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In

[b][u][h1]Prelude: Within the Depths of Fear[/h1][/u][/b]

[b]Location:[/b] Unknown building, somewhere in Crown Ridge[/center]

[hr]
The Penose had achieved their goal. Every one of the smaller outposts in the Lost Haven and Crown Ridge area belonging to the Hounds had been taken over. And the Hounds that had managed to retreat from their battle in Sherman Square had come back to an ambush. With the head of the Hounds no longer communicating their efforts, any attempt to take back the lost outposts was met with swift defeats. While some had died in their vain attempts, nearly thrice as many had been captured. However, the unusual thing about the Penose’s victory was not the manner they achieved it, but who was assisting them when the Hounds returned.

Another unknown group had appeared once the outposts were seized. Similar to the Hounds, the new organization wore an attire that was black in colour: black body armour, black full-helmets, black boots and black trousers. However, the key difference that made them stand out [url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Eye_of_Horus.svg/800px-Eye_of_Horus.svg.png]was the lone, golden emblem[/url] that was spray painted on the right breast and on both shoulders. While the Hounds did have S.T.R.I.K.E to thank for their armaments, this organization had similar specifications of technology. The few that stand out had additional weapons. The first man that stood out [url=http://www.ancientegyptianfacts.com/AncientEgyptianPictures/ancient-egypt-axes.jpg]had two ornate axes[/url] attached to either side of his hip, while the man next to him [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/gods-of-egypt/images/1/1f/Spear_of_Ra.png]had a similar style of spear[/url] strapped to his back.

As the Hounds faced away from the doorway in their room of capture, location in what was determined to be this organization’s new headquarters, there were two men. The first was a beast of a man, standing well over 6’5” and was ripped with muscles that would make most bodybuilders envious. While his uniform was similar in style to the men that stood watch around the room, the shoulders were more elongated from the tops of his shoulders. Another big difference was the rifle was strapped to his back, though [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/dotd/images/9/92/Main_mummy_pharaoh.png/revision/latest?cb=20121028095545]two unusually-designed swords on both sides of his hips[/url] suggested that he, too, was someone of significance in the organization. The dark brown hair was left draped over the back and front of the armour as his piercing eyes scanned the room of their prisoners.

“Brothers and Sisters of the Hounds of Humanity,” the man spoke up, his voice just a spoken tone but carried throughout the large room. “For the past few weeks, your masters had tried to wrest back the power of back from what you deemed was the plight of humanity: beings with powers and traits that are deemed a danger to the world. For weeks, you have tried to take back the control you have had nary a year ago. For weeks… your masters have failed you.” Measured in steps, the man moved from where he stood to stand in front of the kneeling men and women. “What would you think would happen? That you’d be able to fight these beings with simplistic weapons that one of them could snap like a stick? That your powerful Finger of God would allow you to take control from those beings, despite it now being nothing more than space debris that will crash upon this Earth? Your games of fear and false ideals against the metahuman, mystic and supernatural worlds was doomed to fail from the moment your masters had wrought their agenda to the world.”

Finally, the man stopped at the end of the very small platform that was indicated by black and yellow tape. “But don’t let your ideals end here. Not on the day the Hounds of Humanity were finished. For there is another path to follow. Your ideals were heard. And while the Hounds are to diminish into the history books as nothing more than a terrorist organization that failed, the ever-present eye has been watching. Waiting. Biding its time to find the right moment where our goals are to be accomplished. Where our goals that once started will cause the inevitability of the new era where beings of power will be managed. And I ask of you: What will it take for you to complete the ideals you once had with the Hounds of Humanity? If you say that you will die to make this world a safer place for all who reside in it, then I ask of you this one thing: Join us. The Eye of Osiris has been watching, it has been waiting and it is ready to lead the charge where a new world order will be achieved. The plight that you see is on the verge of being purged from this world and we welcome all to our fold and embrace the change that you so desire. For those that deem our goal to be unworthy for you to take on, then we ask you to stand tall. But for those who want the change, want the peace they are wanting from this world, then we ask of you to remain seated and you will be deemed worthy to be welcomed in the Eye of Osiris.”

As the Hounds murmured amongst themselves about what was said, the man returned to where he was standing, waiting to hear what the captured in the room were deciding. It hadn’t been long before one Hound stood up, followed by a few more. After a short moment, no more than a couple of dozens were on their feet.

“If you so think you are [I]worthy[/I] of fighting back these scum, then why haven’t you done it by now?” The man closest to the front shouted out. “Why wait until after the Hounds of Humanity made its charge? You know what I think? I think you’re cowards and you’re never going to accomplish near as much as we have done.” The Hounds that were standing up cheered.

While the man that was standing had been the focal point of the standing Hound’s furious disagreement, the other had been sitting there. While the facial expressions were unseen behind the metallic sheen of his helmet, the red-tinted glass that covered his eyes, the appearance of him slouching in the chair and head resting on his propped up left hand gave the notion that he appeared bored by what the man had said. Motioning towards the standing man, he whispered something as his comrade leaned in close to listen to what was said. The blond-haired soldier stood upright again and turned to the defiant Hound. “I believe we haven’t met. And you are?”

“The name’s Dominic.”

“Right, Dominic,” the man spoke in kind. “The reason we haven’t acted until now that unlike your masters in the Hounds of Humanity, we are waiting for everything in our plan to align before we make our presence known and felt throughout the world. We don’t plan on going half-cocked, which we have clearly seen with your pla…”

“Oh, bullshit!” Dominic spat out. “Unlike you, we don’t wait for ‘everything to align’. And certainly compared to that cowardly piece of shit that you’ve spoken to, we aren’t afraid to go out into the light and show what we’re made o…”

Before he could finish his sentence, something grabbed him by around the neck, choking the last few words into silence. His hands reached out to grab what he felt was a human spine that had grabbed him. The man that was sitting down, with his body now upright, held onto the user end of the skeletal whip that appeared out of nowhere. With a simple tug, the Hound was thrown to the ground. The sitting man then stood up from the chair, the red-tinted lenses of his helmet now glowing. [color=7d0f0f]”Because of the feeble men you had pledged your allegiance to,”[/color] the man started, venom laced in his voice as he walked towards his trapped prey. [color=7d0f0f]”Your plans to stop who you deem as your ‘oppressors’ has failed. And who by? By the superhumans that you swore to defeat. To the likes of Icon.”[/color] When the hero of Lost Haven was mentioned, the venom in his voice seeped through as he spat the name out. [color=7d0f0f]”If you were the so-called Hounds of Humanity, you would have achieved your goals. What say you, Dominic?”[/color]

As soon as the Hound’s name was mentioned, Dominic felt an overwhelming feeling of dread in every fibre of his being. Almost shaking from the sudden fear he was feeling, he looked up to the man that had grabbed him by the throat. The red glow that was in the man’s eyes disappeared, both eye sockets and the mouthpiece fizzling into empty cavities of black. Then, as if the deepest, darkest fears had come to life, a whole manner of spiders and snakes seemed to creep forth from the cavities, each arachnid and serpent slithering and crawling out to the floor. It hadn’t been long before the Hound was made into a quivering mess, wetting his pants at the sight.

[color=7d0f0f]”That is what I thought,”[/color] the whip-wielding man spoke as if amused by the sight that was in front of him. [color=7d0f0f]”It is also because of men such as you that the Hounds of Humanity had failed. Weaklings such as yourself had tarnished the lofty goals into failure. And that will not be tolerated.”[/color] Once again, he tugged onto the whip. Unlike before, the tug of the whip had done something else. For those closest to Dominic, they see the coiled bones of the whip morph into shape, turning sharper in appearance. The end result surprised all witness into shock, with Dominic’s head cleanly taken off as his body was dropped to the floor. Returning the length of the whip to his hand, the man turned to the armed men around the room. 

[color=7d0f0f]”For those who are standing, you have been weight and measured. In the end, your ideals are left wanting. And in the eyes of Osiris, you are deemed unworthy.”[/color]

As if it was a signal, the members of the Eye raised their rifles and pulled the trigger. The remaining Hounds that were standing had no chance to defend themselves as the bullets ripped through them in a firing squad-like fashion. As the smoke of gunfire settled, the dozen of men remained motionless, their black attire riddled with bullets as the hollow-point bullets remain embedded in their bodies. The whip-wielding man then turned to the remaining Hounds. [color=7d0f0f]”For those that remain, the Eye of Osiris has deemed you worthy for our cause. Be not afraid, for our gracious goals are soon to be upon us and the revenge that you are longing for is within your grasp.”[/color]

With what seemed to be the initiation into the organization, the captured Hounds still surprised with what had happened, the whip-wielding man returned to his chair. Once settled in it once more, his head turned slightly towards the blond-haired soldier of the Eye. [color=7d0f0f]”My dear Sobek, have you heard from Anhur of the Pasadena girl?”[/color]

The dual-sword wielding Sobek turned towards the man, his expression remaining unchanged during the moments before. “He has located the girl in Lost Haven and is still proceeding to track her down, Dullahan. It won’t be long before we are in possession of what was taken from us.”

Dullahan’s red eyes looked on from Sobek, turning to the people leaving the hall to begin the next phase of their initiation. Inside the helmet, his lips curled into a smirk. [color=7d0f0f]”Good, then all things are proceeding as normal. Tell Anhur to proceed as normal. We leave for more information on our missing treasure.”[/color]