His first hint that something had gone far beyond the plans of those fools who had dared to lay their filthy hands on Dio Brando was a crash that seemed fit to shake the very world. The next, interestingly enough, was the furtive, skittering, midnight-clad form of his sweet sister upon the very ceiling. Grinning up at her, even as she turned to look down at him with one lovely crimson eye, he settled back on his haunches and clasped his hands neatly behind his back.
The Hamon-filled shackles which had so effectively stymied his own efforts to escape their grasp would be as nothing before his sweet sister's multitude of talents.
"My binds are filled with Hamon," he said, grinning wider as his dear Alice settled into a crouch behind him.
"That a fact?" his sweet sister muttered, removing her elegant lock picks from a concealed holder within her right sleeve.
"Oh, yes," he, Dio, said, grinning with supreme satisfaction as he watched his sweet sister work. "I truly doubt that any of our vampiric abilities will be able to defeat such binds."
"Really, now?"
He, Dio, could tell by his sweet sister's tone that she was far more focused upon the lock under her elegant, clever hands than upon a conversation that was – if he were to be completely honest – simply for the sake of his own amusement. The soft, subtle clicking and clinking of metal on metal as his dear Alice worked prompted him to chuckle deeply within his throat. Knowing that the pair of them would soon be free to properly redress the threat posed to them by those arrogant fools and their pitiful Hamon he, Dio, allowed himself to relax just enough that he would not disturb his sweet sister at her present task.
Once the Hamon-filled shackles had fallen to the floor he, Dio, stood up and turned around. He'd seen that his sweet sister was wearing the armor that had designed and created once it had become clear that they would be forced to confront that fool Zeppeli and his compatriot, and so he knew that he would not be able to give his dear Alice the kiss she had so thoroughly earned, but that only meant that he could savor the anticipation. That he, Dio, could plan just where, how, and when he would give his sweet sister the proper repayment for everything she had given him.
The sound of footfalls just outside the door brought his attention firmly back to the present, and Dio tensed himself for the fight that was soon to begin; he would personally ensure that neither of those fools who had so brazenly dared to challenge the twin Vampire Lords of the world would survive the night.
"The entire compound is on fire," the long-haired Hamon-user said, a confused expression on his rather fetching face as he stepped into the room.
"Yes; four loads of burning coal dropped into this much dry wood would have that kind of effect," his sweet sister said, her tone calm enough to suggest that she had expected this fool of a Hamon-user to arrive when he did. "Straizo, you've met my brother Dio. Dio, this is Straizo. Try not to kill each other before we get away from Zeppeli, all right?"
His sweet sister pinned them both with her lovely, crimson eyes, and for a moment he, Dio, could all but look through her armored, slit-visored mask to see the sternly-amused expression on his dear Alice's face.
The pair of them were able to agree to that one stipulation, at least long enough that they were able to make their escape from the spreading flames eating their way through the deserted compound where he had been held ever since that mongrel Zeppeli had somehow managed to contrive a method to capture him, Dio. Still, he was not about to allow one of that man's fellow Hamon-users to escape his proper punishment. However, considering the man's clear desire to ally himself with the pair of them he, Dio, would make all reasonable efforts to restrain himself.
Besides, his sweet sister had often said that most people just needed a good kick in the arse to realize the error of their ways.
=PB=
Once the three of them had passed the old train yard – keeping well out of the range of the search teams swarming over the place – Alice allowed herself to relax just a bit. Yes, there was still a chance that someone could track where they were going from their footprints in what dirt there was between their ever-growing compound, but that chance grew steadily smaller with every step the three of them took. And, when they finally did arrive back at the compound, what chance there still was became almost astronomically small.
"Well, sister dear, that was certainly an exhilarating experience," Dio said, grinning widely as he elegantly flung himself down into the plush chair bordering their huge main living room's left-corner couch.
"Well, it's like I've said before: if fire doesn't solve your problems, you're clearly not using enough of it."
"I thought you said that about explosives, sister dear," Dio said, a teasing smile spreading languidly across his face.
"The principle holds true in either case, brother dear," she said, smirking right back.
Straizo didn't quite seem to know what to make of the pair of them, but as it was something he'd have to get used to if the pair of them were going to work together on any kind of long-term basis, he'd just have to learn to deal. Still, she hoped the pair of them would be able to work together, since the opportunity to study the mechanics of Hamon with someone who didn't want to kill her and Dio would be fascinating in and of itself. To say nothing of the boost in effectiveness it would provide to the creation and refinement of her armor.
"Come on, Straizo," she said, rising from the couch she'd perched on when the three of them had come back home. "I need to make a stop at the blacksmith, and then I'll show you my lab."
"Yes, it's rather fascinating, my sister's laboratory," Dio said, grinning at her and Straizo as the pair of them made their way out of the living room. "However, you will want to keep your wits about you. Dear Alice has little patience for fools."
"You should take your own advice," she snarked back. "How many times have you set yourself on fire by now?"
"Only twice," Dio said, still grinning in that insufferable way he had.
"Good; let's keep it that way, shall we?" she said, shooting him a semi-amused look as she left the living room behind.
Dio's laughter followed her out.
=PB=
He was not entirely certain what to make of the vampire twins Dio and Alice Brando, though the fact that Alice had been willing to invite him into the home that she shared with her brother did speak just as well of her sensibility and composure as her initial acceptance of his desire to speak with her about the fantastic, ageless body that she and her brother had been granted by the stone mask. Under the circumstances, he was more than a little pleased to be able to work with her.
He still had his doubts about what the vampire was actually planning, but in light of the resources she plainly had access to, he was at least curious to see what would come of the vampire Alice Brando's tinkering.
=PB=
It had been some weeks since he'd last been in close contact with Dio and Alice, and as he and Erina were beginning to finalize their plans to be wed, the pair of them were composing letters. The letters would serve as both a way of keeping his siblings abreast of new developments within the Joestar household, as well as an invitation to the festivities that were soon to come. Jonathan was also planning to ask Dio to be his Best Man when he finally married Erina, and he knew that Erina herself had some plan or other that involved Alice.
He didn't precisely know what it was as of yet, but Jonathan suspected he could hazard a guess.
Once the pair of them had finished composing their letters, Jonathan handed them off to his governess so that she could take them to be posted, then he and Erina left Father's office. Jonathan paused to thank Father, when the pair of them passed by one another in the halls, and then he and Erina continued on their way to one of the smaller sitting rooms. He'd been making a point of paying daily visits to Mrs. Brando, carrying what news he could of Dio and Alice to her when he could, and simply keeping the woman company when he'd nothing new to report.
However, no matter what news he brought her, it seemed as though Mrs. Brando was steadily slipping away from them. It was yet another reason that Jonathan hoped to bring Dio and Alice back to the Joestar estate as fast as he ever could: he doubted that Mrs. Brando had many years left in her, and he'd no wish to deprive his adopted siblings of the little time they might still have with their mother. Truly, even if Mrs. Brando had still been at the peak of health for a woman her age, Jonathan still would have sought to have Dio and Alice return to the estate.
Truly, there was no more joyous an occasion for them to return than for his and Erina's wedding.
Making his way inside the room that Mrs. Brando made use of when she wasn't strolling through the well-maintained gardens of the Joestar estate or secluding herself in the library that Alice had enjoyed so much during the time that she and Dio had spent living with him, their mother, and Father, Jonathan gathered his composure.
"Mrs. Brando?" he called softly, stepping into the room.
He wouldn't wish to disturb her if she was in the midst of one of the contemplative moods that seemed apt to steal over her more and more often of late, and as he'd little news to offer in recompense, Jonathan would not seek to make a nuisance of himself if he were not wanted.
"How have they been managing?" Mrs. Brando asked, an expression of such hope spreading across her weathered face that Jonathan could not quite bring himself to disappoint her in even a small way.
"The pair of them are doing rather well, given what Erina and I have been able to gather from their letters," he gathered himself, offering her a gentler sort of smile. "You will have the opportunity to speak with them again, however. Erina and I have invited them to our impending wedding."
"Thank you," Mrs. Brando said, reaching out to cup both of his hands in her own. "I'd hoped to be able to see them again, at least one more time."
"You shouldn't say such things," he said, taking Mrs. Brando by the shoulders in lieu of the embrace that he wished to give her; such a thing would have been rather inappropriate, considering their lack of immediate familial ties.
As well, he'd no wish to force his presence upon Mrs. Brando when it had become more than clear that Dio and Alice were the ones that she truly longed for the company of.
=PB=
Straizo was more than prepared to admit his sheer fascination at watching the vampire Alice Brando at her chosen task; any of them, truly. Any task that the woman put her mind to, she would complete with all due diligence. Not only that, but Alice was also possessed of an inquisitive, inventive mind such as he'd rarely seen even in fellow humans.
To say nothing of the vampire sub-species at large; truly, Dio Brando was far more the norm so far as vampires were concerned.
Watching as Alice Brando worked side-by-side with the man named Matthew Albert Hunter to refine titanium ore into a type of silver-colored metal that he'd not seen before, Straizo wondered at just what her intentions for this new metal of hers would ultimately be. There were few enough metals that could resist the effects of Hamon… but, perhaps that was the purpose of the new metal that the female vampire aimed to create. Either way, bearing witness to the creation of the metal was rather fascinating in and of itself.
No other type of metal, so far as he knew, required such an elaborate method of refining.
Still, once she had created four sheets of the metal – each of them with a slightly differing composition – she called him to follow her and the pair of them made their way into another part of the female vampire's laboratory; this one in an entirely separate building from the one she and her brother had spoken about. This particular building had clearly been dedicated to metalworking and other things of that nature, and even as he watched, Straizo saw Alice make her way to a closet set into the far wall.
He'd only a moment to wonder just what in the world she was at, before the vampire woman took out what seemed to be the torso of a life-sized doll mounted atop a stand.
"What?" she asked, looking over at him with an expression that, Straizo was fair certain, would have easily matched his own for sheer curiosity.
"I have simply never seen that kind of item before," he said, knowing that Alice Brando was enough of a teacher at heart that she would not mock him for such a question.
"It's a dress-form," she said, placing the first of the shaped titanium plates upon what seemed to be a leather harness, which she then proceeded to fasten to the torso of the headless "dress form" she had set up. "It's quite a bit more durable than the ones I use for sewing, of course," the vampire woman said, the majority of her attention clearly taken up by the task she'd taken upon herself. "Well then, let's begin, shall we?"
The smile upon the vampire woman's face held both amusement and eagerness, and Straizo was left to wonder – for just a moment – what the vampire Alice Brando would manage to create, now that she had his aid. If nothing else, the process was certain to be of interest…
=PB=
Having healed the last of his burns – the terror of the flames, however, still lingered – William had hidden himself from any of those who might have been searching for him. Staying in a place where those vampires were so highly regarded as they were among the general population as they were within the borders of Garfield County – to say nothing of the state of Montana at large – was not a thing that William would have ever expected to be necessary. Still, knowing just how well those vampires had managed to deceive every living human within the state where they had hidden themselves was not a hopeful thought.
It was certain to make any future efforts at dealing with them far more difficult than they had been previously.
To say nothing of the fate of Straizo, he mused, narrowing his eyes as the memory of what had become of the last of the two friends and comrades-in-arms that he had brought with him in his continuing efforts to finally put an end to the unnatural existence of the vampires that had once been Dio and Alice Brando. After finding Dire's beheaded corpse at the bottom of the lake within the borders of Wind Knights Lot, he'd of course become all the more concerned about Straizo's continued welfare.
He'd not have insulted his fellow monk's skill by attempting to do anything so brazen as protecting him, but William had done what he could to aid his fellow in their continuing battle.
However, it had all come to naught; Straizo had perished in the conflagration caused when the female vampire – in blatant defiance of every form of logic and reason – had rammed a train filled with coal, coal that she herself had more than likely set afire beforehand, into the compound that he and Straizo had been using to hold the vampire's twin in an effort to rid the world of the pair of them in a single swoop. He'd not been prepared for such an outcome, and while it had cost him dearly, it had also served to harden William's resolve. The vampires that had once been Dio and Alice Brando needed to be destroyed, no matter the cost.
He was the only one who could accomplish such a thing; the task, then, fell to him.
The sound of a terribly familiar voice singing focused William's attention upon the white-cloaked form of the female vampire before him. She was leaning brazenly against the wall of a building across the street from where he stood, strumming a guitar, with merely the white hood of her cloak shielding the vampire's unnatural form from the sunlight that would have properly destroyed her. So, the arrogance of all her kind has finally overwhelmed what reason the creature could still lay claim to, William reflected, with a certain sense of grim satisfaction.
Truly, he'd not relished the prospect of attempting to outwit a vampire who had the capability to create such things as the explosive net that he had found himself facing some time ago; still, he mourned the brilliance that had been taken from the world when Alice Brando had died under the cruel spines of the stone mask.
Standing across from the vampire at last, William saw the small, arrogantly amused smile spreading across the creature's face as she continued to sing. Gathering himself as he began summoning the Hamon necessary to finally end the unnatural existence of one of the most dangerous vampires he had encountered during his lifetime- William found himself forced to dodge as the vampire abruptly hurled the guitar she had been playing directly at his head. Narrowing his eyes, even as he quickly shielded himself from the shrapnel of the shattered instrument that had nearly slammed into his face, William swept the remaining pieces aside and turned his gaze back to… The place where the vampire he had previously been standing.
Looking up, after a moment spent studying the cracked outline of the vampire's feet that had been driven into the ground, William saw that the vampire had indeed alighted atop the roof of the building that the pair of them had been standing before.
=PB=
Alice only had a few moments to wonder just what Zeppeli'd gotten into his head to do, before she was forced to dive off of the building that he'd just attempted to bring down on top of her. Reaching into her white hood, Alice grabbed hold of the front-piece of her helmet and pulled the thing up and over her head. The helmet – ribbed and hinged like one of Apophis' Serpent Guard – clicked softly as its two halves locked firmly into place. Catching herself breathing, almost by reflex, Alice rolled her eyes briefly, pulling the white cloak she'd worn back into place over her new titanium armor.
The rubber webbing underneath the plates seemed to be flexing as well as she could ask for, and the heat-dissipating ceramic plates were holding up well, thus far; still, the proof was in the pudding, so to speak.
Tucking her white cloak in more securely around and over her armor – she still had more than a few tricks up her sleeve to spring on that stubborn old goat – Alice jumped back up to what remained of the building whose roof she'd been standing on before Zeppeli'd brought the thing down almost on top of her head. Surveying the lay of their current battlefield – she'd made a point of hunting down this particular ghost town for just the same sort of reason that, she suspected, Zeppeli was willing to meet her in battle – Alice quickly slapped down the energized piece of wood that Zeppeli had just tried to impale her head with. It was a fairly good use of available materials, she could give the man that.
Still, under the circumstances, she wasn't about to let what admiration she had for the man interfere with what she was going to have to do; the man was obviously a fanatic, and those kind couldn't be reasoned with.
Leaping lightly back down to the ground, Alice needed only a moment to balance herself again. Fortunately for her, considering how quickly Zeppeli leaped at her, his right fist charged with Hamon that he drove into her armored torso in the space between one of his blinks and the next. Considering everything else her vampire body was capable of, training herself not to blink had been one of the more difficult feats she'd undertaken. Of course, it had involved bringing an unconscious reflex under conscious control, so that'd probably accounted for most of the difficulty right there.
Smirking under her helmet as Zeppeli grabbed the trailing left edge of her cloak, Alice twisted out of it, exposing the polished-to-a-mirror-sheen of her titanium armor to the high-noon sun.
"Do I dazzle you, Zeppeli?" she snarked, grinning as the man staggered back from a face-full of reflected sunlight.
Capitalizing on her advantage, Alice hammered the man in the solar-plexus with a driving-punch calculated to knock the wind out of him without making his torso burst like an abused piñata. Grabbing the man by his belt, Alice hefted him up until his feet left the dusty ground, then leaped up to the rooftops again. She knew the train schedules well enough to know that there would be a cargo train traveling down the Northern Pacific Railway – delivering ores, grains, lumber and such – and this was an opportune time to catch it on its way out of the state. Body-slamming Zeppeli into a nearby intact rooftop as he began regaining the breath she'd knocked out of him, Alice pushed her vampire body for as much speed as she could wring out of it considering her present need not to damage her armor.
Yes, she'd designed the suit to have quite a bit of extra flexibility, but nothing she had or could design with the tools she had access to in her present era could match the flexibility of a vampire's body.
Pacing the cargo train as it sped along beside her, Alice gave Zeppeli a last punch to the solar-plexus, then hurled him onto a flatbed car carrying a load of neatly-cut lumber. Dashing down the side of the small, tightly-packed row of buildings she'd made her way up to start Zeppeli on his out-of-state journey, Alice quickly made her way back to the rendezvous point that she and Straizo had agreed upon before she'd set out to field-test this prototype armor set of hers. She didn't even bother trying to conceal the wide, cat-that-ate-the-canary grin on her face, as she leaped and ran and leaped again, into the empty two-story building she'd pre-arranged to meet Straizo in.
"Well, I'd definitely call this a successful field-test," she said, grinning over at the long-haired man who'd been watching over the progress of her brief fight with Zeppeli.
"Yes," he said, left hand briefly at his chin as he turned to look her way.
"Come on, let's head back home," she said lightly, clapping his right shoulder in passing as she threw her white cloak back over her own.
"Home," she heard Straizo mutter from behind her, as though he were testing the word; Alice chuckled softly.