt.

"Hm?" asked Anne, as she shrugged and continued sipping her tea.

"Oops," said Anne, spilling some of her tea on the table.

She takes a napkin and wipes the tea clean, but she ends up knocking the tea on her lap causing her to scream.

"EEP!!!" she shouted. "Sorry, Miguel!"

"It's fine," he stopped playing for a second and then continued.

Jessica once again loses in this fight.

"STOP USING WARIO!!!" shouted Jessica.

"Stop being a sore loser, Regina George!" Jedan shouted back.

"WHY DOES HE HAVE A MOTORCYCLE!!?" asked Jessica. "I CAN'T BLOCK HIS ATTACKS!!! THAT MAKES NO SENSE!!! WHY IS HE THE ONLY CHARACTER WITH A MOTORCYCLE!?"

"Try dodging and stop whining," said Jedan.

Jessica grabbed his hair and brought out Silver Chariot.

"HORA!!!"

"SPLASH!!!"

She dodges the Emerald Splash.

"HUH!? NO ON CAN DODGE-!!!"

"OY!!!" shouted Miguel, stopping his song as he teleported into the living room. "What the hell do you two think you're doing?! NO STANDS IN THE HOUSE!!!"

"Wanna go again, fatass?" asked Jessica, crossing her legs and leaning her elbows on the table.

Jessica Polnareff. 175 cm. She has long white hair and a smooth and very beautiful face. She has big lips and a rather large head. She is rather flat-nosed and has large ears. She has smooth skin. She has a curvy body and a large bust. She is also rather fit. She wears a black undershirt with one strap on her right shoulder covering her entire torso but showing her stomach and lower back. She also has a gray short skirt with black stockings and black high heels. She wears some make-up.

"Tch-..." said Miguel. "Stop calling me that, you slut."

"Oh! What's wrong? Did I strike another nerve?" asked Jessica.

"Oh, snap!" laughed Jedan.

"Jedan, comment, and I'll dislocate your jaw," warned Miguel.

"Sorry,"

"Oh, ho! Just because you were a self-proclaimed marine from a magical island that suddenly you're this cool chad rather than the simp you really were?" asked Jessica, as she put her hand before her mouth and proceeded to laugh like a female Pokemon villain.

"Tch-..." said Miguel, turning around and walking away. He sat back down and continued playing "Requiem in D-Minor."

"Oh, what?! You're going to continue playing the piano like some fatass you are?!" asked Jessica. "You!"

Jessica turns to Anne, who stops reading out of fear.

"Y-Yes?!" she asked.

"Go get me a glass of water!" she said, as Anne nodded and walked to the kitchen.

"Can you not be such an ass all the time?" asked Jedan, as he fought against Jessica in the Switch.

"Huh?" she asked, annoyed. "Watch your mouth, simp! I was the school's queen and I'll always be the school's queen!!!"

"Why are you such a horrid person, Jessica Polnareff? You're like a duck penis, but if the duck penis was a person," asked Jedan.

"Probably because you keep using Wario all the time. Other than that, I have no idea," she said, calmly.

"I heard your father did things to you when you were younger," said Jedan.

Jessica stopped talking. The sound of controllers being clicked is the only thing being heard in the room.

"You put out your frustrations on him unto others. That isn't very healthy, Jessica Polnareff. Your Stand represents the fact that you're a fighter, is that correct?"

"Tch-..." said Jessica looking away. "Silence, degenerate weeb. You have no right to say that to me now..."

"You were in love with Miguel, is that correct?" asked Jedan. "You bully him the most around here, and you treat Anne by antagonizing her. Is it because you're secretly holding a grudge against her, Jessica Polnareff?

Tell me..."

Jessica's cheeks turned slightly red as Jedan turns to her.

"GAME!!!"

"Why did you have sex with Nico that night?" asked Jedan, turning to her.

"T-Tch-!!!" she grunted. "What was your job, again?"

"Psychologist," said Jedan. "Master's Degree."

"Hm," she sighed. "I'd rather not tell... I barely know all of you... And you like crossing lines, don't you?"

"I'm a therapist! That's my job."

"I disagree because you crossed a line of boundary," said Anne.

Anne gave a terrifying look at her with her eye.

"Here's your water!" smiled Anne.

"GET OUTTA HERE!!!" shouted Jessica.

"Eep!" Anne yelped.

Jessica turns to Jedan.

"I noticed something about Miguel..." said Jessica. "What is Miguel JoJo? I don't think he's actually a Grimm..."

Meanwhile, Miguel continued to play the piano...

"It's not useless..." said Miguel. "Life isn't useless... It isn't. Purpose. There is purpose hidden in the eyes of humanity. It's not useless. There is hope. There is meaning. There is meaning. My mother died for a reason. I just don't know what..."

The stress gets to him, and he accidentally taps the wood. Miguel then pricks his finger on the wood in the piano. He shook his head like some sort of animal, sighs, then proceeded to play.

*ring ring*

Miguel checks his phone.

He sees a text.

"I wanna join you."

Miguel speaks softly. "Maybe life isn't useless... after all."

Miguel walks toward the tall building at the center of the Plateau. The city has full of vandalism everywhere, filled with grotesque words written in the alleyways between apartments and buildings. The smell of urine and feces was everywhere. Beggars would walk the streets asking for alms. The ill would sit on the ground begging as well. Some underage teenagers would walk around pregnant wearing uniforms for companies nearby. In the stores, teenagers would text and ignore customers. The cops would be paid off by a few speeders. Students in uniforms are found doing public displays of affection on the sidewalk benches. Jeepney drivers are found urinating on trees nearby.

Miguel ignores all of this and enters the building. The building has the words in front of it: "JoJo Foundation." Miguel enters the building.

A voice could be heard with a hologram before him appearing.

"After the Big-One, this is the first building in thirty-one years to have a fully-operational 51-floor building. This is because it is entirely made of an anti-gravitational technology developed by Kariel JoJo himself! Have you ever heard of the JoTech, JoPhone, JoCom, JoHolo, JoBot, JoWatch, JoTV, Joflix, JoFilms, JoOils, JoSpace, JoTransport, JoAirlines, JoGames, JoStudios, JoFruitCompany, JoPad, JoTablet, JoInfrastructure, JoCare, JoInsurances, JoBooks, JoDSL, JoFarms, JoFishing, JoSciences, JoMalls, JoFoods, JoFurniture, JoGardens, JoSpices, JoMining, JoCoffee, JoFashion, JoMilk, JoAnimations, JoBaths, JoMusic, JoCable, JoToys, JoTools, JoWeapons, and Jollibee? It all started from this building built by The Best JoJo himself: Kariel JoJo! He owns 90% of companies in the Philippines and is the Number One company in the Philippines. The JoJo Foundation is also the top 7 most powerful companies in the world! We invented things like the JoPhone, Joven, JoHolo, JoBots, JoTV, JoRocket, JoCar, The Electric JoCar, The Electric Flying JoCar (that's still in progress), JoLiquidSoap, JoSteak, JoPalmOil, JoGasoline, and everyone's favorite: The JoBackScratcher! Welcome, visitor, to Philippines's number one company."

"You have an appointment with Kariel Camael JoJo, I presume?" asked the woman on the desk to his left. The walls are platinum in color. Everything... is platinum in color. The woman has an in-built computer on her desk that is also a touch screen.

"That's right," said Miguel, very calmly.

"51st floor," she smiled. "You may take the elevator."

"Thank you," said Miguel.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Log yourself here."

Miguel takes out a pocket watch and checks the time.

"2:33 PM," it said.

"Oh, you use a pocket watch?" asked the woman, smiling.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Classy," she smiled.

Miguel tipped his hat after finishing logging his name and pocketing his watch. He then walked towards the elevator which automatically opened for him.

Miguel enters and walked inside.

He waited for the elevator to reach the top floor as he reached a long corridor leading to his younger brother's office.

"Hay Naku," whispered Miguel. "This won't end well... He must be pissed after being away for so long."

Miguel opens the door to see Kariel talking to a man.

Miguel quietly opens the door open then bows with his right hand on his chest.

Kariel immediately ran to his brother and hugged him tightly.

"KUUUUUUUUUUYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" he turned red and rubbed his face into his chest. "I MISSED YOU!!! I MISSED YOU!!! I MISSED YOU!!! I MISSED YOU!!! I-!!!"

"Oi, get the hell off me..." Miguel said calmly.

"Sorry, Kuya!" said Kariel, letting go.

Kariel's body is rather feminine, as revealed.

"Hay Naku..." said Miguel, covering his eyes with his cap's bill. "There's someone in the room. Can you not be so huggy when that happens?"

"Sorry, Kuya!" said Kariel, covering his mouth.

"It's alright!" said the man. "I know you both well enough, so it's fine."

"The back of your head..." said Miguel, as he then gasps.

"I know what you're going to say next..."

"ASSHOLE!!!" shouted the both of them.

"Huh?" asked Miguel. "Bah!" he shouted, approaching Arthur.

"No, wait a minute," said Arthur, as Star Platinum grabbed Arthur by the collar.

Star Platinum prepared his fist.

"Whoa! Easy there, kiddo!" shouted Arthur. "What's with all the aggression? You wanna go with your old man? Do they say that I'm a master of random bullshit, y'know? And yes! I'm a Moon Knight reference!"

"Where the hell were you at Mom's funeral?!" asked Miguel, gritting his teeth.

"I wasn't there," said Arthur, bowing his head in slight shame.

"Exactly," said Miguel.

"I'm sorry," said Arthur. "But as Cutlass, it was my duty to protect Helsing and everyone in it... I had to keep my people safe from monsters who want to destroy our world... especially The Boss."

"You sure know a lot about monsters," said Miguel. "Counting the fact that you're one yourself."

Arthur bowed his head in shame.

"I'm sorry for what your mother and I did to you," said Arthur.

"Do you know what it feels like to have two people inside of your head fighting for dominance?!" asked Miguel.

"You lapsed out," said Arthur, looking concerned.

"YES!!!" shouted Miguel with his hands trembling. "Some nights I'm not even aware that I was hunting again! LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME!!! YOU DID THIS TO ME TO UNLOCK OUR FAMILY'S CURSE!!!"

"You're still a Grimm, son," said Arthur.

"I'm not a Grimm! I don't know what I am!" shouted Miguel, grabbing his head as black claws are now in place of his nails, scratching his hair.

"Kuya... you're woging..." said Kariel.

"Why didn't you tell me that this asshole is here?!" asked Miguel.

"I'm sorry, Kuya..." said Kariel.

"You should hate him just as I hate him... He had you just because he thought I was a mistake... that I was a monster..." said Miguel, growling at Arthur as needle-like fangs appeared in his mouth.

Arthur charged with Hamon and brought out Open Arms.

"Miguel... calm down..." said Arthur. "We asked you to come here because I stepped down from my position in Helsing to join your crusade."

"You're the reason why I can't use Hamon," said Miguel as he trembled erratically. "You're the reason that I'm not like the rest of you!!!"

Miguel woges, revealing his true form...

...An Aswang...

"Specifically an Aswang Black-Eyes," said Jedan to Jessica.

Meanwhile... in the JoJo Residence...

"Wait, he isn't a Grimm?" asked Jessica. "He's a Chimera?"

"Yep," said Jedan. "That's why he was kinda weird in high school."

"So apparently that explains him pretending to do lightsaber battles with his hands using bullpens at school," said Jessica, sarcastically.

"Be serious," said Jedan.

"Sorry," said Jessica. "How is he an Aswang Black-Eyes?"

"It has something to do with what his parents did to him long ago," said Anne, entering the conversation. The two look at Anne.

"The New World Order is a Mafia started by The Boss, known to us and our ancestors as Bernardo Salvi that gives out drugs all over South East Asia. Turns out, this was Plan B in case Damaso were to fail in his battle against Arthur. Arthur JoJo, Miguel's father, started a secret society meant to hunt down Salvi to stop the rising New World Order. To do this, Arthur needed a secret weapon that would allow Arthur, now code-named Cutlass, to win against The Boss. He needed a powerful Stand-User that can use Salvi's ability, THE WORLD. His wife, Maria Higashikata, just so happens to be a Stand-User that manipulates soul magic. Therefore, they worked together to try and fuse Salvi's child they kidnapped with someone with their blood, their own. It was simply a process of taking away the child's Stand and giving it to Miguel, fusing it with his own.

However... they didn't fully understand what Stands are...

For years, Grimms thought that Stands are weapons of the soul and are mere guardians. But it turns out, your Stand is the physical manifestation of your soul. That means your Stand is you. Taking it away will kill you...

They had two test subjects... the first was the daughter of an allied family of theirs, and the second was Miguel. The little girl and boy already had their own Stands, namely, Strength and Star Platinum. The first test subject was of a mother who did not want her daughter to have such a dangerous ability, so they transferred it. They immediately worked on their own child since the other child was still alive.

Two babies lost their Stands... thus... their souls...

The two babies with stolen Stands immediately died after Miguel gained a mutated version of Star Platinum. The other baby, instead, gained two Stands. Arthur was forced to report the truth to their families, and Arthur was shunned for his actions that he ended up somewhat resenting his own firstborn.

Meanwhile, the other child suffered massive criticisms from her father in every action in her life. "Don't do this, little girl." "Stop acting so strange, little girl." "Be more confident, little girl." "Why can't you just be normal, little girl." He never saw her as his own, since she was a freak fusion of two people. He was so ashamed of what he had done with his own child, that he never told his wife and son about what he did to her.

The other child was me... Anne Zeppeli."

"So, who were the two children?" asked Jessica.

"One was found by Helsing to be the illegitimate son of Salvi that he had heavily protected. The mother nearly died just to get to Helsing to remove her son's Stand. Her son's name was Giorno Giovanna. The two souls shared Miguel's body, having a neverending fight over his body. His souls fused. We don't know which personality is the original..."

"And you?" asked Jessica.

"Anne Zeppeli is my body, but Bruna Bucciarati is my mind and soul. But, I somehow still have Anne's Stand, Strength, so her soul must still be in here..."

"Nice story," said Jessica. "What makes it so true?"

Anne looked at her with all seriousness, and Jessica's smile went away.

"Oh..." said Jessica.

"Why'd you have sex with Nico that night, since I shared so much with you and now you know me well, Princess?" asked Anne.

Jessica stared at her, blankly.

"His head was sitting on your lap," said Jessica. "I lowkey wanted to kill you."

Anne gave Jessica a death stare.

"Hm," said Jessica. "This would be a fun friendship..."

Jedan pisses his pants out of the untimely fury these two exhume.

Meanwhile...

Miguel growls at the two.

Kariel sighs. "Can you at least bury the hatchet for now? We all want the same thing... and that's to get Salvi."

"Kid... I know that I've made some mistakes... and now you're doing this whole vigilante thing because of my mistakes..." said Arthur. "But please... Remember that I'm the best you can get to find your mother."

"What you did to me is a curse," said Miguel.

"Let me undo it, then," said Arthur. "Let me fix my mistakes... Look, kid... You don't deserve to suffer from my own mistakes... so let me fix this... Just please... have faith in me."

Miguel thinks for a moment and roared at Arthur.

"Fine!" he shouted, woging back. "As long as you would try your best to not be annoying."

Miguel went back to his mundane self.

"To the cabin!" shouted Kariel, smiling and pointing in the air.

"NO!!!" shouted Miguel.

Downstairs, the woman who greeted Miguel earlier dialed a number and spoke to the phone. It seems that she's watching the three on her laptop.

"Yes... Arthur JoJo is in the building... and Miguel is The Reaper. I repeat. Miguel JoJo is The Reaper."

Meanwhile...

"This video is proof enough that Miguel JoJo is The Reaper... Straizo!!!"

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Send Queen."

"Yes, sir."