'In the Shadow of Bane'
(Part 3 of 8)
(This story is set in the world of 'The F.U.T.A.' It is a sequel to a story I co-wrote with squarepeg3d for his comic series. That comic is called 'Bane of all Things.' The title was a bit of a play on words. It was a joy to work on and I've been given his permission to take them all for another walk. It's the truest form of fan fiction. This new story was written with BillyBatson the actual mastermind and creator of Emiko Kasunaga and her guardian/bodyguard Mizu. I had plenty of back and forth with him about how his characters would behave and react in all the situations the story throws up. His input was priceless and is one of the reasons I'm so proud of our tale. So please enjoy our tale... It's a bit of a biggy)
Chapter 7, "And... Action!"
Emiko had seen the cinematic scripts and graphics that Sapphire and Silk had created. The specials introduction started with their very stylish S&S Logo. Then a first line of exposition....
Months had passed since Batgirl and Catwoman had humiliated the fearsome Bane. They had successfully extracted, amongst other things, information on one of his closest allies. Now a new opportunity had presented itself.
Working from an anonymous tip off, the two have their eyes on a lone figure. A lone figure who, it appeared, had just unloaded a van into a disused warehouse. The packages had the 'Luther Corp' logo, but the figure was no 'Luther Corp' employee...
Emi could barely contain herself. The cameras were rolling. This was so exciting. She just had to keep her head, keep the plot in mind and not totally screw up her lines. Right now, she was just grateful for the Cheshire Cat mask, because she was grinning from ear to ear. Admittedly so was the mask, but it was intended to. Her character was supposed to be aloof and confident, not giggling like a child at Christmas. Control, control, control, just breathe and stay calm.
"My, my, my look what the cat dragged in," came a voice. Emi spun around to see Shaylah reclined on a nearby crate. She was barely aware of a completely black clad Rose shifting her camera's focus to Shaylah. Ingrid, similarly kitted out, still had her camera on her.
Emi had to admit Shaylah looked incredible in the tight leather custom. The character suited her as well. If she hadn't had the lines drilled into her, she might have just stood there ogling silently. Instead her reply came out as a pure reaction. As ever Mizu's regimented practice had saved the day. She made a note to thank her, for that, and so many other things.
"Be careful little kitty, this cat has claws," said Emi, spinning her twin latex Sai into her hands, and taking up a fighting pose.
"Claws yes," replied Shaylah with a smile, as she pointed over Emi's shoulder, "but this kitty brings numbers."
The cat masked figure looked over her shoulder at Sunny posing heroically atop another set of crates.
"Well Cheshire looks like we have the drop on you," smiled the Batgirl cosplayer, "it's two to one and we have you flanked, how could you have ever let that happen?"
"Yeah," replied Emi, her voice echoed slightly as she made a display of dropping her Sai, "how could I have ever."
She removed the mask, careful to not pull her wig off as well. A grin spread across her face, "Well now that you have my attention, what do you wish to talk about?"
"Well let's start with the contents of these crates," said Sunny, stepping down from her position, "they're clearly not yours."
"What can I say," smirked Emi, warming to her character, "I've never seen them before, they just happened to be here when I arrived."
"So you just found them did you?" laughed Shaylah, sitting up, "you just arrived, and there they were?"
"Something like that," said Emi, smiling slyly.
"So then you were here for some other reason?" enquired Sunny with her best Nancy Drew gotcha voice.
"Yes!" added Shaylah, slamming her fist into an open palm, and jumping to the same conclusion, with equally hammy acting.
Emi said nothing, but her eyes wandered to the invoice sheet on the crate next to Shaylah. The Catwoman cosplayers' eyes followed.
"You'd better tell us why you were here Cheshire," announced Sunny in her most righteous voice, "it'll go easier with the DA if you cooperate."
"No chance Bat brains," laughed Emi, throwing back her head as she spoke, "there's no way you'll make 'me' talk."
"Is that so my trapped little feline," smirked Shaylah, her eyes roaming over the invoice sheet, "that sounds like a challenge."
She smiled wickedly and handed the clipboard to Sunny. Emi's eyes watched the sheet pass from one to the other, barely able to keep a smile off her face.
"I think we have everything at our disposal to make you very talkative," said Shaylah, staring at Emi like a predator on the hunt.
Sunny's eyes lit up. She looked back at her companion with an evil grin. One that was completely at odds with her heroic character's persona.
"Oh I have to agree," said Sunny, visibly licking her lips and looking at Cheshire with a ravenous hunger, "I think we'll have you singing in no time."