Commissioner Gordon paced quickly across his office
as he waited for his guest to arrive. Three nights ago,
someone broke into the Gotham High Museum of Art and
tolen priceless paintings by Toulouse-Lautrec. Two nights
ago, someone broke into Tiffany's and stole their newest
shipment of high priced jewelry. The night before, Gordon
made the call to Interpool, requesting their assistance, for
he knew that Interpool was the only organization to have
an expert on tracking down the man responsible for all these
crimes, Lupin Arsène III. They knew who it was because
of a card left at each robbery.
Gordon didn't consider the criminal dangerous enough to
call Batman. After all, this Lupin fellow was really just taking
material items, and not one person had been hurt during
these robberies. All the guards had been put to sleep, through
a non-dangerous sleeping drug. In fact, it was an over the
counter medicine, and Gordon shook his head at the simplicity.
If this Interpool agent could clear things up, there was no
need to disturb Batman.
"Commissioner Gordon," his secretary paged him through
his phone. "Inspector Zenigata from Interpool is here."
"Ah, excellent, send him in." Gordon replied. Moments later
the doors to his office open, and a grim-faced Zenigata stepped in.
"Inspector Zenigata, at your service, sir!" The older Japanese
man barked, saluting Gordon. Gordon nodded at him.
"Now, now, none of that, sir. I assume you know why you're
here, Inspector?" Gordon asked as he sat behind his desk.
Zenigata sat in a chair in front of the desk, with a nod.
"Lupin III has struck twice in this fair city, as I've heard." Zenigata
replied. They spent the next few minutes discussing the crimes,
how they were committed, and the notes left behind. Zenigata
nodded so many times that Gordon thought his head would fall
off. "That certainly sounds like Lupin's style." He confirmed.
"If he is here, then I shall catch him!!"
----------------------------------------------------------------
Lupin sat on the edge of the bed, in the darkness, feeling for his
pants with his feet. He found his jacket first, and fished the cigarettes
and lighter out of his pockets. He lit the cig and found his pants,
pulling them on one leg at a time.
"Wait, where are you going?" Fujiko asked from the bed. She sat
up and excepted the cigarette he offered her.
"Well, I do have business." He smiled.
"So you DID just come here to get laid!" She huffed at him and
crossed her arms over her chest, cigarette dangling between two fingers.
"Fujiko-chan, don't be mad!" He said, standing up. "I just
wanted to make sure you were okay after all of that." He suddenly
became solemn. "After a through check up, I declare you perfectly
fine." She threw a pillow at him, and ducked with a laugh.
"Oh, get out of here!" She shouted, gathering the sheets
around her. "Go and do your oh-so-important business."
She refused to look at him, and was honestly upset with him.
His hands fell onto her naked shoulders, and he squeezed her
shoulders softly.
"I found out who's making those robots. Well, kind of. I
found out where they're coming from, a city called Gotham.
I have an early morning flight." He shuffled into his shoes,
and slipped on his jacket. The darkness was brightening
outside their window.
"Fine. Go." She said curtly. "See if I care." She smoked the
whole cigarette before she looked around, and of course he was gone.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Jigen was waiting in the little yellow Fiat when Lupin came
out of the hotel. Actually, he was sleeping in the passenger's
seat. Lupin opening the door startled him awake, and he
quickly composed himself as the car started.
"Only gonna be a few minutes, huh?" Jigen asked. Lupin
grinned as the headlights flicked on.
"What can I say? She was so grateful, how could I refuse?"
Jigen offered no response to this, and Lupin knew quite well
that his friend never really trusted her.
"You sure you got everything you went in there with?" He replied.
Lupin just laughed at that. After a few moments of silence, Jigen
spoke again. "One attacked her, too." He stated.
"Yep. Ugly rat, too." Lupin nodded.
"And thus we're off to Gotham. . ." Jigen said, settling back
down for a nap.
"Ever been there?" Lupin asked.
"Hell no." Jigen said, pulling his hat down over his head. "Weird shit
happens there. Men dressed as bats, insane clowns, humanoid
penguins. . . I've enough craziness in my life, thank you." Within a
few moments, he was napping again.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce Wayne sat at his expensive, long table for breakfast and
nodded to Alfred when he placed the latest papers in front him.
Another headline, "Mysterious European Thief Strikes Again",
made him wonder just what he should do about the crime spree.
This Lupin character seemed next to impossible to catch. The
only picture the newspaper had of his face came from Interpool
files, and it wasn't a flattering picture. A tall, skinny man, of
Asian and Caucasian decent, black hair, big grin and an arrogant
look to his eyes was all anyone's seen of Gotham's latest criminal.
And the list of things he'd stolen—diamond necklaces, art
paintings, and expensive cars—only seemed like someone trying
to get rich. The more he pondered the thought, the more lost in
thought he became, until he heard Alfred clear his throat.
"Yes, Alfred?" He asked.
"Sir, I believe you are needed at Wayne Enterprises earlier
than normal, yes? To check up on the security systems. Remember,
your company is one of the leading technological producers, and
could be the next target of this wolfish thief."
"Ah, yes, thank you for reminding me. The security representative
is meeting me at nine. I suppose I should be going, one can't tell
how bad traffic will be in the mornings." Nodding to Alfred, Bruce
stood and headed out to work.
When he arrived to his office, his secretary nodded him towards
the antechamber, explaining that the Mt. Fuji Security Systems
rep was already waiting for him. As he entered the smaller room,
he found a strikingly lovely woman waiting for him. Her jet black
hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and she wore black-rimmed
glasses over her dark eyes. Her suit was a dress suit, black and pin
stripped, the skirt stopping right above her knees. He thought she
looked just what he expected from a Japanese company. He had
been willing to ease his employee's worries by hiring something of
a smokescreen company. He knew the buildings were already
well secured, but letting another company come in and make some
more visible improvements didn't seem like a bad idea.
"Kasumi-san?" Bruce asked, bowing to her. She stood up and
smiled, smoothing a few strands that had escaped behind her ear.
"Why, Mr. Bruce, you do not need to speak Japanese so
uncomfortably." She replied with a slight accent. He assumed most
men would find this charming. "I should practice my English, yes?"
He forced a smile on his face.
"Very well, Miss Kasumi."
"You may call me Karen." She told him as he held open the door
to his office.
"Are you a full Japanese citizen, Miss Kas-Miss Karen?"
"Yes, but I prefer Karen. It is closest to my real name, Kurenai." She
explained. He nodded in understanding. "When shall we get down to
business, if you please?"
"Am I to understand you have some experience with Lupin III?" He
inquired. He motioned for her to sit down at his desk. The blue prints
for his buildings laid there, spread out for her to see. She started to tap
her shoe softly against the tile floor, while she leaned her hand against
the side of her face. To Bruce it seemed she was intently studying the
blue prints, but to Fujiko, she was using the camera in her glasses to
take pictures. She timed it so every time she tapped her shoe, she
clicked the camera.
"I studied a lot of his capers in Japan. I think I know his methods." She
finally replied.
While he waited for her input on his building, Bruce kept thinking he
kept hearing the slightest, strangest clicks. . .
as he waited for his guest to arrive. Three nights ago,
someone broke into the Gotham High Museum of Art and
tolen priceless paintings by Toulouse-Lautrec. Two nights
ago, someone broke into Tiffany's and stole their newest
shipment of high priced jewelry. The night before, Gordon
made the call to Interpool, requesting their assistance, for
he knew that Interpool was the only organization to have
an expert on tracking down the man responsible for all these
crimes, Lupin Arsène III. They knew who it was because
of a card left at each robbery.
Gordon didn't consider the criminal dangerous enough to
call Batman. After all, this Lupin fellow was really just taking
material items, and not one person had been hurt during
these robberies. All the guards had been put to sleep, through
a non-dangerous sleeping drug. In fact, it was an over the
counter medicine, and Gordon shook his head at the simplicity.
If this Interpool agent could clear things up, there was no
need to disturb Batman.
"Commissioner Gordon," his secretary paged him through
his phone. "Inspector Zenigata from Interpool is here."
"Ah, excellent, send him in." Gordon replied. Moments later
the doors to his office open, and a grim-faced Zenigata stepped in.
"Inspector Zenigata, at your service, sir!" The older Japanese
man barked, saluting Gordon. Gordon nodded at him.
"Now, now, none of that, sir. I assume you know why you're
here, Inspector?" Gordon asked as he sat behind his desk.
Zenigata sat in a chair in front of the desk, with a nod.
"Lupin III has struck twice in this fair city, as I've heard." Zenigata
replied. They spent the next few minutes discussing the crimes,
how they were committed, and the notes left behind. Zenigata
nodded so many times that Gordon thought his head would fall
off. "That certainly sounds like Lupin's style." He confirmed.
"If he is here, then I shall catch him!!"
----------------------------------------------------------------
Lupin sat on the edge of the bed, in the darkness, feeling for his
pants with his feet. He found his jacket first, and fished the cigarettes
and lighter out of his pockets. He lit the cig and found his pants,
pulling them on one leg at a time.
"Wait, where are you going?" Fujiko asked from the bed. She sat
up and excepted the cigarette he offered her.
"Well, I do have business." He smiled.
"So you DID just come here to get laid!" She huffed at him and
crossed her arms over her chest, cigarette dangling between two fingers.
"Fujiko-chan, don't be mad!" He said, standing up. "I just
wanted to make sure you were okay after all of that." He suddenly
became solemn. "After a through check up, I declare you perfectly
fine." She threw a pillow at him, and ducked with a laugh.
"Oh, get out of here!" She shouted, gathering the sheets
around her. "Go and do your oh-so-important business."
She refused to look at him, and was honestly upset with him.
His hands fell onto her naked shoulders, and he squeezed her
shoulders softly.
"I found out who's making those robots. Well, kind of. I
found out where they're coming from, a city called Gotham.
I have an early morning flight." He shuffled into his shoes,
and slipped on his jacket. The darkness was brightening
outside their window.
"Fine. Go." She said curtly. "See if I care." She smoked the
whole cigarette before she looked around, and of course he was gone.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Jigen was waiting in the little yellow Fiat when Lupin came
out of the hotel. Actually, he was sleeping in the passenger's
seat. Lupin opening the door startled him awake, and he
quickly composed himself as the car started.
"Only gonna be a few minutes, huh?" Jigen asked. Lupin
grinned as the headlights flicked on.
"What can I say? She was so grateful, how could I refuse?"
Jigen offered no response to this, and Lupin knew quite well
that his friend never really trusted her.
"You sure you got everything you went in there with?" He replied.
Lupin just laughed at that. After a few moments of silence, Jigen
spoke again. "One attacked her, too." He stated.
"Yep. Ugly rat, too." Lupin nodded.
"And thus we're off to Gotham. . ." Jigen said, settling back
down for a nap.
"Ever been there?" Lupin asked.
"Hell no." Jigen said, pulling his hat down over his head. "Weird shit
happens there. Men dressed as bats, insane clowns, humanoid
penguins. . . I've enough craziness in my life, thank you." Within a
few moments, he was napping again.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce Wayne sat at his expensive, long table for breakfast and
nodded to Alfred when he placed the latest papers in front him.
Another headline, "Mysterious European Thief Strikes Again",
made him wonder just what he should do about the crime spree.
This Lupin character seemed next to impossible to catch. The
only picture the newspaper had of his face came from Interpool
files, and it wasn't a flattering picture. A tall, skinny man, of
Asian and Caucasian decent, black hair, big grin and an arrogant
look to his eyes was all anyone's seen of Gotham's latest criminal.
And the list of things he'd stolen—diamond necklaces, art
paintings, and expensive cars—only seemed like someone trying
to get rich. The more he pondered the thought, the more lost in
thought he became, until he heard Alfred clear his throat.
"Yes, Alfred?" He asked.
"Sir, I believe you are needed at Wayne Enterprises earlier
than normal, yes? To check up on the security systems. Remember,
your company is one of the leading technological producers, and
could be the next target of this wolfish thief."
"Ah, yes, thank you for reminding me. The security representative
is meeting me at nine. I suppose I should be going, one can't tell
how bad traffic will be in the mornings." Nodding to Alfred, Bruce
stood and headed out to work.
When he arrived to his office, his secretary nodded him towards
the antechamber, explaining that the Mt. Fuji Security Systems
rep was already waiting for him. As he entered the smaller room,
he found a strikingly lovely woman waiting for him. Her jet black
hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and she wore black-rimmed
glasses over her dark eyes. Her suit was a dress suit, black and pin
stripped, the skirt stopping right above her knees. He thought she
looked just what he expected from a Japanese company. He had
been willing to ease his employee's worries by hiring something of
a smokescreen company. He knew the buildings were already
well secured, but letting another company come in and make some
more visible improvements didn't seem like a bad idea.
"Kasumi-san?" Bruce asked, bowing to her. She stood up and
smiled, smoothing a few strands that had escaped behind her ear.
"Why, Mr. Bruce, you do not need to speak Japanese so
uncomfortably." She replied with a slight accent. He assumed most
men would find this charming. "I should practice my English, yes?"
He forced a smile on his face.
"Very well, Miss Kasumi."
"You may call me Karen." She told him as he held open the door
to his office.
"Are you a full Japanese citizen, Miss Kas-Miss Karen?"
"Yes, but I prefer Karen. It is closest to my real name, Kurenai." She
explained. He nodded in understanding. "When shall we get down to
business, if you please?"
"Am I to understand you have some experience with Lupin III?" He
inquired. He motioned for her to sit down at his desk. The blue prints
for his buildings laid there, spread out for her to see. She started to tap
her shoe softly against the tile floor, while she leaned her hand against
the side of her face. To Bruce it seemed she was intently studying the
blue prints, but to Fujiko, she was using the camera in her glasses to
take pictures. She timed it so every time she tapped her shoe, she
clicked the camera.
"I studied a lot of his capers in Japan. I think I know his methods." She
finally replied.
While he waited for her input on his building, Bruce kept thinking he
kept hearing the slightest, strangest clicks. . .