The base that the Marshal had mentioned looked like it would be a much easier task than taking down an average Empire base. As a new base, it was very small at the moment. Honestly, after the mines, it looked rather tame, but that didn't mean Ignis was going to underestimate it, even with the Marshal back with them. Still, with a proper plan it would hopefully go smoothly, and the Marshal and Monica had already comprised one of those yesterday in their absence.
"From here we will split into two groups. Prince Noctis, please join the Marshal up ahead." Monica turned her attention to everyone else. "The rest of you will assist me in the diversionary effort."
Noct dropped his crossed arms, glancing at them too. "I'll see you guys later, then."
Ignis held his tongue. He wasn't going to go against the Marshal's plan, but he wasn't pleased with this split up, particularly so soon after Noct had been so heavily injured. Though… he supposed he understood the Marshal wanting to see Noct's strength on its own.
Ignis berated himself mentally. Noct was going to be with the Marshal – he'd be fine. Ignis really had to stop being so paranoid. That paranoia was only making things worse by raising his tension levels and fogging his mind with doubt.
"You go give 'em hell. We'll do the same on our end," Gladio said as his farewell.
"Best of luck," Ignis added.
Noct tossed them a grin before heading off.
And so the rest of them fell back, heading for the base's front door.
Noctis knew he was being watched. Tested. He wasn't stupid, and it was easy to figure it out. If Cor had picked a partner for their strengths concerning stealth, he would have picked Ignis or Monica. No, this was Cor seeing how he handled himself without the others around.
Noctis narrowed his eyes, breathing steadily as he focused on the mission. He had to do well here. He needed to prove to Cor that what happened in the mines was just a fluke. He and the guys were fine – totally capable of handing what came their way.
He warped, nailing the MT ahead in the back of the skull with his sword. Another one down.
He could hear fighting elsewhere, but he and Cor hadn't set off any alarms, so it must have been Monica and the guys doing their part. Cool. Everything good so far.
"Good work," Cor said as he caught up with him.
"Thanks." Noctis tried not to let pride blossom in his chest. This wasn't over yet.
Spotting a higher vantage point, he warped again, landing softly on a catwalk. Not too many guards around since everyone was rushing to the front. Just as planned.
"…the hell is this madness? This base was supposed to be secured!"
Noctis' stomach dropped and his breath left him all at once.
"Your time in the Lucians' hands has made you paranoid, Tummelt. Security will handle the problem, whatever it may be."
…Shit. Shit, shit, shit. It was really him.
Why? Of all the places in the world for him to be, why here?
…Astrals, Ignis. If he ran into Loqi now…
Nope. Screw that. Ignis didn't need that.
Noctis took a breath. That weasel had been rotting in a cell for years while Noctis had grown stronger. He wasn't the kid he'd been before. He could handle this. He could handle this here and now, and then he and Ignis would never have to worry about it again.
Thunk.
Noctis jumped as a pebble hit his back, and he spun around to find Cor staring at him from a distance with a raised eyebrow.
Dammit. The mission. He had to focus on the mission. Ignis would tell him to focus on the mission, no matter their personal issues.
Noctis swore inwardly, warping back to Cor. Loqi wasn't even in sight – he couldn't waste time chasing after him.
"What's wrong?" Cor had his question out the moment Noctis landed next to him.
"Loqi." Noctis' nails dug into his palm on his ungloved hand. "He's here."
Noctis had never seen Cor hesitate before, but there was a definite pause in his step before he kept moving. "Good. He can be dealt with."
…Okay, then. Sometimes Noct forgot that everyone had a reason to hate Loqi, not just him and Ignis. "Sounds like a plan." That asshole had always been good at hiding, but he couldn't run forever. Just like last time, they'd catch up with him eventually. Only this time, Loqi wouldn't have the protection of a hostage.
Where the hell was the little weasel?
Noct dropped down to the ground near the main gate.
He and Cor had killed everything they'd come across, but they had yet to find that bastard since Noctis had heard him.
Cor rolled as he dropped down from the ledge as well, then made his way over to the gate and jabbed at the control panel. Noctis couldn't say he was really surprised when the base doors opened to reveal the guys standing over, like, a couple dozen Imperial bodies.
"Ignis!" Noctis zeroed in on him and sprinted.
Ignis' brow pulled in concern, and he jogged to meet him halfway. "Noct? What's wrong–"
"He's here, Iggy." Oh, Astrals, Noctis hated having to tell Ignis, but he had to know. "Loqi is here."
To someone else, Ignis might have seemed to be taking the news well, but Noctis wasn't someone else. He could see with absolutely clarity the minute shift in Ignis' expression – the slight change of color in his cheeks.
"What?" Prompto squawked.
"That son of a bitch is here?" Gladio swore, his tone vicious. "I am gonna shove my sword so far down his throat he's gonna wish he died when Prompto shot him."
Noctis would so let him. Noctis wouldn't even care if he or Ignis didn't get to do the job personally, he just wanted Loqi gone.
"Focus, all of you!" Cor snapped, and Noctis spun around to find him with his hand on his sword.
Chunk.
Chunk.
…Annnnd that was a huge machine closing in on them.
Noctis summoned his weapon to hand, stepping between the machine and Ignis. Was it…?
The machine stopped, its two thin but strong legs planted firmly in place as the cockpit slid open.
Noctis' teeth ground together. If only he were a little closer – he could have warped in and ended the miserable bastard's life. Too far…
"Stay right where you are!" Loqi's voice echoed, enhanced by a speaker. He was standing tall and proud, gleaming in his Imperial armor like he hadn't spent the last years of his life in a cell. "Well, well… it's been a long time, Prince. Oh, and Scientia's here as well! So, you both survived the Citadel… Just as well – killing you now will earn me back any credibility I might have lost during my imprisonment!"
With that, he smirked at them and stepped back and closed the cockpit once more, his war machine rearing back to life.
"Are you two ready for this?" Cor asked.
Ignis gave a stiff nod, his daggers flashing to hand.
"More than ready," Noctis growled. He'd been ready.
Cor and Gladio rushed in first, taking on both the legs of the machine at once. The hairs on the back of Noctis' neck stood on end, and he warped at the same time Ignis zipped forwards with lightling crackling around his daggers.
Lightning. Right.
Noctis hurled one of his own daggers high, warping above the machine. He twisted in midair, one of his magical flasks appearing in hand. With a grin, he spiked the flask onto the machine's head, landing for a brief moment on its arm.
The shock of the blast made the machine stagger, and Noctis wobbled on the arm, managing to keep his balance enough to summon his sword and drive it into the metal.
Below, Gladio and Cor took full advantage of the stagger and kept hacking away at the weaker spots on the leg while Prompto fired his gun on the run, circling around to Loqi's blindside.
"Noct!"
Recognizing Ignis' tone as one of warning, Noct warped back to the ground. Heat licked at his back, and he landed just in time to see fire crashing into the machine at multiple points.
Nice. Ignis had always had a way with magic that the rest of them didn't, but he rarely got to unleash that gift to its full potential in training or against the weaker monsters they'd faced lately. Looked like he was done holding back. Looked like everyone was done holding back when it came to Loqi – his machine wasn't going to last long.
And it didn't.
Maybe it was Cor, maybe it was their rage, or maybe it was just combined effort, but it barely took them any time to take down the machine's left leg. That and the lightning spell from before were apparently all Ignis needed.
With an eerie look of stoicism, Ignis summoned his lance and launched himself into the air. His strike landed exactly where it needed to on the head, causing sparks to fly. Even when the machine swayed, Ignis' feet stayed planted, and he drove the lance even further into its target.
Gladio whipped his sword around in a wide arc, breaking through the metal of the machine's other ankle and making that leg cave in too.
Ignis fell, letting his momentum carry him into a flip before he landed in a crouch.
The machine collapsed completely, broken joints screeching and clattering at they hit the pavement. And then the rumbling echoed out. The occasional spark became the only sound past Noctis' own breathing that he could hear.
Down. Loqi was down, but Noctis was pretty sure he was still alive, and that was something Noctis wanted to fix.
Gladio plowed over to the machine, beating Noctis to the cockpit and driving his sword into the crack. He pried the opening apart, using his sword as leverage until the door popped off, landing a few feet away with a loud clank.
Cor moved to back Gladio up, signaling for Noctis to stay put–
"Stay back!"
Noctis bent his knees, ready to spring as Gladio actually compiled with Loqi's demand.
Cor froze too.
That… couldn't be good.
Gladio scowled as his sword disappeared and he took a step back with his hands up. "This is a little counter productive, wouldn't you say?"
Ignis stepped between Noctis and everyone else, but Noctis could still see how Loqi followed Gladio with a grenade in hand, his hand ready to twitch and send them all up in flames.
If it were only the grenade, Gladio and Cor probably could have gotten of out of range, but with that stupid machine… If that grenade set off the engine, the blast radius would be a hell of a lot bigger.
Loqi glared death at all of them, he jaw set to one side "If you get your hands on me, you'll kill me – I might as well take you with me."
Dammit. Prison had not done Loqi well. He was more ruthless than ever. Noctis had absolutely no doubt that Loqi would do it. That look in Loqi's eye… He wasn't gonna let himself get taken again.
"Hey!"
Noctis blinked, locking onto Prompto's position still behind the mech suit. He had his gun trained on Loqi's head.
"Drop it, douche bag!"
Loqi's face went from steely resolve to confusion in a moment.
"I mean it!" Prompto's hands were completely steady. "I can pull this trigger a helluva lot faster than you can set that thing off!"
Loqi outright scoffed. "A child such as you? I'm no machine or creature of the wild – do you really think you can pull that trigger?"
Noctis couldn't help it. He barked out a laugh, earning him a brief, odd look from Loqi.
"What?" Loqi snapped.
"Irony, thy name is Loqi," Ignis said in a polished tone that was calmer than Noctis knew he had to be feeling. The pure hatred in Ignis' gaze could have melted a small icecap.
Loqi looked further confused, but still equally ready to blow them all up.
"Buddy… I was seventeen last time I shot you – this time I won't just put you in a medical ward."
Damn. Prompto was sounding hardcore. Good for him.
Fury almost equally that of Ignis' current mood blossomed on Loqi's face. "You? You were the sniper–"
"That you failed to blow up? Yep. That's me. Now. Grenade. Drop. Please."
Loqi didn't get a chance to reply.
There was a groan from the sky – a dropship bearing down on their position.
Dammit.
Things had just gotten more complicated.
DIE LOQI
