Chapter 32 - Ambush

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Clearing the door had been hard work. Mabel, while accustomed to hard work, had still struggled to open the door after the metal deadbolt had been shattered. The liquid nitrogen can Korvath had used on it made the metal weak and brittle. It had shattered easily under the impact of a rock. However, debris had piled up behind the door. This facility had been abandoned for years and by the looks of it so had the entire city.

Mabel was determined to make a good impression on her newfound cousin. She had a new cousin! She practically had her own rainbow over her head. Could this day get any better? She pushed around the door, her slender frame fitting through the narrow space. She kicked at the debris blocking the door, but it was not likely to budge she surmised. Instead, she turned and surveyed the dusty derelict metal works facility. She could make out very little.

Rather than using the flashlight, Zaharah had given her Mabel lifted the fancy-looking binoculars she had found under the captain's seat. Best to have a look around before she blazed her light into an unknown space that could house creatures or other dangers. She toggled the device on like her cousin Zaharah had shown her and held it up to her eyes. The room, once dim and shrouded in deep shadow flickered to life in the binoculars. The landscape was bathed green in the phosphorescent glow of the night vision. She could make out large cooling towers, furnaces, tables, forges, and extrusion die for metal works. Whoever had used this plant had left it abandoned for a long time. Dust lay thickly in layers upon everything. A rank musty smell accompanied it making her close her mouth instinctively. Then she saw movement. It looked like a large I-beam was moving. She could hear the debris sliding off the metal beam. Cautiously she approached the source of the noise, ready for anything. Her heart hoped she had found Zaharah's second in command.

As she got close some debris was thrown aside revealing the individual trapped beneath. A young man about twenty-one coughed as he tried to sit up only to realize the debris was still pinning his lower half tightly to the ground. He tried squirming to no avail. It was Cade, Zaharah's Luitenint!

Mabel removed the night vision binoculars to try and see him with her own eyes. She could barely see his outline in the dark. Mabel instead took out the flashlight. She cast it on him. The white glow of the flashlight transformed the dimly lit room into a grayscale environment, all color bled away leaving just black and white. Instantly Cade whipped out his pistol aiming it at Mabel. Mabel held her hands up dropping the flashlight, "Don't shoot! I'm here to help!" Cade studied her as she still held her hands up. The flashlight had fallen to the ground, but still cast Cade in the beam of light and enough was reflected for Mabel to see around her a little. "I'm a friend, I'm Zaharah's cousin we mean you no harm." Cade studied her a moment longer before collapsing back, grunting with pain. "I can't move my leg. Whatever the debris is it's pinning my leg."

Even in the low lighting Mabel could tell Cade was no pushover. His shoulders were broad like Dipper's, but his trimmed mustache and wavy brown hair looked very different from Dipper's. The way his shirt accented the muscles on his upper torso...Mabel shook her head. Stay focused! The man needed help. Mabel wished she could have Dipper or someone stronger to help lift the beam. Instead, an idea formed in her mind. The liquid nitrogen had sparked an idea in her mind.

Mabel spoke up softly, "I'm going to try and lift the beam." Cade, who had been struggling to lift the beam fell back and laughed softly. "I appreciate the gesture but the beam weighs a considerable amount."

Mabel smiled, "Us Pines can hold our own," She said flaunting her hair as she shook it behind her. She reached down and touched the beam with both hands. The totem necklace she wore around her neck glowed as the metal I-beam began to chill and frost over. The metal creaked and clinked and clanked as the contracting metal warped and protested loudly. The air around her began to chill rapidly. The I-beam began to frost over heavily.

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