Varan said, turning around to look upon the full, fiery sun.

Gamera began, before she held up a claw.

Varan said, shaking her head, as her membranes extended from her limbs.

Gamera said with a growl, eyes growing fiery and angered.

She interrupted,

She leapt up, and glided off, towards the mountains, and far from sight. Gamera watched her leave, but shook his head sadly, turning away. He did not blame her. Godzilla, Mothra, Anguirus and Rodan may have been fine, but the fact still stung for many, that their peers had been carelessly targeted. The chance to defeat the Mutations and others may have come, but there was no lost love between the two sides. But the time for divisions was for after their won, not now.

Gamera shook his head, turning to leave. Varan would need time to process everything. If she could be left alone for a bit, perhaps she could come around. Perhaps not. He retracted his limbs in, and flew off, taking off towards the skyline, in the opposite direction of Varan, as she flew over the mountains, and landed amongst her worshippers and villagers. Varan landed carefully, making sure her enormity and weight did not shake the ground and cause her villagers too much trouble, as she carefully traced her path to her personal pool, where she could meditate and rest up for a while before duty called again.

The kaiju spent many days here, away from others. It was not in her nature to congregate often on Monster Island, not liking the willingness of others to be all in place at once. As the water reached up to Varan's shoulders, she shook her head slightly.

'We see where that has gotten them.' She thought sardonically.

Varan dipped below the waves, disappearing from sight completely, before settling the rocks near the bottom, and soon, dousing off without much resistance. The hours of fighting, combined with injuries, made it easy for her to sleep off, though, what she did not notice, was a blue briefly surrounding her, before vanishing, with the kaiju as well. No villager, kaiju, or instrument on earth picked up the disappearance of the ancient Guardian Beast.

Varan awoke in an alley, eyes slowing creaking open as the horrific noise of traffic and city life hit her ears. She groaned as her eyes slowly peeled open, and she got to her feet. She staggered for a bit, looking around as she got her bearings. And almost screamed. Her hands were completely human-like, and the by the look of the things around her, she was, for all intents and purposes, completely human. She looked down at herself, and while pleased that this form was muscular still, it was dressed in a strange brown and orange pants, jacket and tank top, with her name in English along the legs of her pants, and her name in katakana along the sleeves and back.

She looked around, trying to see where she was, as she got to her feet. She looked to her left in an alleyway, to see a homeless man looking at her, with some concern. She furrowed her eyebrows, already irritated with this man.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Not really." Varan said.

"You need help or anything?" He replied, getting up and dusting off his ratty old coat.

"Don't bother yourself." She said curtly.

"You should be careful." He warned. "Lot of strange stuff on the streets here, for a strange like you."

"I'll be careful." Varan replied with a nod, as she looked around.

"Do you need money for breakfast or something?" The man asked, reaching into his pockets. "Ain't got much, but I think..."

"Why do you want to give up what little you have to help me?" Varan asked, looking over at him in confusion and irritation. "Just look out for yourself, you have enough of a hard time."

"Everyone needs a little help sometimes." The old man explained with a shrug.

Varan looked back at them for a moment, her gaze softening, before quickly turning around to get a bearing on the situation, and, most importantly, not look the man in the eye. She felt a mixture of deep sadness, and disgust wheeling up in her.

'Is it common for humans to leave their own to die like this?' She thought bitterly. 'Why would anyone deserve a fate like this?'

She turned around to speak with the man again, only to find a massive figure looming over him, a massive black cloak and cape draped over it's body, skeletal hands grasping from the shadows, and a skull-like head, grinning at the man. It held up with silver-grey hands, splashes of color and across the surface of the skull, as it's right hand slowly drew back, and pulled out a long arrow.

Varan shivered at the sight of it, the air shifting as the light of the sun caught on it's silver and gold surface. The being locked it's jewel-like eyes on the man, as he struggled against the creature, yelling in confusion and terror.

"With this blessing, I can anoint you with a power like none before!" The Shadow figure declared in a deep, booming voice. "But first you must prove worthy of this ability and arrow, or be tossed out life's door."

The man didn't seem to hear any of this, as the being stabbed him in the chest, and then dropped him. Varan ran forward and caught him, gently holding his head as she tried to keep him alive. Already, his eyes were distant and his breathing was shallow, as Varan tried to help him.

"Hold on, old man." She said, trying to check for a pulse. "You can't die here."

But already, the man was dead, eyes empty, body completely cold and stiff, as she shook slightly in anger and sadness. She glared up at the being, who seemed more concerned with the corpse then her.

"It seems he was unworthy." The Shadow being declared. "I must find others who are worthy."

Varan looked up in rage, as she set the man down. She slowly stood up, pointing a finger at the figure.

"I don't know what you want, but if you're looking for those to abuse and mistreat, you've made the wrong enemy." Varan declared, slowly rising to her feet as a fire burned in her eyes. "I will be the one to judge you."

The shadowy figure studied her for a moment, as she jumped at the ghostly being, and swung right at it's face, yelling at the top of her lungs. She expected to hit something, to feel the recoil on her arm and some pain in her fist, but instead, her fist slipped right through, and went falling to the ground, yelling in shock. The being quickly turned and grabbed her by the back of her neck like a cat, and slammed her against a wall.

"Such drive will serve you well." The being declared. "To the spirit within, this arrow will call out to your soul like a bell."

He drove the arrow right into her chest, and pulled out, dropping her as energy sparked and burst from her body like a newborn star, as she fell to the ground, vision blurring, as she tried to reach towards the shadow figure disappearing into the darkness of the alley.

"You...You won't get away!" She croaked, as her vision swam, and went to black.

Varan's eyes snapped open, her body shaking as she felt a hand touch her neck. Her eyes rolled about for a moment, before angrily focusing on the offending person.

"Can I help you?" Varan growled, narrowing her eyes at him.

The man merely reached into his waist and flicked out a knife. "Money. Now."

"I don't have any." She stated coldly.

"Sucks for you."

She looked around, noticing two other thugs standing nearby, one with a gun holstered in his waist, the other with a bat. It was around dusk, the sun beginning to dip below the buildings and horizon, as the other pulled back his knife to stab. Varan began to strategize a defense, before she heard someone clear their throat and shout to the three.

"Ex~use me!" A young girl's voice called. "I don't think you'll find any money with her. I already picked her pockets."

The knife-thug made a strange face as he looked up, before standing up from Varan and looking at her. Varan looked over at the new comer as well. She couldn't see much of her. She was young, around high school age, with two "J"s over a gold heart pinned to the chest of her school uniform, and shades placed ontop of her head.

"You already robed her?" The Knife-Thug said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Is this a joke?"

"I wish." She said with a shrug. "Not even enough in her pockets for a pizza though."

"You're funny." The Knife-Thug said, face unmoving, voice monotone. "So, for that, I'm gonna give you a warning to leave before you get skinned, alright?"

"And I'm giving you a warning, big boy." The girl said, with a small, ferocious grin. "Gather your boyfriends up before I make you all my bitches."

The Thug approached, eyes narrowed. Whoever this strange girl was, she was getting too uppity for his tastes. He twirled his knife slightly, as she held up a hand to stop him.

"I'd stop if I were you." She warned. "One more step and you'll get hurt."

"I can't tear you a new one without getting closer." He snarled.

"Then get as close as you like." She said, smile going wider.

Varan watched carefully, as the girl got into a combat stance. So, she knew how to fight at least, but Varan wasn't certain if that could help. These thugs were all bigger then her, especially the knife guy, who looked like he had nothing but red meat since he left the womb. And they were armed. She must've still be sick from the arrow, because Varan swore she saw a glow coming off the girl, a white and blue one, as the thug approached.

Varan's eyes widened as he got within arm's reach, smiling, as he pulled back to stab her. The Knife came inches from her, before a figure emerged from her, light blue and pink, but hard to see. It swiped out, striking the knife away with an open hand and shattering the blade like glass. He leaned back in shock, as the girl, pointed at him confidently, before the figure pulled back and struck him in the face, splattering his nose like a stuck pig, and sending him flying to the ground. The Gun-tooting thug's eyes widened, as he ran forward, standing over Varan, and un-holstered his gun, pointing at her.

"Don't move, or I'll blow your brains out!" He yelled, half-terrified, half enraged.

Varan was shocked that the girl didn't seem bothered at all, and gestured towards herself. "Come on and try it, you won't be able to pull the trigger with my trick."

"Trick? I'll shoot you before you even come close!" The thug yelled.

Varan noticed a stray bolt, left on the ground, from some forgotten project or construction, lifting off the ground slightly, before disappearing into thin air. Varan's eyes widened slightly, as he guy cocked back the hammer on his gun. The girl extended her hand out, as though to stop the bullet with her palm, but titled her head to one side, as though measuring the distance. She a sharp crack, followed by the sound of a small flying through the air, before a loud snap followed, something hitting the gun's trigger finger, and bending it at an unnatural angle.

The Thug yelped in pain, dropping his gun immediately, and falling to the ground, holding his finger in agony. The baseball thug's eyes bulged out of his head, as he ran towards the alley entrance, presumably to get away from the scuffle. The girl stepped out of his way, as he passed by her, before seemingly tripping over his own two feet, as she planted an elbow in the back, between his shoulder blades.

The girl bent down, rifled through his pockets, and pulled out a wade of cash, as she turned to Varan with a wide grin.

"Hey, you want some corndogs?" She asked jovially.

Varan stood up, dusting herself off. "First, what's your name?"

The girl pointed at herself with her thumb. "Shizuka. Shizuka Joestar."

It took them a while to make their way to the closest mall in the city, and by then Shizuka had revealed a lot of her family history and the like, from the founding, a man named Jonathan, all the way to the current members. While interesting, Varan only half listened. She was more concerned with the strange power she had seen Shizuka use, and the ghost figure that had stabbed her with the arrow hours earlier. She wondered if they were somehow linked. Shizuka had spoke of her family having a "strange set of abilities", but seemed to avoid any gritty details.

As they made their way to the food court, Shizuka pulled out and counted the money, as the two made their way to the front of the line, before giving Varan a sideways glance.

"What do you want?" Shizuka asked. "Your pick. I'll have whatever you have."

"What were those Corndogs you spoke of?" Varan asked, slightly confused. She had devoured much of the sacrifices her villages put out for her, but how corn and hounds mixed was beyond her.

"You'll love em." Shizuka said with a wink and wide grin, as she wrapped her arm around Varan's and practically pulled her to the front.

"Two corndogs please. Mustard, nothing else." Shizuka ordered with a smile.

The vendor nodded, and reached down, pulling two smoking hot corndogs from the cooker, and handing them to Shizuka. The girl handed one to Varan, and lead her away to a table, the two sitting down, as Shizuka began to eat hers. Varan looked at hers, uncertain.

"What's the problem...Varan." Shizuka asked, slightly uncertain of the name, but not wishing to offend by asking about it.

"I've never eaten dogs before, is that legal?" She asked.

Shizuka laughed, before shaking her head. "No, no. It's not dogs. It's pork."

"Oh, then why the name?" Varan asked.

"Who knows." Shizuka said with a shrug.

Varan dug in, biting in and chewing on it, before a wide smile spread across her face. "This is amazing!"

"Calm down, it's just corndogs!" Shizuka said in surprise as Varan chowed down. "Slow down, you might choke!"

Varan's eyes practically glowed with bloodlust as she roared to Shizuka. "I MUST HAVE MORE!"

'It's like a shark smelling blood.' Shizuka thought with a shutter, before clearing her throat. "So Varan, I clogged up the conversation, what about your family?"

"From another dimension." Varan said bluntly. She wasn't sure what to expect from a human, but Shizuka nodded.

"You too?" The girl asked quietly. "I went to bed in Manhattan, and woke up here."

"So something took us in our sleep." Varan said, scratching her chin. "But why, and how?"

Varan chewed on the last of her hotdog, as she looked up at Shizuka. "I also have another question. Earlier, me and an old man were attacked by a strange spirit. It had a golden arrow. It stabbed me, and the old man. He died, but I didn't. Why?"

"Where I'm from...my family has dealt with those arrows." Shizuka said, looking around, suddenly far more taciturn and serious. "It...brings something out. Called a Stand."

Shizuka gestured to her right as an armored figure similar to her in height appeared, covered in blue and purple armor. Thorns covered it's shoulder armor and shoulder blades. A pair of green shades hung on it's face, and three star-like points sprouted from it's face, and stars decorated it's chest armor and the back of it's fists.

"This is Achtung Baby. I've had since I was born." Shizuka stated. "I don't know much about the arrows. Uncle Jotaro promised to fill me in later. But if this guy is attacking random people with it, we need to find him and stop him."

Varan nodded. "He's harmed innocent people. I won't rest till I spill his blood."

The two tried to return to the original scene, but found it surrounded by cops. Shizuka seemed disdainful of them, calling them "Pigs" and "class traitors", though Varan decided not to ask why she was so negative, and simply followed her as they searched around. By now, it was completely dark, and Shizuka, after picking a few pockets with her stand, suggested a hotel. Varan wasn't for thievery, but was too tried to argue, and followed her and her "cellphone" guide to the nearest rest stop.

They could continue tomorrow.

After paying and returning the key, Shizuka lead Varan away to the front doors, as the two continued onwards around the city.

"People might raise questions about why I'm not in High School right now." She remarked with a shrug. "We'll just say I'm out of college and older then I look or something."

"As long as they don't get in the way." Varan stated bluntly.

Shizuka raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as they continued on. Varan seemed unusually violent and surely, but Shizuka simply chalked that up to her just being similar to her uncle Jotaro, or wanting to get back to her family. Shizuka couldn't blame her for being impatient, though wondered if some random Stand user could really be attached to them being here.

'Of course, there's usually an evil boss.' Shizuka thought sardonically. 'There's always an evil boss.'

The two tried to gather any clues on this mysterious Stand user, but it was difficult without anything other then 'attacked an old homeless man'. Many hours had passed without any breaks, and Varan seemed much grumpier and more silent then usual.

"Come on, let's take a break." Shizuka offered, gripping her shoulder. "We can find more if we get some food."

Varan bared her teeth, grinding them slightly, before slowly nodding. As they turned to leave a child yelled out in terror, the two turning immediately on their heels, as a metallic, skeletal hand reached out from the shadows to grip his ankle in a death hold.

"Another chosen! Will he rise to be great?" The being yelled, as it's skull-like visage appeared. "Or be tossed aside and forgotten, to be put in a corpse crate?"

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Shizuka yelled, running at the shadowy figure as another hand appeared, producing an arrow.

Achtung Baby appeared beside her, as her stand slammed it's foot down directly on it's wrist, causing it release the child, before Achtung Baby barraged the figure's face with a lightning-fast volley of punches.

"KORA! KORAKORAKORAKORAKORAKORA!" Achtung Baby yelled, it's punches striking the skull-like face multiple times, as the Shadow figure grunted in annoyance and disappeared into the shadows, sinking down as in the waves.

Shizuka turned to the child. "Get outta here, quick!"

The kid ran off, as Varan came to Shizuka's side, the two looking around for any sign of the attacker, as Varan thought about activating her Stand. It would be difficult. She had never done such a thing before. Shizuka had explained it required mental fortitude, but what kind?

As she was lost in thought, a hand appeared from her shadow, and latched onto her heel. She yelled in surprise, as a yellow glow surrounded her body, and a figure emerged from her. It struck like lighting, crushing the offending hand with a fist, fingers bending as the Stand released her and immediately sunk into the shadows. Varan turned to look at her Stand, and Shizuka let out a small gasp at the sight.

The Stand was tall, a head taller then Varan, with four spikes along it's shoulder blades, and brown armor over orange flesh. It had strangely long arms, down to it's knees, with knuckle braces, and four spikes along the top of it's head, which looked similar to Varan's kaiju form, vaguely reptilian and pug-like. It groaned slightly, pure red eyes looking around, as drool and saliva dripped from it's mouth.

"Gloragh! Aargh!" It grumbled, steam billowing from it's maw, as it looked around.

"That's your Stand?" Shizuka asked quietly. She had never seen a Stand quiet like that in her life. Most never spoke, much less acted like animals and drooled.

"I guess so." Varan said simply, as her Stand kneeled down slightly, hands scrapping the ground. Shizuka seemed disturbed by it, but, although annoyed with the slobbering, Varan quiet liked her Stand. If it was a reflect of her spirit, she preferred a violent one to protect what she cared about then a weak one.

The two looked around, prepared for any new attack from any direction this Stand could come from.

"It comes from shadows." Varan stated, as her Stand hissed. "Watch any shadow for movement."

The two looked around, waiting for anything out of the ordinary to attack them or make any moves against them. Varan was used to such moments like this. Gyaos Attacks, other beasts. Many were brutes, but she was used to foes who could display a little more intelligence then the average kaiju. A shadow to her left bubbled and shifted like lake water. Shizuka reacted immediately, Achtung Baby jumping and slamming her foot onto the shadow repeatedly, smashing the rocks and leaving nothing but splintered stone and shattered concrete in her wake.

Shizuka looked around for her foe, before a fist struck out from a midair shadow of one of the street pieces, and struck on the side of her face. Shizuka's eyes widened, as blood gushed from the side of her face, as she yelped in pain.

"Nani?!" She yelled, as Achtung Baby swiped it's hand at the offending limb, trying to catch it, only for it to quickly slink back into the shadow it had come from.

Varan did not react, merely glaring at the ground near Shizuka's feet as the stones fell and scattered around them. Shizuka looked at her in confusion, as she became as still as a statue, barely even blinking or breathing, the only sounds coming from her, was her Stand's quiet groans and retching. Something moved behind one of the stones, as Varan's Stand immediately lashed out, crushing it with it's fist.

"GAAARAGH!!" It roared, shattering it as another hand reached out from the stone.

Varan and her Stand both turned and focused on it, as her Stand released a barrage of punches onto the limb, expecting for it to retreat from her barrage. Instead, it seemed as though it didn't feel a thing, it's hand reaching at her despite the punishment. Varan and her Stand ducked under it, before Achtung Baby crushed it with another well-placed stomp.

"KORA!"