The Animal

Bio for Danila Dragunov:

Spoiler:

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Meanwhile, a bit further away. . . .
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He was in New Mexico, where he was told to go before further instructions.

Guess it was time to get further instructions.

The small, black Honda Civic pulled into a gas station and stoppe.d Through the darkly tinted windows, one could barely make out a tall-looking man taking out a phone.

Inside the car, Danila dialed his phone. Tex Moseley... pick up, lady. he thought.

The phone rang. Two times. On the third ring, a the person on the other end picked up. "Hello Danila. Are you in New Mexico yet?" came the voice of a black woman through the reciever.

"Privyet Tex. Da," the man replied, his thick Russian accent a dead giveaway to his nationality, "I am in Nyoo Mekseeka. Vere do I go now?"

"Yeah, hun, look. Things are gettin' interesting quick. Just got a call from a set of hunters already zeroing in on this thing, but it looks like they'll need the help. You think you can by in Gallup by tonight? We're thinking it's a Skin Walker, though what that means to us, we're not sure yet. Just watch your back, and get to Gallup as soon as you can. When you get there, Elenna Fee's the name you want to look for."

Tex waited impatiently in case he had any other questions, but she wanted nothing more than to get back to her tomes. She wasn't being strictly honest, of course. She had some information, and none of it good. But she wanted to pass it on all in one drop--and fact-check for that matter, because Corpse Powder? Really?--before she got anyone's panties in a twist. And this Danila guy, he wasn't necessarily on her "trust" list yet. A European contact had sort of plopped him into her lap, and now she was in charge of sending some pinko gunslinger she had no CV on into hunts she had no intel on?

Because that could go well.

Danila listened intently. The black woman's thick accent made her a bit hard to understand, but he managed to make out all the words.

"Da," he said, sensing she wanted to hang up as much as he did, "I veel be there. I'll look for thees Elenna Vee... vat duss she look like?"

"How should I know? Never seen her before. You're supposed to be good at finding people, right? Happy hunting. Once you find her, you get to find me a shape-changing varmint and fill it so full of silver that it's the world's ugliest paperweight, okay? I'll give ya a call back once I know anything."

Tex snapped her phone shut. She hoped he didn't take it personally--she just wasn't good at dealing with people, the way her sisters were. After a moment of thought, as an apology, she opened up the phone, and sent a text to the Russian man:

Elenna Fee: 347-921-8898. HH

hoping that sufficed as an apology for being short on the phone. Because she had only just gotten to the part about what this Corpse Powder crap actually did...

Danila chuckled as the call clicked to an abrupt end. This lady was short on both temper and information.

He was glad, though, when the text came through. Phone numbers were very useful. Maybe she wasn't so short on information after all.

He saved the number, then then got out of the car. He filled the tank with gas, using a credit card that had been provided by his government. After that he slid back into the driver seat, threw the clutch into gear, and screeched from the gas station.

Tonight. That left him with, what, a few hours to get across the state? He opened a map as he drove. He could just barely make it. . .

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After driving for a bit, Danila picked up his cell phone. He searched the phone book, finding the recently-acquired number under "Fee, Elenna," and pressed the call button.

The line began ringing on the other end. . .

These damn book aren't really helping, Tex isn't calling, the boys aren't showing up and I saw a pink Barbie that reads actual books. She would be so Rome's type, but which girl is not his type except of me.
A small smile appeared on Elenna's face but it disappeared even quicker.
Gosh can my day get any worse? Oh yeah I forgot that I am to stupid to carry a knife around, I accidently cut myself. I guess I should have said Rome to bring the first aid kit.

Elenna wasn't really concentrating on the books she read. The blond girl five table to her right was much more interessting. She was dressed like a Barbie; highheels, white skirt and a pink shirt. She looked like ... College Girl Barbie.

She is pretty, I have to admit that. But what the hell is someone like her doing in a library? ...

But Elenna couldn't continue her observation of the blond girl her cell was vibrating on the table.

Finally the boys, to tell me where they are and... Oh no not the boys. I don't know this number. "Don't talk to strangers."

Immediately Rome's warning popped up in her head. Of course she knew how he meant that; they are talking too often to strangers, but still she felt safer when she knew she had to talk to them. Elenna stepped out of the library in the sun and answered the phone shyly.

"Hello?"

Sometimes I do wish I wouldn't tell everyone I can handle things on my own. I so hope so boys show up soon.

Name: Georgina 'Georgie' Gilmore
DOB: July 4, 1983
Age: 21 (begin 2005)
Sex: Female
Ethnicity: American
Weight: 115 lbs
Height: 5'7
Hair: long, blonde hair (very smooth!)
Eyes: blue
Build: slim, long legs (she's a fast runner!)
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Profession: former college student, now hunter
Portrayed by: Rachel McAdams
Theme Song: 'Girls just want to have fun' (Cyndi Lauper), 'Mr. Brightside' (The Killers)



Appearance:
After her parents were killed by a demon when she was a kid, Georgina grew up with her wealthy aunt and uncle, a successful lawyer in Boston. As a child she's been dressed up in all sorts of pretty clothes, and her style doesn't change when she's older. She prefers skirts and dresses, her ultimate favorite color is pink. She owns a wide selection of shoes and purses, and would never leave the house without a hair brush.

Personality:
Georgina is pretty confident and knows exactly what she wants. She's been the captain of the cheerleader team in her high school and therefore is used to boss people around. However, she knows when to slow down and can adapt herself (if she wants to). Both of Georgina's parents were hunters and decided to reveal their true identity to her when she was a child. Instead of reading fairy tales to her, Georgina's parents told her stories about their hunting trips in order to prepare their daughter properly for the future. Shortly after Georgina turned 9, her parents were killed by a demon and she was taken in by her aunt and uncle in Boston. They pampered their niece and ensured that she received a good education in one of the top private schools in the state. Georgina, who's called Georgie by her friends, looks like a typical girly girl but she's an amazing runner and doesn't mind taking off her high heels if necessary. Her father’s brother, Uncle Lewis, used to be a hunter as well, but after a while decided to turn is back on hunting and living a rather ordinary life as a lawyer. However, after he noticed that his niece Georgina got more and more interested in hunting and weapons, he decided to reveal his past as her dad’s partner to her, showed her his library and journal, and also taught her how to shoot (although he always pointed out that her first priority should be her school education.) On this way he became her mentor. He made clear that he would definitely never be a hunter again, but understood why Georgina was interested in his and his brother’s past. When she decided to leave college to go on hunting trips, Lewis and his wife were not really excited about that idea, but they had expected that moment to come and supported her (also financially)!
When Georgina is in her teens she's more determined to find out what exactly killed her parents and she's getting more interested in their work. After graduating from high school she enters Yale University but leaves college before she starts her sophomore year, since she remembers the things her parents taught her about the Supernatural and now sees her destiny in filling their shoes. Georgina is particularly proud of her pink Audi A5 and likes to show it off. She doesn't mind getting attention and has rather an outgoing personality.

Strenghts and Weaknesses:
Georgina is an incredibly fast runner and can react very quickly. She drives her car as fast as she runs (which scares the hell out of the people on the street). She's a good fencer and loves challenges. Since she's an outgoing person she attracts all kind of attention (especially from men). She's confident enough to assert her authority and therefore gains a lot of respect. Georgina is a quick learner and pays close attention to every tiny detail, which helps her a lot on her hunting trips, especially when she follows a certain trace. One of her weaknesses is her refusal to accept something she doesn't approve of. She also tends to be a little hasty in her actions. Sometimes she acts faster than she thinks. Although Georgina has faced Supernatural without being afraid, she suffers from arachnophobia and tends to waste her bullets on shooting a tiny spider without caring whether she's in a hotel room or another public place.




Georgina raised one eyebrow while she was skipping through some pages of 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.'

It's just too cute how some amateurs tried to describe demons and explained it to an Harry Potter audience. These kids nowadays get a completely wrong impression of the real dangers out there, but anyhow... Georgina had to smile when she spied the picture of a goblin. That creature kind of looks like my neighbor in Boston. I'm seriously wondering if the person who came up with the desciption of a goblin was on drugs or something...

Suddenly she felt like something was watching her. She looked up suspiciously, her lips slightly pursed. Her eyes met with the dark brown eyes of a brunette girl who was standing behind a bookshelf, holding an ancient looking book in her hands.

Why is she staring at me like that?

As if the strange girl read her thoughts, she slowly looked down and turned her shoulder towards her. Georgina shrugged her shoulders and started reading about the Basilik, a ridiculously illogical described 'beast', but she couldn't resist taking another look at that brunette girl. Their eyes met again, but this time it was Georgina who quickly looked down. The same moment the girl's cell phone rang, she turned her back on Georgina and left the library.

Okay, enough of this Harry Potter stuff. Georgina closed the book and sighed. The last hunting trip was pretty exhausting. I should get some rest.

She got up and walked by a desk, when suddenly the title of the today's issue of 'The Gallup Independent' caught her attention.

Mysterious Murders? Four students attacked by a mountain lion? Very interesting...

Georgina read through the article, quickly checked if someone was watching her, grabbed her shiny pink itouch, took a picture of the newspaper's front page, and left the building. She saw the girl from the library standing across the street, talking on her cell phone. The brunette didn't notice her. Georgina put on her Chanel sunglasses and sighed.

"Gosh, New Mexico gives me a headache! The sun totally ruins my hair. I better get back to my room."

Funny, she could have sworn she heard barking, and since when were they on a first-name basis? They had only been partners for a few weeks after she was reassigned due to her last case. She shook her head to clear her mind from the rush of guilt and the need to crack the other case. It wasn't hers anymore she needed to let it go--but then why had she copied the files and locked them in her case to be reviewed whenever she wasn't on duty? She couldn't let it go, even if it meant her job.

"It looks like there were two assailants, perhaps his partner, and a stray dog. One took the victims in the kitchen by surprise. While the other...turned on his partner?" It didn't make any sense. "I need a fresh eye--tell me what you see because nothing is making sense to me right now. Nothing Remington has done since leaving the scene of his parent's murder has fit any kind of MO. I'm getting ready to think we have the wrong guy."

David crouched, glancing at the bullet holes in the walls, and the skinless bodies. He traced the battle around the room, getting up and walking to the one with the shattered window.

"So the couple were attacked and killed - in quick succession. Looking at the marks on the floor, one of them tried to escape. Remington and his accomplice probably killed her from behind. Then ... that's automatic fire right there," David stated, pointing at the closely-bunched marks on the wall, "Someone must have heard the commotion and tried to play cowboy - our third person. At some point the window was shattered - probably by a stray bullet that's halfway to Idaho. I'd assume that's how the dog got into the house. Unless Remington is using attack dogs now too. Which, given his extremely unorthodox MO, wouldn't surprise me at all."

Allison glanced around the room again.

"No...attack dogs wouldn't make any sense. They are too visible. Remington likes to jump town quickly and quietly." She frowned and bent down to check one of the bullet holes in the wall.

"I think, at least in this case, we have the wrong man. I think Remington and his accomplice walked in on the murderer and the murderer fought back. The third man must have had the dog, either that or a coyote came through the broken window. We are close to the open mesa here. I see no evidence that Remington was involved in this as the aggressor."

"Other than convergent fire from two separate calibre weapons? Some of the bullet holes are almost twice the size of the others. Unless Remington's partner turned on him, I don't doubt they opened fire. And looking at the bullet holes, I have my doubts the third party fired a single shot," David stated, "You can take the man out of Ballistics, but you can't take Ballistics out of the man. You need to stop obsessing over the first case and look at the bigger picture. You need to stop just seeing things and start perceiving them. Remington and his partner know we're going to be on their trail. They're just trying to throw us off the scent. Don't let an obsession blind you."

He didn't...

Allison looked around again, noticing every detail and trying to relate them to his version of the story. She wasn't obsessing here, what he said didn't make sense. He was her superior though so she couldn't say what was really on her mind.

"Fine. I'll follow the bodies to the morgue, see what the coroner has to say."

He nodded and she left.

Allison pounded the steering wheel before turning the key in the ignition. She didn't follow the coroner's van, instead she checked into a local hotel and showered before changing into something a little less restrictive.

She was off duty and she needed a drink.

David's eyebrows rose sharply as Allison stormed out. He shrugged and excused himself from the crime scene, stepping out of the house and heading for his own car. He retrieved the keys from his pocket and fumbled with the lock, then climbed in. He took off slowly at first, then picked up the pace. Yeah. Nice car. Especially for a Fed.

Once out of sight, the Skin Walker shed David's skin and left the car - it could return for it later.


Nathaniel Roarke approached the town library. It was a nice spot - a little exposed to the sun for this time of day, but nice nonetheless. People were sunning themselves on the grass outside and sitting on the steps, drinking whatever it was they drank these days. He spotted a girl on her phone ... she ... there was something different ... she wasn't like the people around her. Another Hunter? Shadow-That-Walks was certainly attracting some attention. He approached her, nodding to her to indicate he wanted a word.

"You wouldn't be here about the Skin Walker, would you?" Nathaniel muttered to her when he sensed a break in the phone conversation.

What the hell is this? Is today, the freak out Lenna day? Did I miss something?

"What?"

Without another word she hung up on at the phone. Elenna stared at the guy.

He looks creepy as hell, the sun is so bright and warm but he gives me goose bumbs

"Why do you ask? I mean, how do you know about Skin Walker? Who the hell are you anyway?"

Boys where are you? I don't wanna be alone with him, help please!

"Word travels fast in a small town like this. And word got to me that you're investigating a Skin Walker. I'm Navajo, see. So I was put in touch to offer a hand. Is there anything in particular you're looking into?" Nathaniel asked, getting that animal feeling that he was putting her off. He slouched a little to make his size less apparent and continued, "Is it some kind of research for a culture class or some paranormal explanation for those bodies the police found in the desert?"

Danila had just opened his mouth to introduce himself when the line clicked dead.

"Dammit! Bad cell signal. . ." he cursed under his breath. He looked at the phone, opened the recent call list, and dialed again. . . it rang again. . .

Elenna's phone was vibrating in her hand but she couldn't answer some stranger right now.

I swear the next time I am not investigating anything on my own this guy is... is scary.

"I don't know who told you this, but..." Elenna looked skeptical at Navajo.

"Don't talk to strangers." Gosh Rome, I have to stop thinking at him.

"Well yes I am. See on all victims was this weird powder and I think and someone else thinks it might be important but it looks like that this stuff is nowhere mentioned. And what I don't get is why he, she, it whatever is killing those students. This skin walker acts totally different as everything I ever read about."

"I hear the survivor of the attack is sick. That, to me anyway, sounds like Corpse Powder. Powerful Black Magic. So much so that the only way to cure the ailment is to destroy the Witch who created and used the Corpse Powder, or to engage the services of a Witch of equal or greater power. Though, if this is the work of the particular Skin Walker I think it is, you'll be hard-pressed to find such a Witch, and the price to pay will be steep. In material rewards and the cost to your soul," Nathaniel answered, "So my guess would be that destroying the Skin Walker is your only option."

"What?! That means Mandy has to die? But..."

A witch? What if... I mean I know witchcraft, not the one he is talking about but maybe it is enough to help her.

"But to destroy it we need to find it. How the hell do we find someone that can look like anyone. How do I know that my friends are still my friends and not the skin walker? We do kill it with a silver weapon in the heart right?"

Gosh I wish my phone would stop ringing.

"Silver will cause the Witch pain. But it will not kill it. What you need - if you intend to shoot it, that is - is a bullet or arrow dipped in white ash. Aim for the Witch's head, not the heart. You can rob it of some of its power by tricking it into speaking when in animal form - it will lose the ability to shapeshift. That should make it easier to combat," Nathaniel carried on, "To tell it apart, there are many stories. The one I found to be most useful is that the Skin Walker will retain the Witch's shadow, when in the body of another human. And do not try to catch it if it flees the field of battle. While it cannot outrun a bullet, a Skin Walker will outrun the wind. You will never catch up."

They pulled up in front of the public library in the green-frakking-Camaro. It was hot outside, but Rome was packing heat and didn't feel like advertising this to the world, so he left his jacket on.

He squinted in the sun until he found his Oakleys--much better. The light was hurting his eyes unnecessarily.

His eyes immediately spotted Elenna in front of the library. He almost didn't recognize her in her black skirt and blazer, looking professional and disturbingly hot, and the fact that she was talking to someone. On closer inspection a big-ish Indian guy. Which was, what, 99% of the population in this area? He felt like he needed to hit the tanning bed out here with all these beautifully dark-skinned people, like, pronto.

But something about Elenna wasn't quite right. She looked like she didn't want to be talking to this guy, but at the same time totally interested in what he was saying.

He made eye-contact with his brother, jerked his head in Elenna's direction, and approached the conversing pair.

"Hey, Elenna? What's going on? Who's this?" Rome kept his voice reasonable and friendly, but the undertones of Lady, is this guy bothering you? could not be mistaken. A sudden headache and a weird empathic need to just kill something flashed through his brain, but he pushed it aside, blaming it on all that manly testosterone flooding his veins after shooting the crap out of some werewolf-shapeshifter-thing, and put on his best smile: this guy seemed nice enough.

"Oh!" Nathaniel blurted, "I forgot to introduce myself. Nathaniel Roarke. Navajo Witch Hunter."

Nathaniel barely suppressed the urge to finish what he'd started earlier, scratching an itch that wasn't there instead of reaching for the Bowie Knife inside his own jacket. "Be easy," he thought to himself. He extended his hand to the weaker one - the runt that had shot him - and inclined his head slightly.

"And you are?" he asked, politely as he could.

"Adam Savage," Rome replied smoothly, in case the FBI badge needed to make an appearance. "And this is my partner, James Hyneman." He said this as much for Elenna's benefit as for Rawsons, to remind those chuckleheads that they were undercover. "So you're a hunter, too? Glad to make your acquaintance. I think we'll be needing a lot of each other's help in the days to come."

This guy seemed really helpful. But why the hell wasn't his headache going away?

Yes finally boys, it was about time to help me. Ah I have to remember not to make to sudden movements. Weird Rome looked for a second different at me, I guess just because he barely sees me looking that ridiculous.

Elenna smiled at Rome and Raws before she turned around and finally answered the phone call.

"Hello? Sorry for that."

"Yes. I've been hunting a long time now," Nathaniel answered, genuinely smiling at how he'd come into possession of his less ... conventional ... shapes, "So, Adam, what is it you'd like to know about Skin Walkers? I'm just about the only Navajo you'll find willing to talk about them."