Chapter10: The calm after the storm
As Carmen walked away she was being followed by the inspector. She looked over her shoulder at him.
"Can I help you?" She raised a brow at him and he stopped.
"I just wanted to make sure you were ok." He replied looking away. She stopped and turned to him.
"Thanks to you." She smiled at him.
"I forgot to thank you for saving me." She stepped up and patted his chest.
"Well you saved me first." He scratched his cheek. Carmen chuckled and gave him a little kiss on the cheek before turning from him to continue on her way mumbling a soft song
"Like a thief, the Château d'If, has stolen him away." It was a song from the Count of Monte Cristo musical. Carmen had a soft spot for musicals. Be they on the stage or in movie format. Zenigata was stunned for a moment blushing after the kiss. Only brought back by the sound of her singing. He knew that song.
"The mind plays tricks, you are confused, the man you seek is long gone." He tried his best to sing the next line in the song. He couldn't carry a tune in a bucket but he did get the words right witch made Carmen stop and look at him.
"Dead and cold, a story told..." She continued but deliberately stopped after only a few words to see if he could continue it or if the first time was just a fluke.
"By those he trusted..."
"Those he loved."
"And those who then..."
"Moved on." The pair said the last two words in unison. The woman in red could sing, the inspector, not so much. He was tone def and his voice was just not made for it. But Carmen smiled anyway, amused that he had humored her.
"How do you know that song?" She questioned crossing her arms over her chest and shifting her weight to one foot.
"What? I'm not aloud to have other interests then just chasing Lupin?"
"You are, I just didn't think you did." She replied with a look that made Zenigata chuckle a bit.
"You better hurry up wile you can still hitch a rid from ACME. The C5 corridor will get you home faster then anything else. Have fun." She waved as she turned to continue to her mini jet. He watched her for a moment before looking back seeing people bustling around the downed wanna be super villain. As he brushed some dirt from his coat he felt something in his pocket. It was the coin Carmen had stole earlier. He turned back to her only to see her small red jet dart off into the distance.
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Zenigata sighed a bit and turned to walk toward the ACME agents as they took Maelstrom into custody. As he walked up he was spotted by the team of Zach and Ivy.
"Hey your the guy that's been chasing Carmen these last few months right? Nice to finally meet you." The redhead said as she held out her hand to him. However before Zenigata could answer the short blond boy spoke up. His clothes looked ready to fall off his small frame, but he greeted Zenigata in near perfect Japanese and bowed.
He then elbowed the girl who was clearly his older sister and she mimicked his gesture, so the inspector returned it.
"It's alright. I understand English." He told them as they all returned to standing strait.
"That's good 'cause I can't speak a lick of Japanese. The girl admitted.
"A lick?" Zenigata tilted his head confused.
"It means she can't speak any at all." Her brother clarified. "I'm Zack, that's my sister Ivy. It's nice to finally meet you Inspector. Although Ivy was non to pleased when CHIEF said someone else was handling the Carmen case."
"Sorry I didn't intend to get in anyone's way." Zenigata apologized.
"It's fine." Ivy replied sounding a bit salty, but only a little. She couldn't be to mad however, as he worked for INTERPOL witch out ranked ACME by a fair margin. Even though they would occasionally work together.
"Oh yeah..." Zenigata then remembered the coin. "Here, you guys can return this right?" He placed the coin in Zack's hand.
"What for real? You got the coin back? How?" The blond asked.
"Oh you know." He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged.
"All that maters is he got it back." Ivy took the coin from her brother.
"Do you need a lift home? We can get ya back in a snap." Zack offered and the inspector nodded.
"Thank you if it's not too much trouble."
"Non at all." Ivy added. The two young agents then led him to the C5 car and all 3 got in even if Zenigata was confused. How could a car get them off the island. Since he had been flirting with Carmen he has not seen them or any of the other agents arrive. So when the C5 opened a portal in space he was more then a little surprised.
"We are going to return the coin first then I'll have Zack and Ivy drop you off back home." CHIEF said as the car glided thru the space.
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A few days later in a safe house somewhere in Eastern Europe:
"Hey Lupin check this out?" The bearded gunman shoved a news paper in his friend's face. Said friend grumbled and took it.
"What?" He snapped making the other point out the article to him. He looked then read the headline out loud. "Japanese INTERPOL inspector caught the escaped convict Gunner Maelstrom at French prison?" Lupin looked up at Jigen confused. "So?"
"Do you see who they're talking about?" He added, sometimes Lupin had the attention span of a goldfish.
"I don't care..." He whined.
"It's Pops." He snatched the paper back from him. "Apparently this guy is a big deal, and dangerous. It's funny that he would run across him." He continued, as he then flipped to read the continuation of said article. He sat back down and crossed his legs. Lupin rolled his eyes, trying to act like he didn't care.
"Says here the guy is dead set on killing Carmen."
"Not surprised Carmen would piss off someone dangerous. What she do steal from him?" The monkey faced thief inquired.
"No... apparently she was the person who put him behind bars in the first place."
"What?" Even Goemon looked up at that line but remained silent.
"Yah she use to be a good guy." Jigen chuckled.
"No wonder she gets on my nerves."
"Yah, that's the only reason." Jigen said sarcastically.
(A/N: Not as short as I originally thought it would be. 'Cause I added the part with Lupin still being butt hurt about Zenigata paying attention to Carmen over him. LOL
At a bit of a road block here, any idea?)
