Dune Rider

From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe

A Clean Start

From a young age, Hunter was encouraged to go for what he wanted, and all he really wanted was to follow in his father’s footsteps. Born to Kenneth and Heather Anderson on October 12th, 1989 in Tucson, Arizona, Hunter was raised in a very loving and encouraging household. From an early age it became obvious what he was destined for. His hands almost never left the plastic steering wheels of his favorite toys, and as he grew older, matchbox cars and trucks littered his room. His father couldn’t be happier, being a second generation driver, he couldn’t wait to see his son carry on the family’s line of work. This trend continued through his life, with each age coming with the appropriate new vehicle, from Matchbox to battery operated. In his teenage years, he spent every free moment riding around the desert and mountain areas on his dirt bike. Despite his obsession, he made friends quickly, which would eventually lead to the second biggest change in his life.

The biggest change in his life would come when he was 14 years old, having spent the last few years working with his father, gaining more and more adept with the vehicles they operated and their inner workings, along with the proper way to navigate their courses, he was turning into something of a prodigy child. However, on this particular drive, something went wrong. Driving along a particularly risky route, the Cliffside path they were gave way, forcing the vehicle off the road and toward a fatal crash. Fortunately for them both, the situation sparked his mutation, the ground reaching out to catch them, saving them from certain death. They were both speechless, unsure of how to react until later on. Once they returned home, they told his mother, and the three worked through the drastic change, his parents coming out as supportive as ever, and Hunter deciding it was best to keep things quiet for now, going through regular teenage stuff was more than enough without adding in crazy mutant powers.

Out of the Dirt and Into the Fire

He hid his gift for years, afraid of what might happen if people found out. At his age, the idea of being a social outcast was terrifying, and if the rally circuit found out, they undoubtedly ban him from ever driving professionally. It would ruin his life! At least that’s how he felt, so he buried it deep down, tried to forget it was there, maybe if he did so for long enough, it would go away. Luckily, he made it through high school without anyone being the wiser, his status and relationships saved. When he left school, he quickly went to get his mechanic’s certification, finally making him official. Shortly after the second life changer would take place.

Walking home one day, he passed a few people a bit younger than him. At first it seemed like just a casual conversation, but as he got closer and the actions more pronounced, he could tell this poor girl was being harassed by this big jock. Not one to watch others being tormented, he quickly ran the aggressor off, then turned to the girl to see if she was alright, only then discovering why she was being picked on. It was unfortunate, but her green, slightly scaled skin and certain reptilian features made her an easy target for people. She was a mutant, like him, but she wasn’t lucky enough to be able to hide it and wish it away. For her, it was a facet of everyday life, and she had to deal with it and all the consequences that accompanied it. For Hunter, it was a vivid eye opener, this girl was like him, but while he was ‘gifted’ she was cursed, and he couldn’t stand seeing someone having to go through that. After speaking with his parents, who supported him as always, he made plans to do something about it, and they all agreed the best thing to do would be to go to the cultural hub of meta human activity.