The Blade's Edge (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders x Male O/C)

Chapter 18: Lover's Puppet, Star Platinum's Might

Gladius POV

With Steely Dan gone, I was left wandering Karachi seemingly aimlessly as I tried to collect my thoughts. I had no clear aim, no plan, and even if the Joestar group was around here, I had no intention of throwing myself at them without any sort of strategy.

Steely Dan seemed pretty adamant that he'd be able to take out all of them alone with his Lovers Stand. He also claimed he was above any of the Stand users I'd encountered beforehand. Though I had little clue if he was telling the truth or not.

One thing was certain, I wasn't about to retreat. Not when I was THIS close! I couldn't turn-tail and run now! All I needed was to figure out how to twist Steely Dan's involvement to my advantage. He was after all, just one man. Not much of an obstacle.

It had to have been a few hours from my initial encounter. And I STILL had nothing. I tried wrapping my head around Dan's riddle and the only conclusion I came to was that his Stand reflected damage inflicted on him to someone else. And that just opened another question.

How would that beat the Joestars? He'd warned me not to attack him because 'I'd be doing the opposite of what I want'. I wanted to attack him, the opposite of that would be him attacking me. So, I'd be attacking myself? I placed both hands on either side of my head as I looked up.

It was as I did this though, that I noticed a sight I honestly wasn't expecting. Steely Dan was walking down the road towards me, however in his company was none other than JOTARO! His expression was the same bland, emotionless look I was used to seeing on him in our last encounters.

I stopped in my tracks, though this didn't stop Steely Dan from noticing me as well. For a moment, it seemed like he was thinking, he looked at Jotaro, then me and made an O shape with his mouth.

His actions caused Jotaro to notice me as well, both came to a stop right in front of me. Jotaro spoke in a cold manner "It's you. I should have known you were still tracking us. Honestly, I'd take fighting you again over spending time with this asshole." 

He gestured to Steely Dan who now wore a smirk. "Oh, Gladius, I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon!" He clapped his hands together. "Oh, I've just come up with such a great idea. Now that Jotaro here is my walking doormat."

I gave a bit of a confused expression which prompted Dan to explain "I told you my Stand here would be able to subdue the Joestars. Jotaro's poor Grandfather had no clue what hit him and now, Jotaro here has to do everything I say, or I'll just have to trip over something."

He paused for a moment, snapping his fingers as he suggested in a smug tone "And you know what? I've had an idea. Why don't you two have a little fight for little old me! I've very much like to see two Stand users fight for my amusement."

For a moment, there was silence at his demand, I noticed Jotaro just closed his eyes and smirked as I let out a loud laugh before ridiculing "HAHAHA! Really?!" I called Ace of Swords to appear over my shoulder, I asked "And what's to stop me from throwing a knife right between your eyes 'Steely' Dan?"

At this, I noticed a look of fear appear in Dan's eyes, he cowered behind Jotaro and I could hear him muttering in his ear "Come on, you won't let him hurt me. You can't! Just think of your grandfather. I doubt your friends have removed Lovers from his brain, how do you think he'd react to several stab wounds?"

I narrowed, first he berates me in the bar and next he wants me to put on a show like some sort of jester! I mean, if my Stand resembled one, I'd get the joke, but it doesn't. So instead, anger filled me as I yelled "THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU!" 

Ace of Swords summoned and threw a knife, aimed at Steely Dan's head. However, before it could hit its mark, I heard a loud "ORA!" As Star Platinum emerged and swiftly punched the knife out of the way.