Crowriver: Yes, but it is very faint. Diego is about 25% Joestar and 75% Brando, when Johnny got shot, Diego had mild back pain, and a small headache. His Joestar birthmark is barely visible, but it is there. Perhaps it will grow stronger if Diego embraces his noble side...
TheSBRquestioner: That's an interesting reaction...I like it. And yes, Gyro makes me laugh too!
PhantomKnightPercival: I'm truly glad you like my story. And every one of those things you said was right.
Diego Brando: Shut up, I'm already giving you your own chapter.
Diego wrinkled his nose.
Johnny's words were still playing through his head, challenging the beliefs he had for so many years. After his mother died, and he found about his true heritage, he believed that he was destined for evil.
And yet, the same guy that he had tried to kill twice, the person that was supposed to be his arch-enemy, told him that he had the potential to be good. Do I really have a chance at redemption? Or am I doomed to follow in my father's footsteps?
Diego spat on the ground, picked up a rock and began to chew on it, stewing.
Then he felt a cold chill when a gun was pressed into the back of his head.
"I wouldn't move if I were you partner." Mountain Tim said, thumbing the safety on his gun. Diego gritted his teeth as he remained still. "I already told Kujo, I don't have the Eye anymore."
"Oh I know. I just need your help with something..."
Diego narrowed his eyes. "You have a funny way of asking for help, mate."
Mountain Tim grinned. "Let's just say this was the best way of convincing a man like you."
"Just tell me what you want."
Mountain Tim nodded. "There's something I need to destroy, something that could throw a wrench into the whole operation. I need you to help me find it, find it for me, and I won't kill you, got it?"
Diego sighed. Looks like I'm not getting out of this without getting him what he wants... "Fine...I'll help, on one conditon."
Mountain Tim raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
"After we're done, you'll leave me the hell alone."
Mountain Tim pursed his lips, clearly deep in thought. "Alright Brando, I'll take your deal, as long as you don't go after Johnny and Gyro again."
"...alright."
...
Hot Pants patted her horse, taking a sip of tea as she waited for Mountain Tim to come back to camp. What she wasn't expecting, was that he would be accompanied by Diego Brando.
"What the hell is he doing here?!"
"Trust me, Hot Pants, I am not here voluntarily."
"He is our...scout, Hot Pants. I have acquired his services."
" He threatened to kill me if I didn't help you. "
Hot Pants glared at Diego. "Well congratulations, scout. You're officially expendable."
Hot Pants stomped off, clearly peeved by Diego's presence. "Just to let you know, I said I wouldn't kill you, but I can't promise that she won't."
"Great."
...
"Alright, so...the object that we are looking for is in the cave over by the gulch. The issue is...there's an enemy stand user guarding it. He won't come out during the day...so that will be when we will strike." Mountain Tim explained.
Diego huffed. "And I suppose you want me to go down there and fight him, and then retrieve this object of yours."
"No, you'll be doing the fighting, I'll be getting the object. No offense or anything, but it's not something we can trust you with."
Hot Pants glowered at Diego. "And I will be keeping an eye on you, just in case you feel like you want to try anything."
"Oh wow, you know, maybe that would have been more intimidating if your disguise wasn't so painfully easy to see through, miss." Diego snarled. Hot Pants brought out her stand and aimed it at Diego, but Mountain Tim put a hand on it.
"We need him right now, and I did promise that he would not die by our hands."
"He's one of Valentine's goons, Tim. We can't trust him!"
"I give my allegiance to no one, Hot Pants! I help whoever I please, as long as the result benefits me."
"Then you're even more of a coward than I took you for, Diego Brando." Hot Pants growled.
"Do you wish to DIE?!"
"ENOUGH! Let's just get this over with so we can get out of each other's hair." Mountain Tim intervened.
Diego and Hot Pants glared at each other, before going to either side of the bounty Hunter as the three departed. What a bitch! Man, I'd hate to be her boyfriend.
...
Meatball: Do any of you speak Italian?
Spotify: We live in Japan, Gyro.
Wheels: I speak a bit.
Wheels: Okay, really Kyoka?
Spotify: lol
Meatball: Want to play a game? I type a bit of Italian into the chat, and you guys have to guess what I'm saying. Johnny don't tell them.
Broccoli: Alright! This sounds like fun!
Stinky Cheese: Okay.
Stinky Cheese: Jiro, if I ever meet you in person, I'm gonna kill you.
Shorty: You just can't appreciate my sense of humor.
Shorty: HEY!
Wheels: Revenge is sweet.
Stinky Cheese: Okay, here we go: pene.
Wheels: Why am I not surprised that is the first word you picked.
...
Diego and Hot Pants climbed down Mountain Tim's rope, entering the gulch. "You better not think about cutting the rope, Brando." Hot Pants warned. "Please, and kill myself?"
The two made it to the bottom of the gulch, followed by Mountain Tim. "Alright, I'll do the talking." Mountain Tim approached the mouth of the cave, a cold, awful feeling enveloped Diego as the cowboy shouted. "Hey! Listen, we know you have what we want, so why don't we be civil about this, and you hand it over...otherwise, we'll kill you. "
"Fuck off!" Came the abrupt response.
"Well, you heard the man." Diego said, turning to leave, only for Hot Pants to grab him by the back of his collar. "Go inside."
"What?"
"If anyone is dying today, it's gonna be you. Go inside the cave."
Mountain Tim cocked his pistol, giving Diego a look that said: I'll kill you if you don't.
Diego snarled, and begrudgingly made his way into the cave. It was dark, and damp. Diego couldn't see anything in front of him, but he could hear a strange dripping noise.
"Alright, listen. I don't want to be here, it's a waste of my time. But those two will kill me if they don't get what they want. Why don't we-"
"No deals, the mask is mine!"
Mask?
"Don't make me- WHAT THE?!"
Diego had walked headfirst into something hanging from the ceiling, and judging by the fact it felt...fleshy, he knew it wasn't a stalactite. Diego reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter, bringing it up so he could properly see what he bumped into.
It was a half-eaten corpse of a middle-aged woman.
"GUH!" Diego stumbled backwards in terror. " Hehehehehehe...I see you found last night's dinner. I would've been content with just her blood, but I got a little...carried away... "
"You...you beast!"
Diego pulled out his gun, aiming it into the darkness. "Come out! I want to see you before I fill you full of lead!"
Footsteps clacked on the cavern floor, and a well dressed man exited the shadows. He wore a dark blue three piece suit, and a blue fedora. He had a beard that lined his chin, and pointed fangs stuck out of his grinning mouth. "The name's Suede Shoes. I'm a vampire, in case you didn't notice." The man in blue said.
Diego gritted his teeth and put away his gun. It would be ineffective against someone who could regenerate. Diego activated Scary Monsters, his teeth sharpening as his eyes met the thirsty eyes of the creature that he had the misfortune of encountering.
"I don't care about the stupid mask, you are too dangerous to be left alive!"
"I could say the same for you, Mr. Brando. You don't exactly have an honest reputation."
Diego gritted his pointed teeth. "I've been a bad man, I know that. But I still have some standards. You...you're a monster."
Suede Shoes smiled, a cruel smile. "You're not wrong, my friend. You. Aren't. WRONG!"
Suede Shoes leaned back, and a stream of pressurized purple liquid shot from his eyes. Luckily, Diego had faster reflexes as a dinosaur, so he managed to leap out of the way. That's when a mechanical arm grabbed Diego by the throat and slammed him to the ground.
He's fast!
A giant green stand with a head resembling a pocket knife stood before him, it's arms raised to crush Diego. The British jockey rolled to the side, and regained his composure.
"This is Ring of Fire! And it outmatches your dinosaurs with ease! Watch as I demonstrate it's ability! "
Immediately, green flames surrounded Diego, and they slowly began closing in on him. Diego attempted to leap over the flames, but he was blocked by an invisible wall. What?!
"Ring of Fire is inescapeable! Once it touches you, you'll be trapped in a ring of flames, and an unbreachable barrier! Watch as doom approaches you, Diego Brando!"
Diego looked around, desperately trying to find a way out of this situation. Diego looked down, and began scratching at the ground.
The flames closed around Diego while Suede Shoes cackled. Diego's screams filled the cave, and Mountain Tim and Hot Pants heard them from outside.
"Oh...I guess he's dead."
"That means this guy really is dangerous. We should be careful when we go in there."
The two stand users entered the cave.
...
"Well, that was fun! I wonder how deep fried dinosaur tastes?"
Suede Shoes snapped his fingers, and the flames faded away. He walked over to the spot only to stop in confusion. There was no charred Diego in sight, in fact, there was a hole.
And then a gun popped out of the hole and fired a hole right into Suede Shoes' skull, causing the vampire to stumble back, howling. Diego crawled out of the hole, a mischievous smile on his face. "I was under your flames the whole time, Mr...Shoes. Maybe you should pay more attention."
The vampire snarled and charged at Diego, but the British jockey whipped to the side, growing a tail and smacking Suede Shoes in the back. The vampire squealed as he landed outside of the cave, right at Mountain Tim's feet. Suede Shoes yelled out a quick, "NO!" , before bursting into flames and crumbling to dust.
"Hmm, guess Brando had it after all."
"Tim."
"Yes?"
"Diego is alone in that cave, with the mask! This bastard didn't have it on him!"
Mountain Tim's eyes widened as he charged into the cave. Leaving DIO's son alone with a Stone Mask...
That was a recipe for disaster.
...
Diego examined the mask, it's ornate features staring up at it.
"Put it on, Diego. Mountain Tim is coming...all you have to do is kill him, and immortality is in your grasp."
Diego shuddered. That voice...it was both chilling, and yet strangely comforting. It spoke softly, like it was consoling him.
"Take it...Diego."
The shadow put a hand on his shoulder, it's sickly sweet voice filled his ears. He wanted to put it on, the power of could bring him.
Immortality...
All the time in the world...
A...sad...lonely existence...
"Take it Diego. It is your destiny..."
"BRANDO!" Mountain Tim's voice called out.
"I love you Diego...never forget that...just be your best..."
Mother...
"No...this is my destiny, not yours."
"Are you defying me? DIO?"
"I'm not just defying you, father."
Diego scooped up the mask, holding it high above his head. Mountain Tim burst into the area. "NO!"
"You are my son, you cannot escape from my blood!"
"I'm my mother's son, and you know why?"
Diego brought the mask down, smashing it into the cavern floor, shocking everyone who was watching.
"I REJECT YOUR LEGACY, DIO!"
The shadow faded, and Diego fell to his knees beside the broken mask. Mountain Tim could only stare in shock. "You...you...you just..."
Diego angrily turned to the bounty hunter. "I am not my father, Mountain Tim. So you can take your bias and shove it up your ass! I will not let that man define me, anymore!"
Diego stomped out of the cave, passing an astonished Hot Pants on the way. "Brando."
"WHAT?!"
"That was a brave thing you did...you may be insufferable...but I was wrong to call you a coward."
Diego huffed. "I guess I can accept that...I have some thinking to do."
And with that, the British jockey jumped onto his horse, riding off to contemplate who he was going to be.
