Brain and Brawn

Chapter Nine: Even Best Friends Fight

Back at the hotel Gajeel sat on the bed while Levy paced the room. Her brow was furrowed together and her hand covered her mouth.
    
"Would ya sit down Shrimp you're making me nervous?" Gajeel insisted. "What are you so worked up about anyway?"
    
Levy stopped pacing, sighed, and laid across the foot of the bed right next to Gajeel. "This job just got a whole lot more dangerous now that I know these bandits want to kill me, not just chase me off."
    
Gajeel copied Levy and laid across the bed next to her and put his arms behind his head. "Well there's only three of them now, assuming old man Viktor was right and there's only four total members," he sighed. "But still that one guy has killed thirteen people and there's no way he's was the strongest one."
    
Next to him Levy groaned and ran her hands down her face in frustration. "I'm sure he wasn't but he did quite the number on you Gajeel."
    
"That's only because he was playing dirty," Gajeel growled. "I could've taken him down much easier if he didn't hide and just came out and fought me."
    
Levy was about to ask him what he meant when Lily came storming in and grabbed Gajeel by the arm. "Sorry Levy," he said as he began dragging the struggling iron dragon slayer out the door, "but I need to borrow your body guard for a minute." He dragged Gajeel down the hall, down the stairs, and tossed him out of the emergency exit.
    
"What the hell is this all about Lily?" Gajeel yelled as he stood up from the dirt.
    
Lily crossed his arms. "I figured out what old man Viktor told you," he said.
    
"Oh yeah and what's it to you?" Gajeel mocked.
    
"To me it means nothing but to her," he pointed up towards their room window, "to her it would mean a lot."
    
Gajeel glared at his Exceed friend. "I already told ya I'm not here to pull a move on her I'm hear to protect her."
    
"Yeah and that's why you need to tell her!" Lily yelled in frustration. "'A man with something to fight for is a man to fear.' Isn't that what the old man told you? Well she's that something you fight for."

Gajeel looked away from Lily. "She doesn't want to be with me."

Lily cleared the distance between them and punched Gajeel in the jaw, sending the dragon slayer flying backwards. "How do you know that for certain, huh?"

Gajeel growled, rubbed his jaw, and slammed an iron club into his partners gut. "I told ya she can do better."

Lily drew his sword. His partners stubbornness was driving the black cat crazy. He needed to forgive himself for what he did and words weren't going to get through those iron scales but maybe a few good hits would.

"She already forgave you!" Lily shouted over the sound of clashing metal as his sword slammed into Gajeel's sword arm. "She knew you were shrouded in darkness and she forgave you for the sins you committed against her."
    
Gajeel jumped back to dodge a swing by Lily. "How do you know about that?"
    
"Levy told me yesterday," Lily said. "I know what you did Gajeel and while it was a heinous act that man you were then isn't who you are now."
    
Gajeel snarled, charged at the Exceed, and slammed into him, knocking him over. "I know she forgave me but she shouldn't have. How can you forgive someone who does something like that?" He picked Lily up and slammed him into the wall of the hotel. "I broke her Lily," the black Exceed was shocked to find his partners voice shaking. "Every time I think I can get past it the images flash in my head again and I remember that I don't deserve her."

Lily gently grabbed Gajeel's arms and slowly removed them from himself. "You are a different man now Gajeel. Don't let your past haunt you any longer."
    
Gajeel hung his head and slammed his fist into the wall. "I don't know how to forgive myself."
    
"You want her right?" Lily asked.
    
Gajeel nodded. "I don't think I've wanted something this much in my life."
    
"Then why don't you go up there and talk to her about it Gajeel," Lily suggested. "You might be surprised what the outcome will be." He didn't want to tell his friend that he knew Levy wanted him too. That was something he wanted Gajeel to hear straight from her and he hoped it would help him in his path to forgiveness. He held the door open and watched as Gajeel took a deep breath and headed back towards the room. Lily grabbed a bag of Jewl from his pocket and tossed it in the air. He had a feeling he should rent out his own room tonight so his partners could have a little privacy.
    
Gajeel stood outside the door to their room and took some more deep breaths to calm down. He wasn't even sure how to go about this. Finally he sighed and shoved through the front door. What he saw made his heart stop. Levy was asleep on the bed with a book laying open next to her and standing next the bed, hovering over her, was a hooded man with a dagger.
    
Gajeel roared in anger as his iron scales developed all over and he charged the man, who jumped in surprise. The attacker slammed into the wall revealing their face. It's a girl. Gajeel hesitated.
    
"Gajeel what's going on?" Levy asked, sleepily, as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Then she saw her attacker and screamed.
    
The woman stood up and went straight for Levy again, ignoring Gajeel. He growled, grabbed her cloak, and tossed her back again. I'm barely getting any magic energy from her. She's not a very powerful wizard. She does smell weird though, kinda familiar, like I know her. She hissed as she stood up and lunged for Gajeel this time. He just shoved her away again. She stabbed at him with her dagger only to bend the tip of it on his scales.
    
Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her. "You're with those bandits? Maybe that guy I tossed in a jail cell was the strongest of you guys."
    
The girl laughed. "Killian? He is the weakest of all of us." Suddenly the air shifted around Gajeel as the magic power in the air grew.
    
"Gajeel get back she uses takeover magic!" Levy screamed. She jumped out of bed and sent a Solid Script: Fireball at the woman.
    
That's why she smelled familiar! She uses the same magic as Mira. He watched as the girl started to transform. Her face altered and her body twisted until she was standing on four legs and had a long snout. As she grew scales Gajeel and Levy gasped as they realized what her takeover was.
    
"Dragon takeover," Levy whispered.
    
Gajeel smiled. "You may transform into a dragon girlie but you must've not done your research on us." Gajeel then turned his arm into a sword and stabbed the transformed woman in the chest. "I'm a dragon slayer. My magic centers around destroying dragons and you," he kicked open the window and tossed her out it, "are no dragon!" He yelled as he used his roar to send her flying back towards the woods she must have came from.
    
"Is she gone?" Levy asked from behind Gajeel. "Is she dead?"
    
Gajeel stayed facing away from her. "It's about a fifty fifty shot really. She could be dead but if she's not then she's really hurt."
    
Levy sighed. "I'm just glad she's gone. Good thing you came back when you did," she laughed and scratched her head,"or I'd be a goner."
    
Gajeel growled as he turned around. He grabbed Levy's face in his hands and kissed her. "That's the second time in one day I almost lost you. I'm never leaving you alone again."
    
Levy stared at him and smiled. Her face was red and her eyes were glazed with lust. "That sounds like a good idea to me."

Authors Notes: I know I know FINALLY! Remember that juicy lemon I warned about in the description? Well it's coming up in the next chapter so prepare yourselves.