What's in the Box?

by DB Sommer

Dio receives an interesting offer from a stranger

What's in the Box

A Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventure/Hellraiser fic

As always I do not own the right to Jo Jo's or Clive Barker's Hellraiser.

You can contact me at tsommer

All of my stuff is now stored at or a03.

Recently watched Cinemasnob's review of Hellraiser 1 and 2 and finished watching Stardust Crusaders. I saw both the original OVAs in the 90's when they came out and already owned the entire manga because of it, so this is just another reiteration for me. Loved it of course. Then my muse stated insisting I should do a one shot. So why not?

BTW, this takes place after Dio moves to his new digs but before the gang gets to his place, since Pet Shop is alive and everything. In fact, why don't we open up with….

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pet Shop watched everything with the sharpest eyes on the planet, as all falcons had been bestowed with by nature. Thanks to his Stand his vision was more far-reaching than that. Nothing within his line of sight escaped his notice. At the moment that vision was focused on a human approaching with intent toward the gates of the manor. Thanks to his superior intellect, Pet Shop understood humanity enough to identify this man was unkempt in the manner of the homeless. Everything about him was dirty, as though he hadn't bathed in months, content to live while caked in flesh and clothing that was equally soiled. His hair, both on top of his head and facial, was wild. His clothing was worn, as though he had been born in it and never dressed in another garb. Were Pet Shop's nose more sensitive, he would probably be able to smell the derelict at this distance as well.

The man approached the doors as though to open them and gain entrance. While technically Pet Shop should wait until the newcomer proved in danger of actually succeeding, well Pet Shop was an evil little bird that enjoyed killing long before meeting Dio. He would have thought he and Dio kindred spirits, save there was no spirit like that of the Mighty One. He was unique, unstoppable, like a force of nature which was why Pet Shop served him as fanatically as any of the human followers. Perhaps even more so.

Yes, he would go ahead and kill this one. The man would not be missed. The dregs of human society never were. Besides, he hungered for some fresh eyes. They were his favorite, the soft tissue squishing in his beak, the delightful liquid inside would trickle down his throat, and there was something about the eye itself that was satisfying in taste. Yes, this human would provide him with sustenance. He stretched his senses out to properly target the man….

And then Pet Shop froze. This being was unlike any other he had encountered. An aura was about him, a disturbing one. Dio's aura was a combination of power and domination. He didn't even direct it; it flowed off him in waves and one had no choice but to serve. He was the Power, and he was meant to be obeyed or he'd crush your soul as well as your body. He didn't need to say it: it was his default state of being.

But this man, who was the inverse in appearance to Dio, had an aura as well. It was an abyss. A miasma that radiated outward when one focused on it. While Dio could crush your soul in his hand if he chose, this one felt like he would drown yours by mere proximity. And the longer you remained, the more certain your consumption by it. It's nature didn't feel like a Stand.

It was infinitely worse.

And then Pet Shop did what a minute earlier would have been unthinkable. He was Dio's creature body and soul. He would give his life for his master either in defense of him, or if he was merely asked. He was an untamable creature tamed by the one being who could do so. Now that he was confronted with this strange newcomer….

He flew off. For there were some terrors no animal could be forced to confront.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The stranger opened the gates which were left unlocked. A curiosity considering the new owner was the only one who would admit visitors, and none were desired at this time. His stride was purposeful, almost like a soldier given an order to walk a certain path, but there was no cadence of rhythm to his gait. He simply walked as any man would, but one with an arrow straight purpose. He traveled up the walkway leading to the large manor and up to the front door. It was like the rest of the manor: plain and unadorned. Just as the cracked flesh of his hand was about to grasp the handle, the door was opened from within.

A younger man in a white suit and a very large hat, almost like a conical hive, stood there. He said, "Greetings. I am D'Arby, the Butler." He gave a brief bow but kept his eyes locked in this man who appeared to be some kind of vagrant.

D'Arby looked past the visitor for just a moment. It was surprising he had made it to the front door. D'Arby would have thought it only possible over Pet Shop's dead body. Only there was no carnage, nor dead body. That would likely change once Dio found out. The only thing he detested more than failure were Joestars. Or perhaps it was defiance. Cowardice was not popular with him, so it might be that.

Actually there was much Dio hated.

While unwanted visitors were more an annoyance than something he hated, Dio usually killed annoyances as well. He left it to people like D'Arby to handle the details in such matters. There was much beneath Dio's notice, which was how it should be.

"I bear a gift for Dio." The man's voice was like someone had jammed gravel in his throat. The words were perfectly pronounced, but there was an almost background noise to it.

"Lord Dio," D'arby corrected out of reflex. So, the man knew who the master of the manor was. Since he hadn't been summoned, he would die for possessing that knowledge. It seemed impossible the vagrant had learned it on his own. Had someone informed him? Perhaps it would be best to pump him for information before dispatching him, starting with the most important thing. "What gift have you brought for him?" If it was good enough, D'Arby would take it from the corpse and deliver to Lord Dio himself.

"It is for him alone."

The odd noise accompanying the words made the hairs on the back of D'Arby's neck stand up. The butler wondered if it was time to employ some torture to see if that would extract the information he desired. While his Stand could rip a soul from the body when the conditions were right, it was versatile. Shattering bones in alphabetical order was simplicity itself.

As he wondered if he should start with fingers or go right for a limb, D'Arby became aware of the… wrongness about the man. The situation had focused his attention so sharply he hadn't noticed it until now. But in becoming aware of it he realized this sensation was emanating directly from the stranger. It was like a cloying bleakness that was slowly suffocating him as it swirled around his form. It wasn't coming from a Stand, he would have seen it, but it was real, threatening to pull him down into depths which caused him to experience the rarely felt sensation of terror. D'Arby should have summoned his Stand, but on some instinctual level he understood this wasn't something he could combat with physical power.

While it reminded him of Lord Dio, it was different as well. Dio could crush you like a bug. This would consume you like a pack of starving rats. Two different types of demises, neither of which he wanted any part of.

Perhaps it would be for the best if Lord Dio met this… being face-to-face. Surely someone so… unique would pique the vampire lord's interest. And unquestionably the gift must be valuable. Who would knowingly and willingly walk into the jaws of death to offer something worthless?

Yes, letting him pass was surely for the best. And for D'Arby's sake he prayed Lord Dio would see it the same way.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Kenny G couldn't quite believe his eyes. D'Arby had the audacity to allow this intruder into Dio's sanctum unmolested! No one was allowed to do that unbidden, and all of the guards were always informed of when visitors were expected so as to not inhibit their approach. D'Arby would certainly be punished for this lapse, which amused Kenny G. The butler was far too full of himself. He deserved to be humbled, and perhaps even killed. If so, Kenny G. hoped he would be allowed to hear the cries of agony. He wouldn't want to miss the fun.

Now it was time for Kenny G. to fulfil his own mission, lest the fate that Dio would bestow upon D'Arby visit him as well. His Stand created illusions throughout the house, making it appear as though it were a labyrinth. While the size of the maze made it appear it would take hours to navigate, the Stand's ability was far more than that. He could constantly shift it, leaving the intruder lost in the illusion forever as they moved in unending circles, or at least as long as Kenny G. could remain awake to guide it.

Then to his shock this unkempt intruder navigated through the house as though he could see things normally. He made a beeline without hesitation through the rooms and up the stairs leading up to Dio's chambers in the top of the tower.

Kenny G. felt his heart shrink into his chest, as though it could somehow hide from the wrath that would be visited upon by his lord and master for failing him so easily. It seemed likely D'Arby's screams of agony would join in a chorus of Kenny G.'s own.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dio was aware of the intruder's presence from the moment he entered the house. He was far more perceptive than his minions and had sensed the newcomer's unique aura. In lesser beings it would produce fear; in Dio it produced intrigue. He continued reaching out with his senses as the newcomer made it past his defenses almost without pause, and certainly without battle. Explanations would have to be made and punishments meted out when this mystery was solved.

The man entered the chamber. It was dominated by an elegant the bed and opulent jewels laying around. There were still two fresh corpses of beautiful, scantily-clad women drained of blood, that remained on the floor. Dio had not bothered to have them removed yet. He wouldn't have cared at all and left them there save the smell of decomposition bothered him.

Then newcomer was… base, and that was something of an understatement. Dio found him foul since he reminded him of his own impoverished childhood. He hated memories of his worthless father and an existence that was far beneath him. Dio had elevated himself to near godhood; he had no interest in reliving his past.

As a test he sent out his own aura of dark might which made even the mightiest agree to serve him. The newcomer didn't react in the slightest, even as Dio failed to react to that dark miasma about him.

Having no interest in pomp or circumstance at this time, Dio said, "Who are you?"

"One who bears a gift." His hand went into the interior of his hole ridden overcoat.

Dio prepared his Stand in case this was some sort of trap, and he needed to halt time. The Joestars were coming to assassinate him, but they weren't the only ones who might want his existence ended. Some would reject Dio's mastery of the world if they knew of his plans and would strive against him. It would do them no good, but the attempts would be insulting, and he loathed being looked down upon. He was the greatest being in the world and looked down upon everyone else. That was as it should be.

But it was no outward weapon the man wielded. Rather he pulled out an elaborate cube. The surface had a number of odd shapes on each side, and it seemed to be gilded in gold. There was something intriguing to its shape and form, as though Dio's mind was compelled to try and fathom its purpose in some fashion.

"What is it?" Dio asked, his eyes transfixed.

"A box."

"What's in the box?"

"Unimaginable things, even to those with great imagination."

Yes, this was interesting. Almost seductive. Dio wanted, no, needed to know what was in the box. "I could just have you open it for me."

"It is not hands that can summon what is in the box: it is desire. I have none. The box is not for me. It is a gift to you. A gift such as this, you will want to open it with your own hands." And he placed it on a table.

It could have been perceived as an attempt on the man's part to not be tortured into revealing what was inside, but no, Dio could sense this being was telling the truth. And he was right. What had Dio to fear from the contents of the box? He might be cautious about things, but afraid? Fear was the affliction he gave to others, yet would never feel himself.

He went over to the box. His hand hovered over it… then enclosed around it. With that contact, he knew he wanted to see what was inside. There was something within the box that was communicating on a visceral level to something inside of him. A force he hadn't been aware existed. It was like a response to a summons. Of course, just because one shows up when being summoned didn't mean the summoner would be happy about what happened when the guest arrived.

Dio examined it briefly. With his intellect it took but a moment to grasp how it worked. The shapes were movable. One could pull out sections of the box and reconfigure them. In some ways like a Rubik's Cube, but far more complicated. Within four changes Dio determined the creator was an inspired genius. Despite its small size it was one of the most sophisticated devices he had ever seen. There were thousands of possible configurations to the box.

After getting a feel for the puzzle box and how it worked, Dio examined it more closely. There were indeed numerous configurations, and while he was immortal, he had no interest in wiling away time on the puzzle: he desired a solution. He looked it over, his eyes probing the shapes more intently than anything he had focused upon before. After an unknown passage of time he thought he saw a pattern in the shapes. While technically it made a pattern every time it was manipulated, it was as if the shape was the one it was *supposed* to take on.

It took him no time at all to figure out how to shift the shapes around to reconfigure it to what he desired. As he came closer to the end, he could sense things right at the edge of his perception that had not been there before. The walls appeared to almost pulsate, and the air itself almost seemed to thicken. Perhaps more caution should have been merited, but he was Dio Brando, and he wanted answers to the questions the box raised. He would bend anything in that path to his will, destroy it if he felt like it, but he would have answers at any cost. And others would pay the price should he be disappointed in them.

There came a point where the pattern was almost complete. He was no more than two or three moves away. Then to his surprise the box moved itself. It was only one move, but apparently that was the final one as a blue arc of what appeared to be electricity jumped across the surface.

And then it happened.

Blue lines appeared on the four walls of the room. The went from floor to ceiling, each forming a line. Then the walls parted at the new seams, revealing stone passageways, like those of a dungeon, behind them where none could exist. The miasma that had clung to the stranger, who Dio now realized had departed long ago, filled the air. A lesser being might have panicked, but not Dio. He had seen things more incredible than this, had them happen to him. Instead he observed as the situation unexpectedly changed.

From these passageways four beings emerged. They were mostly human, but at the same time no human could be like them.

One was six feet tall with a head and face like a mound of dirt. Sunglasses appeared welded to its face, obscuring its eyes. It was slightly rotund, and clad in leather from the neck down so no other piece of flesh was visible.

Another looked like it might have had been a person with an overlarge head, save it had no skin and where its eyes should have been were more lines. Around its mouth the flesh had been pulled back so far the entire set of teeth were permanently on display, as were the gums. The teeth chattered like the being was been near freezing, had never known warmth in its entire existence. It wore a leather outfit similar in style to its companion.

The third was more human in appearance, at least when it came to the head. It was a woman, bald but with her throat literally cut up with a vertical slit, the skin pulled back and revealing what lay beneath. The metal pulling it back and open ran into her cheeks, anchored there as well under the flesh. By all rights she should have bled to death, but there no blood, nor any sign of pain those eyes of hers. Like the others, she too wore an outfit of black leather.

The last bore the air of a leader. Like the female, bald and with pale white flesh and black eyes that were almost entirely pupil. The ends of extraordinarily large pins stuck out in from his entire skull and face. He should have been in excruciating agony, yet showed no signs of it.

Before they could do more than emerge from that other space, Dio summoned The World. They did not react to its appearance. Perhaps they were not Stand users as he initially expected. In any case he froze time so he could examine these newcomers and judge what threat they might possess. There was nothing about them that could be viewed as anything other than threatening.

He approached Pinhead. Most likely any answers would come from him. Dio walked around him, examining his motionless body closely. There was no make-up or special effect involved with this one. Those pins were definitely embedded in the flesh. This was an enigma.

Then impossibly Pinhead's face slowly turned toward him. The mouth opened and a sound emerged. "Sssssoooo yyyyoooouuuu cccaaannn cccooonnntttrrrooolll ttiimmee, iinn aa ffaasion. So can we."

Dio's surprise was so complete he broke off The World's stoppage of time. Seconds progressed one by one moving forward, as time intended.

Pinhead said, "Ah, back to normal. It is easier this way. Manipulating time is like manipulating space. At times necessary, but only as a means to an end, rather than the end itself."

And with that utterance Dio reverted back to his usual self. "Who are you?"

"Explorers in the further reaches of experience. Demons to some. Angels to others." His tone was the most menacing Dio had ever heard, with a promise of complete control in the situation.

Well, the most menacing aside from his own. "And why have you come?"

"The box. You opened it. We came."

"My gift," Dio said mockingly. He could see lesser beings fearing them and their dark miasma. Their ability to move through time meant nothing to him. The World was powerful, and they were within his range. And he was a vampire on top of that. "Now what do you want?"

While he didn't lack emotions, Pinhead sounded something like a salesman as he spoke. "To make an offer. You are more unique than most, and that has captured our notice. If you so desire, we can allow you to experience sensations that cannot be offered in this world. We have done so before to others that have sought us out with the boxes, and we have always lived up to our end of the bargain. Every one of them received exactly what they asked."

Not what Dio expected. Not at all. This day was full of surprises. So few were. "Should I accept your offer, what do you want in exchange?"

"Making you experience the things we offer. Your unique nature would afford us the opportunity to explore further than we have before. That is the purpose to our existence." Again his words held command and truth. Like Dio, but most assuredly not like him as well. A conundrum.

Dio spoke. "An interesting offer. I have experienced life and undeath, and what is in-between. I was decapitated, and survived. I spent decades in a box on the cold ocean floor, and survived. I reattached my head to the body of my most hated foe. I learned the power of controlling time, and doing things no being on this planet can do. And yet you contend you can show me more than I already know."

"So very many things." Somehow this being could make his voice sound wet with lust.

Dio pondered the words. Something about them held Truth. He understood this being well enough that his word was inviolate. And the fact was, there had been a, not exactly fear, but a grim foreboding in his breast. He was meant to rule over all as a god. The only purpose anything had in this existence was to serve him. That which did not had no use, and thus could be destroyed without consideration. Objects, people, entire countries if need be. Once he was in charge, when all acknowledged him as the only power, what if he did run out of things to stimulate him? He was immortal, and as he informed these 'explorers', he had experienced so many things. Lesser men would have gone mad from any of them. Instead Dio always came back and thrived. It was just a matter of time. And of late, things had become predicable almost to the point of boredom. Had the Joestars not thrown the gauntlet at him, he could envision ennui settling in.

A bored god? No greater blasphemy could exist.

And now some other power (not greater, for there was no such thing compared to him), had come out of nowhere and offered him a boon. A solution to the problems that might arise. Looking them over, these things that should be in agony yet took everything in stride, perhaps what they offered had merit.

This was clearly a one-time deal. Take it or leave it. The sensible thing would be to ignore them and continue cementing the plans he had made. Dealing with the Joestars. Ruling the world. It would take time and effort. If he were to wander off the path, there was no telling how long it would take to get back on it.

Only lesser men always took the 'sensible' path. Nothing in his life had ever been that, and look at all he had.

"I accept."

"Done." The voice had a tone of finality to it. "There is no point in telling you to prepare yourself: there is nothing you can do that will." And he indicated Dio should follow him down one of the passages that had opened.

It almost sounded like a challenge to Dio. So be it. He always won his challenges. This would be no different. And when it was done, once he had taken everything they had to offer, he'd deal with these demonic angels, or angelic demons, as he saw fit.

He would rule their hell as well as the Earth. Perhaps in time, heaven would be added to the list.

After all, he was Dio Brando.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And somewhere in Japan, Holly Kujo opened her eyes, the weight on her soul vanished.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[END FIC]

Author's notes: I was watching a review of Hellraiser 2 (which I liked more than the first one. I enjoyed the expanded universe and the direction it went to), and it started the question rolling of who might eagerly accept an offer by the Cenobites, and who might actually be able to endure them. And since I just watched the full anime of JJBA (saw the original OVAs in the 90's via fansub bootleg on VHS and already owned the manga, so it was just a kind of reread for me), I thought Dio just might indulge himself. My money would be on the Cenobites, but hey, if anyone could handle them and what they had to offer, it would be Dio.

I couldn't really get the full style of Pinhead's conversations in this. Despite the limited dialogue in the movies, the tone was very memorable and always helped impact the dialogue. I can get the impact in my head, but writing it down, it really doesn't do it justice. Sure, you can write, "And we'll tear your soul apart", but it doesn't have the same impact as hearing it. They really did a good job with it. Look them up on youtube if you haven't heard them. Only the first 2 movies though as they had the best feel. The others were… well sequels, and you know how those tend to be.