Chapter Two.
The hallway of C-Block stung with the smell of gun fire and the cries for reinforcements that nearly echoed throughout the whole prison. The prison guards and military police soldiers scattered throughout the prison in a desperate attempt to secure all exits as they feared the recent events would spring a riot. Not only had a few prisoners from C-Block escaped their holding cells and taken over part of the East wing, a mysterious intruder had broken into the prison through the front gate wearing iron armor. Now, the whole East wing of the prison was in chaos as military personal attempted to stop both forces from leaving the prison alive, but the armored intruder was on an unstoppable rampage and the recently escaped prisoners had made C-Block into a war zone.
"This must have been how they escaped," A young faced soldier muttered lowly as himself and three others had taken cover within Steyr's holding cell in hopes of discovering how the Aerugo Colonel had escaped from the high security holding cell. The soldiers examined the droplets of blood that were scattered across the cell floor and oddly enough the layer of icy frost that covered the lock on the door and the shackles. The locking mechanism had been frozen to the point where a simple kick could break it apart and oddly enough the only thing missing from the food tray were two cups of water, "What the hell did he do in here?"
A cold sensation filled the air as the four soldiers all spun around to come face to face with an ice wall. Their eyes widen at the sudden appearance of the wall and their hearts racing at the sudden realization that whoever created the wall could have killed them with ease, "You boys sit tight until a rescue party comes and chips you out. Tell them that the day they brought Aerugo soldiers into their Central City was the day they scheduled their countries' demise."
"T-that's the Co-Colonel," One of the soldiers muttered as they didn't know much on the Aerugo officers, but after this it was obvious he was an alchemist and a skilled one as it was.
"I don't know what your superiors did with the rest of my men, but let it be known I will find them and I will make sure Central Headquarters burns to the ground!" Steyr's voice was cold and stern just like his ice alchemy was. Shaking nervously one of the soldiers sprung forward and unleashed several shots from his rifle into the ice, his eyes widening with horror at the sight of the bullets barely penetrating the thick ice wall. Anyone who could create a wall of ice so silently and quickly with alchemy while giving it such a thick fortification must truly be a skilled alchemist.
Steyr grinned as his icy blue eyes examined the transmutation circles that he had carved into the back of his hands, "Amestris' time of power is over."
"Colonel, the MP's and the prison guards are attempting another push into the block!" Revelli called out as he came racing around the corner with a Amestris submachine gun in hand, his breathing was heavy and his face was red. Joining him around the corner was Browning who fired off his shotgun down the hall before joining the two officers with a wide grin on his face.
Browning carefully reloaded the stolen shotgun with three more shells that they had stolen weapons from the staff room's armory, "Enfield and Girly are bunkered down in the staff room holding off the forces trying to enter from the North wing."
Steyr rubbed his chin gently as they had purposely allowed the four soldiers infiltrate their lines as Steyr's wished for someone to pass on his declaration of war, but now they were surrounded, "Is that intruder we heard about still running around?"
Revelli unleashed a stream of bullets around the hallway corner sending several soldiers diving for cover as they attempts to advance, "Yeah! The chances that someone would break into the prison during our escape seems unbelievable!"
Just as Steyr was about to speak up he was interrupted by a voice coming from the cell across from them, oddly enough laying in the torn up bunk was a man who had gone completely undetected by them. He looked to be about twenty-six years old, jet black hair that was in a mess, his eyes had dark circles around them, and a toothy grin. His clothes were simple as they included worn out leather boots, brown pants, and a white long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled back, "I can help you exciting gentleman escape."
Browning hit the cell's bars with the butt of his shotgun in hopes to shut the obviously insane prisoner up. Steyr however stepped forward and examined the man carefully who was now sitting up in his bed, "A Creta soldiers?"
The man tilted his head to the side with amusement, "Brilliant! Tell me how did you know of my origins and former occupation? Oh please, tell me!"
"To state the obvious C-Block is filled with all POW's so that explains your occupation. Secondly, besides myself and my soldiers everyone else is of Amestris and Creta origins. From what I've seen all Amestris prisoners are deserters who all share a look of despair plastered upon their faces. You however have the eyes of a killer and the presence of a man who lost his mind years ago, something I come to expect from a Creta mercenary," Steyr stated coldly as Browning expected such a cold response from him and Revelli simply grinned at how ruthless his commanding officer could be. However, the Creta prisoner didn't react the way a normal person would to such a cold and harsh response. Instead, the man jumped to his feet and started to laugh with joy.
"I saw you escape that cell! I also like how you have decided to send a message to the military, although that's a bit flashy for my taste. I must say you're very much interesting and for that I think I shall allow you to acquire my services," The man state as he grasped the cold metal bars of his cell and mockingly bowed before Steyr.
There was silence between the two men as the only things that could be heard was the gun fire in the distant hallway and the sound of the prisoner's low giggles.
"Like the Colonel would ever recruit someone as insane as you!" Revelli shouted angrily as he unleashed another spray of bullets down the hall, this time pushing back several soldiers in the process of taking out two others.
"I've been here for five years. I know this prison very well and I may be of some use with the missing person case you have going on," The man stated in an oddly calm voice as he grinned at the sudden peak on interest within Steyr's eyes.
"Fine."
"Where the hell is the Colonel and the rest of them?" Enfield cried out as he had placed one of the staff room's oak desk within the doorway and was using it as cover. A few feet to his left was Madsen who had her rifle mounted within the window frame and was unleashing cover fire so Enfield could reload without worrying about getting shot.
Madsen quickly ducked below the window frame as several bullets whizzed over her head, "Probably going overboard with his damn alchemy again!"
The two were about to unleash another barrage of bullets upon the advancing line of soldiers when suddenly a very unfamiliar face popped through the doorway that led to C-Block. The man wasn't wearing a military uniform making it clear that the Colonel and the others hadn't been overrun and he was unarmed meaning he must have been a fellow prisoner, "You two must be with that Ice Gentleman."
"Um... Yes," Madsen stated lowly in confusion at how casual the man was speaking considering the heavy enemy fire they were under.
"He says to regroup in C-Block," The man stated with a grin as Madsen gave Enfield an odd look of confusion.
"The Colonel does have a tendency of recruiting weirdos," Enfield stated as the two soldiers nodded in agreement and quickly followed the mysterious man. Racing down C-Block they could hear the soldiers breaking through the staff room's barricade and with their hearts racing they were pleased to see Steyr waiting for them. Clasping both palms together he slammed down hands into the ground with great force and with that the water pipes above them unleashed a jet of water. The water splashed into the ground behind the two fleeing soldiers and creating yet another amazing ice wall.
"Gotta love that alchemy," Browning snickered lowly as Steyr had done the same with the other hallway, thus confining them within C-Block completely. While, that intruder wearing the armor was drawing the majority of the prison security force's attention they still knew that behind those ice walls there was an army waiting for them. Steyr gave the mysterious man a glare as he knew his ice walls could easily hold up against rifle rounds, but all it would take were some high level explosives and they could create a hole large enough for a soldier to fit through.
"What's your plan?" Steyr stated calmly to his newly recruited escape artist as he knew he was relying a lot on this stranger, but he knew he couldn't give up a lead on finding his other men so easily.
The man looked around as he placed a finger upon his lips as if he was telling a secret, "We tunnel out!"
...
"I know I said the Colonel recruits a lot of weirdos, but this is taking it a bit far." Enfield stated lowly to Madsen as he watched as both Browning and Revelli both shared an expression of utter confusion at their commanding officer's judge of character.
Steyr extended his hands out and cleared his throat loudly, "Stand back!"
"You're really going to go through with this madman's plan?" Revelli cried out in shock as he couldn't believe that one day of being in prison had effected Steyr's judgement so greatly.
Steyr shot Revelli a look over his shoulder, "Lieutenant we only have a few minutes before the guards break through that ice and who knows how much longer they'll be busy with that intruder! Don't hear anyone else coming up with a plan!"
Making sure his transmutation circles were still clean of excess dripping blood he slammed his hands together and with an icy glare of determination within his eyes he slammed is palms into the ground. Sliding his palms across the ground roughly, he watched as he could hear the sound of metal expanding as the water pipe's within the ground below were being filled with frozen water which was now expanding due to the aid of some alchemy. Suddenly, the stone ground below them began to crack as pillars of ice dug out from below them.
"Oh, how wonderful!" The man cried out in joy.
Enfield grasped his rifle tightly at the sound of several muffled voices coming from the other side of the ice wall, his ears being about to make several words that indicated the soldiers had obtained some explosives from the prison's main armory, "Colonel I hate to rush you but we may have company real soon!"
Steyr allowed the ice to expand enough to the point where an ice like pillar was sticking through the center of the hallway and wasting no time he quickly transformed it into water, thus creating a gaping hole within the prison floor. Madsen gave everyone a weird look as upon arriving at the prison they were placed on the second floor of the prison, but were informed that ground below C-Block was all cement for support and yet here they were glaring down at what looked like a tunnel.
"A secret tunnel?" Revelli stated lowly in disbelief.
"Indeed! A secret tunnel to some, but just another way to get to work by some!" The man chirped happily as he patted Revelli on the back who gave him an uncomfortable look.
"What is he talking about?" Madsen stated nervously as he was unsure who this man even was.
"Save questions for later get in the hole now!" Steyr ordered as his soldiers all nodded and followed his order without any hesitation. Just as the man was about to leap into the hole he was stopped by Steyr, "How do I know I can trust you?"
The man gave him a sly grin, "You're in enemy territory Ice Man. Who else can you trust?"
Those words made Steyr uncomfortable, "What's your name at least?"
"The names, Lynx."