I do not own the Fate Series or Lupin the Third.

Zenigata sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. It was a loud sigh, one that conveyed extreme frustration and confusion.

It was also loud and drawn out enough for his partner to make a comment.

"What's up with you?" Daisuke asked as he steered the car down the road. "Didn't get enough sleep?"

"It's inhumane to make an operation be this early in the morning." Zenigata grumbled in irritation. "But that's not it."

Daisuke frowned a bit at that answer. "It's about that book from the Matou's isn't it?"

Zenigata was once again impressed by the younger detective's intuition. "Yeah. Spent all night looking through the thing."

"And you found…?"

"Nothing that really makes sense." Zenigata groaned. "There's stuff about placing the leftover thoughts of a dead guy into an animal corpse, of repairing the corpse and the "Magus" placing their Circuits into it, and being able to see it through their eyes… a lot of crazy stuff."

"So it's useless then?" Daisuke asked as he turned down the street. "Just more magic-crap this guy kept as some sick hobby?"

"…I'm not sure." Zenigata sighed again. "A lot of it… it sounded like some actual scientific journal. There were footnotes, diagrams, and everything. Anyone who takes that occult stuff seriously would probably be tossed in the looney house, or at least that's what I would say if it didn't look so legitimate. It was odd, but there was some sort of logic to it all…"

Zenigata didn't know if he could convey it in words to Daisuke. In the book there detailed sketches of how to dissect animals, notes scribbled on with the owner's own notes on the matter… it didn't read like the ramblings of an eccentric occultist, but it all had some sort of bizarre logic that made the magic sound like science. A lot of it still went over his head, but he could actually get a vague grasp at it.

"Hm, that is definitely weird." Daisuke mused as he stopped the car by the curb. "Too bad the Chief had that Byakuya guy transferred." The detective narrowed his eyes in anger. "Can't believe him… we could have gotten so much out of that drunken wreck and he just had to be transferred to a 'more secure facility'!"

Zenigata grunted in agreement at that. Just this morning, before they headed out, they had found out that Byakuya Matou had been moved from the station. The explanation was that the Chief didn't feel like he was safe there, due to the massive public outcry calling for the guy's blood.

But that wasn't it. The mint-popping bastard was hiding something.

Zenigata didn't like it. Reminded him too much of his old higher ups who were dirty to their very souls.

"Well… we can talk about it later." Zenigata decided before opening the door and getting out of the car. "Right now, let's see what Matou Kariya might have to offer."

When they exited the car, they looked up at the simple two story building painted white. On the bottom was a simple laundromat, while on top were around five small apartment rooms, each rented to the owner of the laundromat.

When he was a younger man, Zenigata would have rushed in by himself or with trusted officers and stormed the entire place warrant or not. He wouldn't have even cared if he disturbed the peace of those who lived in the same building as Kariya.

Unfortunately, he wasn't a young man anymore.

So, Zenigata walked up the stairs leading to the apartment floor. Already by the third door to the left, huddled to each side of the door of Matou Kariya's apartment, were three officers garbed in SWAT gear.

Just a precaution.

"So, what information do we have so far?" Zenigata asked Daisuke, who sighed.

"Other than the last time the owner saw Kariya was over a year ago, and yet the guy somehow has been making timely rent payments until just recently, nothing."

Zenigata frowned. If Kariya wasn't living in this place anymore, then why had he been making rent in a timely fashion? "Is he trying to fool someone into thinking he's still here?"

"…For now, let's go through protocol."

Daisuke nodded and both of them took a step to the right, putting their backs to the wall. Zenigata took out a pair of handcuffs and Daisuke took out a gun while Daisuke shouted, "Matou Kariya! This is the Fuyuki City Police! Open the door now and come out with your hands up, or we'll be forced to let ourselves in!" Daisuke then held up his hand and counted to five, each finger curling back before an entire fist was made. "Breach!"

An officer on the left of the door then rushed in front of it and kicked with his left foot, breaking the door by the lock and making it fling open. The officers rushed in on foot, pointing their guns everywhere while continuing their movement. Daisuke and Zenigata moved closer to the door as the armored police officers swept through the apartment, anxiously gripping their respective weapons tighter.

"Clear!"

Their grips loosened a bit before they sheathed their weapons of choice back into their holsters. "What's the situation, Tsunemori?" Zenigata asked

One of the officers took off his helmet, revealing brown hair and tired eyes. "Nothing. It looks like nobody's been in here in a while."

As Zenigata stepped inside, he could see why. Practically everything had a layer of dust over it. The TV, the bookshelf, the couch, the table… hell, even the refrigerator had the tell-tale signs of lack of use. Dust floated in the air like snowflakes as the officers milled around.

Daisuke walked towards the kitchenette, looking around in wonder. "Holy crap, that landlord wasn't lying…" He then went to the fridge and opened it, only to swiftly close it with a disgusted look on his face. "Ugh… Oh yeah, this guy hasn't been here in a looong time."

"So Matou Kariya has been paying for an apartment that he hasn't set foot in for over a year." Zenigata frowned a bit as he walked over to the bookshelf. "You think he might be dead and Zouken was just trying to make nobody suspect anything?"

"Don't know. But then why would Byakuya say that he had only recently seen the guy?"

"So he may or may not be dead." Zenigata conceded as he scanned the books. There was no weird occult stuff in Kariya's library. Just a few reading books including1984, a collection of Aida Mitsuo's haikus, some manga, and even that american comic about a man running around dressed like a bat. "But if he's not dead… then where the hell is he?"

Zenigata's eyes then honed in on one book within the shelf that had a lighter strip of dust on it than the others. In fact, a single line of lighter dust as thick as the book itself led from where it was towards Zenigata. It actually looked like it had seen more use than others. Zenigata took out the book and looked at it. The thing had no cover, and was held together by brown leather.

"This ain't a book…" Zenigata allowed a grin to form on his face. "It's a journal!"

This was perfect! With this, Zenigata could find out what the hell Kariya had been doing during the days leading to his disappearance from his apartment and public eye and maybe, just maybe, have some clues as to what had happened with Sakura and the Matou family.

"Not to mention how Lupin is involved with all this…"

"Inspector!"

When he heard an officer called out for him, Zenigata quickly placed the journal into his coat pocket. Just in case…

He turned to see a patrolman, sweating and panting with his hands on his knees. "Yeah? What is it?"

"I-I…" The exhausted patrol man took in a gulp of air before continuing. "The station found this on the Chief's desk this morning. H-He told me to have you look at it!"

The patrol man then raised his right hand, showing a slim white piece of paper, frowning Zenigata took it and opened it. His eyes widened as he read the contents. "This is…!"

The riches within the vault of the Fuyuki National Bank will be mine! — Lupin the Third

The officers and Daisuke had to stifle a jump as a loud, roaring shout made birds fly and the dust in the room scatter.

"LUPIN!"

xxXXxx

"Good job, child." Risei said with a smile as Sakura swept the kitchen floor, the collected dirt and dust being pushed to the side by the bristles. The girl's calm, precise sweeps making a soothing sound in the mostly quiet church. "You know… you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"No, I like it." Sakura looked at the old priest and gave him a small smile, betraying what little emotion was in the girl's eyes. "It's the least I can do for you housing me, Father Risei."

"Think nothing of it." The old priest laughed out, waving his hand to dispel the notion. "It's the least I can do for a child like yourself."

It had been several days since Assassin and Kirei had brought Sakura to him. Several days since Matou Zouken left this world and his 'grandson' Byakuya was taken into police custody. Risei had taken the necessary precautions to ensure the man wouldn't spill anything incriminating about the war or the existence of Magi, and Tokiomi used his connections with the police chief to move Byakuya to a different location before Zenigata became too suspicious and tried to interrogate the man himself.

Risei was still busy, trying to tie up loose ends. Tonight he would leave to go through Kariya's belongings from his apartment to confiscate all material related to Magecraft and do some required Memory Manipulation. Although Kariya left the Matou's and only began practicing again recently at the old residence, it did not hurt to be careful.

It wasn't that hard keeping Sakura out of the public eye. She seemed perfectly content simply staying inside the back of the church. Risei had been able to fit her into some clothes that were dropped off at the church for charity, and she didn't seem to complain about being in plain dresses colored green or bright orange. Sakura just seemed to be glad to be out of her old purple dress.

A knock on the back door then disrupted Risei's thoughts. "Who could that be?" Risei turned to Sakura and said, "Wait here for a minute."

"Yes, Father Risei."

Risei then moved himself out of the kitchen and walked to the back door. "Hello Father! Please open the door, 'cause I've been a very naughty boy~!"

Risei frowned and let out an inward groan. He didn't need to guess who his guest was.

Risei opened the door to see Assassin, giving a cheeky grin and waving at him with his right hand. "Why are you here?"

"Oh come on, old man Risei!" Assassin whined out as he placed his right arm on Risei's shoulders. "Is that any way of treatin' Kirei's friend and your valued comrade?"

"It is my way of treating any Servant that comes to the door, especially you."

"So cold!" Assassin placed his hands on his chest dramatically, acting as if his heart was broken. "You'd imagine that I'd get a warmer greetin' than this!"

Risei just stared at the Servant. His light-heartedness about the situation would be appalling to any sensible man, but Risei had since learned to accept it as Assassin's usual behavior. "I'll keep it in mind for next time you come. Now, what are you here for?"

For a moment, Risei was curious as to why Kirei was not with the Servant. Wasn't his son usually around the thief to try and keep the Servant in check?

"Well ya see, that's the thing…" Assassin then motioned Risei to come out, and the old priest poked out his head to see a hooded man leaning against the church's wall.

A hooded man that Risei could feel was a Master.

Berserker's, more precisely.

"Assassin…" Risei then motioned the Servant inside, who complied easily enough. When Assassin's body was fully inside the building, Risei closed the door and asked quite plainly, "Are you mad?"

"What?"

"Why have you brought Matou Kariya here?" Risei asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the Servant. "It was a risk for you and Kirei to come here last time. Why have you returned here again, especially when it is not night time and not only can the Master potentially see you, but the citizens as well?"

"Oh, relax." Assassin drawled out with a confident smirk. "I made sure to check the area for any Familiars. None of them are around the back, so nobody figured out the glarin' flaw to their system. Plus, I made sure to drive through all the back roads to avoid anybody seein' us."

Risei had to give some grudging acceptance to that. Assassin was many things, but he wasn't a fool.

"And for the reason why I brought Kariya here. Well…" Assassin looked dead serious into Risei's eyes as he said, "He wants insurance that Sakura's all right."

Risei had to blink in surprise to that. Why hadn't he anticipated this? Of course Kariya would want some form of assurance that Sakura was safe and unharmed. "And a photo couldn't have sufficed?"

"He wanted to see her himself." Assassin replied with a shrug. "Wanted to tell her somethin'."

"Couldn't you have said it was too risky to bring him here?"

"Well, there's the problem." Assassin scratched the back of his head while laughing nervously. "Ya see, it was either I let him do this or the entire alliance was off. And you know how bad that would be to the stick in the mud's chances…"

Risei didn't need Assassin to finish. He knew how much of an asset having Berserker and his Master unknowing assisting Tokiomi through Kirei and Assassin was. The mad Servant was an attack dog ready to jump at whatever target it was given, and considering how Matou Zouken was now dead…

"Very well, but only for a limited amount of time. Then you must leave and never return."

"But Old Man Risei~!"

"That's what I'm willing to allow Assassin."

"Man, you're no fun…" Assassin then reached for the doorknob, but stopped and looked back at Risei. "By the way, what do ya plan to do about Sakura? I mean, she can't stay here forever…"

"Once the necessary precautions are made, I will bring her to the police with a cover story I made for such an occasion." Risei responded evenly. "It may not help in the allegations against Tokiomi-kun, but it is enough to let any suspicion about where she has been avoided."

The cover story, namely, was that he found Sakura at his doorstep recently with a note saying that Assassin/Lupin III got all that he needed from her. What he needed specifically would be chalked up to incriminating information about Tokiomi by the local news sources. Of course, Sakura knew better than to say anything about Magecraft, and she would most likely deny the horrible implications about her father set up by the tabloids.

But unfortunately, humanity was a species that instantly believes in the worst.

Assassin nodded in acceptance before opening the door. "Hey, Kariya! The old priest said it was okay!"

Assassin held the door opened as Kariya dragged himself inside. Risei blinked in surprise, but not by much. Such was the fate of those who learned the Matou Magecraft, and Risei knew that from his many years on the Earth. "W-Where is she?"

His voice was hoarse, barely over a whisper.

"In the kitchen, cleaning."

"I'll go in first." Assassin said smoothly, patting the terminally ill man on the shoulder. "Soften her up a bit, ya know?"

Kariya was about to say something but began coughing instead, lifting his right arm to his mouth. His veins bulged as blood came out of his mouth onto his sleeve. "F-Fine…"

With a nod, Assassin entered the kitchen and shouted, "Hey ya, princess!"

Surprised, Sakura stopped sweeping and looked at Assassin in shock. "T-Thief-san?"

"You're lookin' pretty good kiddo." Assassin then bent down on one knee and put his hand on her shoulder. "How are ya feelin'?"

"I-I'm doing okay…" Sakura looked away, twisting her right foot nervously while a small smile set on her face. "Father Risei has a lot of books to read, and I've been keeping myself busy helping clean up the church."

"Ya know, you gotta be the first kid who ever enjoyed passing their time with just readin'." Assassin reminisced while looking to the side. "I remember when I was a kid, and I passed the time by stealin' from the street gangsters."

"Um…"

"But that's not the point." Assassin then reached into his jacket. "Got ya a present actually…" Assassin then revealed a box, showing a red plane flying in the sky. "It's a model! One of a Savoia S.21. I was kinda thinkin' you were gettin' bored over here being cooped up in a church, so I wanted to get you somethin' that would help you pass the time."

"I-I…" Sakura beamed up at Assassin with a smile, and happiness in her eyes. "I love it…"

It was touching, receiving a gift. One of the first gifts since she had been freed from the Matou household. It was almost enough to make Sakura cry.

"And it gets even better!" Assassin then motioned to the door leading to the hallway. "'Cause I brought someone who really wants to see you!"

Kariya then stepped forward from the side, making Sakura drop her broom from shock. "Kariya-Ojisan?" She asked in a quiet voice.

Kariya pulled down his hood and smiled at her the best he could without hurting himself. "Hey, Sakura…"

"I'll just leave ya two alone…" With that, Assassin left the room. Leaving the girl and the Master of Berserker alone.

"K-Kariya-Ojisan… what are you doing here?" Sakura asked curiously to her uncle, who limped closer and closer to her. "I-I thought that you were going to never be able to see me again… or that the police tried to arrest you when they went for grandfather…"

"Don't worry about that Sakura. The police didn't need me, so they didn't come for me." Kariya assured the girl with a smile. "But Sakura… it's good to see you again."

Sakura looked at her uncle up and down, frowning a bit at his obviously degrading condition. "Kariya-Ojisan, what's happening to you?"

"Well…" Kariya scratched the back of his neck while a soft, hollow laugh came out of his throat. "…Unfortunately, my health has begun to take a turn for the worst."

Sakura let out a soft gasp of shock.

This… this did not make any sense! She was free from Grandfather! She didn't have to live at the Matous, and that should mean Kariya did not have to suffer for her!

…Right?

"And… well… I don't have a lot of time left." Kariya sighed sadly as he gazed at her. "I guess I really stink at trying to explain this huh?"

'K-Kariya-Ojisan… Are you…?"

"Yeah." Kariya placed his right hand on her shoulder. "I am."

Tears welled up in Sakura's eyes as she looked at Kariya. This… didn't make any sense! She thought he would die before sure… but that was when she didn't have hope! When she was still trapped under Grandfather!

"I-I know this doesn't make any sense to you." Kariya said truthfully, looking at Sakura directly into her eyes. "I don't think that anything has made sense to you for the past year. All that you went through… I wish I could have given you better news."

"Then why?" Sakura's quiet voice asked, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Why are you dying? I don't…" Sakura dropped the kit into her hands, her hands clenched into fists as she shouted, "I don't understand! It doesn't make any sense! Nobody's supposed to die in happy endings! W-we were supposed to be happy and live Kariya-Ojisan! All of us! W-We were supposed to go home and… and…!"

"Sakura…" Kariya then began coughing, only for him to wince as he held down the urge. He stayed silent for a second before swallowing the liquid in his mouth. "L-Life doesn't always make any sense. Sometimes… things don't go our way. Horrible things happen… wrong decisions are made… people leave you… sometimes, even the one you love ends up falling for another." Kariya then smiled as he clutched Sakura's shoulder a bit harder. "But… we have to make the best of it. We have to find happiness however we can." He smiled at her and said, "I was able to find happiness knowing that you're now safe and sound, Sakura."

"Kariya-Ojisan…"

"Sakura…" Kariya then pulled Sakura into a hug, holding her tightly. "Promise me… Promise me that you'll live a happy life. That you'll live a long, happy life that you'll be proud of. That you work a job that you love, find someone special that returns your love, and live in a family that you can love and hold dearly. Please, promise me that…!"

That end was spoken out with a sob, filled with raw emotion.

"Kariya-Ojisan. I…I…!" Sakura held Kariya close, putting her face to his shoulder and sobbing out, "I promise!"

She continued to cry like that, and they sat hugging each other which seemed like hours, when it was only one. Sakura cried more than she ever had before, and Kariya held her close while tears fell from his own face.

After another moment, Kariya loosened his hug on Sakura and drew himself back. "I-I've got to go now Sakura."

"C-Can't you stay here any longer?"

"Sorry… I can't." Kariya responded with a sad smile. "I really have to go."

"I don't want you to." Sakura responded quietly while Kariya got up onto his feet.

"I know Sakura. But… remember your promise." Kariya smiled at her, wiping the tears from his face with his left sleeve. "Do that, and I couldn't ask for anything more." He looked at her calmly and said, "Goodbye, Sakura." With that, Kariya turned around and limped away to the hallway.

"Bye-bye, Kariya-Ojisan…" Despite the sadness filling her in all including tone, Sakura could not help but notice the echo she seemed to make. Like the first time Kariya left her at the Matou household. "Bye-bye…"

As Kariya exited the kitchen, he looked to see Assassin leaning against the wall and Risei by the door, both with solemn looks on their faces. "Is that all?" Risei asked, and Kariya nodded.

"Yes."

"Then I must ask you to leave now." Risei then opened the door leading out the back. "It was a risk enough for you to enter here…"

"Yeah, yeah." Assassin sighed as he got off the wall and moved out the door. "You're like a broken record Risei." He then looked over his shoulder and said, "Let's go, Kariya."

As Risei watched Assassin and Kariya walk through the door, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

This touching reunion had something that left a sinking feeling in the old priest's gut.

"What are you really planning Lupin the Third?"

As Assassin closed the back door of the church, he looked to Kariya. "So, ya feel fulfilled now?"

"Yeah, I am." Kariya responded in a sigh, a small smile on his face. "I just… It wouldn't feel right if I didn't see her one last time."

Assassin then took out a carton of Gitanes cigarettes and popped one out. Placing it in his mouth, Assassin lit the cancer stick before blowing out a puff of smoke. "Want one?"

Kariya settled a light glare on Assassin. "Seriously?"

"I don't mean for now. I mean for later."

Kariya looked at the cigarette for a minute. It didn't take him long to figure out what it would be for. "…Fine." He then took the cigarette, only for Assassin to place his lighter in Kariya's hand as well. "Why…?"

"Can't light it without one." Assassin replied simply with a laugh. "But ya know, you couldn't pick a better brand. Cigarettes from France? Way better than the crap the Americans put out."

Kariya sighed as he put the cigarette and lighter into his sweater's pocket while he limped with Assassin to his Fiat.

After this… he would have no regrets. Assassin's job with him was very likely to be his last.

But at least he would go knowing he made Sakura happy and saw her one last time…

xxXXxx

"Can't believe that we have to wait out here for this guy." A man with greasy combed back black hair in a simple black suit and white undershirt whined out to his partner. "I mean, there's got to be better places to arrive than in the docks!"

Indeed. The air could chill one's bones as the sun over Fuyuki set in the horizon. In the middle of winter, the nights could make a person loose feeling in their ears within only a few minutes. It was even worse at the docks, where the various crates created wind tunnels which only made the area even chillier.

His partner, a man with his brown hair styled in an outdated pompadour, sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "How many times do I need to explain this to you? The boss wants us to meet this guy and welcome him to the town."

"What can I tell you? I forget, and the fact that I'm freezin' my ass off here isn't helping!" The black-haired man shot back. "Besides, why can't this guy just arrive at the airport like any other normal person? Who the hell takes a boat here?"

"Look, I don't know the full story…" The pompadoured man said as he looked into the distance. "But apparently this guy we're meeting… he's some big shot Russian mob boss in Europe. I overheard the boss saying that he basically owns 80% of the casinos, construction companies, and a good portion of the newspapers. But you wanna know what's freaky? He almost never comes out of his place. Nobody has seen him, and this guy goes out of the way to make sure that he never isseen."

"So we got a mob boss who's a freak who hasn't seen the light of day for god knows how long." The man's whining made his partner roll his eyes in annoyance. "Why does Boss Fujimura even want to meet this guy?"

"He doesn't." The man took out a comb and stroked it across his pompadour to make sure his hairdo was still okay. "Guy's inviting himself."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah." The man then put his comb back into his pocket. "Times are changing, man. Fuyuki's coming to the attention of practically anyone who's anybody in the underworld. That's why the boss is upping the ante by having us greet this guy. To show a bit of muscle and make it clear he isn't someone they can just push around. At least, that's what I think."

"So we're going to whack this guy?"

"Who the hell says 'whack' anymore?" The pompadoured man then pointed to the right as a yacht came into view. It was big, white, and they could already see the various pool chairs and the corner of a bar. The whole thing just screamed 'big money'. "Just say kill. You ain't some big-shot Godfather-like mobster so don't try to act like it. And no, we ain't. Boss isn't that stupid. He did that, then we would be caught in the crossfire in whatever power-grab comes afterwards. That or we all get killed by his pissed-off successor. We're just going to give this guy a 'Welcome to Fuyuki' spiel, tell him the when and where to meet the boss, then go to the bar so we can forget this whole thing ever happened."

"Good plan." The unprofessional yakuza agreed with a nod. He then asked, "Say, is it true what they say?"

"Who's 'they'? Be more specific, man."

"You know, Urahara and Akira."

"Those two loud-mouths? What crap are they spewing this time?"

"Word around is that the boss' granddaughter got hit on by one of her teachers." The greasy-haired man said, looking sie to side in case someone was listening in. "Tried to get a bit touchy-feely you know?"

"Seriously?"

"Oh, nothing happened. Heard Taiga-chan knocked the guy on his ass for trying." A chuckle came out of the man's throat at the mere mental image. "But when the boss found out… he wasn't too happy you know?"

"So what he do?"

"Well, I don't know the specifics of what went down, but last I heard the teacher was recently replaced, and the guy's moving to China. Boss must've fucked him up bad."

"No. If the boss was that pissed the guy wouldn't have been breathing anymore." The pompadoured man disagreed. "Guy probably didn't want to get his ass kicked by Taiga again and just moved before she talked to the principal or something." The man then straightened his tie as the boat now dropped its anchor and docked just before him. "Okay, he's coming. Look sharp, and get into character."

The greasy-haired yakuza nodded in agreement before his face became serious, as did his partner.

When it came to serious business, all the yakuza knew they had to act as intimidating and professional as possible.

While their mere presence frightened normal people, other mobsters and yakuza's were a different story.

Looking tough didn't mean jack squat to them. They also had to act tough as well, while putting on their best poker-face.

On the side of the yacht facing them was a door, most likely the entrance to the boat. It opened, and out from the bottom unfolded a metal ramp which instantly touched the floor of the dock. Out first came a tall woman, around five foot eight, with white hair cut to reach her shoulder and piercing red eyes. She was dressed in a black suit, buttoned up until it was below her fairly modest chest while black gloves covered her hands. Behind her was a man, around an inch or so shorter than the woman, whose entire face was wrapped in bandages which showed none of the skin underneath except for the eyes and mouth. His dark green eyes were sunken and tired, which had some sort of hidden hate than chilled the two yakuza's souls. He was dressed in a white suit, a red undershirt, a white tie, white shoes, and a red handkerchief tucked into the suit's front pocket. Behind him was a man with spiky black hair wearing a black suit just like the woman in front of the bandaged man, but a foot taller and who had thick muscles.

"We welcome you to Fuyuki." The pompadoured yakuza said with an even tone before he and his partner bowed. "Our leader, Fujimura, sends his regards."

"I'm sure he does." The woman said in a beautiful yet stern tone. "My master has gone through quite a bit of a journey to reach this destination."

"We are sorry for any inconvenience you may have had."

"Where is the transportation that we were promised?" The woman asked while looking around. "Your employer promised my master a limousine would be waiting for him."

"It's just a bit to the back." The pompadoured man replied as he motioned his hand to a stack of crates. "The bar inside is fully stocked, and it has a telephone and television as per your requests."

The woman… was eerie. She hanged extremely close to the bandaged man, acting protective of him. She didn't look like the guy's main squeeze, not the way she acted. She seemed to carry herself like a bodyguard, but at the same time as something more. And the way she called her boss 'master' had some eerie unearthly devotion behind the tone.

The woman looked to the bandaged man, who nodded in acceptance. "Good." She spoke again, looking back at the two yakuza's. "At least a low-class yakuza leader like Fujimura knows how to treat his guests."

The two yakuza's said nothing, but fumed at the blatant disrespect of their boss. Who did that bastard think he was, acting superior to them like this?

The two bodyguards and their boss then began moving past the two yakuza members, heading to the stack of crates they had indicated that their limo was behind. As they went around three meters away, the greasy-haired yakuza whispered to his partner, "Since when does the boss have to follow the orders of freaks like mummy man?"

Suddenly, the man stopped and raised his hand to signal his bodyguards to stop as well. The pompadoured man looked at his partner and hissed, "You fucking idiot!" The bandaged man then stepped towards them. "Sir, please forgive my partner. He's new to the business and…"

"No, no, no…" The bandaged man spoke, his voice aged and dangerously low. "I understand. After all, people are interested in why I would wear these on my head." He then placed his right hand on the greasy haired yakuza's shoulder and asked, "Tell me young man… do you wish to see a magic trick?"

"Um… I…" Before he could answer, the bandaged man flicked his left wrist, and in his left hand was a playing card. The man then placed it in the yakuza's jacket pocket before taking a step back. "Huh?" The yakuza then took out the card and flipped it over to see that it was a black ace of spades playing card. "Why did you…?"

Before the yakuza could finish his question, the bandaged man snapped his fingers. The card glowed before exploding into a giant ball of flame. The flames covered the unfortunate man as he screamed in pain, his skin crackling from the heat. He went down onto the ground, rolling while his partner watched in mute horror.

"Bruno." The bandaged man ordered the muscled man next to him, who nodded before walking up to the man on fire rolling on the floor. He lifted up his right foot before stomping it down.

Stomping it down on the aflame yakuza's neck, crushing it with an extremely audible snap.

The quick and brutal death of his partner made the pompadour yakuza snap out of his shock as he reached into his coat. "You…!"

Before he could draw out his weapon, the woman's left leg kicked upwards. It knocked the yakuza onto his back, making the knife he was drawing out clank to the side. When he landed onto the concrete ground, hissing in pain, the woman put her foot on his neck and began pressing down. "Ghkkhh!"

"Natasha, enough."

The woman then took her foot down off the yakuza's neck, making him cough and breath in greedy gulps of air. "You will follow these instructions to the letter." The bandaged man declared, making the yakuza look to him. "You will sit here and wait for thirty minutes. You will not move from that spot, even after we make our leave. Once that time is up, you will dispose of your companion's corpse. How and where, I do not care. But you will, and you'll explain to your boss that his death was due to him unwisely disrespecting me."

"Y-you won't get away with this…!" The yakuza hissed in anger, only for the bandaged man to shake his head.

"No, I think I will." The man then turned around and began walking away. "Fujimura has never experienced a true war with another criminal head. Until recently, Fuyuki was all his. He is under equipped, and underpowered. And what he'll do is this: tell you what you did was the right decision, and personally apologize and pay that poor fool's family if he even has any. He won't act against me." He then stopped and looked at the yakuza, his eyes seeming to pierce the man's very soul. "Let this be a lesson as to how true mobsters work."

He then continued walking, the bandages going by the right corner of his mouth going up as if in a victorious smirk as he did not hear the yakuza even move behind them. As they passed the crates, they saw the black limo waiting for them. "Natasha, you will drive us to the Yutari hotel, a block away from the Hyatt hotel. That'll be our residence for now."

"Yes, master." Without another word, Natasha walked to the driver's seat and got in. Bruno opened the door in the back for the bandaged man as he got into his seat.

"Bruno, tell the men to begin taking stock of what assets Fujimura does not have his hands in and begin taking ownership." The man then reached for the mini-bar and took out a wine bottle, opening it and pouring himself a glass. "It's about time we expanded the business and set up shop. Once we're done, we'll begin searching for this Holy Grail which has Lupin the Third…" The name was hissed out, raw hate in the bandaged man's tone. "…so interested in this town."

"Of course Boss Pycal."

To Be Continued…

Note: Oh My God! What is this? Is this a new update for JaUT! You bet your ass it is! Freshly betaed by Kiiam too!

Sorry for the MASSIVE wait. I've currently been busy with things such as school work, and I also made my fic A Different Kind of Truth (My JoJo-Persona 4 crossover) a priority. I wanted to actually finish Shadow Yukiko's arc before I updated JaUT, and that took longer than expected. So check it out if you have the time.

So anyway, this is just 'Part 1' to the Bank Heist. I was planning for the whole thing to be one big chap, but the scenes I had for the beginning stretched out longer than I thought they would be. Not that it's a bad thing though!

But don't worry, because a lot actually happened this chap! What does it mean for the future of the fic? Well, stay tuned to find out!

Song selection for this chap is all from The Woman Called Fujiko Mine OST. For the raid on Kariya's apartment, play OST #20: Case Report II- Disassociation. For the scene between Kariya and Sakura, play OST #10 Oblivion, and finally for the scene where Boss Pycal shows his more ruthless side play OST #39 Stigmata.

Be sure to check out the TV Tropes page for this fic and add on what you feel is appropriate.

Please leave constructive criticism.