Hey everyone!

I'm back with another chapter.

I had some great ideas for this chapter so

I decided to post it earlier than originally planned.

Important note at the end of chapter! Please read it!

Hopefully you guys will enjoy this

Thanks for reading!

Enjoy!

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'I know that you've been bad, shame on you for what you did-'

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Chapter 3: Burning Sinner's

~QOoOQ~

A maniac grin spread across his face. He succeeded. Repent! Dark eyes greedily took in the sight of burning flames. Ashes dirtied his clothes. The announcer, he was a man filled with bravery. Although the announcer was no brave soldier once held hostage by a bomb. The announcer called him a psychopath? He was foolish for letting such rude words leave his mouth. Did three hundred lives mean nothing to him? Apparently not. He laughed. The detectives he had spoken to. They were smart, but they underestimated his abilities. Money was of no interest to him. The feeling of power he felt, the adrenaline rush that pumped through him as he waited eagerly for the mesmerizing explosion. That was what he craved.

Those police officers- Detective Scarlet and Fernandez were their names if he remembered correctly- knew nothing. Money was what sinners wanted. He was not a sinner. Child you must not sin! His gaze rushed up to the blew sky. It was almost completely hidden from his view. The Flames, oh how beautiful they were. Flames were something to cherish, not fear. Yes, the burning was good for the soul. Do not fear it. People liked warmth. Why fear the heat of the fire if they do not fear the warmth of love? The fire loved to burn. Did no one understand this? The flames were just lonely.

Heat rushed over him. The beauty before him of burning buildings along with the screams of the people burning within them. It was music to his ears. You disgraceful child! His grin turned to a grimace. Block it out. Don't listen. Repent! She knew nothing. The smell of burning wood and flesh surrounded him. They were being cleansed. Stripped of all their sins, from the young children to the elderly adults at the brink of death-they all held them. They harboured their sins with such pride not even worrying of the consequences. They were the sinners and he was the person who punished.

He dusted the sinful ashes off. They were what represented the evil within those ignorant people. He grinned, the flames burning strongly much like himself. They had repent. Yes. Let the flames purify you. He shrugged on his coat and shoved his hands deep within the pockets. His lips puckered. His breath blowing through to create a low and unpleasant tune. They would know soon enough. They must repent. He walked down the still street. They would burn and the ashes would be taken from their disgusting bodies while their skin was cleansed by the heat of the flames. They will repent.

And then they will die.

...

Overwhelming heat rushed over him. The smell of burning wood and fresh blood filled his nose. Natsu could hear the crackling of fire along with the weight of something heavy on him. Was he back there again? His eyes felt heavy. Maybe he could relax in the heat, that was alright wasn't it? No. His hand shakily made a fist beneath the rubble. He was tired as hell and the dull pains in his back were no help to keeping him aware. Natsu cracked his heavy eyes open. The room was dark and filled with smoke. He could see the orange light the flames provided.

His blurry eyes turned towards the bodies beneath him. Lucy was passed out, most likely from hitting her head. A small trail of blood slid down her head. Fuck he hoped it wasn't too bad. Bad enough for her to pass out. He growled at himself before turning toward Wendy who was beneath them all. Her brown eyes were cracked open, barely seeing his face right in front of her. "Wendy?" Her head turned slightly. Carefully shifting his arm he grabbed hold of her face and shoulder and checked for injuries. Good. She was alright.

Although that didn't mean the building wouldn't collapse on them.

A harsh breath escaped him. Natsu's hands pressed firmly against the warm ground and pushed up. The rubble shifted slightly. Good Lord it was heavy. His arms trembled beneath his weight but he couldn't stop. If they didn't get out of the building soon then it would surely be their end. Again. He pushed up, his eyes shut tightly. It shifted off a bit more, he could see more light now. Once more. Natsu turned his body and gripped the exposed edge of the roof before pushing to the side. The skin on his hands was thoroughly damaged and bleeding profusely but a little scar was nothing compared to life.

He looked down at his partner before gently pulling her off the young girl beneath her. Wendy sat up slowly, she seemed dazed. Perhaps she was in shock? No surprise. Any child would be in shock seeing their mother killed so brutally and then having a bomb explode shortly after. "Are you alright?" Natsu asked her cautiously. Her eyes snapped back to him before she nodded mutely. "Okay," he grunted as the weight of Lucy's body sunk into his arms. "We need to leave quickly."

"But what about everyone else?"

Damn. He forgot the reason they were in there. His eyes searched the stairs, "I don't think anyone survived the explosion up there. Hell we barely did." Natsu looked back at her as he headed down the stairs. "We can check for survivors as we go down but I am not risking your safety or my partners without knowing for sure there is a efficient way to escape and bring the survivors back safely." Harsh but it was the bitter truth. A rumble went through the building, nearly knocking him down. "We need to go now."

"But the people-"

"Wendy," he looked back at her harshly. She didn't understand. He wanted to save everyone-and he would. Natsu wanted to prevent lives form being lost. He knew what was best in situations like these and risking their lives to go further into the flames was not something he recommended. "I will check if there are any survivors below us. We cannot risk going up any farther." No room for argument. She followed closely behind. Her quiet sobs not going unnoticed by him. Damn he hated this. Don't think about it. She may hate you but it is for the best.

But was it?

Was he just going to let the bomber go? There was a possibility the criminal was still within the premises and he was just going to let him escape? No. The man wouldn't be in the building, he was too smart for that. The suspect must have escaped moments before the bomb was set off. The bomber hadn't accepted the bribe they offered. Money wasn't his motive, what was? Revenge? There was no indication of him wishing to hurt someone for that reason. He said the bombs were like fireworks. Did he do it for the fun of it? That was large possibility considering how he had made it seem like entertainment. Mavis the man was sick. (Note: Fireworks reference is because they are beautiful but harmful if too close)

Didn't he know there were small, helpless children within the area? Of course he did. This was a zoo after all, it was expected children would be running around with their parents looking at the animals held within the vicinity. Why? He clenched his jaw. What was the reason for hurting hundreds of innocent people with one bomb? Would he do it again? Did he take pleasure in the damage his bomb had done? Natsu had a feeling that whoever this twisted criminal was, he would strike again.

"Dragneel?" He looked down at the blonde girl held firmly in his arms. Her eyes were swollen, barely allowing her to see through them. Her hair covered in ashes and pieces of ceiling. Cuts and scrapes littered her body. Mavis she looked like shit. "Where is he?"

"Who?"

"The bomber." Shit. How was he going to tell her? He didn't answer. "Dragneel?" She looked into his eyes before sighing. Maybe she already knew the answer. She did find him to be a coward anyway so it was an obvious assumption. She struggled against his hold. "Let me down."

"No."

"I'm not asking."

He bit back a growl when she hit a particularly tender spot. "I'm not letting you go." He tightened his grip. Natsu knew what she was going to do if he put her down. He'd be damned if he let her walk into a suicide mission. Last set of stairs. No survivors so far. He paused and peeked into a nearby room. Someone was sitting up, groaning in pain. Alive! Someone was alive! Through the darkness Natsu could see the survivor was a young girl, around the age of six possibly. He hastily ran down the last flight of stairs.

"Dragneel let me the fuck go."

"Luce you can't even see down the street." He scolded, "How are going to see in the dark and check for small injuries. Anything could be fatal and if we're not out in time then we die."

"I can still help."

"No."

"Let me go-!" Her head dropped onto his shoulder abruptly. Natsu heard Wendy gasp behind him as he placed Lucy on the ground a safe distance away. He sighed and looked back at the burning building. He was sure the other detectives were searching the other buildings for survivors at the moment. He needed to move. A piece of wood fell from the structure. Time to go.

"Natsu, you just hurt Lucy!"

He shrugged. "She'll be fine. I just knocked her out, she would be no help like that. Besides Lucy's strong." That much Natsu could tell. His new partner had a fiery determination and an efficient way of thinking. Of course he had only small things to go off of but for now he had deducted those traits. Further into their partnership perhaps he would see more of Lucy rather than just her stoic, detective side. He smiled at the thought.

Opening the door to the building he just left, Natsu coughed. Thick black smoke wafted out. Mavis he hoped no one was standing at the moment. He ducked his head slightly and went through the lower rooms once again. His radio went off. Good Lord did he need help. Laxus' voice rung out form the speak. "Detective Dragneel?" His hand shakily grabbed the device.

"I'm alright. Checking for survivors in suspects previous location." He paused. "This really isn't good Laxus." Static followed after his words, of course it was bad-a bomb just went off at a fucking zoo. He opened another door further up, the girl he found earlier was fine but passed out. Too much smoke inhalation. A cough erupted form his throat. He was beginning to think Laxus lost connection with him.

"Any survivors?"

"So far only two. Young Male, around six passed out from smoke inhalation. The second is a young female around the age of fifteen, she's outside with the boy right now."

"...Is my sister alright?"

"Nothing serious." Natsu responded vaguely. Another set of dead bodies. "We got crushed by some rubble, she and the little girl were under me so there's a possibility of a broken rib." Truthfully she sounded like she was having a hard time breathing when he picked her up.

"Dammit. Where is she now?"

"Outside with the kids. She's past out."

"Too much smoke?"

"Uh... I may have forced a small nap on her." He pulled the radio away from his face as Laxus cursed him out. In hindsight he probably shouldn't have knocked her out. He shrugged- she wouldn't sit still despite herself.

"I swear Dragneel if anything happens to my sister-"

"Yeah yea." Another body. Dead. "Keep in contact, let me know how the others are doing." He received a brief grunt before the radio produced static. Natsu sighed, some of the worry was off him. Back up would be here soon along with the bomb squad. He went up another flight, he was on the level they found Wendy. He looked behind the bloody door, carefully moving the deceased mother. Four survivors, one standing.

Their terrified eyes turned to him. "Calm down. I'm a cop." He took out his badge and they nodded mutely. "Are any of you badly injured?" One of them-a woman- pointed to and elderly male.

"He can't breath sir. A piece of ceiling fell down on his chest, I bet he broke a rib." Natsu walked up to the elder male. He looked worse for wear but he was alive at least. Popping open the mans shirt he looked at his chest. He grimaced, a bone was sticking up. Definitely broken.

"Can anyone who is able to walk on their own help him down the stairs?" They nodded. "I want you all out quickly, there will be two young kids a safe distance away from here along with another police officer; Detective Ashley. Look for them."

"What about your sir?"

Natsu began to walk away. "I'm going up further. Hurry up." He walked up the next bit of stairs. The smell was stronger now. Mavis it was hard to breath. He checked another room. Dead. His eyes glanced up the stairs, it was the last set before the final floor. It didn't look safe, should head back. Natsu heard a small cry. Shit. He pulled his shirtsleeve down further and covered his mouth and nose. He peered into the room, their was a young man most likely in his early twenties.

Natsu grabbed his trembling body gently. Burns and cuts were all over his skin. The mans eyes began to droop. "Hey!" Natsu urgently called out, he couldn't let him pass out. There was so much blood. He raced down the second set of steps. "Stay awake, okay? Can you do that for me?"

"Mm."

Three more sets. "Can you tell me your name?" Perhaps he was related to the youngest girl he had rescued earlier, they looked quite similar. Light blue hair. Innocent blue eyes. Pale skin. Soft features. The boy took in a sharp breath and moved his head to the side so it was laying against his shoulder.

"G-Gem..." His small fingers stained in blood wrapped around the cloth of his collar. Natsu pulled the cloth held to his mouth away from him and placed it over the boys. "S-Sis..?" His droopy eyes stared hopefully at him. Truthfully he was unsure whether his sister had survived or not so he chose to remain silent.

"What's your sisters name?"

"Minni."

"How old is she?" If she was his older sister, maybe thirteen then he doubted she survived if she was in the building. Although Natsu wouldn't tell him that. Damn. Maybe he should get Lucy to break all bad news, he hated bringing it. He shook his head. He couldn't do that. Gem spoke.

"Six. Like me." Natsu's eyes widened.

"Twins?"

"Mmhm." It was getting hard to breath. Black spots littered his vision and his steps became unsteady. Come on. Not now! Only one more set of stairs. Pressure fell on his lungs the more he used them. He had to get out. Natsu couldn't stop here. A loud rumble shook the building. It was going to collapse. He needed to get out. The smoke was so thick he could barely see a few steps ahead of him. The boy had long since passed out but the cloth remained over his mouth and nose.

Natsu's shoulder met the door and he pushed. Bright light filled the smoky building and he hurried out of it. He felt dizzy. Too much smoke. He could see a flash of blonde hair. Was that Lucy? She was awake? He stumbled down in front of the survivors and his partner. Faintly he could hear the voices of his unit members and the sound of a little girls voice calling out to her brother. Was that Gem's sister? His shoulders fell in relief. Good he still had his sister.

"You idiot!" Natsu blinked blearily at the blonde blob. Lucy? "Why the fuck did you do that!?" She sounded angry, opposite of her calm composure. Why was she angry? He felt her shake his shoulder roughly. "You said I'm your partner didn't you!? So if I'm your partner than how do you think I felt being left behind napping while you go on a suicide mission!?" So that was why she was mad. Natsu coughed.

"S-Sorry Luce..."

"Bastard." Lucy spat at him before helping one of the paramedics with his injuries. "Leave me behind again and you will have more to worry about then just a burning building." He tried to laugh but it was getting hard to even breath. His eyes closed. A small nap wouldn't hurt now that all the survivors were out of the building.

Lucy sighed as she watched her new partner pass out. She was pissed. How could he knock her out and leave traumatized kids with her? She let out a sigh as one of the medics came over to her. Her body ached and her head felt like splitting open. Wendy had long since left with her grandmother Porlyusica. The elder woman was actually a doctor who had treated her before she moved in with her father. Her brown eyes shifted toward the twins Gem and Mini. Lucy had asked them if they knew of any family members they could stay with seeing as their father had been in the flaming building but there was no one.

She hissed, her arm burning. The building had long since burned down. Erza, Gray and Mystogan had returned with over fifty survivors but none went uninjured. Mavis who would do this? Psychotic people. Someone who enjoys the rush and excitement of killing someone. That causes misery to others. Lucy doubted the person they were dealing with was going to go down easily. What was his reason? Why was he doing this? Lucy rested her head in her hands. She was shaking. Her eyes trained on the burning building, bodies trapped within. So many bodies.

Dead.

Blood.

Mavis there's so much blood.

Where are you Little Dead Body?

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'-When will it be enough, shame on us, shame on all of us!'

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Shattered-Nightmares712: IMPORTANT: So this involves the situation of my computer. Unfortunately the reason why its not working is because it's burnt out from a power outage we had awhile ago and won't turn on anymore. Any documents I had saved on that computer are gone and have to be remade, luckily I have almost all my documents save onto fanfiction other than the chapter for Tainted I was about to post. I will be updating but it wont be too often because I have to either use my dads computer, my tablet (which takes forever) or what time I have on the computers by myself at school. I actually started writing this chapter in my Careers and civics class because we literally had no work to do and so my teacher came up to me and asked what I was interested in doing after high school and I said I was interested in studying medicine and maybe taking a course in criminology. He thought that was pretty interesting and he looked and my computer, asking what I was typing, and after he read it (the beginning of this chapter) he's like criminology may need some more thought. I was laughing so hard after that!

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