-.-.-

Chapter 3: Seas

"Aah!" She jumped, trying to get away from the two hands that suddenly grabbed her shoulders. They would not let go. "Get off of me!"

"Hey, calm down," the familiar voice said, releasing their grip.

Ericha turned around to see none other than Scipio, his fake moustache askew as they were continuously jostled by the crowd.

"Oh my God, Scipio, don't ever scare me like that again!" she said, hitting him lightly.

"Well, alright, fine. If you didn't want me to come looking for you in this blasted crowd, just say so beforehand," he said jokingly, looking around to find a way out.

"It's not that-," Ericha said, clinging onto his sleeve. "I didn't mean that part."

Scipio looked at her. "Oh, never mind. Let's just get out of here."

-.-.-

"Here, have some water," Scipio said, handing a bottle to Ericha as he went to lean beside her on the footbridge.

She mumbled her thanks as she took it, grateful for the respite. As she drank it in large gulps, she suddenly realized how empty her stomach was as the water sloshed around. Her stomach growled.

"Oh, sounds like you need more than that, though," Scipio chuckled. "Haven't you had breakfast?"

Ericha blushed slightly. "So I'm a growing girl. I can't help my quick metabolism."

"Hah, I knew it. You were just grumpy because you were hungry. Don't worry, I know a place with great pasta," he said, suddenly starting of. "Come on, it isn't very far."

-.-.-

"Well, now, Scipio, you've developed a habit of bringing home guests, haven't you?" Ida Spavento said, as Scipio and Ericha stood at her gate.

"Oh come on, Ida, it's just for lunch. You've got plenty of food, anyway, and she's a friend working for Victor," Scipio explained as Ericha stood shyly to the side.

"Oh, alright. I know how much that old coot pays you, so I don't mind treating you to lunch. Come in, come in, Ms.-?" she said, motioning to them.

"Ericha," she answered. "Ericha Genuino."

"Well that's a beautiful name. Victor's lucky to have such a dear like you working for him," she said, leading them to the kitchen. "How did you end up working for him, hm? Don't tell me he's picking up orphans off the street again, is he?"

"Oh come on, Ida, I'm no orphan. Just- relatively estranged. She's got parents, still," Scipio said, as they walked through her house.

"Then that's good to hear," Ida said blankly as she called to a little boy in the kitchen. "Bo, set out a couple more places, we have guests for lunch."

"Who is it, Ida?" the little blonde-haired angel said, his eyes sparkling.

"Hey, Scip," Prosper said from where he sat at the table, next to the girl named Hornet.

"Hey there, Prop, Hornet," Scip said, taking a seat across from the two. "This is Ericha, she's working for Victor at the moment."

Ericha bowed slightly to greet them, but started when Bo exclaimed. "Wow, cool, she's as grown-up as Scipio is."

She laughed awkwardly as she took her seat. "You got me there, little guy. Actually, I'm starting college in a month, so yeah, that makes me pretty grown-up."

"What'cha gonna do when you grow up?" Prosper asked casually.

"Hmm, well, I don't know really. I never really put much thought into it," she said, resting her head in her hand. "My parents are always convincing me to becoming a doctor like them, but I hate it when they force me to do stuff without asking me first."

"Well, what do you want to be?" Hornet asked.

"I'm not sure, but music's always sounded good to me," Ericha said, looking off into the distance. "But they're always telling me it's no good, that I'll never make any money. But I don't care, I can take care of myself."

"They remind me of Aunty. I really don't like them," Bo said, putting plates in front of them.

"No need to bring that up here," Ida called out, as she brought in a large platter of spaghetti. "Now dig in, kids."

"Thanks for the meal!" they all said, before digging in.

"I didn't know you wanted to be a musician," Scipio said to Ericha, as he scooped spaghetti into his plate.

"Yeah, well, neither do my parents," Ericha replied vaguely. "Not that they'd care."

"I'm pretty sure they'd care, if only you'd tell them how much you wanted it."

"They never listen anyway. So I'm just gonna go for it myself."

"It's okay to ask for help, you know," Scipio said, before eating a huge scoop of spaghetti, spilling tomato sauce all over.

Ericha laughed at the spectacle. "You're such a kid," she reached for a tissue and handed it to him.

"Aren't we all?"

-.-.-

"So, what have you two accomplished?" Victor Getz asked them as they stood before him in his office.

"Well, I've taught her some snooping stuff, and, uhm-, uh," Scipio began, counting on his hand.

"Ai-ya, I knew I should have done this myself," the detective said, standing up. "Scipio, you continue filing these papers, while I take Ericha out on a real mission."

"You mean that thing with Barbosa's shop?" Scipio said, groaning at the paperwork.

"Precisely that," he said, grabbing his coat. "Come on, Ericha, let's go."

-.-.-

"So-, now you just want me to sit here and sell stuff?" Ericha said, wondering at her new assignment, as they stood in the middle of a crowded shop filled with all sorts of odd objects. Most of the shelves and items were gathering dust, and her nose itched from the faint smoky haze that hung in the room.

"Well, yeah, now you try it out a few hours today, then we'll see if we can leave you here again tomorrow. Sound easy enough for a first assignment?" the detective said, running a finger across the top of the counter.

"Well, what about the stuff Scipio taught me?" she asked, as she looked around warily.

"What did he teach you, anyway?"

"How to tail someone, how to wear disguises," she answered, recounting what they had done earlier that morning.

"Oh blast that boy, he's gone and done something completely unnecessary again. I meant for him to teach you more about the recent burglaries that have been going on at some of the important museums; to prepare you for your assignment."

"What do the burglaries have to do with sitting around in an old shop?"

"Well, I've been asking around at some of the pawnshops, it seems they've been contacted by a shady man trying to sell some very suspicious items. Most of the shop-owners refused, because of the man's frightening demeanor. I suspect he or these items may be connected to these recent robberies. I also suspect that he will try to sell them at any shop possible, not excluding this one. The only thing is, it's been closed since that Barbosa - the original owner, - left. So I'm hoping once we get someone staffed here every day, he'll find it and try to sell the stolen goods here."

"So this is- a trap for the thief?"

"Very much so. And I will need you to keep a lookout for him while keeping this store in order."

"Alright, sounds easy enough," Ericha answered. "But what should I watch out for? How will I know if it's him?"

"He'll try to sell you some valuable items, of course," Getz said, then dropped his tone. "And he calls himself-,

"The Thief Lord."