Sea travel was by far one of the most forgotten ways of making it from one place to another, especially nowadays when jets are far more reliable. Even still, some people, especially from older generations, found sea travel to be far more enjoyable than being trapped in a metal box with wings. Besides, there was a higher chance of surviving a sinking ship than a crashing plane.

Of course, both have their pros and cons. But, when stacked together, plane travel was just more dangerous than sea travel. There was more assuredness when it came to travelling by sea than flying through the sky at 750 miles per hour in a crowded vessel and dodgy pilots.

While some people found it relaxing, others found it terrifying. While that was a perfectly good opinion to have, to some, it felt like an insult. Most people nowadays fly to get where they want to be, often ignoring sea travel altogether as an option, and because of that, travelling the world by boat had become something of a lost art in the year 2123.

That being said, however, it was still a large part of The Speedwagon Foundation's infrastructure when it came to taking important personnel from one place to another. Due to that type of travel being seen as inferior, not many people—villains or otherwise—attacked boats. The only exceptions that were made were if they were military ships, in which case diplomacy was attempted first and foremost.

After all, the UN wanted to try and keep world peace a thing. Well, as peaceful as things could get, what with the constant wars in the Middle East, the tensions increasing with China and Korea almost reaching their boiling point, and on top of China seeking to now "take back" Taiwan more than ever, to call what was going on now "World Peace" was an insult to the very notion.

But then again, this was the best thing anyone was ever going to get, so it was best to enjoy it while it lasted. World Peace in its entirety was impossible, especially when it came to politics. The only way World Peace could happen is if everyone was brainwashed and tuned into the same mindset. And at that point, that's just a hive mind, and there would be no free will.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" One of the ship's guards asked another, who grunted.

"Nothing, really. Just thinking about why we have to take a boat. I know it's for security reasons, but seriously, we took a plane from here to El Salvador. Why did we have to switch it up and take a boat?" The other guard asked as the previous shrugged.

"Something to do with the new interns from Japan, both of which being the CEO's family, were attacked by an assassin. The plane crews are being investigated, 'cept for us. We're just bodyguards. Not that the V.I.P. needs us, but whatever," the guard said, sighing. "Seriously, sometimes the CEO's decisions baffle me. It's the same with you, right, Hazakura-kun?"

Hazakura stifled a laugh; the dopey expression on Michael's face was the stupidest thing in the world. His short brown hair was a mess, and his dark blue eyes scrunched in such a way that it showed annoyance.

"Yeah, I get it. It's less for him to be protected than it is so that he has some kind of entertainment. Despite his age, he's still a child at heart," Hazakura said, crossing his arms as he hummed to himself. "Speaking of him, is the V.I.P. happy? I know he wasn't exactly a fan of swapping from plane to boat," Hazakura said as Michael cleared his throat, standing up straight as he shrugged.

"When is he not? For him being as old as he is, you'd think he'd be a bit more grouchy, right?" Michael said, smirking. "Why, you worried about the old man outpacing you again?"

"Shut up! I didn't expect an old geezer like him to be that fast! Still, to think he's still kicking after all this time, and still living in Morioh while also being the police chief... You'd think he would've been going senile by now, right? Either that or retire from his position. Many people are beginning to wonder if he's got an immortality Quirk! Which, I mean, I know it's impossible because he's a Stand User, but c'mon! You don't just live to 98 and be that flexible!" Hazakura exclaimed as Michael snorted.

"Pft! Yeah, I heard that one. To be fair, though, his Hamon Training from his early years, coupled with his naturally easygoing nature and still being considered to be in his prime, he's got another 50 years to go before the term senile even begins to crop up! And that's not even considering the fact that he's a Hamon prodigy, much like his old man," Michael said, pausing as he looked over this co-worker, a large smirk on his face.

"Did ya know? He still practices it, even to this day! It's the only thing keeping him from having to use a cane or a walker! Yeah, it's a grim thought, but I'm pretty sure if he wanted to, he could stop at any moment. He doesn't use Hamon to fight, though. He mostly uses it to better his quality of life. But even still, I think that if Lisa Lisa were still alive, she'd be proud of her Grandson, you know?"

"Even if he was illegitimate?" Another guard perked up, only for the two guards conversing to shrug.

"Eh, maybe? Honestly, I think all she cared about was having grandkids. Especially after everything she had already been through. Yeesh…." Hazakura stated with a downtrodden expression on his face. His demeanour shifted back to a neutral gaze, clearing his throat. "In other news, we're three hours away from landing. Let Higashikata-san know we're almost there."

A chuckle echoed throughout the boat as a door flung open. All the guards turned to see a man standing in the doorway wearing a yellow and green Hawaii-style shirt, black jeans, and sunglasses.

His greying and old hair mixed with the minimal wrinkles on his skin would have made anyone who saw him think that he was at least in his late 60s, maybe in his early 70s, but never in his mid-to-late 80s. The man wore his hair in a pompadour, as he had since the 3rd grade, and his physical stature was still that of a young teen, give or take a couple of inches.

"Three hours, huh?" The old man said, his voice aged with time, though still joyful and carefree as if he was still in the prime of his life. He smiled with a wide, toothy grin, the likes of which someone with no burdens would have. "Well, it's about damn time that rotten bastard invited me over for something. I can't wait to see my… however many greats there can be in a sentence, Nephew! Ugh, what a mouthful…" The old man said, cracking his neck side to side, getting the kinks out of it.

"M-Mr. Higashikata! You're awake! I-I see you slept well?" One of the guards said as Josuke Higashikata's smile faltered for a moment before he then crossed his arms accompanied by a small frown.

"Hmm… well enough. Those beds are utterly uncomfortable for all the wrong reasons. No fault of your own, I suppose. Whoever installed those beds must've been a real cheapskate…." Josuke replied. The two guards looked at one another, then back at the older man.

"Uh… sir…. You installed those beds yourself," the younger of the two said as Josuke raised an eyebrow. And then, that was when he remembered.

"Oh…? I suppose you're right. Hmph, I guess no matter how much Hamon training I undergo, my brain still ages and makes me forget things easily. Hrm… oh well," Josuke said with a shrug, overlooking the sea.

It had been over three years since he last visited Jonathon. They didn't leave it off on good terms, which was no fault of his own. How was he supposed to accept the notion that someone with the last name Kira was working for the Speedwagon Foundation? It was a Kira who ruined the lives of so many people, and a Kira who had caused not only his family trouble but also nearly killed his best friend Okuyasu Nijimura!

How the hell was he supposed to believe that anyone from that bloodline could ever be a good person? Both Yoshikage Kira's father and Yoshikage himself were scums of the earth, rotten, nasty evil bastards—a trait that seemed to run in their family's blood, seeing as their oldest recorded ancestor worked in those awful, awful concentration camps that Japan had set up for World War 2, and apparently revelled in the idea of torturing the prisoners.

That being said, apparently, there was a Kira going to U.A., and ironically, it was the same girl who got wrapped up in a bunch of drama revolving around the woman's death. He didn't think much of it at the time, but now… now he was starting to wonder if the Kira girl was related to something that he had been investigating after the case was deemed "solved", much to his chagrin.

The woman in question, Yoshikawa Kira, with whom Johnny had been childhood friends, had a child. All Josuke knew was that the child was a girl and that she had only gone to school for a week. He never got a name for the child, and while he had suspected that something nefarious was going on, the only thing he was allowed to do was send a hero to investigate.

That hero came back saying that there was nothing going on at the Kira family residence. After that, Josuke wasn't allowed to do anything. He might've been the chief of police, but he wasn't allowed to overstep the law and circumvent things just to ease his conscience.

Not even two years later, something occurred at the Kira family residence that caused Josuke to hate himself for not acting sooner. There was a massive explosion that grievously wounded Yoshikawa, burning her fairly badly. He was able to heal her, and the villain responsible for causing the damage had slipped away.

But Yoshikawa's daughter had either slipped away or had died. Yoshikawa, however, didn't seem to care. That should've been the first sign that something nefarious had happened, but he wasn't allowed to question her. Why?

Because she demanded to speak to her lawyer, any further process he could've done that didn't result in a Stand battle right then and there was squashed. Although he was able to run her out of town, after investigating the remains of the house, he was able to confidently piece together that something horrible had been happening there. What it was, Josuke didn't know.

Regardless, that was the last day that Yoshikawa was allowed to step foot in Morioh. She fled to America, and Johnny rehired her. Josuke tried to tell him she was bad news, but Johnny refused to listen to him. They already had a shaky relationship because he was of the belief he was trying to take his son away from him. To be fair to Johnny, he basically had.

The dipshit was a drunken mess, and while he was slowly recovering, he was nowhere near the right mind to speak or let alone see his son. Especially because he was the angry type of drunk. He was the type of drunk who could and would hurt someone he loved, be it accidental or not. The last thing that he wanted was for Johnny to follow in the footsteps of his Uncle on his father's side.

That being said, no matter what Josuke tried to tell Johnny, he refused to listen. It got to the point that when they next met in person, it caused a whole argument, ruining what was supposed to be a nice family gathering.

He gave it one more earnest attempt when Josefumi turned thirteen, but try as he might, Johnny wouldn't listen to reason. Childhood friendships often meant that sometimes emotions clouded rationality. It led to another nasty argument and got to the point where Johnny hit him pretty hard in the head with Tusk, but only because he brought his dead wife into the argument.

At that point, they were no longer on speaking terms. Josuke knew he had fucked up that time, and he had wanted to apologize to Johnny ever since. But Johnny wasn't budging on his no-contact rule. It was stupid, especially because Josefumi was living with him at the time, but Johnny was nothing if not stubborn.

Johnny still spoke to Josefumi, of course. Just not when Josuke was in the room. Honestly, Josuke found it childish. Though he supposed it was bad enough that they weren't talking. The last thing he wanted was to separate Johnny from Josefumi, so whenever Josefumi was talking to Johnny, he just left whatever room he was in.

For the rest of his life, Josuke was under the belief that he would never speak to Johnny again. Honestly, he wouldn't blame him. Not even remotely. Josuke knew he made a massive mistake, and he had been beating himself up for it ever since it happened.

So, colour him surprised when he found out that he was invited to The Speedwagon Foundation's Florida Headquarters, the main Headquarters, and where Johnny lived, for a family visit. The moment he got the invite, he dropped everything to go see his family. He even left work early! That was something he never did! And as The Police Chief of Morioh, that was something unbecoming of him. But, family calls, which had been his excuse.

Besides Ichiban Nijimura, the late Okuyasu Nijimura's 26-year-old son, who was also Police Deputy Chief, was put in charge of the facility while he was gone. Ichiban didn't seem to mind that all too much, though he could tell that the younger man wasn't too pleased about it. But hey? Josuke wanted to see his family, so was it really that bad of him to drop everything and run?

Well, maybe to some, but not to him! Obviously. Besides, he still needed to apologize. Josuke wasn't able to properly sleep for the last three years because he had the chance to, and if there was one thing you didn't do, it was that you were to never interrupt or disrupt Grandpa Higashikata's nap. His grandkids found that out the hard way.

"Three hours… Three hours and I can finally see my beloved great… how many ever greats after that nephew for the first time in three years…." Josuke thought, walking over to the edge of the boat and smiling. He could see the massive building in the distance, and in that building, he knew his family awaited him.

This was going to be the best week of his life.

[XXXX]

This was going to be the worst two weeks of his life.

At least, that was what Joseph Kujo, aka Josefumi Kujo, thought as he lapped around the indoor racetrack for the 49th time this evening. His father was watching on the sidelines with Gyro, who was writing down something each time he passed the finish line. Probably times for each lap.

Right now, he was wearing a blue tank top, black shorts, and running shoes, but that didn't stop him from dripping in sweat. He had originally wanted to wear his hero costume to do this so he could get used to it, but Gyro had said that would've been tantamount to suicide because it was airtight and would have prevented him from sweating properly. So, he settled for the running attire.

This was endurance and stamina training, as well as Spin Training. The running was to distract his mind, the number of laps was meant to mentally and physically tire him out, and the steel balls in his hands that he was constantly spinning were meant to up his mental practice with the technique. The room they were in had been filled with rectangles that were all 16:9, and all had the proper requirements to not only be of The Golden Rectangle but also fit the diameter of The Golden Ratio.

He needed to focus on it at all times if he wanted to master The Spin, memorize it, be one with it, and use The Spin as a part of Soft & Wet. The more he understood The Spin, the stronger Soft & Wet would get. Soft & Wet was a direct representation of his soul. The more his mind understood The Spin, the more his soul would, too, therefore making Soft & Wet stronger.

The reason why this was the case was because of Soft & Wet's bubbles. Well, to call them "bubbles" would be to deny what they were. The "bubbles," as he had known them to be, were nothing more than a fast-spinning string. This string spun fast enough to replicate the appearance, mass, and density of a bubble.

When the "bubble" popped, the string simply stopped spinning and burrowed into the person, sapping away something from them, be it their senses, Quirks, friction, or even their memories if the situation was drastic enough.

Soft & Wet could only take one thing away at a time, which, therefore, didn't make it too overpowered. However, he wanted to see just how much more powerful Soft & Wet became if he decided to partake in becoming stronger with The Spin.

Soft & Wet wasn't an act Stand that much was obvious. Even so, there was always room for growth, and if Soft & Wet could grow stronger, then why not see if it could? Yoshihara's Killer Queen was able to awaken a new ability due to a near-death situation, meaning it got stronger. Soft & Wet hadn't gained any new abilities at all over the last decade of him having a Stand, so he believed it to be impossible for Soft & Wet to get stronger.

That was until he finally unlocked the hidden potential he had for using The Spin and realized that Soft & Wet was a Spin-Related Stand. Meaning that, if given enough time, his Stand could potentially get stronger!

He was convinced that his Stand would get stronger, so training The Spin seemed like a damn good idea. Of course, that wasn't the only reason he was training The Spin. He also just wanted to get better at it. His concentration would slip from time to time, so by doing this as well as a basic workout regimen. He could get extremely experienced with The Spin in a matter of months.

Joseph's breathing became hoarse and far more rapid as he made his way across the track for the 50th time, coming to a halt at the blow of a whistle. "STOP!" Johnny's voice boomed as Joseph bent forward. He wanted to vomit so badly, it wasn't even funny. Even so, he powered through. After all, what kind of hero would he be if he couldn't stomach running a marathon?

Johnny walked up to Joseph and passed him a water bottle, which he greedily took and gulped down without a second thought. Johnny smiled, patting his son on the back. "You did a good job, son. Gyro, what were his best and worst times?"

"His best time was Lap 24 with a time of 2 minutes and 25 seconds, and his worst time was Lap 42 with a time of 5 minutes flat. The average time for most laps was 3 minutes 15 seconds. Nice job, Jojo, you're getting better at this," Gyro complimented. "Now, take an hour's break. Can't let your muscles cramp on you. You still have to work out your upper body after this. Remember that."

Joseph gave the bottle back to Johnny, groaning loudly as he dropped to the floor. Johnny pursed his lips before shaking his head. "Perhaps we should have dinner first. The kid's exhausted. Remember, Gyro. He's not like me, so he needs to break longer," Johnny responded as Gyro sighed.

"Yeah, I remember. Forgive me, but you two are so much alike that it's hard to tell the difference sometimes. Especially with his lack of a pompadour now. The only thing separating you two is hair colour," Gyro commented as Johnny smirked.

"Fair enough, except I actually have hair on my head," Johnny quipped, earning another, louder groan from Joseph as he smirked. "All right, Joseph, let's go have some dinner. I'm making burgers tonight." When Johnny said that, Joseph smiled. Whenever his dad made burgers, they were also grilled, and they were always cooked to perfection each time, without fail. "Should I wake up Kira, or…?" Johnny asked as Joseph hummed.

They started training about two hours ago, so a two-hour nap wasn't so bad. Plus, getting Kira up and going would be a good idea. She needed the sleep, granted, but even still she also needed to train. This was an internship, not a familial visit.

"I mean, that's up to you. I'd assume it'd be a good idea, though," Joseph said as Johnny nodded.

"Got it. Have a shower, get changed, and meet in the foyer. Sound good?" Johnny asked as Joseph stuck a thumbs up. He desperately needed that shower, and he needed it now. Besides, he didn't particularly want to smell like a heap of sweat and nastiness, now did he? Especially since supper was coming up, and smelling like a rotten bag of garbage wouldn't be pleasant to the nostrils, not at all.

So Joseph walked over to the showers within the training center while Johnny went to wake up his niece.

[XXXX]

A knock reverberated throughout her room, making Yoshihara groan. Ignoring it, she turned over to the left side of her bed, hunching her back over as she tried to get comfortable. Another knock came, which made Yoshihara frown. Slowly opening her eyes, she sat up, clasping her forehead as a pulsing headache distracted her thoughts.

"Kira, get up. I want Dr. Zeppelli to get a look at you after supper. Principal Nedzu said you were feeling ill, so I want to see what it is. This is not optional," the voice of one Jonathon Kujo called out past the door, making Yoshihara groan.

"Alright…" Yoshihara mumbled, yawning. The door opened as Johnny walked in, closing the door behind him. Yoshihara raised an eyebrow at this as he took the chair from the desk and sat down. "Uh… Kujo-Sensei, is there something you need?"

"I also wanted to warn you of something. You're not in trouble for any reason, but… I have a guest coming over. A guest that, well, to put it bluntly, hates your family. The Kira's, I mean," Johnny said, his tone of voice hushed as Yoshihara raised an eyebrow.

"Hates my family… why?"

Johnny sighed. "Well, it's because—'

"I can answer that," a hauntingly calm voice came into existence as the ghost showed up again, this time leaning against the wall. Johnny jumped backward, narrowing his eyes as the ghost stretched his arms out above his head, groaning. "Finally… I was able to establish a connection—a proper one. Do you have any idea how hard that was? I'll tell you what, It wasn't not exactly the easiest thing in the world." The ghost said, before looking over to Jonathon, sighing. "Calm yourself, Jonathon Kujo. I mean no harm. I am merely here to explain to Yoshihara over here why I am hated by who I can only assume is Josuke Higashikata, yes? I can feel his presence approaching this building as we speak."

"Yeah… but my question is…. How are you here, Yoshikage? Wasn't your soul torn apart?" Johnny asked, his expression serious as his eyes narrowed toward the ghostly apparition, as Yoshikage's ghost huffed.

"It wasn't "torn apart" it was put into purgatory for about… I'd say a second or two, before being spat back out into the slums of heaven. But that's for another time. Right now, I'm not here to talk about my predicament. I'm here to discuss a certain pompadour having geezer, so if you would be so kind, I'd suggest you keep yourself quiet so that I may explain. After all, as his enemy, I happen to know a lot more about him than you do. Family or not, you're not exactly the brightest when it comes to reading people, now are you, Jonathon Kujo?" Yoshikage's ghost said, crossing his arms.

"You piece of—"

"Uncle, please," Yoshihara said, shooting a glance over at Johnny. He grumbled, crossing his arms as he glared at Yoshikage. Yoshihara, for her part, was two parts glad and also a little confused. She was finally meeting this "Yoshikage" person who had been helping her from the sidelines. Though, a part of her had to wonder why he was hated. "Please, continue, Yoshikage."

Yoshikage nodded, smiling, before clearing his throat. "Now, as I was saying. The man by the name of Josuke Higashikata is a Stand User, whose name is Crazy Diamond, an annoying counterpart to Killer Queen in a metaphorical sense. Whereas Killer Queen destroys, Crazy Diamond repairs. While your version of my Stand is different in how it uses its abilities, it still looks the same. The only real differences I've spotted thus far were the lack of the crotch amulet and the piercing red eyes. It is also slimmer than my Stand, though it probably has something to do with you being a woman. Either way that doesn't matter," Yoshikage paused as he collected his thoughts, something Yoshihara knew he was doing, as he was chewing on one of his ghostly fingernails. When he was able to collect himself, he continued.

"That being said, I'm glad that Josuke was able to defeat me. If he hadn't, then I wouldn't have become the spirit that I am now. I owe him a metaphorical debt, so to speak. As odd as it may sound, death was the best thing to have ever happened to me. If it wasn't for him, I would've never seen the error of my ways, nor would I have ever gotten the chance to know that my family would continue," Yoshikage said as Johnny scoffed.

"Well, that's different. A ghost thanking someone that they were inadvertently killed by them. You must've been a real strange asshole, weren't you, ya hand fetishizing fuck," Johnny spat as Yoshihara frowned.

"Uncle…"

"Yes, niece of mine?" Johnny said as Yoshihara blinked slowly. She didn't say a word, but not a word needed to be said. Johnny cleared his throat, looking away. "O-Oh, um… well, it was meant toward him. Besides, he was—"

"A serial killer," Yoshikage said before Johnny could as Yoshihara's eyes widened.

"What?" Yoshihara spat, glaring at Yoshikage, who sighed.

"I was a serial killer. I murdered people, particularly women, for their hands. If I was still plagued by the diseased brain that I had back then, I assure you I would've launched into a tangent about why I did what I did, masking it as a positive thing or blaming someone else. The only person whom I have to blame for my actions is myself. I am ashamed of what I did, and I have fully atoned for that aspect," Yoshikage said as Johnny barked out a laugh.

"Yeah, right. How the hell do you atone for killing someone anyway? Relive their lives up to their death?"

"Exactly that," Yoshikage said as Johnny froze. "I relived the life of every person who I murdered up until they met their end by my hand. From the day they were born to the day that I killed them to sate my fetish. I felt their pain, their suffering at my hands, and it forcibly taught me that what I had done was nothing short of evil."

"Then why are you here?" Yoshihara asked, glowering at Yoshikage, who uncrossed his arms. Before he could speak, Yoshihara continued. "Ignore the fact that this Higashikata Josuke guy is coming here. I honestly don't care if he might hate me or not. If he does, then he can put his opinions where his mouth is, and we'll fight. End of story. I want to know why you are here. You tried to warn me about something at The Sports Festival during the second round. I want to know what it is. Tell me. Everything. Now."

Yoshikage paused, a bit taken aback by the request. His eyes glimmered with both a sense of respect and also concern. "I… cannot tell you everything. I am not allowed to actively interfere with your life. I can only guide you. All I can say is that a major disaster is coming, and it will change the course of your life forever. I cannot stress this enough: you need to evolve Killer Queen beyond more than what it already is. What that entails for you, I do not know. When I pushed my version of Killer Queen to its limits, it granted me something called Bites The Dust. For you? I don't know what it will give you."

Johnny's eyes widened, staring at Yoshikage's ghost. Before he could say anything, Yoshikage's spiritual form began to flicker. "Oh, it seems I'm out of time. We will talk again later. Jonathon Kujo, I suggest you do everything in your power to help my descendant. Otherwise, it will have consequences bearing on you for the rest of your time alive."

Just as Yoshikage's ghost was fading away, Johnny sneered. "You asshat! You can't possibly mean that, can you!? There's no way in hell I'll do that! You hear me! It can never fall into the hands of another person ever again! It would risk everything!" Johnny shouted, but by that point, Yoshikage's ghost was already gone.

Yoshihara stared at Johnny, confusion taking up her visage. "What did he mean?"

"Nothing you should be concerned about. What he was referring to was something that we had to lock away and leave in the hands of the Giovanna family, an off-shoot of the Joestar family lineage, kind of like The Kujo's," Johnny said, frowning. "Whatever it is he thinks you need to have Killer Queen prepared for can be done by training you with The Spin. After you get that doctor's appointment done with Gyro, we'll start your training."

"Don't tell me, Aizawa-sensei sent you an email, didn't he?" Yoshihara bluntly asked as Johnny hummed in acknowledgement.

"Yes, he did. I don't know why you need that test, but if he believes you need it, then you need it. Don't argue with your teachers. That's what I found out the hard way growing up. Fucked me over big time," Johnny said as he took a step forward. When he did, he nearly collapsed to the ground. Yoshihara rushed over to help him up, but he shooed her away, getting up on his own.

"What was that?" Yoshihara asked as Johnny scoffed.

"Nothing. Just… leg problems. I was paralyzed twenty-something years ago, but I was able to get it reverted. No, before you ask, Josuke wasn't the one who repaired me. He couldn't. That, and I was fresh out of high school at the time. We didn't know each other all too well. Regardless, every now and again, my right leg gives out on me, and it causes me to fall. I've been dealing with this for most of my adult life. I'm fine," Johnny replied as Yoshihara nodded, a not-sure expression on her face. Johnny grunted, coming to his feet as he cleared his throat.

"Now, let's go," Johnny said, opening the door. Yoshihara stepped out first as Johnny followed suit, and as they walked, his phone began to ring from his pocket. A tinge of frustration coated his features as he pulled the phone out of his pocket. It seemed like the latest iPhone, or at least something similar to it.

"What is it?" Johnny said, slipping one hand into his pocket. An exasperated sigh followed a few seconds later. "Right, okay. Thank you for letting me know. Have him sent to the first-floor foyer. We'll all be there to greet him."

Johnny took his phone away from his ear, hanging up the call before sliding his phone back into his pocket. He looked back at Yoshihara, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "He's here. Let's get going. I don't want to waste any time." As he said that, they continued down the hallway.

As they walked, Yoshihara saw Joseph coming in their direction. A towel was wrapped around the back of his neck. He was wearing a fresh pair of clothing: a white tank top and brown cargo shorts. He was barefoot, and he looked at them with a smirk on his face.

"Ah, you're awake. How was the nap?" Joseph asked as Yoshihara blinked slowly.

"Not long enough," Yoshihara complained.

"Joseph, you're coming with us. Higashikata's here," Johnny said as Joseph's eyes widened.

"Seriously? That was quick," Joseph said as the new group of three walked down the hall and toward the elevator. The elevator opened, and they all got inside, Johnny being the last one to do so.

When they got in, Johnny pressed the first-floor button, and the doors closed immediately after as the dial above the door moved over to the left, landing on the number one. The doors opened, greeting them with a hallway with a few doors on each end. Johnny stepped out first, followed by Joseph and Yoshihara, after which the doors closed.

Johnny turned around to face the two, though primarily Yoshihara. "Alright, when he comes in the door, I want you to be honest with who you are. If for whatever reason, he tries to attack you—which I doubt he would, but given his history with the Kira family, I wouldn't put it past him—I'll back you up. It's what family's for, anyway," Johnny said as Yoshihara frowned.

"What if it turns into an actual fight?" Yoshihara asked as Johnny shrugged.

"Then you fight him. Simple as that. I'll only step in if it gets to be too much. Like I said, I doubt he will fight you, but you never know with him," Johnny replied as Yoshihara narrowed her eyes.

"You mean to tell me you want me, someone who only just realized she had a Stand two months ago, to fight a veteran Stand User?" Yoshihara said, taken a bit aback as Johnny sighed.

"If it gets to be too much, I'll step in. I doubt Josuke would actually try to harm you. But if he does… Well, you're still my niece, and technically Yoshimura was my brother, which makes you an honourary Kujo if that means anything to you. Nobody, whether they be family or not, messes with my family. Believe me, plenty of people have learnt that lesson. If I have to make it a point to Josuke again, I will. End of the discussion. I won't let his bullshit affect your future or life."

The look of determination in Johnny's eyes made Yoshihara think over his words. The man was passionate about his family and caring for that matter. They had only just met, and he was showing genuine concern for her. It was a strange feeling, to have someone you barely know care about you. She assumed it was because he was family.

"Family… cares for family…." Yoshihara thought, her hand hovering over her stomach. She paused in thought, her teeth clenching together as another wave of drowsiness hit her like a train. The idea of family had always been something that unnerved Yoshihara. All of her life, the only person whom she had ever considered family had tried to kill her. Nemuri was no replacement for family, as much as she would've wanted that to be the case. Yes, she was Yoshihara's adoptive mother, but it wasn't the same. Her birth mother had tried to kill her, which had stained Yoshihara's opinion of family.

And now, her uncle was in her life. An uncle that cared for her more than her birth mother had. An uncle who was looking out for her, offering her a chance to train with him as a veteran Stand User, as well as a Pro Hero. That… was what true family was, not whatever Yoshikawa had been.

And at that thought of family… one thought had cropped up in her mind. A small, invasive little voice that hadn't gone away. She could feel that something was wrong, but she refused to believe it. She refused to acknowledge it.

"Stop denying the truth. You know what happened, so why are you lying to yourself?" It was her conscience. Biting the inside of her lip, she cleared her thoughts.

"No. No, it didn't. That's not what happened. I'm fine. Besides, if I was… my career would be over…. My one chance at a normal life would be gone…. I—"

"Oi, Yoshihara? You in there, kiddo?" Johnny's voice broke her out of her stupor, a worried expression on his face as Yoshihara blinked, adopting an apologetic expression, bringing her arms to her sides and bowing her head.

"Oh, my apologies, Kujo-sensei. Or, er… Ojisan… I was thinking about something…" Yoshihara said, rubbing the back of her neck and looking down at the ground with a distant gleam in her eyes. Johnny raised an eyebrow, looking over to Joseph with a puzzled expression.

"Uh… Joseph, translate. What does "Oji" mean?" Johnny asked as Joseph smirked.

"It means uncle. It's fine," Joseph replied as Johnny smiled.

"Ah, I see," Johnny said, putting a hand on Yoshihara's shoulder, making her tense as she looked at him. "Ah, c'mon now, no need to look so glum. You know… I'm making burgers tonight, my country-wide famous Joe-Kid burgers, patent pending. They sell like hotcakes on store shelves, but they're even better handmade and taste a million times more authentic than that store-bought mass-produced crap they weaselled me into making. I know you might not like American food, considering what Joseph told me, but… I can't hurt to at least try'em, right?"

Yoshihara hummed. She needed something to distract her mind with, so…. "It cannot hurt to try, so I'll do so."

Johnny smiled, putting a hand on his right hip and his other in his left pocket. "Good! Now—"

A doorbell rang throughout the room, stopping the conversation. Johnny adopted a serious expression as he put both of his hands in his pockets. "He's here. Remember, Yoshihara, tell him who you are. Just keep in mind what I said earlier, got it?"

Yoshihara nodded, keeping her hands to her side as they walked down the hall and into the main room. Gyro had been waiting for them and had already opened the door. Who Yoshihara saw was not what she had expected. Because she recognized him. Barely, but she knew that hairdo from anywhere—and no, it wasn't because of Josefumi.

He was tall, at a bare minimum of 5 foot 11, to maybe even 6 foot. He was wearing a yellow and green-styled Hawaiian shirt, a pair of black jeans, and a set of flip-flops. Adjusted on his forehead was a pair of sunglasses, bringing to light his light purple eyes. He was a bit muscular, but due to his rather old age, he looked a bit thinner around the arms and legs. And, of course, his hair was done in the style of a pompadour.

She recognized that pompadour because it was the only one that she had ever seen in this day and age, discounting Josefumi, of course. Back then, he looked slightly younger than he was here, which was a given, but she could never, ever forget that face.

He was the police chief who sent a hero to visit that place when the school had called for a wellness check. The hero saw her, saw the look in her eyes, saw the pain, saw the abuse, but did nothing of it. That hero decreed that everything had been alright, no thanks to Yoshikawa putting on an act and paying him off.

He never did follow up on anything, just like the hero had promised. Even if the hero had been paid off, he was still supposed to say that. Maybe he never spoke to the police chief after he paid his visit. Maybe he did. Whatever the case was, Yoshihara didn't care.

She didn't care because she was starting to get mad.

The chief of Morioh's police station was standing right there. His expression slowly turned into a hint of recognition when he looked over at her. His dark purple eyes widened upon seeing her and lit a spark in her as she slowly clenched her right hand into a fist.

The chief of police in Morioh was standing just across from her. The man who was obligated to protect the town of Morioh. The man who had made a vow to ensure that Morioh was as peaceful as it could possibly be. The man who had failed her. There he was, standing just across from her.

An ugly feeling welled up in her chest. Resentment and anger were chief among them as she glared daggers at the man. He could've saved her. If he had just gone over himself to see what was going on instead of sending some corrupt hero, she could've been saved! She wouldn't have had to endure nearly as much as she had!

All he had to do was his fucking job!

A sneer made its way on Yoshihara's face, a dark purple aura forming around her as she felt a rage, unlike any other wash over her. "You…" Yoshihara hissed, glaring at Higashikata Josuke as he stood in the doorway.

Upon hearing her speak in that angered, snarling tone of voice, everyone stopped to look at her. Beforehand they had been exchanging greetings before she spoke up, but that had stopped in favour of looking at the angered Yoshihara, sending a wave of confusion across the room. "You're that kid from the newspaper, right? The one who caused a bit of a ruckus, if memory serves me correctly," Josuke said, taking a step forward. "Kira Yoshihara, right? Your last name… was the same last name as the woman named Kira Yoshikawa, right? She was a relative of yours, wasn't she?"

"Oh, this is rich," Yoshihara thought, chuckling humorlessly, pinching the bridge of her nose. She should've known this would happen. She tried to reign in her anger, but it wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do. Especially when the person responsible for that anger was feigning some kind of ignorance.

"What's so funny?" Josuke asked, crossing his arms as Yoshihara spoke.

"Of course, you wouldn't remember me. Why would you? After all, you dismissed me completely back then, so I must've just been an afterthought, right? Another person who you could forget so you could return to your fancy little house on the outskirts of Morioh, right?" Yoshihara spat, causing Johnny to recoil.

"Hey, uh… K—"

"Butt out, this isn't your conversation, Oji. " Kira snapped, glaring at Johnny, who backed away with his hands up. Josuke scowled, annoyance taking up his visage. Finally, a golden aura flared around Josuke.

"Oi, don't talk to my grand nephew like that, brat. Youth these days have no manners at all, and with how you're talking to him, that means you're at least familiar with him. I've never seen you before outside of that newspaper, so either you're a close family friend, which there aren't many of, but I digress. If that is the case, your parents didn't teach you proper manners," Josuke said, his tone seeping with disappointment as Yoshihara glared at him.

"Cut the shit, Police Chief Higashikata. If you don't remember who I am, how about I remind you, huh?" Yoshihara growled as Josuke blinked, gaining his full attention. "What's wrong, Higashikata? I know you're not exactly well-known outside of that place, but I know exactly who you are. After all, as a former citizen of…" She paused, exhaling. She needed to get over that stupid town's name. She guessed today would be that day. "As a former citizen of Morioh, I know everything about your and my family's conflict."

"You're… from Morioh?" Josuke muttered, his scowl turning into a frown. "Only people who are from there know me as the Police Chief. You're right; I'm not famous outside of there, so that means you have to have lived there at some point…" Josuke said, adorning a puzzled expression. "But… I've never seen you in my town before. So, I gotta ask, just who are you?"

Yoshihara wanted to laugh but kept it to herself. "Tell me, Higashikata, do you remember July 17th, 2111?" Yoshihara asked as Joseph's eyes widened. Yoshihara glared at him, practically making him shut up. Higashikata had a thinking expression on his face, so Yoshihara continued. "How about I jog your memory a little: Morioh Elementary School called you about a complaint about a suspected child abuse case. The address was 5214, Shujin Street, Northeast in Morioh, where the Villas had been. Does that ring any bells?"

Josuke's eyes widened slightly at the mention of that address, making him cross his arms. "The Kira residence…" Josuke trailed off, his frown deepening. "I remember that, yes, how could I not? Just like you said, I was called to check on a child abuse report. I was busy that day, so I sent a hero to check up on the place," Josuke said as he lowered his head. "I should've just gone there myself."

"Hmm?" Yoshihara hummed, the aura around her dying. Now, it was her turn to be confused. Higashikata's tone…sounded almost… remorseful.

"I knew I screwed up. Hindsight's a pain in the ass, but that's what happens when you don't realize what signs to properly look for. I was working on a burglary case when clearly I should've shoved that off to someone else. Any accusation of abuse, no matter how minor, should've been investigated with complete scrutiny," Josuke continued as he uncrossed his arms, putting his hands in his pockets.

"What are you trying to get at, Higashikata?" Yoshihara spat, anger still clear in her voice. "There's no use explaining to me your own stupidity. If you know who I am, then you already know damn well that you failed me."

"I know I did, Kira," Josuke replied, looking back at her with a sincere gleam in his eyes. "You don't need to remind me. I had my suspiscions as to who you were when I saw you in the newspaper. I won't lie when I watched The Sports Festival, and when I saw you use Killer Queen… I nearly had a heart attack. I knew exactly who you were after that. Yoshikawa was a direct descendant of Yoshikage Kira, and Killer Queen was his Stand. I never knew Stand's were hereditary, but I guess it makes sense. You look enough like him for that to be true."

"What happened to you… It shouldn't have happened. Not on my watch. Yet, it did. I failed to live up to the promise that I made to my grandfather. That his town would be protected and safe. So, tell me Kira. How can I make it up to you? How can I fix my mistakes? How can I get you to forgive me for my mistakes?" Josuke said as, once more, a dark purple aura flared around Yoshihara.

Her eyes narrowed, and visible annoyance and anger strew across her face as she took a step forward. The moment she did, Killer Queen appeared behind her. Joseph was about to say something, but Johnny stopped him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Don't. Let her do what she wants."

"Fight me. Show me Morioh's so-called defender," Yoshihara spat as Josuke raised an eyebrow.

"You sure?" Josuke asked, a hint of hesitancy in his voice as Yoshihara sneered.

"Did I stutter?"

With that, Josuke shrugged, adopting a more rigid and combative stance. "Fine. But don't say you didn't ask for this. Crazy Diamond!" Josuke said, as tall, extremely musuclar humanoid Stand appeared behind Josuke. It had bubblegum pink skin and piercing sky-blue eyes. It wore very minimal armour.

It wore a Corinthian-style helmet on its head, and various heart-shaped pieces of armour covered the larger portions of its body. The pieces of armour were primarily located around the chest, shoulders, arms, knuckles, fingers, waist, and leg regions of its body. On its back were several pipes leading into its neck, and on its shoulder armour pieces, two individual spikes jutted out.

Josuke rolled his head around, a large smirk on his face as Yoshihara kept Killer Queen close, a sense of intimidation rolling over her. "Well, c'mon now, youngin'. It's been a long time since I've fought Killer Queen, but I've seen you fight. I know your tricks. Show me what U.A. is teaching you kids!"

Without hesitation, Crazy Diamond launched forward, rearing its right arm back for a strike as Killer Queen moved in to block the attack, making an X-shape with its arms. The moment Crazy Diamond's fist made contact with the center of the X-shape, a booming shockwave expanded out from the point of impact, shaking everything in the room that wasn't nailed down.

Yoshihara braced herself from the attack as Killer Queen flinched. It retaliated, trying to sweep the floor out from Crazy Diamond, only for it to jump over the attack and land a roundhouse kick to the side of Killer Queen's head, sending Yoshihara crashing and Killer Queen onto the nearby couch.

"Had enough?" Josuke asked as Yoshihara frowned, standing up with annoyance strewn on her face as Killer Queen lunged forward, aiming to punch Crazy Diamond in the face, anger clear on its face, which matched Yoshihara's annoyance. In response, Crazy Diamond batted the punch away before backhanding Killer Queen, stunning it for a moment.

Crazy Diamond used that chance to punch Killer Queen in the chest, knocking it back a few inches. Killer Queen's eyes narrowed before it threw a left hook. Crazy Diamond went to block it, only for Killer Queen to switch up at the last moment and land a right hook to the side of Crazy Diamond's face.

Crazy Diamond staggered slightly as Josuke rubbed the side of his cheek. "Huh. Nice strike. You're a little sloppy, though. Maybe it's because your emotions are running high?" Josuke muttered to himself as Yoshihara scowled, not saying anything in response. "What? Got nothing to say? Alright, how about this? Let's see if you can keep up when Crazy Diamond does this!"

Once those words left Josuke's mouth, Crazy Diamond cleared the distance between itself and Killer Queen, who immediately put up a block to protect itself from whatever was about to come. What neither Killer Queen nor Yoshihara were expecting was a full frontal assault. Crazy Diamond reared its right arm back, and then snapped it forward alongside its left arm in a cascade of punches!

[DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA!DORA!]

With the final punch, Crazy Diamond broke Killer Queen's guard, making it stagger back, leaving it open. It quickly followed up its attack by landing a devastating uppercut to Killer Queen's jaw, knocking both Yoshihara and Killer Queen to the ground. Crazy Diamond loomed over the two as Josuke approached them.

"There. That's enough now. I don't want to bang you up too badly," Josuke said, reaching out to Yoshihara, who stared at his hand.

"You were holding back," Yoshihara said, Killer Queen disappearing back into her as Josuke scoffed, Crazy Diamond taking its leave as well.

"Of course. If I wasn't, I probably would've broken a couple of your bones. Sure, I could've healed ya, but I wasn't about to beat you to a pulp," Josuke said as Yoshihara sighed, taking Josuke's hand as he helped her up. As she grabbed his hand, a wave of rejuvenation flowed through Yoshihara, and while she was still tired, the aches and pains went away. "Feel better now?"

"Yeah… what did you do?"

"I sent a wave of Hamon through you. You were tense throughout the entire sparing match, so I figured something was up. Hopefully, that helps," Josuke said as Yoshihara let go of his hand, looking away, almost ashamed. "What's with that look?"

"Nothing. I just… I feel wrong for forcing you to fight me," Yoshihara said as Josuke rolled his eyes. "What?"

"It's nothing, kid. You were frustrated, angry, and upset. The best way to get those emotions out, that I've found, is by breaking a few things. Anger is our mind's way of venting all of its pent-up frustrations and annoyances. Just as long as you aren't hurting people, it's fine to lash out. You've got a lot of grievances and a lot on your mind. I doubt my presence made that any better," Josuke said as he looked back to Johnny, Gyro and Joseph.

"I hope we didn't wreck the place too much," Josuke said as Johnny smirked.

"Nope, everything's intact," Johnny said as Josuke nodded. He was about to say something before Johnny stopped him. "I know what you're going to say. You don't need to say it. I've had more than enough time to forgive you. Let's just put it past us for now." As Johnny said that, Josuke let out a sigh of relief.

"Great, 'cause that would've been awkward as all hell," Josuke muttered as Johnny chuckled.

"That's great and all," Gyro spoke up suddenly before looking over at Yoshihara. "But now, I'm curious. What's this about some kind of child abuse case and having it revolving around you?"

Yoshihara's mind ground to a halt. In her moment of fury and anger, she really did blurt that out, didn't she? Johnny seemingly clued in to it now, as well, as did Joseph. Yoshihara looked around the room, a healthy dose of dread washing over her.

"Ah, shit."

-To Be Continued-