Aizawa's mystery visitor let himself out and ventured into the streets.

"This dimension..." He looked around at thr sleek buildings and throngs of people talking over each other. Technology seemed to be the centerpiece of interactions. "Scarlet would make a remark on the lack of flying cars."

Before his mind could dwell further on his mate, a bright light went off, but only for a instant. He looked over and saw a woman in her early twenties holding up her phone to him with a grin on her face.

"Great cosplay, mister!" She said, rifling through the newly taken pictures.

Cosplay? He repeated mentally, looking down at himself.

"Are you an American?" She asked, satisfied with the photos. "Or just a big fan of his?"

He considered his answer. He could tell the truth... but he was unfamiliar with the sociology of this reality. She might report him for being insane. Leaving would be easy, but this could still be the place that held just what he was looking for. "Yes. I'm a fan of his."

XXXXXXXXX

Tooru could feel the Stand User's fingers around her unseen neck. Tight enough to keep her in place but without the pressure of cutting off her air supply. Brando kept her at arm's length but maintained his grip, making sure that she was dealt with even though his attention was on Joestar. She could feel his hardened talons on top of her coratid artery. She looked over and saw something in Johnny's eyes. She was sure that Brando was making her hallucinate. Small dark flames seemed to engulf Joestar's pupils. Unless he had a Quirk along with his Stand, that was just not possible. The American glanced at her, but only for a moment. The fires kept their place over his eyes. Maybe her eyes were not seeing things after all. During the brief instant they observed one another, one of his nails left its post and launched.

Diego, utilizing his enhanced reflexes, jumped backwards, taking his hostage with him. Landing on his feet, the young Brando looked down, and did not see any wounds on his body or clothes. "You missed me, Johnny."

"That may be true. But right now, it doesn't matter." Johnny gazed at the space next to his old rival. Diego did the same, and saw what looked like a small, swirling black mass swirling in midair.

The sight was not lost on Tooru. The two boys around her could not be sure just what was making Johnny's vortex float, but she knew. Did he shoot me?! He shot my chest!

Diego was, for once in his life, at a complete loss.

Johnny kept aiming his remaining nails, keeping his steel visage.

The Brit kept his focus on the hole, watching as it moved up, leaving behind a black trail akin to a snail and its slime, and slid onto his fingers. His eyes widened and he brought his free hand up, slapping it on the hole as it moved up his arm, as if it were embers from a fire about to ignite his limb. "What is this, Johnny?!"

The Joestar still refused to lower his fingers. "You weren't around when Tusk evolved at the USJ."

"Evolved?" Diego repeated, still smacking the tiny vortex. When it reached his bicep, it closed. And a small chunk of his arm when with it. Blood spurted out of the gaping wound like a fountain, making the heir of DIO shouted out in pain. He grabbed Tooru with his uninjured arm, and tossed her.

Johnny's eye flames vanished. Tusk offered no defensive capabilities to him. That fact was completely undeniable as Hagakure collided with him.

He couldn't see her. But he could certainly feel her pressing down on his torso. He reached over and grabbed what he hoped was one of her shoulders. "Get off." He did not wait for her to move on her own and pushed her away from him.

"You shot me!" She shouted incredulously.

"I was aiming for Dio," he replied dryly. "And nothing bad happened. At least not to you."

The aforementioned Brando growled and panted as he applied pressure to his wound. "Johnny Joestar. You think this will stop me?" His face cracked and his mouth split open. "Mine is the superior resolve. That's why you've never beaten me. And why you never will!"

He moved to charge at them, but only made it but a few steps.

From behind him, Gyro's voice boomed. "Eat my Balls, Dio!"

The User of Scary Monsters, taken aback the unseemly request, looked over his shoulder, and got a Steel Ball to the back. Its rotation instantly took affect. Diego could feel his muscles coiling and flexing without him willing them to do so. The fingers of his undamaged arm straightened and aligned, making him look as if he was about to break into applause. The Steel Ball continued its work, making his arm rear back. Diego knew what was going to happen.

Curse you, Zeppeli! I'll not forget this! The Steel Ball could control his physical actions, but not his mind. He willed Scary Monsters to deactivate. His face quickly returned to normal, as did his hand. His claws returned to being just his normal gloves as his fingertips grazed his face, agitating the skin. He let out a breath of relief. Had his transformation still been active, he would have flayed his visage like a slice of meat.

Its job complete, the Steel Ball removed itself from Brando and returned to Gyro.

Dio panted as he again placed his hand on the wound given to him by Johnny. "You... you think I'll just give up?"

Johnny's nails spiraled around their respective digits. He whispered out the side of his mouth towards where he had shoved Tooru. "Stay behind me." He was not sure if she had stuck around or hightailed it away from this particular battle. His eyes never left his rival. "I've known you for too long to think you would, Dio."

Gyro's signature weapons spun in his palms. "Looks like you're out of places to go, Dio."

The Brit growled. Johnny, and possibly the invisible girl, were in front of him, and Gyro was covering his back. This was proving to be a difficult day.

He would not surrender. Although he was open to a tactical retreat. He considered his options. Johnny Joestar's nails were numerous, and already set to go. Gyro's Steel Balld were the same, but he only had two. Plus, the nails could only do so much damage, while those blasted metal orbs could easily tear off limbs. Given the damage that Bakugo and Todoroki subjected their peers and surroundings to, the Zeppeli boy would surely face no repercussions for maiming him.

He came to his decision, and sprinted towards the Italian, planning to claw him and pass.

Gyro grinned widely, showing his golden grills. "Nyo ho ho! You're crazy, Dio!"

The grandson of DIO snarled. "Wryyy!" As he ran, his scales and fangs returned. Gyro threw one of his weapons, only for Brando's head and neck to bend at a seemingly impossible angle, making the Steel Ball fly past him... right towards Johnny and Tooru.

Johnny readied himself and fired several of his biological projectiles... only to miss every shot. The holes made with ACT 2 would always do their job, but only if they hit their mark.

"Oh, not good!" Gyro wound up his other Ball, but Diego was ready and slashed his face before making his escape. Gyro felt his flesh split apart like a wood pile being introduced to an axe. He could not hold back his screams as his plasma trickled down his veneer. He pressed his hand into what he hoped would not end up being facial scars.

Johnny prepared his other hand to fire, still attempting to destroy the Ball, only to feel something else crash into his side, sending him to the ground. His eyes saw the cloudy sky, and for a brief moment he saw a dark blur soar past him overhead. Surely, that had to be Gyro's Steel Ball. But if it had not struck him, then just what had sent him onto his back?

"You okay, Joestar?" asked the voice of Hagakure Tooru, right above him.

Johnny's focus turned to the pressure on his midsection. It was there, yet whatever was providing it felt... soft. It did not take him more than a moment to figure what had happened. "You helped me... even though I shot you?"

She got off him. "Well, like you said, you were aiming for Brando."

"Johnny!" The youngest Joestar's eyes moved to look at his friend. Gyro was on his hands (or rather, one hand, as the other was still applying pressure to his cuts) and knees, with his ear next to a stationary but rotating Steel Ball. After a few seconds, he stood up. Both his Balls returned to his hands. "Let's skedaddle. The fights are closing in on us." He turned on his heels and started walking.

Johnny nodded stiffly and followed after him.

"Joestar!" Tooru called after him, making him stop and look at her, or at least where he thought she was. "... Thanks."

He gave her the same cranial gesture Gyro had received a moment ago before continuing on.

XXXXXXXXX

Roadagain watched the violence continue. Teamwork seemed to click with this batch of students. Personally, he preferred one-on-one encounters, but he was not so proud or delusional to think everybody thought the same way he did. He watched in silence, his hands resting atop the guns in their holsters along his hips.

That Dark Will he never failed to search for... was absent from all of them, or at least the ones he could see. The determination, the resolve to do anything and everything needed to be done to finish the job. But he did not let that hamper him. They were still young, and only just recently entered the world of Heroics. They would all gain that Dark Will. It was the best way to survive walking down the path they had all chosen.

The madness encompassing him continued on, but the cacophony died down slightly when some of the young fighters noticed him watching.

Yaoyorozu voiced her thoughts. "Wouldn't you be better off assessing this battle from the monitor room, Roadagain-Sensei?"

"I prefer a pure, direct approach," he answered. "That being said, you've all a vigor. Now turn it on me."

That request drew a lot more attention to him, leaving them bewildered.

"What?" Kaminari blinked.

"I'm giving you all permission to attack me, though I prefer it be mano a mano." He stood up straight. "One of you, any of you, hit me with your best shot."

As soon as the words left his lips, a mighty stinging sensation overwhelmed him, originating from his back. He could hear the sizzling, like breakfast on a skillet. Then, a horrendous odor filled his nostrils. It took him only an instant to figure out what it was. His clothes melting. Despite the pain, he showed little reaction to it. Only mild surprise and discomfort. He looked his shoulder, and found a terrified Ashido. She was paling and stiff as a petrified board.

"I'm sorry!" She was shaking. "Was that another logical ruse?!"

Roadagain did not answer. Instead, he reached over, and turned the handle of his watch back.

"- best shot." He took a step to the right, and a large puddle of acid fell to the ground, making it smoke and sizzle.

Still behind him, Ashido was completely flabbergasted. "What... what just happened?"

Ringo spun to face her, and demonstrated his skills at the quick draw. Before anybody knew it, a large handgun was in his hand with his finger already on the trigger. He pulled it, and a nigh deafening bang filled the air. A small but noticable indent formed on the ground next to Mina's right boot. Ringo surmised the bullet had ricocheted off to who knew where upwards as his Stand appeared once more, its tunes plugging into his arms and back. "It's as I said, I can rewind time. All I've got to do is turn the knob of my watch the proper amount. That's the trigger to activate my ability."

XXXXXXXXX

"It's fortunate that you have a Stand, rather than a Quirk," Illuso said, double checking his notes as Man In The Mirror pummeled his latest target. "My abilities don't work so well on the latter. And Stands are so hard to come up in this country, I'm finding."

His inconsequential prey cried out in pain as the avian-esque Stand stomped him into the floor. "Why won't anybody help me?!"

Illuso glanced over to him. "Because nobody can help you. I allowed you and only you into the mirror. Nothing can enter my domain without my permission. That goes for your Stand, too."

The assassin's Stand let up its assault, letting his next victim breathe. "Why are you doing this?! Did we wrong you?! Kill one of your family?!"

"No, you didn't. This is happening because my Boss wants it to, though I admit I'm unsure exactly what his endgame is."

"Then why are you obeying him?!"

The question made Illuso will his Stand to continue the barrage. He reminisced about his late teammates, and their horrifying demise. Pulling himself from the nightmarish images in his mind, he pulled a knife from his sleeve. "I do so because my team and I don't know how to get rid of him just yet. Take that with you to your grave."

He gave the blade to Man In The Mirror, which then finished the job. The User checked to make sure the coast was clear. Finding nobody around, he exited the mirror.

The faces of Sorbet and Gelato haunted him for his entire walk back to La Squadra Esecuzioni's hideout. The Kamino district was always abuzz with people and lights, and his team's parlor was no different. He made his way through the gambling addicts and eventually made his way to the private floor.

"It's done," he said.

"Just in time," his comrade Formaggio said, looking at his laptop. "New orders from the Boss."

"If that's him your talking to," Illuso yawned as he sat down. "Tell him the guy is worm food."

Their leader looked out the tinted window of their dwelling. "I doubt it is actually him. What does he require of us now?"

Formaggio read the words on the screen. "Find the head honcho the Yakuza."

Illuso grinned. "Taking out the serpent already? That was fast."

"No, it specifies we just have to find him. Nothing else."

Risotto Nero pondered deeply. He never knew just what was going on in the Boss's head. And truth he told, sometimes he did not want to.

XXXXXXXXX

Before any further assaults on Roadagain could occur, a loud buzz filled the air.

"Time's up. Reconvene at the main gate." Ringo wiped the debris off his shirt and gloves. "Time to see the overall damage." He made his way to the gate and waited. The students steadily made their way to them, lining up on instinct. Truly, the afternoon had demonstrated just how dangerous the life of a Hero could be. Bruises and blood were in massive supply. All of them were standing. But very few could do so on their own. The only one without a scratch was Todoroki.

Dio panted heavily as his arm leaked like an old faucet. "Hhhaaahhh... hhhaaaahhhh..."

"Seems most of you need to pay a visit to Recovery Girl before headed off," Ringo stated. "Tell me, what did you learn today?"

Uraraka went first. "That Thirteen was right. All of us are dangerous."

Roadagain nodded. "It's how you all choose to use your abilities that make you what you are. A wise man once said, to see how a person truly is, give him power." He bowed his head. "I thank you all, for your participation."

XXXXXXXXX

Down a few twists and turns of the halls, Ringo made his way out towards his temporary classroom when an all too familiar voice dripping with seduction caught his attention.

"They said you were paying us a visit. I just wish you had told me beforehand."

Roadagain glanced over to the doorway, leaning on which was... "Midnight. It's been a long time." He did not stop.

"Too~ long, Ringo." She sauntered after him. Catching up, she ran her fingers through his hair. "I missed my silver fox. And I love the goatee. Very doom-inducing."

XXXXXXXXX

"Well, that was fun!" Gyro gleefully said as he put his arms on Johnny and Izuku's shoulders. The trio made their way out of UA's gate. "We got to attack Dio without consequences and Johnny here got some action. Nyo ho!"

Izuku looked puzzled. "Didn't we all fight?"

"Not that kind of action, Izzy." He grinned at his American friend. "She must really like you, Johnny. Not every naked woman throws herself at guys like that."

"Wh-what?!" One For All's newest wielder was aghast at this piece of information.

Johnny maintained his unreadable expression. "Could you not? Even just for a minute?"

"Nope!" Gyro's smile only shrunk when a song became to emit from his pocket. He reached in and pulled out his phone. "It's my old man. Excuse me for a moment." He quickened his pace and answered. "Salve, padre."

Izuku looked at Johnny. Despite both being friends with Gyro, neither of them had really conversed for much more than a few moments at a time. As he wracked his mind, he remembered a small piece of information regarding Johnny's lineage. "Are you really related to Hermit Purple?"

"Yes. Being a direct descendant was the proudest fact of my grandfather's life." His tone made it clear that he was indifferent to his heritage.

Izuku, however, was as enthusiastic as he ever was when discussing anything involving Heroes. "That's amazing! Are your other relatives also Heroes? Is that why you came to UA?"

Johnny glanced at him sideways for a moment. "Some. My folks opted for a quieter, simpler life. Let me ask you something. Why, in the name of sanity, are you friends with Dio? If he's acting so nice to you, I'll bet my legs it's just because he wants something."

Izuku looked at him, his giddiness withering. "I... I don't think he would get anything out of me."

"Then either he sees something I don't, or he got hit on the head really hard in the entrance exam."

"What makes you think that?"

"I've known Diego Brando for years. He's an opportunist above all else." His eyes drifted. "And he never goes away."

Izuku followed his line of sight. What behold him was Diego and Giorno, sitting at a table outside a café. While that was normal, the young women fawning over them was out of the ordinary.

Johnny began to match Gyro's pace. "Let's just go."

While Johnny loathed Brando, Izuku certainly did not. He waved at Diego, who lazily returned it. Satisfied, Izuku followed after the two foreigners.

One of the women leaned on Dio, pressing her chest into his back while he helped himself to a drink. "You never told us you had a brother, Giorno."

Another gazed at him like he was buried treasure. "He's as cute as you."

"We aren't brothers," Brando specified as he sipped his beverage. "We are nephew and uncle."

The ladies looked lost and amazed by the unlikeliness of his statement.

Giorno nodded. "It's true. My father is very... active, it seems."

Diego pulled his own weight with the check before he and Giorno departed for home. Neither of them attempted further conversation. Diego's mind was fixated on words he had heard sporadically throughout his life.

You cannot win them all.

Those five words dug into him like a knife, staying deep in him all the way past the iron gates of Brando Manor. Pet Shop glared at them, but did not attack.

Giorno excused himself. To where exactly, Diego did not care.

The young Brando found himself walking up the many flights of stairs as if on autopilot. Cannot win them all... I used to wipe the floor with everybody I ever encountered, with or without Scary Monsters. But now... they're all catching up to me. Have I become complacent? Have I started slacking off? I cannot allow any of them to surpass me! I've already been shown to be inferior to a few of them, at least in my teacher's eyes. That was humiliating enough! And now Johnny's Stand is evolving?!

He snarled as he made his way up DIO's tower. His mind was dead set on his musings, but a small portion wondered where the world's biggest sycophant, his grandfather's lackey, Iced, was. The man hardly ever left DIO's radius of beckoning and calling.

He opened the massive door. "Grandfather. I..." He was silenced by what he saw.

DIO and Pucci, laying on the bed, reading.

The Vampire, shirtless and looking at a photo of the Mona Lisa, looked at him nonchalantly. "Yes, Diego?"

"I... I'll come back later." He closed the door... and hastily went down the stairs. "Well, that'll be forever burned in my memory."