[center][img]http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i374/bensundeitestutho/raptor-man2_zpsbzrk09ho.png[/img][/center]
[center][b]Zac Wilson[/b][/center]
[center][b]Albany, New York[/b][/center]
[center][b]Pre-Time Jump After Hounds of Humanity Arc[/b][/center]
[center][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4797151]Previously on Raptor Pack[/url][/center]

Within the Citizens Bank, Zac saw a man dressed in a tight, green superhero costume. A pair of yellow lenses stared back at him, while a red “M” stood out on the chest of his costume. This insect-themed hero had just quipped about the awkwardness of so many animal-based gimmicks in the metahuman community. That comment caused Zac to hesitate momentarily.

Meanwhile, the unknown metahuman, seeing this opening, hurdled over Zac and landed behind him. Too quick was this man’s move for Zac to react, resulting in his foe grabbing hold of Zac’s raptor tail and tossing the cretaceous hero across the room into a consultant’s desk after the green-clad metahuman had spun him around a few times.

“Eat your heart out, Mario!” the mantis-themed hero quipped again.

Zac was not given much respite from his foe’s attack. His opponent had leap towards him for a second time. If Zac had not rolled to the side, the man would have connected a direct blow to Zac’s back. From the cracking noise originating from the place where the man’s fist had made contact with the floor, Zac knew nothing good would have come from getting hit by such a punch.

Zac needed to do something to turn the tables on this guy. When Zac aimed a kick at the man’s leg, he was able to sweep the metahuman off his feet. This guy must not have a sixth sense. At least Zac would not have to worry about that type of power in this encounter.

If Kelly were here, or at least the version of her before she got Silver Sorceress’ powers, she would have been well suited for this situation. Her insectoid super-strength would have been a match for this man’s powers. Zac, on the other hand, did not possess any innate super-strength. Instead, Zac had to play to his own strengths: his speed. Although his green-clad opponent has shown himself to be agile on his feet, there was no way he could keep up with Zac.

Therefore, Zac jumped to his feet while his opponent was sprawled on the ground and then he placed some distance between himself and the green-clad metahuman. Zac kept moving about, making sure that there was no way this man could land a hit on Zac.

“So, you want to play keep away, now don’t you?” the mantis-themed metahuman called out to Zac. Suddenly, a bio-electric spark began to flicker off the metahuman’s hand before he launched a small bolt at Zac. Since he was not expecting an attack like this, Zac only had seconds to drop to the floor, slide, and duck under the attack.

“Mantis, stop!” the redheaded metahuman girl, whom Zac initially found in the bank, finally spoke up. For most of the fight, she had been cowering beside a nearby desk. At that very moment, Mantis was winding up for another ranged attack, but when he heard the girl’s voice, he froze. It was a relief for Zac, as his first attempt to dodge the bio-electric bolt had placed himself in a vulnerable position for a follow-up attack.

“Brooke?” Mantis said with a shocked tenor in his voice.

“How do you know my name?” Brooke asked in response to hearing the green-clade metahuman saying her name.

“It’s me, Sean!” Mantis announced before momentarily lifting his mask to give her a peak of his face and immediately pulling the mask down.

“You have been Mantis for this entire time?” Brooke asked.

“When did you get powers? And why are you robbing a bank?” Mantis retorted back.

[color=peru]“This is quite a touching moment, but I think it can wait until the two of you have gotten out of this situation.”[/color]

“Please don’t tell me you’re [i]also[/i] one of my friends secretly running around like a superhero without me knowing!” Mantis exclaimed after Zac interrupted his conversation with Brooke.

[color=peru]“I have never seen you before, even as your superhero alter ego.”[/color] Zac answered Mantis back.

“Then how are we going to get out of this situation?” Brooke then asked, her voice trembling from the situation she had found herself in. “The police have surrounded the entire building!”

[color=peru]“Well, this bank probably has a security camera that recorded everything. We could prove that—”[/color] Zac suggested, but he paused for a moment before mentioning the red-head’s name, as it felt weird using her real name, [color=peru]“Brooke was as much as a victim as the hostages.”[/color]

“Wait, you want to hand her over? No way!” Mantis protested, even though Brooke was his ex.

[color=peru]“I think this is our only option without making the both of you fugitives. With a good lawyer, she will definitely get out of this pickle.”[/color]

“Sean, I think this might be our only good option,” Brooke tried to convince Mantis.

“Alright,” Mantis finally relented, “But we need to find that tape first! We don’t want to giver Brooke over to the fuzz without the evidence, too.”

[hr]
Colonel Thaddeus Bulb had been retired from S.T.R.I.K.E. for ten years now, although, once you have joined S.T.R.I.K.E., you never really leave it. After S.T.R.I.K.E. had been blow to kingdom come by the Hounds of Humanity, many of the “retired” agents of S.T.R.I.K.E. fled the country in fear of what the Hounds might do to them if the human supremacists would find them. These men knew too much and could not risk that information falling into the Hounds’ hands.

But Thaddeus Bulb was no coward. He never ran away from a fight when he was employed by S.T.R.I.K.E and he would not change his ways at his former employer’s demise. Not even his advanced age would hinder Bulb from defending himself. 

He soon discovered that it was not the Hounds whom he should have feared. His face was pressed against a puddle of his own blood as he was tied up to capsized chair. The beating that he had taken had dazed the old S.T.R.I.K.E. agent. His blurred vision could make out three figures, only one of whom had a regular human figure.

“This was a very informative conversation, Thaddeus,” Doctor Diplodoc boasted over the wounded man.

“We should better get going. [i]Company[/i] should be arriving soon,” the Silver Sorceress suggested to Doctor Diplodoc. However, despite Bulb’s current state, he began to laugh, with some intermittent coughing.

“You really think this was worthwhile?” Thaddeus Bulb retorted, “Nautican Island was baked by that sky beam. There’s nothing left for you.”

The wooden floorboards creaked under the strain of Diplodoc’s weight as he approached Bulb. Instead of bending over, squatting down, or kneeling, Diplodoc merely contorted his long neck so that his head was a couple feet away from Bulb’s.

“I find your lack of confidence in my intelligence disappointing. Do you think I am a simpleton?” Diplodoc told his captive, “We know that the S.T.R.I.K.E. bases could withstand a nuclear holocaust. The Finger of God would have barely scratched its surface.”

Thaddeus Bulb in retaliation spat in Diplodoc’s face, spraying a mixture of saliva and blood on him. Diplodoc’s only response was to shake his head before raising it back up. Diplodoc retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away the mess on his face and glasses.

“Alas, we have overstayed our welcome.” Diplodoc finally stated while nodding to Silver Sorceress, who summoned a small portal large enough to allow her, Diplodoc, and Leo to travel through it. “Say hello to our [i]friends[/i], the Hounds of Humanity. I’m sure they will be so happy to see you.”

After these words, Doctor Diplodoc, Silver Sorceress, and Leo stepped through the portal and departed from Thaddeus Bulb’s house.

“FUCK—” However, Bulb could not finish his curse before his house burst into an inferno of flames and explosions. Within seconds, the house had been burned to the ground and all that remained of Thaddeus Bulb were his ashes.