Chapter 1 - New York, 1947
Graduation had become a faded memory for Joseph Joestar. To him, the day seemed as though it had been years ago, not just two weeks. Since that day, he had made it a point to live it up, spending his nights partying and enjoying be free. He felt he deserved such luxury. Four years at one of the toughest universities in the country gave cause for relaxation once you were finished. But now, as he walked through the front door of Columbia University, he the memories came freshly to his mind.
In the front office, he went up to the front desk. Eyeing the middle-aged secretary, he smirked.
"Excuse me, miss, I had a meeting with Professor Messina, but I think I'd prefer a meeting with you now that I'm here."
"You fiend!" She barked. Joseph couldn't help but notice that she was blushing. "I should smack you silly!"
"I wouldn't mind, you know." He told her. The woman has turned beet red, and for a second he thought she would in fact smack him. However, she just looked down at her desk.
"Professor Messina is having lunch in the south courtyard." She said.
Joseph winked at her as he left. He made his way across the campus. It was mostly empty this time of year, with only a couple dozen students and faculty here for summer programs. With no foot traffic, it didn't take Joseph long to reach the south courtyard. All its tables and chairs were completely empty now, other than one.
Professor Messina was an older man, with a bald head and a white mustache. He walked around with a cane, topped with an ivory carving of an eagle. He dressed in a formal, yet almost relaxed way. Since arriving at the university, he had acted as a friend and mentor to the young Joseph.
"Hey, Professor!" Joseph called as he made his way over. Messina looked up from his lunch plate and warmly smiled.
"Ah, young Joseph Joestar." Said Messina. "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't come."
"Of course I'd be here, Professor." Joseph told him, sitting down across from him. "I owe you. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have passed half of my classes this last year."
"How does that degree feel?" Messina asked.
"Like it was printed on the world's cheapest paper."
The pair laughed, and Messina took a bite of his lunch casually. He noticed Joseph eyeing the dish, and offered him a bite.
"This is spaghetti made with a black squid ink." Messina explained. "You see, there's an Italian restaurant just a few blocks over that specialize in Italian foods. Apparently, this is very authentic and popular."
"No thanks, Professor." Joseph said, grimacing only slightly. "That's not really up my alley. Good old American cuisine is more my speed."
"I see." Chuckled Messina. "A down-home American boy, are you not?"
"I was born in Kentucky." Joseph told him. "My family has owned a ranch there for years. After my father got back from flying in WWI, he became a horse breeder."
"I've never asked about your family, I suppose." Messina said.
"There's not much to tell. My younger brother became a pilot too. He flew bombers in WWII. Even has the same name as my father. He's the third George Joestar that we know of. We're nothing special."
"Have you ever thought of leaving your beloved United States?" asked Messina.
"Well sure. I mean, who hasn't?"
"I have a proposition for you, Joseph." Messina said, finishing his meal and putting his napkin on his plate. "Recently, colleagues of mine have discovered a series of Roman ruins on the island of Sardinia, in Italy. I was invited to go and look at their findings myself. I was also told that I should bring two able-bodied assistants with me. I already picked one, a boy named Mark Loggins. I want you to be the second."
"What?" asked Joseph. "You want me to go to a real archeological dig in Italy?"
"Yes." Messina told him. "You're one of the finest archeology students I've ever had. Plus, it will only benefit you. Working on a real dig will give you credit in this business, and it will only help down the line when you're applying for your doctorate."
"Wow, Professor." Joseph was dumbfounded. "I planned on putting off my doctorate for a few years. But it's not like an opportunity like this just falls into your lap every day."
"You're right about that." Messina gazed towards the horizon, as if stuck in some deep thought. "Sometimes I'm worried that there's nothing man hasn't discovered yet. That…maybe we know everything there is to know. Finds like this one get my old heart pumping."
"Well, I'll tell you one thing, Professor. If there's anything left to find, then Joseph Joestar is going to be the one to find it. Sign me up."
"Are you always so cocky?" the old man laughed.
"I only have one fear about this trip Professor. Something minor."
"Tell me, my boy."
"I mentioned my brother, George, earlier." Joseph expression got darker, and he had taken a serious tone. "I didn't tell you that I have an older sister, Joanne."
"What happened to her?"
"Fifteen years ago, she was only seventeen, and decided that she wanted to travel the world. My parents tried to stop her, but she was determined." Joseph didn't look at Messina, instead deciding to stare at his shoes. "Well, the last my parents heard from her was in Italy. She sent them a postcard from Naples. The Italian police never found her, even after my father personally spent six months in Italy looking."
"That's a tragedy." Said Messina. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you professor, but I was young when it happened. Barely old enough to understand. An eight year old has a hard time comprehending those things, you know."
"Are you afraid that this past tragedy will affect your work, if you're so close to where it happened?"
"I don't think so, Professor." Answered Joseph. "In fact, maybe it will drive me to work even harder. We Joestars have a history of making bad situations work out for us."
"Ah yes, you Joestars." Messina said. "You know my father watched your grandfather cross the finish line if the Steel Ball Run right here in New York. He even framed a newspaper from that day."
"My grandfather isn't the only Joestar who's going to be famous." Said Joseph confidently. "The world is going to know Dr. Joseph Joestar, world's greatest archeologist!"
The men shook hands on the plan, and Joseph hurried to catch a taxi towards his apartment. He had some packing to do.
