Authoress Notes: Greetings, everyone! I've come back with a new AU fic! I'm sorry to just jump out with a new story when I should be focusing on my current ones. I'll try to update my stories and this one as fast as I can. So if you like, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own SO3.

Pairings: Nelx?, AlbelxNel, CliffxMirage

Plot/Summary: (AU) Nel Zelpher's line of work isn't an easy one. Occupation: Stealing, studying, and more stealing. So what do you do when the secrecy of your work (besides studying) is in jeopardy?

Thief of the Art, Thief of the Heart

By: xKuroSeraphimx

Chapter I

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For years, on the planet known as Elicoor, many intricate and fine works of art have been stolen from various museums…

"Dammit! The artifact's been stolen! That low-life thief got away again!" raged an officer standing before a pedestal that once held a highly praised item. All that was left on the velvety, scarlet cushion was a simple note.

"Heh, this was too easy…"

Who had stolen these precious intricacies of imagination? With the sudden rise of ransack bandits thieves going around, there were too many suspects to count.

Yet there was one thing that differed from the rest. This thief was overly cunning; he got through any state-of-the-art defense mechanism built over the generations, and always managed to conceal their true identity from the public and press. The warning notes usually left before the actual thievery occurred were the only things the perpetrator left behind.

The name of this infamous shadow thief was…

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"Heh! Lookit what's all over the news, kids! The sacred sculpture of the Goddess Palmira was stolen yesterday!"

Class members of the senior echelon scrambled over their desks to look shoulder upon shoulder at the article a buff, blond-haired man held high for all to see. Cliff Fittir, commonly known as the 'King of Pranks' for his antics with his partner in crime, Mirage Koas, on their poor principal of the prestigious high school of Peterny.

Grinning from ear to ear as he got his audience nearly encircling him, he read aloud, "Notorious master thief, the Crimson Blade, has struck yet again, making away with the magnificently carved statue of one of our primary goddesses, the Statue of Palmira. The act of thievery occurred exactly when the Crimson Blade had warned the staff of the museum: 8:00. The Security System tried its best to protect the artifact valiantly, yet…" At this, Cliff stopped, roaring with laughter with some of the classmates.

"'Valiantly,' this guy says," he began. "Yet what difference did that make? We all know for years this Crimson Blade guy made away with over hundreds of precious works of art!" With his amused grin widening as the other students began murmuring about the news, Cliff began reading the rest of the passage.

As a small smile stretched upon her lips, Mirage Koas turned to one of her friends. "Honestly, he shouldn't make such a deal about it, don't you think?" she asked lightly.

Nel Zelpher, who was absently twirling a mechanical pencil in her hand, stopped her fiddling and shifted her attention from the window. "I guess so," she half-heartedly shrugged. "Not that I care, really…"

"I have to admit, I still wonder why he gets so worked up over this whole 'Crimson Blade' thing…" Maria Traydor added, flipping stray locks of azure hair over her shoulder.

The blonde woman shrugged. "He gets his resources from me or Welch. You know how he wants to be a reporter or something like that. Besides, it's near time the attention around him thins…"

The entrance to the room opened and Sophia Esteed strode in, looking rather breathless. Gathering some oxygen within her lungs for a moment, she straightened and walked over to the three girls sitting around Nel's desk. "Hey, you guys. Good morning!"

The three young women replied back before Maria spoke, "So, what's wrong back home? Thought you were late again?" the azure-haired girl asked with a teasing note in her voice.

Sophia flashed her tongue. "Stupid Fayt… He made my alarm clock go off early, so I thought I…" She growled, shaking slightly in anger. "Where is he, anyway? I know he got here before me…"

Mirage promptly pointed an accusing finger towards the boy standing next to Cliff and looking at the newspaper. Pouting a bit, and muttering under her breath about some revenge, Sophia calmed herself and turned to Nel, noticing the way the redhead wasn't even paying attention to the crowd over on the other side of the classroom.

"What's wrong, Nel? Bad morning, too?" Sophia asked.

Nel shook her head. "Clair forced me to wake up with the act of pouring ice over my legs. Let's just say the numerous projects assigned from our dear Science and Chemistry teachers kept me up almost all night." She shook her head, stifling a yawn with her hand.

Maria hissed sympathetically, yet the amused glint in her eyes suggested otherwise. "Poor you…" She really didn't sound as concerned as she was trying to look for her friend.

Catching this, Nel rolled her forest-colored eyes. "At least it's better than what Adray would have done had he decided to wake me up…" She closed her eyes, shivering at the thought.

"Indeed…" Mirage replied, patting the red-haired woman on the shoulder.

Maria's head shot up a few seconds later. "Oh look, here comes arrogant pretty boy." She announced dryly, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Albel Nox ambled leisurely in the room, and immediately, as if on some random cue, the girls in the classroom were fawning at the sight of him. Save for Mirage, Nel, Maria and Sophia, who frowned instead and decided to ignore his crimson stare. Yet from the look on his face, he seemed pretty tired as well. Without sparing another glance, he sat in his designated seat, propping his long legs on his desk. Crossing his legs at the knee, he soon began to read a small notebook he fished out of his pocket.

"Hm. For some reason, he's not acting like his all-mighty self…" Sophia observed, finding his current demeanor during a Monday morning disturbing.

Nel shrugged. "At least he's not talking. Makes my life considerably easier… And also… I didn't know he could read."

Maria made a sound that could have been mistaken for laughter. "Thank you for voicing my thoughts there."

"You're welcome," the redhead simply replied.

"You two…" Mirage began with a lightly admonishing tone of voice. "If you haven't noticed, he's been rather well-behaved over the past few months now that Sir Woltar appointed him as commander over the Security System."

Maria mockingly clapped. "Well, whoop-dee-do." She replied sarcastically. "Though, I guess I do have to give him credit for one so young to obtain that title. I suppose Vox isn't too happy being demoted to a lower rank than someone younger than him, hmm?"

Mirage nodded, that small smile on her lips widening slightly. "Not at all. Though, on Sir Woltar's request, he'll abide with it… For now, I would assume." She added vaguely.

"Heh. With the way that warmonger thinks and acts, I'm surprised he hasn't done anything yet." Nel spoke, turning around in her seat to face the other girls. "Sooner or later, he's going to snap."

"Very true," Sophia agreed with a nod of her head.

"Good morning to you fine ladies!" Cliff called jovially as he walked towards them, the show and tell event finally over. Fayt followed him and, obviously knowing of Sophia's rage to get back at him, stayed close to Cliff's left side. If the need arose, he'd use the blond-haired man as a human shield. Cliff waved the newspaper. "So you've heard, right?" he asked expectantly.

His female blonde counterpart sighed, rubbing her temples. "Yes, Cliff. The whole campus probably heard your loud, reporter voice about the infamous Crimson Blade."

Despite her words, his grin grew wider. "Still, that Crimson Blade guy knows how to steal! I mean, even with Pudding over there," he pointed a thumb towards Albel, who could obviously hear him yet still kept on reading the pages of his small notebook, "the guy stole the statue right from under his and Vox's noses! Pretty sad accomplishment since I heard Vox was the one planning the whole thing and Nox went along with it."

"I'd love to stay and chat, but," Nel interjected, looking at the clock and grimacing slightly. "But I have to go to the art room and check it over. My shift." Slowly, she stood up from her seat, waving a hand to the group before disappearing behind the sliding door.

Arching a brow, Fayt asked, "Something wrong with her?" he asked, looking at the direction the redhead went off to.

Sophia shrugged. "You know the projects are due in a few days… We're all getting pretty tired from doing those things, don't you think?" Suddenly, an eerie smile curved up her lips, and a shadow somehow formed over her forehead. "Now Fayt, about this morning…"

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Making her way down to the art room on the first floor of Peterny High, Nel yawned, not even bothering to hide it. Finally reaching her destination, she tried to twist the doorknob open, but it refused to turn fully. Frowning slightly, her eyes caught sight of the small panel next to the door.

… A computer lock, eh? She thought questioningly. Checking the halls around her to see if anybody was around, she deemed the hall clear and began to work around the code needed to open the door. After a few seconds of button mashing, the panel flashed in approval before the door automatically slid open. With a triumphant grin, Nel proceeded to walk in.

That is, until a hand was placed upon her shoulder.

Clearly jumping and forestalling the yelp of surprise that immediately rushed up her throat, Nel calmed herself before turning to look at the face the hand belonged to. "Oh, Professor M-Milenya!" she greeted, bowing respectfully at the older woman.

"Oh dear, did I startle you, child?" Milenya asked, concern wrinkling her features.

"N-Not at all! I was just getting ready to check the supplies around this art room, you see." Nel gestured to the room behind her. "May I ask what are you doing down here, Professor?"

Milenya, after hearing her response, calmed herself, folding her hands in front of her. "I was going to retrieve something I needed from the art room, dear. For my class, you see." She paused. "But… Last I checked, I heard that this room was computer locked so I brought this," she held out a card key, "with me. Did you open it?"

Crap! Nel thought in panic, but held herself together. Berating herself and reminding herself not to open complicated placed locks in public, she replied, "Err… No, Professor. I guess one of the school staff was reminded that I had a job to do in here, and opened it for me so I found the… lock open."

"I see." Milenya replied. "Well then, shall we go about on our own business?"

"… Sure."

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The red-haired woman strode past the barred gates of her home and began to walk to the entrance. Nel looked up at the three-story building, the afternoon sun casting shadows from the trees and walls surrounding the building to creep up the walls. Sighing and shifting her heavy backpack, she proceeded towards the door and opened it.

Once she set a foot down, Nel found that there was no ground and immediately, before she fully fell into darkness, grabbed the ledge and expertly jumped back on the foyer. Glaring at the sight of a long, six-foot gap in the hall, Nel prepared herself. Pushing up the sleeves of her burgundy sweater, she placed her hands on the sides of the doorway and leaped across the chasm.

She began running. A minute later, Nel stopped, just as arrows came bursting out of the left side of the hall, embedding their sharp tips in the opposite wall. Increasing her pace as she resumed running, the redhead halted as various items in the hall - vases, paintings, and tables - began lighting lasers in her path.

Ugh, again? When will they quit it! Nel thought exasperatedly. Making sure her pack was secure on her back, she rushed forward. With catlike grace and reflexes, she twisted, ducked, and turned away from the harmful rays of red lights and continued running.

The last obstacles she needed to avoid were sudden guillotines that began swinging left to right. The young woman tsked before lowering her body and rolling past the first blade, then leapt to avoid the other.

Finally, letting out a sigh of relief, the traps in the halls vanished. Scratching her head, Nel made it to the true door and raised a hand to twist it, but paused. Frowning, she took off one shoe and dropped it upon the knob.

As she suspected, the whole shoe was fried from the electric volts that shocked it from the knob. Arching a brow, she made to turn the knob again, and found that it was safe.

Pushing the door open, Nel peeked her head in. "… Uh, I'm home?" she announced.

Her hand was soon yanked from the doorknob as Clair Lasbard pulled her into a fierce hug. "Good job, Nel! That was your best performance yet!" she cried, hugging her friend tightly.

"Okay… Ow! You can let go of me now!" Nel snapped, pushing the gray-haired woman off her, allowing her lungs to get some air.

Clair was still smiling broadly until her father, Adray Lasbard, strode into their large living room. "Very well done, Nel! Your father would be proud!" He pronounced joyously, his big, father-figure grin curling his lips.

At the mention of her father, she smiled. "Thanks… Though," Nel looked at the both of them critically. "Next time, leave out the arrows okay? I swear I'm going to be killed by your training regimen…"

"Done," Clair agreed before Nel began to climb up the stairs. "Oh yes, Nel! You haven't forgotten about the—"

Nel waved a hand offhandedly. "Yeah, yeah… I know." With that, she disappeared into her room.

Adray rubbed his hairy chin thoughtfully. "She's fully grown, don't you think? Just like her father…" He said in a voice as if he was reminiscing a memory of long ago.

His daughter nodded in agreement. "Indeed she is. After all, it is her job to—"

Suddenly, there was a muffled explosion coming from Nel's room before said girl burst through her door, her left eye twitching slightly.

"Adray! Can you stop putting explosives in my pillow?"

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"Tonight, at 9:00 pm, I will steal the Ruby of Apris.

-Crimson Blade"

The young man stared blankly at the warning note that the museum staff gave him. Checking his watch, he checked that it was a minute till nine, and soon, the infamous shadow thief was said to arrive.

"Are the defenses checked?" He asked Vox, captain of the police squadron.

The older man nodded. "Everything's placed in front of the artifact. We'll get that damned thief sooner or later." Vox growled, a promised threat hidden in his words.

The other man grunted, shoving his hands into his pocket before making his way towards the inside of Peterny's museum. Before he got a few feet away from the crowd of news reporters surrounding the steps of the museum, he spoke, "It's near time. The Crimson Blade should be coming in soon. Get ready." Albel Nox commanded seriously, but a small smile was curving up his lips.

Soon, Crimson Blade, your free thieving days are over… That is, unless this thief will accept a proposition.

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Well, that's the end of that chap. Thanks a bunch to BlueTrillium, who's my new beta, for proofreading this! If you liked it, you review please!