A/N: An attempt to redo my previous Ignis centered drabble by mixing it into this current drabble. Let me know what you think! Also I got a Beta reader/ Editor for this series. (BarefootBassist)
Ignis was there to greet the Amicitias at the hospital; his eyes took in the bandage covering Gladio's left eye and the blood staining his clothes, as well as the injuries visible on Iris' skin, with great worry. He fell into step with them as paramedics brought them into the emergency room where a few nurses quickly moved to take over their care. "Lord Amicitia, if I might have a word with you?"
The usually stoic King's Shield seemed torn as he glanced between his children and Ignis with a worried and heartbroken look in his eyes. It took a pointed look from Iris and a soft whispered conversation between Gladio and his father before the older man turned to Ignis and nodded.
Ignis headed towards one of the private rooms scattered around the emergency area of the hospital. He could hear Gladio's dad following after with heavy steps. Ignis locked the door once they were both inside and turned to face the older man.
Clarus Amicitia had always been a steady presence in Ignis' life, though a somewhat distant one, before Prompto had arrived like a storm. Now the father of his boyfriend was pale, with a slight trembling visible to Ignis' eyes and looking utterly exhausted, something Ignis could not recall seeing before.
"Please sit down, Sir Clarus. You look like you're about to collapse." Ignis asked softly, his demeanor no longer that of the prince's advisor but rather that of a worried friend.
Clarus started to shake his head but the movement seemed to send him slightly off balance and he relented to drop heavily into one of the seats beside him. "My apologies Ignis. What is it that you wished to talk about?"
Ignis took a seat as well and offered the older man a tight smile before speaking, "I should be the one to apologies for taking you away from Gladio and Iris. The Marshall shall be arriving shortly with some of the Crownsguard, but his Majesty asked me to take down a first account of what happened." Ignis took out a pad of paper and a pen and wrote down the date and time at the top.
Clarus took a deep breath and nodded before he spoke of the events over the last few hours. Ignis wrote down everything, using his own version of shorthand to ensure accuracy and efficiency of the statements. Clarus didn't show him the video he had received from the kidnappers and would-be assassins, but the details he gave Ignis had the advisor bristling with anger.
It took a good 10 minutes to go through everything, and Cor appeared a few minutes before Ignis was done confirming all the details of the statement. As Ignis put away his things, Cor filled them on what was going on with Gladio and Iris. "Gladiolus is in surgery; the bullet grazed his eye and lodged into his side. The doctors need to get it out before they can stitch anything. Iris is fine now; the doctors have treated her bruises and determined she didn't have any broken bones or internal bleeding. Monica is with her, and Jared arrived with some clothes and basic necessities for all of you."
Ignis watched as Clarus seemed to be caught between relief that his daughter would not have any physical scars, and worry about Gladio being in surgery. He got up with his bag in hand and, with a parting word of advice that Clarus call the king soon, Ignis left the room and headed towards the trio of Crownsguards standing in front of a room.
Ignis glanced into it and smiled at Iris, her small form now changed into a hospital gown. He didn't stop to talk with her, opting to leave her to Jared who was sitting by her side, and left the hospital completely.
Once he was outside, he grabbed his phone and called Noctis. The prince answered on the first ring with a worried, "How are they?"
Ignis smiled as he slid into the backseat of the Crown issued car and answered, "Clarus is unharmed, if shaken by what happened. Iris is bruised but is expected to make a full recovery quickly. As for Gladio, he is currently undergoing surgery." Ignis winced at Noctis' shout at that and waited a bit before he was able to talk again, "He apparently pushed his father out of the path from a bullet. The bullet grazed his eye and ended up lodged in his side. The Glaives gave him a potion quickly but the bullet was still in him and the doctors need to get it out."
Ignis wasn't too surprised when Prompto's voice came through the phone as the two young men had been together since Gladio had sent his earlier message concerning a possible assassination attempt towards the royal family. "But he'll be alright, right?" Prompto asked, worried.
Ignis was quick to reassure them both, "Gladiolus will be quite fine once the surgery is over. He may have a few new scars but knowing him, he will be trying to slip into the training halls before the end of the week." Ignis smiled to himself as he heard the chuckles from Noct and Prompto; it was infinitely better than hearing them so worried.
His phone beeped and Ignis moved it away long enough to see the message flashing on the screen and sighed, "I'm sorry Noct, Prompto. It would appear I am needed at Glaive headquarters. Stay at the apartment; I will let you know if anything changes." Ignis smiled softly as his boyfriends bade him to be careful before he hung up and dialed Ravus.
"Ignis, where are you?" Ravus demanded as soon as he answered.
Ignis frowned and glanced out of the window before he answered, "I'm passing Avinias Avenue right now. What is it?"
Ravus sighed, sounding utterly stressed as he replied, "We found a series of papers, we assume letters or orders, but they are unreadable even with magic. Do you have time to stop and take a look?"
Ignis tapped mindlessly on his bag and then agreed, "I shall arrive in 15 minutes." He met the driver's gaze and saw they were aware of the change of plans.
Ravus paused before he asked in a low whisper, "How are they?"
Ignis bit off the smile threatening to take over his expression as he answered Ravus' worries, "They will be fine. Iris has some bruising but nothing beyond that thankfully. Gladio will have some new scars and will undoubtedly be a pain for us all when he decides he is well enough to train again but that is all."
Ravus' relief could be clearly heard in the sigh that followed Ignis' words. Ignis didn't hold back his smile this time and he bid Ravus goodbye.
With his destination so suddenly changed, and without knowing how long it would take him to return to the Citadel as he had planned, Ignis decided to call his uncle to update him and, by extension, the king of what he had learned so far. He took quick pictures of his notes (his uncle had been the one to teach him his shorthand writing), sent it to him, and called.
"Ignis, thank you for talking with Clarus for us." Ventus greeted warmly as he answered the call.
Ignis replied, "It was no trouble, Uncle. Is his Majesty there with you?"
"Yes, he is. Is there something wrong?" His uncle asked, tone growing more worried with each word.
Ignis leaned against his seat as he answered, "Perhaps, though all three Amicitias are expected to make a full recovery. Ravus just contacted me; his Glaives found a possible paper trail but they have not been able to make sense of it. I am on my way to take a look myself and thought it best that you receive my notes as quickly as possible despite this detour."
"As dutiful as always." His uncle said, "I'll translate your notes for his Majesty. Call us should you or Ravus need any assistance with this matter. And please be careful."
Ignis nodded to himself and replied, "I will let you know quickly should this pan out into something of use to the investigation." He hung up soon after and checked through his bag to remind himself of what he had, and what he might require at the Glaives headquarters.
Nyx was waiting for him to arrive, opening the door for Ignis with a smirk and half bow. "Hey Specs, heard the commander asked you for back up."
Ignis chuckled at that and followed the older glaive into the building. "He did indeed. Might you fill me in on what has happened? I have just returned from talking with Lo...Sir Clarus at the hospital."
Nyx glanced over his shoulder at Ignis before he answered, slowing his pace slightly. "From the look on your face, I'm guessing they'll be fine. As for what happened since we landed in the middle of that shit show, those guys were definitely professionals." Nyx huffed and frowned, his expression tinged with anger. "None of them are talking though we've been civilized so far. We looked through everything they had and found only three things. Weapons - mostly guns and a few daggers. The key to a ask-no-question motel; it's being raided right now but we don't expect anything from it. Lastly, each of them had a single sheet of paper written in some unknown language or code. Each one was different from the others so we are considering them to be personal orders for whatever they were planning."
Ignis listened carefully, his mind cataloguing and rearranging the information Nyx was giving him. It certainly was odd, why would clear professionals have written orders on their person? That would be against the most basic of rules when one works at the behest of incognito patrons.
He didn't have much time to consider anything else as his guide stopped in front of a well-worn door. Ignis dipped his head in thanks as he raised a hand to knock on the door.
It didn't take long for Ignis to find himself seated opposite Ravus, a few marked papers being slid towards him by an exhausted looking man. Ignis cast a quick glance at the papers before refocusing his attention on Ravus, "Are you feeling unwell, Ravus?"
Ravus grumbled something under his breath, and Ignis sighed in mock exasperation. The words had often been repeated by many towards the still-new commander of the Kingsglaives, "If you require assistance, you need only to ask, dear friend."
Ravus looked away from Ignis straightforward gaze, a soft blush creeping up his neck and Ignis chuckled before finally taking a good look at the papers in question. Each sheet looked unremarkable; the paper seemed to be the standard found all over Eos. Ignis touched the surface of it lightly, even holding one of the sheets up until he could see the light shining through the thin material.
Nothing unusual to be seen.
He turned his attention to what was on the papers themselves. Each paper held some kind of script, but none appeared to be the same. Ignis noted with curiosity that each paper had been penned by a different person and using a different pen; the color appearing to be black when looked at directly, but as Ignis manipulated them he noticed subtle shades of color appearing fleetingly.
He could feel Ravus watching him as he explored the evidence in front of him with meticulous care, but Ignis paid little heed as he worked.
The pure black ink was used by a right-handed person who seemed unused to writing by hand, if the way the symbols were jammed tightly together in the second half of every line was any indication.
The black ink with blue tones was used by someone who put a lot of importance on equal spacing between every symbol. Ignis could see faint traces of graphite lines marking precise beginning points for each symbol across the paper.
The writer using black ink with a golden tone to it was the exact opposite; each symbol uneven in a careless manner.
The more details Ignis noticed as he examined the papers, the more confused he was. The very presence of the papers was a contradiction to the carefully planned execution of the Amicitias' kidnapping and the torture they put Iris through. Add to this the sheer difference in each individual paper, and Ignis found himself wondering whether this might just be an elaborate distraction concerning a bigger plan they had yet to unravel.
"Ravus, I believe the prisoners are within this building, correct?" Ignis asked softly as he laid down the papers with care.
Ravus nodded, "They are. Have you figured something out?" He rose from his seat and walked around his desk.
Ignis hummed as he followed Ravus out of his office, "More like the lack of something is quite indicative in this case."
Ravus frowned but said nothing as he walked through the halls, nodding his greetings to the Glaives that passed by them. They walked up a flight of stairs before arriving at a heavy set metal door guarded by four Glaives.
The Glaives saluted Ravus as they approached, "Commander!"
Ravus grinned as he waved them down. "At ease, we will be seeing our prisoners. Anything new since my departure?"
There was a sharp look in the eyes of the man who answered, "One of them tried to start a fight with Altius; I think she scared the crap out of him though."
Ignis grinned at the news. Crowe Altius was a sharp and ruthless lady who had found her way into his heart since her arrival in Insomnia, and he pitied the fool who had angered her. Ravus seemed to have the same thoughts - or close enough - as he shook his head and walked through the now-open doors with Ignis beside him.
The holding area of the Kingsglaives' headquarters was rarely used, since it was rare for them to be involved in matters within the Crown City and even rarer for them to capture prisoners of war. Still, the hall Ignis saw was spotless and clean, a series of metal doors lining the walls and leading to each holding cell.
Ravus turned to Ignis, "How do you want to do this?"
Ignis replied, "Talking with the leader of this group would be most advantageous. May I enter alone?"
Ravus frowned at the request, "Alone? Are you certain?"
Ignis nodded and waited for Ravus' answer. The man sighed and walked halfway down the hall before stopping at a door. He looked back at Ignis. "This is where she's being kept at the moment. The leader's name is apparently Alice or so she claims. We found no ID on her or any of her accomplices. I will allow you to go in alone, but we will be watching through the security system. Anything happens and I will enter."
Ignis nodded again,"Thank you Ravus." He turned to the door, took a deep breath in and then knocked on the door and waited a few moments before entering.
The holding cell was unremarkable, four walls of concrete with a single table in the middle. Two chairs flanked the table though only one was unoccupied.
Ignis saw a single visible camera in the corner but it was unlikely that it was the only one within the room. He turned his attention to the occupant of the room and introduced himselfn "Good evening, my name is Ignis…"
The woman interrupted, "Scientia. Yes I am well aware of who you are." The woman smirked and leaned back on her chair. "Advisor to Crown Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, and a loyal subject to the Crown. How did you enjoy Evan's hospitality?"
Ignis tensed up at the mention of the man who had kidnapped and tortured him some time ago. He heard Ravus move from the hall and knew he couldn't allow this woman to take control of their encounter.
Ignis forced himself to take a deep breath before he started taking a good look at the person right in front of him. 'Alice' was a blonde-haired and shapely woman who could easily draw the gaze of others, or pass unnoticed if she so wished. She was wearing clothes given by the Glaives when they had searched her and confiscated all that was on her.
Her posture appeared relaxed, but was tightly controlled. Ignis lowered his gaze to her nails, and barely restrained a smile. "I am honored that a Daughter of Orbis would know of me. I suppose I should be honored to be considered such a great threat by the Empire."
The woman jerked upright in utter surprise and shock as Ignis made his way to sit at the table across from her. He was glad to have insisted on learning about the Empire's vast array of spy networks that worked either directly under the Emperor or were used by the higher ranking members of the government and military.
'Alice' stared at Ignis with a carefully constructed blank expression though he could now see fear and worry within her stiff posture. Ignis met her gaze evenly and waited patiently for the next move.
It didn't take too long before she did so, her voice steady as she spoke, "I suppose I should have expected Lucis to know of our existence, but I admit being surprised at how you managed to figure that I was one." She smiled flirtatiously at Ignis.
Ignis suppressed a sigh as he ignored the all-too-obvious attempt at seduction in favor of asking, "What was your aim? The questions you've asked Lord Amicitia suggest an assassination attempt on the Royal Family, but we both know that's not the goal here."
'Alice' tensed up minutely before laughing, "Is that so? Then why don't you tell me what you think our goal is then?"
Ignis smirked and clarified, "Not 'our' goal but rather yours personally. Isn't that right?" He suppressed his grin as the woman clearly grew frightened for a split second before she managed to regain her composure but it was enough for Ignis to get an idea of the situation.
Ignis spoke again, not allowing her any time to recover from the surprise of his words. "Let us speak hypothetically. Say, for instance, that a spy is tired of obeying their master. Say, for instance, that this same spy was given a fairly impossible task to complete but one that would provide a perfect opportunity to disappear with ease and leave no one any wiser. Say, for instance, the task is the assassination of a well-defended enemy."
Ignis paused for a moment, gauging his audience's reaction to his words before continuing. "Now the best way to ensure that their disappearance goes smoothly, hypothetically speaking, would be to fulfill the job given to them while simultaneously making it seem as though they had died. Of course, this spy would be aware of the risks of failing before they've gotten away and would have some kind of backup to ensure that even in failure they would have leverage to ensure their safety."
Ignis hoped that Ravus was listening in and using what he was saying to get information from the other prisoners. He stopped a moment to organize his next words carefully. "This backup plan could be any number of things. Information on their master, information on any fail-safes or insurances that their master sent along with them or even… Even encrypted papers holding false information."
'Alice' interrupted, "This is all still hypothetical, Sir Scientia. Why don't you just go ahead and tell me what you want."
Ignis stayed silent for a moment after her interruption before speaking again, "I believe the better question is why each of your men had unreadable papers, each written by someone different, using different pens, while on a suicidal assassination attempt. So, Miss 'Alice', was I speaking in mere hypotheticals or did I properly understand the true situation?"
'Alice' seemed to ponder Ignis' words for a minute or so before she spoke, "Yes and no. I would appreciate any help Lucis has to offer concerning my defection from Niflheim but my group was not sent to assassinate anyone, much less someone of royal blood. Rather, we were tasked to gather information for someone else who has their own target in mind."
Ignis kept his face stern and expressionless as he demanded, "Where are they?"
'Alice' smirked, crossed her arms and made her own demands, "I want a guaranteed pardon for all my crimes, full citizenship and a secure job with a salary of 200,000 gil or whatever equivalent you use here."
Ignis shot back, "I will have to speak with his Majesty and the Council. They would be more inclined to accept your request if you were to give me something useful right now."
'Alice' simply leaned back with a satisfied smile and waited. Ignis could clearly see he would not be getting anything else from her and quietly left the holding cell, anger and worry churning in his stomach.
He was expecting Ravus to be waiting for him as soon as he got out; instead, he saw the Kingsglaive commander talking quickly on the phone with someone. Ignis moved towards him and was able to pick up a few words, "Yes…No… I'll get the Marshall to send more guards… Your priority at this moment is to bring the prisoners here… Good, now shut up and do it, Ulric."
Ravus hung up with a grumble and a sigh. Ignis frowned and asked, "What happened?"
Ravus motioned for Ignis to follow him out as he spoke, "While you were speaking with 'Alice' I had the Glaives assigned to the other prisoners listening in. They were able to get some of them to talk thanks to your hypothetical situation and what 'Alice' revealed afterwards. Apparently the true assassin was staying as a guest in House Ilumna. I was about to call Cor and tell him to grab the assassin when Nyx called from the hospital."
Ignis blanched and exclaimed, "Gladio! Is he alright? And Iris?"
Ravus gave him a reassuring smile,"They're fine." He chuckled, "Our assassin underestimated Iris. She was watching over Gladio with a nurse while the doctors were talking with Clarus. She noticed the nurse was not quite right and took them down by herself. Nyx found proof that they were the assassin on them right there and then. He and a few Glaives are bringing them here for interrogation."
Ignis sighed in relief then realized, "They can't stay there."
Ravus nodded, "I'm about to call Cor, tell him what happened and ask that he sends an Crownsguard escort to bring all three of them to the Citadel… I hate to ask after all your help but could you contact Aunt Sylva for me and get her to set up what Gladio will need in the Shield's Quarters? I'm going to have to stay here for a while. I should call Luna too." He muttered the last part to himself.
Ignis nodded, mind racing through the ramifications of this news. Had the children been the target all along? And the kidnapping just a way to gauze the importance of Iris and Gladio in Clarus' eyes?
Those thoughts occupied his mind as he dialed Sylva's phone number and quickly let her know about the change of plans. Lunafreya was with her, and thus Ignis was able to let her know Ravus would be staying at the headquarters for a while longer.
As he looked at the lights shining through the city, Ignis allowed most of his tension to fade. He had done his duty and everyone was safe and would be back on their feet soon. Ignis looked down at the phone in his hand and smiled as he thought of a good reward for Iris' courage.
"Prompto? Sorry to disturb you, Gladio will be transferred to the Citadel by morning. Could you do me a favor on your way there tomorrow morning? Drop by my apartment and pick these ingredients up…" Gladio had been complaining of how Iris had been craving some Moogle ShortCake.