After the successful experiment on the small pebble of Galena ore, Ben Lockwood had decided to work on freeing the encased arm first. After collecting enough Galena and putting it on the respective places he let Supergirl do the work. In the process they didn't speak a word. There was no need for words. Both knew what had to be done.
After giving her a silent nod she had started to heat up the ore placed on the Nth metal on her encased arm. He had put it as high as possible so the sulfur would just drip down and weaken the Nth metal around her arm. The disarranged atomic structure should allow her to break the Nth metal.
After just 2 minutes her work was done. He used his hidden dagger to scratch away the remaining lead. He could see that the sulfur had spread nicely and was already doing its work.
"Give it a minute to spread.", he told her flatly.
She nodded gulping down.
After a minute had passed he told her to try breaking free.
She was trying to muster her full strength. At first she didn't feel any change, but just as she wanted to pause she could feel the metal bend slightly.
"I-i think it´s working.", she exhaled in a short pause.
"Good. Keep going. There is a small time window until the atomic order rearranges itself.", he warned her not to pause too long.
Wordlessly she tried again. This time is was not only bending, but actually cracking on some spots.
"A last push.", he encouraged her.
She pushed with every ounce of power she had left and truly the Nth-metal around her arm shattered.
A big triumphant cry had escaped her as she stretched both hands into the air. A good portion of Nth-metal had shattered, freeing her arm and half her hip. Her legs and part of her left hip were still trapped, but she was able to move her upper body freely now. As she settled down from this first achievement she realized how much this endeavor had actually exhausted her.
"Let´s take a pause.", he offered her. Kara could see that she wasn't the only one being exhausted. Ben had brought stones and rocks continuously to her Nth metal encasement. With his wounded leg it must have been a rather straining activity. So she nodded. He sat down slowly, not to strain his wounded leg further. He had collected the still hot lead beside him, so it could warm him. It was getting colder. He concluded this was due to some night-day cycle.
So 5 minutes had passed – in silence.
Another 5 min.
Another 5 min.
After 15 minutes of silence she had to break the silence. The silence was eating at her. She had spent 2 full days without anyone to speak to. Now that she wasn't alone anymore she still wasn't speaking a lot. She desperately needed a conversation to not fall into madness. Now how to start one?
She cocked her head at him. "I didn't expect you to be so quiet. You can't seem to shut up when you have an audience." Lockwood narrowed his eyes slightly at her.
He stared evenly at her.
Rao, why was she agonizing him, Kara was scolding herself. He had actually done everything to help her. This in itself was unsettling. Wasn't it a good thing he was mostly silent most of the time? And what would there be to talk about? The lines were drawn clearly.
With a sigh, she shook her head and turned back to her silent solitude.
„I have nothing else at my disposal." She was surprised she got an answer, even if it was a delayed one.
„I don't have superpowers, I don't even know how to fight beside some martial arts lessons I took. Words are the only thing that make me do an impact.", he continued.
They had successfully broken through another portion of the Nth metal encasement around Supergirl. It was enough to free her full hip and part of her left knee. She began to feel one of her legs again, too. They had decided to take a longer pause now. Supergirls power were depleted for now. The missing yellow sun did not help much either. So it would take another two hours until she could use her eyes beams again.
With the warmth spending lead cooling down in the span of an hour, the cavern grew chilly again. Just five feet from her, Agent Liberty was shivering in his sleep. The most logical move would be to heat up some of the ore for warmth, but the prospect of helping him still nauseated her. How many times had he wanted to end her? Let him suffer, just as his victims had. Huddling into her cloak, she curled onto her own. Trying not to care too much about her legs still being trapped and the shivering man beside her.
Supergirls whisper jolted him from sleep. Ben Lockwood tensed, listening. She whispered something again, and he heard the rustle of clothes as she signaled something to him. He silently crawled near to her. There must be a reason why she is keeping silent.
"Lockwood. There is something behind me.", she whispered to him as silent as possible. He nodded signaling her he understood as he extended the hidden knife from his suit.
Supergirl could only tell that there was something creeping up behind her. As she was still unable to turn around she could not use her super vision. She estimated that it must be around 30 meter away now. Right at the entrance to their chamber.
Ben slowly took up the flash light that was still turned off. Kara could still see his anxious expression in the dark. He was not a fighter, she remembered. That was the reason it surprised her that he slowly made his way to the intruder.
"Wait. Where are you going?", she whispered. He ignored her as he turned on the flash light.
"What is it?", she tried to bend her body side-wards, but the encasement around her lower body would not allow her enough space. A small grasp from Lockwood made her fear go up.
"A lizard man or something. He doesn't look happy. Wait...", Ben was interrupted as he was thrown backwards by the intruder that had leaped the 30m within seconds.
"BEN!", he heard Supergirl crying out for his name as he heard ar ringing like you would expect from a grenade exploding near you.
Supergirl could only watch as Ben was thrown two meter through the air. A quick X-ray vision confirmed that he hadnt broken anything. Now she had tend to the more urgent matter. The attacker.
The said attacker was now circling her. She could make out something one could only call a lizard man. A skin that was full of shed. A long tail. Reptile eyes and sharp teeth. The three of them were in a triangle constellation now. Front left of her was Lockwood. Front right was the lizard.
Ben Lockwood was already standing again. Locking his eyes with the lizard man. He was breathing heavily and fast. His expression was tense and fearful at the same time. Considering the display of power just seconds ago, she was sure Ben Lockwood would stand no chance against this thing. She turned to the lizard man.
"We come in peace. We don't want to hurt you.", she tried to convince it of their peaceful intentions. The lizard didn't react. His look was still locked on Ben. He surely considered him the easier prey right now. And that's when she concluded that they were just that to it. Prey.
"Ben! Get behind me!", she told him determined. He broke his eyes with the lizard and looked incredulous at her. Her stern expression reinforced her order wordlessly. He nodded.
Ben slowly walked up to Supergirls side, so she would stand between him and the creature. And that was the exact moment the lizard man chose to attack. With Ben out of the picture he had found his new target in Supergirl. Little did he know that she was more powerful than one could expect from a trapped girl. Before it could claw into her flesh she had grasped both its hands. What she did not think of was the sharp teeth of the thing she had no defense for right now.
The lizard went for the shoulder and bit into it, actually drawing blood. A short yell escaped Supergirl as she tried to get the thing off her, but he had bitten into her and would not let go. Kara remembered those documentaries about crocodiles not letting go off their prey until they were sure it was dead. And it hurt.
The next moment she could hear flesh being penetrated.
"Suffer not the Xeno to live.", she could hear from behind the lizard. Agent Liberty had pushed his dagger into the neck of the lizard. Supergirls eyes widened. The next moment she could feel the lizard teeth letting go of her. The lizard body lifelessly slided to the ground. The reptile eyes still visible. And something in them Kara could only read as fear.
"You killed it.", she stated solemnly.
"I did.", he stated non-chalantly.
"Thanks.", now that surprised him. He had fully expected to be scolded by the hero. Now that was something new. He cold only nod in response.
"But ´Suffer not the Xeno to live´?", she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Oh that… it´s just a table top game thing. You wouldn't understand.", he was embarrassed that he was actually embarrassed.
A big grin was plastered on her face.
"Don t be so sure about this, Mon´keigh."
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Not my best chapter. A little bit rushed tbh. The next one will my best one. I can feel it.