March Prompt - Saving Silver
Title: Saving Silver
Author: Spikesgirl58
Word count: 525
Prompt: snatching defeat out of the Jaw of victory.
My thanks to Sparky955 for the beta and apologies to anyone who reads this. You'll know why soon enough.
Where are we going? Sapphire hurried to keep up with her partner
I don’t know. I just know we have to hurry.
That was when they saw Silver suspended over a winged statue. It was already starting to return to its molten state and the heat made Sapphire step back and shield her face. The head had tilted back and the hollow mouth-like cavern hissed and popped, threatening to swallow up Silver whole. Silver’s feet, in fact, were so close to the gapping maw that his shoes were sizzling and snapping.
“Silver, don’t struggle,” Sapphire shouted to him. Instinctively she reached for Steel, but he shied from her hand. “What do we do?”
“Don’t touch me,” Steel ordered harshly and Sapphire could already see the ice crystals starting to ice the tips of his hair. The heat melted it as quickly as they formed and they merely reformed. “Stay away from me. Get into position to grab Silver.”
Sapphire didn’t have any misguided thoughts that she would be immune from Steel’s icy grip.
He lurched forward and grabbed onto the glowing base of the statue.
Sapphire didn’t know if it was Steel or the Winged Victory that groaned, but grey green tendrils of cooling metal shot up, starting to solidify the molten metal.
She braced herself and reached out. “Silver, take my hand.”
“I can’t.” His features seemed to be shifting, melting.
DO IT NOW! Steel’s voice filled her head and she made a grab for Silver. She managed to snag a smoldering corner of Silver’s pants leg and pulled with all the strength she could muster. The ropes, weakened from the heat, snapped and with a mutual cry of surprise, they toppled over backwards away from the statue as even as the last flames snaked up the ropes that had held Silver captive.
She patted out the smoking fabric and watched at the again solidified statue toppled sideways and shattered. “Steel?”
I’m… I’m here. The thought was weak and tired. The danger has passed. See to Silver.
“Silver, what happened?” Sapphire brushed his hair from his forehead.
Silver looked at her, his eyes confused and misty. “They… they wanted to smelt me. Radium needed me as a shield and knew I’ve never agree to it. They wanted to reduce me… reduce me… Steel?”
The man staggered into view, his clothes tattered and burned. His skin was red and peeling in spots, but Sapphire didn’t know if it was the cold or the heat.
“I will be fine.” He collapsed beside them and for a long moment, none of them spoke, each one lost in his or her own thoughts.
“That was very close…” Silver rubbed his feet. The shoes were gone now and even his socks had holes melted in them.
“You are too trusting,” Steel muttered. “You shouldn’t have let them get that close. You can’t trust the heavy elements, no matter what they say.”
“Steel, shut up for a moment.”
The Element stared at him, for a moment too shocked to speak. “What?”
“I’m trying to thank you.”
“For what?”
Silver wiggled his toes. “Snatching the feet from the jaws of Victory.”
Author: Spikesgirl58
Word count: 525
Prompt: snatching defeat out of the Jaw of victory.
My thanks to Sparky955 for the beta and apologies to anyone who reads this. You'll know why soon enough.
Where are we going? Sapphire hurried to keep up with her partner
I don’t know. I just know we have to hurry.
That was when they saw Silver suspended over a winged statue. It was already starting to return to its molten state and the heat made Sapphire step back and shield her face. The head had tilted back and the hollow mouth-like cavern hissed and popped, threatening to swallow up Silver whole. Silver’s feet, in fact, were so close to the gapping maw that his shoes were sizzling and snapping.
“Silver, don’t struggle,” Sapphire shouted to him. Instinctively she reached for Steel, but he shied from her hand. “What do we do?”
“Don’t touch me,” Steel ordered harshly and Sapphire could already see the ice crystals starting to ice the tips of his hair. The heat melted it as quickly as they formed and they merely reformed. “Stay away from me. Get into position to grab Silver.”
Sapphire didn’t have any misguided thoughts that she would be immune from Steel’s icy grip.
He lurched forward and grabbed onto the glowing base of the statue.
Sapphire didn’t know if it was Steel or the Winged Victory that groaned, but grey green tendrils of cooling metal shot up, starting to solidify the molten metal.
She braced herself and reached out. “Silver, take my hand.”
“I can’t.” His features seemed to be shifting, melting.
DO IT NOW! Steel’s voice filled her head and she made a grab for Silver. She managed to snag a smoldering corner of Silver’s pants leg and pulled with all the strength she could muster. The ropes, weakened from the heat, snapped and with a mutual cry of surprise, they toppled over backwards away from the statue as even as the last flames snaked up the ropes that had held Silver captive.
She patted out the smoking fabric and watched at the again solidified statue toppled sideways and shattered. “Steel?”
I’m… I’m here. The thought was weak and tired. The danger has passed. See to Silver.
“Silver, what happened?” Sapphire brushed his hair from his forehead.
Silver looked at her, his eyes confused and misty. “They… they wanted to smelt me. Radium needed me as a shield and knew I’ve never agree to it. They wanted to reduce me… reduce me… Steel?”
The man staggered into view, his clothes tattered and burned. His skin was red and peeling in spots, but Sapphire didn’t know if it was the cold or the heat.
“I will be fine.” He collapsed beside them and for a long moment, none of them spoke, each one lost in his or her own thoughts.
“That was very close…” Silver rubbed his feet. The shoes were gone now and even his socks had holes melted in them.
“You are too trusting,” Steel muttered. “You shouldn’t have let them get that close. You can’t trust the heavy elements, no matter what they say.”
“Steel, shut up for a moment.”
The Element stared at him, for a moment too shocked to speak. “What?”
“I’m trying to thank you.”
“For what?”
Silver wiggled his toes. “Snatching the feet from the jaws of Victory.”