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         Arach shot down a hellicopter or two, figuring out the controls of the mounted gun relatively quickly. He was glad that they'd escaped, even happier still that no one had been left behind. When the choppers stopped pursuing, getting tired of being shot down and being able to do nothing to kill Arach, due to his scaly hide, they quickly retreated. Jumping down from the turret, Arach said to the whole party, "All clear up top." His scales melted back into his body and he felt his skin tighten and prickle. He knew he'd be sensitive for another half an hour or so, so staying inside the relatively dark APC until it was needed was the best option. Pulling his sleeping bag and the food out from his bag while he listened to the stories of his friends, Arach tucked Reason into the sleeping bag, ignoring her complaints, "You need to rest," he said, "You've really pushed yourself. I'll be fine without it, and everyone else will be ok too." Waiting until a break in the stories, Arach said, "Here, all of you should eat, I pulled this from the cafeteria, we'll have enough to last about 3-4 days for all of us. However, we will need to get more from other sources. As much as I like the idea of leaving the country, airports are a nightmare. Too much security, and way too many cameras. However, it does seem like the best option." When the stories had finished, Arach looked up. "Guess it's my turn."

"My father was lost to cancer when I was very young, just a baby really. My mother got remarried, started a new family with a disgusting pig of a man, who smelled worse than any week-old corpse I've ever encountered. They didn't want me around anymore so they shipped me off to boarding school. It was there that I learned about my powers. One day, while I was locked in a closet, the bullies always like to have fun with me, I remember feeling a change. I accepted it and pushed the door so hard it broke both the hinges and the lock and slammed my assailants into a wall. Of course, it only got worse from there, I couldn't defend myself, lest I get kicked out and have no where to go. However, I finally was ejected from the boarding school. I'd nearly killed a bully when I was trying to defend a friend of mine. I remember getting so angry... However, I learned my 'friend's' true colors soon enough. He didn't even defend me in front of the headmaster, called me a monster and requested my expulsion. As I grew, and my powers strengthened, I was only made more of an outcast. My strength ostracized me from anyone who might have been friendly to me, the only friends I've ever had were animals. I only got stronger as the years went by, roaming from place to place, and only staying in the wilds for any real length of time. During a particularly bad stay in a town not far from the wilderness I went into town one day to replace a broken knife. There I was scouted by the police, then the FBI, the CIA and finally, the governments top secret Nuclear Science Bureau and the Secret Police. I'd been dodging them with limited success for a while but they finally caught me. The negotiations seemed to be going well until they requested my blood. They were simply going to research it, they said, it would have been purely scientific. We all know they truly planned to use it to make soldiers. Draconic Units who disregard bullets and breath flame. So, when they made me an offer I had to refuse, I killed every scout, every agent, and every hired gun that came after me on behalf of the government. I spent even less time in civilized places, remaining solely in the wilds. I became even more feral, losing who I was bit by bit, almost forgetting my own name.. One day, I found a park ranger trapped in a cave. Moving the boulders was no difficult task, but when I rescued her, she wanted to get to know me. To thank me. Her name was Dr. Henriette Skyla. She is a scientist, at the time she told me she was studying rock formations. She and I became very close, almost even lovers. However, one day I found her true plans for me. She was a government spy. Since they couldn't capture me with force, they tried to lure me with love and affection. It nearly worked. She wanted to harness my power for the good of mankind, she told me, but when I saw the name of the organization on her files, I knew she saw me as nothing more than research material. Meat to be dissected on a slab to give my power to soldiers. When she attempted to betray me, I went along with it. I sprung her trap, nearly killing her, and gravely wounding the dozen trained hitmen she planned to ambush me with. However, just as I was about to make my escape, I was picked up by a highly skilled team with prototype grade weaponry and advanced tactics. A contingency plan by the same organization, should Skyla fail. I was being stored in a high security holding cell along with the rest of you when we made our escape. The rest is, as they say, history."

As he finished, Arach grabbed his water and drank a little, feeling slightly parched. Noticing that he hadn't pulled out the water, he grabbed the bottles and tossed them around. He was sure everyone was thirsty. After that, Arach sat back, and listened to the rest of the party's stories. They were quite interesting.