The Thirteen Mystery

The 13 mysteries was a mystery never fully solved. The year is A.C.197 a young group of Preventers agents are given a case to solve in a space of thirteen days. But can these Preventer agents stop this criminal before it's too late? Mostly 1x2 hint of 3x4 5xoc. This is a side fic to a fic I will hopefully post after my exams are done or during Easter... Don't hold your breath.

The sun shone down on the small city upon which the base of the Preventers stood. Quatre slowly walked in to the Preventer's building on the 1st of August A.C.197 only to find Sally waiting for him by the front desk. It was nine o'clock and Quatre had had very little sleep that night.

It was Quatre's first official day as a Preventer agent. Quatre had been offered many types of jobs in the Preventers ranging from field agent to a communicator. However due to him being the leader of multimillion dollar Pacifist Company Lady Une found it unwise to have the young CEO as a field agent. Lady Une had assigned him to team Zero, who needed an extra man who could do multiple jobs. Quatre had also become the political speaker for the Preventers. Of course it was known by the world that Quatre was not a die heat pacifist as his father and Relena had been. Quatre had been glad to be offered the job however he was a bit hesitant at all the extra work he would need to do along with running a company.

Quatre stopped in front of Sally and gave one of his gorgeous smiles. They both exchanged hellos before going to the wing in which held team Zero. Quatre had hoped that at least one of the Gundam Pilots was there. Preferably Duo or Trowa; he always worked best with them. Sally didn't say anything to the young teen as she brought him to a dark mahogany door upon which he presumed held team Zero. Sally nodded before leaving him in the deserted corridor on his own. Quatre sighed before knocking on the door and heard a muffled 'come in'. Quatre pushed the door open. He was surprised at the sight he saw.

There in the room held all the other Gundam Pilots. He had not seen any in over half a year. Not since they had found Duo's sister. Quatre glanced over all of his friends as they looked up to see who had disturbed them. Duo had only gone and placed a wide grin on his face before running over to blonde embracing him like he usually did. Wufei and Trowa had both given very small smiles that could have been accepted as smirks and Heero just stood there as his usual emotional self. Quatre chuckled as Duo started to bombard him with questions which he could not answer without having to shut Duo up first.

Quatre however did not miss that including him there were six in the room. In the far corner of the room behind Wufei sat a Preventer agent. She was fully clad in the smart clean uniform. A skirt, shirt and tie neatly kept. Her legs clad in boots as they showed off her pale skin. Her long chestnut hair pulled back into a ponytail yet still cascaded over one shoulder and over her folded arms. Her violate eyes shone in the rooms low light. Her lips curved into a smile and parted showing pearl white teeth. That was no one but the mysterious and beautiful Faith Maxwell. She stood up and knocked Duo out of the way shutting up and flinging herself into Quatre's arms.

Over the time Quatre had known Faith he had grown to act like an older brother to her; and she a sister to him. She was the spitting image of her brother but their personalities and talents were nothing alike. Quatre had grown fond of the young thief and had kept in contact with her, even if he hadn't with the others who he had known longer. She released Quatre and looked at how smartly dressed Quatre looked in his uniform.

Quatre then noticed at how every single Gundam Pilot had a different shirt on. Wufei wore a blue shirt under his Preventers jacket which reminded Quatre of the one Wufei wore during the war. Heero did not have his jacket on and was showing off his muscles and chest in a plain white shirt. Duo and Trowa both fashionably wore the Preventer shirts; however unlike Duo and Faith Trowa did not wear a tie. His top shirt buttons were undone showing off his perfectly tanned skin. Quatre then turned his attention to the hot pink shirt that stayed hidden under his Preventers jacket.

'Maybe wearing pink wasn't the best idea.' [1]He thought as he smiled at the young girl in front of him. Apart from Quatre and Wufei all the Gundam pilots were now 17 while Faith was only 15 soon to be turning 16. Faith shut the door behind Quatre and smiled at him sweetly before they all walked over to the table which all of the Gundam pilots had originally been around.

"So they put you on team Zero?" Duo asked Quatre placing an arm around Quatre's shoulders. "Pretty ironic name for our team, aye?" Duo let go of Quatre and hushed down as he saw that his boyfriend wanted to explain what their mission was.

"Three days ago the Preventer agents received a letter from a mysterious source stating that from August 1st he would start killing people. For everyday we don't catch them a civilian will die." Heero started to explain as he pulled out a copy of the letter from a file. "Forensics has told us that there is no DNA on the original apart from the person who found it." Quatre, Trowa and Faith leaned on the table to get a better look at the document in question. The writing was scruffy and looked as if it was written in a rush or by a child. A black pen had been used and there were splashes of ink dabbed on parts of the letter.

The letter was signed by someone who went by the name of MM. Quatre frowned as he saw the penmanship that the double letter was written in. It was so much fancier than the rest of the writing. As if someone else had written the letter and MM had signed it. Quatre reached out and looked closely at the piece of paper. Of course it was their first and only clue so far and knowing the Preventers and Heero they were already running tests on the document.

"But it's not the only clue." Heero stated as he pulled out another sheet of paper this time with a double italic M on it. Heero seemed to frown at the piece of paper as if it was supposed to be the simplest puzzle in the world and he could not figure it out. "All we can assume that this murderer is playing a game and leaving clues around for us to find." Heero pointed to the letters on the sheet. "We believe that he goes by the name of M."

Quatre frowned at the piece of paper as he saw had writing underneath saying 'clue found with writing on the back. It said By MM.' Quatre assumed that it was written by the Preventer that copied the original for them. It was all very well but if 'By MM' was the signature of the killer... Why write MM on the other side?! Was it a real clue? Maybe more than an identity? Quatre didn't know what to think. He still knew very little about the case.

Quatre turned to his left to see Faith looking at Wufei. Quatre had known for a while that Faith had feelings for Wufei but was now really the time for her to be gawking at the guy she appeared to love?! Quatre then looked to see worry in Faith's eye's as if she was worried and knew something was going to happen! Quatre wouldn't press the girl on what she thought, at least not in front of the others. Otherwise both would get embarrassed when everyone heard them.

Wufei crossed his arms. "Dishonourable!" He commented. "Playing games with people's lives is unforgivable!" Quatre had to agree with Wufei on this one. You shouldn't toy with people's lives. Each person was special with their own beauty and talents that made them who they were. No one should think they have the right to go around playing God saying who should die. Quatre bet himself that the people who would die were innocent and had done nothing worth of death. However Quatre hopped that no one would die before they solved this crime.

"Unfortunately we were too late to the first victim." Heero sighed. Heero took out an address and a picture of a young man. He couldn't have been more than thirty with black hair and sapphire blue eyes that seemed to sparkle as he smiled happily in the photo. The address was 1 Mountain Moor Street. "And this is our first destination, so let's go."

'Mountain Moor Street was the only place in this entire town to begin with a double letter; MM. Every other street and district began with different letters or where only one word long.' Quatre realised this as he watched a sign saying the streets name rush past him.

Quatre sat in the passenger seat of the car. Trowa sat in the driver's seat looking in the rear view mirror at Faith who was looking over the profile on the person who had died. She had been reading it ever so quietly over and over. Trowa had counted her reading each page at least twice on the 15 minute drive to Mountain Moor. Trowa could guess why it was called Mountain Moor. The street was on a tall mountain called Moor that was just outside of town. Trowa's eyes glanced at the area that was secluded away from the public. Many adults and teenagers were talking and being nosy around the area that was restricted to police and Preventers only. Trowa still couldn't see why Une had given them such a basic mission. But he had to do as he was told.

Trowa pulled the car into the curb and pulled the hand break on. Trowa noticed the look of fear and hurt on Quatre's face as he stared into the crowed. Trowa felt sorry for the young blond. He didn't need to see these things. Having empathy was one thing. But having no control over whose feelings you felt was not something a guy like Quatre needed. Trowa looked over his shoulder at Faith who looked on edge about going into the crowd. She sighed before opening the car door and getting out. Trowa saw how Quatre wasn't going to move anytime soon without being coaxed into it. Trowa placed a reassuring hand on Quatre's shoulder. Quatre turned to look at Trowa with a half hearted smile. Trowa nodded his head before letting his hand slip off Quatre's shoulder as he got out of the car.

Trowa walked over to the house with Quatre following him like a lost puppy. Faith stayed close to her brother who had ridden in the other car with Heero and Wufei. Now that all of team Zero were together once again they could finally enter the secluded area.

Quatre sighed as they walked into the house. It looked like an average house with nothing special about it. Quatre turned to Faith who held the folder under her arm. Quatre walked over to Faith who stood by a mirror with a flower pot in front of it. Quatre found it strange to put a pot with a fern in it in front of a body length mirror. Quatre looked up to see Faith frowning at the pot as well. Obviously she was just as disapproving as I was.

"So what does the file say?" Quatre asked as Faith turned towards him. With a swift and flowing movement Faith pulled out the folder from under her arm and opened it directly on to the profile page of the victim. Quatre watched as her violate eyes scanned over the document seeking out important facts that Quatre would need to know.

"Ally Archer. Age 28. Occupation builder. Family died in the war. Time of death 1 AM this morning, roughly." She started to tell Quatre the fact. Quatre found it easy to understand and relay them as evidence and link why he could have been murdered. So far retribution for what happened during the war seemed to come to mind. "He's clear and has committed no crimes. There's nothing strange about him apart from the way he was murdered." She frowned as she read over that part a few more timed before she looked up into Quatre's ocean blue eyes.

"The way he was killed?!" Asked Quatre as he was handed the file. Obviously he was confused by what the girl had told him. Faith kept the frown on her face however fear and disgust was clearly shown in her eyes. She nodded and she clenched her hands into fists. Her already pale skin seemed to become paler. She sighed.

"He drowned." She stated causing Quatre's head to shoot up from looking over the papers on the man in question. Quatre's frown only matched hers. "The autopsy showed that there was at least a litter of water in his lungs. Plus he was cut." Faith shuddered at that part and wrapped her arms around herself. Faith averted her eyes from Quatre's and looked at the floor. Obviously it was difficult for her to say this. "He was found on his front with no shirt on. Over his chest and stomach was one thing..." Quatre could see the fear in her eyes growing as the frown left her face and was replaced with an emotionless mask Quatre had seen on Trowa and Heero many times. "13... The number 13 was engraved on his chest..." Quatre could see Faith turn paler by the second.

Quatre looked down at the file and flipped to the back of the file where he saw three pictures. One that appeared to be a bedroom as you walked through the door. Another was of a pale body still dripping wet causing the carpet upon which he rested to be damp as well. Upon his chest was the engraved 13 with blood that had mixed in with the water dripping over the body. The three on the 13 was not curved like you would usually see it. It was straight, as if it had been impossible to curve the blade that had obviously been used to engrave it. Also the 1 looked too long for the 3 to be there, as if maybe they were separate numbers. Quatre felt his breakfast threatening to show everyone what it was. Quatre quickly turned to the final photo of Ally Archer's bedroom with the corps removed. There were still blood stains on the midnight blue carpet which made it look like it had black spots.

Quatre closed the folder unable to look at it anymore and handed it back to Faith who hesitantly accepted it. Quatre couldn't understand how the girl had looked through the file and at the picture several times and not feel queasy. He had only looked at it once and hopped he'd never have to look at it again. Quatre had to admit that the profile picture had shown a handsome young man however the picture in the back of the file did nothing to show how handsome he truly was.

"Are you two okay?" Quatre looked to see that Duo had asked the question. He looked at them as if they had just seen a ghost near them. However with how pale Faith and Quatre had become they could have past for ghosts. Duo walked up to them and took the file away from them. "Maybe it's best if one of us holds on to this." Duo said referring to the rest of them. Faith and Quatre didn't respond to the suggestion.

"Forensics show no sign of forced entry and he wasn't found until easy this morning." Trowa explained as he stood up from being crouched by the front door.

Quatre and Faith remained silent as they all climbed the stairs to the 1st floor. Quatre had noticed outside that it was only two levels to the house just like all the others apart from one house right on the other end of the street. Heero opened the only room door that was closed. What they saw didn't strike them as usual. But it wasn't the sight that showed them that a murder had been committed. It was the smell. The smell of dried blood circled the room. The idea of leaving the room door open was a good idea unless one of them had six gas masks on them.

They all slowly entered the room, all on their guard in case there was a trap or the murderer was lurking anywhere around them. Of course it was impossible, but nothing seemed impossible when the Gundam Pilots were around. Quatre and Duo slowly walked over to the wooden desk on the far side of the room and there he saw a stack of cards resting neatly in a pile by a closed laptop. Duo frowned as he held up a card and showed it to himself and Quatre. They both frowned as they saw the card.

"What the hell is Le Bateleur?!" Asked Duo as he placed the card on the desk. Heero and Trowa stopped looking around by the bed and walked over to the desk to look at the strange card that Duo had placed face up on the desk. Each boy frowned trying to find meaning in what the card meant. It looked like a normal playing card with a strange design imprinted on it.

"It's called a Tarot card." Faith stated from where she stood over by the door.

"Specifically that is the Juggler card." Next to her stood Wufei leaning on the wall next to the door, his arms folded across his chest.

She looked towards Wufei and then back at the other four boys. "The tarot has four suits corresponding to the suits of conventional playing cards. Each of these suits has pip cards numbering from ace to ten and four face cards for a total of fourteen cards. In addition, the tarot is distinguished by a separate 21-card trump suit and a single card known as the Fool. Depending on the game, the Fool may act as the top trump or may be played to avoid following suit." She explained and walked over to the desk with Wufei she pushed over to the desk. Faith started to flip over the cards and separate them. She did it without even thinking. Some of the boys wondered if maybe separating Tarot cards was second nature to Faith. After she was done they saw that the cards were separated into two piles. One pile had roughly 13 cards while the other pile had the rest. Once she was done she took a step back and placed her had on the pile of about 13 cards. She turned to face the entire boy before she explained. "These cards are named 'Death'. There are 13 cards in all." [2]

Wufei kept his arms folded over his chest. "I didn't think these things were still around these days." Wufei thought his mind. He pointed to the writing on one of the cards. "In English speaking countries they are much unknown but are still quite popular in Europe. Some people trace Tarot cards back to Ancient Egypt or the Kabbalah, but there's no evidence of that."

Duo raised an eye brow and crossed his arms. "You two seem to know a lot about these Tarot cards... Is there something you're not telling us?!" Faith could hear the teasing tone in Duo's voice but was still slightly insulted that he would even joke about that; especially at a time like this.

Faith crossed her arms and walked up to her brother imitating him. "Why would I brother?" She asked. "This is not the time and place for jokes." She stated staring to sound like an adult telling a child off for doing something wrong. "Look there happens to be a woman called Bethany Baker who lives on the other side of town. She's an expert at bored games and cards. If anyone can give us information on these cards it's her." She stated lowering her arms. "I went into the shop about a week ago and saw a pack there and enquired about them. That's what got me freaked out the other night when I was on the computer Duo."

Duo remembered the way his sister had to sleep with him for the next few nights due to the fact that she had freaked herself out when she was researching something on the internet. Duo never asked or even bothered to check what it was that scared his sister. Duo looked down upon the girl again and saw her almost glaring at the cards. As if she was Heero and she was trying to stare down an enemy. Duo knew how scary Heero's glare was but Faith looked innocent yet very mature at the same time the way she glared at the cards. Yet there was some regret in her eyes. As if she regretted touching something as disgusting as those cards. Duo unfolded his arms and gave his little sister a hug holding her as close to his body as he could; as if something was going to grab her if he let go.

Even thought Quatre had listened to everything that was being said he couldn't stop thinking about those cards. Thinking that they might be a clue Quatre tried to think how they were maybe involved with the markings on Ally Archer's chest. There had to be some link but what. 'Faith said there are roughly 14 cards in a deck. Also she said that they were 21-card trump suit and a single card known as the Fool. That's 36 cards. How on earth do these connect?! They must have something in common..." Quatre closed his eyes as he pictured and replayed all the information he had been given today. 'August 1st a mysterious note is shown to team Zero with a message that someone is going to get murdered. At 1 AM that day a 28 year old man named Ally Archer is drowned and stabbed. He wasn't found until later that day. Forensics shows no sign of forced entry or any DNA that didn't belong to Ally Archer. Ally Archer was found with scars on his chest and stomach showing the number 13 engraved in to him..." Quatre's eyes shot open. "That's it!!!!! The answer is 13!"

Quatre walked over to Heero who had the folder and snatched it from Heero's arms. Heero seemed startled by the young blonde's actions. Duo released his little sister and watched as his "brother he never had" placed the folder on the desk in between the two decks of cards. Trowa and Wufei glanced at each other to see if either knew where Quatre was going with his actions. Faith watched closely at Quatre's every move. She wondered if Quatre had noticed something that everyone else did not.

Quatre opened the folder and pulled out the three photos at and closed the folder. Quatre had to hold back the idea of chucking up his breakfast as he laid the photos out for everyone to see. The smell of the room wasn't helping out either. Quatre compared the first room photo with the corps of Ally Archer in to the final picture of just the room. "Just as I thought... Looks like the criminal always returns to the scene of the crime." The other Gundam pilots watched as the young blond set out the photos and talked to him not understanding what was going on.

Faith walked up to Quatre and places a comforting hand on Quatre's shoulder. "What is it?" She asked so innocently it almost made Quatre look like a Devil. "Have you found something?" Quatre stood up straight from leaning over the desk and turned to Faith with a large grin on his face. Faith had only known Quatre a little while and had no idea that that grin meant Quatre knew something that everyone else didn't. All the other Gundam Pilots turned to each other and nodded before closing in on the girl and blond listening to what he had to say.

"Faith you are amazing, do you know that?" Quatre asked praising the girl for the idea she had given him. Faith blushed at the complement she was given. Duo smiled as he saw his sister's reaction.

"I know she's cute Quatre but there's no way am I letting you be with her." Duo joked and chuckled. "Now come on what's the idea?"

Quatre turned and pointed to the pile of death cards on the desk. "There are 13 Death cards in Tarot deck?" Quatre asked receiving several nods. He then pointed to the picture of Ally Archer on his back. He pointed to the 13 that was on Archer's chest. "The number 13 was engraved into his chest and stomach." Quatre then turned to the first picture of the room with Archer's body still in it. He pointed to the desk. "See?" He stated. "What's on the desk?"

All the boys and Faith leaned in to see only a laptop resting on the desk. "A laptop..." Stated Trowa, still not seeing where the blond was going with this.

Quatre shook his head and spoke again. "Remember when we came in here? The deck of cards was leaning on the desk neatly in a pile." He then pointed to the third picture showing the room after the body was removed from the room. "Look the cards aren't there either." Quatre stated. Once again everyone else leaned closer into the young boy. He was right. The meant that someone had placed the deck there after the photo was taken. "But there's also another two clues."

All four boys looked at each other absolutely confused on what the blonde meant by that. Faith however was looking at the second picture – the one of Ally Archer – and was turning her head sideways as if she thought she was looking at the picture the wrong way around. The photographs of the room were both landscape. However the photo of the body on the floor was portrait. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed that before.

"I think I get it Quatre." She whispered. Even though she whispered it the others still heard her because they were that close. She took the second photo and placed it landscape. She then traced her finger over the shape the lines made. "M..." she whispered again, only this time only Quatre was sure of what she said.

Quatre nodded. "That's right." Quatre said and saw that the other pilots were confused. "Look put 13 on its side and the three looks like an M." He stated and then moved his finger to the 1 and traced it. "But if you look at the one it looks like a line that you put under an important word of a title."

"And our killer is MM." Heero stated as he stood up tall. Quatre nodded as he saw Heero reach for the photo and placed it in a portrait position. "However if you look at it this way," he said and trace his finger over the 13. "It looks like a capital B."

Quatre nodded and turned to Heero. "What if MM has more than one victim?" He asked curiously. "Maybe their names begin with M or B?"

It was Wufei's turn to speak up. "However for all we know it's a coincidence. And maybe the link isn't in the number 13 but on a card in a Tarot deck." Wufei made a valid point. It was only a coincidence that Quatre had known that and also at the face that it looked like two capital letters.

"Even if we did know the answer to what it meant we still don't know if it means M or B." Trowa stated as he looked at Quatre. "And besides there are too many people in this town with names that begin with B or M."

"If it was a different letter like your name Quatre it would be so much easier to find these people." Duo started to explain as he looked away from the picture that started to make him feel ill. "I mean come on how many people have we meat with a name beginning with Q?"

Quatre had to admit they were making good points but at the moment Faith and Heero seemed to be the only ones on his side. He would admit that he was only speculation but finding that out wasn't that easy, and he did have to relay it out for the Gundam pilots. To be honest Quatre had expected Heero to find that before him. However Heero was the one who most likely spotted the B first and not he. Faith seemed to understand Quatre's line of thought and was willing to go along with his idea. Also the fact that both pictures have no sign of the Tarot deck being on the desk; even when they first entered the room the first thing they saw was the desk but with all the supernatural stuff what was in the room in was no wonder the deck was over looked.

"I still think I should go and talk to Bethany Baker tomorrow to ask her if anyone has ever bought a deck of Tarot cards recently from her." Faith said as she turned to Quatre. "She might have some good information." Faith then took out her phone and started to take pictures of the cards, so she could show Bethany tomorrow.

"Why don't you go today?" Asked Wufei inquiring why the girl would not go today even though it was only a little after mid day.

Faith turned towards Wufei with an annoyed look on her face. "Because it's Sunday..." She stated. "Most shops don't open on Sunday in this area... Are you really that oblivious?" Duo and Quatre had to cough to cover their laughter at how embarrassing Faith had just made Wufei look.

"Maybe a few of us should go with Faith tomorrow to talk to Mrs. Baker." Heero explained.

"Miss..." Faith corrected Heero. Faith looked at the floor. "Her husband died three years ago in the war."

Everyone agreed. Tomorrow Faith, Trowa and Heero would head over to Miss Baker's shop to see what they could find while Quatre, Duo and Wufei stayed at the Preventers to see what they could dig up from the forensics and any more from the autopsy. They all thought they could crack this case before the next kill could take place. However what they would find out tomorrow would put them under more pressure, defuse their hopes and sicken them to their core. For on August 2nd A.C.197 things would not go according to plan for Preventer Team Zero.

[1] = Taken from a picture of the Gundam Pilots. It's the one where everyone is usually wondering where Heero's hand is... If you look close enough you could kind of say the same thing about Trowa.

[2] = If I have gotten any information about the Tarot Cards wrong I am very sorry and could you please message me or comment to tell me so I can say it in the next chapter.

There was quite a bit of talking for the first chapter and I'm sorry but I had to put this information down for you. There are a few clues in there for later chapters. I'll be impressed if you guys figure out what they are quickly.

Please comment. Arigato xxxxx