OH! I'm so excited, are ya'll excited? My first ever story here on ! YEEE~~! I really, really, really hope that you enjoy! Remember, I welcome all reviews and comments so long as they pertain to the story! Also, this is a rated M story for strong language, dark/violent themes, and "romantic" scenes later on! Hope that everyone enjoys and I can't wait to hear from you!

Undergrounders

Chapter 1

Gajeel allowed a groan to escape him as he eased into a booth at the run down and nearly empty bar that he had found on the way home. He had to admit that Salamander had given him a few good hits in today's match, but it still pissed him to no end that they had ended in a draw. Still, the money he had received from his half of the bets meant that he could pay his rent for a while and still have enough for food and such.

"M..My name is Levy. I'll be your waitress for this evening." The timid sound caused him to shoot a glance over at the most petite woman he had ever seen. Should he stand at his full height he doubted she would even reach his collar bone. Her voice wasn't the only timid thing about her either, she was keeping her brown gaze lowered on the pad in her hand, her blue hair being held back by an orange bandanna, and all the while she was nibbling on her bottom lip. Her shoulder hunched protectively, making her seem even smaller than she was.

He couldn't help but take a closer look at her, noticing the faint bruises around her pale wrists and throat. Irritation began to rise in him, causing him to shift and scan the bar again, only finding the cook glaring at them through the small window to the back.

"Is...Is there anything I can get you?" She asked, and he focused back on her, before giving a hum.

"I'll take a beer and the club special." He growled out, watching as she quickly jotted the order down before giving a quick bow and skittering away. Keeping his gaze on her, he watched as she carefully handed the paper to the cook, who ripped it from her grasp. The action caused her to flinch back before the cook hissed something and she moved to the beer taps. Tapping a finger on the table, he thought for only a second before shoving from the booth and stalking toward the bar.

Slamming his hands onto the worn smooth surface, he released a growl that had the woman spinning and staring at him with wide eyes as he glowered at the man through the small window, giving a menacing grin as he began to pale.

"I don't take kindly to men abusing women." He hissed, watching as the cook flinched back before his eyes flickered over to where the woman was, his gaze blocked by the wall, but knew without a doubt who he was talking about.

"I..I don't know.."

"Shut it." The snap was enough to have the cook sealing his lips into a tight line and giving a shaky nod before meeting his gaze again. Turning his head to the woman, he watched as she tensed, bringing her small hands up slightly, almost like that little bit would be enough to protect her.

"Do you need help getting away from this bastard?" His question was simple as he jerked his head toward the window, an obvious statement that he would help her should she ask. Her eyes remained on him for a moment, before flickering to the window. Out of the corner of his eyes, Gajeel could see the cook fuming at him, but knew that the man was smart enough to not try anything with him. It was obvious through looks alone that Gajeel would win in a fight between them.

"I..I think..."

"Damn Bitch! Tell him to get lost!" The snarl was out of the cook before he could even register his thoughts, and Gajeel slowly turned his head to fix a piercing glare on him. Apparently, he wasn't as smart as Gajeel thought he was. Slowly smiling, just enough to expose his sharp teeth, he watched with great satisfaction as the man went deathly pale and began to tremble.

"Wanna repeat that?" His voice was no more than a whisper, but the cook flinched as if Gajeel had shouted while throwing something at him. Shaking his head quickly before taking a step back from the window, hitting something as he stumbled and an object hit the ground with a loud clang.

"I wanna leave." The frantic plea had Gajeel straightening and giving a nod to the woman. Grabbing the portion of the bar that lifted to allow her out, and waited until she was safely behind him before glancing at the cook again.

"Cancel my order, I don't think I could stomach your food anyway." He remarked with a wave of his hand before leading the woman out of the bar. Noticing how she quivered before wrapping her arms around herself as the cool air greeted them.

"You need to grab anything from inside or..."

"N..No. I only have the clothes on my back." She admitted in a hushed tone, causing him to give a grunt. Well that explained why someone so timid looking was on this side of the streets. Yanking his leather jacket off, he draped it over her shoulders, ignoring her protest and merely placed a hand on top of hers when she went to remove the cloth. He met her confused, chocolate gaze with his own before dropping his hand and walking on ahead.

"I've been where yer at Shrimp. It's no fun, and it's better to accept the kindness that people offer. Is there anywhere I can drop you off or...?" He trailed off to freeze as he looked over his shoulder to see tears running down her face. His chest tightened while he mentally cursed himself. What had he said or done to make her cry!?

"O..Oi! What the hell's wrong now?" He bit out, not meaning to sound harsh, but he just didn't know how to deal with emotional women. A sniff from the bluenette caused him to focus as she wiped tears from her eyes and gave a watery smile.

"S..Sorry. I..It's just...It's just been a long time since anyone was kind to me. Thank you." She whimpered, all the while wearing that watery smile before lowering her head and covering her face with one her hands while pulling his leather jacket tighter to her with the other. Giving a sigh, Gajeel scratched the back of his head, and thoughtfully walked to where she had stopped and rested a hand on her shoulder again.

"If there's nowhere for you to go, I can help. It might not be an ideal place, but you'll be safe. And you'll be able to get a job without worrying about abuse or someone wanting anything in return." He muttered, waiting until she gave a nod before lowering his hand once more and stood beside her until she was ready to move. Keeping his large frame at an angle to stop the harsh wind from hitting her directly. Honestly, the orange blouse and leggings she wore weren't suited for the cold weathers around here.

"Thank you, again."

"Don't worry about it, Shrimp."

"Levy! My name is Levy!" She muttered, causing him to blink and smirk as he detected a bit of fight in her voice.

"Good on ya, names Gajeel. Now come on." He ushered, sliding his hand to her lower back to steer her toward his vehicle not far away. The least he could do was escort her to the group, and explain to Makarov about why he had helped. He knew without a doubt that the old man would welcome the woman with open arms, just like he had done with the rest of them. He just hoped that Levy didn't mind going deep into the streets just to be safe. Then again, it was probably best if she did, since she didn't seem like the type that could fight for herself given the situation. The Undergrounds would be better for her, although he had to question himself as to why he cared in the first place?

Levy snuggled into the leather jacket that was still wrapped around her shoulders, the old musky scent of the leather and the cologne that Gajeel used was oddly comforting. When she had first saw him enter the bar, she had been terrified. He was well over six feet, with a piercing ruby gaze, a mane of black hair, piercings all over the place, scars that spoke of violent fights, and just the fact that he was built like a mountain. He was someone that would terrify her should she meet him in a dark alley unexpectedly.

When he had been studying her in the bar, she was for sure that he was going to do something terrible. So, it had surprised her when he became pissed over the fact that the cook had been abusing her. He looked like he was just seconds away from jumping over the bar counter, yanking the cook through the window and pummeling him into the ground right then and there. So, when he had voiced that he would get her away from there, she had jumped at the opportunity. Now though, there were doubt nibbling at the edge of her mind, making her think that she might have jumped out of the frying pan and straight into the fire.

She had only been living on the streets for only a week, and Sawarr Junelle had been the only person hiring for a barista. Although, the abuse and creepy advances hadn't been expected, she had been cautious of him enough that she had managed to keep him far enough at bay so her innocence was still intact.

Glancing over at Gajeel, she studied his frame as he focused on the road as he drove to who knew where. She wanted to ask where they were going, but thought against it just in case he didn't like being distracted. She truly didn't want to find out if her savior could turn into another abuser, which was a possibility! Why the hell had she agreed to this!? Why the hell had she allowed her life to get to this point just because of her father!? Why...

"Oi! What's wrong?" The concerned filled voice caused her to blink through teary eyes and made her aware that she had tears dripping down her face. When...When had she started crying?

"S..Sorry. I..I just..." She found herself at a lost for words as she brought her wrist up to wipe away her tears. She had never been in this kind of situation before and honestly didn't know what to do. Hell, she didn't even know what was expected of her! Should she just be telling him to drop her off somewhere and just figure things out on her own? Or just ride it out and hope that she wasn't getting into something troublesome since she didn't have a clue who this man was, or where he was taking her?!

"Look...I can tell that something is on your mind. The only way I'm gonna be able to help ya is if you tell me what you need?" He growled out, looking uncomfortable at the prospect but still focusing on the road. Staring at him for a moment, she released a long breath and clenched her hands into fists before setting her determination.

"Where...Where exactly are we heading? How..How do I know I'm going to be safe? Why are you willing to help me, when...When all of this is my fault to begin with?" She got out, watching through blurry eyes as surprise registered on his face before he became thoughtful.

Her body tensed when he suddenly steered the car over, coming to a rest beside the curve before killing the engine and crossing his arms on top of the steering wheel. Leaning forward as he turned those sharp, ruby eyes on her before resting his cheek on his strong, scarred, pierced arms.

"We're heading to one of the Undergrounder hideouts; the one known as Fairy Tail. I'm a member and one of the top street fighters within it. You'll be safe because the old man would probably beat the living shit out of anyone who tried to hurt you, rather they be in the group or out of it. As for helping you...Like I said. I've been in your position before and it sucks. So, regardless of whose fault it is, which I doubt it really is yours but I'm not asking for your story just yet, just know that I'm not about to leave you high and dry in some dangerous place. I know I'm not the type of guy that looks to be trustworthy, but I'm not a complete cold hearted bastard." He growled out, keeping his gaze locked on her as she processed everything that he said.

He was a member of an Underground street fighting group! The same group that was resting on top as number one in the entire world! He was one of the top fighters...She studied him closer, her eyes widening as she recalled how she studied and memorized each and every member of each Underground group ever. The thick mane of black hair, red gaze, scars that told of countless matches, and piercings all over. He was none other than...

"Kurogane." The name was a bare whisper on her lips, but the surprised sound that emitted from him as well as the look on his face was enough to snap her out of her shock. Thinking fast, she twisted and threw open the door before bolting out of the car, ignoring his confused call and ran down the nearest alley. Her shoes pounding against the pavement as she ran, knowing that if he or anyone within Fairy Tail came to know about her, she would be far more than abused.

It was true that she had been raised on the other side of town. Had lived a fairly normal life, up until her father had introduced her to the world of the Underground tournaments and groups. Where they had come to learn that she could easily see someone and learn all of their tactics and moves from one fight alone, as well as see what potential they could reach with the right training and motivation. She had become a vital key in the group her father had been in, and they had treated her greatly...Until her father had passed and they tried to force her into his spot.

It was one thing to watch the matches and help create strategies to help the group win or come out on top. But to actually get in the ring and fight...She just couldn't do that. So, she had refused them, only to find that doing so brought her world to a crashing halt and threw her into an abyss filled with fear and constant danger. She hadn't known that telling the Phantom Lord leader no, would put her on a hit list that circled multiple Underground groups. She couldn't trust any of them, and she had actually given her name to one of the strongest members of the strongest group around. What the hell had she been thinking!?

"Levy!" Her heart jumped in her chest, causing her to pump her legs faster as she realized how close he had gotten. He was much faster than she had realized, especially for his build! There wasn't any doubt that he would catch her, but she didn't want to go without a fight.

"Oh ho ho ho! We were looking for you, woman!" The sound, along with two people suddenly appearing in her path, had her skidding to a halt and sliding a foot back before looking over her shoulder as Gajeel stopped not far behind her. Looking in front of her at the two men that had blocked her path. A confused look on his face, but also worry in his gaze.

"Run along, Kurogane. This woman has nothing to do with you." A tall, chicken looking man goaded, glaring at her as she shrunk back and debated her options. Neither of them was pleasing to her, since both of them meant that she would end up right back into the world that had destroyed her life.

"Now, Levy McGarden, there is someone who has been wanting to speak with you for a while now. He isn't pleased that you ran to begin with." The second man, who resembled a pig in her opinion, growled.

"McGarden?" The shocked whisper from Gajeel had her gritting her teeth as she braced herself and straightened.

"Tell him to go to hell! I'm not going back there!" She shouted, her trembling body giving away her fear about the whole ordeal. Wincing as they both took a step forward, but fought the urge to retreat since she knew that Gajeel was still behind her. She was caught, trapped, and both options would ruin her! There was nothing she could do!

"You know, he did say that if she needed to be roughed up he wouldn't mind." Chicken man laughed, causing her blood to freeze in her veins before she finally took a step back. Her eyes widening as they both jumped forward, only to run into a large, built wall of muscle that seemed to appear out of no where. Blinking her shock away, she stepped to the side so she would be out of the way should a fight start, but stilled as she saw the look in Gajeel's eyes. They spoke of a rage that she didn't even know a man could possess.

"I believe she said that the man could go to hell. So why don't you two just deliver the message before I send you there first." He growled, causing the fine hairs on her body to stand on end. At this moment, he looked less like a human and more like a feral beast.

Both men were trembling and paling in his grasp before giving quick nods. When he released them, they took off running down the alley, glaring at her over their shoulders before disappearing from sight. Levy watched them leave before whipping her head around to face Gajeel as his shadow suddenly loomed over her, annoyance and displeasure obvious in his scowl. She squeezed her eyes tight when he suddenly raised his hand, bracing for a hit.