The Defender

Hunter/Hunted

The team slips through the darkness behind me, heading towards where the Wild Things are going to strike next. We're going to find and catch one of the team, bring them to a cell (which I can easily make illusions in) and interrogate him/her/it. I don't know if it's a pro or a con yet, but were going without SHIELD backup. We have to keep this secret. If SHIELD hasn't told any of us about this, they probably don't want us to know. And I left Torin out of this too. Don't want her hurt.
I silently morph into a blackbird, fluttering to the top of a building. I stand in on top of the building where they will strike, hunched over and wings half spread. I can see a quick flash as Thunderclap lands nearby, a blue mist as Martyr teleports, and Paralysis and Reflection are still as stealthy as ever. In other words, I can't see them. We lie in wait, hovering, aching for our target's attack.
It's been about an hour now, and still nothing has come. Everyone's getting antsy and nervous, including me. Just when I'm about to fly down, a high-pitched "Oooh!" comes from behind me. I hop around into the face of a tiger girl. I squawk and jump back a few steps, surprised.
"Look, a snack before the mission!" she says, tail lashing and curly hair bouncing a little. "Yummy!" Aggravated, I advance on her, doing a rumbling caw from my throat to scare her off.
"A feisty blackbird! I guess you can see everything in New York," she says, baring her fangs. I stay strong, beating my wings threateningly and lunging at her occasionally.
"Yah," she mumbles, reaching out to me with her claws. I shriek and nip at her, trying to free myself. The she-tiger holds tight, really wanting a snack. I can tell something's going on below, but I can't exactly get in on the action right now. Eventually I just transform back into my human self, becoming a deadweight and dragging both of us off the edge of the building. I transform into my blackbird form and throw my wings out, soaring up and around while the she-tiger flies towards the ground. Suddenly a green blur darts under her and breaks her fall. The two forms tumble for a few feet before stopping. I land nearby and turn back to my human form, Paralysis coming to back me up. The others are in the store, fighting the others. The she-tiger is up and trying to get the other form, a velociraptor with a tool belt, to get up and go.
"Come on," she urges. "We have to go."
"No," the reptile replies. "Leave me. I'll catch up." Paralysis and I advance, ignoring the black feathers falling out of my hair. The she-tiger gives the velociraptor one last look before sprinting off. The raptor struggles to stand, malice in his eyes making up for his obvious physical disability.
"Wanna take him?" Paralysis asks.
"Ladies first," I say, bowing and gesturing like the gentleman my uncle has tried endlessly to make me into. Paralysis nods at me before walking up to the raptor, staring dead into his eyes. They're locked, unable to move.
"Boo," she whispers, eyes flashing red for a second before the raptor passes out, transforming into a teenager looking to be about 17 or 18 with spiky black hair and jock muscles. What a weird mutant. Then again, I can turn into a blackbird. I shrug and help Paralysis tie the lizard-boy up with the rope we brought. My thief's instinct goes off and I look at the boy's chest. A beautiful, sparking orange amulet catches my eye, chained around the boy's neck. I snap the chain and look at the amulet, black hair dusting my face. I turn it over and over again, trying to figure out its purpose. Paralysis looks over my shoulder, as interested as I am.
"What's that?" she asks me.
"I don't know," I reply, still fingering it I toss it and grab it out of the air. "But I'm going to find out."