matt is speaking my mind for me
matt is speaking my mind for me
Kirei Kotomine: Burial Agent and cat burglar.Originally Posted by Mattias
You all simply need to wait and see. This isn't your standard Fate/Zero crossover after all
waiting is the bane of one's existence
... So that's how it feels...
Interlude 2
xxXXxx
Saber watched the trees pass by as the car drove on an empty road in the forest, a road that seemed to lead to nowhere but deeper into the woods. The trees themselves seemed to grow more and more dead, with the moonlight seeming to make them even more sinister than they really were.
Saber had once fought in forests like these, even camped in them several times with her knights. The soldiers would laugh, tell tales about days past around the campfire while she went over battle plans in her private tent.
And although Saber was never one to be supersticious, environments like this usually did fill her with a sense of forboading…
"Are you okay Saber?" Irisviel asked, snapping Saber out of her thoughts and making her look to the wife of her Master in the seat next to her smiling. "You seem distracted."
"No, I was simply reminiscing." Saber replied, glancing at her Master and his assistant, who were sitting in the driver and passenger seat respectively. "It's nothing for you to worry about."
"Nonsense Saber!" Irisviel declared with a bright smile, seemingly ignorant of the very bleak atmosphere and the somber mood of the driver and his assistant. "You should know that if anything is troubling you, you needn't hesitate to tell me. Even if I can only listen to your worries, I'd be happy to try and help…"
"I appreciate your concern Irisviel, but it's not necessary." Saber rejected the homunculus' offer, though her tone and smile conveyed her gratitude to Irisviel for her concern.
Saber had not been informed why they had left the mansion. Irisviel had walked into her room while she was patiently waiting for the sun to arise, keeping her senses open for any intruders that may attempt to assault their base of operations and harm either Irisviel or her Master. Servants did not need to rest unless it was to save Prana, and she had enough to forgo sleep.
This was a war, and any knight fighting in a war knew that it was important to constantly stay vigilant.
After following Irisviel to the car, she was a bit shocked to find that Kiritsugu and Maiya would be traveling with them as well. Since the War began Kiritsugu had worked on his own, mostly with Maiya, distancing himself from Irisviel while leaving his Servant behind to protect her. The only times he spent time with Irisviel (From what she saw) was usually around night when he returned to the castle and before he began planning his next move. Normally, Saber would be impressed with that type of dedication. However, she found Kiritsugu's methods more irksome than impressive, seeing as he always made sure to work alone and away from her. Despite being summoned as his Servant and agreeing to fight for him in the War, her Master was spending restless nights going over notes and creating counter-measures without her input.
"A Servant is a tool for the Master." Saber reminded herself. "But still, Master should at least consider…"
Honestly, Saber had no idea what to think about Kiritsugu. On one hand, he was her Master and thus she must follow anything he decides no matter what. On the other hand, he was a cold and cynical man who had barely uttered a word to her since her summoning, and the way Irisviel said that happiness caused him pain confused her. "But perhaps there are men like that in this world." Saber thought to herself, placing her right hand under her chin as she continued to look outside the window
Suddenly, a sharp ring in the back of her head occurred, causing her eyes to widen. Irisviel herself gasped in pain and clutched her head with both of her hands. "Irisviel!"
"Iri, what's wrong?" Kiritsugu asked, his usual gruff voiced laced with worry as he looked back to his wife. Maiya simply glanced back, but did not say anything.
"A Bounded Field… A powerful one…" Irisviel muttered out, her eyes fluttering as she lifted her head. "I-If you didn't notice it…"
"Then it must be constructed so well that only those sensitive enough can detect it..." Saber muttered, her eyes narrowing slightly at the implication. Normally, it would not take long to discover a Bounded Field. It was usually either a distortion in the air or the feeling of one's hairs in the back of their neck standing up. But for one to construct it so well… "There is a Magus nearby." She turned to Kiritsugu and said, "It would be wise for us to stop now."
Kiritsugu said nothing and made no move to stop the car, irking Saber even more. Just what did this man know that assured him a Servant would not drop in on them?
"Kiritsugu." Maiya stated, pointing forward. "He is here."
Saber felt the car stop, making Saber to look up and narrow her eyes at who, or what, Maiya meant.
It was a man (or creature that looked similar to a human) wearing a rich black tuxedo and shoes. The tie and napkin were red, the shirt was white, and vest was black. The hands were covered with white gloves, and the cuffs were an offsetting gold. The thing that made Saber doubt the being was truly human was simple.
Instead of a human head was the head of an owl.
More specifically, the head of a black owl with a pitch-black beak. Its eyes were red with beady black pupils, seeming to stare into their very souls. Normally, Saber would have believed it to be a mask. But for some reason the feathers by the neck seemed to rustle, as if it were breathing.
"Just what is that?" Saber asked herself before noticing the owl holding a black suitcase in its left hand. Before they left, Kiritsugu had brought his own black suitcase that was now to the right side of Kiritsugu's seat. "Is it an ally, or foe?"
"It is an honor to see you, Mr. Emiya." The Owl spoke in a voice that belonged to a servant, deep and respectful. It bowed, its right arm crossing over its chest as it performed the action. Kiritsugu said nothing, but did narrow his eyes as he opened the car door and got out.
"Ma-" Saber began, only for Irisviel place her hand on her shoulder.
"Saber, please have faith in Kiritsugu." Irisviel muttered, her expression solemn as she watched Kiritsugu bring his suitcase with him and the owl stand up.
"My master would prefer for the exchange to be performed without any unnecessary listeners." The Owl's head tilted slightly as it extended its arm further down the road. "Please follow me Mr. Emiya."
Kiritsugu once again said nothing, but followed the Owl after shutting the door.
It did not make any sense to Saber. Why would Kiritsugu leave without either her or Maiya accompanying him? "Who are these people Maiya?" Saber found herself asking. She never had talked with Kiritsugu's female assistant, and neither did Maiya with her. But hopefully, she would at least be a bit willing to shed some light on the situation.
"…That man belongs to an organization called the Owls of Minerva." Maiya spoke after a moment, her words confirming that the strange man was in fact human. She turned on the radio and messed with the stations. "They are an organization that deals with a hallucinogenic drug named Fräulein Eule. In light doses, it gives a dizzying high similar to ecstasy. But in higher doses it is said to make people go insane and see owls."
"See owls?" Saber found herself repeating, receiving a nod from Maiya. She knew that modern day drugs were powerful, but for a drug to be able to completely break a mind to such a degree was terrifying.
"But why would Kiritsugu want to deal with these people?" Irisviel asked the woman, making her stop fiddling with the radio. "And how would they be able to set up a Bounded Field?"
"The drug is potent Madam. He wishes to use it as a weapon against our enemies." Maiya responded, making Saber's eyes narrow. As a knight, using such underhanded tactics was against her code. "The Owls of Minerva have Magi under their employ. I cannot say how many, but what I do know is that their influence ranges from governments to the Association. Lupin the Third once helped bring down the original incarnation, but since then they built up their power and influence from the shadows and out of public eye."
"Just how can an organization like this keep hidden for so long?" Saber asked herself, and the answer just troubled her even more. They must have made fail-safes just in case they were brought down, former scientists and other men escaping from being caught by the police and rebuilding from there.
Truly, the new age was much more knee-deep in intrigue than from when she was alive.
"500 grams just as you requested, Mr. Emiya." The Owl's voice came from the radio, making Saber internally smile. Now, at the first sound of her Master being threatened, she would be able to act.
"And I have your money." Kiritsugu's voice said evenly. "So let's get this over with."
"Now, now." The Owl's voice chided in its usual baritone. "It would be unwise to do this trade without a demonstration." The snap of fingers were heard…
…and then white petals came out of the air conditioner.
"W-What?" Saber gasped out as she watched Irisviel and Maiya's eyes roll to the back of their head before their faces slammed on the dashboard and seat respectfully. "Irisviel!"
"The world is spinning~!" A giggle escaped Irisviel's lips, making Saber's face contort into rage. A sneak attack! Instantly, Saber got out of the car and her suit disappeared and her armor took its place. She began to run, fully intent on killing the perpetrator…
…Only to stop, her legs buckling and her vision becoming murkier.
"T-The drug is affecting me? Impossible!" Drugs shouldn't be able to affect Servants. Their bodies are supposed to burn out any poisons or drugs unless they were part of a Noble Phantasm. For this strange drug to have an effect on her… it was extremely potent!
Saber blinked as she saw a white butterfly land on her nose, fluttering its wings before it disappeared in a flurry of white petals. After that, Saber landed face-first on the ground. "I need to get up… I need to…" Saber heard the sound of several footsteps, and lifted her head to see the owl and Kiritsugu looking down on her.
"As you can see Mr. Emiya, under the orders of our master the best Magi in our organization helped to make this specific batch. It will surely aid you in the Holy Grail War." The Owl spoke, a hint of pride seeping into its tone. Saber expected Kiritsugu to draw his gun, demand the safety of his wife and retreat to prepare for this new enemy.
But he did nothing, instead he grimaced in pain, as if the decision of not acting hurt him on a personal level.
"How did you know she was a Servant?" Kiritsugu asked, earning a light chuckle from the Owl.
"My master has taken a personal interest in the Holy Grail War ever since Lupin the Third was summoned. We know quite a bit about your struggle, but do not worry. We will not interfere, for it is not within our interests to do so. We're mere spectators who simply wish to enjoy this tale of hijinks." The owl responded, its head turning just a bit as if studying Saber.
"N-no…" Saber grunted out, Excalibur appearing in her hand as she struggled to get up. She used the invisible sword to hold her shaking body up, ignoring the sweat running from her face. "Y-You will not leave here alive!"
"Oh? Still conscious? I suppose you truly are part of the strongest class." The Owl raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. "But it wouldn't be in your best interests to harm me…"
The several cocking of guns made Saber turn her head to see ten similar owl men circled around the car, machine guns in their hands and aimed at both Irisviel and Maiya. Saber's eyes widened in shock. She didn't even hear or see them coming!
"I suppose another dosage is needed to incapacitate you." Saber turned her back to the Owl, and saw him fling more white petals into her face. The world began to spin in Saber's eyes, making the Servant fall to the ground on her back. She saw lights of all colors and various symbols fill her vision, along with a white owl fly right above her as the owl man walked beside her and leaned his face down to meet hers. "Dizzy-dizzy?"
Saber wanted to curse at the owl. To demand her Master to help her and Irisviel. But when she opened her mouth, only two pleasure-filled words came out.
"Dizzy-dizzy~"
The Servant Called Saber
When Saber opened her eyes, the world was still spinning. Her mouth felt drier than she had ever experienced before, she felt as if she was going to throw up any second, and her legs were numb. "Where am I…?"
"Saber, you're awake!" Saber turned her head to see Irisviel sitting in a chair beside her holding a cup of steaming tea.
"Irisviel… are we…?" Saber muttered, only for Irisviel to place her right hand on her chest.
"Don't worry, we're back in the mansion, in your room to be specific." Irisviel responded with a smile. Saber then finally noticed that she was indeed in her fairly Spartan but fancy room, on the unnecessarily fluffy bed to be specific. "Kiritsugu brought us back and helped bring you here."
"Then those owls…"
"They're gone now." Irisviel's face also grew grim at the mention of the strange men. "I'm helping Kiritsugu enforce the Bounded Fields around the estate, just in case they try to spy on us again." Her expression then brightened. "I'm sorry, but you must be thirsty! I know I was! Do you need help drinking?"
"I'll be fine." Saber muttered, lifting her body and swinging her legs to hand off the edge of the bed. She took the cup slowly out of Irisviel's hands and brought it to her mouth. It was earl grey tea, nice and hot. As she drank the tea, the numbness in her body began to fade away. "At least something has gone right for me…"
"Do you like it Saber?" Irisviel asked, tilting her head curiously. "I heard the British loved tea from the books Kiritsugu brought me, so I tried my hand in it."
"You did a great job Irisviel." Saber declared with a small smile. "It has been a long time since I was able to drink tea like this."
"Really? I'm glad." Irisviel sighed as she took the emptied cup out of Saber's hands. "I know that you must be upset about last night…"
Now that Irisviel mentioned it, Saber felt the anger towards Kiritsugu burn within her. While it was also her fault for allowing herself to fall for the Owls' trap and get drugged, the responsibility also fell to Kiritsugu for allowing it. He brought Irisviel into the dangerous situation without considering she might be used as a bargaining chip."But how did these 'Owls of Minerva' sabotage the car without any of us realizing it? Or get into the mansion without us being informed?"
"But don't worry. Kiritsugu knows what he's doing!" Irisviel tried to assure the Servant, making her hands clench in anger.
"How can you say that Irisviel? He put you in danger! Those men used me as an example to test their drug!" The anger in Saber towards the entire situation made Saber raise her voice at Irisviel, something that she never intended to do.
"I know that, but we must have faith in him." Irisviel said with conviction, causing Saber to blink before scowling. While before she would be amazed at Irisviel's conviction and strong faith in her husband, now it just angered her. With that, she got off the bed and began walking to the door. "Saber! Where are you going?" Irisviel asked, causing Saber to freeze. Was it right to just leave without making sure Irisviel would be protected?
"Is Master here?" Saber asked, making Irisviel blink.
"Yes, he's just trying to find a place for the… drugs." Irisviel's voice faltered at the end of the sentence. Obviously she was afraid that she would anger Saber any more than she already was.
"Good…" Saber muttered out as she continued walking. "I'm sorry Irisviel, but I need time to think. I will return soon, but if you need my aid immediately have Master use a Command Seal."
"A-Alright…" Irisviel muttered sadly, making Saber feel a tiny bit guilty as she headed to the mansion's garage.
It was not the homunculus' fault for her mood. She should not have to see her like this.
But that did not matter.
She needed time to asses everything that was happening, and serve with an even clearer mind than before.
That way her emotions would not cloud her judgment again.
One Hour Later:
The wind whipped past Saber's helmet as she raced down the road on her Yamaha V-Max, the air and sounds of the city's early morning community filling her ears as she slowed down her bike at a traffic light that just turned red. The sun barely peaked out of the horizon, and the streets were practically empty save for a few cars and a policeman yawning while leaning on a stop sign in the sidewalk.
Normally, Saber would have preferred to ride without the headgear. But the fact was that police presence in the city had increased dramatically. If she did not comply with the law, she would get a ticket or worse be arrested. "But then again, it is reasonable. This vehicle is deadly to normal humans not skilled enough to ride without a helmet, and even those who are…"
Assassin's actions truly have made things difficult, even when she was trying to calm herself with some 'alone time'. "Assassin has even affected this war with action he made while he was alive."
But then again, Saber doubted that Assassin knew or desired for what the Owls of Minerva have become. She did not know the whole story, but if Assassin brought down the organization when he was alive then he did not appreciate what they were doing either. "It is still unexpected for a thief to bring down an entire organization, especially if they were as powerful as Maiya mentioned…"
"Hey! Arthur-chan!" The sound of the man she was just thinking reached Saber's ears, making the woman turn her head to the right to see Assassin sitting in a repaired Fiat grinning at her. Seeing that her attention was on him, Assassin waved at Saber.
"How does he know…?"
"Ya know, you should really lower your prana levels. I could feel you from a block away." Assassin answered as if reading her mind, making Saber curse at herself. If it had been nighttime, a Servant could have ambushed her. On that thought, what's stopping Assassin from attacking her? "Come on Arthur-chan, I just wanna talk."
Saber took off her helmet and glared at the Servant. "About what Assassin?"
"Now, the street ain't a fun place to have a discussion so let's bring this somewhere else." Assassin grinned as he stared into her eyes. "Tell me, you thirsty?"
Rather than answering that with words Saber simply nodded, making the Servant chuckle as the light turn green. Saber drove slowly behind Assassin's Fiat, narrowing her eyes at the car suspiciously. Was it truly out of the question to think that Assassin was bringing her to a trap? "No… all his actions required an audience. He would not eliminate me secretly…"
A block later, Assassin's car pulled to the side and parked. This caused Saber to do the same and blink at what she saw.
Next to them was a simple pub.
"You comin' or what?" Assassin asked as he walked to the entrance, making Saber shake her head and follow him.
Several Minutes Later:
"I can't believe I'm doing this…" Saber thought to herself as she looked at Assassin, who was calmly sipping a glass of Jack Daniel's whisky from across the table.
The bar was surprisingly open, despite the early hour. Assassin got them a corner table, one that was easily forgettable and far enough from the bartender's hearing range. Assassin ordered a glass of whisky for himself and got Saber a beer (After she showed the bartender the fake ID Kiritsugu made for her). Saber was a bit surprised that Assassin had entered the bar without a disguise, but there was the possibility the bartender did not believe he was the thief that was all over the news. After all, who would be stupid enough to get a drink without a disguise when the police wanted them?
"Hiding in plain sight… clever." Saber thought to herself as she took a sip of her own drink, soft jazzy music from the bar's speakers filling her ears. She put down the glass and asked, "What is it you want Assass-."
"Lupin, Arthur-chan." Assassin chided while waving his finger at her. "I told you that you can call me Lupin! It's kinda fair, since I call you by your real name ya know?"
"Very well… Lupin." Saber muttered out, the real name of Assassin rolling off her tongue strangely. She only referred to other Servants by their classes, even when they revealed their real names to her. But if she wanted to get any answers from Assassin, she would have to play along. "What is it you want of me?"
"Well I was goin' to find you sooner or later, but you kinda helped me out with that. Coincidences are amazin', don't you think?" Assassin asked, wrapping his hand around the glass once more. "Anyway, I was wonderin' if you want to join me in a temporary partnership."
"A partnership? For what?" Saber asked as Assassin took another sip of his glass.
"Killin' Caster."
Saber's eyes widened as Assassin calmly put the glass down while continuing to smile, as if planned killing was like talking about the weather. She knew that Assassin would make killing Caster a top priority (Not that she disagreed), him asking for her help was unexpected. "Why ask me?"
"Hm? I thought you would want to go and kill him. You change your mind or somethin'?" Assassin asked, but the question itself was sarcastic. Even he knew that Saber wanted to make Caster pay for his crimes.
"That's not what I mean." Saber snapped out. "I thought you would give an offer like this to Rider. We are enemies in this war. What is to stop me from trying to eliminate you once we are alone and there are no witnesses for our battle?"
"A rivalry is no fun if we don't team up once in a while. Plus, you're a knight and you've already shown that you won't break your code of chivalry or whatever, so I don't have to be worryin' about you stabbin' me in the back." Assassin stated matter-of-factly with a grin, the latter comment making Saber frown as he made a point she couldn't refute. "And while I would love to hang with Rider, a job like this needs a… subtle touch. A fine woman's touch to be exact."
"So you're bringing this offer to me for stealth reasons…" Saber muttered to herself with a frown. She could see the logic in the plan. They were able to kill numerous Horrors together without causing too much noticeable damage, and unlike Rider she was capable of hiding her presence (From physical view, at least) and keep quiet. "But I'm not sure that my Master will…"
"Who's sayin' that you need to tell him?" Assassin asked suddenly, his eyes seeming to study Saber. "You wanna kill Caster as bad as I do. I saw ya when he killed that kid. So why not just help me out with killin' him? We take out a Master and a Servant from the war. Everyone gets outta this happy."
Saber paused from replying right away. What point was there in asking for Kiritsugu's permission in taking out Caster? She would be eliminating a monstrous Servant from continuing his murders, and they get one step closer to the Grail. And if Assassin attempts to double-cross her afterwards… well, she would deal with him. She would not be fooled again.
"I'm not allowing my anger to control my decision." Saber thought to herself, as if trying to convince herself that what she's thinking is true. "I'm thinking logically."
Fact of the matter was that Caster needed to go down, though if Saber did go to ask Kiritsugu for permission there was a chance the man would refuse and keep her from going after Caster if it interfered with his own plans. Plans he refused to share with her. Really, if he was so insistent on keeping her in the dark… perhaps she was justified in doing the same to him for once.
"Very well Lupin. I accept this temporary partnership." Saber agreed with a nod of her head, making Assassin's grin stretch to his ears.
"Great!" Assassin suddenly took her right hand and began shaking it. "Man, usually when somethin' like this happens I partner up with Pops, but I can tell this is goin' to be pretty interestin'!"
Saber glared at him as she took her hand from his grasp. "Do not expect for this to last. As soon as Caster is eliminated we will become enemies once more."
"My, my. You're one bullish woman…" Assassin said in a slightly amused tone as he took one more gulp of his drink.
"Wait, this is my chance…" Saber thought to herself before asking, "Why haven't you attempted to steal Excalibur from me?"
"Hm?" Assassin hummed out, raising an eyebrow at her question.
"Your calling card stated you would attempt to make Excalibur yours, yet you still have not acted." Saber elaborated, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Why?"
"My, are you in a rush or somethin'?" Assassin asked with a raised eyebrow. "Whenever I say I wanna steal somethin', I mean it. Now, does that mean I have to steal it immediately? No. I mean I can, but it's much more fun to let you prepare to stop me."
"So… you're giving me time to prepare for the theft… for your entertainment?" Saber asked in an exasperated tone. She could not believe this man. She thought the thief was simply arrogant, but now… "Is this all a game to you?"
"You gotta see life as a game Arthur-chan! Otherwise it'll just be one dull event after the other." Assassin explained in a calm but still amused voice. "Even this war can be fun if you loosen up a little."
"This war is not a game." Saber said firmly, only to receive a chuckle from Assassin.
"Oh Arthur-chan, you shouldn't be so serious all the time. Let your hair down and smile once in a while! It wouldn't kill ya, would it?" Assassin smiled at the woman, who gave him a flat look in return. Assassin pouted for a moment before grinning and pointing at her beer. "I mean, if I was serious I could have put poison in your drink and you wouldn't have noticed until you began chockin' on your own puke and bled out of your eyes. But where's the sport in that? And I am a gentleman, so I've got more class than that."
Saber glanced at her drink and felt her hands tighten. He was right. She accepted the beer and took a sip without even considering the possibility he would poison it. "The only thing stopping him is his own code…"
"So don't worry your little head over it Arthur-chan." Assassin said with a smile. "I'll come to steal Excalibur eventually, so prepare! Prove to me your worthy being my rival in this war!"
"I do not need to prove anything to you, Assassin." Saber informed the Servant bluntly, forgoing using his real name while standing up. "Tell me the time and location where we'll meet before I'm on my way."
"Ah fine, fine…" Assassin sighed out while scratching the back of his head. "We'll meet up here around eleven at night, less people nosin' in on strange noises then. And that's the time when…"
"…Caster would take children from their families." Saber finished for him and turned around. "I will meet with you then. I thank you for the drink, Assassin."
"I told you to just call me Lupin, Arthur-chan!" Assassin cried out with a laugh as she began to walk away. "We should do this again sometime!"
"As if." Saber thought bluntly in her head as she exited the bar and began to mount the bike. While the temporary alliance with Assassin would eliminate the threat of Caster from the war, it also shed some new light on the Servant.
Assassin was a man who acted for entertainment's sake and nothing else. He may have a strange code of honor, but it also intertwined with making a situation more 'entertaining'.
"I have never faced an opponent like this before…" Saber thought to herself as she put on her helmet and started the bike, speeding down the road back towards the direction of the Einzbern Estate. "But this will not stop me. I will defeat Assassin, even if he finds the possibility of his death part of a game…"
But those thoughts could wait until later. Now, she had to return to Irisviel and apologize for her earlier behavior.
To Be Continued…
xxXXxx
So I hope you guys enjoyed Saber's chapter. I tried to potray her the best I can, and I hope I didn't make her fans annoyed with how she got drugged. To further explain, the owl guys are from the group I've labled as 'The Owls of Minerva' (NOT the Court of Owls, since that name was already taken by DC) If you watchedLupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, you would know that they were an organization run by Count Luis Yu Almeida, a man who oversaw human experimentation on the drug called Fräulein Eule (Miss Owl, when translated), and was so obsessed with Fujiko that he manipulated her throughout her life (But that's only scratching the surface of these wackos. Seriously, go watch the series to make more sense out of what I'm saying.) Now the drug has been manipulated by magi working in the organization to be so effective that even Servants can get high (In theory, now confirmed), resulting in Saber being used as a 'guinea pig' and drugged.
But enough of justifying what is happening. Lets get to the music shall we?
For the scene where the owl man is introduced, look up the Lupin the Third: TWCFM OST- 'Owl Man' (Track 36). Appropriately creepy yet classy in my opinion. From the same series, see the OST- 'Fraulein Eule 1 –Ritual' (Track 11). Again, creepy but appropriate for the drugging of Irisviel, Maiya, and Saber. And finally for the bar scene with Assassin and Saber, look up the Lupin the Third OST- 'Silhouette'. Once again, classy as hell.
Also, for some reason I visualize Saber singing 'Duty Friend', the ending song sung by Nikkie for Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine in a black dress with her hair down in the end of the chapter. It's weird, but strangely appropriate. Especially for this chapter…
Okay, enough rambling.
The next chapter will be 'The Man Called Lupin'.
With all that taken care of…
Would you kindly leave a review?
Last edited by TheInfamousMan; July 8th, 2013 at 08:40 AM.
I can't help but break my suspension of disbelief on the Fraulein Eule actually affecting Saber, but it's just me being a stickler for nasuverse's magic resistance A wank I guess
Does the drug techniqually count as "magic" though?
Spoiler:
Not really. It's enchanted and tested with magic, but otherwise its an already powerful hallucinogenic.
If it's not magical/conceptual in nature, I don't think it'd affect servant to begin with, but like I said, it's just the whole disconnect within the lore that can easily be handwaved considering the overall tone of the fic.
Yeah, to be fair you can't input 'logic' in the Lupin III series. Stuff happens. Why? Because it can.
The thing I was wondering how they managed to drug Saber and Irisviel in the first place. Maybe it was through the air.
He never sleeps. He never dies.
Battle doesn't need a purpose; the battle is its own purpose. You don't ask why a plague spreads or a field burns. Don't ask why I fight.
The drug came out of the air conditioning vents. They rigged the car without anyone knowing. (They were mysterious like that in the series)
Aside from the canon problems others discussed, I liked Kiritsugu's use of Fraulein Eule.
Nasuverse fanfiction has everything from killer eyes to programmable spirits plugged into leylines (which was awesome, by the way; I think it was an EVA crossover), but I don't recall any anti-Servant psychoactive drugs.
Well remember that Kiritsugu hasn't used the drug yet. Saber's drugging was simply the result of the Owls of Minerva testing the thing. Turned out that it worked. Remember that the Owls always fulfilled their promises, one way or the other...
And sweet! That means I'm first! I feel special now!
Current Works:
Just an Unorthodox Thief (Fate/Zero-Lupin III Crossover) [Updated 7/26/2017] TV Tropes Page
Non-Nasuverse Fics:
A Different Kind of Truth (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run/Persona 4 Crossover) [Updated 3/26/2017] TV Tropes Page
To be fair, I've been away from the forum for awhile. I may have missed some.
Interlude 3
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"I told you to just call me Lupin, Arthur-chan!" Assassin cried out with a laugh as she began to walk away. "We should do this again sometime!" Assassin snickered to himself as Saber just continued to walk away without saying another word. "Must have made her mad or somethin'..."
Assassin was not oblivious to the fact that he pissed people off with his attitude. On the contrary, he enjoyed it. It was fun to see his enemies riled up because of his attitude. It usually led to a job becoming more interesting than it should be.
Saber was no exception.
Saber interested Assassin, not in the physical sense (too flat and small for his tastes), but in her personality. She had a conviction that he saw rarely in other people's eyes, not one born of arrogance but for duty. It was a rare thing to see chivalry nowadays, especially since Assassin was born and lived in a time where such a thing would get one killed. Thus, Assassin hoped to play on Saber's conviction to get the Holy Grail and try to defeat him. Well, at least they would when Caster was out of the way.
It was like him and Fujiko during their first meeting...
"Ah look at me, gettin' all nostalgic and stuff..." Assassin thought to himself as he began to raise his hand to get the attention of the bartender. "But... I guess that just makes everythin' more fun. This entire job is turnin' out to be one hell of a trip."
The door swung open, making Assassin blink as he saw two policemen (About twenty or so years old) enter. The booth he was sitting in was just out of their field of vision, so they could not see him unless they actually walked towards the area. "Hm? Drinkin' on the job?"
"Yo! Give us your strongest stuff!" One shouted out as they sat in the barstools by the counter, not even noticing Assassin sitting several booths away from them.
"...I think that would be unwise officers." The bartender replied in an even tone. "It is currently seven..."
"Look man, we just want your booze. Your job is to deliver it, you got that?" The first officer interrupted, handing the bartender a crumpled-up yen note. The bartender said nothing as he took the money out of the man's hand and began preparing their drinks. "Man, this entire job is bullshit."
"Beats desk work, I'll tell you that." His companion replied with a shrug. "Besides, days have been pretty quiet so far. Other than the occasional rumor, no one has seen the guy."
"But it's stupid? Why the hell do we need to bust out asses trying to find a stupid copycat?" The first one shouted as two shot glasses filled with murky black liquid were placed in front of them. In one smooth motion, both officers grabbed them and gulped the contents down before slamming them back on the counter. "That damn old man is running us into the ground. Why the fuck do we need to keep chasing after his ghosts?"
"Must be talkin' about Pops..." Assassin thought to himself as he slowly took out a pair of sunglasses from his jacket and slipped them on. "Must be pretty unpopular with the young guys on the force..."
Assassin wasn't a moron. He knew that Zenigata never truly got the respect he deserved from any police force he recruits in the area. To them, he was just a crazy man who never caught a simple thief. Hardly anyone but his loyal task force of men took him seriously, and most of them were either retired or dead. Oh sure, maybe there were a few who actually respected him for his years of service and various arrests, but to most of younger officers he was just another old man chasing the phantoms of his youth.
"Almost makes me feel guilty for never lettin' him catch me." Assassin thought to himself with a grin while placing the payment for the drinks on the table and getting up. "Almost."
Sure, he was a bit pissed about his rival's lack of respect, but it wasn't his job to dictate how people on the police force's payroll thought.
Well... not intentionally anyway.
"I hear you, but we need to keep this up if we want to get paid." The second officer replied while Assassin quietly began to walk towards the door. "Plus, the chief is pretty pissed with how we missed the slippery bastard at the museum."
"Ah, don't remind me. Asshole stepped on my face while he was getting away. I swear when I get my hands on that punk..." The officer then stopped his monologue and shouted, "Hey you! Stop right there!"
Assassin froze, his hand just inches from the doorknob. "Man, so close." Slowly, Assassin turned his face to the officers and smiled.
The officers stared at him.
Assassin stared back.
The first officer narrowed his eyes dangerously.
A bead of sweat rolled down Assassin's face.
"Uh... sayonara!!" Assassin shouted before opening the door and running, making the two officers instantly get out of their seats and run after him.
"HALT!!" The second officer shouted, panting as he ran behind Assassin while pushing several people using the sidewalk out of the way. "I SAID HALT DAMN IT!!!"
"Maybe I will if you ask nicely!" Assassin shouted cheekily to the officers with a grin, internally chuckling at their outraged expressions. Oh man, he loved messing with cops. Especially the cops who often underestimated him.
Assassin continued to run, passing buy the morning crowds in the streets with ease (Although being sure to 'accidentally' bump into a lady or two.). At some point, his sunglasses slipped off his face, making various people gasp and comment.
"Oh my! It's that guy from the news!"
"Lupin the Third?"
"No way! It's just another damn copycat!"
"Guy's so going to get busted~"
"It's totally him!"
"Lupin?"
"That voice..." Lupin turned his head for a split second, and saw, in a crowd watching from across the street, was a brown haired woman in a black dress that accentuated her curves and impressive breasts holding the hand of a young blonde-haired girl in a red sundress gaping at him.
He knew that woman. He knew her well.
"Mine Fujiko?" Assassin blinked in surprise before realizing he had stopped moving. Shaking his head, Assassin grinned as he instantly changed direction into a nearby alley. "Check into it later. Give these guys the slip first."
Oh sure, he could have lost the two in his Fiat, but sometimes it was much more fun to get away by foot.
"We have spotted the suspect of the museum theft and are currently in pursuit on Orihara Street in the Shinto area and... damn! He's going into an alley!" The first officer barked out on a radio before immediately turning to the left, running into an alley that Assassin had slipped into.
"Hm. I wonder how I'll ditch these guys... Maybe I should use the good ol' smoke bomb? Nah, too simple." Assassin thought to himself has he ran deeper and deeper into the alley. "Why not the rocket shoes? Or maybe I can use the smoke bomb, grab some poor schmuck, dress him up like me, and hide while they take him away? Ah hell, why not all thr-"
"HAH!!!"
"What the...?!" The police shouted before the sound of wind being cut was heard. Assassin turned around and saw the back of a familiar samurai, sheathing his sword slowly before a distinctive *clink* was heard.
"Once again, I have cut a worthless thing." Goemon's mutter reached Assassin's ear before the policemen's clothes, weapons, and even their shoes fell to beneath their feet in worthless scraps, leaving them in nothing but their boxers for all to see. They shivered as Goemon raised his head, and probably glared at them too.
"W-we won't forget this!!" The officers both shouted as they ran away, one of them even crying as they did so. Assassin could not help but laugh. He sure as hell wasn't expecting this!
"Hey there, Goemon!" Assassin shouted as he began stepping closer to the man. "Thanks for the save! What're you doin'..."
The slight shifting of Goemon's arm and leg muscles automatically made Assassin jump back on reflex, just in time to as in the next second Goemon was facing him, Zantetsu drawn and to his right side, gripped tightly. Working with Goemon for years made Assassin know for a fact that Goemon just tried to slice him.
"Hey! I know that age makes people cranky, but did ya really have to try and slice me open like that?" Assassin asked, studying his former comrade. Goemon seemed to age well. He looked like he did back when they were forty, ignoring the crow's feet and the eyepatch.
"Do not use my name so freely impostor, even if you are skilled." Goemon told Assassin coldly, glaring at him. "I have grown tired of all you fools dishonoring Lupin's memory, and while I had enjoyed a quiet retirement I am perfectly willing to kill you should you not cease this charade in three seconds."
"Ah, so he thinks I'm a faker..." Assassin thought to himself, feeling a small burst of indignation at the insinuation. But then again, it was reasonable. Goemon was there when he died, and right now his appearance looked like it had during his prime. "Still, it's the concept of it all..."
"Come on Goemon, you really wanna do this dance again?" Assassin asked with a raised eyebrow.
Goemon simply smirked. "One."
Assassin spotted a trash can to his right, making him smirk as well. "Two..."
"Three!" Zantetsu sliced through air towards Assassin, only for him to kick the trash can up and get into Zantetsu's striking range while Assassin jumped back and reached into his jacket. Goemon cursed under his breath as the sliced cleanly in half garbage fell to the floor, revealing Assassin with his Walther P-38 in his right hand and a vial of purple liquid in his left.
"Now Goemon, calm down unless you wanna feel this little concoction again." Assassin stated as he held up the vial.
"What is that impostor?" Goemon questioned, looking suspiciously at the vial while Assassin merely smirked.
"You don't remember? This little baby combusts instantly when it makes contact with somebody. Tried to fry you with it back when we first met. Remember Old Man Momochi? Tried to make us kill each other?" Assassin questioned, wondering if that little tidbit would help Goemon believe he's not a fake Lupin.
Goemon's eye widened slightly in shock. His and Lupin's first meeting was something that was only known between the group. Not even Zenigata knew about how Momochi tried to have both him and Lupin kill each other to become the 'World's Best Assassin'. And that liquid... Goemon himself knew how effective it was, and only Lupin himself would be crazy enough to use it as a weapon.
"But it's impossible. Lupin is dead!" Goemon reminded himself, tensing himself to strike while Assassin just sighed.
"Ya really are stubborn. You know that?" Assassin asked, uncorking the vial and cocking back the gun.
"And you know more than a copycat should."
"Jigen?" Both Assassin and Goemon asked at the same time, making Assassin turn around to see his former partner walking from the other side of the alley, his gun gripped in his right hand.
"Man, this is one hell of a reunion!" Assassin laughed out, making Goemon scowl while Jigen simply grunted.
"We do not know each other imp-." Goemon stopped as Jigen raised his hand. "What are you doing Jigen? Did you decide to align yourself with another...?"
"My reasons are none of your damn business, so shut up." Jigen replied gruffly, making Assassin blink while Jigen raised his gun at Assassin. "Now tell me something only Lupin would know. Do it now or else."
Assassin smirked a bit at the warning. Same old Jigen, cautious and distrustful as ever. "Turns out scorpion blood is blue."
Hopefully, Jigen's memory had not degraded. That apparently random fact came from their first meeting, where they used a mummy infested with scorpions to quell an ant lion used as a trap in the pyramid that housed the Laughing Peacock.
"..." Jigen was quiet for a moment (And probably even glaring under the shadow of his hat) before placing his gun back in the back of his pants. "How the hell are you still alive?"
"Jigen!" Goemon shouted, only to receive a (hidden) glare from the gunman.
"Only Lupin, the real Lupin, would know these things. I sure as hell didn't tell anyone else about our first meeting together, not even to you. And I doubt that woman would brag about it." Jigen spoke calmly to the stubborn samurai, making the man click his tongue before sheathing his sword.
"I still do not believe it..." Goemon grumbled to himself while Assassin popped the cork back into the vial and placed both it and his gun back into his jacket.
"Goemon, you should know by now that nothin' is impossible with me around." Assassin said before sirens began filling the air. "Now come on! Unless you wanna deal with Pops again!" With that, Assassin began to run, taking off his jacket and turning it inside-out to reveal a brown coat.
"Tch! Still the same magnet for trouble I see!" Jigen shouted as he ran after Assassin while he put the new jacket on, Goemon following close behind them with his sword sheathed.
"Well if there's no trouble there's no fun!" Assassin shouted back with a laugh as he zipped on the jacket and put on a pair of sunglasses. He needed to look a bit unrecognizable to buy at least a couple minutes from the police. "Then I can go to a bathroom and put on a mask. Should I look like an American or just some Japanese guy?" As he exited the alley, Assassin quickly turned right. "Nah, I'll just do Japanese. More in-." "OOF!"
Assassin fell on his ass after bumping into someone hard, making him grimace in pain as he began getting up, prepared to offer a half-hearted apology before continuing on his way...
...only to see the beautiful face of Fujiko.
"Fuji-cakes?" Assassin asked, his sunglasses slipping just a bit to reveal his shocked eyes.
"Lupin... is that...?" Fujiko began to ask, her voice cracking up with a bit of emotion while her eyes watered just a bit.
Assassin didn't like that. He didn't like when women were sad.
He was just about to respond when something hard hit his chest.
"DAD!!!"
"Huh?" Assassin asked before looking down to see the small blonde child from before, rubbing her face on his chest while crying.
"It's really you isn't it? I knew it! I knew it had to be you!" The girl cried, making Assassin look up at Fujiko with a confused expression. Just what was this kid talking about?
"Her name is Riko, my daughter." Fujiko explained, a small smile on her face replacing the previous sad one.
"Eh?" Assassin repeated, looking back down at the girl, who beamed at him despite the tears still rolling down her cheeks.
"I'm Riko Mine Lupin the Fourth!" The girl, Riko, declared proudly. At this time, Jigen and Goemon were now standing behind him and watching the scene. Goemon with shock, and Jigen with barely-hidden laughter.
"Eh!?"
"She's your kid, dumbass." Jigen replied, looking back at Fujiko with a small glare. "Mine Fujiko..."
It took two seconds for Assassin's brain to catch back up with his body.
"EH!?!?!"
The Man Called Lupin
Assassin popped a Gitanes cigarette into his mouth, lighting it with a small lighter and sucking the smoke in. He took out the cigarette, puffing out a small ring of smoke before placing the thing back into his mouth, grinning as he looked at everyone at the table in front of a small cafe.
Since the police would be searching the area, Assassin and the others decided to make tracks. They had fled to several blocks away before stopping by a cafe, due to Riko being thirsty.
"You could cut the tension with a knife." Assassin thought to himself as he looked around the table. Riko was to his left, happily sipping on a bottle of apple juice. Fujiko was sitting next to Riko, looking smiling at her and occasionally glancing at him. Goemon was silent, his eye closed as he sat to Assassin's right (Making Assassin a bit nervous since Goemon might be planning to slice him open again.) Jigen was across from Assassin, smoking his own cigarette. "Guess he never quit..."
It was a bit bizarre to see his old gang again. They hardly even changed from the last time he saw them. The only noticeable differences were the small wrinkles on Goemon and Jigen's faces, Goemon's eyepatch, and a few grey hairs on Jigen. Fujiko seemed like she hadn't even aged, but her personality now... it was different. She changed from the woman who fascinated him all those years ago.
The even bigger shock was that he had a daughter.
"Me, a father! Man, talk about a trip!" Assassin thought to himself as he looked at Riko once more. It was strange... learning that he was a father. It was even weirder when he considered her age. "Did she come from... that night?" Was it like this for his dad when he was born?
But then again, his father at least lived a few more years to visit him from time to time while growing up. He hadn't seen Riko once.
Death would do that to people.
Ah yes, he died. He died right on them without warning, only offering them a simple goodbye before he left the world along with some stupid ramblings. He probably made them pretty sad when he left...
"Lupin."
"Hm?" Assassin hummed out, glancing at Fujiko who was now looking at him seriously. "What is it Fuji-cakes?"
"Your cigarette is..." Fujiko trailed off, making Assassin look down to see the cigarette was nearly over and the ashes now on his jacket. Wiping them off, Assassin placed the remains in the ash bin.
"So tell me Fuji-cakes..." Lupin began, looking back at the woman with curiosity in his eyes. "How could you tell it was really me?"
"Just call it... a feeling." Fujiko replied, glancing away briefly. It was probably strange for her, seeing a man she long thought to be dead walking again.
"Ah, was our bond really that weak guys?" Assassin asked, pretending to cry with his hand covering his face. "Fuji-cakes could tell it was me from just a feelin'! You had to try to kill me and then interrogate me before you knew it was me! What kinda friends are you?"
"Shut up. Like we could have known it was you from first glance." Jigen replied, turning his head and blowing out a cloud of smoke. "Yasuo made a pretty good Lupin too you know. Would have believed he was too if I hadn't..." Jigen stopped talking when both Fujiko and Riko glared at him, causing the man to click his tongue and shrug. "You get the picture."
Goemon said nothing, but nodded in agreement.
"I always knew you were alive, dad!" Riko shouted, beaming at him with childlike glee. "Mom always said you were dead, but I didn't believe her! I always knew in my gut that you would come back, even if everyone said you wouldn't!"
"Man, now this is new..." Assassin thought to himself as he looked at the young girl. It was a bit strange to see someone other than Pops who would be unwilling to believe that he had died. It was even weirder when that person was a little girl. "Must have been hard, not havin' me around and all..."
"I find it surprising that you would even take the responsibility of raising a child Fujiko." Goemon stated, opening his eye a bit a glancing at Fujiko. "Consider the type of woman you are..."
"Hey! Lay off my mom you wannabe samurai!" Riko shouted, slamming her right hand on the table and pointing at Goemon with the other. "At least my mom has a real job! You just do glorified cosplay all day!"
Goemon seemed to blush at the insult from the girl before turning his head away, making Assassin snicker a bit while Jigen simply smirked.
"Seems like she got your guts, Lupin." Jigen commented before looking at Lupin with a frown. "But I have to ask, how haven't you aged? You look like you're thirty again."
"What about Fuji-cakes?" Assassin asked, thumbing at Fujiko. "She's one hot granny, after all..."
"I'm not asking about her, I'm asking about you." Jigen was definitely not going to drop this until Assassin gave him an answer. That's how he always was. He didn't like secrets.
"Would you believe me if I said I found the Fountain of Youth, stole it, and took a sip?" Assassin asked with a grin.
"No way." Nobody was buying it.
"Really? That's so cool dad!" Well, maybe Riko was.
"Man, you guys are cold! Shootin' me down like that!" Assassin commented, placing his hand over his heart as if he were stabbed. "What if it's true?"
"It's not." Goemon replied, looking at Assassin suspiciously. "What is the true answer?"
"Ah, but that would be tellin'." Assassin replied with a wag of his finger. "A man's gotta keep his beauty secrets!"
"I didn't think you had such a feminine side Lupin." Fujiko joked out, smiling a bit at Assassin. "But then again, you did wear that gaudy pink jacket..."
"Ah lay off me. I made it work." Assassin grumbled, making everyone, even Goemon, laugh. He watched Riko giggle a storm about hearing his old fashion taste. Assassin had to smile. It was so great to see everyone enjoying themselves. They probably had not laughed like this together in years, while to him it had only been a couple of days (Relatively speaking).
And for some reason, despite the happy atmosphere, his mind wandered to his final days...
New York City, USA (April 17th, 1984):
Lupin hummed happily to himself as he sat on a bench in Central Park, a bundle of pink roses that matched his jacket in one hand and the prize of his latest heist in another.
It was a large seventy karat diamond, but not an ordinary one. This diamond changed colors from blue, to green, to red, and the rest of the colors of the spectrum before returning to blue again. This diamond was called the Rainbow Diamond, and it was said to have come from the mystic city of Ubar and was even a possession of King Solomon himself. It was going to be auctioned off in a museum to the richest men in the world, but he and his gang were able to swipe it for themselves, avoiding Pops all the while.
Good thing he didn't tell them that it was for Fujiko.
If he did that, Jigen would have probably walked out on the job. Same went for Goemon.
"Ah Fuji-cakes... If only they could understand that the reward is just too good to pass up..." Lupin sighed out as he put the diamond back into his pocket.
It was the best promise ever! Fujiko said that she would actually sleep with him if he gave it to her! Of course, he knew that she would probably back out the last minute but that was simply how their relationship went. Though he had to admit, the mere thought of sampling Fujiko's fine body just fueled his motivation.
"I have found you, Lupin the Third."
Lupin froze at the voice that came from behind him, blinking a few times before smirking. He didn't even hear the guy coming. "And you are...?"
"A simple Owl of Minerva."
"Thought I dealt with you guys years ago." Lupin turned around to see the Owl observing him with its right hand supporting its 'chin'. Although the getup and owl mask changed, there was no doubt that the being was part of the same organization that manipulated his, Fujiko, Jigen, and Goemon's involvement with one another. But why? Why appear after all this time? He was sure neither he nor the others had been observed by someone. "What do ya want?"
"Your life."
"Ah, still sore over that?" Lupin asked with a small shrug. "Get in line."
"Ah, I suppose I was a bit too direct Mr. Lupin." The Owl responded in its usual baritone. "What I meant to say was that your life will be ending soon. Tomorrow, to be exact."
Lupin blinked a bit at that statement. The Owl... seemed to be sure about his declaration. "Oh? I hate to tell you that I don't believe in predictions. Always turn out to be a bunch of bogus."
"I can assure you that this is not 'bogus' Mr. Lupin." The Owl responded, bowing with its right arm folding over its chest. "I'm simply a humble messenger carrying out his task."
"Like I care." Assassin replied, taking out his Walther out and aiming it at the Owl. "Now would you mind explainin' what this is all really about?"
"Do not be in such a rush Mr. Lupin, all will be revealed to you in due time." The Owl then stood up straight, its red eyes seeming to study Lupin. "However, I must ask you to please consider the safety of your comrades before you act."
Lupin said nothing, but instead glared at the Owl. He was really starting to hate the bird. NO ONE threatened him or things he cares for and gets away with it. At least, not for long. But then again, what is making the damn thing so sure that it can kill them?
Slowly, Lupin put his gun back in its holster.
"A wise choice." The Owl then began to walk away. "I shall now take my leave Mr. Lupin, and I would advise you to take yours." Soon after, the Owl disappeared into the shadows, leaving no trace that he was actually there in the first place.
"Damn bird..." Lupin muttered to himself as he picked up the roses, placing his right hand in the jacket's pocket and fingering the diamond. He would dig into the new version of the group in due time. He would find out who's the new leader and begin preparations to take him or her down... as soon as he finished with his current task.
"THERE YOU ARE!!!"
"Huh?" Lupin muttered, turning around to see Zenigata and ten cops right behind him running towards him. "Oh crap! Pops!"
"Get him!!" Voices from behind him shouted before a policeman tackled Lupin to the ground. One after the other, the police began to dog-pile on him.
"Ah man! Watch it! Don't touch me there!" Lupin shouted, grinning as he slowly began to wriggle out of the pile. Didn't the cops ever learn that this tactic just gives the victim an opportunity to slip out while they were busy beating one-another up?
"Stop you idiots! You're doing what he wants!" Zenigata shouted, getting closer and closer to the pile. At that moment, Lupin popped out of the cops and grinned.
"Catch ya later, Pops!" Lupin laughed out while roller blades popped out of the bottom of his shoes and mini-rockets came out of his heels. In an instant, Lupin was propelled forward in record-breaking speeds.
"LUPIN!!!"
It only took a few minutes for Lupin to get away from the police. All it took was simple camouflage in order to blend into a random tree. As soon as they were gone, Lupin headed back to the hotel he and the others purchased for their stay in the city.
Fujiko's room was just across the hall from him and guys' room on the fourth floor. Perfect walking distance for a nighttime rendezvous.
Knocking on the door three times, Lupin smiled as he held the flowers in his hand. Of course, the old ones were wrecked, but luckily he was able to snag a new bundle.
"Come in~!" Fujiko's sing-song voice came out, and Lupin opened the door and walked into the room and see Fujiko lying down on the bed on her stomach in nothing but her panties.
"Oh my! Now this is a sight for my sore eyes!" Lupin cried, grinning from ear to ear as his eyes skimmed over Fujiko's body. One could swear that the woman never seemed to lose her beauty.
But her beauty was just part of Fujiko's charm to him. Like him, she didn't want to be bound by anything. She was a thief much like him, only she used her feminine charms along with her willingness to go into any given situation without concern for her own wellbeing.
Lupin just loved dames like that.
"Come now Lupin, surely you are not that excited over this little show?" Fujiko asked teasingly, only for Lupin to shrug.
"What can I say? I never get tired of ya, Fuji-cakes." Lupin responded, making Fujiko giggle just a bit before eying the roses.
"Oh? Resorting to flowers again Lupin? I thought you weren't one for the usual approach when it comes to me." Fujiko stated curiously as she observed Lupin, who reached his hand into his pink jacket's pocket.
"Oh don't worry, these are just the openin' for..." Lupin then showed the multicolored diamond, making Fujiko's eyes sparkle with wonder, lust, and greed. "This little baby!"
"The Rainbow Diamond!" Fujiko shouted with glee as she reached out for the gem. Of course, Fujiko loved treasures just as much as him. But other than him, who enjoyed the chase more than the actual prize, she liked both the chase AND the prize with the prize sometimes taking top priority. Which is why, to even hope to gain Fujiko's attention, one had to bring something shiny and expensive. "This is one of the rarest and most valuable jewels in the wo-"
Lupin then pulled the diamond out of her grasp, grinning as he waved his finger at her like a child. "Ah, ah, ah Fujiko! I think you promised me somethin' for this little jewel. So..." Lupin then puckered up his face and prepared to kiss Fujiko, all the while preparing to be turned down... again...
However, what came next was not a punch or kick that would expel him from the room. Instead, Fujiko said something that even surprised Lupin the Third.
"Hm... alright then." Fujiko sighed as she sat up, making Lupin freeze.
Did… did he hear that right?
"Fuji-cakes... are you serious?" Lupin asked, only for Fujiko to nod her head while crossing her legs.
"Oh, Lupin… how long have we known each other? How much longer have you been asking for this?" Fujiko asked, talking rather casually even as she displayed herself to him. "For about twenty years I'd say. You've helped me out of a more than a couple dangerous situations, and I've done the same for you."
"I'd just like to mention that you were responsible for puttin' us in half of those dangerous situations." Lupin interjected with a playful grin, one that Fujiko returned.
"My point is, given everything that's happened between us and all we've been through together… I wouldn't mind giving you one night as a reward." Fujiko smiled, leaning back on the bed while Lupin just drank in the sight. "So until the sun comes up, I'll be yours for the entire night. What do you say to that?"
"I… that's…" Lupin stammered for a moment before regaining his composure, an excited smile slowly making its way onto his lips. "You mean it, Fuji-cakes? You're not just leading me on like usual, are you?"
"Honestly, the treasure is right here in front of you and you now you don't want it?" Fujiko giggled. "You've chased me for years, Lupin. You've done so much and I'll admit it's been a thrilling ride. So… I say you've earned this night."
Lupin stared at the woman for moment before snickering. This was perfect! Absolutely perfect! He was finally going to have Fujiko for himself. Just for one night, and things would probably go back to the way things were with him chasing after her and her rebuffing and betraying him at
her convenience, but it would be totally worth it!
After all, wasn't all that part of the thrill?
"Alright! Here I come Fuji-cakes~!" Lupin then used the trick only he knew to get out of all his clothes at once and jump on Fujiko, kissing her passionately. Lupin felt like his luck had finally peaked when instead of getting the punch he expected, Fujiko received him.
That night... was probably the best night Lupin ever had.
Then came the morning.
When Lupin awoke, his limbs were cuffed to each four bedposts, and he was still naked. "I don't remember Fujiko bein' this kinky... And I'm sure as hell not into this type of thing..." Lupin then looked down to a small note on his chest and read out, "Thanks for the diamond love- Mine Fujiko." Lupin then sighed while shrugging. Of course she would take the diamond from under his nose again.
It was still totally worth it though, if his wide grin was any indication.
The door was then kicked open, revealing Jigen and Goemon. "Lupin! Where are..." Jigen then turned his head and said, "Damn it Lupin, I always knew you were a masochist. Figures with how much you like that woman betraying you..."
"I didn't want to be like this Jigen! I swear I'm not into this type of thing!" Lupin denied as Goemon closed his eyes and drew Zantetsu. In a second, the cuffs restraining Lupin were cut and Lupin instantly grabbed his boxers from the side of the bed.
"Could have fooled me." Goemon joked out in his usually completely serious voice. "I suppose Fujiko took the treasure again?"
"Yup, that's right." Lupin replied, putting on his clothes as quickly as possible.
"Shit. Where are we supposed to find that woman now? There were plenty of people that wanted the thing..." Jigen mumbled before noticing Lupin was rummaging through the drawers. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, just lookin' for who she went to." Lupin replied, holding up a brochure labeled 'GUMP TOWER'. "And here is where we're goin' today!"
"I know this place..." Jigen muttered, studying the portfolio. "It belongs that real-estate billionaire guy right?"
"But what would they want with the diamond?" Goemon asked, making Lupin smirk.
He loved playing 'teacher' to the guys.
"Daniel Gump is a piece of work. Or sure, he seems like just your run-of-the-mill billionaire with way too much money on his hands, but the thing is that he loves to collect treasures for no real reason. Statues, diamonds, tablets... he loves to collect 'em all." Lupin informed the two, slipping the brochure into his pants pocket. "World 'round the underworld is that he's gotten into the 'protection' game recently and now has practically an army for security."
"Then that means Fujiko plans to steal the man's collection." Goemon reasoned. "When do we strike?"
"Why not today? Got nothin' better to do." With that, Lupin began to write his calling card for Zenigata to find. It wouldn't take long for the inspector to find where he's been staying at. "But ya know what? Somethin' good came out of this."
"Like what?" Jigen asked, deciding to humor the thief.
"Me and Fujiko spent one mighty fine romantic evenin' together~!" Lupin sung out, making both Goemon and Jigen freeze for a second as they processed the meaning.
"WHAT!?!"
Lupin laughed at their disbelieving expressions.
Totally worth it.
Two Hours Later:
Three janitors, their hair and eyes hidden from view by their grey caps and any noticeable body features covered by grey jumpsuits, walked past the front desk pushing a cart filled with cleaning supplies and a vacuum. They headed towards an elevator, two guards on each side of it, and tipped their hats in respect. The guards offered their own nods of acknowledgment and pressed the button to come up. In a minute, the elevator doors opened and the three janitors stepped in.
When the doors closed, the three 'janitors' snickered before erupting into full-blown laughter. They then shed their jumpsuits and caps to reveal themselves to be Jigen, Goemon, and Lupin.
"Man, I still can't believe how easy it was to slip by them!" Jigen shouted, grabbing his fedora from the cart and putting it back onto his head.
"I suppose Gump values brute force over intelligence." Goemon commented, also receiving Zantetsu from the 'broom', throwing the bristles to the floor.
"Now, now… that was the easy part guys." Lupin spoke as the lights on the elevator began to get closer and closer to the seventy-fifth floor, the top floor of Gump Tower. "The fun is just beginnin'."
A minute later, the elevator stopped and the door opened to reveal two guards in black suits and sunglasses. "What the...?"
The two shut up a second later after Goemon punched one into the side of the door and Jigen pistol-whipped the other.
"Sorry about that, fellas!" Lupin apologized mockingly as he rolled out the cart while stepping over the two unconscious men. After all of them were out, Lupin kicked the two into the elevator, pressed all the floor numbers inside, and waved at them as the doors closed. "'Kay, that buys us a couple of minutes."
"Now where is this safe of his, Lupin?" Jigen asked, following Lupin as he turned right and walk down the hallway.
"From what the rumors say, no one who has tried to crack the safe and made it out alive." Lupin replied as he stopped and tapped the wall to his left. "It has a retina scanner, a pulse sensor, a face recognition sensor, and it will shock someone with fifty thousand volts if someone gets the code wrong even once. Really state of the art. So instead of goin' through all that trouble..." Lupin then thumbed the wall and asked, "Goemon? Would you...?"
Goemon walked forward and drew Zantetsu and, in a flash of motion, sheathed it once again. Instantly, a door-sized rectangle fell.
The three looked inside and saw practically a museum inside. Jewels of all different shapes and sizes, statues from every different era and region, and ancient tablets from Egypt littered the entire place. It was enough to make Lupin actually physically drool.
"Alright guys! Time to get our payday!" Lupin then grabbed the vacuum cleaner and ran into the room, smashing the glass while turning the thing on. In an instant, the jewels were sucked into the machine in breakneck speeds before Lupin moved onto the next case containing jewels, Jigen and Goemon meanwhile were grabbing tablets and stuffing them into oversized bags.
"Geez, this guy must have spent a fortune on these!" Jigen grunted out while placing a bag onto the cart.
"Truly, wealth makes men do foolish things." Goemon muttered as he got a new bag.
"Come on guys, give credit when credit's due! More for us right?" Lupin asked, ignoring the nagging feeling in the back of his head. He was going to die today? Yeah right! It was just an ordinary day for him!
Suddenly, the entire room was flooded with light, blinding the three. As they adjusted to the light, a TV monitor on the corner of the room sprung to life to reveal Daniel Gump, an old Caucasian man with his cheeks sinking down, a double chin, and a really bad grey toupee that looked like it was about to fall off.
"Gentlemen! Welcome to Gump Tower!" Gump declared in an arrogant snotty tone with a slight wheeze.
"Ah, we appreciate it." Lupin laughed out while grinning at the monitor. "Sorry about disturbin' you, but we're just tryin' to find somethin' that is ours and get it back... with a bit of interest."
"Hm, as a man of business I can understand. However, I don't appreciate little punks who think they can just steal from me!" Gump shouted, and at that moment several guards burst into the room carrying both pistols and machine guns. "Kill them!"
"Geez, why does he gotta be so direct?" Lupin asked, ducking with Jigen as they began to open fire while Goemon sliced through the bullets without much effort. Both Lupin and Jigen drew their guns and fired, shooting two guards in the chest each. Jigen then turned around and shot another between the eyes, making the man gurgle in pain before falling to the floor. Goemon sprung forward, slicing the guards' guns in half as if he were cutting through butter. "Time to go!" With that, Lupin threw the vacuum onto the cart and began to push it out of the improvised door, Jigen and Goemon following close behind. As Lupin made a right turn, several guards appeared and fired on them. "Yatatata!!!" Lupin shouted as he moved franticly to avoid the bullets along with Jigen. Goemon instead ran along the right wall and swung his sword, cutting all the clothes and guns unto useless scrap while jumping down. The guards ran away in freight while the three continued to run forward.
Jigen reloaded his gun just as a guard opened the door from the stairway, shooting him in the heart and killing him instantly. "We've got more company!"
"Man, I hate bein' unprepared for uninvited guests!" Lupin shouted, taking a small bomb out of his jacket and lighting the fuse. Opening the door, Lupin smirked as he saw about twenty guards freeze from climbing the stairs as he threw the bomb. They all screamed as Lupin closed the door before a loud bang was heard and smoke began pouring from the door's cracks.
"Hurry up you idiots! Kill them! Kill them now!" Gump shouted over the loudspeaker, making Lupin smirk as he ran. Seems like they struck a nerve.
"Where the hell are we going?" Jigen shouted, placing his right hand over his hat so that so that it would not fall off.
"Penthouse pool! It's out in the open!" Lupin replied, making Jigen gape at him.
"Are you expecting us to just jump off Lupin?" Goemon asked, only for an explosion to echo from behind him.
"S-Sir! That damn bitch... she just blew up the safe and is loading the statues into a helicopter!" A guard's voice came from the loudspeakers, making Lupin smirk. He knew that Fujiko would double-cross the man as soon as she ran to him.
"Tch! Damn woman! She used us as a distraction!!" Jigen shouted, shooting two guards that were ahead of them.
"Maybe so, but at least she's goin' to give us a free ride!" Lupin replied, opening the door leading to the penthouse pool area...
...and coming face to face with a helicopter that had two machine guns attached to its bottom.
"Oh shit!" Lupin cursed while swerving to the side, barely avoiding the bullets that were fired. Goemon jumped forward, swinging Zantetsu and cutting the helicopter in half before it exploded. "Goemon!"
Damn it, Goemon must have accidentally cut the engine in half. The sparks, however momentarily, made by Zantetsu would instantly ignite the fuel within. Goemon screwed up from time to time, but not to this degree.
Goemon landed on the ground, grunting in pain while a piece of shrapnel was lodged into his right eye. "Damn, I was careless..." Police sirens then filled the air, making Lupin perk up. Seems like the cavalry (a.k.a Pops) were here.
"We really need to go now!" Jigen shouted as he shot several more guards and picked up Goemon, who's right hand was covering his eye as it wept blood and other fluids.
"Hello there boys~!" Fujiko's sing-song voice came over the loudspeakers before a giant red helicopter floated to the edge of the roof. "Need a lift?"
"Damn it, Fujiko! You couldn't come sooner?!" Jigen shouted in anger as he helped to lift Goemon into the helicopter before getting himself on.
"Heave-ho!" Lupin shouted, picking up the cart with some difficulty and handing it to Jigen. Lupin was about to jump on as well...
...when a loud bang filled his ears, and he stumbled a bit forward.
"What the?" Lupin thought to himself, patting his chest and looking at his hand to see his hand with some red stuff over it. "Is that... blood?"
Another bang filled the air, and Lupin fell over the edge. He saw the street below, the road filled with police cars and cops running into the building for a second before something caught his right wrist.
He heard Jigen shout something before his Magnum fired. In another second that seemed like an eternity, he was pulled onto the helicopter and placed onto a seat. His vision was beginning to get blurry, and Lupin knew he shouldn't but he looked at his chest anyways.
There were two gaping holes in the center of his chest and the heart area. Whoever did this was a pro. He saw his aqua green shirt and orange tie being soaked in blood. "Oh yeah, that's my blood. Definitely loosin' a lot of my blood..."
This wasn't like when he got shot by Count Cagiliostro. He knew that he would survive then. The wound wasn't even that fatal.
But this time was different.
Lupin could feel it.
He was going to die.
And for some reason... that didn't seem to bother him. He wasn't scared, angry, or even sad. It was just like another part of his life, something to breeze through without a worry in the world.
He turned his head to see Goemon attempt to stop the bleeding with a piece of his hakama's sleeve, a look of desperation on his face. He was even ignoring what was going on with his eye. Jigen was shouting at Fujiko about something, and he could see her giving frantic glances at him. Slowly but surely, sound began to reach his ears again.
"...If we don't get him to a hospital soon, he's done for!" Jigen shouted, his face still cold due to years of seeing men die.
"I'm trying the best I can!" Fujiko shouted back frantically, flipping through the controls. "This thing won't go any faster!"
"If you hadn't...!" Jigen began, only for Lupin to raise his hand. "Don't move!" Jigen then ran and kneeled in front of him. "We're getting you to a hospital! Don't..."
"Hey Jigen..." Lupin muttered weakly, looking at his right-hand man with drooping eyes. "...Was the heist successful?"
"Yes, but that doesn't matter! Just stop talk-" Jigen then stopped as Lupin shook his head slowly. "Lupin...?"
"Jigen... you mind givin' me a cigarette? The Gitanes in my pocket I mean, not the American crap you smoke..." Lupin asked, receiving a confused look from Goemon.
"What purpose does that...?" Goemon stopped talking as Jigen reached into Lupin's pocket and took out a pack off the Gitanes cigarettes, made and imported from the homeland of Lupin's very own grandfather, and popped one into his mouth while lighting it immediately afterwards. "Jigen? What are you doing?"
"Just shut up." Jigen replied gruffly as Lupin took in small breath of the smoke and breathed it out.
"Ya know, I'm glad... that I met you guys." Lupin spoke, his voice becoming weaker and weaker by the minute. "You're probably the closest thing to friends that I ever had, even if we tried to kill each other when we first met..."
"Lupin, stop talking crazy!" Fujiko shouted, now looking desperate to him. "We're almost to the hospital! Ju-"
"I SAID SHUT UP!!" Jigen barked out, silencing the woman.
"Don't worry Fuji-cakes, take your time... we got the loot. That's all that matters..." Lupin then chuckled a bit. "Ya know, I'm just glad I got to finally sample you before this happened... But, I'd like to think that I finally mad you mine..." Lupin then looked to the side, to the city as the sun peaked from behind the skyscrapers.
It was really beautiful.
"The sky... I never knew it was that blue..." Lupin muttered as his eyes began to close. No noise was reaching his ears anymore. He was really tired, and Lupin knew what that meant.
But he had no regrets about how he lived.
"You guys…"
A bright smile stretched across the man's face, burning into the minds of his three companions as they watched the world's greatest thief fade away.
"…It was fun!"
With that, Lupin the Third left the world on April 18th, 1984.
Reality:
Something hard then whacked Assassin on his head, snapping Assassin out of his thoughts. "Owowowow!" Assassin shouted as he nursed the nonexistent bump on his head as Goemon moved Zantetsu back to his side.
"Hey! You didn't need to do that! Dad was just thinkin' about somethin' is all!" Riko shouted, patting him on the shoulder while both Fujiko and Jigen grinned.
"Oh there's nothing to worry about, Riko." Fujiko stated, making the little girl look to her.
"Trust me and your.... mom. Lupin's taken worse than a little knock to the head." Jigen stated before looking back at Assassin. "But what were you spacing out about?"
"Oh… just old memories. A guy's gotta reminisce about stuff from time to time, ya know?" Assassin asked with a grin. "What were you sayin' before?"
"...What is this Holy Grail?" Jigen asked in a serious tone. "The news said you threatened to steal a Holy Grail. What were you talking about?"
Ah yes, Assassin knew that this question would come sooner or later. "Well Jigen, that would be tellin'."
He could tell that answer pissed Jigen off. He always hated it whenever he hid stuff. Same went with Goemon and Fujiko.
But this was one thing he had to keep hidden... for now.
Too many ears around them.
"So you can't tell us or you won't Lupin?" Fujiko asked with narrowed eyes, as if trying to scare the answers out of him.
But he's had worse.
"A little bit of both actually." Assassin replied with a wave of his hand.
"Aw, why can't ya tell me dad?" Riko asked, her eyes beginning to water a bit at the fact that he was hiding something from her.
It almost made him spill the beans.
Almost.
"Trust me kiddo, I'd love to tell ya, but I can't right now." Assassin said while patting her on the head. Her hair was really soft...
"Tch, hiding stuff from us again..." Jigen muttered while taking another breath of smoke. "Bastard..."
"Aw come on, don't be like that Jigen!" Assassin shouted, pointing his finger into the air. "I know! Why don't we have a celebration for our reunion!"
"Alright!" Riko shouted, pumping her own fist into the air. "Are we gonna have cake an' stuff?"
"You want us to accompany you on a heist?" Goemon asked, making Assassin give an enthusiastic nod.
"Why not? It'll be fun! Just like old times!" Assassin shouted with glee, only to notice one thing.
No one but Riko was smiling.
"Guys? What's up?" Assassin asked in a confused tone.
"I'm not going." Goemon stated, his eyes closed but firm resolve in his voice. "I have a dojo waiting for me. I cannot simply allow myself back into this life. Not now."
"Lupin I... can't go." Fujiko stated, pain apparent on her face and in her tone. "I just can't. Not anymore..."
"But why not, mom?" Riko asked, looking at her mother in confusion. "You and dad will be together again! We can go on fun adventures together! Like a famil-"
"You don't understand Riko!" Fujiko shouted, silencing the girl. "I can't be a thief anymore! Not with you..."
"…You don't feel any thrill anymore, huh?"
"What?" Fujiko asked, looking at Assassin who no longer had a grin adorning his face, which he knew would freak them out a bit.
"The thrill of the heist, the excitement at the possibility of gettin' caught... you lost it over the years didn't you?" Assassin asked, his tone now curious rather than amused. "After I... left, you lost it. Couldn't get it back. That's why you aren't a thief anymore."
It was not a question, it was a simple fact. Assassin could read people well, and when it came to his comrades and Mine Fujiko, he could read them like a book.
"There's also another reason she stopped…" Assassinthought as his eyes drifted over to Riko.
"L-Lupin..." Fujiko muttered in shock. She was probably surprised he could read her so easily. Even Riko seemed scared at how the whole situation was falling apart.
"Since when did you become a psychologist, Lupin?" Jigen asked in a gruff voice, making Assassin blink in surprise when he found he was curious about the answer himself. Really, when had he started doing this kind of thing?
Oh wait, that's right.
"When it became fun."
"Tch, what a crappy explanation. You might as well just go back to wearing the green jacket..." Jigen muttered out while putting out his cigarette. That was right, he did act a bit colder and more ruthless back during the early days when he wore a green jacket. That was before he learned to just have (Even more) fun since Jigen and Goemon were always backing him up.
Food for thought.
"Maybe I will. Maybe I will..." Assassin muttered to himself, smirking just a bit. He then noticed both Goemon and Fujiko get up. "Hold up for a sec, guys! Don't go! Stick around for a little while!"
"Unlike you Lupin, we have moved on from those days." Goemon spoke, glancing at Assassin with his eye. "I have new responsibilities. I cannot simply abandon my students now. This is not out of anger or guilt towards what had happened. It is simply a fact."
Assassin didn't know what to say at that. He knew that Goemon must have developed a new life since he had died. He couldn't just drop it for him. Assassin's expression softened for a moment, keeping his smile up as he watched Goemon head towards the exit.
"Hey, Goemon!"
The samurai paused just as he placed his hand on the door handle.
"I hope you find something worthwhile to cut before you kick the bucket." Assassin told the Samurai with a grin.
Goemon remained silent, though his head turned in the thief's direction just a fraction before he left without a goodbye. Assassin chuckled to himself.
Even though he understood Goemon's reasons for leaving, it still kinda hurt.
"I-I also have new responsibilities Lupin." Fujiko said, grabbing Riko's hand. "I'm sorry, but I go back to that life. It's not for me, at least not anymore. It hasn't been for a while now."
"B-But mom..." Riko muttered out, tears forming in her eyes before Assassin pat her head and flashed her a grin.
"Don't worry! I'll come and visit ya sometime soon!" Assassin stated, making her eyes brighten.
"Y-you mean it?" Riko asked in a quiet voice, only making Assassin's grin grow.
"Count on it."
Instantly, Riko tackled Assassin's body and hugged him tightly while crying on his chest. Assassin didn't know what to do except pat the girl on the back.
It was strange, him doing this. Having a child had never really been on his mind before. For him, nothing else mattered except the next heist. He was pretty sure his dad felt the same way, same went for his grandfather.
Surprising things happen when one is not expecting it...
After a few more minutes of crying, Riko got off and wiped her nose on a napkin on the table before taking Fujiko's hand and walking away with her. Both took a look back at him, and Assassin gave them a wave goodbye while smiling. His eyes lingered on Riko before she and her mother disappeared. Lupin whistled to himself, still slightly amazed with the whole situation before turning to face the only companion of his that still remained.
"Why are you stayin'?" Assassin asked Jigen with a cheeky grin.
"Lay off. Nothing happens in the town I live in, so I figure why not stay here for a couple of days?" Jigen replied, an eye peeking out of the shadow of his fedora. "You seem to be handling the fact you have a kid well."
"Eh, what can I say? I love all things interestin'! Riko just happens to be one of those things!" Assassin replied with a shrug. "But it is surprisin' don't get me wrong. Especially when she's Fuji-cakes' kid! Probably goin' to be a real looker when she gets older! Will probably have to fend off her admirers!"
Jigen stared at the thief for a moment before letting out a tired sigh.
"You know, I really don't get you sometimes..." Jigen muttered to himself, making Assassin chuckle a bit. Jigen really hasn't changed. And while it would be cool to partner up with Jigen again, he knew the guy had his own life to live. He couldn't just bring him to the attention of the police again. The guy was fifty for crying out loud. Who knew what would happen?
But maybe...
Yes! That's it!
"Jigen, I need you to come with me for a second. Somewhere private." Assassin stated, making Jigen freeze up a bit.
"What for?" Jigen asked, only for Assassin to flash him a grin.
"I need one last big favor from you."
To Be Continued...
xxXXxx
Wow, this has to be the longest chap of JaUT so far. But then again, it was kind of necessary considering what’s revealed in it. This chap has been betaed by Kiiam.
So yeah, Lupin’s death has been revealed. It was kind of hard to do this, you know? Lupin just seems too superhuman to die. No matter the situation, he always got out, beat the real bad guy, escaped Zenigata, and moved onto the next heist. But here in the Nasuverse, even a guy like Lupin’s luck has to run out sometime. And I hope no one cries about Fujiko betraying him: that’s just how the relationship between them went. And over the time, Fujiko would believe that Lupin could get out of whatever she dragged him into without a problem.
But still, I tried my best to give a ‘Lupin episode’ feel to the whole thing before everything spiraled out of control near the end. You have to admit, shrapnel would be something that would catch Goemon off guard, and yes it has been shown that Goemon can be caught off-guard. This one just ended more badly than the others and cost the guy his eye for his carelessness.
As for the music, well its pretty simple and straight-forward. Both of them tracks from The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. For when Lupin’s robbing Gump, play Track 26- The Man Called Lupin 2. Why? Gives you a sense of hope and the usual frantic feel of a heist. The other one is for Lupin’s final moments after he gets caught, Track 27- Elegy 1. Its a sad and mournful tune with low tones and a sad woman’s voice singing. Its kind of fitting. Don’t believe me? Look the song up.
Also yes, Lupin was wearing the (in)famous Pink Jacket from the third series. I know a lot of people hate that jacket, but honestly it was the norm back in the eighties (And only Lupin would think he was pulling the look off). To simplify things, Lupin wore the green jacket in the sixties, the red one in the seventies, and the pink one in the eighties. I'd also like to mention that Gitanes is a brand of cigarettes from France, and is the only brand Lupin smokes. And before anyone asks yes, Daniel Gump was a parody of Donald Trump. Why? Because its hilarious.
Okay, enough of that.
The next chapter will be ‘The Cop Called Zenigata’.
The link to the fic’s TV Tropes page can be found on my profile. Feel free to add/change whatever you feel applies.
With all that taken care of…
Would you kindly leave a review?
Last edited by TheInfamousMan; July 17th, 2013 at 01:52 PM.
Current Works:
Just an Unorthodox Thief (Fate/Zero-Lupin III Crossover) [Updated 7/26/2017] TV Tropes Page
Non-Nasuverse Fics:
A Different Kind of Truth (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run/Persona 4 Crossover) [Updated 3/26/2017] TV Tropes Page
A man chooses. A Fafnir obeys.
I have to say you caught the atmosphere of a Lupin episode perfectly, with the wacky hijinks, Lupin jumping out of his clothes and everything else. The characterization was spot on - I could hear Jigen's voice in my head.
The death scene was beautiful and vivid. This is probably my favorite chapter so far.
That's what I thought too, it felt like watching a Lupin episode. I was kind of expecting the others to react how they did.
He never sleeps. He never dies.
Battle doesn't need a purpose; the battle is its own purpose. You don't ask why a plague spreads or a field burns. Don't ask why I fight.
Thanks a lot. It is kind of fun to make Lupin's heists, and even more fun to write the dynamic between the four. Glad to know that I made everyone in-character. That's always something I try very hard to do.
Current Works:
Just an Unorthodox Thief (Fate/Zero-Lupin III Crossover) [Updated 7/26/2017] TV Tropes Page
Non-Nasuverse Fics:
A Different Kind of Truth (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run/Persona 4 Crossover) [Updated 3/26/2017] TV Tropes Page
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