For the next few minutes, just as they did with Lucy, the four did their best to recap everything that Lola missed. Unlike Lucy, Lola's reactions were much more pronounced. She loudly gasped when she heard what Dio did to Erina, followed by a scowl that could make a grizzly bear turn tail and run. She also gasped when she heard what happened to Danny and George, even tearing up, and learning of Jack the Ripper made her pass out. And she was out cold; Lincoln was only able to wake her up by using her favorite perfume as impromptu smelling salts. Eventually, they managed to catch her up to speed.

"So this whole thing with vampires, magic ripples, and all that other junk started because of a sibling rivalry?" asked Lola after they finished.

"Pretty much, yeah," said Lincoln with a shrug.

"Nice!" said Lola with a huge smile. "I'm definitely gonna love this! Come on, let's do the next episode! Now!"

"Okay, okay!" said Lincoln as he hit the play button, letting the ending resume. Once it was finished, the next episode began.

~PB~

The episode began, fittingly, a little before the last episode left off, with Jonathan charging his Turquoise Blue Overdrive. 'Down here, my Hamon will hit you all the harder! Underwater… TURQUOISE BLUE OVERDRIVE!' With that, he blasted the rippling torpedo towards Bruford. This time, the attack was shown hitting the resurrected knight square in the forehead. Bruford let out a cry of either pain or shock, or perhaps both, as he was blasted out of the water. He landed on his back, hitting the rocky shore and bouncing back so he was face-down.

~LBR~

"Okay, I take back what I said about the last episode ending before it hit him," said Lynn with a huge smirk, pointing at the screen. "Because THAT is how you kick off an episode!"

"You said it, Lynn!" said Lana.

~PB~

The scene cut to Speedwagon, Zeppeli, and Tarkus watching the fight from the cliff edge, split screens showing their reactions.

"He did it!" cheered Speedwagon with a smile of relief.

"Bravo," congratulated Zeppeli with a stoic face, peering over his shoulder.

"Hmm," muttered Tarkus, face hidden in shadows.

"That was amazing!" cheered Poco as he peeked out from the rock he was hiding behind.

"It's not over yet!" shouted Jonathan as he stood up. The camera moved behind him to show him facing Bruford, while also revealing that the force of his Overdrive had blasted most of the water out of the lake, leaving what was once deep enough to freely swim in only knee-high.

~LBR~

"Looks like they'll be fighting in and around the lake," said Luna with a smirk, causing her younger siblings to groan and boo.

"Leave the bad one-liners to Luan," said Lola.

~PB~

"I can't believe Bruford was able to dodge that blast of Hamon," said Jonathan as Bruford slowly stood up. "He moves so fast underwater."

~LBR~

"What is he talking about? That blast hit him head on!" said Lincoln.

~PB~

The scene faded and moved to Bruford, hand over his forehead. "He was all a blur. My Overdrive barely glanced off his forehead." Bruford opened his eyes and glared at Jonathan vengefully, moving his hand to show a bleeding wound where the attack had grazed him. The blood trickled from his forehead down the side of his nose.

~LBR~

"Oh, so that's how he did it," said Lincoln.

~PB~

Jonathan raised a fist. "Now I know anything less than a solid punch won't be enough to send the Hamon into him."

Bruford looked up at the sky, his skin appearing a dark violet as the background became a bright purple and white flash. "My good Lord Dio," said Bruford, "I thank thee for this life anew that I may duel with this stouthearted lad." Small cracks began to creep across his face, a red light leaking through them. "My heart would swell to bursting if it still beat."

~LBR~

"What's with the cracks?" wondered Lola. "Was he wearing a mud mask or something all this time?"

"He smiled so wide, his face couldn't handle it," laughed Lana.

~PB~

The colors returned to normal as the camera moved behind Bruford, Jonathan standing in the lake a distance away. "In blood and deed, he is the stuff of heroes," said Bruford, his fists clenched in anticipation. He held his hands to the side and raised his head. "Now, we will fight in our native element. It is by mastery of our arts and strength of our spirits that we wage this duel."

Bruford pointed at his opponent as the camera cut back to his face. "Bare your soul. Hold nothing back, lest you not survive beyond this moment!" With a war cry, he jumped into the air as pulsing sound effects flashed across the screen.

~LBR~

"'Prepare yourself, as nobody's survived my dancing purple lines!'" joked Lynn.

~PB~

A panel appeared on screen displaying Jonathan's eyes. 'Even as Dio's puppet,' he thought, 'his pride is a force to be reckoned with. But his knightly valor has been twisted into a wanton love of violence.'

"When I best you, I'll take your head as my trophy!" shouted Bruford as his hair began to stretch towards Jonathan.

"It's easy to let your hair do the work," said Jonathan as he rushed forward with Hamon-charged fists. "Come, withstand my Hamon face to face like a man!"

The scene cut to a still of them charging at each other while yelling, Jonathan's hands coated in Hamon and Bruford unleashing his Danse Macabre. No sooner had it appeared did it vanish as the opening began to play.

~LBR~

"This is gonna be one heck of a fight!" said Lincoln.

"Heck yeah it will!" agreed Lynn, giving her brother a high five as Luna hummed to the opening.

"I have to say, I really like this opening!" said Lola. "It's a lot heavier than the music I like, but it's so bold, so powerful, so…" As the infamous kiss between Dio and Erina showed up, her smile turned into a grimace. "...infuriating."

"Don't worry, sis, he'll get what's coming to him soon enough," said Lana. Other than Luna's humming, the rest of the opening was commentary free, and before long, the episode proper resumed.

~PB~

As the episode resumed, Bruford reared back his head, the huge sheets of hair beside him receding. He lurched his head forward, sending his deadly locks forward in a huge cascade. Meanwhile, Japanese text appeared on the screen, subtitles translating it to "Chapter 6: Tomorrow's Courage."

~LBR~

"Dudes, Bruford knows how to headbang!" shouted Luna as she threw the goats with one of her hands.

"'Tomorrow's Courage,' huh? Sounds like an awesome name for a band or something!" said Lana, earning a high five from Luna.

~PB~

"Overdrive Barrage!" shouted Jonathan as he let loose a lightning-fast barrage of Hamon-infused punches. His punches struck the vine-like hair and repelled it, but his onslaught simply wasn't enough. A few locks managed to slip past his punches and wrap themselves around his wrists and waist, stopping the barrage in its tracks. Techno music started in the background as the hairs coiled around his torso and bound his arms to his body like a straitjacket, keeping him from moving. Jonathan struggled to break free, but the hairs were as strong as steel cables. As if that wasn't bad enough, they began to cut through his clothes and skin like piano wire, Jonathan letting out a scream as they tore into him and started to drain his blood.

~LBR~

"And here I thought Leni's hugs were too tight," said Lincoln.

~PB~

Bruford whipped his hair back, his hairs throwing Jonathan into the air. "JoJo!" shouted Zeppeli as his prized pupil was swung around by Bruford. Whipping his neck to the side, the Black Knight tossed Jonathan into a dead tree. The hairs binding him wrapped around its trunk and a small branch, as well as tying his legs together by the ankles. Jonathan was well and truly trapped in a snare fit for Houdini, sitting down with bound legs as hair tied him to the tree by his waist, chest, and neck.

~LBR~

"Not good, he's seriously tied up there," said Lynn. "I don't think he can break out of that no matter how much muscle or Hamon he has."

"He's gotten through worse, though," said Lincoln. "If he can stop himself from falling into flames with two shattered shoulders, he can break out of this predicament."

"Guess you've got a point, Stinkoln," said Lynn with a smirk. "You got this, JoJo! There's still time on the clock!"

~PB~

"This is terrible," said Zeppeli as he looked over his shoulder. "Hamon can only be projected through the arms and the legs." It then cut back to Jonathan trying in vain to break free from his trap. "With his arms bound in front of him like that, he has no way of blasting through that infernal hair of Bruford's."

~LBR~

"Hold on a sec, dudes. That's not right," said Luna.

"What do you mean?" asked Lincoln.

"Baron Zeppeli said you can only use Hamon through the arms and legs, right? Well, remember when he used that Hamon Cutter move against Jack the Ripper? He used that with his mouth!"

"Well, maybe he charged Hamon into the wine before he spit it at him?" suggested Lincoln.

"And besides, what can JoJo do with his mouth to stop Bruford? Bite him? Spit on him?" asked Lynn.

"No, that'd only work on somebody like Lola," said Lincoln.

"Hey!" said Lola. "I'm right here!" She then paused for a bit. "Even if you're right!"

~PB~

A split screen of Speedwagon appeared on the right. "I— I wanna help him out, but you and me have got things even worse." The scene cut to Speedwagon and Zeppeli standing back to back, Tarkus glaring down at them with glowing red eyes as "menacing" sound effects floated across the screen. "I think ol' Tarkus fancies a dust-up."

~LBR~

"I dunno, he's pretty big and all, but it's two against one," said Lana. "Plus you're not tied to a tree. So it's about even."

~PB~

Jonathan let out another scream as Bruford's hairs tightened their grip, waving up and down as they sucked his blood. 'His hair,' thought Jonathan as the screen temporarily blurred with a heartbeat sound, showing he was steadily losing consciousness, 'it's tearing through my clothes, through my skin. The more I struggle, the tighter it winds. And it's sucking my blood away.' The lock of hair that had wrapped around the tree branch suddenly tightened, snapping the branch in half.

~LBR~

"Yeah, JoJo's got it worse," said Luna. "Way worse."

~PB~

Jonathan groaned in pain and frustration, consciousness starting to fade as Bruford drew his sword. The Black Knight leapt into the air with his sword raised above his head. "Bid your petty life adieu. Behold, the coup de grace!"

~LBR~

"Ooh, he's speaking French! How fancy!" said Lola.

~PB~

"I'll take your head and bathe in a fountain of life-giving blood!" shouted Bruford, swinging his sword forward in an attempt to decapitate his valiant foe.

~LBR~

"And I take it back," said Lola with a grimace.

~PB~

Suddenly, the swinging blade slowed to a crawl. "TAKE THIS!" shouted Jonathan at the top of his lungs before he took a deep breath to generate Hamon. With tremendous strength, he pulled his legs apart, snapping the hairs that kept them tied together. He kicked his leg out to the side with a mighty battle cry, kicking the flat end of Bruford's blade with the side of his foot. Silver crackles of Hamon covered his lower leg.

"Water's not all that conducts Hamon," said Jonathan as the Hamon in his leg began to travel across the blade of the sword. "Metal Silver Overdrive!" The Hamon coursed through the blade and hilt before it went into Bruford's right arm. The undead flesh below his shoulder bubbled before it dissolved into putty.

A split screen appeared, with Speedwagon on the left and Tarkus on the right, the former clenching his fist in joy and the latter glaring at his partner being injured. "What a brain!" shouted Speedwagon. "Using the sword to hoist Bruford by his own bleeding petard, who thinks of that?"

~LBR~

"That was so cool!" shouted Lynn. "Sometimes it feels good to be wrong, especially when it means JoJo kicks some serious butt!"

"''Tis but a scratch,'" joked Luna.

~PB~

As Bruford stared at what was left of his arm, the hairs securing Jonathan stopped digging into him and draining his blood. This gave him the chance he needed as he grabbed a lock with one of his arms and pulled on it, tearing it apart. Slowly, he used all his strength to get up and snap his bindings, standing to full height as his entire body started glowing a brilliant gold.

"How my heart resonates," said Jonathan as he clenched a fist, Hamon coursing through every centimeter of his body, rejuvenating and strengthening him. Bruford took the chance to dash towards his opponent, intent on finishing him off before Jonathan had a chance to strike. "I'm pulsing with heat and life." Jonathan cried out as his Hamon began to burn like the sun, though he was no worse for wear.

~LBR~

"Forget what I said earlier, NOW he's going Super Saiyan!" cheered Lincoln.

"If he screams any louder, he might just explode," said Lola.

~PB~

"My very blood is a symphony within me!" shouted Jonathan. "SUNLIGHT YELLOW OVERDRIVE!"

With incredible speed, Jonathan unleashed a barrage of Hamon-filled punches, one with speed and power that greatly overshadowed his previous barrage attack. Bruford found himself helpless as blow after blow struck his face and body, each impact sending waves of Hamon pulsing through his body. By the time Jonathan stopped his shimmering series of strikes, Bruford had been sent hurtling into the air.

Zeppeli looked over his shoulder and gasped in relief and amazement, his star pupil filling him with pride. "There we go, that's it!" cheered Speedwagon. "About time we heard the welcome crackle of Hamon!"

~LBR~

"You can say that again!" cheered Lana. "That was AWESOME!"

"He won't be getting up for another round now!" said Lynn with a few jabs at the air. "Not after JoJo kicked him to the curb like that!"

"If he does, it'll be a short one," said Luna. "Go JoJo!"

~PB~

Jonathan took a breath as lingering Hamon crackled in his fist, his body still glowing. In the background, Bruford slammed onto the ground with a grunt of pain. The scene changed to an orange and yellow Jonathan with one fist extended, the background changing to a green and blue leaf pattern. 'When I pummeled Bruford a moment ago, something felt different,' he thought. 'Knowing his past makes his present corruption all the worse. Take heart, JoJo. He is that man no longer. He's nothing but a zombie, eager to spread his evil.' His eyes softened. 'You must be the one to end him!'

Bruford used his remaining arm to plunge his sword into the ground. On one knee, he slowly began to lift himself to his feet, his body sizzling from the attack he just took. "I…" he muttered, "am the Black Knight, Bruford!"

~LBR~

"If by "Black Knight," he means cooked to charcoal," said Lincoln. "His body sounds like a pan full of bacon."

"Or Vanzilla after driving half a mile on a hot day," said Lana.

~PB~

Bruford glared at Jonathan. "Strike me as thou wilt. This pain is nothing!" Jonathan looked shocked, something about his words catching him off-guard.

"He's still dangerous, mate!" shouted Speedwagon. "Look out!" As he warned Jonathan, Bruford leapt into the air and dove towards the Hamon-wielding heir, sword in front of him.

~LBR~

"What the heck is this guy made of?" asked Lynn. "The guy took a hundred Hamon punches to the kisser and he can still get up?!"

"And JoJo managed to turn his arm into an icky mess when he sent that Hamon through the sword, so what gives?" asked Lola.

"Guess this is one of the few times armor actually does something in a show," said Luna.

~PB~

"Even missing an arm and scorched all to hell," said Speedwagon in disbelief, "he's laying into JoJo every bit as ferociously!"

Despite the vampiric knight speeding towards him, Jonathan relaxed his stance. In a split screen, Speedwagon and Zeppeli gasped in shock.

~LBR~

"This seems bad, but then it's shown that Bruford face-planted a few feet away from JoJo," said Lincoln.

~PB~

The scene changed to Bruford holding his sword back, seemingly about to behead a motionless Jonathan. "What the… don't just stand there! Do something!" shouted Speedwagon desperately. "If you don't get out of there now, it's curtains for ya!" The sword swung forth, razor-sharp blade getting closer, and…

…Bruford suddenly stopped. He was standing in front of Jonathan, who was kneeling down. His sword was held right against Jonathan's cheek, as shown in a split screen on the left. On the right was Bruford, his lips slightly parted and his eyes soft and full of light, the hatred within them gone as though it was never there. A small trail of blood fell from Jonathan's cheek where the blade was touching him, slowly sliding down the sword.

~LBR~

"Huh?" said Lana. "Why'd he stop? Why'd they both stop?"

"Guess JoJo knows something that we don't," said Lola.

~PB~

"Have they both gone mad?" wondered Speedwagon. The scene cut to Bruford and Jonathan, the latter's long hair sticking up like a roaring flame. "What are they doing, huh?"

~LBR~

The Louds couldn't help but burst into laughter seeing Bruford's hair. "I've heard of static messing up hair, but this is ridiculous!" laughed Luna.

"I've seen powdered wigs that don't look as silly as that!" giggled Lola.

~PB~

"A moment ago," said Jonathan, "you said, 'This pain is nothing.' That means pain is something you can feel again." Suddenly, a field of dead flowers, on which the two were standing, began to stand upright and open their beautiful white petals, the grass becoming a lush green as the field was restored to life.

Zeppeli gasped as the flowers bloomed once again. "The flowers, they're blooming all around him. Even now, the Hamon ravages the evil that animates Bruford's long-dead corpse."

Slowly, Bruford, his hair having fallen back down, managed to crack a small smile. Suddenly his left leg gave way, quite literally as it tore off from the knee. He let out a gasp of pain as he hit the ground.

~LBR~

"Guess he couldn't take it as well as he thought," said Lincoln.

"At least he's got his humanity back," said Lana. "Too bad it cost-"

"Don't finish that sentence," said Lynn. "We don't need another Luan."

~PB~

"You see?" said Zeppeli to Speedwagon. "The long-forgotten pain came back. Only humans know that sort of ache."

~LBR~

"I guess the others were screaming for fun," said Lynn.

~PB~

The camera panned across the lake and up to Bruford and Jonathan kneeling before each other, Bruford keeping himself upright using his sword. "Observe, my dear Speedwagon," continued Zeppeli. "His zombie body succumbs to the Hamon, but his noble soul is redeemed in the process."

Jonathan leaned forward. "I could sense the good in you," he said. "That's why I didn't try to dodge." The image changed to Bruford's cracked face, still smiling. "You could've killed me just now, but you stayed your hand."

"Look at his face!" said Speedwagon. "It's like all the rage and hatred he had when Dio brought him back are gone!"

~LBR~

"They must've leaked out of the cracks," joked Lola.

~PB~

"His features are so gentle," said Speedwagon, "he could be a bloke catching up with his oldest mate!"

"You stood there like a statue," said Bruford, "ready to take the fatal blow. Oblivion beckoned, but you put your trust in me. Your faith in human goodness is rare."

~LBR~

"You gotta love JoJo for that," said Luna with a smirk. "He's even shown kindness to Dio despite having every reason not to."

"He really is a true gentleman!" said Lola with joy.

~PB~

Bruford suddenly began to cough violently, worrying Jonathan. He let go of his sword, which he had placed into the ground, before he let out a light chuckle. "Once, I'd have railed against the pain I feel. Now, going to my rightful end, I cherish all that proves me human. It gives me joy."

The scene cut to the sky, the full moon visible behind a passing cloud. "The embers dull within me," said Bruford, "but I am tranquil. There is no bitterness left." He smiled softly once more. "What irony to live yet again, dying with thanks on my lips for the very man who slaughters me anew. I shall return to my one true master."

~LBR~

Lola was watching the scene with wide eyes when she felt a tear rolling down her face. She quickly wiped it away with her hand, something that wasn't missed by her twin. "You okay, Lola?"

"I'm fine, just an eyelash bugging me," lied Lola.

"You know, Lols," said Lana, "it's okay to cry. I'm not gonna tease you or anything. You should've seen me earlier."

Lola smiled. "Thanks, Lana." The twins turned their attention back to the screen.

~PB~

The scene suddenly cut to Bruford's sword, kanji bursting onto the screen. "I would know the name of the warrior who bested me," said Bruford softly. "Would you kindly do me that honor?"

"It's Jonathan Joestar," said Jonathan.

"Sir Jonathan," said Bruford, pulling his sword from the ground and handing it to Jonathan, "I leave to you this sword given to me by my precious queen and the word engraved upon it." The camera suddenly zoomed in on the top of the hilt, where it met the cross guard. Beside a small red gem was the word "LUCK" engraved into the golden hilt. "'Luck.'" Bruford then ran his index finger across the blade, forming a small cut. "But first, let me affix my own benediction," he said as he wrote a capital P in front of the sword's engravement, changing its name. "'Pluck!'"

~LBR~

"Those are two things that JoJo definitely has a lot of," said Lincoln.

~PB~

"Sir Bruford!" Jonathan attempted to object, only for Bruford to put his sword, now Jonathan's, back into the ground. He let out a soft chuckle before his body slowly evaporated into dust. Jonathan could do nothing but watch as the empty armor clattered to the ground, all that remained of the redeemed Black Knight. There was silence as Jonathan held his hand out, before he lowered it and his head. "Go you to your rest. Let no one doubt you have earned it, Bruford."

~LBR~

The Louds said nothing as they watched the scene unfold, the show having once more moved them. There were a few tears as the death of Bruford sank in, the man who once died cursing his killer now granting a gift to the one who freed him of his curse. Once it had passed, Lincoln silently picked up the controller and resumed the episode.

~PB~

"Why…" cried Jonathan with remorse, "why did I have to strike him down to redeem his soul?! He died once before with hate in his heart, but his spirit was still pure! He returned not out of choice, but dragged above by Dio's evil!" Jonathan clenched his fist tightly. "His evil and the mask's power, I will send them both to Hell before the dawn!"

~LBR~

"I have no doubt that you will, JoJo," said Lincoln to himself.

~PB~

Suddenly, Tarkus appeared behind Jonathan, towering above the Hamon user. "JoJo! He's right behind you!" warned Speedwagon as a color shift occurred the same time the warning reached Jonathan. His hair had turned a deep crimson while his clothes were purple and burgundy, with Tarkus having paler skin and green eyes. Jonathan quickly spun around.

"Tarkus!" he exclaimed.

~LBR~

"Okay, I have to know how he managed to sneak around behind him," said Luna. "The dude is twice JoJo's size and decked out in armor."

"That's the danger of the monologue," said Lana. "Speedwagon and Zeppeli could've been throwing rocks at JoJo the whole time and he wouldn't have noticed a thing."

"Like a certain brother with his headphones," reminded Lola, causing the brother in question to roll his eyes.

~PB~

Tarkus smirked before he lifted one of his giant feet, then stomped on the armor of Bruford, crushing the remains of his former ally and friend into scrap metal.

~LBR~

"Whoa, whoa, what the hell was that?!" shouted Lynn. "That was your friend a second ago!"

"Something tells me Tarkus isn't gonna be redeemed so easily," said Lola with crossed arms.

"Yeah, the minister of hate had just arrived too late to be spared," added Luna.

~PB~

There was a split screen with Tarkus on the left giving a sharp-toothed smirk, and Jonathan on the right looking horrified. "You villain! That was the armor of a steadfast friend and comrade! He died with honor and dignity!"

~LBR~

"See, he even agrees with me!" shouted Lynn.

~PB~

Tarkus's half of the screen soon took up the whole scene. "He died like a spineless dog!" insulted Tarkus. Zeppeli and Speedwagon ran up to aid a shocked Jonathan, the former now sporting an orange and purple outfit due to the shift and the latter in jade and red, with purple hair to boot. "He was too clever by half! Liked winning his fights with thinking!" He lifted his massive sword. "I just hit 'em until they fall to pieces!"

Kanji that meant the sound of heavy footsteps traveled along the screen as Tarkus glared at the three, sword pointed towards them and his eyes glowing red. "What use have I got for clever? I carry a sword as tall as a man!"

~LBR~

"Oh, so he fights the Lynn way," laughed Lincoln without thinking, ticking off his older sister.

"Yeah? Well right now, I'm THINKING of putting you into a full nelson."

"I'll be quiet," he murmured sheepishly.

~PB~

The scene cut to a close-up of a scowling Tarkus. "None of you will get an easy death," he threatened as he smirked with a fierce war cry, his face cracking just like his companion's had.

~LBR~

"I was kidding!" said Lana.

"I'm not surprised his face cracked too," said Lola. "With a look like that, he finally matches the mirrors he looks in."

~PB~

Tarkus's eyes glowed red as he hefted his colossal broadsword over his head with one hand, then slammed it into the ground. The sword cut through the earth and caused it to split apart, the power of the impact forcing large chunks of rock out of the ground like waves. Jonathan gasped as the ground rose beneath him, his companions leaping back to avoid them. Poco's eyes widened as his hiding place fell, causing him to topple off the cliff.

~LBR~

"I'm sure it's now dawning on him that maybe he should've ran home instead of getting a front-row seat to the fight," said Luna.

~PB~

Poco, now wearing pink due to the shift, screamed before he was caught by his suspenders. He realized he was no longer plummeting to his death as his savior, Jonathan, pulled him closer and cradled the boy in his arms. "JoJo," complimented Zeppeli, "nice catch!"

The four suddenly looked around and realized that the cliff was getting higher, or rather, they were getting lower. "The cliff's crumbling!" shouted Speedwagon as the camera pulled back. Indeed, the fissure from Tarkus's attack had split a large platform of stone from the cliff, one that was sliding down the edge of the mountain into the ravine below.

Zeppeli gasped as he saw that Tarkus was trudging towards the falling cliff with heavy footsteps, intent on wiping them out long before they hit the bottom. He looked down to see their one-way elevator was blanketed with dead leaves. "Hmm, these dead leaves…JoJo!" he said, addressing his pupil from over his shoulder.

"Yes sir!" Jonathan took a deep breath as he channeled Hamon, Zeppeli doing the same while triumphant music played. With a light blue background and the color shift back to normal, their bodies began to glow with energy as they each lifted their left arms above them, kanji moving across the screen.

"LIFE MAGNETISM OVERDRIVE!" they shouted as they both placed their hands onto the ground. Their bodies gave off a brilliant golden glow as Hamon crackled into the ground. Suddenly, the leaves that littered the rock began to swarm towards them, being pulled, fittingly, like a magnet attracting iron shavings. As Tarkus sprinted as fast as a mass of muscle like him could, while the gathered leaves were starting to stick together.

~LBR~

"What the heck are they up to now?" wondered Lincoln. "Are they going to fight Tarkus with leaves?"

"They've already used wine, so it wouldn't be the strangest thing we've seen them fight with," said Luna.

~PB~

Tarkus let out a primal scream as he prepared a powerful swing of his sword. Speedwagon and Poco gasped in shock while Zeppeli and Jonathan focused on their plan. Tarkus's eyes flashed red as he suddenly grunted in bewilderment. Jonathan and Zeppeli were now holding the dead leaves, having somehow solidified them into a leaf-shaped glider that crackled with Hamon.

~LBR~

"What is THAT?!" shrieked Lola. "And how is that gonna help them?"

"It kinda looks like a hang glider," said Lincoln. "Ooh, or the Sky Spade, Ace Savvy's jet!"

"Let's go with the first one," said Lynn. "Sounds less… dorky."

~PB~

"Hurry, Poco! Speedwagon! Grab on!" urged Jonathan. The two wasted no time, with Poco wrapping his arms around Jonathan's neck and shoulders and Speedwagon clinging onto Zeppeli's torso. Just as Tarkus swung his blade, the Hamon users jumped off the crumbling cliff and away from their foe. Their glider soon began to soar through the air with them in tow, carrying them across the canyon and away from harm. It swerved at first from the uneasy takeoff, but soon straightened out.

~LBR~

"So it was a glider!" said Laba. "Let's see Tarkus get them now!"

~PB~

"All human beings, whether adept at Hamon or not, constantly exude a weak magnetic field," explained the narrator. "An Overdrive can increase the power of that field. JoJo and Zeppeli sent it into the leaves, drawing them together into a solid shape."

~LBR~

"What can't Hamon do at this point?" wondered Lynn.

~PB~

"W— wow!" said Poco in amazement, before looking over his shoulder at Tarkus. The berserker had plunged his sword's tip into the rock and was glaring at his lost quarry. "Bye!" shouted the boy with a smile as he pulled down his pants to show his bare behind to Tarkus. Poco laughed as he spanked himself to taunt the undead soldier. Tarkus simply glared with rage and grunted in disappointment.

~LBR~

"Oh, how uncivilized! Not to mention gross! Pull up your pants, have some dignity!" shouted Lola, eyes squeezed tight as she turned her head away.

"Lighten up, sis! I think it's pretty funny!" said Lana with a chuckle.

"Yeah, smart move taunting the dude who can lift mountains," said Lynn. "You guys are still in rock throwing range!"

"I'm more worried about Poco slipping and falling," said Luna. "Or dropping JoJo's pants too."

"Now that would definitely tick off Tarkus," laughed Lincoln.

~PB~

"We're flying! I can't believe it!" shouted Poco in awe as he pulled his slacks back up and turned to Jonathan. "I bet you're magicians, huh? You'd have to be, right?! How did you learn to do all of these neat spells in the first place?"

"Damn good question," said Speedwagon, grabbing Poco's attention. "I've been watching them do it, and I still pinch myself!" He then turned to the man he was clinging to for dear life. "Oi, Baron! What's the story? We're not going anywhere! How on Earth did you pick up all this mumbo jumbo?" Zeppeli said nothing, simply looking forward before the scene wiped to the right, changing to a young adult in a striped sailor uniform and a white bandana walking with a knapsack. Seagulls could be heard in the distance as he turned to look behind him, revealing a younger Baron Zeppeli.

~LBR~

"Ooh, we're gonna learn the whole story! Spill!" said Lola, beaming excitedly.

~PB~

The scene was shown in full, with Zeppeli looking at passing ships from the edge of a dock, a rich-looking family walking down it. The motions were stiff and skipping while the animation was somewhat muted and grainy, giving the impression of a slideshow with old photographs. 'Many years ago,' thought Zeppeli as he narrated his memories, the flashback Zeppeli turning away from the sea and walking down the dock, 'my travels took me to India, where I discovered a mysterious man.'

The scene cut to inside a building, where an Indian man wearing a turban with a sun symbol had his eyes closed, the familiar sound of Hamon audible as the camera pulled away to show an awestruck Zeppeli. 'He called himself a doctor, though he was very young and lacked all the tools of the trade.' The scene changed to a shot above the self-proclaimed doctor, his hands on a man who laid on a table before him, his left leg up to the knee covered with severe gangrene. 'Little did I know, he was more potent of a medic than I'd ever encountered,' recalled Zeppeli as the doctor moved both hands to the man's thigh. Bright Hamon poured from his hands and restored the leg to a natural, healthy state. 'He took a gangrenous limb in his hands, and healed it with light from within.'

~LBR~

"He's not a doctor, he's just a paladin," joked Lincoln.

~PB~

The past Zeppeli was in a cold sweat, eyes wide and mouth ajar. 'That was the day I learned of Hamon.' The scene cut to Zeppeli speaking with the doctor. 'I'd been looking for something of which to fight the stone mask's evil, and in Hamon, I had found it.' The scene showed Zeppeli, now wearing a blue cloak, rowing a boat down a river towards a mountain range. 'Eager to learn, I crossed into Tibet and up the Salween River,' he thought as he was shown trekking through the mountains with a walking stick, 'in search of he who had taught the young healer.'

He stopped when he saw the gigantic monastery before him, standing tall in a basin among the mountains. The main body of the building had two golden saucer-shaped structures stacked atop each other, lines along their body similar to a paper lantern. There was a room with pillars atop the smaller disk, and around the base were several pagodas.

~LBR~

"Not what I'd call a palace by any stretch of the word, but it sure looks nice, if a bit weird," said Lola.

"What's with the flying saucer things?" asked Lana.

"Heh, maybe Zeppeli got his powers from aliens," said Luna. "It'd explain how little he reacts to weird stuff."

~PB~

A wall of lit candles adorned the inside of the monastery. Monks in red and gold meditated before another, likely the head monk, meditating on some sort of seat or altar. He was wearing the same red cloak with ornate golden collar, and he was completely bald with a short white beard. 'His name was Tonpetty.'

~LBR~

"I'm gonna guess that's one too," said Lincoln as Luna gave an open mouth smile. "Uh, Tom Petty, right?"

"Yep!" said Luna.

~PB~

Tonpetty held out his hand for a handshake, catching Zeppeli off guard as he took off his bandana in respect. He slowly leaned forward and accepted the handshake, a brilliant glow of Hamon going through their hands. Zeppeli was surprised to see this happen, and Tonpetty opened his orange eyes, which briefly lit up. "Stranger, these eyes of mine have seen your future," said Tonpetty, his voice deep and somewhat gravelly due to his age. The scene went back to the wall of candles, then zoomed in on a single one. "If you pursue the mysteries of Hamon as my pupil, your fate is sealed." He then looked the Italian explorer in the eyes. "The day will come when this will be the death of you."

~LBR~

"The death of him? That can't be true…can it?" pondered Lana.

"Come on, Zeppeli's gonna be fine, I'm sure!" said Lincoln with a smile, although he wasn't too sure.

~PB~

"I understand," said the past Zeppeli. "If I must die to end this quest, so be it." The camera moved to his eyes, then shifted back to the glider with Zeppeli and the others in tow.

'Master Tonpetty's prophecy is never far from my mind,' thought Zeppeli as he looked down solemnly, 'but I cannot tell them. Not even JoJo.'

"Baron?" asked Speedwagon. Suddenly a harsh wind could be heard, with Speedwagon looking around. "So, that sound? That's part of Hamon doing its thing, yeah?"

Jonathan grunted. "Hardly!" As he looked up, a certain berserker had leapt off the cliff and was now careening towards them

"Look out, it's Tarkus!" shouted Poco as the image froze with a red filter, Tarkus letting out a guttural cry.

~LBR~

"Wow, the dude can jump for somebody of his size," said Lynn.

"He must've spent the flashback time getting a running start," joked Lola.

~PB~

As the episode resumed, the camera pulled back to show what looked like a castle built into the side of the canyon, with Tarkus and the heroes in the far distance, the former leaping towards the latter. He plummeted towards their leaf glider, his long red hair billowing in the wind as he closed in on his target.

"He's insane!" shouted Zeppeli. "Leaping from that height just to give chase to his foes!" As Tarkus was inches away from their getaway ride, he swiped at the side with his hand and tore away a chunk of leaves before he grabbed onto the glider. However, the Hamon running through the glider was more than enough to give him a painful shock, forcing him to relinquish his grip and fly off his short ride.

~LBR~

"Insane? Maybe," said Luna. "Stupid? Absolutely."

~PB~

"There's a goodly amount of Hamon holding these leaves together, you brute!" pointed out Zeppeli. "Painful to the touch for the undead!"

Jonathan looked down and noticed the castle in the rock. "What's that?"

"That's where the knights used to train in the olden days!" said Poco.

"Leap to safety, everyone!" shouted Jonathan in a split screen. "Before we get swatted out of the sky!"

~LBR~

"'Mayday, mayday! Abandon leaves!'" joked Lincoln.

~PB~

The four leaped safely onto a balcony, abandoning their improvised glider. Poco let out a short yell as he clung to Jonathan until the Hamon user was safely on the ground, Speedwagon letting go of Zeppeli as they both landed on their feet. Tarkus didn't have nearly as graceful of a landing, careening through the air like a stone from a catapult before he smashed through a tower's walls. Dust flew out of the hole as smashed chunks of rock fell into the chasm, along with the horned helm of the zombified berserker.

"Crazy blighter," muttered Speedwagon as he looked down at the crash alongside Poco. "He just slammed himself straight into the tower!"

"Yes, and thank your lucky stars that he did, Speedwagon," said Zeppeli. "Unlike their master, Dio's minions can't regenerate, so that should be the last we see of that beast."

In a split screen, Jonathan's eyes widened in shock. As the dust from the impact settled, foreboding music played as a bloody hand came out of the hole and grabbed the tower, pushing its owner out. Missing his helmet and bloodied, Tarkus snarled as he leered at the four.

~LBR~

"What the heck is he made of, diamond?!" asked Lynn, pulling at her hair. "I'd have to do full body workouts every waking moment of the day and drink a Big Gulp worth of protein shakes to get gains like that!"

~PB~

"How did— he should be mincemeat!" shouted Zeppeli in shock. "Even in death, he has a will of iron. How does his body endure under such punishment?!"

"He's climbing up!" shouted Speedwagon, with Tarkus using his finger strength to bore through the bricks and create improvised holds and scale the walls.

~LBR~

"Do all the undead in this world hate walls?" asked Lana.

~PB~

"We can't destroy Dio while this monster dogs our steps," said Zeppeli. "It seems we have no other choice. Tarkus meets his doom, here and now!" He turned and pointed to Jonathan. "JoJo, this will be perilous! Get the lad to safety within!" As he instructed his apprentice, a green gas could be seen seeping through the bars of the iron door.

~LBR~

"Finally, somebody has the brains to get the child away from the giant zombie!" said Lola.

"What's with the gas? Is the inside of the castle poisonous?" wondered Lana.

"Maybe nobody cleaned out the fridge in the last few hundred years," shrugged Lincoln.

~PB~

Tarkus continued scaling the tower when he saw an opening in the wall big enough for even him to fit into, the same green gas coming out of it. He gave a wicked grin as he saw this.

~LBR~

"This is gonna be a tough fight," said Lincoln. "Not only is Tarkus way bigger and stronger than Bruford, but he probably knows every trick in that place."

"Didn't help Jack the Ripper much," said Lynn. "Plus this won't be a one-on-one fight, I'm sure. Maybe not Speedwagon, but Zeppeli is sure to lend a Hamon-filled hand."

"I guess you're right," conceded Lincoln as he resumed the episode, earning a smirk from Lynn.

~PB~

Jonathan slowly reached for the handle of the door, turning to the side. As he did, the loud sound of metal mechanisms moving into could be heard, much louder than a normal door should make even after centuries without use. Jonathan flinched for a split second before he pushed it open without issue. "This door," he said. "Something's odd about it."

"Be careful," warned Poco as he peeked inside the room from behind Jonathan. "This is where they used to train the knights how to kill people. They say it's full of booby traps."

Jonathan cautiously stepped inside, a chain visible in the corner. Suddenly, the chain moved.

"Duck, JoJo!" shouted Speedwagon. "Something's coming at ya!" Suddenly, something flew towards Jonathan. It looked like a shackle attached to a chain, along with heavy shoulder plates to weigh down the wearer. The shackle snapped shut around Jonathan's neck, and the chain was pulled back, dragging him away.

~LBR~

"Guess that's why they're called chokers," said Luna.

~PB~

The others were in shock from the ambush. "JoJo!" shouted Zeppeli as the door slammed shut. The three pushed against it as the foreboding gas leaked out of the bars, but it was fruitless. Inside the room, two walls of torches were suddenly lit.

"Who ensnared me?" asked Jonathan as he was still dragged by the chain, only to see that the chain was connected to a hole in the ceiling. The camera pulled back to reveal the chain was also coming out of another hole in the ceiling on the opposite side of the room, with none other than Tarkus pulling on it.

~LBR~

"Great, that brute has him right where he wants him," said Lola. "Come on, JoJo! Break that chain and hit him in his ugly mug!"

"'I've caught me a pet human! I'll take him on walks, give him treats, and call him George!'" joked Lana.

~PB~

"Tarkus!" shouted Jonathan.

"Yes," said the zombie as he lifted the chain. "Caught you good. You're fleet of foot, little man, but now you and me are chained to each other! You've got nowhere to run!" The scene showed Tarkus with an evil grin and red glowing eyes, showing the same shackle was around his own neck.

"JoJo had wandered into The Lair of the Two-Headed Dragon," said the narrator, "an ancient sparring ground and home of the Chain Death Match."

"I killed 48 men here," said Tarkus with glee. "Taking a life's an art form, and I'm a master!"

~LBR~

"What an awful jerk," spat Lana with disdain, Hops popping out from under her hat to agree.

~PB~

Outside the sparring room, Zeppeli punched the door, but his fist did nothing more than slightly shake the iron and let out a ringing noise. He punched it again and again to no effect, his knuckles bloody from his vain efforts and his eyes wide in fear, anger, and desperation. He reared back his fist for another attempt before Speedwagon wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pulling him back. "That's enough!" shouted Speedwagon as he did his best to hold back his friend. "You can't punch through it! That door is solid iron!"

"Goodness!" said Poco as he noticed the bleeding knuckles. "He's battered his knuckles bloody against it!"

"Hamon is very versatile," said Zeppeli, his voice notably strained, "but it's meant to be used as a rapier, not as a sledgehammer. Bricks I could beat to a powder, but this door is too strong!"

~LBR~

"Then break the bricks around the door," said Lynn. "Problem solved, right?"

"If they don't end up breaking the balcony off and taking a plunge," said Luna.

~PB~

The scene cut to the inside of the deadly training ground, Jonathan trying his best to pull off the shackle and failing. To make matters worse, it sounded like it was starting to choke him. "JoJo faces a darker dilemma," said Zeppeli. "That chain about his neck is more than ripple energy can overcome!"

Images of Jonathan and Tarkus were shown in split panels alongside a color shift, Jonathan's hair and eyes turning purple and Tarkus's hair dark violet. "Breaking out of that collar is impossible," taunted Tarkus, "and you'll need the key to unlock it." His panel took up the entirety of the screen as he pointed to the shackle around his neck, the transition showing his armor had turned light blue. "Too bad it's right here!"

The scene cut to the torches on the wall, the shift turning the flames green like Greek fire. "During a death match," explained Tarkus, "the door to the outside is fashioned to lock tight. Just as I have the key to your collar, you have the one that goes to mine. Therefore, the only way that either of us is going to get out of here…"

Tarkus got onto one knee and pulled on the chain, causing Jonathan's collar to pull tighter as his eyes widened. "…is by taking the other's head!" Tarkus sprinted forward to try and tackle Jonathan, the latter dragged into the air by the chain.

~LBR~

"Was this for training?" asked Lincoln. "Putting people into death matches? This is beyond brutal, it's just cruel!"

"Not to mention how much that thug enjoyed it," said Lola. "And here I thought his story was as tragic as Bruford's."

~PB~

As Jonathan was dragged towards the ceiling, he exhaled loudly as he called upon all the Hamon he could, body glowing. "Overdrive!" he shouted as he punched the chain, the metal conducting the Hamon as it traveled to the ceiling. However, it stopped as soon as it reached the top. Jonathan failed to speak as he tried to understand why it failed before he suddenly slammed into the ceiling, the chain being pulled as high as it could. He strained against the collar as he felt it blocking his windpipe.

'The chain is touching the stone ceiling,' thought Jonathan, 'so the Hamon lacks a direct path into Tarkus!'

~LBR~

"Okay, this is really bad," said Lana. "He just wasted his one chance! Now he can't use his Hamon against Tarkus, since he can't make any more if he's being strangled!"

"So he's got two options," said Lynn. "Either Zeppeli takes out Tarkus, or he gets that collar off so they can really fight."

~PB~

Tarkus snarled as he swept a leg as thick as an oak tree towards Jonathan. The Hamon user lifted his arm to block the kick, succeeding in stopping it. However, he didn't manage to completely prevent injury as a sickening crunch could be heard from the arm he blocked with.

A dark purple filter covered the screen as a panicking Jonathan looked at his broken arm. 'He's broken the bone in my forearm! Ghh, it's a simple thing to fix! A little Hamon and I'm good as new!' The filter disappeared as he kept trying to pull off the shackle with his other hand, eyebrows and mouth twitching as breathing got harder and harder. 'But in order to use Hamon, I need to be free of this damnable collar! I can't breathe!'

As Jonathan struggled inside the Lair of the Two-Headed Dragon, Zeppeli kept slamming on the door. He and Speedwagon were looking inside, terrified. "JoJo!" cried Zeppeli in vain.

A small stain appeared on Poco's pants, growing as he trembled. "Oh no! This is all so frightening, I think I wet myself!"

~LBR~

"Yeah, this is what I want to see instead of the fight. A kid peeing his pants," complained Lynn.

~PB~

"This village was safe, until these men arrived," said Poco.

~LBR~

"Oh, heck no!" screamed Lana. "They didn't have anything to do with this! If they didn't show up, Tarkus and Bruford would've smashed your town to smithereens! Not to mention whatever Dio and his other minions would've done!"

"Relax, Lana, he's just a kid," said Lincoln. "And a fictional one at that."

"I'm younger than him, and I know he's wrong!" she retorted.

~PB~

"I'm in danger here," said Poco. "You need to get away from all this fighting on the double, Poco!"

Speedwagon managed to slip his arm through one of the bars and point at a lever inside the room, a short distance from the door. "I see a lever, Baron Zeppeli! No telling for certain, but I think pulling on it will open this door!"

"Fighting Tarkus is a daunting enough task as it is," said Zeppeli, "never mind doing it fresh out of a battle with Bruford." He clenched a fist in frustration, blood seeping out of his cut knuckles. "Come Hell or high water, we must find a way to get in there and help him!"

Speedwagon scowled and stepped away from the door. "It's locked up tighter than a nunnery!"

~LBR~

"What kind of a saying is that?" asked Lola.

"Guess nuns don't like visitors?" suggested Lincoln.

"Or at least Speedwagon managed to tick some nuns off royally," said Lynn, earning laughs from everyone but Luna, knowing the real meaning of the expression as she blushed furiously.

~PB~

As Poco looked around, trying to find a way out of the mess he had been dragged into, he noticed a few cross-shaped openings in the wall, leading right into the room where Jonathan and Tarkus were. 'It's so narrow,' he thought as he averted his eyes. 'Try as they might, they could never squeeze through. But…'

His legs trembled as he looked back to the men trying in vain to get to their comrade. '…maybe I could.'

~LBR~

"He's actually gonna go in and help save JoJo," said Luna with wide eyes and a soft smile. "Kudos to him. Guess he wasn't just dead weight after all!"

"Maybe," said Lynn, crossing her arms in doubt.

~PB~

The sound of Tarkus attacking Jonathan caused Poco to flinch and avert his gaze again. "Blast it!" cursed Zeppeli with one last blow to the door. "We could batter this door till judgement day to no avail! We'll have to use the cliffside entrance Tarkus used!" He turned and started walking towards the edge of the balcony.

"But that'll take too much time, time that he don't got," argued Speedwagon as Poco continued to panic.

"I know, but we've no other choice!" said Zeppeli.

Speedwagon pounded a fist on the door, trembling with rage. "Always on the bleedin' sidelines!" he cried. "I'm powerless! There's nothing I can do to help!"

~LBR~

"Well, you've done plenty to help JoJo from there, so you're doing a pretty good job," argued Lincoln.

"And he proved me right, so he's proper cracking," said Luna in her faux accent, making Lincoln roll his eyes.

"Careful your head doesn't get any bigger, sis. Next time you head bang, you'll topple like a domino," he said with a smile, earning a hearty laugh from Luna.

~PB~

Speedwagon's woes seemed to resonate with Poco as his eyes widened. "Look at me, brat! I'm talking to you!" came a voice as Poco whimpered, closing his eyes as a flashback was triggered. There was a sudden transition to a field during sunset, a pair of hands pushing a past version of Poco into the arms of a pair of bullies. "I said look at me!" repeated the voice as the bullies cackled and grabbed his arms. "Are you stupid or what?"

"He's such a little scaredy-cat," laughed another bully as a shift in the scene showed that there were a total of five bullies ganging up on Poco. There was also a house, likely Poco's, in the background.

"What a baby! He's shaking like a leaf!" laughed one of the bullies holding onto Poco.

"Look, fellas!" shouted the other. "Look at 'im!"

"Aw, is the baby gonna cry?" asked the first voice, likely the ringleader of this circus of thugs. He pulled back his arm and slammed his elbow into a sobbing Poco's cheek, the others letting him go so he fell onto the dirt road. The bullies formed a circle around him and laughed at his misery. Poco could do nothing but stare at them like a deer in the headlights.

~LBR~

"I'm really starting to feel bad for this kid," said Lola. "Nobody deserves to get kicked around like that."

"My thoughts exactly!" said Lana with a smile.

"Even if he thinks that suspenders are fashionable. Spoilers, they're not."

"Eh, your heart's in the right place," shrugged Lana. "I'll take it."

~PB~

"Hey, look!" said one of the bullies to their leader, who turned around to see somebody approaching. It was a girl who had the same color hair and skin as Poco, only her hair was done in a wavy ponytail and spiked up near the front, and she lacked freckles. She was wearing a red dress with a short blue cape and a white blouse visible underneath, and her purple eyes were full of anger towards the gang.

"Ahh! Come on, let's get out of here!" shouted one of the bullies, the five running scared.

~LBR~

"Now who's the scaredy-cat?" asked Lynn.

"'That's not fair, getting a girl to help him! He knows we can't hit her!'" joked Lincoln.

"I was never a fan of that," said Lynn. "What, are girls too weak to take a hit? I can take a punch easy! C'mon, Lincoln, hit me!"

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah, right here!" she said, pointing to her cheek. "I'll be fine, trust me!"

Lincoln shrugged and punched her in the cheek. Lynn didn't even flinch. "Didn't even feel that."

"Cool!" admired Lana. "Do it again!"

"I don't know about this," said Lincoln. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Come on, Stinkoln! You won't even tickle me with those weak arms of yours! Try it again!"

Lincoln's eyes narrowed as he pulled back for another punch. This one went for her gut, and had a little more power thanks to her taunting. While Lynn figured out where the punch was going and tightened her abs, she wasn't prepared for the force as she let out a sharp breath and went bug-eyed when the fist made contact. One thing was for sure, that didn't tickle.

"Oh man! Are you okay, Lynn?" asked Lincoln as she held her stomach.

"Nice one," she said, more impressed than hurt. "Can we get back to the show now?"

"Good idea," said Lincoln.

~PB~

As the bullies ran for the hills, Poco got onto his knees and looked up. "Sis, it's you."

"Poco, really," chided his sister. "You're letting those boys bully you again?" Poco didn't reply, only looking shamefully to the side. "They do this all the time! Why not try standing up to them for once?"

~LBR~

"After all, if you rely on your sisters for bullying problems, you'll end up with a black eye," said Lincoln.

"That was one time!" said Lola.

"How is Ronnie Anne?" asked Luna.

"She's okay," said Lincoln. "I talk to her on voice chat sometimes. We've both got lots of crazy stories to tell, that's for sure."

~PB~

"I'll…bloody their noses!" said Poco unconvincingly. "I will!"

"When?" asked his sister. "Tomorrow? In a year?"

"Um… I dunno," said Poco.

His sister walked up to him and knelt down so they were at eye level. "Poco," she asked as he looked at her, trembling, "what frightens you more than anything else?"

He looked away for a moment, trying to think of his answer, when his sister slapped him on the cheek. "I know that hurt, but you're still in one piece," she said. "Pain's not the worst thing."

Poco put a hand to his stinging cheek as he looked back at his sister, who continued. "There's something far worse. It's growing up being too afraid to do anything! What kind of a life would that be?"

Poco slowly lowered his hands before he started to cry. "I'm… sorry, sis," he sobbed.

~LBR~

"What do you know? I never thought tough love would actually work," said Lincoln.

~PB~

Poco's sister held out a hand. "It's alright, Poco," she said as the scene cut to her helping him walk back to their house. "Let's get you home and into some clean clothes." He kept crying, only with tears of joy mixed in as the camera followed their shadows, then faded to black.

~LBR~

"That was kinda sweet," said Luna with a smile.

"After dealing with Dio, it's cool to see some siblings get along," agreed Lana.

~PB~

The scene returned to Poco with closed eyes, only looking calmer. He opened his eyes, shimmering with bravery. As Zeppeli started to lower himself off the balcony to try and reach the window Tarkus entered through, he was distracted by the sound of something hitting stone. He and Speedwagon saw that Poco had jumped onto the window and was trying to climb into it. "Poco!" screamed Zeppeli.

"A window!" shouted Speedwagon. "Oi, lad! That's brave, but goin' in there's gonna be the end of ya!"

"Speedwagon!" shouted Zeppeli. "Get the boy down! A butcher like Tarkus doesn't care who he kills! He'll crush Poco underfoot like a bug!"

~LBR~

"He's also chained to the ceiling," said Lola.

"Well, seeing how strong he is, that's more of a decoration than a hindrance," said Lincoln. "He could probably just swallow and break that thing."

~PB~

"Come on now!" shouted Speedwagon as he reached for Poco. "Enough of this nonsense, Poco!" But it was hopeless as Poco was too high to reach, and was already climbing into the window until he was soon out of sight.

~LBR~

"Put something else under using Hamon on the list of things Speedwagon can't do," said Lynn. "Jump."

"If I was that high above the ground, I'd keep my feet on solid ground as much as I could, dude," defended Luna. "That's one stage dive I don't wanna do."

~PB~

Once Poco was fully inside the window, he crawled through the dark towards the light of the room. 'Just think about what's gonna happen to Windknight's Lot if these monsters win. If that JoJo guy gets killed in here, they'll attack us next! What if they hurt sis?' He thought of his older sister, smiling as she helped him up. 'I have to keep her safe, no matter what!'

~LBR~

The Louds said nothing, but moved a bit closer together, all smiling.

~PB~

Finally, Poco fell out of the window into the training room. "Hey sis!" he said with a smile. "I'm standing up to them now!" Jonathan, Speedwagon and Zeppeli stared at him in shock in a split screen, with Tarkus glaring at him with murderous intent. Those inside the room were no longer affected by the color shift, thought Zeppeli and Speedwagon were now sporting orange hair.

~LBR~

"Okay, it's cool that you were brave and are trying to protect your town," said Lana. "But did you really have to announce that you're there? You might as well put an 'Attack Me' sign on your back!"

~PB~

"Stay back!" screamed Jonathan as Poco landed on his hands and knees, then got up to run for the lever. "He'll kill you!"

Tarkus suddenly screamed in rage as he lunged for the boy. "Do not interfere, you brat!" But before he could reach him, Jonathan mustered every ounce of strength he could to pull on the chain, trying to keep Tarkus from reaching him. He succeeded as Tarkus had to stop, but he was able to kick Poco across the face, bloodying the boy and sending him flying into a wall. Zeppeli and Speedwagon screamed as they saw him hit the stone.

"POCO!" shouted Jonathan as Poco crawled away from the wall. He was bloody and battered, but not broken.

"It hurt… a lot…" he said, "but I'm still in one piece, so it's fine." Now far from Tarkus's reach, he lifted himself onto his feet and trudged towards the lever weakly. He reached out his hand, then pushed the lever back with one hand, using his whole body to push it into place while collapsing from exhaustion. A soft click in the door made it clear that it was unlocked, and Poco had succeeded.

Zeppeli used a fist to triumphantly slam the door open. Poco looked up at the two men and gave them a thumbs up and a smile. "I… was brave, huh?" he said with pride, laughing as Zeppeli got into a stance and Speedwagon went to the boy's side.

~LBR~

The five were silent for a moment. Then Lana jumped off the couch with her hands in the air, Hops peeking out from her cap with a smile. "That was awesome!" she said. "I'm sorry I ever thought anything bad about you, Poco! You were so cool!"

"It's like everyone in this universe has the potential to be awesome," said Lincoln. "No matter how young you are."

"And now it's time for Baron Zeppeli to bring the pain," said Lynn, cracking her knuckles.

~PB~

"Brave as a bear, my lad," said Speedwagon, turning to Jonathan. "Take heart, it's nothing that won't heal." Jonathan gave a nod, relieved the boy was fine. "Get 'im, Baron, go!" shouted the former gutter rat as Roundabout began to play. "Give that hulking bastard the what-for!"

The scene cut from the torches to the door, then to Speedwagon and Poco, then to Jonathan, before finally settling on Zeppeli's eyes, devoid of fear. However, he wasn't moving.

"Zeppeli?" asked Speedwagon as the scene cut to the flames.

"The day will come when this will be the death of you," came Tonpetty's voice in Zeppeli's mind.

"In fine," said Zeppeli, "is tonight the night that I go to my grave?"

Speedwagon gasped from the revelation, Poco having passed out in his arms. "Fate is a fickle mistress, but I cannot deny her," said Zeppeli, stepping forward.

"Zeppeli!" called out Speedwagon, but if Zeppeli heard him, he ignored him. "Why do you sound so dire?" Jonathan and Tarkus glared as Zeppeli pointed to Tarkus, the scene freezing as the "To Be Continued" arrow appeared at the bottom.

~LBR~

"It's Zeppeli versus Tarkus next episode," said Lynn as the ending played. "This is gonna be good."

"I liked Bruford's redemption the most!" said Lola. "He's truly a knight worthy of me!"

"Not to mention Poco actually doing something!" said Lana.

"Kinda worried about Zeppeli, though," said Luna. "You think he'll make it out of this?"

"I'd say so," said Lincoln. "But now, nothing's gonna stop us from watching the next—"

*ding-dong*

The Louds perked up like meerkats as they heard the doorbell. "Pizza!" they shouted as they scrambled to the door, deciding that maybe a quick break would be fine.

The new chapter is here! No guest reviews, but I do have something to say. I've been helping a friend of mine, RedDragon1997, with a story of his called ChaoticRonpa, a crossover between Chaotic and Danganronpa. He's been working hard on it, so I'd appreciate it if took the time to check it out and see what you think! I'd also like to thank all of you for making this my most popular story, and I can't wait to show you what else I've got in store! Catch you in episode 7! Starpion out!