First of all, I want to start off by apologizing to my dear readers for making you guys wait so long, especially for a chapter that I just consider to be filler :( I got pregnant in April and I guess I got writer's block. I was unmotivated and didn't even have the urge to do anything. I'd read other people's work to gain motivation, and I'd get that tiny little spark, only for me to stare at the screen for an hour and not do anything. I've been working on this stupid chapter since MAY! and the best part about it is I already knew where my story was going. I already knew what I wanted to write, just for some reason I wasn't motivated enough to pull out my laptop.
i am actually 36 weeks now and I'm due on January 1st and my goal was to post this chapter before I gave birth, so I'm really excited and I hope so much that my motivation has returned. thank you to my readers that haven't lost faith in me! I will not be dropping the story, and surprisingly enough, I plan to pick my old story back up so if anyone is reading 'Something Gained' which is the only other fic I have posted, stay tuned for a chapter hopefully soon! that one should be a little easier since the chapters are a lot shorter than these.
(RAO HYUGA 18) thank you so much for being supportive of me! I've been getting ideas for smaller stories I could write to pass the time, and I've also been thinking about trying my hand at dabbling in some SDS fics. I'm sorry I made you wait so long, so in return, I've prepared my longest chapter yet at 7171 words! I hope it's to your liking! I can't thank you enough for being a reader!
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The familiar roar of his bike tore through the grey fog of the spirit world and an unwilling angel held tightly onto his waist with her eyes screwed shut. How had he convinced her to get on this monstrosity again? If she were honest, it wasn't too bad, and the more she rode, the more she got used to it… not that she planned on making it a regular thing.
Just as quickly as he managed to get her on that contraption, they pulled up to Lily's bar, and the first thing she noticed was how dark it was inside. With a sigh and a pout, she muttered, "I don't think he's here right now."
"Relax, Shorty," Gajeel said, stepping from his bike and extending a hand. "I have a key."
"Yeah, but…" Levy took his aid and hopped off the bike, adjusting her clothing. "Isn't it kind of rude to show up when no one's here?"
"This is like a second home fer me," he said, digging in his pocket for his cigarettes and popping one into his mouth. "Why else would he give me a key?"
He flashed her a toothy grin and made his way to the locked doors, quickly letting himself in and flipping on the lights. "Ya gonna come in?"
He'd turned around and looked at her with that smirk on his face and she blushed; that look of his always did something to her. 'Snap out of it!' She nodded quickly and followed him inside, claiming her seat at the bar as he walked to the other side to make himself a drink.
"Want one?"
"No," she shook her head gently. "I'm not much of a drinker. If anything, I want one of Lily's teas."
"Well, I don't think I know how ta make that, but I can try," he replied confidently, grabbing a bottle of liquor and throwing it up in the air a few times.
"What, you're a bartender now?" Levy flirted, placing her elbows on the bar and resting her chin in her hands while she watched him show off for her.
"I know a few things," he grinned before clumsily fumbling the bottle and dropping it, glass and alcohol splattering everywhere.
Levy couldn't hold back her laughter. He was so cute trying to impress her like he was, but what he should have known was that he didn't need to do anything like that. She was already his. "Oh, do you now?"
"Yeah…" he put a hand on the counter, shifting his weight to lean on the bar as he finally lit the cigarette that was still in his mouth. "Lily's not gonna be happy."
"Then maybe you should clean it up," Levy suggested. "It would be the considerate thing to do."
"Nah," he took a drag and exhaled, the nicotine making him feel somewhat gross. Ever since he got ahold of Levy, he hadn't really felt the need to rely on smoking as much as he used to. Now, most of the time he smoked, he was only doing it out of habit, out of the need to do something with his hands. He needed to find something else to busy himself.
"He would rather clean it himself," he said, smashing the cigarette into an ashtray on the bar. "He's a stickler 'bout how he cleans shit, or whatever."
"I can understand that."
"Is it too much to ask that you don't wreck my bar when I'm not around?" Lily asked, emerging from a door in the corner of the building. He was winding down from a particularly draining job and on the verge of sleep when he heard his goblin friend's bike pulling up. Normally, he would have just stayed in his room to rest, but he heard a bottle break and decided to see what sort of shenanigans Gajeel was up to this time.
He made his way to the common area of the bar and greeted the blue-haired angel that was right there with him just as he expected, but something was different… in a good way. The last time he'd seen her, she seemed to be in a hurry to find Gajeel who now appeared to be in high spirits; surprising, given everything that's happened so far.
"Yeah… sorry, Lil," Gajeel rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. It was the good stuff, too.
"Don't worry yourself over it," the reaper said, shooing him out of his way and stepping over the mess. "You are the only one who drinks this stuff, anyway."
"That's why I'm actually bummed out," the goblin replied, sitting on the stool next to Levy and giving her a smirk. "But really, it's Shorty, here that's missin' out."
"I don't think so," she stated coolly, firm in her choice. She didn't have good memories with alcohol, so she typically tried to avoid it as much as possible. "It doesn't really agree with me."
"Gihi," the goblin chuckled, making a mental note to look into that later. He threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side, grinning wildly. "Yer loss!"
"I hope you guys have come to fill me in on what's been happening," Lily said, swiftly cleaning the mess and getting new glasses ready to pour the three of them drinks as they caught up. "Especially since it looks like something interesting has happened between the two of you."
"Ya got that right," Gajeel boasted, holding onto Levy as if she were his most prized possession.
"What gave it away?" She asked, paying no mind to the hand roaming down her arm.
What gave it away? Surely, she wasn't serious! Lily had to stifle a laugh as soon as the question left her mouth! Anyone could see clear as day the constant lack of personal space that was between the two, and now even more so than usual! He smiled as he concocted Levy's drink first; he was genuinely happy for his lifelong friend. In all the years he'd known him, he'd never seen him this cheerful and it was a very refreshing change of pace. Levy also looked quite content, and knowing the both of them, they likely forged an unbreakable bond.
"I don't know if either of you have noticed," Lily began, sliding Levy her tea. "But you two are the most obvious and oblivious people I've ever known in my life. Ever since the first time you showed up here together, you couldn't keep your hands off one another! Now, it's just intensified! I mean, look at you!"
At this point, she had her arm wrapped around his torso unknowingly while he rested his head on top of hers. When did that happen? The last thing she remembered was the hand on her arm! Somehow, she'd fallen into his comforting aura inadvertently… not that it was an issue, it just wasn't on her agenda at the moment. They were there to talk to Lily, not be all over each other. In an instant, she let go of him and reached for her drink, a soft blush on her face as she nibbled on her straw.
Lily laughed as he poured himself and Gajeel a drink. "No worries, it doesn't bother me much. I'm simply happy you guys are happy. It's about time something goes right around here."
"Yeah, Shorty," Gajeel said, pulling her stool closer to his and snaking an arm around her waist. "Don't deny it."
"Ugh." Levy rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore the temptation next to her. "Anyway, Lily, sorry for running out on you last time."
"Ah, no need to worry, Levy," the reaper replied, taking a swig of his drink. "I know there were more pressing matters to attend to. By the way, your question, I have to say, has been taking up most of my thoughts and I can only come to a few conclusions."
"What're ya obsessin' 'bout now, damn cat?" Gajeel asked, curious about whatever Levy had to ask him. She should have known not explaining herself properly would drive the cat crazy, and he had to admit it was sort of funny watching him be consumed by something tedious.
"Oh, right before I went to find you last, I stopped here to see if you'd shown up," she answered, finally ready to get some feedback from the reaper. "I asked Lily what the difference was between a portal and a door and didn't have time to really explain why I asked."
"Yer talkin' 'bout the talisman, huh?" Gajeel clarified, dragging a hand down his face. It was nice to not think about it for a little bit, but reality set back in, and he knew it was far from over.
"We figured out what it was, at least," Levy said, shooting a hopeful look in Lily's direction.
"And of the two, which one was it?" Lily asked with a sigh. He knew it wasn't anything good, and the fact that they now had information on it was a sign that it wasn't over.
"It's a fuckin' door!" Gajeel nearly shouted, taking a large gulp of liquor and almost slamming the glass back down on the counter. "My piece of shit dad gave me the damn door ta hell! That's why I've been dealin' with the shit I've been dealin' with my entire life!"
"Hmm," Lily raised his glass to his lips in thought. He had to admit, this was surprising, to say the least. A door? Is that why the Fallen want it so badly? Why would they want to go to the Underworld? There was some missing information that he needed, but even still… Now that they knew what it was, what was their next plan? "Let's go sit at a booth so we can all talk comfortably."
"I also need ta tell ya, Lil, that I'm not takin' the job," Gajeel said, guzzling the rest of his drink and signaling for another. "As much as I wanna get my hands dirty, the bastard actually proved ta be useful."
"If you're referring to the job I told Levy to give you when you were ready, you're going to have to pay up," the reaper replied, sliding another glass over to his goblin friend and making his way to their booth. "Double the payout amount, you know. And this job paid pretty well, so I assume you have a good reason for wanting to give up your bike money."
"Yeah, well, things change, I guess," he shrugged, already annoyed that he had to buy his way out of a job. Why did this one have to pay so much? "And I have plenty of bike money saved, Lil, ya know that."
"Hey, Lil," Levy said, standing from the stool and following them to their favorite booth. "Before we talk, I actually had a question that's been in the back of my mind since I died."
"What is it, Levy?"
Lily slid into one side of the booth while Gajeel sat on the other, patting the space next to him motioning for his blue-haired beauty to sit next to him. With no hesitation, she plopped down next to him and leaned against his shoulder while he threw an arm around her to bring her closer.
"Ya had a question, an' ya didn't ask me? I'm hurt," the goblin joked, squeezing her arms a little.
"You wouldn't know the answer to it!" Levy exclaimed. "Lily's the one who'd know!"
"What does this cat know that I don't?" Gajeel poked, pointing a thumb in the reaper's direction.
"How he was able to reap me if I didn't have a soul," she answered plainly, knowing that shut him up.
"What do you mean by that? You had a soul; I wouldn't have been able to reap you otherwise," Lily clarified. He was a little confused as to why she thought she didn't have one, but he was sure there was a good reason.
"But wait," Gajeel looked at the woman next to him. "Didn't ya say yer parents sold yer soul long 'fore ya were born?"
Levy nodded, just a bit confused at the new information she gained. "Yeah, I was told by a spirit that I was without a soul, and that's why I was an easy target for them. Also, it was one of the reasons why I was on the run."
"Hm, it's weird you say that, actually," Lily said before taking a drink and stroking his whiskers in thought. "Because now that I think about it, if I remember correctly, there was something I found odd when it came time for me to collect you."
He pulled out his phone, scrolling through old jobs that he kept record of. He didn't necessarily need to keep track of them, but he did have a habit of keeping track of weird ones… Levy's being one of them. "It looks like you had some sort of makeshift soul, but I don't know much about how or why it came to be. I didn't think twice about it because I see them every once in a while."
"A 'makeshift soul'?" The angel exchanged confused glances with the goblin next to her, both unsure as to what that meant. "How does that work?"
"Well, I've only investigated it once, and it was the first time I'd ever come across a makeshift soul," Lily began, clicking through his phone to see if he'd found and documented any information on them.
"I don't have much knowledge of them," Lily sighed, putting his phone away and taking a drink. "But I do know they work in place of regular souls. If you want to know more, just give me some time and I'll get additional information for you."
'A makeshift soul…' Levy thought to herself for a bit while Gajeel caught Lily up on recent events. How did that work? How did she get it? Was it something her parents gave her or was it something from a spirit? What happened to the dead that didn't have souls? She knew Lily would have no problem looking into it for her, but she'd much rather find things out on her own and at her own pace.
The two gave the reaper quite a bit more detail on the first meeting between Gajeel and his father and what happened with Levy's encounter with the Fallen. They spoke about her meeting with Lucy and the conversation that led Gajeel back to the Underworld to fight with his father. Levy told Lily that she had to fix him up again between the last time she stopped by the bar and the present, and how sometime during that time, they became a bit… closer.
"I'm glad things between the two of you have worked out so well," Lily said, taking a swig of his drink. "Especially with everything going on in the universe right now. You guys both needed a win."
The cat watched the pair smile warmly at each other and close the small gap that was between them. He had to say, his matchmaking skills, although only used once, were phenomenal. What would have happened if they weren't a good match? 'That would never have happened. She was put here for him and vice versa.'
"Yeah, it's really nice finally having that… complete feeling, you know?" Levy said, hooking an arm around Gajeel's and leaning against his shoulder. "I often thought about what would have happened if we met while we were alive, but I don't think it would have worked out."
"What, with yer runnin' and my family problems, we wouldn't have been happy, that's fer sure," Gajeel added, nodding in agreeance. "Just like ya said, Shorty, at least now, we can spend eternity tagether."
"I know Levy was the one who said it, but when you say it, it sounds so cheesy," Lily laughed, poking fun at his goblin friend.
"Yeah," Levy giggled, pulling his arm a little. "It does sound funny when you say it."
"Ya gonna keep makin' fun of me, or what?" Gajeel grumbled, not too fond with the way those two were ganging up on him. "Last time I try an' be sentimental."
"Oh, stop being so dramatic," she said, her giggles turning into full laughs. "It's still cute!"
"Well, I wouldn't go that far," the reaper joked. "But it's nice seeing him be positive for once."
"Yeah, yeah," Gajeel dismissed. "I'm a negative piece of shit, ya don't gotta remind me."
Lily and Levy could do nothing but smile at one another knowingly. Their goblin was stubborn, but he was theirs, and all they could do was love him for who he was.
"So, about the talisman," Lily began, seemingly bringing Levy out of her thoughts. "Have you given thought on what you were going to do with it?"
The angel perked up immediately, having forgotten they were supposed to go and meet up with Lucy and that Fallen. "Oh, that's right! We were supposed to meet them on some island and help them destroy it! I must have lost track of time!"
"An island?" Gajeel exclaimed, unhooking his arm from hers and staring at her with a bewildered look on his face. "Ya didn't tell me we were gonna be visitin' an island."
"I'm sorry, Gajeel," Levy said with a pout, taking his hands. "If your bike can't get us there then you'll have to travel with me. I know you hate that."
"I guess I could punch in the numbers an' try it out," he said with an exasperated sigh. "I've never tried goin' somewhere like that before. But I highly doubt it'll work."
He really didn't want to travel by teleportation; it overloaded his senses like crazy and had a hard time recovering mentally afterward. He supposed if he absolutely had to, he would do it for her, but he was definitely going to complain about it. His kind wasn't meant to travel like that, and he'd come to terms with that not too long after he died.
"If it doesn't?" Levy asked, a hopeful gleam in her large honey eyes.
"Then yer just gonna hafta make it up ta me," he replied, crossing his arms and leaning back in the booth. "Shit sucks."
"Thank you, Gajeel! I promise I'll return the favor!"
One look at the bubbly blue-haired angel next to him and he instantly caved. Nothing was too difficult or tedious for her. She was worth anything. He rolled his eyes, not wanting to give her the satisfaction. "Yeah, whatever."
"Perhaps you two need to get going," Lily offered, stroking his whiskers. "You want to make sure you are good on your word. Don't make people wonder if you're going to show up."
"I guess you're right," Levy sighed, sliding out of the booth. She was quickly brought back to reality at the thought of meeting up with Lucy again. Still, what a wild turn of events! And she was certain Lucy felt the same. Wasn't she just contradicting herself thinking the way she was? She was angry at Lucy for fraternizing with a Fallen, but look at her! She was running around with a goblin! The very being she said she hated! Did she have any right to feel the way she did?
"Time does operate differently here," she said, motioning for Gajeel to follow. "Come on, I don't know how long we've kept them waiting."
"Let me know how it goes, or if you need some help," Lily knew what they were doing was going to be a bit difficult, and he had a gut feeling that destroying it would likely be impossible, but he didn't want to speak anything negative into existence. Who knew? Maybe his gut was wrong this time. "I wish you both the best."
"Thanks, Lil," Gajeel pat the reaper on the back in appreciation before following Levy to the door. "Means a lot."
"Oh," Lily stood from the booth quickly and caught up to the pair. "And if things get a little hairy with the Fallen angel, don't hesitate to call me. I'll show up in a heartbeat and smite him myself."
"Gihi!" The goblin couldn't help but laugh at his genuine friend. He meant every word that came out of his mouth, and he knew it. "Yer itchin' ta get yer hands just as dirty as me, huh?"
"It would be cool to see Lily in action," Levy chimed in, unable to ignore badass Lily. "Now I'm kind of hoping he tries some funny business!"
"Aw, really?" Gajeel said, gaining a surprised look from both. "I was actually kinda hopin' things would go well."
"Wow," the reaper's mouth dropped in awe. "That's the last thing I would have expected from you, Gajeel. Why the sudden change of heart?"
"I dunno," he shrugged, glancing at the beauty next to him. "I guess I just wanna hurry up an' get this shit over with so I can spend my time not thinkin' about this mess an' focusin' on Lev instead."
A deep blush graced Levy's face as she looked away shyly. When did he come up with such sweet things to say?
He grabbed her chin and gently lifted her head so she had nowhere else to look but him. "I mean it."
"Gajeel…" She understood where he was coming from. She knew if things went well, it would all be over quickly. If things were to go haywire, then… yet another thing to worry about. But why the rush? A small hand found its way up to his cheek. "We have all the time in the world."
"Well, well, well~ look who it is," Leo called upon noticing Gray's energy. "You run off with some strange girl in the middle of your own plan that you made us be a part of and come back out of nowhere thinking everything is alright?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever," Gray completely ignored the orange-haired brat's complaints, as he mentally prepared himself for whatever the idiots had to throw at him when he got back to the bunker. "Where's Salamander? I have something important to say to him."
"Go find him yourself," Leo snorted, shooing him away. He was just overall annoyed with the ice angel's presence and apparent lack of commitment, but it honestly didn't matter to him much; it was basically a suicide mission!
"Are you going to at least enlighten us on what prompted the drastic choice to leave us there?" Freed asked. "You know Salamander isn't too pleased about having to abandon the mission."
"I dunno," Gray sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess something in me told me I needed to talk to her, but since I was too far away from you, my energy was no longer masked."
"So, you just decided to leave with some—"
"So, I decided to go somewhere Laxus wouldn't detect me," Gray finished, cutting Freed off. "And when she told me she had somewhere for us to go, she just grabbed me and took me to the woods somewhere."
Leo and Freed's eyes grew wide, knowing the only beings that could teleport were reapers and angels. It was more likely a reaper than an angel, and the fact that a reaper was being all buddy-buddy with a Fallen was beyond them.
"A reaper?" Leo muttered under his breath, trying to figure out why one would be around. Were they gunning for the talisman, too?
"Nope," Gray said, plopping down on a recliner in the open space they were in. "She's an angel, like, an actual angel that hadn't fallen."
"Another one?!" Freed exclaimed. First Levy, then another one? Why were the angels coming down to Earth when all the Fallen wanted to do was get back into Heaven?
"Something isn't right," Leo pondered out loud. "Why are they coming here?"
"Took the words right out of my mouth," Freed tacked on.
Gray wondered the same thing at first, but then he spoke with her for a bit and understood. Or at least he understood her, and her reasoning. She wanted authenticity, and where else could you find it other than good ol' Earth? So what he wasn't at his full power? What would he use it for anyway? He didn't really want to fight anyone, but instead, he just wanted peace, and being away from the bunker made him finally realize that.
"She's here for a few reasons," the dark-haired angel sighed, coming to the conclusion that he was going to have to tell them the same thing he was off to go tell Salamander, anyway, so why not just explain it to these dimwits now? "The first reason being to find her brother."
"Her brother? Is he an angel too?"
"Yeah, what's he doing around us, anyway?"
"Dunno," Gray shrugged. "The conversation kind of veered off into something different, so I'm not sure who her brother is. But one thing I did find out was the fact that we're going on a wild goose chase for nothing. That's what I have to go tell Salamander."
"Wait, wait, wait," Leo said, reaching out and gripping his arm to stop him from getting up from his chair. "Explain."
"The talisman?" Gray looked at the two angels across from him, both on the edge of their seats in anticipation. "It has no meaning to us. At all."
A thick silence entered the room after he finished speaking, which only made sense. These were beings who dedicated so much time and energy to get the talisman and get back to Heaven. So, to be told that it was all for naught?
"W-what do you mean by that, Gray?" Freed asked timidly.
"I mean," the ice angel stood and finally removed his jacket like he'd wanted to since he met Juvia and tossed it to the floor. "The damned thing won't do anything for us except open a door to the Underworld!"
"How are we supposed to believe that?" Leo asked incredulously. "We spend so long trying to get this thing, and we're so close to getting it, and you wanna waltz in here and tell us that it was all for nothing?!"
"Look, I had a problem with it at first, too, but then she told me some things I just couldn't look past, and she found a way to prove it, too!"
"And how did she manage to convince you?" Freed seemed to be the only one actually curious instead of dismissive. Why would he argue back? The only reason he was after it was because Salamander and the rest of them were after it, too. He didn't mind being on Earth in the slightest, but he figured it wouldn't be bad to get back to Heaven, either.
"She told me that once an angel fell that there was no way for them to go back, which makes sense. She also asked me what was the point of going back when we fell for a reason? We'd only be going back just to eventually fall again, so why waste our time?"
"Yeah, yeah, that's all fine and dandy, but how does she even know for sure?" Leo asked.
"Well, that part she didn't confirm, but she proved to me that the talisman won't be of any help, and by acquiring it and using it for its intended purposes, we'll be setting some horrific demon of the Underworld free."
"What the—" Freed's mouth dropped, not expecting it to take such a drastic turn such as that one. "How did she manage to prove that?"
"Well…" Gray hesitated, because even though it wasn't his issue to deal with, it was still pretty fucked up and confusing. "The demon is her father, but get this: he's still alive."
"An actual living demon?!" Loke shouted, standing from his seat on the couch. Demons were dead beings with no souls… unless they made some sort of deal.
"Yeah," Gray sighed again. "Pretty heavy stuff. She told me he made a deal back in the day then disappeared, but she and her mom found some dirt on him while they were still alive, they were just unsure if it was true or not. I guess she didn't find out the truth until she died."
"Wait, so who is her brother, then?" Leo asked, forgetting that Gray never got that information.
"I already told you, I don't know. We got sidetracked talking about something else."
"Did she tell you the name of her dad? Maybe it's someone we already know or heard of," Freed questioned, trying to get any slices of information he could.
"No, she said she didn't know the name he went by," Gray answered. "But this is what I have to go and tell Salamander."
"Oof, well good luck to you," the green-haired angel offered. He knew a fight would most likely break out between Gray and Salamander, just knowing how their personalities clash.
"I don't expect him to listen, nor do I expect him to be cordial with me after this," Gray said. "But I do know that my time at the bunker will come to an end after we talk, so…"
"Wait," Freed stopped Gray just before he rounded the corner. "You asked me for Laxus' whereabouts, did you talk to him?"
"Yeah, I wanted to find out why he was going after the talisman himself," he said, dragging a hand down his face. "He actually confirmed that he was trying to find it to destroy it. He knows about it being a portal to hell. Honestly, I think he knew way before he let us on."
"That would make sense as to why he left with the human so hastily," Freed thought out loud. "She was friends with Levy, who had the talisman, so I'm assuming he thought the human had some information on it."
"Luce didn't know anything," Leo chimed in. "The times I talked to her, she definitely would have mentioned that."
"Regardless of who knew and who didn't, I still need to tell Salamander," Gray said, exasperated.
"Where are you gonna go when he beats your ass and kicks you out?" Leo chortled. "'Cause you know he's not gonna believe you in the slightest."
"Yeah, it's not going to go well with him," Freed scoffed, leaning back in his chair.
"Well, you guys believe me, right? You know me, I wouldn't switch up for no good reason!" Gray felt like he was pleading with his comrades, but he needed them to understand that what they were doing was not a good idea.
"Hmm, I dunno," Leo said, giving Gray a once over. "Put your jacket back on, nobody wants to see all that."
"Come on guys," the ice angel ignored his comment, glancing at Freed. "Look, you trust and believe in Laxus, right? Right now, so do I. Please tell me you believe me."
"This is such a huge turnaround, Gray," Freed tried to explain. Though he knew deep down that his gruff blond friend had good intentions and would do anything to better the world he was living in. "But, yeah, if Laxus believes it, then I believe it, too."
"Ugh, why don't you just come out of the closet," Leo rolled his eyes at Freed. He didn't particularly care for him enough to hang out with him alone because somehow, someway, Laxus would always come up in conversation, and man… did he hate Laxus.
"I'm not gay for Laxus!"
"So, you admit you are gay, then?"
Gray had to walk away from the newly budding nonsense that was unfolding before him. The last thing he wanted to do was get caught up in their bickering again. He was already dreading this fight he knew he was about to have with Salamander, so he had to mentally prepare himself for that.
"This will likely be the last time you see me, at least for a long time. You have my number. If you need me, call me," he said with a wave of his hand as he picked up his coat and walked away.
Heading down the corridor, he rounded a corner and as luck would have it, he bumped into just the angel he wanted to see.
"Watch it, droopy eyes!" The pink-haired angel exclaimed, brushing his clothes as if they'd gotten dirty from the collision.
"Salamander, I need to talk to you, but I also need you to listen to me clearly," Gray said, urging his comrade to listen first then fight second.
"What bullshit excuse are you going to give me for leaving us out there for some random girl?"
"Well, be glad I did, because if I didn't, we'd be unleashing hell on Earth," Gray said sternly. "The talisman is useless to us."
Almost immediately, Salamander whipped around wanting to grab onto Gray's collar, but realized he didn't have his shirt or coat on, so instead, he settled for punching the concrete wall next to them. "What did you just say?"
Gray anticipated the fire angel to grab his collar, which was one of the reasons why he took his coat off. He was sick and tired of his aggressions, so the fact that he was leaving was a weight off his shoulders. At first, he was a bit uncomfortable leaving the bunker since it was all he'd known since the Fallout, but speaking with the blue-haired woman, he realized there was more to the world than what he already knew, and he kind of wanted to explore it with her.
"Calm down, Salamander," Gray said, taking a small step back. He could see the steam coming from his nose and didn't want any part of it. "I found out some information that changes everything!"
Salamander stood quietly with clenched fists as his longtime associate explained what he meant by the talisman being useless. Did he really understand what he was saying? He was throwing everything they've been working for away for some woman he barely even knew! He'd been searching for that thing for so long and he definitely wasn't about to stop now. 'I'll see for myself.'
"I'm telling you," Gray continued, trying his hardest to convince this slow bastard. "She proved it to me! It won't get us anywhere near where we need to be! We'll only be causing the world more problems letting that thing loose!"
As if on cue, Salamander threw a punch that connected squarely with Gray's jaw, sending him back a few feet. Should he fight back or keep trying to convince his stubborn friend?
"Hit me all you want," he said, wiping the trickle of blood from his mouth. "But it won't change the fact that we're wrong this time."
"So, what do you suggest we do, then?" Salamander asked sarcastically, crossing his arms over his chest.
"We leave it alone and just stay—"
Interrupted by another punch, this time, he fought back. Sending a blast of freezing air at the fire angel, he was able to make him stumble backward and fall on his ass.
"You'd better leave before I get fired up," Salamander said, still sitting on the floor. He was strangely calm for a situation like this and Gray just figured he was trying not to blow his top. "Since you wanna be an outcast like Laxus, you can leave like Laxus and never come back."
"I was planning on it," Gray said with a roll of his eyes. "But just know, I'm off to help destroy it so that there's one less problem we have to worry about."
With those displeasing words, Salamander was up on his feet and in Gray's face yet again. "Don't get in my way."
"How about you don't get in mine," Gray shrugged, bumping his shoulder as he brushed past. "I think you need to do a lot of thinking about this and see how the pieces add up, Salamander."
All Salamander could do was stand there with a scowl as Gray walked away for the last time. Think about what? There was nothing to know except the fact that they needed the talisman. But here came this douche talking about how fallen angels can't get back to Heaven, and that the talisman would open some sort of door, but not the one they wanted. He just needed to see the truth for himself, and he was not about to let Gray stop him from achieving his goal.
"If you try to stop me, I'll kill you," Salamander said under his breath, but just loud enough for Gray to hear him as he was walking off.
"Yeah, I'd like to see you try," he replied coolly, giving him the middle finger before exiting the bunker.
"Hey, Juvia," Gray appeared back at the lake where she originally brought him to find her sitting on the porch swing. 'That looks peaceful.'
"Oh, my darling Gray!" She leapt out of her seat upon his arrival, giving him another one of those bear hugs she was so good at before checking out his face. "What happened?"
The look of worry on her face was refreshing; he hadn't had someone care about him in quite some time. "Well, I went to explain to my friends that the talisman was not a good object and that it would open a portal to hell."
"And they didn't agree with you?" She took her hand and brushed it across his face, healing his split lip instantly.
"One did," he said, an exhausted look on his face. "But not the one that needed to know the most. So, we fought, and he kicked me out and told me to never show my face back there."
"Oh, Gray," Juvia was genuinely sad for her new friend, but happy that he was getting a new beginning. "Come, come! Let's get you fixed up and fed while we talk."
She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her cabin, ushering him inside. There was something about her energy that he loved, craved, but unfortunately, hell would freeze over before he said it out loud. "I don't eat. And it's weird that you do."
"I know we don't need to eat but I like to because food is tasty! Especially mine," she winked, sitting him down on a loveseat.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" Gray had done a bit of thinking between the last time he was with her and then, and something raised a huge question in his head.
Excitedly, she sat on the loveseat next to him, barely giving him any space… not that he really minded. "You can ask me anything!"
"You said the talisman would set some demon free, your dad, right?" He remembered his and Salamander's meeting with the demon Metalicana, and he remembered that he told him he also needed the talisman to get out of where he was.
"Yes," she answered, curious as to what he was getting at.
"Does the name Metalicana ring any bells?"
Juvia wracked her brain trying to figure out why that sounded so familiar. It sounded like a name she would hear her dad say when she was a kid. "It sounds familiar, why?"
Gray was starting to put together the pieces. Most likely, Metalicana was her father, but if that was true, then that meant that goblin he tried to kill was her brother! 'So, that's who she was looking for. Makes sense as to why she was in the same area.'
"Could you describe your dad to me?" He asked, needing confirmation that his assumptions were correct.
"Well," she began, not really wanting to talk about her deadbeat of a father, but there had to be a good reason he was asking, so she figured she'd just tell him. "He was really tall with long, dark hair. It was often messy and unkempt, so thank God I look like my mother. It's unfortunate for Junior, though."
"Junior?"
"My brother," she smiled softly. "He's the spitting image of Dad, and he looked up to him for so long, and I just found out that he most likely learned the real truth, which is why I wanted to find him."
Damn. He knew exactly who her brother was and who her father was. Not that it was really an issue since she was one of the good guys, but a reunion between her and that goblin was inevitable. How would she feel when she found out he once kidnapped and tried to kill her brother? He planned on keeping her around for as long as he could, which only meant he was also going to be reunited with the goblin… and he knew that it was not going to be a good reunion.
"Gray?" Juvia saw the new distress on his face and wanted nothing more but to ease his pain. She rested her hand atop his, gaining his attention. "Are you okay?"
His droopy eyes met hers big and wide. How could he not tell her everything she wanted to know? But does he start with her brother or her dad? He thought long and hard before his next words. If he told her about her brother, then he'd also have to come clean about injuring him. If he told her about her dad, she'd probably get all sad and need some sort of comfort from him. He exhaled deeply, squeezing her hand gently. "I know where your dad is."
An uneasy silence fell on them both as he stared at her expectantly. What was she thinking? How did she feel? Her face was unreadable, but he knew her mood shifted a bit. "Juvia?"
"If you know about my dad," she said with a quiet voice, looking into her lap. "Then do you happen to know who my brother is?"
Of course, she asked that! Why wouldn't she? Why would he get a free pass like that? What else could he do, though, but be honest?
"I know who your brother is, and I think I know where he is right now, also," Gray answered, his voice matching hers in volume. "He's a goblin from the spirit world, right?"
She nodded frantically with stars in her eyes. She was finally about to meet her brother again for the first time since they died! She had so much to share with him, but she was also nervous because they were never really cordial with one another. "Will you take me to him?"
Was this wise? He was told by Laxus that the goblin and the angel were going to be showing up to his island any moment, but they could have already come and gone by then. Not to mention the goblin had some beef with him since he beat him up like he did. But at the same time, he knew once they spoke, they would all be on the same page, and the more people to try and destroy the damned thing, the better.
"Sure."