Ungalo took a few bounds into the parking lot and then looked around wildly. Giorno rolled the window down and waved. "Ciao."

"That's our ride," Dio stated. Ungalo wavered and glanced back at the apartment building. Giorno swung the car door open, stepped out, and approached him with one arm outstretched.

When Ungalo tentatively shook his hand, Giorno smiled at him but his gaze flitted down to Ungalo's forearm. Ungalo tensed and pulled away, shoving his fists into his pockets. Giorno only nodded in response. "A pleasure to meet you. Ungalo, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," Ungalo replied. "You one of my half-brothers?"

Giorno nodded. "I'm sure you have questions, but…" He trailed off and glanced at Dio. "Do we need to get back on the road?"

"Yes." He pulled open the back door and gestured at Ungalo. "Get in."

"Alright, alright." He hopped in, blinked in confusion at the turtle resting in the middle of the row of seats, frowned at the somewhat-cleaned blood splatters left by the pigeon, and then furrowed his eyebrows at Hol, who looked disoriented from having just woken up. "Who's the cowboy?"

With Mista in the turtle, Dio could claim shotgun. He took his seat and looked back over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at Hol. "Hey, Hol. Would you like to be a godparent?"

Hol rubbed at his eyes. "What?"

"Now would be the time to become one," Dio said blithely. "Given the situation."

Hol just frowned at him. Dio turned his attention to Giorno, who had just turned the keys in the ignition. The car engine rumbled back to life. "Do we have our next address?"

"We do." Giorno pointed at the GPS. "West of Tallahassee."

"Up in the panhandle?" Ungalo snorted. "Ew."

Giorno quirked an eyebrow and looked out at the worn-down apartment complex before putting the car in reverse. "It's also a five-hour trip. Can you drive?" he asked Ungalo.

"Um." He scowled and crossed his arms. "Too many points on my license. It's suspended right now."

The car pulled out of the parking lot. Giorno kept his eyes on the road but spoke to Dio. "I'm not complaining, but I don't know if I'll be able to drive for five more hours. Mista needs to sleep, and he seems exhausted, as well," he added, gesturing toward the back seat, and Hol nodded in blearily enthusiastic agreement.

"Why can't he drive?" Ungalo asked, waving his hand at Dio.

The car fell silent. Ungalo stammered to fill the void. "What, is your license suspended, too?"

Giorno raised his eyebrows and gave Dio a pointed glance. Hol grumbled something and looked out the window.

"How old are you, Ungalo?" Dio asked.

"Twenty-three," he answered. "Why?"

"How old do you think I am?"

"Uh." He frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. "It would make the most sense if, uh…" He counted off on his fingers. "Forty, er, no." He bit his lip and glanced up at Giorno. "Wait, how old are you?"

"Twenty-six," he answered. "But I'll be twenty-seven next month."

"There's no way you're over forty," Ungalo exclaimed at Dio. "Unless you got some serious plastic. Jesus, even if you had me when you were sixteen, and him when you were... it still wouldn't make any sense."

"Correct," Dio answered. When Ungalo gawked at him he clarified. "Not that I got your mother pregnant at sixteen. I'm saying you're correct that it doesn't make any sense."

Ungalo pressed his palms against his forehead. "Are you sure you're not mixed up about this? Wouldn't it make more sense for you to be another half-brother? You look my age, now that I think about it." He frowned. "But you act, um. Older, I guess."

"My best guess as to my current age is two hundred and twenty, give or take a few decades," Dio stated. He included the extra century in the coffin, but he wasn't sure how to quantify the time loop in the Joestar mansion.

Even Hol and Giorno looked confused. Dio waved his hand dismissively. "Long story. Anyway," he said to Giorno, "wouldn't it be best to save this for when the other two are here? I'd hate to have to repeat myself."

"Normally, I would agree with you," Giorno replied, "but it would be rude to leave him in suspense for the next five hours or more."

He shrugged, twisted in his seat to look back at Ungalo, and then smiled widely. He tapped at his teeth with a fingernail. "I'm a vampire."

"Bullshit," Ungalo said breathlessly.

"But you believe it," Giorno replied. "It's the only way this all makes sense."

Ungalo squinted. "But how does that answer the driving question?"

"He just never really needed to," Hol answered. "Would you deal with traffic if you were a vampire?"

Ungalo hunched forward and stared at the floor. Hol gave him a few firm pats on the back. "Is that why I've got a weird power? The Stand thing? Because I'm half vampire?" Ungalo glanced up at Giorno. "Do you have one, too?"

"I don't think we have any vampire traits," Giorno answered, "but yes, I have a Stand."

"He can sense where living things are to an extent," Dio explained, and then he gestured at Hol. "His Stand is basically a gun."

Hol clapped a hand to his forehead. "Would you stop telling everyone what—"

Dio ignored him. "The turtle has a Stand, as well. It has a room inside of a gem on its shell. There are two more men in there. One has a Stand that can redirect bullets. The other does not have a Stand, but he is a ghost."

"Oh, God," Ungalo said, his head nearly hanging down between his knees. "I just realized I didn't pack anything. I didn't even grab money."

"I take it we can't go back to the apartment," Giorno asked Dio. When Dio nodded, he sighed. "It's a good thing I brought the emergency credit card." They rolled to a stop at a red light and he poked at the GPS. "Walmart is open 24/7, isn't it? There is one thirty minutes north of us. We should stop there and get our necessities. I wonder if they would mind us sleeping in their parking lot. We can all take a spot in the turtle. Would you be willing to keep watch?" He glanced at Dio as the light turned green.

Dio nodded his assent. He glanced up at the rearview and spotted Ungalo's conflicted expression. If he was anything like himself, Dio figured he was balancing two responses to Giorno's offer. The first would be 'how dare you try to help me with your pity money, I'll go through this whole ordeal with just the clothes on my back if I need to.' The second would be 'okay, free money, just how much can I get out of this shopping trip?' He supposed it helped that Giorno had said our necessities, which kept Ungalo's needs from being singled out.

Ungalo settled for not responding. He crossed his arms and looked out the window.


They found the Walmart, the interior vacant and oversaturated with fluorescent light as it neared 2 AM. Hol staggered off, undeterred in his hunt for his preferred jerky brand. Ungalo grabbed a cart and went looking for toiletries and a change of clothes. Giorno picked up a basket and carefully tucked the turtle inside. He glanced back at Dio and tilted his head. "Is there anything you need?"

"Sunscreen. An umbrella." When Giorno still looked inquisitive, Dio gave him a stern look in return. "I don't need a meal if that's what you're asking."

He shrugged. "Good to know." He glanced around the aisle, pausing to look at a pile of inventory that hadn't yet been sorted onto the shelves. "Is this your first time in one of these? It's a new experience for me, too. They haven't yet claimed any territory in Italy."

"Cairo had markets," Dio eventually replied. "They were similarly extensive, but not as…" He pursed his lips and waved his hand as he searched for a word.

"Corporate," Giorno answered.

"Indeed." Dio glanced over a wall of technicolor labels and plastic packaging.

Giorno was silent for a few moments. They made their way to the rows in front of the pharmacy station and he began considering the first aid selection. "I'm worried about Ungalo," he admitted.

"Why?"

"Withdrawal." He picked up the turtle and held it in the crook of his arm, then held out the shopping basket to Dio. "Can you hold this?"

Dio held the basket and Giorno began pulling bandages from the shelf. "Mista and I had enough supplies for ourselves," he said with a short laugh. "Now that I'll have up to five extra people in the car, I'll have to adjust."

Dio followed as he went to the antibiotics and lidocaine. "Explain what you mean about withdrawal."

"His arms," Giorno answered. "I don't know when he last used." He turned the corner and peered into the next aisle. "I don't want him to-"

He fell silent. Ungalo was in this aisle, holding a cardboard multi-tube toothpaste package in his hand. He looked nonchalant but Dio noted the dents in the box when he set it back on the shelf.

Giorno nodded at him. "Finding everything okay?"

Ungalo grabbed a toothpaste at random and tossed it into the cart. "Yeah."

Well, wasn't this dramatic. Dio tilted his head and waited for Giorno's response.

"Would you like to watch the turtle?" He gestured at the fold-out child seat below the handles of the shopping cart. "It's a little heavy for me to carry and I don't want it to get any germs on the first aid. The poor thing is a natural carrier of salmonella, after all."

"...Sure." The hinges squealed a little as Ungalo pushed the seat open.

Giorno set the turtle down. "Thank you. That reminds me, I should buy it some lettuce." He looked into the shopping cart and smiled. "I'm sorry you didn't have the time to bring anything with you. It's a shame that you'll be stuck in Walmart couture," he said lightly, his tone making it clear that he was making a joke.

Ungalo didn't seem too amused. "Yeah."

Giorno's smile didn't falter. "I'm almost done, but you can take your time. Let's meet again at the self-checkout when you're done." He glanced back at Dio. "Are you familiar with McDonald's at all? Can you believe they built one inside this place? They're open all night, too. Let's all get something quick before going to bed."

Ungalo shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

"Sounds like a plan, yes?" Giorno gave a little wave before continuing down the aisle. "See you there."


Ungalo seemed a bit cheerier meeting them at the checkout. Hol had found the beef jerky he wanted and looked as if he could weep with joy. He at least also had the sense to get a change of clothes and some toiletries. Giorno condensed everyone's purchases into the cart and scanned them in. Hol made himself useful by taking over bagging. Ungalo looked over the adjacent tabloid stand with bored indifference.

Dio didn't know much about credit card providers, but whatever kind Giorno pulled out to swipe through the card reader caused Ungalo to go wide-eyed.

Once everything was paid for, they rolled the cart over to the McDonald's. Giorno marveled at the fact that there was a mock parking lot for storing your cart as you ate. Hol looked up at the backlit menus in awe. "Thank God, they still have Big Macs in the future," he said quietly.

The tired-looking cashier took their order without even batting an eye at the turtle Hol was holding and it didn't take long for a food-laden tray to be shoved at them.

"We have these in Italy, but I haven't been to one in a long time," Giorno said happily as he unwrapped his burger. He took a bite, chewed thoughtfully, swallowed, and then smiled. "It's awful."

"It's an acquired taste," Hol said as if he were a smarmy sommelier. He used a french fry to point at Ungalo. "You shoulda started with the basics like your brother."

Ungalo had scarfed down a box of chicken nuggets and was now tapping his fingers on the table. "Ice cream's only a dollar and it looks like the machine is actually working," he said to Giorno. "You want some?"

"I would, actually." He looked back at the service counter and pursed his lips at the advertisement. "Hol?"

"Pass," he replied.

Giorno gave Dio a curious look. Dio shook his head.

"Alright, two ice creams. Mista is missing out. I'll have to make it up to him later." Giorno grinned and stood.

Once he went up to the counter, Ungalo nodded. "Cool, cool. I'm gonna go to the bathroom." He slid out of the booth seat and walked off.

Hol focused on finishing his french fries. Dio turned around and looked out into the store with an expression of amusement. "Hol, are the bathrooms of this establishment located on the outside?"

Hol blinked at him. "Huh?"

Dio rested his chin on his palm. "And are you supposed to take the cart with you?"

"Aw, shit." Hol smeared greasy fingers onto a napkin and stood.

Dio stopped time. Giorno froze in front of the register, an ice cream cone in each hand. Dio picked him up and balanced him on his shoulder as if he were carrying lumber. Hol picked up the turtle and ran off after Ungalo. He found him a few feet ahead of the automatic doors, clinging to the shopping cart as he rode it to the parking lot.

Time began again. Giorno landed on the ground with a grunt but he managed to both keep his balance and hold on to the ice cream. Ungalo shrieked with surprise when Dio put a hand on the cart and brought him to an abrupt halt. "Where are you going, son?"

"I can't do this," Ungalo cried. "I knew this wouldn't go well. You want me to believe all this shit? No way." His despair flared into anger and he pointed at Dio. "Do you think I'm so stupid as to not realize when I'm being taken advantage of? I don't really know who you are. I don't think you're really a vampire but I still don't know what you want. There's no point in robbing me because I'm flat fucking broke but I guess you could steal my goddamn kidneys."

"We're telling the truth," Giorno said softly. "No one is going to take your organs."

Ungalo only grew more upset. "And you," he spat, jabbing his finger at Giorno. "Some family reunion this is, you condescending asshole. I'm glad we didn't grow up together."

Giorno's eyes widened with surprise. "What?"

Ungalo's tone grew mocking and he waved his hands wildly. "Oh, this fast food is so gross. Oh, the clothes here are so lame. Most of the time that shit is all I can afford to eat and half my closet is from this fucking place."

Giorno frowned. "I was not trying to imply anything about you. I was just trying to make a joke."

"Well, ha ha, you're so funny." Ungalo scowled and looked at the ground. "I'm done with this."

"But your Stand," Giorno said quickly. "Surely you want to know more about-"

"What fucking Stand?" Ungalo curled his hands into fists. "For all I know, I'm just hallucinating them, right? Too high off my ass to tell what's going on? Or maybe the withdrawal is hitting me so hard I'm losing it." He leaned forward and jabbed a finger at Giorno. "Isn't that right?"

Giorno fell silent. Ungalo shook his head and stepped away from the cart. "I'm done. See ya never."

Dio lifted him up and threw him over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. Ungalo made a shrill sound of surprise. "Put me down," he yelped, panic edging into his voice.

"Turtle storage plan it is," Dio said. "Giorno, do you have any rope? Duct tape? Something along those lines?"

Giorno only frowned at him. Ungalo began to scream for help and Hol clamped a hand over his mouth. Ungalo bit him. Hol yelped and nearly dropped the turtle.

Giorno took a deep breath and looked up at Dio. "Can you just carry him over to the trunk, please?" He held out the ice cream to Hol, who took a moment to figure out how he would carry both cones and the turtle all at once.

Dio nodded and began to walk. Ungalo tried and failed to wriggle out of his grip. "No, no, no, come on, listen. I'm sorry. I really am! But I need my organs to live, right? Right?"

Giorno unlocked the van and lifted the hatchback. There was some normal trunk space before the turtle terrarium began. He flipped up the lid to a storage compartment and sorted through some supplies. Giorno picked up a large plastic case and looked back at the panicking Ungalo. "Let him down," he said to Dio. Dio shrugged and complied, but he kept a hand on Ungalo's shoulder to keep him from bolting.

"I only noticed because I run into this a lot in my work," Giorno stated as he flipped open the latches on the case. "I wasn't judging you at all. However, I recognize that my words harmed you. For that, I am sorry." He opened the container and pointed at the contents. "I try to keep a few packs like this with me at all times. There's a purity testing kit, sterile sharps, alcohol swabs, and some medication that won't completely remove your symptoms but it will help." He gave Ungalo a serious stare. "I do not think it is safe for you to be alone right now for several reasons. I want you to know that you are in the company of people that have your best interests at heart. I am sorry that I couldn't express that clearly before now."

"Don't say sorry," Ungalo said quickly. "I shouldn't have… I just assumed the worst of you, you know?" He gave a weak grin. "With most of the people I run into, that works out just fine." His face screwed up with emotion for a moment, but he rubbed at his eyes and shrugged. "You, though," he said, and he pointed back at Dio. "I still don't trust your ass."

Dio looked down at him blankly. "Fair enough."

Ungalo rolled his eyes and held out a hand to Giorno. "We good?"

"Not quite." Giorno closed the case and set it back in the trunk. "I'm not happy that you were about to steal all of our supplies."

Ungalo grimaced and crossed his arms tightly. Giorno held up a finger. "As punishment for stealing the turtle's lettuce dinner, you will not get to sleep on the comfortable couches inside of said turtle. You will get the back seat of the car." He turned to Hol and pulled the semi-melted cones from his hands.

"Uh, Giorno, I kinda wanted the back seat. I don't really want to sleep in a room with Polnareff's ghost," Hol whispered.

"I'm sure you'll cope." He turned back to Ungalo and smiled. "Now, eat your ice cream." He held out his hand; Ungalo snorted, shook his head, and took the cone from him.