Chapter Text
Everything was really, really dark. Uncomfortably so- but it was interrupted by a piercingly bright light. All he could really feel was cold- but as things slowly became clearer and clearer, he was able to feel things. Slowly, the numbness began to fade from his legs, moving up his legs and abdomen. His fingers twitching as the long since dead blood began to move. The numbness was replaced by pins and needles surging through his limbs, making him shake.
When his chest began to rise and fall, a shriek pierced the air.
The mortician, who was working that evening, had come in, to see the body he had been working on, sitting up. With a flash of movement, the body was on top of them.
The body of Joseph Joestar had gotten up, leaping on the innocent worker with inhuman speed, shoving his fingers into the neck of them and draining them of their life. He heaved, feeling his effort pay off as the heat of blood surged up his arm, filling his body as the corpse of the mortician became mummified, hollow and dry.
“Ngh… s-sorry…” The vampire mumbled, retracting his hand, and shaking off the extra blood. Despite this being some sort of instinct, he didn’t entirely enjoy the sight in front of him- hell- it was gruesome.
He was confused- and dizzy. His hand went to his head as he felt things spinning around him. His last memories were blurred- confused. He was… older, and he remembered the outline of most events. He had visited Morio to see his son- brought a baby home... His chest tightened as the worry for his adopted daughter, Shizuka, filled him. He could remember spending day after day at his wife’s grave, making the worry grow with increasing sadness. Out of all the things that had happened- he couldn’t put together why he was in a Morgue, or why he was naked, his chest stitched up like a zombie. His fingers ran along the seam, making him shiver lightly. He wanted to get dressed- and get out of here- right away. If someone came and saw what had happened- he was so overwhelmed with all of this! He had to get out.
At least finding his belongings wasn’t too hard. His button-up shirt didn’t fit right- it was too small. His pants just barely went on, and his jacket was tight on his arms and wouldn’t zip up. None the less, he quickly made a break for it out of the window, running and jumping into the bushes. He gave a small breath of relief that he wasn’t on the top floor.
It was night time, and incredibly cold. He felt kind of lucky that for some reason, he couldn’t feel it too strongly.
Now that he was outside, he wasn’t entirely sure where he should go. He at least could recognize where he was, or the general area. The smell of cigarette smoke, blended with exhaust felt overwhelming all of a sudden- as if his senses had been turned up. He covered his nose, coughing softly. He started off on the sidewalk, keeping his mouth covered as he went.
Of course, the silence only lasted a moment. As he wandered down the street, lost in thought, he ran right into another person. The person yelled, his acrid breath filled with the scent of alcohol.
Joseph recoiled from the violent outburst. In any other situation, the proud man would have defended himself, but he was just too uneasy and conflicted. He shamefully ran off, hurrying down the street.
As he kept running, he only felt like he was getting more and more lost. He thought he knew where he was going, but he had gotten himself completely lost in the downtown of the city. He slowed to a stop as he came to the far side of the city’s park. He knew parts of the park well enough- but he had never gone this far to the other side of the city. Hoping to find some refuge, he wandered in.
Joseph tried to make sense of what could be happening. The vague memories of weeks before made little sense, and hardly added up to where he was, now. Not only that, but he felt so wrong. He was tall, again, towering over other people. His body had plumped with the youthful muscles he had once, and his hair seemed to flow easily again. When he came to a stop, he gazed down into a puddle- a young, white-haired Joseph Joestar looking right back at him. His breath hitched in his throat, eyes widening as he took a step back, hands on his cheeks as he felt his unnaturally smooth and soft skin.
“Oh my GOD!” He cried out, feeling down his neck, his shoulders and sides. His body was the spitting image of his youth- and it felt even better than that! He hadn’t looked like this in over 60 years- and he couldn’t possibly fathom why he looked like it now. He fearfully sat down on a park bench, gulping. Did he die? Was this heaven? Hell? Has he finally passed on to the other side?
The memory became slowly clearer, and clearer, now. He had died at home, alone, in the night. He remembered feeling his conscious slip away, kind of like sleep. It shook him to the core- making him grip at his already stretched clothing.
He must be dead! This must be the afterlife- then- he left Shizuka all by herself! How could he do such a thing- die on his infant daughter that he had just adopted? Guilt welled up inside of him. He had wanted to see Josuke again, maybe spend time with Jotaro- but now he was gone.
“S-Suzie! Suzie, are you there? Please!” He suddenly shouted into the dark, empty park. He whirled around, looking wildly. If Suzie was dead, he’d get to see her again! He’d get to see everyone again- where were they?!
“A-Avdol, Kakyoin- I’m here, now! Please, come out. Please!” The overwhelming fear of being alone, never seeing his beloved friends again overwhelmed the poor man.
“C-Caesar!”