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Multiple simultaneous attacks all across the country had rocked the meta human and supernatural communities from coast to coast. A human supremacist group calling themselves the “Hounds of Humanity” had claimed responsibility for the attacks, and promised more to come, not only against meta humans, but against anyone who supported them. For the most part, it seemed that Crown Ridge had been spared the Hounds’ wrath, except for a single murder of a young woman named Courtney Hill, whose corpse had the letters “H-O-H” carved into her chest. The fact that the young woman had been singled out and executed didn’t seem to fit the profile of the Hounds, and might lead some to believe that her murder was the work of a copycat, or perhaps someone who was inspired by the group’s message. However, reports of similar incidents around the country seemed to implicate the hate group. 
The Hounds of Humanity struck suddenly, their attacks left entire communities of people shaken and fearful, and in some cases, ready to strike back. However, just as suddenly as the Hounds had struck, they once again vanished into the darkness from which they came, leaving those in the affected communities to wonder when the Hounds would strike again. 

Lyger had been out canvassing the city looking for any clues into the Hounds of Humanity and their activity in Crown Ridge, and for the most part he had been unsuccessful in tracking down any information about the group. Aside the occasional police chatter about the murder of the meta human woman Courtney Hill, all was quiet. However, that all changed when, while monitoring the local police band he overheard a the dispatcher send out a call to The Blue Elephant, a seedy local bar that was known to be frequented by Aryan Nations members as well as other bigots from all across the spectrum. Apparently, there was some sort of disturbance in progress. Though the bar was known to host bigots, the clientele didn’t seem to be the type that the Hounds of Humanity typically recruited. Most were ignorant blowhards, and while they wore their hatred like a badge of honor, they weren’t killers. However, according to the police band, an over-served regular was ranting and raving about the Hounds, which was apparently getting some of the more militant patrons worked up into a frenzy. 

Lyger watched the police deescalate the situation from the roof of the motel across the street. While he monitored the situation below, he was able to gather the information that he needed thanks to the zoom lenses as well as the high powered microphone that Harry had installed into his cowl. Lyger learned that the man who had started the trouble, Donald Church was not completely unknown to him. Church was a well known racist who Lyger had been investigating in relation to the firebombing of several black owned businesses in Midtown. While most of the patrons of The Blue Elephant were all talk, Church was the exception. He hated anyone who wasn’t straight, white, and “normal.” While Lyger couldn’t prove that Church had anything to do with the fire bombings, he knew that the man was bad news, and if he was claiming to know something about the Hounds of Humanity, Lyger had to take him at his word. 

So he waited. 

He waited until the police, satisfied that the situation had been resolved, left the area. The patrons who had spilled into the street had, for the most part, gone back inside. Church however, stayed back with a few stragglers and lit up a cigar. He mingled with the others for a few minutes, laughing about the scene that had unfolded moments before. Then he excused himself and went into the ally beside the bar. This is when Lyger made his move. He fired a grapnel line from his gauntlet into the side of the bar’s roof and dove from his hiding spot atop of the motel and swung across to the rooftop of The Blue Elephant. From the rooftop above, Lyger watched as Church looked around the ally to make sure that nobody was around before he leaned into the wall and began to relieve himself. 

Lyger leapt from the roof of the bar toward the man in the ally, firing off another grapnel to slow his descent. Before Church knew what was happening, Lyger gripped the man and as if on a zipline, both men accelerated back up to the roof of the bar. Once at the top, Lyger hurled the man who crashed hard into the housing of one of the large exhaust vents. Church sat there dazed for a moment, trying to clear the cobwebs from his head, unsure of exactly what had just happened to him. However, Lyger was on him before he was able to clear his head.

“How do I find them?’ Lyger yelled into Church’s face as he pulled the dazed man to his feet.

“Who?” Church asked, though dazed, he still projected a sense of contempt. 

“You know who. I’m looking for the Hounds.” Lyger told him.

“I don’t know, have you tried the super secret clubhouse? I’m sure if you just knock—ack!” Church’s response was cut off when Lyger grabbed the man and forced him to the edge of the roof, and began dangling him from the ledge. 

“How do I find them?!” Lyger demanded again. At first Church’s only response was a shrill screech followed by crying and begging. Only when the man realized that begging wouldn’t get him anywhere, did his lips loosen.

“You—you don’t find them, they find you! I don’t know where they are, hell, I don’t know who they are.” Church cried.

“You’ve gotta do better than that.” Lyger told him as he feigned losing his grip on the man.

“I met one of them at Henshaw Park over on the West End. That’s all I know, I swear.” Church begged. Satisfied, Lyger pulled the man up and set him on his feet on the roof. 

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Lyger asked, not waiting for an answer, he hit the bigot with a right cross that knocked him off his feet and left him sprawled out on the rooftop before taking his leave.

Several moments passed before Church began to stir. He tried to get to his feet, but found the effort to be too much, so he simply rolled over onto his back and let out a muffled laugh, however, the pain in his jaw from the right hand that Lyger had delivered prevented him from continuing with the laughter. So he reached into his pocked and pulled out his cell phone and quickly dialed a number that he had committed to memory.

“Yeah, it’s Church. He’s heading right for you guys.” He said before ending the call.

[b][center]***[/center][/b]

Lyger raced down the street in the super car Kaiju, taking hairpin turn after hairpin turn, expertly avoiding the few civilian cars that were out on the roads. With a fraction of the normal traffic on the streets, maneuvering Kaiju through Crown Ridge was much easier than usual. Lyger had to give the Hounds credit for one thing, they were effective. Not only had they put the meta human population in a panic, but that fear wasn’t confined to just the meta humans. Everyone was afraid, as was evidenced by the lack of people out on the streets tonight. 

However, the solitude wouldn’t last for long. As Lyger approached Henshaw Park, he was suddenly aware that he was being followed. Several black vehicles that looked to be military in origin raced up behind him. There was a sudden crash as the first of the vehicles rammed his back bumper, causing Kaiju to veer off slightly. However, Lyger quickly regained control of the super car. Then it was rammed again, and again. Lyger struggled to maintain control of the car. He jerked the steering wheel back and forth violently until he stabilized the car, and was just about to hit the nitrous oxide reserves when another vehicle pulled out in front of him at the intersection right before the park. Lyger was about to turn the wheel to make yet another hairpin turn to avoid the vehicle when he was suddenly blinded by an intensely bright light that the incoming vehicle had activated. Lyger tried to swerve to miss the truck, but due to the light that was at least twice as bright as a spotlight that the police might use on one of their choppers, Lyger missed his mark and caused Kaiju to flip over. The super car rolled over at least a half dozen times before it finally came to a rest across the street from Henshaw Park. Lyger sat upside down, strapped into the driver’s seat for a moment while he tried to gather his bearings. Finally, he was able to get himself free from the harness that held him in place and dragged himself from the wreckage. 

Flames started to dance across the frame of the wrecked vehicle as Lyger pulled himself from Kaiju. No sooner did he get free from the car, than did the vehicles that had been pursuing him race to a stop just feet in front of him. Five heavily armored, black military trucks stood just in front of him. Before he could make a move, several men emerged from each of the vehicles. Lyger counted at least thirteen men, each one carrying one heavy firepower, one of the men aimed a portable mini gun at him. Lyger prepared for a fight, but it was one that he knew he couldn’t win. However, it soon became clear to him that these men were not looking for a fight, they were planning an execution. Lyger looked around for a way out, but realized that there wasn’t one. Then, he saw the flash of the muzzle of the mini gun.
“Shit.” He whispered to himself as he waited to be torn to shreds by the heavy artillery. However, the bullets never reached him. Instead, he heard a sound, almost as if something had broken the sound barrier, then there was a sudden crash. Then Lyger saw the familiar blue and silver clad form of a man who he had fought beside before, a man who Lyger had never been happier to see. 

Icon took the full brunt of the Hounds’ firepower. Instead of shredding the heroes to pieces as the Hounds had intended, the shells bounced off of Icon’s chest. While some ricocheted off of him, most fell harmlessly to the ground. 

[b] “You do know that won’t work, right?”[/b] Icon asked as the Hounds emptied their clips. [b] “We need to talk…but first, let’s take care of these clowns.”[/b] Icon said as he turned to Lyger, before rocketing toward the group of Hounds before them.