It was late into the night. The celebratory/punishment dinner was over, Izuku was put to bed, and what remained in the living room were the two adults said boy was close to, perched comfortably on either end of the sofa.
Inko had thought that giving her baby boy a good lesson was a good enough reason to reward the man with the wine she had received as a consolation gift from her friend.
To be completely honest though, she had simply wanted to share a drink with the man who saved her son. Having heard that he took on a whole gang by himself solidified him as the most courageous man to her.
So with that thought, the single mother had, without hesitation, offered the male the right to stay at their home whenever he wanted.
It was… it was a very silly idea. She didn't know much about Jotaro other than the fact that despite his stoic behavior, he was a silver tongued devil. A very handsome devil. But that didn't dissuade her from asking. Even when she could hear the echoing laughter of Mitsuki, who would no doubt be having a field day once she told her this.
What led after her offer was a very nice comfortable conversation on the couch, wine glasses in each of their hands, both sipping moderately at the sweet and tangy alcohol.
While the drink was slowly starting to get to the sole female, Jotaro was left unaffected somewhat due to the alcohol and liquor he used to down a lot in his earlier years. So when Inko was left with her thoughts being focused on… whatever it was she was thinking about, Jotaro's had been on the same topic that had been lingering within his head for the past few days.
Family.
Ever since he had met this green haired duo, the thought about his own family would always creep up on him.
Was this what being a part of a family was like?
Was this happy feeling that came from watching Izuku meet his expectations akin to what a father would feel?
Was being close to a woman outside of obligation supposed to feel this… nice?
Slightly troubled and ashamed, he stowed these thoughts and emotions away. Yet, with this wine glass in his hand, these pent up things naturally flowed out. And for once, he actually felt comfortable enough to talk about himself.
"I want to talk to you about something."
Raising her head, Inko looked at Jotaro with an intrigued expression. This was the first time he's ever said something like this. He was usually so closed off, so with poorly concealed excitement, the woman nodded. Leaning forward with obvious interest as Jotaro traced the rum of the wine glass with his index finger.
"You don't know this, but… I have a family of my own."
Now that was a shocker. This man was already married? She didn't see a ring on his finger when they had met though! Was Jotaro the type of man that was similar to her ex?
Inko had placed her cup on her lap and unintentionally mimicked the male's pose.
Staring down into the crimson colored beverage, she replied in a disappointed tone. "What a lucky woman."
Jotaro looked up from his glass to pass a glance towards her, a curious brow raised. "Lucky?" he repeated.
Normally, Inko would have realized what she had said and stammered and apologized, but any form of alcohol or liquor got to her easily. So any drink was a drink of courage for the single mother who began to swash the Wine around within her glass.
"Yes… lucky. The first moment I laid eyes upon you, I was afraid of you. Judged you already for your scary expression and had wanted to bolt with my son." Hearing the man chuckle, she raised herself from the cup and stared hard at him, almost daring him to continue.
"Yet in these past two days, you proved my assumption entirely wrong. You've flipped not only my world, but also my little hero's world as well." It may have been the drink playing tricks on him, but Jotaro swore he heard her voice shake.
"You not only saved him from a doomed life of emptiness, but… you also saved him from my mistake…" Inko's grip on her glass tightened and out of fear she would break it, she set the cup down on the coffee table. Now simply folding her hands together as a bitter memory came over her.
Confused, Jotaro pondered her words. What mistake could she be talking about? As far as he knew, she treated her son with the care and love every child wished to have. In the aspect of a mother, she reminded him of his own. What mistake could she have made besides loving her child too much?
Picking up from where she left off with a sniffle, Inko raised a hand to wipe something from her eye. "It's been months since the incident… but I remember it so strongly. Izuku and I had just returned from the doctor's office with the news of him being quirkless," she said, explaining to him the context behind what led up to her mistake, almost as if she could read his mind.
"Izuku had waited in the living room for his father to return from work. I… Maybe he wanted reassurance from someone that wasn't me? I don't know," she sighed out, wringing her hands together as her face twisted and a frown appeared to replace the former disappointed look.
"Hisashi came home from work and was excited to hear about the results. It's obvious what happened, but… he didn't take well to the news. That horrid excuse of a man had the gall to… he-" Frustration rose in her tone, and it was evident that she held contempt towards her ex-husband. It wasn't known to Inko just yet, but Jotaro thought that this must be what his own ex-wife felt towards himself.
"That fucker had the nerve to yell at my baby boy! He called him a freak! A-a-a son that he couldn't risk people knowing was his!"
Hearing Inko curse… was absolutely surprising to the both of them.
The green haired woman had no other name befitting her ex-husband. Her choice of word though was definitely influenced by the wine, but she felt a bit of her anger ease. Perhaps branding Hisashi as simply being a 'fucker' was what she needed.
The dark haired man looked on with raised brows. He didn't know her vocabulary contained colorful words like that. She had seemed the type to faint at the sound of someone using such ill words, but he ended up grinning ever so slightly as he let the shock fade.
Staying quiet to allow the woman to vent, Jotaro had brought his hands together into his lap after placing his cup next to hers once he realized that drinking wasn't going to be appropriate.
"And let me guess, that asshole said all of this directly to the kid?" he then asked, his voice gentle to contrast against her loud one.
"Yes, he did," she replied once she had settled down, her back slouching from its former straightness from when she had begun to fume. "After that he walked out the door to head to a hotel, said he couldn't look at our son at the moment. I… I was too shocked to say anything before, during, and after he spoke. I allowed Izuku to take the full brunt of it."
Now understanding what she meant, he felt like he had a better grasp of her situation. Why she felt so obligated to allow her son to train under him. Though, looking at it from an outside perspective, her mistake wasn't that ba-
"All of that doesn't even compare to my mistake."
…Okay so he might have jumped the gun and assumed.
"What was your mistake, then? It can't be that worse than what you just told me," he said in an attempt to ease her tension, but instead got a small smile that told him that she wished it wasn't.
"It may not seem bad to you… but it was- is my biggest regret." Curious as to what could be worse than allowing her former husband to spew unnecessary and unwarranted venom at her son, he listened closely as she took a stabilizing breath that calmed the shakiness of her voice.
"After everything Hisashi said, Izuku walked back to his room as if nothing happened. I followed him of course and he pleaded with me to help him with his computer. For the next hour straight, he just… Izuku watched that All Might video."
Of course that kid would. He basically worshipped heroes so it was a bit obvious he'd try to find solace in the one thing he loved above everything in the world.
"I'm sensing there's still more coming?"
Nodding at the man's question, she continued.
"That entire hour I thought up ways to try and cheer him up. I made him katsudon, poured the both of us some green tea, put on a recording of that day's newest episode of whatever series he was into… and when I went to go get him… it happened."
Jotaro was surprised to say the least. Not at the story, but at the woman before him. Sure she seemed fragile and sensitive… but to see her crying in front of him made him feel hurt.
"I went to his room a-and he was crying just like me. H-He turned to look at me and he asked me if he c-could become a hero just like A-All Might. I should have told him what you had told him! That he had the chance to be! But I didn't! I fell and cried and hugged him and I saw how broken he became!"
Sobbing harshly, Inko furiously wiped her cardigan's sleeve against her eyes, her best attempts at holding back her pitiful cries failing as she hunched over. Droplets of salty tears falling onto her knees.
Finally.
Finally she had gotten it out and said it. It didn't make her feel any less pathetic, but the fact that she was able to admit out loud that she had failed as a mother lifted a weight off her shoulders. Did she forgive herself? No. She'd never do so. But it helped that she was able to unbottle her regret to Jotaro.
Said man sat beside her letting her cry her heart out. He was never good at dealing with these types of things. He wasn't able to help calm his mother's tears when she learned of his grandfather's deteriorating mental health, and he feared he would face the same result with Inko. However, that didn't stop him from trying.
Hesitantly reaching across the couch, his large hand planted itself on her back and started to gently, and clumsily, rub itself against her sweater in an attempt to calm her or help her cry. He wasn't exactly sure what he was aiming for.
Whatever he was doing though seemed to have worked since eventually, her crying stopped, her sobs being reduced to just loud sniffles.
"Do you want to have a smoke with me?"
His sudden question brought her tearful gaze.
Her red eyes conveyed her confusion as she continued to wipe at her cheeks.
"I-I don't-"
"I know you don't smoke, but having just one will calm you down," Jotaro stated after cutting her off. Though her look changed from confused to amused despite her tear stained cheeks and reddening eyes.
"Ah shit." Mumbling to himself, Jotaro cursed once he stood up. Hands patting his jacket's pockets before moving on to his pants only to face the same results. He was out.
"Damn it. Never mind on that, I don't have a pack on me." He was going to sit down but stopped once he heard her begin to giggle.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh nothing. I was.. I was just going to mention that it seems that I'll have to give you another reward then. I have some cigarettes."
Okay now that sent him for a loop. Not only did this kind woman have the capability to curse, but she also smoked? What the hell? He really needs to stop judging people by appearance if shit like was going to keep happening.
"I thought you said you didn't smoke?" he asked as he raised a hand to scratch the back of his head.
"I said no such thing. I was going to say that I didn't have a pack on my person since my purse is in my room."
"Oh."
Silently staring at each other, Inko couldn't take it and her sniffles and cries were replaced with laughter. Though Jotaro felt embarrassed, he felt relieved that he was able to help despite having it be at his expense.
Moving their conversation outside the Midoriya household and onto the walkway, the two adults would lean over the stone half walls that kept people from falling over the side.
With unlit cigarettes in their hands, she was looking around in her purse for a lighter. She had found one but much to her disappointment, her lighter was out of fluid.
"Oh no! Ugh, I'm so sorry, Jotaro. I guess we won't be smoking after all," she said with a sigh.
Normally, Jotaro would have pulled out his own lighter but since he hadn't had a pack on him, it was safe to assume yesterday's Jotaro didn't bring a lighter. So without checking, he knew he didn't have the conventional means of lighting a cigar… however… his Stand was capable of many things. And one of his Stand's many unnecessary talents was something he used often when he was out of a light.
"Do you trust me, Inko?"
After putting her spent lighter back into her purse, the woman looked at Jotaro with a perplexed expression.
"I wouldn't have told you all those things if I didn't," was her reply.
Hearing it, he'd smirk and turn to lean sideways into the half wall.
"Then hold your cig in your mouth and stand still. This is going to be pretty reckless of me but at least it solves our lighter problem."
Doing as she was told, Inko couldn't resist thinking about what he meant by reckless. Forgetting about the fact that the man before her possessed a power called a Stand for a moment, she stood straight and stood perfectly still. Then in one instance, she saw Jotaro's expression turn serious. His green eyes glowing brightly as she saw a spark emit between them.
Out of pure reaction, she had leaned back out of surprise. Nearly letting the loosie drop from her mouth, had she not bit into the butt to keep it in her grip.
"Wh-what was that?" she'd ask once she pulled the cigarette away.
"That was the power of my Stand. It has the ability to light any cigarette I want." Obviously teasing, he ended up getting a well deserved pout from the woman that made him chuckle. "Okay, it isn't. Just be mindful of what I'm about to tell you, alright?"
"Is keeping your Quirk- Oh, sorry. I mean your Stand's powers that important?" That was a very good question. One that he had expected Izuku to ask way down the line once they both figured out what the boy's Stand was capable of.
"Not every Stand is created equal. Some are naturally weak and require certain scenarios to be at their strongest, while others are naturally strong. Mine is the latter.「Star Platinum」is a Melee based Stand with extreme strength, durability, and speed. With that knowledge, what do you think would come after me if I got into a fight?"
Pondering Jotaro's question, it didn't take Inko long at all to understand why he had been so secretive about his Stand.
"Long range Stands that are unaffected by Stands like yours?"
"Exactly. My strength and speed mean nothing if I can't hit them. Back when I was travelling, my friends and I encountered this one stand that was tiny. The user had it crawl into people's ear and mess with their brains. A Stand that bears similarity to mine would be powerless against it."
"I see, that makes so much sense!" Satisfied by the explanation, Inko would go on to take a drag from her lit cigar, already feeling it calm her nerves and head.
"Say, why do you smoke? You're a nurse, aren't you? I thought you'd be hell bent against taking a single drag let alone smoking an entire cigar." It was a valid question. Inko couldn't fault him for being confused since well, she was the definition of Ironic at the moment.
"Normally I am. I know how dangerous smoking is, so I always limit myself to one a week if I can help it, but… it's a habit I picked up after telling Izuku I was sorry. I ended up feeling so responsible for how he was feeling, that I just needed a way to relax and well, Mitsuki offered me one and it felt great for my mind. It also helps me whenever it gets too much at the hospital."
"Mitsuki? A friend of yours?"
"Yes, a close friend. We met in junior high before going our separate ways. What a twist of fate for her to move into the same district right when we both settled down. It's just a shame I'm not doing as well as her. She's a strong woman, you know?"
"You're strong, too," Jotaro uttered without thinking. "You may think the opposite, but that's not true. Any other woman in your shoes would have given up by now."
Blushing, Inko turned and looked away. Hiding her pink cheeks behind a veil of smoke.
"…thanks."
Staying quiet, Jotaro smirked. He found her shyness to be cute. Sure she was reserved already, but this side of her was different. Something he could definitely get used to.
"You're always finding ways to reassure me. It's not fair that only you get to make me feel this way," Inko said with a clear pout. It caused Jotaro to chuckle, index finger tapping the ashes off of his cigar.
"You'll find a way to get even with me eventually, if you put your mind to it," he answered back teasingly. He did mean it, though.
"Hmph. And on that note, I believe you mentioned you needed to talk to me about your wife?" Taking on an annoyed tone that was clearly a front, Inko folded her arms over the half wall. Finally turning back to look at Jotaro who adopted a conflicted look.
"I wouldn't say wife. Got divorced. As much as I am a good teacher, I am a horrible father and husband."
Surprised (and a bit relieved) to hear that he was actually divorced, her annoyed front dropped and she turned to face him with a soft look. She didn't like hearing him deprecate himself like that.
"What makes you say that?"
Sighing out, Jotaro looked at her. Their eyes locking gazes as he thrusted the spent cigar into the stone wall and twisted it to kill the embers.
"Would you consider me 'family man of the year' worthy if I told you that I haven't seen my daughter in a few months? That I haven't seen my ex-wife in the same amount?"
"I-"
"If that doesn't convince you, what if I told you that I never stay at home? That the longest I spent time with them was ten minutes?"
"Jotaro, that's not-"
"I don't need excuses. I know I'm a failure of a family man, but wouldn't that be better than the alternative of bringing harm to them?"
"What do you mean?"
He had purposely left this part out when he was explaining what Stand Users were to Izuku on the day they met. He hadn't wanted to bring more bad news into their lives but he knew he was eventually going to have to tell them.
"Stand users are drawn to one another," he stated to her loud and clearly.
"What?"
"No matter what, Stand users will find each other like moths to a flame. It happens eventually. I've experienced it myself during and after my travels. I've fought many people and… I had to resort to killing one of them.."
The moment she heard him explain that he had ended up killing someone, she gasped.
"You killed someone?" she bravely probed, trying to understand why he had to do what he had to do.
"I had to. That man… was someone I couldn't let walk free. I've fought many people before that one. I fought for my life in an ocean, gambled my very soul against a pair of brothers, and had to throw away my pride and become a servant to some jackass to keep my grandpa alive. But those people… they could never, ever, compare to the cruelties of Dio." He had intended to stop before he revealed too much, but he failed and let slip the name of the one who haunted him.
"Dio?"
"…yeah. Dio. He was a man who abandoned his humanity for power. You may not believe me, as asinine as it sounds, but Dio was a vampire who was born in the eighteen-hundreds. I was told by my grandpa that he stole my great grandfather's body and used it to survive the battle against him. My journey was the trip towards Dio to reclaim his body." Leaving out the fact that it was actually more about his mother than his great grandfather's body, he'd brush his fingers through his hair.
This was the first time he has ever actually spoken about this to anyone. Sure, he had That pervert of a Frenchman and the old man but… he just couldn't confide in them like that. They had other problems already. His grandpa was suffering and was going senile while Polnareff waa hunting for an arrow in Italy. They had their own things going on.
Which was why he felt glad to have finally gotten it off his chest, but there was more baggage to unload
"And after all that? After fighting for my life against a killer ship, a zombie town, a god damn coward, a pair of gambling addicts, a road rager, and a vampire? I'm having more difficulty with the fact that I have to watch my daughter for a year while I go all across Japan looking for a bastard child my grandpa had behind my grandma's back." She had never heard such clear frustration from him before. It made her eyes widen in realization that the two of them were more alike than she thought.
"How… how am I supposed to do that? Can't go back to Florida 'cause my ex gets the house there, and I can't let her stay in New York with my grandparents, and my mother went off to join my dad on tour. What do I do?"
Seeing all of Jotaro's problems in front of her, Inko couldn't help but see how insecure he was. She sensed the fact that he loved his family, but the way he went about it was all wrong. People make mistakes, though. No matter how smart or strong they are.
"I could maybe watch over her while you look for this illegitimate child?" Inko offered, much to Jotaro's surprise.
Was she being serious? Why would she offer to watch over a child that belonged to a man she hardly knew? But the fact remained that her being able to watch over his daughter would be a great help.
"I… I'd appreciate that."
"When does she arrive?"
Needing to pull out his phone, he scrolled through his texts in search of the last conversation he had had with his ex-wife. There in bold letters, was the date his daughter would be sent to him.
"A week from now."
"You have a lot of time to think and get ready for her arrival, then." Reassuring the man, Inko placed a hand on his shoulder, which had caused him to look away and grab at his hair, forgetting for a moment that he hadn't had a hat on.
"I.. hope I won't be inconveniencing you by dropping Jolyne into your hands and bolting."
"Oh stop it. Watching over this 'Jolyne' of yours would be the least I could do after all you've done for my son. Consider it me getting even with you."
With the tense air of regret, frustration, sadness, and anger lifting from the two adults, the comfortable silence smothered them as they enjoyed each other's company a while longer before finally agreeing to call it a night.
Jotaro was a bit hesitant still about the idea, but there wasn't much he could do. He couldn't exactly bring her along to the city over from Mustafu. There was someone he was told he could get information out of that he needed to complete his search.
The spirit photographs that the old man had taken before Jotaro had even gone to Japan gave him a nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen.
Unfortunately for him, that nagging feeling he had came to fruition the next day, the start of a new week.
Izuku had been sent off to his school. Jotaro and Inko personally saw to it that the boy got there safely and with a wave, the two adults went their separate ways.
Inko went to her job that she had to take up after divorcing Hisashi, while Jotaro had been trusted to stay alone at the household. It was a big step in their friendship, and he was glad that she trusted him so strongly. However, he felt a bit worried that her trust would lead to her downfall if he were to let her trust without hesitation.
In the meantime, he had stayed in the living room with his laptop, contacting various personnel that had been on jobs he was currently overseeing. Of course, he had been reached out to Rosas to confirm the status of his grandfather, who seemed to be at a somewhat stable condition, though he was still as senile as when he left. Then he contacted an old friend who was in Italy. He had received no reply and chalked it up to the Frenchman trying to chase skirts in that city.
While in the midst of his investigation towards the whereabouts of this information salesman, there was a call on the house phone.
Strange. Inko didn't tell him ahead of time that she would be expecting a call. A part of him wanted to let it send to voicemail, but another part of him worried that on the chance that the single mother did forget to tell him about a call, she would be missing out on something important.
Getting up, he walked over to the mounted phone and picked it up.
"Hello, you've reached the Midori-"
"JoJo!" Came the hushed whisper of his pupil.
"Izuku? What's wrong? Why are you whispering?" Concern etched into his brow, he moved from the wall and towards the window, gazing into the horizon which was also the direction Izuku's school was in.
"There's someone with a gun! A Stand User!"
Shot through his heart was a pang of surprise. A Stand User at a school for kids? Was this person after Izuku?
"How are you sure?"
"No one else can see the gun! They just think he has an air related quirk! He's already made some adults leave and… and I heard shots! Please come, JoJo! I'm… I'm scared!"
Not needing to hear anything else, Jotaro's grip tightened on the phone, his knuckles growing white as his face turned into his youthful scowl.
"I'm on my way. Stay out of sight."
Rushing out of the apartment, Jotaro climbed up onto the half wall. Ignoring the fact that he was four stories high, he leapt from the stone wall and with the help of Star Platinum, jumped across the large gap between buildings, and even made it to the roof, and was now hopping between roofs to make it to Izuku's school as quickly as he could.
The sudden anger he was feeling made him cross the distance quicker. He had arrived within five minutes, an incredible time on a route that usually took half an hour to walk.
Standing atop a roof across from Izuku's school, he could see the bodies of a few people in the playground. All of them were wrapped up in a cocoon of vines that held them tightly against the dirt.
A ranged stand that shoots vines perhaps? Or could there be another person helping the gunman?
Usually, he'd try to survey the scene and figure out what he was dealing with, but with Izuku in danger, there was no telling what could happen. He continued to wait until he saw the man carrying a gun with what seemed to be another victim.
Before that man could put off a shot into the unfortunate lady, he jumped down. Landing with thud as Star Platinum took the brunt of the force by putting his feet under his to slow his descent without breaking his bones.
His sudden appearance caused the gunman to release the woman he had been dragging in order to jump back and train his gun onto him.
Lifting his head up, his green hues met brown and that's when Jotaro was able to take in the look of the man.
With dark blue hair that had been grown out to his shoulders, the man had a rugged face befitting the look of a cowboy. Very different to that of this other cowboy he had met. He wore a long white sleeved shirt that was way too tight for his torso. His muscles were showing from the shirt as the hem of it stopped right at the midriff, revealing his stomach. He had also worn a brown coat with tassels at the collar and with the back end flowing onto the floor. His pants were black and to finish his outfit, he wore black boots.
Yeah… that man's outfit was way more bizarre than his.
Locked in a stare, the two men silently looked at each other until the man with the gun chuckled.
"Well I'll be. Looks like ya was here after all." The man bellowed out after whistling out in surprise. The gun was put down and Jotaro could only assume that the man knew of his attack range and that he was just barely outside it.
"So you were looking for me this whole time? All you had to do was ask nicely and I would have showed up," Jotaro responded as he was setting his back straight. His hands stuffed themselves into his coat pocket's fingers grasping onto one of the bullets he had always begun to carry ever since the idea to use one came up a while back.
"Now see here; I tried doing that, but funny thing is, I was told that the Jotaro Kujo wasn't in the great state of Florida. I'll have you know I have busted my ass off in search of your pretty little head. So now that I found ya, why don't we have a nice talk?"
"Why don't we start with introductions?"
"Ooh, I knew you was clever, but alright. I'll indulge ya. Name's Axel Adler. This here is my Stand."
Axel Adler
Age:29
Height: 6'1
Ability: Stand
「Garden of Eden」
"Ain't she a beaut?"
Holding his gun up high for the sunlight to reflect off it, Axel's Stand took on the appearance of a silver .44 caliber Magnum revolver with a darkened grip. The metal was engraved with vines that branched off into blooming flowers that started from the handle and all the way to the chambers, the design flowing into each one. The barrel left untouched, but even if that were the case, the design just screamed gaudy and unnecessary.
"It would seem you and I possess different meanings of beauty. For you, yeah it is. For me? That gun looks just as dog shit as its user," Jotaro quipped, smirking towards the gunman who instantly glared.
"Lookie here. I am trying to be courteous by allowin' us to talk like decent folk. I know what yer stand is capable of, and while we're out here in the open where I can be just outside of yer teeny little reach, yer ass is grass. Now why don't ya jus' spare me all the trouble unlike these dumbasses and come quietly? It ain't gonna hurt ya. My boss jus' wants to talk to ya."
His boss? Who the hell would want to talk to him?
"And why should I?" Jotaro inquired as he shifted in his spot, clenched fists at his side that showed Axel that he was just a moment away from pouncing.
"Beats me, but I ain't paid to ask. Now come along willingly, or come along in a coffin of vines. Either works for me." Carefree and sure of victory, Axel had stepped over the woman he had brought out. A foot being brought down to keep her place which earned the shooter a groan of pain. "Or I can jus' take my frustrations out on the girlie here and make her a meal fittin' for a king?"
Breathing sharply, Jotaro didn't want to risk the woman's life and eased his hands. He still needed a way to close the distance, otherwise, she was as good as dead if he didn't comply.
It was time to string a yarn.
As Jotaro spoke to buy time, Izuku could only look from inside one of the offices he had holed himself up in. He wasn't able to hear anything, but he was able to see the situation Jotaro was in. He wasn't sure how he could help without putting himself in danger, but if things continued the way they were, Jotaro would be put into a bad spot simply due to the lack of range.
He crouched down and breathed. What could he do?
"If you don't know what other factors there are, there's no telling what can happen."
Those words rang within the boy's head. That man was alone, wasn't he? When he had first appeared, Izuku had been in the bathroom when Axel had first dragged out one of the first teachers to be shot. There was yelling within the classroom whenever he went in, but for the most part, it seemed that he was alone.
Now, amongst the teachers, there were no good quirks, to say the least. One had a horn mutation quirk, another had glowing eyes, and another had hooves. Among the kids his ages however, there was only one:Kacchan's..
While the two Stand users spoke, Izuku gently pushed the door open and padded across the cement towards the classroom. When he was sure that Axel hadn't noticed him, he pulled the door open and closed it behind him.
Taking a head count, Izuku was glad that none of the other kids had been taken out. Though, as he did his count, A blonde, red eyed boy had been the first to notice him and stood.
"Deku!? How the hell were you able to get in here? There's that crazy guy out there!"
Bakugou Katsuki
Age: 5
Height: 2'3
Quirk: Explosion
"I know, Kacchan! He's so weird looking, but so scary! I'm just glad you weren't hurt!" Despite the tense predicament, Bakugou didn't take kindly to the green haired boy's words and scowled.
"Me? Hurt? Why don't you worry about your weak self, Deku! A quirkless kid like you shouldn't be moving around when some maniac is outside taking our teachers!"
Izuku had wanted to tell his friend that while he was quirkless, he wasn't exactly powerless. He had a Stand, a great power that could scare even the tough boy who had taken bullying as a hobby. But with how secretive Jotaro was, Izuku pushed that thought out and kept quiet.
"It doesn't matter if I'm quirkless or not, my friend is outside and we need to help him!"
"Friend? You? Who in their right mind would be your friend?" Bakugou sneered. He had expected everyone to agree, but there was one boy who stood and felt the opposite.
"I'm… I'm his friend. And I don't care if it means you guys see me in any other way," said the boy Izuku had saved the day he had met Jotaro. Hatake, who left the circle of kids who huddled together on the demand of that crazed Stand user, approached Izuku and smiled.
Hatake Ryo
Age: 5
Height: 2'2
Quirk: Sound Conduit
"I'm sorry for running away after you got hurt to save me. I was just so scared, but seeing you want to save another person makes me want to help." Before Izuku could thank him, one of Bakugou's cronies stood and shook their head.
"Are you two crazy?! Didn't you hear what he did to the adults?" cried the red winged boy.
"I'm with chicken wings. What can we do? We're just kids," Kacchan scoffed, only to widen his eyes as he watched Izuku turn around and walk towards the door. "You're gonna die, rocks for brains!"
What Kacchan had been saying was true. Maybe they might die due to him not reading the situation, but even so, Jotaro was fighting by himself! There wasn't a chance at all that he was going to just.. just… cry and ball up like the day they fought for the first time.
Izuku turned back to look at his friend, his emerald eyes shimmering with both courage and fright mixed together.
"I can't just let him fight alone, Kacchan! We both promised that we would do whatever it takes to be heroes! If I don't help JoJo, then I will never be able to stand with you!" Defiantly puffing his chest out, the green haired boy led his only supporter out the door, the wooden piece shutting quietly as Bakugou stood speechless.
Deku… defied him?
The thought didn't really make sense since the moment the two met, they had done everything together until he found out Izuku was quirkless. But even then, it was him that broke it off, not Deku!
Something… was different about him.
Back outside, Jotaro had lost track of time. He didn't know how long he had tried to skirt around in the conversation he was having with his dimwitted enemy as he tried to interrogate him subtly, a tactic he had learned from his grandfather when he had tossed up the idea of him taking over the Joestar Real Estate Company.
Now while he didn't fancy himself an agent, he did think that having good verbal skills would come in handy, which it when he had found out tidbits of information from the man.
Seeing as there hadn't been anything worthwhile in the past… it was ten minutes of talking with the woman trying to covertly crawl away only for Axel to plant his foot on the woman's back and drag her to him.
He shouldn't drag this on any longer. So out of habit, he ended up replying with a very smug tone.
"You know, I thought yous was a decent man. We was even havin' a nice good talk! But now, you are really startin' to irritate me," Axel said as he scratched his temple with the barrel of his Stand.
"That's kind of the whole point when I admitted you're as smart as you look. Which isn't really good." Growling, the hillbilly sounding Stand User pulled his foot off the woman and raised the gun once again.
"That's it! If you ain't gonna cooperate with me and follow along, then there ain't much use to a fully able body. I am bringing you with me as a man or as a god dang raisin!" Booming, Axel was practically foaming at the mouth.
With the attention on Jotaro, he saw the woman get up and run away, now being ignored. Good, his taunt worked. Now with no one around to get hurt, he readied himself.
With Star Platinum's vision, Jotaro could see the hammer of Axel's Garden of Eden prime itself almost in slow motion, the chamber of his Stand rotating before a seed shaped bullet shot out. Narrowly dodging with the help of his stand's legs, Jotaro felt the bullet wisp by him.
Oddly, though, he heard it hit the ground. Bullets flying at that velocity shouldn't have even landed in the vicinity of the shooter, let alone just a few meters in front of said shooter. The gun was parallel to the ground, wasn't it?
Feeling the ground shake, Jotaro only had a moment to look back before he saw a grassy tendril lunge towards him, nicking his cheek before it wrapped around his shoulder to toss him the opposite way he dodged. Impacting the ground with a loud noise, he wheezed out as the vine released him in order to aim itself at his chest. He rolled and the vine missed. Hitting the dirt and spreading dust into the air. Expecting another attack to come, Jotaro quickly rolled onto his feet and skidded across the brick floor, hs Stand being summoned fully to help him fend off the vine, but no attack came.
Why was that?
It was attacking so quickly and strongly but now it paused?
He couldn't see clearly through the dust cloud, but once it faded, he saw a wilted and shrivelled up tendril laying on the ground.
What happened?
"You won't be so lucky next time!" Axel yelled while moving about the playground.
Hearing him, Jotaro did the same and hid behind a tree to gather himself. That gun had the ability to summon sentient vines? Or was he able to control it? How many could he have at once?
Faintly hearing the sound of a hammer being cocked, he moved and avoided the spot that the vine attacked after sprouting. With this distance he made, he thoroughly investigated the vine by watching it. It didn't move and it didn't die as quickly as the other vine did, so he ruled out the weakness of how long it's been alive. Did the dust kill it?
He would test out that thought after a few more shots went off, and he was forced to move back even more, now nearing the fences of the playground. With Star Platinum's hand, he balled up a compact ball of dirt and threw, only for it to bounce off and do nothing. So the dirt of the playground didn't do anything.
Damn it.
He didn't have a chance at all to use the bullet he had, and with him being pushed back more and more, he definitely didn't have a chance now. He didn't have a clue as to where Axel was hiding due to his attention being drawn by the vines.
While he thought, he missed the fact that while he had heard multiple shots go off. One of those shots didn't land in front or around him. Instead, it was fired off in the area he had ended up rolling to and with a surprise, the grassy tendril wrapped around his ankle, and he was thrown like a lasso into the area where multiple vines were waiting for him.
And like a repeat of yesterday, he felt the hard blows of the many vines hitting down on him through his back as Star Platinum tried to protect him. Unlike before, he was feeling more of it. He grunted and sweat, and even cursed as he breathed harshly. And while he was being assaulted, he heard Axel cheering.
"Told ya you wouldn't be so smug once I got to ya! How's the dirt taste?" Cackling even louder, Jotaro felt his vein tick. He was going to wipe that man's smirk off permanently when he got the chance. But there was one thing that caught his attention: the dirt.
With how long these vines had lasted, he was perplexed with how the first one had died so quickly. Duration wasn't a factor at all. So what killed the first one? During that dust cloud, he was unable to see at all since it had grown. Practically becoming a cloud in the sky with how high it had gotten.
Wait.
It got higher than him?
The cloud had been solid enough to cast a shade below it… was shade the reason it died?
Using Star Platinum, Jotaro took a peek at the sky and noticed a cloud coming his way. Small, but large enough to give him a few seconds to act. But damn, after the cloud passed, Axel could just shoot enough to wall himself off from his punches.
"Hoo wee. You lookin' mighty fine on the ground there!" came another taunt. Oh, he was going to get whats coming to him, one way or another.
"Ah well, I had enough fun, but now's the time to get you all wrapped up. Garden of Eden! Time for yer meal!" Axel shouted, causing the battering Vines to wrap themselves around Jotaro and his stand. And true to Axel's words, Jotaro began to feel himself weaken. His strength was being sapped away by the tendrils that ensured him.
This wasn't it, yet… could it? Wherever he went, he hoped at least this made Izuku safe.
No, wait; what was he thinking? If he ended up being taken, there was a chance Izuku would stupidly try and look for him. He couldn't have that.
To the best of his ability, he struggled against his confines. Using Star Platinum to tear away at the vines which caused Axel to groan in frustration.
"They wasn't kidding when they said ya might be a problem. Oh well. Can't let ya escape now that I'm so close to bein' able to walk free." Preparing to fire more bullets into the area Jotaro was breaking free of the vines in, his finger was about to pull on the trigger, when he felt something hit the back of his head.
"Dagnabbit! Who in the hells threw a rock at my head?!" Angrily turning around, he was expecting an adult trying to protest his behavior, but instead only saw a pair of kids standing before him. One of them, he saw before in the classroom, but the green haired one he didn't.
"What in the blazes are ya brats doin?" He questioned, furiously aiming his gun at the toddlers. Hatake, who saw nothing being pointed at him, still gulped in fear while Izuku trembled only slightly.
"You're hurting my friend!" Izuku exclaimed in the best scowl he could muster. At the sight, Axel outright laughed. Bending over and holding himself up at his knees, howling himself nearly to the point of tears.
"So the two of yous is tryna play hero!? Oh man, that is good. Well, sorry, kiddos. Even heroes gotta die," Axel said with slight regret. He didn't like killing kids, but if he had to, he would. So he didn't even hesitate as he raised his gun and pointed it at the boys.
"Not when they can still fight!" Izuku countered vehemently. His emerald hues glowing with the same strength as Jotaro's. "Hatake!" On cue, the black haired boy opened his mouth and placed his hand on top of Izuku's shoulder. Then in an ear splitting scream that echoed towards Axel, Izuku screeched. Sounding like he was screaming into a megahorn, Axel covered his ears and stepped back.
"Holy fuck! My damn ears!" He yelled, closing his ear canals as best as possible, he pressed his head to his shoulder to cover the other ears he shakily lifted his arm. Trying to point his gun again at the two which made Izuku screech harder. But Axel didn't stop; he continued to aim until his Stand was aimed directly at the Stand User in Training.
Time almost seemed to slow down when the gunman's hammer primed.
However, before he could pull the trigger, an explosion that rivaled the echoed screech Izuku made occurred and Axel was sent flying back.
Needing to stop due to running out of breath, Izuku looked to the side and saw Jotaro standing. His form slouched and his eyelids half drooped, he slowly walked towards the gunman, who was weakly trying to stand up.
"Y-ya shot me? How the hell did ya shoot me?" Axel asked, clutching his arm that hung limply at his side. He could still use his stand, but his accuracy would be way off.
"A regular bullet, unlike yours," Jotaro claimed, as with every step, Axel could feel the anger coming from the white coated man. Throwing away an empty bullet case once he got close, Star Platinum loomed over the other Stand user's back to watch Axel very closely. Fists at the ready to break any part of him that was in reach if he tried something.
"N-now, hold on. Let's talk about this! Like… like decent folk!" he begged, scooting back across the dirt in an attempt to put distance between him and the man he just fought. Continuing to pull himself across the playground until he felt his back meet the fence.
"Nowadays, I would be all for that. However…."
Axel gulped as Jotaro's shadow loomed over him.
" We ain't decent at all. " Mocking his accent, Jotaro grabbed Axel up by his collar and held him in place as Star Platinum began to rain punches down into the cowboy wannabe's body. Gut punches, hooks, uppercuts, haymaker, every kind landed with complete accuracy.
Then with a push that sent Axel staggering back, Star Platinum's arm merged with Jotaro who pulled an arm back and with one final war cry, Axel was knocked unconscious.
"ORA!"
Sending him flying over the fence and well past the block, Jotaro panted as the last of his energy was used. Collapsing not even a second later with his hands touching the dirt and his knee.
"JoJo, are you okay?" Worried, Izuku forgot about his need for air and ran towards his teacher. Hands touching his back, the boy looked over the man, who could only chuckle.
"Yeah, I am. Don't worry." Seeing Jotaro smile eased Izuku's tension. Eventually, the two shared a short snort and seemingly looked like the event didn't even happen.
"You really helped me back there, Izuku. Thank you." Patting the child's head, Izuku looked like he was about to burst out into a dance, but the compliment didn't sit well with him. Instead of accepting it, the boy pushed the man's hand off his head and instead tugged on it to pull him towards Hatake.
"I didn't do it on my own, though! Hatake helped me out! His echoing quirk helped me help you!"
Surprised at the fact that Izuku needed only the help of another kid to stall an experienced Stand user, he was adamantly impressed at his ingenuity. He worked with what he had and came out on top.
"Then I'll thank the two of you. Thank you for coming to my rescue. And you… Hatake, was it?"
"Y-yes, sir!" Nervous, Jotaro stared at the boy that he had seen Izuku save the other day and nodded.
"You did well. You'll be going somewhere great with that quirk of yours."
Unexpecting of the praise, Hatake nodded and was seemingly as starstruck as Izuku was.
"Midoriya, your dad is so cool!" Was what the boy said by accident.
"He's not my dad! He's my friend!"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Your friend is like, really cool then!"
As the two boys gushed over the Stand user. Said Stand User was looking into the direction he had sent Axel flying in. With the fact that someone was looking for him, the matter of finding the person in the spirit photographs became more important. This Axel Adler person had such a strong stand for someone he's never heard about. Was the Stand Arrow that powerful? If it was, he was going to find it as soon as possible after getting Jolyne situated here.
Sighing, he thought about how he was going to explain his involvement to the police.
"Hey, kids. Can I ask you not to tell the cops I helped? Just tell them some hero came and left before they came here. I need to dress this scratch I got." Confused with the looks he got, Izuku spoke up.
"What scratch?"
Unsure of what he meant, Jotaro reached up to his cheek only to find no blood and no sting. He could have sworn he had gotten cut. There was something off happening. Maybe damage dealt by that guy's stand wears off?
Choosing not to look a gift horse in it's mouth, He stretched his body and grunted in satisfaction of his joints popping and his muscles loosening up. That had been quite the battle and if there were any more of that guy coming, he needed to find out whatever he could.
"Hey, kid. Tell your mother that I ended up going out after all. I need to do something, so I'll be back later tonight, okay?" Receiving a nod from his pupil, he gave the boy a wave before venturing off away from the destroyed playground, his course set to weave between the buildings as he wanted to make sure no one saw him lest he wanted a repeat of the other day. Unaware that he already had eyes watching him.
"Sir, should we follow him?" inquired a male in a silver suit, their glasses reflecting the sunlight which casted a glow that hid their eyes.
"No, not yet. I believe that this man must have some morals if he protected this place. And besides, I can still count on your vision, yes?" asked the bulky man in the brightly colored outfit.
"Well, yes, but if we follow them as they occur, it's going to lead to-"
"I don't need to hear it. I trust what I saw, but I am still going with your plan, remember? Otherwise, I would have jumped down there and joined in on the fun." The silver suited man pushed his glasses up as a thought occurred to him.
"You do realize there's a possibility he's with him , don't you?"
"I'll be damned if he is. Such a strong will to protect isn't what he wants in lackeys." Frowning, the costume wearing man folded his arms while the Silver suited man sighed.
"I'm still unsure of what you saw, but if you believe it is necessary, then I'll follow you like always." With that said, the frown disappeared from the seven foot giant and a giant smile was plastered on his face.
"Ha ha ha! Thank you, my friend! Now, come along! We should leave this to the heroes! They do need their experience after all!"
With Izuku's first encounter with a Stand user other than Jotaro, the fruits of labor have already begun to blossom. Already comfortable with the thought of having to fight such bizarre powers, even by quirk standards, he pulled through and achieved victory with his friends. Jotaro couldn't be any more pleased with the results, but the fact remained. Was the presence of a Stand Arrow, an object that gave the power of a Stand to a worthy individual, causing the appearances of these foes? Having already faced one, the photograph taunts him with another battle in the future, unaware that a battle was coming to him for the first time in his life.
Thanks for reading this chapter. I wanted to bring up a decision I've made about this story. I have retconned the fact thatthis a continuation of JJBA: Eyes of Heaven and is instead a continuation of Part 3.
Please leave any critiques and thoughts in the comments
Ability profiles:
Stand User: Alex Adler
Stand: 「Garden of Eden」
Power: E
Durability: E
Range: A
Speed: B
Garden of Eden is a Gun Stand that is dependent on space control and range. By itself it's not strong, but with the help of it's ability that it grows called Slasher Vines, this Stand becomes powerful through numbers and attrition.
Ability: Slasher Vines
Power: C
Durability: C
Range: E
Speed: B
The bullets that 「Garden of Eden」shoots are somewhat controllable through the air. Allowing the Stand User to choose when and where the seeds are planted. The Vines grow quickly and can be planted almost anywhere as long as there is no shade to block it's sunlight. Prolonged contact with these vines can allow them to feed off of a Human's or animal's energy, tiring them out fast. The seed bullets can do the same if they are shot directly into someone. This power that Adler has is why he was chosen to be a collector for who he works with.
Hatake Ryo
Ability: Sound Conduit (Quirk)
This Quirk allows the boy to choose whatever sound an object is making to channel through his body and amplify it through his mouth. I.e making a dog's bark sound like a blast of noise that echoes strongly. The sound can be amplified by 5x it's original strength, making anything sound nearly deafening.