When it comes to writing Daniel/Dio sometimes, I tend to think in terms of how sharp his teeth and nails would be. Would they be Nosferatu-level or Dracu-level? Which is hooked nails and fangs more like needles or straight and sharp nails with four sharp, thin, and bde like fangs. Regardless, I don't think he'd ever actively bite someone.

  The Man in Bck is the one to greet me in the morning. His dark eyes focused on nothing in particur but me. He stands and limps over to me. Of course he got me up early enough for there not to be any light outside.

  "You should be stronger you know." he states.

  "Oh yeah? You seem to know a lot more than you let on." I scoff, "What's with you waking me up so early?" He shoulders his case, grabs my wrist, and limps towards the door.

  "We can't stay here. That stand user was just the beginning of what they can send." his voice is dead serious, "We can't just sit here and let them come to us."

  "I'm not leaving my friends!" I snap, "They've done nothing but help me since I met them. There's no way I'm leaving them behind." Sacred Heart appears and looms over him, "So let go of my wrist or I'll make you."

  The Man in Bck doesn't let go of my wrist, "Think about it. Do you really want to put them in danger? Do you really think that's a good idea?" he gres at me almost like it was my fault for getting attached in the first pce.

  "You don't really care, do you?" he asks, "You just think you can run away and expect the world to not smack you down, is that it? Your mother is gone, Daniel. No amount of messing around in Gracend or the Pink Pace, or even fighting a thug who steals everything from people is going to fill that void."

  His words cut right down to my heart, "How did you know about all this?" My question hangs in the air almost waiting for the floor to drop underneath just to dangle over everything like a hangman.

  "Because I've lost someone too." his answer makes sense, "I've been watching over you since you left the compound. I know it might be hard to believe but its the truth."

  "You couldn't help me?" the almost betrayal hits me like a ton of bricks. He was watching me the entire time. Watching me wander, watching me cry, and watching me lose the one person I could barely bear to lose.

  Not doing anything to help me or anything to stop it.

  "Not unless I compromised myself. Now what's happened cinches it." He looks down at me and almost looks apologetic, "I'm sorry it's so sudden, but we have to get moving." he yanks me out the door and into the streets.

  Not before someone steps in. Or out. Or... well... Jolyne watches as we get outside. She looked like she'd been crying and well... seeing me on my way out with the mysterious guitar-wielding stranger and seeing as he had caused Mack to get shot...

  His hand lets go of my wrist as Stone Free's fist rockets into his cheek. Jolyne stands there furious and she grabs my hand, "He's staying right here with us."

  "You don't seem to understand, I'm not asking to take him." The Man in Bck snarls, "He's more important than you know."

  "Oh yeah?" she snorts, "And I'm the President of the United States." Her grip on my hand tightens and she almost looks scared when the csps pop open, but I squeeze her hand back.

  I don't want to leave them. Or her.

  The Man in Bck pulls out his guitar, "Again. I'm not asking. If you won't come with me and let me handle this then you leave me no choice."

  Sacred Heart appears and the next thing he says sends a splitting headache through my head, "Spiral Staircase!" It feels like a drill boring deep into my skull! I grab my head and fall to one knee. A wave of pure sound sms into me and I fall to the ground.

  "What the-" Jolyne gasps as Stone Free sends a barrage of punches his way but a wall of sound blocks it, "Dio, come on, get up!"

  "No... no... don't...!" Tears burn down my cheeks and the boring gets worse, "No more! Don't say them anymore!"

  "Rhinoceros beetle." The Man in Bck snarls, "Via Dolorosa." My eyes blur and the pain is absolutely excruciating like something pulling at my very soul, "This is the truth. You're the key to the end of the world." he strums steadily.

  My mind fuzzes and everything's so blurry and spotty I can't even aim Sacred Heart correctly.

  "MUDA! Mu...da?" Sacred Heart cries but by the rushes of air I missed and took a good chunk out of a wall. It swings wide and crushes a car. But misses the Man in Bck entirely.

  He looms over me and his voice sounds gentle like a father to his son, "I'll make it quick." I can't help but close my eyes. The words sounded so familiar and pulled at something deep inside me. But it was wrong.

  My consciousness slips further and further as the words, "Fig tart." and "Secret emperor." pull at that something even more. Metal fills my mouth and eyes spewing from inside me like something horrible is happening.

  My heartbeat fills my ears. It speeds up more and more almost like time is spinning out of control on it. My hands drag me onward until the pain is like a steamroller crushing my bones. I can't help but begin to crawl again back towards where I can hear Jolyne. My body and mind are both screaming and rebelling against me. I'm scared. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. The words make my body tear to shreds, the words make my soul scream in pain, and everything feels so off. Otherworldly like something far bigger has me in its grasp and is squeezing me like a child's toy.

  Jolyne's strings spread out, "Dio, just follow my voice! Grab the line!" I feel a silky soft string brushing against my hand. I paw blindly for the line but I can't feel it. Suddenly, there's a heavy sm of something and the pain begins to ebb away. Someone grabs hold of me and picks me up. I can't help but bury my face into their shoulder. Something about this just seemed off but... I let go. Deeper and deeper I fall into the darkness. Diving further down into the eternal sea of nothing.

  Is there anything further beyond this?

  Or is this the end for me?

  That's when I hear it. Singing. Soft and gentle. Lyrics I knew well.

  "Her name is Rio and she dances on the sa~nd." the voice croons, "Oh Rio, Rio hear them shout across the nd..." The voice is male, soft, and far more gentle.

  "He came out just perfectly..." Mom's voice sighs, "And of course you use my namesake as a lulby."

  "It's hard to believe that he's going to be DIO's second chance." the man's voice continues, but then I knew no more. I didn't even know who that man was. Was he my father? Someone important to my mother? Or was he just there?

  Ah well, those final questions will never be answered at this rate.

  Sister Golden Hair stands between me and the Man in Bck. Heat spills off her body in almost crushing waves but the effect is the same. She must've heard the commotion and came out to see what was wrong. She looks down at me and then back at our now enemy.

  "Get him inside." she states with heat building from her body, "I'll deal with him."

  Dio's in my arms and all I can do is drag him inside. As I do that, I scream, "LOREDANA, MACK! HELP ME! WE HAVE AN ENEMY STAND USER!"

  Mack and Loredana come running out with her leading, "Jolyne, what's going on?!" she sees Dio and immediately clears a table, "Put him on this." I y Dio's still bleeding body on the table.

  "It was the Man in Bck. He was going to take Dio but... but then he said something about him being the 'key to end the world' and then said some random phrases and he started screaming and bleeding!" I'm panicking but its the truth. It's the truth and my friend is probably dying.

  Is this how Dad and Mom felt in Egypt? Just utterly hopeless as their friends get sughtered and great grandpa got drained? Mom still has the scars from when DIO sshed her in the chest to get Dad even more pissed.

  Dad sometimes- you know what? No more storytime, Jolyne. Focus.

  Our Dio, the good one, he's barely breathing. His heartbeat is soft and I can barely hear it. But I keep my head pressed to his chest just to know that he's still alive. The door smashes in and riding on it is a cut-up Sister Golden Hair. She sms into the far wall and slides down. Her hair mottled with blood and cuts all over her body.

  "Uuuhn..." she groans, "That man... he's... strong." she drags herself back onto her feet, "But I won't let him get any further..." she loses her cloak and looks at Dio. Her brow furrows and she spreads it over him.

  Then she stands up and charges right back out with Loredana snapping to Mack and I, "Get to the minibus! Sister and I will meet you at the backup house!"

  I run out the back, "It's okay. We're okay. We'll get outta here." My voice is a breathy wheeze as I drag-carry my friend. He's way heavier than he looks. But at this point I don't know if he'll even still be with us. The back door smashes open and Mack and his Stand tumble out of it. He looks at me and Dio.

  Mack just grabs him and takes him out towards the minbus, but something is off about him. He's almost even more terrified, "I didn't know he'd do that. God, does that make me a bad person? Does it?"

  "What." I hiss through gritted teeth, "You knew he'd do something like this?" I almost want to use Stone Free to knock his teeth out but it takes all my willpower to not pull something like my Dad does. I just focus on getting in.

  Mack whirls and Banana Boat (Day-O) gets a ton of gashes in his body. He shakes, flinches, and swallows hard with his eyes fluttering shut, "Look, I didn't know he was gonna pull those phrases outta nowhere."

  I shove past him to the driver's seat, "You watch him, I'll get us outta here!" Turning the key and backing out, I peal out of the parking spot and whip around to the front. Hearing a groan and Mack yelling.

  "JESUS CHRIST, JOLYNE!"

  I don't give a damn. I see them fighting. The Man in Bck's stand is simple but powerful. His strumming sounds like an entire big band instead of just a guitar and soundwaves duel Loredana. But she parries and counters expertly.

  Meanwhile, there's a heavy sm and his sound barrier shatters. Sister Golden Hair is pying the smasher and Loredana's pying the chaser. But there's no time for any of this. No time to just fight.

  I center the bus, grip the wheel hard enough to white-knuckle, and then GUN THAT SONUVABITCH. The tires let out a screech, Stone Free forms a netting, and we're both screaming. Speeding down the way towards the man who wanted a friend of ours dead. He doesn't even have time to py a note when he's hammered bodily against the front with a heavy and almost crunchy mulching. I back up off him and he slides down to the ground. His dark eyes staring up at the headlights.

  Standing on either side of him are Loredana and Sister Golden Hair, and I get out to meet this fucker. He groans and watches as we all stand over him. Stone Free appears and Brocas Helm is pointed right at his throat.

  "You're done for." Loredana's expression and voice is like a knife being sharpened, "Now I only have one question... why did you do all this?"

  "You... all don't seem to understand..." he draws himself up shakily. His guitar scratched and dented much like his own body, "He's... the end. The end of the world as we know it."

  "Oh come off that crap!" my voice crackles with rage, "If Dio was anything like his namesake he'd have already done it!" I grab him by the shirt front and lift him, "Tell us how to fix it! Tell us how to heal him!"

  My eyes burn holes into his, "You know, don't you? You can py the mysterious stranger all you want but you know him. You know where he actually comes from!"

  The Man in Bck's expression softens, "Yes." he even looks a little sad, "I know him. I know him like the back of my hand." his voice is heavy as if he's holding in a deep, deep regret. The kind of regret I know all too well.

  His face is taut and even sadder now that he's halfway to tears.

  "Bring him here and I'll heal him." he raises his hands, "No need to fret, I'll let you watch." Mack brings out the bloodied body of our friend and The Man in Bck takes him. Almost like a Dad and his son he holds him.

  The Man in Bck concentrates on his heart, "Somewhere bleeding in the night is the Sacred Heart of the second coming of Lord Dio. I call upon it to beat and carve a new path towards Heaven. This I beg of God. This I beg of the Son, the Father, and the Holy Ghost!"

  Dio's body spasms, "This I beg of them! The trinity! The Holiest of Holies, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords!"

  "Please, take back the Fourteen Phrases said in anger. Please, cleanse them from him!" Tears stream down his face, "I know I'm an apostate, I know I fell out of step with you, but please Lord! Please save my son!" That's when the blood begins to reverse. Slowly, even down to the seconds it slides right back where its supposed to be. The bones unclench and unmangle. Straighten like they never were crunched around at all.

  Then his back arches and a loud gasp rattles from his chest, "Gaaaahhaaaaaa!" then coughing and a tearful father grabs his son close. Reminding me of Dad and I a good few times like the time I broke my arm.

  "Oh... oh Daniel..." The Man in Bck cries harder, "My boy I am so sorry... It's alright. You're alright." he smiles and runs his hand through his blonde hair. He seems to ignore him and look up at all of us with those soft brown eyes.

  "Loredana...? Jolyne...? Everyone? I'm... I'm sorry I made you all worry." His voice is bubbly with hurt and the way he smiles is gentle like the sun. It kinda makes me blush a bit and surge forward, punching him on the arm just to offset the thoughts I have. But it wasn't a punch. It was a hug. He's warm and his nails gently run down my back. His arms loop around me. My mind filled with happy thoughts of maybe running away with him. That night in the Pnetarium still fresh despite how weird it made us both feel.

  "Sh-Shut up! Never do that again!" I push off him and grab his shoulders, shaking him, "Never do that again, you hear me?! Never!"

  "I will if you would please stop shaking me!" he excims.

  I move back and he stands up slowly with the support of The Man in Bck, "Urgh... I... I feel..."

  "Give it time, Daniel." Loredana sighs, "First things first we should probably get moving."

  "Jolyne wrecked the minibus!" Mack sobs, "I just paid it offffff!" he scurries around it like it was his precious baby, "This dent! This dent! This one! That one!" That's when Sacred Heart appears. It looks... dimmer. Duller gold bits, haggard eyes, and probably something having to do with the fact Dio almost died but I don't bme it one bit being tired of handling small stuff like fixing a car.

  "Muda..." It looks at it all with a 'really?' look on its face. Then with an eye roll it reverses the damage so much that it looks like new. Shiny even. Mack grins and gets in. Sister Golden Hair grabs her cloak and puts it around her shoulders.

  Loredana lingers back towards the restaurant, sets her hand on her sword's hilt after sheathing it, and looks almost like she's about to cry. But she tenses and turns towards us.

  "We'll have to get moving. I'm certain the cult was waiting for this sort of thing." she looks at The Man in Bck, "We need all the help we can get."

  He nods and sits in the back next to a scrunched in Sister Golden Hair who gres at him like she's going to slit him mouth to asshole and wear him like a jacket. Dio sits in the middle next to me and we head out to god knows where.

  My hand hangs down and Dio's hand gently brushes it. I hook my fingers around his palm and he grabs my hand.

  It's warm. Really soft too. I didn't know what I was expecting but it wasn't this. He looks at me with that soft smile and I smile back. Whatever's coming, at least we still have everyone. At least we have a fighting chance.