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Chapter 2
Sanzo was slammed face-first into the unyielding stone floor, his arms pinned behind his back. He struggled to open his eyes, the bright room almost blinding after the dark night around the campfire.
"Thought you were only bringing the heretic back?"
"I was, but this one grabbed on just before we teleported. I'll take him back now."
"Get your hands off him!"
Sanzo heard the sickening sound of a boot connecting with flesh above him as the weight was removed from his back. He pushed himself to his hands and knees, looking up to see Goku standing protectively in front of him.
"I don't care who you are or who you're working for," the monkey said, glaring fiercely at the gods, "but I'm not gonna let you hurt Sanzo!"
"We do not wish for him to be harmed," the second god said, spreading his hands out imploringly. "We only wish to return him to the lower realm."
"Well, I'm not going anywhere without him!" the golden-eyed boy cried, defiantly.
The deities looked at each other before the first nodded. He rose to his feet, wiping the blood from his lip before he spoke. A bruise could already be seen forming on his cheek. "Very well, he may accompany you," he conceded. His gaze shifted to the monk, who had also risen to his feet. "However, you will hold your tongue in the Emperor's presence. He wishes to speak only with the Seiten Taisei."
"Yeah, sure," the priest said, brushing imaginary dirt off his robes.
The god looked annoyed at the casual agreement, but didn't say anything. Instead, he turned on his heel, walking out of the room. "Follow me."
Sanzo did so, Goku falling into step behind him. The messenger led them down a long hallway, stopping in front of a set of golden doors. He pressed a button on the wall, waiting for the doors to slide open before stepping inside.
An elevator? the priest thought curiously, entering the lift. An odd noise made him turn around, his hand resting on the gun concealed in his robes as his eyes landed on his companion. The boy had his arms raised defensively, facing the inside corner to the right of the elevator door. "What is it, Goku?"
"I…don't know," the saru admitted. He relaxed a little, letting his arms fall back to his sides as he looked at the blonde, confusion clouding his features. "I could have sworn someone was standing there, ready to attack me, but…" He shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "No one's there."
The gunman's eyes slid to the corner, examining the area Goku seemed so uneasy about.
He quickly strode into the elevator, tightly holding onto the child's hand to keep from being separated. A soldier standing in the corner to the right of the door leapt forward, catching his targets off guard, his sword already swinging down towards the frightened chibi--
Sanzo blinked, Goku once again standing in front of him staring at an empty corner. What was that I saw just now? It almost seemed like a memory, but I'm positive that it wasn't mine. Whatever it was, it's going to have to wait until later. I need to concentrate on the situation at hand, he thought, setting his confusion temporarily aside for a more appropriate future date.
"I assure you, no one will attack you while you are here. The Jade Emperor has a proposition for you," the god said reassuringly as the saru moved to the priest's side.
The elevator doors closed and the room jerked as they began their rapid ascent. "You bring us unwillingly into heaven and then expect us to take your word that we will not be attacked?" Sanzo asked, not bothering to keep the sarcasm from his voice. "How do we know that this isn't another elaborate trap like the one Homura set to get Goku?"
The deity turned away from the control panel, meeting the gunslinger's challenging gaze. "War Prince Homura was a renegade, who went against heaven. If we had known why he was after the Seiten Taisei, we would have taken steps to prevent that situation from ever having occurred."
"So, the events in the lower world only interest you when they become a problem? Some gods you are," the monk scoffed. The golden-eyed teen shifted uneasily next to him. "What is this 'proposition,' anyway?" the blonde continued.
"That is for the Jade Emperor to discuss with the Seiten Taisei," the messenger replied icily. "You are in no position to be asking anything of me, Priest Sanzo. You are only here because of your companion."
"Well, I'd say that puts me in a pretty good position then, since your Jade Emperor wants to see Goku so badly and the monkey refuses to go without me," the blonde replied cockily.
"You presume much, Genjo Sanzo," the god stated as he turned back to the control panel, signaling an end to the conversation.
The monk didn't reply, content to spend the rest of the elevator ride in silence. He didn't think he'd get much out of the messenger, anyway. After a few minutes, he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and put one in his mouth. As he reached for his lighter, his arm brushed against Goku, who had edged closer to him. His eyes flickered down to the short boy, studying him. Goku seems rather uneasy. He hasn't said anything since we started moving, either. Is it this place that has him on edge? Or the company, perhaps? he wondered, glancing at their escort. The god was pointedly ignoring him. The priest looked back at the saru, noting the golden eyes darting around the elevator as if searching for something. Perhaps, he himself is unsure of the cause of his disquiet. In any case, all we can do at this point is to not let our guard down, he thought, leaning back against the wall.
The elevator roughly jerked to a stop, the unexpected jolt knocking everyone to the floor. The intercom next to the door crackled, an annoyed voice coming through loud and clear. "Who in heaven is using this elevator?!" he demanded angrily.
The deity climbed back to his feet, cursing as he jammed the button next to the intercom. "Seinosuke Watari, returning from assignment in the lower realm," he said, identifying himself.
"Watari, I told you earlier that you can't use the elevator!" the voice replied. "We are still working on the repairs. Those 'Out of Order' signs are there for a reason, you know!"
"It seems to be working fine to me," the messenger returned hotly. "I'm on a mission from the Jade Emperor himself. I'm sure you can make an exception and let us continue riding up."
"It's only a temporary fix! Homura did a number on it when he stormed out of here-- you're lucky the cable hasn't broken!" the voice snapped back.
Homura broke the elevator when he left? Interesting, Sanzo thought, filing that tidbit of information away.
"I've locked the controls," the voice continued. "That elevator isn't going anywhere, so I suggest you get out before the weight of your ego sends it crashing back down to the ground floor."
"Do you expect us to walk all the way back up to ground level on the stairs?!" Watari replied incredulously.
"Yes, I do. Now, get out." A panel opened on the top, parts of the wall sliding out to form a ladder of sorts. The lights went out as the electricity was cut, leaving the trio standing in the dark with light shining in through the hole in the roof.
"Hmph. Some welcome," Sanzo stated.
The god didn't reply, choosing to ignore the comment. "I apologize, Seiten Taisei," he said, looking at the brunette, "but it appears that we have to take the stairs. This way, please," he said, climbing up the ladder.
The monkey and priest followed him, pausing to look around. A long stone staircase circled around the chamber, emergency lights lining the base of the wall along the stairs. A rail prevented anyone from accidentally falling off the side. You have got to be kidding me, Sanzo thought, noticing the stairs ascending into darkness, no end in sight. "Haven't you people ever heard of escalators?" he asked.
The deity glared at the blonde. "These are the emergency stairs-- they are not used on a regular basis," he said, walking to the side of the elevator roof. He nimbly jumped over the rail and started up the stairs. Mentally sighing, the monk followed suit, Goku right behind him.
. . .
To Be Continued
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