The next morning:

'All right, kick his ass!' Barbra whooped from the stands of the gym, and made a punching motion.

Dorian stood straight up and looked to her, lifting the kendo mask from his face, 'I'm your bloody father and you're rooting for him!' he yelled with disbelief. Goemon attempted to come crashing down onto Dorian with his bokken, but was stopped as Alexis grabbed onto Goemon's joined hands and sent him flying.

'Damn!' he growled, and sat up, adjusting his armor and rising.

'Don't worry, Pal, you almost had him that time,' beside Barbra on the bleachers sat Jigen, stretched out over several with his ever present smile upon his face. He could feel a set of eyes upon him, and his vision slowly traveled to Barbra. 'Could I help you?'

'How… How do you see outta that thing, anyway? It got eyeholes?'

'Barbra!' Dorian shouted chidingly, and barely dodged Goemon as the samurai attempted a sneak attack. 'Close, but not yet!'

'Why in the world does he put up with my father, anyway?' Barbra asked Jigen quietly as both watched to the two continue their duel.

'Well… Goemon just wants to get back at someone, and your dad could teach him how… Goemon… He used to be the guy samurai films were made of!'

'Like a matinee hero of sorts?'

'Eh, yeah, I guess so. But then… Some scary stuff went down, and his personality did a total 360. We're hoping that in addition to maybe defeating Otomo, that we can get Goemon back, too. I just hope that this training's really helping him.'

'Otomo… Name certainly does ring a bell….' Barbra muttered, and then the two were interrupted by a door opening, and a now all-too-familiar woman walked in, this time in an orange sweatsuit, with a long, thin bundle in one hand, wrapped in a purple cloth and tied liberally with a string running up it.

'….The hell?' Jigen blinked as Roxanne crossed the gym, setting down the long bundle and unzipping her short sweat jacket, revealing a white sports bra beneath. Her hair was now in a tight afro, whereas previously Jigen had seen her with shoulder-length straight hair. 'What are you doing here!'

'You don't get underworld connections based on your looks, Dear,' Roxanne answered with a smile, and turned to Dorian. 'Sorry if I'm a bit late. Doing my hair… I'm sure you understand.'

'Yes, those Foxy Brown looks as notoriously difficult for me to pull off,' Dorian answered, causing Roxanne to draw a large smile. 'You truly are a woman… Late because of a hair appointment. Well, are you ready to have a go at our apt pupil?'

Roxanne read Goemon's obviously confused expression, and gave a chuckle, 'Yes, and I brought the incentive… What's a fight without something worth fighting for?'

"Jigen, tell her that I don't fight women," Goemon called to his friend, and Jigen nodded.

'He says he won't fight you 'cause you're a broad!' Jigen shouted to Roxanne.

'Guess he won't be seeing this for a while, then,' she lifted up the bundle and untied the string, set this aside with two other swords, revealing only Goemon's precious Zantetsuken. The samurai's eyes widened, and he remained motionless, his eyes following the blade. 'It's a shame… For looking a bit warn, it's an incredible blade…'

'How did you….' Goemon began, and trailed off as he searched painfully for the right words. Roxanne was quick to catch on to his question, however.

'Doesn't matter. Now, I've got a little wager for you…'

Goemon was familiar with the term 'wager', and nodded, comprehending this and tensely awaiting her terms.

'You beat me… You get the sword back….'

'If I lose?'

'Well, you'll still get the sword… But I get Daisuke for the night.'

'HEY!' Jigen shouted and sprung up from his seat, 'You can't do that! That's not my name, it's—Crap, you got it right this time—But you still can't do that!'

'Deal,' Goemon said coolly, and grabbed onto the sword that Roxanne tossed to him.

'What!' Jigen shrieked, and looked over to Goemon. "Are you out of your mind!"

"Don't worry, Jigen…"

"Worry! Who's worried! That's right, me! 'Cause if you lose, I'm done for! You better win this, Goemon!"

'So… Basically he wins or she gets to boink your brains out,' Barbra said, pointing to Roxanne as Jigen took a seat. 'Don't guys like that sort of thing, though?'

'Not when you're hobblin' the next day,' Jigen muttered, and lifted up the brim of his fedora as Dorian took his place beside Jigen and his daughter.

Dorian glanced Jigen over with a smile, and a chuckle, 'Too much woman for you, mate, or just not very fond of them?'

'Why, you lookin' for a date?' Jigen returned quickly as the fight began, Roxanne circling Goemon, who followed her closely with his eyes. She made the first attempt at an attack, and the two wooden swords clashed and remained locked into place until Goemon pulled away and quickly jumped back from Roxanne, who thrust at him and barely missed him with the bokken.

'You ain't that bad!' Roxanne said with a concentrated, confident smile as she lunged for Goemon once again, this time Goemon jumping onto her sword and propelling himself off of this, and over her shoulder. He then spun about, and looked over his shoulder to Roxanne. Goemon lunged with his sword, but Roxanne held out her arm, and caught his arm with this move.

'Ready to give up yet?' she asked in a huff.

'Not really,' Goemon answered in his ever-thick Japanese accent, and managed to break hold from her, and jumped back, spacing himself from the Amazon-like woman. Roxanne held her sword at her side, and quickly placed it in front of her as Goemon attacked, their blades once again clacking against one another, followed by a frenzied series of clapping noises as the blades continually hit one another, Goemon backing Roxanne toward the edge of the gym and Roxanne at times doing the same with him.

Goemon finally kicked up, and hit Roxanne's wrist. Her grip unlocked momentarily, and the sword went flying into the air. Ishikawa reached out and grabbed the other bokken, and then with his back to Roxanne he placed one sword on either side of her neck, making an X-pattern.

'Very good,' Roxanne smiled and then looked to Dorian. 'Well, what does the sensei say?'

'Could have been better,' Dorian answered and hopped off of his seat. 'Tomo's an excellent fighter, even without his barrage of lackeys… Right now I'd put you at fifty-fifty, Goemon….'

'I did good?'

'Acceptable… But don't let that go to your head,' Dorian said gruffly and took the swords. 'Now, we've got some work to do at the library… Roxanne, thank you for taking time out of your busy partying schedule to show him a thing or two.'

'Always a pleasure, Dorian,' Roxanne picked up her jacket from the floor and zipped this up, and tossed Goemon's sword to him. 'Good luck…And I'll be seeing you around, Jigen.'

Jigen breathed a sigh of relief as Roxanne exited, and hopped down from the bleachers to Goemon, 'Thanks, man…' he patted the samurai upon the back, but this was followed by a hard punch in the gut, 'And if you ever do that again I'll shove that sword the last place where you'd want it to be!'

'…If that loudmouth can have you offguard, I suppose we still do have much work to do,' Dorian muttered as Goemon sat doubled-over in pain from the blow.

Later that evening:

"Here," Lupin retrieved an ice pack for Goemon, and the samurai laid it over the area of his stomach which Jigen had hit. Lupin took a seat on the chair opposite of Goemon, and looked downward a moment in contemplation, "…Listen, Goemon, something's been bugging me…"

"Nothing happened between me or Fujiko, I swear it, Lupin."

"I know… I should've known… I guess I'm just attempting an apology," Lupin sighed and closed his eyes. "I owe it to you… I should have trusted you more. But, hey, you trusted me, and I let you down…"

"It was not you, Lupin, it was myself," Goemon eased himself up and looked to his friend. "I was certain that everything I had been taught would get me out of any trouble, and I was incorrect in my thinking, and my misjudgment cost me dearly."

"That's what friends are there for, to bail you out."

"Don't blame yourself," Goemon sighed. "You have done a mass in reparations for something which I don't even blame you for." Lupin gave a surprised look at this, and Goemon continued, "Fujiko told me that you and Jigen were out stalking Tomo Otomo, and I appreciate it. I am starting to think that I will one day soon have my revenge, as well as revenge for Dorian, and for his wife…. Lupin, Barbra is Tomo Otomo's natural daughter, Dorian is only raising her as his own."

"Well, that's love if I ever heard it," Lupin could not hide his shock from this fact, and began to piece together information in his mind. "I'm worried about that kid, I'm thinking she'd be next."

"But… Do you really think that Tomo's that sick of…" Goemon thought back, and had an answer to his question. "You're right; she could very well be in danger. What should we do, tell Dorian?"

"I'm pretty sure he's got a good idea of it already, afterall, people have been after him for years," Lupin shrugged. "He was a judo champion, back in the day… Also gifted in jujitsu, ninjitsu, and one of the only non-Hebrew certified Krav Maga instructors on the planet. His wife was just as good."

"And what does this have to do with him being in danger?"

"Dorian's father was a Greek dignitary who has a huge fortune hidden somewhere, and Otomo's pet project for years has been finding out where it is, exactly. He killed Dorian's wife when she wouldn't give him directions to the treasure."

"Why wouldn't Dorian give him the directions, then!"

"Because Dorian doesn't have a clue… His daughter's on so many loans right now to go to that private school of hers it isn't even funny. He'd probably like to know as much as Otomo would, or me, for that matter."

"That's what this trip to England was all about!" Goemon asked, a deep frown and angered expression coming over him as he began to slowly piece together Lupin's plans. "You wanted the treasure for yourself!"

"Well, before Tomo, at least," Lupin sat forward in his seat and sighed. "I'd rather see it go to Barbra or a charity before Tomo, and I figured kill two birds with one stone and get Dorian to train you to get back at Otomo… So I say you kill Otomo, get your revenge, and Jigen and I find the treasure."

"Just so you can get your cut, right?"

"This isn't even about me, anymore. It's about you getting what you deserve, which is your self confidence back. I miss the old, pissy Goemon who just ate sashimi and told me what an amoral jerk I was, we all do!"

Goemon said nothing in response to this, and rose from the couch, "I will have justice, not revenge, Lupin."

"Whatever you call it, get it and get Tomo," answered Lupin with a smile. "Now, if you excuse me, I have one more player to let into this little game of ours, and with everything going on, I feel like I've been abusing him lately." He, too stood and stepped out of the hotel, whistling to himself all the way down to the lower-end of town and up to the front door of a run-down hotel room. He removed a piece of chalk from his pocket and continued to quietly whistle as he first went to writing a note upon the door, followed by one of his classic smiling self-portraits. He then turned back around and headed downstairs, tossing the piece of chalk in his hand along the way.

In the morning, Inspector Zenigata of ICPO was more than a little shocked and was admittedly beyond pissed as he read the large note upon the door, 'Hey, Old Man, come and get me! Love, Lupin'. Making sure to have a full round in his revolver, a pack of cigarettes, and several dozen sets of various handcuffs.

"Little creep… Really thinks he can pull one over on me, eh? Well, we'll see about that! We'll see how wide his smile is when he's behind bars!" Zenigata grumbled as he tore down the streets in yet another rental car that would certainly meet the fate of the last fifty or so.

"All going to plan…" Lupin muttered as he watched Zenigata zip past him, and chuckled as he saw everything unfolding out before him.

That evening:

"I hate to say this, but where's Fujiko when you need her?" Jigen wondered to himself as he overlooked the awkward scene of Lupin and Goemon interlocked, and Jigen rubbed his forehead tiredly and stepped to the two. "No, your hand goes here, and your hand goes about… Here…"

"Woah! Not when they're that cold they don't!" Lupin yelped and broke his hold from Goemon. "Just improvise, if nothing else!"

"It isn't that important, anyway," Goemon replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, I'm sure your British buddy thinks so, too… I mean, it's only one of the most important nights of his daughter's life," Jigen answered, and Goemon paled at this realization.

"Perhaps we should give it another go, Lupin…"

"Nah, I'm spent! A guy can only take so much of having his toes stepped on in one night. I'm grabbing a drink, but you two feel free to continue," Lupin patted Goemon upon the shoulder, then left the bedroom, leaving the door ajar.

"So how's withdrawal going?" asked Jigen, seating himself on the dresser across from Goemon.

"This is one of the more difficult challenges I've faced, I will admit," Goemon sighed. "I'm just worried that Otomo may perhaps try to go after Barbra."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too worried about that," Jigen gave a smile. "Lupin's taken care of it…"

Across town, a once-asleep and now highly agitated Dorian stood on the front porch of his home while Inspector Zenigata wildly described the situation to him.

"But I tell you, Lupin's gonna hit this place!"

"Bloody hell… You're Interpol, aren't you? Don't you have… Pink Panthers or something to steal? I'm trying to sleep, as is my daughter."

"Lupin's a sucker for pretty girls, she's probably in just as much danger!"

'Dad, who's there?' Barbra asked as she drew her bathrobe shut and looked over Dorian's shoulder to the man in the trenchcoat. 'Ah, woah! He's Interpol, ain't he!'

'Yes, yes… Barbra, get to bed, it's a school night,' Dorian ordered, and then turned back to Zenigata. 'I don't know what kinda a game you're playing, Chum, but aside from some commemorative plates of the Queen, I don't have anything of value."

"But you don't understand!" Zenigata shouted, but this fell upon deaf ears. Dorian slammed the door in the Inspector's face, and Zenigata gave a moan.

"Damn bloody Asians… It's like a convention!" Dorian sighed, exasperated. "And the next time I see Lupin… He better hope to hell he's got an heir, 'cause he ain't gonna be able to have one after I'm through with him."

Zenigata camped out across from the small house, in his car, and did not notice any activity until around three in the morning (or his second bowl of ramen, depending on who was counting), when a black Sedan parked itself in front of the Alexis household, and the sound a camera clicking became evident to him. He frowned and set down the Ramen bowl on the dash, and stepped out to investigate. He walked across the street, and after knocking upon the window to the car only once, it sped off into the night, nearly running down the inspector and fishtailing into a trashcan.

"Woah! Watch it, you maniac!" Zenigata growled, still stunned from the speed the car. He stomped back to his car and leaned back in the seat, allowing his fedora to rest over his eyes. "Mm… Now for some well-deserved rest and…. Tomorrow… Capture… Lupin…"

Back at the hotel room, Jigen was now laid out upon the bed, his eyes closed and his breathing steady, while Goemon stood looking out over the streets below them. It was the middle of the night when he, too, noticed a black Sedan pulling up to the front of the hotel, and noted the flash of what he perceived to be a camera. Goemon opened the window to the hotel room and hopped out onto the sill, then onto the concrete itself, his years of training enabling him to do so without much harm to his body. His sword at his side, and glared at the Sedan as he walked to it, and was surprised as a door opened and he was pulled in. He felt his sword leave his grasp, and was seated opposite a figure in a sky-blue suit. The man leaned forward, and Goemon's blood froze as his eyes met Tomo Otomo's.

"Long time no see, heh, Goemon-chan?" Tomo said with a smile, and turned his head to a side. "Oh, you cut your hair… I liked the long look much better."

"Why do you think I cut it?" Goemon shot back with a frown.

"Heh, cocky little thing… I liked your spirit… You reminded me of a dog when I first saw you, Goemon…. Trainable, breakable, and ultimately when need be you can fry them…. Hehe… That's what happened to your ancestor, right? Went out like a piece of shrimp tempura."

"Don't bring my ancestors into this!"

"What, think they'd be ashamed of a failure as yourself?" Tomo gave a smile. "Mm, that hit a nerve. You're not as good with emotions as you used to be… "

"Tomo, you've already done your worst to me, so I suggest if you have anything planned that you do it, because death would only be an escape from this hell."

"Mm… But there, you're wrong, Dear," Tomo untied and envelope and smiled, handing Goemon the photographs. "I can still hurt you. I can hurt the ones around you. The thief, his little whore who you were cuddling with, Alexis and his daughter, that big tall black bitch… Or perhaps that gunman you had straddled like a champion racehorse…. The boys really got a hoot out of that one."

Goemon paled with horror as he looked through the scores of photos and gulped dryly, looking upward to Tomo, "….What do you want from me?"

"Simply your help," Tomo smiled and leaned inward. "I need to know where Alexis keeps his treasure, and you're the one who's closest to him."

"Dorian doesn't know where it is! What is its importance to you, anyway, Otomo? You could have anything you wanted!"

"Mm… But this is special. Amongst those treasures is a potion, a list of ingredients for a hallucinogen. It was said that the priestesses in ancient times would use it to speak to the gods themselves… Something that potent would be quite popular, wouldn't you agree? And instead of panhandling the same old drugs, there'd be something new, something only Tomo Otomo could give you. I'm sure you understand all about addiction… Fight me over the death of one of your pupils only to end up popping pills…. I'll let you go now, Goemon, but you find that treasure for me, or they all die, all in front of you. And we're watching you… Speak a word of this to Lupin, that pig from ICPO—Anyone! And we'll still kill them. Now, get to sleep, you look simply exhausted. Tonight's Thursday; you have until Saturday morning."

The door of the car opened and Goemon climbed out, his sword tossed out to him as the Sedan sped off. He picked up the sword and slowly stood, looking to the ground and wondering what in the world he was to do.