[center][h1][b][color=999999]Mr. Smith[/color] | [color=c455fc]Valkyrie[/color] | [color=8493ca]Skipper[/color] | [color=8493ca]Ranger[/color] | [color=8493ca]Cleric[/color][/b][/h1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/B95Pl5J.jpg[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/BoKG03R.jpg[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/TsqQyjb.jpg[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/318PiUN.jpg[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/ZjlVtoy.jpg[/img]


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[h1][i]Adventure Ho![/i][/h1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/cYVYxx3.jpg?1[/img]

[i]EZ PZ Docks - Miami, United States[/i]
April 1st, 2017
[url=https://youtuberepeater.com/watch?v=CwRpqjcR4wM]"I Came Running" by Ancient Astronauts[/url]

[hr][/center]
	Waves crashed up against the concrete pier, leaving behind small puddles of saltwater. Clouds covered the skies, making the area rather somewhat overcast, bringing enough light for anyone to see, but not enough to make it a rather pleasant day. The large landing vessel marking it as the CS [i]Milky Way[/i] was moored to the large concrete dock, with the dock workers already trying to load supplies onto it. Two large red shipping containers rested on the dry concrete pier, with only one small crane to move the containers from the dock to the ship. A few people wearing safety neon jackets stood on the dock and on the ship, making sure everything was safely loaded onboard. 

	Standing out from the men and women wearing neon was a white man wearing a gray suit, carrying a black parasol to make sure none of the sun got anywhere near his skin. Despite the fact that it was overcast, [i][color=999999]Mr. Smith[/color][/i] wanted to take no chances. Standing right next to him was a black woman, wearing light tactical gear with a G3 rifle slung on her back. Like Mr. Smith, she also had eyes of fire, revealing her vampiric nature. However, thanks to her melanin levels and her being an Ash Vampire, she was able to resist the sun quite easily, and thus required little protection. Liana (callsign [i][color=c455fc]Valkyrie[/color][/i]) stood there and watched with Mr. Smith as the containers were being loaded onto their ship. Liana watched intently with her arms crossed, her left skeletal prosthetic forearm casually tapping against her right elbow.

	[color=c455fc]"You think that should be enough for the trip?"[/color] Liana asked, her fiery eyes darting to Mr. Smith's. 

	[color=999999]"The amount of supplies in these containers should last us for at least a month if we're greedy, three if we ration."[/color] Mr. Smith sighed. [color=999999]"Even if we do run low, we could easily dock at Lisbon and stock up there. Trade in a few pieces of treasure for tons of fuel, food and ammo."[/color] Mr. Smith smirked. [color=999999]"Easy logistics, child."[/color]

	Liana smirked a little. [color=c455fc]"Lemme guess... an eighth of one of those containers is filled with chocolate, huh?"[/color] 

	Mr. Smith blinked and looked away suspiciously. [color=999999]"... No."[/color] He muttered.

	Liana chuckled. [color=c455fc]"[i]Right.[/i]"[/color] She looked towards her left. [color=c455fc]"What's with the Jeep Cherokees anyway? We could've easily bought some GMCs brand new and gave 'em a few upgrades, you know."[/color]

	[color=999999]"I know, but I feel like it's redundant to run some brand new vehicles through the dirt if they were meant to be flashy with all of that chrome and shit. It's not like we're trying to show off anyway."[/color] Mr. Smith said as he watched some of the [i]Milky Way[/i] crew drive six [url=https://i.imgur.com/lLVZlY9.jpg]modified Jeep Cherokee Classics[/url] straight into the loading bay of the ship and reversed them into the cargo hold, parking two of them in front of large trailers already placed in the ship by the cranes. [color=999999]"Besides, I got those Jeeps wholesale, and it was much cheaper to upgrade them up to spec than it was to do it on brand new vehicles. Not to mention that getting a large brand new truck just screams [i]I'm compensating for something.[/i]"[/color]

	[color=c455fc]"Well, aren't you?"[/color] Liana asked with a wry grin. [color=c455fc]"I mean... nothing screams compensation more than having a fucking [i]fighter jet[/i] on standby."[/color]

	Mr. Smith turned to Liana. [color=999999]"Hey, we don't know what we're heading into. Doesn't hurt to be prepared with your own personal guardian angel."[/color]

	[color=c455fc]"That comes in the form of an [i]A-4 Skyhawk?[/i]"[/color] Liana asked Mr. Smith, raising an eyebrow. [color=c455fc]"Piloted by the cutest Kiwi pilot you could find?" [/color]

	Mr. Smith gave Liana the stink-eye. [color=999999]"You know, you don't have to come with me if you don't want to."[/color]

	[color=c455fc]"I gotta stick around, someone's gotta give you a hard time."[/color] Liana said with a teasing smirk.

	A woman emerged from one of the Jeeps, wearing a similar light tactical outfit to that of Liana's, but with a few more antennaes and wires on her vest. A woman with a lighter complexion but a larger muscle build than that of Liana, Constance (callsign [color=8493ca][i]Ranger[/i][/color]) hopped over the barriers and onto the pier, running up to her two vampire superiors. 

	[color=c455fc]"Hey Ranger."[/color] Liana patted Constance on the shoulder with her skelehand. [color=c455fc]"Feelin' okay?"[/color]

	[color=8493ca]"Yep. Skipper's getting the ship ready to sail."[/color] She turned to Mr. Smith. [color=8493ca]"Mr. Smith."[/color] She nodded curtly. [color=8493ca]"The crew's tying the 4x4s to the ship. Once we get inventory of all of our supplies, we should be ready to set sail." [/color]

	Mr. Smith smirked a little. [color=999999]"Fantastic."[/color] He turned to Constance. [color=999999]"I know what I've got here isn't exactly... uhm, a US Marine Landing Force or anything, but I didn't want to raise any red flags or spend too much money on military grade vehicles, considering that I blew half of it already on the ship and on the fighter jet."[/color]

	Constance shrugged. [color=8493ca]"Hey, I'm not complaining. It's nice to know that we'd be having air support on this one too."[/color] She chuckled. She turned to the SUVs before turning back to Mr. Smith. [color=8493ca]"Those Cherokees are outfitted with appropriate armor, right?"[/color]

	[color=999999]"Yep. Panels within the doors, bullet resistant glass and IED protection."[/color] Mr. Smith explained. [color=999999]"Though I doubt we would be encountering terrorists or insurgents on a Nexus Point of all places, it doesn't hurt to be prepared."[/color]

	Constance nodded. [color=8493ca]"Still no intel on what to expect once we get there?"[/color]

	[color=999999]"Not really..."[/color] Mr. Smith pulled out a folded map of sorts, revealing a satellite image of the rather biodiverse island that made up the Albright Nexus Point. Deserts, forests, jungles, snowy mountains, and plenty of ancient stone ruins, as well as ruins of settlements that used to exist during World War 2, from the looks of things. [color=999999]"...only what kind of surface geography we might encounter."[/color] He folded up the map and put it away within his jacket, disappearing into his hammerspace. [color=999999]"[i][color=8493ca]Dragonborn[/color][/i] is scouting the island out as I speak. She's airborne and currently taking pictures using the new high-altitude cameras I put on her Skyhawk, so hopefully we can get some very detailed aerial photos in time, and compare any changes that happened from the maps we currently have." [/color]

	[color=8493ca]"Are we expecting anyone else?"[/color] Constance asked.

	[color=999999]"Yeah, quite a few, in fact..."[/color] Mr. Smith said, looking around. [color=999999]"Go get Skipper and Cleric. I'm gonna need them up front for when the rest of the party arrives."[/color]

	[color=c455fc]"[i]If[/i] they arrive."[/color] Liana corrected, drawing an annoyed glare from Mr. Smith. 

	[color=8493ca]"Right away."[/color] Constance then ran off back to the ship.

	Mr. Smith glared at Liana. [color=999999]"You have little faith in your soon to be comrades, child." Mr. Smith raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think they won't show up?"[/color]

	Liana looked to Mr. Smith. [color=c455fc]"The fact that they've should've been here a little earlier might cast some doubts."[/color] She said, folding her arms again. [color=c455fc]"Do you have a backup team to rely on?"[/color]

	[color=999999]"Well, I already have contacted a group of Cuban mercenaries to help us out on this, and we'll be swinging by over to Havana-nanana to pick them up. I already got their equipment ready over here, and we can run a few refresher courses for them on the boat before we touch down in Albright. Their callsign collectively will be the Corsairs."[/color] Mr. Smith explained. 

	[color=c455fc]"Cubanos, eh? Do they speak English?"[/color]

	[color=999999]"All of the Corsairs that I hired speak good enough English to understand most tactical commands."[/color] Mr. Smith said. [color=999999]"Just to make it easier for the rest of you."[/color] Mr. Smith grinned devilishly.

	[color=c455fc]"Not because your Spanish sucks, [i]of course."[/i][/color] Liana said sarcastically, smirking a little herself. 

	Constance soon arrived with two men in tow. An older Arab man who simply went by the name of [i][color=8493ca]Skipper[/color][/i], looked at the others, standing there in the uniform of a ship captain, sans hat. The much younger blonde man next to him who went by the name of Clyde (callsign [i][color=8493ca]Cleric[/color][/i]), simply stood there in his white shirt.

	[color=8493ca]"You said I was needed?"[/color] Skipper asked, hands behind his back. His heavy Arabic accent revealed his more Egyptian origins as opposed to the others, who were (presumably) American.

	Mr. Smith nodded. [color=999999]"Everything looking okay?"[/color]

	[color=8493ca]"We seemed to be well-stocked on all accounts, and everything checks out okay. We're in the green for launch."[/color] Skipper nodded, watching as the dock crew departed from the ship, and the small ship crew started getting onboard. [color=8493ca]"Are we waiting for anyone else?"[/color]

	[color=999999]"Yeah, the rest of the adventuring party should show up anytime now."[/color] Mr. Smith said, turning towards the dock entrance. [color=999999]"We'll launch in an hour whether or not they come. We'll make a pit stop to Cuba to pick up the Corsairs before heading to Albright."[/color]