A.N- Wow it's been a while since I've uploaded. I started this earlier this year and only decided to pick it back up recently. The original plan was the make this a three-shot, I'm nearly done on Part 2.

Much like my previous one-shot, this also part of what I've dubbed the E-L-Series (basically stories including my OC, Evelyn Lionheart). You don't necessarily need to have read Safe Haven and Splinched, but you can find them on my page if you are interested.

This three-shot is set a few years after Crimes of Grindelwald, and is part of my take on something that could happen as part of Fantastic Beasts 3- it's basically the group on a mission to Rio, which will eventually led to an introduction to the full Lionheart clan.

Tried to keep everyone in character as much as I could. Rated T for any potential injury detail.

Enjoy! And hopefully I'll have the other parts out for you soon (promise I won't abandon this).

Part 1

The daylight was beginning to dwindle as the afternoon began to seep into evening. Not that it made much difference to the visibility within the London backstreet alley. Narrow, cramped, damp and secluded were the few words Theseus Scamander would use to describe it. The little sun London got clearly didn't reach this particularly narrow space, as he felt his boot splash in a remainder of last night's rain. All characteristics that were perfect for their needs, discreet and out of sight. Despite the chill, Theseus had decided to dress a bit lighter than he normally would. Leaving his overcoat and suit jacket behind, only a waist-coat present over his dress shirt and tie. Shoes had been swapped from more practical boots and a leather bound satchel was swung over his shoulder. He glanced over his shoulder, catching sight of his companion who looked a little less prepared at first glance.

Evelyn Lionheart was still wrapped up against the chill in her emerald buttoned up overcoat. Her hair was wrapped up into a braided bun. She looked as she would every day Theseus saw her stepping into the auror office for work. Elegant and graceful yet practical and ready, which ensured that Theseus didn't frown at her current appearance and lack of preparation. Appearances could be misleading, especially when it came to Evelyn. Also he knew her too well to know she wouldn't turn up without a plan. Yet despite how much faith and loyalty he felt towards her, it hadn't gone unnoticed her surprise at his request for her assistance on this mission. To him she was the obvious choice.

It had been three years since Paris and tensions were rising. More wizards and witches were disappearing, either swayed to Grindelwald's cause or killed. Full scale war hadn't quite broken yet, but deaths were starting to become a common occurrence. It was only going to get worse and there was only one wizard who could stand against him. The Ministry needed Albus Dumbledore (even Travers couldn't deny that). So if there was potential to get him on side and ready to aid them, they couldn't quite ignore his request. Well more they couldn't stop his allies rallying around him, and Theseus had managed to persuade them that the reason and subsequent mission to follow were important. Still Travers insisted on at least another Auror accompanying him, attempting to push some suitable options (well options that would be happy to report every slip up and make it feel like Travers himself was breathing down his neck). But Theseus already had his choice. Sure Evelyn was one of the younger Aurors in the office and may not have the same amount of field experience as others but she was just as capable. It took a lot of convincing on Theseus' part, unfortunately not everyone had the same faith in Evelyn Lionheart as he. Beside she was discreet and had Theseus' (and Dumbledore's) full trust. And officially this mission didn't exist, partly because Dumbledore had only revealed the truth to a select few and partly to not risk Grindelwald getting an information leak.

Theseus looked over to Evelyn, he could see her mind calculating away.

She noticed Theseus' gaze and proposed a question, "How did you say your brother knows this guy again?"

"Well there's only one way to get to Paris quickly when you have an international travelling ban..." Theseus answered.

"Right, it's lucky for him we need a port-key that can't be traced."

Theseus nodded, by no means did he trust this guy but the threat of Azkaban could be pretty effective. Besides Newt seemed to believe he could be discreet enough for their needs. They could only hope that was the case.

The two of them came to a slow halt as they rounded the corner, it seemed they weren't the first to arrive. Much like his brother, Newt Scamander had ditched his overcoat leaving Pickett the bowtruckle to retreat and peer out of the pocket of his yellow waist-coat. His case was gripped tight as his eyes were transfixed on the dark haired woman beside him. Tina Goldstein looked just as ready for warmer temperatures, as did Jacob Kawalski who was chipping in elements of muttered conversation. His presence did raise a little bit of question. After all as soon as they were out there, it was likely only a matter of time before Grindelwald's acolytes caught wind of their activities. The danger would be unquestionable. But it didn't put Jacob off. He would follow his friends into any danger, and Theseus found that admirable. He was glad Newt had found friends who truly cared and worried about his brother as much as he did. However that wasn't the only reason Jacob was determined to join them. With the chance of running into Grindelwald's acolytes high, it also meant a chance of seeing Queenie.

Theseus remembered how her decision had broken their hearts, but yet they still held out hope to get her back. None more so than Jacob Kawalski. That same hope was held by the young maledictus, that Newt had promised to help. Hope to save Credence from Grindelwald's clutches. Nagini had nowhere to go after the events of Paris, her only safety net had been Credence. As one of the few that escaped the flames, she had unknowingly become a part of the group left behind. In the three years since she had become the ward of the man beside her (alongside befriending Newt). Yusuf Kama, a man whose sworn purpose had disappeared that night. That night he had discovered the true fate of Corvus Lestrange, and ultimately lost his only remaining family in Leta. But through her loss he had gained something else to strive towards, the defeat of Grindelwald.

On the outside peering in, the seven of them seemed like an unusual group. Three Aurors, a magizoologist, a muggle baker, a maledictus and an previous holder of an unbreakable vow. Within three years, however, they had become a firm group of allies perhaps even friends. And that group were now cramped into a small London back-alley, waiting around a mouldy old bucket.

"It would seem we're the last ones," Evelyn stated as she eyed the group. At the sound of her words, the others acknowledged their arrival with small nods.

"Scamander," Yusuf Kama was the first to greet Newt's brother.

"Kama, glad you're joining us," Theseus returned the greeting.

Kama nodded, Theseus turned to Newt as Evelyn stood beside him greeting everyone with a small smile.

"Newt."

"Theseus."

A moment's pause before Theseus asked, "This our portkey?"

"Yes," Newt nodded.

With that acknowledgement a man stepped out of the shadows, the same man who had provided Newt with transport to Paris all those years ago.

"And don't let the Ministry forget who provided it to you," the man spoke eyeing Theseus from under his hat, suspicion in his eye.

"We surely won't if it gets us to our destination," Evelyn eyed him with her own suspicion.

There was a moment of silence, before the man opened his mouth again.

"It leaves in a few minutes, better prepare yourselves."

With those words everyone moved closer to the bucket, Jacob however hesitated looking at Newt holding out his hand.

"Erm... you hold the bucket this time Jacob," Newt stumbled.

"Oh right," Jacob replied.

The group were forced to crowd around the bucket, shoulder to shoulder. Except for Evelyn, who choose this moment to shed her emerald coat. With a wave of her wand, the coat was gone and replaced by a small leather pouch on her belt. Now she was more prepared, Evelyn squeezed in between Theseus and Yusuf. Hand gripping the bucket tight along with everyone else. She took this moment to give one last look at the group around her, before the countdown began.

"Three."

Theseus couldn't help but notice the small blush littering his brother's freckled cheeks as he took into account the close proximity of one Porpertina Goldstein.

"Two."

Jacob took a deep breath, preparing himself for the horrible sensation to come.

"One."

Everyone's grip simultaneously tightened on the bucket. There was a moment before the street disappeared around them. Jacob remembered why he hated Portkeys in an instant as he felt that familiar pull. It was like being drawn to a magnet or a fish on the line being drawn to the surface. Except this fish's destination was not the shore...

Evelyn was expecting to touch her feet down on solid ground. Instead there was a large splash and the group collectively dropped into the waters of the river below. She only had a mere minute to hold in some oxygen, before all noise became muffled. It was a shock to the system, the damp seeped straight through her clothes. No moment was spared to take in the views beneath the water, as she sprang into action. Arms and leg thrashed against the water in synchronized fashion, pushing for the surface. Her lungs begging for air became her drive. She needed to get to the surface. She needed air.

One more push and she broke the surface, spluttering and gasping. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the sudden bright intensity of the Amazonian sun. Once she could make out more than just shapes, her gaze took in her surroundings. Their portkey had missed land completely, instead dumping them in the middle of a large river. Rainforest was situated on each side of her.

"Lionheart!"

Her attention was snapped as a yell from over the waves met her ears. Looking over, she spotted Yusuf Kama. It seemed she wasn't the only one to be dunked beneath the waves. Yusuf was bobbing above the water with Nagini right beside him. If she squinted she could see Theseus not too far behind them.

"Kama!" Evelyn called back as a reassurance she was fine. They still seemed so far from her reach. Unlike her they were closer to the shore, she could already see Theseus treading water. It seemed they had all been dumped at various points in the river. Even from here she could spy Theseus looking around. But even that didn't give Evelyn pause to consider who was missing. No land was in sight and that was her momentary focus (land would give her better perspective). The distance made her shudder at the thought of swimming all that way. It wasn't that she wasn't a confident swimmer, but she'd rather conserve her energy.

Shifting in the water, Evelyn sacrificed a hand to search into her pouch for her wand. It was a struggle, but she found it (eventually). With a swish of her wand, she almost seemed to draw a circle around her.

"Ebublio!"

When those words left her mouth, a bubble formed around her. Guided by her wand, the bubble levitated up and began to float a few feet above the water towards the shore. The only downside was that she still had to keep afloat in the water that the bubble had collected (that she hadn't completely thought through). In a matter of minutes, she had reached the shore. But guiding the bubble was a little tricker than she thought. She hadn't fully taken into account the height of the drop and the fact that Theseus was directly below her. With a pop, she had dunked the water the bubble had collected over a surprised Theseus. A small yelp left her lips as ground didn't hit her feet as soon as she expected. Luckily she managed to land on her feet, but still lost her balance as she tipped forwards. She would have fallen flat on Theseus if he didn't managed to catch her arms. A strong grip steadied her balance, preventing any further surprises... or embarrassment.

"You alright?" Theseus asked with polite concern, through some slight spluttering of water from her lips.

"Yes- thank- you," Evelyn managed to stumble out her words. She took in Theseus' extra soaked form. His clothing was plastered to his body, his once neat hair stuck to his forehead. She'd never seen him this raw before. It also made her feel guilty.

"Sorry about the water," Evelyn mumbled.

Theseus answered her with a small nod, before letting go of her arms. His attention was snatched away, looking across the waves of the river. Evelyn took a moment before following his lead. Instantly she spotted Yusuf and Nagini treading water towards them, Yusuf guiding Nagini so she didn't stumble. It didn't take them long to join them on the banks of the river.

"That was nearly a nasty tumble Lionheart," Yusuf commented.

Evelyn smirked a little, "Only a nearly, thanks to Theseus."

She then looked to Nagini who had stopped beside her, "Are you alright?"

"Yes thank you," she barely spoke above a whisper, much like Theseus her attention was drawn back to the water, "The others, where-"

She was cut off by by Theseus cupping his hands and calling over the waves.

"Newt!"

It clicked then. There had been no sign of Newt or Tina or Jacob. Even a thorough search over the water gave no clue to their whereabouts. The sense of panic boiled inside Theseus but he tried to keep his calm. They had expected to be faced with many dangers, but upon landing... surely not... or was that just wishful thinking?

Their attention was snapped as the water before them bubbled. Then there was an almighty splash as Newt, Tina and Jacob soared out of the water, over their heads and landed hard on the bank behind them. Theseus, Yusuf, Nagini and Evelyn could only watch in awe and shut their eyes to the extra downpour of water. Theseus' surprise didn't last long as he was soon sprinting past them to reach his brother and friends.

"Newt!"

The three of them had landed flat on their fronts, coughing up water from their lungs. Jacob was wedged between Newt and Tina. The two each had one of his arms looped in their hands, the others holding their wands pointing over their heads. It seemed they had propelled themselves out of the murky depths of the river.

Following after Theseus, Evelyn moved to beside Tina looking down at them.

"Merlin's beard! Are you all alright? What happened?" Theseus questioned as he crouched down beside Newt, taking his shoulder gently.

Newt pulled himself up a bit, still getting his breath back. "Fell-into—a nest- of- Grin-dylow," he managed to stumble out.

Grindylow, they could be pesky creatures. Of course Newt would opt out of stunning them, instead making a quick getaway. Theseus didn't need much more information as with the help of Yusuf, he helped Newt and Jacob to their feet. Evelyn in turn offered her hand to Tina, who took it gratefully pulling her to her feet. Everyone took a moment to catch their breath and used spells to quickly dry themselves. Blouses and shirts no longer threatened to cling and expose the skin beneath. Hair was put back in place and looked less like a wet mop.

"That was definitely my least favourite portkey," Jacob broke the silence.

"What kind of portkey was that? I thought this guy knew what he was doing!" said Tina.

"It would seem the Amazon Rainforest was out of his field of experience..." Newt replied a little sheepishly, a flash of guilt striking over his features.

"At least we all made it relatively unharmed," Yusuf offered to ease Newt's guilt. Some nodded in agreement. They could only hope it remained that way. However looking off into the depths of the rainforest behind them added foreboding to the atmosphere. Any number of dangers could face them within, especially in these dangerous times. This didn't disheartened their resolve. No matter what came, they'd face it together. That single thought stayed with them as they ventured into the depths of trees behind them.

"Right, well looks like we wanna press on and then head right," Jacob Kawalski's words trailed right to the back of the group as they trudged through the undergrowth of the rainforest. With Newt's encouragement and Evelyn's suggestion, Jacob had taken over navigating them to their next portkey. He had some map-reading and navigation skills that he'd picked up during his service in the war. Skills that were useful to them now. It was a way to make Jacob feel like he was making a contribution and to keep his mind occupied. Newt knew that much like Tina he'd be internally fretting about a potential confrontation with Queenie. Sure they all wanted to get Queenie back, but that was even if she wanted to come back. There was the fear, that they tried not to linger on, that they may have lost her forever. That fear crept upon them in the quiet moments, so to have a focus or a task managed to keep it at bay. And right now that was what Jacob needed, so he and Newt took the lead.

It wasn't a confident, loud booming vocal lead, announcing to the others their next steps. But more quiet and gentle points for turnings or holding up branches to prevent leafs smacking into faces. Evelyn and Theseus were closely behind, arms occasionally raised up to catch branches from Jacob and Newt. Bringing up the back were Tina, Yusuf and Nagini. Not much conversation was shared between them aside from the alerts of changes in direction or little thank yous as branches were moved out of people's paths. They would have had wands drawn but there was still a chance (no matter how slim) of running into muggles. So they were tucked away but still easy to access if the occasion arose.

It made the atmosphere a little tense and cautious, but they were making good time. Hopefully this next portkey would have more success of getting them to Rio. Maybe their luck was looking up...

Or maybe it was just about to run out.

The downward spiral happened in quick succession, that Evelyn didn't even have time to blink. A small click issued out through the quiet atmosphere when Jacob took his next step forward. Unbeknownst to him, he had tripped a trap-wire. Partly lucky for him Newt had noticed.

"Jacob!" Newt managed to cry, pushing his friend back to what he hoped was safety. Theseus and Evelyn were nearly knocked over as Jacob fell back into them. The two of them just about catching him. That trap-wire set off a domino effect, before Newt knew what was happening he found himself hung up by his ankle and pulled up into the trees. The side of his head hit a sturdy branch, causing his vision to blur and his world to literally turn upside down. Theseus, Evelyn and Jacob followed as they were scooped like fish in net and also pulled up into trees too. A small cage fell down over Tina, Nagini and Yusuf- trapping them beneath. They could all only cry in surprise.

"Mercy lewis! What is this?" Tina cried, moving forward to take the bars of the cage. She gave them a small experimental rattle before looking up to the others.

"Perhaps our mission was leaked to them and they laid a trap for us," Yusuf suggested, also giving the bars a rattle of his own.

"No, this isn't Grindelwald," Nagini spoke softly but her eyes were full of terror and a dark knowledge.

"She's right, this isn't their style," Tina replied, not turning around to spot the sheer terror radiating from Nagini. Instead she looked up to the three who had become tangled in the net.

Evelyn hated when she forced to give up her personal space. Being squashed against someone without prior knowledge or agreement made her ridiculously uncomfortable. In this instance, her annoyed expression was not her friends' fault but this damned net!

"Merlin's beard," she hissed as she found herself wedged between Jacob's back and Theseus' chest. Elbows and knees prodding into each other with increasing levels of discomfort.

"First the portkey and now trapped like animals in a poachers trap!" Theseus scrambled out as he tried to shift to get more comfortable. This caused muffled protests and mild swearing as the three shifted against each other.

"Guys stop! Just stop moving!" Evelyn snapped, the build-up had caused the net to swing and was just subsequently making it all worse.

The two of them heeded her words as they suspended their movement. However they had still built enough momentum to nearly crash into the dangled Newt in front.

"Woah, sorry their pal," Jacob apologised, trying to catch sight of Newt. He had spoken loud enough for the magizoologist to hear, but it still hadn't enlisted a reply. Unlike his friends, Newt hadn't seemed to have resisted his bonds. This concerned Jacob.

"Newt?"

No response.

"Newt, you okay there pal?"

That question caught Theseus' attention, "What's wrong? Is he hurt?"

His question caused more movement as he started moving to get a better view of his brother.

"Theseus stop! You going to make it swing again and we might actually hit your brother this time!" Evelyn offered caution.

The older Scamander stopped a little exasperated, as he spoke again, "Sorry, but can you see him? Is he alright?"

Evelyn tried to take a look, but trying to crane her neck was not providing a better view.

"Not really, Jacob?"

Jacob seemed at an advantage when it came to getting a clearer view of one Newt Scamander. Newt was dangling up from his right ankle, blood running to his head for being forced upside down. He still swayed a little from the motion of being hoisted up. The branch he hit had drawn blood and his eyes were half open. The blow had dazed him and his body didn't know whether it wanted to remain conscious. He could make out noise, but it sounded muffled and too far away.

A name. He could make out a name. Was it his name?

There was a blurry mess of colours before him, browns, whites... red? And black, that was pulling at the corners of his vision.

"Newt!"

That was his name, but who had said it?

"What's going on up there?" Tina called out from her place on the ground. She had heard Newt's name been thrown around, which caused panic to settle in.

"It's Newt he's hurt!" Jacob called back to the older Goldstein.

"Hurt? What happened? Is he okay?"

"Looks like he may have hit his head on the way up!" Evelyn responded this time.

Tina was about to ask another question, but instead she let her frustration out.

"To hell with this!" she whipped out her wand, ready to break the cage around her. Yusuf followed her lead. But they didn't have the chance to cast a single spell. For no sooner had they drawn their wands, they were snatched, shooting off into the trees. Three more wands were similarly snatched from Newt, Theseus and Evelyn.

"Who's there?" Yusuf called out into the trees, moving closer to his maledictus ward. Yusuf received no answer.

Nagini took Yusuf's arm, her face full of alarm, "They're here."

Tina noticed her fear and became curious, "Who's here?"

"Poachers."

The minute that Nagini spoke her reply, the once clear forest began to fill with white fog. It seeped around them and the trapped group began to cough as the fog crept into their lungs. Even covering their mouths and noses did nothing to stop the fog. And before they all knew it, the forest around them disappeared, as much like Newt they were pulled into unconsciousness. Pulled into a black void.