TheSBRquestioner: Speak of the devil...

"Follow me, Blackmore."

"Of course, Mr. President."

Blackmore followed the man that he chose to follow. Funny Valentine had picked him up when he was at his lowest point, and now he would follow the man to the ends of the Earth. They made it to an exquisite dining room, and Valentine motioned for him to sit.

"Suppose that you were sitting down at a table. The napkins are in front of you, which napkin would you take? The one on your 'left'? Or the one on your 'right'? The one on your left side? Or the one on your right side? Usually you would take the one on your left side. That is 'correct' too. But in a larger sense on society, that is wrong. Perhaps I could even substitute 'society' with the 'Universe'. The correct answer is that 'It is determined by the one who takes his or her own napkin first.' …Yes? If the first one takes the napkin to their right, then there's no choice but for others to also take the 'right' napkin. The same goes for the left. Everyone else will take the napkin to their left, because they have no other option. This is 'society'."

"I'm...afraid I have never been more confused, sir."

"Take the napkin, Blackmore."

Blackmore reached for a napkin.

"NO! I mean, you need to seize the day! Take the opportunity before someone else does! We need that Corpse, more than Kujo and Zeppeli ever will. You do believe in what we are trying to accomplish, right?"

"Of course, Mr. President, of course!"

"Keep an eye on the weather, Blackmore. You might just be able to take the napkin for us."

Blackmore pulled out his phone, it was supposed to be a rainy day. "I understand, Mr. President, I won't let you down!"

Valentine gave him a warm smile. "You never have."

...

"So Diego broke the mask?" Gyro asked.

Mountain Tim nodded. "It seems as though I was wrong about him...I really thought he was gonna put it on."

Gyro smirked. "Looks like you really did get through to him, huh Johnny?"

Johnny glanced at his friend. "It could've turned out much differently. I was pretty close to killing him."

"Does it bother you, having to kill people?" Hot Pants asked.

"Why do you ask?"

"It's just...you were a hero student and all, and heroes aren't supposed to kill people. I just wanted to make sure..."

"I'm prepared to do whatever it takes, Hot Pants. If I have to kill someone, it is unfortunate...but I won't hesitate if there is no other option. I spared Diego because...he isn't evil, just lost and confused, consumed by vengeance. I think he can be saved, so I let him live."

Hot Pants nodded. "Just making sure you weren't having second thoughts, that's all. As for Diego...he surprised me...I hope you're right about him Johnny, he could be a good ally."

"Well, I have a bit of info for you all." Mountain Tim said.

"Hmm?"

"The next stage of the race is going to be on I-Island, y'know, that man-made island just off the coast? The racers are invited to some big party, even the President is going to be there..."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you all better buy some formal wear, because it's gonna be real fancy."

Hot Pants grimaced. "What the hell am I gonna wear? I can't give away my disguise."

"I'd think you'd look good in a dress Hot Pants, maybe you should let loose... just this once." Gyro said.

"I don't know...I could get in a lot of trouble..."

Johnny waved them off. "It's her decision, we shouldn't pressure her Gyro."

"I know, I know, but it must be exhausting, hiding who you are 24/7."

Hot Pants bit her lip, but kept quiet.

Mountain Tim looked up at the sky. "It's about to rain, I'm afraid. We should take shelter so we don't get soaked."

The group collectively nodded, and the four of them rode their way into town.

...

Joseph ran into the nearby hotel.

"Excuse me? Have you seen a racer by the name of Johnny Kujo?!" Joseph asked the startled receptionist.

"Well, yes actually."

"WHERE?!"

"He just checked in with a group of three other people. Zeppeli,...Pants?, and that hunk Mountain Tim."

"Is he here?"

"No, he went out to eat."

"What restaurant?"

"Tony's, that Zeppeli guy insisted on Italian food, judging from the argument they had right in front of me."

"Thank you!"

Joseph ran out into the rain, determined to find his great-grandson.

...

Guido Mista sat alone in his cell, stewing over recent developments.

Giorno had asked him to break into Susan Cujoh's house. Of course, he did so with our hesitation. He had grown quite fond of Giorno's family, they all reminded him of his best friend, so he was eager to put that bitch in her place.

Except he got caught...and arrested.

It was because it was phase four, that's the only reason.

"Mr. Mista, you're free to go, these guys just paid your bail."

Mista looked up, and his face lit up when he saw Giorno and Fugo standing in front of his cell. "Why the hell did you get caught?!" Fugo demanded. "The whole plan could've gone off the rails!"

Mista grinned. "But it didn't!"

He jerked his head, and a flashdrive fell out of his hat.

"All of her personal information, birth certificate, photos, passwords...they're all in this little flash drive."

A devious look came across Giorno's face as he admired the flashdrive. "Good work Mista...she may have dropped a bomb on the Joestar family...but we are about to drop a nuke."

...

"What is this tortellini?! It's garbage!"

Johnny sighed. "Gyro, if you're going to complain about every Italian restaurant we go to, why do you insist on getting Italian food?"

"Because I have a problem Johnny."

"Gyro, you are full of problems." Hot Pants noted.

"Yeah, but at least I'm cute."

Johnny raised an eyebrow. "Sure...we'll go with that."

Mountain Tim tapped his finger on the table, looking out the restaurant window with a bored exression. Then the sweaty face of Joseph Joestar filled his vision, and the bounty hunter stumbled back.

Johnny 's eyes widened when he saw the old man in the window. "Gramps?!"

Joseph ran inside, stumbling towards the Joestar group's booth. "I've been...chasing after you...this whole...time."

"Gramps, what the hell?! You're soaked!"

Joseph pulled up a chair and sat down. "What the HELL have you gotten yourself into, Johnny?! I signed you up for a race, not a battle royale! Do you have any idea how much trouble you are in?!"

"With all due respect, Mr. Joestar...weren't you and my great-uncle in a similar situation?" Gyro asked, quick to defend his friend.

Joseph turned to Gyro with a sad look on his face. "Yes...and he died, Gyro. I found his body...what was left of it. He gave his life for mine."

"And what makes you think that I wouldn't do the same for Johnny?" Gyro asked. Johnny felt uncomfortable at the thought of Gyro sacrificing himself, and he knew Gyro would do it in a heartbeat.

Joseph shook his head. "But I was in perfect health...me and Ceasar fought as equals. Johnny...you don't have that advantage -"

"Because I can't walk, right? Because I'm not as capable as you?" Johnny was starting to get angry.

"Johnny, I'm just concerned for your safety."

"Because I can't take care of myself, right?! Go on, just say it! You don't think I can do anything!"

"I DON'T WANT TO FIND YOU DEAD, JOHNNY! I CAN'T LOSE YOU!"

Silence filled the restaurant as patrons turned to look at the group. Tears flowed down the old man's face as he continued. "I don't want...you mean the world to me, Johnny. I...I've experienced so much pain in this...long life. I'm going to lose Holly...I lost Suzi Q...I lost Ceasar...I just want to see you grow up, Johnny. I don't want to go to your funeral too..."

Johnny looked down in shame.

"I'm sorry...it's just...I feel like no one thinks I can do anything...I feel so useless sometimes."

Hot Pants was sitting in the middle of the family drama, awkwardly making eye contact with Mountain Tim.

"Gramps...I'm already knee-deep in this shit. I can't quit now, not with everything at stake...I don't want to cause you any more pain...but I have to do this."

"I know, Johnny. This is...you're in the middle of your own adventure. You two...the world is counting on you to stop the President. That being said...I'm going to be involved from now on."

"Gramps-"

"Nope. I'm going to help you. Both of you. It's my duty, as Ceasar's friend and your great grandfather...this is my fight too."

"Um...guys? I think we have company." Hot Pants said. The group looked at the window to see a masked man staring at them from across the street. Mountain Tim's face darkened. "That's Blackmore...he's Valentine's right hand man. I heard a rumor...that he is a very powerful stand user."

"Oh no..." Joseph muttered.

Blackmore slowly raised his hand, and the group watched in shock as the rain stopped in midair. Then the rain went flying at the window.

"GET DOWN!"

The group ducked their heads as the solidified rain drops crashed through the window, shredding the waiter who had come to check on them. As the waiter's body fell to the ground, the group ran to the men's bathroom and hid in there. Blackmore climbed through the window and into the restaurant, his killing intent emanating from him as he stalked over to the bathroom. He tried the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge.

Joseph had jammed the door using one of his clackers. "That should hold him for a bit...now we should probably find a way out of this." Johnny shifted in his wheelchair. Mountain Tim smiled. "Hold on fellas, I think I have a solution."

Mountain Tim extended his arm, punching through the ceiling, revealing an air duct. "This leads to the roof, we can escape from there." Johnny frowned. "I'm going to have to leave my wheelchair behind, I won't be able to move very fast."

"That's okay, Johnny! Just hop onto my back!"

"Last time I did that, you almost bashed my skull in."

"I was running from dinosaurs!"

"Hurry up and climb Tim, dumbasses!" Hot Pants hollered.

...

Blackmore kicked down the door, only to find an abandoned wheelchair in the middle of the room. They went onto the roof, I'm sure of it! I need to catch them...take the napkin!

Blackmore whirled around and made his way toward the exit, passing by terrified customers as he stepped over the murdered waiter. He briefly looked down. "Sorry."

Then he rushed out into the rain...his domain.

...

Gyro carried Johnny on his back as the five of them ran across the rooftops. "We need to get to our horses!"

Johnny looked back. "Gramps, do you have something to get away?"

Joseph nodded. "I brought my motorcycle!"

Johnny's eyes widened. "He's back! He's...using the rain like stairs! "

"OH MY GOD! HE'S LIKE AN EVIL MARY POPPINS!"

"Yeah, and Mary Poppins is gaining on us."

Mountain Tim looked down. I can't let Blackmore catch them! Everything hinges on Johnny and Gyro surviving...

A rope snagged around the other four. "Wha-? Tim?!"

Mountain Tim gave his friends a big smile. "He's too powerful out in the rain...if we face him together...he could kill all of us...I'm sorry, everyone."

Johnny's eyes widened. " TIM, WAIT!"

"Don't do this, we can all escape!" Hot Pants yelled.

"TIM!" Gyro called out his friend's name.

The rope was wrapped around Joseph's mouth, so he couldn't really say anything, but his eyes were pleading for the bounty hunter to reconsider.

All for nought, Mountain Tim flung the remainder of the group away, and turned to face his enemy.

Blackmore walked down from the sky, the raindrops solidifying under his feet. "Give up, Mountain Tim. Catch the Rainbow is invincible when the weather is dreary."

Mountain Tim pulled out his gun. "Yeah, I don't think so."

"Then you will die."

"Why are you doing this?"

"The Holy Corpse must be gathered for the President of this nation, who will one day become the head of the world! As long as my life will last! I will serve with all my body and soul!"

BANG!

Mountain Tim didn't even wait for Blackmore to finish his monolouge, he just shot him in the chest. Blackmore doubled over, but regained his footing.

"You...took advantage of my devotion! It doesn't matter...I will survive this."

Raindrops filled the gunshot wound and flicked out the bullet. "I won't be bleeding out anytime soon..."

Blackmore raised his hands, and brought a hailstorm of solidified rain down onto the bounty hunter, but Mountain Tim disassembled himself at the last moment, the rain piercing the ground beside his pieces. Mountain Tim's arm came up and wrapped itself around Blackmore's torso, restraining his arms as he fired his pistol again, this time hitting the President's right hand man in the throat. Blackmore gurgled, but rain filled the wound in his throat, and he twisted his body, pulling Mountain Tim towards him.

Mountain Tim's eyes widened as he realized that the rain around Blackmore was solidified, but there was nothing he could do.

Mountain Tim's face made scraped against the stationary rain drops, and it left three deep gashes along his face. Mountain Tim collapsed to the ground, it was clear that his brain had been damaged.

Blackmore walked over to the dying bounty hunter. "You...gave me lethal wounds, Mountain Tim. I won't survive once the rain clears up...you've killed me. But, it is not too late for you, you can be saved, I can take you to a hospital. You just have to tell me where Kujo and Zeppeli went."

Mountain Tim let out a weak chuckle. "Y'know...I was never expecting to die on a bed. I'm a cowboy. All I wanted was a place to come home to... just a place to return to after my journeys..."

Blackmore frowned under his mask. "Suit yourself..."

The assassin picked up Mountain Tim's gun and aimed it toward the fallen bounty hunter's head.

"I'm...satisfied...I...saved them...I...did it."

BANG!

...

"GOD DAMMIT!"

Johnny almost punched his horse, but stopped himself at the last minute. That selfless bastard, doing a thing like that...

It didn't take much for the heroes to know that their friend was probably dead.

"We just need to go a little further Johnny, wait out the rain. Then Blackmore is a sitting duck, and we can return the favor!" Hot Pants growled.

Joseph glanced behind his bike to check for any pursuers. "SON OF A BITCH! HE'S BACK!"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

Sure enough, Blackmore was running after them in the sky.

"He's fucking relentless!"

A barrier of stabilized rain formed in front of the group, and Joseph had to jump off of his motorcyle, watching as the vehicle landed in the bushes.

"Shit!"

Rain surrounded them at all sides as Blackmore descended upon them, Mountain Tim's gun in hand. "Surrender the Corpse Parts...or you will meet the same fate as your friend!"

"Muderous son of a-"

"Careful...Mr. Kujo, let's not forget you committed murder too."

Joseph's eyes widened. "WHAT?!"

"It was self defense..."

"No...you killed Sandman-"

"His name was Soundman."

"Soundman, to acheive your own filthy little goals. You and I are doing the same thing, just on opposite sides of the spectrum."

"I killed Soundman because he cut Gyro in half! And he was gonna do the same to me!"

"And I killed Mountain Tim because he was a threat to the man I have chosen to admire. As I said...same thing, different sides."

Johnny snarled and aimed a bullet at the assassin. "I killed a killer, you murdered a man who didn't nothing wrong, except get in your way, that seems like a pretty big difference to me!"

That's when a detached hand grabbed Johnny by the throat, and threw him off his horse. "JOHNNY!" Joseph yelled as he extended his hand. "Hermit Pur-gak!"

Blackmore's other hand grabbed the eldest Joestar by the throat and lifted him up. Gyro and Hot Pants readied themselves to fight, and Gyro flung a steel ball at the assassin.

Water droplets quickly moved to protect Blackmore. "Nice try, Zeppeli!"

Gyro grinned. "Thanks, but the attack hasn't connected yet."

Blackmore raised an eyebrow under his mask. "What?"

Gyro tipped his hat. "Buon dolore..."

The steel ball was still spinning against the water droplets, and the water quickly evaporated. The steel ball smashed into Blackmore's face, knocking him from the sky. The assassin crashed into the ground, and lay still.

Gyro kicked the body. "He's dead. He was shot before he fought us...I guess Mountain Tim killed him after all..."

Johnny rubbed his throat, a dark look on his face. They had lost someone...and he failed to save them. Joseph ran over to Johnny and threw and arm around him, checking to see if he was okay.

But Johnny wasn't, not really.

...

Jolyne grinned from ear to ear as she scrolled through her mother's information. "There is so much dirt in here! Skipping tax payments...child abuse claims from neighbors...what the fuck? "

Giorno leaned over. "What is it?"

Then he did a double take.

It was a picture of Susan...she was smiling...and she was standing next to someone that neither Joestar expected.

Johngalli A.

"No...she...wouldn't..."

Giorno could only stare in complete silence as horror came across Jolyne's face, followed by tears. "She was...friends with..."

"Jolyne...I think she had something to do with..."

"No...NO! There's no way she would go that far...there's no..."

Giorno scrolled down from the picture, where a deleted email was shown.

John,

I knew we would see eye to eye. You get your vengeance, I get mine. We both want to see Jotaro cry...I can't lie, I'm excited! Just don't kill the brat, he may be a useless little shit stain, but he is still my son. Just ruin his life, that's all.

Johnny...that boy took everything from me. He took Jotaro's love, and now he's taken my beautiful Jolyne. He took...Nicholas. Now I'm going to take everything from him.

I'll be watching the news, and then we can go into phase two.

Thanks again,

Susan

Jolyne fell to her knees. "I...I loved her. She was my mother..."

Giorno knelt down beside his niece. "Are...are you okay? Jolyne?"

"She...she has betrayed my heart...FOR THE LAST TIME!"