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Tranquil Waters: The Lead Crown Ch 9.5, Legacy

The trek down the long hallway that led to what had once been the Fire Studies wing was not as comforting and reassuring as Alvis had originally hoped it would be, rather, it was the exact opposite. Not even a season past the students of Fire Science had been some of the most boisterous, active, and vibrant university-goers out of any of the schools of study. Whether that was still true or not Alvis didn't know, but that was mostly due to the fact that he didn't encounter a single one; the only scholars in the Fire Studies wing wore the light blue heraldic of Air Studies.

The students he passed on his way down the hall were courteous enough, nodding to him or at least inclining their head but every now and again when the Mutt caught sight of a familiar face that likewise recognized him there was always an expression of surprise followed by an imminent change of direction on behalf of the other party as they moved off down the hall toward what was apparently some pressing business. Not only did it leave him uncomfortable, it was downright disconcerting. By the third time the event played out for him Alvis made it a point to hunch his shoulders, lower his head, and keep his eyes on the floor in the hopes that he would be a little more inconspicuous.

It must have worked as he did not notice any further cases of recognition among the students he passed. The next hundred-something steps were spent in his own quiet world as he sought out the easternmost point of the Fire Studies wing; it was a small, rarely used class room that faced the building where Nicole and Inigo would be waiting for the signal. Nicole-- it was still strange to think of the Human woman as anything other than Alarice. He was about to start waxing nostalgic when he came to a halt outside his objective. Surprisingly he could see through the glass window in the door that there was a class in session.

The Mutt's ears lowered further as he glanced around at the emptying hallway; if classes had just begun then it would be at least an hour and a half before he would have a chance at getting to the shutters. If he couldn't get to the shutters then he wouldn't be able to flick them open and closed and open and closed-- the signal couldn't be given! Alvis leaned back against the wall next to the door and he tried to keep from hyperventilating. "Think, Alvis... THINK!"

He had just about taken to beating either side of his head with his balled up paws when he froze; directly across from him was a reagent storage closet. It would be locked, undoubtedly, but the Mutt was much more willing to work with a mechanical system over trying to get past a professor and a classroom full of students. Glancing around the hall to make certain that the way was clear, Alvis went to the opposite wall and checked the door; as anticipated it was locked. Taking a deep breath, the Mutt grabbed his hip pouch and carefully worked two metal wires out of the latch that secured it. Once he had the wires he bent each over itself one time so he could add some thickness to the thin metal, and then twisted them each to further reinforce them.

Brother Jessen had told him about his life growing up on the streets and had explained in fair detail the methods he'd used for getting into places he shouldn't have been... and that included lock picking. Alvis glanced around the hall once more before kneeling down to gently insert the improvised picks into the lock and began trying to recreate the method as described by his lover. Five minutes later he was no closer to figuring it out and lowered his head, sighing in defeat. Alvis had no doubt that he would be able to continue trying in vain for far longer than the class would be in session... and only once he had lowered his gaze did the Mutt notice the small crate seated on the floor next to the door; there was a note on it.

Having few other options, Alvis picked up the note. It was written in a scrawling, messy hand and appeared to be from a student to the faculty. The Mutt mumbled it aloud. "Mr. Brenner, I'm sorry I took so long getting the Iceflow back to you. My class schedule is inconvenient and I couldn't return it during your work hours. Everything is in the box and it should all be in good order. Thank you again. Werth Garrin."

Alvis's ears rose as he flipped the latch and opened the lid of the crate. The inside was filled with a wooden tray into which had been cut carefully shaped indents and the entirety was lined with vellum for padding. Into each of three slots was placed an insulated metal container and a thick pair of rubber-and-fur gloves were laid to the side. The Mutt had seen an Iceflow kit before but had never had the opportunity to use it himself... but he knew enough about it to realize that he didn't need the lock picks anymore.

It took scarcely a minute for Alvis to don the gloves and pick up the largest of the three metal tubes. While his dexterity was hampered greatly by the thick paw-wear he still managed to open the container and carefully pour the frothy clear liquid out onto the storage closet's metal doorknob; huge amounts of mist cascaded down to the floor as the Iceflow evaporated in the air. Judging from the faint sounds of metal strain from the doorknob, however, it was certainly doing its job. Alvis took his metal wire and worked it into the lock before carefully dribbling more Icelfow onto the 'lock picks', using it as a method to get as much of the sub-zero fluid inside the mechanism as he could.

Waiting as long as he dared, the Mutt ultimately used the now-empty metal container to give the door knob a single, solid strike. The metal-on-metal sound was decidedly audible, but somewhat dampened by the glove which he had wrapped around his bludgeoning instrument. It took another two such hits before the door knob broke off and from there it was a simple issue of forcing his way into the closet. There were a number of items he desperately needed and, thankfully, the entire stock was organized alphabetically. It took scarcely thirty seconds for him to get what he desired and from there he went back across the way to the classroom before upending the reagent supplies into the Iceflow case. It didn't take long before smoke started wafting out.

A moment of fanning the chemical reaction followed by a careful, silent cracking of the classroom door and Alvis had created a very believable threat. To further reinforce the situation and get the attention of the room's inhabitants, Alvis put his muzzle next to the class room door and shouted "FIRE!"

The Mutt quickly sprinted to the supply room and slid into it, pulling the door closed. He watched the chaos across the way through the broken doorknob hole. It took a few seconds but eventually the cacophony of chaos from within the room erupted into the hallway as students began pouring out, racing toward the nearest exit without even noticing that the smoke was relegated to only the immediate area. Alvis was feeling particularly proud of himself until the Professor, who was the last to leave the room came to a stop.

The large Badger paused, looking down at the box where Alvis had left it. The Mutt's heart sank and he felt sick to his stomach... especially when the Badger glanced across the hallway and apparently took notice of the broken supply room door. The man's brows furrowed in thought as he picked up the Iceflow box, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a vial filled with some greenish powder. A few sprinkles of the flaked ingredient and the chemical reaction causing the harmless smoke came to an end. From there the Badger made his way toward the supply closet and Alvis quickly backed away from the door, glancing around within the small room and realizing there was nowhere to hide.

The Professor's body blocked out the faint bit of light coming through the broken doorknob and Alvis could hear the Badger shift his weight, which most likely signaled he was reaching for it. The door began to creak open, but it had only made it an inch or two before an enormous explosion rocked the very foundation of the University. Alvis shielded himself from falling debris, taking several nasty blows from falling jars and tubs. Nothing broke on him but several containers shattered on the floor; Alvis could tell by the fizzing that it was nothing good. Thankfully the Badger had quickly left after the explosion so nobody was there to witness him emerging from the closet.

He had no idea what had caused the ka-boom but he could tell it came from somewhere beneath the University. Having little time to create a suitable theory, Alvis focused instead on entering the now-empty classroom. He sprinted past the student work tables and went straight to the window, going through the opening and closing of the blinds that would let Nicole and Inigo know that it was time to act... assuming the explosion hadn't been sufficient enough. Just as he stepped away from the window with his job complete, Alvis turned to see a fire raging in the hallway; he had been correct about his earlier guess as to the ill omen of the hissing and sputtering in the storage closet.

A voice called out his name from the hallway. "ALVIS LAZARUS!!! COME OUT!"

It was the Hedgehog professor he and Roland had passed when they were entering the building. Staying quiet, the Mutt glanced around the room trying to look for his options. The Professor didn't relent. "Come out, Alvis! The ruse is up! We know who you are and we know what you did!"

The Husky-Shepherd swallowed the rapidly developing ball of fear that threatened to take his breath away as he ran for the Badger Professor's desk. As one of the few hiding places in the classroom he hoped it would suffice. Considering the rapidly spreading fire, with any luck the Hedgehog would glance into the room and be on his way so Alvis could make his escape. The Mutt held his breath, letting out just enough to whisper "Yea... with any luck... assuming I have any left."