Gajeel was in a bad mood. The last week had started out so promising, a fight or two with Salamander, and then he got to take down that drunk creep who was bugging Levy. Gajeel smiled slightly at the memory, Levy looked so excited to see him. And she had the whistle he had gotten her on her waist ever since. But other then that the week had been boring, every job he took was way to easy, and Salamander still hadn't gotten back from his job, so there has no one to fight. And now Levy and the rest of Shadow Gear had gone off on a week long job.
"God there is nothing to do around here!" Gajeel said walking out of the guild. "And where is Lily?"
Lily had been missing all morning. Growling Gajeel started wandering around town with his hands in his pockets.
"Nothing to do, Lily's gone missing, no one to fight."
He muttered. Gajeel sniffed the air, searching for someone, anyone who would fight him.
"No one. Not in the entire town."
Gajeel sighed.
"Something on your mind?"
Lily appeared around a corner.
"Where have you been cat!"
"Oh around. Anyway, you look down. Whats on your mind?"
"I'm bored. There's no one around to fight!"
"Is that the real reason your down?"
"Whats that supposed to mean cat!"
Lily laughed
"Is the reason you are down because there is no one to fight you, or because Shadow Gear is away for the week."
Gajeel glared at the exceed.
"Okay well maybe just a little."
"The feeling, is it back?"
"Yeah. Something...is...wrong."
Gajeel said absentmindedly.
"What?"
"I don't know! If I knew do you think I would be here!"
Lily laughed again.
"No I suppose not."
It was another day before things started to get exciting. Gajeel as siting at the bar talking with Lily,when Jet and Droy stumbled in to the room covered in bandages and blood. All was quiet for a second and then the guild exploded. Gajeel guessed it was a good thing that Natsu wasn't here, he would go ballistic. But the thought lasted lest then a second as he realized that Levy was not with the two.
"Jet! Droy! What happened."
Cried someone in the crowed.
"Levy...someone has to help...Levy..."
Jet managed to say before collapsing to the floor.
"In the eastern wood...bandits...help Levy."
Droy dropped next to Jet.
The guild went quite and exploded again.
"We've got to help Levy!"
"Who should go?"
"I'll go!"
"I'll take then on!"
Gajeel sighed and pushed his way through the crowed.
"The Eastern wood huh." Gajeel smiled devilishly, "Sounds like fun!"
Gajeel made to walk out the door, but Jet grabbed his leg.
"No, anyone...anyone but him."
Droy said. Gajeel looked down at Jet, who was still holding onto his leg.
"Look what ever you feel about me, are you really willing to risk the squirts life on it!"
Jet looked up at Gajeel and let go of Gajeels leg.
"If you hurt her. I will kill you."
Jet said before falling unconscious.
"You got it. Come on Lily."
Gajeel ran through the forest tracking Levy's scent as Lily few above the trees.
"Anything?"
Gajeels worry was starting to take over.
"There is smoke rising above the trees a bit to the north. But I can't be sure its the bandits."
"Well its a good as place as any to start."
Gajeel picked up the pace. He didn't want to think about what would happen if he got there to late.
As they got closer to where Lily said he saw the smoke. Gajeel picked up on Levy's scent along with the smell of blood and tears.
"It's them all right. If they have hurt her!"
"Well I hope for both the bandits and Levy sake that they have not."
They were still a small distance away when Gajeel heard it, the high pitched shriek from the whistle he had given Levy. Gajeel picked up the pace.
"You stupid bitch!" The sound of someone being punched rang through the air. "I told you not to try nothing!"
Gajeels anger mounted as he came in to the clearing. There were five bandits and the obvious leader of them was standing over Levy who was on the ground crying. She was curled into a ball. Gajeel heard Lily growl and he added his own growl to it.
"And who the hell are you. This ain't none of your business. So why don't you just..."
The bandit who had spoken never got the chance to finish his sentence as Gajeels fist plowed in to his nose with an audible crack.
~A few minutes before~
Levy couldn't believe her luck. First the drunk guy and now these guys. The only real difference is that Gajeel wasn't here to save her.
"Who need Gajeel to save me? I can take care of my self. I am a Fairy Tail wizard after all."
Levy thought as the leader of the five bandits rambled on and on about how they were "the most famous bandits around" and how "not even wizards could take them on." Levy tuned him out and began working on reaching the whistle that Gajeel had given her. She had realized that it was a safety whistle and if she blew on it anyone with in a three block radius would hear it. Also if she was lucky it would also take out the eardrums of the whoever was attacking her.
"He probably got it because if I'm attacked in Magnolia he could hear it no matter where he was in the city. Him or Natsu."
She thought as her fingers closed around the small whistle. She smiled inwardly at the thought of Gajeels note. She waited until the leaders back was turned to blow on the whistle. Well it was loud, but apparently not loud enough to keep the bandits away from her. The leader forced her to her feet only to punch her in the stomach. She fell to the ground as tears started to run down her face. To her left she heard rustling and then someone stopping in the clearing. One of the bandits was talking and was suddenly cut off. Levy heard a body hit the ground then another, She uncurled enough to she two of the bandits running at a man, who was blocked from her sight, with swords. She realized with a start that it was Gajeel, Gajeel HAD come to save her.
"Who the hell am I? I am the last face you will ever see."
Gajeel yelled as the swords came down and Gajeel blocked them with his arm.
"Those wont work on me!"'
Gajeel laughed and took out both bandits by knocking there heads together, Levy thought she heard a crack. Levy felt herself being pulled up and then there was a knife at her throat.
"Come any closer wizard, and girly dies."
Gajeel stood in front of them his chest rising and falling.
"He ran here from the city?"
The thought forced its way through Levy's fear.
"That's right wizard. You may have beaten my men, but I have a hostage. You wont attack me not while I have this girl and this knife."
"Your right."
Gajeel said through gritted teeth.
"I knew it!"
"I wont attack you. He on the other hand will."
Gajeel pointed to behind them and the bandit turned only to be forced away from Levy by a giant black figure.
"What the hell!"
Levy dropped to the ground as she watched Gajeel and Lily fight the leader of the bandits. The way that the two moved together made it seem as if they had been partners for much longer then they had.
"Lily I got this. Get to Levy."
"That's the second time hes called me Levy."
Levy thought as Lily nodded and ran to her.
"Are you alright?"
Lily asked working at the ropes. Levy nodded. The ropes came of the same second that Gajeel dispatched the last bandit.
~Back a bit~
Getting rid of the leader of the bandits was to easy. Gajeel just waited until he got a little to cocky and then he punched him.
"Still no one good to fight."
He thought as the bandit fell to the ground. He turned to see Lily had gotten the ropes off Levy. He sighed and tries to keep the smile off his face, which he failed spectacularly at that.
"Are you alright?"
Levy was silent.
"Levy are you alright?"
Tears formed in Levy's eyes and she launched herself at Gajeel. When she reached him she wrapped her arms around him and cried. Gajeel was instantly uncomfortable, he had never been good with this sort of thing. He looked at Lily, who was smirking with a single eyebrow raised. Gajeel put his arms around Levy uncertainly and Lily nodded slightly.
"It's alright Levy." Gajeel said quietly. "It's okay. Your safe. Its alright." As he said this he tightened his embrace. "You're alright."
He breathed in Levy's ears, and he felt her relax.