Bearticguy7: I like it! It would definitely be some good character development for Bakugo, and I really could see Izuku getting through to them!
Mr- SandIsComicsMadder: ...maybe.
ThatRandomWriter02: Its a really great stand! However, it wouldn't really make sense for Polnareff to have any other stand besides Silver Chariot, since stands are basically just a reflection of the user. I might use it though!
Kosaku Valentine: I do have a few ideas to pitch to you, and I'm excited to see what kind of stands you came up with!
nocringeman: I'm truly glad you enjoy this story, I hope to continue writing it in a way you can enjoy it!
Spaghetti sauce: Oh boy, I'm only getting STARTED.
CoolK: I dunno, it's cool I guess.
AshenOne: *laughs maliciously*
"YOU BASTARD!"
Strings wrapped around Santana's neck and began to squeeze. "You KILLED him! Do you have ANY idea what we went through together?!"
Santana pulled on the string, snapping it, and charged Jolyne, knocking Hol Horse aside as he did so. "He wouldn't have died if he didn't interfere Joestar girl, he made his choice!"
"ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!" Jolyne attempted to pummel the oncoming Pillar Man, but he turned into a liquid and splashed right through her attack. He then became magma, and suddenly Jolyne burst into flame.
"Gasoline is quite flammable, if I recall..."
A flaming Jolyne turned to Santana in a rage, startling the Pillar Man as she dove right towards him. At that moment, bullets slammed into Santana's helmet, but since he was still molten rock, they melted on contact. Hol Horse swore under his breath and kept firing, desperately trying to distract the Pillar Man so Jolyne could get in close.
However, Jolyne held up a hand, signifying that they should retreat. She proceeded to punch a fire hydrant, putting herself out and dousing Santana with the water. The Pillar Man cried out as his molten armor began to harden around him.
Gyro pulled Izuku out of the car and helped him to the ground, activating a steel ball. "We should get him while he's-"
CRACK!
Santana began to move, the jet black volcano rock cracking and breaking as he began to fridge towards them. "YOU...CANNOT...STOP...ME...THAT...EASILY!" He roared and threw his arms back, sending the rocks everywhere. Jolyne sent Stone Free into the air, and the entire stand separated, encasing the heroes in a cacoon of strings, blocking the attack.
Jolyne grunted as the rocks bombarded them, and Santana suddenly ripped through the cacoon, heading straight towards Jolyne due to her stand being unraveled. Just when he was about to bring his hammer down, a green flash knocked him backwards.
Santana slid back a few feet, before locking eyes with the green-haired ball of fury that stood in front of him. Izuku was panting, sweating, and he looked like he could collapse at any moment, but he was still standing.
"You are wounded...and yet you still fight. I admire your spirit, boy."
Izuku spat out blood and almost fell over, but got back up. "I won't...let you..."
"Midoriya, STOP! You can't fight him in your condition!" Gyro screamed. Izuku didn't listen however, and began to slowly hobble towards Santana. Tears were glistening in the boy's eyes as he continued what was undoubtedly his death march.
"I am...Izuku...Midoriya. The Deku that can do anything! I am a hero...who will...save people with a smile! Even...if...I...lose..."
Santana's mask made his expression unreadable as he began to approach Izuku. "MIDORIYA!" Gyro and Hol Horse both ran over to pull Izuku away, but the OFA user raised a hand and flicked, blowing the two away. That's when Santana did something no one expected him to do:
He put a hand on Izuku's shoulder.
"Saving people with a smile...that sounds like a certain hero...you're the one I've been looking for. Yet...I don't see a target, I see a warrior. You will walk away with your life today, because I respect and admire your resolve...and so that we may do battle when you are at your best."
Izuku's eyes widened as Santana walked past him. After all of the threats he had faced, he never expected the leader of the League of Villains to be so honorable. Finally, he lost consciousness, falling into Jolyne's somewhat crispy arms.
"You...spared him?" Gyro said, sitting up.
"It is what Lord Wammu would have wanted. I saw his resolve, as I see yours. I will not fight him in that condition...but you on the other hand, are perfectly healthy. Come Zeppeli, show me your strength, show me the power that almost beat my master!"
Gyro spun a steel ball in his hand. "You know what Santana? This whole time, I just assumed you were another evil bastard...but I think I might just be able to respect you."
Santana eyed the steel ball, recognition dawning in his eyes, before they met Gyro's. "Then...shall we begin?"
"Oh yeah, LET'S."
Gyro flung the steel ball, Ball Breaker flying towards Santana in tandem. Santana lept to the side and slammed his hammer into the ground, turning the hammer into a green substance which traveled down the crack towards Gyro.
Gyro rolled out of the way as the road crumbled away. Jolyne took Izuku and jumped away, while Hol Horse nearly fell in the hole. Santana dashed towards Gyro and swung his hammer at the Italian's head, but the steel ball returned and smashed into the back of Santana's knee, causing the Pillar Man's leg to buckle, making his hammer swing wildly through the air. Ball Breaker grabbed Santana's neck and used the momentum to choke-slam him into the ground.
Caught off guard by Ball Breaker's strength, Santana nonetheless twisted his body so that his foot would face Gyro, and kicked him full force in the ribs, and a sickening CRACK was heard as Gyro was sent flying backwards.
"ORA!" Jolyne punched Santana in the back of the head while he was solid, sending his face straight into the ground. Stone Free proceeded to grab him by the hair and wrenched his head out of the crater the impact created. "You aren't out of the woods yet! Anasui was my fucking friend! I..." Jolyne looked down. Santana glared and twisted his torso to face her. "If only you told him the truth."
Jolyne gasped as Santana gripped her arm and began to twist. A bullet slammed into Santana's elbow, causing the Pillar Man to briefly lose his grip, and Jolyne pulled herself free. Hol Horse fired bullet after bullet, none of them having an effect on the Pillar Man. In fact, he seemed almost indestructible, morphing between elements like some sort of elemental god.
Finally, one of Gyro's steel balls grazed his arm, causing a bit of the armor to chip away. Santana put a hand to it, touching the burning liquid that was currently coming out of the crack.
"All that for a drop of blood. How disappointing...I've spilled way more today. At least your friends at UA managed to hurt me a little bit."
Gyro froze, and slowly turned to glare at Santana. "They better be okay, Santana."
"They are alive, although the purple girl might be a bit hard of hearing from now on...and Kujo will actually be doing his old song and dance...or, the lack of dancing. I broke his leg."
"...do you KNOW, how much I busted my ass...to help him get those legs back? And..." Gyro thought back to the progress Kyoka made over the time that he knew her.
If Santana hurt her ears...that was it. He pretty much ruined her life.
"I have dedicated...so much time, and EFFORT, into making sure that those two were happy. Johnny is my first real friend, my PARTNER, and Kyoka? She's been our moral support for so long...they are the two people I care about most in this world...and you...HURT THEM."
"All the more reason for you to give it your all, Zeppeli."
"You're about to bleed a LOT more than before...I'm going to fucking MELT YOU!"
Gyro wasn't thinking logically anymore, he was only seeing red. He was no longer concerned with Santana's honorable nature, or that the Pillar Man had thus far shrugged off their attacks...
He was going to tear him apart.
Josuke swerved around a corner, causing Johnny's face to go right into Kyoka's chest. Kyoka's face went bright red as Johnny scrambled away. "S-sorry."
"I-It's fine."
"Are you two done canoodling back there?" Josuke asked. "We can't afford any distractions! There might be people in need of saving!"
"We weren't canoodling, just suffering from your reckless driving." Johnny muttered. His eyes drifted towards Kyoka again, and she pushed his face the other way.
"Pervert."
"I am not."
"Yes, you are. Mr. Josuke's right, we need to stay focused. He could have caught up with them for all we know..." Kyoka's attention drifted towards the window. "And...considering what he did to us..."
"We'll get there in time Kyoka, remember my greatest piece of advice?"
"I don't know, you have a few inspiring monologues to pick from...is it the one about HUNGER, or the one about MORALITY?"
"...have faith."
"Oh...heh, I can't believe I forgot about that one." Kyoka said with a smirk. "Don't worry, I haven't lost any faith. I'm just...really stressed right now."
"How do you think I feel?"
"I get it, we're all stressed, so let's use that stress against Santana." Josuke stated, while Okuyasu was asleep in the passenger's seat. "Seriously? How can he sleep at a time like this?"
"I could use a nap." Kyoka stated. "Getting my ear ripped right off of my head took a lot out of me."
Josuke grimaced. "That isn't something that should happen to ANYONE. I'm so sorry you had to go through that Kyoka."
"It's an occupational hazard..."
"Kyoka, not only did you go into shock, but you were absolutely devastated." Johnny stated matter of factly.
"Yeah, well I'm fine now."
"Kyoka."
"I'm fine."
"...Kyoka Jiro."
"OKAY, I'm...still pretty shaken up about it...but I can go to therapy later. Right now, we need to focus."
That's when Josuke slammed on the brakes mid-swerve, and Kyoka's head landed in Johnny's lap.
"Pervert."
"...karma is a bitch."
"You know what protects you from karma? Seatbelts!"
"You aren't wearing one either!"
"Huh? Josuke, why'd ya stop?" Okuyasu said, having been jolted awake, and Josuke bolted out of the car towards a shape lying in the middle of the road.
"Is that..." Kyoka said, her eyes widening in horror.
"Anasui..." Johnny said. "He caught up with them all right."
It was raining now, but Gyro didn't care.
It was just washing the blood from his face.
Gyro jumped over Jolyne, who had her head cracked open from a hammer to the stand. It wasn't a fatal head wound, but it was enough to take her out of the fight. Besides, with the burns she had sustained, she probably wouldn't have lasted that long anyway.
Izuku was slowly coming to, although it wasn't likely that he could move. Hol Horse was still in the fight, ducking and weaving between Santana's attacks as the Pillar Man was becoming more and more annoyed by the bullets the cowboy was shooting his way.
Santana was fully into it now, there was no banter, no speeches...just battle. He didn't utter a single word, he communicated with his body, every stroke of the hammer, every muscle in his body, indicated lethal intent. It was both terrifying and beautiful, both strangely peaceful and yet extremely deadly.
Santana was a master of combat. It was an ART, Gyro felt like he was looking at a painting by Michelangelo, although this Mona Lisa was trying to bash his skull in. Even now, with his rage and his wounds, Gyro could only admire his opponent.
Only one thing snapped him out of it...
And that was a motor bike landing directly on Santana's face, leaving a large tire mark on Santana's helmet. There were bombs attached to the bike, blowing up and encasing the Pillar Man in fire, as Momo Yaoyorozu landed right in front of him. "Gyro."
"Mo...MOMO?! What are yo-"
"I have a message, from Jiro. The Spin...it can hurt him no matter what he changes into! You can hurt him Gyro!"
"You mean..." Gyro didn't have time to finish the thought, as Santana emerged from the flames, now glowing a bright green. Immediately, he felt sick to his stomach. "Shit...he became radioactive..."
That's when Momo created a shield made entirely of lead and put herself in front of Gyro. "Lead has a nullifying effect. NOW GYRO!" Gyro hurled a steel ball at the radiated Pillar Man and hit him in the shoulder, shattering the shoulder pad. Santana's eyes widened in shock at his exposed skin, before turning to the two. "That power again...Zeppeli can use it too, and that girl's quirk is much more powerful than I thought."
Santana turned to water and integrated with the puddles on the ground. Momo whipped around and quickly opened the front of her school uniform, while Gyro stared directly at it. "I'm creating something big...so I need you to distract him!"
"RIght!" Gyro turned to Hol Horse. "Alright cowboy, time to see if you got what it takes."
"You questioning me, kid?"
"Good answer."
With that, the two charged at a reemerging Santana, who had turned into copper. A steel ball smashed into Santana's stomach, shattering the armor in that area, while a well placed bullet from Hol Horse pushed the steel ball in further, puncturing Santana's skin and digging into his abdomen. Blood flew from the mouthpiece of Santana's helmet as he raised his copper hammer to the sky.
It was only then that Gyro realized why Santana chose copper. "It's...thundering...HOL HORSE MOVE!"
Just then, a lighting bolt struck the hammer and traveled all throughout Santana's body. He then slammed the hammer into the wet ground, and the entire street became a light show as electricity flew everywhere, blasting both of them back.
Gyro groaned as his body involuntarily twitched, with his nervous system fried, it would be much harder for Gyro to throw any meaningful Spin attacks. Then his vision was filled by the visage of death itself. "You fought well Zeppeli...but it was HOPELESS!"
Santana's fists came down, again, and again, until the streets ran red. "STOP!"
The Pillar Man looked up to see Momo with tears streaming down her face. She was holding her staff, shakily pointing it Santana. "Please...please stop killing him...I know you have a heart in there somewhere...please...I'm begging you..."
"I warned you." Santana stated. "I said there would be BLOOD, did you not take me seriously? Look around!" Santana gestured towards the broken and bloody heroes lying around them. "This could have been PREVENTED! But you had to challenge me, you had to take the risk, didn't you? This is a result of YOUR actions!"
"Nobody has to die...nobody. There is always a better way of doing things...but you can't let go of your hate. Please...I...I can't live with myself if you do this."
"Mo...mo..." Gyro wheezed out. "Just...leave." His eye was swelling shut, and he could barely breathe. His entire body was covered in blood.
"No...never."
"Very well, then you get to see history repeat itself!" Santana declared as he dug his fingers into the pavement below, and ripped it from the ground. He held the giant piece of debris over his head, ready to slam it down on Gyro. "Lord Kars was kind enough to describe the nature of Caesar Zeppeli's death...and now...from one generation to the next, I will finish what Lord Wammu started!"
"No...I WON'T LET YOU DO IT!"
Momo pulled a string, revealing the cannon she had made, and fired it at Santana. The Pillar Man twisted his body into the shape of a crescent, avoiding the projectile, and dashed towards her, dropping the rock perilously close to Gyro. Momo created a shield just as Santana brought the hammer down, smashing right through the shield and knocking her down. He raised the hammer again, but a bullet collided with his cheek.
Hol Horse was up again.
Annoyed, Santana backhanded Momo away, causing her to crash into a wall. Then he threw his hammer at Hol Horse, and the cowboy barely managed to duck in time. While Momo was struggling to get up, Santana grabbed her by the ankle and literally swung her like a bat, clubbing Hol Horse to the ground. Then he began to pull her in.
He was going to absorb her.
Just as he was going to do just that, Hol Horse made a difficult decision, knowing full well he couldn't break the Pillar Man's grip, he instead kicked Santana square in the chest. I'm closer Santana...if you want your meal, you should reasonably take me instead...
Hol Horse looked down at Momo, who was barely conscious, and said: "I'm sorry...for everything..."
And then began to scream as Santana pulled Hol Horse's leg inside of his body.
"So that was Jiro's idea?" Joseph asked, and his grandson nodded.
"She's very bright. Of course, she wanted to be involved, but...you know, with all the political bullshit going on right now, a student getting hurt would be the end of UA."
"I told you, the Pillar Men were ambitious. It was really only a matter of time before he made things personal." Joseph said. "Still, I would be happy to be the bait, and as much as I admire Gyro for being willing to do it..."
A sad look came across the eldest Joestar's face. "I just don't want to see another Zeppeli die...I like Gyro, a lot. He's...he's like a son to me, and I know Caesar would have wanted me to take care of him. I failed Caesar...I won't fail Gyro."
"You didn't fail anybody Gramps. Sure, you've been reckless in the past *cough* affair *cough*, but you were always doing the right thing, even if you didn't want to. Gyro is lucky he has a man like you to look up to."
Joseph stared at Jotaro, looking as if he was staring at an alien or something. "Being a father really has softened you up, hasn't it? The Jotaro that accompanied me to Egypt would never be so...complimentary."
Jotaro looked out the window. "Yeah...I guess it has..."
Joseph smiled. "You know, I should probably check to see if I'm okay before we go. Earlier, I had this really weird pain in my leg...and now my head kind of hurts."
Jotaro froze. "Me...too..."
The two Joestars stared at each other, before they both bolted towards the door.
Bullet after bullet, Hol Horse kept unloading Emperor into Santana's face, blinding him with the sparks.
But Santana just kept pulling, until only Hol Horse's torso remained. Right then, Santana's ribcage emerged from the front and stabbed into Hol Horse's midsection, pulling him even deeper into his doom.
Hol Horse coughed up blood as he kept firing, keeping Santana blind.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BOOM!
The last, much louder shot didn't come from him, and Santana's eyes shot open as he screamed bloody murder, finally letting go of Hol Horse...
Only Hol Horse's upper body remained.
A spinning cannonball was lodged in the left side of Santana's chest, drilling into his side and spraying the molten blood everywhere. A loud crunching sound could be heard as the cannonball went deeper, and the Pillar Man fell to his knees, coughing and wheezing.
A heavily wounded Gyro was leaning against Momo's cannon, using it as support. Santana tried to stand, but found that he couldn't. Gyro's shot had crushed his left lung, and his body was now infected with Hamon.
"So...that's...it." Santana said, his helmet fading away to reveal his face. "I'm...impressed...but..."
Santana looked around. "It...appears you are the only one still upright...Zeppeli. I say...this makes it...a draw."
"Not if I kill you..."
Santana smiled while blood leaked from his mouth. "I'm afraid...another day...perhaps...it will take...a long time...to recover from this wound alone...so..."
Santana began to turn to smoke. "I...need to live...I need to see my vision through...but...I look forward...to our next...meeting...farewell."
Gyro watched as Santana disappeared, and slowly made his way over to Hol Horse. The rain had stopped, and now it was just the two of them and the clouds.
"Hey kid..."
"Hold on...I'll get you help."
"Nah, they'd never make it in time...I can already feel myself slippin'"
"Why? Why would you do all of this?" Gyro felt inexplicably sad. This man was his enemy up until half an hour ago, and yet it already felt like he was losing a close friend.
"I'd rather die...having done something good for the world...rather than living a coward."
Gyro began to tear up upon hearing his own words repeated back to him, and Hol Horse smiled. "We are incredibly...alike, you and I...but you were always the better man. The world...is a better place with you in it, Gyro Zeppeli. I just hope...this was enough...to make up for my cowardice..."
"It was." Gyro managed to get out, trying his hardest to remain strong.
Hol Horse put a hand on Gyro's shoulder with some difficulty. "Promise me...you will NEVER settle for second place. Don't go down the same path I did..."
"I won't, I'll be number one, always."
"Good...now...do me one last favor..."
"What?"
"Face me towards the setting sun...I want to watch it go down, one last time."
Gyro rolled Hol Horse onto his side, and the two of them watched as the clouds slowly parted, revealing the sunset in all of it's glory. Momo slowly got up, and Izuku opened his eyes, rolling over. "Hol Horse...?"
Gyro could only stare at the sun as his rival turned friend's breaths became shallower and shallower, until Hol Horse said one last thing:
"Isn't it...all...beautiful?"
And then the breathing stopped.
Gyro couldn't take it anymore, and began to sob. "Yes...yes it really is..."
When Josuke's car finally pulled up, they found Gyro a bloody, tearful, mess, while Momo was holding him to her chest, looking up at them with a solemn expression. Two people ran to the unconscious Jolyne.
One being her brother.
The other being Anasui.
Kyoka could only stare at the carnage, kneeling beside Izuku and helping him to his feet as he sobbed uncontrollably.
Josuke walked over to Hol Horse and frowned, before summoning Crazy Diamond. "He's...already gone...but he doesn't deserve to be left like this."
Josuke restored Hol Horse's body, and the heroes were left to recover.
"He was...still in UA, THIS WHOLE TIME?!" Jotaro barked into his phone.
"Yeah...listen, you should come over here, we're in the middle of...Roka street. Gyro managed to seriously wound him though...I don't think he'll be recovering for a while."
Jotaro put his head in his hands. "And here I was sitting with your father making stupid strategies while that bastard was hunting my kids. Thanks for being on top of that Josuke."
"Yeah...you know that Hol Horse guy?"
"He was one of DIO's underlings, now one of Santana's, why?"
"He died saving them. He...he sacrificed himself."
Jotaro paused, pressing his lips together. "I'll be right there, and I'm bringing your father."
"Alright Jotaro...I'm going to check up on everyone."
"I'll see you soon Josuke."
Johnny sat next to Izuku in silence, putting an arm around his childhood friend. "Are you okay Izuku?"
"Yeah...it's just...he helped me, he really wanted to change and...I think he was definitely my friend at the end. It's just so sad...why do I keep losing people JoJo?"
Remembering Nighteye, Johnny grimaced. "This is basically the Steel Ball Run, Izuku. Stand attacks, people dying...we're just a couple of kids who have seen the darker part of this world...but that isn't a bad thing. I don't think any of us really knew Hol Horse all that well, but it goes to show that not every villain is evil. Some of them can be redeemed. Hol Horse's story isn't a tragedy, it's about hope. Hope that we can make a better future."
Izuku nodded, and smiled again. "You're right, it's all about hope. Santana isn't pure evil either, he spared my life, even after he found out about OFA...maybe, he could be redeemed too?"
The image of Santana ripping off Kyoka's ear popped into Johnny brain, causing him to involuntarily shudder. "Santana...he isn't afraid to kill and maim people for his own goals. It could be possible...but...we also need to be ready to fight him."
Izuku nodded, and looked over. "Your girlfriend wants to talk to you."
Johnny looked over to see that Kyoka was indeed waiting patiently, so he patted Izuku on the back and went over to her. "Is there something wrong?"
"I...just noticed, there might be a bit of a...challenge, going into a relationship..."
Wait...no, she couldn't be...
"Challenge?"
Kyoka nodded. "Don't get the wrong idea, it's nothing you did, but...our fight with Santana made me realize that in battle, we have a whole new thing to worry about. There's this new...EMOTIONAL aspect to it, you know?"
Johnny nodded.
"I was so afraid of losing you, that I got reckless and went too close, and when he hurt me, you hesitated to use the Infinite Rotation. There's just more of a...weight to it now." Kyoka turned to Johnny and frowned. "You get what I'm saying?"
"Yeah...I do. Well...if you feel as though it could cost us in the future, I don't blame y-"
"Wait, do you think I'm breaking up with you?"
"..."
"You idiot, why would I do that?"
"I'm...a risk to you in battle and we could get killed?"
"...I said a challenge JoJo. Challenges are meant to be overcome. I'm just saying it's something we should be aware of going forward."
"So...you aren-"
"No."
"...well now I feel stupid."
"You should." Kyoka planted a kiss on his lips and smiled. "You should know by now that you're stuck with me."
Meanwhile, Jotaro and Joseph had arrived, and were discussing a strategy to hunt down Santana and bring the Pillar Man down for good. Gyro sat there, listening to them, while Momo sat by his side.
"Hey."
"Hm?"
"Are you going to be okay?" Gyro saw the concern in Momo's eyes and had to chuckle. "Yeah...I should be fine. It isn't the first time I've seen a man die...it's just...he really WAS some weird adult version of me that...well he was caught in the middle of right and wrong...and I think he died the man he was supposed to be. This has certainly been an experience I won't forget."
"...Gyro...you know I...care for you right?"
"I know."
"DUDE WHAT IS THAT?!" Okuyasu screamed as he pointed towards the sky, and everyone looked up and gasped.
In the sky, a shimmering golden version of Hol Horse was smiling down at them. He didn't say a single word, but his presence alone was to make Gyro drop to his knees. Another figure emerged from the clouds and held out a hand.
Hol Horse tipped his hat at the heroes one last time, before taking the hand of Mohammed Avdol, and the two faded away together.
It's never too late to forgive.