Dumpstertrashfire123: I had a feeling Hori was going that route when I saw the briefcase, and I'm honestly pretty happy that we saw All Might back in action, being like his old self again. Something similar will happen this arc.
D.T.L.M.B: Thanks! I wish I could write as frequently as I used to.
I'm a KFP Customer: It's been busy. I'm planning something special for Toshi, he'll definitely be the MVP of the arc.
Bearticguy7: That sounds like it would be a load of fun!
Monster King: Thanks!
Euphoria: Glad you enjoyed it! I'm still working on the conversation between Momo and her parents, I want it to be fairly realistic. They're neglectful, but they absolutely love her...it's the outcome I want to work on the most.
A/N: So...my life has gotten significantly busier. I can't write as often as I used to, and in retrospect...I probably should have separated LTP into multiple books. It being such a long story (since I'm going through the entirety of MHA + my own arcs), probably scares people away.
I might finish uploading it to AO3, then I'll find some good places to separate it, cause this story is LONG. As for my busy schedule, uploads will definitely not be as frequent, so I'm retracting my statement from the Two Year Anniversary special, it will not end as soon as I thought.
In other news...I have a broken nose! Fun! (It's a minor break, I'm okay).
Rohan weighed his options.
'Do I even have the strength necessary to go down there? I pushed my body to it's limit, and I'm only now recovering from the cold. I don't even know what kind of ability that thing has, I'm not capable of fighting it at the moment.'
His other option was to count on the others making it through their fight, and focus on getting information from Hashimoto. He had an opportunity he simply couldn't pass up here, knowing what Pantheon is and what it's up to would be crucial to their plan going forward. Still, seeing how huge the monster in the fog was, Rohan couldn't help but feel concerned for the well-being of the other three.
'Focus on what you can do right now...there's no sense in putting myself at risk any further. The best path forward is reading Hashimoto.'
So, Rohan began flipping through the fitness freak's pages, frowning once he came upon the page containing his murder victims. While before, it was only about four people...someone taking his trainer's time, his ex-girlfriend that kicked him out of their shared apartment...all people that "screwed him over."
The number was now pushing twenty, and Rohan's name was written in red ink, with the label In Progress instead of Deceased.
'He had been waiting to get back at me all this time...I'd wager I've never really left his mind.' Rohan snorted, and his lips curled into a smirk. 'Looks like I gave him something else to remember me by.'
The mangaka flipped through a few more pages, before finally finding something that caught his eye.
-;-
Pantheon is a archeological foundation, dedicated to digging up the mysteries that lie in humanity's past. They have donated numerous stone masks for science, and they also recently found a necklace made from gold and multiple Red Stones of Aja, which is currently being worn by Camille Dubois, the founder.
Their primary objective is to find the Lost Meteorite, which was written about in cave paintings located in the area. Camille ended up discovering them while recovering the mummified body of a lost explorer, and formed Pantheon with Calypso in order to chase this thing down.
On the surface, it seems like an ordinary Greek-themed exploration team...but in reality it is a cabal of killers, functioning more like a mafia than anything. Camille wishes not only to make history by finding this meteorite...but she also seeks to exploit it to get herself filthy rich. She has framed it like a good cause to help the needy...but I see right through her.
-;-
"Archeologists, huh?" Rohan muttered. "Explains why they'd be capable of finding it...but what's stopping them?"
-;-
I want the meteorite.
Hermes is a Stand that grows stronger as I do, but someday my body might hit it's limit. I refuse to succumb to limits...so perhaps it could upgrade my Stand in some form? I heard of something called a Requiem transformation, but I heard only a certain arrow can bring it out...
It doesn't matter. We know where it is, but it has a guardian, a BEAST. That thing has been waging war against us for the past decade, and we've been locked in a stalemate for all these years. I wish it was as easy as going up there and killing the fucking thing...but not even Poseidon could beat it.
Still...it's getting up there in age, so we may just have to play the waiting game...but every day my limit draws closer.
-;-
Rohan scoffed, and began writing something down. With a start, Hashimoto sat up, and looked around as his body began moving on it's own. "What? Ro...ROHAN! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!"
"You were so concerned about your limit, I just had to do something about it. After all, you'll never know what your limit is unless you find it." The mangaka said with a smile. "So...I made it so you won't stop running until you do."
Hashimoto took off, screaming at the top of his lungs, doomed to run until his enhanced body couldn't anymore. Rohan rubbed his hands together, satisfied that he wouldn't have to look over his shoulder any time soon, and went back to the fire...
*snort*
The sound of an animal's grunt was unmistakable, and initially Ronan thought it was the bear he had manipulated with Heaven's Door, but when he turned...he found a giant bipedal...something, staring at him, sporting one bright blue eye. It began lumbering forward, a low growl escaping from it's throat.
"Ah...y-you must b-be the 'beast' I j-just read about." Rohan stammered out, as the creature's shadow blocked out the light, covering the mangaka in darkness.
Calypso was definitely not having a good time. These misfits already managed to land some solid hits on her, and while he hadn't quite gotten the advantage yet, he was close. Far too close for her comfort.
No one had come that close since...him, Pantheon's biggest obstacle in obtaining the meteorite. If that Joseph Joestar was truly as resourceful and clever as that beast...then Camille needed to be informed as soon as possible, because that would mean that Fumei and Sampson were both right about the man, and he was a major threat to their operation.
'I really thought this fight would end quickly...it NEEDS to end quickly, otherwise it will surely draw his attention, and I'm useless against him.'
The beast guarded the meteorite with a fierocity that no member of Pantheon, not even Calypso herself, could hope to compete with...except for Sampson. The God of War was the only person that ever got the best of the creature, and even then the man couldn't finish it.
She couldn't help but recall her previous battle with the beast...how it managed to overcome Poseidon's wrath...the only target of her's that had done so. Calypso had barely escaped with her life that day, thanks to Sampson's timely intervention. A second encounter...with Joestar and the others already proving more formidable than anticipated...
Her "Great Terror" technique may be enough to finish the job when it came to those three, but she needed to be prepared to flee. If Joseph Joestar truly was a threat, the arrival of the beastwould seal her fate.
It was time to end this, before it was too late.
The great terror in the fog let out another inhuman wail, shaking the ground they were all standing on. Aizawa, bloody from his previous attempts to fight the Stand, could only stare in shock at the sudden and terrifying development Poseidon had thrust upon them.
The enemy Stand raised what looked to be a tendril up into the air, and aimed straight for the wounded teacher, ready to crush him flat. Aizawa lept to the side...but there really was no hope of dodging...
Except...it never came down.
Aizawa, confused, looked up. He could have sworn that a massive shape was hurtling down at him from the fog...but nothing was ther-
*BAM!*
Something struck him in the back, sending him flying like a ragdoll. Aizawa slammed into the ground and spat out blood, swearing under his breath.
'Damn...I can't take another hit like that...I almost lost consciousness!'
His body was screaming in pain, and that told him that whatever hit him had done so with above average strength. It was different from the last attacks Poseidon had thrown at him...this one was making it clear that their enemy was aiming to finish them, and was pulling no punches.
'How can I avoid the next one? What even hit me? That thing in the fog was about to crush me, yet I got...blindsided...as if the first attack was just a feint...'
He watched the figure in the fog carefully this time, and took note of what could be made of it's appearance. It was the size of a skyscraper, and on the dark outline of it's head sat multiple glowing yellow orbs...did it have multiple eyes? Did-
*BOOM!*
Someone tackled him to the ground just as a lighting fast attack obliterated the place where he was just standing. That someone turned out to be Toshinori, who was accompanied by Joseph. The former Symbol of Peace had been beaten badly, but not enough to prevent him from saving Aizawa from what would have been a fatal blow. There was a moment of silence as the two men processed what had just happened.
"How...did you know that attack was going to hit me?"
"All For One was able to attack just as fast...I guess it was just...instinct." Toshinori said, getting up and wiping some blood off of his face. "...my body moved on it's own."
Aizawa scowled. "Operating on instinct alone is a good way to get yourself killed."
"I know."
"...but thank you, I owe you one."
Joseph snorted, wounded himself. "This opponent isn't very honest, have you noticed that? We haven't been able to get a true read on it's ability..."
*WHOOSH!*
As if on cue, Joseph barely reacted in time to dodge an attack too fast to percieve to the others. The eldest Joestar's eyes practically bugged out of his head. "HOLY SHITBRICKS!"
'FAST, VERY FAST! That was almost Star Platinum fast...we're running out of time, if it reaches Jotaro's level, the three of us are done for!'
More dead fish began emerging from the ground, as the gigantic monster hidden in the fog let out yet another cry, shaking the ground. It didn't make sense, at first, Joseph thought he had it down, but then Poseidon turned into some giant monster, and was apparently unleashing attacks too fast for them to perceive. Like how Star Platinum's fists went so fast, they left afterimages...too fast for the brain to percieve.
"Percieve...perception...it has something to do with what we perceive about it!'
" Everyone...we have to somehow see the attack." Joseph instructed, backing up. "Everyone stand back to back...I think our vision may have something to do with it's strength."
Toshinori grunted as he helped Aizawa to his feet. "I only felt the air move..."
"I know, had your reaction time been any slower, you would've both been skewered. Take a look at those dead fish, a close one."
"Huh?"
"I noticed it just now...while the goldfish Rohan found was freshly killed...the other's are not. Almost as if the first one was a bluff." Joseph explained, glancing around the fog to try and spot the next attack. "It's easy to hide that something has been frozen in a frozen environment after all."
"That means that they don't have anything to do with it's ability." Aizawa said, seething in pain. "They were a distraction, a scare tactic."
That's when the pro hero sucked in his breath, and threw himself to the ground as a cyan blur went right over him, inches away from taking off his head.
"Aizawa!" Toshinori knelt down to tend to his colleague, only for the same cyan blur to clip a bit of his hair off. If he hadn't knelt, he would have been killed instantly. "...oh...th-that was..."
The air changed, and Joseph shrieked and tilted his head backwards, something barely missing his uncomfortable memory of warning Jotaro of DIO's ability, then suddenly having a knife in his throat, surfaced to the front of Joseph's mind. He had died from that attack, it was only thanks to his grandson's quick thinking and luck that he had been revived.
He had been content passing on back then, leaving the task of finishing DIO to Jotaro. As long as he saved his daughter and grandson...he was perfectly okay with dying. Then he woke up in a Speedwagon Foundation truck, with Jotaro standing over him. He was relieved, even cracked an admittedly dumb joke...because both he and Jotaro could return to Holly.
'Another instance of cheating death...yet again luck saved him. From surviving atmospheric reentry to getting all of the blood drained from his body...and now he was even saved from age.
'Why am I here?'
Joseph was panicking now. Not only did the unpleasant reminder of his "death" at DIO's hands reignite his existential crisis, but Aizawa saw the attack coming, and still the Stand almost took all three of them out. It wasn't sight based...meaning he was back at square one, and the next attack would surely kill them.
The creature in the fog almost seemed to be grinning with satisfaction, and it let out one final eerie wail...announcing that it was about to unleash it's final, Star Platinum level attack to end them once and for all.
The wind began to change...it was coming, and coming fast.
"Mr. Joestar? MR. JOESTAR, IT'S COMING!" Toshinori screamed, coughing up blood in a panic, as in the distance, something was cutting through the fog like a knife. It was going so fast, it was cutting through air.
'Think Joseph, think! There has to be a trigger for it's power increase, but what?! I thought it had to be seeing it, but even then...is there something more to perceiving it? Is it all five senses?'
Joseph was sweating profusely, trying to find some way out of this, some way for then to dodge or counter, but in the end...the Stand was just too fast.
This was it.
Poseidon had successfully kept it's ability a mystery. Now it was going to kill them, and there was nothing any of them could do in time to stop it.
'It's not like knowing it's ability would do anything at this point-'
Joseph blinked, and gasped.
He could see the Stand...as in the same Stand that attacked them from the beginning, not the creature in the fog. For a split second, it slowed down.
'As soon as I thought about it...it uses dead fish to spook and distract us...'
Poseidon began slowing down even more, and it let out a cry of desperate frustration. Joseph's panic was fading, and he released Hermit Purple, wrapping it around Aizawa and lifting the wounded man to safety as the Stand, still fast, but now visible, rocketed past.
"I'm afraid we're a tough catch, and your illusion isn't going to work anymore." The eldest Joestar declared, pointing at the erratic Stand, which was now pointing it's trident hand at them.
"That thing in the fog wasn't real..." Aizawa muttered to himself. "That's how it blindsided me...just like the fish, it's a distraction."
"That means that it conjures illusions, right?" Toshinori asked. "The more we fall for them, the stronger it gets?"
"It's a little bit more complicated than that." Joseph said with a smile. "Lucky for us...this problem has a pretty simple solution. The next time it attacks...is when we win."
Joseph never proclaimed victory unless he had already won, that was something most people that knew him could always count on. As soon as he said the words "we win", Aizawa closed his eyes and smirked.
"Mr. Joestar?" Toshinori asked, watching as the enemy began hopping from one foot to another, getting ready for an all out blitz.
"Wait for it."
"It's extremely fast, are you sure you'll have ti-"
"Waaaait for it."
Poseidon stopped hopping, and got into a diver's stance, trident aimed directly for Joseph's heart. It was going to stab right through him, no more games, no more illusions and misdirections. It knew very well that Joseph was close to beating it...so it was finishing him here and now.
This was a stand off.
Joseph and Poseidon locked eyes, one pair burning with killing intent, the other with mischievous glee. Each of them daring the other to move first...except Joseph had no intentions of moving. In fact, he proudly displayed his chest for the Stand to see, giving it a clear target.
Poseidon narrowed it's eyes...and took off like a bolt of lightning as Joseph opened his mouth.
"YOU'RE A MYTH!"
*BAM!*
Three words. That's all Joseph had to say...and all of Poseidon's speed vanished in an instant. The Stand slammed into the ground, and began skipping across it like a rock across a river, leaving splashes of blood from each impact.
*CRACK!*
*CRUNCH!*
*THUD!*
The Stand landed with an unceremonious thud...right at Joseph's feet.
Fumei opened the door to the map room, Sampson following. "Calypso won't last long. Her Stand is almost undefeatable, as long as her opponent doesn't have a good head on their shoulders...unfortunately, Joestar does."
"I can take care of that when the time comes." The God of War responded, taking a puff from his cigarette. "A more isolated area for our rematch...don't want no unnecessary casualties this time around."
"Her Stand is also loud, and powerful...and you know what that means..."
"She'll draw the beast to her. That thing already overcame Poseidon once...and a second round would be game over for her, considering how her ability works." Sampson snorted in amusement. "Talk about conditional...does she know you're aware of it?"
"Nope, not that it matters. She can't so anything to me now that I am." Fumei said, circling a spot on the map. "The point is, the way Camille is running things...it's a sinking ship, Sampson. We are not a united front, everyone here just wants a piece of that damn rock...all that greed will only rip Pantheon apart."
"The question is when."
"Exactly. Pantheon will fall...but if we can determine where and when...this could lead to the meteorite falling into the right hands." Fumei said with a smile. His boyish looks and gentle mannerisms provided reassurance, making his plan seem as though it was a certainty. He really had a knack for making people feel at ease.
"Being yours?"
"The people's, Sampson. People who are kicked to the curb due to having 'villainous' Quirks, or having none." Fumei's shoulders sagged just a bit upon mentioning the Quirkless, but Sampson didn't really need to pry. "You have always said that you wish you could use your Stand for something more than just chaos and bloodshed...what better way than to help those in need?"
"I'll end up killing those people regardless." Sampson countered. "I'm the God of War, just like war...I end up ruining whatever I touch."
The God of Fire sighed, having expected the conversation to take a turn like this. Sampson was born with his Stand, and while the man never really spoke on his past...everyone could tell that it was bloody. Being born with a Stand like Ares...no matter how good your intentions...you're bound to leave a trail of death and despair.
Catching Sampson on video with Ares active, for instance, would cause anyone who saw the video to go berserk. Putting it on the news? Death on a mass scale. Sampson had no choice but to be a killer from the moment he was born, he was literally a weapon of mass destruction...so Fumei could understand why he kept to himself, why he was reluctant to lend a hand.
"Why did you join Pantheon then?"
Sampson sighed, looked around to make sure no one was listening, and responded.
"To die."
"Die?"
"Yup."
Fumei remained silent for a few moments, and sat down across from Sampson. "You came here to die? How? And why for that matter?"
"I don't know how...but I think you know why. I'm a curse, Fumei...a monster. Every step I take is soaked in blood, and over time I've even come to enjoy it...and that honestly scares me. Killing is second nature to me, all because of this damn Stand. Sooner or later...I might not even have any conscience left." Sampson continued. "So why would you need me of all people, Fumei?"
"It's the fact that you aren't affected by greed, you're the only person here I can actually trust." Fumei pulled out a small photograph, and slipped it to Sampson. "I made a promise...to someone I love more than anything, that I would get this damn meteorite for them. I can't stop now...not when we're so close."
The God of War's eyes perused the photo for a minute, and he then handed it back. "You have a nice little family there, Fumei Damashi. Well...you're the only person around here who doesn't think I'm just an attack dog, so I guess I oughta lend you a hand."
Fumei grinned from ear to ear, and Sampson had to take a step back.
'Damn, too bright!'
"That means more to me than you know, my friend." The God of Fire said, still beaming, and Sampson waved him off.
"This coup of yours better be worth it Damashi, because I don't want another 'airport incident' happening. Besides...that meteorite is better off in your hands than Camille's."
As Sampson exited the room to go contact Artemis to inform her of their plan, Fumei kept his smile, truly grateful...but also concerned. Sampson's reasoning for being here was...worrying, mostly because he cared for the man. He definitely had a kind side to him, since he basically agreed to help Fumei grab the meteorite with no reward in mind...but he was also a killer, who was starting to enjoy it by his own admission. He understood why Sampson didn't actually value his own life...but surely he had to see that he wasn't a complete monster, right?
Fumei slipped the photograph of his wife and child back into his pocket, just over his heart, and dove back into his research. He hadn't a moment to lose, now that his dream would soon turn to reality.
Josuke hated being the bearer of bad news.
He was already stressed due to the situation with his father. While they were on the mountain, communication was near impossible...but he had already felt that Joseph had sustained some nasty wounds through the Joestar blood connection. That was common knowledge throughout the family though, as well as the fact that his father was struggling with more than just physical problems...
That wasn't the bad news he needed to break...it was more so about the event that shook Japan, and the world, to it's core...
Kars.
The Ultimate Lifeform, while defeated and neutralized once more...had left a long jagged scar on Hero Society. His horrific massacre of innocent civilians, and quite a few heroes that got in his way, shook everyone's faith in the capability of their heroes. Endeavor, the number one hero, wasn't even enough to stop Kars' rampage...and that was scary for hero and civilian alike.
The existence of this unstoppable force, capable of thwarting even the strongest of Japan's heroes...left people concerned for their safety going forward. That only garnered support for Santana's faction, and for a certain serial killer who had recently broken out of Tartarus.
"Shit...he's combing his hair."
Kyoka's voice took Josuke out of his thoughts, and he turned to find that his apprentice and nephew were both staring at him. "Is that not a normal thing to do, Kyoka?"
"You only comb your hair like that if you're stressed." Kyoka responded, her eyebrows knitting together. "And if you're stressed, we're going to be stressed."
"...I trained you too well." Josuke muttered. "Er...yeah, I...I guess I am...uh...so you know how Kars was the first Stranger, and he busted AFO out of Tartarus...as well as a few others?"
"...are we going to have to fight one of them?" Johnny asked, unamused.
"Probably?"
"Is it someone that's incredibly dangerous and could likely kill us?"
"Yes."
"So...the usual."
Josuke frowned, and crossed his arms. "If it was something as simple as fighting a villain, I would have just grabbed Okuyasu and Kochi so the three of us could handle it ourselves, that way you guys can focus on UA's...internal affairs." Morioh's protector sighed, sitting down across from the teenaged couple. It was honestly bad enough, with the kids still recovering from Kars, the traitor in their midst being confirmed, and All Might's recent actions...but Josuke was going to have to dump one more thing on them. "I'm afraid there's some political bullshit this time."
Johnny scoffed. "When have we ever concerned ourselves with politics?"
"Never. You guys know that I value doing the right thing over the law, something that I'm grateful you both value as well. Unfortunately with Kars still fresh on people's minds, the HPSC has gotten...cranky, for lack of a better term."
Now it was Kyoka's turn to scoff. "They weren't cranky when they were trying to blow up the Barge? With us on it?"
"They're threatening to crack down on the Joestar family." Josuke decided to get to the point. "Their precious house of cards took a massive hit from Kars, and DIO's Calamity. They've 'held us on a loose leash' up until now, but it's clear that they want to tighten it."
Johnny wrinkled his nose, and shared a glance with his girlfriend before responding. "Have they?"
"No. They're scared of us." Josuke replied matter-of-factly. "Not only do several members of our family have powerful Stands, we have influence. Giorno pretty much runs half of Italy, we've got the Speedwagon Foundation at our side, and we have good relationships with a lot of prominent figures in the hero community. They won't instigate for now...but they're close to making that decision. They want to reestablish control as soon as possible, now that the Calamity disrupted it."
"Bullshit." Kyoka muttered, crossing her arms. "That 'loose leash' has saved more lives than they ever will."
"Agreed. A lot of people agree...including someone who...is going to be working with the Morioh Protection Agency for a while to keep them complacent." Josuke gave them a nervous grin. "I am the only member of the family that's a registered pro hero...soooo...he decided that our agencies should work together to bring in the escapees...all of them."
Johnny raised an eyebrow. "ALL of them? Who would be going after..."
He didn't even need to finish that sentence. There was only one hero that was ambitious enough to hunt down every single Tartarus escapee, one hero that absolutely HAD to prove himself worthy of the role he was in. One that had enough influence to keep the HPSC's proposed restrictions at bay by working directly with the Joestars...and it was the man that Johnny wanted absolutely nothing to do with.
They were going to be working with Endeavor.
Josuke grimaced upon seeing the look of disgust on his nephew's face, and sighed. "Yeah...I knew you wouldn't be happy about that. I know that your friend Todoroki dropped some baggage on you...unfortunately, he already proposed the team-up in front of the HPSC's president...so..."
"I already dug my own grave on that one." Johnny replied, after taking a deep breath. "It was only a matter of time, since we sent Izuku and Katsuki over there to work with the guy. If we're going to use him as our knight in this game of chess...I'm just going to have to bear it."
"Johnny...you know I really don't have to tell you why this might not be the best idea, right?" Kyoka asked.
"I'll bear it."
The couple shared a long moment of silence, before Kyoka's gaze softened.
"Okay, just checking."
Josuke nodded, proud of Johnny's fortitude...and placed down several wanted posters. "While I have the utmost faith in you two, it's likely that Endeavor and I will be doing most of the work. However...these are the guys we're looking for...just so you're aware."
"...did you make these yourself?" Kyoka asked.
"Just look at them."
"You did!"
Johnny leaves through his uncle's cheesy homemade wanted posters, growing more concerned with every page.
These were some BIG names.
Stain.
Muscular.
Lady Nagant.
"Hey...Hawks mentioned her. She's his predecessor as a HPSC stooge, right?" Kyoka asked, frowning. "He called her the 'deadliest woman in Japan'...coming from the Number Two, that means something."
"He's the only reason we even know about her. The government has scrubbed her clean from history...and she used to be big back in the day." Josuke replied. "We'd surely win a ton of brownie points with the HPSC if we brought her in...but..."
"But?" Johnny asked.
"I have reason to believe that she was the one that helped Okuyasu defend The Barge. A sniper provided him with backup, picking off HPSC heroes like flies...and Koichi said it was a woman. She killed trained professionals with ease...and never hit Okuyasu in the scuffle." Josuke scratched his head, frowning. "Who else could it really be?"
"Arresting the person who helped us would be a dick move." Kyoka agreed. "Especially since we'd be ash without her."
"The question is why, then."
"Exactly. Why did she go out of her way to help us? Was it simply to screw with the HPSC for ruining her life? Or...was she genuinely looking out for us?" Josuke pointed at her picture, looking his two interns in the eye. "She's the one we need to find, we need to know her intentions before we decide to make an arrest or not. Here's the kicker...she hasn't been spotted since The Barge."
"-because a small town like Morioh is the perfect place to hide." Johnny finished. The air grew significantly colder as the reality of what that meant sank in. Morioh had a professional killer, one of the very best, lurking somewhere in it's streets...and she certainly would have a chip on her shoulder. Not only were they going to be working to catch the escapees...
But the most dangerous of them was in walking distance. Until Lady Nagant's intentions were known...no one was safe.
"What just...a myth?" Toshinori asked, confused.
"A myth." Joseph explained, stepping on the wounded Stand's trident hand with a boot made from Hermit Purple. "You see...from the very beginning...this guy was trying to confuse us. Dead fish, Rohan's abduction...all of it to get us to lose focus on it, to keep us in the dark."
"Well, they certainly succeeded." Aizawa wiped some blood from his mouth. "At least until we saw that it's speed and strength was fluctuating."
"Exactly. You see...myths become weaker in the presence of FACT!" Joseph said, leaning over the downed Stand. "When it was preparing to finish us off...I saw that it slowed down the moment I thought about knowing the ability. The less we knew about it, the stronger it gets, and vice versa."
"As long as it stays a mystery...it's practically invincible, but now that we know about it..." Toshinori realized.
Joseph kicked the wounded Stand, and it yelped.
"Helpless, like a kitten. I waited until it built up enough power and speed, then announced it's ability to 'slam on the brakes', so to speak."
"Knowing the ability is literally it's weakness...that's actually terrifying. If someone was just a little dumber, and didn't have nerves of steel...this thing would be unstoppable."
Joseph nodded, and leaned over Poseidon with a grin. "Yep...and you are pretty skilled at keeping people guessing, aren't you? Bet they only send you after people they want dead in one go."
"Bastards..."
"It speaks!"
Poseidon had the voice of a woman, a very angry...but also frightened woman. It was pretty clear that she was did not lose often, and now she was at their mercy, just like her previous victims.
"Yeah, I speak. I happen to be Pantheon's second-in-command!" The Stand snapped back. "Y-you d-do anything to m-me, Camille will have your heads! Got it?!"
"Camille, huh?"
"Er...I...look, I have money okay? You can have as much as you want, just don't hurt me! Please!"
"I'm afraid we're not the type of men that can be bought." Toshinori said with a glare, and the Stand's eyes widened.
"All Might...I was always a fan, I even-"
"Where's Kishibe?" Aizawa cut in, his hair rising. While Erasure didn't work on Stands, it was still intimidating. "He was dragged off when we were busy dealing with you, where was he taken?"
"Hashimoto has probably already killed him, I don't see..." Aizawa'seyes narrowed, and the Stand backtracked. "Up over the hill, a good mile away."
"Since you're Pantheon's second in command...why don't you tell us exactly what you are up to, while we're at it?" Joseph said, tightening his Stand around Poseidon.
"...we've been searching for the meteorite for a specific cause, one that will change the world forever. We-"
Poseidon's eyes suddenly narrowed, and without warning...it suddenly gained a boost of strength, throwing Joseph off and snapping the vines that were holding it down.
"-SIKE!"
"What?!" Joseph attempted to get up, but the three-pronged tip of a trident soon found itself inches away from his chest. "You little-"
"Ah, the old 'begging for mercy' trick, can't believe you of all people would fall for it. I would never betray Camille like that!" The Stand declared, forcing the eldest Joestar backwards. "I was just buying time, time for [Poseidon] to regain some of its power!"
"I see...well, this is concerning." Joseph said, grimacing.
"Well done, Joseph Joestar. I can see now, that you're even more dangerous than we anticipated. Here I thought it would be easy, since Sampson made quick work of you."
"His turn is coming."
"Nonetheless...you failed to deduce one vital part of my ability...you have no idea who my user is! I can still draw power from that mystery alone!" The enemy Stand began glowing, brandishing it's trident. "I'm afraid this fight is far from-"
"RRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAOAAAAAAOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"
A howl cut through the frigid air, and froze everyone, including Poseidon, in their tracks. Just the sound of it brought a chill to Joseph's spine, because whatever it was had clear murderous intent. Poseidon slowly turned to face the hills, where a large shape began emerging...sporting one glowing eye.
"No...I'm...too late..."
"Too late?! What do you mean?!" Toshinori asked, frozen to his spot. "What is that thing?!"
Poseidon was shaking with fear, and without warning, a woman suddenly emerged from a snow bank on a hill far to their left. It was Poseidon's user, and she was making a break for it.
This was not another one of Poseidon's tricks, this was something that the rather powerful Stand was actually scared of. The thing brandished a large object, and roared again, louder and filled with an animalistic rage...
Then began sprinting towards the enemy Stand User, much faster than a human could hope to run. It was bipedal, and ran similar to a man...but upon entering their line of sight, the three wounded men were met with sight of anything but.
It was a YETI. A real, genuine Yeti, and the great ape was furious...although luckily it's anger was directed at their fleeing adversary, rather than them.
It only had it's left eye, the right being covered up by an eyepatch that looked like it was made from deer skin, and the right side of it's face sported a long jagged scar. It was brandishing a giant wooden club, decorated with some rather intricate carvings...and some dried blood. It's white fur was actually rather immaculately groomed, and it's exposed skin was a dark shade of grey. It roared again, exposing a set of large upper fangs, and continued bounding after the woman.
The woman quickly pulled out a snowmobile from the woods, started it, and attempted to drive off...only for the Yeti to grab it from the back, and it raised the club, determined to bash her head in. Poseidon came out and attempted to stab the Yeti in the stomach, but the animal actually dodged the attack, and brought the club down onto the woman's shoulder.
*SNAP!*
Poseidon's user shrieked in pain as she was knocked off of her vehicle, her shoulder likely shattered to pieces, and she began sobbing, pleading as the Yeti stood over her, baring it's teeth.
Toshinori tried to take a step forward, but Joseph stopped him. "It just dodged a Stand, Yagi. It can see it...this is no normal ape. We're already wounded...going in there against what is likely another Stand User is suicide."
"We can't just let her die like that!"
*BOOM!*
The woman had unloaded a flare gun directly into the Yeti's face, blinding the one-eyed ape and buying her time to stumble towards her vehicle. She looked back, tears streaming down her face from both terror and pain, shuddered, and sped off...barely escaping with her life.
The Yeti threw some snow on it's face, glanced at the retreating snowmobile...and then turned it's glare towards the three of them.
"Shit."
Hermes, in the end...had no real limit, only Hashimoto's body did. He continued to run until he couldn't anymore, and even then he ran some more. His obsession with fitness was ultimately the tool of his demise, and when he finally collapsed from exhaustion...he died with Rohan Kishibe's name on his lips, forever cursing the one man he couldn't beat.
Stand Name: Poseidon
Stand Master: Calypso
Status: Ineffective.
Stats:
-:-
Power: D (A when at full power)
Speed: D (A^)
Precision: B
Durability: D (A^)
Range: B
Development Potential: D
-:-
Ability: Poseidon operates like a myth. The less you know about it, the more powerful it gets, just like how myths were used to explain things that humanity did not understand, myths were reality until they were countered by fact. Figuring things out about it's ability keeps it from reaching max strength, and once you know the ability and the identity of the user, Poseidon will be rendered useless.
It also has the ability to dive into the ground, similar to Diver Down, and it can also generate illusion-inducing fog, all to distract and terrify the opponent to allow it to gain strength unimpeded. However, if you beat it once, you essentially beat it for good.
