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They were supposed to be doing separate jobs. Fujiko was in LA, the boys were in Europe - or so she thought.
The man she was working for at the moment was powerful. It was only going to be a matter of time before he called her back. She didn’t even think…
‘ If only she had thought .’
His country was a barely concealed dictatorship, but that didn’t bother Fujiko. He had money - and lots of it. And he was looking for people to give it to, if they promised to make him more.
‘ And well, if there was one thing Fujiko was good at, it was making mone y.’
So, her surprise was immeasurable, when she walked past rooms that doubled as holding cells for political prisoners to see three very familiar faces. She barely heard a word during the meeting, already planning how to sneak back in after hours - to find out exactly what the hell her boys were playing at.
It was worse than she’d thought.
They had been caught red-handed,even Lupin's sticky fingers hadn’t been enough to get past the vast anti-theft measures.
The tile flooring is cold as she sinks to the ground, now level with Goemon (sans Zantetsuken) and tries to think.
“We have a plan!” Lupin says confidently from where he’s lying on the single bed in the room.
Jigen huffs from the corner with an expression that makes Fujiko doubt the thief’s optimism.
“It is not a good plan.” Goemon says dully, his eyes still closed.
“Where are your things?” she asks, because if she can at least retrieve Jigen’s gun, and Goemon's sword, they might stand half a chance against security.
They don’t know, so they’re just as in the dark now as they were when they started. Seconds turn into minutes, and then they’re going around in circles again.
“Leave it to me.” Fujiko says eventually, because she needs to leave before she’s found - she needs time on her side for this and sitting in front of a locked door isn’t going to make a miracle magically happen.
“Leave it to me.”
Her own voice echoes back at her from speakers and her heart sinks. The man she knows only as ‘The Boss’ raises an eyebrow from behind his desk.
“You didn’t get very far.” He says in a nasally voice, so smug it’s patronising.
Fujiko swallows, but holds her tongue. She’s thinking.
Thinking.
Hoping.
He laughs, and the sound fills Fujiko with disgust.
“Don’t worry,” he’s saying, as he motions to a nearby crony. “We’ll let you keep your word. We’ll leave it to you.”
A monitor on the wall flickers to life, and the three men are suddenly visible; tied to chairs, each one blindfolded.
“Choose” he says, and Fujiko’s heart starts to race a mile a minute.
“No,” she breathes, barely audible, but the boss hears it and grins widely.
“Oh yes,” he says, “You promised them. Don’t go back on your word now.”
That’s when she sees the three men holding guns to the back of her boys' heads and she knows she’s out of time.
Out of time, and faced with a choice she doesn’t want to make.
It’s not fair. Not fair. NOT FAIR!
She stares at the screen and it blurs into a kaleidoscope of memories.
The fresh clean smell of Goemon’s hakama after he washes it. The way the fabric crinkles under her fingers when she embraces him. A low voice in the night, a brief smile and the almost clinical twang of metal when the Zantetsuken is unleashed.
Lupins cologne, sometimes too strong to bear. Late night adventures, following the bright jacket in the moonlight. Sly kisses, and running jokes, “ I hope your special perfume is put away and far out of reach .”
Silent shared cigarettes with a gunman on the balcony in the early morning. Fearing for her life and the insurmountable relief she felt when a calloused hand reached out and a gruff voice followed with the words she never thought she’d hear, “ I’m not here to kill you. ”
She can’t choose.
She needs them all.
Something balls up in her throat and for the first time in years she might cry, and actually mean it.
“Choose one, and the others go free.”
“I can’t - “ she starts to say, but the words don’t finish.
“Choose none, and they all die.”
She can’t choose.
She can’t live without them now.
She can’t live without Lupin, who loves lavisciously, and without restraint.
She can’t live without rock steady Goemon, who has been there for her from the start.
She can’t live without -
“Jigen.” She whispers, hating herself.
On the screen the gunman's mouth opens in an ‘o’ that would be comical in any other scenario.
The realisation that they can hear her gives Fujiko whiplash worse than she’s ever received from a car crash. Goemon’s mouth hardens into a thin line, and Lupin starts to struggle against his restraints.
The Boss smiles.
Fujiko can’t distinguish the three separate gunshots. They all blend together on the speakers. Her legs start to wobble at the knees as she processes what she’s looking at. Jigen’s hat falls unceremoniously to the floor, and she chokes back a sob.
All the while the Boss is still smiling, teeth bared in a snow white grin.
“It was a trick question, dear.”