DISCLAIMER: I don't own Lupin III, but on a happier note, I've finally got my high school diploma (yay!)
Bonjour!
Well, June 21st'll be a pretty special day—It marks two years that I've been working on this story! Wow… 114 chapters, 24 months… What a friggin' ride… At this point, I feel like I should be on payroll for the company who produces Lupin. My thanks again to everyone who's supported me, read this, written reviews, given ideas, given critiques, written fanfics, done fanart, cosplayed, helped me through writer's block, and been my friend during this. It's reasons like that why I'm still going… Enough nostalgia, let's get to the part you actually want to read…
Fun Fact of Boredom: Each character has a birth date… Well, not a year, because I've always tried to make this timeless, but the list is as follows…. Fuji, May 30; Ryo, February 24; Ally, March 28; Yukiko, December 10; Toshiro, April 25; Heiji, September 13; Odori, June 10; Leo, May 30; Max, October 19. Each birthday has its own meaning behind it, but that's for another segment.
Chapter Fourteen: Born to Run
A Small Inn in Siberia:
"Jeeze, I slept like a friggin' rock last night!" Leo said as he rose and stretched. He was slightly confused as he saw an arm over his chest, but then the memories came back to him. He shook Zenigata awake, but Max instead rolled and only tightened his grip over Leo.
"Ow, hey, Zenigata!" Leo gasped, and finally awoke the sleeping blonde.
"What, what?" Max asked with a groan.
"Time to get up," answered Leo, pointing to the time on his watch. He rose from bed, and went to searching for an outfit to wear for the morning. "I hope you slept well…"
"About as good as you did," Max answered.
"What's that mean?" Leo inquired as he walked to the bathroom with his usual attire and set to brushing his teeth.
"Last night was the soundest you've ever slept," Max replied, stretching and falling back into the bed. "Damn it's freezing here…"
"That's why they always threaten to send people here as punishment," Leo responded.
"Hey, LeBlanc, c'mere a second," Max waved his partner over, back into the small bedroom.
"What's up, Zenigata?" asked Leo as he walked out. He was in the middle of tying his orange tie when Zenigata waved him over.
"Lean in," Max ordered, "Closer, closer…"
"What is it, Max?" Leo sighed. Max grabbed Leo about the waist, and pulled him down onto the bed, and kissed him. Leo was more than a little surprise, and pushed Max away in shock, "What are you doing? We've got a job to do—We've got to catch Lupin!"
"Yeah, right…. Sorry…" Max cleared his throat, and rose from the bed. He looked down at Leo and asked, "You want to just forget about that?"
"Preferably… It's a little soon for anything like that… I'm still getting over the idea that I'm kissing someone who shares my aftershave," Leo sighed in response as he rose and adjusted his tie.
"Here… This always bothered me…" Max walked over to LeBlanc, and redid his partner's tie. "You always have it crooked, for some reason…. You're never…Eh…."
"….Go ahead… Say it… Straight…"
"Um, yeah…" Max coughed, and turned away from Leo, and into the bathroom. He emerged minutes later, wearing contacts instead of his usual glasses. "I've been thinking about staying with contacts…"
"Hmm, you do that, but I'll keep my Clark Kent look, thanks," Leo answered as he sat on the bed, tying his shoe. He looked up at Max as he continued, "From what I understand, you're the same person who told me he liked wearing glasses because they hid his face…"
"That's when I had stuff to hide. Now it's just me," replied Max.
"I've always been a little jealous about you in that respect, Zenigata. You don't really care as much as I do about what people think about you. It seems that in whatever direction I go, someone's mad at me…"
"You've got to learn that there's only one person you need to please in the end, Ari, and that's yourself," Max replied.
"….Did you just call me…."
"…Yeah… Sorry, I didn't even mean it," Max sputtered.
"No, it's fine," Leo rose and began to load his gun, which he had left on the table. "I'm just not used to being called that anymore. Who knows, maybe after all of this, you can call me Ari again. God knows that Ari and Leo are duking it out… It's a hell of a fight…"
"I hope that someday you'll both be able to get along," Max smiled wryly, and then turned his attention away from Leo and towards getting dressed. "Bring your parka, by the way—We got Fuji's scent, and she's headed towards a mountain range…"
"Couldn't she ever go somewhere simple? Wyoming, how about Wyoming? Or Montana… Nothing too dangerous there!" said Leo in his usual complaint.
Siberia:
"That's a hell of a mountain…" Yukiko said aloud as she stood with her colleagues at the base of the large snowy mountain in front of them.
"And in the center is Rasputin's diary…" Ryo added.
"Whelp, ya know what the Japanese word for mountain peak is—Fuji! So this ought to be a bit of good luck!" Fuji said with her usual optimistic smile.
"Yeah, and Yukiko means 'snow', but we all know how well I do in cold weather…" Yukiko grumbled.
"What does 'Toshiro' mean?" asked Toshiro earnestly.
"Lover of birds and masculine women," answered Ryo quickly and flatly as she tossed a grappling hook up and tugged on it to make sure of it security. Yukiko did the sisterly thing and mocked Ryo for this, but Jigen paid no attention to her older sister. As they started their ascent towards the top of the mountain, it became apparent that there was someone following them. In the heavy snowdrift it was hard to tell exactly who, but it became apparent quickly, and Fuji became quite concerned over this.
"Well, what do you say, 'Boss'? Give them the turn around?" asked Yukiko.
"Toshiro, why don't you give them a warning?" Fuji instructed. Toshiro nodded, and fell back from the group. The person behind them kept approaching, and Toshiro remained stationary while his group moved forward.
"Stop!" Toshiro barked. He was more than a little surprised when the mystery person retaliated and shot at him, grazing his parka. He lunged forward with his two swords drawn, and his new enemy quickly rolled out of the way. He spun about as the small person vanished, but was greeted with a blow to the back of the head from a good sized rock his attacker had picked up. He growled, and spun about to face his attacker, and finally managed to pin the assailant down by trapping his or her neck between his blades. He ripped off the ski mask, and was surprised to find a frightened young girl staring up at him, wide-eyed.
A Little Later:
"So all of this is for your sister?" Ryo repeated with shock.
"Yes," nodded Tanya as she sipped more of the scotch Yukiko had brought along gratefully. "She's sick… She has leukemia… My parents cannot afford the treatment, so I when I heard about the book, and all of its cures, it was too good an opportunity to pass up!"
"So you tried to turn me against Heiji and tricked me into coming all the way up this mountain so you could get that book for your own reasons…" Fuji concluded.
Tanya hung her head in response, "….Yes…"
Fuji laughed wildly, "What to go, kid! I like your style!"
"Wait… You aren't angry at me?" Tanya gasped.
"Ha! Are you kidding, if I had a dime for every time I've been backstabbed, I wouldn't even have to steal! But you're the first one to be such a sweetheart about it, I'll admit," Fuji said with a wide grin. "You've got a lot of chutzpah…"
"A lot of what?" asked Tanya.
"Ask Zenigata, he'll gladly explain it," Fuji replied.
"Who?" Tanya inquired.
"That angry snow-covered blond in the cave," Fuji pointed, and Yukiko and Toshiro immediately rose and drew their weapons as they saw none other than Zenigata and LeBlanc in the cave way.
"Chamila, great you could join us! C'mon, Blondie, pull up a chair, gather 'round the fire… Roast some marshmallows…" Fuji said, patting the warmed earth next to her.
"I'd rather see you roast in Hell, Lupin," said Max with a hiss.
"Well, like the Stones said, you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need, and you and LeBlanc both look like you need a good dose of campfire singalongs!" Fuji smiled as she spoke to Zenigata.
"How come he gets a nickname and I don't?" Leo asked.
"If I told you I knew, Leo, I'd be lion—Hee hee hee hee! Hey, Zenigata, what's with the ring, huh? You get married?" Fuji asked as she removed a bag of marshmallows from her backpack and began to roast it over the fire with a twig she found on the ground.
"None of your business!" Max yelled.
"Ohhh…. Touchy, touchy… So, how much did you pay her? She speak English? She alive? She even a she?" Fuji asked. "Ouch… Little bastard…" she said under her breath as she waved the flames off of her marshmallow. She began to blow on it, and continued to wave it about. "Heiji, Veronica, marshmallow? Anyone? If I'm the only one eating I'll just feel like a fat ass…"
"I'll take one," said Heiji suddenly.
"Me, too," said Veronica.
"Okay… Find a couple of twigs and get closer," Fuji waved her friends over toward the fire.
"Why don't you take me seriously?" Max shouted.
"Don't take it personally, Zenigata… It's a family thing. If I didn't show you a lack of respect, I'd be a joke! And let's face it, it'd just be weird… It's like if you were married to my brother or something!"
"Dad told you?" Leo shrieked. Ryo nearly fell back in shock. Fuji's marshmallow fell into the fire, but the shocked Lupin didn't seem to take notice.
"…So…" Fuji cleared her throat, "Who was the bride?"
"Neither!" Max growled and clenched his fists.
"Oh…. Well, how was the wedding night, then? You know, I know that Ari's not like Dad in a lot of ways, but there's a reason that that Cecilia bitch liked him so much," Fuji chuckled.
"You don't need to be asking these questions!" Max flushed.
"Ohhh…. I'm sorry, I didn't realize that Ari wasn't giving out the goods… Damn, Zenigata, you have my apologies! You poor bastard… Ah, well, what can I say, there's one in every family.."
"I know you don't like killing, but could I please kill her?" Max asked intently.
"No, Zenigata," Leo sighed.
"Please, just this—"
"No, Zenigata," Leo repeated, and seated himself in front of Fuji and company. "Now would you please tell us what you're doing all the way up on a mountain in the middle of nowhere, Fujiko?"
"…Hm… I don't think I'll answer that, Ari," Fuji snapped.
"Why the hell not?" Leo asked.
"My birthday's tomorrow and you probably haven't even gotten me anything!" Fuji snapped angrily and rose, "How could you forget? It's your birthday, too!"
"Your birthday's tomorrow?" Max asked, turning to his partner. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Um… I forgot… No, honest!" Leo replied, holding his hands up in the air in defense. He turned to Fuji and said to her earnestly. "What's your game, Fuji? What are you doing up here, huh?"
"I'm on a mission of mercy," Fuji replied.
"That's a load of crap if I ever heard it…" Max grumbled, folding his arms and glaring down at Fuji suspiciously.
"No," Tanya interjected. "She's honest… She's looking for a book that will help my sister…"
"How do I know you're legit, Lupin?" Max asked.
"Because my two friends, Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson, say so!" Yukiko snapped, drawing her gun and pointing to Max. Toshiro took her by the arm and desperately tried to calm her down while Veronica, Ryo and Heiji began to pack their supplies.
"Wait, where are you all going?" Max yelped.
"We're going to check out a book, then I'm thinking about swinging back around and getting some pizza…" Fuji said with her usual sarcasm as she took up her backpack and began to walk out of the cave.
"Wait!" Max ordered, "You're under arrest, Lupin!"
"You're under arrest, Lupin!" was repeated, but this time, it was coming from the glaring speaker of a helicopter, "Arsène Lupin the Fourth, you're under arrest!" the voice shouted.
"Arsène?" Fuji muttered. She quickly shuffled everyone back into the cave, right before they started shooting, "Jesus, Ari, what'd you DO?" Fuji shrieked.
"They found me," Leo choked. "I guess it's time I—"
"No friggin' way—They'll shoot you!" Max yelled in response.
"I've got an idea, but it depends on how much Veronica loves me!" Fuji shouted. Veronica turned to her, and gave a puzzled look in response. "Somebody gimme a parka, preferably purple!"
"Wait, they'll shoot me!" Veronica choked.
"Not the way I'm gonna do it," Fuji gave a wink, and soon Fujiko Lupin was outside of the cave, holding Leo LeBlanc at knife point.
"You don't shoot!" Fuji screamed to the helicopter. "You hear me, you bastards? And you try to take me, and I'll slit his throat! I don't friggin' care if he's my brother, you'll never take me!"
"Yes, Ma'am, just give us Lupin!" called the man in the helicopter.
Fuji did as they requested, and threw Leo to the ground. A puff of smoke blasted as they also lunged for Fuji, and she had vanished.
"Guess that this one'll have to do for now…" they muttered as they lifted Leo up and drug him onto the helicopter, "Take that tape off of his mouth…" Said one officer to another.
The officer did so, and they were more than shocked when the voice of an Indian woman began screaming, "They made me do it!" Veronica shrieked.
"She's a good actress," Ryo admitted as they watched the helicopter begin to circle about frantically. After growing frustrated, it rose, and departed.
"You should've let them take me…" Leo grumbled.
"What, you want me to shoot a flare their way?" Fuji yelled to her seemingly ungrateful brother. "I'm doing this because I love you, you idiot! Don't go acting like Mom, now's not the time!"
"I'm not, I'm acting like an adult!" Leo replied.
"You're acting like someone with a death wish!" out of anger, Fuji picked up a mound of snow, and threw it right at Leo.
"You've always been a real bitch, Fuji…" Leo snarled. Yukiko nudged Toshiro, and both took a step back. Toshiro grabbed Heiji by the shirt collar, and Yukiko moved Ryo back with her. Tanya took cover behind Toshiro, the tallest.
"At least I've always been honest to myself!" Fuji snapped in response as she threw another snowball, this time knocking off Leo's glasses. "You've always been weak, ya know that, Ari? It's always been me watching out for your ass over the years! You run away, and leave me with all of the responsibility!"
"You love doing this!"
"I loved it more when I had my partner!"
"Your partner's DEAD!" Leo shrieked, and caused some snow to trickle off of a nearby cliff. Leo noted Fuji's hurt expression, and looked away, embarrassed for having yelled at her like that, "Fuji, I… I'm so sorry…"
"Listen, if you're going to be a coward, then fine, Ari!" Fuji rubbed her eyes with her jacket sleeve. "I'm sick of you and your indecisiveness! You've got to decide who you are, and who you're going to hurt in the process…" her voice lowered with the following sentence, "I know you don't want to hurt anyone, Ari, but somebody's heart's gonna break. You can't help it…"
"Fine…" Leo took a few steps back and placed his hands in his parka. "Then I'll just go. Better everyone than only a few people…" he muttered, and turned away from them.
"LeBlanc, wait, you'll kill yourself!" Max called.
"I die no matter what road I take, Zenigata," Leo shot back, and was soon gone in the snowdrift. Max began to run after him, but he couldn't see Leo anywhere. He heard a crunch under his feet, and saw Leo's glasses, snapped in half.
"Why'd you let him run away like that!" Max shrieked, grabbing Fuji by the wrist and bending.
"Ow! Damn it, Zenigata!" Fuji yelped.
"Hey, you let her go! I don't care how we're related—I'll still kick your ass!" Heiji yelled, pulling Max away from Fuji.
"How could you leave him alone in that?" Max yelled, pointing to the dark snowdrift.
"Don't worry, Zeni-chan, I've got this under control… One of those snowballs had a homing device—You can track LeBlanc with this. Here's a flare—If you get lost, fire and we'll come get ya!" Fuji said as she regained her usual confidence and tossed Zenigata the two items.
Max looked down in shock and awe at the two devices in his hand, "But… Why are you doing this for me?"
Fuji shrugged, "'Cause my brother likes you. Have fun. If you get lost, just shoot the flare, remember…. Come on, guys, we've got a book to find!"
She began to trudge away with her company, and then turned back around to Max, and tossed him another case, "They're an extra pair of glasses, for Ari… I carry them, just in case."
"Thanks," Max said quietly. He then set his sights on finding his partner, and began to call Leo's name as he trudged through the snow.
"Well, you guys ready? I'm ready!" Fuji clapped her hands together for warmth, and they advanced deeper into the mountain range.
"How do we know where we're going?" asked Ryo.
"My Thieving Sense is tingling, that's how!" Fuji replied. "S'no problem, my tall friend…"
"If you make another pun, Fuji, especially after a dramatic scene like that, I'll kill you," said Ryo calmly.
They came upon a large door in the valley of several conjoining mountains, and Fuji gave a satisfied smile, "I think this is it…"
"Yes!" Tanya nodded wildly. "It is! This is it! My sister's saved!"
"Not yet, sweetheart… I've still got to crack this safe," Fuji began to feel about the door, and immediately froze as she felt a gun barrel at her back. "Yuki-san, this isn't a time for jokes…"
"Oh, if only I wish I were joking, Fuji, if only…" Yukiko said as she stood in a line with the other Lupin members and Tanya, all with their hands held high in the air. Ryo attempted to kick one of the guards unconscious, but he quickly grabbed her foot and threw her to the ground.
"Idiot!" growled the man who Fuji quickly presumed to be their leader. He slapped his lackey on the side of the head, and took a stance in front of Ryo. "Don't you dare lay a hand on her! Get them inside the tomb, quickly!" he demanded. The lackeys nodded, and the Lupin gang was led in, single file. There were lights strung up all through the cold cavern tunnels, and these gave off a yellow light. Fuji made sure to take a good assessment of her surroundings as she was led through the passageway, but not even she was prepared to turn a corner and come face-to-face with the mummified body of Gregory Rasputin. Tanya let out a scream of horror, and Toshiro and Heiji quickly made sure she was turned away from this gruesome sight.
"I love what you've done with the place, Gregory, although, if it were me, I would've added a waterbed and a few curtains…" said Fuji with a smirk.
"You always were the smart ass," said the voice beneath the heavy coats. He was the same bundled man who had saved Ryo, and Ryo could swear that she knew him from somewhere else. She just couldn't place where…
"Listen, we just want the book—We aren't even in it for money this time, Girl Scout's Honor!" said Fuji, raising her right hand.
"Heh, you were a girl scout and I was a ballerina," snapped the man.
"….Were the pirouettes hard for you?"
"Someone shut her up!" moaned the man.
"Hey, who are you, anyway?" Fuji inquired.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" he chuckled, "If you knew, then you'd really want to kill me…"
Ryo's eyes widened; she knew the voice. It was the man who had been stalking her, whoever that was… She smiled, for she knew that she would have this under control. She looked back at Fuji, and laughed, "What's it to a little whore like you, anyway, Fuji?"
"'Scuse me?" Fuji asked disbelievingly.
Ryo looked back at the masked figure, and approached him. She grew quite close to him, and even dropped her hands, "How about you let them go? Please? I know who you are…"
"You—you do?" he choked. "And you're not mad?"
"Nope," Ryo shook her head. "But I would be if you killed them… What do you say, fair trade? I give you what you want, and you give me what I want…"
"Wait, we want the book, too," Fuji added.
Ryo spun around, "Um, you're not really in a position to talk, princess…"
"Ryoko Diana Jigen…" Fuji said through gritted teeth, "You little…"
"You want the book, huh?" he ventured.
"Just one l'il page," Ryo replied, and ventured to place a hand atop his. It was immediately obvious that this made him uncomfortable, and he looked at Ryo.
"…Fine… Lupin will be allowed to have the page of her choosing, any may leave… But only one page, and you must stay," he said sternly.
"Fine by me," Ryo shrugged.
"R-Ryo-san…" Fuji yelped.
"Ryoko, you don't know what kind of a creep you're dealing with!" Yukiko shouted, "I know you hated Toshiro, but I hate this guy even more than you ever hated him!"
"Ryoko hated me?" Toshiro asked.
"Yup. A lot," Heiji nodded.
"Guards, see to them… Miss Jigen and I are going to talk," the masked figure led Ryo away, and the Lupin gang was left to their own devices.
The man led Ryo out of the cave, and into the campsite he and his lackeys had set up. There was a warm tent, and he led Ryo to this. Ryo immediately felt the warmth hit her, and undid her scarf a little.
"I'm glad you aren't mad at me…" he said with a sigh of relief, "I always thought that you'd… Well… Want to kill me…"
"Well, I don't know who you are, but I know you're my stalker," she admitted, and turned back around to face him. "I'd like to see who you are, though…"
"No, you don't want to," he backed away as she approached him, and fell down onto the floor of the tent. Ryo kneeled down beside him, and pinned him down by his shoulders. "Ryo, please, don't, you wouldn't understand!"
"Hmm… How worse can you be? My first boyfriend's gay," Ryo sighed as she undid his scarf. Something horribly familiar struck her as she looked at his mouth, but she couldn't exactly make out what it was. She leaned forward and kissed him, regardless, and then drew back, and removed his goggles. His eyes were striking blue… Wait…
"Oh, God…" she said as her mouth dried with horror. She removed his ski mask, and looked down at Victor Lupin, who stared back up at her with a look of unmistakable pain and regret. "Oh, God…" she placed a hand over her mouth, and sat back.
"Ryoko," he rose, and leaned forward, only to have her pull away from him.
"Don't touch me…" Ryo said as she shook her head. "You monster…"
"I told you…"
"Why… What game are you playing?" Ryo shouted.
"None!" Victor shook his head, "I really do have feelings for you! I, I… I have no game… If I had wanted to kill you, I would've a long time ago…"
"You're the reason Ari ran away! You killed that man, and he spent years thinking it was him! You destroyed the life of the only person who understood me, you bastard…"
"Ryoko, I'm sorry," he bowed as in Asian custom and looked back upward at her. "I can't have you forgive me, I know, but I'm only asking to understand you, if you'll let me. You're the first woman to ever, well, beat me at anything… I just couldn't let that go easily!"
"You sick son of a—What are you doing here, anyway, if you aren't interfering in my life?"
"Rasputin collected a fortune during his lifetime… I'm excavating," Victor admitted. "Ryo, please, could you just…"
He didn't have time to finish. There was the sound of helicopter propellers, and Ryo gulped, "Those are the people after Ari…"
She rose with Victor, and both stuck their heads out, "Where is he!" Victor shouted over the propellers.
"God only knows!" Ryo answered. "Victor, if you love me, you'll help me get Fuji and everyone out of here!"
Victor remained stationary with a shocked expression, his blue eyes wide, "That's against all of my principles…"
"If you really do feel anything for me, you'll do it," snapped Ryo sternly. Victor growled, and loaded his gun, and then lifted away a flap beneath his tent that led to a secret underground tunnel. He helped Ryo down, and the two made the journey back down to the grave of Rasputin.
"Ryo-san!" Fuji gaped in shocked, "And… Bastard… What's going on here?"
"No time to explain; those people who want Ari are here, and they'll arrest us too, if they catch us," said Ryo quickly. "Victor's going to help us escape…"
"What can we do? They're friggin' guns everywhere!" Fuji screamed. Just then, Heiji's watch sounded, and he looked down at it.
"Veronica, I love you…" Heiji said with a smile as he read over the numbers on the watch. These, he knew, would block the control systems of the computers on the helicopters. "She must've broken into their codes…"
"Remind me to send her a fruit basket," said Fuji. "How'll that help us, though, we don't have any computers!"
"Ahem," Victor nodded to the several computers set up inside the tomb, and Fuji glared.
"You're a showoff…" Fuji said sternly.
"Tanya, you're good at computers, right?" Heiji called to Tanya.
"Yep! Not as good as you, but I'll give it a try!" said Tanya as she jumped on a computer next to Heiji.
"Wait, so what do we do!" Yukiko yelled.
"We get the treasure," Fuji smiled as she laid her eyes upon the chests of treasure Victor and his team had already taken.
"Ohhhh no… My charity only extends so far… You go for that treasure, and you'll walk away with a few less fingers…"
"There's actually something you two can do," Heiji said. "They're footsoldiers coming…"
"And?" Toshiro inquired.
Heiji turned to Yukiko and Toshiro, and smiled, "Do what you two do best…"
"I was hoping this trip was going to get interesting!" Yukiko laughed, and pushed her fedora over her eyes.
"Heiji, you try to land a copter. We'll fly out of here," said Fuji.
"You got it," Heiji said numbly as he continued typing away madly.
"Hey, you two need a couple of more hands?" through the scramble of Victor's guards, Leo stood, leaning against Max. LeBlanc looked extremely tired, but willing to fight.
"Heh, why the hell not?" Fuji shrugged. "You two make sure these crooks of Victor's don't get hurt… Make arrests or something… Look important…"
"Okay," Max nodded.
"Zenigata, you get on that—I've got to make a phone call…" Leo ran from his partner, and towards an old-fashioned portable phone unit.
Paris:
"Allo?" Lupin inquired as he picked up his cell phone. He was immediately greeted with screams, explosions and gunshots on the other end.
"Hey! Dad!" Leo shouted.
"Ari, what the hell are you doing?" Lupin screamed over the clamoring in the background.
"I need you to take down these numbers… Take out all of the money in those accounts and put them into one for Dako!" Leo shouted.
"Okay, okay, gimme a sec to get a pen!" Lupin knocked over a few canisters in the process, but finally managed to find a pen and a sheet of paper, "What's going on over there, anyway?"
"The police have found me and you need to drain my accounts before the cops freeze them," replied Leo over the shouting.
"Wha?" Lupin discontinued writing, "You're letting yourself get caught?"
"Here, just listen to these numbers!" Leo shouted out a long train of numbers, and Lupin hurried scribbled them down. "And Dad?"
"Yeah?" Lupin inquired.
"I love you, and I love Mom, and I love Dako, too," Leo choked, and then hung up the phone.
"Wait, Ari—Ari?" Lupin yelled a few times, and then hung up the phone numbly.
"Lupin? Who was that?" Fujiko asked as she walked out, Dako holding onto one of her hands.
Lupin said nothing, but turned around and embraced Fujiko tightly. He then looked down at Dako, and lifted her up, and embraced her, too.
Siberia:
"We've got a plane!" Victor shouted to Ryo over the blinding snow. Many of the armed forces were either still being held off by the tired Toshiro and Yukiko or were already laying on the snow. It was a battle to get past the guards, but Fuji, Ryo, Heiji, Tanya, Yukiko and Toshiro managed. Max escaped with Leo through a different route.
The plane took off, leaving the battlefield behind. Ryo piloted the aircraft while Fuji acted as copilot to her friend. Yukiko and Toshiro passed out in a couple of chairs, exhausted, while Heiji went to getting them both water. Tanya looked away from the group sadly, and Fuji noted this, and turned her attention to the young girl.
"What's wrong?" asked Fuji, kneeling down in front of Tanya.
"There was no cure," Tanya wept, and wiped her eyes. "I don't know what I'm going to do now! We don't have the money to help her!"
And there Victor Lupin saw an opportunity to look good in the eyes of Ryoko Jigen, and came forward to Tanya with a small bag of gold coins, "You can use this to help her." He said to Tanya quietly. Fuji tumbled over in shock, and Tanya leapt up and embraced Victor, something he was quite unaccustomed to. He saw Ryo smiling in the reflection of the windshield, and he knew that although it had turned his insides to do the right thing, he was now a little farther in the graces of Ryo.
"I'd like to visit your sister…" Fuji said as she steadied herself. "Would that be all right with you, Tanya-chan?"
"I'd like that… And she would, too," Tanya gasped through a sob.
"I hope Ari's okay…" said Fuji to herself as she returned to her seat.
Down in the Mountains:
"Beautiful sunrise…" Leo muttered quietly as he and Max sat on a mountain edge, "Looks like the storm's past…"
"You don't have to do this," Max said to Leo.
"Yeah, I do… It's just something I feel is right…" Leo said as he bent his head down as he looked down at the mountain range, "They'll be here soon…" He kneeled next to Max, leaned in, and kissed Zenigata. He then felt a gun to his back, and held his hands up.
"Lupin the Fourth, you're under arrest," said the officer.
"All right, Officer," Leo nodded, and rose from the snow. "Please make sure that my partner gets home safely."
"Can do," the officer nodded, and looked down at Zenigata. "Inspector, someone'll be here to take you back to France soon."
"Bye, Inspector, it was nice being your partner," Leo said as he waved good-bye. Max rose, and saluted statuesquely as he watched Leo be handcuffed and led away to a police helicopter. Max had never felt emptier in his life as when he watched that helicopter rise and slowly fade out of vision.
Moscow:
Fuji bit her lower lip as she looked at the sad-looking girl in the hospital room, bald from the chemotherapy. She couldn't blame Yukiko for leaving, after seeing her mother supposedly die from the disease, and where Yukiko went, Toshiro went. They had gone back to New York, to meet baby Namiko. Heiji had stayed with Fuji, as had Veronica. Ryo was in France, preparing for the trial of Lupin the Fourth, as Fuji had instructed her. Veronica was back at the hotel, also preparing for the trial, after being released from the authorities after telling them that she had been brought to the Lupin gang against her will.
"This is my little sister… She is usually too tired to speak," Tanya whispered. She looked at Fuji, and squinted a little; something was different about her. "What happened to your hair? It's quite short…"
Fuji nodded, and silently handed Tanya's sister a plainly wrapped box. Anya needed help unwrapping the box, and both she and Tanya gasped as they pulled out a black wig, full of thick, wavy hair. Tanya helped her sister put the wig on, and Fuji tilted her head to a side, and nodded.
"You look better with it than I do!" Fuji chuckled.
"Thank you," Anya croaked weakly. During the coarse of this, Heiji stood in the back of the hospital room, too shocked to say anything.
"Well, this has been fun, but we've got to get goin', so I'll see you both around!" Fuji waved good-bye, and the two were soon gone.
"Fuji, that was… Amazing, to say the least," Heiji said in astonishment.
"Heh, I was thinking about getting a haircut, anyway!" Fuji waved this off, and exited the hospital wing with Heiji.
Paris:
Ryo rubbed her eyes tiredly, and played back the film once more… She had seen it about a million times, plus it went through her head every night. Fujiko's shoulders dropped as she saw her almost-daughter-in-law leaned on the desk, the screen reflecting upon her pale face. She approached Ryo, and laid a hand on her shoulders as she looked over the film.
"Any luck?" Fujiko asked.
"Not in the least…" Ryo said with a yawn. "I need a miracle…"
"Well, they come at the strangest times, Dear," Fujiko said reassuringly. The doorbell then rang, and Fujiko hurried out of the room to it. Ryo turned about as she heard footsteps, and she thought that it was Ari at first, and then realized that no, it was Victor. He walked towards Ryo, and tossed a gun down upon the table, along with a box of bullets.
"What is this?" asked Ryo as she looked down at the Walther.
"It took forever to find," Victor sighed heavily. "…It's the gun that killed the guard that Ari thought he killed…"
"Why are you doing this, Victor?" Ryo asked in a snap, "Do you think that I'll forgive you for everything you've done, now? That we'll start on a clean slate?"
"I've never been an idealist, my Dear…. Of course not," Victor smirked, nodded, and turned to leave. Ryo called Victor to halt, and he stopped, and she approached him, and kissed him on the cheek.
"Thanks, Victor," Ryo said quietly.
"Don't mention it… Please don't mention it," Victor said darkly, and exited the room with his hands in his pockets. He nearly knocked down Max on his way out of the mansion, and he wasted no time leaving the Lupin property. Max had just laid Dako down for the night, and now was to help Ryo in building their case for Leo.
He had broken the news to his mother earlier that morning. He had told her everything… How he had a child now, his marriage, his marriage to a man… The fact that it was a Lupin… She had remained silent for a long time, and then concocted a phony excuse, and hung up. He had told her, and now he would have to face his father. He rubbed his forehead at the thought; his head hurt him, but he would still help Ryo.
"Well, we've got him off of the murder charge… Now we need to think of a way to get him excused from everything else…" Ryo said as Max seated himself across from her, and looked down at his paperwork.
"I got funding for Leo today," Max added as he flipped through the thick files of paperwork Ryo had pieced together.
"How many people you screw for it?" asked Ryo. Max held up a single finger, and Ryo sighed tiredly, "Sorry about that, Zenigata…"
"It was okay… He was an ex, anyway," Max sighed tiredly.
"How'd your parents take it?" asked Ryo as she idled through some paperwork.
"I think I'll be spending the holidays with Lupin… I'm not sure if I'm welcome in my home, anymore," Max said with a gulp.
"Max, phone!" Lupin yelled.
"Who could that be? And at this time of night?" Ryo wondered.
Max rose from his rolling chair, and walked into the kitchen. It was his father, he realized with a shudder. He walked into the Lupin laundry room, and seated himself on the washer, "Hi, Dad…"
"Your mother told me," Zenigata said over the phone. "Why didn't you ever say anything to me?"
"What'd you want me to?" Max asked as he folded his legs beneath him and rested his head with a hand.
"Listen… I'm not mad at you about that…. I'mtoo old enough to really care a lot about tha anymore...I'm more upset that you didn't tell me," Zenigata sighed. "I guess I have to understand, though… Mother was mad enough when she found out that I had met someone white. She started yelling about WWII, and bombs, and loss of culture… I kinda zoned out after a while… I love the woman but God help her if she isn't missing a few marbles..."
Max laughed a little, "Yeah, Grandma'll do that to you… How was her birthday?"
"Not bad… One hundred and ten… Who would've thought?"
"Bitterness is a fuel you can run a lonnnggg time on, Dad," Max said lightly. "Dad, I'm sorry…"
"A Lupin isn't a Lupin," said Zenigata suddenly.
"Um… Huh?"
"I've met that kid; it's BS that they're trying him now… Bambi's more threatening than him… I would've been more pissed had you hooked up with his floozy sister! He isn't like Lupin the Third… He's just trying to do the right thing… If I were twenty years younger, I would've kicked your ass for dating a Lupin, but I'm too old for that crap now…"
"Jeeze, those drugs really do calm you down!" Max muttered in disbelief. "Dad, I have a favor to ask you… I need help… I don't like asking for help, you know that, but it's for Leo."
"Whatever you want, Kiddo, I'll do it for you, you know that," said Zenigata. "You've got to promise me one thing, though, or else no deal."
"Whatever it is, Dad, sure," said Max suddenly.
"Once you bust that kid out, you two have a real wedding," said Zenigata. "I don't care if you have a priest, a preacher or a Rabbi there—You get someone. Your mother's seeing red because you didn't do anything more formal."
"But, Dad, I—"
"Promise…"
"Leo, he—"
"Maxwell…"
"Okay, Dad," Max sighed. "Love you, bye…"
"Bye," Zenigata responded, and hung up. Max then hung up, and walked back out to the kitchen. There was a long road ahead of him, if there were going to get Leo out… He didn't deserve it…. He may have been a Lupin, but Zenigata had been right, he wasn't a Lupin.