DISCLAIMER: Don't own Lupin III… But God, wouldn't it be nice, eh?
Bienvenue!
Good to know that even after everything, people like this fic. It's always risky starting with new characters, especially when dealing with adamant OC haters. Won my first writing competition after three tries, so that put me in an inspired and happy mood. Happy enough to finally get this chapter out. By the way, not sure if I answered this, but Leo and Max are the names of the two main characters in The Producers, one of Mel Brooks' best films and an awesome musical.
Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter Seven
A Few Days Later: Oye Como Va
'Love, love me do,
you know I love you,
I'll always be true,
So please love me do,'
--The Beatles, 'Love me do'
Chicago, Illinois:
"What in the hell did you do with the phone!?" an aged Jigen Daisuke shouted upstairs to his always understanding and calm wife, Li Yan Jigen (a.k.a. Ming Jigen).
"What'd you do with it!? You had it last!" Ming shouted back in response.
"It's ringing now!" Jigen yelled as he walked down the stairs to Ming, "Jesus, why does it sound so damn loud?"
Ming sighed heavily, lifted Jigen's trademark fedora off of his head, and pulled out the telephone. Jigen looked downward at it a few moments solemnly before taking it out of her hand and answering it, "Hello?"
"Daddy, hi!" said Ryo happily.
"Ryoko!" Jigen said with surprise, "Hey! How are you, Honey? How was Australia?"
"All right. Too many kangaroos, though," replied Ryo, "The gang's going to swing by your and Mom's house, all right?"
"Great! When are you coming by?" asked Jigen.
"We're in the driveway," Ryo answered.
"What!?" Jigen yelped.
"What is it?" asked Ming quietly.
"Look in the driveway," Jigen whispered. Ming walked over to the window, peered through the blinds, and gasped in surprise. She looked back at Jigen, and then ran to the door and opened it. She embraced Ally, who was the closest to the doorway.
"Hiya, Mom," Ally said as he embraced his mother.
"Hi, Ally!" Ming returned, "Oh, come in, guys, come in!"
"I guess I can hang this up now," Jigen mumbled, hanging up the phone, "I'm going to put it on the charger." He began to walk over to the back room. In the process, however, he tripped over a stool to his left. Yukiko ran to her father, and helped him back up onto his feet.
"I'm sorry! I forgot to tell you about that!" Ming gasped, "Are you okay?" she inquired as she dusted him off.
"Yeah," Jigen answered, "Jesus, sometimes I think I should shoot Lupin for running me an' Goemon down. He's got a jumpier heart than a rabbit, and I've only got one good eye left that I can only see with in the daylight! And damn Pops is over the other side of the hill and down the road, and he can run marathons if he wanted! At his age! I guess this is my punishment for being so cocky around him all of those years…."
"What?" Toshiro gasped in horror.
"Yeah," Jigen lifted his hat from over his eyes, revealing one glazed over blue eye and one dark deep brown eye, "Hey, Toshiro! Didn't see you! How've you been, huh? How's New York, Kid?"
"Can't complain," replied Toshiro.
"Jeeze, you look more like Goemon each time I see you! Except for your height, of course, and your voice… How's your dad, huh? I talk to him a lot, sure, but I can never count on getting a straight answer from him," said Jigen.
"Dad's good," Heiji cut in, "All of the other kids are keeping him busy as ever. You and Ming thinking about any more, Jigen? Still not too late, y'know!"
"No way, man! Three is more than enough!" Jigen laughed, "I'm only a few years away from sixty—I should be concentrating more on getting the ones I have married off!"
"That's rich, considering who it's coming from," Yukiko snorted.
"Hm…" Ming bit her lip, and put a hand on Jigen's shoulders, "Well, you kids are welcome to stay as long as you like, all right? Thank God I've been baking all day, huh!?" she laughed weakly, and exited the room.
"C'mon, guys, let's go to the living room," Jigen led the group into the living room, and each seated themselves throughout the room. Jigen seated himself in a recliner, while Heiji, Yukiko, and Toshiro seated themselves on the couch and Ally and Fuji sat on the loveseat. Odori seated herself on the floor, and Ryo vanished to find her mother.
"Mom?" Ryo found her mother in the kitchen, baking, "Mom, what's wrong?" she inquired, and leaned over to read Ming's face, "Oh my God… You're going to have a baby, aren't you?… Wow… Well, have you told him yet? Jesus…"
"I don't know if it's for sure, but things have sure been pointing in that direction lately," Ming shrugged, "We've been happy with you kids grown and making your own decisions… Now, to start all over again. I'm just glad he's not the one who's had the four heart attacks, like Goemon! He's just blind in an eye and missing two back molars."
"When did he get molars taken out?" asked Ryo.
"He didn't; I accidentally knocked them out," replied Ming coyly, "He's getting two replacements put in tomorrow by the person he knows as 'the only good dentist out there anymore'. For now, they gave him a bridge to help him eat."
"How did you knock them out?" inquired Ryo.
Ming shrugged, "I told him no meant no, and he wouldn't listen. So, I—"
"That's all I have to know, Mom," Ryo sighed, "I'm going to go out there and talk with them, all right? You just keep baking away. I know it's a stress reliever for you."
"And the reason your dad's sallow cheekbones aren't as defined as they once were. The man can eat," Ming sighed as she removed a batch of cookies from the oven, "Maybe I can send these to Lupin and Fujiko. It's got to be some holiday somewhere, right? Lupin's French—Isn't Bastille Day or something this month?"
"Along with the throw pillows Ari sends them, I'm sure they'll adore them," replied Ryo as she made her way out to the living room.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Toshiro was catching up to what his family had been doing in past years, while he had lived in New York.
"A bookstore?" Toshiro frowned. "Jigen, you run a bookstore?"
"Yeah, but say you're looking for a book about John Dillinger, and watch what happens. Dad'll take you back to a selection that ain't on a reading list," Yukiko smirked.
"Hee hee… Well, I guess I got a little bit of it left in me," Jigen smirked modestly.
"The shop has the best selection of firearms and Braille books in Chicago," explained Yukiko, "And the best selection of cheesy romance novels, too."
"Which Dad orders and stocks himself," said Ally with a wink. Jigen flushed red, and sputtered in defense until Ming arrived, along with several glasses of ice and a large pitcher of tea.
"Anyone for iced tea?" Ming inquired.
"Ah, the perfect hostess," Jigen sighed.
"Shut up before I feed your temporary molars to Martha III," Ming retorted, glancing down at the young Dalmatian pup who looked upward hopefully at her family. Ming passed out the tea, which each member of the group readily accepted. As she set her own glass down and poured Toshiro a glass, the rest of the group watched in silent horror as Jigen removed something from his mouth and dropped it into Ming's glass. He returned a smirk with Yukiko as Ming turned back around and reached for her glass. The Chinese woman let out a yelp of horror as she spied something in her glass, and glared at Jigen, who laughed heartily at her plight.
Ming glared upward at her husband, and silently stormed out, "I told you not to do that to me again!" she shouted from the kitchen.
"Don't worry; it's a little joke we have," Jigen explained as he picked up the iced tea glass, "Now, if you excuse me, I'm gonna go fish my dental bridge out. Be right back," he said, leaving a stunned and silent Lupin group.
"Man, your family's freakin' bonkers! I can see where you got it, now!" Heiji said to Ally as Jigen vanished up the stairs.
"Hey, I'm not nearly as crazy as those two!" said Ally quickly in his defense.
"It's just a new medication he's on!" Ryo sighed, "I hope…"
Another Part of Illinois, outside of Chicago:
"Your math skills are atrocious…." Leo muttered as he rapidly typed the figures Max had written down on a napkin onto an accounting calculator. Leo removed his reading glasses, placed them back in his pocket, and turned to Max, "You heard me?"
"Yeah, yeah," Max mumbled, "Jeeze… You just had to go and blow it, huh?"
"I had an asthma attack," snapped Leo, "I'm sorry. I'll try to suffocate a little more quietly next time."
"Thanks," Max returned, and laid his hands over his eyes. He lied stretched out on one hotel bed, while Leo sat cross-legged on the opposite bed in the hotel room, papers spread about him in a disorganized fashion. "The decorator for this hotel ought to be arrested."
"Go out and find him then. You have the power to arrest him…That's why they gave you a pretty little badge…" Leo muttered absently, "Three hundred!? How could we have a gas bill that high!? No, no, you must've added something in here somewhere… Do you know what the Commissioner's going to say about this?"
"Yeah, that we should learn to ride bikes," Max replied as he rose and walked into the bathroom.
"He's so much like his old man," Leo mumbled to himself darkly as he continued to punch figures to mail to the main office, "He's driving me nuts…"
"Such a little primadonna…" grumbled Max from the bathroom, "Dad and him would have a hell of a time together. They'd probably be best friends…"
"Hey, Max, look! Another e-mail from the Commissioner!" Leo yelled happily, "Ha! See, he doesn't hate us all that much! He still talks to us, afterall!"
"Really? What's this one say?" Max inquired, running out to the computer and reading over Leo's shoulder intently.
"That there's a concert going to be held in two weeks… The star of the concert is Sakura Yazuki… Lupin will try to interfere…" Leo mumbled.
"That's great, but there's something wrong with that," said Max.
"What? You don't like opera?" Leo inquired, turning to Max.
"No. Yaukzi's dead," replied Max, looking back downward at Leo.
Chicago, the Jigen household, later that evening:
Jigen and Yukiko were now in the family room alone together. The other members of the group were still out in the living room, content with chatting away with Ming.
"So, how're you doin', Kid?" Jigen inquired.
"Never been better!" Yukiko replied. Jigen smirked, walked over to her, and lifted off her hat.
"You shouldn't hide your eyes like that. No guy'll ever see 'um that way!" said Jigen with a laugh.
"Dad!" Yukiko groaned, "I don't want to talk about this again!"
"You're in your mid twenties and you've never been out on a real date!" Jigen answered, "I wouldn't care if I hadn't screwed up. Don't start too late, all right? I've heard of late bloomers, but my case was friggin' ridiculous!"
"Dad!" Yukiko moaned.
"Listen to me," said Jigen sternly, "Go out and find someone. Have fun, for Christ's sake. You're consumed with your work, just like—"
"Just like you were," Yukiko sighed, "I know, I know! You've given this speech to me many times!"
"And I mean it each time!" Jigen retorted, "Just do me that favor, all right? Please?"
"Okay, okay…"
"How about Toshiro, huh? He's a nice guy…. His voice sounds like a cat clawing on a chalk board, but that's about all that's wrong with him. He's nice, and from what I hear, he's one hell of a good cook."
"Ew, Dad! That'd be like me dating Ally!" frowned Yukiko.
"Please. As many times as you kissed him as a little kid…"
"Key word—Little kid," replied Yukiko.
Jigen smirked, "Ah, you'll come 'round. There are more important things to talk about, anyway. Look at this," he lifted a paper from a desk, and handed it to Yukiko.
"What's this?" inquired Yukiko.
"Read it," Jigen nodded.
Yukiko glanced over it, and looked upward at Jigen, "Sakura…"
"I know, I know… That's not it," he revealed a stack of papers, "This guy's been sending fan letters to Sakura to this address for months. Needless to say, your mom's not happy about it. This guy's the same shmuck who's sayin' she'll be in concert. I would think he was just a kook if his last couple of letters weren't so threatening. I'm worried about me and your mom, and Kome, and you, especially. You sing just like your mom, Yuki. It's a shame you went into this job—You could've gone into the opera circuit, easily. You sound so much like your mom…. And look sort of her, too. It's too bad you have my personality."
"Opera, yeah. Almost as steady a career as the one I have now," Yukiko quipped, "I'll talk with Kome tonight, if it'll make you feel better."
"It will," her father reassured her.
"Fine, then, I will. And maybe after I'm done you can explain to me why you dropped your bridge into Mom's tea glass," she laughed, and embraced him, "Jeeze, getting' a little stiff there, old man!"
"Just pre-rigermortis," Jigen laughed, "See ya, Kid. Go talk to your mom a little, too. We both miss you a lot. It's not the same without you an' Ryo around here raising hell anymore."
"Hey, you always have Ally," chuckled Yukiko.
"Yeesh," Jigen rolled his eyes, "The kid could play for the Maple Leaves if he would just learn to control that damn temper."
"Well, I'll see, Dad. Gonna go visit mom now," Yukiko tilted her hat downward, smiled confidently, and exited out of the room.
"God almighty I'm afraid for her," mumbled Jigen, "She's too much like me for her own good…"
Yukiko walked down the hall, and peered over the set of stairs, where she could see everyone else in the living room. All were laughing and sharing stories, save for Toshiro, who simply sat in a leaning forward position, an intent look upon his face, and Odori, who sat silently and looked extremely disinterested. Yukiko knew that the samurai would rather be drinking sake.
"Hey, why don't we go out to dinner, huh? Do you think you all could swing it, Fuji?" inquired Ming hopefully.
"Sounds like a great plan, Ming!" Fuji admitted with a wide smile, "Who's up for Italian?"
"NO! I, I mean, no…. Too many Italians who run those restaurants as mob fronts want Jigen dead," Ming chuckled uncomfortably.
"I could go for Spanish," said Heiji, "And they'll even have rice, Dori!"
"Why does everyone call me that?" grumbled Odori, "Do I look like a fish?"
Heiji tilted his head in thought, "Well…"
Odori rose, and drew out her sword, "Bakaro!" she hissed.
"Odori!" Ally and Ryo rose, and restrained Odori. Heiji stuck out his tongue, and Odori lunged, nearly causing Ally and Ryo to fall into the glass coffee table.
"Okay… Spanish it is…" said Ming over the fighting team.
Later:
"Can't come?" Ryo repeated, "Why not?"
"Your dad's teeth are hurting him again. Deserves it after that stunt, but I've still got to take care of him," said Ming with a sigh, "Maybe some other time, guys," Ming shrugged.
"Okay, Mom," Ryo embraced her mother.
"We'll get dressed at the hotel," added Fuji.
"Dressed? How fancy is this place?" asked Ally.
"Well, I couldn't book the restaurant, so Ming found a club she goes to all the time," Fuji explained.
"Clubber by heart," Ming shrugged, "It says so on the bumper sticker on the Romeo."
"Well, I guess I'm going to have to change into the pearl white suit," sighed Yukiko.
"You could always borrow one of my dresses, Yuki," suggested Ryo.
"Ew," Yukiko retracted in horror, "No, thanks!"
"And to think, you used to wear nothing but beautiful party dresses that Fujiko would buy for you," sighed Ming.
"When I was five!" Yukiko yelped in response.
"All right, let's get this freakshow on the road," said Fuji, "Bye, guys!"
Later, at the Hotel:
"No, I'm not gonna do it, Ryo!" snapped Ally.
"Come on! You'd look so much better!" Ryo said as she chased him about the hotel room, finally tackling him and holding him down until she had finished.
Ally rose from the floor, and looked at himself. His usually long bangs were now slicked back tightly to his head, making him look like a young Jigen, sans beard, "See, you look terrific!"
"I look like some kind of bird," Ally grumbled as he turned his head to a side, "Dad thought I was joking about that nose job, but I'm really considering it."
"We're ready!" said Ryo as she exited the hotel room, dragging Ally out by his hand. The others had already assembled out in the hallway, looking their best. The most surprising was Toshiro, who had changed into regular clothing; namely a dark blue button-up shirt and gray slacks. Yukiko had changed out of her pinstriped suit, and wore a solid white vest and slacks, as well as a black button up shirt. Odori had opted for a kimono instead of a gi, and the others had dressed up, as well.
"All right, you guys ready to go crash a party?" Fuji laughed villainously, "Gonna find some fun tonight!"
"In the form of someone's boyfriend," Ryo countered.
"I'm compulsive—I steal anything that appeals to me!" Fuji retorted.
"And anything that will get us killed," mumbled Odori sardonically.
The group drove down to the club Ming had spoken of, and were allowed in after Fuji offered the bouncers their VIP passes, which were in the form of a few $100 American bills. The club was rather loud when they entered, and almost immediately Ally and Fuji had parted ways with the group, and walked off with prospective dates for the evening. Soon enough, Ryo and Odori were picked up, Odori's 'date' choosing her because of her strong personality. Heiji found his own dance partner, and Toshiro was reluctantly drug out onto the floor by a wild-looking girl.
"Hey, c'mon, Sweetie!" laughed a girl, taking Toshiro by the hand. Toshiro looked back at Yukiko desperately, but Yukiko only smirked and waved him good-bye. Toshiro moaned, and painfully disappeared in the crowd.
"Well, time for this wallflower to find her roots," Yukiko sighed, walking over to the bar and ordering a Tequila, "Okay, Buddy, how much?" Yukiko inquired as she reached for her wallet.
"It's paid for, Miss," replied the bartender.
"Say what?" Yukiko frowned.
"A gentleman over there paid for it," replied the bartender, nodding back to a Spanish man sitting on the other side of the bar.
"Huh…" Yukiko smiled, and waved her thanks to the man sitting at the bar, "Well, that's civil of him. Don't meet people like that often anymore," said Yukiko to herself as she took a sip of her drink. She caught Toshiro out of the corner of her eye, and saw him now speaking with the woman whom had drug him onto the floor, and laughing away with her. Yukiko gritted her teeth together, and took a swig of her drink. She nearly fell off of her stool as she saw the man who had bought her a drink sitting next to her.
"You seem to be alone," said the man to Yukiko, "I am Hector. It's nice to meet you, Senora."
"Senorita," Yukiko corrected, "Senorita Jigen."
"Ah," he nodded, "Nice to meet you, Miss Jigen. So, are you here alone, or with friends?"
"Nah, I came with," she looked back, and seethed as she watched the girl Toshiro had been speaking to pass him a slip of paper, which she presumed had her number attached to it, "no one… No one at all. I'm alone."
"That's too bad," he said with a smirk, "Do you dance too?"
"Uh, yeah, a little…" Yukiko admitted.
"Well, would you like to?" inquired Hector.
"I, um… You're still talking to me, right?" she asked, looking over her shoulder for anyone else that he could be addressing. She found no one, "There are a lot of other girls here, you know… Wait—You know that I'm definitely a girl, right?"
"Come on, then," he led her onto the floor before Yukiko could protest, "You know this one?" he shouted as another song came on. Yukiko nodded, and began by trying to lead, but quickly found that this was not going to be so, "I hope you don't mind if I lead!"
"I do, actually," replied Yukiko.
"Ah, pretty and independent!" laughed Hector, leaving Yukiko stunned.
"Is that Yuki?" asked Ryo to Heiji.
"Hey, yeah!" Heiji laughed, "What do you know!?"
When the song ended, Hector, I in a surprise move, bent forward, sending Yukiko dipping down, almost to the ground. He dropped her fedora as it nearly fell to the ground, and put it upon his own head, "You're a good dancer! Would you care to go out for a moment?"
"Yeah, I need a smoke," Yukiko muttered numbly as she grabbed her fedora from Hector and tilted it over her eyes. She followed him out, making sure that she had her gun handy, just in case she was being set up.
The two sat out on the roof of the old building, where there was a surprising and stunning garden. Hector sat on the edge of the building, and Yukiko was content to stay standing. She still did not trust him.
"Why don't you sit down?" asked Hector, "I trust you not to throw me off the ledge—I hope you would think the same of me."
"I don't trust easy, Pal. Don't take it personally—It comes with the territory," said Yukiko as she lit a cigarette and took a drag of it.
"Fine, then. I'll stand, too," said Hector as he rose to stand next to Yukiko. After of a few moments of silence, Hector walked over to an arbor, Yukiko watching him all of the time out of the corner of her eye. He walked back to Yukiko, now with a rose, and removed her hat from her head, and put the rose in her hair.
"I, um…" Yukiko looked down, and twitched a smile, "Thanks…"
"It matched your handkerchief," Hector explained, "Now, Miss Jigen, do you have a first name, or shall I keep calling you that?"
"Listen, I've got to go," said Yukiko, "I've got an early day tomorrow, and my folks are waiting for me at the house… So I'll see you around, I guess."
"Wait!" Hector stopped her, "Please. We'll get off at the rooftop, and take a walk."
"I can't, really…"
"My life depends on it."
Later, on a Street:
"So, you see, they are after me," said Hector, "They knew of my father, the great musician. They are insistent that he show to this performance, but he is dead! I keep trying to explain it to them, but they will not listen! I'm fearing for my life! They have grown violent with their requests, recently."
"So, they're the same guys who are looking for Sakura, eh?" Yukiko repeated, "How'd you know to find me, anyway?"
"Everyone knows what a terrific gunman your father was, and we all know of the White Demon in Barcelona. You would have them dead before they could even lay a finger on their trigger," said Hector, "Will you help?"
"Sure," Yukiko nodded, "Leave everything to me. My friends and I'll get those creeps faster than you can say pina colada. You just stick around until then, okay?"
"You're very kind. I'll have to find some way to repay you!"
"We'll work it out later," Yukiko answered, "For now, we can keep walking. It's actually pretty quiet tonight."
"Yes," Hector nodded in agreement, "Ah! I have it—We'll get dinner! My treat! how does that sound?"
"This late?" Yukiko inquired.
"We'll go to that place over there," Hector nodded over to a restaurant across the street.
"What? That place!? Do you have any idea how fancy that is!?" Yukiko laughed, "Please! The only way I'd get in there was if I was hired to wash the dishes!"
"No, seriously! I'll go home, and meet you here in an hour. You change into something to match that flower, eh?" he asked.
"I… Sure," Yukiko smiled, and nodded.
Later, back at the Hotel:
"I can't believe she ditched us!" Fuji snapped irritably, "Can you believe it!? Without a single word, she vanishes! Jeeze—And you pull me out of that great little thing I had going with those Russian models—I could've had a good night tonight, Ryoko!"
"And I was just starting to cozy up to those two wannabe actresses who thought I played for Washington!" Ally added as Fuji opened her door. All were stunned to find someone already in the hotel when they arrived. She was a short woman, but taller in red heels, which matched a bright red dress. Her hair was done up, and in it was a red rose.
"Hey," Yukiko nodded as she finished putting on a necklace and looking in a mirror.
"Yu—Yukiko?" Toshiro yelped.
"Are you wearing my dress?" Ryo frowned.
"Yeah? Oh, yeah-- I hope you don't mind."
"Wha—What are you doing?" he asked.
"Going out for dinner," Yukiko answered, "I'm surprised you didn't bring home that girl who gave you her number. Or were you waiting until you got home to call her?" she inquired.
"I— Are you going with that man you met in the club?"
"What's it to you?" asked Yukiko as she stormed past him.
"Great… First I have to worry about Ryo dressing like a whore, and now her!" Ally grumbled, rolling his eyes.
"Wait, where are you going?" asked Toshiro.
Yukiko stopped, and turned around, "Listen, none of you all ever cared about what I was doing earlier, why should you care now? Fuji never gets this much heat for going out with a horde of guys!"
"Because her father is a notorious man-slut," Odori answered coolly.
"Hey! He was James Bond-esque!" Fuji replied quickly.
"I'm goin'. See you all around," grumbled Yukiko, "Ya know, maybe just once someone likes—No, no… He's just doing it because you need your protection… But, all the same, I… Oh, nevermind!" she grumbled.
"There's something fishy going on. Either Mafia hitman is the new hot look for girls, or she's getting herself into a heap of trouble…" Fuji mumbled as she watched Yukiko exit.
"She's really cute," mumbled Heiji.
"Watch it!" Ally snapped, "That's my sister!"
"Well, both your sisters are cute. What the hell happened to you, I don't know, but you came out looking like a Gremlin," Heiji answered, "Kinda like me and Dori. I got the looks."
"Luckily, I'm not genetically related to you," Odori retorted, " which I thank God for everyday."
"Guys, let's go," Fuji nodded, leading them down the hall to the outside of the hotel, where an already perturbed Toshiro found his Vespa gone.
"She is really not on my good list right now…" grumbled Toshiro as he and the others boarded the lone vehicle.