A couple of things happened in the past week.

Firstly, Sprig entered a talent contest and played the fiddle there, though that was mostly because Hop Pop forced him into it at the prospect of improving the boy's future. Things went horribly wrong when a bat, attracted by the lights and sounds of the talent contest, swooped down and grabbed Sprig after mistaking him for a real moth (Damn you Anne and your costume designing!). Thanks to Polly's awful singing, Sprig was rescued and Hop Pop apologized for pushing him too far.

Secondly, for Harvest Day, Anne participated in a bugball game (the Amphibian equivalent of basketball) to help the Farmers beat the Townies (which composed of the Mayor, Toadie, and a bunch of pro bugball players the Mayor hired). She ended up being a handful, but over time learned to be a team player by taking part in trust exercises. After the Farmers got an early lead, the Townies blinded Anne. Using her trust exercises, Anne managed to play and Sprig made the winning dunk, making it the first time the Farmers win. It sort of helped that Johan, in retaliation for the Townies blinding Anne, spiked their drinks with powerful laxatives that destroyed their gameplay (though he never told anyone that).

Today was different and one that Anne, Johan, Sprig, Ivy and Polly were NOT looking forward to. As Hop Pop whistled a tune while he drove Bessie, Sprig complained, "I still can't believe you're bringing us to a day care, Hop Pop."

"Look. I'm sorry, okay? But I have to go to the Annual Crop Convention. It's a long ways away, and I can't leave you kids on the farm alone for the weekend."

"So, you're doing this just so you can get away from the kids," said Johan. "That doesn't explain why you dragged Ivy and I into the mix."

"Felicia said she needs a way to burn out the energy she has in that little body of hers, so I suggested bringing her to the day care."

Ivy grumbled and folded her arms. "I'm too old for day care."

"That goes for me and Anne, too," said Johan.

"You are never too old for day care," said Hop Pop. "Besides, you kids need supervision. Why, sometimes it feels like we have at least two wacky adventures a week!"

"Feels like three," said Johan.

Bessie came to a stop in front of a tall stone tower. "Here we are," said Hop Pop.

A light green newt with brown hair tied in a pony tail, a small mustache and wearing a blue coat and tricorn hat burst open the door. "Greetings," he said in a French accent. "I am Tritonio Espada, the instructor of this day care."

"Huh, I thought Briar and Iris Bogwater ran this place," said Hop Pop.

"Well in that case, I'm Hopediah Plantar. This here is Sprig, Polly, Ivy, Anne and Johan. These two may be gigantic, but they're also children."

"Hey! I'm thirteen years old," snapped Johan. "And Anne is too."

"Exactly. Still children."

"Ah, yes," said Tritonio. "I shall educate them! Teach them true discipline!"

"Oh. I like the cut of your jib, Mr. Tray-tony," said Hop Pop. "Did I say that right?"

"Absolutely not."

"This isn't so bad, I guess," said Sprig. "There is a cool tower."

Anne scoffed. "You guys don't get it. And Tritonio's a teacher, enemy of all that is good."

"What have you got against teachers, Anne?" asked Johan.

"Let's just say, me and them don't mix. They just don't like me. Probably cuz they're jealous of my carefree spirit."

"Or maybe," said Johan. "It's because you have the attention span of a cockroach, like Sasha?"

"Hey! Never diss my friends!"

"Well, kids, looks like you're in good hands here with Mr. Tritonio. Hyah!" Hop Pop cracked his reigns and Bessie took off. "Crop Con, here I come!"

When the old frog was gone, Tritonio said, "Finally. It is just us now. So let us cast aside these illusions, yes?" He tore off the blue coat and tricorn, revealing a red and white musketeer outfit, black tight pants and boots and his hair was loose and shoulder length. Anne and the frog kids were awed. "And this is no mere day care. This is a Combat Crash Course for kids."

The kids cheered.

"Adults, they shelter their children. I say no!" Tritonio kicked up a stick and caught it. "Teach them to fight. For danger lurks around every corner of Amphibia. Stay on your toes! Trust no one! Ah! Look over there!"

"Ah! What is it? Danger?" Sprig looked up and got himself hit in the head with the stick.

"I said trust no one!" Suddenly something caused Tritonio to trip and land on his back. Ivy suddenly reappeared behind him with a smirk. "A Stand user?" He smiled. "Finally. A challenge. Now, follow me, and we will begin the next lesson."

"Hit me again, Tritonio!"

"This guy's awesome!" said Polly.

Anne didn't look convinced. "Eh, we'll see."

The interior of the tower had target practice dummies, armor and weapons of all sorts, a punching bag and a boxing ring. "Your next lesson is to pick your weapon," said Tritonio. "Find one that resonates with you."

Polly pointed to a barrel full of blue mushrooms with spots resembling skulls. "Ooh, what are these?"

"Ah, the noble boom shroom. Small, unassuming, but in the right hands..." He pressed a mushroom's stem, causing it to beep rapidly. "Explosive!" He threw it out the window and it exploded like a grenade.

"Oh," Polly said with awe.

"Perfect for you, I think. Who's next? No wrong answers."

Johan held up his gun. "I'm pretty comfortable with what I have now..." WOOSH! Tritonio threw a dagger at the gun, pinning it to the wall.

"What will you defend yourself with now? And I don't mean that farm tool," he pointed to the kaiser blade strapped to Johan's back. "You've got with you." Johan held up his knife. "Sorry, but I need more than that."

Johan looked around and inspected the weapons. His first choice was a guan dao. He swung it to one side, swung it over his head and spun it in a circle. The weapon flew up toward the ceiling and Johan put his hands behind his back, innocently. Next, he dragged an enormous, metal club across the floor. He groaned as he tried to lift it, but lost his grip and fell. Next, he picked two swords. He marched and chopped downward with them. Next, he tried spinning a flail over his head, but he wrapped the chain around himself and fell over. Next, he tried a very wobbly spear. Lastly, he inspected a sai before using it as a toothpick.

Exhausted, he collapsed to the floor. "Sorry, none of these really speak to me."

Tritonio put a thumb on his chin. "Difficult customer, I see. Not to worry, we'll find you a weapon that speaks to you."

Meanwhile, Anne reached for a sword that looked an awful lot like the Master Sword from The Legend of Zelda when suddenly Tritonio slapped her hand away. "No! Wrong!"

"I thought you said there are no wrong answers," said Johan.

"I lied! Trust no one, remember?"

"What?!" exclaimed an indignant Anne. "How am I wrong?!"

"From what I have seen, you do not have the dexterity to wield a sword. Pick something else."

Johan was about to respond when Spig showed carrying a pair of sai. "Whoa, these are big forks."

"Ah, an excellent choice, Sprig," said Tritonio.

"Hey, check out what I've got!" Ivy held up a naginata.

"Ah, yes," said Tritonio. "With your skills and Stand, that can be the weapon for you."

Suddenly, Polly caused one of the boom shrooms to explode, making her giggle like a mad man. "So, what's the next lesson?"

The next exercise was a tire-running course. Sprig, Ivy and Polly hopped through it with ease while Johan ran through it only to trip and fall on one of the tires. "Wonderful, Sprig! Polly, truly inspiring. Ivy, you are splendid! JoJo, move faster and you can be a master." Anne nonchalantly walked through it. "No, Anne. Knees higher!"

The next lesson was monkey bars. Sprig used his tongue to swing through while Polly hopped across it. "Sprig, Polly, Ivy, nice work!" Anne followed after them. "No, Anne. More nimble!" Anne growled at Tritonio. When it was Johan's turn, the bars broke and he fell, falling flat on his face.

Next lesson was climbing up the side of the tower. Sprig, Ivy and Polly hopped along with edges with ease. Anne decided to go the easy way and use Ripple to walk up. That's it, children! Feel the stone beneath your hands, the strong breeze in your hair. Much like the breeze on a fast-moving train." And as for Johan, he fell when he was only halfway up. Tritonio shook his head. "Do you really belong here, JoJo? I think the reason you can't find a sword is because this place isn't for you." Johan made a look of disappointment. "Although, at least you're trying, unlike the other one."

"Man, Tritonio's so encouraging," said Ivy.

Anne scoffed. "Must be nice," she said sarcastically.

"Anne! I said no Ripple!" Tritonio shouted.

"Ugh, what'd I tell you? The guy's totally picking on me."

"Why don't you just ask him why he's doing it?" asked Sprig. "Tritonio says, 'An honest dialogue is more powerful than any weapon.'"

"Blech. That's the corniest thing I've ever heard-" At that moment, Anne's concentration broke and her Ripple deactivated, making her fall off the tower and into a bush.

"Even your fall needs work, Anne," said Tritonio with no sympathy.

Anne sighed in sadness.

That night, the kids and Tritonio set up a campfire with the latter serving them some quinoa. "Here, children, your quinoa macro bowls are ready." He looked around after realizing two people were missing. "Where are the gangly ones? Do they not like quinoa?"

"They said they wanted to be alone."

The two human children sat at the top of the tower, looking up at the sky downheartedly.

"I just don't get it, man. Why don't teachers like me?" Anne asked.

"Because you don't pay attention, you goof off, cut classes, and cause trouble?" Johan asked as he counted off his fingers. "And that you and Sasha let Marcy do all the work?"

"It's called having a carefree spirit!" Anne argued.

"Is having a carefree spirit going to put food on the table and clothes on your back? Is having a carefree spirit going to get you to college or get you a real job? Has it ever occurred to you that emulating Sasha is going to result in you living in a cardboard box under a bridge? It's no wonder you get Cs and Ds in everything."

Anne pointed an accusing finger at him. "Are you calling me stupid?!"

Johan held up his hands defensively. "No. I'm saying you are afraid to try because you're afraid your brain is going to explode and it's going to ooze out of your ears. Just be lucky you didn't end up like Zio Pannacotta Fugo."

"Let me guess. Another family member whose actually a friend of the family?" asked Anne, annoyed.

Johan went silent. "Zio Fugo was a tragic figure. He performed extremely well in his studies, having boasted an IQ of 152. At the age of 13, Zio Fugo had already entered a university to study law, although he had a poor relationship with his professors. At some point, he beat one of them with an encyclopedia in a fit of uncontrollable anger, forcing him to drop out. That's when he joined Passione at the request of Zio Buccellati."

Anne stood up. "Whoa. He beat up a teacher? What did he do to piss him off?"

Again, Johan went silent. "Well...I'm not exactly sure. The details are sketchy. Dad said Zio Fugo didn't really like to bring up his past. But, I can only speculate that the teacher did something...inappropriate." Anne knew at once what he was talking about. "Unlike Zio Fugo, you had teachers who care about you. My dad tells me that when teachers seem a bit rough on you, it's because they want people at their full potential, not settling for less than their best."

Anne turned away from him. "Whatever."

"Ahem." The two kids turned to see Tritonio holding a two bowls of food. "You must eat, children. Only a fool fights on an empty stomach."

Anne looked at him and asked, "Is it true? Are you being tough on me because you want to see me at my full potential? Or are you just being mean for the hell of it?"

Tritonio handed her her bowl. "Indeed. In you, I sense someone that, with a little effort could achieve greatness. And I am sure your teachers back home felt the same way." Anne gave him a smile for the first time. "And now, I believe you are ready for this." To her amazement, he handed her a sword with a flower-shaped guard and pommel. When she pulled the sword free from its gold scabbard, its silver blade glowed blue. "This blade has been in my family for many years, and now it is yours."

"Then what about me?" asked Johan. "You said I don't belong here."

Tritonio handed him his bowl. "JoJo, I admit, I do see potential in you. What I meant to say was none of the weapons I have don't belong to you. Except, maybe..." He reached behind him and took out another sword. Unlike Anne's, which had a straight blade, this sword had a sickle protrusion along one edge near the tip of the blade. It reminded Johan of the harpe, the sickle sword used by Perseus. "In my travels across the land, I've come across strange and wondrous things, and this is one of them. Perhaps, you were meant to be."

Johan took the sword out of the scabbard and noticed some strange writings on it. "Hey, these look like the symbols on the music box. What do they mean?" he asked Tritonio.

"Eh, dunno," he said with a shrug. "Now, get some rest, both of you, for tomorrow, the real training begins." And with that, he jumped off the tower.

Johan blinked. "Uh, does he realize there's no safety net down there?" He was met with silence. "Anne?" He looked back at her to see her smiling at her reflection the glowing blue blade.

"I think I just met my favorite teacher," she said.

Sometime later, while everyone was asleep, Tritonio was up late doing some paperwork in his office. At least, that's what it looked like he was doing. "Now, it should be arriving at five o'clock. That will be the perfect time to make our move." The sound of a door closing startled him. He turned around and saw Johan. "Oh, JoJo! What are you doing up late? We have a big day ahead of us." Johan said nothing and locked the door in place with a spear. "Uh...why did you do that?"

"Ten thousand," said Johan darkly.

Tritonio made a confused look. "Ten thousand what?"

"That's how much," Johan said as he took out a Wanted! poster with Tritonio's face on it. "That's how much you're worth."

Instead of breaking down in fear, the newt just smirked. "You knew the whole time, didn't you?"

"Passione has an extensive network. We know all about the criminals in Frog Valley. You've been on my list for some time now."

"Is that so?" Tritonio asked as he slowly reached behind him and grabbed a stink shroom.

"According to the description, you're wanted for sixteen train robberies."

"Seventeen."

"And truth be told, there was a point where I wanted to ask you to join Passione," said Johan as he slowly walked around Tritonio. "An expert thief like you? You could become a great asset. But then I changed my mind at the last second when I read one key detail. In all those robberies, you used children that were brought here to your so-called combat camp as pawns and when they've done their part and you make off with the goods, you leave them behind to take the fall for it! And now, you want Anne, Sprig, Ivy and Polly to do the same!" He pointed the harpe at him. "Children. Are not. Your tools!" He charged at Tritonio only for the newt to pull out his rapier, block the harpe and kick him back.

And he swung at Johan. Johan moved the blade quickly to block Tritonio and ducked out of the way. Johan jumped forward and swung at him, but he deflected it, pushing Johan back and advancing with a counter – Johan tried to duck but he still managed to open a cut on his shoulder – he winced at the stinging pain. Tritonio swung at Johan again and he blocked it, using the moment to land a heavy kick in his stomach. He grunted and stumbled back, and Johan jumped forward, lunging with the harpe. He tried to dodge but Johan felt the blade rip through his jacket. The newt grunted in pain as he put a hand over the wound and he could see blood dripping onto his hand.

Johan charged again, unaware that his movements were becoming predictable. Tritonio blocked the harpe with the rapier then used his tail to knock Johan off his feet before kicking the harpe away. He pointed the rapier at Johan's face and said, "I'll admit, you are very skilled. But you can never match my skills. I'm afraid I've had a lot more experience than you."

Johan seethed before he smirked. "Perhaps." Suddenly, DARE appeared and punched Tritonio in the face. "MUDA!" The newt was sent flying into a desk. "That's why I'm gonna cheat!" Johan pulled out his gun and fired at Tritonio, only for a silver suit of armor to appear and encase him, deflecting the bullets. Johan scoffed. "I knew it. I had you pegged for a Stand user the moment you acknowledged Ivy's Invisible Touch."

The armor disappeared and Tritonio said, "I don't like using Iron Man. It slows down my movements. I prefer to do things the old fashioned way, by fighting dirty." He threw the stink shroom in Johan's face, burning his nose and eyes. "By the way, I can cheat too!" His right fist became encased in armor and he threw a single punch to Johan's head. He slid across the floor and hit his head against the wall. Disorientated, Johan looked up to see the blurry vision of Tritonio standing over him. "Don't worry about Anne and the others. They'll be safe and sound in their prison cell, along with the rest of the saps. Perhaps you can see them during visiting hours. Until then, nighty-night!"

The last thing Johan saw was the sole of Tritonio's boot.

To Be Continued...

Stand: Iron Man

User: Tritonio

Power: D

Speed: D

Range: E

Durability: A

Precision: A

Potential: C

Ability: Encases the user in silver armor. When encasing the whole body, the user's movements are slowed down considerably.