Euphoria: I really like that idea! It may or may not show up in the Labyri-
Anyway, considering that Kyoka makes fun of him on a daily basis, I think he's just too used to it to worry about revenge, although that does sound like something Gyro would do...
Bearticguy7: You...may have actually predicted a plot point in the arc.
Shiro007: I think that would make for a very great, and unfortunate, comedic relief character!
Dumpstertrashfire123: Oh, just wait until we get to Poseidon.
BreadConnesieur: Yeah, I've been making some pretty big hints to who it is, it's why he's there that is going to be the mystery. All I will say is that I'm planning to do him justice this time around.
I will confirm that he is indeed alive.
Jpx0999: Perhaps...
Kasumi Kenshiro: Not EVERY Greek deity, unfortunately. I could write another book if that were the case. Mostly people relevant to the theme of this arc. The leader of Pantheon is indeed wielding Zeus.
Death Omen Star: Twice defected over to Passione, and is currently hunting down DIO's old henchmen with Diego and Hot Pants. It's supposed to be the plot of my spinoff, a Legacy to Build, but I haven't found time to solidify the plot.
Cyrus of Venus: I will neither confirm or deny the new Stranger's identity...except for the next one.
Dragon of Mars: Absolutely not, screw All For One.
"Please...we'll meet your demands, just don't take our daughter!" A woman's voice pleaded through the door.
"Now now, you know what happens when you renege on a deal, right?" A deep voice responded, amused. "I gave the girl her new Quirk, now she has to pay me back, it's simple commerce...so it would really be in your best interest to stop resisting, especially over such a trivial matter."
The young girl cowered in her closet, tears leaking from her eyes.
"I just wanted her to have a better life! Not this! Anything but this, please HAVE MERCY-"
*SPLAT!*
Something squished against the door, and to the girl's horror...her mother's blood began leaking in from the crack. Something that was in front of the door was roughly thrown aside...and was replaced by the shadow of two feet...
He was standing right outside.
"Come out little one...I know you're in there. I'm not going to hurt you...it's me, your 'uncle.'"
The girl's eyes were wide and bloodshot, and all she could do was tremble in fear. Her mother had just been murdered on the other side of that door, all so that monster could make her his pawn. The doorknob jiggled, and the thing on the other side sighed.
"I was hoping I could be civil about this...but it's clear that your parents have failed me."
A hand with a hole in it's palm broke through the wooden door as if it were butter, and attempted to grab her. She shrieked in terror, praying that someone, anyone, would save her.
Then...a Greek Xiphos blade punched through the floor to her right.
Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt, sat up with a start, clutching at her chest.
Her brown eyes aggressively searched the room, before she remembered that she had been rescued long ago. Sighing, she flopped back onto her bed, groaning.
PTSD was not fun, especially at 17.
*Knock knock knock!*
"Who is it?" She asked, already knowing the answer.
"It's me."
"Come in Sam."
Sampson, no longer clad in armor, but a simple tank top and jeans, gently opened her door. "I heard you scream...everything alright?"
"...I had a dream about that night again..."
The God of War's face fell, and he sat down beside her. "Anything I can do?"
"Unless you can save me from dreams too."
"Hey, saving you from All For One was difficult enough. I never ran so fast in my life..."
Artemis chuckled, and sat up, yawning. Sampson was still giving her a concerned look, and she reached up to pat her mentor/big brother figure's cheek. "I'm fine, you look like that one video I saw of a sad gorilla."
"Listen Artie, the...council voted...and...er-"
"I take it I'm hunting Joestar?"
Sampson nodded, lighting a cigarette and taking a puff, before turning to her. "Yeah...I may have beaten Joestar and his goons in a fight, but I failed to finish them and Ares caused...quite a mess. So the council voted on you...but if you're not up for it, then I can try and get them to-"
"No, it's fine Sam. I appreciate that you're looking out for me as always...but I need the exercise. I take it you've got something for me?"
Sampson nodded, and pulled out one of his Xiphos blades, caked in dry blood. "I figured I would hold off on cleaning it...since it would be useful to you."
Artemis took the sword and began sniffing the blood, and after a moment she stood up and went to her closet, pulling out a suit of leather armor and a bow. "He'll be dead in about three hours if I'm lucky. His comrades...might take a day in a half."
"Artie...I won't be there, the council has my hands tied. That man is a tactical genius...and I won't be able to stop him from strategizing. Please...be careful."
Artemis reached out and ruffled Sampson's hair affectionately. She owed that man everything...if he hadn't cut through the floor and hauled her off that fateful day...she would've been in All For One's clutches.
"Don't worry I will...I had a good teacher."
Sampson gave her a warm smile, and lightly smacked her on the shoulder. "Then may you have a bountiful hunt, Artemis."
Rohan sat by the plane, sketching the forest that was in front of him.
They had landed in a clearing, surrounded by a forest of birch, the Himalayan Mountains were in full view, towering over them like the small, insignificant creatures they were. It was absolutely breathtaking, and it reminded the manga artist just how beautiful nature could be.
A small deer bounded through the woods.
"Oh! That's-!"
Rohan lept up, and began scribbling away in his sketchbook, enthralled.
"It's a deer, Kishibe." Aizawa muttered, wrapped in his iconic yellow sleeping bag.
"No, that's a Himalayan Musk Deer! They're an endangered species! They're different from normal deer because they have small fang-like tusks, which can grow to a maximum length of 10 centimeters. They secrete musk from their abdomens to mark territory and to attract mates...I was hoping I'd get to see one!"
"Well...at least someone is having fun..." Joseph muttered, stitching up the wound on his leg. The Hamon meditation helped close it up, and after hours of flying, it was a simple surface level wound.
His Hamon was luckily back at it's old strength, so his wounds healed much quicker. His bruises from Sampson's beatdown were already fading...
At least on his flesh.
"So...I suppose we have to hike from here!" Toshinori said cheerfully, jumping down from the plane with a smile. "Should be some nice exercise!"
"Yeah...just a fun nature walk...like other elderly folks." Joseph responded, looking into his smashed phone to observe his 19-year old face...despite being a 100 year old man.
When it happened, and Eri's Rewind had prevented Joseph from returning to his 64 year old state...it really screwed with his head. He was already de-aged once due to a freak accident with Crazy Diamond, which was a whole different level of weird...
'Josuke's Stand reverts things back to a previous state...but only to the point before they were broken.' Joseph thought to himself, knowing the limits of his son's Stand. 'The fact that I was de-aged the first time goes against his Stand's ability! So why was I some sort of exception?!'
Now that he thought about it...at that point he was up there in age. Suzi Q had passed away a little bit before, Johnny was only six, and he was struggling to even stand up at that point in time. He even had fake teeth...
At that moment in his life, before that weird freak accident with Josuke...he was truly at peace, and ready to die and be with his wife...then it was cruelly ripped away by Fate.
Then...he decided he would live his life for Johnny's sake, finding purpose even then, despite knowing that he might end up outliving his daughter, Holly. What was the harm in living for a few more decades? He could afford to live that long, as long as he could continue to support his family.
Now he was facing another lifetime, which was a whole different story.
Now...Joseph was beginning to question everything.
'Josuke's Stand can't normally do that, and Eri just happened to be involved with our fight with Alessi. I can't help but feel as though...'
Joseph shook his head, canceling that thought out.
'No, I don't want to start any of that existential stuff...more importantly, why the hell did I just move on and decide not to actually think about this?!
I kept living for Johnny...but does he still need me? His father is back in his life, his sister, his friends, Gyro, Kyoka...'
What was Joseph living, and fighting for now?
"Mr. Joestar?"
"Hm? Oh, sorry...were you speaking to me?"
Toshinori sighed, and nodded. "I was saying that we should get a move on while there's still daylight. I've never done this whole 'surviving in the woods' thing before...so-"
"Then why the hell are you here?" Rohan asked, repeating his question from earlier. "You clearly only have experience with punching bad guys and living the city life, and even then what good will it do without-"
"Rohan." Joseph silenced the manga artist. "It's not like he can leave now that he's here. We'll need all the help we can get."
"I'm worried about him getting killed." Rohan muttered to himself, grimacing.
"Yare yare daze...he went with the old man, didn't he?" Jotaro asked, tipping his hat downwards. It didn't take much to know what Toshinori was up to, and in all honesty...Jotaro was concerned. He knew what the former Symbol of Peace was thinking, and now there wasn't much he could do to stop him...
"Why though? What reason would he have to go with them? He's retired!" Nemuri threw her arms up into the air, annoyed. "He also has classes to teach! Now we're gonna have to sub for him and Shouta!"
"...dangerous reasons...that's for sure."
Nemuri raised an eyebrow. "Do...you know something about this?"
"It has everything to do with recent events. His greatest enemy escaped from prison...so he was already panicked, and even after AFO's defeat...let's just say someone important to him was in Kars' warpath."
"Midoriya." Nemuri confirmed. "I don't really know the full story behind those two, but it's clear Toshi has a favorite. He has taken a liking to Bakugo too, and he's really bad at hiding it."
"They're the reason he has gone with Gramps...that, I'm positive of. I can only hope I'm wrong about his intentions-"
The door to the teacher's lounge opened, and Present Mic handed a piece of paper to Jotaro. "You're gonna want to see this."
"What the fuck is it now?" Jotaro narrowed his eyes as he began to read, all while his colleagues exchanged concerned glances. Without another word, he stuffed the note in his jacket, and got up with a pissed off expression. He then exited the room, grumbling to himself.
"...Whoever wrote that note...they better start praying." Nemuri said, wrinkling her nose.
Artemis crouched in the bushes, sniffing the air.
When her parents made a deal with the devil, a.k.a AFO, he had given her multiple Quirks. It was thanks to these Quirks that she was able to stalk and kill even the most skilled of assassins.
Once, she even managed to outwit the vigilante Tombstone, and impaled him on a fence...although the fact that he lived scared the shit out of her. Her encounter with him was an extremely close call, and she knew she likely wouldn't survive a second encounter.
She had a Dog Nose Quirk, which of course greatly boosted her sense of smell, and that was how she was currently tracking Joseph and his party. Luckily, she didn't have the actual nose of a dog, she knew how Heteromorphs were looked down upon.
That's how she knew they were nearby.
She passed by a plane covered in dried blood...clearly the one they used to escape Sampson and Ares, it was still covered in the carnage. They had clearly abandoned the plane to continue on foot.
Artemis sniffed the air again, getting a whiff of Joseph's scent, and dashed into the woods, leaping through the trees like a beast in the wild. Her second Quirk, Beast Reflex, allowed her to move like any animal she could think of, her muscles and bones rearranging themselves to follow suit.
Swinging from a branch, she landed on a snow bank with the grace of a mountain lion, and reached behind her back to pull out her bow. Her left eye turned a bright yellow, and the pupil dialated.
Her third Quirk, Scope.
This lethal combination of beast, utility, and tracking Quirks made her the ultimate huntress, as well as the training she received from Sampson.
She pulled back an arrow, and through the trees...she saw her targets.
'Joseph Joestar...a big guy, it'll take more than one shot to bring him down...maybe I'll start with All Might. He's the weakest in that group...heh, how the mighty have fallen...'
Artemis made sure her shot was lined up, and was about to let the arrow fly...when Joseph turned towards her.
'What?! How did he spot me?! How did he know?! Is...'
That's when she realized he was taking a piss.
'GYAAAAAAAGH! MY EYES!'
Artemis covered her face, her ears going a bright red from embarrassment. In the process, she lost balance, and fell backwards, her bow firing the arrow in a wild direction.
'No! NO!'
*THUNK!*
"Hm?" Joseph zipped his fly, raising an eyebrow. "Did anybody hear that?"
"Something landed near us...an acorn?" Toshinori asked.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
That's when Rohan fell forward, screaming in agony.
"Rohan? ROOHAAAAAAAN! HE HAS AN ARROW IN HIS ASS! WHY DOES HE HAVE AN ARROW IN HIS ASS?!" Joseph began shaking the manga artist. "Speak to me Rohan!"
"OH MY GOODNESS!"
Rohan shakily got to his feet, a wild and pained look in his eyes, as he slowly turned his head in the direction from which the arrow came. Before he could say anything, Aizawa yanked him into a small ditch, and put a finger to his lips.
It was pretty clear that Rohan had taken great offense to what had just occured, he looked ready to explode.
"We're under attack...I don't know how Pantheon already found us...but it's clear that our enemy has the advantage." Aizawa whispered, his eyes searching the snowy terrain. "Someone who's pretty damn good at camouflage."
"Just great...any escape routes?"
"Escape?!" Rohan hissed. "No...I'm not leaving this spot until I find that person and wring their fucking neck! "
"Rohan-"
"LOOK. AT. MY. ASS! I'm not leaving until whoever did this gets their just desserts!" The manga artist presented his behind, where an arrow was buried in what was hopefully his left cheek. "Look at it! Look at what they did to me!"
"We see it Rohan-"
"Do you? Do you really? Do you understand how I have just been insulted?"
Joseph shook his head, sighing. Rohan was normally at least somewhat rational, but he also had a lot of pride, and absolutely hated being made a fool of. Hell, according to Josuke, Rohan once mutilated his own pinky finger because he was being cheated in a dice game, and to this day would enact revenge on those who dealt grevious wounds to his pride.
Being shot in the ass was not only extremely painful, but extremely embarrassing, and it was going to be a cold day in hell before Rohan would let it go.
"We need to come up with a plan...but first..."
Joseph grabbed the arrow and began carefully removing it, much to Rohan's discomfort.
"Owowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowow-"
"Grit your teeth and bear it for a while, arrowheads are barbed, if I yank on it your ass will be destroyed."
Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe this is what we're focusing on right now."
"What? Do you want him running around with this thing?" Joseph asked.
"We're under attack, who knows when they'll fire again, maybe they're already in position."
"Well this time, it'll be my ass on the line." The eldest Joestar pried the arrow out, and blood began spraying from the wound. "I know I can't stop you Rohan...but maybe I can buy you some time."
"Time is all I need." Rohan spat. "Time...and a very sharp stick..."
"You know...I have a literature theory." Gyro said.
Momo turned in her seat, smirking. "Oh really? Then by all means, share."
Gyro eccentrics were always entertaining, and truthfully, she needed the break. Worrying about All Might and theorizing on what he might be up to was slowly eating away at her morale, so having her boyfriend break the tension was more than welcome.
"I don't think Romeo and Juliet is actually a love story like people think it is."
"Ah, well...in my opinion it is, but I'll hear you out."
Gyro crossed his legs, and Momo made herself comfortable, ready to enjoy one of the Italian's infamous rants.
"So, we all know that Romeo and Juliet fall in love, but the thing is that they do it at first sight. Nobody in their right mind would ever fall in love at first sight-"
"Pardon me for interrupting...but weren't you already flirting with me on I-Island?"
"..." Gyro was giving her a narrowed look.
"I really didn't mean to rain on your parade, I just saw a gap in your logic, and...well..." Momo was fighting back a laugh.
"...I'll have you know, I wasn't in love yet, I was merely attracted to you. It was a 'pretty girl, big boobs' moment for me."
"Ah, I see. Most men wouldn't admit that to their partner, you know."
"Nyo ho! When have I ever been most men?" Gyro shot back with a grin.
Momo chuckled, and leaned back in her chair. "Fair enough, your point stands. You may continue."
Gyro kept his grin as he continued. "So, they fell in love at first sight, and they get married the next day. As in the day after they met, and Romeo stalked her to her balcony, they're married. Shit is going fast, way too fast. Then, on their wedding day, Romeo straight up murders her cousin, and is banished from Verona. Tybalt, the cousin of the wife he just met."
"Well, Tybalt murdered Romeo's best friend, Mercutio. What did you expect Romeo to do, just accept the death and move on?"
"No, he was entirely justified in what he did, but he still murdered his wife's cousin. While Juliet is initially torn, she eventually just decided that her loyalty lies with her husband...who she has known for only about 12 hours." Gyro continued. "So, she decides to fake her own death in order to escape an arranged marriage with the county Paris, causing irreparable damage to her family and loved ones, who have already suffered the loss of Tybalt."
"Her father was quite cruel to her when she refused the marriage, Gyro." Momo retorted. "Let's not forget that she was a 14 year old, and was not entirely capable of thinking like an adult."
"EXACTLY! That's the point I've been building up to! Anyway, Romeo is 18 years old, or around that age, meaning he should be more rational...and yet this motherfucker is the biggest loose cannon in the play, next to Tybalt. As soon as he thinks she's dead, he decided he just cannot live on."
"So..."
"My conclusion, is that Romeo and Juliet is not a story about two star crossed lovers, but a story about two morons."
Momo thought about it for a moment, and then smiled.
"Well...maybe it's about two star crossed morons in love."
Gyro blinked, and then slumped back in his chair, slowly sliding down to the floor. She had just deconstructed his entire rant with a single sentence, in true Momo Yaoyorozu fashion.
Momo burst out laughing, enjoying the dumbfounded look on Gyro's face.
"This is unfair, I was thinking of that one for two days!"
"It was a very convincing argument, but it looks like I was a few steps ahead this time."
Gyro scoffed and crossed his arms, and was about to retort when there was a knock on Momo's door. The couple both turned their heads to the door, confused. There wasn't really a reason for someone to be visiting Momo's dorm at this point of the day, unless it was Kyoka looking to grab some breakfast.
"Hello?"
"It's me, Yaoyorozu." Jotaro's voice came from the other side, and he didn't really sound like he had good news.
"Come in."
Jotaro opened the door, and gave Gyro a nod upon seeing him, and pulled a crumpled note out of his jacket. "This was mailed to the faculty office today."
Momo blinked for a moment, and then she came to a realization that caused her to clam up. "I...take it that...it's from my parents."
"...yeah."
Gyro sat up, remembering the drama that had unfolded within the Yaoyorozu family as a result of Ulric Stewart's feud/mentorship with Momo, how his actions, while well meaning, had caused her parents to doubt her career choice. They had previously attempted to temporarily pull her from UA without her knowledge...
-:-
Dear esteemed faculty of UA,
It's come to our knowledge that our daughter, Momo, was involved in stopping the villain behind the recent massacre. We want to make it known that we're extremely proud of her for saving her classmates, and while we understand that this was an enemy that no amount of defenses could have handled...we also wish to discuss her safety.
We are aware that you blocked our request to have her temporarily pulled...while we may have been hasty with our decision, it stands to reason that this was irresponsible. We want to make sure that Momo, if this is truly her path, is safe to continue studying here.
Which is why we have arranged a meeting at 9:00 today to discuss her future, with Nedzu's approval. We request that Dr. Jotaro Kujo and Shouta Aizawa be in attendance-
-:-
"I've read enough."
Jotaro took the note from her, a sympathetic look in his eyes. "I...just wanted to let you know that they're in town again, and that this meeting is happening. Shouta obviously can't make it, but..."
"I know, thank you Dr. Kujo...and I'm coming with you in Aizawa's place."
"Momo, the last time you talked to them-" Gyro began, but Momo held up a finger.
"I know, and I never really got the opportunity to get any closure with them. Now is the best opportunity I'm going to get to clear the air. I...have things I want...no...that I need to say. They're not going to have another meeting behind my back, we're going to be talking face to face."
All the revelations she had about herself, her ideals, her grievances, they were going to sit down and listen to her this time around.
Joseph stuck his head above the snow bank, watching the woods.
'Wait for it...'
He then stuck out his hand and caught the arrow with his bare fist.
'Bet that pisses you off, huh?'
It was time to test the waters a bit. Their opponent was keeping themselves hidden, so it was clear that this was someone who specialized in long ranged attacks. The fact that it was a physical arrow and nothing Stand-related meant that they either had a Long Ranged Stand, or they were a Quirk User.
'The trick...as always, is to provoke them.'
"Well, that was quite the surprise! Arrows, huh? Wait...don't tell me, are you Cupid? Am I about to be struck with your arrow for the third time? I'm sorry Cupid, but I have a woman waiting for me in the afterlife who'd be really pissed if I let her down a second time, so I think I'll have to pass."
Silence.
"Come on, you have to be Cupid! He's related to Aphrodite or something...isn't that your gimmick? Greek shit?"
More silence, but he could just make out a brief rustling in the trees. Either his opponent was on the move, or an animal was nearby.
"Well...you can't be lamer than the first guy-"
*THUNK!*
An arrow suddenly shot straight into his shoulder.
"GYAAAAAAGH!"
That's when he noticed that there were several arrows already coming at him. This assassin was attacking him with rapid fire while he was stunned by the first shot.
"OOOH NOOOOOO!"
*THUNKTHUNKTHUNKTHUNKTHUNK!*
Joseph, luckily, had the enhanced reflexes of a Hamon User, so he managed to kick a piece of dead tree with the back of his foot. He caught it and brought in front of himself just in time.
'Oooookay...they're actually good at their job...damn.'
The fact that there was silence only contributed to the seriousness of this encounter. The assailant was not responding to Joseph's barbs with any words, only violence. An efficient, no nonsense killer.
Chances are, there were no fingerprints on the arrow either.
So Joseph decided to play a more defensive game. He kicked the snow bank, sending Hamon into it.
"OVERDRIVE!"
The faux sunlight was reflected off of the falling snow, blinding his attacker and allowing him to escape. Joseph could hear an extremely faint: "fuck", coming from the woods, so he knew that his tactic had worked.
That is...until an arrow landed in front of him.
'HUH?!'
More arrows rained down on his area, despite the fact that he was a good distance away from his earlier postion. Joseph rolled to the side and took cover behind a tree, his eyes wide with shock.
'I blinded them, I know I did...they shouldn't be able to see me!
Unless...they aren't seeing me...'
The arrows that came after his Hamon Snow Attack were far less accurate than before, now that he thought about it.
Arrows slammed into the tree, so Joseph quickly sent more Hamon into the snow, creating a web of blinding light to deter the assassin once more. However, this wasn't a simple case of using the same trick twice...because Joseph could see very clearly, unlike his opponent.
'Attack me again...I need to see something...'
There was a moment of silence, and initially Joseph was worried that the assailant had seen through his tactics...
He was right, she had, but he nonetheless had gotten what he was looking for.
Arrows came from his left, followed by a thrown hatchet.
'They blindsided me! Dammit!'
Joseph leaned to the right, dodging the hatchet, and Hermit Purple shot out and grabbed the thrown weapon in midair, and hurled it right back.
A yelp was heard from the forest, and the clear shape of a young woman swung from one tree to another, barely dodging. She hadn't seen the attack coming, confirming that she was blinded, and that she was using some other method of finding his location.
'Am I making too much noise? Or...wait...how did she find us in the first place? Tracking...not reliant on sight...found us only a few hours after Sampson kicked our asses...
When I was stabbed me through the leg...
My blood was on his sword!'
Everything fit into place from there. The assassin was tracking him based on scent, which is why Pantheon was able to find them so quickly. This also confirmed that this wasn't a Stand Ability, but a Quirk.
'That means that Eraserhead can take care of her if she gets in his line of sight, the question is...how to pull her out of the trees for that to happen?'
That's when a small deer came out of the woods...that very same Himalayan Musk Deer that Rohan was obsessing over earlier.
"-They're different from normal deer because they have small fang-like tusks, which can grow to a maximum length of 10 centimeters. They secrete musk from their abdomens to mark territory and to attract mates..."
Joseph's frown transformed into a devious grin.
'Marking territory...huh?'
Hermit Purple manifested, and began brushing against his wound...
"I have a question."
"Yes...Sampson?" The woman on the throne of light asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's too late to object to our decision, and you're on thin ice right now."
"I have nothing but faith in her." Sampson retorted, shifting on his own throne. "I know my student...the question is, do you?"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Did you send her expecting quick results?"
"...of course. We want Joestar exterminated as soon as possible."
"Then expect disappointment. Artemis is clever, but if you're expecting her to hunt a man like Joestar in a few hours, then you aren't aware of her abilities at all. She's a master of endurance, she can go for days without food or water, constantly on the hunt. Against lesser foes, she's efficient and quick...but Joestar and company are not lesser foes."
The man on the brass throne chuckled. "Suddenly the shoe appears to be on the other foot, eh?"
"Shut up His-"
"Oh no, don't go yelling at me. It's as Sampson says, he knows his student better than any of us, you really should've have known that as our leader and all."
The woman scoffed, and stood up. She had a tan complexion, black hair, and golden eyes that shimmered in the same light as the throne she sat upon. She was also quite beautiful, like something out of a Renaissance painting.
This was indeed the leader of Pantheon, Camille Dubois, and the user of the Stand Zeus.
"Enough. What are you trying to pull, Sampson? Do you want another chance to fight Joestar again, is that it?"
"No...well yes, mostly just to redeem myself for failing to finish him off...but also because it'll take more than Artemis for us to beat him." Sampson replied, smirking. "She's going to chip away at them, but if we want this to be quick...then perhaps the council should send a member or two to help. They'll be pressured by her constant attempts on their life, she'll pick away at them until-"
"Until they run into one of us." Camille finished, narrowing her eyes. "By that time she'll have weakened them. I see what you're saying."
"Who will be the one to face them then?" The user of the Poseidon Stand asked, absentmindedly poking the glass on her throne.
"I think I'd like to take a crack at them." The scarred man on the brass throne, user of the Hephestus Stand said, smiling.
"No, not all of them."
A man on a throne with a set of wings finally spoke up. He had gray hair, with flecks of black spikes, and was completely shirtless. The user of the Stand Hermes...
"Kill the rest...but leave the mangaka to me."
Yoma Hashimoto had an axe to grind.
"Whatcouldhebethinkinghereallyshould'veatleasttoldsomeonehewasleavingwhyishebeingsorecklessallofasuddenIdon't-"
"Midoriya."
"Sorry...here I was off with Endeavor, and my mentor has gone rogue for some reason! What is he doing?!" Izuku played back the footage of All Might stealing Momo's weaponry. "Why? I...just don't get it..."
Shoot narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you aren't in denial?"
"What?"
"You two are two peas in a pod, both a couple of righteous freaks." Katsuki said from the back, eyeing the workshop, where Momo was practicing what she was going to say to her parents in a mirror. "You'd understand what All Might is thinking better than anyone."
"I...I really don't know. He didn't tell me anything, I haven't even seen him all that much because of our internship...not since..."
Izuku froze, horrified, and put a hand to his mouth.
"Deku?"
"Not since Kars."
Katsuki had a visible reaction, shuddering, the memory of the searing pain and the taste of death fresh on his mind. Toshinori had made himself somewhat scarce since he visited them in the hospital...
"No...no way, you don't think...?"
"We need to find him, we need to find him right fucking now. You're right Kacchan, he and I are two peas in a pod, which is why I think...he might be doing something dangerous, because he's desperate." Izuku said, tearing up as he began flipping through his notes, where he was keeping track of recent events.
"This is all my fault..."
Artemis sniffed the air once more, pausing.
Why was Joseph's scent suddenly all around her?
It didn't make any logical sense, he couldn't be in multiple places at once, and yet his scent was coming from several different spots in the forest, and unfortunately the light reflected from the Hamon-infused snow was restricting her Scope Quirk.
From her perch, she adjusted her cape, made of white fur to cloak her in the snowy terrain, and took a big whiff...
That's when she realized the truth.
Joseph had somehow distributed his own blood all across the battlefield, completely masking himself from her, effectively spreading the scent she was tracking and rendering her last remaining method of finding him useless.
There was no way for her to get a clean shot now.
'You fucking bastard! Who thinks of shit like this?! How did you even know about my Bloodhound Quirk?!'
"You know, I have to thank you for shooting me earlier, you really did me a favor."
Artemis froze, and slowly turned around to see Joseph was sitting right next to her, grinning. She began backing away, slowly drawing a knife from behind her cape.
"Has anyone ever gotten this close to you before? You seem scared." Joseph tilted his head to the side, observing her closely. "Young too...I don't know how I feel about decking a kid..."
"Only one person has ever done so." Artemis responded, regaining her composure. "...you've impressed me, Joestar. Clearly, Sampson wasn't full of hot air when he warned me about you."
"What can I say? I'm a 'shock and awe' kind of guy." Joseph responded, and narrowed his eyes. "Now, I would recommend against pulling that knife."
"How do you know it's a knife? Perhaps it is simply a flask of water under this cape." Artemis countered.
"Because you threw a hatchet at me earlier, and I was able to feel the weight of it as I tossed it back, combined with the weight of the bow, and the amount of arrows you're carrying, a lightweight girl like you would naturally carry a lightweight weapon. It isn't water, because you wouldn't conceal that."
Artemis grimaced. This was bad, really bad. Not only was Joseph the second person to ever get close to her, the first being Tombstone, he was actively reading her like a book. However, there was no way he could ever predict her third Quirk...
Right?
Despite her doubt, she decided pulling her knife and attacking with her Beast Quirk was her best option.
"Your next line is: 'You're clever, I'll give you that.'"
"You're clever, I'll give you that- WHAT THE-"
Capture cloth wrapped around her torso, and Shouta Aizawa revealed himself from behind Joseph. Artemis' eyes widened in terror, knowing full well that her Quirks were being negated.
She was trapped.
"Did you ever question why you were facing Mr. Joestar alone? We sent him here to find out who you are, and whether or not I could use my Quirk." Aizawa said with a glare. "We knew he'd be able to decipher it, and after that it was a cakewalk."
Now it was really bad.
"Now...we don't plan on hurting you, but-"
*CRACK!*
Both men froze as Artemis dislocated her shoulder without a hint of hesitation.
Sampson had taught her to always keep your cool in these types of situations. Don't give any info, no matter how tough they may seem, or how hopeless the situation is.
'A warrior keeps her head held high, right Sam? Even when she's covered in mud...and blood...'
Artemis smiled at her captors as she used her feet to propel herself forward, her dislocated arm slipping out of the Capture Cloth, brandishing the knife.
'She never accepts defeat, until she no longer draws breath.'
*SHIKT!*
Her knife stabbed into Aizawa's arm, but she wasn't really aiming to kill. All she needed was blood.
She then hurled herself out of the Capture Cloth, and landed on the ground below. Now that she had Aizawa's blood, she could sniff him out too, and avoid his gaze.
"Joestar...Eraserhead. Truly...I've underestimated you, just as my mentor warned me against. However...you should know that you face Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. Occasionally, the hunter fails to catch the prey...but that's why the hunt normally takes so long..."
She picked up her bow, and faced them, still smiling bravely, as she was taught.
"A true huntress can wait days...even weeks for the kill. I can survive out here with ease...so...continue on your journey, just know...you should always watch your back, because this hunt has only just begun."
With that final threat/promise...she darted into the woods and out of sight.
Toshinori finished tending to Rohan's ass.
"There! All patched up."
"...thank you."
The manga artist sat up, wincing as he shifted his weight away from the wound. He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.
"It seems as though our enemies really know what they're doing."
"Yeah...these Pantheon people aren't playing around." The former hero responded, sitting beside the wounded Rohan. "...I wonder if the fight is done yet. You still need to get your revenge and all."
"I'm not that concerned about that anymore. I've calmed down now...although whoever they are, they're still getting what's coming to them, I assure you."
Toshinori chuckled, putting a hand to his forehead.
"From what young Jiro tells me, people call you the King of Petty Revenge."
"Pettiness is my specialty, yes. I take great enjoyment out of taking bastards down a peg." Rohan said proudly, owning the title. He then fell into silence, and began drawing in his sketchbook, illustrating their environment.
"...well, I didn't really shine in that moment either."
Rohan looked up, and Toshinori gave him a sad smile. The manga artist put down his pen, sighed, and turned towards him.
"Why are you here, All Might? Genuinely. You had to have stowed away on the plane for a reason."
"I...just wanted to help out for a change. To just do...something." The retired pro admitted, leaning back against a tree. "I...I will never regret giving OFA to young Midoriya, but...without it, I feel as though my life has just...lost all meaning. Like the only thing I was ever good for was being the strongest hero...the Symbol of Peace."
"...in other words, for you, giving up being a hero is like me giving up my manga." Rohan said.
"Yes, that's a pretty good analogy. You devoted your entire life to your work...and I to mine. Now that I'm retired...I feel empty."
Being the number one...no, not the ranking...just helping people was Toshinori's purpose in life. In fact...as much as he hated to admit it...he was fully prepared to die at AFO's hands like his predecessors. He was 100% fighting to die, and to take that bastard with him.
At least, during their first fight, when he lost half of his internal organs.
Their second fight was different. Not only was his main goal saving Katsuki at the time...but he had the resolve to keep living. He wasn't fighting to take All For One with him at that time, he didn't sacrifice his remaining embers of OFA instead of his own life for nothing...
He wanted to live. He had to live, Toshinori fought AFO in Kamino with the intention of surviving that fight, unlike their first bout...because Izuku needed him.
'The only reason I'm still going...the reason I have decided to keep living, is my student. I'm sorry I cannot be completely honest with you Rohan...while I told no lies...there is another reason why I'm here.'
The events surrounding DIO's Calamity were what finally spurred Toshinori into this stunt. He was tired of sitting here and rotting away, unable to help as his students struggled against the odds. One For All, or not, he was a man of action.
He would not sit by and watch as an Ultimate Lifeform mauled his students for a second time. He swore an oath to protect Izuku with his life, and be by the boy's side no matter what, and All Might was a man who kept his promises.
Next time...he would help.
Next time, he would be the one to take on the burdens that were thrust upon these children.
Toshinori, as risky as it was, and despite the fact that his allies would frown upon it...was going to get his hands on that meteorite, one way or another. He was going to go around the Speedwagon Foundation, the Joestars, and Pantheon...
To shed his Quirklessness, and get himself a Stand.
