Arguably, Iris was a better ally to have at his back than Noctis. There was the simple fact that she listened and followed directions, for one. And, while she didn't have as much experience as Noct did, she had evidently devoted herself fully to what combat lessons she had received in her scant fifteen years. She was, after all, an Amicitia.
Following the first encounter, Ignis worried less about her. She was excellent at keeping out of the way and did quite well, given that she was unarmed, even when conflict was unavoidable. They made good time through the streets, avoiding MTs and daemons as often as they were able. Full night had fallen by then, though the city was never truly dark. It seemed impossible: while Magitek engines blazed overhead and MTs marched through the streets, some places were, as of yet, untouched. Even so, they were never unaware of the present dangers. The daemons avoided the flood of streetlights, but keeping to the shadows ensured greater cover against MTs. Either way they had a fight on their hands.
They were just reaching the main street—a sharp turn would bring them back to the Citadel to reunite with Noct and the others—when Cor's voice sounded over the radio.
"All available units converge on the southern warehouses. Be on your guard, the emperor may be nearby."
Ignis hesitated. Hand of the Heir he may have been, but he was still a Crownsguard. And the marshal's instructions left no room for 'if's, 'and's, or 'but's. Which was more important: returning to the Citadel or taking Emperor Aldercapt into custody?
They were mere blocks from the warehouses. All he had to do was turn the opposite direction. And time was of the essence.
"This way." Ignis caught Iris' arm and changed their course.
"Huh?"
"Change of plan." He reached up to tap the transmitter on his radio. "Affirmative, Marshal. Diverting toward the warehouses now."
"Don't you dare take my sister into that!" Gladio's voice responded.
Yes, he was bound to disagree.
"What's your location, Scientia?"
"We are at the south end of Caelum Street," Ignis said.
A pause. Then: "That makes you the closest. Proceed with caution; Gods know what you'll find up there. Maybe nothing."
"Marshal, he's got Iris with him!" Gladio shouted.
"You have your orders, Scientia; carry them out," Cor said.
"Yes, Sir." Ignis kicked into a brisk jog. "Come, Iris! There is no time to waste."
"Where to?" She asked.
"To apprehend Emperor Aldercapt, if we are extraordinarily lucky."
Her eyes widened and she stumbled a step. Ignis, still holding onto her arm, caught her and pulled her upright again.
"The emperor?" Her voice cracked on the way out. "Why?"
"He must have escaped from the signing. If I were Princess Reina, I would want a powerful bargaining chip to turn this around." He gestured to the skies, which were thick with imperial ships. "Quickly now. Save your breath for the run."
Caelum street ended at the end of the residential zone, just as the ground began to slope steeply upward into the industrial area. The rise was so steep that the road switch-backed up to the top. On foot it would be faster to cut across. Not easier, but they had no time for that now.
They might as well make Iris a full Crownsguard after this was over. If this was over. He tried not to think about the alternatives, just as he tried not to think about what had become of Reina after she had left the crystal chamber, or how Noctis was faring without him.
It was best to focus on the climb.
He boosted Iris up over the retaining wall at the base before vaulting after. The hillside was thick with brush and unkempt greenery—not a landscaped park, but merely what happened to earth when it was left to its own devices in a moderately damp environment. They trudged through it. Bushes caught on his sleeves and Iris' skirt—not precisely the best attire for this sort of activity—but he tried to strike a balance between the most direct route to the top and the one that took them through the fewest thorny plants.
Too soon, Ignis' breath burned in his chest and his legs began to ache from the climb. Iris clutched her side and winced with every other step. The pushed onward, though the city lights faded away below and every step they took on uneven ground became more treacherous. They couldn't afford to catch their breath; if the emperor was truly at the top, they had no way of knowing for how long. Insomnia had scant chance for survival without a powerful hostage.
When they did reach the top, Ignis hardly registered it. He very nearly tumbled straight over the guard rail that separated the slope from the pavement beyond, but he caught himself and halted Iris before she could make the same mistake. And they stood, gasping so hard for air that they must have been audible at the bottom of the slope.
The lights from the warehouses, factories, and packing facilities flooded great open swaths of pavement. The space was meant to accommodate a small fleet of delivery trucks maneuvering around each other. It appeared the empty space was large enough to land a Magitek engine or two, as well.
Ignis grabbed Iris' arm and pulled her down until they both crouched in the bushes behind the guard rail. Chances were, in the dark, they wouldn't be spotted. But it was always better safe than sorry.
"Marshal." He dropped his voice to a whisper when he activated his radio again. "Magitek engine at the east end of the plateau. No visual on the emperor, but I do see a small army of MTs."
The pause dragged on.
Finally: "Numbers?"
"At least fifty of them, Sir."
"Hold your position. Report any changes."
"Affirmative, Marshal."
Ignis crept along the outside of the rail with Iris shadowing him. If they were meant to stand watch, they would require a more secure location. Then it was merely a matter of praying that the others arrived before the ships took flight with the emperor on board. If he was even present.