[B]Collaboration between Yoshiskittlez, Ursa, Ghost Shadow, and Tanderbolt[/b]

While it wasn't as busy as the fire station or the hospital, things were far from relaxed at the sheriff's office. Robert had already gotten the safety cones and caution tape set up for some of the downed power lines on his way into work, and now he began to survey the scene downtown. People were restless and asking a lot of questions, but it seemed like everyone was ok.

Robert grabbed a megaphone from the back of a patrol car and said "Remain calm. There was a minor earthquake related to a collapse in the mine. Personnel from the fire department and the hospital are on the scene to investigate and aid those who were injured. If you need medical attention, the hospital will be able to help as soon as possible. If you require further assistance, please call the emergency number or speak with an emergency responder in person."
The ambulances were sent out as soon as the call was made, and after checking up on his own father in his hospital room, Knox left with them. The paramedics let him sit in the back, this wasn’t usually allowed for a mere hospital security guard, but he had to see what was going on in town…felt compelled to.
 
Regina, seeming to have completely forgotten about Henry at her heels, ducked underneath the yellow caution tape to approach Robert, her dark red lips pressed into a firm line that could only be interpreted as her being upset about something. "What happened?" Regina asked Robert specifically, pushing his arm down that held the megaphone so that her voice wouldn't carry. Even though he had already said what had happened to the crowd, Regina didn't want to accept that answer. Something else happened here, it just [i]couldn't[/i] be coincidence.

Robert lowered the microphone, turned to Regina, and said "Something happened in the mine, I thought everything there had been closed down long ago." 
Regina shot Robert a glaring look, obviously annoyed with his obvious observation. "Everyone's fine, Leroy's just making trouble, I can deal with him in a moment."
"How about you do your [i]job[/i] Robert? And deal with him [i]now[/i]?" Regina snapped harshly at Robert and then just shook her head, walking past him to check out the damage the mines had undergone themselves.

She stopped about ten feet from the mouth of the entrance, a glittering object catching her eye. She gave a quick look around her, ensuring no one was looking and squatted down to pick the object up, holding it securely in her hand where it would be hidden from other eyes. Turning quickly, Regina addressed the crowd using the power of her voice rather than the megaphone that Robert had been using earlier. "Alright everyone, everything is okay. Sheriff Leland, see to it that this entire place is cemented over. This area has become a high-priority danger zone, no one goes near it without my permission."

"WAIT!" Came a shout from the crowd as Mark pushed through. He seemed to tense up slightly as he felt everyone's eyes on him, but he pushed aside his fear for the sake of safety. "We can't cement over it - there's a boy and dog down there." He said, this time somewhat quieter - directed solely at Regina. Without waiting for her reaction, he continued: "I was on my way to work when I saw this boy chasing Pongo down the street. I thought little of it until I saw them run into the mines...I was going to go in there and get them out when the mines collapsed." He finished, absent-mindedly clutching his shoulder, as if in pain. Watching the sights zoom past, taking note of a few damages here and there of many a building, they arrive on the scene quickly. From the amount of people helping around, guiding the ambulance to some stable ground to park and the caution tape being arranged, boundaries being set…the mine collapse must’ve affected a good amount of previously stable land. With the ambulance driver parking and the paramedics getting out and rushing over, Knox stepped out and surveyed the immediate area.

Regina looked from Mark to the blaring ambulance that had just arrived, a growing headache from all the noise and confusion only putting her on edge even more. Well...at least Mr. Gold wasn't around to [i]really[/i] push her over. She did a quick look around the crowd just in case, not sure if she could stand his smug face looking back at her, knowing. Mark's words finally seemed to register in Regina, as her rigid face relaxed and in place of her scowl...worry lines. "A boy? Did you say a boy?"
“If there is a child down there, time is of the essence, what further preparations need to be made? Conditions be met?” With his eyebrows knitted in between confusion and frustration, Knox glanced back over at the mine’s entrance, “[i]Time is of the essence.[/i]”

Robert said "It's a good idea to wait, we need to make sure everyone is safe before we do anything to seal it off. Besides, it'd take a while for the trucks to arrive." After speaking, he looked at Leroy, and saw that he had calmed down a bit, perhaps because he did not want to get arrested for being drunk in public yet again and seemed to sulk himself into the crowd to avoid any more attention.
"Yes, a boy. I don't know him by name, uh...short, hazel eyes, curly brown hair--" 
Henry interrupted before Mark could finish speaking, "That's Mason! One of my students!" 
Mark turned sharply to look at the newcomer, cocking his head back to look at Regina. "Someone needs to go down there." He began in a solemn tone, "And I volunteer." He finished, his face set in a solid neutral expression; divulging no emotion. 
Ruby pushed herself from the middle of the crowd and ducked underneath the caution tape, ignoring the pressing look she was getting from Regina as she joined in with the small group that had gathered behind the lines and walked past Knox towards Mark.
"Excuse me? What do-" Regina tried but Ruby ignored her and spoke directly to Mark.
"If you're going then so am I." She said fiercely, not about to take 'no' for an answer. "I found M-uh,-" Her eyes slowly drifted to Knox wondering if he had told anyone about Mr. Gold, but then looked back to Mark. "-someone in the streets the other night that needed to be taken to the hospital. Panic attack. I could...hear him. I can't explain it, but...I think I can help."

Stepping towards Ruby, the security guard secured a hand on her shoulder, staring her down, "I don't think so. Let the firefighter do his job." Pausing for a moment, fixing Mark with a firm gaze, "Actually, I may be a better choice to send down for the rescue..." But somehow, Knox couldn't find a voice to mention the increased sensativity of his eyes...how he could practically see in the dark perfectly now.Ruby turned, forcing Knox's hand off of her shoulder and tilted her chin up to look at him, her eyes determined but narrowed. "You don't think I can do anything on my own do you?" She asked with a raised voice. "Stop helping me, and let me do things on my own! I don't need you protecting me all the time Knox, just...stop."

"I don't believe you have the qualifications, the training necessary to undertake such an important rescue. If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem." A pause as the security guard crossed his arms, "We'll be depending on you to keep u--no, this is for the firefighter to decide."
Mark's eyes narrowed as Ruby and Knox went from volunteering to arguing over something completely pointless. "I'm going alone." He said curtly, no friendliness whatsoever in his tone. "If you two can't focus on the task at hand, then you're not worth my time." Regina looked between Ruby and Knox, raising an eyebrow in boredom and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sheriff Leland, will you kindly escort Mr. Dufresne to the entrance? If he's volunteering on county time then I can not stop him." She looked to Knox and Ruby. "You two on the other hand, back behind the line or I'll have you arrested for tresspassing." Hearing the final decision, Knox flicked his eyes to Ruby, "You've heard the final decision. Let's step back behind that caution tape, then." Mark then looked towards Robert, his expression shifting from annoyance back to neutrality as he nodded at the officer. "Lead the way, Sheriff." He said simply, his tone that of formal courtesy - lacking warmth. 

"If you've got everything you need, come right this way. Remember that the radio signal might be spotty underground." Robert walked with Mark to the nearest entrance, making sure to keep an eye on Knox and Ruby, just in case they tried to follow.
Ruby's face went firm, and for a moment looked like she was going to walk back behind the line with Knox but she then quickly turned around and ran past Regina before words could even form on the Mayor's mouth. She ran past Mark and Robert and slipped her small frame into the small hole that led into the mines. She knew she could help, to hell with the others.

Regina's mouth was left agape, looking on at Ruby disappearing into the mines and then to Robert. She used her hands to gesture what her words failed her, as if to say, 'you're not doing your job!' Knox had just about turned when Ruby began walking behind hi—and she took off. It seems he just about missed grabbing her wrist, stumbling on the most random piece of stone, and watching as she sped forth and slipped into the mine. For once, the usually calm and collected man couldn’t hold back his anger, and his seething expression was quite evident as he turned to glare the sheriff, “Do your fucking job!”

With the speed of his trained legs, past morning jogs channelled into an incredible sprint, and he took off towards the mine in seconds…kicking dust behind him. Though Knox may have been tall, larger than Ruby, he tore a rock out of the entrance’s debris, one by one at an alarming pace with his gloved hands, and inside...Knox soon was.
Robert frowned, he had glanced away when Ruby and Knox made their run. It was definitely unsafe to have two untrained civilians inside the mine, but he realized that he also lacked the training to be safe down there. He paused at the entrance, and asked Mark "We need to get them out of there, what do you think is the best way to do it? Do you need me or anyone else to help you?" This week had been full of police mistakes, and he knew Regina wasn't at all happy.

Mark had little time to react before both Knox and Ruby ran into the mines, his face quickly contorting to one of absolute anger. "What I need, Sheriff - is obedient civilians." He said shortly, his voice, though remaining normal in volume, was filled with venom. 
He procured a small flashlight from his pants pocket and crawled through the small hole, just barely managing to restrain a grunt of pain as his shoulder bumped into one of the narrow walls. And just like that, he was gone like the rest of them. 

Regina sighed as she walked back over to Robert and peered into the dark hole where the three had just disappeared into and then looked back to Robert, a blatent expression on her face and shook her head in disappointment. "Get back to the line sheriff, no one else crosses do you hear me?" Before Regina had even finished speaking, Robert began his walk back to the caution tape. He rubbed his forehead a little bit, looking forward to when he could get a drink after this all was over.