"Alright, time for episode two! Let's do this!" And with that, Lincoln hit the play button as the last couple seconds of the credits played, and then the second episode began.

~PB~

The episode opened with a loud dramatic sting and a view of a crescent moon in the night. A woman's scream could be heard as the camera shifted down to the front of a chapel. "Seven years later, in 1888…" said the narrator as a streetlight came into view.

~LBR~

"Streetlights began mugging people," said Lincoln.

~PB~

The scene then cut to a dead woman's face, eyes bulging and tongue sticking out.

~LBR~

"Yeesh, what is it with these episodes opening with dead people?" asked Lynn.

~PB~

The scene pulled back, showing the woman in a pool of blood and twitching, a knife in somebody's hand dripping with blood. "Jack the Ripper stalked the streets of London, murdering women in the night and holding the entire city in his thrall," continued the narration as it cut to a newspaper describing the murders. Another cut showed the mysterious Jack the Ripper standing in the foggy streets of London, cape billowing in the wind as the view panned down to his shadow. "However, he was nothing compared to the horror that the feud between JoJo and Dio would unleash upon the world." The stone mask, with a red glow, flew towards the screen and stopped as it glared into the audience.

~LBR~

"Well, that's ominous," said Lana, holding Charles and Hops close.

~PB~

Suddenly, an upbeat song began to play as the opening began to play. Several scenes from the original manga, all in black and white with Japanese text, appeared on the screen in rapid succession alongside the credits. Suddenly, a 3D animation of an older Jonathan appeared as he swiped across the screen, punctuated by a sting as the title, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, appeared in a tunnel, backup singers shouting "JoJo."

~LBR~

"Whoa, that went from zero to a hundred at light speed!" said Lynn.

"Yeah, but I'm digging this opening, dudes!" said Luna as she tapped her hand on the couch to the beat. "It's so powerful with great instrumentals, really gets the blood pumping!"

~PB~

The scene cut to a 3D model of inside the Joestar mansion as the lyrics of the song came in. There was a brief cut of a younger Jonathan on the stairs, then one of Dio doing his signature entrance on a separate staircase before they glared at each other. It then changed to the statue in the mansion, then somebody holding up the stone mask, then a muscular arm holding a knife.

~LBR~

"Cool, it looks like this opening is in CGI! That's not something you see in anime often!" said Lincoln. "And yeah, I'm getting Ace Savvy vibes from this opening, a song meant to pump you up and show how cool the hero is!"

"Kinda wish I knew what they were singing," said Lana, as while the dialogue was in English, the song was in Japanese, and there weren't even subtitles to understand it.

~PB~

The scene then moved from the knife to the heart carving from before, and then to a shocked-looking Erina. Erina shyly looked away before going for a kiss, only to look in horror as she was kissed by Dio.

~LBR~

"Great, we have to keep watching this scene," said Luna. "And it's not any better in 3D than it is in 2D."

~PB~

The scene then spun 360 degrees before cutting to Jonathan going for a punch, clearly the fight from before. He performed an uppercut before there was a smash cut of blood splattering on the stone mask. The back of it was shown in shadows as the spikes sprouted from it, and it flew towards the camera.

~LBR~

"You're gonna wear me, and you're gonna like it!" joked Lana.

"The scary thing is, it might actually work that way," said Lincoln with a shudder.

~PB~

The scene then cut to several police officers shooting their guns, the bullets flying in slow motion as the bridge started playing. They were shown hitting a shadowy figure with red eyes as glass shards fell, one showing Jonathan holding his father. A gloved hand was shown pointing towards the sky as the sun shone through a window, then there was a scene of what appeared to be an adult Dio walking up the wall. Literally, he was putting his feet through the wall to scale it, a pullback showing the mansion on fire.

~LBR~

"What the— why is he walking up the wall?!" asked Lincoln. "There's a set of stairs right there!"

"Clearly because stairs are for WIMPS!" laughed Lynn. "Wonder what happened to the house, though."

"Hopefully George is okay," added Luna.

~PB~

A spin transitioned to Dio holding the stone mask with a look of joy as he threw his hand forward for what seemed to be a punch. The scene cut to several moving panels of Dio, then Erina looking off into the distance.

The chorus began to play, getting more and more powerful, as a trail of smoke led up the staircase to a muscular adult Jonathan, who walked to the center of the step he was on and looked up. He then clenched a fist, a bright energy swirling around his hand before enveloping his entire body. Ready to fight, he started running up the stairs.

~LBR~

"This is awesome!" shouted Lincoln. "He's got the build of Ace Savvy! And it looks like he's gonna have some sort of superpower to boot!"

"If it makes the fights cool, I'm all for it," added Lynn.

~PB~

As Jonathan ran up the stairs, his mouth opened as if he was screaming something, flames appearing in his eyes before the scene changed to an adult Dio, sitting on a throne holding the stone mask as the same "menacing" sound effects appeared. As the singer finished the chorus at the top of their lungs, more manga panels were shown, before Jonathan, covered in a burning orange aura, punched at Dio, who was surrounded by a green aura. The stone mask was then shown falling into water, blood leaking from it before the screen faded to black.

~LBR~

"That… was… the coolest!" cheered Lynn, her siblings agreeing in full. "I'm totally pumped now! Like I can do my daily workout in five minutes and not break a sweat!"

"I gotta find out how to play that song!" said Luna, fingers twitching as if she was setting up notes.

"I'm so glad I kept watching!" added Lana.

"And this is just getting started!" added Lincoln.

~PB~

The scene then cut to the city as subtitles reading "Chapter 2: A Letter From the Past" appeared. There was cheering going on as the camera zoomed in on what seemed to be a college, with a rugby field in the center. From the sound of it, a game was in progress.

~LBR~

"Aw sweet, rugby! Now that's a way to start things off!" cheered Lynn. "It's like football without all that protection!"

"And that's… a good thing?" asked Luna.

~PB~

The ball was kicked into the air as one player, wearing a white and green striped uniform, leapt into the air and caught it in both hands. "Interception!" shouted the announcer as it cut to several students cheering for their team. "The ball is plucked out of the air by our hero, Jonathan Joestar!"

The scene then cut to Jonathan in the air, now nineteen. For the most part, he looked the same: somewhat tan, blue eyes, dark blue hair with large eyebrows. The main difference was that seven years had him put on a LOT of muscle. While he was toned before, he now had the physique of a bodybuilder, and even his face looked well-toned.

~LBR~

"And wow, JoJo is swole!" said Lynn before her eyes widened. "Ugh, did I really just say that unironically?" She then got off the couch. "Keep it paused for a bit, I'm getting a sports drink to wash this bad taste out of my mouth."

As she went to the kitchen, Luna turned to her younger siblings. "So, looks like JoJo is finally getting all the respect he lost due to Dio. I'm happy for him!"

"Yeah, he's finally happy again!" added Lana. "They really like him again!"

"Either that, or they're shallow because he's good at sports, but I'll stick with the former," said Lincoln. "It makes me feel better." His sisters agreed as Lynn returned, drinking a bottle of blue Thirst-ade, before she returned to her spot on the sofa. With everyone accounted for, Lincoln resumed the show.

~PB~

With a ground shaking thud, Jonathan landed as he tucked the ball under his arms and ran across the field with tremendous speed and power, yelling as he did so. "Joestar," continued the announcer, "a gentle giant at 195 centimeters, sprinted for the try zone with a spirited roar!"

~LBR~

"195 centimeters?" wondered Lincoln. "How tall is that?" He then pulled out his phone and searched for a conversion, surprised by the results. "That's almost six and a half feet tall! JoJo is huge!"

"He could probably touch our ceiling while just standing on the floor!" said Lana in disbelief.

~PB~

"Can he win this, the last game of his university career?" said the announcer as Jonathan raced towards the goal. A player in a dark blue uniform, clearly on the opposite team, growled as he went to tackle Jonathan. He succeeded, slamming into Jonathan's back and wrapping his arms around his stomach.

"He's tackled from behind!" shouted the announcer, only for Jonathan to take a step forward. The opposing player on his back let out a confused "Huh?" as Jonathan kept his eyes on the goal post. "Wait! He's still standing tall."

Two more players cried out as they lunged towards Jonathan. "Two more fly in!" played back the announcer as one latched onto Jonathan's left leg, and the other his back and left shoulder. Jonathan was beginning to feel the weight of them as more opponents ram towards him, but he still showed great determination. "It's three on one out there!"

With a loud grunt, almost like a wild animal, Jonathan pulled his restrained leg forward, shocking the player who was holding onto it for dear life. Showing those muscles weren't just for show, Jonathan slowly trudged forward, intending on making the play no matter how many people tackled him. "Incredible! He's still making for the try line, undaunted by the men who dog his steps."

~LBR~

"Whoo, whoo, whoo!" chanted Lynn as she pumped her fist in the air, chugging the rest of her drink in the other. "Nothing can stop him! He's a total juggernaut!"

"This guy is built like a grizzly bear!" shouted Lana.

"More like a tank!" said Lincoln. "I can't believe I'm actually getting excited from sports!"

"Welcome to my life, Stinkoln! Feels good, doesn't it?"

~PB~

"What power, what determination," praised the announcer. "He's Hercules reborn."

~LBR~

"He's a zero to hero in no time flat," said Lana.

"Hey, that's my thing!" said Luna.

~PB~

A fourth player went to tackle Jonathan with a cocky smirk, landing right on his back and wrapping his arms around Jonathan's shoulders. "Another tackle!" shouted the announcer as Jonathan slowly began to topple forward. "Oh, the weight's too much for him!"

Jonathan steeled his resolve as he managed to throw the ball. The ball spun like a drill as it flew across the field. "He flings it away and…" With a running leap, another player, this one on Jonathan's team, managed to catch the ball. "...yes!" Suddenly, the camera pulled back to reveal the catcher, and a very familiar face.

~LBR~

"DIO?!" shouted the siblings in unison, with even Hops and Charles joining in.

"What's he doing here? And working together with Jonathan?!" asked Luna.

"Did they bury the hatchet over seven years?" asked Lynn.

"No way! I'd never forgive somebody who did what Dio did to JoJo, never ever!" yelled Lana.

~PB~

"There's the catch. The call lands safe in the hands of Dio Brando."

Sure enough, Dio was the one who made the save. Like Jonathan, he looked very similar to how he did in his youth, only with a similar rippling physique as he posed with the ball, legs bent as he held it sideways with his palms. He then tucked it under his arms as the announcer continued. "It's still anyone's game!"

~LBR~

"Gotta still give him credit for style," said Lincoln, his sisters reluctantly agreeing.

"Still wish JoJo made the winning goal, but this'll be sweet!" said Lynn as she held her fists to her, crushing the empty bottle of Thirst-ade.

~PB~

Two players screamed as they leapt to tackle Dio, but he swiftly sidestepped them. Unable to stop themselves, they grabbed at the air before crashing to the ground. "Can he make it?" screeched the announcer as Dio bolted towards the goal, leaping clear over one player on the opposing team's defensive line before ducking under a tackle.

"He dodges one. And another! He's done it! There's nothing left between Dio and the try line. And still, he gives it his all!" With a grunt, Dio sprinted forwards and performed a somersault of sorts, planting the ball by the goal while still holding onto it. "Yes! They did it!" With this, the crowd went wild.

~LBR~

"YEAH! YEAH! That was an awesome play!" shouted Lynn, dancing around as she spiked her bottle into the trash can, running around and cheering.

"Man, JoJo and Dio really became show-offs," said Luna. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Yeah, that was so cool!" said Lincoln before he yelped and slid to the side, Lynn cannonballing back into her spot. After his heart rate went back down, Lincoln hit the play button.

~PB~

The scene cut from a cheering crowd to Dio, cheering and laughing while he held the ball, being carried by his teammates as they congratulated him. A dirtied Jonathan was quick to join in the congratulation. "On the last play, they snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat. What teamwork. When JoJo and Dio work together, there's nothing they can't do."

As Dio noticed Jonathan, his smirk faded a bit before he climbed down the arms of their teammates. The two brothers clasped their hands together in camaraderie. "Hell of a pass, JoJo," complimented Dio.

"All for naught if you hadn't run it in like you did," said Jonathan humbly.

"Watching you drag those defenders, I couldn't just let you down."

~LBR~

"Huh, maybe they really did become friends during the time skip," said Lincoln. "At least they're finally acting like brothers."

"I dunno, little bro," said Lynn. "I'm not buying it. Good sportsmanship is one thing, but being friends is another."

"At least now Dio's voice matches his body," said Luna.

"Yeah, and I think Jonathan's is a little lower now," said Lincoln. "I can't wait until my voice deepens."

"I doubt it," said Lynn. "Every time I think your voice gets deeper, it goes back to being high-pitched shortly after." This caused Lincoln to sigh and slump over for a moment.

~PB~

The players laughed and cheered for the two who won them the game as the announcer continued. "Having finished his studies, Dio is set to graduate with top marks in law. JoJo, meanwhile, has set the faculty afire with his bold thesis on archeology."

~LBR~

"Graduating law at nineteen?" said Luna before slipping into her British accent. "Guess university was a wee bit different back then."

"'And in related news, the staff has been sent to the infirmary due to burns,'" joked Lynn.

"What's 'arcology?'" asked Lana.

"Archeology," said Lincoln. "Basically, it's the study of human history and ancient civilizations. You check out ruins and artifacts, figure out how they lived and what their culture was like…" As he explained it, he suddenly noticed Lynn and Luna were staring at him. "What? I have other interests besides games and comics, you know!"

"So what, you basically just dig through the dirt and find cool stuff?"

"That's part of it, yeah."

"COOL! Hops, grab my notebook?"

*ribbit*

With a small smile and salute, Hops dug into Lana's overall pocket and pulled out a small notebook. Lana pulled a pencil out from under her hat and flipped to a page before turning to Luna. "Hey, how do you spell that?"

"I got it," said Lincoln as she lent him the notes. Lincoln looked at the page labeled "Dream Jobs" and wrote "Archeologist" underneath "Bobbie Fletcher Pit Crew," then handed it back to her.

"Thanks!" she said as she put the notebook and pencil back where she got them, before Lincoln shrugged and got back to the show.

~PB~

"On and off the field, these two young men are giants," finished the announcer. "They're the pride of our school!"

~LBR~

"'And all the other players? Eh, you're alright, I suppose,'" said Lynn.

~PB~

"JoJo," said Dio, "I think we should tell our father about this victory of ours at once."

"Hmm," nodded Jonathan in agreement, but as Dio turned and jogged away, Jonathan stared as a musical sting played, a red filter with a blue checkerboard shadow covering him. 'It's been seven years now since my father welcomed Dio into our home. Seven long years.' A panning shot of his eyes appeared as he continued. 'I smile and treat him as a brother, but in my heart, nothing could be further from the truth.'

~LBR~

"Guess you were right, Lynn," said Lincoln, though she didn't look particularly happy, an oddity for the competitive athlete.

~PB~

'He's nothing if not affable and smart as a whip…' Brief shots of Dio's actions as a child appeared on the screen as Jonathan closed his eyes. 'But I just can't forgive him for his earlier villainies.'

~LBR~

"Join the club," said Lana as she rubbed Charles' belly.

~PB~

"Dio," asked a reporter from the school, "won't you give us a quote about your friendship with JoJo? You seem quite close."

"Write about the team, all of us," said Dio with a bit of a stutter.

"Come on," said a student. "Tell us how close you are."

"Hmm. Should I?" asked Dio coyly as he turned away and put his hand to his chin. There was a sudden zoom-in on his eyes, showing unbridled rage and hatred before a yellow filter covered Dio. He chuckled in his mind.

'Friendship, huh? The truth is, I despise this grinning imbecile.'

~LBR~

"The more things change…" muttered Lynn.

~PB~

'I've spent seven years making nice to that Joestar brat. But, now that I am of age, I shall bring my plans to fruition.' As he continued the inner monologue, the filter faded away as it cut to a carriage traveling to the Joestar manor, snow falling. 'At long last, the Joestar fortune will be mine. And devil take anyone who tries to stop me.'

The scene cut to a cracking fire in the fireplace as George could be heard coughing. He was shown to be wearing a brown and gray night robe as he lay in bed, propped up by two pillows. His hair was a bit darker now, almost black as his age began to show.

"Father, how are you feeling today?" asked Dio.

George cleared his throat. "But for this cough, much improved over yesterday." He coughed afterwards, his sons looking over him concerned. Both were wearing suits now: Jonathan had a tan suit over an orange sweater, white shirt, and blue tie, while Dio wore a mahogany one over a pink cravat and a white-and-green dress shirt. "The doctors say, I should be in the hospital."

"Why?" asked Dio as he held his hands to his sides. "I fear it would do you no good."

~LBR~

"Suspicious~," said Lana, with Charles slightly growling.

~PB~

Jonathan turned to Dio as the blonde put a hand over his heart. "Hospitals only care about profit. They'd measure you for a shroud if e'er they saw you cured."

"Hmm," said George, "then, here I shall remain. The comforts of home are curative, like it or not." As he continued, the camera panned towards Jonathan as he gave his father a worried look. "My chest doesn't pain me so. And the swelling has gone down. *sigh* I'm on the mend."

'It was just a cold,' thought Jonathan as his father started coughing again. 'Why has it worsened so?'

~LBR~

"He must've caught anime parent disease," said Lincoln.

"Ouch, tough break," said Lynn. The others, including the pets, just looked at each other in confusion.

~PB~

"I heard tell of your victory," said George. "Stunning bit of teamwork."

"Uh, someone told you about it?" asked Jonathan in surprise.

"I got word straightaway from an old college chum," explained George with a wink.

"Whoever he is, he's fast," said Dio. "I'm glad he wasn't on our opponents' team, or we could have lost." The three of them shared a hearty laugh at this.

"I'm proud of you, lads," said George. "You both turned out so well. Providence is too kind."

~LBR~

"Well, you're half right," said Lincoln.

~PB~

George turned to Dio. "Dio, I'm so glad you've thrived. Pursue your ambitions, whatever they may be." A devious glare flashed in Dio's eyes as George continued. "I will lend you aid in any way I can, my son."

~LBR~

"'I would give my life for your sake, son.' 'Oh goodie, that makes things so much easier,'" mocked Lynn.

"Dark, but this is Dio, so you're probably not wrong," said Luna.

~PB~

"You rescued me from calamity," said Dio. "Already my debt is more than I can ever repay." As he spoke, Jonathan watched him with suspicion. "You do me too much honor."

The scene cut from George's bedroom to a desk in the library. Several books, a lit candle, and the stone mask were on the desk as somebody pulled out a knife, the tip gleaming in the light. The wielder was revealed to be Jonathan as he slowly brought the tip of the knife to his fingertip and pierced it just enough to draw blood. He then pushed his thumb against the finger he cut to push a drop of blood out.

~LBR~

"Guess it's time to feed Audrey II again," said Luna.

~PB~

Jonathan lowered his hand and hovered his finger over the mask. The drop of blood fell onto the mask, and the spikes sprang out, causing Jonathan to flinch.

'This secret is mine alone,' thought Jonathan as he set his knife down. 'I can't imagine for what purpose this mask may have been fashioned, or by whom, but it belonged to my mother. And so, having it near is a comfort, strange as that may seem.' As he thought this, he looked at a photo of his mother.

~LBR~

"No, reading comics in your underwear is strange," said Lana, earning a "Hey!" from her big brother. "This is creepy."

"Must've been a sick costume party they were heading to that fateful night," said Luna.

~PB~

The scene cut to Jonathan on a ladder, browsing the books in the library. 'When I finally outwit this sphinx of a mask, it will be the talk of the archeological world.' As he pulled a book off the shelf, he accidentally knocked over a wooden chest.

"My goodness!" cried Jonathan as he looked over the side of the ladder. The "menacing" sound effect reappeared as the camera panned down to the now open chest, its contents having spilled out. Among a few books, there was a familiar-looking letter. One addressed from Dario Brando.

~LBR~

"Maybe JoJo was invited to Smash Bros!" said Lincoln. "Hey, one can hope, can't he?"

~PB~

The scene changed to the foyer of the mansion. Dio was standing on the bottom step with a tray in his hand, and a short distance away from the stairs was a butler. "Many thanks to you, Master Dio," said the butler.

"Hmm," said Dio, who had changed into a blue vest and yellow cravat. He started walking up the stairs with the tray.

"The years betray me," added the butler, as a close-up revealed the items on the tray to be a glass of water and a packet of medicine. "Climbing the stairs is much harder than it was before."

~LBR~

"'Why, I tried to walk up them the other day and nearly broke my hip on the first one,'" joked Lynn. "Seriously, what's so bad about stairs?"

"Falling down them?" suggested Lincoln.

"Touché."

~PB~

A brief shot of Dio looking down at the medicine with an indifferent glare was shown. "This letter," came Jonathan's voice, before it cut to him reading the opened letter in a negative filter, "having read it, all has been made clear. Dio…"

The scene transitioned again, this time to Dio reaching into his pocket and pulling out a packet of powder, identical to the one George's medicine came in. He placed the new packet onto the tray, then pocketed the second. "I think, he's…" said Jonathan as Dio scoffed.

~LBR~

"'He's been giving father nighttime medicine during the day! That fiend!'" joked Lynn.

"So wait, he's been poisoning him? What is this, a soap opera?" asked Luna.

~PB~

There was a series of brief cuts shown in rapid succession, apparently some sort of flashback. First there was Dio visiting some sort of shop, the shop shown to have a lot of Chinese aesthetic, a Chinese man with spiky hair and a mustache as the shopkeeper. Dio was shown buying the packet of "medicine," smirking as he did.

~LBR~

"Jeez, the animation budget sure dropped here," joked Lana.

"That's actually tea, not medicine," added Luna. "He got so sick because he's been drinking tea that's not from Britain."

~PB~

"Dio!" shouted Jonathan as Dio made his way to the top of the stair. "Wait, that's…that's Father's medicine," he said in shock, the camera zooming in on his face.

A brief cut showed the hatred in Dio's eyes before he put on a friendly facade. "He's due for his next dosage."

"All this time, you're the one who's been bringing it to him."

"Yes. What of it?"

Jonathan held up the open letter from Dario. "This letter. Your father sent it to mine. Guess what it says."

~LBR~

"'Knowing my father, it's a bunch of incoherent scribbles,'" said Lincoln.

"Was that an illiterate joke or an alcoholic joke?" asked Luna, as Lincoln blinked.

"Yes?"

~PB~

Jonathan looked down at the letter and began reading it aloud. "'Your Lordship, sickness has laid me right low. It's the end of me, whatever it is.'" As he kept reading, Dio scowled and rested his arm against the newel post of the stairs, before getting off it and placing the tray on a nearby table. "'My chest hurts, my fingers are all swole up, and I can't breathe, but for all this coughing.'" Jonathan then raised a trembling fist and screamed, "Those are the same symptoms as Father's, blow for blow! No way is this mere coincidence."

~LBR~

"Yeah, he can't really weasel out of that," said Lynn. "Also, and I can't believe I'm saying this, why didn't he just use a different poison?"

"I'm pretty sure the fact that it was Dio giving him the medicine is more than enough proof," said Lana.

~PB~

"Dio!" snapped Jonathan as Dio turned to look his brother in the eye, raising a hand of his own.

"What are you trying to say, JoJo?"

"I'm having a doctor look at this powder." But as soon as Jonathan grabbed the powder in his hand, Dio grabbed his wrist. Jonathan struggled to break free, but Dio's grip was too tight. They were at a stalemate, neither willing to let go of what they held.

"JoJo, if you think I would poison Father, then, from this day forward, you and I...are friends no more!" screamed Dio. He briefly went into a negative filter as an image of his eyes flew towards the screen.

~LBR~

"Dio used Mean Look! JoJo can no longer escape!" laughed Lana, Lincoln joining in.

~PB~

Jonathan flinched at the ultimatum, averting his gaze. 'Try as I might, I can't look Dio in the eye. It's because I lack proof. All I have to go on are my suspicions.'

"Now then," said Dio in an even tone, "if you put that medicine back on the tray, I'll be willing to forget about your lapse in judgement." The view focused on Jonathan and covered Dio in shadow, save for his piercing orange eyes. Jonathan finally managed to break away from Dio, holding the powder firmly.

"Dio, there's only one way you're going to convince me," he said as he held the packet between his thumb and index finger, holding it out to Dio. "Swear to me that the contents of this are safe. Do it in Dario's name. Swear to me on Dario's honor as a gentleman." Dio looked taken aback by this. "Do that and I'll never bring up this moment again."

~LBR~

"He's got him now," said Luna. "No way will he do that, not after spitting on his grave."

~PB~

Dio's facade began to crack as his eyebrows tightened and his frown widened. 'If my hunch proves true,' thought Jonathan, 'his father's honor is the one lie that will catch in his throat.'

The camera cut to a further view of the two as Jonathan took a step closer. "Say it! What are you waiting for!"

"I…" started Dio, lowering his arms and shuddering, "...s—swear…" He flinched and leaned back, a brief red filter covering him. There was a brief still image of a drunken Dario screaming and holding a bottle of booze, and when it went back to the present, there was a color shift with Dio's suit being purple. "How can I swear on the honor of a man," said Dio as he raised a trembling hand pointed at Jonathan, "who didn't have any?!"

There was a close-up on Dio's face, his hair pink and his eyes green due to the shift. "He deserved to die!" There was a brief cut of Jonathan, whose hair and suit were now green, as Dio went to throw a right hook. "How's that for the truth, JoJo?!"

~LBR~

"He DID have no honor," said Luna. "Guess that's something I can agree with, though it feels weird agreeing with Dio."

"Tell me about it," said Lana. "I think I just got goosebumps from doing that."

~PB~

The punch hit Jonathan square in the cheek and pushed his head back, but Jonathan just leaned his neck forward, pushing the fist back. "You just gave me all the proof I needed, Dio," said Jonathan. Dio gasped as he realized his mistake. "At hearing his name, you lashed out. I don't know what he could have done that moved you to such murderous rage, but murder him, you surely did."

~LBR~

"Well, we COULD list the things he did," said Lincoln, "but we don't wanna be here all night."

~PB~

Dio's eyes widened before he unclenched his thumb. He then jabbed it forward, intent on using it to strike Jonathan's eye like seven years prior, but Jonathan was prepared this time. He grabbed Dio's wrist and pushed his arm back before the thumb could connect with his eye, glaring all the while.

~LBR~

"'I've been training to overcome that exact move for seven years now!'" joked Lynn.

~PB~

Dio grunted in pain and unclenched his fist as Jonathan twisted his wrist. Jonathan then mustered the most intimidating glare he could manage, to the point his hair appeared to billow in the wind. "You hurt Father. Never again, Dio." He suddenly grabbed Dio's coat and threw him over his shoulders, pushing him into the railing. As the color scheme returned to normal, the wooden railing broke as Dio fell down a full story, landing on his back with a cry of pain. Splinters and chunks of wood lay scattered in front of him. Weakly, he turned onto his stomach and tried to crawl away, only to fail. He raised his head, blood dripping from his mouth, as he glared at Jonathan.

"Damn your eyes."

~LBR~

"That's the same thing his dad said," noticed Lincoln. "Like father, like son. Like jerk, like jerk."

"Guess that 'damn your eyes' thing was different than we thought it was," said Luna with a shrug.

"Man, that throw was so cool!" said Lynn.

~PB~

Jonathan then pointed at Dio from the second story. "Of course. You've been planning to murder him for years now. I knew it. I knew that you were playing false with us. But now your villainy is over." He then glanced at the packet in his hand. "Once I've learned what this is, I'm taking it to the police straight away." Dio crawled to his feet and wiped his mouth, scowling at Jonathan.

~LBR~

"If the opening is any clue, it's not over yet," sighed Lincoln.

~PB~

'Damn it,' thought Dio as he limped through the halls, clutching his arm. 'Their fortune was within my grasp.' A brief still of Jonathan holding the letter was shown. 'Was it fate that JoJo found out when he did?' As the camera switched to Dio's face, he stopped walking and scowled. 'No. It was that letter. He vexes me even now.'

A flashback in black and white appeared with a younger Dio being knocked into a table, having been hit across the face. "You're weak, just like your mother!" came Dario's voice. The screen slid to an enraged Dario with his hand raised, a pink dress fluttering over the image. 'He drove her to an early grave,' thought Dio as the image changed to Dario screaming, his tongue sticking out grotesquely as he held a bottle of liquor.

~LBR~

"If there was ever a picture that accurately depicted Dario Brando, it would be that," said Lana.

~PB~

'Knowing that cur's blood flows through my veins, it's enough to drive me mad!'

Dio slowly opened the door and stumbled into his pitch-black room. As he leaned against the door to close it, he glared, a red filter covering him as the "menacing" sound effects danced around him. 'Sir Joestar lives, for now.' There was a loud sting, like a heavy thud mixed with a heartbeat, before the screen faded to black.

~LBR~

"'Dang it, I stubbed my toe! Why didn't I bring a light in here?'" joked Luna.

~PB~

The scene cut to the outside of the Joestar estate, now blanketed in snow. "I'll be back from London in a few days, Father," said Jonathan as it cut to the inside of George's room. On Jonathan's left were four doctors. "Till then, accept medicine only from the hands of these doctors and no one else."

The scene then cut to the butler from earlier, looking rather sad. "Master JoJo said he doesn't want me to bring it up?"

~LBR~

"You had trouble bringing them up to begin with!" said Lana, petting Charles.

~PB~

"Yes," said George to his butler's surprise. "We will do as JoJo has instructed us." He then turned to face his son. "His reasons are a mystery to me, but I trust the boy with my life." George went into a brief coughing fit after this.

"Thank you, Father," said Jonathan. 'His illness is getting worse.' As he thought this, a dissolve transition cut to him in a carriage. He had changed into a new outfit for his quest, including a deerstalker cap. 'If it is a poison, he may need an antidote.' He clenched his fingers around the poison, determined to help his father.

As the carriage left the estate and trudged through the snow, Dio was watching from his window, arms crossed and a smirk on his face. "Whatever you may learn in London about the poison, I'll see you take the truth of it to your grave." He walked away, only for a cut to show him stabbing a switchblade into the lock of a desk's bottom drawer. "Your death will be the perfect crime." Using the knife, he was able to pry open the drawer, revealing the stone mask.

~LBR~

"Okay, seriously, if we don't know what the heck that thing is for by the end of this episode, I might lose it," said Lynn. "I can't take this suspense!"

~PB~

An overhead shot revealed that Dio was in a study, likely belonging to Jonathan. He was sitting at the desk with a book and the mask. "Seven years ago, this mask reacted to my blood," said Dio as he flipped through the book. The pages contained several illustrations and descriptions pertaining to the mask, all of which were done by Jonathan. There was an image of a human sacrifice in some sort of ancient throne room, a drawing of the mask and spikes, and a diagram of the brain with inferences on where the spikes would go if they appeared while someone wore the mask.

~LBR~

"So wait, the mask was for human sacrifices or something?" wondered Luna. "So how the heck did JoJo's mom get ahold of it? Why would she even want something like that?"

"Instead of an answer, we're just getting more questions!" complained Lincoln as Charles whimpered, causing Lana to start petting him. Ironically, she was now comforting the one she wanted to comfort her.

~PB~

"The spikes hidden within will make short work of JoJo's brain," said Dio as he set the book aside, staring at the mask before him. "His injuries will be so unique, there'll be nothing at all to tie it back to me. JoJo, your curiosity will lead to your destruction."

~LBR~

"Like they say, curiosity killed the cat," said Lynn.

"Hey, don't use phrases like that around me!" complained Lana. Even Charles agreed; he was friends with their cat Cliff, after all.

~PB~

A fade transitioned to London during sunset as the sound of horses galloping could be heard. Another transition to night had the coachman pulling Jonathan's carriage telling the horses to stop. The carriage came to a halt in a snowy street in the slums as Jonathan stepped out of the carriage. In addition to the dark brown deerstalker, his outfit included a thick mustard yellow coat with matching pants, a dark green cape that billowed in the frigid winds, a red bow tie, and brown and gold fingerless gloves that had studs on the knuckles. 'The university couldn't identify this so-called medicine,' thought Jonathan. 'Though, they did speculate that it was a compound from the orient. Therefore…'

~LBR~

"'I shall take a trip abroad. I hear Hong Kong is nice this time of year,'" said Lincoln. "'But sir, what of your father?' 'I'll send a postcard.'"

~PB~

"Young master," warned the coachman as Jonathan began walking towards an alleyway, "that stretch of road there is Ogre Street, the most dangerous alleyway in London."

~LBR~

"Still not as bad as Gotham City," said Lincoln.

"Hey, I think that's a reference!" said Luna as her siblings groaned. "There's a Queen song named Ogre Battle!"

"Nice try, Lunes, but no dice," said Lincoln.

Luna pouted and snapped her fingers. 'Next time, dude.'

~PB~

"Yes, I know," said Jonathan, turning to face the coachman, "but this is the one place I will be able to find what I came for. You're more than welcome to leave."

"Huh?" exclaimed the coachman as Jonathan trekked forward.

'Dio grew up in London. Where else in England could he have acquired such a toxin?'

~LBR~

"He's got a point there," said Lynn. "Then again, he is dressed like Sherlock Holmes."

"The fact you know who that is is a miracle," said Luna, earning an annoyed slug in the shoulder from Lynn.

~PB~

The snow turned into a blinding blizzard as Jonathan kept walking. 'I shall have my evidence and Father's antidote.' There were a few brief cuts of Jonathan searching Ogre Street, trying to find the shop Dio got the poison from, or at least somebody who could help. His efforts were proving fruitless thus far as he found himself facing a dead end in the alley. "Another dead end," he muttered. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he noticed something, or someone, moving in a snowbank.

Out of the pile of snow burst a black cat with a sheet on its back. Held firmly in its jaws by the back of the neck was a dead puppy, blood oozing from its wound. The cat screeched as it ran past Jonathan with its meal.

"That cat," said Jonathan with fear in his voice, "it was eating a puppy."

~LBR~

"Gah!" screamed Lana as she saw the scene unfold. It wasn't nearly as bad as the one with Danny, but it still shook her. And she wasn't alone as Charles whimpered before hopping off the couch and upstairs to hide. "Come back, you wuss! Don't abandon me in my time of need!"

*ribbit*

Fortunately, Hops stayed behind to comfort his owner, and Lincoln also helped to calm down Lana.

"Man, that's one way to show how tough this place is," said Lynn.

"Yeah, I don't wanna see the rats in this place," said Luna. "They're probably the size of Lily."

~PB~

Jonathan heard a whistle from behind him and turned around. From out of a tunnel, three muscular men, obviously thugs, began racing towards him. The one furthest on the right had a purple Rorschach-esque tattoo over his eyes, wild blonde hair with a short beard, a blue and brown outfit with a bunch of fringe around the chest, and a wicked-looking curved dagger. In the middle was a man with black hair with a large widow's peak, red feather-shaped hair accessories, and a brown Chinese martial arts uniform. He also had his arms extended like a jiangshi, or Chinese vampire. Finally, on the left was a man with a long blonde mullet, a black bowler hat with a blue belt and red pins, a diagonal scar going from his nose to the left side of his jaw, and a toothpick in his teeth. He wore a black suit over an indigo vest and white shirt with a pink tie, and the jacket was undone.

~LBR~

"Well, they seem like a friendly, courteous bunch," said Lincoln sarcastically.

~PB~

"You do the honors, Tattoo," ordered the man in the bowler hat, apparently the leader.

"Right!" shouted Tattoo with a bloodthirsty grin.

"Use that shiv of yours to slice him open," instructed Bowler Hat. "I want his guts for garters!"

~LBR~

"'Sure I'll stink to high heaven, but I'll look right sharp, I will!'" said Luna, having no trouble imitating his accent.

~PB~

Jonathan looked over his shoulder with a calm visage as the thugs approached, before turning to face them directly. "Ogre Street. It is aptly named."

~LBR~

"Anyone makes a Shrek reference, I will hurt you," threatened Lynn.

"Duly noted," said Lincoln before he whispered to Lana, "We'll wait until she leaves for something."

"Gotcha."

~PB~

Tattoo let out a primal scream as he raced towards Jonathan, dagger pointed at his mark. "YEAH!" he shrieked as he jumped into the air and thrust his blade forward. Jonathan let out a gasp of pain as Tattoo giggled, but it was soon revealed that he had not been stabbed. Rather, he had caught the knife by the blade in his hand, fingers dripping with blood.

"Check out this idiot," said Tattoo. "He grabbed my blade! In all my days, I've never seen the like." Bowler Hat and the other were shocked to hear this, the toothpick having fallen from the former's open mouth.

~LBR~

"Why are you so surprised? It kept him alive, didn't it?" asked Lynn.

"He's still got nasty cuts on his fingers!" pointed out Luna.

"Ah, he can walk it off. Rub some dirt on it."

~PB~

Tattoo laughed. "Stuck, ain't ya? One quick yank of the knife and they'll be picking your fingers out of the snow for a fortnight."

"Try it, then," retorted Jonathan as he pointed at Tattoo. His hat had fallen off, and his hair had shifted to a dark green. "The moment you pull, my foot will kick out at your groin with all the force of a sledgehammer."

~LBR~

"OHHHH!" cried Lincoln as he crossed his legs and put his hands over his crotch, the thought of that making him wince. He then turned and saw Lynn doing the same, albeit not cringing as much. "Why are you crossing your legs?"

"Linc, I play sports. Many of which are contact sports. I'm speaking from experience when I say shots below the belt hurt like hell, regardless of gender."

"Duly noted," he said as they both got back to their normal poses.

~PB~

"I'm willing to see our transaction through," said Jonathan. "Are you, sirrah? I'm fighting to protect my family from those who wish it harm."

~LBR~

"Which is your family, technically speaking," said Lana.

~PB~

"I doubt very much that your resolve is equal to mine," finished Jonathan. Suddenly, the man in the kenpo uniform leapt from the air for an attack, taking the opportunity to strike while his opponent was distracted. However, the Kenpo Man ended up receiving a brutal blow to the jaw, courtesy of Jonathan's fist. As Jonathan punched Kenpo Man, he took the opportunity to throw out his other arm, forcing Tattoo to let go of his knife and be sent flying. Both landed in the snow a distance away.

"That's quite enough," said Jonathan as he let go of the knife, letting it drop into the snow blade first. "Now, tell me, one of you, where can I find an Asian apothecary?"

~LBR~

"Double KO!" cheered Lynn. "That's how you do it!"

"Also, does he expect an answer from the two guys he just knocked out cold?" asked Luna, before she blinked. "Dang it, Luan's rubbing off on me, dudes!"

~PB~

"Tough talk," said Bowler Hat, gaining Jonathan's attention. "If you're looking to lose body parts, do stick around." The camera suddenly zoomed in on the blonde thug as he raised a hand to his hat. "Observe." He flicked the brim of his hat as a piece of it came off, revealing a razor-sharp blade. This caused a chain reaction as the rest of the brim came off in chunks, with the hat having a ring of circular blades. Light shone off the edges as Jonathan gasped, not expecting a weapon like that.

Bowler Hat suddenly whipped his head to the side, and his hat flew off his head and spun around upside-down like a flying buzzsaw. "I'll mince you right finely, with a tip of the hat." Bowler Hat then flicked the top of his hat, which had been circling around him, as it landed back on his head. He then pushed the side of one of the blades using his thumb, tipping his hat up. "And now, we dance."

~LBR~

The four Louds and one frog were slack-jawed at this display.

"Okay, if nobody else is gonna say it, I will," said Lincoln. "That guy and his Oddjob hat are awesome."

"You're telling me!" said Luna. "That thing is sick! Plus he's got a lot more style than his cronies."

~PB~

Bowler Hat rushed towards Jonathan, intent on taking him down. "I have to find that apothecary, no matter the cost," said Jonathan, bending his legs and crossing his arms in front of him for a defensive posture.

"Don't tell me this here's your first proper dust-up," said Bowler Hat. "If you mean to block like that, it'll be your last one, too." As he grabbed his hat, there was a brief close-up of Jonathan's eye, filled with determination as it went to black and white for a split second. Thinking quickly, Jonathan kicked the dagger at the thug. Bowler Hat tilted to the side and let the knife soar past him before he threw his hat at Jonathan. The razor-sharp headwear spiraled towards Jonathan before it tore into his left arm. Blood sprayed as the hat dug into his arm, still spinning at high speeds even after being lodged in his flesh.

"Ha ha! Cut you straight to the bone, looks like," said Bowler Hat as he straightened his posture and crossed his arms. "Granted, I didn't think you'd hoof the shiv at me like that, but my chapeau still hit its mark."

Suddenly, triumphant orchestral music swelled in the background as Jonathan sprinted towards Bowler Hat, bladed hat still lodged in his arm. The thug grunted in surprise as Jonathan lashed out a powerful side kick that struck him in the face, sending him flying as a stream of blood trailed behind him.

~LBR~

"Cool, that must've been Jonathan's theme song!" said Luna. "Yeah, classical stuff ain't really my style, but it works for a prim and proper hero like JoJo! I dig it!" The others didn't give such a thorough critique, but they enjoyed his theme, however briefly it was played.

~PB~

The screen turned black and white as he fell in slow motion. 'Now I know why he wasn't defending himself better,' thought Bowler Hat as he fell. 'Fingers, hands, legs, he don't care one whit what he loses. It's as if his resolve runs deeper than pain or fear.'

As Bowler Hat was falling, Jonathan finally pulled the hat out of his arm.

~LBR~

"'I'm keeping this, by the way,'" joked Lincoln.

~PB~

'I took the lad for an easy mark,' thought Bowler Hat as he finally hit the ground, landing on his back. 'Guess I've been right disabused of that notion.'

Jonathan held his palm on the wound from the hat, before he looked up and saw that his encounter had attracted unwanted attention, and a lot of it at that. A distance behind the fallen thug was a huge crowd of would-be bandits wielding various weapons: scythes, axes, knives, torches, machetes, you name it. A few thugs came out from the windows armed with slings, and Jonathan looked up to see at least a dozen standing on the wall behind him, all of which chattering indiscriminately among themselves.

~LBR~

"Yeesh, talk about lousy odds," said Lana.

"Yeah, for them," said Lynn as she leaned in.

~PB~

"What?" came Dio's voice. "JoJo went to Ogre Street on his own?"

"I told him it was perilous," said the coachman from before as it cut to the Joestar mansion.

"Keep this to yourself," instructed Dio as it cut to the foyer, Dio wearing a suit now. "Sir Joestar is still unwell."

"Yes, sir," said the coachman, hat in his hands.

Dio turned around and smirked as he put a hand on his chin. 'I guess I won't need to use the mask after all.' As he thought to himself, the scene cut to the approaching mob. 'There, alone, his fate is sealed.' The mob snickered as they approached Jonathan, who prepared to fight.

~LBR~

"Yeah, his chances aren't high, Lynn," said Lana.

"Yeah, he's pretty tough and clever, but he's still just a normal guy against a hundred robbers with weapons," said Lincoln. Lynn just glared at the screen. She hated being wrong, and liked admitting so even less, but she had to agree with her younger siblings.

~PB~

Before either side could make a move, however, someone spoke up.

"That's enough, lads!" cried Bowler Hat as he leaned up and pointed to Jonathan. "I won't let a single one of you lay a finger on that gentleman there."

~LBR~

"'I've forgotten what I started fighting for!'" yelled Luna. She couldn't put her finger on it, but for some reason, that reference just felt right to her.

~PB~

The crowd stopped approaching as Jonathan lowered his stance. "But why?" asked Jonathan, confused, as Bowler Hat crawled to his knees, the crowd making a path for him.

"Tell me something. Strong as a bull, you are. It's plain to see. You could've stoved my head in with that foot of yours, but you went easy on me, didn't ya?" The others gasped at his words.

~LBR~

"'How dare he! In Ogre Street, the act of mercy is punishable by death!'" said Lynn.

~PB~

Jonathan put a hand over his chest. "I came here for the sake of my father. You have a family, people who expect you to return from this dark business." The scene cut to the face of the thug, clearly touched by Jonathan's speech. "It is not my place to cause them grief."

~LBR~

"You know, I could probably joke about this," said Lincoln, "but I won't. This is actually pretty touching."

"Same here," said Lynn as she wrapped an arm around her brother and pulled him closer. He didn't fight it as the others scooted closer, Jonathan's compassion having an effect on them all.

~PB~

'He means it, don't he?' thought Bowler Hat. 'How'd this fella survive so long? Wait!' He then looked and saw both Kenpo Man and Tattoo getting up. Both were injured, but alive and well. 'He spared my mates' lives, just like he did mine,' he thought as he stood up, Jonathan brushing off his cap. 'I like the cut of his jib. Sure, he's naive, but he's a gentleman through and through, this one.'

~LBR~

"This guy," said Lincoln, equally touched by the man's honor and respect, "this guy."

"Think he's gonna be a main character?" asked Lana.

"I sure hope so," said Luna. "I really like this dude, and I don't even know his name."

~PB~

"I want to know the name of him who spared me," requested Bowler Hat as Jonathan put his hat back on.

"Jonathan Joestar."

"Well, pleased to make your acquaintance. If it's Asian concoctions you're looking for, mind your back," said the redeemed thug as he pointed at Jonathan. "That druggist is one sly customer."

~LBR~

"And an even more sly shopkeeper," said Luna.

~PB~

The scene cut back to the Joestar mansion. One of the doctors was taking George's pulse and checking a pocket watch. "Sir Joestar…" said the doctor, "JoJo's been gone three days."

"Whatever his errand, he'll accomplish it," said George.

The doctor closed his eyes and smiled as he put away his watch. "Where have the years gone, I wonder? He's grown into a fine man."

George suddenly looked much more regretful. "I cannot help but wonder, if I was too hard on the boy growing up."

~LBR~

"NO!" said Lynn, dripping with sarcasm. "Whatever gave you THAT idea?!"

"Yeesh, I like the guy, but it took him that long?" said Lincoln.

"Lincoln."

The sudden voice caused a chain reaction as the four of them yelped and jumped to the side. Lana ended up on Lincoln's lap, Lincoln was on Lynn's lap, Lynn was on Luna's lap, and Luna was on the arm of the couch, the four of them looking like some sort of Loud totem pole. Luna lost her balance and toppled over, the four of them falling onto the couch. As Lincoln regained his bearings and sat up, he saw Lucy staring at him, a journal in one hand and a pencil in the other.

"Oh, hey Luce," he said. "When did you get here?"

"Just now," said Lucy, tapping the pencil against her journal. "I need a good rhyme for 'board.' If context helps, that's 'board' as in a plank of wood, not 'bored' as in spending hours in line for a book signing."

'Was that a jab at me?' wondered Lincoln before he started listing rhymes. "Let's see, there's 'horde,' 'sword,' 'cord,' 'poured,' 'floored'..."

"Poured works," said Lucy as she wrote another line to her poem. "'He went pale as a sheet and stiff as a board, a chill ran up his spine as a cold sweat poured.' Perfect. Thank you, Lincoln." She then turned to the TV. "What are you four watching?"

"Uh, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure," said Lincoln as Lucy set her poetry journal on the TV stand and looked at the case. "I just got it today. It's pretty good so far."

"It seems interesting," said Lucy. "Mind if I join?"

"I dunno, you sure you can…" Luna trailed off. She was gonna ask if she could handle it, but halfway through, she realized who she was talking to. "You know what, you're probably fine. Come on, sis."

"Thank you," said Lucy as she sat between Lynn and Lincoln. "Maybe I can get further inspiration for my latest poem."

"Okay, everyone ready?" asked Lincoln, his sisters confirming. "Let's continue, then."

~PB~

The scene cut to a foggy city that night, presumably London. A cat hissed and ran away from approaching footsteps as Dio stumbled through an alleyway. He was wearing a black top hat and a dark blue cape with white feathers sticking out from the shoulders in addition to his usual suit, and he was drinking from a bottle of what appeared to be alcohol of some sort.

~LBR~

"This man wasn't on the cover, so I doubt he's the protagonist," said Lucy. "Is he a supporting character?"

"That's Dio, the bad guy," said Lana, glaring at Dio. "And he's real good at it, too."

"I see…"

~PB~

'I'm sure JoJo's lying dead in some alley by now,' thought Dio as he scowled at the bottle in his hand, wiping his mouth. 'Did he find the apothecary?' A close-up on the bottle's label revealed it to be Cronenberg whiskey as Dio continued scowling, bottom lip twitching. 'Look at me, swilling it down. Nothing but a drunken fool, just like my bastard father.' With that, he took another swig of whiskey. 'Damn it!'

~LBR~

"And yet you still drink it," said Luna.

"This show certainly doesn't take time earning its rating," said Lucy.

"To be fair, there hasn't been much swearing since the beginning of the first episode," said Lincoln.

~PB~

Two drunken men, one short and stout and the other tall and lean, were laughing as they walked the other way down the same street. Dio bumped into the shorter man, causing them both to turn around and leer at him.

"Watch yourself!" shouted the short man. "Or have you no respect for your elders, boy?"

Dio said nothing, only taking another drink. The short man found this amusing as he started dancing around and pointing at him. "Look at the baby, toddling around past bedtime, sucking on a bottle like it was his mother's teat."

~LBR~

"That's rich, seeing as these two seem to have done the same," said Lucy.

"When the people in the worst place in London had more class, that's saying something," said Luna.

~PB~

The taller man cackled at this and pointed at Dio. "Look at the man when he's talking. Didn't your old man teach you right?"

~LBR~

"No," was the answer provided by everyone sans Lucy.

~PB~

The mention of his father filled Dio with rage as he turned to glare at the drunkards. He then swung the bottle into the mouth of the short man, the impact shattering the glass and spilling the whiskey everywhere. The short man stumbled around in pain, vainly reaching out as his mouth was filled with jagged shards of glass. Blood was pouring from the wounds.

~LBR~

"Again, no time is wasted," said Lucy.

"Yeah, this is more common," said Lynn, being the only one besides her roommate who wasn't fazed by this as the others held their hands over their mouths. "Lots of bloody battles so far."

"Argh," muttered Lincoln.

~PB~

"My God," muttered the tall man. "Just for that, I'm going to take your face clean off ya." He then pulled out a curved knife, similar to the one Tattoo used.

"Oh! Your threat has me quaking in my boots, you old guttersnipe. How will I escape this moment of mortal peril?" asked Dio in a coy tone as he licked his fingers, not even the slightest bit afraid as he was filled with bloodlust. "How about…we use this?" He then pulled out the stone mask from under his cape. "It's meant for JoJo, but you'll make a fine guinea pig."

~LBR~

"I'm going to need an explanation," said Lucy.

"Basically, if blood gets on that mask, spikes come out the back," said Lincoln.

"Gasp. I'm surprised I didn't start watching sooner."

"Figured you would like that," muttered Lynn.

~PB~

"Just die already!" cried the man as lunged the knife forward. Dio sidestepped the blade and put the mask over the man's face. The tall man gasped in surprise.

"Let's see what you can do!" shouted Dio as he started pushing the man back, grabbing onto the wrist that held the knife. The short man, who was on his knees, whimpered as he saw Dio running towards him with his comrade. He shrieked as Dio pulled the knife from the hand and slit his throat. Blood sprayed as he died, and the blood splattered onto the stone mask.

~LBR~

"Brutal," said Lynn.

"No kidding," murmured Lana.

~PB~

As the man with the mask fell to his knees, Dio stepped away and smirked, waiting for the final blow. Much to his surprise, however, the mask started to glow with a blinding light. Dio threw up his arm and looked away, losing his hat in the process as he shielded his eyes from the light. "Wha— what is that light?" he said, staring at the mask while the short man lay dead on the street.

~LBR~

"Okay, that's new," said Lincoln. "It never did that before."

"Probably because nobody was wearing it before," said Luna as Lynn kept staring at the screen, desperate to know what the mask did.

~PB~

The mask briefly flashed red as the spikes finally emerged, plunging into the back of the tall man's head. An inhuman groan was heard as he held out his arms, before the light finally died down. The man fell onto a crate, breaking it as he lay unmoving. Dio gasped before he slowly approached the man, glaring at his dead body.

"All of that spectacle for nothing?" complained Dio as he kicked the corpse's head, turning it to the side. "Useless." He spat on the sidewalk while glaring from the corner of his eye. "That was boring. I expected more from you, mask."

~LBR~

"'The thing did exactly what I wanted it to do! Lame!'" mocked Lynn.

"Hey, after that light show, I'd be a bit disappointed nothing happened too," said Lincoln.

~PB~

Dio walked away in disgust, not even bothering to retrieve the mask. However, he didn't notice that the man's fingers started to twitch. As Dio picked up his hat and dusted it off, unbeknownst to him, the man was sitting up.

~LBR~

"Maybe my little zombie freakout with George was more correct than I thought," said Lincoln as the others saw this, Lucy looking particularly engaged.

~PB~

Dio put his hat back on, as the camera moved to the man with the mask, sitting upright and staring right at Dio as the "menacing" sound effects appeared. As the man slowly stood up, Dio gasped as he heard the sounds of movement.

'Impossible,' thought Dio as a bead of sweat rolled down his temple, eyes shaking with horror. Behind him, the man was reaching out to him with pale hands. Dio slowly turned around and was horrified. 'He's alive.'

~LBR~

"It's alive, ALIVE!" shouted Lincoln, earning a couple stares. "What? Just trying to lighten the mood."

~PB~

As the not-quite-dead man grabbed onto Dio's shoulders, with Dio's hair and outfit under the same purple filter as they were in his fight with Jonathan, the spikes retracted from the mask. Slowly, it fell to the ground, revealing the man's face.

His body was pale, even more than it usually was. His eyes had become shrunken and the irises had turned pink, and were filled with bloodlust. But the most notable part was his teeth. His crooked teeth, several of which were already missing, were now pointed and razor-sharp.

'That face, those teeth,' thought Dio fearfully as the man, if one could still call him that, let out a vicious roar.

~LBR~

"He's a…" began Lana.

"A vampire?!" finished Luna.

Lucy's stoic visage slowly turned into a smile. "I think I'm going to enjoy this show."

~PB~

'No!' thought Dio as he pulled away. Breaking out of the vampire's hold, he sprinted away and grabbed the discarded knife. He then stopped and turned back to the vampire, holding the knife in his opposite hand. The vampire let out another primal scream as it lunged a hand forward. Dio countered by moving the knife forward, blade facing his opponent. The vampire's hand went clean through the blade, being sliced in half past the wrist before Dio pulled the knife out. The vampire didn't care or even seem to feel it as it glared at Dio, who attempted to sidestep this attack. The mutilated arm of the vampire struck a wall, cracking it before it broke apart into large chunks of stone.

~LBR~

"Talk about pushing through the pain!" said Lynn. "He destroyed that wall with one hand!"

~PB~

Dio, who had been grazed by the brutal attack, was sent flying horizontally. 'What incredible strength.'

~LBR~

The Louds suddenly burst into laughter at the sight of Dio flying, even Lucy laughing in her typical monotone fashion. "Guess JoJo's title as the planking champion is being challenged," said Lana between fits of giggles.

~PB~

Dio hit a pillar from a stone fence in front of a river, right shoulder first. He cried in pain from the impact, and he fell to the ground. Weakly, he managed to hold up his head and look towards the demon that was slowly walking towards him. 'Even now, he advances. But his hand, does the pain mean nothing?' He then held his other shoulder, the one the vampire had struck to send him flying. 'He shattered my shoulder with but a glancing blow.'

He slowly turned onto his belly and began crawling towards the canal. 'The river. I must jump in.'

~LBR~

"Yes, because as we all know, vampires can't swim," said Luna.

"Well, in many works of fiction, vampires are weak to water even when it hasn't been blessed, or at least running water," said Lucy. "Though with both his shoulders shattered, it's not as if he could swim. He'd have a better chance if he closed his eyes and hoped the monster went away."

~PB~

Dio reached for the fence, only to gasp as he heard the footsteps right behind him. He turned around, only for the vampire to grab his neck. His fingers suddenly slid under Dio's skin as veins popped out, the sound of flowing liquid being heard as Dio gasped weakly, a spider web of veins coating his face.

~LBR~

"Gasp. That's new," said Lucy as she made an odd face, which puzzled her siblings before they realized she was widening her concealed eyes. "In all I've read and watched, I've never seen a vampire drink blood from their hands."

"How does that work?" asked Lana. "Are his fingers just a bunch of bendy straws or something?"

"It'd be a good reason to wash your hands often," said Luna.

~PB~

"It's odd," said the vampire in a cold, raspy voice. "I was drinking through the night, but suddenly I got such a brutal thirst."

~LBR~

"Bet Dio is regretting breaking that bottle now," said Lynn.

~PB~

'My blood, he's draining it,' thought Dio as he leaned his head back. Slowly, the vampire started to get younger as he continued feeding. His hair grew out and turned from gray to brown, his wrinkles vanished, and his teeth grew back in, with most of them looking normal now save for the large fangs in place of his canines.

'What the…' thought Dio as the vampire kept drinking, a grin on his face. 'So this is the secret of the mask.'

~LBR~

"W-Well, at least we know it now," said Lynn. "About time."

~PB~

'I'm dying,' thought Dio as he screamed to the heavens, the sun slowly rising over the horizon.

~LBR~

"Here comes the sun," said Luna.

~PB~

'No! I had such plans! Must my last sight on earth be this damnable sunrise?!'

~LBR~

"I can guarantee it will be for one of you," said Lucy.

~PB~

As Dio flinched, quivering in fear, the sunlight bathed the two of them as smoke started curling from the vampire's dead flesh. Hearing sizzling, Dio opened his eyes as the vampire screamed, releasing Dio and standing upright. His head suddenly crumpled into dust, Dio gasping in surprise. The rest of the bloodsucker's body followed, disintegrating in the sunlight. Soon, all that was left of the vampire was his clothes. Dio was breathing heavily as he saw the clothes collapse. 'The sun destroyed him.'

~LBR~

"'He's not my size, but maybe I can sell these for a decent price,'" joked Luna.

~PB~

Dio, in awe, crawled forward as the first few bars of the ending played. He stared at the empty clothes as the screen cut to the mask and knife, dried blood on the latter. There was a fade to the Joestar mansion some time later, but as the sky was filled with dark clouds, how much later was impossible to tell. The low sound of thunder rolled as lightning flashed across the sky. Dio slowly opened the door to the mansion. It was pitch black, the only light being a flash of lightning that showed his face.

"What's the meaning of this?" he asked as he walked in. "Why is it so bloody dark?" He stopped as he heard the sound of a match being lit and turned to see where the noise was coming from. Sitting at a table was Jonathan, holding a candelabra with three candles and lighting them with the match one by one. "JoJo."

"You're a poisoner, Dio Brando," said Jonathan. "I have all the proof I require and then some."

As the opening bars to the ending continued, Dio gasped, then scowled as the "To Be Continued" arrow appeared, ending the episode.

~LBR~

"So that was the second episode! I thought it was even better than the first!" said Lincoln.

"Same, those fights were awesome! Especially with that dude in the bowler hat!" said Lynn.

"I liked it a lot more too, especially since a few… things weren't there," said Lana. "And JoJo looks so cool now!"

"For sure, and the bowler hat dude is cool too! Plus that mask was freaky!" added Luna.

"Indeed. I think I'll stay for one more episode before I get back to my poetry," said Lucy. "But first, I feel like I need to be filled in on what I missed."

"Good point," said Lincoln as he paused the ending, which had been updated with new characters, before he and his sisters did the best they could to fill Lucy in on what she had missed.


And that's a wrap for this chapter! I'm pleasantly surprised that this is getting excellent feedback! Please be sure to leave reviews telling me what you liked and what you think needs improvements. That way, I can make story and my others even better!

This chapter also added something new to the table: guest reactors! Allow me to break down how this will work. The four in the character tags - Lincoln, Luna, Lynn, and Lana - are the main reactors, and the ones watching the majority of the time. However, I can add other characters and have them join in. They can join the group from anywhere to part of an episode to a whole season. However, there can only be up to five reactors at a time (there is an exception, but I'll get to that when I get to that). So if I wanted to add two guests, say Lisa and Leni, I would have to have one of the regulars sit out. The only constants are Lincoln (he's the main character, and I want at least one of them to not miss anything) and somebody who's at least fourteen to go with Rita's condition.

Before I move on, there's one last thing I would like to cover: Lily. As of now, Lily will not be watching the show at any point, even if I have all the other Louds watching. The reason why is simple; she's too young. While one could say the same for Lisa and the twins, even with a chaperone, those three have proven to be mature for their age. Basically, if those three are pushing the limits of believability, Lily is breaking through them at Mach speeds. She won't be completely absent, though. She'll just show up without watching the show like last chapter, or if I change my mind, she'll only watch short, VERY controlled bursts that won't traumatize a one-year-old for life.

Finally, I have two guest reviews that I'll be responding to, since I can't do so via private messaging.

Guest: I'm glad you like it! I do have plans for having all of them (sans Lily) react together, but again, I'll get to that when I get to that.

Matt: It's definitely a good idea, but not one I'll be doing, sorry. I already have my plate full as it is. I do agree about Lucy, though.

And that's it from me, so I'll see you all next chapter! Starpion out!