If Loqi hadn't been so keen on picking up on every detail possible, he might have dozed off during Cortez's lengthy broadcast. Sweet Shiva. A melodious voice did not a natural speaker make. Sure, he'd delivered it well enough, but there was enough repetition in that speech to start a drinking game.

But then Cortez finally moved on. His speech was tying up and coming to an end – Loqi could tell.

"…and to ensure you all of our good will, I present to you proof that your former leaders remain unharmed at this time."

Ah. So this had been why they were warned to behave. He wanted them to speak to prove they were alive, but he didn't want them mouthing off and ruining his message or giving any clues that might get them rescued.

Cortez snapped his fingers away from the mic and pointed at Loqi. Immediately, Marquez and Fermont moved to grab hold of Loqi's chair and dragged him forwards so he was within range of the mic as well.

"Behave," Fermont reminded with a hiss right into Loqi's ear.

Cortez fished out another piece of paper that had been in his coat, holding it up for Loqi to see.

Loqi glared at him for a moment but complied, filling his voice with as much disdain as he possibly could while still sticking to the script on the paper. He kept the glare on Cortez the entire time.

Cortez was clearly irritated, but evidently not irritated enough to interrupt his message so long as it was being delivered in some manner.

Loqi finished the assurance that he and his comrades were all okay with an upturn in the pitch of his voice that perfectly carried mocking note he'd been aiming for.

Cortez scowled and gestured harshly to his lackeys, who callously dragged Loqi and his chair back to where they'd been before.

Loqi smirked, proud of himself.

…But it looked like Cortez still wasn't done speaking. By the Astrals…

He had to tie up his ridiculously lengthy speech.

"I ask that you all think over what I have said. Think of your children. Think of your loved ones that haven't been lost to this darkness. Think of them and ask yourself this: do you really want to let those who brought our world down this path to keep determining their future?"

Loqi rolled his eyes again. Was this supposed to be an attempt to beg people to his cause or a guilt trip? Or was he trying to go for both?

Whatever the case, he'd finally finished. Cortez cut the transmission with a firm press of his pointer finger on the button.

Thank Bahamut. Any more of that drivel and Loqi would be asking them to kill him so he could be put out of his misery.

"You watch yourself," Cortez growled, turning in his chair to glare daggers right back at Loqi.

Loqi held onto his feeling of pride even as Fermont backhanded him across the face, splitting his lip.

"Oi!" Petra protested, his chair shrieking against the floor as he yanked against his bonds.

"Sit still, you!" snapped Marquez.

Loqi laughed, his vision still spinning a bit. "Oh, filled with mercy, are you? Yes, clearly that part of your little speech was ever so accurate!"

Cortez rose from his chair, calmly striding over to Loqi to grab his jaw and force his head straight. "I would like to be merciful. And I shall be. Unless you keep giving me reasons not to be."

"You expect us to sit here and comply with your every demand based on your assumptions that your view alone is the only one that can fix the world?" Cor asked calmly.

"I expect you to have a sense of self preservation," Cortez shot back at him without even glancing in his direction. "I may loathe what you lot have done, but I'd rather not bring humanity closer to the brink of extinction."

Loqi's jaw ached, but he refused to let the pain show on his face.

"So you're, what, just going to keep us?" Fita piped up.

"For now." Cortez finally let go of Loqi's jaw, signaling for his merry little band to follow him as he back towards the exit to the room. "Once the cities are fully settled under the proper rulers, then we can look at other accommodations."

"You can't be serious," Fita protested. "Do you really think everything is going to fall into place like that and the people will accept what you're after?"

"Only time will tell, Miss Orpahdoss." He turned away from them all. "I'll be sure to give you an update at mealtime."

Nothing more was said until the door clicked shut behind the group of idiots.

Blast. They'd taken their transmitting device with them. Unfortunate that their idiocy didn't extend to leaving that here.

"…This is bloody ridiculous," Petra muttered. "'O the 'ell 'as time to be racist in this world?"

"Pretty sure its xenophobia, not actually racism," Fita corrected.

"Oh, thanks, I feel much better now that I know the right synonym. All our problems are solved," Petra said dryly.

"Oh, do shut up, Lapdog." Loqi licked his split lip. "We have a limited amount of time until they return, and we'd best use it wisely. Fita, how do you rate your chances of being able to get out of these bonds?"

"Pretty good, actually." He couldn't see what she was doing, but she was definitely shifting around on her seat. "Figured out that much while he was yacking away."

Petra snorted. "That man clearly never 'ad a class in public speaking."

"We will need a plan should she be able to free us," Cor reminded. "We are outnumbered and they're all armed."

"Their transmitter," Loqi said instantly. "Even were we to escape without being detected, we wouldn't make it far with the daemons and no supplies. We need to find out where we are and let one of the cities know."

"We could try the air ducts?" Fita suggested in chipper sarcasm. "Always worked in the movies…"

Petra snorted again. "Oh, yeah, Lackey might be small enough to fit!"

Loqi eyed the closest vent. "…I hate you both."

"…You probably are small enough, aren't you?"

"Shut up, Lapdog."


"Mr. Fleuret–"

"No," Ravus said flatly, striding past the stupid reporter and intentionally not even sparing them a glance. He had the maps he'd gone to fetch, and he needed to get them back to the others so they could start working.

"But–"

"In case you failed to notices, I have a crisis to take care of," Ravus growled.

The reporter sighed loudly. "Just thought you might want to counter all the claims that guy made and put the citizens at ease."

"That repetitious drivel that was just preached does not even warrant damage control," Ravus said dryly as he kept walking, leaving the reporter in his wake.

"That's a big assumption given how many people are crammed into this city right now!"

Ravus internally screamed in frustration.

Dismantle the press. He was going to dismantle the press. He was going to find a way. "And what would you have me do – pause my efforts to rescue our people so I can compose a counter speech?"

"Maybe not a whole speech, but some sort of statement would be a lot more assuring to them than dead silence from the leaders they have left!" the reporter called after him. And that he was not telling to any reporter.

"Then tell them we're doing our best to rectify the situation!"

Honestly, he was busy. Nothing was going to get done if he sat around coddling people instead of solving the issue.

"So, to clarify, you don't share this guy's opinion that the cities should be placed solely under Tenebraen rule?"

Ravus rolled his eyes. "Don't be asinine. Of course I don't. Anyone who does is an idiot."

"But he was right with some of his facts!"

Ravus took some pride at how the reporter's breathing was becoming labored behind him as he tried to keep up.

"Your nation was caught in the war between Lucis and the Empire, and your family was imprisoned because of that!"

"I'm well aware, thank you," Ravus groused. "But this world is not the same as it was. National rivalries are for fools who have a scarce chance of survival. We stand together – Lucian, Imperial, and Tenebraen alike – or we will all perish. Those unwilling to move on from the past will die with it."

"Ha!" the reporter cheered. "Now that is a quote I can use! Thank you!"

"…My pleasure," Ravus said, his tone conveying anything but. Although he would be pleased now that he was to be left alone.

Maybe it was a long shot, but they just might be able to determine the general range of distance to their missing people now that they had travel timeframe to work with. It would give… Ardyn a narrower range of areas to check.

Astrals help them, the Accursed monster who had brought about the near end of the world was their best hope.