14 Part 2.3

XoXoXoX

The footprints seemed to lead forward the center of Level Five. More specifically, they lead torward where the stairs up to Level Four were located.

On the way, I saw some more Army Wolf puppies looking around for the clown. They leered at me as I passed, but didn't bother me or Gurry. They probably knew what I had done to the other group of them just a few minutes ago.

When I got to the central tower I was surprised. Shocked even. If I was drinking water I would have had a spit take.

There were empty cells. Lots of them.

There were never this many empty cells, ever. Something was wrong. I looked around in other cell blocks, but all of the community and individual cells were empty. Some even had manacles laying inside discarded.

"Something is afoot." I said with utmost seriousness.

Gurry coughed. "Yes. We are standing up. Of course we are afoot."

I shot him a look over my shoulder. "I meant that here is something going on and I don't like it. Prisoners are missing Gurry-Rōshi. Do you know what this means!"

He nods. "Yes. But I'm not exactly sure where the transvestites fit into this."

I sigh loudly. Again with the transvestites. "I'm sorry Gurry-Rōshi, but I don't want to hear about your myths. I'm busy trying to figure out where all of the other prisoners went."

Gurry snorted. "What part of what I said was a myth. I speak nothing but the truth boy!"

I shake my head side to side sadly. "Gurry-Rōshi, I've never seen a transvestite. I'm not even sure they exist. I mean, come on. They sound ridiculous and impossible. A man that's a woman or a woman that's a man, or even some third gender that's neither and/or both. That doesn't even sound possible. Something so odd can't possibly exist."

Gurry just laughs. "Keep telling yourself that! Wait until their underground society emerges from beneath our feet to destroy your entire world. They'll be lead by their King who is a Queen. Then you'll see."

Poor poor Gurry. Years of isolating himself to become a sage had fried his mind. He'd be more sensible if he actually ate food and talked to people. Even I talked to myself when I was at my loneliest, but he doesn't even do that. Just meditates all of the damn time in complete silence in his cave.

I'd go crazy if I did that.

The footsteps I'd been following went nowhere near the rest of the cells. The only odd tracks I can find is some drags marks that indicate someone was moving around a sled.

The sled marks start at one cell, and I followed some footprints from there. It looked like a set went from cell to cell opening them up. It looks to be that the person with the sled opened the first cell with a set of keys and took someone. They gave the keys to someone inside the cell, who then let everyone out. Then someone went from place to place, opening cells as they went.

Ideally, I needed to find the person with the sled and the guy who was going around opening the cells, along with the clown and his friends and the runaway prisoners here on Level Five. Some prisoners like myself and Gurry were allowed to wander around. These guys, were not.

"There's the smell of a riot in the air... Just like after Shiki escaped."

Golden Shiki. The only escapee from Impel Down. A pirate that was said to be as powerful in his prime as one of the Four Emperors are now. Then the Pirate King, Gold Roger, put a steering wheel through his skull.

He was captured and sent to Impel Down after that. Then, three years before I was born, he gnawed off his own legs to get out of his restraints. Yah. Completely hardcore. He escaped Impel Down immediately after recovering his possessions, and to this day is the only person to escape.

Following his escape, there was a riot. A grand riot. Half the population of Impel Down died, prisoner and guard alike. A younger Magellan, the former Warden who I don't know, and the previous Prison Manager Shiryu put a stop to it.

I've seen small riots, and I hate them. Pointless death in my opinion. We can't escape, so what's the point in trying? Riots are just an excuse for the prisoners to commit violence against the guards who are just doing their jobs. I've never participated in a riot. Instead I would just stay in my cell and wait it out.

Stopping a riot before it happened of my own free will. That has to be the ultimate in good behavior.

Beneath my mask, a vicious grin broke out. Heh. Time to orate a little.

"IhsIhsIhsIhsIhsIhsIhs. Seems like I have the chance of a lifetime Gurry-Rōshi. Do you know what I mean?"

He sighed in the way that only really old people can. Then he leaned up against one of the walls and slid down until he was in a sitting position. He grabbed a handful of snow and began eating it.

Bear Grylls would disapprove.

...

Who is Bear Grylls?

"I know what you mean, but I also know you're going to explain to me what you're thinking anyways, so get on with it. I'm not getting any younger."

I clenched my teeth. Then I made a fist and raised in the air in his direction while shouting. "That's not how this works! You're the infinitely patient sage and I'm the impatient young man filled with YOUTH and vigor!"

I calmed myself taking a deep breath. Just needed to let my smug attitude I had going come back.

...

There it is.

I smirked behind my mask. Here comes the oration.

"As you may know Gurry-Rōshi, my goal is to be released from Impel Down as soon as possible so I may see the sky. I'll decide what to do after that when I get there. My sentence has already been cut down ten years from good behavior in the past, and I only have twenty three years left. With this riot brewing up, I can do the ultimate good behavior! Stopping this riot before it starts. To do this, I came up with a plan!"

Gurry looks at me for a moment. I look back. He looks to the side, and I follow his gaze to see we're both looking at a whole lot of nothing. Then we're looking at each other again.

"Well, are you going to tell me the plan?"

"Well, I'd spell it out to you, but I can't write. I'm illiterate. At least I'm good at multiplying."

Gurry face palms. "Get on with it please."

With my jollies out of the way, I continue talking. "I call it plan: 'Recent Release!' I have four targets I need to find and disable to stop this riot before it starts. Target One: The prisoner with the keys releasing prisoners here on Level Five. He's my main target to stop the problem from growing before it gets any worse. Target Two: The released prisoners! They are the main force behind this riot and they need to be stopped. Target Three: The person with the sled. They had the keys to begin with, and they might have more. Target Four: The clown and his friend. They're connected to all this somehow."

I clap my hands. "Good plan right!"

Gurry looks away, but before we can do our 'look everywhere' routine he speaks up. "Are you sure?"

I can't help but smile. I then fist-pump a few times. I'm excited!

"I'm excited! I'm enthused! I'm ready to do this! Oh!" I smack my stone mask a few times to get myself even more ready than I already was. "Plan 'Recent Release!' is go!"

I begin walking off in the direction of one of the tracks that I think is Target One. I hear Gurry getting up and following after me. That early release is as good as mine!