Infinity Crisis: A Wolf in New York
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended for TMS's Lupin III, Lionsgate's American Psycho, or other properties referenced and depicted in the story. This is simply a story created just for fun.
Author's Note: Hello, everyone! This is the second story from me and for Michael Weyer's Infinity Crisis. I hope you enjoy this!
Throughout the Multiverse, realities come in all kinds of characteristics and technology, both fantastical and grounded. One such grounded reality is Earth-67, the home of Lupin III, the half-French, half-Japanese descendant of the legendary gentleman thief Arsene Lupin. Joining Lupin III is his band of criminals skilled in the profession of thievery: The wisecracking gangster Daisuke Jigen, the swift swordsman Ishikawa Goemon XIII, and the beautiful femme fatale Fujiko Mine. Throughout the world, Lupin III and his thieves undertake numerous heists to steal some of the most valuable and priceless treasures known to man while being pursued by Interpol inspector Koichi Zenigata and his allies for over 20 years since 1967. However, Lupin and his band of thieves are not without their noble side, as they will step in to stop criminals far worse than them and help the helpless, usually for pragmatic reasons. Whether it's Cagilostro, Paris or Tokyo, you can find Lupin and his gang pulling these risky heists. During this time, Lupin fell in love with Fujiko and accidentally conceived a child during a one-night stand in 1981, simply named Arsene Lupin III as a nod to his ancestor though he would be known as "Lupin Jr." Lupin knows his days as a thief cannot go on forever so he is planning to pass the baton to his son.
In the great American city of New York, millions go through their lives as usual. But this world is devoid of costumed crimefighters or other such special individuals, barring perhaps Lupin's gang and exceptionally talented thieves. Instead, the streets are filled with seedy locales and criminals with the rising tide of crime plaguing the Big Apple of this world and yuppies go about their business as usual. One such yuppie is Patrick Bateman, a 27-year-old investment banker and Vice President of Pierce & Pierce leading a glamorous life with his fiancee Evelyn Richards. Unbeknownst to everyone but his victims, he is supposedly a serial killer murdering and cannibalizing almost anyone he sets his eyes upon. His reason for wanting to possibly kill you may ask? Well, he wants to find a purpose no matter how brutal it can be. In his mind, "There is an idea of Patrick Bateman: some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me. Only an entity, something illusory." Brutal and misanthropic, Patrick has no qualms about taking innocent lives. By his own admission, Patrick notes "I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, hair, skin; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust."
Because of his very appearance, no one suspects this yuppie is responsible for various murders in New York City. In fact, Patrick is too cowardly and self-absorbed to actually carry out the killings with his supposed victims being just illusions and nothing more. That is until the Snap hit this Earth circa 1987, causing crime rates to skyrocket, mass migrations and entire organizations facing staffing shortages, including Zenigata's Interpol and Bateman's Pierce & Pierce. For the entire world, this was a mysterious cataclysm with no apparent cause and a history-changing event in the Cold War. Nonetheless, half of all life was gone and they had to adjust to this cataclysm. However, the chaos from the Snap in his world gave Bateman the idea to commit his murders for real so he trained hard as part of his exercise regimen. Throughout the initial chaos and disruption caused by the Snap itself, Patrick was able to carry out his crimes efficiently and cover them up so that no one could leak these crimes to the public.
But Patrick was far from the only criminal to benefit from the after-effects of the Snap. For Lupin and his gang, the Snap was an opportunity to outsmart and outwit Zenigata at every step through their heists, particularly in New York. No less than five heists were successfully carried out by Lupin's gang, targeting corrupt Wall Street yuppies through rather elaborate skinsuit disguises with the authorities unable to catch them whether they knew it or not. Conversely, Zenigata was left hard-pressed from half of his staff dissipating from existence, which made catching Lupin and his gang much harder than it already was. Nevertheless, the ever-persistent Zenigata was determined to put an end to the crime spree of Lupin or other criminals taking advantage of the Snap for the greater good and he cooperated with Interpol to push some rather cheesy commercials warning the public of thieves like Lupin. For Lupin and his gang, it was important to watch their tracks to avoid getting caught that is so they chose to lay low and take on disguises and aliases. As for Patrick, he was aware of the legendary Lupin and sought to protect his wealth as well as his reputation from him or anyone else. To this end, he established connections with the New York underworld by hiring four ruthless assassins to look out for Lupin and his allies drawn from the Italian Cosa Nostra, the Chinese Triads, the Jewish Undzer Shtik, and the Irish Mob, even as the heroes of the Multiverse reversed the Snap. These people even trained with Bateman to learn on how to kill more of his victims in an indiscreet manner.
Unbeknownst to Patrick Bateman and those close to him, Lupin and his thieves set up a temporary residence to plan their next heist on not just his company but him as well.
Earth-67
October 1987.
Patrick Bateman's Apartment. New York City, New York, United States of America
The night filled the skies of this world's New York and other areas. In an all-white and cleanly-looking apartment, a television set is playing a special announcement from Interpol inspector Koichi Zenigata on the whereabouts of Arsene Lupin III and his gang. As befitting of the period, the footage is grainy and rather rough but was state-of-the-art for its time.
"This is a special announcement from Interpol and inspector Koichi Zenigata," said a female speaker in English.
"Everyone, there is something important for all of you to know," said Zenigata. "A master thief by the name of Arsene Lupin III is carrying out heists across the world including New York. He and his gang have stolen millions from Wall Street including valuable possessions. They are highly-skilled, highly-trained, and highly-dangerous thieves that are difficult to catch by changing their overall appearances to fit with the environment," Zenigata said as images of Lupin himself, Daisuke Jigen, Fujiko Mine, and Ishikawa Goemon XII flashed across the screen. These images were the latest from Interpol, if a bit outdated since they date back to 1986, before the Snap hit this world and since then, the gang has been able to remain undetected for a while. Patrick could recognize who Lupin and his gang were especially the latest heists in the Big Apple and he did not want to become his next victim as he saw it. To this end, four ruthless assassins are under his payroll to eliminate him and his allies consisting of sadistic robber Angelo Rinaldi of the Cosa Nostra, the ruthless martial artist Jiang Chen of the Triads, the seductive yet deadly Lena Rubenstein of the Undzer Shtik and the cunning Thomas O'Malley of the Irish Mob.
"Be on the lookout for these fiends and if you see them, call the INTERPOL number (202) 616-3900 in Washington," Zenigata told viewers, followed by the number flashing on the screen. Afterwards, the announcement ended and a commercial for Coca-Cola played. Patrick turned off the television with the remote and had a thought in his mind regarding the situation.
"What are these f***ing bastards even thinking? They'll never pull off a heist on me. I can track them down with my band of assassins," Patrick smugly predicted in a monotone voice. He was dressed in his usual businessman attire with a rain jacket on top of his body. He got up from his chair and looked at his new assistant, Aiko Sawashiro, who was in an all-black businesswoman's dress. She befriended Bateman at a corporate party after applying to work at Pierce and Pierce. He then began to speak to her about the assassins he hired to keep track of Lupin and his gang.
"You know, I am aware of this Arsene Lupin III asshole. He's like the descendant of the famous French gentleman thief Arsene Lupin and just as successful as him in being a thief. I mean, he's stolen from the wealthiest people around the world without getting caught for 20 or so years. Five or so yuppies ended up being f****ed over by this guy and his thieves and I just hope I'm not one of them. I wonder what your thoughts are on him?"
Aiko gave her thoughts to Patrick on Lupin and his gang.
"Hmmm... Lupin and his gang seem to be rather interesting... I want to make sure that I'm not robbed by this gang."
"Me too. People are trying to find Lupin forever and still they're no closer to this goal. I'll be the one to do this myself and speak to the police and Interpol on this."
Patrick showed four photos of the assassins hired by him. Each photo depicted the respective assassins with their names at the bottom: Angelo in a business suit with a black mask and gloves, Jiang in traditional Chinese clothing, Lena in a skin-tight catsuit not too dissimilar to the one sometimes worn by Fujiko, and Richard in a gangster outfit with a newsboy cap like Daisuke. He began to explain who they were individually to Aiko.
"Angelo Rinaldi, age 43 and date of birth 1943. Appearance: Brown hair and eyes with pale skin. He's from Brooklyn and served in the Cosa Nostra in his teens. Rinaldi's a pretty ruthless and efficient robber in the Cosa Nostra who can pull off any heist and kill his targets."
"Jiang Chen, age 50 and date of birth 1930. Appearance: Jet black hair and eyes with yellow skin. He was born in Hong Kong and has worked with Triad organizations in America. Jiang is a merciless and strong martial artist trained in kung fu."
"Lena Rubenstein, age 33 and date of birth 1951. Appearance: Brunette hair and black eyes with typical Jewish features. Her family was killed in a drug raid by rival gangsters when she was 11 and was trained by Michael Levi to become an assassin for hire and eventual successor. She uses her beauty to deceive others along with her good assassin skills."
"Thomas O'Malley, age 47 and date of birth 1939. Appearance: The typical Irish look of ginger hair and green eyes albeit aging a bit. He's the heir of an family involved in the Irish Mob and takes great pride in his work. He's a suave gunslinger."
As Patrick described the assassins themselves, flashes of the past activities of the assassins appeared, whether it was Angelo ruthlessly gunning down everyone who got in his path regardless of age, Jiang killing an opponent in an underground fight, Lena sniping an innocent bystander on a rooftop or Thomas assassinating a rival as well as his family. Aiko now had an impression of who these people were.
Aiko gave her thoughts on these assassins.
"They seem to be appropriate choices for countering Lupin and his gang."
"You know, I like having assistants to help me do my various tasks, which is why I hired you because of your beauty and intelligence. I mean, Jean can't always be here all the time for specific things, which is why I hired you as my other assistant. Your English is pretty good. Where did you learn to speak the language?"
"Homestay in Pennsylvania."
"Well, that's great. I just hope you're not robbed by Lupin and his gang."
Aiko was ready to leave and had one last remark for Patrick.
"Well, best of luck on your assassins tracking down the Lupin gang," Aiko reassured him.
"Yeah."
"I have a passion for killing after all, like you."
"Great."
Aiko pulled a cassette recorder to reveal that she had recorded the conversation.
"So, this is the cassette recorder you've been using to keep track of our discussions. You've been doing this for a few months since we met and you told me it's because we want to remember. I've always been curious about the tapes you keep at home and you're not interested in sharing them."
"It's because I tend to keep my personal life private and I think you would understand this."
"Yeah, privacy is an important aspect of life and I can understand that."
"Anyway, I think I have other matters at hand."
Patrick was pleased with how the conversation went, even if it was a bit sudden to end.
"Might be too soon to end this conversation but if you want, I don't have a problem."
"Alright," Aiko told Patrick. She left Patrick's apartment presumably for personal matters. Patrick stared at Aiko for her beauty and because she might be her next victim.
"She seems to be an interesting individual since we first met and had sex with each other. I'm going to kill her at some point like I did with Paul Allen and the others. I've been too preoccupied with killing other people in the last five months and now is my chance to claim her." Patrick said in his inner thoughts.
Ordinary Apartment. New York City
Aiko was outside an apartment not that was a few stories below Patrick's. She knocked on the door to see who it was. The door opened to reveal two men: one who was apparently Italian with an odd accent called Giuseppe, and the other was simply an ordinary man with a hat covering part of his face.
"Hello," Aiko simply said.
"Welcome home, Aiko!" Giuseppe said.
From their facial reactions, they were friendly to her and knew who she was, so they decided to let her in.
Aiko went into the apartment and closed the door behind her. The apartment in question was a natural brown and looked far more ordinary compared to Patrick's home. It had the basic appliances and furniture of any other apartment apart from a samurai sword on it's walls displayed similarly to a caught fish. The only music playing was city pop, a recently popular genre of Japanese music. A six-year-old child could be seen sitting with another man who was Japanese like Aiko. The people living in this apartment were Japanophiles at a time when the country was on the economic rise. Still, they seemed like the many ordinary people living in New York.
However, Aiko started to rip her hair and took off her glasses to reveal that "Aiko" was, in fact, Fujiko Mine, the deadly femme fatale and one of Patrick's would-be victims. The others were also in disguise: Arsene Lupin III, Daisuke Jigen, and Ishikawa Goemon XII. Moreover, the child living in the apartment was Lupin Jr and was otherwise privy to what his parents did. They knew who they were and were ready to change privately to discuss Patrick Bateman's matter.
"We all know what to do," Fujiko told the others.
"Indeed, Fujichakes," Lupin said.
The others went to the apartment's bathroom and changed first, with Fujiko being rather patient. Afterwards, Lupin and the others emerged from the bathroom in their usual attire. For Lupin, it was a green business jacket and a yellow tie with black pants. For Daisuke, it was his usual hat and gangster attire. Finally, Ishikawa was in his traditional Japanese clothes, befitting his feudal ancestor.
"We're almost ready, Fujiko told the others.
Fujiko was the last one to change into her casual clothes, which she did as quickly as she could and came out of the bathroom in a yellow T-shirt with ample cleavage and black shorts or at least the 80s versions of such fashion. Lupin was impressed with how Fujiko looked.
"Looking fine and dandy!"
"Anyway, we've got an elephant in the room to discuss," Fujiko told the others.
"Let me guess, it's Patrick Bateman of Pierce and Pierce?" Lupin asked.
"Yes."
"Well, let's take this to the bedroom so that no one else can hear our private thoughts."
"Of course."
Lupin, Fujiko, Daisuke, and Goemon walked to the bedroom to hold their conversation on Patrick Bateman. Lupin Jr. was left in the living room but was aware of what they were doing as the conversation began.
"Concerning Patrick Bateman, this guy is pretty nasty from what we know of him from you, Fujiko," Lupin told the others. "We've carried our heists on our fair share of greedy yuppies in New York but Bateman stands out from the rest: not only being rude and shallow but he's disdainful of anyone who isn't white, straight, and wealthy as he is. More importantly, Bateman is a serial killer with a body count at around 20 people. He's now sending a squad of assassins to kill us even if he doesn't know where we are. Unfortunately for him, we will carry not just a heist on Pierce and Pierce but expose Bateman once and for all who he truly. Luckily we have the cassette tapes to expose his true nature to the world while we plan a heist."
"Still, Zenigata is out there in New York looking for us and working with the police, including Detective Donald Kimball, so we must be careful of them as much as Bateman's assassins if our heist on Pierce and Pierce is to succeed," Daisuke said.
"Kono reberu no kuzu o taosu junbi wa dekite imasu," Goemon said in his native Japanese.
"It's no easy task but we will pull off our heist without a hitch! But first, we need to take out his assassins," Lupin said.
Lupin and his gang were confident that they would carry out the heist on Bateman and his company as long as they could fight off his assassins that is.
The Next Day. New York City
Patrick strolled through the streets of the Big Apple making his way to the office of Pierce and Pierce. His ears were filled with earphones blasting then-contemporary music, which was "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves. This song was one of his favorites behind only that one song by Huey Lewis and the News he played inside his apartment before murdering Paul Allen. The situation mostly returned to normal after the Snap was reversed and half of all life was brought back unaware of the true cause for him and the denizens of this world. Patrick could also see posters offering services for those returning back from the dead similar to those found on other Earths, such as Earth-1999999, with an aesthetic and design appropriate for the period. Still, the situation benefited him in carrying out his murders and hiring criminals to find Lupin's gang.
Patrick reached the office of his firm Pierce and Pierce still listening to "Walking on Sunshine" and doing the same walk as he did before in April with other workers politely greeting him.
"Hello, Mr. Bateman," said a worker of Pakistani descent.
"Good morning," Patrick said condescendingly.
"Nice to see you, Patrick Bateman."
Patrick reached his office with his assistants Jean and "Aiko" sitting there waiting to hear his priorities.
"So what reservations do you have?" asked Jean.
"Well, I have one for brunch at Dorsio's and another for the Harvard Club where I box with Ricky," Patrick told his assistants.
"Mr. Bateman, Spencer is still interested in a meeting at Foodies Pier 17," Jean said.
"For the last time, I'm not ready to go to Foodies Pier 17, yet. You know the drill."
"I also want a reservation at the Au Bar at six as well as one for Orso's at three for tomorrow. One of you will get the opportunity to go to the Au Bar with me. That lucky person is you, Aiko."
"Aiko" saw this reservation as perhaps an opportunity to learn more about Patrick and send this information to her friends.
"Bateman-san, I am glad for this opportunity as I will be here at the Au Bar as soon as I can."
"Great."
"What about me?"
"Oh, you'll accompany me to another reservation."
"Aiko" was ready to deliver such key information to Lupin and the gang but not before speaking with Patrick about his assassins at his home.
Patrick Bateman's Apartment. New York City, New York, United States of America
Fujiko, as "Aiko," stepped inside his apartment again just before her scheduled reservation at the Au Bar to speak with Patrick about the assassins he planned to kill her beloved Lupin and her allies, including possibly her child.
"Bateman-san?"
"Yes, Aiko."
"I'm aware of the assassins you are sending to take out Arsene Lupin III and his gang. What about Rinaldi?"
"Rinaldi? Well, he is an expert robber in getting the goods through his fighting skills and masks. That's why I hired him to take Lupin and the others. He'll get the job done."
"I even have a couple of the newspapers in heists where he was involved in."
Patrick showed "Aiko" some newspapers on Rinaldi from The New York Times and The New York Post as they appeared in the 80s. The front pages included casualties of the heists carried out by Rinaldi which included men, women and children killed, as evidenced by the appearance of chalk outlines and blood found on the floor. The headlines included "Heist Spree Leaves Men, Women, and Children Dead" or "Innocents Caught in the Crossfire of Heist." Though Fujiko was by no means a good person, killing children as well as those who don't provoke her was horrifying and she was disgusted at the behavior of Rinaldi.
"What do you think?" asked Patrick.
"Aiko" came up with a response to the disturbing news she read.
"You know, Rinaldi's a great assassin."
"Yeah, he is a great assassin. I hope he stops Lupin so he won't f****ing rob me or Price and Price."
"So where does Rinaldi go to?"
"Oh, small businesses and the banks, you know. His next location is a convenience store. How do I know what he does? Well, I spoke with him personally and know every plan of his given my support as well as training with Rinaldi. You must be curious on his modus operandi?"
"Yeah."
"Well, at least you aren't as stupid as the other people with different skin colors and backgrounds. You seem pretty curious," Patrick said.
"You know, I'll leave for my home before I get to the Au Bar."
"Oh, that's good. I hope you're on time."
"Yeah," Fujiko said as she left Patrick's apartment to meet up with Lupin and the others with Patrick unaware of this.
Lupin's Apartment. New York City
Fujiko was back at the apartment to inform the others of Rinaldi's location.
"Everyone!"
"Yes," Lupin said.
"I spoke with Patrick at his apartment. Angelo Rinaldi will rob a convenience store and kill as many people as he can, man, woman, or child."
"My god. Patrick and his goons are utterly nasty people and we need to stop them before they end up causing more harm to New York and the entire world."
"For this, we're going to keep our disguises."
"Indeed."
Convenience Store. New York City
On the streets of New York, a simple convenience store offering food and beverages to people on the go is run by an elderly Italian-American couple happy with their business. However, this peaceful scene turned violent when masked men appeared to execute every civilian as possible if they weren't playing dead that is. The men were led by Angelo Rinaldi, who appeared with two other men to demand the couple hand over much of their cash.
"Listen, hand over as much of your cash as possible or we'll blow your f***ing brains out!"
"Okay, just take our money and leave us alone!" the old lady said as she handed the money to Rinaldi and the robbers. Soon, Rinaldi pointed a pistol at the couple, ready to kill them. However, a sudden kick left one goon unconscious and another thrown across the store as Rinaldi turned to see who it was. The people behind him were "Aiko" and three other individuals whose faces Rinald never saw. He angrily asked who they were.
"WHO THE F*** ARE YOU!"
"Let's just say that I'm a simple man," "Giuseppe" said.
"Giuseppe" easily took out Rinaldi by incapacitating him with a single kick and unmasking him before taking out the other robbers alongside Aiko and the others in front of the old couple.
"Well, here are some criminals...Anyway, don't tell anything about us for the sake of our safety," "Giuseppe" told the couple.
The Italian, Aiko, and the others made off elsewhere before the police could arrive, with the couple watching and being rather pleased that the heist stopped.
NYPD Headquarters. New York City
Zenigata sat down with NYPD detective Donald Kimball to discuss possible progress on catching Arsene Lupin III and his gang in New York City since the Snap. For the last few months, Zenigata and Interpol have worked with Kimball and the NYPD to scour as many locations as possible for any possible presence of Lupin and his confidants, but to no avail. Kimball was also involved in the inconclusive investigation of Patrick Bateman's murders. Both Zenigata and Kimball had dealt with their fair share of criminals before, some akin to Lupin and his thieves. They were still determined to bring the latter group to justice.
"Of all the criminals I've dealt in my life, none are as persistent as Arsene Lupin III and his gang. I've known many that are dangerous and clever like the Heintz sisters but the Lupin gang is something else. They've been pulling off heists around the world in Cagliostro, Tokyo, Paris, and elsewhere since 1967. They had another heist which happened prior to carrying out more on Wall Street yuppies. In Tokyo, I even enlisted the help of Kogoro Mori to catch him but he got away," Zenigata told Kimball.
"Another notable case was in 1980 when Lupin and his gang were caught up in the crossfire of a confrontation between Vietnam War veteran Llewyn Moss, sheriff Ed Tom Bell and mercenary-hitman Anton Chigurh, who worked for the Count of Cagliostro until he was arrested and exposed for his counterfeiting scheme. Lupin came to the United States to steal from a cartel and later discovered that the cartel sent one of their hitmen to retrieve some lost money in Texas. Because of them, Chigurh was killed by the Lupin gang even if we didn't want him here."
Zenigata showed Kimball a photo of the deceased Chigurh as well as the money Lupin made off with.
"Well, I might have a prediction in store for where Lupin and his gang might show up in say Los Angeles," said a brown-skinned police officer with Kimball and Zenigata.
"Arsene Lupin III seems rather hard to catch and we're aware that he as well as his friends, use disguises to commit the heists. We should ramp up our efforts to find Lupin and his gang."
"Indeed."
Lupin's Apartment. New York City
"Aiko," "Giuseppe," and the others returned to their apartment after taking out Rinaldi and his thugs. The next topic of discussion was how to find the other assassins now that Rinaldi was taken care of.
"So what do you propose in finding the other assassins?" Lupin said in his normal voice.
"I asked Bateman-san on the assassins and he is eager to give me information on them so I shall do this after I meet him at the Au Bar. Besides, he is expecting here and it's getting closer to the time of arrival."
"Better hope you're not one of Patrick's victims," Daisuke reminded "Aiko" or more appropriately Fujiko.
"Well, he thinks I'm some mere assistant and doesn't know my identity so he won't kill him unless he discovers my true identity. As such, I will be careful."
"Naruhodo," said Goemon.
Fujiko, in her "Aiko" disguise, changed into a fancy red dress displaying her ample cleavage and later went down the stairs to get into the car to make her way to the Au Bar while Lupin and the others watched from the windows.
Au Bar. New York City
Fujiko reached the Au Bar on time and got inside to take her seat, waiting for Patrick in advance. Fujiko remained patient for a few hours until she saw Patrick's face as he took his seat to order a meal.
"Well, you came here just in time ahead of me no less," Patrick told the disguised Fujiko.
"Well, I had to get here on time."
"Anyway, I'm ready to order a meal for us."
A waitress handed a hardcover menu for Patrick and Fujiko to read.
"Thanks."
Patrick and Fujiko went through the food and beverages offered by the Au Bar in the menu from caviar to pasta. Patrick chose a well-done steak and wine for the meal.
"Ma'am, I'll take a well-done steak and some fine wine for us," Patrick said.
"You got it."
Patrick handed the menu to the waitress and began to speak with Fujiko or "Aiko" as he knew her.
"Aiko, you did a great job with showing up on time and your dress is pretty sexy."
"Of course. You have to look your best."
"So, anything important to tell me?"
Fujiko knew that one of Patrick's assassins were killed and was initially reluctant to reveal this truth so she continued with meal-related conversations.
"Well, I've dined at fancy restaurants like the Au Bar before I met you."
"I'm glad to hear that. I do this as well."
"Steak is my favorite because of it's aura and flavor, particularly the juiciness."
"Me too. I hope this meal goes well for us."
"Anyway, just don't do anything stupid like anti-Semitic remarks or nonsensical shit."
"Okay."
Fujiko and Patrick waited for their meal to arrive and stayed silent apart from the occasional conversation.
Finally, the meal was here and delivered in a fancy silver dish cover by the waitress alongside glasses of wine.
"Just as you asked, a well-done steak and fine wine."
"Thanks!" Patrick complimented in a fake manner.
"You're welcome," said the waitress, unaware of Patrick's true feelings for her and the rest of mankind.
"Let's dig in."
"Of course."
Fujiko and Patrick ate the well-done steak and drank wine for a while until it was finished. Afterwards, Patrick pulled out his wallet to pay for the meal once he received the receipt from the Au Bar.
"I am wealthy man after all and so I can cover the tab here."
Fujiko provided a simple answer to Patrick's response.
"I know."
"I'll bring you back to my home for something fun."
Fujiko knew that another visit to Patrick's apartment was a chance to ask about the typical gathering places of the remaining assassins and play along.
"Good."
The people in the restaurant continued their chatter on various topics while Fujiko and Patrick sat.
Patrick Bateman's Apartment. New York City
Fujiko was with Patrick at his apartment after the meal at the Au Bar to carry out the rest of her mission. Patrick sat on his chair and asked Fujiko as "Aiko" about what topics to discuss.
"Ms. Sawashiro, what do you want to talk about?"
Fujiko had to discuss a topic of interest for Bateman-san and quickly came to Rinaldi's arrest.
"Bateman-san."
"Yes."
"One of your assassins was just arrested and under NYPD custody thanks to being hindered by a group of bystanders who wouldn't let this heist go through. It's Angelo Rinaldi."
"What the f**k," a surprised Patrick said. "How do you know this?"
"The news," Fujiko answered.
"Seem to be pretty well-informed on recent events."
"Bateman-san, I've spent a considerable amount of time with you and getting to know aspects of your life. You told me about the assassins and I ask about the gathering spots of the others."
"Why would you even want to know where my other assassins are after what happened to Rinaldi!?" asked Patrick.
"Look, we've built a decent relationship over the past few months and I ask about their whereabouts so I can help them avoid similar such incidents whether it's civilians or Lupin and his gang."
"I guess...Well, here it goes: Jiang goes to underground illegal fight clubs across New York, Lena typically goes on rooftops or inconspicuous places to catch her targets, and Thomas O'Malley goes with other gangsters to fight rival gangs at say pubs."
"Thanks for providing me with this crucial information. We'll help the other assassins avoid an unfortunate fate."
"Yeah."
"Patrick, I shall retire to my apartment as I have other matters at hand."
"Well, okay."
Fujiko left in a hurry from Patrick's apartment with crucial information on the other assassins out for them as Patrick was unaware of who she truly was.
Lupin's Apartment. New York City
Fujiko arrived at Lupin's apartment to tell him said crucial information on Patrick's assassins.
"LUPIN!" Fujiko yelled.
"What is it?"
"I know where the other assassins hang out: Jiang at underground illegal fight clubs, Lena snipes on roofs and inconspicuous places, and Thomas is at pubs."
"Well, we better get ourselves prepared if we are to take out the remaining assassins out for our blood."
"I suggest tomorrow and we use our disguises with some alterations."
"Agreed."
New York City
Patrick did his usual exercise routine such as sit-ups and bench pressing, in preparation for his next killing spree even with Rinaldi's arrest. He was not going to let Lupin or anyone else stop him from killing as many as he wanted to and took measures to avoid getting caught by anyone. What follows is Patrick killing no less than 10 or so people whether they were in the upper or lower aspects of society, usually wielding an ax or a pistol to take out any unfortunate to see him in the span of five days. Patrick's body count was now at 70. His suit was stained with red blood when he used the ax to murder his victims and made sure to clean it every day so that police wouldn't discover his crimes. In between his killings, Patrick had the usual sex with Aiko and was still unaware that "she" was actually Fujiko.
Conversely, Lupin and the gang would find the remaining assassins hired by Patrick with each member confronting them personally: Goemon at an underground fight club taking on Jiang, Fujiko appearing behind Lena at a rooftop, and Daisuke in a pub fighting Thomas. As skilled as these assassins were, they paled in comparison to Lupin and his thieves, who were familiar with such criminals in their 20-year career and thus took them out even if they did put up a considerable challenge.
"You...uh...You are a worthy opponent..." Jiang said as he coughed up blood from the fight.
Goemon silently snapped his neck and was declared the winner with a prize of $10,000 for his victory but left and chose not to accept this as he left the fight club.
"Baka," said Goemon.
"Were you expecting someone," Fujiko said.
"What the f***!"
Fujiko kicked Lena in the head and slid her sniper rifle away from her. Lena got up and attempted to kill Fujiko but was bested in combat by her and pinned to the ground.
"No..."
"I'm sorry if I have to do this to you but you're a danger to others and accomplice in murder."
"Richard...I have failed you..."
Fujiko delivered a fatal shot from her Browning M1910 to Lena's head with a mournful look on her face.
Last but not least, Daisuke was at an Irish bar to witness an attack by Thomas against a rival gang. Thomas brought out the big guns alongside his henchmen.
"Alright you f***ers! Prepare to die!" Thomas yelled as he and his men began firing up a pub.
Daisuke hid underneath the table and pulled out his pistol to kill Thomas and the others to spare the others from his onslaught. As a reward for protecting the pub, Daisuke gave a tip to the pub and it's owner, an elderly woman of Irish descent.
"Here's a tip to save you from your troubles."
Daisuke left the pub in his disguise with the pub's owner glad to be free of further trouble from Thomas.
Lupin and the others returned to the apartment after Thomas was taken out with plans to steal from Patrick tomorrow by using the cassette tapes and luring Zenigata to Price and Price.
"For our plan to steal from Patrick and expose his crimes, we will be at Price and Price to play the cassette tapes and get the money in our real appearances so look your best."
"Hai, Rupan-san."
New York City
Patrick Bateman was inside his office reading The New York Times and The New York Post. The newspapers now contained headlines about the arrest of Angelo Rinaldi as well as the deaths of Jiang Chen, Lena Rubenstein, and Thomas O'Malley. Patrick was absolutely shocked to see that seemingly unknown individuals took out his assassins. For a moment, Patrick thought about who was responsible but quickly came to the conclusion that it was none other than Lupin and his gang given their skills and status. He was extremely angry at what they did and felt they would soon claim him next.
"F********K!" Patrick angrily yelled.
"What's wrong, Mr. Bateman?" asked Jean.
"Oh, it's just nothing."
"Then, why were you so angry?"
Patrick instead brought up his money being stolen from him.
"Oh, it's just the possibility of some asshole stealing my money."
"I understand given how tricky Lupin and his thieves are."
"Of course."
"And where the f**** is Aiko?"
Meanwhile, Lupin and the gang were inside their temporary car dressed in their typical outfits with Fujiko holding a purse filled with some of the most incriminating tapes on Patrick Bateman. Lupin held a then-contemporary brick phone to dial the Interpol number to get Zenigata to chase them to the headquarters of Pierce & Pierce.
"Okay, we got everything planned out?" Lupin said.
"Yes," Daisuke responded.
"Oh, we're really going to enjoy humiliating Patrick Bateman," said Fujiko.
"Indeed."
"Do you remember the Interpol number?"
"Yes I do."
"Type in the number," Daisuke told Lupin.
Lupin dialed the Interpol number and called the organization.
"Hello, this is Arsene Lupin III speaking. I will be at the Price and Price Headquarters with something very special for all of you."
With the call made, Lupin set his foot on the right pedal and drove to Pierce & Pierce.
Zenigata was inside his car on the day when he received a special call from Interpol.
"Red Notice Request: All Interpol units are advised to track Arsene Lupin III and his gang at Price and Price in New York."
"Lupin," Zenigata muttered to herself as he would later call Kimball on the phone to track down Lupin and his gang with the NYPD.
Lupin and Zenigata drove as fast as they could to Pierce & Pierce. It was a competition to see who would reach the headquarters first and if Patrick Bateman would be exposed for his crimes. Both were extremely concentrated on their mission and made sure to avoid any obstacles in their way or collateral damage for that matter. Patrick was also unaware they would come to Pierce & Pierce and went about his day as usual. What would happen next would change the fate of Patrick and Price and Price as a whole if Lupin got there first.
Eventually, Lupin and the gang arrived at Pierce & Pierce, ready to expose Patrick for who he truly was through the tapes. A few bystanders noticed the gang through their distinct appearances but were quickly outpaced by them before they could do anything. They were in the main lobby of Pierce & Pierce gaining the attention of others.
"Hey everyone, this is the Lupin gang led by the one and only, Arsene Lupin III. You may be asking why I am here to pull off a heist. Well, it's not just about pulling off a heist. It's because we have something special to share for the world."
Fujiko pulled out the incriminating tapes from her purse and proceeded to put the first one into a cassette recorder. The tape played in front of the other employees of Pierce & Pierce and revealed the true nature of Patrick Bateman to his employees.
"You know, I'm something of a killer," Patrick told Fujiko.
The next tape played by Fujiko was about Patrick hiring the assassins to kill her and the gang as well as the training.
"What are these f***ing bastards even thinking? They'll never pull off a heist on me. I can track them down with my band of assassins."
The third tape revealed the body count of people killed by Patrick after he unknowingly had sex with Fujiko.
"Oh, it's like around 70 including Paul Allen."
Finally, another tape showed that Patrick wanted to die in a blaze of glory to complete his killings.
"When and if the police ever catch me, I intend to go out gloriously no matter how many lives I have to claim for myself."
The truth was now out: Patrick Bateman was a serial killer and there was nothing he could do to stop this given that the tapes contained his voice. Patrick rushed to the main lobby to see Lupin and his gang exposing who he was to the public.
"LUPIN, YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A BITCH-ASS MOTHERF****ER RESPONSIBLE FOR RUINING LIFE! I'LL F**** YOU AND WHEN I'M F****ING DONE WITH YOU AND YOUR F****ING GANG, I WILL DO THE SAME WITH THE OTHERS!"
After Patrick angrily yelled at Lupin for playing the tapes, Zenigata, Kimball and their men finally arrived ready to arrest him and his gang.
"LUUUUPPPIIINNN!" said Zenigata.
"Catch la lay-ter, Pops! But before I do this, I want you to listen to something special from these tapes."
"Doesn't matter, you're under arrest Lupin!" Zenigata reminded him.
"No, really. It pertains to Patrick Bateman and I've got all of this right here," Lupin said as Fujiko handed him the first tape. The tape began to play as details of Patrick's murders began to become apparent to him. Afterwards, the other tapes played and the others were now aware that Patrick was a serial killer. The revelations were shocking that Zenigata and Kimball turned their attention to arresting Patrick and ignoring Lupin.
Patrick began to break down emotionally as the authorities were now ganging up on him.
"No, you got it wrong. It wasn't me. I swear, I swear to God!"
Patrick's pleas meant nothing as Zenigata and Kimball put Patrick under arrest for murder and hauled him into a police car to be convicted for his crimes. Afterwards, Zenigata turned his attention to Lupin, the man he has tried to catch for years.
"Lupin. You're one of the most persistent criminals I've tried to catch for 20 years in the numerous heists you and your gang have carried out across the world. Nonetheless, you've done the police a favor by catching another criminal."
"Well, thanks Pops. Sometimes, we do occasionally catch criminals like these. I mean, we were planning a heist on Bateman and his company Price & Price before we discovered who he really was. With him now behind bars, do we like get some of the money?"
"His financial assets will be repossessed. I think it's best that you don't get a piece of his assets."
"I guess. After this, we'll meet again at some point."
"Eh, I know."
Lupin and the gang left Pierce & Pierce Headquarters to start another world adventure.
With Patrick Bateman finally brought to justice for his crimes, Arsene Lupin III and his allies were ready for whatever journey may take them to their next big heist.
As for Zenigata, he would continue to pursue the gang for their heists as usual.
Jean, on the other hand, was no longer romantically interested in Patrick and looked to someone else. Similarly, Evelyn Richards left him in favor of someone else.
Price & Price was shaken by the recent revelations of it's convicted Vice President being a serial killer and appointed David van Patten as his successor. Moreover, the company distanced itself from Bateman as did his former circle of friends.
On Earth-67, things are dark compared to other realities but that doesn't some won't try to do the right even if they are rogues.
In the distant corners of the Internet, a simple Author Avatar went over his experience on Earth-67. He was glad in avoiding the dubious status of being another victim of Patrick Bateman as an office worker and police officer using his infinite powers. He learned of his arrest thanks to the efforts of Arsene Lupin III and his gang.
"Lupin, always pretty clever and a step ahead of Zenigata or the bad guys."
And that was Infinity Crisis: A Wolf in New York, a Lupin III/American Psycho one-shot story in the ever-growing IC multiverse. Not exactly the crossover you're expecting. The title itself is a reference to the English translation of Lupin's name for those not fully fluent in French as well as the setting.
As far as continuity is concerned, I went with the anime adaptations on television and film, such as Hayao Miyazaki's The Castle of Caglisostro for the overall depictions of Lupin and his gang. For American Psycho including Patrick Bateman, it was primarily the 2000 film adaptation. In such cases, I tend to look up the source material in question and watch clips or the entire work themselves to get a better understanding of what they are.
This is my first M-rated story due to the subject matter of both works in addition to the inclusion of Cat's Eye and No Country For Old Men. However, while I don't shy away from say swearing or descriptions of sex though I wish to avoid making it too MA-rated for the latter per the guidelines of this site. Speaking of swearing, I'm using the censored version of the F-word since I am uncomfortable with spelling it out. The C-word is off-limits too unless it's The Boys or a really nasty character uses it and even that word will appear in a censored form in the case of the latter.
For the voices of the Lupin gang, I chose the English dub VAs Tony Oliver as Lupin himself and Christopher Sabat as Daisuke Jigen (in a Brooklyn accent, given that he was inspired by American gangsters and actor James Coburn). In the case of Daisuke, he is officially Japanese in Lupin canon but his inspirations were American nonetheless and so I made him as such alongside his name being an alias and his real name is Jack Coburn. As for Ishikawa Goemon VIII, he retains his Japanese VA Daisuke Namikawa since he is not fluent in English given his cultural sensibilities and thus an example of Does Not Speak Common given the setting. Miyuki Sawashiro as Fujiko Mine, on the other hand, can speak English since her VA is fluent. Speaking of Fujiko, the last name of her alias is a reference to her. As for Zenigata, he is voiced by Paul Nakauchi. The cast for American Psycho is the same as the film.
Regarding this crossover, I had considered including Drive or John Wick as the crossover choice for Lupin III, given that both are tied to the crime genre. However, I always thought of American Psycho if only because Patrick Bateman was the perfect villain for the otherwise morally shady Lupin and his gang. Speaking of morally shady, the story falls under Black-and-Gray Morality in which the hero(es) are not perfect but they're still better than the outright heinous villain(s). In this case, Lupin and his gang are capable of doing good deeds whether they like it or not, whereas Patrick Bateman can't and the same goes for the gang of assassins hired by him who act as the Evil Counterpart to the former.
The inclusion of Cat's Eye and Detective Conan for Earth-67 reference their respective crossovers with Lupin III.
As for No Country for Old Men, I'll admit that I am no fan of the source material or Cormac McCarthy. Besides, I don't like bleak stuff or villains winning. That said, I didn't intend to offend any fans of the novel and just wanted to include a fun Easter Egg for the reality. Still, I did a Fix Fic regarding the ending a la JoJo's Bizarre Adventure characters in Metamorphosis. Furthermore, Chigurh was trained to be an assassin and worked for the Basically, Adaptational Karma.
Regarding the overall approach for the murders allegedly depicted in American Psycho, it's divided between the murders not being real and the murders being real with even original author Bret Easton Ellis of the original book not sure if Patrick is a serial killer or not. I decided to take a mixed approach: The murders depicted in the novel aren't real and just hallucinations but the aftermath of the Snap led to the murders becoming real.
Speaking of American Psycho, I am aware all versions of the story are classified under horror and was less than sure if I would do a crossover with Lupin III. Because of it's content, think of this as a Halloween special of sorts.
And before you ask, the so-called "sequel" American Psycho 2: All-American Girl does not exist here on Earth-67 at all. Conversely, Rules of Attraction is canonical due to featuring Patrick's brother Sean as well as his appearance in the book.
For Earth-67 itself, it has a grand total of no less than six different works represented in a single universe. That is the most I've ever done befitting of the Massively Multiplayer Crossver aspect of Infinity Crisis itself. Keep in mind that these stories ranged from somewhat light-hearted to outright depressing and it's somewhat Lightter and Softer for some of the material represented but not always.
As usual, feedback is welcome in improving my writing and other stories from me.