The MTs and daemons poured in and the Regalia rolled away. Half the MTs turned to follow the car. The other half turned toward Ignis and Iris. It would have been comforting to say he had been in worse situations but just then he couldn't think of one.
No time for that now.
"This way." He ushered Iris down the street and they ducked off the main road, searching for a way to circle back around.
He could have been more familiar with the area. He would have been considerably more at ease if he had clearer memories of this neighborhood. If they got out of this alive with Insomnia intact, he was memorizing every street map he could acquire. For now he ran, hand-in-hand with Iris, as fast as her legs would carry her.
"Wait—" She pulled back, turning toward a branching street. "This way to the Citadel."
Of course. Why hadn't he considered the fact that this was Iris' neighborhood? She knew the ins and outs, even if he did not.
He bowed to her superior knowledge. She led and he followed, and they made progress; the tri-towers of the Citadel rose up in the distance, oddly dark without the light from the crystal projecting the Wall. But they weren't alone in the deserted neighborhood.
It was still unsettling to see the black daemonic mist swirling up in columns and the creatures that crawled out from within. Insomnia had always been a safe haven. For it to be anything else was wrong. If the street had been wider, they might have cut around without engaging. But they were still among the houses and passing out of the richer district into a neighborhood where homes pressed close together.
"Stand clear, Iris." Ignis drew his knives. Iris made a sound of affirmative and Ignis dove in. Three daemons. He could handle three on his own.
He cut across the first one in a series of rapid, parallel strikes, leaving streaks of black goo on his blades and opponent. Fighting while keeping half an eye on someone else was old hat. Noctis couldn't have kept his nose out of trouble if it reeked of fish.
On second thought, that was a poor metaphor. This was Noct, after all.
But at least Noctis was armed with a sword and magic. And he wasn't fifteen anymore. Ignis resolved to keep a whole eye on Iris and spared only one for the daemons.
She followed his instructions to the T, keeping out of sight, but when she did catch the attention of one daemon, she dodged nimbly, drawing it a little farther out.
"Iris—" Ignis struck hard and fast, shoving his opponent off his blade so that he could take to her side.
He might have spared himself the trouble.
"Don't worry about me, Ignis." Iris shot him a grin, ducked to avoid a swiping claw, and dropped to sweep the daemon's legs out from under it. Then she pushed up and brought her heel down right on what might have been called its throat, had it been any more human-shaped. The only sound it made was a wet gurgle as black ichor welled from its throat.
Ignis stopped.
She dusted herself off and smiled. "Didn't think my dad would let me off easy, just because I'm a girl, did you?"
But of course. She was an Amicitia. And she was Clarus' daughter, through and through.
"Hey, Ignis. You there?"
His shirt pocket was speaking in Noctis' voice. He had all but forgotten that he had picked up Monica's radio inside the house and dropped it into his breast pocket. It seemed it was still functional. He fitted it on his ear and tapped the button.
"Here and very much alive, Noct. Iris is taking excellent care of me."
Iris laughed.
"Uh. Right. Well, we're on our way into the square, so hurry up."
"Of course," Ignis said. "And Noctis?"
"Yeah?"
"Please do not drive and speak on the radio at the same time."
"Do they know where Dad is?" Iris asked.
Ignis relayed. While neither Noct nor the others with him had any idea of Clarus' whereabouts, the frequency they were using was open to the rest of the Crownsguard as well. And someone knew.
"He was on the treaty room floor out cold when I left," said Cor's voice. "Don't use this frequency for chatter."
Not the most reassuring answer, but it could have been worse. The information only seemed to steel Iris' resolve, however. Her jaw tightened and her fists clenched.
"What're we waiting for, then? Let's get going!"