[center][h3]Filia – Chinese Eatery[/h3][/center]

Filia watched, distracted for a moment, as a golden comet streaked down from the heavens to smash into the nearby school.  It fazed her precious little; though the fantastical assortment of different people, animals, and machines around her still set her on edge and piqued her curiosity, the novelty of how they arrived ceased to move her.  After observing the gargantuan physician Faust scuttle the meteor's way, Filia turned her attention to a fat man approaching at great speed.  For a moment she found herself entranced by the incredible shape of his mustache, but beyond that the yellow-clad biker did not impress.  [i]At least Samson will have a friend in that guy,[/i] she mused over Wario's garlic obsession.  [i]Big eaters always become pals.[/i]  With that out of the way, Filia finally refocused back on Kino, only to find that Kino's attention had wandered too.  [i]Oops.[/i]  She hadn't listened to Kino's reply.  Now how would she know the secret of dealing with all this strangeness?

A moment later, another young woman appeared, and this one not from the sky but from the tram cars.  Hungry as she was, Filia nearly forgot about the idea of food when Chao hinted at something far more satisfying: answers.  Though Chun-Li expressed an interest in this, it was Filia that became the first to actually pursue the subject.  “Hello, miss.  I'm Filia.  If you have any kind of information that can help me, I'd be very happy to know.  I could even do something for you in return, if you like.”  The offer came out of nowhere, or precisely, from Filia's instinct.  How strange...in her past life, the one locked away in a vault of amnesia, did she have experience with deals?

Of course, the next moment a new slew of distractions threatened to rob her of her moment of truth.  Two mechanical beings, one small and orange and the other huge and intimidating, approached the gathering of heroes.  Filia's hat moved visibly now, clear evidence of Samson's unease.  When Dizzy acted first, giving unto those present a greeting and an odd question, Filia flitted between the diminutive cement mixer and the qipao-clad girl who could potentially shed some light on the situation.  “Uh...”  That route ended quickly, however, when Krieg replied to Dizzy's innocent inquiry with a storm of sadistic shouts.  

Samson chimed in, [b]”Want me to turn him into putty?”[/b]  In response, Filia could only shake her head, hoping that nobody heard him.  Things kept getting weirder and weirder.

[center][color=yellow][h3][b]DIO – Roanpur[/b][/h3][/color][/center]

Blood flowed across the ground, sliding over concrete and into tiny cracks.  The crimson flow saturated the roots of a lone dandelion, a tiny and defiant piece of nature sprouting from a stone-hard wasteland.  Would its yellow petals turn red like the vital juices that now watered it, as tribute to the brutish man choking on his own essence?  Or would his death go unmarked like the insect he was, and that dandelion drown to death in a substance meant to sustain life?  This question, more so than the fate of the humans below, occupied DIO.  He stood above, just as he was meant to, observing the alleyway conflict below.  At the very least, he could admit that these beasts of men could have been more useful than many of the spawn already in his service.  

The sound of metal pounding into stone caused DIO to glance off to the side.  Before his eyes, a metallic behemoth burst through the illusory wall, nearly humiliating himself in the process.  When the Overlord released a shower of flame to course through the alley and fry anyone within, DIO smiled.  Before him stood two potential Stand users—or if not Stand users, two potential allies at least.  The fire seared brick, concrete, and flesh alike, and as the inferno briefly raged DIO raised his hands and clapped loudly.

Now, whoever that still lived below would begin to feel his presence.  Perhaps they, bearing wills more powerful than the everyday human, were not immediately enticed by the vampire, but all the same it would prove difficult to ignore him.  DIO clapped twice more, smiling, and stepped over the edge of the rooftop upon which he stood.  Before he'd fallen a foot, he jammed a foot into the bricks with such force as to embed his foot there.  By repeating the feet, he walked right down the side of the sheer wall, tranquil as could be.  [color=yellow]”A most splendid feat of magic.  I could not feel the heat on my face, but still, quite the show!”[/color]  He cast a glance toward Marchesa.  [color=yellow]”And to survive it...remarkable indeed!  Could it be that I've discovered individuals of great talent in my city?”[/color]  And so the trap was set.