Lucy chapter 26
"So, I'll have the formula ready in my hand the whole time you are gone. The second you get Vegeta back into this world you need to instant transmit straight to me, the faster you get him to me the better the serum will work, ok Goku?" Bulma tells him matter of factly, she has her doubts that he will return at all, the way Piccolo was speaking is as though he has no chance of beating this Lucy woman.
"Yep I'll bring him straight to you, Bulma, you're sure you can fix him?" Goku asks for the hundredth time
"I'll do all I can," She promises, Goku nods
"I'll gather all the z fighters and we will all be waiting for you to return, if Lucy follows you back here we will all be ready to fight at your side Goku, we won't let her take Vegeta," Piccolo assures him. If he was being brutally honest he would much rather just leave Vegeta in hell, he doesn't particularly dislike the guy, but he doesn't much like him either, the only reason he is agreeing to all this is to make Goku happy, because until Goku is happy Chichi won't be happy. The only way to make Goku happy is to help him get Vegeta back, so that's what he will do.
"Thanks Piccolo, I'm gonna need all the help I can get," Goku says giving his friend a confident smile. Piccolo can't help but admire Goku, he faces every challenge head on, with a smile on his face. No matter how big or strong his opponent is he doesn't show fear, he must be shitting himself right now, he is about to go into hell and face god only knows what, but he smiles.
Goku tightens his belt, and lifts his fingers to his forehead
"If all goes well, I'll see you soon guy, if not, I'll see you in other world," then he vanishes.
Vegeta is crying. He has been crying for a long time. He's not like loudly sobbing but he is snivelling. Lucy has seen Goku comfort him when he cries a lot of times, she should know how to make him feel better by now, but she doesn't. nothing she says seems to make him feel any better at all. She has given him Nutella, told him he is going to become an all-powerful lust demon, she had hugged him and offered to show him what Goku is doing, but nothing is helping. All she gets back is "I'm not hungry" "I don't care about power" "don't touch me," "Do I really look like I'm ready to look at Kakarot yet," She is just about at her wits end when a small knock at the bedroom door gives her a little hope, surely that will be Asmodius come to fill his end of their bargain and make Vegeta a demon. Then she can bring him out of her room and introduce him to her father as her chosen one.
She pulls the door open
"About time Asmo…..." She stops speaking as she sees Gabe stood outside looking more than a little flustered
"Alright Gabe, come in hun, what can I do for ya," She ushers the worried looking angel into her room, grateful for the interruption
"Ya ok luv, ya looks a bit panicky there," She says taking in her friend's appearance
"Well…I may have fucked up, just a little bit…." He says quietly
"What dya mean Gabe, what's happened, are ya in trouble?" She asks, feeling a little anxious herself now, she hoped Gabe wasn't getting into trouble for hanging out with her
"No, I'm not in trouble, I may have accidentally gotten someone else into trouble, totally by accident of course," He admits with an awkward smile
"What did ya do? Who's in trouble cozza ya?"
"Errrr, soz babes, you are," He tells her sadly
"What dya mean Gabe just tell me what's going on for fuck sake," She yells feeling annoyed that he isn't being clearer with her, it's not like Gabe to beat around the bush, if he has something to say he says it no matter what. this worries her, if Gabe is holding his tongue, it must be bad
"Right well a couple of months ago this rumour started about you, Lilith saw you in the corridor making out with this demon. She told everyone of course and everyone has been really pleased for you..." He pauses
"So? That's good then right. It were Vegeta she musta saw me with, what's that got to do wi ya fucking up?"
"Well I wasn't quite finished. Obviously, people know we are close so I got asked a lot of irritating questions, mostly I just said I didn't know anything but when Raziel asked me I… I kinda told him the truth,"
"You fucking what?" Lucy yells
"I didn't expect him to tell everyone, for Christ's sake he is the angel of secrets, I didn't think he would go around blabbing to every tom dick and harry that your new man is mortal, did I?"
"He told everyone?" Lucy's voice is no longer loud and angry, it has now become quiet and scared. Gabe just nods.
Vegeta senses that something I wrong, Lucy never sounds scared
"What's the problem?" He asks, wiping the wetness from his cheeks
"Azazel is absolutely fuming, he says both you and the mortal took him for a fool, Obviously Lucy, your dad isn't gonna hurt you but he wants Vegeta gone, for good," Gabe informs them
"So, it's settled," Vegeta smiles "Send me back to Kakarot, I'm not welcome here," He says, letting a tiny slither of hope enter his heart
"Nope, he doesn't want you sent back to the living, as I said Azazel is really angry, he wants you wiped from existence,"
"No! that's not gonna happen I'll fucking kill Azazel myself before I let him near Vegeta,"
"You can't kill Azazel you numpty, he would wipe the floor with you, just get over it, Lucy," Gabe says unapologetically. Lucy flairs her power, she is darker and stronger than Vegeta has ever felt her, she is burning hot, but the room is icy cold. Vegeta's teeth start to chatter, goose bumps make the hairs on his arms stand on end and he wraps his arms around himself. It's so cold. He does something unexpected even to him, he walks over to Lucy and puts his arms around her. The temperature raises a little and Lucy calms a bit. He knows he should hate her, she is a demon, nothing good about her, but he doesn't. he can understand her, and she him. she is willing to die to protect him, just as he would do the same for Goku. Love is a powerful thing, more powerful that any brute strength. You can be the strongest being in any universe, you fall in love you're weak as shit.
"It's ok, Lucy," He whispers in her ear "I don't mind being wiped. I wouldn't want you to fight a fight you can't win. I've already had to say goodbye to Kakarot, I can't say goodbye to you too,"
"No!" she repeats even more firmly, leaning into his embrace. This is what she has wanted the whole time. He came to her, he voluntarily walked over and hugged her, she can't lose him now she just can't. The thought of seeing him wiped is too much to bear, she needs to protect him, she will fight to the death if she must. She will get him out of hell, where he will be safe.
"Gabe, does they know where we are? Do they know Vegeta is here wi me?" She asks, speaking fast, a plan forming in her mind
"Yes, I believe so, they will probably be already on their way," He answers with a shrug "Better say your goodbyes,"
"Gabe if ya don't shut the fuck up, I'm gonna shove ya wings up ya asshole, alright?". Under any other circumstances Gabe would have argued back, told her he'd like to see her try but today he felt she probably wasn't making idle threats, Lucy meant business.
"right I'm gonna have ta take him somewhere else for now, until I can figure something out, let's go ta me office," She clicks her fingers but nothing happens, she tries again, still nothing
"What's going on?" She says puzzled
"Your power has been blocked, Lucy," Gabriel says, "you still have your strength but none of your magic. If you wanna get him out of here you're gonna have to walk him out the front door, and that aint gonna happen girl, Azazul will be waiting there for you, you may as well just give up," Gabe says, annoying Lucy more and more every second
"No, I'll neva give up. If I can't walk im out the front door, I'll walk im out the back door," She says smugly
"Hahahaha are you for real, you will never get him through all nine levels of hell to the other exit, you know better than I how much of a treacherous path that is,"
"Well I don't see I ave much of a choice coz a ya big mouth, I gotta get im outta hell somehow aint I," she yells
"And say by some miracle you manage it, what then? You can't give him any more life, your power is blocked, so you're just gonna throw a dead man into the world of the living, what's the point?"
Lucy's shoulders slump a little at Gabe's harsh words, he is right, with no power she can't make Vegeta alive, if she sends him to the world of the living he is a dead man, if she keeps him here he is wiped from existence, well, dead has to be better than gone, right?
"I'll worry about that when I get there," Lucy snaps
"Ha, well you won't have to worry about it then, you won't even make it to the fourth level alone," Gabe says smugly, it almost seems as though he is enjoying this, Lucy always knew he could be a bit of a dick but it hurts to see him treating her this way
"She won't have to do it alone," A different deeper voice speaks from behind them at the back of the large room.
Vegeta feels his dead heart beat inside him, that's a voice that could raise his spirits in the blackest of situations. He tries to keep his composure in front of the others but fails miserably as he takes his arms from around Lucy and flings himself unceremoniously at the other Saiyan, sobbing into his chest. Goku catches him with ease and holds him close, keeping both arms around his little prince as he addresses the other two occupants of the room
"I'll help you get him out of here, and once he's back with me I can give him life as well," Goku says
"I don't need ya help Kakafucker, I can get him out of ere without ya," Lucy hisses, feeling hurt to see the man she fought so hard to get wrapped in the arms of someone else
"Even if that were so, he would still be dead. Come on Lucy, wouldn't you rather see him alive and with me, than to have him not exist at all?" Goku asks, King Yemma filled him in on the whole situation before sending him here, the king had said as much as Vegeta could be an ass, he didn't want the guy erased, he had, after all saved the universe a few times.
Lucy looks heart broken, but reluctantly agrees
"Yeah," She sighs, "I fucking hate ya guts, but he's better off with ya," she says
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I fucking hate you too," Goku tells her with a grin
"It does actually, let's get him out of here, ya know this aint gonna be easy, right? There are gonna be demons all the way down, are ya sure ya are willing to fight a demon for im?"
"I'd fight the devil himself for Vegeta," Goku says confidently
"Oh, that's good to know coz ya may ave to,"