J.D. Hernández (J・D・エルナンデス, J D Erunandesu) is a primary ally featured in the light novel El Aleph.
He is the leader of a group of paranormal investigators in the Speedwagon Foundation, with Lisa Lisa as his superior.
Appearance
J.D. Hernández's appearance is unknown. He wears an ordinary black suit with the Speedwagon Foundation's wheel logo and carries a gun with him for self-defense.[1] It can be presumed that he also wears sunglasses, which is typical of the Foundation's agents.[2]
Personality
Hernández is a cautious and courageous man who isn't afraid to track down and attempt to capture a serial killer with supernatural powers, despite being an ordinary powerless human and only having a gun for self-defense. He's committed to his occupation, aware that it's the duty of a paranormal investigator to pursue the unknown. However, despite his bravery and commitment to his field, he's naturally afraid and anxious in tense situations, feeling helpless when there's nothing he could do. He wishes that he could confront Fabio in the plaza but his vision blurs and he is unable to even help a single person caught in the attack of El Señor de las Moscas.[1] Thirteen years after that in 1986, he feels even more ashamed about his powerlessness, not being able to catch Fernando Alhorn after so long.[3] Nonetheless, he shows no fear fighting even deadlier Stand users. While swarmed by El Aleph's nightmarish creatures, he valiantly jumps onto one of them to rescue Sasha Loggins, trying all sorts of methods to try injuring it such as blades, bullets, and fire.[4]
Hernández is meticulous and inquisitive as he spends five months investigating anything he could find about the serial killing case and then writing a detailed report; he analyzes the commonalities between each case, interprets what kind of person the killer is, and hypothesizes whether the killer's mysterious ability is related to the Ripple. He is also intuitive and has an eye for people, hiring Octavio and Joaquín as informants because he believed they were strong and loved their hometown.[1]
As the leader of his team, Hernández can be bossy, giving out orders even when he's injured and could fall over at any minute.[5] He cares for his allies and feels responsible for getting the teenagers involved with his mission as they got injured against Fabio.[6] He is very protective of Lisa Lisa, reprimanding whoever insults her like Octavio[6] or Pisco.[3] He is against Lisa Lisa still involving herself with the Foundation when she is in her late nineties, and adamantly opposes her wanting to use the Arrow on herself.[3]
History
Background
Around November 1972, the Speedwagon Foundation dispatches investigators to Antigua, Guatemala to examine each crime scene of a serial killer and interview the locals. Hernández is the group's representative and their investigation lasts for 5 months. After, he sends a detailed report back to the Foundation headquarters in Dallas, Texas. The report details that all of the victims were shot to death but no shell casings were found on the scene, so the investigators are calling them "invisible bullets"; all of the victims were devout Christians; and the killer might be hierophobic as incidents of holy icons such as crucifixes and statues at churches being shattered increased when the killings began. Furthermore, Hernández theorizes that since the invisible bullets defy the law of physics, there might be a link to the Ripple.
The Foundation determines that the killer will strike again during Semana Santa, Antigua's biggest parade of the year in April where the streets will be filled with holy iconography. To aid their investigation, Hernández enlists the help of two local teenagers: Octavio Luna Kan and Joaquín Ruiz-Jorruda.
El Aleph
Guatemala Arc
Battling the Monstruo of Antigua
At night on April 20, 1973, Hernández passes by the ruins of the Convento Santa Clara and meets up with Octavio and Joaquín. Octavio informs him that the killer is on the move, and Joaquín grunts and gestures with his arms and body to communicate. Joaquín has a speech impediment and could not speak, but Hernández is still able to understand what he is trying to say through his expressions. Hernández learns that the killer attacked the sacristan at the La Merced church. Before leaving, Hernández tells Octavio and Joaquín not to engage with the killer if they find him, although Octavio retorts that he could be really useful in a fight. At the church, Hernández speaks with the priest and learns about how the killer attacked him and where he might be headed.
Borrowing a lantern, Hernández follows the path the killer could have taken and keeps his gun ready for self-defense. A souvenir vendor tells Hernández that she saw a man crouching over an unconscious nun, looking like he was about to vomit. However, the man fled deeper into the convent when the souvenir vendor screamed upon seeing him. Hernández goes to the atrium of the convent and orders the frightened nuns to go back into their rooms while he investigates. He finds a wooden pillar engraved with the image of the archangel Gabriel toppled over. Behind it, there's a stairway that descends underground with the door ripped off its hinges, so Hernández enters the tunnel. While Hernández feels like he just entered Hell, his lantern suddenly shatters and would no longer relight, leaving him in complete darkness. He worries about why the killer shot his lantern instead of shooting his head or heart, wondering if he was just being toyed with. Joaquín then appears and grabs Hernández's hand, forcefully running so that they could escape from the tunnel. As Hernández wonders how Joaquín managed to find his way there and avoid all the obstacles without any light, a swarm of flies suddenly rains down on them. Hernández realizes that these flies must be the invisible bullets, which isn't the Ripple at all but some other power entirely.
Joaquín and Hernández manage to escape from the tunnel and emerge in the plaza in front of a cathedral thanks to Joaquín's navigational skills. The plaza is filled with spectators due to the climax of the parade. Octavio then calls out that he caught the killer, and Hernández is impressed that Octavio has done better than he anticipated. Octavio pins the man down while Hernández, other Foundation workers, soldiers, an old homeless lady, and merchant children rush over to the scene. Before Hernández could yell at the locals to leave, a massive swarm of flies covers the entire sky. The killer flicks his wrist, sending the flies raining down like artillery toward Octavio. Octavio is shot in the shoulder and back, but manages to crawl away and take cover, letting the man go.
The killer cries as the flies rain down on everyone around him, confusing Hernández as to what sort of emotion the man is actually feeling. Lisa Lisa takes off her disguise as the old homeless lady and defeats the killer with her Ripple, while Hernández is amazed at her power. He also wonders how old Lisa Lisa really is since she aged beautifully. Lisa Lisa apologizes for arriving late as an incident in Peru kept her occupied for longer than she expected. She points out that the flies were ferocious and had hardened skin before, but now returned to their natural form once the killer fell unconscious. She confirms that the ability isn't actually the Ripple but something else, and suspects that the killer must have been struck by the Bow and Arrow, which awakened his powers.[1]
Aftermath of Semana Santa
The killer's name is revealed as Fabio Ubuh. The Speedwagon Foundation hands Fabio over to the Guatemalan police and informs them how to safely keep him in custody. Since he cannot generate flies from thin air, he is confined to a sterilized room with no ventilation shafts[6] and wears a straitjacket.[5] Hernández visits Fabio several times but Fabio refuses to speak, so they sit in silence each time. However, Fabio finally caves in and explains his past. He reveals that his ability is named El Señor de las Moscas, but once he begins speaking about it, he starts rambling in excitement, resulting in the latter half of his testimony being unintelligible.
Several days after the Semana Santa, Lisa Lisa walks through the streets of Guatemala while listening to Hernández's report. He takes full responsibility for putting Octavio and Joaquín in danger and informs Lisa Lisa that he had them get treated by the Foundation's doctors. He also mentions that they've been demanding to speak with a representative of the investigation team, so Lisa Lisa agrees to go see them since she wanted to anyways.
Octavio asks how Lisa Lisa pulled off those techniques at her age but Hernández admonishes him, claiming that they made a deal that the boys wouldn't get involved any further after the killer is captured. Octavio then starts begging Lisa Lisa to allow him and Joaquín to join the Foundation as investigators, but Hernández refuses in her stead. Lisa Lisa also refuses at first but decides to give them a challenge, curious of their worth.[6] At the same time, Hernández is also given the same tasks as them. Hernández and his men interview Fabio's coworkers at the maquiladora he worked at and the landlord of the apartment where he lived. Four days after Lisa Lisa gave them the challenge, the duo hands her their completed report, beating Hernández's group to the punch. Lisa Lisa accepts them as official members and they join Hernández's team.[5]
A Game of Hopscotch
Accompanied by Lisa Lisa, Octavio, and Joaquín, Hernández drives a car to the location of where a human trafficking gang is rumored to be, according to Octavio and Joaquín's report. The other investigators in Hernández's team follow in separate cars. Hernández feels odd seeing the informants he hired wear the same suits as him. They reach their destination, arriving at a small settlement. However, the place appears to be deserted. They decide to investigate anyways since they came all this way. As soon as Octavio exits the car, he steps on the prongs of a half-buried rake, severely injuring the toes of one foot. The group also notice circles and squares drawn in chalk on the ground. Hernández, his team members, and Joaquín exit the car, while Lisa Lisa stays behind. Suddenly, a pit appears beneath one investigator, causing him to fall. Hernández tries calling out the member's name and dashes to the pitfall with another investigator but it was too deep for them to see anything. As the other investigators tried rushing back to help their allies, more of them fall into holes.
Joaquín notices the chalk and makes noises while pointing to it. Hernández understands what he's trying to say, deducing that anyone who steps inside of a shape drawn in chalk will fall into a hole. However, Octavio reveals that he's already stepping inside one but hasn't fallen. Joaquín copies Octavio's posture with one foot up causing Octavio and Hernández to realize that this is a game of hopscotch. As the group stands on one foot, Hernández orders them to focus on getting back to the car before thinking of a rescue plan. Suddenly, they see a large number of shapes being drawn on the ground by an invisible evil spirit, covering the ground with patterns. Making matters worse, a rusty sickle is thrown at Hernández's thigh, making it difficult for him to keep his balance. Several sickles, hatchets, knives, and rakes are sent flying toward the investigators, causing more of them to fall into holes.
Octavio grabs Hernández and carries him on his back, managing to hop on one foot with the weight of two people. Meanwhile, the evil spirit draws underneath their cars, creating a hole beneath the car Lisa Lisa is sitting in. However, she manages to save herself by using the Ripple on her muffler alongside acrobatic techniques. Lisa Lisa informs them that there is no need to retreat. Instead, they now have more data about these abilities. She thinks that the ability can't spread its power over a wide range, so the user must be hiding nearby. Octavio and Joaquín both understand what she means, thinking the user might be hiding in the water tank in the corner of the plaza. Their suspicion proves correct and they find a 15-year-old mixed orphan named Izahela Mena-Mena. She is the user of an ability later named "Hopscotch" in the investigation files. She collapses from exhaustion and they find that she was assisted by other children who were throwing the weapons.
The Speedwagon Foundation takes Izahela and the other children into custody and they learn from her testimony about a man named Alhorn being the leader of the traffickers, who used an Arrow on herself and several others. Lisa Lisa gives a speech about mysterious phenomena occurring in Peru and possibly other locations caused by what seems to be a virus. She hypothesizes that a man who wished for the power of a god made the Arrows from minerals at these locations and there must be several of these Arrows throughout the world. Lisa Lisa states that it is now the Speedwagon Foundation's duty to retrieve every arrow in circulation. For the present, they will focus on capturing the subordinates of Alhorn and recover the arrows they possess in Latin America.[5]
Peru Arc
Hernández teaches Octavio and Joaquín while they're on the go, educating them on important theories and training them in self-defense and espionage. In 1974, he is with Octavio and Joaquín in Peru, as they look for clues about Alhorn. Octavio complains about having to study, but Hernández emphasizes the importance of desk work and urges Octavio to emulate Joaquín's dedication. Octavio is more interested in learning the Ripple power that Lisa Lisa uses. Hernández explains that it isn't just a simple trick but a profound martial art technique. Octavio then asks if Hernández can use it, but he denies being able to. Just then, Lisa Lisa arrives at the base to begin the briefing of what they learned from Fabio and Izahela. Hernández explains what Fabio told him during his visits, such as how Fabio would see an insectoid nobleman standing behind him when using his ability.[2]
Much later, Hernández, Lisa Lisa, and other agents arrive at Alhorn's citadel by following signals left behind by Joaquín. Looking through binoculars, they see Sasha Loggins, Octavio, and Joaquín fighting a man they don't recognize, named Dos Santos. Sasha spots Lisa Lisa below her and yells as loud as she can to communicate with her teacher. Hernández communicates what Lisa Lisa wants to say to her by shouting back, urging Sasha to use the Ripple on their enemy while Octavio has him in a chokehold. Sasha informs them of her new ability awakened from the Arrow, which eventually allows Lisa Lisa, Sasha, Octavio, and Joaquín to incapacitate Dos Santos through a team effort. Suddenly, Alhorn shoots Octavio and Joaquín with the Arrow just as he's escaping from his hideout in a truck. Hernández, Sasha, and Lisa Lisa rush to the pair's side before bringing them to the Foundation's infirmary.[7]
Final Arc
The Search for Alhorn
In the late 1970s, Hernández and Sasha encounter Alhorn a second time by following him to a casino in São Paulo. However, they fail to capture him. One of his companions uses their Stand to cause many casualties while Alhorn flees the scene. Alhorn also manages to escape from their third encounter, which follows a similar pattern. Aside from Alhorn, Sasha and Hernández search extensively for Octavio and Joaquín's whereabouts, but they remain untraceable as well.[3]
Researching at Lake Titicaca
In 1986, Joseph Joestar tells Hernández to ensure Lisa Lisa stays home and not involve herself with the Foundation anymore as she is in her late nineties. Hernández brings a medical staff along with him and follows Lisa Lisa to the Andes, taking a separate train from her. They meet with her in the station, not wanting her to travel alone. As they travel in a car arranged by the Foundation, Hernández brings up a recent report, which Lisa Lisa admits to having read as she secretly gets the reports mailed to her. Hernández is curious about her thoughts on the Selva Cartel and the peculiar phenomenon in the Amazon where it is infinitely night time. He explains to Lisa Lisa about the cartel's activities and how it seems they all have Stand abilities, making it likely that Alhorn is their boss. Hernández laments how powerless they are to battle superpowered users in the Selva Cartel, but Lisa Lisa insists on her capability to contribute despite her age.[3]
Lisa Lisa and her group arrive at Lake Titicaca, where they visit the Uru people living on floating islands made of totora. Hernández questions Lisa Lisa's decision to personally join the investigation, but she insists her visit isn't merely for gathering data. They learn that the man they are looking for is living in isolation on a single-person island. As night falls, they approach his solitary island, only to be met with a voice warning them to leave. The man, named Pisco, initially mistakes them for doctors sent by his family, but Lisa Lisa reveals that she knows who he is. They met before when Sasha, Octavio, and Joaquín rescued the hostages from Alhorn's citadel at Peru, since he was one of the Arrow victims as a young teen. After recognizing them as members of the Foundation, Pisco allows them to enter despite his doubts about their ability to help. They immediately notice that his body is full of nodules, tumors, and needle wounds. He is suffering from his ability, which creates clones of objects underneath his skin if they came in contact with his skin or blood at any point.
Suddenly, Pisco is possessed by his ability, Yawar Fiesta, and communicates a prophecy to Lisa Lisa. However, Hernández doesn't hear anything and confusedly states Lisa Lisa and Pisco were both silent for a while. Pisco returns to normal and asks them to leave, believing they can't assist with his condition. However, Lisa Lisa gives Pisco an inspirational speech about his ability being an extension of his soul. She uses the Ripple to alleviate most of his pain, and he ends up being able to transform his ability to expel the cloned objects outside of his body. Before leaving, Lisa Lisa asks Pisco to recreate the Arrow that shot him. She wants to use it on herself, but Hernández adamantly objects since it's too risky. Despite the risk, Lisa Lisa doesn't care about staking her life since she is close to death regardless, and she wants to fight so there doesn't have to be any other sacrifices. Pisco reluctantly agrees out of gratitude for her and succeeds in recreating the Arrow. Lisa Lisa uses it and the miracle she wished for comes true.[3]
Invading the Amazon
Hernández travels with Sasha, Lisa Lisa, and the Rueda Squad to the Amazon rainforest where the Selva Cartel is operating. After about an hour, the cartel's guards confront them, asking if they're lost tourists and mocking them. Lisa Lisa attempts to defuse the situation and requests to meet with their boss, claiming that they're acquainted with him. Nonetheless, the guards have direct orders not to communicate with any intruder and to eliminate them instead. Just before the intense battle ensues, Hernández and the Rueda Squad gather around Lisa Lisa in layers to protect her. The cartel's army begin attacking with their Stands, while Sasha holds them off with her birds. Hernández manages to survive, though most of the Rueda Squad are overpowered, not being able to adapt to battling Stands.
Sasha gets severely injured, until Joaquín suddenly appears and stops both sides from fighting. Despite being questioned about his alignment with Alhorn's gang, he remains silent, only offering a subtle, empathetic smile. He demonstrates his power by releasing a black wave that spreads across the jungle floor, passing harmlessly through Hernández and his group but leaving a chilling effect. Thus, Lisa Lisa realizes that the unending night is Joaquín's power.[8]
Joaquín leads Lisa Lisa, Sasha, and Hernández into the commune, with their wrists and mouths bound and under heavy guard. They are led to a chamber in the innermost room of a temple, where they meet the boss of the cartel. The boss is actually Octavio, not Alhorn like they expected. Reclining nonchalantly, he dismisses their concerns about his inhumane acts and the cartel's activities, claiming it's necessary to make a living since he has to provide for his community living in the jungle. He flaunts his prosthetic leg, asking if they came to apologize or give him compensation for chopping off his leg without permission. He also confirms that he was the one who gathered all the ability users together for his army using the Arrow. He shows them Alhorn's head in a birdcage, explaining that he already dealt with the gang leader years ago. Despite how it may seem, Octavio admits that he still feels gratitude toward the Foundation, as Hernández educated them and he thought Lisa Lisa was strong and cool. That's why he let them in to see him, but he demands that they leave and not meddle with his business. Octavio speaks to Alhorn's head, showing that he's still somehow alive, and asks Alhorn to narrate what happened on the night where they got their revenge on him.[9]
The group stays quiet for a while after hearing Alhorn's chilling tale. Hernández admits that he barely understood the story, but pleads for Octavio and Joaquín to hand over the Arrow. Octavio rejects his plea, seeing the Arrow as a crucial element in their struggle for survival and power. Octavio demands Joaquín to unleash El Aleph on them. Joaquín is reluctant at first, but succumbs to his will. His ability creates hordes of nightmarish creatures from the darkness, devouring friend and foe alike. A coffee jelly-like bell-shaped creature resembling an umbrella stings Sasha with its tentacle and sucks her blood. Before she could lose consciousness, Hernández jumps onto the creature and attempts to set it on fire with his torch. However, the creature doesn't stop feeding on Sasha, and even blades and bullets are useless. Sasha attempts to use the Ripple on the creature, which forces the creature to let go of her. Thus, she realizes that these creatures are weak to the Ripple. Sasha and Hernández escape from the swarm of creatures by being airlifted out by Sasha's birds.
Flying on the birds, Sasha and Hernández arrive to the rooftop of the temple which has transformed into an airborne arena due to creatures piling up underneath it. They see Lisa Lisa fighting Octavio and Joaquín, so Sasha informs her that the Ripple works on the creatures. Lisa Lisa defeats most of the creatures on the rooftop with The House of Earth. At the end of the battle, she sends Octavio and Joaquín flying off the arena with a barrage of punches from The House of Earth. They end up falling into the swarm of nightmarish creatures, where it is unknown whether the creatures would devour their own creators. Before Lisa Lisa collapses from exhaustion, she implores Sasha and Hernández to rescue Octavio and Joaquín. The eternal night in the jungle fades and it finally becomes morning.[4]
It is unknown whether Sasha and Hernández successfully rescued Octavio and Joaquín, as their fates in the Speedwagon Foundation records are officially unrecorded. However, they acquire Octavio's Arrow and securely place it in a storage area known only to a few.[10]
Chapters
Novel Appearances- El Aleph Chapter 1: I - Guatemala Arc
- El Aleph Chapter 2: II - Guatemala Arc
- El Aleph Chapter 3: III - Guatemala Arc
- El Aleph Chapter 5: V - Peru Arc
- El Aleph Chapter 8: VIII - Peru Arc (Mentioned only)
- El Aleph Chapter 9: IX - Peru Arc (Mentioned only)
- El Aleph Chapter 10: X - Peru Arc
- El Aleph Chapter 11: XI - Peru Arc (Mentioned only)
- El Aleph Chapter 14: XIV - Final Arc
- El Aleph Chapter 15: XV - Final Arc
- El Aleph Chapter 17: XVII - Final Arc
- El Aleph Chapter 19: XIX - Final Arc
- El Aleph Final Chapter: Epilogo (Mentioned only)
Quotes
Quotes- “It's not safe here! Go home, now!”—J.D. Hernández's thoughts, El Aleph Chapter 1: I - Guatemala Arc
- “Is there no salvation to be had? Even now, the Lord won't answer this ancient city's prayers? Is this chaos stopping their prayers from reaching Him?”—J.D. Hernández, El Aleph Chapter 1: I - Guatemala Arc
- “So this is it. This is las Maravillas we've heard about...”
- “I take full responsibility for putting them in danger.”—J.D. Hernández, El Aleph Chapter 2: II - Guatemala Arc
- “Stop getting distracted and just hop back there!”—J.D. Hernández, El Aleph Chapter 3: III - Guatemala Arc
- “A viaje sentimental at your age is indeed worrying.”
- “Has it been twelve years since then...? What the hell have we been doing all this time?”—J.D. Hernández, El Aleph Chapter 14: XIV - Final Arc
- “We just accumulated investigation files. Couldn't stop the sacrifices, couldn't handle the cartel protected by immense power. Special forces are easily dismissed, and we're powerless. But knowing that las Maravillas are involved and just watching is...”—J.D. Hernández, El Aleph Chapter 14: XIV - Final Arc
- “We could have conducted the investigation ourselves, you didn't have to come here personally.”
- “Be careful with your words.”
- “Bullets and blades are useless! Even setting it on fire doesn't work. But as a living creature, it must have a weakness!”
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 El Aleph Chapter 1: I - Guatemala Arc
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 El Aleph Chapter 5: V - Peru Arc
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 El Aleph Chapter 14: XIV - Final Arc
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 El Aleph Chapter 19: XIX - Final Arc
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 El Aleph Chapter 3: III - Guatemala Arc
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 El Aleph Chapter 2: II - Guatemala Arc
- ↑ El Aleph Chapter 10: X - Peru Arc
- ↑ El Aleph Chapter 15: XV - Final Arc
- ↑ El Aleph Chapter 17: XVII - Final Arc
- ↑ El Aleph Final Chapter: Epilogo