Lupin The Third: The Beast of Lykanisches

Chapter 21

"NOOOO!" Ruby screamed. Foolishly, she struggled in her harness, forcing Zenigata to bend down and start hauling her up manually, all in the interest of getting her up faster.

"LUPIN! NO! NO! NO!" she screamed.

When Zenigata finally got her into the helicopter and into his arms, he had to hold her tightly to keep her from struggling out of his grasp and leaping clean out of the helicopter.

"R-Ruby! Stop! What are you doing?!"

"No, no, no! Inspector! He's gonna die! Lupin's pulling his bullshit hero card and he and Jigen and Goemon... They're all gonna die!"

Zenigata's eyes went wide and his complexion took on a sickly pallor. "D-Die?" The inspector turned his gaze toward the tower. "What's going on in there? What're they up against?"

"A MONSTER! ADERLASS IS A MONSTER, AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY WEAPONS TO STOP HIM! NOT EVEN ZANTETSUKEN CAN KILL HIM! LUPIN AND THEM ARE JUST DISTRACTING ADERLASS... BIDING TIME UNTIL INTERPOL BLOWS THE WHOLE PLACE UP! THEY INTEND TO DIE! PLEASE... I HAVE TO GO BACK! I HAVE TO STOP THEM!"

Ruby thrashed and Zenigata struggled to maintain his hold on her. "NO! Ruby! Stop it! You can't go back out there!" As much as Zenigata didn't wish to see Lupin killed, he especially refused to risk the lives of the people he currently had in his care. "I promised that I'd get you and your sister to safety! And I intend to do that right now!"

With one final wail, Ruby crumpled helplessly in Zenigata's arms, sobbing into his chest. Zenigata held her tightly and spoke in a voice that might have been a whisper for all its gruffness.

"I'm sorry, Ruby."

But as though on a delay, the girl's cries slowed. In her distress, it took Ruby a moment to realize what it was Zenigata had said. 'I promised that I'd get you and your sister to safety.' Slowly, Ruby lifted her face to him. "D-Diana?" she questioned.

Then, from behind her...

"Ruby!"

Ruby turned and beheld her sister. "Diana!"

Diana and Ruby ran to each other, each throwing their arms around the other. As the sisters embraced, both cried freely.

"You're okay... you're okay..." was all Ruby could manage to get out.

And Diana...

"Ruby, I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"

Zenigata couldn't help but smile. Even if Antony Del Monte had slipped through his fingers, at least he'd accomplished his promise of reuniting Ruby with Diana.

As the sisters clung desperately to one another, Ruby felt another hand come to rest upon her shoulder. Slowly she turned and exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle Rosco???" The large, bear-like man smiled beneath his whiskers, and suddenly, Ruby was in his arms.

"Uncle Rosco?! What are you doing here?"

And further...

"I thought you were dead! Mom and Dad said—"

"Your mother and father told you only what you needed to know at the time," said the man whose full name was Racicot Faucher. "I was in hiding... after the schism."

"Schism?" said Ruby, blinking up at him.

"I assume you know all about ACCSA now," he said with sad smile. His eyes moved to the scrolls she had quite nearly dropped in all her thrashing and embracing. "And I see Mr. Lupin had assisted you in the retrieval of one of ACCSA's most well-guarded assets."