(C) info... I don't own Zenigata, Jigen, Lupin, Fujiko or Goemon and probably never will.

This story (C) Jakazul 2003 all rights reserved.

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Before you Read:

Ok, I know it's not much, but I put a lot of work into it, I'm pleased with the result and,

most importantly for me, it was fun to write.

It's old, so it's a bit faster paced than most of my stories, but I hope you enjoy it and

please tell me what you think.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now...

Lupin III in...

Third Time's the Charm

- - - - - - - - - -

"RUN FOR IT!"

Jigen and Lupin ran across the rooftop as the helicopter came closer.

"This is it Lupin!"

"Sorry Pops! I'm afraid of flying!"

"I don't think that is what he has in mind." Goemon said coming up in front of them.

"Where'd you come from?"

"I had to get this." Still running, Goemon pulled a burlap bag from his belt.

"Clumsy me." Lupin said, "All that work and I dropped the bag."

Zeninigata's helicopter came closer and Jigen pulled out his gun.

"JUMP!"

The three companions leapt from the rooftop, just before Jigen could shoot, and landed in

Lupin's car.

Lupin crawled over Jigen and into the driver's seat.

"Let's get outta here!"

He turned the ignition and the car sped off, down the road.

"LUPIN!"

Zenigata smashed his hand against the helicopter, turning it off, and crashed onto the

museum rooftop.

"Aww...Poor Pops. We shouldn't have been so rough on him."

Lupin grinned and sped up.

"Lemme see that bag."

Jigen held his hand out and Goemon dropped the stolen goods into it.

"This's all we came for? A lousy broach?"

"Not just any broach. You underestimate me."

"I overestimate you!" Jigen retorted.

"Fine," Lupin said, "See what you think of this then!"

Lupin pealed off the backing of the broach and showed Jigen the print on the back.

"Made in China? So what?"

"Under that!"

"Replica of the..."

"REPLICA!?!"

Lupin slammed the car to a stop, sending Jigen and Goemon into the windshield.

"REPLI...FUJIKO!"

"I told you not to take her along."

"Oh well."

"Oh well? She stole... What was it anyway?"

"The ruby inside of that broach was worth a fortune!"

"Just some old ruby?"

"5 billion dollars!"

Jigen pulled out his gun. "I'll kill her!"

"Ah. No big deal."

"Have you flipped your lid?"

"We'll just have to steal it back."

"Steal it ba...You are crazy!"

"Why do you say that?"

Lupin started the car again and turned it around.

"She couldn't have gotten that far."

"We don't know where she went."

"It's a small city."

"You're crazy!"

"You've said that."

Jigen raised the brim of his hat and glared at Lupin.

"It's still true!"

"If you two would be quiet for a moment..." Goemon started as the two exchanged

insults.

They stopped for a second and then spoke simultaneously, "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"Isn't that Fujiko infront of us?"

Lupin and Jigen turned their heads and stared out the car window at the pretty, brown-

haired girl running across the street infront of them.

Lupin gazed at her, mouth open, tongue lolling out.

"Will you snap out of it? Five billion remember?"

Lupin suddenly clenched his jaw.

"OK, let's go."

He brought the car to a hault right beside Fujiko.

"Oh, hello Lupin." She said turning.

Jigen slapped the back of Lupin's head to bring him out of his Fujiko-filled daydreams.

"Oh...Uh...Hi Fujiko.Um..."

Jigen pressed his gun against Lupin's neck.

"Oh yeah." Lupin slapped his forehead and swiftly grabbed the barrel of Jigen's gun,

shoving it away.

"I was just wondering... We wanted to know if we could...Um..."

Jigen rolled his eyes and pulled his gun away from Lupin, aiming it at Fujiko's face.

"Give us back the broach or I'll ive you some nice lead jewelry!"

"What? I don't have it!" She spread out her arms.

"Look at me. Nothing."

Lupin grinned. "Maybe we should do a strip search."

Jigen hit Lupin over the head with his revolver and then continued.

"Empty your pockets."

Fujiko did so.

"Strip to your underware."

"What?'

"DO IT!"

Fujiko lifted her shirt for a few seconds then her pants.

"Satisfied?" She asked glarring.

Lupin drooled over the car door and Jigen hit him again, this time sending him to the car

floor with a lump on his head.

"Where'd you put it?"

"I never had it!"

Jigen shot a hole next to her head. "WHERE'D YOU...?"

Lupin climbed up and punched Jigen in the face, sending him falling over the back seat.

"I'm sure if she says she doesn't have it she's telling the truth."

Jigen crawled up. "Do that again and..."

"Anyway, I know who has it. It came to me while I blacked out."

"I always told you a couple of knocks up the head would do you good. Who has it?"

"The Queen of England!"

"What?" Goemon asked.

"Maybe I shouldn't o' conked him so hard."

"To the museum!"

Lupin drove to the museum and parked infront.

"What about Zenigata?"

"Pops? He'll be OK. Just a few bruises here and there."

"I mean what if he catches us again?"

"Stop worrying Jigen. It's bad for you."

Lupin pulled a glass cutter from his jacket and cut a hole in the museum doors, next to

the one he had cut hours before.

"I never go in the same way twice."

He kicked the glass figure out and they stepped in.

***

The three comrads stood before the wax figure of the Queen of England smiling.

"See what'd I tell you?"

Lupin asked.

"I gotta hand it to you," Jigen said. "You may be the craziest idiot on the planet, but you

know your business."

"How did you know?" Goemon asked staring at the ruby broach now on the queen's

dress.

"Remember how Fujiko wanted to see this exhibit before we pulled the job?"

"Yeah, but that was before." Jigen stated.

"She had already stolen the broach and wanted to place it here. Why would she care

about this exhibit

otherwise?"

"Good point." Said Goemon.

"So we just need to get it and get out." Said Jigen.

"That's right."

Lupin reached across the rope toward the queen.

***

Zenigata cimbed out of the rubble that had once been his helicopter and slid to thge

ground, his face hitting

the skylight.

"When I get my hands on..."

He opened his eyes and stared down at where Lupin was reaching across to the wax

queen.

"LUPIN!"

He leapt up and darted towar the stairs going down.

"Alright Lupin, you thought you could outsmart me!"

He pulled out his revolver and kicked open the door, setting off the alarms.

***

Lupin, Jigen and Goemon whipped around as the alarms went off and a screaming

Zenigata crashed into the room firing bullets everywhere.

"Howdy Pops!"

"Lupin!"

Cursing, Jigen pulled out his gun.

Lupin tore the queens dress off trying to get the broach and then ran for the exit.

"NOT THIS TIME LUPIN!"

Zenigata dashed after him, tripping over the wax queen and sliding across the floor

holding the maniquin head.

Sirens started outside and policemen began running up the stairs.

Lupin pointed at a window.

"Goemon would you do the honors?"

Goemon sliced the cement around the window and kicked it out.

"Not again."

Jigen clutched his hat and they leapt out.

Zenigata dived for the falling dress and grabbed it.

It tore and Lupin escaped, the top of the dress in Zenigata's hands.

He cursed, stood and turned toward the door.

The police burst in to find him holding the wax head under one arm, the dress draped

over another and the broach in his hand.

"STOP RIGHT THERE THIEF!"

"I'm not the thief!" He held up his badge. "That man't the thief!"

He pointed out the hole toward Lupin who had just climbed into his car.

"Wait a minute! That's that 5 billion dollar ruby."

"They must be together get him!"

The policemen grabbed Zenigata who struggled.

Raising his fist, the broach snapped and the ruby fell out down his throat.

His eyes rolled and he passed out.

"This man swallowed the ruby!"

***

"YOU DIDN'T GET IT?"

Jigen yelled at Lupin.

"No, but Pops has it so it'll be back in the museum soon and..."

"You want us to go in there again?"

"Do you want the ruby?"

This silenced Jigen and Lupin leaned against a newspaper stand.

"Anyway, we'll know where it is."

A boy on a bicycle went past, tossing a package of papers at the stand.

Lupin caught them and began to set them down when he saw the headline.

"Then again..."

Jigen raised the brim of his hat.

"What?"

"Um..."

Lupin stared harder and Jigen and Goemon came to read over his shoulder.

They stared at the headline.

"He swallowed it!"

Jigen stamped his foot and cursed, "HOW DO WE GET IT NOW? CUT IT OUT?"

Goemon clutched the hilt of his sword.

"That may be the only way, but not with that sword."

Lupin stood and walked towards the hotel.

"Where are you going?"

"The hospital."

"Hospital?"

"That's where the article says they have Pops."

"Who reads the articles?"

They stood and followed Lupin.

***

Lupin and Goemon stood in hospital garb waiting.

"Come on Jigen, you've gotta."

"NO!"

"You've gotta!"

"No! I'm not getting into that!"

"It's just a male nurse's outfit."

"Why do I have to be the nurse?"

"There's only two surgeon outfits."

"NO!"

"Be glad it's not a female outfit."

"I WON'T DO IT!"

"You want that 5 billion?"

Jigen was changed before the sentence was out and was pushing is gun into his trousers.

"I don't like it."

"come on!"

They crossed to the stairs and went up.

"This is Pops' room alright."

Lupin pushed the door open just as a nurse screamed.

"Thank goodness you're here doctor! This man was driving me insane!"

"Pops...I mean...He...Can do that at times."

The woman rushed out the door and the three crossed to the bed.

Lupin sat down and lowered the surgeon's mask.

"Hey'a Pops."

"LUPIN! It can't be!"

"The one and only."

"What do you want Lupin?"

Lupin pulled out a scalpel.

"That ruby."

"NO!"

Zenigata struggled, but Goemon and Jigen were already holding him down.

"Get away!"

Lupin stood up.

"Fine."

He crossed to the sink and poured a glass of water.

"Lemme just get you some water."

"What are you going to do to it?"

"Nothing." Said Lupin, dropping 5 laxitives into the water. "What would I do?"

He set it by Zenigata's bed and motioned for them to sit down.

"It's hot in here, Jigen could you turn on a fan?"

"I'm freezing!"

Lupin winked.

"But now that you mention it, it is a bit hot."

He turned on the fan.

"Put it next to Pops. We don't want him getting hot."

Jigen moved the fan.

Zenigata's throat got dry and he moved the fan, then picked up his water and gulped it

down.

Five minutes later he was in the bathroom.

"Nurse!" Lupin yelled when Zenigata was out.

"Move this man to critical!"

The nurse took him away and they crossed to the toilet.

"Jigen, reach down there will you? It's stuck in the pipes."

"I'm not going near that!"

"Come on Jigen!"

"Not a freakin' chance!"

"Jigen...5 billion!"

"There'll be more rubies!"

"Not like that one."

"Uh-uh. No!"

"Actually we could auction that one. It might fetch double what it's worth.'

Jigen plunged his hand in and pulled out the ruby,

"Here!"

He tossed it on the floor and went to wash his hands.

Lupin wet a cloth and cleaned the ruby, then picked it up.

"What the...?"

He ripped off the fake backing and pulled out a folded note.

"I don't believe it!"

"What?"

Lupin unfolded the note.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Lupin,

Sorry for the trouble.

I just needed this so bad.

Anyway, I guess I'll see you around.

Love,

Fujiko-Chan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why that...!"

Jigen let out a string of curses as Lupin folded the note and pocketed it.

"Yeah. But you gotta love her!"

THE END