RPGTopia

"I'm sure our guns will be more than enough to handle any animals we come across," Barnes replied. Dodgson continued to stay silent, nervously shuffling through papers and trying to ignore the activity around him...

Jacob remained silent, somewhat doubtful of Barnes' words, but deciding not to discuss the situation any further. there was no need. his tone told him everything he needed to know...

Hiero glared back for a few moments but then turned his head to outside and got hold of the LMG. Hiero hated Dodgson, he diddn't like most people in suites for that matter but Dodgson was different, he knew what was out there, he knew what this was all about, and he refused to tell them anything. He... Hiero suddenly felt a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time, it was a sense of dread. "Somethings not right I feel the eyes of a hunter on us" he muttered just loud enough for anyone that wasn't distracted to hear him.

"Relax, soldier. We're going in there. No turning back. Getting cold feet'll just make you less efficient in combat. If you sense something, prepare for it. Keep your wits about you, and you'll get through this" said Jacob firmly...

Some of the eyes the human had sensed belonged to a pack of twenty small but efficient killers. They had scattered when the huge, noisy thing they could only think of as a bird type they weren't familiar with had come crashing to earth. Their slender heads were held low to the ground, as were their lean bosides, the pack checking out the two-leggeds from a safe distance. The creatures were bigger than they were - but that meant next to nothing. Their pack was strong. They were capable of taking down prey many times their size. The two-leggeds smelled safe to eat and looked defenseless. But looks could be deceiving.

The predators were small, standing just two feet tall, but the adults measured seven feet in length. Their well-muscled hind legs were designed for speed - and to be lethal. The claws each of them sported on their second toes could easily gut a bigger animal when used right. Their three-clawed forelimbs were just as formidable, though held close to their bodies, in an almost birdlike fashion. Adding to that description, the animals were covered in a downy layer of feathers colored various shades of mottled green, breaking up their outlines against the foliage. The males of the group had crests of blue atop their heads and tipping the longer feathers on their arms. What little exposed skin there was on the creatures was covered in dull tan scales.

The predators chattered softly amongst themselves, the noise drowned by the rain. They were intelligent. If they could find an easier meal than what they normally hunted, they would happily take that chance. But these two-legged creatures were alien to them. The point was to get a meal - not become one. One by one, the thirty-pound animals slipped off into the undergrowth. They would be back, to investigate these strange intruders. They were curious as well as smart. But first, they needed to eat.

The chameleonic predator didn't sense the pack nearby because of the rain, continuing to watch the alien device parked in the clearing...

Another crash of thunder resounded, seemingly right over the mercs' heads, closely followed by an intensely bright flash. Fortunately, no one was looking directly at the lightning when it struck the ground only a few meters away from the Osprey, making a massive crack and sending a wave of heat washing over the Osprey and the area around it. The three men in the Osprey's cockpit--the pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer--all jumped and cursed. A red light flashed in the cockpit, followed by a shrill alarm, which the pilot quickly switched off. Barnes, alarmed, called to the pilot via his headset: "Everything alright back there?" he asked, also unnerved by the sudden lightning strike. "Uh, yeah, yeah! We're all fine in here! Johnson says that the heat from that lightning may have fried a couple delicate systems, but he should be able to fix 'em when the storm passes." Barnes shook his head. This trip was getting worse by the minute. "Alright, tell him to get on it ASAP. We don't want to be stuck on the ground any longer than necessary." "Roger that, LT."

Rick felt the heat wave and glanced for a few more seconds out at where the bolt had strick, his eyes slightly widened. That had been far too close a call and the merc muttered quietly:"This mission is getting more off plan by the second thanks to that storm."

OOC: Can we please get into the actual survival plot, I'm noticing the posts are rapidly losing detail and interest

The lightning strike nearly roasted Hiero's hands while they were holding the LMG's metal handles, he grimaced in pain and held them at his sides. "I think some of my skin peeled off from that, my situation grows worse," he cried in pain.

OOC: Patience is a virtue, RT. We're almost there. Keep yer pants on.

Dodgson finally put his work away, not having accomplished much of anything. He didn't like the risk of being questioned, and he wanted to get to the research base and leave before they actually saw anything... incriminating...

Maxwell sat patiently, all the soudns beginnnig to overwhelm him. He didn't like storms already, and the island himself made him feel uncomfortable. However, that.... noise.... that had been audible but a few minutes earlier still haunted his thoughts. What on god's green earth could've made that? It sounded too animalistic to be an explosion, but it sounded too.... too POWERFUL.... to be anything that he could recognize.....

Riley's eyes opened to the heat a few moments later, shaking his head as he took the earbuds out from his ears and cleaned each one quickly with a small white rag in another pocket of his. Soon the merchant, noticing Maxwell's slight discomfort, offered to give him his MP3, asking, "want to listen to something... more comforting before we depart?"

Maxwell turns to Riley before saying, "Sure. Better than listening to the damned rain."

Riley nodded in agreement and tossed Maxwell the MP3, turning to watch the down pour a moment afterwards out of bordom. He hummed as the water crashed into the metal walls on the outside of the osprey and into the ground, tapping his thigh multiple times with his free hand, the other digging through his pockets...

Maxwell turned on the MP3 and listened to one of the tunes. The merc hummed along with the tune that was playing, keeping his thoughts off of the sound that kept ringing in his mind.....

The rest of the wait was uneventful, and soon enough the storm passed, leaving the island soggy, but bathed in warm sunlight. Barnes stood up and stepped carefully outside, patting Hiero on the shoulder. "Good job. Get yourself dried off." As he stretched his stiff arms above his head, he called back into the Osprey. "Alright, everybody out and get yourself some exercise! Johnson!" The flight engineer, as well as his compatriots in the cockpit and Dodgson, were already outside, and the engineer quickly jogged up to Barnes. "Sir?" "Try and see what the problem with the Osprey is, and get it air-worth ASAP." "No problem, LT. I'll get right on it."

Hiero had wrapped his hands in medical tape just to be safe, when Barnes patted him he merely looked at him with a bored expression before stowing the mounted weapon. He then grabbed his backpack and rifle which he had placed on his seat before walking out, looking around at his surroundings. "This place, something evil lives here," he said in vietnamease which he had tried to make a habit not to.

"Huh?" Barnes said, raising an eyebrow. He knew a couple languages, but he didn't know Vietnamese...

"Go get some exercise he says" David said as he stepped out of the aircraft and into soggy ground, his boots sinking into the mud and leaving deep prints. "Go collect leeches and bug bites you mean" He continued to say as he looked around at the tree line, making sure Barnes could hear him. "Surrounded by trees but the lightning just misses the Osprey? What are the ******* odds?!" The mercenary went on with his rant as he started to walk off, assault rifle in hand, knowing that he got his point across. His mood plummeted waiting for the storm to pass, and right now all he wanted to do was complete his mission and leave the island

"That's something we like to call a 'fluke,' pal," Barnes said. "And I never said go for a jog through the woods to go get yourself a few parasitic presents. Of course, if you want too, be my guest. You're not my responsibility if you decide to go adventuring."

Jacob grunted as he heard Hiero's comment. he knew some words in Vietnamese, and he gathered enough to get the general jist of what he said. he checked his equipment briefly, before preparing to move out, waiting for whatever orders would be given...