A Older Brother's Wrath.

Things were starting to look up for the gang. Despite not finding their car, they were able to receive the blessing from the storm god, without having to fight it. Though the trip to get it wasn't that easy as they had to travel to different locations and fight their way through a cave full of deadly daemons. Including the snake looking female Daemon called Naga. With their current quest completed, it was time to continue to wait for Cindy to contact them and tell them about where their car is. They return to the surface where they noticed the storm had cleared up.

"Hey, it stopped raining!" Prompto said happily. And who could blame him? The rain was getting annoying.

"Guess Ramuh finally got sick of showers" Gladio said before an enormous winged ship flies overhead "Up there, it's huge!".

"Way bigger than the last one we saw!" Prompto said.

"Wow, no way that is an ordinary ship" Asuka said.

Noctis's cell phone rings and he answers "Yeah".

"Hey, Highness. About your car…" Came the voice of Cindy.

"Yeah?" Noctis asked.

"Well, I found her, but she's at a base" Cindy said.

Noctis looked down in annoyance "Ugh…".

"Now, I can handle garage folk no problem, but sweet-talkin' the empire? That'll take some doing" Cindy said.

"Don't worry about it" Noctis said.

"Yeah?" Cindy asked.

"We'll figure it out" Noctis assured.

"You sure about that?" Cindy asked in some concern.

"Yeah, thanks for the heads up. Later" Noctis said before he hung up.

"Who was that?" Gladio asked.

"Cindy" Noctis answered.

"Finally. Did she have any news for us?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, the Regalia's at an imperial base" Noctis answered.

"Oh boy" Prompto said.

"Of course, it just had to be them" Asuka sighed in annoyance.

"Guess that just leaves one question" Gladio began.

"When do we retrieve her?" Ignis finished for him.

"I'd say now" Noctis said.

"Sooner the better, I like it" Asuka said.

Ignis thinks for a moment "This is nothing more than conjecture, but I suspect that ship was due to arrive far earlier. The thunder and lightning must've slowed it down. There's a chance they intend to transport the Regalia back to Niflheim".

"We oughta thank the thunder god for buying us some time" Gladio said.

"But that time is running out" Prompto pointed out.

"Yeah, let's run in and ride off" Noctis said as he took out his whistle and called the chocobos.

They got on the trusty birds and began to ride of. It would be a long trip, and while Chocobos are fast, they are no Regalia, so they needed to get their car back as soon as possible. You never realize what you have until it's gone. Traveling was simply a lot harder without Regalia. After a long trip that was only shortened by the chocobos, the gang reached the Aracheole Stronghold.

"Some kind of fortress" Noctis said.

"Yeah, port-a-fortress. Those walls don't look so portable, though" Gladio said as he looked at the walls.

"They are remnants of the Old War, and the imperial army has availed itself of the added protection. Entry will not be easy" Ignis said.

"Now they are just using things they stole from us to protect themselves? Bastards" Asuka growled.

The gang decided to set up camp in order to discuss a strategy for how to get in to the base and get their car back. Darkness arrived and Asuka, Noct, Prompto and Gladio were sitting down ad Ignis was walking in front of the camp fire.

"So, any bright ideas, Ignis?" Noctis asked.

"A dark one, as it were. A frontal assault would leave us exposed. But, if we move under cover of night, we might be able to infiltrate the base unnoticed" Ignis explained.

"And until then?" Noct asked.

"We learn all we can about the base's design and narrow down the Regalia's location. I'll analyze what intelligence we have available to find us a way in" Ignis answered.

"Sounds good, Specs" Notct said.

"Alright! We're gonna get our wheels back!" Prompto said happily.

Asuka pounds her fists together "Oh yeah!".

Undaunted by the empire's imposing technology, the gang risk everything to break inside Aracheole Stronghold and recover the stolen Regalia. Under the cover of darkness they find a way inside. That was the easy part. Now the hard part begins. They had to avoid detection from both search lights and Magitek armors. They also discovered some kind of Generator was making the enemies more powerful, all the more reason to avoid an direct fight.

Using stealth, they took down several troopers, one by one. Noctis would quickly use his warp to stab through the chest of a trooper before it could react. While he did that, Asuka snuck up to another one and wrapped her arms around it's neck, breaking it before it had a chance to alert the others. They kept up this process until they finally found Regalia.

"There she is. Beatiful as ever" Asuka said with a smile.

"And no worse for wear in Imperial custody" Ignis agreed.

"But how do we get her out?" Gladio asked.

"He's right. There is no way we can just drive out of here with those Magitek Armors walking around" Asuka said.

"Agreed. We have no other choice. We need to take out that Generator. That should weaken our enemies enough for us to clear a path out of here" Ignis said.

"Sounds good to me. Let's give them a little taste of our strength" Noctis said.

"Now we're talking. I never liked sneaking around" Asuka said with a smirk.

And with that, the group headed to the generator and a battle broke out. Asuka punches a trooper several times before kicking it away. Gladio blocks a strike from another trooper before kicking it and cut it in half with his large sword. Ignis dodged some attacks before stabbing his dagger in to a trooper's weak spot, destroying it right away. Prompto took care of the gunners, scoring perfect head shots with his gun, trying to look fancy to impress Asuka, who was to busy fighting to notice. But the battle wasn't getting any easier, and when the Magitek Armor joined the battle. Those things were already tricky to defeat, but this one was enhanced by the Generator. And this rate they wouldn't make it.

But Noctis had one more trick up his sleeves... Suddenly a storm began appearing... followed by the powerful deity Ramuh, who picks Noctis up in to his hand before calling down a massive lightning blast that completely vaporized the Generator and all the enemies it was powering... leaving nothing but ashes of what was once a strong military force. Noctis was placed back down as Ramuh vanished.

"This is the might of the Six…" Noctis said in amazement.

"Dude…that…was…hardcore!" Prompto said in excitment.

"Hell yeah! I can certainly get used to the gods being on our side!" Asuka said, almost bouncing from how epic the display of power was.

"And it did the trick, the place is dead" Ignis said.

"Rest in pieces. C'mon, let's grab the Regalia and split" Gladio said.

They began to head back to Regalia. As they did, the sun was starting to come up, shedding some light on the now ruined base. Certainly felt good to stick it to the Empire.

"Piece of cake, huh?" Prompto asked.

"Hmph, this part is" Gladio answered.

"Inadvertent though it was, we dealt the empire a crushing blow today. The marshal will be pleased to hear of this" Ignis said.

"Yeah, we busted up a base without him having to baby sit us. Really feels like we are getting stronger" Asuka said.

"Pretty sweet, busting up that base. "Bust-a-base"… I like the sound of that for this sort of thing. There's a base, we go in and bust it up. Bust-a-base! Whatever, I'm calling it that. You don't have to" Prompto declared.

"I won't" Noctis said in some amusement.

"It seems a bit flippant" Ignis said.

"Why not go for something a little more epic?" Gladio asked.

"What about, Base Busters? Or, The Bane of Bases? Oh, I know! The Great Base Destroyers!" Asuka said, earning chuckles from Noct, Ignis and Gladio.

"Base Busters sounds the best. The last one is a bit of a mouthful" Gladio said.

"But the Bane of Bases sounds pretty badass" Noctis said.

"And The Great Base Destroyers could make a good title one day" Ignis admitted.

"Hey! I thought a name first, so that's the name. Bust-a-base, get used to it" Prompto said.

"Easier said than done" Noctis said.

"Don't be salty because my names sounded better" Asuka said in a teasign tone.

"Bust-a-base is a good name!" Prompto argued "Besides, I am not the one who tried to name my attacks. I mean, Great Angel Fist?".

"Great Angel Fist?" Noctis asked, trying not to laugh.

"Hey! I was just a kid back then!" Asuka said with a blush.

"I am curious of what other names you came up with" Ignis said, with a hint of amusement.

"Oh she got plenty" Prompto said, ignoring the warning look he got from his girlfriend "Mighty Star Kick. The Great Whirlwind kick of Doom. Head-but of the Mountains. And of course my favorite one: The Holly fists of Heaven-".

Suddenly he received a Holly Fist of Heaven to the face, causing him to spin around several times before falling down.

"Shut up!" Asuka yelled before he heard snickering and looked at the others "Y-You didn't hear anything!".

Gladio and Noctis burst out laughing, while Ignis, being the professional man he is, let out small chuckles. Asuka had an angry blush and felt a really strong urge to beat up all of them. Prompto only laughed on the ground. This wasn't the first time his girlfriend had punched him, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Asuka has a temper, and will punch those who make her angry, friends and boyfriends are no exception. But Prompto didn't mind, knowing that Asuka never punched him because she didn't like him, and he knew what he was getting in to when he started dating her.

They reach the Regalia. But Looking behind them, Prompto sees something "Guys?".

Ravus approaches them, his sword drawn at the ready in his right hand "Long has it been, Noctis".

"Ravus" Noctis said in surprise.

"You receive the Storm's blessing. And yet, you know nothing of the consequences" Ravus said as he raises the point of his sword to Noctis's throat.

"Watch it" Gladio said as he moves to get between them. Ravus repositions the blade with its edge now along Gladio's throat; Ignis starts to move toward Ravus, but the other man raises his left hand.

"Be still. All of you" He warned coldly.

"Not good" Prompto said, growing nervous.

"Heir to a crown befitting no other. Witness his splendor and glory. All hail the Chosen King" Ravus said in clear spite.

"Awful high and mighty for an imperial rat, serving the enemy to hunt down Luna!" Noctis shot back.

Ravus suddenly grabs Noctis's throat with his left hand "I do not serve. I command!" He shoves Noctis backward and Gladio gets between them "The king's sworn shield".

"You better believe it" Gladio said.

"A weak shield protects naught" Ravus slowly raises his sword above his head, then brings it down fiercely.

Gladio briefly blocks it with his own sword before Ravus parries the weapon away and slams the pommel of his sword into Gladio's chest, sending him flying into the side of the Regalia; Prompto runs to check on Gladio while Noct gets between them and Ravus.

"Big Mistake!" Asuka said as she brings out her metal combat gloves, no one attacks her family and gets away with it! She moves quickly to punch Ravus... who simply catches her fist with his metal arm "What?".

"What was it that you just said? Oh right, big mistake" Ravus said before he grabbed Asuka's arm twisted it around, casuing her to cry out in pain as she was forced down on her knees while Ravus held her in a painful arm lock.

"Asuka!" Prompto shouts.

"Let her go you asshole!" Gladio growled as she forced himself back up.

"So you are a member of the so called holly Kazama bloodline. Pititful, I expected so much more. Guess the legends were nothing more than that after all" Ravus said as he holds his sword to Asuka's throat.

"Let her go now!" Noctis shouts as his Royal Arms begin spinning around him.

Ardyn suddenly appears "I'd say that's far enough. A hand, Highness?".

"Not from you" Noctis growled.

"Oh, but I'm here to help" Ardyn said.

"And how is that?" Ignis asked.

"By taking the army away. Ravus, let the poor girl go, please" Ardyn said.

Ravus growls but let go of Asuka's arm, who just remained on her knees, looking at the ground.

"You expect us to believe that?" Gladio demanded.

"When next we meet, it'll be across the seas. Just so happens we have business of our own with the tutelary deity. Don't we?" Ardyn asked as he looks at Ravus who remained silent "Fare thee well, Your Majesty, and safe travels".

Ravus and Ardyn walk away and Prompto rushed upt to Asuka "Hey! You ok?".

"DAMN IT!" Asuka screamed before punching the ground hard enough to crack it. It happened again... she was put in a situation where she was utterly helpless... again.

Prompto rubbs her back as he spoke "You guys know that guy?".

"Ravus Nox Fleuret, first son of Tenebrae…and elder brother to Lady Lunafreya" Ignis explained.


As they drive away from Aracheole Stronghold in the Regalia, a Newscaster spoke "At long last imperial blockades of Duscaen roadways have been removed. The imperial army has also demolished all related facilities erected around the region. The provisional government of Insomnia anticipates increased traffic congestion along most local highways, and encourages all citizens to refrain from any unnecessary travel for the time being".

"So help me figure this out, that was Luna's brother?" Prompto asked.

"The high commander himself, wartime makes for quick promotions" Ignis said.

"Even a son of Tenebrae can rise to the top" Gladio said.

"But why would he want to lead their army?" Prompto asked, knowing the Empire committed more than a few atrocities towards Tenebrae.

"Who cares?" Noctis asked bitterly.

"Certainly formidable enough on his own" Ignis said.

"If Ravus wants power, I'll give him a taste" Noctis declared.

Asuka remained silent, which was worrying for the boys, as she was always the most confident among them. Seems like the humiliation she suffered earlier hit her harder than expected. When they return to the Leville Hotel in Lestallum, they find Iris waiting for them in the lobby... she looked devastated.

"Oh, Gladdy. Asuka" She said in a sad tone.

"What's wrong?" Gladio asked in concern.

"I let you down. I never made it to Caem. The empire came while you were gone" Iris answered, this made Asuka snap out of her quiet state and rushed over to her.

"Are you alright? What did they do?" Asuka asked as she grabbed Iris shoulders.

Iris said nothing and they brought her their hotel room upstairs, where they could speak in privet. She then explained to them that the Empire had arrived and demanded they give up any information they had on Noctis.

"None of us said a word about Noct. They just showed up and then…poor Jared" Iris said.

Gladio got wide eyes "What do you mean? What happened to Jared!?".

"There was nothing we could do!" Iris shouted, before she began to silently sob "There was a man with them... he never said a word... but he had scars, one near his mouth... and his eyes were colder than ice".

"Sergei Dragunov... I've heard of him, he is known as The White Angel of Death. He is legend within the Empire" Ignis said, remembering the stories he heard about the cold Imperial.

"I saw him take Jared... I tried to beg him to stop but he just... the things he did..." Iris said before she couldn't hold it anymore and broke down crying.

Asuka hugs her, and Iris quickly hugged her back "I'm sorry Iris... I'm sorry...".

The door to the room slowly opens behind Noctis. Revealing Talcott, who was crying crying. Noct gets down on one knee to speak with him "It's…not right. We should've been here".

"I… I couldn't stop them" Talcott sobbed out.

"But I won't let the empire get away with it. They'll pay for what they've done. I promise" Noctis said.

"I believe in you, Prince Noctis" Talcott said as he walks away.

"I'm taking Talcott, and we're going to Caem. We… We can't just stay here and do nothing" Iris said, still sobbing in to Asuka's shoulder.

Noctis nods "I understand".

"And we will make sure the Empire pays for this. I swear, this Dragunov guy will not get away with what he did. I will make sure of it" Asuka promised.

"I know you will... sis. Make them pay" Iris sobbed out.

There was no way in hell that the Empire would get away with what they did. Killing innocent people is crossing a line, and Jared did not deserve whatever horrendous torture he was put through. And he remained loyal to the end, never revealing any information.

That night, the group went to sleep with only one thought in mind... Revenge.

.

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