Sonia Rodriguez was out of her element.

A Brooklyn detective, she dealt with cases that involved drugs, gangs, or weapons. In fact, it was usually a mix of the three. She was used to interrogating a gang member for hours on end, to no avail. She was used to handcuffing drug dealers and confiscating their guns. Having grown up in the ghettos of Brooklyn herself, she knew how to handle herself and was capable of anything Brooklyn wanted to throw at her.

She wasn't expecting the curve ball Japan had thrown her.

Inspector Zenigata was a good man, but an eccentric one. He was a clumsy fellow who spoke his mind (and spoke it loud and clear for that matter) and had twice the amount of energy of men half his age. He was quite the handful. Rodriguez had actually considered putting the man on a leash so he wouldn't keep wandering off. But when she saw the glint in his eyes as he rambled on and on about all the heists Lupin had pulled, she knew he was serious about his job.

"And this one time, he–" the Inspector suddenly cut himself short, staring straight ahead through the throng of people. Before Rodriguez could ask what was wrong, he suddenly pointed and shouted, "There! That's him!"

Rodriguez looked in the direction he was pointing. With such a crowded street, she couldn't tell who he was pointing at. "Who…?" But the Inspector was already racing ahead of her, pulling out his handcuffs as he went. "Inspector!" She chased after him, ignoring the disgruntled looks of New Yorkers as she shoved her way past them. Inspector Zenigata was surprisingly nimble and fast for a man his age, but she caught up with him soon enough.

"Lupin!" Zenigata shouted, raising his handcuffs in the air and waving them. That was when Rodrigeuz noticed that the handcuffs were fastened to a rope. Was that how they arrested people in Japan?

A man dressed in an obnoxiously red jacket turned to face them. A wide grin stretched across his monkey-ish face. "Heya, Pops! Come to visit me?"

Rodriguez knew in that instant he was going to be a handful.

Zenigata growled. "No, I've come to arrest you!" Swinging his handcuffs around like a lasso, he shot his wrist forward. The handcuffs went flying through the air and, to Rodriguez's shock, clasped onto Lupin's wrist. Zenigata roared with triumphant laughter. He pulled on the rope so that Lupin was dragged to them. He was a tall and skinny fellow, almost comically so.

"Think you could escape me?" chuckled Zenigata.

"I don't think you wanna hear the answer to that," Lupin replied cheekily.

"It was a rhetorical question," quipped Rodriguez, feeling it was necessary to stand up for her partner. Lupin's eyes flickered to her. They were filled with curiosity and scrutiny. Although he didn't act like he was, she knew he was sizing her up.

"Well, I have a question for you that's definitely not rhetorical." He gave her what he must've supposed was a charming grin. "What's your name?"

"Detective Rodriguez."

"And what's a pretty lady like yourself doin' with ol' Pops?"

"Old?!" Zenigata huffed indignantly, his tan cheeks coloring.

"I'm his partner," Rodriguez replied firmly. She glanced down at the handcuff around the thief's wrist. If he wanted to play games, then so be it. "Though it seems like our case is closed, Inspector." She couldn't help but smirk slightly at Lupin. He raised his eyebrows but smirked right back at her. A silent challenge.

Zenigata roared with laughter. "I couldn't have said it better myself!"

"I admire your confidence, Detective," Lupin drawled, mischief glinting in his eyes. "But I'm afraid you've misspoken."

Then, in a blink of an eye, he was out of his handcuffs and running down the street. A fake, plastic hand swung in the handcuff that had once been around Lupin's wrist.

Rodriguez shook her head, not comprehending what had just happened. Luckily, her police instincts kicked in and she immediately gave chase, the Inspector hot on her heels. He was livid, cursing and raising a fist in the air angrily. She, however, was quiet and took a moment to reflect on the ridiculousness of what had just happened. Was this man a thief or a clown?! He was making a fool out of them!

"He's heading towards the subway!" Zenigata shouted, pointing ahead at the red figure sprinting down the steps towards the subway. Rodriguez knew there was no way they would catch up with him in time; he would board the train and disappear from sight.

Wait a second. Rodriguez stopped short, staring at the station numbers. Then she grinned widely.

"Let's split up!" she shouted to the Inspector, suddenly swerving to the right. "You keep going after him."

"What?!" Zenigata said incredulously, turning towards her. But Rodriguez was already sprinting in the other direction. He growled wordlessly and shook his head, mumbling underneath his breath about the spontaneity and undependability of Americans as he continued after Lupin.

~-x-~-x-~-x-~

Lupin hummed to himself, smiling and bobbing his head to the rhythm of the subway car rattling along the tracks. He had (once again) successfully escaped Pops. It had been a close call, too. The door had shut Lupin in right in time, causing Zenigata to face plant against it before the train began to take off. Zenigata had chased after the train as long as he could, shouting and waving his arms frantically, but the train kept going and Zenigata eventually ran out of platform.

Lupin wasn't sure where Zenigata's new female partner (Detective Rod-up-her-ass) had gone off to. She hadn't been with Zenigata when he had chased Lupin into the subway station. She was either slow or had given up all hope and hadn't bothered to chase Lupin down. No matter. If she was going to be Zenigata's temporary partner while Lupin prepared for his heist in New York, then he was sure he'd see her again.

"Last stop," said a voice over the intercom. "All passengers are asked to leave. Please don't forget any personal belongings. Again, last stop. Last stop."

Lupin stood up and glanced around. He frowned. He hadn't realized that this train was only taking him one stop away from the last station. That meant that Zenigata was only one stop behind him; he could catch up quickly. With this in mind, Lupin quickly hopped out of the train when it came to halt. He may have had a head start on Zenigata, but he wasn't certain how often the trains came. Zenigata may have been on his way right now.

He had barely taken two steps forward when he heard a female voice shout, "Stop right there, Lupin!"

He froze. That was impossible…

"Hands in the air, now!"

Cursing himself, Lupin raised his hands in the air. He didn't have to look to know there was a gun pointed at him.

The other passengers who had gotten off the train scurried away in a hurry, glancing cautiously at Lupin. He grinned cheekily at an elderly woman, who gasped scandalously and struck him with her bag. Lupin supposed she must've had rocks in that bag; he doubled over in pain and groaned.

"Ma'am, please!" Rodriguez sounded both amused and exasperated. "I wouldn't want to charge you for physical assault."

"I was just doing my civic duty, officer," the old woman said in a sweet old voice. Then she turned her eyes on Lupin, and her innocent expression quickly turned into a glare even the devil would've quavered under. "You should be happy you have her to protect you!" she hissed. "If I had my way, I'd…" She shook her bag at Lupin menacingly. He rolled his eyes. She sniffed indignantly and, glaring at him one last time, made her leave. Lupin stuck his tongue out after her.

Rodriguez's badge glimmered in the dim lighting as she moved slowly towards Lupin, both hands on her gun.

"Turn around," she ordered. "Slowly."

Lupin did as he was told. He didn't seem fazed by the gun pointed directly at his chest. Instead, he grinned.

Rodriguez raised an eyebrow.

"Detective Rodriguez," he greeted. "I wasn't expecting to see you so soon." He raised an eyebrow questioningly, curiosity getting the best of him. "How did you beat me here?"

This time it was Rodriguez who grinned. "I'm a Brooklyn native, bud. I know my way around the city."

Lupin supposed she meant there was a shortcut to the station that he wasn't aware of. It must've been some shortcut if she could beat him on foot.

He sighed and shrugged, which looked and felt awkward since his arms were still raised in the air. "Not fair."

"Life's not fair," she replied, taking out her handcuffs once she had closed in on him. "Now turn around and put your hands behind your back. You're under arrest for burglary and for fleeing from the police." She clasped the handcuffs around his wrists. The steel coolness of them was familiar against Lupin's skin. She began to read him his Miranda Rights, which amused him quite a bit – he'd forgotten that that the American police did that. It'd been a while since he'd had a heist in the States.

"With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?"

Lupin realized she had finished, and he grinned. "You know," he drawled, making it clear he hadn't been listening to a single word she'd said, "I've always fantasized about a woman handcuffing me. But not like this."

He could sense her bristling indignantly and impatiently behind him. He chuckled softly to himself. "I hope you've also fantasized about going to jail," she retorted, taking him firmly by the arm as she began to guide him towards the stairs. "'Cause that's where you're going for a long time."

"I've never stayed in jail for long," he replied cockily, grinning at her. "But if I have you to keep me company, maybe I'll make an exception."

She sighed and shook her head. His grin only widened. "You're gonna be a handful in the interrogation room," she grumbled, tightening her grip on his arm as they made their way up the stairs.

Lupin's grin became mischievous. "Just like I am in the bedroom." He awaited her reaction, wondering if she would smack or threaten him.

She grimaced and pulled a face, facing him sharply to give him a stern look. A moment passed, and Lupin wondered if she would gag him to shut him up. Then, to his surprise, she grinned. There was a glint to her eyes that told him she wasn't up to any good. Perhaps there was more to this detective than there appeared to be on the surface. "Only a handful?" She sounded unimpressed, but the smirk on her face gave her amusement away.

It took a good moment for Lupin to fully understand her insinuation. His mouth involuntarily dropped when he realized what she was saying. She raised her eyebrows at him innocently. But Lupin knew she had just sent him a challenge. In fact, she had inevitably just started a war between them.

He grinned widely. If she wanted a war, then she would get one. "Y'know what, Detective?" He heard Zenigata shouting after them in the distance; he must've just pulled up in a train. Rodriguez looked at him questioningly, daring him to speak. "I have a feeling you and I are gonna get along just fine."