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[center][b]Christopher Arthur III[/b][/center]
	Chris has seen some crazy things in the past few months.  A superman who can catch snatch falling space stations out of the sky, a demon invasion, and even a being that could alter the foundational atoms of all things.  He was not quite sure where this would fit in that list: some ancient (although young looking) sorcerer fighting a bird-headed man.  What’s with all the animal people?  First there were the wasp girl and the raptor man, then his own sister became a snake girl (it’s quite sad that they already argue about whether she’s a naga or a lamia), and then that shark man!  What could be next?

	For a few minutes the two magic users brawled, mixing blasts of sand and wind with bolts of lightning.  However, even though a clear victor had not yet emerged from the two combatants, Sethotep spoke first.  “My [error – closest approximation, mana pool, magical energy] is not yet restored to its former height.  I look forward to our future meeting, [error – closest approximation, Son of Osiris].”

	Then, Sethotep’s body dissolved into the wind, taking on the appearance of sand as it rolled over the dunes of the Egyptian desert.  Once their common foe had disappeared from site, the so-called ‘Son of Osiris’ turned his attention to Chris, who had just stood by as a spectator while the two duked it out. 

	“Although he does not seem like he was at full power, once he is, Sethotep will be back.”  The Son of Osiris said.  However, Chris did not see the man’s lips (or rather his beak) moving, but he could still hear him!

	[color=C0C0C0]“Wait!  Are you in my mind?”[/color]  Chris asked, a little freaked out by hearing a voice other than his own in his head.  Chris had thought he had seen it all, but nnow there is someone who can talk telepathically.  In response to Chris’ question, the Son of Osiris gave him a condescending expression on his face.

	“I have the head of an animal that does not have human vocal cords.  How do you think I am communicating with you?”

	[color=C0C0C0]“What’s a better question is who are you?  And where did you come from?”[/color]

	“I must gather together allies in order to make sure that Sethotep cannot cause any mischief.”  Immediately after the Son of Osiris ‘spoke’, he disappeared into a column of purple light.

	[color=C0C0C0]“That didn’t even answer any of my questions!”[/color]  Chris spoke aloud, knowing that there was no one there to listen to him.  After a few seconds, the metal-clad hero realized something else.  [color=C0C0C0]“Wait.  By disappearing without asking for my helped, does that mean he is not intending to ask for my help?  What a jerk.”[/color]

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[center][img]http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i374/bensundeitestutho/raptor-man2_zpsbzrk09ho.png[/img][/center][center][b]Kelly Brown[/b] | [b]Samantha "Sammy" Kadowsky[/b] | [b]Zac Wilson[/b][/center]
	“You would have thought that the Shroud Syndicate would have cooked up some metahumans who were at least somewhat competent in combat.”  Odysseus taunted Zac and Kelly as he cracked his knuckles.  The snow continued to fall from the sky as Zac and Kelly tried to defend themselves from this mysterious assailant.  Even with their superhuman traits, they could not seem to find any advantage over this man.  Maybe he was right about one thing.  They were definitely not trained for this.

	With his strong arms, Odysseus pulled back on his bowstring, aiming the arrow at the exhausted Kelly, who had been dragging Sammy around for however long they had been pursued by this man who dubbed himself after the ancient king of Ithaka.  Due to her exhaustion, Kelly closed her eyes and hoped that her end would be quick.  However, after the arrow was launched from Odysseus’ bow, Kelly didn’t feel the arrow strike her.  Instead, she felt her boyfriend tackle her to the ground out of the path of the projectile.

	A sudden fear struck Kelly now.  Did he just toke the full brunt of the arrow for her?  However, when she looked back up at Zac, she did not see the arrow.  Instead, Kelly realized that the arrow had dug into the tree that was standing behind where she had been a few seconds ago.  In fact, the arrow somehow hit the tree significantly higher than where Kelly use to be.  What could have caused it?

	A man with a falcon’s head stood between them and Odysseus, his staff planted in the ground.  His other hand was placed on Odysseus’ forehead.  From their assailant’s face, it seems like the falcon-headed man was doing something to his mind.  What that was, Kelly did not have any idea.  After a few seconds of this, the falcon-headed man removed his hand from Odysseus’ face, which released him from whatever trance that the falcon-headed man had placed him in.

	“By Herakles!  The Syndicate seems to be craftier than I initially have realized.  Trying to use my as their own pawn.”  Then he turned his attention back to the two young metahumans.  “No hard feelings, right?”

Kelly just gave him an almost blank expression, showing her shock that he wanted everything to move on as if nothing had happened.  He basically just assaulted her boyfriend, her best friend, and herself!  In what world would that make any sense?

	“Wait.  What do you mean by [i]us[/i]?” Odysseus asked the falcon-headed man, even though Kelly did not even hear him ask any question in the first place.  The bird-faced man placed his hand that was not wielding his staff onto Odysseus’ shoulder.  Then, in a column of purple light, the two men disappeared from where they had been standing.

	[color=Peru]“Wait.  Are they just going to leave us here after he just beat us up?”[/color]  Zac muttered as he tried to get up to his feet, although he stumbled back to the ground after his first attempt.

	[color=khaki]“And we still have to deal with getting Sammy back to the car.  That Egyptian guy could have at least healed us, if he had the ability to do so.”[/color]  However, as soon as these words left Kelly’s mouth, the falcon-headed man reappeared in another column of purple light and raised up his staff to the sky.  Then the sun pierced through the otherwise cloudy day, bring down rays of light.  The rays of light eventually shinned upon both Zac and Kelly, healing their bodies of any wounds that they had sustained during their fight with Odysseus.  Once the two young metahumans were healed, the falcon-headed man disappeared for the second time.

	[color=peru]“Okay, I hope I am not the only one creeped out that that bird-headed dude heard you.”[/color]

	“Bird?  Where?”  Sammy suddenly said as she came out of her unconsciousness.

	[color=khaki]“Well, at least we know what will wake her up for future reference.”[/color]  Kelly said to her boyfriend as she rolled her eyes that such a simple thing woke up her best friend.