With only the clothes on my back and what little money I managed to scrounge, I stick to the brighter areas of the city. Memphis. Named for the City of the Dead. Next to a river where a musician walked into it and drowned. The 'Mighty Mississippi.' as they call it. Sacred Heart bobs softly behind me, gring at everything like its going to hurt us. But I just keep walking. There's an entire street where there's no cars, just pedestrians. Full of neon signs and lights. All glittering like jewels in the night.

  I smile and stare at it, "Isn't it beautiful?" I ask no one in particur, "Right, Mother?" I look up and she isn't there. She would've loved to be with me. Her blood isn't even cold yet on my clothing but I stand silent and ever-watchful for something that'd never come.

  Tears stream down my cheeks and all I can think about is that moment. I didn't mean to. I never meant to. But I did it without thinking. Am I the monster she was afraid of? I walk down the sidewalk with my thoughts on my mother. The same darkness curls in my gut, its always been there and always will be there. That's when I feel a hand in my pocket that isn't mine. A man passes by and he's wearing an odd camoufge jumpsuit and has an ammunition box strapped to his side. A pistol whips out of his sleeve and settles near my face.

  "Don't move, kid! Your wallet's forfeit to I, Andrew Stone! You overly rich types piss me the hell off so consider this a generous donation!" His face is covered in crack-like scars and his hair is also spackled on his scalp like the pattern on his suit.

  "HEY!" I snap, "That's my money you fool!" Sacred Heart tries to hit the pickpocket but something blinds me as he runs away.

  "Errrrrryyyyyy!" I yell, rubbing my eyes, "When I find you I'll crush you!" The people around me look at me and I dash after him. Sacred Heart appears and scoops up the pieces of the fshbang.

  'I can't let him get too far! My wallet has the only picture I have left of Mother in there!' my shoulder lights up in sheer agony from a shotgun bst, "WRRYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAHHHHH!" My stand's attack obliterates the gun to its basest components almost as if it was field stripped and then rewound. I catch it just in time to see a rocket coming at me thanks to my Stand's power. But in moments I'm sent flying back by the explosion. The shotgun tumbles from my grip and I nd on my bad arm.

  Stone steps out from the dark, taking up his shotgun and racking it.

  "Impressive, Cadet! You're the first guy to chase after me and actually survive past the rocket shot!" he flips the firearm and it glows with a red light, "Too bad I'mma bst apart that face 'a yours."

  I dart forward with that feeling of lightness filling my head, "MUDA!" Sacred Heart's arm appears over mine, "GIVE HER BACK!" the shell's pellets rewind back into the shell the second he misfires despite the force smashing into my side, all I had was put into that haymaker.

  Bullets fly from almost every make and model and type in the country, "BWAHAHAHAHAHA! I GOTCHA NOW, RICH BASTARD! FULL SALVO, AMERICA FUCK YEAH!" Stone screeches as my stand's punch barrage can only rewind a small cone of bullets right in front of me. The rest shred into the buildings nearby and I hear people screaming, children wailing, and over it all Stone ughs. The dark fire in me grows alongside the pain in my side and numb burning shoulder.

  "Oh, the sweet sound'a war drives me WILD!" he excims, "Yer really somethin' kid..." His guns fire and Sacred Heart shes out more hits as the bullets and projectiles rewind. I dart forwards through the hail of gunfire.

  His eyes widen in fear as I grab one of the shotguns from the wall and bash him in the face with it. He goes for a fall as I lick the blood off the stock. The metallic smell is like a siren song and the taste is divinity. Incendiary bombs pop out of his sleeves but they explode harmlessly thanks to Sacred Heart quickly fast-forwarding and rewinding them. My breath courses out of my throat and the pain dulls a little.

  But not by much.

  I stalk towards him, "You..."

  "Hey! Hey, let's calm down, kid! You're really strong and I'd much rather keep my handsome features! How about I cut you in on my loot?!"

  "There's nothing much scum like you could offer me." my voice comes out in a hiss as I age his fshbang from earlier back to being good as new, "Your Stand can give you many weapons, a walking arsenal! Yet you squander it by stealing from other people!"

  My hand finds his wrist and I lift him a little, "Not only that but you sughtered people who had nothing to do with our business."

  I hear his bones crack under my hand and I grin.

  "C-Come on, man! It's not that serious!" he squeals like a pig, "I was only going to feed my family!" he pulls out a wallet that was in his coat. The pictures were of a happy family that wasn't his. He was counting on the darkness to make me believe he was an honest man.

  Honest men don't steal. At least not ones that wear Gucci and real Rolexes.

  "That's not yours, you utter waste!" I snap, "Now give me my money back and I'll consider not leaving you butt naked in the middle of the street!"

  "What were you going to do?" he warbles.

  "I was going to beat you within an inch of your miserable life after that little rifle butt. But here." I touch his clothing and fist marks appear in it and tears rip into it. Holes too. I let go and point at each one, "These would be causing your next hospital visit."

  "Broken ribs, a fractured skull, a shattered colrbone..." I poke at each impact spot.

  He handed me all the wallets he had on him, watches, and purses too. Sobbing in his salty bloody ruin he scrambles backward and runs off like the coward he is. Kneeling, I gather my treasures and carry them with Sacred Heart holding some too.

  "We're returning them, Heart."

  "Muda?" Sacred Heart tilts its head almost like, 'you dumbass, we could use these!'

  "I know it's useless, and I'll be hungry soon, but it's not fair that people are cruel." I smile, "Besides, it makes people happy when they get their things back."

  As we walk I take in the sights and sounds of the city. The music drifting through the air and all. Sacred Heart stays on guard and here everything comes into focus. I'm hurt but alive, I let go of Stone, and now I have no idea where to put all these watches and wallets and other things.

  As I walk there's nothing but the thought of how I took pleasure in it. My body wired from all the fighting and explosions and gunshots. I stare down at my mother's photo. I remember taking it when I was little.

  "Mama! Smile for the camera!" I chirp, holding it in my almost baby-pudge hands. Mother looks at the lens with her soft as silk smile. Her hair brushing against her shoulders and a warm ugh making me ugh too.

  In a fsh, she was immortalized.

  She hugged me tightly, "That's a very good photo, Daniel!"

  "Really?!" I look up at her with the biggest smile on my face, "Maybe I can take a lot more if we go out the walls!"

  "Maybe." she says as she fondly kisses me on the forehead, "Keep that close, that way I won't ever be far away."

  "Okay, Mama!" I excim as the memory fades.

  Just like that I'm in tears. Remembering my mother's words and that day I took the photo I now hold in my hand. How would she see me now? As a monster? Would she understand that I couldn't stand that personal slight against her and I? I wonder if it was even worth it to leave? I can't bear to walk anymore without her so I tumble to the ground. Watches and purses scattering and tears overcoming my body with that same endless guilt. It was by my own hand I killed her, it was by my own decision that ended her life.

  That fight, those people...! They all got hurt because I couldn't let go of a damn photo! I couldn't just let her go! She died in my arms! That photo, her neckce...! They're all I have left of her! She loved me with all her heart, and Father used her as a shield! A shield! That's all she was to him! Something useful!

  I cry even harder.

  That's when a woman kneels down in front of me, my pathetic crying must've disturbed her but she reaches out and dries my tears with the scarf she wears around her neck. She wears weird attire like a thick sweater-like garment and tight-ish pants. Her eyes glitter...

  One blue and one green. Heaven and Earth. On her waist is an eborate scabbard and resting in it is an ornate sword hilt. Almost like she's a duelist. She smiles sweetly and the scar over her upper lip pulls up with the motion. Her hair is long and tied back in a long bck ponytail. A thick length goes over one of her eyes and the other frames her face. She's honestly pretty... like a warrior goddess given form. Like Athena!

  "Are you alright?" she asks and her voice has notes of an accent, "I couldn't help but notice your little tumble." her smile is calm and her voice even more so.

  "Y-yes... just.... I lost someone important." I mumble, "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble." my cheeks burn bright red despite the mottle of blood covering them.

  "It's quite alright. What interested me more was the fight you just won." she helps me up and lets me lean against her.

  "How did you-"

  "Let's just say I have an eye for talent. You, mio ragazzo, are just swimming in it!" she guides me down an alleyway and I'm too tired to even think about fighting back. Something about this woman calms my heart and makes me feel safe.

  I still walk though listening to her humming something to herself. She seems nice enough but the second I detect one hint of malice, Sacred Heart will take her out. I'm already prepared to-

  My stomach rumbles like tank treads and the woman ughs.

  "Well! Seems like you're in luck, we're just up the way from my pce." she continues, "By the way, I'm Loredana Zeppeli. What's your name?"

  "D... Daniel." I have no reason to suspect that she knows the true meaning of my name, if I said Dio then it'd be curtains! She could just be trying to gain my trust just to use that sword to end my miserable hide and send me to a completely different pce than my Mother.

  But she just smiles, "Ah, what a good name! It has biblical ties, you know." she continues some more after, "Like Daniel in the Lion's Den! Judging by where you come from, Daniel... you fascinate me."

  "Uh... what do you mean?" I open my eyes a little more and we're in front of a glitzy restaurant with one of those shiny light signs that reads 'Handy's'. In fact I'm not even sure why we're even here.

  She opens the door and cool air hits me like a punch from a pro fighter. Piano music sounds out as her arm guides me inside. The lights are nice and warm-looking. Spilling yellow light over the tables and bar like gold seeping from the earth.

  "Oh, Maaaack! I'm home!" she calls and the piano pying stops. Rising from it is a man in a pristine suit ccks his way towards us. He's tall and walks almost like he's about to break something. His hair is done in dreadlocks meticulously cared for and even his facial hair is.

  "Another stray, Loredana?" he sighs, "An' ah hell, he's bloody!" he wanders towards me and tips my face up, "Where'd you find him, a back alley?"

  "No, you know those shots earlier up near Beale?" she asks and his dark eyes widen.

  "Ah man, really? He's the one who took out Stone?" he ughs and wraps his arm around my shoulders, "Well then, he's good in my book! That creep really freaked everyone out with all that gun toting!"

  His smile's downright radiant and he guides me towards the back, "Head on up those stairs an' get washed up uh..."

  "Daniel." I say.

  "Brother Daniel, I'll fix you something to eat. It's the least I could do for the man who took out a thorn in my side!" he pats my shoulders and I head up the narrow flight. Coming across a series of four rooms.

  Out of the third comes a woman around my age. Light green hair frames her face and her dark almost bck hair sweeps down to her neck. A couple of buns rest on her head and she's wearing a spiderweb patterned pair of pants and its connected to an almost corset like top. Her emerald green eyes take me in and the first thing she says is...

  "The hell are you looking at?" she asks.

  "Oh! Uh... sorry, my name's Daniel. Where's the-"

  "Down there to the left. Can't miss it." she punches my good arm, "And loosen up a bit, I was just pying with you." her expression softens, "It's nice to meet you, I'm Jolyne."

  "Yes, yes. It's nice... to meet you too!" I get myself into the small bathroom and ease myself into the tub, starting the showerhead and allowing it to cut through the blood and gunk all over me. Something even stranger is the fact that my wounds are healing well even though its been only a small amount of time.

  Let's review...

  We have Loredana, Mack, and Jolyne. We took down a stand user by the name of Andrew Stone, and we now have a pce to rest our head for a while. As long as they don't know who really am they're fine. Once I come out of the bathroom I find a fresh set of clothes waiting for me. As I stare into the mirror I see my wounds had already scarred over and my face became more fearsome. Its as if a near-death experience had changed me physically.

  That or I resemble... him.

  "I'll become more than you ever were, Dio..." I snarl at myself, "Even if that dream is impossible." I slide on the shirt and its somehow a perfect fit. So are the underwear, socks, and pants. The wild and wavy mane of blond hair I have billows as I walk down the steps finding the others at a table in the wider restaurant.

  Loredana grins as I sit down, "Hurry up and dig i-"

  I bow my head and close my eyes, sending up a prayer to God to take care of my mother and begging for her forgiveness. Then I proceed to chow down, the pte of barbecue fell swiftly to my hunger.

  "So uh... what's his deal?" Jolyne asks, "He's honestly making me a little nervous."

  "He handled that guy, Andrew Stone. You know, the hatin' man?" Mack spits that out like a bad piece of food, "Motherfucker'd turn a whole block red with that Stand a' his." he smiles and cuts at his food delicately, leaving some on a small pte as a small stand dances in, spies it from under his little hat, and spins away with it.

  "Oh." she states, "I mean I handled those two dickbags that tried to catcall Loredana." a few bluish-green strings shoot out of her fingers and snatch a roll from the basket.

  "Yes, you did. And you proved your talent to me as did Daniel here." said woman stands from the table with a small grin, "I have a certain job for us in the morning."

  "Oh c'mawn, really?! I just buffed out the dents in the carrr..." Mack groans, "Look, take the damn lemon, Lore."

  "But it doesn't have the equipment space." she objects, "Plus, maybe we don't need to run over a vampire with it like Mardi Gras." he and Loredana shudder as Jolyne looks at me with a silly expression on her face. Overdone exasperation.

  "Pfft..." I snort just a little but fall silent, "I mean... I don't care which car we use. I've never actually been in one."

  They stare at me strangely, "Where the hell'd you come from?" Mack blurts.

  "I don't want to talk about it." I thrust my pte out, "May I have some more, please?"

  Loredana crosses over to the bar and produces a file from it, "My contact in the MPD had given me this file. It turns out that over at Gracend there have been sightings of the King himself wandering the grounds at night."

  "Could just be a spirit." Jolyne offers, "I mean hey, I've watched Ghost Adventures, it could pretty much just be some ghost hunters making a scene. Or maybe a *really* fucked up impersonator."

  "Well actually, they've been findin' bodies, Sister Jolyne." Mack states as his little friend dances back in with a packet of photographs, "Tourists, employees, no one is safe."

  He flicks the photos out and she looks at them still unimpressed, "I mean do you really think THE Elvis is back and drinking people's blood?"

  I gnce at one and my blood turns ice cold as I take it up. There was something in the background of the picture near one of the pnes they have on site.

  A stone mask.

  But not the one found by George Joestar and has since been lost to time, nor the mask used to ascend that Pilr Man in the textbooks I used to read. This was new. One that I've seen before.

  "That's probably what turned him!" I blurt, "When do the feedings occur?"

  Loredana brightens, "Mostly in the more private areas and guests are lured away during operating hours, why?"

  "This might be the reason why this... 'king' as you call him has risen again." my tone turns cold, "Whoever did this is a sick individual, interrupting a man's eternal rest."

  My stand appears behind me as I rise from my seat, "Thank you for the meal, I'll be going to bed now."

  I can't sleep.

  It's not jitters that keep me awake. It's thoughts about what could be out there. What am I going to face tomorrow? What are the powers of my teammates? Will I make them proud? Will I be strong enough to be part of their brave crusade?

  Or will I just be the one dragging them down? I'll just have to wait and see. My quest is now in front of me, to find out what Father is pnning, to stop anything in my way, and achieve my mother's dream for me. To become free and take my own life into my own hands. No matter how hopeless it may seem.