Into the Darkness (Lucy, Rose, Abe, Lorena)

[LUDMILA ILYUKHIN]

Date: 25 November 2008 (feel free to change this)

Heat. Heat and humidity. Ludmila gently skimmed her hand over the brown and muddy water of the river their canoe was travelling on.The water felt cool compared to the heavy atmosphere around her, and she could feel the life in it. She could feel the silt shifting slowly on the bottom, the quiet whisper of water flowing down to the Ocean. A strange, colourful bird cawed overhead and flew into the thick canopy of the Congo rainforest.

Ludmila was dressed in olive green and black camo, with an army cap placed on top of her golden blonde hair. In her arms she cradled an FN FAL, courtesy of the Bureau's armoury, and several more magazines were attached to a bandolier strapped across her chest. A fine layer of sweat covered her face, and she absent-mindedly wiped her forehead dry with her sleeve before returning to keeping a watchful eye on the banks of the river.

A few weeks back, the Smithsonian had approached the B.P.R.D. with a very special request. They had come with tales of a creature from the dawn of time lurking in the swampy jungles of Central Africa, a creature so big the locals called it Mokele Mbembe: he who stops the flow of rivers. The Smithsonian had amassed enough money to fund an expedition to the Congo Basin. Its objective: to bring back proof of Mokele Mbembe's existence. However, they were also going to be exploring a dangerous region rife with warlords and thugs, and needed "protection".

Why they hadn't just opted for mercenaries or a team of Green Berets? The Smithsonian people apparently wanted an escort that had some knowledge regarding the supernatural, and that was where the Bureau came in. Ludmila had volunteered for the mission because she felt the need to get out of the stuffy life of field investigations and back into the more high risk missions she used to take part in her Soviet days. Her excellent knowledge of weapons and military tactics had lead to being immediately taken on board.

It wasn't her first trip to the jungle either. Back in the 1960s she'd been to Vietnam as part of a secret Soviet operation to investigate an allegedly "cursed" temple. She'd almost left her sanity there, but it had given her some good experience in jungle warfare.

Soon, she caught sight of the bank they were supposed to land on. She raised her hand, and the rowers gently slowed the canoe down, and its wooden prow quietly slid onto the muddy bank. Ludmila leaped out of the canoe, and her boots squished into the silt rich mud. She turned to face the tree line, the seemingly unconcerned voices of the scientists still in the canoe droning on behind her. Quietly she stepped up to the tree line, keeping an eye and an ear out for any suspicious sounds. In the jungle, if someone wanted to hide from you, they would be able to do so without any trouble. Even the most cutting edge technology couldn't delve past the thick barrier of damp and luxuriant vegetation.

After thoroughly checking the tree line for any hidden attackers, Ludmila went back to the canoe and grabbed her backpack.

"All right everyone", she said. "Grab the gear and get ready to leave in a few minutes. I don't think the canoe people are too happy about being in this area."

[LUCY BISHOP]

This place was far hotter than the last time she’d come to the area and this situation was far more dangerous. Her previous visit was a quick exchange with the Bakongo. She’d only needed to step through a door and make the trade and step back into her London flat. Now as she sat reclined against the edge of the boat, one hand lazily dragging in the water and the other spinning the Keyring on her finger she definitely didn’t look any more perturbed about the increased danger she found herself in upon having agreed to play mercenary for the Smithsonian scientists. And while she looked nonchalant, from behind her shades, her eyes scanned the shores and tree line with a critical gaze; could never be too careful in a place like this.

It certainly wasn’t the money that had brought her to this unstable country, but it was for the possibility to see the Mokele M’bembe. That had her intrigued, not the paltry fee she was getting. She did wonder how her name had come up, this was definitely not her usually job. Qualified, yes of course she was, but weren’t there military groups for this sort of thing? Perhaps her strong ties to the mythical realm had convinced them. Her questions remained unanswered, but she was determined to find their answers before the end of the trip. She was surprised though that the BPRD was involved. Roughing it out in the jungle didn’t seem like usual fare for a bunch of suits.

So there she sat, no doubt drawing dubious glances from the scientists, wondering how such a wisp of a girl could hope to protect or guide them through the jungles of the Congo and likely doubting their decision to bring her on this trip. She choose to ignore them. Despite their qualms with her, Lucy was dressed for the jungle and any number of its hostile inhabitants, clad in her knee high leather boots, green khaki pants, a loose white, collared button-up shirt, bandana around her neck, and pair of aviators on her nose. Also on her person, some more hidden than others, were two handguns, three knives, her two falcata handles and a multitude of magical odds and ends that Lucy had specifically brought for this expedition.

Sitting up as the rowers turned to shore, Lucy looked to the BPRD agent that signaled them to come to shore. The Rusalka. She hadn’t said anything, but after her presence alerted Lucy’s senses and Lucy saw her comb, she would have bet every last cent in her Swiss account that the woman was indeed a water ghost. As to what the blue fish....man...guy was, Lucy didn’t have a clue what the other BPRD agent was. In all her travels and in all the books she’d read in her Grandfather’s library, she’d never seen anything like him. Curiouser and Curiouser. Turning to the Rusalka as she stepped out of the canoe, Lucy also stood up and leapt from the canoe herself.

"All right everyone", she said. "Grab the gear and get ready to leave in a few minutes. I don't think the canoe people are too happy about being in this area."

Lucy only had one pack, containing only essentials so it was light and allowed her freedom of movement to fight if the need arose. The Rusalka’s last statement was quite true, the men who had rowed them here looked antsy to leave, eyes darting around them as if they expected armed men to jump from the jungle at any moment.....and perhaps they would. This place definitely raised the hairs on the back of her neck and she was ready to be away from it. At least the jungle held some form of cover. She stood watch, one eye on the scientists unloading their equipment, and a more skeptical eye on the forest surrounding them. She tried to feel out with her witch senses but the jungle was so alive with natural magic, and with the two mythical beings practically buzzing beside her, Lucy wasn’t able to feel much. She was just as blind as the everyone else apparently, not a position she enjoyed being in.

[roseneghana]

Rose was in a third boat behind Abe, Ilyukhin and the newer girl, who was spinning a keyring in her pre-mission start jitters. True, Rose herself was getting a slight bit frustraited, and with a snarl of irritation and a few choise words muttered under her breath, slapped her ipad she had taken along on the trip. Sadly, despite the treatments she had done on the plastic seams of the device, it was now all the weight of junk. With a low growl that made several of the rowers look in her general dirrection then quickly away when they saw her irritated expressions, she began shoving the expensive paper weight into her pack.

Like the scientists, she was packing some of her own equipment, mainly firearms and her hud and other various tools. Her clothing of choise was a digicam set of clothing, a simple pack that wasn't simple, various tools of her trade and her trusty firearm. It was a modified M16, cut down for ease of use and had various attachments. The casing was a lightweight but strong combination of carbon fiber and plastics, making the only metals the clips, inner workings and the barrel.

She had a low power scope mounted on the rack on top, a flashlight mounted on the right side of the barrol itself, and for when the opportunity arose, a laser sight underneath. It was all customized, from the small logo on the left side to the paint job itself. Rose's weapon Rose also carried a tactical shotgun on the left side of her pack, short stock with a short barrel, and only equiped with a flashlight. It had iron sights however, and came with some specialty rounds. Jungle special, bird shot with buck shot behind it in the shell itself, some flechette rounds and a dozen bolo rounds.

As her boat bumped up on shore, she slung her rifle around her neck and arm, carrying it in a rest position on her front. She smirked as some of the scientists watched the three ladies and Abe, wondering perhaps if some random fantasy of theirs might come true. Honestly, she hoped not, for while this was her first trip into the jungles, she didn't want to be distracted by much if anything.

She picked up her pack from the floor of the boat, making a small sign of thanks and respect to the men who undoubtidly thought they were risking their own necks just by being here, and splashed into the shallows. Her boots sucking from the mud, she shouldered her pack and attached it to her combat harness, flipping her ponytail out of the way.

For this mission, her overall tool loadout was one sidearm, holstered on her thigh with two extra clips on the holster itself, a large machete attached to the side of the pack, handle down for easy access. She had various parts for her rifle in the pack, cleaning tools and swapable parts just in case the situation demanded it. Her harness had water purification tablets, fishing supplies, knives, line, pleanty of extra clips and ammunition, flint and a striker.

Once upon the shore itself, she tapped her headset, still frowning from the loss of her iPad, and smiled ferally as it came online. The men of her boat, having discharged their load, quickly shoved off and waited just downstream for their fellows.

"Hey guys, my software is going to be practically useless here. Too much ambient heat for the infrared, sound and pattern recognition softwares will be shot from the foliage."

She spoke softly, checking her mic even as she moved to assist two of the scientists with a particularly heavy crate. As she helped them drag the crate up the embankment, she smiled at them, letting them know she was at least friendly. After that, she went through another mic check. They had done one at base camp at the LZ or landing zone, but she wanted one last check before they actually went into the jungle.

"Okay ladies and gents, mic check time. Everyone, sound off please, and scientists, if you don't hear any of us, let us know. This is not the time for being macho. It will save your life."

[LORENA ZACCARDO]

Leaning her head against Abe's back, Lorena groaned loudly in displeasure. “This is hell, Blue.” She murmured. “Do you need some water? You must be dying...” Swatting away some insects, Lorena took a swig of water, still paddling from the stern of the canoe. She knew she didn't have to contribute to the paddling, though she was determined to make the work easier on others. It was hot. Too hot. So hot she suspected she really had entered the core of the earth and had become a character in one of those movies about apocalyptic heat. She had been informed it would be hot and intentionally wore less clothing than she usually would have. Clad in shorts and a sleeveless top, her backpack at her feet filled with various journals, writing utensils, a few extra water bottles, and scientific equipment. Unlike Rose, she hadn't over packed. She had evaluated what was necessary, and left what wasn't. In this kind of heat, overexertion could be fatal. Observational circumstance had all ready enlightened Lorena to just how fatal it would be for Rose if she didn't ditch the entire Military Surplus from her ship.

Their canoe (finally) met the sodding shore, Lorena practically jumping over Abe to get off of the damn thing. She had been phased by heat and motion sickness, and was glad to be on land. Passing behind Rose, who was responding to Ludmila's orders to grab equipment, Lorena randomly held up a hook hand mouthing 'ARRR!' Ignoring the order as she all ready had what was needed on her body. She had taken a moment, however, to harness a single handgun to her leg. A handgun that she desperately hoped she didn't have to use. The 'Arr' had been an inside joke between the two girls about pirates versus amazons, it had been Lorena's way of hinting to Rose that she had brought too much nonsense with her. Again. This was a field, not a war zone.

Unfortunately her 'ARR!' seemed to go unnoticed. Lorena had all ready discovered an interesting plant (or ten) on the shore that she had scurried over to investigate. Examining the leaf, the forensic botanist became very excited, though she kept it to herself. Like most scientists, Lorena had taken a fascination in her subject. The rainforests of Central Africa had always been a highlight she wished to visit because of the renowned plant species that were exclusive to the area. She much looked forward to seeing a Caesalpiniacea tree, or maybe even an Okoumé. The later, going by a sub-name: Burseraceae, which was limited to Gabon and Guinea, sometimes even in southern Congo-Brazzaville or Cameroon.

A fuzzy radio signal buzzed through the moment of happiness, and the heat finally got to her head. Rose had declared mic check. Who the hell wore mics on this kind of mission? Would they not be staying together? Sighing, Lorena stood up and recollected her water bottle, and backpack, knocking her shades over her eyes. “Honestly, Rose?” She half snapped, the mic seemed completely unreasonable to her. “Mics? I really hate that I'm going to have to repeat what mother nature should have all ready triggered in your common sense archives... But, it's going to be too hot out here for that sort of equipment to work well. It will overheat, and well... Its just a hassle. Not to mention you might not want to over pack. This sort of heat can be deadly, and so can overexertion, and dehydration. So why don't you take your two shiny double A batteries, and shove them up your...”

[ABE SAPIEN]

Abe had been considering jumping into the river for a bit of fresh water, but his sensibility warned him against it. He was a strong swimmer, but one could not test the waters in the deep, who knew what was lying beneath the depths? It was hot, as was expected, but he was not phased quite as badly as the forensic scientist behind him, who confided the hellishness of the mission. “Hang in there, Miss Zaccardo. We haven't even begun.”

He reached back and patted Lorena's knee reassuringly, secretly pleased that the insects took more interest to the younger agent than they did himself. Sometimes not being classified as human had it's benefits. The scientist pushed a bottle of water in a generous offer toward him. “It's a thoughtful offer, but I'm afraid I shall have to pass.” He pointed at his breathing apparatus, as a gentle reminder to the thoughtful girl that water was closer to air for him. It had been a very polite motion, “Thank you for your concern, Lorena. I'm glad you're thinking like a team player.”

The water was calm enough, giving Abe a chance to scan the area. It was literally a jungle. There would be much of interest here, he was certain. The steady pace of the boat rowed closer to land, and a few of the company appeared to be restless. Patient as ever, Abe relaxed trying to ignore the beating rays of the sun. While it was uncomfortable, complaining about it would solve nothing. Once they reached land, Agent Ilyukhin, whom he'd worked with a few times before, prompted the first command of the mission. Assemble the gear. No sooner had their canoe reached the surface had the younger girl sped past him to study the plants not too far off. He wondered what the pirate hook was all about, though he all ready knew that Neghana was a bit more excitable than her logical friend.

The woman he hadn't recognized seemed set to go, and so had the scientist and the rusalka. Abe too had packed very lightly. The jungle seemed very much alive. Walking over to the women who were ready to move, his eyes fell on an Rose, whom he was fond of. A junior agent of the bureau, who seemed to be going 'gung-ho' on this mission. He was about to advise perhaps re-selecting her on-body inventory when the scientist bluntly stated her logic. While her logic was sound, her choice of words hadn't been, and the sudden outburst was very out of the ordinary of the woman in question.

”So why don't you take your two shiny double A batteries, and shove them up your...”

Placing both hands on the girls shoulders, Abe patted her left shoulder. “Now, Agent Zaccardo... We have much on the agenda, and we've only just arrived. Do try to calm yourself.”

[LUDMILA ILYUKHIN]

Ludmila went into the trees and undergrowth bordering the muddy river bank. She'd been told it was a well used landing area, and that could mean that traps had been placed here to catch any unwary travellers. Very carefully, she examined the ground and the bushes. After some checking, she found a small pit found with loads of punji sticks pointing downwards. A variation of the well used trap she'd seen in Vietnam. He who got his leg trapped in such a pit would be unable to get his leg out without suffering from serious injury. To extract the hapless victim, his colleagues would have to dig around the trap and carefully remove his leg, a process that could take hours.

"This is starting out nicely", she murmured to herself. She then rejoined the rest of the group and saw, much to her consternation, that an argument had broken out between Rose and Lorena. Thankfully, Abe had intervened in his usual diplomatic manner. The diplomacy, however, was simplified by a volley of loud gunfire that echoed over the jungle. Several birds flew away, startled by the sudden noise. Ludmila grabbed her FAL and froze. The gunfire came from several miles upstream, but this did not make her relax in the least.

She put her gun back over her shoulder and reached into the canoe to pick up another gun. A Czech-made elephant gun, powerful enough to punch through steel. The Mokele Mbembe was, according to legend, a very aggressive creature, so if push came to shove, she'd be ready. Evidently, she wasn't pleased about carrying a third gun, but she didn't want to be facing a supposed dinosaur without a proper

The Rusalka looked at each of her associates in turn. Abe, one of the most experienced members of the team. Rose, loaded down with gear that probably wouldn't even work in this kind of environment. Lorena, another junior agent who did not seem to be adapting well to the Tropical climate, and finally, the wispy girl the Smithsonian guys had told her was a mercenary. She didn't look like your run of the mill gun for hire, but still waters ran deep didn't they?

"Everyone stick together and stay quiet. Don't go running off by yourself, because if the warlords don't get you, I will. Now everyone get moving!"

With that, the Rusalka went off into the jungle. She was followed by the two eggheads she was supposed to watch: an old guy with a beard called Albert van der Beek, and a younger guy with glasses and a more handsome disposition. The latter was the most annoying, as he immediately started to do what Ludmila hated: flirting with her in the most unsophisticated way possible.

God no...not another Warren, she thought.

"So, I hear you're from Russia? Beautiful country", said the older man, interrupting his younger colleague. "I went there in 1980."

"-Olympics eh?", said Ludmila, keeping her attention on the jungle around her.

"-Yes. It was hard getting in though. The US was boycotting the Olympic games and making it hard for residents like me to go."

"-I'm pretty sure this adorable creature knows everything there is to know about sport", said the younger scientist. Ludmila rolled her eyes. If he was anything like Warren, he considered himself to have a God-given right to flirt with every woman in his immediate entourage, regardless of whether they liked it or wanted him to just cut the crap and let them be.

If he wasn't a scientist working for the Smithsonian, the whole thing would be over very quickly with a kick in the nuts and a blow from her rifle to the face.

[LUCY BISHOP]

Seeing the Rusalka check the perimeter of the treeline, Lucy followed behind and was not surprised to see the trap the woman had uncovered. Disgruntled, yes, as the presence of such traps meant that this little romp through the jungle just got a lot more dangerous, and thus, more work for Lucy, but not surprised.

"This is starting out nicely"

Lucy heard the woman murmur. Scoffing, the witch replied,
“Yes, a trip through the jungle isn’t complete without a few deadly traps to deal with,” before turning back to wrangle up some nerds.

Walking back she observed the people of the second canoe
unloading.The first, the red-headed Rambo wannabe caused Lucy to roll her eyes. Apparently less is more hadn’t occurred to the young BPRD agent. Hours of trekking through the a humid, hot jungle might change her mind though. Then the....well whatever the fish guy was, and then another young female agent, who after miming a pirate hook and being momentarily distracted by the local flora, verbally chewed out the other agent. Science girl had some backbone!

Looking closer, Lucy thought the dark-haired girl appeared familiar. She dismissed it the next moment however, Lucy travelled all over the world, met hundreds, thousands of people, it was probably just that she looked like someone she’d seen before. What a motley crew they were.

The sound of gunshot quickly cleared any thoughts she’d had on the type of people she was traveling with. Watching birds fly away overhead, Lucy was glad she’d packed her torc of Cernunnos. Perhaps the local fauna would be able to keep them one step of any other humans in the area. The shots were pretty far off, but that didn’t mean they weren’t on the move or that were others closer. It was time to get this show on the road.

Herding the two scientists she was apparently designated to, Lucy followed the Rusalka and her own nerd herd into the jungle. When pushing through the underbrush was starting to prove difficult, Lucy plucked one of her falcata handles from one of the pouches on her belt. She’d found the two weapons in her Grandfather’s collections. Beautiful, hand-carved, goblin-made handles, but activate the switch and blade is released, far larger than should be held within the hilt. From the end of the hilt a chain forms, link by link, to wind up and attach to her Keyring, though on her left arm it winds around her forearm in an intricate pattern. Gripping the blade hilt in her right hand, she used it as one would a machete, hacking and slashing the branches and leaves out of her way.

“Alright gentleman, keep moving. Do not get sidetracked and for the love of God, if you don’t know what it is, don’t touch it.”

Apparently while she was armed and swinging was when one of the two scientists decided was the best time to start a conversation. He was a tall, gawky thing, all long limbs and knobby joints, constantly having to duck branches to avoid hitting them. It was like she was traveling with a newborn giraffe, but with no adorable factor.

“So Miss...” he faltered as he realized he didn’t know her name, and she supplied ‘Bishop,’ but not without an accompanying roll of her eyes, “That’s an interesting accent you have, English...and a bit German.” She gave a brief nod, despite it being only partly correct, in the hopes that he would drop it.

Instead he decided her half-hearted agreement was reason to regale her with the entire German history....with much of England’s thrown in. Rolling her eyes, she turned to the other man, a middle-aged severe looking fellow who was clutching a leather journal and staring at the other young man with practiced exasperation. He was apparently well versed with this man’s tangents and definitely wasn’t pleased with this one either. Giving an exasperated sigh, he turned to her, surprising her with his thick Spanish accent,

“He’s always like this. Best to ignore him,” he said with a smile, dark, bushy eyebrows waggling. Grinning back, Lucy was about to reply when the other scientist let out a large shout, and fearing a trap, Luce whipped her head back in his direction.

Apparently the man had come face to face with a forest cobra, who flared his hood, hissing, the threat suddenly quite clear, and the guy started to raise the machete in his hand, as if he would be quick enough to strike the snake before its fangs hit his flesh.

“Put that machete down,” Lucy all but growled, grabbing the torc out and slipping it up and over her left arm.
She began speaking to the snake, apologizing for disturbing him and for her companion’s rudeness reaching her arm out for the snake slide up onto. Her words were like hisses and vibrations, definitely of no known human language, but the snake responded immediately, hood dropping down and manner calming.

Asking one last thing before she set the snake in another branch, out of the group’s foot traffic, concerning any other humans also passing through this way. The snake apologized, but had seen nothing, but promised to bite any other humans coming through. Laughing, she gave a final stroke to the snake’s head, before returning to the group and starting forward again, ignoring the astounded looks she got, and acting like she hadn’t just had a pleasant conversation with a snake.

[LORENA ZACCARDO]

Her anger was instantly replaced by reason, the reassuring gesture from Abe calming her nerves. ”Now, Agent Zaccardo... We have much on the agenda, and we've only just arrived. Do try to calm yourself.” Lorena sighed. He was right, as much as she hated it. “Sorry, Abe... Rose...” She stated a bit ashamed of letting the heat and discomfort go to her head. “It won't happen again.” She promised, hoping that she wouldn't prove herself wrong, like she had done in the past so many times before.

Recollecting her senses, she strode past Rose who was still gathering her belongings for the hike ahead, as Ludmila returned to the group. It seemed that the senior agent had taken a moment to scout ahead, along with that mysterious (yet very familiar) face that she couldn't place. The problem was, especially in populated cities, that one would pass a million faces on a daily basis, and eventually others that resembled them. There was an uncomfortable foreboding feeling that washed over the scientist that hinted in that the senior agent had found something unpleasant. What that something was, Lorena couldn't even wager a guess. Nevertheless, the girl made a mental mark not to stray too far ahead, or to the sides, and to watch her feet for traps or dangerous wildlife. Caution was key.

Remembering Ludmila's advice about carrying a reliable gun, Lorena decided it was probably safer to carry two at this point. Grabbing an assault rifle from a canoe, she hoped she was equipped well enough for the duration. She had heard of the Mokele Mbembe, but the truths behind the monster in question varied with the texts that she had read. While some claimed it was aggressive, others claimed it was completely neutral. Most scientists agreed that the Mokele Mbembe was likely a reptile, due to their uncanny resemblance, and it was stated that it preferred the deep waters, and river bends. The junior agent wondered if it was justifiable to hunt this sort of creature in it's natural habitat.

She felt the hard gaze of the Rusalka pass over her and shifted uncomfortably. She needed to keep her temper under control, this was no place to be bickering amongst teammates. Checking to see if her guns were loaded. She became a little less hesitant, simply knowing she had reserve ammunition on her body, and god company around her. The order was to stick together, and not go running off by yourself, and the order was accompanied by a slight threat. Under less severe circumstances this would have amused Lorena greatly, but the chance for amusement was now replaced with the concern for Rose. Reminding herself that Rose didn't need a babysitter, Lorena leaned into Abe and whispered “We won't have to kill that thing will we? They're ... long necks, to say the least. I don't think they're aggressive.” It wasn't that she didn't trust the Rusalka at all, Lorena had a love for all living things, and expressing her concern came naturally.

All was quiet and calm and... Wait, was that a gunshot? Sticking close to Abe, Lorena kept an eye on the strangely familiar girl ahead. She was herding two scientists, and it seemed that the senior agent needed a warding stick to bat hers off with. Glancing insecurely at Abe, she continued into the jungle, keeping close to one of the groups. She had thought she was following Ludmila, but the Smithsonian guys were all starting to look the same to her. She noted to herself she needed to keep an eye on her team rather than their accomplices, as she had indeed followed the stranger. At least the stranger had sound advice:

“Alright gentleman, keep moving. Do not get sidetracked and for the love of God, if you don’t know what it is, don’ttouchit.”

A cobra had given the team a bit of a fright, all except Miss Bishop, did she say? That was interesting... Lorena reserved her silly hope in passing, knowing it couldn't possibly be the same Bishop she remembered. The world was too big a place, and the odds of passing through the same crossroad in life seemed unlikely, when it came to her childhood friend. “Oh my gosh, was that a Naja Melanoleuca?” She asked excitedly scurrying up to have a closer look at the snake. “Don't get too close,” she said as she ignored her own warning. “They're highly poisonous.”

[roseneghana]

Rose smiled to herself at the various responces she got to her mic check. Everything from the normal Check check, to 'Fuck you you gun toting bitch!' All in all, it was hilarous the kinds of responces she got, even if she too was feeling the heat. To show that she wasn't at all offended by Lorena's reaction, she smiled and gave her team mate a hug, not caring one iota about what anyone else thought. They were friends, and female friends tended to hug each other. Still, even as she released Lorena, she wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, knowing that this particular mission was going to be a right murderer for heat exhaution. Still, as things went, she would try to be prepaired for everything, even if it was unexpected. With an encouraging smile, Rose shouldered her primary weapon and prepaired to head out.

Her two scientists, the ones she had been assigned to protect, trailed along behind her, lugging around a heavy crate, or so it looked the way they struggled with the bulky thing. With a sigh and a shake of her head, she turned and paused, listening to the forest and all of its rather unnatural sounds, at least they were unnatural to her at any rate.

"Uhh... that was a neat trick Miss Lucy. Wish I could do that."

[ABE SAPIEN]

Abe took a moment to observe the display of friendly embrace between the two girls in the agency. While it was no secret that there was often friction between the two ladies, it was quite obvious to all within the bureau that the two girls were nigh inseparable. The moment passed quickly, and Abe began his trek along the path that had been laid out by the other senior agent. He had been left with a slightly different layout of 'care-ofs' as he had been paired with one of the Smithsonian scientists, and one of their own: Lorena Zaccardo.

While the girl was of the agency, she was still relatively new and this was her first field assignment. He had only encountered her once or twice within the bureau prior, and it was a known fact to him that she was a bit of a lab rat. A forensics expert. As he took a moment to recall what he knew about the scientist in his care, he was also reminded of a mission he had been assigned on elsewhere by the jungle. The mission he had a memory of had not been a fond one, and nearly discouraged him. He had, of course, been assigned to the failed mission at the behest of the B.P.R.D.'s Thomas Manning.

The Smithsonian scientist had begun to discuss his area of expertise with another of the crew, while Lorena bolted past him in some bizarre frenzy and excitement, right toward a snake to which she announced was dangerous. Though that wasn't the strangest of the show he had just witnessed. This Bishop girl had displayed signs of communication with the wildlife that inhabited the Basin. A serpent of sorts, to be exact.

"Oh now that is interesting." Abe praised audibly enough for the entire team to hear him. "Excuse me, Bishop was it?" He inquired, waiting on the face of the non-BPRD accompaniment to take notice of him, although he supposed it was hard not to take notice of a giant blue fish if you were human. "Did my eyes deceive me?" He wondered, pointing at his eyes in emphasis. "Or did you just have a conversation with a snake? That would give quite a new definition to snake charmer, wouldn't you say? Simply fascinating, if I may say so myself. I have seen many strange things in my life, but that is simply remarkable!"

[LUDMILA ILYUKHIN]

Ludmila’s attention was caught by the commotion caused by the feat with the snake. She left her position at the head of the small expedition and went over to where the young female mercenary stood. The Rusalka looked up at the branch where the mercenary had deposited the dangerous reptile and smiled.

“Well, it seems like you have more than meets the eye, nayomnik”, she said, using the Russian word for mercenary. However, the Rusalka did not pay the incident as much attention as the others did. She’d seen people talk to animals before quite a few times, so there was nothing novel to it. She was also more concerned about the possibility of being attacked, and her impatience with the expedition’s members – who had all stopped to make their own little comment on what the mercenary had done – became apparent.

“GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER!”, she barked before going back to the head of the expedition. Intimidated by her authoritarian and militaristic demeanour, the scientists scrambled to get back in line, hastily picking up dropped equipment. Soon enough, the small team was walking again, their feet squelching in the damp ground. Ludmila batted an insect away with a quick wave of her hand, keeping her attention focused on the rainforest around her and ignoring the young scientist behind her who was trying to flirt with her again.

As the young man was about to embark on a monologue regarding his extensive credentials and many fields of expertise, Ludmila jerked her fist up and crouched down. The two men behind her, unsure what she meant by that gesture, decided to crouch down too, and the other members of the expedition followed suit. The jungle seemed to have grown somewhat quieter, and Ludmila gave the area around them a long, cursory gaze, her cold blue eyes searching the undergrowth.

“-This is quite uncalled for, my dear”, said the young scientist behind her, standing up. “ There is nothing…”

He took one step to the left, and Ludmila heard a single hair-raising sound, barely audible, but still there. A single, sharp click.

“-DON’T MO-“, she said before the young scientist stepped off the mine he’d put his foot on. The mine rocketed into the air and exploded, sending shrapnel tearing into the young man’s belly. With a bloody scream the young man fell into the mud, and the jungle came alive with death. A savage burst of machine-gun fire sent bullets whizzing over their heads, and Ludmila dropped onto her belly.

“Ambush!”, she shouted. “Find cover!”

She rolled behind a large, rotting tree stump and assessed the situation. They were being attacked from the left of the path, and she could recognise the familiar, deadly chatter of a machine-gun somewhere in the dense vegetation. Mud flecks on her face and her clothes stained with mud, she looked for any signs of the enemy, who still remained invisible. Suddenly, she saw several muzzle flashes off in the distance, and she also caught sight of a man clad in olive green camo and carrying an AK-47 emerge from behind a tree. Before he even had time to fire, she took him down with two neat shots to his chest. She quickly realised that the expedition’s escort would not be able to defeat the attackers, and that the best course of action was retreating.

“Rose! Lorena!”, she shouted. “Get the egg-heads out of here, we’ll cover your retreat and catch up with you later!", she shouted over the din of gunfire. Bullets smacked into the damp, muddy ground around her and she ducked behind her stump. The attackers were very well armed, with assault rifles and a machine-gun for suppressing fire, and this gave them a huge advantage over the expedition’s escort. As far as Ludmila could see, the mercenary only had a couple of pistols, and she wasn’t sure what Abe had, but the fact remained that the machine-gun would endanger those trying to retreat as well as crush any attempts at covering fire by her, Abraham and the mercenary.

She then spotted the machine-gunner. He was well hidden behind some rocks and was relentlessly strafing the area where the expedition was, pinning them on the ground and behind cover. The Rusalka turned towards the merc and Abraham.

“Oi! Abe, nayomnik!”, she shouted. “Cover me, I’m going to knock the machine-gunner out!”

She took a deep breath and steeled herself. Even after so many years spent handling such situations she still felt fear grip her. After steeling herself for the ordeal ahead, she crawled off in the direction of the rocks, using the many plants that grew on the forest floor as cover. A bullet slapped into the earth in front of her face and splashed mud into her face, but she kept on going. After a gruelling crawl through the forest floor muck, she finally got close to the rocks and the machine-gunner. The gun the man was using was an RPK, a machine-gun version of the AK-47 with an accordingly larger calibre. With a deft move she pulled her old combat knife out of its leather sheath and, like a ruthless predator, she leaped over the rocks and onto the gunner hiding behind them. He shouted something in his native language and reached for a machete that hung on his belt, but Ludmila silenced him with a quick and lethal stab to his windpipe. Blood poured out of the thing wound, and the man flopped onto his side, his hands clutching his throat as he choked to death.

Ludmila then picked up the RPK and rose above the rocks. The attackers were now clearly visible, and she fired at them with her newly acquired machine-gun, the gun bucking fiercely in her hands. She killed three and was interrupted when one of them attacked her with the butt of his rifle. She kicked the rifle out of his hands before knocking him onto his knees, grabbing his hair and violently jerking his head back and then forwards, severing his spine. The grisly deed done, she leaped out of her cover and dashed back down to where Abe and the mercenary were.

“Go! Go!”, she yelled, briefly turning back to shoot the enemy with her FAL. “Run for it!”

A hand grenade flew through the air and landed next to her, exploding violently as she ran. She tripped and fell, but quickly got back up and resumed her run. Her vision was blurred, her muscles felt stiff and her ears were ringing due to the force of the grenade’s blast, but still she kept on running. Now was not the time to make a stand, or they would all be killed. As she reached Abe and the mercenary, she caught sight of the elderly scientist she’d been watching over. He was injured, and had drawn a revolver to defend himself. She clamped her hand down on his shirt’s collar and dragged him towards a clump of trees. Once there, she loaded the heavy man onto her shoulders, swearing and wincing as she did so.

“Keep going!”, she shouted. “And stay together! We’ll lose them in the jungle!”

[LUCY BISHOP]

She should have known that the use of the torc would get everyone all abuzz. Lucy often forgot that the everyday human did not use/see/feel magic as easily as they breathed. So she was a little overwhelmed when nearly everyone within their small jungle-trekking group bombarded her with questions. First to answer the young woman from the BPRD, the one not bedazzled with guns and ammo,

“Oh my gosh, was that a Naja Melanoleuca?”

“Oh, I’m not sure....he said his name was Oudry,” Lucy replied with a smirk and a shrug, quirking her brow as the woman warned her the snake’s poison. She had just spoken with the snake, Lucy figured that was a clear sign she was in no danger from the reptile. The second, the G.I. Joe wannabe, made a comment on it being a neat trick. Neat trick!? This was the torc of Cernunnos, not some parlor trick. She quirked her brow at the girl, face slightly bewildered as she slipped the torc from her arm and replaced it in one of the pouches upon her belt. The fishman also appeared interested, though his inquiries were much more appreciated than the girl’s.

"Excuse me, Bishop was it?""Did my eyes deceive me?" He wondered, pointing at his eyes in emphasis. "Or did you just have a conversation with a snake? That would give quite a new definition to snake charmer, wouldn't you say? Simply fascinating, if I may say so myself. I have seen many strange things in my life, but that is simply remarkable!"

Nodding her head, she smiled as she turned towards the fishman, happy to relate her knowledge of the torc,
“Quite a lovely conversation in fact. Snakes, very polite. The ‘snake charming’, however, is due to this,” and she pulled the torc once again from her belt, allowing the fishman to investigate it, “I’m afraid I can’t take complete credit,” she replied with a nonchalant shrug. Lucy was surprised that she’d even drawn the attention of the Rusalka,
“Well, it seems like you have more than meets the eye, nayomnik”

“Get ready, I’m full of surprises,” she replied with a grin and with a readjustment of the pack, began to re-herd her two scientists forward despite their pleas to examine the golden torc.
What happened next was the beginning of disaster. While the scientists with her might not have recognized her hand signals, as soon as the Rusalka’s fist rose and she crouched, Lucy immediately followed suit, grabbing the scientists with her, a serious look quieting their protests. Apparently the Rusalka’s scientist felt he didn’t need to follow orders, and with an explosion and a scream, it would be the last order he ever disobeyed.
Lucy didn’t need the following order to find cover, she was already diving behind the nearest broad-girthed tree, using the momentum of her dive to pull the scientists onto the ground beside her.
“Stay low, and don’t move until I say,” she breathed to the two, pulling one of the guns from her lower back. She might not have been armored to the teeth, but Lucy was an excellent shot and always made use of the weapons she did have. Though, as she scanned for the enemies, it was obvious that their group was outnumbered, and between herself, the Rusalka, the fishman, and maybe the redhead, they were not a strong enough force to win this battle.
Oi! Abe, nayomnik!”, she shouted. “Cover me, I’m going to knock the machine-gunner out!”

Giving a nod to the Rusalka, Lucy swung out from behind the tree as the other woman crawled forward to surprise the machine gunner. With adrenaline rushing, and heart beat pumping, Lucy gave a grim smirk as she aimed and fired at a man dressed all in black who held a large assault rifle she couldn't distinguish from this distance . It was a perfect shot, and the man was down. Lucy didn’t like killing, but she liked being killed even less, and so she fired off another couple of shots in the gunner’s direction, stopping when she saw the blonde head of the Rusalka pop up above the brush line. The woman made quick, gruesome work of the men there before running back towards Lucy and the fishman, with yelled orders to run.

The witch responded immediately, turning quickly, ushering her scientists ahead of her, providing as much cover for both them, the fishman, and the others running as she was able. The grenade, though far enough away to prevent any serious damage did cause her to stumble forward from the shock, her ears suddenly ringing from the blast. Oh, is that how they wanted to play?. She pulled a small piece of metal from her belt and threw it as far as she could in the direction of still-firing enemies. Though only a fragment of the original sword, even a small piece of the legendary Spanish Tizona could still induce fear and frightening visions in ‘unworthy opponents’. A man’s worst nightmares would play out before their eyes, so vivid and clear that it could bring even the fiercest of men to their knees in terror.
Despite paying nearly an arm and a leg to get her hands on just that fragment, it was still only a fragment and the effects would last only minutes, five at best. But judging from the terrified screams behind them, it would be enough to buy them time to get their group away.
“Alright ladies and gentlemen, step lightly, this reprieve won’t last long, and it’s the only one I’ve got, so make good use of it!” She said as strode purposefully forward, her step light and her eyes keen on the surrounding jungle, again disregarding the new feat of magic she'd just performed. It wasn't even her best show of magic. She hadn't even opened up the sls gem anti-lance safe with merely a touch of her fingers or a door to the other side of the world. Though now wasn't the time to go over her magical abilities, now was the time to get the hell out of Dodge.

[LORENA ZACCARDO]

OOC: Ok I've been absent but Chris hasn't replied, so I'm just going to cut in because now its just plain silly. Sorry for the wait, I'll kick us off again (and write him out)

Lorena silently admired Mila as she left her position if only for a moment to share in the curious event that had just been witnessed. Ludmila had struck her as being the focused type who was very serious about her work, and did not get sidetracked often. The heat was bothersome, but nearly escaped her as the senior agent used another friendly sounding, yet unfamiliar, word. Instead of asking for a translation, the junior agent remained silent and began to observe her surroundings taking in the vast selection of wild life... If only she weren't on a mission... There was so much she wanted to investigate, and so much information that she desired to relay to Wesley. Rose was present, so there was no reason to recap anything for her... Except perhaps: Why NOT to bring the entire weapons department on one mission.

Rose's equipment issues fell to the back of her mind when Ludmila's voice quickly demanded all the attention once more and ordered everyone out. It seemed the senior agent had problems of her own between leading the new agents and dealing with the overly flirtatious twit that was serving as her shadow. Clearly this trip was not going to be a pleasure cruise: It was hot, and there were huge and annoying bugs everywhere. Then there was the fact that the strange mercenary seemed completely... familiar. While Rose was over-abundant in her weapon selection, Lorena feared she might be under equipped and ill prepared. This had been her first field mission, and of course she had no idea what she was really getting into until...

Click.

She knew that sound, from all the war movies she had sat through together with the boys. A hand quickly flew to cover her mouth preventing an outcry as Ludmila took initiative in a time of peril. Lorena was too panicked to move, she had never witnessed anything quite as horrifying as this. In the split second that it had occurred, Ludmila had warned the man, not much older than herself, not to move. The mine killed two birds with one stone, paralyzing Lorena in fear. It was a nightmare! The man had practically ... If not literally ... Blown up right before her eyes, and to top it off there was no way to help him, and there was gunfire. Gunfire, and she couldn't move. All she could think about was the poor man who was now nothing but remains. She could hear the sound of something shuffling the earth beneath its body, the sound of gunfire on the left, and nothing in the direction of the gunfire. It was as if they were being hunted by ghosts, when their mission was quite the opposite.

"Rose! Lorena!" The noise became so loud that Lorena could not identify what came next, the words were muffled through the air. Mud splattered across her face, as some miracle protected her from the bullets splattering the mud. How long had she been standing there? It wasn't safe! Turning quickly, Lorena shoved two of the scientists toward the jungle in an attempt to flee. "RUN YOU IDIOTS!" But who was the real idiot? She herself had been stunned and shocked beyond belief, rooted into the ground just moments ago. "GO!!!" She demanded, as she watched the scientists hustle, she burst past them in high speed not stopping until she was safe within the refuge of the trees, she wasn't even sure how long she'd been running, and by looks of it: She was alone. Perfect. Definitely not a pleasure cruise. Now it was hot, with bugs, corpses, ambushes, land mines, and .. she was alone. Where was Rose? Her eyes dashed about desperately trying to find some refuge, anything familiar, but came up with a loss.

She didn't dare shout either, god might have had a clearer view of the underbrush, of what was lurking behind the corner or behind every shadow, but Lorena did not, and she did not wish to be assassinated, or worse: Blown up in a land mine while on her journey. Instead, she slowly began a back track, stopping when she heard voices and hiding behind a large tree stump. She wouldn't reveal herself until she knew who it was, and she prayed that it was Ludmila or the mercenary, Abe, Rose or even one of the scientists.

A twig snapped from beyond her view, but Lorena heard no voices, and what happened to all the scientists? They had run with her... Did she take a wrong turn? Paranoid and ridden with fear, the young woman felt as though she would be trapped in this jungle forever, with no light at the end of the tunnel. She found her thoughts laid with Warren, for some reason unbeknownst to her, and Bea too. What she wouldn't kill to be on their mission with them, with any luck they were safer than she was. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. Calm your mind... She told herself. You have to stay calm if you're ever going to get out of this mess. Ludmila and Abe are both senior agents and they wouldn't abandon you here... You are going to get out... Alive, preferably... But there is a way out. "There always is..." She muttered, realizing her nails were buried into the tree out of fright.

[ABE SAPIEN]

While the damp ground may have been seen in a negative light among the other agents in the team, Abe found it relaxing. The encounter with the snake had truly interested him, and of course there were about a dozen books in the BPRD library about snakes he now felt more inspired to read. Jumping slightly at Ludmila's cry, he patted a scientist on the shoulder reassuringly as he had bent to scoop up dropped possessions. He walked in silence, not wishing to call unwanted attention to himself, as he had a feeling the scientists in their company all ready would agree to dissect him for scientific purposes if an opportunity presented itself. It seemed the rusalka had problems of her own to deal with as well. Problems that went under the name: flirtatious children.

Falling behind, he kept the pair in hearing distance, as the man sounded as if he may drone on about his elaborate resume and experiences. Crouching down a few feet behind Ludmila, Abe placed his hand to the ground, and began to assist in surveying the area. Of all talents that the other senior agent had exhibited, he was certain a sharp eye had been among them.

”This is quite uncalled for, my dear. There is nothing...”

Nothing certainly sounded like something as a sharp click sounded through the area. “Oh, dear...” He stated quietly covering his mouth at the scene playing out before him. Regardless of the agents warning, the scientists seemed overconfident in his own judgment, and through unforeseeable circumstances, had paid the price. It was a pity, but the gunfire further alerted Abraham that there was no time to be paid in tribute to the strangers death.

”Ambush! Find cover!”

Abe followed suit, taking his place behind a rock near the tree stump. Knowing he would need to be close enough to the rusalka to be of any assistance. Mud splattered between them, as it laid disturbed by gunfire. It seemed that the rusalka had spotted a sniper, as he opened fire on a second machine gun wielder who was approaching from another direction. Glancing to study the mercenary, he was relieved to see that she was holding her ground, unlike Lorena who seemed to be standing in shock and unable to locate Rose.

”Rose! Lorena! Get the egg-heads out of here, we'll cover your retreat and catch up with you later.”

“Now is not the best of times, Miss Ilyukhin, but it seems as though Rose has trailed off. She's not with us.” Abraham stated, trying to cover Ludmila so she could have a moment to see for herself. “I fear it is in our best interest to leave her behind, I'm afraid it seems unwise to risk the lives of everyone else for...” His voice trailed off, he didn't want to sound heartless, but he knew what needed done.

“Oi! Abe, nayomnik!”, she shouted. “Cover me, I’m going to knock the machine-gunner out!”

“I got you covered!” He replied, completely aware that the gunner would prove to be a larger problem if he wasn't dealt with accordingly. Abe's view of the gunner himself was obstructed by his cover, though he sent 4 rounds to another snipers chest as he carelessly stepped out from behind his stump. The machine gunner had been disposed of, from what he had seen right before Ludmila's voice echoed:

”Run for it!”

That was an order he didn't need twice. He waited for Ludmila to reach him, covering her to the best of his ability, although there was nothing he could do about the grenade. They had been out numbered, and if they didn't escape they would be outmatched. Chasing behind the rusalka, now carrying a scientist, Abe kept shooting behind them hoping to keep them covered as they reached the refuge of the forest. To his relief, Lorena had not been among the injured, so she had to have run when he wasn't looking.

“Keep going, and stay together! We’ll lose them in the jungle!”

Abe had no problem keeping up, though he wondered who else had been lost in the jungle. He had taken note that Rose was missing, and now there was no sign of Lorena. When the opportunity presented itself, Abe turned to Ludmila. “How many have we lost?”


OOC: Sorry for the delay, I'll be quick now. Of course I now again require practice with Abe. Lets do this!

[LUDMILA ILYUKHIN]

“How many have we lost?”, said Abraham.

Ludmila, panting and sweating, set the injured scientist down on the ground before looking up at her colleague.

"- Many, it seems", she said. "I can't see Lorena or Rose, and we lost a lot of eggheads in the ambush."

The portly professor she'd rescued moaned, and she crouched down next to him to take a look at his injury. To her dismay, she saw that he'd been hit in the ankle by a bullet.

"Fuck", she hissed. "I hope the bullet missed the bone, otherwise he's royally fucked."

The professor paid no attention to what Ludmila was saying. His eyes were glassy and he was obviously in shock. Ludmila suddenly felt the strain of having an injured squad mate all over again. The feeling of powerlessness, the blood, the shock...all she could do, really, was disinfect and bandage the wound, but that wouldn't do much since the humid and infested atmosphere of the jungle would quickly lead to infection.

Ludmila felt like sitting down and closing her eyes for a bit. Being in a combat situation had brought back all the psychological pressures that the wars she'd participated in had given rise to. However, she had to stand strong and stay determined, as a show of weakness would demoralise the team. She quickly tried to get things organised again.

"Okay, we need to patch up any injuries we might have. We need to get going, try to find Lorena and Rose, and accomplish our mission."

It's at times like these I wish I could just stay at home and eat ice cream.