Chapter 9: Tragedy

Jigen wasn't able to get far before the cops found him. He didn't expect them to take long, but it was still surprising.

"Daisuke Jigen! Pull over or we will use lethal force!"

"Go ahead and try…" Jigen muttered, before rolling his window down, spinning the car around, and throwing it into reverse. From this position, it was far easier to take out several of the cars chasing him. Even without his revolver, he could still have deadly accuracy with other weapons.

Zenigata remained undeterred. "He can't keep this up. We'll get him soon."

Suddenly, a blur of yellow sped by the police cars. Zenigata, with Makoto sitting next to him, had to swerve out of the way to avoid the sudden vehicle.

Once the car slowed down a little, the police could easily see who it was. And Makoto and Zenigata were not pleased. "LUPIN!" They shouted in unison.

Jigen was startled by the thief's appearance. "What are you doing here?!"

"Futaba saw you on a camera feed. Figured you could use a little help."

"Well, thanks but no thanks. I already told you, I don't want anything to do with the game anymore. I'll find somewhere to hide out. Heard Bwanda is nice this time of year…"

"Look, Jigen," Lupin said firmly. "You're a part of this now, like it or not. Now how about you work with me? You don't even have to leave the safe house if ya don't wanna. The newbies could use your advice."

"…"

"Or, you could let your ass get dragged off to prison, then likely get executed. Your choice."

"Alright," Jigen said, chuckling. "I guess I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss this."

"Then let's go," Lupin replied, before pressing a button in his car. The rear bumper separated, dropping a strange device onto the road.

Zenigata couldn't stop in time, and ended up driving over the device, which caused an electric charge to fire from it, shorting out the car's circuits and stopping it in its tracks.

The inspector got out and, despite knowing it was futile, let it out. "LUUPIIN! GET BACK HERE!"

Makoto was confused. "You know that's not gonna work, right?"

Zenigata nodded. "Yeah, but I just needed to get that outta my system. Call it a habit, but it feels wrong to NOT do it at this point."

(Okumura Residence)

Haru was still shaken up about what happened between her and Ryuji.

"I'm not nothing," she desperately thought.

"I'm not nothing.

I'm not nothing.

I'm not nothing.

I'M NOT NOTHING!" She yelled, slamming her fist against the wall.

*DING DONG*

She went to the door, and saw her good friend, their blonde hair hanging loose.

"Ann?"

"Hey Haru, I just wanted to check in. You still seem bothered by what happened with Ryuji-"

"DON'T. MENTION. HIM!" Haru yelled, her voice dripping blood. "I don't want anything to do with him!" She then realised who she was yelling at, and broke down again, sobbing heavily.

"Haru…"

Ann pulled her friend into a hug, trying to comfort her, before helping her over to the couch.

"Ann, I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Just let it out."

"…"

"I don't blame you. You lost your boyfriend, and I'm sure you're aware of how I reacted when I lost mine."

"But Ryuji's still alive."

"He's dead to you, isn't that what you think?"

"…Yes."

"Haru, look. I know you still love Ryuji, and somewhere deep down you want to fix things. But to fix your relationship, you need to let him say to you what he needs to say."

"But… does he even-"

"-Want to say it? He does. You know that. Do you think he'd want to let things end after saying something he likely regrets? When I lost Akira, I was inconsolable. But I think what stung most was that there were so many things…" she trailed off, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. "…that I wanted to tell him. And now he's gone. Don't let yourself make the same mistake I did. Ryuji doesn't want to make that mistake either."

"…"

"Haru?"

"I guess you're right. I still care about him after all…"

(Velvet Room)

"What about that lovely Madame Takamaki?" Akira's persona Raoul suggested.

The two had been brainstorming about who would want him around so badly that he'd be stuck in limbo for about 2 hours.

Akira paused, deep in thought.

"Quatre?"

"Why do you call me that?"

"Well, you're my great-grandson, and your blood name is Arsene Lupin IV. Hence, Quatre."

"Ah…"

"Anyway, do you think Takamaki would be a possible answer?"

"Yeah, it's certainly possible. But why would she…"

Raoul perked up, seemingly having realised something. "This question may be just a touch embarrassing, but the last time you two got together, that night, did you… you know…"

Akira blushed slightly. "Wouldn't you know? I mean, you ARE part of me… don't you see everything I do?"

It was Raoul's turn to blush. "I, um, was a bit… shall we say… distracted, that night…"

"You and Hecate… are… an item?"

"Well, yes."

"If you're really supposed to be a representation of Lupin I, why are you embarrassed about that?"

"Because I'm still a persona, a part of you, I share similar characteristics to you to a small degree. If you're embarrassed to admit what happened between you and your significant other, so am I. Ordinarily, I'd be shameless about such things, though I do admit, women were more my grandson's specialty. I never actually liked doing it most of the time."

The two sat in silence for a moment, before a familiar voice broke it. "Raoul, Akira, might I offer some enlightenment?"

"Hecate?"

"Ugh, yes, who else could it be, Akira?!"

"Sorry. You were saying?"

"Akira, this might be a shock to hear, and I would rather Ann told you herself, but since that's not an option, I have to be the one to break the news."

"Please just get to the point!" Akira said, exasperated. "The sooner I figure out why I'm stuck here, the sooner I can get out!"

Hecate sighed heavily. "Okay, fine. Do both of you remember that night six months ago?"

The persona and its master nodded.

"Yes…"

"Well, while I was… preoccupied, it seems something started…"

Akira's eyes narrowed. "Look, Hecate, I'm not in the mood. Quit beating around the bush and tell me what-"

"There's gonna be a Lupin V."

"…"

"…"

"WHAT?!"

"I kinda figured that'd be your reaction. Just try to stay calm…"

"CALM? How the HELL do you expect me to stay calm?! I'm STUCK here because of that?!"

Hecate backed away. "I see you need time to process this, so I'll be off."

"Hecate, wait." Raoul stopped her, gently grabbing her hand. "I just wanted to say, I'm s-"

"Don't be," she interrupted. "Between you and me, I quite enjoyed it." She pulled him into an embrace.

"Oh, for- GET A ROOM, YOU TWO!"

The personas realised that Akira was still there, and quickly separated, Hecate blushing profusely as she walked off, presumably to go check in on her master.

(Okumura Residence)

What Hecate saw was terrifying. Both girls were held at gunpoint against the wall, with a man in a green jacket threatening them.

"What do you want from us?" Haru asked timidly.

"Which one of you is Akira's bitch?!" The man barked.

"…"

"Quiet, aren't we? Well that's just fine. I have ways of making you talk…"

"Go to hell," Ann growled.

Suddenly, the Fiat pulled up to the house, and the four thieves got out and forced their way into the living room, guns drawn.

"You!" The man yelled. "How the fuck did you find me?!"

"I had my friend Oracle bug the joint yesterday," Lupin said calmly. "Figured you'd show up."

"Well, it doesn't matter. Weapons down or these two get it!"

Without thinking, Ryuji did the one thing he never wanted to do. The one thing he SWORE he would never do unless he had to. But something about his girlfriend against the wall, her eyes starting to mist over from fear, caused him to snap, and he did it.

*BANG*

He pulled the trigger.

Blood and pieces of flesh spewed from the man's chest as he slumped down.

Ryuji ran over to the girls, unaware that the man wasn't completely down. He pulled himself up, raised his gun, and pulled the trigger.

Haru was the first to notice. "RYUJI!"

*BANG*

Ryuji closed his eyes, expecting the pain to set in…

…but it never came. He opened his eyes, and saw Haru standing in front of him, before she fell back into his arms, blood pouring from her chest. "No… no, no, nonononono… HARU!" In blind rage, he looked at the man in front of him, and fired off round after round at him.

*BANG* One in the gut.

*BANG* Another in the chest.

*BANG* One in the forehead.

*BANG* One in the left eye.

*BANG* And a final shot into the right eye.

After making SURE that the man was dead, Ryuji looked back down, straight into the eyes of his dying girlfriend. "Haru… I'm SO SORRY for what I said…"

After a moment, she spoke. "It's alright. I forgive you, Ryuji."

"Haru, please-"

"-I said, I forgive you. There's nothing more you can do. It's over for me…"

"Dammit, why did you have to-"

"-because I love you…" she said quietly, before closing her eyes for the final time.

Ryuji gently kissed her cold lips, before gently laying her lifeless body on the ground. "I love you too."

Standing up, Ryuji took the green jacket off of the mangled corpse of his girlfriend's killer, and wordlessly replaced his own jacket with it. "Come on, guys. Let's end this once and for all." He slowly walked out of the house, got in the SSK, and drove back to the hideout, with Ann and the other thieves close behind.