"Why should I help you?"
With the aid of a specialized voice-modifying device, the Phantom King's voice maintained an even tone throughout. The accompanying electrical buzz even made him sound somewhat languid.
Clearly, however, by the time he asked that question, the Phantom King had begun to lose patience.
Before Shane could answer, he raised a hand toward the Kryptonian female officer who had been deceived by Shane into bringing a group of outsiders before the Phantom King.
"This is a serious failure on your part, Mara. Have I granted you peace for too long?"
The Kryptonian woman named Mara immediately lowered her proud head, fear flashing through her eyes. When she raised it again to look at Shane and the others, that fear had become anger redirected at them.
Without wasting words begging forgiveness, Mara charged straight at Mal and the others.
As the Phantom King's subordinate, she chose to atone by subduing every one of these ill-intentioned outsiders who had made a fool of her as quickly as possible.
Mal and Mia were itching to act, but Mon-El reacted a step faster.
He darted in front of Mal, raised both hands, and caught Mara's furious fists. After shattering the stone floor of the uppermost hall beneath his feet, he redirected her momentum and threw her away.
Mon-El quickly looked back. No longer concerned with keeping a low profile, he called out pleadingly to Shane.
"The Phantom King has no mercy for outsiders without Kryptonian genes! There's no point talking to him any longer!" Clearly, Mon-El hoped Shane would unleash his divine power again and capture the Phantom King as effortlessly as he had swept through those Kryptonian prisoners earlier.
But Shane merely gave Mon-El a rather helpless look.
"Your intel is outdated, buddy. If I could walk over