“Through the ages, there has been an illness traveling within the minds of men: A deadly plague with its own unique batch of delirium that has amounted to the bloodshed of millions of innocents.

“Our Founding Fathers did not escape this disease. Instead, many of them foolishly embraced it. They had fled Europe to escape a strand of this threat just to begin a new strand on this soil. Some of them still had the moments of disease-free clarity and insight to contain it a little and not to let it dominate everything.

“Sadly, the contamination had spread too far already…

“The full force of this wretched, mind-controlling malady manifested itself in the previous government that ruled this country. A hive of tyranny and corruption – the absolute antithesis of the façade it used to deceive those who were still untainted. A façade used, not only now, but throughout the ages! A façade of “love”.

“Love? They’ve never known what pure love is! Instead they use such a sacred word to consume everything with their greed. It is because of their lust for power and oppression of the innocents that we – the free people – had to take up arms and overthrow these scum who dared to think themselves our masters!

“But now… Now, my fellow freedom fighters! Now, my brothers and sisters of truth! Now that we’ve given this disease our first crushing blow of resistance, let us not step backwards! Let us press forwards and eradicate it completely!”

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A decade ago, Devon Gerard’s speech on 17 August, our new Independence Day, stirred Lady Liberty to introspection and strike against what he perceived to be humanity’s greatest threat: Christianity. While many other religions cultivated fanatical believers, the previous government – devoted to their single “savior” - had driven out almost all of the others fanatics not devoted to their cause. Their “Terrorist Act” enabled them to kill off what they couldn’t ship out. With a few alterations, Devon turned this act against its creators.

Not two years into his term as president, Devon was assassinated during another one of his speeches to the public. The people could think of no other candidate more suitable to lead them than the now deceased president’s son who was sworn into a permanent seat of leadership only a week after the assassination. Peter Gerard’s zeal towards ‘the Vision’ only grew after he discovered that his father’s assassin had carried a crucifix with him.

Gerard instated the Defense Against Christianity Agency (DACA) who would train agents in flushing out the Christian threat. Any and all materials and buildings related to this threat were to be destroyed on sight. Those found out to follow the faith were given two options: rehabilitation or death.

Eight years had passed since the establishment of DACA. Public resistance had receded to a minimum. The ‘followers of the Way’ or simply ‘Followers’ – as Christ-followers now liked to call themselves – had gone underground. A new department within DACA was created to ensure that none remained hidden and untouched by the government. The Hunters' objectives were clear: discover any hidden resistance, capture and re-indoctrinate the able...

Eliminate the rest.