Closed - Secret Mission: The Hunt Begins

[oncedevil]

Who: Doppel!Tony and Doppel!Aaron
What: The beginning of the Santarem monster hunt.
When: Backdated to Monday the 23rd.
Where: Various locations around the Amazon rain forest.

Dropped in the middle of a dense and tangled rain forest wasn't exactly the most ideal of situations, but at least they'd been well supplied. Any requested weapons within reason, as much training as could be crammed into them on short notice, and an unfortunately vague briefing. Hunt and destroy the creature creeping around in the woods.

What it is and how to track it was the first stage of the operation. And perhaps the most irritating. Nevertheless, that was the situation they found themselves in and were tasked with dealing with. Nothing out of their ability range, right?

When doppelganger-Tony stepped out of the transport he momentarily froze, squinting his eyes shut and promptly covering his face. Oh, well, that was going to be troublesome. Who knew rain forests were so full of smells? Don't mind him he just needs a moment.

Comments

[elfstoned]

"This is disgusting," Aaron agrees, feeling his comfortingly military-issue boots sink into the mud. His hair is cut short, very military, very standard.

He sighs.

"Come on. Orders are orders. We've got to find this thing, wherever it is."

[oncedevil]

The only thing not standard military about them was Tony's sword. Not the one his original owned, disappointingly, but it would have to suffice. He couldn't risk going back and getting himself killed this time around.

"Hnph," A few moments to regain his composure, and he nods curtly, taking his hand away from his nose. He'll cope, it's not the worst thing in the world. "They said it was heard in this area recently, but still no sightings. Be on your guard."

[elfstoned]

"I have a skill," Aaron says, "that may help us find it. It'll work best on the most solid ground we can find." He picks a foot up out of the mud and doesn't hide his disgust at the squelch it makes. "There must be somewhere in this place that isn't covered in mud."

[oncedevil]

"Do you?" Tony frowns thoughtfully, then gives a nod as he begins to lead the way through the muddy forest. "Seek out higher ground, there it should be dryer." One can hope, anyway? He didn't recall singing up to go rolling around in the mud damn it.

[elfstoned]

A nod; it's a good idea. He'll squish off through the mud after Tony, wiping his brow with the back of a hand, keeping an eye out for anywhere that looks likely.

[oncedevil]

Not that finding higher ground proves to be particularly easy, given that every square inch of ground is covered in plants. While he can jump remarkably high, that doesn't help them much when he can't climb the gigantic trees to get a look above anything that isn't green and leafy. Best they can do is guess.

"Ridiculous," Tony mutters, increasingly annoyed as he slashes his way through the undergrowth. See? Swords do come in handy. "A wild goose chase." Normally he'd have turned tail and ditched at this point, but for some reason he can't seem to make himself do that.

Which only irritates him further.

[elfstoned]

Aaron stops by a tree that looks climbable. "Wait here. I'll see if I can get us a direction and an idea of distance."

He'll shimmy up the tree, grateful for the thick gloves that keep the grime and sap and dirt from the tree off his skin. Aaron doesn't like climbing trees, but he's in the best shape he's ever been in. He'll be up there for a minute or two.

[oncedevil]

Tony glances up at the tree, then back at Aaron and nods. "Very well," Better idea than wandering around below the brush where they can't see anything. So far, no signs of any strange creatures either. Just seems like a normal disgustingly wet and humid rain forest.

Delightful.

In the meantime Tony will guard below, listening and sniffing for anything out of the ordinary. Not that he can exactly tell having never been in a rain forest before, everything smells and sounds weird.

[elfstoned]

Aaaand back down the tree he goes.

"That way," he says, pointing to a section of forest that's not immediately distinguishable from the rest of it. "There's a high hill about half a mile away."