Bearticguy7: Great idea, now I've got the theme stuck in my head.
Jpx0999: Shizuka is going to play a big role in this arc!
FinchFlyingAce: She's gonna be important!
Guest: Elysium's reveal is in this chapter!
As for the final fight, Ulric actually says a direct quote from the villain of the story in question in the previous chapter.
Kyeo307: He lost a lot more than one person, it was a pandemic after all.
Kosaku Valentine: Thanks as always! I'm really excited to tell Ulric's story, and I'm glad to hear that you like the way I write the characters!
Euphoria: Just wait until the end, her development will be pretty interesting.
Boy: Disturbed?
Have you seen Bakugo's chest?
CoolK: Hol Horse?! I've got to look this theory up now.
Death Omen Star: Momo and Ulric are going to have quite the final fight.
Balanced Goose: Wooo! You're back! Thanks!
dumpstertrashfire123: He's gonna do something drastic, or he's gonna try to.
heavensdo0r: Ulric simp.
"NO! BAD MOTHMAN! SHOO!" Kyoka yelled, jabbing the winged abomination with a broomstick as she made her way into the treehouse.
"SCREEEEEEEEEE!"
"Don't make me get the bug spray!"
The Mothman chattered it's mandibles in frustration, and flew off, pissed.
"Motherfucking lamp-obsessed freak." Kyoka muttered. "Trying to steal Momo's breakfast..."
"Wazzat about breakfast?" Momo grumbled from her desk. Kyoka walked over and set an omlet in front of her, putting a hand on her best friend's shoulder.
"Hey there...you fell asleep in the treehouse after last night. How are you feeling?"
Momo looked at the omlet, and sighed, picking her head up from her desk. She was still wearing her dress from the Gala the night prior. "Did you make that?"
"Well, I tried."
Momo created a fork and dug in, and Kyoka could tell that she was forcing herself to. "Hey, if you don't feel like eating it, I won't be offended."
"You made it for me, I'm not going to waste it."
"I made it for you because I'm worried about you."
Momo met Kyoka's eyes, and lowered her head. "He was right...in more ways than one. About me...about the world. There always is another tragedy, another war...and I truly don't have any noticeable ideals like the rest of our group. Why am I a hero, Kyoka?"
"Only you can answer that question."
"An answer that I don't seem to have, and one that I can't find no matter how hard I look. Why? Just...why? Am I just mindlessly trying to do the right thing? Why am I even doing any of this?"
"The answer isn't obvious until it is, YaoMomo. You think I'm just telling myself, 'I want to make people smile' over and over again in my head? No...it was my experiences, and my history that made me realize that was my purpose. More importantly...and I really hate saying this...Susan." The purplette scrunched her nose at the mere mention of the name.
Momo blinked in surprise. "JoJo's evil mother helped you find your own ideals?"
"Yes." Kyoka shifted her weight, uncomfortable. "She actually did. Johnny is someone who has gone through hell and back, even more so than the rest of us. After all the damage that horrible bitch did to him and his family...after all that...I made him smile. I beat the odds, and at that moment, when I watched that fucking cow die...I felt complete, as morbid as it sounds. It was then that I discovered that making people smile, even people who have gone through as much pain as Johnny has...that's what I want to do. It's who I am, what I'm meant for."
"Izuku got his purpose from watching All Might."
"It doesn't always take healing broken people and tossing evil parents off of buildings. Sometimes your purpose can come from something simple." Kyoka said. "It's also in a musician's nature to want to make people smile, so that also probably played a part for me too."
"But...making people smile is your thing-"
"Momo...people can have the same ideals. What, do you think I trademarked it or something?" Kyoka asked. "The question is...is that what you believe in?"
"...I don't know, it may be a part of it." Momo laid her head on her desk again. "I feel so lost..."
"He shattered the way you viewed the world, but not you. You're strong."
"Why am I strong, though? What is driving me?"
Kyoka nodded towards the omlet. "Is it shit? I'm not much of a cook."
"No, it's alright."
"Then eat, I made it for a reason." Kyoka pointed an earphone jack at the plate. "Do I have to spoonfeed you?"
Momo took another bite. "I also agree with JoJo, I am a hero. I have a drive, I have a motive that inspires me to save people, but I have no idea what it is."
"It takes time."
"Time we might not have. Who knows when Dr. Stewart will make his next move?"
Kyoka fell silent.
"Kyoka?"
"..."
"He already did, didn't he?"
"Mt. Lady disappeared, leaving behind a note saying she went on vacation." Kyoka pulled out said note. "Her handwriting...but Kamui Woods had no clue she was ever leaving."
"No, this is the Good Doctor's work alright." Momo said, narrowing her eyes. "His forgery is quite impressive, but from analyzing the note he gave me to invite me to the Gala...he always adds a little curl to the ends of his 'p'. Seems to be a bit of a nasty habit."
"Definitely him."
"He's taking pro heroes now..."
"Only a matter of time before he nabs one of us."
"At least we know she's alive." Momo said, sighing. "Why would he take her? Unless..."
Kyoka watched as Momo went back into 'Detective Mode', grinning. There she is.
"Mt. Lady had recently done work on the new Mustafu Dam, her quirk is perfect for construction after all. She had begun making constant patrols near it, just in case it wasn't structurally safe."
"What does a dam have to do with what this psycho is planning?"
"Not sure yet...but according to Mt. Lady's reports released to the public about the project, she said she felt...'unsettled', as if someone was watching her."
"Paradise City...she must've felt it stalking her, she was probably close to figuring out what he's doing." Kyoka put a finger to her chin, a habit that she accidentally picked up from Izuku. "He can alter people's gravity towards the hole in his stand's chest, what would water have to do with it?"
"Waves are caused by the moon's gravitational pull, water is bound by gravity just as everything else is on our world, besides Uraraka. Perhaps he could use Paradise City on it?"
"Sucking in all that water? Sounds like it would put quite a strain on him."
"Nothing is above sacrifice when it comes to him. He's more than willing to put his own body on the line." Momo said, and a determined look came onto her face. "The Dam...we have a lead."
Shizuka Joestar was giving her father a hard time.
"You mentioned Jiro, but not that she's his girlfriend! Do you know how big of a deal that is?!"
"For the last time, Shizuka, I did. I specifically said 'Johnny may have found a special someone too' when I wrote to you about the wedding!"
"They've been together a lot longer than just the wedding, Dad. All you told me was that she was the person who took care of Susan."
"Because she was in love with him!"
"I grew up with that kid, he was pretty much my big brother! I saw his reclusiveness first-hand, and the moment he breaks out of his shell, I didn't get to see it!" Shizuka said, exasperated. "I mean, this girl turned his life around for fuck's sake!"
"I told you all that!"
"No you didn't!"
"Do you actually read my letters, or do you skim through them?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"I put my heart and soul into those, you know."
"I do."
"You're breaking your father's heart." Joseph mockingly put a hand on his chest.
"You probably skim through mine too, old man, I picked up all of your bad habits."
"OH WOE IS ME!" Joseph cried out, melodramatically. "MY DAUGHTER DOESN'T READ MY NOTES! SHE'S FORGETTING ABOUT HER POOR, OLD/YOUNG, DEAR FAT-"
Shizuka began hitting her father over the head with a bagel.
"AAAAGH! HELP MEEE! OH MY GOOOOD!"
Crumbs flew everywhere from Shizuka's assault, and she took a bite out of the rest of the bagel, deciding to spare Joseph from further punishment. "You're so dramatic, I would say that it would be due to you getting de-aged...again, but you were like this when you needed a cane, so..."
Joseph wiped crumbs off of his head, and sighed. "Let me have a little fun now and then, jeez. Well, I trust you are enjoying your stay so far?"
"Yeah, for the most part. I'm still pissed about the whole girlfriend thing..."
"Get to know her, she's actually a really nice girl."
"Well no kidding, it sounds like she's won over almost the whole family. I guess I'm next."
"You'll like her, she actually has a similar sense of humor to you." Joseph said. "Always teasing people and making witty remarks..."
"I got that from you."
"Well she didn't."
"Unless you have more illegitimate children we should b-"
"NO! NO! DISGUSTING! AAAAAAGH!" Joseph covered his ears as Shizuka cackled.
"It seems as though I'm still the one who can fluster the Great Joseph Joestar the easiest!"
"Don't make jokes like that when she's literally canoodling with a member of our family!"
"Pfft-HAHAHAAA!"
"Why you little, COME HERE!"
Joseph chased his daughter around the room, the two of them giggling like kids. Honestly, Joseph had really missed her, and while she may not be his daughter by blood...
He couldn't help but feel proud that she had taken after her old man.
Kyoka stood on the edge of the Dam, feeling a hit unsettled.
She and Momo had put their heads together, and it was safe to say with the two of them they had narrowed it down to a few possibilities:
1. The Mustafu Dam was Ulric's base of operations.
2. He wanted to use it for his 'final goal.'
3. Mt. Lady was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she merely bumped into Paradise City.
4. Ulric was intentionally diverting their attention to the Dam.
Number four seemed to be most likely, although they couldn't rule the other three out.
Momo's eyes scanned the mile-long trail of concrete, and then at the water. One could take a pretty nasty fall from where they were standing...
"Why a Dam? Why not a factory, or some other power source? Why water-based in particular?" Momo asked herself. "Dr. Stewart and his goals keep getting stranger and stranger."
Kyoka jabbed her jacks into the concrete, trying to get a read on whatever was inside...
Simply the clicking and clattering of machinery, nothing out of the ordinary...
Kyoka narrowed her eyes. "That's strange..."
"What? What is it?" Momo was quick to go to her friend's side.
"The clicking of the gears is getting...closer..."
"Closer?"
"Yeah...but...hold on." Kyoka leaned forward, focusing on the vibrations coming from inside the dam. "It almost sounds like something is...climbing towards us..."
Momo created her staff and got ready for combat. "Any other signs that this is clearly a trap?"
"This thing has gears in it, it's almost as if it was intentionally designed to fool my ears." Kyoka responded. "Another case of our enemy planning ahea-"
"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETCH!"
"AAAAAAAGH!" Kyoka screamed, clutching at her ears and falling backwards. Momo rushed over to her side.
"Kyoka! Kyoka, please remove your hands..." Momo gently pried her friend's hands away from her ears, and the first thing she noticed was blood. "Oh no..."
"Whatever that...was...it was built...to hurt me." Kyoka grunted out, seething in pain. "He was prepared for us..."
A slab of concrete dislodged itself from the catwalk, and a mechanical hand came out, clawing at the ground as it emerged.
It was a robotic man, gears grinding away in a glass case embedded in it's chest. It's mechanical jaw opened up, revealing a large speaker.
Momo created ear muffs and placed them over Kyoka's head just as the mechanical creature let out another wail.
"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETCH!"
Momo took the brunt of the sonic attack in Kyoka's place, and she stumbled back, her ears ringing with a headsplitting pain.
The robot did a somersault, and kicked out toward Momo's chest, sending her flying backwards and over the edge.
"MOMO!"
Kyoka got to her feet and blocked a punch from the metal man, wincing, and ducked under the thing's extended arm, putting a hand on it's chest and flipped it over her shoulder.
The metal man landed on it's feet, and whirled around, and a blade popped out. Kyoka coldly drew her own blade, pointing it at the machine in challenge.
"Come on, you ear-mangling bitch."
CLANG!
As blades locked above, Momo was dangling over the edge of the dam, desperately trying to pull herself up. Her legs were dangling above a 50 foot drop, the ground below was so small...
The situation had taken a sudden and terrifying turn.
Ochako was keeping an eye on Izuku, as usual.
She was even watching him in class, something that a certain Tenya Iida was picking up on.
"Uraraka."
"..."
"Uraraka, are you listening?"
"..."
"URARAKA!"
"Huh?" The brunette blinked, before turning to face the class representative. "What is it Iida?"
"You're staring at Midoriya, more than you usually do."
Ochako sighed, a faint blush coming to her cheeks. "It's not a big deal, Iida, I have a good reason to."
"..." Iida narrowed his eyes in suspicion, pushing up his glasses.
"Why are you looking at me like that?!"
"You're part of it now, aren't you? Whatever is going on at this school..."
"I-I..."
"Don't get me wrong, Uraraka, I still trust you. JoJo already confirmed to me that there has been more than one instance that had a little more going on than just a random stand attack. It's just...not only is it my duty to watch over the class, but you are all my friends as well. I know you all have ample reason to hide this from me..."
Iida shifted his gaze over to Izuku, who was having a muted conversation with his two childhood friends.
"You looked worried for him, and that makes me worried for him as well. Yaoyorozu and Jiro aren't here...Mr. Aizawa said they were working on a personal project with his permission...does it have something to do with this?"
Ochako's gaze shifted towards Jotaro, who was using Star Platinum's enhanced senses to listen into the conversation. Jotaro gave her a nod, indicating that she could confirm Iida's suspicions.
"Yes...they're investigating a...well, I wouldn't call him a villain, he's helped a lot of people...but an enemy. He wants Deku's quirk because it's powerful."
"He wants Midoriya's quirk?"
"Yes...the issue is that this guy is a genius. He has backup plans for his backup plans...so I'm not going to let Deku out of my sight."
Iida frowned and sat back in his seat. "That's terrifying...I won't let Midoriya out of my sight either. Thank you for letting me know about the situation, really. I appreciate it."
Ochako smiled, nervously. "We need all the help we can get with this guy."
Iida nodded, and then suddenly sat up.
"What?! What is it?!"
"I saw...something in the window, it looked like...a plague doctor?"
That was when Ochako nearly shat her pants.
Johnny, having heard Iida, immediately stood up and pointed a nail bullet at the window, only to find nothing. The whole class was staring at the commotion, most of them confused...
Jotaro cleared his throat, Star Platinum fading away. "Class dismissed."
Iida continued to stare at the window in shock, Ochako had just gotten done telling him about their enemy...
And while the others had started following Izuku out of the classroom, Iida had noticed something about the sudden appearance of what was probably the enemy Ochako was referring to.
He wasn't looking at Izuku. The sightless gaze of the mask wasn't pointed towards his green-haired friend at all...
It was looking at Ochako.
Kyoka parried the robot's wrist blade aside and cut towards it's head, but the metal man twisted it's body away.
If only she could take off the earmuffs, but her opponent would undoubtedly release another sonic attack, damaging her ears further.
The robot cut to her shoulder, and Kyoka barely managed to parry the strike, beating the other blade aside. Meanwhile, she was extending an earphone jack towards the edge of the dam, trying to give Momo something to pull herself up with.
The robot pivoted it's body so that it could cut around Kyoka's body, and slashed at her extended jack. Kyoka winced in pain, but luckily her jacks were pretty strong.
If it took a Pillar Man to rip them off, a sword certainly wouldn't sever them.
It still hurt like a bitch, but she would push through the pain so she could save her friend.
The robot had left itself open in it's attempt to cut her jack, so she used the opportunity to stab it through the chest. The robot made a series of demented noises as the blade punched through the middle of the glass case, but jumped backwards.
This opponent isn't alive, so an impalement won't cut it...
Ha...cut it...
The purplette frowned. Fuck you Gyro.
Meanwhile, Momo had created herself a set of climbing claws, and using those and Kyoka's jack, she managed to get back onto the catwalk. After catching her breath, she created a tazer.
"Kyoka! Get it out in the open!"
Kyoka nodded as she retracted her bloody jack, and clashed blades with the robot once more, and used the guard on her sword to shunt the other blade away. Then, she inserted her less-damaged jack into a wrist amplifier, and blasted the robot towards Momo.
Momo jabbed the tazer into the robot's back, and it let out an unholy mechanical screech as it's body began a passing out uncontrollably. However, it's head turned around 180 degrees, and it once again opened it's speaker mouth.
Oh...
That's not good.
"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETCH!"
Momo screamed as it unleashed a sonic attack directly into her face, and dropped the tazer. It then slashed at the spot behind her knee, and Momo went down on one, grunting.
It had cut one of her tendons, effectively disabling her leg.
Kyoka charged at the robot in a rage, screaming at the top of her lungs as she swung the sword with astounding force, causing the robot to stumble to the side in it's attempt to block it.
That's when Momo decided to retaliate, and sprayed the opponent with gasoline from her palm. Wasting no time, Kyoka dragged her sword along the concrete and heaved upwards, creating the sparks needed to set the robot ablaze.
The robot continued to attack, on fire, although it's body was beginning to fail. The metal plates on it's back began to shift, and a white foamy fluid shot out everywhere.
A built-in fire extinguisher?! Momo thought to herself in a panic, she created a splint for herself and limped over to Kyoka's side.
"How's your leg?" Kyoka asked, her eyes briefly flitting over to her best friend in concern.
"Tendon's cut...I'm afraid my movement has been hindered." Momo said with a grimace. "This thing..."
"It was designed to fight me." Kyoka correctly assumed, putting an arm around Momo to keep her from falling over. "The sound attacks targeting my ears...the sword...our friendly doctor clearly gave me a prescription."
"He knew that I would bring you." Momo responded. "You and I are just as much of partners as JoJo and Gyro are. You see the way it's fighting? The fire extinguishers, the intelligence? It's also designed to counter the traps I laid for Paradise City on Nabu Island."
"Both of us then."
"A genius level intellect, a successful doctor, a master of disguise, and now an inventor." Momo said grimly. Kyoka heaved her wounded friend to the side as the robot charged past. "Our opponent is truly a remarkable individual..."
"God dammit, at least we could talk shit about people like Cummings and the Necromancer, all we can do is give this guy compliments!" The purplette ranted, blocking another strike from the robot.
"That's because you can't hate him." Momo replied. "He's...the kind of adversary you can only admire, he has nothing but my respect...and that's honestly scarier than the alternative."
An opponent you can't help but look up to...
"Uraraka...I'm fine."
"I'm not letting you out of my sight, Deku." The brunette insisted. "Iida saw something, and we shouldn't take any chances."
"I can handle myself, seriously. It's not like I'm going for long walks alone at night." Izuku replied. "I'm being just as cautious as you are, if not even more so."
Ochako grabbed Izuku by the shoulder and twirled him around. "I am not leaving your side."
"Kacchan is literally over there, I think I can walk from one person to the other."
"Why are you being so stubborn over this?!" Ochako snapped. "I want to protect you!"
"I know! But I'm fine when I'm with other people too! You're making it seem as though you're the only person who can walk with me!" Izuku protested. "You aren't my guard dog!"
"This guy is a mastermind...I wasn't involved in this until recently, and now that I know the amount of danger you are actually in...I...I can't let him take you." Ochako lowered her head. "I just can't, I care too much."
"I know you do...Uraraka, I really do."
"Do you?"
Izuku blinked.
He and Ochako were almost nose-to-nose.
"I-I uh..."
"Deku, do you really know how much I care?" Ochako asked a bit quieter, and she was clearly aware of the position they were in, as her face was starting to turn red. At any moment she could float off into the sky, flustered by her proximity to her crush...
But the question needed to be asked, Izuku needed to understand why she was so insistant upon sticking by his side.
Even if she couldn't say those three words quite yet.
"I-I-I..."
"B-because if you did...you aren't talking like it."
"U-Uraraka...y-you're really c-close..." Izuku sputtered out.
"Sorry..." Ochako muttered. "I just...really can't stand the thought of him taking you. I...I uh..."
"I-I g-get it."
"Uh..."
"Yeah..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"WILL YOU TWO STOP FUCKING AROUND?!" Katsuki hollered. The two teens both jumped, they had been staring at each other, and neither of them could look away until Katsuki shouted at them. "THERE'S A FUCKING EMERGENCY!"
"S-sorry Kacchan..." Izuku muttered.
"GET OVER HERE YOU IDIOT!"
"Y-yeah...we're evacuating to the treehouse...f-forgot about that..."
Ochako watched Izuku awkwardly shuffle towards Katsuki, and had to smile despite feeling so awkward herself. Good to know that despite everything, Deku is still a big dork!
Somehow, Ochako could feel Kyoka saying the same thing about her.
Ochako watched Izuku leave with the explosive blond, and she kept an eye on them the whole way until they went into the woods.
He'll be fine...Iida is keeping an eye out too, and he's one of the sharpest people I know. Plus, it's Deku. He's the most heroic person I know, I'm sure he could handle Pa-
P-P-P-Paradise...City...
A large stand was hanging in the trees, it's pyramid-shaped head was a dead giveaway. It matched Momo's description to a tee. The remote stand lept down from the trees and onto the pathway leading into the woods, peering in...
And turned towards Ochako, and it almost seemed to be challenging her.
While the stand had empty eye sockets and little to no facial features...she could tell just from looking at it's face.
It was saying: 'Catch me if you can.'
Without a single word...Paradise City dashed after her best friend and his former bully. It's spider-like legs whirring with an astonishing amount of speed. Ochako felt her heart quicken in panic, and she began sprinting after their enemy, gritting her teeth.
I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HIM! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH DEKU!
What Ochako didn't realize, was that there was another ready to join the pursuit. Gyro Zeppeli put his steel balls under his feet, and began rolling after them.
He didn't have a good feeling about this...and it was time to try his experiment.
Momo hit high, having recovered her bo staff thanks to Kyoka's help.
Kyoka hit low with her jacks, and middle with her sword.
And then they switched.
There was no way in hell they were going to let this machine separate them. It had been built to handle the both of them, but when they were working in tandem...
It was slowly being overwhelmed.
When one's attack failed, the other would compensate. The robot had lost an arm, and was trying to compensate with it's one arm, but failing.
With Kyoka acting as a replacement leg, Momo karate-kicked the robot in the chest. Then she leaned forwards, allowing Kyoka to roll over her back and slice off the robot's other arm.
The robot attempted to release another sound attack, but Kyoka had already closed the distance, jabbing a jack into the speaker and short-circuiting it. Momo grabbed onto her friend's shoulder and used it as support, her good leg springing her up to flip over both Kyoka and the robot, and jabbed her staff into the back of it's neck.
The robot was buzzing and whirring, vainly reaching it's arm out in an attempt to grab Kyoka. The purplette was prepared though, and wound up her fist.
Let's see if all that torture Gyro put me through was worth it... Kyoka thought to herself as she began to glow with the bright yellow light of Hamon.
"OVERDRIIIIIIIVE"
Kyoka donutted the machine, and brutally ripped out it's insides, throwing them to the ground.
Momo could only stare at her friend in disbelief as the robot collapsed to the ground. The musician's hand was covered in oil. "That was...barbaric."
"It was effective." Kyoka shook her blackened hand, wincing. "My ears are still ringing from that attack...how are you?"
"I'm alive...I think we need to call for a ride, I can't walk very far."
Kyoka grimaced, and draped Momo's arm over her shoulder, and the two began walking back to the exit.
"What I don't understand is, why go through all that trouble just to lead us to a robot? Kidnapping a pro hero? Forging a letter? There just...has to be something about the dam, right YaoMomo?" Kyoka studied her best friend, worry etched onto her features.
"Yes...I don't believe he would have gone to such trouble for us alone...but he led us here, of that there could be little doubt." Momo replied. "That trap had a purpose..."
"Like injuring us?"
Momo froze. "Yes...exactly. Dr. Stewart made it clear that he would only kill us if we pushed him too far, and that robot went for my leg, and only my leg. It didn't try to stab us anywhere fatal...he wanted to injure us."
"The real question is why?" Kyoka examined the gash on her jack. "He targeted my ears, and you can't move very well with that busted leg..."
"All attempts to hinder our abilities...so we couldn't use them when it counted!" Momo realized. "He's trying to slow us down, he's going to do something!"
"In other words, he played us!" Kyoka snarled. "He knew you would catch on to whatever he was planning, so he gave us a false lead, and we fucking fell for it!"
"He knew I would analyze his handwriting from his previous note!"
"That clever bastard!"
"Have you called for a ride?!"
"Mr. Josuke is on his way, I'll tell him to ignore the speed limits, this just got ten times more serious." The purplette wore a deep, intense frown as she pulled out her phone, kicking through the exit door. "He could be attacking Izuku as we speak."
Momo felt ashamed. She had fallen right for Ulric's trap, and now he was free to proceed with his plan, potentially undetected.
No, my friends are perceptive, they would catch on too. You overestimated me, Dr. Stewart.
Still...
Why take Mt. Lady if this was only a trap meant for us?
The robot was hiding inside the dam...
There was something about the Mustafu Dam, Ulric may have led them there for a trap, but that didn't necessarily mean the dam was unimportant. Mt. Lady wouldn't have been taken if that was the case...
Her opponent was someone who did everything with purpose, Mt. Lady must have seen something she wasn't supposed to, something about the dam.
It didn't matter at the moment, because right now, Momo was more concerned about getting back to the school in time.
She couldn't let Ulric win.
Shizuka paused, pulling down her sunglassesher half-brother's car pulled up, and bumped into the curb.
Josuke kicked open the door, followed by what looked to be Johnny's girlfriend and the girl that passed out last night. It was clear by their body language and their quick pace that all three were quite worried.
"Whoa, what's with the rush?"
"HI SHIZUKA, IS MIDORIYA OKAY?!" Josuke screamed into her face.
"Uh..."
"Izuku's fine...physically at least." Johnny came out from behind Shizuka, startling her.
"Hey! Sneaking up on people is my thing!"
Kyoka immediately marched up to Johnny and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him in close. "Please...please tell me everyone is alright..."
She had texted him in a panic on the ride up, begging him to make sure that everyone was safe and accounted for...
But she knew the look on his face, it was one that she knew very well. Just by seeing Johnny's expression, she already knew that the answer was going to hurt.
It was a look of defeat.
"Who...?" Kyoka asked softly.
Johnny's eyes drifted towards Momo, and he slowly produced a set of steel balls from his pocket. Momo's eyes went wide, and she fell to her knees. "No...no, it can't be..."
"Gyro...was trying to save Uraraka from it. It took her too...I found this where the battle took place."
Momo's hands shakily gripped around the piece of paper Johnny handed to her, while Kyoka was just standing still, her face frozen in a look of utter disbelief.
-:-
Yaoyorozu,
As you have undoubtedly already heard, I have taken two of your comrades. I would like to issue a formal apology, I had only intended on taking one.
Ochako Uraraka was my target today, not Zeppeli. It was not my intention to cruelly rip your lover away from you, but I had to defend myself.
You see, as Koichi Hirose undoubtedly told you, I can alter someone's gravity with a touch, only a stronger gravitational force could save them...however, the removal of gravity would also be quite effective.
Hence, I had to deal with Uraraka before making a move on Midoriya. She was so preoccupied guarding him, she never considered that she was also a target. Zeppeli must have caught on...because he intervened after I touched her hand in a surprise attack.
It was...surprisingly easy, considering the beating he and Kujo gave me on Nabu Island, to say I'm suspicious might be an understatement.
The trap at the dam, as you've probably figured out, was designed to prevent you and Jiro from coming to her rescue, or warning her before the attack could take place. You probably would've figured it out before I could get the chance, with your intellectual prowess.
I can promise you that the both of them are unharmed, and that it won't be long before you see them again. Once again, I humbly ask for your forgiveness for this unforseen outcome.
With nothing but respect,
The Doctor.
-:-
"How are we going to bullshit our way out of this one? Two students are missing!" Josuke exclaimed, rubbing the sides of his head. "This is bad..."
Gyro...going down easy? Dr. Stewart is right...that is suspicious. Momo thought to herself.
Wait...
DID THAT IDIOT WANT TO GET CAUGHT?!
Now that Momo thought about it, Gyro doing something risky like that is quite in character.
"JoJo."
Johnny was holding a despondent Kyoka, and both of them turned to face her. The look of despair on her best friend's face made Momo's heart clench.
"What?"
"Have you tried spinning the steel balls?"
Johnny initially looked confused, but his eyes widened. "Holy shit...you're right."
"What is she right about?" Kyoka asked.
Johnny began rotating the steel balls, and a shape began to appear in front of them. Kyoka blinked, and then adopted an annoyed expression. "Oh...that asshole."
Ball Breaker popped to life in front of them, and everyone immediately began attacking it.
"OW! OW! STOP, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHHH!"
"YOU GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK!" Momo screamed as the Italian began to reassemble before their very eyes, Ball Breaker seemingly yanking him back into existence.
"Sorry, but I had to see if I could use the Spin to escape." Gyro responded, brushing himself off. "I couldn't bring Uraraka with me though, but she basically pushed me out."
"Out of Elysium." Johnny said, grinning. "You got yourself caught so you could learn what Elysium was."
"And it worked, Nyo ho!" Gyro gave the group his signature grin. "And I have a theory about how we can save Uraraka too, but one thing at a time..."
Momo stared at her boyfriend in disbelief.
Here I was...getting kicked around by a robot...and Gyro got a better lead.
Dr. Stewart was right...I don't stand a chance against him unless I have something to believe in...Uraraka being gone is proof of that.
He'll beat me every time.
"How did you manage to escape?!" Kyoka asked. "You didn't do anything with gravity involved at all!"
"Ball Breaker is connected to my steel balls, and my body." Gyro explained. "Thus I can manifest it through either one, as long as my steel balls are spinning. My steel balls acted as an...anchor of sorts, then my stand simply dragged me along with it."
"And you knew one of us would figure it out." Johnny surmised.
"Well, yes, I knew it would either be Momo or Johnny. No offense Kyoka, but you don't know how to use the Spin quite yet."
"Dude, I'm just happy you're here!" Kyoka said, smiling. "And Ochako is safe?"
"Yeah, I promised her we'd rescue her as soon as possible. We need help though."
"First, explain what Elysium is...you've been there." Momo said. "We need to know what it is."
"Paradise City is Elysium."
"They're one and the same?!" Momo asked, before a lightbulb went off in her head. "Of course...the hole in it's chest! People are literally inside of the stand!"
"That's why he needs Midoriya and OFA. He said that powerful quirks and stands increase his lifespan, and if he dies, his stand dies with him!" Josuke smacked himself in the forehead. "That makes a lot of sense!"
"His stand is named Paradise City because that's what it is, a literal city of paradise, a utopia. Elysium is a pocket dimension located inside of the stand itself. It's similar to Valentine's Love Train." Gyro continued to explain.
"His motives, how he wants to create a better world...oh my God, he's literally creating a better world! He wants to replace Earth!" Momo realized. "That must be it, he's trying to create a world where humanity will no longer suffer...no disease, no war..."
"But...there would have to be a war eventually, right?" Kyoka asked. "You can't just expect humanity to get along, simply because they're in a new place."
"That's the freaky part. Everyone that's inside Elysium, except Uraraka and I, is overly nice...almost as if all the negative feelings have been scrubbed clean from them. Oh...and All Might too, All Might was there."
"WHAT?!" Johnny grabbed his partner by the shirt. "HE TOOK ALL MIGHT?!"
"Yep, he and Uraraka are going to stick together until we can manage a rescue. Our enemy may have good intentions...but everyone in there is basically a zombie." Gyro shook his head. "And in terms of stopping our enemy? We're far behind him...it'll take a lot of effort."
"We have some idea of what his final goal is, but not how he's going to achieve it. Paradise City is one stand, there's no way it could just go around abducting every single individual on Earth." Josuke said. "He has to have some sort of method to go about doing it."
And he's had plenty of time to plan. Momo thought to herself. Many years of it, there's no reasoning with him.
I can't blame him either, he must have suffered so much, to want to abandon our world.
Once again, Momo couldn't help but agree with her opponent. The world often seemed like a cruel place, beating you down when you're already in the dumps...
However, he missed the beauty of it...
The world needed to be changed...but not abandoned. There was still hope for humanity, there was still a chance to make things right in the world.
Wasn't that the reason heroes exist? To try and bring about change?
To try and...
Oh my God...that's it.
Ulric picked up a gear from the destroyed robot, and sighed.
"Shame..."
"I'm sorry Doctor, their teamwork was just too strong." The dam curator said.
Ulric waved her off. "It's as expected. I just wish they left it salvageable...how's your mother?"
"She doesn't have much time left..."
"Well, hopefully I can finish my plan before her time ends. Disease cannot follow those into Elysium." Ulric replied.
"If that bitch wins, my mother will die. We need to take her out." The dam curator glared hatefully at Momo's medical file, when Ulric suddenly slammed the table. "What?!"
"Do not insult her, and do not threaten her. Not in front of me."
"She's a threat! I won't have her ruining this!"
"The girl is far from malicious, and she has nothing but my utmost respect. To hate her for her actions is selfish, so mind your tongue." Ulric threatened, his mask concealing what was undoubtedly anger.
"..."
"One of the brightest minds I have ever encountered in all of my years...I take no pleasure in antagonizing her!" Ulric continued to admonish. "It is only due to circumstance that she is my adversary."
"Whatever." The dam curator said with a frown. She respected Ulric, she truly did, but she didn't like how attached the man was getting to the girl that was trying to bring him down. Momo Yaoyorozu was just a rich, spoiled little busybody who didn't care about someone else's situation.
Selfishly targeting a man who had done nothing but try to help people. A man who would relieve humanity of the burdens that Earth brings upon them, at the cost of his own happiness.
And for what? To get a shiny little gold star after taking down a "villain?"
The dam curator didn't care if Ulric had taken a liking to the girl, if she even caused him one setback, she would rip out Momo's one million yen worth guts and force feed them to her.
"Soon...Mustafu will be the first of many cities that will be brought into Elysium, and she'll be reunited with her friends in a better place. We all will be..." Ulric declared.
Salvation is at hand, and nobody could stop it.