Moving with purpose, the tall lanky man wove his way through the alleys of New York with ease. He was dressed in a long, buttoned up, black trench coat, dress shoes, a wide brimmed hat and a leather briefcase that gave him the appearance of just another white-collared worker on his way home. As he entered yet another alley, he suddenly found himself surrounded by a group of young punks dressed in leather and chains. The biggest and ugliest of the bunch slowly approached him with a chain swinging ominously in his right hand and said in a sarcastic voice, "Hey buddy, got a dollar?"
"I am not your buddy," replied the man tersely as he started to walk again.
"What?" shrieked the gang's leader, "That's it, you're gonna get a lesson!"
Reaching out with his chain he brought it around in an arc to smash the head of the impetuous businessman. However before any of them could react the man snapped out with a vicious kick, sending the attacker soaring into a pile of crates. One of the guys yelled, "Get'em!" and the brawl was on.
As the first attacker came in the man sidestepped and was instantly grabbed from behind by another gang member. Turning and twisting, he pulled away from the attacker but not before his coat was ripped from his body. Everybody screamed in terror as they saw what appeared to be a small dinosaur standing where the man had once stood. It was green with bulging yellow eyes and had long sharp claws on its well developed legs and arms. A long tail balanced him, and now he was hungry for blood.
"Where have you been?" demanded a voice later in a warehouse across town. It belonged to a lady in a black leotard that would have been beautiful, if not for the fact it had the body of a very large vulture. Connected to her arms were her long wings that extended three feet past her hands and she stood on long yellow talons.
"Lunch break," replied the dinosaur as he burped up a bone and spit it into a corner.
"That was foolish Raptoro, Angelo may take note," said a gnarled voice behind the two.
"You worry too much. Angelo does not care for a group of bandits," replied the dinosaur contemptuously.
"That's what you said last time. Remember what happened then?" shot out the Vulture woman.
"Silence Vultra, Raptoro," commanded the voice, "Do not worry about Angelo. We will take care of him in due time."
"Yes master," they both said and bowed their head in penance.
"Now then, are you two going to get the last piece tonight?" demanded the voice as it continued to come from the shadows.
"Yes, we will have it within the hour," replied Vultra without lifting her head.
"Excellent," said the voice, "I must now rest. Tell me when you return."
Twenty minutes later, Vultra stepped out onto the roof and began to flap her wings. As soon as she was airborne, she plucked Raptoro up with her talons and together the two headed for Xanatos's machine factory. Landing near a far off building, Raptoro silently stalked the two guards who were circling the outside of the building in a regular loop. With a small snarl he leaped upon the two of them and with two efficient slashes, he sliced at their necks. He gasped in surprise though as the soldiers fell and they were revealed to be clever robots.
"Freeze!" came the command from a tower near them. Four bright searchlights suddenly came to life and focused on the two circus freaks. Staring through the hard light, Raptoro and Vultra found themselves surrounded by a small army of Xanatos's private guards, each aiming wicked looking automatic rifles and pistols. From above them, thin red beams of light focused on their chest and jerked slightly, the tell tale sign of heavy machine guns being targeted at them. Filled with arrogance, the voice loudly demanded, "Raise your hands into the air!"
Vultra and Raptoro went to do this when Vultra brought her arms down quickly, spraying a cloud of dust up into the air. Before the troops could even react, Raptoro was among them, chomping down and spilling blood. Rising into the air, Vultra attacked the nearest tower with her wings. With two quick strokes, she slashed through the tower's support beams using her wings, which were now revealed to be razor sharp.
"Way to go Vultra," chided Raptoro as she landed next to him in the pool of blood and guts that surrounded them, "There's only a few guards Raptoro, there won't be any problems Raptoro. Feh!"
"Same to you," she shot back as the two of them broke through the warehouse door and then turned on the light. Searching with their eyes, they quickly located the crate that they were looking for. Grabbing it with one large hand, Raptoro slashed through it and pulled out their prize, a large blood red dagger.
"Mr. Dino, unless you're a curator I suggest you put that blade down," came a voice from behind them.
Turning they found themselves not facing a solider, but instead a black and red gargoyle.
"Bug off," said Vultra and hurled a box at it. Reacting quickly the gargoyle raised its left arm and shot a laser blast that destroyed the box. Raising his arm, he then shot out the four illuminating lights and plunged them into darkness.
"Where did he go?" asked Vultra. A second later she felt a strong metal hand smash into her face. A swift kick sent her sprawling and she felt a large hand grasp her throat. Clawing at her attacker with her arms and talons, she found herself fighting against what she now realized to be armor. Suddenly the fingers loosened and the gargoyle fell to the ground. Behind him, Raptoro had secretly snuck up on him and used the dagger to slash him across his neck.
"He's dead now, let's get going," ordered Raptoro as he bounded out of the warehouse.
Taking a second to catch her breath, Vultra once again to the air as she and Raptoro went flying back to headquarters knowing that they had accomplished their mission at last.
"I am not your buddy," replied the man tersely as he started to walk again.
"What?" shrieked the gang's leader, "That's it, you're gonna get a lesson!"
Reaching out with his chain he brought it around in an arc to smash the head of the impetuous businessman. However before any of them could react the man snapped out with a vicious kick, sending the attacker soaring into a pile of crates. One of the guys yelled, "Get'em!" and the brawl was on.
As the first attacker came in the man sidestepped and was instantly grabbed from behind by another gang member. Turning and twisting, he pulled away from the attacker but not before his coat was ripped from his body. Everybody screamed in terror as they saw what appeared to be a small dinosaur standing where the man had once stood. It was green with bulging yellow eyes and had long sharp claws on its well developed legs and arms. A long tail balanced him, and now he was hungry for blood.
"Where have you been?" demanded a voice later in a warehouse across town. It belonged to a lady in a black leotard that would have been beautiful, if not for the fact it had the body of a very large vulture. Connected to her arms were her long wings that extended three feet past her hands and she stood on long yellow talons.
"Lunch break," replied the dinosaur as he burped up a bone and spit it into a corner.
"That was foolish Raptoro, Angelo may take note," said a gnarled voice behind the two.
"You worry too much. Angelo does not care for a group of bandits," replied the dinosaur contemptuously.
"That's what you said last time. Remember what happened then?" shot out the Vulture woman.
"Silence Vultra, Raptoro," commanded the voice, "Do not worry about Angelo. We will take care of him in due time."
"Yes master," they both said and bowed their head in penance.
"Now then, are you two going to get the last piece tonight?" demanded the voice as it continued to come from the shadows.
"Yes, we will have it within the hour," replied Vultra without lifting her head.
"Excellent," said the voice, "I must now rest. Tell me when you return."
Twenty minutes later, Vultra stepped out onto the roof and began to flap her wings. As soon as she was airborne, she plucked Raptoro up with her talons and together the two headed for Xanatos's machine factory. Landing near a far off building, Raptoro silently stalked the two guards who were circling the outside of the building in a regular loop. With a small snarl he leaped upon the two of them and with two efficient slashes, he sliced at their necks. He gasped in surprise though as the soldiers fell and they were revealed to be clever robots.
"Freeze!" came the command from a tower near them. Four bright searchlights suddenly came to life and focused on the two circus freaks. Staring through the hard light, Raptoro and Vultra found themselves surrounded by a small army of Xanatos's private guards, each aiming wicked looking automatic rifles and pistols. From above them, thin red beams of light focused on their chest and jerked slightly, the tell tale sign of heavy machine guns being targeted at them. Filled with arrogance, the voice loudly demanded, "Raise your hands into the air!"
Vultra and Raptoro went to do this when Vultra brought her arms down quickly, spraying a cloud of dust up into the air. Before the troops could even react, Raptoro was among them, chomping down and spilling blood. Rising into the air, Vultra attacked the nearest tower with her wings. With two quick strokes, she slashed through the tower's support beams using her wings, which were now revealed to be razor sharp.
"Way to go Vultra," chided Raptoro as she landed next to him in the pool of blood and guts that surrounded them, "There's only a few guards Raptoro, there won't be any problems Raptoro. Feh!"
"Same to you," she shot back as the two of them broke through the warehouse door and then turned on the light. Searching with their eyes, they quickly located the crate that they were looking for. Grabbing it with one large hand, Raptoro slashed through it and pulled out their prize, a large blood red dagger.
"Mr. Dino, unless you're a curator I suggest you put that blade down," came a voice from behind them.
Turning they found themselves not facing a solider, but instead a black and red gargoyle.
"Bug off," said Vultra and hurled a box at it. Reacting quickly the gargoyle raised its left arm and shot a laser blast that destroyed the box. Raising his arm, he then shot out the four illuminating lights and plunged them into darkness.
"Where did he go?" asked Vultra. A second later she felt a strong metal hand smash into her face. A swift kick sent her sprawling and she felt a large hand grasp her throat. Clawing at her attacker with her arms and talons, she found herself fighting against what she now realized to be armor. Suddenly the fingers loosened and the gargoyle fell to the ground. Behind him, Raptoro had secretly snuck up on him and used the dagger to slash him across his neck.
"He's dead now, let's get going," ordered Raptoro as he bounded out of the warehouse.
Taking a second to catch her breath, Vultra once again to the air as she and Raptoro went flying back to headquarters knowing that they had accomplished their mission at last.