The day of the captaincy selections Thomas stood before the team to adress them. "Alright fall in!" Thomas barked at the Exploration Team. "Thank fuck he's yelling again" the stocky man said rolling his eyes and making eye contact with Jude. The unbreaking eye contact causing Jude to crack a smile. "No bro Sam stop" he said snickering under his breath attempting to compose himself.
"Alright you're going to break off into teams of five and rotate spots on these teams. I see a total of three of you who are decidedly bigger than everyone else. Due to each team needing an anchor everyone will rotate around you three. I know you all know each other but time to get to know each other better so we've drawn names for you all at random. Step forward one by one and get your group numbers. You will rotate in thirty minute intervals around the anchors" Thomas said as he stood with a sheet of small papers in his hands.
Despite not being as stocky as the other two Brodie was classified as an anchor due to his deceptive and borderline inhuman strength. To compensate for his lack of weight he had been given prototype weighted boots that added an additional ten kilograms. These coupled with the three support beams that had been excavated throughout the city ensured he would not leave his feet in case of needing to anchor the team and pull them out of a tunnel.
The reality that he would almost certainly not tunnel through with his friends had been a tough pill to swallow but Brodie was anything but uncooperative. The remaining twelve members of the Exploration Team stepped forward and claimed their assigned numbers. Jude and Willow found themselves placed in a group with two of the previous Exploration Team members who Jude recognized as two of his parents coworkers.
"Low this is Eric and Lucas, they worked with my dad" he said introducing her to an athletically built man with flowing brown hair and a much more bulky man with short red hair and a beard. Willow shyly extended her hand "Pleasure to meet you sirs" she said awkwardly. "Oh bless you sweetheart no need to be formal we're coworkers call us Eric and Lucas, I'm Eric" the brunette haired man said with a smile. "Yeah sir makes us feel old, I'm Lucas" the red haired man said.
"So who do you think is going to complete this quintet" Eric said looking over everyone else's head. "Qui-what?" Jude asked with a confused look on his face. "Group of 5" Willow said. "Oh alright, I don't know I doubt they'd let Kosi or Brodie join us too" Jude said in a slightly somber tone.
A short woman with braided hair and tanned skin approached the group awkwardly. "Katie!" Jude screamed to the surprise of Lucas and Eric. Much to her dismay Jude bounded forward and scooped her up into a hug. "Hi" was all she said almost too silently for anyone to hear. "Um this is Katie she's kinda mute and Jude here forgot that she's really shy and hates attention" Willow said looking at Jude sternly.
"Aww honey don't worry we don't bite, you take as.much time as you need to get comfy okay" Lucas said in a calming tone. Katie looked back at him and nodded. "Well I mean not really though it is twenty minute intervals" Eric said. "Yeah wait how's that supposed to work you're the anchor right?" she asked looking at Lucas. "Guilty" he replied as he threw his hand up in a camp way.
"I mean yeah just hope Tom doesn't separate me and my hubby" Lucas said nudging Eric. "Oh you guys are married?" Willow asked. "Yes we are, it'll be fifteen years on..." Eric trailed off with a terrified look on his face. "Oh my God you forgot again it's the..." Lucas said before trailing off with a quiet gasp. Looking at each other they both laughed.
"Oh my God no we can't be laughing it's on the...ah shit" Eric said in a deadpan tone. Their infectious giggling drawing Jude, Willow and Katie in as they settled into conversations of relationships, family and everything besides work and what roles they should take up in a team.
"Okay okay no we really should talk about work and shit" Willow said attempting to compose herself. "Boo" Jude said mockingly. "Yeah boo" Eric said as Lucas, Jude and Katie joined in on a chorus of light hearted boos. "Wow I expect this from him but now my new gay dads, just wow et tu hairy gay dads. Did I say that right?" she asked. "Yes" Eric replied.
"Oh well guess I'm keeping the gay dads" Katie said coyly. "Okay mousy I'll fight you for em" Willow replied to a chorus of Oh's from the men. "No! See now we're at this again I can't with you guys okay no yeah we can't work like this it's too much. We're meeting up later though later right" she said looking at Katie, Eric and Lucas. All three nodded as the thirty minutes elapsed and Willow volunteered herself for the switch.