Tuesday 24 March 2015

Secret Ninja Warrior Shinobiman (Part 1)

(NOTE: The following is technically a cutting room floor, for a character that I created to appear in the Las Vegas setting of Zoofights RP. The character and his plotline was abandoned after I realized it was too similar to Harpy's character of Kevin/Dream Girl Kogasa. A similar character, an escape artist superhero named Johnny Gyro, was also created, but abandoned in a similar fashion for not being interesting enough.

The point is, the characters depicted in this post will not appear in Zoofights RP in any fashion this year. They may make an appearance in 2016 RP, but this is extremely dependent on my life-based circumstances not turning out rubbish. And now having probably depressed you, enjoy the post to cheer you up!)

Kaneda "K.K." Kagome has a special secret. He may be an ordinary schoolboy in the city of Sleepy Bay, but he is also the inheritor of the powers of the secret Shadow Clan of ninjas! An ancient ninja prophecy foretells that, when the evil Lord Kroak and his demon armies break out of the underworld, a hero will rise to gather the sacred Shinobi Scrolls and transform into the warrior of legend! And while K.K. may be headstrong, clumsy and constantly hungry for triple-decker cheeseburgers, he is the hero of legend - our only hope against the forces of darkness! He is...


Today's Episode: "Shinobiman Meets Kroakzilla!"

Sensei has received a letter from an old friend of his - an accomplished scientist named Doctor Wasabi from Honor Ridge city. Wasabi believes he has found another of the ancient Shinobi Scrolls, and requests that Sensei and Shinobiman retrieve it before Lord Kroak's forces can get it for themselves. K.K. soon finds himself being dragged to Honor Ridge city by his mentor, but neither are prepared for the kind of terrible tricks their enemy has in store for them...


The city of Honour Ridge. A beautiful, bustling metropolis, full of the conveniences of modern life and all the burgers you can eat! But amongst the crowded streets walk two figures who are not like the everyday people of this berg. They are K.K. and his mysterious mentor, Sensei, and the attractions of the city are extremely far from their sharpened senses as they pursue their secret ninja mission.

Well, far from Sensei's mind, anyway.

"Ninja-mazing!" cries K.K., running from one shop window to another like a child on pixie sticks. "Sintendo game systems, Kogasa action figures, Burger Bear's... They've got everything in this city! It's like I've gone to heaven for cool kids!"

Our hero doesn't get further chance to enjoy himself, however. Unimpressed with his student's silly side-antics, Sensei reaches out with one focused fingertip and delivers a classic Ninja Nerve Poke - hard enough to make his pained protege leap a foot into the air! K.K.'s ascent is only stopped by a convenient shop sign, and his painful landing leaves a considerable crack in the concrete to mark his misfortune.

"A true ninja," states Sensei, "is never distracted by his surroundings. He keeps his mind focused on his mission, no matter what."

"Hey, I'm keeping my mind plenty focused!" retorts K.K., rubbing his bruised backside. "Focused on all the triple-decker cheeseburgers I'm not eating! I haven't had a bite to eat since this morning!"

Sensei bows low, but his face does not change expression - he rarely does. "For that, Grasshopper, I am sorry. But this mission is a vitally urgent one, for it may be our best chance of defeating Lord Kroak for good - if we are not too late. Therefore, you may have to skip lunch as well"

"Aw, no!" K.K. shales his head as he gets to his feet, horrpr on his face. "I can't fight on an empty stomach, Sensei - not even for the sake of some Shinobi Scroll!" For his trouble, Sensei delivers another Ninja Nerve Poke, causing our hero to rocket skywards once more.

"This is no ordinary Shinobi Scroll," explains the wise one once his pupil comes down again. "Inscribed upon it is an ancient and powerful technique - one that most ninja have failed to master. If Lord Croak was to get his muck-covered mittens upon it, he could very well bring the world to it's knees. And that is why," he adds, ignoring the groans of pain from his sore student, "my old friend, Doctor Wasabi, has called me to retrieve it from it's shrine."

K.K.'s eyes light up with a sudden recognition. "Hey, I've heard of Wasabi! He's the one who invented that awesome new alternate reality gaming system - with realistic 3D graphics, too! But..." and now our hero shows confusion as he picks himself up again, "I didn't know he was a ninja too!"

Sensei nods. "A former one, at least. The Shadow Clan keeps it's membership a guarded secret. Wasabi may be a scientist, but he never gave up studying the ninja way. But now that he's found the Scroll-"

However, before our aged assistant can say any more, the very ground begins to tremble beneath the feet of our pair of protagonists! So great are the forces of these tremors that cars begin to bounce up and down, and potted plants fall from the windowsills above, shattering to shards on the pavement below! As the two martial artists struggle to keep their balance, they are further surprised to find panicked civilians fleeing in every direction, screaming in fear as they dash for safety anywhere they can find it!

"Great Shivering Shinobi!" cries K.K. "Is this an earthquake?!"

"I fear it is much worse than that!" responds Sensei. "Look!" And he points one wizened finger towards the city skyline.

The martial arts master's panic is well-founded. For K.K. turns just in time to see a disgusting, slimy green bulk heave into view from behind a skyscraper, massive maw split in a gurning grin and red eyes gleaming with glee! With a gasp of horror, our hero recognises the creepy countenance of Lord Kroak, the evil demon toad bent on world conquest after thousands of years of imprisonment - but this is a different Kroak altogether! For whilst the swamp-swimming slimeball K.K. is familiar with is merely the size of his family's car, this terrible tyrant is as tall as a thirty-story building, and no better looking for it!

"Run, you city slickers!" roars Lord Kroak to the panicking populace below. "Fear the wrath of the most diabolical demon to ever demolish a domicile - Kroakzilla!" And with a horrible belly-laugh, the massive monster stomps forward, driving fleeing people before him in a reckless rampage of destruction. With one sucker-covered paw, he shoves an entire skyscraper aside, and the structure collapses sideways in an avalanche of glass, steel and rubble! At the same time, Kroak's horrible warty foot comes down on top of a nearby burger joint, flattening the fast-food outlet in the blink of an eye!

"That warty creep!" cries an outraged K.K., furious that his food should be crushed in such a manner. "How did he get so big?!"

"Only one man can tell us that, Grasshopper!" calls out Sensei over the sounds of destruction. "And that is Doctor Wasabi! Oh, I hope Lord Kroak did not find that scroll!"

Thankfully, Kroakzilla has not noticed his ever-persistent enemies below his feet - he's having too much fun trampling the town. So that means K.K. and Sensei are able to high-tail it down the high street, away from the toad's terror and towards their destination, comparatively unscathed.

-------

It is not long before they have arrived at Honor Ridge University, the center of academic study in the city and have made it into the science laboratory and out of harm's way. It is here that they were to rendezvous with Doctor Wasabi, so he could tell them the hidden location of the shrine that held the Shinobi Scroll and help them to retrieve it. And meet him they do, the old scientist standing in the middle of the laboratory just as the daring duo enter, relieved to be safe from the rampaging Loard Kroak for the time being.

"Ah, there you are!" cries Wasabi, upon seeing the two. "It has been too long, Sensei, my old friend!"

"It is an honour too meet you again, " responds Sensei, with a bow. "And this, by the way, is my latest student, Kaneda." Here, he gestures to our puffed-out protagonist, who is busy trying to catch his breath from running so hard.

"Honor... to meet... you..." pants K.K. "You got... any food? I'm... starving!"

"This is your new student?" Wasabi puts one hand to his chin as he regards the newcomer with some skepticism. "The one you claim to be the warrior of legend? I imagined he would be a little taller than that!" For that remark, K.K. shoots him an exasperated expression, fed up with any and all cracks at his short size by this time, and Sensei decides to move the conversation on before his student can start with his trademark rant.

"Tell us, Wasabi," he butts in, stepping forward. "How did that cursed Kroak get to be so gigantic!"

On hearing the question, Wasabi's clenches his fists in frustration. "Oh, that fiendish frog! He must have heard that there was a Shinobi Scroll somewhere in this city, and knew that I would be looking for it. So when I managed to find out the location of the shrine, he sent his diabolical demon soldiers to follow me! And they found the shrine just as I sent that message to you to come to Honor Ridge!"

"But those dumb demons didn't come alone," points out K.K. "Someone must have told Kroak about the shrine's location."

"Yes," reveals Wasabi, nodding gravely. "His evil offspring, Vampyra and Razor, were at the vanguard. I managed to escape, but one of them had sent a message to that terrible toad to come to the shrine. And now, because of my carelessness," he laments, handing his head, "Lord Kroak is using the power of the Shinobi Scroll to create carnage in my city!"

K.K. stands tall at those words, eyes defiant and brave. "Keep your lab coat on, doc! We'll get the better of that swamp-swimming slimeball, and get that Shinobi Scroll away from him in the bargain!"

"It will not be easy, Grasshopper," Sensei puts in, stroking his beard with one hand. "The scroll is sure to be guarded heavily by those demon soldiers. And if what Wasabi says is true, then Razor and Vampyra will still be there as well, ensuring nobody would even touch that scroll. You will need to find some way of tricking those terrible two."

"And I know just the thing!" The honorable hero reaches outwards into the air, and with a flash of light his powerful signature weapon, the Shadow Sword, materializes in his hand. Wasabi jumps back in surprise, not expecting the weapon of legends to appear in the middle of his lab right in front of him, but K.K. is not yet done. Reaching into his pocket, the secret shinobi produces a small, cylindrical item - one of the fabled Shinobi Scrolls themselves - and inserts it into a slot in the hilt of his sword, giving the command as he does so:

"Secret Ninja Technique: SHINOBI CHANGE!"

And in a blaze of white light and a series of epic anime action lines, K.K. begins his epic transformation. His body is briefly wreathed in misty smoke, which quickly solidifies into the distinctive black-and-red garments. Gouts of fire flicker around his arms, feet and body, quickly forming silvery gloves, boots and a matching belt. Finally, a speeding shuriken of energy slashes across his chest, imprinting the design upon his body, before engulfing his head to form the helmet and visor, completing the transformation.

Returning from the alternate realm where transforming is a free action, the newly-changed ninja brandishes his Shadow Sword and cries out his catchphrase:

"I am... SHINOBIMAN!"

"Terrific Teriyaki!" gasps Wasabi, unable to believe what he is seeing. "You mean... your student, Sensei, is the legendary warrior, Shinobiman?!"

Sensei gives a wry grin at that remark. "I, too, find it a struggle to believe. Now, then," he adds, now addressing his superhero student, "what did you have in mind, Grasshopper?"

"Simple!" Shinobiman's voice, despite the change in costume, is still the young and peppy K.K. - in battle, he puts on a deeper, more masculine manner to disguise himself. "I'll use one of my Secret Ninja Techniques to distract Razor and Vampyra whilst I grab the scroll! Then I'll use it to send that crusty old Kroakzilla back to the swamp he crawled out of!"

"But the shrine is miles southwards from here!" cried Wasabi. "You'll never make it before Kroakzilla destroys the city!"

"Worry not, my friend," responds Sensei, placing a helping hand upon his old comrade's shoulder. "My student has a Shinobi Scroll for every occasion - even at the dinner table! And besides," he adds with a conspiratorial wink, "you and I shall delay that warty wimp ourselves, to buy Shinobiman some time!"

"Us?!" The shaking scientist looks as though he's going to have a heart attack. "Distract Kroakzilla?!"

"You've no other choice," Shinobiman puts in. "Frog Features might suspect I'm headed for the temple, and I can't risk him busting in at the wrong moment! I can't fight him when he's bigger than a triple-decker cheeseburger, so you'll have to keep him off my back until I get that scroll away from the demons!"  

Before poor Wasabi can make any move to protest, the bane of baddies is already deliberately dashing towards an open window, sprinting at speeds no ordinary human can manage before leaping out of it in a calculated dive. Both Wasabi and Sensei run after him, peering out of the window to watch the hero's descent and wondering what trick he's going to pull this time. And right on cue, our plummeting protagonist pulls out another Shinobi Scroll, inserting that into the hilt of the Shadow Sword as he initiates another secret skill of his:

"Secret Ninja Technique: SHINOBI RACCOON!"

Another flash of light engulfs our hero, and before the eyes of the older men Shinobiman transforms into his Shinobi Racoon form, complete with stylized ears on his helmet and large tail. Beating the tail in powerful strokes, the Legendary Warrior turns his downward dive into a swoop, catching the air beneath his body and flying upwards into the sky, much like the Tanuki of folklore itself. Sensei and Wasabi watch in wonderment as Shinobiman soars southwards, knowing that his course will take him to the hidden shrine... and the demons awaiting him there.

"Come on, old friend," says Sensei, pulling Wasabi away from the window. "Let us discuss my plan to keep Kroakzilla occupied."

"Is it as crazy as all of your other plans?" asks Wasabi, more than a little nervous, as they exit the university laboratory.

-------  

As Shinobiman flies southwards on his search for the Shinobi Shrine, Sensei begins to put his plan to distract Kroakzilla into action! Will our heroes be able to foil the foul frog's scheme again? Or is this problem too big for any of them to handle? And what surprises will those dastardly demons, Razor and Vampyra, have in store for our hero? 


TO BE CONTINUED 

1 comment:

  1. I read in this in the style of Speed Racer dialogue while imagining the scenes in the style of Doraemon. Fantastic

    ReplyDelete