Roaming with Little Purpose

Leon and his brother were on the usual adventures. A simple city life just wasn't Leons style. After the two were reunited, they were near inseperable. Although Leon was a military officer, he proffered doing his work "In the fields". This gave him loads of vacation time. He lifted his hands above his head and stretched. The sun was warm and the day was good.

The two were out searching for artifacts from a temple outside of Duversa. It was practically buried, but it wouldn't be too hard for Leonard to dig it up alone, and much easier with Alaudes help. But before they could reach their destination, a new figure appeared.

" please stop have mercy on us we have nothing left! " The villagers where now begging with Flare pleading for him to leave them alone but it was no good. " Im sorry i will be punished for this in death......." Flare flicked his lighter and using the transmutation symbal sent a spark using fire alchemy and set the already ransacked village on fire before turning around and walking away. The villagers began hurling abuse and rocks at Flare but he just kept walking his head looking down on the ground out of disgust for himself and what he had done. " why is it no matter how many villages i burn down the pain i feel inside this void in my soul never goes away." Flare just kept looking down on the ground as the villagers kept on hurting abuse and insults whilst some stayed back to try and fight the fire but to no avail and Flare just kept walking deep in through.

Alaude watched the crowd of people swarm around this man. His body language seemed suspicious but Alaude stayed back with his brother. He ran his fingers through his hair as the villagers verbally and physically assaulted the young man. Alaude began stepping towards the young man to save him but before he could the young man had taken matters into his own hands. Using a all to familiar power he used alchemy to set ablaze the village. Alaude now shocked proceeded to quicken his pace towards the young man as the villagers continued to increase their assaults as well as going into a afraid frenzy to get the fire under control, "Hey, why the hell did you do that.... Are you insane?!?!" Alaude would remove his right pistol from its holster pointing it at the young man.

Leon looked over his right shoulder at his brother with an face of steel nerves. His body was a bit tired but if he was forced to fight, he wouldn't mind. However a two on one fight wouldnt exactly be fair. And considering their location, the brothers had no jurisdiction. This did not stop the pair's sense of justice. Leon looked into Ala uses eyes and nodded, motioning for his brother to advance.

"You chase him down, I'll run support." The alchemist lifted up a hand and created a sword and shield from the surrounding light.

Flare noticed them running towards them but he had no intentions of fighting them since he was at a strategical disadvantage instead he would try to settle this with no conflict. " hold on a second this is all just one big misunderstanding! "

Flare suddenly froze up as the images of what had happened to his family that day rushed through his head and tear's started forming in his eyes. " please..... just give me one chance to explain "

Flare was in no mental state to fight right now and the reason why would be relieved soon enough. " and to prove this is no trap i will put everything i have down " Flare held back the tears hoping the pair would not have seen it and he put his hands in his pocket and placed down his lighter and his tome as well as a few maps that were neatly folded up and showed the pair he had nothing else on him and he started hoping they would see reason.

Alaude took the small chance to apprehend him once he dropped his items, "Leo, cover me." He ran toward taking out a pair of hand cuffs opening to subdue him, "Look just make it easy on yourself and come with us were not gonna hurt you we just wanna know why you did all this. He looked around as the town managed to put out the majority of the fire was out even the crowd of raging civilians seemed to be at rest as well.

As the tears welted in the eyes of the pyro before him, Leon couldn't help but to feel a bit of pity. The items in his hands disintegrated. "Alaude, what it looks like could be horrid, bit this guy seems off. He's crying. Likely a repent for sin, yet he continues the incineration. Perhaps the villagers are the one needing judgment. The full case is not obvious. However." He paused for a moment and looked directly at his older brother, "Don't drop your guard for a second. That's when checkmate is easiest. Rightful or not, killing is unforgivable. In my eyes, he's no more than a murderer. But sadly, he's still a human."

Flare saw Alaude rushing towards him and with a swift motion knocked the hand cuffs away " he is right i am repenting " As he spoke Flare's voice started trembling getting worse and worse as he tried to speak. " Do you know what is like being alone your entire life and it all being your fault?. " Flare looked at the two before him " you two seem like you have each other in this life but me...... i.....i......... " The trembling in Flare voice only seemed to get worse as the events of his past all came rushing back to him at once causing Flare to let out a scream and then held his head the pain it was causing him became apprent on his face as tears started pouring out of his eyes.

" I killed them............ " Flare froze up for a few moments why was he telling the two of them this?

" I killed.........my family... my mother, father and all my siblings......... all dead by these two hands."

Flare stared at his hands before proceeding to pick up his tome of magic.

" i used to live a normal life until i discovered this tome i chanted an incantation and and.... "

Flare was now really beginning to feel the effects of it all his vision became faded as the emotions began to take over.

" i burned that whole place to the ground my home turned to ash before my very eyes... and it was then that i discovered my love of fire and burning things the only reason i do this is to try to fill that empty void in my soul.... and then i try to protect these people from bandits and they treat me like im one of them! and that's why i was facing all of what you saw the bandits got away and i was the one them blamed so i did what i had to do and if responding to them abusing and hurting me is wrong then so be it! "
Flare suddenly dropped down to his knee's as the tear's begin to flow down his face as all the memories all return to him. " if only i had been stronger.... "

Alaude would slide his hand back just before he managed to hit the cuffs. He had succeeded in keeping them from subduing him but nothing stood in his way for an second attempt. Lunging forward he would try again but was stopped by the young mans certain confession. Alaude stepped back some looking towards his brother. Little did he know him and his brother hadn't always been together but when the had they were nearly inseparable, "Killed...them what do you mean you killed them?" With a face mixed with both confusion and surprise Alaude placed his cuffs back in there spot perfectly holding his right pistol steady accurate and close enough to deal a fatal blow if need be, "You killed people that's not an act of heroism... The issue with your family was an accident now your just a pure murder. Furthermore you destroyed several homes of the villagers while managing to scare them to death." Alaude now stood above the man who had fallen to his knees, "If you true wanna repent for your sins you need to come with me. You need to learn how to harness these abilities for the actual use of good. I can help you....." He turned to his brother, "We can help you."

Leon looked up slowly at his brother and then at the culprit before him. "I don't give a damn about your little bastard. If you had a hole in your heart from losing your family, why would you take family from others. Every person you've killed has someone who couldn't live without them. Your soul probably doesn't even exist anymore. You're no more than scum. And if you resist coming with us, I'll take great pleasure in beating you until you're on the brink of death. Maybe then you can atone to those that you've killed." After his monologue Leon spit in the direction of the bandit. He was sickened by his hypocritical presence.

flare stood up and grabbed his things. " come now do you really think im that stupid? your just going to arrest me anyway. " flare shook his head then spoke again " and you whats with the hostility? I am just a man looking for a purpose for his life after all its hard knowing that you are the main cause for the pain and suffering in your own life not that you would know anything about that would you? " Flare shrugged his shoulders.

" Tell me is this your idea of justice? threatening a man who has lost everything in his life and risked his life to save many others! " Flare had changed drastically there was a burning passion in his eyes now. " no wonder this land is going to hell with people like the two of you keeping the peace " flare shook his head again.

" Oh what a world this is you cant even defend yourself without being treated like a criminal. Infact its the two of you guy's fault i had to do that if you had been doing your jobs right that would of never happened and what of them I'm going to get arrested and they get to go on with there life's despite me being attacked first now what kind of justice is that!?" Flare spat on the ground then spoke again.

" And what would shooting me prove surely you would only prove my point more so shoot me if you will but know that i will die for standing up for what i believe in can you say the same about you killing an innocent person and a child none the less? tell me how would you sleep at night knowing you killed a child! and the two of you are calling me the villain i think you need to look into a mirror and then rethink you idea of justice if your willing to kill or hurt a child!" Flare spat at the ground in disgust and started walking away he suddenly stopped next to the village and tossed a bag of coins to one of the village elders. " this should cover the costs to fix the damage i did " Flare kept walking away but he was expecting to here the shot of a gun at any second and everything to go black.

Damasu was sent to deliver a message to Alaude, from the Task Force's main department. Being told of his location, Damasu could get there with a rented scooter. Once he spotted his message target, he pressed the brakes in surprise. A village was seemingly burnt down, a man seemed to be yelling in an agonized tone, and two other guys were there, seemingly... Interrogating the man? That's what it seemed to be, at least. Damasu didn't listen to a word of what they said, so he didn't know. He parked the door near the scorched village, got off of it, and ran towards the three of them.
"Uh... Detective Alaude? I have a message from the headquarters! They're requesting your return. Sayin' it's important.", Damasu said to the three. He didn't know who Alaude was just yet.
"...Might I also ask what happened here? I'm curious, is all.", he said, looking indifferently at the agonized man.

Alaude was rather pissing off with the show of rather meaningless words. This child only seemed to notice his own agony his own sadness. Alaude through the years of his line of work had seen things which would be un fathomable to a normal person for this child to speak out about, liberty, pain, this infuriated Alaude. Taking his right pistol he aimed to the childs legs he having to remind himself that this land wasn't his jurisdiction. He poured the Flame of Wrath energy into his pistol letting it build to the maximum power. Positioning his finger on the trigger he slowly began to pull it back unconscious of anything around him especially his brother. Alaude was in trace somewhere were situations hardly had taken him...

Just before the trigger fire the flame Alaude heard another person yelling from side of him. As he released this was on of his Task Force members Alaude would drop his weapon to avoid any confusion. Faking the nicest expression he could he would greet the young man while signaling his brother to chase after the young arsonist, "Oh, Hello there I am the Commanding Detective Alaude Straus, what message do you have for me. Ignoring the young detectives question he managed to block any view of the situation while his brother managed the clean up.

Alaude was occupied, great. This person seeming to be a courier has is brother in a situation that was requiring his attention so it was up to Leon to decide what to do with the pyro. He grit his teeth. The people in the village seemed unharmed, yet burning down houses didn't seem fair. The man also openly admitted killing at least 3 others. This meant the man needed a trial. So he wouldn't be killed, obviously. How hypocritical would that be of the brothers. That kind of slander was unnecessary against the Strauss name. But it seemed like now it was just Leon and the burner.

"Alright listen here, Scum. My name is Leon Mercer. And I don't give a damn about your sob story. You burned these peoples houses down. Today's actually my day off, we happen to be soldiers for Ae, not Riuules. But I can't help but let my sense of justice get in the way. Its not our fault you wanted to burn a village down. Nor would it be if bandits attacked. Its not my job to arrest you, but I sure as hell won't look the other way. So now its you and me."

A smile crawled over his face as the ground below the two began to tremble ever so lightly. Leon pointed his hands like guns and shot two tiny bullets made of light at his opponent. While he was sure they would be dodged, they were a simple distraction for the mound of earth rising from behind the pyro.

" guess i have no choice " Flare quickly back flipped on top of the mound of earth behind him to dodge out the way.

" fool you need to try better than that if you are going to catch me out " Flare took out his tome and snapped his fingers launching numerous fire balls at Leon in an attempt to stall his plans.

" give up now whilst you still can! " Flare then put his hand on his tome and then jumped in the air and launched a spear made of fire at where Leon would have to move to dodge the fire balls in an attempt to catch him off guard.

"...Oh. Uh. Is something going on here?...", Damasu asked, noticing the two others were fighting. He didn't really want to proceed the conversation about the Headquarters unless he was filled in on what was going on. He felt as if Detective Alaude ignored his question on purpose...
"...I want to know. What is going on here?", he asked to the Detective, with a serious look on his face.

Alaude placed his hand on the young Detectives head. He obviously did not know who Alaude was other then a Detective as well as who his brother was, "Nothings going on here we are just subduing a criminal. I would like to know of the information from headquarters now please. Don't make me go complain to the boss." Alaude held a slick smile on his face he was the boss of the Task Force although he deem keeping his identity a secret to most of the Task Force seemed beneficial and allowed him to freely travel and do what he desired while still secretly running the Task Force. Besides all that was know of the Boss of the Task Force was his animal like pistols which shot a powerful flame, "Do we have to make this more difficult?"

Leon obviously had a competitor before him. His flames seemed to be alchemy, but they were still simple fire. Flames were relatively predictable, but the young alchemist only hoped to make it out of this with all his hair still in place. Seeing his opponent jump on his alchemic mound was a site for sore eyes. Instead of stooping its growth, he continued to lift it in the air, higher and higher. It grew about 20 feet a second and as it grew, the edges moved further and further and further away from the pyro and even began to round to prevent his esape.

"You fool! Stepping into my alchemy was a mistake!" He'd obviously not forgotten his opponents attack. But rather than dodging in any particular direction he lifted himself with earth, just as he was lifting his opponent.

Flare notice the speed at which he was rising and now had another factor to add in the equation " so it looks like we are fighting in the sky interesting ill have to adapt my tactics accordingly but if i expend too much oxygen with my magic i will have no chance ill have to end this quick "

Flare grabbed his tome and his eyes flashed red for a second as he cast flare storm above Leon causing balls of fire to explode and flames to fall above Leon in a 15 yard radius burning the oxygen around him and setting everything it touches alight. " if i have to burn my oxygen ill make you burn up yours!"

Damasu looked distracted at the fight between the... "criminal", and the other guy. Of course, he couldn't tell who was who. He had his guesses, but he decided to shut them in.
"O-oh... Eh... They want you at the headquarters as soon as possible. Dunno what it is for, but it seems important, so I'd at least go check it.", Damasu said, scratching the back of his head, while still looking at the fight. He hoped he didn't have to fight himself, but whatever.

"Sure, I will be back after this little situation has been settled. I think we should sit back and watch for now. I am sure my brother will be able to handle this professionally. We are Strauss men of course." At that moment the young man would have finally found out who the two of them were. The Strauss men were world wide know as the leading officers of their respective Task Forces. Both bothers equally matched each other in strength and were known as the prodigal sons. Alaude would lay his arm around the young man as a friendly gesture slightly laying on him, "So Detective, what is your name."