Welcome to The Lupin Gang ||Lupin The Third||

You Guys Are The Best

(No ship, warning: implied death)

"Mmgh"

Lupin groans in pain, slowly regaining consciousness and shifts to sit up. He feels something—someone— laying in his lap, holding him down from getting up.

"Hmm... Ji-Jigen?"

Jigen lays across Lupins skinny legs on his torso.

"Jigen?"

Lupin grabs Jigens shoulder to shake him a bit, but he seems cold, unresponsive,

limp.

"Ji..gen..?"

Lupin glances at the hand holding Jigens shoulder—his own— and lets go to see his own palm stained completely with blood of origins that are uncertain. Lupin can feel his eyes goggle, himself sweat. He shakes Jigen again.

"Jigen, wake up!
Come on stupid wake up. Jigen! Jigen!"

Jigens body only flops when Lupin jerks it, otherwise he lays there bare and cold.
Only then does Lupin take a look around himself. He gently pushes Jigen off him as he gets up to see his surroundings.

His eyes widen and twitch, his heart beating out of chest as if he was sprinting.

It was utter destruction.
Gore and destruction.

Traditional Japanese buildings all grumbled down to wood, stones, and broken glass. Shadows of buildings need in repair stand intimidatingly as shadows of the fog in the background.

Bodies and debris go on for miles along a one way street of familiar faces, some more familiar than others.

"Fujiko..Goemon..!"

He sees his friends, family, under debris of stone and wood, all defeated and unresponsive. He steps forward but finds himself feeling heavy. That his long skinny legs weighed a hundred tons more than they should.

He could not help but shake as he turns his head to see more people he recognizes.

"P-Pops..
Ami...
Laetitia—!"

His eyes are nearly bloodshot to his horror of the people he loved and cared for being buried in debris from unknown chaos that he cannot recall.

He turns to only cover his mouth with his hand in shock, feeling his knees buckle and shake. His eyes began to sting the longer he stares at her, his throat growing tight as he tries to repress his tears. He can feel his heart crumbling inside, himself falling apart.

"P.. Princess..! Clarisse!"

He whimpers through his hand, tears streaming down his face in shock.

"I-I would never..!"

He stumbles towards her slowly, step by step.

"Princess..Princess.."

He falls onto his knees and grabs the limp girl in her white gown and messy brown hair. So young, and still so pretty, yet so cold by the touch.

"N-no.."
Lupin pinches her wrist, looking for a heart beat. Anything.

Nothing.

A notable chuckle comes from behind. Lupins chest is going 100 mph, gripping the Princess of Cagliostro close to his chest as he fearfully peers over his shoulder only to be met face to face..

.. to himself.

"You failed, stupid.
You couldn't protect them, not even from me!
Now look at yourself.
An idiot! Hah!"

"No!" Lupin try's to objects, but he can feel himself choke on a sob that was being held back. His tears fall off his face as he slowly hangs his head down in immense guilt and fear of no one other than himself.

The mirror begins laugh manically to itself as Lupin looks down in terror, his eyes glinting in tearful fear and worsened guilt.

Lupin glances up once again as the mirrored version of him only looks down on him and grins, yet not in a giddy way as the real Lupin would.

His eyes are relaxed, but his grin is massive.

"Lupin" an anonymous voice whispers.
"Lupin" comes another.
"Lupin, Lupin!" Says another.

As one man looks down at the other,

"Lupin,"

the voices overlay,

"Lupin!"

creating a whirlwind of noises—

"Lupin!"

"GAH!"

Lupin is wide awake, panting like a dog as he lays curled on his side in the Japanese styled floor futon with nothing but a white tank and blue + white stripper boxers. He stares at the pillow he's gripping for his life, so much so his knuckles seemed to have turned white. It seems to be damp near his face was. He tries to pace his breathing and relax his muscles.

"Lupin?"

Lupin glances up at Jigen kneeling on his own floor futon that was besides Lupins. From Lupins point of view, he can just barely see Jigens eyes looking down at him with concern.

"You alright boss?"

"Huh?"

Lupin can only muster in the most normal-confused tone he can manage. He glances behind, to the left of Jigen. Goemon peers below with an oddly confused expression as well, his brow raised in a show of concern.

"Are you alright?"
Jigen repeats, his hands hesitating if to grab Lupins shoulders or not. Unbeknownst to Lupin, his eye bags seem more heavier, most likely from crying in his sleep. His mind feels scrambled.

"N-No I uh..."

Lupin slowly sits up and stares, dotting his eyes at them two back and forth. They both stare back at Lupins odd silence and jumpy look.

Lupin blinks, repeatedly, then gives the widest smile and small chuckle following it.
He then leaps onto Jigen, hugging him tight.

"Agh! Lupin!"

"Oh thank heavens, it was just a dream!
Just a bad dream, thank heavens!"

Lupin springs up to his feet, Jigen still in his grasps. Jigen audibly struggles uncomfortably, being so close and the short clothed boss. Lupin let's go only to quickly leap onto Goemon to give the same hug to him.

"Just a bad dream!" He repeats.
"Oh thank heavens, it was just a bad dream!"

He smiles and sighs in relief, his eyes shut in the happiness that nothing has really happened. Goemon is unphased by the hug, but indubitably uncomfortable.

"Okay, can you please let go of me? You haven't brushed your teeth."

"Awh Goemon—"

Lupin out reaches his arm for Jigen, pulling him into the hug by his neck. Lupin huddles the two close with the curl of his smile.

"You guys knows you're both the best right?
I don't deserve you two!"

"Hey, where's this coming from?" Jigen asks.
"This is a weird way to say good morning Lupin." Goemon comments, annoyed.

Lupin only chuckles with a softer smile, letting the bags under his eyes sag.

"You guys are the best," he repeats more over for himself.

I can never hurt them!

"You guys are the best."

Not in a million years.

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Kinda obvious I like thinking lupins greatest fear/enemy is himself! Doesnt make much sense but a fun idea nonetheless
Word Count: 1085