Born Without A Heart

Chapter 1

   Gajeel wanted to punch something, or someone, or both would work too. He'd been working as a PI at Fairy Tail Private Investigation and Security, the leading private security firm in the area, for over a month now and they were still giving him the run around.

He wanted a good case. Not the shit cases they kept throwing him. He was the new guy, but he'd already proved his worth, he knew. So why were they still treating him like a novice?

Fairy Tail had recruited him during an investigation into Gajeel's previous employer, Ivan, at The Blue Kitten nightclub. Gajeel had agreed to double cross Ivan in order to catch the bastard in the act of selling off his dancers in some sort of human trafficking ring.

The thought made Gajeel burn with rage. He couldn't believe he'd almost gotten caught up in something so disgusting, just to make a buck. Gajeel didn't really care whose side he was on, good or bad or whatever, but that was a line he was not willing to cross- especially when someone he cared about was at risk of getting hurt. He didn't give a shit about most anyone, but Juvia was the exception. She'd been there for him when no one else was, and he wasn't about to see her in danger in any way.

When Natsu, Fairy Tail's lead PI, had approached Gajeel about turning on Ivan, he'd thought the smug ass hole was full of shit. But when Natsu said Fairy Tail could protect Juvia, who was working at Ivan's club, well, Gajeel couldn't turn that down.

Now Gajeel was stuck canvassing the streets of the city investigating cheating husbands and shady jerks who owed one of their clients a debt. The gig was a bust. He'd probably leave Fairy Tail after this case. Being the "good guy" just wasn't for him.

Gajeel turned down a dingy alley in the heart of downtown. The guy he'd been following for the last two weeks was hiding something down here. Every night the kid would hit up a different pawnshop, lift a few small items, and head back here to dispose of his goods. Why he was hiding his earnings down an ally was beyond Gajeel. If it were him, he'd get rid of the evidence as soon as possible.

But Gajeel wasn't a cop. He wasn't there to arrest the little punk. He had a client that wanted something returned, a family heirloom that was lifted from a little shop a few blocks down. Apparently the man had been planning to buy it back that day, only to find it missing. The broker said he hadn't sold it, the police said there was nothing they could do, so the man called Fairy Tail.

And now here Gajeel was, wandering down an alley with broken streetlights and dumpsters that reeked of putrid garbage. He fucking hated this job.

His black hair hung loose past the collar of his tan trench coat, a grey fedora pulled low over his eyes.

There was a noise at the end of the ally, voices talking in a hushed whisper. Gajeel moved deeper into the shadows as he crept closer.

"This isn't enough," a low, frustrated male voice said.

"Come on," a second voice pleaded. "I'll have more tomorrow. Just give me an advance."

"Afraid it doesn't work like that, Eli," the first man said without sympathy.

"I need it!" Eli's voice rose in desperation. There was a sudden flurry of movement in the shadows ahead, the sound of a scuffle between the two men.

A sharp metal clank sounded as Gajeel's foot knocked into a hard object on the floor.

Shit.

Gajeel charged forward as the two figures raced toward the back of the ally. One, taller and leaner than the other, moved with lightning speed toward a brick wall, ascending it with little effort and disappearing behind it.