Prelude: Spider-Girl vs Jolyne Cujoh
——————————————————
To say that it was a hot summer day in Port St. Lucie would’ve been an understatement. The Sun’s intense heat was mercilessly beating down on Florida’s citizens, though they paid it no mind. Whether they were regular civilians or tourists, everyone had managed to find some way to ignore the heat. In fact, one such example of the latter could be seen making her way across the streets.
Clad in her red and blue spandex costume, Mayday Parker was busy swinging through the streets of Florida. Normally she and her family would’ve been in New York, but this was a special occasion. Midtown High School’s spring break had just started, and as a way to celebrate, the Parkers had decided to take a vacation to Florida. It had taken them over a day to reach their destination, but it had been worth it. After 2 months of studying for exams, keeping up with her assignments, and balancing her academic life with her heroic career, she would finally have the chance to just kick back, relax, and enjoy some fun in the sun. Well, that’s what she expected, anyway.
Unfortunately, it seemed that the old Parker Luck had decided to rear its ugly head. From the moment the Parkers had arrived, Florida’s TV networks and radio stations had been flooded with updates seemingly at every hour, all of them focusing on an extremely odd case. From what May and the rest of her family had heard, a group of convicts had escaped Green Dolphin Street Prison.
According to the reports, the escapees were Jolyne Cujoh, a woman convicted for a hit-and-run while DUI; Atroe, a woman who had been arrested for kidnapping; and a murderer by the name of Narciso Anasui. How these two had escaped and what their reason was for being together remained a mystery. Some had suggested they paid off a guard to smuggle them in a boat, while others believed they had disguised themselves to escape. Regardless of the disagreements, all of them gave the same warning: avoid these people at all costs. For May, however, this warning served the opposite purpose: it convinced her to take action. That’s not to say this decision had flown past her parents’ radar, though.
Roughly 40 minutes prior
“May, are you up there?” The door to May’s hotel room opened, and Peter walked in soon after. “We were just discussing plans for dinner and I was wondering how you’d feel about…” Peter’s voice trailed off as he noticed his daughter’s current position.
To an outsider, the situation would’ve looked extremely surreal. May stared at her father, looking somewhat surprised as she clutched her currently thigh-length right legging. Peter stared back, allowing his daughter to witness his brown khakis and light blue shirt covered with images of pineapples. There was a brief, awkward silence between them, something Peter would break as he spoke first.
”I… thought we agreed you’d lay off web-swinging while we’re on vacation.” He said awkwardly.
“I know, and I thought I’d be able to stick with that, but,” May paused as she pulled her legging up, “It’s still my responsibility to protect people from harm. And with those two criminals out there-“
“You don’t have to explain. I understand.” Peter responded as he began closing the door. “Just don’t take too long, okay?”
Present
May flipped through the air, feeling the wind rush past her as she landed on one of the nearby skyscrapers. The moment she collided with the window, an audible- if somewhat muffled- THUNK could be heard. Placing her hands against the glass, Spider-Girl took a brief moment to pause as she looked around.
’Hoo-boy!’ She sighed. ‘I get that I’m searching out an entire city for three people, but you think they’d be easier to spot! I mean, who else would go out in public with those weird outfits?‘
Little did May know, one of the people she was searching for was currently a few blocks away, running down the street at top speed.
‘I feel like I’ve swept half the city, but there’s still no sign of it. Dammit!’ Jolyne Cujoh, the daughter of Jotaro Kujo, swore under her breath. Currently, she was on a mission to retrieve the Green Baby, a creature made by the fanatical Enrico Pucci. To Pucci, the Green Baby was essential to his plan of attaining Heaven, and Jolyne had made it her goal to prevent that from happening. Unfortunately, it seemed that fate had other plans in store for her.
One day ago
“‘Hydrangea!’ ‘Rhinoceros beetle!’ ‘Singularity point!’” Pucci declared as he stood above the Green Baby, his arms already outstretched to grasp the creature. Then, to fully awaken it, the priest spoke the final phrase: “‘The Secret Emperor!’”
Upon hearing this final word, the creature’s red eyes snapped open, and it found itself staring at Pucci. For a brief moment, a poignant silence filled the air, but it would soon end as a pale, ghostly arm punched through Pucci’s hand. Blood spilled out of the wound as bone suddenly erupted out from the gash. Rather than worry about this, however, Pucci instead grabbed hold of the bone and pulled it free from his hand. Offering it to the Green Baby, which had begun to reach for item, he spoke again.
“Are you interested in me, now? Are you curious? Are you going to come to me?” He pressed it with questions. For a brief moment, he could’ve sworn the grass around the Baby had rustled, followed by a brief glow of orange, but he put it aside. “Is this going to mark the beginning of everything that is to come?”
There was a brief pause, and with it Pucci’s expression grew tighter. Was it possible he had failed? Could he have misremembered one of the phrases? Before he could question himself any further, he noticed the grass rustle again, followed by an almost drill-like sound. In tandem with this, the orange glow seemed to be growing stronger. Its illumination lit up Pucci’s face, highlighting his tense expression and the sweat running down his forehead. Just what was this item? Could it perhaps have something to do with DIO’s plan?
Enrico would soon get his answer as the item broke through the surface, revealing a smooth, glowing orange gemstone. Though his expression remained the same as before, Pucci’s eyes told a different story. His pupils showed three emotions: surprise, intrigue, and a slight hint of fear. Surprise at the item’s arrival, intrigue at the power he was sensing from it, and fear as he noticed the Green Baby start to turn its attention toward the gem.
‘No! I’m so close! If I could just regain its attention, I might-‘ unfortunately, Pucci’s thoughts would soon be cut short as the Green Baby suddenly grabbed hold of the orange gem. Both the creature and its jewel began to glow a bright orange, and then-
VEW!
Pucci suddenly disappeared in a flash of orange light, with Jolyne, Foo Fighters, and a bloodied Anasui vanishing not long after. The next thing she knew, Jolyne had found herself in the middle of Port St. Lucie, fully healed of her injuries, but something was wrong. Rather than the dead of night, it was now the middle of the day, and she was the only one here. No matter where she looked, she couldn’t find any sign of Foo Fighters, Anasui, or even Pucci for that matter! Then there was what really worried her. When she checked the nearby clocks and displays, they read March 19. Somehow, she’d been sent an entire day into the future, but how could that be? As far as she knew, there weren’t any Stand users who could manipulate time like this. She quickly put that aside, however, as there were more important matters to deal with.
Anasui’s dying body had been injected with Jotaro’s memory disc, the latter of which was on the verge of shattering; Foo Fighters had also been on her death bed, and unless she’d been sent somewhere with water, it was unlikely she’d survive. It didn’t help that there were now only 3 days before Pucci could enact his plan to obtain Heaven, and that was assuming he hadn’t already gotten his hands on the Green Baby!
As these thoughts swam through her mind, Jolyne had begun searching the city, hoping she’d be able to find some sign of either her friends or the baby. Unfortunately, she’d had no such luck. It was close to an hour at this point, and the only thing she’d accomplished was getting herself lost. After letting out an annoyed sigh, the escaped convict began speaking aloud.
”Anasui? F.F.? Is anyone out here?” For a brief moment, she received no response, but then she heard something. It was a barely audible groan, but then it evolved into something louder.
”J-Jolyne?” Recognizing the voice, Jolyne took off toward its direction, and she soon found herself staring down at the body of Narciso Anasui. He was laying limply on the ground. Blood ran down his chest, painting the concrete beneath him a deep shade of crimson, though it seemed his wound had sealed itself shut. As she drew closer, Jolyne noticed a trail of golden smoke gather from where his wound had been. With each second that passed, the trail began to take on a more humanoid appearance, forming arms, a more pronounced chest, and an outline of hair.
“Th… this… N-no way! It can’t be!” Jolyne stammered as she watched the smoke’s appearance continue to evolve. “Anasui!”
”No… Jolyne…” a feminine voice responded as the smoke began to form a lower jaw. “Don’t worry… it’s not him…”
“I’m glad…” the cloud said as it took on a face and hairstyle. Turning to face her, Foo Fighters continued speaking. “Anasui… he got the disc back.”
As she said this, the former Stand gestured to Anasui, revealing a silver disc laying next to him.
‘It’s not Anasui!’ Jolyne realized. “Is that you, F.F.? Is that you, talking?”
”What I was scared most of, was not being able to even say goodbye to my friends. To forget how to say goodbye.” F.F. admitted. “But… at the very end, I still remembered that I have to say it.” Turning to Jolyne, she continued.
“Jolyne, when Anasui wakes up, tell him that his body is his. That I used his intelligence and his strength to cure his wounds.”
”Wait a second! What are you talking about, F.F.?” Jolyne asked.
”Goodbye, Jolyne. I can’t stay here any longer. F.F. is going to disappear.”
”What are you saying?” Jolyne demanded. “D-don’t be stupid!”
“Look at me, Jolyne.” Foo Fighters responded, gesturing to herself. “This is my ‘spirit’… This is my ‘intellect’… I was alive.”
“I’m going to get your disc back from the priest! Your Foo Fighters disc! Then you can come back!” Jolyne pleaded.
”But that will probably be another Foo Fighters. It probably won’t be ‘me.’ ‘This’ is me.” She said calmly. “This is me saying goodbye.” Turning her back to her friend, Foo Fighters continued.
”I’m glad I was able to say my goodbyes to you, Jolyne. It’s alright, Jolyne. It’s alright.” She said reassuringly. “I’m glad I got your disc back…”
As she spoke these final words, a sharp gust of wind blew through the area, taking the misty form of Foo Fighters with it.
”F.F.?” Jolyne asked as she watched her friend get swept up. Upon receiving no answer, she looked around and tried again. “F.F.?” She tried a third time, only to receive the same response. In desperation, she began calling out in an even louder voice.
“Answer me! WHERE ARE YOU? F.F.?” She cried out, her voice cracking as she screamed the name of her deceased friend. Nothing answered her. Nothing, save for another draft of wind blowing past her ears. Realizing she was alone, tears streaked down Jolyne’s face as she bent down, picking up the memory disc and Anasui’s unconscious body.
Meanwhile, Spider-Girl was still scanning the area when the distant sounds of screaming filled her ears. With her mind kicking into high gear, the daughter of Spider-Man began swinging as fast as she could, and within seconds she had managed to close in on its source.
Placing herself atop a perch, Spidey watched as Jolyne stood over an unconscious Anasui, currently in the middle of placing something in her pockets. While the distance made it difficult to tell what it was, it appeared to be some kind of disc. After placing it in her pocket, Jolyne began looking around, stopping as she noticed a pay phone on the other side of the street. With a sudden burst of energy, the escaped convict took off toward the booth, and it was at this same time that Spider-Girl decided to reveal herself.
After slowly lowering herself from a web line, May immediately rushed toward Anasui. With the amount of blood on his chest, she doubted he had that much longer to live, but if she acted fast enough, she could at least get him to a hospital! Once she was close enough, Spider-Girl knelt down and checked his pulse, but that’s when she noticed something odd.
”That can’t be right.” She muttered under her breath. Confused, she checked again, only to find that the feedback was now a bit stronger. There was no doubt about it. Somehow, even with the apparent blood loss, Anasui was completely healthy!
‘With how that blood is coming down, there’s no doubt it’s his, and it’s still wet enough to be recent, but…’ her eyes narrowed, ‘how did he heal so quickly?’
Last she checked, there was nothing that suggested the inmates had powers, much less a healing factor of this magnitude. Either way, it didn’t change that with how quickly he was recovering, he would be coming around soon enough. While this brought her some relief, May also recognized the potential danger of leaving him unattended, especially with how quickly he seemed to be recovering! Seeking to nip this in the bud, she threw out her right arm and fired a thin strand of webbing. The white fluid wrapped itself around Anasui’s torso, hardening instantly and binding him to the green bench he was laying in.
”Phew! Alright, one down,” May turned to the phone booth, eyeing the remaining prisoner, “two more to go.”
Meanwhile, Jolyne had just gotten off the payphone, breathing a sigh of relief as she did so. She’d managed to get through to the Speedwagon Foundation, and according to her contact, one of their agents was coming to retrieve her father’s disc in the next hour or so. Though this set her mind at ease, she couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander back to Green Dolphin Street. Her friends were still back there, stuck in prison with no way of knowing if she was still alive or not. She thought about calling Ermes and giving her an update, but right when she was about to do so, she heard someone call out to her.
“Look, I know it’s hard being on the run and all, but I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to keep a low profile.” A new voice called out from behind her. It was feminine and definitely belonged to a teenager, but not one she’d heard before. Confused by this, Jolyne attempted to turn around, only for a vague blur to soon land in front of her. When this mysterious figure stood up, Jolyne found herself staring at a girl in a red and blue costume, which only seemed to confuse her further.
“What?” Jolyne questioned, completely caught offguard by both this girl’s sudden appearance and what she’d said.
”Okay, that might be bad advice coming from someone in red and blue spandex, but girl-to-girl, you should try a change of clothes. That Britney Spears look is a bit ‘14 years ago.’ If you want my advice, I’ve heard orange jumpsuits are lovely this time of year, especially among escaped convicts!”
“Uh… Thanks for the suggestion, but I’m not too interested in fashion tips from the girl in a brightly-colored gimp suit.” Jolyne said in a deadpan tone.
“Gimp suit?!” Spider-Girl repeated, clearly offended. “This is a classic! Besides, it’s not like your buddy over there is the king of modesty!” May’s words caused Jolyne to look over at Anasui, and her eyes went wide with shock. Anasui was still unconscious, but now he was completely covered in a strange, white, web-like substance. “It’s a good thing I covered him up when I did. He’s like an indecent exposure charge waiting to happen!”
”What is that stuff? What the hell did you do to Anasui?” Jolyne asked, narrowing her eyes as she glared at Mayday.
”Don’t worry. It’s not like it’ll hurt him. I just needed to make sure he wouldn’t bleed out. It’ll dissolve by the time the police arrive.”
”Police?” Jolyne repeated, her eyebrow raising in confusion. “Look, I appreciate the concern…” she trailed off.
”Spider-Girl.”
”Spider-Girl. But I already called for medical attention.“
“That’s good.” Spider-Girl nodded. “But that doesn’t mean I’m just gonna let you go. You are still a criminal, and he’s still an accomplice, so I hope you don’t mind-“
All of a sudden, May cut herself off, her eyes widening as she felt a familiar tingling sensation in the back of her skull. Though she couldn’t see anything, her Spider-Sense was warning her of some kind of danger in front of her. And whatever it was, it was coming in-
WHAM!
“Aaauuugh!”
Moving far faster than Spider-Girl could’ve reacted, this new arrival suddenly lunged for her, burying its fist right in her face. Her head snapped back from the force as she was sent flying, but with a quick backflip, she managed to land gracefully on her feet.
’What the heck was that?’ May thought to herself as she clutched her aching cranium. ‘I didn’t see anything coming toward me, but that… whatever it was just came out of nowhere and took a shot at me!’
While she gathered herself, May heard Jolyne’s boots clamping against the ground as she walked toward her. “How did you do that?” Spider-Girl asked as she looked Jolyne’s way.
“Doesn’t matter if I give you an answer. This’ll be over in a few seconds.”
Almost immediately, Spider-Girl backflipped as the ground where she’d just stood suddenly cratered.
“Time’s up.” May said cheekily as she lowered herself into a fighting stance. “I guess I’ll just have to beat the answer out of you.”
Spider-Girl leapt toward Jolyne, aiming a kick at her stomach, only to feel that same force from before block her attack. It then pushed back, causing Spider-Girl to backflip a few feet away. The instant she hit the ground, May, in an attempt to test the waters, threw out three punches and a kick, but her invisible opponent managed to block each one. A right hook hit her at full force, with three equally strong body blows following immediately after.
Spider-Girl staggered back from the pain, leaving her open as Stone Free battered her with a barrage of hard, swift punches. A scream of “ORAORAORAORA” escaped the Stand’s lips as it pummeled Spider-Girl, ending with a right hook that sent Spider-Girl soaring into the air. A pained groan escaped the heroine’s lips as she shot a web line toward a nearby building, reeling herself closer as she gathered her thoughts.
‘Okay, so taking her down the old-fashioned way is a no-go. And whatever’s helping her out has some serious anger issues.’She thought as she stuck to the wall. Trying to alleviate the pain, she called out to Jolyne, “Man, you know how to throw a mean right hook! I guess all that time wrestling sewer gators really paid off!” Spider-Girl joked.
”Thanks, but I can’t exactly take all the credit. Those last attacks were all Stone Free’s doing.” Jolyne responded, gesturing to the thin air behind her.
“Huh. I didn’t take you for a Hendrix fan. With that outfit, I could’ve sworn you were more of a Brittany girl.” May admitted, mostly to mask her confusion. ‘What’s she mean, ‘Stone Free’? Is that some sort of code word?’ As she wondered about her opponent’s words, Spider-Girl threw out both arms. “But since we’re on the topic of music, I’ve always been a bit partial to Sticky Fingers!”
THWIP! THWIP! THWIP!
Three web lines were quickly fired at Jolyne, who leapt back to avoid them. A fourth one was sent spiraling Jolyne’s way, but she quickly sidestepped it. Grabbing hold of the web line, she gave a sharp tug, pulling May in for what should’ve been a left hook! Fortunately for the wall-crawler, the buzz from her Spider-Sense alerted her just in time to twist her body. Feeling the air from the punch rush past her, Spider-Girl used her momentum to spin through the air and grabbed Jolyne with her legs!
With a quick twist, Jolyne was flung across the street, trailed by a quick series of THWIPs from May’s web-shooters. Jolyne let out a grunt as she slammed into a nearby car, only to then be pelted with white, sticky globs one after the other. Each one targeted her arms and legs, hardening instantly. With her arms and legs quickly tied up, all Jolyne could do was grit her teeth as she watched Spider-Girl pull her forward, ready to end the fight with a hook of her own!
As the fist flew toward her, Jolyne’s mind went into overdrive. She ducked her head as she threw out her left arm, unraveling her hand into a wide net of strings that spread out, searching for something, anything she could grab that would fend off Spider-Girl’s inevitable attempt at a comeback.
KRRR-KKRRR-KRACK!
Spider-Girl’s fist smashed into the car window at full force, shattering it on impact. As the glass shards rained down, so too did time seem to slow as multiple actions occurred all at once. Jolyne found what she needed and pulled it forward, sending a speeding object hurtling toward Spider-Girl. At that same time, Stone Free had grabbed one of the fallen shards of glass and used it to cut into Jolyne’s restraints. Jolyne threw out one leg, hoping to catch her opponent off guard. And during all of it, Spider-Girl’s Spider-Sense was keeping track of everything.
Using the heads-up she’d received, Spider-Girl ducked her head to avoid the oncoming projectile, then lifted her legs to avoid Jolyne’s sweep kick. Placing both hands against the ground, Spider-Girl sprang forward and nailed Jolyne with a somersault kick, but JoJo pushed through the pain and responded with a hard tug of her strings! A warning signal flashed in May’s mind for a split second, but the –
CRACK!
A groan escaped May’s lips as a baseball hit her from behind at full force. She staggered forward, briefly disoriented by the pain, and before she could do anything else, Stone Free acted!
SHINK!
Spider-Girl stifled a cry of pain as a sharp piece of glass was jammed into her leg. An intense sting ran across her her thigh, and in her pain, she found herself smacked in the face by the same object from before. And now that it was right in front of her, she could see it: a baseball!
Questions swarmed through May’s mind: where had it come from, how did Jolyne get it, how did it outspeed her Spider-Sense, but all of it was drowned out by Jolyne continuing the assault!
”ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!”
THUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUD!
Using Spider-Girl as a practice board, Stone Free threw the baseball like mad, smashing it into May’s body so hard it bounced back into her grip, only to be flung forward again. Each throw seemed harder than the last, and the interval between them was growing. May couldn’t even keep track of where they were at by this point. 50? 100? 200? All she knew was that every inch of her was feeling sore, and she was getting really sick of being used as target practice!
Beneath her mask, the teenager grit her teeth, and pushing through the pain, she slowly raised her arm, extending her palm as she swung through the air. The FWAP of rubber colliding with fabric was like music to her ears, and with the pummeling briefly stopped, she finally had some time to come up with her own plan.
“Think I might be getting a bit rusty if my dad’s old practice method’s starting to do a number on me! Then again…”
In a sudden burst of kinetic energy, the baseball rocketed out of Spider-Girl’s hand and was sent flying straight toward Jolyne. Her eyes widening in shock, Jolyne threw herself to the left, narrowly avoiding the attempted beanball.
“I was always quick to pick myself up after a fall!”
Spider-Girl’s one-liner caused alarm bells to run through Jolyne’s mind, and with some quick thinking, she leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding a sweep kick! With a quick, stylish flip, Jolyne landed on the ground, immediately taking notice of Spider-Girl’s posture.
The glass shard she’d been stabbed with had been torn out, replaced by a makeshift bandage of webbing. Any injuries or bruises she may have gained from that recent beating weren’t even acknowledged as she reentered her fighting stance. Somehow the daughter of Spider-Man still seemed raring to go. It was almost as if the past 10 seconds hadn’t so much as affected her!
“Heh. I guess you could say I take more after my old man. We’ve got the same attitude, the same type of Stand, but most of all-“
As she spoke, Jolyne unraveled parts of her back, commanding the strings to burrow into the ground and snake toward Spider-Girl. The strings raced toward May, burrowing through cement and dirt to ensnare the teenager. May’s Spider-Sense flared up at this, trying to warn her of the oncoming danger, but the strings proved far faster! By the time the warning flared through her mind, Stone Free’s strings had already burst out of the streets.
“Whoa!” May cried out, completely shocked as dozens of invisible strings tied themselves around her arms and legs. A sharp tug then pulled her limbs back, leaving her defenseless!
”We’ve got the same drive to kick ass!” Jolyne announced as she threw a kick straight to Spider-Girl’s stomach. Jolyne’s foot buried itself deep into her gut, causing her to double over. Before the pain could even leave her mind, Jolyne added to it by unleashing a heavy barrage of kicks, her legs moving far faster than May could hope to react. The Stand user buried her feet into Spider-Girl’s stomach, chest, shoulders, forearms, thighs; any weak point she could target in the heroine’s body! Finally, after nearly 20 kicks, Jolyne ended her combo with a roundhouse to the jaw!
Spider-Girl’s head snapped back as she flew through the air, reeling from the beating she had taken. ‘Ugh! I guess that speed’s not just exclusive to her invisible partner!’ She thought. Her sight was blurred and her body ached from where she’d been hit, but she quickly blinked and tried to regain her focus. She was just in time, too, as she realized she was flying straight toward a building.
Her eyes widening in alarm, Spider-Girl performed a quick backflip through the air. ‘And more importantly,’ she landed feet-first against the wall, allowing herself a brief rest, ‘what did she do to activate my Spider-Sense? It felt like she was tying me up in strings, but-‘
May’s thoughts were interrupted as her Spider-Sense flared up once again. Looking up, her eyes widened as she noticed the baseball from earlier, now flying toward her fast enough that it had caught fire! With the ballistic sports ball closing in, Spider-Girl unleashed a quick reversal of her wall-crawling, she burst off the wall and vaulted into the air! She was just in time too, as she noticed the ball crater against the bricks.
‘And now that ball’s coming back to haunt me! Just what kind of power is this girl using?’ Spider-Girl wondered. ‘My Spider-Sense is telling me that whatever’s attacking me has some connection to her, but how are they moving so quickly?’
As she landed on the ground cat-footed, May thought back to a distant memory.
‘Dad mentioned fighting a guy called The Spot back in the old days. Apparently he could use the portals on his body to attack faster than Dad’s Spider-Sense. Is she doing something like that?’
Spider-Girl focused her Spider-Sense, trying to sense if there was anything amiss about her surroundings. At the same time, Jolyne, seeing the seemingly prone Spider-Girl, commanded Stone Free to commence its attack. The Stand rushed toward Mayday from behind, ready to bash her skull in-
‘There you are!’
Thinking quickly, Spider-Girl ducked under the attack and spun around, hitting Stone Free with a spin kick. Then, just as quickly, she followed up with a backflip that struck Stone Free in the jaw, causing its head to snap back. With her spectral attacker now dazed, May brought her legs up, planting them onto Stone Free’s chest, and kicked off!
Using her opponent as a springboard, Spider-Girl launched the Stand out of its range, forcing it to unravel as she shot toward Jolyne. Sensing her invisible opponent’s sudden disappearance, Spider-Girl decided to test something. A series of razor sharp needles flew from the tips of her web-shooters, each one hitting their mark as Jolyne raised her arms to block them.
‘Huh. Her ghostly pal didn’t come to save her this time.’ Spider-Girl noted as she clenched her fist. She could feel a bit of guilt over using the stingers on a seemingly helpless criminal, but she pushed it aside. She was already descending toward Jolyne, and if she was going this far, the least she could do was end the fight early!
Spider-Girl swung her fist, throwing out a hard punch to the gut, but right when her fist connected, something odd happened!
”What?” She asked in shock, staring down at what she’d just struck- or rather, what she hadn’t struck. It looked as if her punch had phased right through Jolyne’s stomach. Before she could pull her arm back, a hard kick slammed into her gut. The wind was instantly knocked out of her as she staggered back, giving Jolyne’s enough time to press her advantage!
“ORAORAORA!”
A swift combo of punches struck her Spider-Girl all at once, the final one sending her flying back several feet. Though she managed to right her position with a flip, she was still reeling hard from Jolyne’s combo. Her mind was so flooded with pain that she barely noticed her Spider-Sense flaring back up. Out of instinct she leaned back, feeling something sharp graze her cheek. When she looked back toward its direction, she let out a small gasp.
It seemed that Jolyne’s invisible friend had chosen to attack in her stead. Each of the stingers were being picked off of Jolyne’s body, and now five of them were headed straight for Spider-Girl!
Time seemed to slow down as May spun through the air, twisting her body to narrowly avoid the first two. As she’d finished this 180° spin, she left the ground once again by leaping into the air, dodging the next three being shot at her. She attempted to counter with an axe kick, but something blocked her attempt before pushing back!
May staggered back, and as she was off balance, an invisible force clamped down HARD on her right wrist. Before she could properly react, that same force pulled her forward, causing her to let out a surprised “WHOA” before her body was pulled directly into the path of her own stingers!
SHUK SHUK SHUK!
The teenager groaned underneath her mask as she felt the razor sharp darts pierce her skin. It wouldn’t cause any lasting damage, but that didn’t stop it from hurting like hell! It didn’t help that right after the stingers pierced her, Jolyne added to the damage with a knee to the gut and a roundhouse kick to the face!
May staggered back, spinning slightly as the telltale buzz of her Spider-Sense flashed through her mind. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t have time to act on it before Jolyne let out a cry of “ORAORAORAORA.” In tandem with the strange war cry, the remaining stingers were launched toward her back, and right as May prepared to jump out of their range-
“RRGH!” Jolyne gave a sharp tug, and the pressure on Spider-Girl’s wrist returned as she was pulled forward. But this time, Spider-Girl was ready as she backflipped over the stingers and Jolyne. As she sailed overhead, Spider-Girl used her position to reach out with her legs, wrapping them tightly around Jolyne’s head as she let her momentum do the rest.
The world around Jolyne morphed into a blur as she was slammed face first into the ground. Groaning as she got back to her feet, the ex-convict heard a THWIP and quickly brought up her arm, causing Spider-Girl’s webbing to instead get caught on the chains connecting them!
Spider-Girl’s eyes widened in surprise before morphing into a more understanding gaze. ‘So that’s what she was using!’ She thought to herself.
Three web shots were launched at Jolyne, but each one was quickly blocked as Stone Free punched them aside. Meanwhile, Jolyne grabbed hold of the chain and yanked it hard, dragging Spider-Girl closer. As she was reeled in, May noticed her opponent raising a leg and jerked her head to the side, feeling the air brush past her head. In tandem with this failed kick, May raised her free arm and pressed the trigger on her web shooter.
FSHZZT!
The sound of a discharge caused Spider-Girl to raise an eyebrow. ‘It clogged up? But that shouldn’t be-‘
WHAM!
In her distracted state, Spider-Girl found herself victim of a sucker punch from Stone Free, causing her head to snap to the side as blood leaked from her mouth.
”Nice try, but I already had a priest try that same trick. And I’m not repeating the same mistake twice.” Jolyne said coldly as she tightened her hold on the strings. Almost instantly, another set of cuffs fastened around Spider-Girl’s other wrist, and with her opponent secure, Jolyne unleashed Stone Free. The Stand lunged forward, ready to pummel the newly restrained Spider-Girl, but May had other ideas in mind.
“Then thank God I have a contingency!”
Using the split second warning from her Spider-Sense, Spider-Girl leapt into the air, moving far out of Stone Free’s range, and thanks to the handcuffs connecting them, Jolyne found herself along for the ride.
”WHAT THE HEEELLL?!” Cujoh yelled as she and Spider-Girl suddenly flew through the air, the younger girl suddenly taking the lead.
“Since you got rid of my web shooters, I guess you wouldn’t mind if I borrowed these for a bit, would you?” Spider-Girl asked playfully as she grabbed hold of the chains and swung Jolyne through the air at high speeds. The world around JoJo became a dizzying blur, and as she finished her rotation Spider-Girl threw the ex-convict to the ground, feeling the chains drag her along for the ride. Keeping a firm grip on them, Spider-Girl gave a hard tug, slingshotting into Jolyne with a drop kick to the stomach!
The instant she felt the blow connect, all of the wind was knocked out of Jolyne as she slammed into the ground, her impact cratering the concrete. Flecks of spit and blood flew from her lips as pain shot across her back. Meanwhile, her opponent backflipped off her body while simultaneously snapping the cuffs’ chains through raw strength. Instantly, the strain from the cuffs vanished as they seemed to unravel like string, causing May to breathe a sigh of relief.
”Phew! That’s better.” May said as she began fiddling with the web shooters. “Heroes like us don’t really do cuffs all that well. You, on the other hand…”
THWIP!
A string of web fluid covered Jolyne’s stomach, hardening instantly.
”I’d say you’ve got a good, long time to make them work when you get back.” Spider-Girl finished. Jolyne’s expression hardened at this, and with only a subconscious thought, she unraveled the afflicted area and pushed herself back up.
Spider-Girl shot several more webs, but they didn’t even seem to slow Jolyne down. Each time they came close, Jolyne almost seemed to phase through them. ‘What’s going on here?’ May thought. ‘Invisible summons, strings, intangibility… It’s like she’s some kind of superpower grab bag!’ Beneath her mask, her gaze became a bit more serious. ‘Normally I’d try and get a feel for this with my Spider-Sense, but that ‘Stone Free’ thing is outmaneuvering me hard!’
Little did she know Jolyne was in the same boat. ‘Something feels off about all this. She’s clearly not a Stand user, but then how the hell is she reacting to my attacks? And what she just did with those cuffs…’ Jolyne looked down at the strings of fabric now littering the street, visible only to the eyes of another user. ‘Whatever her powers are, she seems to have a knack for bouncing all over the place.’
Her eyes darted around the area, noting the tall buildings and wide streets around her. ‘It doesn’t help that this street is open enough for her to use it. If I want to get her in Stone Free’s range, I’ll need to get her into a more enclosed space. But how?’
Noticing a nearby warehouse behind her, the gears in Jolyne’s head began turning. It was a huge gamble, but if she wanted any chance of taking this Spider-Bitch down, she’d need to take that risk.
“I gotta admit, you’ve been doing a pretty good job holding me off.” Jolyne admitted as she returned her gaze to May. “Especially for someone that isn’t a Stand user.” Jolyne’s expression hardened. “But don’t think that means you’ve beaten me just yet! We Cujohs- no, we Joestars aren’t limited to brute force. We rely more on strategy to overcome any obstacle!” Slipping into a combat stance, she continued, “And if all else fails, there’s one last trick we can fall back on, the ultimate technique that’s been passed down my family for generations!”
Jolyne’s words were spoken with such confidence that Spider-Girl was immediately put on edge. ‘Ultimate technique? So she had an extra trick up her sleeve all this time?’ As if to add to her alertness, her Spider-Sense flared up, giving May a sudden warning as to what her opponent had planned. But when that warning came to her, Spider-Girl’s caution became confusion. ‘No, there’s gotta be some kind of mistake! There’s no way that’s what she has in mind!’
As if in answer to these shocked thoughts, Jolyne’s legs tensed up, and then in a sudden burst of speed, she proceeded to book it in the opposite direction! She ran like an accomplished track star, sprinting at top speed to get as far away from Spider-Girl as possible! Unfortunately, she’d soon realize her opponent had her own tricks up her sleeve!
“That’s an impressive trick, but I’d prefer if you stuck around!” May announced as she slammed her open palm against the concrete. Jolyne was still taking off, preparing to continue her retreat when something seemed to tug hard at her! A shocked gasp escaped her lips as she clumsily stumbled forward, her left leg landing at an awkward, crossed angle. She looked back, trying to lift her right leg, only to find that it was completely stuck to the floor!
“The hell’s going on here? Why can’t I move?” She asked irritably, trying in vain to lift her left leg off the concrete.
“Well, I figured if you wanted to show off your secret technique, I’d go ahead and show you mine! Call it a final courtesy before the boys in blue haul you and your boyfriend back to jail!” As she spoke, Spider-Girl fired off several balls of Impact Webbing, each one set to envelop a different part of Jolyne’s body. But Jolyne was nothing if not efficient!
As the balls flew toward her, Jolyne calculated the flight path of each one in her head. Then, right as they were about to hit her, she forced each area to take on a spinning, 3D shape: a Mobius strip. The moment the Impact Webbing made contact, each one became entangled in Mobius strip’s endless cycle, left to accelerate as it spun from one section to the other. And with nothing to stop them, the web balls kept going, moving faster and faster until Jolyne released them, sending the Impact Webbing back in droves!
With equally quick precision, Spider-Girl flipped and twisted her body, easily avoiding the reflected attacks. As she descended toward Jolyne, May extended her arm out, firing a web that latched onto a nearby building. Using her momentum to her advantage, Spider-Girl then swung through the air, landing a hard kick to the stomach. Jolyne’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as she coughed up spittle, while Spider-Girl carried her through the air feet-first. And upon reaching the peak of her ascent, May unleashed a blast of bio-magnetism from her soles, repelling Jolyne further into the air!
‘Dammit! She hits a lot harder than she looks! Any harder and she might’ve knocked me out cold!’ Jolyne thought as she felt the wind rush past her. ‘Still, it at least got me closer to the warehouse. Now all that’s left is to get her boxed in!’
Extending her arm out, Jolyne fired off a few strings and wrapped them around the top of a nearby rooftop. Grabbing hold of it with both hands, the sixth JoJo used her momentum to dip toward the ground before slinging back into the air at a higher rate!
”Hey, watch it with the web-slinging!” Spider-Girl joked as she swung after Jolyne. “That’s my thing, and I’m not too keen on imitators!”
”What, you think you’re the first person to swing through the air?” Jolyne scoffed.
”Nah, but my dad was.” May informed as she swung toward Jolyne. She threw out a brief combo of kicks and punches. “And I’d rather-“
A buzz of Spider-Sense flashed through May’s head, giving her enough of a warning to twist her body.
”Keep his trademark moves-“
POW!
An uppercut struck Jolyne in the chin. She tried to counter with a blow from Stone Free, but her opponent flipped over, skirting beneath her a bit. Jolyne watched Spider-Girl’s trail with her eyes, her pupils shrinking in shock as Mayday came back in with a hard kick to the stomach.
”Safe from a cheap copycat!”
As she finished her thoughts, Spider-Girl smashed into Jolyne’s gut, dragging both herself and JoJo forward and launching both of them toward the high rise windows behind them. Cracks rang out a split second before Jolyne crashed through the window, only half aware of the shattered glass that was raining down alongside her. Down into the depths the Stand user and superhero fell as their surroundings became mired in the darkness of the wide, spacious, abandoned storage room.
It was only seconds later that Jolyne would feel something other than the air rushing past her, as she slammed hard into the wood floor, accompanied by a cacophony of glass PLINKing against the ground. She could feel some of that glass adding to the pain as it dug into her skin, but she refused to yell or even cry out in pain. The cuts might’ve hurt like hell, but she wasn’t going to let that impair her decision to fight!
Pushing the warm, unnerving feeling out of her mind, Jolyne focused on the surrounding area. The lighting was dim, but she could make out the dusky outline of Spider-Girl’s costume heading her way, as well as two silver glints.
Two THWIPs rang out, and Jolyne was on the move, scrambling away as she watched two white balls crash into the floor, exploding into puddles of sticky gunk. Seeing Spider-Girl land in front of her, Jolyne commanded Stone Free to let her have it!
”ORA!” An overhead punch was sent toward Spider-Girl, but she immediately leapt out of the way, leaving Stone Free’s punch to miss by a mile. As she ascended through the air, Mayday tried to recover her advantage with a rapid series of web lines, but Jolyne leapt after her, using Stone Free’s crossed arms to barrel through each one. And once Spider-Girl was in range, Jolyne let her have it!
”ORAORAORAORAORAORA!”
A steady burst of machine gun-like punches battered Spider-Girl’s body, striking her from every conceivable angle in only a few microseconds. And by the time she’d begun to fall toward the ground, Jolyne left the web-slinger with a final punch!
”ORA!”
A left hook struck Spider-Girl at full force, cracking one of her goggles and launching her deeper into the shadows. Jolyne heard the sound of something land against the wall, and when she squinted her eyes she could just make out Spider-Girl, her short hair now exposed and half-tussled.
”The hell are you doing up there?” JoJo asked.
”Staying away from you.” May said, sounding rather cheerful for someone who’d just been battered senseless.
“Why? You scared to fight woman to woman?” Jolyne smirked.
”I don’t suppose I could convince you to come up here and fight like a spider?” Spider-Girl joked. Jolyne was about to make a retort, but something in May’s words struck a cord.
”Fight like a spider, huh?” Her smirk widened a little. “Fine. I’ll just beat you at your own game.”
In an instant, strings shot out from Jolyne’s fingertips. Sensing something heading her way, May leapt further into the shadows, feeling the Spider-Sense continue to buzz in her mind. The invisible strings were back, and if her Spider-Sense was accurate, each one was being spread throughout the room, moving from wall to pillar to crate in a vast, interconnected web.
‘Huh… that’s not a bad idea.’ Spider-Girl thought as she steadily crawled across the walls, keeping a low profile. While she couldn’t necessarily see them, the subtle cues from her Spider-Sense were giving May a good sense of where they were. She went through a few possibilities in her head, trying to think of the best way out of this. Trying to rush Jolyne down would end in disaster, and with how fast they’d moved before, snapping the strings would just alert Jolyne to where she was.
‘Unless…’ May mused as she looked down at her web shooter. Eager to test her hypothesis, the scientist’s daughter fired off a few stingers. They approached the strings at bullet-like speeds, but instead of snapping them in two, the darts seemed to phase through and embed into the ground.
The sound of something hitting the ground transferred through Jolyne’s strings like a telephone wire, and with a determined look, she went to work on ensnaring the culprit!
Spider-Girl clutched her head as her Spider-Sense flared up, alerting her of the strings’ rapid shift in location. An unconscious groan made its way out of her lips. Big mistake, since the strings seemed to react to that and began swarming her!
‘Oh God!’ She thought as she instinctively leapt to higher ground, twisting her body in unnatural and inhuman forms to avoid the strings. But the instant she landed on the ceiling on all fours, the strings were back at it again!
Fighting the growing worry inside her, Spider-Girl began flipping and cartwheeling like mad, doing whatever she could to avoid capture. The strings were threatening to snag her in midair, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to avoid their grasp. Still, that didn’t mean she’d stopped fighting!
Even as she had a few close calls, Spider-Girl returned the favor by targeting Jolyne with her webs. Web lines and web balls were launched her way, and with May out of its range, all Stone Free could manage was blocking and pulling on the lines in an attempt to make Spider-Girl see the light. Less successful, however, were the attempts to block the stingers.
With the darkness as her cover and the Spider-Sense as her guide, Mayday was making up for her lack of direct confrontation by landing direct shots. Thanks to the near lack of lighting in the area, the stingers came without any warning and stabbed Jolyne without fail. None of them were targeting her major organs, but she would’ve lied if she said they didn’t hurt like a bitch!
The only good news about this was that each of the stingers seemed to be firing from a closer location, and it was only a matter of time before Spider-Girl slipped up and got too close!
All of a sudden, Jolyne could feel another presence in front of her. Something was coming out of the shadows, something that seemed pretty big, with arms and legs outstretched to tackle her.
”So you finally decided to show yourself? Good! Because I’ve got something special planned for you!” Jolyne announced as she focused all of her strings, wrapping each one around Spider-Girl until she was fully covered. Reeling her closer, Jolyne threw out her leg, kicking straight through her opponent’s web-like, pale flesh!
“What?!” Jolyne asked in shock. Whatever she just struck wasn’t Spider-Girl. It was some massive decoy, one that quickly fell on top of Jolyne, enshrouding her in a sheet of sticky white gel. “It’s a dummy!”
”Oh, don’t insult it like that!” Spider-Girl called out from behind as a drop kick slammed into Jolyne from behind. Flipping off of her, May continued, “I’d say the only dummy here is the girl that abandoned her strategy without double checking her surroundings!”
Two web lines shot out from the web shooters, but Jolyne managed to move out of their way with a quick roll. Spider-Girl trailed her with a few more shots from her webs and Impact Webbing, but Jolyne strafed between each one. From her surveying of the surrounding area, she knew the area in front of her was little more than a dead end, but it wasn’t the wall that had caught her interest. It was what was above her.
Feeling the draft blow past her hair, Jolyne couldn’t help but smile as she looked up at the vent northwest of her.
“Looks like someone took a wrong turn at Albuquerque!” May quipped, but Jolyne didn’t seem to hear her. The convict’s legs were visibly tensing up as she looked toward the vent. “Uh… hey, JoJo. I’m not sure what you have in mind, but…” Jolyne continued to ignore her as she ran forward unopposed. “That’s not really a way for you to…” May’s voice trailed off as Jolyne leapt through the air and swung her arm out. The moment her fingertips touched the metal grating, Jolyne’s body seemed to phase through the air vent, sneaking inside like some kind of snake.
[Stop]
”Escape…” May finished awkwardly, her brain reeling as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. Looking around, she called out, “Uh… hello? Are you still there? Hello?”
When nobody answered her question Spider-Girl began swinging through the building, searching for some sign of Jolyne. “Marco.” She called out as she leapt from a high ledge and flipped onto the floor below.
Still receiving no response, she casually strolled around, surveying the stacks of crates and metal parts. Trying again, she yelled, “Marco.” Still nothing. Spider-Girl sighed. ‘Fine. If she doesn’t want to play along, I’ll just have to zero in on her.’
With that, the teenager began concentrating her Spider-Sense, and the mild buzz she received told her that Jolyne was only one floor beneath her. But then a louder buzz flashed through her mind. Something of Jolyne’s was racing toward her!
“Polo.” A familiar voice cut off her thoughts. May’s eyes widened in realization, but in the microsecond it took for her to register-
FWIP!
A choked gasp emerged from her lips as something tightened around her neck. Then, with a sharp tug, the heroine found herself pulled through the catwalk, falling wildly through the air before smacking her head against one of the I-beams.
CLUNG!
The hollow ringing in May’s skull elicited a low groan, but another pull of the string forced it to morph into a strangled gasp. The rope-like bindings around her neck were slowly tightening, cutting off her air supply. Her vision was starting to blur, and her head felt like it was spinning. But even in her delirious state, she could still feel Jolyne’s strings reaching up and piling on top of her. They wrapped around her arms and pulled them back, forcing her to release her grip on Jolyne’s noose.
From the floor below, Jolyne could sense her adversary’s waning strength, and eager to get this over with, she began spreading her strings to the rest of May’s body. The sharp, wire-like ropes began digging into Spider-Girl, forcing rivulets of blood to seep out onto her costume. A pained, infuriated grunt escaped May’s gritted teeth as she placed her feet against the floor. Bio-magnetism surged through her soles and she rocketed into the air, her hopes of escape rising much like her body…
Only to be mercilessly ripped away as Jolyne’s strings slammed her into the ground! Flecks of blood escaped as May let out a haggard cough, feeling the choking coils tighten around her.
”I’ll give you this, kid. You’ve got a lot of spunk.” Jolyne commended, but her tone dropped an octave, becoming more serious as she continued. “But at this rate you’ve only got two options left: either bleed out or tap out. Now which will it be?”
In tandem with her ultimatum, Jolyne tightened the strings once again, slowly forcing Spider-Girl to constrict in place.
’Does she even need to ask?’ May thought to herself. True, she was low on air, and she could feel the blood loss sapping away at her strength, but she refused to give up like this. ‘I don’t care how hard I have to fight! I won’t just give up here!’
Gritting her teeth, May continued to push against her restraints. Feeling this from beneath her, Jolyne’s expression hardened.
”So you want it the hard way, then? Good grief… Well, just remember, it was your call.” Jolyne stated as she forced the bindings to grow even tighter. May grit her teeth, fighting back an urge to groan as more blood continued to spill from her cuts.
’Stay calm. You can do this, girl!’ May reassured herself. ‘You’re way stronger than any bundle of string this lady can throw out!’
As if in response to this taunt, the strings rewrapped themselves, dragging against different angles they hadn’t snagged before.
‘AAARRRGGGHH!’ May screamed internally. ‘No, don’t acknowledge the pain. Just focus…’
Pulling with all her might, Spider-Girl felt her arms strain against the spiritual bindings. Her arms slowly moved up, struggling as pain coursed through every inch of them. ‘Just need to… gather my strength… Put everything I have… into escaping this death trap!’
As these thoughts ran through her mind, Spider-Girl began to strain against her bindings. She didn’t care that her muscles ached from how much she was exerting herself. She didn’t care that she could feel blood dripping out as the strings dug into her skin. All that mattered at this moment was getting herself free! Her arms were slowly moving up, dragging themselves higher along her body.
‘Just keep pushing, no matter how hard it hurts!’
With a heavy strain, Spider-Girl grabbed hold of the noose around her neck and tugged with all her might! Her muscles ached with exertion, and Jolyne’s strings dug into her fingers and neck. Blood was seeping through her suit, dripping down her hands, but this pain only seemed to motivate her!
’Yeah! YEAH!’ She thought as she continued pulling, hearing each of the strings start to snap. With this sound driving her motivation, Mayday doubled down on her efforts and pulled even harder!
SNAP!
‘Oh, YEAH!’ Spider-Girl thought as her main binding gave way. In her jubilation, the wall-crawler threw out her arms and puffed out her chest. The muscles in her torso expanded by a few inches, and with this growth, the rest of her snares were torn to shreds!
However, any joy Spider-Girl felt was replaced horror as she heard a blood curdling scream from the floor below. Her sense of heroism overriding her pain, Mayday leapt to the floor below, and her eyes widened at what she saw.
Standing before her was Jolyne Cujoh, her body covered with bloody, open wounds. Various cuts adorned her side, blood was spraying out from her stomach, and May could see decently-sized wounds just above her chest and collar.
“Oh God… Did I cause that?” Spider-Girl asked, completely horrified by Jolyne’s brutalized body.
“What do you think?” Jolyne asked in annoyance. Her words hit Spider-Girl like a truck, filling the heroine with a deluge of shame and guilt.
”I… I’m so sorry! I didn’t think this would happen! I- I just wanted to escape those traps you set up.” Her terrified response didn’t seem to change Jolyne’s expression.
”Oh, don’t give me that bull. You were just doing what you needed to survive. I would know.” Jolyne said, holding one of her arms out. Spider-Girl grabbed it, but the instant she did so, her Spider-Sense went off. “After all…”
Brendan’s Versus Battles 
You must be logged in to post a comment.