Kyeo307: Ulric doesn't trust her. Last chapter, he made a point of keeping One For All away from her. He knows what she is going to do, he's just hoping he can change her mind.

Bearticguy7: Nice one!

FinchFlyingAce: I had to! It was a great idea!

Jpx0999: Kyoka's gonna kick her ass.

Boy the clueless: I don't judge at all my friend! Also, yes, no more secret love child theory. However, Todoroki is still set on the 'Johnny is a theater kid' theory.

Guest: Well, I chose a Sunday because of Easter. Sunday is the day Jesus rose from the dead, and in Ulric's mind, such a holy day will also be the beginning of humanity's salvation. Also, his sweat is what is exploding, so his explosions are directly connected to his quirk, making it so they do damage to stands. At least, that's what I envisioned it to be.

Love the stands!


Ulric frowned as he gazed up at an old decrepit building, something that appeared to be an old Mayan pyramid. "This is...odd. If I were in Mexico, this would make sense...but this is Japan."

"Ah! Dr. Stewart, what a surprise!"

The doctor looked up to see a Momo-shaped figure on top of the pyramid. "Yaoyorozu?"

Momo descended down the steps towards her enemy with a calm smile on her face. She was wearing her school uniform, indicating she had just gotten out of class. "Yes! I'm sorry we couldn't meet in our usual place, but I thought I should bring this to your attention."

"An ancient structure that is on an entirely different continent than it should be? I don't quite see how this would involve me." Ulric asked, raising an eyebrow. "Unless...of course, this has something to do with our current feud?"

"Everything and nothing to do with it. You see...someone contacted me through several elaborate methods to bring both myself and you here, and instructed us to go inside." Momo explained. "It seems as though we may have a third party trying to lead us both into a trap."

"Ah...you are warning me." Ulric realized. "I appreciate that...although I have to ask, why comply with this mysterious request? Curiosity killed the cat, you know..."

"It is also the driving force behind innovation. We wouldn't have come nearly as far in scientific terms if there wasn't a bit of curiosity behind it." Momo countered.

"I take that to mean you wish to trigger the trap?" Ulric said with a slight smirk.

"Your assumption would be correct."

"Very well, let's go." The doctor and the hero student began climbing the steps of the displaced building, side by side. "By the way, I must commend you for using your ally to retrieve Uraraka and Yagi, you outsmarted me that time."

"Mr. Valentine was more than willing to help. I needed my friend and teacher back...although if I didn't know any better...you wanted that to happen."

"I did. It was according to my plan, but you had done it earlier than expected."

"And...the information we currently have about a potential flood?"

"I have only told Shadow Moth information that I want you to know. His money has been a big help to me...but he isn't the brightest." Ulric said with a bemused expression. "Honestly, he is on my operating table more than he is doing something useful, he's taking up my time that I reserve for people who need my help."

"Well, if he stopped trying to kill us on your behalf, we wouldn't have to keep hurting him." Momo said nonchalantly.

"I'm sorry, I have no control over his or any of my associates' actions. I am not their boss, nor am I in charge of them in any way...they are simply helping me."

Momo nodded. "It seems like you might just be our first adversary that isn't running some secret shadow organization then."

"I'm a doctor doing his best...I must ask, you going after Uraraka and Yagi ahead of schedule is quite aggressive of you, meaning you are fighting with greater tenacity. Could it be that you have finally found your ideals?"

"I have."

"I see..."

"I want to make a difference." Momo said as they reached the top, and Ulric gave her an inquisitive look. "I believe we agreed that I would tell you when I found them...I want to make an impact on the world, a positive one. I wish to make the world a better place."

"So do I."

"Yes...I believe that is where our connection stems from. The Gala...when we first spoke face-to-face, I found myself agreeing with you on many of your points, except one. The world can certainly be cruel...but there is beauty in it as well. I believe that instead of abandoning Earth, we should be trying to fix it."

Ulric's eyes shifted from left to right, processing Momo's argument. One thing that Momo noticed about her "nemesis" was that he liked to stroke his pointed beard whenever he was conflicted about something.

"That's a very hopeful way of seeing things, I'm afraid I don't share it."

"We have different experiences...I hope I can bring you over to my way of seeing things, you could use a little hope."

Ulric sighed. "If I do that...then Elysium and everything I have ever worked for would be meaningless. I cannot change my mind, even if I wanted to...I would lose all purpose."

Momo sighed, that was pretty much the answer she was expecting. Ulric was dead set in his ways, it would take a lot more than a few nice words and good intentions to save him from himself...but she was dead set on it too. She liked Ulric, she truly did, he was a good man.

"How do you think our conflict will end?" Momo asked, glancing at her adversary. "We've both taken a liking to each other, and yet..."

"Bloodshed seems inevitable." Ulric finished. "We will come to blows over this, Yaoyorozu. I will not back down, and neither will you. I can only hope we can both come out of this alive."

"...are we going to kill each other...?" Momo asked quietly, and Ulric turned to the ravenette to find that she was giving him a worried/saddened look. "Will...will it really...have to come to that?"

"I certainly hope not. You are one of the most gifted people I have ever met in all of my many years...and you're a good girl, truly. If it does have to come to that point...killing you would likely haunt me for the rest of my life, should I be the victor." Ulric admitted, and his normally deadpan expression became something a bit warmer. "Through watching you solve the mystery of Elysium and my stand, figuring out my plans, and interacting with you directly...I really have grown to care for you. We're enemies...but...not."

"I want to save you...not kill you." Momo agreed. "You've become a mentor of sorts, inspiring me to be better, even when the clock is ticking towards our inevitable clash. However...both of us are set in our ways...we might have to..."

"It's painful to think about. So...how about we take our minds off of that and get to the bottom of this pyramid, shall we?"

"Yes, let's."

Ulric reached into his jacket and pulled out his doctor's mask, latching it on, as Momo created a pair of goggles, and put them on her forehead. From beneath his mask, Ulric raised an eyebrow, but said nothing at Momo's new fashion statement.

Knowing her, it was probably for a tactical advantage, but he couldn't help but notice that they bore a resemblance to the eye pieces on his doctor's mask.

The two came to a sealed entrance located on the floor, and Momo extended her hand, but Ulric shook his head. "Conserve your lipids, I have just the thing for this."

Ulric took off his jacket and folded it neatly, placing it to the side, and Momo finally got a look at his outfit he utilized as the Doctor. Her opponent had a brown cape that concealed an assortment of gadgets for both medical and practical purposes, all strapped to his back. With the addition of a crucifix he wore as a belt buckle, he mostly wore black, but had a gold lining surrounding a deep V neck, which left his pale but chiseled chest exposed.

In fact, upon seeing Ulric change into the Doctor, it became apparent that he worked out, a lot. His body was lean, but built. She could see his muscle definition clear as day.

Finally, Ulric put on a wide brimmed hat, straightening it. "Sorry, I figured my other outfit would be more suitable." He spoke in a deep and garbled voice, utilizing a voice changer embedded within the mask. "Dr. Ulric Stewart is not nearly as intimidating as The Doctor."

"I suppose that is true." Momo agreed. "Wouldn't Paradise City be of use?"

"I will be honest with you, I have it monitor the Mustafu Dam 24/7 nowadays, as evidenced by my capture of your dimension-hopping ally. However...just because the stand is away, doesn't mean that the user is ineffective." Ulric said, reaching behind his cape to pull out a familiar cane, which turned out to be retractable. He gave the cane a spin, extending it to it's full length, and grabbed the handle, yanking it free.

"A hidden blade all this time? You never cease to surprise me, Doctor." Momo complimented.

"That goes both ways. This is an invention of mine, called the Amputator. Useful for amputations, as the name implies...and for breaking a slab of stone." Ulric explained, flicking a switch on the handle of the blade and jammed it straight into the sealed entrance of the pyramid, the blade punching through the stone as if it were butter. The rock shuddered as the Amputator made a humming noise, and the whole thing cracked to pieces.

"Vibrations...not unlike Kyoka's earphone jacks..." Momo muttered as she studied Ulric's blade.

"It was based off of them." Ulric said, twirling the Amputator and cleanly putting it back into his cane. "She has a very reliable quirk, so I found a way to replicate it."

The way he expertly put the blade back into the cane was reminiscent of a swordsman sheathing their blade...he's trained. Momo noted. "You must be a quick worker, to build something so effective in such a short amount of time, you've had that cane since the Gala."

"I have top notch precision, building things is easy for me. Now...I believe we have a pyramid to investigate."

The two adversaries dropped down into the hole, unaware that they were being watched. A hooded figure covered in rags was watching them from within, curiously. A white featureless porcelain mask covered it's face, with a pair of red pupils narrowed in suspicion.

They didn't know it, but they had just climbed past a being known as The Stranger.


The Stranger was a mystery to all that knew of him.

A prowler with a purpose, many who encountered him had no idea what it is that he wanted, or what he hoped to achieve, only that they had caught him spying on them.

If he did speak to them, it was with an imposing voice that commanded respect, and sent chills down the spine of all who heard it. Many would testify that he spoke like some kind of king, eloquent, but he always got straight to the point.

One guy bragged that he had killed The Stranger, only to end up on a missing persons list a few days later.

Bullets wouldn't wound him, he actually laughed at anyone who tried, as if their attempts to kill him were meaningless.

All that was known about him was that he was male, had some sort of ego, and that all attempts to kill him had failed. He could make people disappear whenever he wanted to, without any risk of getting caught. No one knew whether he was good or evil, or what his intentions were.

The Stranger was a modern ghost story, told in the darkest corners of Mustafu...and while most considered him myth...Momo and Ulric were about to discover he was more fact than fiction.


Johnny exited his dorm room, only to find his girlfriend snoring outside of his door. Ooookay.

"Er...Kyoka? Kyoka, wake up."

An earphone jack poked him in the ribs.

"Ow!"

"Don't shake me awake..." Kyoka grumbled, turning her head towards her boyfriend with sleepy eyes.

Johnny rubbed his side, annoyed. "Why are you sleeping outside my dorm room?"

"I'm outside?"

Johnny deadpanned as Kyoka looked around, and knelt down beside her. "Do...do I need to get Recovery Girl on this? Are you okay?"

"Nah...I was up late doing Hamon training with Gyro, and we both went to bed...I was exhausted, and Gyro wanted to help me to my room...but I said I could make it to yours and bunk in..." Kyoka groggily explained, and attempted to get up, only to groan and sit back down. "I am so fucking sore..."

"Hamon training is difficult...and it seems you fell asleep before you even made it to my door. You're lucky Iida didn't patrol the hallways last night, you would've gotten a scolding."

"Please...I was already about to fall asleep, he would've helped." Kyoka said with a snort. "Sorry...I honestly thought I would make it."

Johnny bent over and put his hands under his girlfriend's armpits, and pulled her to her feet. Kyoka groaned, and rested her head on his shoulder for support. "You gotta move eventually, Kyoka. If you let sore muscles sit for too long, they'll only hurt worse."

"I know..."

"Come on, I'll walk you to the common room."

"Mmhmm.."

"Kyoka?"

Johnny sighed as Kyoka began lightly snoring, she had fallen asleep on his shoulder, standing up. "Yare yare daze...you really are pooped aren't you? Kyoka."

"Wazzat?" Kyoka snapped awake, and groaned, burying her face in the crook of Johnny's neck. "Sorry."

"Do I have to carry you?"

"That depends on how quick you want people to...*yawn*...find out about our relationship." The sleepy purplette said. "Carrying a tired and sore girl around would certainly get you a few looks."

"It's just to the common room." Johnny replied. "Then we can get some ice from the freezer for you, and maybe a cup of coffee."

"Fine...but I can walk."

"Okay."

Kyoka took Johnny's hand and rested her head on his shoulder as the two inched their way back to the common room. "When does class start?"

"Already ended, but don't worry, Aizawa is counting our fight against the Doctor as an assignment. We won't get points off or anything."

"What the hell?" Kyoka said, her eyes widening slightly. "We both slept through class?"

"Well, I did it intentionally."

The couple made it to the common room, and Johnny helped Kyoka onto the couch, the purplette letting out a grunt as she sat down. The former jockey then went over to the freezer to grab a bag of ice, and started up the coffee machine.

Kyoka absentmindedly grabbed the TV remote and turned on the television, hoping that the noise would keep her awake. However, she soon began nodding off once more, and her quiet snores caused Johnny to chuckle to himself as he brought a bag of ice and a steaming cup of coffee over to his sleeping girlfriend.

The fact that you're this tuckered out means that you put a lot of effort into your training. I love how committed you can be to things... Johnny thought to himself as he reached over and brushed some of Kyoka's frizzy hair back into place. Falling asleep against a wall for most of the night wasn't particularly good for looking your best after you wake up, or for her strained muscles.

Not that Johnny cared, if anything he thought it was cute.

"I did warn her that Hamon training was difficult."

Johnny turned to find that his partner had entered the common room, taking off the jacket to his school uniform. "I know, and so does she. How was class?"

"Boring as hell." Gyro responded, plopping himself down on the couch beside the sleeping purplette and throwing on his hat. "Ashido was jealous that the Musketeers are doing a 'special assignment,' it sucks, but like Momo said, this isn't a breakfast club or a clique. We're doing real dangerous shit."

"Agreed, but we really should start relying on our other class a bit more." Johnny stated. "Bringing them into the loop? No...but they are heroes too, in a way we might've been babying them."

"Truth be told Johnny...I didn't really agree with the whole concept of a B team. I don't disagree with you, but...the last thing we need is another friend dying on us." Gyro said, glancing at Kyoka as she slumbered peacefully. "Nabu Island really scared me, I know damn well you were the most afraid for her of all...but...she's like my sister. When you couldn't find her heartbeat...all I could feel was rage, and loss...and seeing your reaction made it all the more..."

"I get it...Gyro...can I tell you something?"

"Always."

"I fully intend to ask Kyoka to marry me, when we graduate." Johnny admitted. "I...I really do. She said that, when she 'died' Jonathan Joestar had told her that she was my Erina...I don't think she realized how true that statement was. Erina was there for Jonathan when DIO was tormenting him, and she came back to him after he had lost everything, his father, his childhood home, everything...Kyoka did the same for me. When I lost my legs...she was the person that inspired me to keep going. On I-Island...she freed me from my mother's shadow. She later killed the bitch for good measure. She really is my Erina, in every sense..."

"And our Koichi."

"Yes...and Koichi, except unlike him she's always been a sarcastic asshole."

"Her wit is part of her charm."

"Agreed. It's funny...just like my namesake, I really think I found 'the one' on the first try. I think I used up the rest of my luck for life." Johnny said, grinning.

"Bold of you to assume the Joestar luck has a limit, Nyo Ho!"

"It does. Should we wake her up?"

Gyro's eyes shifted down towards the teenaged musican, and Johnny followed his gaze. "Gyro...she'll kill you."

The Italian just went over and picked up the bag of ice, and slowly angled it over Kyoka's legs. "She needs to ice her legs, Johnny. I had her running laps while holding a glass of water upside down for a good thirty minutes, and a sparring session on top."

"She's wearing shorts."

Gyro flashed a golden grin at Johnny, and dropped the bag onto Kyoka's legs.

Needless to say, she was awake, and an Italian got a pair of earphone jacks in his ears.


Momo created a flashlight, shining it around the mossy and degraded hallways. "I wonder what could've caused this pyramid to form, a stand ability?"

"It could be likely that this pyramid might be a stand itself...although why this third party would want to annihilate the both of us is still a mystery, is it someone we both know?" Ulric asked.

"I can't think of anyone who could have an ancient building as a stand...unless Santana can turn into buildings now."

"Santana?" A deep authoritative voice asked.

Both Momo and Ulric froze, that wasn't a voice either of them recognized. They both turned to find a white porcelain mask staring at them from the ceiling...upside down.

Ulric drew the Amputator, pointing it at the ragged figure watching them from above. "Are you the one responsible for this trap? Who are you?!"

The Stranger cocked his head, letting out an amused chuckle. "Nice knife, although I've seen better. My identity is none of your concern, although I can assure you I have no idea what this pyramid is for...I have only seen these in Mexico."

"If you aren't the enemy, why are you here?" Momo questioned.

"Curiosity...you mentioned Santana, didn't you girl? The Pillar Man? You're one of the people that fought him, the people that ruined his lung. Associated with the Joestars, aren't you?"

"You speak like you know them."

"Perhaps I do." The Stranger responded vaguely, before twisting his neck around to angle his face right side up.

"He just rotated his neck at an impossible angle...be very careful Yaoyorozu, he's supernatural..." Ulric muttered, before giving The Stranger a nod. "Well, since you aren't our enemy in this situation...it would be best if we go our separate ways...good day."

The ragged man landed on the ground, putting his head back into place with a SNAP!

"Yes...I suppose that would be for the best...although it is a small pyramid, you never know when we might run into each other again..."

Momo shuddered, for some reason the man's words sent chills down her spine. The Stranger began walking backwards, melting into the shadows from which he came.

"What an...unsettling fellow, I didn't like the way he was speaking to you just now." Ulric said, slowly putting his blade back into it's sheath. "It sounded as though he was on less than friendly terms with the Joestars...we should avoid him, he could mean you harm."

"His intentions weren't clear in the slightest..." Momo responded. "Those eyes of his...they made me feel like he was reading me, I am...actually a bit scared for our lives now."

"It seems that we are dealing with more than one threat." Momo could hear Ulric's frown from under his mask. "That man either had a quirk that allowed him to twist his neck like an owl...or he wasn't human at all. Either way...you know it takes a lot for me to be unnerved...I did not feel safe as soon as he spoke..."

"Maybe we should leave?"

"We'd likely find the entrance sealed."

"True, we already know that this is a trap for the both of us...it seems as though our enemy may have trapped something else along with us. What if we lure that...guy...to the enemy?"

"The enemy could die...we don't know them yet, so we would have no right to end their life until we can be sure that they are worth it." Ulric stated as the two adversaries walked deeper into the catacombs. "You know Yaoyorozu...I think I just might know what this is!"

"The man?"

"No, the pyramid!" Ulric pulled out a leather-bound book and began scribbling in it, before showing Momo a rather detailed drawing of the pyramid. "Why would someone go out of their way to target both sides of a conflict?"

"To stop the conflict from happening."

"Yes! You and I are bound to clash, we spoke of it outside as we were climbing the steps. If someone knew that there was a conflict, that means they must be aware of the plans that both sides have, and the reason for which they are fighting! Our culprit knows about The Flood, and One For All!"

"Yes, but the pyramid?"

"The Mayans built their pyramids to appease their gods. Do you see the carving on this wall?" Ulric pointed towards a carving of what appeared to be a man wearing a beaked hat, one who had a thick black line surrounding his eyes. "I once did a project on early Mesoamerican culture, in order to better understand humanity and it's inclination towards death and misfortune, that's why I can confidently say that this is Buluc Chabtan, the Mayan god of war and sudden death."

"So...a war temple?"

"A temple that feeds on conflict just as vampires are in need of blood. In fact...it wouldn't surprise me if the pyramid was a stand without a user...a living user anyway..."

"Of course! It's like Anubis! Dr. Kujo mentioned that it was a stand imprisoned within a sword, it's original user long dead. But why would the pyramid show up now? And someone had to have led us to it."

"It's a war pyramid...is there anything tragic about this specific location? Perhaps somewhere where death was rampant? Buluc Chabtan is an evil god that thrives off of chaos..."

"It is near the Necromancer's old hideout...he murdered a lot of people..." Momo said, putting a finger to her chin in thought. "So...it's an ancient stand that takes the form of a pyramid that feeds off of chaos and death, it was drawn to Japan by the Necromancer..."

"I assume that is an enemy your group has taken down in the past..." Ulric pulled out a small phone and began searching their location, and sighed. "When I was treating All Might after his battle with All For One...the one that gave him his injury...he mentioned that his mentor Nana Shimura died near this place too..."

"As if we needed any further reason to hate that thing...he probably put his hideout there to mess with Izuku's head even further. He left a major impact on Japan...grieving families, dead heroes, he even killed a student I fought during the Provisional License Exam. As haughty as she was, she didn't deserve to be murdered."

"Death toll?"

"We still haven't found all of his victims...but so far it's believed to be over 70. He killed all of those people, and he even had the audacity to joke about it after."

"Sounds like something Buluc Chabtan would do...that's why the pyramid is here, this Necromancer fellow and his massacre caused enough death and chaos to attract this stand to Japan, now the question is...who led us to it? What did they want us to see?"

Suddenly, the carving of the war god opened it's mouth, smiling a devilish grin, spat out an object that caused Ulric to stumble backwards.

A dead rat.

"A...a-a rat...oh no..."

"Dr. Stewart, cover your eyes...I have a feeling that there will be more, and they will be alive." Momo created a blindfold from her palm and handed it to her enemy.

"I will not be able to to hold myself together...not if one of them touches me."

"This is a temple of sudden death, and war...as you said. It is likely targeting your phobia for the sole purpose of being sadistic. Paranoia and fear are staples of war. Dr. Stewart...I will protect you, but I need you to trust me."

"Trust...between enemies..."

"Doctor."

"It's funny, Yaoyorozu...the thing is, I already do." Ulric took the blindfold and wrapped it around the eye pieces of his mask, and pulled out the Amputator and an unknown contraption from under his cape, fastening it on his wrist. "Tell me where to strike, I shall fight my fear to the last!"

Despite the fact that he completely shuts down when rats are involved, he's willing to face them head on. Why is it, despite our inevitable clash...I can't help but admire him? Momo questioned as she steeled herself for a fight. Why is it that I have to look up to the man I have to fight?

Buluc Chabtan opened it's mouth again, much wider, and Momo went pale. "Doctor...have you ever watched the Princess Bride?"

"Don't tell me they are Rodents of Unusual Size..."

Four man-sized rats began crawling towards them, blood dripping from their fangs as they hissed, hungry for the duo's blood.

"Doctor...don't remove that blindfold..."

"I-I w-will t-t-t-try my best."


"Why are we at the pool?" Kyoka asked.

"Hamon training!"

"...are you trying to kill me?"

"Don't worry Kyoka, Gyro and I decided on a lesson that won't be too physically demanding." Johnny said with a smile, giving his girlfriend's hand a squeeze. "This is more about technique than physical stuff."

Kyoka narrowed her eyes and huffed. "I'll go grab one of the school's swimsuits then...if I pull a muscle I blame you, Gyro."

Johnny rolled his eyes as Kyoka waddled into the girl's changing room. "Drama queen."

"I heard that!"

"You were supposed to!"

Gyro chuckled and took off his shirt, throwing it to the side. "She's doing great, even if she doesn't realize it. You and I learned Hamon when we were kids, so she's a bit late to the game...but damn she is really working hard to catch up. I can see her being really powerful once she learns to combine it with her jacks."

"Not to mention when she eventually starts learning the Spin."

"Kyokus Jackus is upon us!"

"NO!" Kyoka yelled from within the changing room. "I'm not turning into the fucking kraken!"

The purplette came out a moment later, wearing the UA swimsuit. It covered her entire body, only exposing her arms and her ankles. Of course, Kyoka was still sensitive about her body image, so she wore the suit that would cover her up as much as possible.

Johnny was no Mineta...but he couldn't deny that he was a little disappointed. However, he understood the importance of baby steps, and that Kyoka had already come a long way in terms of confidence. Besides, what kind of a boyfriend would he be if he harped on something like that?

Now he felt guilty for being disappointed.

"So...what is this Hamon lesson that may or may not kill me?" Kyoka asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Walking on water." Gyro responded.

"I can do that?!"

"The ripples that Hamon creates keeps you afloat, but you have to remain concentrated. Johnny, please demonstrate how you Jesus Walk."

Johnny rolled his eyes and began casually walking across the pool, and turned back, grinning upon seeing Kyoka's eyes buldging out of her head.

"You see how he's releasing Hamon from his toes? It's just like keeping the water in the glass, except you're keeping yourself above the water. So, I'm gonna stand on this side, and Johnny on the other. All you have to do is walk to Johnny and give him a hug." Gyro instructed. "Do that, and we'll take you out for ice cream. You've been working really hard on this, so you deserve it."

"Well...I can't resist a bribe like that. Fine, let's do this."

Kyoka took a deep breath and stepped onto the water, transferring her Hamon to her toes, and she felt her heart quicken in excitement as she realized her foot was resting on top of the water, not going into it. Ripples travelled across the water.

I'm doing it!

SPLASH!

She went down as soon as she took another step into the pool.

Gyro chuckled as Kyoka swam back to his side of the pool with a grumpy expression on her face. "You're not going to get it on your first try, and it's okay to fail. With every failure comes a higher chance of success."

"Ow..." Kyoka winced as she lifted her tired and sore body back onto the deck. "Don't worry Gyro, I'm not going to give up any time soon..."

"Hey!"

The purplette groaned upon hearing her rival's voice, and turned to find that Setsuna Tokage had jogged up to the fence, clad in a purple sports bra. "Oh for fuck's sake..."

"Tokage." Johnny said, polite but indifferent.

"Doing some endurance training?" Setsuna asked, brightly. If there was one thing that Kyoka could attribute to the lizard girl, it was that she was genuinely friendly.

I've done a lot of thinking about her as of late...she really does seem like a good person. One thing I've picked up from interacting with the Joestars is the ability to read people. She did try to one-up me...but it must've come from some misunderstanding, that has to be it.

Maybe I really did give her the wrong impression by being jealous, it couldn't hurt to be nice to try and clear up the confusion.

"Yeah, JoJo and Gyro were helping me with something, how are things in 1B?" Kyoka asked, trying to start up conversation.

One of the first things the purplette noticed was that Setsuna's eyes widened ever so slightly. "Well, Monoma's boasting about how we're gonna crush you guys during Joint Training...I really don't understand where all of the hate towards you guys comes from."

"Probably because our class has more real world experience, but trust me, you guys are lucky in that regard." Gyro commented. "Morning jog?"

"Yep, I'm training hard for our dual class! Don't get me wrong, Class A is cool, but I want to show you guys that we're just as good as you are." Setsuna replied, before dropping her phone. "Whoops."

Johnny sighed as she bent over to pick it up, giving him a full view of her cleveage. You dropped that phone on purpose.

He could already feel heat rising from behind him, if he looked back, he'd more than likely find a jealous girlfriend ready to pounce.

Instead, he found her with a pained expression, one she normally wore when she took a blow to the confidence. It was still angry...but also saddened.

Oh no...

"Well, I better get back to working out, I'm sure we all have a lot of work to do!" Setsuna said with a wave. "I'll catch you guys later."

"Yeah...see you." Kyoka muttered, and walked towards the pool. She immediately fell in, not even bothering to activate her Hamon.

Johnny walked across the pool and over to the spot where Kyoka resurfaced, and knelt down. "Hey...I know that look, what's wrong?"

Kyoka, who only had her eyes and nose above the water at that point, stood up to her full height, rubbing her arms. "It's just...she's...so confident in her looks. The girl who is actively trying to steal you from me is just showing her tits off like it's no big deal...and I can't even wear a normal swimsuit..."

"Kyoka-"

"I know. I know it doesn't matter JoJo. I just wish that I could just be satisfied with myself, you know? I wish I could be confident like that...she beats me in that regard."

"We are all unsatisfied with ourselves in some way, Kyoka." Gyro said, sitting beside the pool. "Even Tokage. It's just part of being human."

"I know. I've embraced my flaws...but they still sting." Kyoka admitted, sighing. "I'm sorry, I'm being-"

"No. You are always welcome to talk about your problems with us, you know that." Johnny said. "You were my shoulder to lean on, remember?"

"I know. Thanks you two..."

"Come on." Johnny helped Kyoka to the deck, and held out his hand. "We can walk across together, a few practice runs. Then you can try it by yourself when you're ready."

Kyoka smiled and took Johnny's hand. "You two better make due on that ice cream promise, because I'm not stopping until I do it."

"I'm a man of my word, Kyoka." Gyro responded.

"Good." Kyoka said, stepping out onto the water and into Johnny's embrace. "I'm getting myself a big sundae to make up for all the pain I'm currently in."

"I'll pay for it." Johnny offered.

"Nuh uh, you've pampered me enough today."

"You were sleeping outside of my door for the whole night, I'm making sure you have a good day to make up for that."

"There was no way you could've known I was out there, I was so out of it that I didn't even know I was out there."

"I'm spoiling you."

"No!"


Momo felt like Indiana Jones.

Mostly because she and Ulric were currently running away from several giant sized rats, skeleton warriors, and a giant spiked boulder rolling down the hallway after them. However, instead of a lone archeologist, it was a teenaged superhero and a plague doctor running for their lives.

Not to mention Ulric was still blindfolded, and the sounds of the monstrous rats chasing after them was making the poor man a nervous wreck, although he hadn't quite lost his sense of reason just yet.

The two enemies kept through a doorway, and Momo quickly turned around threw an explosive at the approaching army, sending most of them back into the boulder's warpath. The boulder crushed all that were underneath it, and jammed itself into the doorway, creating an instant barricade.

"You can look now, Dr. Stewart."

Ulric took off the blindfold and removed his mask, his pointed beard was all scraggily and disheveled, and his face was covered in sweat. "Thank you my dear...hearing them was bad enough, I don't think I could've kept my composure if you hadn't created that blindfold."

"Using someone's fears against them isn't right in the slightest, at least with the intent of torturing them. I used toy rats to defend myself, this stand utilized them purely for sadism." Momo said, pulling a backpack off of her back and pulling out a bottle of water. "Drink it, you've worked up quite a sweat."

Ulric nodded and took the water bottle, taking a swig. "I'm...sure you understand why I hate those things so much."

"The plague?"

"...I've always wanted to help people, ever since I was a child. When the plague hit, I had already committed to being a doctor, as did-" Ulric fell silent.

"As did who?"

"As did my sister, Margerite Stewart. She was a doctor too...although she disguised herself as a man. Back then...a woman practicing medicine would be considered witchcraft, but she didn't care about the risk. She and I were two peas in a pod...this mask I wear? It's actually hers, I threw mine away when she passed."

"Your sister..."

"You remind me of her, as well as myself. Perhaps that is why I want to take you under my wing, despite us being enemies. You are intelligent, kind, and faithful to no end...just like she was. She lived her life committed to her ideals, regardless of social norms, regardless of the death and destruction we both faced."

"She sounds like she was a true hero."

"Well...she was certainly mine. The plague took her...she had been fatally exposed to it by our own mother, who was at death's door by the time we found out that Margerite had it. Even with the disease...she helped people to the very end." Momo was surprised to find tears in her enemy's eyes, the man was normally so composed.

"Doctor...you're under a lot of stress right now...perhaps now isn't the best time to share."

"No...I've wanted to tell you about her for a while now. Margerite and her untimely death...that is the tragedy that truly fuels my actions. I owe it to her, to create a world in which humanity won't have to suffer anymore, to make both of our dreams come true." Ulric turned to look at Momo pointedly. "I owe it, to such a pure human being...to make the dream of Elysium a reality. I awakened Paradise City the day of her death, my anguish triggered something within me. I have the means to do it, even if it's one city at a time...I cannot hold back."

"I really wish I didn't have to stop you, but...Elysium is...too good to be true. Even if you move humanity to a place without disease, problems will always arise..."

"That's right!"

Momo and Ulric both stood up as a giant skeleton warrior, dressed in traditional Mayan attire, began lumbering towards them. "This man was the strongest of the tribe that went down here, so many years ago...he was my user. Of course, he's dead, but his body is still useful."

"You're the stand!"

"I am [War: What is it Good For?]! I'll tell you what it's good for, EVERYTHING!" War spread it's arms wide. "All we ever get is speeches about how bad war is, but what about the good it does for us?! Bolstering the economy? A common purpose? War is demonized to hell and back, and I'm insulted!"

"Why have you trapped us?" Ulric questioned, and War laughed.

"Well, that lady wanted me to trap you in here until you killed the girl, Doctor...but truthfully? I don't like either of you! Always talking about improving the world and makin' it a better place? Makes me sick. I decided it would just be better to kill you both!"

"I see...it seems as though the Curator isn't as trustworthy as you thought, Doctor, she is the one who got us into this mess." Momo said, grimacing. "You've always mentioned that her situation made her reckless."

"I thought she would come after you herself...I never thought she would try to force my hand like this. I'm...so very disappointed." Ulric said, putting on his doctor's mask. "War: What is it Good For...I'm afraid I might just have to take my frustration out upon you."

"Bring it on ya peace-lovin' hippie! This whole pyramid is me!"

"We have already deduced that you feed off of conflict...tell me Yaoyorozu, why would a stand need sustainance?"

"It's a living thing of course, and living things need more than just food...a brain, a heart..."

"All we have to do is locate an organ or two within this pyramid to be rid of this warmongering fool, correct?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"Got a pair of smarty pants nerds, huh? Forget it, I'll annihilate you before you could ever find my heart!"

"So you do have organs, thanks for confirming that for us." Momo said with a smile.

"...die."

War used it's user's body to pull out a set of dual machetes, rusted over with blood. Then, with a few twirls of it's blades, it screeched at the top of it's decayed lungs, and the giant rats from earlier began clawing through the walls.

"All's fair in war, friends."

"Nononononononononononononono..." Ulric muttered, frantically searching for a way out of the room. He pulled out the Amputator and attempted to cut through a wall, but it bounced off. "Shit! Pardon my language...but it appears that weaponry that doesn't pertain to stands is useless. At this rate, I might actually need to force Paradise City to abandon it's post!"

"No need Doctor...this is where I come in." Momo said, putting her goggles that Ulric took note of earlier over her eyes.

"Ha! You?! The girl who can't hit a stand to save her life?! Why do you think you're in here?!" War taunted as it's avatar charged towards Momo with a shield in one hand, and a machete in the other. She didn't even attempt to get out of the way, she only stood there in a fitting position as the massive skeletal warrior got closer. "That girl told me you were just some rich little weakling who was better off in the sidelines, what can you do?!"

*CLANG!*

Momo blocked both the machete and the shield with a double bladed spear, while a grey substance began emerging from her exposed skin, and soon covered her entire body up to the goggles. Blue energy ran through the grey substance like veins, and War was caught off guard when...

Momo threw the avatar off of him with a surprising amount of strength, and used to momentum to punch the wall...

It cracked.

Ulric's jaw went slack inside his mask. Momo had just done damage to a stand...she had finally found a way to fight back. "How?"

"It's a suit made out of iron particles." Momo explained. "The particles are so small that they fall off and degrade constantly, allowing my quirk to replenish them just as constantly. Since my quirk is being used across my entire body...I can touch and deal damage to stands! Unfortunately, it does a number on my health if I use it for too long."

Of course, the blue energy is her quirk being used from every angle of her body. The grey is iron, and the goggles are to prevent the particles from getting into her eyes! She did it! Ulric felt a weird sense of pride as Momo's iron plated fists hammered away at the wall, and he quickly stood in War's path before it could attack her, blocking a strike from the machetes using the Amputator. "I'm proud of you, Yaoyorozu."

"NO! You fuckin' hippies!"

"The world has suffered enough, and I'm going to end that! Even if you don't perish today, you will starve!"

Ulric was forced to dodge as the much heavier blades broke through his guard, leaving a nasty scrape on the ground. "You really think you can just end war? BULLSHIT! War's just a part of who we are, why fight it?!"

"Where have I heard that line before?!" Momo questioned as she continued breaking down the wall, when a pair of ancient Mayan spears came through the very crack she was making, stabbing Momo through the leg and shoulder respectively. "AAUGHH!"

"HA HA HAAAAAAA! I'M FUCKIN' INVINCIBLE!"

Machine guns emerged from the walls of the pyramid and began firing indiscriminately, and the giant rats began filtering in, baring their yellow teeth, as well as the skeletons of soldiers long dead.

Ulric froze upon seeing the rats, and his body trembled as they approached him, ready to pounce at any moment, and War used it's avatar to make a cut at Ulric's neck, intending to take his head, but the severely wounded Momo had managed to pry the spears out not her body, and got there in time to stop the blades from ending Ulric's life.

Which in turn allowed one of the rats to tackle her to the ground, bearing it's teeth and snapping at her throat. Momo screamed and thrashed, trying to get the giant rodent off of her, but it was no use.

Guns were blazing, swords were swinging, and rats were snarling. All the while Ulric had completely shut down, and a wounded Momo was desperately trying to stop a rat from making her it's next meal. Finally, Momo created a knife from her chest, stabbing the monstrous rodent in it's vulnerable underbelly, killing it instantly.

Too bad another one decided to sink it's teeth into her leg.

Momo screamed as the rat began pulling her towards it's compatriots, blood oozing from her leg as she tried to create an object from her ankle. "DOCTOR! HELP!"

Ulric was hugging the wall, hyperventilating, but nonetheless he heard her cry out. From underneath the mask, his terrified brown eyes caught Momo's, watching her as she took her bladed staff from the ground and began stabbing the oncoming wave of giant rats. She was only one person though...she couldn't hold them off forever.

Meanwhile, War's avatar was just cutting everything apart, even it's own minions, laughing maniacally as it bathed in the glorious chaos. It pointed towards Ulric, and all of the machine guns turned towards him.

"Sister...if they find out you aren't a man, they'll burn you! Surely you must be afraid..."

"Of course I am, Ulric. Fear is only natural for us as human beings, everyone is afraid now that the plague has come to our home. However...in order to truly make a difference, we must take action in spite of fear. I'm prepared to go out and try to end all of this suffering...are you?"

"Yes."

Ulric dashed towards Momo and used the device on his hand, balling it up into a fist as a large metal boxing glove formed over it. He brought the enlarged gauntlet down on a rat's skull, crushing it into goo.

Momo kicked out at the rat that bit into her leg, and Ulric stabbed it into the ground. The plague doctor began mercilessly cutting his way into the rats, yelling "DIE VERMIN!" at the top of his lungs.

War grabbed onto one of the pillars and the room, and was about to swing it at the duo, but he suddenly stopped.."Huh? No...that's... "

That avatar crumbled back into bone, and the rats all fell down dead. Both Momo and Ulric looked around as War: What is it Good For screamed.

"Chirst...someone...else...was in me this whole time? Well...done...you two...you have the potential to be...killers...too...doing something so dishonorable..."

"We didn't."

"Hehehe...it's all the same with you people, war crime this...code of conduct that...but in the end...we're all just a bunch of cold hearted murderers...waitin' to kill each other over scraps. That is the true nature of humanity..."

Momo could only stare as the walls began crumbling away, revealing a room with a familiar ragged man in the middle of it, standing near a giant human heart that was slashed open, blood pouring out of it like a waterfall.

The Stranger turned towards the other two, blood splattered all over his porcelain mask, as .War: What is it Good For said it's final words.

"Have a code of honor all you want...but at the end of the day...we're just animals fighting over territory...and some of us are apexpredators. I...I never thought...I would go out...this way...I was...the...best..."

The Stranger turned around and walked directly to the heart, taking ripping it in half, callously, and disappeared in the explosion of blood, leaving the other two speechless.

The last of the pyramid crumbled away, with a hoarse laugh the final thing they ever heard from it.


"Holy fucking shit..." Kyoka breathed out.

"That was disturbing to hear, let alone see, are you okay YaoMomo?" Kirishima asked.

"Not the goriest thing I've ever seen, but this...Stranger, he was a cold-blooded killer. He didn't hesitate to tear that stand apart at all, nor was he put off by all of the violence. I truly hope this is the last we see of him."

"Well, at least the Anti-Stand suit works." Gyro said, rubbing Momo's back. "Had I known it would've been so dangerous in there, I would've came with you."

"Dr. Stewart and I knew it was a trap...but not even the stand was prepared for that thing." Momo said, shaking her head. "Just when I had solved the mystery of the Doctor, another one presents itself, one that won't hesitate to murder us."

"We don't even know what the guy can do, but it sounds like he was only in that pyramid out of curiosity." Johnny theorized. "I'm not sure if he's a threat just yet...he seems to have his own thing going on."

Giorno Giovanna sat in the corner of the treehouse, frowning. He had been the one to heal Momo's wounds, and he really didn't like what he was hearing. He had known about the feud with Ulric, but had decided to put his faith into Momo to take care of it. Now...however, there could be someone out for Joestar blood running around.

"I say we keep tabs on this Stranger." Giorno suggested. "We find out more about him. Judging by the fact the he found the heart before you and the Doctor did, he has to be intelligent."

"Of course he is. He knew we had War: What is it Good For's attention...so he used us as a distraction with no regard for our lives whatsoever." Momo said, frowning. "He was trapped inside too, but instead of working with us, we were tools."

Ochako shook her head, leaning on her desk. "We just don't get a break anymore, do we?"

"Not until we stop the Flood, anyway. Now that I know what drives the Doctor...he won't stop, no matter how much of a liking we have taken towards each other. There is going to be conflict...and all I can do is hope it doesn't end in tragedy." Momo looked at the map she had drawn of the disappearances, back when she had first investigated her mentor/nemesis.

"War...in this situation at least...is inevitable."