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

Chapter 19: When Patience Wears Thin

Gladius POV

I was never one to really believe in karma. Though I did believe in the saying 'what goes around, comes around'. If you didn't think each action through carefully, it may come back to bite you later down the line.

Perhaps that was what brought me under DIO's employ. Fate punishing me for the amount of bodyguard work I'd done up to this point. My near-death experience at the hands of Enya and my recent beatdown at the hands of Jotaro. It was safe to say my opinions on the saying hadn't changed in recent times.

Suffice it to say, I wasn't surprised when I encountered Steely Dan yet again. This time though, there was no sign of Jotaro anywhere and the Lovers' Stand user was now lying in a bloodied heap amongst the rubble of a knocked down wall.

I couldn't help the smirk that spread across my face at this sight. It seems that Jotaro's friends had succeeded in thwarting Lovers and Dan himself had been met with a fitting punishment for his antics.

The words I spoke as I approached were exactly what he'd said to me after my fight with Jotaro. "Now there's a look that is fitting of a lowly mercenary like you." Unlike Dan though, my smirk had completely vanished, now replaced with a scowl as I reached out with my hand.

Without care for Dan's injury, I grabbed onto the collar of his shirt and hauled him from the rubble. Without a word, I began dragging him into an alley not too far from the street, but away from prying eyes. And it was here, I tossed him to the ground.

He coughed up blood as I glared down at him. Our roles now reversed from before. I was still injured from my fight with Jotaro, my nose had dried blood around it, as did the side of my head. But compared to Dan, I was perfectly fine.

I leaned closer, summoning Ace of Swords. It conjured a knife which it began twirling on its fingertip as I stated. "Now then, you've really worn down my patience. If you value your life  you're going to answer my questions."

The only response I got was him slowly opening his eyes and gasping out "Jo...Ta...Ro.... Y-you... Bastard..." He coughed up some blood as he noticed the knife which had stopped spinning and was now aimed right between his eyes. That confirmed that Jotaro had been victorious in the end.

Pressing on  with my question. "I assume you aren't the only  Stand user hired by DIO. You certainly made it seem like there were more out there. And you also seemed convinced that if there are more Stands, that they were far more powerful than me. So, tell me, who are they?"

Steely Dan didn't respond at first, instead he just glared at me. I didn't falter though, instead I angled the knife so that the sun shone off it, giving off a menacing glint which made him whimper faintly.

I suppose he realized who was truly in charge in this situation. It came out weak however I heard him rasp out an answer. Four names, all of which were those of tarot cards and therefore, I assumed these were the Stands used by these new assassins.

"S-Sun... Death... Judge-ment... H-High Priestess... All four on the move. You are nothing... compared... to them..."

This whole situation reminded me of my interrogation of that Rubber Soul in Singapore. I'd confronted him after a beatdown from Jotaro and he'd told me about all the Stand users at that point. Now though, I wanted more info than just the Stands.

"And their names? What do these Stand users look like?! Tell me!" Usually I'd not be this angry, however Steely Dan spoke down to me in a condescending manner. He pitted me against Jotaro for his amusement and laughed at my shortcomings. My patience and tolerance for Dan was virtually none existent.

It seems he was just about regaining his voice a bit now though as he stammered "I-I don't know... I haven't... Met any of... them..." He let out a laboured gasp as I stepped back. I didn't dismiss my Stand however I removed the knife it was holding.