Dio and Hol appeared in a dark hallway. Hol stumbled around with his hands extended, swearing as he looked for a lightswitch. "Where the hell are we? And when the hell are we?"

"Kennedy Space Center visitor complex, Florida, the United States," Dio answered flatly. "Around seven o'clock, probably past visiting hours. Since it's springtime, sunset should be in an hour. Today is March 14, 2012, approximately one week before the new moon." He held a hand to his temple; he wasn't in pain, exactly, but he had a sense of something trying to grab his attention, like an alarm clock that refused to be shut off. "This is the place I knew could be used to reach Heaven. I think Enrico Pucci is able to achieve what I was not. I need to find him."

"Alright," Hol huffed, "but I didn't really want dragged along."

Dio rolled his eyes and sneered. "What'll it take, Hol? Do you want me to drop you off at Fort Knox after all this and let you take all the gold you can carry? Is preventing the end of the world not rewarding enough for you?"

"No! Ugh. Damn! I mean," Hol crossed his arms tightly and looked away, unsure. "Boingo was just freaking out like he always does, right? There's no way the world ends now."

"Don't underestimate Enrico's potential," Dio said gravely. "I have no doubt that he is able to take fate by the reins. But if the world fights back, who knows what the outcome could be." He sighed. "If he can really tame Heaven… I need him."

Hol frowned. "Well, how the hell are we gonna find him?"

Dio tapped his temple. "I can sense something. There's a sort of ritual that we discussed and I think he is following it. This sense should bring me to him."

Hol scowled. "That's convenient."

"You know how to drive, don't you, Hol?" Dio strolled down the hallway and waved his hand, motioning for Hol to follow him.

"Yeah, but we're over a decade into the future," he grumbled. "My license is gonna be expired."

"Well, that's simple enough to deal with." He paused at a window, avoiding the last rays of the setting sun as he looked down at the visitor center parking lot. "Just don't get pulled over."


They hotwired a car and drove off in silence. Hol turned the radio on, flipped through the channels, found nothing familiar, and turned the radio back off. He wiped sweat from his brow and peeked at the rearview mirror. The last thing Dio had said to him was simply to drive south; now he sat silent and ominous in the back seat.

"This climate, huh?" He waved a hand at the windshield, which was now spattered with dead mosquitos. "At least Cairo was a dry heat."

"You're only talking because you're nervous, Hol," Dio replied. "Tell me what's really on your mind."

"Alright, fine. I don't wanna be your goddamn meat shield again," he retorted. "I have a bad feeling about all this. Pucci might have his own crew of Stand users protecting him if he's trying to pick up where you left off. I certainly wasn't expecting to see you alive again and neither will he. Plus there's all that end of the world shit to think about."

Dio narrowed his eyes. "I think a nicer term for you would be bodyguard. Well-paid bodyguard. It was a job you were willing to take in Cairo."

"Yeah, well." He frowned and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. "I'm not gonna lie and say I'm a different man now, but I was one of the lucky few to actually have a life outside of Cairo."

"Well, what have you been up to, Hol?" Dio asked with mocking faux-interest. "Did you settle down and start a family?"

"What does it matter?" He grimaced and changed lanes to pass a beat-up van. "I know you don't give a shit. I'm here because you can use me. I'll do it because what the hell else am I gonna do? Run away and try to live in the future? Fight you? I already know how that would turn out. I'd rather be a bodyguard than your damn lunch ."

"Pull over."

"What?" Hol glanced up at the rearview with wide eyes.

Dio sighed and crossed his legs. "Pull over. There's plenty of room on the right."

"Fuck." Sweat beaded on Hol's brow. "Alright, alright. I'm pulling over." He twisted in his seat to check his blind spot, shifted back into the right lane, then switched on the hazard lights. The car rolled to a stop and Hol was tense in the front seat, Emperor flickering in his hand uncertainly.

"Where's your home at, Hol?" Dio flipped open the map and looked at the United States.

"Christ almighty." Hol's knuckles went white as he gripped his gun. "What're you trying to say?"

"I'm saying go home if you don't want to be here," he answered. "You'll have twelve nice, peaceful years to yourself. I'll drop you off."

Hol stared at him. "You're not threatening me."

"No, Hol, I'm not. If you're not up to the task, then having you stay is more of a liability than an asset. I don't hate you, Hol." He crossed his arms and spoke with a cool, even tone. "I have no desire to hurt you, but I do want your help."

Hol let out a long breath and slumped back against his seat. "See, that's another thing buggin' me. You want my help and you've got some sorta super-Stand. You're talking to the Joestars like it's no big deal. Boingo's seeing the end of the world and even if I try to deny it, that kid is never wrong. Something big must be going on. You really wanna know why I'm freaking out? I'm scared because you are."

Dio stared at him impassively and Hol went on. "I know what it's like to be backed into a corner. You can act all cool and collected but you're thinkin' at a mile a minute. I can see it. I know, I know, you're untouchable," he said, waving his hand, "but somethin' got to you, and it wasn't Jotaro. I'd prefer not to meet whatever the hell it was."

"Perceptive as ever, Hol," Dio hissed. "Now, are you going home or not?"

Hol sighed and leaned forward. He turned off the hazard lights and sat in silence for a few moments, then flipped on the turn signal. "I gotta stay, don't I?" he grumbled. "You don't know how to fuckin' drive."


Dio peered out the window and hoped his intuition would be enough to determine which exit they had to take. Green and white signs passed as they drove until he spotted one that tugged at his awareness. "Port St. Lucie, exit 121, two miles. That's the one we want."

Hol gave a grunt of assent and prepared to change lanes. "You think he's there?"

"It's possible." He let his forehead rest against the window. "I can at least tell that we're close."

Another sign passed, listing the attractions: a golf course, a few restaurants, and Green Dolphin Street Prison. Dio felt a chill. "The prison," he said. "That's what we want."

Hol peered up at the sign. "You want to break into the prison? What, you think Pucci got arrested?"

"Pucci will be looking for sinners," Dio answered. "Hospitals have chapels attached. So do prisons." He glanced at Hol sidelong. "You knew he was going to seminary school, didn't you?"

"I knew he was the religious type," he replied. "But like I said, I didn't really talk to him much. He wasn't in Cairo all the time, anyway."

Dio gave a thoughtful hm and returned his attention to the window.

It took about half an hour to reach the entrance to the prison. Since the main complex was on an island, they had to cross a bridge to access it. The bridge was blocked by a guard station and red-and-white striped wooden panels.

"Visiting hours are probably over," Hol said. "How are we gonna get in?"

The World manifested at Dio's side. "You didn't take your sticker off, did you?"

"No, why?"

Time stopped. Dio leaned back, crossed his arms, and nodded. "Floor it."

Hol slammed his foot on the gas and the car jolted forward, busting through the wooden barrier. He watched in awe as the splintered shards careened away from them but slowed to a stop in the air. They sped past the guard station, where two men in uniform were frozen in place, one watching a video feed while the other read a newspaper. They were able to cross the bridge before time began again and Hol slowed the car to a reasonable pace. "Holy shit," he breathed.

"Park behind those transport buses," Dio instructed. "Do you want to come with me or keep the car running?"

Hol took a deep breath and opened the car door. He reached beneath the wheel and unwound the wires. "I'll come with. Safer with you than out here when the guards come around."


There were a few guards on patrol, but they were easy enough to pass in the stopped time. Dio strolled down the halls, following his intuition until they found the entrance to the chapel.

"I hate to keep complainin'," Hol said quietly, "but I really do have a bad feeling about this. I know you talked to Pucci a lot back then. But… it has been about twenty years."

"I appreciate your insight, Hol, I really do." Dio was worried less about Pucci's reaction to his sudden reappearance and more about a trap set by his double. Finding Pucci felt all too easy. "Like I said, your survival instinct is impeccable. Let's keep this simple: I'll go in and you can stay out here. Keep watch." He slipped past Hol and opened the door.

It was dim inside the chapel, but a few overhead lights were flicked on. The main room appeared to be empty, but a side door was propped open, revealing a small but comfortable looking office. He felt a chill of recognition travel down his spine; Pucci was sitting at his desk and clicking away at a boxy desktop computer.

As was his habit, Dio stood in the doorway and waited to be noticed. Pucci held up a hand, signaling for him to hold on as he turned his attention towards a printer that whirred and chugged its way through spitting out a paper. Once it finished, he grabbed the printout and slid it into a folder on the desk. "Chapel hours for inmates are over at eight," he stated. "If it's urgent, I can write in a meeting for you in the morning-" His gaze finally ventured towards the doorway and his face froze.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Dio smiled warmly.

Pucci stared at him with wide eyes. "Are you here to test me?" he said breathlessly.

"Test you?" Dio approached him but Pucci remained still, his hands lightly gripping the leather arms of his seat.

"Jesus was led by the Spirit into the stony wilderness to be tested by the devil," Pucci recited. "And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry."

Dio leaned back against the desk and crossed his legs. "And the devil said to him, 'if you are really the son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

There was a glimmer of joy in Pucci's dark eyes. "Man shall not live on bread alone."

Dio laughed and leaned forward. "No, I shall not."

Pucci smiled as he closed his eyes and turned away. "You are a pleasant vision and I am thankful for it."

"Not a vision." Dio reached out and gently brushed his knuckles against Pucci's shoulder.

Pucci inhaled sharply and leapt back, nearly knocking over his chair. "No," he said lowly. "You are dead. I know it. All I could bring back of you… is now a part of me." He shook his head. "Is your user hiding somewhere? I do hope you are a short-range Stand. I don't have the patience to track a long-range automatic user right now. Cancel this illusion and I'll offer you mercy."

Dio tilted his head towards him. "Pucci. I am here. Do you want to check?"

Pucci turned away and quietly recited his primes.

"I know you've begun to reach Heaven. I'm so proud of you, Enrico. I held the highest of expectations for you and you have surpassed them." Dio circled around to face Pucci and dropped to one knee before them. He gently took a hold of his wrist and pulled his hand to his forehead.

Pucci did not move any further. He stared down at Dio coldly. "Your shoulder," he said flatly. "What happened to your birthmark?"

Dio called forth The World and stopped time. He stood and let out a snarl of frustration, though it was mostly directed at himself. He retreated, putting the desk between Pucci and himself, then began time again. "I know your only desire is to take Heaven for yourself," he said, and Pucci quickly turned to face him. "Well, I'm already there, and I'm the worst ."

Pucci only stared at him, so he continued. "If there's anyone I trust to take Heaven back from me, it's you. You, and the rest of the Joestars."

Pucci at least didn't look so stone-faced anymore; now he was just perplexed. "The Joestars? The Kujos are inconsequential. The rest are too old, too weak, or too naive to face me."

"I don't mean… listen to me. The reason I no longer have the Joestar birthmark is because I no longer have Jonathan's body. What I need now is not their blood, but instead to have the Joestars' luck on my side." There was fire in his voice and he felt his familiar burning ambition giving him strength. "I'm going to save Jonathan Joestar from myself. Would you not erase the original sin if given the chance? Is that not what our goal was in taking Heaven? To allow even the most sinful to have a paradise?"

Pucci stared at him blankly and let the silence stretch before speaking. "The reason that people fail… is due to the feeling of shame. People die because of shame. They think that they could have done things differently in the past, or they wonder why they did the things that they did. Because of their regrets, people feel shame. They slowly become weak, and they fail." The emotion made plain upon Pucci's face, Dio realized with shock, was disappointment.

"Perhaps you feel shame for killing your brother," Pucci continued. "I do not intend to use Heaven to alleviate shame. My goals are beyond that. I am going to use it to change humanity for the better."

Dio leaned forward and before he could stop himself, he said: "And did you not feel shame for Perla that set you on this path in the first place?"

Pucci closed his eyes and took a deep breath, but his face was held carefully calm. Dio felt rage and despair roiling within him as if they were competing for overwhelming supremacy. He hated being angry with Pucci, but it turned out that his double hadn't even needed to set up a trap. Pucci had just… surpassed him, he realized, and he felt a tightness in his throat.

Something wet landed on his shoulder and lightly stung at his skin. The ceiling was dripping. Before Dio could react, Whitesnake dropped down and swiped a hand across his forehead. Two large discs were removed halfway, but three miniature ones also popped out and fell to the floor with a clatter. He hissed and tried to retreat but he felt rooted to the floor. Pucci looked at the miniature discs inquisitively, and Whitesnake kicked at them. They slid across the wooden floor and stopped at Pucci's feet.

Dio fought against rising panic as he neared dangerously close to pleading. "Pucci. I am asking you to please trust me. You don't know what taking Heaven will mean."

"The meaning is beyond you. Perhaps the meaning is even beyond me." Pucci was expressionless as he approached Dio. "But I trust in our original judgment. Be happy, my friend." His fingers gently pulled at the discs. "'But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.' I will find our new heaven, Dio."

The air cracked. Pucci staggered back and blood began to swell from his shoulder.

"Jesus, you two deserve each other," Hol Horse said as he took steady aim with the Emperor. "Sorry, but I couldn't help but eavesdrop. Those discs are my ticket outta here, so we'll be needin' them back."

Dio bent forward, slammed his head into the desk, and forced the two main discs back in. Pucci took a ragged breath and fell back against the wall.

"I didn't shoot to kill, man. Don't be all dramatic about it." Hol nodded towards Dio. "Come on. Get the discs back. I hope you have a plan B in mind because this ain't gonna work."

Pucci collapsed to the ground. Whitesnake writhed and the surface of the Stand shimmered. Dio lunged forward, reaching for the discs.

Whitesnake split apart, revealing something half-formed within. The desk slammed into Dio's chest and the chair went with it. Dio fell and the furniture pushed him towards the wall. He managed to slip to the side and avoid being crushed. To his surprise, he continued to slide, falling past the doorway and into the main hall of the chapel. Hol went flying back as well; Dio grabbed his collar and pulled him towards himself. Before they slammed into the far wall, he stopped time and looked up, wary of more heavy objects coming to hit them. Thankfully, there were none; the pews were bolted to the floor and the only things in the air were some stray papers from the desk. Time began again and he landed on the far wall in a crouch while holding an astonished Hol.

"What the hell is that," Hol said, pointing up towards Pucci. He craned his neck as he tried to look at him. Pucci was standing up again, bracing himself against the wall for support, but his feet were flat on the ground while Dio and Hol were crouched on the wall. His Stand was floating unsteadily beside him. Whitesnake was molting.