I don't own My Hero Academia or Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.
Please enjoy this story to your heart's content!


Chapter 10: The Fallen


Resisting the urge to rub the makeshift cast around his itching, broken fingers, Midoriya followed after his classmates as they made their way through the forest. At first everyone was still on edge from surviving their terrible ordeal, keeping a wary eye out for anything that looked like their black cladded foe. A half an hour had passed since they started their trek yet there was no sign of the once ferocious Stand. As they continued further onward, the tension they felt slowly leaked out of their bodies. Some of the students, such as Kirishima, Ashido, and Sato started to talk amongst themselves about how intense and crazy things got in the last hour. Others simply kept to silent as they enjoyed the cool shade from the trees while some of the most vigilant, such as Todoroki and Shoji kept look out. Though Bakugo stomped ahead of his classmates, growling lowly that he could've single handily beaten the Stand.

Despite this rising cheerfulness, Midoriya couldn't help feel a bit uneased. Even with the Stand gone, there was still a menacing air lingering over his head. He couldn't quite describe the sensation, but it felt like several eyes were watching every single twitch of his body. It didn't help that there was an unsettling silence that settled over the forest. Besides his classmates, nothing made a sound. There was also no sign of wildlife, making it seem as if the forest was devoid of life. Or perhaps, hiding from a predator.

"Stop that!" The fanboy cringed as he slapped his cheeks. "I'm just being paranoid after being hounded by that Stand for so long. Stylo's defeated, so there's nothing to worry about! The reason the local animals are hiding is probably just because of us. It's only natural that they would hide from a large group of people wandering into their home. Everything else is just purely my imagination…" Taking a deep breath, Midoriya felt a bit better as his stressed eased up. Yet he paused when another though occurred to him.

"What if Stylo wasn't alone?" he muttered quietly to himself. "Even with its invincibility, there's also a possibility that its user could have a partner… maybe one of the members from the League of Villains. If that's the case then we need to—."

A sudden hand clasp his shoulder, causing the curly, green haired boy to jump as he swung around to meet a pair of chocolate brown eyes. "Are you ok, Midoriya?" asked Uraraka, looking slightly better compared to her earlier bout of sickness. "You've been muttering for a while now?"

"O-Oh, uh…" Feeling heat rising within his cheeks, Midoriya rubbed the back of his neck as he avoided the gravity girl's gaze. "I was just thinking that maybe that there's another villain that came with Stylo."

"Geeze, Midoriya…" Gyro exasperated as walked beside his classmates, carefully holding unto Johnny's legs even as the American clung to his back like a koala. "Aren't you overthinking this a bit? We haven't see hide nor hair of anything for the past thirty minutes and if there was another villain, wouldn't it attacked by now? Especially after you knocked the daylights out Stylo?"

"W-Well, you have a point. But still… I just feel like we've being watched for a while now. Plus I can't help but wonder why that Stand attacked us in the first place. What is their motive for trying to kill us? Are they related to the League of Villains?"

"Who knows," shrugged Gyro before giving the fanboy a golden smile. "Though if you continue to stress about it, then you better be ready for the white hairs that'll spring up."

"W-White hairs?" Midoriya didn't realize his hand moved towards his hair until he started to tentatively pulling at a strand.

"Nyo Ho Ho, if you do get white hairs, maybe you'll become peppermint and vanilla flavored! Get it? It's an original joke I just created." Midoriya and Uraraka merely stared blankly at the Italian while Johnny let out a sigh.

"Oh such a classic, Gyro." Johnny dryly stated, causing the long haired blonde to let out a smile, much to Midoriya's disbelief. "You must have been thinking about that one for a long time now."

"I try, Johnny. I try.

"At any rate…" coughed Uraraka, drawing her classmates' attention back to her before giving them a pumped up look. "Even if there was another villain out there, we'll be ready for them and beat them up! There's no way they'll catch us with our pants down again!"

"Uraraka…" Midoriya felt warm at the girl's seemingly boundless enthusiasm, despite his initial paranoia. Seeing her bright smile melted away what was left of the fears that bubbled up inside him. "You're right. If there is another villain out there, we'll be ready for it." The brown haired girl nodded vigorously at his words, strengthening his already hardening resolve.

"Hey… are there any bears in Japan?" Midoriya blinked at the sudden question before turning to see Gyro standing absolutely still, the rest of his classmates stopping as a result.

"Uh, yeah, there are black and brown bears in Japan," answered Sero, giving the horse jockey a raised eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I was wondering what turned those into scratching posts." Following his friend's gaze, Midoriya's eyes widened when he saw a cluster of long, sharp claw marks traced over the bark of a rather large tree. Yet that wasn't all as several branches were bent at obscene angles or broken off completely. "Hmph. Looks like we need to keep an eye out for Yogi bear on top of everything."

"A-Aren't bears afraid of large groups of people?" Kaminari stuttered, his mind no longer addled as he peered across the forest for any signs of movement.

"What's the matter, Kaminari? Scared of big ol' teddy bear?" Jiro teased to which the electric lad sent her a pouting glare.

"I'm not! It's just that we survived a skeletal freak and falling off a cliff. It would be super uncool if I become bear chow at this point."

"If a bear did show up, I'll turn it into barbeque!" growled Bakugo.

"What are you, a caveman now?" Gyro grinned at the explosive blonde.

"Clamp your mouth shut, Goldtooth!"

"At any rate," Yaoyorozu cleared her throat as she addressed her classmates, "if there is bear around, it will probably stay from us for the most part. However, it will attack us if it thinks we are a threat or invading its territory. If it has cubs then it most certainly will attack."

"Even if it did attack us, we have plenty of ways with scaring it off," Kirishima grinned before smashing his hands together, tiny sparks erupting from his rock-like knuckles.

"Not to mention Koda can use his Quirk to stop the bear in its tracks," said Jiro, jerking his head over to the shy youth who stood not too far away. Feeling eyes on him, Koda stiffened before tentatively giving his classmates a shaky thumbs up.

"Well that inspires confidence…" muttered Johnny.

Midoriya scratched the back of his head at the American's comment, but paused when he spotted something move in the distance. For a split second, he thought he was imagining things, but then he saw something twitching amongst the tree line. Before he could take in a breath to tell his friends of what he saw, a big, brown horse suddenly burst out of the bushes before charging towards the students.

So stunned by the horse's appearance, Midoriya found himself stumbling backwards before falling flat on his back while his classmates scrambled out of the way. In less than fifteen seconds the stallion close the distance between it and the fanboy, its strides kicking up clumps of grass and dirt in its frantic haste. It stood up on its hind legs, kicking at the air as it screamed in panic. Midoriya didn't need a second to realize what it intended to do before rolling to the side, narrowly escaping the crushing force of the horse's hoofs.

"Calm down, horsey!" Midoriya blinked at the sudden, high pitched voice before turning to see Koda cupping his hands together around his mouth as he started towards the horse. "There is no need to be frightened. We're all friends here!"

"You can talk!?" demanded Jiro, her mouth agape as she, as well many of her classmates, stared at Koda in absolute shock.

Even Midoriya was stunned by the revelation. He always figured that Koda was a mute since he never seen him talked once since the start of their academic life. The shy youth never really interacted with the rest of his classmates beyond school related activities and lunch, but even then he merely used sign language or his own gestures to communicate. Yet he couldn't possibly imagine Koda's voice would sound so shrill. It was almost mesmerizing to listen to him as he tried to soothe the terrified stallion.

Nickering loudly, the horse pranced in place for a moment before stilling itself, its eyes fixed on Koda as if it were in a trance. The shy youth smiled before walking up to pet its nose.

"Well I'll be damned," Gyro said, "that's an easy way to tame a horse. Makes me wish I had him around when I was first met my Valkyrie."

"Yeah, real easy…" Johnny muttered dryly as he watched the horse nuzzle in Koda's open palm. "Would've saved me a trip to the hospital if he were around…"

Midoriya blinked at the American's comment before raising him an eyebrow. It felt like a joke, but there was a hint of irritation laced in his voice that made it seem much more. Yet as much as the fanboy wanted to know the meaning behind his friend's words, there was a more pressing issue at the moment. "Why is there a horse here?" he thought aloud as he walked over to the horse to examine it closely, his fellows not too far behind him.

Now that he got a good look at it, the horse looked rather young and had a strong build. Its mane was a pale grayish color compared to its coat. Though there was an even paler red star sticking out along the upper portion of its nose, right between the eyes. If anything it was almost like a birthmark. Yet that wasn't all that caught his attention; on top the horse's back was a black leather saddle. As he got closer, Midoriya spotted the letters "D.B." engraved along the seat.

"It looks rather familiar…" Yaoyorozu said as she tentatively raised a hand to scratch the back of the horse's ear. The stallion let out a snort, but didn't appear displeased by the girl's action.

"Looks to be an Arab thoroughbred," Gyro observed as he examined the horse from head to tail. "Good muscle structure with a clean coat, trimmed hooves, and can manage a good burst of speed between short distances. This is quite a prized horse!"

"You can tell all that in one mere glance?!" Ashido exclaimed excitedly as she brushed the thoroughbred's nose.

"Nyo Ho! You don't become a professional jockey if you don't a good eye for horseflesh. Also careful of your fingers. If you're paying attention, then this big boy will bite them off." The pink skinned girl immediately jerked her hand back, causing the Italian give her a wolfish laugh. She scowled at him before sticking out her tongue.

"Where's it owner?" Johnny asked as he trailed a hand over the horse's coat. "We haven't seen any real trails since we landed in this forest so—."

"Actually, there is a few trails midway towards the town," explained Ida, holding up his map to verify his claim. "I'm terribly sorry for not mentioning that earlier. It slipped my mind after we faced Stylo once again."

"Ok, but that still doesn't answer my question. A pampered and well maintained horse like this won't simply abandon's it owner unless it's still being chased by a predator. And since nothing has jumped out in the last minute, that means its owner is still around."

Midoriya immediately got the paraplegic's meaning before turning to peer where the horse came from. "If its owner is still around, then we need to find them."

"Hold on," said Ida, waving his hand high to gain his class's attention. "What if this is all a trap? We can't be too careful after what happen earlier."

"He's right," agreed Tsuyu, suspiciously eyeing all the trees around her as if something else might pop out of them at any moment. "We need to be cautious and—"

"To hell with that!" Bakugo yelled before blasting himself further into the forest, startling the horse in the process.

"Wait, Bakugo!" Tokoyami called after the impulsive boy before jumping away from a flailing hoof as the horse danced around wildly.

"There he goes again…" Kirishima sighed as Koda once more soothed the terrified animal with his docile tone.

"We have to follow after him!" Midoriya exclaimed before charging after his childhood friend, ignoring the calls of his classmates behind him. Despite their many grievances, Midoriya knew Kacchan the best. There was no doubt that Bakugo could handle himself against almost anything, but his tactics usually amounted to blasting the first thing he sees and his strategies—blowing up everything else. It was more than likely that the explosive youth would ignore any trap set forth, tearing them apart before jumping right his foe. In a way, Midoriya admired him for his fearless and ferocity, but this left him narrow minded. If there was a foe out there as strong as Stylo, then there was no telling what could happen.

So engrossed in his own thoughts, Midoriya only had a second to realize that he caught up with his stubborn classmate. The problem, however, was that he realized this far too late before crashing into Bakugo's firm, strong back, sending them both tumbling to the floor.

"Get the hell off me, Deku!" Bakugo growled out before elbowing the fanboy's head, shoving him roughly off his form.

"S-Sorry, Kacchan…" Midoriya apologized before massaging his now stinging cheek, wincing slightly at the mere touch of his fingers. Yet he paused when he eyes fell upon the reason why Bakugo had stopped so suddenly.

Cuddling up beside a huge boulder was a young pale boy, who looked to be about the same as age Midoriya, if not a bit older. Golden locks adorned his head, though they were stained with lines of crimson as blood trickled down the boy's handsome face. Covering up his chest was a light-blue turtleneck jumper patterned with a yellow diagonal grid. Yet it was marred by long streaks of claw marks along his chest and left shoulder. Some of which looked chewed up. Wide-legged breaches hid his legs while a pair of dark-brown riding boots with spurs nearly came up to his knees. Laying beside him was a particular helmet that had the letters "DIO" mounted right along its crown, with a little blue ribbon tying them together. Blood splattered a bit of the inside of the cap, but what really caught Midoriya's attention was a broken tipped knife sitting only a couple away from the foreign youth. Its blade also stained a dark crimson.

Midoriya stared wide eyed at the blood covered boy for a split second before jumping to his feet. "Is he dead!?"

"Use your eyes, idiot!" yelled Bakugo before pointing at the slow rise and fall of the golden haired youth's chest. "He's still breathing."

Midoriya felt his body relax a bit at the confirmation, but it wasn't enough to ease his mind. Quickly rummaging a hand through one of his pouches, he grabbed ahold of some spare bandages—courtesy of Yaoyorozu's foresight—before walking over to the huddling boy. Just as he was about to take his second step, a sharp hiss from behind stopped him in his tracks. Whipping his head around, he saw the rest of his class had finally caught up with the two of them, their gazes fixed on the bloodied youth. They also brought the horse along, with Johnny expertly riding upon its back.

"Woah… what the heck happened here?!" Kirishima demanded before running over to kneel beside the boy, checking his pulse and breathing.

"Those wounds look pretty bad…" Sato noted uneasily as he followed after the redhead. He wasn't the only one as most of his classmates followed suit to crowd around the blonde.

"H-Hey, I know this guy!" exclaimed Kaminari. "He's that one Brit jockey I was talking about earlier today!"

"Wait, really!?" Uraraka asked, gaping with saucer-like eyes at the injured youth.

"It's him…" Yaoyorozu affirmed, her own expression one of disbelief and awe. "Diego Brando… Dio… I remember his face from my mother's magazines." Suddenly her eyes widen as she turned to face the horse that Johnny sat upon. "Now I remember… that's his horse, Silver Bullet. It won several famous races such as the Royal Ascot and the Guineas Stakes."

As the rest of his class chatted away excitedly, Midoriya felt a little stunned meeting yet another famous horse jockey, though admittingly under very different and unpleasant circumstances. Yet as his mind tried to process the why and how Diego got hurt, he paused when he glanced at Johnny's expression. Much like the rest of his classmates, disbelief was written all over his face, but there was something else mingled in. His face went pure white for a moment, before changing into something else. Midoriya couldn't quite place it, but it's almost like the American was… skeptical. As if his disbelief was for a very different reason than the rest of his fellow heroes-in-training.

"…Are we sure he was attacked?" Johnny finally said, causing everyone to turn and stare at him. Even Midoriya couldn't believe what he just heard as he gaped at his friend.

"What are you talking about, Johnny?!" demanded Ida, waving his hands robotically, yet frantically towards the American. "There are claw marks all over Diego! It's more than likely he got mauled by a bear or—!"

"I doubt Diego Brando would fall off his horse, let alone getting caught off guard by a bear." Johnny glared smolderingly at the spectacles wearing boy, causing him to clamp his mouth shut in a heartbeat.

"Come on, Johnny," Gyro said as patted his pupil's leg, giving him a toothy grin. "Where's your compassion? Don't tell me you're suggesting we leave him here, do you?"

"…Maybe."

"What do you mean by that, Johnny?!" Ojiro asked incredulously. A sentiment, Midoriya noted, shared by almost everyone as they continued to stare at the cripple expectantly.

Taking a deep breath, Johnny turned his gaze back the fallen blonde. "…Diego Brando can't be trusted… He's Britain's most honorable, genius jockey, but he will do anything for money and to win…. At least that's what I heard about him anyway. There are many shady rumors about him… there is no doubt that he's a hell of a rider—he's too prideful and talented to cheat so openly—but from I hear, he'll do some rather unsavory things off the track in order to secure victory. Plus, I doubt that he would allow a bear to get close to his horse no matter which trail he's taking."

That instantly caused his classmates to blink before turning their heads back towards the unconscious Brit.

"So what you're saying is…" Gyro trailed off before Johnny gave him a nod.

"He might be the speculative second villain we been worrying about earlier. He's probably trying to trick us into believing he's knocked out before stabbing us in the back."

"…I thought you didn't know anything about him." Tsuyu said as she turned to stare blankly at the American. Midoriya blinked at the frog girl's words before realizing that she was right. Johnny did say that he didn't know anything about Diego, so it was rather odd for him be wary of the Englishman.

"Unless… he has some kind of past with him…" the fanboy speculated quietly in his mind.

Johnny didn't budge under Tsuyu's stare, but under everyone else's, he lowered his gaze before letting out a growl. "I lied, ok? I do know him… somewhat…" That only raised a few skeptical eyebrows, but they didn't say a word as he sent them all scathing glare. "Hmph! My past doesn't matter right, alright? What matters is that my point still stands. After what happened today, he's way too suspicious."

"No, that doesn't make sense," Shoji interjected as he held up an arm that turned into a mouth. "If he really was a villain, wouldn't it make more sense for him to hide from us than injuring himself, let alone abandoning his horse?"

"Not to mention there are signs of him fighting back against something," Todoroki pointed out as he held the broken, bloody knife. "The wounds on his body are too jagged to be from a knife. There also markings like that all around us." He then pointed to the boulder, directing everyone's attention to the three jagged slash marks right above the fallen jockey's head.

"He's right, it does look like something attacked Diego," Aoyama agreed with a sparkling flick of his fingers towards some broken branches and bushes nearby the boulder.

"Plus he's unconscious," Mineta pointed out. "With the way he's all cuddled up like that, he probably won't be up for anything, let alone a trip to see some ti—!"

"If you finish that sentence, Mineta, your cheeks are going to be burning red with the imprint of my hand," Ashido warned, raising her hand as to make good on her promise. The little boy wisely clamped his mouth with a loud click of his teeth.

"Besides, those rumors about him are just rumors, right?" Jiro asked inquisitively.

Johnny glowered at his classmates before returning his heated gaze back to the down jockey. Frustration started to leak onto his face, a thin line forming on his lips, but he remained silent.

"We should leave him behind." Midoriya blinked at that before he, and the rest of his class, turned to face Bakugo who casually gazed at Diego's huddling form. "Horseshoe is right. This guy reeks of a trap. We should ditch him or beat him to a pulp before he tries to gut us."

"W-What?!" Sero asked aghast.

"Dude! You do realize this guy is already bleeding heavily?!" Kirishima sternly chastised his classmate. "I know you think the best way to do things is blow things up, but… that's going too far!"

"Horseshoe…?" Johnny repeated with a raised eyebrow, not the least concerned with the blonde's brazen suggestion than with the way Bakugo addressed him. Midoriya too found the nickname to be ridiculously straightforward, but his shock was focused Kacchan's suggestion. Even for the explosive boy, that was way more excessive than usual.

"Shut the hell up!" Bakugo roared at his classmates. "That damn boogeyman from earlier was a pain in the ass to deal with. Who's to say that this guy doesn't have one of those Stand things as well?!"

That immediately shut everyone up as they turned back to Diego, their eyes slowly widening as Bakugo's suggestion sunk into their brains. Midoriya too considered that possibility for a moment, but with the way the jockey groaned in his sleep and the nature of his wounds, it seemed very unlikely.

"Even if that was the case, we can't leave him here," the fanboy said finally, drawing every eye onto him.

"Didn't you hear what I said, you shitty nerd?!" Bakugo snapped angrily, stomping over to the smaller youth before yanking him up by his caller. "This guy is bad news! So get that through your big—!"

"As heroes-in-training we need to help those in need!" The explosive blonde's gripped stiffened, but Midoriya refused to back down now. "If we overlook someone bleeding to death just because we're afraid that he might be a villain… then we have no right to call ourselves heroes! Just cowards!"

"Why you little, shitty—!"

"That's enough, Bakugo!" The violent youth stiffened once more, but this time for a very different reason as a hand landed on his wrist. "Midoriya's right, Bakugo!" exclaimed Ida. "As future heroes and prestigious students of U.A, we can't simply over look someone in need! It would be a disgrace to the very concept of heroism!"

"You have two seconds to let go my arm or your glasses are going to be permanently glued to your face!" Ida's mouth dropped at Bakugo's threat, but he released his grip none the less. The explosive youth returned his smoldering glare back to Midoriya, before swiftly turning on his heel and walked away, growling to himself all the while.

"Well that settles that, I suppose," Gyro said with a grin as he walked over to the groaning genius jockey, several bandages and medical equipment in his hands. Yet before he could started to patch up the boy, his gaze whirled towards his pupil. "You don't have any more objections, do you, Johnny? After all, it is the right thing do."

Johnny glared at his mentor for a moment before shifting his gaze to the side, folding his arms across his chest as he ignored the confused looks his classmates gave him. "…Sure, why not? I mean, what's the worst that can happen? Him stabbing me in the back as we head to town? But hey, don't mind me. I'll take good care of him as rides with me."

"That's the spirit, Johnny! You'll be a true hero in no time with that attitude."

As the American snorted at the Italian's obliviousness, Midoriya's mind weighed heavily with concerning thoughts. The only other times he seen the paraplegic so frustrated was when they first met and during Aizawa's tests. Yet this was different. He could practically feel the distrust and suspicion from him, but he couldn't understand why. "Just what kind of history do you have between the two of you, Johnny…?"


After Gyro and Yaoyorozu stitched up Diego's wounds, they managed to get him back on his horse, with Johnny reluctantly keeping him from falling off. Not wasting any more time, the students resumed their journey. Along the way, they formed a protective circle around the horse as they kept a wary eye at surrounding foliage. Yet strangely enough there was no signs of the predator that attacked the blonde jockey. Midoriya wondered if this was due to the supposed injury that was inflicted upon it or perhaps it found a different sort of prey. Not that he was complaining. At this point, he'd rather have the rest of the day go by smoothly and without any more trouble than another perilous fight.

By the time they reached the town of Nabou, the sun was starting to set, casting a golden glow that sparkled off the leaves of the forest. Humble was the best way to describe Nabou. It wasn't large by any means, but it wasn't particularly small either. It was nestled in a valley beside the mountain, with the road running parallel beside it. Most of the houses and stores looked rather modern, but Midoriya noted that there were several that had a traditional, yet ancient design. Several miniature Shinto statues littered the area, some of which were stacked neatly along a few narrow paths. There was even a little Noh theater stage just near the mouth of the south side of town. Oddly enough, there was no actual shrine anywhere to be seen as they finally entered an empty street.

"Finally!" Ashido groaned, collapsing to the floor as soon as she stepped passed the town gate. "I don't think I can take another step… I can barely feel my feet!"

"It was a long, walk…" agreed Kirishima, rubbing his legs to keep them from cramping up. He wasn't the only one as nearly everyone started to limber about, stretching their already sore muscles.

"Would've been nice if we could've rode the stupid horse…" Mineta griped as tried to collapse onto Ashido's back, only to fall face first into the dirt as the pink skinned girl suddenly stood up. "Owwwww…."

"Not enough room," Johnny said blandly as kept a hand around Diego to keep him from tumbling off. Though Midoriya noted that there was still plenty of space for one more rider.

"I can't wait to get to get to the inn," Hagakure sighed, her hands drooping a bit as she stretched down to her feet. "Room service and a relaxing bath is what I need right now…"

"If we're lucky there will be hot spring at the inn," Kaminari hoped as he rubbed the small of his back. "My joints feel like they have millions of hot needles in them."

"You really need to exercise more often," Jiro chastised, a small sheen of sweat rolling down her face. "You sound like an old, out of shape man."

"H-Hey cut me some slack! I'm just saying a hot spring would be really awesome right about now."

"Actually, it has one," Shoji said, drawing everyone attention as he pointed towards a sign next to the inn's front door that read "Onsen". They blinked for a moment before turning to gaze at one another.

"…First one is a rotten egg!" Kaminari shouted as he took off at full speed.

"If it's a mixed bath, girls get first dibs!" Ashido exclaimed, jumping to her feet before sprinting after the electric boy, her fatigue seemingly disappeared.

"H-Hey, no fair!" yelled Sero. "It should be first come first serve!"

"Who cares!?" Mineta roared, his eyes threatening to bulge out of his mouth as started after the rest of his classmates. "This is a golden opportunity to see the girls' glorious assets and I'm not going to pass this up!" Yet before he could take his third step, a sticky pink tongue wrapped around his legs before yanking painfully back down into the dirt.

"I think it's better that you cool off first, Mineta," Tsuyu said as she hopped over the boy, her tongue smacking the back of his head as he tried to get back up. With that said, the rest of scrambled towards the inn in hopes to be the first to let their bodies taste the heavenly waters.

"They sure got over their exhaustion quickly…" Johnny commented dryly as he didn't budge from his spot.

"Well, what did you expect, Johnny," Gyro grinned as he kept his pupil company. "Even if you're dead tired, you would crawl your way to a hot spring if you had the chance. And we deserve something after such a long day."

Midoriya couldn't agree more with such a statement as he wiped a sweat and grime off his forehead. Yet as much as he would like to join the rest of his students, there was still the matter reporting to the police as well making sure that Diego saw a doctor. "I wonder if there is a public phone around here or—," he started to say before a sharp neigh interrupted him. Before he could even blink, another horse trotted over, startling the youth as he jumped back only to pause as it started to nuzzle the American's arm. Confused by its sudden appearance, Midoriya could only stare at it before recognition slowly hit him. "H-Hey isn't that your horse, Johnny?!"

"S-Slow Dancer!?" Johnny confirmed, his mouth dropping open as the appaloosa started to lick him affectionately. "W-What are you doing here?!"

"I thought she was supposed to be at the survival course!" Gyro exclaimed in confusion before suddenly blinking. "Wait… if she's here, then is Valkyrie around as well?"

"Oui!" The trio blinked before turning to see a short man rushing towards him. It took Midoriya a moment to realize that this was the same man that handled the American's horse during the entrance exam. "Sorry about that! I take my eyes off her for a moment and—Wait… Mister Joestar? Mister Zeppeli?! What are you two doing here?! I thought you guys would be already at the survival course!"

"You literally took the words right out my mouth! Why are you here?! You should've got there long before us, even with our brush with the grim reaper!"

The horse handler blinked, taking another glance at the boys disheveled clothes. His mouth looked like it wanted dislocated from the rest of his jawline at the sight of Diego's bloodied and bandaged form. "Isn't that Diego Brando…?!" he said before shaking himself to face the students. "I-I-I was on my way, but I had to make a pit stop to water and feed the horses, I also took the time to have a bit of a snack since I skipped lunch earlier. Thirty minutes after I stepped into the local café, I heard an explosion of some kind echoing throughout the valley. I didn't know what to make of it. Neither did the whole town apparently as everyone started to freak about it. Next thing you know another explosions happens about fifteen minutes later, sending everyone into an uproar.

"I tried to find out what was going on with my phone—I thought that maybe something or someone hit a gas pipe—but I couldn't get a single bar. It was strange since I was able to get in contact with the teachers from U.A. before I even got to Nabou. Though apparently I wasn't the only one as the people in the café tried to call their families or anyone they knew outside their town, but without any luck. Everyone started to panic at point, but the local police manage to get them to calm down. They then sent a volunteer to investigate and get help. That was around two hours ago and the guy hasn't come back yet."

Midoriya felt his lips tug downwards as a remorseful feeling sunk into his guts. He knew that while his class wasn't directly involved with the communication tower being destroyed, it was because of they were targeted that everyone in the valley were cut off from the world. It was a silly thought to be sure—after all, how can you control something like that when you were hunted by a psychopath—but he never the less felt a bit responsible for disturbing the daily lives of so many people.

"Alright, we get that, but what does that have to with you still being here?" Johnny impatiently demanded. "You could've left as soon you heard the explosion."

"I tried Mister Joestar," the pudgy man apologized with a short bow. "I really did, but the explosions freaked out both Slow Dancer and Valkyrie, causing them to go wild inside their trailer. If I didn't let them out any sooner they would have killed themselves as they tried to smash their way out. So I let them prance about for a while, letting them get their fears out of their system before corralling back into their trailer." His cheeks suddenly flushed a deep crimson as he flickered his gaze away from the boys. "But then… then the engine wouldn't start… apparently the starter finally kicked the bucket… So… I've been stuck here ever since with no way to contact a tow track. I tried asking for help from the locals, but… remember the volunteer I mentioned they sent to investigate the explosions? Apparently it was the local mechanic… guess today has been nothing but bad luck I suppose."

"You can say that again…" Johnny said dryly as he shifted in his saddle. Combined with everything else that happened today, Midoriya was inclined to agree. It made him wonder if their string of bad luck had finally ended, or if they had merely reached the tip of the iceberg. Either way, the green eyed youth was starting to look forward to relaxing in the soothing waters of the hot spring at this point.

"I'll say…" the horse handler agreed as he scratched a thick hand through his thinning hair. "And I guess we aren't the only ones who thought as much as practically everyone in town started secluded themselves inside their homes. I wouldn't be surprised if half of them also barricaded their front doors thinking an invasion was about to start by those new hot shots, the League of Villains."

That made Midoriya blink before he turned his gaze towards the narrow streets of the town. He never noticed it at first, but it was just as the fat man said, not a soul was to be seen. It was almost like they had entered a ghost town or one those American cowboy ranches where a shootout was going to take place at high noon. To say it was a little unnerving would be an understatement. A low groan cut off his thoughts as he turned sharply to the unconscious Brit, who shifted in his sleep. Yet as the blonde twitched, Midoriya blinked when he saw something rather particular. The skin on his neck seemed to crack and break off with slight movement he gave. Not only that, but something crawled underneath the torn clothing, as if the bones were rearranging themselves.

So startled by the bizarre sight, Midoriya rubbed at his eyes before taking another look at the wounded jockey. He blinked again when he noticed that the cracked skin was no longer there and the shifting on his back was nowhere to be seen, as if there was nothing wrong with him to begin with outside his injuries. Was he imagining all that just now? Or did Diego had some kind of slow healing Quirk? His musing was cut short once more by another low moan from the blonde, causing him to realize he needed to focus on the now.

"Excuse me, sir," he said, turning to the short man who blinked at him. "But is there a doctor in this town?"

"D-Doctor? Uh… I'm not sure, I don't know if this place has—wait… Oh! I just remembered that the local inn not only has a quality Onsen, but also the owner is an experienced doctor! I'm sure he'll be able to help out your friend here." The three students stared at him questioning for a moment before he turned his head away sheepishly. "What? I like to watch resort channels from time to time!"

"Heh, I didn't say anything," Gyro said, but his smile belied his amusement.

"Anyway! Can I ask what happen to you guys? And why you have a famous jockey with you? Last I heard, this guy was on practicing on some of the more rugged trails outside of Musutafu."

"Well… that explains something." Gyro noted before turning to face both Johnny and Midoriya. "Listen, I'll go fill this guy in with what happening before meeting you both at the inn. Sound good?"

"Hmph, as long as you bring Slow Dancer," Johnny agreed.

"Of course, Gyro," Midoriya added right behind the American.

"Then it's decided," the Italian grinned as he grabbed Slow Dancer's reigns before turning to face the hose handler. "Come along, let's go meet up with my Valkyrie while I spin you a tale."

As the long haired jockey started to recount the students' rough day, Midoriya turned to follow Johnny who already nudged Silver Bullet into a trot. Yet as he walked through the street, he couldn't shake the ominous feeling that he was being watched. Of course, the fanboy instantly concluded that it was simply the locals who barricaded themselves in their homes had come to watch the new arrivals. But at the same time, he felt there was something more to it. Something menacing. Just like the predatory ambience he felt prior in the woods. He knew he was more than likely being paranoid, but the feeling persisted even as he helped Diego passed the front door of the inn.


Midoriya groaned as he sunk deeper into the soothing warmth of the hot spring, careful not to put any pressure on his broken fingers. As soon as everyone explained their situation to the owner of the inn, they were immediately given the royal treatment; rooms were provided for everyone and were free of charge. Diego was quickly taken in by the owner, promising to provide him with the best treatment of his skill. He then informed the students they were free to use the inn's Onsen, as well its other forms of entertainment, if they so wished.

It wasn't a large facility by any means, but it was just enough to fit all of his classmates. There was no wall that separated the blissful waters for the two sexes, but the girls already decided they would go first as per their agreement with the boys as soon as they got into the inn, much to Mineta's eternal chagrin. Despite the little boy's increasing despair, the others clearly enjoyed themselves once it was finally their turn to dive into the hot spring. Kaminari, Ojiro, and Sero splashed each other around as they played tag, while Kirishima decided to test his manliness by sitting at the hottest spectrum of the spring. He even managed to rope in Bakugo and Sato into joining him in a game of endurance. Needless to say the explosive youth got right into the deal before the redhead could finish explaining the rules. Koda, Ida, Shoji, Aoyama, and Tokoyami decided to settle for sitting in the shallower end, where the water had just right amount of heat to soothe the aches in their bodies. As for Todoroki, he simply sat at one corner of the spring, isolating himself from the rest of his class.

The only ones who didn't join them was Johnny and Gyro, surprising Midoriya as he thought that they would also partake in this relaxing sensation. That was until Gyro burst through the door, naked as the day he was born, carrying the American over his shoulders, who protested and cursed every step of the way, before throwing him into the warm pool. Everyone stared at the disbelief at the transaction before laughing hard as the light-brown haired youth surfaced like a drown rat. Though they promptly shut up as the paraplegic sent each of them a glare that would've frozen the whole hot spring. After that, the light-brown haired youth sulked in the shallow end with Gyro constantly teasing him.

Midoriya resisted the urge to giggle at his friend's expense, but blinked when he saw something particular. Upon Johnny's left shoulder was a light purple five-pointed star. "Is that a tattoo…?" he thought out loud before realizing his mistake.

The American blinked at the question as everyone turned to stare at the body mark. "Woah… I didn't know you were into that kind of thing, Johnny," Kaminari whistled.

"I'm kinda surprised that you found someone that would tattoo a minor," Sero observed.

"Nyo Ho! This is the first time I seen this, Johnny," Gyro quipped as he stared at his pupil. "Didn't know you were keeping this from me. Did you find one of those legendary back alley tattooist or something?"

"Why a star though?" Shoji asked curiously.

Running a hand over his shoulder, Johnny gave everyone a long flat look before sighing. "It's not a tattoo… It's a birthmark."

"Wait… really?" Kaminari asked in disbelief as he started the purple star. "Isn't that, I don't know… a bit too detailed to be a birthmark."

"Tch! Do you honestly believe that anyone would give a kid a tattoo?"

"Well, no, but—"

"Everyone in my family, outside my mother, has it…" For just a moment, Midoriya thought he saw something flicker within Johnny's eyes, but it was gone in an instant before he gave everyone an irritated glare. "Happy now? It's not some big mystery, so lay off." He then returned to sulking in the corner as the rest of his classmates wisely dropped the matter. Though as much as Midoriya wanted to know just what he saw in his friend's eyes, it was better to not antagonize him any further.

The curly haired youth decided to rest in the midway point between the two hottest zones of the Onsen; his muscles uncoiling themselves as the leftover tension and stress from his body melted away. It was truly a blissful piece of heaven that graced them, as if a reward for surviving such a hellish encounter with Stylo. Yet as the minutes marched onward and his classmates starting to leave their pleasant sanctuary, Midoriya knew he couldn't stay in there forever. Sighing reluctantly, Midoriya grabbed his towel before leaving the hot spring behind and followed after his classmates into a nearby sitting room.

"Man… I've haven't felt that relaxed since I found out that I've been accepted into U.A.," Kirishima said he placed on his costume; apparently the management were a bit short on bathrobes due to an incident with their last guests.

"Yeah, with Aizawa Sensei, the League of Villains, and that crazy Stand, it's nice to have a breather," Sero agreed before taking a sip of a cold bottle of water that he bought from a nearby vending machine.

"True, but we're not out of the woods yet," Ida said seriously, chopping his hands forward as he settle into a fluffy sofa. "We're cut off from the rest of the world! Who knows when the heroes will find us?!"

"Oh stop being such a worried wart," Gyro said before throwing an icy bottle at the class president, who scrambled forward to catch it. "Our teachers must have realized we've been missing by now and probably searching for us as we speak. Plus since that volunteer was sent to investigate, I'm sure he'll rush all way to the city in order to tell the heroes of the situation once he finds out what happen to the communication tower."

"In case you forgot, that tower is currently blocking the road up the mountain," Johnny pointed out sarcastically. "Not to mention there's also all the damage done to the road by us and that freak. I'll be surprised if he isn't hightailing back here."

"Nah, I'm sure he'll figure a way around that wreck."

"You know, you're way too easy going, Gyro," Ojiro pointed out before skillfully flicking his tail to shoot his empty bottle of water into a nearby trash bin.

Midoriya had to agree, the Italian was taking their situation in surprising stride. Then again, after hearing about how he was hunted by that terrorist bomber, he wouldn't be surprised if Gyro simply accepted bizarre situations like this at this point. He was torn out of his thoughts, however, when something caught the corner of his left eye. Turning to the side, Midoriya blinked as his gaze was captivated by a particularly huge, ancient, but quite strange painting at the back of the room.

At center of the painting was a huge green Oni, looking positively demonic as it stood over a crowd of people who bowed before it. Yet there were some who either fled the fearsome creature or laid on the ground, blood seeping out of their forms. Strangely enough, the Oni wore what looked like regal clothing despite its hellish features. What caught Midoriya's eye the most, however, was the strange golden arrow in its hands. At first he thought it was simply the demon's weapon, but it was far too ornated to be just that, and the way it held it was almost like it was wielding a scepter or rod of power. He was no expert in art, but the curly haired boy couldn't help but drawn in by the bizarre scene.

"I see you're taken in with our village's oldest treasure, hmm?" Midoriya held down a startled yelp at the sudden voice behind him before whipping around to see the owner of the inn; an average looking old man with a thick gray mustache that completely covered his upper lip. The old man laughed at the boy's startlement before patting his shoulders. "Relax kid, you're too young to have a heart attack and I've already got to deal with that patient you so graciously provided."

"U-Uh, right, sorry, sir," Midoriya breathed as he tried to calm himself down, though his face started to flush crimson when he heard his classmates snickering in the background. "B-By the way, how is Diego anyway?"

"Heh, funny you should mention that since that's why I'm here. Well, besides checking up on my newest guests of course. Anyway, Mister Brando is making a swift recovery, which surprised me since his wounds looked worse for wear. I would say that he must have a slow acting recovery Quirk, since even his flesh is practically mended at this point, but I rather not assume that until I hear from the boy himself. At any rate I believe all he needs now is a good night's sleep and some good food as well."

Midoriya sighed in relief at the good news. "I guess I wasn't just imagining things earlier," he thought silently before blinking as the old man's prior words finally registered in his brain. "Excuse me, sir. But you said this painting is the town's treasure?"

"Ah, I see you're all intrigued by it, eh?"

"It is a pretty creepy painting," Kaminari said as he settled himself into a large, cushioned chair.

"Does it have to do with the history of town's founding," Tokoyami asked curiously.

"Like I give a damn," Bakugo declared as he stomped his way out of the room before anyone could say word. Todoroki also quietly followed after the explosive youth, not even saying a single word to the rest of his fellow students.

"Ah, Bakugo! Todoroki!" Ida exclaimed before bowing to the elderly owner. "I'm deeply sorry about his rude behavior."

"That's alright, sonny," the old man shrugged before settling himself into a seat next to the painting. "Not many young people are interested in history these days, so it's natural that those two want to spend their time elsewhere. But at any rate, the story around that painting is not very long. Hell, it's rather short in comparison to the rest our history here, but it is supposedly the foundation of our town." He cleared then cleared his throat before beginning his tale.

"Long ago, this valley was supposedly cursed by a dreadful Oni. Any who dared to enter its domain was never seen again. Some believed that they were devoured by the demon, others say that their souls were taken and their bodies left to rot. An order of priests eventually heard of this creature and decided to slay it. As soon as they arrived at valley, they went to battle with the Oni, but it proved too power for them. All but one priest was killed. But instead of slaughtering the last one, the demon instead offered him a proposition, a reward for his valor for surviving so long. The demon would stop slaying those who came into its valley if he survived a certain test of its own design, saying that 'Only the Chosen' would live through it. The priest, seeing no other option, agreed to the demand.

"Without any hesitation, the Oni produced a beautifully designed golden arrow before stabbing the priest. At first, the poor fool thought he had been duped by the demon, but his wound wasn't fatal. Instead he felt renewed and stronger than ever. Yet that wasn't all as the priest had gained a special power from his soul, as another reward for surviving the test. Instead of using his new found power to slay the creature, the priest thanked the Oni. The demon, as per its agreement, kept its word and never took another human life, but told the priest that if ever a human should enter its domain, they were free to take the same test as the priest. But he also warned that if they should they fail the test, the arrow would punish those considered 'unworthy'. The priest must have told a great many people of his tale, for many came into this valley seeking to gain this mysterious power, but most were considered unworthy. What became a flood of visitors soon dwindled into a mere fraction, but people decided they needed a place to stay in order to prepare those who came to face the Oni's test. As a result this town was built. Though overtime, the practice of visiting the Oni's shrine had since ceased, its memory fading away until only a select few families, such as mine, remember this tale."

"What… What was the punishment for the test?" Kaminari asked in a subdued tone.

A crooked smile stretched across the old man's lips as his eyes practically gleamed menacingly in the light. "Why, they became monsters of course. Flesh eating creatures that tore apart and devoured those who foolishly tried to enter the great shrine. How else do you think the number of visitors kept decreasing? The Oni kept its word, but it never said it couldn't create things to terrorize humans for it. I guess that's also why the number of pilgrims stopped; they were simply eaten alive!"

Midoriya felt himself staring at the old man for a moment before glancing at the painting, a bit of cold sweat rolling down the back of his cheek. It was truly an interesting, but frightening tale considering the outcomes of failing the Oni's test. He noticed that he wasn't having similar thoughts as the rest of his classmates looked pale as the dead of winter, staring at the old man with their eyes ready to bulge out of their skulls.

"The golden arrow… is it actually real?" Midoriya paused at the sudden question before turning to face Johnny, who stared intensely at the old man. Unlike the others, he looked completely unfazed.

"Eh? The arrow?" The old man cocked his head to one side as he considered the question. "Hmm… it's just a ghost story, kiddo. Don't take it so seriously… That said, I don't know if the arrow actually exists, but the shrine does. It's about a few miles north of town. Though if the arrow did exist, it probably would've been stolen ages ago. You know how people were back then, stealing everything that wasn't nailed down. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the nails to the shrine were stolen too."

"I see…" Johnny muttered before carefully pulling himself into his new wheelchair, graciously provided by the old man himself. "I'm going to the lounge. Keep an eye out for Dio. You guys may trust him, but I'm not sleeping anywhere near that guy. Not until I find out why he was in the forest… He could cut out our throats in our sleep for all we know."

"Come on, Johnny, don't you think you're overthinking this a bit?" Gyro said skeptically.

The American gave his mentor a scoff before wheeling himself out of the room without another word.

"Did something happen between that boy and my patient?" The old owner asked as he knuckled his head uncomfortably.

"What's Johnny deal with Diego?" Kirishima asked Gyro, a sentiment the rest of his class shared together. "Ever since he saw him, he's been acting super strange."

"It's almost like he has a vendetta against him," Sero added as he stared after the paraplegic. "If he keeps this up he might end up like Bakugo."

The Italian gave them all a bland shrug before saying, "I have no idea. He never said anything to me about his past and I didn't pry into it. However… it does look like Johnny has some history with Diego. As to what… I guess we'll simply have to wait and find out until either he tells us or we hear from the genius jockey himself, once he wakes up that is."

Midoriya mulled over Gyro's words for a moment before giving him a nod. Though it pained him to wait for Johnny to open up a bit more, there was nothing he could do or say at the moment that would help him reveal the truth. This frustrated the curly haired youth as he wanted to understand where his friend's animosity towards Diego came from. Though it was only for a second, Midoriya noticed that underneath Johnny's distrust, there was a growing sense of resentment. As to why the American felt that way, he had no idea.

"Hmm… well I better get back to my rounds for the evening," the old man said suddenly, causing everyone shift their eyes onto him. "Oh before I forget, some of the girls left the inn to wander around town, seeing the sights or so I'm told by those who remained in their rooms. Thought all of you should know before I take my leave." With that said, the elderly owner left the boys in the sitting room.

"Welp, I think I'm going to go relax in my room," Sato announced as got out of his chair, stretching his back as he stood up. "Maybe catch a nap while I'm at it. Wake me when our teachers arrive if that's the case, ok?"

"It is getting pretty late," Ida frowned as he stared at the fading golden light outside a nearby window. "We should be retiring for the evening."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Ojiro agreed as too got up to follow the muscular boy. "Though I think I'm just going to meditate in my room."

"Oh, maybe we can do some exercises together!" Kirishima suggested eagerly as he bolted up from his seat. "You can never get enough of a work out in a day, I always say!"

"I'm going get some beauty sleep," Aoyama simply, giving his classmates twinkling blink before slipping out of the room.

"You guys are amateurs," Mineta muttered out in a smug tone, causing the rest of his classmates to give him confused expressions. "Don't you know that this is the perfect time to peep on the girls?! They're split up right this instant, meaning they must have left some of their valuables in their rooms or maybe getting into some sexy scenes in town right this instant! This is a golden opportunity that comes once in a life time!"

"What!?" Ida demanded as he glared at the little pervert. "There will be no peeping while I'm your class president!"

"Quit being such a prude!"

"Stop being disgusting, Mineta," Tokoyami said simply as he walked passed the little boy to head to the door. "At any rate, I'm going to my room. Good evening to you all."

"Hmph! Say what you want, bird boy, but I'm going into town and get me some panty shots!" Mineta puffed eagerly before sprinting out of the room at high speeds.

"W-Wait, get back here!" Ida shouted as he chased after the pervert.

The class president wasn't the last to leave as the rest of the boys started to exit the room one by one. Some heading to the rooms, some banding together for their own activities, while the rest headed into town. Midoriya decided to wander around a bit, his mind still swirling with thoughts about the paraplegic. He considered to go talk to him, but decided against it. Best not to agitate him any more than he already is. Still, he couldn't let the matter rest. Once Johnny cooled off, he was going to try to talk him. He only hoped that the American had the same amount of patience as he did when he found about One For All.


"Man, this place gives me the creeps!" Ashido exclaimed as she walked down a narrow street with Hagakure by her side. "There hasn't been a single person outside of their homes since we got here. Other than the inn's staff, this place feels like a ghost town!"

"I know what you mean," the invisible girl said as she stuck close beside her friend. "It feels like I'm being watched every step we take. Not to mention the shadows covering the statues around here makes them look absolutely terrifying… I'm starting to think we should have stayed in our rooms."

"Ah, but where's the fun in that!" The pink girl smiled as she wrapped an arm around Hagakure's shoulders, pulling her in for a hug. "A spooky town has to have some kind of entertainment lurking around in it! Besides, it's better than simply waiting for the heroes and our teachers to come and pick us up."

"I guess you have a point…"

Ashido grinned before continuing to lead her classmate through Nabou. They both paused, however, when a sharp snap echoed in their ears. Turning to the left, they saw a dark alleyway, filled with vines and overgrown branches that clawed their way into the street. "W-Who's there?" Glops of acid dripped from the pink girl's hand as she raised them towards the dark path. Silence was the only answer the girls received.

Grimacing, Ashido flicked the acid into the alleyway. Before it could even hit the ground, a familiar high pitched squeal echoed throughout the corridor as Mineta scrambled out and into the fading sunlight.

"What the hell, Mineta!?" Ashido demanded as her eyes zeroed in on the smartphone in his small fingers. "Were trying to take pictures of us?!"

"You scared us half to death over your idiocy!" added Hagakure, waving her menacingly as she stood before the boy.

"You better have a good explanation for this…" The pink girl cracked her knuckles threateningly as the perverted boy shrank under her presence.

"Dammit… I evaded that annoying Ida only to fail to get a single glorious picture of pan… pan…." Mineta stuttered out before his mouth suddenly dropped open, as if the words were lodged in his throat. His eyes looked ready to pop out of his head as he raised a trembling finger towards Ashido. Even Hagakure's spluttered as she waved a frantic hand at her friend.

"What are you two pointing at?" The insect-like girl asked suspiciously before a feeling of warmth washed over her neck. A jolt of ice raced up her spine as she slowly turned around only see something so shocking that she barely had a moment to even suck in the air for a scream before darkness took her.


"Blah! You call this coffee, Gyro?! It's almost like bitter sludge than coffee!" Kaminari coughed out as he spat out the contents of his drink.

Most of the boys relocated themselves into the lounge area of the inn, which had a quite an entertainment set up for them to play with. Yet they weren't the first to arrive as Uraraka, Tsuyu, and Yaoyorozu were chatting amongst themselves while enjoying some homemade tea. Even Kirishima came in with Ojiro fifteen minutes later, a sheen of sweat dripping down their faces before settling themselves onto a nearby coach. Seeing this, Gyro decided to make his own brand of his favorite caffeine drink before sharing it with his classmates. Needless to say they all had mixed reactions to it.

"Hey! My brewing skills ain't that bad!" Gyro protested before giving the electric user a crooked grin. "I'll have you know that I'm using my own special blend, which is well known throughout my horse riding career!"

"As what, the stuff that causes people to choke to death?!"

"It does taste a little too bitter..." confessed Uraraka, staring at the barely half empty cup in between her fingers. She then blinked before turning to face Johnny. "I can't understand how you can stand the taste and going for seconds."

"It's an acquired taste after being forced fed it after a year of training with Gyro," Johnny said simply before downing the bitter tasting brew without a hint of choking.

"Damn, you're chugging that stuff like a real man, Johnny," Kirishima whistled in approval before looking at his own cup. "Guess it's my turn to show you all what I got! Over the mouth, passed the gums, look out stomach, here comes the fun!" He then chugged the black liquid without any hesitation, only to stop halfway through with it as his eyes started to turn red. Yet he didn't spit out the coffee like Kaminari, instead carefully placing it down on a nearby table as he roughly swallowed. "God damn… that stuff is super strong! What did you put in it, Gyro?! A bar of iron!?"

"Close. I placed a horseshoe in the coffee pot," the Italian explained before watching his classmates coughing abruptly as they all stared at him. This only made him grin viciously before letting out his signature laugh. "Nyo Ho Ho! Gotcha you all, didn't I? Nah, I wouldn't do something stupid like that. I just used some ingredients I found in the kitchen."

"That wasn't really funny," Ojiro complained, as he eyed his own cup of black liquid suspiciously.

"Oh come on, that was a perfect joke!"

As the others complained to the long haired blonde, Midoriya let a soft smile stretch across his face at the sight. Despite the questionable taste in coffee, it was nice to sit around and enjoy the company of his classmates. Even though the circumstances on how they arrived at the inn could have been much more preferable. Though the calm atmosphere was interrupted when Jiro walked into the room, a concerned look on her face.

"Hey, have you guys seen, Ashido and Hagakure?" The purple haired asked as she peered across the lounge.

"Uh, no, I don't think so," Shoji answered before narrowing his brow at Jiro. "Why? Are they not in their rooms?"

"No, they went out to explore the town as soon as they left the hot springs… but they were supposed to meet up with me twenty minutes ago."

That immediately got Midoriya's attention as he, and the rest of his classmates straightened themselves up.

"Maybe they got lost on the way back? I mean it is getting pretty dark outside, so…"

"That sounds too convenient…" Midoriya muttered as he placed a hand on his chin, his brow narrowing as he tried to formulate all the possible scenarios the girls ran into. "I won't deny that it is getting dark outside, but this town isn't that big… maybe they ran into some trouble…."

"I think you're just being paranoid, Midoriya," Kaminari said as he leaned back into his comfy couch. "More than likely they ran into Mineta and probably kicking his ass as we speak."

"I'm surprised you didn't join him, Casanova," Jiro eyed the lightning haired boy who looked like he just got punched in the gut.

"H-Hey! I'm nowhere near his level of perversity. Besides, after what we been through today, I just want to relax."

"Fair enough."

"If you want, I can help you look for them, Jiro," Yaoyorozu offered as she stood up.

"Thanks, Yaoyorozu." The purple haired girl smiled at her classmate before leading her out of the lounge.

"I do hope they find all of them," Uraraka said, a frown tugging her lips downward. "It's getting dark and there's still… whatever attack Diego out there."

Midoriya agreed that was indeed worrying, but at the same time he knew not to under estimate his classmates. They have proven more than capable with dealing with unexpected threats and even if they did run into trouble, everyone would quickly come to their aid. Still, he felt a nagging feeling gnawing at his stomach, though he couldn't figure out what it was.

"Are you making coffee? What a pleasant aroma…" Midoriya blinked, before slowly turning around to see none other than Diego Brando standing in the middle of the opposite doorway to lounge. Despite the long slashes in his clothes, he looked completely fine. Indeed there was not even a hint of his previous wounds, except for a large white Band-Aid covering his right cheek, even as he leaned forward, his hands on his hips as sniffed the air. "Truly, what an incredible smell… It reminds me a bit of Jamaican Blue Mountain, though there's a hint of improvising in this scent. Perhaps a mix of Lavazza if I'm not mistaken. Still, this smells really good. Ah, but where are my manners. I'm Diego Brando. And I take it you're the ones who rescued me—the kind owner of his establishment filled me in. It's a pleasure to meet you all." He then bowed deeply before leaning back up, brushing his hand through his golden locks.

The fanboy stared at the British jockey. From the way Johnny spoke of Diego, he expected something more of a thug-like cheater, yet the golden boy's graceful demeanor was the complete opposite. He noticed that he wasn't only one adjusting themselves to the new arrival as his friends, barring Johnny and Gyro, all stared at him curiously.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Diego," Uraraka said pleasantly as she stood up to greet the new arrival. "I'm Ochako Uraraka! And these are my classmates: Midoriya, Tsuyu, Kaminari, Kirishima, Ojiro, Shoji, Sero, Aoyama, Johnny, and Gyro." Her classmates friendly waved at the Englishman, all except Johnny who continued to eye him as if he were a wild animal.

"Johnny…?" Diego blinked before shifted his gaze over to the two foreigners, his eyes widening ever so slightly. "Ah! Now I remember! You're Johnny Joestar! I haven't seen you in years." He then clapped his hands before giving the American a warm smile. "I heard from my friends that are in the hero business that you managed to get into U.A. High School. And riding a horse no less! I applaud you for achieving such an honor since that is no easy feat, especially one of your condition. Truly a grand comeback for the ages!" He then blinked before turning his attention back to the others. "And I take it you're also students from U.A.? It is an honor to meet such distinguished students."

"Why were you in the forest?" Johnny bluntly asked before anyone of his classmates could say anything, eyeing Diego warily as he shifted in his borrowed wheelchair. "Considering our circumstances, you're the most suspicious person here, especially after we faced a villain today…"

"J-Johnny!" started Midoriya, starting in disbelief his friend's upfront and rude behavior before turning to bow to Diego. "I'm sorry, he didn't mean it like—!"

"That's quite alright." Diego held a hand up, his eyes never leaving Johnny's. "It's understandable that you would suspect me of something villainous, but I can assure you that I was simply out practicing on the local trails for the charity races I will be attending soon. The local tracks are nice, but I find that it's better to gain experience from the more rugged environments than the same bland racing circle. Besides, Silver Bullet loves the green atmosphere."

Johnny continued to flatly stare at the genius jockey before saying, "…That confirms what the handler said… Alright, then what attacked you? I doubt that someone who's been called a genius would allow anything to sneak up on you."

"Believe or not, something did sneak up one me." Diego's smile soon tugged downwards, a hand ghosting over the bandage on his cheek. "I was letting Silver Bullet rest for a bit after a particular long run, until I heard a sharp rattling sound in a nearby bush. Needless to say I moved my horse back just as it was starting to panic. I presumed it was snake of some kind, but that wasn't what attacked me. No… Just as I backed away from the bush, I heard a sharp grunt to my right before a black talon-like paw blocked my vision and yanked me out of my saddle. I didn't get a good look at it since my head was smashed against a rock, but I refused to go down without a fight. I pulled out my pocket knife and stabbed at its head. Whatever it was, it let out loud screech before throwing me against something hard. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground before my vision faded to black."

Everyone was silent as they drank in Diego's tale. Midoriya was amazed by the sheer amount of luck that whatever attacked the Englishman, more than likely a bear, didn't finish what it started. Even more so that the students managed to run into him otherwise he would've bled out from his wounds. Truly it was something to behold, almost as if it was fate. Though a small part at the back of his head told him that there's was something off about the whole thing, Midoriya ignored it, believing it nothing more than his paranoia.

"Hmm, I guess that makes sense," Gyro suddenly said, causing everyone to turn to him. "The injuries I examined and mended match up with his story." Johnny looked at him for a moment before clicking his tongue loudly, his eyes staring at the coffee between his fingers. "Though I'm a little surprised that you made such a quick recovery."

"So am I!" Diego exclaimed with a beaming smile. "I thought I would've been in a hospital for weeks, but you and that wonderful doctor are truly amazing." That immediately made Midoriya blink as he stared at the jockey. But before he could ask the unspoken question, the handsome blonde continued on with what he had to say. "Damn, I feel good! Everything is refreshing! My body feels so light! It's too bad it's already dark outside, otherwise I would've been riding all day!" He then sniffed the air once again, his tongue flicking along his lips before cocking his head sideways. "That said… may I have some coffee? I'm famished after sleeping for half the day."

"Stop! Don't take another step closer!" Johnny exclaimed, pointing threateningly at the jockey just as he took single forward.

"What the heck, Johnny?!" Kirishima demanded. "He's just asking for some coffee."

"Yeah, come on, man," Kaminari added. "I know you don't like him, but you don't have to act like Bakugo and be an ass about it."

"There's plenty to go around," Shoji said as he poured a cup before placing it on a nearby table.

As the others stared disapprovingly at Johnny, his eyes never left Diego's. As the seconds marched onward, Midoriya felt the tension in the air start to rise until the American finally broke his gaze. "Fine… just drink your coffee and leave…"

"Very well," Diego said simply. "I apologize that my presence bothers you so much, Johnny Joestar." He then stepped forward towards the table, but paused halfway. He blinked as he stared blankly forward, raising his hands up, which trembled noticeably even as he took another tentative step. He sniffed the air for a moment, his head tossing and turning as he crept onward until his knee finally hit the table. Grunting he looked down, but looked puzzled as if he just noticed the piece of furniture. "Um… Could I ask? Which one should I drink?"

Midoriya blinked at the question before looking down where the single steaming cup sat. "Uh… there's only one."

"Diego… you can't see it?" Tsuyu asked curiously, a finger on her chin as she eyed the Englishman. "The cup is just a little to your right while the pot is to your left."

"Can't See?" Diego said incredulously before suddenly jabbing a hand forward, startling the students. Slowly and with care, he opened his hand. A single fly buzzed away from his palm as soon as it realized it was free from the giant's grip. "Give me a break! I can see just fine! Despite everything, both my vision and physical performance are at their best. I can see even better as it gets darker…. Huh, that's odd." He looked puzzled for a moment, as if he just noticed what he just said before shrugging. He then sniffed the air again before stumbling onto the little table. "But which one? Which is it?"

Raising a curious eyebrow at Diego's behavior, Midoriya reached forward to grab the fresh cup of coffee. "Here, I'll hand it to you, Di—." Suddenly a blur whished over the table, causing the fanboy to jolt back into his seat, but paused when he realized that the cup was no longer in his grip. Blinking, he turned his gaze to the side and was surprised to see the jockey holding the steaming cup within his hands, not a single drop spilled onto the spotless floor.

So startled by the sight, Midoriya watched as Diego tilted the cup to his lips, taking in the deliciously hot liquid into his awaiting maw.

"What a queer!" Johnny loudly observed, which earned him a few reproachful looks from his fellow classmates. Though the fanboy couldn't really blame him for such a statement. The golden haired youth's behavior was truly bizarre compared to the grace and composure he displayed mere seconds ago.

As Diego drank his brew, Midoriya noticed a bit of coffee dripping down the side of his cheeks. Grabbing a napkin, he got up to hand it to the foreigner, but paused when his eyes laid upon a jagged line underneath the white Band-Aid. "What…?" he muttered, his eyes tracing the irregularity until he stopped at a coffee stained opening that settled right up next to his ear. What made the curly haired youth step back, however, was the sharp, white fangs that stuck out at the fleshy edge. A menacing air filled the room as Midoriya back away, allowing the rest of his classmates to get a good look at Diego's deformity. "Is this… his Quirk? No… I don't think even he realizes what's happening to his face…"

"Hey, do you guys smell something rotten?" Midoriya blinked before turning to see Todoroki standing at right doorway to the room. He darted his eyes to Diego for a moment before settling on his classmates. "I've been smelling something foul in my room for the past fifteen minutes now… have you guys been cooking something?"

Midoriya frowned at the icy boy's question before his nostrils flared as they finally registered something rancid. It smelled like week old meat that was left in the sun for the past few days. As he clamped a hand over his mouth, he peered across the room, but couldn't find where the smell was coming from.

Before he or his classmates could continue their search, however, a buzzing filled the air before a swarm of flies started to fill the room. "What the hell?!" Gyro exclaimed he got up from his seat.

"Where they all come from!?" Kaminari demanded as he tried to zap as many of the pests as he could, but their numbers seemed endless.

"They're coming from the window!" Kirishima yelled as he pointed a nearby open window. Jumping up from his seat, he ran over to close it, but suddenly paused, his face slowly turning pale as death.

"Kirishima?" Midoriya said as he quickly walked over to the redhead. "Are you… alright…?" His voice trailed off as his eyes locked onto the thing that made his classmate speechless.

Sitting outside the window was a torn apart corpse of a black bear. Blood pooled around the pile of torn out guts and flesh, exposing its boney ribs and whatever remained of its innards. There were claw marks all over its pelt, causing rivers of red to trail down its black fur. Its eyes had gone milky white as its brain started to leak out of its cracked skull.

Midoriya gaped in absolute horror at the sight, but that was a mistake as he could now taste the thick stench of death reeking off the bear. Clamping his mouth shut, it was an effort not to hurl up his dinner as he backed up from the horrible sight. Yet he took no more than a single step back before he collided with something. Turning his head around, he saw that the rest of his classmates had come over to the window as well, their faces a mix of terrified horror and sickness. Even the normally calm Todoroki, who had also joined his fellows, had an expression of total disgust and shock.

"When the hell did this happen!?" Gyro demanded, his eyes unable to tear away from the horrific sight before him. "It smells like it's been dead for some time…"

"What killed it?!" Uraraka panicked as she shied away from the window. "This… this is too cruel…"

Midoriya too felt numb by the sight, yet his mind buzzed around with so many questions. "Did something drag it to the window? If so… how did no one hear anything?! What kind of create could cause such—!?"

A sharp crack interrupted the fanboy's thoughts, causing him, and the rest of his classmates to turn around sharply. Midoriya felt his mouth drop open as his eyes felt like they were about to pop out of his head by the sight before him.

Standing over the now ruined coffee table, was a light-blue velociraptor. Strange looking antennas stood out at odd ends on its head while two horns curled back alongside the corner of its mouth. Black scales ran patterns along its upper half while the lower had bright yellow markings that strangely resembled the word "DIO" running down to the tip of its tail.

At first, Midoriya couldn't believe what he was seeing, but then he noticed the torn apart shoes and clothing at the dinosaur's feet. "No way…" he muttered, straining to find his composure as he stared at the reptile. "Is that you, Diego?!"

"I knew it!" exclaimed Johnny, raising a hand up to point at the transformed Jockey, Tusk materializing over his shoulder. "I knew that you couldn't be—!"

Another piercing smash interrupted the cripple's words as something crashed through the window, the students to scrambling away as glass flew everywhere.

Quickly regaining his footing, Midoriya turned around and gaped at the sight of another dinosaur. It was smaller than the one that Diego transformed into, but it look no less ferocious as it's opened its mouth to reveal knife like teeth, eager to tear into flesh. Its scales were of a pink variety, mixed with a bit of purple and light-blue around its torso, while patches of white fluffy hair sprouted around its neck and head. Sticking out the white mass, was several yellow antenna, similar to that of Diego's, but more elongated and versatile as it flickered in the air. There was also something vaguely familiar about it. "This my first time seeing something like—!" he thought to himself, but paused when he noticed a torn white mask dangling next to its eyes, which were dark as onyx with golden irises. Following the strands of drool leaking out its mouth, dissolving the the floor upon impact, Midoriya felt his entire body freeze up as he realized why it looked so disturbingly familiar. "Ashido!? Is that you!?"

"What!?" His classmates screamed as they stared at the menacing creature as it stepped forward, its talons scraping lines across the wooden panels of the floor with every step.

"You can't be serious, Midoriya!" Gyro exclaimed as he drew a steel ball into his hand. "There's no way that thing is Ashido!"

"Yeah!" Kirishima agreed as he hardened his body up. "She doesn't have that kind of Qui—!"

Before the red head could finish that thought, another dinosaur clawed its way up the window before jumping in for all to see. It the smallest of the three and had deep purple scales, but the most notable thing about it was the bulbous, grape-like features upon its head. There was also a torn up yellow cape dangling on its back as it drooled intensely at the sight of Uraraka and Tsuyu.

"No… way… Mineta?!" Sero exclaimed as he took an unconscious step back. "Then that means the other one is really is Ashido!"

"How's this even possible?!" Kaminari demanded as he pointed a trembling hand at his two transformed classmates, his face turning absolutely pale. "Don't tell me… that the old man's story was true!?"

"That's impossible!" Kirishima denied hastily, a bit of sweat running down his cheeks as gaped at the sight before him. "That's just a story!"

"Then could this be the result of an enemy Stand?!" Tsuyu questioned, flickering her eyes between three dinosaurs.

"Whatever the case, we need to move right now!" Johnny pointed out, a nail already spinning on his index finger as he pointed at Dino-Diego.

Numbed by the sudden revelations, Midoriya mutely nodded his head in agreement, but paused when he noticed the three dinosaurs starting to circle around everyone. They hissed and eyed the students with hungry eyes before proceeding to block each viable exit. Seeing that he couldn't keep an eye on all three of them, Midoriya quickly backed up step till he nearly was shoulder to shoulder with Uraraka and Shoji. "Everyone form a circle right now!" he quickly ordered, his gaze never leaving the menacing reptile before him. "Don't let them out of your sight for an instant!"

His classmates quickly did as they were told, forming a circle as they brought out their quirks while the dinosaurs continued circle them like birds of prey. "Alright Midoriya…" muttered Johnny. "What now?"


Author's Note: Ok. I'm keeping this extremely brief since it is super late at night and I had a rough time editing this chapter. Not that it was bad, no, but rather I kept getting distracted to the point where I started to edit at 3 pm, I finished at 12 Am. You can see why I'm extremely tired at this point and I just want to relax before bed.

But other than that, I do hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I wanted this chapter to be something of a mix of a build up of horror, tension of what's going to happen next, and a breather between a tough battle and the tip of the iceberg of the arc. And for those who read Steel Ball Run, you know what is going to happen next, but at the same time, don't expect it to be word for word. After all, some of the students have been turned and I'm going to do my best to make the next chapter as horrific and badass for all its worth.

As for the Title: "The Fallen"-By the Band Franz Ferdinand. I chose this song for two reasons: The first being that the song represents the students getting turned into monsters. And secondly, for the quite obvious reference for the next villain who will be showing up next chapter.

One quick side note: I'm really pleased that My Hero Academia is getting so much attention to the point they are partnering up with Marvel. MARVEL! That makes me so happy, doubling so that they are going to be releasing their collab on my birthday next friday. So yeah. Best birthday present ever! :3

As for Review responses, there going to be unfortunately very brief. I'm terribly sorry, but I will try to be better next time!

mastergamer14: Not going to spoil the surprise for the next chapter. :P As for Rock Humans, maybe, but they will have a very minor role if they do show up. Simply because they are not the main focus of this story.

The Infamous Man: As always, thank you so much TIM! I really appreciate you sticking with me through this! :D

Hercules8: Thank you so much! TIM really helped me out with Stylo and I appreciate him for it! And also expect more original stands in the future! :3

cyzja922: I will explain next chapter, for reasons I will not spoil. Sorry for the inconvenience.

lennyface: Already beat you too that idea, my friend.

Foreteller of Three: Thank you so much for your support! Unfortunately I couldn't find the reference you mentioned, due to the site confusing me. But I do hope you enjoy My Hero Academia as much as I do.

NCam42: Thank you so much for your kind words! And don't worry, there will be more original stands later. Especially in the next arc, which will be entirely original.

KingJGamer: You're about to find out for one, but for the other, I'm not sure yet. Maybe, but I don't think Funny will have a big role yet. Though I will say, he is the president of the USA in this world. The corpse parts, however, are not.

jalen johnson: That's actually a good idea for Deku, since he's very observant like that. As for Stylo's powers, without giving anything away the surprise in the next chapter, you're closer than you think. That's I'll say on that matter. Anyway, thanks for liking my chapter!

Galer: One Hell of a ride indeed, and this only the beginning! :D

FrancsisVamp0822: Thank you so much for your kind support and many messages. It pleases me that my work has brought you, as well many others, so much joy and I hope to continue to do so! Also thank you for your PMs. While a bit overwhelming at times, they are very nice to read and I appreciate them.

Well that's about it for the reviews. I hope you all enjoyed this new chapter and I will be seeing you all next month with the finale to this arc!

Until then, I hope you all have a very nice day!

Sincerely, Count Chaos