DISCLAIMER: I do not own Lupin III… I'm too tired to write a witty comment here…

Hi!

Passed exams! Ur, sorry… Tee hee… Hey, sorry, but there were some tough ones! Anyway… I read the reviews, and they're all wonderful, as usual. I'm glad everyone caught on to the Catch-22 situation with Hector. Nope, no one's in trouble for thinking there—Yep, it is a rock and a hard place.

I know some are clamoring for the revelation of Sakura… Will it happen? Ah, we shall see, we shall see. Anyway, I'm probably going to be writing quite a bit, considering summer vacation. Enjoy the chapter, bye for now!

'I love you, I love you, I love,

That's all I want to say,

Until I find a way,

I will say the only words I know that

You'll understand'

--The Beatles, 'Michelle'

Chapter Nine

A short while later: There's No Business like Show Business

"So, you gentlemen are both from Japan?" Hector inquired as he continued his tour of the theater with Max and Leo.

"Actually, I was born in France," replied Leo.

"I was born there, too," said Max, "But I grew up in San Francisco."

"Oh, charming," Hector nodded, "Anyway, I hope you two with both enjoy the show a great deal. Ms. Yazuka is a surperb singer, as you'll see. I have to go, now, but I hope you two will both enjoy. You may go take your seats now," he added, quickly leaving the duo in the lobby.

There was a long pause between Leo and Max, before Leo finally spoke, "He's…."

"Really strange," Max finished, "Well, come on. I have handcuffs, if we need them. We'll be all right."

"I hope. I hate opera," said Leo as they both walked back into the theater, and took their seats.

"Yeah, I know. No explosions, no gunfire—What's the point?" both turned at the sound of a female voice, which turned out to be Fuji, who sat reclined in a theater seat while eating a chocolate bar, "I so should not be eating this—It's so bad for my complexion! Hm, but what are you going to do, eh? I guess I'm just a pig when it comes to sweets!"

"Lupin!" Max gasped, and rose, "And the rest of you, too!" he added as he looked from left to right, and saw the Lupin gang seated in the red cushy opera chairs.

"Except for Yukiko and Toshiro," Leo corrected.

"They're both a little busy," Fuji shrugged, and threw the remainder of her candy bar over her shoulder, "Either of you fellas got a mint?"

"You're under arrest!" Max shouted.

"I'm getting fat…" Fuji grumbled, "Look at these thighs! Jeeze!"

"I'd rather not," Ryo, who was seated next to Fuji, answered.

"Hey, guys, I think he really wants to arrest us this time," said Heiji with a bemused smirk.

"Sorry, but we can't right now. We're strictly rescue ops this time, Zenigata, I swear," replied Fuji, holding up her right hand.

"It's not polite to swear, and it's not polite to avoid arrest!" Max retorted.

"Who's avoiding?" inquired Fuji, "We just can't!"

"Why not, might I ask?" inquired Max.

"Because," Ally retrieved a box with a timer attached to it from under his seat, "these are all over the place."

Max and Leo paled, yelled and ducked down to the ground. Ally sighed in the disgust, and leaned over to speak to the two, "Heiji and I deactivated it, you drama queens. Don't worry, you're not going to blow up—Not this time."

"But there are bombs all over the place," said Odori, "Extra reassurance, I suppose. That or he and Ally went to the same school that teaches their pupils how to act psychotic."

"Hey, I graduated, full honors!" Ally returned.

"Do you all even realize that he's carrying around a BOMB!?" Leo yelled frantically.

"Hey, I told you, it's deactivated…. I'm pretty sure…." Answered Ally vaguely towards the end. He shrugged, an smirked, "Eh, either way, in ten minutes, we'll know, right!? You go, you go!"

"No way am I dying before I get a girlfriend!" Max shouted in protest. All paused, and stared at Zenigata in interest and horror. Ally and Heiji started to chuckle quietly after a few tense moments, which eventually turned into full laughter.

"You both shut up, or I'll have you both behind bars before you can say 'prison bitch'!" Max yelled.

"You've never had a girlfriend, Max?" Leo asked.

"Now's not the time, LeBlanc!" Max snapped, "We have a situation that needs to be put under control quickly! We've got to deactivate those bombs!"

"Yeah, you have fun," Leo sighed.

"Wait," Max frowned, "You don't know how to deactivate a bomb?"

Leo looked upward at Max, "I'm a language major with a minor in art history. They never really covered bomb squad training in either of those courses," replied Leo.

"Wait! Then how'd you get into Interpol in the first place!?" Max inquired.

"I took an online course," Leo shrugged.

"You took a—"

"How about you? Did they teach you how to deactivate one of those things?"

"I missed that day of police academy!" Max replied, "I had the flu!"

"You know, I taught myself how to deactivate bombs," said Ally, "But not before I learned how to make them…" he added in a soft maniacal chuckle.

"It's hard to decide who the scariest person here is," Fuji confided to Ryo.

"You're winning, with that makeup," Ryo retorted, "A fall wearing spring colors… You're a disgrace…."

"Okay, okay, could we please just stop for a moment and think like rational people for once!? I know it's a stretch for some of you, but this is serious!" Leo said.

"Ah, yes, it is," they heard boom form the theater. All looked around, but could see no one in sight. They could all recognize the voice as Hector, but they could not see where the voice originated. Before they could rise to look for Hector, they were knocked back into their theater seats by an unknown force, and bindings came up from the chairs to lock them in place by their hands and feet.

"I cannot think of a time where this happened and I didn't end up regretting it in the morning," said Fuji, as she looked downward at her wrist restraints.

"Can anyone get Zantetsu?" Odori whispered. After a few attempts at reaching for it, Heiji found it to be in vain, and he shook his head tiredly.

"Got a plan?" inquired Ryo to Fuji.

"Not a single one. I guess the hamsters who run the wheels of my brain got a little tuckered out," Fuji replied, "Hey, they didn't say that this came with the season passes!" Fuji shouted out to Hector.

"Shut up, you insolent brat!" Hector hissed as he came into view, "Your father and that wench's… Your father let him kill my mother!"

"Woah, back up. Too many fathers and mothers for my little brain to handle," said Fuji, "Now, why do you have your pantalones in a rut?"

"Daisuke Jigen murdered my mother," said Hector passionately, "I heard that Senor Van Buren was searching for Sakura Yazuka, and it's well know that she is the dead mother of Yukiko Jigen. He needed Sakura's voice to get his treasure, which I can share in, as repayment for my services and my effort. It took more than a saint's composure to not slap that little slut around. Does she let any boy kiss her, or just me?"

"Kiss her? You kissed her!? You creep, when I get my paws on you…. Oh, you ain't gonna like it!" Ally growled.

"You'll be the second one I kill, just because you look like my mother's murderer!" Hector yelled to Ally, and unsheathed a sword from his side, and held it to Ally's neck. All waited tensely, and let out a collective sigh as Hector sheathed his sword, and stormed away from them. Hector disappeared, and returned minutes later, now with Van Buren.

"Holy crap, he's older than Abe Vigoda!" Heiji gaped, "Is he like, Bob Hope's great-uncle?"

"Heiji, can it already!" Odori hissed, "It never helped to be rude to someone who wanted to kill us!"

"But he's all old and wrinkly… He looks like a pale little raisin…" Heiji whispered.

"Like your last girlfriend?" Ally retorted.

"Five years!" Heiji shouted in returned, "Five years older than me!"

"Please—You expect me to think that that was her roommate? That was her friggin' kid who asked me out, and she was twenty!" Ally shouted in return, "So does that means she had her when she was eight!? I mean, my mom was young, but that's a little crazy!"

"Shut up, all of you!" Hector snapped, "You'll ruin the show!"

"Show?" Max and Leo yelped.

"Yes…. Our lovely show, with my lovely little Sakura…" Van Buren whispered, "Hector, she's going to sing my song!"

"Yes, Sir, I know," Hector nodded. He snapped his head up viciously at the group, "And if any of you disrupt him, you'll pay dear consequences…"

"And I thought nuns were rough," Heiji mumbled.

"Don't worry guys… Van Buren'll love this too much, and Hector's going to be having kittens when he sees Sakura's costar," Fuji chuckled.

"Costar?" Ryo repeated, "Who?"

"Goemon Ishikawa… Master swordsman and knower of numerous showtunes, thank God," Fuji replied.

Meanwhile, backstage, Yukiko stood behind the curtain, looking out at the group, and Hector. She had seen Ally hold up the bomb, and had heard them.

"God, what have I done?" she mumbled, putting a hand on her forehead, "How could I be so stupid!?"

"Easily—You're your father's daughter," she heard, and turned to see what looked to be a 17th century samurai warrior smiling back at her.

"Toshiro?" she gasped as she looked him up and down, "Wha—What's going on? Why are you—"

"Don't talk so much; you need to save your voice," Toshiro replied.

"I can't go out there… But Hector'll kill that old man, not to mention everyone else!" Yukiko protested, "And he's gonna shoot me sometime during the act, and I don't have a gun!"

"You can't… But we can…" Toshiro responded.

"You can sing?"

"Your aunt gave me nearly fifteen years worth of practice—I think I'm all right," Toshiro smirked.

"I don't even know what song he keeps mumbling about!" Yukiko moaned.

"I do, but we aren't singing that. We're singing one of my favorites," replied Toshiro, "and if Dad asks about how we beat this guy, don't tell him we did it by reenacting Madame Butterfly…."

"I'll tell him you chopped up a bunch of stuff," Yukiko chuckled.

"Great," Toshiro gripped onto his sword, and smirked, "You ready? This probably won't win a Tony, but what the hell?"

"Yeah, what's the song?" inquired Yukiko.

"One that Van Buren ought to like," smirked Toshiro in response, "And this is for the encore," he added, tossing Yukiko her Magnum, which he had hidden within his kimono.

Back outside, the group waited tense1y, and Fuji smirked as she heard a loud female voice resonate from behind the thick red curtain. Van Buren muttered in confusion as the opera singer entered the stage, "That isn't the song…"

"You're getting a brand new performance, Mr. Van Buren!" Fuji responded.

"What!?" Hector yelped, "Why, I—"

"Shush! Hector, watch the program!" Van Buren whispered. Hector gripped onto the handles of Van Buren's wheelchair, and was too busy seething to notice that one of Lupin gang members had gone missing. Ryo had used a blade, which she had managed to work out from the inside of one of her bracelets, where it was unseen but usually handy. After cutting her one hand free, she did so with the other, and then her feet. She then moved onto to different members of the group.

Why do the leaves of the mulberry tree whisper differently now?

And why is the nightingale singing at noon on the mulberry bow?

For some most mysterious reason,

This isn't the garden I know

No, it's paradise now,

That was only a garden a moment ago…

She wasn't kidding about being able to sing…" Ally said to himself as Ryo undid his restraints. He quietly ducked down, and went to work on his bomb, but was briefly interrupted as he heard another voice, a masculine one.

Take my hand,

I'm a stranger in paradise

Lost in a wonderland a stranger in paradise,

If I stand starry-eyed, that's a danger in paradise,

For mortals for stand beside an angel like you,

"Toshiro?" Leo muttered, and blinked a few times in surprise, "Wow, I had no idea…"

"Hey, are you guys going to let us out, too?" Max inquired as Ryo freed the last Lupin member, Odori.

All looked at one another, and Fuji shrugged, "Might as well. We out number them, and we're all fighting for the same cause, it seems. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to those idiots, as much as I hate to admit it…"

With three quick swipes of Zantetsu, Odori had both inspectors freed, yet frightened from the fact that the blade had come quite close to maiming both of them. Odori smirked as she sheathed her sword, and quickly ducked down into the aisle.

I saw your face, and I ascended,

Out of the common place, into the rare

Somewhere in space I hang suspended,

Until I know, that's a chance that you care,

"Who in the hell is he!?" Hector growled viciously.

"Hector, please, quiet—This is wonderful! A new song from her! I haven't heard one in so long, especially a duet… You enjoy music, don't you, Hector."

"Yes… But there are some things I enjoy even more…" Hector replied in a low whisper as he reached for a gun which he had hidden from Van Buren.

Won't you answer the fervent prayer of a stranger in paradise,

Don't send me away in dark despair, from all that I hunger for,

But open your angel's arms, to the stranger in paradise, and tell him,

That he need be a stranger no more….

"Watch out," Toshiro whispered to Yukiko as he watched Hector go to reach behind Van Buren's wheelchair.

"I got it covered," Yukiko whispered over the music in return as she placed her hands behind her back and took a step forward to continue the song.

I saw your face, and I ascended, out of the common place,

Into the rare

She glanced over at Toshiro, who now joined her in the song, and looked over at her, equally tense. Hector was glaring at both, with a look of death in his eyes.

Somewhere in space, I hang suspended

Until I know…

There's a chance that you care,

"Ally, how's it coming?" Fuji whispered as she looked over his handiwork on the bomb.

"No good," Ally sighed in defeat, "It's up to them, now, scarily enough."

"Great… My life dependant on a showtune… And after so many years of trying to get away from San Francisco!" Max groaned quietly as he ducked down and followed Leo out of the aisle.

Won't you answer the fervent prayer of a stranger in paradise,

Don't send me in dark despair of all that I hunger for,

But open your angel's arms to the stranger in paradise,

And tell me that I need be,

A stranger no more

There was a shot fired as soon as the song ended on Yukiko's high note, and everyone stopped, and stared in horror at the scene which they could play no part in.

"That was two shots," whispered Ryo to Fuji.

"You sure?" Fuji whispered.

"Yep," Ryo nodded in response, "I know my guns like I know my jewelry…"

"I fired! What happened to the bullet!?" Hector asked angrily as he looked down at his gun. He looked upward at a smiling Yukiko, and his eyes traveled down to her arm, which held a still-smoking pistol, "You, you…"

"Stopped the bullet midway. I know," Yukiko replied, stepping off of the stage, "Mr. Van Buren, I hope you enjoyed your show…"

"Yes, it was lovely, Dear," a nervous Van Buren replied slowly.

Hector fired another shot, but this was intercepted by a blade, or, two, to be exact. Toshiro watched as the bullet Hector had fired split into four pieces on the ground, and took another step towards him.

"Stop, or the old man gets it!" Hector yelled frantically.

"Give it up, you lost!" Yukiko yelled.

"I will NOT let your family get away with the death of my MOTHER!" Hector yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Listen," Yukiko sighed, "I know what you're going through. I—"

"You know nothing!" Hector yelled, "Now drop the gun!" he added. Yukiko complied, and slowly set her gun down on the ground, and then watched as Ally sneaked up behind Hector, and gave him one swift kick to the back of the head, sending him flying down to the earth. Max jumped on top of the would-be killer, and quickly handcuffed him.

"You're going down to the station, where you're going to get your own nice little room," Max growled as he lifted Hector up.

"No," Yukiko shook her head, "Let me talk to him," she lifted her gun from the ground, and walked over to Hector. Hector gulped hoarsely, and then nodded.

"Do it. I deserve it. You win," Hector nodded.

"No," Yukiko shook her head, "I'm not my dad. You were a fool to think that, and I was a fool to—Well, I was a fool, period…"

"I hear that!" Fuji shouted from the background.

Yukiko sighed, and continued, "I'm sorry about your mom, but you had no right to use me, or use a poor old man. Your mom did the same thing, and that's why she got what she did…"

"So, you're not going to kill me?" Hector inquired.

"No, but I'm going to do something that would make you wish you were dead," Yukiko replied.

"What do you me—" Yukiko proceeded to deliver a swift kick to Hector which made every man in the room cringe. Hector fell to his knees, and after a pause of stunned horror, Max drug him out, muttering about what a poor bastard he was.

"Leo, keep an eye on them!" Max ordered.

"Okey-dokey!" Leo waved, and watched until Max had exited the theater. He then felt someone embrace him, and looked down to see Fuji hugging him.

"Ari, we don't get to see each other enough!" Fuji said happily.

"Fuji, what if he comes back!?" Leo whispered, wriggling out of his sister's grasp, "And it's Leo LeBlanc, now!"

"Sorry, forgot," Fuji smirked, and took a step back, "I know, I know, we can't do this often—But I can't help it, sometimes! I miss my big brother!" said Fuji cheerily, "If you only knew how much I miss the Lupin Twins!"

Leo smirked wryly, "I know you do. But I don't follow that life, Fujiko! I'm doing this for your own good, believe it or not!"

"My own good?" Fuji frowned.

"You'll see that crime doesn't pay, yet!"

"Well, I'm the one dressed in Prada, and you're the one who eats Ramen and tuna!" Fuji smirked.

"You know what I mean," Leo rolled his eyes, "When I catch you, then you'll quit this!"

"When you catch me, I'll buy a turtleneck!" Fuji laughed.

"Now let's not make a promise you can't keep," said Leo, "Promise you'll quit if I catch you?"

"Yeah, yeah. But only if you catch all of us," replied Fuji, "And we'll be here waiting when you finally realize you're made for the family business!"

"Okay, here he comes. It was nice visiting with you, Fujiko," Leo nodded.

"Same here, Leo," Fuji nodded.

Toshiro looked to his left, and saw Yukiko, looking downward at the ground. Van Buren wheeled over to her, and looked upward at her, in confusion, "You really aren't my Sakura, are you?"

"No… I'm sorry, but I ain't," Yukiko shrugged.

"Well… You sing exactly like her…. Although you certainly act like her…" said Van Buren softly, "Do you suppose… After all that has happened… That you could open this?"

Yukiko looked down at the box, smiled, and took it in her hands, "Do you think you could tell me the song, Mr. Van Buren?"

"Yes… I Know You…" replied Van Buren. Yukiko glanced at Toshiro for assistance, and Toshiro leaned inward and whispered the lyrics to Yukiko.

"Ah," Yukiko nodded, and began to sing a bar from the song.

I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream…

The box slowly opened, and all leaned forward to see the treasure inside. Van Buren smiled, and took the box from Yukiko, "Ah, there it is…" He reached inward, and pulled out a black and white photo, "To one of my largest fans… All my love, Sakura…" he read on the back of the photo, and then looked at the front. It was a picture of Sakura, dressed in a similar kimono, and a younger Van Buren standing with her, "Your father took this photo…"

"That's the treasure?" Fuji twitched a smile of disbelief, "You… You're kidding…"

"Here," Van Buren handed it to Yukiko, "You have it, now."

"What?" Yukiko shot her head back in surprise, "Are you—"

"Yes. I'm very old… I cannot buy green bananas without wondering if I'll live to see them ripen. You saved me—I want you to have it," he handed her the photo, and smiled.

"Thanks," Yukiko nodded, "I'm sure… I'm sure she'd still remember you…"

"No matter—I'll see her soon," sighed Van Buren, "I shall see her soon…"

"Thanks," she looked away from him, and then from Toshiro, "Guys, I've gotta go…" She quickly ran past Van Buren, the Lupin gang, and the inspectors. Not even Max dared touch her at that moment.

Later, at the Hotel:

Heiji slammed the hotel door, and looked upward stormily at Toshiro.

"What's wrong?" inquired Toshiro.

"You creep—You ought to be in the one talking to her, not me!" growled Heiji as he pointed back at Yukiko's door, "You're never there for anyone who needs you! You were never there while dad was sick, you were never there to help mom with the kids while he was in the hospital! I had to play big brother, while I knew you were out there! And the whole reason she got in this mess is because you went off and talked to some floozy!"

"You're blowing it out of proportion," Toshiro responded.

"Don't talk to me," Heiji grumbled.

"Heiji, I—"

"Go to hell, Toshiro!" Heiji snapped as he growled Ally from the hall, and pulled him toward the elevator. Ally glared back at Toshiro, and kept his eyes on his enemy until he entered the elevator and disappeared down the dark corridor.

Toshiro sighed heavily, and took a few steps towards the door, but stopped as he heard a voice on the other side of the door.

"Daddy, I just don't know! Good God, I was such an idiot!" Yukiko said in her hotel room, apparently to her father, whom she was on the phone with, "I know… They're all mad at me, I know it! I just…. I just… It never happens to me, you know? Ryo, Fuji, even Dori! I thought someone finally liked me, for once! Oh, you have to go? I, I see… I know.. Okay, bye, Dad… Love you, too…"

"I didn't think she still cried…" mumbled Toshiro to himself as he opened the door. Yukiko quickly jumped up and pulled her fedora over her eyes.

"If you're here too yell at me, too, don't worry… Everyone else already has," said Yukiko.

"I—I'm not," Toshiro replied, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"What do you mean, about it? I'm over it! I'm fine!" Yukiko replied with a painfully obvious plastic smile, "That guy didn't mean anything, honestly!"

"You know I'm here, if you ever want to talk about anything," Toshiro said reassuringly as he reached over and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's cool," Yukiko replied as she shrugged him off. Toshiro nodded, and turned to her before she exited.

"Hairstylist…" said Toshiro.

"Huh?" Yukiko lifted her head.

"That woman who spoke with me… She was a hairstylist… She told me I had split ends, and that she could fix them. That's why she gave me the paper—It was the address of her salon," said Toshiro quietly, "You didn't think it was something else, did you?"

"Nah, of course not!" Yukiko replied with a chuckle, "It's all right. Hey, I'll see you in the morning, 'kay? Get some rest!"

"Yes, you, too," Toshiro nodded, and exited the hotel room.

"A hairstylist…" Yukiko muttered in disbelief, "A freakin' hairstylist!" she laughed in idiocy.