"Okay, I'm back!" announced Lana as she hopped back into her seat on the couch. "I even washed my hands!"
"That shouldn't be an achievement," said Lincoln, a bit disgusted. "Let's start up the next episode, shall we?" With no objections from his sisters, Lincoln resumed the show as the fourth episode started up.
~PB~
The episode began sometime at night, the moon rising and the sky a dark blue as there was a panning shot going down a hospital. "JoJo won his battle against that demon," came the voice of Speedwagon as the view went down to the front gate of the gray-bricked building. Speedwagon stood in front of it with his hat still gone, presumably lost to the fire. "Poor sod, he lost everything in the process. That's why I brought him here three days ago."
~LBR~
"'Maybe this casino will help him get all that coin he lost back,'" said Luna, impersonating Speedwagon's accent.
~PB~
The scene cut to the face of a distraught Speedwagon. "And now, bereft of father and home alike, how's he gonna muster up the will to live? Don't give up on the world yet, JoJo!" he announced, just before the opening played.
~LBR~
"I'm sure he'll be fine if he listens to this," said Lynn. This time, the four of them were relatively quiet as they enjoyed the opening, no further comments or discussions.
~PB~
The scene cut to the inside of the hospital as Speedwagon was walking down the hallway. He was using a cane to walk, his broken arm shown to be wrapped in bandages and in a sling. The title of the episode was displayed in the corner, subtitles reading "Chapter 4: Overdrive."
~LBR~
"Oh, this is my kind of title," said Lana, the resident mechanic of the four getting excited.
~PB~
'Spirit!' thought Speedwagon. 'That's what he needs, so I'm gonna give it to him.' But as he approached Jonathan's room, he did a double take as he saw warm light peeking through the side of the door, different from the moonlight coming through the windows. "Huh?" he wondered. 'It's the dead of night, but there's a lamp burning in his room.'
~LBR~
"Well, after burning one building down, JoJo got a taste for it," said Lynn with a snicker.
"'I can't believe this! Only crazy people are up this late at night! Wait…'" joked Lincoln.
~PB~
The door was ajar, so Speedwagon peeked through the crack to see what was going on. What he saw was a nurse soaking a towel in cold water, wringing it out, and using it to clean a sleeping Jonathan's face and soothe his burns. 'What do we have here?' he wondered as she moved to tend to his shoulder. It was bandaged, as was most of his body due to the plethora of injuries he had obtained in his fight with Dio. The nurse, who had blonde hair that was pulled back with a ponytail beginning from below her neck, turned around to reveal her baby blue eyes, a white choker with a green jewel, and a very familiar face.
~LBR~
"Hold on a second," said Lincoln as he paused the show, looking at the nurse. "Is that…Erina?!"
"It is!" said Lana. "I can't believe she's back after all this time!"
"All the lonely people, where do they all come from?" said Luna with a shrug, happy to see her return as well.
~PB~
'How long's she been at it?' wondered Speedwagon as she continued. 'Don't tell me she's been watching over him all this time.' As she pulled out another wet towel, Speedwagon saw her fingers were dry and bright red. 'Her fingers. Cracked from the damp, I'd wager. She must have been cooling his burns around the clock for them to get like that.'
As she went to apply another towel, Jonathan began to stir in his sleep. Erina paused as he slowly opened his eyes. She put her hand over her mouth, eyes widening. As he turned to face her, she lowered her mouth and let a small smile grace her face. "Thank goodness," she said.
~LBR~
"'If I lost another one, I'd be out on the streets,'" joked Lynn.
~PB~
'Ah, he's awake!' thought Speedwagon with a smile.
"You're through the worst of it," said Erina, shown to be wearing a blue and white dress with puffy sleeves. "You should be fine."
"So, you've been tending to my injuries?" asked Jonathan, before he tilted his head up, staring in surprise, and even a little joy. "But how can— How can you be standing here? You're the image of—" Jonathan paused for a second. "But no. I'm sorry. Your face reminds me of a girl I used to know."
"Her name wouldn't happen to be Erina Pendleton, would it?"
Jonathan sat up with a smile. "It's you!"
~LBR~
"Awwwww…" said Lincoln's sisters, causing him to roll his eyes, albeit with a smile.
~PB~
"It's been a long time, Jonathan Joestar," said Erina with a soft smile. "JoJo."
"Erina," said Jonathan, "you've really grown up."
"Me?" asked Erina with a face of surprise. "But you've grown a fair sight more."
~LBR~
"No kidding, he's over six feet tall and built like a fortress," said Lana.
~PB~
Erina began to tear up, finally having been reunited with her childhood friend and crush. "Yet…" she said, "you're still… the boy you were."
"Yeah," said Jonathan with a nod, the two simply staring at each other, content to enjoy their company.
~LBR~
"And it's at this point that Speedwagon accidentally falls into the room and ruins the moment," joked Lincoln.
~PB~
'She makes a better Florence Nightingale than I do, anyhow,' thought Speedwagon as he walked away from the room and down the hall he came from, a content smile on his face. 'You rest up, JoJo. Time for Speedwagon to make his exit.'
Suddenly, Erina felt faint, the exhaustion taking its toll as she fell towards the nightstand beside Jonathan. Quickly, he held out his left arm and caught her before she hit her head. Regaining consciousness, Erina breathed heavily. "I— I must have fainted for a moment." She suddenly gasped. "But your arm, it's broken. You shouldn't have caught me."
Jonathan could only smile. "You caught me long ago."
~LBR~
"Yeah, this is touching and all, but as soon as she leaves, he's gonna scream bloody murder into a pillow," said Luna.
"Wait, wasn't his right arm the one that was injured? He had a spear in it!" pointed out Lynn.
"Dio did hit both arms when he was holding onto him, he must've broken one then," said Lana, rubbing her head. "It's the only thing that I can think of."
~PB~
The scene cut from Jonathan and Erina to Speedwagon, now back outside the hospital. "I daresay ol' JoJo won't be lacking a reason to live after this reunion," he said with a smile.
~LBR~
"Nope," said Luna, popping the "p." "Things are finally looking up for JoJo."
"And all it took was severe bodily harm to reunite them," said Lincoln with a smirk.
~PB~
A sinister sting played as the scene changed to a view of the city, subtitles showing "Whitechapel, London" as the camera panned down to an alley.
"You should have made an early night of it, you harlot," came a deep voice as the scene cut to a clock tower. "Big mistake."
~LBR~
"Sounds like we're gonna be checking in on Jack the Ripper," said Luna.
"Lucy's probably gonna be kicking herself for leaving," said Lynn.
~PB~
"No!" cried out a woman's voice as it suddenly cut to the face of Jack the Ripper for a brief moment, blood splattering as he killed his latest victim. The cloaked killer let out a sinister laugh as he repeatedly stabbed his victim with a sinister dagger with a spiked hilt, dead in the middle of an alley.
"Most men shackle themselves to petty morality," came the voice of Dio.
"Huh?" exclaimed Jack as he stopped his assault, his face in clear view. The lighting made his hair look pink, and he had thick eyebrows, a crew cut, and a short beard with sideburns.
~LBR~
"So this is what he looks like in this," said Luna. "Kinda looks like he'd be a werewolf."
"We already have a vampire and zombies," said Lana with a shrug.
~PB~
"They fear the consequences of their evil," continued Dio as Jack turned around. Sitting in some sort of throne was Dio, wearing a black cloak. The throne was being pushed around by the apothecary owner, now a zombie.
~LBR~
"I'm getting some serious Emperor Palpatine vibes from Dio right now," said Lincoln.
"Only with a much deeper voice," said Luna.
~PB~
"But some are unfettered by man's laws in all their tyranny," said Dio as the view changed to him. He had healed a great deal since his fight three days ago, but he still had severe burns on his body. "They are the vanguard." There was a sudden cut to Dio's face. "Become my servant, Jack the Ripper. You have no further need for free will." What looked like a red burst of electricity shot out of his eyes and struck those of Jack, his own eyes becoming pure red as Dio's powers took over his mind.
~LBR~
"Okay, that's definitely new," said Lynn. "And it looks like JoJo is gonna have his hands full, though I can't complain about that."
~PB~
"I will make you an instrument of death," said Dio as he raised his hand, Jack walking towards him against his will. "The like of which you can't begin to imagine."
"Do it," said Dio's servant.
~LBR~
"No, Dio is the one who's supposed to say that," said Lincoln.
~PB~
"As for what I shall take in return," said Dio as Jack kneeled before him. He held out his hand right in front of Jack's forehead, and the scene cut to a brief shot of Dio's smirking face, then above the city as the sound of piercing flesh and blood draining could be heard.
~LBR~
"'A small blood donation for the Take Over the World foundation,'" joked Lana.
~PB~
The next morning, Jonathan was walking through the ruins that were once his home. He was wearing a brown vest over a cream-colored shirt with gray sleeves, a purple scarf, teal pants, and brown boots. He also had a sling for his broken arm.
At one point, he stopped to think and look around. 'Only Speedwagon and I know what truly took place here that night,' he thought. 'Dio was consumed in the inferno, but what of the accursed mask? No sign of it in the rubble. Smashed by falling masonry? I hope so. I want to put this nightmare behind me.'
~LBR~
"Oh, irony," sighed Luna. "You really suck sometimes, don't you?"
~PB~
"JoJo," said Erina, breaking Jonathan's line of thought as he turned to her. She was standing on a path, wearing the same outfit she had as a nurse, save for a short white cape that reached her elbows. In her hands was a cane, likely for Jonathan.
"Erina," said Jonathan as the two walked up to each other, birds chirping in the background. She gave him the cane, and there was a fade transition to the two walking side by side down a dirt path, with Erina on Jonathan's left. To the left of them was a short wall of ivory colored bricks, and to the left was a wooden fence, trees on either side.
As they walked along peacefully, Jonathan turned his head to look behind him, having apparently heard something. 'Hmm?' he thought as he briefly caught a glimpse of a man in white leaning against the fence. As if he realized he was caught, the man put his hands in his pockets and walked the other way, then turned behind a tree. 'That man… he haunts our steps.'
~LBR~
"Well, that's not suspicious at all," said Lincoln. "Still, I wonder who he is?"
"I doubt it's one of Dio's lackeys. It's broad daylight, and he's probably only got zombies and vampires in his crew," said Luna, rubbing her chin in thought.
"Maybe he's gonna help out Jonathan," said Lana.
"That or try and rob him or something," said Lynn.
~PB~
As Jonathan looked over his shoulder with suspicion, Erina turned to him with a small gasp. "Is something wrong?"
"No," said Jonathan, not wanting to worry Erina. "All is well."
But as he looked forward, he gasped. Sitting cross-legged on the short stone wall was none other than the man following them. He had short, curly brown hair, a thin mustache, a large chin, and blue eyes. He wore a spotless white longcoat with navy blue trim and cuffs over a red vest and white shirt with a small green bow tie, and he had matching white dress pants and black shoes that were well-polished. The most defining piece of his outfit, however, was his hat, a top hat with a black and white diamond pattern. A picnic basket sat beside him, and he bit into a sandwich while watching the two with a small smile out of the corner of his eye.
~LBR~
"I guess that's one way to make yourself known," said Luna.
"Cool, he kinda looks like a magician!" said Lincoln.
"'And for my next trick, I'll make this sandwich disappear!'" joked Lana.
~PB~
Jonathan gasped even louder, the man who had been following them all this time sitting right before his eyes.
"Ah, Signore Joestar," said the apparently Italian man, tipping up his hat. "And the lass at your side is Signorina Pendleton."
~LBR~
"'No, our names are Jonathan and Erina, but you're half right,'" joked Lynn.
~PB~
With a grunt and little warning, the Italian man suddenly jumped into the air higher than any normal person could, legs slowly uncrossing.
~LBR~
The four of them were dumbfounded by this. While they had seen weirder, they certainly weren't immune to strangeness at this point.
"Uh, ta-da?" said Lincoln.
~PB~
"Who are you?!" shouted Jonathan.
"You survived against the mask," said the man. "Not many men can claim that."
Jonathan gasped as the man let out a cry, then jabbed his pinky through Jonathan's sling, tearing it apart, and right into his torso. Jonathan let out a groan and coughed up spit as the air was forced from his lungs.
~LBR~
"What the heck was THAT?" asked Lincoln.
"Guess he's so fancy, he keeps his pinky up even when he hits somebody," said Luna with a shrug.
~PB~
"JoJo!" cried out Erina. The man's finger was still pushed against Jonathan's diaphragm as Jonathan slumped forward and coughed hoarsely.
"That's right," said the man in white. "Let the shock of that impact push all the air from your body." He finally pulled back his finger, letting Jonathan fall forward onto his knees, still coughing.
"JoJo!" cried out Erina, kneeling down to make sure he was fine before she turned to the man in white, glaring at him as he walked back to his picnic. "Why? He was already hurt, you cad!"
~LBR~
"'Exactly, makes him an easier mugging target,'" joked Lana.
~PB~
The man simply put pepper on his sandwich with the same small smile he had when they first met. "It's true I knocked the air out of him, but he'll thank me for it."
Jonathan slowly started to get up, then gasped as the sound of bones cracking could be heard. "My arm!" he shouted. Golden sparkles covered his arm as a constantly shifting color filter covered the screen, sans his temporarily purple hair.
~LBR~
"Wait a second, golden sparkles, like that golden energy from the opening!" said Lana. "This must be his power!"
"So I guess this guy is gonna teach him?" wondered Lynn. "Guess this isn't the worst first impression JoJo's gotten. Look at Dio and Speedwagon."
~PB~
"What is this?" wondered Jonathan aloud. "My broken bones feel like they're mending!"
"Baron Zeppeli, at your service," introduced the man.
~LBR~
"Hey, another reference!" said Luna.
"What is it this time?" asked Lincoln, genuinely curious this time. After all, they were all more inclined to believe her now.
"There's this British band named Led Zeppelin," explained Luna. "They're no Mick Swagger, but they're pretty sweet."
"'Now then, that'll be a thousand pounds,'" joked Lynn as they discussed the reference. "'A man needs to eat, and making food appear is one miracle I can't perform.'"
~PB~
"Courage alone will not be enough to beat the mask," continued Zeppeli as the golden energy did its work.
"My arm was shattered," said Jonathan, lifting his left arm, "but now…" The energy faded with a spark as he clenched a fist. "...the pain has subsided." As if to test it, he bent over and picked up a large rock, about the size of his head, and lifted it with his formerly broken hand with ease. "Lifting this rock is nothing."
"That's incredible!" exclaimed Erina.
~LBR~
"Psh, I could do that. It's not so special," said Lynn.
"Dude, his arm was broken a second ago. The fact that he could lift ANYTHING is pretty gnarly," said Luna.
~PB~
"Sir, why are you here?" asked Jonathan. "And what is happening to me?"
"Please, try to limit yourself to one question at a time," said Zeppeli as he pulled another sandwich out of his picnic basket and sprinkled pepper on it. "You healed yourself, JoJo. How you breathed after I poked you was the key." As he tapped his pepper shaker, pepper dust came out and flew up his nose. Zeppeli let out a loud sneeze as he fell backwards off his perch.
~LBR~
"This is the guy that's gonna teach JoJo how to beat up vampires?" wondered Lana. "Makes sense, I guess."
"So his power comes from breathing, huh? Cool," said Lincoln.
~PB~
Jonathan and Erina gasped as he fell, with Jonathan running to see if he needed help. "But why did you go to the trouble in the first place?" he asked, peering over the short wall. "And how do you know who I—"
Jonathan couldn't finish his sentence as he realized Zeppeli had vanished. "He's gone."
"What part of one question at a time eluded you?"
Jonathan gasped and turned around, Zeppeli standing by the fence. "You'll get the answers you desire, amico. Follow me." Zeppeli then turned to the others with a dramatic look. "This day, I will show you things, the likes of which will change your destiny forever." Jonathan gulped as Zeppeli said this.
~LBR~
"'Now pick a card, any card,'" joked Luna.
~PB~
The scene cut to a small river behind more ruins. Zeppeli was standing before it, with Jonathan and Erina a short distance away by a bare tree. Erina was holding the cane again, as Jonathan no longer needed it. "It was with good reason that I struck you in the diaphragm," explained Zeppeli. "The shock of the impact altered your breathing."
"But how did that heal my arm?" wondered Jonathan.
~LBR~
"'It didn't, that was just magic. The poke was for fun,'" joked Lynn.
~PB~
"With the energy I am about to demonstrate for you," said Zeppeli, walking into the river, the crystal clear water going about halfway to his knees, if that. A frog was shown to be sitting on a piece of square stone as Zeppeli walked up to it, a menacing tune in the background.
~LBR~
"Oh, heck no, you better not," said Lana as she glared at the TV with her arms crossed, Hops popping out of her pocket and looking at the screen with horror. Lana held her best friend to comfort him. "If you hurt that frog, I'll never forgive you, Baron Zeppeli!"
~PB~
"Wait, what mischief is he planning?" asked Jonathan.
Holding his hands out to his sides, Zeppeli took several deep breaths as he stood over the frog. He let out a strained groan as he inhaled deeply through his nose, the air visibly rushing into his nostrils. Suddenly, something amazing happened. The small ripples in the water by his legs became much larger, a golden sparkling energy covering his entire body as he moved his arms around, both bent with his fingers straight and pushed together.
~LBR~
"Whoa, it really is just like the opening!" said Lynn in surprise.
"I know, his whole body is glowing like a star with power! This is gonna be so cool!" said Lincoln.
"Speak for yourselves," muttered Lana, she and Hops bracing for the inevitable.
~PB~
Erina gasped as Jonathan moved forward a bit. "Look at him, Erina." The scene cut back to Zeppeli, who had his arms sticking out on either side of him as the ripples by his legs grew in size, the water sparkling. "His legs. Those ripples. I've never seen water do that."
~LBR~
"Okay, that's cool and all, but his whole body was glowing a second ago, and that's what impresses you?" asked Luna.
~PB~
"What you see is the force that eased your pain and healed your broken bones, Signore Joestar," said Zeppeli as he reared back his fist. He let out a mighty cry as he went to punch the frog.
"Don't do it!" shouted Jonathan as Erina shrieked and looked away.
~LBR~
Lana's look of anger turned to one of fear as she squeaked, holding Hops close as her eyes widened. Her faithful companion looked away, though one eye remained glued to the screen. The others didn't have such a negative reaction; rather, they were looking with curiosity, although they were still a bit worried about the frog.
~PB~
The world seemed to go into slow motion as Zeppeli's fist pushed down on the frog, kanji flashing on the screen. Suddenly, golden energy appeared on his fist, crackling like electricity. Zeppeli smirked as the energy passed harmlessly through the frog, which had regained its earlier posture after its legs had been pushed out from the impact. Rather, the energy coursed through the stone it was sitting on and split it clean in half, Zeppeli screaming as he drove his fist down. The frog splashed into the water, completely unhurt, as it swam away with a croak.
Jonathan gasped at the display. "That frog seems none the worse."
~LBR~
Both Lana and Hops sighed in relief. "Phew…we got lucky this time," said Lana as she rubbed the frog's head, then carefully helped him back into her pocket.
"That was so cool!" cheered Lincoln. "I can't wait to see what JoJo can do with that!"
~PB~
Zeppeli straightened his posture and put a hand on his hip before turning to the peanut gallery. "That was Sendo you saw."
"Wait. 'Sendo?'" asked Jonathan.
"It's ripple energy created by Hamon," explained Zeppeli as a wave of energy, presumably Hamon, ran down his hand.
~LBR~
"Hold on, now I'm curious. Do those actually mean anything?" wondered Lynn.
"I can look them up," said Lincoln. He pulled out his phone and looked up "sendo meaning." "Let's see…'freshness?' That can't be right." He changed it to "sendo meaning jojo" and checked the results. "Apparently, it means 'way of the hermit' or 'way of the wizard,' and Hamon is just Japanese for 'ripple.'"
"Those make sense to me," said Luna. "Maybe not the 'hermit' part, but the wizard thing and the ripples sound right."
"I guess so," said Lynn. "Okay, Stinkoln, let's keep it going." Lincoln did so, albeit without acknowledging "Stinkoln."
~PB~
"I sent my Hamon coursing harmlessly through Froggy to split my real target. The rock below." Zeppeli then held his hands out, Hamon crackling between his fingertips as his body glowed. "JoJo, I know for a fact the Stone Mask was not destroyed. Dio Brando keeps it close to him even now."
Some sort of blue mosaic filter covered Jonathan. "No, it can't be. Baron, is Dio still alive?"
~LBR~
"He's a vampire, so kind of?" said Lana, holding out her hand and turning it back and forth.
~PB~
The color scheme suddenly returned to normal. "Indeed, and he holds the mask I have sought for decades now," said Zeppeli.
~LBR~
"'It's the only piece missing from my collection!'" joked Luna.
~PB~
"That mask must be destroyed," declared Zeppeli as dramatic music played, "and its master must be reduced to ash. It is your destiny to fight for this righteous cause. You will learn to wield Sendo or you will die. The future of humanity is at stake!"
"My destiny?" asked Jonathan, holding onto the branch of the tree with his left hand as he tried to process all of this new information at once.
~LBR~
"With Speedwagon, they form a perfect trio," said Lynn. "Zeppeli spouts exposition, Speedwagon says the blatantly obvious, and JoJo just looks and acts confused."
~PB~
"What is he talking about?" asked Erina. "None of it makes any sense."
Jonathan gasped as he turned to her. 'Erina,' he thought. 'She's already suffered enough at Dio's hands. I can't drag her into this.'
~LBR~
"Yeah, I don't think any of us can argue with that, plus the fact that she's a non-combatant who would be going up against vampires and zombies," said Lincoln, his sisters begrudgingly agreeing with him.
~PB~
Zeppeli suddenly gasped as he looked at the branch Jonathan was holding onto. A few pink flowers were blooming on the branch, glowing with Hamon. 'Incredible! It's blossoming! He's passing the spare Hamon energy from his healed arm into the branch and sending it into bloom. And amazingly, he doesn't even realize he's doing it.'
~LBR~
"Hamon: useful for healing, fighting, and apparently gardening," joked Luna.
~PB~
'This boy,' thought Zeppeli, 'he is a natural. Of what might he be capable with the proper refinement of his abilities? Rejoice, mankind. This day, I may have found your champion.'
The scene suddenly cut to night with the tower of a castle, torches burning on the inside of a balcony. A woman could be heard screaming as the scene cut to a burning candle with a seemingly green flame, no doubt a color shift, beside the stone mask.
A thud was heard as ominous music played, a brief glimpse of a dead woman visible as the camera panned up towards Dio inside the castle. He was wearing green and white pants with red slits like gills on the side, and nothing else. He was posed with his back to the camera and his spine arched back, displaying a large burn as one arm was wrapped around his body and the other was partially raised. His hair was cyan due to the shift, and his face was hidden in shadow. "Hmm…"
~LBR~
"Ouch, what is he doing with his back?" asked Lana, rubbing her own back. "That can't feel good."
"Apparently his spine is something that hasn't healed yet," said Lincoln. "Or if it has been, it won't be for long."
~PB~
Dio turned to partially reveal his face, showing his burns had healed tremendously. "With every meal, I feel my strength returning," he said as the few burns left on his face vanished. The scene then cut to the dead woman. "What a simple thing, the food chain." He lifted her corpse by the head, lightly squeezing it. "As pigs feed on grass, so does man feed upon them."
~LBR~
"Great, now I want bacon," complained Lynn.
~PB~
As he continued his speech, he slowly increased the strength of his grip, the corpse's eyes bulging from the pressure. "And I, at the top of it all, feed upon the humans. They exist to serve me and quell my thirst." He then crushed the head in one hand like an overripe tomato, discarding the corpse before a kneeling Jack the Ripper, now a zombie. "Go, Jack. It's suppertime." As Dio wiped his mouth and walked away, Jack let out an animalistic growl as he lunged for the cadaver.
~LBR~
"Okay, not that hungry now," said Lynn after the brutal display.
"Guess that means you won't be having pizza?" said Luna with a smirk.
"In your dreams! I've always got enough room for pizza!" shouted Lynn.
~PB~
"Now, to swell the ranks of my diabolical army and send it hence," said Dio. "I will stand astride this world!" The scene was covered by a purple filter as it stopped moving. "Humanity will kneel at Dio Brando's feet!"
The scene cut to daytime in the countryside, showing a small waterfall. A caption read "1 Week Later."
~LBR~
"Ooh, a training montage! This'll be good!" said Lynn, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.
~PB~
"And so, I began to study Hamon under the tutelage of the mysterious Zeppeli," narrated Jonathan as several scenes of his training were shown. There was Jonathan practicing his movements and strikes as Zeppeli made ripples in the water, Jonathan balancing on a stack of rocks taller than himself on one foot while balancing more rocks in his hands, and meditating underwater, holding a heavy stone to weigh him down. In all these scenes, the upper half of his outfit was replaced with a black tank top for training. "The training was spartan, but I had no choice. Here's how it came about."
~LBR~
"So we skip to his training one week later, then go to a flashback before then?" asked Lincoln, confused. "What time is it?!"
~PB~
There was a flashback to before the training, with Jonathan and Zeppeli sitting on the rail of a stone bridge over a river. "JoJo," said Zeppeli, "my history with the Stone Mask has been a long one." Zeppeli looked up as he told the story. "I was your age. Hard to believe that was ever the case now." A somewhat grainy filter, like a movie projector, covered the screen as an image of a younger Zeppeli appeared, the net of a sailboat behind him. He looked about the same, save for a simpler outfit which included a white shirt and purple cuffs, and the lack of any facial hair. "I harbored a great thirst for adventure, as the young so often do."
~LBR~
"And now we have a flashback inside of another flashback? At least this one makes sense," said Lincoln, rubbing his head.
"Hey, we got to see the training montage sooner, didn't we?" said Lynn. "Still kinda short, though."
~PB~
A fade pulled back to a large ship, evidently the one Zeppeli was onboard. "It was my good fortune to travel the world as a member of my father's archaeological team."
~LBR~
"I dunno. Traveling seems fun and all, but unless you're Lana, going through dirt and finding broken artifacts doesn't seem like much fun," said Luna.
"Yeah, it's not as cool as it is in Indiana Jones or Legends of the Hidden Temple, but it can still be really cool," said Lincoln.
"What he said!" agreed Lana.
~PB~
"Would that we had never lain eyes on those Aztec ruins that day," continued Zeppeli as the scene faded to an Aztec temple.
"You're saying…" interrupted Jonathan as the scene cut back to them.
"Yes," said Zeppeli, a green burst-shaped background briefly appearing. "The hands that pulled that evil artifact into the light of day belonged to me."
~LBR~
"And another person blames themselves for Dio being evil," said Lynn.
~PB~
The stone mask appeared as the camera went through its eye and returned to Zeppeli's past, showing the mask inside a box on the boat. "One ill-fated night during the voyage home," narrated Zeppeli, "a man of our number succumbed to his curiosity and donned the mask." A door opened as light spilled into the room, along with the shadow of a man. The scene cut to a flash of lightning as the boat rocked in the stormy weather and fierce waves. An overlay of Zeppeli, now wearing a pink shirt and brown pants with suspenders, appeared as he screamed.
~LBR~
"Must've gotten a nosebleed when he wore the mask or something," said Lana.
"Keep it away from Clyde, then," said Lynn.
"He doesn't get them that much anymore," said Lincoln.
~PB~
"The change in him was immediate." As Zeppeli continued, the background became a psychedelic red and green as black and red images were shown of the masked vampire butchering and feeding on the crew. "Rampaging through the ship, he ripped his companions' heads off in a Bacchanalia of blood. Fifty-eight crewmen butchered in a matter of minutes." The camera slowly panned over the ship's deck, showing the dead bodies of the sailors.
~LBR~
"Yeesh, talk about brutal," said Lynn, sucking air through her teeth. "He didn't even need to do that, he could've just drank through his fingers."
"Guess he just REALLY didn't like his crewmates," said Luna.
~PB~
The younger Zeppeli was then shown jumping off the boat. "I dove into the sea to escape, but the fiend gave chase." The scene changed again to both swimming away from the boat. The vampire grabbed onto Zeppeli's shoulder and turned him around, revealing long, dark hair and a captain's uniform alongside the vampiric red eyes and fangs. The monster screamed as it drove two fingers into Zeppeli's shoulder, intending to feed upon him, when the sun rose.
"Suddenly, dawn broke. As he crumbled to dust in the sunlight, I saw his face." The young Zeppeli gasped as his pursuer was illuminated before he disintegrated, leaving nothing but his uniform.
The scene cut back to Zeppeli and Jonathan. "And to my utter horror, the demon was my father."
~LBR~
"Ouch, poor Zeppeli," said Lincoln. "Both him and JoJo lost their dads to that mask."
"Yeah, I can't even make a joke," said Lynn. "I just hope they break that stupid mask by the end of this."
"I hope so too," said Lana. "Here's to JoJo and his friends breaking it into a hundred pieces after they kick Dio's butt!" The two leaned over Lincoln to high five.
~PB~
Once more, the scene cut to Zeppeli's past, the ship floating away as Zeppeli floated on his back. "The crewless ship drifted away with the mask still aboard. I had survived, but it was cold comfort, knowing the mask's dreadful power could be unleashed again. I dedicated my life to finding a way to stop its evil."
The scene finally cut back to Zeppeli in the present. "That pledge led to my discovery of Hamon." Zeppeli then stood up, standing on the railing of the bridge as Jonathan looked up at him. "The energy we call Hamon is created by the flow of one's blood. Those who wear the mask feed on the blood of others to consume that energy."
~LBR~
"So what, they eat Hamon? What would that even taste like?" wondered Lana.
"Sunny D?" suggested Lincoln.
~PB~
As if to make a point, he threw two pebbles into the air, both splashing into the river below and creating small ripples. "Hamon and the mask, they are two sides of the same coin."
"Of course," said Jonathan, "we can overload Dio with that which animates him."
"Correct," said Zeppeli. "If we can hit Dio with enough Hamon energy, that devil will burst asunder." He held out a hand, Hamon crackling as it ran through it. "Hamon's ripples are the same form as the waves of light sent out by the sun itself," he declared, pointing at the sun, "the bane of all vampires."
~LBR~
"Guess I was right," said Lincoln.
"And here I thought garlic was the best way to beat a vampire," said Luna.
"Maybe that's their secret weapon," said Lana with a cheeky smile.
~PB~
Jonathan nodded and stood up while getting off the rail, looking at Zeppeli. "Baron Zeppeli, I beg of you," he said. "Teach me how to wield it. I promise I'll give it my all."
Zeppeli put a hand on his chin. "You don't get a choice in the matter, amico," he said with a faint smile. "Given your contentious history with Dio, I'm sure he will be coming for you." Zeppeli then got down and laughed while rubbing Jonathan's head, the time returning to Jonathan's training.
~LBR~
"'Who's a good JoJo? Oh, who's a good JoJo?! You are!'" joked Lana.
~PB~
In present time, the water formed a flower of ripples at Zeppeli's feet as the two stood facing each other in a shallow stream. 'There is a poetry to this, JoJo,' thought Zeppeli. 'Breathing oxygenates your blood. Your blood carries the oxygen throughout your body.' As Zeppeli's inner monologue continued, the two were shown at a literal arm's length; both of them were holding their fists towards the other's chest. Jonathan's arm was pushed against Zeppeli's torso, while the Italian's fist was an inch or two short of the tank top-wearing Englishman. Zeppeli could also be seen with an umbrella in his left hand, using it like a cane.
'It enriched the cells, giving them power to keep on living. Those cells combine to form you. Like ripples in the water, your body thrums with the Hamon created by proper breathing.' Zeppeli let go of the umbrella and made a "come hither" motion with his left index finger, inviting Jonathan to come at him.
Jonathan gladly accepted the invitation, putting one arm into a defensive stance and rearing the other back for a right hook. Zeppeli simply held out his right fist in a somewhat loose stance. As Jonathan went to deliver a powerful punch, Zeppeli went for a cross with his outstretched fist, accompanied by the sounds of bones cracking. 'All that is left is to use it!' thought Zeppeli as his arm stretched further than normal, striking Jonathan in the jaw before he could make contact. Jonathan groaned as he was hit with enough force to knock him onto his back.
'There's no way he could've reached me from there. How did he do that?' thought Jonathan as he fell down like a ton of bricks, splashing into the shallow water.
~LBR~
"Okay, that was pretty cool! He just stretched out his arm like Plastic Man!" said Lincoln.
"I agree with you there, Linc, but it sounds like the plastic just broke," said Lynn. "But hey, no pain, no gain."
~PB~
"Zoom Punch is a useful one," explained Zeppeli. "I merely dislocated my shoulder."
~LBR~
"Oh, is that all, dude?" said Luna sarcastically, wincing as she held her shoulder. The sound of the Zoom Punch alone was enough to make her wince.
~PB~
"Hamon dulls the pain and the surprise is well worth the effort. You must maintain the rhythm of your breath even when taking a hit." Jonathan winced as Zeppeli hit him lightly on the head with his umbrella.
~LBR~
"Come on, don't be a wimp. That didn't hurt," said Lynn.
"Cut him some slack, Lynn," said Lana. "His head is the only part of his body that's not covered in muscle."
"At least the top," said Luna. "Have you seen his face?"
~PB~
"If your mind or heart are tempestuous," lectured Zeppeli, "the caliber of your Hamon will suffer."
"Yes sir," said Jonathan.
"Oi!" came the voice of Speedwagon as he ran over to them. "I found something!"
"Speedwagon," said Jonathan with surprise.
~LBR~
"'Wait, who's the fancy bloke with the checkerboard top hat?'" joked Luna, imitating Speedwagon's accent.
~PB~
The scene cut to a carriage pulled by two horses down a dirt path. "So, the village is called Windknight's Lot?" asked Jonathan.
"Right," said Speedwagon as the camera moved to the inside of the carriage, showing him sitting beside Zeppeli. "They've had a string of disappearances lately. People vanishing after dark."
~LBR~
"'Having been there myself, they probably just left on their own accord, and I wouldn't blame them,'" joked Lincoln.
~PB~
"And folks have caught glimpses of a fella who looks like Dio."
"We're out of time now," said Zeppeli. "Your final test will be one of life or death, my pupil."
~LBR~
"'A test? But I haven't studied!'" joked Lynn. "'Quick, Speedwagon, quiz me!'"
~PB~
"Yes, sir," said Jonathan with determination. He had changed his outfit again, this time into a brown shirt, pink vest, red bow tie, brown backpack, and red and cream deerstalker. "I'll meet him in combat and lay him low."
~LBR~
"Guess they had enough time for him to change," said Lana.
"Unless he just changed in the moving carriage," said Lincoln. "Which sounds both awkward and impossible without falling over."
~PB~
"Give him hell," said Speedwagon with a fist pump as the carriage approached a tunnel through a mountain. There was some sort of curved keystone at the arch of the tunnel, and many lines carved around it like some sort of weird symbol. "Look, gents," pointed out Speedwagon, "the entrance to Windknight's Lot."
"We'll attack Dio while there's still plenty of light left in the sky," said Jonathan as the carriage entered the tunnel. Intense music joined the sound of hooves and wooden wheels on stone. Jonathan looked out the window of the carriage at the brick walls of the tunnel, then looked up with a look of regret as an overlay of a smiling Erina appeared. 'Erina, I left without giving you a proper farewell,' he thought.
~LBR~
"And that's why she's haunting you," joked Luna.
~PB~
"I swear I will return to her," declared Jonathan as he clenched his fist. The camera switched between the three of them, all mentally preparing themselves for the upcoming battle with Dio. Suddenly, there was a loud thud as the carriage began to shake. Jonathan gasped.
"Huh?" wondered Speedwagon as the carriage stopped moving.
"Why did we stop?" asked Jonathan.
~LBR~
"'Looks like a wheel broke. I've got a spare in the back, which one of you bodybuilders wants to be a jack?'" joked Lana.
~PB~
"Oi, mate, hurry it up!" complained Speedwagon as he stood up and opened the carriage door.
"Keep an eye out," warned Jonathan as Speedwagon stepped out of the carriage. "Sunlight can't protect us in here."
"Well, what's wrong?" Speedwagon asked the driver as he walked up to him, only to gasp and take a couple steps back, then scream. The driver was dead, three knives in his torso. As if that wasn't bad enough, the decapitated head of one of the horses was put over the driver's head, with knives in the horse head as well.
~LBR~
"Gah! Okay, now I'm REALLY glad that Lola isn't watching this!" said Lana as she recoiled.
"This is creepy and all, but honestly, it's not as bad as those horse masks," said Lynn.
~PB~
A color shift took place as it was shown that both horses, their brown fur now purple, were headless, the head of the other on the ground. A now blue-haired and green-tied Speedwagon trembled with fear as the driver fell off, the horses head falling off as well. The others got out of the carriage, Jonathan's suit and shirt now yellow and blue respectively and Zeppeli's suit now a pale yellow, the former sporting indigo hair and the latter white. "Is it Dio?" asked Jonathan as he looked through the tunnel, the only light being provided by the two lanterns at the front of the carriage. "It has to be him."
~LBR~
"Makes sense, actually," said Lincoln. "He's the only one who's so needlessly cruel to animals."
~PB~
"Listen, both of you," said Zeppeli as he turned to Jonathan and Speedwagon. "Step away from the horses."
A feral growl came from the body of one of the horses as its body began to shift around. Blood started to spurt from its stump before the head of Jack the Ripper came out, sporting purple hair due to the shift. He snarled as he turned to them and sneered, horse blood dripping down his face.
~LBR~
The four just stared at the screen, some even shivering a little. A mixture of fear and bewilderment was in the air. Finally, after a few painfully long seconds, Lincoln found his voice as he pointed to the screen. "H-Hey, l-l-look," he stammered. "It's a bargain bin centaur." He laughed uneasily at his attempt to lower the tension, the others doing the same.
~PB~
Speedwagon whimpered as Jack opened his mouth, cold breath visible as he bared his fangs. "What in the blue hell? That crazy blighter's inside our horse!" cried Speedwagon. Jack suddenly went back into its corpse, presumably to feed.
Suddenly, Jack jumped out of his "hiding place." He had no shirt, but he had dark blue pants and cuffs, black boots, and a belt with a buckle shaped like two cutlasses. The same knife he had before, spikes on the back of the hilt, was in his hand. It was also identical to the ones in the body of the driver.
"Good God," shouted Speedwagon as this happened, "this one's mad as a hatter! Dio's evil, yeah, but I ain't seen him jump out of any animals so far."
~LBR~
"Not yet," said Lana, as Luna shook her head, eyes wide.
"D-D-Dudes, level with me. Am I dreaming? Or did I just see a shirtless zombie Jack the Ripper jump out of a headless horse?!"
"Unless we're all dreaming the same thing, that just happened," said Lynn. "If this show can get weirder, I'm so not prepared for it."
"Uh-huh," nodded Lincoln, in full agreement.
~PB~
"He must be gathering minions, and who knows how many he might have?" said Jonathan as he looked in horror.
Unlike Jonathan and Speedwagon, Zeppeli was completely calm as he pulled out a wine bottle and wineglass. Holding the glass in his right hand and sticking his pinky out, he jabbed it into the bottom of the glass bottle. The force of his little finger was enough to pierce it, creating a small hole. Zeppeli sighed as he poured a glass of red wine from the hole. "Stand aside, my young friends," he said. "I will do the fighting."
~LBR~
"'Wha…why did you do that?!' 'I couldn't find a corkscrew.' 'THAT'S NOT A VALID REASON!'" joked Lincoln.
"This guy must've seen some weird stuff in his day to look that bored after what just happened," said Lana.
~PB~
Jack snarled as he brandished his blade, lifting it above his head. "He is a zombie," said Zeppeli. "They must feed on living flesh to survive."
~LBR~
"Wow, I would've never guessed," snarked Lynn.
~PB~
"However," continued Zeppeli, "they are in constant thrall to their master, not unlike marionettes."
"Oh, you lads is both as white as a sheet," said Jack as he kept brandishing his knife. "All the blood is drained from your faces. Maybe I should cut off those useless heads of yours and watch it spray outta your necks!" He suddenly stabbed the knife into the side of his face, going right through his right cheek and out his left. He didn't even feel an ounce of pain as Jonathan and Speedwagon trembled.
~LBR~
All four of them, even Lynn, were in complete shock at this. Hops, who had been sleeping in Lana's pocket since Zeppeli explained Sendo, chose this moment to pop out and gasp. He slowly went back into her pocket until it was safe.
~PB~
"Now, you mewling corpses-to-be," said Jack, the knife still in his head, "prepare for the carnage!"
~LBR~
"For a guy who probably just cut his tongue off, he's talking pretty well," said Luna.
~PB~
"Tell me, what's his next move?" Zeppeli asked Jonathan. The former was still completely calm, treating the threat like another test for his star pupil. "You must think as he does."
~LBR~
"'Does this mean I have to stick knives in my face too?'" joked Lana.
~PB~
"JoJo, this strategy will serve you in good stead." Jonathan turned to Zeppeli. "Ask yourself, 'What would be the most advantageous thing for my foe to do next?'" Jonathan gasped as Zeppeli turned his gaze to Jack. "Him, for example. If he blocks off the tunnel entrance, we can't retreat to the sunlight."
The camera briefly zoomed in on the tunnel entrance in question before it cut to Jack lifting the carriage, grunting as he held the heavy vehicle over his head. With both hands and superhuman strength, he threw the wooden carriage above the heads of the three humans. Jonathan and Speedwagon gasped and turned around as it hit the keystone, the carriage collapsing into firewood. The impact broke the entrance and the tunnel roof, causing it to collapse as bricks fell like raindrops.
~LBR~
"Great work giving him ideas, Zeppe-lame," said Lynn.
"Ah, but that was his plan," said Lincoln. "Jack thought he was trapping them in the tunnel with him, but instead he trapped himself in the tunnel with them."
"Whatever you say," said Lynn as she rolled her eyes.
~PB~
Jonathan and Speedwagon gasped as the roof started collapsing. "Just as I predicted, he's blocked our retreat!" shouted Zeppeli.
~LBR~
"Maybe don't say your predictions so loud!" shouted Lana.
~PB~
"Speedwagon, jump!" said Jonathan as the trio managed to escape the falling stones. As the dust settled, it was shown that the falling stones had completely blocked the way into the tunnel.
The wine in Zeppeli's glass lightly splashed around before settling, the Hamon expert managing to escape the danger without spilling a single drop. Still holding the glass and bottle, he crossed his arms. "Try harder."
Jack grunted as he began to flex his muscles. His groans became louder as small holes opened up in his flesh, the tips of knives emerging. Before long, there were dozens of knife blades identical to the one in his head sticking out of his arms and torso.
Speedwagon gasped. "Knives are coming out of him," said Jonathan.
"Baron Zeppeli," said Speedwagon, "you didn't say nothing about fighting a pincushion."
~LBR~
"'Who wants a hug?'" joked Luna.
~PB~
Zeppeli still remained unfettered as he took a small sip of his wine, the music becoming a more upbeat techno piece. Jack screamed as he lifted his arms over his head and flexed again. The contraction of his muscles forced the knives out of his body and shot them forward like shrapnel.
Zeppeli remained calm as the blades flew towards him, and he finally took action. "Hamon Cutter!" he shouted as he leaned his head back, then moved it forward and spat the wine he had in his mouth. The drops of wine, infused with Hamon, turned into spinning discs that were razor sharp. The Hamon Cutter clashed with the knives and sliced them to pieces with a whirring noise. Jack grunted in frustration as the broken knives lost their momentum and harmlessly clattered onto the road around Zeppeli. Zeppeli, on the other hand, didn't have a scratch on him.
~LBR~
"That was so cool!" said Lincoln. "Zeppeli just weaponised a spit take!"
~PB~
"I'm afraid your blades are rather dull compared to my Hamon Cutter," boasted Zeppeli. Jonathan and Speedwagon could only gasp in amazement. "JoJo, this creature illustrates a principle." A red filter covered the screen as Zeppeli went into profile, an image of a flea behind him. "Imagine a minuscule flea, so small that it's barely visible."
~LBR~
"Oh hey, didn't you have a pet flea?" Luna asked Lana.
"You mean Brad? Yeah, but he kept getting out and bugging Charles and Cliff, so he had to leave. I miss the little guy," she said as she clenched a fist, Hops popping out with closed eyes in respect. "My armpit will never feel the same without you, Brad."
"Moving on," said Lincoln as he hit the play button.
~PB~
There was a brief flash of Jack pulling out his knife and going to stab Zeppeli before the scene returned to the red-filtered Zeppeli and his speech. "Why is it they bite humans who tower over them without a single thought to their own safety?" The scene cut to Speedwagon and Jonathan standing still, listening to the speech. "Would you call their behavior courageous?" continued Zeppeli as he was the focus again. "Of course not. It's hunger compelling them."
~LBR~
"What's wrong with that? Hunger can be a GREAT motivator," said Lynn.
"Does this mean you're not brave?" said Lincoln.
"Hilarious," said Lynn flatly. "Now come on, back to the fight!" Lincoln was quick to oblige her, not wanting to poke the bear too much.
~PB~
Jonathan looked on in awe. "I will tell you what courage is, JoJo," said Zeppeli as Jack was lunging forward, not showing a hint of fear even as a knife was aimed for his face. "Courage is to look your fear in the eye and know that it has no dominion over you!" He lifted the bottle as the knife broke through the bottom of it. Jack struggled to push his knife further, but it wouldn't budge.
"Fear scatters your breathing. When you toss your fear into the dust, breathing is the sword ever at your hip," said Zeppeli. "Breath with courage and you will never want for Hamon."
Suddenly, Zeppeli jumped forward, sound effects covering the bottom of the screen as his leg glowed gold with rippling Hamon. "Bravery is our birthright, lads! And for all the abilities they may bring into a battle, courage is something a zombie relinquished when he took this form! They're no better than fleas! Sendo Wave Kick!"
With that, Zeppeli struck Jack in the face with a powerful blow from his knee, Hamon coursing through it. Jack recoiled from the blow, the Hamon damaging his changed cells and causing the left side of his face to sag.
~LBR~
"The origins of Two-Face, Victorian England edition," joked Lincoln.
"'My precious modeling career! NOOOOOO!'" joked Luna, doing her best to emulate his accent and gravelly voice.
~PB~
The color scheme returned to normal as Jonathan and Speedwagon gasped. Zeppeli looked at them over his shoulder with amusement. "A knee full of Hamon to the head seems to have cured this one's braggadocio," said Zeppeli as he took another sip of wine.
"I don't believe it," said Speedwagon. "He didn't even spill any wine."
"JoJo…" said Zeppeli, causing the man in question to gasp. "You finish the creature off. Destroy the brain. It's the only way. Anything else and you risk it coming back."
~LBR~
"Classic zombie rules, I see," said Lincoln.
~PB~
Jack let out a primal shriek, his hair having become an auburn color with the color shift gone. He jumped high into the air and grabbed onto a sword-shaped lever near the top of the tunnel. "Time for the slaughter, naughty little pigs!" With his body weight, he pulled the lever down. The trio sans Zeppeli gasped as the tunnel shook, the sound of falling bricks echoing as part of the wall fell out, revealing a square passageway wide enough for a person to go through. Jack jumped down and landed in front of the secret passage. "I'll cut you to shreds one by one," he declared as he jumped backwards into the hole.
~LBR~
"Joke's on him, that path is a dead end," joked Lana.
~PB~
"Don't tell me we're following him into that passageway," said Speedwagon.
"It has to be destroyed," said Zeppeli. "But WE will be doing no such thing." He poured the rest of the wine into the glass, leaving it a centimeter or two below the rim. "JoJo…" He then tossed the glass to Jonathan, who clumsily caught the glass without spilling anything. "...I expect you to finish off this abomination without spilling a single drop." Jonathan gasped at the outlandish request.
~LBR~
"'This wine is very expensive, and I don't want it to go to waste,'" joked Lincoln. "'But you just spat it at him to block those knives.' 'Exactly, it's ammo. Do you think I like the taste of it?'"
~PB~
"Alright, one last bit of advice before you go," said Zeppeli. "There were no Vikings in the land of Norway, until the north wind blew in and created them."
~LBR~
"I thought they come from the land of the ice and snow," said Luna with a smirk.
~PB~
Zeppeli's look suddenly became stern. "If even one drop of that vino goes to waste, I don't care how utterly you defeat the zombie, I will abandon you here and now." Jonathan looked down at the wineglass as the ultimatum sank in.
~LBR~
"Ouch, that's a little harsh, isn't it?" said Lana.
"Nah, pressure's a great motivator too," said Lynn. "Let's say you've got a minute left in the game and your team is behind. With the pressure on, you're pushed to give it your all and surpass your limits!"
"Huh, that actually makes sense," said Lincoln. "Kudos, Lynn."
"Guess sometimes I even surprise myself!"
~PB~
"Oi, listen to yourself," scolded Speedwagon, pointing at Zeppeli. "Have you gone insane?!"
"I know what I'm doing!" snapped Zeppeli.
Jonathan kept looking at the glass before he looked up at Zeppeli, a confident fire in his eyes. "I will do my best. Like the Vikings, I will be strengthened by hardship."
Speedwagon gasped in shock and turned around as Zeppeli nodded. "Hmm," said Zeppeli.
The scene cut to Jonathan having followed Jack the Ripper into the secret passage. The wineglass in one hand and a lit torch in the other, he walked through the catacombs. The warm light of the torch made his shirt appear mauve and his vest appear lime green.
~LBR~
"It's like their outfits are made of mood rings," said Lana.
~PB~
'It's a labyrinth,' thought Jonathan. 'Even with this torch, all it's doing is casting shadows to bedevil me.' As he walked forward, eyes and ears peeled for any sign of the zombified serial killer, the light of the torch showed that the floors, walls, and even the doors were covered with slash marks. He suddenly stopped and looked at the torch, a grave realization hitting him. 'The torch! I'm bright as day to him!'
Jonathan turned around as Jack leapt towards him with an unusual, yet sinister weapon. It looked like a large hinge with six blades curving inward on either side, the entire apparatus larger than he was.
~LBR~
"Ahahahahahahahahaha!" laughed Lynn, one hand on her forehead and the other wrapped around her stomach. "What the heck is that?! The giant hair clip of death?"
"Where did he even get that?" laughed Lana, Luna and Lincoln snickering. "He couldn't have hid THAT in his body, so he must've just found it lying around and thought it would be a good weapon!"
~PB~
Jonathan held the torch towards Jack to try and fend him off, but it had no effect as he had to sidestep the attack, the blades of the torture device closing like a jaw. Jonathan screamed as blood gushed from two slashes on his right arm where the blades grazed him. He almost dropped the glass, but caught it at the last second. The wine splashed around for a second, but became still again. Jack let out a sinister laugh as he jumped backwards through another passageway, hiding in the dark to strike again.
~LBR~
"Can this man not jump forwards?" wondered Lincoln. "It's like he's asking to run into something."
~PB~
Jonathan tossed the torch over his shoulder, the flame extinguishing as it hit the ground. In the dark, his outfit and hair became various shades of blue. 'All this does is illuminate my position,' thought Jonathan as he looked around. 'But without it, I haven't a clue where he's lurking or from where he'll strike.'
Jonathan kept moving forward through the dungeon as suspenseful music played. As Jonathan slowly walked down a hallway, the camera panned to show that Jack was hiding around the corner, near the end of the hallway. The blades of his weapon were outstretched, ready to cut some flesh and bone. 'Even in the dark, I can smell the blood from his arm,' thought Jack as he looked at the wall, the only thing separating the two of them. Light flashed off one of the blades with an audible sharpness.
'I must think like my foe, just as the baron commanded,' thought Jonathan.
~LBR~
"'Okay, let's try this. Braaaaaiiiins…'" joked Luna.
~PB~
'I'm sure he's close,' thought Jonathan as he took slow, deep breaths, his breath visible in the cold air of the dungeon. 'Next, I must master my fear, lest it sap my Hamon. Breathing is the sword at my hip.'
'That's it,' thought Jack with a smirk. 'A little closer and I'll be picking my teeth with your bones, boy.'
~LBR~
"Not if he knocks your teeth out first," said Lana.
~PB~
"The harsh wind blowing down off of the Arctic Ocean birthed the fearsome Vikings," said Zeppeli over Jonathan's breathing. The scene cut to Speedwagon and Zeppeli looking down the passage that Jack and Jonathan went down. "Only when we are tossed headlong into the crucible of adversity do we rise to the challenge. What will a glass of vino create this night?" The scene cut back to Jonathan, who was sidling along the wall to avoid a potential ambush. "If he should fail, Dio has already won."
~LBR~
"I get your point, dude, but there's gotta be a limit," said Luna. "I mean, you can't just toss a kid into the ocean and tell them to swim."
"Not with that attitude!" said Lynn.
~PB~
Suddenly, much to the surprise of Jonathan, the wine began to ripple in the glass even though he was keeping it still. The faint sound of Hamon could be heard. "What? The wine is rippling," he said. "Of course, just like when we were training in the stream." At this point, the wine was spinning in the glass like a whirlpool. "It's conducting the Hamon."
Suddenly, a wave of Hamon traveled from the glass through his arm, then his entire body. "It passes through the glass, my arm, my body, the ground itself!"
~LBR~
"And while this is happening, Jack the Ripper is wondering what the heck he's babbling about," said Lincoln.
~PB~
As the colors returned to normal and the golden glow of Hamon appeared in the background, Jonathan stared at the wine which was glowing like a spotlight. "I can feel his vibrations in the wine. With Hamon, all is made clear to me now. My spirit trembles! My heart is ablaze! I've found you, zombie!"
As his entire body was glowing gold with rippling energy, he curled his free hand into a fist and pushed it against the wall, channeling as much Hamon as he could through it. The wall lit up with glowing rings of golden energy as he unleashed the power of the sun. "These stones offer no protection! Sendo Hamon Overdrive!" he shouted as he turned his fist, pushing the Hamon through the wall.
~LBR~
"Hey, he said the thing!" said Lana.
"Roll credits," laughed Lincoln.
~PB~
'Turn the corner so I can feast on you,' thought Jack, when Jonathan's Overdrive shot out of the wall in a brilliant flash and struck the zombie, knocking him into the wall on the other side. Jack let out a cry of agony as the Hamon destroyed his body, his face twisting grotesquely and melting in a few seconds. His flesh turned a bright orange like lava as it melted, before he crumbled into dust. Jack the Ripper was well and truly dead.
~LBR~
"That was brutal, but so awesome at the same time!" said Lincoln.
"Guess that's why they never caught the real deal," said Luna.
~PB~
"Sounds like you passed the test with flying colors, JoJo," said Zeppeli with a hand on his hip and a smile on his face. "Excellent." The scene cut to Jonathan breathing heavily, his fist still crackling with Hamon and pushed against the wall. "Adversity had made the lad a Viking." Roundabout began to play as the "To Be Continued" arrow appeared in the corner, ending the episode.
~LBR~
"What a way to end it!" said Lynn. "I can't wait to see the later battles, especially with Hamon added!"
"It was pretty cool to see Erina again," said Lana.
"And Zeppeli seems like he's gonna be pretty fun!" said Luna.
"Next stop, Windknight's Lot!" said Lincoln as they listened to the ending song, eagerly awaiting what happened next.
Happy New Year, everyone! And here's to hoping that 2021 is a vast improvement over the dumpster fire that was 2020. Anyway, not much to say about the chapter, so let's move onto guest reviews.
Guest: you'll just have to wait and see if she agrees that, "GERMAN SCIENCE IS THE FINEST IN THE WORLD!"
And that's all from me! Starpion out!
