5

The relief at gaining Camelia's cooperation was short lived when the doors to her office burst open and Nif soldiers poured in. Sword in hand, Noctis prepared to fight his way out, even as he wondered what that would do to the agreement and for Lunafreya's plans.

When General Glauca strode forth, making the previously good sized office feel tiny from his presence, Noctis didn't think he'd have time to worry about anything else. He'd avoided him so far simply because Glauca had been dealing with Insomnia and the rebel pockets that had popped up around the ruined city. But now Noctis' luck in that regard had run out. Glauca had an uncanny ability to fight against Caelum magic and Noctis would need every trick up his sleeve, and probably a Summoning, to survive a battle with him.

Except Glauca made no move to attack, standing there like a statue, staring so hard it made Noctis' skin crawl.

Fine, then, Noctis was willing to take the advantage of the first move if Glauca didn't want it.

He had honestly expected his blade to be caught, and even for he himself to be caught as he warped in, but he hadn't expected to…not be hit, or thrown, or broken in some way.

Instead, it was almost like Glauca was holding him…gently. Hands that could crush skulls ever so careful to not even leave a bruise.

"What the fuck are you–"

Before Noctis could finish his question, Glauca's armor began to peel away, and he stopped struggling as soon as he saw a face he never thought he'd see again. He'd been told Titus had died in Insomnia, had thought he was one more thing that the Nifs had taken from him.

"Drautos?" Ignis sputtered from somewhere off to the side, having engaged the troopers around them.

"Uncle Titus," Noctis finally managed, strangled and small.

Somewhere behind him, Camelia seemed to be attempting to get control of the situation. "General Glauca! What is the meaning of this?"

Titus' gaze finally left Noctis' face as he glared over his shoulder at the First Secretary. "My nephew is clearly not healthy at the moment, as his next of kin, I'm removing him from this unsafe environment and will be getting him proper medical and psychological care."

Noctis coughed, choking on the jumble of words that he wanted to say in response to that, starting with how Camelia's office was hardly an "unsafe environment" before it was filled with Nifs and ending with the fact Titus–Glauca-was the cause of a not small amount of his trauma in the past and present.

His armor adding to his already impressive strength, Noctis wasn't surprised how easily Titus manhandled him into the hallway despite his struggles. He could hear his retinue yelling after them, the First Secretary demanding more information, but it was impossible to pay attention to them.

"Why are you really doing this?"

"These pacts with the astrals are a fool's errand, Noctis," Titus replied, the vocoder turning on halfway through his words as the mask covered his face once more. "And I won't have you be Izunia's puppet in this."

Noctis started struggling harder as he noticed the ship waiting for them, knowing he definitely didn't want to end up in the air with Nifs. "What does Ardyn have to do with anything?"

"Noct…I'll explain once we're somewhere safer."

There was no where that was safer when Glauca was there, but Noctis wasn't getting a choice.