Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ To Catch a Thief ❯ Chapter 1

To Catch a Thief

by Shaman Dani

Disclaimer: The world of the city Ancharin is of my creation. Gundam Wing is not.

Warnings: Extreme poverty, murders, blood, rape, robberies, whore houses, child pornography, drugs and other such disreputable things are discussed in this story to some detail. Yaoi and yuri are present. If you are insulted or disturbed by any of these please do not bother to read any further.

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As the largest trade city in the High Kingdom, Ancharin was a bustling, busy place. Merchants of every type littered the streets; one could spend a small fortune in one day just in the Market square alone! Every street in the upper district was packed with stalls, shop displays and the occasional entrepreneur who could carry his merchandise on his person. Street children earned an extra copper by taking tourists to the best shops and eating places. Priests shouted prophesies on the corners not already taken by Gypsies and bards who sang and danced for the crowds.

Pickpockets ran wild.

Heero Yuy's job, among other things, was to catch those pickpockets. Usually they were teenagers or young adults, with slim, long fingered hands and a plain face. Often they would work in pairs. One would bump into the victim, the other would pick, snip and grab as the victim was distracted. Many well-to-do folks would come away from the Market square minus purses, jewelry, kerchiefs, sometimes even buttons!

So Heero and several other young lads in the City Watch spent their days walking through the Market square keeping the peace and watching for thieves. The days were long, sometimes dangerous and very boring. It wasn't a particularly good job, but it paid well enough for a young man with no family, like him. He had enough for a room in one of the nicer boarding houses, three meals a day, clothes on his back and the occasional non-necessity. All together his life wasn't so bad, better than being the errand boy-turned-apprentice of an assassin.

That was why this young man, who had just turned eighteen last month, was the youngest officer of the City Watch. He'd been raised by a man called Odin Lowe-assassin, pirate and fighter-for-hire. Odin had given the boy he'd taken in a good life, until he died on a job, leaving a seven-year-old to fend for himself. Luckily the child was picked up by an elderly member of the Watch who'd taken pity on him and brought him up knowing the laws of Ancharin and the ways of rogues, as well as his own native language. Captain Jay had even named the boy after a famous commander of the Watch: Heero Yuy.

Once again Heero scanned the crowds for any signs of misconduct. There was part of a Gypsy band on the corner nearest him, two young girls and a boy doing acrobatics. They were fairly good and attracted a medium-sized crowd-not large enough to block the streets, but big enough for profit. Most officers of the Watch would shoo Gypsies away, but not Heero. If they didn't block traffic or make a nuisance of themselves, they had as much a right to be here as the "mad-priests" who took every corner the dark-haired, dark-skinned performers didn't. In fact, one priest stood just opposite the Gypsies, shouting about repenting and going to Hell. If he got any louder, Heero would have to do something. That man was damn annoying, especially since you could easily tell he wasn't a real priest.

Sighing, he turned to walk back from whence he came to check the rest of the street he was in charge of. During his walk he passed Laughing Nell, a simple flower girl who always greeted him with a cheerful wave. Today, she fell into step beside him.

"'Ullo, Offic'r Yuy!"

He spared her a small glance and smile. "Good morning Nell. How's business?"

Her small frame shook with giggles, hence her name. "Jest wonderful! I foun' som early wildflow'rs jest outside th' City Gate thi' mornin'." She peered up into his face. "There's ben whispers, like, aroun' th' streets, tha' some bi' ole gang mov'd in las' night an' they's a violen' un too!"

"Don't worry, I'll be extra vigil and I'll pass the word to the other officers."

Her task done, Nell flitted back into the crowd. She called out as she went, "Tha'ks Offic'r Yuy!"

Heero continued down his way in an approved mood. Nell could make anyone feel better. She was a great person to have on your beat, because she passed on any gossip she heard while working. Through the crowds he wove, careful not to step on the occasional street brat and constantly keeping his eyes open for trouble. Today it seemed that everyone was in an amiable mood. The day was warm, but not hot, and the sun shone brightly above. By the time he'd reached the Weeping Willow Inn he was more than ready for Relena's customary glass of cold lemonade.

As usual the strawberry-blonde sat on the fence that surrounded the inn's courtyard and garden. She'd had a bit of a crush on Heero since he'd started his new beat-all along Magnolia Way, from Main to the cul-de-sac the Weeping Willow sat in. He saw no harm in talking to her for short periods; she always had a cool glass of lemonade on warm days (like today) and hot coffee on cold ones.

"Good morning Officer Yuy!" She spoke as soon as he was within hearing. Unlike most people of her class, she spoke with excellent grammar and only a slight accent.

"Good morning Miss Relena. How are you?"

"Quite well, quite well. How is your beat this morn? Any trouble?"

"Nary a bit," he replied easily, choosing not to mention Nell's warning. "Good business?"

"Well enough. It'll pick up before the day is out. We're always busiest in the afternoon and evening."

Heero nodded, glad that he didn't need to say much more in way of conversation since Relena usually took this opportunity to tell him about the gossip of the day. He listened carefully for anything of interest (he didn't really care if Mrs. Gubild had an entire shipment of tea from the east at her eating house) that could be useful to him in the future-until a scream tore through the air.

Like lightning Heero dropped his lemonade glass and began to shove his way through the crowd in the direction of the scream, which had sounded too much like Nell's voice for Heero's taste. The crowds parted for him-this part of town wasn't known for its dislike of City Watch since most denizens were law-abiding-as he ran top speed.

The first thing he saw when he arrived on the scene was Nell's smashed and trampled wildflowers. Then he saw Nell's body and wished he'd stayed home today. As his breakfast and lemonade threatened to return to the great wide world Heero glanced around for someone he trusted. Relena had followed.

"Miss Relena? Will you hurry to the Watch headquarters and report a murder and request assistance for me? Preferably Zechs or Miss Noin. Both if they can make it." He turned away from the girl, confident that she would manage, HQ wasn't that far.

First things first: Witnesses. He turned to several men he knew well. They were regulars at the Weeping Willow. "Please find anyone who witnessed what happened and hold them, on orders of Captain Heero Yuy."

"Where, sir?" One of the men asked.

Heero thought a moment. "The Weeping Willow's courtyard," he replied, knowing the Dorlians would be willing to help. As the men began to obey orders he turned to Nell's body. Second task, check the victim and fetch a doctor.

"Suh?" A small child, most likely someone's errand boy, tugged on his sleeve. As soon as Heero's attention was on him he snatched his hand away. "Ah fetch't ya a doc, suh. Ah knew you'd'a be needin' 'er. Sh's th' bestest in this'in neighba'ood."

The young officer gave the boy a true smile, which made the child swell with pride. "Thank you very much." Swiftly he nodded to the doctor, who was-much to his surprise-a woman. After a second look he realized she was most likely had been raised according to the customs of the East, where women were perfectly capable of doing everything men were and men could be abused as much as a woman. She had the same slant of the eyes and narrow build of Easterners, though her honey-blonde hair and taller build betrayed Western lineage.

She knelt next to Nell's body and began examining with a brisk, professional air. After a few moments she turned back to Heero. "She's dead," was the matter-of-fact statement. Heero squashed the urge to point out that he already knew that. Thankfully the doctor continued, "knife in the belly, multiple stab wounds, extensive bleeding." She stood and smiled wryly. "Doctor Sally Po, I'd offer my hand but it's a bit bloody." Amazed at how unaffected this woman could be he offered her his kerchief. Doctor Po took it gratefully and wiped her hands. After Heero's refusal to take it back she shoved it in her pocket. She glanced back at the corpse. "It's a shame about the girl. I've bought some beautiful flowers from her on occasion. She always had a smile ready for every customer too."

Heero nodded gravely, wondering if this murder had anything to do with Nell's warning barely a half hour earlier. Suddenly he felt very guilty. Heero was responsible for anything that happened on this street, and hadn't he promised her he'd be extra vigil on his rounds? And what had he been doing? Gossiping and drinking lemonade with an inn-keeper's daughter! But why would anyone murder Laughing Nell? Her small collection of jewelry and even smaller purse were still on her person, so it couldn't be money. Besides, in a street full of middle-class shoppers and stall-keepers who would rob a barely-making-ends-meet flower girl in broad daylight? You'd have to be either stupid or desperate. Or both.

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Lieutenants Zechs and Noin. The pair were two of the best in the City Watch. Noin was the only woman in the Watch, but only Zechs thought of her as such. Zechs himself was Miss Relena's elder stepbrother and was muscle for the Weeping Willow off-duty. The two had been betrothed for a month and never let it interfere with their work. Heero rather liked that about them.

"What happened?" Noin asked outright as soon as she fought her way through the crowd. Unlike Heero and Zechs she wasn't known in this neighborhood and thus, not well respected.

"Someone murdered Laughing Nell."

Zechs gaped at him. "Murdered? Laughing Nell? Why would someone do a thing like that?"

Heero shook his head. "I've no clue. I was back at the Willow when it happened."

Something in his voice must have betrayed his emotions because Relena-previously unseen-laid a hand on his arm. "It wasn't your fault Officer Yuy," she informed him in her brisk manner. "You were on the other end of the street doing your duty there."

It must have been her tone of voice, for suddenly Heero didn't feel so awful. "Arigatou, Relena-ojo-san," he whispered, slipping for a moment back into his native language as taught to him by Captain Jay.

Sally Po spoke up, "it wasn't just a normal murder either. This was the work of someone who had a reason to fear or hate the girl. A total stranger couldn't be this brutally violent."

Heero was impressed; several of the seasoned men of the watch would have problems deducing that much. She was either very clever or had worked with law enforcement before.

Zechs gave her a quizzical look. "And you are...?"

"Doctor Sally Po. I've got the city's papers as a registered doctor back at my home if you want them."

Heero nodded, very glad of the new law that required all medical practices to register with the city, it would make checking Dr. Po's credentials much easier. "We'll need them, for the paperwork. I've got some witnesses-I hope-over at the Willow's courtyard."

"I'll send someone to fetch the cart and stay by the scene," Noin said.

The two men, as well as Sally Po and Relena, headed down the street to the Weeping Willow. Heero had so many questions turning in his head he wasn't sure if he'd be able to really question a witness. Why Nell? Heero was certain if he knew why he could find who fairly easily. After all, an ordinary person just didn't kill cheerful flower-sellers in broad daylight in a street full of witnesses. Where had the murderer disappeared to? It wasn't that easy to slip through the crowds as Heero did. Besides, after that sort of violent stabbing the suspect was bound to be covered with blood, which everyone but the most oblivious would notice. The knife was also missing, probably still with the suspect.

There were a good dozen witnesses in the courtyard. Heero immediately took out his notebook and charcoal stick to take notes. The men he'd sent to gather them stood guard as Mrs. Dorlian passed around lemonade and meat rolls. Setting his shoulders, Heero began to talk to the men and women, including a child, one by one.

By lunch he'd pieced together what had happened. Sometime after he'd left Nell she'd gone back to her trade. At one point a person of indeterminate sex had approached Nell and engaged her in conversation. The flower-girl had seemed just fine, neither recognizing nor fearing the person. All of the sudden the person drew a knife from his or her boot, stabbed Nell multiple times and took off running into the crowd. The young street girl had seen a person clad all in linen race by her with his or her hands covered in blood, she didn't see the knife.

Nobody could answer his question of why, however.

So after a quick sandwich at the Willow and a brief check-in at headquarters, Heero followed his only lead. The girl had a small family; an elder sister and her husband who ran a laundry three streets north. Obviously this was why a mere flower-seller could survive the winter without having to take on less respectable jobs. Hopefully the pair would know why someone would want to kill Nell.

This also gave him the despised job of informing a family that a loved one was dead and her killer was gone without a trace and justice had yet to be served. Everyone on the Watch had to do this at some point during their career. Heero had informed a family of a death twice before, but each time the death had been health-related or natural, not a murder. Noin once had to tell a family of twelve that their seven-year-old had been pushed out of a stable loft by his so-called friends during a childish disagreement.

Heero arrived at the laundry quickly. It was a nice place in a middle-class neighborhood. The building was in good repair, the floors, walls and ceiling kept impeccably clean and the clothes were all well cared for. As soon as he entered, however, the acrid smell of soaps started to burn his nose and throat. The young man really couldn't see how anyone could work in such a place all day.

A woman bustled out of the back with the same air of cheerfulness Nell always had. "What 'kin I be 'elpin' ye with?"

Heero took a deep breath. "Mrs. Dekel? I'm here about your sister, known as Laughing Nell."

Mrs. Dekel looked uneasy. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, Miss Nell was murdered this morning by an as-yet unknown person."

The woman dropped heavily into a chair. "Murder'd? 'Oo would murder Nell?"

Heero took out his handy notepad again. "That's what I would like to know. She often worked on Magnolia Way, which is where my beat is and, as far as I am aware, was liked by all. Can you think of anyone who's ever disagreed with her? An old lover? Or a jealous friend?"

Nell's sister shook her head mournfully. "Even 'er competition-other flower-sellers-lov'd 'er. 'Ow could ya not? She always 'ad a smile on 'er face an' she never 'urt nobody. No lovers, 'cept that lad that was a bit sweet on 'er a few months ago, but 'e's gone an' married 'nother an' mov'd to the country."

"No one else who would wish her harm?"

Mrs. Dekel shook her head. "Can't think o' no one."

"Thank you ma'am. Her body has been taken to the morgue. I'm very sorry for your loss." Heero didn't even know how to begin comforting someone. He wished Relena were here, but it had seemed silly to bring her on Watch business.

Feeling completely forlorn he walked back out into the street and headed for the City Watch headquarters, more than ready to clock out for the day and spend the remainder of the daylight hours with a book and a cool glass of lemonade.

Or ale...at the moment he was feeling partial to ale.

***

Tada! Whew! I hope ya'll like this. I'm rather proud of it. I know Heero is a bit OOC, but this is an AU! I'm allowed some leeway. Don't worry, Duo is coming soon...