"Well, that was fun," Diego said as he slid the knife back where it belonged and made his Stand vanish. He did not offer a hand to help Midoriya up.
The greenette got first to his knees, and finally his feet, keeping pressure on the cut on his arm. He wondered if this would result in a scar, and worried if the blade had been rusty. But first, a single question gnawed at him. "Who are you?"
He scoffed, as if the answer were as obvious as the sun. "Diego Brando."
"But that's impossible. Diego is right over there." Knowing that they would have to leave anyway to make room for the next Trial, he led the way out of the room and, sure enough, there was the real Diego Brando, pulling himself off the floor.
"I heard All Might say we won," he said, getting on his feet, obviously still dazed. "Is that true?"
"Yes, it is." To any outsider, it would have sounded like he had answered himself.
His haze vanished. He focused his vision and saw before him, Izuku, himself, and Valentine. He looked over his shoulder, checking for his peers to make sure he was not looking into a mirror. Failing to see them, he looked at what he assumed to be himself. "Well now. This is odd..."
Valentine sprung into action, getting next to Midoriya with her arms outstretched. "No! Don't come any closer to each other!" This caught all of them off guard. "In fact, it's time you go back where you belong." Not skipping a beat, she grabbed Izuku and gave him a push, making him collide with the other Diego, thus putting him between Midoriya and the wall, allowing her Stand ability to take effect.
Like magic, he was gone.
"Okay boys, let's go." She continued on, leaving the other two bewildered.
"That was... weird," Brando said as he and Valentine, followed by Izuku, made they way out.
"You think that was odd? You'd be thrown for a loop with how others work." Valentine laughed it off, but inside she was deep in thought. He got the better of us... and he can barely control his power. I underestimated him far too greatly. Well, Midoriya Izuku, I misjudged you. You've got a brain between those ears and potential buried in those glass bones.
Down below, all those that had not participated in the now concluded fight stared at the monitors like they had seen a ghost proclaim itself dictator of Earth.
"What..."
"Just..."
"Happened?"
Their group question would remained unanswered as the two continued down and Valentine gathered her pink jacket before rejoining their peers.
All Might beamed at her. "Well fought, Young Brando and Young Valentine! But there's the small detail of your other, absent opponent."
Siri then remembered her victim. "Ah, yes. I should go fetch Bakugo... before he gets in trouble." She crawled under the flag, and seemingly melted into the floor. Rather than sinking into the floor, she found herself coming out of it. However, the room was occupied by roughly two dozen people. Some she recognized, and some were strangers. Even though she had just crawled out of the ground like a zombie, they did not seem all that shocked by the sight.
She brought herself to her feet and went right right to the point. "Hello, I'm from a parallel universe. I sent one of my-"
The doppelganger of Yaoyorozu pointed to the side. "Is that him? He's been shouting for a good few minutes. We all thought he was one of Pucci-Sensei's hallucinations."
Valentine followed the finger's trajectory and saw Bakugo. Fortunately, he was still in one piece. What surprised her was that he had his fingers on the collar of another Midoriya, one who did not look intimidated or amused in the least.
"I'm not asking again, Deku! Tell me what's going on!"
That universe's Izuku grabbed his interrogator's wrists and pried the hands away from him. "Get your hands off me. I don't know why you have both arms again, Kacchan, but I'll gladly take another from you."
Having seen enough of this dimension, Valentine addressed the resident Yaoyorozu. "Would you be willing to craft for me a sheet or something? I left my jacket at home."
The prodigy (at least Valentine assumed she was. Being in unfamiliar territory made it hard to be positive) nodded and not a second later Valentine's request began to emerge from Yaoyorozu's stomach.
"Many thanks," Valentine said as she pulled it up. Seeing an opportunity as Midoriya shoved her Bakugo away. Quickly, she set about getting both of them home.
"What the hell are you doing now, you bitch!?"
"It's over, Bakugo. Our trial ended two minutes ago. Now I'm taking us home." Her passenger would have demanded more of an explanation from him, but they began to sink into the floor. Near instantly, they were home. The spectators all gaped as they came from the floor.
Not to be deterred, Bakugo grabbed the American and readied an attack. "Tell me just what the fuck is going on!"
"I suppose I need to repeat myself for you," sighed Valentine. "It's over. Our match ended."
"Deku ruined it, didn't he!" The Explosion Quirk user loudly demanded.
All Might answered. "I would hardly say 'ruined,' but yes. Young Valentine and Young Brando were victorious."
"And if you ever call me a bitch again," Siri added, "I'll leave you to wherever it is you end up and replace you."
XXXXXXXXX
"So what's the plan, Gyro?" Johnny asked as he stared at the missile. Playing the Villain... Dad would have a field day with this.
The Spin User adjusted his hat. "We wait for them, and we shoot them."
Johnny blinked at him. "That's it?"
"Sometimes the simplest plan is the best." His put on a wicked grin. "Make haste, partner in crime! We shall crush the Heroes where they stand and drink their blood as we feast upon their livers!"
Johnny's expression did not change.
The two friends waited until All Might's voice filled the building, signaling that the Trial had truly begun.
Gyro infused the Spin into one of his Steel Balls and gently placed it on the floor, making it rotate in place. He crouched down and tilted his head, placing his ear next to it.
Johnny just looked at him. "What are you doing?"
"Listening," responded Gyro.
"... for...?"
"Shush!" Gyro demanded. They remained as they were for a good solid minute, neither doing anything more than blinking and twitching.
XXXXXXXXX
"What's he doing?" Kaminari asked as the rest of them watched the uneventful sight.
"I recall he can make things rotate," Todoroki spoke up. "But this just seems pointless."
Kirishima watched the monitors closely. "Must have something to do with his Quirk."
Yaoyorozu knew the answer. After all, Gyro had demonstrated his abilities to her several times over. "It isn't a Quirk. It's something that runs in his family."
All Might beamed. "Correct, Young Yaoyorozu! The Spin is a rare phenomenon found almost exclusively in Europe!"
XXXXXXXXX
As his friend remained crouched, Johnny's ears picked up something. Something faint with rhythm. Footsteps?
Gyro grunted, making Johnny look at him. The Italian pointed upwards, then bent his wrist, making his finger indicate the door.
Taking his signal, Johnny willed his nails to start spinning. The movement emitted a sort of buzzing, like a small swarm of wasps. Three launched towards the doorway. Two simply ricocheted off the wall beyond it, but the third met its target.
A scream bounced off the walls. Blood seeped to ground, seemingly originating from thin air. It slid down its unseen owner.
"Gotcha, Hagakure," Gyro stood straight up, his second Steel Ball in hand. He imbued it with his family's Spin. "ORA!" He threw it.
Johnny gave him a sideways glance. That's what my cousin says before beating people up... Was Gyro a fan? Or was it just an odd coincidence? At the moment, it hardly mattered.
XXXXXXXXX
When all was said and done with the trials of battle, and 1-A was back in their classroom, some of them swarmed around Valentine and Brando.
"That was awesome back there! I'm Ashido Mina!"
"It's a pleasure." Siri shook her classmate's hand with her ever-present dignified tone.
The boy who had made a joke at Bakugo's expense earlier greeted her as well. "Kaminari Denki, pleased to meet you. I gotta ask, where did that second Brando come from?"
Valentine looked at his, and the others' eager faces. It was then that she chose to share some of the things D4C was capable of. "Have you ever heard of the multiverse?"
While she expected Iida or Yaoyorozu to respond first, it was actually Zeppeli who did so. "The belief that there are an infinite number of realities, existing in different dimensions over the same relative spaces?" Evidently, dating Yaoyorozu had made the Italian sharper.
"Correct. And it's true. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap allows me and others to travel to other worlds, other dimensions."
"So you brought over one of the countless Brandos?"
"Yes."
Yaoyorozu spoke up. "So long as its instigated by being between two objects, yes?" Valentine nodded. "So why were you adamant about the two Brandos not getting near each other?"
"That's simple. No two of the same things from different dimensions can exist in the same spot. They get... cancelled out." Looking around, she could tell her rudimentary explanation had not answered anything. "Perhaps a demonstration?" She put her left hand on her desk and grabbed a notebook, placing it over her fingers, thus allowing them and half her arm to seemingly slip into the desktop.
XXXXXXXXX
The native Siri Valenine of her own reality looked blankly as one of her countless dimensional twin's arms sprang out from her desk and felt around before grabbing her pen, and quickly vanished back to rejoin its body.
"I'm not getting that pen back, am I?"
XXXXXXXXX
With her arm returned holding the ink pen, Siri grabbed her own and held them up, one in each hand. The effect was certainly uncanny. Bits of each, from the exact same spot, flew off in cubes, and collided, merging and then vanishing, leaving no dust, no proof that they had ever even existed. Siri pressed them together, and then quickly threw them into the air. Quickly, they went out with a pop, leaving zero evidence.
The display made most of her interviewers pale.
One of them, who had a head like a bird, spoke his mind. "So if Bakugo had met his other self..."
"Boom," Valentine finished.
The one they were discussing scoffed from his seat. "You expecting a 'thank you' or something?"
"Of course not," she assured. "It was the right thing to do, bringing you home."
It was then that Bakugo Katsuki did not say another word. But his volcanic anger soon began to surface again when Deku walked through the door, and the other migrated over to him, praising him despite losing.
Diego, however, capitalized and grabbed the attention of the alien-like girl. "I must say, Ashido, your own match was eye-catching too."
"Oh! Well, thanks!" She smiled. She always seemed to be happy.
"I've always had a taste for the... exotic."
While most of the class was lively and conversive, one was keeping to himself, seething.
Deku, you fucking loser! Were you hiding your Quirk all these years?! Laughing behind my back?!
He so very wanted to charge the worthless failure, but he recalled how Aizawa had immobilized him. So he opted to wait. When the day was finally done, he leapt at his chance, seeing his target alone making his way to the gate. He grabbed him and spun him around, not caring that his arm was in a sling. "Deku, you fucking shitrag! You've been keeping your Quirk to yourself all our lives, haven't you!"
Unseen and barely in earshot, Brando strained to listen in. He considered stopping the potential fight... No. I'm still a little pissed about what you did to me, Izuku. But I'll stick around. Hearing you get beat up might amuse me.
Midoriya knew that his former friend would never let this go, and that it was eating him alive knowing that he had failed and couldn't understand why. "No! I haven't! You see, the truth is... I got my Quirk from somebody else. But I can't tell you who!"
Those words garnered a different reaction from each of the three. Bakugo was in complete disbelief and for once was speechless.
Brando focused on the aspect of passing power. Could the person who had given Izuku that power give it to him as well? That would surely make him invincible.
Midoriya continued. "I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's the truth! But... I can't control it yet. That's why I keep getting hurt. That's why, even though I won, I still got hurt so badly. But... I know that I can make this power my own! And... and I'll surpass you, and be Number One!"
Bakugo couldn't find the words to respond. All of this... Deku had never been a liar, and he wouldn't start now. And then there was that unwanted trip to another universe, where the other Deku had stood up to Bakugo like he was nothing. Then his thoughts turned to the other battles he had witnessed. When he had first arrived at UA, he had the natural assumption that he was by far the supreme one. But then the others showed their stuff. That blonde Italian and his Steel Balls breaking bones and twisting muscle. That ice-making stoic guy freezing the entire building with a mere touch on the wall...
His eyes began to saturate. "Yeah, well so what?! Don't get used to this. I lost where you won! I swear it'll be the only and last time! I'll vault over all of you, even All Might! I'll be Number One!"
Dream on. You'll sooner be my dinner. Brando wanted to pummel Bakugo into the dirt. The constant screaming and arrogance was an annoyance. He watched the hothead rub his eyes and leave, only to be intercepted by All Might, who had appeared out of nowhere. The two had a small conversation, but they had gone too far to hear.
Having heard enough, Brando made his way home.
XXXXXXXXX
"To think I could be so... flattened." Diego was honestly shaken as he sat on the living room's couch, mindlessly flipping through channels. His Stand had been a part of him for years, and not once had he lost any fights he picked or got roped into. Sure, he had won in the end... but that was due to that... double of his.
The green sparks that had flown off Midoriya's glowing arm replayed in his mind like a movie. A horrifying film of agony and humiliation.
Seeing it over and over again was enough. His thoughts shifted to the words Izuku had spoken earlier, of having gotten his Quirk from somebody else. Most would find it to be ludicrous, but Diego could see it happening. After all, he had not been born with Scary Monsters.
His mind turned to the arrow hidden well within the manor library, about how it had punctured him...
"What exactly are you going to do?" the young Brando asked as his progenitor held an immaculate arrow like it was worth an entire continent.
"Give me your hand," DIO said, ignoring the question. His heir, ever obedient to the man who had saved him from squalor and disease, did as he was told. With his free hand, DIO gripped Diego's wrist. Without another moment, the bloodsucker drove the arrowhead clean through the boy's palm.
The pain hit Diego like an out of control train. He began to scream as his eyes saturated. He tried to pull himself away, but DIO had his arm in a vice. The Vampire pulled the arrow out of him with a swift yank, doubling the agony.
Diego fell to his knees. His screams seemed to die in his throat as he clutched the gaping wound. His eyes were shut tight and leaking tears like a faucet. Is this what his mother had felt when she held that piping hot soup?
"Short term pain brings long term gain," DIO said as he looked at the air directly above his great-grandson. "Nothing. Perhaps I need to do it again." He reached down towards the young blonde.
Those words made Diego's eyes open with terror written on them. He most certainly did not want his savior to harm him any further. He wanted to be left alone, to show that this would not be tolerated.
It happened in an instant. Anger flared up in him. His growled, and swiped at DIO, wanting only to knock his outstretched hand away. He succeeded, and then some. The Vampire let out a shout of pain and shock. The pain made Diego feel a short surge of victory. Then, he noticed something. The Vampire's hand was halfway severed. The muscle and skin had been sliced open like a cut of steak, and blood pour out of it like a faucet. Diego had never thought himself to be strong enough to inflict such a wound. He looked down at the hand he had attacked DIO with, and was met with a shock. His fingers were like knives. Sharp, and covered in blood.
For most, such a wound would mean trouble. But for DIO, his laceration quickly healed and vanished. Within seconds, it was as if he had never been injured. For a split second, he looked downright furious, but then his expression became one of triumph.
XXXXXXXXX
Closing Notes: The Alternate Diego Brando will return... eventually.