I don't own My Hero Academia or Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Please enjoy this story to your heart's content
Chapter 19: Born Under A Bad Sign
Clinging to the sturdy guardrail with his little arms and legs, Johnny peered across the race track, his eyes following a certain black blur. The warm rays of the sun washed over him, though while some would found it pleasant, it felt too hot for the kid's tastes. There was a hint of something peculiar in the air. Not too thick, but it lingered as the seconds dragged on. Familiar even. Yet Johnny ignore the sun and the odd scent for the moment. Instead he watched as the blur came closer to where he stood, kicking up a storm of dust and dirt as it thundered across the track. Then bursting into clearer view, a giant of a horse coated in charcoal black hair sprinted passed as if the world itself was ending behind it. Clinging to its back was a rider whom Johnny was all too familiar with.
At any other day, the little boy would've rooted for him. Cheered him till his throat dried up and became hoarse for the rest of the day. But no joyous shout or encouraging cheer bubbled up in his lungs. Instead dread slid like thick cold oil down his spine. He knew what coming. He seen it; lived it.
Cold sweat beaded all over his little body as the sun's ray grew hotter while the peculiar scent suddenly became thicker. It clung and clogged the inside of his nose, making him gag as he realized that it was smoke. But there was something else mixed in it. As too what, Johnny couldn't say. Whatever it was, it made him want to vomit.
Holding back tears as the horrible stench now tried to drown him, Johnny opened his mouth to yell at the rider of the black horse; to warn him of what was going to happen at any second. The moment he did, however, the smoke immediately rushed in, filling his lungs with its foul contents. Gagging violently, Johnny clung to the railing as he cough furiously. Despite this, he still tried to call out, to scream, yell, beg the rider to stop and get off the horse immediately!
Suddenly there was a piercing scream followed by a bone-crunching crack! A cloud of thick dust appeared on the track before the black stallion charged out of it. Though its rider was nowhere to be seen.
A dreadful terror welled inside the little boy, his eyes wide and teary as the awful scene began once more. With desperation whipping at his back, Johnny tried to climb over the railing as best he could, hoping against all odds to change this crushing reality. Lifting up on the rails with his arms, he suddenly stiffened as a pain, sharper than any knife and crueler than any dagger, stabbed into his back. With the thick smoke filling his lungs, all he could do was choke as he aching pain paralyzed him. Feeling his strength sapped out of him, his little fingers loosened off the railing before clawing vainly at the air.
Crashing into the cold, harden dirt with a painful thump, Johnny ignored his aching back to desperately try to get up. He had to get up and see the rider! Yet the moment he tried to move his legs, he could not. They wouldn't respond. Confusion mixed with panic as he tried to push himself up, only to pause as his fingers touched something sticky. Pulling a wet hand to his face, all color drained out of him at what came into view.
Staining his digits was the crimson fluid that was blood.
In that moment, as his eyes stared in absolute horror at the sickening redness, Johnny finally recognized what the other scent in the smoke was. It was the scent of burning flesh. With that realization came a renewed sense of pain and anguish as the familiar bullet hole burned in his back. Flailing around helplessly, Johnny held back tears as he tried desperately to get up.
However he paused when a shadow appeared over him. Turning to the side, he gaped in horror by something that would forever haunt him. Standing over him was the mangled body of the black horse's rider. Limbs were bent at odd angles, bones stuck out of clothes with bits of flesh and gore clinging to it, and all manner of horrible unmentionables that Johnny didn't even want to look at. Yet one thing that held his attention. The one thing he couldn't look away even if he tried was the rider's face. Horror didn't even begin to describe the crushing emotions that came with eyeing the mangled flesh that almost made the young man unrecognizable. There was even whole chunks of flesh missing and dents and lumps creased alongside his head where there shouldn't be! But those piercing blue eyes, once filled with love and warmth, now stared down lifeless. Confirming Johnny's worse fears… and renewing a terrible anguishing horror he wished to never see again.
The rider's eyes stared down coldly, hatefully as his mouth parted, allowing bloody bile and stained teeth to drip down on Johnny's head. "YOU DID THIS ME!"
Jolting upright, Johnny panted heavily as his eyes snapped open to meet the darkness of his room. The once serene silence of the night quickly was replaced by the hammering tempo of his own heart, pounding like a jackhammer in his chest with every short breath he took. His mouth was dry and his lungs felt like they were on fire. A thick sheen of sweat covered him from head to toe, drenching his nightwear and causing his body to violently shudder as a chill creeped down his spine. Though the images from his nightmare, still vivid in his mind, didn't help in the slightest.
Pressing a hand over his face, Johnny tried to calm his hyperventilation, but the ability to swallow and hold in even the smallest breath seemed to escape him. The urge to vomit fueled the inability even more, but despite his current panic, Johnny refused to ruin his bed or floor with a puddle of his dinner. Forcing down the bile building in the pits of his stomach through sheer force of will, he inhaled a deep breath, then another. After a full two minutes, his trembling body finally stilled and his breath evened out. Despite this momentary success, Johnny barely noticed it. Absently fumbling around in the dark for a moment, he turned on a nearby nightstand lamp. The clock next to it gleamed brightly under the bright light, proudly displaying the time that was one a.m. in the morning.
"…God dammit…" he uttered hoarsely before slamming a fist down hard on his nightstand, causing the room's light to tremble as the lamp teetered around for a split second. "What the hell is up with these nightmares…?! This is the third night in a row for Christ's sake! And why the hell… do they have to be about that of all things?!"
Letting out a string of curses in his native English, Johnny slammed his hands down on his bed this time as he vented out of his frustrations. Yet deep in his heart, he already knew the why behind the nightmares. They weren't always the same, in fact all had been different up till tonight, but they all had one thing in common… they were related to the downward spiral that was his pathetic life. Of where his miserable bad luck began to the cursed incident that took his legs. Normally he would suppressed such memories—which in turn would've helped crushed any fledging nightmare that thought of arising—but three days ago… he had what could be called a trigger of sorts. It was already difficult before during the Sports Festival, but now it became nearly impossible to suppress any memory of his past… as well the long buried emotional baggage he would've sooner left behind. He knew it was only a matter of time before the dam broke, but he refused to give in now. Not after all these years of trying to keep it bottled up. Not after everything he endured to keep himself somewhat stable.
Grimacing, Johnny tried to banish the awful nightmare in order to get some semblance of sleep. Yet the moment he turned to shut off the lights, an image flickered into his mind. The image of a familiar serious face with pointed arrow-like eyebrows and adorned by once spotless glasses. Yet it was his eyes that stuck with Johnny. The once proud fire burning with them was replaced by a melancholy that the cripple knew all too well.
Shaking his head furiously, Johnny tried to erase the image from his mind. If he remember even one more second of that despair ridden face any longer, then all the effort he put into composing himself would fly out the window. Yet it persisted. Growling in frustration, Johnny did everything he could think of to help, like counting sheep or slapping his cheeks. Those, however, proved fruitless. After one last vain attempt, he let out a heavy sigh before turning off the lamp light in defeat.
"Guess it's going to be one of those nights…."
"And the day is starting off just wonderfully…" Johnny grunted sourly the moment the first few drops of rain splattered across his face as he left his home. By the time he woke up at the crack of dawn to stare out the window with heavy bags hanging from his eyes, almost bloodshot even, he knew the weather was going to be terrible as he currently felt. Sleep had fled him all throughout the night, leaving only crushing dreams that lingered even as he did his morning routine. He would've been a restless, groggy mess if he didn't have an instant cure all for these kinds of situations: coffee. Particularly black coffee that was so bitter that it made every hair on him stand on end. After drinking two cups, lingering sleep and weariness left him like the wind. Yet he still felt the restless and jittering as the caffeine ran its course… though the lingering bad taste of the nightmares didn't help him at all.
With a sharp tsk, Johnny forced the memory of the bad night out of his head for the moment to pull an umbrella out of his backpack. In a few seconds he managed to hook it up to one of the many utility holsters of his wheelchair. Satisfied with his handiwork, Johnny started off down the street as rain pelleted against the wide brim of the umbrella.
Despite the morning's bad start, he was determined to not let it or the previous night drag him down into a fouler mood.
That, however, proved more difficult than he originally thought.
On his way to the train station, there were more than a few citizens going about their business despite the weather. The moment they saw him wheeling by, most stopped to stare at him, awe and surprise shining off their faces.
"Look! It's him!" one young office lady said to her friend as Johnny passed by. "The American cowboy from the U.A. Sports Festival! Johnny Joestar!"
"Wow, it really is him, huh," said her friend, a man with course black hair. "Would've thought he would be riding his horse instead of sticking to his wheelchair."
"Maybe he can only use his horse at school?"
"Or maybe he prefers taking the train to beat the morning rush," pointed out a tall man with six arms.
"Good going out there, Johnny!" called out an excited teen who wore a different school uniform and had a Bowser themed umbrella. "That was one hell of an awesome match against Bakugo!"
"I still can't believe he made it to the finals…" muttered a short, almost dwarf-sized man with comically sized feet. "That was a one in a million chance for anyone. Nearly ten-million in his case!"
"Still he made it and it was so cool!" exclaimed the short man's coworker, a lanky man with literal moss for hair who gave Johnny a thumbs up. "Keep up the good work out there kid, I know you'll make a heck of a hero some day!"
At any other day, Johnny would've tolerated such comments and congratulations, but with his already irritable mood, their words only stoked his annoyance. Barely suppressing a grimace, he waved them off as he made a beeline for the train station. It didn't take much longer before he could see the wet outline of it in the storm and it looked like his train had yet to arrive. Though he knew he was going to face far worse irritation in the packed steel carriage, Johnny was glad that he could at least get out of the rain for the moment.
With renewed determination, he pushed his way to the station's entrance… only to come to a sudden halt.
Standing in front of the station gate were less than a dozen people, all in different shapes and sizes and clothing, blocking the paraplegic's way. Staring down at him, they said nothing as the rain pelted and slid off their umbrellas. If he were any other person, Johnny would've been unnerved by such a scene. Unfortunately for them, he was more annoyed at having his path to his train blocked and didn't have the time nor the mood to indulge any nonsense.
Yet as he opened his mouth to tell off his would-be human roadblocks, he paused when a new figure stepped out of the station. Immediately the crowd hovered around a beautiful pale-blue skinned woman and shielded her long, smooth lilac hair from the pounding rain, not caring if some of them got wet in instead. Her clothes were an odd choice, which was putting it lightly for Johnny, in this bad weather; being nothing more than shoulder length dark dress and a X-shaped black belt with a circular emblem wrapped snuggly around her waist. The only practical clothing she had on was a salmon-colored jacket with a black furred collar, though it was unbuttoned and let all see her rather slim figure. There was also a black band on her right wrist, but it looked rather insignificant compared to the rather elegant look the woman had going for her. Though what drew Johnny's attention was not her rather appealing clothing, but rather her eyes. Two shining green orbs surrounded by an ocean of midnight black sclera stared piercing down, immediately catching Johnny's sky-blue the moment they met.
A bright smile quickly sprung on the woman's lips before slowly descending from the station's gate platform, the crowd keeping in step and making sure not a single wet drop touched her. "The foreign student of U.A. with the soul of a cowboy, riding his gallant steed throughout the recent Sports Festival and managed to make it to the final event in one piece… and a Stand User with a rather evolutionary power," she said grandly, her eyes practically glowing with every word. "Johnny Joestar, correct?" Stopping about five feet in front of him, she held up her hands to form a box with her index fingers and thumbs, fitting his image within the square.
"…Who's asking?" Johnny asked warily. The overly flowery titles she listed off didn't flatter him one bit. If anything it made his already on edge state tenser. It didn't help that her entourage glared down at him like a flock of starving birds would do when spotting a fat beetle. Or worst, villains like those from the League. Narrowing his brow at the thought, Johnny steeled himself for the possibility, eyeing the train station behind them while thinking of any possible escape routes he could take. So engrossed with his thoughts and not daring to break eye contact with the beautiful woman, he barely acknowledged Tusk phasing onto his shoulder in its elephant form to cuddle at his cheek. Its beady eyes, however, mimicked its user, staring intently at the shady looking people.
The woman's smile grew wider at the sight of the little pink Stand before lowering her hands for a moment to give Johnny a bow. "Ah, where are my manners? I'm Chitose Kizuki, the executive director of Shoowaysha Publishing and proud author of award winning articles and bestselling novels. I apologize for my, and that my colleagues here, rather brazen manners, but I couldn't help wanting to meet you in person. If you would be so kindly to indulge me, I would love to interview you for a moment or two."
Blinking rather blandly, Johnny stared blankly at Kizuki as he digested her words. So all the intimidating posturing from the entourage and the pretty speech was just a set up for… an interview? The sheer audacity from the pale-blue woman stunned him for a moment, before realizing with a certain distaste that she was far worse than any mere villain.
She was a reporter.
Having dealt with people like her long before he came to U.A., even before he came to Japan, Johnny knew the proper response for situations like these. "No thanks." With a disgusted grunt, he tried to push his way around Kizuki, only to immediately be blocked by her entourage. Their backs stiff and their stares intense as they glared down at him.
"Oh don't be like that," said Kizuki, causally walking up before kneeling down so her piercing green gaze met his harden blue. She then took out an audio recorder before holding it between the two of them. "Besides the winner of the Sports Festival, Katsuki Bakugo, being the talk of the nation and that of the world, you have garnered quite the reputation over the last few days. From being able to get into U.A. despite your difficulties to shocking the world with your Stand, you gained quite a few fans. Myself included in fact! Surely you can spare a few comments for us, please?"
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the thought of her being one of his fans, Johnny instead let out an annoyed grunt at her insistence. "The answer is still no. Now would you kindly tell your mob-squad to piss off? I need to get on the train before I be late to class."
"How dare you refuse Lady Kizuki's request!?" A tall man with ridiculously tall and square shoulders from the entourage demanded. "Do you even realize what an honor this is to be interview by her?!"
"Show some respect and accept her generous offer for an interview," advised a woman with a black haired bob-cut, her eyes burning intensely as if to glare literal holes into the cripple. Her colleagues quickly echoed her, insisting with the same intensity as they now circled around him and their boss like vultures.
Raising an eyebrow at them, Johnny wasn't not in the least impressed. The paparazzi back in the U.S. were far more intimidating than these yes-men. Though he had to admit, he was a naïve and arrogant kid that didn't know how deal with them back then. Now, however, he wasn't fazed an inch. He was in no mood to deal with this particular craziness at the moment. "Oh, I would absolutely love to do an interview right before school," he said as sarcastically as he could. "In fact, getting a detention or getting my ear chewed out by my teacher would be so worth it."
Indignation sparked between their faces like wild fire, some even growling as they took a step forward, bearing their own height down at crippled boy. Meeting their infuriated glares, Johnny steeled himself for what was about to come… only for he, and the entourage, to pause at the soft laughter that escaped Kizuki's lips.
"My, my! What a fascinating and exciting response, Johnny—I can call you Johnny, right? I met kids who would do anything to get their faces on the air even if it was for five seconds. But you? You blow it off like it was nothing more than a pestering fly? Most interesting."
"Hmph. I'm not like most brainless kids," retorted Johnny, though he quirked an eyebrow at Kizuki. That wasn't the response he expected from her. Whenever he dealt with the press in the past, they would be all over him like a pack of ravenous wolves, especially if he gave them even the tiniest bit of sarcasm or wit. He doubted that this was simply because the media in Japan had better ethical standards than the U.S.—the greedy desperation they had when they raided U.A. earlier in the semester showed that they could be just as equally persistent as their western counterparts. So why was she being so coolheaded with him?
Kizuki laughed softly again, her eyes glittering as she stared at him with keen interest. "I see that now… That makes me more curious about you. Especially with how you got into U.A. without a Quirk." Johnny blinked in shock at her words, but before he could ask how he knew that little secret of his, she suddenly pulled out her phone and started to scroll through it. "But you know, your history is also pretty interesting. From what little I dug up so far—before I decided to simply interview you directly anyway—there's quite a treasure trove of compelling tidbits and front page material about you. For example: I heard that you had an older brother—Nicolas I believe—whom was a genius horse jockey much like yourself. Would you care to comment about him? Was he the reason you got into horse racing at such a young age? Or was it because you wanted to honor him after his unfortunately fatal incident?"
The moment that name, his brother's name, escaped the exec's lips, the world around Johnny became a blur. Everything became completely distant and the thundering rain pelting against the umbrellas was little more than a light buzz. All that Johnny could hear was the familiar haunting echo from the night before ringing in his ears.
"YOU DID THIS TO ME!"
"Speaking of which, there is the success behind your—."
"Shut up…"
Kizuki blinked at sudden command, looking up from the notes on her phone… only to lean back in shock. The mocking sarcasm and the irritation on his face was nowhere to be seen. In its place, however, was a towering fury, restrained only by a chilling mask that would've freeze the blood in her veins. Yet it was his eyes that left Kizuki momentarily speechless. Twin dark flames burned with raw and unspeakable emotion, threatening to consume her whole if she even dared to utter a single syllable. All she could do was shudder under that overwhelming gaze.
"Don't ever mention my brother again…" he demanded not in a raging roar, but in a quiet, brutally direct tone that wouldn't tolerate any backtalk. "I don't care who you are, but if you speak one more word of him… You'll regret it."
Johnny knew the threat was borderline illegal, but he didn't care. His weary and stressed out mind was already on a knife's edge and the cage that held his long buried emotions was bursting at the seams. Just one more crack and it would burst apart… and Johnny refused to break down before this goddamn reporter and her gang on yes-men!
As for the entourage in question, the air around them grew fierce and furious as they glared down at the foul-mouth American. Their tolerance had reached it limit it seemed.
"Why you little brat!" a short old man with drill-like hair stand, stomping forward to get eye level with Johnny. "Don't you dare threaten Lady Kizuki! You apologize right now or we'll—!"
"That's enough!" Both the entourage and Johnny blinked at the sudden command before turning to see Kizuki slowly standing up. Not a hint of anger or outrage touched her face. Only a tinge of compassion filled her eyes as a small frown replaced her smile. "Don't you dare touch a hair on his head."
"B-But, Lady Kizuki!" pleaded the bob-cut woman. "He threatened and insulted you!"
"After I poked too hard into a very sensitive subject for him. I can see that now. I too would have a similar reaction if someone made me relive my demons and emotional scars like that." She bowed her head lowly to Johnny. "Please accept my humble apologies for my insensitive prodding."
Gritting his teeth to hold back a sharp tsk, Johnny stared intensely her for a moment, his emotions whirling intensely inside him. He wasn't sure if Kizuki was sincere or not—she was a reporter after all and they would say anything to get a story—but at the moment, he really didn't want be bothered with her. He just wanted to get to school before anything else set him off.
"It's fine… I'm sorry for threatening you…" Reining in his still raging emotions wasn't easy, but he managed to keep the bite out of his tongue. "Just… let me get to school already."
"Of course, of course." Straightening up, Kizuki made a quick gesture to her entourage. They melted out the paraplegic's way, finally allowing him to see the station gates unhindered. But before Johnny could push his way forward, the pale-blue skinned woman crotched down by his wheelchair once more, her hands lightly ghosting off the metal handles. "Once again, I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories, but I do hope we can continue our interview later at a more appropriate location and in-depth level. If you ever feel like accepting my offer, here's my card." With graceful ease, she pulled out a professional card with all her information and handed it to him.
Johnny took it without comment, not truly interested in accepting her offer any time soon, but more to shut up her up and let him get on his damn train already.
"I do hope you give me a call, Johnny. Until then, I'll be watching your progress eagerly. I'm sure that whatever you'll do next at U.A. will be worthy of front page material."
With her smile returning once more, she bowed politely before leaving with her entourage following close behind. Johnny glared after them for a moment before tucking the card thoughtlessly into his pocket before heading into the station. Hopefully his train was still there otherwise he had no idea how he was going to explain this mess to Aizawa…
"Lady Curious…" At the slightly hesitant calling of her codename, Kizuki stopped in the middle of the near lifeless street they were on. Turning around, she eyed her adorable bob-cut attendant who, like the rest of her entourage, fidgeted nervously.
"Yes, dear?" Kizuki asked. "Is something the matter?"
The bob-cut girl didn't speak for a moment, unable to meet her superior's eyes before finally letting out a reluctant breath. "Well… I… We were wondering why you stopped interviewing Johnny Joestar? You never given up on an interview before! Even if people threatened you or tried to get away, you always get what you want. So why now?"
Kizuki allowed a smile twist across her lips. Her followers' concerns were touching, but they failed to see the bigger picture. "Who said I given up? I wouldn't dream doing such a thing for my precious interviews. Especially not when I found such an interesting boy."
"But then why are we leaving?" persisted the attendant.
"A couple reasons actually. The first and most minor is because we overstepped ourselves. There are boundaries for sensitive subjects—subjects that hold a lot of emotional stress to them—that people desperately try to hide away. I've became an artist at digging up these long buried secrets, but even I know there are certain limits. Otherwise people would never talk to me in the… shall we say, normal way? Besides, the Supreme Leader privately expressed to me not to go down the other route. With which I agree. Johnny Joestar is a poor and repressed boy who would make a good recruit at later date, so it's best not to ruin first impressions.
"As for the other and more important reason…It's because interviewing now would be too quick. All the little details, emotions, and expressions he had just now… that was only merely scratching the surface of the well of secrets he has. Oh, I can still see the anguish he so desperately tried to hide the moment I brought up his brother. The anger he used to try to cover it up was a nice try, but he can't escape my keen eyes…" Suddenly Kizuki licked her lips, pressing a hand to her cheek as she remembered the ferocity that pierced her very soul. "But what really caused me to stop was the burning dark flame in his eyes… the intensity in them, threatening to burn me—No, the whole world to the ground if I dared to get in his way. I've only seen eyes like those from one other person before… the eyes of our dear leader. What could've caused him to have such powerful resolve? What else are those dark flames hiding from me? Did his past contribute to them? His crippling perhaps? Or is it something different? And why would he go to U.A. with such bleak intensity?"
So many questions whirled in her brain that it practically made Kizuki giddy. She wanted to know more. No, she needed to know more about this fascinating foreign youth! But she resisted every urge to turn back now to hunt him down. The best interviews, she learned, weren't simply in one single go. No, this one was going to be extra special and she was going to make it last for all it's worth!
Her subordinates seemed to finally understand. Smiling happily as they spotted a familiar intensity radiating off their precious leader's face. "Oh, I'm so curious about you, Johnny Joestar! What kind of past you had, what kind present you currently tread upon, and what kind of future you'll head towards… I'm going to savor ever last bit of getting to know you! And once I'm done… I'll be the one to personally welcome you to the path of liberation."
"I had all these people talking to me on the way here!" exclaimed Kirishima, his sharp teeth glimmering in the light as he smiled excitedly to his classmates. Though he wasn't the only one who was giddy at the moment. Nearly everyone in class were chatting away at all the various and thrilling encounters they had on their way to school.
All except Johnny.
Resting his head on his desk and having his hat cover his eyes, he tried to block out the chatter. After what he endured to get to school—and barely made it on time no less!—he didn't want even hear another word of admiring fans or invasive reporters or other unmentionables. All he wanted at the moment was for the day to go by smoothly… and to not look at his class president.
Ever since he entered class, he made it a point to not make even the slightest glimpse at Ida. Not that the poor boy had done anything wrong to him, but rather what just happened to him was the trigger of Johnny's nightmares. His brother's—the Turbo Hero, Ingenium—near death experience and crippling had come as a shock to everyone. After all the excitement and the glorious afterglow of the Sports Festival, none were ready for the tragic event that slapped them back to reality. Especially Ida. And unfortunately for Johnny, the news was the trigger to his nightmares. Just the mere thought of them caused repressed images to flicker before him and the haunting echo of memories long forgotten rang in his ears.
Growling quietly, Johnny banished the images without a second thought before pressing his head harder into the smooth texture of his desk.
"Nyo Ho Ho! One little event and suddenly the world got its eye on us," noted Gyro, leaning in close to poke at his friend's head. "Makes me think of the good publicity we'll get when we go pro, right, Johnny?"
Johnny pulled up his hat to give the Italian a sidelong glare. "Yeah… good publicity," he muttered before laying his head back down, much to Gyro's confusion. Yet before he could get comfortable again, the door to the classroom opened suddenly to reveal Class A's teacher.
"Morning," he said, walking into to the room as everyone instantly quieted down and presented themselves as model students. Though they all noticed an important difference about the shaggy-looking man as he stood behind the class podium.
"Good to see your bandages off, Aizawa Sensei," commented Tsuyu.
"The old lady's treatment was excessive," he said, idly scratching underneath his face, particularly around a fresh scar underneath his right eye. A reminder of the horror he survived. "Although I got off easy compared to what she's still doing to Tim. But enough about that. Today we've got Hero Informatics class. And a special one at that."
That immediately caused the tension in the class to rise up a bit. The few times their teacher had talked about that particular subject had resulted in more than few surprise quizzes about the more boring bits of hero society. Such as the basics behind the laws that guide and oversee hero agencies or other mundane stuff like that. If that was the case, Johnny, like the rest of his class, held back a groan least he incurred Aizawa's wrath.
"You'll be coming up with your hero aliases."
An excited uproar crushed the budding tension in one massive swoop as nearly everyone jumped out of their seats.
"How awesome!" roared Kirishima.
"Time for us to shine!" cheered Kaminari.
Others would've added their own cheers to the uproar, but the menacing glow from Aizawa's eyes quickly shut them down in a split second. A swift crack of his knuckles immediately sent them diving back to his seats just before he could unfurl his scarf. "But first concerning the pro draft picks I mentioned the other day… It's based on who the pros think will be ready to join the hero workforce after another two or three years of experience… So you could say that it's a way for them to show interest in your futures. But there's ample time for their interest to wane before you graduate. And any and all offers can be arbitrarily revoked. It happens quite often."
"Stupid adults and their whims!" muttered Mineta.
"It happens quite a lot in other professions as well," commented Gyro as he comfortably rested his chin on one hand. "Back in the horse racing business, a lot of trainers, sponsors, and agents repeatedly advertise offers to anyone and everyone new or has made a quite a splash in the business. Only those who jump at them first have even the slightest chance of getting anything. But even that isn't guaranteed sometimes!"
"The world of horse racing sounds a lot more brutal than what I expecting," grimaced Tokoyami.
"Oh you have no idea…" Johnny muttered darkly to himself.
"So if we're picked now, that means there'll be higher hurdles in the years to come!" concluded Hagakure at both her teacher's and classmate's explanations.
"Yes," answered Aizawa. "Now here're the complete draft pick numbers."
With a quick snap of his fingers, the board behind him immediately displayed several students names with the number of how many pro heroes picked them. Naturally the top two picks were none other than Bakugo and Todoroki—though unlike the rest of his classmates, Johnny wasn't all too surprised by the fact that the former was lower than the latter. The blonde's explosive temper and brutal fighting style would've turned off any of the more morally upright pros. Yet what really surprised Johnny the most was his placement.
"What the hell…? How am I that high up there?!" he yelled out in disbelief, his eyes glued to the board while his classmates muttered excitedly around him about their own placements. Sitting between Yaoyorozu and Kaminari, his numbers were a hundred and thirty-three in total! He was even higher than Gyro who had only fifty-nine! Despite making it to the final round, he thought that he would be at the very bottom of that list. Let alone even on it after getting the crap beat out him and then blasted apart by Bakugo during the tournament. So why did he have so many points?!
"Maybe it's because of your horse riding skills?" suggested Sero, scratching the back of his head as Johnny turned to him. "I mean, with the way you and Gyro been riding your horses through the whole festival, it's was bound to impress more than a few people. It certainly impressed me!"
"Not to mention there's your Stand," added Jiro as she twirled an earphone jack in one hand. "With you, Gyro, Hotei, and, Shuzenji showing off Stands to the world publically, it was bound to boost your popularity. Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't any more picks."
"Wait, then why am I lower than, Johnny!" demanded Gyro, slamming a hand on his desk as he directed his incredulous gaze at Jiro. "I showed off everything I had, including my stand!"
"I don't know," she shrugged. "Maybe it's because your Stand isn't nearly as noticeable as a giant pink Dragonfly or a man made of stars?"
"She has a point," admitted Shoji. "Your Stand is a rather hard to see, especially with how it's only attached to your Steel Balls, Gyro. Not to mention your ability with the Spin could be confused for a Quirk." The Italian let out a strangled sound at the indignation of not being noticed before dropping his head to sulk to himself. As for Johnny, he was still mulling over Jiro's words. Was his Stand really that much a unique power that would've got people to overlook his most glaring… negatives?
"With that settled…" said Aizawa, cutting off everyone's thoughts as he dragged their attention back to him. "Whether you were picked or not, you will all have a chance to work alongside the pros. It's true that you all have already experienced more than most, but seeing the pros in action and taking part yourself will still be worthwhile training."
"That's where our hero names come in!" concluded Sato.
"This is really getting fun!" exclaimed Uraraka, pumping two fists in the air as she smiled brightly.
"They're only tentative," continued Aizawa, "but you still want to pick something appropriate…"
"Or else you'll know true hell!" Everyone blinked at the sudden interruption before watching as the door to the room open to reveal a familiar face. It was Midnight.
"The name you pick may be what the world ends up calling you," the beautiful R-Rated Hero declared as she strode into the room before halting beside Aizawa. Though Johnny couldn't tell if she was intentionally showing off her rather sultry costume with her slow gait. "That's happened to plenty of heroes out there!"
"Yes that's true enough," agreed Aizawa as he started to pull out his sleeping bag. "And Midnight here will be assessing the sensibility of the name you pick. I'm no good at that. What future do you see for yourself? The name you choose will bring you ever closer to cementing a certain image, because names are capable of reflecting one's true character…. Like 'All Might'." With that said, he quickly slumped into a corner before nodding off for a quick nap.
As the others mutter excitedly as Midnight started to hand out small dry-erase boards, Johnny was silent. Much like his costume, he never really considered what his heroic name would be. It was less than an afterthought and he didn't have the slightest clue on where to start. Yet his teacher's words struck a chord in him. "Reflecting one's character, huh…?" he muttered dryly. He doubted that any shred of his character was useful in creating a heroic name. So that left merely his own skills and powers… Perhaps something related to his Stand? Or, if he was lucky not to get sued back in the US, maybe a reference to one of his favorite music bands or genres?
Time seemed to fly by as everyone did their best to come up with the best names they could. Though after fifteen minutes, they got their first brave volunteer to show off their masterpiece. Aoyama walked slowly up to the podium, a sparkling smile beaming off his face as he presented his name.
"Here I go… The Shining Hero: 'I Cannot Stop Twinkling," Aoyama declared proudly much to everyone's shock.
"That's not a name, that's a whole freakin' sentence!" Gyro pointed out.
"More like a circus of a sentence…" uttered Johnny, feeling a brow twitch as he tried to process how the hell Aoyama came up with such a ridiculous name. There was no way it would get—.
"It'll be easier to say if you take out the 'I' and contract 'Cannot' into 'Cant'," advised Midnight, quickly editing the faux-French boy's work with ease. "There we go! Now you're good to go!"
"I see, Mademoiselle!" thanked Aoyama before giving a sparkling snap of his fingers.
"Wait… she liked it!?" demanded Johnny, his mouth hanging open incredulously.
"Yeah, how's that work anyway?!" asked Sato. "Also… you're not really French. That's all just an act, right?"
"I guess it's technically better…" said Shoji, though he didn't seem all too convinced himself.
"Well, it's certainly unique, I'll give him that much," admitted Gyro. Just then his eyes suddenly turned bright and mischievous. "If that's allowed then I have a few names in mind now."
Giving his friend a sidelong look, Johnny shook his head before turning back to the front of the class to see Ashido quickly replace Aoyama. "Okay, I'm next! Call me the Ridley Hero: Alien Queen!"
As everyone gave her a blank look, Johnny hummed thoughtfully. After Aoyama's brilliant naming choice, this one didn't seem all too bad. If anything, it actually fit Ashido to a "T". However…
"From that horror movie sequel!?" exclaimed Midnight. "Is it because her blood is super acidic like your Quirk?! I don't think so!"
"Yeah that's what I figured…" muttered Johnny. Despite how perfect it fitted his pink skinned classmate, the name she came up was hardly heroic material. Plus he thought Ridley Scott would've rise from the grave to sue somebody. Still, if that name wasn't ok and Aoyama's was, then just what was the bar for the naming conventions?
"Can I go next, please?" asked Asui. At Midnight's consenting nod, she immediately hopped out of her seat to replace Ashido. "I've had this thought out since elementary school. Call me the Rainy Season Hero: Froppy."
"That's delightful!" exclaimed Midnight before patting Asui on the shoulder. "So cute! It makes you sound like you'd be easy to get to know and be very approachable! What a great example of a name that everyone will love!"
In that moment the once apprehensive mood that filled the room shifted back to eager excitement. Indeed, before Asui could even start back to her desk, her classmates started to chant her name as their enthusiasm started to take hold. Soon enough near everyone begging to present their ideas. Kirishima proved to have the most initiative as he practically leapt out of his chair and ran to front of the room.
"This is me!" he declared, slamming his whiteboard down on the podium. "The Sturdy Hero: Red Riot!"
"Red Riot!" said Midnight. "Could that be a homage to the Chivalrous Hero: Crimson Riot?!"
"Right! I know he's from back in the day, but Crimson's the kind of hero I wanna be."
"Heh heh… just know that bearing the name of your personal hero comes with a lot of pressure."
"I'm ready for that!"
As Kirishima continued to beam brightly as his classmates clapped encouragingly, Johnny silently stared at his whiteboard. While Aizawa was rather blunt about his description of what a hero name would entail, Midnight hit a rather critical point that the cripple didn't consider. Or rather, he subconsciously suppressed. The hero's name, no matter how silly, simple, or awesome it was going to be, would leave a ton of pressure on the hero. Pressure of them to live up to that name and the status it built…
Just like the crushing the weight of that cursed name he endured when he was horse racing.
Yet before the dark mutterings that echoed in the vault of his brain tried to burst of their cage once more, Johnny felt a hand slap his shoulder. Blinking, he look up to see golden grills grinning down at him.
"Smile, Johnny," said Gyro, his smile widening till it split his face in two. "You're about to see the birth of the greatest name in hero history!" Before his protégé could even consider a sarcastic comeback, he immediately swept his way to the podium. Tipping his hat back, he beam brightly as he displayed the name he came up with. "Call me the Spinning Hero: Ball Breaker!"
"That's an interesting name," mused Midnight, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "A strong one too. Has a reassuring ring to it and gives a sense of victory!"
"Honestly thought you were going to go with the Spinster or Spinner, Gyro!" called out Kaminari.
"How original, Kaminari," Jiro said dryly.
"Hey, simplicity is pretty cool!"
"Nyo Ho! I actually considered those two names before I settled on Ball Breaker," admitted Gyro much to the dark purple haired girl's disbelief.
"Then why did you go with that name, that if you don't mind me asking, Gyro?" asked Uraraka.
"It's because it's a pun," answered Johnny before the Italian could even open his mouth. "Since he uses his Steel Balls, he breaks villains with them. Am I right, Gyro?"
"Nyo ho ho! You know me so well, Johnny!" Gyro exclaimed happily. Though some of his classmates slapped their heads in disbelief at the sheer lameness of the pun.
"Well, I think it's a fine name for you, Gyro," insisted Midnight. "Even a punny name can inspire others when the situation calls for it. But moving along, who's next?"
"I am!" Everyone blinked as Bakugo suddenly stood up before stomping up front. Gyro was practically kicked out before he could even take a step back to his seat. Without any build up, he slammed his whiteboard roughly on the podium. "King Explosion Murder."
The instant the name escape the spikey-haired blonde's lips, Johnny dropped his marker and stared blankly at him. "He can't be serious," he thought silently before quickly realizing that this would be something Bakugo would pick. Even if it was the most ridiculous name hero name he ever heard before. Johnny didn't know whether to laugh or to applaud him for such brazen lack of tact.
"No good," Midnight instantly shut down Bakugo's idea. "That one's a little too violent. Try again."
"What the hell?!" demanded Bakugo, his fiery gaze swung directly at his beautiful teacher but she was far than impressed by his fury.
"How about Explosion Boy?" suggested Kirishima.
"You shut up, weird hair!"
Bakugo ranted at Midnight for but a moment long before she kicked him off the podium to allow another to show off their hero name. The one who replaced him, however, was none other than Midoriya. As he tentatively headed to the podium, Johnny silently wondered what kind of hero name he chosen. Being a huge All Might fanboy, he could have created a homage like Kirishima did. Though somehow Johnny doubted that. Midoriya was a fan through and through, but not very confident in his own abilities at the moment and the weight of such a reference would've crushed him.
His thoughts were soon answered when the forest-green haired youth flipped his whiteboard around so all could see… and surprised everyone by his choice. Especially Johnny.
"Huh? Are you sure about that, Midoriya?" asked Kaminari.
"Yeah, remember that could be your name forever!" added Kirishima, concern layered across his face.
Midoriya was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Right… I used to hate it, then something changed. Someone helped me see it in a new light… It took me by surprise, but…. It made me happy." Straightening his back, he allowed a shaky, but warm smile to cross his lips as he held up the whiteboard higher so all could see it clearly. "This is my name!"
On the whiteboard was a single word: Deku.
As the others muttered thoughtfully to themselves, Johnny silently stunned. At the battle training which seemed so long ago now, he thought Midoriya merely used that name as a stinging challenge at Bakugo. Sure did say that he wanted to be the "Deku who always did his best", but Johnny never really considered the impact of those words until now. Yet the more he thought about it, the more he knew deep down that Midoriya had constructed the perfect name for himself. One created from the ashes of misery and despair into something filled with hope.
So stunned by the revelation, Johnny nearly jolted when he felt someone poke at his cheek. "Hey, you haven't written anything down yet, Johnny," noted Mineta.
"Hmm, I would've thought you written something really cool by now, man," said Kaminari.
"Well, choosing your hero name is difficult job, Kaminari," Jiro pointed out. "Besides, I don't see anything on your board yet, Jamming-Yaaay!"
"Hey! I told you I'm not doing that stupid name you came up with!" That only caused Jiro to laugh uncontrollably at the sour faced electric user.
"If you're having trouble with coming up with a name, then maybe we can help," suggested Yaoyorozu.
Quickly seeing how this was getting out of hand, Johnny tried to get in a word edgewise, only for Ashido to beat him to the punch. "Oh! OH! How about the Old Western Hero: McClintock! After John Wayne's character!"
"Oh, if we're doing cowboy themed names then about 'Eastwood'!?" suggested Kirishima, his eyes bright with inflamed passion. "Always loved Clint Eastwood movies! He was the manliest man of the old west!"
"No, no how something simpler and related to his stand?" said Hagakure. "How about… the Stand Hero: Hurricane Nails?"
"That seems to be too on the nose, don't you think?"
More and more suggestions came, some more ridiculous than the last, until finally Johnny had to put his foot down. "Look, I get you guys are trying to help, but—!"
"How about Jojo?" suggested Kaminari. "Since the first two letters of his first and last name are 'Jo'!"
The world immediately came to crashing halt for Johnny. Everything went still. Sound vanished without a trace. Vision blurred until everything was a sinister ink-black. And all the warm in his body was replaced by a cold that pierced his very soul with a million needles. So numbing, his body froze into place. All that remained was the haunting echo of that name… that damned name thundering loudly in his ears.
In that moment of weakness, the suppressed emotions that had been aching to be released broke of the cage with like a tidal wave. Raw and powerful feelings crashed and swirled inside him, all aiming to dominate over each other and him. But the worse that came was the memories….
"Isn't that Jojo the genius jockey?"
"More like former genius. The poor bastard can't even take a piss standing up anymore."
"Looks like Joe Kid finally crashed and burned. What a shame… and over something so pitiful!"
"Wow, what a sad and pathetic way to end a career!"
"Jojo really screwed up this time!
"What a loser! If Jojo had kept his mouth shut, maybe he would still be walking."
"I was getting tired of Jojo's smug attitude. A Quirkless brat like him should've just known his place."
"Nobody wants to see your face anymore, Jojo!"
"Nobody feels sorry for you, Jojo!"
"Isn't that right, JOJO?!"
The flood of haunting recollection didn't stop nor lessen its assault. If anything, it got worse and stronger by the second. And Johnny was helpless to stop them. All he could do was succumb to the horrors he desperately wished he could forget…
"Hey, Johnny," said Midoriya, a frown touched his features as he stared at his friend. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, you look a bit pale, Johnny," added Gyro, peering over to examine the American's increasingly paling face. "Did you have something bad for breakfast or something?"
"Maybe he's in shock at how awesome with the hero name I came up for him," suggested Kaminari, a proud smile touching his lips. "It really is an awesome name too! Jo—!"
"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT!"
Everyone blinked at the sudden outburst. Turning their heads around they leaned back at the overwhelming rage that burned off Johnny's face. And unfortunately for a very stunned Kaminari, it was all directed at him.
"Don't ever call me Jojo or Joe Kid! Not as a suggestion. Not jokingly. And sure as hell not seriously! Don't even think about uttering a single syllable about it! Got it?!" He swung his head to everyone else, all flinching back at the utter raw emotion that warred with the rage that burned within his eyes. "That goes for the rest of you… I don't ever want to hear that… that god forsaken name again!"
Silence quickly followed after the chilling declaration. No one could believe what they just heard. None, especially not Gyro or Midoriya, had ever seen such overwhelming and pure emotion that exploded from their friend. It was so out of character from him that it left them utterly speechless. Even the volatile Bakugo was taken back! The teachers themselves could only stare in disbelief, with Aizawa's normal stoic expression turning into one of pure surprise. What was most shocking was not just the rage that they saw, but also welling anguished tears that leaked at the corners of his eyes.
However they were snapped back to reality the moment Johnny started to wheel himself away from his desk.
"J-Johnny!" Midoriya called out to him. "Where are you going?!"
"Restroom!" growled Johnny, not bothering to turn around or slow down his pace. He didn't even ask or wait for his teachers' permission before exiting the classroom before slamming the door behind him. Now alone in the hallway, Johnny allowed what little shred of dignity he had left to fall away with the tears that now stained his cheeks. Not bothering to hold back the anguished sob that croaked out of his mouth, he wept brokenly even as he dejectedly headed anywhere but his classroom. All he wanted at the moment was to be alone so none could see all the pain, anguish, fury, and misery from years ago come back to haunt him…
It was still raining by the time school ended for the day. Though it did little to ruin Johnny's already crushed spirit. By the time he returned to class, he managed to regain his composure somewhat, but his eyes were hollow and stained with tears. His classmates saw this, but gratefully they kept their silence. Their eyes, however, lingered on him. Questioning and hesitant. As if they didn't know what to say to console him.
Aizawa and Midnight were no better as they immediately confronted Johnny during lunch. There was no anger or reproach over his tantrum; merely gentleness and consoling. Though they didn't know what the cause of his outburst was, they were determined to help him and comfort him like any true teacher would. Unfortunately for them, their words felt shallow and condescending in Johnny's miserable and pessimistic state. And it didn't help that they kept asking questions on what was the cause of his mental breakdown. Johnny gave no answer even when Aizawa got a bit firm with him. There was no way in the fires of hell would he dare allow himself relived his past again!
That, however, wasn't enough for the two teacher, but they could see that they were getting nowhere with his stubborn silence. So they decided to schedule an appointment with the academy's guidance counselor, Hound Dog, at the earliest convenience. There was no way out of it. They made it quite clear that they'll personally escort Johnny to the counselor's office themselves if he failed to show up. Johnny grumbled at that, but agreed if for nothing else than to simply get away from them as soon as possible. That attitude was carried even when lunch had ended, wanting nothing else to go home and forget everything about how terrible the day was.
Unfortunately for Johnny, fate had others plans in mind for him.
The moment class had ended, he tried to rush out door, only to be stopped by Kaminari and Kirishima. The former apologized to him for causing his breakdown and wanted to make amends by taking him out to his favorite café with the latter backing up the plan in his usual energetic passion. Though it was quite clear, from the open concern in their eyes they wanted to help him in some way. Johnny bluntly refused the offer, of course, but before he could start giving them a few choice words, Midoriya and Gyro appeared. Overhearing the conversation, they wanted in on the action. Quickly realizing that no matter what he said or did, especially with his mentor's penetrating gaze piercing right at him, Johnny resigned himself. Though before they could get utter another word, he made it absolutely clear he wanted to be left alone for a while. He didn't even give them a chance to agree before rolling himself out into the pounding rain, not even bothering to put up his umbrella.
For about an hour Johnny wandered around aimlessly through the city. He was soaked from head to toe, but he barely even notice the wet chill it brought, let alone made him shiver. However, it did distract him from the awful memories that still persisted at the edge of his consciousness. It was a tiny comfort and one he appreciated for a moment or two.
It didn't last as Johnny couldn't put off meeting his classmates any longer. Grumbling to himself, he made his way to the café Kaminari described, but quickly found that the electric user's directions were rather terrible to say the least. He got turned around twice and was force to take a scenic route just to get to another street. After a half an hour, he was quite thoroughly lost.
"God dammit…" he grunted, wiping a bit of the cold spray from his forehead before looking down at his phone. The rain had officially stopped being fun now. "I should've took a cab… it'll be way easier than following this crap."
"Being lost is never a pleasant experience…"
Blinking at the sudden statement, Johnny went rigid before snapping his head behind him. Standing before him was a rather tall man with a white umbrella in hand. His snow-white hair was short and his bangs hung across his forehead while a long, thin mustache covered his upper lip and extended right down to the corners of his jaw. Though oddly enough, a small patch of white hair at the center of his chin was shaped into what looked like a cartoon skull. Despite the color of his hair, he looked to be in his thirties. His clothes were ill suited for the current weather. Covering his chest was nothing more than a light, white cap-sleeved shirt with a tall collar while dark gloves that revealed his thumbs and index fingers adorned his hands. Long trouser pants with light frills and studs near the bottom were held up by a yellow belt with a pink buckle. Finally a rather antique looking watch covered his right wrist. In today's advanced technological world, Johnny was surprised that there even models like them still around. But what really caught Johnny's attention were his eyes. They were a penetrating shy-blue that seemed to gaze directly into his very soul.
It was rather unsettling gaze, though Johnny couldn't put his finger on why. Feeling irritation replace his shock, he put away his phone before meeting the man's gaze. "Yeah, well… only an idiot would actually want to get lost in the first place… and I'm going smack the idiot who got me into it the first chance I get."
"Wise words, kid," said the man, his familiar southern accent immediately marked him from the U.S. "But first you got to find the right path out of here if you want follow through with that promise."
"What do you think I been doing for the past thirty minutes?" Grumbling, Johnny wiped some wet strands of hair out of his face as he leaned back in his wheelchair. "If I can find that damn café, I can finally get on with this stupid get together…"
"Oh, what café would that be?"
"Awesome Electric Power Café…" Johnny didn't know why he humored the strange man. The guy was obviously not from around town, so what was the—
"Oh? That's just a few streets down to where I'm supposed to go actually."
Snapping his gaze back at the white haired man, Johnny blinked once, twice, then thrice. There was no way his shitty luck would finally give him a good roll after everything that had happened today… could it?
"If you want, I'll guide you to the intersection close to it. After all, we're both heading in the same direction anyway."
At any other time, where his mental state was clearer and in better condition, Johnny would've refused or be more suspicious of the man. But at the moment, with the cutting wind and the rain drenching him and sick of being lost, he didn't care anymore. "Sure… just get me there quickly so I can kick my classmate's ass…"
"As you wish." Without another word, the man extended his umbrella over Johnny before leading him down the street.
They traveled down the wet sidewalk for a while, making a few turns here and there, with the rain and the sound of traffic filling up the silent void between them. Johnny had no intention of talking himself. He was frankly in no mood for it, and neither did the stranger… until they finally reached the intersection he mentioned.
"We're there, Johnny Joestar," said the white haired man before pointing to the eastward end of the intersection. "Just go down this way and five buildings down you'll find your café. I would take you all the way there, but my destination is in the opposite direction.
Hearing his name caused the cripple to pause before swiftly turning his gaze to the man beside him. "How do you know my name?" he demanded warily, already thinking of ways to defend himself if—
"You were all over every sports and news channel for the last few days," answered the man, halting his step to keep the umbrella firmly over their heads. "I'd be surprised if no one in the whole world didn't know about you or your skill you showed off at the Sports Festival."
"Oh… right…" Mentally smacking himself for forgetting how he basically became a celebrity again—much to his eternal chagrin—Johnny cooled down his paranoia.
"Your riding is most impressive—especially with the level of control you have your horse. Though I find your ability to wield your Stand be your crowning achievement… Not many people can adapt to such new power so quickly, not without the true grit and determination…. That said your technique and skill with shooting your nails is lacking."
"Oh yeah…" asked Johnny, feeling his wariness die down and be replaced by irritation. "I would think making it to the tournament after the hell I endured was quite a fine testament of what I can do. But go on, tell me what I should do to improve myself?"
"You shoot too haphazardly most of the time, not thinking where your bullets will go or what path they will take. Though with your new Stand ability, the paths of victory are now open to you."
Cocking an eyebrow at that, Johnny stared at the strange man. He didn't expect such a serious response from him, nor semi-helpful advice. Though he could do without the cryptic talk. Just what did he mean by paths victory?
"At any rate, this is where we part ways, Johnny Joestar," said the stranger, snapping the young boy out of his thoughts as he started to make his way west.
"H-Hey, wait a sec…!" called out Johnny. He didn't know why he did, but something compelled him to ask one final question. "…What's your name anyway?"
The stranger stopped, before turning around, his sky-blue eyes gleaming underneath the umbrella.
"Ringo. Ringo Roadagain." Then the man turned around and disappeared into the rain.
Shoving himself through the café door, Johnny shook off the excess rain that clung to him before heading to a nearby seat. The café wasn't anything too special though did have an obvious rock music gimmick. Guitars, records, pictures of famous bands and singers, and other decorations lined up the walls and tables. The whole café wouldn't be too out of place in America.
But Johnny barely paid any heed to the rocking aesthetics. Instead, he peered around the café for the ones who press ganged him into this silly meeting. There were plenty of customers, most chatting away between themselves or watching a nearby T.V., but there was no sign of his classmates. He would've thought that after getting lost for nearly two hours, they would've been here impatiently waiting for him. Grunting in frustration, he sat at his table and glared a hole at the menu a waitress just handed him. If they didn't arrive in the next five minutes, then promise or no promise, he would—
"You look so cool, Mister!" Johnny blinked at the high pitched squeal, nearly flinching as it seemed to drill its way into his ear. Turning his head to side, he spotted several young women all encircling a nearby table. He barely even noticed someone was even sitting in it with how tightly packed together the girls were, almost pushing each other aside to be next to the occupant.
"Are you really a foreigner?"
"Of course he is! Look at his golden hair! It looks so smooth and natural without a hint of dye!"
"It could be part of his Quirk you know."
"Who cares? Tell us where you're from!"
"He's got to be European! I bet my a thousand yen on it!"
"Now, now there is no need to get so excited," said a masculine, but obviously accented voice. "If you all must know, I'm from Italy and I'm just visiting on vacation. That said, I'm currently waiting for my ride to pick me up. So could you all please let me be for a moment?"
The girls whined and pouted at the dismissal, but they all had amused smiles plastered on their faces. With a flurry of mischievous giggles, they left the man alone to head back to their own tables.
"Good riddance…" grumbled Johnny. There excessive fawning over the guy was starting to grate his already worn nerves and any longer he would've yelled at them to shut up. Thinking about their target of affection, Johnny turned his attention back the man.
Much like Ringo Roadagain, the man was a foreigner, but looked way younger—perhaps being in his mid-twenties at least. He was about average height with a slim figure, but Johnny could see the man was packing some muscle. His clothes were rather professional-looking yet had a very stylish and unique air about them. Being a two piece suit of black fabric, beautiful designs of flowers of a dark color were sowed into the sides of the upper half while their vines reached all the way down to the lower. At the collar were twin emblems of wings stitched into the corners. There was a small opening right at the center of his chest, just below his neck, and hugging its golden outlines were two ladybug pins about the size of a child's fist. Golden locks gleamed atop his head under the lamplight, though, much like the rest of him, they were styled rather uniquely. Being of medium length, most of his hair was pulled back except for three distinct and over-sized curls that were arranged in a row just above his brow.
Johnny could see why the man had the girls falling over themselves now, but… there was something else about him. He couldn't figure out why, but the longer he stared at the man, his star-shaped birthmark started to tingle. It didn't hurt nor was it intense—heck, he barely even noticed it. It merely was there like the pricking feeling at the back his mind whenever he thought he recognized something.
The man must felt Johnny's eyes as he swiftly turned around to meet his gaze. Turquoise orbs beamed brightly as something seemed to flash between them. Without a word, he got up before walking over to stand beside the young cripple.
"Sorry about the girls," he apologized. "I seem to attract quite a few of them whether I go. Don't know why, but I hope they didn't make too much a scene for you."
"It's fine… I used to get that a lot myself…" said Johnny, feeling a tad uncomfortable as he continued to the meet the man's gaze. It was odd. He shouldn't feel anything towards this guy, much like he did with Ringo and yet…
"By the way, you're Johnny Joestar, correct? I saw you on T.V. the other the day and I got to say you did a terrific job out there. Especially unlocking your Stand's 'Second Act'. That's a rare gift, even with those chosen to wield stands."
"W-What did you just say…?" Johnny felt every hair on his body stand on end as his mind tried to process what the man said.
Resting a hand on his hip, the golden haired stranger smiled softly. "Your Stand—Tusk, was it?—is a very rare type: it's an evolution Stand. That second form you unlocked is called 'Act Two', though I can't say what caused it appear. Evolution Stands are a mystery even to those who study them. Some say it's caused by a mental trigger or the user's resolve reaching new heights."
Feeling a bit of sweat trailing down his cheeks, mingling with the left over rain, Johnny digested everything the man said. Looking back on his fight with Hotei and what All Might's discussed with him, it made sense… especially right after he figured out the secret behind Lesson Four of the Spin. Yet as revelation settled in his gut, a burning question stood at the edge of his mind. "How do you know so much about Stands….? Not many people should know much about them—not in that amount of detail anyway!"
"You could say I'm a collector, Johnny Joestar, and I like to collect all kinds of knowledge. Even before you and Hotei's publically debut Stands, I've been researching them for quite some time… especially when I discovered them in my teenage years. I wouldn't call myself an expert per say—there are probably scientists around there world who know more than me—but I do try to learn as much as I can when the opportunity presents itself." The man's eyes seemed to go distant for a moment, a look of fondness flashing across his face before quickly disappearing in a split second. "That said… I do know that no matter what was the cause of your Stand's evolution, it's a sign of your growth. But whether that is the end of it or not is all up to you…"
Johnny was silent as the man's words echoed in his ears. His growth? It was a bit on the nose, but… he couldn't deny that it was true. He had grown and was determined to keep on growing until he got his legs back! And if this man knew more about Stands, even if it was just another tiny slither, then he needed to know every single detail he could get.
"Hey, Johnny! Sorry we're late!" Hearing the familiar voice, Johnny tore his gaze away from the golden haired man to find Midoriya, Gyro, Kirishima, and Kaminari standing at the café's doorway.
"The route we took to get here was under construction, so we had to take a detour," explained Kaminari as he led his classmates to the paraplegic.
"And then you got us lost when you wanted to take a short cut," smiled Kirishima.
"I wasn't trying to! I merely thought that if we skipped through a few alley ways we could get there in no time."
"In the end we had to call a cab," said Midoriya with an awkward smile.
"And we had to pay two thousand yen for the trip…" complained Gyro. "That's the last time I… take..." His voice slowly trailed off as his eyes grew wide when he finally registered the stranger behind his pupil.
"I see these are you friends from school, Johnny Joestar," said the golden haired man, drawing everyone back to him. He gave them all a polite nod before his eyes suddenly flickered to the window. "It's nice to meet you all, but it looks like my ride's finally arrived." Turning his attention back to Johnny he gave him a light pat on the shoulder. "Nice chatting with you, Johnny Joestar. Perhaps we'll meet again someday. Until then, Ciao."
Without another word, the man walked passed the U.A. students before leaving the café for the cold rain outside.
"Huh… well that was odd," admitted Kirishima as he scratched his chin lightly.
"Was he a fan of your, Johnny?" asked Midoriya.
"I think so…" answered Johnny, though halfheartedly. His mind was a bit numb from the revelations he experienced and he needed a moment to sort his thoughts out. At least the tingling sensation in from his birthmark was now gone. It even made him forget about his early mental breakdown! Still… he wanted to know what else the man knew about Stands…
"Man, that's awesome," said Kaminari, grinning from ear to ear. "I got stopped by dozens of fangirls the other day myself—all saying how cool I was turning the Sports Festival! Got to say I don't think I'll ever—!"
"Did he say anything to you, Johnny?" demanded Gyro. Everyone blinked at the sudden intensity in his voice, turning to stare curiously as his eyes never left the paraplegics. "Well…? You two must've talked to each other before we go here, right?"
"Yeah…" answered Johnny, cocking an eyebrow at his friend's sudden behavior. "We talked about the Sports Festival and my Stand… why do you ask?"
"Hold on…" interjected Midoriya, "do you know the guy, Gyro?"
"You could say that…." Gyro's eyes were distant as he peered out the window for a moment, a bit of sweat starting to roll down his cheeks. "I didn't think he would show up here though…"
Not in the mood for the cryptic answers," Johnny growled, "Who is he, Gyro?"
"His name is….."
"Now be on your best behavior Tomura. We don't want to make our guest feel unwelcome when he arrives."
Shigaraki grunted at the static-filled T.V. screen beside his seat at the bar, but obeyed his master's words without question. Even though he didn't know why he need to play the role of a "good boy", something he utterly loathed since it reminded him of goody two-shoes heroes, but he didn't dare defy his master's words. Still he was curious why his master was acting so formal so suddenly. It had only been a few days before he announced that the League of Villains would be receiving a mutual associate who wanted to do some business with them. Especially after they learned that his master had some information that they wanted. Not that Shigaraki cared about it. If he had a choice he would be in his room, playing video games or studying on how the crush the so-called heroes. Especially All Might!
Still a question persisted at the back of skull, but he kept his mouth shut in a show obedience.
"Your silence tells me you have something you wish to say, Tomura," his master said, as if reading his pupil's every thought. "Come now, speak your mind."
Biting his lip, Shigaraki took a deep breath before allowing his thoughts to spill out his lips. "Master… do you fear our guest? You acting rather… different when it comes who we see us today."
"Afraid?" mused his master with a laugh. "No, no. I'm not afraid of him, but I'm cautious for your safety."
"Cautious?"
"Yes. His power is rather extraordinary and one not to be trifled without certain preparations and planning. Not to mention, I have some idea behind his power's true nature, but I rather confirm my theory first before make needless assumptions. That said, he does have my respect for accomplishing goals similar to my own during my youth."
Now Shigaraki was curious. Not many gained his master's respect—he could count them all on both hands—so it was an achievement onto itself. "What did he do?"
"Why, he conquered the entire criminal underworld of Europe."
Shigaraki went still at the admission, his eyes going wide as he tried to imagine the sheer amount of effort it took take control of a criminal empire. "Why… am I meeting with this fancy big shot then?"
"You're not. I will be doing most of the talking this time, but I want you here so you can learn from your future peer. One day you'll take my place, Tomura, and I want you understand who you will be up against, who you can trust…and who you should be wary of. And perhaps even stand above all three when the time is right, but first you must observe and learn. Remember… all I do is for you."
Shigaraki was silent, but understood his master's intentions.
"Is everything ready, Kurogiri?"
"Of course, sir," the black misty villain said respectfully. "All the arrangements have been carefully followed and the information is ready for our guest."
"Excellent. Then let's see to our friend from the northwest."
Suddenly the sound of the knock from the door echoed in the bar before it opened. Striding into the dimly lit room, their guest quickly took a seat at a comfy expensive chair brought in just for him.
"Welcome, Emperor of the European Underworld. It's a pleasure to see you again… Don Giorno Giovanna of Passione."
Author's Note: HI EVERYONE! I RETURNED FROM THE DEAD ON THE SPOOK MONTH! Yeah, sorry about the long wait... I didn't intend to post this chapter this late, originally was going to be in September, but things got complicated... Well, more accurately, College is like "FUCK YOUR SCHEDULE!" and then threw several essays my way and projects... So yeah, this semester is a little tight when it comes to work, like lots of freaking essays every month or week. I try to get some stuff done, but my school work has me a little tired at times. That said, I will admit, that part of the reason I'm late is because I wanted to relax after my school work by playing some games or doing other activities. Thus I'm kinda regretting not starting this chapter in August, but hey, I can't turn back the clock now.
Before I forget... I wanted to say... I MET JUSTIN BRINER TWO WEEKS AGO AT MY ANIME CONVENTION! AKA: THE VOICE ACTOR FOR IZUKU DEKU MIDORIYA! That's right, I talked to the mad lad's VA, had lunch with him at my convention, and even had him sign my copy of My Hero Academia Two Heroes! It was so cool meeting him! He's a super awesome and sweet guy and really embodies Deku's traits in real life! He's great man and I hope to meet again some day!
Also, this title's music reference is: "Born Under A Bad Sign"- by Albert King. Basically it's a blues song about bad luck, which I feel fits Johnny's current mood and internal crisis after having his trauma buttons repeatedly smashed like a fighting game controller at EVO. Also it has a very moving line "If I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all", which I think fits what Johnny really does think of himself and how he thinks fate is really out to punish him for his "Sins".
That said, due to how long this has took me, I'm going to hold off on Review responses until next time. Sorry, but I really want to get this chapter out without any more delays. But I will say THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND SUPPORT AND REALLY HELPFUL ADVICE! It has kept me going and given me inspiration when I get stuck with grammar or planning out scenes, so thank you very much!
Anyway, back onto his chapter! I hope you like the start of this arc! I had planned this prologue for a while now and boy was it fun to reveal Ringo, Giorno, and Curious in this! Firstly, I knew some of you guys suspected Giorno appearing after I had him cameo with the other Original universe survivors all the way back in the Sports Festival Arc. He is one of the few survivors who will be appearing in this story, as he was one of the only people with the power or luck to not be effected, or negate, MADE IN HEAVEN!
THAT SAID, while he will have a part in his arc, Giorno WILL NOT be a major character in this story after the arc ends. Oh, he'll make a few cameos here and there, meaningful cameos that will have impacts, but not a constant reappearing character. As I said before, I don't want the other Jojo part characters to be the focus of the story. The focus should be on Johnny, Gyro, Midoriya, Bakugo, Todoroki, Uraraka, ALL MIGHT, and the rest in Class A and B. I know this might piss off a few people, but that's how I'm going to be going with this story's narrative focus and plot. Don't worry though! Giorno, and the other survivors, will have their own meaningful cameos and will impact Johnny and Midoriya and the gang in one form or another. Which you will find out more in this arc later!
As All For One's behavior towards Giorno, it's not out of fear. I WANTED TO MAKE THAT ABSOLUTELY CLEAR! All For One is a character that isn't easy to scare even when faced with overwhelming strength like All Might has. That said he does have fear for the Ultimate hero, but he keeps a more cautious and calm attitude towards him. That's what I wanted to display with how he interacts with Giorno, though minus the fear part. He's wary, since he actually has an idea of Giorno's true abilities (GER), which I will explain and show later throughout the story, (AND IT WILL ACTUALLY LEAD TO AN IMPORTANT PLOT POINT LATER). But I also wanted to have him respect Giorno since he's also a very successful crime boss who pretty much conquered all of the European underworld. But he's still a rival, a sorta friendly rival, but a rival none the less and thus he has to be cautious around. As so for how Giorno's attitude towards him... who can say? We'll probably see sooner or later what Giorno thinks of the dying Dark Emperor of the League of Villains.
Moving along, Ringo Roadagain is a special case since I want him to show up early in the story than later. Why? Well, I want to show more of his character in the story. In the original canon, his scenes are awesome and impactful, but short. Not that's a bad thing, but in this story, I want Johnny, Gyro, (ESPECIALLY GYRO), Midoriya, Kirishima (ALSO ESPECIALLY KIRISHIMA), and others to get to know him. This in turn will impact the characters more later when they have to ultimately face him and clash with his MANLY IDEALS! Also he'll have a role to play with the League of Villains later.
As for Curious, I also wanted to show more of her character since she was a cool character in the MLA arc, but was cut short way too soon. I also wanted to show how she, and the MLA, are very interested in Johnny and other stand users for the role they'll play in the coming "Liberation". And for those who are caught up with the MHA manga, you'll know what I'm talking about.
As for this chapter as a whole, this chapter was a long time coming for a different reason: Johnny's mental breakdown. With so much mental trauma and scarring stuff that has happened to him throughout his life, it's obvious has has certain issues and triggers that he would desperately try to avoid. But instead of just having it happen in one chapter, I wanted to show what happens when Johnny's past slowly tries to haunt him throughout the start of this story, build up the break down and show the results of it. The fallout is as you would expect, though for the sake of time I had to squish the reactions and scenes of Class A and the teachers down quite a bit otherwise I would be delayed even further.
DON"T WORRY THOUGH! This WHOLE arc is basically Johnny dealing with these issues with the help his friends, classmates, teachers, and heroes. THOUGH I WILL EXPRESS THAT THIS WILL NOT END WITH JOHNNY CURED OF HIS MENTAL SCARS OR ISSUES! Rather, it will act as the first step of Johnny addressing them like in Steel Ball Run and then growing as a person as a result. Though while he did that mostly alone and with Gyro in SBS, here he has to deal with the characters of MHA and I wanted to show how they react and interact with Johnny in this volatile state.
I won't go any further on this, since 1) this AU is taking to long, and 2) that would be spoiling for what's about to come next in the following chapters.
Speaking of the following chapters, due to my rather cramped school schedule, I don't know when I will be available with writing for this story. BUT! But, I will try to get something by late Nov or Dec. I apologize for the wait, but I do hope you guys understand.
That about wraps things up for now. I do hope you all enjoyed this chapter and do look forward to the next! Until then, I hope you have a nice day!
Sincerely, Count Chaos!
