CHAPTER 23 – By Jingoes!
Something within HFIL's Entrance Hall exploded, causing its front doors to rattle on their hinges. Smoke seeped out around the huge doors. Suddenly, they burst opened and hundreds of fluffy white puffs raced down the stairs. They fanned out as they went, going in every direction. Jeice walked out and stood at the top of the steps. In his hand he held one of the puffs who was scorched all over. It whimpered something and Jeice looked at it with furrowed eyes. "What's that? You feel like a toasted marshmallow? You're lucky I didn't incinerate your clacker." Then he glared at a group of lingering souls and yelled, "Hey, hey, off with you, ya buggers, or you'll all be toasted marshmallows!" He threw the soul at the rest and they scattered out of sight. Then mumbling to himself, "Whatever the HFIL that is." Shaking his head, Jeice turned to face Goz who came up behind him. "Hey mate! That took care of them. Damn Losers. You'd think they would just accept their fate and just be done with it."
"Hahaha, ahh, Jeice. Don't you remember the day you came here? You weren't much better." Goz walked over to Jeice and put an arm on his shoulder and headed them both down the stairs.
"Aye, but you got no whining from me!"
"Oh yeah, you were all pee and vinegar." Goz grew silent in thought. Letting go of Jeice he sat down on the steps. Jeice did the same. "Man, you've come a long way, Jeice. You're alright, dude. It's a shame you're stuck here."
Jeice's head fell. "I know I can't erase the past. But--" Then he devilishly looked over at the blue ogre with a huge smile. "I had really beaut times while I was living." Then they both laughed.
Goz could only imagine as he slapped the white haired, red skinned man on the back. "That's it dude, always looking up!"
Jeice straightened and looked over the blue ogre to see Mez racing around the corner of building. "Good'ay mate!"
Mez stopped at the bottom of the stairs and bent over to catch his breath. Goz stood up and stepped down to stand in front of him. Resting his hands on his hips, he attempted to get answers. "Mez, where's that Veggie fellow? Don't tell me you lost him? King Yama has an all points bulletin out on the guy."
"We (heaving) got trouble, Goz." Mez swallowed and stood up. "Man, I could (taking a deep breath) I could use a drink."
"Hold on, mate. Got one on the way." Jeice dashed inside and returned, gingerly holding a thermos. Standing next to Goz, his eyes never left the flask as he unconsciously licked his lips. Jeice hesitated before handing it over to the red ogre. "Man, I can't remember the last time something past my lips."
Mez's eyes narrowed as he slowly pulled the thermos away. "You know the rules, Jeice." "Yeah, sure." Jeice watched longingly as Mez tilted his head back and took long gulps from the thermos.
"Ah, much better!" Mez wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and smiled, then squinted as he looked into the empty flask. "I don't know what we'd do without this stuff."
Goz grabbed the thermos from Mez, "Would you mind filling us in!"
Mez meekly looked at Goz as he handed him the top to the flask. "Oh yeah, sorry. That guy flew off to fight with the big green bug dude. You know the winged one."
While setting down the thermos, "So what, those losers are fighting all the time."
"Goz, I'm getting to that. After the guy had his viewing, he vowed to the Gods to kill some Majin Buu fellow. Then the bug dude shows up and they start arguing --"
"So?"
"Let me finish will ya? Anyway, the bug tells, what's his name--"
Jeice interjected, "Vegeta."
"Yeah, tells Vegeta he can't go kill Majin Buu, cause they're suppose to take over the Afterworlds."
"What?!" Goz and Jeice shouted at the same time.
"Yeah! So the bug dude--"
"Cell, Mez, Cell!"
"Alright, Jeice! Cell and Vegeta decide to have a fighting contest. If Cell wins, Vegeta will stay."
"And if Vegeta wins?" The three looked around to see who spoke.
Jeice spotted her first and his face lit up. "By jingoes, it's a Sheila!" There was Sen, crouched on the roof of the Entrance Hall. She was the first female body he's seen since he had died.
Goz took a step in front of Jeice, pushing him back as he did so. "Hey! What are you doing up there? Get down here this instant!"
Sen stood up and floated down to the top of steps. Mez rolled his eyes, "Another flyboy."
From the corner of his mouth, Goz said quietly, "She's a girl, Mez, flygirl."
Sen began to walk down the stairs. "Vegeta will win. My question is what is he going to do?" "Uh, I'm not sure. It --"
"Mez! Shut-up will you? We don't know who this loser is." Goz studied the newcomer. "You're not from around here. Who and what are you doing here?"
Mez leaned over to Goz and asked in a hushed voice, "Geez Goz, you think she's another drop-in?"
Goz kept his eye on her, saying as a matter-of-factly, "I know she is."
When Sen reached the third to last step, she stopped. This way she was able to remain eye level with the two ogres. "I'm Sen. I've come for the Saiyan Prince."
Jeice shook his fascination for the female and angrily poked at Goz's back. "Hey! Does that mean Vegeta can leave?!"
Over his shoulder, Goz growled, "Grr—it means nothing!" He continued to glare at the unwelcome visitor. Trouble was brewing and he wasn't sure how they were going to control it. "Whoever you are, this is none of your business. My orders have no mention of you."
Mez leaned over to Goz again and quietly asked, "What orders, Goz?"
Jeice leaned over the other ogre's shoulder. "Yeah Mate, what orders?"
"None of your business!"
Mez put his hands on his hips and yelled at Goz. "What do you mean none of my business?!"
Goz faced Mez with the same stance. "Not you!"
Jeice shook his fist at the two ogres. "Crikeys, you two, tell me what the HFIL is going on before I beat it out of somebody!"
"I will tell you." Jeice and the others turned their attention back to Sen. Her annoyance showed as she crossed her arms. Jeice studied her more closely. "King Yama is thinking of sending the bastard back to the living to help fight a monster that is threatening the Universe." She glared at Goz. "But it seems that all the King's men are having a hard time keeping track of the asshole."
Jeice stepped aside from behind the big blue ogre. "No love loss between you and the Prince, aye Saiyan?" There was no mistaken the woman's race. The furry tail wrapped around her mid-section confirmed Jeice's assumption.
Smirking, Sen stepped down and tried to get closer to Jeice but was stopped by Goz, who raised an arm between the two. Looking down, Goz tried to warn her, "You'd best get yourself up those stairs missy. This is no place for you. We'll find Vegeta and we will all do what King Yama asks."
Sen wasn't paying attention; she was feeling out Jeice's power level. She had felt his ki before and her past flashed in her mind. Her grin widen when it came to her. "So, Ginyu, how does it feel to be upstaged by a Saiyan monkey? Here you are condemned to suffer for all of eternity and your once cohort turned adversary, is offered a chance to return to the living." Sen turned and started to walk back up the steps. Throwing her arms up in the air in an open gesture, and called over her shoulder, "Think of it, Prince Vegeta will be free again to roam the Universe, while you're stuck here paying for the same horrific sins---for all eternity." Then she looked back to see Jeice's expression on his face. "Kind of makes your skin craw doesn't it?"
"Grr...I won't be the only one lost to oblivion!" Jeice shoved Goz aside and leaped forward. Just as he was about to reach Sen, she put two fingers to her forehead and disappeared.
Jeice slammed his foot down and broke the stone step. He yelled out in frustration, "Come back here you f**king bitch!"
Goz and Mez looked at each other and simultaneously voiced, "We got to find him fast!" Mez continued. "But I don't know where he went."
"I know where. That soul was here before. My guess he's gone to familiar ground. Remember Mez, this isn't the first time we had to find this one."
Mez thought a moment then his face lit up. "Bluefire Gorge!"
Jeice's back remained facing the two ogres below. He did not wish to reveal his resentment and anger that burned within. "I know the place."
"Jeice, can you go get Vegeta?"
"Why Goz? So he can return to the living?"
"I don't know Jeice. I only know that King Yama is looking for him."
"Humph, we'll find him alright." Jeice faced Goz and Mez; his hard cold eyes stared past them. "You can count on it!" He crouched and pushed off; taking to the air, leaving a swirl of dust that engulfed the ogres.
Coughing, Mez and Goz swatted back and forth to clear the air in front of their faces. "What – (cough) now, Goz?"
"First we get (cough) some answers then we go to Bluefire Gorge."
Mez stopped waving after the dust settled. "Aah, I'm pooped. Let's just wait here until Jeice brings him back.
"I don't think it's going to happen, Mez. All HFIL is about to break loose- -" Goz sighed and added a drawn out, "again."
Something within HFIL's Entrance Hall exploded, causing its front doors to rattle on their hinges. Smoke seeped out around the huge doors. Suddenly, they burst opened and hundreds of fluffy white puffs raced down the stairs. They fanned out as they went, going in every direction. Jeice walked out and stood at the top of the steps. In his hand he held one of the puffs who was scorched all over. It whimpered something and Jeice looked at it with furrowed eyes. "What's that? You feel like a toasted marshmallow? You're lucky I didn't incinerate your clacker." Then he glared at a group of lingering souls and yelled, "Hey, hey, off with you, ya buggers, or you'll all be toasted marshmallows!" He threw the soul at the rest and they scattered out of sight. Then mumbling to himself, "Whatever the HFIL that is." Shaking his head, Jeice turned to face Goz who came up behind him. "Hey mate! That took care of them. Damn Losers. You'd think they would just accept their fate and just be done with it."
"Hahaha, ahh, Jeice. Don't you remember the day you came here? You weren't much better." Goz walked over to Jeice and put an arm on his shoulder and headed them both down the stairs.
"Aye, but you got no whining from me!"
"Oh yeah, you were all pee and vinegar." Goz grew silent in thought. Letting go of Jeice he sat down on the steps. Jeice did the same. "Man, you've come a long way, Jeice. You're alright, dude. It's a shame you're stuck here."
Jeice's head fell. "I know I can't erase the past. But--" Then he devilishly looked over at the blue ogre with a huge smile. "I had really beaut times while I was living." Then they both laughed.
Goz could only imagine as he slapped the white haired, red skinned man on the back. "That's it dude, always looking up!"
Jeice straightened and looked over the blue ogre to see Mez racing around the corner of building. "Good'ay mate!"
Mez stopped at the bottom of the stairs and bent over to catch his breath. Goz stood up and stepped down to stand in front of him. Resting his hands on his hips, he attempted to get answers. "Mez, where's that Veggie fellow? Don't tell me you lost him? King Yama has an all points bulletin out on the guy."
"We (heaving) got trouble, Goz." Mez swallowed and stood up. "Man, I could (taking a deep breath) I could use a drink."
"Hold on, mate. Got one on the way." Jeice dashed inside and returned, gingerly holding a thermos. Standing next to Goz, his eyes never left the flask as he unconsciously licked his lips. Jeice hesitated before handing it over to the red ogre. "Man, I can't remember the last time something past my lips."
Mez's eyes narrowed as he slowly pulled the thermos away. "You know the rules, Jeice." "Yeah, sure." Jeice watched longingly as Mez tilted his head back and took long gulps from the thermos.
"Ah, much better!" Mez wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and smiled, then squinted as he looked into the empty flask. "I don't know what we'd do without this stuff."
Goz grabbed the thermos from Mez, "Would you mind filling us in!"
Mez meekly looked at Goz as he handed him the top to the flask. "Oh yeah, sorry. That guy flew off to fight with the big green bug dude. You know the winged one."
While setting down the thermos, "So what, those losers are fighting all the time."
"Goz, I'm getting to that. After the guy had his viewing, he vowed to the Gods to kill some Majin Buu fellow. Then the bug dude shows up and they start arguing --"
"So?"
"Let me finish will ya? Anyway, the bug tells, what's his name--"
Jeice interjected, "Vegeta."
"Yeah, tells Vegeta he can't go kill Majin Buu, cause they're suppose to take over the Afterworlds."
"What?!" Goz and Jeice shouted at the same time.
"Yeah! So the bug dude--"
"Cell, Mez, Cell!"
"Alright, Jeice! Cell and Vegeta decide to have a fighting contest. If Cell wins, Vegeta will stay."
"And if Vegeta wins?" The three looked around to see who spoke.
Jeice spotted her first and his face lit up. "By jingoes, it's a Sheila!" There was Sen, crouched on the roof of the Entrance Hall. She was the first female body he's seen since he had died.
Goz took a step in front of Jeice, pushing him back as he did so. "Hey! What are you doing up there? Get down here this instant!"
Sen stood up and floated down to the top of steps. Mez rolled his eyes, "Another flyboy."
From the corner of his mouth, Goz said quietly, "She's a girl, Mez, flygirl."
Sen began to walk down the stairs. "Vegeta will win. My question is what is he going to do?" "Uh, I'm not sure. It --"
"Mez! Shut-up will you? We don't know who this loser is." Goz studied the newcomer. "You're not from around here. Who and what are you doing here?"
Mez leaned over to Goz and asked in a hushed voice, "Geez Goz, you think she's another drop-in?"
Goz kept his eye on her, saying as a matter-of-factly, "I know she is."
When Sen reached the third to last step, she stopped. This way she was able to remain eye level with the two ogres. "I'm Sen. I've come for the Saiyan Prince."
Jeice shook his fascination for the female and angrily poked at Goz's back. "Hey! Does that mean Vegeta can leave?!"
Over his shoulder, Goz growled, "Grr—it means nothing!" He continued to glare at the unwelcome visitor. Trouble was brewing and he wasn't sure how they were going to control it. "Whoever you are, this is none of your business. My orders have no mention of you."
Mez leaned over to Goz again and quietly asked, "What orders, Goz?"
Jeice leaned over the other ogre's shoulder. "Yeah Mate, what orders?"
"None of your business!"
Mez put his hands on his hips and yelled at Goz. "What do you mean none of my business?!"
Goz faced Mez with the same stance. "Not you!"
Jeice shook his fist at the two ogres. "Crikeys, you two, tell me what the HFIL is going on before I beat it out of somebody!"
"I will tell you." Jeice and the others turned their attention back to Sen. Her annoyance showed as she crossed her arms. Jeice studied her more closely. "King Yama is thinking of sending the bastard back to the living to help fight a monster that is threatening the Universe." She glared at Goz. "But it seems that all the King's men are having a hard time keeping track of the asshole."
Jeice stepped aside from behind the big blue ogre. "No love loss between you and the Prince, aye Saiyan?" There was no mistaken the woman's race. The furry tail wrapped around her mid-section confirmed Jeice's assumption.
Smirking, Sen stepped down and tried to get closer to Jeice but was stopped by Goz, who raised an arm between the two. Looking down, Goz tried to warn her, "You'd best get yourself up those stairs missy. This is no place for you. We'll find Vegeta and we will all do what King Yama asks."
Sen wasn't paying attention; she was feeling out Jeice's power level. She had felt his ki before and her past flashed in her mind. Her grin widen when it came to her. "So, Ginyu, how does it feel to be upstaged by a Saiyan monkey? Here you are condemned to suffer for all of eternity and your once cohort turned adversary, is offered a chance to return to the living." Sen turned and started to walk back up the steps. Throwing her arms up in the air in an open gesture, and called over her shoulder, "Think of it, Prince Vegeta will be free again to roam the Universe, while you're stuck here paying for the same horrific sins---for all eternity." Then she looked back to see Jeice's expression on his face. "Kind of makes your skin craw doesn't it?"
"Grr...I won't be the only one lost to oblivion!" Jeice shoved Goz aside and leaped forward. Just as he was about to reach Sen, she put two fingers to her forehead and disappeared.
Jeice slammed his foot down and broke the stone step. He yelled out in frustration, "Come back here you f**king bitch!"
Goz and Mez looked at each other and simultaneously voiced, "We got to find him fast!" Mez continued. "But I don't know where he went."
"I know where. That soul was here before. My guess he's gone to familiar ground. Remember Mez, this isn't the first time we had to find this one."
Mez thought a moment then his face lit up. "Bluefire Gorge!"
Jeice's back remained facing the two ogres below. He did not wish to reveal his resentment and anger that burned within. "I know the place."
"Jeice, can you go get Vegeta?"
"Why Goz? So he can return to the living?"
"I don't know Jeice. I only know that King Yama is looking for him."
"Humph, we'll find him alright." Jeice faced Goz and Mez; his hard cold eyes stared past them. "You can count on it!" He crouched and pushed off; taking to the air, leaving a swirl of dust that engulfed the ogres.
Coughing, Mez and Goz swatted back and forth to clear the air in front of their faces. "What – (cough) now, Goz?"
"First we get (cough) some answers then we go to Bluefire Gorge."
Mez stopped waving after the dust settled. "Aah, I'm pooped. Let's just wait here until Jeice brings him back.
"I don't think it's going to happen, Mez. All HFIL is about to break loose- -" Goz sighed and added a drawn out, "again."