Yoshihara entered the Midoriya Household, a small smile on her face as she took off her shoes at the front door. She then slipped the leather jacket off of her arms and put it onto the coat rack just adjacent to a closet near the front door. She then looked back at the woman, bowing her head slightly in greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Midoriya-san, uhh… Is Midoriya-kun home?" Yoshihara asked as Inko smiled, turning around and walking into the living room, glancing over her shoulder as she spoke.
"No, not right now. Izuku just phoned me ten minutes ago saying he was on his way from the beach," the older Midoriya replied, before turning back around yet again with a smile on her face as she spoke up. "Oh, and Kira-san, if you're hungry, there's some leftover Katsudon in the fridge," Inko said, gesturing over to the kitchen. "You can have it if you want. Izuku doesn't want it because it's cold. He doesn't like cold Katsudon, and I'd rather not have to throw it out. But that's up to you."
xxXXxxXXxx
"You and that damn Katsudon."
"Same with you and coffee, JoJo." Izuku shot back.
"Coffee is how a lot of people start their day, it's a perfectly normal part of my routine," Johnny said with crossed arms, smirking. "Katsudon, on the other hand-"
"You guzzle that stuff down like you were stranded in the desert with no water!" The heroes in the room began chuckling to themselves. They were practically siblings, and like siblings, they always tended to take a few shots at each other. "Caffeine is a drug, you know."
"I need it. It is a necessity for me." Johnny replied. "I'm far too tired from all the bullshit in my life to NOT rely on caffeine. I'd be a mess without it."
"JoJo, that's called severe withdrawal!"
xxXXxxXXxx
Yoshihara's eyes wandered over to where the older woman had pointed, as her smile faded away into a neutral expression. The kitchen was clean, almost too clean for Yoshihara's liking. If one were to look into the wooden cabinets decorating the walls of the porcelain room, one would see their reflection glistening off of it. The counters were clean and the sinks were empty of any possible dishes.
In other words, it was clean. Too clean. Then again, perhaps her standards were just that low for what she considered to be "clean". That was most likely the case, although she was still on edge after what Kujo had told her. But, then again, there was no need for her to think she was in danger.
So far, Yoshihara's overall impression of the Midoriya Matriarch was that of a good mother and a clean freak. It wasn't bad, mind you, far better than what her poor excuse of a mother had been—dare she even call that wench a mother—by a fair margin.
"Thank you, Midoriya-san," Yoshihara said as Inko waved her hand dismissively.
"Oh, please, no need to thank me. Oh, and by the way, you can call me Inko. Midoriya-san is too formal. I've never been a fan of formalities," Inko replied as Yoshihara nodded.
"Then you can call me Kira-chan. It's better than the other nickname my Guardian calls me. That and Kira-san makes me sound old," Yoshihara replied as Inko raised an eyebrow.
"Guardian? What about your parents?" Inko asked as Yoshihara glanced at the floor, a displeased look on her face, which Inko caught on to quickly. "O-oh, touchy subject, got it, my apologies," Inko said, stiffening, a look of concern on her face as Yoshihara sighed.
"It's fine. You couldn't have known," Yoshihara said, looking back at Inko as the older woman sat down on the couch, giving the blonde a chance to observe the layout of the rest of the apartment.
The house in question was small but cozy looking. The living room and kitchen were joined together, and there was a short hallway with three rooms at the end of it. Peering down the hallway she was able to see that one of the doors had a sign that said: "Izuku's Room – Don't enter without knocking."
Yoshihara couldn't help but snicker to herself as she walked over to the couch on the opposite side of Inko, sitting down as she crossed her right leg over her left. Moments after that, Inko sat down just across from her, hands on her knees in a formal posture. To Yoshihara, it felt like Inko was judging her for something, although the blonde didn't know what it was that she was being judged for.
And then came what she saw in the woman's eyes.
What the blonde saw in the eyes of the mother of her new friend was a sense of worry, with a lick of concern, with a mask of joy. It was clear the woman worried a lot, and Yoshihara already knew why that was.
Izuku was, without any offence meant to the boy, meek, and physically weak. He had aspirations of being a hero without the body nor the power to have it. It didn't help that he was timid and jumpy. If he wanted to be a hero, he would have to grow out of his comfort zone. And considering that he still stammered when talking to girls… well it was safe to assume that it would take a lot of effort to shake him of his shyness.
xxXXxxXXxx
"I can attest to that," Kyoka said.
"Is this just gonna be a roast session?" Izuku asked, glancing at his friends with a bemused look.
"No! It's just that…you were very shy, dude. You could barely speak full sentences around me, at least not without sounding like Porky Pig."
"This is a roast session."
"It's a roast with love!"
Gyro snorted, patting Izuku on the shoulder. "That sums up her sense of humour quite nicely, Nyo ho! You just gotta accept that this is the price to pay for being friends with the likes of us."
Inko chuckled to herself as she watched her son's friends continue to poke at him, not with cruelty or judgment, but with affection. Just like the Izuku on screen, her son had a rough life with a very small amount of people he could truly call friends, mercilessly belittled to the point of tears.
Here, she could tell that he was among people who saw him as the kind, reliable, and brave boy he was.
'A roast with love indeed.'
xxXXxxXXxx
It was then that Yoshihara was pulled out of her thoughts by the Midoriya Matriarch talking. "So… how did you meet my son?" Inko asked as Yoshihara sighed. A part of her didn't want to tell her how at least the truth, but…
"Does she even know what's happening at Aldera?" Yoshihara thought, her expression twisting into that of discomfort. If she didn't know what was happening to her son at school, then either a massive case of miscommunication was happening, or… "No, I can't assume the worst just because of my own experiences. Give the woman the benefit of the doubt." The blonde thought, her contemplative expression changing to a frown.
"Er… Kira-chan? Are you okay?" Inko questioned, her eyebrow raising as Yoshihara sighed.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Yoshihara apologized as she straightened out her posture while resting her hands on her legs. "Well… I met Midoriya-kun in the hallway at school. He was… getting picked on by some of his classmates. I didn't see what it was fully about, but… I wanted to cheer him up. So I took him to the side, and we talked. I got the impression he didn't have many friends, so I decided that I was going to be his. I also saw that video where he saved that blond kid's—Bakugo if remember his name correctly—life with the help of All Might. In fact, that was the reason why I wanted to meet him… because I thought what he did was cool," Yoshihara explained as Inko gasped, hand covering her mouth in shock.
"Izuku is getting… bullied?" Inko asked, a look of worry on her face as Yoshihara folded her arms across her chest. If that one sentence didn't explain what the woman knew about what was happening, then it was clear she didn't even know half of it. Again, not a knock on the woman herself. It was clear that miscommunication was going on between the two, so she'd have to fill her in, at least a little bit.
"Yeah… well, actually, it's not just 'getting bullied,' it's more like he gets full-on assaulted by some of the other students. I think it has to do with the fact that he's Quirkless. I take it he doesn't tell you anything, right?" Yoshihara asked as Inko looked away, her face full of concern.
"I had my suspicions, and I've asked him if anything was happening at school multiple times, but… he never tells me anything. I think it's because he doesn't want me to worry, but… at the same time…" Inko said, looking down at the floor as Yoshihara looked away.
She hadn't planned to cause the poor woman any stress, at least any more than she had already had, but that wasn't what she was thinking about. The blonde could understand not telling a parent a detrimental secret, but something like being bullied? Why on Earth would anyone not tell their parents that they're getting bullied?
"Are you okay, Inko? Do you need me to get you something?" Yoshihara asked as Inko looked back at the blonde, a forced smile on her face.
"I… I'm sorry Kira-chan, I shouldn't be moping about like this. It's just… I wish I heard this information coming from my son rather than from someone he just met a day ago," Inko said, a sigh escaping her lips. "Well, on the bright side, at least he has you and Katsuki, so that's a plus," Inko said as Yoshihara bit her lip.
"About that…" Yoshihara drawled, glancing over her shoulder as Inko raised an eyebrow.
"What… what do you mean? You're not seriously about to accuse my friend's son of being a bully?" Inko asked as Yoshihara folded her hands, her expression dropping as she looked Inko dead in the eyes. There was something… defensive in that sentence that she had spoken that had ticked her off.
How had she not noticed the bullying and torment coming from the explosive blond-haired boy? Midoriya might not've known that she had seen it, but there was a burn mark on his shoulder from what Yoshihara could only assume was the result of Bakugo placing his hand there whilst activating his Quirk. There were probably other bruises and burns all over his body, and not once did this woman ever find it suspicious that they were there.
What made things worse was that she claimed to be friends with the parents of his Bakugo Katsuki, which meant she had to know something about what was going on. Yoshihara wasn't going to accept the fact that she was just that dense. A parent should be more diligent about the going-ons of their child, and if she didn't put the dots together, that meant that either she was blissfully ignorant of Bakugo and what he was doing or, the more heinous of the two ideas, she was maliciously aware of what Bakugo was doing and ignoring it.
xxXXxxXXxx
"I didn't really know how to process it either," Inko said, frowning. "I…don't know if I'd immediately go into denial though, if anything I'd go to Mitsuki."
"And I'd be six feet under," Katsuki muttered.
"Well, people have slight, or even major differences between universes," Gyro commented, tapping his forehead. "There could be a reality where I'm the same exact guy, except I have a giant mole on my forehead, or there could be another where I'm an asshole."
"So one reality where you have a mole, and this one, got it." Kyoka quipped, earning a glare from the Italian.
"I doubt that this version of you is a very drastic change, you seem to be roughly the same," Jotaro said, turning to Inko. "Then again…the Joestar Family Tree is all screwed up, so anything is possible."
xxXXxxXXxx
Again, however, she had to give Inko the benefit of the doubt. She couldn't just say that Inko was a lousy parent. In fact, from what she had seen from her, she'd say that she was an exceptional parent—at least, in her eyes and standards, which weren't all that high to begin with, so that was a plus. But that also didn't mean that she couldn't have seen the bullying between Bakugo and Midoriya. She had to have known something, even if it was small. It was too big for her to ignore.
"I may not know much about your son, nor do I know his relationship with Bakugo, or "Kacchan," or what-have-you, but I know what I saw. Midoriya-kun was being threatened by Bakugo, and I stepped in to stop it. And unless Midoriya-kun has a habit of pissing Bakugo off on purpose to get that sort of reaction, I hate to say it, but Bakugo seems to be just as bad as the others I saw assault Midoriya-kun," Yoshihara explained as Inko let out an exasperated sigh.
"I… I see. I apologize. It's… It's just. I don't understand… why am I not hearing this from my son? Instead, I'm hearing it from someone he just met. Does… does he not trust me?" Inko questioned as Yoshihara shook her head.
"I doubt you're a bad parent, Inko. All I'm saying is that perhaps you should have a talk with him about what is happening with him at school," Yoshihara suggested as Inko smiled.
"Thank you, Kira-chan. Although, I have a few questions to ask you," Inko started, changing the subject. "My son is a bit of a Quirk nerd, as am I from time to time, so, if you don't mind me asking, what's your Quirk?" The greenette asked as Yoshihara gave her a neutral expression.
She couldn't tell her that she was a Stand User. It wasn't because she was suspicious of Inko. Instead, the reason was far more, well, reasonable. Yoshihara didn't want to expose a secret like that to some random woman she had just met. It would be idiotic and detrimental to her if she did. Not only that, but it would get her wound up in something that Inko had no business in. So, just in case, she had to lie, to some degree.
"I'm Quirkless," Yoshihara stated as Inko gasped.
"Oh? Your Quirkless? I wasn't expecting that answer, so you're like my son?" Inko asked as Yoshihara rubbed the back of her neck.
"Yeah, it's one of the many reasons why I can sympathize with him. I know what it's like to be looked down on. I know what it's like to be hated for no particular reason." "Far more than you'd ever know…" That went unsaid as Yoshihara frowned, taking her hand off the back of her neck as she relaxed, leaning against the couch cushions. "It's worse because of my gender. Most people see me as an even weaker person because of it. But, they would be shocked to see just how much I can pack a punch," Yoshihara said, her smirk falling as she crossed her arms, side-eyeing the wall to her left.
While it wasn't a lie, per se, it wasn't the truth either. Her Stand wasn't a Quirk, and according to Josefumi, those without Stands cannot see other Stands. She wondered if anyone else she knew was possibly a Stand user. It could've been a possibility. However, it was best not to think about it.
"Well, at least that's one thing that differs between you and my son. You seem like a nice girl. I'm glad we could have this chance to talk," Inko said, reaching for a cup of tea. Her hand barely reached the cup, an annoyed look on her face. Then, out of nowhere, in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, a green hand with a red arrow atop the hand came out of Inko's.
xxXXxxXXxx
"...oh."
Izuku was understandably taken back by the brief look at what was clearly this version of Inko's Stand.
"That was…definitely a tactic to trick Kira into revealing that she herself is a Stand User, right?" Momo asked, narrowing her eyes. "I hate to say it, but this might not be the Mrs. Midoriya we know after all… in a world where most people can't see them, an EXPERIENCED Stand User could easily detect another by exposing theirs."
"Oh my god… Kira's gonna fight my mom." Izuku said, looking at his mother, and back at the screen. "I've never seen my mom fight someone before… this is gonna be weird to watch…"
"It isn't so strange, she's probably going to bat for you," Johnny responded.
"JoJo, your dad has been kicking ass since high school! You're used to seeing him do that stuff!"
"Well, I'm not a fighter," Inko said with a nervous smile. "But… I'd certainly try if I felt you were in danger."
"Yeah… by sitting on them." Susan scoffed, and the next thing she knew, Izuku Midoriya was giving her one of the coldest stares she had ever seen on the kid. He didn't say anything…but the look he was giving her was eerily similar to the one Kyoka gave her when the musician vowed to kill her.
Not exactly killing intent…but it was pretty damn close.
Inko, however, just smiled at her.
"If that's what it takes, I'll do anything for my son! You'd do the same, right?"
Susan blinked, her mouth agape, as Inko turned her attention back to the screen, still smiling as if she wasn't just insulted. Then, of course, Kyoka started chuckling.
"Wow…that was sad," DIO remarked, and Susan angrily gritted her teeth and kept quiet.
xxXXxxXXxx
Yoshihara's eyes widened for a split second, her face betraying her thoughts as she blinked, her expression returning to a neutral one. "Is Inko a… A Stand User?" Yoshihara thought as Inko retrieved her cup of tea, the hand disappearing. The blonde blinked again, her thoughts tossing and turning. "No, that can't be right. I don't feel any kind of attraction to her on a spiritual level like Kujo-san had mentioned back in the hospital. So… are my eyes playing tricks on me?" Yoshihara thought as Inko raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, would you like a cup of tea, Kira-chan?" Inko asked as Yoshihara looked up at Inko, her face morphing into a smile.
"Oh, no thanks, uh, I need to use the bathroom. Where is it?" Yoshihara asked as Inko pointed down the hall.
"Last room on the right," Inko said as Yoshihara stood up and walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. As soon as she entered the room, she locked the door and sat down against it, sighing.
"Okay, so far, things are going great. Inko may or may not be a Stand User, which is a little bit worrying. But for all I know, my mind is just playing tricks on me after Josefumi's recent 'attack.' Maybe…." Yoshihara muttered, standing up as she looked around the room. There was a small tub and shower, behind it was a toilet, and in front of both was a sink and mirror. "Now… I have a choice, get her to somehow fully reveal her Stand, if she has one, learn its ability and adjust accordingly in case this turns into a fight like with Kujo-san, or… leave it alone, for the time being, pretend I saw nothing, and continue living my life. She could be an ally so long as I don't push things. Again, taking into consideration that she might be a Stand User…." Yoshihara continued, looking into the mirror.
Ever since she had learned all that information from Josefumi, she had become incredibly weary around those she trusted. Not to mention the fact that being a Stand User also brought dangers into her own life, regardless of whether or not she was "safe" at school. Letting out a sigh, she slapped herself a few times before looking down at the porcelain sink.
Turning on the sink, she washed her hands. That way, she could make it seem as if she had actually used the bathroom. Then, she flushed the toilet. Taking in a deep breath, she stepped outside of the bathroom, a calm expression on her face as she walked into the living room. When she did, she saw Midoriya walk through the door, greeting his mother with a smile. When his eyes landed on her, he practically jumped in place.
"Oh, K-Kira-san! I wasn't expecting you to actually come! It's good to see you. How are you doing?" Izuku asked as Yoshihara smiled. The green-haired boy had taken off a blue zip-up sweater he had been wearing when he walked through the door, underneath which was a yellow shirt with the kanji for "hero" on the front. He wore black shorts and red and black sneakers, which he was in the middle of taking off.
"Good to see you, Midoriya-kun," the blonde said, putting her hands in her pants pockets. "How was the beach?" Yoshihara asked as Midoriya sweat-dropped.
"O-Oh, it was fine! I'm helping someone clean it up as a part of my training! It sounds mundane, but considering there are at least 100,000 kilograms of stuff on that beach, it's a lot harder than it seems. That and my personal trainer is a bit of a busy body himself, oh, but whoamikiddingitdoesn'treallymatterwhomytrainerisI—"
"Midoriya," Yoshihara said, her voice a little louder than it normally was, interrupting the mumbling greenette, a drop of sweat on her forehead as she looked at him with a concerned expression. "Have you ever considered rapping? I mean, you talk so fast you're practically bred to be one, no offence," Yoshihara said as Izuku rubbed the back of his head.
"A-Ah, sorry about that, Kira-san, I tend to go overboard when I'm passionate about something…." Izuku said with a goofy smile on his face as the blond chuffed.
"Understandable. I'll let you take your shoes off, and we can go talk somewhere that isn't the doorway," Yoshihara said as she stepped away from the door, walking down the hall as Izuku took off his shoes. As the blond walked down the hall, she saw the door to Izuku's room cracked open.
Curiosity absorbed the blonde as she glanced in to see what was going on, seeing Inko touch things seemingly at random. There was a determined expression on her face, like one someone would wear when they were about to do something. And then came the things that she was touching. Small figurines, pieces of paper, and even a few pencils, pens, and scissors. Inko turned to face the doorway, causing Yoshihara to zip out of sight and over to the bathroom door.
xxXXxxXXxx
"Heheheheheheh…"
Izuku shot DIO a look, knowing full well that if the vampire found something about the situation amusing…it wasn't good. DIO met his eyes, a devilish smirk growing on his face.
"Curious behaviour, don't you think?"
"...can you go one 'episode' without rubbing stuff in our faces?"
"It's just, that she's clearly experienced in deception and utilizing the Stand to the best of its ability. Heheheheh…I wonder, has she worked for this world's me? That's the kind of efficiency I like in an assassin."
Izuku bit his lip, annoyed…but knew that since this was an alternate reality, DIO could very well be right. The timeline of events was different on the Joestar side of things so far, who's to say it would be different with everyone else?
So, he just kept watching…wondering how much was truly different from the life he knew.
xxXXxxXXxx
"What was she doing in there…?" Yoshihara asked herself lowly as Inko walked out of the boy's bedroom, looking over at the blonde with a soft smile on her face.
"Oh, Kira-chan! Just so that you know, I'm heading out for a bit. I'll leave you and Izuku by yourself for a while. If you need anything to eat, just check the fridge. I won't be back for a while. If anything bad happens, my number is on a piece of paper on the fridge, call me!" Inko said as she left the hallway.
Yoshihara heard the mumbled voice of Inko speaking to her son outside of the hallway as Izuku came to the mouth of the hall just a few seconds later, the green-haired boy nodding, followed by the sound of the front door closing.
Yoshihara narrowed her eyes in the direction of where Inko left. A part of her was starting to not trust the woman, however, again, the benefit of the doubt had to be given. The blonde chastised herself mentally, chewing on the inside of her mouth. She was being paranoid, only because she saw a small green hand stick out of the matriarch that could or could not have been real, and just might have been her seeing things.
"Calm down, Yoshihara, it's probably nothing," Yoshihara thought as Midoriya looked at her, a confused look on his face.
"Uh, Kira-san, are you okay?" the green-haired teen asked as Yoshihara shook her head, confusion littering his face as Yoshihara nodded.
"Uh, yeah… just a quick question? What is your mother's Quirk?" Yoshihara asked as Midoriya raised an eyebrow.
"Huh? Oh, uh, it's called Attraction Of Small Objects. It allows her to pull small things toward herself when she motions her hand to them. It's like a magnet, nothing special. Why?" Midoriya questioned as Yoshihara hummed.
"Then why would she be touching things at random for no reason? There has to be something more to it than just that…. Maybe… No, that doesn't make sense. If what Kujo-kun said was true then I would've known by now… Bah, whatever. I'm probably just overthinking things." As Yoshihara finished that train of thought, she shook her head with a sigh.
"Nothing really, just curious," Yoshihara said as she motioned her head to his room. "You wanna chit-chat in your room or—"
"NO!" Midoriya interrupted, causing Yoshihara to flinch as he blinked, scrambling before waving his hands in the air defensively. "I-I mean, no, I… I um… don't like other people in my room, it's… uh… an embarrassment thing, er- I mean, well—"
"It's fine. I get it. You just don't want a girl in your room 'cause it makes you feel weird, it's fine. We've all been there," Yoshihara said, playfully jabbing his shoulder as Midoriya stiffened up like a rod.
"I-I, Uh, I—"
"Seriously, dude, it's okay," Yoshihara said, deadpanning as she walked past him. The blonde walked into the kitchen and looked around as Izuku walked over to her.
"Uh, Kira-san… uh, back at the school, when you attacked Kacchan with your Quirk… what exactly is it? Is it some sort of psychic imprint Quirk?" Midoriya asked as Yoshihara glanced over her shoulder.
"It's… a bit more complicated than that, but, yeah, sorta," Yoshihara said, turning to face him. "Hey, Midoriya-kun, is there, by any chance, that your mother is a bit of a… neat freak or something?" Yoshihara asked as Izuku tilted his head.
"Uh… not particularly. She knew a guest was coming over, so she cleaned up the house while I was training at the beach. I would've helped if I was home," Midoriya replied as Yoshihara hummed.
"I see… sorry if I'm asking a lot of questions. It's just that, recently, I was attacked in my own home yesterday, so I'm on the bit of the paranoid side as of late," Yoshihara said as Midoriya gasped.
"A villain attacked you! Did the heroes come and help?" The green-haired teen asked as Yoshihara shook her head.
"Nope, had to deal with it myself. The heroes couldn't make it there in time, and it was a case of life or death," Yoshihara explained, "From what I know, the villain is in prison, so that's good," Yoshihara finished as Midoriya sweat-dropped.
"H-How are you not scarred from that?! If I were you, I wouldn't have just left to go to a friend's house the day after!" Midoriya stressed as Yoshihara shrugged, an uncaring look on her face.
xxXXxxXXxx
"Damn, you're really green," Gyro said, and everyone groaned at his pun. "Oh come on, that was clever!"
"Well, aside from the obvious dig at my hair, he's right. I was…pretty naive when it came to the grittier stuff. I had a very black-and-white mindset at the time, but the school year certainly beat that mindset out of me pretty quickly." Izuku replied. "That…and you and my childhood best friend killed the President of the United States, and it was actually a GOOD thing."
Inko blinked. "Wait…this is the first time I've heard about this. What's this about killing the President?"
Johnny and Gyro looked at each other, and then responded in unison:
"It's complicated."
xxXXxxXXxx
"Been through worse, way worse. A home invasion is nothing compared to…." Yoshihara paused, biting her lip. "Let's change the subject, okay?" Yoshihara said as Izuku nodded.
"Y-Yeah…." The green-haired boy said as he snapped his fingers. "Uh, what was your inspiration to become a hero?" Midoriya asked as Yoshihara raised an eyebrow. "That is, of course, if you want to tell me…." Izuku said as Yoshihara sighed.
"Well, if I told you, you cannot tell anyone else, got it?" Yoshihara stated as the green-haired teen raised an eyebrow.
"Uh… is it that personal? If you don't really want to tell me, t-then you don't have to, K-Kira-san…." Midoriya said as the blonde crossed her arms.
"Midoriya, I know more about yourself than you know about me. I know you want to be a hero because you've always wanted to. I shouldn't keep everything about myself, to myself. Besides, so long as you don't stick your nose deeper than what I'm going to tell you, then I think everything should be fine. Now, do you want to know, or not?" Yoshihara asked as Izuku nodded.
"Y-yeah, if you don't mind, that is," the green-haired boy asked as Yoshihara sighed. She was going to leave out most of the… gross details but she'd tell him the basics. And besides, being honest with him would've been better in the long run.
"Well…"
[Flashback – 4 years ago]
The night air blew through a lone alleyway. Needles covered the floor as several homeless people wrapped themselves in blankets given to them by a few generous passersby. Sitting in the corner of the dusty, mouldy alleyway, a broad and large box sat all by its lonesome, turned over on its side with the flaps cut off, a few stapled together newspapers acting as a blanket sat laid upon a young, blond-haired girl wearing scraps of clothing.
The girl wore a ripped-up T-shirt and some torn shorts. The only thing that was truly hers was a golden necklace. Her hair was matted and messy, dirt covering parts of her body and her hair as she tried desperately to get some sleep within the box.
There was a sign beside the box. The sign was made of cardboard and written in black felt. The sign read: Will Do Anything for money. It was written sloppily, but it was legible. And by anything, the little girl meant anything. Including "forbidden things" as a few people had questioned her about. It made her the most money from the first time she was asked. The guy paid 10,000 yen, and "gave her the works," as he called it.
It… well, she didn't truly know how to feel. First, he took her back to his place and let her have something to eat before anything, saying, "he was a nice guy." Afterward, he took her up to his room, which was where it all began. He… did things to her. Things that she didn't want to remember. All she fully remembered was that it hurt… it hurt a lot. But at least he was… gentle about it. After he was done, he gave her some money, around 10,000 yen, told her to never talk about it, and left her back in the alleyway.
It flashed in her mind time and time again how he had violated her and how, even though she barely understood it, her brain had made it evident that it was pleasurable, like eating chocolate or drinking yogurt.
Don't get her wrong. She knew what… sex was. How could she not… her mother was surrounded by it and she had personally seen it from that… place she was forced to sleep in for years. She had known what it had felt like before… and those times she especially wanted to forget about it. Every time it happened she felt used. She felt disgusted with herself. She felt like she wanted to die every time.
However, it gave her money… a lot of money. So much money that she could actually buy some clothes, even if they were from the bargain bin. It was miles better than the other clothing she got from the dumpster. Heck, she was able to get some food! Something that she used to have to beg for and… do things for. Of course, the money didn't last. She recently ran out, and now she was back to begging.
xxXXxxXXxx
Kyoka was going to throw up.
It was disgusting, plain and simple. No sensible person would ever think this was okay…even Susan was cringing. A child in the streets, giving out "favors" to sick and twisted assholes…was revolting to no end.
It was unacceptable, and it was everything she stood against. Especially with her own boyfriend's experience with abuse and neglect, stuff like this made her livid. The worst part was, this was an alternate universe, and this shit already happened…it was too late to prevent it, too late to do anything about it.
Johnny was shaking. Even though he had made considerable progress…no one is ever free from their scars. What Yoshihara went through is ten times worse than anything Susan ever did to him, and like how he was when he found out what was happening to Eri…this bit of backstory invoked all the wrong emotions.
"Why…didn't anyone report this?" The former jockey asked, softly. Kyoka glanced at him, worried…she knew damn well that he was keeping a lid on his anger. Whenever there was a child suffering involved…it took all his resolve to keep his cool.
"A hero can save as many people as they can…but no one can reach out to every individual that's in pain," Aizawa replied, giving Johnny one of his rare sympathetic looks. "People assume that a hero will take care of it, but heroes are people too. Sometimes we fail, and sometimes it goes under the radar because normal people think they don't need to help. That's a flaw of the system we live in."
Johnny remained silent, and Kyoka gently prodded him with a jack. Sometimes he needed a moment to collect himself, and she was always happy to provide him with it. He nodded, giving her permission to touch him, and she took his arm. "Easy there Blondie…I've got you."
"I know."
"This is why there needs to be change." Santana looked furious, which was of little surprise. He was the champion of the outcasts after all, these exact situations, people like Yoshihara… they were what he was fighting for. "Heroes are needed, but the lack of aid towards the unfortunate is OUTRAGEOUS. No one is helping her! No one is taking a stand, and it's the same in our world!"
"We try, Santana," Gyro said, eyeing the Pillar Man.
"I never said YOU didn't. It's a statement about Hero Society as a whole." Santana huffed and turned his head away from the starving Yoshihara on screen. "Can we please get this segment over with?"
Johnny huffed, squinting his eyes as his temper started to fizzle out. "God, it makes me sick. Every time…"
"Oh my God," Susan muttered, disgusted. "There he goes."
Johnny just ignored his "mother", but pretty much everyone else looked like they were about to burst a vein. Kyoka was about to open her mouth, but Johnny turned to look at her, and she reluctantly backed down. It did no good to preach to ears that were unable to listen, Susan's narcissism made it impossible for her to accept guilt.
It wasn't worth wasting breath.
xxXXxxXXxx
She'd most likely have to do it again. She really, really didn't want to do it again. But she had no choice. She had to make money. She needed to make money. From what that… horrible person told her, their family used to be well off until that horrible person's father had gambled it all away on machines and drugs.
The kid in the box had lived in the alleyway for at least a year. Beforehand she had been wandering from place to place, sleeping in shelters. However, when she ran out of shelters to sleep in and money to donate, they stopped letting her sleep there, so she resorted to an alleyway.
The people in the alleyway changed from time to time, but one person stayed. He was young, with a little bit of stubble on his chin and atop his lip. His head was covered with a black beanie, and he wore a brown, patched-up jacket. Underneath the coat was a hole-filled shirt, with some ripped jeans on his legs and ruined boots.
He had treated her with kindness and shared the food he'd get from others with her, whether it be a half-eaten burger or an entire happy meal from McDonalds. They didn't speak with one another. He'd just throw her food and observe her. He'd even stare at the sign with disgust on his face.
He looked like he wanted to say something about it. But he let it be. Why would he be disgusted? Was it disgusting? She had no idea if it was or not. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Honestly, the kid didn't care.
"Hey, kid…" a voice spoke out as the kid opened her eyes. It was the man who shared food with her. His name was Wakuraba, from what the kid remembered when one of the other homeless folks spoke to him.
"Yeah…?" the kid asked as the man coughed into his bare hand.
"What's your name again?" The man asked as the kid blinked.
"Kira… Yoshihara Kira. What's it to you?" the blond kid asked as the man frowned.
"How old are ya… that sign… You know what it means, yeah?" Wakuraba asked as Yoshihara's eyes narrowed.
"I… know what it means. And I'm 12 years old. Again, what's it to you?" Yoshihara now demanded as Wakuraba sighed.
"Nothing really. It's just, we've been in the same alleyway for a year now, and… well, that sign… I won't lie, it's gross. But then again, who am I to judge… get your bag, I guess," Wakuraba said, coughing again. "My brother owns a brothel. He's a nice man. His name is Akira. If you talked to him and asked him for a place to stay, he'll let you sleep and eat there, so long as you pull your weight and do some work for him. He doesn't hire minors to do dances or do the backrooms. He's got better morals than the fucktwits you allow to violate you. But he does hire people like you as cleaners and labourers, but it'll be enough for someone such as yourself to clean up and get a place to live," the man said as Yoshihara raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you telling me this? Why not just do that yourself?" Yoshihara asked as Wakuraba chuckled, coughing into his hand.
"I'm not long for this world. You see, I have lung cancer. It's hereditary, so it was bound to happen, no matter how healthy I tried to be. Plus, my brother and I aren't on the best of terms. But, I'm sure he'd help you. Currently, he's doing his "special" viewing. However, if you talk to his guard, Otoshi, he'll let you in to speak to him. Don't tell'em about me, or else he'll turn you away," Wakuraba said as Yoshihara nodded.
"T-thank you, Wakuraba… I, I'll repay you somehow," Yoshihara said, getting out of her box and waving to the man as he chuckled.
"Good luck on your ventures, Yoshihara," Wakuraba said, coughing into his hand once more as Yoshihara left the alleyway. The blond-haired girl made her way down the street, looking for a brothel with a bodyguard. It didn't take her long to find it.
Upon finding it and talking to the guard, Otoshi, and explaining her situation, Otoshi spoke to Akira, who let her in on the condition that she worked hard. Eventually, she climbed the ladder to become a professional private sex worker, much to Akira's chagrin, until she met Nemuri Kayama, aka the pro hero Midnight, and began her training to become a pro hero.
[Present Day]
With that, Yoshihara finished telling Midoriya everything that had led up to her current predicament. She left out the part of her allowing herself to get molested by those men as a child and kept most of everything vague. The only thing she was really honest about was Wakuraba, what he told her, and her past job as a sex worker.
xxXXxxXXxx
DIO had fallen silent, and for the first time…he seemed to be taking it somewhat seriously. Yoshihara's struggle on the streets, unfortunately, reminded him of his life before the Joestars took him in.
He didn't like reminiscing about his human past, but recently…his battle with Kyoka on The Barge forced him to confront it, and his own shortcomings. So, unfortunately, it was still fresh on his mind.
'Why is it that she has no real ambition? Someone who has been so low should CRAVE the top! Is she just content with what she has?'
It didn't make sense to him. He was in a very similar situation back in the day, a deadbeat parent, living on the streets…yet instead of seeking to defy the life the world shackled her with, she is simply SETTLING for the life Nemuri provided for her.
Everyone else was silent as well, clearly mortified by what had been described. Of course, such situations could be found in every universe, but that didn't really lessen the impact of seeing it. DIO had seen it a million times, even lived it…which is why current Yoshihara was really starting to piss him off.
It made Kyoka's jab at him carry more weight.
"However…for someone who talks about 'peace of mind'...I don't think you'll ever find it yourself. You're the type who will never be satisfied."
Yoshihara could settle, but he never could.
xxXXxxXXxx
She wondered what happened to Wakuraba. Did he die? Or was he still living in that alleyway? The chances of him being dead were higher than him being alive. He had cancer after all. She just hoped he didn't die in that alleyway all alone. Even if Akira and Wakuraba were on bad terms, leaving your brother out to die alone just sounded awful.
Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Yoshihara looked back at Midoriya, who was staring at Yoshihara with wide eyes. The pair were sitting on the two living room couches, both of them staring at one another Yoshihara spoke her story, or at least what she had been willing to share. The blonde had been rubbing her arm uncomfortably as she stared at the ground. It was then that Midoriya spoke up. "O-Oh, my god… Kira-san, I…"
"I know, right? It wasn't a very pleasant time in my life, and I'd rather not talk about it again. But, you asked, and since I know your reasonings, you now know mine, even if they aren't exactly the most… ideal of reasons. Kayama-san saw something in me that even I don't see, so… I've just been doing it because she says I can be a good hero…." Yoshihara said as Izuku nodded.
"No! T-That's not true! So long as you save and protect people and do your job as a hero, you'll make a fine hero! I mean, look at Kacchan, h-he wants to be a hero for the fame, but he still has the potential to be one of the best ones out there!" Izuku said as Yoshihara smiled.
"Thank you, Midoriya-kun. You have no idea how much that means to me," Yoshihara said, a light blush on her face as Izuku's face shaped into a small grin.
"N-No problem, Kira-san," Izuku said as he turned to look over to the kitchen. Izuku's eyes widened as he stared up at the ceiling. There, in the center of the kitchen, was a floating knife, a green aura around it as it floated there.
"W-Wha—" Before Izuku could say anything else, the knife went flying towards them, specifically, heading straight for Yoshihara, who had raised an eyebrow.
"What's going—"
"Kira-san! Watch out!" Izuku called as Yoshihara turned to look in the direction of where Izuku was, and her eyes widened. A knife was heading straight for her, and before she could react, Killer Queen came out of her and punched the knife out of the way.
SHIBO!
The knife flew into the wall as the aura died down around it. The blade of the knife was dented from the hit. The blade fell to the floor as Yoshihara stared at it, her eyes narrowing. "Just great…" Yoshihara snarled as Izuku took a step back.
"K-Kira-san, what's—"
Before he could finish his sentence, several other utensils, such as chopsticks, forks, spoons, butter knives, and steak knives, came out of the draws that had opened on their own and flew toward the pair at high speeds, most of them aiming toward Kira. "Midoriya-kun! Duck!" Yoshihara cried out as Izuku ducked behind the couch. Killer Queen swatted as many of the utensils as it could, some of them cutting the Stand, leaving the same wounds on Yoshihara as she winced.
"Tch, this isn't good, of all the times…." Yoshihara groaned, looking over to Izuku. "Midoriya-kun, we have to make a break for it to your room. I'll explain as much as I possibly can, but right now, we need to get over there, now!" Yoshihara stated, Killer Queen returning to her as Midoriya nodded, his arms and body shaking.
"Y-Yeah, o-okay," Midoriya replied shakily as the utensils that had been knocked and swatted away began to rise from the floor and out of the walls. The two ran down the hallway as the utensils were shot toward them, flying at blinding speeds, scraping the walls and carpet as they went. Thankfully, the pair was just quick enough to duck into Midoriya's room as the utensils flew past them and into the wall at the end of the hall.
When they got into the room, the blonde slammed the door shut, causing the things on the shelves to shake. Yoshihara let out a sigh of relief that she hadn't known she had been holding as she looked around her friend's room.
Midoriya's room was… interesting, to say the least. She hadn't expected the amount of All Might merchandise to be as much as it had been. All Might figures, all different from the last and seemingly all in perfect condition despite having been out of the box. All Might-themed posters covered the walls in various spots, leaving only a few bits of the white walls visible. All Might slippers sat at the foot of Midoriya's bed which had been dressed in an All Might-themed blanket.
xxXXxxXXxx
*snort*
"Here they go…"
Kyoka put a hand to her mouth and patted Izuku on the shoulder. "No, we're done picking on you for now. I'm actually kind of disappointed in this version of you…he's slacking on the merch."
"...slacking?" Dabi muttered, sweat travelling down his face.
Momo glanced at her best friend and smiled. After that bit of backstory, they could always count on a few lighthearted jabs to lighten the mood. "Now Kyoka, keep in mind that this is a different Izuku, he might not be as motivated as ours."
"I don't know whether to be disturbed or impressed," Jotaro commented, sharing a worried glance with Aizawa.
"Uh, no judgment Deku…but…you know All Might personally. He's pretty much your father at this point, Doesn't this seem a bit weird that you have this stuff now that you're close with him?" Ochako asked.
"No."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...I have no regrets."
xxXXxxXXxx
"Wow…" Yoshihara whispered, a hint of nervousness in her voice as she looked over to the green-haired teen. "I… uh, see you're a fan of… All Might, Midoriya-kun," Yoshihara said, a bead of sweat trailing down her cheek as Izuku chuckled to himself, a nervous and embarrassed blush on his face as he looked away.
"Y-Yeah, I guess I am," Izuku said before clearing his throat. "U-Uh, Kira-san, what exactly is going on out there? W-Why were those things… attacking us?" Izuku asked as Yoshihara sighed.
"Right… well, as I said, I'll try my best to explain it. We're being attacked by someone, but they aren't here. And it's not the effect of a Quirk, it's… well…" Yoshihara sighed. She didn't want to talk about Stands so soon after just learning of them herself, but she didn't really have a choice, now did she? "What we're being attacked by is something called a Stand. Meaning that nine times out of ten, whoever is attacking us, is either nearby, on a different floor, or the house next door," Yoshihara explained as Izuku gasped.
"Y-You mean, we're being attacked by villains! We should call the heroes, they can—"
"Absolutely not!" Yoshihara interrupted, her eyes narrowing at the green-haired teen, who flinched. "We are not calling the heroes. You can't attack or arrest something you cannot see. You remember how I said that my Quirk was a "bit more complicated" than that?" Yoshihara asked as Izuku raised an eyebrow.
"Y-Yeah, but… wait a minute, does that mean…?" Izuku questioned as Yoshihara nodded.
"Yes, I am a Stand User. Meaning that I alone can see what is currently attacking us. Not even All Might can help us. All he'd do is get in the way and get hurt in the process. The only way to defeat a Stand is with another Stand," Yoshihara explained as she summoned Killer Queen. "You can't see my Stand, Killer Queen, but…." Yoshihara started, the Stand tapping Izuku on the head as he blinked, looking around the room.
"Huh, did…"
"Yes, Izuku, Killer Queen tapped you on the head," Yoshihara said, smiling at the boy's confusion. The smile dropped, her expression turning serious. "But now is not the time for goofing around. We need to find the Stand user and do either one of two things, convince them to de-activate their ability, or…." Yoshihara started as, suddenly, a wave of killing intent washed off of her. "We'll have to kill them."
Izuku went wide-eyed. "Kira-san did you… Did you just say… kill them? That… That's not heroic at all!" Izuku said as Yoshihara narrowed her eyes. She wanted to argue, but… if she wanted to be a hero, she couldn't just go around killing people who slighted her. Not anymore, anyway. Sighing, Yoshihara let up on the narrowed eyes but kept the serious gaze.
xxXXxxXXxx
Johnny smirked.
He and Izuku had a very similar conversation back in the day. Of course, killing was a last resort in Johnny's book, but nonetheless, it was sometimes a necessity. As nice as the thought was, talk-no-jutsu wasn't going to work 100% of the time. Sometimes, a fight to the death is impossible to avoid.
Stand Battles made that outcome more likely in both universes, although in most cases Johnny just ended up retiring them.
At first, Izuku was clearly uncomfortable with doing something "unheroic", but he gradually came to grips with the unfortunate truth. A certain zombie-spawning mass murderer brought him to that realization, and he's been far more mature since.
Hell, just recently he had fought Kars with the intent to kill, although Kars just happened to be the one person who couldn't die from OFA's attacks. As of right now, Izuku's hands were clean, but it was really only a matter of time.
Still…Izuku's strength was always saving people, not distributing lethal force, so Johnny really wasn't keen on the day when his friend would be forced to cross the line.
It was best to let the chips fall where they may, in that regard.
xxXXxxXXxx
"Fine, we won't kill them. Unless, of course, they refuse to de-activate their Stand. If they don't do that, then I'll do whatever it takes to stop them. Even if I have to kill them, alright?" Yoshihara stated as Izuku nodded, a grim look on his face.
"I don't like that last part, b-but… do we even know what this Stand looks like? You can see it, right, so… is it nearby?" Izuku asked as Yoshihara looked around the room, and as soon as she did, a hand grabbed her Killer Queen by the neck.
The hand was green, and it had a blue arrow pointing toward the palm of the hand. The rest of the arm was green with grey metallic patches, and the arm was attached to a lean silver body. The other arm was the same as the first one, except on the hand was a red arrow pointing toward the Stand. The legs were completely green, except the feet were red with black stripes. Its face lacked any human features. The only things that even resembled it being human were the eyes, which were completely purple ovals. It had a grey helmet on its head with two wings on its sides.
When Yoshihara saw the hand with the red arrow, her eyes widened. "No… there's no way… she can't be…!" Yoshihara gagged as the Stand continued to squeeze Killer Queen's throat.
KURRSHA…
The Stand groaned as Killer Queen punched it in the face, making it let go and slide back a bit in the air. The Stand reached its left arm out, the one with the blue arrow, as it faded away. Several All Might figures floated upwards and spun. Yoshihara coughed as the figures began to fly towards her at fast speeds.
"KIRA-SAN!" Izuku called out, rushing in front of her, protecting her. As soon as they came close, and as Izuku braced for impact, Killer Queen punched the figures out of the way in a flurry, the figures flung in different directions, hitting the walls of the room as they broke into several pieces. She felt bad for destroying them, but she couldn't leave them intact for The Stand to use them again.
Izuku opened his eyes, glancing behind himself. "Kira-san…? Are you okay?" Izuku asked as Yoshihara nodded, rubbing her neck.
"Yeah… but now, this just went from something that was simple, to something that has become personal," Yoshihara stated, narrowing her eyes. "I can't believe it… Why would she do this? Damnit! I should've confronted her before she left!"
"Now what… What are we supposed to do…?" Izuku asked as Yoshihara shook her head, looking around the room.
"We know its ability, at least, vaguely. It can levitate objects, and it can propel them at fast speeds. However, we can't be sure just how it works. Plus, its user is nowhere to be seen. We find the user, and we defeat the Stand. The problem is, we don't know just who the user is," Yoshihara explained, and while she knew who it was, the last thing she wanted to do was tell Midoriya that she was attacking them. So, she lied to make sure that he didn't lose trust in her.
After Yoshihara explained what she wanted to do, Izuku snapped his fingers in a kind of eureka moment. "If we can get it in a room without any objects to throw, we can trap it! But… then, how are we going to find the user?" Izuku asked as Yoshihara hummed.
"Well, whenever I use my Stand, an aura flares around me. So, that means, whoever the user is, will have an aura around them. They stick out like a sore thumb, so once we find them, or once I see their aura, I'll know who it is. Until then, let's stick with your plan," Yoshihara explained as Izuku nodded.
Killer Queen opened the door as the pair slinked out. As soon as they did, several objects began to float and fly towards them, the Stand glaring them down as the objects flew. Killer Queen deflected several of the objects as she charged toward the Stand.
The Stand flew backwards, phasing through the front door as Izuku flung open the door. Yoshihara ran beside him as they looked down the outdoor hallway. "W-Wha—! Where did it go?" Yoshihara asked.
Suddenly, without warning, the fridge from the kitchen flung towards them, a green aura covering it as the heavy object hit Yoshihara, sending her over the edge, and plummeting to the bottom floor, the refrigerator following suit.
…
"Oooooooooh, that's got to leave a mark," Josuke said with a wince.
"It's not that bad. I had a fridge thrown at me once when I helped Tsuyu and those seafaring heroes beat up some One Piece fans. Remember Johnny?" Gyro asked with a smile.
"It broke three of your ribs, and you were shrieking your head off about how it hurt for a good ten minutes…and it was a mini-fridge."
"Full of cheap beer! The nerve of those guys…" The Italian muttered. "Still…survivable!"
"One Piece fans?" Kyoka asked, confused.
"Yeah, they were trying to be pirates, it was like their whole gimmick," Johnny replied, snorting. "Not a very memorable fight, they all went down in one or two hits…basically fodder."
"Still…that's a nasty hit no matter how you look at it," Josuke said, frowning. "This Mrs. Midoriya is definitely fighting with killing intent, and that makes Stand Users even more dangerous. At this rate…this may end violently."
It made sense. Stand Battles were more dangerous and unpredictable, and a serious fight could easily lead to a fatality. A lot of times, people received injuries that retired them for life, if they were lucky to survive. It was pretty clear that Inko was serious, and was definitely aiming to kill here… meaning that in order to survive, Yoshihara would have to respond accordingly.
Someone was definitely going to get their shit rocked, and it wasn't going to be pretty.
…
"KIRA-SAN!" Izuku called out, reaching out to her as The Stand grabbed Izuku and pulled him inside the house, covering his mouth as his eyes went wide. While Izuku couldn't see the hand, he could feel the Stand's hand over his mouth, keeping him from screaming or calling out for help.
A loud crash could be heard from around the street, and Izuku's eyes began to water. "Kira… no…" and before he could do anything, he was dragged back into the apartment by the Stand.
As the screen faded out, and as the ending began to play, Blue materialized in front of Johnny. "I apologize for the triggering imagery…I know we warned you already, but still."
"It's nothing to worry about."
"Yes, it is!" Kyoka lightly smacked her boyfriend on the back of his head. "Don't just brush it off."
"Oi, you didn't need to do that," Johnny muttered, rubbing the back of his head as Kyoka crossed her arms, huffing.
"Ain't you two just the nicest people I've ever met," Red drawled sarcastically, sighing before looking over to Inko. "You good over there? You look a bit pale," Red asked as Inko shook her head.
"I just… don't understand. If that's me, then why would I… Why would I do something like that?" Inko asked Red as Red shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Infinite universes, infinite possibilities. In some universes, you're a sweet, if not slightly overprotective mother, in others, you're not. Also in others, you're not exactly… Well, that's spoilers. So I can't say that," Red explained, though cutting himself off with a frown. "Now, I think I've been neglecting the two little'uns. How do you two feel about this?"
"What happened before the fight? I couldn't see anything… Or hear anything…" Eri asked as Red stiffened, chuckling to himself.
"Uh, very, very bad things. Just… uh… crap…" Red grumbled.
"Did you just censor yourself?" Blue asked as Red huffed, shooting a glare over at Blue.
"Quiet you! Doesn't matter," Red said before looking back at Eri. "Look, kid. Whenever I blind and deafen you, just know it's for something you shouldn't see or hear until you're older. Way, way older."
"That's lame!" Kota quipped, crossing his arms. "I'm old enough, so why didn't I see it!"
"Now, now, Mr. Red is right. It was pretty bad..." Inko said, placing a hand on Kota's shoulder, making him grumble. The green-haired mother looked up at Red and smiled. "And thank you, Red. I was actually worried if they heard or saw… that."
"Please, I like traumatizing my people, not Blue's," Red said, crossing his arms. "'Sides, it gets MUCH worse, this is like… scrapping the tip of the iceberg."
"It gets worse?" Dabi gawked, blinking. "How the hell can it get any worse than that?" Dabi questioned as Red smirked.
"You of all people should know that one, Dabi. There was a reason why Yoshihara was in that position. It wasn't because she wanted to be. But you'll find out why that is later on," Red said as Dabi lowered his head, pursing his lips, humming to himself.
"That actually raises a question of mine I've been meaning to ask," Jotaro began as Red glanced at the user of Star Platinum. "Do the other Joestars know Kira is a part of the family? If so, why haven't they stepped in yet? I doubt anyone in our family would have sat ideally by and just let what we've seen happen to her happen."
"That's fairly simple, actually, no one knows she's a Joestar. Not even Kira herself knows she's one. As far as she's concerned, she has no family," Red replied as Jotaro nodded.
"What of The Brando's, then?" DIO asked. "Am I still active in this world?" The Vampire asked as Red smirked.
"I can't say. Well, I can say, but I don't want to. I want to keep you guys in the dark as much as possible. All I'm going to say regarding that is that The Brando Family, despite being fractured, is going strong. That's all you have to know for now," Red said as DIO scoffed. Red then turned to the table with the Heroes-in-Training and spoke.
"What about you lot? Are you gonna comment on something or save it for later?" Red asked as Momo spoke up.
"We've elected to save our comments for later. We're still trying to process what we saw, though Dr. Kujo has already asked one of our questions," Momo said as Red nodded, giving the rest of the group a passing glance, before teleporting back to the front, just as the ending finished.
"Very well then, once again, does anyone need to do anything before we continue?" Red asked, to no comment or anything of the sort. Red nodded, then snapped his fingers, refilling drinks and generating other food-related aspects for those who wanted it—which were now starting to shrink down to only the two kids wanting a chocolate bar of their desires, and DIO getting a full bottle of red wine, while Susan, on the other hand, was gifted with a bottle of tequila.
"Blue, you've been awfully silent, you have something to say?" Red asked as Blue sighed.
"I'm just contemplating on whether or not I give myself a physical form like you have," Blue replied as Red shrugged.
"Up to you. Either way doesn't matter. Are we ready to begin the next episode?" Red asked as he reserved a mix of "yes's" and "go-ons" and what-have-you. Red smirked, and clapped his hand, as the screen began to fade to black, beginning the next episode.
-To Be Continued-
