Chapter Summary: More than a reunion awaits in Lestallum.
Man, does it feel like it's been a while. Sorry for the delay on this update. With all the craziness going on it's been hard to get in my usual writing groove and I took a bit of time to dust off some unfinished projects to get back in the swing of things, but it's finally finished! Hopefully the chapter being extra long helps make the wait a little more worthwhile. :D
Having the Regalia back was like being reunited with a piece of home. It's very essence suffused in dark panes of crafted metal, echoed in the engine's throaty roar and mingled with the sweet scent of earthly leather as they ate up the miles of the roadway in what had become all but routine in recent months. High spirits reigned on their return journey to Lestallum, a welcome respite for their somewhat tenuous moral. For all that they'd made some headway in thwarting the Empire's schemes, there was still much to do.
Such as checking in with Iris on the status of His Majesty's vessel hidden away in Cape Caem. They'd already requested Cindy meet them in Lestallum as well to perform a cautionary check-up in the meantime. Eager to see to the Regalia for herself, their ever loyal mechanic had easily agreed, and Ignis thought the expense of her mobile services well worth every gil.
Any feelings of contentment, however, dissipated rather abruptly once they entered Lestallum proper. Ignis couldn't immediately place the source of the general unease that crept along the fringes of his subconscious, but something was decidedly off about the normally bustling hub of activity. The streets were far more clear of pedestrian traffic than was to be expected during the busiest hours of the day, and the residents that were out and about displayed a notable wariness – one he knew not to of existed when last they paid visit to the city. He gave voice to his concerns when the oddity persisted even through the main thoroughfare, "Something's not right."
Prompto turned back to look at him curiously. "Huh, you mean like there's a disturbance in the Force? Oh, oh! Your dragon senses are tingling?"
"Well, whatever it is, he's got a point." Gladio nodded toward the thin crowds on the street. "Check the locals out. Somethin's got 'em spooked."
Noct frowned, as if noticing the people giving them a wider berth than was necessary for the first time. "You guys think it's the Niffs?"
"We've not enough information to know for certain, but I wouldn't discount the possibility." If the Empire was here Ignis couldn't help but notice they were doing a far better job at keeping their presence discreet than usual.
"We better hurry and check on Iris and the others, then," Gladio reasoned. "If the Empire's around they'll know about it."
Ignis shook his head. "Better to be cautious. If there is some sort of trouble lying in wait then the Leville would be the ideal location to spring it."
"So we keep our heads down, find out what we can," Noct suggested, tugging the cap he normally wore with his more casual attire further down his face.
"And really hope nobody shoots at us," Prompto added.
They took a slightly less direct path to the Leville from there, hoping to gather more intel on the situation. As it turned out, even the market was sparse on customers today, with several stalls shut down entirely. However, there was one vendor still conducting business that Ignis easily recognized from the tour on their first morning in the Lestallum.
The accessory stall was not particularly memorable in and of itself save for the slight peculiarity of being manned by two, one of which just so happened to be an unusually shrewd child – who's astucious behavior Prompto had mistakenly attempted to equate with Ignis' own childhood.
The very same young gentleman was present at his post today, sat at one end of the stall behind several crates packed high with unsold merchandise. He may have recognized them as well if the way his eyes lit up at their approach was any indication, though it could've simply been the draw of potential customers. "See somethin' that grabs your fancy, mister?"
"Just these," Ignis answered, picking out a lone bottle of hair gel and several pairs of socks, commodities commonly misplaced by more than one of their party. Even if the exchange was mostly a ruse to remain close to the stall at least the purchases would not go to waste. As he handed over the gil he made a show of glancing around the partially deserted marketplace. "Business seems rather slow today."
The boy scoffed. "Yeah, everyone's made themselves real scarce ever since the Empire waltzed into town."
"You don't say? Wonder what they could be after," Noct pondered aloud with convincing naiveté.
The boy shifted his eyes from side to side, sweeping them over the other market goers. Seemingly satisfied, he leaned in towards them, pitching his voice low. "Ya didn't hear it from me, but word is some bigwig commander is staking out the Leville, waitin' for Insomnian fugitives to show their unlucky mugs."
Ignis could practically feel Gladio tensing up beside him and quickly gathered up their purchases. "I see. Well then, I suppose we'd best be moving on."
"Oh, before ya run off, there's one other thing…" The child slid a slip of folded paper across the counter. "The kid that was with you lot a couple of weeks ago, he's been looking for ya. Smart dressed. Big on manners. Ya can find 'im here."
"Ah, my thanks." Ignis accepted the paper and found a simple address scrawled within.
"What was that about," Noctis murmured as soon as they'd reached the outer edge of the market.
Gladio crossed his arms, worry practically radiating off his person. "He's gotta be talking about Talcott."
Prompto's brow furrowed as he glanced between them. "Okay, but why would he be looking for us all by himself?"
A concern Ignis was wondering about himself. "I say we best find out."
The address led them to a nondescript apartment in one of the city's residential sectors. It took Ignis a moment to recognize it was Talcott who answered the door. The boy ushered them in quickly, his features hidden behind simple rags and scent ripe with fear.
He didn't waste any time once the door was sealed behind them, pulling the improvised mask away from his face and drinking in the sight of them like a man cast adrift viewed the shore. "Thank goodness you've come!"
"Talcott, you alright?" Gladio leaned down to inspect the boy, though other than a bit of dirt smeared on his clothes he seemed outwardly unharmed.
"Uh huh." Talcott smiled, expression charged with relief and something else Ignis wasn't as sure of. The boy quickly turned his eyes to Noct. "Now that you're here, we can save Grandpa and Lady Iris!"
"Of course." Noct kneeled down to better meet the young boy's eyes. "Can you tell us what happened, Talcott?"
Talcott nodded, words tumbling out in a nervous rush. "While you were gone a man came to the hotel. He was wearing big, fancy armor and brought a lot of soldiers with him. I was in the lobby with Grandpa when he spotted us."
Here the boy hesitated, breaking eye contact as he gathered his words. "Grandpa told me to run but the man didn't like that. He yelled a lot, said we knew where you were and about some beast. Then he yelled for the soldiers to bring me back."
"But you got away, didn't you?" Noct asked, getting a quick confirmation out of Talcott.
"Yeah, I lost them in the crowds. A very kind family found me and allowed me to stay here until the Empire leaves."
"Huh, Lestallum really is home to some generous people," Prompto commented, and Ignis agreed. He made note to memorize the apartment's location. Such kindness ought to be rewarded once the current crisis no longer hung over their heads.
Gladio shook his head, frustration evident in the crease of his brow and the gruff rumble of his words. "What I don't get, is why the Niffs would suspect Jared in the first place."
Noct frowned. "Yeah, pretty fishy if you ask me."
And while it was a bit strange Jared had been singled out, it was not so improbable for Noct to have been recognized in Jared's company during their last stay. Lestallum may not have seemed like a hotbed for imperial sympathizers, but all it took was for the information to wind up in the wrong hands once. Ignis was about to suggest as such when Talcott spoke up, "Um… Prince Noctis, there's something else I should tell you."
Noct's attention snapped back to the distressed boy before them, his voice taking on a gentler edge. "What is it, Talcott?"
"Please, grandpa didn't do anything wrong." Poor Talcott was shaking now. All of them shared concerned glances over his head before he continued, eyes glued to the floor, "I… I'd seen that man before. He talked to me, asked me things. Then, he followed me to the hotel. And I-I'm the one to blame."
Gladio knelt down on Talcott's other side, gripping his shoulder firmly. "Talcott, what are you saying?"
Talcott finally looked up, tears of shame streaming down his face. "The reason he knew we were from Insomnia was because of me."
Before any of them could say a word to that, a brotherly instinct must have awoken in Gladio as he gathered Talcott up in his arms. The small boy was all but dwarfed in the embrace, but Ignis noticed his shivering begin to taper off. "You listen to me, buddy. Nobody blames you or your grandpa for what happened."
"He's right." Noct fixed Talcott with his most serious kingly look, the one Ignis knew he practiced in the mirror on occasion. "You don't have anything to be sorry for."
"Yeah," Prompto chimed in. "It was awfully brave of you to tell us."
Talcott pushed his way out of Gladio's bear hug, a spark of hope alight in his watery eyes. "Does this mean you'll still save him? Oh, and Lady Iris too?"
"Of course," Ignis answered. "It's high time we made this right."
"Thank you, sirs!" Talcott threw himself into as deep a bow as Gladio's close proximity would allow, court manners doubtless instilled into the boy by none other than Jared himself.
Noct smiled at his renewed enthusiasm. "Right. Time to put some imperials in their place."
"Still don't like leaving the little guy on his lonesome," Gladio grumbled as they came up on the Leville.
"Nor do I," Ignis agreed. "But we've little option at the moment." They had no way of knowing how quickly they'd need to make their exit after springing the Empire's trap. It was best to have Talcott someplace they wouldn't have to worry about him being left behind.
"We checked the parking lot over pretty thoroughly. There's no imperials hanging around there and he seems to like the idea of guarding our getaway car." Noct grinned at the memory of the small boy taking the "responsibility" to heart, swearing the Regalia would be quite safe under his stewardship. In hindsight, they should be relieved the boy hadn't attempted any daring rescue attempts before they'd arrived.
Prompto fidgeted with one of his armbands. "Talcott sure is a tough little dude."
Gladio sighed. "Yeah, he is."
"And, should everything go according to plan, he won't be alone for long," Ignis reminded.
"Then let's get to it, already," Gladio huffed impatiently. "We've kept Iris and Jared waiting long enough."
They took the back alleyways around the fountain square and, suspiciously, spotted no imperials guarding the hotel or any of the surrounding establishments.
"Maybe they're all just getting coffee?" Prompto offered half-heartedly.
"This stinks of an ambush," Gladio growled, doubtless struggling against his instincts to rush in with the last living remnants of his family on the line. "We've got no choice but to go in blind."
"Perhaps not, if we're able to find another way in." Ignis pointedly looked toward one of the nearby taller buildings.
"Nice, Specs." Noct grinned, summoning a weapon for warping.
"Don't be reckless," Ignis warned. "If our suspicions are correct there will undoubtedly be people watching the building. There won't be room for error. If you're spotted this may well escalate into a hostage situation."
"Got it." Noct nodded more seriously, turning to Gladio next. "I'll find out what's up and we'll get them to safety." Then he was gone, latching onto the exterior of the apartment complex butted up against the Leville before moving to the overhang supporting the hotel's neon signage and ducking down out of sight. He group texted them only moments later.
Noct: Got eyes on Iris
Ignis shared a quick look with Gladio just as another message came through.
Noct: She's not alone
Noct: a lot of goons in the next room over
Ignis frowned. It wasn't the ideal situation but not unexpected.
Ignis: Stay where you are if you can. We're coming to back you up.
Noct: Hurry :(
Prompto blinked down at his phone. "So, uh, how are we supposed to get up there without being seen exactly?"
"If memory serves there should be a service entryway around the back of the building." Ignis directed them down one of the side allies. "With any luck, it'll be less secure than the front entrance."
"Right." Gladio cracked his knuckles. "Time to take out the trash."
As it turned out, there was a service entrance, one they were able to force entry through with little difficulty. They didn't even encounter resistance until they reached the stairwell. Two imperial soldiers were dealt with soundly before they moved up to their destination, but by the time they reached the desired floor there was already a commotion spilling out into the hall, from Iris' room no less.
"Would it kill the guy to sit tight for a few minutes?" Gladio rushed forward and shoulder checked the door off its hinges. The scene that greeted them showed Noct engaging a small contingent of soldiers, occupying most of their attention while Iris finished off one of her attackers, decking him with a viscous right hook.
The distraction they'd caused by breaking down the door gave Noct the chance to cut through two more of the soldiers. "About time you guys joined the party."
"And here I thought you'd be so kind as to wait up for us," Ignis replied as he took up position at Noct's side, drawing more of the soldiers' attention while Gladio moved to cover his sister.
"Yeah, dude. Totally rude to start the fun without us." Prompto positioned himself at Noct's other side, pistol at the ready.
"Sorry, somethin' must have tipped them off. They made a move on Iris," Noct informed them, switching to a pair of daggers more appropriate for the crowded confines of the room.
Ignis held in a sigh. "I suppose it can't be helped, then. We'd best end this quickly."
Unfortunately, a clean getaway was not in the cards. No sooner had they finished off the last of Iris' uninvited guests when a deployment of MT units arrived at the doorless entryway. The mechanized soldiers filed inside the room and lined either side of the opening with, rifles drawn. Their entrance was swiftly followed by that of an imperial officer.
Ignis narrowed his eyes at the newcomer outfitted in the Empire's trademark magitek armor. The more ornate design and embellishments suggested the man to be a general or of some similarly high-ranking position. Likely the officer Talcott had been questioned by, then.
"Well, if it isn't the king and his fools," The officer crowed, the aging lines of his faces drawn into a self-satisfied smirk. He swept his arms out wide to either side, as if to encompass the whole of the wrecked hotel suite. "Did you really believe you'd escaped retribution so easily after leaving behind such a mess at Aracheole? As if the Empire would be so lax."
"Yeah, and what's an imperial clown like you gonna do about it?" Noct challenged.
The man huffed in annoyance. "You'd do well to watch your tongue. But perhaps an introduction is in order – my name is Commander Caligo Ulldor, and I do not tolerate insult to our glorious Empire. Surrender now and I may allow you your miserable lives."
"Great, another theatric nut," Ignis could hear Gladio grumbling under his breath in the far corner of the suite where he attempted to make himself into a literal human shield for Iris, but his focus was drawn to Noct as their eyes met – a silent understanding passing between them.
Yet Noct remained perfectly casual as he addressed the haughty commander, "Yeah, sorry. We're gonna have to take a raincheck on that."
Ignis barely registered the look of utter outrage blooming across the imperial's purpling face before he launched lightning elemancy at the floor in front of the door, temporarily blinding the man and hopefully wreaking havoc on the MT units' wiring.
They didn't wait to find out. The window Noct had likely came crashing through earlier during his heroics on Iris' behalf proved a convenient exit, though one they'd hardly passed the threshold of before the first hail of bullets sounded off behind them.
"Do not let the Insomnian rats escape!" Caligo bellowed in their wake.
They all scrambled out onto the hotel overhang, bits of glass and drywall clouding the air with debris as the window behind them was practically pulverized. In front of them the Leville's distinctive cursive L – stylized to resemble the crescent shape of the moon – sparked, shards of golden plastic raining down over the street.
"Everyone hang on!" Noct shouted. Once they'd all grabbed ahold he warped them safely down to the ground in front of the hotel.
"So, you guys think the hotel will hold us liable for that?" Prompto glanced behind them as more soldiers filed out of the hotel.
"They can take up their grievances with the Empire. For now we should move," Ignis urged, steering the group toward nearest alleyway where they ducked out of sight from their pursuers. The walkways were worryingly lacking in cover as they rounded the next bend, heading straight into the market. Hopefully even with the sparse crowds they'd be able to lose the Empire in the more populated area and meet up with Talcott at the Regalia without further incident.
They received more than a few odd looks as they hustled through the market area, weaving between the stalls with more haste than was likely polite, but everyone's attention was soon on the imperials who had begun their search at the entrance.
Luckily for them there was another way out, one that offered a direct route to Lestallum's power plant. They slipped into the back alleyway in the confusion and didn't slow down until they exited the opposite end. There they found a bit of cover to regroup before making the final push to the Regalia.
Gladio took the opportunity to properly look after his sister. "Hey, you doin' alright?"
Oddly, Iris looked closer to tears now than at any point she'd been fighting for her life at the Leville. "I-I'm fine. I just-I'm sorry, Gladdy. I don't know where Talcott is and Jared –"
"Hey, don't worry about Talcott," Noct interrupted.
"Yeah," Prompto tacked on, pumping as much reassurance as possible into his tone. "Little dude's safe and waiting on us at the car."
"Really?" Iris rubbed her knuckles harshly against her cheek, scrubbing at a stray tear. "I'm so glad you guys found him."
And while Iris did seem relieved at the news, her tears still persisted. Gladio, of course, noticed this as well. "Iris, what were you saying about Jared? Do you know where he is?"
Iris' breath hitched. "He's gone. The Empire. When they came… Jared was just trying to talk them down, ya know. He didn't do anything to deserve –" A chocked sob cut off her words, but the meaning behind them was clear all the same.
Ignis could hear the creak of leather as Gladio fisted his hands. "They're gonna pay."
"Oh yeah," Noct, spoke lowly, edged with fury and resolve. "We won't let them get away with this."
Ignis could feel the raw emotions wash over them like a tidal wave. Jared had been a good man. Kind and dependable, he'd practically raised Gladio and Iris both as their father's duty made time for his family scarce, much like it had for King Regis' ability to be there for Noct. And then there was poor Talcott to consider. The boy would be devastated.
But before any vengeful actions could solidify a loud crack sounded off from across the city. In the distance several towers of bright, red energy shot into the sky, forming an eerily familiar dome that began to encompass the entire area.
Prompto pointed up at the expanding barrier. "Guys… why is the sky turning red?"
Noct gasped. "It-it looks like the Wall."
And it did. Well, some perverse modification of Insomnia's Wall, that was. In place of the Crystal's divine light, this construct was laced with the same Astral killing energy that seemingly ran all of the Empire's latest toys. Ignis could swear he felt a faint roll of discomfort over the connections he shared with Titan and Ramuh as the imitation wall closed in around the city. He found himself thinking back on Ravus' parting words. Was this what he'd been alluding to? "I imagine this one has a different purpose. Rather than keep the Empire out, it's meant to keep us in."
"They've got some nerve copying us like that," Gladio growled.
Noct clenched his fists, hot fury rippling through their bond. "Well, this knock-off's not gonna work. Let's take it out."
"Agreed. There must be generators of some kind hidden within the city for them to pull this off," Ignis pointed out.
"So we just need to go blow 'em up and the wall comes crumbling down?" Prompto mimed shooting fingerguns with the accompanying sound effects. "Simple as that?"
Noct hummed in approval. "Works for me."
"Then let's do it," Iris spoke up, voice much more steady then before.
"You sure you don't want to sit this one out?" Gladio asked, though he looked as if he already knew the answer.
There was determined fire in Iris's eyes now. "Absolutely. Let's show the Empire they've messed with the wrong family."
Finding the generators turned into a simple enough matter. They were all exposed to allow for minimal interference between the devices and the wall blocking out the sky, making them easy to locate. Unfortunately, they were also spread across the city.
"I make a count of three," Ignis remarked as he ducked back down behind cover with the others.
Noct sighed. "Great. Think we should split up?"
That was the question. Between the five of them they could divide into two less noticeable yet formidable teams, potentially finishing their objective and getting to Talcott much faster. They'd, of course, be more vulnerable apart, but Ignis couldn't deny speed would be their ally here. "I believe that's best. We'll split into two teams. Alone you and I should be able to cover the most ground. We'll take the generators on the back half of Lestallum. Everyone else can target the one nearer the city's main entryway. It's likely to be the most guarded, but also the closest to Talcott."
"So we take it out and then go check up on the kid," Gladio finished, seemingly satisfied to keep Iris at his side, though a bit less so with allowing Noct out of his sight. "You two better watch your backs out there, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah," Noct brushed off the concern.
"I mean it," Gladio pressed. "There's no telling what else the Empire has up their sleeve and you'll be without backup."
"Okay, we'll stay on our toes. Now we doin' this or not?"
They parted ways there, each team heading for their prospective targets. Noctis and Ignis found the nearest generator only a short ways from the power plant. Perched atop a grey cinder block building, the device projected a steady stream of blood red energy that fed their temporary prison.
Ignis had never paid visit to any of the amplifiers that helped sustain Insomnia's Wall, but he was still able to pick out a few key differences. For one, the imperial imitation was much more compact, likely build for ease of mobility rather than durability. Secondly, and much to their benefit, the device lacked both the protective shielding and guardians of old that stood vigil over Insomnia's defenses. All that was to be found in their place were the handful of armed guards stationed on the roof and at the street level.
"You want the ground or the roof?" Noct posed the question as he crouched down at the mouth of the alley they had chosen for their approach, his anxious energy coiled and ready for a fight.
"Ground," Ignis decided. Noct's more flashy moveset would hopefully draw less attention above pedestrian sight lines. Not that Ignis stood much chance of completely avoiding a scene. Unlike the men Noct had managed to get the drop on at Archeole Stronghold, these soldiers were expecting trouble.
With no point in delaying the inevitable, he summoned his daggers and rushed the first guard while Noct made his way to the roof. The man shouted at him to lower his weapons, bringing his rifle to bear, but that was as far as he made it. Lucian steel made quick work of his windpipe.
Ignis called his daggers back to hand as two more guards came from the other corners of the building. Over the din of the rising panic from the few people on the street he could hear the commotion from above as Noct took care of the rooftop defenses. He moved in close, where there'd be less room for his opponents to aim and his strength advantage would give him the greatest edge. He easily pushed back the next soldier against the wall, his daggers finding their mark once again. He quickly dismissed them to bring his lance down onto the last guard.
An explosion sounded from the roof and the red haze in the air shuttered, giving Ignis a distinct feeling of unease. Noct warped to his side a moment later. "One down."
Ignis shrugged off the odd sensation. "Two to go."
It wasn't long into their trek to the next generator that a second explosion could be heard from the other side of the city. The red wall paled and crackled in the aftermath, but did not collapse as Ignis half hoped it would. "It would appear the others have made their move."
"Then I guess we better get a move on." Noct led them down the next side street.
Ignis followed close behind, tugging Noct down behind a conveniently placed dumpster when he noticed a patrol passing through the intersection ahead. "Not so fast we give ourselves away."
Thankfully, the soldiers didn't remain in the area and they were free to continue forward. The generator wasn't far now, but it soon became apparent that it was much more heavily defended than their last target.
In an open space that might have served as storage or perhaps a gathering place of some sort, a whole squadron appeared to be stationed around the device, backed by a sizable amount of MT units. Their target was on the ground this time with many of the soldiers hovering extra close, nearly blocking it from view.
"Looks like they invited more muscle to the party," Noct observed once they'd gone as far as they could without drawing attention to themselves.
Ignis hummed in agreement. "We'd wise to act before any late arrivals make an appearance."
"Works for me." Noct summoned a great sword and hurled it straight for the soldiers posted around the generator. He followed a second later, slicing into them with the heavy blade.
Ignis diverted what attention he could to himself, using his lance to dive into the MTs and channeling lightning elemancy to flit back and forth between their defenses. With only the two of them taking out this many opponents would take longer than he'd have liked, but they were managing well enough. Soon Ignis was within range to incinerate the generator with a blast of fire.
The energy feed to the wall cut out and the backlash knocked over the remaining soldiers at its side. Without support from the final generator the barrier around the city began to crumble and fizzle out.
But before they could enjoy the sight of the blue sky, the device gave out one final shockwave of that poisonous energy. Ignis all but stumbled to his knees when it made contact, confused at the intensity of his reaction. The feeling of wrongness he always picked up off the Empire's contraptions was increased to the point he was starting to feel a bit woozy. What was this?
"Ignis!"
Ignis snapped his eyes up from the charred remains of the generator just in time for Noct to tackle him to the ground. A riffle's rapport sounded out among the surrounding discord and he allowed himself to roll with the fall, burying his feelings of discomfort and chastising himself for losing focus in the midst of battle. He hurried to pull them both to their feet.
Noct hissed as he was tugged up, grasping at his arm, and Ignis felt a bolt of cold dread settle in his stomach. "Are you hurt?"
Noct winced, pulling loose a small dart from his shoulder. "Uh, this might be a problem."
The imperials wouldn't be allowing them the time to find out. It was Ignis' turn to shove Noct out of the way as one of the last of the MTs fired its stun cables at his turned back. Ignis had meant to burn up the projectiles in a fiery blast of elemacy, but whatever was wrong with him appeared to have the added of effect of making the magic sluggish to obey his call. Instead, one of the cables wrapped itself tightly around his wrist and discharged a numbing shock through his entire body.
Noct twisted and sliced through the cable before Ignis could manage more than a startled yelp. "Hey, y-you alright?"
"More or less." His wrist would likely be sporting a nasty burn but it wasn't anything a potion couldn't remedy. The more pressing concern was whatever was swimming in Noct's bloodstream and the imperials barring their escape. "We should concentrate on clearing a path. We need to rendezvous with the others."
"And I'd hate to… to be late." Noct made to lift his sword but paused to blink at the MTs trying to surround them.
"Noct?" Ignis placed his hand on Noct's shoulder when he began to sway in place.
"Hmm, sleepy."
"This is no time for a nap!" Ignis grit his teeth as he batted away one of the oncoming shcok troopers, shoving Noct behind him. Since when did imperials use tranquilizers? And stun cables? Why were they relying on immobilization tactics?
Ignis shredded the MT in front of him and kicked it into the others before sending his daggers into the one of the soldiers training a rifle on them. There weren't too many of them left, even without his magic to rely on. If Ignis could make an opening before reinforcements arrived they had a solid chance of escape.
Plan in place, Ignis called his lance to hand and twirled the blade between a wavering Noct and a soldiers attempting to rush them. He used the weapon's longer reach to slice a swath through the imperials that had gotten too close. He grabbed a barely awake Noct and practically dragged him toward the closest alley.
They'd nearly reached its relative safety when Commander Caligo's voice called out over a speaker system of some sort.
"And just where do you think you're going?"
A large magitek armor jumped down from the rooftops, blocking their path.
"I tried being reasonable with you Insomnian tripe. I really did. And how do repay my kindness? Just like that impudent steward, you spit in my face. I, nah, the Empire itself shall endure your insolence no longer!"
Ignis wrapped his fingers around the neck of a flask from the armiger. He didn't often use flasks. Their conveniences often proved more useful to those in danger of expending their reserves much more rapidly. And while it did take time to for him to gather his magic and bend it to his purposes, as long as he planned accordingly he found the delay more than manageable. However, flasks also allowed for experimentation with certain alchemic side effects. The result of one such experiment was in his hand now. If Noct had met his mark, then the ice spell contained within this particular flask should produce a rather potent anesthesia. He only hoped Noct was still awake enough for this plan to work.
Caligo raised one of the arms of the magitek. It was likely meant as a signal. Ignis glanced back at the soldiers closing in from behind, coming into range.
"This will be your last chance. Lay down your weapons and submit!"
"I'm afraid we'll have to decline." Ignis pulled Noct to his side. "Can you warp us forward, as far as you can?"
Noct was all but a breath away from unconsciousness. "Mmm-eah."
Then they vanished in a flash of blue sparks between the legs of the magitek and collapsed in a heap in the middle of the alley behind it. Not as far as Ignis would have hoped but it would have to do. He threw the flask against the magitek's exterior and turned to shield Noct before they were blanketed by a wave of freezing cold.
The spell turned out to be a bit more potent than he'd anticipated, coating every surface of the alley in a thick layer of ice and whipping a chilly mist into the air. Not that he was in danger from the cold. Even without easy access to elemancy, Ignis' core was far warmer than any human's and maintained a steady internal temperature indifferent to the whims of his environment. And, luckily, he possessed some manner of immunity to magical side effects, especially from Noct's magic. As long as he was kept close, Noct should be safe as well.
Ignis glanced over his shoulder to find the remaining soldiers collapsed and that if Caligo had somehow escaped the pull of the magic's sleep effect then his magitek was too frozen to turn and face them.
He had to coax a bit of heat to the surface to unfreeze them from the icy ground. Once that was done he slung a snoozing Noct's arm over his shoulders and grabbed hold of his waist in an improvised carry that hopefully wouldn't appear too unseemly, before taking off toward the other end of the city. When he reacted the end of the alleyway and the streets started opening up he tried to blend in with the few panicked people still roaming the streets, feigning to be just as confused as to what all the commotion was about, but doubted he was very convincing.
On a more relieving note, the further he ran the more he felt whatever the effect the busted generator had on him begin to wane. And the better he felt the more Ignis found he was able to pick up the pace. They'd nearly made it the edge of the city when they ran into Prompto.
The blond sidled up and sprinted alongside them. "Dude! Where have you guys been? We thought something must have happened."
"Ran into a spot of trouble. Were you the only one sent out to check on us?" Ignis really hoped that he was. It would save them the trouble of having to hunt down the others and he wanted to leave as soon as possible.
"Yeah, just me. So, uh, Noct just takin' a breather or…," Prompto asked, taking note of Noct's unconscious state slumped against his shoulders, "is he gonna be okay?"
"He should be." Ignis certainly hoped so, at least. "We'll need to examine him properly to be sure, but I suspect he's merely under the influence of a sedative. For now, we need to focus on reaching the Regalia."
"Right-o, follow me. We moved the car after the barrier fell." Prompto lead them toward a side road deviating from the main entrance for the city and Ignis was beyond grateful the others had thought ahead for a quick exit.
The Regalia was waiting for them, hidden behind the petrol station off the highway. Gladio waited with Iris and Talcott in the backseat, the young boy secured in Glaido's lap to allow for enough seating space for everyone. All of them nearly abandoned the car when they spotted Ignis carrying Noct.
"What happened?" Gladio all but demanded, passing a blotchy faced Talcott off to Iris as he took Noct's still form from Ignis.
"Tranquilizer dart I assume. Caligo attempted to apprehend us at the last generator. Keep an eye on him." Ignis claimed the driver's seat and pulled them out onto the road in a manner that was perhaps less cautious than he normally would have employed. His top priority at the moment was putting as much distance between them and Lestallum as possible.
"Great. Knew I shoulda strangled that guy when I had the chance," Gladio grumbled.
"Well, at least Noct will probably be glad he got an extra nap out of all this," Prompto tried to sound cheerful, though the levity in his voice was strained.
Gladio grunted unhappily. "Probably."
"How did things go on your end?" Ignis expected they hadn't experienced anything close to the complications he and Noct had run into.
Gladio shrugged. "The generator security was easy enough to handle between the three of us."
Prompto twisted to face forwards in his seat. "Yeah, and once the wall came down, getting to Talcott and the Regalia was a piece of cake."
Of course, what had doubtless been the monumentally more trying task of explaining to Talcott why his grandpa would not be accompanying them went unsaid. The poor boy remained silent in Iris' arms, face turned into her shoulder.
After a stretch of silence where no one commented and no pursuers arrived to take chase, Prompto managed to ask, "So… where are we gonna go now?"
"We should keep our heads down for the moment." Ignis was already running down the list of inconspicuous accommodations nearby they could take advantage of for the night. The hour was already getting late and he wanted to have Noctis looked over sooner rather than later. "We'll need to contact Cindy and call off our appointment."
"On it." Prompto pulled out his phone to see to the task.
"After we're done with that our next move should be to head for Caem," Gladio spoke up, reminding them all why they'd come to Lestallum in the first place. He turned to Iris. "You two gonna be alright if we drop you off there?"
"Yeah." Iris wrapped her arms more securely around Talcott. "We'll be fine. Don't worry about us."
Ignis could glimpse silent tears tailing down the boy's face. What a horrible tragedy this had turned out to be. If only there were more they could have done for Jared. The least they could do now was see his grandson to a safe place. "Then, to Caem it is."
Okay, so originally I missed that Talcott had let slip he and his grandpa were from Insomnia and that was why the imperials interrogated Jared. When I found out I was so sad! I really didn't want Talcott carrying that guilt on his shoulders until adulthood and just had to vent some feels about it.
Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the update. Please take care of yourselves out there and if you have the time I'd love to hear from you in the comments! :)