Authoress Notes: Thanks go to the people who reviewed the previous chapter. Keep the reviews coming, and I'll update faster. Also, I know the plot is based around D.N.Angel but what I'm going for later on is different. Different, yes, but I will keep minor things that are close to D.N.Angel. With that note off, 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 II

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"… Apris, these defenses are sad…"

The Crimson Blade popped the kinks out of her shoulders as she finally entered the end of the long, darkened hallway. Grinning, Nel Zelpher looked over her shoulder at her handiwork: disarming the traps or scanners that were scattered haphazardly around the hall. Laser beams invisible to the naked eye, trap buttons and slightly misplaced looking tiles on the floor that were just waiting to be sprung at her and attempt to catch her… And other obvious and not-so-well-placed traps here and there.

In all honesty, the way they tried to catch her would even make Clair Lasbard bristle.

At least I didn't arrive late… Nel sighed, looking down at her apparel and recalling the brief story behind it…

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The back doorbell rang several times in a row in a rather enthusiastic manner. Clair announced she would answer, as she was busy washing bits of the night's dinner they shared in the sink and walked over to the safe entranceway to the Lasbard and Zelpher house.

Washing her hands with a rag, Clair proceeded towards the door. Twisting the gold knob, the gray-haired woman was greeted with a familiar face, and a sudden hug from the newly arrived guest. "Hiya, Clair! I'm finally here!"

Clair patted the younger girl on the back before pulling away. "Good to see you too, Welch. I'm sure you've brought what we've been expecting, correct?" she asked politely.

Welch Vineyard vigorously nodded her head. "Of course! I just can't wait to see dear Nel in this getup!" Welch replied, looking around the kitchen interior until Clair began leading her out of that part of the house.

Once the two were the stairs up to the second floor, Welch spoke, "So! How are your father and Nel?"

"Oh, Father endured a light scolding from Nel because he placed a few explosives in her room," Clair answered, sighing at her father and the redhead's antics a few hours ago. "Nel should be about done with her homework…"

"Good! 'Cause she has to get ready for the—" Suddenly, Welch stopped and bolted for Nel's room, leaving the other woman arching a brow at her behavior. Did she hear something amiss in Nel's room?

Obviously she did, as Welch burst into the room, finding the red-haired woman about to jump out her window and onto the nearby tree. "Aha! You can't get out of this one, Nel Zelpher!"

"G-Get away!" Nel was about to leap onto a thick limb of the tree before the pig-tailed brunette grasped her ankles firmly and began to drag her back into her room.

"Come… on, Nel! This… is… only… one fitting!" Welch grunted as she put a lot of effort into pulling the thief back inside.

"That's what you say every time!" Nel latched her hands onto the frame of her window as the other woman applied more of her strength, but she was quickly losing her grip. That is, until Clair arrived at the doorway.

"C-Clair! Get her off me! I'll find my own outfit to wear tonight!" She pleaded, her whole body now stretched over her bed.

Clair, however, merely smiled. "You think I'm that stupid to stop her?" She asked, trying to look as innocent as a bystander looked when witnessing a man set himself on fire.

Traitor! Nel thought, just as Welch, with a great heave, sent her flying into said woman with an audible thump. Quickly getting off of her, Nel tried to leave again, only to have Welch stop her in her tracks. She struggled, but couldn't fight her off.

Finally, Nel conceded. "Okay! Fine! But it better be just one fitting. I'm getting tired of running around in weird clothes…"

"Don't worry, Nel! This time, I'll make you look more suave!" Welch promised, releasing the redhead from her headlock.

"If you two would hurry with Nel's choice of clothing for tonight," Clair calmly interrupted. She pointed to the clock suspended above Nel's desk, showing it was only fifteen minutes till nine. "And stop bickering among yourselves, I'd like the Crimson Blade to arrive at the exact time we specified on the card, hmm?" With that, the gray-haired female closed the door behind her.

Only afterwards did Nel and Welch let shivers of fear run down their spines at the dark undertone in Clair's behavior before her departure.

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Note to self: Never go past Clair's tolerance. NEVER. Nel thought before running her forest-colored eyes over the clothing Welch had given her to wear.

She was wearing a long, khaki-colored cape with a hood that covered most of her head, while underneath, a black, skintight tunic stuck to her flesh. Starting under her breasts and ending at the curve of her waist was a brown, leather girdle, strapped in place by two belts. Nel's pants were loose and black, halted by the knees of her black boots. Her gloves ended right at her biceps, and the one constant in all of her outfits (aside from the apparel being black) was the striped black and blue scarf around her neck that was long enough to hide her entire mouth if she tilted her head correctly.

Nel, at one point in her life, questioned why this piece always stayed the same whenever she was out doing her business. Clair simply answered that the scarf was tradition in the Zelpher family for some reason. At the time, Clair didn't look like she'd explain more, and so, the redhead hadn't questioned about it again.

Tradition, huh…? She tugged at the scarf for a moment before remembering her current task at hand.

The Ruby of Apris… Looking around, Nel checked her time and began walking to where she heard the gem would be. I shouldn't linger… The police squad must have already sent someone to scout the premises…

After passing by several rooms that contained various precious works of art, Nel finally arrived at her destination. The gem sparkled under the moonlight passing through the arched windows. The Ruby was about the size of a basketball and cut somewhat in the shape of an angled teardrop. It was beautiful, of course, another incentive to steal the object…

Walking towards it, Nel savored the success of another item secured for her family's vault, and reached a hand towards it…

"So you did come in on time, Crimson Blade."

Eyes widening, Nel whirled to face the person standing where the voice had come from. She took a step back, teeth grinding at the sight of the commander of the police squadron. Him…

It was Albel Nox's turn to have a triumphant and nonetheless smug look on his face as he stood at the entrance she had come in by. The lithe young man still had on his school shirt and pants, either because he obviously didn't care what he wore to work, or just didn't have enough time to change and look decent. The question was just how the skinny commander had managed to follow her without the thief knowing!

"Beautiful isn't it?" Albel asked softly, inclining his head towards the gem, causing Nel to take a cautious step next to it. "… But if you want it, you'll have to get past me, Crimson Blade."

Nel suspiciously narrowed her eyes at him. He doesn't seem to have any weapons on him… Then again, his form was deceptive itself. He may appear to look weak, when in fact he was ten times stronger than his appearance let on. As the adage went, 'Don't judge a book by its cover,' people who foolishly messed with Albel Nox didn't come out with just a few bruises or black eyes.

Yet, she let out an arrogant grunt and spoke, lowering her voice to make it sound like she was really a man: "Heh. Such bold words, but I could just take this piece and carry on my way right no—"

Nel blinked and moved just in time to avoid a metal claw slashing at the spot in where she previously stood. Regaining her composure, Nel let her eyes travel up the metallic limb that was attached to Albel's body. A claw? Since when did he get such a thing? The thief questioned in her head. Nel knew that an accident had happened in the past to the commander, resulting in the loss of his left arm; what the incident was, she still didn't know, but a claw?

A frown creased itself on her brow as she cursed her momentary lapse of nearly having Albel decapitate her. Right, from now on, Nel needed to be more careful around the young man, in or out of school.

Albel flexed his claw before he charged for her again, this time, speeding himself up a few notches so that she barely sidestepped in time to avoid a swipe at her neck. He didn't stop there, however, as he twisted his torso to send a kick to her stomach. Nel was given a second before she placed her hand in front of her body and caught his foot, yet he put enough force to push her back a few feet, letting her skid to a stop.

Fast and strong… Even with that metal claw of his… Nel's heart drummed in her ears, and the adrenaline rush made her feel more excited, but she calmed herself down. She didn't need to deal with Albel; her main objective was the Ruby…

Once he made the initiative for another attack, Nel produced a smoke bomb and let it fly. As expected, he stopped dead in his tracks with a frustrated growl, and that was her cue to make for the Ruby. Albel closed his eyes, focusing more on his sense of hearing – the sound of the smoke dispersing, hurried footsteps towards the gem – then…

He tackled her to the ground. With a surprised and audible oomph! Nel tumbled backwards, the Ruby of Apris rolling away from her hands as she made contact with the hard, marble ground.

When the smoke cleared, her forest depths locked with crimson. Albel smirked above her, keeping her wrists secured to the ground with his own hands, no matter how hard she struggled. "Got you now, Crimson Blade…" He purred, his hot breath washing over her face.

Nel growled viciously at him. Curse him! She arched and twisted her body in an attempt to get him off of her, but his weight overpowered hers. Plus, he was straddling her effectively so she wouldn't be able to swing her legs the way she'd want them to.

"Ahh… How I've waited long for this moment…" He whispered, his face inches away from Nel's.

She squirmed in vain a bit more until she asked, "What the hell do you want?"

He arched a neatly groomed brow, his hair tickling the exposed skin of her cheeks. "Want? Why, of course! To capture you… But I have another idea in mind…"

This earned him a surprised look from the Crimson Blade. "And what may that be?" She asked, irritated, shooting a glance towards the Ruby lying a few yards from her hands.

The cocky grin on his face stretched an inch. "I'll get straight to the point, then. Awkward as it sounds, I want you to—"

He was interrupted when the lights flashed on. Nel squinted her eyes at the sudden appearance of bright lights before she made use of Albel's distraction to send her forehead onto his chest. She received the response she was waiting for and freed herself from Albel's grasp. A faint click of a sound reached her ears just as she scooped the ruby in her arms before she heard the sounds of the guards running in. Casting an annoyed look Albel's way, she was surprised to see he still had that smug smirk on his face. He just let her go when she crashed through a window to escape.

Vox came running in with a myriad of guards and police officers in tow. He looked around the scene, at the slightly disheveled looking commander, an empty pedestal, and a broken window that could only mean that the Crimson Blade had escaped yet again with another artifact.

"Guards! Scout the area! I want that thief arrested!" He barked, startling the men behind him.

They saluted and immediately set about to scan the premises and interior of the entire museum. Vox strode over to Albel who was still crouched on the floor. "What the hell happened? The Crimson Blade was here, right?"

"Obviously, considering the absence of the Ruby of Apris…" Albel retorted without even sparing a glance at the older man. He just kept his gaze fixated on the hole the Crimson Blade had made.

The captain of the police squadron growled menacingly at his superior officer's behavior toward him, but kept his tongue in check. "And you just let him take it away?" he pressed.

At this, Albel narrowed his eyes dangerously at Vox, who recoiled inwardly at the vicious intensity that glinted in his crimson orbs. "I suggest you also look around the museum since you're so bent on capturing this thief, Vox. I'll clean up here."

Vox stood still for a few seconds, livid and shaking with anger before he strode away from the room, a deep hatred seeping off of him in his wake. Yet Albel didn't care. With a small smirk, Albel fondly looked at the camera in his hand…

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"You're okay, right?" Clair asked worriedly after Nel had relayed the events that had happened in the museum.

While Adray placed the Ruby of Apris with all the other stolen artifacts, Nel sat on her bed, finally out of her thieving attire, with Welch bristling over the small nicks on the cape that was caused by Albel's claw. She spoke, "I'm fine, really. Though, I suppose a minor bump on the back of my head will be the result of him tackling me to the ground…" Nel absently flit her hands to said place, wincing slightly at the small bump that had formed there. Now she knew how hard marble was…

"I'll get you some ice, Nel." Clair offered, concern evident in her hazel-colored eyes. Nel smiled her thanks before the gray-haired woman set off to do the task. Turning to Welch, Nel asked,

"It isn't too bad is it?"

Welch, who was sitting at her desk examining the clothes, glanced over her shoulder. "No, it isn't…" She let out a sigh of relief. "Still… It wouldn't hurt to knit the scratches back together. But you better be careful next time, Nel!" She wagged a finger towards the redhead. "I don't want you to ruin all the magnificently tailored clothes I made for you!"

If life were an anime, Nel would assume she'd have a big sweat drop on her head by now. "I'll keep that in mind…" she replied, leaving Welch to seethe on her own.

Looking out of her window, Nel's mind replayed what happened in the museum. She frowned. What was Nox going to say then? What plans could he have with me instead of capturing me? Ugh… Nel held the bridge of her nose for a moment. Too many thoughts coming to her mind at once just because of a small mishap on her part, and one she could have avoided too! Soon, Clair walked in with a pack of ice and handed it to Nel.

One thing was for sure: Nel was going to have a hard time sleeping on her back.

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"Did you hear? Did you hear? The Crimson Blade got away again!"

The women around Cliff Fittir groaned as he held yet another newspaper in his hand while Fayt Leingod looked up from his textbook. Maria Traydor hooked a stray strand of azure hair behind her ear and said, "Do we have to start this now in the morning again, Cliff?"

"Of course! Albel was up close and personal with the Crimson Blade yesterday night!" Then he narrowed his blue eyes and the grip on the newspaper tightened. "But the damn bastard won't tell me diddly squat about what transpired between them!"

Mirage Koas raised a brow in surprise. "Wow, Cliff. You actually said a smart word like 'transpire'…"

"It must be the end of the world…" Sophia Esteed added, earning a defensive "Hey!" for their remarks. Then Sophia noticed that Nel had yet to arrive to the classroom. Same with Albel…

"Say guys, where's Nel and Albel?"

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"What do you want, Nox?" Nel asked, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at the handsome man who stood a few feet ahead of her. She was about to enter her classroom when Albel had suddenly called her out to the courtyard. But thanks to the incident last night, a spike of nervousness tingled up her spine. Nel absently noted his prosthetic plastic arm instead of a deadly, metal claw.

That smirk, the same smirk he had plastered on his face when he had found her about to steal the Ruby of Apris, stretched upon his lips. At this, Nel's nervousness accelerated, yet she kept herself calm and composed on the outside. Whatever the sadistic commander was planning, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that whatever he had in store for her was causing her to feel this distressed. Then again, he must have always had others feel this way, so she deduced that it was normal.

"I have a proposition for you… Crimson Blade…" he drawled, relishing at the slight twitch of her eyes at the mention of the infamous thief. "I'm sure you'd agree to—"

"And what makes you think I'm the Crimson Blade, Nox?" Nel cut in, effectively belying her calm tone of voice with the twisted knots of her stomach. "I doubt you'd have any proof that I'm—"

"Ah, but I do!"

Then, to Nel's horror, Albel fished a photo from his pocket. Clearly, it showed the side of her face when she made a break for the Ruby, but the hood had slipped off a little to reveal locks of hair that matched her title, and the scarf around her mouth was pushed back by her sprint, fully revealing Nel Zelpher in the picture. So that was what that click was for…!

"Now that I have your full attention," Albel pocketed the photo back and stuffed his hands into his pockets, an effective way to ensure that she wouldn't be able to snatch the photo when he least expected it. "Let me finish."

"… Bastard." Nel snarled under her teeth. She should've known blackmail would be one of his stronger suits in backing people into a corner.

He chose to ignore her name-calling and said, "I'll keep the secret of this photo if, and only if, you agree to my proposition."

Nel kept quiet for a few seconds, reining in her sparking hatred to keep her voice in check. "And what may that be, Nox?"

The smirk widened. "Simple. From now on, I want you to steal for me."

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Well, here's to that chapter and another shower of thanks goes to BlueTrillium for going over this chapter. Hope you all like.