Capitolo Primo: Giovinezza (8)

The moment I was led inside the abandoned warehouse that had been turned in the hideout for Hannah’s gang, I felt a brief shiver of self-disappointment over what I was looking at.

I suppose I should have expected to see this happening. Somehow.

I couldn’t certainly magic some clairvoyance from utter nothingness. With my current abilities being far from accomplishing such a deed, I still had to rely on logical ramifications born from simple but deep events.

Hannah was one of the various inhabitants of the British Isles, but like the majority she was incredibly bent by the nature of the present state of society. The United Kingdom didn’t offer means for low-borns to truly rise up from the dust, leaving many broken and left succumbing to the horrible truth of the stagnating situation of the world.

People that were so desperate for a chance out of this deplorable hellhole they had been thrown into not because of their actions, but because of their unlucky upbringing.

Dio’s charisma proved to be as divine as I remembered it to be, but the peak of this unique trait was reached when he first mastered the beastly nature of vampires, when he become a cruel and cynical being that could easily strip humans of their hopes, turning them in puppets ready to be manipulated by him.

It was natural for him. No empathy for individuals, only some inner lust to see blood being spilled by people, may those be his foes or his allies.

Before he took the mask? There had been some subconscious manipulation from his part to worm himself into his minions’ hearts, then he would offer them guidance, trust, and utmost pride in a glorious future.

In this period, these three things were something that many poor people didn’t have, thus turning easy to mold under his perspective of humanity.

But there was something of a flaw in his ingenious charisma, and that was the inability of manipulating multiple people at once to the maximum effort.

Chaos helped him well in having none rebel against him, only a few eventually seeing his true self and bailing from his plans… but this was all after meeting with the Joestar family one way or another.

Part 3 showed this issue masterfully. While he recovered, while he prepared to make his glorious victory to be his ultimate one… he also failed to notice that one couldn’t just brush away someone as dastardly strong as his fateful opponent.

Fate was a strong element in the story, where the Joestars became its champions against the group of villains trying to conquer the world or just let it burn even more as it was now.

But the true problem about my current predicament wasn’t truly Dio’s charisma. It was the fact that I had pretty much stumbled in the creation of something much more meaningful than just a young man’s ambitious plan to become rich.

The British Empire was starting to reach its Zenith, completing the final expansion of the Colonial holdings.

The death of Queen Victoria was going to make the social issues within the grandiose Great Power crash down on everyone, shaking the political boat more than many contemporary politicians could have foreseen.

From poor people being left without guarantees to succeed in life only to be thrown into factories or into the trenches, to the nobility starting to see that their usual petty plays around the traditional parties wasn’t going to work any longer with the growing chorus of reform.

Communism never truly entrenched in the country until much later in the twentieth century, but there was already something that was going to pave the road for some unpleasant circumstances to deal as a single individual. Or even a big organization.

The Labour Party was still far from becoming worrisome for them all hiding in their mansions, but the moment the Great War was going to come in and sweep generations off entire nations, things were going to take an ugly turn.

I could see already the lines of the deformed webs already contorting and, despite Dio’s interest in making the world is to rule by improving it from the dust, he failed to notice that there was just too much to do on his own.

The world was far too big and corrupt to be ruled so instantly. The takeover has to be subtle and decisive instead of some bloody war to unify everything up.

Control has to be coaxed into the people’s minds, it has to be rendered a must and a need for them to accept in their normal lives as an alternative to the current time’s squalor.

Make them feel easy in their cage, so that the captor can go ahead and mold the bright lights of a properly-made future.

The mere sight of the well-cared warehouse, with the numerous boxes filled with food and resources currently littering all over the inner section of the building, was enough to give me a glimpse of what a single action, may it be out of kindness or for something else, was capable of achieving so suddenly and without much notice.

After leaving the box with the dress to the closest place I could reach, I proceeded to carefully comply to the former prostitute’s request.

Hannah was still smiling eye-to-eye as she started to give me a tour around the place, the rest of the group having taken seat by some of the tables prepared in the crates-free area of the warehouse, to stare and try to understand how I was their ‘inspiration’.

Legitimate as a concern, appearances can be quite the mirror that fools people about one’s limits and potential. A true deed of power was necessary, but not one done so quickly and without a deep reasoning behind.

I could grow flowers on the wood of some of these boxes, but that display of ‘magic’ was only going to get them disappointed over my own means to create changes.

I needed something bigger. Something that was a must to accomplish, like an important mission of sort.

Something that would have to wait for now as I continued with the tour, quite unwilling to show any major displeasing actions before the young woman.

Hannah was capable of using the Spin, not truly something worrying if I had her set a couple of meters away from me… but she was attached to be like glue.

The moment she decided to snap, either for me being too uncaring or for some misunderstanding during our interaction, I was going to find a way to dodge or manipulate some Spin’s attack.

And that wasn’t something I could easily accomplish in a state of stress. Not yet at least.

“I hope that there have been no major attacks against the police,” I muttered quietly mid-discussion, gaining quickly the dark-haired woman’s attention.

“Not truly, no,” The former courtesan admitted calmly, her smile faltering a little at the serious topic. “But we have managed to steer them off with some appeasing bribes.”

I nodded at the action, knowing that it was best to avoid having to deal with some officers snooping around for criminal deeds.

“That’s good to know, Hannah,” I calmly commented, the girl almost squealing to the praise. “I hope you will continue this once an opportunity for us to act about it will happen.”

“Kind words from you, Lord Dio,” The young woman replied kindly at my words. “But, if it’s not too much to ask about, I would like to know if you have… any plans that we could go through with together.”

If she had been a puppy, I bet she would have waggled her tail madly at the possibility of standing close to me for that much long.

“Albeit I can’t offer any grandiose plans just yet considering the surprising revelation of this circumstance,” I started to answer her implicit query, noticing almost suddenly her deflating at my early words. “I can offer some minor guidance for the time being. Just enough to give you all something to do while I make some proper plans that can offer you some real action without dangers.”

Her blue eyes shone brightly at this. “You mean like giving us some tests to prove our worth?”

...Not truly what I was referring to. But I still gave a solid nod at that, the girl smiling in response as she paced quietly back towards the trio of man that was still looking at us talking.

But it was just as she eagerly made her way back to the rest of the gang that something odd caught my attention.

It was a mere instant, a blink within time that didn’t match up with the previous seconds as I saw a darker shadow obscuring the frame of the young woman and I felt tension as I recognized that something was descending quickly towards her.

It was a box. Someone had moved it towards her, ready to have the wood-made crate collide with Hannah’s skull.

The Spin wouldn’t have been quick enough, the gravity dragging the object quickly down showing no limitation in its fall and… I moved quickly, Hamon pumping rapidly in my legs.

“Hannah!”

My voice ripped through the silence and mute scene, the woman reacting instantly as she swiftly turned around to see what was going on with me, but then her eyes noticed the approaching brown-colored box falling upon her.

Her jaws gawked at the incoming pain, but…

I moved her just in time.

After pushing her away and making her trip on her butt, I moved backward to avoid the crate myself, the timing just perfect to avoid any unwanted splinters to reach out for my unarmored body.

I felt adrenaline rushing and giving me a new degree of awareness of the situation, being far too sure that the predicament hadn’t been a coincidence and… I felt someone moving behind me.

With the Ripple still coating my body in new energy, my reaction time was in its best shape as I mindfully started to dodge around two- no, three knives being used to get a solid hit on my chest.

Sweat rolling from my forehead, I managed to counter this assault with a quick kick at my attacker’s ribs.

Crack!

It was a pleasant noise to hear considering that the one maimed was this figure, the aggressor backing away instantly at the sudden counterattack, with one of his hands now reaching by his aching chest.

My aggressor groaned and snarled, a mix of wounded person and furious animal as he tried to bring some balance to his footing.

I had my eyes narrowed on the man’s face, almost snarling back his name at the ridiculous ambush he had set up for me.

“To think that you would be the one to find me, Jack.”

My words pierced like thousands of dagger right back at the murderer, the young man displaying a mirthful grin at my words.

“It’s you, Dio~!” He chuckled in a moment of lucid craziness, then his stare focused back on me, his hold over his monstrous knife tightening as he took a step towards me. “It’s you. It’s YOU! He was RIGHT!”

I grimaced at the loud outburst, the psychopath clearly unable to restrain the amusement at having found me. Rather ‘unflattering’ considering the kind of bastard I was supposed to kill now.

“Oh? Was it Wang Chan that told you?” I took a step forward myself, causing him to blink in a mix of childish wonder and awe. “I suppose that you got a little bird to tell you.”

“A strange bird,” He muttered with a hint of surprise. “Why, we know the same birds too then~!”

He jumped, his smile widening at the fact that I hadn’t moved yet as I carefully waited for him to get close enough for me to retaliate.

One of the things that truly made Jack a horrible killer was that his main flaw was the very strength that got him so famous both in the original timeline and this one.

His preys were weak, too prone to get scared of sudden attacks, making his job of stabbing them to death easier to accomplish.

He had never fought against someone lacking fear, someone that knew how to defend themselves.

I waited just at the last moment as I saw the knife ready to plunge on my neck, my head moving swiftly away from its trajectory as I proceeded to land a punch to the injured part of his chest.

The moment my fist landed on the skin, I could feel the entire body tense up in pain as the Ripper tripped to the side, rolling away as he tried but failed to stand up from the previous blow.

“Weren’t you going to kill me, Jack?” I inquired dryly as I started to walk towards him. “Knives ready, you were there, prepared to gut me… but now, you will be the one to perish by my hands!”

I lunged over him, ready to conclude this madman’s career here and now, but just as I leaped forward-

Clang.

I felt something metallic wrap around my right leg. Surprise turned in panic as I felt yanked away from Jack and into the wall, my face making the acquaintance of the barrier first thing first.

I groaned, my entire body burning at the sudden attack and… I heard a familiar chuckling.

“To think that this ‘strange bird’ did right by following around the curious child,” Wang Chan mirthfully commented while standing a few meters away from where I was.

He had his claws already unfolded, yet the other end of the chain was on his right hand.

“A pity that it wasn’t a true fight to understand what went wrong,” The Chinese man commented darkly as he started to approach me. “A pity that your demise is so sudden and meaningless.”

Before he could take any other steps, the malicious shopkeeper was forced to back away to dodge a…. Spinning ball.

The sphere of energy rushed for a little longer before slamming and exploding a couple of seconds later.

We both glanced right at the origin of the attack and… I was stunned by the sight I was presented with.

I had gone through the hour trying to keep Hannah from snapping in such a furious state, yet now she was sporting quite the incensed expression in her petite face.

“Y-You! How dare you attack Lord Dio!!” The outburst was met with a giggle by the dark magician.

It was in that moment that I tried to get out of that lock that kept me chained up, but-

“As if you can ever come close to even injure me, little brat,” Wang Chan commented, whistling happily as he yanked at my chain a little, disrupting my efforts to get out of my restrictions. “And as if I would let you faker get out of my hold, filthy scum.”

I groaned at the circumstance, knowing that I couldn’t act accordingly until I was out of that chains.

Yet, as I felt my hopes of winning this battle started to dwindle a little at the unpleasant developments, I saw some sparks erupting from the bastard’s claws.

Something was distracting him, the subsequent snarl giving me more hints that something was happening that I couldn’t see properly from my current disposition.

I saw something little, something that was spinning and… was creating sparkles out of its continuous impact.

“But I shall make sure that you are banished in the deepest part of hell, you cur,” A certain blond-haired man stood beside his boss. “For I, Robert E.O. Speedwagon, shan’t allow you to harm this gentleman!”

...I feel a little bit better now that I had this quote repeated towards me.

With the magician distracted, I moved my hands back to the chain, thinking how to get out of there without alerting the man of my activity.

I blinked, the solution easy to come up with as I reached for one of the steel balls in my pocket and I worked to accomplish two manipulations for the chain.

The first one was the main issue, opening up the chains binding my right leg up and the process was particularly quick to accomplish.

It was the second and final one that proved to be much more complicated than I remember it being, as the idea was generally easy to understand.

I had to meld the metal to latch onto Wang Chan’s palm, to bond to it as if glued to it.

This took me sometime, the distraction almost close to end as the hat was finally pushed away from the annoyed shopkeeper…

But it was already too late!

The magician realized suddenly that there was something wrong with the chain, but the very moment he stared back at me, his realization struck as I let out the first spark of Hamon through the metal.

With no means to break away from the chain now connected to his skin, my understanding of his nature was validated when the Ripple actually damaged the ‘simple human’.

I had long suspected that there was something wrong about the man, something inhuman. And now I was proven correct when the Energy of Light burned into the bastard.

Yet, much to my dissatisfaction, the effect weren’t as deadly as I had wished them to be.

The Hamon’s electric-like path was interrupted as I quickly noticed Wang Chan getting out somehow from his new binding. My eyes moved quickly, spotting a little bit of flesh still attached to the chain… and the bloody spot on the man’s palm as he dropped his metallic claws.

“Y-You- YouyouyouyouyouyouyouyouYOUYOUYOUYOUYOU!!”

He trembled furiously, pain exuding from his shivering body and his crazed wide eyes glared at me with utmost hatred.

“YOU WILL DIE. I WILL KILL YOU!”

But not now, it seems.

Just as he concluded this proclamation, the man suddenly jumped right up to the roof section and into the large window above the entrance, rushing into the glass as he made his quick escape away from that horrible situation for him.

There was silence, my body slowly healing thanks to Hamon after making a close encounter with a concrete wall. I glanced around, unsure that things were truly fine as I went to look to see if I could see Jack around and…

He wasn’t there anymore. Wang Chan’s sudden attack had screwed my chances of killing Jack now before he could really turn in a serious problem and… I was pissed.

“L-Lord Dio, is everything alright?”

I could recognize Hannah’s worried tone, but the moment I tried to reply that I was fine, I ended up scooped up in what I could confuse easily as the greatest of traps.

My face was pushed on her chest again, her arms tightly pulling deep in that bosom as I tried to keep afloat.

“I’m so sorry for endangering you, Lord Dio- If only I had been more careful with the situation Jack wouldn’t have been able to-”

“I-It’s alright,” I managed to interject with a muffled voice, managing to pull my lips away from that situation I was facing. “N-No need to worry. I’m alright, Hannah.”

It took her a couple of quiet moments to finally ease up her tight hold, giving me some means to breath without having to force my body through the odd predicament.

“Still, are you alright?” I inquired back before turning to the rest of the gang. “Same for you, Speedwagon and-”

But before I could finish with my honest attempt to sound emphatic with what had just happened, there the girl squealed and giggled.

“Lord Dio, to receive so much attention and considerations~!”

Another giggle and I bit down a groan at that reaction.

Despite the fact that Hannah was proving to be stable and incredibly capable with her ability with the Spin, I still have to keep an eye on her volatile personality.

Once I had made sure to leave the group with the simple tasks of expanding with new members and avoid causing any major issues with the authorities, I proceeded to make my way quickly back to where the carriage was waiting to me and… I just made it barely for the curfew.

I sighed nervously while holding the box with the dress within it close to my chest, my eyes distracted as my mind wandered at the implication of this absurd encounter.

While I could see Jack coming to track me down so suddenly, I hadn’t expected Wang Chan to be as brutal as the serial killer.

It was worrying, incredibly so, but I didn’t plan to back away from the purpose of killing them both as quickly as fate allowed.

I had to just find a mean to deal with them individually… then things would go favorably for me.

But for now, it was time for me, Dio, to make my way back home and rest from this unexpected encounter.

“I hope that your trip was successful, Dio.”

Once I was back to the Joestar’s Mansion, I had swiftly made my way to George’s office to report with what had happened with my solo endeavor.

The man had been busy with some paperwork when I knocked at his door, but he was quick to receive me with a note of curiosity and kindness as I entered while bringing the box with him.

Nodding at his curt comment, I presented him with the content of the box, his eyes slightly widening in a mix of genuine happiness and surprise at my victorious trip.

“I found it right where I thought it to be,” I replied calmly, setting the box right by one of the unused chairs as I focused my full attention to the man. “But I’m actually troubled by some of the words I’ve heard from the one that had it.”

Curiosity stirred at my last sentence, causing the man to pause in his work to give some proper focus at my words. “Is that so? Can you elaborate?”

I sighed, prepared to make some careful maneuvering to have the image of Dario Brando stained now that he was dead. Nothing truly wrong, I was actually bringing up part of the horrible truth behind the man’s passing.

“The man that had it, was the bartender of a pub close to where I lived,” I mentioned with a sigh. “And the man was quick to confirm the identity of the… one responsible for the dress to happen in his ownership.”

Interest swelled even more at my enticing comments, and soon I revealed ‘what I knew’.

I took a heavy sigh, this one filled with faux uncertainty and distress. “It was… It was my father, Dario Brando.”

I could see shock replace the intrigue in the Joestar’s face, the skin paling at the realization and I suddenly stared down at the carpet while I carefully picked what was left of the money that George had given me to buy back the dress and… settled the coins right onto his desk, backing two steps away from it.

“Mr. Joestar… I wish to apologize if this seems like a horrible discovery- I knew that father had some drinking problem but… I never thought it to be so bad and-”

“Dio, stop-”

I closed my eyes, ready to continue with the little act I had planned to go through while on my way back to the carriage.

“I-I’m not a thief.” Yet I am. A shameless one if push comes to shove.

“A-And I don’t wish to hurt Jonathan.” If he becomes an obstacle, he shall be removed swiftly and without hesitation.

“Dio,” This time the Joestar’s voice felt closer and stronger, and I felt my body tense up as I failed to notice the man had moved out of his chair and now was close enough for a hug.

Which he went for. His arms pulled calmly close, trying to make the embrace as warm, but also as half-formal, as possible.

“You are not your father, Dio,” George started to say. “While you might be related to him, you are your own person.”

“...” I was silent, ready to bask a little in the comforting words of the fatherly figure as I thought how smoothly this was turning out to be.

By dirtying Dario’s name, I was also making myself appear as an innocent young man that just ended up scattered by the unpleasant nature of my former home’s life.

I was made a good guy, one that could be trusted, one that lacked ‘enough’ backbone to try and do anything even so remotely bad.

I had my eternal alibi with this man, and now I was granted the immunity I needed to step up my games with what I achieved from that visit.

“Dario Brando… I thought of him to be a blunt, rude simpleton, but still someone that cared for his family,” The Joestar continued calmly. “I suppose my thought was a mistaken one… yet I think that my idea of you isn’t wrong. Actually, I think I considered you far less than you actually are.”

...What?

“When I first took you in, I expected you to be as blunt and brash as your father,” The nobleman started to explain. “I thought you to be in need of guidance, yet you proved me wrong by becoming a guide for Jojo. By becoming his proper older brother.”

I was surprised by this detail as… did George actually mention this in the Canon? Was this is first assumption of Dio’s character?

Perhaps, deep down, he always thought that there was something wrong about the blond but- what if he missed entirely the fact that this wasn’t a simple case of ‘misunderstood child’?

I could see why he would be so protective of Dio, why he would even be so vehement with Jonathan in certain circumstances that saw his son being the one to initiate any brash assault against the fellow young man.

It was all fitting well in that puzzle that was George Joestar I, but it still wasn’t enough to redeem him from some of the stern approaches he had adopted against his son.

Albeit a good man, he still failed to notice the danger until a dagger was plunged in him.

Jonathan had tried his best, from being a child to being an adult, the results still being the same despite the tenacity and the proof given to the older Joestar.

I was flattered by the nobleman’s words right now, but none forgave him from the mistakes he would have committed if I had been the real Dio.

“W-What if I’m like a mockingbird, sir?”

George blinked. “You are aware of the typology of bird?”

“I’ve- I’ve read it in the library,” I replied quickly, holding down a false sad hum. “I’ve read that- that the youngest are meant to ruin other families, pushing eggs and other birds off the nest-”

“Stop, Dio.”

I flinched a little and the embrace eased as he finally let go, the man looking as sad as irked by bringing up such a depressive topic.

“You are not a mockingbird, you will never be one. Of that, I am sure of,” The nobleman confirmed determinedly. “I know that you are laborious, incredibly determined to prove your worth, but you also have a genuine light in your eyes when you help Jonathan. You care for him, and you strive to make him succeed as highly as you usually do.”

There was a pause, one that saw me sponging up all the words that I’ve listened to.

“Some servants have… reported me that you have helped him early on with his homework when you first arrived,” He mentioned quietly, making me tense up again in a real moment of sheer panic.

I had completely forgotten that there was still a couple of butlers hanging around the study room while the older Joestar was out for some work reasons.

To think that they would have reported of my little sneaky efforts…

I have completely underestimated the capacity of some of them to actually show some initiative with some instances.

“I-I was only trying to-”

“Help him around so that he wouldn’t face the whip,” He interrupted me curtly, drawing a surprised look on my face as he sighed and continued. “I’ve seen you staring at it for some time now and… I think you understand why I might have to ask you if your father… puts his hands on you.”

More silence, I felt uneasy about talking about abuse when I wasn’t the victim about.

This body? Probably. I was certain that Dario had some chances to land some hits once Dio’s mother was dead but… I didn’t have much of a proof other than one final punch showed by the first episode.

So, instead of making this a big lie and risk inflating things beyond my capacity to contain it all, I decided to keep telling some of the truth.

“I wasn’t… much. There was just an instance of a slap a year ago...” I paused, drawing a tired sigh before continuing. “But- But I think my mother… she didn’t like being near to father.”

This time it was the man’s turn to tense up at my allusion.

Despite having kept some calm over the instance, the mere idea that my mother herself had taken the brunt of such violence was enough to finally tap at the Joestar’s rare anger.

An uneasy sigh left his lips before he gave a brief ruffle to my hair. “Dio, perhaps it’s best for you to reach your room and make yourself presentable for lunch.”

There was so much left unsaid in that simple sentence. So much I could pick up with a mere thought or two about it, but I decided to not indulge too much the current patience of the man as I swiftly paced out of the room with the box in my hands.

A small smile on my face as I felt that I had indeed been successful with my efforts even with this situation.

Not only was George going to investigate himself about Dario and discover the massive bastard the man had been, but I was also going to pass like a misunderstood child that would never try to create any unnecessary troubles for anyone in this mansion.

A double win that saw me actually standing close to achieve the greatest position achievable in my current role in this family, just enough to prepare me to make big plans here in London before thinking about my next big step in this world.

Once Wang Chan and Jack the Ripper were crushed, the bits of resistance formed by criminals within the capital will be easy to dismantle or even ‘reform’ to become pawns of my ultimate vision.

As I reached my room and jumped face-first on my bed, ready to finally get some brief rest from what had happened an hour or so earlier today, I found myself freezing at a sudden eep coming from…

My desk.

My sight snapped right to the origin of the noise, my orange eyes matching up with cerulean ones.

Erina blinked back, still sitting calmly on my chair while beside her there was a nervous-looking Jonathan that was failing to bring up his stare to look up at my face.

The book with the translation was open, and it didn’t take me too long to realize what was going on.

I, Dio, forgot that curious teenagers will always be curious teenagers… and I seriously need to lock the door to my room when I’m not around the mansion.

-To be continued...