"JIGEN!" Yelled Fujiko. She had been the first to notice.
Somehow, they had all heard the gunshot over the hubbub, yet none of them had turned to see what it was about. Lupin was busy saving Fujiko's ass and Goemon had been pinned down, Zantetsuken lying a few feet away from his reach. Both of them turned when they heard Fujiko's yell, and froze at what they saw.
Jigen had been shot. His shirt was quickly turning red. For the first time in his life, Lupin was too shocked to react. He was frozen in place, completely caught off guard. Jigen was hurt. It hadn't been planned, which meant that it was real. Lupin had seen Jigen getting shot more than he could count during their time together, but never had he felt so desperate as he was right now.
Finn couldn't have missed. He was too close, and the red growing stain was proof of it. Jigen had never been such a good actor. His face had lost its usual frown and the gunman was carefully studying them. Jigen's eyes landed on him and didn't leave. Lupin was afraid to see in it anything else than a silent plea. He didn't want to look at Jigen and see what would probably be a last goodbye, a thank you.
Goemon yelled sharply, something in Japanese. He trashed but he was pinned to the ground. Without his katana, his actions felt discoordinated and he was easily subdued by the goons.
"See what it costs you to fight me, Lupin?" Said Steeljaw Finn in an over-confident tone. "You lost your best man. What a pity."
Jigen was starting to sway slightly, as if carried by the wind. The boss had a pleased smirk on his face. Lupin knew something had to be done fast, or it would be the end of his right-hand man. He was too far to do anything, but Goemon might be able to help. Lupin punched the goon that was holding Goemon down and threw Zantetsuken at Goemon. The samurai, in a blaze of fury and rage, grabbed his zantetsuken and bolted to Steeljaw Finn, slashing his way through.
There was nothing that could stop him from reaching Jigen. He would grab the gunman, stop the bleeding and–
Finn looked at Lupin straight in the eyes. The thief felt a chill run up his spine. At this point, Jigen was only staying straight because his knees refused to buckle. The blood sipping from his wound was starting to taint his trouser. Jigen had lost any semblance of recognition in his look. He was blinking heavily and had his head slouched, which was why his body couldn't resist the light push that Finn gave him.
Under the mansion was the sea. They were on a cliff. Lupin took a step but he saw himself stuck in place. Fujiko was frozen at his side. Goemon arrived too late. Jigen's hand slipped away as the limp body of their friend passed over the edge.
"Oops," smiled Finn.
Goemon was perched over the edge, silent. He seemed to have a realisation and went to jump to follow Jigen but Finn grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back. Lupin saw that the boss was cocking his gun again. He had a few seconds to react before losing another team member.
"Merde merde merde!" Lupin had no weapon. Fujiko needed hers to keep the goons at bay. Thankfully, Finn's collection was on the wall. Lupin could use that. He grabbed a fishing rod and threw it at Finn. The hook embedded itself in the skin of Finn's hand. Finn screeched and dropped his weapon.
Goemon turned around. He had fury in his eyes. He lifted his katana and-
"Goemon!" Lupin stopped the samurai.
Goemon had his katana raised. Fire burned in his eyes as he looked at Steeljaw Finn, the man who had hurt one of his closest friends. Finally, he relented. He lowered Zantetsuken, leaving Finn's destiny to be decided by the gunman later.
Finn thought that he was going to die when the samurai raised his katana again but instead of being chopped in small pieces, a net fell down on him. It was one of the nets he had hung on the ceiling as a decoration. He struggled to get out of the net but only managed to get even more tangled in it.
Finn reached for his gun but it was kicked away. Looking up, he met Lupin's steel glare. He felt a chill run down his spine.
"You messed with my team, Finn. This isn't over."
Lupin would have loved to end it here. He liked instant rewards and punishments. However, Jigen had his rights on this guy. He couldn't kill him. Yet.
.
If you asked Lupin, the wait was worse than seeing Jigen getting shot. At the moment, they were packed up in the fiat, barreling down the street at high speed. The beach was far. Too far away.
That's where they would find Jigen. After being pushed from the mansion, the gunman had landed in the sea. They would find him by the beach. He'd be up and waiting for them and asking for a dry cigarette.
He would be fine. Unharmed.
He couldn't have been shot. It was a lie. Jigen was alive. Lupin knew it, no, he was certain that Jigen was alive. They had spent so long together. So many heists, so many brilliant runaways. They were never apart.
It must have been… Yes. Jigen must have taken up on Lupin's sense of drama to make his exit. That was it. It must have been Jigen's retribution for putting up with Lupin's multiple fake deaths. Lupin made a note of always telling Jigen about his future plans. Always. Especially if they involved fake death.
Lupin had seen the tears in Jigen's eyes the first time he had faked his death. He hadn't understood them. He did, now. If he wasn't so sure that the gunman was alive he would probably be crying too.
That noble son of a gun. He better be waiting for them.
Lupin's driving was chaotic, more so than ever, but there was not a peep in the car as it hurled down the road, running red lights and making cars screech as they stopped in a hurry. Fujiko and Goemon were in the back seat, leaving Jigen's seat empty. They weren't speaking.
The car almost overturned as Lupin made a right angle in the street on the road that led to the beach.
Lupin rolled down the beach as fast as possible. The car was janky from the uneven road, but they had all seen worse and no one was complaining. They finally noticed Jigen lying on the sand. His silhouette wasn't difficult to find. The contrast between the dark suit and the white beach was a painful highlight to the fact that he wasn't moving.
"There!" Lupin half-yelled.
The car swerved. Lupin parked it wherever and jumped out. He made a beeline to his friend. The fucker was just laying there. Didn't he know how worried they all were?
His hat was a few feet away. Lupin didn't stop to get it. Goemon would. He had to get to Jigen first. He rushed to him and skidded in the sand into a kneeling position at Jigen's side.
"Jigen!"
The gunman didn't answer. He had his eyes closed. There was sand in his beard.
Goemon and Fujiko arrived at least. Fujiko gasped and turned around to hide her face in the folds of Goemon's kimono. She was shivering, but not from the cold. Goemon was stoïc, Jigen's hat in his hand. He grabbed Fujiko by her waist and looked away. His mouth was a thin line and his eyes were clouded.
Lupin shook Jigen's shoulder. The gunman didn't answer. The thief's frantic apprehension finally slowed down. He started noticing. How Jigen's stillness was a bit too unnatural, and how his lips were a bit too blue to be true. In a breath, he whispered "no" and put his hand in front of Jigen's nose. Nothing. He bowed down to put his head on Jigen's torso. Still nothing.
Dread dipped in Lupin's stomach. He lost the fake smile he had kept up without thinking. Fumbling, he put both hands on Jigen's torso and started pushing, but Goemon quickly stopped him. Wordlessly, he put Jigen's hat down next to him.
He was too late.
Lupin stilled. He couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. The veil of denial lifted and Lupin saw the blood on Jigen's shirt. The water had washed away the blood on Jigen's hands, but not his clothes. The sand had a redness that looked too much like Death in Lupin's eyes. There was a thin trail of blood leading from Jigen into the sea. The water had washed away most of it.
Goemon had backed away, taking Fujiko with her, leaving him some space. Lupin dropped his head. Tears were forming in his eyes. He couldn't recall the last time he had spilled tears. Jigen was… He was…
Lupin put his hands on his friend's suit. It crinkled with the salt and the sand. What was he going to do now? He sat there in silence. The only sound audible was the choked gasps Fujiko made as she tried to stop herself from crying.
A cold wind blew past him. Lupin's gaze was fixed on his friend's face, taking in every detail. He didn't notice the strange woman appearing in front of him. He only realised she was there when the late sun cast her shadow on Jigen's body. An instinctive reflex made him draw his weapon but he stopped as soon as he saw her. Lupin was at a loss for words.
Death was standing in front of them. In front of him, she let her skull become a face. She had eyes that Lupin had never seen before.
"Who are you?"
He heard Goemon's blade unsheathing, but the samurai hadn't moved yet.
"You know who I am," Death spoke in a low voice.
She knelt down by Jigen but before she could do anything, Lupin had thrown himself protectively on his gunman.
"Goemon!" Lupin ordered.
A second was usually what it took for the samurai to jump at Lupin's command. This time, he didn't obey. Lupin heard the click of the blade returning in its sheath. He turned his head to throw a suspicious glance at Goemon. The samurai had a resigned look. He had his eyes downcast, and his left hand was gripping his kimono forcefully.
"I can not oppose myself to the forces of life and death, Lupin"
"You're the best swordsman ever!" Lupin argued. "Of course you can!"
But Goemon had resigned himself. He avoided Lupin's look and lowered his weapon. He turned and walked away, followed by Fujiko, to leave Lupin to mourn. Death let go of her scythe, which disappeared. She crouched down to Lupin and Jigen's level.
Lupin was still leaning protectively over Jigen, but her calm gestures made him fall into a false sense of serenity. He only noticed her hand when she placed it above Jigen's wound. He batted her hand away and grabbed Jigen to pull him closer.
"Don't you dare." Lupin was too tired to put much threat in his voice.
Death didn't answer. She waited a second but then acted anyway. The febrile hope that Lupin was holding melted. Maybe it was Goemon's stoicism that finally registered. Death rested her hand on the gunman's torso. Lupin let her do it, even if his eyes were pleading and his hands gripping Jigen's suit tightly.
"You are a good man too." She simply said.
Lupin wanted to say more, but he couldn't. Goemon was right. All the tricks and talent in the world could not stop Death. She was the one absolute in this world.
Lupin had no other choice than to let her do her job. The hand that was pressed on Jigen's wound seemed to glow for a second, but Lupin blinked and whatever trick she used was no longer visible. Curious by nature, Lupin waited for her hand to lift before peaking at Jigen's torso. He couldn't see well so he put his hand on his friend's torso.
His breath caught in his throat.
Jigen had a pulse.
Lupin turned his head sharply and caught Death's eyes. She had a sly smile.
"Couldn't you have started with that?" Lupin yelled, his voice a mix between distress and relief.
Death put her hand above Jigen's mouth. A trickle of water came up from his lips.
"I can not say much to mortals. It goes beyond my contract."
The trickle became a constant stream. Lupin hadn't realised how much water a body could absorb until faced with the reality of things. Lupin couldn't keep his eyes away from Jigen's face. He was waiting for the moment Jigen would open his eyes.
And then, Jigen coughed. He prompted himself up on his elbows to hack up the rest of the water in his lungs. Lupin was so shocked that he forgot to move for a while, until Jigen grabbed his shoulder desperately and tried to sit up. Lupin responded by squeezing the gunman's shoulder as hard as he could. Words he couldn't say bursted silently from his lips. He stopped as he locked eyes with his gunman.
The rest of the crew rushed back to them instantly. They were too astounded to speak. Lupin hugged Jigen hard. The gunman didn't even protest. He reciprocated the hug shakily. Strangely, Fujiko was the next one to join in. Jigen greeted her with a small muffled sound of protest. Lupin compelled Goemon with a wave. The samurai didn't hesitate.
Death stood on the side. She was happy to have a peek at Jigen's life.
Jigen was the one who broke the hug-pile first. He turned to Death and nodded at her imperceptibly. Lupin grabbed the fedora and put it back on the gunman's head where it stayed fittingly tilted. Goemon helped him up. The gunman looked perfectly healthy as he dusted himself from the sand. An awkward action since he was still coated in water and blood, making the grain stick to his suit.
"You sly bastard," Lupin laughed. "You never told me you had a deal with Death."
"She is a very good friend. She owed me one."
Death looked away. Lupin briefly wondered why Death was so shy.
"I wasn't planning on cashing in the reward someday," Jigen continued.
Jigen was trying to thank her in his own gruff manner. Judging by Death's reaction, she had understood.
"I guessed you had forgotten about it," Death sighed. "It was rightfully earned and you don't have to thank me. However…" She stole a quick glance at Lupin, as if what she was about to say concerned him as much as it concerned Jigen. "There won't be a next time. You have to be careful now."
"I'll see what I can do."
Jigen smiled and Death gave him a last wave before disappearing. The gunman massaged his neck. It was stiff as hell from sleeping in a weird position.
His friends were silent. Jigen saw that they were keeping themselves from speaking intentionally. They were never ones to shut up -except the samurai maybe- although this time they weren't speaking because they had a point to make.
"...So you probably have a few questions…"
"A few questions? A few…?!" Fujiko suddenly exploded. She had been exceptionally quiet until now. "Jigen I knew you were an idiot but this?"
"It seems not all of your past is dark, my friend. Never have I been as pleased as I am now about the issue of one of our adventures." Goemon smiled.
"Man…I'm hurt." Lupin clapped his hand on his gunman's arm. "You know I hate secrets! You better spill out."
"Alright, alright ! Get me a dry cigarette first."
As soon as he'd said that, Lupin had a one in his hand. They all had their sights on him. Of course they wanted to know. Their hopeful looks warmed his heart, and Jigen felt a rush of feelings as he figured out that… He was happy. Happy to be alive.
That wasn't a small feast for Jigen. He had always thought that he had his destiny figured out. He thought he knew that he would live by the gun and die by the gun. He was okay with it. It was his life. Yet, today showed him that he didn't want that.
With Lupin and his crew, he had found something that he never had before. It was a warm feeling, of being wanted for something more than just his ability. Lupin liked him, even with his snarky remarks, his gruff face and his cigarette addiction. Of course, Lupin had offered him the job because he was the fastest gunman in the world but you had to be blind to not notice that it had evolved into something more.
Jigen had recently understood that they liked him for who he was. Like, yesterday-recently. After his talk with Lupin. Seeing the thief so afraid of losing Fujiko and Goemon had made him realise that he himself was part of the people Lupin was afraid to lose. He wanted to save them too. Not because of the money or their baffled dignity, but because they were his friends.
He had felt stupid when he finally realised it. He wanted to live, so he could spend more days listening to Lupin's daring plans, sharing silent moments with Goemon, and bitching at Fujiko's face. He wanted more of it.
"Let's go, I have a revenge to take. Then maybe I'll explain."
He buried his hat on his head. Sending a silent thanks to Death, he went on his way. He had noticed the yellow fiat in the distance and he wasn't about to let Fujiko claim shotgun.