"You're still nothing compared to me. I'll take you down just like I take down anyone who tries to best my [Power]!"

With that, the black figure - Power, he had called it - rushed toward Joshua and the green figure. The green figure flew forward to meet its punch, catching it with one hand and returning a punch of its own with the other. Muscle Shirt Guy lurched backwards as the green figure's scaly fist collided with Power's metallic head.

Joshua couldn't precisely explain how he was controlling the green figure. It was as if the green figure was responding to instincts buried deep within his mind. There was also some sort of sensory connection; Joshua felt his fist collide with Power, and saw through the green figure's eyes on top of his own vision. The extra stimulation should've been overwhelming, but Joshua was surprised to find that he had no trouble taking in everything. None of what was happening made any sense, but Joshua wasn't complaining. If this figure, whatever it was, could allow Joshua to defend himself against Muscle Shirt Guy and Power, then he could wait for explanations.

Muscle Shirt Guy cracked his knuckles. "That Stand deals out a pretty nice punch, all right. But if that's all you got…" Power rushed forward again. "Then I'll have no trouble taking you out!"

Once again, the green figure caught Power's punch. Before it could return the blow, Power shoved the green figure's arm into its gut. Joshua gasped with shock as the air was driven out of his lungs. He doubled over, clutching his stomach in pain. Power slammed its other arm into the side of the green figure's head. The force of the blow reverberated inside Joshua's skull. He cursed his stupidity. If he could feel everything that the green figure felt, of course he would share its pain as well. Still, all things considered, the blow hadn't affected him too much. He hadn't been thrown across the room by the punch like Tracksuit Guy.

Muscle Shirt Guy grunted. "That should've knocked your head from your shoulders." The green figure had retreated to Joshua's side. "Durability and power...it's a good thing I'm taking you out here, kid. You might've become a real pain in our side otherwise." Power began to move towards Joshua once more, when it's path was suddenly interrupted by a pink kick to its head.

Amidst the chaos of the fight, both Joshua and Muscle Shirt Guy had forgotten about Tracksuit Guy, who had made his way to Joshua's side behind the operating table. The pink figure had appeared in front of Power, attacked it, and teleported back to Tracksuit Guy's side before Power could react.

"You okay?" Tracksuit Guy asked. Joshua gave a weak nod, not knowing what to say. "You probably have a lot of questions. I can answer them for you," Tracksuit Guy said. His voice was thin and gravely. "But we've got to deal with this guy first," he said, motioning toward Muscle Shirt Guy and Power. Power had begun to move again. "That Stand - it's a dangerous one. It managed to catch Sabaton. No one's ever done that before." Tracksuit Guy said. He looked at Joshua with sullen, tired eyes. "I know you just got your Stand, but if it's got some trick up its sleeve, now would be a good time to use it."

Joshua looked at the green figure. At its scales, and horns, and wings. An idea came to him from the same recesses of his mind that told him how to control the green figure. "We can't attack it from up close…"

"Not without getting hit," Tracksuit Guy agreed. Joshua stood up to face Muscle Shirt Guy and Power. "What are you doing?" Tracksuit Guy said. "Do you have a plan, or-"

"Something like that," Joshua said. He looked at the green figure again. "I'm not entirely sure, but I think I know how to take this guy down."

Joshua should have been freaking out, he knew. He had never been in a fight before, much less a fight via remote control of weird humanoid figures. Stands? But rather than being terrifying, the situation was exhilarating. Joshua's heart was pounding, and he had never felt more alive. The green figure flew forward to meet Power once more.

"Idiot," Muscle Shirt Guy sneered, and Power drew back its fist. Just as the two Stands were about to connect, the green figure suddenly stopped, moving backwards to avoid Power's punch. The momentum of the punch caused Power to stumble. Before it could recover, the green figure opened its mouth and - just as Joshua knew it would - a plume of fire came out.

Muscle Shirt Guy screamed as his Stand was engulfed in flame. The fire rolled over Power's muscular body, searing its black frame. It struggled to stand as the flame continued to pour out of the green figure's mouth. Finally, the green figure stopped, as Joshua bent over out of breath. Taking advantage of Power's sudden helplessness, Sabaton streaked forward and landed a number of fast punches and kicks on the prone Stand, before disappearing back to its owner's side once more.

The flames burning Power went out quickly with nothing to sustain them. Muscle Shirt Guy's skin was bright red, and his clothes were smoking. His Stand didn't look so great either: parts of its metallic frame had been seared gray by the flames, and its visor was cracked. It seemed like the damage Joshua and Tracksuit Guy had done to Muscle Shirt Guy and his Stand was starting to wear them down. Shakily, Muscle Shirt Guy stood. "Nice try," he panted, as Power started to move again, "But you can't -"

"GRA-DA!" The green figure's mouth opened again with a yell, glowing. This time, the fire that came from its mouth was not a plume of fire, but a large, concentrated ball of red energy. The fireball caught Power in the center of its chest, sending it and Muscle Shirt Guy flying against the wall. As Muscle Shirt Guy slumped against the ground, unconscious, Power disappeared.

There was a moment of stunned silence. The realization of everything that had happened swept over Joshua. Had he really just done all that? Commanding a power he never even knew he had, fighting a guy with the same power, setting him on fire, winning - it was all so overwhelming. He was frozen in shock, not knowing what to do. He felt exhausted.

Then Tracksuit Guy lightly punched his arm, and all the tension left his body. Joshua had to lean against the table to keep himself from collapsing. He didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or pass out.

If Tracksuit Guy noticed Joshua's sudden weakness, he didn't give any indication of it. "Nice job, man!" he said cheerily. "Taking out a guy like that; you got a real powerhouse of a Stand there." He extended a hand. "I'm Daniel." Joshua was too mentally exhausted to respond. The alarm was still blaring.

After an extended silence, Daniel let his arm drop. "We should probably get out of here," he said. "Can you move?" The sound of Daniel's voice jarred Joshua back into reality. Both the green figure and the pink figure had vanished. "Yeah," he said, standing. He looked over at Muscle Shirt Guy. "What about him?"

"He'll be fine. Besides, we don't want to be around when this guy and his friend wakes up," Daniel said impatiently. "Come on, let's go." Joshua vaguely recalled his feet being stuck in the pavement. Had another Stand user done that to him? Deciding that he did not want to find out, Joshua quickly followed Daniel out the door.

Fluorescent lights shone upon the pale, featureless hallways. Joshua ran behind Daniel past unlabeled doorways, around corners, through intersections. Every hallway looked exactly the same, and Joshua quickly lost all sense of direction. Daniel, however, seemed completely confident in his path, never hesitating as he led the pair through the hallways. Turning a corner, Daniel finally came to a stop. He had led them to a dead end.

"Hey," Joshua panted, apprehension growing in his voice. "You do know the way out of here, right?"

"Of course," Daniel said, cracking his knuckles. "[Sabaton]!" At once, the pink figure appeared by Daniel's side. "I know you must be confused by all of this. The powers that you have witnessed tonight - the powers that you now possess - are known as Stands. They are the personification of your fighting spirit - your soul, made manifest." He gestured to the pink figure."This is my Stand, Sabaton."

"EEEEEEAAAAHH!" Sabaton let out a shrill, piercing screech as it leapt at the dead end. Sabaton's fists were a blur; the speed of its punches made it appear to have several arms. The wall crumbled beneath the flurry of blows. Daniel and Sabaton stepped over the remains of the destroyed wall into another hallway, and Sabaton screeched again as it attacked the opposite wall. A section of the wall collapsed under the force of Sabaton's punches, revealing the black gloom of night behind it as a cool breeze blew into the building.

As Daniel stepped outside the building, Sabaton seemed to withdraw back into his body. Daniel looked back at Joshua, who had not moved from the spot that had once been a dead end. "There's a place near here - my friend's house. We'll be safe there, but we've gotta go now," he said. Then he turned around, and began to run into the night.

Looking out at the gloom, Joshua suddenly realized that he had no idea what time it was. He had promised his parents he would be right home after the game. They were probably wondering what had happened to him; he could see his mother trying to call him, equal parts worried and furious. Ruffling through the pockets of his coat, Joshua found that both his phone and his wallet were missing.

What have I gotten myself into? Joshua thought. With a sigh, he started to jog after Daniel.

-To Be Continued- Awakened Power (Act 3)

Stand User: Daniel Webster

Stand Name: [Sabaton]

Power: A

Speed: A

Range: B

Durability: C

Power: C

Developmental Potential: C

Short Range Teleportation: Sabaton has the ability to teleport approximately twenty meters in any direction, though it decreases in speed and power the further away it is from its user. This teleportation is instantaneous, and can be activated nearly instantaneously. When Sabaton teleports, its afterimage is visible for a fraction of a second before disappearing.