My Idea Box

FANFICTION: Emara - Middle East meets Far East

Disclaimer: Emara: Emirates' Hero belongs to Fatma Almheiri and Eating Stars Studios. Kamen Rider belongs to Toei and Ishinomori. Any original characters (while may reference either of the aforementioned properties) are from the author.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Emara, hero of the United Arab Emirates, was in a hurry. Swinging on her grappling hook, she passed through her home city of Dubai, her red and black cape billowing behind. Even at night, the hustle and bustle was as busy as it was during the day.

The thousands of lights shone on her green uniform, white gloves, dark headscarf, and red beanie cap. The call for prayer already came half an hour ago, but many still stayed awake past it instead of going straight to bed. Of course, no one bothered to look up to the girl swinging through the night sky. Even if someone did, Emara had no time to worry, not with the news she heard from the radios and television sets below.

"Breaking news: Daughter of foreign millionaire kidnapped in broad daylight-"

"Lost little girl in Dubai-"

"-taken while she with her grandfather-"

"-said to be missing after her parents filed a report-"

"-parents received a note demanding for a ransom of one-million Emirati dirhams in exchange of the girl-"

"-police tracking mysterious masked men behind the disappearance-"

"-kidnappers were recently spotted near the-"

Emara tugged her arm, disengaging her grappling hook. The hook itself retracted into her forearm arm, and the plates of the hulking cylinder shifted and reformatted back into her normal five-finger limb, as she fell atop the roof of a low-level building. The minute she landed, she went to the edge and stared through her orange, near-transparent goggles at the police cars waiting by the shop across.

Drat. She was too late.

Ducking her head, Emara had a clear view of the scene below. As the police scrambled to their vehicles, their big and buff head officer was waiting for some news. "She couldn't have gotten far," Emara heard Uncle-no, Chief-Jasim say into his radio. "Extend your search to the eastern sector. I want every man searching for her!"

Emara could only watch with curiosity. The missing girl wasn't here? The shop was the last place she had been spotted, according to the news. Maybe there was some clue left behind.

After a quick glance, Emara took some steps back and ran, hopping from her rooftop to the shop's. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice her landing or entering through the roof's door latch. The inside seemed to be empty, though Emara quickly learned why.

"Ugh!"

Her nose cringed from the smell of damp wood so she quickly covered it. Searching around, She could tell from the cracks in the wall, floor, and even in the glass cases that the old shop had been abandoned long ago. Unlike the fresh footprints on the floor.

Kneeling closer to the prints, and gagging from the horrid stench, Emara studied them. There were only three pairs-two were large and dark like soot, clearly different from the tiny feet dragging behind. Curious, Emara kept her head down and followed the tracks.

They led across the shop, through the broken down doorways, and out to the alley. The minute she stepped out the back door, Emara noticed something other than the clearer air. She picked it from the ground and felt the soft fabric in her hand. The headscarf was a lot like her own, save for the dirtied marks and tears. No doubt, it belonged to the missing girl, and Emara only hoped she was safe.

Glancing her eyes away, she noticed a pair of white eyes on her.

Emara whirled, her free hand shifting again into an advanced cannon. "I know you're there!" she called out to the eyes.

The eyes silently moved towards Emara, but they froze when she lit the the alley with the faint blue flow of her arm-cannon. "Step out nice and easy," she warned. "You don't want me to use this on you."

Slowly, the eyes listened. Stepping out of the shadows were thick-booted legs and raised gloves, both as white as the eyes and the scarf hanging from the neck. The dim light gleamed off the red chest armor, thick shoulder guards, and crimson undersuit. They, and the large white belt, bulged under the bulky body of the one wearing them. And those eyes, slanted like a reptile's, were separated by the thick, jagged, and white line running down the faceless red helmet they were imbedded into.

Emara eyed the "guy" standing a head taller than her. "Uh... okay?" she said, not sure how to take this stranger. "Just who are you?"

Hands still raised, the stranger in question said nothing. "Well, aren't you going to say anything?" Emara pressed for information.

Again, there was silence. Then, something clicked in Emara's head. It would be hard to miss a man in red and white armor without gaining some attention, and Emara never heard of anyone like him... At least, not in Dubai.

At last, Emara disengaged her arm-cannon and asked a little gently, "You... aren't from around here, are you?"

She guessed correctly as the man shook his large helmeted head.

"Can you understand me?" To Emara's relief, the mystery man nodded. "Can you tell me why you're here?"

He reached behind his back and held up a photograph. In it, standing happily between her parents was a little Indonesian girl, dressed in a familiar dark gown and headscarf. The same headscarf Emara held in her hand.

"That's..." Emara said and took the photo in her hand. "That's the missing girl. Are you looking for her too?" The mystery man lowered his arms and nodded again. "Do you know where she is?"

This time, Emara was given with a slip of paper. Emara took it too, and a foreboding sense of dread dropped to her stomach when she read what was written on it: "Come alone, if you want her back."

A tap, tap brought her back to the stranger. His finger tapped on his massive chest before he emphatically pointed it at Emara. "You need my help?" she asked, and there was another nod.

Not wanting to refuse the plea, Emara stared down again. Clutching the headscarf and photo in one hand, her other hand flipped the note. Her eyes widened at the scribbles, an address, on the back, and she exclaimed, "I know this place!"

The ground almost shook under the stranger's boot, surprising Emara ad he neared her. Quickly, she answered the unspoken question.

"I know this place. I can show you where it is..." she said then hesitated, "... only how are we going to get there?"

To that, her acquaintance reached for his white buckle and flicked one of the many switches on it. The growl of an engine echoed, and a pair of headlights shone at the end of the back alley.

Whilst shielding her eyes, Emara blinked them in surprise. "Oh."