Henry arrived at the radio station to find that most people were already here and were starting to evacuate. "Alright get in those vertibirds we're pulling out to a town not to far from here near an old military base. It is abandoned but it looks quite defensible!" Henry got everyone to hurry up and-" Henry was cut off by a Giant mosquito landing on top of a vertibird and killing the pilot. "Someone take over the wheel!" The pilot got dragged out and pulled away and Henry said " Get the Vertibirds moving! Nathan, get in here!" The remaining troops ran into the vertibirds and they began taking off. However some of the vertibirds were getting hit by mosquitoes landing in the blades and jamming the blades. Others were taken out by the acid-spitting slugs. "This is gonna be close!" Henry braced himself and hoped that the pilot knew what he was doing..

Mark looked at the acherfish for a while before hearing the sound of rotors. He looked up and saw Vertibirds flying above them. Mark said, "Looks like that Enclave squad was able to get reinforcements. They appear to be going in the direction of Orlando."

Demetri looked up, "Could cause problems," Demetri said, after a few moments something struck Demetri's mind, "Orlando will be slaughtered!" Duran looked over in horror, "You know who these enclave are?" Demetri nodded, "They consider themselves the American goverment."
"Then why will they slaughter us?"
"Because they want pure people, they most likely consider you to impure, as well as wanting the G.E.C.K and will see you as something blocking their way."
Duran was tempted to go back, as were the rest, they most likely had family and friends in Orlando, though all three managed to surpress their temptation, "The GECK is important, I'm sure Roy can hold a strong defense," Duran said. Demetri nodded, "Honestly, glad you're still coming, with the increase in enclave activity we need all the firepower we can get."

Mark decided to check on Tom and said,"You alright man, you look pretty battered."

Starr looked up to see the verti-birds flying through the air. They were quite noisy.

"Is the Enclave always so nosy?" Starr asked, "The only experience I had with them was when one of their generals set up a contract for us to take back The Mall."

Starr poked at the fire with a stick. She watched it start to glow red and smolder. The smoke wasn't exactly a pleasing smell, she threw the stick into the fire.

Mark said, "Yes they are rather nosy, I even remember getting the jump on a patrol once using my Sniper Rifle. That's how I got my Plasma Rifle, though it's pretty hard to find replacement parts." Then he asked, "So why exactly did you join Talon Company before leaving?" Mark then started cleaning his Sniper Rifle, as 3-Dog's mantra goes, "If you don't maintain your weapon, the only Wasteland [censored] it's gonna kill is you."

"It was a job, and I was good at what I did," Starr answered, trying to avoid what question might follow.

Mark said, "I can see that. Before this I was just a wanderer looking for work who got hired because of my knowledge of fauna. That, and I also happen to be good with a weapon."

OOC I'll just wait till you guys get near and I'll land my vertibirds and meet with your characters.

"Heh, yet there were plenty of other merc groups out there," Demetri muttered, he had gotten his bottle whiskey out again, looking at the bottle he saw he only had about a third left, shrugging he took some from the bottle then gave a quick offer to anyone else around the fire. Duran decided to take him up on the offer and drank some, he coughed afterwards, "Strong stuff," Duran said, Demetri smiled, "I know, Gob usually gives me the stuff that isn't watered down," Demetri said.

Turning to mark, "Though it seems your knowledge in survival is really what is be tested," Demetri said, Demetri looked up into the sky again at the sound of more engines, another vertibird heading somewhere else, "Seems they are setting up putposts in the jungle..."

Tom shrugged at Mark's question. "Nothing a few more stimpacks won't fix" he said, understating the pain he felt. He struggled to his feet and observed the vertibirds flying over his head and setting up outposts. He now regarded the Enclave with mixed feelings. Tom had originally thought of them as elitist bastards who would kill you if your hair was blond and your family had black hair. However, after being saved by Henry, he was not so sure anymore. He didn't know if they were all like that, but he still wouldn't trust them to do anything without being watched. He eyed Starr after her comments about the job at the mall. The answer to Mark's inquiry didn't satisfy Tom. He didn't care about her past, only her present and near future. As the Enclave opened up with another salvo of machine gun fire on Orlando, his fists tightened. The Enclave wasn't to be trusted. He would judge them by individual actions. Tom coughed again, covering it as not to further alarm the group.

They landed in a secluded clearing and began to set up HQ. "We'll plan our next move from here and we'll resupply from this location." Henry watched as they set up MGs and AA guns around the perimeter. "That should keep them off of us for the time being," Henry walked over to Nathan and handed him a syringe "You look worse than before" Nathan ghoulifacation had progressed even more and he was looking more like a regular ghoul now. "This contains a dose of the medicine prepared by Dr. Barrows, consider yourself the first one to try it out." With any luck it should begin halting the effects of ghoulifacation and even reverse it even more. "However to fully reverse it we need the GECK." There was an old military base nearby and Henry intended to look for anything useful.

Mark said, "I just hope I pass that test. At least the Enclave haven't found us yet."

OOC" Edit: minor mistake was annoying me.
Nathan took the drug planting it in his arm and hoped he could still come back the fact that he was a lab rat for these people tore at him but the end justified it.
"Thanks"
"So what are we going to do about the other mercs? you've already set up a full scale invasion here so we might as well go for it and remove the others." nathan grinned then added "they can't argue against you if their dead."
///
Roy sat at a makeshift desk "Sir the enclave has retreated, next step?"
"bring out the sound boxes push the remaining creatures to the enclave base. it cant be far"
"got it sir."
the space below the ruined east tower rumbled and two forklifts rumbled out carrying on their lift a cobbled together speaker driving to the west exit they both swerved off the road as the speaker came to life.
////
It had found a safe place, having burrowed into the rubble of a old human dwelling It rested and recovered.
It felt the sense of hearing dull eyes sharpening and its sensory organs taking over.
the forest grew loud as something happened above but It was preoccupied becoming more accustomed to this new way of seeing.

Starr laid down for some much needed rest. She looked up at the cloudy sky, it was possible it would rain again. Starr liked the rain. As the night crept on Starr drifted off into sleep.

...

The heat was almost unbearable. Starr was in her familiar Talon combat armor, helmet, and goggles. She looked around her surroundings, trying to find where she was. It looked like she was in Florida still.

Her search was interrupted when she heard someone yell, "Finch! Where are you?"

"Right here," Starr said.

"Well hurry up, the vault is just through those bushes," the voice said.

As Starr walked through she noticed who was calling her name, her old mercenary company, Talon Company. She couldn't place a name on the man talking to her, she just knew to obey him. She saw the rest of the mercenaries working on opening the vault door. The door was a thick slab of metal, probably weighing in at a few tons.

After what seemed to be hours the door creaked open as the hydraulic arm pulled the door open. The captain motioned for Starr to go in first. Slowly she walked in, not knowing what she'd find, with her M4 raised and ready. Low growls and grumbles could be heard from inside the vault, but it was too dark to identify what was making the noises. Other mercenaries followed Starr inside, quietly sweeping the room. Suddenly gun fire erupted. Starr turned to see what it was, she caught a glimpse of a rather large ghoul, but she was knocked to the ground almost instantly. She started shooting her gun in a frenzy, a dead ghoul fell on her. Soon the whole room of the vault was lit up with gun fire and flares.

The gunfight turned into a blur for Starr. Soon the ghouls had overwhelmed the mercenaries. Starr was surrounded by them, they were almost infinite in number. She was backed up to a wall when a ghoul came up to her. The ghoul looked familiar, it was Nathan! He pulled out his .44 caliber pistol and put it to Starr's head. He smiled as his finger pulled the trigger.

...

Starr burst out of her nightmare early in the morning. It looked like everyone was at the camp, but Starr wasn't in the mood to check. She walked over to the river and threw up.

Looks like the ghouls are getting the last laugh, they're going to be the death of me, she thought, Hopefully we can get moving so I can forget about this.

Trying to take her mind off her dream she started examining the explosive band on her wrist. She couldn't even figure out how it worked.

Demetri was on last watch with Duran, they had both taken the morning to check the ford, "Think we can cross now?" Demetri asked, Duran smiled, "Only one way to find out," he replied, wading in about half way it had gone up to his chest, "It's a push but we'll be fine, just make sure you keep things above your head they are not waterproof." Demetri nodded, "So we'll leave in a hour say, gives people enough time to get ready and eat."

Turning back towards the camp he saw Starr throw up into the river, "You alright!?" Demetri called, "You don't look to well." Demetri had jogged over, Demetri saw the band, he hadn't noticed it on her when they first met, but maybe he hadn't noticed, "We have a long walk and I want to make sure we won't have to go slower then we already are, one wounded person is enough, but a sick one as well..."

"I'm fine Starr," Starr protested, "I just didn't sleep well."

She slipped her gloves over her hands. Then walked back to the camp and grabbed her things.

"I'm ready to go," she said to Demetri.

Mark woke up and walked to the spring to wash his face and fill his canteeen. He then grabbed his things and waited for everyone else to get up. Then he saw Det was crawling over and had gotten on his back. Mark said, "Well, at least it's better than carrying you across that river, now my hands are free to kill things if they try to kill us."

"Good then," Demetri drank some water and grabbed his minigun, "Duran, can you take Saturn and Grin across to do a quick scout, it will be difficult to get back across under fire," Demetri said, Duran nodded and signaled his two comrades to follow him across the river. About ten minutes later they came back across and signaled it was safe.

Demetri walked in, holding Tom up on his shoulder as he helped him across. Once across to the other side he waited for both Starr and Mark to cross, he thought for the moment, pushing hard they may make the base by early evening.

Starr made her way across the river. Each step the river became deeper. Before she was even half way the water was up to her neck. Starr was struggling to keep her head above the water and keep her equipment out of the water.

"I can't go much deeper guys," Starr sputtered.

((Forgot your character is quite small.))

Demetri sighed, putting his equipment down and giving Tom to Duran, he went back into to help her out, being far taller then Starr, the depth didn't matter to him, "Comeon," Demetri said, "Wrap your arms around my neck, I'll carry you."

((I thought it was kinda funny actually))

Starr wrapped her arms around Demetri as he carried her across the river. It only took a few seconds for Demetri to cross and put Starr on the other side of the river.

"Thanks," she said a little embarrassed.

She began making sure none of her equipment had been damaged by water. A few things were wet, but it wouldn't hurt them.

"Not to much trouble," Demetri said grinning, "Next time we can make a raft just for you." Demetri laughed and gathered his gear, they were all dripping wet, it should get warmer soon, so hopefully they should dry off. "Everyone across safe and sound?"

"Yeah.", said Mark, who had just finished wading across the river after Starr. Det then crawled off of him and started walking with him towards the others.

"lets head off then," Demetri said, "If you don't like being wet, deal with it, Starr, you're on point again, though watch for any rivers." Demetri took up posistion behind her and the rest of the group trailed, to go deeper into the jungle and towards their prize.