WARNING: Discretion is advised. This chapter contain violent depictions some readers may find disturbing. The section will be marked clearly with /. While it is a part of the story, it can be skipped if need be without causing issue to the remainder of the story.
Gladiolus was woken early in the morning by his phone. The ringing making his head pound slightly as a bordering hangover began to form. He looked at the caller: Ignis. He then checked the time. It wasn't even 4AM when he was already receiving calls from his trusted companion. Ignis wasn't the sort to make calls so early if it wasn't truly an emergency. Gladiolus answered the phone, clearing his throat the best he could to hide the exhaustion. "Sup Iggy. You all good?" Ignis didn't respond right away, however, Gladiolus could hear the chatter in the background along side beeping. "Yo. Iggy. HELLO!" Gladiolus then shouted, annoyed at what he was beginning to suspect was a pocket-dial.
"Gladio. Where are you?" Ignis said. His voice calm as ever.
"At home. Why? What's going on?" Gladiolus asked as he stretched and proceeded to move towards his be, opposed to sleeping at the bar any further.
"You're presence is needed. There have been a few crimes committed tonight unfortunately." Ignis' tone was unreadable to Gladiolus at that moment.
Gladiolus shrugged, "Okay. Why is my presence requested for that? There are other Crownsguard more than capable of handling crimes. We have an entire unit dedicated to just that." Gladiolus stated in a near angry tone.
"Indeed we do." Ignis said calmly "...but in this instance it is best you make your way here."
"You didn't answer Iggy. And where exactly is 'here'?" Gladiolus asked as he dressed himself as best as possible. His uniform a bit more out of regulations than he'd prefer, it would have to do.
"The ER outside of the Citadel."
"What? Why? Hello?" Before answering, Ignis had hung up the phone. A sense of slight urgency soon took over the young Shield as he quickened his pace and sped through the streets of Insomnia towards the local ER. He could only imagine what drama might have occurred during the early morning hours. Given that it was Ignis involved, he could only assume it had to deal with Noctis. Gladiolus temper began to flare at the ideal of having to take another literal hit on the chin for the crown prince. The last time he did, it nearly cost him his eye. His vision still blurring from time to time due to the corneal scar. He saw that he had missed a text from Kyrie sometime as well. She must have messaged him after he had passed out drunkenly at the wet bar.
Kyrie "Veritas": You should come over :(.
He shook his head at yet another missed opportunity. He would make it up to her in the morning at work, that much he swore to himself.
When Gladiolus finally arrived, he was permitted to pass through the halls of the hospital with relative ease. Most of the nurses occupying the halls well aware of what had happened and realized the case at hand would need to be fully documented and investigated. Once he had finally figured out which direction it was he needed to go, he quickly made his way up the elevator and down the hall. When he finally made his way down the correct hallway, he saw Ignis standing in front of a door. The heavy wooden door left opened slightly. "What the hell is going on Iggy? Seriously. Is Noct being an idiot again?" Gladiolus asked, noting the figures of a few Crownsguard and Kingsglaive within the room. "If the guard and glaive is already on top of it, why do I need to be here."
Ignis walked away from in front of the door and down the hall slightly, leading Gladiolus with him before the Advisor would speak, "There was a small string of crimes committed tonight in the more densely packed refugee area of town."
Gladiolus nodded, "Okay. So why couldn't the unit in THAT SECTOR take care of the issue. It would have made it's way up the chain and to me by morning."
Ignis stood quietly as Gladiolus began to ramble about proper protocols in regards to crimes and how they were handled. A speech Ignis was well aware of as he'd given it to Gladiolus many times before. When the young Shield had finished, Ignis spoke clearly and precisely, "Gladio. There was a rather violent rape last night. The victim, unfortunately, was found to have worked at a building which has spent the better part of the early morning burning to the ground. It is unknown how many survivors there are. However, it is currently assumed none."
Gladiolus moved his head back, slightly shocked to hear the crime before speaking quietly, "Fuck. That's pretty bad. How's the victim doing? They in the room I assume? Must be pretty high caliber person to have the guards and glaive at attention with them."
Ignis nodded his head, "She is..." as Gladiolus stepped back towards the room, Ignis stopped him "Gladio. Maintain your temper."
The young Shield raised an eyebrow at the Advisor, "You act like this is the first civilian crime I've dealt with." Gladiolus shook his head at his trusted friends demeanor. He gently knocked on the door. At the sound of another person entering the room, the Crownsguard and Kingsglaive in the room all stood at the ready in a protective line, separating the victim from the rest of the world. Upon seeing their commanding officer, all of them saluted before being called at ease and told to leave the room. The room itself was far too cramped to have so many people in it. Gladiolus waited for his subordinates to exit before he stepped in. As he watched the last remaining soldiers walk out, he stepped in and shut the door behind him.
He was never as comfortable as he should have been with victims of heinous crimes. He sighed before turning around to face the victim. To his surprise, the victim was sitting with her feet hanging off of the side of the bed. Her long blank hair obstructing her features as she sat still. Based on her heart rate on the monitor, he could tell she was still in a bit of shock. The fresh cuts and bruises all forming beneath the hospital gown she wore would surely be painful when the woman came off of the adrenaline high and shock. Given the audience that surrounded her before, he was surprised to be unable to identify the woman based on what features he could see. He was fairly familiar with all of the women who worked within the Citadel, as well as what positions they maintained. "Ma'am, are you able to speak?" The woman nodded at him. "That's good. Are you comfortable giving a report of what happened at this moment?" The woman didn't move, but instead seemed to lock up and cease breathing. Her heartrate began to climb quickly. "Ma'am, it's alright. You're in a safe place. We've got guards and glaives all around. No ones gonna hurt you." His words appeared to fall on deaf ears as the woman's breathing became audible and fast paced. Shit he thought to himself, trying to think of a way to calm the panicking woman down. He was certain the entire scenario coupled with imposing soldiers and officers had likely making a bad situation worse.
He calmly walked over to the woman and sat down in a chair front of her, making himself as small as he could, resting his elbows on his knees to try and bring the woman out of the panic attack she was having. "Ma'am I know this whole night is, frankly, shit. But I need you to calm down as much as you can." The woman buried her head further. Her hair blocking her features even more. "Ma'am, can you at least look at me so I know you are as okay as you can be?" The woman stopped breathing at all, seeming to try and calm herself a bit. He could hear her take a big breath which was reassuring for him. She could hear him at least which was a step.
Gladiolus watched her as she moved her hands off of her scrapped and tattered knees. The small fists she made seeming almost agonizing against her bruised knuckles. She gently moved the hair out of her face. Unblinking, the woman looked directly at him, and the moment she did, he felt nothing. His soul came crashing down into a harsh reality. He knew those light brown eyes, the freckles over flawless skin now riddled with cuts and bruises. "K-Kyrie?". When her name escaped his lips, her pupils seemed to dilate quickly. The blackness trying to eat away at their light brown home. Her eyes screamed for help. He sat unsure of what to do as his mind spun wildly. His calm expression soon turning into rage as his fist clinched tightly. Kyrie's eyes widened as she looked at his hands. A faint blue and white haze resonated around Gladiolus's hand as star like flashes began to form what looked like a large sword. A slight breeze seeming to swirl around the faint image. Gladiolus shook his head quickly upon realizing what was happening and took a large breath in. His temper flaring wildly as his heart pounded painfully in his chest. His vision flashing back and forth between blurs and red, he quietly sat next to her, wrapping and arm around her as tightly as he could. "You're coming home with me. Got it."
Kyrie nodded softly as silent tears ran down her eyes, "...sorry..."
Gladiolus shook his head, closing his eyes to trying and rein his anger back, "Don't be. Consider the guy dead where he stands 'cause I'm gonna kill him myself." the man's words were full of promises as he meant every word he said. Kyrie's broken soul and tattered appearance bringing heat to his face as his hands went cold.
'I managed to get a shot on one and I'm pretty sure I broke the other's hand." she said with a chuckle, sniffling back tears. Her nose catching a faint, yet familiar scent "Have you been drinking?"
"...two then... and yeah...just a little bit. But how'd you manage to do that?" Gladiolus asked, keeping a tight grip on her.
Kyrie shrugged, "Guess I have a good teacher...I just wasn't stro-."
"Atta girl." Gladiolus interrupted. The man not ready to hear the words she were about to say. He couldn't stand to hear her demoralize herself, not in this state. Not in any state.
"Can we leave here?" Kyrie said, leaning heavily into his shoulder. The blaring white lights making her feel more alien to the world around.
Gladiolus sighed heavier than usual, "I wanna say yes Kyrie, I really do. Have you given any statements and had a kit run?" the words hitched at the end of his statement. It was a sequence of words he'd never hoped to have to say to someone even remotely close to him.
Kyrie shook her head, "No...to all of it."
Resting his chin on the top of her head, Gladiolus spoke quietly, "Let's get that shit knocked outta the way, then we're going home. Sound good?" Kyrie nodded and without her knowing it, Gladiolus buttoned in for a nurse to come "Gotta say though. Definitely like your hair without the extensions."
"What? Not a fan of long hair?" Kyrie said half heartedly as tears fell down her face.
"Nah. Just a fan of you is all."
A nurse walked in readily, addressing herself and speaking calmly to Kyrie. Gladiolus did his best to ignore the menagerie of kits, swabs, pills, and gods know what other medical devices were being wheeled in to the room. He rose from the bed and turned his back, not able to leave the room entirely as Kyrie held tightly to his finger, no different than a child. Gladiolus watched as the heart monitor bounced around, doing his best to ignore the noises that came from every test being run on Kyrie. Every little whimper and tightened grip she made, making his stomach turn as he started to lose control of his temper little by little. He grit his teeth as he stare at the monitor. By the time all was said an done, Kyrie looked no differently than any other soldier coming back from a war effort. Beat, battered, bruised. Violated from the inside out. The nurse helped herself out of the room, holding the door open for those entering. Acting purely on instinct, Gladiolus stood between Kyrie and all those entering. Even if one was Ignis, Gladiolus felt no need to stand down. If anything, the sudden appearance of not only his closest friend, but now Cor and Drautos as well made his temper spike.
"Marshal. Captain. I assume Ignis has filled you in on everything that's happened." Gladiolus said firmly, standing at the ready.
Cor nodded, "To an extent yes."
Drautos looked at Kyrie as best as he could given the imposing figure that stood between them, "If I'm not mistaken, that's the escort your father had at the prince's gala." his immediate judgmental stare at Gladiolus being all telling.
Gladiolus eye twitched for a moment as he lost control. Before he could speak, Ignis quickly interjected, "Indeed it is, however, it would seem that Ms. Veritas is quite exceptional in all things entry related and thus, was hired at my own discretion to assist Gladiolus. Her background checks and security clearances all passed with flying colors. As we are all aware, Gladio is simply unable to keep up with all things tech based unfortunately."
"A trait he needs to work on desperately if he is to ever become a good Shield. It isn't just about sheer strength, Gladio. You need to have all of your bases covered. For someone who has his nose buried in books so often, you sure lack the abilities to write them." Cor said, the tone of a proper teacher showing.
Drautos nodded slightly, "That explains the call for guard and glaive. She's working in the Citadel than. Gladio, move." he then said coldly, needing to speak with Kyrie. Gladiolus stood his ground stubbornly as ever as he and Drautos had a stare down.
"Not in the mood to do that Captain, if you catch my drift." Gladiolus responded, squaring up to the Captain.
"Gladio. It's best to let the Captain speak to Ms. Veritas at the moment." Ignis said firmly. The Advisor not wanting to see his friend pummeled down by the only two men he knew could do it with slight ease if they tried together.
"Not happening Iggy." Gladiolus said. The sound of Kyrie's heart monitor speeding up breaking the man's collected appearance as his eyes sat firmly on the Captain. In a quick flash of light, shines of silver, black, and gold all crossed the room as Gladiolus clutched the great sword firmly. The young Shield well ready to fight not only Drautos, but anyone else who would so much as take a step forward. The sheer size of the blade alone tearing into several wires and cables within the small infirmary room. Drautos readily placed his hand the hilt of his own weapon, full ready to deal with the young man's temper himself.
Unmoving, Cor was able to peer over at Kyrie. The woman sitting wide eyed as her eyes shifted wildly between all the men in the room. "Gladio!" Cor shouted sharply, gaining the younger man's attention "No one is going to do anything but ask her questions. Now either you help, or you leave. Your anger is placed in the wrong place right now and with the wrong people. Are you helping her by standing in the way, or are you helping your own failures in this moment?" Gladiolus stood for a moment, his head turning only slightly towards Kyrie as he tried to calm his breathing a bit. Cor wasn't wrong. He knew he wasn't wrong. The weapon in his hands slowly phasing into nothing as he righted his stance. The Captain removed his hand from the hilt of his own weapon. The two men dipped their heads slightly at each other. All tensions seeming to be removed as the two men gripped the others lower arm. Gladiolus tilted his head once more, catching only a glimpse of Kyrie in his peripheral vision before standing off to the side with Ignis.
The more relaxed demeanor of Gladiolus allowed Drautos to step forward as he spoke to Kyrie. "Ms. Veritas. I know it's been a long night. Hell of a long one. What exactly happened tonight?"
Kyrie looked at the four men in front of her. All but one watched her closely, ready to take in ever detail of the account she'd had. Only Gladiolus' eyes failed to look at her, appearing almost lost as he stare blankly at the ground. Her body beginning to shake as she took a breath and closed her eyes.
/
/
/
"This is bullshit, Mouse! You know it is." Kyrie said, pushing the man's arm away from her every time he attempted to guide her.
"Business is business sweetheart. Not much else to it. Take it or leave it." Mouse said, not an ounce of sympathy in his tone.
Kyrie paused for a moment as she collected her things, "Yeah but...I figured..."
"You figured what? BUSINESS. IS. BUSINESS. The Madam said get gone, so do it. If you're smart, you'll go with those two guys." Mouse snickered out.
Rolling her eyes, Kyrie quickly buttoned up her jacket, "Fuck those guys. I don't know them. I don't need this place, and I certainly don't need this type of bullshit in my life."
Kyrie stormed out of the Seeing Eye, looking back at the building for only a brief moment. This is a good thing she thought to herself as she walked away from the building for the final time. The hour was late and she felt no real rush to go home as she dragged her way towards the subway. She looked at the card that was placed in her hands by one of the men in the Seeing Eye. The whole situation was odd to her. She wasn't sure what sort of testing the men wanted done. If it were one based on stds, the woman was clean. Her files showed that clearly so there was no need for such things. The greater concern to her, was the want to take her away entirely. She had thought her work within the Seeing Eye had solidified her a place there. She was one of the few who had actually stood the fast paced test of time with the Madam. Placing the card in her wallet, she continued on her way home, texting Gladiolus as she did. An ear to talk to sounded good to her at that moment. She waited for the subway alone, yet again. It felt unusually quiet, even for an odd day of the week. Usually there were at least a few people out and about, but today there seemed to be no one.
When she looked at the terminal sign she rolled her eyes. The train wouldn't be going through that particular part of the station that night it seemed. Kyrie sighed and began walking several blocks towards the other station. As she did, she received a message on her phone.
Madam: Are you out of town?
K: You can literally, LITERALLY fuck right off. You fired me and thus, have no bearings on me now.
Madam: Cute. Big mistake, but cute. Have a good night.
"What a bitch" Kyrie said out loud as she walked through the darkened streets. The dingy orange lights of the area seeming to bring her depressed mood even further down. The smell of the pollution in the air making her turn her nose a bit as she tried to shake the scent. As she continued her walk, she swore she could see someone trailing her from behind. She quickly turned around. She paused as she looked down the roads. Even for how poorly lit everything was, she could clearly see down the sidewalks and roads. She closed her eyes and shook her head. She dismissed the feeling as no more than paranoia. It wasn't easy being a woman walking the streets at this hour, let alone walking the streets in less than ideal clothing. The heels she wore would hardly allow her to run if she wanted to. She righted her position and walked more confidently, reaching into her purse and sneaking the gun she carried from in her purse, to the pocket of her coat. The added bit of security helping her relax only slightly as she walked.
The sound of the powerlines over head made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She couldn't wait to get into the next terminal. The well lit area would bring her mind more peace, she was certain of it. She could hear the sounds of the electricity popping and fizzling around her. It gave her the impending feeling of being watched. Finally, she could see the entrance to the terminal. The sound of popping electricity again fizzling and popping behind her, accompanied by what sounded like the sounds of scraping metal. At the sound, Kyrie ran, sprinting as fast as she could towards the entrance of the the terminal. The bright lights seeming like the safest haven she could make it to. As she ran, she could swear the fizzling and scraping noise was getting closer. She quickly shoved the terminal doors open, falling down hard when she did. She turned around quickly, keeping her eyes fixed on the swinging doors. There was no one there. She stood up and dusted off her knees and palms. Laughing at herself. You're being crazy Kyrie she thought to herself as she walked towards the platform.
Kyrie sat under the well lit bench. The area around her clearly visible under the bright lights. She sighed in relief as she relaxed. According to the flashing terminal sign, she would only have to wait for a short while before the subway would arrived. She checked her phone as she waited. The minutes seeming to tick by far too slowly as she waited. As she stare at the screen of her phone, it blacked out. Timing out simply due to inactivity. When it did, she saw the figure of a person behind of her. The person standing only a few feet behind her. She sat as calmly as she could, coming up with a plan as quickly as she could. When she heard the shuffled movements behind her, she jumped to her feet, grabbing the pistol from her pocket and aimed it at the person.
The figure put his arms up as he chuckled, "Aw. Now that's cheating."
Kyrie clutched her pistol tightly, shakily keeping it aimed at the man, "What the hell do you want."
"I'm just here to get a little DNA sample from you and scare you outta town." the man said as he lowered his hands "Was given a call by, well. I think you know by who."
"It's not working like that anymore!" Kyrie shouted, watching as the man seemed to care less at the gun pointed in his direction "Tell her to go fuck herself. I'll have her AND YOU arrested for this shit. Now LEAVE!"
The man laughed, "Or what? You gonna shoot me? You think anyone gives a shit for a low life whore from who the fuck cares?" As he spoke, Kyrie loaded the gun in her hands, aiming center mass at the man, inciting more a laugh from him "Ooo such a big girl. Next time, check your six." he said. All at once, Kyrie was grabbed from behind, firing only a single shot at the man before the pistol was knocked from her hands, dropping to the ground solidly. She could hear the sound of the man in front of her laughing as she struggled wildly to get released for the grip that was around her chest. She kicked her feet out hard to bring them back down to the ground. The moment she felt her toes scraping the ground she swung her arm back as hard as she could, hitting the figure behind her in the thigh several times before making contact near his groin, warranting a loud grunt and being forced into a bent over position. The second man's grip loosened on her and when it did she quickly used her elbow to hit the man in the face, causing him to fumble to the side in a dazed state. He threw a punch at her and she quickly grabbed him by the wrist and twisted until she heard an audible crack. The man grimacing and groaning loudly at the pain he suddenly felt. She turned to grab her pistol from the ground, only to be met with a solid kick to the torso, knocking the wind out of her, as she hit the ground, gagging as she tried to breathe. "Didn't think this little kitty actually had claws." the first man stated, kicking Kyrie's hand out from under her and causing her to hit the ground again. The man dug his fingers through her hair, holding her face solidly against the ground.
"What do you want?" Kyrie said as she winced in pain. The man's weight baring down into her face.
"Already told you. But now you fucked it all up by hurting my friend, see. So now, I'm gonna hurt you." the man threatened, releasing her hair and kicking the pistol away from her reach as he stood back and waited for her to rise to her feet, pacing the floor as he did. His companion soon shaking off the nauseated feeling in his stomach as he readied himself as well.
Kyrie slowly rose to her knees as she kept her eyes on the two men. She wasn't going to win this fight. She knew she couldn't. Her mind screamed for help as tears began to form in her eyes. She readied herself in the best fighter's stance she could, screaming internally. The two men chuckled at the sight as they both rushed her. Several hard punches forcing all the air out of her yet again as she was again grabbed from behind. Her arms now pinned back completely, feeling as though they would snap from their sockets at any moment. She kicked violently into the shins of the man that held her, warranting a painful bite from him into her shoulder as he pressed her arms further up. The feeling making her scream. The first man used her no differently than a punching bag as she did her best to fight back in her incapacitated state. All the energy and will to fight having soon been lost the moment the man hit her squarely in the head. Her eyes rolled as she began to lose consciousness. The man that held her, released her. Her body hitting the ground hard. Her mind willing to fight, but her body had left, too tattered to save her now.
The first man kicked her onto her back. She rolled limply when he did, trying to move her arms and fight still despite being completely unable to even see straight. The man crouched down and looked closely at her, grabbing her face and observing all it's features, "Let's see. Fake hair. Fake nails. Fake lashes. Is anything about you even real? Let's find out." The man signaled for his partner to go keep watch, the injured man nodding his head as he looked around and headed to the front of the terminal. The man pulled Kyrie's jacket, snapping the stitching that held the buttons, exposing her nightly attire for life within the Seeing Eye. Cutting through the thin fabric, he exposed her breasts, seeming perfectly happy at what he saw, "Now look at that. Something on your ass that isn't fake. You know what that means right?" he said, grabbing hold of Kyrie's face, laying a heavy kiss over her mouth.
Kyrie moved her face as quickly as she could as she did her best to pull the man off of her, "...fuck off..." she said as the man pushed her arms away.
"That's right. If the tits are real, the pussy might be too!" he said, the sick enthusiasm in his tone bringing slight life back to Kyrie. She felt a second wind come through her, soon fighting again as best she could. Even if it was weak, it was there. The man laughed at her feeble attempts to push him off, eventually letting her turn to her stomach and crawl pathetically across the ground. She inched closer towards her pistol before being grabbed by her ankles and pulled across the concrete flooring. Pressing her chest down to the ground and pushing her legs to the side, he smirked "Baby, trust me. This hurts me more than it hurts you." The man easily pulled what little fabric there was out of the way, and with several cruel thrusts, was more than enjoying himself, keeping Kyrie's neck and shoulders pinned against the ground all the while. The feeling made her stomach turn as she pinned her eyes shut. Pain hitting her from all angles. With one final attempt, she tried to right herself and pull herself forward. The last of the energy she had to save herself from being violated any further. As she did, a sharp pain hit her head again, the world going black as she now felt nothing at all.
Kyrie awoke on the ground in a small pool of her own blood. Every inch of her body in pain and misery. She moved her head to see if anyone was around. Thankfully, she was alone. She righted herself to her knees heaving and throwing up when she finally had a moment to get her bearings. She grabbed her pistol from where it lay, crawling to the bench where her bag lay. The torn bits of fabric around her legs bringing her back to the reality of exactly what had happened to her. She cringed before feeling sick to her stomach. She leaned heavily against the bench, using it the best she could to stand up. None of her belongings had been violated or destroyed. Only her own being had been. When she climbed onto the bench, she dialed in for the emergency services. The dispatch officer on the other line instructing her to stay exactly where she were until help arrived. She lay down across the bench, accepting what ever fate may come of her as her vision faded to black once more.
