Invaded

Chapter Three

We walked for what seemed like forever, here he was barely breaking a sweat, and I was sweating like a dog. I had my bandana down around my forehead catching the sweat. The entire walk I stayed a few paces behind him. After a while the dead trees around us got boring so I found myself admiring his back.

He is crazy tall, and it was nice. His shoulders were broad and his arms were nice I guess. The confidence in every stride he took was just hypnotizing. In the time we'd be walking he hasn't spoken a word to me. Wow, I just had to have my first human contact with a gorgeous loner.

I shook the thought out of my head and held his gun tightly. We haven't run into any trouble, but I knew that before we made it to our destination we'd run into something. Wait, what is our destination? I didn't know! Oh my gosh I've been blindly following this stranger and I don't even know him! Calm down Levy, you know his name. I am in an inner turmoil. He could've lied! Oh no! He could be a rapist! All the possibilities were running through my head.

I barely noticed my surroundings as Gajeel pinned me to a tree with a hand over my mouth. I opened my mouth and he raised a finger to his lips to shush me. He removed his hand from my mouth and I went to say something, but he pressed his finger to my lips now.

He leaned close so his lips were next to my ear and whispered "Enemy squadron up ahead, we could go around or kill the suckers"

His close proximity was making me nervous. I smiled lightly and gripped his gun. "We're gonna kick their asses." I smirked a little bit and he gave me a sharp toothed grin.

"I like your attitude, Shorty." He set the duffles and my backpack down on the ground semi hidden by a bush, then he slipped his gun over my head. "I want some action too though" I took the hint and unholstered my pistols.

We made our way from tree to tree, closer and closer to the squadron. When we were in range he raise his gun and trained it on one of the invaders. He pulled the trigger and I spun out from behind the tree firing shot after shot of my pistols into the scum. It was only seconds before all of them were on the ground and I was crouched on the ground surveying our surroundings.

He stood a few paces from me smirking. "You weren't lying when you said you could use those guns, Shrimp." He said with a small laugh following. What is with these nicknames? I stood bolstering my guns and I realized, I haven't told him my name yet.

I turned to him and gave a small smile. I held out my hand. "I guess it's time to properly introduce myself, I am Levy McGarden, weapons expert." He took my hand in a firm handshake. "It's my pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Gajeel Redfox."

"Pleasure to meet you too, Shorty." He raised his other hand and ruffled my hair. Why is he still calling me shorty? I scrunched my nose up and he laughed. In that everything seemed fine, but it didn't last long.

It took seconds to go from peaceful to chaotic. Gajeel spun me around and towered over me as I heard a shot fire from an enemy weapon. Not a second later he cried out in agony and was struggling to stay up. My hand flew to one of my pistols and I rolled out from cover and fires two shots into the enemy. I let cuss words roll off my tongue as I went to support Gajeel. His jacket was smoking and his shirt was burnt through, his back was in tatters, skin melted away.

"Saved you, Shorty" he muttered through clenched teeth. I mumbled a few more profanities as I supported his weight against me. "Weapons, Shrimp" I walked us back to where we hid the weapons and he picked up one of the bags and I the other, I released him momentarily to pull my pack onto my back. I wrapped his free arm around my shoulders and began walking.

"You'll have to tell me where to go." I paused and looked around, then up at him "Stay awake." I pleaded with him.

"Not much further" he muttered heavily leaning against me. I stumbled every few steps. I won't let him die. I didn't have a cloth big enough to patch up his wound. I feared he would lose too much blood. But still I trekked on. He guided me to a small shack and I opened the door. It looked so simple, before he pulled a trap door open, revealing a ladder down into darkness. "Ladies first" he said through labored breathing

"Is there anyone who would be waiting for us?" I asked him concerned

"Scarlet has watch at this time." He breathed and I dropped down into the hole and he handed me my duffle. "Be careful" he grumbled sitting next to the opening. I looked behind him to find blood dripping to the floor and a trail to the door. He's lost too much.

I began my decent into the darkness. I counted the rungs as I climbed down. I was at fifty three. I was sweating heavily and Gajeel was a shadow above me. I could hear his breathing. I was looking up at him as I defended and drops of liquid landed on my forehead. I didn't have to be able to see to know it was his blood. I reached the bottom to be met by a knife to my throat.

"Who are you? and why are you in my base?" The woman was tall and she had scarlet hair that reached her waist.

"My name is Levy McGarden, I came with Gajeel Redfox." Gajeel was a few rungs off the ground when his body went limp and fell from the ladder. I scampered away from the woman to support his weight before he hit the ground. I barely realized the cut on the side of my neck from her knife as I struggled to hold Gajeel up.

I was panicking, the first person I've talked to in months just had to get injured. I didn't know him well, but I was growing attached minute by minute. The red head supported Gajeel on his other side and I felt tears prickling my eyes.

"My name is Erza Scarlet, Gajeel and I are equals in rank among the resistance forces." She said guiding me through tunnel after tunnel and finally into a large open space with people talking together. My eyes widened at the sight. So many people. "What the hell happened?"

"He found me in the military bunker, the two duffles we left at the entrance were filled with my weapons. He saved my life..." I explained trailing off at the end

"Natsu!" She hollars "two duffles at the ladder, go get them!" She commanded the pink haired guy that jogged up to us. He stared wide eyed at Gajeel before running off gritting his teeth. "Come on" she said moving along "let's get him to the meds"

She guided me into a concrete room with cots and medical supplies. A small girl with blue pigtails was sitting in the corner stitching up someone's arm.

"Wendy, that can wait" Erza said and the girl looked up from her work and her eyes softened.

"Gajeel?" Erza nodded

"I can finish the stitches if you work on him." I stated quietly

"Go ahead." She said and Erza laid Gajeel down on his stomach and Wendy inspected his back. She mumbled a curse and cut his shirt and jacket away from hit body. I watched as she pressed her fingers to his wrist "he's lost too much blood" she mumbled "Erza get the blood bag, it's in the fridge on the shelve, you" she looked at me "put pressure on his wound with a bandage, right next to you" I grabbed the bandage and rushed to his side and did as she told me.