2019.10.02: Ildar's Athro Challenge

2019.10.04 Ildar's Athro Challenge
Honor's Keeper completes his challenge for Athro
IC Date	October 2-4, 2019
IC Time	48 Hours in
Players	Ildar
Location	Minsk, Belarus and Pripyat, Ukraine
Spheres	Gaian, Garou
Theme Song	Immortals, FOB

xxxxxIldar has been called to the quarters of the Grand Elder, Anthony Richards (Speaks for Justice), bright and early on the morning of ToBeDecided. This, of course, is highly unusual. Possibly alarming. The Grand Elder does not summon his Sept members lightly. Upon arrival, Ildar would be welcomed into the Child of Gaia Philodox's Den. "Have a seat, Honor's Keeper," the Elder would gesture to a chair next to an older man Ildar has never seen before. The older man looks to be about 50, with a head of white hair and a white beard, which the man keeps stroking a bit as he sizes Ildar up. Speaks for Justice explains, "we have a visitor. He's looking for you."

xxxxxThe older man would tilt his head back a bit as gray eyes examine Ildar's face, searching for something unseen. He's wearing a light gray business suit, and although he's slim, it's easy to tell he has a wiry build. To note, one can also feel his rage and his Silver Fang purebreed instantly. He sits back, "Ildar Solokov, Honor's Keeper," the man speaks with a thick Slavic Accent. "I have heard much about you from Xen's Mother. I wonder if you will live up to your reputation?"

xxxxxIldar, summoned by the Grand Elder, is fast to get dressed and a simple moon bridge away to go from home to Caern, to get to the Grand Elder's den. Nodding to the Grand Elder, he eyes the old man, who's sizing him up, studying him thoughtfully while Ildar takes that seat. At mentioning that sept, who's been harrying them already, his look harden slightly, then he simply shrugs. "I think I made it pretty clear to the spirit you sent to stalk my wife, that I can take care of her. I really hope this isn't about asking my permission to do so?"

xxxxxThe old man's eyebrows upturn at that, and he chuckles. He glances up to the Grand Elder Richards who is trying to hide a smile, himself. "You said I would have my work cut out for me," the old man grins, and at that, stands and lays a weathered hand at his ribcage. "I am Vladislav Kolkovir, so Rited "Eagle of Perun", son of Swift Frost, son of Outlaws' Bane, son of Grimstone, son of Mistborne. Born of the crescent moon and Elder Silver Fang," he pauses and arches a brow, "And I am not of your wife's mother's Sept. I am the Rite Master of the "Guardians of Mokosh" Sept in Minsk, Belarus." He nods as his eyes narrow in a bit of scrutiny, though his smile is amused, "though she speaks highly of you. She seemed to think you might be of help to us and..." He glances back to the Grand Elder, "your Grand Elders seems to agree it is time you moved forward. If you are? Up to the challenge?"

xxxxxIldar raises both brows, then sighs, bowing his head. "Please, forgive me Elder. I've had several members of that Sept seek to try to butt in. Spirits that stalk her. Harassing her on the phone. Demanding we move out there.." Ildar shakes his head slightly. "You're not them and I acted poorly. So.. totally getting off to the right foot for this." He looks to the Grand Elder, then back to Vladislav. "I believe I'm ready, Eagle of Perun-Rhya. I'm willing to seek this challenge to move forward."

xxxxxEagle looks back to the Grand Elder and gives a chuckle and a slight shrug of his shoulders. He steps forward, to lay a hand on Ildar's shoulder. "It's not.... The worst greeting I've had," she murmurs a bit before taking in a deep breath and turning to nod at the Elder Philodox. "Thank you for your time, Speaks for Justice. I appreciate your welcoming hospitality and your letting us take your Den Father from his duties for..... a few days." Turning back to Ildar, he says, "I will give you an hour, to make arrangements for your post while you are gone and to inform your pack you have accepted the call to rise in Rank. You can meet me and your Sept's Rite Master when you are done. Do not be late, Hm?"

xxxxxIldar nods solemnly. "I'm sure StarChaser-Rhya would be happy to help cover for me in this. I'll be there on time." He stands, giving a bow to the Grand Elder, a nod to the elder. "See you in an hour." Once dismissed, Ildar heads out, to go get set up and ready for departure. His arrow box is reloaded. Just in case. He gets arrangements done and would be 5 minutes before the end of that hour, showing up to the Rite Master to be prepared for this.

xxxxxThe two Rite Masters would be waiting at the heart of the Caern as specified. Eagle nods, once, fixing his gray eyes on Iladr before turning and thanking Bane-Breaker for her help. In turn, Bane-Breaker turns to solemnly nod towards Ildar, "Gaia be with you, Honor's Keeper. Next time I see you, you will be an Athro," she muses. Ildar is used to traveling along moon bridges to get from one place to another, so the first steps of this journey are not too unsual. Eagle leads the way as this particular moonbridge climbs steeply, and steeper still, along the horizon. As they travel, he begins to lay out the problem at hand:

xxxxx"My Sept, the Guardians of Mokosh, are members of an Accord with the Sept of the Mirrored Seas in Moscow, Russia and the Sept of Thunder's Call in Kiev, Ukraine." He slides his hands into his pockets as they continue. "As, I am sure you know... Relationships between the other two septs in the Accord have been... Strained." He would wave one hand back and forth a bit, "as they usually are between Russia and Ukraine, but..." A shrug. "More so these years," He turns to get a bead on Ildar before continuing. "However, it is important that we recognize the reason we came together to forge this Accord. In 1986, the foul beast of Chernobog nearly decimated an area in Northern Ukraine. The humans? Called this event, "Chernobyl." He pauses, to look back, "I assume, you have heard of this?" Without waiting much, he continues, "The Accord was struck between the triad of our septs to send teams in to fight the remaining blight. And, after time, it appears we are finally winning.... Not!" He holds out a finger, "'WON'. But 'WINNING'," he warns. "However, one of our teams discovered something that is... Of note. Within the groups of people that stubbornly refused to leave the area surrounding Pripyat, we believe there is a newly raged cub. These people are not yet taken by the wyrm, but... I am sure you can understand the risk for this cub, being so close to the hive that remains so close by." He pauses for a moment to face Ildar. "You will serve in the team we send in to extract this cub. Do you understand?"

xxxxxIldar bows to Bane-Breaker with a small smile, but of course goes on readily with the Elder. Walking along that bridge, he listens closely, frowning a moment at the mention of Chernobyl. "I'll have to look that one up.." Shaking his head a little to set that aside, he nods to the Elder. "Hmm.. Go in, get the cub. Get out. Alright. That seems.. straight forward. For what it is. What's the twist?"

xxxxxThe elder turns back to face the direction in which they are headed. "The twist, Honor's Keeper, is... Chernobyl. It is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history and is one of only two nuclear energy disasters rated at seven-the maximum severity-on the International Nuclear Event Scale, the other being the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan." He looks back at Ildar, "There will be creatures of the wyrm. BSD's, Banes... Femori. Sometimes finding who to trust may be difficult, and then there is the matter of finding the cub in the given time. You see," she turns to look back at Ildar, "if you go in too deeply, for too long, there is still the risk of radiation. We have tools, of course. But this task is not without significant risk. But we believe this cub is.... Worth the risk. Your team, the pack, "Strike Zone" is made up of Garou from the three septs. They can tell you more about the objective." He arches a brow as he looks back at Ildar with a shake of his head, "but I think you also need a debriefed history lesson."

xxxxxIldar nods slightly, frowning a moment. He grimances, then smiles sheepishly. "I grew up in the streets alone. The lost cub that got found.. So.. yeah. I don't know a lot of human history. Or much history. I've learned Our history, of course.. But a brief run down would be appreciated." He shrugs slightly, then nods slowly. "So.. radiation. Bad guys. And a special cub that is worth the push.. That sounds like it's going to be interesting. I'll do my level best in this. Do we have a picture, name, or anything?"

xxxxxEagle explains to Ildar that he will receive information in a debriefing. The moon bridge would lead over the waters and across ice, the different spirits below them passed along until they began their descent to the caern in Minsk, Belarus. From there, Ildar would encounter his first adjustment in having to remember his Russian. Even then, there is often a dialect that would slow him down just a bit until his ear is trained to pick it out. Eagle would bid him good-bye for now, and leave him in the capable hands of a kinfolk who would wordlessly install Ildar into an automobile and drive him to what appears to be a refurbished warehouse of some sort. So far.... The people here aren't very warm at all. Once inside, Ildar would be sat at a table in a room, with a serving of hot soup and, with the help of a knowledgeable kinfolk and a few film clips, he's be brought up to speed on what Chernobyl 'was'.

xxxxxAt last, with that part being finished, the lights come up. The kinfolk pauses and actually gives Ildar a smile (the first one he's received since arriving), and others Garou enter the room with him. Eagle returns, alongside the group and introduces everyone to one another:

xxxxxThe pack, known as Strike Zone, is one of 5 packs that rotate through the afflicted area to assess, battle and repair the area. The packs, being what they are, tend to have a... High Turnover Rate... Among them. Strike Zone is considered to be designed for information, infiltration and extraction. It's members are:
xxxxx- Alpha: Ahroun Glasswalker Adren, "Aberrant Interrupt", aka Nikita
xxxxx- Beta: Galliard Glasswalker Adren, "Master Algorithm", aka Dima
xxxxx- Member: Ragabash Shadow Lord Fostern, "Veles' Favor", aka Grigory
xxxxx- Member: Theurge Silver Fang Fostern, "Falcon's Talon", aka Andrei
xxxxx- And someone in the same boat as Ildar... Philodox Silver Fang Fostern -Challenging for Adren- "Winter Mourning", aka Nadya, from St. Petersburg, Russia.

xxxxxThey each, in turn, look to Ildar when it comes time for him to give his introduction...

xxxxxIldar would keep careful and focused. He's attentive, that's for sure. So anyone who deals with him would find that Ildar? learns fast. Very fast, to catch up on the dialect. Sure, he may be from the US.. but he can easily speak Russian like a native it seems. Listening to the introductions of each person in turn, he nods and would give his own. "I am Ildar Solokov, Rite-Name Honor's Keeper. Adren, Silver Fang Ahroun born on two legs. Grandson of Fights-the-Dark, Great great grandson of Fangs-of-Justice. Great great great Grandson of Luna's Claws. Den Father and Patrol leader of the Sept of the Enduring Spirit. Pack member of the Kandula's Hope. Mated to Xenovia Solokov. I am part of House Unbreakable Hearth and follower of the Helios lodge. I'm glad to be here to help you all and I plan to throughly make sure we survive and succeed."

xxxxxNikita's eyes would move over Ildar, almost sizing the other Adren Ahroun up. With the exception of Nadya, who offers a smile, the others seem perfunctory in their assessment of their packmate. No one seems bothered by the two temporary tag-alongs, or if they are, they bury it quickly. A map is shared of the area, spread out upon the table so that all can see. As the others stand to have a better look, Nikita slides his shoulders in just so to edge Ildar out.

xxxxxAh. Yes. The standard Alpha trying to establish his lead. Ildar doesn't take the bait. He'd simply and purposely step aside, letting Nikita have that space, while Ildar steps next to Nadya. He doesn't say anything about the Alpha trying to toss his weight around, simply focus on that map. Reviewing it t make sure he has it, a slight nod is given and then he'd look to Nikita. "So what information do we have on the target? Looks? Location? You know this area best, so I would be honored if you would share your experience and insight with us all."

xxxxxNadya steps aside, quietly, to make room for Ildar. The map shows the area of the power plant, and the river that runs along it. it also shows the city of Pripyat, the nearby town erected solely for the purpose of inhabiting the plant's workers in the 80's. There are a few, outlying clusters. Tiny towns or the like, labeled on the map with letters, "A", "B", "C". There's an overlay on the map, a garish red that is heaviest at Reactor #4, and lessens as it moves out. The areas with the letters are against the edges of the 'red zone', but not in it.

xxxxxAs Ildar speaks, the room falls silent. At first, it may not seem that Nikita will answer. At last, he lays a finger on the map, in the cluster-town marked "C". "He's here," Nikita confirms in a rumbly tone, "this area." Then, his finger moves along the red starting from Reactor #4, "This is what is left of the Hive. The other teams are responsible for the hive," he looks up, finally, and around at those gathered. "The hive is not our objective," he pulls his finger outward, "neither is any of the area in red. If The Cub passes into these areas, he is considered lost and we have failed at our mission." He points again, through Pripyat, "this is as far as we go. Do we understand?" He waits, for acknowledgement and, then, as if in afterthought, fishes through the file and flips a photograph out into the table. There's a boy there, in the picture. Blonde, square-jaw, but young. Sitting on the steps of a run-down building and wearing clothes that are mismatched and inappropriate given the cooler weather that has already set in. There is a dog at his feet. His expression is serious and, what's more curious, is that it is an expression Ildar may recall. In fact, the boy himself, could very well have been Ildar around the age of 16 or so. Nikita moves his eyes up to regard Ildar, locking his gaze on

xxxxxIldar studies the map, then looks to Nikita at the explination. He agrees just as readily as the others. They aren't there for combat. He can deal with that. As the photo is offered, Ildar sucks in a small breath. "Ah." Well. That puts a lot in perspective. Doesn't it? Ildar studies it closely, memorizing the features that are so eerily close to his own. Finally, he nods a little and looks to Nikita. "I understand. I have some basic knowledge of tracking. However, I have no doubt your pack is better at it. I'm ready to go, if everyone else is. The sooner the better, right?" He pauses, frowning a moment. "And are we going with hazmat outfits, or how are we dealing with radiation?"

xxxxxNikita's brows loft with that and he chuckles a bit, as does Grigory, the Ragabash. "Da," Grigory, "Haz Mat," he offers in his thick dialect. He bobs his head to Ildar and heads toward the door, "I can help you with kit. Then we... /Roll Out/" The last part, he says in heavily-accented English. Clearly, a fan of American Pop Culture. "You two," he frowns deeply and gestures towards Nadya, "for however long you live."

xxxxxNadya gives the man an annoyed glance, but follows he and Ildar down the hall to a room. He hands Nadya a Giger Counter, "here," he says, "that way? Can keep Ahroun's hands free." He smiles and shrugs to Ildar. It is what it is, it seems. He hands each of them a pair of boots with thick soles. Not exactly in their size, but close enough for government work. They are also handed a pair of snug-fitting olive green pants and top and a thin, silky-feeling pair of what might equate to... Coveralls? "Green, go on first," Grigory instructs, possibly being deed-named 'Master-of-the-Obvious'. Nadya nods and makes quick work of changing into the assigned gear.

xxxxxIldar nods slightly, a smile given to Grigory at the attempt. He would follow along of course, taking the gear given to him and getting suited up quick enough as well. It's not like this is necessarily outside of the norm that Ildar does. He does look at the counter curiously, just studying it a moment so he can get a basic idea of what it means too.

xxxxxGrig's handy enough, taking a few moments to show both Nadya and Ildar what the counter does, what it means. Nadya could have done without the graphic detail of what Radioactive particles do your 'balls', followed by the wink.... But otherwise, it's a solid instruction. Nadya slides the counter into a back pack, matching one Ildar is given, as well. The two are handed several pairs of gloves and Grig cants his head to the side to indicate that they follow him again. They walk down a long sterile corridor to an old-style Russian Military vehicle where they are loaded into the back and begin the long journey towards encampment C. The ride is bumpy, and loud. At some point, Nadya leans forward to ask as loudly as she can, of the Theurge, "what about the Umbra, "Falcon's Talon 'Rhya?" The young, blonde man turns an icy gaze on the girl, but she continues, "I assume there's a point where umbral travel is... Discouraged?" Dima and Grig give Nadya a cursory glance, but Nikita shakes his head at them before either can say - Or do?- Anything more. An uncomfortable moment of silence passes, with Andrei just staring at Nadya. The man's features are nearly avian, sharp, cold. Deadly for a Theurge. Finally, he answers her, "The spirits here are very unpredictable. Even those you are used to being friendly towards you. There are enemies in the umbra, yes. Banes. Worse. There's a team of Theurges that deal with them. But it's... Not the safest, still. The gauntlet is thick nearly everywhere," she says, giving her a final once-over before turning away. "Just don't get stuck"

xxxxxIldar is silent and thoughtful, setting up the gloves for easy use if needed. He'd also make sure most of his throwing gear is stored away, no need to have random things he use get radiated, right? Either way, he looks between the two, Nadya, then the theurge. A small frown is given but he nods slowly. "Makes sense. Damage done.. I wish them the best working on that cleaning.."

xxxxxThe ride continues for nearly a full hour when the driver, Dima, opens the flap dividing the front from the back and calls out that Encampment C is up ahead. The others in the back begin to shift, to gather their items, when the hair along the back of Ildar's neck and along his arms stand up. His Danger Sense is set off by... Something. And then, there is the ear-splitting sound of rending metal and their world is, quite literally, turned upside-down. The rear of the truck lifts into the air and flips over itself as if the front of the truck had just hit some unseen wall. Bodies flail as the truck begins to break apart before landing with a solid crash, upside down.

xxxxxIldar is basically quiet in the drive. Just for one, brief moment, enjoying the countryside of a homeland he's never known and yet.. Feels connected to. Glancing over at the one who opens the flap, Ildar suddenly tenses. Curses softly and braces himself. "Incoming!" is barked sharply in Russian. Although.. Incoming.. what? He doesn't know until that impact. Launched from the truck, he twists in the air, landing into a skidding stop on his feet. Ildar glances around sharply, seeking a source, then looks to the others to see if anyone is hurt badly, moving to go help them as he can with that healing touch.

xxxxxThere is still that split second of discombobulation that comes from being turned topsy-turvy all at once. It still takes a moment for that ringing to stop in the ears. Dust is kicked up but, after he gets his bearings, Ildar can quickly discern his surroundings; having been gifted with Falcon's Eyes:
xxxxx- The Theurge, Andrei, is sitting up, looking a bit wild-eyed. He has blood coming from a gash in his head, but otherwise seems OK.
xxxxx- Grigory is growling and nursing an arm that appears to be nastily bent in a very unnatural and backwards way
xxxxx- Nadya seems to roll up quickly and, despite blood on her hands and rushing from her nose, is otherwise OK
xxxxx- Nikita rolls up and lunges from the back of the vehicle quickly. Hard to tell if he's OK or not. Either way, he's focused on being at the ready for... Whatever just happened.

xxxxxAnd, as the sound returns to normal, they quickly realize that the roaring in their ears is -also- the roaring of a Garou, that Warform cry of battle, that quickly becomes enraged pain. Coming from the front of the truck.

xxxxxIldar hearing the roar from the upside down truck would go there first. Planting his feet by the truck, he'd brace himself and haul it up, flipping it back onto it's tires so they can get to the two within. "Hey! You two ok? Who's hurt badly?"

xxxxxIldar rolls out of the truck on the heels of Nikita but, as Nikita heads for the front of the truck, Ildar sets his heels and digs in his hands to heft the vehicle up. Inside, Andrei calls out to the ones still inside the back to "brace themselves for a rollover!"

xxxxxThe roar Ildar heard before continues, it's clearly a battle going on and now - Ildar can hear a different sort of noise in there. A Snarling that could? Be Wolf? Might? Be Garou? But it's angry. And hungry. And as the vehicle shimmies and is eventually dropped back to it's wheels - Ildar can clearly see what the truck was concealing - Dima (who is now in Crinos) has been dragged outside the truck by what appears to be 3 large... Direwolf-sized... Creatures. They're /not/ Hispo Garou. They look more like Huge Wild Boars, with their spines turned inside-out and sprouting out of their backs like spikes, their tusks are covered in blood as they continue to gouge and gore the Galliard.

xxxxxAhead of Ildar, Nikita pauses and lowers a rifle at the beasts, taking aim in ready to fire upon them.

xxxxxInside the truck, there are shouts - Those inside not privvy to what Ildar has just seen. Andrei calls out to Grig and Nadya, getting a status and, judging by the string of Russian curses in Grig's thick dialect, he's getting some tough-love healing.

xxxxxHK, spotting the things mauling the Galliard, got pissed. Rage surging in him as he'd smoothly shift to that massive war form, had that bow, quiver and headband coming to hand. Of course.. this also made the coveralls REALLY awkward. But he'd deal with that later! Grabbing the cluster of arrows he needed, those shots were rapid and precise, a flurry of arrows that would quickly turn direboar into dire-dead. A low growl, deep in his chest and HK scans the area for anything else that might threaten them at the moment.

xxxxxThe creatures continue to gore at the Galliard until Ildar lets fly with those arrows. And as quickly as they find their mark, there is silence - Save for the one dying squeal of one of them. A split second later and there's the sound of another flurry of arrows and a sudden end. No sound....

xxxxxNikita puts down his gun and looks over his shoulder, his expression hard to read, but his eyes are locked on Ildar. He calls out, "Medic," and heads toward his Beta and drops to his knees at Dima's side.

xxxxxThere's a scuffling sound fro the back of the truck and a second later, Andrei slides past Ildar, without so much as a glance to the... Boars? That lie scattered about.

xxxxx"What? Are those?" Come a voice at Ildar's elbow as Nadya steps around the righted truck, dabbing at the blood on her face as her eyes are fixed on the dead things with arrows in their skulls.

xxxxx"They're boars," Grig confirms, rotating his repaired arm in its socket as he joins Nadya and Ildar, "at least. They /were/, before they ate and drank of tainted resources," his eyes fall on where Andrei and Nikita are working wit Dima. For a moment, he looks concerned, but then pushes it aside. Instead, he cants his head at Ildar, "oversuit shifts with you," he says, but adds, "undersuit too..." he smirks a bit. "Maybe," he winks at Nadya, who rolls her eyes, and heads over to his pack mates.

xxxxxHK makes sure there's no other threats, then would shift back into that homid form. The bow vanishing with his shift, as he glances at Nadya. "Like they said. We hunted those in Cali. Someone was trying to farm them. The eyes are a weak spot though.." Ildar would be last or second to last to head over to the other guy, watching to make sure he's ok, they got him and if not, he'd of course add his own help to get the guy back on his feet. "So I'm guessing that's just a sample. Do we have to keep alert for radiation from them?"

xxxxxAs Ildar approaches, Nikita would hold out an arm to keep he and Nadya back a bit. He'd bark, "stay back!" And then, to answer Ildar's question, his tone would lessen just slightly, "yes. They carry radiation." There's a shift in movement, then, as Andrei slides to the side. He has on a set of gloves that seem to glow a bit, blue, as they run over Dima's body. "Don't shift," Andrei reminds the injured Beta, "don't shift." In response, Dima nods to Andrei, his crinos maw bobbing up and down. It's almost instant, the recognition that his body has been nearly cleaved in half. His wounds hiss and bubble, burning and turning black The smell? Is atrocious. "Quicker," Nikita growls at Andrei, "I need him stable." Andrei, for his part, doesn't seem to get fidgety. He's stable. Sure. And moving as quickly as he can given what he has to work with. After a moment, there's a sound on Nikita's wrist. A communication. He responds quickly with coordinates. A nod is passed from Andrei to Nikita and the Nikita moves quickly, grasping Dima's arm and peeling away the fetish communication device there. He hands it to Ildar and says "I have to get him out of here." He looks out, onward, towards the town. "Likely, there's others, so be careful." There's a movement at Ildar's arm as Nadya turns, abruptly. Something in what Nikita's said catches her attention. Nikita begins to shift into his Crinos form, to heft Dima's body up, moving to load it into the truck. It's then he turns to Ildar. "Another vehicle is on its way, should be here in about a half an hour. You have about..." He checks his watch, "5 hours left to find the cub and get out." There's a heartbeat and he clasps Ildar on the shoulder with his massive paw, "good luck, Honor's Keeper. Bring the Cub Home"

xxxxxAnd with that, Nikita looks to Andrei, Grig and Nadya, in turn. He bobs his head, "Honor's Keeper is the ranking Garou here. You'll follow his lead. You know the objective, do not fail." Andrei and Grig nod towards their Alpha and then turn towards Ildar. Nadya blinks a moment and runs her fingers through her hair, "HolyFuck," she murmurs. Because, sometimes, you just have to take a moment... Finally, she looks to Ildar, and nods.

xxxxxIldar would take the fetish, a small nod given in answer as he'd wear it. Frowning, he looks in the direction of 'C' then nods to the others. "Make sure he gets better. We'll get this done." Looking to the others with him, he studies them a moment, then finally nods. "Come on. Let's go." With that, Ildar would start off for the town they were going for. They're on the clock, so they better get moving!

xxxxxAndrei slides easily into place behind Ildar, followed by Grigory. Nadya follows, but with furrowed brow. She steps quickly to keep up with the pace set for her and makes sure to take in her surroundings. After a moment, Andrei comments in a quiet tone, "I can show you where he was seen last, that was nearly 48 hours ago." As they clear the edge of the wooded area, there's a crossroads. Up ahead, there appears to be a paved road, long since overgrown with vegetation. It appears to eventually lead to a wider road, and several buildings. To either side are abandoned homes, slanted to the side with wear and weather. Grig shifts and keeps his head lowered, eyes watching carefully.

xxxxxIldar keeps walking with the group. He's not hiding his gaze, but rather keeping alert. A glance to here, then there, as he notes things and he chuckles quietly, speaking low key. "Ahh.. Gaia always finds a way.." With a glance to Andrei, he nods a little. "It's a start. Scent from there. We have a face and a scent, we can hopefully catch up.."

xxxxxThey continue along the road. A clatter of something nearby has Grig's head swiveling in that direction. After he's assured it was just a stray cat, and hopefully not one with two heads, he relaxes slightly. They turn down a bit of an alleyway. Andrei stops in front of a decrepit apartment building - Large enough for about 4 apartments - and nods down, while keeping his eyes up. "He was sitting there when we came up," he gestures to the steps. Upon examination, it's the ones form the image. Inside the building, there's a clatter.

xxxxxIldar pauses before the building, taking a slow inhale, frowning as he'd look this way and that a little. Eyes narrowing in contemplation, he finally nods and glances to the others. "he's inside. Can one of you get the back, just in case he tries to duck out? We'll want to keep aware of anything else coming too, so keep sharp." That done, Ildar would head inside, using that trail he's got to start tracking down where this child went.

xxxxxIldar slides into the apartment building. Once inside, it has interior doors to the units. Two to the left and two to the right. There is a set of stair up, where there are likely also two doors to the left and two to the right. There seems to be movement in the door to the back right. Also, around about this same time, he hears Grig give a shout from around behind the house.

xxxxxDarn it.. Well.. Too good to be true, that was for sure! Ildar glances back to Andrei. "Watch the front!" He'd give that order, then rush through to the back, bursting out into the back area to find out what's going on. He may only be in homid still, but he's still armed and ready!

xxxxxNikita's Team is, at least, very obedient. Andrei gives a nod and resumes position just outside the front door. As Ildar rounds the corner and bursts through that back door to the right, he's surprised by a shot of pain to the face as a diminutive Babushka, standing in a chair behind the door, takes a winning swing at his head as he comes rushing through. Having hit the mark, the spry old lady hops down from the chair and scoots back, still waving the frying pan and cursing at him in Russian and waggling a gnarled finger. There's an open door across the room, and across a field he can see a young, blonde man, running at full tilt in the opposite direction. Picking himself up from a face-first, flat-down position on the ground in the field, is Grig. Nadya pops up at the door and announces, "he's getting away!"

xxxxxBiting back a curse in english, Ildar stumbles a step from the solid THWACK he gets to the face. Shaking his head to clear it, he eyes the lady and probably suprisingly calmly, considering what she just did to him, would tell her back in russian. "I want to help him. I know he's a good kid. But there's danger.. and we're here to help." He'd give it just a heartbeat or two, just enough for her to realize that truth in his words, and then he's taking off in a full sprint after the kid!

xxxxxThe Babushka looks at Ildar with obvious anger. The sort of anger that comes when someone is afraid of another imposing on their way of life. Defensiveness. Bitterness. But she pauses at the unusual calmness. It's enough for Ildar to get that pause he was looking for, and he's off. Instinctively, Grig pulls himself up, shaking off what? Might be Some sort of wiry-looking booby-trap? And heading out after the boy and his team's new Alpha. Nadya gives chase, as well. Ildar has point, with Nadya easily gaining ground to his right, and Grig likewise keeping stride to his left. They follow the boy, who (if the Babushka's yelling has anything to do with it), is called "Mischa". Nearly the length of two football fields later and Nadya, who has gained the most ground, leaps after the boy. He drags her smaller form for a couple of lopes before Grig tackles him down for good. Ildar jogs up, then, to the pile of Garou.... But, as he looks up, there's something that catches his eye. Off in the distance, a storm cloud seems to be brewing. And... Buzzing?

xxxxxIldar looks about real quick, curses to himself. The buzzing catches his attention, he eyes it, then sweeps the area, stopping on the figure in the woods. "We're under attack. Grab him, run!" He'd bark the order at the others, fully expecting them to obey. Ildar? He pulls a knife from inside that jumpsuit, takes three steps towards the one in the woods and with a snap that puts all the power he possibly can into it, hurls that blade into the woods. The silvered blade would definitely strike true! Aimed right for the BSD's left eye as he's too focused on something or another.

xxxxxGrig and Nadya look up to Ildar. Without hesitation, Grig reaches out to snag the cub now known as "Mischa" and begin to drag him to his feet. Nadya, after glancing to Ildar's barked command, looks up toward the skies, her eyes widening. Finally, she too, leaps to her feet and latches on to Mischa. Mischa does not simply go, willing, however. He begins to fight the other two, making their trek back towards the town cumbersome.

xxxxxSending his blade off in that impossible throw, Ildar is favored with a near-miraculous hit at this distance. There's an enraged howl and he sees the slender BSD go down, gripping his face. The swarm overhead is not deterred and continues to advance, nearly over Ildar's head now as he hears the BSD's howl being answered by others deeper in the woods.

xxxxxIldar grimances. Howls. Bees. Yeah. Screw ALL of that noise. Pulling something from an inner pocket, he grunts, pulls the pin and starts running. A glance back after a second or two and Ildar HURLS that hand grenade into the middle of the bees. Of course, as he does, that anklet hidden in his overalls would take effect, turning one grenade? Into a dozen. They fly into the middle of the swarm before going off in a chain of concussive blasts! What bees?

xxxxxThe grenade sails up into the heart of those bees, followed by the 11 other handheld bombs. A second, a click and *KABOOM*. The air warbles with the power of the blast, and the sound of breaking glass cane heard behind them in the town as windows facing the blast are shattered. Those that are running are forced to test their balance against the blast. Grig goes down after a few wild steps and loses hold of Mischa, who manages to actually keep his feet. The BSDs find themselves loosing their feet beneath then as they go tumbling to the forest floor. Nadya proves to be quite nimble, leaping up at just the right time, and managing to keep a grip on Mischa, pulling him along behind her. "Keep moving!" She yells, "Divai, Divai!"

xxxxxOverhead, the bees dentonate almost instantly. There's a flash of fire as the radiation inside them ignites, nearly vaporizing them... A thin, rust-colored mist falls towards the ground, settling i the trees and along the forest bed.

xxxxxIldar rushes along shouting to his team, calling in a status as they go. The group can hear the howls of the BSDs. Sounds like there's at least three of them, but they don't sound any closer. Ildar sees Grig go down again and veers just in time to scoop him up and help him keep his legs pumping. Nadya looks back, pausing long enough to catch up to the others as Andrei easily falls into line with Andrei. The pack is together, at least, and headed in the right direction of the rendevous point. Well, except for Mischa, whose speed seems to have spurred him to the lead. Though, whether it's the howling BSDs, Ildar and the other perceived captors, or both - That's keeping him running - Is unclear.... T-Minus 4 Mintes and counting.

xxxxxIldar would grit his teeth at the howls, a low growl rumbling in his chest a moment. He'd finally snap out at the others. "Keep going. I'm going to slow them down." With that, Ildar stops, turning and pulls a handful of silver tipped arrows from that quiver of his. There's a reason why he refreshed stock before the trip! Waiting, Ildar pulls that massive bow of his and notches, easily able to draw it, despite the normal size for a garou. Yeah. Ildar has a bit of strength to him!

xxxxxIldar, still in human form, stared down the beasts roaring at him as they came rushing in. With the first one in the lead approaching that line, Ildar notches, drawing on the massive crinos bow like it's nothing as he pulls back.. and back. It IS a crinos bow, afterall, so strength aside, it's good he's so tall anyways! Two heartbeats past that line, that distance Ildar knew he could hit safely had that bow hum. The arrows were rapid, 6 of them in the breath of a few moments, the silver glinting dully in the ambient light as Ildar definitely finds that mark, each one, first the left, then the right, had their eyes removed by the arrows that strike home. Cutting that charge short abruptly. Ildar didn't even stay to see if he was successful. Even if any of them lived, they wouldn't chase. That's for sure. So on Ildar runs, to catch up tot he others.

xxxxxAs soon as Ildar turns to keep his watchful falcon's eyes on the town's road, Grig goes down again. His legs seemingly somehow still injured from the booby-trap from earlier. He looks as surprised about it as anyone, really. Nadya comes back a few steps to grab at Grig and start to help him up, slowing herself down even further. She points toward Mischa fervently, to which Andrei simply replies, "on it," as he sprints past. He's not able to fully close the distance, but he's close enough to stay on the cub's heels. Nadya gets Grig to his feet and shifts to Glabro to heft him over one shoulder and looks back behind them as the trio of Dancers race toward them. Ildar lets loose those silver-tipped arrows and with a faint whistle in the air they find their mark, slinging the heads of the BSDs back as they dig into their eye sockets. For a moment, Nadya just looks at Ildar in stunned silence... But as he turns to run, she's on his heels with Grig, packing out of town. There's sounds. Deeper in the forest now. And a scream from someone in one of the nearby buildings whose mind has just succumbed to the delirium. T-Minus 3 minutes and counting....

xxxxxIldar and his pack make the Rendezvous Point just as three soviet-style army jeeps pull up. Before the one t the left and the one to the right come to a full stop, their riders are leaping out and heading back towards the town. Mirror images of the packs he was sent in with, but with different objectives of course. The third jeep in the middle comes to a skidding halt and the Driver stands up in his seat to bark, in Russian, "Get the cub, let's get out of here!" Grig and Nadya move towards the jeep, but as Andrei tries to push Mischa in the direction of the jeep, the cub's reached his breaking point. Ildar hears a growl just before the cub turns inside-out in a mass of silvery fur and claws. Andrei's caught off guard and send back into the jeep with his chest clawed open, "Ildar, watch out!"

xxxxxIldar is catching up to the others, as they all get close. They try to escort the cub in, when it finally happens. He snaps. Fortunately it's with allies, so the claw and rage shouldn't pull them into beating him down. Hopefully. Once again, that calm that Ildar has, holds true as he steps closer towards the cub, unafraid. "Mischa. I know you have been through a lot. Worried. Scared. The world just got a little crazy out there. I get it. I've been there. I've had to deal with that." Ildar spreads his hands, shaking his head solemnly. "We are not here to hurt you. We wanted to rescue you. From that. From those. We want to help you learn, how you can protect yourself. Protect others, like your Babaska, yeah? Please. Please, understand.. This is a wild thing. But? It's going to be ok. You're with friends. You're with family. We care. We want to help you learn. To get ahold of this. To be able to help protect everyone." Ildar drops his arms, stepping within range of Mischa the cub, reaching up a hand to him. "Please? Trust me. Try to calm down. Let the Rage subside. Never let it go. It is your ally.. but.. you are strong. We saw that. So use that strength now.. so we can all help you."

xxxxxMischa spins at Ildar's voice, shoulders raised and claws ready to go for the other Ahroun's throat. His eyes narrow and his teeth are bared. He chuffs, his chest heaving at every breath. But there's a calm, indeed, about Ildar. And there's something else, in his words. A symbiosis that calls to the Silver Fang cub. His nostrils flare and he gives another chuff, an almost human-sounding noise this time. And his eyes find Ildar's and he watches the man who stood in this boys' shoes just a couple of years ago. It's like looking into a mirror of where one had come, and what one could be. He almost seems to nod his head and then, suddenly, he drops to a knee in front of Ildar... Tired and absent of the rage he had just felt, he begins to shift. His flesh shivering from the cold October breeze. He raises his eyes to Ildar, and says, "thank you."

xxxxxIldar watches Mischa come to terms with what is. A smile, gentle and open, given as the boy shifts back to that human form. Ildar promptly takes off his jacket, whipping it about to wrap it around Mischa as he nods. "My pleasure. I try to help everyone. I'm glad we got to help you. Come on. Let's get you back, some clothes and show you exactly what sort of place you're coming into." Ildar would stand after that, offering Mischa a hand up and would go with him to head for that truck and back for the Caern.... after a through cleaning...