Gladius POV

I don't know how long it had taken, getting a car and travelling across from Singapore to India. I was almost certain that the Joestar party would find there way through here in some way, however I had no clue where exactly.

After travelling for a while, I came across a small road-side hotel that did cheap rooms. I paid for mine and soon discovered it. It wasn't fancy like the hotel suite in Singapore by any stretch, however for one night, it would do.

The bed looked like it hadn't been made and the mirror in the bathroom had a crack in it. But aside from that, it wasn't too bad. There was a wooden desk and chair in the corner that I instantly went and sat at.

Reaching into my pocket, I once again pulled out the old tattered diary. I hadn't risked putting it with my luggage, I hardly had anything anyway but nevertheless, I didn't want it to get damaged in any way shape or form.

I opened it up, turning to the same page I often did. One of the first entries my ancestor ever wrote in it. This entry had always been confusing ever since I inherited this diary from my mother. However with my meeting with DIO. My confusion had increased tenfold.

The date of the entry was 13th of December 1896. Nearly a century ago. In it, my ancestor talked about an odd story one of the caretakers at the orphanage told him about how he arrived there, particularly the strange appearance of the man. The man had apparently brought him there as an infant. He wrote the entry almost a decade later.

According to what was worded here, the man fit the stereotypical portrayal of a Vampire. Pale skin, red eyes, fangs. However he simply delivered my ancestor and left without a word. This always confused me as it had my family for generations. Were Vampires real? That's what I wanted to one day know, and I may have finally got a lead...

My mind wandered before suddenly being pulled back to reality when a laugh echoed throughout the room. I was stood up in an instant, the chair tipping back and clattering against the floor behind me as my head snapped around the room.

I took a step forward, continuing to look around only to find no one. The laughing continued which caused me to snap out "Who's there?!" It was now that a voice answered my call in a malicious voice that sent chills down my spine. "Over here."

My head snapped in the voice's direction and my eyes widened in shock as I found myself face-to-face with the cracked mirror in the bathroom. More specifically, a FIGURE LURKING JUST OVER MY SHOULDER THAT APPEARED TO BE THE SOURCE OF THE VOICE.

I looked around the room only to find no such figure present, however in the mirror, there it was! My question was answered when the figure spoke once again, voice dripping with cruelty and malice. "I'm inside the mirror you know. This is my Stand, the Hanged Man."

Image of Hanged Man:

Power: C

Speed: A

Range: A

Stamina: B

Precision: D

Development Potential: D

This was the Hanged Man? The Stand Rubber Soul had told me about in Singapore, supposedly the most dangerous of the Stand users Enya had hired. Dark Blue Moon? Ebony Devil? Yellow Temperance? If I wasn't mistaken, this Stand trumped them all.

I snapped angrily "Where's your user?! Or are you so cowardly you have to hide behind your Stand?!" The Hanged Man let out a malicious laugh before answering mockingly "HAHAHAHA! As if I'd bother to speak to a pathetic waste like you face-to-face!"

I scowled at the mirror, already hating this bastard. In an instant Ace of Swords appeared which only made the Stand opposite laugh at me even more. "HAHAHAHA! How pathetic! I know how your Stand works 'Gladius'! And let me clue you in on a bit of advice. No matter how many weapons you summon, your  Ace of Swords would never hit my Hanged Man! HAHAHAHA!"

His statement caused me to raise an eyebrow, how did he know about my Stand? All the other assassins I'd encountered seemed surprised by it, how did this creep already know? As if reading my mind Hanged Man leered even further over my shoulder.

"Wondering how I know your trick? I suppose I have my dear mother to thank for that." As he said these words, he raised one of his hands to reveal a knife while placing another hand on my shoulder. And it was here my eyes once again widened in shock.

TWO RIGHT HANDS!

I exclaimed "It's you! The one Polnareff mentioned! You're Enya's son?!" Again, like a deranged madman, the Stand let out a loud laugh. "Right on both accounts! Yes, the one who hired you was my mother! And as for Polnareff, we have quite the history, him and I! You can ask him to tell you ALL about it! HA!"

As that initial shock died down I asked "What now? Why are you here?" For a moment, Hanged Man was silent, he raised the knife extending from his arm in a threatening position as he angled it so I could clearly see it.

"I happen to know exactly where Joestar's little gang is, I know they'll be making their way through the city of Calcutta tomorrow. " I gave the Stand a look of confusion as I asked "How do you know this? And why are you telling me?"

"Oh, I have my sources. I'm here because I want you to go there and witness. I've seen your Stand, perhaps the second strongest among us assassins, second only to myself of course. So many weapons... So much potential... Wasted on a coward like you." 

Sinister intent laced his words as he continued explaining "Tomorrow, as soon as the sun rises, I am to meet with my new partner. A Stand user, possessing the Stand of the Emperor. Go to him, and I shall join you soon after."

I scowled, I didn't even know who Hanged Man's user was. Yet I already despised him, he gave off an aura unlike any I'd seen before. Pure, tainted EVIL! Even Devo the Cursed seemed to be calculating, this guy was just, I don't even know, I felt hate build up in me as I snapped "And why would I help you at all?"

Hanged Man let out a laugh. "HAHAHA! What makes you think you have a choice?" He angled the blade around so that it was over the top of my throat, one move and I could be dead. Sweat began to form on my forehead, a bead of which trickled down the side of my face.

"You have a family don't you? Everyone does. Fail to play nice and I'll just have to pay them a little visit myself. What do you say to that? HAHAHAHAHA!" This was just the icing on the cake. The fear I felt was replaced with anger.

In a split second, I summoned a handful of knives and without a word, threw it into the mirror causing it to shatter into shards. Hanged Man let out one final laugh as his voice echoed among the shattered mirror glass. 

"HAHAHAHA! I told you, your Stand cannot hit me INSIDE the mirror!" Looking down on the counter in front of it, among all the shards, I saw Hanged Man in one of them, his blade still placed at my throat as I spat "Damn you!"

"I could kill you now. I'd love to here the wheezing and gagging as you choke on your own blood. However your rage will make you a useful puppet. Not too far from Calcutta, there's the remains of an old building, meet with my partner there. Fail to do so and you'll be my next target after the Joestars are dealt with." The blade glinted in the mirror glass.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Those were his last words before in what seemed like an instant, he disappeared from the mirror. Unbeknownst to him, I noticed his trick as I saw him seemingly leap from the mirror shard to the window of the room and then disappear altogether. 

My attention turned back to the mirror shard "So, he transports between reflective surfaces. Hmm..." I was also glad he threatened to go after me first, I had no intention of helping the likes of him. And now that I knew his trick, even if he did come after me I was confident I could defeat him with no trouble.

I will admit though, his advice did help. I now knew where the Joestar group would be heading. And I knew of another Stand user that would be there. I thought back to what Devo had told me in Singapore.

I'd met the Devil and Temperance already, Hanged Man had just appeared to me and I knew where Emperor would be soon. That just left Empress and Wheel of Fortune unaccounted for. For now, I'd play the Hanged Man's game.

It seems I'd have to meet the user of the 'Emperor' in the morning...

Author's Note: And that's it for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it and as always, thank you for reading.