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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Jul 3, 2011 19:14:47 GMT -8
When Basil first began his career as a detective in London, he had found it difficult to secure clients. After all, he had no reputation to speak of, no references from satisfied clients, only his skills and no way to make them known to the public. Very well, if cases would not come to him, he would ferret them out himself.
And so he had, investigating any and every hint of a crime, to the consternation of the London Police Department. But it paid off eventually, and handsomely, as the mouse began to make a name for himself.
Well, then, he would follow the same procedure here in this strange, new world. He would seek out criminals and foil their schemes until the entire city knew his name.
To that end, Justice had spent many evenings prowling about the seedier sections of town, but alas, had only succeeded so far in halting one assault, and that ruffian had escaped.
But tonight would be different; tonight he was on the trail of something significant. An explosion at a factory had piqued Basil's interest. Might it have been deliberate? It was the third such incident in as many months, according to the newspapers (bless the library with its files of back issues), all affecting manufacturers of flying machines.
The largest such company, however, was as yet untouched by saboutage. That was Khan Industries. Either they would be the next target, or they were responsible for, shall we say, nobbling the competition.
Either way, the place to search for clues was Khan Tower.
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Jul 3, 2011 21:41:12 GMT -8
The austere hallways of the Kahn Towers building were silent that night. Prowling side by side in perfect harmony with slinky, measured steps was a pair of unassuming-looking Siamese cats wearing matching black collars. In actuality, these felines were the notorious Twin Fangs... or they would be more notorious if anyone outside of Kahn Industries actually knew who they were.
The twin sisters were excellent at getting into an intended location unnoticed and then getting out. Unlike some other criminals, they didn’t seek notoriety. Their high came from the thrill of pulling one over on their targets. That was why Si and Am, as they went by when not working, made the perfect saboteurs, spies, and thieves.
In fact, their most recent job had been to “play around” in a factory that was a rival to their master Shere Kahn’s business and mucks things up a bit there. Regular cats weren’t on the police’s list of suspects to question.
After an entire day of been coped inside, Si and Am had the intention of slipping outside to hunt for a slumbering bird or a hapless rodent. Truthfully, they were really eager to test their mettle against bigger game then factory owners and rats, namely a certain group of superheroes who were beginning to make a name for themselves here in Epcot City, but Mr. Kahn had told them to wait until he required them to act against the Dream League, and they respected the great tiger far too much to defy his word.
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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Jul 4, 2011 17:13:31 GMT -8
Basil almost made his first sortie in his own person, but thought better of it, choosing instead to approach the darkened hulk of Khan Industries as The Cloaked Cavalier.
Wrapped in a convenient shadow, the Mouse of Mystery surveyed the building warily. There were no passersby about at this hour, and no policeman patrolling. But there was some sort of device mounted on the walls near every door, oscillating slowly from side to side.
What was it? Dash it all, if only these modern devices were not so strange to the transplanted Victorian. They was vaguely gun-shaped--a weapon, perhaps? At any rate, they appeared to be guarding the entrances, making ingress a bit more difficult than anticipated.
Basil frowned deep inside his inky cloak, but only for a moment. For the movement of the devices was rhythmic, faultlessly synchronized. It only required that he time his movements precisely...
When the machine swiveled away from him once more, Justice dashed forward and under its arc, ducking into a discarded bit of rubbish for a moment, and then, when his inanimate enemy again turned, slipping under the door.
It was a rather tight pinch; fortunately, Basil had grown even thinner than usual since his arrival in the future, owing to general lack of funds and his utter inability at cookery.
Of course, the Midnight Mouse might've tried destroying the device with his energy powers, but he had no desire to damage anyone's property if he could help it. He might break the letter of the law, but never the spirit.
At any rate, he was now inside.
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Jul 5, 2011 13:52:08 GMT -8
Around the same time that Justice was entering, Si and Am had just stepped into the darkened lobby of the building. They were unaware of the intruder.
The Deadly Duo were still quite some way from the main door when an interesting scent entered Si's nose. Raising her head, she sniffed the air carefully. Her eyes lit up in recognition at the new scent, and she turned to look at her sibling and partner. When she spoke, it was in a sibilant hiss of a whisper, as Si did not want Justice to overhear her. "Are you smelling that?"
Am had noticed Si pause, and had turned to see what had captured her attention. At the question her double had posed, she too stepped forward slightly and sniffed. A devious grin spread across her muzzle. “Yesss… ” How fortunate were they this night that their prey had come to them? “We are being poor hosts if not welcoming guest.”
Sharing a decisive nod between themselves, The Twin Fangs acted quickly, hiding themselves as they waited for Justice to continue moving further into their territory. Si silently leapt to the top of the secretary's empty booth and perched there, while Am climbed to the top of a large potted palm. They didn’t see Basil yet, but were aware he was there somewhere.
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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Jul 5, 2011 16:58:29 GMT -8
Justice passed as silently as possible through the darkened corridor, though he must move swiftly. What he had planned might take a good bit of time, and he must finish before the advent of business next morning.
He ought to have waited on Saturday night, he mentally chided himself, but the thought of finally having some true detective work had made Basil frightfully impatient.
Well, no time for recriminations now.
The shadow that was Justice entered the cavernous main lobby. If not for his enhanced senses, Basil shouldn't be able to see much in this stygian gloom; as it was he could make things out clearly enough: there were the elevator doors that would take him to the office of Mr. Khan himself.
The Midnight Mouse froze halfway to his goal--was that a sound of movement? He strained his extra-acute ears, scarcely breathing. Was he quite alone?
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Jul 6, 2011 9:16:41 GMT -8
The eyes of the Twins, gleaming like infernal sapphires, pieced the darkness of the corridor as the cats continued to quietly observe the strange little intruder. This was not your ordinary mouse, that much was obvious. That mask, the gloves, the cap. Usually the only creatures who wore such items were either of the superhero or supervillain set. Did this rodent fancy himself one of the two? What had bought him here?
He was moving towards the elevators. It was time for them to strike before their prey escaped. They saw him pause as though he were listening. In that moment, Si smoothly leapt down from the counter top, her paws barely making a sound as they hit the floor. As the secretary's booth was closer to the elevators then Am's position, she was the first to reach the mouse, stopping when she was only a foot or so away. Am came stalking up behind him.
"Little friend, you are needing appointment before you may see Mister Shere Kahn." Si purred, baring her sharp fangs in a grin, amused at her own remark, while Am chuckled lightly, her laughter sounding almost musical.
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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Jul 6, 2011 13:31:51 GMT -8
The barest whisper of a footstep caused Justice to wheel to his right. He didn't need his enhanced senses to tell him what those two glowing blue orbs signified.
"Cat!" he hissed, making it sound like a curse. So Mr. Khan kept a cat. Basil's opinion of that gentleman had suddenly lowered considerably.
The monster made a snide but oh-so-genteel remark, it's laughter echoing in the empty room. Well, two could play at that game.
"In that case," answered the mouse from within the folds of his cloak, "Kindly inform your...master that I have information which he will find to be to his advantage. Justice is the name...and my goal." At this he bowed, formally and coldly.
"I shall return...when least expected. Until then, I bid you good evening." Basil's best course would be a swift exit, but he intended to effect it with as much bravado as he could muster.
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Jul 6, 2011 18:59:46 GMT -8
Both Si and Am perked their triangular ears up, signifying their interest in their intended prey's comment. If this mouse truly did have important information for Kahn, it would be prudent to hear what he had to say before they delivered the coup de grace.
Surprisingly, there was honor among this particular trio of thieves. Shere Khan was their respected leader, and they were his faithful soldiers. Anything that could be of help to him would almost certainly help them. And if the rodent was just playing with them, well, they would kill him that much quicker.
"Let us not being hasty. You do not have to leave so quickly," Am crooned in her heavily accented English, stretching a long paw out behind the mouse and blocking his path. Her tone was charming, though the sibilant quality of her voice still lent it a rather eerie quality.
"Why not tell us what you have to say to Mr. Kahn? We will give him message." Si put in. She stretched out on the cool floor in a pose reminiscent of an Egyptian sphinx. At first glance, she gave off a casual appearance, but the entire time her eyes never left the mouse.
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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Jul 7, 2011 14:00:28 GMT -8
One cat was bad enough; two was swiftly shaping up to be a disaster.
Justice moved not a muscle as the sinister paw blocked his path. "I am afraid that would simply not do. It is for Mr. Kahn's ears only."
The langorous poses of the cats did nothing to put him at ease, for Basil well knew a feline could spring up in the barest moment, all tooth and claw. His every sense was on the alert, planning three different escape routes, playing the part until the last possible instant.
"Only tell him so, and you will have served your master well."
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Jul 10, 2011 19:02:43 GMT -8
Si's eyes narrowed into sapphire slits as she stared down at mouse. Neither she nor Am appreciated secrets being kept from them. "You are not familiar with us, so we will be ...."
"... Pardoning your ignorance. We are Kahn's ears" Am finished for her sister.
"What he knows, we know." Si piped up proudly once more.
"How we know you are not... stringing us along?" Am asked. Promptly unsheathing one curved black talon, Am raised the razor-sharp claw in front of her face and seemed as though she was carefully examining it. Her mind wasn't on the flawless claw as much as what she would like to be doing with it just the
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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Jul 18, 2011 11:23:00 GMT -8
Justice permitted himself a mirthless smile. "Your colloquialisms are really very droll, I am sure, in certain circles. But I am not such a philanthropist as to give away valuable information. Are you authorised to negotiate for Khan as well?"
Perhaps it was time to increase the bid. "Charming as this conversation has been, I'm afraid I have a good many demands upon my time. Kindly step aside, for it may be difficult to pacify Mr. Khan after I am forced to damage his minions."
The mouse's tone was icy, filled with every ounce of authority Basil could inject.
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Jul 18, 2011 14:58:02 GMT -8
Both felines uttered low displeased growls, kinked tails swinging from side to side like pendulums as they glared at Justice. If this mouse hadn't claimed that he was in possession of important information, then they would've been on him by the time his first sentence had left his mouth.
He was right, the sisters did not negotiate for Kahn. Not that they would ever admit that aloud to him however. As it were, their paws were tied. But their egos (which were mighty indeed) would not allow a mere rodent to get away with brazenly insulting them.
Hissing, Am moved to hover menacingly over the vigilante, baring her fangs. "You dare threaten us?"
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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Jul 18, 2011 16:19:17 GMT -8
Perhaps Basil had overplayed his hand...
Well, there was nothing for it now. He dared not back down, or show the slightest hesitation.
Facing the approaching feline with a suitably bored expression on his masked face, Justice moved not a muscle, though he could feel the creature's hot breath, it was so near.
"Not a threat; merely an observation." The Midnight Mouse was determined not to attack unless the cats did first. But this interview was dragging on far too long. The enforced inactivity was causing the energy within Basil to build up to an alarming degree. He could feel it surging like the tide beating against the rocks.
"This is pointless. I will thank you to give Mr. Khan my message."
His cloak gathered round his slim form, Justice moved past the threatening Siamese with what he intended as a casual stride. However, the pent-up energy imparted a jerky overtone to his movements. Even his voice came out more feverish than suave.
Basil had his eye on the hallway through which he had entered. It was long, but it ought to be easy enough to retrace his steps. If, that is, he could continue unmolested.
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Jul 18, 2011 20:19:35 GMT -8
At present, Si and Am were too caught up in their own thoughts to pay much attention to the subtle changes in Justice's voice and movements. Sitting on her haunches, Am conversed with her littermate in their native Thai.
"Must we let him go?" Am sounded somewhat disappointed.
"I am afraid so. I don't think he came here looking for kitchen scraps. If he really does have important information for Khan, then it would be wise not to harm him."
Respectfully, Am slightly inclined her head to Si. "You are right as usual, sister dear."
Si returned her full attention to Justice, leveling an peevish stare at the mouse. Returning to English, she said, "Very well. Message will be delivered. Khan speak to you and seeing what you know soon enough."
"But when you outliving your usefulness..." Am pointed her claw his way, a sinister grin on her maw.
"You belong to us." Si finished with a snap of her jaws. "But we are fair cats. You will be getting sporting chance to defend yourself, hero." She practically spat the word out. With a name like Justice, both cats presumed him to be one of those boring, silly do-gooders who ran around spoiling the fun of ambitious and clever souls like themselves.
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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Jul 19, 2011 18:26:20 GMT -8
Well now, that went off even better than Basil could have hoped. The twin cats, barring a few expected threats, were prepared to let him pass.
Retreating into the darkness, the mouse could not refrain a smile at the ease with which he deceived the pair. Though they suspected a ruse, they dared not risk Kahn's disapproval. Really, it had been child's play.
And the more he pondered it, the more pleased he grew with his own cleverness. Positively brilliant, that's what it was. And the world must know of it.
Before he quite realized what he was about, Basil paused at the archway that led to the exit and, turning, cast a final remark at his adversaries.
"How very stupid felines are. Why, they will believe anything."
It was a side-effect of his super-power, that when the energy within built up with no means of discharge, Justice's personality was affected. Either his tendency toward melancholy, or his fervency while on a case, or, as now, his vanity was magnified quite beyond the bounds of reason. He scarcely understood it himself, and thus was powerless to guard against it, else Basil would never have jeopardized his escape in such a foolish manner.
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Jul 20, 2011 8:35:28 GMT -8
Si and Am, who had been sharing a bit of a laugh at Justice's expense only minutes before, perked up their ears at his insult before their surprise was immediately replaced by fury. Unleashing feline cries of rage, they launched themselves at the spot where the mouse stood.
Their long claws were unsheathed, and their vow to allow him to leave unmolested was forgotten in the heat of their animalistic fury. The sisters were willing to put up with some things, but not being insulted by a creature they viewed as dinner.
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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Jul 21, 2011 15:52:10 GMT -8
Egad, why ever did he say that? It was as if he could not help himself. Yet there was no time to think on it now. The two cats, predictably, pounced at him, and if Basil did not react at once, his thinking days would be over in a trice.
He realized instantly that his initial escape route down the corridor to the back entrance was hopeless; a feline running at top speed would be upon him in some three seconds.
In less time than it takes to tell, Justice opted for his secondary plan, leaping, not away from the cats, but at a right-angle to their tracectories. The mouse barely touched the potted plant that was his target before bounding again to a chair, then to a wall-mounted fire extinguisher. At each successive point he changed direction, like a cue ball in a game of snooker, which served the two-fold purpose of expending some of the pent-up energy within and making him much more difficult to capture.
His last bound took the Midnight Mouse into the mouth of a long glass tube mounted half-way up the wall. He didn't know the purpose of the tube, only that he could fit inside and the cats could not. It ran upward for some distance, then turned to follow the length of the room and then out through a hole in the wall to who-knows-where, but for Basil, it looked like as safe a haven as he was likely to find.
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Jul 21, 2011 20:50:05 GMT -8
Si and Am missed their target as he bounded with unnerving speed out of their path. Luck was not on their side, as the slippery floor caused them to slide and nearly collide with one another. Instinctively, they used their claws to slow their momentum.
There wasn't much time for them to be embarrassed by their momentary lack of dignity, as the sisters turned to look for Justice.
There!
The cats' sped after Justice, their eyes following his every movement as he bounced from object to object. The accursed little beast just didn't wear that costume for looks -- he possessed powers as well! They reached the tube that Justice had taken refuge inside at the same time.
"You can be running..." Si purred sinisterly, reaching an elegant paw inside the tube in an attempt to grab the annoying mouse.
"... But you cannot hide!" Am snickered nastily as she peered through the clear plastic tube at Justice. She and Si knew what the tube was for. There were several of them in Khan Towers. letters and things would be placed in a container and put inside the tube, which, after a button was pressed, would then shoot it off to a certain room in the tower.
A light bulb went off in Am's head, and she nudged Si with her shoulder and pointed to the red button. Catching onto Am's idea, Si grinned and hit the button. They knew where this particular tube came out at. They would take a short cut and catch Justice while he was trying to find a way out.
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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Jul 22, 2011 16:47:25 GMT -8
Once inside the tube, Justice knew he was still not safe. There were several feet of vertical tubing ahead before the mouse would reach the first bend; from there it would be an easy dash along the horizontal section, which disappeared through a hole in the wall.
But first, to get there. It was too narrow for Basil to leap up, so he wedged his back against one side of the tube and his feet against the other. Thus braced, he was able to inch his way upward, though not without a terrible physical strain.
The detective could feel the sweat begin to bead on his forehead as he struggled to climb ever higher, each moment expecting to feel those needle-like talons raking his body. No, don't think about that; concentrate on the task at hand. Higher...just a bit higher...
Without warning, the tube was suddenly filled with a great blast of wind, which struck Justice from behind, dragging him upward at breakneck speed. His gloved hands clawed frantically at the glass but found no purchase, nothing to prevent his being slammed into the first elbow joint and whisked along the horizontal section, only to collide with the wall again at the next curve.
Basil threw up his arms in an attempt to protect his head, as his body battered its way through the infernal tube, losing all sense of direction. After what seemed an eternity, the hurricaine ceased as abruptly as it had begun, depositing Justice none too gently in a rumpled heap.
Half-conscious, bruised in every part of his body, the Mouse of Mystery pried one eye open. He lay in the mouth of a tube identical to the one he so injudiciously entered. Dragging himself forward, Basil dropped from the torture device and into space.
It was a dangerous move; he might conceivably fall to his death, but anything was better than risking that wind again. Fortunately for the detective, he fell only a short distance, landing upon the relatively soft surface of an open book. There he lay, panting, mentally ordering himself to rise.
After all, it wouldn't take those fiendish felines long to figure out what had become of him. Doubtless they were already well on their way; he had to find a means of escape.
Basil pushed himself onto his hands and knees, swaying slightly. His enhanced senses made the details of the room stand out, even with nothing but the emergency lighting in view. Door, window, corridor, elevator...and then his attention was arrested by the book beneath his feet. It was an appointment book.
"Pick up Mr. K's dry cleaning"
It was the desk of Khan's secretary.
Basil couldn't believe his good fortune. Here was a gold mine of information, a record of everything the mogul had done for months.
Striking a match for a better look, the Midnight Mouse began to rifle through the pages.
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Jul 24, 2011 21:16:27 GMT -8
Seeing the pneumatic tube take affect and Justice go rocketing through tube, Si and Am tore off through the lobby, heading for the elevator. Once there, it was a simple matter for Am to spring up in a leap and strike the button that would open the elevator doors.
Their destination? The sixth floor where Shere Kahn's secretary's office was located. There was simply no way that they were going to run up six flights of stairs. Cats weren't endurance runners, they were built for the stalk and ambush. Besides, even though they had lost sight of their prey, this was still their territory. They had intimate knowledge of the layout of Khan Towers. Once they found the rodent, he would meet a grisly end.
The cats entered the elevator when it opened, careful to make certain that their tails were well away from the doors as they began to close. Si braced herself, allowing Am to use her body as a stepping stone to reach the button that would take the elevator to the sixth floor. Even while standing up on her hind legs it was difficult for Am to reach the button, but she managed to press it down with an extended talon.
As it started moving, the elevator gave a bit of a lurch. Neither feline liked the bizarre sensation that accompanied riding on an elevator, but grit their teeth and tried to ignored it. Upon reaching the sixth floor, the doors finally parted and the twins all but sped out, making a beeline for the office. Their footfalls made the lightest of sounds as they struck the floor.
***
Finally having found the office, the Twin Fangs couldn't resist purring with glee as they stood outside the door. They just knew that that miserable hero was in here. A closed door was no impediment to them. Siamese were considered to be among the most intelligent breeds of cat (though the girls felt this was a truth, not a fact) and were quite capable of doing things like opening latches and turning doorknobs.
They repeated the same trick they had used to work the elevator; Am acting as a stepping block while Si stood on her back and reached for the doorknob.
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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Jul 25, 2011 18:04:24 GMT -8
Turning the pages was not easy, but Justice went at it with a will, scanning the sheets for something of interest. Then, on the page for last Tuesday, he spotted the cryptic memorandum: "Contact AB." That was two days before the most recent aereonautics-factory accident.
Continuing backward, the Midnight Mouse caught his breath when he saw it again. The secretary was instructed to "Conatact AB" once more on the 25th of last month. Which was precisely two days before a similar accident at another of Khan's competitors.
Basil was smiling now, flipping the pages with feverish glee, all thought of his feline adversaries pushed out of his mind. Those weird energies that infused the mouse's body were once again exciting his personality foibles, this time his love of crime detection, relegating his common sense to the furthest recesses of Basil's conciousness.
He ought to be escaping while he might, but the Mouse of Mystery just had to see if the same notation was present on March the 15th.
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Aug 4, 2011 19:27:46 GMT -8
Wrapping a paw around the doorknob, Si twisted it in one direction, then the other. It wouldn't turn all the way, regardless of how she moved it. Si's angular features expressed displeasure at finding the door locked. Calmly, Am glanced up at her sibling, but didn't say anything. The locked door was a minor problem, a mere pebble in their path.
Extending a claw, Si stuck it into the keyhole and began experimentally working it around. The Twins had discovered the art of lock-picking purely by accident on a routine mission, and had never forgotten the handy trick. Hearing a click, a satisfied Si then wound her paw around the doorknob and turned it once more.
The door slowly swung open a few inches before stopping. Si leaped off Am, and together the Twins poked their heads inside the room, trying to see if they could spot Justice before they shouldered their way in. Although the two were careful not to make any noise, the door still gave a small but discernible whine of sorts, as though to protest at the intrusion.
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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Aug 7, 2011 13:25:55 GMT -8
There it was, the 18th of March, just as Basil predicted. He could not resist a triumphant "Ha!"
"Beware the Ides of March, Mr. Khan," murmured the detective to himself.
A sound intruded upon his thoughts, the sound of a door opening. Something within his brain registered the noise and its undoubted significance.
"Yes, yes," muttered Justice, as though someone was standing there, interrupting his investigation. "One moment more..."
He fully intended to effect his escape, but it was so very difficult to leave this treasure trove of potential clues unmined.
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Sept 3, 2011 20:34:11 GMT -8
Overhearing Justice mumbling under his breath, a toothy smirk spread across Si's muzzle as she and Am came to stand right behind the preoccupied mouse. What a little fool he was!
"Please, take all the time you are needing." Si hissed, drawing back a paw in the air, fully intending to rake her claws across her prey's back.
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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Sept 5, 2011 17:45:25 GMT -8
The cat's remark, coming so close behind him, startled the Cloaked Cavalier so completely that he inadvertantly let loose with a blast of energy. It radiated in all directions from his body, scorching the desk and everything else within a fourteen-inch radius.
What a fool he'd been, though, truthfully, that infernal enregy power of his had certainly played a hand in this business. But the danger had snapped him back to his senses, beside which, this long-overdue expulsion of energies served to clear his brain.
With no time to choose either direction or target, Justice leaped away, though unsure whether it would be in time to escape the claws that undoubtedly were aimed at his throat.
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Oct 2, 2011 15:13:30 GMT -8
That accidental discharge of energy served to force the Twin Fangs off the desk, yowling in rage and pain. Si landed in the secretary's chair and Am on the floor. That had hurt! How dare that parasite-ridden pest injure their persons!
Eyes burning with fury, they returned their attention to Justice, who was leaping away. Neither cat was willing to give up the chase. Springing back up on the singed desk, Si determinedly charged after Justice with her fangs bared, while Am waited and watched for her chance join in.
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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Oct 4, 2011 18:23:27 GMT -8
Justice came down on the wooden arm of a chair, but wasted not a moment before leaping again, this time with a definite target in mind. Doubtless those felines were right behind him, and the mouse dared not risk even a glance over his shoulder to find out.
No, he angled toward the window this time, his chosen escape route. Catching the cord hanging there, Basil slipped through the venetian blinds; they made a poor shield, but perhaps they would buy him a moment's purchase.
The window would be shut and snibbed, he knew, but the blinds made a sort of ladder that was quite simple to climb. The detective scrambled up to the top of the expansive lower pane. There was the latch, as expected, but it was dashed difficult to open.
Justice exerted all his strength on the lever, bracing himself on the glass wall behind, but it only moved half-way. He must keep at it, however...must get that window open...
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Oct 14, 2011 15:43:51 GMT -8
Indeed, if Justice had glanced behind him, then he would've caught sight of Si bearing down on him like a bull. Rather then land on the arm of the chair like he had when he jumped from the desk, she landed in the seat and aimed a clawswipe the Cloaked Cavalier's way, but he was already on the move again.
"The window!" Am gasped from her position. Springing like a tiger, she succeeded in landing on the window sill. She had to be careful; the sill wasn't very wide. The accursed blinds served to block her from their quarry, but she could still smell and hear him. Trying to open the latch, was he? Balancing herself on her hind legs, Am managed to snake a paw in between the blinds and made a grab for Justice.
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Post by Justice, The Cloaked Cavalier on Oct 14, 2011 18:22:29 GMT -8
The latch seemed hopelessly beyond his strength. But defeat meant death, and so Justice tried again, this time bracing his back against the glass and pushing with both feet. At last, he was rewarded when the hasp slid open.
Would the window prove as difficult to open? Before the detective could even frame the thought, his foe had reached him. One huge paw crashed through the blinds, its claws like scimitars raking the air.
Basil flung himself aside, but one of the daggers raked his arm, eliciting an involuntary cry. Foul beast! The mouse saw the stain spreading down his sleeve, but there was no time even to bind up the wound with his handkerchief.
Instead, he used his sword to fire a bolt of energy in the direction he judged the attacking feline to be behind the screen of the blinds. Even if he missed completely, it might serve to frighten the brute back apace, giving him a moment of breathing room.
Of course, Justice might try shattering the window with a similar blast, but, standing as he was in such proximity, the shards would quite probably finish the job the cat had begun. Besides which, he was not at all certain of the strength of his untested powers.
At once abandoning his place on the sill, Basil seized the venetian blind cord, which wasn't easy with one injured arm, flung himself into space and, describing an arc on the end of the cord, swung back to the window like a pendulum.
It was a desperate gamble, for if the window stuck, he would simply bounce off. But fortune favours the bold, and when his feet struck the glass, the well-balanced window swung outward.
Justice, of course, continued his forward motion out into the night air, and would've swung back into the waiting arms of the twins, had he not dropped onto the outside ledge.
There he crouched on hands and knees, panting, taking stock of the situation.
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Post by The Twin Fangs on Oct 25, 2011 15:54:53 GMT -8
The sound of Justice crying out in pain was like the sweetest music to Am's ears. The salty tang of hot blood held the promise that Am would get to crush her and her sister's hated foe's bones between her jaws.
Grinning like a certain pink and purple magical feline now, Am continued to slashing at the miniature hero. Seeing Justice aim his blade at her and a flash of bright light similar to the one they had seen earlier when he had shocked them, Am hastily leaped clear, landing on the back of the chair. She did not want a repeat of that experience. As tiny as the mouse was, he was proving to be a surprisingly tough opponent.
"What happened? Where is he?" Si demanded in Thai as she padded over to where Am was perched. She had been watching the fight, and seen the jolt of energy fly harmlessly through the air, but wanted to hear the story from Am.
"He was about to use his lightning trick again. I had to get out of the way." Am growled, not trying to conceal her disappointment at failing to catch Justice. She knew Si would not be angry with her, but she was angry at herself.
Once Am jumped back down to the floor, together, the cats sprang up on the sill. Looking through the blinds, they could see their prey on the ledge, gathering himself. He had been right in their grasps, and they had lost him! This simply would not do.
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