After accepting the offer both me and Stocking were brought onto the private area of the VIP train meant to follow this race while many guards were keeping an eye on us but we paid no attention to them.
Soon enough we came to the area we were lead to before the agent that lead us here opened the door and let us inside before closing it behind us.
Before us sat a man with long blonde hair in a pink suit while he was slowly eating a salad while there were to seats in front of him with black coffee in front of them along with sugar and cream.
Both me and Stocking sat down, stocking instantly began to fill it with plenty of sugar and cream while I looked at the man before us, "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of the President of the United States calling on me?" I say as I look at Funny Valentine who had just finished up his salad and began to wipe off his face with a napkin.
He then put the napkin and looked at me, "I would assume you know that answer already, after all you are a rather 'Unique' existence." He said without beating around the bush and getting right to the point.
"Ahh that, right, after all with your powers I look like an oddity to you don't I?" I say as he raises a eyebrow at me leaning back in his chair before resting his chin on his hand while looking at me closely.
"That brings even more questions into play on my end Mr. Yamada if you are so aware of my abilities and what I can do besides the obvious fact of me being the president of the United States, and from what you said when this race began makes me believe in light of all things that you know what this race is really about." He says while I slowly drink my coffee.
"The Map made by Joseph of Arimathea marking the locations of the scattered remains of Jesus of Nazareth across all of North America, the saints corpse that when brought together can bring prosperity or total destruction to a country when wielded by anyone person." I say laying all out there as there's no real point in me dodging the questions on what I know, nor does what I say matter as what will happen is going to happen unless fate and fortune are shifted to change any of that.
Saying that he squints his eyes while staring at me for a moment until suddenly a felt multiple people appear all around us as they had their guns trained on us both, and these people were none other than copies of Valentine with the one sitting in front of me there was now ten of him in total but we both were unperturbed by this sight.
"Is this supposed to scare me? Because I already know how your trick works and as long as I kill you and keep your body from going 'between' anything, you can't move your stand to another version of yourself, not only that but you already know for a fact that we don't exist in those neighboring worlds of yours and only exists here so trying to destroy us by combining us with another version of us doesnt work." I say to him Unfazed by the weapons pointed at us, same for stocking who finished her heavily sugared coffee while leaning back all while the chair she was sitting on shifted slightly but as Valentine wasn't paying attention he didn't notice as him and his other selves were for the most part focused on me.
"But go ahead, kill me right now, I would like to see you try." I said waiting for the next move and then-
*BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!*
Shots rang out within the presidential cabin before the gunfire stopped, however none of the guards outside the cabin heard anything at all.
As the gun smoke settle every single bullet that was shot at both me and Stocking not only completely missed us but instead the bullets seemed to have curved around us before hitting all the other Valentines several times over before they all fell over dead and slowly vanished altogether.
"Well, it seemed luck isn't on your side in this situation president Valentine, you know I thought you would be smarter about this entire situation, but I guess I was wrong, your desire for the corpse and to bring prosperity to your nation is admirable, but you ran out of luck today by doing this…." I say as Fortunate Son appears behind me while Valentines stand Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, D4C, appeared beside him.
We both stand up but before he could do anything he grips at his chest before collapsing onto the table, barely propping himself up by his left arm with his right hand on his chest.
Even D4C appeared weakened as well before fading all while me and stocking stood up as he saw Fortunate Son holding an old mummified heart in his hand.
I go and take it for myself as I hold and look at it, "The Heart of Jesus himself, although it appears old and mummified it can still feel the power within it." I say before pressing it up against my chest as I grit my teeth as I felt the pain of it merging with my own heart.
*Budum! Budum! Budum!*
My heart began to pound as an energy surged through me while I looked at the physically drained Valentine, "I will be taking this as my payment for you trying to kill me, but don't worry as I said everything will come to a head at the end of this race where all the parts will come together as one, and lucky for you it's not my role to end your life as if I did so I wouldn't achieve the 'enlightenment' that I desire, anyway farewell president, we will definitely be seeing each other again." I told him before both of us walked out of the train and headed towards our horses to continue on this race.
"…. That stand of yours Stocking…. I've realized how terrifying it really is…." I couldn't help but mutter as everything that had just happened was do to Stocking newly awakened Stand.
"Hmph, at least now I have a way to dealing with people since my Stripes cant cut humans at all." Stocking said feeling smug as her stand is on the stronger end of power so long as their are other people to deal with everyone else around, a fitting Stand for someone like her.
"Well let's just get on with this race, the sooner we get past Kansas City the Sooner we can get the part I am searching for." I say to her as we make our way into the Rocky Mountains.
A nice surprise to get the heart as I would soon realize it was the main key into figuring out how to regain my strength once more.