AN: Had this idea a while back for a FF. The S-Class Target. A wizard of dangerous proportions has appeared and the magic counsel is taking no chances with him. He's considered a young prodigy much like many of the Fairy Tail members. Erza takes on the quest fully aware of how dangerous it may be, and decides it best for her to do it solo. Jellal decides a mage of this man's caliber would be best used in Crime Sorciere.
Enjoy.
It had been three months, five days, and two hours since the worst moment in his life. Derec had always known he had magic inside of him; he just never cared for a guild. He wanted his family. He wanted to have a calm life. So when his brother died before his eyes, he didn't mean to snap. He never meant for all those people to die. It had just...happened. And there was nothing he could have done about it.
Nothing.
He knew his magic was obviously a unique magic. And clearly, a very dangerous one. His soul told him what it was called.
Extraction Magic.
The ability to remove anything from the possession of or anything from inside a person. No specific spells really exist for this magic, maybe two or three. But, in the spike of rage he felt when he saw his brother's life being drained before his eyes, and finally ended, he had the intent of extracting the murderer's heart with his own two hands.
And he did.
Before he had known what he had done, a magic circle appeared around his wrist, his hand disappearing. Another had appeared on the killer's chest as well as the other who was restraining Derec. And before he knew it, in one hand he held two hearts as the men slumped over, dead. No wounds. The only way the magic council would ever find out about this being a killing would be due to the victim, Derec's younger brother Theo, whose throat had been slit with a knife embedded in his windpipe. Though the hearts in the path would no doubt confuse them, until they found that the other two bodies contained no heart inside them.
flashback
"Damn it, Theo, I'm sorry, I'm so-so sorry." Derec sobbed. Tears fell down his cheeks and made clear bubbles in the pool of blood. Sirens were everywhere. Blood was on his hands and his clothes. He had freaked out when the hearts had appeared in his hands. Yet when the two men fell, dead, Derec had wasted no time rushing to his brother's side.
"I got them, don't worry. I got them. We're safe. You're safe."
I can't shut up!
He felt tremors in the distance. Derec looked around, tears still streaming down his cheeks. Closing his brother's eyes and then removing the knife only to gently laying it down Theo down he forced himself to walk to the edge of the alley that they had been dragged into by surprise. Just what the hell was going on? The ground wouldn't stop shaking. He looked around the corner only to be shocked beyond all expectations. The blood red magic circles remained in the air as vital pieces of the buildings supports were suddenly sucked into an abyss.
"Wha-what the hell?!" He looked down to his wrists. Derec could see his hands, but the circles were still there, crimson in color. "Stop! Stop it!" He slapped at his own wrists, trying to end this curse. "People are in those buildings!" He tried his best to focus on ending the spell. "No more!"
Suddenly, all building pieces in the air stopped, the circles faded and vanished, sending the pieces crashing to the ground. Exhausted, Derec collapsed...
end of flashback
Derec's escape from the Rune Knights had been thanks to his other natural magic. This, this is what made him a prodigy of a mage, having two natural magic's in a body was almost unheard of. This other magic was called Time Zone, enabling him to freeze time in a specific area, allowing Derec to move to his will while his opponents are kept immobile. With this magic, any get away was easy. It had one down side though as, unfortunately, it consumed a larger amount of energy.
Life was painful. So, to save himself from this agony, Derec kept a mask, hiding his identity from law enforcement effectively. He even modified it with tinted glass to conceal his eyes. He wore a jacket, one that reached halfway down his thighs, long enough to cover the short sword that he carried strapped across the small of his back. After his initial escape, he had picked the blade up after partaking in something he was rather ashamed of.
He looted a home that had fallen to rubble. All because of him.
He knew the magic council would send troops after him as soon as they identified him. Two men dead without the use of a weapon? They would classify Extraction Magic as a dark magic as soon as they knew what they were dealing with; a mage with little control over his ability. Little control over his magic.
Erza stood in front of the S-Class request board. It had been quite a while since she'd wandered up to this board for a job, mostly considering she'd be occupied by preventing fights between Gray and Natsu or she'd be out with the team doing some crazy quest. There were a few new ones here and there. Since Mira had gotten her magic back, Erza knew she'd taken on one or two S-Class missions just to feel like a mage again. Laxus burned through them like always, gone for as long as three weeks. Then he'd be back for a while with Mira. Erza couldn't help but chuckle at the image of two of the strongest mages dating. Undeniably, they made quite the pair.
Which one is it this time...Erza's eyes wandered over the board, gathering the title, the request, and the reward. But, what caught her eye was something that belonged to none of these. It was a stamp. A stamp of a blue cross, with a unique top piece with a hole.
The magic council? They sent us a request?
Erza stopped to read the request.
S-Class Target: Derec Prain. Age: 23 years. Male. Other description unavailable. Capture and retrieve if possible, use lethal force if necessary. This man is a danger. Uses a new type of dark magic, Extraction Magic. Capable of removing internal organs or anything he chooses. Also has a natural ability for the use of Time Zone magic. Reward alive: 10,000,000J Reward if killed in combat: 7,000,000J.
Erza whistled and removed the tack from the letter, only to stab it back into the board after taking the request down. This one would be a good challenge. She walked down the stairs to the second, then the first floor, straight for the bar, where Mirajane washed the counter as Cana sat nearby with a rather long straw feeding into a large barrel.
"Mira," Erza said, attracting the attention of the platinum haired model. "I'll be taking this job."
"Alrighty, which one?" Mira asked, bending down to retrieve the job sheet, appearing up with it shortly after.
"The S-Class Target," Erza said, sliding the request across the counter.
"Uh- Erza?" Mira asked. "I know you're strong and all, but this is the guy that killed sixty people in Era, injuring two hundred more. This is quite the risk, even for you."
Mira had a habit of cautioning others partaking in risky jobs ever since the accident with Lisanna.
"I'll be fine, don't worry." Erza shrugged it off. "Derec Prain will be arrested and trialed accordingly." She flicked any concern off her shoulder with a shake of her head.
"Hey, Erza!" she heard the someone excitedly cry. Glancing around, she found the Natsu coming towards her.
"Whatchu doing? Hittin' an S-Class?" Natsu hounded. "Perfect! I was thinkin' it was about time for-" He was abruptly cut off as Lucy grabbed hold of his scarf, dragging him away.
"Bye, Erza!" Lucy waved, smiling while dragging a choking Natsu. "Be safe!"
"You too, Lucy. Goodbye." Erza said, in her semi-monotone voice, a grin etched upon her face.
"Erg-Ergza!" Natsu choked out.
Erza smiled before turning towards the great doors of the Fairy Tail guild hall. "I'll be back everyone."
"Bye, Erza!" She heard the guild respond.
Family. They were her family.
And she loved them.
Jellal wandered the forest, Meredy following closely behind. The Oracion Seis now part of their independent guild, Crime Sorcière, were instep behind them.
"A lovely day it is, Oh Yea." Jellal heard Hot Eye call from the back. He couldn't help but grin at the reformed criminal's new, more positive outlook on the world.
"Shut it. And can you learn to stop with that 'Oh Yea' bullshit?" Cobra complained for what Jellal could swear was like, the millionth time.
Jellal sighed. He closed his eyes and wandered forward, feeling suddenly drained mentally. And then physically. A minute later, he was drained spiritually too. Erza... A indescribable desire to see the scarlet haired woman overcame and besieged the man.
I'm sorry it's taking so long, Erza.
Meredy noticed the change in the independent guild's master. Although he was never officially titled as Crime Sorcière's Master, they all saw him as such.
"Is something wrong, Jellal?" Meredy asked. "Should we stop for the day?"
He shuffled his feet to a halt. With a sigh he turned to her, a weary expression on his face. "Yes. I think that would be for the best." He attempted to smile.
"Wait, that's it?" Jellal heard Cobra gripe from behind. "Usually we walk seven times this in a day. That means we get most of the day to ourselves! Hell yes!"
Jellal said nothing as he walked towards the nearest small clearing to set up his personal gear. A tent, a sleeping mat, an extra cloak, and a knife for any cleaning of animals they caught. Sometimes it was nice to do it the old-fashioned way. Although, technically, Jellal didn't have any magic that could help with the butchering of animals.
Was there even a magic for that?
Sighing, he pitched his tent, staking the corners into the ground then adding supports and such. At the end of it, he crawled inside and unfolded his sleeping mat before laying down on it. So, he stayed there, motionless, his armor to the side. And he closed his eyes, letting his thoughts drift to who, to this day, after all these years, remained the most outstanding person he'd ever met.
Erza Scarlet.
Why, oh why, did his atonement have to take so long? It'd been well over three years since Erza had returned from Tenrou. Around two years since the events of Tartaros. Frankly, he missed her. Her voice, her presence. The atmosphere that surrounded her as she walked, the confidence she held, and the loyalty to her family, what made her strong. It was beautiful. Just like that way her hair cascaded over her right eye, making her all the more alluring. The aroma of strawberries...
His heart ached for her. It yearned and longed to reach out to her. For him to reach out to her.
Outside, Meredy heard a sigh come from inside Jellal's tent.
"Oh, Jellal," she thought. "You need her."
Derec walked through the forest, kicking at leaves and rocks with the toe of his boots. His mask concealed the top portion of his face, over his eyes where the lenses were tinted, and reached down just under his cheek bones, stretching around back past his ears where straps were tied around the remainder of his head, a hood flipped up to hide the back of it. Although he hadn't seen people in days, he didn't want to take the risk.
Not if they panicked. If that happened, he might end up panicking also. And if that happened, well...
It was simply not an option. He couldn't allow that to occur again.
How long will it be before someone is sent after me? Surely, they would've sent out the request by now. How will I meet my end? Will it be at the hands of this bounty hunter?
"Time Zone: Solitude."
The words flowed off of his tongue smoothly, although he'd only cast it once before. And with that, leaves froze in the air, birds and animals remained lost in the unmoving Time Zone spell. And with that, Derec sat and meditated. That way, he could train in peace, no one capable of entering his Time Zone spell without being frozen in place themselves. Not even a flying bullet would hit him. Any object would be affected as well. Nothing could touch him inside his Solitude spell. Whenever activated, Derec Prain became a god.
"Let them come. I never wanted this. But, I don't wish to suffer in a cell for eternity." He closed his eyes and expanded his spell, enveloping as much of the surrounding forest as he could. He would expend his magic power to its limits, drain himself, recover, and then repeat the process again, and again until he had successfully quadrupled the size of his magic stamina.
Jellal walked into the town, alone. He'd told the others to stay behind, and remain in the forest. He'd left Meredy in charge, trusting her to, once again, keep Cobra in his place. Of everyone, he caused the most trouble despite his more calm appearance. Jellal had come to find any information on a dark guild or wanted mage. The larger Crime Sorcière got, the better chance they could all atone and finally have their peace.
And man, did he ever want his peace. Erza was his peace. He wanted Erza.
He needed Erza.
Stepping into the first pub he came across, he made a beeline for the bartender. If anyone was to hear news, it was someone who spent their day surrounded by idiots who couldn't keep a secret to themselves after a few beers.
"Do you have any information on if there is a dark guild nearby?" Jellal asked the bartender, head tilted, hood up to hide his most distinct facial feature.
The man stopped his polishing of mug and looked at Jellal curiously.
"Now why would a man, a stranger no less, walk into a bar and ask immediately about dark guilds rather than get a drink, hmm?"
"One ale then," Jellal said, pulling out his wallet, and withdrawing fifteen hundred jewels. "A wanted criminal in the area perhaps?"
"Why do you care to find out?" The tender questioned, setting down the drink in front of Jellal before taking the jewels off the counter.
"A wandering mage, caring to help others out."
"What, no guild behind you?"
"I got a few friends."
He only received a hard stare after that remark. Jellal could feel the man's debate. "Oh hell, not like it matters anyway. If you die, you die."
"So, there is a guild?"
"No. There's not a known criminal either. Just a shady character who was seen out in the forest. Has a mask on, covers the upper portion of his face. All I can tell you really."
Jellal frowned before taking a drink. "Why not report him?"
"He's done no crime. At least not that we know of. We just certainly don't trust him."
He said nothing after that. Sitting there, sipping away at his drink, Jellal debated.
Well, why not? Not like they have anything better to do.
He placed his then empty mug on the counter. "Thanks for the drink and information."
"So, you're looking into it, are you?"
"Not much else to do."
"I'm sure you must have a lady at home. A lad of your age, and by the way you carry yourself, your stature, must have someone."
"That, my good sir, is none of your business." Jellal tried to conceal any emotion that would betray how his heart pulled him towards Magnolia. Pushing back from his stool, he stood. "Have a good day." He turned and walked straight out the door.
Erza found herself outside of Era, by the small town of Dradem, in front of a house that was being rebuilt, the last known location of Derec Prain. According to the town's people, he'd been seen running away from the collapsed house with a short blade. Thankfully, the people inside had escaped before the house fell. And, as it turned out, Prain had stolen the sword from the house, taking no victims and fled. What was most unusual was how the house was collapsed. A magic circle had appeared and slowly enveloped the three main support beams of the house. As the circles started consuming them, the family left.
"Well, this is...interesting to say the least. I've never heard of a magic that removes items," she observed.
With this little to go off of, I'll be here for days investigating.
Sighing, she brushed off her skirt as she stood from her crouched position.
"Excuse me," Erza directed her attention to a passing woman, who looked like she'd spent her day harvesting fruits. "Do you know where the nearest hotel is?"
"Yes, it's just past my house." The lady beckoned Erza over with a tilt of her head. "Come, I'll show you."
"Thank you."
As they walked, Erza attempted small talk. She'd found the woman was named Riza, a mother of two, both boys. Riza described them as true brothers, vicious towards each other but loyal as ever. Of course, this reminded Erza of Natsu and Gray, always fighting, ripping at each others throats, but when in the face of danger, the two of them were a duo of deadly force, nearly unstoppable.
As Erza listened with a grin lightly etched on her face, Riza had taken notice of her presence being only half there.
"Dreaming of a someone?"
Erza snapped back into reality and images of Jellal shot across her eyes. "N-no, no. Just thinking of two friends. They relate exactly the way you describe your own sons."
"Well, I'm sure a beautiful young lady like you has her eyes on someone." Her praise made Erza feel a little more self-aware.
She let out a small sigh. "He's occupied himself for the moment. No matter how many times he's told it's pointless, he's pursuing it."
"Ah, a young man and his goals." Riza nodded, as if she understood.
Erza shook her head in a rather sad way. "No, you don't get it. It's not a goal of his, nor a dream. He calls it his atonement."
"Oh. He torments himself then."
"Exactly."
"Fool."
"What?"
"He's a damn fool."
"Uh, well, what makes you say that?" Erza couldn't help, but be perplexed at the woman's, a stranger no less, logic for insulting Jellal, who without a doubt was one of the wisest men- no, the wisest man of his age that she'd ever met.
"Because he's missing the beauty right before his eyes," Riza said, throwing a grin Erza's way, causing her cheeks to tint the slightest bit pink. "We're here."
Erza looked up at the hotel, which was quite cozy looking. Not rundown, that was certain. The traffic coming in and out of Era must have supplied the hotel with enough business to maintain good quality conditions.
After thanking Riza for her help and checking into the hotel, Erza made a beeline for what excited her the most in a popular area for tourists.
The bakery. She could just taste the strawberry cake...
I decided I needed to get something out. I'm honestly not sure if I'll be able to get the last chapter of Salamander's Predecessor out. It's bloody hard to write out a battle sequence especially for a battle the size of the Twin Dragons and Natsu and Gajeel. We'll see. Anywho, this is the S-Class Target. I wrote this quite a while ago, pulled it up, edited it and now I'm finally releasing it and frankly, I'm kinda excited to do so. Jerza is a top pairing.
Review, follow, favourite away lads, its been a while, tell me how I'm doing.
Cheers.
~Nightlocker