Batman: Knight of the Hunt

Issue 4

The Hunt Begins

Deathstroke leaps nimbly over a fallen log in his path; moments later, a snarling, thick-skinned mass of tusks and teeth rips right through the timber.

This is the foremost creature of the pack. Lean, yet heavy with muscle, thick brutal shoulders, and an array of sharp bone spikes framing the skull, lining the back, and protruding from either side of its powerful jaws. Deathstroke and the others take these features in at a glance, over their shoulders as they run for their lives through the jungle. This is the only creature they can see, but a chorus of howls and bellows combined with the steady thudding of monstrous, alien paws indicate at least a half-dozen more – behind them, to their left, and to the right.

The oppressive closeness of the thick jungle trees slows them down, while vines and roots snatch at their ankles. The creatures are unbelievably fast despite their monstrous size, their muscled bulk carried on four powerful limbs. Whenever one appears through an opening in the trees, it seems like nothing more than a dark blur, growling ominously as it gallops along.

Vaulting over a mid-sized boulder in his path, Deathstroke flips through the air. As he turns, he aims his rifle at the oncoming beast. The automatic weapon fires as he hits the ground, releasing a seven-shot burst toward the creature's chest.

It staggers for a moment, but still lumbers on. Now it's less than two strides from Deathstroke. He clambers quickly to his feet and continues running, panting heavily with the exertion. How can the beast possibly take that kind of damage? What the hell are these things?

The trees begin to thin out, and three more of the hellhounds become visible. Their snapping jaws salivate with anticipation. Their enormous tusks slice the air mere steps behind their prey. Feet tearing through the moss-carpeted earth, lips pulled back over razor-sharp teeth, giant muscles heaving.

Bane grunts, swatting low branches out of his path. As he charges forward, he hears the snarls of the beasts behind him. They're like dogs in a way, moving as a pack and hounding at their heels. Ten minutes of hard running had brought the group to a thinner portion of the jungle. Noticing that their path was almost the same as the one they had followed to reach the red parachute, Bane couldn't help wondering if the hellhounds were herding them toward a specific place.

With his cowl pushed back, Batman drinks in great gulps of air, filling his lungs as his feet fly across the rugged terrain. He alternates between watching the ground and glancing over at Robin. Jason Todd is one tough kid, Batman has no doubt of that. Behind his mask, Robin's face is set, determined. There's no trace of fear in his features; his mind is focused solely on each successive step. Satisfied that his protégé is keeping pace with the rest of the group, Batman darts a glance back at the hellhounds pursuing them.

Yellow eyes set in a leathery face ringed with tusks meet his gaze. The hellhounds are slowly closing the gap. Beneath the yellow eyes, the beast's fangs almost seem to be leering at him. Turning his eyes forward, Batman charges onward.

The group breaks through the tree line and into the open savannah. Lighter and younger than everyone in the group except Robin, Katana leads the race. Her long legs slice through the waist-high grass with the power and grace of her signature weapon. They're on the eastern edge of the savannah; she estimates their current position to be just over a mile from where Cain, Deathstroke, Green Arrow, Robin, and herself had met up with Batman and Bane in the early morning. With the hellhounds close behind, the group keeps running, angling toward the center of the grassy plain.