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[img]http://screenanarchy.com/assets/2011/08/Donnie%20Yen%20Pic.jpg[/img]
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"And if you could actually make sure the drinking water isn't, you know, surrounded by ghouls, that'd be great." His broad shouldered frame jostled happily as he chuckled, speaking into the beige cylindrical object that wrapped around most of his left forearm: 
"That was ONE time, Jocelyn. One time." 
"Don't make me send Hank down there. If he knows that his bro-wife is in trouble, he'll spring out of the trailer and come running with his latest invention in tow."
"You know he loves you more than he does me, right?" A sigh came through the singular and miniature speaker located on the very right hand side of the object. 
"Sometimes I don't know." Another laugh, this one shared.  
"I'll be back before dusk with a report. Just let Ignus and Zoe know that this is a promising site..." He looked across the mutilated road, past the chunks of pavement and rotted vehicles down towards the river. 
"Minus the potential for mirelurks. But I can deal with that." 
"Alright, fine. Just...be careful out there, big guy."
"I'll try."
"I hate it when you say that." 

With the communication over, his right hand twisted one of the three dials located on the right side of the machine and navigated back to the black and green colored map that seemed to ever be expanding. There were several icons that were visible from the wider view the map defaulted to, but Mansfield wasn't interested in heading to any of established points. He zoomed in on the triangle that represented his location, noting the lack of anything featured on his display.
"Time to change that." He mused aloud, looking once again to the right in the direction of the river before turning his attention to his left. Mansfield stood in the alleyway of two run down buildings that had somehow managed to withstand the nuclear assault of the past and the dangers of the present, serving as an example of what humanity was attempting to become...well, minus the rundown part. Of course, many of the people Mansfield had met on his travels were in worse shape than the edifices he stood in between. What did it say about humanity that their creations could endure better than the creators? 

Ok, ok, back to business. 

He headed left deeper into the alleyway, which naturally curved right and opened up into a wider, square shaped space. The remains of a fountain stood in the center, cracked and unused. Before the war, this was probably a nice centerpiece to a courtyard that denizens from the buildings flanking the fountain could enjoy watching while eating their lunch in this courtyard(assumed courtyard, anyhow). Mansfield's eyes narrowed, examining the other entranceway past the fountain, which led to the street that intersected the one running parallel to the riverbank. 
"Perfect." Nodding in approval at the rusting and/or crumbling arches that hung over areas to provide shade, he pressed a button on the left side of the "Pip-Man" (bless Hank) to record his findings:
"Log one hundred and two, remains of downtown D.C. Possible settlement close to river..." 

A few minutes of spoken observations later and Mansfield was satisfied, ending the recording before making his way across the road and down the gentle slope to a path that ran right alongside the river. In the distance stood more ruined buildings, a few moving shapes that looked like mirelurks waddling along the opposite shoreline, which was thankfully at least half a mile off. 
"Probably will need a fence he-" The relative quiet that permeated the ruins was pierced by the roaring of a gas motor, a few shouts of command floating from down the road, maybe a block(or two?) away. Uttering a curse, he withdrew the sniper rifle slung across his back and flattened himself on the ground, granting him slight cover thanks to the slight elevation of the road. He was able to see part of the road, which hadn't made himself 

There's someone on the riverbank.

Footsteps coming from his left. 

His rifle was quickly trained on the potential intruder, finding a young girl of maybe twenty approaching him as a leisurely pace. Her pack was jangling far too loudly for his liking, so he hissed:
"Get down! Now!" The motor had stopped, voices much more understandable: 
"You know the drill! Into the buildings!" They were here to scavenge, probably. If this was raider territory, Mansfield would have to clear them out somehow...and he would need help. Spotting the rifle on the girl's person, he asked her:
"You good with that thing? Cause if you are, I could use the help." He nodded towards her pack.
"I can get you to a settlement to trade, warm food, clean water-"
"Check the river! Don't need to get ambushed by bloody mirelurks." Mansfield then hurriedly added:
"Now or never, kid. What's it going to be?"