At the Boonchuy residence, the Plantars were checking out their new human disguises. "See? You can totally use my childhood clothes as disguises," said Anne.

Sprig looked at the yellow sweaters he and Polly were wearing. "You really liked yellow as a kid, huh? Won't this make us stand out?"

"Sprig, I'm sure Anne knows what she's talking about here," said Hop Pop as he came out of Anne's closet wearing only a pair of yellow overalls.

Sprig and Polly made disgusted noises while Johan said, "Yeah, that's showing too much skin, Hopediah."

Hop Pop made a grumpy noise. "What? If you got it, you gotta flaunt it."

"You know what," said Anne. "JoJo's right. That's way too much skin.

After a few trial and errors, they found the right clothes. Hop Pop was wearing a trench coat, a fedora, Groucho glasses, and a pair of slip-on shoes. "There. That oughta do it," said Anne.

"I like it," he said. "My very own face bump."

Sprig and Polly came out of Anne's closet, doing the classic trench coat totem pole gag. "Hey, hey! Look at me! I'm a human!" said Sprig.

"Wait, Polly. You're supposed to be the top half," said Anne.

"And not get to use these beautiful legs? NEVER!"

"How are you going to see," asked Johan.

"I can just open the coat a little poke my eye out."

"Fair enough," said Anne. "Now, who's ready to see my world?" The Plantars cheered, but then Sprig lost balance and he and Polly toppled over. "OK, but no more victory jumps."

"What about me," asked Johan. "Your car has too many windows, even the trunk has one. And there's no way I can open an umbrella in it to keep the sun off me."

Anne put a finger on her chin in thought. Then, she remembered reading Demon Slayer and this gave her an idea. "I got it!"

The Boonchuys and the Plantars arrived at the 99 Ranchers market in the car. Anne and the Plantars got excited, but Mr. Boonchuy locked the doors. "Not so fast, you three. I mean... you four," he said.

"We stick together in there, understood?" said Mrs. Boonchuy sternly.

"And if anything goes wrong, it's back in the lockdown for all of you."

"JoJo, did you hear all that," Mrs. Boonchuy called out.

"Sure." Johan's voice came out of a wooden box in the back of the car.

Mrs. Boonchuy made a confused look. "Anne, is this really necessary?"

"Too much sunlight," Anne said.

Mr. Boonchuy unlocked the car doors, allowing Anne and the Plantars to leave the car. Anne popped open the trunk and carried the box Johan was in on her back. She staggered a little. "Dang, JoJo, you're heavy."

"And you're surprisingly strong for a girl with noodle arms.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Now let's go shopping!" Anne and the Plantars ran inside, while Mrs. and Mr. Boonchuy made looks of concern.

"This was a bad idea, wasn't it?"

"Oooooh, yeeeah..."

Inside the supermarket, the Plantars awed at the sight of the aisles of fruits, vegetables, and meat. Sprig pointed to the cash register. "Wow! That thing looks like Frobo! Is that a robot too?"

"Sort of... it's like a... robotic wallet," replied Anne.

"Cool. Oh, and is that a robot?" The young frog pointed to a cashier putting food in a bag.

Anne said, "Sprig, not everything is a robot." Sprig pointed to a toy robot as if to say, "What do you call that?" Anne said, "Okay, fine. But nothing else."

Mr. Boonchuy and Mrs. Boonchuy came into the store and the former checked his pockets. "Oh no. I left the shopping list at home! Abort mission! Abort mission!"

Perché ho la sensazione che l'abbia lasciato apposta come scusa per trascinare a casa i Plantari e Anne, thought Johan.

Anne held up her phone. "No worries. I took a picture of the shopping list before we left. Just in case."

Ragazza intelligente, Anne.

As if reading Johan's mind, Mr. Boonchuy said, "Oh. Thank you, Anne. That was... strangely responsible of you."

Polly kicked Anne, getting her attention. "Psst. Give me a quarter. I wanna buy a lotto ticket."

"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING," Anne and Johan shouted in unison.

A nearby customer gave Anne a strange look. "Did that...backpack just talk?"

Merda.

"Uh, yes," said Anne. "It's a new AI backpack that speaks what you're thinking!"

"But, it's just a wooden box," said the customer.

"You ask too many questions," Anne said before walking away. She turned a corner and opened the box. "Okay, this is the farthest from the glass doors, so you should be safe from the sun."

Johan stepped out and stretched his limbs. "Man, it feels good to be free." Suddenly, he winced as if in pain.

"JoJo, are you okay?"

"Sorry, my vampiric instincts kicked in. I think I developed an aversion to bright lights."

"Don't worry, we won't be long."

Meanwhile, Hop Pop was walking down the produce aisle, inspecting the products, and was unimpressed. "Heh, heh, heh. Such puny vegetables." Then he saw something that caught his attention: a bunch of greenish-yellowish spiky fruits the size of cannonballs. "Whoa, mama! Now that's more like it."

"Oh, that's durian. It's a Thai favorite. Not really my thing since it smells like..." Hop Pop cracked one of the durians open and immediately regretted it as his nose became assaulted by the worst stench he ever smelled. "...rotten eggs." Hop Pop screamed and tried to block out the stench.

Ora sai che profumo ha la tua cucina, thought Johan.

A lady walked by and gave Hop Pop a strange look. "Durian first-timer over here," explained Anne. She and the woman laughed as she left. Anne picked up the stunned old frog up. "C'mon, let's get you something good."

"I'll buy it," said Johan. "After being exposed to all the cuisine in Amphibia, I don't think anything grosses me out anymore. Oh, and Anne, don't forget to go to the meat section."

"I know. Buy lots of meat, and make sure it's extra bloody." Suddenly, Anne gasped when she saw an open noodle shop. "Mom, Dad, can I take the Plantars to try out some noodles?"

The Boonchuy adults made a nervous "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeemmm..."

"I'll keep the Plantars within arms reach at all times, will avoid any customers and I'll keep my phone in my hand in case you guys call."

"But..." Mrs. Boonchuy was about to say.

"And I won't order iced coffee, even though I love it, because I know it makes me jittery and anxious."

"That does sound fair."

"Alright, you can go, but be careful," said Mr. Boonchuy.

"Yes. We will be. Thank you!" Suddenly, Anne saw Sprig about to stick his hand in a crab tank and grabbed him. "No, you don't..." Then she saw Hop Pop about to enter an "Employees Only" door. "Oh! No no no no no..."

As they watched their daughter go to the noodle store with the froggy family, Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy were impressed. "Unbelievable. She's like a different person," said the former.

"Being stuck in an alien world for five months can do that to a person," said Johan. "I'll admit, there were times when she made me want to pull my hair out, but she knew what she's doing."

"And you know what," said Mrs. Boonchuy. "You and the old frog were right, she has come a long way. Now come on, mama needs her jasmine tea."

Johan left the Boonchuys and he went to the meat section.

Meanwhile, a customer entered the building. It was a caucasian man with long, light hair, curling at its ends into a number of thick, well-defined rings and wearing a pink suit. He looked around the building. "Can I help you," asked a worker.

"Do you know where I can find the beer section," the man asked.

"Certainly."

At the meat section, the butcher balked at the huge pile of bloody meat Johan bought. "Are you having a barbecue, or something?"

"Trust me, with the metabolism I have, I need it," said Johan as he pushed the cart down toward the noodle shop.

Back at the noodle store, Anne took the three ramen bowls she ordered and walked over to her table. "Thanks, dude."

"I gave you a tray," the worker called out.

Anne set the bowls down and said, "Alright. Dig in everyone."

Hop Pop inspected the bowl, then slurped down the noodles. Without using a spoon, mind you. "Hey, these worms are pretty good! And they're not even fighting back."

"Pretty good? They're delicious!" said Sprig after he finished his fill.

"Gimme!" Polly snatched his bowl and slurped down the rest of it. "Polly likey."

"They're not worms, they're noodles," explained Anne. "Asian food's heart and soul."

"Hey, Anne," said Johan as he came to a stop in front of the table with the meat. "Think you can fit this in the car?"

"Whoa, that's a whole lot of meat," said Sprig.

"Is this really necessary," asked Anne. "We're not throwing a barbecue."

Johan leaned in and whispered, "You want me to drink your blood instead? I don't think so."

After Sprig finished drinking Anne's bowl, he looked up and sighed in satisfaction. "Ahhh..." Then suddenly, his eyes bugged out when he saw the man in the pink suit sitting at a table across the way. He was eating some noodles with chopsticks, and staring at Anne, Johan and the Plantars intently.

Anne noticed Sprig's expression and asked, "Sprig, are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost." She turned to see what he was looking at and saw nothing. "Did you see another toy robot?"

"But...but...he..."

Suddenly, somebody began shouting profanities and everyone turned their heads to see an unkempt man arguing with the store manager. "You can't kick me out of here, you..." What he said next was so inappropriate, Anne and Johan had to cover Sprig and Polly's ears.

"Sorry, but we don't serve trash that got no cash," said the manager. "Now, beat it, buster!"

"Just one more for the road is all I'm asking!"

"Leave now, or I'll call security!"

The drunkard, who we'll call Buster, suddenly smirked. "You think you can stop me? I have a power to keep returning here, no matter how many times you kick me out!" Suddenly, a can of soup flew off one of the shelves and hit the woman in the face, knocking her off her feet. "You can't see it, but ever since that arrow popped out of my phone, everything I want comes to me thanks to these little guys! And I don't have to pay for squat!"

Johan saw it. Surrounding Buster were cans, beer bottles, cereal boxes, and even toiletry items. "Anne," he whispered to her. "That guy is a Stand user."

"What, are you kidding me?"

"Why are we whispering," asked Hop Pop.

"From the looks of it, this Stand doesn't have a physical form, and it has a short range. I'll have to get physical with the user to beat it. Anne, take the Plantars, find your parents and get them out of here," said Johan. "I'll deal with the user."

"Hey, no fair," said Polly. "We want to help out, too!"

"Can you see the Stands?" Polly frowned. "I didn't think so."

"Come on guys," said Anne, grabbing Sprig and Hop Pop by the arms.

When they had gone, Johan confronted Buster, who just gave him a mocking look. "Oh, look, a girl wanting to play a hero! What, you think you're ready to play with the big boys?"

A vein popped above Johan's eyebrow. "I am a boy," he growled.

"Really? Are you sure? With that voice and body of yours, you're cute enough to be a girl."

The vein grew bigger. "You know, I can tell from the booze on your breath that you don't really mean those things. So, I'm willing to forgive you never come back to this store again."

Buster sneered and said, "Hell no! Drinks are on me, and everyone's going to get a taste!" Heavy beer bottles were flung at Johan who easily dodged them before he gave Buster a punch to the gut, making him gasp and fall to his knees. "You hit me!"

Meanwhile, Anne managed to get Sprig and Hop Pop to safety and met up with the Boonchuys in the parking lot. "There you are," said Mr. Boonchuy. "Everyone's talking about some lunatic in the store. Everyone made it out and the police are on their way."

"Oh, good," said Anne. "Alright, everyone, let's get in the car and get far, far away from here."

"Hang on, where's JoJo," asked Mrs. Boonchuy.

"Forget JoJo, where's Polly," asked Hop Pop.

Anne looked around frantically but couldn't find her. "Dang it, Polly! Why did you run off?!"

"I knew it, I knew something bad was going to happen," said Mrs. Boonchuy.

"Okay, don't freak out," said Anne. "I'll save Polly and JoJo. Mom, Dad, you keep Sprig and Hop Pop safe."

"What?! What are you doing," asked Mr. Boonchuy.

"Being responsible! If the police see Polly, we're all busted!" And with that, Anne raced back into the store.

Johan was taking quite the beating from all the stuff drunkard's Stand was flinging at him. Then he was knocked into a pyramid of cans and they all came crashing down on him. Buster laughed. "You see?! No one can stop me!"

"KERO, KERO, KERO!" Polly jumped out of nowhere and gave the drunkard a Ripple-infused kick to the face, sending him flying into a bunch of watermelons.

Johan freed himself from the pile of cans and dusted himself off. "I'm guessing that drunk never actually used his Stand to fight someone giving the lack of experience," he said. Then he saw Polly and was outraged. "POLLY?! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! WHY AREN'T YOU WITH ANNE, HOP POP, AND SPRIG?!"

"Hey, there's no way I'm gonna miss out on this action," defended the little Pollywog.

"Please tell me he didn't see you!"

Buster got up and rubbed his head. Then he saw Polly and his eyes bugged out. "A giant tadpole!"

"I was gonna say no, but that's not the case anymore," said Polly sheepishly.

Johan facepalmed and summoned DARE and approached Buster. "Can't one thing go right?"

Suddenly, Anne came around the corner and shouted, "Polly, JoJo!"

"Anne, what are you doing here," asked Johan.

"Getting Polly back! Johan said he could handle it, young lady!" Polly made a sad face and Anne's anger softened. "Polly, this isn't Amphibia, you can't keep doing dangerous stunts like usual. If anyone were to find you..."

"Grrr..." Everyone turned around to see Buster get back up, this time armed with a shopping cart with various knives sticking out of it, courtesy of his Stand. "I'm coming for you," he shouted and with a drunk bellow, he charged forward. Johan didn't dodge in time and was impaled by the knives. Anne and Polly screamed in horror. Buster pulled the cart back and Johan stagger backwards as he looked down at his wounds.

The sight of Johan hurt that way awoke something familiar in Anne as she let out a scream and her hair and eyes turned blue. "If you think I'm just gonna sit here while you hurt my friends, you've got another thing coming," she threatened as she advanced slowly toward him.

"Stay back!" Buster used his Stand to bring forth the knives from the shopping cart and flung them at Anne, but with a flick of her wrist, her powers caused them to freeze in midair. Then, she activated her Ripple and gave the knives a flick, sending them flying into Buster's abdomen, making him scream until Johan appeared and shut him up and knocked him out with a single punch. "I was wrong," Johan said. "You have a long range colony Stand under your control. It's just so small I couldn't see it until I saw it up close." DARE appeared and picked up a Stand that resembled a gold and orange flea before giving it a flick as it faded away.

"JoJo, you're alive," shouted Polly. "Sort of."

"Did you forget I'm a vampire, Anne," he asked as his heals wound. "No mortal weapon can kill me. Don't worry about me."

Anne's Calamity powers deactivated and she fell to her knees. "Hoo. I'll never get used to that. But what are we going to do about him," she asked, pointing to Buster. "He saw Polly!"

"Luckily for Polly, the police don't believe the word of drunkards. When he wakes up, he'll think it's all a bad, alcohol-induced hallucination."

"Good. Now, there's one more thing we gotta deal with. Mom and Dad."

Stand: 3,000

User: Buster (real name: Lenny Kapowictz)

Power: E

Speed: A

Range: A

Durability: E

Precision: A

Potential: E

Ability: Can carry and gather objects twenty times its size and return them to its user. It can even pick up a small car if needed.

After putting Johan back in the box, Anne put it back on and carried it out of the store while holding Polly's hand, where they encountered Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy, the latter of the two already freaking out. "Anne Savina Boonchuy, what were you thinking?!"

"Wait," said Polly guiltily. "Don't get mad at Anne. I stayed behind because I thought I could take on that guy. But, as always, I bit more off than I can chew. If Anne and JoJo hadn't rescued me, I probably would be dead."

"Seriously," snapped Anne. "After everything we just discussed, you still tried to blow your cover?! I expected Sprig to do something this stupid, not you!"

"Yeah," said Sprig. "Wait."

"Maybe you do deserve that lockdown after all."

"Wait, Anne," said Mr. Boonchuy. "We're sorry for being so overprotective earlier. Not only can you take care of yourself but it looked like you can even take care of your friends."

"Yes. We are actually very impressed," said Mrs. Boonchuy.

"Awww thanks, but you don't have you apologize. You were just doing everything you could to keep me safe and..." She took a glance at the Plantars. "I get it."

"Trust me," said Johan's voice coming from the box. "Protecting someone you care about is very tiresome, yet very rewarding at the same time."

The Boonchuys made an awkward stare. "I'm sorry, but I won't get used to you being carried around in a box, JoJo," said Mr. Boonchuy.

"How do you think I feel?! It's cramped in here, but I can't come out because of my damn sun allergy!"

"Watch your tone, mister," said Mrs. Boonchuy. "And why didn't you use an umbrella? It would have been much simpler."

"That's what I said," complained Sprig.

There was a pause, then Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy laughed and then Anne and the Plantars giggled, but then the Plantars cackled like madmen. "Don't overdo it," said Anne.

Dusk fell and by that time the police arrived and arrested Buster. The Boonchuys, the Plantars, and Johan left with their groceries. Anne and Johan whispered to each other. "So, we gotta be more careful from now on," said Anne. "We can't risk fighting anymore Stand users around Mom and Dad."

"I don't know if we can help it," said Johan. "There are plenty more Stand users left unaccounted for. All because I wasn't there to get the arrow back."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," said Hop Pop.

"We're not here to fight Stand users," said Anne. "All I have to do is protect you guys and keep you a secret. Oh... and find a way to reopen a portal to Amphibia and return you home and somehow defeat King Andrias and make up with my two best friends and bring them back to Earth." The Plantars gave Anne disagreeing looks. "OK. It sounds like a lot but I can do it. I'm perfectly capable. Now, can someone please open the trunk for me? I'd try, but I've got my hands full carrying Johan's box."

Hop Pop opened the trunk and helped her push Johan's box inside before placing the groceries on top of it. "Hey, anyone else craving those noodles?" he asked as he and everyone else got in the car.

"Yep. Turns out this world ain't half bad," said Polly as she got comfortable.

"Yeah. As long as we don't encounter another Stand user, I think everything's gonna be fine," said Sprig.

Haven't you heard the phrase, don't count your chickens before they hatch, Sprig, thought Johan.

As they drove away, Mr. Boonchuy said, "C̄hạn kảlạng h̄iwh̄oy!"

"Noodles, noodles, noodles," chanted the Plantars.

Back in the store, the night janitor was grumbling to himself, not knowing someone was listening in. "Drunk guy makes a mess of my store, and I have to clean up after him. Honestly, can my life get any worse?"

The blonde-haired man in the pink suit pulled a pack of beer out from a shelf and said, "Haven't you ever heard the phrase, tempting fate? It's not a good idea to ask that question."

"Pfft. Whatever, man."

The pink-suited man approached the cashier, took out his license to show he was of legal drinking age, then paid for the beer. As he left the store, he said, "You still possess the power, Anne Boonchuy. Good. You'll need it for the future."

That night, after everyone had had their fill with noodles and was ready to go to sleep, Johan crept out of the attic and snuck his way into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator, eyed the bloody meat packed inside and took out five of them. Then he sat at the table, then sank his fangs into them, making a sucking sound as he did. Before long, all the meats were dried up, to the point of looking like jerky. Now, keep in mind, Johan did eat those noodles, but as a vampire, it didn't make him feel full, so he needed the blood.

After finishing his late night meal, he passed by Anne's room. He had to do this. He knocked on Anne's door and said, "Anne, you awake?"

Anne opened the door with bags under her eyes. "JoJo, what time is it?"

"Anne, I need to tell you something," he said as he entered the room. "I haven't been truly honest with you, and after seeing what happened with Marcy and Andrias, I don't want the same mistake to happen again. I need to get this off my chest before you hear it from anyone else."

"Get what off," asked Anne as she sat down on the bed while Johan sat in her computer chair.

He inhaled, then exhaled. This was it. "Johan Shiobana is just an alias. Something I used as a cover up during my mission to retrieve the arrow." Anne didn't respond. "My real name is Giorgio Giovanna. Well, the name Shiobana is technically my name as well. You see, Dad's birth name is Haruno Shiobana, and he had it legally changed to Giorno Giovanna after he and grandma moved to Italia."

Anne exhaled, not really sure what to think at this moment. "Well, I'm glad you told me that..."

"Wait. There's more." Johan knew she wasn't going to like this, but he had to rip off the bandage. "The truth is...I was never supposed to be here."

"What?"

"Dad never gave me permission to go after the arrow. I stole his passport, snuck on a plane, and came here. Mom and Dad were furious when they found out and tried to have me sent back to Italia immediately, but I convinced them I could get the arrow back in a week. And then, I met you and your friends, and you know the rest."

Anne was outraged. "WHAT?! You gave me a lecture about how wrong it was to steal, yet you stole your father's passport and came to America behind his back?" She scoffed. "You're a hypocrite!"

Johan winced. "I know. You probably saw me as an anti-hero or something, but the truth is, I'm just as selfish as you. We both stole something from our familia. You, Hop Pop's wallet. Me, Dad's passport."

Anne's hands trembled with rage. "Why did you even do that?"

Johan stammered, then said, "You wouldn't understand, Anne."

She folded her arms. "Try me."

Johan said, "When you're the child of a celebrity, especially someone who has an infamous background, you're stuck in your parents' shadow. People only see you as an extension of them. And frankly, I was sick of it. So, I thought that if I got the arrow back on my own, it would prove that I'm not just Giorno Giovanna's son, but me."

Anne stared in disbelief, then she said, "That's the stupidest excuse I've ever heard." Johan winced. "Still, I have to ask, why are you telling me this?"

Johan said, "Because I don't want to be like Marcy and keep secrets from you. And you know it's only a matter of time until your parents find out."

"That's why we have to find a way to make a portal as quick as we could, so they won't have to!

Johan scratched the back of his head. "Maybe it might be best to rip the bandage off like I did with my dad. Tell them about your powers and the existence of Stands."

Anne shook her head. "You know I can't do that. They'll never trust me again. Are you going to tell them that you're a Gang-Star and a vampire and run the risk of them kicking you out of the house?" Johan was silent. "That's what I thought."

"Well, just think about it, alright? And, maybe I should too." Johan turned to leave, only to be stopped by Anne who asked, "Do people really call you JoJo, or did you make that up too?"

Johan said, "Actually, it's true. Kids at school used it as a taunt since Giorgio rhymes with JoJo, but eventually, I learned to like it."

"Well, I'm still gonna call you JoJo, because I don't think Giorgio sounds as cool."

Johan smiled. "Thanks Anne." And with that, he left her alone to her thoughts. She exhaled and said, "Might as well tell the Plantars."

⬅ To be continued...