Valentine's Resolve
It was about just a month after the finale of the Steel Ball Run race. The Winner, Diego Brando, had disappeared from public view, just a few hours after he had won the race. No one however could confirm what happened to the Jockey. Pocoloco himself was the second place winner, and had now become a celebrity among the African American community and all of America.
It was strange to everyone who were at the finish line of the event.
It didn't feel right, to anyone involved that was participating in any way in the event, even viewers themselves were confused.
Everything had started to go down hill after the race. Many different people had gone missing or were killed in brutal and strange ways in so many different nations. So many people were terrified, it seemed as though a dark cloud was now looming over the rainbow that was the race! There were sightings of strange creatures that looked vaguely humanoid. Superstitious stories came out in droves of many different paranormal sightings, creatures shambling and devouring anything they came across.
Stories of men that clawed their ways out of their own graves, that looked like walking corpses, ready to kill the living, and those who wronged them in life. Stories of vampiric creatures roaming in packs and destroying entire villages in rural areas of The World. Entire areas of The World went dark, no communication, or form of interaction with others, no light coming from any area that went dark either.
"Brando, hand over the Corpse Parts, I would rather not have to inconvenience myself any more than I have today."
"Like I would give you the Corpse back after the deal you made with me Valentine!" Diego had laughed at President Valentine at the end of his retort.
"I could send you back to the world you came from. You should already know that. I can do so quite easily" Valentine already had, one Hell of a day. Due to dealing with Gyro, and Johnny, just an hour ago.
"And, how the Hell would you do that you fucking political snake!? I can stop time with THE WORLD, before you could even act!" Diego had utter confidence that he could, and will, kill Valentine before he makes any move whatsoever.
"I learned quite a bit, during my battle with the duo of Gyro Zeppeli, and Johnny Joestar. The battle taught me that D4C's ability, is much more than what I once thought it was."
Diego was nervous, but he was also unsure if this was just one of the bluffs, that Valentine, is quite renowned at making.
His stomach had started to ache, his head was pulsing with a headache. What Valentine said deeply troubled Diego.
"THE WORLD!" I won't take any chances with this bastard, not anymore. I can't! 'Diego thought to himself.'
Diego had begun to walk towards Valentine, THE WORLD standing almost a meter taller than both men, standing right by Diego, walking as well. He walked with a slow strut as he went behind Valentine and faced his back to him. Diego simply pointed his thumb, behind his back, this was the only command The Stand needed, THE WORLD hit Valentine, with its nuclear levels of power, a sickening crunch could be heard by Diego for only an instant, as his Stand's fist completely went through Valentine.
"Time resumes" Diego said. And Valentine's body went flying into the vault door and breaking much of the underground vault itself. Valentine's body was almost complete paste.
"Like I thought you couldn't beat me whatsoever old fool. Your power might have been terrifying, President Valentine, but THE WORLD reigns overall, it's my destiny." Diego went to walk back to where the corpse was.
'Now to find the corpse and be done with all my worries.' Diego thought to himself.
Diego had gotten back to where the vault door was before THE WORLD sent Valentine soaring through it, utterly destroying the vault door. He reached it and he looked to where he last put the corpse… but it was gone.
'Where the fuck could it have gone! There is no way I lost it, Valentine couldn't still be here, I don't know anymore, he couldn't fucking be here could he!?
"VALENTINE SHOW YOURSELF YOU FUCKING CUNT, I'M NOT SOMEONE TO BE TREATED AS A CHILD!" 'Fucking hell, is Valentine still here!? Or am I going insane!?'
Valentine appeared from behind the rubble of the broken vault door and vault. He appeared from thin air, his boots clacking against the hard floor in a steady rhythm. Completely unharmed. Ready to end this, and somehow not dead.
"I took the liberty of sending an alternate dimension version of myself. I wanted to see if this deal could be salvaged, and due to my own sacrifice, it seems it might be able too, indeed." 'Well, he reacted in the way I thought he might, regardless of the universe Brando seems to be the same mentally at the core.'
"How the fucking Hell are you still alive!? You damn Snake! THE WOR- "
Before Diego could even finish his command, Valentine appeared behind him and took him back to his home Universe.
"LD!" THE WORLD came out, but Diego decided not to stop time due to falling on his ass and seeing his new environment, a completely sandy desert right by an oasis.
"I'm going to do what I did for Johnny Joestar, and Gyro Zeppeli, to you. Instead of killing you, I am putting you back in your World, where I found you. I put Johnny, and Gyro in a universe where they cannot stop me, nor get hurt. The same now goes for you. Goodbye Diego Brando, if I ever have an offer for you again, I'll see you someday, sooner or later."
With that Valentine disappeared before Diego could even act.
February 13th, 1891
Valentine was reading the newspaper, on the train he was currently sitting in.
'Diego Brando suspected dead, one month after winning the Steel Ball Run Race!'
'Diego Brando was last spotted heading to Trinity Church on Train, no one has seen him after the 1st of February. The American people as well as everyone across the world who came to the Race suspect foul play, or that he has removed himself from public view. Every other contestant that survived the Race has been accounted for by the public and government officials except for Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli.'
This newspaper was being sold out like it was a piece of gold. Many were theorizing what happened to these three men. None had concrete theories however, at least no one person1 took serious in any realm of possibility.
'No one will be able to do anything about the Genius Jockey Brando, Zeppeli, and the Joestar now sadly for them. They are all safe, which is good enough for me I suppose. They should not be able to pin anything back to me, I made sure no one could see where I went. I had another version of myself give the speech for the Finale of the race while I was dealing with Johnny and Gyro. My other self was in public view for the entire month I was searching for Diego as well.'
Before Valentine could think of anything else a familiar voice spoke up
"President Valentine… where are we going? I do not know what to expect from you anymore at this point…" 'Valentine has always kept his word, in one way or another, like a genie or The Devil.'
The voice that spoke out was none other than Steven Steel himself, The promoter of The Steel Ball Run Race. A talented man in his own right, he was in the army, as part of the cavalry, a gifted horse rider, he left the army due to an illness. Steven was also a well-known public relations speaker, as well as promoter, having seven bizarrely unique events he has promoted, including The Steel Ball Run itself.
Valentine walked over to where Steel, and Lucy were sitting and took a seat right across from Steel in the booth. Valentine had one leg over the knee of his other leg, hands interlocked, in front of his face, with his forehead resting against them, as though he had a long day.
A sigh escaped his mouth and he spoke.
"We are going to a safe house that is down in Alabama. It is not currently finished, I just had it started within the past year. I can't afford for either one of you to speak out against me in any capacity, if you did I would have to kill you as fast as possible. I would prefer not to have others die that are part of the U.S.A. I'm The President of The United States of America, and I have a promise to uphold to this Country and her people."
"That has not stopped you before though Mr. Valentine, you have killed many just for your own pursuit through this entire race! Dozens, upon dozens, have died why should anyone believe you at this point when this was all just for your own gain!?"
Lucy felt largely the same, although she was too afraid to voice her thoughts due to how imposing a man Valentine was.
"I don't want to kill others, nor do I wish to kill others, Steven, I do what I see, and know, as best for this country. I hold no regret over my actions, they are all unclouded, clear like a Summer's day. I am sad that American's have died for the Country during my pursuit of The Corpse, but it is on their own hands, that they died. If someone gets in the way, they will be removed to protect this Country. This is how The World works, during times of unrest, and most other times. The United States will stand strong, it is the promise I made, and I intend to keep it." 'I sincerely hope Steven and Lucy both understand.' Valentine thought.
Valentine had switched where he put his legs, both now planted onto the ground with both legs spread out more than three feet, from one another. His one hand shifted into his hair right next to his left ear, and his other laying on the table.
He was looking directly into Steven Steel's eyes, just staring imposingly at the man a few years his elder, though most would not know that by looking at Valentine. At most Valentine looked like he was in his incredibly early thirties if you were being rude. However, any sane person would say he looks like he is in his late twenties. Valentine took good care of himself, at least the current one does.
"So why go through all this trouble taking us to this safe house bunker, Valentine? Seems like an awfully large amount of work for one man to go through?"
Valentine looked at him then glanced at Lucy, then looked back to Steven. He was shifting his position some. Once Valentine was comfortable again, he spoke with a voice that showed only truth.
"It is simple, you both are admirable, and inspiring, people to me… I see no reason as I said before, to kill you. Of course, though the bunker is not currently finished, it has everything that would be needed to survive for centuries, it is where both of you will live the rest of your lives. Though neither of you can leave, if you did you would die on site by the guards outside. Although I would not mind having both of you travel with me to other places owned by me, should you both ever wish to go outside some time." 'I hope they both understand how serious I am, I wish I could let them have more, but I cannot without risking everything. I don't wish to replace them with alternate versions of themselves either.'
For the first time however Lucy spoke, a young, light, feminine voice broke the small silence. Lucy looked directly to Valentine and spoke to him, although in a broken hopeless voice.
"Why did you do all of this? It's all done, Johnny, and Gyro both dead BECAUSE OF YOU! WHY! Why… Why did you have to do this..." Lucy was broken emotionally, two people she very much adored and saw as brothers, were gone. Dead, forever…
Steven embraced Lucy with tears falling from Lucy's eyes. She embraced the man who acted as her father, she was deeply troubled by the loss of her friends… Steven began to cry, as well too… Steven greatly admired the two young men, they held a will like that of The Sun's bright gaze. Johnny, and Gyro both saved Steel, and Lucy, it was all thanks to them both. No one could even come close to saving them except those two. Steven however remembered Mountain Tim, as well too, the Cowboy had saved Lucy, he was deeply grateful to him… However, Tim was dead too.
"You shouldn't assume things… Least of all, when you know absolutely nothing of the situation you are thinking of. Gyro, and Johnny are both safe, and still alive…" Valentine sighed and spoke again "They are on a different World, in a universe where they were thought to be dead."
Lucy looked up with a questioning gaze and asked in a hopeful yet still broken voice.
"What do you mean? You didn't actually kill them…"
Valentine got up from the booth they were all sitting in. He put his left arm on top of the head of the booth's backboard. Valentine looked out of the train car's window, he gave a small smirk, only ever so noticeable. Valentine spoke directly to Lucy and told her his Philosophy.
"I decided that they didn't need to die, at least not in the conventional sense… It was easier, even, overall, just to send them to a different world. It is not all that hard to do so, considering all I had to do was get to the right spot. Although you straight up vanished, it caused the fight to be much harder, so I had to go with the easiest route. You somehow got sent to The Trinity Church, Diego managed to get the corpse parts, from inside of you, he more than likely phased his stand through you to do so. He was going to Lock them in the vault and take control of its power. None of the three died, because it would have been a much more irritating task to complete."
Valentine, Steven, and Lucy all talked for quite a while. The safe house bunker was still quite a few hours away.
Valentine was currently reading through the most recent newspaper that had just came out that day and saw quite a few disturbing stories that provoked his thoughts. He was quite intrigued, as to why, and how so many areas of Europe went completely dark. He also read through some of the stories of creatures, and ghouls seemingly roaming about, he wrote it off for the moment being, but kept it in mind.
Valentine was still unnerved about these stories…
"Steven, have you heard about any of these stories? The dead rising, areas of Europe going dark, with no communication to other countries?" 'Has Steel heard of any of these things, he's been in the public for the past month, whereas I haven't… My alternate self might know what is going as well too.'
"Yes, I have heard a lot of these stories coming out of not only Europe, but The Middle East, Asia, and Africa as well too. I am not sure what to make of most of these stories, most seem like they are honest words of terror coming from firsthand accounts… Even different Religions have been banding together to take out these creatures some stories have said. Although all of it is more than likely a hoax by some publishing companies across The World."
Valentine seemed anxious although most might not notice. Valentine would pace back and forth when he was anxious, however many thought he just did that while waiting to pass the time. Lucy was looking out the window of the train car with her chin in the palm of her hand.
Steel was looking at the Newspaper, Valentine had been reading. Valentine had put it down on the booth table after he asked Steven if he had heard of any of this.
All Valentine could think was if any of this is true at all.
'There are dark days ahead it seems. I'm not inclined to fully believe it but after finding The Saint's Corpse, I can't truly deny anything at this point.'
Authors Note:
So, everyone, I hope you liked my first published story. I have a long way to go to become a better writer. After reading so many JoJo crossover fanfictions I decided that "Hey I should finally get to posting stuff" and Here we are. I have quite a few JoJo crossovers I would like to do that as well are in the works.
Of course, what inspired me most was The World and The Sun's Alamo, which was an amazing story, it is sadly on indefinite hiatus because of Covid. He also disabled private messaging I am not sure why though, I would love to check and see if he is okay, since I am worried about him.
If anyone has any questions go ahead and ask, and if anyone has any advice, I would love to have it!
Wanted to have this be around 10,000 words for the first chapter and really all chapters since I gravitate towards longer stories, so I wanted to make mine like that, but I guess for just first starting this is somewhat decent.
I hope you all have a great day, and may God give you luck in life!
Sincerely, Kosaku Valentine.