Chattahoochee National Forest, northeast Georgia, a Ku Klux Klan rally is about to start. Nearby some yards away in the forest, the Roughnecks are gathered. Rowdy is looking down at Tala with his paws on her shoulders.
"It has to be done, darlin'." says Rowdy
"You know how much it scares me!" says Tala
"We're going to put a scare into them. They don't deserve our sympathy. These humans hate other humans, imagine what would happen if they saw us."
Tala sighs heavily.
"All right, I'll do it."
"Good girl. Now the rest of you know your job?"
The other Roughnecks acknowledge.
"Good. Koji, set 'em up."
Koji steps up to Tug and he teleports him to another part of the forest, then returns. He does the same with the other members except Rowdy, Tala, Lorelai and Kiona. Tala walks some distance into the forest. Kiona and Lorelei step up to Rowdy.
"Why do you treat that puppy with kid gloves?" says Kiona
"That's why." says Rowdy "She's still young."
"And you intend to mature her, or else, right?" says Lorelei
"Exactly." says Rowdy "This isn't a pillow fight. We're in this to preserve our right to live."
Rowdy turns toward the sound of music coming from the klan rally.
"Sounds like they're getting ready to start." says Rowdy "Let's start the show."
Tala starts walking toward the Klan rally. Suddenly her entire body begins to increase in mass. Her fingers grow wicked claws, her fur becomes shaggier and her shoulders bulge with muscle. In seconds she's transformed from a meek little wolf to a ferocious werewolf-like monster. Kiona picks up a hend-held recorder, points it at Rowdy and begins recording. Roars and screaming can be heard from the forest.
"Those screams you hear" he says to the recorder "are coming from a Ku Klux Klan rally. My Roughnecks are slaughtering them right now. Why should I feel any sympathy to humans who hate other humans, let alone us? This is about as clear a message as I can send to the Human League, leave us alone, or more humans will suffer for your cowardly hatred. Sighning off."
The recorder ends.
*****
"Oye Tex, the interview is starting!" says Rio
"Be right there."
Tex turns to a video monitor with Cobalts face on it.
"Gotta go, honey. My father's about to send his hate message nationwide."
"You be careful out there Tex. I love you."
"I love you too, honey."
The connection ends and Tex gets up. He enters the common room of Road Rover Mission Control. Various sapiens, including the Rangers are here. This is a big room with a giant flatscreen TV on one wall, and various other items usually found in common rooms. On the TV, a reporter is currently interviewing Sheldon McCoy, leader of the Human League and Tex's father. Sheldon McCoy is a middle aged, balding man with a paunch and a goatee, wearing a ball cap that says "Git R Done!" on the front, a Harley Davidson tee shirt, blue jeans and cowboy boots. A Confederate flag is tacked to the wall behind him.
"How many times can I say it? They're animals, and they ought to be treated as such!"
"I doubt the founding fathers saw this when they drafted the constitution."
Sheldon scoffs
"How could they, they never thought animals would become intelligent. I doubt George Washington would have given his horse the right to vote."
"So do you consider yourself a white supremists?"
"Human supremists."
"What about all the villians the Rovers and they're allies have stopped in the past?"
"Minor nuisances! I mean, come on, look at their names! General Parvo and his hench wench Groomer, Zachary Storm, Gustav Havoc, Matthew Slyness, Ross Dole. They sound like the bad guys in a cartoon series. I don't know why they haven't been stood up against a wall and shot!"
"And what about the KH Military, Franco's Elite Guard and Alura?"
"I'll tell you this right now, I'm sick of mutants trying to take over the world! The president of South Africa had the right idea when he nuked Franco's invasion force. What were the KH Military going to do once they had conquered the world? Put all us humans in concentration camps? Not on my watch!"
"So you think they should all be switched back to their original forms?"
"Absolutely. Read your Bible, God gave us dominion over the animals, and if it wasn't for that nutty professor Shepherd, none of this would be happening. I hear they've got a mysterious leader who calls himself 'The Master'; I have to wonder, does he think he's Dr. Doolittle or God?"
"I understand your currently estranged from your children Mr. McCoy."
"Don't get me started! My daughter Lisa was once married to a drinking buddy of mine, but divorced him because he was 'abusive', the whining little brat."
"And your son?"
"He's one of those mutants now. Don't ask me to explain it, I just know that my son, all through his teenage years, was so in love with those losers, what'a'ya call 'em, furries, that he got himself transformed into one. No proper son of mine would ever associate with those animals! Guess I failed as a parent."
"Big time." mutters Tex
"How do you respond to the threat of Rowdy and his Roughnecks?"
"Another group of trouble makers! I don't take their threat seriously, they're just trying to rally the public against me and my cause."
Another man comes into the shot and whispers into Sheldon's ear. Sheldon scowls at him then turns back to the reporter.
"This interview is over."
The two of them leave.
"Where does this hatred come from?" says Cody "I've never understood it."
"Don't even try." says Tex "I lived with those redneck hatemongers fro eighteen years, hatred doesn't go away."
*****
Mission Control situation room. The Rovers, Rangers, and the Master are here. In a split screen, Rommel is in the computer room of mission control, Wesley, Corsair and Merit behind him. Rowdy's recording is playing repeatedly on the other screen.
"Rowdy has just upped the ante." says Master
"How's my father taking this news?" says Tex
"He organizing a protest march to take place in the town of Chattachee, Georgia." says Hunter
"Rommel, have you made any progress?" says Master
"Professor Hawk, Corsair, Merit and myself are working on it right now, but it's slow going."
"Keep at it, Rommel."
"Yes sir."
Rommels side of the screen switches off.
"Tex, your going to have to be sent on your first mission minus Rommel."
"Finally." says Samson with delight
"Where are we going, sir?" says Tex
"Chattachee, Georgia. Counter-protesters are also headed there and I want a team or two to keep an eye on things there."
"The Human League will go ballistic." says Tex
"Agreed, but do what you can to keep the peace."
"Understood."
The Rangers leave the room and head for the motor pool.
"Have you ever heard of this town, jefe?" says Rio
"I have" says Tex "Chattachee, Georgia is known as the gateway to the Chattahoochee National Forest. My father loved to hunt and fish there."
"A typical redneck town I take it?" says Cody
"Correct."
Ling sighs.
"You Americans have so many slang words it's sometimes mind boggling; rednecks, roughnecks."
"That's America for you." says Taj.
*****
Chattachee, Georgia. Seperated by police in riot gear and a park two lines of protesters march back and forth. One group is pro-sapien, the other is anti-sapien. Neo-Nazi skinheads wave placards with hate messages and Nazi flags, Ku Klux Klan members in white also waving hate placards and Confederate flags, plus Human League members in forest camoflage huntwear. Inside the city town hall's second floor the mayor, police and fire chief, Tex and his Rangers plus several other cano-sapiens are here, including Amani Wolf and Puffball, Beowulf, Illanov, and the Outlaw bounty hunters.
"You Americans never cease to amaze me." says Illanov "Is there anyone you don't hate?"
"Anyone who isn't a white protestant." says Tex
"In other words, everyone." says Beowulf
"That's about it." says Tex
"So what brings the four of you here?" says Amani to the Outlaws
"Half those anti-sapien protesters out there are wanted fellons." says Buck
"That's right." says Jasmine "We're here to clean house."
"Hey McCoy!"
Samantha McTeague, the Interpol cop walks in.
"Sam. Nice to see you again." says Tex
"You two know each other?" says Blackjack
"Constable McTeague here is part of the Scotland Yard division of Interpol."
"Not anymore" says Sam "I'm Interpol's Road Rover contact."
"What's Interpol doing here?" says Amani
"What are any of us doing here?" says Sam.
"How do you know her?" says Puffball
"She helped us out during the Ocean Blue crisis." says Tex
"And Interpol's taken an interest in this Human League." says Sam
She turns to Tex.
"I heard about Bengal." says Sam "Too bad, I considered him a friend."
"Any anti-sapien problems in Europe?" says Tex
"Just the opposite." says Sam "Sapiens are integrating into society with surprising ease in Europe."
"Go figure." says Illanov
"Uh-oh, we got problems." says Cody looking out the window with binoculars.
"What's up?" says Tex
"The Roughnecks!"
"They're going to cause trouble!" says the police chief
"Count on it." says Tex "Chief, better tell you men to prepare. Let's get down there and try to stop this."
"Stop it?" says the mayor "This can only end one way!"
"Pray it doesn't." says Tex
The Rangers, Sam, and the other Rovers head down stairs. Is a riot going to happen? Will the Human League be stopped? Find out in my next story!
to be continued......