Samuel Gately -
Breaking PointSam's hearing slowly returned and he could hear the sound of carnage around him. His eyes opened as he felt the vibrations of rock slamming to the ground around him and glanced around to assess the situation.
"
Mother Mary and Joseph."
What he saw around him was the wonton acts of one who knows nothing but how to destroy. One who knew not how to strategize; one who believed the best way to beat a strong foe was to engage in a war of attrition; overpower your foe and you hold the key to victory.
The anger rose in Samuel's mind; the veins pulsed across his forehead, and he lurched into a sitting position, and then rolled to the side, punching the floor as he stood up in one fluid motion. As he stood up, he felt the sharp pang of pain in his arm and realized he was still injured. He pressed his hand over his wound and chanted a minor healing spell, and before he forgot, cast his anti-toxin spell on himself. Then he snorted angrily through his nose and faced forward.
His eyes scanned the room and locked on to what he believed was the real X, and he took a step forward, only to realize that the whirlwind that surrounded him was in his way, not letting him move as he wished. He forgot about the null magic generators as he channeled the magic he had gathered, and with a sweeping hand gesture, cast the a spell he knew that would break through the aero-barrier: White Pulse. With the added effect of the stored magic, the pulse of white light that would normally send foes that were within a few feet of his body away from him caused the whirlwind to expand outward and dissipate harmlessly; he didn't even bother to think about why his magic now worked. Free to move, Sam strode forth to X and grabbed him by his collar, and pulled him close.
"
If you are the real X, you had better do exactly as I say," he growled. "
Unload your Edge card... now." The tone of his voice brooked no argument, and immediately performed a quick chant with a hand gesture like one half of a prayer, and cast his Feather Fall spell on X, then hooked arms and climbed behind him, piggy-back style. "
There," he commanded, pointing towards a part of the room that was already starting to crumble. The glare on his eyes went from anger to purpose, because he knew he had to concentrate in order for them to get out all right.
As they made their way over, Sam told him, "
The roof will collapse, followed by the floor. Just trust me."
As they got under the crumbling ceiling, Sam had already finished chanting the spell and a soft yellow light enveloped the both of them, covering them from head to toe. Then another, different chant followed and the light around them flared, then grew brighter and... more solid?
As the roof collapsed, Sam stood still, with his face turned up, watching it fall right on top of him and--the rock broke against his face. More rock broke around them, and ricocheted harmlessly off their shoulders and backs.
Then the floor gave weigh and Sam felt the lurch of the spell taking effect; the stone dropped around them and X was falling, very slowly, downward. Sam held out his hand in the opposite direction from the nearest wall, locked his arm, and let out an explosive blast of magic, just enough to propel them gently to the wall. "
Kick. Up," he added, and pointed to a grate large enough for them to crawl through. "
That vent. From the smell, it leads back to the sewers."
Sam sincerely hoped they ran into REU again. Sam would do everything in his power to prove to him and everyone that he was not just some disused chess piece.