I Give My Heart Unto the Beast (IC)

[Holocene]

"Africa has finally come for me," replied the Animal in a stern, emotionless voice. "And when Africa calls, your soul erupts. Africa is a part of my soul, just as it is everyone who comes here. We never should have come to this continent, its wild beauty consumes all who stand in it's path. It is ironic that humans came from Africa, when it is the last place we should have ever been. Europeans, foreigners, we are worse off than the natives. When the Portuguese ships started sailing the coast all those years ago, they should have turned back. I tried to be the king of Africa, but Africa will tolerate no king, neither me nor the Beast, though he tries. But here we are, and here I am, and there is no other place I could be, for Africa consumes my soul, my soul is Africa. Humans were born here, and here we all shall die."

After the Animal's discourse, he went into a mad coughing fit, his face now very white, and his body more frail than when they had entered. "But alas, now I understand. Time is running short. I should have Dennis shoot you both. But maybe...." he went into another coughing fit. When he was done, he lie back on his bead, breathing heavily and staring into the ceiling, but in his mind he saw another world.

Charlie looked at the man who he had heard so much about, a man he was supposed to dread. Even the strongest must die at some point. And soon he would be dead, and the mysterious message Kyda had gotten from James over the phone would be meaningless. Find the Animal, James had said. But why?

[KittyKatAlly]

Kyda stepped back as the Beast went into another coughing fit. He wouldn't last the night if he was lucky she guessed. Surely they had a doctor or access to one, or did they not trust them around their esteemed dying leader.
"What now?" She asked her voice hesitant. She hopped that Dennis wouldn't just shoot them even with the Beast seeming to have other plans for them.

[Holocene]

"What now? That is the question I suppose. But the answer, the answer is not a simple one. What is it you desire? To kill the Beast, to take his place and in a futile effort attempt to put this land under your control, or to escape, and leave this nightmare behind? The horror of the fact is, I am no longer sure either is possible."

The Animal madly coughed in between his mad raving, "You must remember one thing of the Beast, and all men of power. They are liars. Manipulation and lies are how they keep everything under control, not money or weapons, though they don't hurt! And lies cannot last forever. That is why the Beast is building all these facilities, like the one I was building when you first met me. They contain a new sort of power."

Something jerked away Charlies attention. Small popping started sounding off, and soon the familiar sound of gunshots could be heard on the outskirts of the compound. The Beast's men were finally here, they no doubt followed the helicopter. They arrived a lot quicker than Charlie imagined they would, almost impossibly quick.

"You cannot trust the Beast, but neither should you trust me, nor anyone who can presume to have a use for you. But now, everyone must leave. I wish to be alone," The Animal finished. It seemed as if he had no clue of the attack. Dennis stood there, motionless. The facade was breaking, he was seeing reality.

Charlie backed away from the bed, before a bullet came through the wall, narrowly missing Dennis, who suddenly saw reality. He ran out of the building, screaming, going straight into the Jungle. Charlie ducked down, and he could hear the Animal breath out two words, before he would breath no more, "The Horror, the Horror"

[KittyKatAlly]

Kyda hit the deck as bullets came through the tent.
"Oh I am not getting shot again." She hissed angrily. Annoyed at the people shooting so carelessly and at herself for thinking the Animal was going to be any more help then the stupid Beast.
"Do you think this is a raid or a rescue party?" She asked Charlie as they both took shelter behind a thick stack of wooden supply crates. "Because if its a rescue party then they seriously suck ass."

[Holocene]

"Either way, we need to get somewhere safer!" Charlie yelled, crawling fast using his forearms to drive him forwards, out of the building and into the open compound. Ahead of him he saw one of the African soldiers shot down by a large, hulking figure of a man.

The man had shaven black hair, an evil and focused face, with menacing eyes that made him appear a predatory animal. He wore a long gray coat over his camouflaged fatigues. He raised the Desert Eagle pistol he was holding, and aimed it at another soldier before firing it with a loud bang. The soldier fell backwards as the bullet went through his shoulder, shattering it with a cloud of blood.

Charlie stared up in awe, watching as bullets flew right past the man, who did not even flinch. The man looked directly at Charlie, before yelling, "Get up!"

Charlie immediately got onto his feet, before running and grabbing an AK-47 lying next to a dead soldier.

[KittyKatAlly]

Kyda followed behind grumbling about there not being anywhere safer. Making it out into the open compound she almost froze at the intimidating figure the man before them made.
He looked like a villain straight out of a comic book making her hope he was on their side and not the Animals.

Slowly getting up Kyda didn't make a move to grab a gun. She didn't plan on getting caught up in any of this, she just wanted a way out. That wasn't likely though.
"Who are you?" she asked the hulking figure of a man.

[Holocene]

Charlie fired a burst at where he saw a muzzle flash from the jungle. He turned and checked to make sure Kyda was safe, and to see if the man wanted him to anything else.

"Stay here. I need to make sure of something." the man said walking forwards towards the hut Charlie and Kyda had just escaped from. He entered, and a moment later he walked out, pistol in hand. The man took out a small radio and talked into it, "Kill everyone here. I'm getting the pilot and the girl out."

He turned around and shouted out to Kyda and Charlie, "Follow me!" Charlie fired the last shot in his rifle, pulling the trigger and hearing a loud "click", he threw it aside and moved crouched towards the man. He looked over at Kyda, "Lets go!"

The man started moving back towards the jungle, briefly stopping and letting a bullet fly just by his face, before continuing. Charlie was amazed, it was as if the man knew the bullets were coming. They made it into the jungle, and the man led them to where two other mercenaries were firing rifles into the compound. "Take them to the helicopter. We'll finish here. "

The two mercs nodded, one motioning for Charlie and Kyda to follow.

[KittyKatAlly]

Kyda gapped at the man as he pulled out his radio and ordered the slaughter of everyone in the camp. Surely not everyone was there because they wanted to be. Why not give them the chance to run now that their leader was dead?
Nodding mutely Kyda followed Charlie and their overly macho savior.

Getting into the chopper Kyda made sure to sit in the middle. There was no way she was gonna risk getting shot at by being near the open sides.
"Did we just get rescued by the terminator or something?" She asked Charlie as they ascended. "That man was unreal."

[Holocene]

"I don't know. Did you see the way he stood out in the open? I don't understand how he's survived so long here," Charlie said, watching as the trees went by below them. It only now occurred to him that the beast was going to be pretty pissed that Charlie had lost a helicopter.

But his mind didn't dwell on that for long, something was bothering Charlie. "It wasn't just the way that guy fought. Something about him, just, I don't know, he seemed different. The way he talked, the way he looked."

Charlie's mind shifted from that to their rescue. They had come awfully fast. It was almost as if they were ready for Charlie to be shot down. it was especially surprising seeing how disorganized it was back at the base. Maybe they had tracked Charlie, and responded as soon as he was shot at.

The helicopter they were on approached the isolated outpost, and set down near by. Vulture was headed towards it at a quick pace, and with a very nasty look on his face.

[KittyKatAlly]

"It was down right creepy." Kyda muttered. The rest of the ride was taken in silence until the reached a clearing with a small outpost at its edges.
Jumping out of the helicopter Kyda let out a small 'eep' as she spotted Vulture stalking towards them. Side stepping behind Charlie Kyda did her best to hide from the obviously angry man.
"uh oooh. I am in soooo much trouble." Kyda said quietly wincing at the pain she knew was probably coming her way.