Lulu's Bizarre Rebellion

by Ezit Meti

Lelouch Lamperouge was a boy with an ambition; To one day bring down the corrupt nation of Britannia and create a peaceful world for his sister. However, a single arrow gifted him a power that will help him reach his ambition. Stands... Ripple... A feud between two bloodlines that transcends time... And that's only the beginning of this bizarre rebellion!

63. The Destiny of That Blood

Code Geass belongs to Sunrise. JOJO's Bizarre Adventure belongs to Hirohiko Araki

The idea of paradise has haunted mankind ever since it was able to conceive of such a notion. The Garden of Eden: A paradise forever lost to humanity due to its own negligence and curiosity. Utopian futures where people do not want or need or suffer where humanity has achieved its full potential, yet still strives to improve.

Each of these could be considered a form of 'heaven'.

Yet in their attempts to strive for 'heaven', humanity has instead quite often created a hell upon the Earth. Between conflicting political beliefs and the inevitable reality of the world that we live in it may well be possible that heaven is too far beyond our reach.

Some will still strive on to their ideal paradise and the cycle continues. Until someone learns that the cycle must be broken. That in order to create one must first destroy.

The only way to reach heaven is for your life to come to an end.

Part Four: Heaven's Requiem

Chapter 61: The Destiny of That Blood

====Dio (2017 a.t.b)====

There can be only one ruler of the world. One Emperor to stand up above them all. Though Dio Brando was not an Emperor himself, he knew that it was a matter of time before he became something even greater than an Emperor. He had always known this. Before he had become Chancellor. Before he had even been adopted by the Joestar family.

"Your drink sir," his butler announced, delivering a bottle of the finest red wine upon a golden, gleaming tray. He moved to set it down, then saw the chess board lying on the table where he would normally place it. "Pardon me for enquiring sir, but are we expecting company? You never use the ivory set when you practise your strategy."

"A good butler always knows his master well," Dio calmly stated, tapping the smaller desk to his left hand side. "A better butler doesn't question it."

"Very good sir," he bowed, understanding the meaning all too well. The man hurried off to his other duties. Leaving Dio alone with the chess set, waiting for his opponent to arrive.

He did not have to wait long. This was good. Dio detested waiting. No. That was wrong. Dio detested being kept waiting. He could make others wait all that he wanted. What difference was time to him? He could gobble it up or spit it out at his own discretion. For even time must bow before him within his kingdom.

"Hello Jonathan. Are you keeping well?"

Others might have been unnerved at how silently the vampire had slipped inside their abode. Not so Dio. Jonathan Joestar was the one and only opponent he had ever respected in his entire lifetime, and to Dio's mind that was a good thing. The Emperor's creed and philosophy had a certain sense in it to Dio's ears. Those who are strong become even stronger by having strong rivals to compete against. You push each other higher and higher, to greater and greater accomplishments and feats.

Until you reach so high that you can touch the very heavens themselves.

"Hello Dio," Jonathan answered, his voice hot with hatred and frustration. "How long has it been since we last played?"

"Two years," Dio told him. "For a change, shall I take white?"

JOJO didn't say anything. His Stand appeared in the air next to him, and JOJO silently handed it a tinted visor before it drifted off towards the board, sitting opposite Voodoo Kingdom. A truly sensible precaution. It meant that now, neither one of them had the means to kill the other.

"That was quite the performance you put on, JOJO!" Dio said, moving the King's Pawn two spaces forward. A standard opening, but for good reason. "To think that you would make use of the cripple princess in such a devastating manner. Then again, that was hardly the first time, was it? When Anubis struck, you were the only one who could have told your descendant how to use her."

JOJO didn't say anything. Instead, he merely glowered at Dio and moved his own King's Pawn forward.

"Come now, Jonathan!" Dio chuckled, moving his King's Knight in front of the King's Bishop's Pawn. "You're not still sore about that, are you? It was a long time ago. Neither one of us is the same person we were back then."

"We were young and foolish," Jonathan said. The World again echoed Dio's move, Black's King's Knight leaving a klunk that echoed throughout the mansion. "I knew how clever and twisted you were even back then. I should have taken greater precautions before leaving you alone in that mansion."

Dio smirked in remembrance of his single greatest victory over Jonathan, while moving his King's Bishop out into the second column. Oh yes, Jonathan. You should have shown as much care then as you do today. Perhaps then their destinies would have been much different.

====Dio(1938 a.t.b)====

He jammed a knife into the drawer as though it was that simple minded buffoon's heart. Desperation did not sit well with anyone. When it came to him, desperation did not sit. It roared and dashed about like a ravenous lion. He had been so careful! Nobody would have ever suspected anything! But... A chance discovery at a crucial moment. He had underestimated the fire in his "brother", and now had no other recourse. By sheer stupid chance Jonathan had discovered a letter sent by his drunken oaf of a father, providing just enough details of his sickness that even one as slow as JoJo could see what it meant.

Now he was backed into a corner with only one way out. His plans were coming unravelled all around him. The first good thing Dio's father had done for him in his life was arranging for the wealthy Joestar family to adopt him, and the second was to succumb at last to the poison Dio had been feeding him. The same poison he had been feeding Jonathan's father, and Dio's own adoptive father!

It would not have taken much longer. George Joestar would have died of seeming illness, leaving a substantial inheritance to split between himself and Jonathan. Though Dio had little intention of leaving Jonathan with even a penny to his name, he had grown a begrudging respect for his adopted brother's strength of spirit and resolve over these seven years. Now, he had to cast that aside and murder him before all of Dio's plans were undone if Jonathan were to return with the evidence in hand!

All he need do was apply the tiniest trace of leverage and the locked drawer would fall open. Then he could take it. A simple plan dreamed up long ago. The poetry was perverse, and that made his appreciation of it all the greater!

They had both seen it, seven years ago. A splash of blood, and razor sharp spikes... It would look like an accident. "Like I always told him," he would say at the funeral dabbing at his eyes as if to wipe away tears, when truly it would hide his joy. "I said that if he did not slow down, one day his research would kill him."

He would mourn the accidental loss of adopted father and brother, inherit the family fortune by default, and then... He could see it so clearly! He could taste the coming day as though they were the finest wine.

And yet his hand wavered at this crucial moment. Two deaths, so close together leaving him such an inheritance... with his background... The police had no love for the poor, and his biological father, so lowly as slime, his criminal record would reflect very poorly on their opinion of him, Dio. Even though the two were nothing alike, that is not what they would see! They would think 'the apple does not fall far from the tree,' and immediately suspect him!

Dio's hand retreated from the drawer. No. He did not need to kill Jonathan. The fool had elected to challenge Dio, but had also abandoned the board in the process of searching out evidence. Why kill the fool when another less risky strategy lay before him? Why rob himself of the chance to thoroughly humiliate him, and leave him alive to wallow in the fate - The terrible fate that Dio Brando had in store for him!

And it is decisions such as this which cause even destiny to wail with dismay.

====Dio (2017 a.t.b)====

Aha, Jonathan was taking a more dangerous strategy this time, it seemed. Making it seem as though his King might be wide open to bait Dio into opening his own defenses. If he moved his Queen to put Jonathan's King into Check, it would free up Jonathan's Knight and Rook for an aggressive one-two punch.

"As I said before, that was a tremendous performance," Dio said, moving his Bishop instead so that he could force Jonathan's hand. "Yet a performance is all that it was. You have the shape of 'evil', but you lack its filling. If you wish to follow through on this path you must start by learning to express it."

The World thumped the table at the sound of Dio's words, while Jonathan made a sound not entirely unlike a caged and hungry animal.

"I know full well the filling of evil," Jonathan said. "For decades I have felt it gnawing at the back of my mind. It tells me to feed. It tells me that I am superior to humankind. It beckons me to rule them as cattle. I have chained up that vile beast, Dio."

Of course he had. Dio shook his head. "That beast is not a wild dog that you can tame. The more you starve it, the hungrier it will become. If you wish to control it, you should let it out a little. Before it becomes too strong."

"I will never let it control me."

He still didn't understand. "In defying it, you let it control you. You wish for people to think you are evil? Then let the beast slip loose its chain for a brief taste of freedom. If you do not then it will struggle until it shatters those chains leaving you with no way to contain it. "

The two of them exchanged Pawns before Jonathan spoke up again.

"And what would you gain if I did decide to do this?"

There it was. Confirmation that he still did not quite grasp Dio's way of thinking. The shape of evil without understanding what lies within it. The soul of evil, the intention and goals of evil still eluded him after all this time.

"Because you are my brother," Dio said as he began his own attack, placing him in check. "And you are the one person on this planet who I view as my equal."

====Jonathan(1938 a.t.b) ====

It was a furious Jonathan Joestar who returned to his home on this fateful evening. He almost did not want to believe it was true, and yet he had the evidence in hand already. His father's illness truly was no coincidence! It was poison, slowly dosed over the course of several months intended to make it seem as though an illness was progressing!

"It's a little strange to say this, but I would like to thank you for coming on such short notice," Speedwagon said to the Police Chief. "I am sure that Jonathan would thank you, but for a noble soul like his this must be excruciating."

Robert E.O. Speedwagon. One of the residents of Ogre Street, a renowned den of vipers. The worst of the worst criminals were said to occupy that road, and yet here he was walking side by side with him and with police officers to help him bring Dio to justice. It was a sign to Jonathan that anyone can be redeemed of their past misdeeds, and that as furious as he was with Dio for what he had tried to do it was possible that, one day, even his soul may change.

"Thank you my friend," Jonathan said. He laid his hands upon the front entrance to his family's home, took a deep breath and pushed it open. "It is worth remembering that doing the right thing is often painful. If it were not, then nobody would have any reason to hurt one another."

Into the mansion they went, with Jonathan hold his head high. Dio. He remembered the day he first arrived. He remembered that one of the first things he had done was to kick Jonathan's faithful pet dog Danny in the face. He remembered how he had driven off anyone who would want to be his friend. He remembered how Dio had stolen Erina's lips and cast a rift between them. He remembered his suspicion at Dio's involvement in Danny's death.

All of that, seven years past. It seemed as though they had been able to come to an understanding. It had seemed as though they were truly brothers. Until he found that letter, Jonathan would have never suspected Dio of anything, but now he had the evidence he needed. Straight from the merchant's own mouth, the one that had sold him the poison in the first place!

"Jonathan, you've returned home safely."

There he was, standing on top of the stairs with his hands on his hips and his face cast in shadow. Jonathan's fist clenched reflexively. He ached to rush up those stairs and punch him in the face. Instead he held his ground and stared up in defiance at his adopted brother: The police and the courts would see paid to him!

"When I saw the police cars arriving through the window, I expected to hear the worst," Dio said. He descended the stairs, each step echoed through the mansion. No doubt this was the sound of the weight of Dio's sins! "Tell me, JOJO! Why have you brought the police here tonight?"

Why? He had to ask why? Jonathan took a firm step forward and made sure not to take a single step more than that. "You already know the answer to that!" he said. "They are here to arrest the fiend who has been poisoning my father!"

"Is that so?" Dio asked, finally stepping down low enough on the stairs that his face was no longer cast in the shadows. He was... mournful? That was the exact same expression he had worn when Jonathan had punched him after he had kissed Erina. "Very well then. Officers, please arrest that fiend."

Before anything else could happen, Jonathan felt his arm being twisted behind his back by one of the officers, and a large pair of handcuffs being slapped around his wrist.

"O-Officer, what are you doing?!" Speedwagon yelled. "Why are you arresting Mister Joestar?!"

"I can hardly believe it myself," Dio said, feigning the motion of wiping a tear from his eye. "When they told me their theory, even I was left completely speechless."

"Theory?" Jonathan asked, taking care not to struggle against the policemen as they did what they thought was their duty. Though he bristled with anger and confusion, he was still fully aware that these were still officers of the law. "What theory is this?"

"The theory that you were attempting to frame me for poisoning father," Dio said. For a moment there - just one single moment in time - Jonathan could see the mask slip away revealing the demon that lay underneath. "That theory, JO...JO...!"

"That's ludicrous!" Jonathan yelled. The policemen reflexively grabbed him harder. "You accuse me of attempted patricide?! I would never kill my father!"

"We never said you wanted to kill your father," the police chief sadly said. "What the evidence points to is a deliberate ploy to get rid of Dio by making it seem as if he wanted to kill your father."

"To my understanding, the plan went like this," Dio said now standing fully on the ground floor. "You would slowly poison my father and then accuse me of doing so, in an attempt to make it look like he was dying of illness. Then you would bring out the wretched foreign shopkeeper who sold you the poison and claim that he sold it to me, your brother Dio."

"What an absurd accusation," Speedwagon protested. "Mister Joestar is the brightest and most sincere soul I have ever encountered. He would never stoop to such trickery and deceit!"

"Oh?" Dio asked. "You would act as his character reference?"

"I would be proud to!"

"In my time training as a lawyer, I have encountered several criminals from all manner of backgrounds from throughout Pendragon," Dio said. "And you have the distinctive scent of one from Ogre Street."

Dio... Is in complete control over the situation. It occured to Jonathan that Dio had used his absence to set up a deadly trap the likes of which he could have never imagined. But still, there was one thing that didn't make sense to him.

"Occam's razor," Jonathan protested. "The simplest explanation is often true. Which makes more sense? A convoluted scheme like this, or a simpler one? I do not understand why you came to this conclusion when there's a more straightforward answer staring you in the face."

"Besides which!" Speedwagon interrupted. "The shopkeeper showed us the receipt for Dio's purchase. It's obviously his signature signed there, even though the name is clearly false!"

"That was my first thought as well," the police chief said with genuine tears in his eyes. "When this son of a rogue came to our station, concerned over your recent behaviour, we too thought that it was likely he had been poisoning your father. Until we found this in your room."

He produced a journal that looked very much like the sort that Jonathan used for his research, within a sealed plastic bag. What? What is this?

"It is filled from start to end with examples of your handwriting," the police chief explained. "Showing a strange name in your handwriting style as it transitions to one that matches Dio's handwriting. Once we saw that the rest of the puzzle fell into place."

Wh-what? Jonathan turned back to look at Dio again. Could he have -

"You're not about to suggest something like, I spent an entire night filling that journal in reverse while learning how to forge your signature... are you Jonathan?" Dio asked. "Occam's razor makes it clear why that is ridiculous, don't you think? It's far more likely that you filled it in going forwards over the course of weeks or months, practising it over and over until you got it right. Even I would not have enough time to fill the journal from cover to cover with a forged signature."

Except that's exactly what Dio had done. His control really was absolute! Jonathan lifted his head high and closed his eyes. For now, Dio had won. However... However! Jonathan refused to give up that easily. For the time being he would go peacefully with these police officers, for they were doing their duty. It was not their fault that they had been deceived by a truly evil man. He would have his day in court. The truth would come out there. Justice was not blind! Of this, Jonathan was certain.

====Dio====

"How did the court react to my performance?" JOJO asked out of the blue. Credit where it's due, he was able to escape Dio's attack and was now returning that pressure twofold. Attempting to force Dio to choose which to sacrifice between his Bishops.

"Shocked," was Dio's answer. He chose... his Queen's Bishop to take the fall. "Appalled. Many of them had heard tales of you since they were children. They thought you were a myth. A legend, a bogeyman told to keep them good."

"Many legends have their roots in truth," JOJO said. "Though I do find it telling that you would keep my name alive within their hearts. It is almost as if you wished for them to fear me as much as you do."

He truly was initiating his counter-attack, it seemed. "The ultimate quest a man must go through in his life is 'conquering his fear'," Dio said. "You should know by now that I am not afraid of you, JOJO. Nor am I afraid of anything on this Earth. I suspect the same can be said for you."

JOJO glowered at him menacingly, but contented himself to playing the game. "It is because of my allies that I have no fear," JOJO said. "Not because of my own ability, but because of their faith. The same as it always has been, in spite of your attempts to cut me off from the rest of the world."

====Jonathan (1939 a.t.b)====

Justice may not be blind, but on some days it is short sighted.

"All off for Australia!"

The weather was bright and dry as Jonathan stepped off the boat onto this new land far, far away from home. The air tasted different, the ground felt odd beneath his feet. A policeman approached and took hold of his cuffs, unlocking them and letting him go free.

"For what it's worth, Mister Joestar?" the policeman said, keeping his eyes low. "I don't believe the official story for an instant. That scoundrel Dio set you up! His case was too flawless, and all I could hear from his voice was the subtext of how evil and wicked he was!"

"Thank you," Jonathan sincerely said, from the very bottom of his heart. "Feel no guilt for your role in my exile. It is not your job to question the judgment of the courts, only to follow what the law has said."

And the law has decreed: Exile to Australia, where he shall spend the rest of his days. Never again would he visit his family home. Never again would he set foot upon his own home nation of Britannia. Never again to see glorious Pendragon. Never again to see his father.

"JoJo!"

A woman's voice cried out for him on the dock. At first he had thought it was someone else, but something about that voice struck a chord within him, and he could not more stop himself from turning around than he could stop himself from standing upon this ground. It did not take long to see her rushing towards him, holding her hat to the top of her head.

That face, that voice. He knew them both. He recognised her at once, and yet that could not be. Why was she here? It defied reason that she would be here, now at the darkest moment of his life.

She stopped just before him and smiled up at him. Sincere and warm as the sun in the sky.

"You remind me of a girl I knew once," Jonathan said in abject disbelief. He didn't know what else to say.

"Would that girl's name be Erina Pendleton?" she asked, her face serious but with a slight twinkle of affection in her eye. "Jonathan Joestar. I could hardly believe it when your name appeared in the newspapers. How could I stay away from the trial? That fiend Dio... We decided right after the verdict that we'd come here to give you our support and took the ship before yours."

"We?" Jonathan felt like he was back then, when they first met. A thirteen year old boy meeting a thirteen year old girl. "You said... we?"

"Oh, now Mister Joestar? Is that any way to reply to a woman who packed up her life just to see you again?"

Jonathan whirled around in disbelief for the second time that day: "Speedwagon?" he said, for indeed it was that very rogue, leaning cooly against a wall with his jacket slung across his shoulder. The man doffed his hat, but stayed where he was. "You both came all this way for my sake?"

"I've done many cruel things in the time before I met you," Speedwagon said. "I've hurt people. Stolen from them. But somehow, leaving you alone after everything that has happened seemed as though it would be much crueller than all the rest of them. This was one situation where Speedwagon could not cooly withdraw."

Hot tears of happiness began to roll down Jonathan's face, and her turned back to Erina to pull her into a tender embrace. "I missed you," he said. "But you didn't need to throw your life away to live with an exiled criminal like me."

"Oh, Jonathan. The seven years I spent without you already feel like a passing dream. Please don't ask me to go back to sleep."

Well, it seemed as though he would not have to suffer this exile alone. Only one issue truly remained hanging over his heart: "If only I could be sure that father was safe as well," Jonathan said. "With me out of the way, there's nothing to stop Dio –"

"I very much doubt that Dio will make any such move," Speedwagon interrupted. "A villain like him is a snake who only strikes when nobody is watching. You there, Mister Policeman! I see you eavesdropping on this private conversation! Tell us what the police are doing regarding Mister George Joestar!"

"It's as you suspect," the policeman said. "George Joestar's health is quickly returning to him, and he is being attended by a doctor... Who doubles as a food taster."

A food taster...?

"Like I said before, I didn't believe for a second that Mister Joestar was guilty of attempted murder," the policeman continued. "And there are others in the department who think so as well. Should George Joestar die under any condition be it old age, accident or disease then we shall investigate it to the fullest extent of the law! If Dio is guilty, he will not escape the long arm of the law a second time! Of that you can be assured!"

"You see?" Speedwagon shrugged. "Dio is too canny, he must have noticed that weighty suspicion. So the snake will hide his fangs, and he will take no further action against your father. It's too risky. The spotlight would be cast on him immediately, and this time he would have no scapegoat to hide behind."

The policeman gave them a knowing nod of his head, and walked smartly away. This left the three of them alone. The convicted criminal in exile, the woman he loved and his best friend. With these two at his side this mysterious land suddenly didn't seem quite so terrible any more. He might actually be able to carve out a life here. Forget about Dio and live his own life.

"There was one other thing," Speedwagon coughed. "I thought you might get a little nostalgic, so my sticky fingers picked up one little keepsake from home."

"Mister Speedwagon," Erina admonished. "No more stealing."

"Right, right!" Speedwagon sheepishly replied. "Here you go, Mister Joestar. It's that mask you mentioned that you were studying."

The mask. The mysterious stone mask he had been intended to be his first real piece of professional archaeological research. Speedwagon passed it over, wrapped up in cloth, but he recognised the shape and the weight of it without needing to be told what it was. This mystery had fascinated him for seven years. The purpose of this mask. The historical context. What culture it came from, what part of the world, how old it was, all of it.

Very well then. This mask, he could see it as a symbol of his own past. He would leave it as a mystery for others to unravel while continuing to exist. There was no place for him in the past. Only the future awaits!

It was a bright and sunny day in Australia. For the first time in what had felt like forever, Jonathan's soul felt bright and sunny as well.

====Dio(2017 a.t.b)====

"Are you hungry?" Dio suddenly asked as The World moved to pick up a piece. The Stand stopped cold at Dio's question, and for good reason. "In case of the event, I prepared some bottles. Chilled, but I can always have them heated for you."

"Do not make light of my condition," JOJO warned, and finished making his move. Capturing Dio's Rook. Ah, what a bold choice. Cutting off Dio's attack even though it might mean his Queen might be at risk within the next three turns. "I... Drank before I left."

"A volunteer's blood," Dio acknowledged. "You take care to drain away only what you need to ensure you never kill anyone. With that attitude, you're hardly capable of leading a war effort."

Jonathan stayed quiet at that. No response? Or was he up to something?

"A vampire without bloodlust," Dio pushed on. "You claim to yearn for justice and freedom, but might it be your vampire instincts have found a way around you? JOJO, you should be careful to think about your motivations. Have you truly conquered your fears, or have you been conquered by them?"

As Dio spoke he watched JOJO's body language with care. Total control. No wavering, no trembling. Yet it was worth remembering that JOJO was not human anymore: The normal tells of fear did not exist within that body.

If Dio wanted information about him then he would need to press him in... Other directions.

"Joseph is doing well for himself," Dio said. "That grandson of yours, he's really nothing like you. Except for his face, and his bravery." Dio chuckled while advancing a Pawn to provoke Jonathan's right flank. "The report of his adventure against the Pillar Men made for amusing reading. Why, I even considered inviting him to the palace for a commendation. Not everyone gets the chance to save the human race."

He'd been keeping that one for a while. In fact, the file was right there in Dio's desk drawer. While Jonathan made his move, he pulled it out and left it lying next to the chess board. Let him have it. There was no secure information in there that JOJO didn't already know.

"No need to worry about Santana either," Dio smiled. "He was shot into the sun about three years ago. As bad as you think Britannia has become, we do still have some sense of responsibility."

"I'd rather focus on the game."

Dio shrugged. "Just making conversation," he said. "There is nothing wrong with that, is there JOJO?"

The World lifted up a Knight high above its head, a move that it had not made so far in the entire game. A sign of JOJO's anger and frustration creeping through. How amusing! How fun! Then it was time for him to push further still.

"And then there is your great granddaughter," Dio said. "You must be so proud! Dating a member of the Royal family no less! Why, she might even bear a future Emperor should Lelouch make a move for the throne! You must be so proud."

The World stopped, and it was good that it had. The air pressure alone from its attempt to put the piece on the board had sent the other pieces scattering. Time stopped. The pieces hung in the air a little over the board. Voodoo Kingdom quickly put them all back where they had been and then time resumed.

"I'm proud of her for reasons other than her dating life," JOJO said. As always, his family and those he loved were JOJO's softest areas. How soft hearted. How easily exploitable he made himself. "Now. Can we focus on the game?"

"But of course!" Dio said. "After all, that's the point of a game, is it not? To relax and unwind." he laughed a mocking laugh. "No, no. Of course not. The point of a game is to win! That is what I, Dio, find relaxing! Total victory and crushing your enemies? What about you, Jonathan? What do you find relaxing?"

====Jonathan (1940 a.t.b) =====

There was something relaxing about driving along a straight road back towards your home as the sun slowly set behind you. This was to Jonathan's advantage, for the anticipation he felt would surely set his heart racing otherwise. Next to him, his best friend was smiling widely, eyes dancing with the possibilities that lay ahead of them.

"Forgive me Jonathan, but I can't quite get over it," Speedwagon said. "To think that we would make that kind of discovery on unclaimed land. That you were able to strike the claim! This must be fate, there is no other word for it."

"They say that God moves in mysterious ways," Jonathan agreed. His cheeks were hurting. "An untapped vein of sakuradite waiting to be mined."

"You'll be rich beyond your wildest dreams," Speedwagon said. "Legitimately wealthy again from the sweat of your own brow. You, Erina and George shall have nothing to fear for want for the rest of your days."

Sakuradite. An energy resource that was taking the world of science by storm. Once thought of as the Philosopher's Stone, it was a presently resource coming up in high demand, with the asking price for even a small amount being more than enough for a family of three to live off contently for a decade. With a vein the size of the one they had discovered it was easily the makings of a legitimate business empire. Especially if you had the contacts and the people skills. Which rather led Jonathan to his next thought.

"I'm not so sure of that my friend," Jonathan said, though still smiling broadly. "Remember: I am an exiled man. I cannot return to the Homeland to make the necessary business deals. Besides, do you really believe that anyone would wish to deal with me? My noble name has been dragged through the mud. But yours, your has not."

Speedwagon was, as ever, quick on the uptake. "Mister Joestar. Please don't suggest what I think you are about to suggest. If either of us deserves this –"

"It would be the man who stuck with me, and moved to another continent when he barely knew me at all," Jonathan interrupted. Perhaps a little rude, but he could hardly contain himself. In all honesty he had been hoping to tell him later on if the excitement had not compelled him to say it now. "I would judge that he has a better mind for business, and would make better use of this resource than I ever could. The land is already in your name, Speedwagon. Please do with it what you will."

Speedwagon tipped his hat over his eyes, and then a moment later a single tear rolled down his cheek. "You, Erina and George shall have nothing to fear for want for the rest of your days," he repeated. "This is the least I can do for you, after you have turned my life around so much that a thug from Ogre Street might one day become a millionaire."

"Be careful now. You're not rich yet," Jonathan gently admonished as they pulled into his drive.

"Oh, yes I am!" Speedwagon said. "A man can be rich without having a penny to his..." he trailed off. "Something's wrong."

It took Jonathan a moment to see it, but there was no question about it. Something wasn't right. A sense of foreboding hung around his home. Though he couldn't hear a noise, or exactly see something out of place there was definitely something amiss. Jonathan left his car wordlessly and approached the front door.

"Erina?" he called. "I'm home!"

No answer. Jonathan stepped fully inside and flipped a lightswitch, fully alert of his surroundings. "Erina?" he called again, and then he stepped into the living room.

There was a masked man standing there, brandishing a gun. On the floor was Erina, bound and gagged. Jonathan's fist clenched, and every muscle in his body felt like it was about to spring into action. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"Ah-ah-ah!" the masked man warned, waving his gun down towards Erina, trailing it menacingly around her head. "At the first sign of any careless movement, my grip might tighten. You understand? Then your wife would meet a terrible fate."

Not as terrible as the fate Jonathan would inflict if he harmed Erina. Though Jonathan was a gentle man by nature, his anger could be explosive when pushed far enough.

"You're going to let me tie you up," he went on. "Do you understand?"

"I understand," Jonathan said. "I understand - that you are a man without honour!"

The living room window suddenly shattered as a top hat with a brim embedded with razors crashed clean through it, cutting into the intruder's arm. The gun dropped from his fingertips as he struggled to pull it out, but Jonathan was already leaping across the room where he caught the weapon in his hand. For her part Erina had already begun to roll away as soon as she heard the glass shatter.

"Why you cheeky swine!" the masked man yelled, lunging for Jonathan with a knife suddenly in his hand. Jonathan fearlessly brought out his empty hand to strike the man down, but the man was able to easily block him, deflecting the incoming strike with his off hand. This was no mere thug! Jonathan was barely able to block a knee aimed at his sternum. Fast as well! He had no choice but to grab the man's shoulders to keep him from using that speed and knife to terrifying effect.

Speedwagon silently entered the building through the broken window, mindful of the broken glass. Not to help Jonathan with his struggle, but rather to move Erina safely from the room.

"Erina! Are you alright?" Jonathan called while grappling with this man. Though JoJo was much bigger, the masked stranger was no slouch at fighting. Several times now it had felt as though he was trying to use JoJo's own strength advantage against him, forcing him to hold back!

"I'm fine now that you are here," Erina yelled. "George is still asleep upstairs. Please, Jonathan! Be careful!"

In that case there was only one thing he could do. He headbutted the man, then pulled back and pointed the gun at his head. "You should consider surrendering now," Jonathan offered "If you do, then I shall let you leave."

"The hell I'm leaving!" the man grunted, continuing to brandish his knife menacingly. "Not until I've done what I came here for!"

In other words this was no mere theft. Assassin? No time to speculate, he had to finish this fight quickly and cleanly!

"You've no killing intent!" the assassin yelled. "That's how I know you won't pull the trigger!"

The man lunged forward with his knife, but Jonathan's aim was not to strike a killing blow. For a professional killer this must be a blind spot: A blow without any kind of intention of hurting the opponent must not project any kind of killing aura. Therefore, Jonathan was able to tear the black mask from around his head and tossed it aside. "Now you've lost your mask, we'll be able to see your face" Jonathan warned. "This is your last chance. Leave now, or else!"

The man covered his face with his arms and spun away from Jonathan in utter horror. "My face! Can't let my face be seen!" Was the frustrated, frightful cry. He stumbled quickly across the floor, keeping his back turned to Jonathan the entire while. "Can't risk letting you identify me if I need to run!"

At this moment fate took a most unfortunate turn. For this man's eyes fell upon Jonathan's desk in the corner of the room, as well as the ancient stone mask that resided upon it. He lunged for it and when he did Jonathan noticed the second half of the tragedy about to unfold.

"Wait, don't!" he yelled, leaping out for the man who was unaware of the danger he was placing himself in. "When I hit you before, I gave you a bloody nose! If blood comes into contact with that mask, it will –"

His hand fell on the man's shoulder a second too late. The mask was placed upon his head, and just as Jonathan had feared the hidden tendrils within the mask activated, quickly piercing the man's brain at a series of extremely precise points.

However... he did not fall down dead as Jonathan had been expecting. Instead he stayed very much upright. Instead, he made a sound. A strange unearthly sound that chilled Jonathan to the very core of his being.

"Wrrrrrryyyyyyyyy!"

Jonathan was flung across the room like a ragdoll. Even Speedwagon, freshly returned from seeing Erina to safety, was left gaping in surprise and horror!

"M-Mister Joestar!" Speedwagon yelled. "What happened while I was gone?!"

The stone mask fell to the floor, and there could be no question of it. Jonathan could see it plainly. This man was not human anymore. He was... something else entirely. Bestial, truly animalistic features upon his face. Was this what the stone mask did to people? Is this what he'd been researching all this time?! The horror of it was almost as much as the menacing presence this person was projecting just now!

"My name... Is Render," the formerly masked man said. "What was I afraid of before? That you would identify me? How foolish, foolish, foolish! Wrrrrryyyyy!"

This... this was what the stone mask did to people? The stone mask that he had been studying for almost ten years of his life. The stone mask he had thought was an execution tool. The stone mask he had thought was some depraved method of examining effects of pressure points on the human brain... It did this to people? This was the potential they sought to unleash? This was... This was inhuman!

"Mister Joestar, there must be limits to even your kindness," Speedwagon said, rushing over to his hat still lying on the floor. "This man will not surrender no matter what. Therefore –"

He kicked the hat and sent it flying so that its blades landed cleanly in the assassin, Render's, neck... But after a moment of nothing happening Render simply reached out and tugged it away as though he were plucking a flower from the ground.

"I didn't even feel that," Render said, crushing the hat in a single fist. "My turn!"

He stomped the floorboard with such tremendous force that it sent Speedwagon sprawling backward, and a massive dent in the floor. Jonathan could hardly believe what he was seeing! Speedwagon's hat should have cut the carotid artery, and yet this man was still standing!

Undeterred Jonathan fired a gun into the man's forehead. To no avail! Though there was clearly a bullet wound Render didn't stumble even a single step! So Jonathan grabbed a chair and smashed it over Render's head. He grinned, then grabbed another chair and broke it over his own head. "Nothing!" he yelled. "Wrrryyy... This mask has given me such tremendous powers, JoJo! I might even be more powerful than Dio now!"

"Mister Joestar, his strength is unbelievable," Speedwagon cried. "We must retreat!"

"Retreat?" Jonathan asked. "Where to? With this strength, he'll catch up with us in no time at all!"

Evil. He could taste the evil flowing out of this person. A glancing blow had sent Jonathan flying, and he was pretty sure it had cracked his collarbone. Yet he couldn't stop. Not yet. Not until he was sure this fiend was put down for good!

He couldn't outpower this monster but he could outsmart him!

Jonathan inched around the room as if looking for an avenue of attack. Still brandishing Speedwagon's hat as a sharp spinning blade, he hurled it forward and rushed after it. As he expected Render flung it aside as if it was nothing at all. "A distraction like that won't work on me a second time!" Render warned. "I'm a hired killer, I learn quickly on the battlefield!"

Render kicked Jonathan squarely in the chest, sending him flying backwards. Also as Jonathan had expected! He tucked his body in and sailed out of the house, out through the same window that Speedwagon had broken earlier. This brute's strength could be turned against it if he was confronted with bravery and guile, and now Jonathan would prove it.

"Run away, it's just like you said!" Render hissed. The fiend leaped out the window, crouching in place like an imp or a demon. "With this new body of mine I'll catch you and rend you to bloody pieces in no time at all! Is this the limits of your bravery, JoJo?! Is this the man who Dio feared?!"

"You have yet to see any of my limits," Jonathan yelled. He turned on the headlights of his car, momentarily blinding Render with their brightness. "Never mind the limits of my bravery!"

He slammed the accelerator to the floor pushing this car to its limits, slamming into Render leaving him pressed up against the windscreen. So long as his feet weren't touching the ground, he couldn't use that remarkable strength to brace himself, which gave Jonathan a chance. A slim glimmer of a chance, but the best he could hope for.

Except that Render was not content to wait. He lifted a fist and easily slammed it through the windshield, cracking it open like an egg. Then he reached in his hand to grab hold of Jonathan's neck - so JoJo slammed the brakes, sending Render flying backwards directly into his shed.

"Useless!" Render hissed, rising to his feet. An ordinary person would've been killed at least twice by that. JoJo himself was certain that he'd be dead. "Drive off if you want, JoJo! But it won't get you anywhere! I'll hunt you down and eat your flesh! If you thought you could make me roadkill, then you're sorely mistaken! I have become the apex predator, and you are my prey!"

"A good predator learns the habits of its prey before it begins its hunt," Jonathan said, pulling a match out of his pocket. "For example! As a digger and an archaeologist, I quite often find it handy to have a store of dynamite in my shed."

Render stopped and looked around at what he had landed in. If his undead face had not already turned pale then it surely would have right there and then as he realised what he was standing on top of. The delay must have been ordained by fate, or the Gods because it gave Jonathan enough time to light that match, slam his foot into the accelerator and drop it outside his car even as he u-turned away from his shed.

"JoJo!" Render screamed, and then there was only the sound of an explosion that sent the car toppling over no less than three times.

After the sound of ringing in his ears dissipated Jonathan felt Speedwagon and Erina pulling him out of the car. How bad was he?

"Not as bad as he," Speedwagon said. Ah, had he said that aloud?

"Jonathan, please don't risk your life like that again," Erina sobbed.

"The stone mask," Jonathan said. "Sp-Speedwagon, destroy it! Now! It's evil beyond belief."

"Wrrrrrryyyyy! I'm... Not... Done with you yet!"

All three of them fell silent, and with what strength he had in his battered body Jonathan sat up. Impossible. That explosion should have scattered him to the winds! Yet there he was! Render was crawling towards them, his legs blown clear from his charred body. Hair and clothes burned away, parts of him on fire but still moving, still using his hands to pull towards the three of them with an alarming speed.

"Does nothing kill this thing?!" Speedwagon cried.

As if in answer a new voice cried out: "Yellow Sunlight Overdrive!

Suddenly, a new figure landed, punching Render in the torso. The vampire let out a frightening roar and seemed to dissolve right before their very eyes. The stranger stood up seeming to glow as if standing in the rising sun.

It was a gentleman a few decades older than Jonathan, perhaps twice as old. He had a well groomed handlebar moustache that seemed to exaggerate the serious expression on his face. Though in truth his clothing caught Jonathan's attention much more. A gleaming white tuxedo and cape with a red undershirt, and a distinctive chequered hat.

There was no question in Jonathan's mind: This man had saved their lives!

"You must be Jonathan Joestar," the stranger said, grasping his lapels and taking a deep, deep breath. "My name if William Zeppeli. Doing that much damage to a vampire without any Ripple training, not many men could survive this long."

"Thank you," Jonathan said. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you!"

"I had been wondering if that was foolishness or bravery." Zeppeli tipped his hat while stepping towards the three of them. He crouched down to join Speedwagon and Erina by Jonathan and smiled down at him. "With that sincere gratitude, I can see it was the latter. Pardon me."

Without a word of warning he stuck his pinky directly into Jonathan's sternum. Pain lanced through his chest, searing and hot blotting out all the blows and cuts and breaks he'd suffered from the fight to the death he'd endured. Jonathan could feel his lungs working in ways that they had never worked before!

"Leave him alone!" Erina yelled, but Zeppeli placed a finger on his lips and took a deep, deep breath.

"Let the air leave your lungs, and relax," Mister Zeppeli calmly advised. "That vampire hurt you quite badly during that battle. With my Ripple adjusting your breathing you should be able to recover more quickly."

Yes, Jonathan could feel it. Now that he was relaxing, his lungs were getting used to this way of breathing. In fact, it was almost as though he was forgetting any other way to breathe! It felt as though until this moment in life he had been doing something incredibly basic completely incorrectly, and this was a revelation. When Zeppeli extracted his hand, Jonathan collapsed to his knees and sucked in - No, it wasn't sucking in air. He was breathing it in more efficiently than he ever had before in his life.

"His wounds! They're completely healed!" Speedwagon gasped.

"Who are you?" Jonathan asked this stranger, at least yearning to know the name of the good man who had come to his aid.

"Someone who has been chasing the stone mask for a very, very long time," Zeppeli answered. "How strange. From what I heard from your brother you have been studying the stone mask for the better part of a decade, and yet I sensed not a trace of evil within your soul. All others who have prolonged contact with the stone masks usually find themselves corrupted by it."

The stone mask... Yes, of course. "We must destroy it, right away!" Jonathan decided. He pulled himself to his fullest height - and then realised that what Speedwagon was even more true than he knew. All of Jonathan's injuries were completely healed. What was more, the tree branch he had grabbed to help himself to his feet was growing flowers where he grabbed it. Jonathan's hand shot away as though it had caught fire. He stared at his own hand - then out of the corner of his eye noticed that Zeppeli was staring at it as well.

"You have a history with the stone mask?" Jonathan asked. Zeppeli nodded. Jonathan opened his mouth to ask the obvious follow up question, but stalled. It was his curiosity that had led to this man becoming a monster, had it not? If he had done the sensible thing. If he had locked it away, or destroyed it when he learned a little of what it did, then surely...

"Curiosity is not an evil thing," Zeppeli reassured him while the two of them went inside. "In my experience evil often makes use of the noble will and desires of good men to enact its own ends. Do not feel any shame in not knowing what you were meddling in, for if you do it will let evil have a greater chance of controlling you."

Erina came in after them into the living room a moment later, carrying George in her arms. He'd somehow slept through the entire affair. Jonathan sighed a weary sigh, holding the stone mask in his hands. To think that he held such evil power right here, studying it as though - No, it was best not to think of it like that. Zeppeli was right. He hadn't known. He couldn't have possibly known what evil this mask was truly capable of.

But now he did. Which left him no other option. Jonathan slammed it to the ground and stamped on it, splitting the accursed item in two.

"Forgive me, Master Zeppeli," Jonathan said. "But I am fearful that Dio may send further assassins after me and my family. Furthermore, I seek to ensure that evils like this stone mask will not cause another ounce of suffering. That's why I would like to ask you this favour: Please, teach me this healing power you have used tonight!"

====Dio(2017 a.t.b)====

Although JOJO had asked for them to focus on the game, Dio could tell that the silence was agonising for him. He allowed it to linger on for a moment more, the only sound being that of pieces moved about the board - or when they were placed to the side on capturing.

Only when Dio himself could hardly take the silence any longer did he deign to speak up:

"It occurs to me, JOJO, that with your power you could easily kill the entire Royal Family in a single night. Topple the dynasty. Burn the hydra's stump so that no new head may grow."

"In the process giving you easy access to the throne as you're the only one I cannot kill."

Dio grinned at JOJO's observation. Good, good. He had seen that one coming. As he had hoped.

"Is that why you kidnapped the Einstein girl?" Dio asked. "So you could have a weapon capable of killing me?" JOJO grimaced, so Dio continued. "I already have people developing a counter to that. JOJO, you're not thinking ahead far enough."

After a moment, JOJO gave his answer through grit teeth.

"This may be hard for you to believe, but not everything revolves around you, Dio."

====Jonathan(1949 a.t.b)====

Imagine a lake. Imagine two people standing on the lake. Not in a boat. Not on a floating platform. On the water's surface. Their eyes are closed. They are breathing in a strange way.

Then at an unspoken signal they rush towards each other, still with their eyes closed. The man in the tuxedo and checkered top hat sends out a haymaker that couldn't possibly hit its mark - but then amidst a sound of popping noises his arm seems to grow even longer as though he is ejecting his fist at the other.

As for that other his aim is different. He strikes the water in between the two of them, bringing up a frightening wall that blocks the incoming strike. Or at least it seems to. The wall of water twists and contorts into a new shape, almost like a larger fist lashing out at the second man.

He stands there breathing calmly and lets the water envelop him. Then, to the surprise of even the man who is training him he suddenly drops underneath the surface. That trainer leaps high into the air moments before there is an explosion of water, and now the trainee is taking in yet another deep breath, making ready to leap up in similar fashion so they can continue their battle in the air -

"Papa! We have guests, papa!"

His concentration breaks at the sound of his son's voice. The water collapses into the lake, and the two men hop back across the water until they are back on dry land.

"Not bad, JoJo!" Baron Zeppeli doffs his hat. "Even Tonpetty himself would be impressed with how quickly you have taken to Ripple."

"It feels as though I have hit a ceiling," Jonathan said. "Is there any way that I can improve further?"

"Hrm... Only the training grounds in Venice, or Tonpetti's monastery could help you improve further," Zeppeli said. Then his Master and his friend stopped in front of Jonathan, placing his hands on his shoulders and looking him square in the eye. "I can see that it is your fate to confront him once again," Zeppeli said. "The man called Dio. I can tell. The two of you are destined to be enemies. Jonathan, you may not wish to leave your family behind, but it may be wise to allow Speedwagon to finish building his financial empire and finish your training before you even dream of confronting him again."

Jonathan took a deep, deep breath. "I understand," he said. "Thank you, Master Zeppeli."

Little George led them back to the house happy and carefree. Yes, his Master was correct. It was a bitter task that lay ahead of him, but he could feel destiny calling to him. It was telling him that one day he and Dio would meet again, and that on that day he had to be prepared. Yet that was off in the future. For today, he had other concerns. Destiny could wait a little longer.

Waiting within his home was a smartly dressed man. You'd never know he was once a thug on Ogre street. Robert E.O. Speedwagon, the CEO of the fastest growing company of the modern era. The Speedwagon Foundation! An innovative energy company that was spreading its influence even outside of Britannian controlled areas. Creating contacts the world over. Helping people in ways that no amount of Ripple training could.

"Hello, Mister Joestar. Baron Zeppeli," Speedwagon said. "Did I interrupt your training?"

"They were fightin' on the water Mister Speedwagon!" George excitedly shook their guest's knee. "Daddy made the lake explode!"

"Now, now George," Jonathan gently admonished. "There's no need to boast about that sort of thing. Especially to Mister Speedwagon."

Especially when the expression on his face was so serious. Speedwagon only ever wore two expressions on his face when he came to visit. Joyful, and business. Though it was nice to see him again - the man was quite busy these days - if he had come to see Jonathan with that expression it could mean only one thing.

"Another lead?" Zeppeli asked, eyebrow quirk.

"George, run along for now." Jonathan tousled his son's hair. "It's time for us adults to have another boring conversation."

A boring conversation... About ancient civilisations, masks that turned people into zombies and their own seemingly never-ending quest to put an end to them. Still, better the boy didn't know the details.

"Where?" Zeppeli asked.

"A rural town in New Zealand," Speedwagon said. "Not far this time. Though it might take some of your friends a little while to get there. By the way, I noticed that C.C. didn't attend the last investigation."

"She has her own business to attend to," Zeppeli said. "Being an immortal witch rather gives her that kind of responsibility."

"If vampires do appear near one of those temples, she'll be there," Jonathan observed. "The hounds of hell wouldn't keep her away."

Speedwagon nodded. "Of course. I have a boat already prepared. Maybe this time, we'll get some answers on where these stone masks are coming from."

Jonathan smiled privately to himself. That's the same thing Speedwagon had said the last time they went on one of these bizarre adventures. And the time before that, and... Well. You get the idea. It wasn't as if the fate of the world rests in their hands or anything quite so absurd, but Jonathan knew that didn't matter. If they saved even one life, then it would all be worth it in the end.

If only he knew what this adventure would entail. Maybe then he wouldn't have been so eager to go. Maybe then they would have all come back.

====Dio(2017 a.t.b)====

The endgame was upon them. Most of their pieces were cleared from the board now, and it was JOJO's turn. He moved the King forward, bringing a twisted smile to Dio's lips.

"You are aping Lelouch's game," Dio said. "How appropriate. The King moves first so that you may strike me in ways that I do not see coming. Who do you think taught him to play that way?"

"The cruelty of his upbringing," JOJO answered. "The coldness of the court. The slaughter of the Japanese people. The death of his mother."

But Dio simply waved this aside. "You're saying that life and death have caused him to evolve in this form? These things can shape a man, but they can only teach so far. I taught him how to exploit this way of thinking so that he would leave a deliberate weakness within himself when he moved that I, Dio, could take advantage of... Or close off, dependant on whether he became an ally or an enemy."

To his great surprise, Jonathan began to laugh. As if Dio had told him some great joke! For the first time, Dio felt himself getting angry at his guest during the game, and he stood up, slamming his cane on the ground. "What is so funny?" he demanded. "JOJO! How dare you laugh at me?!"

"You don't know," JOJO said. "For all your scheming, for all your planning... The Emperor has still outfoxed you! I thought you knew, but all this time you were still in the dark!"

A bluff, is what Dio assumed. There could be no question of it. There was nothing going on in the world today that Dio did not know of to some extent! He returned his attention to the endgame, staring at the board and seeing clear through the trap that JOJO was trying to set for him.

Dio grinned. JOJO was trying to set a trap for him? Well then... Instead it would be JOJO himself who found a trap closing around him!

====Jonathan (1949 a.t.b)====

"JoJo! Look out, JoJo! Keep on your guard, we'll get inside as soon as we can!"

Although Jonathan appreciated his friend's concern, there was clearly nothing Speedwagon could do to help him. This enemy was somehow worse than a vampire or a zombie. It was a regular human being! But how... How was this possible! Every time he moved to attack it felt like he was running through treacle!

"Tsk, I was expecting more of a challenge than this," the man said. A brute as large as Jonathan wielding an axe. "After Master Dio told me about you, after I hear you somehow defeated Render, I thought you'd be more of a challenge than this. Kukuku! To think you and your friends would come all the way out here to investigate some stupid stone mask! Easy pickings, the lot of you!"

Jonathan had no choice but to keep his guard up. Every time he tried to strike his enemy, time itself seemed to slow all around him. Meanwhile, his friends were gathered on the other side of a heavy locked door. Zeppeli and Speedwagon were hurling their weight against it, he could hear that clearly. But to no avail. It was locked and barred from this side, and even when Jonathan tried to move towards it he felt that same effect. Time slowing down leaving him vulnerable, leaving him open to attack.

"That man... He killed my parents didn't he?" asked the young girl they'd rescued during their exploration of the town. "Why? Why did they have to die?"

"Please stay calm, Elizabeth!" Jonathan warned. "Stay under that table and don't come out!."

He pushed her under the table and rose to face Brute again. His breathing was laboured because this assassin had started by hitting Jonathan hard in the chest. He was pretty sure a rib was broken, which was making it almost impossible for him to maintain any kind of Ripple.

"Why did you kill her parents?" Jonathan asked. "In such a brutal way no less! Why?! Why did you do that?!"

"To make it look like a vampire did it, of course," the brute explained, as if it justified everything. "You needed some breadcrumbs to lead you into my parlour, JoJo."

"That's the only reason?"

"I only need one reason to kill someone! And then I do it!"

It was difficult fighting this way, but in a strange sense Jonathan was starting to get a feel for it. Everything else but him was moving at normal speeds, which meant this man was doing something to his perception. On that basis he was able to maintain a defense - but any kind of attack he attempted would leave him open. All he could do was stand here and be worn down, bit by bit, by a fighter with a glowing eye and a mysterious power.

Or at least that is what he thought at the time.

Unknown to him a certain scared young girl had found that she was more angry than frightened. She had heard this brute say why he had killed her parents and it struck something inside of her. So in a moment of furious bravery she rushed out from underneath the table and reached out to knock aside the barrier holding the door closed!

"It's... stuck..." she complained, struggling with it for a few seconds before feeling a massive presence behind her. She was picked up by the head, lifted into the air and turned around to look the brute in the eyes at a range that was far too close for comfort.

"If you wanted to meet your parents again, you only had to ask little girl," the brute chuckled.

"Next... You'll say... 'Watch this, JoJo! I'll kill this girl while you watch helplessly!' Tsk!"

"Watch this JoJo! I'll kill this girl while you watch helplessly!" the brute yelled. Then he stopped and digested what the girl had just said. "Wh-what did you just -?"

Then he looked down. The girl hadn't just been struggling with the barrier. She'd been tying a chain around it! A chain which went all the way back across the room, where the other end was resting... within JoJo's hands!

With a sharp tug JoJo yanked the barrier open and collapsed from his injuries. That thug - his first move had been a blow to JoJo's ribs, keeping him from breathing properly. But now... Now there was a chance!

"The door's open!" Speedwagon excitedly yelled. "Baron Zeppeli! Save Elizabeth! Save JoJo!"

But for whatever reason Zeppeli stopped. "This room... reeks of death," he said, tipping his hat. "A young lion... I see how it is now. Jonathan. Seeing you with your family made me regret leaving mine. But make no mistake, I do not regret one day of our training, nor of our friendship! If this is where fate has led me to, then so be it!"

The brute dropped Elizabeth to the ground and stepped back as Zeppeli marched towards him. "You'll pay for the deaths you've caused," Zeppeli said. "A zombie has no choice in their actions. They are as mindless as animals. A vampire is drawn to evil like a moth to a flame, but for a person to choose to be as evil as a vampire... That might actually be more evil than either one of them."

He slipped into an offensive position. Jonathan wanted to cry out. Wanted to warn Zeppeli of what he was up against. But his injuries - he couldn't make his body do what needed to be done. All he could do, to his own eternal horror, was watch as his friend went up against a power the likes of which he had never encountered before.

The fight didn't last long. The brute slowed down Zeppeli's movements, then wrapped the chain tightly around his waist. By the time the Ripple master had noticed what was happening, he was incapable of doing anything about it. He simply couldn't react in time!

"So much for the reinforcements," the brute cackled. Zeppeli's body fell in front of Jonathan. "He'll bleed out from internal injuries in about a minute or two. Can't imagine it'll feel good."

"Z-Zeppeli!" Speedwagon cried. He pulled Elizabeth from the room with tears streaming down both of their faces. "You fiend! This special power of yours is from the devil himself!"

"Jo... Jo...!" Zeppeli sputtered. He reached out to take hold of Jonathan's hand, even as the life drained from his body. "I meant... what I said before! Every word! This... Dio! I met him once, only once. Even then I could tell. He was evil down to his core. Human, but thoroughly evil!"

"Don't speak Master Zeppeli," Jonathan croaked, his voice little more than a whisper. It was all he could manage. To his dismay Zeppeli was focusing on his breathing. No, that wouldn't help him now! The injuries would be too severe, even with Ripple flowing through his veins the damage would already be too extensive to heal in time.

"Usually... Carrying another's Ripple inside your body for extended periods... Would be extremely painful," Zeppeli warned. "But... Not for a Master of Ripple! Not one... of your standards! JoJo! Take this! My final Ripple! You must destroy this brute before he ends any more lives with his malignant cruelty!"

Was this his imagination? Was Zeppeli's body glowing? No, that wasn't possible! What a glorious Ripple. Spectacular, a feast for the eyes. Yet Jonathan's eyes were misty with tears. He could feel it flowing out of Zeppeli's body. His life force was flowing into Jonathan, quickly healing his comparatively minor wounds.

"Said your goodbyes?" the brute asked. "Don't worry. You'll be seeing him again soon enough."

There was a fire in Jonathan's eyes when he stood up. He felt stronger than he ever had in his entire life. He stared down this man, this brute with fearsome determination. Enough that this experienced assassin with a strange power hesitated before moving.

"So he healed you, big deal!" the assassin yelled. "It doesn't change anything! You still can't touch me, so long as I use my –"

"Red Fury Overdrive!" Jonathan yelled, punching the floor beneath him and causing it to crack beneath his fists. The crack extended all the way to under the assassin's feet, and with a breath of furious anger Jonathan let loose both of his fists "Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora!"

"You idiot! What are you trying to do?!" the assassin yelled, trying to slow Jonathan down with his ability. To no avail. The centre of the room completely gave away from Jonathan's punches, causing the man who killed his master to plummet down to the floor below, where Jonathan effortlessly leaped down after him.

"An uncontrolled fall like that has probably shattered your ankles," Jonathan said, towering over the man with his arms crossed. "You're in no condition to fight. Now, I shall take you to the police so that you can account for your crimes."

"The police?" he snorted. "You think they'll give a damn about a guy like me? I have connections, pal! Too high for you to deal with. You don't kill me now, I'll hunt you down until one of us is dead!"

"Even so!" Jonathan had already made up his mind. The courts would decide this. As this man was neither zombie or vampire, he should be judged as a human being. "That is the right thing to do! And so you shall answer before a judge!"

To his utter lack of surprise his enemy attempted to slow him down yet again, this time lunging for Jonathan's leg with a broken piece of glass. To his credit Jonathan had expected a move like this and had leaped down already prepared, and the second he had noticed the slowdown he was already channeling Ripple into the bottles of wine tucked under his mighty arms.

"Your ability slows down people," Jonathan said, his words coming out at half the speed they should have been. "But not Ripple... Nor inanimate objects."

By the time he had finished saying this the Ripple had already done its work. The corks popped off at an extraordinary speed, striking the assassin directly in both of his eyes. As he wailed in pain, Jonathan's face turned into a mask of despair, though slowly, as he saw what was coming next happening before his very eyes.

The assassin's head flew back in an angle that Jonathan had not expected or predicted. The impact of the shot sent the back of his head dashing against the rubble behind him, leaving a sharp nail sticking out impaling him in the back of his neck. Piercing his brain stem while Jonathan could do nothing but reach out slowly to try and stop him. Only starting to move at a normal pace when his enemy was already dead.

The warrior sighed a weary sigh. Though this had been a victory in the end, it had still felt like a defeat.

"Time... Is a precious thing," he said to nobody in particular. "Every moment that passes is a treasure that can never be taken back."

When he walked out of the building later with Speedwagon carrying the sleeping Elizabeth in his arms, Jonathan looked to the sky. He could almost see Zeppeli's face in the clouds. Internally he swore, there and then: He would do all in his power to ensure that the stone masks were destroyed. All of them, across the world!

It would be a small blow in the name of good, but JoJo was not so arrogant as to think he could cure all of humanity's evils by himself.

====Dio(2017 a.t.b)====

"You've already done great work so far," Dio said. "You've pushed Britannia out of Italy already, and are starting to make headway into Africa. But do you really believe you'll be able to push us all the way back?"

"Who needs to push you all the way back?" JOJO asked, advancing his Queen. "My Paladins and I, don't pretend that you understand our objectives."

"Is that why you came out here, JOJO?" Dio asked. "To play this game, you wanted to test out my objectives? Or to tell me yours?"

"I already know your objectives," JOJO answered. "I came here because... this will be our final game, and the last time we shall ever meet. By the time this is over at least one of us will be dead."

Is that so? Is that what fate had in store for them? One final meeting, one final game before the grand game that they would play with entire nations as their pieces. His greatest opponent on the finest board. Oh! But Dio could hardly wait! The anticipation set his heart aflutter!

"In which case this game stands as a fine metaphor," Dio said, casting his hand across the board. "For the game that lies ahead! Between me and you, JOJO! Hold nothing back. Let me see if you have kept that courageous spirit... and let me see if you can present the face of evil who can save the world from itself!"

And when he failed, Dio would step into heaven itself and do what the Morningstar could not: Steal the seat of God for himself!

====Jonathan (1963 a.t.b)====

This must be what it felt like when Dante had first set foot through the gateway into hell. Even the air within this unholy site tasted evil, wicked and wrong. A stain upon God's creation that he should eradicate as soon as possible.

Yet Jonathan knew better than to rush in without first looking around for further information. Demolition was a fine art, and for all he knew this place was constructed as a supporting pillar for the surrounding area. Though he would gladly give his own life to ensure this evil was eradicated, he couldn't be entirely certain that others weren't also at risk.

Up ahead of him at the back of this room was an ornate stone doorway with strange markings that Jonathan did not recognise. If he had the time he might spend some time deciphering them. As it was, he contented himself with taking a picture. If he did destroy it then there was no undoing it, and the knowledge may prove useful in future.

In front of that structure were four pillars. Each one carved with the features of hideous creatures, twisted up and writhing in agony. And around them, carvings of stone masks... not carvings! Actual stone masks!

Jonathan tentatively used his knife to remove one, taking great care that he had his gloves on. Any open cuts, no matter how small... It came off the pillar so easily it was almost as if it was designed to do so. Perhaps it was. The weight, the shape, the texture all felt shockingly familiar to Jonathan. It was as though it was the same evil mask, which was impossible as they had destroyed that mask months before. He was beginning to sweat at the implications. Zeppeli's mission was unfinished. The stone masks still existed in this world. Worse still... what if there were sites like this elsewhere? Like ticking time bombs waiting to go off. Maybe even in the homeland...! Jonathan had no choice. He would have to ask Speedwagon and Tonpetti to use their combined resources to investigate on his behalf! Though Jonathan ached for the chance to return there, he knew that he would be forbidden even if his intentions were singularly to ensure this evil was contained!

"You never did lose your fascination with that mask, did you JoJo?"

The voice that filled Jonathan's ears was completely impossible. Yet there it was. There was no mistaking that voice any more than he could mistake the weight and feel of this stone mask. He knew them both far too well for that.

"Dio," Jonathan growled. He turned around. Dio was standing with his back to Jonathan, staring at the stone door. "What are you doing here?"

"What, indeed?" Dio answered. "Jonathan, Jonathan. Your research has been developing quite nicely, has it not? From the stone mask to the Thought Elevators. I'm glad to see you're doing well. You even have a son, named after your father. Congratulations, from the bottom of my heart."

Jonathan tensed up where others would relax. This was what made Dio dangerous. He could easily switch between his true inner demon and a smooth, charming and charismatic man. It came as naturally to him as breathing.

"And you've joined the Imperial Court, I hear?" Jonathan asked, trying to feel out Dio's intention here today. "Ascending the ranks of society one step at a time. Not yet fully embraced by the nobility, and yet making a big name for yourself."

"A bigger name than you realise," Dio's voice rose and he turned a little to look at Jonathan over his shoulder. There was a truly frightening expression on his face. Perhaps even more inhuman than the vampires he had fought only a few months back. "What is it they've started to call it again? Oh yes. The Emblem of Blood!"

It was as if the entire world had stopped. Jonathan stared at Dio in abject disbelief. The... Emblem of Blood? A series of deaths suspected to be betrayals and assassinations among the Royal Family of Britannia. Was Dio... Was he claiming that he had a hand in this?

"What did you do?" Jonathan asked, breathlessly. Remembering himself he took a deep, deep breath and a mighty step forward towards his adopted brother, feeling his face screwing up with righteous anger. "Dio! What have you been doing?!"

"There can be only one Emperor in the world," Dio calmly explained. "But I... I shall go beyond even that! For there can also be only one God!" Dio reached out to stroke the door in front of him. "And a God I shall be! I saw his face, JoJo! That's how I knew what had to be done!"

He was talking nonsense but Jonathan could still feel the evil intent oozing from every syllable. He was almost upon Dio when he finally turned around, and when he did -

And when he did...

Jonathan stopped cold in his tracks. He tried to step forward, but it was as though his leg wasn't quite obeying him. It didn't feel like lifting up. He would think that he needed to step forward, but his leg stayed exactly where it was. Then he stepped back a little. Away from Dio.

"What is this?" Jonathan asked, staring Dio right in the face. "Dio, what are you doing to me?!"

"Just as you said, Jonathan!" Dio tsked. "I have come to finish off what my assassins began."

Jonathan struggled with all of his might. He took deep, deep breaths, filled up his limbs with Ripple. As much as he could manage. To no avail. His limbs weren't obeying him at all. His hands were beginning to move in spite of his own will.

"Let me go!" Jonathan protested.

"Such a shame, JoJo," Dio tsked again, stepping right up to Jonathan until he was staring him in the face. "You became too engrossed in your research. It was inevitable! Of course there would be a tragic accident."

To his utter shock Jonathan's left hand arched up - and stabbed Dio right in the stomach! Wh-what? Dio didn't flinch. Not even a little. Jonathan started to tremble, his stomach feeling twisted up. What was happening? Why couldn't he control his body? Dio reached out, stroked Jonathan's cheek and then a large cut opened up on Jonathan's face!

"How did you –" Jonathan began to ask, but Dio kept silent. All he did was step back... and then Jonathan began to lift up his right hand. The hand holding the stone mask. "Wait, Dio! Don't do this! You don't understand the power of the mask!"

"I understand enough," Dio said. "It's an execution device, used in ancient rituals. It seems only fitting, JoJo! I had originally planned to kill you this way back then. Why let a good plan go to rest?"

"It - it won't kill me!" Jonathan protested, struggling with more strength in him than he knew he had. "Dio... this is crueler than death! You don't know what you're doing!"

The mask fell upon Jonathan's face. The cut on his cheek was absorbed into the mask, triggering the tendrils. There was a moment of pain - and it was the last thing that Jonathan Joestar felt. The mighty hero sunk to his knees as the terrible villain turned on his heels and reached out to touch the stone door in front of him.

"Goodbye Jonathan," Dio said. "But have no fear. For one day, I Dio shall fully embrace humanity. With me in the role of God, humanity will stand a chance of reaching... heaven."

"Dioooooooo!"

The fiend stopped in his tracks at the sound of a completely otherworldly voice. For the first time in many years he turned around with confusion and fear upon his face. For now JoJo was sitting up!

"Impossible!" Dio yelled. "You should be dead!"

"What have you done to me?! Dio!"

Jonathan pounced like a wild animal, aiming to rip Dio apart where he stood. He grabbed hold of him, pushing him back with enough force to send him through that stone wall behind him. But instead it was Jonathan who was thrown back, sent tumbling across the floor.

The mask slid off his face and then Jonathan pounced again. This time before he even reached Dio some tremendous force pummelled him in the head sending him sprawling again.

"I... didn't even feel it!" Jonathan said, again rising to his feet. "Dio... I won't stop until I have your head!"

"Nothing on Earth can kill me," Dio warned. "I am as Baldur, except even mistletoe will not scratch my skin!"

Comparing himself to a Norse God when he intends to somehow become a God? Too soon, Dio! He'd never let you get that far! Jonathan growled and hissed, taking another step forward - But then coming to a stop when, by chance, he saw his own reflection in a puddle of water on the floor. His face was twisted, monstrous, inhuman. He recoiled from it in abject horror, rejecting the thing that he had become - and in the process gave Dio the time he needed to do... something with the stone door and retreat, leaving Jonathan alone to consider his fate.

"This world's getting worse to my dismay," Jonathan whispered to himself. Then, his voice rising in volume as he rose to his feet, he continued. "While I simply looked the other way.

"No longer!"

====Dio(2017 a.t.b)====

The World and Voodoo Kingdom stared each other down. Two mighty Stands. Indomitable, invincible. True representatives of their masters and their fighting spirit. For Dio, his represented his self actualisation. How he had defied fate to drag himself out of poverty and became one of the most important people in the Empire. How he would continue to be the master of his own life, and through this turn the entire human race into denizens of his kingdom of heaven.

While The World came from Jonathan's appreciation of time. During their past games he had often commented that each moment was a precious treasure, and through The World he could take any moment he wished to study it in ways that others could not. Having experienced time freeze himself Dio could see the poetry in that. A part of him envied Jonathan for having the power to choose those moments, for it gave him a strength that was almost unparalleled by any other Stand user.

Voodoo Kingdom lifted up his Knight and returned it to the same position it had been in earlier on. The only way to avoid check. The only legal move that he could make. But it also meant the end of the game regardless, as that was...

"Threefold repetition," JOJO said. "Another tie it seems."

"Your game has improved," Dio admitted. "At least as much as mine. Keep in mind my advice. If you intend to make this strategy a success, you must learn how to convey evil."

"And recall my advice," JOJO countered, withdrawing The World and turning to leave. "The Emperor is more cunning than you know and has long since overcome his own fears."

A dark grin crept onto Dio's face. Well, we'd have to see about that. He banged his cane upon the ground, and JOJO leaped out the window, freezing time as he went, making short hops on his trip back to Europe - however the hell he got there. Dio could satisfy his curiosity by investigating, but... no. There must be some level of mystery left for him to ponder over. Even something so small as this.

"Threefold repetition," Dio repeated, staring at the board through both his own eyes and Voodoo Kingdom's. The Stand's hands blurred and the pieces were reset in their starting places. "How appropriate for a final game. After all... Neither one of us can kill the other."

[To Be Continued |\|]