Lupin ran as fast as he could across the rooftop of Kazuo tower with the new manuscript in hand. Just as he reached the side of the building he heard a series of loud bangs someone was trying to break through the door which led onto the roof. He leapt off the edge of the building onto the fire escape. "Damn it where the hell is Jigen when I need him?" he was a few floors down when suddenly he heard a familiar voice above him. Climbing out of the window above him was old Zenigata armed as always with his trusty handcuffs. "I got you this time Lupin. You thought you'd get away with swiping that new manuscript but as always I'm five steps ahead of you."

"Yes but I'd say your also a step too far away." Lupin climbed into the window on his floor and locked it before Zenigata had a chance to follow him. He ran through the offices and into the elevator. "I can't let pops take me up to his floor so…" he reached into his jacket and pulled out his gun firing it at the elevators main rope mechanism before ducking back into the elevator as the metal ropes fell out of place. The metal chamber fell fast down the shaft with Lupin clinging to the walls as it collided with the bottom of the shaft and the doors opened. He ran out into the street and looked up at the fire escape where Zenigata was still trying to climb down the fire escape. "Hope those stairs don't do a number on your heart old man."

Suddenly Jigen drew up in the old Excalibur roadster. "Come on man get in the cops are right on our tail." The car shot away down the streets of Kazuo like a bullet. "So what's in that file Lupin? Is it a map to some treasure? Plans for some brilliant new machine to help with a robbery? Ooh ooh I know it's a stock certificate or something?"

Lupin reached into the file and pulled out a brightly coloured comic book. "Actually it's the manuscript for the latest issue of Seibu man my favourite manga." Jigen slammed on the brakes. "So you mean this was all for a stupid comic book?"

"It's not a stupid comic book and you're just jealous because I get to read it first. Anyway because this was the only copy it means that the collector's value will have skyrocketed by the time I've finished reading it."

"That's great man I suppose you're going to sign it as well."

"Not a bad idea but I want to read it all first. Now drive we need to get out of here." Jigen was frustrated all the way back to the safe house. Lupin just sat in the back of the car laughing at the jokes in the comic book. Eventually they reached the warehouse where they had set up camp. Goemon was sitting inside cooking a stew over a small campfire. Jigen parked inside the warehouse getting out of the car and storming over to Goemon and swiping a pot of ramen out of his hand. "I can't believe you dragged us all the way out here for some stupid comic book."

"Oh come on Jigen you know me better than that." Said Lupin a cocky smile gracing his face. "I always have another plan going. I just wanted to get an advance copy of that issue."

"So what's the plan?" said Goemon peacefully as he picked up a second pot of ramen. "I'm so glad you asked Goemon." Said Lupin reaching into his pocket and pulling out a leaflet for the local museum. "You see the Kazuo city museum is holding an exhibition of rare items connected to Japanese folklore and I'm aiming to steal this…"

He threw down the museum leaflet which opened to reveal a statue of a nekomata (cat goblin of Japanese folklore) the statue was stood next to the museum manager and was much taller by comparison. "This statue depicts a cat goblin from two thousand years ago which allegedly terrorized this place when it was just a tiny settlement. The exterior is eight inches of solid gold and then inside that is a smaller statue made of silver and then at the core is a tiny bronze one. They say the villagers made it as a peace offering to the monster and then they took it back when he disappeared." Lupin wandered behind a screen as Goemon and Jigen looked at the pamphlet. Lupin stepped out holding two coats on wire hangers. "Okay red or green for this robbery?"

"Red!" said Jigen

"Green!" said Goemon

Meanwhile in the rafters of the warehouse Lupin and his associates were being watched by a pair of glowing amber eyes. The yellow cat eyes were surrounded by a blue mark which resembled a racoon mask. The boy who possessed the eyes had pale skin and orange hair which was spiked up at the end. He wore a black shirt and shorts and a pair of old open finger gloves and some ragged old socks which had been torn open by the long yellow claws which served for toenails. But perhaps the boy's most recognisable features were his long claws and sharp pointy fangs underneath a very feline nose and sharp pointy ears. "My names cat eyed boy and I make my living by travelling from place to place scrounging any food that I can. Looks like these guys are up to no good. I think I'll tag along and see if I can get any entertainment value out of them." He looked down from his hiding place at the figure who had just stepped out from behind a curtain wearing a red blazer. "No way that's him from the papers and the news programs. It's Lupin the third the world's greatest thief. This is incredible." Cat eyed boy looked down at Lupin once again. "Hey what's that he's holding? No way is that a new issue of Seibu man?"

Meanwhile Lupin had gotten out a map of the museum where the statue was being kept. "now the security system isn't exactly state of the art but I've found out that we can't tunnel in because the entire museum is built right on top of a series of intertwining pipes which direct most of the city's water which means we can't get in without shutting down the city's water and drawing attention to ourselves."

"So we go in the top then eh?" said Jigen pulling out his old pipe and lighting it with a match. "We can't get to it from the top because a polymer shelf runs the entire expanse." Said Lupin calmly. Goemon stood up in frustration. "Ok we can't get in from above and we can't go in from below. And as I don't think they're going to let us walk in and out grabbing the thing I severely doubt we can steal it." Lupin smiled slyly and winked at his faithful sword wielding accomplice. "Don't worry I have a plan all we need is two more people. I've already invited Fujiko to come and help but we need one more man."

"Well this place has an underworld brimming with criminals looking for a way to make a quick buck."

"exactly but we need to find someone by tomorrow so Jigen you and Goemon go see to that while I get working on the equipment we'll be needing."

"Right!" said Jigen and Goemon as they leapt into the car and sped off to find a way to get another man in on the job. "Well that got rid of them now I can get ready to welcome Fujiko." Said Lupin before bursting into a fit of laughter. "Well I'll do that after I've read the rest of the comic."

Meanwhile cat eyed boy was still looking down on him. "So they need a fifth man do they well I might be interested but I think I'd like to read that comic first."

Meanwhile at the local police station Zenigata was making his way to the chiefs office. The chief was a fat quite greedy man named Buta Futtota when Zenigata burst into the room he was asleep with his feet up on the desk. "Excuse me chief the names Koichi Zenigata I'm here from Interpol." The chief just continued to sleep. "Hey you listen when I'm talking!" yelled Zenigata. The chief awoke with a start falling off his chair. He spoke in a quite dumb and sleepy voice. "How dare you interrupt my after dinner nap!"

"Oh I'm sorry." Said Zenigata sarcastically. "I just thought you might want to know that Lupin the third is running amok in your city!"

"Yeah well that's not my problem Mr. Interpol I'm not the one assigned to catch him am I." Zenigata slapped the captain on the top of the head leaving a large lump on his head. "Just listen up porky." Zenigata pulled out a leaflet for the folklore exhibition at the museum. "I'm pretty sure Lupin is after this statue. I need your full cooperation running a security check on this museum."

"Can't we do it tomorrow?" moaned the chief sitting back in his comfy chair. Zenigata groaned and fell back into a smaller less comfortable wood chair behind him. "I'll never catch Lupin when I'm surrounded by idiots."

Meanwhile back at the warehouse Lupin had gone to sleep after finishing reading the comic. Cat eyed boy had snuck down to the warehouse floor and was watching Lupin from behind a large crate. Lupin was babbling in his sleep. "Ah Fujiko of course I'll marry you…"

Suddenly there was a loud clatter as if a stack of boxes had been knocked over. Lupin opened his eyes and sat up and yawned he looked to the place he had left the comic. It was gone Lupin stood up in shock leaping all over his small sleeping area for the manga. Suddenly Lupin realised he could hear laughter coming from behind one of the stacks of boxes. He drew his gun and slowly walked around the first stack. Behind the pile of boxes he saw a boy with his back to him and his nose buried in a comic book. "Hee hee this is the best issue of Seibu man since issue ten when he battled that tentacle monster." Lupin put his gun back in its holster and walked up behind the young man. "Alright you little scamp give me that comic back or I'll…" Lupin was cut off when the boy turned around to face him with a look of horror and surprise on his face. The boy had huge golden eyes like those of a cat, his teeth were sharpened and he had a feline nose. "Aagh it's a nekomata!" Lupin hit the floor bowing his head slightly. "Oh please forgive me I promise I won't steal that statue just don't hurt me." Cat eyed boy stood up and giggled slightly at the show Lupin was putting on. Lupin looked up momentarily to see cat eyed boy rolling on the floor clutching his stomach laughing. Lupin began to boil up with frustration. "Hey don't laugh at me you little bastard!" the cat eyed boy got up and wiped away a single tear of laughter from his eye. "My name is cat eyed boy and you have taken up home in a place which has been my residence for a few weeks. I figure you owe me a little back rent…" Lupin calmed down and dusted his red blazer off before returning to the conversation. "Alright you little brat what do you want?"

"You're a world class thief and you're going after the golden nekomata statue from two thousand years ago. And since that was a gift from villagers to what was probably my grandpa I'd say at least part of it belongs to me."

"I like you kid you're in."

Jigen and Goemon were sadly disappointed having found nothing after an entire evening of searching for another man for the team. The pair were driving up to the hideout when they started to notice something. "Jigen were there this many cats around here when we left?" the number of cats in the area surrounding the warehouse had increased to immense proportions. There were all sorts of cats of different sizes, colours and types.

The two walked into the hideout to see Lupin sitting opposite a large box eating cup ramen. "Hey guys you'll never guess what I found."

"What?" said Jigen wandering closer to the box.

"Meet our newest member." Lupin pointed Jigen and Goemon to the small boy with cat eyes and pointy ears sat just out of sight of the two. "Everything's coming up roses." laughed Lupin reaching over and tussling the boy's hair.