"Verdammt!" Richtofen cursed to himself as he ran towards the entrance to the cave past Speed Cola, hearing Nikolai and Takeo firing their guns behind him as they tried to navigate their way through the torrential downpour. 

Zhis... Unusual veather is going to slow us down! Not to mention ze antics of Izabella und ze American... He thought distastefully, his top lip curling into a sneer as he ran under the cover of the underground tunnel, blasting a few zombies that were running towards him with the JGb215 now that he could actually see without rain pelting him in the face. Kicking his miniature minions out of his path angrily, he turned to see Takeo firing his AK at a small group, silencing them all before sprinting over to where he was standing.

"This storm seems quite strange..." Takeo commented, using the end of his gun to smash a zombie in the face that had tried to claw through the dirt ceiling. He fired a few bullets into it's skull after it had dropped to the ground, just to be sure.

Richtofen thought about it for a moment while watching Brianna round up the zombies, dashing around quickly and avoiding them while simultaneously drawing them into a large group as Nikolai stood to the side, blowing their heads off every time she would run past him. The doctor smirked, watching as their strange method of zombie killing worked somehow as the large group that was following them soon become a few mangled crawlers.

"You missed a little bit!" Richtofen shouted gleefully, pointing to one of the crawlers and giggling as he watched the legless creature claw its way across the muddy ground. "It's schtill alive!"

Nikolai frowned, turning back to the crawler for a moment before bringing his boot up to meet the zombie's face, sending it flying across the room as he heard the doctor laugh joyfully behind him.

Brianna trotted towards the caves, not really caring about the rain now seeing as she was already soaking wet. Stepping into the cave, she pushed her blonde bangs out of her face, leaning against the wall slightly as she caught her breath. Nikolai walked up a few seconds later, reloading his gun while grinning. 

"I just killed a billion zombies, why is no one helping?"

"I helped!" Brianna piped up, crossing her arm defensively as she glared up at the Soviet.

"You ran around in circles." Nikolai commented dryly, glancing at Richtofen and Takeo for backup as they both turned to walk away, not willing to subject themselves to their petty arguments...

"Um, yeah! I ran around in circles to gather them up so you could shoot them! Duh...?" Brianna explained sarcastically, staring down the Russian as they both had murderous looks on their faces. Nikolai muttered something in Russian to himself after a few moments as he pulled his bottle from his jacket, taking a large swig before reloading his HK, ignoring the blonde woman still giving him a death glare.

"Vill you two hurry up!" Richtofen shouted, growing rather impatient with the amount of delays lately, his mind only focused on completing one goal. His most important mission. 

So close... He thought to himself, becoming excited just thinking about the mayhem that was about to ensue. 

Soon it vill all be mine! Zhe power vill be all mine! Und none for you Samantha!

Takeo, Richtofen, Nikolai and Brianna made their way down the dark corridors leading to the power room, firing at zombies along the way. Brianna blasted two zombies in the chest with her shotgun as they sprinted towards her, reloading for a moment as she heard muted gunfire echoing in the distance. The other men seemed to hear it as well as they all picked up the pace, heading to reunite with their teammates.

Richtofen pulled the sniper rifle from his back, turning around to fire at the small horde chasing them and grinning as he blew apart two of their heads with a single bullet. Takeo gunned down several zombies trying to jump through a window with his AK while Nikolai spun around, unloading on the group behind them drunkenly. Though he wasn't scoring many head shots, he did manage to cut the group down with the ridiculous amount of bullets he was firing into them, blowing off just about every limb but their heads.

"Take that arm! I'll get the rest of you later!" The Russian chuckled while reloading as he jogged to catch up with the others.

Brianna sprinted into the power room, noticing the surrounding zombies heading towards something in the corner.

"Shit!" Isabella yelled, tossing her M16 to the side as she pulled out her knives. "I'm out of ammo!"

Dempsey frowned, hearing the click from his weapon that meant he too was out of bullets as he backed up against the wall while pulling out his knife. "Well this freakin' sucks..." He grumbled, watching as the small horde closed in on them...

"Stay close!" He shouted, tugging Isabella back by her sleeve as she slashed a zombie that reached out to grab her arm. Tank kicked an undead woman in the chest, sending her stumbling backwards before he plunged his knife into her skull, looking up for a moment and noticing a familiar soldier in the distance...

A couple blasts of yellow blinded them both as the zombies around them shrunk to baby size, both of them seizing the opportunity and kicking them out of their sight. 

Isabella sighed in relief as she saw their comrades running towards them. Brianna was giving her an unusually joyful smile that only fat kids give to cake, Takeo was looking honorable, Nikolai was looking well, drunk... 

And Richtofen... Isabella thought, glancing at the German who was busy reloading his alien weapon. Always looking suspicious-

Her thoughts were interrupted as Brianna crashed into her, wrapping her arms around her small frame in a bear hug. "Don't just go diving into water falls you fool!" The blonde woman scolded, a relieved smile on her face as she nearly squeezed the life out of her younger sibling.

"Ack, okay Bri- ehIcan't- geh, can't brea-the-"

Dempsey chuckled as he watched the two women momentarily, picking up his Galil as he scanned the area for any undead they might have missed. For now it seemed like the coast was clear however, as he noticed how quiet it had gotten all of a sudden along with the rest of his teammates.

"Ah, it seems zhat ze veather has finally cleared up!" Richtofen announced cheerfully while straightening his hat as he lead the group outside, knowing there must be a crawler around somewhere...

Sure enough, the thunder and lightning had ceased as the clouds receded, letting a dark sky shine through as the real light from the moon illuminated the surrounding jungle. The stars in the night sky glowed brightly against the velvety black curtain of dusk slowly falling upon the ancient ruins, making for a very beautiful nighttime scene.

Brianna and Isabella both yawned at the exact same time as Richtofen sighed in irritation, noticing similar looks of fatigue on the faces of his other comrades. Trying his best to stifle a tired sigh himself, he knew it would be smart to take a break while they had the chance.

"Ve vill rest for ze time being..." Richtofen instructed, sounding rather annoyed as they all worked out a schedule of who would keep watch and in what order until morning. "Until zhen, gute nacht!~" Edward sang cheerfully, laughing to himself as he turned and walked into the jungle leaving everyone to wonder why the fuck he was so damn creepy sometimes.

"Check this out..." Dempsey said curiously, getting everyone's attention as he noticed a small blue and yellow radio lying on the ground behind a few weeds. Walking over to where it was sitting, he picked it up, brushing the dust off before turning it on as static filled everyone's ears. They all listened in silence for a moment before a familiar voice on the tape started speaking.

"Sounds like that guy from earlier..." Isabella whispered, hearing the British accent through the static as the recording began to play.

"The heat and humidity is just excruciating. According to the locals, the temple should be in this mountain range, just up this river... Gary, do you hear that? A waterfall, we must be close! Hand me the binoculars-" 

The radio hissed a few times, pausing for a moment before playing again. "There is a structure up ahead. If this is truly the gateway to Argatha, my work will finally be validated!"

A younger sounding male with a more American accent spoke up on the tape as everyone continued to listen. "Uhh, Brock, I don't think this place is abandoned-"

"Don't be silly! This place has to be thousands of years old..." Brock cleared his throat before speaking into the tape recorder seriously as he began to record his discoveries. "I have found some unfinished carvings around the structure I can't make out. They do not look like... Wait, what is this?" A few strange sounds were heard in the background on the radio, as well as the shocked gasps of the two men.

"What the hell is that? Why is the sky dark?" Gary stuttered, sounding slightly panicked as a familiar inhuman groaning could be heard.

"It's an eclipse!" Brock shouted as the static began to make their voices difficult to hear. "We must've-"

"RUN!"

"What are those things?!" Gary yelled, sounding far away as the sounds of the two men running were all that could be heard over the moans of the undead. "Zombies. We'll have to find another way-

"Zombies! What're you talking about?"

"The writings must've been right... No! Don't touch that!" The sound of a door slamming echoed on the radio as the British man continued in a tired voice. "Damn, take a look around and try to find a way out..." The angry yells of the zombies were the last thing heard before the tape hissed again, pausing one more time before playing the remainder of the message.

Once again, Brock's voice filled their ears, though this time he sounded different. Not as cheery as he had the past few times they heard him speak. "I have been trapped in the temple structure for days..." He began slowly, truly sounding exhausted. "Gary is dead. I don't see a way out of here. I can still hear the zombies outside. I fear this is my last recording, as the battery's about to die and I will soon follow... One thing I can be certain of, is that blood-"

Click.

The tape stopped playing as the radio shut off, leaving everyone to wonder what Brock was trying to say.

"Great," Dempsey said sarcastically, tossing the now useless device aside. "More depressing shit..."

Isabella was silent for a moment, not hearing the others discussion as she was in her own world thinking about what she had just heard on the tape as everyone began walking away. 

We go back to when they were trapped here every time we activate the eclipse... Isabella confirmed slowly, trying to understand how the ancient technology worked. I wonder if I could see those writings he was talking about, maybe I could figure out how to use them to get back to our time...

Richtofen had agreed to take first watch as everyone began to simmer down, trying their best to find a comfortable place to sleep. Which in the jungle, was damn near impossible. 

Nikolai was slumped against the Speed Cola machine, snoring away and clutching his bottle much like a child would do to a teddy bear, looking rather content as the Imperial soldier noticed this, muttering something about dishonor as he leaned against the wall opposite of him. Hearing the girls and the American walking away to find their own places of rest, he was left with his thoughts as he wondered how he was going to stop the insane doctor from completing his plans. 

He is collecting tools for some purpose... Takeo reasoned, thinking back on the golden rod Richtofen was trying so hard to hide. Isabella is onto him and Dempsey is waking up... Slowly but surely. Maybe he will remember someday...

Isabella and Brianna strolled up to the area with the mine cart, looking around as they both searched for someplace comfortable to sit. Brianna hopped up into the rickety looking cart, pulling her sweatshirt off her waist and bunching it up into a makeshift pillow as she leaned her head against the side.

"Good luck falling asleep in that thi-"

Isabella's jaw nearly hit the floor as she glanced at her sister who was passed out in the mine cart before she could even finish her sentence. 

Well FML... The dark haired woman thought suddenly, putting her hands on her hips as she smirked at her older sister snoozing away. 

"Where the f am I supposed to crash now...?" She wondered out loud as a few twigs snapping on the path behind her made her tense up as she grabbed her ballistics instinctively.

Stepping around the corner cautiously, she crept down the grassy path, searching the shadows for any threat that might be present. Finding nothing after a few moments, Isabella sighed, calming down slightly and putting away her knives while turning to walk back up the hill...

"Exploring ze jungle by yourself at night?" A familiar voice called from the shadows. "Very dangerous und unvise..." Richtofen chided, chuckling lightly as he emerged from his hiding place in the dark. 

"You are supposed to be schleeping, ja?" He questioned, the tone is his voice hard to read as his green orbs sparkled in the moonlight.

Isabella stumbled a bit mentally, trying to think of a good reason for why she was out here when she was supposed to be resting.

"I can't sleep. This place is giving me a weird vibe..." Isabella stated, trying to convince herself that was the truth. The truth was, she wanted some answers. She was sick of not knowing what was going on as the doctor led them blindly through the twists and turns of this strange jungle, never bothering to explain why it was he knew so much. 

Why do I even care? She wondered, feeling a wave of frustration wash over her out of nowhere. She'd tried so hard to follow the rules, to do her best in assisting the others with these pointless 'easter eggs' and for what? To lose Zack and make her sister hate her... To be trapped in this endless game forever? What was the point?

"I feel like everything I've done so far has been for nothing..." Isabella mumbled, finding it harder and harder to fight to the apathy growing inside of her. 

"I understand ze feeling of hopelessness all too vell Izabella," Richtofen stated, giving her a somewhat concerned look as he observed her staring off into the darkness.

"But ve cannot give up now... Not vhen ve are so close-"

"Close to what exactly?!" Isabella questioned, sick and tired of holding her tongue as she turned to face the doctor again. She waited for an explanation while she stood there, a drop of information... Anything that would let her know he was on their side for sure...

"Zhat is none of your concern-"

"It is!" She hissed, cutting him off despite the terrifying glare he was sending her. "It is my concern and everyone else's considering we're stuck here with you!" Isabella snapped unexpectedly, stressed from the fighting as she felt her eyes beginning to water. 

"Samantha is playing tricks vith your mind..." Edward warned, already not liking where this conversation was going as he knew he couldn't afford any interruptions to his plans. "Do not let her manipulate you..."

"You know what... I understand her," Isabella went on, knowing it was a crazy thing to say after everything she'd been through, but truly meaning every word. "And if I was Samantha....... I'd hate you too." She finished harshly, glaring right at the doctor as his eyes widened momentarily.

Isabella stood her ground as she watched an interesting array of emotions flash behind his eyes, all of them gone in the next instant as he laughed insanely.

"You zhink I care if you und any of zhese other fools despise me?" Richtofen replied, appearing strangely calm for being confronted like this. He took a step closer, his looming shadow seeming much more intimidating amidst the darkness of the jungle.

"Now zhen, if I vas you..." Richtofen repeated, making Isabella's words sound twice as vicious when he spoke them. "I vould schtay out of my vay." He finished lowly, giving the dark haired woman in front of him a look that would have made anyone else run for the hills.

"Don't worry, I will." Isabella practically spat, turning on a dime and proceeding to stomp away before a gloved hand grabbed her arm.

"Nein."

"What?!"

Before she could ask for a better explanation, she was pulled back, instantly finding herself trapped against a firm chest as two long arms snaked around her.

"Wh-"

"I cannot have you putting variables in mein plans liebchen..." Richtofen purred, very unlike the madman he had been moments ago. His deep voice was right over Isabella's shoulder, sending a nervous shiver down her spine as he continued.

"But, for some unknown reason, I have zhe urge to keep you close... Now vhy is zhat I vonder?" The doctor asked, genuinely curious about the answer himself as he inhaled Isabella's undeniably intoxicating scent.

"H-How the hell should I know?!" Said woman stammered, feeling her cheeks getting warmer from the unusual contact. Even though the two of them definitely had thier differences, she couldn't deny that she felt something for her most eccentric comrade... Making her all the more confused as she tried to figure out exactly what that foreign feeling was...

What the... What am I doing?! Isabella's own mind shouted, snapping her out of her little trance as she pulled away. She turned around to meet Richtofen's intense stare, intending to question him about his actions when-

"Izzy!" Brianna shouted in the distance, causing both of them to jump away from each other as the other woman strolled over, making the situation even more awkward.

"Hey Doc," She greeted casually, rubbing her sleepy eyes before turning back to Isabella with a smile. 

"I had a weird nightmare then I woke up and you weren't there..."

Richtofen's jaw clenched unconsciously while listening to the blonde woman ramble on about her dream, going into great detail when describing what had happened. 

Schtupid frauline... Edward cursed, wondering why he was making this more difficult on himself than it needed to be. Zhis is not part of zhe plan... He reminded himself, trying to shake the unfamiliar feeling in his stomach as he walked away to get some fresh air, grimacing as he realized he could still hear the annoying blonde babbling in the background.

"What were you doing up here?" Bri asked innocently, watching as her sister played with her dark locks nervously after hearing her question.

"Um..."