[Center][h1][b][i][color=MediumSpringGreen]James[/color] & [color=aba400]Max[/color] & [color=E610B8]Echo[/color] & [color=87d0f2]Callie[/color][/i][/b][/h1][/center]&[color=DBA1DE]Casper[/color] [hr] [center][b]Location[/b]: The Sewers [b]Skills[/b]:[color=aba400]Conjuration[/color][color=mediumspringgreen]Healing Factor[/color][color=DBA1DE]Summoning: Ben[/color][/center] [hr] There was a chord of fear struck inside of Max. He had gone such a long way from his beginnings here at the Mutant Underground, and in a single spell he managed to mess up and get them separated again. There was a subdued panic bouncing inside his chest as his eyes darted from rubble to rubble and above them in search for an answer on how to fix this mess. That's when Ben said something that hadnt crossed Max’s mind. [i]James was an engineer[/i] He would know where best to place supports, where they can and can't excavate, granted that usually took something they didn't have, time. Max pushed back at the negative feelings, focusing on the here and now and how best [i]he[/i] could be of aid. [Color=aba400]"James, you're at the helm here. Tell what to do and I can do it. I can try to build a concrete arch to help stabilize a small section just gotta know where."[/color] He wanted to do more, wanted to simply recreate the streets above them in hopes it would fix the situation but he didn't know if it could. Saying James was out of his depth was a massive fucking understatement. Sure, he did have two engineering degrees and sure, he’d studied plenty of the necessary mathematical applications behind determining how this massive pile of bullshit would tumble down and kill everyone but frankly, even his worst nightmares hadn’t conjured up such a scenario. He studied mechanical and electrical engineering, not whatever horrible fuck shit this was. James could feel his hands shaking and he stuffed them in his pockets as he tried to concentrate, considering all the options. Preferably, he’d love to get some equipment and the city blueprints to understand exactly how the rest of the street would be affected. Pull in some nice steel support beams and the machines that inflated massive bags to help lift objects off but the time it would take… No, no. He needed to make a priority list instead of dreaming about all the really helpful things he could use. He took a deep breath. Priority one was stabilizing the ceiling. James wasn’t sure how long Casper could hold Ben out, how long BEn could hold an entire street, or how long Waverly could keep focused on keeping everything from falling apart so they needed another option. Plus, that would free Ben and Waverly to assist down below. They could focus on holding a section of rubble rather than everything and they could create controlled avalanches at the very worst. Priority two was Veil. They needed her shields. If James wanted to slide rubble like that, Veil’s shields would make that 100% safer. Of course, that would depend if he could get her on her feet but he’d focus on that later. Priority three was evacing the rest of the team, hopefully using the group to safely open at least a crawl space for everyone to come out of. But if that didn’t work… James saw Plan B. He did not like Plan B. There was a large piece that looked safe enough to move and if someone lifted him, he could probably slip in to join Veil and Jack, get her up from inside, and use her shields to safely push a section off of them. Just thinking about it made James feel lightheaded and his throat threaten to shut but it wasn’t something he had to do now. It was just an option. Why was Plan B always Plan Bad? [color=mediumspringgreen]“Okay, here’s my plan. Max, if you can, make an arch that follows Ben’s tentacles. He’s covered all the major stress points and if you can support at least two thirds of them, the ceiling should hold for now. After that, we’ll use Ben and Waverly to stabilize this section of rubble and Callie, Harry, and I will create the opening. I’ll get Veil up and then we’ll use Ben and Waverly to stabilize sections as we go while the rest of us use Veil’s shields to create controlled collapses to create a window to the rest of the team. I’ll have to recalculate what we can move everytime we remove a section so only touch exactly what I say.”[/color] James explained, stressing the last point. This was such a delicate operation that literally one misstep would end everything. [color=mediumspringgreen]“Max, the portal is priority one for you. If you are going to lose the portal, don’t do anything else. We can fashion some temporary supports from the furniture and stuff if we need to but we have to be able to get back to do that. Honey, if you think you’re going to lose Ben, tell me so we can get everything rearriagned okay? You’re doing great and I’m so fucking proud of you.”[/color] He nodded to himself and then gave Max a thumbs up. [color=mediumspringgreen]“Okay, Max. Do your stuff.”[/color] James said, giving him the go ahead. Max stood back, watching as James went to work. Anxiety creeping up inside of him with every moment that passed by in the silence. He could hear the slight shift of the rubble, the slips of sand that slithered between each crevice, and the sound of the world above them. His eyes were beginning to go wide until James finally spoke and snapped him back to the present, finally giving him an order at what he could do. He gave James a nod before holding his hands out before him, left arm outstretched as the right was held half-way back. [Color=aba400]"Here goes something...I hope."[/color] Max muttered under his breath. His magic flowed around his forearms, spindling out and following the paths of Ben's tentacles. Each branch of magic transforming and creating a steel archway to help brace the structures above and keep the ceiling from collapsing any further. James watched as metal sprouted from Max’s magic, giving an appreciative whistle as metal shimmered into existence. When Max’s powers went right, they were absolutely stunning. [color=mediumspringgreen] “Good job Max. Ben, Waves, we’re going to focus on excavating the area we last saw Veil. Ben, support everything above this section here as best you can.”[/color] James pointed out a five foot square at the base of the rubble. [color=mediumspringgreen]“Waves, keep suppressing the vibrations. Every little bit counts here. If you can focus on the rubble here rather than what is up above, that’d be even more helpful. Once those two have gotten into position, Harry, Callie, we’re on debris duty.”[/color] Callie stood there as she watched James taking lead on the whole situation which was a good thing, she didn really have an idea what to actually do. If something ever did happen to her, Sapphire or James she could possibly see him running the Underground. She hoped that Veil was okay, so far Casper didn’t say that she was dead which was a good thing as well too. [color=87d0f2]“Sounds good to me, just tell me when to do it.”[/color] Callie said to James. [color=DBA1DE]”Oh, you know me babe, I can keep him up all night without blowing this load,”[/color] Casper said cheekily, to Ben’s immediate disgust. Despite his talk and swagger, Casper really was doing a decent job of tapping into a power he could barely control. Every limb of his body was shaking from the strain and his eyes were glowing brightly enough to have been suitable decor for a rave, but he was doing it! [i][b]”Casper, now is not the time!”[/b][/i] Ben scolded, before moving his tentacles slowly and methodically. He kept some behind to brace the area they already had been out of anxiety and fear, whereas the majority shifted to where James had directed him. He did so with ease, making it look like the carefree act of some eldritch god - and not at all the death defying struggle they were focused on. [color=DBA1DE]”Ben, stop bullying me for my amazing sense of humor!”[/color] Casper whined. Harry’s panic hadn't subsided any until Jack had called out that his sister was fine. Caspers lack of speech on the subject confirmed her life was stable...for now. James had begun to take charge, everyone was moving in a fluid motion as if he was composing a symphony for the rescue, each note playing perfectly. Harry began to push away the sounds of everyone around him, focusing on Waverly, focusing on the music that played in her heart and feeling the vibrations she was pushing out in order to match and nullify the ones above. He matched her pitch with ease, finding the momentum he needed in order to move himself from the light spectrum over towards sound. There was already a lot of help coming from Waverly’s end, Harry filling in the gaps to reduce the vibrations down so there was nothing more than what they needed to keep the structure from reaching absolute zero. [Color=E610B8]"Ready when you need me James."[/color] James chuckled at Casper’s joke with a fond shake of his head, some of the tension leaving him. Trust his boyfriend to make light in a life or death situation. He gave a sigh of relief as everyone moved and everything held. Hopefully, it would all stay like that. James waited until everyone stilled again, pausing to eye the new stress spots, and nodded. This should work just like he planned. [color=mediumspringgreen]“Good job guys. You all make this look easy.”[/color] James laughed, stepping forward to the spot he’d pointed out before. [color=mediumspringgreen] “Once we get Veil and Jack out, we’re two-thirds of the way there. Callie and Harry, let’s get moving.”[/color] With Callie and Harry digging their way through with him, they managed to get Veil and Jack uncovered. It took longer than he liked but slow and steady kept people alive. James stepped into the pocket around the pair and knelt down. James reached out and focused, fighting through the initial wave of dizziness, as he managed to get Veil healed. Everything in him protested the decision, his little ten minute nap nowhere near enough for James to have recuperated, but James gritted his teeth and powered through it. Hopefully, most of the others were still okay too.