DeathlyJazzHands55: I'm so glad someone noticed that! Also...as for the time stop...it will be a little closer to home...
TheSBRdude: You'll find out soon...
TheCommonCold: Yup.
Coolk: The stand itself will be permanent. He'll be able to ORA whenever he wants. But the Infinite Rotation will require a horse, or just really good timing. Have to give Johnny a crutch, or else he won't be interesting.
...
Hot Pants was speechless.
Diego Brando stood before her, a smoking gun held steady in his hand. He was slightly hunched over, and he was holding his stomach. The flesh hadn't settled, so the wound reopened...but he was alive.
"H-how?! You w-were dead! I...I..."
Diego fell to his knees, but gave Hot Pants a bright smile. "Someone gave me a reason to come back..."
"W-what?"
"I heard you...and I wanted to come back...and then I did..." Diego shrugged.
"That is so...so..."
Romantic? Please say romantic...
"STUPID! That's the corniest resurrection I have ever heard of!" Hot Pants burst into laughter, and Diego's face quickly went from hopeful to annoyed.
"Well...alright then, guess I came back to life for-"
"Hey."
Hot Pants threw her arms around his neck and smiled. "I like corny..."
Both of their hearts began to beat rapidly, and neither of them were really sure who moved first...
But they smashed their lips together, sharing a passionate kiss. Diego wrapped his arms around her as a warm feeling spread throughout his body.
For the first time, Diego Brando had found love...
Then his wound began bleeding like a geyser, and they both separated in a panic as Hot Pants furiously tried to heal him.
...
Valentine and Gyro both stared at the newest evolution of Johnny's stand. Tusk Act 4 had a horseshoe on it's forehead, just like it's user. It was similar in size to All Might, and it's jaw protruded from it's head. It had something resembling a skirt surrounding it's waist, and blue smoke was flowing all around it.
God dammit, and here I thought Ball Breaker would be cool...Johnny completely blew me out of the water.
Act 4 slowly turned to face Valentine, and flexed it's new hands, before smashing it's fist into it's palm, cracking it's knuckles. A bloodied Johnny smiled from the ground. Hey...it looks tough...like Dad...
My whole life I had been wishing for Star Platinum...but this stand is all mine...
Valentine took a step back inside Love Train just as Act 4 slammed into the barrier. The whole Earth seemed to shake from the impact...but Tusk didn't break through...
Valentine smirked. Your new star is intimidating to be sure...but it pales in comparison to Love Trai-
...oh sweet baby Jesus...
Tusk Act 4 had just stuck it's hand inside of Love Train, and was now forcefully prying a hole in the dimensional barrier. "Chumimin!" The stand roared as it reached out for the President.
"D4C! P-" A loud thus was heard as Act 4's fist smashed into D4C's face.
"ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!" The stand cried as it mercilessly pummeled Valentine to a bloody pulp. The ground shook with every single impact, and a massive gust of wind was created by the beatdown, with Gyro fighting just to prevent himself from getting blown away.
Heh...I always wanted to do this...it truly has been a roundabout path...Johnny turned to his friend and smiled.
"Arigato...Gyro."
Tusk's right hand began to spin, until it looked like a drill, and it brought it down onto the President, smashing him into the ground.
"ORAAAAAAAAA!"
A massive explosion, and Tusk was floating in the middle of a small crater, with Valentine's coat flapping from underneath his fist.
"Merde! He got away!" Gyro cake running up to the crater, Ball Breaker floating by his side.
"It's...okay...Gyro, he needs the Corpse...and there's only one way back." Johnny crawled over and knelt beside the crater, pointing a nail bullet at the coat with his remaining hand.
"We've got him right where we want him..."
...
"What the hell?" Joseph stared in shock through his binoculars, the sight that had him so perplexed?
Diego and Hot Pants making out on the railroad tracks were they had presumably died.
"Oh. My. God...are they serious?"
...
Valentine watched as the former host of D4C collapsed, dead. As the memories of the previous Valentine were transferred to him, Valentine picked up his counterpart's coat. Love Train was defeated...now that I have lost the ability. They are undoubtedly waiting on the other side...
Valentine pulled a gun and got ready to go back, when he almost fell over.
His leg had separated into several spinning parts. What...what is this? My body is...spinning, drifting apart! I'm being pulled apart!
Is this Kujo's new ability?! No matter, it cannot follow me once I make the jump!
"D4C!"
...
It followed me! IT FOLLOWED ME!
For the first time, Valentine began to panic. The rotation had spread across his whole body. My whole body is spinning, down to the individual cell! The rotation is causing them to drift apart, hence...I'll disintegrate!
Valentine turned to his counterpart. "Take D4C! It's too late for me, but you should be able to escape as I die..."
"I understand."
Valentine opened his eyes and immediately bolted away from his disintegrating counterpart. There! Valentine jumped into the back of one of the Jeeps from the battle in his respective universe. He tapped the back of it, and the soldier inside stepped on the gas, driving away.
So Kujo's ability is only confined to one space...good, that means it is escapable.
Valentine was forced to eat his words as a massive whirlwind shot from the spot and enveloped him, and caused his body to pull itself apart once more. It also tore the Jeep, and the driver, to pieces.
NO! It's stuck to me! No matter how many times I transfer my stand...it will always chase me!
It's inescapable!
...
Johnny and Gyro readied their attack as a shape appeared under the coat.
"Wait! Don't shoot!"
Valentine crawled out, his body in the verge of collapse. "Holy shit Johnny, what did you do to him?" Gyro asked.
"I don't know...must be Act 4's new ability."
"No matter how hard I tried...I couldn't escape it. I cannot run forever, I will inevitably be killed by your Infinite Rotation...but I think I understand how to get rid of it...only YOU can save me."
"And why the hell would I do that?! You've been trying to kill us this whole race!"
"I know...but your deaths wouldn't have been permanent. I would have simply replaced you with alternate versions of yourselves, it would be like you never died. I can do that with your friends...Mountain Tim, Wekapipo, Diego, Hot Pants...I can bring them all back...if you undo your ability."
"Yeah, but they wouldn't be the SAME...would they?" Gyro retorted. "What if you chose a version of Diego who had turned to evil? Or a Hot Pants that remained cold and indifferent, or a Mountain Tim that wasn't a playboy..."
"But isn't a world with them better than one without them?" Valentine countered. Gyro fell silent. "Look, I can bring them all back, all you have to do is shoot me with a bullet rotating in the opposite direction...that should reverse the effect..."
"And how do I know you aren't double crossing us?" Johnny asked.
Valentine pulled out a handkerchief. "This handkerchief belonged to my father. He died in the war against All For One...I've been searching through the multiverse, trying to find some version of him that I could talk to, just to get some closure...but I can't find a reality in which he is still alive..."
Valentine looked up, and held the handkerchief high. "I swear, on my dead father, that I will not betray you!"
Johnny made a face, looked towards Gyro, who gave him a skeptical look. Johnny turned to Valentine. "I...I believe you."
"Johnny?!"
"I heard no lies...I believe you 100%, Funny Valentine. Who knows? Maybe you were in the right this whole time, and I was just too blind to see it." Johnny began to rotate a nail bullet in the opposite direction. "Johnny...are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Yes."
Funny Valentine lowered his head in a respectful bow. "Thank you, Johnny Kujo..."
A gun fell at Valentine's feet. The President stared at it in confusion. "Wha-"
"Pick it up."
"Why?"
"I said I believed you, 100%, but I want to believe you 101%...I want to make sure that there isn't any deception, or betrayal in your vow. That's the gun you used to try to kill Gyro...how do I know you didn't bring a different version of that same gun to shoot us while our backs were turned?
If you want the rotation removed...pick up the gun."
Valentine slowly reached for the gun, before his hand stopped.
Caught you, you fucking liar. Johnny thought to himself.
Valentine raised his head and looked Johnny right in the eye. "My heart and actions are utterly unclouded...they are those of JUSTICE."
Valentine whipped out his gun, as Johnny fired, the first nail bullet hitting the President in the throat. Valentine fired, hitting Johnny in the ribs, but Gyro threw a steel ball full force, ripping a hole through Valentine's stomach. Valentine didn't go down, though, he fired right back, hitting Gyro in the leg.
The two jockeys rolled down the side of the hill as Valentine slowly got to his feet, fighting through his lethal wounds, gun at the ready.
Johnny coughed up blood, the bullet had punctured a lung. "Hey Johnny! Lesson Six!"
"What?"
"Lesson six: Stand Proud. " Gyro said with a smile.
Johnny stared at his friend, before a smile came to his bloody face. "I really don't deserve a friend like you Gyro."
"You're right, but here I am."
...
Valentine hobbled over to the rock that his enemies were taking cover behind, when suddenly a shape appeared and made it's way to face him head on, it's legs were wobbling, almost as if they hadn't been used in a-
Johnny was WALKING...
The seventh JoJo stood before his arch-enemy nail bullet at the ready, and a cocky smile on his face.
"Valentine...you're shorter than expected..."
Valentine got over his initial shock and maneuvered his finger over the trigger as Johnny continued. "You better not waste that shot, Mr. President...because you're only getting one."
Time seemed to slow down as Valentine brought the gun up to fire at his opponent.
BANG!
Valentine dropped the gun as blood flew from his forehead. Johnny didn't even give him a chance to fire, he nailed the President right in the head. Valentine's body, as well as D4C, crumbled to dust as the Infinite Rotation overtook him.
Johnny smiled. "Headshot..."
Then he fell over, and Gyro caught him, hugging his unconscious friend. "Johnny, you beautiful bastard...you did it! You walked again! We saved the world!"
Gyro took his hat off and raised it to the sky.
"WE DID IT!"
...
"Go JoJo!" Mina hollered at her phone. Her friends were behind her, also yelling their support.
They were in Kyoka's hospital room, watching the end of the Steel Ball Run. This was both for supporting their former classmate...
And they were also trying to get Kyoka to wake up.
"Look at him on that horse! He's a natural!" Sero said, pumping his fist into the air.
"They might win the race!"
"Come on JoJo! You're almost there! *ribbit*"
"Come on Jiro! Do you really want to miss JoJo finishing?!" Mina asked.
Her face fell as the only response she got was the steady beeping of a heart monitor, and the slow rising and falling of Kyoka's chest.
Oh well...it was worth a shot...
...
"So...you just...returned from the dead?" Johnny asked, flexing his hand. His uncle had used Crazy Diamond to locate and reattach it.
"Well...yes." Diego responded. "I don't know how to explain it, but I did!" He said, patting Silver Bullet.
"He did it for love!" Gyro teased, making sloppy kissing noises.
"Gyro..."
" Rero rero rero rero... "
"GYRO!" Hot Pants yelled, smacking the Italian on the back of the head. "Oh relax! I'm happy for you guys! You both deserve a bit of happiness!"
The four turned to see the finish line rapidly approaching, Johnny could see Joseph, Josuke, and the rest of the Duwang gang frantically waving and hollering as they approached.
"Go Gyro." Diego said.
"What?"
"You want to save that kid right? Go, win the race! My whole life has been about winning...this is the final part of my redemption! Go Gyro, the three of us will block the other racers!"
"Diego..."
"Get going before I change my mind!"
Gyro grinned and rushed ahead as his friends formed a defensive line, blocking the path so their friend didn't have anything to worry about.
"Gyro Zeppeli has done it! GYRO ZEPPELI HAS WON THE STEEL BALL RUN RACE!"
Gyro threw his arms into the air, a victorious smile on his face as he saved his arms for an adoring crowd. He had done it, he had accomplished hi-
"EXCEPT HE DIDN'T!"
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Johnny screamed. "THAT GUY NEEDS TO BE FIRED!"
"HA HA! I GOT YOU AGAIN! IT WAS ACTUALLY POCO LOCO WHO WON!"
"WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" Diego screamed as he lifted a table over his head and threw it across the street.
Hot Pants just stood there, silently fuming.
Gyro looked down in defeat. "Come on...I was so close..."
Now that little boy would never get the help he-
*scuffle*
*SMACK!*
"GET OUT! DON'T PLAY WITH THE RACER'S EMOTIONS LIKE THAT! CORRECTION! GYRO DID WIN, THIS GUY IS JUST AN ASSHOLE! POCO LOCO USED AN ILLEGAL SHORTCUT, SO HE WAS DISQUALIFIED!"
"...oh, okay then." Gyro threw his arms up in the air again and began bouncing up and down.
"WOOOOO HOOOOO!"
...
"Ready to do the honors, Johnny?" Gyro asked, carrying his prize money.
Johnny smiled and pulled out a tank of gasoline, pouring it all over his wheelchair. Then he lit a match, and ignited the wheelchair, the heroes watching as the ashes flew into the setting sun.
Joseph smiled and wrapped his arm around Johnny, pulling him into an embrace. "I'm so proud of you, Johnny. I'm so very proud of you. "
"So...what's next?" Hot Pants asked.
"Well...I'm going to try and get back into the hero program." Johnny said. " Now that I can walk again, they have no reason not to let me back in. "
"And I'll be joining you." Johnny turned to Gyro in shock. "Really?"
Gyro nodded. "I heard your uncle has quite a bit of power over in Italy, I'm sure that he can help the kid out. Just tell me where I can send the prize money...besides, I have to continue the Zeppeli legacy! " Gyro turned to Joseph and smiled, earning one back. "I'm sure I could pull a few strings Gyro, U.A is practically dependant on the Joestar family..."
Diego nodded. "I've still got a bit of soul searching to do...now that I have a new outlook on life, I need to find a purpose..."
"And I'll help with that." Hot Pants said. "I need to do some soup searching too."
A Speedwagon Foundation helicopter touched down, and the group split, with the JoJos and Gyro heading for the helicopter, and Diego and Hot Pants heading the other direction.
"Remember, if you ever need help, you just call, okay?" Diego shouted up to the departing helicopter. Johnny smiled and gave Diego a thumbs up, before sitting next to Gyro.
Tomorrow is a new day. Life has it's ups and downs, I know that better than anyone, but it's the people in it that make it special. Having my legs back doesn't mean anything, not really. Because what I gained: Gyro, Diego, Hot Pants, Mountain Tim, Wekapipo...they are what truly matters. And I'm going back to what I had: Dad, Jolyne, Izuku, Kyoka...
I'm coming home!
*Coming Soon: A Legacy to Build: A Diego Brando spinoff*