A Grim Secret In The Encampment

V had so many questions that he felt he needed to entrap Oswald in a cellar and interrogate the man for days.

Getting a hold of himself, he asked a critical question with a grim expression,

"If those beasts emerged so suddenly, what happened to the field teams?"

Oswald seemed to anticipate that question, and yet he couldn't prevent his expression from darkening, a stifling silence falling over the room. A few seconds later, his reply came,

"Many brave men and women sacrificed themselves so that we could contain the situation. Their actions will not be in vain. Their families will be compensated generously, and our condolences will be with them".

A macabre expression quickly fell on his face, but it just as quickly left as Oswald steeled his nerves and continued,

"Regardless, I assure you that the situation is now under control. A blockade has been made around the meteorite to stop any animals from coming close and all plants in the area were scorched for good measure. For a reason we are yet to discern, humans do not seem to suffer from the same rapid changes that we witnessed in the local environment. We are forming a team of respective professionals to analyse the scene and get to the bottom of the cause of all if this. We'll be relying on your expertise."

After ironing out a few details, the call faded to black.

V didn't wait around to ponder then magnitude of what those brief minutes had revealed to him, after all, had preparations to make for his journey ahead.

-----------------------

V had trekked through many miles of foliage by now with his small team. Of the 3 men and 2 women in the group other than himself, two of the men were battle-hardened soldiers. Despite them being men of few words, V had managed to discern their names as Darius and Mark. The pair served several tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and had truly seen the worst mankind had to offer. Both had dark features and grim but determined demeanours, demonstrating their razor-sharp focus. Sleeves rolled to the elbow, exposing startling scars, the duo seemed to scare away any threats in the jungle very well. The other 3 were fellow researchers like himself. Leon was the other man of the group and was their resident astrophysicist. A rather plain looking man with glasses, he let his eyes wander curiously but kept his thoughts to himself. Sarah and Amber were the two women and an ecologist and a geologist respectively.

Barring the two soldiers, everyone looked worn yet expectant. Discoveries like this were what every researcher dreamed of, and they were the pioneers of this exciting new field.

Sarah seemed especially reverent, not towards their destination but to V.

"I still can't believe we get to work with the legendary V. I mean, how are we even supposed to keep up with him. I'm not sure we'll be good enough; he could probably do all our jobs by himself."

Sarah's personality seemed to encompass her entire appearance. She was a young woman in her late 20s with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She clung to Amber, seeming especially shy and nervous despite the two armed guards escorting her.

"You should have more confidence. You were selected for this job for good reason. You might be young, but your work with habitat preservation and biodiversity initiatives is truly impressive. Not to mention, if you don't have a little confidence, how will you ever catch V's eye, eh?"

Sarah blushed and squirmed uncomfortably, visibly embarrassed by Amber's direct words.

"I.." Sarah tried to explain but Amber simply cut her off with a warm chuckle to dowse Sarah's embarrassment.

Amber was a mature woman in her late 30s with billowing red hair and piercing green eyes. Exuding a youthful vitality and a confident serenity, her presence was soothing. She appeared like a tall tree in the autumn, swaying unperturbed in the soft wind.

V couldn't possibly have missed this exchange in such close proximity, yet it triggered no reaction. V's mind was wholly engrossed in their destination.

The destination that suddenly became visible through a clearing ahead.

A stretch of land barren of trees allowed the sunlight to flow in unhindered. Clanging machines, shouting voices and the clattering of footsteps bombarded the group. Ramshackle tents outlined a perimeter, encompassed by a great dividing wall of barb-wired fence. However, towering above it all, as if a mountain piercing the heavens, was a monumental wedge of rock, exuding a faint blue aura.

"We've arrived", V proclaimed, as the others glanced in his direction, only to his eyes that had remained frigid and oppressive alight with the raging flames of passion.

-----------------------

A tall, well-built older man with slicked back white hair and matching beard stood straight in the entrance to the camp like a javelin in the earth. His military attire was crisp and without a single blemish. Hands calmly clasped behind his back, the firm muscles of his chest protruded, threatening to ruin the pristine uniform. A silver eagle was pinned to his chest, denoting his command over the many men and women dashing madly around.

V immediately recognised the man as Oswald, Colonel Oswald it seemed.

Upon arriving in front of the man, both Mark and Darius saluted and turned stiff as a board. V couldn't help but notice a mixture of fear and respect in their eyes.

"It seems this Oswald guy is scarier than I thought. Maybe I should've reined things in back then" V considered. He was usually cold and calm, but he well knew that in the face of great mysteries, he could get ahead of himself.

"At ease soldiers. You've done fine work. Report to command for debriefing and to collect your new assignments".

"Yes Sir!"

Mark and Darius didn't spare another glance back at their companions, to which Sarah seemed at least a little upset. Yet she couldn't maintain the expression for long as Oswald's piercing gaze landed on her. Sarah shivered under the pressure as silence reigned for a few seconds.

Finally breaking the silence Oswald spoke lowly,

"I know you're young and inexperienced girl, but everyone in this camp and every man, woman and child in the world is depending on you right now. There may not be any immediate danger, but I don't believe for a second that the danger is gone forever. I feel the winds of changing blowing every day we remain here, and it is your efforts that will give us any chance of surviving that change. Work hard, and you could save countless lives. Hold your head high, you're a soldier now, act like one".

"Y..Yes Sir" Sarah muttered.

"What was that soldier?" Oswald growled.

"YES SIR!" Sarah bellowed instinctively.

Amber shook her head, a smile alighting her face at her little friend's reaction.

"She truly is naïve, this poor girl. I suppose I'll have to keep an eye out for her" she thought.

V's thoughts were somewhat similar yet also different.

"She truly is naïve, how does a person like that even survive in this world? I'd better avoid her where possible. The last thing I need is some needy child clinging on to me. Amber seems happy to take on the role of mother. So be it"

Meanwhile, Leon's thoughts seemed to be elsewhere, whether he had even been present for the conversation was anyone's guess. V half expected a faint 'Away' notification to begin hovering over the man's head.

Oswald's thoughts on the other hand, seemed a mystery. On the surface, he seemed to be the stereotypical cold, demanding drill sergeant type, and yet V couldn't help but feel like something was off.

V had plenty of experience reading people, and he could tell with good accuracy whether someone was being genuine. Just try walking into a room full of pharmaceutical representatives and you'll get all the practice with deception and sophistry one could ever need. Barring a lie detector test, V's honed intuition was the next best thing. Which was exactly why V could tell,

"He's lying about something."

V pondered,

"This persona of his seems false, like he is hiding behind this cold exterior. Why? What is he hiding?"

V had a few idea, but he couldn't be sure for now. However, if his ideas were correct, things did not bode well. For him, for his colleagues, and for the rest of the world.

-----------------------

Shortly after their arrival, the group separated, each member headed to their respective departments to start working as quickly as possible. Sarah seemed reluctant to part with Amber, but after some reassurances and by focussing her mind on the work ahead, no issues arose.

While the others left, escorted by soldiers, V was left alone with Oswald. The duo headed to the main command centre of the camp, a hastily constructed tent of tarpaulin. The structure desperately needed an upgrade, but until the soldiers cleared enough space in the surroundings to utilize prefab buildings and helicopters, this would have to suffice. The field teams had been here for around a day by now, but between the initial slaughter of the crazed beasts, helping the wounded, and creating a perimeter around the area, time had been a precious commodity.

Walking there didn't take long, and the duo remained in a foreboding silence for the entire journey.

Once they broke the seal of the tent, V examined his surroundings.

There was very little to see, just a few sporadic battery-powered electronics for vital communications and a large table surrounded by a few seats. There was no decoration or unnecessary detail, unsurprising given the military's style.

Without a word, Oswald seated himself on a chair at the head of the table. He seemed to age visibly, skin wrinkling as the seconds passed. It was apparent the man was plagued in both body and soul by a heavy burden. Remaining in silence, Oswald briefly operated a laptop on the desk before turning it to face a chair nearby and gesturing to V,

"Please sit. We need to have a difficult conversation"

V's interest was certainly piqued but he decide to air on the side of caution given the gravity of the situation and the increasingly grim expression on Oswald's face.

"What's going on here? I know you've been hiding something from us since we got here. Something that you didn't want the others to hear. Out with it."

A bitter smile crept upon Oswald's face, his eyes fixed on V's figure, filled with remorse.

"Indeed. I haven't been honest with you. I believe you'll understand things for yourself if you take a look the laptop."

"Please, sit." Oswald beckoned once more, appearing wholly deflated.

Hesitation seeped into V's mind for a moment, but he figured it best to keep the pitiful man waiting no longer.

With apprehension, V sat in the chair and directed his eyes towards the screen. On the desktop was but a simple email from a censored account and the link to a video. The text read,

"This is the future of our country. Harness this power and we will be unstoppable, the world will be ours. No-one would dare to stand in our way. I don't care what resources it takes, what sacrifices have to made. Make this happen. I wont accept any excuses."

V glanced up to meet Oswald's eyes in that moment of confusion. The man could only broaden his bitter smile,

"Watch the video", Oswald said bluntly.

A moment of pity flashed through V's mind before he redirected his eyes back to the screen. The cursor hovered over the play button as V's thoughts raced wildly. He was sure he wouldn't like what he saw next. Creeping into his heart was an ominous foreboding that he couldn't shake away. What would he see? What would it mean for him? What would it mean for the world? V briefly thought back to the contents of the email but he couldn't hesitate any longer. With a deep breath, V steeled his nerves and clicked.

A familiar scene flashed through V's eyes,

A Jaguar suddenly sprouted a second head and tripled in size in seconds. A green anaconda began to shine with a dark light as it evaporated into the shadows. Huge scaled wings erupted from the back of a black caiman, its body warping into what could only be described as a dragon. A seemingly innocuous plant suddenly bulged and spewed masses of gas that eroded the surroundings.

But where the screen previously cut to black, this one did not.

No, it was much, much worse.

From the drone footage, a field team could be spotted arriving in the clearing. A platoon of ten armed soldiers all frantic in their breathing from dashing through the jungle to the crash sight. The two parties spotted each other almost immediately and both sides froze in a moment of apprehension. Soldiers stared down the abominations, trying despately to not let fear seep into their hearts.

The creatures were the first to break the standstill as the jaguar reeled towards the skies and released a guttural roar from both heads.

"ROOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRRRR"

The earth trembled as the soldiers struggled to keep their balance. The shockwave disoriented the men, making them a step late in reacting to the immense momentum of the charging beasts. When they came to, the platoon commander only managed to scream a brief phrase before all hell broke loose.

"OPEN FI...!"

His words were cut short, however, as the jaguar used its immense body to launch the man from his feet, several meters back. Before he could collect himself, the great gaping jaws of the beast were fixed on his torso, and the man was bisected. Blood spewed explosively from the body as the man's legs lay motionless on the ground. A bone-chilling crunch resounded as the beast licked its lips, the man's remains nestling within the putrid stomach of the monster.

Even for battle-hardened veterans like themselves, such a gruesome and unbelievable death gave birth to a second of pause.

Rapidly though, the thundering of bullet fire and curses encompassed the forest.

"Die you bastard!"

"For the captain!"

"We wont go down without a fight you filthy beasts!"

The soldiers' conviction was admirable, but the odds certainly weren't in their favour.

What followed could only be described as a slaughter.

The inconspicuous shadow of one man suddenly warped into a reptilian head that sunk its enormous fangs into the weak flesh of the man's calves. With a futile struggle, the man's entire body was dragged into a realm of shadows, vanishing without a trace.

Another man ran haggardly as he tried to avoid the jaguar's pursuit while firing streams of bullets. The beast seemed to toy with its opponent, abruptly getting close and feigning strikes only to let the man flee again. Without noticing, the man had strayed into dangerous territory. A thick orange fog engulfed a small area of the jungle, the domain of a covert predator. Thick, oozing blisters bubbled on the man's skin within seconds, bringing the man to his knees from shock. His agonising screams reached the drone, turning V's stomach. Roots, thick like forearms quickly entrapped the man, dragging him into the distance and away from sight.

A young soldier hesitated watching his comrades being ravaged by these demons, and failed to notice the aerial predator sizing him up. A violent gust of wind was the man's only warning before he was heaved into the skies. His legs flailed wildly with panic, and two thick, razor-sharp, talon filled claws cleaved their way into his shoulders. Before he could even properly react to the direness of the situation, he found himself falling rapidly towards the ground. A brief curse left his mouth before his body imploded in a supernova of blood and guts.

V wanted to avert his eyes several times, but he forced himself to keep watching.

Within a few short moments, the entire team was dismantled, leaving only sporadic entrails as evidence of their battle.

The drone remained in the sky, an emotionless observer.

The winged caiman however quickly fixed its eyes upon the drone. It leapt into the air, and much like the first time watching the video, V was left with only a black screen and the solitude of his wild thoughts.