Capitolo Primo: Giovinezza (20)

1884. Three years sure fly quickly when you don’t have any major obstacles in your way.

Humming quietly as I continued to read today’s paper, I couldn’t help but sigh in contempt at the serious backlash the papacy was suffering ever since the massive mistake committed just mere months ago.

The Humanum Genus Encyclical was originally meant to be seen as a shield for supporters of the Church within everyone’s daily life. It condemned Freemasonry, but not because of the secrecy of those societies… rather the opposite.

The pope was ‘afraid’ of the new openness of some societies in promoting changes like public education devoid of major catholic influence, popular sovereignty, and separation between state and Church. These were legitimate fears, but not for those that rallied behind the religion, but for those that sought to control the masses through it.

While I didn’t appreciate the vision Marx had for the ideal society, mostly his poor understanding of human greed in keeping hold of transitional governments meant to exist only for the sake of perpetrating a proper utopia, I still saw his study over history as one of the most accurate in current times.

Rich people waged wars to keep power, and the poor people were naively driven into committing horrible deeds in the name of faux ideals.

The crusades were a shining example of the papacy interest in gaining control and momentum against Islam, only to realize a little too late that their enemies were far more numerous and less interested in converting to Rome’s rule.

Almost nine centuries after the first crusade, and the Papal States were reminded that their ‘peace’ wasn’t an eternal one.

With the Italian reunification well underway, and King Victor-Emanuel outright ignoring threats of excommunication, it was just a miracle that the new monarch of the peninsula hadn’t punished severely the ‘traitorous’ Holy See for betraying a cause that it had pledged support just a couple of years before the unification… only to backstab the union of states rallied against foreign invasion.

I sighed again, this time bashing my own interest in my former homeland’s history, as I knew that I couldn’t exactly tie myself to it once more. Not when I was busy handling far more important matters.

Three years saw a massive growth for my affairs. I was limited from ‘gambling’ too much since George would end up keeping with his promise of watching over my decisions and sometimes even veto those few risky moves that I would bring forward, mostly in cases where I wasn’t able to give a good enough reason to go through with those.

He wasn’t too nosy, nor too pushy over his own ‘reluctance’ on the topic, but I could tell that with each success, he was slowly gaining a degree of new respect for me. And not the kind one would usually give to a young teen.

In his eyes, I was already consolidating a mentality that had been there from the beginning. A level of maturity that was ever-present in my capacity to make choices that many of my peers just lacked, or had just started to tap into.

I was winning not by luck, but by cautious planning and daring execution. At first I was more than glad to open up to him about any affairs related to trade or internal businesses… but soon I found myself lying again about a couple of secret ordeals caused by Made in Heaven.

Not because of any malicious intent, but rather for the magnitude those ‘attacks’ ended up achieving.

The first domino to fall was the foundation of a party that opposed the two main political forces.

I was tempted to call it the Labor Party, but then I decided to settle for something a little less ‘socialist’ and ‘worrying’ for nobles.

The National Popular Party was meant as a group of people that aimed in creating the best society within the British Empire.

‘Founded’ by a group of like-minded intellectuals that were ‘surprisingly’ supported by my organization, the political assemble saw a brilliant success in the 1883 General Elections. Persuading Prime Minister Gladstone to retire, now old and tired to keep on with his battles for reform, proved to be easier than expected, but the elections still saw a need for the new party to ally itself with the Liberals.

A large majority was found with that coalition, and a mixed ministry was formed under the careful rule of T.H. Williams.

The man was one of the least known members of the Liberal Party, and I was quite sure I hadn’t heard of anyone with his name while I was busy studying the topic until his candidacy. The choice wasn’t one without merit, at least that was what I could tell after just a year of working as the head of the new government.

Williams was a staunch supporter for a new take on current politics, more than once condemning the bickering that would be responsible for the killing of many important bills that were necessary to transition the British society towards the approaching Twentieth Century.

He strongly vouched for the coalition that ended up with the formation of a strong cabinet that had enough force to push for some major changes.

The first big battle was the heated debate of Irish Sovereignty. Back in the original timeline, the setting of such affairs would only end up with the Easter Uprising and the Irish War of Independence, but in those crucial years, a well-thought bill was issued to satisfy most of the parliament.

The Irish Parliaments Act of 1884 passed just earlier that year, and much to my relief nothing suggested for any disasters… yet. Taking under consideration the grand divide between the Ulster Protestants and the Dublin Catholics, the decision to create two separate parliaments was met with mixed reactions.

Some radicals condemned the Act as an instrument to divide and keep control of Ireland, demanding for Dublin to obtain full control of the island’s politics, but those voices went unheard as most of the Irish people saw it as a step in the right direction.

The IPA was recognized as one of the most elaborated settlements that many Irish politicians would have hoped to achieve after the strong resistance to reform shown in the last decades.

It wasn’t much of a surprise that several Liberal-Unionists decided to stick within the Liberal Party instead of leaving at the call of their Conservative counterparts.

The new reform was seen as a breath of relief for many, and nobody wanted to upset the balance just yet- at least, not without a good enough reason to handle the spotlight.

More changes, like public education and universal suffrage, were still being debated even now that I was away from my office, and with the House of Lords mostly supportive of the government, it was clear that a good part of those reforms was going to be implemented.

And with the British political landscape largely secured under my indirect control, I found my stare moved to Europe… but not to the politics of the continents.

Sure, I felt confident now that I had a foothold in the Isles, but I knew better than risking myself by being too daring. For now any efforts of expansion were solely limited with Made in Heaven, as I was well-aware the organization was going to find fertile soil to become fruitful even beyond its original home.

The group was finally well-established as a legitimate organization. The leadership was mostly kept unknown, with just a handful of rich people knowing the truth- those that I knew could handle the truth without being fools and ruin it all.

I decided to wait until I was at least twenty, just enough time to profess myself as an experienced young man with a good eye for investments.

And right now that I was barely recognized as an adult, I needed to still make several steps to assure that kind of reputation.

The first of those being right in front of me as I walked out of the carriage that took me here in Plymouth, with my smile twitching between excitement and nervousness as I stared at the ship that was going to take me to the United States.

Yep, I’m going for a trip across the pond.

Having taken the initiative to set foot on the American continent to expand the reach of Made in Heaven, I decided to just have Speedwagon as my companion for this journey.

The decision was driven by the fact that in the original timeline he was behind the discovery of massive oil reserves and other rich resources that favored the creation of the Speedwagon Foundation.

If he was to do the same as part of my organization, then things were going to get better way faster than initially planned.

I paused for a moment as I looked around for any signs of the fellow blond.

He couldn’t be late. Heck, I had him arrive in the city a couple days later just to avoid any lateness from him.

Sighing at the annoying circumstance, I decided to wait for him within the ship. He was going to arrive just in time before the ship left and… I needed some time alone to think about this big step I was about to go through with.

I decided to reveal this ambitious plan only after I was done dealing with two major events that happened just earlier this year.

First, I had to cut the restraints that George had over me by studying my way to acquire a degree in law. The man was baffled when I spent two full years of free time with my nose stuck on old and dusty books about Law, outright skipping formal education and demanding a graduation test.

A bold claim that could’ve easily screwed with all plans I had at the moment if I failed, but just right as I wanted, I ended up passing with flying colors.

The second, and perhaps the most important event of 1884, was the wedding between Jonathan and Erina. I had expected for them to marry earlier than in canon, but I hadn’t expected for it to be ‘that’ early.

George was quick to bless the union, same for the blonde’s father as both men agreed that this would only favor both families in the long-term.

I was more than happy to provide them with a couple of gifts, nothing excessively expensive or inadequate for their tastes, but they seemed to appreciate the ceremony and the celebrations that ensued shortly after.

The only awkward element of that beautiful day was that I was asked a very difficult question. One that actually put me under some pressure from various people since I ended up answering weakly at said query.

When are you going to marry Hannah?

When I find the proper ring to give her.

While many saw it as a deflection from my part to not handle the situation just yet, Hannah actually seemed to accept it as a good enough response to that big step.

Ever since her ‘change’ into something slightly beyond human, things had taken a rather curious turn in our relationship. And even though the friendship was preserved for about a year and a half after battling my vampiric counterpart, we ended up considering going ‘forward’ about the situation.

Nothing too sudden or too awkward considering how ‘young’ I was, but we started to hang out around London. There wasn’t much to say about ‘external’ topics since we worked closely back at the headquarters, and we both knew how things were in that regard.

Sillier subjects were quick to be brought up, mostly by Hannah, as the young woman seemed to appreciate these moments rather than plan out for a ‘successful hangout’. Then again, I was the one obsessive over flawless victories, so it wasn’t her fault that I was such a dolt during those times.

I would ask of her personal day, the hours she would spend away from my vicinity. Albeit a little creepy, it was just ‘polite’ to tease a little bit over her previous obsessive mannerism.

Things had changed for Hannah, and not just about her work. Ever since Made in Heaven became a legitimate company, wages were dispensed to all workers and the large sums of money given to the ‘leading clique’ were properly spent in the housing situation.

Hannah decided to settle for a modest house near the Thames, one that had a small inner garden that she would visit from time to time to either relax or train with me.

As a way to disprove any malicious changes in her body that could be correlated to a dark being, I decided to aid her in learning some basis for Hamon. It was tough at first since her mind was mostly geared to practice the Spin.

The moment I managed to have her tap in the Ripple, I couldn’t help but gawk at her reserves. It was far from mine, and I would’ve put her at the level Bhediya had when he first started with this practice.

One thing led to another, between the heat of the training and the relative closeness that was enforced by the enclosed space… and a couple of kisses happened.

And those were just the beginning of a sudden change of pace in our relationship.

While we were both growing accepting of the chances, with Hannah having ditched most of her ‘obsession’ she had over me for the sake of seeing me as a normal human being, it was soon a must to label our state of romance on a semi-official platform.

An engagement of sorts. One that I was forced to speak about with George to avoid getting to deal with some harsh repercussions once the news was left out in the open.

The man was confused at first, but not entirely surprised by this predicament much to my shock. While it was true that we didn’t offer any hint that would suggest that prior to that conversation, it was also true that we were rather close as friends before that.

He offered his blessings on the single condition I didn’t rush things up or allowed things to be rushed on me.

I appreciated the concern and the worry, and so we both engaged in… proper couple activities. Eating dinner at good restaurants, checking the theaters for good comedies, and finally some simple relaxation away from others.

Then the marriage between Jojo and Erina came by and the question threw a massive conundrum inside my head.

While I had replied to it with a good enough reply, I was also unsure myself about that kind of answer.

I could allow myself to purchase all kinds of rings I wanted, and yet I felt reluctant to actually take a moment to go and do so.

And even now, I wasn’t sure why I was afraid of going through that simple task.

“You’re frightened by the chance of putting her once more in harm’s way.”

I blinked, my eyes widening just a fraction as just now I remember that something was off about the scene.

When I first picked this bench, I had precisely selected it on the basis that it was well away from people. I needed time alone to think, to contemplate- and not to be interrupted.

Yet I suppose I should’ve expected this to happen. Especially since it seriously meddled with the big plan of the bastard behind my current predicament.

I merely turned to glance at the priest with a bored look.

“Pucci.”

The man didn’t regard me with words at first, merely staring at me with a hint of interest and curiosity.

…

“I would’ve expected a… stronger reaction.”

I sighed. “If you had come to me three years ago, I would’ve probably given you a Jotaro’s treatment.”

“And now?”

…

“Now I believe you’re not worthy of it,” I calmly replied. “As much as I would like you death. For you to… no longer meddle with the laws of the universe, I know that killing you here and now wouldn’t matter.”

He hummed. “You’re wiser than I thought you were. I suppose three years gave you plenty of time to think how you were to handle my visit.”

“That, and actually ponder about your current plight,” I muttered quietly. “While the book you gave me, the one that was supposed to hide your presence in this universe away from my mind, was fake, I know that there is a good reason that drove you to ‘make me’.”

Enrico looked away for a moment, glancing at a couple of seagulls that were flying around the ship.

“Plight?”

Of course he would try to aim at the least worrying topic.

“While at first one could easily ignore the drawbacks of your Stand because of its immense power, I know that ｢Made in Heaven｣ has a terrible catch. A curse,” I explained with a serious tone. “When Emporio ‘killed’ you. You lied. You lied to life and you lied to death.”

His eyes glinted at a grim understanding.

“And you thought of this in just three years?”

“Not truly, no. Many had speculated about the ‘drawbacks’ of powerful Stands, especially when something stronger than yours like ｢The World Over Heaven｣ can be beaten,” I continued with a sigh. “And I ended up realizing that the issue was the curse of invincibility and immortality when you shifted your focus on the way you ‘handled’ me.”

…

“At first, I didn’t realize it. At first, I thought that it was just a coincidence that for some reason things started to get more difficult,” I resumed. “You were precise, careful with your first approach. If Jack had indeed attacked me instead of running away, I would’ve died. That was an assassination attempt, one that was foiled by pure luck… and then you stopped with that pattern.”

“And you’re so sure of this?”

“Quite so,” I quickly answered. “You’re a smart man, Enrico. It would be impolite of me to think of you being unable to make a proper plan to kill me without much of an issue. You were the one that killed the last Joestar group back when you first achieved ｢Made in Heaven｣.”

“Too flattering-”

“Only respectful as much as formality dictates,” I snidely added. “And don’t believe for a moment I truly pity you about this. You deserve this punishment for having believed a crook, entrusting your life to a belief that wasn’t yours to believe.”

“Lord Dio-”

“Was a cult leader,” I dryly remarked. “He would draw some of his strength by manipulating people to believe him. He wasn’t a good person, no matter how ‘kind’ he proved to be to others. It was all to give debts and demand servitude in return.”

…

“Yet the Heavens exist.”

“They do,” I agreed, feeling myself rather attached to this possibility after evolving my Stand. I just could remember feeling ‘something more’ when I unlocked ｢ACT 2｣. Something that was divine and unreachable as I was right now. “But were they worth to be taken away by you, a mere believer?”

…

He remained quiet. And with good reasons too since I knew the truth of his mind.

Despite how many would hate him for being an utter bastard of a villain, he was still Dio’s greatest victim. The one that succeeded with Dio’s will, and got screwed in a permanent way.

“How does it feel to now know why God couldn’t help us all? How does it feel to know that someone might have had this very role of yours for even longer, all because of mistakes?”

…

“Are you going to keep quiet when you yourself prayed to become this? Did you even try to see what those you killed think of you? Your sister, your brother-”

“You don’t know what you’re saying-”

“Really?” I interjected flatly, staring back at his furious glare. He was angry, but not because I was somehow poking fun at his interior- no, it was because I was bringing up the hurt he had tried for so long to hide. “Do you really believe that you can silence the truth, Pucci? Do you believe Gravity can alter an incorruptible idea?”

…

“Let me ask you this then,” I decided to press. “Do you believe that Dio wanted friends?”

…

…

“Dio was… he...”

I sighed. “Do you want to know why I think you can’t defend him anymore after so long?” I asked once more. “Do you want to know?”

…

“Yes.”

A smile appeared on my face. “Because after so long, you know that this isn’t what you or him wanted. This isn’t how you both expected things to go and… yet I think he would still go for it, regardless of any warning you would give him.”

“And you know this from merely reading comics about this universe?”

…

“No. I know this because every single day, I worry of becoming just like that,” I answered earnestly. “Because as much as one could call Dio a grand individual, he was still unable to achieve anything all because he couldn’t trust. And as much as one can understand his incapacity to believe in others other than himself, it’s wrong to assume he could do all of this on his own. He needed help, but he couldn’t accept it. He was the one that needed to win, him and him alone.”

…

“And you think that by… keeping away, you will live through this without falling into his own mistakes?”

…

“Maybe,” I admitted with some uncertainty. “Maybe I will be spared by his mistakes while also allowed to feel newer issues. Maybe I will fail too, maybe I will not arrive at the destination I’ve set myself to find- but I will fight to the bitter end to give my best to achieve it.”

…

…

“I believe we’re done here,” The priest commented calmly, standing up from the bench. “I had my expectations for you and… you were different than I thought. Way more difficult to predict.”

I frowned. “What about-”

“｢Made in Heaven｣ sees multiple paths a person can take. But with you, the Stand starts to have some issues. And I believe it has to do with your own Stand.”

My frown deepened, but before I had the chance to ask for more, I found myself alone. A blink, and Pucci was gone from my sight and range of action.

A scowl briefly pierced through my calm mask, but instead of getting too annoyed by this circumstance, I decided to go back by the central part of the ship to keep on waiting for Speedwagon.

Robert would arrive a couple of minutes later, apologizing profusely as he helped loading up his luggage inside the ship.

“I-I thought I was early and decided to visit the bar. I lost time and-”

“It’s alright, you’re here,” I calmly interrupted. “I suppose you got everything in your luggage.”

“Fake documents about our identities, some to reason our visit to the States, and some permits to stay in there for a couple of months,” The fellow blond said while nodding. “Still, may I ask why we are going to Boston? I would’ve expected you to visit New York or Washington first.”

“Both cities are fairly big, and both with their own problems,” I quietly explained as we started to make our way to our cabins. “I believe we should start with somewhere less problematic, just for the sake of growing accustomed to the ‘Land of the Yankees’.”

“I’ve heard numerous things. Many scary individuals live there- shouldn’t you have asked for Bhediya to come with us?”

I sighed. “I had thought of it, and I would’ve wanted someone else to be with us, but ever since George had him work to try and mellow things with the Indian sector of his trade group, he has been rather busy. Plus, I couldn’t just ask him to leave Sarah behind for this trip.”

…

Robert nodded, looking a little annoyed at how small the group was.

“Yet, I’m not worried,” Speedwagon confessed without hesitation. “I know that you will be able to face all those possible enemies without much of an issue.”

Oh, I hoped that myself. Or else I wouldn’t have been worthy of achieving the Heavens.

With the ship preparing to set sail for the American Continent, I finally reached my cabin, quickly sitting down on my bed as I prepared for the long journey ahead.

And as I, Dio, yawned and prepared to enjoy a peaceful nap, my mind couldn’t help but think about what kind of characters I was going to meet.

Who knows, maybe I was going to be surprised with some unexpected individuals. But for now… I, Dio, needed to enjoy my time away from the perfidious paperwork.