three chapters in less than two weeks lol wow. anyhow, enjoy this 6400-word chapter! I made it extra long as a token of my appreciation for you guys! I love you all :)
(RAO HYUGA 18) I love the contrast between the two relationships. I love that gajevy can be flirty anytime anywhere and just forget about the world and I think it's funny how lalu is super reserved. also, I freaking love this chapter and I hope you do too!
(GUEST)you telling me that you liked my last chapter really makes me feel good inside! I definitely had my doubts about it, since I posted it so quickly, also the dialogue never goes how I expect it to. Thanks for staying tuned! I hope you like this next chapter!
Chapter Thirty-Two
It was mid-afternoon, and the blue sky was hidden completely under the light-grey clouds. Birds speckled the skies and the cherry blossom trees that lined one of the pathways of the park contrasted well against the dreary backdrop. The weather was brisk; a light sweater or jacket would do one wonders on this type of day.
Laxus was sitting next to Lucy on one end of the wooden bench explaining why the fallen angels wanted the talisman. He was extremely relieved that they decided to listen and that gave him faith that things would start to look up. Every once in a while, he'd glance at Lucy and nod, making sure she understood as well.
Levy listened to who would be her comrade if only he'd behaved while he was up in heaven. Though she never saw herself pairing up with them, she supposed… 'with time,' …she'd be able to accept the two as they are. But it was going to take a long time.
Gajeel had his normal scowl on display as he listened to the words the angel laid out. 'So those assholes think they can get back ta Heaven with that thing?' With all the bad that's come from having it, the last thing it would do is provide karma that's actually good. He draped an arm around the blue-haired angel sitting next to him and studied her face. Was she really falling for this crap? He didn't doubt that's the reason they wanted it, but he did doubt the Fallen's true intentions, and even more so the human's.
Lucy was listening, but she couldn't help but notice the way the goblin was looking at Levy… like he hadn't eaten in days… and she didn't think he realized he looked at her the way he did. It hurt to know that she most likely wouldn't be able to watch the two interact over time. 'As interesting as it would be to see those two go back and forth all day,' she knew Levy, she knew how she was. There was no way in hell things would go back to how they used to be. She wasn't going to get her friend back. But the okay thing about that was the fact that she'd already come to terms with that the day she died. She assumed she'd never see her again. She'd adapted to life without her, and she was sure Levy did the same.
"If you don't mind me asking," Laxus said, directing his attention to the goblin. "How did you come across the talisman?"
Great. There was a story he didn't want to relive, but for the sake of Levy and him also wanting to know whatever he could about it, he'd bite. He took a deep breath, giving Levy's shoulder a squeeze. "My dad gave it ta me."
Laxus could clearly see that the goblin didn't want to play nice, but he needed him to. 'Just be patient with him.' He pinched his brow. "I'm gonna need a little more information than that."
"Whaddya want me ta say?" Gajeel asked, frustrated. He knew exactly what he wanted, but to tell his life story to strangers? How uncomfortable was that?
Levy knew rehashing this was hard, but… She put a hand on his knee and smiled, her light offering him all the comfort and peace he could ever need. "It's okay, Gajeel."
"Tch," the goblin rolled his eyes and used his free hand to dig around in his pocket for his cigarettes.
"Nineteen years ago," he started, lighting one and taking a deep drag. "My dad gave it ta me right before he left fer good. He told me ta stay safe, an' that he'll be back."
Laxus and Lucy shared the same thought, 'Nineteen years?!' That alone surprised Laxus more than anything so far. How was he able to have that thing and fly under the Fallen's radar for so long? That, or how were the dummies back at the bunker so… dumb?
Lucy felt the secondhand guilt from Levy. This man had this thing for nearly two decades, and she just swooped in and snatched it from him? That also explained why he stole it back from her.
"Damn," Laxus leaned back, running a hand through his hair and leaving it on top of his head. "That's a long time."
"Yeah," Gajeel snorted. "Tell me 'bout it. It was a long time havin' ta deal with all the bullshit that came along with it."
"Wait," the blond sat back up, resting his elbows on his thighs and putting his fingertips together in thought. "It caused you issues when you were young, too?"
"I guess I wouldn't say it specifically made me do the things that landed me in the back of a cop car a few times," the goblin said, taking another drag. "Though once I was in custody, they tried ta steal it a few times… even my mom tried ta take it from me…"
He exhaled, blowing the smoke to the side before he looked at Levy. He sighed, rubbing her arm. "Guess she knew more than she let on, huh?"
"Gajeel," Levy saw the pain behind his eyes and wanted nothing more than to tell him everything would be okay, but… she didn't know if that was the case. "We don't even know if she knew the truth."
She knew something, that much he knew for sure. So far, her dislike for him was justified. What was it that set her off before he left? "Anyway, after 'bout… fourteen or fifteen years of havin' it was when the angels started comin' after me. They'd send their little guys or whatever every once in a while, so it was easy fer me ta fend 'em off."
Laxus put a thumb to his chin. They didn't have any knowledge of the talisman until about a year ago. For years before that, they were too busy trying to get to Levy. Who was attacking him? And why only was it being stolen when he was in custody?
"Wait, that means they were after both of us at the same time?' Levy was a bit confused. Why would they still be after her if they already knew about the talisman?
"It's impossible…" Laxus muttered under his breath. He would have known about it for sure if Salamander knew about the talisman years ago. Hell, if he'd known about it eleven or twelve years ago, the Fallout never would have happened. "How… exactly did you die?"
Levy and Gajeel exchanged looks, uncomfortable, 'I-don't-want-to-talk-about-this' looks… but something wasn't adding up. He took one last drag before crushing the butt of his cigarette between his boot and the concrete. "Well… the same night Blue here took it from me was the night yer people burned my town down… fer a second time."
"How long ago was this?" Laxus felt like he was grilling him, but this was all pertinent information. "If you could be as…accurate as you can, that would help."
"Yer the ones who did it, why do I have ta confirm yer wrongdoins'?" Gajeel was getting a bit defensive. He carried the fact that the fallen angels had been after him for years and even killed him for a good chunk of his life. He wasn't about to let some blond fuck brainwash him into thinking it wasn't them.
Levy shifted so that she was somewhat facing the goblin next to her. Everything was going so wrong for him currently; this was only adding icing to the cake. "Gajeel, I know this is hard, but this is what we wanted to know, right?"
"He's insinuatin' that they weren't the ones who made my adult life a livin' hell!" He lifted his arm from around Levy's shoulders and stood up in a huff, shoving his hands in his pockets. Just as he turned to walk off, a small hand caught his arm.
"Gajeel," Levy said his name softly, making him turn on his heels. "Please, sit down. We're already this far down the road, and we need answers."
He couldn't deny her. As much as he just wanted to grab her and run off, she was right. He'd been looking for this far too long just to stop here. He had to put aside his pride… what little of it he had left. With a groan, he sat back down, this time putting his arm around her waist. Fuck what whoever had to say about it. If he was going to relive his darkest day, he was going to hold his angel while he did it.
"It was 'bout…" he said, rubbing his nose. "…almost a year and a half ago. I went fer a walk. Lost the talisman. When I got back home… I could see the flames from a distance. I made it home an' that's when I saw it."
Levy leaned into him and he pulled her closer, resting his head on top of hers. That was when Lucy saw how drawn they were to each other. There wasn't a real reason behind it, nor was it explainable. They just were, and it worked. Her heart was warm with the knowledge that her once-lost friend was no longer wandering around aimlessly. She found her other half.
"All my family, dead. Right there in front of my eyes." Gajeel's nose burned, but the comfort of his blue-haired beauty strengthened him. Rubbing her side, he lifted her chin with his free hand and met her teary eyes. "Shorty, don't feel bad. It never mattered if ya took it or not. They were already dead when I got back, an' even if I gave it ta them, they still woulda killed me."
"Wait, so the beings that killed you," Laxus said, not meaning to break their little love fest. It was cute, though. "They specifically asked you for it?"
"Asked? More like demanded," Gajeel let out a sharp breath at the memory. "The fucker was big. An' had this ugly ass armor. I told him I didn't have it then he shouted some insults an' killed me."
Armor? None of the Fallen wore armor. Their energy was powerful enough to fight without it. And flames? The only guy he knew with flames was Salamander… could he have…? 'No, Salamander's mouth is too big. He would have told the whole bunker about a plan that big.' He also didn't typically kill people unless they were directly related to his goal. That town and the rest of his family had nothing to do with the talisman.
On top of that, the way he went after Levy before and after he gained knowledge of the talisman was completely different and more tactical than how this goblin just explained it. Salamander wouldn't have done it this way. But if he didn't do it… then who? "I know you're looking around for the Fallen responsible for killing your family, but… we didn't do it."
"Bullshit," Gajeel spat, turning his nose up at the topic. He just knew this conversation was going to turn out this way. How dare he try to place the blame on someone else! "Who else aside from the fallen angels want the fuckin' thing in the first place?"
Levy jerked her head up, craning her neck to look at Gajeel. Was he really not seeing this? "Gajeel. You can't think of anyone else who wants the talisman?"
"The angels didn't know about it until she had it," Laxus motioned toward Levy. "There's no way they would have known exactly where to look, what family to go after. Now, I'm not saying your aggression toward them is unjust, but I'm saying we weren't the ones who burned your town down. There's no reason for us to hide behind armor or was there reason to torch an entire town just to claim an object."
It just wasn't clicking in the goblin's head. They kept saying it wasn't them, and someone else wanted the damned thing just as bad… but he really wasn't trying to hear it.
"Are you out in the mountains because of the talisman?" Laxus asked, remembering that this town had an ominous vibe to it that he couldn't put his finger on.
"Laxus!" Lucy elbowed him in the arm, scolding him for asking him more personal questions. "Don't ask them why they're here!"
'Oh, shit.' Gajeel was about to lose his mind. Was he really the one who…? "Actually… it's funny ya say that. We are here 'cuz of the talisman."
"Care to elaborate?" Laxus was intrigued. He loved it when he was right. Of course, it would be drawn to a place like this!
"My dad's a piece of fuckin' shit!" Gajeel roared, one hand in a tight fist and the other gripping Levy's waist strongly. "Why the fuck did I have ta come out just like 'em? Spittin' fuckin' image!"
"Gajeel…" Levy watched as he stood from the bench again and paced back and forth, fumbling around for another cigarette.
"When one of yer little pals kidnapped me a couple weeks ago," he said, pointing a finger at the fallen angel. "My long-lost dad found a way ta contact me. After bein' gone fer almost twenty years!"
The goblin marched back and forth with a condescending kick in his tone, angry at the world. "I found out how ta get ta him, an' ya know where this fucker is?! In the middle of the goddamn mountains! Ya know why? 'Cuz he decided ta leave his family ta go and be a demon and live in the Underworld, fer fucks sake!"
"Wait." Vague memories of hanging out with Bickslow in the mountains years ago entered Laxus' mind. There was a reason Bix left, and he remembered him mentioning it in passing a few times, but he never thought too much into it. "You went to the Underworld?"
"There's a portal in the mountains," Levy answered. "And when we met him there, his father kept asking for the talisman."
Now it all made sense. Laxus dragged a hand down his face and sighed deeply. He really could use a drink. This situation turned out to be bigger than it actually was and that only stressed him out further. Danger was coming; he could feel it. He glanced at the goblin, who was pacing around angrily, then at Levy, who was clearly very concerned for him. Maybe she could give him more information on what exactly went down.
"Levy…" Laxus said her name cautiously, gaining her attention. Her hostility seemed to have died down a bit, but he was still walking on eggshells. "Sorry, but do you think you could tell me a little more about what happened?"
Levy thought back to her encounter with the demon, how he froze time and left her defenseless. After she found out about the talisman, she sort of tuned out and tried to figure out her own thoughts. "All I can remember is that he tried really hard to get Gajeel to give it to him. He tried to make him go back without me because I was a hindrance to his plan."
The vibes he got from this town made sense now. The reason why this part of the world was nearly untouched was because it was a direct portal to the Underworld. That's the reason Bix left.
"Did he say why he wanted it?" He knew the reason the demon wanted the talisman, but he wanted to make sure he had all the pieces of the puzzle before he said it out loud.
"He said he was stuck," Gajeel stopped pacing and took a hit from his cigarette. "An' that he couldn't get out without it…"
"Don't you see?" Laxus said, his hand finding his short hair yet again. "It was never the Fallen after you, at least not while you were alive."
"…it was the demons…" Levy's heart sunk for Gajeel. To have the demons likely led by his own father try to get the talisman back is one thing, but for him and his family to be murdered by them was just cruel. She looked at her goblin who was trying so hard to keep everything in.
The cigarette fell from his mouth and his hands went to the sides of his head, why was everything crumbling around him? His idol, the man he looked up to for his entire life was nothing but a fraud! He mistreated his family all in faith of a piece of shit! His own father killed him? After meeting with him the day before, he believed it. His head was spinning. He asked for the truth, but he didn't think it would be this extreme. The way his dad avoided his questions and how he didn't seem surprised when he was told that his partner and children were murdered made sense. To him, Levy was a problem, that's why he wanted him to come back alone.
Levy was quickly at his side, prying his hands from his face. "Hey, hey. It's okay, relax. I'm here."
His arms quickly found their way around her waist in a tight embrace; the safest option to busy himself before he went punching things. Why did things turn out this way? He honestly felt like he would have done better not knowing the truth. He held on to the angel in his arms for dear life, as if she'd disappear if he let her go. After all, why should he have anything good? Why should he be allowed to have faith in something or someone? She was one of the two only good things that were genuinely good in his life. Where did she come from? He'd let her kick him down in the street a million more times if it meant he got to keep her forever. One hand tightened its grip while the other found its way up into her hair. "Lev… please don't leave me."
"I'll never leave you," Levy, as always, melted into him. He was holding her like she'd just vanish into thin air at any given moment, and it only broke her heart. He needed something good to happen in his life, even if just staying by his side was that something good, she'd gladly do it.
Man, those two were something else. Laxus had to admit they were a good pair, and the way she was able to calm him down was on another level. He was wrapped around her finger and she was the same. It sucked, though, having to go through all that. For his own father to murder his child and the rest of his family was pretty brutal. But at least now, the Fallen had one less enemy.
'Wait.' Levy processed all this information in her head as he held her flush against his body. The fallen angels wanted the talisman so they could get back to Heaven, but the demon wanted it so he could get out of Hell. What was the real purpose of it? She pulled away from an unwilling Gajeel to face the two on the bench.
"Then, I take it you know the truth behind the talisman?" Levy asked, wanting to walk toward the two but stilled by Gajeel's hand on her wrist.
"I don't know how it came to exist," Laxus said, trying his hand at showing public affection by throwing his arm around Lucy's shoulder. "But I do know that it won't get them to Heaven like they think it will. It won't even get them to the Spirit World like some of the less… hopeful think."
"What do you mean?" Levy already knew by then what the truth was; she just wanted it to be confirmed.
"It means," Laxus continued, his arm being swatted away by the blonde. "The talisman, if used correctly… opens a direct door to the Underworld. My goal is to stop the angels from getting to it, thinking it'll take them home, only for them to unleash hell on Earth."
A dark silence fell on Gajeel. 'Wow.' His entire life, he carried the door to Hell with him, and it was given to him by none other than his lowlife of a father, who he was one hundred percent sure he knew what it was the entire time. All the trauma and misfortune made sense. Why everyone he liked and loved eventually left him. The reason his mom hated the ground his father walked on. She had every reason to want to take that thing from him when he was younger, and he pretty much had chosen his father's side when he decided to keep it. That's why she hated him. That's why his family hated him. His dad was only using him to get it back. He didn't mean it when he said he missed him. He couldn't have cared less if he decided not to join forces with him… as long as he got his hands on the talisman… that's all he cared about. To think he went back to that cave just to give it to him. If it weren't for Levy…
She faced her goblin, who had a dark look on his face. What was going through his mind? The grip he had on her wrist tightened upon Laxus' words, as she sort of expected. She inched her way closer to him and the expression on his face hadn't changed. "…Gajeel?"
He let go of her wrist and met her worried gaze with his dark. He lifted his hand and let a few fingertips lightly trail down her cheek until he lifted her chin slightly with his index finger and thumb. "Ignorance is bliss, huh?"
With those words, in the blink of an eye, he'd punched a hole clean through the trunk of the tree next to them with a growl and walked off, lighting another cigarette.
"Gajeel…" Levy understood. She understood why he felt the way he did. She understood that he was going to need time to process this, so she just let him be. She'd catch up with him either at his home or Lily's bar. She watched him walk off into the distance before sitting back down with Lucy and Laxus.
Lucy didn't even know what to say! He was so gentle with her, then immediately punches a tree? She hadn't even seen Laxus that angry before! How in the world was she able to deal with that so easily? "Wow, he's kind of scary… right?"
"No," Levy gave a soft smile. "Not at all. He just feels that he would have been better off not knowing."
"Still," Lucy said. She would have peed her pants from fear if that were her standing there. Suddenly, she was glad Laxus kept a stoic face. "That was dangerous."
"He wouldn't hurt me," the blue-haired angel said calmly. "He'd never hurt me. No matter how angry he is…"
"Well, I gotta come up with a way to destroy it," Laxus continued, getting back to the matter at hand. He was so close to his goal; he could taste it. He just needed her to bite.
"That sounds nice and all," Levy said, her faith in the talisman completely shattered. "But who's to say it can even be destroyed?"
"Once I hit it with my lightning," he said, a hand finding its way through his hair. "It'll be burnt to a crisp."
Levy looked down at her lap as she fiddled with her thumbs. "So, you want me to give you the talisman?"
She believed everything he said, but she still didn't even trust him fifty percent. Even so, she couldn't just give it to them without talking to Gajeel about it, first. Who's to say they couldn't destroy it on their own?
"I suppose that's the gist of it," Laxus said, his voice quieter than usual. He wasn't sure how she'd react to it, but he didn't have time to beat around the bush.
To think a fallen angel had the audacity to ask her for the talisman was insane, but this whole situation was even crazier. Honestly, she hated the fact that the door to Hell was what kept the spirits at bay when she was alive. Why did such a negative item help her so much? She really wanted nothing to do with it anymore, and it relieved her that someone else wanted to destroy it… but what if it was falling into the wrong hands?
She'd keel over before she said it out loud, but she didn't sense any lies or false information, and a very, very small part of her suggested that maybe Lucy got extremely lucky and found herself the one and only decent Fallen. Lucy seemed to be in good shape, and though it was minimal, Laxus showed that he actually cared about her. She seemed happy. Really happy.
"Look," Levy said, looking the fallen angel in his eyes firmly. "I know you're worried that I'm going to kill you or whatever, but… I'm not. Gajeel won't. Everything you've told us matches up with everything that's happened."
Levy brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, 'I'll have to have him redo the headband.' She wanted to rid herself of the talisman, so desperately… but it wasn't hers to get rid of. "I can't just give it to you without talking to Gajeel first. It's his. But what we can do is get rid of it ourselves."
Lucy looked at Laxus, seeing the gears turn in his head. "If anyone could do it, it's probably her."
He supposed they were a neutral party, with negative emotions for the other two parties. He also understood her hesitation. If she hated all fallen angels, why would she give something so important to one?
"Would you guys be willing to meet up in a day or two?" Levy asked hopefully. "I'll run it by Gajeel and see what he says."
Laxus and Lucy looked at each other. They were surprised that she was willing to think it over, but Laxus' concern was time. The idiots from the bunker were soon to put whatever plan they had in action, but at the same time, if it was with Levy, they'd have a harder time getting it. And if push came to shove, he was sure with the information she had now, she'd destroy it herself in a heartbeat. In the end, no matter which choice was made, his goal of stopping Salamander would be achieved.
"Give us a time and a place."
"Ya fuckin' son of a bitch!" Gajeel had his dad by the throat and pinned against the jagged wall of his lair. He let his anger drive him all the way back to the Underworld just to give him a piece of his mind. What kind of person does that to his child? His family?
"Please," Metalicana smirked evilly as he kneed Gajeel in the stomach, successfully freeing himself from his grasp. "Issat any way ta talk t'yer father?"
The goblin held his stomach, nearly dropping from the lack of air remaining in his lungs. With a low growl in his throat, he stood upright and met his glare. "Yer not my fuckin' father!"
"Oh?" The demon kicked him in the stomach, satisfied when he fell to the ground. He walked to tower over him, giving him a good once over. "It's hard fer ya ta deny it when ya look jus' like me… Junior."
Gajeel groaned, his nerves registering the pain in his ribs. He didn't want to fight his dad. To be honest, he didn't know what to expect when he went barreling down there. He should have known someone so willing to kill his family would fight back with no hesitation. 'Whatever.' He was in this, now.
"Get up."
Gajeel sat up with a grunt, channeling all his anger into his fist. He wasn't going down so easily. As he stood up, he brought his fist up fast enough to be able to punch him in the jaw and make him stagger backward a bit. "How could ya do that?! Ta yer own kin? Ta the woman who had yer kids?!"
Metalicana wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, annoyed that the little shit managed to draw blood. The corner of his mouth curled up in a menacing smirk. "Then I take it'cha finally know the truth?"
"Ya gave me the door ta Hell!" The goblin curled his hand back into a fist as blades extended from the knuckles of his gloves.
The demon saw his attacks coming from a mile away. 'He's too damn slow.' He stood there as his son threw a punch, only for the blades to shatter upon being blocked by his forearm. "Now, now…"
"Mom hated ya! She hated me! An' I was the wrong one fer bein' on yer side!" Gajeel went to throw another punch but Metalicana was too fast. Instantly, he sidestepped his son then quickly had him in a headlock.
"Yer mother," he started, slowly squeezing the life from his son. "Wassuh whore that tried ta use me. Since she hated me so damn much, shouldn' she've been glad I left?"
Fuck those words! His mom was devastated! His sisters were devastated! They loved him! He used what he considered his most useless ability to alter the size of his body and grew a few times bigger, breaking free from the headlock. Using the same momentum that threw his dad back a few steps, he turned on his heel and had him by the collar.
"I don't wanna fight ya, Dad!" Gajeel released him and shoved him back a few steps, shrinking back down to normal size.
"Then ya shoulda thought 'uh that 'fore ya came down here an' attacked me," Metalicana said plainly, not hesitating to punch his son in the face, sending him back to the ground. It was his turn to grab him by the collar, lifting his upper body from the gravel.
Gajeel coughed up blood; his dad really didn't hold back. With him being a demon, he knew he was strong, and man could he pack a punch. "W-Why? Why'd ya leave us?"
"Why?" The demon accentuated the word with another sharp punch to his nose. "Fer power."
Metalicana let his body drop to the ground and turned his back, walking away from the pitiful sight before him. His son was strong, no doubt, but he wasn't giving it his all. In fact, he wasn't even trying to defend himself. He let the thought of 'family' distract him from destroying his enemy, and that's where he fucked up. He heard the soft crunching of the gravel, which only meant that he was able to stand back up. 'Impressive.'
"Why'd ya give me the burden of carryin' that thing?" A beat-up Gajeel asked, not even sure he wanted to know the answer. He took a few steps toward his dad, getting him to turn back around. "My whole life was filled with nothin' but shit 'cuz of it."
The demon walked back over to his son, who was still in good shape after taking two punches to the face. Not often could someone brawl with him and live. He put a hand on Gajeel's shoulder, feeling about… one percent remorseful. "I saw the strength 'n ya long 'fore ya knew ya had it. I saw great things from ya an' I wanted ya ta live up t'yer potential."
"So ya had me killed?"
"I had ya reborn inta somethin' great. The others were jus' collateral damage," Metalicana clarified. He knew Junior would have been even stronger once he was reborn into a goblin. He would take his aggression out as a contractor, killing people and creatures and gaining more strength. "An' when the time was right, I called on ya."
"Tch." That was the final straw. So, his dad had something to do with his death and his rebirth, and it was all for the sake of his selfishness. Suddenly, he didn't seem to care anymore that he was fist-fighting his own father. He took it up a notch, swiftly grabbing his wrist and twisting his arm, bringing it down onto his knee and snapping it in half in the same second.
Gajeel heard him grunt in pain and took it as music to his ears. Taking advantage of the distraction, he returned the favor by kicking him in the ribcage with almost all his strength, sending him flying back a few feet. "Yer a lowlife piece of shit! Ya deserve ta die!"
Now, this was more like it. An actual fight! It was a shame it had to be his son, but oh well. He used his rapid healing to fix his arm before making a fist with his hand. "Don' get too hasty, now."
Suddenly, Gajeel couldn't move or breathe. It was as if his body seized up on him and he was no longer in control. That son of a bitch! He grit his teeth and was able to utter out a few words, enough to rile him up some more. "Ya… fuckin'… coward…"
"Ya see," Metalicana stood up and brushed the dirt from his shirt and pants, walking toward a stilled goblin. "I was gonna be nice, 'n not use my powers, but ya pissed me off."
He tightened his fist, the seizure on his son's body getting stronger. He circled him, disgusted that he even came back only to fight. "Why'd ya come back down 'ere? Ya don' even have the talisman on ya. Ya think 'cuz ya figured me out that ya can take me on all by yerself?"
"Use… yer… fists…" Gajeel choked out. "Like… a man…"
"Use my fists?" Metalicana laughed loudly. He liked him; that was truly his son. Perhaps if circumstances were different, they would have made a good team. He took his already clenched fist and connected it with the side of his face, watching him stagger back and fall on his ass. But he wasn't done. He walked over to him and grabbed him by the collar again.
"How'd ya find out, anyway?" He punched him again, making sure to break anything on his face that would break. "Betcha that angel bitch told ya, huh?"
Gajeel growled, not liking the fact that he was bringing Levy up. He spit blood in his face using the half-second of distraction to stand back up. Lunging toward his dad, he wrapped both hands around his neck and shoved him back a few feet. "Don't ya dare bring her inta this!"
"Oh? An' why not? She ain't the innocent lil' girl ya think she is." The demon liked his son's persistence, but it was getting annoying. He dug his fist into his ribs, trying to get him off, but the grip on his neck only tightened. Interesting.
"Shut the… fuck up!" He squeezed, ignoring the pain in his body. It felt like his hands were wrapped around metal! He wanted to kill this man, so, so bad, but he wouldn't be able to take him alone. His dad wasn't even using a fraction of his strength, but that wasn't stopping him from attempting to strangle him.
"I'm serious," the demon shrugged, completely unphased at his son's pathetic attempt to injure him. "Did she tell ya she attacked me?"
'What?' Gajeel's surprise caused him to let go and take a step back. When did she attack him? Why? Did she have a reason to at the time?
'Ah, that got 'im.' He smirked, releasing a blast of dark energy around him that blew Gajeel across the room and into the rough wall. Walking over to him, he watched him fall to his knees and cough up a considerable amount of blood. "Yup. The bitch used one 'uh her shitty blades and actually left a scar, right 'ere."
It took quite a bit of strength for Gajeel to lift his head and see his dad lifting up his shirt, a long scar going across his torso. He dropped his head, more blood pouring from his mouth and nose. He must have been really insane to think he could take on this monster. The demon grabbed his hair, yanking his head up and to the side, meeting a similar scowl.
"Lemme tell ya somethin'," Metalicana gave him a sharp kick to his side, stepping on his hand as he fell on his side. "Whether I get my hands on the fuckin' talisman or not, I'ma get outta 'ere. It's only a matter 'uh time."
He put more force into crushing his hand, his satisfaction growing with each crack and groan of pain he heard. "My only dilemma is if I should jus' kill ya now or wait ta kill ya in front 'uh yer girlfriend."
"Ya really think," Gajeel said, his voice weak. "She won't come down here an' kill ya if ya do?"
The demon pushed harder, twisting his foot side to side to accentuate the pain in his hand. The sound of suffering always put a smile on his face. "Oh, I don' doubt she'll come an' try ta find me… but jus' the thought 'uh makin' ya both suffer is enough fer me."
He looked at the goblin's face; he sure did a number on him. But there was something… bitter about his son's anger. "Ya haven't even claimed 'er yet, have ya?"
Gajeel shut his eyes in frustration at his words. Who the fuck did he think he was? It wasn't any of his damn business! 'Fuck.' He wanted to see Levy. He wanted to get out of this shitty ass mess he had the misfortune of being in. Was his dad really going to kill him a second time?
"I don' sense 'er energy on ya, which means she hasn't touched ya yet!" Metalicana guffawed, releasing his hand and walking away. "How amusin'! Ta kill ya 'fore ya get the opportunity ta get yer hands on 'er!"
"Fuckin'… pig," Gajeel spat, gathering all his energy to stand.
"The door's right there," the demon said, nodding toward the entrance. Once he was free, his son and the angel were the first on his list. He couldn't do much from where he was currently, and it would pose a problem if he decided to get rid of him now. He knew for a fact she'd go down there and find a way to kill him, so he needed to be smart about this. 'He better use this time wisely.' He turned to face his son for the last time on neutral terms. Believe it or not, he didn't want things to turn out this way. "Ya come back down 'ere, an' I'll kill ya immediately."