Luke, Levy and Tyrian made their way to the bottom floor. The two males of the group gave the irate female a wide berth, not wishing to invoke her wrath as she angrily stomped down the stairs.

  After seeing Jet and Droy standing in the middle of the road like a couple of zombies, she had been initially concerned. Who wouldn't be after seeing their friends like that? But once she saw what they were wearing, that concern shifted into righteous feminine fury real quick.

  And Luke wasn't sure what to do. He didn't think storming them was the best idea, but Levy seemed pretty gung-ho on that particular course of action. Seems like her Fairy Tail side was let out of the box.

  And it was pissed.

  But as she reached out to open the front door, Luke decided he needed to stop her. He wasn't sure whether it was courage or stupidity that propelled him forward, but perhaps it didn't matter. There wasn't much difference between the two anyway.

  "Levy, wait," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. She whipped around quick as a pistol, leveling a fiery glare at him and making him feel like a cornered mouse.

  "What? I'm a little busy at the moment," she growled out, and Luke could feel the magic pouring off of her. It was no wonder she was chosen for the S Class Trials. Here he thought she was packing a compact 9mm but in reality, she was walking around with a .44 Magnum.

  Just goes to show, it's always the quiet ones. That doesn't explain why it turned him on so much. Or does it?

  "Look, I'm aware you're angry, but this is clearly a trap. I need the smart Levy. The calm and collected Levy. Not the fire and brimstone Levy. Save that for later," he said. As she looked into his eyes, she saw nothing but determination and worry as he stared back at her unflinchingly.

  "I concur. This is not the time for rash decisions," stated Tyrian.

  From behind Luke.

  Seeing this, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Luke saw her shoulders sag as the tension slowly left her body and her magic was once more tempered by reason and logic.

  Once she opened her eyes again, he could see she had calmed down immensely, but he could still see the anger bubbling beneath the surface, just begging to be unleashed. He did not envy those two, not one little bit.

  "Ok, I'm as calm as I can be. Now, what's your plan exactly," she asked, crossing her hands over her chest. Luke sighed in relief, glad she was such a reasonable girl. Had she been Erza, well…

  Actually, if it had been he likely wouldn't have anything to worry about. She would just knock their asses out and move on to her next victim.

  "Alright. This place probably has a back door, so I say we leave through that and sneak up on them. From there, you can use a spell to capture them. After that, maybe we can break whatever spell is on them and they can help us take down Pickles," Luke suggested. Her eyes darkened at the mention of them helping, but still, it was a better plan than hers.

  She could always get her vengeance later, when the stakes weren't nearly so high.

  "Ok, you're right. That's better than just rushing them," she admitted. Luke gave her a nervous smile at hearing her mutter something about zapping them with lightning, but he was just happy she agreed.

  The three of them then made their way towards the back. Like he thought, they did indeed have a back entrance behind the kitchen.

  Once in the alley, they quietly made their way towards the zombified wizards. The town was still bereft of people besides them and the two in the street. After a few minutes of stealth, they reached the alley a small ways behind their targets.

  "Alight, we're here. Do you have a spell in mind?" Luke whispered, hoping it didn't involve lightning. He didn't particularly like Jet and Droy, but he didn't want them deep fried either.

  "Oh yeah," Levy said with an eager smirk. Luke gulped at seeing it, slowly backing away.

  "Then take it away."

  Holding up her index finger which glowed slightly with magic, she traced the word Chains into the air. The words took on the look and property of chains before shooting out towards the two unsuspecting wizards.

  They made grunts of surprise and possibly arousal as the chains wrapped around them. Once they were completely encircled, looking like they were a couple of caterpillars wrapped up in cocoons, they toppled to the ground, wriggling around trying to escape.

  "Gotcha!" Levy exclaimed, a devious look on her face. She then rushed out from the alley before Luke could say anything. He would have preferred her to use a spell to conjure up a rope or something so they could drag the two into the alley and not run out into the open, but it seems like she was just too excited.

  Levy reached the pair, standing over the two with her hands on her hips, glaring down at them. Seeing them up close, the fabric of her panties moving from their breathing was making her spine tingle, and not in a good way.

  "Alright you two. I'm going to try and break this spell and when I do, you're dead," Levy said, as she prepared to write a word that would hopefully free them.

  Luke watched this as he approached when a red light caught his attention. Squinting, he tried to see where it was coming from. Looks like it was the roof of some building behind her. No, not just some building, the Mayor's building.

  Eyes widening at the implication, he sprinted towards Levy, subconsciously channeling magic into his legs to make him move faster.

  "Levy, look out!" he shouted. She turned to look at him upon hearing his shout, only for her own eyes to widen at the sight of the magical buildup. Once she did, she froze, her legs refusing to move. Not because she was afraid, but because she was being held in place.

  Looking down, she noticed a shadowy tendril latched onto her leg, preventing her escape. It was the same as when they were in the ruins.

  Looking back up at the now incredibly bright light, Levy could only watch as a blast of energy was unleashed, racing towards her. She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable rush of pain only to feel something impact her in the side, knocking her to the ground.

  The beam of red energy collided with the earth, sending dust and debris flying into the air. Levy stared at the sight of the crater, watching as the dirt practically liquified into a pool of glowing, molten sludge. Gulping, she realized just what would have happened had she not been knocked away.

  Looking over at the man who was staring at her with concern, she felt gratitude welling up from her chest.

  "Thanks," she said, as her heart rate started to calm down. Only for it to speed up when she realized the position they were in. She was laying on her back with Luke hovering over her. If anybody saw them now, they would think the two of them a pair of lovers out for some late night exhibition.

  "No problem. But what the hell kind of spell was that?" he asked as he stood up, unaware of the thoughts circling around in Levy's mind. Hearing him speak snapped her out of her thoughts, as she gratefully took the hand he was offering to help her to her feet.

  "No idea. It looked like some kind of concentrated beam of pure heat," Levy muttered as the two stared in the direction of the attack, watching for any sign of further aggression. Her hypothesis was aided in the fact that they could both feel the warmth radiating from the crater.

  "Are you both unharmed?" Tyrian asked as he made his way towards them. Luke and Levy gave a nod, making him sigh in relief.

  "Good. Now, I think it's time for our attacker to show himself. Don't think you can hide from me. I can smell your foul stench from here," Tyrian growled. The three of them stood with baited breath, waiting for a response. They didn't have to wait long before a menacing laughter erupted from the darkness.

  "My, my… You managed to escape my little trap. I'd congratulate you if you weren't such a waste of my time," a voice echoed out. At hearing it, Jet and Droy ceased their struggling, remaining perfectly still. Luke might have thought them dead if it weren't for the movement of the panties as they breathed.

  From the shadows emerged a figure, one clad in a bright red robe obscuring his form and face from the group. In his hands was a staff made of twisted, warped wood. On top of said staff rested the very orb they were looking for, glowing with a faint magical presence.

  "Mayor Frechek, how nice to see you," Levy called out, making the hooded figure halt in its tracks. He gave off another chuckle, one filled with amusement as he removed the hood hiding his face.

  "So it seems you have figured me out. Aren't you a clever one," he complimented snidely. His face was angular, with an upturned nose and thin lips. He had immaculately groomed facial hair done in a Van Dyke style. But around his eyes were marks traveling outward, looking like little bolts of lightning shooting off in every direction.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Luke thought it made him look like he was being possessed by the dark side, which probably wasn't far off.

  "That's right. Now release my friends, before we're forced to take you down," Levy ordered. However, he didn't seem to feel overly threatened by her warning. If anything, he appeared amused by it, which set off alarm bells in their heads.

  "Now why would I do that? They make for such excellent slaves," Frechek commented with a wide smile on his face. Levy growled, fury in her eyes.

  "You creep! I'll make you pay for what you did! How dare you make them steal my underwear!" Her angered shouting actually brought the villain up short.

  "What!? No, you've got it all wrong! I didn't make them do that, they did so of their own accord. I told them to search your room and they came back with those things on their heads. And no matter what I say they won't take them off. It's really quite perplexing," Frechek muttered.

  Hearing his explanation, Levy turned to her trapped friends, a vicious glare plastered on her face. "You two are so dead."

  "Ahem, now where was I… Oh yes, you seem to believe you're in control of this situation. Did you really think I relied solely on a single trap? How naive," he commented condescendingly, like he was speaking to a child. But more importantly, steering them away from the awkward conversation.

  Honestly, he had no idea what possessed them to place a lady's undergarments over their heads. Perhaps it was some byproduct of Pickles power? He was a Vulcan after all. But nobody else in town devolved into such depravity.

  Though, they weren't wizards, so that could also be part of it. Either way, it didn't matter. He had more important things to do than contemplate the actions of a couple of perverts.

  Levy returned her ire towards him, a few choice words running through her mind, begging to be used. But before Levy could write a word that would make him poop himself, Frechek raised his staff, a wave of energy leaving it and seemingly flying across the entire city. Luke and Levy flinched as the magic passed through them, but nothing happened.

  Looking around, they waited to see the results of the spell, only to be met with silence.

  "And what was the point of that?" Luke asked. But rather than respond verbally, the corrupt mayor only kept smirking. Luke was just about to send a beam of light at him when a certain sound met his ears. It sent a wave of fear coursing through his body, years of video games and movies having conditioned him to dread the sound.

  "It can't be…" he muttered, staring into the darkened alleys, listening as the shuffling and moaning approached ever closer.

  "What is that?" Levy asked, inching closer towards Luke. Next to them, Tyrian let out a threatening growl, the hairs covering his body standing on end. Luke opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, his worst nightmare had come to life.

  From the darkness stumbled out dozens upon dozens of people, shambling towards them in an uncoordinated, drunken gait. Their eyes were completely white, making them look like they were blind.

  "Look at my magnificent subjects! Have you ever seen something so beautiful? This is the power granted to me by Pickles!" Frechek laughed hysterically. The three of them bunched up, staring at the horde of civilians surrounding them.

  "What happened to them?" Levy asked. She recognized a few of them, such as the waitress from the bar and the owner of the cafe, so it was safe to assume all of them were the villagers.

  "Well, it looks like the zombie apocalypse to me," Luke said, feeling a bead of sweat drip on his face. This was the last thing he thought he'd have to deal with in this world. Or at the very least, not so soon.

  "What!? Zombies!? You can't be serious!" Levy exclaimed.

  "Fear not, I do not smell the rot of the living dead on them. This is likely a control spell cast by Pickles and his lackey," Tyrian assured them. Both of them let out sighs of relief at hearing that.

  "So we just need to take them out and problem solved right? We were planning on doing that anyway," Luke said, feeling far more confident now that he knew he didn't need to worry about being bitten. Well, that's not entirely true. They could still bite him, but at least he wouldn't turn into an undead.

  "Indeed. This changes nothing but the stakes," Tyrian stated.

  "Let's see how long that bravado lasts. Minions! Tear them to shreds!" Frechek shouted. The horde let out a screech as if they were one. It was horribly disconcerting for those who could hear it.

  "Guess that's our cue to leave. Tyrian, mind helping us out?" Luke asked, gathering his magic.

  "Not a problem!" he yelled, as his body grew in size until it dwarfed them.

  "Perfect. Now, close your eyes!" Luke shouted. Levy, who had seen that immense flash of light deep in the cave complied immediately. She didn't know what he did exactly, as he had been underwater at the time, but she could make an educated guess. She had no intention of being blinded.

  "Wait, what about Jet and Droy!?" she shouted, even with her eyes closed.

  "We'll take them with us," Luke replied.

  "I don't think so!" shouted the mayor, raising his staff again.

  "Break!"

  With that shout, another pulse of magic left the staff and the magic chains Levy conjured shattered into a million pieces, freeing the panty thieves.

  "Shit, sneaky bastard. Guess that plan's out. Get ready you two!" Luke yelled, as the two formerly trapped Fairy Tail wizards began to rise to their feet. Luke brought his hands to his face, ready to light up the night sky.

  "Solar Flare!"

  "Ah!" Frechek screamed, holding his face in agony. And he wasn't the only one either. Every single one of the mob did the same. Guess they weren't blind after all. Jet and Droy were on the ground, rolling around comically in pain. If only they'd worn Levy's panties over their eyes.

  "Come on!" Luke shouted, grabbing Levy by the hand and leaping onto the back of Tyrian. Then, with a massive hop, he bounded over the group of citizens, landing on a roof. Luke wished he could take a pot shot at the creep who was controlling them, but he was surrounded by innocent people. He couldn't risk hitting one of them.

  That being said, his opponents being completely blinded gave him an idea. With a grin, he quietly explained his plan to the others. If everything worked out, they should be able to get the staff away from him.

  Frechek blinked the spots out of his eyes, the burning, searing pain in his retinas dwindling to a dull throb. What a fearsome technique. It rendered him and hundreds more practically helpless. It didn't last very long, but in a real fight, had he not planned ahead, it would have been over.

  As his vision fully cleared, he growled furiously when he saw his enemies disappear over a house, fleeing deeper into the town.

  "Curse them and their foul tricks! No matter, they won't be able to escape the city with the barrier I've erected. But I can't leave such troublesome people to their own accord, lest they ruin my plans. Minions, find them! Search every nook and cranny! Leave no stone unturned!" he shouted.

  This seemed to snap them out of their stupor as they stopped holding their eyes in agony. Jet and Droy even rose from the ground, dull, lifeless eyes taking in the visage of the city. With their new orders, the crowd dispersed, shambling away in search of their prey, bumbling into each other as they did so.

  "Fools. Good help is so hard to find," Frechek complained.

  "I hear ya. I mean, how hard is it to capture a couple of cornered wizards?" said a voice next to him. Frechek let out a sigh, glad that there was someone who agreed with him. But it was that very thought that made him freeze in his spot.

  "Hang on, everyone should be under my control by now, so who?" he thought to himself, turning to see who exactly it was that spoke. His eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight of a smiling Luke.

  "Hello there!"

  "You! What? But how?" he stuttered, unable to comprehend the sight in front of him. He could have sworn he saw them fleeing in the other direction. So how were they here?

  "Chains!"

  He didn't have time to ponder his confusion before he was wrapped up in magical chains, the very same ones used to hold Jet and Droy just moments before. Looking up, he was further surprised by the image of a grinning Levy and a smug Tyrian.

  "You too!? What's going on here!?" he shouted.

  "Magic," Luke said, a smarmy grin on his face. Which, of course, only served to further incense the man.

  "You think you're funny do you-hey!"

  "I'll be taking that," Luke said, snatching the scepter from the mayor. "Now, just because I'm a nice guy, I'll tell you what happened. You see, Levy used her awesome magic to conjure up an illusion and made it run in the opposite direction, thereby making you send everyone away and lower your guard, allowing us to steal this little beauty right here." He ended the explanation by waggling the staff almost teasingly at the man.

  "You bastard! Give that back!" Frechek shouted, eyes glowing with insanity.

  "Sorry, no can do. But I can offer you a consolation prize," Luke said with a grin, holding up a fist that was shining brightly. "How about a knuckle sandwich!"

  Luke then sent his fist directly into the man's face. His nose broke on contact and a few teeth went flying out of his mouth. Frechek himself rocketed away from Luke, crashing into a building on the other side of the street.

  "Man that felt good," Luke said with a content smile. That was the first time he punched a real bad guy. It almost made him feel giddy.

  "Celebrate later! They're coming!" Levy shouted. Looking around him, he saw the horde closing in on him. They must have heard Frechek's loud and whiny voice as he yelled at him. That's what he gets for letting the bad guy ramble instead of just punching him immediately.

  "Right. Let's get out of-" but Luke didn't finish his sentence. Almost by instinct, he crossed his arms over his chest, right before he was slammed into by a powerful force. He grunted as he slid back a few feet before coming to a stop.

  "Luke, are you alright!?" Levy shouted as Luke uncrossed his arms. Looking to see what had attacked him, he saw none other than Jet, standing there turned to the side with his leg raised.

  "Yeah, I'm fine," he called back to the blue haired girl, shaking the tingling feeling out of his arms. Jet may have been a hopeless Simp, but he sure packed a punch. Or kick in this case.

  "Good. Now come on, let's go!" she urged, perched atop her mighty steed.

  "I don't think he's going to just let us leave," Luke commented, watching as Droy exited from an alley, having caught up with his companion. Levy bit her lips nervously. She knew he was right, and with Jet's speed, it wouldn't be long until he caught up, even if Luke could get away from him.

  Tyrian was fast, but she didn't think he was fast enough to escape the High Speed user.

  "Then what do we do?" she asked, watching as the third and final member of Team Shadow Gear came to stand beside his friend.

  "Take this!" Luke yelled, throwing the staff up at the surprised girl. She yelped, fumbling with the object in her hands before managing to hold onto it. She sighed in relief before levelling a glare at him.

  "Don't just throw things at people!" she chastised.

  "Sorry. Take that and see if you can figure out how to use it. We might be able to free everyone that way," Luke called back, not taking his eyes off of his opponents.

  "But what about you?" she asked.

  "I'll hold them off. Buy you some time," he responded, a luminous glow surrounding his body as he prepared to engage Jet and Droy in battle.

  Levy bit her lip. She wanted to protest, but seeing the dull, glazed look of not only her friends, who she was still mad at by the way, but the entire town made her realize he was right. Figuring out how to break the spell was their top priority.

  "Fine! Just be careful! And try not to hurt them too much! Let's go Tyrian," she said. The large canine gave a stiff nod, just as unhappy as her about the plan. But like her he recognized the necessity of it.

  "Very well. The small one and I shall take our leave. Don't die until we return!" Tyrian shouted, before the two of them bounded off. Luke chuckled a bit as he heard Levy complain about being called the small one.

  "So I can die as long as you're here, huh?" Luke said sardonically. He was sure Tyrian meant don't die period, but his phrasing could use some work.

  Seeing Jet staring at the duo leaving, Luke fired off a ball of light, forcing Jet to jump away.

  "Eyes over here bud. I'm your opponent," Luke ordered. He didn't much care that the rest of the civilians were slowly ambling after Levy, seeing as they weren't much of a threat with Tyrian's speed. But that wasn't true for the two in front of him. They needed to be stopped, now.

  The two puppets shared a look before preparing to fight. Jet bent his knees while Droy reached into his pouch. Looks like they were ready to go.

  "Alright you two, Levy told me not to hurt you too much, so I'll only break a few bones," Luke claimed, before rushing at the Charmed wizards.