[5:30 AM; 5 Hours 30 Minutes Remain.]
Joseph sat in the parked car in an alleyway while the radio played whatever random station DIO put on. "It looks like we'll be here for a bit, I don't think the umbrella would work while the sun is still rising." He said, folding his arms as he reclined in his seat. He looked out at the sky. "I have some questions."
"Oh?" DIO said, the radio crackling slightly, "Considering you're almost out of time, ask away."
Joseph laughed at this, "I've still got about six hours, right? Don't get too cocky." He rolled the window of the car down and a slight breeze blew in. "So, how did all this happen? Why come back now and not like 10 years ago?"
DIO was silent for a moment, "I couldn't." He said in a bitter tone, the ever-present crackling of the radio increasing slightly, "I wasn't fully conscious until recently."
Joseph sat up at this and looked at the radio. "How so?" He asked, resting his head on his hands.
"I was conscious for a small amount of time after Egypt, when you did that silly prank of yours, unable to move, speak, or even breath." DIO replied, "However after a while, I fell into what I can only describe as a dreamless sleep. I woke occasionally, mostly when you'd do tarot readings or use your stand to read your future, but I was never able to do anything…" A more somber tone seeped into his voice for a moment- but only a moment before his usual arrogance came back. "...Until you pulled my card, that is," DIO said with a laugh.
"Tarot card reading is what let you escape?" Joseph said incredulously, "How the hell would that work? You said it yourself, I've had plenty of readings over the years and you never woke up!"
He folded his arms when the radio crackled with DIO's laughter yet again.
"I suppose it was a fluke of fate. You, pulling the World of all cards," DIO laughed, "And then proceeding to use your stand immediately afterward? It's like you were begging for me to return!"
Joseph blinked. "What does using my stand have to do with this?" He asked.
"Well, if you hadn't used your stand after awakening me, I would have never had access to it." DIO laughed. "I suppose it did help that I already had experience using it from my time with Jonathan's body, however that alone wouldn't have allowed me to free myself. Like I said, a fluke of fate. Can you recall ever using your stand immediately after a reading?"
Joseph sat for a minute. His chest felt tight as he realized what the vampire was telling him was true. He looked downward. Wasn't fate supposed to be on his side? The side of good? The side of the descendants of Jonathan Joestar?! How could such a small thing, a singular action, cause all of this? So many deaths, and possibly his own and his family's if he can't stop DIO in time-
-No. There's no thinking like that now.
"There's still time." He whispered.
"Hm?" DIO snidely asked, "There's still time? You're very funny, Joseph." The once-dead vampire's laughter echoed throughout the car. "Thirty days wasn't enough for you last time, and you think you can do it in 6 hours?"
Joseph was silent as he listened to DIO's laughter through the radio.
It would have to be enough.
He had no choice.
[8:00 AM ; 3 Hours Remain.]
Jotaro walked toward the gas station as Okuyasu and Josuke exited the car.
"This the place?" Josuke asked as he shut the door.
Jotaro nodded and opened the gas station door.
There it was. The same smell from earlier today. The three were entirely silent as they entered the building. Josuke gagged as he saw the scene before him. "Vampire again?" He asked, turning to Jotaro. Jotaro was holding the head of one of the dried-up corpses, examining its neck. "Eugh! Don't touch that!" Josuke shouted, "Who knows where that's been!"
On the body's shoulder, Jotaro saw marks that he recognized. Not vampiric ones, but ones very familiar.
Jotaro wordlessly set down the body and examined the other one.
The same marks.
Okuyasu peeked over Jotaro's shoulder. "What are those marks? Did the vampire do that?" He asked as Josuke peeked over Jotaro's other shoulder.
"No," Jotaro said as he set the body down back where it was. "It's from a metal hand."
Josuke paused for a moment. "...A metal hand?" He asked, stepping back from the others. "Doesn't Mr. Joestar have one?"
Jotaro nodded. "The person holding him hostage may have made him hold them as they killed them." Jotaro grimly said.
"That's horrible," Okuyasu replied, looking over to the body on the floor. "I really feel bad for the guy."
Jotaro said nothing as they walked toward the back where the security camera feed was. He sat in front of the monitor and began rewinding the tape for the morning. When a figure came on screen, he went backward a few minutes and stopped.
On the screen, the three saw two men. One held the other at gunpoint.
"Looks like there was a robbery," Josuke said, pointing at the man with the gun.
Jotaro nodded and the tape continued.
They watched the door open and Jotaro quickly paused the video as a familiar figure stepped into the building.
Jotaro muttered to himself. "Good grief."
Okuyasu blinked. "Is that our guy holding Joseph hostage?" He asked, tilting his head in confusion. "Doesn't look like Joseph's there with him, is he back in the car?"
Jotaro looked up and shook his head. "That's Joseph."
The others jumped up. "What?! He looks like he's 17 or something!" Josuke shouted.
Okuyasu stuck his face close to the screen, "Did the enemy stand user make him younger or something?"
Jotaro pushed him back and tapped the screen. "Shut up and we'll see."
The others quieted down and the video continued.
The gunman pointed his gun at Joseph and the screen fuzzed a little as he fired every single bullet in his gun. Everyone in the room fell silent as they watched Joseph take every bullet out of his body and continue walking. They watched him kill the gunman, and then proceed over to kill the cashier.
Jotaro stopped the video and they sat in silence.
Josuke broke the silence. "...So… that wasn't him right?" He asked, turning away from the screen. "That vampire had to be a stand user impersonating him."
Jotaro adjusted his hat. "I hope so…" He stood up and began walking to the door. He opened the door and paused to look at Josuke and Okuyasu, "...because if that is actually him, we've got a whole different problem on our hands."
[10:55 AM; 5 Minutes Remain.]
Joseph parked the car on the side of the road, Hermit Purple hoisting the bloody umbrella over his head to block the sun as he got out. Joseph sighed anxiously, putting his hands in his pockets. He walked down the street, his mind racing. He had yet to figure out a way to stop DIO other than… well…
He shook his head, keeping his pace on the sidewalk. Lucky for him, the lunch rush had yet to start, so no one was in his path. He walked over to a bench and put his head in his hands.
What would he do?
He had less than 5 minutes left.
Less than 5 minutes to control his own body.
His chest tightened as he tried to think of a way out.
He should've asked DIO if he'd end up in a dreamless sleep as he'd been.
Would it hurt when it happens or would he just pass out?
Should he just-
"Hey! Can't you read?! I just painted that!" A voice shouted close to his face. Joseph looked up to see Tamami Kobayashi in painter's clothes, holding a paintbrush with white paint on it.
Joseph stood up and looked at his pants. There was white paint on them.
Fantastic. Just what he needed.
"I thought you weren't doing cons anymore," Joseph said, glaring at the short man.
Tamami froze for a minute in real fear but quickly regained his composure. "How dare you call me a con man! I'm a working man!" He said in mock offense, putting a hand over his chest.
"Just leave me alone. You should go bother someone else." Joseph growled, beginning to walk away from him.
"Hey! Don't you ignore me! That is so rude!" Tamami shouted, pointing at Joseph. "You're acting as if I've killed someone or something!"
Joseph froze, the images of all the dead flashing in his mind. He felt something heavy settle on his chest, and he looked down.
Of course. A lock. Great.
Joseph could literally feel the time slipping away from him.
Tamami laughed and ran over to him. "That sure stopped you. Don't you feel guilty for treating me like that?" He said, looking up at the vampire. "Why don't you give me that weird umbrella of yours as payment?" Tamami stared on as the taller man slowly looked down at him. His eyes seemed to have a red-orange tint to them and as he opened his mouth he could've sworn those teeth were not natural.
"I'm not guilty about that." Joseph growled, "I don't have time for this. Take the lock off."
Tamami froze as he realized Joseph could see the lock. "Wh-what? You're a stand user?" He stuttered, stepping back in fear. "Is… the umbrella your stand or something?"
Joseph shook his head and started walking away. "Whatever." He muttered.
Suddenly, his legs gave out. He fell with a gasp, the umbrella doing a small twirl above him.
Tamami ran over and crouched down to look at him. A huge smirk was on his face. "The guilt finally get to you?" He said snidely, sitting on the floor next to him. "I know what can help… just give me all your money!"
Joseph stared at Tamami. "You'd best get out of here." He said as his arms gave out and he fell to the ground. "I don't have much time."
Tamami blinked. "Wait. You mean, you're about to die or something?" He asked, quickly removing the lock from Joseph's chest.
"Not exactly," Joseph said. He glanced at a watch on Tamami's wrist. It read 10:58. "Uh, my stand… gets extremely dangerous when I'm attacked. It's a bomb. So..."
Tamami's eyes widened. "You don't have to tell me twice!" He shouted, standing up and sprinting as far as he could. His heart sank as his foot caught on something and he face-planted into the ground. He looked down at his ankle and saw purple vines wrapped around his foot leading back up to the fallen man.
"DIO! Stop! He hasn't done anything!" Joseph shouted, breathing heavily as his chest constricted further.
Tamami stared on in horror as the fallen man slouched over entirely after this, presumably dead.
The umbrella held up by purple vines was released, and the "dead" man reached up to grab it. He pulled on the vines around his ankle as hard as he could, while watching the man stand up.
The entire energy of the man had changed from simply intimidating to entirely terrifying.
The man sauntered toward him, twirling the umbrella around and humming some old tune. "To answer your question earlier," The man said, each and every word making Tamami's heart sink further, "No, I am not feeling guilty." DIO lifted Tamami by the throat with his metal hand. "In fact, The only thing I feel…"
"...is hungry."