Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Belgium, Autumn 

The moon was high up in the night. It was a crescent moon. 

As usual, the museum is guarded by many security guards since you may never know who could be either deactivating the lasers or other alerts. 

No one would expect that one of the security guards would actually steal one or two of the most valuable items in the museum. The items are a painting of a colorful scene of a busy street in Paris, France, and a rare silver-plated vinyl record from a famous band from a few years ago, the Kings.

There were seven guards on the shift, and they checked for any mishaps and played poker in their break rooms. One of those guards was very good at winning at poker. 

That guard stands up from the table after a third round of poker and states, "Oh, sorry lads, I forgot my flashlight back in the check-up register! Be right back!" He closed the door to make sure it was fully shut. 

A few minutes go by, or more than a few minutes, and one of the bodyguards, who is a bit older and has a classic black Hungarian mustache, notices the time during a fourth round.

"Dang, he sure is taking his sweet time looking for his flashlight."

"Maybe he left it elsewhere and not at the check-up register," a tall, lanky guard responds. 

Then, the mustache guard had a thought where he realized something.

"I don't remember Andre being good at poker," he states out loud. 

Right after his statement, the blazing sound of a siren goes off in their room, to the point that it makes the guards jump in fright. 

Someone is stealing. 

The guards jump up and run up to the doors, but the doorknobs are not turning, nor is the door moving forward. 

"Crooks," hissed the mustache guard, "push the doors!" He yells as the alarm yells through their ears. They pushed and pushed, felt like hours, until they finally pushed the doors down.

One of the guards turned off the alarm outside the break room, while the other guards ran to what items could have been stolen. The Paris and the silver record were the ones that got stolen.

"Pirates," hissed the mustache guard again.

"Hey, look," shouts the young guard, "there's a card that was laid where the record was." Then hands it to the mustache guard.

The mustache looks at the card and reads, "Good game!" with a monkey-like face, smiling at the man. 

The mustache looks up, wanting to crumble that card, knowing that the guards have failed to hold on to the valuable items.

During this time, four police cars showed up, their sirens wailing throughout the street. About six policemen came out of the car and came inside and outside the museum. One of the features that came with the police was a trenchcoat inspector who was familiar with the situation.

Immediately, he came inside the museum and asked about the situation. The mustache guard, still holding the card, gives it to the inspector.

"Rats," grunts the inspector, looking at the card.

"Do you think it's the infamous Lupin III?" the mustache asks.

"No, I know it's him," the inspector states, "and I'm sure he's staying in Belgium for a bit while." 

Chapter Text

The museum is closed the following morning. Reporters are gathered around the museum entrance, asking questions to the police men about the scene, even to the inspector, who stayed for the investigation.

A few citizens passed by, and some stayed to hear the news. One of those citizens, wearing a blue sweater and plus-four pants under his trench coat, was walking with his dog. A dog, fur as white as snow, stopped and looked at where the sound was coming from.

His owner asks his dog, "What is it, Snowy?" and looks in the direction his dog is looking: the reporters.

"Hm," exclaimed the young boy, "why don't we check it out?"

The dog huffs at his owner's approval.

They walk up to the reporters, but only in the back as the front raves at the officers with questions. The young boy asks the reporters in the back.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Oh, it's another 'robbing the museum' situation," exclaimed an older reporter. "This time, the burglar...no, two burglars stole two valuable relics: 'The Busy Street of Paris' by Vincent Claude and The Kings' rare silver vinyl record. They are pretty valuable, but Rome has more valuable items than Brussels."

"Huh, a Claude painting and The King's vinyl," mumbled the young boy.

"According to the inspector over there, he states that it was the master thief, Lupin the Third, who stole these relics," continued the reporter.

"Lupin the Third," the young boy mumbles. This time, his ears perk up. "I think I heard of him a while back. Isn't he like the grandson of Arsene Lupin?"

"That's what everyone states," the reporter sighs.

"But why does the inspector think it's him?" asks the young boy.

"Because of the message card he left," states the reporter, "again, just based on the reports."

"Hm," the young boy hums.

*

Later on, as things settle down, after an hour of journalists asking the officers about the robbery information, with a few reporters here and there for updates, the young boy and his dog, Snowy, come up to the inspector, who just exited the museum, knowing where to find his opponent.

"Excuse me, Mister," the young boy approaches the inspector, "you're in charge of investigating the case of this robbery?"

The boy has noticed that the inspector is a bit taller than he, around five inches taller, closer to his friend Haddock's height.

Stunned that someone had interrupted his train of thought, the inspector replied, "Uh, yeah, you could say that." Then he looked up and down at the young boy and his dog.

"What do you want, kid?" he demands.

"I just would like to know what made you think that it is the grandson of Arsene Lupin and not someone else, and only based on a card?" the young man asked in curiosity.

The inspector, now irritated, looks at the young boy's face.

"Are you a reporter?" he asks.

"Journalist, precisely," the boy answers calmly.

"Look, kid, I've learned and followed Lupin for as long as I can remember," the inspector explained. "I have learned his ways , his tactics , and left his mysteries behind. And this card, with his handwriting and his drawn face." Then shows the card to the boy.

The boy examines the card, which he has not seen before.

Seeing that the boy pretends to know about the card, the inspector asks, "Have you heard of Lupin the Third?"

"I've probably heard of him as Arsene Lupin's grandson," the boy looks up to the inspector from the card, "and a few crimes he committed, but I've never looked deep into it."

"Well, boy, it's better if you stay out of it."

"Why?"

"Because you're still young to explore new things in life, and better not waste your time investigating a thief who steals around the treasures that you never get to use," warns the inspector.

The boy, who is now bothered by the inspector's comment, has, in fact, traveled around the world and fought foes, but he remains calm since the inspector does not know this yet.

"But have you not stated that you've followed and learned Lupin's grandson's ways for as long as you could remember?" states the boy, "That's technically wasting your time."

"Well, boy, that's because I've grown," the inspector says after the boy finishes, "and have already wasted my time."

Not knowing what to say and not wanting to infuriate the inspector too much, the boy says, "Well, I'd better get going now. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions."

The inspector nods. "Not a problem, kid. Be safe out there, since there aren't good things in the world."

"Will do, sir," the boy nods.

They exchanged a handshake, said their farewells, and went their own way.

Right as the boy and his dog leave the museum estate, the inspector now realizes that he didn't get the boy's name, though why would he? He wouldn't see him again.

*

After the boy walked out of the museum, he started to think about the situation and his conversation with the inspector.

As an elderly reporter mentioned, the museum robberies are pretty usual, especially in big cities like Paris and Rome. But why is this important, especially to the inspector, who looked so determined to find Lupin's grandson, like he's an important puzzle? The reporter also mentioned that two burglars could've worked together, but why hasn't the inspector noted the other one?

"I've got to look into Lupin's grandson," the boy expressed to Snowy. "How come we haven't heard—" Snowy gave him the look, "How come I haven't heard of Lupin's grandson? It seems that many know him. I have to look into him."

*

Being a determined person as he is, the young boy went to the newspaper stalls to look into the past and recent news of the world.

" It seems like this thief travels around the world, since I may have heard that he'd probably stolen valuable items either from West Germany or from France," thought the boy, " but where could I have heard it from?"

"Same as the usual, lad?" the newspaper seller asks the young boy, since the young boy went up and stood in front of the stall, where black and white newspapers were displayed.

"Yeah, for sure, please!" replied the young boy and gave his change to the seller.

As the seller got the change and got the paper, the young boy thought for a moment and asked, "Say, has this Lupin the Third been around the news?"

"Yeah, he has been," the seller says, hands the paper to the boy, "I'm surprised you haven't heard of him."

"Guess I was pretty busy," the boy mumbles, holding the paper. "Could you tell me what you've heard of him?"

"Oh, where do I start?" The seller explained, as he bent down to pet Snowy, "I've heard that he's French, mostly because of his grandfather, but mostly located in Japan. I've heard he had stolen the gold and the jewels, like amethysts, pearls, and diamonds, from Japan to Egypt to China to Germany to even America!" He stood up. "He has practically been around the world, just like you," he pointed at the boy, "though it's described that he doesn't work alone, for most of the work is done like two-person work." Then the seller stops for a bit , "That's all I know for now. There's probably more than what I know of."

The young boy nodded as the seller explained his knowledge of the thief. After the seller finished his explanation , the boy asked, "Do you know what he looks like?"

The seller lets out a chuckle at the boy's question, "Oh, he doesn't always wear the same uniform every time he does a burglary. I've heard he dresses up as an old man, an old woman, a woman, or a man. He dresses up like an ordinary person, a person that no one would suspect... at first." Then the seller pauses a bit , "Actually, the most known look I've heard described of him is as a dark-haired man with sideburns, with a black buttoned-up coat and a red jacket, with black jeans and cap-toe black boots. That's all I know of," shrugs the seller.

The boy carefully listens and takes note of the thief's appearance, just as Snowy is standing beside his master.

"Does this newspaper mention him in any way?" Asks the boy.

"Maybe a snippet of it, but it's mostly worldly news," answers the seller.

"Oh, okay then," nods the boy, "gotta get going! Thank you for the information! Have a good day!"

"No problem! And you, too, lad, have a blessed day!"

Then the boy turns back to the street, with Snowy by his side .

"Isn't this fascinating, Snowy?" The boy asks his dog, "A thief, accompanied by someone by his side, has traveled the world, stealing valuables around the world . Though the seller didn't mention if he was ever arrested."

The boy and his dog approach his apartment , located on the second floor to the left of the stairs. As the boy unlocks the door, he hears the phone ringing inside.

" Oh, " he thought, " something urgent. "

He and the dog enter his flat, which is tidy and organized, with colorful light yellows and browns displayed on his furniture and with articles, relics, and awards displayed on his walls and counters.

The telephone is still ringing.

"I wonder who it could be," the boy remarks to his dog and picks up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Tintin!" Shouts a stressful, Scottish, manly voice, "Blistering barnacles, I've been calling for bloody hours!"

Knowing something is wrong, the boy, Tintin, asks, "Sorry, Captain, but what's going on?" Snowy, hearing the shouts, stands close to his master.

"I just came back from the shore, and just as I entered the Marlinspike, I felt something was wrong!" The Captain's voice sounded like he was calming down, but mostly stressed, "I looked around and saw that some of the treasures and relics were gone! From Haddock's treasures to the ones we rescued from our adventure! I was so bewildered that I thought of how this could happen if Nestor is around! Then I looked for him and saw that he was knocked out! Thank goodness he's alive, but after I woke him up, he does not remember! Oh, ten thousand thundering typhoons! Tintin, everything is gone! Gone!"

Astounded by his friend's alarming comments, Tintin speculated that the thief everyone knows about might be responsible. Maybe someone else could be, but with the news about the museum...

"Captain!" Tintin remarks to the phone, "I need you to calm down for now. I'll be right there!"

It was noon.