The research team looked like a United Nations of scientific obsession. Dr. Elena Rodriguez from Cape Town - a woman who probably considered wrestling crocodiles a mild Tuesday workout.
Dr. Sarah Chen from Stanford, whose khaki pants had more stories than most adventure novels.
Dr. Dimitri Volkov from Moscow's Zoology Institute, built like a Russian bear with glasses.
Professor Zhang Wei from Beijing's Advanced Biology Center, whose smile and narrow eyes suggested he'd dissect his one of his own lieutenant [1]for scientific progress.
Eight special forces personnel moved with the precision of a well-oiled machine. Their eyes constantly scanned the environment - veterans who'd seen enough to know the Amazon wasn't a playground. Jake Reynolds, the streamer, stuck out like a nervous college student at a military convention.
Their mission: capture the impossible eagle. Their first rule: don't harm the specimen.
"This is Operation Sky Giant," Professor Zhang Wei from Beijing Advanced Biology center announced
"This is Operation Sky Guardian," Dr. Volkov announced, his accent thick enough to spread on toast. "We proceed with caution."
Jake's stream began. Viewer count: 50,000 and climbing.
Many researchers were also watching his stream, as the current buzz in the science filed was about this bird, but not for only that. The Amazon rain forest is mostly unexplored due to its danger, so it was also a rare chance for them to observe the forest.
Not only researchers, but many naturalists, bird enthusiasts were also watching this stream. most of the viewers were naturally surprised since this was their first time seeing the interior of the amazon rain forest.
The forest swallowed them whole. Snakes slithered away. Smaller predators took one look and decided discretion was the better part of valor.
The veteran explorer, a man who looked like he'd been born wearing camouflage, moved with supernatural silence.
They came across many species, many of the solitary creatures decided to back away seeing their big groups, but some animals when encroached upon their territory did not take it lightly.
They came across a group of capybaras, whom upon seeing them choose to attack, the veteran explorer convinced the special forces not to shoot them, but run.
Run they did. It was an exhausting run, and they had to backtrack and go around the area.
But they did find some rare plants.
Rare plants became unexpected bonuses. Each researcher's eyes gleamed with the possibility of discovery. Genetic samples. Unprecedented botanical specimens. The Amazon was giving away its secrets.
Two days of traversal brought them to familiar ground. The western forest - Jake's nightmare replay zone.
The first wolves appeared like ghosts - silent, almost translucent against the dense Amazon undergrowth. Five initial scouts, each moving with an unnatural synchronization that made the special forces team immediately tense.
Sergeant Marcus Rodriguez, veteran of a dozen South American combat zones, felt the hair on his neck rise. "Something's wrong," he whispered into his comm. "These aren't normal pack movements."
The wolves didn't attack. They observed. Calculated.
Sergeant Rodriguez signaled his team. Two forward scouts, two flank guards, four creating a protective circle around the researchers. Classic defensive formation. But something felt... off.
The first wolf's howl wasn't a challenge. It was a signal, It was calling for more.
From the dense jungle, more wolves emerged. when they emerged they did not attack. they waited, and observed them as more their pack members joined them. they started encircling them.
Their numbers grew from 5 to 10, 20, and lastly 40. They awaited for their leaders orders, it seems to be compromised of two different packs, but they were cooperative with each other for some reason.
Two massive alpha wolves - each the size of a small bear - positioned themselves at the pack's edges. Their eyes held an intelligence that went beyond animal instinct.
The special forces team's weapons came up. Precise. Controlled. Professional.
@ConspiracyHunter:- THOSE AREN'T WOLVES. THEY'RE SOMETHING ELSE!
@WolfPackFanatic:- OH. MY. GOD. THEY'RE SURROUNDING THEM!
@SurvivalBro:- NO CHANCE. ZERO CHANCE OF SURVIVAL.
The wolves started getting closer, and closer while encircling, until one of them decided to run towards them.
The first gunshots rang out. Controlled three-round bursts. Designed to maximize stopping power. The leading wolves dropped - but for each fallen wolf, two more emerged from the forest's shadows.
The Alpha wolves were giving out orders to them.
Dr. Volkov's voice was tight. "They're not just hunting. They're... strategizing."
"Chat, this is NOT how I expected today to go," Jake muttered into his stream.
The wolves moved like a single organism. When one attacked from the front, another struck the exposed flank. When a soldier turned to defend, another wolf targeted their back.
@Tactical_Jake:- THIS IS LIKE A MILITARY OPERATION!
@ForestNightmare:- THEY'RE READING THE SOLDIERS' MOVEMENTS!
@ZombieApocalypse:- THESE AREN'T WOLVES. THEY'RE TACTICAL MURDER MACHINES!
Private Chen was the first to fall. A coordinated attack from three directions - a massive grey wolf with a scarred muzzle leading the assault. Sergeant Rodriguez watched, helpless, as Chen disappeared beneath a wave of fangs and fur.
Professor Zhang Wei, also joined the shooting crew, he brought his own gun too. He started shooting them with a M4, his assistant joining him shortly.
It did alleviate some pressure of the special forces, the rest of research crew. started using, the anesthetic shots brought for the eagle on the wolves, one of them hit the alpha wolves as it has also decided to join the fray.
It was given special treatment by Professor Zhang Wei mainly and by some special forces.
The pack's size seemed to reduce with each fallen soldier. But each death, made the wolves more angrier and aggressive, getting more closer to them.
"Chat, we are cooked", replied Jake in a despair.
@WildlifeExpert:- THEY'RE COOKED
@NightmareFuel:- SOMETHING IS SERIOUSLY WRONG HERE!
@ConspiracyHunter:- THEY ARE ALL GONNA DIE!
Three special forces soldiers down. Ammunition depleting. The wolves continued their relentless, mathematically precise assault.
Dr. Rodriguez's hands shook, but her eyes remained analytical. "They're communicating," she muttered. "Coordinating like a single neural network."
The alpha wolves only one remaining, the other was shot down, but it took more bullets than any other creature to take it down.
Twelve people remained. No ammunition. Anesthetic shots wasted.
The wolves closed in. Victory was inevitable.
@BiologyNerd:- THEY ARE SO DEAD!
@DaddyJinWu:- THIS IS THE MOST INSANE THING I'VE EVER SEEN!
@BirdNerd23:- IF THEY SURVIVE, IT'S A MIRACLE!
Then a shadow blocked the sun.
[1] bleach reference, (Aizen)