Euphoria: I have plans for Toga, plans that deviate from the manga/anime.

Jpx0999: He is the final villain...

But...not Johnny's.

Monster King: Thanks!

Ivory Insanity: I have plans for Toga's character in particular, and how Santana has a positive effect on her.

Guest: That would be hilarious.

hellcofer180: I love it!

Alexander Lawliet: Every stand you've sent my way has been great!

Makobro23: BIG is still out there...

BryanTF2: Considering the Necromancer is a massive pervert...I don't want to write whatever he's thinking of.

Guest: More so the spirits of those that died on it. As for the Boogeyman theory...maybe...

DeathlyJazzHands55: You're pretty damn close, but there is one more threat on The Barge...a new one.

Death Omen Star: Thanks!

Kasumi Kenshiro: The Necrodick strikes again! Unless it's just a lie of course...

Kyeo307: Kyoka and Jolyne will certainly have their hands full, The Barge is INCREDIBLY dangerous.


Clarification: DIO is still 100% dead. The photo is from the past, meaning he got "arrested" before he fought Jotaro, just before the events of Stardust Crusaders. It's meant to show that DIO has a connection to The Barge, and as always...his actions in the past are effecting the present.

The Barge has been floating aimlessly for decades, it is old and rusty as fuck...DIO visited it around the same time he interacted with Pucci.

That doesn't mean he won't be involved though...


"Explain the boat."

AFO grinned underneath the mask that was keeping him alive. "Pardon?"

Santana entered the cell, and slammed a picture of The Barge on the table in front of the decrepit villain. "This boat. Shigaraki sent a Nomu over there, why?"

AFO glanced at the picture, and his smile grew wider. "Tomura...you clever devil, you found it..."

"Answer me, or I will pull your fucking plug and watch you suffocate."

The Demon King leaned backwards into his seat, calm in spite of the threat. "The Barge was an American maximum security prison in the guise of a cargo ship, designed to imitate the one I'm currently trapped in. It was destroyed in the late 80s due to unknown circumstances."

The Pillar Man leaned in closer. "And what, may I ask...does your pet muskrat want with it?"

"Y2K."

"...what?"

"Y2K."

"...are you just spouting gibberish at me?"

"Why...too...kay. That's all I'm going to say. You have an advanced intellect, right? You should figure out what that means no problem!" AFO said, his trademark grin never wavering. "If Tomura gets his hands on it...why, I'll be out of here in no time!"

"Senile old coot."

"You're older than me!"

"Except I am older than you due to simple biology...you're old because you're afraid of dying without leaving some sort of mark on the world, in order to compensate for your sheer lack of relevance." Santana snapped back, and this finally got AFO to frown.

"I happen to be quite relevant, Santana."

"Are you? As soon as you went to prison, people went on with their lives. Monsters will go down in history, but history will continue long after they are gone. People move on, people recover. They grow and change, and they leave the past behind...just as I'm doing now. You've extended your lifespan because you're afraid of that, aren't you? Your pathetic excuse of a legacy dying out...well I have a legacy of my own to build, and it's going to tear yours down."

"I was once more feared than any! I am-"

"-an old man who wasted his entire life trying to emulate a comic book."

Santana turned to AFO, smirking, further annoying the villain.

Who do you think you are?! Do you seriously underestimate me of all people?! If you actually think I don't have plans to dispose of you, you're sorely mistaken Pillar Man. Human or not, nobody crosses the Demon King and gets aw-

"Where's your smile, AFO?"

The villain's flesh covered eye sockets widened in disbelief, remembering how he had thrown a similar taunt at All Might. Just like his nemesis, his smile was important to his overall demeanour...and Santana had made him lose it.

The Pillar Man had found a fundamental weakness in his psyche.

AFO continued staring at Santana as the Pillar Man left the room, taking Himiko Toga's wheelchair and cheerfully pushing said girl down the hallway, satisfied by his victory.

You're more of a threat than I thought, Santana. Still not enough for me to prioritize you over OFA...but definitely a mess I will be cleaning up when Tomura breaks me out. To think, I thought you would make a fantastic chess piece...but it's clear now that you've become the other player.

What's the saying? 'Play with fire, and you're bound to get burned?'

I never should've had Tomura free you Speedwagon Foundation. I severely underestimated your ingenuity...but that still doesn't mean your little movement is going to last.

YOUR legacy will be the one that crumbles, Santana. This has always been a battle between me and my little brother! Who says the Demon King can't have a rival to crush in the meantime?

You're doomed to fail.


Kyoka stared at the footage of The Barge, her eyes never leaving the screen as she attempted to spot any sort of clue about the old prison boat.

"JoJo...why would it be snowing around the boat, and only the boat?"

Johnny lifted his head from his desk, giving his girlfriend a tired/concerned glance. "You still on about that?"

"I can't just ignore this."

"Are you absolutely sure it said your name?"

"Johnny, you know damn well it takes a lot to fool my ears. It said my name...it was this weird...raspy voice, almost demonic...I need to know what is happening over there, and how it involves me. How the fuck am I connected to that boat?"

Johnny leaned back in his chair. "You need to rest Kyoka, you're worrying too much about this."

"JoJo, I'm scared."

The purplette turned to her boyfriend in exasperation, anxiously tugging on a jack. Johnny sighed, recognizing that she probably needed some comfort, and rolled his chair across the lab to meet her. "You know about cold spots?"

"Yeah...that's when the temperature lowers when a spirit is nearby...oh fuck."

"Yep...there are so many ghosts on that boat, it changed the weather. From what I've heard, The Barge housed some of the worst of the worst...there were tons of executions."

"They've been floating around for decades...probably only getting angrier...but why my name? I'm...just a teenaged hero student, I have no connection to the boat at all!" Kyoka said, tensing up. "Why the fuck are the spirits of dead criminals calling my name?! Why?!"

"Kyoka."

"I'm confused, I'm scared, I'm tired! This is so fucking stressful!"

"Hey."

"I can't fucking sleep I'm so paranoid!"

"KYOKA!"

"WHAT?!" Kyoka snapped back, and Johnny opened his arms. The purplette's gaze softened, and she shifted over to his chair, sitting in his lap and wrapping her arms around his torso. "Sorry...I'm a nervous wreck..."

"I know you are."

"Shut up...I...I think I might...I-I might have to go there myself."

Johnny blinked.

"What?"

"I...I have to go to The Barge, there's something to this mystery that just feels...off." Kyoka said, her eyes pointing to the floor. "I feel like I...need to solve this, I need to be there."

"You're terrified of ghosts...and...DIO could still be involved. He may have been there years ago, but he tends to plan for the long term."

Kyoka shuddered at the mere thought of encountering the Joestar Family's dead nemesis. "I made you a promise JoJo, one that I intend to keep. However...if I'm going to marry you one day, that means I am also taking responsibility. The skeletons in your family's closet, I will face them too. Your problems will be mine...that includes DIO."

"I don't know if I'm comfortable with you being near him. You know how he treats loved ones..."

"I need to go. We can't solve this with fancy cameras alone...we need to actually set foot on that boat...and something over there wants me, it might not respond to anyone else."

"What if it is DIO? What if he's luring you there to..." Johnny fell silent, and at that moment they were both thinking of the same thing:

Nabu Island.

"That's...why I'm not going alone JoJo...but at the same time, it might not be wise to go together. DIO is the type to use us against each other...and if something happens to me..."

"I would lose it. Just like how he used Gramps against Dad during their final battle...I would lose my cool in milliseconds. Had you actually died that day...I would've gone nuts, and not even Gyro would've been able to talk me down." Johnny affirmed, taking one of his girlfriend's jacks in his hand and curling it around his finger.

"I literally killed your mother when you 'died' on me back in the Yakuza Raid, Mr. Joestar saying that he didn't feel you die was the only thing that got me to think clearly. I'm the same way. That's why we can't do this one together...not if DIO might be there."

Johnny was silent, which Kyoka knew wasn't particularly a good sign.

"I'm not backing down on this one. I just have this feeling...that The Barge can't be allowed to reach land. Not only is it popping up suspicious on it's own, something in there knowing my name...something is seriously wrong with that boat, and it needs to be stopped."

"I know that...I just...don't feel right not being there with you."

"We have to trust each other in times like these, Johnny. Whether or not DIO is there, I can promise you two things: I will come back alive, and I won't go alone." Kyoka assured her boyfriend.

"It sounds like you're assuring yourself more than me."

"..."

"Kyoka, I'm saying this out of love...we both know you're afraid of ghosts, especially a ghost like DIO. You are considering going into a cesspool of them, malicious ones. Are you sure about this?"

Kyoka pressed her lips together and hugged Johnny tighter, the jack around his finger squeezing just a bit tighter.

"No...no I'm not...but I'm terrified, and certain...we may not have a choice."


"Santana?"

"Yes Himiko?"

"What do you think 'love' is?"

Santana paused, looking up from the book he was reading, the Iliad, and put a finger to his chin. "What is love?"

"Baby don't hurt meee, don't hurt meee, no more~" Someone sang from the other room.

"Thank you!" Santana snapped, and turned back to his ward to give life advice. "Love...in my opinion...is a form of dependency. We all have people who are dear to us, people who make us whole. For me...it used to be my masters. I truly loved them...and I still do for two."

"I always thought that loving someone meant that you wanted to be them." Himiko said, her eye pointing towards the floor. "But...everyone always hated me for it. I wanted blood so I could be the people I loved."

"That's admiration, Himiko. Love runs deeper than that, because it also comes with a desire to protect the people you love...to see them be happy."

"Like how you want to protect me?"

"Yes. Love can be romantic, or platonic. Take Johnny Kujo for example. From what I observed, he and Gyro Zeppeli share a very close and deep bond, likely due to fate constantly pushing their two families together. They share a form of love, and though it isn't romantic, it shows that they wish to protect each other, that they possess a need for one another."

"Like brothers?"

"Right. Familial love, which is the kind that I have developed for you. Then, there is his affinity for their team's scout, Kyoka Jiro. That is romantic love, the desire to share your life with that person, combined with attraction. The way they acted when I fought them, especially when I wounded Jiro, made it clear that it was romantic."

Himiko remained silent, taking it all in. She had already come to the realization that her perception of love was flawed, so she wanted to hear what it meant to someone she definitely loved.

Everything he had just said, it all made sense. Her "love" for Izuku and Ochako was really just admiration...she had actively tried to harm them, instead of protecting them. Her Quirk made her lust for the blood of others, but there had to be a healthy way to keep a lid on it, right? If she truly loved them, then she had to start protecting them.

Just as she would protect the man who had become a father to her.


"Hey number two! What's shakin'?"

Hawks looked up from his phone to glance upwards, and the familiar sight of the bunny hero, Mirko grinning down at him. "Rumi, nice to see you around."

"I heard you took on a new case, seems pretty mysterious." The number five hero said, stretching her limbs. "Any reason why you've been flying over the Gunga Mountains as of late?"

"I'm sure you're aware of all the supernatural stuff going on...there's something attacking civilians near here...some sort of...cryptid thing." Hawks said, glancing down at the woods down below. "Can I...ask you for a favor?"

"Hey, it's a hero's job to lend a hand."

"I've discovered something...something that quite honestly has given me hope for the future. There's this group of kids in UA, first years...that have done some truly remarkable things. Mt. Lady was talking about them, and...you remember the day when the sky turned dark?"

"When a giant pillar sprouted from a junkyard and fell apart before we got to it? Yeah." Mirko said, before her eyes widened. "Don't tell me-"

"Yeah, they took care of it. First years, and they're already building this...underground hero agency that they're calling the Musketeers. What's happening in Mustafu right now...it's potentially connected to that pillar, so I'm working with them on it." Hawks admitted, glancing at the woods. "First of all...don't breathe a word of this to anyone, or these kids might be in serious trouble...second...I was wondering if you'd like to support them."

Mirko's ears twitched, and she sat next to Hawks with a conflicted expression.

"You want me to help them? I mean...we should encourage the next generation..but these kids can't be older than sixteen. Hell, you and I aren't really all that old either. If they're doing stuff like...whatever that pillar was...should we really be encouraging them to risk their lives?"

"They already have been...and from what I've been told, it's too late for any of them to turn back. However...they're heroes for all the right reasons, and they work together. They don't care about billboards and money...I think they might be the generation that could fix things."

Hawks stood up, scratching his chin as he went over all the things he had discovered about the Musketeers, their personal battles, ideals, even how a few members had a willingness to kill.

"I know it might seem unethical...but...I genuinely believe in them. So...I want to get a few pros on their side...and I trust you. If the Hero Public Safety Commission ever found out about them, it would be OVER for them, the change they could bring to this society...the bureaucrats would consider them a threat. So...will you help?" Hawks asked.

Mirko huffed, looking her friend in the eye. There was a bit of a light to Hawks' eyes now, something that she had never noticed before.

"I won't rat on you or them...and I'll give 'em a shot. You'll have to fill me in on the situation...but whatever we're doing, I'M in charge of the mission, not them. Got it?"

"Sure, thanks Rumi. I promise you won't regret this."

"I better not have to play babysitter Hawks, or you'll be getting a swift kick to the jaw."


Tomura Shigaraki examined his broken arm, huffing in exasperation. His fight with Re-Destro was tough, but it had gotten him the businessman's loyalty. Now he had the Paranormal Liberation Front behind him, the numbers to match Santana's own organization.

His hair also turned white...and he was kinda digging it.

"I'm in no condition to fight a Pillar Man yet...do we have a healer?" Tomura asked Dabi, who was lounging in the back.

"No idea."

"I can probably repair it." Ujiko chimed in, adjusting his hearing aids. "You'll need all the strength you can get to take Santana on...although your recent Quirk Awakening could do the trick."

"Hurry. How about our Nomu?" Tomura asked with a smirk. "Has it reached the boat?"

"It has...although...I'm not sure why you would use that Nomufor this task...it was meant for-"

"Let's just say I recently recieved a piece of advice...one that I found quite...sound. It kills two birds with one stone, retrieving the Quirk that Master described in his diaries...and some good ol' fashioned REVENGE."

"...are you sure Tomura? The Banshee was a failsafe."

"We have a whole army behind us now, what is one Nomu going to do? Other than deal a massive blow to the HEROES, particularly that little group surrounding OFA. If we focused on Santana and Santana alone, the heroes could get the drop on us. Both Santana...and those brats...they stand in the way of the destruction I desire." Tomura said with a confident smile. "We can't hope to overpower them both at once...so we'll have to fight smarter."

Dabi grunted, and walked away with his hands in his pockets.

He had a lot on his mind.

We finally made some progress, but Santana has more resources, more power...and more loyalty. Shiggy is lying, pretending to believe in this dumb Quirk Singularity theory to get people on his side.

Santana actually practices what he preaches. He's legitimately who he says he is. Who's to say these chumps won't leave us for him?

Who's to say that I won't?

A world without outcasts...it sounds too good to be true. His ideals...they're actually getting to me. I need to destroy Endeavor...but...perhaps I can find some manner of acceptance? Instead of being AFO's puppet's puppet.

Then again...would Santana let me?

I mean, I just risked my ass for this guy, and ultimately he just wants to tear everything down. To an extent I do too...but...mostly just my father. Mostly just the society that he represents...but would Santana even let me disrupt the natural order of things like that?

A world without outcasts...a world where a father would never trade his son for a 'worthier' product...it's everything I've ever wanted.


Mirko stood at the edge of the woods leading into the Gunga Mountains, her bunny ears twitching as they listened for anything suspicious.

Jeez...here I thought I'd be busting villains today, and now I'm lookin' for some sort of cryptid. You're lucky I like you Bird Boy.

What Hawks revealed to her was certainly eye-opening. A group of kids took down an international terrorist that could raise the dead. Kids.

Crickets chirped in the dead of night, and the air was cold. Even to someone as seasoned and fearless as the bunny hero...the atmosphere was unsettling. Every tree looked like it wanted to grab her, every rustle in the forest felt like an attack waiting to happen.

I feel like I'm in a fucking horror movie right now, like Jason Voorhees is hiding in the bushes waiting to murder me like I'm a horny teenager in a summer camp.

Jokes on him, I'll murder him first!

Mirko's thoughts turned to the Musketeers once more, and she sat in the grass, conflicted. From what she heard...there was a Joestar in their midst. She had heard tales of the exploits of the family, particularly the ones involving the supernatural.

Since she had to work with these kids, may as well pick one who knew what he was doing.

I mean...from what Hawks was telling me, it sounds like these kids were more...forced into these situations by external circumstances. Still...should we really be dragging them into another conflict?

*SNAP!*

Mirko tensed up, her red eyes flaring up as the unmistakable noise of a footstep alerted her. The air had grown even colder, and it was painfully clear that something was stalking her. That's when an object was thrown at her, and she caught it in her fist, going into a fighting stance.

"Alright, what's the big idea?!" The rabbit hero demanded, and a cold hissing sound came from the bushes.

Slowly, she opened her fist...to find a pair of bloody rabbit ears resting in her palm. Her eyes widened as she processed the threat she was just issued by the creature, before they narrowed in anger.

"A warning, eh? Heh...that just makes me even more determined to kick your ass! Come on out, let's settle this!" Mirko held out a hand and beckoned the unseen creature, challenging it.

A pale foot stepped out onto the grass, and a surprisingly tall humanoid figure emerged, sporting a lipless mouth filled with sharp yellow teeth, and pale, dead looking eyes. The cryptid was hunched, and it's body barely had any meat on it.

"You are one ugly motherfucker..."

The beast moved fast, startling the bunny hero as a clawed hand came right for her face. Mirko, thinking fast, spun around in midair and kicked the creature's wrist, and slammed her other foot into it's chest.

The creature staggered back, letting out an ear piercing shriek, before punching the ground, sending itself into the air. Bringing both hands over it's head, it suddenly performed kick of it's own, successfully fooling Mirko with a feint.

The rabbit hero grunted as the claws raked across her arm, cutting through her flesh like butter. It's smart! This thing definitely knows how to fight...the question is, what is it?!

Mirko flipped to the side, dodging a strike from the creature as it continued it's pursuit, snarling. However, the rabbit hero never lost her grin, enjoying the thrill of the battle. She closed the distance, punching the cryptid across the face, but it caught her arm with it's teeth when she attempted to pull it back, biting down.

Mirko didn't even wince, she just ripped her arm free and drove her knee into the creature's jaw in retaliation.

"You think a little bite is gonna faze me?! I'm a pro hero, and every day could easily be my last!" The rabbit hero said, her manic grin never leaving her face, regardless of the blood currently squirting from her wounded arm. "So I'm always gonna fight that way! If I'm dying to you, I'm gonna make you remember me!"

Mirko curled up into a ball and rolled towards the creature, but it sidestepped the attack and grabbed her by the ears, hurling her onto the ground. It then threw her over it's shoulder, slamming her on the ground again.

Mirko's grin faltered as the creature roared, because something about the fight felt different. The air was so cold that she could see her own breath. Despite her willingness to fight to the death...she began to feel this primal urge to run away.

She felt fear.

Of course, she wasn't truly fearless. Nobody was, everyone has fears no matter who you are and what you do. There was several times where a villain intimidated her, but she always faced it head on with no intent of fleeing.

This thing however, was different. Her heart was practically beating out of it's chest, and she had only been fighting it for about a minute. It was pure terror.

What is this?! Is...this an ability?! It has to be!

Mirko, however, wouldn't back down.

Twisting her head, she cried out in both pain and rage as she brought her legs straight up, kicking the creature in the stomach and sending it flying. The creature crashed into the ground and dry heaved, coughing something up, before snarling and retreating into the woods to recover.

"Yeah! You better run!" Mirko called out, before falling to the ground, wheezing from the beatdown she had just received. The beast had packed quite a punch, and her arm was bleeding profusely. Reaching into her belt, she pulled out her phone and put it to her ear.

"Hey Rumi, what's up?" The casual voice of the number two hero answered.

"Nothing much...have you told those kids that I know yet?"

"Not yet, I've been casing the area for the naked cryptid thing."

"Yeah..." Mirko grunted, nursing her arm. "About that..."

"You already fought it, didn't you?"

"Yep..."

"You need medical attention, don't you?"

"Probably."

She could hear Hawks sigh over the phone. "You need to start taking better care of yourself. Sooner or later you're gonna start getting some permanent injuries, or worse."

Mirko grinned as she hobbled to a street corner to take a seat on the curb. "As long as I die without regrets, I'm satisfied. This thing...whatever it is, is no joke. I only fought it for about two minutes, and in that brief scuffle alone I was sweating buckets...and it appears to have some sort of effect on people when they get near it...I've never been more afraid in my life."

"It triggers a fear response...interesting. Well, hang in there, I'm coming to pick you up.'

" Got i-MOTHERFUCKER!"

"Rumi? RUMI?!"

The creature had come back. It had been sneaking up on her, stalking her. If her rabbit senses hadn't detected the approach of a predator, it might have gotten her.

Mirko angrily charged towards it, attacking first, but the creature ducked under the kick and wrapped it's arms around her torso, slamming her into the ground once more.

"STOP DOING THAT!"

The creature angrily shrieked and raised a clawed hand to try and finish off Mirko before she could get back up, but a volley of feathers slammed into it, sending it flying back into the woods. Hawks landed next to the rabbit hero, frowning.

"What did we learn today?"

"That whatever this thing is needs a good ass kicking?" Mirko snarled, spitting out a bit of blood onto the grass.

"I was thinking something more along the lines of: 'don't fight supernatural creatures alone.'"

"Fuck that, I'm-"

"Rumi."

Mirko grumbled, and held out a hand. "Just introduce me to these kids already, I want to see what I'm working with."

Hawks helped his fellow hero to her feet. "Great...let's get out of here before that thing comes back. We need to know what it is before we can hope to defeat it."

"I dunno Hawks, I was kickin' ass back there. I think I could've taken it."

"Sure."

"I could've!"


"So wait...another pro hero knows about us now?!" Gyro asked his girlfriend, and Momo nodded, hovering over her workbench with a frown.

"He said we need more adults on our side. While I agree to an extent...we already have the Joestars, All Might, Aizawa, and the Speedwagon Foundation."

"Only one Joestar is a registered Pro Hero though, and that's Josuke. The rest just kind of get a freebee. All Might is retired, and Aizawa still has our other classmates to manage. I get where he's coming from...but if it's someone we can't trust..." Izuku said, putting a finger to his chin.

Momo brought out the contraption she had just finished, a steampunk-esque set of wrist amplifiers. "It doesn't matter right now. Kyoka is dead set on going to The Barge, so I'm equipping her with these."

Gyro frowned as he picked them up, examining them. "Dr. Stewart's Anti-Kyoka speakers, turned into weapons for Kyoka. Are...we really sure we should let her do this? I understand where she is coming from...but Johnny has been a nervous wreck since they talked about it."

"She's scared too." Katsuki chimed in from the corner. "Ears is fucking petrified of the thought of having to go there, you know how she feels about ghosts. She was literally tying her jacks in a knot because she was so anxious, I had to help her get them untangled."

"The fear that comes with DIO is something every Joestar struggles with...and that fear is passed onto their loved ones. I'm afraid of DIO, and I'm dating a Zeppeli." Momo said with a grim expression. "Something over there wants her...and if we send someone else...it might not respond. She's my best friend...I'm terrified of what this could mean...but until I can come up with a theory, she's our best bet for finding answers."

Katsuki shifted his weight in his seat, taking a bite from his spicy curry. "I could go with her."

"The Barge isn't exactly the most stable boat out there Kacchan, it's been floating for decades. Honestly, it's a miracle it's still afloat." Izuku replied.

"Aaaand now you've got me worried that Kyoka could get hurt thanks to it's lack of structural integrity." Momo said, and turned to the desk and began flipping through Ulric's blueprints. "I'm sure he explored plenty of abandoned places during his archeological digs...he has to have something..."

That's when a pro hero fell down the ladder and onto the floor.

Everyone stared at the bandaged and frazzled Mirko as she sat up with a puzzled expression on her face. "Holy shit...there's a whole ass Metal Gear out here. You must be the 'Musketeers.'"

"Oh my God, Mirko! Theproherothathasarabbitquirkhonestlyitdoesn'tseemthatthreateningbutI'veheardthatshe'sbasicallyjustafemaleKacchan-"

"Shut it Nerd!" Katsuki yelled, throwing a pencil at Izuku to shut him up.

The pro hero threw back her shoulders, wincing at the pain. "Sorry to drop in unannounced, but I'm looking for the Joestar."

"Johnny?"

"Yeah, him. I just ran into that naked thing you guys are tracking, and it really pissed me off. So, I need someone who knows their supernatural dos and don'ts so he can tell me what it is." Mirko said, crossing her arms. "He's the one that spent some time in a wheelchair right? The brown-haired guy?"

"He's...busy right now, but we can still help." Momo said, getting up from her chair. "Can you give us a description? All we've got is blurry photos."

Mirko's eyebrow twitched. "Hawks told me all about you guys, and frankly, I'm not sure about this thing you've got going on here. The Joestar, as of right now, is the only person I want to work with. His family has done some impressive shit."

"Well, I'm a Zeppeli, I'm sort of a Joestar-adjacent. I know just as much as Johnny does when it come to this subject." Gyro said, crossing his arms. "He and I are equals in every way."

"Except he isn't the walking equivalent of an Olive Garden."

Gyro opened up his mouth to argue, but shut it again.

"Hahaha! She got you there!" Katsuki said with a grin. "I like her, we should keep her around!"

"Ma'am...I can understand why you would be skeptical of us, but we know what we are doing...we've unfortunately had plenty of experience." Momo said, her eye twitching in annoyance.

Mirko grunted, sitting down across from the teenaged heroes. "Look, I get it. Hawks told me things...but my trust needs to be earned. If you kids can wow me the same way you wowed Hawks, then I'll be your new best friend. Until then, you're the kids, and I'm the adult."

"Can we at least get a description of the creature? We can still help." Momo insisted, pulling out a book from the library. "My mentor did research on the supernatural, and he was a very thorough man. I could be able to identify it from his findings."

Mirko met the prodigy's eyes, and found that Momo had a firm look, indicating that she was 100% serious. The girl wanted to earn her respect.

"White skin, looked like sandpaper. It looked blind, it had no pupils, but it could definitely see. Tall, skinny, sharp claws...bald. Naked. Sharp teeth...and a nasty attitude, like one of a predator." The rabbit hero said, leaning backwards. "One tough customer."

Momo flipped through the book, and her face turned grim when she came to a certain page. "Dr. Stewart knew about this thing...he called it one of the 'worst monsters to ever live.'"

"Fantastic." Gyro commented. "And?"

"It appears to be immortal, there's only one in existence...it's said to stalk it's prey...but it waits until they are at their most vulnerable to actually kill them. It can stalk a victim for days...even years."

"Oh boy, the furry pissed it off." Katsuki commented.

"What did you just call me?!"

"I called you a furry, Cottontail!"

"I may be wounded, but I can still kick your smarmy little ass, you spiky ferret lookin-"

"AHEM!" Momo interrupted, and continued reading. "It can have an effect on your mind, either inducing crippling fear...or a peaceful feeling, no matter how malicious it actually is. It's called...the Rake."

"The Rake? It's named after a lawn tool?"

"That's what it's been called. That's the only name available for it." Momo said, closing the book. "This Rake is a beast, an animal, a thing. Dr. Stewart said it is to be avoided at all costs."

"How the fuck do we kill it then?" Katsuki asked.

"I don't think it's invincible or anything, it's just a really smart monster. However...we all know JoJo's 'special ability' could, just in case I'm wrong. This also gives a bit of credence to Thriller's claims, unfortunately."

"Wait...I actually remember reading about this thing." Gyro said, and walked over to Exodus' computer to type something out.

"It's like I completely disappeared..." Mirko muttered. "Okay, look...you identified the monster, but-"

"You can never do enough research, we need all the information we can get." Momo chided the pro hero, and Mirko frowned.

Did...she just talk to me like a mom? Is she the 'mom friend?'

She...isn't wrong though. These kids are actually really careful, methodical even. They...really do seem to be experienced. I have yet to see them in action though, so we'll see.

"It's a fucking Creepypasta."

"A what? Is that a Halloween pasta dish or something?" Momo asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"Bless your soul Bambina, you never had an edgy rebellious phase. Creepypastas are basically internet urban legends, designed to scare people...but they became way too cheesy and lost their mojo. The Rake was one of the few that was actually intimidating, I even believed he was real when I saw some hoax videos online...maybe I should've listened to my gut on that one." Gyro responded.

"Some legends are based in truth." Izuku affirmed. "Who's to say some Creepypastas...as long as they aren't obnoxiously stupid...aren't real?"

"Jeff the Killer isn't. That story is more funny than scary. If he were real I'd just laugh and beat him up." Katsuki said with a grin. "It's like how Bigfoot turned out to be real, and ended up flirting with JoJo."

"I miss Konk."

"...what the fuck have you kids been up to?" Mirko said after a while.

"Ma'am, we could write a book." Momo responded, smiling.


Shigaraki stomped on the remains of River Master, cruelly grinding his heel into the dust. "You wanted to dance, I danced. Guess only one of us was able to make the cut. Alright...that's one of Santana's contacts down, we're not letting him expand his influence past Japan."

"He just aggressively pole danced on us, and tried to drown us." Dabi said, eyeing the dust with a bemused expression as he dumped a fish out of his boot. "Why did you bring me along? A fire Quirk is easily doused by water."

"I was hoping you'd torch witnesses." Tomura responded. "Speaking of that...there is a boat docking now, you mind?"

Dabi grumbled, and turned his attention over to the boat in question. It was a small fishing boat, and the person on board was grumbling in frustration, dumping out buckets of water. Apparently the small boat had sprung a leak.

"Are they even worth it?"

"Do you want the heroes on our backs?"

Dabi huffed and strutted over to the boat. A blue flame sprung to life from his palm as he went to go confront the witness.

Tomura smirked, his attention going back to the task at hand. Santana, you beat me, starved me, locked me in a cage...and yet here I am, with more power and influence than ever. The Paranormal Liberation Front will rise and crush your pathetic little 'save the outcasts' movement, and then society!

It's time to destroy everything.

*CRACK!*

Tomura's face fell as Dabi went flying right past him, crashing into the remains of River Master's shack and lying still.

"What the hell?!"

AFO's successor turned around, and was met with a bizarre sight.

A man decked out in a sailor uniform was approaching Tomura, cracking his knuckles with shadows covering his face.

Who did I just pick a fight with?!