AshenOne: DIO is a poltergeist. He can interact with anyone. He won't be a major antagonist, at least in this story.
CoolK: Standards? No, more like cowardice.
Kosaku Valentine: I definitely like the idea of having them play a game. It might be nice to distract them from what's going to happen in this chapter.
...
"Are you sure about this Boss?" Susan asked, giving Overhaul a concerned look. "I was part of the Joestar family once, I know how Pillar Men are..."
"His influence could give us an advantage, get us more power on our side. If we are to cure the world of this disease, we'll need his help." Overhaul responded. "In his short tenure as the head of the LOV, he has already accumulated a vast amount of wealth and power...imagine what we could do with that."
"I don't trust him..."
"You will in time, Susan Cujoh." A gravelly voice responded, and the doors to the League's new mansion opened to reveal Santana in a business outfit. He gestured for them to come in, and Susan reluctantly followed her boss into the building.
"You see, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have your stand...what was it's name again? Blood on the Dance Floor?"
"You...that's right, I was attacked...YOU STABBED ME WITH THE ARROW?!"
"I wanted to test it out on someone who would seek to destroy the Joestars, you seemed to be a good candidate, considering all the damage you did with words alone."
"I only want to destroy one...I don't hate the others."
"And yet you defamed them, you insulted them, and you have earned their hatred. Your words do not match your actions, Susan Cujoh."
Susan fell silent, as Overhaul sighed. "So...she has filled me in on the history of the Pillar Men. Why form an alliance with humans if you hate us so much?"
Santana scratched his chin. "Killing humanity was Lord Kars' ambition, but I no longer share it. Killing an entire species, no matter how much harm that species could bring, would have a harmful effect on the environment. Think of all the species humans have hunted to extinction, while returning the favor would seem just, but then what would make us better than the humans?"
Santana gave the frozen Kars, who was sitting on a pedestal, a sad look.
"He had good intentions, but I believe Lord Kars was a bit short-sighted. I have observed human culture, and I've reveled in how fascinating you humans truly are. Despite being mortals, you live your short lives to the fullest. You love, you fight, you are like the Pillar Men, just weaker."
Santana turned to Overhaul. "You have power now, something unheard of 10,000 years ago. While you seek to eliminate these "quirks", I believe we can tame them. With these bullets of yours, we can give certain people quirks, and have everyone else be quirkless. You see, I don't want to destroy humanity, I want to control it. I want to lead humans into a new age of enlightenment, and maybe...I could resurrect my own species through them."
"That must be why your stand is named Genesis, right?" Overhaul asked. "You wish to create, not destroy."
"Precisely. A world in which there would be peace, tranquility. A world," Santana looked Susan in the eye.
"In which no one would ever have to lose the people closest to them."
Susan blinked, before a smile made its way onto her face. "I could get behind that."
Santana opened a door into a dark room, and his face fell.
"He's gone..."
"Who is?"
"Shigaraki...he's gone."
Santana walked over to the empty cage, looking around inside. "Someone helped him escape..."
A bright light suddenly flashed in Santana's eyes, and Overhaul quickly grabbed the back of his jacket, pulling him back as a massive explosion ripped through the room. Santana roared as summoned his armor. "TRAITORS!"
He turned his skull-themed visor towards Overhaul and Susan. "Help me catch them, and I owe you a favor. Deal?!"
Overhaul slowly peeled off a glove. "Deal."
...
Spinner and Magne stood guard, covering Shigaraki's tracks, when Santana smashed into the room, followed by Overhaul and Susan.
"WHERE IS HE?!"
Spinner drew a sword. "I won't tell you! I joined this group to cleanse hero society of fakes, not to be some inhuman monster's puppet!" Spinner thrust the sword into Santana, and the Pillar Man just looked at it.
"Was...that supposed to hurt me?"
Santana simply walked foward, taking half of Spinner with him. The gecko/man's uneaten half fell to the ground, gurgling. Magne stared at Spinner's corpse in horror, before quickly moving around Santana to try and take Overhaul.
Except Susan got in the way, smirking. "I just thought of a pretty good insult, but I'm not prejudiced."
Magne stopped, before giving Susan a smile. "I would've probably heard it before, but thanks I guess."
Susan punched her in the face with Blood on the Dance Floor, sending Magne sprawling. "Still, you make a good punching bag!" Susan snidely responded. She unleashed a barrage on the poor villain.
"Just DIE ALREADY!"
Suddenly, Susan was thrown back by a powerful force. She magnetized me! I'm being repelled by her!
Magne grinned. "Have a nice flight!"
Susan looked behind her, she was heading straight for a window. They were on the fourth floor, there was no way she would survive the fall. Susan crashed through the window, winding at the shards of broken glass that embedded themselves in her back, and count onto the windowsill, holding on for dear life.
Magne began walking forward, the repelling force growing stronger with every step. "Women repel women, but are attracted to men. That is my quirk. And since we are both women, all I have to do is walk towards you to blow you away!"
Susan felt her grip slipping. No, I can't die! I need to save my family! I need to stop Johnny! I CAN'T DIE!
Suddenly, Blood on the Dance Floor manifested beside it's user, startling both parties. The stand bared it's fangs, and proceeded to bite down on Magne's collarbone. Magne screamed as the stand's powerful jaw crushed part of her shoulder, and the stand proceeded to push her away...
Right into Overhaul's open palm.
Needless to say, Magne died.
Santana burst into the next room, where Toga and Compress were actually fighting each other.
"He's a maniac! Can't you see that Toga?!"
"And Tomura isn't?! Mr. Santana has helped us more than that crusty bastard ever has!"
Santana took Compress's arm and twisted, pulling it right off his body. Compress screamed and fell to the floor. Overhaul raised a hand to kill him, only for Santana to stop him.
"We can't kill ALL of them, only enough to prove a point. I still need them."
Overhaul lowered his hand, nodding. "Understood."
Santana glowered at Compress, his piercing blue eyes gleaming from out of the skull-like helmet of Genesis. "You have been spared, but consider this your last warning."
"Y-yes sir."
Santana turned to Toga. "As for you...thank you for your loyalty...you have my respect."
"Of course Mr. Santana! I meant every word!"
"Who else has betrayed me?"
"Just Dabi...he already escaped with Tomura...they're long gone."
"DAMN!" Santana punched the wall in frustration, and the whole building shook. Overhaul walked up to Santana. "Pardon me for asking, but why is Shigaraki so important?"
"He's All For One's successor, in every sense. I discovered it after interrogating that doctor, the one who makes the Nomu...I was keeping Shigaraki in captivity for leverage..."
"So...now All For One can attack you?"
"No, he knows my power is greater than his. I am a Pillar Man after all, no quirk can compete with me. However, killing All For One might cause a power struggle within the underworld...one that could cause unbridled chaos. He keeps order."
Overhaul sighed. "Well, we didn't catch them...my apologies."
"No, you helped, quite a bit. I am still honor-bound to give you that favor. However..."
Santana pointed at Susan. "What was happening with you? You ate part of Magne... "
Susan put her hands in the air. "I don't know! My stand moved on its own! I think it's a failsafe of sorts...in case I get in a sticky situation."
"Interesting... "
"I think I call it...Maneater."
"Well, at least you didn't die." Overhaul said. "After all, you've been taking such good care of Eri."
"Yeah, falling to my death...not the way I'd want to go."
"Me and your boss have to exchange a few words...we'll be right back."
...
"Giving her a stand was a mistake." Santana muttered, deactivating Genesis and sitting at his desk. "Why do you keep her around?"
"She's useful."
"If you say so..." Santana pulled out a quirk erasing bullet. "So, you want to mass produce these?"
"Indeed."
"And what about the rumors I've heard? That you are using your own daughter to make them?"
"It's for the greater good, once humanity is saved, Eri can rest."
Santana wrinkled his nose, but nodded his head. "For the greater good...that's what important in life, Chisaki."
Santana stood up. "Unlike that woman in the other room, I have morals. I will kill people who are a threat to me, but I cannot tolerate disrespect to anyone who doesn't deserve it. Heroes, Villains, it doesn't matter to me. Only the greater good."
Overhaul smiled beneath his mask. "So...we have a deal?"
"Yes...I believe we do."
...
"You look like shit." Dabi said.
Shigaraki glanced at his malnourished body, his ribs were showing at this point. "I'm going to make that bastard PAY for what he did to me..."
"Maybe you should eat something first?"
But Shigaraki wasn't listening, his crimson eyes were burning with hatred. "He took everything from me...from here on out Santana...THIS IS WAR!"
...
Johnny sighed as he and Kyoka walked down the street. As if things weren't awkward between them enough, Josuke had sent them out to patrol...alone.
"Something wrong?" Kyoka asked.
"Just...tired. I'm sick of all the stand users and drama going around."
"I hear you...must feel like the Steel Ball Run all over again, huh?"
"Not exactly, most of the stand users I've fought so far were idiots, they weren't people like Ringo Roadagain, or Soundman...Santana is sending newbies after us."
"Hot Shot certainly wasn't a newbie, he was definitely a killer." Kyoka shuddered. "He almost got me too."
"Why can't we just have a normal high school experience?" Johnny wondered aloud. "Is it too much to ask? I went into this expecting a relatively normal schoolyear, and instead I got villain attacks, I was crippled, I went across America battling the fucking president, I got uncrippled, I fought my dad, and now I'm being attacked, AGAIN. And the worst part-"
"If you say that you dragged me into this, I'll punch you."
"You don't understand Kyoka, I know you can handle yourself, but what if one of these assholes do something underhanded, like going after your family. They aren't involved in this, and I'm sure you wouldn't want them to get hurt."
Kyoka frowned. "I...I never thought of that. Yeah, someone could...but...shit, now I'm really thinking about this."
"Yeah...look, I've never met your parents, but I'm sure they're nice people. The last thing I would want is for someone to use them against you."
"I appreciate the concern, JoJo. But if someone messes with my family." Kyoka suddenly had a dark look. "Then it would be my job to put them in their place."
"Hey guys!" The two looked up to see Izuku running towards them, a big smile on his face. Mirio was following behind him. "Oh! Kujo! And...Jiro, was it?"
"Oh, it's the stripper."
"Come on Kyoka, you know it was an accident."
"I saw something that I rather not have seen JoJo." Kyoka muttered. "You know how I am with nude stuff."
Suddenly, a little girl, around ten, ran right into Izuku, falling onto the ground. The quartet looked in confusion as Izuku knelt down, extending his hand.
"Hey, you took quite a tumble there, are you alright?"
The girl recoiled from Izuku's hand instinctually, and that's when Johnny knew something was wrong. "Wha-are you okay? Can I help you up?" Izuku said as he tried to help her up, only to pause.
"You should be more careful, we wouldn't want to cause trouble for the heroes." A man with a bird-like mask appeared from the alleyway. Why is he wearing gloves?
"I'm sorry about my daughter, she likes to play around, and she keeps getting hurt." The man said, smiling reassuringly beneath his mask. "I don't know what to do with her."
Izuku looked...worried.
Mirio went up to the man and began making small talk, but Johnny could only stare at the little girl. The look in her eyes...why is it so familiar?
The little girl began to cling to Izuku's uniform, tears forming in her eyes. "Don't go..."
"Y-your daughter...seems scared." Izuku said with a forced smile.
"It's because she got a scolding." The man said, his eyes narrowing.
"Her bandages...don't seem like they're from playing too much." Izuku responded, keeping his smile.
"She falls alot."
"I don't think that's normal."
The man's eyes turned murderous. "Please do not assume what's normal for other people's families."
Izuku's expression changed, and for the first time in his life, Johnny saw how intimidating his childhood friend can be. "What are you doing to this girl?"
Those eyes...I've seen them before all right...
Johnny's mind wandered back to his childhood, when he was hiding from his mother in the bathroom, sobbing while examining a bruise on his face.
Johnny bristled with fury. I saw it every time I looked in the damn mirror!
Johnny's hand clenched as a nail bullet began to rotate slowly around his finger. His eyes were burning, the Dark Determination running through his veins, his face contorted into a murderous glare.
What are you DOING TO HER?!
Then, an earphone jack slowly wrapped around his hand. Kyoka was giving him a look, before she spoke low enough for him to hear. "Don't do something stupid...someone might get hurt."
" I'm going to shoot that bastard in the head. "
"Calm down, we don't know what he can do."
The man sighed. "Very well...if you four will come this way, I'll explain everything."
The man slowly started pulling on his glove, and he was giving the girl a threatening look. Suddenly, Eri bolted back to the man.
"What? Done with your tantrum already?"
The girl nodded, and the man turned to the group. "Sorry, she's always like this...sorry you had to be involved in our family drama."
The man and the girl slowly departed, and Johnny saw another figure at the end of the alleyway.
She had a mask...but he knew who she was...
I gave you my pity woman...
Next time...I'll give you my hate.
Mirio held Izuku back. "He used his killing intent to lure Eri back to him...she left to protect us. We should ask Sir what to do."
Kyoka turned to Johnny. "Dude, are you okay? You..."
"My mother was with him..."
"Wh-what?!"
Izuku and Mirio both turned to Johnny, Izuku's face was one of horror, while Mirio just looked confused. Kyoka, on the other hand, looked like she was about to explode.
"She's still hurting people...she just has help." Johnny's voice came out in a low growl.
Kyoka shook her head. "We need to get back to Mr. Josuke...you aren't in a healthy state of mind right now..."
"You're...you're right...we should let the professionals handle this..."
Kyoka grabbed Johnny by the hand and led him away. She had to take care of him while she could, because she had this nagging feeling...
This was only the beginning.
