Levy wrung her hands together as anxious tension made her stomach turn into an endless rope of knots. The reality was that she was completely abashed as she stood in front of the angry sloping doors that led into Phantom Lord. She was absolutely alone and being in the shadow of the enemy guildhall made her all the more aware of it. Her heart was pounding incessantly and she could only barely quell the shaking in her limbs.

What was she even doing here?

She clenched her fists, taking a deep, steadying breath. Phantom Lord had kidnapped Lucy. It had been almost a week now with no sign and Phantom Lord was clearly not going to relent unless Fairy Tail wanted to go to war. Makarov refused to involve the guild in something that could cause so much harm to all of his children. Instead, he devised a plan to infiltrate and find Lucy. Then, after becoming privy to her whereabouts, he would launch a rescue mission and decimate anyone who stood in their way.

But first they had to find her.

That was where Levy came in. The more powerful members of their guild were too well known to be able to sneak in to Phantom Lord's ranks undetected. They needed someone who could stand their ground in a fight but also who had a low enough profile to slip under Jose's radar. Honestly, there were so many people at the guild who could have stepped up to the challenge. But where Levy lacked skill in hand to hand, she was a master of the mind and well versed in the cultures of the area. She should be able to talk her way out of anything sketchy and piece together this mystery faster than anyone else.

And on top of that, Lucy was her friend. If there were any way she could help her, she would do it wholeheartedly.

She steeled herself as much as she could before pulling open the heavy oak doors and stepping inside. Immediately upon entering she was met with shaded glares and prying glances. She casually walked up to the bar, pretending not the see the looks being thrown her way. She didn't belong here and it was clear everyone in the room believed this to be true as well. She sat down by herself and the bar tender barely gave her so much as a snuff before returning to his conversation with a man with purple sunglasses in front of him.

Levy was completely at a loss, deciding that instead of causing waves she'd wait patiently to be served. If she wanted any information at all, making enemies with the bartender – a person in constant contact with all members of the guild – was not a good way to start. After about twenty minutes of him clearly trying to ignore her presence, he finally rolled his eyes and left his conversation.

"Alright, girl," he pulled out a rag from under the counter and started wiping down a mug, "What do you want?"

It took everything in her not to issue the rude man one of her happy-go-lucky smiles. She looked up at him with large brown eyes, keeping a stoic expression on her face when she spoke.

"My name is Levy McGarden-"

"I don't care about your name. What do ya want."

"I wanted to join."

"Join?" his lip curled at the corner, his white teeth gleaming at her. She took the time to notice his facial features as his mood went from annoyed to amused. He was a dark complexioned man, with long black dreads that tumbled around his shoulders. A faint scar marred the side of his face, trailing from his cheek to his neck. She wasn't sure how long the scar was as it disappeared under his high collared shirt. He looked her up and down, "Join what?"

Levy crossed her arms, already irritated by the tone of voice he was using. It was as if he were talking to a child, "Phantom Lord."

He laughed heartily, his chest shaking with the genuine humor making his body shake, "Listen, sweetheart, this ain't no girl scout club. This obviously ain't a place for you. So why don't you just go back home to yer mama and tell her sorry for running away-"

Levy was about to object when the man with purple glasses perked up. He smiled keenly and slid over to where Levy was standing and put an arm around her shoulders, "Hey now, there Hajime, we don't want to scare off potential guild members!"

Hajime grunted and frowned at the dark skinned man who was uncomfortably close to Levy. She could smell the sweat off of him mixed with alcohol. He didn't seem drunk, but he'd definitely been drinking.

"Besides, it's not very often we get such pretty company here!" he dropped his voice a little, giving Levy a suggestive look over his reflective glasses, "What do I get if I get you in, sweetheart?"

Levy felt heat rise to her cheeks. If this were Fairy Tail she'd sheepishly decline and hide behind Mirajane. But this wasn't home and she was critically without help. Her stomach clenched as she whipped her hand around and made contact with his cheek as hard as she could. The resounding smack seemed to echo off every surface in the bar. Critical eyes turned into astounded and intrigued smiles as all attention was turned towards whatever raucous was happening at the bar.

It took everything in her to quell the apology on her lips and stay silent and stern.

"Heh, looks like you got more than you bargained for Boze," Hajime grinned, dark eyes studying the tiny girl.

Boze caressed his cheek thoughtfully before jumping back and issuing forth a barrage of sound towards Levy. Music notes careened towards her and it she just barely had enough time to call forth a shield to protect herself. The sound made it hard her her to concentrate but her shield held true, keeping her safe from the offensive attack. He ran towards her, ready to issue another command but Levy was a step ahead. She rotated on her heel and pushed him off balance, landing him face-first into the bar.

"Solid Script: Cuffs!" she yelled, summoning metal bonds and attaching them to the bar, leaving the disoriented man to dangle with blood gushing from his nose. She was breathless, adrenaline making her want to run out the doors and far away from this awful place. She crossed her arms and leaned over Boze, derision in her tone, "Maybe this isn't the place for me."

She went to turn on her heel when Hajime reached out and stopped her, a strong hand gripping onto her shoulder, "Not so fast, sweetheart. What did ya say your name was again?"

She looked at him warily, "Levy McGarden."

He snorted and shook his head before letting her go, "If you let this sorry asswipe off of my bar, I might have a deal for ya."

"Like what?" she crooked an eyebrow up at him. Somehow he seemed even taller.

"Listen, we don't just add members here willy-nilly. You got some guts, even if you do dress like a fairy. Now, I can't get you anything VIP with a stunt like that, but I can get you a position."

"A position? Doing what?"

"I've been needing a lot of help around the bar, see? If you don't mind long hours, it's decent pay so you don't have to go on missions. If you don't already have a place, the guild supplies dorms. I hear we've recently had a vacancy too."

He smirked when he mentioned the vacancy but Levy couldn't begin to think of why. Despite her better judgment, she let a genuine smile spread across her face. Hajime seemed taken back for a second and then smiled back down at her. He reached out his hand to her and she took it, shaking it firmly.

"Alright then, you start tomorrow morning. 5 a.m. sharp,"

The dorms, she soon realized, were co-ed unlike Fairy Tail's who were strictly segregated. She found it odd to walk down a hallway full of so many smells. From some doors she could smell perfumes, cologne, delicious smells that made her stomach growl as well as scents that made her wrinkle her nose. She was on the second story, room number 216. She sighed when she realized she wasn't on the end of the hallway, but squished between two apartments. She quietly prayed that her neighbors were either quiet or frequently went on missions and so never home.

As she passed 214 she immediately noticed something odd about the next door. It wasn't solid wood like the others down the halls she'd gone through. She could see the glimmer of silver and it looked like it had been reinforced with several locks. She slowed as she passed it, noticing a slot in the wall that could be removed for eyes to look out of. She counted three deadbolts almost in the fashion of a heavy-duty safe. There didn't seem to be a way to unlock the door from the outside, which meant it had to be on the inside.

Maybe her neighbor was extremely paranoid? Or possibly just really enjoyed privacy?

She quickly allayed her curiosity when she heard heavy bolts clicking out of place. She pulled her keys out at the ready, taking her time undoing the lock to her apartment so she could glimpse whoever was about to emerge from the strange metal door. The door swung open heavily, though not making a noise despite the strong hinges grinding against each other. The man who stepped out was of the likes she didn't think she'd ever seen before. He was all rippling muscle and scars marred his tanned skin. Long black locks spilled in a messy heap down his back. What really got her attention, though, were the glittering silver piercings that adorned his muscled physique.

They studded up his forearms and either side of his nose, replaced his eyebrows and several of them gilded his ears. His leather coat and red gloves were studded with the metal bits as well, and large black feathers stretched from his shoulder. He altogether looked fearsome, and he walked with an air of authority and malice about him. When the door shut behind him, she once again heard the mechanized locks ticking as they shut. She realized that he must have manipulated them, probably with magic.

She opened her door and took her pack off her shoulders, trying to pretend not to feel him pass her. His dark aura barreled down on her as he strode past, his footfalls longer than two of her own. She felt his footsteps through the floor and her heart suddenly started beating in her chest when she heard him stop. She didn't know why she was suddenly terrified, but somehow she just knew she could feel critical eyes boring into her back. She shut the door in a hurry, her blood singing so loudly in her ears that it almost made her see red.

She stayed like that, standing completely still in silence, not knowing what she was waiting for. It wasn't until she heard heavy footsteps continuing down the hall that she realized she had been holding her breath.

That man was the most terrifying man she'd ever met in her life.

She made a mental note to figure out his identity before she saw him again.