~~Young~~

Chapter Twenty

   “I found the one I want,” Gage shouted to Greed as he stared at Lizzy. She was mentally struggling with something. He could see it in her eyes, some part of her mind was sparking with recognition.

   Greed appeared behind him and made a sound of approval, “Alright….” he held his hand out to Lizzy to identify her. That confused gaze went to Greed for just a moment before it returned to Gage…oh that wasn’t good, “Elizabeth Wendy Pruett, got her. Hey, she’s a sacrificial suicide, you do know how to pick them don’t you?”

   “Guess so. And hey, thanks for your help brother, I owe you one.”

   “You sure do, I’ll catch up with you later for it too. I’m thinking…” he rubbed his fingers over his chin and looked up thoughtfully, “A gilded canopy bed, no, a solid gold Jacuzzi. Ooo yeah, I miss those.”

   “I think a solid gold anything is beyond even my means,” Gage had started to laugh, but a familiar figure was just being placed in the chamber, a very average if not familiar figure, “but we can hash out the details later,” he finished as he scooped Lizzy into his arms.

   “True, true, good luck with the boss,” he saluted Gage.

   Gage barely acknowledged him as he took off through the door.

   “Where are we going?” Lizzy asked dreamily.

   “Ah…someplace more…private.”

   He didn’t think he could trust her with the truth. That they were heading to Lucifer’s bedchamber so he could steal the bottle of holy water in his trophy case. A suicide was still murder, still meant it was a conscious taking of a life even if it was her own and Gage couldn’t send Lizzy to Heaven without washing that sin from her. And the holy water in Lucifer’s bedchamber was about the only thing that could do such a thing. It wasn’t blessed by the priests of earth, but by God himself. It was poured from the Holy Grail, the cup of life itself and inside that crystal bottle were the lasts drops in existence.

   Yeah, there were probably some other souls God would rather use it on then some mortal girl not responsible for any of the miracles those of sainthood had achieved. But as Gage loved to say, fuck him. To Gage, Lizzy was just as important. Because of what she did she saved Sera, essentially trading her life Sera’s. No one was more worthy of redemption in his eyes then her. She was just another name added to the list of those he was grateful to, and this was how he would repay her.

   Of course none of that mattered if he couldn’t get by the Sadist Twins guarding the doors to Lucifer’s palace. Oh, and let’s not forget about Lucifer himself. Lucifer’s bedchamber was the only one Gage couldn’t transport from, and from what he was told, if he was ever in God’s personal space he wouldn’t be able to get away either. He didn’t quite understand it because he had been around other deities and had no trouble, but it’s not like he had ever been bothered enough by it to ask either. Now? Yeah, he was wishing he had gotten some specifics on that.

   Gage had a few vague ideas of how he could get by him, most involving bodily harm which would make his return to earth a little harder, but Lucifer loved suicides. They were as innocent as was legal in Hell. He was trying to remember the last time Lucifer took a dip in the liquid ice lakes, that was the only time he left his palace and maybe just maybe-

   Gage’s body snapped back as something grabbed hard onto Lizzy, tearing her from his arms. She cried out in pain- the liveliest sound he had heard her make yet- as he followed that bony hand that was dug into her hair, gripping it so hard just one quick movement and Lizzy would have an unfortunate bald spot.

   “Stay still,” Gage warned her before sneering at Pestilence, “and what the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

   “Removing the competition,” she matched his tone.