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Three Weeks Later
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"Are you freaking kidding me?" I scoffed.
"No. Why would I be?"
"But-well-why? Why are we doing this??"
My strange human companion looked at me as we both both lay upon a shallow slope, the white specks of snow and ice raging around us as we both surveyed a dark, massive, and monolithic complex but a few hundred feet in front of us; the Black Dolphin Prison.
"Well why not?" he said.
I opened my mouth to say something back, but nothing came out.
"Also, I could use some more knowledge about this place for future reference. You know, for science."
"But why here? At Stalliongrad's top maximum-security prison?"
"Well . . . why not?"
Remember in the last chapter, when I said that I had "groaned the biggest groaned I have ever groaned?" Yeah, record broken.
"Well, alright then. What's the plan?"
"Crimson?"
"Uh . . . yeah? . . . "
"I am a scientist, no?"
"Well, you've told me . . . . "
"Well I am. That usually means that I'm intelligent, well-organized, and analytical, yes?"
"I would think so."
"And that would mean that I usually have a plan, and a good one at that?"
" . . . yes . . . . "
"Well, over my years, I've learned one thing: things are a lot funner without plans. Tally-ho!"
My eyes widened as Dr. Alexias launched himself over the little hill and exposed himself fully to the spot lights and the guards that stalked along the tall, thick walls of the complex.
They haven't seem him yet, maybe he'll change his mind and-
The darkness of the night was torn through by a series of flashes and the sound of the wind became rattled with loud cracks that I recognized as the sound of my human's rifle.
Shouting, more firing, and more firing.
I had no idea what I was supposed to do. He had wanted to get inside the prison, but not even an alien, not even one as good as Alexias, could siege an entire prison all on his own.
Wait . . . was I the one who was supposed to get inside? Was this whole thing a distraction?
"Oh . . . ." I whined pathetically and covered my head with my hooves. "Whyyyyy? . . . "
I steeled my resolve, hoped I was correct, and launched myself from the ground and high into the darkened sky.
My mind buzzed with calculations as I firing my rounds, never killing, only wounding, using the environment to knock my opponents unconscious.
A metal pole went down, sparking as its lights went out and knocking down a few reinforcements. A leg shot. Another one. Overhanging rock detached. Shoulder shot.
I was rather effectively defeating the guards, but more and more swarmed out of the concrete prison, all of them frightened at the strange creature [me] who was attacking their prison.
In hindsight, it was probably wise to find another way to get in, as this method was cutting into my ammunition supply. I could make more, obviously, but still . . . .
My augmented ears caught the sound of my companion, Crimson Bloom, as she darted off into the frigid air. Her dark coat made well to camouflage her in the dark.
I hoped she knew what she was doing, because I sure as hell didn't.
The sounds of the fighting quieted as I flew higher into the air, but not high enough to lose sight of the massive prison beneath me. The entire thing was carved into a massive, low mountain of ice and black stone. Shivering, with the help of the lung-cutting air, I saw a few skeletons hanging from an impromptu gallows set into the side of the mountain. During the day, and not in a blizzard, the old cadavers would serve as a warning against ponies (and aliens) - just like me. As if anyone would be just taking a walk around the tippy-top of the Stalliongradi country.
I sighed, my breath misting heavily, and descended onto the top of the slope (it wasn't extraordinarily high, just wide and deep) - and tried to ignore the swinging bones.
I saw a dim light in the distance and fought against the wind to approach it, keeping my eyes and ears alert, in case a guard saw me. I still didn't know why I was doing this.
Soon, a small structure came into view; a square, fenced off area with a small shack inside. Heh, fences.
My wings made quick work of the obstacle and I landed inside the lit area. I approached the tiny wooden building and tried the door, and believe it or not, it was unlocked.
Inside was absolutely nothing, nothing except for a heavy slab of metal that served as a hatch.
"Sweet. Top entrance."
I decided to push my luck and try it, but apparently my luck didn't last, because it didn't budge. Well, not from my effort. I started as the wheel started to turn, slowly and achingly.
I looked around, wide-eyed, searching desperately for someplace to hide, but the tiny, featureless shack provided no such place.
By the time I looked back, the hatch was wide open and I found myself staring into the eyes of a young Stalliongradi guard with a steaming thermos grasped in his mouth. His eyes were as wide as mine as we stared at each other for several long seconds.
Finally, I snapped out of it, faster than the brown-coated Stalliongradi, and I swung at him, crying out.
"Well I'll be damned."
I had actually knocked him out. I looked down at the spilled coffee and grinned at the following thought of Alexias.
Then I winced as the guard slid back down through the hatch and I heard a heavy clang.
Oops.
I peered inside and saw a rusted diamond-plate floor and an iron ladder fixed into the concrete wall. Inside, it was dimly lit.
I cautiously slid down, my common sense trying to start a revolution as I did so, but, unfortunately, my stupid side was victorious, and I heaved the heavy hatch shut. I hoped that the noise wouldn't attract any more guards.