(A/N: His name is pronounced 'Lee', but it's spelt Lea for the simple fact that if you add an 'x' and rearrange the letters, you get Axel.)

Flames burned the building and a lone empty can that had held kerosene. Sirens blared through the night as police desperately tried to search for the young arsonist who set the building ablaze.

A nineteen year old youth stood hidden in the shadows of an alleyway. His crimson hair was just barely visible, and his emerald green eyes flickered with the flames. A sadistic smile twisted his lips.

"They had it coming." he said aloud as he turned to head deeper into the alley. "They treated me like shit, so now they pay."

"LEA!" came a voice from the streets. "We know you're in there! Come out with your hands behind your head!" The police had found him. Lea froze to the spot and the lighter slipped from his grasp.

"Shit." he cursed, and quietly he slipped away. Unfortunately, there were more police officers blocking the chain link fence that Lea was hoping to go over.

"You can't get out of this one Lea." one of them said.

"You've gone too far this time, Lea!" said the other. Lea let a smirk curl his lips.

"That's what you said the last time when I killed my last foster parents." Lea said pointing to the black tear shaped tattoos below his eyes. "But you tend to neglect the fact that they were the ones who pulled the butcher knife out on me. They just weren't quick to realize that I still had the pocket knife I received from the orphanage hidden in my back pocket."

"Lea, this is different. You just set a building on fire! Thousands of people could die!" the officer said all the while advancing on the troubled teen. The once amused visage turned to one of hate and anger.

"I DON'T CARE!" he yelled, and the officer gripped the handle of his gun. "I don't care anymore! Do you even know what it's like? I've had to go from foster home to foster home just because those stupid ass holes didn't want me! Do you know what other people must think? They think I'm some kind of problem child! I can't stand it!" It seemed as though Lea was on the verge of tears when he pulled out a gun of his own and pointed it at his temple. The police force backed away a little except for the one officer.

"Lea, don't do this. It doesn't have to-" In a whir off bullets, time seemed to stand still, and soon there was an array of dead bodies all at the feet of one person.

He ran. Lea couldn't stand it, so he ran out of the alley way and into the slums of the city.

He was sitting alone in one of the abandoned buildings, his head buried into his knees that were brought to his chest. Lea felt so hurt and confused. Ever since he was little, he had been forced to move from foster home to foster home. No one really cared about him. They all just acted like they did, and all the while Lea was oblivious to it. At least, he was until he heard his previous foster parents talking about him behind a locked door. They said such horrible things about him, such heart wrenching things. It still hurt him to think about it, and when he went to confront them about it, they tried to hurt him. It was terrible, there was so much blood shed. A single tear fell over the dark tattoo on his face.

"I'm so stupid." Lea whispered to himself. "Why did it have to end this way?" He took a blade from his back pocket and opened it up. Swirling designs were engraved in the metal, and bits of stained blood tarnished the artwork. He examined it a little while longer.

"It's now or never." he said, and he positioned the pocket knife above his heart. Just as he jerked his arms downward, he noticed a few glowing embers passing by on the night wind in the other room.

Lea carefully got to his feet and left the blade behind, forgotten on the floor. Slowly and surely he made his way to the door and saw the strangest thing. Strange bell shaped creatures were happily floating around near a small fire. They had what looked like small yellow hats on their pitch black heads, and they had luminescent eyes that seemed like they would shine through anything. Lea was some mesmerized by the little 'animals' that he hadn't even noticed that they had surrounded them. They seemed to give off a malicious aura, and yet Lea didn't budge. He couldn't. The strange fire-addicted fiends drew in closer, and Lea tried to look for an opening when several things started to pass through his mind.

'Wait, why am I even bothering trying to escape? No one likes me. I've been passed from family to family. Hell, I'm even wanted by the police. So many innocent people have suffered because of me. I shouldn't even be alive anymore.'

Lea slowly let his eyelids close and waited for the hit. His body felt like ice was suddenly pressed against him from all over. Darkness was spinning around him. Lea opened his eyes to a strange sight. It was almost as if his shadow had come alive and was staring at him with those same yellow eyes. That was the last thing he remembered before he lost all consciousness.

Lea woke up to find himself in a white room. Everything was completely blank.

"Am I dead?" he asked aloud, and a laugh resonated from the room. He turned to see a strange individual. He had short silvery blue hair that covered one of his eyes. His eyes were cold and held no emotion.

"Who are you?" Lea asked, and the person laughed again.

"My name is not important at the moment. I was just told to retrieve you and welcome you." he said, and Lea gave him a questioning look which was ignored. "Number VIII...Axel. You have been designated as the Flurry of Dancing Flames. Welcome, to the organization."