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karlachgale95 · 9 months ago

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Hearts of the Multiverse--Chapter Twenty: Father of Mine

It had been a week since Luke, William (and Agatha by extension), Rose, Max, Edward, Markus, Connor, and Lt. Anderson had joined them. Luckily, Miss Lilith Clawthorne and Gale had figured out a spell that made it possible to add more rooms to the shrine without altering its physical structure. They were like dimensional rooms open only to the people who lived in them.

He had roommates now: Miles, Giorno, Zuko, William, Danny, Yugi, and Arven. And it was nice to have his own space, or at least, an eighth of a space. It was alright; the room was huge. Whatever Miss Clawthorne and Gale had also designed each of their parts of their room to their tastes. For example, lots of wolf plushies and wallpaper in his corner. Danny’s room was decorated with glow-in-the-dark moons, stars, and planets. There were posters of people in weird helmets and suits standing on the moon. Miles’s corner had cartoon posters and a few collectible figurines Hunter assumed he had before he came here. Zuko’s room had a few small dragon statues made of jade. There were maps detailing both Tokyo and his home in the Fire Nation. Arven’s room was lined by recipes and pictures of himself with Mabosstiff. He seemed happier in those pictures. There were a couple of pictures with him and Flap in his own corner; he understood the importance of having those memories with him. William’s corner had a bunch of movies and Broadway posters, books, and figurines lining his shelves and walls. He seemed to be big into older movies and shows, especially if they featured magic. He and Luz were probably going to get along. Giorno’s room was regal: nice pillows, blankets, and wallpaper. The wallpaper itself was black while most of the bedding was varied purple hues. He had a few paintings hanging on his wall; they all looked pretty old. Yugi’s space was decorated in old Egyptian mythology (he had explained it to both Hunter and Arven who were unfamiliar with the history). He had several puzzles and games they’d been putting to use over the past couple of days.

Ever since the meeting last week, Kaiba wasn’t openly antagonistic to anyone. Although, he never seemed too antagonistic to Jotaro, Zuko, Arven, or himself. Had it been that night they’d tried to help him? Hunter didn’t know. He’d even tried at an apology to Katara. It was a start.

Today he was practicing a rune Gale had been teaching. Hunter still wasn’t sure how a normal human was able to practice magic without the Titan’s language. Gale insisted there was a goddess who helped channel magic, but he always skimmed over their questions when they tried to ask more about her. Sokka, Zuko, and Suki were offering combat and sword training, but he didn’t need that. He’d had plenty of physical training during his time in the Emperor’s Coven. While the trio’s training was likely not as heinous as Belos’s training, he’d rather train with his weaker element. He needed to get better at magic, now that he had it. He owed Flap that much.

Tracing the rune was easy, but evoking the magic was another story. He’d tried this one rune over ten times now; it was supposed to make him invisible. However, he was still very much visible. He shut his eyes and tried again.

“Evanesco!”

Peeking his eyes open, he saw that he was still visible. He groaned and laid his head down on the desk in front of him.

“Working with magic takes a while,” William spoke up. “You’ve got to know what you want to do and commit to it.”

“I know what I want to do,” Hunter snapped. He lifted his head up, aware that he was frustrated and taking it out on the wrong person. “Sorry. I just want to get better at this.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” William said with a small smile. “I mean, I do, too. Magic is hard to master, but I think with the right amount of focus and emotion put behind the spell.”

He stood up, closing the book in his hands. “Maybe you should take a break, both of you.”

Giorno glanced up from his book and shook his head. “I need to figure this out. There are so many ways this could end badly. I can’t let that happen.”

After he said that, Miles walked into the room, causing Giorno to casually put it down into a bag he kept on him. Miles raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t say anything about it.

“It’s chaos out there,” Miles said. “Adora challenged Sokka to a friendly duel, and he didn’t know she’s basically trained her whole life to be able to fight with—whatever. How’s it going in here?”

“Terrible,” Hunter answered. “Magic shouldn’t be this hard. Luz was able to do more by now—why can’t I?”

“How much practice did she have to get so good? Also, didn’t the Owl Lady teach her?” Miles asked.

“Yeah, I guess I should consider that,” Hunter admitted. “It’s just hard. I mean, it’s been a long year. Everything is so different. I lived my life being told what to do. And now, with everything going on, I feel so underprepared, and I hate it! It feels like I should know what to do, where to go, and how to work for it, but I don’t!”

“Kind of sounds like you’re relying on old tactics that used to work that don’t work so well anymore,” Miles said. “It’s like you said: everything is different. So, you can’t rely on the skills of the person you used to be. You gotta be willing to adapt.”

“I’m adaptable,” Hunter argued.

“Oh yeah?” Danny’s voice interjected. “Think fast!”

Hunter acted instinctively as something white flew in his general direction. He caught and threw back the object with twice as much force. Danny yelled, “whoa!” as a pillow phased right through him.

“Seems like you’ve got a handle on quick-time reactions,” Miles said.

“I guess so,” Hunter said with a shrug. “It’d be nice to get my magic under control—or at least—useable.”

“Maybe you’ve got to find your inner fire,” Zuko suggested.

At that moment, Yugi and Arven walked into the room. Both were covered in flour.

“What happened to you two?” Danny asked.

“Usagi, Josuke, and Okuyasu happened,” Arven grumbled. “I was helping Chibiusa make a pie for one of her friends, and Yugi wanted to help. So, we did that. We baked an apple pie, and those three jerks found it. Needless to say, Chibiusa was upset when we came back to check if the pie had finished cooling. There was a flour war. And now Rei is making all of them clean it up; we didn’t participate.”

“That’s actually kind of hilarious,” Danny said.

“Shame you guys went through all that effort for nothing,” William said.

“It’s a shame Chibiusa’s efforts were wasted,” Arven said, crossing his arms. “If I worked that hard on food for someone I cared about only for some rando to eat it, I’d be super peeved.”

“We can always help her make another one when she comes back from school,” Yugi said.

Zuko stood up. “Actually, I’m going to be busy today. I promised my uncle I’d help him at his shop.”

“You sure about that, Zuko?” Miles asked. “Kind of looks like it’s going to storm out there.”

Peering outside the window, there was, indeed, no sunlight. Dark, finger-like clouds clawed through the sky, as if they’d stolen the sun.

“If it gets too bad, I’ll just stay at the tea shop. It’ll be fine,” Zuko assured him.

William picked up the remote. “Maybe we should at least check the weather first?”

And there was Vox in a human disguise; there was a shorter woman with him with pink hair in tornado twin tails. The black blouse and skirt she wore were fashionable and sparkly.

“What are they up to?” Miles asked with a scowl.

“I’m here with business entrepreneur, model, and influencer, Vel,” Vox said, gesturing to the woman beside him. “So, you want to tell us about your new project?”

“Of course,” the woman, Vel, apparently, said with a huge grin. “As Val’s started making many clubs for more *ahem* mature audiences, I thought I would make a joint for only the most elite, glamourous, and in-the-know kids. We’ve got modern music, mocktails, celebs, you name it. And the entry fee is reasonable, too. First-time entry is completely free. We’ll be opening later this week!” She grinned almost the point of a smirk. “It’ll be a hell of a time. To any of my doubters, well, just come and see.”

“Well, that’s an obvious trap,” Giorno said. “Given what Kakyoin has told us, she’s just as evil as the TV guy and mothman.”

“True,” Miles said. “But what happens to the people who have no clue? She could be trying to steal their souls.”

“It would be a waste of time,” William said. Giorno gave him a soft glare. “Right.”

Miles raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on? Did I miss something?”

Giorno shook his head. “It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“I thought you said, ‘no more secrets,’” Miles pointed out.

“Miles, trust me on this,” Giorno said. “Everything is fine. I’ve got it under control.”

Miles crossed his arms. “Uh-huh. So, that’s why you always look super tired and spend all night reading. What’s in that book, anyway?”

“It’s none of your concern,” Giorno shot back.

“I don’t buy that.”

“And I have other stuff to do today than bicker with you,” Giorno said, getting up, tucking the book into a bag he slung over his shoulder. “Just, please, stay out of this, Miles.”

He rushed out before Miles could get a word in edgewise. Miles shook his head. “He’s not getting off the hook that easy.”

Miles walked out, probably to follow Giorno. No one did anything to stop him, so were they accomplices to whatever happened?

“I’m…going to head out, too,” Zuko said. “I’ll just…yeah.”

And so that left Arven, Yugi, Danny, Hunter, and William to their own devices. William was the first to speak up, “So, have they told each other that they…?”

Danny shook his head. “And at this rate they probably never will.”

“Well, that’s sad,” Yugi said.

“I think that’s the least of our worries,” Hunter spoke up. “What do you think Vel is planning? Why go through the trouble of making a hangout spot for kids?”

“Miles was probably right,” Yugi said. “She likely wants to steal people’s souls. It’s a divide and conquer scheme. They’ve already got a lot of people covering the park areas. Having people inside the cities is their next move.”

Pretty soon, they’d be surrounded. Every area would be covered in Deathbusters spies and monsters. There wouldn’t be anywhere to hide; not even the shrine would be safe!

Hunter shook his head and took a deep breath, counting down on his fingers like Gus had taught him. Now was not the time to have a panic attack. They could still beat them, right? He stood up. He needed to talk to the others. Maybe they’d have a plan.

“Hey…I’m gonna go talk to my family.”

“And then there were four,” Danny commented.

“Sorry. I just…need to talk to them.”

“It’s okay, Hunter,” Yugi said. “We understand.”

Hunter nodded and sprinted to the main room where Luz, Amity, Gus, Vee, and Willow were already hanging out. Amity had Vel’s ad playing on her scroll.

“This is everywhere on Penstagram,” Amity said, her face scrunching up with worry.

“Don’t worry, sweet potato,” Luz said. “We won’t let anyone get hurt by those creeps.”

Willow was the first to look up and see Hunter. When she did, she ran over to him. Willow was a calming force he desperately needed right now.

“I saw,” Hunter said. “Innocent people might die because of this.”

“We’ve gotta make sure that doesn’t happen,” Luz spoke up. “With all the new magic I’m learning, I should be way more prepared this time to take on those daimon!”

“They’ve got a vampire, three demons, a witch, and two insane inventors on their side. We can’t just rush into a fight,” Gus argued.

“Well, we can’t just do nothing,” Luz argued. “There’s gotta be something! Something we can do to help!”

A thought dawned on Hunter. “What if I’m not the only one here…”

“What do you mean, Hunter?” Willow asked. Her eyes were full of concern.

“What if I’m not the only one here who has a talisman?” Hunter asked. “What if Luz has one? What about Amity? Gus? Vee? Willo—?”

He was cut off when Willow wrapped her arms around him. He felt his face heat up. “It’s alright, Hunter. We’re not going to let those guys steal anyone’s heart. Trust me.”

He stayed in the hug for a moment before breaking away. He did his best to give her a smile. “Th-thanks Willow. It’s…just scary. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, and…I don’t want to get caught again.”

“We won’t let them,” Willow assured him.

Hunter desperately wanted to believe her. However, the low roll of thunder and gray sky did nothing to assuage his worry. And in any case, they still needed to see what Vel was planning with that club. It was going to be dangerous. He wasn’t sure if having the people he cared about most going into a death-trap with him was horrifying or reassuring.

Usagi bounded into the room with Mamoru and those two girls: Haruka and Michiru. Hunter couldn’t say why, but there was something off about those two. Although, he felt like a jerk for being so suspicious over Usagi’s friends. However, Zuko agreed with him. It was like they were always just around the corner. Maybe they were connected with the witches? Alastor?

“Hey guys!” Usagi said with a wave. “What’re you talking about?”

“Oh, that new club that’s opened up,” Gus said casually.

“It looks like a bad idea,” Mamoru commented. “I mean, there weren’t even any limits as to how many people could be in the building at a time. I’m pretty sure that violates basic firecodes.”

“I give it a week,” Haruka said. “Before it’s shut down.”

“Hey, were Giorno and Miles mad at each other?” Usagi asked. “Miles was yelling about a book, and Giorno kept insisting it wasn’t a big deal. Did he forget to turn in a library book?”

“I think it’s a bit deeper than that,” Hunter said. “They need to talk and sort things out.”

“Oh?” Michiru asked, raising an eyebrow. “How long have they been together?”

“I don’t know if it’s like that,” Hunter said. “Although…it’d make sense.”

For example, Danny and William’s comments earlier. But he wasn’t going to comment on a plausible relationship that wasn’t his to comment on.

“Guess what?” Usagi chirruped, bringing him out of his thoughts. “We got invited to a fancy party! Miss Lily was told that Mamoru’s friend, Edwards wanted to meet the best and brightest from the new generation!” She leaned in with a grin and whispered. “That means us!”

“Are there going to be a lot of people there?” Vee asked.

“More like a lot of academics in search of a scholarship,” Haruka scoffed. Michiru crossed her arms. “What? It’s true.”

“Edwards is a kind man,” Mamoru said. “He’s incredibly wealthy—a self-made man.”

“A lot of self-made people aren’t really self-made,” Luz muttered.

“Nevertheless,” Michiru continued. “They’re fun parties! You should all go. It kind of looks like you could use it.”

“I’m going,” Usagi said. “It’ll be super fun and…” she glanced to Hunter, her eyes lighting up in recognition of discomfort. “it’ll be safe.”

“True,” Michiru spoke up again. “There will be security guards and a…strange owl-bird-tube-thing posted at the front at all times.”

“Hooty?” Luz asked.

“You know him?” Michiru asked. Her calm and pleasant smile slipped, as one’s calm and pleasant smile does when the mention of Hooty comes up. “Why is he…like that?”

Luz shrugged and laughed.

“I find him strangely endearing.”

The group had failed to notice another lurking in the corner of the room: Kakyoin, Jotaro, Avdol, and Polnareff.

“Kinda stupid for this guy to be throwing a party during the middle of all these attacks,” Jotaro commented.

“I assure you, Edwards is a smart man,” Mamoru cut in sharply. “And the party is perfectly safe.”

“Like how that festival was perfectly safe, right?” Jotaro countered.

“You could’ve just said no,” Michiru reprimanded.

Jotaro looked at her then Haruka and shook his head. “Who said I wasn’t going? Gotta make sure no one gets hurt, after all.”

“How noble,” Haruka said with a snort.

Jotaro glared at her and muttered something under his breath.

“I take it the event is formal attire,” Kakyoin interjected quickly.

“Most assuredly,” Mamoru said.

“Fun,” Jotaro said, leaning back against the wall.

“It could be fun,” Luz said with a half-smile.

Hunter wasn’t so sure. Their hearts were on the line, he didn’t trust Haruka and Michiru, and…Belos was out there…somewhere. What if he was looking for them? What if he found him? What if he found his friends?

Would the people he loved most be safe?

He felt a hand on his shoulder, “Hey kid.”

It was Jotaro. He continued. “Don’t know what you’re thinking, but you look like you’re gonna hurl.” He paused. “You’re gonna be fine. We won’t let that creepy old fuck hurt you.”

Hunter tucked his arms closer into his body. “Th-thanks.”

“Don’t make yourself an easy target,” Jotaro said. “You gotta hit hard, especially if you know a weakness.”

“Um…okay. Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Jotaro is right,” Luz said with a grin. “We’ve got this!”

“Yeah!” Gus agreed. “Belos is going to Belose again!”

While the others laughed, Hunter still couldn’t help but feel uneasy. They had strength in numbers, but their enemies kept coming back with new powers, people, and weapons.

Glancing back to his friends who had gone back to the conversation of the party, he took in how excited everyone seemed to be. Willow and Luz broke from the conversation, looked at him, gave him a weary smile and a thumbs up. They were nervous, too. Scary considering they were two of the most confident people he’d ever known.

If they were having doubts, what did that mean for their future?

…

Miles followed Giorno; he wasn’t going to let him walk away from this. He wanted—no—needed answers. He promised.

They were walking down the streets aligned with several shops, restaurants, and arcades. Giorno was surprisingly able to outpace him. At one point, he lost sight of him entirely. He took a deep breath and refrained from screaming in the middle of the street.

What was that book? Why was he guarding it so much? Why was he keeping secrets? Would this…would this be like it was with Gwen all over again? He couldn’t take that kind of emotional betrayal again. As it was, he was ready to snap. There was already so much going on; if Giorno betrayed him, he wasn’t sure what he’d do next.

“Hey!”

Miles froze dead in his tracks for just a second. He knew that voice instantly. The rapid footsteps behind him kicked his own legs into gear. He glanced behind to see Miguel O’Hara pushing past people; his eyes were dead set on Miles. Crap!

“Stop! Stop him!”

Miles pushed forward, ignoring the concerned and confused looks of passersby. He kept running until he saw another figure, waiting patiently up ahead: the vampire, Morlun. Ahead and behind were death, and he couldn’t use his webbing, not while he was in civilian clothing. Morlun grinned, the corners of his mouth like the crypt-keeper.

Was he going to die here?

Someone quickly dragged him backwards into the shop on their right. It was completely dark inside. What kind of place was this? How would they be safe in—?

The front door clicked and then disappeared entirely.

“Fuck,” he heard Giorno murmur.

“Giorno?” Miles questioned. “What’s going on? Where are we? Why did you run away?”

Giorno glanced away. “I’m not sure where we are, but Morlun is out there.”

“Yeah, and Miguel.”

“So, that’s what he looks like,” Giorno noted. He paused. “I’m sorry.”

“Dude, just tell me what’s going on! I might be able to help you!”

Giorno shook his head. “It would be better if you weren’t involved. Please, Miles, I need you to stay out of this.”

“Why?”

“Because you two are facing a very…grave future,” a voice above, maybe through an intercom spoke up.

“Who are you?” Miles asked.

“I am merely an entity who seeks to bring enlightenment to your situation,” the voice explained. “Perhaps once this tour is over, we can all be friends.”

“Unlikely,” Giorno said.

“We’ll see. Now, one at a time,” the voice instructed.

Miles wasn’t sure what he meant by that until a wall popped up, separating him and Giorno. “H-Hey!”

“Miles?” Giorno’s muffled voice questioned from the other side of the wall. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Miles assured him. He stared up at the ceiling. “Who are you? Why are you doing this?”

“Please move forward,” a familiar voice instructed. It was that ghost-man hybrid. This must be Alastor’s doing! “Move forward and all will be revealed, especially little secrets someone may be hiding.”

It was quiet for a moment before he heard Giorno speak up again, his voice harsh and like a bee’s sting. “Leave him out of this. I’m warning you.”

“Your powers are spiritual-based,” the ghost-man drawled. “I’m not frightened by a child who has yet to comprehend the full extent of harm he can inflict on others.”

“Giorno,” Miles tried softly. “Let’s just get through this. I promise, whatever it is, I’m right here, alright?”

“Miles…you don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“And whose fault is that?” Miles asked. When Giorno went quiet again, Miles sighed. “Look, it doesn’t matter what happens here. We’re friends, and I’m not just going to abandon you, leave you to Morlun, or let you make a deal with some devil. I’m with you all the way. Now, let’s just go ahead and get this over with.”

“…alright.”

Miles tried to clear his mind. Giorno obviously knew more than he was letting on; he and William both had been acting weird. And now he was supposed to find out what exactly was being kept from him. Plus, Alastor was involved, so that was always fun.

A light shined ahead. It was an old-timey projection screen. Miles walked toward it as it began to play:

Morlun flung him across the room, his body landed next to someone else. Through a blurred lens he saw blond hair and a bloodied purple outfit. Miles saw that his video image was bleeding from his right arm, stomach, and from a few cuts on his face. Whatever happened before must’ve been brutal.

He feebly grabbed the person beside him. “G-Giorno…no…please don’t be…”

Giorno’s eyes were wide open as they had been when he’d sacrificed himself when Alastor cornered them. His body looked bruised, battered, and possibly more than Miles appeared to be. But…he couldn’t be.

“It’s your turn, now, Spiderman,” Morlun said, sauntering over to him.

Mirror Miles tried to stand, but he faltered. “His soul. Give it back!” He was screaming through his own tears. “Give it back now!”

“His soul is nothing but a talisman now,” Morlun droned on. “You exhausted all other alternatives, your friends have fallen, and now it’s time to give up this game. It’s been fun, and you were a worthy adversary, as well as your ill-fated love, but I’ve no patience left. Unless, of course, you’d like to see your parents perish, too?”

Even battered Miles glared up at Morlun. “L-leave them alone…stop this!”

“Do you surrender?” Morlun asked. “Surrender and I leave them be. Surrender, and I will not consume the one you love.”

Miles was quiet for a moment. “Can he come back if you don’t…?”

“It’s a possibility,” Morlun said. “Depending upon your butterfly’s determination.”

Who in the hell was he talking about? Also, by love, did he mean…? Miles felt his face heat up and his guts knot as he continued to watch the screen.

“Alright. I’ll do it, then. I give up.”

Morlun grinned wickedly as he placed a hand on Miles’s shoulder. “I knew you’d make the right decision.”

Actual Miles looked away from the screen as he heard his voice shriek and then quickly cut off.

“Tragic, isn’t it, Mr. Morales?” the infamous, staticky voice commented behind him. He turned to glare at the Radio Demon who smiled and waved in response. “Utterly terrible. This is what happens when you decide to romance someone so below you. He lives in this timeline, you know? And you…well, you have a lovely funeral.”

“This has happened already,” Miles surmised. He glared at the Radio Demon. “Where is he? What’ve you done?”

“More like, what can he do? Or rather, what’s he going to do with you?” Alastor asked, the room darkening as his smile was the only visible feature. “He’s been keeping secrets from you, Miles. Sure! In the timeline you’ve seen, you fall by Morlun’s hand. In another…”

Miles shook his head slowly. “No…I don’t believe you. He would never!”

“Oh?” Alastor asked, grin getting wider. “Why don’t we see if you’re right?”

He waved his hand, drawing back a curtain, leading to a room that looked like a movie theatre. Alastor gestured for Miles to walk inside and disappeared. He heard his voice on the screen.

“What’ve you done to him?”

Miles walked in and stared at the screen. In front of this movie version of himself was Giorno’s father, the priest, and Giorno. Although, Giorno was a lot paler than he should’ve been, and his irises were crimson red.

“Giorno? What did you do?” Miles murmured under his breath.

His father, Dio, continued. “I needed to revive him—a soul is a heavy loss. However, I, DIO, know how to handle such situations.”

“What is that? What is that in the center of his forehead?” Movie Miles asked.

“I’m sure Kakyoin has told you about fleshbuds,” DIO said. “My son was a little put off by the stories he’s heard from your friends. It was a simple measure to make him more amicable to our work.”

“In other words, you’re controlling him!” Miles argued. “You can’t do that! He’s your son!”

“It may seem extreme, but I’ll do anything to have my son by my side as we seek our revenge on those who have wronged us.”

He gestured to the halved remains of the Radio Demon; that smile branding his face, even in death.

“Now, Mr. Morales, will you join us?” DIO asked. “If you do, you can become beyond those who would hurt you. I would offer you immortality, as well.” His face darkened. “If not, you will be considered amongst our enemies and dealt with swiftly.”

This version of himself paused. “…I won’t allow you to control the person I love or hurt the Joestars. I’ll save Giorno, no matter what.”

DIO scowled. “I thought you would know better. Clearly, the Crusaders taught you nothing. You’ll be the first blood, then. Giorno, my son, kill him.”

It was as though a switch had flipped. Giorno’s eyes locked onto Miles and within seconds, he was standing in front of him.

“Giorno! Wait!”

Giorno didn’t seem to hear him as he jammed blade-like fingernails into Miles’s neck. His eyes widened in shock before he quickly fell to his knees, gasping and trying to say something. Real Miles knew he probably wouldn’t be able to say anything.

“And this is what will happen should you refuse my deal once again,” he heard Alastor comment from the front of the theatre. “I know you’d like to save Mr. Morales as much as I’d like to not die by your father’s hands. So, last chance, Mr. Giovanna. The next time I ask, the price will increase, and he’ll be included.”

Miles rushed to the front of the screen. Seeing Alastor extending his hand out to Giorno who’s red eyes and distant stare said it all. If he noticed Miles were there, he didn’t give any indication. He couldn’t let Alastor trick him into this deal. Even if this were real…it wasn’t his fault! There had to be another way!

“You’ll keep him and his family safe?” Giorno asked.

“Of course,” Alastor said. “And once you’re properly mine, I’ll use my connections to erase your father from the equation entirely. Your power will give me enough of a pathway to do that.”

“If I do this…you will leave Miles alone.”

“Absolutely. He won’t hear from me, or by extension, you, ever again.”

Giorno looked at Alastor to his hand, surrounded by a magic green glow. He was considering it! Miles tried to stop him, to call out to him. “Giorno! Stop! Don’t! We can find another way!”

“You’ll have to think of something better than that,” Alastor’s voice mocked in his head.

As Giorno reached his hand up to meet Alastor’s, Miles rushed in and grabbed Giorno’s hand. This seemed to shake Giorno out of whatever spell he was under. “Miles? What are you doing?”

“More like what are you doing?” Miles countered. “You’re trying to make a deal with Alastor! You’ll die! I’ll-I’ll never see you again!”

“Maybe that’s for the best,” Giorno muttered. “Miles, I would love nothing more than to stay here with you. Surely you know that. But there are so many ways that ends badly. I don’t want to hurt you or anyone in the Joestar family. They’ve been good to me.”

“You won’t,” Miles assured him. “All we need to do is work together. We’ll find another way. No one is going to die, especially not us. You promised, and I’m going to hold you to it.”

Giorno paused. “Miles, you don’t…”

“I’m really tired of people telling me what I don’t understand,” Miles said. “I get it. There’s real danger here, and it’s scary. But I’m not willing to face it without you, so, unfortunately for you, you’ve gotta keep your word. Or does that mean anything to you?”

Giorno stood up, his face was unreadable. “Of course it does. But you…you’re important to me. I’ve never cared about someone the way I care about you. That’s why I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep you—”

Miles cut him off. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you alive.”

“Then we’re at an impasse.”

Alastor cleared his throat. “I see you need time to think it over. You can explain your situation entirely to Mr. Morales. I’ll give you thirty minutes’ time. If you haven’t come up with the correct answer by then, I throw you back into the streets with O’Hara and Morlun.”

With that, he disappeared, and the doors in the room vanished. The last, remaining light in the room flickered off as Giorno caught his hand. He could make out his eyes and the outline of his face in the pitch dark.

“If I don’t take the deal now,” Giorno spoke in a low voice. “If something bad happens in the future, and you…you’re hurt. He’ll want both our souls—not just mine—to save you.”

“Nothing bad is going to happen,” Miles objected.

This time Giorno cut him off and dug something out of the bag on his shoulder. “Oh yeah? So, explain the memory we just watched! Explain the one you watched! It’s all in here! You wanted to know so badly what was in this book? It’s all the times we’ve died: you, me, the Joestars, Hunter, everyone! Everyone in this book…they possess a talisman. I’ve been trying to come up with a way to counteract it, but I’m the root cause for at least 50% of them. How am I supposed to help you when I’m the reason you die?”

His grip got tighter as he sat down on the ground; Miles followed suit. Miles didn’t know what to say. He wanted to help, but how could he help someone dead set on self-ruin? They sat there in silence for a few minutes, far longer than he would’ve liked. Were they close to their deadline? What would Giorno choose? He couldn’t take the deal! He just couldn’t! Miles needed to convince him otherwise. Well, he could try one thing. Hopefully he wouldn’t end up looking too stupid after this.

“You know,” Miles began. “I care about you a lot, too. You saw that in the memories, didn’t you?”

Giorno’s grip lessened. “Miles…”

“I meant what I said,” Miles said. “I’d like, when this is all over, to be able to hang out with you. I’m pretty sure we can manage it, even with our responsibilities. I’ll show you all the rare quiet places in New York. We could study together, grab dinner from a place that claims to be Italian. You can tell me if it sucks or not. No monsters, no demons, no vampires. Just us.”

“Just us?” Giorno repeated, he leaned in a little closer. “All of that sounds nice, if it’s possible.”

“What would you want to do?” Miles asked, the room suddenly got a little smaller and possibly warmer.

“We could explore Italy,” Giorno suggested. “There’s plenty of quiet places I know of; beautiful when the sun falls. If you’d like to, we could spend time painting what we see; I know you’re good at that. Even if I’m not so skilled, I’d like to see your perspective. Then we could get some real Italian food, and you’ll be able to tell the difference.”

“I’d like that,” Miles said. He leaned in a little closer. “It will be possible, you know? Trust me.”

It was quiet. Giorno furrowed his eyebrows. “Just so I’m clear…this is a confession, correct?”

Miles nodded.

“Good.”

As quick as his heartbeat, Giorno leaned in and kissed him. Miles felt his face heat up as he kissed back, trying to keep calm and collected. He’d seen this happen in some of the tomes he read, but he had no idea if Giorno had felt the same way in this timeline.

At least before anything went horribly wrong, he had this.

Giorno slowly broke away. “Alright…I’ll stay with you, Miles. I swear.”

“I’m happy to hear it,” Miles murmured. He got up, extending his hand to Giorno. “Now, let’s find a way out of here.”

“Sure you two can stop making out long enough to do that?”

Miles froze and turned his head. Standing in the corner were Danny, Zuko, and William. While Zuko and William had the common decency to look at either the ceiling or floor, Danny smirked at both of them.

“How long have you guys been here?” Miles asked.

“Long enough for all the dream vacation planning,” Danny said.

“We don’t have time for this,” Zuko said. “We need to get out of here.”

“How did you find us?” Giorno asked.

“Well, we decided to help Zuko when those weird girls showed up at the shrine. I…couldn’t hear their thoughts. It was making me uneasy,” William explained. He pointed at Miles and Giorno. “Now, your thoughts were loud and clear. That’s how we found you, well, that, and Danny’s ghost powers.”

“As conflicted as I am over how you found us, I’m still grateful,” Giorno said. He took Miles’s hand and got up. “Now, like Zuko said, we need to get going.”

Green flames rose around the walls of the room. Out from the shadows stepped Alastor, Vlad, and a third devilish man with giant red wings and regal clothing. Birds of a feather, Miles supposed.

“I suppose you’re not taking my deal?” Alastor asked.

“No,” Giorno said firmly. “Never again.”

“That’s a shame,” Alastor said. “Obviously, there’s no danger to you, seeing as you’re surrounded by your friends…and more.”

“Golden Experience!”

Alastor stepped backwards as Miles felt a gust of air whoosh past him. Alastor shook his head. “I’m not going to fight you. Like I said, there’s no point. Besides, we’ve already made sure you’ll make a deal eventually.”

“What do you mean?” Zuko asked.

“You didn’t,” William murmured behind them. “All those people…you didn’t! You can’t!”

Giorno marched over to Alastor and grabbed him by his coat. “What did you do?”

“You’re not the only one who wants to know the contents of that book,” Alastor said. “I just provided the lists of the names of talisman holders to those who would value it most.” He glanced over Giorno’s shoulder. “Might want to let your friends, the ones who are in danger, know how much you’ve cost them.”

“MUDA!”

Alastor went flying backwards, blood dripped from his jaw. He rubbed the base of his chin, smiling and laughing maniacally as he disappeared. Vlad and the other man remained.

“You know Daniel,” Vlad spoke up. “I could help you, should you wish to join us. No one has to get hurt.”

“In your dreams, Vlad,” Danny shot back.

“I’m sure you’ll come to consider it,” the other man interjected. “When the vipers strike and you’re left poisoned and struggling to survive, you’ll find us to be the sweetest antidote.”

“Ew to literally everything that just came out of your mouth,” William said.

“Consider it.”

The two disappeared, leaving everyone confused, angry, depressed, or a combination of the three. William ran his hands through his hair. “This is bad! Really bad! They could be on their way to attack everyone now!”

“You’re right,” Giorno said. “I…don’t know what to do. I’m sorry.”

“Giorno,” Zuko began. “What was on that list?”

“It was people who hold talismans in their hearts,” Giorno explained. He handed Zuko the book he had been carrying. “Might as well share it, since all of us are targets now.”

Zuko flipped through the pages, his eyes widening as he examined the names. After a few seconds, he slammed the book shut. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“That’s partially my fault,” William said, stepping in. “I thought if we hid the names, everyone could be safe, even if just for a little while. I should’ve known Alastor would make copies of the names.”

“He could be messing with you guys,” Danny spoke up. “Who’s to say that ‘list’ is accurate? Just because it was in the library, doesn’t mean they didn’t make it up.”

Giorno shook his head. “No. It’s real. I found memory tomes to make sure he wasn’t lying. It’s happened before.”

“Just because it’s happened before,” Zuko said. “Doesn’t mean it’ll happen again. I’ve got an idea.”

“Where to?” Danny asked.

“Still the same as before,” Zuko said. “If there’s anyone I know who can help us, it’s my uncle.”

Miles walked over to Giorno, unsure of what to do. He didn’t want to overwhelm him (more than he already was). He settled for grabbing his hand. “You made the right choice. Those guys just…”

“Had everything planned?” Giorno asked. “Now everyone is in danger because I didn’t take the deal.”

“Everyone is in trouble because Alastor is an ass,” Miles argued. “We’ll get through this. We’ll beat Alastor, Morlun, and your dad if they decide they want to hurt anybody, especially anyone from our group. Besides, I’m Spiderman, and you’re one of the toughest stand users in your world, right? It’ll work out.”

Giorno squeezed his hand. “I’d like to believe you’re right.”

…

Katara was taking a few minutes to play with Sobble. She’d befriended him at the festival, and now he had begun to follow her around the shrine. It was easy to teach him how to use his abilities, since they were both waterbenders. Although, the water gun was a little different from her usual offensive attacks. They’d gotten through that, and now they were practicing aqua jet. Now it was back to her lesson.

Today Ami was with her; the sailor senshi of water and intelligence wanted to study Katara’s techniques. It wasn’t in Katara’s nature to dismiss someone who wanted to learn. Ami brought her Seel with her; she and Sobble seemed to get along well. While they played and trained with each other, Katara brought out a copied waterbending scroll she learned long ago. They stood in front of the pond at the back of the shrine.

Katara pulled her arms inward, causing the water to roll the same way. Then she pushed the small waves she created outward. Rinse and repeat. “Natural water is controlled by the balance of the sun and the moon. Waterbenders, just like the sun and moon, push and pull water back and forth to bend. You try!”

Ami took a deep breath and tried the movements as Katara had. However, the water wasn’t budging. Ami’s face fell. “I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong.”

“Your movements are a little rigid,” Katara said. “Try to go with the flow of the waves. If you keep up with them, they’ll keep up with you.”

Ami shook her head and tried again; her arms matching the pull of the water. It began to sway back and forth. Katara grinned. “That’s it! You’ve got it!”

“Really?” Ami paused and smiled. “Neat! I thought I’d never get it!”

“Honestly? I wasn’t that great when I first started,” Katara said. She sat down near the pond and gestured for Ami to do the same. She waved her hand inward and levitated a ball of water between them. Warping it into a small stream, she sent it zipping through the air, circled around the two of them, and then gently above the flowers in Rei’s garden. “You’ve got to be more fluid, no pun intended. Once you master that, waterbending is pretty easy. Though, it still takes a lot of practice.”

“Bending is so amazing,” Ami said. “Thank you, Katara. I promise I’m going to get better at this! I’ll study the techniques you’ve taught me several times a day!”

Seeing her so determined was kind of inspiring. “I’m sure you’ll be great at waterbending, Ami. Although…why did you want to learn waterbending specifically?”

“I…” Ami blushed. “Well, I want to be able to protect my friends.” She shut her eyes. “I know I’m not the strongest sailor guardian. When I went against Sailor Neptune a couple of weeks ago, I lost miserably. But you went up against her and protected Hunter. Scientifically speaking, your waterbending is more powerful than our abilities.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Katara said. “Not completely. Like I said, these things take lots of practice. And you’ve got a lot going on: you’re a scholar, a friend, and a warrior. It’s a lot to juggle. You’ve gotta find your balance.”

“Balance,” Ami repeated. She nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind. Oh look, there’s Usagi.”

True to Ami’s words, Usagi ran out of the shrine, grinning as though she’d just won the hugest Pai Sho match.

“Guys!” Usagi chirruped. “Haruka and Michiru offered to take the girls to the new spa so we can get ready for the party together!”

“That’s awfully generous,” Katara said. “How can they afford it?”

“Well Michiru’s a world-class violinist and Haruka is a famous racer,” Ami said. “They probably make decent money.”

“Who cares about all that?” Usagi asked, that grin never leaving her face. “It’s a free day of pampering!”

Usagi sometimes reminded her of Aang when they had first met. She was carefree, idealistic, and kind. Unfortunately, those traits could get her into trouble; after all, she’d been targeted by the daimon before. And if Usagi was a target…

“Are you sure we should be going off for that sort of thing right now?” Katara asked.

“It’ll be fine!” Usagi said. “The boys can handle themselves.”

Katara raised an eyebrow and glanced into the open doorframe of the shrine. Josuke, Joey, and Sokka were all fighting over the same bag of chips, despite there being other types on a table nearby.

“And who will win the chipmaggedon of 97?” Gus announced.

“It’s 95, actually,” Rei spoke up.

“Nuances,” Gus said dismissively. He continued with a grin. “Will it be the brains and the brawler from the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka? The luck-based strategist, Joey Wheeler? Or our heart and healer, Josuke Higashikata?”

“I never even got to try this flavor!” Joey argued.

“It’s my favorite, it should go to me,” Josuke argued.

“It ALWAYS goes to you!” Sokka griped.

One of Gus’s illusions popped into the middle of the fight, grabbing the bag of chips, disappearing, and handed it to the real Gus. “No! It goes the amazing, master-illusionist, Gus Porter!”

“HEY!”

Katara gestured to the scene. However, Usagi seemed determined. “I’m sure they’ll be fine. Besides, Jotaro and Zuko will keep them in line.” She grabbed Katara and Ami’s arms. “C’mon! Please! It’ll be so fun!”

Her eyes were as wide and pleading as a baby saber-tooth moose lion cub.

“Fine,” Katara said with a sigh. “But only because we need to make sure everyone stays safe at that party.”

“Yay!” Usagi said, hugging Katara. “Thank you! I can’t wait to spend time with you guys! It’s gonna be so much fun without…you know…all the noise.”

Katara blushed. “That’s fair. They can be a little…loud.”

“Oh right! I forgot to mention something,” Usagi said. “Haruka and Michiru said they wanted to visit the library first. So, we’ll go there, and then to the new spa!”

“The library?” Katara asked. “That might be good for us, too.”

“Don’t tell me Ami’s gotten to you,” Usagi said.

“You could do with a little more studying, Usagi,” Ami said. “Besides, Katara is right. We could use this time to make sure there’s no new attacks in our near future.”

“You two have got to lighten up,” Usagi said. “I can see this spa day is critical.”

Katara laughed. “You know Usagi, sometimes you really do remind me of Aang.”

…

“Hey Chibiusa,” the Collector spoke up. “Who’s the pie for? Looks awesome! Can I have some?”

“No,” Chibiusa said a little more quickly than she intended. When the Collector looked hurt, she blushed. “Sorry, it’s just that I worked really hard on this, and this is my third attempt. Those jerks with the big gullets already ate the other two I made with Arven and Yugi.”

“Oh,” the Collector said. “Older people can be so greedy, right, King?”

“I don’t know,” King said. “I’m usually the one who eats a lot of food at home.”

“I remember,” the Collector said. “You ate like so many pizza bagels. I thought Mamadalia was going to flip out.”

“Some mom she was,” King said sarcastically.

“Yeah…”

The three were on their way to their new art class. King had been staying over to visit Luz and her friends. Plus, he seemed to like Jotaro (even if he was kinda scary to Chibiusa). Since the Collector wanted to stay with King, he ended up visiting the shrine a lot, too. Ash and Lillie didn’t want to take lessons, but Frisk had said they would show up a little later. They needed to do something first.

Why did the Collector look so sad, anyway? Who was Mamdalia? Well, she wasn’t anything like stupid Usagi; she knew it was impolite to pry. Still, she was curious.

“So, who’s the pie for?” King asked.

“U-Um, well, it’s for someone special,” Chibiusa stammered.

“Like a best buddy?” the Collector asked. He turned to King. “You never made me any pies. Why does her best friend get a pie?”

“I think the person she’s talking about is a little more than just a buddy,” King guessed (annoyingly correct). “Besides, I’d need help, and Eda has a tendency to make the ingredients for pie walk out the door.”

“That makes sense…maybe we can get Arven and Yugi to help us, too,” the Collector suggested.

“They might,” Chibiusa said. “They’re really nice.”

They walked on until they reached the rec center. There he was: Masanori Tsuzuki, Chibiusa’s crush. He made such beautiful sculptures; she wanted to get to know him better, at least. He was holding a bouquet of roses; there were so many, and they were so beautiful!

She wondered if she was lucky enough to be the one they were…

And then Mr. Wright showed up with Miss Fey and her cousin, Pearl. Masanori’s face fell. Who had he been expecting?

And then Chibiusa remembered that Michiru usually taught the class.

He was going to give those roses to Michiru!

“Where’s Miss Kaiou?” Masanori asked.

“Well, she’s absent today, but Pearls didn’t want to miss the class,” Mr. Wright explained. “And I was an art major before I went into law, so I agreed to help, just this once.”

Darn that Michiru!

Well, she wasn’t here today. So, Chibiusa had an opportunity to get closer to Masanori. It would be fine!

“Nick, Mystic Maya, these are my new friends,” Pearl said, dragging the taller lawyer and his shorter mystic assistant with her. “This is the Collector, Chibiusa, and King!”

“I’ve actually met King,” Mr. Wright said. “His mom used to stay with me. How is Eda doing?”

“Pretty good, we’ve been staying with Raine,” King said.

“Although, you could just live with us,” the Collector said. “I mean, the castle is huge, and there’s no way any of those monsters can get in there! It’s in the sky!”

“I don’t know,” King said. “I kind of like living with just Raine and Eda. It’s like we get to be a family now.”

“Oh…sorry.”

There it was again! That sadness. It was kind of familiar; like how she felt when no one wanted to be near her in the thirtieth century: extreme loneliness.

“I didn’t know you had friends from other universes, Chibiusa,” Masanori said.

Chibiusa smiled. “Yeah! We’ve been getting along well!”

“That’s great,” Masanori said with a hesitant smile. “But…I don’t know…I don’t wanna scare anybody.”

“I haven’t been scared yet,” the Collector bragged. “The monsters here are kind of boring compared to the Boiling Isles.”

“Sounds scary,” Pearl commented.

“It’s not that bad,” King said. “I mean, there’s a lot of good witches and demons there, too.”

“Not like the witches here,” Chibiusa said.

“Definitely not.”

“Hey guys!”

Wally, Mokuba, Bede, Silver, Syaoran, Sakura, Hop, Hau, and Toph walked over to the group. Mr. Wright raised an eyebrow. “I thought you two,” he gestured to Hop and Hau, “said you weren’t into art.”

“Toph convinced us to come,” Hop said. He leaned closer to the group. “There could be witches anywhere.”

“I sure hope not,” Masanori said, almost looking as though someone had walked over his grave.

Chibiusa panicked. Hop was going to scare off Masanori! She pushed him away from her crush, laughing a little. “He’s joking! Hop’s a kidder.”

“But there are witches everywhere,” Wally said. “It’s pretty spooky.”

Masanori scratched the back of his neck. “It’s getting pretty late. We should go inside now.”

With that, he sped off into the building. Chibiusa turned to the others in a huff. “Great going, guys! Now Masanori will never talk to me again!”

“That’s probably just as well,” Mokuba shrugged. “Artists don’t make much money.”

“Shows what you know!” Chibiusa argued. “Art is a beautiful expression of oneself! I can’t believe you would say something like that, Mokuba!”

Mokuba flinched, like he’d been stung. Chibiusa was too mad to care.

“He is related to Kaiba, cut him some slack,” Hop said with a grin.

“And you!” Chibiusa said, pointing a finger at Hop. “You’re the reason Masanori ran off in the first place! I can’t believe you’d scare him like that! Don’t you have a brain?”

“Hey! I was just trying to be honest!”

King tapped her shoulder. “Chibiusa, don’t you think you’re being a little too harsh?”

Chibiusa looked around. Her friends did look hurt, but so was she! She’d had to deal with Usagi, Josuke, and Okuyasu’s thoughtlessness this morning. She didn’t need the same from her friends. She shook her head and ran inside.

…

It was awkward. They were sitting together. But how was he supposed to navigate a relationship with Miles? Is that what they had? True, he’d wanted this. Now that he had it, he felt more vulnerable and worried than ever. The others were talking, a bit somberly. This world was nothing but painful for him. He was marred by failure here. In Italy, he was reminded of those who never made it home, sure. However, there was still some light mixed with the loss. Here, in Tokyo, he was constantly making mistakes. He thought it had been a good idea to keep Alastor a secret. That didn’t work; it almost and may cost Miles his life. He thought he didn’t have any family; it turns out he had one and he’d just endangered them. He thought keeping the list of talisman holders was a good idea; now almost everyone knew who had a talisman.

“Giorno?” Miles asked. “You doing okay?”

Giorno shook his head, but he didn’t say anything. What was there to say?

“Uncle,” Zuko began. The older man was very hospitable. He seemed kind. It was clear Zuko trusted him, and that didn’t seem to be something so lightly gained. He had made them some tea and sat down with them to discuss the situation. “We’re not sure what to do next. We don’t even know who knows about the talisman holders now. We’ve got to protect everyone, but there may not be any time!”

Iroh looked at the list, perhaps trying to come up with a plan of action. His eyes widened and his brow furrowed when he looked further down. “Nephew…it says…”

“I know,” Zuko said, shutting his eyes. “But I can’t think about that. I’ve gotta think about what’s best for everyone. What happens next could be because of us.”

His uncle sighed. “I know you want what’s best for everyone, Zuko. It’s what makes you a good leader. However, I think this situation calls for help from those who have years of experience.”

“Experience in fighting monsters?” Danny asked.

“Fighting evil,” Iroh corrected.

“We can’t just sit here and do nothing!” Danny objected.

“I’m not saying that!” Iroh said. “I’m just saying that it shouldn’t be wholly up to any one group to defeat your opponent. Those who would try and end the lives of so many people should be brought to justice by the people.”

“What if they already have a way of getting to them?” Giorno questioned. “What if it’s already too late?”

“If you allow yourself to think it’s too late, then it will be,” Iroh said. He stood up. “I, for one, do not believe fate is so harshly determined. Perhaps help will come from the likeliest and unlikeliest of places.”

“Will you help us, Uncle?” Zuko asked.

“Of course,” Iroh said. “As will others. You merely need to ask.”

Giorno turned away. A heartwarming family moment wasn’t exactly what he needed to see right now. He looked at Miles; he was staring out of the window, as though he were searching for someone.

“Morlun or Miguel?” Giorno guessed, keeping his voice so the others wouldn’t intrude on their conversation.

“Both…and more,” Miles admitted. “Also, what you said and…did…are you sure?”

Giorno paused and looked at the table. “I don’t try to lie about my feelings on things. Granted, I’m not generally an open person, and this is all new to me. I’ve never cared about someone like this before. However, I… like you, Miles. You were kind to me, even when I wasn’t very honest with anyone. You talked to me, shared your music with me, you treated me as a friend, like someone who had someone who cared about him for once. And you saved my life. I will do anything to make sure you and your family stay safe during all this.”

When he turned back to look at Miles, he looked like he was going to cry. What had he messed up now?

“Thanks, Giorno. I’m glad someone sees me that way,” Miles murmured. “And I’m glad it’s you. I like you a lot, too.” He paused and turned to Giorno. “I’ll be real with you; if this is an official thing we’re doing, then this is the first time I’ve ever been in a relationship. I never thought I’d be able to trust anyone again until we became friends. And…I think you’re one of the coolest people I know. You took on a demon several times, you run…your own business, you help protect people who can’t protect themselves, and you’ve looked out for me ever since I got here. You kept me safe when I didn’t even know it, and I don’t want you to have to do this alone anymore. I’m going to help you, and we’re both getting out of this. I’m not letting Alastor, your father, or anyone hurt you ever again.”

He was always looking out for himself. Was it okay for him to accept Miles’s offer? This would be the first time he established something with someone without materialistic reciprocity. Miles thought he was someone good, and he liked him for who he was. Their connection was genuine; it was heartwarming and terrifying. He might not have known how to approach this, but he was going to try his damndest.

“Well, look who it is.”

Giorno rolled his eyes. Astarion, along with his partner, Tav, the wizard, Gale of Waterdeep, and the patriarch of the Joestars, Jonathan Joestar walked over to their table.

“Yes?” Giorno asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Couldn’t help but overhear your conversation,” Astarion said.

“Not to fear,” Gale said, almost-knowingly. “I checked. We are the only other people in this shop.”

“Are you sure?” Zuko asked.

Gale nodded. “I cast detection to make sure we were the only ones here.”

“Well, what do you want?” Giorno asked.

“Is that any way to talk to those who want to help?” Astarion countered with a smirk. He turned to Zuko. “Curiosity, who’s on that list?”

“I don’t trust you,” Zuko said bluntly, clutching the list tighter.

“I’m hurt,” Astarion said, holding his hand over his heart.

“They really do just want to help,” William spoke up. “If they had any intention of hurting anyone, I would’ve been able to hear it.”

“Maybe we can trust the psychic,” Miles said. “Besides, Gale has helped us a lot.”

Gale did a small bow. “I am a wizard of the people.”

Tav and Astarion scoffed.

“No need to be so rude.”

The four sat down at their table. Wonderful. Giorno was tempted to leave, but he might as well hear what they had to say.

“We’ve got a plan for countering your vampire problems,” Tav said. “There’s two enemies down.”

“Are we going to be allowed to know what the plan is?” Danny asked.

Tav shook their head. “It might not work, and if it falls into the wrong hands, it definitely won’t.”

“Great plan,” Danny said. “It might not even work.”

“You try to counter a vampire who is literally only allergic to radiant energy and another who can stop time!” Tav argued. “I swear Cazador was easier to beat than these bastards.”

Astarion frowned. “I’d argue that point, but you did tear him apart.”

Tav paused. “I did not mean to make light of your past, Astarion.”

“I know, love,” Astarion said.

“The point is,” Jonathan interrupted. “Dio isn’t a threat to be taken lightly.”

He turned to Giorno, making his stomach sink. “Giorno, whatever he has promised you is a boldfaced lie.”

“Do you think I’m an idiot?” Giorno asked. “I know that, and I don’t need you to tell me.”

“Shut up and listen,” Astarion hissed. Tav moved to stop him. “No, I’m not staying quiet on this. You want to push everyone away who tries to help you? Be my guest. You stay alone, you’ll die alone. Your father will find you, and he will make you an immortal whether you want to be or not. Much more than that, those you loved or cared about become his playthings! You’ll endanger everyone if you don’t take what’s being offered to you now. If there’s one thing you can take as truth from me, it’s this: you’ll never get your life back if you lose your humanity, Giorno Giovanna.”

Giorno stood up, ready to fight him. How dare he! How dare he…he…Astarion didn’t know anything. His blood felt like it was boiling; he hadn’t been this mad since he fucked up Cioccolata. Yes, he knew Astarion was a vampire, and he might or might not have some experience in this field, but Tav also said the vampire they fought was weaker than Morlun and his father. It wasn’t the same. He had no idea what kind of pressure he was under! He had managed to stay cool and collected through everything: a shitty childhood, taking down powerful stand users in the mob, dealing with a demon who slowly sapped his life away, and finally finding someone worth protecting whose life was in immense danger!

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but I—we want to help you,” Jonathan said. “I know what it’s like to feel like your whole world is falling in on itself.”

Giorno started to walk away. “You have no idea what my life is like.”

“Giorno!” he heard Jonathan protest.

“No,” Iroh’s voice cut through. “He needs some time to think this over.”

“Alone?” Miles asked. “Giorno, you can’t. There’s…”

“Miles, please,” Giorno said. “I just need some time to think things through. I promise, I’ll meet you at that gala tonight.”

“Alright…”

He sounded hurt and dejected enough to almost make him turn around, but he couldn’t. He needed to calm down and think of a way to beat Morlun, DIO, Alastor, and any other fucker on his own.

…

He was sure he’d seen him again. His hands were shaking, even as he tried to steady them when he took a sip of tea. He hadn’t told Franziska. He wasn’t sure what to tell Franziska, and Phoenix wasn’t home. He was all alone in his apartment; Bucciarati and Abbachio had left to go investigate an old warehouse for some sort of monster, and Franziska was out shopping for food. He had no one to tell that Manfred Von Karma was back from the dead.

He’d been walking the streets of Tokyo, meeting with Miss Skye to discuss the forensics she performed on a personal project he’d discussed with no one. It might pay off eventually, but now he had bigger problems. Von Karma had almost blended into the crowd, and if the man didn’t regularly haunt his nightmares, he might’ve missed him. The worst part was when they locked eyes, the latter smirked and disappeared. It was almost identical to his nightmares.

So now he was doing his best to calm down. Surely Franziska would return soon, and they could form a plan of action.

That’s when he heard a loud knock on his door. He almost fell out of his chair. The knocking persisted. What should he do? Did he have a weapon to pry it open? The knocks were getting louder—more impatient. They had vast amounts of technology and numbers on their side! Should he open it and get it over with? What did he want, anyways?

“Hey nerd!” a familiar, non-Von Karma voice called out. “You in there? Your boyfriend asked us to check up on you.”

Miles marched to the door and glared at Eda the Owl Lady and her partner, Raine.

“Geez, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Eda commented.

“Something like that,” Edgeworth muttered. “Come in and have a seat. Could I get you some tea?”

“That sounds nice,” Raine said. They took a seat while Eda plopped down next to them. “Is everything okay, Mr. Edgeworth?”

Edgeworth poured a cup of tea and handed it to Raine, not looking at them. “It’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t seem like nothing,” Eda said. “C’mon, spill, what’s up?”

Edgeworth sighed. “It’s a long story, and I’d rather not get anyone else involved.”

“Doesn’t help anyone to keep it bottled up,” Raine said. “Besides, we’re in our ‘helping each other out era.’ Or, at least, that’s how Luz put it.”

“Is that really how the children talk in 2024?” Edgeworth asked.

“Maybe everyone talks like that, and you’re just out of the loop,” Eda said.

“In any case,” Raine interjected. “We need to be open and honest with each other. We don’t want anyone to get hurt by something we could’ve dealt with earlier on.”

“I don’t suppose you’re being specific to anyone’s situation?” Edgeworth mused.

Raine sighed. “I hate that the kids didn’t think they could trust us to help them. They seem dead set on handling things by themselves. I’m afraid they’re going to get into a lot of trouble being stubborn.”

“Not that you’d know anything about stubborn people, Rainstorm,” Eda teased.

“Surely not,” Raine said sarcastically.

Their affection for each other was terribly saccharine, but also something he himself wanted to be able to express eventually. He loved Wright, but sometimes it felt like he could do more, like something involving love and care was broken. He often wondered if Phoenix would have preferred to been with someone who could show him their affection more clearly.

“Hey!”

Edgeworth looked back up at Eda and Raine; both seemed even more concerned now.

“You were staring off into space. What’s going on?” Eda asked.

“I thought I saw someone I knew,” Edgeworth said. “Twice now. He’s supposed to be dead. However, given how the dead have been given a second chance at life, I believe it might be more than merely ‘seeing things.’ I think my old mentor, my father’s murderer, has risen from the grave.”

Eda and Raine were quiet for a moment, taking in his words.

“What do you suppose he wants?” Eda asked. “Was he a witch? Demon? Tyrant with an invisible, punchy-ghost?”

“He was a prosecutor,” Miles said. “His record of being beaten was only beaten by one defense attorney.”

“Let me guess,” Eda said. “Phoenix?”

Edgeworth nodded. “I’m worried. Even if Wright doesn’t have a talisman, they said they needed hearts to fuel some sort of grand plan, and his was unusually bright. What if he…”

“Look, we’re not gonna let that happen,” Eda said. “I mean, Phoenix was kind enough to let us stay with him when we had nowhere else to go.”

“Exactly,” Raine agreed. “In fact, we’ve got a plan to get rid of a lot of the threats lingering out there. Perhaps, he’s in league with the Deathbusters. We might be able to get rid of them all in one fell swoop.”

“What’s the plan?” Miles asked.

“It’s top secret,” Eda said. “If someone infiltrates your mind, you wouldn’t be as aware. No offense, but you’re not a human with magic.”

“I suppose Luz knows, then.”

“Actually, we’re not involving the kids.”

“Not that I don’t agree with your morality, but isn’t that slightly hypocritical?” Miles asked.

“They’ve gone through enough,” Eda said. “They shouldn’t have to defeat an entire shadow organization. They could get hurt.”

“I’d like to help,” Edgeworth said. “Perhaps I can’t do magic, but there must be some way I can help put a stop to this!”

“No,” Eda said. “You’ve already done enough by telling us about your mentor. We can handle the rest from here.”

“But Wright, his life, I want to fight for him just as much as you want to protect your loved ones!”

His sincerity had even caught himself off guard. Raine and Eda seemed too stunned to respond. Edgeworth readjusted his cravat and cleared his throat. “Apologies. I lost my composure for a moment. I would just like to make sure he remains safe.”

“Don’t worry,” Eda said. “We’ll keep him safe and you, too. Don’t be so quick to discount yourself, Edgy-boy.”

He hadn’t given much thought to that point: what if Von Karma ignored Wright entirely? What if to get to Phoenix he sought revenge on Edgeworth first? In any case, they were both in a decent amount of danger.

Edgeworth fished an older picture out of his wallet. It had been from a time when he was garnering his reputation as the Demon Prosecutor. He stood stiffly beside Von Karma, finally being recognized for all his hard work. It had been everything he had ever wanted, and he didn’t stop to question why he felt so hollow in that moment, until Phoenix stumbled back into his life.

“This is Von Karma. If you see him, let me know.”

“Kind of looks like a good gust of wind would blow him over,” Eda commented.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Edgeworth mused. “The man carried a bullet in his shoulder for years.”

“You do realize Belos was hundreds of years old, pretty much the embodiment of a living curse; we beat him,” Raine pointed out.

“Isn’t he alive again?”

“And we’ll get rid of him again,” Eda said, a little tersely. She sighed and smoothed her hair. “Please, just leave this up to us. We can handle it.”

As much as he wanted to believe them, Edgeworth wasn’t so sure. He hadn’t believed in such redundant and basic concepts like ‘good vs evil’ before now, but it seemed to him that evil was among them, and no matter how good tried, evil seemed to be oddly overpowered.

…

Joseph flipped through the tomes in front of him. None of this added up. It seemed to him that Miles’ situation was steeped in coincidence rather than causation. Yeah, if there’s a villain who can literally tear apart timelines opposing him, it would serve to say the timelines would get a little messy. He was surprised DIO hadn’t ripped any holes in time with all his shenanigans. For all he knew, he probably did, they just hadn’t suffered the effects yet.

Given Jotaro wasn’t getting into any fights with Giorno, it could be that he wasn’t evil. However, there was the possibility that Jotaro didn’t even know. In which case, he needed to find Jotaro as soon as possible to warn him.

The table in the middle of the library was taken up by a skeleton, a woman with pale skin, pinkish hair, and clothes that looked like they were actually a part of her body, a man with wiry, brunette hair, tan trench coat, and pinstripe suit, a woman with dark hair, magenta jacket, t-shirt, and jeans, and a man with a regal gray shirt tucked underneath a red vest, slacks, and red sunglasses fixed over top of his graying hair. There was one chair left at the table, and he was tired of standing and reading. He casually strode over to the group.

“Do you all mind if I take a seat here?”

“Of course, take a seat,” the pale woman said. Joseph was now able to note she had a giant gemstone—no—a pearl in the middle of her forehead. Bizarrely enough, she still struck him as more normal than most enemy stand users.

“What’s your name?” the man in the vest asked.

“Joseph,” he said, trying to play casual. No need to give out too much information, especially with the probability of DIO pawns being out there. “And you?”

“My name is Stolas,” the man said with a small bow. “What brings you to this place, Joseph?”

“i was gonna ask the same thing,” the skeleton spoke up. “kinda wondering what your thoughts on all these monsters are.”

“Obviously they’re terrible,” Joseph said. “What else am I supposed to say to that?”

“then, why don’t you and o’hara focus more on them rather than some kid?”

Joseph narrowed his eyes at the skeleton. “Who are you?”

“casual observer,” he said. “you can call me sans.”

“What do you know about me? Do you work for DIO?”

“do i look like i got a fleshbud in my skull?”

“Some help him because they want to,” Joseph argued.

“why would i want to? so he could kill a good majority of the people in this broken timeline? d’ya think i’m a numbskull?”

“So,” Joseph asked, furrowing his eyebrow a little bit. “Why do you seem so opposed to what O’Hara is doing?”

“because he’s got it all wrong. the kid isn’t gonna cause some collapse of a timeline by saving his dad. what destroys the timeline is determination of an absolutely unstoppable force. i should know.”

“Well,” the man in the pinstripe suit interjected. “It depends entirely on the event and universe. Should one try to change something that has already happened, yes, it could very well rip apart the fabric of space-time. However, the event hasn’t happened, and given where we are, I’m not sure it ever will. All of reality could be destroyed because we’re all here, together.”

“As depressing as he’s put it,” Stolas said. “He’s correct. I’ve studied my grimoire, but none of these events should be happening. Quite frankly, these universes should’ve imploded upon themselves many moons ago.”

“Well, who are you three? You seem to know more than O’Hara does, even with his technology,” Joseph said.

“His ventures are quite noble for a human,” the man in the suit said. Stolas, the pearl-woman, and sans nodded in agreement.

�� “Quite condescending, aren’t ya?” Joseph asked.

“You get used to it,” the woman in the magenta jacket spoke up. “He’s the Doctor, by the way. And I’m Martha Jones.”

“Nice to meet you, I guess.” Joseph shook his head. “What I don’t get is this: if you three know so much, how come you haven’t been able to solve this mess?”

“We’re all unique in the sense that we recall some memories of this mismatched world,” the pearl-woman said. “But everything involving major events has been completely wiped away.”

“It’s as if there’s a block, preventing us from remembering,” the Doctor said thoughtfully. He wasn’t staring at anyone in particular, which was messing with Joseph more than it should have. “What are you doing with your fingers?”

Joseph glanced down to the table. He’d just been tapping his fingers against the table. He didn’t understand what the big deal was. It might’ve made a little more noise, given his prosthetic, but it shouldn’t have been anything for alarm.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt your genius,” Joseph said sarcastically. “We humans have to do something to weather boring conversations.”

“you didn’t seem too bored to me.”

“Hmph.”

“If I might ask,” Martha spoke up. “Who is O’Hara?”

“Someone who I thought had good intentions,” Joseph said. “Now, I’m not so sure.”

“His intentions might be ‘good,’ but good intentions are only good if the person knows the outcome,” Martha said.

“Spoken like a true medical student,” the Doctor said.

“Given I’m one of two humans here, I think I can speak better on the human condition than most others here,” Martha said. “Most of us have done something we thought good, noble even, only for it to blow up in our faces. It’s a part of life. Could be that your friend thinks he’s in the right, when in all actuality, he doesn’t have enough information to make an informed decision.”

Joseph gave her a smile. “Could be that you’re right, Miss Jones. Could be that I’ve been played for a fool.”

“Not a fool,” Martha said. “We’re human. The best part of that is our lack of staunchness. We’re more flexible to change and adaptability.”

Joseph scratched his chin. “You make a good point.”

He stood up. “Thank you. You’ve given me a lot to think on.”

As Joseph exited the library, a group of teenage girls passed him by. Some of them seemed familiar. Not that Jotaro would know any of them; his grandson wasn’t overly fond of girls. They probably didn’t know him.

In any case, he had his new mission now. He’d talk to Speedwagon, and they’d decide what to do next.

…

As everyone filed into the library, Katara wondered why they were here. True, she had convinced Sokka to give her some of the books he’d taken back, so it was kind of convenient, but why did Haruka and Michiru want to come here?

As though, reading her mind, Michiru spoke up. “We attend the Infinity Academy together. Our midterms are coming up soon, so we’re just picking up some books for our papers. We won’t be but a little while. In the meantime, I encourage you to check out some of the literary classics: Twain, Dickens, Thoreau. For those of you unfamiliar with our world, some of the best realism writers might help you understand it.”

Haruka laughed and shook her head. “Or you could always read some manga. Way more fun.”

“Haruka,” Michiru warned. “I’m trying to help them. What do you think their interpretation of the world will be if they pick up Berserk?”

“That the world is full of liars, and we should never trust anyone? I don’t know, seems like a pretty good lesson to me.”

“You’re quite the cynic, Haruka,” Amity commented.

Haruka shrugged. “Losing your parents will do that to you.”

“Oh,” Amity stammered. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“Don’t worry,” Haruka said. “It was a long time ago, and Michiru and I have each other’s backs.”

“That’s so sweet!” Luz commented.

Except for the parental death part, yeah.

“You girls wait here,” Michiru said. “We won’t be long.”

They disappeared to the upper levels of the library. Ami explained there were a lot of autobiographies up there. Although, the blue-haired senshi did express an interest in learning who they were writing about.

Katara broke away from the group and walked into the secret library. Others were leaving just as she got inside. She recognized the Doctor and Martha Jones. The woman with the pearl in the middle of her forehead was new, but Stolas was not. He seemed concerned, as though he’d misplaced something.

He looked to Katara, “Ah-um-hello! Would you mind terribly keeping an eye out for my Via? I can’t seem to find her. She was in the secret library with me, but she must’ve went off somewhere at some point.”

“I’ll see if I can find her,” Katara said.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

Katara walked into the room, placing the books onto a cart for return. “There. Hopefully that’s the end of that.”

If Kaiba returned his ill-gotten books, then that would be the end of it. However, that wasn’t very likely. She was still a little mad, even if he had apologized. He should have never mentioned bloodbending. If he was truly as smart as he claimed to be and done all this research on them, he would’ve known how taboo a subject it was to discuss. The only times she’d ever used bloodbending was to prevent Aang and Sokka from getting hurt by Hama’s bloodbending and when she thought she’d found her mother’s murderer. She never wanted to use it again.

From the corner of the library, she could hear sniffles. She walked over to the corner of the library and saw Via huddled up with her face buried in her arms.

“Via? You okay?”

She looked up, tears still in her eyes. “He said he’d spend time with me today. He spent the entire day reading and debating with all those other people. No matter where we are, my dad always ignores me.”

“He seems really upset that you’re missing,” Katara countered.

“Then why does he keep ignoring me? It’s always like this! He promises to spend time with me until he finds something better to do!”

“That does sound pretty bad,” Katara agreed. She was quiet for a minute before deciding what to say next, “You know, my father was away at war for a long time. My brother and I didn’t see him again until we found Aang.”

“Is this some story where you’re going to make me feel bad for being mad at my dad?” Via asked.

Katara shook her head. “Actually, I was mad at my dad. Even if I realized that that he was out trying to make the world better. I knew what he was doing was important, but I couldn’t help but feeling like we needed him, too. I was pretty angry at him when we found him again.” She turned to Via. “I think it’s okay to be angry. But don’t lose yourself in your own anger. Maybe you can have fun here without him.”

“But my dad knows so much more about the human world than I do,” Via argued. “The last time I came here, people were so mean. They shoved me around, called me names, and screamed in my face.”

Katara felt bad for this girl. It was obvious she needed someone to help her out. Well, she didn’t have to look any further. Katara stood up and held out her hand. “Hey, I was new here, too. I still don’t understand some stuff, like the arcade or the fascination with malls, but I’m with a pretty good group. Do you want to hang out with us for a little while? We’re getting makeovers and going to a formal dance today.”

Via looked as though she’d been offered the world. She nodded and grabbed Katara’s hand. “Thank you. It…would be nice to make a friend here.”

“You can consider me one, then,” Katara said with a smile.

As they made their way to the others, the door to the entrance swung open. A very tall and built man, hunched over, walked into the secret library, brushing past the girls. It’s like he didn’t even notice them. The strong scent of iron followed him; it was then Katara noticed the trail of blood following the man who had collapsed against a bookshelf.

“We should…help him?” Via guessed.

Katara nodded and rushed over to the man. She did a cursory glance over his wounds. The skin across his abdomen had been cut. It wasn’t anything she couldn’t heal, but it would cause problems if she didn’t do anything. She whipped out a steady stream of water from the cantina strapped to her side and held it over the man’s wounds.

The man looked up at her. “Who are you?”

“My name is Katara. I’m a waterbender. Don’t worry, I’ll have this healed soon.”

“G-gracias.”

Thank you. Luz had taught her that.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did this happen?”

“It’s…complicated,” the man muttered. He hissed as one of the wounds began to seal itself shut. “How’d you learn you could do that?”

“I healed myself,” Katara said, preferring to leave out the details of what happened when Aang first tried to learn firebending.

“It’s remarkable,” the man said. “I wish I had that sort of ability. Seems all I’m good for lately is destroying stuff.”

“You know, that’s what Master Jeong Jeong said about his firebending when he saw I could do this,” Katara said. “I’m sure destruction isn’t the only thing you’re good at. Unless…you’re one of those witches who likes to take pure hearts.”

“No, I’m not a witch,” the man said. “I’m just a guy trying to do his best to keep everything from falling apart. If that means getting mauled by a vampire, so be it.”

“DIO or Morlun?” Katara asked.

The man paused. He narrowed his eyes at her. “The latter. How do you know about Morlun?”

Katara froze. She wasn’t sure who this man was, he could be anyone. She needed to tread carefully. “Some people in our group were infected by some sort of spider-totem. We did our research here to find out what that meant and why Morlun wanted to attack them.”

The man took in her words and nodded. “And who’s in your group?”

“The girls out there,” Katara said. “Why?”

“No reason,” the man said. “Are you sure that’s the entirety of your group?”

Katara nodded. Via should know she was lying, but she didn’t give it away. She’d have to thank her later. “Although Toph is staying with Mr. Wright. She’s our friend, too.”

“The Blind Bandit, no?” the man asked. “She’s in quite a few of these books.”

“That sounds about right,” Katara said, rolling her eyes.

The man laughed. “You don’t seem surprised.”

Katara sighed. “No. I’m not. If you ever meet her, you’ll know what I’m talking about.”

“Maybe I will,” the man said. “I’m sure I’ll see more of you and your group around. It’d be a shame to waste your healing powers just on me.”

Why did that sound like a promise…or a threat?

“I didn’t catch it,” Katara said. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Miguel O’Hara.”

Katara’s heart dropped. She’d been helping Miles’s biggest threat this whole time. She almost slipped up and dropped her smile. No, that wouldn’t do any good. She just needed to finish healing him and get out of here as quickly as possible. So, she did so.

“Alright, you should be good to go.”

“I feel better already,” Miguel said. “Thank you, Katara. Don’t waste that gift you’ve got.”

“I haven’t,” Katara said. “And I’ll continue to use it.”

“Good.”

“We have to go,” Katara said. “The others are waiting for us. C’mon, Via.”

“Hasta luego.”

She knew that one, too. And she hoped to the moon spirit above that she wouldn’t.

…

Giorno was just trying to clear his head. He’d clear his head and rejoin the others. Everything would be fine. He had to keep everything in check. He would not let his emotions get the best of him.

He sat on a park bench; the weather had turned colder. It was fall now. He wondered how much time he’d spend in this world before he went back home. He knew Kaiba, along with Miles, and a few of the others who were more technologically adept were trying to get everyone home, back to the time and place they had left.

Now everything was more complicated. He cared about Miles, and he would make sure no harm came to him, but the danger kept increasing. He didn’t know if he could stop it.

“Hey.”

He glanced up, ready to fight. It was just that Steven kid from the Kaolinite incident. Giorno rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “What?”

“Whoa!” the boy said, sticking up his hands defensively. “You just looked like you were upset. I wanted to see how you were doing.”

“Oh, I’m just fine,” Giorno said sarcastically.

“Uh-huh,” Steven said. He sat down on the bench next to Giorno, “Then I guess you don’t mind if I take a seat, huh?”

Giorno felt his eye twitch. “That’s fine.”

They sat in silence for a minute. Was he expecting a conversation? He glanced over at Steven who seemed to be content looking at his phone, grinning at some text someone had sent him. It was that girl who’d been locked away with him and the others.

“You know,” Steven interjected. “Eavesdropping on someone’s conversation, even if it’s just texts, is considered rude.”

“…my apologies.”

It was halfhearted, but that’s all he could manage right now.

“It’s cool,” Steven said. “Connie was just telling me about some formal she was going to tonight. Apparently, Kaiba thinks it’s a deathtrap. What do you think?”

“It could be,” Giorno admitted. “That’s partly why we’re going today.”

“Oh, so everyone else is going, too?” Steven asked. Giorno nodded. “Hey, at least that should be fun!”

“Yeah, fun,” Giorno scoffed.

“Do you not like stuff like that?” Steven asked.

“It’s not that in particular,” Giorno said. “It’s complicated.”

“…It’s the monsters, right?”

Giorno laughed without any humor. “You’re going to have to be more specific than that: do you mean the daimon who are after a laundry list of people’s pure hearts? The two sailor guardians who are after the same thing for some fucking reason. There’s also a group of demons wanting me to make a contract with them to guarantee everyone’s safety, God knows what happens to me! No—wait—what about fact that my father wants to turn me into a monster who will kill every single family member I never knew I had until I came to this place? Or, the other vampire who wants to consume the souls of everyone with a spider totem, which just so happens to roundabout to the whole demon-contract thing again. And for some fucking reason, it’s all tying back to me and the person I really care about.”

He hadn’t meant to lose his composure. But, once it was all out there, he realized maybe his tirade was a bit justified. At least, Steven’s shocked face was sort of a confirmation bias.

“Wow…that does sound like a lot,” Steven said after a moment. “Are you trying to deal with this by yourself?”

“Yes,” Giorno said quickly. “No one else needs to be involved.”

“You realize you’re gonna burn yourself out doing that, right?”

“Then what do you suggest?” Giorno snapped. “I’m not involving Miles in this.”

“Does Miles know that?” Steven asked. “Did you talk to him about this—about how overwhelmed you are? Kind of seems like a conversation you need to have, or at least try to have. Because you can’t do this alone, and you can’t leave him in the dark.”

“What do you know?”

“I know that when I tried to do the same thing you did, it nearly destroyed my relationship with Connie. She was so mad at me when I tried to take Homeworld on by myself. She didn’t talk to me for weeks. And honestly? She had every right. We both had been training, we could’ve come up with a better plan together. I just went off and did what I thought was best.” He paused, seeming downtrodden by the memory. “It can feel like the whole world is out to get you, and maybe it is, but you can’t do it alone. Terrible things happen when you try to tackle so much by yourself.”

When Giorno didn’t say anything, Steven chuckled and continued, “Besides, Miles is Spiderman. If you tackle this together, you shouldn’t have any problems.”

He did make a good point. Perhaps going alone wouldn’t be an option. But he didn’t want to see anymore death, not this time. He knew it would probably be a constant in his line of work, but if it didn’t have to happen, why will it into existence? Still, acting like a loner would probably get him, and now by extension, Miles, into the clutches of Alastor, his father, or Morlun.

He’d acted so stupidly. He’d left Miles with the others and gone off on his own. But what was he supposed to do? Everything Steven had just said was so strange. He wasn’t used to needing to depend on others.

“I just don’t want Miles to get hurt,” Giorno said.

“I know that,” Steven said. “He probably does, too. But you can’t push people away.” He stood up and held out his hand. “Let people help and life gets a lot better.”

“Usually I’d slap your hand away,” Giorno said. “But I’m at a loss, and…you might have a point.”

Steven chuckled. “C’mon, this place is getting cold, and we’ve got a formal to go to.”

…

Frisk and Gohan showed up a little later than everyone else, and yet, their sculptures were coming along better than most. Gohan was sculpting this dragon-creature that looked so adorable, she wondered if his dad or mom was a mangaka for a living. Frisk, on the other hand, had been sculpting a humanoid, goat child out of the clay. It was also pretty cute. However, Chibiusa’s sculpture of the painted chalice in her mother’s room was not going as well. The small jewels and wings alongside it looked clumpy and uneven, but she didn’t know how to fix them. Eventually she tossed up her hands and took a step back from it.

“Would you like some help?”

Masanori gave her a smile and began to help with the edges of the clay chalice. To be honest, it looked even better than it did in the portrait! It was amazing!

“Wow! That’s amazing!”

“You think so?” Masanori asked. He grinned. “You’ll love this!”

He gestured to his own project; it was a woman, with a very familiar face and hair in the shape of an angel in elegant robes. Michiru.

Chibiusa bit her tongue. “It looks nice.”

“Just nice?” Masanori questioned. He tapped his finger against his chin. “I guess I could work on the hair some more! Thanks for the motivation, Chibiusa!”

With that, he turned back to his own work. So much for that special connection. Maybe her mom had been wrong about all of that. It was frustrating: she wanted a friend she’d be able to keep forever, someone who wouldn’t go away, someone who wanted to be her friend just as much as she wanted to be theirs. She did like spending time with some of the other kids, but it was inevitable that they would have to go back to their own worlds. Mokuba’s brother, even as smart as he was, couldn’t guarantee they’d all get to see each other again. Chibiusa was so tired of permanent goodbyes; she couldn’t take another heartbreak like Puu.

“Hey Chibiusa, what’s wrong?” Gohan asked.

“Oh?” She hadn’t even noticed she had tears at the edges of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away. “It’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t look like nothing,” Sakura said. “C’mon, no one here is gonna judge you!”

Silver opened his mouth but was shot down by a glare from Hop.

“Well, it’s just that it’s very lonely in the thirtieth century,” Chibiusa explained. “Mama said I’d meet someone very special here, someone who would be my friend forever. I know it’s selfish, but I’d like that. Since I’m going to be the next Moon Queen, I’m going to live a long time, and I’m already alone a lot. I don’t want to be even lonelier!”

She paused when she noticed everyone (sans Masanori) was looking at her. “S-sorry. I just thought, if I found that special person Mama was talking about, I wouldn’t have to be all alone anymore.”

“Well, maybe you don’t have to be,” the Collector spoke up. “After all, whoever was trying to keep me out of this world wasn’t able to. I mean, I know we’re kind of stuck here for now, but maybe King and I can keep coming to visit you.”

“Yeah,” King agreed. “When we’re not repairing the Boiling Isles, that is.”

“Repairing? Did something happen to your home?” Chibiusa asked.

“Well, Belos kinda destroyed it when he took over the titan’s skeleton,” King said.

“Maybe I can visit your world and help fix things,” Chibiusa suggested. “Mama’s magic is all about healing the world, maybe if I practice enough, I could help you!”

“You’d be willing to do that?” King asked.

“Of course!” Chibiusa said, smiling again. “Not only would it be good practice for becoming queen, but…it’d be nice to help a friend.”

“Well, if you need anyone to crack some skulls,” Toph spoke up. “You know who else to call.”

“Maybe Belos,” King said.

“I’m pretty sure Luz can beat him again,” the Collector said.

“Maybe she doesn’t have to this time,” Syaoran said. “We’ve got our own abilities. Pearl can channel the dead, I’ve got elemental magic, Sakura has her cards, Hop and Hau have legendary creatures by their sides, Bede has fairies, Silver and Wally have pretty strong pokemon, too, Mokuba’s monster cards can actually hurt those daimon, I’m not sure exactly what Frisk can do, but they have a pretty strong aura, and Toph can literally bend the earth and metal to her will.” He paused. “And you, Gohan, King, and the Collector are stronger than all of us. I think all of us together can beat that old goopy-guy no problem.”

“Hey maybe we can form our own club!” Pearl suggested.

“With them?” Silver asked, gesturing to Hop and Hau.

“You’d at least be better than stupid Usagi and her friends,” Chibiusa said. “They can’t seem to agree on anything.”

“Good point,” Silver said. “I do love being better than other people. Alright, I accept. What about you, Bede?”

“We could probably help Mr. Kaiba if we worked with each other,” Bede said with a sigh.

“I think it’ll be fun,” Hau said. “We can hang out together, fight the bad guys, and find all the good spots to eat.”

“You sound like Usagi,” Chibiusa said.

“Nothin’ wrong with having a little fun while taking care of business,” Hau said.

“We should come up with a cool team name,” Hop suggested. “Something like Team Legendary!”

“Too predictable,” Bede said.

“What about Team Skullcrusher?” Toph suggested. “You gotta admit, it would make us sound pretty tough.”

“How about a more nonviolent name?” Gohan suggested.

“Your loss,” Toph shrugged.

“What about Team Titan?” The Collector suggested. “Titans are so powerful and strong!”

“Wouldn’t that basically be giving away that we’ve got a titan in our group?” Mokuba asked. “We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves, we just want to help.”

“That’s a good argument,” King said. “Plus, I’m way less despotic than I used to be, or so Eda says.”

“What about Team Guard ‘Em All?” Wally suggested. “It kind of sounds like Gardevoir and our purpose is to protect everyone, right?”

“It’s kind of dorky,” Toph said, “But I think it could work.”

“Better than Team Yell, anyways,” Bede said.

“I like the name,” Frisk said in an almost whisper.

“Then it’s settled,” Chibiusa said. “We’ll be the better hero group! No, the best hero group!”

“Yeah, even if—,” Toph cut herself off. “Get behind me, now!”

Everyone jumped behind Toph and avoided nearly being crushed to death as Eudial’s van crashed into the building, coming close to hitting the wall of rock Toph had put in front of them.

“Nice instincts,” Hop commented.

They heard heels clack against the tile floor. Before anyone could stop him, Masanori stood up and went past the barrier.

“What is he doing?” Hop asked, dumbfounded.

Eudial hopped out of her van, surveying the area, flinching. “Whoops. I did not mean to do that. Man, it’s gonna take ages to repair that.”

“Who are you?” Masanori asked.

Eudial glanced over at him. “Oh, there you are.”

She pulled her blaster from her coat, and just as she was about to pull the trigger, Mr. Wright and Miss Fey stepped in between Masanori and the witch. Miss Fey looked to Masanori, “Masanori, get back behind the barricade!”

Masanori nodded and ran back behind the rock wall as Mr. Wright glared at the witch ahead of him. “Targeting more children, huh?”

“Well, even if you don’t have a talisman, we could always use your pure heart crystals to awaken our Messiah,” Eudial said, raising the gun again.

Chibiusa needed to think fast! She needed to transform. To the left of their group was a wall of desks. This was her chance! She ducked behind the discarded chairs and tables, transforming into Sailor Chibi Moon.

She jumped over the rock wall and aimed her heart wand at Eudial. “How dare you come here and try to steal the hearts of people trying to create such beautiful art! I am Sailor Chibi Moon, and in the name of the moon, I’ll punish you!”

“If you two are just going to be annoying, can you at least not put up much of a fight? I’ve got a long day ahead of me. I’ve got a gala to attend later on, and my work schedule is just hectic right now.”

“Do you honestly think we’re going to be sympathetic to you?” Mr. Wright asked. “C’mon, your work is legally, not to mention, morally terrible.”

“Says the lawyer.”

“Hey, Nick has great morals! He and Mr. Edgeworth are always helping me and Pearl out! Even Franny helps! And I’ll be darned if I let you use his heart as some sort of fuel for anything!” Maya protested.

“Ugh, Chibi Moon, Mr. Wright, Maya, move! I can get a clearer shot if you move out of the way.”

The earth underneath their feet slid out from under them, causing them to go either left or right. Rocks from the wall were thrown at the speed of sound by Eudial’s head, and then straight at her. She barely dodged them.

“Hey! What are you trying to do? Kill me?” Eudial complained.

“That’s the idea,” Toph said.

“A noble endeavor,” a voice sneered. “I’m afraid the only ones who will by dying soon are those nearest to you.”

Chibiusa didn’t recognize the voice, but the Collector and King did.

“Belos!”

A man appeared from the ground, almost as though he grew out of it. He wore a green uniform, similar to English medieval clothing, a white cape, and had long hair that looked like it needed a brush.

King and the Collector both jumped over the wall. The man laughed. “Oh please, I’m not here for a fight. I’ve simply come to collect associate and tell her of the news we received.”

“What do you mean?” King asked. “And what did you mean by those near to us would be dying? Talk!”

“I’m not frightened of children,” Belos said. “Besides, you can’t kill me. Not while I’m tethered to my new allies.”

He chuckled and handed Eudial a piece of paper. She glanced over it for a few seconds, her eyes widening. “Is this what it looks like?”

“Precisely,” Belos said with a small smile. It creeped Chibiusa out.

“Get away from them!” a familiar voice shouted from the opening in the rec center.

It was Seto, Karlach, and Wyll. All three of them looked ready to fight.

“And there are three of them now,” Belos said. Eudial raised her gun, but Belos shook his head. “No, the grand design is to have them all in the same area.”

“What are you going on about?” Karlach asked.

“You hurt any of these children and I will send you to the hells myself; that’s my solemn promise as the Blade of Frontiers,” Wyll said.

“Goodbye, for now,” Belos said, placing his hand on Eudial’s shoulder. He glanced to King. “Tell Luz that I do look forward to seeing her again.”

“Wait! What are you—?” King tried to ask, but before he could, Eudial, Belos, and her van had vanished to parts unknown.

“Did you know what that was about?” Mr. Wright asked Seto.

“Talisman holders,” Seto said. “They know. They know exactly who and who doesn’t have a talisman now.”

“Seto,” Mokuba said. “That man said you three…”

“He’s mistaken,” Seto said quickly. “I don’t know where he got this information, but it could get a lot of people killed. I don’t have pure heart, so there’s no way I could—!”

He cut himself off and sighed out of frustration. “I need to go warn the others. Karlach, Wyll, Miss Fey, Mr. Wright, go back to Kaiba Corp with the kids and stay there for now. You’ll be safe there. Don’t come to the gala.”

“You’re crazy if you think you’re going there alone,” Karlach said. “One of us will stay with the kids, and the other will go with you.”

“I’ll stay with the kids,” Karlach said. “Wyll is better with fancier events, anyways.”

“I rather like your dancing,” Wyll commented.

“Can we focus?” Seto asked.

“Of course, your lordship,” Karlach said sarcastically. “Don’t worry, we’ve got a handle on this.”

“I have my doubts.”

“You know, we can help you,” Toph said. “I nearly took that witch’s head off.”

“No,” Seto said. Before she could protest, he added, “It’s not because I don’t think you can handle a few monsters, but that’s the scheme. They want to get as many pure hearts as possible into one area so they can strike all at once. The less people attend, the worse their odds at pulling off a huge heist.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Toph grumbled.

“There’s gotta be something we can do,” Hop complained.

“There is, stay away from the gala,” Seto said.

“But we can help!” Sakura protested.

Seto ignored her. “Karlach, can you please take them home? We won’t be long.”

“You two better come back in one piece or I’m wringing both your necks, yeah?” Karlach warned.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. “Do you honestly think I’d let the Deathbusters take me out?”

“We’ll be fine, love,” Wyll assured her.

As everyone else was turned away, Chibiusa heard the Collector say, “I’m starting to think Chibiusa was right and that all the older people have no idea what they’re doing.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying!” Toph complained.

…

The punch at the gala was alcoholic, and Usagi had drank a lot of punch. Right now, Miles stood with her on the balcony, waiting for the effects of the drink to wear off a bit. The fresh air seemed to be doing her a little good. She wasn’t spouting stuff about desserts and the theory of relativity anymore.

He hadn’t seen Giorno since the tea shop, and he was starting to get worried. Did he get attacked? And if he did, by who? Miles should’ve never let him go off by himself. But he hadn’t known what to do at that moment. He was afraid if he pushed the issue, well, then their relationship would be very short lived.

Was that even what they had? He didn’t know what to make of any of this. Then again, why should any relationship in his life be easy to comprehend?

“Hey Miles,” Usagi said, poking his cheek. “Why do you look so upset? We’re at a party! It’s ‘sposed to be fun!”

Miles chuckled. “Sure. Fun.”

“Is this about Giorno?” Usagi slurred. She came up close to him. “Don’t tell Miles, but I think he likes you. He was so upset that you were in danger back at the Pokémon event. I told him everything would be okay! And it was!”

“He was upset?” Miles asked.

Usagi nodded. “Oh yeah. Even when that weird octo-lady attacked him, he was more worried about you.”

Miles felt a little better and at the same time, a little guilty. He knew that Giorno must care, why kiss him, if he didn’t? But…Miles didn’t know how to help him, and he wanted to help. He wanted to keep him safe.

“Miles?” Usagi asked. “Do you like him, too?”

Miles was quiet for a moment and then nodded.

“Then you should tell him,” Usagi suggested. “I’m sure it’d make him happy.”

“I did…” Miles said. “And it did, for a few seconds. But then Alastor ruined it, and now we’re in a lot more trouble than we were before. I think I might’ve caused it. I didn’t mean to give him more trouble to deal with.”

“Hey,” Usagi said, almost accusatorily. “Don’t ever be sorry for loving somebody! In fact, I’ll deal with Alastor and anyone else who tries to get in the way of love! For I am the pretty guardian!”

“Usagi, keep your voice down” Miles urged. “There are other people inside.”

Usagi giggled. “Oh, right.”

She walked over to Miles and gave him a hug. “In any case, I won’t let anyone hurt either of you. I know what it’s like to feel like the other person is always just out of reach. It used to be that a lot of things and people were keeping me and Mamo apart, but we found our way back to each other.”

She paused, broke away, and laughed. “I guess I’m being dramatic, like Rei says. But I think both of you should be happy. Kind of seems like you both need it.”

“Thanks, Usagi,” Miles said with a small smile. Talking with her had actually made him feel better.

“Miles?”

He turned to see Giorno standing in the doorway. Usagi glanced from him to Miles. “I’m feeling better now…I’m gonna go find Mamo!”

With that, she scurried off and left them alone.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Giorno said. “You look nice.”

If it hadn’t been so inconvenient, Miles would’ve almost forgotten that he was wearing a suit tonight. To be fair, they both were just to get into this place. Still didn’t make it any less tedious.

“You do, too.”

Giorno walked over and leaned against the guardrail. “Sorry for running off earlier. I…just got a little overwhelmed.”

“No, I understand. It’s my fault. I just…I wanted…I don’t know,” Miles said.

“Miles, it’s not your fault. I just don’t know how to do this,” Giorno said. “I want to be completely honest with you. I’m not sure if it will make things better or worse, but I need you to know that I care about you, even if I have a hard time expressing it. Before you showed up, my relationships and interactions were purely transactional. And then you came into my life. You were my first true friend, and you helped me at my weakest, defended me against everyone else, even if it could’ve hurt your own reputation. I…didn’t understand it. Not until I used what I thought would be the last time of my stand’s ability to save you did I get it. Even then, it still scared me. I’ve never had someone try to risk their life for mine, not with the express intentionality of saving me because they liked me. And when Alastor…when he hurt you, I knew I’d do whatever it took to keep you safe. I thought I could do it alone. I didn’t have anyone else to help me growing up, for the most part. I spent my childhood living in fear. My mother constantly left me alone, and my stepfather…well…I’d rather not discuss it. Not now.”

He paused and then glanced up at the moon. “I never envisioned needing anyone. I learned very early on that I couldn’t rely on others.” He turned back to Miles and smiled. “But you were different. I’ve been trying to keep you safe using the same tactics I used alone. But we’re a team now, no? Partners. So, I realize, I’ve been approaching this the wrong way. Miles…would you like to stay with me? No matter what happens next? I swear, I’m not going to shut you out.”

Miles felt his heart swell up. That was the most tragic yet sweetest proposal he’d ever heard. He walked over to Giorno and wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. “Sounds good to me. Like I said, I’m not going anywhere. We can win—together.”

Giorno seemed a little surprised, but soon he relaxed. “I’m glad you think the same.”

He grabbed Miles’s hand and leaned in. All of this: the moon, the music, this moment felt almost too good to be true. Miles shut his eyes and waited.

However, they were interrupted.

“You two need to get out of here now! I think he knows—oh—I am so sorry,” Katara’s voice cut in.

“Who knows?” Giorno asked.

“Miguel O’Hara, that’s who,” Katara said. “I stumbled into him at the library and—!”

She was cut off as the familiar, icy tone of said man cut in. “And she very kindly healed me after you two left me to deal with Morlun alone. Thanks for that, by the way.”

Miguel stood behind them, looming like a statue. Miles almost tripped backwards, but Giorno caught his arm.

“Are you really so obsessed that you’re gonna keep chasing me even when there are way bigger problems out there?” Miles asked. He turned to Katara. “Also what did he mean you healed him?”

“He was bleeding, and I didn’t know who he was,” Katara explained. “I came as soon as I could to warn you!”

“I’m not blaming you,” Miles said. “Thanks, Katara.”

“You’re welcome!”

“I wouldn’t be so quick to be nice to him” Miguel said. “If it weren’t for him, those witches wouldn’t possess a list of talisman holders right now!”

“What?” Katara asked.

“That was Alastor’s doing,” Giorno explained. “He was upset I wouldn’t make a deal with him. Miles had nothing to do with it.”

“That tracks.”

“Hey! Toma esto en serio! Now they know where all the talisman holders are. They’ll be able to summon whatever grand weapon the talismans united creates and use it to destroy everything once and for all, and then no one is safe!”

“We’ve been trying to stop them!” Miles protested. “It’s not like we’re standing by while people who have talismans get attacked!”

“You mean like that friend of yours? The scared kid? He’s come close to getting caught by the deathbusters several times. We can’t let them get their hands on any talisman anyone might possess.”

“Wait…” Miles said with a pause. “Because it kind of sounds like…”

“You’re working with the two rogue senshi,” Giorno finished.

“And that means he’s looking for talisman holders, too!” Katara said, whipping out a straight line of water. She turned them into sharp icicles she launched at Miguel, without even giving him the chance to stand up. He blocked them with the back of his arms; they shattered on impact.

Giorno grabbed Miles and Katara. “All of us need to get out of here! NOW!”

Suddenly, the doors shut as a purple mist filled the room; there was an abrupt chorus of screams that were cut off in mere seconds as several thuds hit the floor.

Miguel looked from the doors to them. “You three stay here. I’ll deal with you later.”

“What, so you can swoop in there and steal the talismans?” Miles asked. “No way!”

“Look, this weapon could get us all home and prevent us from collapsing the timelines,” Miguel explained. “Although, I’m not surprised you’re doing your best to stop that again.”

“People could die,” Miles argued. “Lots of people!”

“Well, what am I supposed to do?” Miguel asked. “For all I know, this is all your fault anyways!”

Giorno glared at him. “Take that back, now.”

“And lie?” Miguel asked. He shook his head. “You two should really learn exactly who you’re allying yourself with. The fragmentation and loosening of timelines started with his timeline! Why do you think you’re all here to begin with? If he hadn’t screwed up his timeline so bad, none of this would be happening! You’d be home, safe! You wouldn’t even have to worry about any of this talisman business! If people die here, it’s his fault.”

“That’s not true!” Miles argued, barely dodging Miguel’s grab. He turned to Katara and Giorno, urging them back. “You’ve gotta believe me!”

“You know,” Giorno began, his voice low. “I read something in the library the other day about a man, pretty lonely and pathetic who disrupted an entire timeline, destroying it. So, then he felt a pressing guilt to watch over all the other timelines. Who’s to say that man’s actions didn’t start all of this in motion?”

Miguel’s eyes widened before he shook his head. “I fixed the damage I caused!”

“Doesn’t seem like it,” Katara added in. “From what Sokka told me, the timelines were still frayed. If anyone’s good for research, it’s my brother.”

“I am the only one who’s been trying to fix things,” Miguel said, his eyes wild. He was about to go off again. He raised both his arms. “You have no idea what I’ve sacrificed, the amount of trouble I went through just to form a place that could help everyone! But because one person decided to be selfish, everything is going to unravel! We’re all going to die if I can’t fix this!”

It looked as though he was going to take a swing at them, so Miles jumped in front of his friends. He planned to grab Miguel’s arms and try to push him away, but Miguel froze. He appeared just as confused as they were, well, except Giorno. Giorno stared directly behind Miguel.

“Who are you?”

Directly behind Miguel an old man clucked his tongue. He wore a tan fedora, shirt, slacks, and gloves over his hands. “You know, I the greater good only works if there’s a greater good left to fight for, Miguel.”

“Joseph,” Miguel’s voice hissed. “What are you doing?”

“Keeping you from doing stupid shit, apparently,” Joseph said. He held something invisible in his hands as he jerked them backwards, causing Miguel to stumble as well.

Giorno took this as an opportunity. “MUDA!”

Spiderman 2099 went flying backwards, over the balcony. He caught himself, but Miles wasn’t sure Giorno knew he would do that. He decided to not think about that.

The man, Joseph, walked forward, eyeing Giorno. “That’s crazy. You’re like the spitting image of him!”

“Of DIO?” Giorno guessed. “So I’ve been told.”

Joseph seemed confused, as if he didn’t know what to do next. He scratched the back of his neck. “Is Jotaro safe?”

Giorno nodded. “We’ve been staying together at the Hikawa Shrine.”

“Really? I guess you both know about who your dad is—well dads—I should say?”

Giorno nodded. “Look, I’ll answer any questions you have later, but we’ve got to get in there and save our friends, including Jotaro!”

Joseph nodded. “Gotcha!”

“MUDA!”

The glass to the room cracked wide open, revealing….

…

*Ten minutes prior*

Hunter walked through the courtyard with Willow. It was a nice night, not exactly a full moon, that was gonna be in a couple of weeks. He charted them in case he ever came across a friendly werewolf. How cool would that be?

No, it was more like a bright crescent. Apparently, a lot of people embodied the moon: Yue/Yukito, Usagi, and Sokka’s girlfriend (who had also gone by the name Yue). Maybe the moon was their key to getting home, that or Kaiba.

“It’s a nice night out,” Willow said, grabbing his arm. “Serene and peaceful. Makes it better that I’m with you!”

He felt his heart leap. Willow smiled at him, pulling him closer. Even if everything else was going wrong, he was glad he had Willow back.

They sat down near a patch of flowers growing in a fenced area, stargazing. Everything was so calm, so different than the craziness of the past few days—weeks—months—years. If he thought about it for too long, his whole life had been pretty crazy. Being the Golden Guard was never easy or quiet. He was always either studying or going on missions for Belos. His first act of rebellion had been keeping Flap; he never regretted that decision. Flap had been his first real friend. Then he’d actively rebelled against his duties and joined Hexside’s Flyer Derby team; he’d met Gus and Willow. Plus, Darius had helped him create his own social media. He got to keep his friends! When he found out the truth, when he found out about being a grimwalker, his life had been uprooted. A part of him had wanted to stay blissfully ignorant when it first happened, but if he had, he wouldn’t have gone back to Hexside to help everyone when Adrien attacked the school. And he’d actually enjoyed his time in the human world—sans being possessed by Belos…and Flapjack sacrificing himself. Now he was studying under Mr. Clawthorne and learning to make palismans, enjoying his time with his friends, and he had the best, strongest, and most beautiful girlfriend in all the Boiling Isles. His life had never been better, and it was because of all the crazy events that had happened in such rapid succession.

Although he was scared now, there was still some positives to his situation: the new people they’d met, like Usagi, Zuko, Sokka, Katara, Miles, his roommates, other guests of the shrine, and even Kaiba had been pretty good friends to have during all this bizarre business with the talismans, demons, witches, and…Belos. How he was alive again, Hunter didn’t know. He was acting just as self-righteous as when he’d died. He hadn’t flinched when he tried to kill him…again. If it hadn’t been for Miles grabbing all of the talismans in that moment, the witch and Belos might’ve gotten away with them. It didn’t matter if they were a family once, Belos still wanted him dead. He tried to tell himself that it didn’t matter, that he had family besides Belos, but sometimes, it was just hard to get over. He’d spent so many years of his life trying to gain his uncle’s approval and love, and it didn’t mean anything.

“Hunter, are you okay?”

Willow’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Um-yeah. I’m fine…what about you?”

“I’m worried, I’m not gonna lie,” Willow said. She squeezed his hand. “But I’m also determined to keep you safe!”

Hunter could feel himself blushing, but it also warmed his heart. “Hey, tomorrow do you want to go out? Just the two of us? Usagi said there was this really nice restaurant not far from the shrine, and I’ve been saving up enough yen doing odd jobs here and there. I thought…it might be nice.”

Willow looked up at him; her eyes were so pretty in the light of the moon. “That’s so sweet, Hunter! Of course I’d love to go!”

“C-cool!”

“You might want to postpone those plans.”

Both Seto Kaiba and Wyll Ravengard walked up the stone path leading up to the mansion, they seemed to have noticed Hunter and Willow hanging out in the courtyard ahead of them.

“What do you mean?” Hunter asked.

“I mean that everyone here tonight is in danger,” Kaiba said. “They can’t enact their little plan if they don’t have at least three of the talismans. I’ve read that much.”

“So Katara was right,” Willow said. “You didn’t return the books.”

“If I had,” Kaiba said. “I would’ve missed one of the most important memories. So long as they don’t get three talismans, they can’t enact their little summoning ritual. I’m not sure what all it entails, but a lot of people will die if that happens.”

At that moment, all the doors in the house slammed shut, as did the windows. The windows fogged up by some purple mist as the screams inside were cut off by coughing and thuds.

“And they’re going to pull it off if we don’t stop them now!”

“We need to find a way in,” Willow said. “Let’s try the back door; I saw Miles and Usagi go out to the balcony earlier. Maybe we can regroup with them.”

All three of them nodded in agreement, rushing to the back entrance. There was some sort of squabble as they heard Giorno yell “MUDA!” A man, with the stature of a statue went careening over the side of the balcony overhead. Wyll acted quickly and pulled everyone away from the man. The man, for his part, was able to grab onto one of the ledges on the lower levels and land on his feet. He glared up at the balcony as they heard glass shatter.

His attention turned to the four of them. “You—all four of you—stay right here.”

Kaiba laughed. “I’d hardly take orders from someone like you.”

He turned to the Wyll, Willow, and Hunter. “This is Miguel O’Hara. I’ve been informed that he’s working with those rogue senshi. Isn’t that right, Mr. O’Hara?”

“You don’t understand,” the man said. “I’m only doing what needs to be done!”

Wyll grimaced. “I think, as two mature adults here, we have very differing opinions on what needs to be done. After all, who blames children for the actions of fate? I’m sure you’re aware fate is a very fickle lady.” He frowned and shook his head. “We can’t control what the deities seem fit to throw at us, but we can control how we approach our own circumstances. We can guide our own fates to something better than was originally intended.”

“You have no idea what we’re up against,” the man countered. “There’s no way to fight back against total erasure. If all spacetime continues to bleed from the very gushy wound, eventually, it’ll give out. It’ll be a total implosion.”

“And you know this how?” Kaiba argued. “Because by my estimates, you have no idea what in the hell you’re talking about. You’re going off baseless assumptions!”

“I don’t have time for this,” the man said.

“Neither do we.”

“Dolor!”

Miguel was blasted backwards by a dark red hue of malevolent energy. He tried to get up again, when he was tossed aside by a red blur that emerged from the ground. The bright yellow grin and red eyes automatically struck terror. “Well hello there!”

“Alastor, what are you doing here?” Kaiba growled.

“Helping a friend,” Alastor said. “Can’t have Mr. O’Hara ruin my fun, can I?”

“You’re the one who started this!” Kaiba argued. “You’re the reason we’re all in danger!”

“No, that’s Mr. Giovanna’s fault. You can discuss that with him later. Oh! Do tell him I look forward to working with him and Mr. Morales in the very near future. Of course, you’ve seen what comes next, haven’t you, Mr. Kaiba?”

“As much as I don’t care for Giorno, Miles is a valuable asset. You keep away from him!”

“Careful, Mr. Kaiba, one might begin to consider you actually have a human heart.”

Wyll shook his head. “He’s trying to distract us! Come, we need to get inside. We can climb the walls!”

“I’ve got a better idea,” Hunter said. “Everybody just lock arms.”

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Because I can teleport us up there. We can help Giorno and whoever else is trying to fight off whoever set off that trap.”

“I'm skeptical that you could, yet intrigued that you may.”

“Just grab an arm!” Willow said.

As soon as they were interlinked, Hunter focused on the balcony and with a few zigs and zags teleported them just above the stone floor, careful to avoid the glass.

There were a few people, already inside, fighting against a group of daimon that looked like one of those weird marionette monsters in Cosmic Frontier. The guests—their friends were passed out and scattered along the ballroom floor, even Hooty was unconscious. And it seemed like he had tried to hit a couple of the monsters before zonking out. Giorno, Miles, Katara, and some old guy they’d never seen before were doing their best to keep them away from innocent party guests, but they were quickly being outnumbered. Not only that, but they seemed to be multiplying every time they were broken by Giorno’s Golden Experience, Miles’s and the old man’s strength, or Katara’s waterbending.

“Hey,” Willow said, turning to Seto. “Do you think you could summon one of those monsters of yours? I think I’ve got a plan. I’m going to group all those monsters together with vines. You hit them with your monster.”

Kaiba nodded. “Go ahead.”

Willow turned back to the monsters, her eyes glowing green as vines sprouted from the marble, ensnaring the marionette monsters. Kaiba shuffled through his deck, placing cards into another field, the graveyard, if Hunter was reading his disc-thing correctly.

“I summon Blue Eyes White Dragon!”

The massive dragon with features of its card name appeared in the room. It threw its head back and launched a beam of light at the marionettes, incinerating them all. Kaiba smirked. “And that’s how you dispose of trash.”

He turned to Willow. “Thank you for your help, it was very kind.”

“Gods, you sound like Astarion,” Wyll said with a laugh.

“Don’t ever say that again.”

Hunter decided to turn to the most responsible person in the room, who could fill them in on what they missed. “Katara, what happened?”

“Eudial released a smoke bomb that knocked everyone out and the horde of daimon that Willow and Kaiba took care of. And now, she won’t leave.”

They had neglected to see Eudial fuming in the corner of the room as others started to wake up. Eudial stamped her foot. “I could just set the whole place ablaze to reduce the stench of failure.”

“Calm yourself, Eudial,” an eerie voice chastised. Hunter’s heart sank as Belos materialized from the floor. “It will all end soon; this wasn’t the proper night. The moon wasn’t full.”

“You understand waterbenders are at their most powerful under a full moon?” Katara asked. “I don’t care who you are, if you try to hurt my friends, I’ll put an end to it!”

“Such fire from a waterbenders,” Belos remarked. “You young heroes are all the same, so arrogant, so strong in the belief that you will always triumph if you believe hard enough. But good, true good, always triumphs in the end.”

The old man laughed. “You can’t be serious! You go around murdering people and still think you’ve got some sort of moral high ground? Not to mention that most of your targets are children.”

“Well said!” Wyll agreed. “Actually, I had a rather similar line of thought just earlier.”

“See?” Belos asked. “You’re all very well the same. You have the same dead ideas, you repeat yourselves, and you will be doomed to repeat this cycle. No matter how the outcome of our future battle plays out, you’re going to face the harsh truth that your truth is faulty. Soon enough, everything will end, and none of you will have to suffer anymore. Isn’t that far more pleasant of an outcome than to keep eternally fighting for heartbreak and evil?”

“You’re wrong!” Hunter objected. Belos looked at him, and even though he never wanted to see his uncle again, he couldn’t help but argue. Sure, it wouldn’t change anything, but he needed to stand up to him! He wouldn’t continue to be his uncle’s pawn. “The only time I was suffering was when I was being controlled by you! I thought we were a family. I used to think you cared, all I ever did was try to earn your respect—you love. But it was never going to happen. Ever since I met Luz, I’ve met friends—people I love—and people who love me! This world is beautiful. Yeah, even this one. Sure, it’s a mess, and not everyone always gets along perfectly, but that’s kind of what makes it special. If we didn’t have our idealism, if we didn’t fight for the people we love, we’d be soulless husks—like you. You can’t steal their hearts! I won’t let you hurt them!”

Hunter waited, but Belos merely sneered at him and turned away.

Before Hunter could speak up, Mr. Ravengard did. “Excuse me, but it seems to me you could at least acknowledge what your son is saying.”

“He’s not my son,” Belos said simply.

“In any case, you raised him, did you not?” Wyll asked, his glare fixed on Belos. “He just poured his heart out, and you can’t even be bothered to acknowledge him?”

“What business is it of yours?” Belos asked.

“For the record,” the old man said. “I think you’re kind of an ass, too. I wouldn’t ignore my daughter or my grandson if they had something important to tell me.”

“I’ll say this now,” Wyll said, drawing a sword that looked like it was made from fire. “You try and hurt any of these children, and I’ll make sure your reanimation ends permanently. I swear on my oath as the Blade.”

“We’ll see,” Belos said. “Come, Eudial. We’ll be off now.”

Belos and Eudial disappeared in the blink of an eye. Hunter’s knees wobbled, he might’ve toppled over if Willow hadn’t grabbed him.

She kissed his cheek. “I think that was very brave.”

Hunter wiped his eyes. “Th-thanks.”

Seto chuckled. “I’m jealous. I wish I could’ve done the same with my…father.”

“Hopefully you won’t have to,” Hunter joked, wiping his hands on his shirt.

“Hey, uh,” Miles interjected. “Sorry to interrupt the moment, but we should probably wake up the others.”

“You’re right,” Seto said. “I’ve got a lot to explain. You’ll stay with me tonight. I can’t risk anyone ending up in the hands of the deathbusters. Not now.”

“What did you find out?” Giorno asked.

“A lot,” he looked at Katara. “I did mean to keep my word to return the books, but this was important. I had to make sure. And I was right. Everything Belos just said confirms it.”

“What did he mean?” Katara asked.

“They need three of the talisman holders,” Kaiba explained. “As long as they can gather three, they can force the rest to follow. I don’t know how, but they’ve built some sort of technology that needs three forms of bio-signatures. Once they’ve got that, every other talisman holder is doomed. And Alastor just gave them a list of every single person who has one hidden inside them. I…received the list from Alastor, too. I think he’s mocking us.”

“Of course he is,” Miles said.

“Let me guess,” Giorno said. “You blame me?”

Seto shook his head. “Given I wouldn’t have made a deal with the Radio Demon, either, it would be hypocritical. That, and I’m tired. If we don’t make our next moves carefully, there may be none to play.”

…

Alastor wiped his hands on his jacket. “Thank you for another forgettable fight!”

Miguel struggled to stand up. “Don’t flatter yourself. The vampire kid and the warlock did most of the damage.”

“And you’re going to boast about that?” Alastor asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Why help them?” Miguel asked. “You’re just going to make them suffer!”

“And you’re not?” Alastor asked. “By Lucifer, they’re right, you really are a hypocrite!”

“…It’s not my intent,” Miguel said. “Under different circumstances, I’d leave them be. But I can’t. I figure you already know that, diablo.”

“It’s Alastor.”

“Alastor,” Miguel said. “Why are some of the spaces blank on the list?”

And reveal a good majority of his clientele, his business partner, her girlfriend, and her father to be talisman holders? He thought not. Besides, his management would definitely have a problem with that, and while he was still tethered to their will, he couldn’t make a slipup that huge.

“Who knows?” Alastor shrugged. “It’s a mystery to me!”

“You’re not one of the—?”

Alastor laughed in his face. “No! I’d never even taken the chance at releasing the lists if I were.”

Alastor paused. “May I ask a question?”

“…Go on.”

“You do know that if you hurt Mr. Morales, I will have to end you, right?”

“Why do you care?” Miguel asked.

“Because those heroes,” Alastor explained. “They’re the key. Perhaps you don’t see the use in them, but I do. You’re a fool if you can’t recognize their souls’ potential. If you leave it alone, I’ll be the one to watch the light leave their eyes. Simply do nothing, and your precious timeline problem will be handled. You can even have the talismans. All I’m interested in is souls.”

“The two are intertwined,” Miguel argued.

“Unless you can separate them” Alastor said. “I can do that. And I feel like Mr. Giovanna and Mr. Morales will be needing to make a deal with me very soon.”

…

When Kaiba said he was keeping everyone at Kaiba Corp, he was serious. He’d brought Miles’s parents from the shrine, just to make sure they were safe, or to make sure Miles wouldn’t go after them if something were to happen. In any case, Miles was grateful.

Right now, everyone was in the couch pit, watching a movie. Mokuba had managed to get Seto to sit down for five minutes and join them, he grumbled about being too busy, though. All of the older people, his parents, Peter, the BG3 Gang, both Mr. Joestars (which was weird because Jonathan turned out to be Joseph’s granddad), Avdol, Luke, Mr. Wright, Mr. Edgeworth, Raine, Eda, Alador, and Darius took up council in a secure meeting room. Miss Fey and Polnareff decided to stick with them, probably because they either got bored during the meeting or they were asked to keep an eye on things. Miles decided it was likely the latter.

Seto had explained everything to everyone else, so the atmosphere was tense. For now, Miles was trying to forget about him and Giorno being a target. He was content to watch this god-awful romance movie with him and their friends as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

“This guy is clearly a stalker!” Sokka complained, pointing at Edward Cullen’s face.

“This movie is trash,” Kaiba agreed. “Who picked this film?”

“You guys need to see the beauty in bad movies,” Sasha argued.

“No, I think pretty boy had it right,” Haruka said.

For some reason, Haruka and Michiru were on the list of talisman holders. Miles wasn’t sure why, and he was kind of curious to know. However, Usagi didn’t want to press the issue. She didn’t want to scare her friends.

“Vampire romance is bullshit,” Jotaro argued.

“Tav seems pretty happy,” William said. “Not every vampire is evil.”

“Because Astarion is such a great example of a stand-up guy,” Kakyoin argued.

“He is helping us, so…” William argued.

“Why is everything in this film blue?” Amity asked. “Not that blue is a bad color, it’s just like, they filmed in blue.”

“Actually, they did,” Steven said. “They put a blue filter over everything to make it seem more creepy or isolated, I think.”

“How do you know that?” Connie asked.

“I…read it somewhere,” Steven said.

“Do you like this movie?”

“It’s got a cute concept.”

“Steven!”

“I agree,” Usagi said. “To love someone so much you’d live forever with them—that’s gonna be me and Mamo!”

“Hopefully I won’t be a vampire,” Mamoru commented. “Though, if I get to be with you, it’d be alright.”

“Aw! Mamo!”

“I regret every single one of my life choices that led me here,” Kaiba muttered under his breath.

As things began to wind down and people started to relax and doze off, Miles felt Giorno pull him closer. “This movie really does suck—no pun intended.”

Miles laughed. “A lot of people watch this film to make fun of it.”

“I guess I could see the value in that.”

Miles leaned against Giorno; today had been long and bittersweet. He was going to sleep for as long as he could, no matter how much his mind begged him to stay awake.

“Hey Miles,” Giorno murmured.

“Mmm?”

“I…wanted to let you know that none of this is your fault. It doesn’t matter what Miguel said. You’re not responsible for any of this. And I’ll help you prove it.”

“Thank you, Gio,” Miles said with a sleepy grin. “And just so you know, I feel the very same way about you. You’re one of the coolest people I know; I won’t let anyone say otherwise.”

“Thank you, Miles, for everything.”

…

Rio Morales just wanted to check in on Miles, even if Jeff said they were fine. The wizard-man, Gale, had set up some sort of protection spell around the building, and he was keeping watch with his strange vampire friend and the knight. This world was weird. The sanest person they’d met was Camila, and she was a saint. She’d gone with her daughter to the ‘Demon-Realm’ to help fight off some sort of slime creature with just a bat.

Astarion had provided them a list of names of people who would be targeted by those evil witches (apparently there was a Wizard of Oz distinction between good witches and bad witches). A lot of the children were being targeted. Rio wasn’t sure what these talismans were, but she did know she wouldn’t let anyone hurt Miles. She was praying that their plan would pay off.

Rio, Karlach, Raine, Gale, Jonathan, and Darius carried blankets, making sure everyone had one. Karlach frowned. “Hold on.”

She glanced around the room, spotted a desk and sighed. She walked over to it, took a quick drink of some sort of potion, and picked up the tall, lanky boy in the white coat who had a paper stuck to the side of his face.

“He’s gonna run himself into an early grave,” Karlach muttered. She laid him down into an open area of the couch, putting a blanket over him. “Poor soul.”

“Wyll is right,” Jonathan spoke up. “You would’ve made a good mother.”

“Nah,” Karlach said, shaking her head. “My child would’ve been absolutely wild.”

She paused. “But it hasn’t been so bad. I don’t mind helping these two. They deserved better than they got.”

Rio smiled. It was nice to see someone happy here. She continued to walk around the room until she found Miles with Giorno. If they were trying to keep anything secret, they were doing a terrible job. Miles had fallen asleep with his head on his shoulder. Rio chuckled and placed a blanket over them. She was sure he’d tell her on his own time.

“Will you help me?”

Rio looked at Jonathan who was standing beside her. “With what?”

“It’s a long story, but Giorno…biologically speaking…he’s mine.”

“I thought that vampire guy was his dad?”

“He is,” Jonathan said. Rio raised an eyebrow. “It’s complicated. The long and short of it is that DIO stole my body. He won, and he wants to ruin Giorno’s life. His life has already been hard, and I want him to know that I’m on his side, but I was long dead before he was born. If I could have protected him, I would have. I want to protect him now. I don’t want DIO to manipulate him or force him into doing something he’ll regret, perhaps for eternity.”

“I…what can I do?” Rio asked.

“Just talk to him,” Jonathan said. “Every attempt I’ve made falls on deaf ears. I don’t know what to do to convince him to let me help. Perhaps, coming from someone he trusts, it might make a difference.”

“I can try,” Rio said. She frowned. “Probrecito.”

Even if Jonathan’s story was a little strange, she wouldn’t allow someone who had protected her son to be turned into some evil, undead creature.

None of these kids would get hurt, not while she was around.

#jjba #pokemon #pure heart crystals #ace attorney #miles morales #owl house #sailor moon #across the spiderverse #avatar the last airbender #kaolinite #danny phantom

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karlachgale95 · 9 months ago

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Hearts of the Multiverse: Chapter Nineteen: Unknown Phantom

He sank deeper into a place that was all shadow; not a trace of light could be seen anywhere. Suddenly, images began to play out. He was back home. Not the Hikawa Shrine, but his home, in Italy. The leather chair he sat in did little to comfort him. The last thing he remembered; he had been poisoned by that Liv woman. This was obviously a trap. He needed to get out of here.

“Giorno?”

Miles was sitting opposite him, on the other side of the desk. He looked just as confused as Giorno felt.

“Did…did we get captured? Is this a trick?” Giorno asked.

Miles shook his head. “No, Trunks helped us get you back to the shrine.”

“I’m guessing Trunks is Mr. Energy Guy, right?”

Miles nodded. “Do you know where this is?”

“Italy,” Giorno said. “My home.”

“This is where you live?” Miles asked. It was a relief when he smiled. “Dude, this place is awesome.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

It surprised him when Miles got up and got closer, almost hesitantly. “I’m sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt.”

“That wasn’t your fault, Miles,” Giorno said. “If it hadn’t been that woman, it would’ve been my father, Alastor, or some other boogeyman.”

“But Doc Ock is my villain, and there’s like a lot of other bad guys out there who probably want revenge. I should’ve thought of that!”

He brought up a good point; no, not blaming himself, but other villains being reanimated and placed here. It had crossed his mind that Squadra and perhaps even Diavolo had ended up here. If they knew he was here, he could be putting a big target on the reinvigorated Passione, himself, and Miles. Still, they were on his territory. This was his home, and he’d be damned if anyone tried to hurt him or anyone he cared about here.

“…Would you stay here with me for now?” Giorno asked. He glanced out the window. Nothing seemed to be amiss. Still, it didn’t hurt to be careful. “I don’t want you getting hurt if my old enemies are out there.”

Miles was quiet for a second before he said, “So, you’ve got some people who are probably against you, too, huh?”

“That’s an understatement…But don’t worry about them.”

They could still be dead. Hopefully they were still dead.

“You know, I’ve never really been outside of the states before,” Miles said. “Well, except that time I accidently traveled to Pav’s world—Mumbattan.”

Giorno blinked. “Never heard of it.”

“It’s like Mumbai, I think,” Miles explained. “Huge place. Wish I could’ve gotten to explore it more. I might be able to—once we finish helping Kaiba with this project.”

“Right,” Giorno said with a snort. “How’s working with him going?”

“Well, he is a jerk, but he knows what he’s talking about. I think we’re making real progress in getting everyone home. However, Kaiba wants to take it a step further. He wants to keep in contact with some of us because he thinks we’d be good for helping him break through more barriers.”

“And what do you think?” Giorno asked.

Miles was quiet for a second and sighed. “I need to break through time. If everything resets, and I’m not there to stop it, my dad could die. If I can get the machine to travel through time and dimensions, I can travel to a specific point to make sure nothing happens.”

“It’d be good for anyone who might want to go back or forwards in time to visit someone they met here,” Giorno said.

“An obvious perk,” Miles said with a small smirk.

Was he…? Giorno shook his head. He couldn’t tell.

A sharp jab to his chest knocked him to the floor and the air out of his lungs. Good to know wherever they were, he could still feel pain. He had to get up, though.

“Giorno!”

Miles stooped down beside him; it was embarrassing to show so much weakness, even in front of, no, especially in front of him. He grabbed onto the edge of the desk behind him and casually (or at least what he thought was casually) began to prop himself up.

“I’m fine,” Giorno assured him. “It’s probably just a lingering symptom. No need to panic.”

“And if it isn’t?”

“I’ll figure it out, Miles.”

He was being shorter than he wanted to be, but he didn’t see any other way to do this without talking in short spans. He couldn’t allow to show any more weakness. This whole new world was just one setback after another, and he was running out of patience with the obstacles he kept encountering.

“Hello?” a voice spoke up. It was unfamiliar—young—male. “Whoever is out there—this ability is very new and very fragile. I’ve tried to reach you in a place you’d feel safe.”

Slowly, a translucent, gray, humanoid figure appeared before them. “Blast it all. I thought I might be able to project myself into this shared dream.”

“Who are you?” Miles asked.

The figure’s hands quickly went to its ears. “One at a time, please. I know you can’t see each other, but I’ve connected to a lot of you. I can hear you.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get my body or face to show, but, like I said, it is a new ability. I’m here to help. I’ve received some distressing visions of the future. However, I think I’ve found a way to counter them. I just need the help of everyone who is seeing me; no one else. Every time we try to involve others, it ends in tragedy. I can’t see any other way around it, and I’m sorry. But, I’ve tried playing out different scenarios, and they don’t work. We’re going to need to work together.”

His voice sounded familiar. Not to anyone he had met in real life, maybe in passing. Perhaps he was an enemy stand user.

The vision of the person began to fade away. “Meet me at the secret library! I’ll explain everything!”

Everything around them began to fade. Giorno shook his head. “Should’ve known this was just an illusion.”

“We’ll get home,” Miles said. “I promise.”

“When you say it, it seems possible,” Giorno said.

Giorno woke up and took in a sharp breath of air. He was back in the Hikawa Shrine. His head pounded and his body ached, more than likely side effects of the venom. Still, he wasn’t dead. The octopus woman probably hadn’t accounted for that, but there was no doubt she would try again.

Behind him, apparently having slept there, were Miles and Jotaro starting to wake up. They seemed surprised to be surrounded by blankets and pillows. Kakyoin was laid out very nearby—a two-to-three-foot distance beside him. Most of the windows in this room were shut up, as if no light was allowed to seep into it. He wondered, for a moment, if his father was there.

However, a smug voice piped up, “How unlucky for a child of a god to be cursed so many times.”

It was that vampire-spawn, Astarion. Jotaro glanced at him then at Kakyoin, who was still sleeping. Jotaro mumbled, “And what do you want?”

“I came all this way, during the day, only to be treated so coldly? I’ve a surprise for Giorno,” Astarion mused. He walked to the door, “Mr. Bronze and Brash, your son is awake.”

“You invited him here?” Jotaro demanded, standing on his feet immediately.

“Calm down,” Astarion said. “You’re thinking of the wrong father.”

“Wait, what are you—?”

A man with dark raven hair, built body, ragged clothes, and a sword strapped to his back walked into the room. It was the man from Mista’s reports: Jonathan Joestar—his other biological father.

“No way.”

“You’re Jonathan Joestar,” Giorno said aloud.

The man nodded. “Yes. And you’re Giorno Giovanna.”

“I assume Astarion told you about me,” Giorno said with a pointed glare to the vampire spawn, who merely smirked in response.

“He did, but I think it’s for the best,” Jonathan said. “After all, it seems there’s a myriad of family here I never would have…had a chance to know.”

“Jiji told me how DIO ended up with your body,” Jotaro said. He glanced to Astarion. “I’m guessing he told you as much.”

“Don’t blame me for keeping track of useful information. It could save your life…or more importantly—mine.”

“Yeah, but how did you know about—?” Miles began.

“Where do you think?” Jotaro asked. “Your ‘saviors’ during the Kaolinite incident. That priest is connected to DIO, isn’t he?”

“Not just connected,” Astarion said. “Lolth herself couldn’t weave a fate so cruel and determined as those two share.”

“Then why bother being a turncoat, if you suspect them to be so powerful?”

“Because no one should have that kind of power, especially not with what they’re planning,” Astarion said.

“Wait,” Jonathan interrupted. “You knew they have some sort of plan—what is this plan?”

“I overheard it in whispers—pillow talk,” Astarion mused. Everyone groaned. Astarion’s face darkened. “He needs something from every single Joestar. His working theory is that if Giorno joins him in immortality, he won’t need what he’ll be taking from him. The rest of you—well—he hardly cares what happens to you.”

“What does he want?” Jotaro asked, standing.

“It’s the priest. He knows there’s something lurking within your souls—something powerful—something that will help them achieve control of the heavens and gods themselves!”

Astarion paused. “Of course, I don’t know much beyond that. All I know is it will be a complete onslaught, should you allow them to continue.”

“Then we’ll just have to beat him before he can enact anything,” Giorno said, standing up. He would not allow himself to become a husk for his ‘father’s’ bidding.

“It may not be that simple,” Jonathan said. “Dio is dangerous, merciless, even. We need to be careful and come up with a plan to counter any arsenal he may command. When we fought, he had a horde of undead soldiers working for him.”

“It’s stand users now,” Jotaro said. “Willing and unwilling.”

“The priest looks pretty willing.”

Another groan.

“You’re all no fun.”

“In any case,” Jonathan resumed, turning to Giorno. “I wanted to meet you. I know this is an awkward situation to say the least, but…”

His voice trailed off, and he seemed to be getting emotional. This degree of sentimentality from someone who might’ve been a father figure in another life was unsettling. Giorno took a step backwards. “Whatever you know about me, you shouldn’t concern yourself with. I’m fine. I can handle this alone.”

“Because that’s going so well,” Astarion commented. He openly scoffed. “Your father could offer you so much help and you’re just—refusing?”

“I lived without a father for fifteen years; I don’t need one now,” Giorno said, trying not to sound bitter. He straightened out his jacket and started toward the door. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got a library to go to.”

“I actually received that dream, too,” Jonathan said. “The woman who runs the secret library, Setsuna is very kind. Astarion, you should go return the books your host stole.”

“And get tossed out like yesterday’s rubbish? No, no, no! I won’t be doing that, thank-you-very-much!”

“Kaiba probably would throw him out,” Miles interjected.

Great. They were stuck with him, it seemed. No. He could probably get out of this.

There was a sudden commotion in the main hall of the shrine. Thank goodness for small miracles.

…

“What do you mean you hired someone new?” Rei demanded from her grandpa.

Yugi wasn’t sure what to make of her sudden flare of anger that had consumed the red sailor guardian. She was probably just stressed by all the people who were already staying here. In any case, the blond guy standing beside her grandfather gave them a small, almost hopeful smile. He’d already been given blue shrine clothes.

Everyone else was still asleep. Yugi had woken up early due to their dream visitor. He had spoken to both himself and the Pharoah. Apparently, they needed to go to the library and there were others who needed to do the same.

“Don’t worry, this young lad is awfully good at predicting the future! He’s like you, Rei!”

“Is that so?” Rei questioned, her lips turning into a sneer. “We’ll see what happens there.”

“Well, that’s good enough for me!” Mr. Hino said, leaving the room while humming some popular song from the 90’s.

Rei shoved a finger into the guy’s chest pointedly. “If you’ve come here to cause trouble, just know it won’t go over well for you.”

“I haven’t,” the guy said. His voice was…familiar. “I’m here to help.”

“It’s the man from our vision,” the Pharoah murmured. “The blank figure. Ask him his name, Yugi.”

“Um, excuse me,” Yugi piped up. “What’s your name?”

“Hello Yugi Muto,” the man said with a small smile. “I am—!”

He was cut off as Luz rushed into the room. “Luke Skywalker!”

The man raised an eyebrow and turned to Luz. “You know, usually, I’m the one who scares people by knowing who they are first.”

“Heh. Sorry,” Luz said, rubbing the back of her neck. “It’s just that you’re an icon in the nerd community.”

“I still don’t trust you,” Rei said.

Luke held up his hands defensively. “I understand. Trust is earned. And I’ll do my best to earn yours, Miss Hino.”

“What are you doing here?” Luz asked. “If you wanted us to meet in the library, why not just go straight there?”

Luke frowned. “I’m not sure why, but one moment, I was celebrating with my friends after the death of the tyrant, Palpatine. And I started receiving visions of people. No, not just people: titles, voices, and events that could, have, and will happen. I was pulled into this world by an entity, a kindly spirit. She told me I needed to prevent tragedy from falling upon those she protects.”

Perhaps the spirit could be related to the Millenium items, but the Pharoah shook his head. “No. Not one who would bring him here to protect us.”

Luke glanced at them, but he didn’t say anything. Could he see the Pharoah?

“Rei! You’ll never believe what I just dreamt…about…” Usagi’s frantic run into the shrine was cut short by her seeing Luke. “Rei, did your grandfather hire someone new?”

“Yes,” Rei said. “This is Luke, apparently.”

He gave her a small wave. “Hello Miss Tsukino.”

“Whoa! You know my name? Also…you’re that guy from my dream!” Usagi bowed up and crossed her arms. “I was having a very good dream about me and Mamo being married and living together before you interrupted it!”

“I’m sorry, but it is important that I talk to everyone today,” Luke said. His face darkened. “I’ve got a feeling something bad is coming this way soon.”

“Like what?”

In walked Jotaro, Giorno, Miles, Mr. Joestar, and Mr. Ancunin.

“Where’s Kakyoin?” Yugi asked.

“Still sleeping,” Jotaro said. “Katara offered to keep an eye on him.”

“Morlun must’ve affected him more than we originally thought,” Rei said. She turned to Jotaro. “We’ll need to make sure he’s not able to attack anyone else again. If you and Zuko hadn’t stopped him, it might’ve been too late.”

Jotaro didn’t say anything, but the scowl on his face said it all.

“…Is no one gonna talk about how the world’s most famous jedi is here?” Miles asked.

“I did!” Luz said.

“He’s also the dream visitor,” Giorno noted. “I recognized your voice. Also, Star Wars is pretty well-known.”

“I don’t care who he is,” Jotaro said. He turned to Luke. “Why should we trust you?”

“I know things seem bad, and you have every right to be weary of me,” Luke began. “However, I want to help—I was sent here to help. I think part of my mission is to gather everyone so that we’ll know who we can count on—who needs to be prepared for the final battle.”

“Against the witches?” Miles asked. “Against Morlun? You’ve gotta be more specific.”

“I will,” Luke assured him. “As soon as we’re altogether. It’s everyone or nothing, it seems.”

“How do you know?” Jotaro asked.

“Because I’ve seen the end of this timeline if we fail,” Luke said. “It’s not…good. Not for us, not for the multiverse, and certainly not for the balance of…everything.”

They sat in silence for a second. It was broken by Usagi. “I think we need to at least give him a chance. I…feel like we should trust him.”

“Plus, he’s Luke Skywalker,” Luz said. “Hero with one of the purest hearts? If he’s here, he’s really putting himself on the line.”

“I mean, unless you count the sequels,” Miles said.

“There are sequels to Star Wars?” Giorno asked.

“And prequels,” Luz said.

Yugi had no idea what they were talking about. It seemed pop culture in his universe differed from their universes. Maybe Luz or Miles could fill him, Joey, and Kaiba in later. It might give him a better idea as to who Luke was.

“Fine,” Jotaro said. He stopped slouching and glared at the possible hero. It was super intimidating. “If you hurt anyone here, I will end you.”

Luke matched his gaze; although, he remained calm. “I would never hurt the innocent. Ever. I took up an oath; as a jedi, it is my duty to protect the world, to protect people, and to protect balance.”

Jotaro stared at him for a second and then shook his head. “Fine.”

He walked off, leaving everyone to chatter amongst themselves. The awkward tension couldn’t be cut with a knife…or by a legendary knight. Was joking at a time like this bad? Yugi decided in a room full of fire and ice, the best idea was to keep to himself, which, after a lot of years of practice, he was good at doing.

He walked into an adjacent room and sat down, turning on the news. Meta News was on; the host went on about some sort of gala happening soon. The anchorman switched to discussing the tragedy at the festival yesterday—how the central park was still under reconstruction from the daimon attacks. Yugi had no clue if they knew Doc Ock, Morlun, Lysandre, Kikimora, and Terra Snapdragon had played a part in yesterday’s excitement.

The Pharoah appeared beside him, glancing at the screen. “At least he’s not as vapid as Vox.”

“What do you think we should make of Luke, Pharoah?” Yugi asked. “Do you think he’s being honest.”

“It’s hard to say, but Luz, Usagi, and Miles seem to trust him. Even Giorno didn’t seem to be too against him. Jotaro is the only one who seems especially weary. However, considering how hurt Kakyoin was, it’s hardly fair to blame him.”

“True,” Yugi agreed. “I’m just not sure, you know? I mean, sometimes even the greatest heroes have turned out to be jerks.”

“That’s what the Boulder was like when we first met him!”

Yugi and the Pharoah turned to see Aang and Danny had joined them.

“Oh, hi Danny, hi Aang,” Yugi said. “Do you guys need anything?”

“Well, we kind of wanted to talk to you,” Aang said. He paused and bounced, further than anyone else could, on the back of his feet. “Listen, as the avatar, I am the official connection between the human and spirit world.”

Uh oh.

“So…then…”

“So, he knows about the pharaoh,” Danny said. He chuckled. “And being half-ghost, I do, too. Look, we just wanted to see if, well, your spirit was friendly.”

“Or if we could talk to him,” Aang said. “I mean, usually I need to be in the avatar state to commune with spirits, but for some reason I can see him. He looks like you!”

They were able to see the pharaoh. Yugi tugged on his jacket. “…so you heard our conversation. Or…probably a lot of them.”

“We didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Aang said defensively.

“Yeah!” Danny agreed with a nod. “We just didn’t know how to approach you about it. Plus, you’re always with everyone else, and if we accuse you of having a spirit attached to you, the others might get the wrong idea. A lot of people, where I’m from, they don’t exactly love the idea of Danny Phantom, you know.”

“Considering how everyone reacted to Giorno’s pact for the longest time without understanding the circumstances,” the Pharaoh began. “You may have a point, Danny.”

“So…are you just the Pharaoh?” Danny asked. “Is it like with that Doctor-guy? You know, you’re just named what you were? I mean, that’s cool. I know a spirit who’s literally called the Box Ghost.”

“I do not remember my name,” the Pharaoh explained. “It’s been part of my mission to find it.”

“Well—maybe we can help,” Aang suggested. “I’ve found things spirits have lost before.”

“Same,” Danny said.

“Don’t worry,” Yugi said with a small smile. “We’ve got this covered! I promised I’d help the pharaoh. Although, I guess being stuck in another world doesn’t really help our situation.”

“I’m pretty good at finding the gap between the spiritual world and the physical world,” Aang said. “If you ever need help, well, looks like I’ll be here for a while. This whole multiple-worlds-thing is a mess. Saving one was hard enough.”

“It’s actually not that bad,” Danny said.

“Have you done this before?” Yugi asked.

Danny nodded. “You meet some interesting people in the multiverse. Biggest surprise was that Ji…” he stopped himself. “Well, let’s just say that I was surprised to not see some familiar faces. Still, it’s like it’s always been: a big baddie is causing havoc and messing with multiple worlds. We’ll stop them, and if Plasmius shows his face, you leave him to me.”

“Who’s Plasmius?” Yugi asked.

“Just some jerk,” Danny said, waving his hand as if swatting at a fly. “We’ve got enough to worry about without worrying about him. So, if he is here, we’ll have to cross that bridge when we get to it. I mean, as long as he isn’t here, it’s probably best not to will him into existence. He’s kind of like Beetlejuice. Don’t even say his name.”

“We’ll take your word for it,” the pharaoh mused.

They were interrupted by Miles, who knocked on the wall of the doorway. “Hey, we’re gonna head out. If…you need to go to the library, you can come with us.”

“Yeah, I think we all kind of got an invite,” Danny said. “Seriously, I can’t believe Star Wars is real.”

“Witches, ghosts, monsters, and demons are real,” the Pharaoh said. “Why be surprised by whatever a Star Wars is?”

Danny laughed, causing Miles some confusion. He stared at them for a moment, probably wondering if Danny had laughed at his own joke. Poor Danny. He turned to Yugi. “I seriously can’t believe you don’t know what Star Wars is. We’ll have to marathon the movies.”

“Yeah, later,” Miles said. “We gotta go.”

He turned and left, pulling his hoodie over his head.

“Geez, dramatic much?” Danny asked.

“He’s probably worried about his friend,” Yugi said. “If Joey or any of my other friends were in trouble, I’d probably want to get going, too.”

“Yugi is right,” Aang said. “Besides, we can always watch movies later tonight! It’ll be a good reward, like Katara used to say after training.”

“Responsibility it is, then,” Danny said.

The Pharaoh turned to the door. “Then, let’s go.”

…

N leaned back against the wall of the large building. The dragon statues were a nice touch, but it needed to be more…fun. During his reign as king of Team Plasma, he’d decorated his room however he wanted; he’d even had a skating rink in the middle of his room. Of course, there wasn’t much time for fun with Ghetsis’s guidance.

Mr. Wright kept thanking Karlach, Miss Clawthorne (and her owl friend), Miss Fey, Mr. Dekarios, Professor Sycamore, and Mr. Halsin for looking after the kids since most everyone was going to be in a meeting. Mr. Wright had a meeting, and Mr. Edgeworth had another. Word was from the tiny Kaiba that his brother would be in a meeting with some executives. N had come with the express interest of finding his friend. After Hilbert defeated Ghetsis, he’d gone missing, sent on some quest to expose others like Ghetsis by that incompetent man, Looker.

The eldest Kaiba, along with some of the others from differing universes, were working on a device that could open rifts back into their worlds. Surely, if they could build something the legendaries themselves could do, then he might be able to help him find Hilbert.

N snuck past the others and took the familiar elevator up. He was reluctant to pull the ‘I helped saved your brother that one time’ card, but to be fair, Seto Kaiba had only done Leone Abbachio a favor—not him.

The upper levels of the building seemed higher than any height he’d traversed with Reshiram. He could’ve sworn he could touch the clouds up here. He stood across the hall—opposite from Kaiba’s office. The brunette security guard glared at him and wandered over to him.

“I thought Mr. Kaiba designated you to help the attorneys in solving who stole his technology.”

“Perhaps,” N admitted. “However, I think that request was more so made to Mr. Abbachio, as it was his friend who asked him to help. I’m here for another reason entirely.”

“If you’re here to cause trouble,” the guard began. “I’ll deal with you here and now.”

“Is that so?” N asked. He shook his head. “No offense, but I doubt you could. Not that I want to cause trouble. I just want help in finding a friend. I think Seto could help do that.”

“Mr. Kaiba,” the guard corrected. “And he’s far too busy to help with something so mundane.”

“Fine,” N said. “I’ll just ask his brother and Karlach. They’re just downstairs.”

He never knew how to deal with people, but he’d seen Ghetsis argue to get what he wanted. Maybe it was bad to imitate him, but he needed to know where his first real friend was. If he even…

“Wait,” the guard said with a sigh. “I’ll let Mr. Kaiba know why you’re here.”

“Thank you,” N said with a nod.

He sat back and watched as the guard walked into Kaiba’s office. N guessed his meeting was over, otherwise that guard would be fired. He heard him tell Kaiba him how ‘the creepy, soulless-looking kid staring through the doorway is asking for a favor.’ It wasn’t anything he wasn’t used to hearing, but somehow, it did manage to strike a nerve. Ghetsis had called him a freak without a soul. The man who had raised him, made him believe in the dream of a world where Pokémon were free from horrible people, where he could do good turned out to be nothing more than a pathetic, lying human.

�� He didn’t even have ‘his’ Pokémon anymore. He freed his team before fighting Hilbert. The only Pokémon he traveled with now was Reshiram, and that’s because Reshiram agreed with him. He hadn’t forced the legendary to go anywhere.

Kaiba looked up from the papers scattered on his desk and eyed N. He shook his head and gestured for him to sit down in the chair in front of his desk. N did so.

“What?”

“My friend Hilbert has been missing for a few months now. I can’t trust the police or other humans. I need to find him, or at least try and save him from where he may unfortunately have been before he went missing. I’ve overheard some of the others talking about how they’re helping you build that multiversal device that manipulates time and space. I need your help to find him.”

Kaiba laughed in his face. That was to be expected. “And why should I use my resources to help you?”

“Because I helped you,” N said. “I’m sure Mokuba would agree with me.”

Kaiba scowled. “You know, using my brother against me didn’t exactly help the last man who tried to do it.”

“So I’ve heard,” N said. He leaned in. “Look, we’re not exactly too different. The Pokémon that guards you tell stories, and other Pokémon hear them.”

When Kaiba raised an eyebrow and tried to talk, N raised a hand to stop him. “Don’t blame them. Most people can’t understand what Pokémon are saying, not even Hilbert could. I’m just…different.”

N leaned back a little. “I’m not good with most humans. The man who raised and manipulated me into becoming a king took advantage of that. For the longest time, the only thing I understood was how cruel humans could be. I did what I thought was right. Hilbert did what he thought was right. We went on different paths, but there was no one I respect more than him. He was my first real friend. I need to find him!”

N only now realized that he was standing up. He murmured a quick apology and sat back down. Cheren had said he got too impassioned and talked too quickly; he needed to keep that in mind.

“I’ll ask you a question,” Kaiba said. “If it was between finding your friend and going home, which would you choose?”

“Him,” N said quickly.

“That was quick,” Kaiba said with a chuckle. “Well, what would he choose?”

“Huh?”

“Would he choose to stay here?” Kaiba asked. “There’s no guarantee this machine would work more than once. So, you two could get stuck here. And if he’s stuck here, with no way to get back, would he be happy here?”

“Being stuck here is better than being dead!” N blurted out.

It was quiet for a moment before N spoke up again, allowing himself to bury his face in his hands. “Could you imagine if the one person you cared about, the only person who made you feel like you weren’t a freak, like you weren’t some soulless husk was murdered by the man who manipulated you your whole life? I’ve been looking for Hilbert for so long, but I can’t find him. I think…I think Ghetsis found him first.”

N looked up at Kaiba and continued. “I can’t just leave him for dead.”

Kaiba rubbed his temples and sighed. “Look, I make no promises, and most of my team is out today. I’ll consider it, but only because I hate being indebted to anyone.”

Kaiba got up and picked up his phone, typing something quickly, a message, maybe. “I suppose it’s good you’re here, anyway. I was going to call a meeting—an emergency action plan for those of us who aren’t geezers too set in their ways. We need new ideas, and since most of my team is in a meeting at a library, I thought it would be good to at least get some details from others on the ins and outs of their universes. The more I know, the more likely all of this is to succeed.”

Although he was trying to downplay it, there was a certain gleam in Kaiba’s eyes. This project was more than altruistic; he had some sort of personal stake in it. As to what, N didn’t know. He wondered if he should be concerned.

No. Not if it brought Hilbert back.

Kaiba could take over whatever business he wanted so long as he helped N.

…

Since the others were gone, Student Council girl, Sokka, Sasha Waybright, and the new guy, Bow decided to try and make plans with everyone else on how to find the Deathbusters hideout. The other sailor senshi had come around to try and help. Try was the keyword. Ami was disappointed in the lack of studying and kept cracking open math books during the meeting, Minako kept flirting with the other new guy—Yukito—to no effect, Rei yelled at everyone to shut up, causing more mayhem than was already happening, and Makoto seemed lost in thought, staring out the windows.

And that was just the sailor guardians. Joey was trying to flirt with Minako, but she was oblivious to it. Hunter kept glancing around nervously while Willow and Gus tried to talk to him. Katara was watching over Kakyoin, so she wasn’t even in the room. Okuyasu kept bugging Polnareff and Avdol with questions about Egypt. The only people who were paying attention were Starfire, Zuko, Suki, and Amity.

Even Arven was out of the loop. Although he’d told everyone he’d moved past losing his parents to their research, he couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of loneliness. And it felt like no one cared. Juliana wasn’t here, Nemona was fixated on battling, and Penny was so isolated, it was hard to know whether she was his friend or not.

This place: the witches, the vampire, and the arsenal of never-ending boogeyman that sprang up out of nowhere creeped him out. And he wasn’t letting anyone or anything hurting Mabosstiff again.

He got up, stretched, and went into the kitchen. Might as well do some food prep while everyone was being so chaotic. He wasn’t about all the noise. He could make ramen today. It was quick and efficient, although he preferred sandwiches.

Arven took a few packages of instant noodles Yuichiro bought the other day and placed them on the counter, then swept over to the cabin, and dug out a pot to put on boil. He began chopping up a few veggies to add to the flavor. It was nice to have some quiet time to himself, and cooking kept him busy.

And that’s when someone decided to walk into the kitchen. Light footsteps patted down the floors. Arven turned and saw Mako glancing at the pot of ramen.

“Hey, sorry,” Mako said apologetically. “It was getting loud in there. Okuyasu accidentally made one of the whiteboards Sokka was mapping his plans onto disappear when he went to write something. So, now everyone’s fighting.”

Arven rubbed his temples, starting to hear echoes of shouting down the hallway. “Of course they are.”

“Nemona said they should have a Pokémon battle to settle it,” Mako said with a slight grin.

“Of course she did,” Arven said, trying to keep his laughter to himself. “Feel free to stick in here if you want to avoid the drama.”

“I’ll take you up on that,” Mako said. She paused. “Hey, how’d you get so good at cooking?”

“Not having parents kind of pushes you to get better at it,” Arven said, his smile faltering.

“Right…I’m sorry I brought it up,” Mako said. “I know how that is. I lost my parents when I was pretty young.”

Arven turned to look at her. “Really?”

Mako nodded. “They died when I was twelve. I didn’t want to go into foster care, so I elected to take care of myself. I get what I need to get by, but it’s hard. I miss them so much.”

“I’m…I’m not sure if I miss my parents,” Arven murmured. “I barely knew them. They were always wrapped up in their work; they never had time for me. How can you miss someone you never knew?”

He sighed and shook his head. “I don’t even care about going back home. There’s nothing and no one to go back to. As long as Mabosstiff is here with me, I’m alright.”

“Surely you have friends, I mean, Nemona always talks highly of you,” Mako said.

“She does?” Arven questioned.

Mako nodded. “Yeah! She says that you’ve been through a lot and that you’re still tough, despite it all.”

Mako walked over to him and started putting the veggies in different bowls. “Furthermore, even though everyone out there is chaotic, I can’t help but think we could all be good friends…if we stop destroying each other’s battle plans.”

Arven laughed a little. “Maybe so. Who knows? Juliana and I became friends, even if I wasn’t very nice or social when we first met.”

“A lot of people here weren’t very nice and social when they first got here,” Mako pointed out. She glanced towards the doorway. Slightly visible was Bow and Amity trying to piece together some of Sokka’s missing notes as said boy moped in silence. “But, it doesn’t have to stay that way. People learn to get along, we learn each other’s situations, and we get to know each other just a little better.”

“Yeah…” Arven’s voice trailed off. “But eventually this has to end, too, ya know?”

“If you have no vision.”

They heard Sokka and Joey audibly groan as the translucent image of Kaiba flickered to life from their wristwatches.

“So much for your feeble notions on friendship,” Kaiba mused.

“C’mon,” Mako said, rolling her eyes. “We should join the others.”

Arven nodded and shut off the ramen. He’d call everyone into the kitchen when they finished up with whatever Kaiba wanted to bother them with. When they got there, they saw a drowsy-looking Kakyoin and Katara standing in the corner of the room. At least they were up.

“What do you want?” Sokka huffed.

“To talk,” Kaiba said. “I’ve been doing some…research.”

“And where would you have acquired this ‘research?’” Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The library, obviously,” Kaiba answered swiftly. “Are you so feeble-minded that you’ve already forgotten about it?”

“I don’t buy it,” Sokka said. He crossed his arms, the faintest hint of a smirk on his face. “Unless you had some proof.”

Kaiba feigned shock. “Are you suggesting I have books on my person? Books we are not allowed to take home? How scandalous. Honestly, that’s more your style, rune-thief.”

“I told you I borrowed those runes from Gale!”

“One: he’s never getting them back. Two: I’ve confirmed with one blood-thirsty source that Gale doesn’t like sharing, as I suspected. Three: None of this matters. We both got what we needed from the library; However, I’ve got information you’ll want to hear.”

“What kind of information?” Mista questioned.

“The kind that can’t be discussed over a phone call,” Kaiba said. “While a lot of the others are away, I thought it might be fruitful to have a meeting amongst ourselves. What I’ve found…it could change everything.”

“For better or worse?” Arven asked.

“Depends on how you look at things.”

“Why do you have to be so vague, Rich Boy?” Joey asked. “Afraid someone’s hacked into your brilliant technology?”

Virtual Kaiba glared at him. “At least I’m being cautious. That’s more than I can say for fools like you, Wheeler.”

Before anyone could argue, Zuko spoke up. “We’ll be there.”

Kaiba nodded before the call was cut. Sokka shrugged. “So much for ‘goodbye.’”

“That’s Kaiba,” Joey said.

“Well, then we better get going,” Bow said. “Don’t wanna be late.”

“We’ll get there when we get there,” Joey grumbled.

“Sounds like you should get going,” the vampire man, Astarion’s, voice called from the other room. “We have a meeting of our own to attend to. As soon as it gets dark.”

That’s right. Mrs. Noceda called a meeting for some of the older people to form ideas on how to progress in this weird situation. Miles’s parents were on board.

“Mr. Astarion,” Amity spoke up. “I can block out the sun in this room, if you need to come in here.”

“Thank you, darling,” Astarion half-yelled. “But I’ll be alright in here. Now, off you all go! We’ve got business of our own to attend to.”

“Alright then,” Amity said. She pointed to the door. “Our friends could be in trouble. Like him or not, Kaiba might have something important to tell us, and I’m not going to pass him up on that. So, let’s go.”

She said it with such authority, it almost sounded like she was much older than them. There was a grumble among everyone in the room as they got up and headed to the door.

…

They got to the library without incident. Although, Miles could’ve sworn they were being watched—probably by multiple unknown phantoms. Two guys stood at the entrance. One was an older guy with longer hair, kind of greasy. He had a detective’s badge hanging loosely from his shirt pocket. A younger man with slicked back brown hair stood beside him. He was more formally dressed than the other guy. Maybe they were on a case.

“Hey, what are you kids up to?” the older man asked.

“Oh, we’re having a meeting in the library,” Luz said.

“’S that so?” the man questioned. “Seems to be a common trend today.”

They glanced at Luke for guidance on how to proceed. He shook his head. “What are you two doing here today?”

“We are here to make sure the safety of civilians and those in our community stay safe,” the other man said, almost robotically.

“Say kid,” the older man interjected. “You look familiar. You an actor or something?”

“No, but I was a pilot,” Luke said with a smile. “And I’m the one who called for this meeting, Detective Anderson. Connor.”

“You’re the one who asked Markus and the others to come here today?” the younger man, Connor asked. “For what purpose?”

“For solutions,” Luke said. “Please, we need to get through, into the library.”

“Like hell we’re just gonna let you walk in there without some proof,” the detective said with a snort. “You’re going to answer a few of our questions first.”

Luke sighed. He looked at the two with an intense stare and waved his hand. “We need to get through. You will let us pass.”

The two stared at him for a moment before parting from the front of the door, allowing them to get inside.

“What did you just do?” Yugi asked.

“I used the Force to…persuade them into letting us in,” Luke explained.

“You manipulated their wills,” Aang said, almost accusingly.

“That isn’t right,” Yugi agreed.

“To be fair,” Danny spoke up. “Sometimes I have to possess people to get them out of trouble. I think it’s kind of the same principle here.”

“Still,” Aang said. “Maybe we could’ve let them ask their questions.”

“You heard them,” Luke said. “There are people already waiting on us. I can’t let them think they’ve been abandoned or led into some sort of trap.”

“Fair point,” Virgil said. “Still, let’s not make a habit of it. Messing with peoples’ minds is low.”

“Agreed,” Yugi and Aang said simultaneously.

Everyone filed into the library, passing Director Clavell, who raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The Doctor, Mr. Wright, Tav, Steven, Madoka, Sakura, and Miss Morningstar were already there, chatting at a table. Sakura was the first to notice them—or rather notice Ash and Frisk.

“Thank goodness you two are here!” Sakura cheered. She glanced around nervously. “They keep using all these scienc-y terms. I can’t keep up.”

“Hope you’re not expecting us to be able to translate,” Ash said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Frisk kept quiet. They were usually a quiet kid, but their frown spoke more than a thousand words.

“I’m beginning to wonder if this is even the right library,” a disgruntled voice murmured in another section of the stacks. The voice paused. He got no response, but he continued. “Yeah, I know Markus said, but what if he’s wrong? …Androids can totally be wrong. That’s why I’ve got Apple products.”

Miles deftly wondered closer to the voice. In one row of the books stood a boy, probably around his age, if not like a year older. He had curly, brunette hair, wore a t-shirt, blue hoodie, and jeans. There wasn’t anything unremarkable about him other than he was talking to thin air. Miles’s spider senses made him tense up. There was someone else here, maybe someone he couldn’t see.

Suddenly, the boy whipped his head in Miles’s direction. For a minute, Miles thought he saw the guy’s eyes glowing blue. Miles raised his hands defensively. “What’s up?”

“Who are you?” the boy asked.

“Miles Morales. You?”

The boy studied him for a second and said, “William Kaplan. Are you…going to the meeting, Miles?”

Miles nodded. “Yeah. So, you got roped into this, too?”

William nodded. “A friend told me it could be good for me to go to this.”

“Hey, if we can beat those witches, then, yeah. It’ll be worth our time.”

William seemed offended by the remark. “Witches aren’t the problem. Those aren’t real witches.”

“Could be a different type of witch, dimensionally speaking,” Miles said.

William shook his head. “No, see, I’ve studied witches from different dimensions. They all have pretty recurring and inherently magical abilities. What those people are doing isn’t a regular witches magic.”

“Sounds like you know your stuff,” Miles said.

William grinned. “You could say that.” He peered over his Miles’s shoulder. “Oh, um, hello.”

At this point, Giorno had walked over and looked over William’s shoulder with a sort of disapproving glare. “Hello.”

To Giorno’s credit, William did look a bit nervous now. But he couldn’t be an enemy. Luke wouldn’t have asked him here if he was, right? Jedi powers should be able to prove that much!

“Dude, you’ve gotta stop sneaking up on people,” Miles said with a small smile. No reason for things to get tense. “Giorno, this is William. William, this is Giorno.”

“Buonasera,” Giorno spoke coolly.

William either didn’t notice or pretended not to notice. “Is—is that Luke Skywalker? I thought I heard Mark Hammill’s voice in that dream! All my friends think Harrison Ford is hotter, but Mark Hammill is just so much better; he’s also super outspoken about his support for the community.”

He stopped. “I can’t believe you’re working with him. Maybe you can learn how to be a Jedi from him.”

“I think I’m set for now,” Miles said. “I’ve seen the movies. I don’t want to have to carry around Yoda in a swampy trench all day.”

“You make a good point, Miles,” William said. “Still, no reason to reject the opportunity if it arises. It could be good for both of you. Especially if you’re so worried…”

His voice trailed off, and he shook his head. “Never mind.”

“If you had something to say,” Giorno said, narrowing his eyes at William. “Why don’t you say it?”

William looked around and leaned in. “Not here. You’re better off not hearing it at all.”

“Why?” Miles asked.

“You never know who’s listening,” William said. “Or who’s watching you.”

“What do you know about us?” Giorno asked, or more-so, demanded.

“Not any more than what you’ve told me,” William said.

“Hey William, who’re your new friends there?”

Three people joined him—all of them looked like they were in high school: two girls and one boy. The boy was shorter than the girls. He wore black clothes that resembled a uniform and a red cloak with a strange symbol on it. He had longer blond hair tied into a ponytail, and he kept one of his hands hidden with a glove. The taller girl wore a bulky grayish-green jacket, jeans, and kept her long blond hair underneath a black ballcap. The last was a girl with shorter, auburn-brown hair. She wore a simple outfit: pink blouse, gray jacket, and jeans. She had a pricey camera hanging from her neck.

“Hey guys,” William said. “Guys, these two are Miles and Giorno. And these are my group. We’ve been staying at a hotel down the road for the past three weeks.”

“Wait, you’ve only been here three weeks?” Miles asked.

Camera girl nodded and shook both their hands. “What’s up? I’m Max. Max Caulfield.”

“Rose Winters,” the other girl said nonchalantly.

The other guy was immersed in a book. He didn’t pay them any mind. Max spoke up for him. “And the rude guy is Edward.”

“Well, excuse me if our ticket home might be riding on me keeping my focus,” Edward said, not tearing his eyes from the book.

“How long have you guys been stuck here?” Max asked.

“A few months now,” Miles answered. “And we’ve seen a lot.”

“Including the witches?” Max asked with a small smirk.

“They’re not witches!” William argued. “They’re like…genetically designed monsters.”

Rose scoffed and rolled her eyes.

William shrank back. “Sorry, Rose.”

“Alright everyone,” Luke’s voice echoed through his mind. “We need to go to the secret room.”

Miles rubbed at his ears, the sensation of someone echoing in his mind was unpleasant, even if he was an ally.

“Why is he so loud?” William complained. “Uncalled for.”

“Kind of sounded muffled to me,” Rose said.

“In any case,” the Edward guy said, his tone stiff and annoyed. “We should get going.”

Keeping his book in his face, he started ahead down the secret passageway.

“What’s that guy’s deal?” Miles asked.

“He’s trying to get back to his brother, plus the only other person who came here from his reality is a jerk,” Max explained. “Apparently, there’s something wrong with his brother. So, he wants to get back as soon as possible to fix it.”

“I understand that,” Miles said.

And he did. Even when they got home, he’d still need to find a way to help his parents survive. Perhaps he and Edward could help each other.

…

Darius Deamonne was no stranger to worry: starting a secret rebellion with Eber and Raine, trying to stop Belos’s Day of Unity, trying to remove coven sigils with Alador (of all people), and now being stuck in a world where his son’s life was on the line was quite a lot. He merely wished they were back in the Boiling Isles and everyone else was—wherever they needed to be.

They were using a dark room in the Hikawa Shrine to conduct their meeting today. Seems like he wasn’t the only concerned parent in the room. Luz’s mother was there, so were Edalyn, Raine, Lilith, and the ridiculous bird tube. Unfortunately, Alador was also here.

“Too bad Wyll and Karlach couldn’t be here today,” Astarion mused. He leaned over to Lae’zel and Shadowheart. “You sure you trust those two with your little…egg?”

“Xan can handle himself in battle,” Lae’zel said. “I’ve taught him self-defense.”

“And I provided some of the more advanced lessons in being a cleric,” Shadowheart said. She smiled softly. “Besides, it seems Wyll and Karlach are well-suited to parenting.”

“I only jest,” Astarion said. “It’s almost too saccharine that they would be such good parents.”

Gale closed the copy of The Good Witch Azura that Luz had lent him. Across the room Eda scowled. Darius was surprised she wasn’t lime-green with jealousy. “We’ll have to tell them what we discuss today.”

“Where to start,” Stolas commented sardonically. “The vampire? The witches? There are just so many great options.”

“Bet that vampire guy wouldn’t be a problem if I were around when he tried to do something,” Lucifer chimed in. He crossed his arms. “That’s probably why I’ve never seen him. He’d be ashes in seconds.”

“With all respect that is due to a devil,” Astarion quipped. “You’re quite the shut-in. Not even Mizora would be afraid of you.”

“I don’t know who that is,” Lucifer said, straightening his coat. “But I’m sure it’s an insult.”

Gale gave him a nod.

“Who cares?” Mrs. Morales demanded. “What we need to be focusing on right now is how to get rid of those guys so our kids can be safe!”

“Rio is right,” Camila agreed. “And that may mean stepping outside to try and find a way to deal with this vampire guy. He’s after a lot of our babies, including Luz.”

“Not to mention the witches,” Darius added. “Hunter—our kids are strong—however—these witches keep finding new ways to try and collect these supposed talismans from everyone. And now Kikimora is working with them. She knows Hunter has one, and given old grudges…”

“Not to mention Terra,” Raine interjected. “She’ll do whatever it takes to get ahead. If these witches are an organization, as they are presenting themselves to be, well, there’s no corporate ladder Terra won’t try to climb.”

“That’s for sure,” Darius agreed. It was as though there was a heavy boulder in the pit of his stomach now.

“Seems like your rugrats have thrown rocks at multiple wasps nests,” Astarion remarked. “So, here’s the question: what kind of pest control do we use to solve our problem?”

“The vampire is allergic to radiation,” Gale said. “Not very shocking for a vampire. And ambition can easily be undone. If there’s anything I should understand, it’s that. Perhaps we can ruin them with their own ambition. Our radiant magic may not be as strong as Dame Aylin’s, but given enough time, we may be able to use the spells I’ve studied combined with some of the runes I’ve been studying through the Boiling Isles history books.”

“Are you suggesting we trap them like they trapped you?” Raine asked. “I don’t think I like where this is going.”

“Just hear me out,” Gale said. “I’ve been reading some books on plausible futures. It seems the more power an individual has, the more they place a target on their back.”

“So what are you suggesting?” Mr. Morales asked, his eyes narrowing upon the wizard of Waterdeep. “That we try and get our kids to show off as some sort of bait? Are you crazy?”

“Not the children,” Gale said, taken aback. “Gods no! I was talking about us!”

“That would make a lot more sense,” Alador said. “Although, as I’ve began to notice, our kids have a rebellious streak. They might try to get involved.”

“Then we don’t let them know we’re doing it,” Mr. Edgeworth spoke up.

“Yes, well,” Gale continued. “Considering only some of us have a vast quantity of magic, perhaps we should be the ones to put on a display?”

“But what if one of us…” Shadowheart’s voice trailed off.

“It’s a risk we’ll have to take,” Eda said. “Look, our kids are in danger, if we can help them, then, well, we should. No matter what the cost.”

“I agree with the Owl Lady,” the older Peter Parker said with a nod. “Besides, I can distract both the witches and Morlun.”

“Then all we need is a place big enough to set off a giant, radiant glyph-spell,” Gale said.

“We can use the stadium,” Champion Leon said. “It should be large enough to make sure we get them all.”

“Then we can be done with this,” Lae’zel said.

“Alright,” Gale said. “Miss Clawthorne, I’ve been told you’re great at finding magical ingredients. May inquire your help in this mission?”

Eda scoffed and shriveled up her nose at the wizard. However, Raine gripped her hand. Darius could overhear them whisper. “Think of Luz and King.”

“All of this is well and good,” the silver-haired man in the tight clothing said. “But you’re still not thinking about a pertinent issue.”

“What’s that?” Gale asked.

“DIO,” the man beside Mr. Tight Clothes said. “If we get rid of all the other monsters, he’ll still be a huge threat to us all. I’m sure, for whatever reason he’s been brought back, that he plans to kill the Joestars and any of their allies.”

“Actually,” Astarion spoke up. “He fancies himself a god. When we were at that dingy hotel—.”

“Watch it,” Lucifer warned, his fingertips sparking with little embers.

“Lovely hotel,” Astarion corrected, straightening his shirt. “He went on about how he’d use whatever power he collected from this universe to reset the timeline. Given that this world seems to run on the souls of the past and passed, how the priest can mess with souls or remove them entirely, and how, as we’ve been discussing, there are plenty of powerful souls here, Brawn and Beauty and his sexy soothsayer are right.”

“This would’ve been important information months ago!” Lucifer said. “You know, when you were staying at the hotel? Charlie and I could’ve done something!”

“I’m not so sure,” Astarion said, leaning back against the wall. “You’re powerful, sure. But he’s clever.”

“And that’s to say I’m not?” there were flames dancing in the devil’s eyes.

“It’s not a matter of not having intelligence, Darling. I’m sure you’re…capable in that department. However, this man is dangerous. And I worry over the limited amount of scheming I saw. If he’s so sure he can reset everything, if he’s beaten and killed so many, we should at least be weary and emotionally mature on our chances of beating him.”

“We beat Cazador,” Shadowheart said. “We defeated a Master Vampire once; we can do it again.”

“Who can stop time,” Astarion said. “We’ve got to be careful, Shadowheart. I’m sure he has no qualms over a few dead children. He doesn’t even care if his son…not really, anyways.”

“Don’t tell me you’re starting to worry over people other than yourself? Not truly our pale elf?” Gale teased.

“No one should be controlled, especially not by their own father,” Astarion said. “It was bad enough with a bastard like Cazador.”

Astarion looked up at everyone. “If he’s willing to hurt his own child just to get what he wants. What do you think he’ll do to yours?”

There was a quiet amongst the room. The odds were overwhelming, horrifying, and never-ending. Still…

“I don’t care what it takes,” Darius spoke up, standing from his seat. “I’ll use whatever magic I have to in order to keep my son safe. And you all should, too. What’s one more monster? If their destruction means the safety of our children, then I’ll find whatever I need to make it happen.”

“It’s going to be hard work,” Avdol said. “It wasn’t even easy to find him when we last tried. I died during the process. There are going to be a lot of risks, perhaps even some casualties.”

He stood up. “Do not feel pressured to join immediately. But I’m going to start tracking where he may be. We’re going to stop him once and for all this time.”

It was quiet for a second before Lucifer also stood. “I guess that’s meeting adjourned. We sort of have a plan. And I can help with the stupid, overpowered vampire. Would’ve been nice if someone mentioned him EARLIER!”

“Well, I didn’t know exactly how evil he was, did I?” Astarion said.

As the group began to argue amongst itself, Darius sensed someone standing behind him. Much to his annoyance, it was Alador.

“Yes?”

“I know you’re stressed over Hunter’s safety. I just wanted to let you know…you’re not alone. I’ve been working on a new design for an abomaton that tracks daimons. I’m trying to make its speed faster so it could be there in mere moments of an attack. Would you like to join me on this project?”

Darius blinked. Sure, Alador was annoying. However, he had a good heart. And it was nice to see him taking initiative to become better and more involved.

“I suppose I would be up for this,” Darius said. “But you buy the work snacks.”

Alador cracked a smile. “Then let’s get to work.”

…

Walking into Kaiba’s monster of a building somehow annoyed him more than he already was with all this monster hunting. Not to mention Okuyasu had erased his most recent chapter on possible daimon weaknesses. Zuko and Katara both argued garlic was probably not one of them. Still, he’d worked hard on that list of possibilities.

As Sokka walked through the lobby towards the elevators, he heard someone call out. “Hey! Where’s Twinkletoes?”

Toph walked over to them. She was followed by a couple of the kids: Chibiusa, Mokuba, Wally, King, and the Collector.

“Let me guess?” Sokka mused. “Babysitter left you to another babysitter.”

“It’s fine,” Toph said. “I’d rather be here learning from Karlach and Wyll. They’re so cool. Although, Wyll blabbers on about sword safety way too much.”

“It’s pertinent!” Bow objected.

“Just don’t go too crazy, Toph,” Katara said. “You don’t want to end up hurting yourself.”

Toph scoffed. “Yes, Mom.”

“Take the elevator to the top,” Mokuba instructed. “Big brother will be waiting for you there.”

“Thank you, Mokuba,” Katara said with a smile.

“No problem!”

The group followed his instructions and took the elevator. Almost the entire floor was an office space dedicated to one person: Kaiba. Some people were already there: Connie, Gwen, Gladion, Via, Raven, Koichi, Mami, and Pav.

Pav waved and smiled at them. “Hi guys!”

Kaiba eyed them. Sokka felt like sticking out his tongue, but Katara would probably rattle on about immaturity. “Take a seat.”

There were numerous chairs. Suki grinned and pulled him along to the front with her. She whispered in his ear. “Let’s see how great this intel really is.”

Sokka nodded. “It’s probably nothing important.”

Kaiba walked up to the front and clicked something on his watch. A large building appeared on the screen next to him. There colorful, prismatic pictures in place of windows in the building. Kaiba gestured to the building. “I was reading the history of Eudial in the library this weekend. Apparently, this is where it all ends with her, and there’s several ways it can play out.”

Okay, this was decent information.

“It was a little vague on the location,” Kaiba said. “Until it mentioned one of the stain glass windows depicted the Mother Mary in an entire purple hue. So, I did my research. There was an abandoned church an American minister abandoned—something about tax fraud and secret occultism. More to the point, I finally found it!”

“So, what do we do with this?” Via asked.

“Yeah,” Joey interjected. “Just because we have the place, doesn’t mean we got a plan.”

“I was getting to that. If you just paid attention for longer than a millisecond, I wouldn’t have to constantly keep pausing just so you can catch up.”

Joey grumbled something, but Sokka couldn’t hear him. Sokka decided to speak up. “Okay then, what’s your brilliant plan?”

“There’s a multitude of options,” Kaiba droned on. “We could just destroy the church. There can’t be a cataclysm if the event has nowhere to take place.”

“Logical fallacy,” Gwen interjected. “Just because a place a tragedy occurs is destroyed, doesn’t mean the event won’t happen. We tried to stop Spot by getting ahead of him, but he ended up gaining powers from our attempts to counter him.”

“Plan B, then,” Kaiba said. “We figure out who holds a talisman and hide them until necessary precautions are taken and the threat is eliminated.”

Sokka shook his head. “There’s no way for us to tell without the witches attacking first. And from what Giorno told us, that Pucci guy isn’t going to help us out again unless Giorno joins his dad. And that’s a no-go. Besides, holding a bunch of people hostage in the same place isn’t healthy or a good idea. Even if you had the best technology in the world, they always seem to have something better, something that can help them locate and get to pure hearts. So, it’d be really convenient for them to have them all in the same place. Besides, hiding out while everyone else is fighting monsters is reductive. Everyone else might now have enough man-power to beat whatever it is that’s going to happen in the future.”

Kaiba after a few moments of silence sighed. “What do you suggest?”

“Training,” Sokka said. “If you’ve got a specific date this is going to happen, then we’ll need that, too.”

“Training? Really? That’s your answer?” Kaiba questioned.

“Just tell me when this is supposed to happen,” Sokka said.

“Two weeks from now.”

“Two weeks?! Can’t you read through your stolen books faster?” Sokka asked. “This would’ve been valuable information earlier!”

“It…was the last book in the pile,” Kaiba said. “Out of the ones I just recently borrowed.”

“How many books have you taken from the library?” Katara asked. “We were supposed to keep them there!”

“Like your brother is any better than me,” Kaiba said. “Although, it’s foolish to not see the value in the information. We needed them.”

“You’re hypocrites!” Katara argued. She turned to Sokka. “What happened to Mr. Stealing is Bad?”

“I needed to know how to protect everyone,” Sokka said lamely. “And I found out how Gale does his magic. I helped everyone in the woods. Also, I’m on a breakthrough of finding their weaknesses; I know it!”

“I just thought you would’ve learned something from the lost library,” Katara shot back. She glared at both him and Kaiba. “You should return those books as soon as possible.”

“These books are safe here,” Kaiba said. He picked a book from the pile and handed it to her. “This book is on us. Everyone in this room has a chapter or two dedicated to them. Your entry is pretty vast, Katara. By the way, bloodbending seems fascinating.”

That was the worst thing he could’ve said. They all heard the slap before they saw Katara’s hand make contact with Kaiba’s face. Her nostrils flared before she spoke up again. “Don’t you ever bring that up with anyone else. Ever. You have no idea what you’re meddling in. If you really are as smart as you claim to be, you’ll take that book back to the library and forget anything you learned.”

Zuko got up and crossed his arms. “You two need to listen to her. I’m going to go talk to her.”

With that, the firelord left, leaving an awkward silence in the room. No one dared to say a word. Even Kaiba seemed to be lost as to what to say.

With that, she stormed out. Kaiba rubbed his face and shook his head. “No wonder you won your war.”

“She can get scarier,” Sokka said. “Seriously, never bring that up again. That was really stupid.”

Kaiba seemed stunned still. He cleared his throat and straightened his jacket. “Noted. Perhaps…she has a point about the books. However, I don’t trust that library. If a faux evil villain can just access those books without so much as a second glance, then, who else can? And there’s stuff in here about my brother—about all of us.”

“I get where you’re coming from,” Sokka said sympathetically. “I want to protect my family, too. But, honestly, there’s just so much derision right now.”

“If you two would just listen to Katara like Zuko said,” Suki interjected. “You know, maybe we wouldn’t get into these petty arguments. That means no incessant picking, no looking through other people’s business, and no general hostility. It’s like I told you in the very beginning, Sokka. You’ve gotta use your opponent’s strength against them. And right now, their hugest strength is their unity. That’s something we don’t necessarily have.”

She turned to Kaiba. “We probably need to try this again, and next time, you better not insult my best friend, otherwise, you’ll be getting worse than slapped.”

Kaiba sighed. “That all sounds like something Yugi would try to sell me on.”

“Have you ever considered he might be right?” Ami asked. “No matter how smart you think you are, you can only improve when you get to know others and try to understand where they’re coming from. If we’re going to be a team, we need to build trust and comradery.” She smiled. “We could all be friends. This isn’t a fight we need to face individually or alone.”

Kaiba simply nodded.

…

As Ash and Sakura chatted amongst themselves, Frisk was internally panicking. Huge chunks of their memory were missing. This timeline had more people than last time. Who was this new William guy? He wasn’t in the last timeline. And why were there so many timelines? Who had been resetting them?

They couldn’t touch this timeline. They’d tried to rewind things several times, and nothing had come of it. It scared them—not knowing what was coming, going, or how they could change it.

To add onto all this worry, Frisk had a vague idea that something bad was coming up soon. If only they could remember what.

Luke’s voice snapped them out of their introspection. “You may be wondering why I’ve gathered you all here today.”

“Concerned, wondering, it’s all the same, really,” Miles said.

“Hear me out,” Luke said. “I gathered everyone here with a purpose. The spirits who sent me here told me that there were distinct champions from every universe who would need to defeat an evil set in stone. With every reset, it’s been getting stronger; that’s why more people have been revived and thrown into this situation. These layered timelines can’t take much more stress. I’ve been told this is probably our last chance to get it right. However, the reason why I’ve summoned you all specifically is rather…important.”

“Let me guess,” Jotaro said. “We get to play champion for a bunch of ‘spirits’ who can’t be bothered to help us out.”

“Spirits generally can’t interact with the human world,” Aang explained. “If they do, it makes them vulnerable. We almost lost the moon once because Tui was murdered in their physical form by Admiral Zhao. I can’t say I blame them for not wanting to add more stress onto us.”

“I know it’s a heavy burden,” Luke said. “But I think we’re this nexus’s last hope. If we don’t fix things this time, everything could end. They chose us for a reason. And…unfortunately…I think we’re the only ones who can do it.”

“Well, this all sounds like a bunch of fate and destiny fairytales,” the Doctor interjected. “It’s all well and good for a story that follows the Hero’s Journey, but it’s a bit loony and ungrounded.”

“You have to believe me,” Luke said. “I know it may seem farfetched, but I was told the only way we win this is by all of us uniting at the end.”

“And how do we do that?” Edward asked. “I’m on long-coat’s side here. There’s absolutely no scientific evidence for any of this.”

Voices began to talk amongst one another. The sound was becoming almost overwhelming. Frisk covered their ears to try and block out some of the noise. That’s when a man they’d never seen before stooped down in front of them. Generally, Frisk didn’t like other human adults. Most of them were…cruel.

He had dark hair, wore an expensive suit, and was super huge. “Are you alright?”

Frisk shook their head. Another man came up to them. He was just as huge, wore a tan coat, white t-shirt, and jeans, but he had blonde hair. Great. There were more of them.

“Maybe we can get you out of here,” Sakura suggested.

“I don’t see how a child should be involved in this, Bruce,” the blonde man said.

“I don’t either, Steve.” The dark-haired man sighed. “Dick is here, too, as I suspected. He and Virgil are keeping a distance, for the same purpose, I guess.”

“If this resistance is made up of children, it’s probably for the best we’re here,” Steve countered. He smiled at Frisk. “Don’t worry, kid. We’ve got your back.”

“We won’t let anything bad happen to anyone here,” Bruce agreed.

“What are you guys?” Ash asked.

“Just people looking out for the future,” Steve said. “You can trust us.”

“Everyone,” a voice just in front of them called out. It was another man. He had bright, blue eyes, wore a sort of cream, oversized coat, and gray clothes. “My name is Markus. I know how scary all of this sounds. Some of you are very young, just beginning to find out what you want to do. Everything is on the line, and that’s scary. But I promise you, if we work together, we can prevent casualties. We can protect our loved ones, the places and things we care about. This isn’t a time for fear. No, this is a time for unity. And I look forward to being able to work with you. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep the family I’ve found safe; you can, too. Being chosen, being unordinary, being special doesn’t have to be bad. We’ve just got to fight for a better future.”

“Guy is pretty good at inspiration, isn’t he?” Steve asked.

Bruce nodded. “There’s something…uncanny about him.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Steve said.

“I think you’re right. I probably will,” Bruce said.

…

Chosen ones. It was so cliché, it was funny. To Giorno, it was just one more problem. Not to mention Miles had wondered off somewhere with Luz and Usagi.

And now that William kid was standing in front of him with the strange, murder-encouraging ghost hovering over his shoulder. She wasn’t a stand. Just a regular person. She looked like she could be an evil version of the Owl Lady. Most of the other ‘chosen ones’ had elected to leave, having gotten all the information they needed. Luz and Miles had wanted to stay behind to see if they could find anything else that could help them.

“Look, Giorno,” William began. “I’m not trying to start anything, and I think you can see Agatha.”

“And hear her,” Giorno said. “Is she going to stop suggesting you murder all of us?”

The witch, Agatha grinned. “All I’m saying is he could really get a power-boost from some of you. Especially you, kiddo.”

“Agatha,” William muttered, almost in warning.

“So…how’d you end up with a murder ghost?” Giorno asked.

“You’re strangely calm about this.”

“I can kick your ass if you try anything,” Giorno said with a shrug.

“Feisty,” Agatha said, imitating a cat for emphasis.

“You can’t get rid of her?”

“He could,” Agatha said. “But Little Billy would miss me.”

Billy? Probably a nickname. Probably. Not the right detail to be focusing on.

“Ahem.”

The two turned to see two men. One had silver hair pulled into a ponytail. He wore a suit and flats. The other was a man in white button-up shirt, red-striped vest, slacks, and nice shoes. He wore glasses and a wide smile. Something about that smile was…distressing.

“Hello!” the man with silver-hair said. “You must be Giorno Giovanna, correct?”

“Ignored, rude,” Agatha said.

“That depends; who the hell are you?” Giorno asked.

“I’m a friend, I assure you,” the man said. He was holding something. Giorno preemptively summoned G.E. The man drew out a book. “This is a list of names. The names are of people who possess talismans. Perhaps there are even methods of keeping them safe. It could be of real value to you.”

The man looked pointedly to Miles who was laughing with Usagi at something Luz had said. No. No. No. No. Not him. On top of everything else?!

“I can give you this book,” the man said. “We can shake on it and make it happen.”

He held out his hand and so did the other man who had been strangely quiet this whole time. Wait. A handshake. That’s how he…

“Which one of you is Alastor?” Giorno asked.

“And I was so confident you’d be desperate enough to ignore that,” the man in the vest spoke up. Yep. Definitely Alastor. “Still, it doesn’t really matter if you know who I am. More so that what’s in this book is true. After all, we got it from this library. And if my understanding is correct, everything recorded here has already happen. He has a real chance of dying, you know? It’d be a shame if you’d known there was something you could’ve done to prevent it.”

“And who are you?” Giorno asked the other man, trying not to lose his composure. He had to keep collected.

“My name is Vlad. That’s all you need to know about me.”

“Why are you helping Alastor?” Giorno asked.

“Because I wanted to see how these deals work,” Vlad said. “If this one is successful, perhaps I can make my own with young Daniel.”

“Danny? What’s he got to do with this?”

“Oh, it’s nothing that concerns you,” Vlad said. He waved the book in front of Giorno’s face. “So, what do you say? Are you just going to let this opportunity pass you by?”

He held a small purple fire in one hand and dangled the book in the other. “This could be your only way to save your friend.”

“Don’t take his deal,” William warned. “It’s true that book contains a lot of important information, but there’s one thing he hasn’t accounted for.”

“Oh? And what’s that?” Vlad asked smugly.

“I’ve never been in a single one of these timelines before. You’ve got next to no information on me.”

Vlad’s hand was able to move two inches closer to the flame before he froze entirely. Giorno looked over at William. His eyes were glowing a bright blue. In one swift jerk, he flung both Alastor and Vlad in opposite directions, while pulling the book into his own hand.

“Hey, Danny!” William called out. “I think this guy’s your friend!”

Danny glanced up from his conversation with Aang and Yugi. He caught eye of Vlad and clenched his fists. “You!”

“What?” Vlad questioned with a smirk. “Not hiding your true identity here, Daniel? You’ve gotten sloppy!”

“You’re the one who’s sloppy, if you think you’re getting away!”

Vlad grinned, morphed into some sort of grandiose, green-skinned, vampire-looking, cape-wearing phantom and flew through the library. Danny did the same and went in the same direction. Giorno looked at Alastor. “A bit dramatic, even for you, isn’t he?”

“I suppose you win this time,” Alastor said. He leaned in. “Giorno. You need to read his chapter. Read the possibilities. You need to understand how your choices will affect everyone.”

“He just wants you to read so you think you’ll have to take his deal,” William said.

“A mind reader?” Alastor raised an eyebrow. “That’s what you are, isn’t it?”

Before he could ask anything else, a straight shot of purple energy jolted him across the room, making him resume his true form. Agatha smirked. “Hey, I’ve still got some of my purple. Hey, scrawny prick, I know you can hear me. Leave the boy alone. I’ve got claim over haunting him for the rest of his life first.”

Alastor looked from her to the rest of the room. “Remember what I’ve told you, Giorno. You’ve still got time to change things.”

“He’s not selling you his soul!” Miles said, rushing over to where they were. “Now, you can either leave, or I’ll fight you. But if you choose the latter, you’re gonna lose.”

Alastor shook his head. “How adorable.”

With that, he faded into the shadows and probably out of the library.

“What an asshole,” Miles murmured.

Jotaro and Josuke walked over to them. Jotaro was the first to speak up. “You alright, kid?”

“I’m only two years younger than you,” Giorno objected.

“Question still stands.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry, I’m not making any deals with Alastor…or others…if that’s what you’re worried about,” Giorno assured him. Or none that he would admit to now.

However, what concerned him most was Alastor wasn’t even upset over losing the book. He wanted Giorno to have that book. Why? How many ways could he lose the person he cared about most? He felt tempted to open the book now.

William put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t. I’ll check over it tonight for curses. We can go over it together.”

“What are you?” Giorno questioned.

“I’m a witch,” William said.

“Pretty sure you’re like the tenth witch we’ve met,” Josuke said. “So, does every witch have different…witch abilities?”

“I can see he’s the brain trust,” Agatha commented.

“We can hear you,” Jotaro said.

Williams stepped in quickly. “Let’s not say anything untoward. Let’s just cool it. Alright?”

“I didn’t say anything,” Jotaro said.

“Your thoughts said everything,” William said. “Please, I’m begging you, for your own sake, keep your snarky remarks to yourself.”

“You’re not going to let Little Billy censor you, are you?” Agatha pressed.

“Shut up,” William said with a shoosh.

“Did you just shoosh me?”

“I did because you’re trying to start something!”

“Me? I’d never!”

“Giorno,” Miles spoke up. “Are you okay? Did Alastor do anything?”

Giorno shook his head. “No. I’m fine. Trust me, Miles.”

“Well, that’s good,” Josuke said. “I’d knock him down for you, great-grand uncle.”

“Our family tree is fucked,” Jotaro muttered, with a small grin.

“Hah!” Josuke laughed. “I got you to smile.”

As they droned on, the temptation to open the book was overwhelming. No. He knew William was right in this case. It could be full of traps or tricks, especially considering the source. He needed to wait. For now.

Luz and Usagi had rejoined Miles; Luz started a conversation with William. They began to prattle on about their individual experiences with being witches. Usagi and Miles started their own conversation; the two of them were in danger. Both had pure hearts that no doubt Eudial would try to steal. He had to figure out when and how. There had to be a way to prevent it. He wouldn’t allow either of them to become fodder for some grand scheme.

…

Joseph watched from one of the balconies. Chris Redfield was worried about the Rose Winters kid. Apparently, she was some sort of biological weapon for the government he’d been taking care of. As he put it, “I failed to save her father, but maybe I can make sure she stays safe.”

It seemed more to Joseph that the government just wanted to control her. While the Speedwagon Foundation kept tabs on stand users, removing them from their mothers, putting them though military training was just…abysmal. The girl couldn’t be any older than sixteen. Leon S. Kennedy, if he had any thoughts about the situation, kept them to himself. The three had been called by a mysterious voice to hear some message on being ‘chosen ones.’ If he were forty years younger, he would’ve loved the adventure. Now? Not so much. Adventures like this came with a cost. There was always a cost.

To top it all off, the kid that was supposed to ruin the multiverse now seemed pretty close with his grandson and Dio’s kid. But at least he knew where Jotaro was now. He appeared safe but looks could be deceiving. Did Jotaro know he was in the company of a DIO/Grandfather Jonathan hybrid? Was it fair for him to have judged this Giorno Giovanna so quickly? He was so bent on stopping DIO again, and he feared Miguel may have used that as ammunition to fuel his own agenda.

Speaking of, a lot of cracks were beginning to appear in Miguel’s story. If Miles were so dangerous, why hadn’t he instantly joined DIO after that night? Was this child truly destined to end the multiverse? No. There had to be more to the story, especially if Jotaro had aligned himself with him. If nothing else, his grandson was a great judge of character.

Joseph ran his fleshy fingers through his hair. Too many questions; too little time. They were running out of time to save those who could be saved, and he needed to decide.

Would he help Miguel? Or would he help Miles?

#jjba #pokemon #pure heart crystals #ace attorney #miles morales #owl house #sailor moon #across the spiderverse #avatar the last airbender #kaolinite #agatha all along

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karlachgale95 · 10 months ago

Text

Hearts of the Multiverse: Chapter Eighteen: Changes

Professor Tomoe glanced at Kaolinite’s vitals. She was recovering well; she could be back on the field within a month’s time, possibly. Meanwhile, the ex-ruler made up of sludge stood, juggling different vials of fluid that were helping him reform.

“How many daimon are you going to use again?” Tomoe questioned, somewhat irritably. He worked hard on those eggs. To have them be used for such purposes was counterproductive. Eudial would be needing a lot on the field today. She might be able to amass a large number of pure hearts, perhaps even some talismans.

“I can see you are upset,” the man-thing, Belos observed. “I assure you, it will be worth it, in the end.”

“Oh? How so?”

“These creatures have potential, like the souls of the palismans, but they do not object to my wishes—my goals.”

“I hope you mean our goals,” Tomoe said stiffly.

“Of course,” Belos said in a way that sounded quite disingenuous. “I’m merely suggesting that there’s more power behind these creatures should I be able to use them.”

“And who’s to say you won’t waste them burning alive again? That’s years worth of work you’re consuming,” Tomoe argued.

“I assure you, it will be worth it,” Belos said, that trace of a smirk never leaving his face.

At that minute, Olivia Octavius strutted into the room. He hoped she had some good news for him. She was joined by Eudial and that vampire Tomoe knew he’d eventually need to gain control over or get rid of entirely. He’d make a good guard dog.

Tomoe stifled his laughter at his inner monologue and faced them with a smile. “Eudial, have you or your associates managed to capture any pure hearts or talismans?”

The question was more a formality; he’d know if she had.

“Not yet,” Eudial admitted. Her grin grew. “Although, Liv had a great idea for capturing a couple of hearts. They show great promise of containing talismans!”

Although her excitement for her work was appreciated, Professor Tomoe was still unsure on how to feel about these interlopers ‘helping’ them with their work. He knew Olivia Octavius held some personal vendetta on a person of interest; in fact, that was the case with most of these people. But was revenge a strong enough motive for them to devote themselves to their cause? Tomoe wasn’t sure.

“What’s this plan?” Tomoe asked.

Olivia grinned. “I’ve developed more totems, but I was thinking of more specific targets, something to flush the others out of hiding. Also, I’ve been working on trapping someone within a dimensional space with Cyprine and Ptliol. They’ve been making updates to Kaolinite’s office space. Anyone who walks in who isn’t allowed will be stuck there.”

“Quiet tactical,” Tomoe agreed. “Just make sure it doesn’t trap Kaolinite when she’s healed up.”

“Of course,” Octavia said. “I’ve got everything planned out to the last molecule. It all starts at the festival today. The first step is to drive that annoying brat who ruined years’ worth of work out of hiding. We get rid of him, and we’ll get rid of 90% of hindrances to our plan.”

He liked that she said ‘our.’ Belos could learn a thing or two.

“How do you plan to do that?”

“I’ve been observing the totems. He has roots here—roots that if manipulated and pulled away could give Morlun two meals and you two talismans.”

“How sure are you that they’re carrying a talisman?”

Olivia grinned. “It’s a guarantee.” She turned to the door. “I just need to pluck up those roots.”

…

All around him were the bodies of the Joestars—not only them—but the bodies of people who helped them. They appeared gaunt as fresh blood dripped from his fingertips. Josuke, Jotaro, Okuyasu, Koichi, Rohan, Kakyoin, Avdol, Polnareff, and a few people he didn’t recognize. They must have been related to the family, been their friends, or shown them some sort of kindness.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. A dark, bemused voice bellowed, “Congratulations! They’ve fallen by your hand, Giorno. You truly are worthy of my blood.”

Trying to shake the hand off his shoulder, Giorno bolted upright. He was back in the shrine. Everything was fine. He got out of bed and set to the common room; right near the entrance, it looked like Mista was standing guard. He trailed him out of his room.

“I studied up,” Mista said through coded language. He handed him a file on a certain individual he requested him to research. “Are you sure about this guy? He doesn’t even have a stand.”

Giorno’s eyes fell on a certain section of the report. “But he does have hamon.”

“Which is?” Mista asked.

“The original root of stands,” Giorno explained. “Our stands are a physical manifestation of hamon. Hamon, when done correctly, can be used to utterly destroy vampires.”

“Who are you planning on using that on?” Mista asked. “I mean, I’ll help you, no matter who you end up choosing.”

“Right now?” Giorno asked. “That’s up in the air.”

“I don’t know,” Mista said. “That Jotaro guy said the guy in your files died fighting your dad, and Kakyoin, Avdol, and some dog ended up dying trying to fight or get to him.”

“Then what do you suggest?” Giorno asked a little irritably.

“How about you try getting the more immediate threat first? Besides, no need to start something right now. I mean, with everything going on…”

Giorno didn’t say anything, but he nodded.

“You two sure snoozed in.”

Giorno looked up to see Miles. A contradiction of ease and worry coursed through his body. “Morning, Miles.”

“You alright?” Miles asked. “You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine,” Giorno assured him quickly. “Are the others ready?”

“They’re ready. I actually came to get you, but I guess Mista already did that for me.”

Mista shrugged. “It’s part of the job description, I guess.”

“C’mon, let’s get going. I’m pretty sure Luz and Nemona are going to freak out if we don’t leave soon.”

The three walked into the common room, where Sokka seemed to be complaining about something. It soon became clear as to who it was.

“And he’s just such a big jerk! How do you deal with that guy, Yugi?”

“If you’re complaining about Kaiba,” Joey interjected. “I’ve got a couple years of pent-up anger stories. Trust me, the guy’s full of himself. Don’t listen to a word he says.”

“Is that so, Wheeler?” Kaiba’s voice hissed. He had walked in with a few of the kids, Karlach, Wyll, and Gale.

Joey jumped but soon steeled himself and smirked. “Well, act like a jerk, get treated like one.”

“Whatever.”

Today would be the day the professors and champions from around one of the other worlds would be throwing a festival to try and get people to adopt Pokémon—or catch them. Something about having ‘friends you can always rely on and build a solid sense of trust with.’ Miles already had his Joltik. Giorno wasn’t sure if he was interested.

“Today is going to be so fun!” Luz exclaimed. “I’m thinking about adopting an Eevee and letting them decide who they want to be.”

“What does an Eevee look like?” Usagi asked.

Luz pulled her phone out of her pocket and started showing her images of a fox-dog-looking creature and the two began to coo over how adorable it was. Sokka interrupted them.

“Hello? End of the world? I know you’re excited, but we’ve gotta focus on that, too!”

“Technically it’s not the end of the world but the creation of thousands more,” Kakyoin said dryly. “And then their destruction.”

“Not helping!”

“None of you are,” Kaiba scoffed. Sokka glared at him, which Giorno couldn’t blame him. Kaiba was an insufferable ass. At least Sokka was trying. Kaiba gestured toward the door. “Now, are we going to leave sometime today?”

“Yeah, Usagi,” Chibiusa said. “We’ve gotta go before they can’t let anymore people in! We were supposed to leave ten minutes ago!”

“That’s not my fault!” Usagi argued.

“Oh yeah? Says the girl who had thirds on breakfast!”

“Sounds like a balanced breakfast,” Toph said with a smirk.

“Seriously Usako, that’s not very healthy,” Mamoru remarked.

“And who are you to judge?” Karlach asked, raising an eyebrow. She gave Usagi a pat on the back and laughed. “When I was your age, I ate way more than that! And look at me, I’m definitely no demure elf, but I am far from unhealthy!”

“Can we just get going?” Bede asked. “You’re all right. Now, let’s move along. I promised to show some of the others how to properly treat Pokémon. Hop will just mess it up.”

“Although patience is a virtue,” Wyll said. “The kids are right. We’re going to be late.”

“Then let’s get going.”

…

Chibiusa kept Hamigakiko close to her chest as they walked through the entrance to the festival. There were several drawings of different Pokémon on hanging paper flags strewn about from lamp post to lamp post. Almost all the park was split into four different regions run by different champions and professors. Hop was running their section, alongside Professor Kukui, Professor Sycamore, and Champion Leon, Hop’s brother. Ash seemed happy to see him again, as he gave him a huge hug the minute he saw him.

“Professor! How’re you doing? How’s Professor Burnet?”

“Rock solid,” the professor said with a grin. He did a weird cheer and guided them toward the entrance. He waved to everyone in their group. “So, this is the section for the younger to-be or already trainers.”

“Wait, where do we go, exactly?” Seto questioned.

“You’ll more than likely be paired off into a group and region for older trainers,” Professor Sycamore explained.

“And you expect me to allow my brother to go in there when there are those hags lurking about?”

“Don’t worry,” Champion Leon said with a grin. “None of those monsters have ever tried to challenge me. They’re perfectly safe.”

When Seto still didn’t seem convinced, Leon added, “I get it. I’m in this group to make sure nothing bad happens to my little brother. Trust me, I understand. And I would never let anything bad happen to anyone else’s family.”

“Plus, we’re pretty much at capacity in our section,” Hop added with a nervous laugh.

“You should’ve organized better,” Bede criticized. Hop stuck his tongue out at Bede, who returned the gesture. Bede froze and recomposed himself when Seto raised an eyebrow.

“Excuse me,” Wyll spoke up. “I think one of us should really stay with the children. Three people alone cannot keep them all safe. As Blade of the Frontiers, I offer my services.”

“And as our board is contingent on our protection of Mr. Kaiba’s charges, I will help accompany Wyll in his mission,” Gale said. He turned to Karlach and Shadowheart. “Given everything with the spider-bite and some lingering effects, it would be best for you two to remain with Mr. Kaiba.”

“I suppose a couple of people won’t hurt,” Hop said. “Alright Mr. Ravengard, Mr. Gale, you can join us.”

“I thank you for your hospitality,” Wyll said with a slight bow.

“And please, it’s just Gale, unless we’re in front of a crowd. Then it’s Gale of Waterdeep.”

“Hey Chibiusa,” Mokuba began. “Would you like to team up with me?”

Chibiusa gave him a small smile. “Sure! Sounds like fun!”

“Cool,” Mokuba commented quickly. He rubbed the back of his head. “Um, I just figured it’s better to stick together with someone you know…while there’s all those witches and monsters out.”

“Don’t worry!” Chibiusa said. “I’ll protect you!”

She turned away in time to avoid seeing him blush.

…

Welcoming his guest, Astarion wasn’t sure the man who sat opposite of him was feeling quite at ease. Truthfully, if he knew they both had a reason to be weary of vampires, it might make him feel more at ease. They were sitting in the basement of Kaiba Corp. Astarion was enjoying perusing through all the tomes Kaiba had snatched from some ‘secret library’ in some dusty place. Astarion was sure he could have snagged more; he’d need to offer to teach him how to do so. Thieving could be a beautiful and useful art, after all.

“Not to be rude, but why did you ask me here?” Jonathan Joestar asked.

“I’ve taken a certain interest—rather a concern over your brother. You know, the egomaniacal, power-obsessed vampiric master who wants nothing more than to destroy your entire bloodline?”

“What do you know about Dio? What kind of trouble has he been causing?”

“Planning is more like it. In any choice he makes, your son is in grave danger.”

“George? What on earth does he want with George?”

“Ah—I should have been more specific,” Astarion mused. He leaned into the conversation. “My fault entirely. No, not that son. The son he made with your body.”

“Dear God, he actually—?” Jonathan began. He shook his head. “…What’s his name? What is he like?”

“Powerful,” Astarion said. “He’s got quite the target on his back, and a lot of people are trying to control or hurt him. I helped him, not too long ago. He reminded me of a young me—albeit—naïve and not as stealthy. His name is Giorno. I helped your brother save him from a demon.”

“What does Dio want with him? Is he…like Dio?”

“I’ve heard tell from a soothsayer who seems to be a family friend that he has his mind,” Astarion said. “But your heart. Ambition and folly all in one. It makes for a terrible combination, really. There are so many outcomes for him, and I don’t want to see him end up becoming a monster.”

“What do you mean?” Jonathan asked. “Please, you have to tell me, what does Dio want with him?”

Astarion smirked. “Oh, believe me, it’s got nothing to do with a father’s intuition. He wants to use him to destroy the Joestar bloodline once and for all. And I’ve seen it happen.”

He tossed one of the tomes in the middle of the floor, it began to play a translucent scene: the boy surrounded by the corpses of former Joestar family members leading to him to go on killing more and more. Eventually, he saw him and his father walking in the sunlight—which only meant one thing: quite a number of people died in this timeline. It would have happened to Astarion if Tav hadn’t been there to save him from himself. 7,000 souls. All gone in the blink of an eye.

Jonathan visibly flinched and backed away. “Why are you showing me this? Is this the only path for him?”

Astarion shook his head. “No, and I think he’s on the ‘better’ path. His friend, Miles, seems to be a good influence on him. Not to mention he’s surrounded by Joestars, and he’s said he doesn’t want to hurt any of them. Still, it’s what the soothsayer told me that has me worried. Apparently, there’s a way your brother can control people’s minds, actions, and abilities. I’m seeing Cazador Szarr all over again. I need your help. You’re partly Giorno’s father, even if by accident. If this future comes to pass, there’s no hope. I read a tome in the library that has me worried; this is the last chance we must make sure things go correctly. I’m sure of it.”

“What do you mean?” Jonathan asked. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s complicated,” Astarion explained. “But reading these tomes has given me an extreme sense of familiarity. It’s the faintest memory, but I remember some of these events happening before: Kaolinite, your brother, it’s all happened. The librarians confirmed it, too. These events have been repeating themselves. According to these tomes, there’s only so much stress the universe can take before it cracks.”

“Which means if there’s more stress put onto it, or if someone attempts to restart it…it could lead to an utter implosion,” Jonathan surmised. When Astarion raised an eyebrow, Jonathan smiled. “I studied to be an archeologist. I was distracted in my second year by cosmology.”

“So…can you help me?” Astarion asked. “The world doesn’t need another Cazador running around, and I think your brother may lead to worse. Don’t allow him to sink his fangs into Giorno. He’s so young, and I remember what it was like to be so young, careless, and in need of a solution. If he goes with Dio’s offer, he’ll regret it for the rest of his immortal life.”

“I swear to you, I won’t allow that to happen,” Jonathan said, placing his hand over his heart. “I’ll make sure that never happens…I would like to meet him—Giorno—I mean.”

“At night, I may be able to arrange for a visit,” Astarion said. “Being a spawn doesn’t allow for much of a free schedule during the day.”

“Then I shall accompany you during the night,” Jonathan said. He hesitated. “You don’t just want my blood, do you?”

Astarion chucked. “Not unless you’re offering.”

Jonathan shook his head. “I don’t make it a habit of feeding vampires.”

“No one ever does,” Astarion joked. “Don’t worry, Tav and I have an arrangement.”

“Are they alright with it?”

“They seem to enjoy it,” Astarion said with a small smirk.

“Alright. I don’t need to know any more than that, please.”

“Oh, you’re no fun!”

…

REGION ONE:

Hunter had been assigned to this region of the park. It was split into different parts: a mini forest, grasslands, a beach, a dessert, a small cave, and somehow a small arctic area. Apparently, the Pokémon around here had helped create these small encampments.

He was in a group with Willow, Sokka, Zuko, Suki, Rei, Ami, Arven, Jotaro, Kakyoin, and Okuyasu. They were in the forest section of the area right now. Zuko, Sokka, Jotaro, and Kakyoin were covering one part of the forest area while they covered the other. There were a bunch of ‘grass and bug-type’ Pokémon here, according to the little watch app Arven had helped them set up. Willow cooed over and talked to the grass-types; at least she seemed to be having fun. This place just reminded him of Flapjack.

Sitting on a stump, watching everyone else interact with possible friendly companions wasn’t doing much for his mood. He missed Flapjack so much; there were also the matters of the weird vampire guy after Luz and the witches who would be after him *again* if they knew he possessed a talisman. That night the incident happened was not pleasant. He didn’t plan on encountering his uncle again, and Hunter was almost one hundred percent sure he wasn’t dead…again. And there was still no way to get back home.

“Hunter, is everything okay?”

He looked up to see Willow, concern evident on her face.

“I’m fine,” he answered, a little tersely. He didn’t mean to, but thinking about all of this was just weighing on him so much. Willow just gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “Sorry. There’s just a lot going on.”

“I know,” Willow said. “I want to help you! And I won’t let anything bad happen to you, I promise!”

Hunter gave her a small smile. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“What are you two talking about?”

They looked up to see Rei, Arven, and Ami surrounded by a few Pokémon of their own. Ami smiled and held up a small, red bird Pokémon. “Look! It looks just like the one in Luz’s photo albums! It was your bird, right?”

“We thought since your bird was probably back home, you might be able to take care of this little one while you’re here. He might be able to cheer you up,” Arven suggested. “I would’ve never gotten as far as I did in saving Mabosstiff without my team.”

Hunter took in a sharp breath and hoped no one noticed. It was a nice gesture, and he’d probably be a jerk or embarrass them by revealing the truth. But…it didn’t feel right to keep the truth. Flapjack had meant a lot to him; Flap had saved his life!

“Flapjack is…gone,” Hunter said carefully. “He died saving me.”

All three of them went pale.

“Urk. Um…sorry, Hunter,” Arven stumbled. “You just looked so down, and I thought…”

Hunter shook his head. “It’s fine. You didn’t know.”

“Why didn’t Luz tell us?” Rei asked, almost irritably.

“It’s a sore subject,” Willow countered, almost pointedly.

“Hey, might as well take the little guy with you,” Okuyasu cut in. “I mean, I’m gonna catch as many as I can and train ‘em to be super strong. That’s what Josuke and I are doing, anyways. It’d be cool if we could become champions, or something like in the games.” He leaned towards them and held out a guidebook. “I may have ‘borrowed’ this from Nemona. It shows all the super strong ones. Oh! And the best part is if you challenge other people and win, you get money!”

“You better put that back when you’re done,” Arven warned. “Nemona is scary when she’s mad. If she realizes you took that, she’ll be super angry. Also, it’s more than just winning battles. Pokémon are friends, and they’re more than just tools to use in a fight. They require kindness, care, and consideration. And generally, they work with people they see potential in.”

“I still don’t know,” Hunter said. “I don’t want to see anyone get hurt, especially someone I’m supposed to protect.”

As if to prove a point, the bird hopped out of Ami’s hands and onto Hunter’s shoulder, making itself comfortable. Arven slumped over. “Sorry, Hunter.”

“It’s foolish to deny the extra help,” a cold voice cut in. There was Kaiba, propped against a tree. He turned to face them. “Although, I’ve had help in catching one of the, apparently, best dragon types.”

He was joined by another boy with combed black hair with one strand that stuck upwards at the front, glasses, a button up shirt with a red tie, black slacks, aquamarine jacket, and running shoes.

“Who are you?” Hunter asked.

“My name is Cheren,” the boy said. “I was helping your friend find adequately strong Pokémon. He said it was pertinent.”

“And here you are turning down help, Hunter,” Kaiba said with a smirk. “The idiot is right. You should take any help offered to you.”

Okuyasu glared at the eldest Kaiba brother.

Kaiba turned to the others, “Have you found any that are willing to help you?”

“Well, I found her,” Willow said, holding up a small, green flower creature. It looked like a budding plant. It kept hopping up and down in Willow’s palm. “She’s super friendly, and she seems to like me!”

“I suppose that’s helpful,” Kaiba muttered. Was he trying to be nice? He was much meaner to Sokka, so, maybe? Either way, Hunter appreciated it. “By the way, Karlach and Wyll said I should thank you for the attempted rescue back during the incident.”

“You’re welcome,” Hunter said. “Really, I’m just glad we all got out of there, even Giorno.”

Kaiba rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m just so very happy we saved him.”

“What’s your issue with Giorno?” Hunter asked.

“I don’t trust him,” Kaiba said.

“You don’t trust a lot of people,” Rei commented. “And really, you didn’t need to start problems with Sokka.”

“Did I hurt his feelings?” Kaiba asked in mock concern.

“This really seems counterproductive,” the guy with him, Cheren said, while cleaning his glasses. “If I were your enemy, I wouldn’t be worried. Seems like they’d have an easy enough time of dividing and conquering here.”

“Are you the enemy?” Okuyasu challenged.

Cheren stared at him. “No. It was simply a rhetorical situation.”

“Is Karlach with you?” Willow asked. “I mean, she’s kind of cool.”

Kaiba chuckled. “Agreed. But, she wanted to check on something. She thought she had sensed something a little further back. She should be catching back up soon.”

Like clockwork, Karlach did stumble through the bushes in front of them. She laughed. “Turns out that possible devil was just a cutie in need of a friend!”

She gestured to a small black and orange dog-like creature with white stripes running along its head, back, and paws. She picked him up and held him. He snuggled closer to her. “And look, he likes the heat! Isn’t he just adorable?”

“That’s a Houndour,” Cheren explained.

“They’re usually not well-behaved,” Arven said, raising an eyebrow. “They attacked Juliana the first day she got to Paldea. They usually travel in hordes and follow a Houndoom.”

“Nah,” Karlach said, shaking her head. “This one was all by himself. I’ll take care of him from now on. Seems my lot in life. And you know what? It’s not so bad. I mean, I don’t mind being a bit ‘motherly.’”

Kaiba coughed, seeming to want to change the subject. “Yes, well, I suppose having a mutt around couldn’t be too terrible. An actual mutt would be better than dealing with Yugi’s metaphorical one.”

“Why do you call Joey that?” Ami asked.

“It’s a funny and long story,” Kaiba said with a smirk.

“Oh great, it’s this guy,” Hunter heard Sokka say with a groan. He, Suki, Zuko, Jotaro, and Kakyoin walked back over to their group. “Why are you here?”

“How unnecessarily antagonistic,” Kaiba remarked. “After all, I’m just minding my own business.”

“I’m sure,” Sokka said. He shook his head and then smiled. “Guess what I found?”

“Something good, hopefully,” Ami said with a small smile.

“Actually yes,” Sokka said with a grin. A floating sword levitated beside him. “This little guy led me to something.” He pulled a sheath off his back and showed it off. “It’s my space sword! The one I spent hours forging with Master Piadao! It came back to me, and this little guy showed me the way.”

The sword with the golden hilt did a flourish—did this mean it was happy?

“Did you guys get a cute companion?” Suki asked. She glanced over Kaiba’s shoulder. “Also, who are you?”

“My name is Cheren. I’m training to become Unova’s normal-type gym leader. As such, I already have a team of Pokémon.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Suki. What can you tell me about her?” the Kyoshi warrior asked, pointing to a small blue creature whose face looked like a mask.

“That’s a Riolu,” Cheren said. “She’s a fighting type Pokémon that evolves with friendship.”

“She just sort of found me and kept with me,” Suki said with a smile. “I’ve gotta admire anyone who can keep up with me.”

“Then why’s he your boyfriend?” Kaiba asked.

“Why are you here?”

“Yare yare, can you two shut up?” Jotaro asked.

“He started it!” Sokka objected.

“Truly the argument of a wise man.”

“Hey, Firelord,” Arven interjected. “What Pokémon did you get?”

“Well, it was kind of like with Suki,” Zuko explained. Another dog-like creature with a yellow mane and orange and black striped body strutted beside him. “It’s like she just wanted to come with me.”

“Ah, a Growlithe,” Arven said with a smile. “They’re pretty high-class Pokémon. Mostly upper-class individuals own them.”

“How about you mention who picked you out, Jotaro,” Kakyoin commented with a slight smirk.

Jotaro scowled and tipped his hat. “No.”

Suddenly, giant thuds could be heard in the distance. Each one like a step jolting the ground. As it turns out, they were steps. A giant robot appeared in front of the group. The golden design was…familiar to Hunter.

Willow stepped in front of him. Her voice was like venom. “It’s you. What do you want?”

A small opening at the top of the robot unlocked, revealing the tiny gremlin that was Kikimora. This was great. Absolutely great. It’s not like he needed a break from problems or anything. He did his best to avoid her glare.

“Karlach,” Kaiba began. “If this thing wants to cause problems, how fast do you think you can destroy the metal on that robot?”

“Oh, relax,” Kikimora began in a bored tone. “I’m only here for one of you. One who one of our own confirmed to have a talisman.”

“That could be any of us,” Kaiba challenged. “How can you be so sure?”

Strangely helpful of him. Not that Hunter didn’t appreciate it.

“Is that so?” Kikimora countered. “Well, then I suppose your friends can thank you for what’s going to happen next.”

Just as he was about to ask, the ground began to shift and shake beneath his feet, splitting the area apart as goopy, pink women burst out from the ground. Willow tried to grab at him, but she was knocked aside by one of Kikimora’s robotic arms.

“Willow!” Hunter cried out, trying to reach out to her.

Complete havoc erupted as Hunter was pulled away from an incoming claw. The land was shifting apart so much, separating them all. Someone pulled him to his feet.

“Come on, get up!” Kaiba growled. “We need to go!”

The little bird on his shoulder spat and ember of flame at one of the monsters who tried to grab him; it shrank back and recoiled into the ground.

“Thanks,” Hunter mumbled quickly.

Most of the pathway ahead had been cut off. It was only Hunter, Kaiba, Sokka, Suki, Cheren, Arven, and Ami. Kaiba glanced back at Karlach, who was fighting off a horde of the monsters. Zuko and Rei were trying to be careful about using fire to attack the monsters. As it was, Zuko was using his twin blades to cut them down. Rei kept close combat with the monster to avoid starting a forest fire. Okuyasu, unlike Rei, seemed to be doing well with the close combat. Monsters were vanishing around him at a rapid rate, despite them multiplying tenfold. Kakyoin would point to enemies and seconds later they’d be riddled with gaping holes. Jotaro would either physically punch them farther away, or some invisibly into the sky. Or, at least, that’s how Hunter was seeing it. Willow was holding back a majority of the horde with vines and thorny plants that kept slicing the creatures up. Her eyes met Hunter’s for a second, sadness lingering in the tears that threatened to escape her eyes. She never deserved to look so sad.

“Keep going!” Karlach said. “We’ve got this! Really!”

The giant robot turned in their direction; Sokka pulled the sword from his sheath and started hacking at the smaller trees that could be cut. There were too many! They’d never cut them down in time! The sword Pokémon seemingly tired of this, glowed, and with a flash, even some of the thickest trees went tumbling to the ground.

“Nice job, Slashy!” Sokka said with a grin.

“Slashy?”

“Not the time,” Sokka said. “Come on, let’s go! Slashy, cut some more of the trees ahead for terrain advantage. Suki, parallel me. The rest of you, keep running straight ahead.”

He handed Suki something before both took off in a parallel, tumultuous, tree-covered route on either side of the group. He did wonder what Sokka was planning, but he didn’t have time to stop and wonder. They ran ahead to a dead end. Now, he really wondered what Sokka had been planning. Kikimora soon caught up to them.

“I did wonder how you managed to escape Belos,” Kikimora said with a bit of a laugh. “But then I really thought about it; the man is an idiot. It’s no surprise. But not to worry, I’ll be the one bringing you in!”

“With that faulty tech?” Kaiba mused.

Kikimora glanced at him with disdain. “I suppose you’re the one who’s supposed to fix the dimensional door.”

“I don’t remember signing that contract,” Kaiba said. “You freaks should crawl back in the hole you decided to surface from. I don’t have time for petty vengeance plots.”

“Well, don’t worry, I’m only after one thing here.”

She looked to Hunter, reeling back a robotic arm.

“NOW!”

Two bent back, heavy tree branches struck Kikimora knocking her and her giant robot off balance. Sokka and Suki descended from the trees along the sides of the forest and slammed some sort of paper parchment onto the robot, causing it to crackle with a red energy and then disappear.

“What was that?” Ami asked.

“Um, well,” Sokka said, scratching the back of his head. “Gale told me about these scrolls inside the library. He…had some spares. One of them banishes someone back to where they came from, and the other slows them down. So, if she tries to reappear, it’ll take her a while.”

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. “And Gale just happened to give these scrolls to you? He doesn’t seem like the type to share any magical item he has in his possession.”

“Who cares,” Arven said defensively. “They got rid of the robot! Now, we can go back for the others and get out of here!”

The ground burst open once again, two vines knocked Sokka and Suki into Hunter and Kaiba, respectively. Suki was the first up and started helping Hunter up while Kaiba pushed Sokka off him.

“Don’t you know?” an older woman sprouting up from the ground on a giant Venus-flytrap spoke calmly. “Don’t use your best material on a lackey.”

It was Terra Snapdragon, and the wall of goopy, daimon women behind her did not bode well for them. She smiled at them, but Hunter knew that smile meant trouble.

“You’ll have to forgive Kikimora,” Terra said. “Her brain isn’t large enough to aspire to the bigger picture. See, she would’ve just been happy taking the Golden Guard, but I can see that a lot of you have potential.”

Vines sprung from the ground ensnaring everyone in an instant. Everyone had been trying to help him escape from the witches. He couldn’t let them die to Terra! Sensing the magic Flapjack had given him, he focused on it, and sprung from the vines in a flash, teleporting from individual to individual, releasing them from their temporary imprisonment. More and more vines tried to ensnare him, but he kept evading them. He had to push on; he needed to make sure everyone would be safe from the Deathbusters.

Sokka joined him, trying to cut down the roots. Suki followed suit, slicing at the vines with her fan blades. Ami transformed and used her bubble spray to make the area misty and foggy. He could hear Arven’s and more than likely Cheren’s Pokémon trying to fight off the vines meant to catch them. Kaiba had drawn some sort of card that attacked the vines, cutting through them with a ray of blue energy. Even the bird on Hunter’s shoulder kept the vines at bay by shooting hot embers at the roots.

However, a wave of vines washed over them, causing them to sink under the weight. Hunter began to sink further and further down, as if the ground below didn’t exist. He tried to call out to the others, but a vine wrapped itself around his mouth and all his other useful limbs. He thought he’d saved them. He thought…

Three sharp CHUUNKS could be heard from outside the vine mesh. Then a rapid fire of…something. Another, familiar voice called out, “Tiro Finale!”

Two slashes cut through the vines as a man with wild red hair, blue and orange suit, with a long cape started digging through the mesh and wrenching people out. He grabbed Hunter and pulled him up, while another person with long white hair and long tail-coat white suit and wings pulled others out.

“Are you all alright?” the man with the cape asked.

“Who are you?” Hunter asked.

“My name is Lance. I’m the champion of the Kanto region. We tried to get here as quickly as we could.”

“We?”

Three people hidden in the trees jumped down: one a very graceful Mami Tomoe. Another was a boy with jet black hair covered by a strange orange hat. He wore a black tube top, leggings, and orange kilt. The other was a boy in white armor with a heart in the middle of the chest piece, jeans, and bow and arrows strapped on his back.

“My name is Bow,” the boy in the armor stated. “I was here for the festival when I met Mami. She joined my group, but then the ground started splitting open. We found Narancia on our way.”

The other boy gave them a curt nod.

“And you?” Kaiba asked the feathery guy.

“Yue,” the boy said simply.

“Are you at all related to the moon?” Suki asked.

“I am the moon,” Yue said, crossing his arms.

“No, you’re not,” Sokka muttered.

Yue scowled but said nothing to his argument.

The wall of daimon began to waver, as if it was going to crash down upon them like Terra’s vines. Lance looked to Yue. “Can you help me with this?”

Yue nodded. Lance threw a Pokémon ball outwards and out popped a giant orange dragon with blue wings. “Dragonite! Hyper Beam!”

The dragon threw back its head and shot a beam of pure light and energy at one of the walls, making it shriek as it disappeared into dust. Yue did a slashing motion with his arm and the other wall disintegrated into nothingness—as though it had no time to react. Terra was nowhere to be seen.

“Don’t worry about the witch,” Mami explained. “She fled when I used my tiro finale.”

A blur of blue leapt from the trees. Hunter vaguely identified the figure as Sailor Neptune. Which could only mean she had been watching them. But now, she was heading in the opposite direction.

“The others,” Hunter muttered. “The others! Sailor Neptune just went that way! The others could be in trouble!”

“Then we should go help them,” Suki said. “C’mon, we need to hurry!”

…

Giorno walked alongside Miles and Mista. In his mind he made an internal joke about M&M’s. Usagi clung to Mamoru as though her life depended upon it. She kept pointing to the cute Pokémon all throughout the wooded area they were investigating. Luz and Amity seemed to be enjoying mucking about with some Pokémon called Muk—at least—that’s what Nemona called them. Aang and Katara were looking at some flying and water-type Pokémon. The one Katara picked looked like it was ready to burst into tears at any moment. Aang decided he would be more careful with his selection as to not make his flying-lemur bat uncomfortable. Virgil was looking for an electric type, and Danny already had his Rotom—Jolt—he called it. Adora wanted to find a horse-type Pokémon. Apparently, they were her favorite animal. Yugi was still unsure if he even needed a Pokémon. Steven liked this ghoulish purple Pokémon covered in gemstones. Connie agreed on how cute it was. This couple stuff was mildly annoying and slightly depressing.

The sun was starting to go down. Only a trace was left in the sky. For this time of day, it was a little odd. Giorno only hoped it didn’t prove to be an omen.

“Hey Gio, I found one for you.”

Miles held up a turtle with a leaf stem on the top of its head. “I remember how you said you had this turtle back home. I thought Turtwig might be a good ‘mon to start with. He’s pretty cool in the games.”

Giorno, not wanting to be rude, took the turtle in his arms. “Turtwig?”

“Thank you, Miles. He’s adorable.”

Both Miles and the turtle in his arms seemed to approve with smiles.

Josuke shuddered. “Are you really going to hold that thing?”

“What’s wrong with Turtwig?” Nemona asked, her face souring a bit.

Josuke held out his hands defensively. “It’s nothing! It’s just all the germs and…”

“Josuke’s scared of turtles,” Usagi teased.

“You’re scared of literally everything!” Josuke argued.

“The girls are fighting,” Minako whispered to Makoto.

“What was that, Minako?” Josuke asked.

“Oh, nothing,” Minako answered with a smirk.

“So, Giorno,” Miles spoke up, nonchalantly. “I just wanted to say ‘thanks,’ you know?”

Giorno raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“For talking to my parents,” Miles explained. “I never thanked you properly for that.”

“You don’t have to thank me for something so trivial,” Giorno said. “It’s the least I could do.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Mista roll his eyes. Had he figured it out?

“I was thinking,” Miles continued. “Maybe after the festival today, before we go to the library, maybe you’d want to get some food or something?”

Giorno blinked. “Sure.”

Was this what he thought it was? Was it casual? How was he supposed to react to such a question? Why was talking to Miles becoming so difficult?

Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake. It caused him to stumble away from the others as he tripped onto a separated part of the ground. A wall of pink, goopy women rose up from the cracks as he stumbled to get up.

“Giorno!” Miles and Mista called out from the now raised part of the forest.

“I’m alright,” Giorno assured them. “Mista, get yourself and Miles out of here. I’ll meet you back at the entrance!”

Four people had ended up on the patch of land that Giorno was on, when everything was settled: Yugi, Usagi, Nemona, and Amity. The paths were closing off; they needed to get on one that wouldn’t lead to anyone dying. Giorno spotted one. “Follow me!”

The group gave him a nod before sprinting further into the forest. His stomach was tied up in knots. The others would be alright. They’d have to be. After all, Usagi and Mamoru had a kid in the future. That meant they had to live through this, right? That still didn’t guarantee the others were safe.

He just needed to reach the entrance. Mista was more than capable. He needed to keep his cool.

Soon, they got to a clearing. Usagi seemed breathless while everyone else seemed to just need a quick break. Usagi shook her head. “It’s like you guys didn’t even break a sweat.”

“You should probably transform now,” Giorno suggested.

“Oh, right! Moon prism power make up!”

Now with Sailor Moon with them, they could try and think of a plan.

“I can’t believe how brave they’re getting,” Amity said. “They’re attacking a pretty open event.”

“Then it’s up to us to make sure it stops here,” Yugi said. “We need to figure out a way to get back to the entrance and meet up with the others.”

“Maybe I can help?”

A woman with long blonde hair, huge black coat, shirt, and slacks walked over to them.

“Who are you?” Giorno demanded.

“Who is she?” Nemona asked rhetorically. “That’s only one of the strongest trainers in the world, Champion Cynthia from the Sinnoh region!”

Cynthia giggled. “You must be Nemona, one of the strongest champions from the Paldea region.”

Nemona’s mouth hung open. “You know who I am?”

“Of course,” Cynthia said. “I keep up with all the up-and-coming talent—worldwide.”

She spotted the Turtwig in Giorno’s arm. “What an adorable Pokémon. You know, the world champion has a Turtwig of his own. It’s a good choice for a starter.”

“My friend found him for me,” Giorno said. “Now, we have to get going.”

Before he could do anything else, a few pink hands latched onto his jacket and flung him backwards into the horde. Their claws dug deeper and deeper, threatening to puncture. He summoned GE and started punching back as he was sent further into the mass. He kept the Turtwig as close to him as possible. He needed to keep it safe. But soon, even GE wouldn’t obey his commands; it was like every bit of his body was becoming numb. He had to…He needed to…

Suddenly, a hand thrust its way into the horde and dragged him out of the mass. There was a sharp pain around his wrist as the grip intensified. He couldn’t get his mind to focus too much on the pain. After a fit of coughing and trying to gather his breath, he focused his eyes on his possible savior. She was an older woman with frizzy, brunette hair. She had a lab coat and funky clothing, like a scientist in an eighties movie: possibly Real Genius.

“Giorno!” a litany of voices called out. It must be the others.

“I think I’ve got him,” the woman said. She looked at him, seeming to examine him. “How do you feel?”

Giorno, struggling to come back to his senses, checked on the Turtwig in his arms, first. It was huddled close to his chest, but it appeared to be okay. He hoped.

“Sweetie, I’m gonna need an answer.”

“I’m…fine,” Giorno answered carefully.

A huge dragon-like creature that stood on its hind legs cut through the mass of daimon in one swoop. Through it stepped the champion he’d just met. “I found them!”

“Who are you?” Giorno asked the woman who had wrenched him from his potential doom.

“My friends call me Liv,” the woman said with a smile. “What about you?”

“Sono Giorno,” he answered quietly. For some reason, that small minute, had shaken him.

It reminded him of the incident:

Miles was trying to shake him awake. But his soul was split from his body. Still, Miles was trying his best to bring him back. “H-hey! Come on, man! Come on! You can’t do this! Wake up! WAKE UP!”

There were tears in his eyes as he continued to sob. “C’mon, you’re my best friend here! I need you! Come on!”

Alastor had grinned at him; his soul, more like. This would probably be the last thing he saw. God only knew what would happen after this. And the strangest part was that he’d choose to save Miles again. It was probably what cost him his life, but Miles’s had done the same. And he…was special to him. It was in this moment, he realized exactly what he was losing.

“GIORNO!”

Miles, drying up his tears, sat up and glared at Alastor.

“I’m going to kill you,” Miles muttered.

“What was that?”

“I’m going to kill you,” Miles yelled. He gently moved his body from his lap and got up to face the Radio Demon. For a second, Giorno believed he might have a chance at beating him. But the horror of him trying sank in pretty quickly. He’d be killed—stabbed again.

“You’re not actually sad about that gutter trash, are you? You’re better than him, Mr. Morales.”

And that’s when his dad had appeared. Everything past that was extremely fuzzy. Still, he couldn’t admit to Miles what he’d seen—or what he felt.

“Giorno!”

He was surprised by the hug. Usagi held him in a tight grip. “We thought you were gone!”

Giorno hesitantly hugged her back. “I’m sure you would have found me. You are Sailor Moon.”

He shakily got up and shook his head. He needed to think clearly. They had to get out of here. His head was swimming; whether that was from the memories or from the daimon, he couldn’t exactly tell.

“C’mon, we need to go,” Giorno said.

“You need to rest,” Usagi chastised.

“I can’t,” Giorno said, shaking his head again. “I need to make sure Miles is…”

His voice drifted off as Usagi’s eyes softened. “I know you care a lot about Miles. I do, too. Don’t worry. We’ll get out of here—all of us.”

She sounded so assured, like she knew everyone was going to be safe. It was almost enough to make him believe her.

Giorno stood up and tried to shake it off, still there was this lingering feeling…perhaps it was doubt? In any case, something didn’t feel right.

The group kept ahead. Occasionally Giorno would stop; there would be a flash of pain that coursed through his body. Eventually it got to the point where he needed to break, like Usagi. Why was this happening? Had Alastor found a way to reinstate their deal? Or even worse—was his dream becoming a reality? A wave of nausea overcame him, making him empty the contents of his stomach into some shrubbery near where he was resting. He didn’t even have the strength to get up. Why was this happening to him? He was the strongest! He was supposed to fight!

“Giorno…” Usagi’s voice trailed off. She shook her head and ducked under his arm. “No, come on. We’re getting out of here. Someone help me! Those daimon must’ve done something.”

Nemona nodded as she ducked under his other arm. “No probelmo!”

Amity paused. “Giorno…how exactly are you feeling?”

Giorno stared at her. “Unwell? Sick? God-awful?”

“Noted,” Amity said. “But…it reminds me of when Luz was bitten by that spider. Did you get bit by anything here?”

Giorno shook his head. There was no way. He tried to focus on a place where he could’ve possibly been bitten. But there was no creature he had to throw off his body. And Miles wouldn’t have given him something that could hurt him.

Then he remembered. There was a sharp pain in his wrist when he was pulled out. His eyes drifted to Liv. Her mouth curled up into a smirk. She knew he knew. Before he could warn the others, she pressed a button on her watch. Huge mechanical appendages extended from her back and took a swing at the others, knocking them out of the way.

“It’s always a pain to wait for that moment of complete vulnerability. Try summoning your stand. You won’t be able to. By now the venom’s worked its way far enough into your system to where you’ll be incapacitated for the rest of the day,�� she mocked. She held up her actual hand. A small, needle that glinted in the sunlight could be seen from a small pocket in the band of her watch. “I’ll admit, it was easier to trick you than I thought it was going to be; they said you’re the son of a would-be god. I guess your mind was preoccupied by that ‘best friend’ of yours, wasn’t it?”

Giorno did try to summon GE, but the only thing that came to him were flashes of pain in his head. It made him wretch.

“You really do care about that troublemaker, don’t you?” the woman asked. She lowered herself down to his slumped-over level. “Do you know how much of my work he ruined? Do you know how much of my research I’ll never get back?”

Giorno stayed quiet. She took this as her cue to keep monologuing. “You know, it was a real question of how I was going to get my revenge. Then I came into contact with people—people who would allow me to freely use their advanced technology—to experiment with any wild element I wanted. And that’s how I ended up developing alternate universe’s spider totems. I made yours special, since Spiderman seems to care so much about you.”

She paused and laughed. “You’ll be dead before all of this is over. Don’t worry, it’ll be sort of quick. Eudial and Morlun are coming. She’ll collect your heart and talisman, and he’ll drain the rest of your soul.”

“Is that so?” A gravelly voice above them asked.

Giorno’s vision blurred as he saw someone jump down from the trees above. He had purple hair, a jean jacket inscribed ‘Briefs’ on the shoulder of the sleeve. He had a sword in his hand.

“I’d like to see them try.”

“Who are you?”

The boy only grinned. There was a flash of steel and bright blast of energy as the woman was hurled away faster than he could blink. The boy turned to Giorno. “Hang in there. I’ll get you out of here.”

Giorno shook his head, causing a new wave of nausea to envelop him. “I need to save Miles. He’s in trouble.”

“Giorno!” he heard Usagi call out.

“Don’t worry,” the boy said. “I’ll help them, too. My name is Trunks. I’ve come to help.”

That’s when he finally gave up the ghost and passed out.

…

Chibiusa, Mokuba, and Ash walked over to Professor Kukui and Sycamore along with two other magical girls around her age—Sakura Kinomoto and Madoka Kaname. They all loved the color pink, believed in the power of friendship, and wanted to save the world. Although, there was a lot more wrong than Mama first let her know. She was wondering if all this tempering with the timeline meant…

She pushed it out of her mind. She couldn’t think like that.

“So, you help run a school?” Chibiusa asked Professor Kukui.

Kukui nodded. “Yep! I’ve got some pretty great students!”

Ash grinned and chuckled. “Well, you were a pretty great teacher.”

Hop’s older brother, Leon, clapped his hands together. “Alright everybody, thanks to Kalos’s and Alola’s Professor Sycamore and Professor Kukui, the Pokémon within these regions are completely docile. Remember, if you want a Pokémon to choose you, you have to match their energy. Being a Pokémon trainer is all about having that solid bond between you and your Pokémon. Although, if I were you, I’d ask your friend, Ash. He could tell you pretty much all there is to know. He beat me, the undefeated champion!”

“Excuse me,” a boy with wild black hair spoke up. It kind of looked like he was wearing several layers of clothing. It looked heavy. Gi. It was Gi! That’s what Mako had called it! Around his neck was a white layer that resembled a scarf—more than like it was more gi. “I’m kind of new here, and my friend I were wondering, since we signed up for this festival, if these Pokémon could help us get home.”

Professor Sycamore decided to answer this question. “We’ve been working on that. It’s just a theory for now, but there could be a possible way, given we find the legendaries from Sinnoh and Alola.”

Hop turned to everyone. “Dialga is the lord of time, while Palkia controls space.”

“Lunala, Solgaleo, and Necrozma can distort space-time, but there’s a price,” Hau explained. “It could lead to them feeling used, and that’s when they start to protest. Things wouldn’t end so well, if that were to happen.”

“Then we’ll be sure to treat them with respect,” Madoka said with a calm smile.

“Of course,” Silver began. “You’d need to find the legendaries first.”

“Where would we even start looking?” Sakura asked.

“We’re handling that,” Leon said. “No need to involve yourselves.”

“Kind of does sound like there’s a need,” Toph said. “You old folks are really bad at getting your junk together.”

“Old?” Professor Sycamore reiterated, gently touching his face. “I…would hope not. I’m not…”

“I also protest to being called ‘old,’” Gale interjected. “If you are in want to see an elderly human, look no further than Elminster.”

“I’m sure it was a jest,” Wyll said. He grinned. “Besides, I’m not old, so I take no offense.”

“All well and good for you, Wyll,” Gale said. Meanwhile, Toph just grinned, knowing she’d caused some havoc.

Chibiusa shook her head and decided to talk to the new boy. “Hi! My name’s Chibiusa. What’s your name?”

The kid smiled back at her. “It’s nice to meet you Chibiusa. My name is Gohan.”

“Nice to meet you!” Chibiusa said with a smile.

“Alright, everyone get into two groups! Professor Sycamore, Mr. Gale, and I will lead one, and the other will be lead by Wyll and Professor Kukui. You can also pick a team lead for your group.”

“Mr. Gale?” the wizard questioned.

“Do you want to join our group?” Chibiusa asked Gohan.

“You can also feel free to join the other group,” Mokuba said with a shrug. Chibiusa gave him a look. “What?”

“Well, I don’t want to intrude,” Gohan said.

“You won’t,” Chibiusa insisted. “Come on!”

Everyone shifted into two different groups. Chibiusa went with Ash and Hop; it seemed like they really knew what they were talking about. That’s how Ash ended up becoming the leader of their troop. It was kind of like being in a club! Because they had so many people, they ended up in Leon’s, Professor Sycamore’s, and Gale’s group. There were some people she knew here—others she didn’t. One was a mysterious girl who sort of just appeared next to Madoka. She had long, braided, black hair, and wore a standard school uniform. Her violet eyes were hidden behind a pair of glasses.

Madoka looked stunned to see her, but quickly hugged her. “Homura? How’d you get here?”

The girl looked nervous. Maybe she was shy? “M-Madoka? It’s so good to see you! I-I fell through some sort of portal, a-and then I’ve just been going from place to place trying to survive!”

“That’s awful!” Madoka said. “Did no one help you?”

“W-Well, eventually, someone did. So, I’ve been staying with his group ever since.”

“That’s good to hear,” Madoka said, tears in her eyes. “I would hate to think one of my best friends was alone for so long.”

“It felt like that,” Homura said quietly.

Things progressed as everyone started hunting for a Pokémon. The Collector already had two: Solrock and Lunatone. Chibiusa already had her Togepi, but Hop said having a full team would make Hamigakiko less lonely. So, that’s what she chose to do.

As she was searching, she found a pretty, pink Pokémon that resembled a cat. “How adorable! Would you like to come with us?”

The cat turned to look at her and jerked its head, running in the opposite direction.

“I guess that’s a no?” Gus asked.

Chibiusa frowned and shuffled her feet. She’d never recover from a rejection so cute.

“Hey kid,” a voice that sounded like it was straight out of a movie spoke up. “If you’re looking for a cat-type Pokémon, I’m your guy!”

Ash was the first to be surprised. To their left was a cat-like Pokémon yellowish-tan in color with a coin on its forehead.

“Meowth?”

“So, you ended up here, too, eh, twerp?” the cat asked.

“…How can you talk?” Hop asked.

“Bet you’d like to know,” Meowth said. He looked back to Chibiusa. “Anyways, if you’d like someone to help you out, our little team recently disbanded. And, honestly, I’m looking for a place to stay. Staying with the professors is way too restrictive. I wanna go explorin’!”

“Is it really so bad here?” Professor Sycamore asked with a casual smile.

“Yes, and there’s not enough food,” Meowth added.

“Wait,” Ash interjected. “Team Rocket broke up?”

“Yep. After our last failed attempt to catch your Pikachu, those two nitwits started a fight. And we ended things. Then I got pulled into this place.”

“I would’ve figured you, Jessie, and James would’ve ended up helping those witches,” Ash said.

“Times ain’t that desperate,” Meowth said sarcastically. He shrugged. “Although, I have no idea what the other two are up to, so maybe you’re right.”

Meowth glanced beyond their shoulders. “Looks like your friends are pretty good at this.”

Chibiusa turned to see that the others were talking to and catching Pokémon of their own. Gohan had this goopy-looking slug that Hop insisted was a dragon. Mokuba was talking to a dinosaur-like creature that had black fur covering its face. Sakura was cooing over a pink Pokémon whose shape resembled a star with two brown, pointy, ears (?). Madoka had come into contact with a small, pink floating creature that stared at her with wide, curious eyes.

“Is…is that girl talkin’ to Mew?” Meowth asked, his mouth gaping open.

“That is impressive…” Ash’s voice trailed off.

At that moment, the ground began to shake. Meowth, who had been standing on a rock to meet them at eye-level, began to tumble down. Chibiusa, not wanting anyone to get hurt, dove and caught him. As the ground began to split, Leon jumped to one side while Gale and Professor Sycamore were stranded with some of the others on the other side. Walls of the daimon surrounded them, and things started to split even further. Leon, Chibiusa, Ash, Madoka, Homura, Hop, Mokuba, Sakura, Frisk, Gus, and Toph landed on the same side.

“Are you all alright?” Professor Sycamore asked.

“Everyone is going to be fine, Professor,” Leon assured him.

“Soyez prudent, tout le monde!”

“Well, well, well, I haven’t heard that voice in ages.”

Professor Sycamore paled. “Ce n'est pas possible, Lysandre?”

Ash clenched his fists as a man with a lion’s mane for hair walked towards him. He looked like a businessman—wearing such a dark suit with red lining. He pretty much screamed ‘bad guy’ energy.

“Ah, the chosen one is here, too,” the man said. He paused to think. “Both could possess a talisman, really.”

“You won’t be able to check either one,” Chibiusa argued.

“Oh?” the man raised an eyebrow. “And what are a bunch of children going to—?”

He was interrupted as three huge chunks of earth hit him directly in the chest, knocking him backwards, off the log he was standing upon.

“And that’s why I should be allowed to handle things,” Toph said.

More daimon began to sprout from the ground. It was almost overwhelming.

“Charizard go!” Leon called out, as he threw a pokéball into the air.

A large orange dragon with blue wings and blazing tail leapt into the air, firing a wall of flame at the daimon. However, it started reforming as soon as it disintegrated. Leon flinched. He quickly shook his head. “Everyone go to the entrance! Sycamore, enact the emergency evacuation for all Pokémon!”

Chibiusa ducked behind a tree and transformed quickly. When she came back around, Mokuba seemed surprised. “Chibiusa? Is that you? I mean, you look different when you’re transformed.”

“Mama says it’s a glamor spell. It’s for our own safety,” Chibiusa explained. She aimed her heart wand at the wall of daimon. “Pink sugar heart attack!”

A small trail of hearts landed sadly against the wall. There was a cackle of giggles from the wall as it started to descend. Leon stepped in front of everyone. “Get back!”

Before the wall could crash down, Gohan stepped up. He held his hands crossed with the palms facing forward above his head, creating a yellow-colored energy sphere. He threw his hands forward and fires the yellow beam straight at the wall of monsters, totally eliminating them.

“Whoa!” Sakura gaped. “How strong are you, Gohan?”

“Well, Mr. Piccolo taught me that,” Gohan said. “I can’t take all the credit.”

“And just how strong is this Mr. Piccolo?” a voice belonging to the faster of the outer senshi asked.

The group looked up to see Sailor Uranus casually leaning against the trunk. She jumped down, landing flawlessly. She walked over to the group.

“Thanks for the help back there, lady,” Toph said.

“Lady?” Sailor Uranus asked with a snort. “That’s some talk for a tiny vagabond.”

“She’s pretty good at insults,” Mokuba noted. He glared ahead at Uranus. “Where’s your friend? I guess you two are here for pure hearts, right?”

Sailor Uranus’s eyes softened. “We’re here to try and help with all the collateral damage. There are a lot of innocent people we’ve already gotten out of the park. Neptune is trying to scope out escape routes for others.”

“Then we’ll go help them, too!” Hop said.

“You should get out of here,” Uranus said. “We’ll help your friends get out.”

“Yeah,” Toph said with a snort. “We’ll really trust that.”

Leon looked from Uranus to everyone else. He shook his head. “Let me get the kids out of here, and I’ll come and help you.”

“Lee, it’s too dangerous!” Hop argued.

Leon put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s my job as Galar’s champion to help those who need it most. You kids shouldn’t keep having to put up with problems. I swore after the Darkest Day, I’d never let anything get out of my control ever again.”

He turned, without hearing Hop out any further, “Come on you lot, let’s get you out of here. Charizard! Clear the way!”

…

Lots of people in suits started gathering the Pokémon in the forest. The growlithe stayed by his side, and she was taking out a few of the daimon. However, the daimon kept stacking up; no matter how many he cut down, twice as many appeared. Not to mention that Okuyasu and Jotaro were also pretty close combat. He was afraid to use firebending here; the entire forest could be set ablaze. Then they’d all probably suffocate.

Hundreds of vines sprung up to try and keep the daimon at bay, but Willow gasped and had to regain her balance just to keep the wall functional.

“Hierophant Green!”

Invisible attacks hit the wall and knocked it back a few feet, but it was reamplified in a matter of seconds. Finally, the vines broke. He had no choice. If he wanted to protect everyone and take this thing down, he’d have to use firebending. Zuko, reluctantly, shot a few firebolts to beat it back, but the amalgamation just…doused the flames and kept advancing towards them.

“What are these things made of? Fucking diamond?” Jotaro questioned.

Zuko shook it off and tried again. He had to succeed; so many lives were depending upon his success! He channeled that inner fire the true firebending masters had taught him so long ago. Summoning all his strength, he raised a wall of fire that matched the size of the wall of daimon. They hissed and screamed, but they had nowhere to run as flames washed over them. It was almost tragic; had they not been trying to steal people’s souls.

“That…was a lot of fire,” Rei managed after some time.

“Impressive, really,” Kakyoin agreed.

“It took care of those monsters,” Jotaro said. “At least now we’ve got time to find the…”

Zuko barely had time to register Jotaro pulling him out of the way of an oncoming energy blast. Ahead of them stood Eudial with that gun of hers, the vampire, Morlun, the robotic woman from earlier, a new woman who had robotic arm-appendages, and a new older woman who seemed to have as much control, if not more, over plants than Willow.

“Two totems stand before us,” Morlun said with a smirk. Right. He’d forgotten about that. He and Kakyoin were both infected. “And now one more of your friends is in the process of becoming another totem. In any case, my appetite will be sated.”

“You’re not ‘sating’ anything, bitch!” Okuyasu called out. “ZA HANDO!”

He ran up to the vampire, trying to knock him out, but Morlun simply thwacked him aside, like a mosquitefly. The woman in the robotic suit made up of what Amity called ‘abomination magic’ threw a fist at Zuko, while the vine-woman ensnared Kakyoin in a bundle of vines. Zuko caught the fist, but the goop quickly ensnared his arm. He tried to firebend his way out of the grip, but it held tight. Jotaro was the next to do something.

“STAR PLATINUM-ZA WARUDO!”

Surprisingly, this did knock the vampire back a bit. Although, it was weird. One minute Jotaro had been standing near them, the next he was right where the vampire had been standing. Yet, the vampire got back up and grabbed Jotaro by the neck. Rei and Willow were fighting the robotically armed woman, as she tried to stab at them with the mechanical arms.

“Jotaro!”

Jotaro looked back at Kakyoin for a split second; it was long enough for Morlun to jab something into his gut. Jotaro’s eyes widened as he stumbled backwards. He didn’t fall. No, Morlun still had to push him aside; he collapsed against a tree.

“JOTARO!”

It was enough to cause the vines around Kakyoin rupture. He swung his hand outwards, and Morlun stumbled slightly, losing his footing. Kakyoin took a few steps forward; Zuko tried to break free from the robot’s grip. Did he want to get himself killed?

The smirk on Morlun’s face said it all as he, at the speed of light, rushed over to Kakyoin and knocked him to the ground, keeping his foot on his chest. He got eerily close to Kakyoin and flexed his fingertips and placed his palm on Kakyoin’s shoulder. In that single gesture, Kakyoin gasped and convulsed. It looked like a light, green energy was being pulled from his body.

Zuko wrenched his hands away from the goopy machine, burning it with everything he had. The woman inside screamed about how hot it was getting, but he didn’t have time to care. He jumped up and rushed over to Morlun, reeling back a fist. However, on either side of the monster, there was some sort of punch coming, as Zuko noticed, Jotaro had managed to get back on his feet. One swung this way, the other swung another. Morlun crumpled into a heap of fire and brokenness on the forest floor.

“You think you’ve done something?” the vine woman snapped. A group of vines started encasing the villains around them. “We’ll be back. More importantly, so will Morlun and Eudial. You could barely beat us this time. We’ll be sure to bring more allies next time.”

With that, the vines evaporated, leaving no one behind. Jotaro looked at where they once had been, swore under his breath, and collapsed back underneath the tree. He gazed up at Zuko. “You know, you would’ve made a good stand user, or a Joestar, at least.”

Zuko ignored him for now. He needed to treat that wound. He examined it. No. Cauterizing wouldn’t work in this case. They needed someone like Steven, Katara, or…

“Hey! We found you guys!” Josuke’s voice rang out. Josuke along with Mamoru, Mako, Katara, Luz, Miles, Mista, Aang, Peter, Danny, Steven, and Virgil fumbled towards their group, past the decaying vines that blocked the pathways. “We got separated from the others, and…Jotaro?”

He rushed over. “What happened?”

“No time,” Zuko said. “Heal him.”

“Right.”

In an instant, it was like the hole in Jotaro’s gut had never existed. He’d heard Katara say that Master Jeong Jeong envied healers; Zuko was starting to see why. If people like Katara and Josuke didn’t exist, people like him and Jotaro would be dead several times over.

“Who did this?” Josuke asked again, a little more ardently now.

“Morlun,” Zuko answered honestly.

“What happened?” Miles asked. “Did you…beat him?”

Zuko shook his head. “We beat him for now but not for good.”

“Then we find him and kick his ass,” Jotaro muttered.

“You’re not in any state to do that,” Katara chastised.

“That bastard almost…” His eyes widened. “Where’s Kakyoin?”

“I’ll go help him,” Katara said, running back to help him.

Jotaro sat up; he didn’t even flinch. He was tough. Zuko gave him that. He staggered over to Katara and Kakyoin. They must’ve been through a lot before they’d met them. What? He didn’t really know. They weren’t open people, and a good dose of suspicion of others wasn’t anything he didn’t know. They seemed to be pretty good friends, even if they were against each other in the beginning.

“We are now closing due to unforeseen circumstances,” a PA rang out. “Please make your way back to the entrance.”

“Everyone!” Usagi’s voice rang out. “We need help!”

To their left, Usagi and some of the others ran to catch up with them. There was this new guy: purple hair, muscles, strange jacket, and clothes that looked like he was a fighter. He was holding someone totally incapacitated.

“Giorno?” he heard Miles ask, dread obvious in his voice.

“There was this lady,” Usagi explained. “Her name was Liv.”

“Doc Ock?!”

“I don’t know,” Usagi said. “But she gave Giorno one of those serums for spider totems, at least, that’s how Trunks explained it.”

“You’re Trunks,” Jotaro assumed.

The purple-haired guy nodded. “I’ve come here to help. There’s a lot of work we’ve gotta do.”

“We need to get everyone to safety first,” Miles said. “Let’s find the others and get the hell out of here!”

…

Professor Sycamore made sure the kids were safe first. He couldn’t fail like he did back at Geosenge. He wouldn’t allow any of them to be hurt for the sake of Lysandre’s vision of a perfect world.

Although, since Ash was safe with Leon, he didn’t need to worry so much about Ash.

“Come along, Augustine,” Lysandre chided. “Are you waiting for some sort of legendary intervention?”

As he fired another shot of…whatever that energy was comprised of and hit a tree, Sycamore could tell Lysandre was getting aggravated. All that huffing and puffing and his normal theatrics did not surprise him. He just needed to get the kids out of the line of fire.

“Done!”

Sycamore turned to Gale who had created a portal back to the entrance. “Everyone in!”

“I think we can take him,” the Collector said with a grin.

He fired some sort of blue spell at Lysandre, but it was blocked completely by a red, glowing shield that appeared before him at the press of a button.

“That’s no fair!” the Collector protested.

“Hey, let’s just get out of here,” King said.

The Collector rolled his eyes. “Fine. But we need to find something fun to do when we get home.”

Lysandre was dangerous, especially like this. He needed to distract him.

“Lysandre, when we worked together, I thought we could find a way to improve the world—not destroy it! All you’ve been doing is utter destruction! How is this supposed to improve anything?”

“Still naïve as always,” Lysandre said, shaking his head. He got closer and closer until Sycamore was backed into a corner. Gale was busy helping the children. Good. “You know, I still consider you to be one of the most beautiful things in this rotten world. Your image, your knowledge, your kindness, your soul.”

He held out his hand toward Augustine’s chest. The professor could feel his heart breaking all over again. “You don’t have to do this, amour. We can fix this together.”

Lysandre hesitated for a moment. “I’m sorry. This is the only way, mon cher.”

Sycamore shut his eyes as the energy crackling in Lysandre’s hand got brighter. However, a bright green beam of light countered the attempt as it fired off.

“Iacto Te!”

One minute Lysandre had been standing there, the next he was somewhere else entirely. All the children had been evacuated. Only Gale stood there with a look of understanding on his face.

“You know, my last lover wanted me to blow myself up to destroy a netherbrain,” he said. “Should you ever want to converse over the topic of jilted lovers, or, well, share a conversation about anything, I am readily available.”

“Merci,” Sycamore said quietly. “Lysandre wasn’t always like that…or maybe he was…maybe I just didn’t see it. But he was sweet to me, at one point.”

“It always starts that way, doesn’t it?” Gale asked.

“Are you two alright?”

A girl with cascading blue hair similar to waves in the ocean approached them. She seemed to be one of the senshi, only, he’d never seen her before.

“Ah,” Gale said with a small smirk. “Excellent timing, but I’m afraid there’s no pure hearts or talismans to be had here.”

The bluenette shook her head. “We’re forming an evacuation of this area. Civilian safety is our first priority.”

“I’m sure it is,” Gale mused.

“Don’t trust her,” another voice shouted. It was that boy with the boomerang, only now he had a sword.

“I was wondering when you’d catch up,” the girl said with a coy smile.

“Don’t let her fool you,” the boy said. “She’s just as bad as the witches!”

The girl frowned. “You mistake us for villains. We’re just doing what we have to do.”

The younger boy, the CEO, Kaiba (who everyone knew at this point) chimed in. “You would’ve killed Hunter just to get the talisman he harbors. You can take your greater good and jump off a cliff—a burning bridge if you’re a defense attorney.”

“Did…did Mr. Wright actually do that?” the girl with the fan blades asked.

“Enough,” the blue senshi said. “You’re all wasting precious time. You need to get out of here!”

“Oh, I’m sure you wouldn’t want any of the talismans to get hurt,” Kaiba threw back at her.

“In any case,” Gale began. “The portal spell is waning. We may want to take advantage of it while we still have it open.”

The children looked at each other, an open hostility in the air.

“Fine.”

…

Back at the shrine, Jotaro was waiting on Kakyoin to get better while Katara fluctuated between helping him and Giorno. She looked so tired, but Miles couldn’t exactly object to her help. She didn’t say anything, if she was tired.

Two hours into her treatment, she stopped. “I’ve helped supply healing to the pressure points and internal energies that were affected. In Kakyoin’s case, he needed an influx, whereas Giorno just needed someone to help him balance the invasiveness of the pathogen introduced to his system. It was pretty much an overdose. They’ll be asleep for a while.”

“But they’re going to be okay, right?” Miles asked.

Katara nodded. “As long as we keep them away from Morlun, they’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, Katara,” Jotaro muttered.

“You’re welcome,” Katara said with a small smile. “Trust me, I’ve treated worse.”

“So Aang told us,” Jotaro said. He smirked slightly. “It was pretty annoying. He wouldn’t stop talking about you.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet of him!” She paused and lingered as she stood up and went to the doorway. “By the way…if it were me, I would’ve done the same thing. Just be more careful next time.”

Jotaro looked at her for a second and then nodded.

Miles sat next to Giorno, waiting. He wasn’t sure why he was waiting. Katara did say it would be a while before he woke up. But to think that he’d wake up not sure where he was, or if Morlun, Doc Ock, Eudial, Alastor, or even his father had gotten to him, well, he didn’t want him to wake up thinking he was in danger again. No. His body, his heart, and his soul would stay his own.

He held his head in his hands. He hated how he wasn’t there to stop her. True, he hadn’t known Olivia Octavius would be there, but what shouldn’t he expect at this point? The Turtwig stayed by Giorno. Kind of impressive it already cared about him. Though, Miles wasn’t really surprised. He was easy to care about.

Today was supposed to have been fun. They were going to look for more information on Dame Aylin and get some food afterwards. He’d saved up some money from a job he’d done for Mr. Hino. It would’ve been nice to just take a break for a minute. Just two friends chilling out and vibing.

Two friends…

“Miles? Baby?” he heard his mom ask.

Katara dipped out and allowed his mom to get by her and into the room. She knelt next to him and Giorno, placing the back of her palm against his forehead. “It’s not as bad as when you first got him here. Katara would make a great doctor.”

“Something tells me she has,” Miles said. He sighed. “Mama, this is what I was talking about. I could’ve saved him from this. This is my fault.”

“Miles…this isn’t your fault,” his mom said. She was quiet for a moment—looking from him to Giorno. “Miles, is there anything you want to tell me?”

Miles froze. Hopefully, she wasn’t asking what he thought she was asking. He decided to just go on the basis that she wasn’t. He shook his head. “You know everything there is to know, now. I just want to help keep him safe.”

“I know,” his mom said. “It’s just…well…I want to make sure you’re safe and happy, too. Whatever you do in life, just promise me that you know I’ll be on your side cien percento. And Giorno seems like a nice kid. So, I’ll be happy if you’re both safe and happy, ¿lo entiendes?”

Oh god, she was.

“I get it, Mom. I get it. And…I appreciate it.”

“Okay. I just want you to know,” his mom said, standing up. “I’m gonna go check on the others. Apparently, some of them got dinged up out there today.”

She walked out, leaving Jotaro and Miles keeping an eye on Giorno and Kakyoin.

“So…you’ve got a thing for DIO’s kid, huh?”

Miles reburied his face in his hands. “Please stop talking.”

“Hey, I’m not judging or anything. Well, maybe a little. I mean, he still is DIO’s kid.”

“He’s also your family,” Miles argued.

“True,” Jotaro said, playing with a lighter in his hand. He plucked a cigarette from his pocket and balanced it between his fingers.

“Those things will kill you,” Miles said.

“You know, Kakyoin said the same thing to me,” Jotaro said.

Miles smirked. “So, you’re just really good friends, right?”

“Sure.”

“So good that you’d jump in front of a literal vampire for him,” Miles said.

Jotaro’s eyes darkened as though there were a storm behind them. “I didn’t the first time.” He broke the cigarette in half and tucked his lighter back into his pocket. “DIO killed him. He’s the person we have to thank on even knowing DIO’s abilities. He was a bastard, and if he’s still out there, I will kill him again.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Miles said. “I didn’t know. Kakyoin never told us. But…Giorno isn’t like his dad, I hope you know.”

“Well, I hope he is like one of them,” Jotaro said. “Supposedly great-great grandfather Jonathan was a good guy, you know, honorable gentleman type.”

“You make it sound as though you want to get to know him,” a snarky and pompous voice spoke up from the doorway. Luckily, it was just Astarion. “I can help with that!”

“What are you talking about, not DIO?”

“Ugh, some decorum would be good for you,” Astarion said. “I actually have someone who wants to meet his son.”

“No way.”

Through the doorway a man with shaggy black hair, adventurer’s clothing, and large stature stepped into the room. “Hello. My name is Jonathan Joestar. I’ve come to meet Giorno Giovanna.”

#jjba #pokemon #pure heart crystals #ace attorney #miles morales #owl house #sailor moon #across the spiderverse #avatar the last airbender #kaolinite

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karlachgale95 · 11 months ago

Text

Hearts of the Multiverse-Chapter Seventeen: Again & Again

Luz stuck her hand to the wall, able to hang by the palm of her hand, now. Minako followed suit, and then they got into a competition as to who could go higher without losing their grip or balance. Minako was winning; if Luz had known she was a former idol and Volleyball superstar, she would’ve never bet her snacks on the game. Minako was like Boscha but nice—if not a little overconfident.

“Thanks for playing,” Minako said with a slight smirk, as she slid all the snacks into her backpack.

“Goodbye cool-flavored chips,” Luz said mournfully.

Minako sighed. “Oh, don’t look so sad, I’ll still share.”

“But not this one,” Josuke said, yanking away one of the loose bags of chips.

“Hey! I won those fair and square!”

“You shoulda kept a better eye on ‘em,” Josuke said with a grin. He then proceeded to grab another bag and toss it to Okuyasu. Minako raised her fists in the air, seeming ready to pounce. However, Josuke lifted his hands defensively. “Hey, you basically gambled Luz out of two weeks’ worth of snacks. I think you can spare some.”

“What exactly are you trying to say, Josuke?” Minako asked. “Are you implying that I have too many snacks? That’s not a very nice thing to say to a lady!”

Josuke simply laughed in response, popping a chip into his mouth.

Zuko walked into the room, still looking a little under the weather. For some reason it had hit him harder. According to Karlach, it had hit Kaiba a bit harder, too. What was up with that?

Zuko frowned. “What are you all doing? We should be learning how to manage this stuff from Miles, Pav, Hobie, or Gwen.”

The younger Peter Parker, who just so happened to be in the room, jumped up. “Oh! I can help you!”

“That’s true,” Minako said. She slunk closer to him. “We don’t know much about you, Peter. Maybe we could get to know each other better and train!”

“This isn’t some sort of social—!” Zuko tried to argue. He burst into a fit of coughs before he could finish. “Ugh. I hate this.”

“I wonder why this affected you guys so bad?” Peter wondered. “I mean, sure, I got a little feverish, but that was pretty much it. Seems to have been the same for Gwen, Pav, and Hobie. I don’t know about Miles. I don’t think he trusts me all that much—given what Gwen’s told me—I don’t blame him.”

“Hopefully this goes away soon,” Zuko muttered.

“You’re telling me.”

Standing at the entrance was Noriaki Kakyoin, Jotaro Kujo, and Jean Pierre-Polnareff. Kakyoin looked just as miserable as Zuko. Luz wasn’t sure why they felt so terrible. Sure, she’d been sick those first few hours, but it hadn’t lasted this long.

“Well, sit down, I’ll show you some techniques I picked up when I first started out,” Peter said. He pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper from his pocket and tried to smooth it out as much as possible. When it was sufficiently smoothed, he stuck it to the palm of his hand. “No doubt you guys have been facing this problem this morning. Loose papers are the worst offenders.”

Luz took out one of the maps she’d drawn of the Boiling Isles. It was a rough sketch. It didn’t really matter if it got torn. Sure enough, it stuck like glue. “Whatd’ya know?”

“See, the key is to relax the muscles. Don’t panic. Your worst enemy is panicking.” He slumped his shoulder for emphasis; to his credit, the paper fell to the ground. “It’s the same for wall-crawling. You relax when you want to let go. I recommend practicing tumbling. Landing without practice can be hell on your knees. Or, at least, that’s how it was for me.”

Luz took a deep breath in and let the paper fall from her hand. Minako snatched the paper from the floor and eagerly tried to do it, too. It stuck. She then began to try and frantically wave it off. It didn’t work.

“Just relax, Mina,” Luz said.

“Easy for you to say,” Minako snapped. “You’ve got this thing down, you’ve got a great girlfriend, and I can’t even get this stupid piece of paper off my hand!”

“…Is that why you scammed her out of her snacks?” Josuke asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Shut up! Now’s not the time!”

Peter pressed his hand against Minako’s and slid the paper off her palm. She blushed, but Peter seemed oblivious. “See? Just like that!”

Minako simply nodded. If Luz were a lesser person, she might get even with Minako for the highway robbery.

Suddenly, the translucent, purple-blue form of Gale of Waterdeep appeared in the room. The voice still sounded tinny. Luz supposed he hadn’t perfected that yet. “I have been instructed to tell everyone in this room that the gathering will be taking place later tomorrow morning. The invitation comes from Augustine Sycamore, other professors, and champions from all over the world.”

“Thanks for letting us know…Gale?” Luz said with a slight hesitation. After all, this wasn’t really Gale. More so an avatar for Gale.

“Your manners are most appreciated, Luz of the Boiling Isles, however, I am merely a messenger for Gale of Waterdeep.”

With that, the image shut its eyes and vanished.

“Illusion magic?” Amity guessed.

“Kind of,” Luz said. “Gale’s been in school for magic longer than we have.”

“Then why did it look so rudimentary?” Amity asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Hey, cut us humans some slack,” Luz said with a slight reprimanding laugh.

“He’s a human?” Amity asked. “But, how did he—?”

“Get to somewhere magic?” Luz asked. Amity nodded. “Where he’s from, humans, some elves, gnomes, and the like coexist…sometimes. There’s a lot of strife concerning tieflings and dark elves—for no good reason!”

“What about the Githyanki?” Amity asked. “I remember Gale talking about his ‘gith’ friend. She sounds kind of…rude?”

“The Githyanki are proud and they like to fight,” Luz explained. “Oh! I know! They’re kind of like Saiyans, in Dragon Ball.”

“Ugh, I can’t believe Eda made us watch all those movies,” Amity complained.

“What are you talking about?” Josuke interjected. “Dragon Ball is great! Man, I couldn’t believe Goku came from another planet!”

“To be fair, so did Superman,” Minako said, flipping her hair back. “He’s nothing special. I betcha Superman could beat him!”

“No way in hell,” Josuke argued. “Kaioken totally knocks Supes out.”

“And we are not having this argument,” Luz said. “It’s still going in 2024, and I’m not hearing it here.”

“Wait? Seriously?” Josuke asked.

“At least you know the characters have longevity,” Luz said with a shrug.

Josuke furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as did Okuyasu.

“Meaning they’re still popular in 2024.”

“Ah. Gotcha.”

Luz shook her head and set off to tell everyone the news. After all, some people were still in bed. Luz walked from room to room, giving people a head’s up. When she came across Miles’s room, she saw him and his parents talking in low voices. The temptation to listen in was so strong, but she fought it off. They needed to make up on their own time, and his parents didn’t seem overwhelmingly mad at him—right now.

Finally, she got to the last room and saw Giorno, Usagi, and Rei talking to each other just as quietly. She tried to carefully walk away, but the floorboards creaked beneath her feet, alerting them to her presence.

“Luz?” Giorno asked. “How long have you been there?”

“Just a few seconds,” Luz said. “I was just coming by to tell you that Gale’s apparition dropped by and told us that tomorrow is the Pokémon Event Day.” She paused. “What’s going on?”

“We were just talking about that vampire guy,” Usagi said.

“Now he has even more targets,” Giorno muttered.

“And we don’t know how he traces people,” Rei added. “We need to build defenses around the shrine.”

“Well, Gale has been teaching us some protection spells. We might be able to use some of those,” Luz suggested.

“It could be worth it,” Giorno said. “Back when Vox had tried to hypnotize everyone, it was only myself and Gale who broke away from it.”

“Still pinning all our hopes on one guy whose portals sometimes mess up is…I don’t know,” Rei said with a hesitant shrug.

“Maybe we should ask Sokka?” Luz suggested. “He’s pretty good at strategy and defense.”

“Ask Sokka what?” Said boy asked. Luz hadn’t noticed him walking over from the other side of the hallway. “About the vampire dude? Yeah, I already asked Gale about what he might be able to do.”

When they looked at him, Sokka shook his head. “Look, I plan ahead. I started sleuthing about this case a while ago. Gale said he couldn’t do anything, but if we found his friend or the ‘Ey-si-marr,’ they might be able to do damage to him. That or the skeleton guy—who may or may not interfere on our behalf. His words, not mine.”

“Great,” Giorno said in mock enthusiasm. “All we need to do is find a rotting corpse, and we’re saved.”

“I don’t see you coming up with any other plan,” Sokka shrugged.

“I…have backup plans.”

“Which you’re not using,” Rei chastised. “I know what you’re thinking, and I sensed a familiar, evil presence lurking around here again. I know you talked with Alastor!”

When Giorno remained silent, everyone was stunned. Luz shook her head. “You can’t trust him! You know he won’t hold up his end of the deal!”

“Yeah!” Sokka agreed. “If you’re trying to help Miles, trusting Alastor isn’t the way to go. He probably just wants his soul, too. If he can get two for one in a vaguely worded contract, he’ll probably do that.”

“I’d obviously read over this one,” Giorno said.

“And what if you can’t?” Sokka shot back. “What if he’s going to intentionally back you into a corner like last time?”

“It’s not like I’m leaning towards the Alastor option,” Giorno said with a scoff.

“Because your vampire dad is the way more trustworthy option,” Sokka said sarcastically. “The guy launched Kakyoin into a water tank, killed a lot of innocent people, made an army of killers, and made sure anyone who’s worked for him is completely under his control. That’s not any better than Alastor.”

“How do you know all that?” Giorno asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Like I said, I like to sleuth,” Sokka said. “Especially when it comes to matters of group safety.”

Giorno was quiet again, seeming to think over what Sokka had said. “So…how do we find a reanimated skeleton?”

“We could try asking Zuko,” Sokka suggested, somewhat jokingly. “He was pretty good at tracking us back in the day.”

“He doesn’t seem to be feeling very well,” Luz said. “We should probably wait to ask him.”

“Good point,” Sokka said. “There’s gotta be a weakness that guy has. Something we’re not thinking of…I’m going to head to the library. They might have something. A lot of people have started contributing to it, even if they’re from different worlds. Helpful for us, I guess.”

“We’ll go with you,” Luz said. “After all, seems like a lot of us are infected now.”

And she was trying not to think about this too much.

“Do you think the others will be okay here?” Sokka asked.

“I’m sure of it,” Luz said with a thumbs up. “We’ve got a lot of strong people here!”

“Which reminds me, I need to go grocery shopping,” Rei said with a sigh.

“We’ll do that on the way home, too,” Luz said with a sympathetic smile and pat on the shoulder.

…

“We just don’t want anything bad to happen to you,” his mother said, softly.

They’d been trying to keep their cool and talk with him the past thirty minutes. Apparently Giorno had talked to his parents the other day. Whatever he had said made his parents want to talk to him again. It was nice just to have a conversation with them. He’d have to thank him later.

“I’ve wanted to tell you guys for a long time. I was just…scared,” Miles admitted.

“You could’ve told us,” His dad said. “We would’ve figured something out.”

“Like what?” Miles asked. “I mean, look in the common area. Zuko is still sick. Minako and Luz can climb walls now, which I’m sure Rei is thrilled about.”

He paused and sighed. “Being Spiderman comes with a lot of responsibility. It’s my job, with my abilities, to keep people safe.”

“The world isn’t on your shoulders, Miles,” his dad said softly.

“It kinda is, actually,” Miles argued. “Our universe’s Spiderman died protecting me. I owe it to him, to Uncle Aaron, to you guys, and to everyone to step up. I’ve seen a universe without Spiderman; you don’t want to.”

“You can’t do this by yourself, baby,” his mother chided. “It’s too much!”

“I don’t have any choice,” Miles said. He gave her a small smile. “Besides, I’m not alone anymore. I’ve got friends here, and we all want the same thing.”

“That’s right!” Usagi’s voice chimed in. She walked into the room grinning and waving. “Hey, we’re heading to the library. We were wondering if you wanted to come, Miles.”

“But what about that man?” his mom asked. “With everything that’s been going on, isn’t that—?”

“That’s why we’re going,” Sokka said, stepping into the doorframe. “We’re going to go see if there’s any information or weaknesses on that guy.”

“Who all is going?” Miles asked.

“Well, there’s me and Sokka,” Usagi said, pausing thoughtfully. “I thought about asking Mamo, but as it turns out, he’s already there! Luz, Rei, and Giorno are already waiting for us.”

Upon hearing who was going to go, Miles turned to his parents. “Can I go? It could save us all.”

They seemed hesitant. Miles thought they might say ‘no,’ before his mom spoke up, “Promise to be safe, Miles. I mean it.”

“I promise, Mama,” Miles assured her.

“Then let’s get going,” Usagi said, grabbing his arm, pulling him away. She must be excited to see Mamoru.

As they were leaving, Kakyoin glanced up, “Where are you all going?”

“To the library,” Luz explained. “We were thinking we might be able to find something that would help us beat the vampire guy and the Deathbusters.”

“We’ll go, too,” Jotaro said, gesturing to himself, Kakyoin, Avdol, and Polnareff. That did not sound like an offer, more like an absolute.

Luz gestured to Kakyoin, “You sure you’re up for going to the library?”

Kakyoin brushed a strand of loose hair out of his eyes. “I’m sure. I’ll be fine.”

“Anyone else wanna go?” Luz asked.

“Now that you mention it, I would love to check out a multiversal library,” Amity said. “It’d be cool to see what kinds of books on magic there are in places like Baldur’s Gate and Paldea.”

“Oh, Paldea’s books are great and all,” Nemona said dismissively, “But you should check out some of the books of legends from Sinnoh. In fact, I’ll go with you!”

“I’ll go, too,” Zuko said. “I’d like to see if I can find any weaknesses on Morlun.”

“Right, that’s his name,” Usagi said, pausing thoughtfully.

“You’re trying to research someone you don’t even know the name of?” Zuko asked. Miles was sure he saw his eye twitch. “I’m definitely going with you.”

“I’ll go with you,” Ami said. “I’ve been meaning to check out more Dickens.”

“That dude is so boring,” Miles’s said. “Don’t worry, I’ll hook you up with good authors.”

“We’re not going just to read,” Zuko snapped.

“As disappointed as I am about that,” Kakyoin said. “I agree. We need to keep focused.”

“I’ll go, too,” the younger Peter Parker spoke up. “We might be able to find out who all is here.”

“We’re going, too,” Gus said, wrapping his arms around Hunter and Willow. “We’ll find a way to beat that creep and the Deathbusters!”

“Hold it,” Darius spoke up. “You’re not going alone.”

“You don’t have to hover,” Jotaro said. “We’re more than capable of defending ourselves. Besides, Avdol has always been the most responsible and mature person I know.”

“Coming from the seventeen-year-old delinquent,” Darius said, his lips pressed into a frown. “Besides, I occasionally like to relax with a nice book.”

“Alright…let’s get going,” Miles said, before an argument could break out.

…

The day had been going well. Miles Edgeworth had been enjoying a nice day out with his childhood best friend turned rival turned boyfriend, Miss Fey, the Clawthorne sisters, Raine Whispers, and Franziska. That’s when some random man and his companion spotted them and began talking about some mystical library. This piqued Lilith Clawthorne’s interest, and soon enough he found himself and everyone else in the library.

The Northern English man in the pinstripe suit and the doctor-in-training with him were mysterious as Kurrain Village, itself. The man was searching through every shelf, meticulously examining books with some sort of device that screeched like an unharmonious mess of broken computers. Honestly, Wright was more interested in their business than he was. But he felt like staying close by, just in case any of those witches showed their faces here.

“So, you’re from 2007,” Phoenix reiterated.

“Oh yes,” the man said with a small, enthusiastic nod.

“But you’re also time travelers,” Phoenix confirmed.

“Very perceptive, Mr. Great Ace Attorney,” the man said wryly. “Well, I suppose that’s more so Ryunosuke, but the point still stands.”

Miles openly scoffed, taking the affront personally. “And what sort of time-traveler doesn’t know what’s coming next?”

“Well, it’d be terribly boring to always know what’s going to happen next, Mr. Edgeworth,” the man said with a grin.

Miles shook his head and continued to look for a book that would help his sister. Ever since that dreadful pest bit her, she’d been feeling ill. Although, she’d insist she were perfectly fine. He knew otherwise.

“So, what’s with that thing, anyways?” Phoenix asked, gesturing to the device the man was using. “Does it locate magic stuff or something?”

“It locates alien ‘stuff’” the man explained. He paused and ran his fingers through his hair. “The funny thing is, I feel like there’s something here I’m missing, like I’ve been here before.”

“Like fate,” Maya said.

“Something like that,” the man said, his smile never wavering. It was too condescending towards Miss Fey, for Edgeworth’s liking, even if he, himself, didn’t necessarily believe in fate.

“Well, then, what are you looking for?” Miles implored.

“A book?” the man guessed, more to himself, seemingly. “No, that’s not it. A place, here, maybe. It’s all connected to a specific book.”

“Like Scooby Doo,” the woman beside him joked. The man flinched. Somehow, that had triggered something.

Well, if there were something here, it would do well to investigate. The building was three stories high, and it looked as though it had been recently renovated—probably by someone with the funds to do so. There were stacks and stacks upon stacks of books. One could get lost in this library. He certainly could.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” a familiar voice piped up. It was the so-called wizard, Gale, Wyll, and the eldest Kaiba brother. Gale gave Miles a small smile and extended a hand. “It’s good to see you again, Mr. Edgeworth. Halsin, Lae’zel, and Jaheira told us about what happened the other day.”

“I suppose you’re here looking for some way to discover who stole my technology,” Kaiba said. He glared at Edgeworth, but there was a hint of weakness there. He looked pale and unlike himself…like Franziska after that bite.

“That, amongst other things,” Miles said stiffly. “I see we may be looking for the same thing here, actually.”

Kaiba scowled. “Perhaps.”

“You two can look for magic cures and clues, but I’ll be busy perusing the knowledge of the multiverse,” Gale said with a smile. “This place must contain vast amounts of knowledge, surely even greater power. Think of how it could help us—all of us.”

“I’m sure it’s all for the greater good,” Miles said, rolling his eyes.

“Well, I’m sure it’s not Graves who stole my tech,” Kaiba continued. He held up a newspaper. The headline read along the lines of ‘Gideon Graves Accidentally Locks Himself Out of Record Company Due to Lock Change.’ “Not exactly the means or brains of a man capable of manipulating the multiverse.”

They heard a dark chuckle from the table behind them. “Best rumor I ever started.”

The group turned to see a short man with black hair that drooped in front of his face. He could be surmised in one word: goth. In front of them was an individual with ears like an elf, purple skin, and scale armor. The intimidating sword strapped to their back was also impressive.

Kaiba glared at the goth man. “And just who are you?”

The man smirked and did a superfluous jump onto the table in front of him. “Matthew Patel! Former head of the League of Evil Exes.”

It was starting to make sense. Why Graves had been targeted; it was no secret these two hated each other. However, when Miles had tried to seek out Patel to confirm or deny whether he had made these allegations, he was nowhere to be found. So, why appear now?

“Mr. Patel, I will not let your theatrics damage that poor mahogany table!” an older voice cried out. And older man in a red and white suit glared at the man standing on the table. “Champion Geeta and Champion Cynthia ordered the creation of this library, and I will not have any part of it sullied!”

Patel rolled his eyes and did a small jump off the table. “People just can’t appreciate theatre anymore. It’s for the aesthetics!”

“Right,” the old man said, polishing his glasses. “Well, if you and your friend would like to remain here, you’ll keep this place clean.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Wyll spoke up with a small grin towards the more menacing person at the table. “We’ll make sure to keep an eye on these troublemakers.”

“In other words,” Gale said, sitting down next to the soldier. “Hello Tav.”

The soldier, who had been mainly stoic, cracked a grin. “Hello Gale. Hello Wyll.”

“You know this person?” Kaiba asked.

“They led our group against the Elderbrain. They came up with the plan to save all of Baldur’s Gate, my father from ruin,” Wyll explained.

“It’s good to see you again, Wyll,” Tav, apparently, said. “I thought I may never see you or Karlach again.”

“Oh, but we’re both made of tougher stuff,” Wyll said. He gestured to Kaiba, “And to be fair, we’ve had some help keeping here.”

“Then I owe you a gratitude,” Tav said with a slight smile. They turned to Gale. “And you. No timebombs, I suppose?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kaiba asked.

“Gale’s folly,” Gale explained. “Perhaps a tale for another time. But no, I do not seem to be infused with any magic that may cause self and catastrophic explosion.”

“I don’t want to hear any more,” Kaiba said.

“Excuse me,” Patel spoke up, impatiently. “You just learned I was the mastermind behind the Gideon Graves plot, and you’re ignoring me!”

“That’s right,” Wyll said. He glared at the man. “Why did you do that? Are you working with those witches.”

Patel rolled his eyes. “Hardly. I just saw the opportunity to make trouble for Graves, and I took it. However, these witches could be a problem for us all. And that’s not all. Not even the surface of the problems in this place.”

“Do you mean Morlun?” Edgeworth asked.

“Bigger than that,” Patel said. “This whole system is. I can help you, for a price.”

“We’re not paying you for information we can get out of you—legally,” Kaiba said.

Edgeworth refrained from correcting him when Patel scowled. “I don’t want your money.”

“Then—what do you want?” Wyll asked, confusion apparent on his face.

Patel’s eyes gleamed. “Was he super upset? Did he throw a tantrum? Oh, you gotta tell me!”

“Well, we almost got fired several times because of his temper,” Edgeworth muttered. “His investigations almost led us to dying. And he only stopped when a mobster told him off.”

“That’s hilarious!” Patel said with a laugh. “I mean, maybe not for you, but it’s just funny he got that upset. Also, nice touch with the mafioso. I should’ve thought of that!”

“It was a real riot,” Edgeworth said, crossing his arms.

“Miles, who are they?” Phoenix asked.

It seemed the others had rejoined him, including the annoying Englishman with a title as a name. He refused to address him by such unless necessary. Joy.

“This is our friend Tav,” Gale explained. He turned to Tav. “We’ve had some misadventures together. These people are Mr. Miles Edgeworth, Mr. Seto Kaiba, Mr. Phoenix Wright, Miss Maya Fey, Miss Franziska Von Karma, Miss Martha Jones, Miss Eda Clawthorne, Miss Lilith Clawthorne, Raine Whispers, and the Doctor.”

“Doctor of what, exactly?” Tav asked.

“It’s just the Doctor,” the man said.

“It’s nice to meet you, then, Doctor,” Tav said with a sliver of hesitation. They gave a polite smile to everyone. “It’s nice to meet all of you. I’m glad you’ve been able to keep these two out of trouble.”

They turned back to Gale and Wyll, “Speaking of trouble, is…?”

“Astarion with us?” Wyll assumed. Tav nodded. “Figured as much. Yes, he is. We’ve been working on a way to be able to let him walk in the sun again.”

“That’s…how do you propose?” Tav asked. “I thought the only way was…”

“Limitations are for sore losers,” Kaiba spoke up. “Granted, I wouldn’t use 700,000 souls just for one person’s sun allergy, but I’ve managed to help Karlach and Wyll with my technology. How hard could it be to help Astarion?”

Gale in-took a sharp breath at this, “Bit of a loaded question.”

“Luckily it was rhetorical, and I’m not interested in answers,” Kaiba said. “Just my results.”

“Well…I suppose…if you’re helping Astarion, I can’t complain,” Tav said. They glanced over Edgeworth’s shoulder. “And there’s the rest of our group!”

Five teenagers and two other men walked over to the group table. One man had graying, dark hair, red eyes, red sunglasses, a gray dress-up shirt, red vest, and slacks. The other man had wild brunette hair, wore a purple lab coat and goggles, and seemed uninterested *at best* in meeting new people. Two of the teenagers looked like they were twins. One was a boy with wiry, green hair and the other was a girl with braided green hair. They both wore the school uniforms from Hexside. Another was a girl with greenish-gray hair with blue highlights. She wore an orange sweater, green jeans, and old trainers. And the last was a girl with dark hair that covered most of her red eyes. She wore a lot of dark purple and black, and she nearly had a beanie pulled down over her ears.

“Tav, darling,” the man with the red shades spoke up. “Who are these people?”

Edgeworth sighed. They went through their introductions again. Wyll was polite enough to do it this time.

“Lovely to meet you all,” the man said. “I am Stolas, and this is my daughter, Via. Tav and Mr. Patel helped us find each other again.”

“And then we found the library. We’ve been holding up here ever since. Director Clavell and Champion Geeta have been kind enough to let us stay,” Tav explained.

“A library should be a safe haven for all,” the older man said.

As soon as the Director had left, the twins grinned at the group. The girl spoke up, “My name is Emira. The guy not paying attention is our dad, Alador Blight. The dork with the weird hair is my twin brother, Edric.”

The boy seemed aghast as he took a strand of hair between his fingers and began to examine it. “It’s not really—weird—I’d say. I mean, I don’t have access to all my self-care magic lately, but it shouldn’t affect it that bad.”

“She’s messing with you,” the smallest one them said. He turned to the group. “Don’t expect some cozy introduction. The library is crowded as it is.”

“Matt Tholumule, what terrible manners,” Stolas reprimanded.

“You’re not my dad.”

“Certainly not,” Stolas remarked. “You’d have better manners if I were.”

The boy, Matt Tholomule, apparently, growled and muttered something under his breath.

The last girl shook her head. “Don’t worry about them. My name is Vee. Vee Noceda!”

“Hey! Are you related to Luz?” Maya asked.

Vee nodded. “We’re sisters!”

“Ah yes. Luz Noceda is a great student,” Gale said. “Quite thrilled to learn magic.”

“Hey,” Eda spoke up indignantly. “Since when have you become Luz’s teacher? I’m her teacher!”

“I meant no offense,” Gale said, placing his hand over his heart to show sincerity. “It’s just, as humans, the magic system is already a complex one to tackle. It’s taken intense studies to get where I am. If I can shorten the path for anyone, especially a fellow human, well, it’s worth it. By accessing the weave, she’s already leagues ahead of most human witches and wizards I know.”

“Taking shortcuts isn’t learning real magic,” Eda argued. “Besides, Luz doesn’t need to learn from another human just to learn magic.”

“And yet, the Titan’s language isn’t very well-progressed. If we’re to win a fight, she needs to learn magic now rather than later. We wouldn’t want to cling to anything outdated. To know Mystra’s secrets and use them for yourself, now, therein lies power.”

“Outdated?! Why I oughta—!”

Miles decided now was the perfect moment to step in; there was no telling who would be teaching who ‘oughta’ do what.

“Ms. Noceda is quite generous, isn’t she?” Miles mused.

“Is there something amusing about her adopting people?” Kaiba questioned raising an eyebrow.

“I was adopted, too,” Miles reminded him.

Kaiba scowled but said nothing. He looked at Patel. “Didn’t you say you had something for us?”

“Hm? Oh, right. I guess you did cause trouble for Gideon for me, the least I could do is tell you about the…” he dramatically covered his face and nose with his coat. “secret library.”

“A secret library?!”

The familiar voice of Luz Noceda caught him off guard. All Miles had wanted to do today was run a small investigation with the people he cared about and find a cure for his sister. Was that too much to ask? And now the library was beginning to fill with noise. They would never find anything at this rate.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Miles. They’re just excited.”

As much as his circumstances annoyed him, Phoenix unexpectedly brought a calmness Miles wouldn’t have thought possible.

However, this calm was short-lived as he thought he saw someone familiar in the corner of the library. Regal blue clothing, piercing gaze, well-kempt hair. He blinked and the phantom vanished from view. There was no way…he had died alone in his cell. Gumshoe had delivered the news and the report by his own request!

“Miles? You okay?” Phoenix asked.

“Yeah, looks like you saw a ghost, Mr. Edgeworth,” Maya teased.

“I’m fine,” Miles said quickly, perhaps a little too quickly. He directed his attention to Patel. “Now, I believe you were going to show us this ‘secret library.’”

Patel gave him a hard stare for a second before shrugging. “Sure. Come on.”

…

Luz, despite everything, was pretty darn happy. She knew where everyone was, and now she had extra abilities. If she worked hard enough at it, she could be as strong as Miles, Gwen, Peter, or Pav. Sure, there was the whole Morlun issue to figure out, but they would do that—together.

Vee was here, Amity’s family (the ones who mattered) were here, Eda was here, and a majority of her new friends! Not only that, but they were investigating a secret library. Mr. Patel glanced around; they were in a corner of the library, inside a secret room underneath the large oak stairs leading to the second floor.

“How did you find this door?” Gale asked.

“Mystic powers,” Mr. Patel answered with a small smirk. “My demon hipster chicks told me that there was a room here upon close investigation.”

“I’m sorry—what?” Miles Morales asked.

Mr. Patel just continued grinning and opened the door. Behind it was an octagonal room; it looked like it was straight out of Beauty and the Beast. There must’ve been thousands and thousands of stacks of books, tomes, and even some technology.

“Remarkable,” Gale murmured.

“Isn’t it?” Lilith asked, almost sprinting into the library.

“You’re right, Lulu! This is my favorite place in the library!”

Hooty had not only jump-scared herself but either made everyone else jump (or groan if you were a certain purple-haired abomination witch).

“Hootzifer!” Lilith called out, throwing her arms around Hooty’s neck. “You’re here! How have you been? Have they been feeding you well? Does the director know you’re here?”

“Nope,” a voice that almost sounded like Patrick Starr mixed with a New York accent drawled. “But we’ve been taking good care of him.”

The group looked up to see three individuals standing on a balcony above them. One was a pretty woman with long, dark green hair, grey suit jacket and skirt, cream blouse, and red ribbon around her neck. The next was another tall woman who looked chill and intimidating all in the same breadth. She was magenta, wore a visor, and folded her arms against her chest. The last was familiar—all too familiar to nerdy online spaces. It was a short and stubby skeleton wearing a blue jacket, t-shirt, shorts, and slippers.

“A talking skeleton?” Mr. Patel asked. “That’s pretty metal.”

“It’s kind of bonely, actually.”

“What are you doing in the secret library?” Matt Tholomule asked. “We found this place first!”

“Actually, no,” the woman with green hair said. “This library is a collective of tomes from within the multiverse. It’s been building upon itself with every reset.”

“Wait,” Usagi spoke up, a gleam in her eyes. “Who are you?”

“And what do you mean by reset?” the Doctor asked.

The woman gave them a small smile. “You may call me Setsuna.”

She gestured to her companions. “This is Sans and Garnet. They’ve been helping me guard the library from threats. If this knowledge were to get in the wrong hands, it could be catastrophic. We built this oasis of secrets to help ourselves and our allies. You are all welcome here.” Her eyes drifted to the Doctor. “You helped us before. This place is part of your making. Yours and your companions. Along with others who may be missing.”

“I did?” the Doctor mused. “It’s possible—if you explain what you mean by resets.”

The other woman Garnet joined in the conversation. “There are many paths the future and past have taken. So far, everything hasn’t ended very well for any of us. We’re looking for a way to get everyone home, to give everyone a chance at living this time. However, most of the time, things end in tragedy.”

She pulled a circular tome that resembled a clock from one of the bookshelves. Lae’zel’s face appeared in translucent light. “This may very well be the last recordings at the end of the world. Most of our soldiers have fallen, my comrades: Jaheira, Minsc, Halsin, Wyll, Karlach, Gale, Astarion, and even Shadowheart.” She shut her eyes. “Kith'rak Voss and Prince Orpheus are my only allies left standing. I will not fail. I cannot fail. Not when it is so crucial. To think everything depends on the survival of a sixteen-year-old child.”

She laughed, a wretched and beaten laugh. “I am unsure of how the ensuing battle will go. It’s been written in this universe’s stars and my own has only served to make it harder on all of us. It may be that this war is unwinnable. Gale could not even destroy the enemy after reabsorbing the Netherese orb.”

“That’s…” Gale trailed off. “Not good. What would possess me to absorb that again? Is our situation so desperate? How did it not end whoever—?”

“Don’t worry,” Sans said. “We’ve got some tomes of that, too.”

More tomes played. One was Gale standing in front of a golden throne. The figure ahead of him was fuzzy and not visible.

“Can you stop wasting my time with your histrionics, wizard? Do me a favor and die pathetically like the others!”

“Pathetic?” the image of Gale questioned. “I’m afraid you have me mistaken for someone else. No, you and I will both end here!”

He pulled a dagger from his cloak and jabbed it straight into his glowing chest. The glow became brighter until everything ended in one gigantic BOOM. There were screams that echoed across a cosmic ballroom. However, when the smoke cleared, the figure remained while Gale was nowhere to be seen.

Current Gale stepped back, seemingly in disbelief. “What kind of monster could handle such damage?”

“It only gets worse,” Sans said. “We have a lot more. Though, from your face, our point has kinda been proven.”

“So, this has happened…” Miles began.

“A lot,” Giorno finished.

“Well, how do we make it stop?” Sokka asked. “C’mon, there’s gotta be some angle all these other people from other times haven’t been seeing.”

“Well, that’s the thing,” Setsuna spoke up. “There’s been ‘successes,’ too.”

Another image began to play: this time, everyone was happy. They were celebrating at a large feast. Food lined long tables full of cooked meats, fruits, veggies, sweets, and so on. Even Jotaro was smiling, which was a little scary.

“This looks like a nice future,” Hunter commented.

“So, when does the shoe drop?” Peter asked.

A bright flash interrupted the happy scene and left behind nothing but a bunch of floating crystals. Jotaro looked to Peter, “There it is.”

“Who’s causing this?” The Doctor asked.

“Don’t know,” Sans shrugged. “Every time we go to check, the image of the guys opposite us are always fuzzy. The case is pretty bare bones right now.”

Only Wyll laughed, and when he realized he was the only one to do so, he coughed and looked at the ground.

“Surely there’s a root,” Wyll said swiftly. “If we can find the root, we can beat whoever keeps hurting everyone!”

“Do you have a plan to find them?” Kaiba asks.

“We manage to stumble upon troublemakers well enough,” Gale says with a slight smirk. “Wyll is right. We’ll find a way. After all, this is a library.”

“Alright then, we’ll divvy into small teams,” Sokka said.

“And who put you in charge?” Kaiba questioned.

“And your plan would be to what?” Sokka countered.

It was impressive; he managed to shut Kaiba up in a single comment. Luz was taking notes.

“Alright then,” Sokka said. “Let’s get looking.”

…

Sokka started to shift different piles of books and tomes to different people in his group. Not only was there now the problem of solving the thing with Morlun, helping Giorno, and getting back home, but now they needed to find a way to stop every single horrible possibility that happened in the past. Not only that, but the older people of the group had paired themselves off with each other, leaving them to work together. Not like he wasn’t used to leading a group of disorganized teenagers, but it would’ve been nice to have a break.

“Alright, so any clues to any spiritual rituals, mystical powers or weapons, or any traces on weaknesses of villains would be great right about now,” Sokka said, flipping through the stack of books in his pile. “Just look through the bold.”

“Too much of a shortcut,” Kaiba said. “We could take some of them home and investigate more thoroughly.”

“Absolutely not,” the woman, Setsuna reprimanded. “All the knowledge in this library is for allies only. If any of it should fall into the wrong hands, it could be deadly to us all.”

“Understood,” Sokka said. He remembered the last time he tried to take information away from a library, and he didn’t want to repeat that mess. At least they weren’t stranded in the middle of a desert this time. “It’s probably for the best.”

“So, we’re just expected to keep coming back to this place every day in hopes that we find something remotely useful?” Kaiba questioned.

“You know, I usually hear this, not say it, but your ‘realist’ attitude is really not helping,” Sokka snapped.

As he was about to skim through another tome, Kaiba continued. He held a book up in Sokka’s face, “According to this one, you and your sister are evil, and he,” he gestured to Zuko, who raised an eyebrow. “and his sister are the ones who help the avatar. I wonder why this is here? Maybe it’s just here to record how much you’ve failed in any timeline you’re in. Honestly, you came up with an amazing military strategy only to waste it over some girl.”

Sokka dropped the book he was holding, stood up, and glared at Kaiba. “That girl is my girlfriend. I love her, and I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her. Not that you’d know anything about something like that.”

“Ugh. Please, Yugi and his cheerleaders always preach about the effectiveness of the power of love and friendship, but it’s all a distraction.”

“A distraction from what?” Luz asked. “Being edgy and miserable?”

Sokka laughed.

“Well, he’s certainly distracted,” Giorno said, flipping through pages of a book. “He’s been beaten by Yugi Muto every single time he’s dueled him. Well, except when he threatened to throw himself off a building. Of course, Yugi was too kindhearted to let him do such a thing. But, if he continues to be rude, I will not say the same for myself.”

“Is that a threat?” Kaiba asked. He laughed. “I can’t say I’m surprised from the likes of you—knowing what and who you are.”

Giorno glared at him. “Not another word.”

“What’s he talking about?” Miles asked.

Kaiba pretended to be shocked. “You mean you haven’t told your ‘best friend’ here who you really are? Such a shame. After all, you two seem to be pretty close in a lot of the timelines. Well, Morales is too good for you, anyways.”

If looks could kill…

“Everyone has a past they’d like to conceal at one point or another,” Zuko said. “Leave him alone.”

“I suppose you’d know all about that.”

“What is your problem?” Sokka asked. “All you do is complain and make snarky remarks about everyone else! Why are you even here?”

“I’m here to do what you all can’t seem to—find a solution to the inevitable doom creeping closer each day we’re stuck here. But I’m saddled with idiots who always get themselves killed, no matter what we try. And the people I care about die horrifically. You’re all treating this like it’s some sort of vacation or summer school where you get to go to exciting places and meet new and interesting people. That’s not what this is! That’s not what this has ever been! You really care about your girlfriend? Your friends here? Take this seriously, damn it!”

“Maybe they are!” an unexpected voice chimed in; it was Ami. She glared at Kaiba and placed her hand over her heart. “Look, I understand working hard to avoid losing people you love. I think we all do. I try my best to research ways to protect everyone. I strive for success—to be the best I can be when protecting my friends. However, human ingenuity has its limitations. One person can only do so much. If you keep treating people terribly, closing yourself off, and being a jerk, you’re not going to have anyone to help you! Now is not the time for petty arguments. It’s the time to stand together, look at things from a different perspective, study the tomes, and create a new solution—together.”

Kaiba looked at her and sighed. “Fine. Perhaps you’re right. Nothing is getting done by being so pedantic on the past.”

How was she able to shut him up? Well, in any case, Sokka was grateful. Everyone looked a little ill at ease, especially Jotaro and his friends. They’d been skeptical of Giorno like he and Zuko were when they began living at the shrine. Apparently, it was something to do with his dad. But Sokka would be lying if he said he weren’t curious as to what Kaiba had meant, as annoying as he was about it.

He shook his head and went back to reading the tomes. No reason to let it get to him. His failure during the eclipse didn’t define him. After all, he, Toph, and Suki took out an entire fleet of Fire Nation airships when they were at their most powerful. He didn’t need to justify anything to Seto Kaiba.

…

Later, when they were back at the shrine, Miles sat in the open doorway, trying to get some air. He’d seen a few things in those tomes that he prayed would never come to pass…and some he hoped would. So many people could die. There had to be some way to save them, and hopefully it didn’t involve Gale blowing himself up for nothing.

He sensed someone approaching. Miles barely glanced over to see Giorno sit down beside him. “Nice night, isn’t it?”

“Other than seeing the millions of ways we could die, yeah, I guess.”

“Guess I should’ve been more specific—the breeze and moon are nice. Did you know Katara draws her power from the moon?”

“Well, you know, the tides and the moon are pretty connected. Kind of surprised Usagi doesn’t have water powers.”

Miles was quiet for a minute before he asked. “So…what did Kaiba mean?”

Giorno glanced around, as if checking for other people. “Guess it’s time I told you…Miles you have to swear not to tell anyone else. This information is dangerous. That’s why I’ve kept it to myself, you understand, right?”

“Geez, makes it sound like you’re about to tell me you’re a crime lord or something,” Miles joked. When Giorno frowned slightly and quickly became suspiciously quiet, the realization hit Miles like a charge attack from Rhino. “Wait—really? Dude, how? You’re fifteen!”

“So are you,” Giorno argued. “Miles, neither of us lives a normal life. Being a mob boss is probably one of the sanest things I’ve told you.”

“Then why did you wait so long to tell me?” Miles asked.

“I was afraid how you would react. I mean, your dad is going to be a captain in the immediate future.”

Miles was quiet for a second. He shook his head. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep your secret.” He grinned. “We’ve got a pact, after all.”

“Oh, is that all?” Giorno mused. He feigned hurt. “I assumed we were friends.”

“We are,” Miles said with a slight laugh. “Though, I gotta ask, why? What led you to—?”

Giorno’s face darkened. “They were selling drugs to kids. I had to stop them—it was like something in me needed to make sure the streets of Italy would be safe for kids to grow up, to be kids. Corruption was everywhere. I saw those in power kill people indiscriminately because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It needed to stop. So, we took out the boss.”

“I guess you’ve seen a lot,” Miles said.

Giorno nodded. “Seems we both have.”

Another respite of silence struck their conversation. It was quiet. No noise in the background. Uncle Aaron had once told him the lack of noise was just as dangerous as a lot of it. It meant something was on the prowl and almost everything else had fled. A chill went down Miles’s spine.

“Miles? You alright?” Giorno asked.

“I’m fine. Just tired.” Though, he thought he sensed something. He glanced out into the trees and bushes. There wasn’t anything there to find. Maybe it was the stress of the day that was getting to him. Maybe…

Miles was pulled into an awkward hug; it was as if Giorno had never hugged anyone in his life. It might’ve been true.

“I promise, I won’t let anything bad happen to you or your family. You’ve been a good friend to me here, and I won’t forget that. In fact, I’ve never cared about someone so much before. I won’t let that vampire hurt you.”

Miles was stunned into silence. He didn’t know what to say. Maybe Giorno had seen some awful things today, too. He didn’t want to know. However, the hug, as awkward as it was, felt nice. It felt good to be able to trust someone again. Yet, something bothered him. Giorno’s father offered a solution, but it came with a heavy cost.

“Gio, don’t do anything that’s going to hurt yourself, alright?” Miles asked, hugging back. “I care about you too, you know?”

Giorno pulled away and shook his head. “It’s not my first choice, don’t worry. I think I found a clue in the library. The vampire doesn’t seem to react well to radiation.”

“Great, now all we have to do is break into a nuclear powerplant.”

“Maybe not,” Giorno said. “It could be that one of Gale’s friends could help us—Dame Aylin. She’s supposedly very powerful and has beaten gods with radiant energy. She may be able to help us—if we find her.”

“Dude! That’s great! Thank you for finding that out!”

“The first step is finding her,” Giorno said. “I thought we might try looking together after tomorrow’s festival.”

Miles smiled. “I look forward to it.”

A gust of wind caused him to shiver. Giorno stood up and offered Miles a hand. “C’mon. It’s probably a good idea to stay away from doorways for now.”

Miles nodded, took his hand, and stood up. “Wanna go watch a movie? I think the others are watching some old comedy.”

“An old romance movie,” Giorno said, rolling his eyes. “I think Sokka fell asleep ten minutes in.”

“Then let’s see if it works for us.”

…

Just beyond the shrine, Morlun sat towards the entrance. The female incarnation of Dr. Otto Octavius prevented him from attacking. Apparently, the moon brat and the mob boss could prove dangerous to him, if properly motivated. Killing their friend may be enough of one.

“Believe me, I want revenge, too,” Dr. Octavius said. “And you’ll be a good way to get it. However, bolting in there is a fool’s errand.”

She smiled. “There’s so many more ways we can kill them all if they can’t depend on each other.”

#jjba #pokemon #pure heart crystals #ace attorney #miles morales #owl house #sailor moon #across the spiderverse #avatar the last airbender #kaolinite

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karlachgale95 · 11 months ago

Text

Hearts of the Multiverse-Chapter Sixteen: Never Ever Getting Rid of Me

Miles was going stir-crazy. It had been a week since the vampire guy had tried to attack them all, and it had been a week since he was confined to the shrine. Now everyone was treating him like a kid. He couldn’t even walk into the courtyard without one of his parents yelling at him.

“Hey Miles,” Luz spoke up, waving a game controller in the air. “You wanna play Mario Kart?”

“No.”

And he was so bored of all the games here.

Luz frowned. “Look, Miles, I know you’re probably feeling cooped up here…”

“That’s an understatement,” Miles said. “I should be out there, Luz. Everyone is in danger until that guy is dealt with. And there’s more witches now! We’ve gotta protect everyone who had a talisman. You heard the Doctor, there could be others with talismans, too!”

“I know,” Luz said, rubbing her arm. “I’ve been thinking about that, too. I mean, I don’t know if the new witch knows if Hunter has one. I guess not, otherwise she would’ve already tried to attack him, right?”

“Your guess is as good as mine—seeing as to how I’m stuck here.”

“What’s weirder,” Luz continued. “Is that whoever is behind all of this didn’t want the Collector to be here.”

“Why? He’s just a kid,” Miles said.

“More or less,” Luz said. “The Collector knows a lot of old and powerful magic.”

“Can he help us?”

“I’d prefer if he stayed out of it,” Luz said. “He’s just a kid, you know?”

“So are you!” a familiar voice protested.

The two were surprised to see Lucifer had decided to stop by the shrine. He awkwardly waved his hand. “Um, hi. I’m here to see the shrine maiden, Rain…no…that’s not right. What’s her name?”

“Rei,” Luz corrected. “Raine is Eda’s partner.”

“Right!” Lucifer said with a nervous laugh. “My bad. I’ve never been good at names. They all just kind of blend in after a while, you know?”

“I guess,” Miles shrugged. “I think Rei’s gone out on a trip with the other girls. Mako went training, and they wanted to make sure she was okay.”

“What?” Lucifer paced around. “Well damn. Who’s next in charge?”

“My mom or your parents? Darius?” Luz asked. “Katara?”

“Me.”

His father’s voice made Miles internally groan. As glad as he was to see his parents again, they kept watch on all his conversations, his actions, and pretty much everything else. He hated that he understood why, too.

Darius strolled over, “Though, I am not impartial to taking charge, either.”

“Who are you?” his father questioned.

Lucifer extended a hand, “Lucifer Morningstar. Gale kind of filled me in on everything.”

“Who’s Gale?”

“Oh geez, Miles. Did you tell them anything?” Lucifer asked.

“Not enough,” his dad said with a slight stern look. Thanks Luci.

“Gale is a wizard. He’s offering to help teach the kids some spells. I’ve recently come into contact with one of their old friends, and she’s offering to teach them some stuff that will help them ward off evil and protect them from vampires.”

Luz’s eyes lit up. “Gale wants to teach us magic?”

“Not only that,” Lucifer grinned. “But one of those Pokémon professors is coming by so people might be able to pick out a Pokémon if they don’t have one. I think he’s named after a tree.”

“That narrows it down,” Luz said sarcastically. When no one understood her, she explained. “They’re all named after trees.”

“Really? What kind of saccharine coincidence is that?”

“A gen 1-8 kind of coincidence,” Luz said with a grin.

“I…really don’t get this human stuff sometimes,” Lucifer said, scratching his head. He turned to Miles’s dad. “It really is a pleasure. Your son helped me save my daughter. He used his powers when I couldn’t, truly impressive.”

“I just didn’t want anyone to get hurt,” Miles said.

“If only a majority of the humans could use their free will like that,” Lucifer continued. “Then think of all the incredible things the human race could accomplish! Hell wouldn’t be as crowded! There would be no need for the angels to even interfere!”

He coughed. “Ahem. Excuse me. I got a bit excited there.”

“I don’t get it,” Josuke said. Miles hadn’t even seen him come into the main room. “Isn’t it like your thing to collect souls?”

“Nah. That’s more so the overlord’s thing to do.” Lucifer shrugged. “I don’t go out much. I’m not allowed on earth. But being here has been beautiful. Ugh. Now I’m being saccharine.”

“So, did you ever get a guy named Kira down there? Kira Yoshikage?”

Lucifer paused and shrugged. “I don’t know. I tend to stick to other…important matters rather than sinners who end up in hell. It’s possible? Why? He family or something? Someone you hate?”

“He was an asshole,” Okuyasu said.

“Language, bro,” Josuke said. “You’re in front of a captain.”

To Josuke’s credit, his father did seem to appreciate this.

Suddenly, a purple portal appeared in front of them.

“Annnd, that’s Gale.”

Gale, Professor Sycamore, Wyll, and an elf-woman with bright silver hair like the moon stepped out of the portal. Lucifer raised an eyebrow. “Wyll? Weren’t expecting you today.”

“True,” Wyll said. “But I thought it might do well to teach some self-defense measures.”

“Civic duty, Kaiba called it,” Gale said.

“I do believe he was being facetious,” the woman said. “My name is Shadowheart. I am a cleric of Selûne.”

“And I am Professor Augustine Sycamore,” the Kalossian man said. He glanced around the room. “Where is everyone else?”

“Either out or doing stuff,” Okuyasu shrugged.

“That won’t do,” Sycamore mumbled. He clasped his hands together. “I had big news to share.”

He took a breath and continued. “Nevertheless, champions and professors from around the world have decided to hold an event for helping those who might like to have partner Pokémon. I thought I might share the news here!”

“So, you’re going to help us catch our own Pokémon?” Luz asked, her eyes lighting up.

Professor Sycamore smiled and nodded.

“Between Gale helping us practice magic and getting our own Pokémon, I’m not sure how today could get better!” Luz said.

Being allowed outside of the shrine would be nice.

“Wait a minute,” his father cut in. “Where’s this going to be, anyways?”

“Dad,” Miles said, a little wearily. His dad cut him off with a look.

“At a heavily guarded arena,” Gale said. “I set up provisions with a few other magic users. Not to boast, but I highly doubt any witch or vampire is breaking through anytime soon—besides Astarion. But we can trust him…to not steal souls.”

“It sounds like it will be perfectly safe,” Darius said.

Miles’s dad looked from Darius back to Miles. He sighed and threw up his hands. “Fine. You’re going to do what you want, anyways.”

He walked off, leaving Miles feeling a lump in the pit of his stomach. Gale shook his head and gave Miles a sympathetic look. “Give him some time. What is youth if not for minor transgressions?”

He sensed Giorno before he asked, “Miles, are you alright?”

“I…I’m fine. I just got a lot going on right now.”

“I know,” Giorno said. He paused. “I’ll find a way to help you, with everything. I promise.”

Miles took a seat on the steps at the top of the shrine. “Thanks, man. I just don’t know what to do. I know my mom and dad are mad at me, but what else was I supposed to do? My universe’s Spiderman died protecting me and trying to stop Kingpin. I owed it to him to try and do something with the powers I was given.”

Giorno sat down beside him. “I think it’s admirable. I understand what it’s like to try and set out to make the world you live in better. It’s arduous and oftentimes thankless.”

“Is this supposed to make me feel better?” Miles asked.

“I wasn’t finished, and you know it,” Giorno deadpanned. “The point I’m trying to make is this: you’re not alone here. There are people who have been, and are still in, your shoes here.”

Miles sighed. “I wish things could’ve been different. I wish I would’ve said something sooner. Maybe Gwen had a point about not telling our parents…”

Giorno remained silent; it seemed like he was thinking over Miles’s words. It didn’t matter; no matter what it was any advice was just gonna fall on deaf ears right now. Just like how his explanations to his parents would probably do the same.

“What’s done is done,” Wyll spoke up. He closed his eyes and shook his head. “It’s best not to dwell on it. You’ll lose focus on what’s truly important.”

“Now, come,” Gale spoke with a slight smile. “The day is young, and there is much to be learned!”

…

“I just can’t believe them!” Chibiusa complained. “They left to some fancy resort without me! And Mamo’s there, too! I’ll get Usagi for this!”

“You can always stuff mushrot into her pockets,” the Collector suggested. “It’d smell so bad, and it’d be so funny!”

“I don’t know if we have that,” Chibiusa said. “But I can find something equally disgusting!”

“Very mature,” Syaoran mumbled.

“I have to agree,” Sakura said. She pursed her lips together and grimaced. “Though, sometimes I’d like to get one over on big brother when he pranks me!”

“Oh, but you can’t stay mad at her,” Madoka chided with a naïve smile. “She’s your family.”

“Family-shmamily,” Silver said. “I’d make her pay for it.”

“Man, I could go for a vacation right about now,” Toph said. She paused. “…wait a minute. THEY NEVER LET ME PICK A VACATION! Oh-hoh, I’m gonna get Twinkletoes, Katara, and Sokka back for that. I’m long overdue!”

“Good luck with that,” Hop said. He pointed to Karlach sitting on one of the concrete benches in the park. She grinned and waved at them, almost knowingly.

Distant traces of music—strings to be exact—filled the air. Karlach turned her head, seeming to recognize the music. The song sounded sad, like it should be played at a funeral. Chibiusa saw a pretty woman with long pink hair, light blueish-gray skin, and jester’s outfit sitting on a cobblestone in the pakr. She began to sing:

Dance upon the stars tonight

Smile and pain will fade away

Words of mine will turn to ash

When you call the last light down

Moon reminds me of your grace

All the love I can't repay

Rest and know that I will pray

Farewell my dear old friend

Moon, sun, all remind me of your grace

Faith, care, all the love I can't repay

Moon, sun, all remind me of your grace

Faith, care, all the love I can't repay

“Alfira?” Karlach called out.

The woman turned her head before registering Karlach. She smiled and waved, beckoning them over. The kids looked to Karlach, skeptically.

“’S alright,” Karlach reassured them. “Alfira wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“Why’s your song so sad?” Chibiusa asked. The woman sighed. Chibiusa decided to backtrack. “I-I mean, it’s very pretty! It’s just…”

“No, you’re right,” Alfira said. “I wrote the song for someone I lost. I practice it, sometimes, to try and perfect it. I want to get it right.”

“I meant it!” Chibiusa insisted. “It is a very pretty song! I’m sure they’d be really proud of you!”

Alfira blinked and chuckled. “That’s very kind of you, Small Lady.”

“Karlach,” a cold and familiar voice cut in. Seto. He walked over to them, a glare on his face ready to try and scare away any threats. “Who is this woman?”

“Relax, pup. This is Alfira. She’s a bard we met on our adventure. She’s super good with kids and friendly.”

Alfira gave him a tiny wave, which did not seem to impress him much. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were having a meeting here. I’ll go.”

“You don’t have to go, Alfira,” Karlach said. “Kaiba is just being careful. We’ve run into a long trail of bad experiences here.”

“Those monsters,” Alfira assumed. She nodded. “They’ve been everywhere. It’s amazing how many I’ve fought off.”

“They’ve been targeting you?” Hop asked.

Alfira nodded. “Seems like they’re looking for some sort of talismans.”

“I hear that word so often it gives me a headache,” Seto complained, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Well, I know Kaiba would have a right fit if I offered to take you in, but Lae’zel and Shadowheart are staying with some pretty powerful people. You might be able to join up with them.”

“Thank you for your counsel. I suppose Gale, Tav, Astarion, Wyll, Halsin, Minsc, Yenna, and Jaheira are staying with you?”

“Actually, we haven’t seen Tav, Minsc, or Yenna recently. We’re getting a little worried. No doubt Tav’s gotten pulled into this. I know Astarion is beside himself.”

“I hope you find them soon,” Alfira agreed. She stood up and patted down her clothes. “I must be going. I don’t want to keep in one place for too long.”

“Smart thinking,” Mokuba commented. “We’re trying to get rid of the monsters and find a way for everyone to return home.”

“Which is classified business,” Seto swiftly reminded him.

Mokuba sheepishly looked from him to Alfira. “Right. But knowing my brother, you should be home soon.”

“That’s good to hear,” Alfira said with a small smile. She turned to the eldest Kaiba. “We’ll be in your debt if you can get us home. Should you need my services, I’ve been told I’m good with children.”

“Oh, Wyll and I have got this lot covered,” Karlach assured her. “Now, do you need someone to escort you somewhere safe? I can…’call’ Wyll and ask if he might be able to help you.”

“I’ll consider it,” Seto said, surprising everyone. He turned to Karlach. “If you vouch for her, I will trust her.”

Alfira shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I really don’t want to be a bother.”

“If that’s the case,” Seto began. “I need Wyll and Karlach for a meeting. The kids need to get inside.”

Karlach immediately became defensive. “Why? What’s gone wrong?”

“I’m not sure,” Seto admitted. “But there’s been spikes in multiversal energy, like small bits and pieces are being pulled in by someone.”

“If that’s the case,” Chibiusa said. “We need to take Alfira with us! It could be dangerous for her out here!”

Seto looked from Chibiusa to Alfira, a little exasperated.

“Come now,” Karlach teased. “You’re not gonna say no to that face, are you?”

Seto sighed and glared at Karlach. “Fine. But just for tonight. Your overly dramatic vampire friend is a drain on my energy as it is.”

“I see what you did there. Clever,” Karlach mused with a slight grin. “But you’re right. We need to get inside before—.”

“Watch out!” Alfira called.

She pulled Chibiusa and Mokuba away from a spider the size of a baseball. It’s exoskeleton was white and its eyes glowed an azure blue. It jumped towards Karlach, who seemed to be shocked it was even trying to attack her. However, and to everyone’s mystification, Seto stepped in front of her. He tried to throw the spider to the ground, but it just crawled up his sleeve. Karlach jumped into action and pulled his coat off him, only to realize he was wearing a long-sleeved sweater in the middle of summer.

He scrunched up his face and hissed in pain as he finally managed to throw the spider off him. He rubbed his upper arm and picked his coat off the ground. He took one step forward and stumbled to the ground.

“SETO!” Mokuba called out, rushing over to him.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got him,” Karlach said, helping him sit up. His eyes darted to her; panic setting in, but no words came out. “Why did you do that? I’m supposed to be guarding you!”

“Read your…file…” Kaiba murmured. “Sorry…I was curious. You protected us. I wanted to see why. But…you’re just good. And people took advantage of that. Happened to me. Didn’t want to be Gortash. Didn’t want to be Gozaburo.”

When he passed out, Karlach picked him up. “Poor thing. C’mon, we need to get him home, now!”

“I’ll call Wyll,” Mokuba said.

Wyll Ravengard arrived on the scene and helped everyone get back to Kaiba Corp.

“Is he going to be okay?” Mokuba asked.

“Don’t you worry,” Wyll said. “Shadowheart, our cleric friend, will be here shortly. She will know how to help your brother.”

“Besides,” Toph spoke up. “He’s gotten out of worse situations. He’s tougher than he sounds.”

What kind of tough-sounding people had Toph met? In any case, Mokuba still didn’t seem convinced. Chibiusa placed a hand gently on his shoulder. “It will be okay. Toph is right. Your brother is pretty strong, from what I’ve seen and heard.”

Mokuba gave her a small, unsure smile. “Thanks, Chibiusa.”

Chibiusa felt a knot of fear growing in her stomach. She hoped the girls would get come back soon. They could sure use their help, especially if there were some new enemy on top of their current one lurking in the shadows.

…

Forming a temporary alliance with soul-sucking vampire had been easy enough for Olivia. They were after the same thing, really. Of course, to unlock all the power behind the crystalized souls, she’d eventually have to cut ties with Morlun and blast him with enough radiation to level a city. But that would be another day. For now, her experiments with Morlun, Viluy, Eudial, and Lysandre had proven effective. Pulling essences from the mixed universes that didn’t have Spider totems and creating spider totems to infect selected individuals—ones that were either getting in the way or getting too close to documents not meant for their eyes. They’d be out for the day with the paralyzing venom Olivia Octavius had mixed into the bite, Morlun would know his target, and then they would be out of the way.

They’d gotten one already. The target had never been the devil. Getting the eldest Kaiba brother out of the way would be good for their work. It was just good business, after all. No hard feelings.

Plus, there were so many new scientific innovations in this extradimensional lab. And Professor Tomoe let her have endless access to whatever she felt like playing with at the time—so long as it helped. And she was obliged to do so. Healthy deadlines, freedom to explore, and hell, even the boss wasn’t so bad. He at least threw a few encouraging words her way. It wasn’t necessary, but it was still a nice touch.

“Who’s next?” Morlun asked.

Olivia grinned.

…

Giorno didn’t know if this was a bad or good idea. He’d asked Luz to distract Miles with practicing the magic Gale had taught them earlier. While they did this, Giorno had decided to try and talk to Mr. and Mrs. Morales. After everything Miles had done for him, it seemed like the very least he owed him.

But in the presence of parents, his mind seemed to freeze. What was he supposed to say to them? He was a bit out of his depth here. Druglords, stand users, witches—no problem. Parents…the tension couldn’t be cut by G.E.R.

“So, you’ve been Miles friend this whole time?” Mrs. Morales began, seeming to want make an effort at conversation.

Giorno nodded, grateful someone had taken the initiative. “Yes. And he’s important to me. I…dislike seeing him so sad.”

“You think we like seeing him sad?” Mr. Morales countered.

Giorno shook his head. “No. But…how do I phrase this?” He took a deep breath and placed his hands in his lap. “I just think that maybe this is all a lot for everyone, and no one is exactly sure how to proceed. I think you have every right to be scared, upset, and what have you, but you have to understand that Miles has a reason for doing what he did.”

“He won’t tell us,” Mrs. Morales said. “We’ve tried to get him to open up about it!”

“This will sound defensive, but I’m sure he was thinking of safety. He didn’t exactly make the choice to be Spiderman. It was all an accident, from my understanding.”

“That still doesn’t explain why he didn’t tell us,” Mr. Morales said. “We could’ve done something to help him—we could’ve worked together!”

“I don’t think he wanted you to have to deal with that,” Giorno said. “If you got involved, you’d be putting a target on your back. It’s best for everything to have stayed anonymous for as long as it did. Now, he’s got everything to lose, and it’s scaring him. This new situation with Morlun doesn’t help.”

“Can you help us understand who this man is?” Mrs. Morales asked. “What does he want with my baby?”

Giorno felt something like strings tug at his heart. His mother had never cared so much. He didn’t know how to interpret Mrs. Morales’s concern for her son. “I don’t know who he is, or who he thinks he is, but I can tell you he is going to regret coming here. I won’t let him hurt Miles. I swear.”

It was silent for a moment before Mr. Morales spoke up. “That weird elf guy. He said your dad had some sort of offer, what was it?”

“It’s…it’s not one I wish to take, if possible,” Giorno admitted. “But I’ll do it, if necessary.”

“Do you know him?” Mrs. Morales pressed.

Giorno shook his head. “I wasn’t as fortunate as Miles’s, concerning parents and all that.”

Before anyone could get too sympathetic, he spoke up again. “I’m not looking for sympathy. I just want to keep Miles safe and happy. He’s risked his life to save me, and I want to return the favor.”

Giorno sighed and sat down. He decided to keep going. These two would probably be endeared by honest conversation. Seems like they needed it. “When I first came here, I had been attacked by something strong. I don’t think it’s any surprise to say that most people here have powers—I’m no exception. Not by a stretch. Whatever it was that attacked me separated me completely from my abilities. I wasn’t able to heal or fight back. That’s when the damned Radio Demon came along. He offered me my life in exchange for some of my power. If I’d have known my powers were tied to my soul, I would’ve never agreed. It was Miles and the others who tried to help me. And in the end, it was Miles who defended me against Alastor. I swore, now that I have all my powers and my soul back, to protect him and his family, no matter what.”

Giorno gave them a smile. “And he really does care about you two. You don’t understand how far he’s willing to go to keep you safe.”

“What do you mean by that?” Mr. Morales asked, raising an eyebrow.

Fuck. He’d said too much. Giorno turned away. “I’m sorry. I swore to Miles I wouldn’t say anything to that regard.”

“Is he…is he protecting us from something?�� Mrs. Morales asked. “Is that why…?”

Shit. Shit! No, he hadn’t meant for this to happen!

“Please, you must keep this to yourselves! I shouldn’t have even…I should never,” Giorno murmured. “I swore I would keep it a secret.”

Someone placed a hand on his shoulder. It was Mrs. Morales. “Relax. We won’t tell Miles that you said anything.”

“I…” But there wasn’t anything to say. He’d messed up.

“Who is he protecting us from?” Mr. Morales asked.

“I can’t tell you that,” Giorno said bluntly. “And you don’t need to concern yourselves with that. I’ll deal with it.”

“Sounds like a lot to deal with,” Mrs. Morales said. “Please, Giorno, just tell us something.”

“I’ve already said too much,” Giorno insisted. “I’ve betrayed him. My first real friend.”

“I mean,” Mr. Morales tried. “If the secret’s out, why not just tell us?”

Mrs. Morales glared at him. “Worth a shot.”

“Listen, Giorno,” Mrs. Morales continued softly. “It doesn’t sound like you’ve had an easy life, and it doesn’t sound like this place has been much nicer to you. However, I get the feeling that Miles is very important to you. You care about him, and I appreciate that. But, as a mother, I just want to know: is he going to be safe? Is there anything we can do to help him?”

Giorno was quiet as he mulled over her words. “Physically? No. I’m going to keep him safe. I don’t care what I have to do. Although, I’m concerned. I think you three need to try and talk things out. He’s been looking for ways to make sure all three of you stay safe for ages. There have been people trying to stop him, and I’m going to help stop them, too. But please, just try to understand where he’s coming from. If I had what he had, I would’ve done the same thing.”

It was quiet for another minute before Mr. Morales spoke up. “Hey, kid, don’t take deals with people you don’t know. That includes your father.”

Giorno didn’t say anything. Ultimately, only time and desperation would tell. He’d do anything to save Miles. The truth was, he’d never felt this way for another person before. Given all the good Miles had done for Giorno and the world, well, it was something to be respected. That, and he helped him become more social, tried to keep him safe when he felt drained by the Radio Demon’s magic, and didn’t give up on him. Miles was different—he was better. And he’d do anything to keep that light in the world, even if it meant giving up his own soul.

“I have a lot of choices to make. Please, don’t let Miles worry about them.”

With that, he stood up and walked into the main room. There, everyone seemed to be panicking.

Miles saw Giorno and grabbed his arm. “Dude, something awful happened. There were so many spiders. They came in and bit people…I think they’re totems!”

“Like the ones that made you…?” Giorno murmured.

Miles nodded. “They’re making everyone who gets bit sick. Kaiba got bit earlier, and he’s still out.”

“Who have they affected so far?” Giorno asked.

“Well, Luz got bit trying to protect Amity, Then something similar happened to Zuko, then Kakyoin, and Robin. The girls let us know, over the phone, Mina is sick, probably from a bite. Karlach mentioned something about Astarion catching ill. And the lady in Kurrain Village let us know that Mrs. Von Karma and Professor Sycamore are now showing symptoms.”

“Are they going to be okay?” Giorno asked.

“I don’t know,” Miles said. “I just got a mild fever. It wasn’t this bad when it happened to me.”

“Miss Shadowheart has been able to perform some healing incantations that seem to be able to reduce any pain,” Amity said. “Though, there’s still the matter of that guy, Morlun. Does that mean Luz is…?”

“A target,” Miles murmured. He looked at Giorno. “We have to keep them safe. They’re in no state to defend themselves right now. I think that’s the game.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Ms. Noceda said, grabbing a bat lying next to her bed. “No one is touching my baby.”

“If they try, I’ll claw their eyes out,” Eda said, going harpy mode.

“Don’t worry,” Jotaro said. “They won’t get past me.”

However, for everyone’s bold words and stances, Giorno couldn’t feel at ease. Defeat Morlun by killing all the Joestars or becoming Alastor’s puppet. Those were the current choices, and he didn’t fancy either one. He had so much to lose. And in any situation he would lose the person he cared about most.

…

Karlach pressed a cool cloth to the young CEO’s head. He’d been out for a while, wincing and whinging every now and then. Shadowheart had assured them that although there would be a change, it wouldn’t be fatal. That was good. Gale and Shadowheart were currently helping Astarion through the rougher part of the fever.

Although, she was a little miffed at him for looking into her own affairs, she couldn’t help but worry over him like some doting mother. As the youngest of the Kaiba siblings had explained, seems like Seto could use it. That name, Gozaburo, that was the bastard that had tortured him growing up.

“Would you like me to sit with him so you can rest?” Wyll offered.

Karlach shook her head. “I’m fine, love. I just want to make sure he’s alright.”

Kaiba groaned and shifted. He cracked his eyes open.

“Looks like now’s your chance,” Wyll said.

“How’re you feeling?” Karlach asked.

“’Mmm fine.”

“Doesn’t sound like it. You sound hoarse. Do you need some water?”

He paused and nodded.

“I’ll go get some,” Wyll said, standing. He took off towards the flat’s kitchen.

“Gozaburo Kaiba,” Karlach began. “He sounds like a right prick.”

“Mokuba told you?” Seto guessed.

“Don’t be too mad at him. He was scared.”

“I’m not,” Seto said, trying to sit up. He failed. He sighed and stared at Karlach. “I’m sorry I read about you. I wasn’t even looking for information on you. I was gifted files on everyone who has come here due to the multiversal mashup. I don’t know by who, but I was…curious.”

“So, you read all of them,” Karlach assumed with a smirk.

“I need to know what’s coming next. I need to protect my brother,” Seto said.

“No, you need to rest,” Wyll said, walking back in with a cup of water. “We’ll protect your brother. That’s our job.”

“…Thank you. For helping us. I don’t give thanks lightly, so, I mean it.” He turned to Karlach. “I’m sorry about what that man did to you. I know how it feels to be taken in and betrayed and used.”

“I know,” Karlach said. “And trust me, you’re not like Gortash. Gortash would’ve flung me in front of the spider, made sure it bit me, and then handed me over to Morlun.”

“So, that’s what that was,” Kaiba said. “Please, you need to keep my brother safe. Don’t let that vampire use him in any sort of attempt to get to me.”

“You have my word as The Blade,” Wyll said.

“There’s no need to ask me,” Karlach said. “If that brute comes sniffing around here, I’ll incinerate him to ash. I don’t care what I have to do.”

“Thank you.”

Seto seized up, gritting his teeth. Karlach gently applied a little healing salve to the cloth and pressed it back against his forehead. “Easy now. Just rest. We’ll take care of things around here.”

And she would. She’d also tear any bitch of a vampire who tried to hurt these pups with her bare hands. She wouldn’t even need an axe.

…

Alastor levitated the spiders meant for himself and Miss Akemi in the air. This was the saddest attempt he’d seen on his life yet.

“Perhaps we should use them,” Homura suggested. “It could give us more power.”

“A good idea, but perhaps one we need to put on ice for now,” Alastor said. “Let the vampire go after its other meals first. I have a feeling it won’t be able to devour all of them. Some will fight back. And he’ll eventually be overpowered. Then, we can use these spiders to our benefit.”

Giorno Giovanna be damned. Given the power he got, he could force him into a deal, along with all the other pathetic little Joestar spawn out there.

“Seems like you have the world at your fingertips,” a deeper, nasally voice with a hint of gravel commented.

Alastor turned to see a man with brown hair and medieval-looking clothes grinning at them as though he were the devil, himself.

“And who my you be, my flamboyant fellow?”

“Am I a friend? Potentially. An adversary? Conceivably. A saviour? Now that's for certain.”

“Give us your name,” Homura demanded.

“Tut tut,” Alastor said. “Manners, Miss Akemi.”

“My name is Rapheal,” the man said, turning himself into an actual demon—with wings, claws, and all. “I come here with divine purpose.”

“And what may that be?” Alastor asked.

“Why, I would like to join you,” Rapheal said. “I would like to gain power, just like you two. Well, that and revenge.”

Alastor’s grin grew. “Come, sit down. Let’s discuss!”

#jjba #pokemon #pure heart crystals #ace attorney #miles morales #owl house #sailor moon #across the spiderverse #avatar the last airbender #kaolinite

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karlachgale95 · 11 months ago

Text

Hearts of the Multiverse-Chapter Fifteen: Little Dark Age

After getting Mrs. Noceda, Mr. and Mrs. Morales caught up, Usagi’s brain was fried. She had to answer a lot of questions about her own past. So many questions. The witches and daimon were back, Miles was being chased by some all-powerful vampire, the group was uneasy, and worst of all—Chibiusa was back!

Right now, Miles was asleep. He’d pretty much just shut down as soon as he was able to answer some of the basic questions. Mrs. Noceda advised everyone not to pressure him too much as more stress could cause a breakdown.

“How could I not have known?” Mrs. Morales asked herself.

“I just don’t understand why he didn’t tell us,” Mr. Morales wondered aloud. His voice was loud. He looked like he was panicking. “He could’ve gotten himself killed!”

“My poor baby,” his mother cried. “I can’t believe we didn’t notice. All those deflections when it came to broadcasts, his absences in class, everything makes sense now! I was so…so stupid for not seeing it earlier!”

“Come now,” Wyll said. “I’m sure that’s not true. Why, when I was his age, I was just as foolish and reckless. I was the Blade of Frontiers, sold my soul, and fought several devils to protect the innocent. It’s the same for your son. When given a greater power and calling, one feels they must use it to protect others…and the people they care about. My best advice, should you heed someone who’s been in his shoes, is to understand his circumstances, feelings, and actions.”

“You sold your soul?” Joey asked.

“An action I do not recommend,” Wyll said.

“Is there any way we can protect him?” Mr. Morales asked.

“You shouldn’t get involved,” Mr. Parker said. “I’ll protect him. Don’t worry.”

“Because you did such a great job earlier,” Mr. Morales shot back. He pointed to Giorno, “He was trying harder than you, and he’s just a kid!”

“He’s got a kid of his own, you know,” Hobie pointed out.

Mr. Morales looked ready to say something, but he shook his head and sat down. “And you’re sure we can trust…Mr. Emo to protect my son.”

Kakyoin’s voice cut in sharp, “Jotaro is one of the only one of us who’s beaten a highly powerful vampire before. He tore him to shreds. He can do that to any vampire that challenges him, if he can do that to DIO.”

He turned to Astarion, “No offense.”

“Oh, none taken, I quite enjoy tearing down a pretentious Master Vampire, myself.” Astarion crossed his arms. “Though, if it’s alright with you, Wyll, I may take shelter with you and our old misshapen crew again.”

“What?” Karlach asked. “Since Tav isn’t here, Wyll’s the defact leader?”

“Well, why shouldn’t he be?” Astarion asked with a smirk. “He’s the most sensible one of you. Who else would it be? Gale?”

“Excuse me,” the harsh voice of Seto interrupted. “They’re taking residence with me. They have no say over who comes in or out.”

“…Might I be able to stay?” Astarion asked. When Seto frowned, Astarion huffed. “Oh, don’t make me beg. Fine. One of the objects my love gave me might be able to help you, but I’ll need it back. Is this proper payment?”

“What is it?” Seto asked.

“Prying eyes,” Astarion said. “It’s nothing terrible, I assure you. It will help you commune with beings on different planes. You may be able to fix…whatever abomination it is you’re working on.”

“…Fine.”

“Joy,” Astarion mused.

Seto looked like he was already regretting his decision. He turned to his younger brother. “Mokuba, get everyone else. We’re going back home.”

“We should probably get going, too,” Phoenix said. “If Hobie’s in trouble, then it would be wise to a head start.”

“Here,” Karlach said, handing Hobie a rolled up piece of parchment. “It’s a scroll of misty step. It’ll teleport you, should you need it.”

“Not trying to be weird for suggesting it,” Phoenix spoke up. “But he is strong…we could try talking to Lucifer.”

It was quiet for a minute.

“What kind of people is my baby associating with?” Mrs. Morales murmured.

“He’s a fake,” Seto said with a shrug. “Sure, he has some control over fire, but so do Zuko, Avdol, Rei, Gale, Wyll, and Karlach.”

“Don’t forget yours truly,” Astarion chimed in.

“See?” Seto asked. “Its all just occultism taken to a bizarre level.”

“I wouldn’t call the sacred art of bending occultism,” Zuko snapped.

“Nor would I say Magician’s Red is anything to be confused with dark magic.”

“My practices are completely spiritually pure!”

Luz’s mom asked her, “Niña, ¿realmente conoces al diablo?”

Luz gave her an awkward grin, “Tal vez?”

“In any case, I’ve had enough weirdness for tonight,” Seto said. “Let’s go.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” Astarion said. He turned to Giorno before leaving. A serious look passed his face for just a second. “And…good luck. I mean it.”

Chibiusa ran to the front door as most of the kids poured out. “Hey! Wait! Am I going to see you again?”

Mokuba gave her a small smile, “Of course you will!”

“Take care, Mini Moon Warrior,” Karlach said with a small wave.

Chibiusa seemed down for just a split second before she smiled and waved at the group. “Thank you for letting me stay with you! Safe journeys!”

Everyone except for their original group cleared out, leaving them only with the new outsiders: Mr. and Mrs. Morales, Mr. Parker, and Ms. Noceda.

“Give me one moment,” Rei told them. “Yuichiro and I will set you up with somewhere to stay.”

“My son,” Mrs. Morales began. “Is he going to be safe here?”

“Mrs. Morales,” Usagi found herself saying. Both Miles’s parents looked at her. “I know all of this seems scary. I was scared when I first became Sailor Moon. I’m…not as brave as Miles. I’ve never told my parents who I really am. But I guess that leads me to this: Miles is a good person, friend, and hero. I’m not letting him get hurt on my watch. In the name of the moon, I’ll punish that vampire!”

“And don’t worry,” Kakyoin said. “While that vampire is out there, the majority of the Crusaders have decided to stay here. We’ve experience in vampires.”

“And you’ve said you killed one,” Mr. Parker asked.

“Jotaro killed one,” Polnareff corrected.

“One of the strongest vampires the human mind could conceive,” Avdol said.

“And I’m still not surprised,” Kakyoin said with a slight chuckle.

“I mean,” Danny spoke up. “I could always try to possess him. It might work, given we can somehow weaken his will.”

“That’s…not a bad idea,” Kakyoin said.

“He might be able to hurt you, Danny,” Virgil interjected. “If this guy is as strong as Mr. Parker says he is, he might have something counter it. Plus, what would you do after you possessed him? What if you get stuck in his body when we try to beat him?”

“I mean, it’s happened before,” Danny admitted. “There was that one time with Point Dexter…”

“Then we’ll need to come up with contingency plans,” Richie said. He smiled. “C’mon, we’ve got this, V-Man.”

While the others talked, Usagi decided to slip into Miles’s room to check on him. She forgot that the scary guy two years older than her was guarding his room. Jotaro gave her a heart attack. She took a breath and walked over to him.

“Um, is he okay?”

Jotaro didn’t bother to look at her. “He’s fine.”

“Can I check on him?”

Jotaro paused, examining her for a second. “Sure.”

She walked inside, him following behind her. Super. Miles was sound asleep. She took a breath of relief. “Thank goodness.”

“So annoying,” Jotaro said.

“What is?” Usagi asked.

“Too many problems,” Jotaro explained. “Witches, vampires, DIO. You’ve got no idea.”

“If you do,” Usagi said. “Please, tell me. I need to know! I want to help!”

“It’d be best if you stay out of the way. I don’t need some girl jumping in trying to make things better and wrecking everything.”

“Hey! I’m not just ‘some girl.’ I’m Sailor Moon,” Usagi spoke defiantly. “And of course I’m not going to stand by while people get hurt. Besides, Miles is my friend! I’m going to look out for him!”

“Then let me ask you one question,” Jotaro countered. “Are you willing to risk everything just to beat this guy? I mean, your friends out there. You all seem close. They could get hurt just trying to help. Think of what you’re willing to sacrifice.”

“They won’t,” Usagi swore. She placed her hand over her heart. “I won’t allow it! I won’t allow anyone to sacrifice themselves or be sacrificed for the greater good.”

Jotaro was quiet for a minute. “I don’t think you’ve the kind of shit I’ve seen.”

“Try me,” Usagi challenged. “I’ve fought monsters that took over a theme park, a monster that photographed my friends and made them disappear, a hell tree that almost destroyed all of Tokyo, a meteor of monster flowers that almost took over the whole earth, that’s not even counting Death Phantom who tried to ruin the present and the future!”

“Hmph.” Jotaro crossed his arms. He smirked slightly. “And could you do it all again, if you had to?”

“Of course I could,” Usagi said with no hesitation. “I’ll do anything to protect the people I love!”

“You know,” Jotaro said. “When you say it, I actually believe you. You’ve got guts, kid. I just hope it’s enough.”

“It will be,” Usagi assured him. “You can count on me!”

“I’ll hold you to it,” Jotaro said. He paused again. “Oh, and thanks, for not throwing yourself at me.”

Usagi chuckled and rubbed her neck. “No problem! You’re not really my type. Not that I mean any insult, it’s just that I have a boyfriend who I love a lot. He’s the best!”

“Fine by me. Just don’t be so gushy about him. You can’t lose your focus.”

“Ugh. You sound like Rei and Luna.”

“Did you bother to think they might have a point?”

“Hey!”

The Joltik Miles found earlier scuttled from his bed to Usagi. It tapped on her shoe.

“What’s up, little guy?” Usagi asked. She could hear Miles murmur something inaudible, maybe he was sleep-talking.

She stooped down next to Miles. His eyes were moving while he was sleeping; must be a nightmare. She gently shook him awake. “Miles. It’s okay. You’re alright.”

He cracked his eyes open, “U-Usagi? Where are my mom and dad? What time is it?”

“They’re fine. They’re worried about you. Maybe you should talk to them?” Usagi suggested.

“I always wanted to tell them who I was,” Miles said, burying his face in his hands. “Now they’re in more danger than they ever were, and it’s all my fault!”

“Don’t worry, Miles,” Usagi said. She gestured to herself and Jotaro. “We’re going to help you!”

Jotaro gave him a nod and a thumbs up. Very reassuring.

“Oi Jotaro!” Okuyasu, Josuke, Zuko, Sokka, Katara, Joey, Yugi, Hunter, Luz, Kakyoin, Giorno, and Amity walked into the room. “While some of the nerds out there were making all these whacky plans, your friend thought of something!”

“Oh? What’s that?” Jotaro asked.

“This guy’s stand,” Kakyoin said, pointing to Okuyasu, who had a massive smile on his face. “Can erase things from existence.”

“I’ve always wondered where they go,” Okuyasu said. “But, who cares if it gets rid of that vampire guy, right? Perfect plan!”

“We’d just need a plan to keep him in place for long enough,” Zuko said. He turned to Miles. “We could use your help for that. We can weaken him, spiderpeople can trap him, and that’s when we have the upper hand.”

“That’s a hell of a stand,” Jotaro said. “How’s your control over it.”

“I hit where it counts,” Okuyasu said. “You just get him to me, and I’ll do the rest.”

“Cos he’s the best,” Josuke encouraged. They began to do a weird friendship handshake.

“I can’t tell which one of you is Mordecai and which one of you is Rigby,” Luz commented, leaving a lot of people confused. “Oh, right. Nineties. It’s a show from the future.”

“Look, we all need to get some sleep,” Katara said. “Get some rest, Miles. Everything is going to be alright. We won’t let anything happen to you or anyone else.”

“Thanks, guys,” Miles said, giving them a small smile.

“I’ll keep watch for now,” Jotaro said, “Someone else can take over at four.”

“I’ll help you,” Kakyoin offered.

“I’ll take over at four,” Giorno offered.

“And I’ll help you,” Josuke added. “It’ll be good to get to know distant family!”

…

They sat in a comfortable silence for twenty minutes, at least. That was, until Kakyoin decided to break it.

“I’m glad, you know,” he said quietly. “I’m glad you were able to beat DIO and get out.”

Jotaro lit his cigarette and took a drag. “You didn’t.”

“I know,” Kakyoin said. “But I don’t regret anything, just so you know.”

“Of course you don’t,” Jotaro snapped. He didn’t know why, but he felt so angry by Kakyoin’s blasé attitude. After everything, he didn’t even care that he’d been killed. How hard the doctors at the Speedwagon Foundation had tried to save him, how his parents had grieved him, how they blamed Jotaro, and how Jotaro had been grieving for months until he was summoned to this weird world.

“I didn’t die on purpose,” Kakyoin said, rolling his eyes.

“I know,” Jotaro said. “But you shouldn’t have tried to go up against DIO by yourself.”

“I knew the risks,” Kakyoin said. “I knew them when I joined you guys. DIO had to be stopped. I couldn’t allow anyone else to be controlled by him—to prevent harm from coming to your mother.”

“I would’ve preferred it if you’d stayed alive.”

“Well, I’m here now.”

“And what happens after here? Do you go away again?” Jotaro asked. “Do you even know how upset your parents were when they found out that you…”

It was only now that he’d realized he’d grabbed part of Kakyoin’s gakuran. He let go and readjusted his hat. “You just don’t get it. You’re like her. You haven’t seen what I’ve seen.”

Kakyoin was quiet before the calm appearance faltered. “Mom and Dad were upset…I’m sorry. I didn’t account for that. While we were traveling together, I told them I was on a field trip, that it was necessary for my studies.”

“No wonder they were so upset with the old man and me.”

“My apologies to anything unkind they might have said to you or Mr. Joestar.”

“Jiji handled most of the conversation,” Jotaro said. “Besides, now that I know about Josuke, I’m probably going to wring his neck next time I see him.”

“It was a shock to me, as well,” Kakyoin said. “I was liable to disbelieve Josuke until he showed some of the same mannerisms as Mr. Joestar.”

“I wonder if Grandma Suzy knows,” Jotaro’s voice trailed off.

It was quiet for a minute before Kakyoin spoke up again. “I am sorry, if I caused you any grief, truly. I just…I owed it to all of you to try and beat him. I didn’t…I didn’t want any of you to get hurt. You were my first real friends.”

“…I understand. You were one of my first real friends.”

He hated how sappy that sounded. But, to be fair, Kakyoin had started it. Maybe he wouldn’t notice or bring it up.

“I can’t say what the future holds,” Kakyoin said. “Firelord Zuko, Avdol, and Rei are better at that than I am.”

“So…do you trust these people?” Jotaro asked.

“I didn’t at first,” Kakyoin admitted. “But I got to know them. True, I’m still no social expert, but this group is full of good people—heroes at heart. You’ve got more family you didn’t know about other than Josuke.”

“Giorno,” Jotaro had heard. Avdol had told him. He was part Great-Great Grandfather Jonathan and part DIO. “Wonder which half is going to win out.”

“Hopefully the Joestar half,” Kakyoin said. “After how he risked his own life to save Miles, I wouldn’t be so quick to give up hope.”

“You’re right.”

They shared another moment of silence before Jotaro spoke up again.

“Hey…don’t die this time, alright?”

“I won’t.”

“Swear.”

Kakyoin chuckled and shook his head. “Fine. I swear.”

He’d better not. Not like he’d let him.

…

As Miles drove back to his own flat, he couldn’t help but feel ill at ease. Sure, things were going well with Wright. He hadn’t complained otherwise. Still, the conditions they found themselves under weren’t the most optimal. Hadn’t even managed a first date.

“Edgeworth, eyes on the road,” Abbachio snapped. Franziska glared at him.

Ever since the incident, to increase safety and halve the burden of their multiversal guests, he and Wright had decided to split up some of the guests. Eda had insisted on looking for a place of her own and was in leagues with Kaiba, of all people, to do something about it. Hopefully the stress would be lesser on everyone soon. For now, Franziska, Bucciarati, and Abbachio were with him. It wasn’t so bad, but he’d still like to have his own space back.

And then his check engine light came on.

He groaned and stopped his car near the park. “I’ll call a cab.”

“What a night,” Bucciarati said. “Those witches return, there’s some sort of vampire on the loose, and we’re out in the open.”

“Thank you for emphasizing,” Miles said with an audible scoff. He shut the car off and started to dial a number to a car towing service. He’d get the cab second. That’s when bright fireworks illuminated the light sky—blues, pinks, purples, greens, and vibrant colors reminiscent of childhood soared above the park’s sky.

“Is there another festival going on?” Bucciarati asked.

“There’s not supposed to be,” Miles said, checking the date on his phone. “And especially not at this hour.”

“Probably some American who got teleported here being rude as hell,” Abbachio said dismissively. “Not our problem.”

“No,” Franziska spoke up quickly, she pointed to the window. There was a white van with a eerily familiar black star on it, getting ever so closer to his sports car. “But that is.”

Before anyone could do anything, a black bolt of energy was shot from the window of the van, barely whizzing by Miles’s face. His eyes widened at the realization. They needed to move. “Let’s go!”

Getting to somewhere public would be good. All the shops around were closed. He prayed to any deity that might be listening that there was civilization coinciding with the fireworks. He looked behind him to see a monster speeding towards them on its fours. It would out-speed them for sure!

Bucciarati turned and swung his hand outward. “ARI!”

The monster jumped over something, surprising the mafioso. “It can see Sticky Fingers?”

“Of course it can,” a cold, woman’s voice spoke up. It was a strange woman in a short red tank-top, red and black skort, and long red hair that looped at the ends. She was quite similar to Kaolinite, but she appeared a little younger. “I had help creating a function that would allow me to see those pesky invisible attacks.”

She pointed the gun directly at Bucciarati, shooting before any more questions could be asked. Abbachio dove to catch him and the crystal, but he was kicked away by the soccer-ball patterned daimon. The kick threw Abbachio away quite a distance, so, maybe it was more than looks.

“Step aside,” Franziska said, shoving Miles out of the way. She pulled out a whip (he was not sure where she had gotten it) and lashed out at the daimon. It simply grabbed the end and jerked her forward, causing her to face-plant on the ground. The daimon grabbed her and held her tight.

“Franziska!” Miles tried to help her, but the witch pointed the gun at him next.

“Your turn next. Please hold. Don’t make any sudden movements, or the Prosecution Princess gets it.”

The new witch tried to grab the crystal, but as expected by this point, two gloved hands nabbed the crystal first. The two rogue senshi leapt to the side and examined the crystal. The blonde shook her head, “Not a talisman.”

The bluenette tried to return the crystal, but was interrupted by the red witch, snatching it from her. She held it so tightly; it might break. Bucciarati’s face twisted in pain. They had to get that crystal back from her!

“Ugh! I was so sure about him! That’s the last time I follow Mimete’s advice.”

So, there were more of them; great…

“Seems like I need more than one distraction here,” the witch murmured. She was surrounded by a few blobs of shadows. “Oh? Seems someone heard my pleas. Isn’t that great? Attack those sailor guardians!”

If only the one thing he’d taken from Von Karma had been his insistence on carrying a taser wherever he went. The shadows began to attack the sailor guardians, reappearing as they tried to stomp them out. Well, at least they were trying to help them, for now.

“H’taka!”

A lizard-like woman with brunette hair and silver armor jumped into the air, her sword set ablaze. She stabbed at the shadows, extinguishing them with flames, one by one. She then pointed her sword at the witch and the daimon. “You’ll do well to leave this place alone.”

“Who in the hell are you?!”

“Your doom if you insist on cracking that crystal,” the warrior spoke. “There is a child with us who wishes not to see that man perish. And I will be the instrument of your undoing.”

“Not likely,” the witch snarled. She clutched the crystal tighter. “At least this crystal will be good fuel.”

“Fuel for what?” Miles countered.

“For our grand plan,” the witch said with a smirk. She pointed the gun back at Miles. “And I would’ve forgotten about you if you hadn’t spoken up just no—”

She was cut off, as a line of shots—perhaps bullets—leading up to her spot followed her. She screamed and dove out of the trail that cut off so short to where she was standing. A kid with black hair, orange hair piece, black clothes covered by an orange patterned cloth ran over to them. He helped Abbachio up, waking him from his momentary blackout. “Bucciarati!”

“Hand over that crystal, now!” the teenager shouted. “And no funny business unless you want end up like Swiss cheese!”

“You forget, I still have my daimon! Go Repente!” the witch screamed.

As soon as it let go of Franziska, someone giggled. “That’s not how you play games, Silly!”

A giant blue star zapped the monster, causing it to turn into a soccer ball with a living, cherub-like, smiley face that looked like something out of the children’s cartoons Pearl watched. The crystal floated out of her grip, as if she were struck by something, leaving the black-haired boy to grab it. He rushed over to Bucciarati and placed the crystal over his chest.

“There!” the childish voice above them commented. “That’s way better than whatever you made!”

It was a child on a giant, floating star. Half of his face was shaped like the sun; half was the moon. He looked like he was wearing pajamas.

“I’d advise you leave,” a man with shaggy black hair said. He was dressed in adventurer’s clothes. Miles vaguely remembered him telling off Lucifer.

“Tsk’va, Joestar, I told you to let me handle this!” the woman complained.

“I agree,” Abbachio said. “Let her handle it if it means cutting that witch down!”

Too late. The witch threw something at the crowd; a smoke bomb, to be exact. Miles coughed from the fumes and heard tires squeal on pavement as the van sped away. Miles ran over to Franziska and tried to help her up. She pushed him away. “I’m fine, you fool.”

“Damn it!” the woman murmured. She glared at the adventurer. “I could have killed her! Your distraction made that impossible tonight. We have children here—my own child is with me, and you allowed for hesitation!”

“Luz said it’s not nice to kill,” the child above them said.

“Think of the example you’re setting, Lae’zel.”

“I agree with our friend, Lae’zel,” another man’s voice spoke up. This one had longer brown hair and was dressed in fur-skin armor and elven ears. “To slaughter in front of a child is…unethical, putting it lightly.”

“Tsk’va,” the woman, Lae’zel said.

“Come now,” another woman spoke up. She was similar to the man in her elven appearance and clothes. “You’ll have another chance, Lae’zel. Perhaps I shall join you in the hunt for your hag.”

She turned to Miles, Franziska, and Abbachio who was helping Bruno sit up along with the black-haired teen. “You should come inside. We’ll house you for the night. You and your friends can rest up.”

Franziska blinked. “Who are all you?”

“My name is Jaheira. I am a High-Harper and druid, as is my fellow druid, leader of the Emerald Grove, Halsin.”

“A pleasure to meet you, I assure you,” the elven man spoke up.

“I’m Jonathan Joestar,” the black-haired man said. Joestar. The surname was familiar. The psychic, Muhammad Avdol had spoken of the Joestar family before. Perhaps he could tell him more about this man.

“It’s good to see you guys again!” the black-haired boy said, hugging Abbachio, who looked wholly uncomfortable. “All I remember is switching back with…Oh hell! Did we beat him? Huh?”

Bucciarati nodded. “Let’s not talk about that right now.”

“I’m the Collector,” the boy said. Miles spun around, almost walking into the floating child. He jumped backwards, fell, and out came roaring cackles from the child. “I’ve been able to watch over King from home, and I thought, hey, why not check out wherever he, Luz, and everybody else ended up? King’s my best friend, by the way. I heard your friend saved him!”

“He…helped,” Miles said, particularly overwhelmed by the situation.

“We should head up,” the warrior woman spoke up. “The night is dark.”

“And full of terrors,” Franziska murmured under her breath.

The woman raised an eyebrow. “Quite dark, but not unrealistic. Shadowheart would appreciate such eloquent speech, I’m sure. I am Lae’zel.”

“And we’ll be heading out,” the blonde sailor senshi spoke up.

True to her word, she and her partner took off in the opposite direction.

“Those two weren’t with you?” Jonathan asked.

Bucciarati shook his head. “We’re not quite sure where they stand, but it isn’t with us. That much we know.”

“We’ll be sure to keep an eye out,” Lae’zel said.

The Collector placed his hand on the ground and a huge star appeared below them. It was like a glowing marble platform. “You know, I was starting to worry that I’d got left behind intentionally. But then I saw how worried King was about being here, and how Luz is working with everyone to get back to the Boiling Isles, and I thought, ‘hey, I can help them!’ But it’s weird, it’s like I can’t travel back anymore. Maybe someone was trying to keep me out of here.”

Quite chatty to strangers. The platform floated upwards into the sky, revealing a castle that slowly became visible the closer they traveled. Lae’zel smirked at their amazement. “An interesting feat for a child, is it not?”

“You’re embarrassing me, Lae’zel,” the Collector pouted. “I just made a place for me and my new friends so they wouldn’t get rained on. I was afraid the rain might be boiling them, so I teleported them up here.”

“To have a world where your rain betrays you,” Jaheira said. “I cannot imagine such an unnatural place.”

The castle itself looked like it was made up of stardust and clouds. The inside was even more ethereal. Moving stars glided across the curtains, the bed sheets, the rugs. And there were lots of stuffed animals and toys. Amongst these things were six other children. Three girls and three boys. One looked similar to Chibiusa, another girl had brown hair hidden by a burette, and the last girl was a red-head in short overalls and yellow shirt. One of the boys was dressed as though he were going to present in court, another wore a vest and jeans, and the last looked more akin to Lae-zel.

“Mother, who are these people?” the last kid spoke up.

“It’s good to be apprehensive, Xan,” the woman said with a slight smile. “However, they are guests of the Collector.”

“They were being attacked by those weirdos,” the Collector said, sounding bored. “Don’t worry. We took care of them.”

The Collector turned back to them and smiled. “These are my friends: Xan, Ortega, Misty, Sakura, Trevor, and Madoka!”

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” Madoka, the one who looked like Chibiusa, chirruped.

“Will you be staying with us from now on?” the child-lawyer, Ortega, asked.

“No,” Jaheira answered them. “They’re just staying with us for tonight.”

“Make yourselves comfortable,” Halsin said. “There’s plenty of food and rooms.”

…

He hadn’t banked on The Collector being able to break down the barriers to this little nexus point he’d worked so hard to build. No matter, The Collector was still just a child with the mind of a child. He was no real threat to the grand plan that was now unfolding.

And now his greatest enemy had shown his face to the others. No doubt they’d all work together to defeat these Deathbusters, but they failed to realize they were such a minute threat in comparison to himself.

He’d destroyed and erased them all so many times, he had fuel for this game to keep going.

Forever.

…

The next day, Chibiusa was walking through the shopping center. Her mama had told her she’d make an important friend while she was here. Frisk, Ash, and Lillie had decided to come with her to avoid the current drama at the shrine. Perhaps they could all be friends while she was here training to be a sailor guardian.

They stopped in the park closest to the arcade. Plenty of kids were playing with each other. As Chibiusa walked up to a group of girls, they stopped playing and looked at her. The taller blonde girl glared at her.

“What do you want, Pipsqueak?”

The other girls started to whisper, too, “Why does she have pink hair?”

“Why is she so small?”

“Get out of here! We were playing here first!” the blonde girl yelled.

“Hey! Don’t talk to her like that!” Ash countered.

She blinked and laughed. “Is Whiskers here your boyfriend? Look, we already told you, take a hike. We don’t want anymore of you multiversal freaks here.”

“Pika!” the yellow mouse next to Ash shouted indignantly.

“Ew! A mouse! Get out of here!”

“Why don’t you leave instead?”

That voice was familiar! It was Mokuba! The girls froze.

“That’s the scary CEO’s brother,” one of the girls whispered.

“I don’t wanna get sued,” another said.

The blonde rolled her eyes. “Fine. Not like the park will be fun anymore with you freaks around.”

With that, the girls walked away. Chibiusa felt the corner of her eyes burn. If she wasn’t being made fun of for being so small and made to feel like an outcast in the thirtieth century, it had to be here, too.

“I’m sorry about them,” Mokuba said. “It seems like everyone is a bit uneasy with all these witches and monsters. They’re skeptical of everyone now.”

“She didn’t have to call us names,” Lillie said, folding her arms.

“Yeah,” Ash agreed.

“What are you doing here today, Mokuba?” Chibiusa asked.

“Well, I was actually heading to the shrine to check on everyone,” Mokuba explained. “I mean, those monsters’ kind of ruined everything yesterday. Karlach, Wyll, and Astarion are searching for the vampire who tried to attack Miles yesterday, so he and his friends won’t have to worry about that anymore. They said they have experience with that kind of stuff. Plus, they wanted to make sure everyone was safe, too.”

“So, you came here by yourself?” Chibiusa asked. “That’s not safe!”

“I’m not alone,” Mokuba argued. “The others are around the park. They went to see if they could catch Pokémon. I’m just good with my Duel Monsters.”

“You should try to catch some Pokémon,” Ash advised. “You can make some great friends that way! I can teach you guys how, if you want!”

Before they could respond, Chibiusa spotted a familiar face at a food stand.

“MAMO!”

She ran over to Mamoru and hugged him, not noticing Usagi seething inches beside him.

“Chibiusa! Mamo and I are on a date! Go away!”

Chibiusa looked at her for a second before sticking out her tongue. This only furthered Usagi’s tantrum. Honestly, she looked like such a crybaby.

“I’m hanging out with Mamo today,” Chibiusa said.

“I thought you were hanging out with us.”

Chibiusa looked back at the four kids waiting for her to catch up with them. Their eyes were begging her to come and play with them instead. Stupid Usagi. She might’ve won this round!

“That’s right,” Chibiusa said. “Sorry Mamo, I was hanging out with everyone here first!”

“That’s alright, Chibiusa,” Mamoru said with a small smile. “We can catch up later!”

Chibiusa grinned while Usagi glared at her. The temptation to make a face at her was overwhelming. She turned away from them and walked back to the others.

“So, what are the plans for today?”

The five children rejoined the main group of kids who had gathered to search for Pokémon. Ash helped Chibiusa catch an egg-shaped Pokémon called Togepi. She named it Hamigakiko because it had the pattern of toothpaste. As they searched for more Pokémon, a voice called out to them, “Hey! Whatcha lookin’ for?”

There was a boy with white hair covered by a purple cap that had little tiny stars dotting the fabric. He wore something that looked like pajamas with a sun and moon based pattern. His face was even like a sun and moon. He waved and smiled at them.

“Who are you?” Chibiusa asked.

“I’m the Collector,” the boy said. “You can just call me Collector, though.”

He peered around them and gasped, quickly flying over to King and hugging him. “KING! Buddy! I found you!”

“Collector! You ended up here, too?” King asked.

“Nah. Someone was trying to keep me out,” he said. “But I got through anyways to try and rescue you guys. Now, I can’t get back.”

“Seems like whoever made this place is messing with us,” King agreed. He smiled. “But, thanks for coming here, anyways.”

“That’s not all!” the Collector said. He waved his hand and a rabbit appeared. “I brought him here for you. I figured with everything going on, you could really use him right now!”

“Francios!” King said, hugging the one-eyed, stuffed rabbit tightly to his chest. “Thanks! This means a lot to me!”

“It’s cool,” the Collector said. He looked at the crowd of kids hunting Pokémon. “Hey, Misty, Ortie, and Trev taught me how to catch those guys. I’ve got two; we’re friends now.”

“Hold up,” Ash cut in. “You know Misty and Trevor?”

“Hey, you’re that champion guy they were talking about,” the Collector said. He paused. “Hey, since I introduced myself, why don’t you guys introduce yourselves? Then we can hang out and Lae-zel won’t be mad at me for inviting strangers to our house.”

Frosta, Ash, King, Mokuba, Shauna, Toph, Frisk, Lillie, Hop, Hau, Gus, Wally, Pearl, Sprig, Monster Kid, Hayato, Homura, and Chibiusa acquainted themselves with the Collector.

“Man, you’ve made a lot of friends here, King,” the Collector said.

“Some of us are more-so acquaintances,” Hayato mumbled.

“That just gives you more chances to make cool memories,” the Collector said.

“That’s a good way of looking at things,” Chibiusa said with a small laugh.

The Collector placed his hand on the ground, a giant, glowing blue star appeared. “Hop on. We can get home faster. I can even take you guys back on this thing. It’s safe. King will vouch for me.”

King nodded. “Perfectly safe.”

Chibiusa grinned. “Then let’s go!”

…

Astarion had found the vampire. He’d been skulking around the park at night. It had been where the festival had taken place. Luckily, he didn’t seem to have a clue to where the spider people (possible driders?) were.

He swung his enchanted dagger at his chest, cloaked entirely in shadow. There should’ve been no way for him to sense him. Yet, he caught his wrist so effortlessly. He was twisting it to where Astarion was sure he heard a crack. A jolt of pain ran down his arm as he screamed from the shock. The vampire managed to throw him backwards. Wyll tried to use Sorrow to at least get this Morlun off balance. It didn’t work; he moved faster than Wyll, jerking the weapon in his hand, sending him flying, too.

Karlach’s brutish strength wasn’t even enough to throw the damned creature. She leapt up into the air and tackled him, shoving him to the pavement, taking a cleave at him with her great axe. She, too, missed. She eventually screamed in rage and went into a frenzy. Flames licked the edges of her armor as her infernal engine heated up.

“Steady now, love,” Wyll called out, pulling himself back up.

“Not until this bastard is dead!”

“You won’t be able to do that,” the bored vampire drawled.

“We won’t let you hurt those kids!” Karlach screamed. She raised her axe again, slicing and dicing the man repeatedly. He simply regenerated. Karlach huffed. “How?!”

“I come from a long line of prolific Inheritors,” the monster explained. He loomed over the three. Claws raised at the ready. “You should’ve never tried to attack me. Your lives are now forfeit.”

“Incende!”

Thank the gods. The monster was set ablaze by a familiar sacred flame, giving them time to get back up. The familiar elven, former cleric of Shar now cleric of Selûne, Shadowheart walked over to them. She glanced at Astarion. “I thought we were finished fighting master vampires, Astarion.”

“Where’ve you been?” Karlach asked with a grin.

“About,” Shadowheart answered with a coy smile. “I just found some company the other day. He said he knew you.”

The vampire was surrounded by a wave of even bigger flames as Lucifer walked over to them. Karlach visibly scowled; Astarion still held his stance that devils were to be trusted over vampires, any day. Besides, unlike Raphael, this one might actually like them.

The vampire man screamed, but instead of burning to ash, he simply vanished. Astarion scrunched his nose at the thought of him getting away.

“Rooming with devils,” Karlach said disapprovingly. “That’s even worse than being Shar’s chosen, you realize that, right?”

“Come,” Wyll said. “Let’s not fight. Lucifer helped us during the Kaolinite incident. It’s only fair we give him a fair shake. But if he betrays that trust, we’ll deal with him appropriately.”

“Fine,” Karlach said. She turned to Lucifer. “But if you step one toe out of line—”

“Yeah, yeah, obliteration,” Lucifer said. “Look, we’ve got bigger problems. Something powerful broke through the dimensional field the other day. We’ve gotta find out what it is. It could be just as dangerous as this vampire guy.”

Astarion groaned. “A new problem?! We can’t even solve our old ones!”

“Stop moping,” Shadowheart chided. “It suits you too well. Your face will get stuck like that one day.”

At least her sarcastic wit hadn’t died with her worship of Shar.

“Perhaps we should find Lae’zel and Tav and go hunting,” Shadowheart suggested. The bitterest of rivals come to trust and love each other. How cliché. This further dampened Astarion’s mood somehow. Though, he would enjoy finding his beloved Tav. Surely, they’d know what to do. “We might be able to put our brains together again—sans the tadpoles.”

“Tadpoles?” Lucifer asked.

“You don’t want to know,” Wyll said.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow but shook his head. “Yeah, I guess not.”

“So, why not help me search for them?” Shadowheart asked. “That’s my plan, anyways. I’ve heard Gale is with you somewhere. Why did you leave him behind?”

“Gale is helping guard the Spider-people at the…well…I shouldn’t say. We could have prying ears.”

“Smart plan,” Shadowheart said.

“You know,” Karlach began. “Lae-zel is right. You do tend to take charge when Tav isn’t around.”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Not at all, soldier.”

“Can we please get going?” Astarion asked. “I don’t trust standing out here in the open like this.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Astarion,” Karlach said. “We’ll protect you!”

“I don’t need your charity protection,” Astarion scoffed.

“Then we can leave you here,” Wyll suggested.

“Then again, I would be a fool to snub it.”

Still, now that he was thinking about it. Those people he had met; their greatest enemies had come back to life. Did that mean that Cazador could also…? And if he were to encounter this master vampire, or the supposed god, DIO, what kind of destruction and tyranny could they create together?

No. He wouldn’t allow it. He’d destroy any master vampire he came across. No matter what.

…

Alastor would never show it. However, there was an encroaching fear lingering in the back of his mind about the originators of this place. The files his agent here managed to steal from Vox’s intel.

This had happened before. All of it. According to the files, there were massive gaps of energy in space-time just eaten to keep this place running. But what was that energy made up of? Everything could be controlled by this uncertain factor.

There would be no freedom, no creativity, no fun. He was so tired of puppeteers. Honestly, he was doing the souls out there a favor. If he had control over them, at least they’d only have to work for him. He would use the power behind their souls to set things to right—to his right.

If they were taken by whatever was out there…who’s to say what would happen?

#jjba #pokemon #pure heart crystals #ace attorney #miles morales #owl house #sailor moon #across the spiderverse #avatar the last airbender #kaolinite

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karlachgale95 · 11 months ago

Text

Hearts of the Multiverse-Chapter Fourteen: Overwhelmed

“Sokka, what are you doing?” Katara asked.

“I’m helping to decorate for the Summer End Festival,” he answered, putting brush to paper, smashing it down like a mad man. “Rei said I could help advertise and decorate and gave me some words to copy.”

“Is…is that us?” Miles asked, looking at the weirdly drawn people standing in front of the questionably drawn shrine. “Why is my hair so poofy?”

Giorno pointed to the paper, “And why is my hair only three circles at the top?”

“At least you have hair!” Luz objected. “What’s with the triangle on my head?”

“It’s your witch’s hat!”

“Can’t be Luzara without a witch’s hat,” Amity said sardonically.

“Why do you and my sister sound so similar?”

“Why am I so short?” Gus asked.

“Why are we representing the shrine?” Zuko asked.

“Because we’ve been here for a few months now,” Sokka said. He was right. It’d been two blissful weeks since they’d beat Kaolinite and Belos. “I thought I’d help Rei paint the environment.”

“I think it’s cute,” Suki said. “Hopefully Rei agrees.”

“Look, you even painted Yuichiro!” Usagi said, gaining the floppy-haired guy’s attention.

“Yo! Let me see!” Yuichiro took the drawing and examined it. “Not bad, dude. Not bad.”

“He’s only saying that because all the hair in his face is blocking his vision,” Josuke said. “What’d you do to my hair?”

“I tried!” Sokka said. “Cooler hairstyles are hard to draw!”

Nice save.

“I’ll take that as a compliment…um…Sokka, your sleeve is on the corner of your drawing. It’s messing up your ink.”

Sokka glanced down to the sleeve of his shirt. It was, in fact, coated in stripey lines of ink. Sokka yelped and slammed his face down on the table in defeat—right into the freshly drawn photo. When he came back up, he had a miserable frown and poorly drawn versions of himself marred across his face.

“Head’s up,” Joey said, walking into the room with Yugi. “Kaiba said he’s coming by later, something about monthly philanthropy and helping with the festival.”

Sokka groaned. “I was in the zone, and you had to bring in news like that, Joey?”

Joey snickered, but Hunter cut him off. “I think there’s more to Seto than meets the eye.”

“Yeah, we know,” Joey said. “The problem is, even if you’ve had a hard life, you can’t go around treating other people like trash. Also, he’d probably sue you if he knew you called him by his first name.”

“I know,” Hunter said. “But maybe he can be better.”

“He’s coming to study group, too,” Willow pointed out. “Maybe you can talk to him there.”

“If someone wants to change,” Aang said. “You can’t make them change. They have to make that decision themselves.”

Now that Kaolinite was gone, Kaiba had come around to asking them about the functional and physical aspects of everyone’s universes. He’d employed Miles’, Penny’s, Richie’s, Connie’s, Gwen’s, Pav’s, Robin’s, and Ami’s help to rebuild some of the lost code that might be able to get them home and finally separate every dimension again. Miles wasn’t so sure he wanted to be separated from his friends again, but he had a time, a place, and a canon event to stop. Kaiba had guaranteed if they did the calibrations right, it should get him where he needed to be. He’d be there to stop his father’s death, and Kaiba swore his silence in return for getting the device working. No questions asked. Miles had even proposed a plan where they created something that would allow them to slip through every once and a while. Once Miles drafted the schematics, Kaiba had been so impressed, he offered Miles a job…intermittently, when he could travel back to his dimension.

Job or not, it would be nice to nice to see everyone here again, especially Mako and Giorno.

“Speaking of change,” Usagi said, looking around the room. “Has anyone noticed how Rei skipped the last two study sessions?”

“She’s slacking,” Anne agreed. “But it’s her business, right?”

“You should totally scope out what she’s doing!” Marcy suggested. “I mean, what if she’s in danger and secretly needs help?”

“Or give her some privacy?” Anne suggested.

“Exactly, everyone deserves to have their own personal business,” Arven agreed.

“Okay, but what if she’s in trouble again?” Usagi asked. “What if the witches are back? What if she needs help? WHAT IF SHE’S GOT A BOYFRIEND?”

“A boyfriend?” Yuichiro questioned. “Rei’s never said anything about some guy to me!”

“Maybe she doesn’t want to hurt your feelings,” Usagi said, giving him a sympathetic look and pat on the shoulder.

“Ahh! You guys have gotta go check it out!” Yuichiro said. “If I do, it’ll look too suspicious!”

“You can count on us!” Usagi said with a two-finger salute.

“This does seem a little invasive,” Yugi pointed out.

“It’s all for the greater good, Yugi!” Usagi said. “Besides, where is she right now?”

“She said she had some things to work on for the festival,” Katara said. “I really think that’s where she’s been.”

“You should try asking her tonight,” Giorno advised, glancing to his communicator. “She said she’s going to be here tonight.”

“You asked her?!” Usagi said. Confusedly, Giorno nodded. Usagi sighed and shook her head. “It’s fine. But now she’ll be onto us.”

“What’s this ‘us’ business?” Arven asked, crossing his arms.

“You’re no fun, Arven!”

“What? Am too!”

“You haven’t even helped us catch Pokemon yet,” Usagi argued.

“If he’s slacking,” Nemona said. “I’ll gladly help you!”

“Really?” Usagi asked, eyes lighting up.

“Of course!” Nemona said. She pounded her fist against her palm and then grabbed Usagi’s hand. “In fact we can go looking before study group tonight! I can teach you everything I know and then we can battle together!”

As Usagi was helplessly dragged away, two teenagers entered the room—Virgil Hawkins and Danny Fenton. Now, Virgil had the right idea about his superhero identity. His name was Static Shock. It was far removed from his original name. The last part in Danny’s superhero identity almost sounded like his actual surname. Sure, it was cute, but cute doesn’t disguise well!

“What’s up, Virgil? Richie not coming today?” Miles asked.

“Oh yeah, he is. He just wanted to take a look at a few of the shops before he met us up here,” Virgil explained.

“So, no new monsters?” Danny asked.

Miles shook his head. “I know that TV guy was on their side. Do you think he’s done with them? Or do you think we’re going to see him again?”

“Hard to say,” Virgil said. “I mean, Richie’s been trying to get the deets on his location, but they’re pretty good at covering up their tracks.”

“If there are more evil witches,” Willow said. “We’ll handle them.”

“Nothing else we can really do,” Arven muttered.

Hunter began looking uncomfortable. Miles wondered if he knew about the talisman. But that shouldn’t be a problem; Luz swore them all to secrecy. She didn’t want to stress him out even further. Besides, hopefully that secret died with Kaolinite…

Then again, Lucifer had decided to spare Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. He was sure they couldn’t obtain heart crystals without help from a daimon, but the fact was they still posed a threat…even if they seemed reluctant in their business.

Usagi was safe with Nemona. He was sure the big, fire-ghost crocodile she had could eat any monster that came their way. Steven seemed to be safe in the Kurrain Village. Aang said he was. Plus, Josuke’s scary nephew was staying there. He was like 90% safe.

“Uh-oh, uh, Yug, guys, I think someone else is giving Kaiba a run for his money at the festival,” Joey showed the screen on his computer to everyone.

It was Champion Leon hosting a casual tournament to introduce others to Pokemon battling. The tagline was ‘Let the Champ Show You How to Battle!’ Kaiba had planned to introduce dueling to people who attended the festival. It was going to be a huge marketing ploy.

“Maybe he won’t notice?” Sokka asked.

At that moment, the door flew open. Kaiba stormed in, appearing severely enraged; so, slightly worse than usual. He grumbled a ‘hello’ to the people he passed, handed Miles a folder, and asked, “Where’s Mizuno?”

“After school program,” Virgil answered. “Maybe you should sit down?”

“I’m comfortable standing,” Kaiba said, pacing the room.

Miles flipped through the blueprints. These inscriptions were absolutely rushed. It looked like a doctor had written a prescription rather than instructions on a reality manipulator.

“I’ve been experimenting,” Kaiba said, brusquely. “The charred remained of Charlie’s…abilities left behind contained daimon DNA. I recreated one just to see if I could beat it with some of the cards in my deck.”

“You did what?!” Hunter asked.

“It worked. My Blue Eyes beat it; turned it to ash,” Seto said. “I can teach people how to use this to defend themselves, but, no! Some idiot in the most outlandish attire wants to show off his dragon!”

“To be fair, Charizard is Fire-Flying, not dragon,” Arven pointed out. If looks could kill, he’d be dead. “If Nemona heard you insulting Champion Leon, it wouldn’t go well for you.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No, it’s a fact,” Arven said. “She’s super nice until someone annoys her, then she’s a nightmare. I’ve only seen it once, in a battle against a Team Star member. It was scary.”

“Why is entry to the festival so expensive?” Zuko asked. “Festivals should be enjoyed by everyone.”

“Everyone?” Kaiba questioned, straightening his jacket. “And what if those witches come back? They won’t stop until they get what they want. And if they can just casually stroll up to a free event, do you think they’d hesitate to attack you?”

Miles saw Hunter slowly leave the room. Poor guy. Luz, Willow, Amity, and Gus seemed to be the only other ones who noticed. They left, too.

“I’ve got passes for anyone who needs one,” Kaiba said.

“Quite charitable,” Joey said.

“It’s not charity,” Kaiba snapped. “It’s insurance. Having people there who can actually beat daimon would be good. And with your fourth-rate deck, well, you’re not defeating any monster.”

“But with my Time Wizard, I can just—!”

As the others continued to argue amongst themselves, Miles snuck past everyone and headed to check up on Willow, Luz, and Hunter. He could sense someone following quietly along.

“You know, Spidey-senses work on stand users, too, Giorno.”

“I’ll never get used to a non-stand user being able to detect me,” Giorno said with a small laugh.

“Yeah, well, I’m built different,” Miles said. He paused. “Hey, Gio, I was wondering about something.”

“Go ahead.”

“Where did you live before all this? If it’s okay for me to ask?”

“…It’s not important,” Giorno said.

“Look, all I want to know is if you had a good place to live,” Miles said. “You never talk much about it, so I was worried.”

Giorno chuckled. “It was rough for a while, but I live comfortably now. Why with the sudden concern?”

“I don’t know,” Miles shrugged. He was concerned. He knew, from Giorno’s dad, that his childhood probably wasn’t a happy one. Maybe he could get him to talk about it. It could help. “It’s just, I miss my folks, but you’ve never mentioned yours.”

Giorno paused. “There’s no need to. You’ve met Mista, Bucciarati…and Abbachio, I guess.”

“Are they like family friends?” Miles asked.

“No,” Giorno said. “But we accomplished the impossible together.”

“Which was?” Miles pressed.

Giorno looked at him for a second and sighed. “Miles, as much as I trust you, I don’t want to talk about that.”

“Oh…um, I’m sorry,” Miles said. “I guess I was just curious. Sorry.”

“Miles, let me give you some advice,” Giorno said.

“We’re the same age.”

“Just listen to me, okay?”

“Alright.”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen going forward, but I do know that things are going forward,” Giorno said. “You can’t be bogged down by your past if you want to achieve anything. That’s not how dreams work. What matters is we’re all here and alive. We have the power to make a difference in our own futures. Remember to keep looking forward.”

“My Uncle Aaron told me to keep going,” Miles said.

“Smart man.”

“He turned out to be a merc called the Prowler.”

“…If he killed bad people—”

“He tried to kill me at one point.”

“Oh. Um, sorry about that. That is some heavy baggage.”

“He didn’t know it was me, though.”

“Unfortunately, we all do what we think is right, even if it goes horribly wrong,” Giorno said.

“It did for him,” Miles said. “He died because…of me.”

It was quiet for a minute.

“He may be alive in this reality. After all, Kakyoin, Bucciarati, and some of the others were dead before we came to this strange new world. Perhaps you can keep an eye out.”

Unless it was the wrong Uncle Aaron. Miles had set out to ask Giorno about his homelife and he’d ended up spilling more about his own. At this point, he didn’t want to say anything more.

“Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?” Giorno asked.

Miles shook his head. “No. Thanks. I’m just gonna go check on the others.”

Miles walked ahead, a little unnerved. Talking to Giorno sometimes threw him off. He didn’t even know why.

They walked until they reached the room the others holed themselves in. They were…talking. Laughing, even. Luz looked up, saw it was just the two of them, and waived them inside.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Miles asked.

“Oh, we’re fine,” Luz said. “Just relaxing away from the others. It was getting a little too much in there.”

“I can understand,” Miles said. “At least there hasn’t been any more monsters.”

“Don’t will them into existence, Miles,” Gus scolded. “Saying that something isn’t happening is the fastest way to get that thing to happen!”

Miles could’ve sworn he saw Hunter’s eye twitch.

“Which it’s not going to because we beat Kaolinite,” Luz added in swiftly and with a nervous chuckle.

“But what if they come back?” Hunter asked. He stood and started pacing the room. “What if someone worse replaces her? What if they attack someone else? What if—?”

“Then we’ll be ready,” Giorno said. “I’m not tied to Alastor’s deal anymore. And none of you’ve seen the full strength behind Golden Experience. It will be alright.”

“But, if we beat the enemy,” Amity spoke up. “Why aren’t we able to go home?”

Good question. Kaiba said Kaolinite probably wasn’t the cause of the universal conglomeration, but rather a symptom. Whoever did this was planning something bigger. Something catastrophic. But Kaiba had said to keep it under wraps while he figured it out. Which was more than likely for the best. Unwarranted panic wouldn’t help.

Suddenly, Yuichiro stuck his head in the doorway. “Hey guys, everyone is sort of…fighting. So, can one of you greet the guest at the entrance of the shrine? I need to help Yugi and Katara settle this *as they’re the only ones trying to be diplomatic*.”

“Sure,” Miles said. He turned to the others. “Anyone wanna help me out?”

Giorno nodded. “Sure. It’ll give me something to do.”

“It could be someone really cool,” Luz said. “I’m in!”

“I’ll go, too,” Amity said.

“I think I’ll stick around here,” Hunter said with a nervous laugh. “You guys go ahead.”

“Then we’ll stick with you!” Gus said, pulling Hunter and Willow into a side hug. “Oh, but if it’s Mr. Wright, tell him I’ll be back a little later!”

“Will do,” Luz said. As they walked along, Luz kept talking, “I’m glad almost everyone’s here. I wonder if Vee or anyone else ended up in this place.”

“Maybe she’s the guest,” Amity said. She turned to Miles and Giorno. “Vee is a very shy basilisk. She’ll probably look human if she’s here, but if she’s run out of magic, she may look like a basilisk. If you see a girl like this,” she held up a photo of a creature that kind of looked like an anthropomorphic green slug. “That’s her.”

“She’s as sweet as can be,” Luz said. “We’re siblings!”

“How many adopted siblings do you have?” Giorno asked.

“Do friends count?”

The quartet reached the entrance to see a man with wiry, brunette hair, long-sleeve tan trench coat, navy pinstripe suit, and red converse investigating the wish tree that had once been a daimon that attacked Rei. Miles immediately became suspicious.

“Guys,” Luz whispered quietly to the others. “That’s the Doctor!”

“Doctor who?” The three asked almost simultaneously, making Luz laugh.

“He’s a time traveler,” Luz said. “He might be able to help us!”

The man looked up and spotted them. He smiled and waved. “Hello!”

“Hi,” Miles said. What else was he supposed to say?

“Doctor!” a woman’s voice called out. A woman came up the tall stairs and strode over to the man in the suit. She was wearing a dark magenta jacket, green blouse, jeans, and sneakers. Her dark hair was in a short ponytail. She turned to the group. “I’m so sorry, we were just running a few scans. We’ll be out of your—.”

Giorno cut them off, “Why are you here, really? No lies.”

“Don’t worry,” the man, The Doctor, apparently, said. “We’re here to help.”

“If you try anything, with anyone here, I will make you wish you never had,” Giorno warned.

“A very fine greeting, this one, yeah?” the woman asked.

“We’ve had a few problems,” Luz explained. “You see—,”

Before she could explain, the Doctor cut her off. “So we found out. We found Kaolinite’s broadcast amongst a myriad of other things yesterday. This place…everyone here…it’s the origin for something big. I’m not sure what, but it’s almost like some sort of calamity nexus soup at this location.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question,” Giorno said. “What are you doing here? Are you here to hurt anyone?”

“W-what? No! Absolutely not!” the Doctor said with a scoff. He said it so earnestly and genuinely, it was almost enough to make Miles believe him. Giorno stared at the Doctor, his eyes faltering for a second. This did not escape the attention of the man. Then Doctor eyes turned to Miles. “Oh, you mean the situation with Mr. Morales and his father. Well, technically speaking, that is a bit beyond my reach. Anyways, any death that may or may not occur in his universe doesn’t seem to be a fixed point in time.”

“So, Miles can save his dad,” Luz surmised. Everyone looked at her. “Fixed points are spots in time you can’t change.”

“We call them canon events,” Miles explained.

“Canon events? Oh, I do like that,” the Doctor said with a wide grin. The woman beside him coughed. “What? Right! Sorry. I’m the Doctor!”

“Martha Jones,” the woman said with a small smile. She turned to Luz, “You seem to know a bit about time travel.”

“My mom is into a lot of sci-fi,” Luz explained. “My name is Luz Noceda! It’s nice to meet you!”

“He already seems to know who we are,” Miles pointed out.

“But formalities are still nice,” Luz insisted.

“If it’s any consolation, I don’t know who you are,” Martha spoke up.

“Then allow me to introduce myself,” Amity spoke up. “My name is Amity Blight.”

“Giorno Giovanna.”

“I’m Miles Morales.”

“So, Doctor,” Luz began. “Be real with me, have you seen any more monsters?”

The Doctor sucked in a deep breath of air. “I’ve not seen them, personally, no.”

“But they’re out there,” Giorno surmised. “How do you know that?”

“Time-traveler?” Luz pointed out. “He probably knows everything that’s going to happen next!”

“Then we can rely on him for answers,” Giorno said.

“Actually, no,” the Doctor said. “Those fixed points, ‘canon events’ as you call them exist somewhere in this jumbled universe. I knew what the original fate was, but now, with everything all scrambled together in one big timey-wimey mush, I can’t say for sure what’s going to happen next…isn’t it exciting?”

“Yeah, real fun,” Miles said. “Except for the part where we all might DIE!”

“He does get carried away, you’ll have to forgive this one,” Martha said. “In any case, we’re here to help solve this…mush.”

“Right, carrying on like this can’t be healthy for whatever power source that’s holding this conglomerate together,” the Doctor said. “It takes the power of a dying sun just to interact with someone from another dimension, mixing them altogether like this? I can’t imagine what sort of power is fueling it.”

“I actually knew that,” Miles said. “In theoretical physics, they say it would take the power of a dying star just to travel to the past. I’m from 2023, same with Luz and Amity. But Giorno is from 2001, hell if I know when and where Sokka, Zuko, Katara, and their friends are from, and the shrine priestess, this year here is supposed to be 1996. However, we’ve still got a lot of 2023 conveniences. It’s like things blipped in and out of where they should be rather than just a mashup of everything from every dimension.”

“You’re taking theoretical physics? At your age?” Martha questioned.

“I’d like to travel, too,” Miles said with a small grin. “Besides, time waits for nobody, whether you can travel through it or not.”

“Watch out,” Martha said to the Doctor. “He might be smarter than you.”

“I assure you, he probably is,” Giorno said, like it was a competition of who had the better friend. Miles wasn’t gonna say anything otherwise.

“The others will be coming up to study soon,” Amity pointed out. She looked to their guests. “Did you need to see anyone?”

“Yes, we thought, since this seemed to be a common point for gatherings, given the dimensional residue exuding from this place, we’d speak to everyone all at once.”

“I’ll give you this one warning,” Giorno said. “If you so much as cause a hint of trouble for anyone here, you’ll be swiftly taken care of.”

“Hospitality? Not much of a threat.”

“You know what he meant,” Miles said, crossing his arms.

“Of course,” Martha said. “We’re here to help. Two doctors at your service…well, a man who calls himself one and a medical student.”

“Hey!”

“Like I said, the title is earned.”

“She’s right,” Miles agreed. “Takes a lot to go through medical training. My mom’s an RN.”

“So, saving people is in your blood, Miles,” Luz said, holding up her hand for a high-five. “C’mon don’t leave me hanging!”

Miles laughed and gave her a high-five. He gestured towards the shrine. “Come on, follow us.”

…

It wasn’t as though Bede enjoyed traveling with other people; he just missed elements of his home. Though, truthfully, there wasn’t much to miss. The editions to the gaggle of people with them only served to annoy him further. Still, they needed to make sure everything at the festival would be safe. He didn’t want to see Mokuba so downcast again over his brother. And…Seto had been kind to him. He seemed like such a cold person, but Bede knew better. They were a bit too similar.

Right now, the youngest Kaiba was dead set on interviewing all the security detail, making sure there were no monsters or witches. Of course, Bede and Silver had been training their Pokémon together, just to make sure no former chairman or bosses showed up to make things worse. Who knows where Rose had gone? He was still out there; and that unnerved him as much as a Rookidee. With them was Marnie, Hop, Hau, Toph, and Wally. Others would be joining them soon; the ‘adults’ had won the decision to keep them out of their business.

“And you’re absolutely sure there’s no cursed objects in any of the booths?” Mokuba pressed one of the older guards.

“We checked every item to make sure it wouldn’t transform, Mr. Kaiba,” the guard assured him.

“All this fuss,” Hop said, crossing his arms above his head.

“Of course, a Slaking like you isn’t worried about other people,” Bede said.

“What if it were your brother?” Silver asked.

“Oi! I get it!” Hop said.

The punk girl from Spikemuth intervened. “Lay off. We’re all worried right now.”

“Have you heard from your brother yet?” Hop asked her.

Right. The one who refused Dynamax gyms. The youngest old person he’d ever met.

The girl, Marnie, shook her head. “I’m starting to get worried.”

“Maybe he never ended up here,” the sickly, green-haired kid, Wally spoke up.

“Or he’s hiding from the press,” Bede suggested.

“That’s not…unlike him,” Marnie agreed, reluctantly. “You might be right, Bede.”

“Don’t tell him that,” Hop argued. “His ego’s big enough.”

“Some people enjoy logical thinking,” Bede countered.

He let Hop fume while his mind turned to other matters. He could’ve found Rose. He just knew it! If he’d been able to go out, he’d have found him…and he…and he…he…

Would have done something! He couldn’t just get away with abandoning him! It wasn’t fair! He’d worked so hard to help him accomplish his dreams for Galar, only to be tossed aside, dropped in the middle of nowhere with no chance of success. He was lucky Lady Opal had given him a chance, but, in all honesty, he wished for a family. He thought he had that with Chairman Rose and Lady Oleanna.

“Bede, are you okay?” Mokuba asked.

Bede dusted off his shoulders and straightened himself out. “I’m fine. I’m just bored to tears.”

“I understand,” Mokuba said, sympathetically. “But given everything, I want to make sure there are no incidents at the festival.”

“That’s for the best,” Bede agreed. “Rose is still out there.”

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Mokuba said. “What was he like?”

He looked at Mokuba and then to the others. “I can tell you, a bit away from prying eyes and ears.”

“Don’t mind us,” Hau said.

“Yeah,” Hop agreed with a wry grin.

Bede rolled his eyes and took Mokuba aside. When he was sure they were out of earshot, he began, “Chairman Rose adopted me when I was left behind by my family. I grew up in a large family. They didn’t have enough money for the new baby they were expecting…so they gave me up.”

“That’s terrible!” Mokuba said. “They just…left you?”

Bede nodded. “But that’s not important. What’s important is that…Chairman Rose was the one who adopted me. He said he saw potential in me. He even gave me my first Pokémon, Hatenna. Of course, under my care, we found more friends and beat anyone in our way…except the new champion.”

“Hop’s friend?” Mokuba asked. “Didn’t they go traveling? That’s what Hop told me.”

“You shouldn’t talk to that idiot,” Bede chastised. He gave him a small grin. “Though, yes, Gloria went traveling. She was one of the only trainers I respected.”

Bede shuffled his feet. “Anyways, under his care, I was told to find wishing stars, an invaluable power source that allowed gygantimax battles. They also gave power to a lot of Galar cities. That’s why Spikemuth is so run-down. They don’t use wishing stars. Chairman Rose was worried that power would run out—so much so that he released Eternatus to try to channel an abundance of power by himself. Problem was he couldn’t control it. Not even Champion Leon could.”

“So, what happened next?”

The nuisance had decided to stick his neck into the conversation. Bede hadn’t even noticed he’d walked over to them. “And Gloria and I sought out the legendary Pokémon to catch Eternatus!”

“Beside the point I was trying to make,” Bede said. “Listen, both of you, Chairman Rose will stop at nothing to make sure he’s remembered. He wants to make history, to stamp the world with his personal seal. There’s no limit to the cost. All of Galar was in great peril. Gym leader, Piers and Rohan have been helping me clean up some of the remnants of his mess.”

“Don’t act like you’re all alone,” Hop said. “I try to help with how the Pokémon feel, and Marnie is helping to spread awareness on Macro-Cosmos. We’re here to help, you know?”

He did appreciate those efforts…but he just couldn’t bring himself to say so. Turned out he didn’t have to as some of the other kids from other groups ran up to their group. It was Karlach, Wyll, Professor Sycamore from the Kalos region, and a few of the other kids he’d met on the day of the incident: Sprig, Frisk, Monster Kid, Barry, Ash, Lillie, Pearl, King, Frosta, Gus, Toph, Syaoran, and two other kids they’d never met before. One had black hair, violet eyes, and was dressed in a school uniform for girls, and the other was a kid with shoulder-length auburn hair covered by a yellow hat, green shirt, vest similar to Mokuba’s, and shorts.

“Who’re you two?” Silver asked, his tone like acid on the ears.

The girl was unperturbed. She flipped her hair back and answered, “Akemi. Akemi Homura.”

“Kawajiri Hayato,” the boy mumbled. He didn’t seem too interested in meeting new people.

“Miss Morningstar asked us to babysit these two while she attended the meeting at the shrine,” Professor Sycamore explained. “I’m sure you’ll get along swimmingly.”

“Hey Gus,” Hop said. “I thought you were at the temple today?”

“I was,” Gus said, rolling his eyes.

“For some reason, my group got outvoted to let us stay,” Toph explained. “I mean, at least Katara tried to argue for us. Usually she’s just as annoying, but you know, she has her moments.”

“I don’t understand,” Pearl huffed. “I want to help keep Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick safe, too!”

“Aw, don’t be too down, pups,” Karlach said. “I’m sure your friends and family are just looking out for you.”

“But we can help them,” Toph argued.

“I’ve got no doubt about that,” Karlach said with a laugh. “Quite impressive, the whole world bending and all. No doubt you’re a great soldier.”

Toph grinned. “I’ve been known to crack some skulls.”

“I’m sure. Now, let’s get you lot back to the—,”

The sky grew a pink hue as pink clouds drifted overhead of them. No one had time to react as a small girl with pink hair fell from the sky. Wyll was quick to catch her and set her down on the ground. She didn’t seem hurt. She must’ve fallen in from another dimension.

“Are you alright, Small Lady?” Wyll asked.

“H-how do you know my nickname?” the girl asked.

“Lucky guess,” Wyll said. “Truly. What is your name?”

“My name…my name is Chibiusa,” the girl said.

Very pink. Lady Opal would adore her.

“Were you teleported here, too?” Mokuba asked.

The girl nodded. “Yeah. Mama didn’t mention anything about meeting anyone when I first got here…”

“Your mother sent you to this place?” Professor Sycamore asked.

“…Yes. Who are you people?” the girl, Chibiusa, asked.

“I am Professor Sycamore,” the Kalossian man explained. “We have come from many different worlds, like yourself. But…it’s odd that your mother would deliberately send you here.”

“She’s probably scared,” Mokuba argued. “I mean, most of us were, when we first got here. Maybe too many questions isn’t such a good idea.”

“Agreed,” Wyll said.

“Yeah,” Karlach said with a nod. “Besides, we might be able to ask around and see if anyone can help her tomorrow.”

“I’m supposed to meet someone at the Summer End Festival tomorrow,” Chibiusa explained.

“Are they dangerous?” Syaoran asked.

“Hardly,” Chibiusa said sardonically. “I’m just looking for my older cousin.”

“Usagi,” Frisk spoke up in a quiet voice. They rarely spoke.

Chibiusa nodded. “So, you’ve met her.”

“Oh yeah, good soldier,” Karlach said. “Little klutzy, but who isn’t?”

“Should we take you to her?” Wyll asked.

Chibiusa thought about it and shook her head. “Mama says I’m supposed to meet her at the festival. So, that’s what I’m going to do.”

“Well, you’re free to come with us,” Mokuba offered. “I’m sure Seto wouldn’t mind.”

Both Karlach and Wyll gave each other a doubtful look.

“I suppose there’s no harm in letting her stay tonight,” Karlach said.

“Cool!”

“Then we should get going,” King said. He rubbed his arms. “It’s getting dark out here, and it’s giving me the creeps.”

“Alright. Let’s leg it.”

…

Reading through the flames was becoming tiresome. It wasn’t that he wasn’t good at it; no, it was the opposite. He was too good at it. Avdol and Rei had tried to cheer him up. The dismal outcomes he saw were only some of the possibilities that could occur. Still, the ones where people he knew—people he considered friends got hurt—came true. He couldn’t protect them, and it had been others who had helped them get out of that situation.

The visions he saw now were…even more depressing. Still, they sometimes changed. But always resulted in someone getting hurt.

To add insult to injury, the implications Hunter’s uncle left behind about his father skulking about was troubling. What was he doing? What was he planning? Did he have his bending back? It was absurd, but a lot of bizarre things had happened lately. He couldn’t count out any possibility.

And now they were all gathered by this man who claimed to be a time-traveler. Luz backed him up. He must have some credibility.

Zuko looked around the room. Sokka was paying attention, Katara seemed concerned, Suki and Ty Lee kept their hands on their weapons (discreetly), and Aang looked like he wanted to talk to the man because of course he did.

There was some chatter: Jotaro was talking to Kakyoin, Polnareff, and Avdol quietly. Kaiba kept to himself but glared at the time-traveler. Usagi kept talking and laughing with Minako, which seemed to enrage Rei. The two got into an argument, which pulled Gale away from his notetaking. Charlie Morningstar was introducing herself to people she hadn’t met yet, and Lucifer trailed behind her like a turtle-duck. The lawyers and their mystic sat together. It seemed the porcupine haired guy was trying to talk to the silver-haired man, who looked incredibly tired. Josuke was talking to his friends ever since they got here. They were annoying the artist. Others were talking, snacking, and waiting for someone to speak up.

Finally, the man stood in front of everyone. Zuko wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he looked…normal? Surely a time-traveler should look old, right?

“So, where to start?” the man said, clasping his hands together.

“Might I suggest the beginning?” Gale called out.

Some groaned and some booed. Gale stiffened and crossed his arms, “I suppose my wit is not appreciated at this moment.”

“Just as well,” the Doctor carried on, not missing a beat. “Now, I’ve been doing my research, and from what I’ve gathered, there was a sort of blip. Someone, perhaps a few someones, worked to displace people, events, and places throughout time and other dimensions to achieve…something catastrophic. It took them a great deal of power to do so, we can assume whatever they’re using to keep these worlds intact is, as Mr. Morales discussed, even more powerful than a dying sun. I can only imagine what it’s doing to all of space-time.”

“Well, you’re just full of good news,” Kaiba said.

“Oh, it gets better,” the Doctor said sarcastically. “I dug deeper—those talismans the ‘witch’ was after originated from this universe. The concept, I mean. But now, there are individuals from all universes that possess these objects. They’ll need to be guarded at all times. One slip up can irreversibly separate someone’s soul from their body for good. I reviewed the footage from the abandoned maze. You were…lucky that man was able to reverse the process. However, there’s always the possibility he won’t be around next time to help.”

Hunter slowly raised his hand. “Um, yeah, excuse me, but who had one of those talismans?”

Everyone went dead silent. No one wanted to say anything. They’d kept the truth from Hunter for these past weeks only for this man to stumble in and ruin everything.

The man, seeming to catch on by the glares and the silence paused. “Oh. Ohhhh. I’m so sorry.”

Hunter’s eyebrows knotted in confusion for a second before his eyes widened. “I have—! Why? Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

He jumped up and looked at the Doctor. “Can you get rid of it? You said you were a doctor!”

“Removing it is the last thing you want me to do,” the Doctor said. “But I can do my best to make sure no one gets hurt.”

Martha gave him a sympathetic look. “We understand if you’re scared. But I can assure you the Doctor has worked to save many planets, universes, even!”

“What about multiple universes?” Godot asked.

“Surprisingly yes,” the Doctor said. “Well, most would be facing complete annihilation by this point, so whatever is holding this blended culture of…stuff.”

“Well put,” Gale mused. “Although, it does remind me of my little adventure with the others. We were protected by, well, it’s a bit private. However, in summary, I shall say we were protected by a powerful being who kept us from becoming mindflayers. It comes at a cost, you know, one I’m sure we’ll not long to find out.”

“You’re even worse than him,” Kaiba complained, gesturing to the Doctor. “Look, I was on a breakthrough with dissolving the barriers to dimensional walls. I’m sure if I can reclaim my tech, I can fix this.”

“So, our hope rides on a sixteen-year-old,” Eda said.

“I can help,” the Doctor said. “I’ve fixed more complex technology before.”

Kaiba glared at him.

“Not saying it’s not impressive for a human to get that far, really.”

“Don’t worry, he’s this condescending with everyone,” Martha said. “You get used to it.”

“Hey, it’s not intentional!” He looked back at Hunter. “Trust me. I’m going to make sure no one’s ‘heart’ goes missing anytime soon.”

Unsurprisingly, this didn’t seem to put anyone at ease.

…

“Thank you for figuring out the movie machine, Auggy,” Karlach said to Professor Sycamore. “That should keep the kids busy for a minute, right?”

“Should being a pertinent word,” Wyll said with a small laugh.

“I wonder how the others meeting is going,” Augustine Sycamore wondered aloud.

This world was a far cry more dangerous than Kalos, even with the Lysandre incident. Professor Sycamore wondered…could Lysandre be here, too? If he were, was he helping others to build technology like the power inhibitors? It was very possible. He was quite the genius. He had been a friend…and more at one point in time.

However, there was no need to bring back thoughts of such days gone by. Lysandre had taken Ash Ketchum hostage, almost destroyed all the world—it’s people and its Pokémon, and now presumably was trying to do the same thing again.

“Well, you know, even if I give him guff, I hope Kaiba is able to get his technology back,” Karlach said. “Maybe that guy will help him. The kid’s helped me stay in this world without…well…you know…overheating.”

“He is quite impressive with his technological skills,” Wyll agreed. He turned to Karlach and slipped his hand into hers. “Most importantly, it’s possible for both of us to walk the mortal plain now.”

Sycamore knew it was probably wrong to be jealous, but every romance he’d ever endeavored failed. He wished he had that with someone.

Little did he know, someone he loved was watching him quite keenly.

Watching and waiting.

…

Mokuba made sure everyone had a blanket. The best part of this room was that the middle was basically a huge, cozy, conversation pit (a room that is primarily made up of couch). Most everyone had fallen asleep, even the cute girl who’d fallen through the portal earlier. She was very polite, too. She kinda looked like Usagi, but her demeanor was different. And it was always good to make a new friend.

He was glad Bede was starting to open up a little. He reminded him a lot of Seto. Truth be told, he didn’t mind having him here. Plus, he’d destroyed that daimon that tried to hurt himself and his brother. There was an army of them during those first few days of the collision; they just popped up out of nowhere during a promotional outing. Bede, Karlach, Silver, Gwen, Penny, and Wyll came out of nowhere to help them. They’d been slumming it on the streets, but Seto offered them a place to stay in exchange for protection. Of course, Karlach took care of most problems nowadays, but Mokuba was still weary. After the incident with Kaolinite, what if neither she nor Wyll could be there to protect his brother?

“Mokuba,” a tiny voice spoke up. It was Frisk. They seemed wide-awake.

“Oh!” Mokuba jumped a little. “What’s up, Frisk? You okay?”

Frisk paused. “This…has all happened before. I’m trying to stop it from happening again.”

“What do you mean?” Mokuba asked. “What happened?”

“All of this: the daimons, the witches, us meeting. It’s happened, and it didn’t end well. I can’t remember everything exactly, but I know either I, one of my friends, or…someone else has rewound time to try and fix things. I…I don’t want to fail again.”

Mokuba froze. He wasn’t sure how to answer this. And Frisk looked like they were about to cry. What was he supposed to say?

“Um…it’s okay, Frisk. I don’t think we’re going to fail. When Seto gets his tech back, he’s going to fix all of this. Trust me. I know my big brother; he’d never fail.”

Frisk went quiet, seeming deep in thought. They nodded after some moments of hesitation. “I hope you’re right.”

“I know I’m right,” Mokuba assured them. “He’s not going to give up, so you shouldn’t, either!”

“…Thank you.”

Mokuba gave them a smile. “You’re welcome!”

…

When the Doctor left, most of the older folks headed out, too. This left the young adults to try and complete a study session—which Usagi turned into a sleepover. Mako, Arven, and Steven made some snacks for everyone. When they had settled down, Hunter spoke up:

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“We didn’t want to scare you,” Luz said. “It was my idea. I’m so sorry, Hunter!”

Hunter was quiet as he seemed to be thinking. Giorno spoke up. “I’ve got one, too. I wouldn’t worry so much about it. Now that I’m out of that contract, I’m able to use Golden Experience to its complete abilities again.”

“Oh yeah! How strong is your stand, Giorno?” Koichi asked.

“Future you knows a little,” Giorno said with a chuckle. “I’ve been able to take on a few strong stand users, myself.”

“A few?” Mista questioned. “Talk about an understatement. He’s the strongest stand user I’ve ever seen.”

Giorno gave him a look. A look telling him to tread carefully with his words. Miles had gotten the hang of reading Giorno’s expressions. “You flatter me, really. I do my best for Italy. That’s all.”

“Regardless,” Kakyoin interjected. “It didn’t matter with those power dampeners.”

“Well, I can take care of those,” Richie assured them.

“And I can sneak us into places before my powers shut off,” Danny offered.

“Then we’re already five steps ahead,” Minako joked.

“What if there’s more witches and daimons out there?” Hunter asked. “What do we do then?”

“Relax, if they haven’t shown up by now, hopefully they’re gone!” Usagi said.

“Or more likely,” Kaiba interrupted, “Since the time-traveler visited us, he knows there are more witches and daimon out there. We need to be prepared for anything.”

“He’s right,” Zuko agreed.

“Well, what should we do?” Josuke asked.

After a minute of silence, Sokka raised his hand. “OH! I KNOW!”

That’s how they ended up drawing names from a hat and establishing a buddy system. Although it seemed a little preschool, it wasn’t a terrible idea. Miles ended up in the following group: Giorno, himself, Usagi, Luz, Peter, Amity, Yugi, Steven, Mako, and Arven. They’d probably stick with these groups during the festival tomorrow.

Then everyone sort of powered down for the night. However, he couldn’t fall asleep. Those talismans were what the witches were really after. Since Giorno had one, and if Kaiba’s hypothesis were correct, he’d become a target, too. Giorno seemed sure of himself and his abilities, but still…he didn’t want to see him die again.

“You alright, Miles?”

Apparently, Giorno was having the same troubles sleeping as he was.

“I’m okay, just thinking.”

Giorno was quiet for a moment before speaking up again, “So, what are your parents like?”

“Well, they’re cool…overbearing sometimes. But, they just want what’s best for me,” Miles paused. He laughed a little, but he didn’t know why. “I really miss them. I miss my home. I wish I’d left them making sure they knew that I love them. I wished I’d gotten to tell them who I really am.”

“You’ll get that chance,” Giorno reassured him. “And I’m sure they know…they sound like good people.”

It was quiet for another long minute. It felt like the silence was a heavy blanket on a humid night.

“I know, by the way.”

Miles sat up and looked at Giorno, who was already up. “Know what?”

“I know it was my dad who saved us,” Giorno said. He furrowed his eyebrows. “I kind of saw him, as he and the priest were leaving the shrine. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I…I didn’t know if we could trust him,” Miles said. “After everything Kakyoin said, I’m still not sure. I mean, he killed him before. And if that’s not enough, there’s an obvious vendetta between your dad, Kakyoin, Avdol, Polnareff, and Jotaro. If they thought you were anything like him…”

“You were afraid they’d kill me at my most vulnerable?” Giorno guessed.

Miles nodded. “I should’ve said something. I’m sorry. But I…I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

Giorno folded his hands in his lap and sat still. “Hmm. I appreciate the sentiment. And you probably had the right idea…just let me in, next time.”

“Swear,” Miles said. “I will.”

“…So, what was he like? Out of curiosity.”

“Imposing,” Miles said. “Honestly? One minute Alastor was gloating about winning, the next, your dad was mocking him while he was trying to get back up. The priest got your soul back, ended your contract. I didn’t even see him move.”

“It must be his stand,” Giorno surmised. “I’m not sure whether or not to trust him or the priest, either. Let’s keep this between us for now. When we figure out just exactly who he is, we’ll make more judgement calls, then.”

“What if he tries to kill Jotaro, Josuke, Kakyoin, or any of the others? Kind of seems like he has a grudge against the whole bloodline and any of their friends,” Miles said.

“That is a problem…” Giorno said. “If he does threaten them, I’m sure we can overpower him. I think I have an idea of what his stand can do, given what Kakyoin’s told us.”

“We could always just ask Kakyoin,” Miles suggested.

“I’m not sure he trusts us,” Giorno said. “I don’t blame him. If I were him, I’d be the same way. Still, I’m not going to allow him, Jotaro, or Josuke to get hurt. They’re family, too. It would be nice to get to know someone in my family who isn’t a complete bastard or out to use me.”

“You think that’s what your dad is doing?” Miles asked.

“Golden Experience defeated one of the most powerful stand users in Italy, Miles. How do I explain this?...Oh! It’s like that show Josuke and Okuyasu found on Luz’s television! The violent superhero one!”

“The Boys?” Miles guessed.

Giorno nodded. “The ‘superhero’ Homelander is like a bizarro Superman, right? His son is just as much so. As much as he wants his son to succeed, he also wants him to succeed for the sake of his own image. I’m not sure if this is quite what this DIO wants but given my experience with family and his lack of being in my life till now, I’d assume that’s what he wants. And since the priest endorsed me, I have a sinking feeling it’s all connected to him.”

Miles thought about this. Giorno’s father had seemed truly remorseful for being absent in his life, as though it were out of his control. But Giorno was making some solid points, and it sounded like his homelife was just as his father had described—pretty terrible.

“Hey, Gio,” Miles said softly. “My folks can be a little overbearing. But if you wanted to, you can stay with us for a while. I’m sure my mom would love to meet you. And my dad might look scary, but he’s a good person.”

Giorno was quiet, seeming to actually consider the offer. “If I can, I might visit you. I do have serious business to attend to in Italy. If Kaiba perfects those interdimensional travel devices, it’s a nice idea.”

Miles smiled. “Cool.”

Unfortunately, what Miles failed to realize was the creature stalking in the night, sensing that a huge number of spider-persons were in this amalgamation. He grinned, knowing the hunt was on.

…

“You know, Miles, it’s glad to meet someone else who had no idea about this whole Spider-Society thing. I guess I probably didn’t get an invite because of the whole thing with Doctor Strange,” Peter rambled on, tugging at the hem of his Yukata.

To represent the shrine, everyone had to wear them (some under protest like Jotaro and Jet). It wasn’t a huge deal. Right now, all of them were at the Summer’s End Festival. They were helping run some of the attractions. Miles, Peter, Luz, Amity, Steven, Yugi, Arven, and Giorno were helping the girls with this game where you could catch goldfish with this thin paper paddle and a cup. Some of the others were helping Avdol with his fortune telling booth, others were helping with food prep. It was a smart system, and people looked like they were having fun.

Yet, something was off, a lingering fear. His senses were on high alert. And it wasn’t just him, it was Peter, Hobie, Gwen, and Pav, too. Did that mean Miguel had found out where they were? Or worse—Spot?

“Yeah, Miguel O’Hara probably took exception to that,” Miles said with a chuckle.

“Oh please, I bet all of us combined could take him down,” Luz said. “We’ve got the brains and the brawn.”

“You think so?” Miles asked. “I’ll gladly let you cover for me, Luz.”

“I said ‘together,’” Luz said defensively. “I mean, a vampire Spiderman is still kind of scary.”

“But through the power of friendship, we can beat the scary vampire,” Arven said, rolling his eyes.

“Is it cool to not want to fight a vampire anytime soon?” Steven asked. He nervously laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I was never good with horror.”

“Well, he’s not a literal vampire, guys,” Miles tried to explain.

“Are you sure?” Mako teased. “He sounds like a natural Count Dorkula.”

Lots of people groaned at the joke. That’s when Haruka and Michiru walked over to their stall.

“Haruka! Michiru!” Usagi cheered.

“Hello, Odango,” Haruka said. “How have you all been doing?”

“Is tired a valid answer?” Arven asked.

Michiru chuckles. “I’d imagine so. Everyone looks so adorable in their yukatas, especially you, Arven.”

Arven’s face turned three shades of red. “Uhm…thanks!”

If Nemona had been there to see that…

“So, what have you guys been up to?” Haruka asked.

Oh, you know, beating up witches, almost dying, getting saved by possibly evil vampires, dying, and avoiding dying.

“Just trying to figure out how to get home,” Miles explained.

“Seems like that’s what everyone is trying to do,” Michiru said. “On the bright side, we haven’t seen anymore of those witch broadcasts. Maybe someone got rid of them?”

“You keep up with that?” Amity asked, trying to sound blasé.

“Of course we do,” Michiru said.

“Gotta stay aware. I mean, what are we going to do against superpowered witches?” Haruka asked.

Touche Haruka. Touche.

“Speaking of which, you all should be careful,” Michiru advised. “Just because you haven’t seen any witches, doesn’t mean they aren’t out there.”

“What if something worse is out there?” Arven mumbled.

“That would suck,” Luz admitted. “But we’d get through it. Haremos nuestro mejor esfuerzo.”

Arven paused and nodded.

“Do you mind if I try to play?” Haruka asked Usagi.

“No! Go ahead! Good luck, Haruka!”

On the first try, almost instantly, Haruka caught a goldfish. She gave it to Michiru and the two went off to joyous attractions unknown. Maybe food. Food would be good right around now.

“Hey, does anyone want to help me get some food?” Miles asked.

“I’ll go,” Giorno said.

“We want to check out the food!” Luz said, grabbing Amity’s hand.

“And I could use a break,” Arven said.

“Do you think you can remember what everyone wants?” Ami asked.

“At least one of the five of us can,” Luz said with a laugh.

That’s how the five of them earned a break and got to check out all the stalls at the festival. The place was crowded with people. Sure enough, there was an event dedicated to Duel Monsters and to Pokémon. Both seemed to be doing well. Maybe Kaiba wouldn’t be too unhappy. Tch. Right.

“I think all the champions from around the Pokémon world are there,” Luz said. “We should go sneak in!”

“That’s more Nemona’s thing,” Arven said. “I really am hungry, and the food here looks so good!”

“Plus, the girls, Steven, Peter, and Yugi are expecting food, too,” Miles pointed out.

“But this might be the only chance to meet them!” Luz complained.

“Maybe you can ask Rei if you can after we get the food,” Amity compromised.

“Alright, but I’m…” Luz cut herself off as she looked into the distance. “Mamá?”

A woman with hair pinned up in a sort of ponytail, glasses, and nurses outfit stood ahead of them. She turned to see Luz, “Luz?”

Luz shoved the food into Arven’s arms and ran over to her mom, lunging into a hug. “Mamá! You’re here! Oh, my baby! I’m so glad to see you!”

Miles felt his heart crack just a little, until the nurse turned to him. “Eres tu!”

“I’m sorry,” Miles said. “How do you know—?”

He was cut off as a deep but familiar voice called out, “Miles!”

“Dad?”

“Miles!” his mom ran over from a nearby booth. He didn’t have time to register what was going on before they both tackled him in a hug. “You’re okay! We-we thought you were gone. Don’t you ever do something like that again!”

“I’m sorry,” Miles mumbled over and over again, trying, unsuccessfully, to keep from crying.

“Where did you go, Miles?” his dad asked.

“It’s a long story,” Miles said. “I met so many people, and there’s a lot of dangerous things out there. But we beat them, Mom, Dad. And I know my worth. I didn’t know you guys would end up in this place, too!”

“Baby, how did you get here?” his mom asked.

“Mom, Dad, there’s something I need to tell you, but not here. It’s private. And I should’ve said this a long time ago, at Dad’s party. I should’ve just told you. If I’d just told you, none of this would’ve happened. No one would be in danger, and I—!”

“Miles, slow down,” his dad said. “Who’s in danger?”

“I…everyone!” Miles said. His mind was going into overdrive. So much was happening at once. His chest seized up, and it felt like his body was shutting down. “Giorno, Hunter, Usagi, Steven, you, me, everyone!”

“Miles,” Giorno said, he stooped down next to him. “Come on, this is a good thing. We’ve found your parents. Everything is going to be okay. We’ve got this, remember?”

“Back up,” Luz’s mom said. “Who’s trying to hurt Hunter?”

“It’s a long story, Mamá,” Luz said.

“I’m sure you’ll fill us in,” Miles’s dad said.

“You must be Captain Morales and Mrs. Morales,” Giorno said. “It’s good to meet you, signore and signora.”

“Who are you?” Miles’s dad asked, incredulously.

Giorno stood up and extended a hand towards him. “My name is Giorno Giovanna.”

“Well…at least he didn’t call us by our first names like, Emo,” Mr. Morales grumbled.

“She has a name, Dad,” Miles said weakly.

“Speaking of,” Mrs. Morales interjected. “She said you got lost. Where did you go, Miles?”

The pain in her voice hurt him even more. There were no words to make any of this okay. Why wasn’t he happy? He just felt so…overwhelmed!

“I’m not sure. I don’t know where all I have been. I don’t even know where here is.”

“I think he’s a little overwhelmed,” he heard Luz’s mom say gently. “Maybe we should give him some space.”

“…Camila is right,” Mrs. Morales said. She gently placed a hand on Miles’s shoulder. “Miles, baby, it’s alright. Let’s just…where are you all staying right now?”

“The Hikawa Shrine,” Giorno answered for him. “I’ve introduced myself, but there are a number of people staying there. We’ve…forged a friendship, kept each other safe. Miles is a very good friend to me. He’s…been through a lot.”

Miles appreciated someone else being able to put their situation into words.

“My poor boy,” his mom said, soothingly.

“C’mon Miles,” his dad said, helping him back up. “Let’s just relax for a minute, alright?”

It was quiet for a minute before Miles asked, “I’m glad you guys found Luz’s mom. She really missed you, Mrs. Noceda.”

“I sure did,” Luz said, hugging her mom tightly.

“I missed you, too!” Mrs. Noceda said, hugging her. She looked over to Amity and pulled her into the hug. “And don’t think I forgot you, Amity!”

Mrs. Noceda looked to Arven. “Who are you?”

“My name is Arven,” he murmured. “We…we should probably get back to the others. They’re probably starving, especially Usagi.”

“MILES!”

Oh no. Oh crap.

A familiar brunette man in a pink bath robe, baggy clothes, and slippers carrying a baby ran towards their group.

“P-Peter?!”

“Yeah, don’t worry, I’m not with Miguel.”

“We know,” Giorno said with a firm glare. “You must be the infamous Peter Parker.”

“What are you talking about?” Mr. Morales asked. “Peter Parker is dead.”

“Your Peter Parker is dead,” his mentor corrected. “Uh, sorry. You must be Miles’s parents. My name is Peter Parker. This is my daughter, Mayday. Say ‘hi’ Mayday!”

To her credit, Mayday did wave her tiny hand at his mom, blabbering in baby-speech.

“Peter, what are you doing here?” Miles asked.

“You know this man?” his dad asked.

“He’s,” Miles sighed. “He’s my mentor.”

“Mentor?” His mom questioned. “Mentor at school? What are you talking about, Miles.”

His dad dawned a look of realization. “No. That’s not it. Miles…are you?”

“He’s Spiderman,” a dark voice said.

A man with dark black hair, red eyes, dressed in a long, black dress coat, silver button up, black slacks, shoes began to approach them. Peter handed Miles Mayday. “Miles, take her and run. Go with your family, get out of here!”

“Oh, but why chase my meal off?” the man questioned. “I have a buffet in front of me. Two and a half totems.”

Mr. Morales pulled out his gun, and Giorno stepped in front of Miles. “Take one step closer to your own demise.”

“Giorno Giovanna,” the man mused. “The son of a lesser god. I must say, I am impressed to meet such a powerful young man. A delicacy for sure, but the souls of spiders are far…greater.”

“Miles…” his mother said. “You…”

Miles took a deep breath and stood up. “Mom, Dad. I’ve been doing my best to protect you. And I’m not going to stop now. I’m Spiderman.”

…

Chibiusa walked with her newfound friends. The scary-nice lady with an axe, her boyfriend, the professor, three lawyers, a mystic, and three witches were watching over them. She learned the boy who let her stay with them, Mokuba Kaiba, was the brother to a wealthy CEO, Seto Kaiba. Her mama hadn’t mentioned any of this when she told her she’d make a special connection back in the twentieth century. Could this boy be the one she was talking about?

“Come on! We’re gonna be late!” the mystic’s cousin, Pearl shouted.

“We’re actually going to be there a few minutes early,” the red-haired boy, Silver corrected.

“I can’t wait to see the duel,” Mokuba said. He laughed. “Though, I’ll be honest, I’m not sure why Joey volunteered to go against him.”

“Who knows?” Hop said. “He might have a card up his sleeve.”

“You’re as terrible with puns as your brother,” Bede complained.

“Hey, at least you admit I’m like Lee with something,” Hop joked.

Bede rolled his eyes.

“If you want, after the show, I can help you find Usagi,” Mokuba offered. “She should be somewhere around here. Seto said she would.”

“Not without one of us, pup,” Karlach said. “We’ll help you find the moon warrior.”

“I’m a moon warrior, too,” Chibiusa said, a little jealous of the cool title.

“Is that so?” Karlach asked. “How about Mini Moon Warrior?”

“It’s cute,” Chibiusa said.

“It suits a young warrior,” Wyll agreed.

“Though, children shouldn’t be anywhere near a fight,” Mr. Edgeworth was quick to point out.

“I’ve told you hundreds of times,” Toph said, clearly annoyed. “I have shot boulders into and destroyed tanks and airships. I’m ten. It doesn’t matter!”

“Airships?” Karlach questioned. “This girl is a military of her own.”

This earned a grin from Toph. These other kids weren’t so bad. Maybe, while she was here, they could become friends.

…

“Where are they?” Usagi whined.

They were sure both Champion Leon and Seto had finished debuting their shows by now, and the others still hadn’t come back with food! Even the crowd around their stall had died down.

“We should go check on them,” Yugi suggested.

“Yugi’s right,” Mako agreed.

“Someone should probably look for Rei, too,” Minako said. “She’s gone missing.”

“Ugh! Rei! Now is not the time!” Usagi chastised. “Yugi, Steven, can you guys help me look for her?”

“Sure,” they both agreed.

“We’ll look for Miles and the others,” Mako said.

“Oh, I’m sure you’re more than willing to do that, Mako,” Usagi teased.

Mako turned a bright shade of red. “It’s not like that! We’re just good friends!”

“Uh-huh.”

“No really,” Mako said. “I think…never mind. It’s not my business or place to say anything.”

Usagi stared at her for a second and then shrugged. They walked until they reached the clearing at the entrance of the festival. Rei was sitting on one of the benches watching the drummer for the festival practice. Her name was Maya Tohno. It had taken Rei a lot to convince her to perform at the festival.

“Rei,” Usagi began carefully. “Are you okay?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. I’m okay. It’s just nice to see someone so dedicated to doing something they love,” Rei said. She looked to Usagi, Steven, and Yugi. “Do you guys ever get tired of always having to worry about an uncertain future, never knowing where you’re going next?”

“A lot,” Steven said. “I was actually on the road trying to find myself before I ended up here. I spent my whole childhood fighting my mom’s problems.”

“I deal with a lot of stuff that resurfaces from the past, too,” Yugi said. “It’s a little scary, but as long as you’ve got good friends around you, I believe you can get past anything.”

“They’re totally right,” Usagi agreed, sitting down next to Rei. Truthfully, she’d been feeling a little overwhelmed by their new enemy, too. “These Deathbusters are scary, but we’re going to get through it together—if they’re still out there. There’s never going to be a day when you don’t have me, Rei!”

Rei smiled. “I trust you, Usagi…even if you are a klutz.”

“Hey!”

Before Usagi could mouth off, a white van drove up to the entrance. A stereo from the car announced, “Maya Tohno to entry. I repeat, Maya Tohno to entry!”

Said drummer ran down to the entrance and spotted the van. All too late did Usagi see the woman with the same red hair but younger face than Kaolinite step out of the van with a strange looking gun. She aimed it at Tohno and fired. A black bolt of energy struck Miss Tohno, forcing her pure heart crystal out of her body.

“You two should transform. We’ll cover for you,” Steven said.

Usagi gave them a nod. “Moon cosmic power, make up!”

…

This guy was strong and fast. It took everything he had to get Golden Experience to match this man’s speed and strength. Still, he wasn’t just going to let this guy kill his friend…or his parents.

Miles, Peter, and Amity tried to slow him down with a combination of webbing and abomination magic, but it wasn’t working. Miles’s father had tried to shoot the man, but he simply flicked the bullet away. Maybe silver bullets would have worked better? And he wouldn’t stay still long enough to hit him with Requiem.

Giorno barely dodged slicing claws at his face. The man snarled. “I am the ultimate inheritor! Of course, I can see what no other lifeform can see. That includes your ridiculous stand!”

“See this!”

“MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA!”

A barrage of punches from GE hit the man in the gut, even lifting him into the air with the impact. The man simply brushed it off and kicked Giorno backwards. Being controlled by Alastor was one thing. It was another to have nothing he did work.

“Giorno!” Miles yelled. The man focused his attention back on Miles. Not good!

“Hey!” Giorno called back. “Ultimate asshole! What are totems?”

“Perhaps you, yourself are a totem, Mr. Giovanna. Do you wish to find out?”

Giorno smirked. “No. Just had to distract you long enough.”

The man’s eyebrows furrowed before a certain white-haired spawn cast some sort of green spell on the man, “Timē.”

The man doubled over for a moment, but a moment was all that was needed. Bucciarati had come over with Abbachio and Mista. He used his stand, “STICKY FINGERS!”

The group jumped through the zipper shaped hole, leading them back to the shrine. Giorno knew it probably wasn’t the last time they were going to see this man. And if they were after spiders…

“Bucciarati, you need to go back to the festival and get any other spiderperson, do you understand?” Giorno asked.

“You’re the boss,” Bucciarati said with a slight smile. “I’ll be right back.”

True to his word, he was back in a flash with Peter, Gwen, Hobie, and Pav. The four were a bit shocked to see Peter B, but they quickly found their groove.

“Miles, who was that?” his mother practically yelled. He did hate yelling.

“I-I don’t know,” Miles stammered. Today was already rough on him. He sat down on the floor, taking a few shallow breaths.

Giorno stepped in, “Miles, it’s alright. You’re safe here. We’re at the shrine.”

“Let me explain,” Peter B said. “That man is Morlun. He’s one of the most dangerous enemies to any spiderperson as he hunts and his diet consists of spider totems…us, basically.”

“What the hell, we’re already dealing with witches!” Gwen argued.

“Someone is intentionally messing with us,” Hobie said. “It’s sabotage.”

“Or a distraction,” Abbachio said. “You were lucky we were near you. If Kaiba knew his event was this close to getting messed up, he’d have a bitch fest.”

“What do we do?” Pav asked.

“…if Mr. Stark were here, he’d know,” Peter said. He paused. His eyes widened. “Mr. Stark!”

“Who’s Mr. Stark?” Camila asked.

“He’s my mentor! He’s Iron Man!” Peter said. “The dead are coming back to life! If he’s back, we can get his help! And Thor! Thor can kick this guy’s butt!”

“Just say ass,” Mista groaned.

“Call whoever,” Giorno said. “I’m not letting Miles get hurt.”

Giorno sat down beside Miles. “I swear. I won’t allow them to hurt you or your family. I’ll work with whoever I need to.”

“That’s actually a point of interest for me,” the pale elf spawn interjected. “Your father has a message for you. He’s offering immortality and greater power, apparently. I assume this would also mean protection as well.”

“I…” Giorno’s voice trailed off. Immortality would more than likely mean…but if it made him stronger, wasn’t it worth it? Then again, who’s to say what he’d be if he accepted? And his father didn’t seem like a man of any ethical code. True, Giorno had and would kill to keep others safe and accomplish his dreams. But picking off the crusaders one at a time, especially after meeting Avdol, Kakyoin, Jotaro, and Josuke (even though he wasn’t a crusader) seemed so wrong and spiteful. Would he bid him to hurt them?

“Would you like some seasoned advice?” Astarion asked. “Don’t take the deal. Power is grand. But the kind of power he’s offering comes with a long list of strings. I should know.”

“Aren’t you working with my father?” Giorno asked.

“Dear boy, I work with whomever I feel like working with. At the time I merely worked with your father to be contrarian to Alastor. I do hate a puppeteer, well, unless, of course, I’m the one in control. But take it from someone who knows, his protection is more dangerous than fighting your own problems.”

“I need to think this over,” Giorno said, standing up.

Miles reached out to him, grabbing his hand. “Gio…don’t take the deal.”

“Miles…it’s alright. I’ll do what’s best for everyone.”

With that, he walked off to his room, to think for a moment.

“Are you having fun, Gio?”

He summoned GE as Alastor stepped out of the shadows. The Radio Demon tilted his head and chuckled. “Oh, I’ve learned my lesson. But I should teach you one more. One that will benefit you.”

“Why should you care about my benefit?” Giorno asked with a glare.

“Because if you take your father’s deal, it’s like Astarion said, you’ll be nothing more than a glorified puppet. You and I both know what he’ll force you to do.”

“What do you want from me?”

“You already know.”

“No.”

“No? Well, I’d weigh your options, Mr. Giovanna. Morlun is powerful. I’m not even sure if your father can beat him.” Alastor grinned. “But I can. All it takes is one death. One versus many.”

Giorno was silent.

“Perhaps once he tears through a few of the other spidermen, you’ll realize what you need to do,” Alastor continued. “Until then, you can always reach me. But don’t let him tear through the one you care about most.”

Giorno took a sharp breath. Did he know? How?

“You’ve never had anyone who cared about you before,” Alastor said. “It’s frightening, I understand. But you know what’s even more frightening? Losing that person. Once they’re gone, there’s no point. After all, we are so similar, Gio. I’ve been where you are, only, I failed. You have the chance to do the right thing.”

“Go away.”

“Think about it.”

With a gust of air, he was gone. But a dark chill remained in the room.

…

Yugi held off the daimon with Marshmallon. However, it had made them all hop around, trying to avoid the fireworks it fired into the air. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune showed up on cue and examined the heart crystal. It turned out to be normal, so they bounced.

Yami took over, and after an ordeal of summoning was able to summon Dark Magician. Dark Magician froze the daimon in place for a moment, ticking it off. Steven threw his shield at the monster’s abdomen, but it still sprung back up. Again, Yami looked through his deck, knowing he may be able to summon Dark Magician Girl soon.

However, it wasn’t needed. A small sailor guardian adorned in pink hit the monster with an, albeit, weak attack. Sailor Moon was provided the time she needed to hit it.

“Moon spiral heart attack!”

The daimon dissolved back into a small tambourine, hitting the ground with a small thud.

“Chibiusa!” Usagi exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“Mommy sent me here to train,” Chibiusa said indignantly.

Chibiusa was followed by a small army of children, including Mokuba. Karlach, Wyll, Phoenix, Miles, Maya, Franziska, Joey, Champion Leon, and Kaiba followed behind them.

“We need to go,” Kaiba hissed.

“Why?” Yugi asked. “What happened?”

“Not only this,” Kaiba gestured to the remains of the daimon. “But Morales, Stacy, and co. are facing a…difficult situation. We’re having a meeting about it.”

“So much for no more witches,” Usagi sighed.

“It’s so much more than that,” another voice, belonging to Firelord Zuko spoke up.

“Let’s get going,” Robin agreed.

“Steven,” Connie began. “I think this might be really bad. Are you going to be okay for this?”

Steven nodded. “I’ll be fine. I’ve been doing my exercises daily.”

“Okay. As long as you’re sure.”

“She’s not lying, Yug,” Joey said. “It’s some kind of vampire, apparently. He’s crazy strong.”

“We’ll deal with it, Joey,” Yami assured him. Vampires were new, at least in this age. Not so much in Ancient Egypt, surprisingly. “We’ll help in any way we can.”

“Not sure what exactly we’re gonna do against this whack job,” Joey said with a shrug.

“Our best, Joey. Our best.”

#jjba #pokemon #pure heart crystals #ace attorney #miles morales #owl house #sailor moon #across the spiderverse #avatar the last airbender #kaolinite

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karlachgale95 · 11 months ago

Text

Hearts of the Multiverse-Chapter Thirteen: Army Dreamers

So many lives blipped off the traces of his monitor, but they had not gone back to their original dimensions. It was if they had disappeared into another dimension entirely—or a pocket dimension.

“Did you find out if my grandson was among them?” The old man, Joseph Joestar asked.

“I’ve told you before,” Miguel said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I built the new tracker on limited tech. It’s not a precise locator. It only gives indicators of who might be around. The cameras couldn’t track where they took all those missing people, but it appears like your grandson was not taken.”

In fact, more annoyingly, he went off with Miles Morales in some unknown direction. According to Joseph, Jotaro Kujo happened to be the strongest member of their ridiculously overpowered family. Well, at least one of them wasn’t on the side that would eventually unravel the multiverse. Perhaps Joseph could talk some sense into his grandson.

“Those Paldean trainers lost their friend,” Lusamine noted, reexamining the footage. “Though, Paldeans are known for their lackadaisical approach to Pokémon battles. They all seem consumed with other matters: fashion, art, baking. It’s no surprise they weren’t prepared.”

“And what does it say about us that we were also caught off guard?” Miguel countered with a growl. Her elitism irked him.

He stood up from his desk. Jack eyeballed him. “Though you weren’t the type to go on missions?”

“Seems I’m the only one competent enough to do so.”

“You’re hurting my feelings, O’Hara,” a half-drunk Leon S Kennedy deadpanned.

“You’re drunk. Redfield, you’re with me. We’re going to rendezvous with two of our newest agents in the field.”

Chris Redfield nodded whilst Leon shrugged and muttered. “Didn’t ask for any of this bullshit.”

“I still can’t believe you gave two teenagers the tech to counter any power-dampeners, but you won’t help me fix my vortex manipulator,” Jack complained.

“They’re responsible. They know what needs to be done to save the multiverse,” Miguel said. “You? Your friend was right. Can’t have you jumping around all of time and creating more holes.”

“He’s going to need time to sober up,” Chris said with a sigh, trying to snap a drunken Leon S. Kennedy awake.

“I’m going, too,” Joseph insisted. “I’m going to find my grandson and make sure he’s alright.”

“I think I’ll get out, too,” Jack said. “See if I can find anyone familiar.”

“Have fun,” Leon said, suddenly perking up. It was doubtful the sarcastic ass had been asleep in the first place.

Miguel was sure this outing would be the furthest thing from ‘fun.’

…

“What’s the deal?” his newly acquired friend, who he decided to refer to as his friend did, V-Man, asked.

The young boy detransformed, letting the green light fade in the alleyway behind the building that was definitely a trap—but for who? No one could even get into this weird place except him. V-Man, Wall-Climber, and Plant Magic were not able to phase through walls.

There weren’t any of those monsters nearby. But there was a bad energy in the lower levels of that place, he could sense it.

“Hold up, Gear made something for the occasion,” V-Man said, handing him a wristwatch. “It’ll let us know where you are, and it can deactivate some passcodes. You might be able to break in from the inside.”

“I’ve got an even better idea,” he said. He interlinked V-Man, Plant Magic, and Wall Crawler’s arms, making them all invisible and intangible to the human eye and touch. “We can all phase through that wall now and explore what’s down there. There might be more monsters down there, so it’d be best if we stick together.”

“Wow!” Wall Crawler exclaimed. “I didn’t know you could do that! Virgil, Willow, can you believe this?”

“Static here, Peter. Remember we gotta stick to codenames.”

“And I like Plant Magic. It makes me sound mysterious.”

“But you just called me Peter,” The young Peter Parker complained.

“He’s got you there, Static,” Willow Park argued jokingly.

“Heh. My bad,” Virgil Hawkins said, scratching the back of his neck. He turned back to the teenage half-ghost. “Why didn’t you change your first name, Danny?”

“Well, no one’s caught me yet,” Danny said with a laugh.

“Hold on,” Virgil said, clicking a few buttons on his watch. He was getting a call from Richie. “What’s up?”

“I’ve intercepted a secret message from that creepzoid organization. You might want to hold off your investigation of that building. There’s nothing in there now, but…there will be.” Richie explained. “Do you want me to play it for you?”

“Yeah. We need to hear it.”

…

Fire flew from his fingertips as he regained consciousness. Someone had hit him with something holy. A weapon only a divine being could hold, and now his daughter was gone. And whoever took her…

Would have hell to pay.

Lucifer, Maggie, Angel, and Godot led a four-person team. Given that the attack had been performed by heavenly-designed creatures, Godot reasoned it was only natural that they were hiding somewhere holy.

That’s how they ended up at the Hikawa Shrine.

There were no angelic monsters holding his daughter hostage, much to his disappointment. But everyone here was in the same situation: missing a loved one or friend. Godot even seemed to recognize one of these people.

“And they just took off with Maya, Mr. Edgeworth, and his annoying sister?” Godot asked the man with hedgehog quills for hair.

The man nodded, not seeming too invested in the conversation.

“That still doesn’t explain why they took Charlie,” Maggie—no—that was wrong—Vaggie said.

“They must want someone in your group to come and face them,” the CEO surmised.

He heard a loud voice say, “Hey! I thought I ran you off!”

It was the tiefling. He was sure she wasn’t a demon. Nah. Not similar enough to any demon he’d seen before.

He held his ground. “I’m looking for my daughter. Some angelic fu….”

He glanced around the room, noting there were quite a few kids. He straightened his suit jacket and took a deep breath in. “If I wanted to hurt anyone, it’s not going to be a room full of bystanders with the same problem as me. They took my daughter, and I need to make sure I put an end to whoever did so. I’m not out to trick anyone. I’m just here for Charlie.”

The tiefling’s hand inched slowly away from her battle-axe. “Fine. But if you pull any funny business…”

He cut her off, “I get it. But…honestly? Good luck with that.”

“Cocky, aren’t you?”

“Pissed is more the term.”

“I’m sorry, who are you?” a teen with a burn scar on the side of his face asked. He wondered how he got it. Wait. Gotta keep on track.

“I’d rather not say.”

“Tell us your name, or you’re not allowed in the building,” another teen in a…Spiderman costume told him.

“We don’t have time for this,” Vaggie hissed. “We need any leads we can get to get Charlie back!”

Lucifer sighed and muttered, “I may or may not be…Lucifer Morningstar.”

There were a few glances exchanged: some worried, some concerned about the worried faces, and some doubtful. Another sigh and he held up a fireball in the palm of his hand. “Ta-da.”

“Why do you all look like that?” the first teen asked.

“Um…Lucifer…is the ruler of hell. The bad place you go to in the afterlife. You know, if you’re a bad person while you’re living. And he tried to overthrow God.” Spider-kid explained.

“Look, I was only saying we should give humans free will. I mean, all those events are a bit tilted towards Heaven’s advantage.”

“Didn’t you say all of us were horrible?” Angel asked.

“Not helping,” Vaggie said. “Look, I’m an angel, and I’m helping him. Does that help our case.”

“Prove it.”

“UGH!”

Vaggie extended her wings for everyone to see. “Happy?”

“I think we should give him a chance.” He recognized that voice. It was the old man from the tea shop who had tried to defend him before. “I see a father in need of help. Titles shouldn’t matter, so long as he is not cruel to his people.”

“I can vouch for that,” Angel said. “He’s pretty chill, you know, for hell.”

“Alright,” a girl in a red and white robe said. “He can stay for now; at least until we get this mess solved.”

There was a silence in the room as Lucifer went around the room, asking about Charlie. He showed them pictures. He was stopped by the sound of static. Suddenly, the TV in the room had turned on.

…

Gwen kept giving him looks. He knew she was sorry. And he knew she was waiting for the right moment to talk to him. Would it be right to forgive her? She was his friend, but she had fully intended on not telling him that Miguel was going to let his dad just—die! But maybe Kaiba was right. Maybe she did deserve a second chance to at least prove herself. Still, keeping that big a secret…

And Giorno, Sokka, Luz, Anne, Pav, and Joey were missing because they were careless.

Was this a punishment for something? Throwing a bagel at The Spot? Leaving his parents on such bad terms? Getting his universe’s Peter Parker killed? Treating Spot as a villain of the week? Getting his uncle killed?

Not listening to Miguel?

UGH! No. That couldn’t be it. That damage was caused by The Spot. Not him. He was the one who was opening wormholes.

What was he supposed to do?

And now, apparently, Lucifer was in a shrine. How he did that, Miles didn’t know. He had a daughter that he was rambling about and showing off pictures just to see if anyone had seen her. Nothing in this world made sense.

Gwen was walking towards him. Someone swiftly sat beside Miles. It was Makoto.

“You’d better have a good reason for betraying your friend,” Mako said.

“I…thought I did,” Gwen muttered. She glanced down to the ground and then back at Miles. “Miles…I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry?” Mako scoffed. “You can’t just come in here and give a lame apology after—,”

Miles cut her off. “Mako, it’s cool.”

He turned back to Gwen. “Look, I’m not going to say that everything is okay between us, but, since you are trying to help me, I’m guessing that you split from Miguel, right?”

“Completely,” Gwen said with no trace of hesitation. “I realized he was wrong, about a lot of things. I think we can save your dad, Miles. That’s why I formed my own band.”

Miles was silent and then chuckled. “A band, huh?”

Gwen half-heartedly laughed back. “Yeah. Turns out this one isn’t so bad.”

“Going forward,” Miles said. “No secrets, alright? We’ll go from there, okay?”

Not everything was instantly forgiven, but he was going to try and leave a window open. It’d be tough, but Gwen had been one of his only friends for a while. And she’d broken away from Miguel’s group. Surely that had to be worth something.

At that moment, the television in their room turned on, broadcasting the face of that Red Witch. She grinned from ear to ear a malicious and eerie smile.

“It’s her,” he heard Arven whisper.

“Of course it’s me,” the Red Witch answered. When Arven jumped back, she laughed. “Oh please, why be so shocked? Our company is capable of greater feats than speaking through television.”

“Give me back my brother!” Katara shouted.

“And my sister!” King added.

“And my Mamo!” Usagi protested.

“And my daughter!” Lucifer said, flames rising from his mouth and fingertips.

“Yeah!” the little girl, Pearl agreed, rolling up the sleeve of her robe. “And Mystic Maya, Miss Franziska, and Mr. Edgeworth!”

“How cute,” the Red Witch said with a slight giggle. “And you’ll get your friends back, if others take their place.”

“We’re not letting you do that,” the Avatar, Aang said. “We’ll all come to stop you.”

“Not so fast,” the Red Witch said. The witch switched the screen to a darkened room where all their friends lay on the floor, unconscious. “It’s invitation only. If we detect that any of you have come with them, we’ll dispose of your friends. After all, we know all your energy signatures since you’ve been so willing to fight against our daimon for so long. Of course, we’ll do that if any of you fail to show up, too.”

“So…who do you want?” Hunter asked.

“I’m so glad you asked, Hunter,” the Red Witch said. “Given how you’ve evaded us thus far, you’ll be invited here along with your other friends, old and new: Josuke Higashikata, Arven, Firelord Zuko, Miles Morales, Seto Kaiba, Usagi Tsukino, Wyll Ravengard, Phoenix Wright, Jotaro Kujo, King, Yugi Muto, Steven Universe, and surprisingly, Lucifer Morningstar.”

“Say what now?” Lucifer asked. Everyone was too stunned or in fear to answer.

“You have thirty minutes to reach us. Failure to do so will result in their destruction. Do you understand?”

An address flashed onto the screen.

“We’ll be there,” Zuko assured her. “And when we get there, you won’t be hurting anyone. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Are you?” she countered. “Well, we’ll just see about that.”

With that, the screen flicked off.

“Why did you tell them we would meet them?” Kaiba asked Zuko. “It’s obviously a trap.”

“Do you want a bunch of innocent people to die?” Zuko countered. “Because I’m not going to wait for that to happen. Sokka is a good friend to all of us and Katara’s brother. I’m not just letting him rot there. And everyone else here has someone to protect—and you have a friend down there!”

“You confuse thin tolerance with friendship, Firelord,” Kaiba said, sarcasm dripping in his tone. “The only person who matters to me is well-guarded by a terrifying tiefling who does her job very well. If you’re willing to go and get yourself killed out there, that’s fine.”

“You flatter me, lad,” Karlach shouted from a corner of the room. “But, still, there’s lives on the line. You’ve got to show them some consideration. After all, Gale is one of the ones who saved your little brother from being attacked by that card-game daimon. So, perhaps his highness is right.”

She turned to Wyll. “I’d never ask you to do something you don’t want to do.”

“But you’re well aware that I’m going to go save our wizard,” Wyll surmised. He turned to Seto. “I promise to protect you while we’re there. Have you ever known any monster to get past the Blade of the Frontiers?”

“Not to mention that, but our friend, Robin has been protecting you a lot, as well,” Starfire pointed out. “He and Connie will both die if you do not go.”

“I’m going to save Connie,” Steven assured her. “I’ll save your friend, too.”

“But you can’t just ask my brother to go on a suicide mission,” the little kid, Mokuba argued. “He’s my only family!”

The whole group started arguing.

“We need to go!”

“Not my problem!”

“They’re not taking my son!”

“Or my nephew!”

“How in the hell did I get chosen for this? Is it because of the ducks?”

“Maybe?”

Miles stood up on a stool, trying to gather attention. “Hey! Everyone calm down!”

No one was listening. He heard footsteps beside him. It was that tall, sullen guy, Jotaro Kujo. “Good grief. At this rate, everyone is going to die.”

“I’m trying to get their attention,” Miles said, gesturing to the crowd.

“Seems like you need presence.” Jotaro cleared his throat. “Everyone shut the hell up!”

The group turned towards them. Jotaro gestured to Miles, “Your turn, man.”

Miles gave him an appreciative nod and faced the group. “Look, I know this is scary. And I’m not going to stand here and pretend I’m not scared. But like or hate the people trapped wherever the witch has them, they have helped you more than they should. They’re friends, friends we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to when they need us most. After all, it was Mamoru who helped Usagi become Sailor Moon again, Giorno who helped me fight off so many monsters and became a good friend, Sokka who fought off daimon with a sword and a boomerang, Luz who used magic to ward off and defeat enemies, Kakyoin who helped us figure out where to go, or Connie and Robin who always fought for two different groups when we needed them. My point is, I’m not giving up on any of our friends—and they are our friends. To call them anything less is an insult.”

He paused and inhaled. “I’ve learned a lot—being Spiderman. It’s about taking risks and making sure no one gets left behind. I’ve been given this great power, and so have a lot of you. It’s time to use it responsibly. With great power…comes great responsibility.”

He shut his eyes. “So…could we stick together on this? I don’t want anyone to die. And if we stick together—if nothing else—I can protect us. I promise.”

There was a murmur amongst the crowd; Zuko was the first to speak up. “Miles is right. It’s not as though we’re powerless. We can stand up for ourselves and save our friends.”

“And not to brag,” Lucifer spoke up. “But I’ve been known to be able to handle a few monsters here and there.”

There was a general murmur of agreement amongst everyone—everyone except Kaiba. He seemed to be mulling it over, at least. Starfire drifted over to him. “I do not like to ask favors. But please…friend Robin means a lot to us.”

Seto looked from her, to Miles, to Wyll, to the group. He finally sighed and said, “Fine. But Ravengard, you’re with me.”

“You can rest assured that I will not allow anyone to fall to those monsters.”

“But Seto,” Mokuba said. He didn’t finish whatever he was going to say, but he looked pointedly at his brother.

“I’ll be fine,” Kaiba assured him. “I’ll make sure they pay for even trying to use my blueprints.”

“Then all that’s left it to…actually go,” Arven said.

“¿Hablas en serio?” Nemona said. “This is crazy!”

“I agree,” Adora spoke up. “We really should go with you!”

Zuko shook his head. “And endanger everyone they’ve got captive? You heard the Red Witch. Considering they’re out for souls, I don’t think they’d have any qualms on getting rid of our friends.”

It was silent for a moment before Eda spoke up. “If anything happens to my son, I’ll make sure everyone involved is reduced to a smoldering pile, got it?”

“I’ll watch over him,” Jotaro said. “He’ll be fine.”

“If you can find Bruno,” Abbachio said. “He might be able to use his stand to get you out of there. And I guess, find the little…brat, too.”

“We plan to,” Miles said, tugging his mask over his face.

…

The room they were in was freezing. All around them were tall, clear crystals. They seemed to be…growing out of the ground like plants. Willow would either be creeped out by or love this place. Luz blinked awake, trying to fight off the oncoming headache the light in the room caused. She felt someone help her up. It was Pav.

“Hey Luz, you alright?” he asked, seemingly on edge.

Where were they anyways? The last thing she remembered was being at that café and the air getting heavy. Next thing she knew, she was here.

“Where are we, Pav? Where’s King? Eda? Amity? Hunter? Darius? …Cool Aunt Lillith?”

“I don’t know,” Pav said. “I think it’s just the thirteen of us in this room.”

Luz glanced around the room and saw Sokka, Anne, Giorno, Joey, Kakyoin, some guy with dollar signs on his jacket, Connie, Mamoru, Penny, Robin, and a kid who wore relatively the same school uniform as Kakyoin. They all looked like they were sleeping—though one person was breathing raggedly.

Luz crept over to Giorno and tried to examine his pulse. It was there, but it wasn’t strong. She didn’t have Stringbean; she couldn’t heal him! Katara and Josuke were nowhere in sight.

“I’ve tried everything I know,” Pav said. “I-I don’t know how to help him. Everything I should be able to do—it’s just not happening down here. It’s like they’ve muted any ability I have.”

Luz tore off a piece of her jacket and took out a marker. She drew a healing sigil and tried to place it on Giorno’s palm. It didn’t work. Yes, the old Titan’s language was dead, but there had to be something she could do.

“Come on!” She muttered more to herself than anyone. “Work!”

Giorno cracked his eyes open. “Luz?”

His voice was raspy, like he needed some water. He probably did with whatever toxin they inhaled earlier.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to make this sigil work. It’s supposed to heal people,” Luz explained, tears ebbing at the corner of her eyes.

Giorno looked at her for a second before pushing the sigil away. “Grazie. But we should wake up the others and get out of…wherever this is. It’s freezing.”

“Giorno your pulse is…” Luz began.

Giorno held up his hand. “Luz, it’s fine. I’ll be fine. We just need to get the others out, or they won’t be, you included.”

Before Luz could object, Giorno stood up and began to try and shake Sokka awake. The Southern Water Tribe leader woke up with a jump and a grab for his boomerang. Unfortunately, it seemed like their weapons had been taken, too. Pav, Luz, Sokka, and Giorno worked together to wake up the others so they could form a plan to get out of here.

Sokka felt around the walls, looking for some kind of break that would indicate a door. They were probably sealed up magically and Luz said as much.

“So, you’re saying that we’re stuck here,” Anne surmised.

“We’re not giving up so easily,” Robin objected. “C’mon, there’s gotta be a way out of here.”

“What do you suggest?” Joey asked.

Robin stood up and tapped at the walls, pressing his ear against the smooth surface. “It’s not hollow. I was hoping it would be. That would make things much easier.”

Mamoru tried next. He transformed into Tuxedo Mask and launched a rose at the wall. To their surprise, it hit its target and made a hairline crack in the foundation. However, the rose quickly turned black and a sharp electric current ran across the room, zapping everyone. The hairline crack mended itself.

“Try that again,” the Red Witch’s voice echoed. “And I turn up the voltage.”

“Let us out!” Connie protested.

They could hear the Red Witch chuckle. “If only you’d kept to your own business. Then maybe your friends wouldn’t have to die today.”

“You leave them alone!” Luz shouted.

“And what is a powerless, little witch like you going to do to stop us?”

“Why don’t you come out here and find out?” Luz challenged.

“No thank you,” the voice spoke with a laugh. “I’ll leave you all to your own devices for now. It’s not like you can do anything in there. This whole building has power dampeners…not that it matters to one of you.”

Giorno glared at the ceiling; Luz wasn’t too sure where the voice came from above, below, or around. It was hard to tell.

“Until the party begins, you can relax. I don’t need you until then. It’s not like any of you are actually getting out of this.”

“We’ll see,” Kakyoin said. “If you’ve brought Jotaro into this, it may be you who pays the price.”

“I’m absolutely mortified,” came the sardonic voice.

With that, they were left in silence. Everyone sat down, still in shock (no pun intended) over their predicament. Luz had no clue where they were, and she was even more confused to the end goal. Why did these people need souls? And just what were these talisman they seemed to be searching for?

“You wanna bet Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune are here somehow?” Sokka asked to no one in particular.

“Unlikely,” Mamoru said. “Whoever’s up there probably knows everyone who is in the building right now.”

“Is there really no way out of here?” Penny asked.

“Doesn’t look like it,” Giorno muttered. He glanced up at the silver-haired boy. “Sorry we couldn’t meet again under better circumstances, Koichi.”

“H-How do you know my name?” the silver-haired boy asked.

Giorno raised an eyebrow. “We helped each other out against an enemy stand user. I…guided you around Italy…sort of.”

“I’ve never been to Italy,” Koichi said. “I have no idea who you are.”

“Maybe you two haven’t met yet,” Sokka said. “It’s like Miles and Luz are always saying, time is weird here.”

“Absolutely,” Luz agreed. “When multiverses collapse, things can get all wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey.”

“Eloquent,” Kakyoin said.

“The Doctor said that, not me.”

“Doctor Who?”

Pav, Connie, and Luz laughed while Robin and shook his head, “Really? Now of all times to make that joke, especially when it’s going over a lot of people’s heads.”

“I think I get it?” Joey said. “It’s that nerd show, right? You know, with the nerdy protagonist.”

The trio openly rebuked this comment with scoffs and gasps.

“You call the smartest hero in the whole multiverse a nerd?” Pav asked.

“Well,” Joey challenged with a smirk, “Is he?”

“Yes,” Luz said. “But that’s not the point!”

“I have no idea what we’re talking about right now,” Penny said.

“But we should be talking about how to escape,” Mamoru pointed out.

“Right,” Luz said, slamming her fist down into her palm. “…but how do we do that without magic?”

“Well, the Red Witch mentioned not needing us until a ‘party,’” Sokka said, using air quotes to emphasize his point. “We might be able to sneak past her then.”

“Looks like we don’t have much of a choice,” Anne said.

There was a weird and uncomfortable silence around the room. Luz glanced at the faces scattered about and blurted, “Since we might be here for an unknown amount of time, does anyone want to talk about where they’re from?”

“A little personal, don’t you think?” Penny asked.

“I guess what I meant to say is what’s it like where you guys come from?” Luz asked. “You don’t have to say anything personal. We all come from different places. I just thought it might be interesting to share.”

“Well, I used to live with frog people for five months. They were actually really sweet, and I miss them a lot,” Anne spoke up. “I can’t help but wonder if we’re gonna meet up again. Dimensions aren’t usually meant to connect like this; but since they are…”

“You might get to see them again,” Luz finished.

“Exactly!” Anne said. “I miss my frog fam, and I know they miss me, especially Sprig.”

“He’s been with us for the past two months,” Koichi spoke up. “He’s a nice…guy? Kid? Frog?”

Anne chuckled. “I’m sure he’d love to hear that.”

“So…are you from Morioh?” Kakyoin asked Koichi.

Koichi nodded. “I guess you are, too.”

“I was…before DIO sent me to try and kill Jotaro.” Before Koichi could argue, Kakyoin held up his hand. “I tried to kill Jotaro. That didn’t happen.”

“I’m not surprised.” Okuyasu said. “I bet he creamed you!”

Kakyoin chuckled. “Pretty much. But he also saved my life and saved me from DIO’s mind control.”

Giorno raised an eyebrow and dug something out of his pocket. It was a man completely in shadows. “I take it that’s why you didn’t trust me. Yes. It makes sense now. This is DIO, isn’t it?”

Kakyoin was silent for a minute before slowly nodding. “That’s him.”

“Why not kill me?” Giorno asked. “Why would you take that risk of me being just like him?”

“Because Avdol insisted you were not just DIO’s genetics. You’re also part of the person who he stole his body from; Jonathan Joestar.”

“Mr. Joestar’s gramps?” Okuyasu asked. “He talked about him while we were on that boat together.”

Another nod. “It would be hypocritical to not give you the same chance Jotaro gave me.”

“I actually found out about being related to the Joestar bloodline recently,” Giorno explained. “I’m not sure it will matter later, but I’ll do my best to try and help the family I know now. Josuke has been nice to me, and I won’t forget that.”

“Do you think they’ll come for us?” Penny asked quietly.

“That’s not what I’m afraid of,” Luz said. “I’m afraid they will come for us.”

“They won’t come alone,” Mamoru said. “The senshi and the others will have their backs.”

“I sure hope so.”

…

Meanwhile in the next room, Miles Edgeworth woke up in a very similar situation. Except everyone around him was already awake. Franziska and Miss Fey helped him sit up—his head felt so foggy and heavy. The last thing he remembered was being in that small café, something grabbed him, and Wright had tried to reach out to him.

Foolish, loveable idiot.

“Does anyone have any idea where we are?” Miles asked.

Bruno shook his head. “None whatsoever. Sticky Fingers isn’t able to get us back to the apartment. I’m not sure what’s going on.”

“It’s obviously a ransom,” Franziska said. “I thought someone in your position would know something about that.”

�� Bruno narrowed his eyes at her. “It’d be best to talk about how to escape now.”

“This is exactly why I wanted to get to my brother,” Franziska said, crossing her arms. She turned to Miles. “Did you have any idea these men were mafia—at all?”

“Wha—?” Maya reached her hand over her mouth. “No way! That’s not true, right, Bruno?”

Bruno was unusually quiet. “…we all make our way in this world—one way or another.”

“Whoa,” Maya said, taken aback. She paused and then grinned. “That’s actually really cool. No wonder you and Abba were able to find answers so fast, or know where we were when we needed help!”

“Precisely,” Miles agreed. “Franziska, Mr. Bucciarati and Mr. Abbachio are hardly the monsters in this situation.”

“You’ve had problems with mafioso in the past, if I recall correctly,” Franziska stated. “I’m not going to wake up one day to find out my little brother, the esteemed prosecutor, was found dead in a gutter!”

“You have my assurance that would never happen,” Bruno said. “Well, unless we fail to get out of this place.”

“No one is ending up dead in a gutter,” Raine protested.

“How do you propose that?” Darius asked, condescendingly. “Last time we tried to get out, we were almost electrocuted to death!”

“Not to mention our stands aren’t working,” Rohan said. “They took away all my writing utensils. So, it’s all null and void.”

“There has to be something we can do!” Charlie Morningstar, their newest acquaintance, argued.

“If we could just break out of this area,” Raine began. “We may be able to find the power dampeners and possibly use them against our enemy.”

Miles felt the room get colder. Suddenly, Miss Fay shrieked and pointed to their feet. Crystals had begun to form around them. As Miles tried to move his feet, the crystal grew to his knees. Many of the others were in the same situation.

Miles looked to the ceiling where ‘Dr. Knight’ had spoken before, “What’s going on? What are you doing?”

“Making sure we’re all ready for the party. It would be impolite to throw one without gifts.”

“Human lives aren’t gifts,” the wizard, Gale argued.

As the crystal grew to eye-level, the witch laughed. “That’s where you’re wrong. Your lives are worth so much to them—worth their own.”

Before everything faded to black, a couple of thoughts crossed Edgeworth’s mind. Wright’s life held intrinsically more value than his own, and he knew the witch was right.

Phoenix would absolutely throw away his own life to save anyone he cared about.

…

The youngest Kaiba sat on the steps leading to the shrine, tapping his foot against the pavement and hugging his arms around his waist. Toph felt bad for him; it was lonely enough being an only child with distant parents. Being a kid with no parents and a busy brother who was now gone to spirits knows where must’ve been total isolation. She sat down beside him.

“So…lonely, rich kid life, am I right?” Toph asked.

It hadn’t meant to be an insult, and she wasn’t sure if he’d take it that way. If only socializing hadn’t been made so tedious as a little girl.

“Are you…wealthy where you’re from?” Mokuba asked carefully, apparently trying not to be rude, too.

“Well, my parents are. I haven’t seen them ever since I joined up with Aang and the others,” Toph explained.

“Why not?”

The other kids had walked over to them. It was like a swarm, but Katara always said the more the merrier…in most cases. Hop leaned over the garden railing. “Why haven’t you seen ‘em?”

“It may be a delicate issue,” Bede argued.

Toph waved him off. “Nah. It’s fine. Thanks, though.”

“Of course.”

Toph sighed and leaned back against the stairs. “As a Bei Fong, I was a part of one of the richest and most respected families in the Earth Kingdom. Since I was born blind, my parents tried to coddle me and never let me go past beginner’s lessons in earthbending. One day, I went off on my own and found a family of badgermoles. They taught me a lot of what I know about earthbending. And from there, I learned to go even beyond that and bend metal. But that’s after I joined up with the Avatar.”

“And we were happy to have you on the team,” Twinkletoes (Aang) chimed in.

“Yeah, you guys would’ve totally failed without me,” Toph said with a grin. She turned back to Mokuba. “It’s terrible to feel lonely, but I feel like your brother isn’t one to be taken lightly. I’m sure he’ll be back in no time. He’s tough—like me.”

“You really think so?” Mokuba asked.

“I hate liars,” Toph said. “So, I wouldn’t lie about something like that.”

“Thanks,” Mokuba said with a slight smile. He paused. “Is your friend strong enough to defeat those monsters?”

“Zuko?” Toph questioned. “Absolutely. Him, your brother, and the others will come back soon; I know it.”

“Besides, you know Wyll. He’s unbeatable,” Hau said.

“It’s just a killer to have to wait here,” Mokuba said.

“Tell me about it,” Barry agreed. “I hate waiting around like this. I wish we could just march down to wherever the others are and battle them until they gave up—and maybe we could even charge them a million pokedollars for losing!”

“Putting the cart before the Rapidash, isn’t it?” Hop asked. “We need to trust them. If we go over there all willy-nilly, it could put our other friends at risk.”

“True,” Barry said.

“If Chairman Rose has anything to do with this, I’m sure there’s some bigger machination going on. Which means, unfortunately, you’re right, Hop,” Bede said, crossing his arms.

Now that the atmosphere was a bit more tense, Toph wondered, how were the others holding up?

…

They finally arrived at the building. It was decorated with balloons, streamers, and confetti that fell from the entryway to the ground. The building was a harsh red that had faded into a pinkish hue.

“Well, that’s not gaudy at all,” Lucifer commented.

“It doesn’t matter what this place looks like,” Zuko said. “What matters is rescuing everyone inside. Let’s go.”

“Why does it look so…cheery?” Yugi asked skeptically.

“It’s a taunt,” Kaiba said.

“Dramatic bitch,” Jotaro muttered.

He was the first (with King on his shoulders) to walk towards the building. He didn’t crane his head back to ask, “You coming or not?”

They all looked to each other and nodded, following the two to the door. Zuko kicked in the door, and held his stance, fire dancing at his fingertips, ready to strike down any witch or daimon in sight. The doors flung open to find…a party room?

Yes. The room was filled with balloons, shiny presents, and a sign that read ‘Happy Death Day. From the Deathbusters.’ The fire that encased his hand disappeared in a whoosh of air. It’s as if the energy in the room was a natural extinguisher.

“The Deathbusters…really? That’s the name they’re going with?” Miles asked.

“It does kind of sound cringe,” Lucifer agreed. “That’s how you kids say things, right? ‘Cringe?’ I don’t know. I haven’t been to earth in a while…or interacted with young sinners.”

“I never imagined Lucifer as a grandpa type,” Josuke said.

“I’m just an angel who likes his privacy. I like to live a quiet life.” Josuke flinched. “What? What did I say wrong now?”

“Good grief,” Jotaro tugged his hat over his eyes. He scanned the room and his eyes landed on a black, rectangular box with a lens. Zuko remembered Luz telling him something about old-school cameras. She showed him this recording device. That’s the thing Jotaro was staring at now. “What’s up with the tacky setting?”

The Red Witch’s voice responded, “Two of you should be turning fifteen and seventeen tomorrow. Since that’s not going to happen now, we figured we’d throw a small surprise party.”

Right. It was his, Usagi, and Katara’s birthdays tomorrow.

“And what makes you think that?” Wyll asked. “Despite us travelling here, don’t take us for weaklings. We’re not just going to hand over our souls to a hag like yourself.”

“A-a hag?! I should kill your little wizard friend now for that!”

“Wyll, seriously, don’t piss her off,” Phoenix whispered. “She can still hurt the people we care about.”

“Not if I—!” Lucifer balled up his fist, but only a puff of smoke came from the palm of his hands. “Oh…we might have a problem. That’s never a good sign.”

“Enough games,” Kaiba said. “We did as you said. Now, let those people go.”

“We’re not done here,” the Red Witch said. “Don’t worry, Mr. Kaiba. All you must do is work for us. You’re not like the others. You certainly don’t have a pure heart.”

Kaiba gritted his teeth but said nothing in response.

“So, what are you waiting for?” Arven asked. “Why don’t you come meet us here?”

“Oh, we’ll be meeting soon. But, not grouped together like that. Certainly not.”

Lights shined around the building: blue, red, and green. Certain hues enveloped certain people. Josuke, Usagi, Miles, Steven, and Yugi were surrounded by green light, Lucifer, Wyll, and Phoenix in blue, and Zuko, Arven, Jotaro, Seto, Hunter, and King in red. In the blink of an eye, they were in a new room. Well, not so much a room as a maze. It was tall, made of fencing and shrubbery, and the ground was made up of dark cobblestone. Some of the hedges still had partial streamers and confetti interlaced between the branches.

Zuko glanced around, but he only saw Arven, Jotaro, Seto, Hunter, and King. The others were elsewhere.

“If you want to find your friends, you’ll have to search through the maze. Be careful not to get too separated. Good luck!”

With that, she seemed to abandon them once more.

“What do we do?” Arven asked.

“We stick together,” Zuko said. “You heard her. She’s using reverse psychology to try and get us to think that separating is for the best. It won’t work on me.”

“How do you know?” Hunter asked.

“I’ve had a lot of practice with others doing the same thing,” Zuko said. “Let’s get moving. If nothing else, we’ll be able to find her and then find our friends.”

…

“There is a new development,” Pucci said. “They have your son.”

This was troubling. It would have been oh-so easy to let Jotaro march into his own doom, but not if that cost him the life of his most promising offspring. And what kind of father would he be if he willingly abandoned such a prodigious progeny?

“They’ve threatened to hurt Giorno should anyone else interfere with their plans,” Pucci explained.

“And how do they intend to know?” the vampire, Astarion asked.

Asking the rogue to join their group could come in handy, especially with the specific weapon he had on his person. DIO could sense Alastor lurking somewhere nearby. No doubt he’d come to collect. They had so little time to complete their plan.

“Apparently they can trace the energy of any individual,” Pucci explained. “We’ll need more than stealth. We’ll need to not exist.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem for ourselves—seeing as we’re not much alive, anyways,” Astarion said, seeming confused as to what the problem could be.

“Lord DIO has a stand. Stands are energy. They’re pure spirit and soul.”

“I see,” Astarion remarked. “That is a problem.”

He grinned. “However, during my sleuthing I came across a rather interesting group. I persuaded them to help us.”

“How?”

“One of them erases traces of energy. He’s half ghost. It’s quite an intriguing ability. If only I had an ability as such. No need to thank me, even though you’d be lost without me.”

DIO smirked. This man was vain, but he did get the job done. He wasn’t sure if he liked Astarion or hated him. Only time would tell.

“When are they coming here?” Pucci asked.

“Oh, they should be arriving any minute now. Two of them are technologically savvy. I don’t understand the stuff, personally. It’s beyond me how obsessive these humans are with their ‘com-pute-ars.’ and ‘fones.’ But…should I be able to look at myself through one of their mirrors or cameras, I suppose I would be a bit obsessed, as well.”

“Get to the point, Astarion,” Pucci said.

Astarion scoffed. “Rude. Fine. Two of them are great with technology, and they decoded a secret message that was sent to the victims Kaolinite lured into her trap.”

“And?” DIO pressed.

“And they’re all in real danger.”

DIO turned to see seven teenagers standing with them. One was a boy with silver hair, green eyes, and a black and silver jumpsuit with a D inscribed on the chest. The next was a boy in a dark, long blue and yellow coat, white shirt with a black bolt of lightning, black pants, and white mask with yellow goggles. Another was a girl with round glasses, dark green hair tied into braids, green blouse, yellow vest-coat, shorts, striped leggings, and practical shoes. Then there was the masked one in a red suit with black webbing mimicking a spider’s web. His uniform was made up of a bright red and blue. Then there was a boy who looked…familiar. His face did, at least. His hair was hidden by a red cap with white stripes. He wore a long-sleeved blue crop top in a similar fashion and pattern to the hat, red pants, and boots. The last of them were two sailor senshi. DIO had been keeping up with these local vigilantes. They were the only ones that belonged in this universe outright. One had short, blonde hair and a theme of dark blue and yellow in her suit. The other long, aquamarine hair, and navy blues in her suit.

“I heard you’re quite close to the boss,” the familiar-faced boy said.

Pucci leaned into DIO’s ear, “That’s Guido Mista, the illegitimate son of Hol Horse.”

DIO raised an eyebrow. How ironic Giorno held some control over his former servant’s son.

“I hold an interest in saving his life,” DIO said simply, not wanting to divulge too much information.

The boy glared at him. “If you try anything funny or get the boss hurt, I’ll make sure yours is cut short, got it?”

The threat made by such a lowly child irked him. However, the ferocity and loyalty was what made DIO allow him to live. It might come in handy one day.

“Let’s get going,” the green-haired girl insisted. “They’ve got my friends, my boyfriend!”

“Who’s your boyfriend?” the aquamarine-haired girl asked.

“Hunter.”

“How do we get inside, ghost boy?” DIO asked the silver-haired boy.

“The name’s Danny. Danny Phantom,” the boy said with a grin. “You can just call me Danny, though.”

“We don’t have time for introductions,” Green-hair insisted.

“She’s right,” the boy with the yellow goggles said. He turned to DIO. “My friend, Gear built these devices based on Danny’s ability to mask his trace. With them, we should be able to go in and save everyone.”

“I guess we should start,” Pucci began.

Danny waved his hand. “I’ll get us down there faster. Everyone take one of the clip-ons V-Man is handing out.”

V-Man, apparently, handed out small cubes full of electricity. He showed everyone how to clip them onto their shirts. Then Danny held out his hands. “Everyone grab onto each other, alright? If we stay connected, I can teleport us through the walls. We’ll be able to find them faster.”

…

Usagi, Miles, Steven, Yugi, and Josuke had decided to stick to their right turns. Unfortunately, the old myth of sticking to right turns in mazes was leading them nowhere fast. Eventually, Miles stopped them and shook his head.

“We’re just leading ourselves deeper into this place,” Miles said.

“I could lift either Usagi or Yugi up to see if they could see past the walls,” Josuke suggested. When he received looks from the others he shrugged. “What? No one else had any ideas.”

“If I could just talk to…” Yugi murmured. He shook his head. “No. Never mind. I can’t here.”

“Who are you talking about?” Usagi asked.

“Just a friend who’s really good with strategy,” Yugi explained. “He’d be able to help us, but I can’t seem to reach him.”

“Kaolinite probably blocked all cellphone signal in this place,” Steven surmised.

Miles checked his phone. Yep. No signal down here. He figured as much. His own body was on factory-reset as it was. He couldn’t use any of his spider abilities.

“So, if I’m not prying,” Usagi spoke up. “How did you guys become heroes?”

“We all know how Spiderman becomes a hero,” Josuke teased. “Radioactive spider bite.”

“Is that true?” Usagi asked Miles.

Miles nodded. “Kingpin murdered my universe’s original Spiderman. Another Peter Parker taught me what I needed to know.”

“Is he one of the ones who…?” Usagi asked, her voice letting him know what she wanted to ask.

“Betrayed me? Yeah. Though, I can’t focus on that. We need to focus on getting everyone free.”

Miles couldn’t stop to think about that right now. He needed to keep moving. If he stopped to think about it for even a moment, it would be too depressing. He was going to help his friends get out of this alive.

“You know,” Josuke interjected. “I kind of have this vision of becoming a cop ever since we stopped Kira. And that’s all thanks to Jotaro. He’s really cool once you get to know him. Even Rohan likes him! I met Okuyasu because of Jotaro.”

“What about you two?” Usagi asked Steven and Yugi. “We don’t know each other very well, and I’m sorry we’re having to meet like this, but maybe talking to each other can help.”

“My friends and I just wanted to play card games,” Yugi said. “But the monsters in the cards are…alive. They do a lot more than win matches, and sometimes, cruel people like to take advantage of that. So, we try to stop people like that.”

“Why didn’t Seto tell us that?” Josuke asked. “That’s totally awesome! Tch. Arven taught us about Pokémon.”

“Seto is a guarded person,” Yugi explained hesitantly, seeming to try and find the right words. “Truth is, I used to be scared of him. But getting to know him, I kind of understand why he’s so cold towards people. I believe there’s good in him.”

“I’m glad someone believes that,” Miles muttered.

“You know,” Steven cut in quickly before an argument could start. “I got my abilities because of ice cream.”

“Really?” Josuke asked.

“Indirectly…yes.”

“And your girlfriend is Connie, right?” Josuke asked. Steven nodded. “She’s a nice girl. Super smart. She helps us a lot at study group.”

“That’s Connie, alright,” Steven said with a wide smile. “Super smart and concerned for others.”

“She doesn’t yell at me like Rei,” Usagi said with a slight grumble. She paused. “Hey…I know this is kind of weird to talk about, but Haruka and Michiru were talking to me the other day. They said that sometimes there needed to be sacrifices so that the world could exist peacefully. What do you guys think of that?”

“Depends on the sacrifice,” Josuke said. “Human lives? Not worth it. A game of dice? Depends upon who you’re playing against. Allowance for food? Totally.”

“I think they were talking about a history assignment and how people were sacrificed in war for the greater good,” Usagi explained.

“I would never allow anyone else to sacrifice themselves for my sake,” Yugi said. “However, if it’s just me and I’m trying to save someone I care about, I might.”

“I’ve done it before,” Steven said.

“Small world,” Yugi said with a sheepish grin.

“I would make sure whoever threatened my friends couldn’t do it again,” Josuke said. “Crazy Diamond is crazy strong.”

“Hardy-har.”

“Come on, Miles. Don’t let life-threatening danger kill a good vibe.”

“How are you so calm about this?”

“You want me to freak out? Not my style,” Josuke said. “I’ve learned that you’ve gotta learn to deal with whatever life throws at you.”

“The people you love count on you, even if they don’t know it. Because I’m Spiderman, I’ve put everyone I love at risk. My dad could die! Giorno could die! Pav could die!”

That didn’t even cover the fact that Miguel was out there somewhere. He’d really made a good friend while he was here. And he was in danger from so many things! Alastor, the damn soul-draining thing, and now because Miles had gotten involved, the witch was using him as bait. He was so tired of everyone using his loved ones against him. So tired. Wait—loved ones…? Did that count…?

“Miles…” Usagi put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. Cutting off his thoughts. “I promise to help you. I don’t believe anyone should have to be sacrificed or hurt in order to keep peace. I’ll stop them. I promise.”

He was quiet for a moment before he spoke up again, “Thanks, Usagi.”

The group continued until they reached a path lined by luminescent crystals. The area ahead was so misty, no one could see through it.

“We must be going in the right direction,” Steven said.

“Or this is a trap,” Yugi countered.

“Can we afford to be skeptical?” Josuke asked. “My friends are probably in there. Even if Rohan doesn’t want me to save him, I’m gonna save all of them. And look, I don’t know much about my paternal family, but Giorno seems pretty cool.”

“Then let’s go,” Miles said with a nod.

The group walks ahead until reaching a clearing with nine large crystals in the center. Inside the multi-colored, prismatic prisons were Anne, Giorno, Joey, Okuyasu, Mamoru, Connie, Rohan, and Pav.

“You finally made it.”

Before anyone could move, crystals shot up from the ground and encased their arms and legs, trapping them in place.

“Let them go!” Usagi called out.

The Red Witch appeared in front of them, along with five daimon. One a cerulean knight with Romanesque armor, another golden monster with wings like and nostrils like a dragon, another with glossy, white skin that shone as bright as a diamond, another with pink skin, purple suit, and skull and crossbones tie, and lastly one that looked like…Prowler. It had the purple mask, boots, and everything.

“What are you waiting for?” Josuke asked, obviously annoyed.

“Are you that eager to throw away your life?” the witch asked with a laugh.

Miles rolled his eyes. “You know what he meant.”

“We’re just waiting for your other friends,” the Red Witch explained. She began to disappear again. “These crystals should hold you tight. I’m going to go find out what’s keeping them, and maybe drive them out of hiding. Then we can begin.”

Finally, she disappeared in a flurry of rose petals.

“Let’s hope the others had a better plan than we did,” Josuke grumbled.

As Miles stared ahead at a painful reminder, he couldn’t help but agree.

…

These people were kinda whacky. The most normal people here were Danny and Peter. The two sailor senshi didn’t talk much, the Priest kept between himself and the big guy, the big guy was ominous-looking (looked more like a bad dude than just a concerned dad, but he’d been fooled by appearances before), Astarion looked super bored and annoyed to be here (plus he was some sort of Lord of the Rings elf, which was kinda cool), and Willow was super sweet but her powers were crazy strong. Even with Danny being ‘normal,’ he sort of reminded Virgil of Ebon, ability-wise. The two were polar opposites in personality.

However, when they got in the building, their powers were shut off. Even Danny’s transparency. He turned back into a normal guy. They’d managed to get to this maze before everything shut off completely. Richie gave him a device that would shut down the power dampeners in the building for thirty minutes. They needed to find those dampeners and the people trapped here. That being said,

“We should probably split up,” Virgil said. “I’m gonna go find those dampeners. Danny, you’re with me. Everyone else, try and find the people trapped here.”

There was a general murmur of agreement before he and Danny rushed off in search of the dampener.

“Gear said it would be best to stick to corners, Wiring is usually tied to the walls, and it was probably someone with technological know-how who assembled a dampener. To keep something going with a current that strong, they’d have to wire it to some main energy source.”

“What if it’s not electricity?” Danny asked.

“…we kick it?”

Danny chuckled but seemed doubtful. They’d figure it out. But Richie had been sure it was electrical. This stuff hadn’t started coming about until the Death Busters started working with CEO’s and professors from other worlds. Even though Richie had only been able to hack through a few websites to obtain minimum information, he found out the Death Busters were after some sort of talismans, and they needed human souls. Richie guessed they were either demons or something far more sinister.

If only he could talk to Richie right now. But no; electronic devices were out.

“I’ve got an idea,” Danny said. He pulled out a Pokémon ball that the kid, Allister, had helped him catch. It was a little red dude that looked like a bolt surrounded by blue electricity. “Jolt, do you think you can guide us to the dampener?”

Jolt looked at Danny and bobbed back and forth before speeding off in the opposite direction. It waited at the end of the hallway, wanting them to follow it.

Danny jerked his head towards Jolt, “Let’s go!”

“Good thinking!”

“You know it.”

…

“Does this place even have an exit?” King asked.

“Beats me,” Arven said. “Ugh. I bet we’re being played. Seems about right given who we’re up against.”

They’d been searching for at least an hour now. Jotaro was beginning to think they were right.

“What if they’re already dead?” Hunter asked, tears in his eyes. “Those are my only friends—my only family!”

“Calm down,” Jotaro grumbled. Panicking wasn’t going to help. It’d only make things worse for everyone.

“Easy for someone who has a lot of people in his life to say,” Arven shot back.

Before Jotaro could counter with knowledge of the far greater perils he’d been in, Seto did. “Then allow me: if you two don’t pull yourselves together, everyone you care about will die. I don’t need to be here. The only person I care about is back at the shrine.”

“Then why are you here?” Arven asked, getting slightly abrasive.

“Monthly philanthropy,” Seto said sardonically.

“Do all rich people in your world act like this?” Hunter asked with a scoff. “No wonder Luz hates them.”

“Money has nothing to do with it,” Zuko chimed in. “I’m royalty, and I say all of you are out of line. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves if we want to save our friends. And we can’t act apathetic, either.”

“We don’t even know which way we’re going, Firelord,” Seto said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

At this point, even Jotaro was starting to wonder why this guy came.

“Seriously, why did you come?” King asked. “I feel like there’s something you’re not telling us.”

“Might as well be honest,” Jotaro interjected. He narrowed his eyes at Seto. “Not fond of working with liars, myself. And lying by omission is still lying.”

Seto looked from him to the others. “Fine. I’m trying to get my technology back. If they have it, everyone could be in danger, especially if they figure out how to finish it.”

“What does it do?” Zuko asked.

“It opens tears into other realities,” Seto explained. “I was trying to access the past so I could trace events leading to the present. I didn’t want to rely on Yugi’s occult nonsense.”

“What do you mean by that?” Hunter pressed.

“Not my story, not my problem,” Seto said, crossing his arms. “However, to make sure we’re all up to speed *because clearly it’s necessary working with such rabble,* this device would have to be fueled by a powerful source…I imagine that’s why they want souls.”

“So, you’re responsible for all this?” Hunter asked. “Do you have any idea the amount of trouble you’ve caused?”

“Well excuse me for not expecting intergalactic monsters to tear through realities and merge them together in some sort of disgusting, multiversal stew! I don’t even think it’s the witches who originally used my technology.”

“Then who?” Zuko asked. “Who else could’ve done it?”

“See, I’ve gotten some energy readings on what remains of my tech back from the Tau Nebula system…or at least that’s how it identifies. It’s a solar system of its own. I have no idea what it’s like, but that’s where the witches and daimon are coming from. The original point of discord, the point in space-time that mixed everything together came from the constellation of Kasterborous. Like I said, I have no idea what the motive is. All I know is that whoever did this wanted to start a chaotic war. And they used my technology to do it. I originally accused Gideon Graves due to the lengths of time travel and reality warping he was willing to commit over some silly girl, but this runs deeper than that. No, whoever did this, had the motivation to want to see everything crumble.”

“Then we’re barely scratching the surface of possibilities,” Jotaro said.

“That’s…terrifying,” Hunter said.

“Thank you for being honest,” Zuko said. “Now I can see why getting that technology back is so important.”

“And for the record,” Seto said, straightening his coat. “I have people I want to protect, too. It’s just not productive to sit here and cry about it.”

“I know that,” Hunter said. “But it’s unfair. I finally found people I could call family. People who treated me well and like I meant something! My uncle never…I thought for the longest time that Belos was my only family. He trained me to be a solider and nothing more. I was just someone who hunted palisman for him. He left me with a sigil! He was perfectly willing to let me die on the day of unity! But when we went to the human world, Ms. Noceda treated me like I was her own, and Luz became like a sister to me. After we beat Belos, Darius kind of unofficially adopted me. I just had no idea…all of this could get taken away again.”

“I understand,” Zuko said.

“How? Your uncle is great!”

“But my father wasn’t,” Zuko said. “It was the same. My sister was always his favorite. I wasn’t as strong as her when we were younger. And that day I defied him in the military meeting for wanting to defend the lives of our soldiers, he gave me this.”

Zuko pointed to his face, and it didn’t take long for anyone to realize he was talking about his scars.

Hunter was quiet for a minute, “Heh. I guess we can be face-scar buddies.”

“He did that to you, too?” Zuko asked, raising an eyebrow. “…I’m sorry. I know how painful that is.”

“You do.”

It wasn’t a question.

“So, we’re all either orphans, neglected, or abused,” Jotaro said, trying to keep from popping cigarette out of his jacket pocket. Seriously, this conversation was depressing as hell.

“Or all three,” Kaiba muttered. He glared at them. “But I don’t want your pity. And neither should any of you. To hell with those bastards. Let them rot.”

“My dad wasn’t bad,” King said. “He just wasn’t able to be around. He told me a bread pun from beyond the grave.”

“The more I learn about you King, the more questions I have,” Jotaro said.

“I’m full of surprises!”

“This day has been full of surprises,” Kaiba mused. “It’s given me a hell of a migraine.”

“Seems like hell isn’t all that bad,” Jotaro joked. “Lucifer just looked tired rather than all fire and evil.”

“That version of him, anyways,” Seto said. “I refuse to believe in an actual heaven or hell. It was probably just an alternate dimension where abilities like he has are normal.”

“Not a spiritual guy?”

“Not in the slightest.”

“I’ve seen the destructive force behind spirits,” Zuko said. “When Zhao killed the moon spirit, the Avatar connected with its other half and drowned a lot of the fleets storming the northern water tribe. The spirit controlling Aang drowned Zhao. Uncle believes he may be suffering in the spirit world today.”

“Most people believe Arceus made Pokémon and humans. He was the original Pokémon who created all life. I’m not sure what I believe,” Arven said with a shrug.

Jotaro shrugged. “It’s possible there’s a god. I haven’t seen proof for or against.”

“We believe in the titan,” Hunter said. “Well, that’s become a little more complicated because…”

King cut him off, “Because he was just too powerful to sum up in a small talk! Let’s get going!”

Not suspicious at all, King.

The group tried to set forth, but Jotaro heard a thud as Seto fell behind them. He didn’t seem like the clumsy type. Sure enough, some sort of vine snared itself around his ankle, dragging him down into the ground. He was already dragged through to his waist when Hunter and Jotaro lunged and grabbed his hands.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got you,” Hunter assured him. “Just hang on!”

Jotaro heard Zuko struggling with something. King had leapt from Jotaro’s shoulder, probably trying to help. “Get off!”

“King, what’s going on?” Jotaro asked, not being able to look over his shoulder.

“Mabosstiff use crunch!” He heard Arven call out.

There was a deep growl and more struggle as Seto slipped further into the ground. Both he and Hunter were trying to pull him up, but he started to wince and hiss. Whatever had a hold on him wasn’t budging.

Seto looked over Jotaro’s shoulder, eyes widening. “Let go and find me later. You’ve got to find everyone and get us out of here!”

“We’re not doing that!” Hunter protested.

“Everyone is doomed if no one is around to help them!”

There was a sharp stab in Jotaro’s palm; he let go only for a moment. A moment was enough. Seto had used his nails to get them to let go. There wasn’t anything they could do to keep him from slipping through. Hunter reached for him again, but it was no use. He was gone.

“Damn it,” Jotaro muttered.

Jotaro was finally able to turn around to see Zuko and Arven fighting three daimon. Zuko had managed, without his firebending (but he did have two twin blades hidden in his robe) to take down two, and Arven’s dog took down one. King stomped on the vine-shaped humanoids with his tiny feet.

“And there goes one,” the Red Witch’s voice echoed. “Let’s see if I can get another.”

The noise of sludge echoed down the path. It mushed and sloshed, getting closer. Hunter backed away. “N-No, that can’t be.”

A pile of green sludge sped toward them. It stopped short and formed a man with long blondish hair, white robes, green suit, boots, staff that glowed red, and huge scar that ran down the side of his face. He looked straight at Hunter.

“Hello, Hunter.”

“H-how? You died! Eda—she!”

“I’m quite alive; despite the Owl Lady, her precious bard, or even the titan, himself,” he said, throwing a smirk to King.

“You’re their god?” Jotaro asked King.

��Technically, that was my dad,” King said. “But that’s not important. What’s important is the creep is alive again.”

“Very much so,” the man, Belos, right (?), said. “And I’m not the only one who might hold a grudge against someone in this group. Being revived is such a curious thing. I was brought back with the worst of demons. One who said he knew you, Mr. Kujo.”

Jotaro frowned. He knew who Belos was talking about. There wasn’t a shadow of doubt in his mind. Well, if that bastard wanted to come back to life, he’d find him and kill him again. This time, alone. No one else would get hurt or die.

“You have five seconds to return Seto and the others,” Zuko said, brandishing the blades at Belos.

“Ah yes, the young firebender who is better with his silly, little knives rather than the natural abilities he was gifted. Your father had a lot to say about you.”

“I have no fear of my father,” Zuko said.

“Pity,” Belos said. He looked to Hunter. “That’s fine. I haven’t been ordered to take you hostage, Prince Zuko.”

Before Belos’s slimy arm could connect, Arven jumped in front of Hunter, being pulled in by the slime, down to the ground. He was almost pulled under. Hunter grabbed him. “Go! You guys have families! Just leave! Try and find the others. Mabosstiff and I will deal with this guy!”

“No way,” Hunter said, keeping hold of Arven.

Zuko and Jotaro made a jump to try and help them but ended up plunging into the dirt. There was no time as the slime wrapped around both of them and pulled them under in the blink of an eye. He hadn’t had time to react. There was…there wasn’t anything he could’ve done. It happened so fast.

“And that’s two more for us,” the Red Witch commented.

“…fucking bitch,” Jotaro cursed. “If you don’t let them go, I swear to god I’ll kill you.”

“The only one of you who can do anything is the prince,” the Red Witch said. “You’re without your abilities, and really, I should kill your friends for even having those silly swords. But I’ll play along. I’m having far too much fun right now to end our game here.”

Jotaro sighed and picked up King, placing him back on his shoulder. “If you are a god, last thing we need is you getting hurt or kidnapped.”

“She took all of them,” Zuko murmured, still in shock.

Jotaro walked past him. “And it’s down to us to save them, so let’s go.”

Zuko stared at the empty space for a second and nodded. Suddenly, something bumped Jotaro’s foot. It was a walking cherry. It had a face, and a twin on its stem.

“Star!” the cherry cheered.

“What’s this?”

Zuko paused. “That’s Sting!”

“Huh? The musician?”

“No,” Zuko said, a bit aggravated. “Kakyoin caught this little guy. He named him—!”

“After his favorite musician,” Jotaro finished.

“He must’ve let this Cherubi out before they put him wherever they did,” King said. “Marnie says these little guys are super friendly.”

Kakyoin—always leaving a clue to help them. This wouldn’t end like last time. He’d save him.

“Of course that nerd picked one that looked like a cherry.”

The Cherubi started to walk forward, stopped, and waved its stem at them.

“I think it wants us to follow him,” Zuko said, walking forward.

The three walked ahead until they bumped into something—no—not something—someone. Three someones to be exact. One was a girl with round glasses and green hair, another was a boy dressed up as or actually Spiderman, and the last was a boy who looked way too much like Hol Horse for comfort.

“Where’ve you taken them?” the girl demanded.

Jotaro was about to argue when King perked up. “Willow!”

“King?” She held out her arms; King jumped from Jotaro to her shoulder. “Man is it good to see you! I haven’t seen anyone from home! Where’re Luz, Hunter, Raine, and Darius?”

“Still in danger,” Zuko said. “You must be their friend.”

“Where they are is where we’ll go,” the boy with the gun said. Great. He had a gun, too. “Mista Guido, by the way.”

Willow nodded. “I’m Willow Park, this is—”

Jotaro smirked and cut her off, “Your next line is, this is Peter Parker.”

“This is Peter Parker! Wait! How did you know that?”

“Also, Willow, we were trying to keep codenames,” Peter said with a small nervous chuckle.

“It’s fine,” Jotaro said. “I would’ve known you, anyways.”

“How? No one knows who Peter Parker is,” this Peter argued.

“I have my ways.”

“Thank you for keeping King safe,” Willow said. “But what happened to the others?”

“Taken by the Red Witch and this guy named Belos. Given your face, that’s bad, right?” Jotaro asked.

Willow’s face had drained of color. “D-did he take Luz and Hunter?”

“He took Hunter,” Zuko said.

“Then we need to get going. Everyone follow me,” Willow said. “Cherubi is leading us to where one of his friends might be.”

“That’s where Kakyoin and the others will be,” Jotaro said.

“Then that’s where we need to be,” Zuko said.

…

“Quite the large place, isn’t it?” Wyll asked.

Phoenix couldn’t focus on small talk, however kind Wyll might’ve been. He needed to find Maya, Miles, and Franziska. Even the devil himself couldn’t make him talk.

“So, you were cursed by a demon?” Lucifer asked.

“A touchy subject, but yes,” Wyll responded. “And are you not the leader of hell?”

“Not your Avernus, no. But there’re similar demons that make contracts with people in my hell, yes. It’s very…depressing. I gave humanity the gift of free will, and I get all the sinners who chose to use it for absolutely horrible things. I swear, the only bright spot in my life is my little girl. I’ll do anything to save her.”

“Your dedication to your daughter is admirable,” Wyll said. “Honestly, it’s quite uncharacteristic for a demon to care about anyone but himself.”

“Is that why you and Kar…Kar…the lady tiefling are so guarded?” Lucifer asked.

“Karlach,” Wyll corrected. There was a mixture of respect and fondness in his eyes. “She’s survived living in Avernus. Our version of your hell is constant war, constant fighting, and constant agony. She’s fought and lived through it all. I admire her most ardently for it.”

“I’m more of a hands-off kind of ruler. Guess I shouldn’t be, given demons like Vox and Alastor.”

“Who are they?” Wyll asked.

“Overlords who bargain soul contracts,” Lucifer explained. “A sacrificial lamb is all well and good, but owning someone’s soul is just…blech.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you are much less intimidating than expected?”

“Oh, I can be intimidating, when I need to be.”

“When’s that?”

“You’ll see.”

Lucifer nudged Phoenix, “Chin up. I’ll help all of you get your friends back. No charge.”

“You don’t understand,” Phoenix said. “This isn’t the first time something terrible has happened to the people I care most about. This keeps happening to them, and I’m not sure how to stop it. Is this just going to be a never-ending cycle of my friends getting hurt? And the last time I saw Miles he thought I didn’t want to be around him when it’s the exact opposite!”

It was quiet for a minute before Lucifer took a breath through his nose, placed his hands together and asked, “Have you tried telling him that?”

“A bit of honesty does wells of good,” Wyll agreed.

“Well, no, but—,” Phoenix tried to object.

“So, he’s just supposed to magically know you like him?”

Getting sassed by Lucifer, from the Bible, was not on Phoenix’s agenda. Nor did he want it to be.

“Let’s keep going,” Wyll said. He gave Phoenix a small smile, “You’ll be able to make it up to him, I’m sure.”

“Thanks. But I’m not sure if telling him is such a good idea,” Phoenix said. “Besides, I need to save him, Maya, and Franziska first.”

“Oh, I do love a good, dramatic confession,” a snide voice behind them commented. Wyll raised his eyebrows and turned. There was a man with silver hair, light armor, and elfish ears. Beside him was an insanely buff, blonde guy, and a guy with silver hair and priest’s robes.

“I’ll be damned,” Wyll said. “Is that really you, Astarion?”

“I’m offended, darling,” this Astarion said. “How many others do you know that are like me?”

Lucifer looked from the priest to the other men, “I think I’m going to go in the opposite direction…there’s a lot of trouble if I stick around here.”

“You can’t be serious, Lucifer,” Wyll said. “We all need to stick together in order to find our friends, your daughter!”

“You travel with two devils?” the priest asked Phoenix. “And the devil has a daughter?”

“Uhhhh…maybe?”

“Wyll isn’t a full-fledged devil,” Astarion said. “However, he was cursed by one.”

“Now isn’t the time for such debates,” the blonde said. “As much as I’d thoroughly enjoy one, they have my son, Enrico.”

The priest took a deep breath in. Phoenix intervened, “Look, why don’t Lucifer and I split off, and the rest of you try to find our friends, too. If we make any progress, we meet back here.”

“How will we know to meet here?” Astarion asked. “No offense, but there’s not exactly any key details to identify this place.”

Lucifer fished through his pocket and placed a rubber duck on the bushes near them. “Now we’ll know.”

“A rubber duck…?”

“I have a lot of prototypes for different kinds of ducks!” Lucifer bragged. “One can walk and spit fire! It’s the most fantabulous one of them all, and it does a cute backflip!”

“This one isn’t going to torch the whole maze?” Astarion asked.

“No, but I should’ve thought of that!” Lucifer said.

A twig snapped in the near distance. Ahead of them were about twenty, pink, gelatinous daimon. The pale elf was the first to speak up, “Time to go!”

Phoenix and Lucifer rounded the left corner while the others took the right. Lucifer stopped, pulled a staff with an apple at the end from his jacket. “Go find your friends. I’ll either catch up with you soon or continue on to find Charlie.”

“Can you handle those monsters?”

“Even powerless,” Lucifer said, “I still rule Hell. I doubt there’s much they can do to me—now—go!”

Phoenix simply nodded and ran ahead. Get to the others. Get to the others. Get to the others.

He ran until he came across a clearing in the maze. In the center were a group of vines with thorns ensnaring…

“MILES!”

The prosecutor cracked open his eyes and opened his mouth, trying to form the right words. Nothing came of that. Phoenix ran over and started trying to pull away the vines.

“Phoenix,” Miles croaked. “Don’t.”

“It’s alright. I’m getting you out of here,” Phoenix insisted. He tugged at the vines holding Miles’s left arm in place.

“You don’t understand,” Miles said.

“No, I do,” Phoenix said. “I know what I’m doing, Miles. Look, I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like I didn’t care about you. I really do. I need to tell you—that—I—why is this so hard? Why won’t these vines break?”

“Phoenix, please stop!”

Phoenix cut his hand on one of the thorns. He first lost all sensation in that hand, and then quickly the rest of his body followed suit. He fell backwards; everything was going in slow motion. Why did Miles look so sad?

“I’m so sorry,” Miles murmured. Were those tears? When had he ever…? “They were poisoned. I was trying to tell you.”

He felt a pair of arms pull him up; ironically, he hoped to heaven it was Lucifer. It was not. It was one of the pink daimon from earlier. The Red Witch appeared.

“I suppose we have a good number of hearts to inspect. We should begin while we have the advantage over our intruders.”

“Let him go!” Miles yelled.

“Don’t worry,” the Red Witch chided. “You won’t be far behind him. You two can finally confess to each other in hell.”

Phoenix’s eyes widened. “Miles?”

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t argue with her at all. Miles’s eyes held so much sorrow; it was painful to see, just like DL6.

The Red Witch gestured to one of her other daimon, “Grab Mr. Edgeworth. I don’t suppose he has a pure heart, but he does love this fool. It’ll be entertaining to see how he reacts.”

Before Phoenix passed out, he could see Miles trying to struggle against the daimon. He should’ve been more focused on pressing matters at hand, but all he could get his brain to ask was:

He likes me, too?

Then darkness.

…

Fantastic. Everyone was here and unfrozen. Although, they were still stuck in the crystalline walls. Well, everyone excluding Zuko, King, Jotaro, Lucifer, and Wyll. The Red Witch had just returned with Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth. Miles *Morales* wasn’t sure what she was planning when she and the old man, who Miles had learned was Hunter’s asshole of an uncle, stepped aside and started whispering to each other.

“Can you hear what they’re saying?” Hunter asked, audibly enough for everyone else.

It was clear he was terrified, and so was Miles, for a different reason. Giorno was sitting inside a forcefield with the others who had been sent here, and he was not looking good. Seemed like he was struggling to breathe, and he was constantly clutching his chest.

“Zuko, Jotaro, and King are still out there,” Arven whispered. “There’s hope.”

“Not much,” Seto said.

“But enough,” Yugi countered.

Mamoru looked up at Usagi with pleading eyes and then back at the witch, “You won’t get away with this!”

“And who’s going to stop me, Lover-Boy?” she asked with a chuckle.

“Leave the boy alone,” Darius yelled at the gross-looking old dude. “He’s done nothing to you!”

“He’s just a kid,” Raine agreed.

“Hunter,” Luz called out. “I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay, Luz, Darius, Raine. The others are going to save us. I can feel it,” Hunter said shakily.

Luz went back to trying to heal Giorno, “Come on, Giorno, hang on! We’ll get you help real soon!”

“G-grazie,” was all he could manage.

“Oi, you bastards better let Josuke go!” the silver and black-haired teen ordered.

“Don’t worry, Okuyasu,” Josuke said. “Jotaro and Zuko are out there; we can trust them!”

“Jotaro is here?”

Josuke nodded.

“They’re so screwed!”

Josuke laughed a little, despite his situation. “Yeah, I know!”

“Steven!” Connie called out from within the barrier. “I’ll get you out of here, I swear!”

“Don’t worry! We’re all going to be fine!” the curly-haired boy assured her.

Miles tried to wrestle his arms out of the crystal walling, but it was useless. As long as those power dampeners were active, he was powerless. But he was Spiderman; he was supposed to make sure things like this didn’t happen. Spiderman was never supposed to be hopeless, and this situation was looking pretty damn close. If he died today, everyone he ever cared about would die.

And lingering still, he felt as though they were all being watched by some opportunistic eye. Was that Radio Demon here? Or was it the stress of the situation?

“Seems as though we’re ready to begin,” the Red Witch said, gesturing to her daimons. “I’ll do four first and then another four. It will give us time to examine for talismans.”

Four daimon walked over to a still unconscious Mr. Wright, Hunter, Usagi, and Steven.

Hunter looked at his uncle. “Don’t do this, please!”

“LEAVE MY SON ALONE!” Darius said, tears in his eyes.

The Red Witch looked to the man who simply shook his head. “Don’t you see? We can purify your souls. They’ve been corrupted. We can make you better when we restart this…wicked world.”

Miles shut his eyes and tried to block out the screams. No. This wasn’t right. It was too much. Too much to bear. He cracked his eyes open once the screaming stopped. Four shiny, pure hearts. One of them looked normal—although still bright. The one that belonged to Mr. Wight. Usagi’s was complex, shiny, and multilayered. It must’ve been due to her being Sailor Moon. It was the same problem with Hunter and Steven. Hunter’s was blue and had turned into the shape of a small bird, but why? And Steven’s heart looked like pink quartz. Why did their hearts do that? They couldn’t be those talismans, could they? If they were, they would…

“Talismans,” the Red Witch spoke softly. She grinned and reached out for the crystals.

Miles heard a chorus of yelling and broken sobs.

“HUNTER!”

“USA!”

“STEVEN!”

“NICK!”

“Phoenix…”

As the Red Witch tried to snag the crystals, four gloved hands snatched them away from her. It was Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune! What were they doing here? And how did they have their powers? Sailor Uranus delivered a swift blow to the Red Witch and aimed an attack at Uncle Dearest, who promptly vanished.

“Guardian of Neptune, the planet which controls the oceans, I, Sailor Neptune, will not allow you to steal this pure heart and these talismans.”

“Guardian of Uranus, the planet which controls the winds, I, Sailor Uranus, will stop any ploy from multiversal manipulation and ruin!”

That sounded…eerily familiar. Miguel familiar.

“Put them back!” Luz said. “You need to put those souls back, or they’ll die!”

“We can return Mr. Wright’s heart crystal, but not the others,” Neptune said. “The others require more investigation.”

“Give them back their hearts, now!” Miles demanded.

“The multiverse is full of talismans. Our view was so limited before. But if we gather all the talismans from different universes, we can stop the approaching silence,” Sailor Uranus said. She made a pointed glare at Miles. “We won’t allow anyone to destroy our world because of reckless selfishness.”

They knew. They knew what he wanted to do. He only wanted to save his dad. How had it come to all this? HOW? This wasn’t right. THIS WASN’T RIGHT!

Miles slammed his arm against the crystal holding him in place—shattering it. He was free. He leapt up and webbed the crystals and talismans back to himself.

“What are you doing, kid?” Uranus asked. “How did you do that?”

“He really is an anomaly,” Neptune murmured. “Please cooperate. We’re not as willing to stand by as Miguel did.”

Miles backed up until he hit something—Uncle Dearest! Crap!

“Miles!” Giorno called out. “Go!”

“No way,” Miles said. “I’m not running. Not now. Not ever. I am Spiderman.”

He knocked the old man back with a quick stab of his elbow and backflipped against the remains of the crystal that held him. Suddenly, his body was flowing with power, as if a switch had been flipped. He heard another crystal break.

“DORA!”

Josuke quickly joined him and stood defensively against the girls in front of them and the Red Witch who managed to pick herself back up.

“Okuyasu! Use The Hand!” Josuke called out.

“Huh? OH YEAH!”

“ZA HANDO!”

In a flash, the forcefield surrounding the others disappeared. A woman they hadn’t met before with blonde hair, rosy cheeks, red suit, and a face familiar to Lucifer’s stood up, her hair flying in wild directions. In an instant, the daimons that had once been standing so effectively were turned into toast crumbs.

“How is this possible?” the witch questioned. “The dampeners?”

“Are broken,” a voice above them spoke up. It was a boy with a long blue jacket, goggles, and lightning symbol on his shirt…flying on a trash can lid? Beside him was a boy with white hair, green eyes, and a black jumpsuit. “Your days of stealing hearts are over, creepy lady!”

“I’ll say,” a darker voice spoke up.

From the center, a circle of flames sprang up, vanished, and revealed the swordsman, Wyll Ravengard and Lucifer Morningstar, alongside them was a man in priest’s robes. His eyes glanced around the room and landed on Giorno, then Hunter, Usagi, Phoenix, and Steven.

“A shame you plan to use the souls of the innocent to try and purify this world,” the priest said, looking to Hunter’s uncle. “There’s so much more to souls than that. I should know.”

“A priest?” the uncle questioned. “Then you should be on my side! This world is too wicked for these poor deluded souls. This demonic magic, and—,”

The priest cut him off, “You’re telling me, with the form you have, that you’ve never deviled in magic. Hypocrisy is also against God.”

“It takes a hypocrite to know one,” Slime man countered. “Aiding false prophets and demons is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord.”

“I follow God and a higher cause. You are too flawed to be saved.”

The priest backed away, allowing Lucifer to step forward. Huge grin on his face, the man burst into flames. As the witch moved to help him, a flash of flames came from the opposite direction—it was Zuko, Jotaro, and King! They’d made it! A girl with round glasses, a boy in a blue shirt, red pants, and weird red hat, and another Spiderman followed them. Miles internally groaned. Was he going to have a problem with this guy, too?

“PROFESSOR!” the Red Witch cried out. “HELP US!”

The fire quickly rose…but no ashes were left behind. Quite odd…and ominous.

Lucifer looked to Neptune and Uranus, “Go home…please.”

The two gave each other a look and nodded. “We’ll be back. In any case, there’s no way to turn those talismans back into heart crystals.”

With that, the duo leapt up into the air, onto the rafters of the ceiling, and out of sight.

“Please, can anyone help them?” Miles heard Darius ask.

“Hunter! Please! Wake up!” the girl with the glasses said through her tears.

He was holding Hunter, trying to get him to wake up. Connie was doing the same with Steven, Mamoru with Usagi, and Mr. Edgeworth with Mr. Wright.

“Here,” Miles said, handing Mr. Edgeworth the bright heart crystal. “This is Mr. Wright’s.”

“What can we do for the others?” Sokka asked. “Are they…?”

“Don’t finish that!” Luz objected. She shut her eyes. “Please. Don’t say that.”

“I think I can help,” the priest said. “Give me those ‘talismans.’ I think I can revert them back to what they need to be. Just this once.”

Miles wasn’t apt to handing over everyone’s souls like that. Giorno shakily stood. “What did you say your name was, padre?��

He spoke loudly enough that the others couldn’t hear. “Enrico Pucci. I have always intended to meet you, Mr. Giovanna.”

“You gave your support when I became…” Giorno’s voice trailed off as he looked from the priest to Miles. “Miles, I think he’s telling the truth.”

Miles hesitantly held out the crystals. “Please…save them.”

Pucci said nothing but nodded.

“White Snake.”

Miles could sense a new presence in the room. It felt almost…spiritual?

In a flash, the crystals turned back into ordinary heart crystals. Pucci gently placed them back over the bodies of the victims, allowing the color to return to their faces.

“Th-thank you,” many said through their tears.

Although…Jotaro and Kakyoin eyed this man suspiciously. He must’ve been a stand user! That’s how Giorno would have known him! But…why were they suspicious?

“Mamo?” Usagi questioned, looking up at her boyfriend.

“Usako! Are you alright?” Mamoru asked, pulling her into a hug.

“I…yes! Where’s Kaolinite?”

“Dead,” Lucifer finished.

“You killed her?” Steven asked, shocked, sitting up with Connie’s help.

“Uh…yeah?”

“That’s good,” Hunter said. His eyes widened. “Willow?”

She smiled through her tears and pulled him into a hug, making him blush. “Hi! Thank Titan you’re okay!”

“I-I’m better now.”

“Hey Edgeworth,” Phoenix said with a slight smile.

Mr. Edgeworth was quiet for a moment…was he blushing, too? He coughed. “Of all the incidents that have occurred to you, this is by far the scariest! Why weren’t you careful back there? You could have died if this young man,” he gestured to the boy in the goggles, “Hadn’t shut down those power dampeners! You didn’t need to try and ‘free’ me. You should’ve run!”

“And left you behind? Never.”

The blush got deeper and now Mr. Edgeworth seemed too flustered to respond.

“Mr. Edgeworth is right, Nick!” Miss Fey said. “We were so worried about you!”

“Speak for yourself,” Miss Von Karma said with a slight smirk.

“Just promise never to do that again,” Mr. Edgeworth murmured.

“Depends on the situation,” Mr. Wright said. “I mean, I gotta keep you on your toes.”

“You’re infuriating.”

“For the record…or report, I’d let anyone steal my heart any day to save any of you.”

Mr. Edgeworth sighed. “I-I know. That’s what scares me most. The witch…what she said was correct, if it needed saying.”

“The same applies to me, Miles.”

It was quiet for a second.

“I’d let you,” Miss Von Karma teased. “I’d rather keep my heart where it is.”

“You’ve got one?” Phoenix asked with a sort of laugh.

“If that boy hadn’t stolen my whip, you’d be dead…again!”

The place started to shake. Pucci turned to the others. “We need to get out of here. Magic must’ve kept this place going!”

“I’ve got just the thing!” Gale said. He waved his hands with an unnecessary amount of flair, opening a purple portal. “It should take us back to the Hikawa Shrine Wyll has told me about!”

“Good! Let’s get out of here!” Arven said.

As everyone jumped through the portal, Miles heard someone falter. Giorno. His breath was heavy, he shut his eyes, and tried to stand. Everyone else had gone through, except himself and Pucci. Miles ran back to Giorno.

“Are you three coming?” Gale asked from the other side. “It’s hard to tell from our standing!”

“We won’t be taking the portal. We have a demon to fight,” Pucci said. “I’ll get them back safely. I promise.”

The portal collapsed as said demon strolled through, knocking Pucci aside. His grin was as wide as ever. “Mr. Morales! It’s so impressive to have witnessed that extra burst of gusto, even when the dampeners had not been shut off! You must care a great deal for Mr. Giovanna.”

“Miles…don’t listen,” Giorno wheezed.

The Radio Demon clutched his fist, causing Giorno to seize up. A crystal was pulled from his chest. It was golden and turned into a broken, short, golden arrow.

“Now, this is what I wanted. I had a feeling he’d be holding one of the talismans from his universe.”

“Give that back, I’m warning you,” Miles said in a low voice.

“Or what? You’ll kill me?” The Radio Demon asked. “I know your type, Mr. Morales. You have a code. You won’t kill me. That goes against your silly rules!”

“I’ll make an exception!”

Miles lunged into the air, making a grab for the arrow.

CHUNK!

He heard it right before he felt it. One of the tendrils connected to the demon’s shadow had stabbed him through the gut. The air left his lungs as he spat up the smallest increment of blood. He’d been with his Uncle Aaron when he was shot by Kingpin. Is this what he’d felt like? Miles let the tears flow. Damn it. All he wanted to do was save his family. He’d never asked to be Spiderman. He’d never asked for any of this.

“MILES!”

Giorno…still alive…good.

“Hmm? One act of generosity before you cease to exist?” the Radio Demon egged on.

Giorno ignored him and crawled over to Miles. “Golden…Experience…Requiem.”

“MUDA!”

A sharp stab to the gut hit Miles like a semi-truck. He sucked in as much air as he could. He reached down to his gut; it was completely healed! Is that what Giorno could do?

He glanced over to Giorno, but all the light had left his eyes; he wasn’t breathing!

Miles panicked and pulled Giorno into his lap. “H-hey! Come on, man! Come on! You can’t do this! Wake up! WAKE UP!”

Tear tugged at the edges of his eyes. “C’mon, you’re my best friend here! I need you! Come on!”

Nothing.

“GIORNO!”

Miles sobbed for a moment. And then it struck him. It struck him stronger than any tendril, any insult hurled at him by another Spiderman, or any lie. He lifted his head up and glared at the Radio Demon. That damned smile. He’d wipe it off his face.

“I’m going to kill you,” Miles muttered.

“What was that?”

“I’m going to kill you,” Miles yelled. He gently moved Giorno off of him and moved closer to the demon.

“You’re not actually sad about that gutter trash, are you? You’re better than him, Mr. Morales,” the Radio Demon said, almost scoldingly.

“What did you just say about my son?”

“ZA WARUDO!”

It was funny. One second, Alastor had been standing in front of him, and then, he was thrown twenty feet against the wall of the building. Giorno’s father now stood in front of him, holding the arrow, helping Pucci back to consciousness.

“You shouldn’t take what’s not yours,” Alastor said in a voice more static than human. His eyes darkened as he lunged at him.

However, a new person stepped in front of Giorno’s dad and shot a bright arrow right into the right side of Alastor’s torso. He was jolted backwards and fell to the ground. The man, who looked like he was straight out of Lord of the Rings, put the bow back onto his back.

“Stings, doesn’t it? It was blessed by Silvanus,” the man-elf explained. “Perhaps you shouldn’t mess with the child of a master vampire.”

Wait…Giorno’s father was…

“You’re a vampire?” Miles asked.

“Unimportant,” DIO said. He gave Miles a nod. “I am grateful, Mr. Morales. Your loyalty to my son will not be forgotten or go unrewarded.”

Alastor chuckled as he lay in a crumpled heap. “Heheheh. You have no idea who you’re allying yourself with. Though it’s fitting. The reality ruiner and the vampire so hellbent on destroying a bloodline he’d hire the most incompetent fools—some of whom betrayed him.”

“Brave words for a dead man,” Astarion said.

“Dead ex serial murderer,” Pucci said. “We know just as much about you as you know about us.”

“Then I suppose,” Alastor said, a black portal appeared beneath him. “That this is a draw.”

He vanished in an instant. His blood still stained the floors. Miles turned to Pucci, DIO, and the elf. “Please help Giorno!”

“Damn that devil,” DIO muttered. He turned to Pucci. “Do you think you can…?”

Pucci nodded. “I’m impressed that his soul held the requiem arrow. It must have been placed there by the mastermind who decided to intermix these realities. Someone wants to see others suffer.”

“But for what purpose?” the elf asked.

“That’s what we must find out,” DIO said. “If my son’s life is tied into the bindings of this plot, I will make sure whoever is doing this faces the wrath of god.”

Pucci held the arrow for a few seconds before it turned back into a golden heart crystal. He placed the crystal back into Giorno’s chest. He began to breathe again, steadily. It’s as though the deal wasn’t even affecting him anymore!

“I used my White Snake to break his pact with that demon, Alastor,” Pucci explained. “My stand does a lot more than I originally thought, or it could be that it gained extra abilities from exposure to new universes. I’m unsure. But he should be fine now. Just don’t let him get attacked by any daimon. His soul will return to the talisman form.”

Miles nodded, wiping his eyes. “I understand. Thank you for helping him!”

He wasn’t sure if it was from all the stress from that day or the taxing of his powers, but Miles passed out.

…

DIO picked up the young man who had saved his son while Pucci picked up Giorno.

“Poor souls,” Pucci said. “They’ve been through so much these past months.”

DIO nodded. He had meant it when he said that he wished he’d been around to raise Giorno. He’d always swore he’d be a better father than the rat bastard who had raised him. To learn that such a woman had raised his son; it put him into a fury he’d known so well growing up with Jonathan. Perhaps he’d find her and destroy her after all this was said and done.

And of course, that delinquent brat was still alive. These fools were all so…infuriating!

“A shame,” Astarion said. “I wished that arrow had landed a killing blow. He did seem wounded.”

“It’s not enough,” DIO muttered.

He’d have that demon’s head on a pike.

“Oh, I agree,” Astarion said.

The pale elf had been a nice addition to their team. He’d also been a magistrate in his old life. He wasn’t as boring as most minions.

As they reached the exit, a man’s voice hissed. “We’re not here for anyone except Miles Morales. We don’t want a fight.”

It was that multiversal pest, Miguel O’Hara. DIO had read up on him. He was a threat to his son’s guardian…friend. He was with a few others: Chris Redfield: a man more agent than man, the immortal who couldn’t die, and…

“Joseph Joestar,” DIO mused. “I’d assume you’d know better than to join up with such scum. Given your bloodline, you could be doing better.”

“Joseph is helping to keep the multiverse safe from threats like Mr. Morales, like you,” Miguel shot back.

“Oh?” DIO asked, raising an eyebrow. “Is that why you’re doing this? Or is this because you feel guilty? Yes. I believe that’s it. You want to destroy Miles’ chance at happiness because your mistakes turned you into a monster. Tell me, do you even know if it was you who really caused the collapse of the dimension you infiltrated, like a parasite?”

“I’m warning you,” he bared his fangs. DIO smirked and showed off his own. “You can still leave here alive.”

“And what can you four do against me?” DIO asked. “Shoot me? Take a photo of me? Inject a nonliving body with venom? Fools.”

He handed Miles to Astarion and marched closer to them. “There’s nothing you can do to me. Absolutely nothing. Now, these two are under my protection. If you so much as breathe near them, you’ll feel how Dear Avdol, Iggy, and Kakyoin did when they died. Feel free to fill in your ‘friends,’ Joseph. I don’t need you, yet.”

DIO turned away from them and walked back to his group.

“At least tell me where my grandson is!” Joseph demanded.

DIO looked over his shoulder at Joseph and smirked. “No.”

“ZA WARUDO!”

With a gift given to him by a new friend, DIO opened a portal and jumped through with the others to the Hikawa Shrine.

“Place them at the entrance,” DIO said.

“But what if someone attacks them?” Astarion asked.

“They won’t,” DIO said. “The other spiders will sense Miles.”

“Then we should go,” Pucci said.

DIO nodded. “Yes.”

…

The next morning, Miles woke up groggy, but alive. He remembered how Giorno’s father had saved them from Alastor. He sat up and saw that Giorno was already awake, beside him.

Miles jumped back, but relaxed when he realized it was Giorno. “Y-you saved my life.”

Giorno nodded. “Are you surprised?”

Miles paused and shook his head. “You…just had so much to lose. Why did you save me?”

“As strange as it sounds, I care about you,” Giorno said, rolling his eyes. His face softened. “Are you okay?”

Miles nodded. “Yeah, but what about you? I mean, that demon tried to steal your soul!”

“And he stabbed you!”

“Touche.”

It was quiet for a second before Giorno spoke up again. “I don’t like getting close to others. I’m not sure about what you said earlier. I asked Luz about it. The ‘ace’ thing. It’s hard to get to know other people, but I…I have always wanted to find someone I could trust. Maybe I’m not even adverse to relationships. I’m not sure about anything anymore.”

“Could be demisexual,” Miles suggested. “Gwen told me about that one. It’s like where you have to be super close to someone to have a relationship, everything else gives the ick.”

Giorno looked at him. “Did you see her again?”

Miles nodded. “I think we’ve made up? I’m not sure, but I think things are gonna be kind of weird.”

“Do you want to go talk to her?” Giorno asked.

“Honestly?” Miles asked. “I’d rather just lay back down and sleep.”

“I feel better than I’ve felt in a long time,” Giorno said. “Did…did the priest break the deal?”

Another nod. “That priest is amazing. I’ve never met anyone like him.”

He would tell Giorno about his father, but his father had sworn him to secrecy.

“Miles? Are you alright?”

“Oh yeah! I’m fine. I just needed to—,”

Miles was cut off as Usagi ran into the room along with Gwen, Pav, Hobie, Hunter, Amity, Willow, Darius, Luz, Zuko, Sokka, Katara, Jotaro, Connie, Steven, and some boy he’d never met before.

“MILES!” Usagi cheered. “I can’t believe how strong you are! Thank you for helping us!”

“It was really Father Pucci,” Miles said. “He was the one who saved us. He brought us back to the shrine.”

“A shame he couldn’t stay and chat,” Jotaro said in a monotone voice.

“I’m just glad everyone got home in one piece,” Sokka said. “It was looking bad there for a second.”

“Hello Mista,” Giorno greeted the boy in front of them. “This is Miles Morales. He’s my friend.”

“Your…” his voice trailed off. Giorno gave him a look. “Cool.”

“C’mon everyone!” Usagi cheered. “The others did something awesome for us!”

“Oh right, you’re about to miss the party,” Sokka said.

Katara nudged him. “It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

“Well, technically a part of it was for yours, Zuko’s, and Usagi’s birthday today,” Sokka argued. “But it’s also good to celebrate a dead, evil witch and being alive.”

“Thanks for clarifying the evil part,” Gwen said.

“Well, Amity, Luz, Hunter and the others are witches, and you don’t see them being grabby for souls!”

Miles laughed at the absurdity of the situation, and for the first time in months, so did Giorno.

…

He watched on. It had been quite the show.

The CEO was smart…so close to getting a hint of the causal event.

All the pain and tragedy had been so entertaining. He hoped it kept coming.

He couldn’t wait to play his own part in this show.

#jjba #pokemon #pure heart crystals #ace attorney #miles morales #owl house #sailor moon #across the spiderverse #avatar the last airbender #kaolinite

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karlachgale95 · 11 months ago

Text

Hearts of the Multiverse-Chapter Twelve: Ready for This

Please remember to leave a review! It makes me very happy!

It was a rainy day. Not a bit of sun was in the sky. That morning, Aang woke up to see King, Jotaro, Franziska, Yugi, and Koichi acting like zombies. They didn’t talk to anyone, which was super unusual for King, and they ate breakfast in silence. If Aang looked closely enough, he thought he saw some sort of glint in their eyes, but he couldn’t tell why.

“They’ve been acting like that all morning,” Raven muttered.

“It’s giving me the creeps,” Marnie agreed. “And I’ve lived in Spikemuth my whole life.”

“Yeah, it is kind of weird,” Steven agreed.

“I used Heaven’s Door, but I couldn’t find anything physically wrong with them,” Rohan said. “But something IS wrong. Koichi doesn’t act like that.”

“Maybe it’s something spiritual,” Aang suggested.

“Stands, in essence, are part of our spirits,” Rohan explained. “I suppose that’s why a monk with a spirit connection is able to see them without possessing one.”

“That makes sense,” Aang said with a nod.

“Then, if it’s not spiritual,” Syaoran said, “What is it?”

“Could be hypnosis,” Sprig suggested. The others gave him a dubious look. “I’ve seen it before. It totally captivates opponents. Hop Pop, Polly, and I used the Plantar Family Ritual to keep from being eaten once.”

“Your adventures never cease to amaze me, Sprig,” Aang said.

“Thanks? Not sure if that’s a compliment.”

Aang grinned. “It was!”

“Cool!”

“Hypnosis is such a cliché ability.”

“And cheap,” Steven said. “It takes free will away, and that’s just wrong on so many different levels.”

“For once, I agree, pink boy.”

“You literally wear a Christmas crown on your head.”

“Fighting isn’t going to help the situation,” Syaoran argued. “We should go talk to Ms. Toriel or Professor Sycamore.”

“That’s true!” Barry interjected. “Professor Sycamore knows all about different Pokémon with hypnosis abilities. He might be able to help us!”

“And Ms. Toriel has some awesome magic,” Monster Kid said. “We should talk to them about it!”

“Miss Franziska is trying to find Mr. Nick and Mr. Grumpy lawyer. I bet something happened,” Pearl surmised.

“They’re getting up,” Frosta warned them.

True to her word, King, Jotaro, Franziska, Yugi, and Koichi had stood and wordlessly walked out the door of the temple.

Rohan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Alright, Marnie, Barry, MK, and Pearl, you stay here and try to warn Iris, Toriel, and Augustine of where we’ll be going today. The rest of you with me.”

“But I want to help!” Pearl insisted. “Mr. Nick and Miss Franziska could be in trouble!”

Before Rohan could say something sarcastic, Aang spoke up, “Pearl, you are helping. Miss Iris needs your help. If she knows that your friends are in trouble, she can help get people together to help us!”

“We’re losing time,” Rohan hissed.

“Trust us, Pearl,” Steven said. “We wouldn’t lie to you. We’re going to help Miss Franziska and Mr. Nick.”

Pearl was quiet for a moment before giving them a small smile. “When you see Mr. Nick, tell him he better be keeping Mystic Maya safe.”

…

Dio looked at the crude drawing. Perhaps it had been sketched in wax? It had a picture of the Radio Demon with a big red x drawn over him. The entrance to this building was deceiving. On the surface, it looked like a room set up for a party, but below the surface was something different.

“White Snake has scoured all corners of this place,” Pucci said. “It’s certainly a trap. Given that no demon or undead can cross its threshold, I’m wondering who this trap is for.”

They had found this place searching for new allies. It was owned by some corporate overlords that went by the V’s. Pathetic. They needed booby traps to mimic half the power he had. But he had seen them speaking to Jotaro Kujo the other day, and if they did his dirty work for him and managed to get rid of the reprobate, far be it from him to stop them.

Yes, he had been watching the twitchy screen man hypnotize the youngest of the Joestar bloodline (besides his son, unfortunately). If this so-called, Vox was capable of getting rid of Jotaro and hated the Radio Demon, perhaps they could be allies.

“What should we do next?” Pucci asked.

“Observe,” Dio said simply. “We observe their plan from afar and see what happens. If it helps us, we encourage it. If it impedes our plans, we crush them. All of them.”

Pucci said nothing but gave him a simple nod.

…

“And you’re sure our image won’t be hurt?” Vox asked.

“If you pretend well enough, no,” Kaolinite said. “You’ll look like the perfect victims of our plan.”

Vox, the annoying personality Kaolinite was being forced to work with, laughed. “O-oh good! Image is everything…why don’t you wear something to disguise yourself? I’m sure Velvette could get you something.”

She thought it over. If she were connected back to the Professor, it could prove disastrous. She sighed, “That may be in everyone’s best interest.”

The shorter woman grinned. “Lovely! You’ve got great complexion and no blemishes. Now, we can add a few, or perhaps a change in hair color! Oh, there’s so many ways I can change that pretty face!”

“You really think that?” Kaolinite asked raising an eyebrow.

“Tsk, much better than the trash I want to burn,” Velvette said, tugging on her arm. “Now, Lysandre and Rose are sure everything is set up correctly, right?”

“Y-yes,” Kaolinite said, thrown off by the compliment. “They should have everything set up for the beginnings of our trap. We have the invitations prepped and ready. All you need to do is create an event that will gather everyone together, given we’re not able to acquire all targets today.”

“So, we’re the backup plan,” the freak moth said. “Lovely.”

“If we don’t have to be in the limelight,” Vox explained. “Then we can do whatever we want and need, Val.”

“Hmph. Fine.”

Like handling a toddler with a tantrum. Kaolinite would know about that.

Little did any of them notice was the eerie smile that brightened the dark corner of the café the group thought they had to themselves.

…

The rain poured down from the sky. Luz and Sokka had managed to stay awake most of the night—Giorno had not. It worried Luz. He’d been asleep a majority of the day. What were they going to do if he didn’t get any better? Sokka had told her about Avdol’s advice, but it worried her even more. If they couldn’t bargain with this Radio Demon, what would happen to Giorno? And what about Hunter? He was still very much in danger! She needed to help them both, but with her limited magic, what could she do? Sure, she could do some magic via Stringbean’s help, but it wasn’t the same as when she had access to all her glyphs.

At least Belos was gone…for good, hopefully.

“Hey Luz, you okay?” Sokka asked.

The two had stayed up all night talking about their girlfriends, their homes, who they fought in the past. Neither could decide who was worse: the mass genocidal witch hunter who almost wiped out the entirety of the demon realm or the mass genocidal imperialist who wanted to wipe out all the other nations. Tough call. This morning they’d spent eating a large bag of chocolate Luz had snagged while she was out. The sugar provided just enough energy to keep their eyes open for another twenty minutes before they passed out for two hours. And then they woke up, super guilty.

“Yeah, I’m good. Just worried is all.”

“I get it,” Sokka said. “The closest thing we had to this Radio Demon guy was Koh the Face Stealer.”

“What’s he like?”

“It’s sort of implied in the name.”

“Right.”

It was quiet for a minute before Sokka spoke up again, “Souls are supposed to be spiritual, right?”

“So I’ve heard,” Luz said with a shrug.

“It might be possible that Aang is able to help us. Maybe his connection with the spiritual world can make this deal null and void.”

“How?”

“I don’t know, but there’s gotta be some sort of solution we’re not seeing. Every problem has a solution!”

“Unless you divide by zero.”

They both jumped when Giorno made a noise and sat upright. Luz breathed a sigh of relief; at least he wasn’t unconscious for as long as he was last time. His eyes drifted to the bag of chocolate sitting between the three of them.

“Can I have one?”

“Sure. You okay? You’ve been out a while.”

He unwrapped the candy and paused. “…fine.”

“You’re not ‘fine.’ You can be honest,” Sokka said.

“I can’t. There’s enough at stake right now. I can’t stop to overthink things. I just need to find the Radio Demon and make sure he’s not hurting anyone.”

“Well, you can stop your looking, my friend!”

The staticky, old-timey voice sent a chill down Luz’s spine. In front of the shrine stood a man in a red suit and coat. He had a microphone for a cane, and his ears and hair resembled a deer. He must be the Radio Demon.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t a holy place keep you out?” Giorno asked, hatred evident in his voice.

“My! What a temper! And I’ve come to help you all!”

Sokka grabbed his boomerang. “Whatever you’re selling, we don’t want it. Now, let Giorno go.”

“I will say it takes guts or foolishness to threaten me,” the Radio Demon said with that smile, ever-present on his face. “Still, you’ve made some interesting friends, Gio.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Ugh. You’re all so very boring, though. No fun? Just fight?”

“They’re not the only ones willing to fight you.”

Luz hadn’t even noticed Zuko, Miles, Hunter, Josuke, Nemona, Arven, Rei, and Katara walking toward their group.

“Quite the little band of misfits you’ve gathered! And you’ve even got some family here, how cute!”

“Family?” Giorno questioned.

“Why of course! I mean you and Mr. Higashikata. Neither of you knew that, did you? Giorno, you’re the product of that…despotic vampire who took over Mr. Higashikata’s great, great grandfather Jonathan Joestar’s body. You have his good heart, but the psychopath’s mind. And yet your friends are still willing to help you.” the Radio Demon droned on. His face darkened but the smile remained and grew twice as mischievous as his tone. “Your friend Avdol knew. He didn’t tell you?”

“You keep Mr. Avdol out of this,” Josuke said.

“Like father like son,” the demon shrugged.

Josuke lunged toward the demon, but Miles pulled him back, shaking his head. “What do you want?”

“I just came to say, that some of your friends might be getting themselves into some trouble at the diner today. That’s all.”

“What are you planning?” Giorno asked.

“It’s not me you should worry about,” the Radio Demon warned. “Rather someone I know. And before you ask: no, we’re not friends. We’re actually enemies. And since I technically own your power and your power is related to your soul, meaning, in all truth, I own your soul, I want you to investigate their plot. I don’t want to have to deal with it.”

“And if I don’t?” Giorno scoffed.

The grin on the monster’s face widened as a chain appeared around Giorno’s neck, yanking him forward out of the temple. Miles made a grab for him, but it was too late as the demon pulled him closer. Giorno winced. And all heck broke loose.

Hunter teleported behind the demon, trying to hit him with his staff, but the demon flung him into a tree with the tendrils that surrounded him. Zuko went next, engulfing his fists in flame, but the Radio Demon shook his head, “I’ll just use him as a shield, you know?”

Luz held her breath and turned invisible, hoping to throw him off and used Stringbean to create a snare. The snare was easily broken, and she was flung away right next to Hunter. Josuke hopped down and shouted, “CRAZY DIAMOND!” There were a bunch of “DORAS’” after that, but the demon remained unphased. He was still blocking whatever Josuke was throwing with the tendrils. The same happened when Miles and Katara tried to use their webbing and waterbending to fling him backwards. No effect.

“Your friends are useless against me. You’ve got no other options. Not if you want to keep your miserable existence.” The demon droned on.

“No. No we’re not. You forget where you are!” Rei shouted. “Akuryo Taisan!”

She threw an ofuda at the demon’s face; this seemed to stun him, and the chains disappeared. The Radio Demon twitched. “F-fuck.”

He clawed at his face for a couple of seconds, finally ripping the ofuda away. He grew massive, his limbs long and sharp. “I’ll tear you all limb from limb!”

“Wait!” Arven said. “You still need them, right? You don’t want to have to deal with…whatever it is by yourself, right?”

The demon looked from Rei to Arven to Giorno. Then he glanced around at the scattered heroes. “As much as I hate to admit it, yes. I’ve got other duties to attend to. However…”

His eyes glowed. “If you should fail me Giorno Giovanna, I’ll make sure to tear your soul bit by bit once you’re truly dead. Do you understand?”

“We’ll be here to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Zuko said, glaring at him.

“We’ll see.”

With that, the demon disappeared. Giorno stumbled, staring at the empty space the demon had left. Miles helped him up. “Hey man, c’mon. Get up. We’re gonna get you out of this.”

Giorno shook his head. “Miles…it’s fine. Let’s just do this. I’ll handle my own problems from now on.”

“You can’t!” Arven said. “There’s no way!”

“There’s no other way,” Giorno said calmly. “No one else should be involved.”

“We won’t let you do this alone,” Zuko said. “Look, I know you’re afraid to bring people into this, but do you really think that demon is just going to stop at you? The more power he gets, the more he’ll be able to control people. So, we’ll help you to make sure that doesn’t happen, and you’ll be free from his control.”

“I’m going to call Usagi and the others, we’re going to that café today,” Rei said. “Take some time. Heal up. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

“I’m going to go wake up Darius and the others,” Hunter said.

There was a moment of silence until Josuke broke it. “Man…we both must be the weird ones of the Joestar family, huh? I mean, you’ve got two dads that somehow made you, and my dad had an affair with my mom. What are the odds?”

“Reeeaaaallly not the time, bud,” Luz said.

“In any case, I’m glad to have more family I’ve gotten to hang out with,” Josuke said with a grin.

Giorno gave him a small smile. “Yeah. I guess it’s good to have family that doesn’t hate your guts.”

…

“And you’re sure you can watch the kids?” Phoenix asked.

“Stop being a Worry Watchog,” Leon said with a smile. “Besides, Mr. Kaiba took his kids back! It’ll be easy! You lot go! N, Sasha, and I have got this!”

“This isn’t fair,” BB objected. “I can turn into dinosaurs and Toph can bend the earth and metal!”

“That still doesn’t change the fact that you’re all kids,” Eda said. “Look, we all know you wanna help, but sometimes the best way to help is to stay back so that others can assess the situation.”

Hobie snorted. “Sure. Misinformation for real, though.”

“Hobie, please,” Raine pleaded. “They’re too young to be joining us.”

“I say if the young want to help improve the now, it’s their right,” Hobie said.

Toph scoffed. “He gets it.”

“We’d best get going,” Edgeworth said. “The interview starts soon.”

“Sasha, can you keep an eye on things here? Kick any daimon butt that comes through?” Raine asked.

“Oh sure. You can trust me,” the blonde said with a thumbs up. “This apartment will be the same as you left it.”

“How come Jet gets to go? What if you run into Zuko?” Toph asked. “You better not hurt him!”

Jet flinched. “I promise not to hurt your friend *even if I totally could*.”

Toph muttered something under her breath. Hobie put on his mask, “Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye out on everyone. There’s some well-earned anarchy and then just pointlessness. I’ll make sure the other doesn’t happen, Blind Bandit.”

Toph chuckled, “Heh. You’d better, Spider-Guy.”

“I’ll take that over Punk any day.”

“Ugh! This is taking too long! Let’s go!” Guzma argued, swinging the front door open.

Before Phoenix could walk out, Edgeworth stopped him. “Are you sure you should go today?”

“I’ll be fine!” Phoenix assured him. “All we’re going to do is ask the man some questions.”

“I have a feeling it’s not going to be that easy,” Miles said. “Besides, you’ve still got that target on your back.”

“Yeah, well, weirder has happened to me, you gotta admit,” Phoenix joked. When he didn’t get a laugh, he continued. “Besides, we can get to the bottom of this case!”

“Possibly,” Miles reminded him. “We’re not even sure Rose is involved!”

“But we have no other leads,” Phoenix countered. “Look, I know it’s a long shot, but we need to investigate it.”

“Why?”

Hard question. He needed to prove to Graves that he could find the boogeyman framing him. Then Graves wouldn’t sink their reputations, they’d get more cases, he’d be able to keep himself afloat (Maya and Pearls, too, if need be. The others could handle their own expenses fairly well), and finally, they’d get the truth. No matter what, the truth and justice mattered, even when it came to people like Seto Kaiba and Gideon Graves.

And sure, there were those monsters, but they were just after him. This was par for the course in any case he was involved. Maybe not monsters, but definitely someone who didn’t want him to have answers. At least they didn’t bludgeon him with a fire extinguisher.

“Because…we can get the case over faster?” Phoenix attempted.

“Ah. I see. I suppose we have been spending quite the allotment of time together on this. It’s not a wonder why you’d…want a break.”

That’s not what he had meant at all. Nevertheless, Edgeworth walked through the doorway. Phoenix heard Toph boo. “You’re really bad at flirting.”

“Totally,” Shauna agreed.

“Abysmally so,” Gus and one of his clones said in unison.

“Oi, you three calm down, will you?” Leon asked.

“Human emotions are hard to express,” N agreed. He gave Phoenix a small smile. “Go help your friends. We’ve got it from here.”

…

It’s funny to see a weird amalgamation form together for the singular purpose of defeating the enemy. However, it’s even funnier when all that work will eventually be for nothing.

Reviving so many people just for it to end in tragedy might seem repetitive, but it was fun watching all of them tear each other apart. Perhaps, they’d do his dirty work for him. The Radio Demon and Vampire’s fight might get so destructive it might even destroy…the world.

He internally laughed at his own little pun.

For now, he’d sit back and watch what would happen at the diner.

While his greatest rival had yet to make an appearance.

…

This wasn’t Unazuki’s diner. True, it was set up like a cliché 1950’s, American diner with a wider and broader space, but it wasn’t as welcoming. There was a stage ahead of all the tables. Apparently, there were live performances from time to time, and Luz and the others were there to watch this ‘Vox’ guy interview some dangerous man named Rose.

Not the most threatening name, Rose. But, hey, neither was Phillip.

She sat in between Hunter and Frisk. Of course, Luz knew who Frisk was. She loved Undertale. It was just so weird seeing people like Zuko, Frisk, Miles Morales, and Leon S Kennedy (on TV). She knew, due to being an avid nerd and Doctor Who fan, there were some possibilities of disturbing the space-time continuum if she ever said anything about watching or reading about them. Titan knows what it would do their psyches or mental states. So…she decided she was going to keep quiet on this matter and not think about the possibility of being a fictional character in someone else’s world.

“We’re here,” Connie said as Kaiba, Robin, Gale, Ty Lee, Marcy, and a person with blue and red hair, glasses, and Eevee backpack sauntered in.

“Same!” Pav said, rushing in and taking a seat at their big table. The tables had been arranged into long rows. So, luckily there was enough room for everyone. Which totally wasn’t suspicious at all.

“Penny!” Nemona called out. She gestured to a seat close to her and Arven. “Come sit with us!”

Penny blushed and nodded. “U-uh, okay.”

“Glad you guys made it,” Luz said.

“No thanks to your directions,” Kaiba shot back.

Jokes on him. He didn’t even know how to synchro-summon.

“This is taking too long,” Joey complained.

Kaiba’s attention turned to him. “Be patient, mutt. You’ll need to keep a better attention span than when you do when you lose during duels.”

“And you’ve beaten Yug how many times, Rich boy?”

Luz was sure she saw Kaiba’s eye twitch.

More people filtered into the diner. Some were young, others were older. Some were couples. She missed Amity so much! And looking at all the families here made her miss her Mama, King, and Eda.

“Luz?”

Speak of the witch.

Eda rushed towards Luz and scooped her up into a hug, laughing as she did so. “Hey kid! How’ve you been? Been looking for you everywhere!”

“You too, you crazy, awesome witch!” Luz said grinning ear-to-ear.

“Oh good,” Darius said with a sigh. “Edaylyn.”

“Darius,” Eda regarded with a nod. She snorted. “It’s actually good to see you and the no longer bad or sad boy.”

“Is she talking about you?” Nemona asked Hunter.

“Guys,” Luz said. “This is Eda! She’s the one who taught me everything on being a witch!”

“It feels like we almost know you; we’ve heard so much about you,” Miles said.

“The infamous Owl Lady of the Boiling Isles,” Anne said. “What’s shaking?”

“Eda!” another familiar voice called out. It was Raine! They ended up here, too. Behind her were some other folks Luz recognized. Three of them being from Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright, Maya Fey, and Miles Edgeworth. Raine seemed surprised but happy to see Luz, Hunter, and Darius. “Fellow C.A.T.S!”

Luz hissed and laughed while Darius groaned, and Hunter buried his face in his hands.

“You called your group the C.A.T.S?” the guy in the jean jacket and Spider-manish clothing asked. This must be Hobie Brown.

“You have a whole ‘Spider-Society.’ I don’t wanna hear it,” Raine scoffed.

“Hobie!” Miles and Pav cheered.

“Ah, so this is Hobie,” Giorno commented. “It’s good to meet you. Any friend of Miles is not an enemy of mine.”

Hobie chuckled. “I’ll take it.”

“Giorno?”

Giorno’s eyes widened for a split second. It was as though he’d seen a ghost when two more people entered the diner. One was a person with short, black bob, white suit with black polka dots, and stylish accessories. He seemed happy to see Giorno. The same could not be said for the man beside him. He had purple hair, purple clothes, and a scowl as long as Eda’s permanent record.

“Bucciarati? Abbachio? It’s…I’m surprised to see you,” Giorno managed.

“Did…did you do it?” the man, Bucciarati, apparently, asked.

Giorno nodded. “I did.”

“Giorno never talked much about his friends,” Katara said. She smiled at them. “It’s good to meet you.”

“Friends is a stretch,” Abbachio said with a yawn. “This little shi—.”

“Language,” Edgeworth reprimanded. He straightened his coat. “Good to see we’ve managed to reunite some familiar faces. My name is Miles Edgeworth.”

“Oh, right, introductions are probably a good thing. My name is Phoenix Wright.”

“And I’m Maya Fey, but you can just call me Maya!”

One last person walked in, joining their group. It was a boy with shaggy brown hair, some sort of weapon on his back in a sheath, homemade armor, and a strand of wheat hanging from the corner of his mouth. He was originally smiling, but when he saw Zuko, he frowned. “Hello ‘Lee.’”

“I gave up that name a long time ago,” Zuko said coldly. “I am Firelord Zuko of the Fire Nation.”

“So what?” the boy asked. He paused and sighed. “I guess you’re the one who taught Aang how to firebend, given what Toph has told me.”

“Toph’s with you?” Sokka asked.

“No, everyone felt it best for the kids to stay home,” Jet explained.

“Not me,” Hobie argued.

“That reminds me,” Eda said. “I found Goops! He’s with us!”

“It’s Gus, Eda,” Luz said.

“Eh, Ghoulaid-Koolaid. It’s all the same in the end.”

“Toph can handle herself,” Zuko argued. “Whose decision was this?”

“Well, we all sort of talked it over,” Phoenix said defensively.

“Well then for a lawyer, you’re not great with details. If you’ve been spending any time with Toph, you’d know she can fight better than most other benders in the four nations,” Sokka said.

“I’d agree,” Kaiba said, narrowing his eyes at the two lawyers. Right…they were handling his case.

“Mr. Kaiba, what are you doing here today?” Edgeworth asked.

“Picking up on any details you may miss,” Kaiba said flippantly. “Apparently it’s necessary to do so.”

“Now, now,” Gale spoke up. “We mustn’t start a fight. I’m sure our enemies are plenty eager enough to do so without in-fighting amongst ourselves. Wouldn’t want to make their jobs any easier.”

“That’s exactly what I’d do,” Guzma, the leader of Team Skull, said, making his existence known to everyone else. “I mean, as ex-leader of Team Skull, I’d use any sort of weakness in the armor to cut down the kahunas in Alola. Same-dif here.”

The bells on the door chimed again; Eda barely turned her head but her eyes widened. “King!”

“Franziska!” Miles seemed surprised, but his sister passed him and sat down, as if she didn’t even see him.

“Jotaro! Koichi!” Josuke called out. The tall teen with the strange hat carrying King didn’t even acknowledge him. Neither did the much shorter teen with silver hair.

“Oh, not you,” Christmas Crown man said with a groan. “At least you’re not with the moron.”

“Don’t talk about Okuyasu like that!”

“And yet you already knew who I was talking about. I think that says more about how you feel about your friends than I do.”

“Yug!” The champion duelist did not respond; he merely did the same as his friends.

Luz got closer and waved a hand in front of their faces. No effect. Their eyes all glowed a bright, purple hue.

“Hypnosis,” Eda surmised. “Pretty cheap and illegal stuff.”

“Not to mention unethical,” Katara added. “But who did this?”

Suddenly the door swung open as another group of people rushed in. The leader seemed to be a man with dark green hair, green Christmas crown, purple shirt, green vest, and white slacks. Another was a boy with a blue arrow tattooed across his head. He wore yellow and orange robes/clothes. One was a girl with pale lavender skin. Her cloak covered much of her face, and all Luz could see were her bright eyes. There were two kids. One was a boy with chestnut hair that drooped in front of his face. He wore a blue school uniform, and the girl wore a crown that looked like it was made from ice, blue dress, and had dark blue hair. The next was a humanoid, strawberry, poison-dart frog with a brown cap, goggles, and clothes. And lastly was a boy with curly brunette hair, black t-shirt with a yellow star, pink jacket, jeans, and sandals. His eyes shone like diamonds.

“Aang!” Katara called out. He leapt many feet in the air, landing right in front of her. He swung her around in a tight hug. Both Zuko and Sokka looked up at this.

“It’s really him.”

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“It’s finally good to see a familiar face,” Adora said with a small smile. “Princess Frosta.”

“Adora,” the small girl, Frosta regarded with a cold stare. It soon changed to a grin. “It’s good to see you, too!”

“Friend Raven!” Starfire called out. She flew over to the girl in the cloak. “I am very much delighted by your appearance!”

The girl mumbled something like, “Hello Star.”

Robin walked over to them and grinned. “At least we have half the team back together again.”

“There are bigger issues at hand,” Christmas crown man complained. “Jotaro and the others are hypnotized! And we have no idea why, just that they walked here.”

“Then that’s why…” Edgeworth murmured.

“Why your sister didn’t lash out at you the minute she saw you?” Maya asked.

“Well, I actually took her whip,” Diamond boy said.

“Steven?” Connie asked, her mouth agape.

“Connie? Connie!” the boy scooped her up into a hug. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this, too.”

“It’s okay! I’ve made some new friends. Looks like you did, too.”

“Your sister had a what now?” Eda asked Edgeworth.

“Unimportant,” Rohan said. “We all need to get out of here. Grab Jotaro and the others, and let’s—!”

He was cut off as the lights dimmed. The Television man from the V channel came onto stage with a man in a gray suit and tie. His dark hair was swept back, and he smiled calmly at the crowd.

“That’s Rose,” Phoenix murmured.

“Hello everyone!” the TV man, Vox announced. “It is lovely to see all of you today. And I’m just so happy to be joined by the elusive Chairman Rose. Pay close attention everyone and keep your eyes up here. We wouldn’t want to miss anything.”

Luz was forced to look upwards as the men began to talk to each other. It’s not that she wanted to look up there, but there was something pulling her gaze toward them. There was a loud thud outside the building. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was this interview.

…

Everyone was entranced by the two men on stage. Well, that was everyone except Giorno Giovanna.

He heard Alastor mentally say, “I’ll help you tune Vox out. You’re welcome!”

For now, with the low amount of strength he had left, he’d wait for the perfect time to strike. Maybe he could catch them off guard before they could do any damage.

“Today we’re unveiling a prototype that will allow interdimensional travel. We don’t have any of the finishing touches of the plans,” Rose droned on. He smiled calmly and looked at Kaiba who scowled in response. “Although, I think we’re going to acquire what we need today. Along with some fuel.

From the tables metal bird-shaped robots appeared; they had those black stars on their wings. No doubt they were infected by daimon. There were loud noises outside, as though a fight were going on.

“And my new miniature Robo-Corviknights can help me accomplish that goal.”

“What are you talking about?” the television man asked in faux surprise. He was a terrible actor.

“Starting now, I’m helping a new organization improve the world. We will start a new legacy and recreate things in my—our image.”

Now seemed just as good a time as any to intervene.

“Hold it!” Giorno called out.

There had to be at least thirty Robo-whatevers. But everyone here had shown him genuine kindness, just as Bucciarati had. And now Bucciarati was alive again, too. AND he had family. Family he never knew! He wasn’t just going to let them all die. Not to some janky, metal junk.

“How are you—,” the television man asked.

“If it’s all the same,” Gale said, standing up calmly. “You really need to expect people who can counterspell hypnotism. When I heard that a few of the others had, I set up a basic spell. Your…abilities are rather weak.”

His face darkened. “Allow me to demonstrate real magic from the weave.”

Vox’s face fell. “We did not bank on a wizard.”

“Clearly,” Gale said. He turned to Giorno. “Although, I’m unfamiliar with ‘stands,’ still. If you can help me, it would be most appreciated.”

Giorno nodded.

“Oh, it’s not the damn stand,” Vox complained. “It’s the damn radio fucker, isn’t it, kid?”

“It’s,” Giorno clarified. “None of your business.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Rose said with a shrug. A huge Robo-Corviknight flew down from the rafters of the place. “Retrieve Mr. Kaiba, Mr. Kujo, and the Titan, please.”

The big bird cawed in response.

“Golden Experience!”

“IGNIS!”

…

Kakyoin dodged the many throwing knives the merc threw his way while the others fought off daimon that had spawned in near the entrance of the diner. Metal grates slammed down over the windows and doors just as they got there. They were severely outnumbered. And although his stand, Amity’s abominations, Lillith’s talons, and Polnareff could take out several daimon at a time, Suki’s combat, Okuyasu’s The Hand, and Atticus’s Pokémon were more of an individual to individual case.

Polnareff pulled Kakyoin away as the man brought down a scimitar with a quickness almost inhuman. This man could possibly be alien. Pol blocked his scimitar with a parry, and to both of their surprise, the scimitar was able to hold up against Silver Chariot.

“Haven’t you figured it out by now?” the merc named Slade asked. “We know everything we need to know on those ‘stands.’ Even those of you who died, who should pose no threat to us.”

Kakyoin directed Hierophant at the man.

He wagged his finger. “Careful, you could hit your friends. After all, you’ve just been revived. How good is a zombie’s control?”

“I’m not a zombie,” Kakyoin said. “Keep it up and you’ll be a corpse.”

“I’m terribly frightened,” the man said in monotone.

He pressed a button on his belt, and the number of daimon surrounding them doubled. “Didn’t you ever think to get rid of the source? For all those academic acclaims I’ve read in your file, I thought you’d be smarter. At least on Dick Grayson’s level. But you’re not.”

Amity shakily drew another summoning circle, adding another abomination to their team. Unfortunately, a crowd of robotic, humanoid daimon destroyed two of the five she had remaining. A group of them grabbed Lillith by her foot and dragged her down to the ground. Three of them knocked away Atticus’s Grimer, Stunky, and Varoom in that order. He summoned his Pokémon back to him before being nabbed. Suki threw her fan-blade at the arm of a monster who tried to knock Amity down, barely dodging the oncoming lunge of another daimon. Okuyasu was using his stand to eliminate as many daimon as possible, but given its short range, it was quickly overpowered.

“Any ideas?” Polnareff whispered.

“Not at the moment,” Kakyoin grumbled back.

“You’re not getting inside that building,” Slade said. “In fact, I think your reanimation ends here.”

More daimon spawned in, quickly subduing all of them. Kakyoin struggled against the grip, but the daimon held him tight. He needed to get inside. He had to help Jotaro!

“I will make sure you suffer if you even so much as glare at my nephew,” Lillith yelled.

“I suppose that goes double for your sister and her apprentice,” Slade said.

Amity’s eyes widened. “Luz is in there?”

“Or her heart crystal. Rose needs the fuel for his tech. If there’s a talisman or two in there, well, we hand those over to the company.” He looked pointedly to Kakyoin. “And we’ve strict orders to hand in your friend, the titan, and the CEO brat.”

Kakyoin glared at him. “Jotaro will beat you. Just like he beat DIO.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Slade said, stooping down and meeting him at eye-level. “The company is much more powerful than you think.”

He turned to his daimons and waved his hand flippantly. “Go ahead and gather their heart crystals. I’m bored now.”

The daimon pointed their hands towards the group. Kakyoin stared back at them, refusing to shut his eyes out of some sort of defiance. He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

“Magician’s Red!”

Suddenly, the group of daimon in front of them burst into flame. And an animal with front webbed legs, back paws, a feathery mane, fierce face, and fish’s tale bit into the metal grating over the building and tossed it aside, as though it were nothing. It then turned and bucked Slade into the concrete wall of the building.

Gladion and Avdol ran over to their group. Polnareff’s eyes widened. “It’s really you.”

“Yes, I—,” Avdol as cut off as more daimon sprouted up.

As Slade shakily stood and summoned more daimon. Polnareff summoned Silver Chariot but was knocked backwards by one of the lunging robots.

“THE HAND!”

A simple wave and the device and two fingers vanished into thin air. This led them to discover Slade’s hand was entirely robotic and filled with partially broken wire.

“You—!” Slade began.

Lillith clawed through the daimon, and grabbed Slade, lifting him high into the air. She glanced down at the others. “Get inside and save everyone! Leave this one to me!”

…

Giorno did his best to block the giant, robotic bird from scooping up the small animal Luz seemed to care about so much, his apparent relation, Jotaro Kujo, and Seto Kaiba (even if he was an ass). Golden Experience managed to stay by his side and lay into a few daimon birds; it even stopped the big robotic bird for a while. However, more seemed to spawn and appear in the diner.

“Gale, how long until you can unhypnotize everyone?” Giorno asked.

“Still working on it!” Gale commented, one hand glowing with a witch’s bolt and the other with a larger counterspell.

At that moment, there was another twinge in his heart. He felt it creep up his spine and spread like a chill. If the damned demon wanted him to fight his enemy, he could have given him a bit of his power back.

A bolt of black energy struck Ami; she collapsed with a shriek as her heart crystal appeared right in front of her. Giorno stumbled toward her, doing his best to try and make sure he could get it back to her, but someone pushed him aside.

The two rogue senshi Katara and Zuko had talked about stood in front of her, examining the crystal. As to what purpose, he couldn’t be sure. Nothing good.

“Give it back,” Giorno spat out.

“Don’t worry,” the blonde said. “It’s not a talisman. She can have it back.”

There was another cry as Darius was struck down, then Lillie, then Anne. The senshi jumped from individual to individual, inspecting their heart crystals. None of them were deemed to be the talismans they sought.

“Can you help us?” Gale asked, raising an eyebrow. “We’re a bit in over our numbers, here.”

The blue-haired senshi nodded, taking aim at something in Rose’s hands.

“Deep submerge!”

The controller in his hands flung backwards and shattered into pieces—decommissioning all the robo-birds. Rose hung his head, “This is why Mr. Kaiba’s assistance would be vastly appreciated. Please, just let us continue our business in piece.”

“Like hell,” Giorno scoffed. “Gale, are you ready yet?”

Gale gave him one single nod and muttered a loud incantation that seemed to snap everyone out of their trance.

At that moment, Kakyoin and some people with him broke into the building. He spotted Giorno doubled over and asked, “What happened?”

“They’re trying to kidnap Luz’s brother, Kaiba, and someone who is apparently family to me,” Giorno explained.

“Who?” Kakyoin pressed.

“Jotaro Kujo.”

“You…you’re…that’s what Avdol…” Kakyoin said, fumbling for words. He helped Giorno stand tall. “Stay here. I’ll help you take care of this.”

“Oi, Josuke!”

“Okuyasu? What happened? Everything got really fuzzy for a minute…” Josuke’s eyes widened. “Okuyasu! I’m so glad you’re here!”

“Where have you been hiding?” Okuyasu asked. “Been looking everywhere for you, bro!”

He glanced over Josuke’s shoulder, “Hey Koichi and Rohan are here, too!”

Rohan groaned. “Greaaat. Now they’re all together again.”

“Sweet potato! King!” Luz called out.

The furry animal jumped off of Jotaro’s shoulder and into Luz’s arms. “LUZ! Man am I happy to see you!”

The purple-haired girl near Kakyoin rushed over to Luz and hugged both her and King. After settling down, the two kissed and smiled awkwardly at each other. He still didn’t get the appeal of relationships. Unless...if it were with someone he were close to. Maybe then...if he could trust the person like Luz trusted Amity. Like the way he trusted...

“Jotaro,” Kakyoin called out.

Jotaro turned, looking as though he’d seen a ghost. He paused. “It’s…really good to see you again, Kakyoin.”

The red-haired boy smiled, but before anyone could say anything else, Vox slammed his foot on the ground like a petulant child.

“Plan B, then,” the television man said.

…

The building filled with pink smoke, leaving everyone hacking and coughing. Miles could hear some of their friends struggling. He thought he heard several people call out, but he was so disoriented, it was hard to even tell which way he was going.

And then with the swish of a pair of harpy wings, specifically, the Owl Lady’s wings, the smoke cleared. But…something…everything was wrong.

“Oh no,” Usagi said, raising her hand to her trembling mouth.

People were missing. Lots of people. Miles panicked as he didn’t see Giorno anywhere. He thought about calling out, but there was no need.

“Do you like surprises?” a sinister voice called out.

It was that damnable red witch. She now stood on stage, a smirk on her translucent lips, as though she weren’t really there. Neither Rose nor the TV man were anywhere to be seen.

“What have you done with Luz?” Amity called out.

She was right. Luz had gone missing, too!

“If I say now, the surprise will be ruined,” the red witch said. “Don’t worry, you’ll all be getting an invitation soon. Or, at least, select people will. If anyone else comes, we’ll destroy your friends.”

“Give them back now!” Nemona shouted, balling her fist up at the witch.

The Red Witch simply smirked. “We’ll see some of you soon. Just let us finish our preparations.”

As soon as she disappeared, most of them stood stunned. Some began to cry. And the tall, sullen guy even punched the wall so hard it chipped off into tiny pieces. Someone he cared about must’ve vanished.

Miles slumped down into one of the chairs. Horrified that he’d failed to protect his new friend. Giorno had trusted him, and he’d failed.

“Mate,” Hobie whispered. “They’ve got Pav. We gotta get him back.”

“I-I know,” Miles said, still in shock.

Even Hobie paused at this. “’s alright, Miles. We’ll get ‘em back. We can handle it.”

“Y-Yeah. We can.”

The truth was, Miles was shaken. Now there were two of his friends missing. He didn’t have any friends back home. The only thing back home was his family, who were all still in danger. There were so many people he needed to save. So many people. So little time. So many uncertainties. What was he supposed to do? He was one person. A kid by Miguel’s own words.

“Miles!”

Miles looked to Hobie who put a hand on his shoulder. “We’ve got this big man. I’m right here with you, alright?”

Miles felt tears pool down his eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why…why…”

“It’s a lot of pressure, but you and me can handle it.”

“And Gwen.”

Miles’s head jerked up. Kaiba was next to them. “Listen, I’m not sure what transpired between you two, but she’s been looking for you every day. She’s talked about it to Karlach. She’s…very remorseful over what she did to you. I’m not one to give second chances, but I think Gwen deserves one. She wants to save your parents, Miles.”

“You knew where Gwen was this whole time?” Miles asked.

“It didn’t seem like you wanted to know. Nor did you want her to know where you were,” Kaiba explained. “I kept your location secret from her. But I think you two should work together.”

Miles paused again. Hobie shook him lightly. “It’s true, mate. She formed her own society just to help you. Gwendy was in the wrong for not telling you, but she’s making up for it ten-fold.”

Miles took a deep breath in. “I’ll talk to her.”

…

“Jotaro, we’ll get him back, mon ami,” Polnareff tried to assure him.

Jotaro was silent. He’d seen Kakyoin again just for him to get taken by those Death Buster goons. How in the world was that fair? His death had been his fault. He knew DIO was dangerous, but Kakyoin had insisted on facing him, on going with his grandfather that day. It had cost him his life. His parents were so distraught; they forbade Jotaro from going to the funeral.

He hadn’t even seen him buried.

The old man had assured him that might’ve been for the best. No one wanted to see their best friend like that.

Avdol’s death had been his fault, too. At least he hadn’t been abducted. He kept trying to reassure Jotaro that Kakyoin would not die again.

That Jotaro was sure. No. Kakyoin would not be dying again.

And he’d punch through any asshole who tried to make that happen.

…

Hunter tried to take in deep breaths like Gus had taught him. The trick wasn’t working. Luz and Darius were gone. He didn’t know what to do. He knew he was one of the Red Witch’s targets, but he never thought it would go this far!

“We just found her…” King’s voice trailed off.

“They took Raine, too,” Eda growled.

“And we’ll get them back just as quickly,” Amity said. She held her hand out to Hunter. “Are you okay, Hunter?”

Hunter shook his head. “That witch is after me. She’s sent so many of those daimon after me. Luz and Darius got hurt, and it’s my fault!”

“Slow down, kid,” Eda said. Although, her voice was tinted with anger. Not at him, but it still set him on edge. “We’ll get Luz, Raine, and Darius back without anyone getting hurt.”

Somehow, he didn’t believe her. Not even the Owl Lady could make that kind of promise.

…

Phoenix fell to his knees. They’d taken both of them. They’d taken Maya and Miles.

The last time someone had taken Maya she nearly…

No. No, they couldn’t. They wouldn’t.

Right?

Abbachio tried pulling him up, “Come on. We’ve got to find them. Bucciarati is missing, too. WRIGHT! We’ve got to go!”

“I…I don’t know what to do.”

“Obviously they’re looking for you,” Abbachio said. He was silent for a moment, seeming to weigh his options. “I’m going to use Moody Blues to try and trace where they might’ve gone. You stay here with everyone else. Don’t move!”

Phoenix numbly nodded. He hadn’t apologized to Edgeworth for that misunderstanding earlier. He was going to tonight when tensions were less high. He hadn’t meant for Edgeworth to think he was some sort of nuisance, or worse, merely a work friend.

He meant so much more than that.

…

Everyone was hurting. Usagi was sobbing over the fact that they had stolen away her boyfriend, Josuke was missing all of his friends, even Rohan, who hadn’t seemed to like him very much. Jotaro, Avdol, and Polnareff were missing their friend, Kakyoin. Arven, Nemona, and Atticus were missing their friend, Penny. Hunter, Eda, Amity, Lillith, and King were missing Raine, Darius, and Luz. Yugi was telling Kaiba that they had stolen their (well, more so Yugi’s) friend, Joey. Connie was missing which made Kaiba and the Diamond-Eyed boy, Steven upset. Marcy and Sprig were already working on a plan to save Anne. Raven and Starfire were missing their friend Robin (which also upset Kaiba). The wizard, Gale, had disappeared in the commotion. Phoenix Wright had his entire family taken from him. Abbachio swore he’d find Bruno and the little…well…Katara was sure he meant Giorno. Speaking of which, Miles seemed devastated by Giorno’s disappearance. With his health being the way it was, Katara was also worried. However, she, Zuko, Suki, Ty Lee, and Aang were trying to think of where the Red Witch could have taken her brother.

“I didn’t even get to see him,” Suki said, tears in her eyes. She slammed her fist on the table. “They’ll pay for taking him.”

Katara took a deep breath and nodded, shutting her hand so tightly, she was sure she drew blood.

“I’ll fly over the city with Appa,” Aang suggested. “There’s only so many places they can hide a secret base, right?”

“Unless it’s hidden somewhere we can’t see,” Zuko pointed out.

“Why don’t we find one of those monsters and interrogate it?” Ty Lee suggested. Everyone paused, taking the suggestion seriously.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Zuko admitted.

“I’m chop full of them,” Ty Lee said with a small smile.

“Then we get them to talk at any cost,” Katara said. “Let’s go get Toph, I’m sure she can help us.”

“Wait,” Aang said. “I know we’re all hurting, but Mr. Wright is hurting, too. If we go over there, acting rashly—,”

Katara cut him off, “Then it’s his fault for not letting Toph join him in the first place!”

Everyone was taken aback. She sighed and sat back down. “I’m sorry. But Sokka, even when he acted silly, has always been there for me. He’s been the only one who’s always been there.”

She slammed her hands down on the table. “So, I’m not going to let these evil people hurt him.”

…

Usagi sat next to Rei, trying her best not to cry. They took Mamo, her Mamo. Why had they taken him? It was just so unfair! She had to save him! But…she didn’t even know where they had taken him!

What had they meant by invitations? Why had they taken so many people?

Why were they creating all this misery?

Despite her own heartbreak, Usagi knew she’d do everything in her power to make sure Mamoru came back to her safe and sound. And she’d make sure everyone else’s loved ones returned just the same.

In the name of the moon, she’d make sure to punish those witches.

#jjba #pokemon #pure heart crystals #ace attorney #miles morales #owl house #sailor moon #across the spiderverse #avatar the last airbender #kaolinite

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karlachgale95 · 11 months ago

Text

Hearts of the Multiverse-Chapter Eleven: New Moon on Monday

Author's Note: I worked hard on this one! I hope you guys enjoy the mystery! Please make sure to leave a comment saying whatever you want! :)

King Clawthorne was getting used to the weird behavior of the people in Kurain Village. And there were some real weirdos here. The lady who had passed out in the dinner hall was surprisingly one of them. She threatened people with whips when she woke up; Steven had to ‘bubble’ it. She took offense to that.

“I don’t know why I’m still here,” Franziska, or as he’d taken to calling her, Franny said. “I need to get to Edgeworth to show him these files.”

King looked through the files; they had had a few profiles one on her adopted brother, his lawyer friend, himself, one on his adopted sister, Luz, his adopted mother, Eda, one on Raine Whispers, oddly enough one on Steve, and a few other people. As strange as it might’ve sounded, King and Franny got along well.

Franny turned to him, “We can travel together if you’d like. The people here are strange. I’m not sure I trust them to take care of children.”

“As much as I wanna help my friends,” King began, “I don’t think anyone here is that bad. They’re weird but not bad. Maybe we can all help each other.”

He’d really started to sound like Luz nowadays. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, in his opinion.

“We’re not getting any closer to the truth by staying here,” Franny said.

"That’s true,” King said. “But maybe people here can help us! Doesn’t Iris know your brother?”

“She does, but it’s unlikely she’ll want to see that fool, Phoenix Wright.”

That name sounded so familiar. A memory flashed through his mind:

He and Luz were relaxing in the Owl House after doing a bounty hunt on Scrongle the UniSquirrel. Luz started talking about video games she liked. There was this one about a guy fighting a virus, and he couldn’t drive—at all. Leon something or another.

“And then there’s ace attorney,” Luz had said. “It’s about these two lawyers—Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth. Well, they’re not the only ones, but its their tragic backstory and queer-coded relationship that matters.”

“Oh! He’s the ace attorney guy!” King said.

Franny scoffed. “Hardly an ace, King. I suppose you’ve seen that wretched commercial on the TV.”

“Uh…sure? Probably. I usually just stream stuff.”

Franny paused. “I suppose that’s something that’s in the future.”

It was quiet for a moment before King spoke up again, “Hey, Franny, I’m gonna go see if I can talk to Aang. He might be able to help us. He seems pretty determined to get back to his friends. He might even know where your brother is.”

“You can try,” Franny said. “Hopefully you’ll be better at talking to them than I was.”

“People tend to be scared of whips, Franny.”

“Hmph.”

King walked around the grounds of the Kurrain Village; apparently the bridge connecting to another part of the place had burned down in some sort of incident. The cavern below was rocky and a far fall down. There was a little blood on the ground. He didn’t want to think about the poor guy who’d fallen down there.

“Looking for somebody?”

“Weh!?”

King turned to see the very tall guy/kid (?) who was around Luz’s age, maybe a couple of years older. His name was Jotaro Kujo. He was a bit standoffish from the rest of the group. Maye he was just shy?

Jotaro peered over the side. “I wouldn’t be looking over there if I were you. You’re probably too young to be seeing stuff like that…how old are you, anyways? You seem like a kid.”

“Nine, I think. I’ve been with Eda for nine years.”

“Huh. So, you are pretty young. What are you?”

“It’s…kinda secret. Sorry.”

“You can’t tell me. Got it.”

It was quiet for a minute before Jotaro spoke up again. “Did you want to go out and look for your friends again? Koichi, Yugi, and I were going to help some of the younger kids figure out the train system. I figure you’ve probably never been on one before.”

“You figure right,” King said. He tapped his claws together. “Hey, uh, do you mind if we take Franny with us? She’s really worried about her brother.”

Jotaro was quiet for a minute before he sighed. “…fine.”

“Cool! I’m gonna go let her know!”

With that, King scampered off to find his eccentric, prosecutor friend.

…

Joey, Josuke, and the quiet kid who’s name they’d discovered was Frisk had been playing this Mario Brothers video game when Giorno woke up. Luckily, Sokka, Lillie, and Avdol (who had stopped by to help them out) were there to lessen the disorientation. Eventually Joey and Josuke had stopped playing video game long enough to see he was awake, but that didn’t stop Sokka from being the most responsible person in the room for a while—the thought terrified him. He ushered the kid to go with Adora and Yuichiro. While Anne and Starfire came to meet up with the others again.

He got Giorno a cup of water. He wasn’t going to do the Zuko thing where he’d automatically start asking questions about the ‘radio demon,’ but he wasn’t going to pretend everything was hunky-dory like Katara probably would have. He’d try to be as patient as possible. But he was worried. He was worried about getting home, about keeping his friends safe, finding Aang, Suki, and Toph, and he was worried for the safety of his current group. There were so many unknown factors with these monsters. Where did they even come from? The sailor senshi, who were from this universe, didn’t even seem to know.

“You okay, man?” Sokka asked. “You’ve been out for a while.”

Giorno, a little paler than usual, put the glass to his lips and nodded. “Fine.”

“Cut the crap,” Josuke said. “We know that’s not true.”

“It’s best to be honest here,” Avdol said.

“No one is going to judge you,” Lillie assured him.

Giorno was quiet. He sighed and put the glass down on a coaster near his bed. “At this point it’s probably more detrimental to be dishonest.”

He leaned forward and his face darkened. “The day I met the Radio Demon, I had been attacked by some sort of monster. Even now, I can’t say exactly what it looked like; it’s like my memory of it has been altered. All I remember is lying in a pool of my own blood, dying. That’s when I met him—Alastor—The Radio Demon. I don’t remember the terms of our agreement. Everything from that day is fuzzy. He told me once he only took a little power…but that seems to be a lie.”

“It might not be,” Avdol said. “Stands are tied with our spirits. In essence, you could’ve sold your soul through wording he knew a disoriented person wouldn’t perceive or understand.”

Giorno was silent for a moment before he murmured, “Fuck.”

“In some cases we may be able to find the demon and eliminate the threat; therefore, your soul would belong wholly to you again,” Avdol explained.

“In other cases?” Josuke pressed.

“…Sometimes deals do not end when the contractor dies. Sometimes they seek something of greater value.”

“The Radio Demon is all about power,” Giorno said. “I don’t have anything of higher value than my power.”

“Then we…” Josuke’s voice trailed off. He looked like he was searching for something to say, but nothing came to him.

“You don’t have to say it,” Giorno said. He stood up and walked to the window, turning his back to the others. “I can take care of this myself.”

“I would strongly advise against that,” Avdol argued. “If this demon is as strong as we believe, you’ll need help.”

Giorno turned and glared at him. “I don’t need anyone’s help. Like I said, I can handle this.”

The determination in his eyes was evident. It reminded Sokka of when he had failed at the invasion. Although everyone had told him it wasn’t his fault, the plan had been his own. And he had fallen for Azula’s tricks. He wondered if that’s how Giorno felt now.

The group was caught off guard as the others walked back inside. Mako and Miles looked incredibly upset, but Zuko was being propped up by Luz and Katara. Sokka internally jumped. He knew he shouldn’t have let them go without him!

“What happened?” Sokka asked.

“Two daimons, different times,” Ami explained.

“One of those unknown senshi hurt Zuko,” Katara explained.

“It’s not a big deal,” Zuko mumbled.

“There’s a huge gash on your leg!” Lillie exclaimed. She peered around the group and her eyes widened. “Ash?”

A kid with dark hair, jeans, t-shirt, vest, and yellow rat ran over to the girl and gave her a hug. “Hey Lillie! It’s good to see you again! Have you found any of the others?”

Lillie nodded. “Gladion comes over sometimes. And…everyone misses you a lot!”

Miles looked over to the group and smiled, somewhat sadly, “Sorry for the lack of a welcome back to the non-comatose world, Giorno.”

Giorno brushed him off. “Let’s get back to the main problem here.”

“Which one?” Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Very funny,” Giorno said, without much humor. “Mainly, Josuke, you should probably help them with that. I don’t know what Golden Experience can do right now.”

Josuke nodded. “Sure.”

Giorno peered over Hunter’s shoulder to see a man with floating, goopy, purple hair and strange and flamboyant attire. He looked annoyed more than anything.

“Who’s the guy with the cloak?” Sokka asked.

“I am Darius Deamonne!” the man announced with as much pomp and bombast as one of the earth kingdom royals. “I am the head coven witch for the abominat…I was the head coven witch for the abomination coven.”

“He’s cool,” Hunter said. “You can trust him.”

Miles nodded in agreement.

While Josuke helped Zuko with his leg, the group sat down and tried to collect themselves. Avdol, if possible, looked far more troubled than before. “What exactly happened?”

“We were out, and we ran into Haruka and Michiru at Zuko’s Uncle’s tea shop,” Usagi explained.

“Your uncle is here?” Sokka asked.

“Does everyone know your uncle back home?” Arven asked Zuko.

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“He’s a chill guy—for a firebender.”

“That was awful, Sokka.”

“What happened when you ran into your friends?” Avdol pressed.

“Well, Haruka wanted to apologize for almost running us over earlier,” Usagi explained. She got a few looks but continued. “Miles went off with Mako, and we went with Michiru to go look at an art exhibition. She had a few of her pieces there.”

“What happened with you two?” Giorno asked Miles.

“Haruka took us out to eat at a fancy restaurant, and then a daimon attacked us. It threw Haruka into a bunch of trees and bushes and me into the ocean. I mean, I got out, but it was too little too late. It managed to hurt Mako,” Miles explained, shuffling his feet.

“Miles, that wasn’t your fault,” Mako insisted. “It was mine! I should’ve never allowed either you or Haruka to get hurt like that!”

“Makoto is right,” Avdol agreed. “The very nature of these monsters is one-track. They seem to be designed to go after a specific target until their goal is fulfilled. Who even knows if they serve a purpose beyond this?”

“So, what happened with the rest of you?” Josuke asked.

“Well, like I said,” Usagi began. “We were hanging out with Michiru, and that witch lady showed up there—in a disguise. She handed a pamphlet to Hunter, and it turned into a daimon. There was this weird attack that hurt all of us, but Zuko was the first to stand up against them. But one of those other senshi sort of attacked him, and that’s how his leg got like that. So, Katara ended up knocking all three of them out before anyone else could get hurt!”

“They all were water-based, so it was pretty easy,” Katara said, trying to downplay her efforts.

“It was amazing,” Ami said, breathily. “I wish I could bend water like that.”

“Sounds like youse guys had a crazy day,” Joey commented.

“I’ll say,” Katara agreed. “We should all get some rest.”

“I just woke up.”

“Oh…right.”

“It’s fine. I’m going to keep guard,” Giorno said.

“Not alone,” Miles said.

“You guys look super tired,” Sokka said. “I’ll help you.”

He wasn’t as tired, and hearing all he had heard set him on edge. Then again, underneath all the humor, he was always on edge. Heck, even the humor was a little edgy. He could help look out for people who couldn’t keep their eyes open.

“Me too,” Luz agreed. “Anything to stop those creepazoids.”

“Seems like a pretty good plan. Joey and I are gonna crash for the night. Our eyes feel tired for some reason,” Josuke said with a yawn.

“Maybe because you spent several hours staring at a screen?” Avdol suggested.

“Ugh. You sound like my mom.”

“Maybe your mother has some valid points.”

…

Bede typed in every username and password he could think of to get into his old competition account. True, Oleanna had kicked him out of the competition, but she could never truly delete his entry completely, right?

“This is taking too long!” the champion’s miserable little annoyance remarked.

Silver shushed him, which brought a small smirk to Bede’s face. They were sitting in the park, trying to think of where to go from here. As it turned out, Seto Kaiba had needed to talk to Gwen Stacy about something, so Peony’s daughter, the strong devil woman, and ‘Blade of the Frontiers’ went with them.

“Do you want me to try and hack into your account?” Penny asked.

“I’ve tried that, no amount of—!” Bede began. He sighed and handed her his Pokenav. “You know what? Fine.”

She took it and not five seconds later, handed it back; he was logged in to his old account!

She pushed her glasses up, “I’m pretty good at hacking into things.”

“I’ll say,” Hau agreed. “That was faster than a Mantine surfing through a tidal wave.”

“Th-thanks.”

Bede let the device float in the air for a few seconds before calling out to Gardevoir. “Gardevoir, can you help me filter through the posts for any future sights where Chairman Rose may be appearing in public.”

Gardevoir gave him a skeptical look, obviously not sure why he was going to meet with the person who had hurt him most. He appreciated the sentiment, but now was not the time.

“It’s for good reason. Please help me.”

With one last look of hesitation, Gardevoir nodded and sifted through a barrage of articles on an interview at a local diner scheduled for tomorrow. They could ambush him there!

“Alright! Not bad!” Hop said. “I guess…we owe you one.”

“Yes. You do,” Bede said with a sneer.

Bede almost thought he heard, ‘what a piece of work.’

“Alright now let’s make plans to catch this Rose guy off guard!” Toph declared.

“Yeah…that’s not happening,” an old woman’s voice spoke up.

They looked up to see the two lawyers Kaiba despised, the goofball spirit medium that ran with them, an old woman with a hook for a hand (she looked like she belonged in Team Aqua), a person with short blueish-gray hair and glasses, Abbachio, and his friend who had taken him on their investigation walking toward their group.

“Ah! So many people,” Penny quietly exclaimed.

“And just who are you people?” Karlach asked, her hand, almost instinctively, reaching for her weapon.

“Calm down, we’re their guardians,” the woman explained. She looked to Bede, Silver, and Mokuba. “Well, some of them, anyways.”

“There’s no way we’d let you guys go and try to investigate this Rose person,” Phoenix Wright, the bumbling one said.

“But tomorrow might be our only chance!” Gus protested. “If not then, when?”

“For you? Not ever,” the person with the glasses said. “We’ll be taking over from now on.”

“How did you guys even know where we are?” Toph asked.

The old lady pulled out some sort of device similar to the Pokenav, showing her a text from Wally saying they were near Kaiba Corp. Wally chuckled and coughed. “I wanted them to know we were safe.”

“With no due respect,” Bede said. “I know Rose better than anyone else! I should be the one to do this!”

They were NOT going to take away his opportunity to get back at Chairman Rose or Oleanna. They had to pay for just abandoning him! They abandoned him just like his parents, and they all deserved to pay!

“And with due respect,” Miles Edgeworth said, crossing his arms. “This case is far too personal to you. We can question Rose without getting hurt.”

“That’s what you think,” Bede said. “I know Rose. If he’s got anything to do with those monsters, he’ll stop at nothing to accomplish his goals. Don’t think you’re so special!”

Abbachio’s friend decided it was his turn to speak. “Listen. We know this is difficult for you, but we need all of you to remain out of this. We can take care of this on our own. We’ve got the ability and experience to deal with any monsters if things get too bad. Having children involved becomes a…liability.”

“You’re not listening to me,” Bede snapped. “No one ever listens to me!”

“I’m with Bede on this one,” Hop said, throwing him off. “You can’t just kick us out of this.”

“Actually, they can. And if they don’t, I will.”

And now, he knew both of them had to listen. The shadow of a Charizard loomed over them and steady footsteps to their left got closer.

“Who are you?” Wyll asked.

The new nuisance grinned just like his protégé as he did his stupid pose. “Champion Leon at your service!”

…

Jotaro carried King on his shoulders. He was light enough, and King had wanted to get some high ground to see if he could see his mom and sister. So, why not help the little guy out? He didn’t seem to be dangerous, just hungry, all the time.

Besides, Jotaro had a keen interest in finding people close to him, too. He’d heard some of the dead had returned to life. If that was so, it could be possible that Iggy, Avdol, or Kakyoin were among those people he lost. And, despite himself, he did miss them. And if he were here, it was reasonable enough to think the old man, possibly Polnareff, and other stand users had found themselves here. And Koichi Hirose and Rohan Kishibe swore they knew him—in the future. Apparently Koichi (Rohan, not so much) was best friends with his…uncle. He’d have words for the old man later. Grandma Suzy wasn’t someone to be so cheaply disrespected like that.

And…if there were stand users being brought back to life…that could stand to reason that HE’D been brought back, too.

Jotaro sighed and tipped his hat. It didn’t matter. He’d beat him again, burn the damn ashes if he had to, and he wouldn’t let anyone get hurt this time.

He promised himself that.

“So, where do you think your brother could be, Franny?” King asked.

“He’ll probably be with that foolish defense attorney.”

“And where would he go?” Yugi asked.

Yugi Mutou was a champion at some card game that was popular in this era. So much so that someone he knew owned a company that dealt with technology advancing the popularity and playability of the game. Kakyoin would be more interested in something like that—if he were alive.

“Excuse me!” an annoying voice spoke up.

There was a man with a TV for a head standing behind them. Why did he have a TV for a head? Why anything, really? Screw this place. It was weirder than some of the stand users he’d had to face. Well, maybe not the orangutan…

“Who are you?” Koichi asked.

“The name is Vox,” the man (?) explained. “I run a broadcast on television, the best and modern medium, to keep everyone up to date on current news. Couldn’t help but notice you folks seem a little out place, though, I’m one to talk.”

“Yes, you are,” Franziska added haughtily before Jotaro could. Hmph. Maybe she wasn’t so terrible.

“Oh! You’re Miss Von Karma! You’re the famous prosecutor! I heard you graduated from law school when you were, what, fifteen?” the television went on, clearly trying to be charming.

“Fourteen,” Franziska corrected. The attempts did not work. “Now, if you’ll step aside, we can get back to our business without fools interjecting themselves into it.”

“Hold on!” Vox objected, waving his hands to stop them. He gestured to King, seeming indifferent. Almost too indifferent. Jotaro always had the knack of picking up on the subtle expressions of anyone—even if they weren’t human. There was some interest there. But why? King was a mystery, true. But he was just a kid. Jotaro would break his screen face if he tried to hurt him. “I overheard your conversation. You’re looking for Miles Edgeworth, right?”

“Do you know my brother?” Franziska asked, narrowing her eyes at the man.

“Who doesn’t?” Vox asked. “It just so happens that I’ve overheard he’s going to be attending an interview session of mine tomorrow. I think he has a few questions for this Chairman Rose I’m interviewing. I…think he might be up to something. Your brother could be in serious trouble.”

Franziska was quiet for a moment, seeming to hesitate on what to say. “You have five seconds to explain.”

“Thank you,” Vox said, straightening the collar of his suit. “Chairman Rose is a serious technological genius. I’m interviewing him to alert the public of who he is. I think he’s the one who stole Mr. Kaiba’s technology, into which your brother is investigating. If he really wants to remain innocuous, he’ll probably use said technology to shut your brother up for good…if he shows up tomorrow. If you’re there, you might be able to help him.”

“Oh yeah?” Jotaro scoffed. “And why should we trust you?”

“Because I can help you,” Vox insisted. “All I want is to help the public.”

Like hell he believed that. But, if he had some semblance of answers, Jotaro was sure he could defend himself and anyone who came along should things get ugly. And they really needed some clues or leads as to where they were, who was stuck here with them, and what exactly they were up against.

“We’ll be there,” Franziska said. “But if you’re lying to me, I swear on my badge, I will mount your head on my wall!”

“You wound me, Miss Von Karma. Ye of little faith. Just trust the process. Trust me. I’m going to help all of you.”

It was weird, but when he spoke, it was as though no one could look away. Even he found himself nodding along. He’d be there tomorrow, of course. Why wouldn’t he be? It was set in stone.

“Good. Now, run along. Tomorrow is a big day, for all of us.”

…

Noriaki Kakyoin watched as Jotaro and the people surrounding him walked away from the television personality, Vox. He had wanted to step out of the alleyway he’d ducked into and shown Jotaro that he was alive and didn’t have a massive, gaping hole in the middle of his body. But then that man had started speaking to them, his mouth pouring a purple haze that seemed to entrance Jotaro and his new companions. Good thing he’d been on a walk to clear his head from the Giorno Giovanna guy. He looked so much like Dio, but Avdol had assured him he wasn’t a threat…for now.

Kakyoin held his mouth shut as two more people, one mothman and a shorter woman joined Vox.

“That was surprisingly easy,” Mothman commented, taking a drag from his cigar.

“Well, you know what they say, Val: curiosity kills,” Vox said with a laugh.

“So, our partners are coming tomorrow, then?” the woman said, flipping through her phone as though bored to death.

“Yes, and if we can give them Jotaro Kujo and the Titan, why we’ll be fucking high-class rulers. Hell, we’ll be drowning in so much money!”

“And bitches,” Val said in a way that made Kakyoin’s stomach turn.

“If you two can keep your big mouths shut,” the woman said. Her lips turned to a smirk. “I sense we have a stalker among us.”

There was no way they knew he was here. They couldn’t know!

“It’s true,” a chilling man’s voice spoke behind him. He hadn’t even heard anyone there! Yet, there he stood, a man in an orange and black suit and mask, armed to a T with different swords and weapons. He grabbed him faster than he could react and threw him in front of the trio. “He was there the whole time.”

“Naughty,” the mothman said, wagging a finger. He turned to his compatriots. “Should we kill him?”

“Probably for the best,” Vox said with a nod. “Sorry kid, it’s just good business. You’d understand if you got any older.”

Like hell he was going to let them hurt Jotaro. Jotaro, Polnareff, Mr. Joestar, Avdol, and Iggy had been his only friends. Jotaro had saved his life! Saved him from being Dio’s mindless slave.

He summoned Hierophant. “Hierophant Green! Twenty meter emerald—!”

He was cut off as someone hit him with some blunt object in the back of the head. He tried to get up, but someone pressed the full weight of their body onto his back.

“Just hold still, this will only hurt a second.”

“Oh no you don’t!” a girlish voice called out from above.

Kakyoin, straining to get his eyes to focus, looked up to see someone who looked like a harpy holding a girl with purple hair and elf ears. The harpy woman with short red hair threw the suited man back about twenty feet, while the purple haired girl that appeared to be a little younger than himself, maybe fifteen, drew a circle in the air that summoned three purple, goopy creatures that lashed out at the trio.

“Let’s get out of here,” the harpy woman said, grabbing Kakyoin and the girl by their waists.

The feeling of jettisoning into the air while dizzy was not a pleasant one.

The girl beside him gave him a sympathetic look, “If you’re not used to flying, you can close your eyes. It might make you feel better.”

He did end up closing his eyes—not by choice. He passed out. He woke up to hear the harpy woman talking in a rushed voice.

“They’re after my nephew!” she hissed. “Well, I’ll make sure they’ll never be able to go after anyone again.”

“I’ll help,” a gravelly voice said. “I mean, they’re after Jotaro. I know Josuke would be upset if anything happened to him. I’ve gotten better with the Hand to help…I think.”

Who was this? How did Jotaro know him? Kakyoin sat up and blinked a few times to get his vision to straighten out.

“It seems our guest has awakened,” a boy with a purple, green, and back cloth that covered most of his face said. His long and tattered robes were much the same. He held a hand out to Kakyoin. “Dost thou need assistance?”

Kakyoin, shaking his head looked for the source of the gravelly voice. He saw one other guy—he was likely the same age as him. He looked like a punk. He wore a Morioh school jacket. He had once lived in Morioh before moving. Only this guy’s jacket was decorated in dollar signs. And his hair was slicked back.

“How do you know Jotaro?” Kakyoin asked, trying to stand, but failing to do so as a wave of nausea overcame him. A girl with brown hair and green soldier’s uniform helped him back to the ground.

“Easy now. You’re safe here. We’re here to help you,” the girl assured him. “You have my promise as a Kyoshi warrior.”

“I don’t have time to relax,” Kakyoin insisted. “I’ve got to help Jotaro.”

A door shut and opened, “Mon ami, I agree. But you’re not going to help Jotaro in such a state.”

Kakyoin glanced to his left to see Jean-Pierre Polnareff, fellow crusader. Someone he hoped had survived Dio’s final confrontation.

“Polnareff,” Kakyoin said. He could feel his face soften a bit, even if he hated it. “Did you…you know?”

“Survive?” Polnareff finished for him. “I did. I…am not sure how you are here. Do you know…what happened?”

Kakyoin was acutely aware of what he had felt in his dying moments, and of course it would take Polnareff stumbling over his words to bring some sort of humor to this odd situation.

He nodded. “Yes. I remember all of it. I’m not sure how I’m here now, but Avdol is, too.”

Polnareff’s eyes lit up. “Really? Oh, this is fantastic news!”

He wasn’t ready when Polnareff scooped him up into a hug and laughed. “I’m so glad you’re both alive again! Maybe we can even find that mutt somewhere, eh?”

He continued to laugh and Kakyoin was glad to have that moment of relief. He’d been so happy when he found Avdol again, and now he knew almost everyone was safe, excluding Mr. Joestar and Iggy.

But back to business.

He glanced back to the punk. “How do you know Jotaro.”

“He came to Morioh,” the guy explained. “He helped us with the serial killer guy.”

“A serial killer…?” Kakyoin asked. He never expected Jotaro to become some sort of detective.

“He was a stand user who could explode things,” the guy elaborated. “Jotaro and Josuke beat the shit out of him.”

Now, that sounded more accurate. Except…

“Who’s Josuke?”

“My best friend. Super cool dude,” the punk explained. “He’s Jotaro’s uncle…weird, right?”

Polnareff put a hand on Kakyoin’s shoulder, “I suppose and explanation is in order.”

After a thirty-minute recap from Polnareff and the punk, Nijimura Okuyasu, Kakyoin understood that Mr. Joestar had…been unfaithful to his wife, leading to Josuke Higashikata. Apparently, Mr. Joestar had shown Okuyasu a picture of his days as a crusader, so he knew who they were. Though, he complained that Mr. Joestar couldn’t hear any of his questions, so he barely knew anything about Kakyoin or Polnareff. He wondered if that had been intentional on Mr. Joestar’s part. Still, Polnareff and Okuyasu seemed to get along surprisingly well.

During this time of explanations, the others introduced themselves. The boy in the torn robes and cover was Atticus. He kept many Pokémon, unlike his Cherubi Gladion had helped him catch. They were all poison types. The harpy woman’s name was Lillith. Her nephew had been the tiny creature Jotaro carried on his shoulders. The purple-haired girl’s name was Amity Blight. She summoned the slime creatures. And the brunette girl in the warrior’s attire was Suki. She was the leader of the Kyoshi warriors.

They had been staying with a retired businessman named Edwards. He lived in a nice mansion in Tokyo. He didn’t have any family, and after hearing that a bunch of people were going homeless in Tokyo due to the dimensional collision, he decided to open his doors to refugees. During this time, Lillith had been searching for her sister and her nephew, Amity her father, siblings, and her girlfriend, Okuyasu was searching for Josuke and Koichi (which apparently had been the boy in the Morioh school uniform with Jotaro), Suki was searching for her friends and her boyfriend, and Polnareff had been searching for any of them. They’d met when they fought some of the daimon off, and all this time, they had been more concerned about finding their friends.

Just as concerned as he was to getting to Jotaro now. He had to repay him. He had to help him! Because, for some reason, he had decided to help him all those years ago.

“Alright,” Kakyoin said. “What’s the plan?”

“Right…plan.”

Lillith laughed nervously. “The truth is…there is no plan.”

…

“Do you mind if I join you?”

Ami sat down with Luz, Giorno, and Sokka. Sokka hadn’t been aware said girl had stayed over this late. It was almost ten. Everyone else from the study group had left.

“Ami?” Luz questioned. “You okay? You look a little sad.”

“I’m fine,” Ami assured her. Her eyes drifted to the ground. “It’s just…everyone here is so strong, they have amazing dreams and ambitions, and Katara is simply amazing. She made waterbending seem almost effortless.”

Sokka had a feeling that he knew where this was going. He remembered how he felt with the others before Master Piandao had taught him the way of the sword. Being surrounded by people who could do all those incredible feats of nature was intimidating to say the least.

“I used to be so jealous of Katara, Aang, and Toph,” Sokka said. “Then I met Master Piandao. He taught me how to be a swordsman and showed me that I had to learn how to do things my own way. You’ve gotta understand yourself and what you want in life to find your place and your way. Really, it’s all up to you where you go and how you let other people make you feel about yourself.”

Ami was silent for a second. “I feel the same way. I don’t mean to be jealous. I love my friends very much…but I’m afraid all I’m good for is being the brains of the group.”

“And what’s so bad about that?” Giorno asked with a shrug. “You can probably see more things that Usagi, Mako, Mina, and Rei can’t see. I mean, you’ve been able to find a number of daimon with that scanner YOU built. So as impressive as raw power is, knowing how to guide it is sometimes even more important.”

Maybe this guy wasn’t so bad. Maybe Giorno was like Zuko; they just needed to give him a chance. Though, he didn’t want to have to break into a Fire Nation prison with him.

“But, everyone thinks all I do is study, even Usagi. She interrupted the studying session today to announce that I needed to focus on my studies. I’m sure she meant well, but it stung a little,” Ami said, tears sneaking at the corner of her eyes.

“I agree with Giorno,” Luz said. She grinned. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to study. When I went to Hexside, I wanted to study everything! A lot of people back home thought I was a nerd, but that doesn’t really matter. I had friends and family who loved and embraced my nerdiness. It’s the same for you. Your friends care about you, even if they can be a little overbearing about it.”

Ami wiped her eyes. “Thank you. I appreciate your advice.”

“Say, you want to be a doctor, right?” Luz asked.

“Yes!” Ami said, her eyes brightening.

“Maybe I can teach you some healing glyphs! I’ve been working on relearning them lately. Stringbean and I are getting pretty good at collabing with King on new Titan-language glyphs. They’re super easy to learn!” Luz offered.

Ami smiled. “I think I’d like that!”

“And I can give you some sword-fighting tips, if you’re interested,” Sokka said. “If nothing else, you can learn how to use the land around you for defense. It’s one of the most important and basic battle tactics.”

…

As the four continued to talk, they didn’t notice Kaolinite watching them from a building a bit far off. She could see them due to the powers Professor Tomoe had entrusted her with, and she seethed in anger. She’d never fit in with a regular society. Now even that freakish boy who had sold his soul had friends?

Well, it didn’t matter. Tomorrow was the beginning of the end.

For all of them.

#jjba #pokemon #pure heart crystals #ace attorney #miles morales #owl house #sailor moon #across the spiderverse #avatar the last airbender #kaolinite

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karlachgale95 · 11 months ago

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Hearts of the Multiverse-Chapter Ten: The Pitiful Children

Hey guys! I know this one took me a while, but I promise it's worth it! Please read and review. Reviews are like fuel to a writer.

Existence was ending. When they pulled everyone away from the claws of Chaos, herded their souls to safety for another chance to succeed, they had managed to resurrect them: this one last time. The physical strain of doing it wouldn’t be plausible anymore. Repeating and rewinding the timeline would now be impossible. If they didn’t get it right with this timeline…

They were all doomed.

…

The rain sort of stopped the next day, but the skies were still full of clashing and crashing of angry clouds that loomed ominously where planes flew so freely and carelessly away from here. He’d been helping Katara; it was midday and Giorno hadn’t waken up yet. He wasn’t dead. He’d sometimes flinch or intake a sharp breath, which Katara would soothe with healing water. She was like a doctor, knowing how to treat sudden lurches of pain.

Truthfully, she was kind of like a mom. She reminded him of his own mom—a nurse with boundless compassion and empathy. He wanted to see his mom again. He missed his family so much. He had to get back to them. Back to what would surely be the past by now. He’d do it by whatever means possible.

There were footsteps in the hall that echoed to the door. Rei’s voice intoned, “Is he going to be okay? He hasn’t woken up yet?”

Katara, focusing on healing, said, “He’ll be alright. I’m sensing that a lot of energy has been drained from whatever contract he made.”

Her hands glowed with the vibrance of the energy of the healing water that encased her open palms. It was an amazing ability—to heal people with something so commonplace and vital. Vitals solved through vitals. He internally laughed at his own joke.

Kaiba and the others who came with him had gone home. It had at least up enough for them to do that. But all that left was worry: worry that Giorno wouldn’t wake up, worry that the demon would make them all suffer, worry that the monsters would become larger in number, worry that he’d never get home, and worry that he wouldn’t be able to save his…

No. That one would never be true. He was Spiderman. He could do this.

“Alright, come on you two,” Makoto spoke up, walking into the room. She, Rei, Ami, and Usagi walked with her. Miles barely had time to look up before Mako was tugging on his arm, pulling him along.

“We can’t just leave,” Katara began to protest.

“Not to worry,” Josuke said, pulling the blonde boy who had passed out in the study room and Sokka with him. “We’re competent.”

“—Enough,” Sokka added in quickly.

“We don’t even know who this guy is,” Miles pointed out, gesturing to the blonde. “No offense.”

“None taken,” the boy said in stereotypical, almost insultingly so, Brooklyn accent. “Name’s Joey. Joey Wheeler.”

“You gotta trust us,” Josuke said, slinging an arm around Joey’s shoulder. “This guy is totally cool. We’ll watch Giorno for now, after all, we might be related.”

“Are you related to the DIO guy?” Miles asked.

“Nah. I’m related to Jonathan Joestar, before DIO stole his body. Or so says Mr. Avdol,” Josuke said, pausing thoughtfully. He shrugged. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Giorno and I are related somehow. I didn’t know my dad until a few months ago.”

“C’mon,” Usagi spoke cheerfully. “Mako, Ami, Luz, Zuko, Hunter, Arven, and I were going to head to the arcade. You should come with us.”

“Wait,” Katara said, almost disbelievingly. “Zuko wanted to go out?”

Zuko strolled into the room followed shortly by Hunter and Luz. Arven trailed a little bit behind all of them. “The others could be out there. Especially Toph or Aang. This arcade sounds like something they might like. There’s games and gambling.”

“For cheap prizes,” Ami cut in.

“Hmm, maybe Toph wouldn’t like it then.”

Katara looked from Sokka, to Josuke, to Joey, and back at Giorno. “Are you sure you can handle this?”

“What’s so hard about watching someone sleep?” Sokka asked with a shrug. He paused, seeming to notice the social faux pas. “That came out wrong.”

Miles was conflicted. He didn’t know whether he should be going to an arcade right now. Didn’t seem like something Spiderman would do. He couldn’t just abandon Giorno, right?

“He’ll be fine, Miles,” Luz spoke up. “Josuke is a healer, Sokka is smart, and Joey seems nice. You need a break!”

“…alright,” Miles agreed hesitantly. He turned to the trio of boys. “You guys will call if you need anything, right?”

“Yes, Mom,” Josuke said, rolling his eyes. “Go have fun! The arcade is awesome!”

…

As the group walked to the arcade, Makoto decided to hang back with Miles, who trailed behind the others. “So…you ever been to an arcade before? Or are those relevant in the future?”

Miles chuckled. “Yeah. I’ve been to an arcade. They’re pretty fun. Never went with a group this size before.”

“You haven’t lived until you see how bad Usagi is at the Sailor V game,” Mako said with a grin.

“HEY!”

“Prove me wrong!”

“Oh-hoh! Just you wait until we get to Game Center Crown!”

Usagi, while throwing her tantrum, had wondered onto the street. Miles sensed the danger before he heard the brakes of the motorcycle. He pulled the two people closest to the street, Makoto and Usagi, far away from the road. Perhaps it was a bit too hard because Usagi toppled onto him, which caused him to fall into Makoto, and all three of them ended up on the sidewalk in a jumbled mess.

“Are you three okay?” a muffled voice underneath a racer’s helmet asked.

The cyclist removed said helmet to reveal a tall person with short blonde hair, tan jacket, black shirt, cross necklace, and jeans. Their dark blue eyes pierced through his very being. Her stare was even more intense than Giorno or Zuko’s. It was possibly even akin to Kaiba.

“Oh hello, Haruka,” Usagi chirruped.

Makoto looked starstruck. Her face was flushed, and she was blushing.

“Are you two okay?” the blonde asked worriedly. “I’m so sorry. I was trying my best to swerve out of the way. It’s a good thing your friend acted so quickly!”

“It’s nothing,” Miles said.

“I doubt that. You might even be able to beat me in a race with reflexes like those,” the person laughed. “I’m Haruka. Who are your cute friends, kittens?”

“Kitten?” Luz repeated with a grimace.

“More of a wolf guy, myself,” Hunter murmured.

“I’m Miles Morales,” Miles said. “It’s nice to meet you, Haruka.”

“I’m Luz, Luz Noceda,” Luz said, shooting the blonde two finger-guns.

Hunter shook his head. “My name is Hunter. I’m Luz’s brother.”

“I’m Arven,” Arven said, seemingly disinterested in the conversation.

“I’m Katara,” Katara said with a smile. “It��s nice to meet more of Usagi and Mako’s friends. Everyone they know has been super nice to us.”

“Yeah,” Zuko agreed. He eyed the blonde suspiciously. “I’m Firelord Zuko.”

“Oh, breaking out the title,” Luz commented.

“I wonder why he would do that,” Katara said, almost in warning. It was as though they had their own code between each other that no one else was privy to.

Zuko shook his head. “I’m trying to be proper.”

Haruka snorted, “It’s not every day one gets to meet pretty boy royalty…I assume.”

“You assume correctly,” Zuko said coldly, not taking the passive-aggressive compliment/insult well.

Makoto let out a small hiss as she glanced to her hand. Her hand was scraped pretty bad from the impact on landing on her palm. Miles flinched. He should’ve been more careful. Miles reached for his pocket Band-Aids, but Haruka beat him to it.

“I’m so sorry,” the blonde apologized. She took a handkerchief from her jacket pocket and tied it around Makoto’s hand.

“Oh no! This is way too nice for something like this,” Makoto protested.

“It’s fine!” Haruka assured her. “You can give it back when we hang out again.”

“S-sure!”

Haruka grinned. Her watch alarm started to go off; she frowned and sighed. “I’m afraid I have to get going. I’ll see you around!”

As she sped off, Luz said, “She’s one smooth customer, I’ll give her that.”

“She sure is,” Makoto agreed.

“Mako, do you have a crush on Haruka?” Usagi asked incredulously.

“U-uh—n-no! Of course not!”

“It’s not that big a deal,” Luz said. “Though, she’s got nothing on Amity.”

“Seriously Mako,” Miles said. “If you want to, go for it.”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” Zuko interjected. “There was something—off about her.”

“Relax,” Katara said. “She was just really flirty.”

Zuko still didn’t seem convinced. Miles laughed but stopped cold when he heard a familiar voice. Someone he definitely didn’t want to hear. Not here. Not now. He used his invisibility as soon as he sensed her.

“I’m sure I detected an anomaly here,” Jessica Drew said to the man with purple-slime like hair, cape, and strange outfit beside her.

The man shook his head and groaned. “You’ve wasted a perfectly good day of relaxation, Jess. I just wanted to go to that tea shop everyone brags about.”

“Tea shop?” Zuko questioned.

“Darius!” Hunter shouted, his attention firmly on the strangers.”

“Well look who it is,” the man, Darius, mused. He smiled and pulled Hunter into a hug. “It’s good to know you’re safe.”

To Miles’ horror, Zuko ran up over to Jess. “I’m sorry, but did you say something about a tea shop? With really good tea?”

Darius scoffed. “Obviously. Why would we be talking about it otherwise?”

Jessica Drew flinched. She knew there was one of them around. She had to know it was him. He was so busted.

“Who runs the tea shop?” Zuko asked. “Where is the tea shop?”

“I’ll answer your question,” Jessica cut in. “If you answer mine.”

Zuko narrowed his eyes at her. For once, Miles was glad the firebender was as paranoid as he was.

“Go on.”

“Where were you kids heading?” Jessica asked smoothly.

“The Game Center Crown,” Usagi chirruped in the background. She stared at Jess and then her stomach. “Congratulations! Do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?”

“Nah. My husband and I are waiting for the delivery to find out the sex. Plus, my baby can make their own decision on that when they get older. For now, we’ve got a lot of yellow baby clothes—standard gender-neutral fare.”

“We’re getting off topic,” Zuko said.

“That’s true,” Jess said. She cocked her head to the side, studying Zuko. “Is this all of you? Are you sure you didn’t lose anybody along the way?”

Usagi was about to speak up when Katara cut her off. “Well, my brother had to stay behind with one of our other friends. He’s very sick.”

“Ah. And who is your friend?” Jess pressed.

She knew. She knew and she was going to ruin everything. At this point, he might not even be able to trust Hunter anymore if the man who, seemingly, cared about him were on Jess’s side.

“They’re talking about Giorno,” Arven spoke up. “He’s not been doing well lately.”

Jess shrank back, not expecting or satisfied with the response. Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew through the area.

“Oh no! My excuse to see Haruka again!”

The handkerchief that had been tied to Makoto’s wrist flew into the air, far above any of them. If Jess weren’t here, he might have used his webbing to catch it.

Makoto ran ahead of the others, giving Miles the chance to do the same. He’d rather follow her than stick around where anyone from the Spider-Society was. She ran until reaching a car lot. Miles, not sensing any other spider around, turned visible again.

“Ah—Miles!” Makoto said, as she spun, to unexpectedly see him. “You scared me.”

“Sorry, Mako.”

She sighed and looked at him for a few seconds. “Is she one of the people trying to stop you from saving your dad?”

Miles glanced to the ground. There was a rather interesting oil stain that had probably been sitting there for a while.

“I’m going to take that as a ‘yes.’ It’s okay, Miles. I’m not gonna rat you out. I don’t think the others will, either. I mean, even Arven covered for you.”

Miles laughed. “That’s true…thank you, Mako.”

“Hey, no sweat! Now, can you help me look for Haruka’s handkerchief?”

“Ah. Yeah, can’t have you losing your girlfriend’s stuff. Makes for a bad start in any relationship.”

Makoto playfully punched his arm, “Hey!”

Miles stooped to the ground and glanced under a Toyota. Nope. Not this one. The next was a yellow Honda. There was something there. And it crawled up his hand. He immediately shrieked in surprise and fell backwards. Seconds later, a small, yellow and blue spider crawled out and stared up at him. Recounting his exposure to the radioactive spider was not a memory he wished to relive. However, this spider was a little cute? It had four blue eyes that just stared at him inquisitively. It took another small step towards him, a bit of visible electric static pulsed in its small, fuzzy body.

“H-hey, little guy. You friendly?” Miles asked.

The yellow spider jumped up, making a cute squeak.

“Looks like that Joltik likes you,” a boyish voice commented.

Miles turned around to see a boy, probably no older than ten, standing at the entrance of the lot. He had on a black t-shirt, blue jean vest, jeans, shaggy black hair, and a cap. A Pikachu ran up beside him, announcing himself with a quick, “Pika-pi!” Hunter and Arven stood next to him.

“Hey Hunter,” Miles said hesitantly. “Where’s Darius and the others?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Hunter said. “He’s distracting Mrs. Drew. I talked to him about it. Don’t worry. You can trust him. He’s not on her side. He’s our guy on the inside.”

“You told him?” Miles asked, exasperated.

“You can trust Darius,” Hunter swore. “He’s going to help you. I promise.”

“Geez, I thought more people would recognize the world champion,” the ten-year-old murmured.

“Sorry, we don’t have time for that,” Miles shot back. “We’ve got real problems going on.”

“There are no problems,” Hunter argued. “Arven can back me up, he was in on the conversation!”

Miles looked to Arven expectantly. Arven nodded. “He’s telling you the truth. Darius doesn’t seem like a bad guy. He kind of reminds me of Larry.”

The small spider stepped in front of Miles and squeaked angrily at Hunter and Arven.

Arven shuddered. “I’ve never been good with bug-type Pokémon.”

Miles outstretched his palm to Joltik, who gladly climbed onto his arm and rested on his shoulder.

“Gotcha!”

A purple glow and Makoto’s shout turned their attention to the brunette girl who scrambled to get away from the daimon forming under the car. Hunter, Arven, and the kid with them stumbled back into a signpost. Miles saw Hunter’s hand brush up against the post of the sign before it also became enshrouded in that signature purple glow. Shoot!

Hunter was closest to the daimon near him. He acted on his gut and pulled Hunter away first, which turned out to be a good decision because the monster lunged a steel-beam post arm at the spot he was standing. Miles, almost on reflex, drew Makoto closer to him, too. Arven and the kid gave each other a nod. Arven sent out his Scovillain, and the boy directed his Pikachu as the cloth monster that shot out a line of red fabric at Makoto.

“Pikachu, use Iron Tail!”

“PIKA!”

The rope was cut as a loud metal slash hit cotton. Makoto was released from her from its grip. The monster turned its attention to the small electric mouse. It stared up at the sky, looking for something. Finally, it called out, “Lady Kaolinite, help me.”

A red burst of energy caused five of them to crumble to the ground. Miles grit his teeth from the pressure and pain that drilled its way through his spine to his toes. It was like a cursed electricity he couldn’t control or redirect. Even Pikachu and Mabostiff were put out of commission.

“You can probably save one of them,” a familiar voice, the voice of the witch Kaolinite, stated. “But not both.”

His mind flashed back to the intervention with Miguel.

“I’m Spiderman! I can always do both!”

“Not always,” Miguel had said in that condescending voice. He had been so sure of knowing what Miles could and couldn’t do, how he was destined to destroy the multiverse, and how he was a mistake. No. Miguel was wrong.

Miles stood up. The little spider beside him—it’s eyes widened in a strange understanding. It shot a bolt of blue electricity into Miles’ hands. Miles held it for a second before muttering. “Spiderman always does both.”

He shifted the power of the bolt to both of his hands and shot both monsters out of the lot.

The witch’s mouth hung agape. “Damn you! We’ll be back!”

She disappeared in a flurry of rose petals. Miles collapsed to his knees. The small Joltik skittered to him, pawing at his face. He chuckled. “I’m okay, little guy.”

“I knew it.”

Miles craned his head up to see Jessica Drew standing at the entrance. She tried to enter something in on her watch—coordinates to her location most likely. Miles knew he was screwed, but he wasn’t going to allow those monsters to hurt Mako and Hunter.

However, a purple blob monster appeared behind her and knocked the device out of her hand.

“Contacting Miguel, Jess? Why?” Darius asked, casually striding over to her.

“Darius, stay out of this,” Jessica warned. “You have no idea how dangerous that kid is.”

“Don’t call me that,” Miles spat.

“What else do you want me to call a reckless brat in way over their head?” Jessica asked.

“That reckless brat saved my reckless brat, so if you and Miguel really want to get into this, as a former coven head, I’d be more than happy to step up to the challenge. And believe me when I tell you this Jessica Drew, you don’t know power until you’ve faced the likes of Darius Deamonne!”

Five more slime monsters appeared out of nowhere, each bigger than the last. Miles slowly saw Hunter sit up, “Told you we could trust him.”

Jessica looked from Darius, to Miles, to Hunter. “It’s a wash today. Don’t bother coming back, Darius.”

Darius shrugged. “I never cared for your little club, anyways.”

She turned away from the group, hopped on her motorbike.

He sauntered over to the group, helping everyone sit up. “Easy now. Don’t get up too fast.”

“Sorry for not trusting you, Hunter,” Miles said. “Do you know where the others are?”

“We got separated after one of those rogue senshi split us up for some reason,” Hunter explained.

“I think I’m figuring it out.”

Zuko stood with the others at the entrance. “They want to track those heart crystal things, too. I’m not sure why, but we should consider them just as dangerous as the witch and her monsters.”

“That’s probably for the best,” Katara agreed.

“If Katara thinks it’s bad, it probably is,” Miles said with a nod.

Arven cracked a small smile. “So did it mean anything when Zuko said it?”

“Yeah,” Zuko said, raising an eyebrow. “I’d like to know that, too.”

“Wait a minute,” Ami said, gesturing to the boy. “Who’s this?”

“I didn’t think anyone was going to ask,” the boy said with a laugh. “I’m World Pokémon champ, Ash Ketchum!”

…

Gwen Stacy had been trying to get to the universe Miles accidentally trapped himself in when she got sucked into this world. Apparently, Jess and Miguel were here, too. It was good news that they didn’t have the entirety of the Spider Society behind them. Miles was here. She could sense it. She had to get to him before they did.

She wouldn’t allow them to hurt him again. Originally, she’d planned to look for Miles today, but Kaiba had asked (told) her to help Connie, Penny and Wyll with the kids while Gale, Karlach, Robin, Ty Lee, and Marcy looked for their friends. She was kind of surprised and disheartened he didn’t keep Karlach around. She was strong as hell, and Gwen was learning a lot about heavy weaponry from her. And Ty Lee had promised to show her how to block someone’s chi.

Getting stronger and bettering herself was one of her top priorities while they were trapped in this amalgamation of universes. She would never let anyone get hurt, used, or lied to again. She kept picturing Miles’ face as he leapt from the moon monorail; the hurt and betrayal in his eyes was painful to remember.

“Gwen, you okay?” Connie asked.

Connie Maheswaran had her own pink sword. It looked like it was made of pure crystal. She was deadly with both a sword and brains. They got along pretty well.

“I’m fine,” Gwen said with a gentle smile. “We should probably go check on the kids. It’s not fair to leave Penny and Wyll to watch them for too long.”

“You’re right,” Connie said with a laugh. “C’mon!”

The two took the elevator up to a level Kaiba had converted into a temporary loft level. It was the smallest level, but still very roomy. No surprise with someone as rich as Kaiba.

Suddenly, a deep and overwhelming pressure came over her; she was no longer in the elevator. Instead, the hallway was dimly lit, science experiments cluttered desks, and electricity hung in the air, tickling her skin.

“You swore you’d protect them,” Kaiba’s voice hissed.

“You can’t do this!” another girl’s voice urged.

“Miles! No!” A boy’s voice shouted.

Miles. Her Miles? Where was this place? How—?

And just as it had happened, the scene was replaced by the main loft floor. Everything was as it should be. A few beds, Pokémon playing in the corner of the room, and Wyll in the center of the room surrounded by an audience of kids listening to his story.

“And that’s when our brave friend, Tav, fought off the goblins torturing the bear,” Wyll explained. “As it turned out, it was the druid, Halsin, whom we had been looking for all along. Much like you, young man.”

“Like me?” the green boy in the center’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. Must not be too many shifters where he was from. “Do you know where he is?”

Wyll shook his head. “That’s why Karlach and Gale have gone out today. They’re looking for our friends.”

“I should go looking for my friends, but I don’t want to leave you to handle things on your own, Mr. Ravengard.” Penny said.

“It’s quite alright,” Wyll assured her. “And, please, it’s just Wyll. I need no pomp or circumstance around my name.”

“You two nerds are in luck,” Gwen said. “We’ve come to help your babysitting adventure.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, toots, we don’t need a babysitter,” a girl with black hair in a big bun stated. She glanced towards Gwen, but not at her. “Wyll was just telling us about some of his adventures.”

“Toots?” Gwen repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Didn’t know people still used that phrase.”

“What I say is unique,” the girl pointed to herself.

“Oh please, every girl with a Tumblr account has said that at some point—I’ve said that at some point,” Gwen said with a small laugh.

“I don’t know what Tumblr is, but I do know a dork when I hear one.”

“You shouldn’t be so down on yourself like that,” Gwen countered.

The girl paused for a moment and grinned. “Alright. I walked into that one.”

“What’s your name short and spunky?”

“Spunky? And you made fun of me for saying toots? My name is Toph.”

Gwen looked to the others, “And who are your other friends, guys?”

Bede scoffed. “Hardly.”

Then why were they here? She wasn’t going to dig that far, though. She didn’t want to be intrusive.

“I’m Hop. This sod just hates me because we beat him last time we were here,” the boy with the dark indigo hair and jean jacket commented.

“Keep pushing your luck.”

“My name is Shauna,” the girl in the frilly pink shirt said with a huge smile.

“Alola, m’name’s Hau,” the boy with green hair said.

“W-Wally,” the paler, green-haired kid spoke up. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“And I’m Augustus, but most people call me Gus,” the shortest kid with pointy ears like an elf said. “Just don’t call me Goops!”

Toph grinned. “You shouldn’t’ve said that…Goops.”

“No!” the boy cried, falling dramatically to his knees. “It’s come back again!”

“Who called you Goops first?” Hop asked, a little bemused.

“…Eda.”

“Figures.”

Gwen’s senses perked up as she could hear commotion outside. She was probably the only one who could hear due to her heightened hearing, but she could always signal to Connie and Wyll to signal help…somehow.

“Hey, I think I left a pair of sneakers I bought outside the other day. I meant to bring them inside, but I bought too many snacks, and I had to choose between one or the other…”

They all looked at her, confusion evident on their faces. She sighed. “Look, Penny, can you watch the kids? I need Connie and Wyll to help me look for my shoes.”

“Why them?” Toph asked, crossing her arms.

“Because…they’re great trackers.”

“That was pathetic,” Silver said. “If you’re going to lie, put some effort into it.”

“You guys just stay here,” Gwen said. She turned to Wyll and Connie. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Gwen, taking the quickest route, exited the window. The window cleaners could get any handprints, right? The transition to the ground was almost too easy. When she got there, she saw Kaiba glaring at a monster with the color scheme of a Nintendo game controller. Gwen put on her mask and shot the creature with her webbing into one of the glass walls of the building.

Kaiba’s frown didn’t change, “Someone has to clean that.”

“Wow. A thanks would’ve been nice,” Gwen said, knowing full-well it wasn’t going to happen.

“Sato!” A voice from above called out. It was that red-haired witch that popped up every now and then. “Collect Mr. Kaiba and get out. I have elsewhere to be—other targets to pursue. Do not fail me.”

And with that, she disappeared. Gwen rolled her eyes and effortlessly flung the creature back when it tried to leap up again. Wyll could get rid of it with his weird powers, or Connie could stab it with her sword. Usually, Karlach could finish them off in one blow. It’d just poof back into the object it was made up of; Gwen had been studying the little eggshells that popped out of them when the monster was destroyed. It was completely dead at that point. She wasn’t sure they were ever truly alive to start.

To top it all off, they were after that device Kaiba was working on that could get them all home. But they needed him to build it for them. If they wanted multiversal travel, that couldn’t mean anything good.

“Do you freaks not understand?” Kaiba asked the monster. “I’ll never work with you.”

“You don’t have a choice,” the monster countered. Cables and wiring extended from its torso.

Gwen could sense someone behind her. She used her webbing to pull Kaiba away from the attempted kidnapping and shot up to a Blue Eyes White Dragon statue that was at least four stories high.

“Don’t destroy my statue, either.”

“You know, I could just drop you.”

To Gwen’s surprise, it wasn’t Connie or Wyll who had come down first. Wyll had come out second, chasing after the little, blind girl who had managed to get past him.

“It’s not safe!” Wyll insisted.

Toph grinned. “And?”

She shifted her feet quickly. The monster sunk underground until all but its head was buried. Toph walked calmly over to the monster and asked, “Now, why’d you attack Mr. Wright?”

“We need to find the pure hearts that contain talismans. My boss targeted him due to high suspicion. And she won’t stop until she gets her way.”

“Yeah?” Toph snorted. “And just what are these talismans, anyways?”

“Like I’d tell you!”

“That’s fine!”

Wyll grabbed Toph. Karlach, seemingly have returned from her journey, brought her great axe down on the monster’s head.

“Wow, whatever weapon that was, you just cracked the ground with it.”

“How do you know that little one?” Wyll asked.

“I felt the vibrations in the earth,” Toph explained. “I listen to the earth.”

“Right clever trick that is,” Karlach said with a laugh. “I like this one. She’s like I was at her age.”

Toph grinned. “Oh, she’s cool.”

Gwen lowered herself and Kaiba back down to the ground.

“You make quite the damsel, Seto,” Karlach commented. Toph laughed even louder.

“You do enjoy having a place to stay, don’t you?”

“Oh, come on,” Karlach said, lightly (?) punching his arm. “I was only having you on. Not to worry, though. Wyll, Gale, and I got you covered where the monsters are concerned.”

“And I’m just sitting here?” Gwen asked.

“Come off it, Gwenny. Of course, you, too.”

The other kids came down and ran over to their group. Mokuba was the first to ask, “Seto, are you okay? They didn’t hurt you?”

Mokuba Kaiba, unlike his brother, seemed to have a moral compass. Although younger, he was way more compassionate.

“They’d never get the chance,” Karlach said. “Not while we’re around.”

Mokuba gave them a grateful look, “Thank you. I—we appreciate it.”

Kaiba didn’t say anything, but he did give them a nod. It was something.

“Well, we’ve gotta go,” Toph said. “We’re going to go look for old friends.”

“Oh, yeah,” Mokuba said. He turned to Seto. “Silver, Bede, and I promised Toph and the others we’d help them look for their friends.”

“No,” Kaiba said. “Absolutely not.”

“But I promised!”

“There are monsters out there. You three aren’t going anywhere.”

“Now hold on now,” Karlach said. “A promise is a promise.”

“Oh,” Kaiba said, raising an eyebrow. “And what do you suggest?”

“Well, I can go with them. Me, Wyll, and Gwenny. We can keep the pups safe.”

“No,” Kaiba said, a little too quickly.

Gwen decided to get involved. “So, you’re just gonna keep everyone cooped up here? It’s not healthy. Even you go out, Kaiba.”

He was quiet for a moment. He sighed. “If there’s one scratch on my brother, I will personally see to your eternal demise. Do you understand?”

“Of course,” Karlach said. She paused. “Though, not much a threat to someone like me. I’ll teach you better intimidation tactics when we get back!”

Gwen took off her mask and put a jacket on over her suit. “Don’t worry. They’ll be fine.”

“As Blade of the Frontier,” Wyll said. “I defend the innocent from all and any harm, and not to brag, but I’m pretty renowned for it.”

“You’d best hope so.”

Gwen turned to the kids. “Alright, come on. Better keep up if you don’t wanna get left behind.”

This earned her another glare.

…

Darius had led them to the tea shop. Zuko knew that if those ‘Spider Society’ people gave them any trouble, he and his uncle could handle it. He kind of understood why Miles had trust issues now. After he had chosen to save Hunter and Makoto from danger and was still deemed a threat well…it was a bit like how he had tried to save Lee from those military thugs. The town still rejected him because he was Ozai’s son.

“But we were supposed to go to the arcade,” Usagi whined.

“Oh shush. This is important to Zuko,” Rei chastised.

Usagi grumbled slightly, but her grumbling faded to curiosity. “So, what’s your uncle like, Zuko?”

“He’s like a father to me,” Zuko said. “He’ll be able to help us. All of us.”

They walked until finally reaching the tea shop. Zuko swung open the door and walked to the counter where a girl with blonde pigtails stood, giving the group a smile.

“I need to speak with the owner,” Zuko said. “Now.”

“Manners,” Katara interjected.

“Now, please,” Zuko added.

The blonde girl kept her smile. “You must be Zuko, right?”

“Oh hey, it’s the flame man,” Pavitr spoke up. He peaked around the corner and grinned. “How’s it hanging?”

“Pav, why didn’t you tell us Iroh was related to Zuko?” Miles asked.

“Well, to be honest, I got caught up in trying to find our friends,” Pav explained. “I didn’t give it much thought.”

“Zuko?”

His uncle walked out of the kitchen, surprised to see him. That surprise quickly faded into a smile as his uncle pulled him in for a hug.

“It’s good to see you, nephew.” He peered over his shoulder at the others. “And it is good to see you with old friends and new.”

“It’s good to see you again, too!” Katara said.

“Is everyone else stuck here?” His uncle asked.

“Well, Sokka is with us,” Katara explained.

“It only stands to reason that some of the others made it here, too.” Zuko said, both knowing exactly who they were referring to.

“Why don’t you sit down for some tea?” the blonde girl suggested. “My name is Mami Tomoe, by the way.”

The group took a seat at one of the longer tables. His uncle excused himself to deal with some of the other customers in the building. Zuko was a bit disappointed, but he thought he hid it pretty well.

“So…your uncle is a good guy?” Hunter questioned, still seemingly unsure.

“Of course he is,” Zuko almost snapped.

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Not the best experience with uncles,” Luz said, patting Hunter’s shoulder.

“At least you’ll never have to deal with him again,” Darius said. “And don’t worry. I won’t let anyone like that hurt you again.”

Hunter gave him a weak smile. His uncle returned with tea to their table after dealing with two people. One was a person with short black hair, two hair clips, and a strange white and tear-drop shaped dots. The other person with them had long purple hair, purple jacket, slacks, and shoes. Zuko noticed they were paying attention to their group but were keeping a low profile in doing so. Well, two could play at that game.

Sensing the tension, the blonde girl spoke up again, “Now that I’ve introduced myself, perhaps those of you I haven’t met can do the same.”

Introductions were made. Usagi took a sip of her tea and her eyes went wide. “This tea is the best I’ve ever had! Gee Zuko, you really meant it when you said your uncle was a tea master!”

“You flatter me, young lady,” his uncle said. “I’m simply a man who knows how people like their tea. It’s very good to see that my nephew is still making friends, even in such a strange, new place.”

“Well, we all think Zuko is cool,” Luz said with a grin. “Though he’s terrible at Mario Kart.”

“I don’t understand the point of those video games,” Zuko said, shaking his head.

“Then why did you want to go to the arcade with us?” Makoto asked.

Zuko felt his face heat up as he turned away from the group. He muttered. “I wanted to make sure everyone stayed safe.”

“That’s so sweet!” Luz said.

Usagi nodded. “Absolutely. You raised a good guy!”

“Ugh. This is getting far too saccharine for me,” Darius said.

His uncle raised an eyebrow. “Have you been their guardian so far? I hope it hasn’t been too much trouble.”

“Thankfully no,” Darius said with a small smirk. He gestured to Hunter. “This one is my responsibility. And it just so happens these kids have been helping to protect him, so I am indebted to them now. I suppose I will be watching over them from now on.”

“You do not have to do this alone,” his uncle said. “I will be happy to help you. Though, I think my nephew can take care of himself.”

“See, that’s what I thought,” Darius said. “Unfortunately, those monsters out there make that rather…difficult. I’ll be using my abomination magic to set up a perimeter around their shelter.”

“Abomination magic?” Ami questioned.

“Those purple goopy guys you saw earlier,” Luz explained. “Amity is proficient in that magic.”

“As proficient as a Blight can get in abomination magic,” Darius said with a slight smirk. Luz glared at him.

A tiny, yellow paw stretched out to the table, right where there were some cookies. Zuko’s hand was about an inch away from them, and the yellow creature the boy with disorderly black hair tried to reign in the small mouse (?). Both of them looked pretty hungry. Zuko grabbed a couple of the cookies and handed them to the boy.

“Here, welcome to the lost club.”

The boy smiled from ear to ear. “Thanks! We’ve been here for two days, and we have no idea where to go.”

“I didn’t expect the world champion to be so underprepared,” Arven said. “I camp out around Paldea all the time.”

“Wow, you live in Paldea? I’ve never been there. What’s it like?” the boy asked.

Arven frowned. “It’s where I grew up. A lot of people go to Naranja Academy. Miss Class President and I go there.”

“I went to a Pokémon school in Alola,” Ash explained. “Professor Kukui was the best.”

Arven smiled slightly, “Lillie said he’s really nice.”

“Whoa! Lillie is with you guys? That’s awesome! I can’t wait to talk to her again!”

The bell to the entrance of the shop rang. Mami got up. “I’ll go greet our new guests.”

A familiar voice chimed in, “Well, look who it is.”

It was that girl from earlier with another, elegant-looking girl with wavy blue hair like water. Zuko narrowed his eyes at them. Something about them was off. Maybe he was being paranoid, but it was better to be paranoid than careless. They invited themselves to sit at their table. He could feel the scowl forming on his face; Ty Lee would probably yell at him about stress lines.

The blond sat beside Makoto while the bluenette sat down between him and Hunter, only increasing his suspicion. Why? Why take pains to separate themselves from each other when they seemed so obviously close?

Luz, Usagi, and Ami seemed enamored with the blue-haired girl. Luz was the first to speak up. “Hey, Haruka, who is your friend?”

Haruka raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “This is my partner, Michiru.”

“Oh,” Mako said, a bit downtrodden. “You’re together?”

“You can put it that way,” Michiru said thoughtfully. What kind of response was that? Were they together or not?

“Can I get you girls some tea?” his uncle offered.

“That’d be lovely,” Michiru said with a pleasant smile. “Thank you.”

It was quiet for a minute before Haruka spoke up. “Michiru thought it would be a good idea to make up the motorbike incident from earlier. I thought I might take you for a drive, Mako and get a bite to eat. Does that sound fair?”

Makoto nodded fervently. “Y-yeah! Totally fair.”

“Nerd,” Miles whispered to her. She playfully jabbed him in the stomach.

“Is your girlfriend really okay with that?” Zuko asked.

“Yeah, I mean, Amity and I would never,” Luz agreed. Finally, someone on his side! Even if it were for different reasons.

“Of course,” Michiru answered with a mock glare to the blonde. “It’s only right that Haruka make up for any of her wrong-doings.”

“I mean, I guess,” Luz said.

The bluenette turned to Usagi. “Perhaps you and your friends would like to join me at the art museum today?”

“I think,” Miles spoke up suddenly. He locked eyes with Zuko for a split second—a mutual understanding. Healthy paranoia. “I’ll go with Mako, if that’s okay.”

Haruka blinked. “Sure. I don’t mind.”

“The rest of us would love to join you, Michiru!” Usagi chirruped.

…

And that’s how Firelord Zuko, Katara, Arven, Hunter, Usagi, Ami, Rei, Luz, Darius, and Ash ended up at an art museum. The Pokémon champion echoed his quiet sentiments: “So…these blobs look kinda cool, I guess.”

The small Pikachu by his side tried to mimic the shape of the blobs on the painting. It was weirdly endearing.

Michiru chuckled. “It’s an abstract painting.”

“It’s abstract alright,” Ash agreed.

The painting was full of colorful blobs and squares. There were no white spaces. It was still somehow better than Sokka’s paintings.

“I think they’re kind of neat,” Luz said. “Like glimpses into another world.”

“You’d know about that, wouldn’t you?” Hunter teased.

Darius studied the pieces and scoffed. “It’s pretentious, really. I mean, the audacity to call it ‘The Human Condition.’ I’m sure this doesn’t cover all humankind…right, human?”

“It’s kind of a vague label,” Luz shrugged with a sheepish grin.

Zuko looked to Usagi who looked just as bored as himself and Ash. “Michiru, are any of your pieces here?”

“You paint?” Katara asked.

“Oh yes,” Michiru said. “I’ve got a few pieces in museums around Tokyo. I teach a class down at the rec center from time to time, if you’re interested in that sort of thing. Oh, this piece over here! This is mine.”

She guided them to a large painting of a ship stuck out in troubled waters. The sky was gray and bleak. The ship appeared fractured and broken. Zuko was struck with the intensity of the realism and feeling behind this portrait. It was almost ominous.

“Chilling,” Rei commented.

“Abysmally so,” Ami said.

“It can’t all be ‘Sunflowers,’” Michiru said with a chuckle. She paused when no one got the joke. “I was speaking of Van Gogh’s painting.”

“Ah yes,” Ami said. “I remember that one.”

“Is that the guy who cut his ear off,” Rei asked in a hushed whisper. Ami nodded.

“Why did he do that?” Zuko asked.

“There are many stories,” Michiru explained. “One being that he wanted to show a disfigured woman he would stand in solidarity with her. Van Gogh was not well during his life.”

“It shows,” Usagi said monotonously.

“Excuse me,” a light-hearted voice cut in. It was a woman with dark brown hair, big flowery hat, a frilly blouse covered by a gray vest, gray skirt, and black high heels. She walked towards them, handing Zuko a pamphlet first. “I couldn’t help but notice that you looked like this was your first time here. This is a map of all the exhibits. It’ll help you see who created what.”

That intense intuition gnawed at his gut again. Something was off. He looked the pamphlet up and down. There was nothing strange about it. True to her word, it even had a location of the pieces Michiru had donated to the museum.

She handed one to each of them. Katara nudged Zuko’s shoulder. “Do you think we should ask Sokka to submit here?”

“Well, if the blobs got in, he’s got a chance,” Zuko countered. He leaned towards Katara. “Something is off here. I don’t know what, but I feel like something bad is going to happen.”

Maybe it was the visions he’d seen through the fire lately. Nothing good came from them. Is that all seeing into the future did? Heighten paranoia? But if there were something to be afraid of, then it wasn’t really paranoia. Was it?

“And here you are…target.”

The lady in the big hat shoved the last pamphlet into Hunter’s hands, causing the room to glow purple. She cast some sort of barrier that shut them inside this area of the exhibit. The woman threw off the wig in disguise while the pamphlet in Hunter’s hands transformed into an origami figure with sharp and jagged edges for arms and legs. It’s face was marred by the names of artists, and its dress was the stormy blue found in Michiru’s painting. Before they could do anything, the pamphlets they had wrapped around their arms, torso, and legs like ropes, sending a paralyzing shock through their bodies.

“Papyr!” the monster chanted.

“Papyr,” the red witch said calmly. “Collect the target’s pure heart.”

Hunter backed away, but there wasn’t anywhere to go.

“Hunter! Don’t you dare hurt him!” Luz shouted.

“If you harm that child in any way, I will eliminate you slowly and painfully!” Darius warned.

“Oh, what can any of you do?” the red witch asked with a laugh. She smirked as the monster raised its hand toward Hunter, who ducked away from an oncoming blast. “You can only run for so long…Hunter.”

Zuko knew he was right! And maybe that was what gave him enough energy to firebend his way out of his bindings. Part of learning firebending from the dragons was learning it could be used to protect people who needed it. He stepped in front of Hunter, causing the witch to scowl.

“Get out of the way!” she hissed.

“I won’t let you hurt anyone here. These people have been nothing but kind to us, and I’ll fight any monster you set after them.”

The witch paused and then slowly smiled. “That can be arranged in the future. I see potential in you. But for now, Papyr! Do as I told you to do!”

Zuko took a deep breath in and hurled a fiery fist at the monster. However, something went wrong. He was consumed in a bigger, agonizing pain than the lightning before. And this was from water. Water. The element that healed. Water. The element that protected. Water. The thing Katara had used to save his life in the fight against Azula. This wasn’t…right.

“ZUKO!” Katara cried out.

He fell to the ground and lifted his head up to see a girl whose face seemed a complete blur. She wore a senshi fuku, but she had been the one to hurl the attack. She was the one who had attacked the monster who had attacked Rei.

“What are you doing?” Ami yelled.

“I need to see what kind of pure heart your friend has,” the girl said, remorsefully. But how could she be remorseful when she was doing this? What was the purpose?

“How kind of you to help,” The red witch said sarcastically. She turned back to Hunter. “Now, hold still.”

Zuko struggled to get back up, but more of the pamphlets flew to him, ensnaring his body. He couldn’t move; it was hard enough to breathe!

“You want to hurl around water attacks?” Katara said, her voice as dark as when Zuko had joined them at the air temple. “That’s fine. Try it again. Or better yet—.”

The water around Zuko was absorbed into the air. The water turned into sharp daggers that flew through the air towards the witch, the monster, and the rogue senshi. By the time they were done, the area was covered in frost, the senshi was nowhere to be seen, neither was the witch, and the monster had been torn to shreds.

Hunter slumped down against the wall and held his head in his hands. “Th-thank you, Katara.”

“Don’t mention it.” Katara turned her attention to Zuko, who hissed in pain when she tried to prop him up. She began to look over his wounds with waterbending. “Zuko, are you okay? Oh…I’m not sure what that water attack was, but it did quite a number. Don’t get up too fast. Let me help you. There we go.”

Katara ducked under one of his shoulders while Luz ducked under another.

“Thank you for helping Hunter,” Luz said quietly. “Let’s get you home. You need to rest that leg.”

Zuko glanced down to his leg. Something had hit it and caused it to bleed. Had there been ice in that water attack? It did feel sharp and painful. He didn’t have time to wonder. He just wanted to sit back down.

Usagi, Rei, Ami, and Arven helped Michiru who had been knocked so far back into another hallway and covered in the pamphlets that she’d gotten severely bruised. Ash and Darius helped Hunter get up and start walking.

One thing Zuko did know was that these witches weren’t going to stop. And he groaned as he reflected back on the witch’s words. He hoped she didn’t mean what he thought she meant by ‘potential.’

…

Miles, Haruka, and Makoto were driving all around Tokyo. Haruka, true to her word, treated them to some fancy ramen. It had eggs, meat, and all sorts of veggies. Tasty stuff. Though, Mako kept teasing him for not knowing how much to order. Okay, so he over-ordered, but he didn’t know the system. And he promised to pay Haruka back. Did that count for nothing?

Now they were relaxing in the park. Miles was walking ahead with Mako, just enjoying the moment. She almost made him forget about everything that had happened to him in the past few months. She was nice, she offered him good advice, she was pretty, and oh…

Oh crap.

Not this again.

“Miles?”

He could feel the blush in his face as Makoto smiled at him. “You were deep in thought there. What’s up?”

“Oh, uh, just thinking, I guess.”

Mako laughed. “Yeah, I do that, too. People call me spacey. Glad to know I’m not the only one.”

It was quiet before Miles spoke up in a hushed voice. “It’s good to know someone else who can control electricity. I thought I was alone in that. And you’ve been so nice to me. It’s refreshing, you know?”

“And vice-versa,” Makoto said with a smile. “You know, everyone always treats me like I’m indestructible and strong enough to take on whatever, but you’ve just treated me…I don’t know…like a realistic person?”

“I get that,” Miles said. “Being Spiderman, a lot of people look up to you. You have to act like you know what you’re doing, otherwise people will lose hope. It’s a lot of pressure.”

“At least you got that cute little Joltik now,” Makoto said. “Maybe Arven, Nemona, or Lillie can help me catch a Pokémon.”

“Not a bad idea,” Miles said. “Maybe I can go with you, too.”

“You seem to be a natural,” Mako said with a laugh. He thought he could see the faintest trace of a blush. “And I wouldn’t mind if you came with.”

“What about Haruka?” Miles asked with a grin.

“She seems to be happy with Michiru. I wouldn’t dream of breaking that happiness. I’ll look up to her, but that’s it,” Makoto said. “Besides, it’s like you said Miles, we’re kindred spirits!”

Oh. Oh no…She was so nice. But…what should he do? Her hand inched closer to his on the guardrail they were leaning against. This scene was all too familiar. He’d done the same with Gwen just a couple of months ago.

“Mako…I…”

“SCAR!”

Like a banshee, the monster from earlier dropped down from a streetlamp above. Miles grabbed Makoto’s hand and pulled her along. “Come on, we gotta go!”

“I’ll hold it off!” Haruka shouted, pulling back her fist to punch the monster in its face.

It, instead, grabbed Haruka’s fist and sent her flying into the forest beyond. It then grabbed Miles and chucked him into the water below the bridge. He quickly tried to reorient himself and saw Joltik struggling in the water. He carefully cupped it and held it above the water, before he could even pull himself up. Once he broke through, he could hear Makoto’s screams.

“MAKO!”

He placed Joltik safely on the ground and leapt out of the water, landing just feet away from the monster and a barely conscious Mako. He also saw one of the sailor senshi in a dark blue and yellow fuku just standing there—watching as the monster held Mako’s pure heart.

The senshi shook her head. “We both wasted our time here. That’s not a talisman.”

He saw the red witch appear. She sneered at the crystal. “It’s not important then. Destroy it.”

Miles tackled the monster without thinking any further. He grabbed the crystal out of its grip and held it tightly to his chest. The red witch glared at him. “I know you. You’re friends with my target. At least we got to check this one.”

“Mako, I’m so sorry,” he murmured, stooping next to her. He let the heart crystal float back into her body.

She grabbed his hand and whispered, “I’m okay. Thank you, Miles.”

“You’re weaker than the fire-boy, but you’ve got a lot of guts for taking on one of my daimon on your own. I’ll give you that,” the red witch commented. “Unfortunately, that only adds logs to your own funeral pyre.”

“You hurt them,” Miles said. He stood up and glared at the witch. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get out of here—now!”

“So fierce,” the woman said with a laugh. “Let’s see how that holds up in the future.”

With that, she disappeared. Makoto, got up, dusted herself off, and ran over to the mysterious senshi, obviously on the attack. However, the senshi just gut-punched her, putting her out of commission.

“What the hell?” Miles demanded. “Why did you do that?”

“If she wants to succeed in beating me, she’s going to have to be a bit stronger than that.” The senshi shrugged. It felt as though she were staring through Miles’s soul. “I’d watch yourself. You probably have a huge target on your back now.”

Miles knelt down to Mako, and did his best to help her up. “Mako, are you okay? Not too fast, now.”

“I—I…dammit. I hate those two. How can they wear those uniforms and then try to steal pure hearts just like those monsters?”

Miles sighed. “I don’t know, Mako. I really don’t.”

But he was sure they were going to find out.

#jjba #pokemon #pure heart crystals #ace attorney #miles morales #owl house #sailor moon #across the spiderverse #avatar the last airbender #kaolinite

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karlachgale95 · 11 months ago

Text

Hearts of the Multiverse-Chapter Nine: Do You Remember the Rain?

None of the other avatars Aang tried to channel could tell him what this place was. Honestly, he’d never heard of anyone visiting this ‘Japan.’ If there were any habitable, uncharted territory, the Fire Nation would have tried to colonize or control it. It made no sense.

Even so, at least he ended up somewhere where he could talk to the other avatars. Pearl, a little girl local to the Kurain Village, had said most of the people here, including herself, were spirit mediums who could channel the dead. They took on the forms of the dead they spoke to, like he did with Roku and Kyoshi those few times.

“Aang!”

Pearl, Sprig, King, Monster Kid (That was literally his name), Frosta, and Barry ran over to him, super excited. Aang gave them a smile, “What’s up, guys?”

“Can you do the marble trick again?” Sprig asked. “I’m gonna figure it out this time.”

Sprig was a humanoid, pink frog. He had been the first person…er…well individual Aang had come across in this strange world. One minute he’d been having a peaceful, small celebration amongst his friends, and then he woke up in this world after the ground had stopped splitting open and swallowing them all into the purple abyss below.

There was a swarm of monsters attacking the village looking for crystals. While Jotaro Kujo, a standoffish teenager with an apparently invisible spirit attached to him (to which Aang could see due to being the bridge between the human and spirit world), was doing a good job at keeping them under control. Aang was able to manipulate the clay pots back into their original form. They released some sort of evil spirit attached once defeated, almost like it was never alive. Aang didn’t know if he should feel guilt over fighting them or not. Still, he wasn’t going to let objects turned living attack innocent people. Jotaro had been a bit surprised Aang could see his ‘stand,’ but he didn’t ask too many questions about him being the avatar or what that meant. Honestly, it was a little bit of a letdown.

But at least the others liked the cool tricks he could show them!

“Oh, you mean this?”

Aang, already having the marbles in hand as soon as he saw the others, used his airbending to rapidly twirl them around in between the palm of his hands like a mini twister. It brought back memories of Kyoshi Island. Good times.

“I wish I could do that,” Monster Kid said. “But I can’t airbend…and I don’t have arms.”

“One of the world’s greatest earthbenders is blind,” Aang said, almost matter-of-factly. “Maybe you can’t do this, but I’m sure you’ve got lots of cool stuff you can do.”

“Well, I wanna be a warrior like Undyne. But she’s so much cooler than me. Taller too.”

“I’m sure you can be just as cool as her. And I’m not very tall, either,” Aang said with a small laugh.

“You sure you don’t want me to try and catch you a Starly?” Barry asked. “Seems like it’d be a great Pokémon for you, Aang. Then we could have battles, and I could show you all the ropes!”

Momo, his pet lemur-bat flew down and climbed onto his shoulder. Perfect timing. “Well, Momo doesn’t really like birds.”

“Oh, makes sense. Don’t worry. We’ll find a Pokémon that’ll get along with Momo and Appa!”

“Can we ride Appa again soon?” Sprig asks. “Doing all those loopty loops in the air was so much fun—and satiated my insatiable sense of danger!”

“If Appa is okay with it, I don’t see why not.”

“How tired does flying make him?” King asked. “Hooty tried to make me fly once, and I got tired after the fifth failed attempt!”

“Everyone,” a girl’s voice called out. This was Iris Hawthorne, one of the head shrine maidens. She had a timid and calm demeanor. “Supper is ready. It’s time to come inside.”

Everyone gathered in the common space and sat down for a meal. It was a soup made up of different vegetables. Both he and a boy just a bit older than him, Steven, were vegetarians. Iris, being a kind person, made two different food options. Honestly, he’d been treated very well by the hostesses of Kurain Village.

Aang sat next to Steven; both being pacifists, unsurprisingly became fast friends. Aang was friends with most of the people here, to be fair. Raven, Marnie, and Syaoran were a bit standoffish, but Aang chalked that up to Raven being a private person, Marnie being shy, and Syaoran being two years younger than him. Toriel and Professor Sycamore acted more like parental figures (or the monks, in his case) than anything else. Koichi was nice. And so was Yugi. Though, they kept busy with a card game Yugi had brought with him. Koichi seemed better at it than most others here, Aang included. And his friend, Rohan, didn’t really seem to like anyone. Or, he preferred the company of himself over others. It was kind of the same with Jotaro, only in a less arrogant way. He just seemed to hate people, especially girls, much to his own and definitely Steven’s distaste. But, hey! Sokka was kind of sexist, too, before he met the Kyoshi warriors. Maybe Jotaro just needed to meet Suki. The thought made Aang laugh.

Eh, Katara was probably stronger than he was, anyway.

“Thank you for your lovely hospitality, Iris,” Toriel said with a small, fuzzy smile.

“It’s quite a pleasure,” Iris said, returning the gesture. “It’s been a while since we’ve had guests. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need.”

The soup tasted delicious as always. Iris seemed to make everything without flaw, but she also shied away from compliments.

“The soup is fantastique,” Professor Sycamore marveled.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Iris said. “It’s just something I made on the spot.”

“Professor Sycamore is right,” Yugi said with a small smile. “This is great!”

As they continued to talk amongst each other, Steven turned to Aang. “So, how’d searching for your friend go today?”

“Honestly?” Aang asked. “Not well. Kurain Village is far off from the city, and a lot of people give me weird looks when I take Appa into Tokyo.”

Aang slumped over at the table. “I miss them, though.”

“I get that,” Steven said. “I can help you find them tomorrow. I mean, if they ended up here.”

“Really? That’d be great!”

There was a pause. Furious scratching noises of pen on paper could be heard as Rohan drew his new ‘manga’ chapter. It was like the drawings Sokka did but good.

“Have you found any of your friends?” Aang asked.

Steven shook his head. “But I have a feeling they’re here.”

“Same here. I get it.”

At that moment, a loud jolt of thunder echoed across the sky. Soon enough, rain poured down like waves of water.

“Well, someone made Poseidon mad,” Syaoran murmured.

“Poseidon?” Aang questioned.

“He’s the god of the seas in Greek mythology,” Yugi explained.

“Oh? Back home waterbenders derive their power from the moon. I know the moon, actually,” Aang said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Fascinating,” Rohan spoke sarcastically. “It’s been done in a million different stories—a boy talking to the stars. Honestly, it’s generic.”

Aang shot him a glare. Yue’s death was no such thing. But then, he supposed he hadn’t said anything about Yue being the moon spirit.

“Hey, I’ve been to the moon before,” Steven said.

“See? You’re proving my point,” Rohan said flippantly.

“Let’s just get back to having a nice meal,” Koichi said, seeming to sense the tension in the room.

Aang continued to glare at Rohan who merely smirked in response. Not only that, but what if the rain didn’t clear by tomorrow? How could he search for the others then?

Sister Bikini, a very tiny woman, jumped at the next roll of thunder. She shook her head and looked to her guests. “You all probably want to stay in this building for a little while. It’s going to be storming for a while.”

“Great!” Frosta exclaimed sarcastically. “Just what we need on top of all those monsters.”

“Not to worry,” Aang assured them. He posed in what he hoped was heroic. “As the Avatar, it’s my job to keep the world safe—well—I guess it’s more like worlds now.”

“Oh? And how do you plan to do that, Moon Boy?”

Sokka couldn’t draw, but at least his sarcastic quips were actually funny.

“More than draw,” Aang said swiftly. He grinned when Rohan grumbled something under his breath. “I can bend water, earth, fire, and air, and I’ve saved my world before. I just need to get to the root of this problem. I’m sure once I find my friends, we can solve this quick!”

“I’m sure you can, too,” Steven interjected.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang at the door. Jotaro, who was closest to the door, hesitantly opened the door only to have a woman fall through and collapse in a bloody heap on the ground. She had short silver hair and wore a tattered fancy dress-suit. She held a broken whip in her hand which reminded Aang of June.

“Miss Franziska!” Pearl shrieked.

Aang jumped up high into the air with his airbending and landed next to the woman. Too bad Katara wasn’t here; she could help him try and heal some of these wounds.

“Nnnngh. I n-need to speak to Edgeworth,” she groaned; shortly after, she passed out.

“Miss Von Karma,” Iris said. “Someone get a bedroll! We need to treat those injuries!”

“I can help with that,” Steven insisted.

He ran over to them and licked the palm of his hand. “Um, sorry. This is gonna be a little weird.”

He slapped his spit-filled hand onto one of the injuries, before Aang could yell at him to stop, the woman’s injuries started to heal and disappear.

“That’s disgustingly useful,” Jotaro commented. “I don’t want to know why or how you learned to do that.”

“Unimportant,” Steven said dismissively. “Can you help me get her to a bedroll?”

Jotaro scowled but nodded, nonetheless.

Who was this woman? Who was Edgeworth? Had she been attacked by monsters? Okay, dumb question. Obviously. But why did she come here? And how did Pearl and Iris know her?

Aang supposed they’d find out as soon as she woke up.

…

Evil beyond himself never ceased to impress him. Alastor knew there had to be a greater power that had orchestrated this massive dimensional shift. Though, not even the villains he came across seemed to be capable of such a feat. No. He hadn’t met the mastermind, yet.

DIO, for all his self-made grandeur, was just like the rest of hell’s population. He’d fall as he had before; that Alastor was sure. If he kept overstepping and planning a coup, Alastor may just drop a small hint of his existence to one Jotaro Kujo.

All of it was migraine-inducing. He would not be powerless—never again. He swore the last time would be against Adam. At least he’d finally found a way to get some control back on his power. Every day he felt himself grow just a tad stronger. He supposed he had Mr. Giovanna to thank for that. He really should’ve read the details of their deal closer. This would continue to happen until…well…until he was much like his Husker.

In both life and death.

But not to matter with that now! That was a bargaining chip for later, after all!

He had other deals to make.

…

Katara had just told a story about a little ghost girl from the Southern Water Tribe. They had been studying until the storm struck. To pass the time, the groups started telling each other stories. Katara’s had been the creepiest, so far.

“Does anyone else have a ghost story they’d like to tell?” Rei asked, holding the flashlight to her face.

“Or you can keep them,” Usagi said, huddling and shivering in the blankets. Miles snorted through his nose but managed to stifle his laughter…some.

“Hey!”

“C’mon Usagi,” Minako said. “Don’t be such a big chicken!”

“I’ve got a ghost story,” Josuke spoke up. “And I know it happened, too.”

“Really?” Katara asked. “Go ahead.”

“Well, it all began with a girl named Reimi. Now, Rohan and Koichi, mostly Koichi, told me most of the background, so I might not do it justice. But Reimi was sixteen when she was babysitting Rohan at her house. That night, a serial murderer by the name of Kira Yoshikage snuck through the house. He killed her dog, Arnold. When she heard the dripping of the blood onto the floor, she saw what he’d done and scrambled to save Rohan. She saved him…but she was stabbed in the back by him. Her spirit couldn’t rest—not until Kira was dead. So she haunted the streets of Morioh, looking for anyone who would help her. It’s lucky Koichi and Rohan did.”

“Whoa. That’s actually super creepy,” Miles said.

“Told you!”

“I didn’t know stand users could see spirits,” Kakyoin remarked. “I’ll have to keep that in mind in case we go ghost hunting.”

“How do you factor into this story?” Kaiba asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, that? Well, me, Jotaro, Hayato, Koichi, Okuyasu, and Rohan tracked down Kira and beat him up. We beat him up…and then his head was squished by an ambulance.”

“That’s gruesome,” Robin said.

“I mean, he was trying to explode us all, and he was a SERIAL MURDERER,” Josuke said, staring at Robin for emphasis.

“Touche.”

“I’ve got a ghost story,” Arven spoke up. “This one is also real.”

“Seems like we’re all in the mood to tell real ghost stories tonight,” Ty Lee said.

“It’s not technically a ghost story, but I think it can count,” Arven said. “It’s about my dad.”

Katara and Sokka leaned forward, giving Arven a knowing and sympathetic look.

“When I was born, my mother left us to study abroad. She never came home, and I found out she left for good when I was about five. My dad sealed himself up in his lab inside the Great Crater. It was a dangerous place, and the Pokémon who lived there could be dangerous. Then one day, he left and never came back. I tried to go to find him, but I just ended up getting Mabosstiff hurt, badly. I spent years trying to find a cure—and I did, with the help from Julianna. They’re my little buddy. Together we found the herbs guarded by legendary guardians that cured Mabosstiff. In the process, Miraidon, the legendary my dad had been studying got stronger, too. When we finished our journey, my dad asked us to come meet him in the Great Crater. Juliana invited Nemona and Penny. Truth is, I don’t have a lot of friends, so they really came through for me when I needed it most.”

“Anytime,” Nemona said with a wink. “Also, I would’ve helped you if you just asked.”

“I couldn’t bring myself to do that,” Arven said, shaking his head. “My pride wouldn’t let me.”

“You were going to miss out on meeting your dad just because of your pride?” Nemona asked.

“Well, he wasn’t my dad, was he?” Arven shot back, a little spitefully. He laughed and held his head in his hands. “Turns out, he was an android my dad had designed to keep watch over his work because my real dad was killed by one of those Pokémon who hurt Mabosstiff!”

He was in tears now and gestured around the room flippantly with a flick of his hand. “That’s why all of this is so…unnatural. I’m not used to living with a lot of people. I’ve always taken care of myself and Mabosstiff. That’s it.”

“Arven,” Katara began. She glanced to Sokka. “We know what that’s like. The Fire Nation killed my mom when I was a little girl, and then our dad had to go off to war. We didn’t see him for a long time.”

“Did you ever get to see him again?” Arven asked, in a low voice.

“We did,” Sokka said. “When we were planning the invasion in Ba Sing Se. He helped us fight against the Fire Nation.”

“That’s good,” Arven said. He laughed with a sort of bitterness that would make sour candy seem tame. “At least your dad didn’t abandon you.”

“I think,” Adora said. “I think story time is over.”

No duh. Poor Arven. Miles couldn’t—wouldn’t imagine a life without his dad.

It was quiet for a few seconds before Arven spoke up again. “Sorry for ruining the mood.”

“It was getting late anyways we should probably head to—,” Rei began.

She was cut off as someone inhaled sharply, painfully.

Giorno clutched the shirt he was wearing (a comfier shirt Yuichiro had lent him). Miles wasn’t sure what to do. His friend shut his eyes, as if in enormous pain, a green luminescent webbing coursed down his arms and legs. That must be the source. But where was it coming from? Was this a daimon…or was it…?

“DORA!”

Nothing. Giorno still looked as though he were going to pass out. He grabbed Miles’s arm. “It’s him. It’s the Radio Demon—he’s—!”

Giorno passed out before he could finish his sentence. The webbing stopped and retracted back to the center of his chest. Miles shook him gently. “Giorno! Dude! Wake up!”

Katara stooped down beside him, feeling his wrist. She sighed with relief. “He’s just sleeping. His pulse is still strong.”

“What did he mean by that?” Kakyoin asked. “Who’s the Radio Demon, Miles?”

Miles shook his head. “Not my story to tell.”

“He could be seriously hurt, and you won’t tell us?” Zuko countered.

“They’ve got you there,” Kaiba said with a shrug.

“You know about this, too?” Kakyoin asked.

“Miles knows more,” Kaiba deflected.

They all turned to Miles. It really wasn’t his place to tell Giorno’s secrets, especially about the deal with Alastor. But what if Zuko was right? What if Giorno was hurt? If he could prevent that demon from hurting him any further, shouldn’t he? With great power…

Damn it.

“When Giorno came here,” Miles said. “He was hurt—bad. He accidentally made a deal with a demon to stay alive.”

“Oh, that’s all?” Kakyoin asked with a sardonic laugh. “A demon?”

“He was dying,” Miles reiterated. “It’s not like he had a choice!”

“He should’ve known better,” Rei said.

Miles was surprised. Up until this point, the Shinto Priestess had been the most understanding. Now, she was deciding to be judgmental, at the worst possible time.

“You’ve never done something you’ve regretted?” Zuko asked.

And now the person who was most suspicious of Giorno for most of their time here was on his side. Rei looked to the floor. Kakyoin still seemed unsure. “He could be a threat to this entire group.”

“He’s not,” Miles said. If anyone was a threat by definition…it’d be him. “Giorno is a good person. He’s always helped me when I needed it.”

“I mean, he is Spiderman,” Josuke argued. “I’ve never read a comic where Spiderman was evil. It’d be a good concept, though. Point is, I think we can trust Miles, if nothing else.”

“He just looks so much like…” Kakyoin’s words trailed off.

He must’ve had problems with Giorno’s dad. What had happened? Should he ask? Or would that incriminate Giorno even further? No. He wasn’t going to do that.

“You’re basing this off looks?” Zuko asked.

“Not very sound,” Sokka agreed.

“You don’t understand,” Kakyoin argued. “That man was dangerous. Hell, he wasn’t even a man!”

Another jolt of thunder rang against the roof of the Hikawa Shrine. The moment was interrupted as a guy’s voice yelled, “Hey! Anyone home? Please, I need help! I gotta kid with me.”

Kaiba groaned. The accent was Brooklyn. Almost stereotypically so.

“Don’t let him in,” Kaiba warned.

Rei ignored him and opened the doors. A soaked blond boy ran through. He held a tiny child in his arms. They couldn’t be older than nine or ten. And the blond guy looked about sixteen, like Kaiba. Most importantly, the boy and the kid were banged up pretty bad. The boy took the brunt of the damage—he had wounds on his legs, arms, chest, and a few scrapes on his face. The child had a surface gash on their arms and legs. Their brown hair framed their face and was caked with dirt. Their purple and pink striped shirt and shorts were torn, and their sneakers were no better. The only thing intact was some heart-shaped locket they wore around their neck.

Kaiba appeared a bit surprised. “Wheeler. What did you get yourself into?”

Wheeler, apparently, glanced up to Kaiba. “Oh. It’s you, rich boy.”

He gasped and fell to his knees, “Someone please take the kid!”

Katara was quickest. She grabbed the child from the blonde before he passed out.

“Seto,” Connie started. He flinched at the name. “Who are they?”

“The child I have no idea,” Kaiba said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The mutt is Joey Wheeler. A pain in my side.”

“Josuke, can you help me heal them?” Katara asked, using her healing abilities on the child’s wounds.

“Of course! DORA!”

“Are they going to be okay?” Pav asked.

“Yes,” Katara said with a nod. “But what could’ve done this to them? Usually the daimon don’t scratch people up like this.”

“Good question,” Zuko agreed.

“I guess we’ll find out,” Sokka said sternly.

Miles helped Katara, Josuke, Sokka, and Zuko get Giorno, Joey, and the child to a bed. Katara sat down beside them. “I’ll keep an eye on them for now. Someone can take a shift for me later, preferably Josuke since he’s also a healer.”

“Goodbye full night’s sleep,” Josuke grumbled.

Sokka grinned, as if gaining some divine intervention for brilliant insight: “That’s rough, buddy.”

Zuko shot him a look. “I only said that one time. What was I supposed to say to ‘my first girlfriend turned into the moon?’”

“Not that!”

“I’ll stay with you,” Miles offered. “I wanna make sure he’s okay.”

Katara paused and nodded. “Thank you, Miles. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.”

It was quiet for a moment before Sokka pulled Josuke and Zuko closer, “We’ll smooth things over with Kakyoin. I’m sure it’s all a big misunderstanding!”

“Yeah,” Josuke agreed. “I mean, if I saw someone who looked like Kira *or by extension Kawajiri,* I’d probably be skeptical, too.”

Sokka and Josuke walked back to the main room while Zuko lingered behind. “Kakyoin was right before all this. We all do things we’re not proud of. I don’t know what Giorno’s gotten himself into, but I can tell he’s trying. I’m not exactly Mr. Social, myself. Far be it from me to judge anyone. And I don’t think you’re a bad person either, Miles.”

With that, he left the room, leaving himself and Katara. Katara kept a constant flow of waterbending above everyone every twenty minutes or so.

“Hey Miles,” Katara spoke up, not breaking her concentration. “What is Spiderman, anyways?”

“Spiderman?” Miles repeated. Katara nodded. “It’s our duty to protect the world from people who would like to hurt it. I’m my universe’s only Spiderman.”

“That must be pretty lonely,” Katara said. “Do you have a lot of friends back home?”

Miles paused. “You’ve met Pav.”

“Yeah, well, you two interact less than you and Giorno do. Plus, he said he’s from a different universe from you.”

“Wait,” Miles said. Why was she asking all these questions? “If you know that, why are you asking?”

She continued, seemingly ignoring his question. “Why didn’t you tell us about that ‘Radio Demon?’”

“Because it was Giorno’s business. Not mine.”

“Zuko was right. He could’ve gotten hurt. We’re still not sure about all the details of this deal. If Giorno is your friend, wouldn’t it be good to help him by finding out?”

“What are you suggesting?” Miles asked.

“Let me rephrase: how many friends did you have from your own universe? The people you see every day?” Katara asked.

Miles was quiet. Ganke didn’t count. Not really. He was pretty sure Ganke would enjoy a single-person dorm. His folks were the closest people to him, and the people who he considered great friends before had betrayed him in the worst way possible.

“I didn’t,” Miles admitted. “I had me and my family, and I’d do anything to protect my family.”

“I would, too,” Katara said. “But I also have plenty of people I’d call my friend, even people here. I don’t want to see anyone get hurt. Maybe I can help you get Giorno out of this deal. I just need to know more.”

“I don’t think you want to go messing around with this guy, Katara,” Miles said. “The first and last time I saw him, I could barely breathe. It was like there was pressure on my chest. Giorno said not to go looking for him, and that he didn’t even read his contract properly. There was something that had attacked him, and the Radio Demon found him dying, unable to heal himself. So, they struck a deal.”

He didn’t dare tell Katara that he’d met Giorno’s father. No. That was putting way too much trust in someone to keep a secret.

“Then we’ll find a way to get rid of the demon,” Katara said. She gave Miles a small smile. “Thank you for trusting me enough to be honest and open like this. I’ll do whatever I can.”

And now he felt like a huge jerk, but he just couldn’t bring himself to be completely honest with her—not after Gwen.

“Thank you, Katara.”

…

“There’s not a ruddy chance in all of the Distortion World that I’d ever consider being friends with the likes of you,” Bede scoffed.

The absolute nerve of this sad sod! Asking to team up to find Chairman Rose was the absolute last thing he would help the Champion’s lackluster, little brother accomplish. He’d put his days seeking out Rose behind him. Sure, he may have his contact information on his Pokenav, but there was no way he was going out of his way to help Hop of all people.

“Those daimon attacked Mr. Wright. We…need your help,” Hop said with a sigh.

Bede smirked. The champion’s little brother asking—no—imploring him for help was quite humorous.

“Why don’t you ask your brother?” Bede spoke harshly.

“I don’t know where Lee is!” Hop objected.

“Not my problem. Now, leave me alone.”

The absolute nerve of this sniveling wimp. He couldn’t solve his own problems, so now he wanted him to do it for him. And to come to Mr. Kaiba’s offices to do it was just…sad. It was an ambush! An outrage!

“Won’t you consider it?” the girl, Shauna, asked.

She had been nice that day of the battle. She told Hop and Hau not to revel in their one, pathetic, little victory. She looked at him pleadingly. Even so, he wouldn’t give in to this request—not if it meant working with Hop.

“No,” he said simply.

“We heard they attacked Mr. Kaiba, too,” the other girl, Toph, pointed out. “Shouldn’t you be trying to be grateful and help us?”

“I don’t follow your logic,” Bede said.

“Well, he took you in, didn’t he?” Toph asked. “It’d be pretty selfish not to work with us just because you hate Hop. You could really be helping him, you know?”

It was true, Seto Kaiba had helped them. But it was also true that Bede had helped him. To be called ungrateful, however, was an insult. His…mother and father often got into fights. Before they gave him away, his mother once told him he should be grateful to be alive. He tried to be grateful, but they gave him up, anyways. He tried to be grateful to Chairman Rose for unofficially adopting him, and he was cast aside again. Why should he risk being close to anyone ever again?

“I can’t—won’t help you,” Bede insisted.

“What do you mean? Of course, we’ll help them.”

Bede flinched at Mokuba Kaiba’s voice. He and Silver entered the lobby from the elevator to their right. Bede sighed and clenched his fists, “Mokuba, you have no idea the levels of incompetence we’re dealing—.”

Mokuba cut him off. “They attacked my older brother. I’m not just going to stand by and do nothing. If helping Mr. Wright helps him, then we’re doing it.”

“Alright!” the boy, Gus, cheered. “It’s good to have you guys on board!”

“Not by choice,” Bede muttered.

Gus looked at him, almost sympathetically. He hated it. “I know you probably don’t wanna work with us, but if we get this done, then we can protect a lot of people from those monsters!”

“It might even lead us to the reason why we were teleported to this world in the first place,” Silver said thoughtfully. “Fine. We’ll help you, but don’t expect us to become pals or anything.”

“Bede?” Shauna asked. “What about you? You can disagree. It’s alright.”

“But we need him,” Hop argued.

“And if he doesn’t want to, he doesn’t have to,” Shauna argued back. She smiled at Bede. “It’s up to you.”

She was giving him the choice to help. He’d never really had much choice in anything. ‘Do this or you’re no longer useful’ is what he was accustomed to. Shauna had been nice to him, nicer than most people, despite not even knowing him that well. And Seto Kaiba, for all his yelling at employees, had never asked anything of him. Maybe he did owe him this ONE favor.

“Fine. I’ll help.”

As he relented, a torrent of rain poured down from the sky. It would be blinding to anyone who tried to walk in it. Bede sighed as he heard Mokuba speak up. “You guys can stay here tonight. I don’t think it’s safe to go out. We can get to know each other better. Seto told me he’s staying with his…friends at the shrine.”

“Yay! Sleepover!” Gus cheered.

“You sure he’s not going to regret that decision?” Silver whispered to Bede.

Bede chuckled. At least Silver was realistic and funny.

…

“You got too close. They knew you were onto them,” Jet said, propping his feet on his coffee table.

Phoenix felt his eye twitch. He only owned so many ‘nice’ things in this life. True, the coffee table was already scuffed, but why add onto it?

Ever since that daimon had attacked them, Edgeworth became a constant presence in his apartment, or he would suggest, if they happened to be with Edgeworth that they stay with him. It didn’t help when Hobie told them how daimons would keep track on their targets until they proved there was or was not a talisman hidden inside them. What kind of talisman? No one knew. What Phoenix did know is that he was tired of the attempts. So far, Hobie had beaten one down with a guitar, Eda got another with her harpy magic, and Bucciarati diced one back into a shattered vase. All of them had come looking for Phoenix.

And they were still no closer to finding Chairman Rose.

“We’ve been scouting the west side of the Juban district for the root of this ‘daimon’ problem,” Raine said. “It could be that they’ve used magic to hole themselves up somewhere we can’t reach. That’s what Belos did.”

“Tch. Typical fascists,” Hobie muttered, tossing Phoenix’s Rubix cube up and down in the air.

Someone’s phone rang. It kinda sounded like the Steel Samurai’s theme. Edgeworth quickly dove into his jacket pocket, a sort of visible embarrassment on his face and answered his phone.

“Hello?...Well, we’ve been looking…No…I promise, we’re close to cracking this…I’ve been in contact with Detective Gum…”

Audible yelling from Gideon Graves rang through the room. Abbachio grabbed Edgeworth’s phone. “Don’t get your panties in a wad, we’ll solve your case soon enough. Also, you’re already pretty much blacklisted. Hiring anyone else at this point would be moot.”

Click.

It was radio silence in the room for a full minute; Eda burst out laughing. “Oh, come on, he had it coming! That was hilarious!”

“Eda…” Raine shook their head. He looked to Abbachio who carelessly sipped on another glass of…something. Phoenix wasn’t even sure he had anymore alcohol, himself. “Please, we need to take this seriously!”

“I’m being so sincere right now,” Abbachio said with a snort.

Sasha and Guzma started to laugh along. At least the mood was lightening a bit.

“Raine is right,” Bruno said, slightly solemn. “We have too many problems building up on top of each other. We need to find some sort of clue—and soon. Lives are on the line.”

“Not with the weather being the way it is,” N said. He glared at the rain from the apartment window, like he was trying to make it go away by sheer force of will. “It’s like the world is trying to drown itself. Like an omen.”

Another uncomfortable silence, Maya clapped her hands. “Don’t worry guys! I’ve got just the thing to pass the time!”

“Maya no…” Phoenix groaned, knowing exactly what her time-passer was.

She pulled out three VHS tapes of Steel Samurai from the cabinet. “I’ll pop us some popcorn! We can crash right here while marathoning Steel Samurai!”

…

After everyone fell asleep, Phoenix dug into his cabinets for some old blankets his parents gave him a long time ago. He took a moment to breathe. He was tired. And this was even prior to any of the other-world shenanigans. He didn’t even mind that so much. But it always felt like some new catastrophe was happening to him, Maya, and occasionally Edgeworth every Tuesday.

He sat on his bed for a minute, taking it all in. He heard his door creak. He looked up to see Edgeworth.

“Edgeworth. What��s up? I thought you were asleep.”

“Couldn’t,” Edgeworth said with a slight indifferent shrug. “Everyone else is still asleep. I noticed you were gone, so I wanted to make sure…”

“That some monster hadn’t run off with me in the middle of your marathon? How sweet.”

Although, it actually kind of was, in a Miles kind of way.

Miles smirked, “I’ll know better than to worry next time.”

This time the quiet they shared was strangely comfortable. It was painfully obvious that he liked Miles. Maya knew, and she teased him about it constantly (especially when she found out he went to law school just to meet Miles again). Abbachio had made an off-hand comment ‘mistaking’ them as a couple the other day. He was sure both he and Bucciarati knew. But maybe they knew because they were a couple, or at least, Phoenix assumed they were.

“I’m sorry,” Miles said. “I insisted that we met with that sham professor. I didn’t know she…”

“How could you have known?” Phoenix asked. “It’s okay, Edgeworth. We had to start somewhere.”

“I just wanted to make sure you didn’t take anymore hits as a lawyer. I know it’s hard enough to be a defense attorney, but I couldn’t imagine a world where you were disbarred or…worse.”

Phoenix stood up and walked over to Edgeworth. He put his hands on his shoulders. “Miles, look, I’m not worried about it. It’s alright. This isn’t your fault.”

Miles didn’t seem convinced. Phoenix smiled slightly, “You wanna know what you can do to make it up to me?”

“…I’m listening.”

Phoenix bundled the blankets in his arms and placed half the stack into Miles’s arms. “Help me carry these! They’re super heavy!”

Miles blinked as though he had been expecting something else. He shook his head and scoffed. “So, I’ve been reduced to a babysitter, too?”

“Welcome to my world, Edgeworth.”

…

The former soothsayer/stand user had come to investigate the situation with Giorno. Miles was getting worried. Giorno was still unconscious, almost as if he was in a coma. Avdol had ushered everyone out except Miles, Katara, and Rei. Not even Kakyoin was allowed back inside until he’d finished his checkup.

“The deal he struck is serious,” Avdol noted. “If it’s legally binding, he’s in danger. He’ll wake up, but there’s no telling how much of his power and spirit that demon can drain if no exact terms were set.”

Avdol leaned forward. “I also sense that his paternal lineage is…unique to say the least.”

“Is it like Kakyoin thinks? Is he related to that DIO guy?” Miles asked.

Avdol’s voice became a whisper. “I’m afraid so. Which means he has the capability for great destruction, mayhem, and tyranny.”

That couldn’t be true. Giorno was a good person. Miles was sure of it. He had to be!

“However,” Avdol said quickly. “He also has the potential to be a hero, someone who never backs down in the face of great evil. He has the Joestar family birthmark right above his shoulder. I would assume he possesses traits of both DIO and Jonathan Joestar.”

“Then that’s good news, right?” Katara asked. “You said the Joestars were heroes.”

“It makes his situation all the more precarious,” Avdol explained. “That much power…it’s no surprise a demon would strike a deal with him at his weakest.”

“Can you help him?” Rei asked.

“Perhaps we all can. If we find the demon,” Avdol said. “We either convince him to revoke the deal, or we get rid of the demon.”

Miles looked at his friend. That Radio Demon might be tough, but he was Spiderman. And no one messed with the people he cared about. No one was going to die on his watch. He’d track down that demon and make sure that deal was null and sent back to the void he came from.

…

Lucifer Morningstar had been stuck in the rain. It sucked. Being trapped in torrential pools of water, almost drowning twice. He had only been trying to get back to the hotel after looking around for Stolas’s daughter.

But he guessed it was lucky he had been stuck. After all, he would’ve never found the two children who almost drowned in the muddy nature-made trenches of the park.

One was a child with long, black hair, long gray blouse, skirt and shoes. Although her outfit was plain, she had a lot of magical energy around her. Maybe bringing her to the hotel wasn’t a great idea, but he was sure Charlie would welcome her with open arms.

The other was a child with copperish, shoulder-length hair, a long-sleeve green shirt, orange vest, and blue shorts. He’d been carrying his backpack. Hopefully it wasn’t full of anything perishable; it was totally soaked.

Now, they hadn’t ended up in the trench naturally. No. There was some man Lucifer had burned the hands off of to get him to drop them. He’d been holding them by their shirt collars, yelling obscenities about carving them up into tiny pieces for injuring his left eye. It did appear to have a bullet lodged in it. As to which child had done that, well, it was a mystery to him.

Humans did need to be more careful what they chose to do with their free will. The harming of children, well, that called for repercussions, right? And he would’ve burned the man alive, had he not jumped into a blueish portal, out of harm’s way.

C’est la vie.

When he walked back in the hotel, Alastor was the first to greet them. Greeeeaaaat. Just what he needed after a hard day’s work.

“Your highness! Charlie was getting worried. She thought you’d slipped away for good!”

Lucifer heard the implied ‘again’ and swore he’d get Alastor back some day.

Alastor looked to his left and right, “And who are these two?”

“Alastor, this is Homura Akemi and Hayato Kawajiri. They’ll be staying with us for a while.”

Alastor’s mouth curled into a grin.

…

And now, Alastor had someone who could counter that silly time-stand. He’d read the files of the people who’d been teleported here. Homura Akemi, resident magical she-devil and time stopper. They’d make an excellent team against the likes of DIO.

#jjba #pokemon #pure heart crystals #ace attorney #miles morales #owl house #sailor moon #across the spiderverse #avatar the last airbender #kaolinite

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karlachgale95 · 11 months ago

Text

Hearts of the Multiverse-Chapter Eight: Royals

Monitors showing who had ended up here, why they mattered, powers, statistics, and so on were displayed on the monitors he’d asked Lyla to collect data on every single anomaly located within this universe. As to who decided to mess with the stretched, frayed, and exhausted fabrics of the multiverse, Miguel had yet to find out. As to the individuals plucked from their own worlds, timelines, and universes, well there were some interesting ones. Something was messing with the precise tracking, but the original anomaly was in this scrambled universe.

Gwen, Hobie, and Peter were here. He wondered if they were helping Miles. It was a good possibility, especially given how he…no…he wasn’t taking responsibility for this. If they were lurking around here, he’d make sure they weren’t trying to obliterate the timeline any further.

“So, how’s staring at the screen going?”

Jack Harkness. An unexpected ally in this mess. Apparently, he dealt with multiversal catastrophes and crises far more than the average secret organization to helping all life remain, well, viable. Still, he wasn’t on Miguel’s level of trying to keep it all in check. Miguel knew that.

“Harkness,” he muttered the man’s last name.

“Seriously, shouldn’t you be doing more fieldwork?” Jack asked, almost in disbelief.

“I catch monsters and anomalies by observation rather than recklessly going out there and risk screwing it up.”

Jack took a sip of either tea or coffee. It didn’t have strong odor. Must be tea. He’d heard there was a pretty good tea shop out there, run, of course, by someone who didn’t belong in this universe. But everyone needed to make a living somehow. Miguel wouldn’t worry about that until he found a viable way to open back up a path to other dimensions.

“How’s that worked out for you?” Jack asked. “From what I remember Lyla and Jessica had said something about a huge, potential danger to the multiverse. You know, one you let get by you.”

Miguel scowled. “I didn’t ‘let’ anything by me. It was others who failed to do what they were told, including Jess.”

“Alright then.” Smug asshole.

Jack took a seat at one of the tables in the comm room. Miguel had to hand it to Director Lusamine and Mr. Joestar. Both had donated a lot of funds to ensure their project of getting the multiverse back in order was on target. Then they hired a team of elite scientists to figure out how to deal with this jumbled mess.

Miguel had people to take care of the monsters, too. The only problem was, there were two of them, and a lot of monsters in a lot of different places. Sure, Redfield and Kennedy were fast, but these monsters seemed to be spawning in at rapid rates now. Nonetheless, they handled a mass outbreak at a gardening festival the other day. Fifty-two carrot daimons.

“Oi, did JoJo say when he was going to be back?” a cockney voice asked in the back corner of the room.

The man’s name was laughable, at first. Robert E.O. Speedwagon—like the band. Apparently, Joseph Joestar knew him, but he didn’t know Joseph. After explanations were given, the blond man had taken to calling Mr. Joestar JoJo. He, too, had been helping with observations. Had Joseph not testified on his behalf, Miguel would have never considered having him help. Turns out, he was good at spotting monsters on the streets. They were able to deal with most things quietly and efficiently.

“He’ll return within the hour,” a darker, deep, woman’s voice commented. Her name was Shadow Weaver. Despite the ominous nature of her name and look, she was great at sensing magic. She turned to Miguel. “I’ll be back soon. I am going to search for anyone I recognize. They may be of use to us.”

After she walked out, someone else scoffed. “And she isn’t creepy at all. Miguel, why did you let her into this little…club?”

“It’s not a club, Darius,” Miguel said pointedly.

Said man rolled his eyes and went back to molding the small abomination he’d created on the table.

Dealing with toddlers would have been easier. He was a dad once. Parenting was easier than controlling a bunch of man-children!

It was. It was easier.

He dismissed thoughts of his daughter from his mind. He couldn’t think about her now. He had so much work to do. He pulled up footage on the screen from a few weeks ago. Miles Morales had beaten a monster who attacked a famous CEO, a boy-ninja, and a girl with a sword. Then that bruja roja brought out that device that made all of them flicker in and out of this reality. And then that whole scene with the blurred, red figure that moved jarringly and like fuzz across the screen:

“Mr. Morales! Now I really do believe we’ll get along charmingly! You’re a rule-breaker, I’m a rule-breaker. You’d break down entire universes just to save one person, and I’d do it…for the fun of it! I’m quite sure we’ll be seeing more of each other on this crazy adventure we’ve been put onto, hmm?”

Miguel didn’t need two reality-wreckers running around. This demon would need to be considered dangerous, too.

“You get away from him, radio demon!”

That’s it. That’s what he was called. The radio demon. He was the one putting out all of those crazy broadcasts, telling stories so intricate that it almost seemed like an inside joke only to himself.

“MUDA!”

The blonde boy with the weird hair loops and strange black, outfit appeared on the screen.

“The terms of the deal were you wouldn’t include anyone in my circle,” he said, monotone, almost too confident.

“Yes, but Mr. Morales isn’t in your original circle, is he? Also, it’s good to see you again, too, Mr. Giovanna. How have you been? You look far better than when we first met. And honestly, you should be thanking me. After all, I’m the one who made that possible!”

And Giovanna was his surname. Miguel had been looking for a record of anyone born with that name, but he couldn’t find anyone.

“I’m weaker because of you!”

“But I didn’t take your soul. Just a little power, that’s all. You’re fine without it. I’m the one who needs it, really.”

“Why?”

He seemed genuinely frustrated, perhaps even a bit uneased by the prospect of this radio demon having any of his power. And what power was that? Miguel supposed he’d find out, more than likely the hard way.

“Ah-ah! Our deal DOES state that we’re not to discuss that particular matter. Though…you were half-dead on the pavement when we made the deal. I’m surprised you remember any of it.”

“Leave him alone. That’s your only warning.”

“While I can’t say I appreciate the attitude, I do have to appreciate that someone like ourselves seems to have made a budding friendship with someone.”

Mr. Giovanna was allies with Morales. Noted. Could be useful in the future.

“I’m not like you.”

“Really? If you say so.”

“Well, I simply must be going. I’ve got other, more pressing, matters to attend to. Best of luck to you all.”

The radio demon turned on his heel. “You’ll need it.”

“Giorno,” Miles mumbled. He looked half-dead. Miguel squished any sort of pity he had to the bottom of his chest.

“I’m sorry. Luz told me you were out for a walk. Then I sensed he was around somewhere. I guess it’s part of the deal. I…couldn’t tell anyone about the constraints. There’s no escape from it, no backdoor. I think I’m stuck where I am for now. I need Golden Experience’s full abilities back. If I can’t get them back…everyone could be in danger. I’m such a fool for taking that deal. Why did I do this?”

“I’m going to help you,” Miles said. “I’ll help you get out of that deal. I promise.”

“Miles…thank you.”

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing? Get away from him!”

The entrance of Pav was where the tape was cut short. After that point, it became nothing more than static. Miguel had examined this only piece of evidence that Miles was here twenty times over. It told him nothing of where he actually was. He’d found and interviewed the CEO, Kaiba. However, he kicked him out of his office. And the scary demon-woman bodyguard he hired was beyond his own powers and abilities. He wouldn’t budge on any information, not even when he was informed of the consequences of anomalies. He acted like the very fabrics of time and space should bend to his will.

Why is it that life’s most important responsibilities and power was so often left in the hands of children?

Then Jess strolled in with Lusamine. Miguel looked at them expectantly. “What have you got for me?”

“News,” Jess said. “Big news.”

…

In another forged space in the dark recesses of an unknown laboratory, Kaolinite sat in a meeting with a man like a lion’s mane for hair. He spoke with a French accent, although, he swore he was from somewhere entirely different. Kalow? She wasn’t listening too intently.

“So,” Professor Tomoe intoned. “It works like a maze with no exit?”

Lion man’s eyes sparkled. “Oui. All you need is a little bit of bait.”

“A little bait, hmm?” Professor Tomoe asked. He turned to Kaolinite. “Kaolinite, I want you to take today to observe our hindrances: look at the friendships they’ve formed, who or what they care about. I believe Mr. Lysandre’s technology will prove to be innovative and provide us with a harvest of pure hearts. Work with him today. You’ll be on the field together.”

Lysandre did a small bow and held his hand over his heart. “We will gather as many beautiful souls as possible.”

“In the meantime,” the professor said. “See if you can collect the few we’ve already targeted.”

“Of course, professor,” Kaolinite assured him.

The two began to walk out of the lab, a few eggs in hand. Kaolinite turned to her compatriot. “What makes your group want to help us?”

“Each of us has our own motives,” Lysandre explained. “I merely seek beauty in this ugly world. I had a plan to remake the world entirely, more than likely before you.”

“Rather assuming,” Kaolinite said with a sneer. “We’ve been here for almost twenty years, biding our time.”

“I meant no insult,” Lysandre said. He hesitated, seeming to reminisce. He sighed and clutched his fists. “Merely to demonstrate that I put a lot of thought and effort into my inventions…and connections. I know, perhaps if we can find them, some of the most beautiful souls, inside and out.”

Kaolinite nodded. “If we can find them.”

She paused. She knew the look in his eyes. Dejection. Rejection, even.

“Is revenge a possible motive, as well?” she asked.

“…Possibly.”

He walked ahead of her, not stopping. She may have more in common with these mysterious allies than she originally thought.

…

“The owl is going to kill me, Luz,” Hunter murmured to his sister.

They didn’t look alike, but maybe one of them was adopted? Zuko wasn’t sure. They acted like Katara and Sokka, so at least they had a normal sibling relationship. One of them wasn’t constantly trying to kill or hurt the other.

Right now, the study group was finishing up. Only Hunter seemed to be struggling. It wasn’t so much that he was getting anything wrong, according to Luz, but the “app” was finnicky. Meanwhile, Josuke had put on one of Rei’s records. She had a lot of Michael Jackson vinyl (this is cannon. The writers made her a MJ fan). The dancing associated with the music was weird. Too flamboyant. And then he put on something called “Purple Rain.” Josuke said this was his favorite (Araki listened to a lot of PF and Prince while writing Diamond is Unbreakable. Also…I just really like Prince). The song sounded nice, but why was the rain purple? Why did he want to see someone bathe in it? Then Anne started playing something in another language entirely. K-pop. It was different from the other music.

They still faced the looming threat of the daimon that could pop up any minute. However, they weren’t just going to give them a head’s up or five minutes’ notice. Not only that, but Aang, Mai, Toph, and his uncle were all unaccounted for. It stressed him out not knowing if they were okay. Luckily one person was accounted for: much to Kaiba’s chagrin. After all, she volunteered to be one of his new security guards alongside the girl who’d shown up with her.

“Marcy,” Ty Lee, former friend to his sister, current Kyoshi warrior gushed. “I absolutely adore the mini crossbow you made. I still can’t believe you made something like that!”

Kaiba’s eyebrow twitched. Apparently, Ty Lee had been talking ever since they’d gotten to the shrine.

“Well, I made this new one out of parts I found discarded outside of Kaiba Corp. Oh! Mr. Kaiba, is that a safety violation? I mean, sometimes materials are thrown out for a reason. But General Yunan taught me how to make a crossbow out of practically anything. I can teach you, Ty Lee, if you want!”

And neither had Marcy. She and Anne knew each other. Zuko was sure Kaiba had tried to get in a word edgewise about safety protocols, but he was cut off.

“Hey Marcy, I think Kaiba’s about to have an aneurysm, so maybe the questions can hold off for a bit,” Anne suggested.

“Huh?” Marcy intoned. She glanced at Kaiba, who did appear on his last nerve. Zuko wondered if he ever looked like that while searching for the Avatar. “Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t even realize I was talking so much.”

“I, too, often get carried away by the wonderful stories I share with my friends,” Starfire spoke up, sympathetically.

“We can all get a little carried away with things…like Pokémon battles…which I would love to do right now, Arven!” Nemona said, her eyes gleaming.

Arven crossed his arms. “No.”

“Lillie?”

“I don’t want to use Solgaleo unless I absolutely have to.”

“Ugh. You two are no fun!”

Nemona glanced hesitantly to Gladion who merely scowled and shook his head in response.

“Is it going to take meeting one of the champions to have a good battle around here?” Nemona mumbled.

“You could always try relaxing a little,” Anne suggested.

Nemona grinned. “Now where’s the fun in that?”

Zuko shook his head and turned his attention to another conversation that Josuke had started with Sokka.

“I’m telling you: he stabbed his own hand because he lost to me,” Josuke said. “Top that. Bet you don’t know a sorer loser than that! Oh! And to top it off, he also let his house burn down by just being so obsessed that I was cheating.”

“But you were cheating,” Sokka said.

Josuke shrugged. “He had it coming. And besides, it turned out alright in the end—he’s got his fingers back. He doesn’t threaten to have me arrested every time I’m anywhere near him.”

“And he helped you catch that bombastic stand user” Kakyoin noted with a slight smirk. “Maybe bragging about his house burning down is a little, I don’t know, vindictive?”

“Maybe, but he’s a jerk, so…” Josuke said, crossing his arms. “Kira Yoshikage. That guy was hell to deal with. From what we’ve been told, it took a lot of repeating to actually beat him, too.”

“You know,” Sokka said. “We had to defeat a guy who used his mind to blow things up. He was pretty weird.”

Sokka directed his attention toward Zuko. “If someone hadn’t hired him to kill us, we would’ve never known some firebenders could do that.”

Zuko averted his gaze at the group. “I don’t take pride in who I was back then.”

“It’s all water under the bridge,” Sokka said flippantly. “Besides, I took him out; you know, just older sibling-protectiveness.”

“I feel so safe,�� Katara said sarcastically.

“Did Jotaro tell you how we met?” Kakyoin asked Josuke, but it was as if he was addressing the group.

Josuke shook his head. “Nah. He never really talked about his days as a crusader. Mr. Joestar did, kind of. Though, it was nonsensical, most of the time.”

Kakyoin paused and shrugged. “It makes sense, given who we had to fight.”

“You mean Dio, right?” Josuke asked. “Mr. Joestar did manage to tell us a lot about him. Apparently, he stole my great Grandfather’s body.”

“Okay, that’s physically impossible. Unless he was a vampire,” Sokka joked.

“Oh, but he was,” Kakyoin said. “Right on the money, Sokka.”

“No way. I debunked vampires in my village a looong time ago,” Sokka said. “People thought since there was blood on the snow near the caves, someone had been dragged off by vampires. Turns it was just old man Koda who refused to admit he needed help hunting; he’d cut himself trying to haul over one pounds worth of walwhale blubber back to us.”

“Different universes,” Miles spoke up. “Different rules.”

“Right.”

“As I was saying,” Kakyoin continued. “I was controlled by Dio via a flesh bud. When I first met your…nephew, I did try to kill him. We had a fight, he won, and he could’ve left me to die. But he saved my life. And for the first time, I finally found something worth fighting for.”

He turned to Zuko. “So, it’s not how the journey starts but how it ends.”

“And how did it end for you?” Josuke asked. “Mr. Joestar and Jotaro don’t really talk about their friends that much. Did you guys beat Dio together?”

Kakyoin fell silent.

“Maybe that’s more of a personal question,” Katara suggested, noticing the tension.

“Oh. Sorry.”

It was quiet for a moment before Zuko decided to break the silence. “I wasn’t controlled by a vampire. However, the person who controlled me was beaten by a twelve-year-old.”

“That must be quite the story,” Kakyoin said.

“I was set on a path to find the Avatar by my father,” Zuko explained. “I was the banished Prince. The avatar had been missing for one hundred years, but as it turned out, he had been frozen for those one hundred years. I researched, studied, sailed, and fought for years. My uncle tried to guide me on the right path, but I didn’t understand him until I got everything I wanted. I betrayed people I shouldn’t have, especially Katara and my uncle. But when I realized who I’d become—what the fire nation was doing to the world—I joined the Avatar and taught him how to firebend.”

“And we were happy to have you, buddy,” Sokka said, raising his cup of tea.

“I love the found family trope,” Luz and Marcy said, almost in-tune with one another.

“My uncle tried to kill all of us at one point,” Hunter said. When they stared at him, Luz gestured for him to go on. “I…uh…never had a dad. I was the Golden Guard for Emperor Belos—my uncle. He was a witch hunter, and he wanted to destroy all the witches. I didn’t know that, but I helped him, a lot. It was Luz who helped me see what Belos really wanted to do. We got stuck in his mind together.”

“And in the human world,” Luz said with a laugh.

“There, too. Yeah.”

It was quiet for a minute. Now seemed like the time his uncle would say something wise, something that could guide them, something that would at least ease the tension.

“I don’t believe it,” Anne spoke solemnly. She stood up and pointed at Luz. “YOU GOT TO STAY IN YOUR MAGIC WORLD? That’s so unfair! I had to say goodbye to all my friends in Amphibia!”

Luz chuckled nervously. “Roll of the dice? Those things can be pretty darn unlucky.”

“She’s got a point,” Marcy agreed.

“Also, don’t act like you’re not the only person who turned to a life of good, Zuko,” Ty Lee joined in. “I joined the Kyoshi warriors.”

“Yeah?” Sokka asked. “Well, I did that first!”

“Oh, I know,” Ty Lee said with a slight smirk. “The girls told me all about it.”

As Sokka began to pout, Ty Lee laughed and started helping clean up from the dinner Makoto, Miles, Hunter, Katara, Pavitr, and Arven had helped make. Tonight was a cause for celebration: the girls had a huge exam that they all passed, even Usagi. She’d spent the whole night suggesting things she’d like for her upcoming birthday. His and Katara’s birthdays were the very same day as hers. Sokka had deduced that by studying their calendars. He hadn’t celebrated his birthday in a very long time, nor was celebrating on his radar of things to do, but he knew Makoto, Ami, Rei, and Minako were going to throw Usagi a surprise party at the shrine.

“There’s no shame in learning from a girl,” Minako said ardently. “We’re waaay more capable than any boy we know.”

“Is that so?” Josuke asked with a slight grin. “Well, as a guy, I guess I shouldn’t point out that Zuko was the last one to destroy the two daimons from the other day. And Sokka and I took care of the one at the car garage.”

Before Zuko could even speak up for her, Katara countered, “And Usagi, Connie, and I took out five in the park.”

“Katara was epic,” Connie agreed. “Bad luck on that one water-based one. RIP. And then she used that water to destroy one of the other ones.”

“You guys should’ve seen Miles and Giorno,” Pav said. “We took out like six of them the other day.”

“Is this what the conversation has come to?” Lillie asked. “Bragging about killing things?”

“When you put it that way…”

“There goes the vibe, little sister.”

“W-well, I didn’t mean to—.”

“It’s fine,” Usagi said. “Besides, it is kinda morbid if you think about it.”

She stood up and smiled at them. It seemed to touch all corners of the room. “As weird as it is, I’m glad we all met! It’s been fun getting to know all of you, ya know? Of course, I hope everyone can get home and be happy, but for now, I’m grateful that you’re all here.”

“Thanks, Usagi,” Katara said with a genuine smile. “It’s been nice getting to know all of you, too.”

“Now,” Josuke said with a grin. “Who wants to challenge me at the racing game?”

“Me!” Minako and Luz chimed in together.

“No way! Me first,” Usagi said.

“Clearly, Josuke wants to race against me! Right, Josuke?” Minako asked, batting her eyes.

Josuke, seemingly oblivious, shrugged. “Well, it’s multiplayer, right, Luz?”

Luz nodded. “And I’m gonna kick your butt!”

“I doubt it, I’ve got it this time,” Sokka said. Right. He liked those weird screen games.

“Awesome!” Josuke said smiling at Sokka.

“I suck at MarioKart,” Miles admitted. He turned to Giorno and Pav, “Wanna be on my team? Might have better luck together.”

“Sure.”

“Oh, you know I’ll help you out, bro!”

“I’ll play,” Kakyoin said. “And I doubt I’ll lose to anyone.”

“Challenge accepted,” Marcy said. “C’mon Anne, Ty Lee! We’ll beat them easy!”

“Kaiba, you should try your hand at it,” Connie said. “I bet you’d be good at it!”

“I don’t have time for—,”

“Just one round? Please! I’ve been itching to do something that’ll take my mind off things for a while.”

“…Fine. One round, Maheswaran. Then we need to go.”

“You know I’m in,” Nemona said. She grabbed Arven by the forearm. “Let’s go!”

“How’d I get dragged into this?”

“I suppose I could teach everyone here a lesson in humility,” Gladion said with a smirk.

“I’m actually good at these games. They’re pretty similar to simulations run by the horde,” Adora said. “I can probably win.”

“Star, you wanna try and beat them?” Robin asked.

“In the metaphorical spirit of friendship, we will crush them!” Starfire beamed.

With that, most everyone went into the room with the TV’s everyone had pooled together to buy.

“I’m going to go make sure they don’t break the TVs,” Ami said gently.

“I’ll join you,” Makoto said.

The two walked off, leaving only Rei and Zuko behind. The fire priestess sighed and shook her head. “So much for clean up.”

“Here, I’ll help you with that,” Zuko insisted. He started picking up plates and shuffled off to the kitchen with Rei. She furrowed her eyebrows. The more he thought about it, it was strange how she hadn’t spoken a lot tonight. She hadn’t even teased Usagi all that much.

“Are you alright, Rei?” Zuko asked.

She pursed her lips and placed the dishes into the sink. “I’m not sure. The more I read the flames, the more uncertain the future becomes.”

“You can read the future through fire?” Zuko asked.

Rei nodded. “It’s something I’ve trained myself to do. It’s more to do with the spiritual energy I’m able to channel rather than my fire. Though, fire is part of it. Perhaps you can do it, too.”

“Seeing the future…”

It could be useful. But the closest he’d gotten to spirituality was at the Sun Warrior Ruins with the last two dragons who taught himself and Aang the true purpose behind firebending. Reading the future through fire might be possible, but he wasn’t sure if he could be the one to do it.

“I could use the help,” Rei said. Her eyes seemed tired. “Maybe you can see something I can’t.”

He hesitated and then gave her a nod. “I’ll do it.”

…

Lucifer Morningstar was finally allowed to see the good in humanity. Sure! This new world was an absolute clusterfuck, but it sure as hell beat the hell out of, well, hell!

Sure—sure—there were monsters here. But there were also tons of heroes. Incidentally, he’d ‘saved’ two of his newest traveling companions who had decided to stick with him. There was, the one he knew, Prince Stolas of the Ars Goetia—in human form. Smart. He was, too. It just wasn’t that different from his usual appearance. And then the other was a very kind, chivalrous, and tall man by the name of Jonathan Joestar. They were attacked by a group of those monsters—they burned like paper in his grasp.

Stolas had been a bit surprised to see him, but Lucifer had quickly ushered him to the side and told him to go along with his story. He didn’t want to be recognized. If anyone were to find out who he was, it was back to enjoying the company of only sinners. Just for once, he wanted to make friends with someone with purely good intentions. No, not the hypocritical ‘good’ espoused in heaven, but actual good. And Jonathan struck him as a good person. Along with a few others he’d managed to meet.

“Alright fellows,” Jonathan spoke up. “Where to take our search next?”

Jonathan, after seeing Stolas so panicked, had offered to help him find his daughter (if she had ended up here like himself and Charlie). But they weren’t sure she was even here. All of this was Stolas, justifiably, being paranoid.

“Perhaps Via could have ended up at a mall. There are endless places for shopping here,” Stolas argued.

“I remember when Charlie was her age, we couldn’t drag her out of the Hot Tropic,” Lucifer joked. “Maybe there’s one here?”

“It would just make things so much easier if I knew whether she was even here or not. For all we know, we could be looking for nothing,” Stolas said with a sigh.

“Would you really be content with not-knowing?” Jonathan asked.

Stolas shook his head. “No. You’re right. I need to make sure.”

“You know,” Jonathan spoke up. “I’ve been hearing about this popular tea spot. A lot of young people have been gathering there as of late. Perhaps she’s there!”

Stolas looked from Jonathan to Lucifer. It was plausible if there were other teenagers there. Via, or at least the last time he’d seen her, seemed a little introverted. Still, if the tea were good…

“It’s worth a shot,” Lucifer said.

�� “Off we go then.”

Stolas lingered behind, still scanning the area, while Jonathan went ahead of them. “I want to thank you again for helping me your highness.”

Lucifer shushed him. “It’s fine! Just don’t say that too loud, alright? I don’t want to call attention to myself here. I’d like to observe the good in humanity before we’re jerked back to hell.”

“That’s…fair enough. Do not worry, you have my unsacred but binding word that I will draw no more attention to yourself.”

“Thank you.”

The three continued to the tea shop…The Jasmine Dragon. That was a pretty clever name for a tea shop. Though, he’d prefer more of a duck theme, himself. They were seated by a young girl with pigtails. She took their order and left them to talk and people watch. He glanced around, observing the café. It certainly cultivated a…unique atmosphere. He noticed a tiefling, a wizard, and someone who’d been cursed by a devil sitting at one table. And then at another table were a man in a strangely fashionable, white suit, bobbed black hair, a man in darker purple clothes and hair, a man whose hair was like black, spiky hedgehog quills dressed in a worn, blue suit, a girl with long, black hair and purple and pink robes/dress, and another man who had silver hair who wore a deep red suit and cravat. The first table was loud and boisterous, the second, not so much. They seemed wrapped up and secretive over whatever they were talking about.

The tiefling’s head perked up; she glared at him, then Stolas. She began whispering to her colleagues. What was that abou—shit, she was coming over.

“Mind telling me what in Avernus you two are doing here?” She growled.

The other two joined her. This was not looking good. Lucifer held up his hands defensively. Jonathan appeared mystified.

“A demon? Are you one of those monsters who’ve been attacking people?” Jonathan countered, rising to his feet.

“No. I’ve sliced and diced quite a few of them, myself, actually,” the woman said. “However, you’re one to talk of monsters when you’ve got two of them traveling with you.”

Jonathan seemed puzzled for a moment before he looked to Lucifer and Stolas. “Do you mean John and Stolas? One is a hotelier, and the other is just a father looking for his daughter—hardly anything monstrous there.”

“Really?”

A few pairs of eyes had drifted their way now. Another man with wiry, brown hair and weird suit raised an eyebrow. Oh, who was he to judge? Who were any of them?

“Look, we’re not looking for trouble here,” Stolas objected. “What Jonathan said is true: we’re just looking for my Via. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

The woman stared at them for a few moments before looking at Lucifer. “I recognize you. You were in that commercial. You’re part of that hotel business that one demoness has going.”

“Don’t you dare say anything about my daughter!” Lucifer said, now standing.

“Your highness!” Stolas murmured, tugging at his sleeve.

The gesture was lost on Lucifer until he looked at his own, burning hands and sleeves. “Oh. Ohhhhh.”

“By Job, she was right!”

“Hey, Job wasn’t all that innocent. I should know,” Lucifer said. He straightened his bowtie. “Yes. I suppose, you could say, I have some ties to hell.”

“And just how strong are those ties?” Jonathan asked, glaring at him.

“I…may be forced to…run it?”

“Y-You-You’re the devil, himself!”

“Well, to be fair, there are a lot of devils out there.”

“And how do I know you’re not in league with him?”

“I kill devils, thank you very much!”

Lucifer sighed. Of course, this short-lived comradery was already over. Ugh.

“You must be the one who created the stone mask,” Jonathan said accusingly.

“Stone what?” Lucifer asked. “Look, I don’t even get to catch glimpses at the mortal world. Dad made sure of that. If something evil creeps into this world, it’s probably due to some other dealmaker or other hell-spawn. I don’t even control them! All I care about is making sure my daughter’s vision comes true. And her wish? Her wish is to rehabilitate sinners so they can get into heaven. That’s it. I’m not out here with a pitchfork and paper ready for you to sign your soul away. And I still have my golden fiddle, I’ll have you know!”

“How can we trust that? You’ve been lying this whole time. And you’re still the devil!”

Mortals. He only wanted to meet one good person. Just one. It was already ruined by his own carelessness and other peoples’ meddling.

“Now hold on a minute,” an older voice spoke up. “Why not hear him out?”

An older man walked from the counter where he’d been observing the interaction. Lucifer hadn’t thought much of him, as he’d been preparing their tea. Was that classist? Charlie had said something about classism once. Was he classist? Nonetheless, the old man smiled and gestured for them all to sit back down. Despite having more power, there was something about this man that commanded attention. Far be it from him to throw someone’s open-mindedness back in their face.

“You don’t understand,” Jonathan said. “This man is the epitome of evil!”

The old man looked Lucifer up and down. “Every man has his wrongs. I cannot tell you whether to trust someone in this world we have found ourselves in, but the best way to tell if a man is a good person is to let his actions speak for him. As of now, has he done anything wrong?”

“Well, no, but I don’t think you understand—,”

The old man brushed him off. “Then how can you accurately judge his character?”

Lucifer surveyed the room. Everyone still seemed very much guarded and ready to jump. It’s not like he couldn’t take down everyone in this room and then some, but he didn’t want to. All he’d wanted was to observe the good in people. Their biases would only be proven true if he started to fight them. Plus, this man was nice to at least try and give him a chance.

He opened his wallet and put money on the table to cover the bill. “Eh. Don’t worry about it. I get it. Preconceived notions and all. C’mon Stolas, we’ll go look for Via by ourselves.”

With that, the shorter king and high-rank demon walked out of the tea shop.

…

“Focus on the flames,” Rei instructed.

This was nothing like the beauty of dragon’s fire. It was a simple hearth of fire. Rei concentrated on the flames; her eyes unwavering and her scowl deepening by the minute. He couldn’t see anything in the flames.

It was a new day at the Hikawa shrine. Bright and early. There would be visitors soon. But before that happened, Rei had offered to teach him how to read the flames.

“There’s nothing there,” Zuko insisted.

“That’s because you’re focused on there being nothing there. If you are determined to see nothing, that’s all you’ll ever see.”

“So how do I see something?” Zuko asked, mirroring her frown.

“You focus on what’s important to you and try to see where they’re going. That’s what I do.”

Focus on what was important? It could work. He thought of his people how lost they might be, how with Azula roaming free, they could be led back to tyranny and corruption. Azula might even be here trying to cause mayhem. If she were here, no doubt she’d cause trouble for them. Any friend of his was an enemy of hers. No one here would be safe. The monsters were still a massive mystery. What did they want? Why were they after hearts? Nothing in this new world made much sense!

Even so…he had the drive to protect those he cared for. A burning desire.

Something appeared in the flames. A maze? Was he in the maze? It was in his perspective, and he was searching for something or someone. Every turn a dead end or a new turn. Two people stood by him, but they were so blurry, he couldn’t make them out.

It was hard to breathe. The pressure of the atmosphere around him was getting too heavy. He ran through to the next corner and spotted someone—someone he recognized but could not see being chased by one of those monsters. He tried to blast it with fire, but it jumped up into the air and landed right in front of him, brandishing one of those black stars on its shoulder. He stumbled backwards into a mirror paneling, crashing through.

Now it was all complete darkness. A woman’s laughter echoed high above him. Three lights appeared in the sky and a golden-gloved hand shot out at him—it was larger than the moon itself. It should’ve been physically impossible. He tried to command fire to his palms, but he got nothing for his effort. Just as he was about to be snatched up, another hand pulled on his shirt collar—!

“You almost fell into the flames, idiot!” Rei hissed. She stared at Zuko for a second. “S-sorry. Are you alright?”

Zuko paused, not really sure how to answer her. Should he be honest about what he saw? What did he see? How in the world was he supposed to explain it?

“Peeking into the future by reading the flames, hmm?”

A man stood in the doorway of the shrine. He had a darker complexion and hair in a style Zuko had never seen before. He wore a red robe and a simple beige shirt and pants. He also had a lot of jewelry and a bandana around his forehead.

“Who are you?” Rei asked.

“Don’t worry. I’m a friend. I believe we have a mutual connection. Kakyoin Noriaki. He told me that he told all of you about Dio. And he said there were two people who could manipulate fire here, too. I suppose that is you two?”

“Why are you asking?” Zuko asked.

“I wanted to visit for a while. Kakyoin said you might need some help with monsters, and I’ve seen tragic timelines and events that could possibly happen if we don’t correct them now. I want to help.”

“What’s your name?” Rei asked.

“Avdol,” the man said with a slight bow. “Muhammad Avdol.”

#jjba #pokemon #pure heart crystals #ace attorney #miles morales #owl house #sailor moon #across the spiderverse #avatar the last airbender #kaolinite

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karlachgale95 · 11 months ago

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Hearts of the Multiverse-Chapter Seven: The Bidding

A/N: If you’re here from Tiktok, welcome! Yes, I saw it haha. I actually thought it was funny, and I thank the OP for all the reads it got me. I understand that this crossover is a bit…ambitious to say the least. However, I’m just paying homage to some stuff I love. I really love Sailor Moon S. It is my favorite arc of the series. If this goes successfully, I might do Super S and Stars multiverse style haha. I did change the rating to mature because I wrote some innuendos for Angel Dust and Astarion. However, I am not showing anything explicit. I don’t like writing that stuff, to be honest. No hate to people who do. It’s just not my thing. I’m more about fluff and adventure. So, without further ado, I hope you like this chapter. Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below!

And so, Miles and others joined Rei’s study group. It started as pure interest for Sokka. He wanted to see how stuff differed from the Southern Water Tribe (The Four Nations, really). Katara thought this was a great idea and became interested herself, reluctantly bringing Zuko into the group. Miles noticed that some *cough* Minako, Usagi, and Makoto *cough* would struggle with a lot of math, science, English, history, and anything that wasn’t the humanities. Considering he was a top student, he helped them. Giorno joined because he was great at math, especially anything statistics based. Arven was behind in his own studies, so he joined after Nemona insisted they join. Luz was on par with Giorno. Hunter was also a pretty fast learner; truth be told, Miles thought they joined because they had fun hanging out with everyone. Josuke joined because he also needed to study—like a lot. Lillie helped when she could, although most times, she was talking to Gideon. Pav and Kakyoin would occasionally come over and help, since there were a lot of people who needed it. Adora trained instead, and Starfire took an interest if Robin were in the study session. Anne actually did study with them, something about needing to master MLA skills (to which Luz and Miles gladly helped). Sometimes Kaiba, Robin, and Connie would stop by to report anything they found, or study. Connie and Robin seemed impressed by Ami. Connie wanted to keep up with Ami somehow even after everything had returned to normal. Though Miles would tell her, that’s not necessarily a good idea. Even Kaiba seemed impressed by Ami. And, admittedly, Miles was, too. She solved the hardest mathematical equations he’d seen.

“Miles, is number eight right?” Mako asked, holding up her paper in front of him.

He’d been popular around the study table. He did know what he was talking about, but it was a much-needed ego boost. Funny thing was, Mako asked him a lot more than the others, despite Giorno probably being the best at math.

He glanced over the problem and gave her a smile. “Yeah! You got it, Mako!”

“Haha!” Mako cheered, pumping her fists in the air. “Thanks Miles! I would’ve never understood these dumb logarithmic equations without you.”

“You would’ve gotten it,” Miles assured her. “You just needed someone to show you a play-by-play.”

“I suppose so,” Mako said with a small giggle.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT’S NOT NEGATIVE SEVEN?” Josuke and Usagi asked in unison.

“You two really shouldn’t copy each other’s answers to try and get out of work,” Rei said, sipping a cup of tea. “You’re both really bad at math. Why didn’t you ask Ami, Giorno, or Miles for help?”

“Because then the math will have won, Rei,” Josuke insisted.

Usagi laughed. “Yeah! He’s right!”

She slammed her homework down on the table and pointed to the problem in question, “In the name of the moon, I’ll punish you!”

It was quiet for a minute before Josuke gave her a pity laugh. She hung her head. “Oh, come on, that was funny.”

“We’re not here to make jokes,” Zuko said sternly. “We’re here to study.”

“You’re just mad you had to join,” Katara teased.

“I agree,” Giorno spoke up, albeit a bit hesitantly. “Zuko is right. We’re supposed to be helping you study.”

Zuko, caught off guard a bit, seemed suspicious, and then a little guilty. Guy was hard to read. Giorno didn’t react, even if he noticed.

He turned to Miles. “Miles, Minako is struggling with this bit of theory, I don’t have the answer, do you think you can help her?”

“Sure,” Miles said, taking a glance at the textbook.

It was on dark matter. It seemed so long ago that he was studying dark matter in his dorm room, trying to find a way to get back to the other universes. Now that they were in one messy conglomerate, he dreaded who would come by the shrine next. He was surprised Gwen hadn’t. Apparently, both Pav and Kaiba had stuck to their words of not letting her know where they were. He didn’t want to see her—not right now.

“It’s matter that doesn’t absorb, reflect, or admit light,” Miles explained. “People theorized it could be used to cross dimensions—universes even.”

“Then why aren’t we using it?” Sokka asked.

“It’s all speculative theory, some people say,” Miles said. “Though, I know it’s real.”

“How?” Zuko asked.

“Used it before…by accident,” Miles said with a laugh. “And so have people I fought. They’re the scary ones. Villains who can travel through dimensions should be taken seriously.”

Voice of experience.

Rei frowned. “You don’t think the heart snatchers could be from a different universe, do you?”

“It’s possible,” Miles said honestly. “I’d worry about those two senshi who seem to be out for their own ‘mission,’ too. They’re probably more dangerous than your villains of the week. Maybe THEY’RE from another dimension.”

Usagi shook her head. “I don’t think so. We’re all senshi. We have to be similar somehow. They always give the crystals back.”

“They almost gave Unazuki’s back too late,” Sokka pointed out. “She could’ve died.”

“Maybe try talking to them?” Katara suggested. “I think both of you have a point. They fight the daimon just like we do. You could try to convince them to join up. After all, Usagi, you said the senshi are supposed to be a team. So, there could be other reasons why they’re hesitant to help our team.”

“You need to be careful,” Zuko murmured. “People who are driven by their own goals and motivations, no matter how flawed, can be too determined to their own point of view. It might be hard to get them to talk to you—or compromise.”

“Good advice,” Giorno said.

Again, another stare. At this, even Giorno seemed confused.

“Hey, excuse us for a second,” Miles said, pulling Giorno into a disconnected room. Once he was sure no one was watching, he asked, “Dude, what are you doing?”

“…Trying to be friendly.”

“Dude, that is not friendly. That’s suspicious! Muy sospechoso!”

“It’s not as easy as it looks. The people I’ve dealt with did all the interpersonal stuff better,” Giorno said.

“It’s easy,” Miles said. “You’ve just gotta relax, you know? Just be natural. Talk like you’re talking to your friends.”

“Those aren’t a sure thing where I come from, Miles,” Giorno snapped back. He sighed. “Look, I appreciate the advice, it’s simply harder to know who’s your friend for the sake of business and who is eventually going to stab you in the back.”

Miles was quiet for a minute. Of course, he knew what that was like. The insinuation of doubt was almost insulting.

“I know you’ve said your friends betrayed you,” Giorno said. “But at least you have a good family. You’re fighting hard for your dad. It’s admirable. I never had any of that. Not that I’m whining, but you have to understand where I’m coming from Miles.”

“I—,” Miles began. He cut himself off. He had a feeling this was the first time Giorno had opened up to anyone, maybe ever. “No. You’re right. I wouldn’t know. I’m sorry.”

He kind of chuckled. “The first time I talked to Gwen, I ended up ripping her hair out.”

Giorno blinked. “What?”

“I was taking my uncle’s advice. He was super good with girls, and he taught me the shoulder-technique.”

“Do I dare ask?”

Miles reached his arm out and loosely touched Giorno’s shoulder. He raised an eyebrow and said, “Hey.”

They were quiet for a minute before they both started laughing. Miles was sure it was the first time he’d ever seen Giorno laugh in the month they’d been here.

“Did that actually work for him?” Giorno asked.

“He swore by it,” Miles said.

“I guess it would work better on someone who was actually interested in that kind of stuff.”

“No girlfriend back home, huh?”

“Not interested in it. Relationships would get in the way of my actual interests: reform. There’s too much corruption in Italy. A lot of things I’m still working on. Also, I’ve never been too keen on the idea of a relationship. It just never struck me as something I wanted.”

“So, you’re ace. That’s cool.”

It was quiet for a minute before Usagi called out, “Gio! Can you help me with this probability question?”

Giorno smirked. “Future queen of the moon. Whatever that means.”

“If you figure it out, let me know.”

…

This place was much more grandiose than most taverns he’d stayed in; the cobwebs were a nice touch. Astarion never knew demons to be incredibly hospitable creatures, but the lovely owner and proprietor of this place was kind and generous—her girlfriend—a bit more frightening. She reminded him of Lae’zel. Unfortunately, he also met someone who painfully reminded him of himself. And he could only trust people like himself so much.

Fortunately, people like himself made for great conversation.

“So, a vampire…I bet you’ve lived a while,” Angel mused. “Sleep around a lot?”

“Darling, I lost count over a hundred years ago.”

“Any of ‘em any good?”

Astarion scoffed. “A seldom few.”

He turned a coquettish smile to Angel. “And you?”

“I do this shit for a living,” Angel bragged. “Though, I’m always better than the other guy.”

“You must have a contract with someone, then,” Astarion said. “I’m sure neither of us believes in bodily charity.”

Angel shifted in his high-heeled boots and chuckled nervously. “Heh. Yeah. That’s a good way of putting it.”

Astarion had been at the hotel for a week now. He’d joined when some wayward priest and another vampire had found him, starved, and hiding from the sun. He wasn’t sure how they had gotten here, but he knew the blonde adonis and his loyal disciple were up to something. One didn’t live with Cazador as long as he did and not figure out when a plot was brewing. If it didn’t involve encroaching upon his safety, well, Astarion didn’t care. Besides, he’d shown him kindness by taking him to his hotel. Little Miss Demon Sunshine kept him fed.

Though, one thing he did note is that he and the so-called radio demon did not get along. He sensed an unease, something the blonde had against the demon. Perhaps he was doing some sort of surveillance on him, but as to what purpose, Astarion wasn’t sure. Admittedly, the always-smiling, Radio Demon possessed a charm to disturb and set himself apart from the others. Astarion had talked to him once, and once was enough.

The white-haired prosecutor mainly kept talking to Miss Sunshine, her angel girlfriend, and the bartender. They seemed to get along the best.

Right now, Angel and Astarion were keeping a casual eye on the television (or the visual sending stone as he preferred) in the center of the room. Some broad-shouldered, tall, dark, and handsome was speaking: “Anomalies have been growing at an alarming rate. There has been no sign of universal disruption, but we are keeping a continuous eye out for anything or anyone who could prove to be dangerous for public safety and wellbeing.”

“Manipulation at its finest,” A dark and deep voice mused near them.

“Gods damned!” Astarion shrieked, shrinking back from the silent eavesdropper. It was the other vampire, Dio. “How did you bloody do that? I’m usually the first to sense if someone is near me, thank-you-very-much!”

Dio smirked. “Isn’t blasphemy contrary to what is supposed to be practiced here?”

“He’s got a point,” Angel said with a small laugh. “You done sinned, gorgeous. You should be punished.”

Astarion flustered and still perturbed, straightened out his clothes. He looked to Dio. “Did you want to speak with us?”

“Only for a moment,” Dio said. He leaned in. “The cat-man can’t say anything, but I’ve noticed that both of you stay away from Alastor. Why is that?”

“He’s a dealmaker,” Angel explained. “He makes unfair deals with other sinners to gain an advantage. Weird sinner named Mimzy once said he killed a lot of overlords just to gain their powers. It’s surprising that Hus…well, it’s surprising that anyone who ever makes a deal with him lives to talk about it.”

“I see,” Dio said, rubbing his chin. He turned to Astarion. “And what do you make of him?”

“Darling,” Astarion said, taking a swig from a shot-glass of blood. “I’ve met far too many people like Alastor.”

‘And like you,’ he wanted to say. But he held his tongue. He didn’t want to exhaust his resources in this strange, new world so quickly.

“In any case,” Astarion said. “I’ve put my days of making deals with ever-lasting binding terms behind me.”

“Hey, good for you, man,” Angel said, taking a sip from his own glass. “At least one of us can say that.”

“Is there any way to get out of a demon’s contract?” Dio asked.

“Don’t know,” Angel said. “It’s never happened before, I mean, unless the contracted dies, I guess.”

This wasn’t the answer Dio was looking for. He grimaced and crossed his arms. “I’m sure there is…”

Angel placed his glass down on the bar and put a hand on Dio’s shoulder, “Well honey, if you find one, let me know.”

Dio chuckled. “I’m sure I will…and likewise, Anthony.”

“Wait…how did you?”

“Alastor has his ways of obtaining information, and I have mine,” Dio said simply.

Astarion sloshed his glass and without thinking much guessed, “The priest?”

Dio grinned, more devilishly than any of the inhabitants. “He’s knowledgeable, yes. And he helps when he can, but I’ve seen more to this world…this scheme than most. I refuse to give up. Perhaps if I kill the bastard.”

“Uh, what?” Angel asked, almost in disbelief. “That’s the stupidest idea I’ve heard. Look, whoever you’re trying to get out of a contract, it’s like I said, it doesn’t stop at the contractor’s death. It stops with whoever’s signed a contract.”

“That’s usually how it works,” Astarion nodded. “It’s always stacked in the disadvantage of the poor bastard who’s signed the damn thing.”

“I suppose you two would know,” Dio said, his face souring. He sat down on one of the more comfortable chairs and held his head in his hand. “To think I’d been brought back to finally fix my mistakes and to have such a huge disadvantage thrown at someone I was supposed to protect.”

“Did…did someone you care about sign a contract with Alastor?” Angel asked. “Look, you don’t have to tell me, but I get it, you’ll want to help them. I want to help someone get out of his contract, too. Maybe there’s something we’re not seeing, huh?”

Astarion didn’t respond. Something was off. He’d told his fair share of lies. Perhaps Dio was telling part of the truth, but there was still something lurking. Both he and Alastor, however much in opposition they may be, were the same men. He knew it.

He knew it because he was much the same. And poor Angel Dust, just like Tav, more concerned for the emotional ramifications than his own safety, seemed genuinely upset. Internally, Astarion groaned. He’d do what Tav did for him; he’d make sure Angel didn’t get hurt or used for some nefarious purpose. He figured he owed that to someone.

“If you can find a solution, I’ll help you break your contract, Anthony,” Dio said. “Anyone who should help I, Dio, will be greatly rewarded.”

With that the blonde vampire stood. He gave Astarion an unreadable look. “And I mean anyone. I’ve been told you were freed from your own personal enslavement, correct?”

Now Astarion shifted in his boots. “It was more of a group effort.”

“Then you should find your group,” Dio said. “There are forces at work here—ones not to be trusted. I assure you, I will soon gain enough power to put an end to anything that would hurt those of us who never had a chance—those much like ourselves. If only you will help me, I’ll help you. I swear it.”

“Alright then,” Angel said, surprisingly confident. A feeling Astarion wasn’t currently feeling. “If you’re so trustworthy, you could at least tell us who you’re fighting for. I’m not gonna help some asshole who wants more power for the sake of power.”

Dio flinched and turned away. “It’s my son. He’s made a terrible error. I must help him.”

“For real?” Angel asked. “How old is he?”

“Only fifteen.”

“Only fifteen?” Angel repeated. “Jesus, I knew Alastor was bad, but not making deals with kids bad.”

“We shouldn’t talk about that too much here. The prosecutor has agreed to help find any loopholes. If we work together, there is a better world for all of us: no contracts, the sun on our faces, redemption. It’s within reach!”

‘Of course there is, Cazador,’ Astarion’s mind screamed.

However, Angel looked, in that moment, hopeful. So hopeful that Astarion decided he would keep quiet.

“I’ll do what I can,” Angel whispered. “But you’re right. Maybe we should talk about this somewhere else.”

He grinned his voice dripping with suggestion, “Perhaps somewhere secluded. You can join, Astarion.”

“I’m flattered, but I’ve decided to not do that for now. I have the choice, now,” Astarion said. “Still, I suppose I’ll dig around. I don’t exactly trust Alastor, either.”

Not that he trusted Dio, but if Alastor were making deals like that, with children, no less, well, that was definitely Cazador behavior.

“And I want that choice, too,” Angel murmured.

Dio smiled, almost triumphantly. “Then we’ll meet elsewhere. I’ll give you the location later, as a precaution.”

He sauntered off. Angel was clearly puzzled. At least Astarion wouldn’t fall for anymore tricks.

Or he was almost sure he would not.

…

They’d split up. Bruno went with Abbachio, N (after promising to keep her safe) went with Maya, and he was with Edgeworth today. They’d been at this for a few weeks now. And there was no blooming friendship between Kaiba’s association and their own. Edgeworth frowned more than usual, which was an amazing feat to surpass. The two had gone to meet someone on a hiking trail. It was a woman, who worked with a doctor, apparently, she and her partner had been tipped off to a possible match of someone who fit Rose’s profile. Gideon had received the call and told Phoenix to go talk to her.

As they walked the dirt paths in the woods, they noticed some people singing and playing instruments, just happily walking along. Something about two lovers divided by a war.

The one with the shaggiest hair stopped, realizing that he and Edgeworth were on the path. “Oh hey, fancy-dressed nomads.”

“We are most certainly not,” Edgeworth objected. He turned to Phoenix, “Well, perhaps him if we lose this case, but certainly not me.”

“Actually, we’re here to meet with a woman who might know of a man by the name of Rose,” Phoenix explained, cutting a quick glare at Edgeworth.

“Rose, huh?” the man repeated. He scratched his chin and drew out a red, wooden guitar (?). “I know a song about some roses.”

Before Edgeworth or himself could protest, the man started playing and singing a new song:

Rose of red

Rose of blue

Once with dread

Now bloom anew

Wanting more

May get to shore

Or perish on the journey

When a more deadly root

Takes their place

Edgeworth furrowed his eyebrows. “Those last few verses lost their rhyme scheme.”

“Scheme-schmeem,” the man said. “Name’s Chong by the way.”

He gestured to the woman, “My wife, Lily.” He pointed to the other, stockier guy, “And that’s our friend, Moku.”

“Charmed,” Edgeworth said dryly.

“Come on, Edgeworth, I’m sure they worked hard on that song,” Phoenix said with a small grin.

“Yes, well, we have places to be,” Edgeworth said, grabbing his arm.

“Hey,” the woman, Lily called out, as they shuffled away. “Be careful, there’s some bad vibes back that way.”

“That’s why we’re booking it now,” Mako said.

Edgeworth stopped and paused for a moment, almost making Phoenix trip over himself. He stood still for a moment and shook his head, pushing forward. “It’s nonsense, Wright. Pure nonsense from vagabonds who speak absolute gibberish.”

“I don’t know, couldn’t they have been talking about one of those monsters?” Phoenix suggested. “They’ve been popping up more, you know.”

Another pause. “Hmm…perhaps we should consider turning back. Though, if we do, we’re both ruined. It wouldn’t matter if a monster were up ahead or Gideon Graves, himself, really.”

Phoenix was quiet for a minute. Sensing the tension. He grinned and nudged Miles’s shoulder, “You sure there’s a difference between them?”

He saw, for a brief second, Miles crack a smile. Mission accomplished. Then back to a frown. Phoenix didn’t mind. It’s just how Edgeworth worked. Honestly, it was kind of admirable to be so dead set on his goals and sense of doing the job correctly. Preferable to his days as the so-called ‘demon prosecutor.’ Edgeworth’s whole perspective had changed for the better. At least now, they could work together to find the absolute truth.

At least now they could spend time together.

“We should take some caution, going forward,” Miles said, “After all, you have a horrible habit of injuring yourself on these cases. Monster or no, let’s make sure there’s no more hospital bills in your near future.”

The grin was still slightly there.

Phoenix shook his head. “Hah. You wish, Edgeworth.”

Solemn was the best way to describe his next look. “I don’t.”

And then there were times when Edgeworth was completely unpredictable. He walked ahead of Phoenix; what had he said?

The two walked in silence until reaching somewhat of a clearing. On one of three stone benches a pale woman with long, red hair sat, waiting patiently. When she spotted the two, her lips formed a small smile.

“Mr. Wright, Mr. Edgeworth. I’m glad to make your acquaintance.” She got up, and shuffled a bunch of papers, thumbing through them methodically. “I’m sure you know why I’m here.”

“You are Dr. Knight,” Edgeworth assumed.

The woman nodded and held out the stack of papers towards them. As Edgeworth hesitantly reached for the papers, the magatama activated. At least ten psyche-locks popped up around the woman. She was lying—lying more than anyone he’d seen so far.

“Wait,” Phoenix said, pushing Miles away from the woman. “Why are you really here?”

The woman seemed slightly taken aback. She quickly regained her composure and shoved the papers towards Phoenix. “I suppose you’ll do, too.”

Not even thinking, Phoenix shoved the papers back, causing them to flutter—

No. Not flutter. The papers glowed. Glowed and swirled around into a vertex, sticking together to form some sort of humanoid monster. Words moved and floated across its body.

“Papella only needed one of your DNA signatures to attack,” the woman explained as Phoenix backed away. She turned to the monster. “Take this man’s heart and then Mr. Edgeworth, as well. I can make this into a double success for us! Come back to the lab when you’re finished. I have other places to be. More hearts to check.”

As she disappeared, someone yanked Phoenix away by the collar of his shirt. “Wright! Move!”

Having their situation sort of register, Phoenix acquiesced and started running with Edgeworth. However, they weren’t too far when something grabbed Phoenix’s ankle, sending him careening to the path below. The monster chuckled as it put down its foot (which looked and felt like a heavy paper weight) down on his chest. It outstretched its palm toward his chest.

For its effort, a suitcase was launched at its head and the prosecution threw a right hook. However, it caught Miles’s hand. He winced.

“Edgeworth!”

The monster, almost effortlessly, tossed him in the air and sent him colliding into a tree, knocking him out cold.

“How annoying. He’ll have his turn,” the monster said, glaring at Edgeworth. It turned back to Phoenix, a nefarious grin on its face. “Now it’s your last chapter.”

“Oi oi!”

Someone literally swung in, faster than any human he’d ever seen. They kicked the monster in the head so hard, it went face-first into the stone benches. The figure landed just a few inches away from him. He kind of looked like Spider-Man. But he wore a vest and a lot of spikes, even on the back of the mask. He held out a hand to Phoenix.

“You alright, mate?”

Phoenix barely nodded. He, at that moment, had to get to Miles. He needed to know he was okay. The monster, having regained its composure, looked from Phoenix to the possible Spider-Man. It leapt into the air, landing directly beside Miles. It grabbed him by his collar, holding him up in the air.

“Don’t come any closer or pretty boy gets it.”

“Put him down!” Phoenix yelled.

“No way! Maybe I’ll kill him first, and then you! I’m sure my boss doesn’t care which way it gets done. So long as it gets done.”

“Right, and who was that boss again?” the British Spider-Man asked.

“Like I’d tell you.”

“Sure you don’t want to?”

“Hell no! I’ll kill all three of you!”

A bird tweeted in the distance. Another echoed in another tree. And then the creature’s arms were severed from its body. A blond girl in a cheerleader’s uniform covered by scaled armor held the arm in one hand and a pink sword in the other. Edgeworth was caught by a person who leapt down from one of the lower branches. They had teal hair, glasses, and dressed like they were in some sort of English, medieval society. Another boy with brunette hair, similar armor, and two hooks impaled the creature, tearing two gashes through its side.

He kept a specific hold on the monster. “Hey, Guzma, you want your Golisopod to help drench this old wad of tissue?”

From the opposite tree came a voice that chuckled darkly. “Heh. Sure. Golisopod! Water beam!”

One man with white hair and strange shaped glasses, Hawaiian shirt, t-shirt, shorts, and gold necklace resembling the letter ‘S,’ beside him was a hulking, white monster with huge claws. It spat out a plume of water at the monster, drenching it.

The monster cried out at the teenage boy tore through it with his claws, ripping it in half. It lost its form and turned into regular papers, as it had been before.

Phoenix was almost too stunned to speak. However, there were pressing matters at hand. He looked to the teal-haired individual holding Miles. “I-is he okay?”

This person was checking his pulse and nodded. “Yes. Just seems like he hit his head hard. I don’t sense any serious damage, though.”

Phoenix was quiet for a minute. “Not that I’m not super grateful, but who are all you people?”

“I’m Guzma. I’m the big, bad boss who beats you down and beats you down…well…I’m Guzma. Not so much a boss anymore. If I’m gonna fix the system, gotta break those hierarchy roles, right HB?”

“You learn well young Golisopd,” the British Spider-Man said with slight amusement in his voice. “I’m Spider-Man. Well, one of them, at least.”

“Name’s Jet,” the kid with the hooks said, sticking a grain of wheat in his mouth.

“Sasha Waybright,” the girl with the sword said with a bright smile. “Man, these things are waaay too easy to kill.”

“Don’t jinx it,” the teal-haired person warned. “My name is Raine. Who are you two?”

“Come off it, Raine,” Spider-Man said. “These two are those famous ace attorneys. All about keeping the current system in place, yeah? Even I’ve heard of ‘em.”

“The three of us,” Sasha said, gesturing to herself, Spider-Man, and Jet. “Keep up with news way more than these two do.”

“Hey, I invent the news,” Guzma protested.

“Look, it doesn’t matter,” Raine said. “We need to get these two to safety. Those monsters have been popping up way more. Let’s get out of the park.”

Raine began by trying to shoulder Miles alone. Phoenix hopped up and ran over to help them out, ducking under his other shoulder.

“You two must be close,” Sasha remarked. “He basically dived in front of that monster for you. It’s sappy, really. Cute couple goals, though!”

“You shouldn’t make assumptions,” Raine said.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Sasha said, showing off a bi-pride pin on her cape. “I would know.”

“It’s not like that,” Phoenix said. Even if he felt that way.

But why had Edgeworth done that? He made fun of Phoenix for being careless and reckless. Hell, he’d thought he’d never live down the Kurrain-shrine-bridge incident. Miles yelled and yelled at him, even when he was still in the hospital. And it wasn’t like Edgeworth to be so hypocritical.

So why?

…

A day like this was rare ever since he’d hopped over to this new universe. Everyone was inside, having fun, and Miles was able to take a break outside, by himself. “United in Grief” played through his headphones, letting him escape, if just for a minute. There were no monsters, no impending doom heading for his family, no Miguel O’Hara, no radio demons, and no need to be Spider-Man.

And then someone tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

He looked up to see Makoto holding a piece of cake that smelled and looked delicious. It even had a small candy flower at the end.

“You were missing out. I thought I’d come find you,” she explained. “I’ve been told my cakes are pretty good by one of the hungriest princesses I’ve ever known.”

Miles grinned and took the cake. “How many princesses do you know?”

“Including Starfire and Adora? Three. And Zuko’s a prince, so…”

“He’s a prince?” Miles asked in disbelief.

“Yeah. He’s pretty open about it now. I guess you just have to get to know him. He’s got a girlfriend and everything. And Sokka said something about his first girlfriend turning into the moon. Maybe they have a moon princess, too.”

“Wow. I really don’t know a lot about anyone here,” Miles remarked.

That creeping guilt over being so reclusive seeped into his consciousness again. Maybe it wouldn’t kill him to make more friends than Giorno. Though, the thought of trusting anyone still seemed stupid.

“I don’t blame you, you know,” Makoto said out of the blue.

“What do you mean?” Miles asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Back at Mr. Iroh’s tea place, you said you’d do anything to save your dad, even if all those other people who told you to sacrifice him for the ‘sake of the greater good’ told you otherwise. I’d give anything to go back in time and save my parents.”

She stared off into the stars. “Sometimes, at night, I wait for them to come home. But they never do. When I go home, to an empty apartment, sometimes I just feel like crying so bad.”

Miles felt something tug at his heart. She’d been alone? For how long? Did anyone else know about this? He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder but thought better of it.

“I’m sorry. That must be really hard to cope with.”

Mako nodded. “It is. No one should have to go through it.”

She dabbed at her eyes and pulled him in for a hug. “Which is why I’m going to help you! I’m sure Usagi will, too! You two kind of remind me of each other, doing things your own way. I’ll beat up any other Spider-Man who tries to stop you!”

He laughed. “Thanks, Mako. If…if there’s any way I can help you, I’ll repay the favor.”

He meant it. She seemed so genuine. It almost threw him off his guard. Almost.

“Just…try to make more friends here. Talk to Usagi. I know you two would get along. Her dreams are similar to yours. Don’t be so secluded. We need other people to help us. I think even Giorno is getting the hang of it.”

A slight breeze coursed through the air. Makoto shivered. Miles took off his big, puffy coat and handed it to her. “Don’t worry. My suit keeps me warm. Let’s head back in.”

She hesitantly took his coat and nodded. “Thank you, Miles.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Maybe he could make more friends here than just Giorno.

#jjba #pokemon #pure heart crystals #ace attorney #miles morales #owl house #sailor moon #across the spiderverse #avatar the last airbender #kaolinite

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