Some time later, Suave Rico returned to the tea shoppe, much to Sylvia's displeasure. "I'll deal with this," Johan said as he approached the newt. "What do you want, Rico?"

"Is that the kind of attitude you're gonna give me after you walked out on a job," Rico asked, a little miffed.

"Tell your cousin I'm sorry. I had to save the Sundews after a friend of mine brought a coastal kill-a-pillar in their house."

"Yeah, yeah, he told me all about the kill-a-moth thing. Luckily for you, I have a way of making more money. There's this prison in Bog Bottom, see?"

Johan held up his hand up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I am not getting myself arrested."

"Jail ain't all that bad."

"I'll take your word for it."

"I'm serious. You get fresh air, three squares and a cot, no rent..."

"A high chance of either getting shanked or becoming some half-wit bruiser's sweetheart..."

"Now you're just being a pussy," the newt argued. "Listen, the guards have better ways of letting the inmates vent out some of their frustrations."

"Let me guess, conjugals with the warden's daughter?" Johan asked with a smirk.

"You know, that ain't half bad...but naw, they got themselves a little fight club."

"And the guards make bets on the side, right?"

"That's right. And you know, with fighting and me fronting the cash, I bet we could make some money..."

Johan noticed a hesitant look in his eyes. "You're hiding something, Rico. Out with it."

"It...uh...it's my niece. She's been arrested for assault and is staying in prison."

Johan groaned. "This is all a scam to bail your delinquent niece out?"

"Actually, she already served her sentence. The problem is she refuses to leave her cell. Says she's been possessed by a demon while she was serving her sentence. The inmates are scared shitless of her." Rico leaned forward and said, "You and I both know what's really going on with her body."

Johan's eyes widened. "So, she's a Stand user without realizing it. Have you seen her Stand?"

"No. I'm not a Stand user and neither are her parents. It just popped out of nowhere. Naturally, they're scared and confused as she is."

"Well, natural born Stand users are quite rare," said Johan. "So, you want me to get her out of her cell?"

"Only AFTER you beat up some of the inmates. Prove to them you're the toughest guy around and they'll know Passione is something not to mess with."

"Uh...sure they're not Stand users either?"

"I did a thorough backup check. Not one. Unless someone has been bribing the warden to keep it quiet."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Johan sighed. "But, if it'll get your niece out of prison..."

"Do everything you can, even if you have to hurt her so bad, she'll have to go to the hospital."

"I'll try to make sure it won't come to that, though I can't guarantee any promises."

When Johan entered the prison yard, he was met with a barrage of jeers from the inmates. "Who's the new kid?"

"Did you kill someone just for being ugly?"

"You're gonna be mince meat!"

"Look at him, he's so pale, he looks like a vampire!"

"Nothing you can't handle?" asked Rico, who was starting to wonder if this was really a good idea. But it was too late. The bets were already made.

"Nothing I can't handle," Johan said as he summoned DARE. So far, nobody reacted to it. Good. No one here is a Stand user.

In a dank, dark cell, a dark blue newt with black hair in an orange and white striped prison suit reclined on her bunk, reaching forward to grab a magazine that was sitting on a stool. Surrounding her were magazines, beer cans, cigarette packs, newspapers and a radio. Her two female cellmates were huddled in a corner, far away from her. They were shaking in complete fear.

"This is madness," one of the guards exclaimed. "How am I going to explain this to the boss?! He'll fire me just for being crazy!"

"I don't know," said the second guard. "I'm seeing it myself and even I think I'm crazy!"

"That'll be no worry," said Rico as he entered the cellblock with a bloody Johan. "I'll take it my young niece home."

"Your niece," the newt asked.

The first guard said, "No! She's dangerous!"

"Just stay where you are," said the second guard. "Just convince her to go right here!"

"I'll take my chances! Now get out of my way!" Rico shouted as he threw them aside. He stood in front of the cell, opened its door and shouted, "Alright, Joan Jett! Get out of there right now! Your parents are worried sick of you!"

Joan Jett stood up from her bunk and sized her uncle up. "So, they sent you? The deadbeat uncle? They must be desperate. I'll tell you what I told them. GET LOST! I didn't ask you to come here. You really think you can help me? Sorry you had to come all the way, but nobody can help me, Uncle!" She opened her palm to reveal a button.

Rico looked down to see one of the buttons on his coat was gone. "H-How did..."

"So did you see it, or even feel it?" Joan Jett asked as she flicked the button at Rico's forehead. "That's the demon's doing. Go home before you really get hurt!" She slammed the door close and returned to her cot.

Rico rubbed his bleeding forehead and muttered, "You were this stubborn even when you were a tadpole. Alright. JoJo? It's time to get dirty."

Johan approached the cell and looked her over. "You remind me of a friend of mine. She's stubborn as you."

Joan Jett raised an eyebrow. "What the hell are you?" She looked to Rico and asked, "Did you ask this freak to bust me out? Sorry to burst your bubble, but it won't work! In fact, it just makes me want to stay here even more!"

Johan's left eye twitched a little. "I'm sick of being called a freak," he said to himself. He turned to Rico and said, "This may get rough. But if you insist I get her out no matter what..."

"Do it."

Johan nodded. "Come on out, DARE." The Stand burst its way out of his body and did a pose. Joan Jett's eyes widened. "What the- What the frog is that?!"

"That's right. I too have a demon possessing me. A demon that obeys my every command! And I call him DARE!"

DARE lunged forward, grabbed Joan Jett by the arms and pinned her to the wall. "Wh...What's going on," she sputtered.

The guards watching were stunned. "What's this?! Joan Jett's pinning herself to the wall!"

"And now, you get to see DARE's special ability in motion." Johan walked into the cell and flicked her cheek. She let out a scream of agony.

"What was that?! That felt like it was a stab wound from a knife!"

"DARE's ability is to amplify and dull a person's five senses. And right now, your sense of touch has been sent into overdrive, along with all the pain receptors in your body! And if you thought that was bad..." He slammed his fist against the bars, making a clanging sound. Due to her sense of hearing being amplified, it was as loud as a church bell being rung directly into her ears. She screamed and covered her ears with her hands, but it did no good. "Well? Are you going to come quietly?"

"STOP IT! STOP THE NOISE! STOP IT! STOP IT! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" At the sound of her scream, an apparition of a blue humanoid frog with black hair and wearing a purple Arabian harem girl outfit and gold manacles appeared before her and punched DARE right in the gut. Johan felt the same punch and he was sent flying into the bars with a loud clang.

Still, he managed to chuckle. "There it is. It kinda looks like a jinn."

Joan Jett looked at Johan with hate. "Now you've pissed me off!"

Johan chuckled again as he got back up. "The fact that it's managed to manifest so clearly means it's incredibly strong. I'm impressed."

"Your demon is impressive too! Tell me, Uncle, do you know of these demons?"

"I don't have one myself, but I know a lot of people with similar demons!" said Rico.

"Rico," said Johan. "I admit, when you said get her out no matter what, I was kinda bluffing when I said I may have to put in the hospital. However, after seeing its strength, I may have to reconsider!"

"Like I said, do what you must. I'll deal with her parents giving me an earful later."

"Very well!" Johan reached into his pocket and pulled out a pain pepper before breaking it open. Almost immediately, the smell of its spiciness overpowered her. It was like the room was full of toxic gas. "What's happening...I can barely breathe..." Her demon started to disappear back into her body.

"It's weakening because you're losing consciousness," said Johan. "Now, I'll tell you what I told my friend when she first learned about this phenomenon. This may seem like a demon possessing you, but it's far from it! This is a manifestation of your life energy, your fighting spirit! It will always appear standing by your side until the day you die, and for that reason, we call it a Stand!"

Joan Jett was almost blacking out at this point. "A...Stand?"

"Like in Aesop's fable, the North Wind made the traveller pull his coat tighter, but the heat of the Sun made him admit defeat. Ready to leave your cage now, Joan Jett?"

Joan Jett glared at him with anger as she tried to keep herself from blacking out. "I said I'm staying! I keep hurting people without even realizing I'm doing it! Until that stops, I'm staying here! It's nice to meet someone like me, but if you keep this up...YOU WILL DIE!" Her strength returned and her Stand grabbed the cell toilet and threw it at Johan, who ducked out the way. The force of the toilet caused a hole to form in the bars. Joan Jett charged at him, but he ducked and she flew over his shoulders and out the hole. "Alright," she shouted. "Come on! I'm not done!"

"But I am," said Johan as DARE retreated back into his body. "The battle is over."

"What the fuck?!"

"I was told to get you out of that cell no matter what, and I did."

Joan Jett's eyes widened when she realized she was indeed out. "So what, you were going easy on me the whole time?"

"No. I had every intention of hurting you. If I wanted to, I could have made the wind on your skin feel like knives." Johan turned to Rico. "Alright. She's out. You can take her home now."

"Here's your share of the loot," Rico said as he handed him the money from the fight club. "To be honest, I was going to use it to pay for my niece's medical bills, but that won't be necessary anymore."

Joan Jett grabbed the boy by the shirt. "Just what the hell are you and where did you come from, creature?"

"If you want to know my story, first get changed. By the way, we have to give her a name."

"Her?" asked the newt, confused.

"Your Stand. Give her a name that she'll respond to should you call her."

Joan Jett thought it over, then responded with, "Cherry Bomb."

"Explosive," said Johan with a chuckle. "No pun intended."

Joan Jett narrowed her eyes at him as he left.

The guards meanwhile, just stared, too stunned to comprehend what they saw. "I...need to retire," one of them said.

"So, you come from another world," said Joan Jett after she changed into her usual attire: a blue uniform and cap that resembled the kind Japanese school boys would wear but with the front open, revealing her white t-shirt. "And you came to this world after opening up a magic music box."

"That's right," said Johan as he sat at the table in front of her.

"And now you're looking for your friends while also establishing your own version of your father's gang back home."

"Pretty much."

Joan Jett exhaled. "This is a lot to take in."

"You'll get used to it."

"So, what now? You want to initiate me in the gang now?"

"That depends. Can I trust you not to beat people up if they get on your nerves?"

Joan Jett took a swig of root beer and exhaled. "My parents think I'm a nice girl. Hardly. I beat up people more than I really have to, most of whom are still in the hospital. Whenever a teacher gets on my bad side, let's just say they've never returned to class. And whenever I get served crappy food at a restaurant, I leave without paying the bill." Johan made an unsure look. "But even I can tell real evil when I see it. When a person uses the weak for their own personal gain, then stomps on them when they no longer need them. That is true evil!"

He smiled and said, "You remind me of my cousin. I may consider, but what about you? What's your decision."

Joan Jett took another swig. "I'll think about it."

"Well, I look forward to hearing from you again. I gotta get back to Wartwood."

"I hope you find your friends," Joan Jett said.

Johan smirked and said, "Was that emotion I saw?"

"Shut up."

"So that's why you disappeared?" asked Wally when Johan returned to Wartwood a few hours later. Right now the two of them were sitting outside the Stumpy's Diner, drinking aphid root beer. It was to be the next on Johan's list of renovations.

"Yep," said Johan after he finished recounting his tale. "Got the little delinquent out, now she has to explain everything to her parents."

"You want her to join Passione?"

The boy took another sip of his drink. "I didn't ask her. That's all up to her."

"JOJO! HELP!" Polly came hopping down the road toward him and Wally. "Where have you been?! Oh, never mind that! You gotta hide me!"

"Polly? What's going on?"

"It's Anne! She's making me do all this weird, girly stuff! Spas, hair salons, dresses, tea parties, massages!"

"Sounds like she just wants to have a good time with you."

"But I'm not! I hate it! It's not me!"

"Polly!" Anne's voice called out.

Polly gasped. "You gotta hide me!" she insisted.

"Well, I know one place." He grabbed Polly and raised her up...

"No, wait! Not there! Not again!" And threw her into a port-a-john, slamming the door close. "This is where we buried Charlie Bigbottom!"

"Polly!" called out Anne. Johan's eyes widened when she approached. Her messy hair was now clean and free flowing and she was wearing a green dress and black shoes. "Whoa, Anne. You clean up nicely."

"Aw, you think so? It's nice to have a pair of shoes that don't have holes in them. Anyway, have you seen Polly? She ditched me at the massage parlor."

"Uh, no. I didn't see her."

"Ugh!" Anne slammed her fist on a log as she sat down. "Why is she being so difficult?! Can't she seem I'm trying to help her?"

"Help her with what?"

"Help her be a real girl! Clearly, she hasn't been around one in like ever! How else do you explain why she's always violent, picking her nose and ears, spitting, and scratching herself in inappropriate places? She's just as gross as Sprig and Hop Pop."

"Uh, Anne, did it ever occur to you that maybe Polly doesn't like this stuff? I mean, she doesn't think like most girls. You don't see Maddie doing what you like and Polly's scarier than her."

"Who cares what Polly thinks?! It's what other people will think of her that matters! Who's gonna want to be boyfriend/girlfriend with... Scratch that. Who's gonna want to be friends with a disgusting little slob like her?"

Johan got angry. "Anne, you said enough." He pointed to the port-a-john, revealing it was open and Polly was in it. She had a hurt look on her face. "I heard everything," she said.

Anne gasped and put her hands over her mouth. Boy, did she regret what she said now. "Polly, I- That's not- I mean, what I mean is-"

Suddenly, an old frog woman grabbed her by the arms and shouted in a Russian accent, "Tuti caught thief!"

"Hey! You're that worker from the massage parlor," Anne exclaimed. "And what do you mean, 'thief'? I totally paid!"

"Sorry, little lady, but Hopadiah's broke," said Sheriff Leatherleaf as he approached with an angry mob composed of workers from the spa, the hair salon and the tailor's store. "Which makes these IOUs you've been handing out totally worthless." He held up the slips of paper.

Johan recognized one face in the mob. "Felicia? Are you mixed up in this too?"

"That girl thought she had a discount just cause she was in Passione!" she shouted. "I told her it didn't work that way so she paid in those bogus IOUs!"

Johan glared at Anne. "Taking advantage of my gang's generosity, huh? What a Sasha thing to do."

"Hey! You take that back!" Before she could say anything else, she saw Hop Pop and Sprig in the crowd as well...and in handcuffs. "Guys!"

"These chains represent our burden on society!" Sprig said cheerfully.

"Dang it, Anne, how much did you spend?" asked a miffed off Hop Pop.

"That is a good question," said Johan. "How much did she spend?" The mob handed him the bills. "Let's see, add these all together and..." His eyes widened. "Oh, my God, that's a lot of zeroes!"

"Now pay up, or I'm gonna have to do my duty, and put y'all in debtor's prison," said Sheriff Leatherleaf as he pointed to a chicken coop.

"We'll have to sit in a chicken coop?" asked Anne.

"Less like sittin' and more like gatherin' eggs for the town until your debt's paid off."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

She was proven wrong when the doors were opened revealing it was a GIANT SPIDER coop. The arachnids screeched and bit the prisoners trying to take their eggs and in one case, a frog was being cocooned by one of the spiders. "NOOOO!" screamed Anne.

The mob pushed her and the Plantars toward the coop only to be blocked by Johan. "HOLD IT!" He panted before saying, "Alright, this is all Anne's fault here..."

"Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence," she grumbled.

"...but is there another way she could pay off her debt that doesn't involve getting injected with venom?"

"Not unless she can poop out gold," said Leatherleaf.

When she heard that, Anne focused her attention on a gold statue of a spitting frog in the town's square and it gave her an idea. "That's it! Hey, mustache! Is that trophy made out of gold?"

"Twenty four karat, ma'am."

"All right, Polly. Time to shine." Anne said to Polly.

"Anne, what's going on?" asked Johan.

"Dude, these people treat spitting like a competition and Polly is one of the best spitters in all of Wartwood! I've seen it! She just has to break the record and save the family from being spider chow!"

"The current record is 90 feet," said Leatherleaf. "You get three official chances. And you can't use your Ripple, that'll be cheating. You ready?" Polly gurgled, coughed, then hawked a loogie. "78 feet." Polly tried it again. "30 feet. Only one more chance, little lady."

The crowd began to voice their disappointment. They thought Polly wasn't going to make it. "Something ain't right," said Hop Pop. "She's not spitting at full force. Almost as if she's ashamed."

"Gee, I wonder how that happened," Johan said sarcastically as he gave Anne the stink eye. "You broke Polly. Go fix her!"

Anne approached the little tadpole and asked, "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah. I guess it's just kinda hard to spit when you feel gross."

Anne exhaled. "Polly, I'm the gross one. I tried to change someone that's perfect the way they are."

"You saying you were wrong?"

"Very wrong."

"Super wrong?"

"Super wrong."

"You're always wrong?"

"I'm always- Hey, not always."

"Okay, just most of the time."

The two girls shared a hug and a laugh, having made up. "Aw. Okay, let's finish this." Polly huffed, puffed, gurgled, built up saliva and let out a spit that took off like a bullet.

"150 feet!" called out Leatherleaf and everyone cheered.

Anne held Polly up high and said, "You did it!"

Tuti broke the statue into pieces and used it to pay off the debt. She handed one small piece to Polly. "Here, extra." Polly smiled.

Sprig and Hop Pop were set free. "Well, your debt is repaid and my work here is done," said Leatherleaf before he hopped off into the sunset. "I'll tell Ram Bamboo you said hi!"

"Da dove veniva quel tramonto?" asked Johan. "It's the middle of the day."

Hop Pop and Sprig cheered. "Whoo-hoo! Go Polly! That's my little spitter."

"So what are you going to do with the extra gold?" asked Johan.

"I think I have an idea," said Anne.

Anne, Johan and the Plantars smiled at the small gold statue made in Polly's likeness. "A striking resemblance," said Johan. "Don't you think, Anne?"

"Oh. Yeah. What do you think, Polly?"

The little tadpole hopped onto Anne's head and said, "I love it! Hey, sorry, girl time was such a bust."

"Eh, don't worry about it. I mean, the more I think about it, the whole idea of girl time is pretty weird. I mean, who's to say boys don't like spas?"

Johan blushed a little and said, "I do. I especially love the fish treatment for your feet. It makes me ticklish."

Sprig gasped. "No way! You love the spa treatment, too?!"

"You know the fish are actually eating the dead skin off the bottom of your feet?" asked Hop Pop.

"Next time we go," said Johan. "You're inviting Maddie and getting the husband and wife discount."

Sprig turned pinker than normal and muttered, "Oh, yeah. Sure."

To Be Continued...