Raymond (Gladius) POV

"I will make you suffer Gladius, your treachery against Lord DIO will be PUNISHED!"

As soon as he said these words, I wasted no time lashing out with Ace of Swords, stabbing the rapier forward and swinging the axe around. 

Vanilla Ice effortlessly avoided the attack by having his own Stand swallow him up into the void. I instantly got on my guard, preparing for anything. There was no sign or indication of where he could attack from. I just had to be ready.

I turned to Polnareff and gave the order "Polnareff, grab Iggy and get out of here now!" This caught him off guard as he replied "What?! Are you crazy?! I'm not running away again and I'm sure as hell not leaving you alone with this psycho!"

Ice's Stand collided with the wall as we saw a chunk of it being erased. I instantly threw a knife and must have hit it, as the knife vanished in an instant. I scowled and thought to myself.

How do you hit a Stand that can't be seen and erases anything it touches.

I had one trick to work with. I had my Stand summon a two swords, which it proceeded to juggle, an axe was added, then a mace. This kept going until I was juggling fifteen different weapons.

My Iron Maiden trick which I'd used against Gyalzen. If Vanilla Ice reappeared before it was about to attack, I'd be able to slice him to ribbons, Vampire or not. Then we just let the sun do the rest.

The speed my Stand was juggling the weapons at was fast enough that it looked like the weapons were spinning around my Stand. I looked all over, watching as Ice's Stand collided with the wall.

As he collided with some of the outside walls, the sun began shining into the room even more through the circular holes. It took seemingly forever, waiting for the opportunity to strike. But it was worth it.

For an instant before he was about to lunge and erase me, I caught a glimpse of his Stand. And it was in this moment, I acted. All fifteen weapons were launched towards it as I yelled "I've got you!"

My plan worked, as soon as Vanilla Ice materialised to attack, he was peppered with oncoming blades and blunt weapons. I was thanking my Stand's speed and precision for that. Combined with the timing, I was actually able to land a hit!

This joy vanished almost instantly though. While his Stand was knocked back, his Stand vanished to reveal him only sporting a several cuts across his body. Just like what he demonstrated earlier, the cuts soon began to heal.

All my attack had done was manage to piss off the already furious Vampire. Vanilla Ice glared at me for a moment, wiping at one of the cuts and inspecting the blood on his hands. As he spoke, his tone got louder and angrier with each word.

"Your Stand is a dangerous one. With that speed and precision, a normal human would have been dead by now. Too bad it's wasted on a treacherous SWINE LIKE YOU!" 

Now he was back to how he was when dealing with Iggy. He went into a feral rage and the next thing I knew, his hand had lashed out and grabbed my neck again, choking me!

He lifted me off the ground and snapped "As I told the mutt, you don't deserve the quick death of the void. I intend to make you SUFFER for your treachery! Had you been a loyal subordinate, Lord DIO would have made you one of his favoured like myself. It's too late now though."

Before I could break his grip again, he slammed me head-first into the floor. My senses went into a frenzy. I couldn't focus enough to fight back. That was only the beginning, he slammed me into the floor again, and again and AGAIN!

Between sheer force and frequency of it, I was struggling to see what was right in front of me. I don't know how many times I was slammed into the floor. Consciousness was beginning to fade.

The last thing I felt was a massive kick to my ribs, definitely breaking a few as I was sent crashing into the nearby wall.

After that, I blacked out...

Vanilla Ice POV

I snarled "Tch! Seems the traitor passed out." I stepped closer, grabbing him by his coat's collar. He groaned as I pulled him up and raised my hand. All it would take is me to jab my fingers into his neck, then I'd be able to drain what little life was left in him.

I snapped "Farewell Gladius. Once you are dead, I shall erase your corpse and you can join your friend Avdol in the void. Rest assured, the mutt and Polnareff will soon be joining you." I thrust my arm forward, aiming for the killing blow at his neck!

Speaking of Polnareff, before I could land that killing attack, I felt a sudden sharp sting right in my forehead. Tilting my eyes up, I saw the blade of Polnareff's Silver Chariot stabbed right through the back of my head and out through my forehead.

I had to thank Lord DIO for my gift. Any normal human would have died from that along with what Gladius performed earlier. Yet my Master's blood allowed me to continue to live on.

Turning, I saw Polnareff glaring at me as he yelled "Get away from him!" I turned, giving my enemy a blank glare. 

"You save Gladius? A man who pursued you across Asia, intent on killing you. And yet, you save him?" Polnareff didn't falter though, I'll give him credit. Instead, he retorted.

"That was then! Raymond isn't one of DIO's puppets anymore. He saved my soul from that D'Arby gambler guy and just attacked you to save Iggy. I think I'm justified in returning the favour."

I muttered "Very well. You shall be my target now." Before he could follow up an attack, I enveloped myself with Cream.

Now more holding back, I would end things here and NOW!

Raymond (Gladius) POV

How had it come to this? How had I gone from being an ordinary child to a mercenary travelling the world? It was no secret my son came to be on one of these assignments. But what about before that?

When did I first learn I was a Stand user?

Flashback...

Growing up without much interaction with my family. My mother wasn't abusive, but she wasn't the most attentive. She gave me some money and told me to go out and buy food. Which is when I had a run-in.

"Hey, you little brat! Give me whatever money you've got on you! Hurry! Up, I've not got all day!" I'd only been eight years old when this happened, I stammered out a reply "S-sir please. I need it, my m-mother gave it to me."

I didn't expect the man to listen, however I also didn't expect for him to grab my arm and snap. "I don't give a crap! Hand it over right now, or you'll find yourself losing a hand, you worthless little bastard!"

My eyes widened as he brandished a knife and held it up to my wrist! I honestly nearly screamed right then and there, however before I could, it was the man's own voice that screeched in pain. "GHA!"

Looking up, I was stunned in horror as I saw a knife stabbing through the man's head! He gagged for a moment, before dropping to the ground. It was here, I caught a glimpse of a figure leaping from his back.

The figure wore a long black cloak with a hat. They were around the same height as me so it was clear they climbed onto the man's back. Before I could ask who they were or why they'd killed this man, they vanished without a trace.

I encountered the figure numerous times after that, only whenever I was in distress, soon learning that I had full control over it. 

Though that haunting fear I felt first watching it kill someone stuck with me. Without warning, I ran away from home, going on to become a mercenary for hire. Starting off with small-time jobs and moving up to the big leagues.

Which is what lead me to right now...

Back to present day...

Timeskip...

I don't know how long I was unconscious for. All I know is that I certainly wasn't dead. My eyes began to open and right away, I was met with utter pandemonium!

Polnareff was critically injured, sat on the floor directly in front of me. Behind him was a giant erased trail forming a spiralled pattern, signalling Vanilla Ice was closing in. I reached out towards him only to barely catch wind of his words.

"Farewell, Iggy, Raymond."

I didn't have the energy at that moment to fight back. My head was pounding, causing my vision to fade in and out still. All I know is that there was a sudden flash. And then, he was gone. 

Vanilla Ice stood in his place, emerging from his Stand with a blank expression. He was clearly injured, wounds left from my earlier attack as well as new ones, likely inflicted by Polnareff were no present across his body.

But where was Polnareff?!

My focus returned to Vanilla Ice who muttered something about how Avdol saving me and Polnareff meant that he was truly responsible for the injuries we'd inflicted on him. 

He limped forward, muttering "I may be injured, but I am far from death." He turned to me, noticing that I had awakened as he declared "Once I have killed Gladius, I will eradicate the other three!"

He stepped closer until blood suddenly trickled from the ceiling. Both of us looked up but were surprised to see Polnareff hanging from the ceiling, being clutched by a very weakened version of the Fool.

I looked down to see Iggy under a pile of sand, badly injured as well. Even so, it seemed he'd used the last of his energy to save Polnareff who spoke. "Iggy. I told you not to use your Stand. I told you not to do it."

Vanilla Ice was caught off guard, exclaiming "Polnareff!" I looked again to Iggy to see him cough and close his eyes just as his Stand vanished into sand, dropping Polnareff to the ground. I heard him cry out "IGGY!"

I knew what this meant, I watched as the leftover sand gently fell to the ground.

Though I didn't have time to mourn now, I watched as Polnareff lashed out with Silver Chariot. Vanilla Ice summoned his own Stand to counter attack. However in that moment, I managed to cobble up energy to act myself.

It was a spear, that I had Ace of Swords summon and throw. Just as Vanilla Ice was about to fight back. The spear shot into his back, emerging from his chest!

The Vampire froze in shock, turning to me with wide-eyes as he spoke "Y-you! You still have energy to fight?!" My action served its purpose though, it distracted him enough to allow Polnareff to slip in a fierce stab, right into Ice's forehead!

Polnareff spat "It's as you said! Life is cruel! Nearly all my friends have left me! I was supposed to save Iggy, but instead he saved me." I was surprised to see him use Chariot to twist the rapier around, turning Ice's head until his neck snapped!

Both Polnareff and Vanilla Ice were dropped to the floor, their Stands vanished in the process. Polnareff's focus remained on Iggy, I knew what had happened with the dog and I knew why he was grieving, despite my limited interaction with it prior to this.

I was soon distracted from the moment though when Vanilla Ice once again emerged, eyes snapping in Polnareff's direction. Despite my fatigue, I was able to get out "P-Polnareff! T-turn around!"

I did my part, summoning two knives that each collided with the backs of Vanilla Ice's legs, making him jerk forward in his injured state. This gave Polnareff all the indication he needed.

Silver Chariot lashed out with a barrage of stab's impaling both Stand and user alike. He lunged back in, only to be met with more stabs. Even with all this, he continued to get back up.

Polnareff spoke "I knew something was different. It was as you told Raymond, DIO has changed you somehow." With those words Polnareff changed his target instead to the wooden boards covering the windows.

The setting sunlight beamed through the windows, upon coming into contact with it, Ice's arm instantly dissolved! Catching him off guard. 

He stammered out "W-what's happening to me?!" Polnareff spoke "You didn't even notice, did you? He gave you his blood didn't he? I never would have guessed you're turning into a Vampire. Your body is just like DIO's." He turned to me and nodded. 

I finished "And with it, comes all of its weaknesses. Did it ever occur to you WHY DIO was sitting in dark rooms all alone?" Despite my heavy fatigue, I summoned a sledgehammer and bust down one of the nearby walls.

More light poured in, burning Vanilla Ice alive as he howled in pain! One of his legs vanished as Polnareff began goading him. "Weren't you going to protect your 'Lord' DIO?" I let out a weak laugh.

"That's right, didn't you say you wanted me to pay?" Vanilla Ice let out an enraged roar and charged forward, only to end up right where we wanted him.

He entered the light fully, his entire body burnt up in an instant, until there was nothing left but his discarded clothes. For a moment, there was utter silence. No words were exchanged. 

Light shone through the gaping holes in the windows, allowing us both to get a clear view of outside. I noticed Polnareff seemed transfixed on the clouds in front of us. For a moment, I understood what he noticed.

For a moment, it felt as if Avdol and Iggy gave us a sign in the clouds, a sign that they could be at peace now.

I chose now to ask. "Iggy, he's dead. Isn't he?" Polnareff turned to me, for a moment, he seemed surprised that I was still alive. However he composed himself and nodded "Yeah." I laid my head against the wall, closed my eyes and sighed.

"I'm sorry." Was all I said, which prompted Polnareff to ask "What for?" I didn't let a single tear fall as I explained "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help. Hell, I feel so useless."

For a moment, there was silence except for a shuffling sound. When I opened them, I saw Polnareff sat in front of me, with his hand extended out and a smile on his face. I looked shocked and taken aback, he explained.

"Avdol chose to save you as well, I saw you standing up for Iggy and you helped take this bastard down once and for all. I'm glad to say I no longer consider you just a temporary ally, but a friend as well."

For a moment, I was stunned into silence. But I soon shared his smile and took his hand. Saying "Thank you Polnareff." There was a pause as we shook hands before my expression hardened.

"Assuming the others have defeated D'Arby, we've also taken down both Kenny G and Vanilla Ice. That's all of DIO's favoured Stand users. There's only one Stand left." 

Polnareff understood, saying "DIO himself." The relief we felt soon vanished. The fight was far from over. 

In fact, the true nightmare had yet to begin...

Author's Note: And that's it for this chapter, we have officially reached the end of the Vanilla Ice arc. We only have one left before the end of this story, this arc will easily be the longest and hopefully, best one so far. I'm not going to start on this until after  Christmas though, I wanted to conclude this arc before then. I really hope you enjoyed and as always, thank you for reading.