Focus Janus, focus. Just think of this as a lab.

Janus took in a deep breath. The sounds coming in from outside vanished. The world felt like it came to a halt. He wiped another bead of sweat from his forehead before adjusting his glasses once more. The scene before him was mere moments away from turning grisly. The man lodged inside the sideways was still hanging on to life, even if just barely.

They always say don’t move the victim’s neck. Trying to pull him free might do more harm than good. I need to clear some room so I can ease him out. Janus poked his head further inside the vehicle, scanning the wreckage to get an understanding of what could be moved to create more space for the unconscious driver. Upon closer inspection, Janus could see that a safety belt kept the man fastened into place. He reached for the button that he assumed would release the latch. But he froze as his finger touched the mechanism.

I’ll unfasten him last. That way there won’t be a chance of him sliding out and cut himself against any of the sharper parts of the vehicle.

He leaned back, his hands scratching his scalp as his mind raced for what to do next. He took in deep breaths, bobbing his head as his brain paced in mental circles trying to figure out where to start. He looked at the window. Then the dashboard. The seat. Then his eyes became fixated on the twisted metal shrapnel that jutted out towards the man’s yellow vest.

Let’s get the most obvious obstruction out of the way first.

The piece was twisted. The way it glistened from the dim blue lighting of the diner indicated that there was a razor-like shape to it. He pressed one finger on it and could instantly tell that it was cold, hard and sharp. As his eyes followed length of the jagged chunk of metal towards the rest of the piece. It was connected to a large sheet of metal that looked it had been chewed through, obviously by Gurk.

Getting near that is just asking to get sliced. Maybe I should just wait for the Rescue Crew that Itzel was talking-

A sudden gust of warm gas spewed from a loose tube right into Janus’ face. He coughed and wheezed as the mist got into his mouth and nostrils. His hands thrashed about, trying to take hold of the hose. He latched onto a flexible piece of round rubbed and pinched it tight with both hands. After spitting out whatever synthetic tasting liquid had gotten onto his tongue, he began to tie the protruding hose into a knot. With the tip now closed off, it only dripped instead of spewing.

That can’t be good. Janus wiped of his glasses on the last remaining dry spot of his shirt. The lenses were still smudged but it was better than not having them on. I’ve got a feeling that what’s left of this vehicle isn’t going to hold much longer. I have no clue how long it’ll take for that Rescue Crew to get here. It might best to try and get this guy out now before anything else in here starts falling apart… with him still inside.

The twisted metal chunk caught his attention once more. He let out a sigh before rubbing his hands together. As long as my hand doesn’t slide up or down along the sharp side and if I keep my hold tight, I should be fine. For the most part.

He seized the jagged edge by both hands, making sure that his grip was firm. The cool of the metal sent a chill through his body. His palm engulfed the sharp side of the piece. If I can hold it right, I can minimize the force of the sharp side against my hand so that way it won’t slice through my flesh. Making sure that his grip was firm, Janus began pulling the wedged plate back. He kept his eyes fixated on his hands; he could feel the metal dig into his skin, but no blood could be seen seeping through clenched fingers. He continued to pull. The sound of metal grinding on other metal made him anxious, causing him to slow his progress. He looked at the man. Then the wreckage in front of him. The plate moved slowly but surely, now creating more space between the victim and the jagged section that Janus held onto.

That should be enough.

Janus let go of the piece. He looked at the palm of his hands. They were darkened by soot and dirt and a long red crease was visible where he had pulled on the edge of the piece, but to his relief there was no blood. With that part of the vehicle out of the way, Janus had created a bit more wiggle room for the victim.

Let’s see. What to do next?

As he took another look into the newly formed space, a faint mumble interrupted his concentration. His head darted to the side; the victim began moving his head around, speaking in a low tone and mumbling incoherently.

“Hey,” Janus said in a calming manner. “Try to keep still, alright? Don’t move too much.”

“Huh? W-what’s going on?” the old man said with a raspy voice. His head moved from side to side while his body began to squirm.

“Try to keep still.” Janus placed one arm on his shoulder, trying to keep him in place. “You’re in a dangerous position-“

“I-I can see that!” the man shouted. “What happened?”

“I assume an Ogre threw your-”

“O-Ogre?” the man tilted his head upwards. He stared at a sideways Janus who looked back at him in return. “In the Market Sector? That’s unheard of.”

“First time for everything.” Janus continued to investigate the vehicle. His eyes lit up upon following a jammed panel to the side of the Victim’s leg.

“Are you Rescue Crew?” the man asked with fear.

“No, no. I’m just a bystander.”

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

Janus shrugged. “I’m trying my best sir. I’m no doctor, but I might be able to get you out of here before the Ogre comes back.”

A loud, monster-like roar startled Janus as well as the victim. He could hear thumping accompanied by a loud and painful shriek. Then there was the sound of a familiar Special Technique.

“Serrated Gale!” Both men heard Itzel’s voice in the distance.

“I think I spoke too soon…” Janus said while gritting his teeth. He looked over his shoulder and through what little of the window he could see. Through the small sliver of the empty window that was visible to him, he watched Enidri riding on the back of massive shadowy figure, slashing away at its back with her Ion Blade. Janus then heard Gurk tearing into something with his jaws.

Time to pick up the pace. Janus looked back at the trapped man. His arms reached down and began fumbling with his seatbelt.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Janus said, putting his hands in front of the old man’s body to get him to stop. “I said don’t move too much.”

“But I can hear the Ogre coming closer!” The old man looked towards Janus, tears forming in his eyes. “I-I want to get out of here!” He continued to wiggle his arms, jostling his entire body in the process. As he did, the vehicle began to buckle. Janus could hear the metal warp as the upper half of the vehicle started to collapse in on itself. The old man let out a scream as his confines pressed in on him further.

“I said stop moving!” Janus said sternly. The old man became motionless. He could hear a faint sob coming from the trapped individual. “Your legs. Are they broken?”

“I-I don’t think so.”

“What about your arms?”

“I think there’s something wrong with the right one.”

“Anything else feels broken?”

“My back. It hurts!”

“Just keep calm for now. I think I can get you out. The way the parts are crushed, I might be able to use that to my advantage. But I need you to cooperate with me, understood?” Janus angled his head so that the man could make eye contact with him. Even though they were upside down relative to each other, the victim could still see confidence in Janus’ demeanor.

“Whatever you say.”