Bump and Grind [Tag: Irma]

"Today's the big day! Meet the one, the only... Chris Bradford! He will be inside our very own NYCC today to meet and greet with his biggest fans and to autograph whatever merchandise you throw at him! Don't miss your chance to meet the great Chris Bradford, an action hero movie star for the ages and all-around Martial Arts expert today at NYCC!"

It was that day again. Bradford knew that he would get bombarded with some of his most dedicated and beloved fans. While many celebrities enjoyed this kind of thing, Chris felt it was a chore. He didn't care what his movies taught them as far as life lessons were concerned. No matter how devoted they were to some of his greatest line delivery in some of his most infamous roles, Bradford always felt under-appreciated. Did these apes even know how much preparation went into becoming an action icon? Chris walked into his own little section of the NYCC only to be bombarded with thunderous cheers and applause. There were a ton of people here today. So many people with their wives, sisters, friends and some kids.

Feeling obligated, Chris returned their cheers with a welcoming smile and waved to the sea of fans who paid their ticket just to listen to the same answers he's given at other conventions. But NYCC was the largest pop culture event on the East Coast. Having him was a huge deal for them, it put asses in seats. He was the one and only panelist for his own private panel and that was all they wanted. He could hardly hear himself think from all of the screams and cheers erupting from within. Chris lowered his head and began chuckling as he surveyed all of his adoring fans and their action figures and tee shirts; no doubt for him to sign later. Did they think it would be free?

"Whoa! Lotta fans out there for NYCC! You guys rock!", the master martial artist complimented for a cheap pop as they erupted louder with each chant and cheer. After an hour and a half of dealing with some of his older fans who now had kids of their own he relented. He began autographing things and warning them not to sell it on eBay or he would fine them a grand; jokingly, of course. But they always loved seeing the action star telling stories about his fellow actors and even demonstrated some of his skills in front of the audience.

He glanced down at his Rolex and gave a sigh as the last father and son duo scattered his panel in glee at the signed figure still in mint condition. It was 7:45 PM. Cold. NYCC was still full of people. Someone ran up to Chris and offered him a nice, cold beer which he used as an advantage to humor some of his fanatics and turned it up to chug it all down. He could still act the 'frat boy' when provoked. The group of buzzed idiots cheered him on, shaked his hand and snapped photos with the martial arts master. He could find them on Facebook later. Chris had his Gym bag in his hand, full of photos for signing and some of his gear for the demonstrations. He was on the way to his car when he inadvertently bumped into a young woman in thick glasses.

"Hey! This is expensive designer materials! Watch it, or- Hey...", Chris started strong with that bad temper but realized what he had just done. Oh no, it still wasn't his fault at all. In fact that wouldn't even be referenced again for the rest of the night because what stood before him was the perfect example of a lonely fangirl on her way to the con just up ahead. "You here for the, uh... For the con? I just got out of it myself. I was one of the panelists, maybe you'd heard of me before. Name's Bradford. Chris Bradford.", he proudly stated with a wide grin. The kind of smile that just oozed confidence. He was such a conceited asshole.

Chuckling a little, Chris decided to confront her and extract some info for his own records. He noticed she had a manga in her hands. Not that he knew what that was, though it had two dudes on it. Gross. "... And who might you be?"

NYCC is packed. Irma had a difficult time trying to get through the crowds. It was jammed with the misfits of New York City. Many of them were dressed in costumes from all sorts of media. The cosplay scene seems to be the focus of the con. There was a cosplay contest that was going to start in a few minutes. Often times she found herself fangirling over someone dressed up as her favorite Anime or video game character. Most of them were aloof, even rude. Normally it gets a lot to ruffle her feathers and is used to rudeness. She has dealt with rude behavior before. She just hoped that the con would take her mind off work.

A part of her wished April could be here so that she won't go through this alone. What if something happened to her? But then she would have to deal with Casey's taunts and teasing. Honestly, what did April see in that guy? You think he evolved from a baboon.

After making a quick trip to the dealer's room, she managed to retrieve a few manga titles. Most of the titles were not something most people were comfortable with. Especially men. Her reading material is often the butt of Casey's many jokes. She would retaliate by pointing out to him that he watches girl on girl porn so it wasn't any different. Jones would shut his mouth, for the time being.

She was on her way towards the building when something sharp shoved her aside. Irma was about to make a witty retort at the rude stranger, but couldn't. Her eyes widened in surprise. It couldn't be...

That guy looked familiar. Where had she seen him? Chris Bradford! The action star. Admittedly, Irma had never been much of a fan of action films. Way too macho for her, but he had been a guest on one of the soap operas. Okay, she confessed, perhaps she had seen at least one or two of his films. Some of those action studs were hot.

He asked her a question and was expecting an answer. His eyes landed on her manga. She quickly stuffed into her purse. Her voice started trembling,"M-My name is Irma Langistein. Is it really that obvious?" Her hands trembled as she tries to stuff the manga into the purse, but it didn't seem to fit. She did not want him looking at the title, but judging from the cover, he probably already knows what kind of comic it was.

Chris waited for a moment and was about to walk off without saying a word, until she did say something. It was the right time, right place as she knew who he was. The expression on her face could tell some stories. The action star smiled softly and folded his arms over his muscular chest as he pondered on how to play this one. She seemed sweet enough, young, at least in her twenties. The stylish glasses look, the long black hair and she was going to the con alone. Oh yeah, he had this one by the ass! Chris offered her his hand to shake.

M-My name is Irma Langistein. Is it really that obvious?"

Chris shook his head and responded with a shrug of his strong shoulders, the flowing brown locks resting across his shoulder blades. "Maybe a little.", he laughed playfully. This would be fun. "But I wouldn't worry so much about it. After all, you're out here and... Well... At least you're with a lot of like-minded people, right?", Chris asked in his usual teasing manner. He wouldn't dare insult an entire group of people who dedicate their lives to see overweight friends dress up as their favorite characters.

But that was beside the point. Irma here just so happened to run into him, on his way out of this maniacal madhouse of insane fangirls and Anime-obsessed teenagers. He noticed her trying to stuff something inside of her purse to no avail. Obviously Chris had already caught a glimpse of it. So, being the 'nice guy' that he was gently took it from her and stuffed it down inside her purse for her; all the while keeping his eyes locked on hers with that million dollar smile of his. He just wondered if she was meeting someone here or if she truly was here by her lonesome.

"So... Meeting someone else here? If you're waiting on friends, I'll let you go. I wouldn't want to hold you up from an evening of guaranteed fun...", the action icon reassured with a warm smile as he adjusted the strap of the Gym bag u onto his shoulder once more.

Irma pondered this question. She would've invited April, but then would've had to bring that obnoxious Casey Jones along with her. He would be making a lot of snide comments about the costume goers, having bad taste, the works. It never ends with him.

Irma shook her head,"Not really." She's still a little floored that Chris Bradford shook her hand. Oh my god, he shook my hand! She would've swooned and blacked out if he wasn't standing right in front of her."Just getting some things sign and maybe pick up a few souvenirs."

Her mouth dropped as she watched him picked up the comic and carefully slipped it inside her purse. It was an embarrassing situation, but at the same time, the gesture was...sweet. Few had ever been this nice or polite to her. Usually she would hear the occasional snide comment from a few coworkers, including Vern.

Looking around at the crowd of nerds and mentally challenged fanboys, Irma regained her composure and gave the action star a warm smile in return,"I guess so...although I wouldn't call fully grown manchildren wearing bad costumes and lackluster social skills company." Her nose wrinkled a bit, "Haven't these guys ever heard of deodorant?"

So, Irma wasn't meeting anyone here tonight. She didn't have really any company at all? It was quite pathetic but Bradford relented. He would have to warm her up and, like many before her, feel the sting of him leaving the morning after with not so much as a wave goodbye. His smirk could have given him away had she truly known him outside of his iconic action hero status. In fact, many tabloids had the goods on him. Those bastards took his check and printed the slander anyway. Oh well, no one ever read the Inquisitor nowadays anyway... Or did they? The joke would be on him if so.

"Well, okay then. Maybe I can give you a tour of this place. You do have your stub, right? You know, to get in?", Chris asked rather curiously. It was so easy manipulating this type of woman. She was probably a virgin, and virgins are only good one time. "If not, don't worry about it. I can still get us inside. If you really want.", the martial artist teased with a slow grin forming. All the chicks dug a guy who was the 'bad boy'. It didn't matter what situation it was, so long as they proved their manhood in general delinquency.

Irma defined the casual con attendees and it caused him to snicker at her choice of words. But he couldn't disagree with her. Many of the people who loitered around a con was some type of manchild who hadn't yet hit puberty or discovered a real woman. It was sad and incredibly pathetic. Chris had a hot babe on each arm at all times but tonight he was going solo. After all, Irma needed his company. Chris could tell that she was just here for collectibles and maybe to see some actual good cosplay. Perhaps he would have to give her an exclusive tour of the NYCC since his status gets him everywhere.

"I can tell that you don't really belong here. Other than buying some souvenirs to decorate your room, of course. These places can be pretty expensive. I don't see how some of these people can even afford being here. What did you want to hit up first? Gift shop? Anime Palace?", he asked with a warm and inviting smile as he crossed his arms over his chest yet again. She was cute with those glasses. Really cute.

Irma searched through her pocket for the stub and waved it,"Got it right here."

There is a difference between Irma and the rest of these con goers. Irma knows the difference between reality and fiction very well. Most of these con goers are fanboys and fangirls obsessed with a specific Anime character. She had heard disturbing stories of cosplayers getting stalked and even harassed. Yaoi fangirls were among those who had been stalking the male con goers, even some women. Irma admitted that she did enjoyed a yaoi manga or two but usually keeps it to herself. She knows the writing is bad, but who the hell cares?

Perhaps a body guard would be a good idea after all. The stories of harassment had always gotten to Irma. It is never wise to go to a con alone. Bradford would be the perfect anti-creep weapon.

"I guess I can use a body guard. I doubt its for free though." She whipped out her checkbook,"How much do I owe you?" Some celebrities can be very stingy when it comes to giving things away for free. There has to be a reason why Bradford was willing to help a nobody like her.

This was quite the awkward predicament. Not so much for Irma as it was for Chris Bradford. That was only because Saki had given him an objective: find the mutants that interrupted the business of the Foot Clan and destroy them. There were no leads. Nothing he could truly go by other than certain witness accounts claiming they saw four green turtles standing upright and doing Ninjutsu. Now that was going to be difficult to pinpoint. Funny, wasn't it? That it would be so hard to find four beings that should stand out like a sore thumb.

But just because he was given a mission did not mean his life should be spoiled. After all, it was all about the babes and the fortune with the martial arts master. Not that Irma fit into either category, you understand. But she was cute in her own nerdy little way. Chris could admit that the 'sexy Librarian' look turned him on. Irma had it in spades. She took him off guard when she pulled out what looked like a checkbook and offered to pay him for... Protection? Chris would jump at the chance to make free money, especially now given that he wasn't getting movie gigs.

And just like that he decided it was against his better judgment. It was a rare form when Chris would ever pass up the offer of financial reward for doing basically nothing. But he had to play this right. Play it smooth. "Irma...", the icon sighed. "I can't take your money. Not like that. I offered to give you a tour because it seemed we could both use the company. Not because I expected something in return. Keep it, use it for your... Souvenirs.", Chris smiled softly. Irma would be the 'lucky lady' for the evening.

"I'll tell you what... Agree to have dinner with me later and we'll call it even. Deal? So, where would you like to go first?", he asked as he snaked his muscled arm around her and gently pulled her in. Too soon? He would know soon enough, he supposed. Since she had her ticket stub, this should be a lot easier now.

Irma was taken aback by this sudden act of generosity. Or was it generosity? She may had been working for channel six news for over half a year, but she wasn't born yesterday. Anyone with skills in journalism would've known about Chris' legendary temper and outbursts, not to mention he was never seen without some 'babe' on each arm. No doubt they were a bunch of ditzes with an IQ of 80 and obviously mooching off daddy warbucks. Anyone with better judgment then she would've been suspicious of this invitation and generosity.

Then he offered her dinner. Me? He's offering me to dinner? She would've fainted on the spot, but managed to regain her composure. No way is she going to make a fool of herself, especially not in front of Chris Bradford. She can get back at her colleagues by bragging about this for hours. Who wouldn't pass up the chance to dine with an action star?

"Anime Palace." She answered. Trying hard to contain her excitement she added,"As for that dinner you're offering, deal."

Deal, huh? That sealed it. This girl was hot for him, and what woman wasn't? He was Chris Bradford of action star status. No girl was going to rebut him. How could they? He had the looks, the wealth, the fame... No girl could have said no to Chris no matter how hard they tried. Well, except for Karai. But she was a cold-hearted bitch anyway. Some days Chris wondered why Shredder even gave a damn about his prude of a daughter. She always displayed the goods, yet refused any advances from any of the clan. What was she? Some sort of tease? Probably. Karai was good at at least that.

But Irma here wasn't teasing a thing. She wanted this. She needed this. Chris knew he didn't have his jaw slapped silly or a pointed knee aimed at his groin. Irma must have liked how he was pulling her closer into him as they strolled through the con looking for the anime shop. It was one of this con's most popular attractions, aside from Bradford. But he only agreed once they met his demands of paying him $10, 000 a visit. They could afford it! He didn't feel one bit of remorse for taking from them since all they did was bleed him dry with stupid fans and their lame questions.

"So, Irma... What part of town are you from? Anywhere close by?", the action icon asked curiously. He recalled seeing a badge in her purse with the Channel 6 logo splattered across it. Did she work for them? Was she an 'ace reporter'? Maybe she knew April O'Neil! Now there was a babe! Still, Irma looked awfully lonely tonight. Anime Palace would just be the start of their magical night.

As soon as they got to Anime Palace, indeed, it was the most popular section at the convention, since it was over crowded, but the moment they laid their eyes on Chris, some of them moved out of their way. This surprised Irma. No one would move out of their way while they were on her path. Irma would wind up tripping and falling on her face. They were probably just afraid of Chris. His presence seems to have reduced the crowd, at least for a bit.

On the shelves were wall to wall manga, in ABC order. Several shelves have doujinishi, or fan produced manga, but it was in the 18 plus older section. Irma was not interested to read the more...'classier' titles. Shounen ai is just fine by her. She just need to find a few copies of Gravitation and Yami no Matsuei.

Irma read the cover of this newest manga that seems to be hot with the yaoi fandom. Jun Jun Romantica. She made a face. She might enjoy the occasional yaoi every now and then, but she does have her standards.

Hearing Brad's questioned she glanced at the Channel six badge and shook her head,"Not really. Not unless you like driving through traffic."

Chris and Irma approached the little anime shop within the event and he found that people had intentionally scattered out of their way. He was a popular person within the con, and in their hearts. Chris was a hero to many of the con goers and he could sense their respect for him a mile away. It was so obvious the impact that he had made on their lives with his entertaining movies and martial arts expos. But they were still a bunch of freeloading, ass-kissing parasites.

Irma seemed impressed by this. Their act of generosity did not go unnoticed by her and it made Chris smirk at the thought. After all, when everyone knew how badass you were they also started to realize how much they didn't want to fuck with you. It was like royalty walking down the aisle and Irma was the fair maiden. Well, fair or lucky. Pick one. He found himself mentally cackling at this image of people spreading out of their way just to represent their favorite action star.

It was hilarious. Fucking brilliant. The icing on the cake, if you will.

At her response, Chris simply shrugged and glanced over at her. She was a woman of few words, wasn't she? He would have to do something about that. There were figures and manga collections as far as the eye could see. An employee dressed as a giant-eyed, disproportionate character from an anime show approached them and Chris just glared. The employee did a cute little wave and patted them on the head. He wanted to deck that bitch right then and there.

"Huh. That was... Unexpected. You know who that was? I don't know any of this stuff. Never got exposed to much of it, honestly.", Chris admitted. But he was aware of the fandom itself and knew how loony these stooges could be. Fans... More like obsessed stalkers.

Irma glanced at the employee dressed as Ichigo from Tokyo Mew Mew. The employee is decked in the café maid outfit. The expression on Brad's face was priceless,"Some Anime called Tokyo Mew Mew. I doubt you will be into it; its mostly for kids. If that is not your style, there is always the hentai section." She waved at the 18 plus older, which is, as always, at the back of the store,"If that is your thing. Hentai is pretty popular with the older crowd."

Irma sniffed. She never found the idea of tentacle sex and big breasted women that appealing. She always thought those type of Anime were degrading to women. There was also this fetish about rape, which is even more disturbing then tentacle sex.

If it isn't hentai, its usually ecchi and harem anime that is popular with the boys.

The feeling was strange, though. Irma rarely shared her interests with anyone besides April. April never struck her as a fan of this stuff although she did liked Twilight. At least they can bond over that. Then again April is always on Team Jacob while she is on Team Edward. Usually they would have long winded arguments over who is better. April always did have poor taste in men. Just look at Casey Jones. He had the mannerisms of a wild animal.

Lucky girl, Irma thought bitterly.

"Hen-Tai?", Chris looked at her awkwardly. He wasn't big into this whole scene but Irma had probably expected that. He was known for being the big, gruff action star from the childhood of billions. Time didn't afford him such luxuries. But then again maybe this 'hentai' was just an artsy style of comic book reading. It would make sense. Chris was totally oblivious to the world of anime and wasn't involved in its cultural phenomenon. Of course there was Pokémon, which he endorsed.

It was one of the few anime-related products that got an official endorsement from Chris Bradford. It aired as a commercial showing Chris playing a handheld with the game cartridge, displaying awe-inspiring emotions while doing so. It was one of the few times that a commercial featuring him also aired in the US. Originally it had been shown only in Japan. They loved him overseas. The East always embraced the American action icon. But here he was with Irma looking over stuff he didn't give two flips about.

Perhaps he would've been more into this stuff if he were younger. True, he still maintained his youthful traits such as bragging and showing off but that wasn't as widely accepted these days. Not that Chris cared, you understand. Irma seemed to be having fun though. For his bigger plan, that was all that truly mattered right now. He picked up one of the books in the back of the store and opened it. His eyes widened at how expressive the ink on the pages seemed to be. How the body was drawn and shown in such an art form.

... And then, there were the tentacles. Chris slammed it shut and gave a sigh of awkward disbelief as he nervously stared around at the other patrons. Fortunately, none really seemed to notice the section he was in, or more importantly that it was him. "So that's what it looks like... Japan has issues. Hey, Irma, see anything you like yet? Sailor Moon? Interesting.", he furrowed his brows as he picked up a Sailor Moon figure and stared at its artful box art.

Irma had been leafing through the titles. There were several new shounen ai titles that seemed interesting. Usually she'd pass the occasional shoujo ai titles. Normally she would never considered them. "Vassalord" seemed okay. Pulling the manga out of the shelf, Irma begin to flip through the pages. So its about vampires? That wasn't a shock. Vampire novels have been selling like hot cakes and no thanks to the ever popular Twilight novels, it has become a culture all on its own. Besides Twilight, she had nearly the entire series of Interview with the Vampire and never pissed a single episode of True Blood.

Irma started looking through a manga series called 'Spice and Wolf' when she heard Chris addressed her. Turning to his direction she noticed that he was holding what looked like a Sailor Moon figure. "Yeah, I had. I'm guessing you made that trip to the adult section, huh? Should've warned you about those tentacles. Japan seems to have a fetish for them." Irma shuddered. "That stuff gives me the creeps."

Taking a quick glance at the Sailor Moon figure she grinned widely,"Sailor Moon, eh? She's one of the most popular characters in Japan, next to Son Goku." She gestured at a Japanese character dressed in an orange gi. "Recently they had made a revival. There was a huge party and everything."

Chris listened intently as Irma began explaining the complexities of anime and how it was such a popular phenomenon here on the other side of the world. Explaining Dragonball, or more specifically the character of Goku, Chris was lost. His eyes had glazed over. It wasn't hard to imagine that he wasn't really exposed to this stuff ever. The other gig was just to sell the games to Japan and then the US. He didn't know a thing about the series, the characters, the transformations within the game once a character leveled up, nothing. It was just to get a sale tag on it.

He had sent a text earlier on his nice Galaxy Alpha phone to get some entertainment in this place. To whom remained a mystery... Until they burst in the exact same shop Chris and Irma were in. Just then a gang of concealed ninjas had knocked over various displays and punched out the cashier, who was nothing more than some pimply-faced nerd. They bore the dreaded Foot insignia on the breast of their outfit. The 'leader' stepped up and began cracking his knuckles in a challenging manner when his eyes laid upon Irma. The ninja slowly and threateningly approached her.

"Hey! Don't come any closer to her, I'm warning you! That was number one, punk!", Chris challenged but was quickly dispatched with a roundhouse to the jaw. The force of the kick sent him stumbling back into the action figure stand and toppled over with it. The ninja then shot an intense glare over to Irma as he slowly removed his nunchaku. The others followed suit and began laughing amid their little gang. Irma was probably scared senseless. Other patrons decided to stick to the wall and keep as small as possible while they made their daring escape. What sissies.

The ninja glanced over his shoulder at the others and cocked his head to one side. This was going to get nasty. "I think I know just what ta do with you, girlie! Me an' the guys haven't had a good time in a while... Maybe you can... Help us out.", the ninja insinuated as he lifted his hand and started to run his fingertips over her chest. The others were getting over-eager for this 'fun time' when Chris let out a war cry that put one of his own movies to shame and leaped from out of seemingly nowhere, landing a jump-kick to the ninja's chest. It sent him flying backward but the assailant was caught by his pals. Lucky.

"Irma? Get behind me. I think I know just what to do with these chumps! Look for an exit outta here and I'll meet you outside. Hurry!", Chris instructed as he tried his best to shoo Irma away from this scene as it started to unfold. The action hero against a bunch of highly-trained Foot soldiers! Oh, the possibilities.

Irma chuckled, he was completely oblivious about Anime pop culture. Something tells her he must've missed out on it as a kid. Just before she could say something, a ninja came out of nowhere, knocking over the displays. The customers froze with fright. The cashier had fallen over. Some rushed to help revive the cashier. The force of the blow knocked him out, cold.

While they attending to the fallen cashier, who is going to save her? The ninjas started to approach her. Her heart started to palpitate. A part of her wanted to faint while the other half wanted to fight back. The only weapon she had with her is the tote bag which is heavy enough as it is with Anime goods.

Then Chris marched forward towards the ninja only to receive a blow to his face. Ouch, that must've hurt. Irma couldn't decide if she should rush over to check to see if he is alright or not, but was surrounded with them. One of them had stepped forward towards her and the most disgusting thing came out of his mouth,""I think I know just what ta do with you, girlie! Me an' the guys haven't had a good time in a while... Maybe you can... Help us out."

Irma gritted her teeth in anger. No way she was going to be someone else's sex toy. Before she could even make a witty retort, Chris leaped and sent the goon flying. Chris instructed her to get behind him and she responded with a silent nod and did what she was told.

Who the hell were these guys? Were they the mysterious Foot clan that the news had been going on about?

"Do you know these goons, Chris?" Irma asked, looking for an exit.

Chris new Irma's little heart just had to be pounding. That was good. It meant his little diversion had worked! Not to the extent that he truly wanted but beggers couldn't be choosers. His eyes shifted to the side, not staring right at her but implied so, as he answered her. "Ooooh yeah! This is the dreaded Foot Clan you might've heard about! Maybe you know someone who did? Well, this is them! But not for long.", the martial artist snarled as his eyes shifted back to them. Five of them. No weapons. No pads. No problem. His mom was more hardcore then these jokes.

One ninja ducked down as the other used his back for leverage to attempt a jump-kick in retaliation. Chris had his left arm angled backward and scooted Irma out of harm's way as he sidestepped the attack and glared at the man buried somewhere within. Chris ran a free hand through his perfect brown hair and got into stance. Chris hadn't anticipated this becoming so physical. He figured Irma would've run to the back immediately and left him inside to deal with these goons; but that wasn't the case at all. Irma was right there with him, through the thick-and-thin, probably waiting for action.

"That's it, tough guy! Keep practicing! After all, let's be honest here: you're no Chris Bradford!", the ex-action star taunted with a cynical smile. He loved ragging on the Master's little band of soldiers. They knew each other perfectly because Chris was one of them. Irma didn't know that, she didn't need to know that... Yet. For all she knew, these guys were doing their annual robbery and ran into the wrong guy to try to rob from. The fighter underneath the ninja garb grew tired of hearing about how great Chris Bradford was. This was a real fight. For real.

The ninja and his pals all started to attack, throwing a multitude of punches and kicks, which Chris deflected and blocked almost as quickly as they whirred at him. The martial artist was going to show these fools who the real master was! He wanted to prove to Shredder that he didn't need to be mutated to be a good, loyal soldier for the clan. That even without the mutation advantage he could win and bring success. He retaliated with a strong jab, turning in a circular motion and nailing the backfist perfectly, circling again and targeting the jaw for a roundhouse, and for the finale a standing sidekick through a display.

Chris dusted his hands arrogantly and glanced down at them. A smirk had formed and he noticed one of them had ruined his nice shirt, having ripped it during the heat of battle. "Damn, they ruined my clothes! Those bastards! Go, run home to your master! Tell him... Tell him about how you got your asses kicked from an ex-action star in the movies!", the martial artist angrily shooed as they jumped up and ran out of the store. Chris turned to Irma and started to check her for any bruises or signs of injury, noticing one had placed the tracker on the lining in her purse for later. Hopefully she wouldn't notice it until it was too late.

If Channel 6 also boasted April O'Neil, who always reported on those damn mutants, then perhaps it would help them locate her domicile through Irma. Rumor had it they had some sort of friendship but Chris could've sworn Irma said she didn't have anyone to accompany her to the con. How unfortunate.

"You okay, Irma? I'm assuming you weren't behind on your Sony payment.", Chris remarked jokingly. "Those damn punks. Who the hell do they think they are? This happen often around here?"

The secretary stood in awe. It was like something out of one of Chris' action movies and she was there at the center of it. I bet none of Chris' dates had been a witness to something like this. This was definitely going to into the report. Even more the Foot were a part of it, which was strange. Why would the Foot try to take over a convention? Well, there were a lot of people at the con. The Foot is not the sort who would spare an innocent, even if they are nothing more then a bunch of nerds.

Irma rushed over to Chris and looked him over. There was a tear on his shirt. She smiled in relief, "I can get that fixed for ya. Make it look good as new." Okay, she didn't have much experience in sewing, but she did tried cosplaying once so had at least some slight skill.

Her heart started to beat faster. She couldn't believe it, he had saved her from these perverts, who would've guessed they were members of the Foot? Overwhelmed with emotion, Irma threw her arms around his waist and gave him a tight hug.

"Thanks."

Irma was all right and that was all that mattered. Though, Shredder would have his hide as soon as he found out he was with Irma instead of looking for the turtles. He would have to come up with some easy excuse to escape his wrath. It usually worked, not very well but he often bought it. Being his right-hand man did afford him some leniency. Maybe he abused that a little too much. But what Shredder didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right?

Then, Irma jumped into him and wrapped her arms around him in thanks. It was a good gesture. A shame Chris had actually set this whole thing up to make himself look good in front of an audience, including her. The Foot Clan were always loyal and obedient. They would do what was asked of them, even if it meant taking a public beating by one of their own. "Don't mention it. Still up for that dinner? Maybe I should take you home... Not safe out anywhere these days.", Chris suggested.

If his gut feeling was correct, Irma would not live this moment down and would trust him even more now. That was the idea. Get inside, earn her trust. Use what info she could have on the mutant freaks that infest this city and report back to the Master. After all, it is what he was hired to do.

"Uh, sure. Why not? Just let me pay for this stuff first." She's still quite shaken up by the whole excitement from earlier. She would not get out of the store without paying for two volumes plus that doujinishi that she discovered from earlier. The cashier seemed to have revived a little. He seemed to be traumatized by the situation. He mumbled something about 'crazy' and 'never working here again'.

"All right. I'll be outside.", Chris responded with a smile as he shot the cashier a friendly wave and exited the store. Around to the side were the Foot ninjas. They were waiting on him. Chris cut the corner and folded his arms across his chest arrogantly. He cocked his head to one side and began to sigh. The ninjas didn't know what to make of it but they forgot one very important little detail. They were supposed to threaten her. They did not do as they were told.

Their punishment would be more severe, but not here. Not right now. The grunt walked up to Chris and gave him a light shove. "Hey! Screw you, Bradford! You might be some 'big shot' in Cali, but here yer a nobody! We did what we was told ta do! Cut us some slack...", the ninja argued. But Chris simply chuckled and lumbered over to him with lowered eyes. He grabbed the ninja up by his gi and pulled him in closer, his expression more angry than before. "Yeah. You did. Except you forgot to mention those damned mutants! You know how much work I've put into this front so far? You don't even want to know, you little prick!", Chris barked as he shoved the ninja away.

Turning, he started to pace angrily and revealed his slight irritation. "I didn't put in for this bullshit! You better perk up and focus, or facing Shredder won't be the only thing you'll have to deal with. Don't worry. I'll fix this, as usual. Now get outta here! I think I hear her...", the martial artist ordered as he turned the corner and came across Irma. "There you are! Hey, is... Is that guy okay? He seemed upset."

The secretary glanced back at the cashier. He still looked pale. Either that was natural part of his skin. His hand was trembling when he took Irma's money and ringed her up. "Not really. That whole scene with the ninjas gave him a major anxiety attack. All I heard is something about 'never working here again'. Most likely the manager is not going to be happy that a bunch of Foot ninjas attacked his customers. He was knocked out the entire time." Irma shrugged her shoulders.

"Lets go. I've got enough excitement for one afternoon. As for that dinner, do you've got any place in mind?" Irma asked once they were out of Anime Palace. The crowd from outside the building seemed to have been aware of the commotion and made passing glances at the building then towards them. Some were pouting about missing the action. She can't believe it, they thought it was part of the show.

Chris listened curiously as Irma explained the situation with the cashier inside. Apparently, the ninja attack stunned him so bad he missed a good three-fourths of the entire fight. It was probably for the better. The less media attention Chris gets, the better; for his ego anyway. The ninja attack was disputed among con goers as being part of the show and that Bradford was just putting them all on. In a way, they weren't far from the truth. It was planned.

Irma asked him about the dinner plans they made earlier. She must have really liked him, really trusted him enough, to agree to a dinner date. Maybe she was a starstruck fangirl. Those were the best. "Nothing specific, no. But I'm sure I can come up with something. We'll decide on the way. Make it interesting!", Chris suggested with a smile as he put his arm around Irma once again. This plan had better work. It better please Shredder enough.

Right now, it's taking all of his nerve just to maintain this act. Irma was cute, sure. She was a sweet girl. But there were very few people he felt remorse for hurting, emotionally and otherwise. Very few. Shredder had better appreciate the work hours he's putting in for him. All in a night.