Chapter 1: Enter Blues
Lupin poked his head inside the room before walking through the front door of a rather shady looking bar. His eyes darted around for a moment before proceeding in. Jigen less than eagerly followed his colleague inside, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Hey Lupin, are you sure this contact is reliable?" Jigen asked, obviously bothered by the mere feel of the place.
"Hey relax Jigen, he's a professional." He smirked and proceeded to walk over to the other end of the bar, much to Jigen's dismay. He simply sighed and followed his old friend to an empty table.
"Your call.." Just as the two made themselves comfortable at the table, the front door to the bar opened once more. The two looked over to see a young man a black suit. Almost resembling Jigen's outfit, only this one was wearing black sunglasses and more of a fedora. The man looked around, spotting the two over at the table, taking another glance around the room before making his way over to them.
"Evenin' gentlemen." The young man replied, nodding to them both.
"Evening mister. You wouldn't happen to be-" Before Lupin could finish, the young man tipped of his fedora, bowing slightly in greeting.
"Blues, Jim E. Blues." He replied. "And if memory serves, we've got a lot to discuss tonight." Jim took the liberty of taking a seat in front of the other two. He pushed up on his sunglasses before proceeding.
"I've got information on something you've been looking for." Jim opened slipped a hand into the inside pocket of his blazer. Lupin and Jigen shifted in their seats uneasily, readying themselves as a precaution.
"Relax guys, I'm armed, but not stupid." He pulled out what appeared to be a very tattered and worn map, delicately tied together by an equally worn and old piece of string.
"This is is it. This map will lead you right to The Unknown Treasure.." Lupin and Jigen share glances for a moment before looking back at Jim, Lupin rubbed his chin curiously.
"You mean that's the actual name of the treasure?" Jigen asked. Jim shrugged slightly.
"Hey, I didn't name it, I just found the map." Jim explained as he sat back in the chair. "As you've probably heard, nobody's been able to find the treasure, let alone the map. Figured if anyone could make proper use of it, it'd be you, Lupin the 3rd." Lupin simply smirked as Jim placed the map in front of him on the table.
"That's mighty nice of you mister, what's in it for you?" Lupin asked, as intrigued as he was suspicious of the shadily dressed young man.
"Just one thing, I wanna come along and get a share of the profits." Jim replied, his hand resting on the map, patting it gently. "I trust you'll be fare in determining my share so I'll leave that to you as well." Jigen flipped open his lighter, bringing it up to the waiting cigarette in his mouth.
"This all sounds too damn convenient to me." Jigen muttered before puffing a cloud of smoke, Jim couldn't really see through the other man's shaded eyes, but he could sense that he was staring right at him.
"What's the deal kid? This is the kind of treasure guys would kill for, and you're just giving it to us? Why?" Jim looked straight back at Jigen, then over to Lupin again.
"I figured it'd be fun to work with Lupin and his gang and I'll most likely will never get a chance like this again, that's why." The young man replied. Lupin and Jigen looked at each other, whispering to one another for a while before turning back to Jim.
"Well, you make a good offer Jim and a pretty honest one for a thief." Lupin smirked as he stood up from his seat, extending his hand. "But it's good to know there's still honor among thieves." Jim smiled standing up as well, extending his hand to shake Lupin's firmly.
"I'm glad you think so, think maybe this'll help me get into your gang?" Jim inquired with his own smirk.
"Ahh, that's something we have yet to see kiddo!" Lupin couldn't help but laugh as Jigen remained seated with his feet propped up on the table. Suddenly all three of them stop moving for a moment, their eyes darting around the bar.
"I take the sudden silence as that you noticed too..?" Jim asked as he continued to shake Lupin's hand. Lupin himself, still grinning nods.
"Am I going to get a preview of your skills kiddo?" Lupin asked, Jim couldn't help but smirk as the two nodded to each other.
"Jiguen?" Jigen sat up in his seat slowly, taking one last puff from his cigarette before taking it out of his mouth, flicking it away.
"Ready when you are partner." The cigarette slowly flew through the air, spinning a while before it hit the ground with a few sparks.
"Show time!" Jim exclaimed as he clutched Lupin's wrist as Lupin did the same, the two jump over the table over to where the other was standing, pulling out their guns quickly as they did. Jigen himself rolled behind the table, pushing it down to provide a shield as Lupin and Jim began firing at the sudden surge of thugs rush into the bar, firing right back at them. Lupin and Jim quickly dove behind the table along with Jigen who was reloading his gun at the time.
"Friends of yours?" Lupin asked with a slight grin before returning fire. Jim simply cursed as he quickly reloaded his silver Desert Eagle, letting the magazine fall into his hand.
"I was hoping my little find would've taken longer to spread through the grape line..." Jim muttered to himself before he looked up to see Jiguen smirking at him.
"Good choice." He replied motioning to the Desert Eagle, Jim simply nodded with a smile.
"Likewise." They both then joined Lupin in returning fire. After taking down and disarming a good number of thugs, Jim hid behind the quickly splintering table. Again, reloading his Desert Eagle before looking to the other two.
"We've got to get out of here, my car is in the alley less than a block away from the bar." Jim replied before standing back up to return fire.
"That's good and all.." Jiguen began as he returned fire with expected accuracy. "But how exactly are we gonna do that with all these friends of yours?" Jim smiled and dug into his suit jacket, taking out what looked to be a grenade at first glance. He quickly pulled the pin and threw it into the still crowded and hostile bar, before any of the thugs could fully react to what was thrown, it quickly exploded in a nonlethal but very disorienting blast.
"Come on, let's get out of here!" Jim exclaimed as he stood up once more, jumping over the nearly broken table, charging shoulder first into the thugs, some blindly firing. The three quickly made their way out the front door, as the three tried to clear the smoke from their eyes and lungs, the sound of police sirens could be heard in the distance. They looked at each other and quickly darted towards the earlier mentioned alley.
"Where's your car?" Lupin asked. The young man made a sharp turn around an approaching corner. As the other two did the same they were met with an old black and white 1974 Dodge Monaco with no lights on the roof. Lupin and Jigen stopped right in their tracks and were just about to turn around to again run when a familiar voice yelled from behind.
"Guys it's alright, it's my car! Hurry up and get in so we can get outta here!" Jim exclaimed as he got into the driver's side. Just as they heard that, Lupin and Jiuen quickly made their way back to the car, Lupin hopping into the passenger side as Jigen got into the back.
"Hang on fellas, this is gonna get bumpy!"
With a spin of the ignition and a pull of the shift, he stomped on the gas, sending the car shooting out of the alley and onto the road. Unfortunately, just as the car bolted down the street, a ridiculous number of patrol cars began to give chase close behind. An older man slid out from the passenger's side window of the lead patrol car. It was none other than...
"Stop right there! You're under arrest Lupin The Third!!"
Lupin simply glanced at the rear view mirror, chuckling as he crossed his arms.
"Good ol' Pops."
"I take it that's Inspector Zenigata." Jim said as he made another sharp turn at an intersection. The hundreds of patrol cars attempt or fail at turning the turn, with the squad car containing Inspector Zenigata still fully in pursuit. With yet another sharp turn down a one way street, Jiguen held onto his hat, trying not to bounce around the back seat. Without another word, Jim adjusted the shift on the side of the steering wheel, turning the wheel it at an alarming rate. The black and white car drifted towards what seemed to be the side of a building. However, just before hitting anything it slid right inside of hidden alley, Jim quickly turned the ignition off, switching the car into park.
"You're hoping that they lose interest?" Jiguen asked as Jim simply held a finger for silence, the three of them silently sat where they were watching as the flurry of squad cars rode right pass them. Lupin and Jigen blink in disbelief as Jim simply turned the ignition once more, speeding out of the alley, heading in the opposite direction. Lupin smiled and leaned back in the passenger's seat. He had a good feeling about this one.