{to} DAYS! of .inspiration. (open!)

[Sydney Bristow]

The low buzz of the Indian jungle was like white noise. It was calming; or it might have been to someone who wasn't quiet so on-edge as CIA agent Sydney Bristow was. Every time a branch would drop, or a monkey would chatter somewhere in the distance, she would tense up instantly. She wasn't exactly sure what it was about this place that made her so jumpy. It was, she decided, a gloomy, haunting place in general, and not somewhere you wanted to end up alone in. And, as luck would have it, the sun was beginning to set. Sydney really wanted this mission to be over before dark.

You need to relax, Syd. She told herself firmly, adjusting the straps on her backpack. It's just another job. Piece of cake. The agent had been sent to India in the first place in pursuit of a Rambaldi artifact. It seemed that one of the ancient prophet's greatest supporters had brought one of his most prized inventions to India, and hidden it in the very deepest, darkest part of the jungle: a place not many would willingly venture. It was rumored to be hidden in an ancient temple, which Sydney was determined to find before the Covenant did. The CIA had gotten an anonymous tip that the terrorist agency would be going after the artifact as well. If they wanted it, it had to be something dangerous. And if that was the case, she could not let them get their hands on it.

With a quick swing of her arm, she slashed with her knife at the remaining vines that blocked her path, feeling very much like some cliche early-world explorer. Stepping carefully over an inconveniently placed tree root, Sydney made her way into what seemed to be some sort of clearing. Eyes narrowed, she looked around warily--and then froze. There, mostly hidden by overgrown plants and vines, was an enormous stone temple. Her eyes traveled up the entrance of the place, and rested on one of the top stones. The symbol engraved there was aged, but very clear.

< O >

The Eye of Rambaldi. Sydney smirked, despite herself. For someone desperately trying to hide the artifact, engraving Rambaldi's signature marking right above the temple wasn't a very subtle move. She supposed that even back then, people couldn't resist showing off. Lowering her knife, she contemplated the entrance silently. The place was in very good shape for being so old, which made her suspect that someone might have inhabited it very recently. There were no guards or signs of current human civilization that were immediately apparant, however. Even so, the fact did little to calm Sydney's nerves. This was looking too easy.

She reached up and clicked on her earpiece. "Base camp," she reported to the CIA team located in the nearest city. "I've located the temple. I'm going in." And with that, she hesitantly approached the doorway. Not a sound could be heard from inside, but it looked like it got pretty dark in there...especially if outside, the night was already close at hand. Unzipping the side compartment of her bag, Sydney withdrew a flashlight and clicked it on. She pointed its beam into the temple hall before her, but no signs of danger were evident. A few bats clung to the stone ceiling, but that was about it. The situation seemed to be relatively simple.

Sydney wasn't fooled for a second.

She didn't like the looks of the dimly lit place before her, and had no doubt that it was probably filled with various Indiana Jones-esque traps of some kind. But here she was, and there could be no going back. She'd simply have to be on constant alert. Taking a deep breath, Sydney stepped in side and slowly began to make her way through the stone chambers. The air inside was curiously warm and musky; she didn't like the feel of it much. She tightened her grip on the handle of her knife, which she was still keeping close at hand. But so far, everything seemed to be under control. Sydney wondered wryly how far her luck would stretch.

[Irina Derevko]

As she walks through the jungle, Irina is careful to notice anything unusual about her surroundings. She doesn't miss the way that the vines have been cut away, or the areas of leaf and root on the ground that are compressed into footprints. She's not an expert tracker, but she knows enough to tell that someone has been here before her. The only question is, how long ago?

Irina is unwilling to take any chances, so she keeps perfectly silent as she heads into the clearing where the temple is located. She has her own business here tonight. It has reached Irina's ears that the Covenant is very interested in a Rambaldi artifact hidden here in India. Naturally, her interest had been peaked as soon as she heard the news. Irina has always been fascinated with all things relating to Rambaldi, and now she is determined to get her hands on this artifact before the Covenant can. She's sure that if they got their hands on it, they'd never appreciate its true worth and purpose. And if by some chance Irina finds she has no use for the artifact once she obtains it, she can always sell it to the Covenant for a high price.

She freezes as she gets closer to the temple. She has arrived just in time to see a shadowy figure disappearing into the temple. Irina holds her breath. Someone has managed to get here before her. She can't make out the identity of the person from here, but she decides that it's most likely a Covenant agent sent in early. The person doesn't seem to notice her as they disappear into the temple. Which means that she, Irina, has the element of surprise at her advantage.

The Russian pulls a handgun from her belt, and makes sure its loaded. Then, she slowly goes forward. There is always the possibility that this could be a trap. Irina knows that the temple is well-guarded. In fact, she has researched it and learned about most of the traps hidden inside. But in the dark, it may be hard to tell where they are. If she's lucky, this person will trip any obsticals in her way before she can reach them.

Knowing that any light she uses will give her away, Irina does not bother with the torch she's brought along. She enters the temple and has to make due with only the very scarce light that still shines through the stone walls as the sun sets. She notices, also, that the agent in front of her is carrying a flashlight. It will be easy to follow its beam. *A foolish giveaway.* Irina thinks, pleased that the situation is working to her advantage.

She sneaks slowly behind the person for awhile, following them from a distance and observing. As they head farther into the halls, Irina finally decides to make her move. She quickens her pace, and trying not to give the other agent any time to respond to her, she points her gun straight at them. "Stop where you are. Hands up. Turn around slowly." Irina commands calmly, unable to see anything but the general outline of the person in front of her.

[Sydney Bristow]

The dark, damp spookiness of the temple was unpleasant, to say the least. But she'd seen worse. It wasn't the condition of the place that had Sydney slighted worried at present, it was the odd prickling sensation that told her something wasn't right. This was a familiar feeling to the CIA agent, and through experience she'd learned to rely on these instincts. Nine out of ten times, they were right.

In an attempt to make less apparant noise as she traveled, Sydney repeatedly glanced down at her feet, making sure to sidesteps all puddles or crumbling rocks when she could avoid them. She was uneasy, and she didn't want to draw any more attention to herself than she had to. Shining the beam of her flashlight over the path ahead, Sydney moved on warily. It seemed strange that she hadn't yet encountered any traps; the temple was rumored to be full of them. It made the tension in the air rise even more...this was too easy. Growing more unnerved with every passing moment, Sydney reached up and clicked her intercom.

"This is Mountaineer checking in. I may not be alone in here...I'm going radio silent until the coast is clear." She reported in a hurried whisper. Without waiting for an answer, she signed off and took a breath. Being unable to see more than several feet in front of her was definately not enjoyable. But so far, the dreary halls seemed to be deserted. The artifact couldn't be too much farther now.

And then, by chance, the CIA agent heard a slight shuffle behind her. It could have been just a bat, or perhaps a snake, but to Sydney it sounded very much like a footstep. She froze, sensing the danger moments before it hit--but it was already too late. Before she could react at all, a voice from behind her was giving her orders. Telling her not to move; to turn around slowly. By the sound of things, Sydney was willing to bet that the speaker had a gun trained on her. Immediately, her survival instincts kicked in, and she wracked her brain for a plan of counterattack.

My knife is my most valuable weapon right now. I could throw it when I turn around, but in the dark my aim could be off. And then I'd be weaponless. I need to wait until their guard is down... But even as she thought frantically, something occured to her: a tiny, nagging thought. Now that she thought about it, that voice had seemed very familiar. But no...it couldn't be. Could it?

Not left with much of a choice, Sydney raised her hands in the air and dropped her knife. It fell to the temple floor with a loud clatter of metal against stone, and lay a few inches away from her boots. As slowly as she dared, she turned around to face her newfound enemy. By the faint light of the flashlight she was still holding, she could identify the woman if she squinted. But as she did so, her heart skipped a beat. Her eyes wide, Sydney blinked several times--just incase she was seeing things.

"Mom?" She inquired, absolutely stunned. Irina was standing mere feet away from her, pointing a gun straight at her. Sydney had to assume that her mother had recognized her and followed her in here...but why? Why had Irina been here in the first place? Was her mother working for the Covenant? Had this all been a set-up? A million questions raced through her mind, but there was only one that she actually managed to voice.

"...Wh-what are you doing?" Sydney's gaze dropped from Irina's face to the weapon in her hands. Would her mother actually shoot her? She didn't have an answer for that; seeing as she hadn't come face to face with Irina in such a long time. There was no predicting what could happen.