Izuku struggled against the Stand's hold over his mouth, the Stand's grip ironclad as he frivolously attempted to get it off of him despite him knowing that, in the back of his mind, he stood no chance of freeing himself. What made it worse was that he had no idea if what he was doing had been working or not namely because he couldn't see the entity that was holding him.
The only thing that he knew for sure of was that it was smothering his mouth with either its arm or its hand and that one of its other hands had a grip on the back of his neck which prevented him from struggling even more, almost as if it was holding down on his pressure points. The only reason he hadn't gone unconscious was because the pressure wasn't enough to knock him out and stop the circulation of his blood.
Another thing that he noticed was that, out of the corner of his eye, a bundle of rope was making its way straight for him. Izuku wondered where the rope had come from, though it wasn't important. The important part was that he was about to be tied up by an entity he couldn't see so it could do god knows what to him. He tried to fight against it, knowing full well it was impossible.
Izuku might have been weak. Izuku might have lacked a Quirk. Those things were true, and they had been drilled into his head by everyone around him, except his mother and All Might. But, there was another thing that he was that not many people noticed.
He was determined.
And because of that, even if something seemed impossible, even if it was seen as hopeless, Izuku Midoriya would never give up. He'd soon rather die than give up. Because at least then he knew he'd die trying to do the right thing.
Unfortunately for him, no amount of trying or struggling would get him anywhere, as the rope wrapped around his upper body, his arms snapped tightly to his sides as he gasped. The tightness of the rope made it hard for him to breathe, but, luckily for him, it was enough so that he would remain conscious. Then, once that was finished, The Stand dragged him back into the apartment and dropped him onto the couch with an unceremonious thud.
After that, it tied up his hands, preventing him from grabbing onto anything. Effectively making him even more useless than he already was before Kira-san… had fallen to her death. When the Stand had bound his arms and wrists, it let go of his mouth, and when it did, he looked down at the floor, completely and totally demotivated. He didn't have the energy to scream, call for help, or even curse the Stand out for what it did. And neither did he have the ability to fight back, not that he had the ability to fight back in the first place.
Kira-san was dead, and it was all because of him. All because of his in-action. The terrified look on her face as she fell, the way how her eyes widened and her mouth opened to scream. The sound of the fridge crashing onto the ground with Kira-san supposedly underneath…. He didn't see a body, but even he knew that no one could survive a fall that high up, so even if she avoided being crushed to death, she most certainly died on the way down.
All of it had been burned into his memory. Like a slide show, it played in his mind on a loop.
His first friend he had made in years ever since Kacchan was now dead. That thought stuck in his mind as a bruise would linger after being punched.
Kacchan was right… Useless, Quirkless nerds like him never got to have friends. This was the world's way of confirming that. The first friend he had made in years was now dead, all because of his lack of a Quirk.
If only All Might had given him One For All earlier. Even if his body broke, he didn't care. He could've saved Kira's life. He could've prevented her death. But no… he was Quirkless.
He was completely and totally useless….
"I'm sorry, Kira-san, I'm really, truly sorry. I wish I could've helped… But I'm just a useless Deku…, just like Kacchan said I was…" Izuku thought, choking back tears as he sobbed. But then, almost as if it were a miracle, Izuku got a surge of… courage. Like he had been zapped back to life in that one moment. His eyes narrowed as he stopped sobbing, tears staining his cheeks as he grimaced.
No… no he couldn't give up. He couldn't just accept this. Screw that! Heroes never gave up! And if he wanted to be a hero, why the hell would he just give up?! A true hero would move past the pain, ignored it, and move on with their life. It was a failure, sure, but it was one that he could use. A failure that he could look back and remember that he wasn't strong enough to save the person he cared for.
Plus… he didn't want Kira-san's death to be in vain. No, not that he didn't want it to be in vain… it couldn't be in vain.
"No! I can't just give up because she died. That's not what she would've wanted… I might not have known her for that long, but no one wants to have their death be in vain. She would want me to find a way to stop the Stand and defeat the user," Izuku thought defiantly. "First things first, though… I have to find a way to get out of this situation…" The green-haired teen thought as he looked around the area closest available to him right now, that having been the ground.
He saw his feet and realized that, somehow, his legs had been tied up. Had he been so focused on sulking that he never noticed The Stand tie up his legs and ankles? That… was possible. Izuku had always been the kind of person to get lost in his thoughts. Still, though, that was freaky. It was also smart on the enemy's part.
That… wasn't a good thing. That knocked out his idea. Then again, he would've been kind of disappointed if the villain hadn't tied up his legs. That was just kidnapping 101. Again, not a good thing, and it hindered him, but he couldn't help but not comment on how stupid that would've been.
So, now he had to find another way of making sure he could move. So, just how could he do that?
That was when he got an idea. If he could just tip over the couch, then maybe just maybe he could get himself free. Now, this would've been a problem had he been thin-stick boy Izuku. But current him was a little more bulkier, thus he was stronger. All Might's training hadn't and wouldn't go to waste.
So, with all of his might, he began to swing his body back and forth, trying to make the couch tip over. For the next two minutes, the couch didn't so much as budge. But, after a little while, it started to rock back and forth. Inch by inch, second by second, he was able to build up enough momentum to where the couch was now thumping against the ground, but still not enough to fully knock it over.
Whilst he did this, he kept an ear open for The Stand. Sure, he couldn't see it, but he could definitely hear it. It was something he noticed when Kira and The Stand had been fighting. He could hear it shift its body and thud into walls. He wasn't completely dull to its existence. He could also feel it, which was obvious when it had subdued him.
So, if he could hear and feel it, that meant that at least two of his four senses that revolved around other things that he didn't put in his mouth would work and aid him in his escape. But if it caught him, he was screwed. If he didn't get caught, though, he could call for someone, anyone to get him out of here so that then he could track down the enemy.
Of course, that was if he could get out.
Finally, after a long tedious process, with one final swing, the couch tipped over and landed rear-first on the ground, causing Izuku to bump his head against the back cushions. He groaned, narrowing his eyes in pain. "Good… part one of the plan is now done. Now onto phase two!" Izuku thought as he reorientated himself, the dizziness and the headache that had been caused by the rough landing petering out.
Now, he had to get off of the sofa and get the rope off him. Once he did that, he would then get to phase three, where he called a hero, the police, or both. He hadn't quite decided yet which one he would call. But that wasn't important right now. Right now, he needed to get this stupid rope off of his body.
And so, he wormed his way off the sofa and dragged himself to the nearest of the wall corners which was just by the door. Once he got there, he tried with all of his might to stand up using his lower body. Unfortunately, he failed, causing him to curse under his breath. But, just because he had failed once did not he couldn't try again. So, that was exactly what he did. He tried a few more times and failed every time.
"Damn you, body! Move!" Izuku swore in his mind as he pushed with all of his might. Finally, he was able to get his feet underneath him. A wide smile came across his face as he silently cheered in his mind. Now, he needed to cut the ropes. He had seen this work in movies, and while he knew it was probably just movie magic, he had to at least try.
He was going to cut the rope using the edge of the wall.
He knew it was stupid, but he had to do something. And thusly, he began to rub his back against the wall, pushing with all of his strength as he did so to try and make a dent in the thick rope. With each squat he did, his legs continued to get more and more tired, but he pushed through, all the while keeping an ear open for The Stand which was probably watching his every movement.
For all he knew, this whole thing was hopeless, and the Stand was merely watching him try and fail to escape. But, even then, he had to be sure. He couldn't just not do anything. That would go against what a hero stood for.
After what felt like an hour of rubbing the rope that bound his arms and wrists against the wall, he could hear the sound of the rope breaking. His eyes widened with excitement! He was so freaking close right now! "Come on, just a few more strokes and I should be golden!" Izuku thought as, just like he had predicted, the ropes snapped, falling to the ground as he smiled.
After that, he sat down, his legs giving out on him from doing so many squats after being dragged around like a ragdoll. Now all he had to do was untie his legs and ankles. Luckily for him, this was way easier than doing an ungodly amount of squats. It only took him a minute to untie himself, and with that done, he sighed.
"Okay, I'm free, now I just gotta get to the phone…." Izuku muttered, glancing over to the phone on the wall near the kitchen as the sound of footsteps echoed throughout the apartment. The Stand was on the move, and it was most likely coming to investigate. He had to be quick. He had to dial 119, and after that, he'd make a break for it.
And so, with that in mind, and with the knowledge that he was only seconds away from being jumped by the invisible force that he stood no reasonable chance against, he stood up and began to sprint toward the phone. It might've only been a few steps away, but in his mind, it felt like it was a literal mile from where he had been sitting.
Unfortunately for him, The Stand seemed to be 2 steps ahead of him, as once he so much as grazed the phone's head, a force, unlike anything he had felt before, and twice as strong as one of Kacchan's explosions, slammed into his stomach making him cough up specks of blood. They littered the floor among droplets of saliva as his body twitched. Breathing became a struggle as he fell to his knees, unable to move.
If The Stand was mocking him, he couldn't hear it. All he could hear was his own wheezed gasps as he struggled to stay conscious.
"So close…" the boy had thought. "I was just inches away from freedom… I was so… close…" Izuku thought as his vision became blurred.
"You're such a fucking loser, Deku! You can't even do one thing right with your pathetic excuse of a life! Fucking moron!" Kacchan's voice rang out through his head as Izuku chided himself. Of course… he knew this would happen.
"Kacchan was right about me… I'm nothing but a failure… I'm so… sorry… Kira-san…"
The last thing Izuku saw was his room, as he drifted off into the land of the unconscious.
...
"Well, it was a good attempt," Johnny muttered. Unfortunately, this was basically the situation any Quirkless person would be in, in either reality. They were barren of any form of power, and while they were far from worthless...they had some serious disadvantages.
"Yeah...that's almost what I was expecting...but..." Izuku seemed pretty unnerved by the force of the blow Inko gave his counterpart. His mother raising a hand against him? Unthinkable...but punching him hard enough to cause him to spit blood was the definition of overkill.
If Izuku was bothered, his mother was petrified.
"I...need a minute..." Inko said and headed towards a bathroom that materialized out of nowhere.
"I wasn't right," Katsuki muttered.
"In a way you were," Izuku responded, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "My Quirklessness meant I would always have the short end of the stick. That was inevitably going to be the result."
"Doesn't mean you were pathetic though."
"Stands can reflect our state of mind," Jotaro said, sitting back in his chair. "The reason it used the amount of force it did may have been your mother's desperation. While... the reality of the situation is true, you were lucky that this was a Stand User who would never dream of killing you...even if she was a little rough."
"Still, with Stands not being visible in this world is a problem to everyone without one, not just the Quirkless," Momo commented, a worried look on her face. "Part of the reason we've survived for so long is that we can see and interact with them...with Quirks. Their Quirks may have different origins to ours."
"This is going to be a bloodbath, isn't it?" Jirou muttered.
"Probably…." Johnny replied, a feeling of dread washing over him. "For now, let's continue. We can think about that later."
xxXXxxXXxx
Yoshihara felt the wind behind her back as she fell from the twelfth floor of the apartment complex. A sense of Deja'vu washed over her as she fell, and if one were to ask her what was going through her mind, it would be panic. If she had a 100 yen coin for every time she had started to fall to her death, she'd have two, which was weird that it had now happened twice, and in the same week, no less.
It felt like she had been falling for hours, even though Yoshihara knew that hadn't been the case. She looked up, and her eyes widened. The fridge, the item that pushed her off the railing, was falling towards her and lightning speeds. She looked down and saw a car that had been just underneath her.
If she didn't do something, she'd become a stain on the floor…
"KILLER QUEEN!" Yoshihara cried out as the Stand reached out to grab onto one of the lower floors guard rails from the fourth floor. Its right hand reached out and grabbed the railing with all of her might, parts of it falling off as it gripped the metal railing. She dangled there, panting as the part that had broken off, and fell to on top of the car, and just as she kept herself as close to the edge as she could, the fridge zoomed past her and slammed into the car below.
"Holy shit…" Yoshihara muttered, a shiver clawing down her spine. Unlike the last time she found herself falling to her death, she had a chance of dying this time around. Not only because she was falling but because she would've been crushed had she not moved out of the way. Her heart beat in her chest as her breathing slowly returned to normal.
"Thank god for Killer Queen. Otherwise, I would be dead," the blonde muttered as, with the help of her Stand, she pulled herself up. Some of the wounds that had been caused by the utensils dripped blood, which stained the floor that she stood on. Cursing to herself, she stared out into the distance, narrowing her eyes.
"Why? Why would she do this? Does she not realize that Midoriya-kun is in danger with her doing this? Or, perhaps, she knows and doesn't care?" Yoshihara thought, frowning. If that were the case, the blonde would be more than pissed off at her.
That was when something struck her, and a realization bore its way into her mind.
Midoriya was still trapped in that apartment with that Stand, with no way of defending himself!
"Shit!" Yoshihara cursed under her breath. She had completely forgotten about that little fact. Someone other than herself was in real danger, not just her this time! And so, with a determined expression, her heart beating and her blood pumping, she made her way back up to the twelfth floor of the apartment complex.
As she climbed, a million and one thoughts rushed through her head. Was Midoriya alright? Was he going to be able to hold it off until she got there? Scratch that, was he even still alive? The Stand seemed hellbent on killing both of them, not just her. Or perhaps it was just that inaccurate with its attacks? That would be possible, but she didn't have the time to test that theory. All she had the time for was to get back to Midoriya as fast as humanly possible.
The Stand didn't seem to have a weight limit when it came to its ability. Although it did seem to have a limit to only inanimate objects. Otherwise, The Stand would've sent her out a window rather than throwing objects at them. That was the only good thing she learned about getting thrown off the side of the building.
As she ran up the stairs, Yoshihara slipped on the fifth step on the way up to the tenth floor. Killer Queen prevented her from falling as she sighed. This thing was going to save her a bunch from falling face first or ass-backwards, wasn't it? She never really was all that good at keeping her balance…
Clearing her mind, Yoshihara got herself back on route, just as she heard something thump. The blonde cringed. Who did that? What happened? Was Midoriya okay? He was practically defenceless right now, although she wasn't doubting him, if he couldn't see The Stand what was he going to do to protect himself?
Kujo made it very clear that only Stand Users can harm other Stand Users with their own Stand. Anything that wasn't directly connected to a Stand couldn't harm a Stand, much less deter it. So the question was… was that Midoriya trying to defend himself, or was it the Stand hurting and or potentially killing Midoriya….
And if it was the latter…
Then someone was going to die. If there was one thing that she couldn't stand… it was the loss of an innocent life.
...
"Well, that settles it. She's definitely a Joestar." DIO threw his hands up in defeat. "Just a rather violent one."
"You were really hoping for her to become some sort of irredeemable maniac, weren't you?" Santana asked, annoyed. "I hate to tell you this, but most people are a little bit more complicated than that. While she's no paragon of virtue, she's more victim than villain."
"Sounds like you almost want to recruit her," Himiko said with a grin.
"She doesn't exist in our reality... but if she did, she'd be high on my list." The Pillar Man confirmed. "Kira deserves a chance to fight for a better life."
"This guy collects weirdos like Pokemon cards," Susan muttered, glancing at the villains sitting around Santana.
Dabi seemed to be thinking about something, and then he spoke up. "Which one is Tomura? Villain or victim?"
"Tomura?"
"Yeah... he was a tough guy to read, and when you took over the League... it was like he became a completely different person. Just a bloodthirsty maniac... not that I'm much better... but like you said, it's complicated."
"..." Santana sat a while in thought and sighed. "You know what? I don't know. I don't think that monster was truly HIM... and that whole multiple souls thing complicated it further. I don't think I ever truly met the real Tomura Shigaraki, so I can't really judge."
"He wasn't the kind of guy that considered us expendable, that's for sure... at least, that's what I thought." Dabi examined his mechanical arm with disdain. He was forced to burn his arm off to escape Tomura's decay, and while the new one didn't have the blowback, it was significantly weaker than his blue flames. "Well, he's dead, so we'll never know."
"It is indeed regrettable. I can't help but contemplate about my own role in his downfall..." Santana said with a frown. "Well, that's hindsight for you."
DIO looked like he was about to retort... as if he knew something they didn't... but he simply turned his attention back to the screen. There was no need to cause a senseless uproar.
...
Oh, don't get her wrong, she has killed other people before. But they were far from innocent. Case in point, the person who had tried to get… frisky with her back all those months ago outside of the setting she allowed that to happen. That person wasn't innocent. In fact, if she had to harbour a guess he was a scum fuck just like all the others she let do horrible things to her for money.
He, much like those she let do those things to her, was probably a pedophile. Teenager or not, she was still a kid in the eyes of the law. There was no excuse for it. The only reason she was allowed at her former place of work was because it made her money. Outside of that, it was inexcusable.
Tangent aside, she finally made it to the twelfth floor of the complex. She ran to the very end, which was where the Midoriya Household was. The door was closed, and when she went to twist the handle, it didn't budge.
"Shit, it's locked," Yoshihara cursed. She narrowed her eyes, summoning Killer Queen as it touched the door handle. The handle gleamed as she took a step back. "Sorry, Midoriya, but I'm destroying your lock. I'll pay to get it replaced later…" Yoshihara muttered as Killer Queen formed its hand into the charade of a detonator, its bandaged thumb pressing down on the rest of its hand mimicking a charge. A click reverberated around her as the door handle blew up in a small cloud of smoke before disappearing completely, the door slowly opening due to gravity.
Once the door was open, Yoshihara stepped inside, careful to not make any noise. When she got in, the first thing she noticed was how eerily quiet it had gotten. Nary a peep was made, and it set her on high alert.
As silently as she could, she stepped into the living room and saw that the couch was tipped over. Over to her right, she saw that a bundle of severed rope was on the floor, and over by the phone, there were small droplets of blood and spit on the wood.
A struggle had happened. But, for the most part, considering there wasn't a lot of blood, she assumed that Midoriya was still alive. For that, she breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted was for her first friend to be dead because of her. That wouldn't have helped her sleep at night. Not even in the slightest.
"So… Midoriya's alive. The question is… where is he? He might be in his room. So, that means all I have to do is get to his room and get him out of here. Then, I just have to find her. And once I do… I'm gonna punch the leaving shit out of her."
As soon as that thought left her mind, The Stand reappeared, its presence looming and its body language that of someone who was extremely pissed off. It had no mouth, so it couldn't communicate, and even if it did, it probably wouldn't.
KURRSHA…!
The Stand growled at her, and as soon as it did, it began to rapidly touch random things around the area in no particular order. That meant it had to re-touch everything that it threw at someone. It was weird, but not nearly as weird as what happened next. Its arms broke apart into thin strands of what its arms looked like, almost appearing to look like whips as they flailed about, hitting anything that it could. The tendrils were silver in colour, with green ends matching the fingers. The speed at which the thin protrusions moved was faster than Yoshihara could even see, and as it flicked about, everything that was on the floor started to gather a green aura and float upward.
It touched some of the scattered utensils on the floor, a painting, and even the couch! And with a mighty war cry, the Stand launched them at her.
KURRSHA!
The objects came flying toward Yoshihara. Killer Queen appeared to her side and began to throw punch after punch at blinding speed. It appeared to her as if its fists had turned into a blur, which was mesmerizing in its own right. One of the fists hit the couch, and as soon as it did, a bubble formed in the couch cushion that had been punched, and in a puff of smoke and a loud boom, the couch was gone.
With an opening now presenting itself, Yoshihara and Killer Queen charged the Stand, swinging at The Stand with jabs and hooks, all of which The Stand dodged. The humanoid figure then levitated a knife and set it flying at Yoshiahra, the sharp blade covered in a green aura as it zoomed right toward her throat.
If it wasn't obvious before, The Stand was actively trying to kill her.
...
"So... we can all agree she's an experienced killer at this point, right?" Dabi decided to address the elephant in the room.
Inko had returned from her trip to the bathroom, and she let out a sigh of acceptance. "I have to agree... yes. Just because I'm not a fighter doesn't mean there isn't a version of me out there that is. However...I refuse to believe there is a version of me that doesn't want the best for her son." The Midoriya matriarch crossed her arms. "Any 'Inko' like that is no 'Inko' at all."
"Well said," Johnny said with a smile. "If it makes you feel any better, Stand Users have a higher likelihood of getting into death battles... any encounter with a villainous Stand User is just going to be more dangerous than the alternative."
"No kidding." Kyoka jammed a thumb in Susan's direction. "Her fight with me is proof."
"If I recall correctly, you WANTED to kill me." The narcissist retorted. "You made a vow and everything."
"Of course I did, and you know damn well that I had every right to." The purplette shot back. "Still, if I didn't want to... was I going to get out of that situation without doing so?"
"...no..."
"Exactly."
"That frightens me," Inko responded. "I... know you kids have been put into some nasty situations... but knowing that this is common for Stand Users puts me on edge."
"Stand Users aren't constantly suffering, Mrs. Midoriya." Jotaro cut in, giving her a look that could be interpreted as sympathy. "Many are still capable of living normal and happy lives, it's just that they're more likely to encounter each other... and the encounters aren't always pretty."
"I could just pass another Stand User on the street, and that would count." Josuke agreed. "It's just a fate thing."
"Okay..." Inko glanced at her son, and shuddered. It was tough for any mother to do, watching their kid go into a dangerous profession... knowing that there were people out there capable of killing them.
Yet... she knew that Izuku already was a hero. It was his calling, in any universe...so despite her misgivings with the danger of the job, and the cruelty of the world, she would bear it. If anyone could defy the odds...it was her son.
...
Instead of ducking in fear, Yoshihara merely smirked, having Killer Queen grab the knife by the blade, spinning around in a blur of a motion, before chucking the knife back at the enemy Stand. The knife lodged itself into the Stand's inner elbow, making it flinch, as then, Killer Queen detonated the bomb it had planted in the knife.
The result was an explosion strong enough to sever the arm from the upper arm down. Of course, she could've just caused the bomb to blow up the entire Stand, but she knew that once a Stand was damaged, so was the user thanks to her witnessing it herself when Kujo's Soft & Wet grabbed her wrist.
In other words, she didn't want to kill her.
The Stand groaned in pain as it was knocked into the wall to its right, holding its arm as it glared at her. Or, at least it tried glaring at her. In response to that, Yoshihara smirked. "Not so smart as you think yourself to be, are you? Now, I don't want to fight… there's too much at stake here, and I think you know that. So, how about you come back here, and we talk this out, yeah?" Yoshihara said as the Stand growled again.
KURRSHA…
Then, without warning, the Stand charged at Yoshihara as Killer Queen put up its arms to block the attack. the Stand reared back its remaining arm and clashed its fist into the defence made by Killer Queen, only to rapidly punch it at blistering speeds after the first failed to break the barrier.
KURRSHAAAAAAAAAA!
The blows dealt to Killer Queen's arms were weak, but the abundance caused Yoshihara's Stand to drop its guard, lowering its arms, and leaving it open. However, before the enemy Stand could deliver another blow, Killer Queen retaliated with a left punch straight to the enemy Stand's gut, followed by a right hook to the jaw to the face, knocking it into the wall, causing it to slide down against it, slumping over.
Yoshihara was breathing quickly, sweat dripping from her forehead as she walked up to the Stand. It seemed immobile, but she assumed it wouldn't be for long. "Damn, that was super annoying…" Yoshihara said, walking up to it. "You really are a piece of work, aren't you? No, that's too nice. You're a pain in the ass, good riddance," Yoshihara spat as she looked down at its remaining.
The one thing that she didn't understand was the fact that both of the hands had different arrows on them, one blue one and one red one. The blue one, before it had been blown away by Killer Queen, had been pointed outward as if to jettison something away from the Stand, while the red one pointed toward the Stand. But why?
Unbeknownst to Yoshihara, some of the knives that had been deflected began to levitate behind her, a green aura surrounding them. Then, just when she realized what exactly that red arrow meant, the hand with the red arrow closed, causing Yoshihara to go wide-eyed as she felt a sharp, searing pain in her back.
Slowly, Yoshihara looked over her shoulder as several knives stabbed into her back, blood spurting from the wounds. But they didn't just stab after the initial piercing, no… they continued to go further as the blades kept digging deeper and deeper into her skin as the Stand looked up at her. Its cold, dead, purple eyes struck fear into Yoshihara as the blonde sucked in a breath of air.
…
While for Eri, things were censored...the sight of knives likely stabbing someone was enough for her to have a small panic attack. Luckily, she managed to calm herself down and turned her head away. It brought back unpleasant memories, of her time with Kai Chisaki and the Yakuza...
So she simply thought of the good times, candy apples, and all the kind people who took her by the hand and led her out of the darkness.
Was that still going to happen in this universe? Was this version of her, when she appeared, going to be able to smile too? Or were even worse things going to happen to her, like bad things were happening to Kira?
Eri was already grateful for her rescue, but these dark thoughts...made her appreciate it even more
…
Not thinking about it for longer than a second, Killer Queen punched the knives out of Yoshihara's back as she gasped in pain, the blades of the knives shattering with each punch as Yoshihara fell forward, hands and knees on the floor as she clenched her teeth, blood running down her back as the enemy Stand stood up, walking close to her as she looked up. Its eyes narrowed at her, before it then kneed her in the face, knocking her on her back as she screamed in pain.
"Gahhh!" The blonde cried as blood dripped from her nose and mouth, the wounds on her back still bleeding as she tried to get up, a daze coming over her as the Stand growled again.
KURRSHA…
Killer Queen attempted to punch the Stand but it dodged, grabbing Killer Queen's hand before driving its fist directly into Killer Queen's stomach, the same pain going through Yoshihara as she coughed up a glob of blood, it staining the wooden floor as Yoshihara wheezed. the enemy Stand shoved Killer Queen back as it punched it in the face again, then again, then again, all of which Yoshihara felt. The blows weren't that powerful, at least not as powerful as Yoshihara's Killer Queen, but they still felt stronger than your average person, and with each blow, the pain just kept getting worse and worse.
The Enemy Stand attempted to hit her again, only for Killer Queen to grab the fist with narrowed eyes. Try as the Stand might to free itself, it couldn't move as Killer Queen snarled. The purple aura that surrounded Yoshihara was replaced by a black, smokey aura. It was pure malice given form, and for a split second, the enemy Stand's eyes widened, as if it wasn't expecting that.
And then, with a crushing grip, Killer Queen crushed the leftover hand the enemy Stand had to work with. But that wasn't where the pain ended. Killer Queen then roundhouse kicked the Stand in the face, knocking it back. And when the distance was put between them, Killer Queen turned its hand into the charade of a detonator, and without any kind of remorse, Killer Queen set off the bomb it had placed in the enemy Stand's remaining hand.
The bubble expanded within the skin of the Stand before it burst, blowing up the remaining arm up to the shoulder, making the Stand scream in pain much like Yoshihara did when it had kneed her in the face
KURRSHA!
Yoshihara got up with the help of Killer Queen as The Enemy Stand was now missing both of its arms. It now looked terrified, as if it knew what was about to happen, but heedless of that fear, Yoshihara glared at the Stand, pure unrivalled hatred burning deep within her eyes as she snarled. "You know, I was content with just leaving you there, knocked out, but you pushed me to my breaking point. I'm no longer going to give mercy to you or your user. In fact, I'm going to do the complete opposite," Yoshihara spat as The Stand attempted to get up, only for Killer Queen to kick it back down, the wall cracking under the strength of the kick.
"No. You're not getting up. This is it. I'm done with this…" Yoshihara said, her fist clenched as Killer Queen did the same action. "AND SO ARE YOU!" Yoshihara shouted as Killer Queen picked up The Stand and began to rush it with punches, all the while it shouted its battle cry.
SHIBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBOBO!SHIBO!
With the final punch, The Stand was covered in bubble-like holes, and the moment Killer Queen was done punching, the Stand turned its hand into the same charade as before, pressed down, and just like that they all detonated at once, completely annihilating the Stand in the process. The explosion was controlled, barely damaging the walls around it, only leaving small singe marks from where the Stand had been eviscerated.
...
"Did... Kira just kill her?" Momo asked.
"It was certainly an attempt. Like we were saying, Stand Battles can turn deadly." Jotaro said with a grimace. "Kira is badly wounded, and if the fight drags out any longer, she'll die. Not to say it was the best course of action, but it is understandable."
"A Stand getting destroyed doesn't always mean death, either." Gyro reminded his girlfriend. "Automatic and Colony-type Stands don't always carry damage over to the user, and if they do, it might be minimized."
"I'm just thinking of the consequences if she did. She's basically this version of Izuku's only friend, and it's still a fairly new friendship. His only friend killing his mother is...a very awful situation to put him in."
Susan was about to open her mouth to point out the "hypocrisy" of that statement, but DIO put his hand over her mouth, keeping it shut. Sitting near her, in hindsight, was not a good idea on his part.
"Perhaps there will be, although if she's dead... it was a Killer Queen bomb. There's probably no evidence." Josuke responded. "She... could easily get away with it, if she chooses to lie."
...
Yoshihara's breathing was heavy, her body ached and she was shaking like a leaf. The adrenaline was slowly leaving her body as the pain became renewed. She had defeated the Stand, but now she still had to find Her, assuming she wasn't dead because of the destruction of her Stand. If she was alive, though, the problem now became that Yoshihara was too injured to do much of anything.
That aside, she still had to do something. She couldn't just fall backward and die. She had to call for help, and now that The Stand was gone, she could do just that.
Using the wall for help with walking, she inched her way to the phone by the kitchen. As she got closer to the phone, she reached out to it and grabbed it off its base. Yoshihara dialled 119, as, immediately after she put it to her ear, she was blessed by a speedy pick-up, and thusly, the first responder spoke.
"Hello, Emergency hotline speaking. How may I forward your call?" The woman asked as Yoshihara began to speak.
"Help… Villain attack in… small apartment building on Tatooine Street… The villain left, I'm hurt badly… and there may or may not be a… hostage… send an ambulance and police… please," Yoshihara said as the operator began to type on the keyboard.
"Okay, help is on the way. What's the address you're at?" The receptionist asked as Yoshihara coughed, some blood hitting her hand as she spoke.
"1967 Tatoonie Street, the twelfth floor of the apartment complex… l-last apartment on the right, please, send help now," Yoshihara said as the sound of footsteps behind her made the teen go stiff. Yoshihara looked over her shoulder, and immediately, the phone dropped from her hand.
"How?! I… I destroyed the Stand! She should be—"
Before her thought could finish, and before she could do anything, a green, blue arrow-embroidered hand slammed into Yoshihara as she flung backward into the kitchen and right into the cupboards beneath the sink.
"Hello, ma'am? Hello?" The operator on the phone called out as a human hand grabbed the phone and pulled it off the cord, breaking the line. Yoshihara growled as she slowly stood up, using the counter for balance. Emerald green eyes stared harshly into Yoshihara's sky-blue eyes as Inko Midoriya sneered.
"You…" Yoshihara bit out. "I fucking knew… I wasn't seeing things… my question is why…?" Yoshihara spat as Inko scoffed.
"Oh, really? You're going to ask me that question? You should already know why. It's because of Izuku," Inko spat as her Stand floated behind her, retaining both of its arms as if it had never been destroyed.
"Midoriya-kun…? This was… about him?! But you hurt him! How the fuck could this be about Midoriya-kun if you actively tried to hurt him!" Her adrenaline was spiking again as fury flowed throughout her body. In response, Inko sighed.
"Accidents happen when you try to protect the ones you love. I never meant harm to my boy, but there are just times when he's too pigheaded to realize he needs to sit the fuck down and shut up," Inko replied, with complete nonchalance on her face as she shrugged. "Not that I'd ever say that to his face. I care too much for him to say that to him. So perhaps that's on me. But this isn't about what I did, it's about what you did."
...
"...I want to punch myself in the face." Inko declared.
"Well... at least she confirmed that it was an accident," Kyoka said. "You heard her, she'd never tell Izuku that."
"I'd never even THINK it."
"Mom, let's be honest, you've thought that once or twice," Izuku replied, turning to face his mother. "I'm self-aware enough to know she's kind of right. At least when it comes to stubbornness."
"...well, I've never phrased it like that," Inko said with a huff. "Besides, you were clearly under the impression that you were being attacked, you didn't know it was ME. What were you supposed to do?"
...
"What I did…?" Yoshihara thought, glaring at Inko. "Last I checked, I haven't so much as laid a finger on him. What do you mean What I did."
Inko scoffed. "Oh, please, do I really have to explain that, or are you that dense? Do you realize how much danger you put him in when you met him? You're a Stand user, so you should know the issues that come with that, as do I. The difference is that I'm his mother, and you're just some random he met. The fact that you even attempted to be friends with my son… angers me. My son is fine as he is. He doesn't need any friends aside from Bakugo. Sure, things need to be ironed out with him and Bakugo, but it can be done. But that requires you to be out of the picture. I can't have you sabotage the only good relationship he has, even if it's going sour," Inko stated as Yoshihara coughed up a small amount of blood into her hand.
...
"Okay, now I'm the one calling bullshit," Johnny said, frowning. "This version of Katsuki hasn't gotten his redemption arc yet, there's no way Mrs. Midoriya would ever want him to be friends with Izuku again until he earns it."
"To be fair... you either don't exist, or you were never Izuku's friend in this universe." Gyro replied. "He really doesn't have you to fall back on... so his only meaningful 'friendship' here is the guy he grew up with... even if the guy turned into his bully. She probably doesn't want him to lose the one connection he has left."
Katsuki was silently stewing, clearly bothered by the exchange, but he didn't really want to speak on the subject. His shame was well-known at this point.
"I suppose so..." Johnny muttered.
...
"Shit… I'm bleeding internally. If I don't do something… I'm going to die…!" Yoshihara thought as she coughed again.
The pair stayed silent for a few seconds as Yoshihara looked down at the floor. Blood dripped from her wounds, staining the wood as she heard Inko walk towards her. "I hope you understand where I'm coming from. I'm only doing this to protect my son. He cannot have you as a friend due to your status as a Stand user. Call me a hypocrite if you want, but the saying goes, "Momma knows best." It's dangerous for him to even be near you, so, do me a favour, and never, ever go near my son again. Do that, and I'll let you live…" Inko continued as she approached Yoshihara.
"That aside, I have to say, I'm impressed. Fly, Fly Away isn't precisely the best Stand, nor is it the strongest, but I've had it and honed its ability for years both in combat and in casual use, so to see someone who I can only assume is new to this whole Stand using thing fight back against it and win is impressive. The only reason why I didn't die due to the damage you did to Fly, Fly Away was because it's an Automatic Stand, meaning it doesn't completely damage me. All it really does is hurt my hands whenever it gets hurt," Inko said as Fly, Fly Away went to grab Yoshihara.
However, as soon as its hand reached for Yoshihara's throat to assumedly throw her out of the house, Killer Queen appeared between the two, and with a wind up faster than Fly, Fly Away and Inko could react to, Killer Queen slammed its fist straight into Inko's face.
Blood exploded from the older woman's face as Yoshihara smirked. "You're right… you are a hypocrite. And if there is one thing I hate more than people who go out of their way to harm others… it's Hypocrites!" Yoshihara snarled as Killer Queen put more force into the punch, sending the woman into the wall. As soon as Inko hit the wall, the older woman slammed her head against it, knocking her out immediately.
Fly, Fly Away disappeared after Inko passed out, as did Killer Queen, just in time as well, as medical professionals came into the building, along with a medical Pro Hero. Yoshihara was barely conscious, swaying from side to side as she looked up at the Pro Hero, Medi-Lady, with a smile on her face as she fell into unconsciousness.
...
"Well...that looked painful," Susan commented. "Not as painful as having some brat vibrate your insides until they EXPLODE, but painful nonetheless."
"Can you go five minutes without bringing up your death?" Jotaro said with a glare. "You're not the damn center of attention, nobody gives a shit."
"I-"
"YAKAMASHI! You're pissing me off!" In classic Jotaro Kujo fashion, he snapped at his ex-wife, causing her to clam up and pout. The elder Kujo then tilted his hat to cover his eyes. "Yare yare daze..."
"Hey, lay off of Cummings..." Kyoka said, fighting back a grin. "Can't you see she's a little shaken up?"
"...WHY YOU LITTLE-"
...
xxXXxxXXxx
Stand User: Inko Midoriya
Stand Name: Fly, Fly Away
Appearance: Fly, Fly Away is a humanoid Stand, taking the shape of a genderless humanoid body. It's around a foot taller than Inko and takes on a more masculine appearance.
Its body is consistent with grey skin, minus the legs which are solid green, with parts of its body, mainly the arms, hands, chest, and waist covered in dark green armour. Its eyes are solid purple ovals, and it has no mouth. It wears a helmet, similar to that of a bicycle helmet with a pair of small designer wings attached to the sides.
On its hands are two arrows, on the right, there is a red arrow, which points to the direction opposite of itself, and on the left, there is a blue arrow, which points towards itself.
Ability:
Repulsion and attraction:
Fly, Fly Away signature ability allows it to repulse objects away from itself or towards itself depending on which hand touches the object. If the red hand touches the object first, the object will be repulsed away from Fly, Fly Away. If the blue hand touches the object first, the object will be attracted to Fly, Fly Away.
This ability does not work on people, rather, it only works on inanimate objects. Depending on how heavy the object is, the fewer objects that Fly, Fly Away can use. For example, Fly, Fly Away can touch upwards of 50 small objects, but only 1 big object, like a fridge.
So long as the object is within 5 metres of Fly, Fly Away, the Stand can control it freely, but as soon as it leaves that distance, the object will continue to go in that one direction until it hits something, in which it will fall in line with the gravity of that object.
Stats:
Destructive Power: D
Range: A
Speed: C
Persistence: D
Precision: C
Developmental Potential: C
Status: Defeated
xxXXxxXXxx
When Toshinori Yagi heard that a Villain attacked the Midoriya household, he panicked. He would've rushed there to help had it not been for the fact that he had used up his time limit as All Might an hour after he caught wind of the incident. While Toshinori still would've gone regardless, he had been advised not to by Gran Torino since he would have been able to do nothing if the villain targeted him. And in that weakened state, he would've more likely than not died, and then All Might would be no more.
And so, reluctantly, he stayed back.
Toshinori was currently wearing his yellow pinstripe suit, the one he used for his identity as Toshinori Yagi when he was out and about and not doing day-to-day activities. Before this, he had been in a meeting with Nedzu, the principal of U.A., before the school's opening in April to discuss the class sizes, the kind of Quirks they were looking for in the current year of students, and how his new disciple would fit in with all those students.
However, upon hearing that said disciple had been attacked, he asked for the meeting to be shifted to tomorrow, which Nedzu allowed. He had to make sure his disciple was alright. It was bad enough he hadn't jumped at the opportunity to help him when he really should have. If he wasn't there to at least check on him after his encounter with a villain, then what kind of mentor would he be?
Upon finding out which hospital Izuku had been transported to, Toshinori went immediately, regardless of what time he had left with his hero form. Thankfully, that wasn't an issue, as the hospital was co-owned by Recovery Girl and her latest Sidekick, Medi-Lady, both of whom knew of All Might's Secret, though Medi-Lady only found out through an accident.
Medi-Lady was a younger woman with Natural white hair, pink eyes, and pale skin. The woman had hailed from Switzerland, moving to Japan with her mother at the age of four. All Might had met the girl when she had started interning with Recovery Girl two years ago when she spoke to him while he was visiting Recovery Girl.
She was also the reason why he was even allowed to visit Midoriya in the hospital in the first place. Apparently, the villain had attacked him and a friend, Kira Yoshihara, if he had heard right, along with the mother, Inko Midoriya.
Izuku suffered from a broken rib, while the girl, Kira, suffered from a sprained arm, broken shoulder, and several deep cuts that would have required stitches, though she wasn't in critical condition. Meanwhile, Inko suffered from a broken jaw.
While the wounds weren't life-threatening, they were damaging. Luckily, Recovery Girl and Medi-Lady had begun to heal their wounds so that they didn't have to wait for surgery and other things to fix their injuries. Quirks were a miracle nowadays. Wounds like those could be snapped away in a matter of minutes thanks to both of them and quite frankly, he kind of wished he had known Medi-Lady 4 years ago. Although back then she probably still would've been a high school student….
Currently, Toshinori and Izuku started to talk in private, which gave them a chance to catch up. Midoriya was still a little bit on the dazed side after just waking up. He looked drowsy and confused. A few moments after they greeted one another, and as soon as he got his bearings, Toshinori immediately went to questioning the boy
"Midoriya, my boy, why didn't you call the heroes when the villains started to attack?!" Toshinori asked as Izuku sighed.
"Well, you see, All Might, their… Quirk was… well, it was completely invisible. I was only able to survive because I could hear it. Not to mention, no matter how hard I tried to attack it, my attacks just phased through them, so calling any heroes for the villain would be useless," Izuku explained as Toshinori raised an eyebrow.
"So… you're basically saying a ghost attacked you?" The blond hero asked, confusion written all over his face as Izuku nodded.
"Yeah, that's the best way to explain it. Kira-san would be able to explain it to you better when she wakes up. I'm actually surprised and relieved to see her alive. The last time I saw her, she fell from the twelfth story of the apartment with a fridge about to land on her… I was sure that she had died…." The way Midoriya spoke said volumes as to how relieved he was for his friend to be alive.
...
"Eh, falls aren't that big of a deal." Gyro waved the other Izuku off. "I've fallen loads of times, ever since I was little."
"That explains a lot," Kyoka said, and the Italian shot her a glare. "Oh come on, you walked right into that one. Besides... I'm pretty sure falling off of a building is fatal to a large majority of people."
"Yeah, but we're heroes. We all have means to avoid it."
"Heroes aren't immune to fall damage."
"I mean, Izuku might be." Gyro looked towards the muttering OFA user. "Are you immune to fall damage?"
"Only if OFA is activated, and I land on my feet. Oh, and I suppose it also depends on the velocity of the fall and the percentage of my Quirk I dish out. Of course, considering I'm going to have multiple Quirks, I'm probably going to get Nana Shimura's Float Quirk, so in that case I can probably just fly, and once I train Blackwhip IcanprobablyjustswingaroundlikeSpider-MansoIguesstheanswerisyes? AlthoughIdon'treallyknowwhatI'mgoingtobecapableofonceImasterOneForAllso-"
"Remember to breathe, Izuku," Johnny instructed, and Izuku took a huge gulp of air... before going right back to muttering about One For All. "Yare yare..."
...
That proved to Toshinori that he had made the right choice. Izuku Midoriya would make a fine successor and an even better hero. He had already known that he had a true hero's spirit, and now he got to see just how compassionate he was.
Still, though, it was extremely stupid for the boy to just fair the ordeal by himself. Even if he had a friend with him, that wasn't the same as having a pro hero nearby. Toshinori sighed, crossing his arms as he spoke up. "I understand, Midoriya-Shounen. I'll have to talk to this Kira person once they wake up, but—"
"WHERE IS SHE? I NEED TO SEE MY CHILD!" A loud, panicked voice called out in the hallway as Toshinori turned around. The voice sounded familiar, not to mention the voice had a certain kind of voice that screamed "protective," one that All Might knew all too well.
"Ma'am, go back to the waiting room. She isn't—"
Before the poor assistant could get a word out, the door flung open, revealing it to be none other than Nemuri, standing in the doorway, a panicked look on her face, wearing a brown leather jacket and a black sweater, blue jeans, and high-heels for clothing, wearing her hero mask.
"Ah, Midnight-san, uh… who are you looking for?" Toshinori asked as Nemuri paused, glancing over at Toshinori.
"Yagi-kun, oh, hello. I'm looking for Yoshihara. Is she in this room?" Nemuri asked as Toshinori nodded, pointing towards the bed beside Izuku's, a drape separating the two.
"Yes, but she is currently asleep," Toshinori said as Nemuri sighed, shooing the staff away, and pulling a chair up beside Yagi.
"I see… uh, Yagi-Kun, who's this?" Nemuri asked as Izuku paled.
"Is that… the pro hero Midnight?" Izuku choked as Nemuri smiled. Though it wasn't exactly genuine, it was understandable as to why.
"It is, Midoriya-Shouen. Midnight-san, may I ask why you are so worried about Kira? I think I'm a bit lost here," Toshinori asked as Nemuri's smile faded.
"You remember at our meetings that I kept saying stuff about having a kid at home?" Nemuri asked as Toshinori put two and two together, eyes widening as the blond-haired man looked on with surprise.
"Oh my, I wasn't expecting that. So, Kira is your child? I would have to assume she's adopted since she looks nothing like you," Toshinori stated as Nemuri nodded Izuku's eyes widened.
"W-Wait, so when Kira-san talked to me over the phone, she… she lives with Midnight! And she was attacked by a villain there too!?" Izuku croaked as Nemuri sighed.
"Yeah. It's one of the many reasons why I came here. One was to check on her, and two was to ask her why she was being attacked so frequently. It's so that we, mostly myself, can help her if this is some sort of thing from her past creeping up on her. I don't know much about it myself, but—"
"Okay, Nemuri, I'm here. Now, it's your turn to explain to me what's going on?" A voice spoke out as Nemuri turned around, a soft smile on her face as the man at the door sighed. He wore a black shirt and brown pants with black shoes and a red and black striped tie. His hair was brown and messy as he brushed a hand through it, a look of annoyance on his face.
"Akira, so glad you could come. Please, come in. I'm sure Yoshi-chan would be grateful to see her supporters in the hospital," Nemuri said as the man named Akira laughed.
"You can say that again. But, uh, where is she?" Akira asked as Izuku pointed over to the curtain beside him.
"S-She's over there… but she's asleep, both because of Recovery Girl's Quirk and Medi-Lady's Quirk tiring her to the point of not being able to keep her eyes open," Izuku explained as Akira sighed.
"I feared that…" Akira said, crossing his arms. "She's always had an affinity for getting into trouble. Even at the club, she would pick fights with some of the clients if they got too touchy. I'm not even surprised," Akira stated as Nemuri nodded.
"Yeah, even when we were training, she'd come back from school with some bruises and scrapes within fights with other students. Yoshihara always has been like that, but nothing too outrageous. But this is ridiculous," Nemuri said as Akira groaned.
"Why am I not surprised…." Akira said as Toshinori raised an eyebrow.
"Club, what do you mean? What kind of club are you talking about, sir?" Toshinori questioned, eyes narrowed as Akira sighed.
"Feared this was gonna happen," Akira mumbled as he cleared his throat. "Yeah, she did, albeit against my better judgment. She was a labourer for about two to… I think three years but asked to be promoted. The only other promotion would've been a private entertainer, and… well. She took it within a heartbeat. Not that I'm proud to say that. I tried to convince her to quit and take back the labourer job at least a dozen times, but she refused. I could've just fired her, but I wouldn't have the grounds to do so, and she probably would've sued," Akira explained as Toshinori's eyes widened.
"When you say private entertainer at a club, do you mean what I think I mean?" Toshinori asked, disgust in his eyes as Akira solemnly nodded, a frown on his face.
"Don't look at me like that. What else was I supposed to do? Kick her to the curb? She was homeless at the time, only getting that shitty apartment around the same time last year. I caved and let her take the job. It revived the business. However, recently, some of the patrons who were there for Yoshihara stopped coming because… well, she doesn't work there anymore, which, honestly, good riddance. I'm not too fond of those kinds of people," Akira stated as Toshinori sighed.
…
"This is fucked up." Gyro said. "That's it, that's all I have to say."
"There are situations like that out in the world...and people vile enough to take advantage of it." Santana chimed in, a look of revulsion on his face. "Every day, someone is forgotten, desperate...trying to do whatever they can just to survive, and no compassion for them to be found."
"Fucked up."
"Extremely fucked up." Santana agreed. "Every single person who visited that club for her deserves nothing but a one-way trip to Hell."
...
Despite the… gross connotations that Akira implied, had he been in the same situation as that man, he probably would've done the same. In the world they lived in, money was what made the world go round. And without money, one couldn't live properly. So, unfortunately, he could see where Akira was coming from.
"I… See. Still, she's a minor? Who would… do such a thing?" Toshinori asked as Akira sneered.
"Sick, disturbed fucks, that's who. If it wasn't illegal, every person who walked out of that room would've had a bullet lodged in the back of their skull after the fact…" Akira spat as Toshinori chuffed, taken aback by the anger that seeped from the man.
"You're quite protective of this Kira person. I take it you're close to her?" Toshinori asked as Akira nodded, a nostalgic gaze in his eyes.
"Well, yeah, I see her as my daughter of sorts, as does Nemuri. During her time training with Nemuri, I would stop by with Otoshi, a friend of mine, and catch up with her, take her to amusement parks, or just hang out. She doesn't have many friends outside of the club, and some of the workers, that, and anyone I take in from the streets I see as my kid in some capacity. I got the mentality because I used to work for a Yakuza in my younger years. The one thing I learned in that time is that you always treat others you respect like family, no matter what," Akira stated as Nemuri elbowed him in the gut.
"Come on now, don't go spewing your nonsense. We should let Yoshihara rest. For now, she's probably more tired and a bear during hibernation. We should come back later. I can buy some drinks for adults, and maybe something for Midoriya-kun. How about a chocolate milkshake, kiddo?" Nemuri asked as Izuku nodded.
"T-Thank you, Midnight-san!" Izuku thanked, putting his hands together and bowing his head as Nemuri giggled.
"No problem, kiddo, Yagi-Kun, you coming with, or…?" Nemuri asked as Toshinori shook his head.
"No thanks, Kayama-san, I can't drink on account of my lack of half a liver and next to no right kidney," Toshinori said as Akira nodded.
"Gotcha, well, it was nice meeting you two. Have a good one," Akira said as Nemuri and the brunette left while Toshinori stayed by Izuku's side. After another few minutes of talking, guests were forced to leave, leaving Izuku, Yoshihara, and Inko all by their lonesome.
Izuku looked over to the curtain concealing Yoshihara. He was glad to see that she was okay. He had been so torn up by the fact that might've been dead, having convinced himself that was the case. A part of him wished he could've helped more, but he also knew that he wouldn't have been much of a help because of his lack of a Stand, or a Quirk for that matter.
After the villain's Stand had knocked him unconscious, and when he woke up in the hospital, he felt utterly useless, and when he asked if they found Kira, one of the paramedics said that they found her inside the house with cuts and bruises all over her.
When he heard that, he felt relieved. He thanked the doctors profusely, after which Medi-Lady and Recovery Girl healed them, after reprimanding them, of course. He hadn't expected her to survive the fall, but he didn't bother to guess how, but he thanked Kami that she lived regardless.
Letting out a yawn, he felt tired as a wave of exhaustion washed over him. He had been worn out by today's events, and so, without a second thought, he laid down in bed and fell asleep.
When he fell asleep, at the same time, Yoshihara stirred back to consciousness. Her head felt like someone slammed a brick into it as she groaned. Although she wasn't in pain anymore, which meant that she had been healed after she had been knocked out. That was good because otherwise, she was sure that she would've died.
Out of all the people she had expected to attack her or be a Stand user for that matter, the last person she would have suspected was Inko. She also hadn't expected her to be so cutthroat and vicious. That hadn't been the actions of a kind, caring mother. To her, that mother act seemed to be just that, an act.
Of course, she wasn't doubting the fact that Inko was Izuku's mom. She just saw it as weird that Inko could just flip a switch and become that vindictive at the drop of a hat. Like a mask slipping off of her face to reveal her true colours.
Then again, Yoshihara would know more than anyone else what it was like to hide behind a mask of falsehoods.
Across the room, Inko sat in her bed, looking at the blonde, her stare being a mix of annoyance and, interestingly enough, a hint of regret. Yoshihara stared back, her expression a neutral one. She couldn't bring herself to hate the woman. She truly cared for Izuku, but the lengths to which she went were beyond normal.
It made Yoshihara think that perhaps the woman had been hiding something. But, that wasn't important right now. What was important was that Inko was staring at her. Something that she called out immediately after she realized it.
"You're staring at me," Yoshihara said as Inko recoiled.
"Yes, I am," Inko said, staring at her. "I don't get it. Why are you so adamant about this? Why do you want to be friends with my Izuku so badly? Why nearly die for that? It makes no sense to me," Inko asked as Yoshihara growled. How did that make no sense? How could someone be so stupid?
"Why? What the fuck do you mean "why?" He's my friend, regardless of what I am, or what you are, or what he is. You, of all people, should know that! Not to mention, you nearly killed me, not once but twice. If anything, I should want to be his friend just to spite you. But, I won't do that, because unlike you, I'm not that vindictive.
"You know he had barely if any friends at all, because Bakugo is not a friend, he's a piece of shit from what I've seen of him. So I don't know, Inko, you tell me, why don't you want me to be his friend? Because from what I can tell, you're trying to set him up for failure," Yoshihara spat as Inko glared at her.
"First of all, how dare you ever think that, and second of all, you still don't get it then. You're a danger to him. Your presence is a danger to him. All that'll happen is you'll constantly attract enemies to him because of your presence, and because he can't defend himself, he'll get hurt. You're being selfish," Inko stated as Yoshihara glared at Inko.
"Then, by your logic, so are you," Yoshihara countered, causing Inko to recoil, an angered look on her face.
...
"THANK YOU!" Kyoka shouted, throwing her arms up in the air. "I'm so happy she pointed that out!"
"You were trying really hard not to, weren't you?" Johnny asked with a smirk.
"I mean, yeah! Here she was blubbering about how Stand Users were attracted to one another, and she never bothered to look in the damn mirror?!"
"On that note... it seems as though the pull between Stand Users is slightly different in this universe," Izuku said. "It exists in ours, but like Mr. Higashikata said, the pull can result in something as simple as passing by each other. Here, it seems as though hostile encounters are much more frequent."
"Well, like that one guy said, it's a Seinen of sorts," Gyro responded. "Fate leans towards tragedy for Stand Users in this universe, while in ours it's fairly neutral."
"Stand Users live much harder lives... and it isn't easy for us here either," Johnny replied, and frowned. "In their world... it's almost like a curse. I never thought I'd be grateful for all the trouble we've gotten into."
"Doesn't mean we can't still kick the bucket one of these days. I said it was neutral, not tilting towards the light. We'll have to earn that happy ending." Gyro seemed to be deep in thought about something...but he soon snapped out of it. "Well, at least we can get some good schadenfreude from this."
"GYRO! That's not nice!" Momo scolded the Italian.
"I'm joking!"
...
"Excuse you?! Who do you—"
"Shut up and listen, or I'm going to knock your teeth out again, got it?" Yoshihara spat as Inko glared at the blonde. A few seconds passed as the two glared at one another, only for Inko to relent, crossing her arms.
"Thank you. I take it that you know that Stand Users attract other Stand Users?" Yoshihara asked as Inko nodded.
"Yes, I am aware of that," Inko replied as Yoshihara hummed.
"I figured as such. That means that you knew that It was only a matter of time before a Stand user would come after you. You're lucky that it was me that showed up. God forbid if it was an actual villain. You said it yourself; your Stand is weaker than most, so if a Stand like mine came paired with a villain who had malicious intent, and they came after you, you and your son would be dead." As Yoshihara explained, her face shifted from a glare to one of a serious expression as Inko looked away.
"I get that you want to protect your son, but what good would you be to him if you killed me? You'd be in prison, and your son would hate you. Not exactly parent of the year material, right?" Yoshihara said as Inko nodded.
"Right. I… I'm sorry, Kira-chan… if I'm still allowed to call you that?" Inko asked as Yoshihara shook her head.
"No, Kira-san will do for now," Yoshihara stated as Inko nodded.
"Right, Kira-san. I'm sorry, I know that what I did was wrong. I was acting in favour of my son, not thinking about him in the process. I've always felt bad for not being able to take care of him. But, because of Fly, Fly Away I know I could protect him in a way that most other parents couldn't. And with the life I led before I had Izuku, I was afraid that at some point, someone would come for me
"So when I saw you and felt that pull towards you, telling me you were a Stand user, I thought that you were going to hurt me and my Izuku. I shouldn't have judged you before I got to know you, so if you accept my apology, I promise I will make it up to you," Inko said, bowing her head as Yoshihara let out a sigh.
"Even though I shouldn't, I'm going to accept it. In return, I won't tell Midoriya who the Stand User was, and I won't say to the police that you were the one who attacked me and Midoriya. However, you have to promise me that If I call upon you for help, and that being a big if, you do as I ask. Now that I think about it, seeing as I already know someone who's a Stand user and an ally, I might as well start a group. You want to make it up to me, become my ally, and that'll be how you do it," Yoshihara explained as Inko nodded.
…
"Hey, we did that!" Gyro said.
"Every Joestar has done that," Momo responded. "Three have had a Zeppeli in said group, while our group somewhat breaks the mould, we're nothing new."
"She's different though." DIO suddenly said, narrowing his eyes. "Every Joestar has formed or joined a group as a means to fulfill some goal. Jonathan to put a stop to me, Joseph to protect his family from the family destiny, Jotaro to save his mother... Kira though? Self-preservation, much more in line with the other half of her ancestry."
"Different, yes... but the pattern is still there." Gyro countered. "Even though Fate may be... tilted in this universe, some patterns just can't be erased, even if the Joestar is also a Kira."
"What does that say about you then?" DIO responded.
"...I don't know."
…
"Right. Will I ever get to meet this person?" Inko asked as Yoshihara nodded.
"Eventually. I plan to speak to him a week before the U.A. Entrance exam. I'll call you, and we can meet up at the nearby restaurant across the street from Aldera," Yoshihara stated, a gleam in Inko's eyes as she bowed her head again.
"Alright, thank you for giving me a second chance, Kira-san," Inko said, smiling as Yoshihara reclined into bed. She was so tired, but at least she wasn't in pain anymore.
After an hour passed, Medi-lady and Recovery Girl came by and gave them some gummies, which boosted their healing rate. The police came in to question the group, all of which reported that they never caught a glimpse of what the villain looked like, and with that, they promptly left, thanking the group. Afterward, Yoshihara went back home via bullet train, while Inko and Izuku went back via cab.
Upon getting to the Love Hotel, she sighed. It was still a month away from the entrance exam, with school layered atop that. However, she wasn't feeling any stress. She was calm and collected. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the exam would be easy, at least in comparison to what she had been dealing with.
She rubbed her forehead, taking the elevator up to the suite on the top floor. As soon as the doors opened, she was met with something unexpected.
"Hello, Kira, I believe it's time we talk about something," Josefumi Kujo said, sitting on the couch closest to the hot tub with a young woman next to him. The same young woman who picked him up yesterday.
She was of a slim build and average height. She had long, dark hair, and her bangs were styled into multiple, large curls. On her head, she wore a fish-print bandana. Her outfit consisted of a dark-coloured bralette with a zipper in the front, a long vest, and a pair of short shorts. Attaching her shirt and shorts was a pair of suspenders. She wore striped thigh-high socks with a pair of ocean-themed heels decorated with stars and seashells.
Yoshihara looked at the girl and narrowed her eyes. "That's the girl that picked you up from the hospital yesterday. Who is she, and why are you two here? Better yet, how did you get up here? You need a special key to even access the suite in the first place, and Kayama-san is busy at the bar with a friend," Yoshihara said as the girl piped up.
"Oh! We got up here because we told the receptionist lady we were close friends with you!" The girl said as Yoshihara pinched the bridge of her nose. She would have to have a word with Takime-san later.
"Kira, this is my Girlfriend, Karera Sakunami. She is a Stand user. Going forth, she will be our ally," Josefumi said as Karera smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Kira-chan. I hope we can get along!"
...
"Okay...so we got introduced to this girl... now what?" DIO said with a scoff. As that happened Roundabout began to play. DIO's right eye twitched with a degree of annoyance. "That's it? Kujo just breaks into her apartment to introduce his girlfriend?"
"I mean... I could see Johnny doing that to somebody." Kyoka responded.
"What? You think I just casually pull a B & E like it's a pastime?" Johnny stuck a finger in his girlfriend's face when she opened her mouth to respond. "Don't answer that."
"I, for one, am glad that fight is over with," Inko said with a sigh of relief. "Everyone made a full recovery, and misunderstandings were cleared up... but... the other me made a comment that got me thinking. She said things about her life before Izuku..."
"Perhaps the Midoriya family isn't all it presents itself to be," Jotaro said, adjusting his hat. "A Stand like that one is useful for a great deal of things, we saw how it was an efficient killer. I wonder what Hisashi is like in this universe."
"Well, he isn't there, so similar enough," Inko replied with a hint of bitterness in her voice. "As for this version of me being a killer... I can see it. She's me if I had a dark past and a Stand that came with it, I suppose."
Blue materialized in front of them. "Well, not going to spoil you on anything, but you're getting pretty warm. It's true that this universe has a version of Fate that veers towards tragedy... each universe operates a little differently, and can even have different rules and origins. Some of you will NOT be the same people in this one."
"What are we compared to some other universes?"
"Well... for the most part, you all are intended to operate a little closer to "canon", with some "creative liberties/mistakes", while this universe isn't afraid to veer from your "canon" selves, and some characters have been changed to fit the narrative."
"Mistakes?!" Johnny exclaimed, but Blue suddenly materialized a hand to shush him with.
"Happy little accidents."
Red stopped himself from laughing at that comment, clearing his throat. "Heh, Happy Little Accidents. Yeah… Anyway, does anyone have any questions?"
"That Akira guy said he worked for The Yakuza. Was it The Shie Hissaikai?" Aizawa questioned. Red shook his head.
"No. It's particularly relevant to the plot, so I can name-drop them. He used to work for a group known as The Shikibukai. And yes, it is a One Piece Reference. They are never really brought up again, so it's whatever. They were disbanded three years before the "canon" of this universe. Does that answer your question?"
"It does. Thank you."
"Any more questions?" Red asked as Eri quietly rose her hand. "Yes, little one?"
"U-uh… do I get saved in this universe?"
"That should be a given. Yes, you do. There are some changes as to the how and why, but it does happen. This kind of off-topic, but in the next "episode" you're going to be introduced to the main plot thread that ties everything together, and something that actually gives Kira and company a reason to become Heroes in this universe. Any more questions?"
"No one answered my question. What do you two mean by "mistakes?"" Johnny asked as Red sighed.
"I can't go into detail, but those of you that do show up are heavily altered. The most you share with these versions are the names and portions of your "canon" backstories. To you they might be "mistakes" but if these characters were to be in your situation they would see it the same way. They would be "mistakes" when said thing would show up. It's all about perspective, Kujo."
"Oh. Okay. That makes more sense," Johnny said.
"Now, any more questions, or can we move on?" Silence. "Anyone need to do anything before we begin the next episode?" Silence again. "Very well. Then let's begin!"
And as Red said that, the screen began to play the next episode…
-To Be Continued-