I hate it here.

With every fiber of my being, I hate this.

It's been seven days since my mom placed me in the psych ward. My days are filled with either staring at the blue walls and windows, eavesdropping on chatter outside my room, and watching the sunrise and sunset. I already planned that once I leave the hospital, I'll call Josuke or Jotaro and tell them that Dr. Watanabe is the stand user killer. Then, we can make a plan on how to stop him. But for now, I can't do anything.

I'm finally off oxygen, since according to my doctor, I can breathe normally without help, meaning that I'm getting better quicker than I thought I was.

Most patients in the psych ward have a fit schedule of therapy, eating meals together, and going to the gym. However, not only am I not in the psychiatric program, but I'm under lockdown, meaning that I'm locked in my room and the only time I leave is for physical therapy with that bastard Watanabe.

Three times a day the security guard gives me my tray of food. Rice, salmon, rolled omelete, foods that all the patients eat are now given to me instead of when I first arrived.

Whatever.

It doesn't matter though.

It's not like I'm in the mood for eating anyways.

I just need to leave as soon as possible.

One of the security guards entered my room with a wheelchair and pushed the wheelchair up to my bed. "Kuroko, it's two PM. You know the deal."

"Whatever." I pushed myself to the edge of the bed and hopped onto the wheelchair. Even though I'm now able to use crutches, my mom asked the security staff to push me to wherever I need to go to make sure I don't escape.

Then again, it's not like I can escape with the situation I'm in.

While the security guard pushed me through the hallways, the doctors that once said hi to me now either stayed silent, or just glared at me. It does make sense since I caused a lot of trouble for everyone here. Once we got to a very familiar door, the security guard pushed it open to see the person I least wanted to see.

Dr. Watanabe.

The bastard smiled. "Good afternoon Kuroko. Ready for our daily session?"

I stayed silent. There's nothing I want to say to this man.

"That's good. Mr. Kato, you can leave us alone now."

"Understood."

The security guard followed Dr. Watanabe's orders and closed the door. "Kuroko, are you in any pain today?"

I stayed quiet with my head down, looking at the floor.

We don't need to be chummy.

I just want to get through the day.

"That's good. I know you just started using crutches a few days ago, but today we're going to try to walk on your own." He then pushed my wheelchair towards two large flat blue cushions that laid on the floor. On the left of the cushions was a banister that was hooked onto the wall. "If you need to, use the banister, but try walking on your own first. Do you need help standing up?"

I stayed silent as I stood up on my two feet, pushing all of my weight onto my right foot. I tried to move my left leg and was able to move it forward by a few centimeters. I then pressed more weight on my left foot, gripped the banister on the wall and was able to move my body slightly.

I kept this pattern up in silence until I reached the halfway point and I accidentlly tripped over my useless left leg and fell on the ground.

I can't.

I can't take this anymore.

I curled my right leg up to my chest as tears rolled down my cheeks. My body started to shake as incoherent mumbling slipped from my lips.

"What are you doing?" Dr. Watanabe said. "Get up."

No.

Just leave me alone.

Please.

I heard a sigh come from Watanabe's lips. His footsteps came closer. He then sat me up and pushed my back against the wall. "Are you in any pain Ku-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I pulled my palm back and slapped him with all my strength.

I don't care anymore.

I just don't.

Once our eyes met again, his were filled with rage. "You!"

"What's going on in here?" I heard a familiar voice as they opened the door. Our eyes met. It was Ms. Hana. As soon as she saw my puffy eyes and red face, she rushed towards me, pushed Dr. Watanabe aside, and pushed my head into her chest. "Shush. Everything will be ok. Hikaru, what did you do to her?"

"Nothing! I swear!" He said. "She just fell and started crying on her own."

"I just…I just want all of this to stop." I whimpered into her chest. "All of this. Everything."

Ms. Hana rubbed my back. "I'm sorry Kuroko. I'm sorry that all of this happened to you. But you have to stay strong, OK? Strong for your mother, strong for your friends, strong for yourself, OK?"

"I…I…" I tried to conjure up some kind of cry for help, but got nothing.

It's not like it matters anyways.

Dr. Watanabe looked at his wristwatch. "Let's just end therapy for today. Call the security guard in and take her back to her room."

Ms. Hana nodded her head. "Right."

Ms. Hana did what she was told. The security guard that wheeled me to the therapy room came in. Ms. Hana and Dr. Watanabe helped me back into the wheelchair and the security guard pushed me back into my room with my eyes puffy. Once I got to my room, I was placed back on my bed.

For the rest of the day, I stayed in my room silently. I didn't want to draw with the paper and pencil they gave to everyone in the psych ward. I didn't want to read any magazines that were offered at the front desk.

I just want to be left alone.

Then maybe, the days will move faster.

The sky outside my window started to dim as who knows how long time passed. The inside of my room started to get colder as I snuggled myself under the single blanket I was given.

Then, the security guard came into my room with a clipboard. "Kuroko, you're being discharged. Get your things ready."

Discharged?

Discharged?!

"I'm being discharged?" I asked.

"Yup. Your mom signed you out early."

I've been in here for over three weeks, but during one of my check-ups, Ms. Hana said that I would be in here for at least three months or until I fully recover, if fully recovering is a possibility.

"But…why?"

The security guard rolled his eyes. "I don't know! Look, do you want to leave or not?"

"I do! It's just…whatever." At least this is the last time I'll have to deal with this asshole.

The security guard pushed a wheelchair next to my bed. Hooked onto the back was my set of crutches. "I know you can use your crutches, but it would be faster if I just pushed you out."

"Right."

After I packed up everything in my bag, I followed the security guard's orders and sat on the wheelchair. He then wheeled me out of the room I called my bedroom for seven days. As I was wheeled down the hallway, some of the doctors that used to glare at me waved goodbye to me. I waved back only in politeness.

I just want to get the hell out of here.

The security guard rolled me out the front of the hospital. The cold nighttime breeze slapped my face and combed through my scarlet hair. Looking in front of me, there she was: my mom standing in front of her black car that was parked in the hospital's driveway.

"Hi Kuro!" She waved with a smile.

I stared at the black pavement below me. Although she's the one that is getting me out early, she's also the person that put me in the psych ward, making her the last person I want to talk to.

My mom opened the backseat car door. The security guard then pushed me towards the back seat, picked me up and placed me onto the car seat. He then gave me my crutches and placed them on my lap. "Thank you for everything Dr. Izumi. Take care."

"You too." My mom said back. She then pushed her foot on the gas and drove off into the night.

The ride back began with silence between the two of us as the car stopped once in a while at stop signs. She then turned to me. "Listen Kuro, I know that you're mad at me, but I only did what I did for your own good."

I stayed silent.

My mom sighed. "Whatever. You'll understand when you're older."

The rest of the 20-minute ride was quiet. After all, I have nothing to say to my mom that would change the situation at hand.

I just need to contact someone about Dr. Watanabe.

Once my mom drove up into our driveway, she got out of the car and opened the back seat door. "Do you need help getting out?" I unbuckled my seatbelt, grabbed my crutches, struggled to push myself out of the car, and stood on my right foot. My mom looked at me in surprise "Huh. I guess not."

The two of us then walked to our front door. Once my mom opened the door I quickly made my way into the hallway, ignoring the boxes that lined the hallway, and grabbed the phone that was on the counter in the living room.

I dialed Josuke's phone number, placed the phone up to my ear, and waited for a few moments. I was only met with silence, not even a response saying that the number has been blocked. I tried calling the same number again with no luck. I even tried dialing Jotaro's number. Nothing. "Mom! Why isn't the phone working? You paid the phone bill, right?"

"Oh so now you're talking to your mother once you need something?" My mom called out from the kitchen.

I rolled my eyes. "Mom, please just answer me."

My mom came out of the kitchen holding a dish. "I canceled our phone subscription."

"But why?"

"Isn't it obvious? We're moving."

Moving?

Moving?!

"Moving?!" I yelled. "Why?! What for?!"

"I'm having family problems back in Hokkaido. It's easier to move than for us to drive back and forth."

I raised an eyebrow. "Family problems such as?"

Her voice started to get quieter. "Problems on your father's side."

"Since when?"

"Since you went into the hospital. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to worry you."

This was the first time I've heard my dad's name in years. "Mom, I thought dad didn't like you. That doesn't make sense. Besides, I'm used to being home alone. If you need to leave for a month I'll be fine."

"Can't you just listen to your mother for once!?" She yelled at me, which was a rare occurrence. "You don't have a choice here! I already removed you from the school attendance list a few days ago."

"You could've at least told me that! This wouldn't be that big of a shock otherwise. I just…do we have to move? Don't you like Morioh?"

I don't want to leave my friends. I don't want to leave Okuyasu. I don't want to leave Koichi.

I don't want to leave Josuke.

"Of course I like Morioh. But liking where we live is out of the question at the moment."

If that's the case…

"Can't I just…live on my own?"

My mom raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I'm used to living alone. I always cook for myself and clean the house when you're not here. I'll be fine! I can pay the bills and do the taxes on the house as well! I really don't want to move from here! All of my best memories are from here in Morioh!"

"You're sixteen! You can't just live on your own!"

"Yes, I can! I've basically been living on my own for the past few years! Nothing would be changing!"

"You don't have a choice here! You WILL come with me back to Hokkaido!"

Then it clicked. Everything. Why won't she let me see Josuke? Why was Dr. Watanabe my physical therapist? Why are we moving at a time like this? Why throughout all this time, she's been in and out of my life?

"You're in on it too, aren't you?"

My mom's eyes peered at me. "In on what?"

"You know that Dr. Watanabe was the one that almost killed me!"

My mom's eyes started to stray from my own. "I…I don't know what you're talking about Kuro."

"Yes, you do! You're just as terrible at lying as I am!"

"I said I don't know!"

"You…!"

That's it.

I summoned Iron Maiden behind me. My mom's eyes widened as she looked above me. The plate that she was drying dropped and shattered onto the floor.

There was the answer.

"You see her too, right? Iron Maiden I mean. That means you're a stand user as well."

"Iron Maiden?" My mom whispered. Her lips then slightly curled up. A small chuckle came out of her mouth as she held her stomach.

"What are you laughing about?!" I shouted. "This isn't funny!"

"Sorry! Sorry!" She waved her hand at me. "It's just cute. You named your stand after my favorite band. You really do love your mother." My mom then bent down to me. "Kuroko, you know that I love you, right? You're the last person I wanted to get involved in this."

"And whose fault is that?!"

"You're right. It is my fault. I should've paid more attention to what was going on around me, and because of that, you almost died. I'm so sorry Kuro."

My mom tried to place her hand on my shoulder, but I grabbed it before she could. "Don't touch me! I…just why? Why are you working with someone that's killing people? Killing stand users, almost killing my friends, almost killing me. Why? Just why?!"

Mom's eyes narrowed. "Stay right there Kuroko."

My mom left the living room and made her way downstairs into the basement. When she came back up, she was holding multiple yellow folders and placed them on the coffee table. She then sat on the floor in front of me. "Here. You can look at them."

I nodded and flipped the front of the first folder over. Immediately, I wanted to throw up.

The top two pictures in the folder were autopsies similar to the one Jotaro showed me almost a month ago. Both of the bodies had their heart missing, but one of them had their insides torn apart, organs, sitting where they weren't supposed to be. On the top of the two papers were the names "Genji Ito" and "Yuki Agawa."

"Mom…"

"I found out about stands when we went to Italy a couple years back. I was never someone who could believe in such things, but once I got my stand, well, as a doctor, I needed answers. I needed to understand the true nature of stands. Stands are connected to one's personality and spiritual well-being. Studying stand users' hearts allowed me to learn so much about how the human body works even without stands. Did you know, as long as one's heart keeps beating, as long as their most vital organ is alive, their stand still persists? As long as their will to live is strong enough, they can sometimes surpass severe injuries? When we moved back to Morioh, I met your physical therapist, and the two of us have been working together since. Although, whenever Hikaru ripped out specimens' hearts, he would sometimes mess up. That's why the body on the left looks mangled."

She called them specimens.

They're not even human to her.

She placed her hand on my shoulder as I stared at the horrible pictures on the coffee table. "I knew for a while that Josuke had this power. He was never hit with my arrow, so his entire body would've been nice to examine. But, if I knew that Jotaro Kujo was related to him, let's just say that he would've been off-limits. Jotaro is no match for both Hikaru and myself."

All this time. All this damn time.

"How…" I uttered. "How many stand users have you made? How many have you killed?!"

My mom scratched the back of her head nonchalantly. "Approximately 19 I believe? I've made more but those are the ones I've made and k,"

Iron Maiden landed a powerful punch into my mom's stomach, sending her flying into the oak brown china cabinet. Blood spewed from her mouth as her limp body laid on the wooden debris. Tears started to roll down my cheeks. "Why…why would you do this? All this time…you were making stand users just to kill them? To study their hearts?! They're people with lives! With families! How could you?!

My mom pushed her back up against the wall and wiped the blood coming from her mouth on her sleeve. "You wouldn't understand. Of course, you wouldn't understand! You're just a child. Do you realize how this research could benefit humanity? If stand users can survive injuries unknown to medical records, do you know how many lives that could save?! Those people in the emergency room on their deathbeds, if they had stands,"

"Shut the fuck up you bitch!" Iron Maiden went in for another punch. Multiple punches.

Then, almost instantly, a massive pink and black needle shot through Iron Maiden's chest, arching her back. My stand fell to its knees. Looking at my hands, my vision started to go blurry as the number of my fingers multiplied. "What…going on?" My body collapsed onto the ground as I was unable to move. "Why can't I…move." It even started to get harder to breathe as my hand clutched my chest.

"I injected you with my stand." Mom said. "I named it Iron Maiden. It can change the chemicals in your body, I can cure or create any illness in your body. Right now your body is in shock."

I struggled to move my stand but my efforts were futile.

My mom kneeled down next to me. "Kuro, I never wanted to bring you into this, but now, since you're being disobedient, I'll give you some options. Option one: we quietly move back to Hokkaido and I continue my research there. Option two: I'll kill the stand users I injected my stands into. Okuyasu Nijimura, Koichi Hirose, and Josuke Higashikata. Option three: I'll kill you. Now, what's your pick, sweety?"

At this point, I couldn't even talk.

My mom covered her lips with her hand. "Oh! Sorry! When I activate my stand on some people, sometimes the effects are stronger than others. It depends on the size of the body, age, immune system, variables like those. Here, let me help you up." She then put her arm underneath my arm and lifted me up. "You're a lot lighter than I thought. Have you been eating since you went into the hospital? Well, it doesn't matter. I'll be cooking more often once we move out of Morioh." My mom dragged my body out of the living room, into my bedroom and onto my bed. She then left my room, came back with my crutches, and placed them next to my bed. "Actually, you can decide what to do in the morning. It's getting late after all."

My mom rubbed my forehead and made her way out of my room. "Goodnight Kuro." She then quietly flipped my light switch off and closed my door, leaving me alone.

I can't move.

I can't speak

I can't do anything.

I hate this.

With every fiber of my being, I hate this.

…

When I opened my eyes, it was already morning. The sun shined brightly through the curtains on my window and I could hear my older neighbor whistling while doing her daily laundry. The smell of eggs and bacon filled the air in my room.

I immediately pushed myself up and tried to move my fingers.

I can move them.

I tried summoning Iron Maiden with similar success.

What all of yesterday was just a bad dream?

Did my mom really confess to working with Dr. Watanabe? Confess to killing multiple people?

I scanned my room for my crutches and found them right next to the foot of my bed. I then used them to move myself to the kitchen slowly. My mom was in front of the stove wearing a heart-printed apron, with a black pan filled with scrambled eggs.

"Mom?"

As soon as I uttered her name, our eyes met and she gave me a smile. "Good morning sweety! You're up earlier than usual."

"Early?" I looked at the clock that was on the wall. "6:05. I guess that is early." I then remembered what happened last night, including what she did to me. "No wait…you!"

"About yesterday, I thought about it, and I feel somewhat bad for not telling you any of this sooner. If you knew sooner, maybe you wouldn't be as mad at me. However, the options I gave you yesterday still stay. If you tell anyone about Dr. Watanabe or me, I will kill Josuke and the rest of your friends. My stand's ability has a long range. Just like Watanabe, I could give him a heart attack right now if I want to. Worst case scenario, I'll have to kill you too. So be a good girl, sit tight and let your mother finish cooking and packing, alright?"

I can't tell if my situation got worse or not.

First I had to deal with 's bullshit, and now my mom's?

If I don't stop her, who knows how or when the two of them will kill again.

What should I do?

If someone else dies, it will be all my fault.

Because I didn't do anything.

But now, I can't do anything.

Because if I do, my best friend will die.

No, all of my friends will die.

All because of me.

…

No.

I can't just let us move, as if none of this has ever happened.

She needs to be stopped.

She HAS to be stopped!

Dr. Watanabe as well!

…

I have an idea.

But it has to work.

If it doesn't work, well, I don't know what to do then.

"Ok." I complied as I sat down on the kitchen chair. "I…I won't tell anyone. I promise. But can you promise me one thing? I just…want to see Josuke one more time. I don't think I can live without seeing him ever again."

My mom's eyes locked onto mine. "You love him, don't you?"

My heart skipped multiple beats. It was as if my entire body was going to melt. It was as if butterflies flew out of my chest. It was as if…

No.

Now's not the time for that.

My eyes swayed from hers. "Yes, I love him. So please, let me see him one more time."

My mom sighed. "If you say so. I do love and trust you after all."

She then pulled out a white cell phone from her pants pocket and handed it to me. "Here. Use my cellphone to call Josuke and keep the phone on speaker mode. He can only come over our house with my supervision before we leave Morioh in three days. You know what will happen if you tell him about me over the phone."

I need to follow her instructions. I am lucky to even have this chance. "Ok."

I dialed Josuke's house number. I waited a few moments to hear a very familiar voice.

His voice.

Josuke's.

"Hello?"

"Um, hi Josuke. It's Kuroko. Sorry for calling so early, I,"

"Kuroko! I…I…" I could hear his voice tremble on the other side. It's been almost a month since I've talked to him."I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you! Im…"

"Shhh you big dummy," I tried to comfort. It sounded like he was going to cry. "It's ok. Everything is ok."

"I just…I missed you, Kuroko."

I could feel my cheeks heating up. It's something about someone you like saying that they miss you. The way their words wrap around your name when they say it.

It feels…nice. Sweet like honey.

"Josuke, my mom and I are going to move away from Morioh really soon. She's still mad at you, but she said that she'll let me see you one last time. So…maybe in three days…you could stop by my house one more time?"

"Sure! What time?"

"I guess around five at night? Is that too late?

"No, it's not."

"That's good. I guess I'll see you then."

"Wait!" Josuke yelled out once again right before I could hang up.

"Yes?"

"About your hospital stay. Is everything ok? Koichi said that you tried to escape."

He knows.

I need to tell him.

But…

But!

"I…I!"

I looked at my mom who was now glaring at me.

She could kill him.

No, she WILL kill him.

She could kill him at any moment.

And if I tell him about her, it will all be my fault.

"No. Everything…is ok."

"If you say so. I'll be at your house at five, OK?" He said

"Ok, bye Josuke."

"Love you, bye."

Once I hung up the phone, my mom's glare turned into a smile as she placed her hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about packing up Kuro. You are still injured after all. Just rest."

"Right."

I got up from the kitchen chair and made my way back into my room until my mom called for me again. "Kuro?"

"Yes?"

"Aren't you going to eat breakfast?" She said as she pointed at the table with two plates filled with bacon and eggs. "I noticed that you lost a lot of weight when you were in the hospital."

Our eyes met.

The way she looks at me.

Soft, kind, loving, eyes.

Coming from someone who created and murdered countless stand users.

Those eyes mean nothing to me anymore.

"No, I'll…I'll eat later."

My mom sighed. "If you say so."

"Oh and by the way, can you do me a favor?" I asked.

My mom turned to me one more time. "And what is it?"

"I want to give Josuke a gift before we go away. There is this Prince jacket he wants and I want to get it for him at Kame Yu. I can't really get it myself. Can you buy it for me?"

My mom smiled once more. "Sure. Anything for my daughter."

Right.

Your daughter.

I used my crutches to move myself back into my room and pushed myself onto my bed. My mom hummed one of Iron Maiden's songs from the kitchen.

I need to stop my mother.

To stop the killings.

Everything!

And to do that, I need to kill her.

**************AUTHOR'S NOTE*****************

Hello. Thank you for reading my story so far. I appreciate every view, kudos, star, bookmark, and favorite. The next few chapters will come out at a slower pace. Usually, when I post a chapter, I have the next few chapters almost done. However, as of when I'm posting this chapter, the next few chapters have not been written yet.

Thank you.