Shadow swallowed Prompto's thin frame seconds before a large blast shook the canyon and sent dust flying into the air. Blinded by debris and shock, Jason, Gladio and Ignis only had time to stumble away before the entrance to the cave collapsed in a violent wave of solid sandstone.

Jason was thrown to the ground, the violent blast sending him backwards several yards as he dove out of the way of the falling boulders. He narrowly avoided being crushed, but the blast sent rocks and debris spewing outwards, hitting him with bruising force over and over again. He might have screamed, but he could not hear it over the harsh ringing in his ears and the concussion of his own heartbeat.

He wasn't entirely sure how much time passed, as time seemed to slow in the wake of his adrenaline, but it couldn't have been more than thirty seconds before the ground stopped shaking from the force of boulders falling and tumbling from the cliff above. Arms shaking so badly he could hardly control them, he forced them to unclench from around his head so he could look around. At first he could see nothing, but as the dust cleared it became apparent what happened.

"Oh, no," Jason whispered in shock. Or at least he felt like he did. He couldn't hear anything over the ringing in his ears. He scrambled to his knees, staring wide eyed at the devastation that was once an entrance to a cave. It had completely collapsed, solid sandstone reduced to nothing but rubble, blast marks scarring the cliff above it like a blackened wound.

A sharp pain, like a knife to his chest, surprised Jason with its intensity, left him gasping. "Prompto," he breathed, voice breaking. His gaze flicked rapidly back and forth in denial, looking for something, anything that would let him know that he didn't just witness what he thought he did. But the image before him did not change, and there was no denying that only a wall of stone remained where his friend once stood.

"No," he denied anyway, stumbling to his feet and lurching forward. "No, no, no!" It couldn't be. He had been standing right there, just a moment ago, he was right there–

Jason braced two trembling palms against the wall of crumbled stone, a powerful urge growing in him like an itch beneath his skin to move, break through, do something. And before he knew it his hands were moving, scraping against the wall's rough surface, rocks and dust and crumbled earth tumbling to the ground. It was useless, he knew it was, but that didn't abate the charged need in his blood to try anyway.

Muffled shouting filtered through the cotton in his ears, but he couldn't quite make it out over the ringing or the rush of his blood. He let out a cry of excitement as the rock before him shifted, thinking he was getting somewhere, when a violent tug on the back of his neck had him lurching backwards. He grunted as his back impacted with a solid wall of muscle, struggling when it pulled him back roughly. Why was he being held back?! He had to get to Prompto, now! He scratched at the arms holding him, desperate to get away and get back to his fruitless digging, when the ground shook. Jason snapped his head up and froze as the rock lurched and crumbled, sending another wave of crushing weight right where he had been standing.

"Oh," he gasped, relaxing into the hold marginally. The shock of nearly dying again cleared his head a little, and finally sound broke the barrier of his panic. A voice cut through the fog, rumbling from the chest behind him and bringing him out of it completely.

"Jason," Gladio grunted, still holding him tightly. "Cut it out. You can't get to them like that, you'll just get yourself killed."

Finally sensate again, Jason relaxed completely. "Gladiolus." He clutched at the arm holding him. "Prompto...He…"

"He's alive," Ignis said, stepping into his line of sight.

"How do you know that?" Jason despaired. How could he possibly know? He saw him, saw him run into that cave right before it exploded, there was no way–

Ignis peered into his face, scanning for what, Jason hadn't the slightest idea. But he was too upset to care. "Prompto is a member of Noctis' house. If he fell, we would have felt it."

Jason blinked. "Wha–? Okay, you'll have to explain that one to me later. But. A-are you sure?" At Ignis' nod, Jason slumped, energy completely drained out of him. Relief like nothing he'd ever felt before flooded his veins and rendered him limp against Gladiolus' chest, the day's events catching up to him all at once.

"Whoa, kid, hold on, don't pass out on me." Gladio's arms tightened around him, and Jason couldn't bring himself to care.

"Not a kid," he mumbled.

"Tch. Tell that to me when you don't look like one."

"Wha! Seriously? How many times do I have to tell you–wait." Jason frowned. "What about Noctis?" he asked, a slight stab of guilt swooping low in his stomach. He hadn't been concerned for the raven at all. He might not like the dude very much, but that didn't mean he wanted him dead.

Ignis narrowed his eyes at the wall of crumbled stone, concentrated or worried, Jason couldn't quite tell. "He's also alive. I have no way of knowing what condition they are in, however, so we need to get to them as soon as possible."

"Y-yeah," Jason cleared his throat. "Yeah." He tried to stand upright again, but Gladio did not let up on his grip. "Um. You can let go of me now." For a split second, the grip tightened further and Jason's heart leapt violently in his chest. "Uh?"

"You won't try to dig through that again, got me?" Gladio rumbled, and Jason nodded rapidly. Once he was released, he scrambled forward and spun around, but Gladio wasn't paying him any mind, brushing the dust from his shoulders. The larger man looked at the wall contemplatively, sharp golden eyes evaluating.

"How exactly are we going to get through this?"

"We aren't," Ignis replied. "We'll need to find another route. These underground bunkers usually have more than one entrance. The question is, where?" The brunette pulled out his phone and tapped at it for a couple of seconds, frowning. "I'm afraid we don't have navigation out here. And even if we did, it probably wouldn't be marked. We may need to backtrack to the hunter base and ask around."

"That will take forever," Jason interjected, tense. "They may need our help! We can't just leave them in there overnight!" The base was hours away by foot. It had taken them all day to get here, and the sun was setting swiftly.

"We may not have a choice," Gladio shrugged grimly. "They are definitely not getting through that any more than we are. Did you try calling them, Iggy?"

"It's no good with them underground. I barely have reception as it is."

"Can't we like, I dunno," Jason gestured vaguely, trying to put words to what he was thinking, "send Noctis a note through the armiger or something? I mean, he sensed it when I took things, right?"

Gladio and Ignis exchanged a look. Gladio scratched the back of his head, looking up into the sky thoughtfully. "That...might actually work. We can put a note in the armiger and Noctis will feel it. The only problem is there would be no way for us to know if he got it, 'cause none of us have the control he does."

"We can only summon objects directly linked to us, such as our weapons," Ignis added. "And also certain curatives with distinctive magical signatures. I'm afraid non-magical objects are beyond our abilities."

"So if he sent a note, we wouldn't be able to tell."

"Right."

"But wait, I can. I have access to your inventory." Jason hit his fist into the palm of his hand, excited. "I'd be able to–"

"Oh, no. No way you're messing with that power of yours again," Gladio interrupted. "You could put them in even more danger if you drain Noct."

"You have a better idea?" Jason huffed.

"I don't think you understand quite what it is you are asking," Ignis pushed up his glasses sharply, the lenses reflecting the dimming light. "The armiger isn't just a storage mechanism, it's connected to Noctis' life force. Only those closest to the royal family, those sworn to protect it and their country with their lives, are chosen to access it. To use it without being inducted into his house and without his express permission is a perversion. You didn't just exhaust him when you accessed the armiger, you took a piece of his life."

"...I–" Jason swallowed hard, trying to speak past the twisted knot in his throat. "I had no idea." He looked down at his hands in horror as if his abilities were laid out in his palms like macabre bloodstains. He'd been stealing Noctis' life? What kind of fucked up power did he possess that he could just do that? His skin crawled, a violent shiver working its way up and down his spine. Whatever it was, now that he knew about it, he didn't want it. The fact that Noctis granted this ability himself, knowing what he was sacrificing to give his companions power...and that Jason could just take it against his will...no wonder he looked at him with such hatred. Jason clenched his hands, mouth dry.

"Now you're getting it," Gladio said seriously. "That still doesn't solve our problem though."

The three stood in silence for several minutes, contemplating the obstacle in front of them. But no matter how they looked at it, there was no way through. Without knowing where the other entrance lay, they would need to return to the hunter base to get more information. Unless.

"I have another ability that might be useful," Jason said slowly. Ignis and Gladiolus gave him skeptical looks, but he soldiered on. "I don't think it would affect Noctis at all, since it isn't related to his armiger." In fact, thinking back to when he was inside of Noctis, none of his other abilities seemed to affect him.

Gladiolus shifted impatiently Jason remained silent. "Well, what is it?"

"I can access the world map. It has icons on it that indicate towns and dungeons and stuff." He winced, half expecting another dismissal. Ignis and Gladiolus exchanged a look, and then Gladio shrugged, like, 'can't see how it would hurt to indulge in this guy's delusions.'

Taking that as permission, Jason blinked, bringing up the game menu. His vision blurred before cool blues and blacks consumed the reds and golds of the sunset in the canyon. He had to blink again in confusion though, as the menu seemed to have changed drastically. Whereas before, it looked precisely like what he was used to in his own reality, it appeared to have...morphed. No longer was there a lineup depicting the three of them standing idle; he could still see his surroundings, only muted and blurred at the edges. An otherworldly music filtered in from somewhere far in the distance, it's echo unsettling in the gloom. Gladio and Ignis were still there, watching him curiously, and time appeared to be moving normally. A little thrill of fear jumped within him, but he felt eased when he saw that the menu was still there, hovering a bit strangely but still mostly the same. Experimentally, he 'selected' the inventory with a gesture, just to see if it still worked.

It did. Only no words appeared, at least not words he could read. Instead, he just seemed to know what was in it, somehow. The back of Jason's neck prickled. It was a strange, unsettling feeling, almost like something was feeding knowledge directly into his head. He shook out his arms, not liking that at all. Okay, focus Jason. Map. Dismissing the inventory, he pulled up the map, which did consume his vision. That, thankfully, seemed to be mostly the same. Zooming in on his location as he did before, he scanned the surrounding areas. Yes, there was the familiar symbol for a dungeon, the red stone arch. He scanned around to see if he could find another entrance.

"What are you seeing?" Ignis asked curiously, his voice muffled.

"It's a map of Eos...I think I've found something," Jason said slowly, squinting. "It looks like another tunnel entrance about four miles south of us." An uncomfortable feeling began slithering up and down his spine and Jason shuddered visibly, reminded acutely of the sensations right before he was sucked into the game. With a jerk of his head, he dismissed the menu and rubbed his arms vigorously, abolishing the stinging. He clenched his eyes shut tightly, taking a deep breath.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he muttered, forcing his eyes open. The bright light of evening caused his head to ache after the darkness of the menu. "It's just weird, is all. The menu looked...different."

"I'm assuming you mean the 'game' menu," Ignis said skeptically.

"Yeah. It looked just like the game when I used it a couple days ago. Now, it's...I'm not sure. It's just different. Instead of words, it was like...information feeding directly into my head?" He grimaced, disturbed.

"Interesting." Ignis walked up to him slowly, looking into his eyes closely. Or rather, at them. Jason shifted uncomfortably, brows drawing together. "Your abilities are changing? Perhaps it is just your interpretation of them that is changing to match this reality."

"Guys, can we talk about this while we walk? We won't make it four miles before the sun sets and I really want to get a camp set up before dark."

Jason looked around, alarmed to see that it was indeed getting dark. Reluctantly, he admitted that Gladio was right. "What about sending that note? We could at least let them know about our plan and tell them where the entrance is. And I might not be able to summon it, but I think I can at least tell if Noctis replies."

Ignis nodded. "I'll take care of it," he volunteered, taking out a black notebook from his back pocket. "Did you happen to see any havens nearby?"

Jason thought back. "No…"

"We'll just have to sleep in shifts then," Gladio supplied. "It's going to be rough without our camping gear, but we should be fine as long as we get out of the wind and stick close together."

"We should be going then," Ignis gestured to Jason. "Lead the way."

Jason nodded, taking the lead in the general direction he saw the entrance. He would probably need to check the map again, and something about that made his skin crawl. He hoped he wouldn't need it, not after the most recent harmful revelation about his abilities... Gladio and Ignis fell into step beside him, their presence more comforting than he ever thought they would be. "So, do you guys believe me now?"

Gladiolus snorted, but didn't answer. Ignis however, regarded him thoughtfully. "There is no denying that you have abilities that we can't explain. Whether we believe the circumstances of your arrival hardly seems to matter at this point. I'm more concerned with who brought you here, and why you were granted the abilities you have."

"Well...at least whoever brought me here seems to be trying to help," Jason muttered dubiously. That might be the case...so far. He hoped whoever was pulling his strings–and oh, how he hated that idea–didn't do this for some malicious purpose. He didn't want to be someone's tool to bring even more trouble to the doomed people of this world. Especially since all of this was against his will anyway. Why was he chosen? Surely it wasn't chance…He licked his lips nervously and shook off his dark thoughts. There was no way to know right now anyway. Had to focus and get Prompto back before worrying about anything else. "Do you think Prompto will be okay…?"

"You sure seem to care about him an awful lot," Gladio said, startling Jason, who hadn't realized he'd said that outloud. Gladio peered at him out of the corner of his eye, face inscrutable.

Did he? Yes, he supposed he did. He'd only known the man for a few days–not even, if you counted all of the drama in between–and to his surprise he found that he already considered Prompto a fast friend. It wasn't even anything Jason did on his part. Prompto just seemed to...accept him into his little family with minimal fuss. It really had been heartstopping when he thought he'd lost him. And yes, it would hurt Jason if he died. He'd never gotten so close to someone so fast before, but he supposed it was a combination of Prompto's easy personality and just the plain fact that they'd already been through so much together. To Gladio, he offered a shrug and a nod, the vague gesture the only thing he could think of. After all, it wasn't like he could really explain their connection.

Belatedly, it occurred to him that he might not be able to get home without Prompto. The thought alarmed him, as he'd completely forgotten that it was his connection with Prompto that began this all.

Was...Prompto somehow behind this…? That can't be right...

-o0o-

As Jason withdrew into himself, thinking, Gladiolus and Ignis fell behind, exchanging a significant look. Making sure Jason wasn't paying attention, Gladio leaned in close to Ignis. "I know that look. What are you thinking, Iggy?"

"I'm not certain."

Gladio nodded, accepting the answer for now. Ignis seemed deep in thought, and he knew better than to try and pry answers out of him before he was ready. Instead, he asked something else that'd been on his mind. "Do you think we can trust this guy?"

A flash of green, half obscured by the reflection of the setting sun on his glasses, was there and then gone, locking steadfastly forward onto the meandering back of the enigmatic stranger. Ignis thought long and hard before answering, measuring Jason's proven qualities over his perceived notion of him. There was no denying the fact that Jason had come through for them on more than one occasion, without any indication he wanted anything in return. For all intents and purposes, he seemed genuine in his desire to help, even though not all of them had been kind to him. And that was just it. Ignis couldn't figure out his motivations. By his own admission, he wasn't even from this world, was taken from his home against his will.

His head was telling him this was suspicious, that there was something disingenuous going on behind that disarming smile and selfless demeanor. There was a feeling though, a gut instinct that told a different story.

Jason cared for Prompto, that much was obvious. To what extent, Ignis wasn't even sure Jason himself knew, but it was there all the same. And even though he hadn't received kindness from the rest of them, he still stepped in to help them to the detriment of himself. Who–or what–ever summoned Jason to this world chose well, for Ignis was starting to believe that Jason was genuine.

Perhaps he was just using them to find a way home–wherever that happened to be, whether a figment of his imagination or a true alternate reality. But even so, few would go to the lengths Jason seemed prepared to to reach that end, and even more than that, didn't seem to mind in the least that he was endangering himself in the process.

"Yes. I believe we can," Ignis said decisively. He watched as a slow smile overtook Gladio's features, golden eyes glinting to stare mischievously at Jason's weaving back. Ignis frowned disapprovingly. "Try not to scare him off with your terrible pickup lines, you insatiable flirt."

"Hey, my pickup lines aren't terrible. They worked on you, didn't they?"

Ignis sniffed dismissively. "It wasn't your pickup lines that impressed me, I assure you."

"Oh, then what was it? My good looks?" Gladio sidled closer until Ignis could feel the heat radiating from his shoulder against his own. He leaned down slightly, gaze heating. "My impressive...size?"

"Your modesty," Ignis deadpanned, pushing Gladiolus away. The larger man moved back a few paces with a chuckle. "Do try to focus, Gladio. His Highness and Prompto will both be in danger until we can get to them. We don't need," he glanced at Jason with a small frown, "distractions."

"Yeah, I know," Gladiolus said, sobering. "But they're probably fine. They can take care of themselves. In fact, I bet they're making out or something as we speak." He elbowed the brunette in the side conspiratorially. "I mean, have you noticed the way Noct's been acting ever since Jason showed up? If he hasn't confessed by now in some hissy jealous rage, I'll eat my shirt."

"You're not wearing a shirt." Gladio shrugged, smirking. Ignis' gaze darkened, remembering the prince's outburst. "Yes, well, overdue confessions aside, I hope Prompto can talk some sense into him. We cannot continue on like this."

"If he doesn't, I will."

Ignis knew it was no idle threat, and one he agreed with wholeheartedly. Despite improving leaps and bounds over the years, Noctis still had a terrible temper when provoked, something that may one day prove disastrous. Not only was this possessive behavior unhealthy, he could not afford it as King. Ignis partly blamed himself for indulging him in his youth, as he knew it stemmed from his rather isolated childhood, but that was neither here nor there. Noctis would have to mature if any of them were to survive the coming years.

Ignis looked to the sky in concern. "We need to find a defensible position soon. The sun's called it a day."

Gladio grunted in agreement, scouting the area swiftly. Once he found a suitable spot–an old building, still mostly intact–he called out to Jason, who had gotten some distance ahead. "Hey, Jason! We're stopping here for the night!"

Jason jumped at the loud shout, seeming surprised that he'd gotten so far ahead. With a nervous look around at the growing twilight, he jogged over to them. Ignis noticed the drag in his step and droop in his shoulders with some sympathy. He would be sure to take the first watch so Gladio and Jason could get some rest…

The three of them made their way over to the abandoned building, Gladio delighted to discover a door that, though it was long detached from the hinges, could cover the doorway if wedged in. Once they were safely inside, they decided unanimously that a fire would draw too much attention.

"We'll have to wait until morning to forage, unfortunately," Ignis said. "In the meantime, you two get some sleep. Gladio, I'll wake you in a few hours."

"No arguments here," Jason muttered through a jaw cracking yawn. He slid down the wall and drew in his knees, shivering visibly. The night was already cold, and the shirt and armor he didn't dare remove did little to keep out the chill.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gladio rumbled from his seat several feet away.

Jason's face scrunched up in confusion. "Um. Sleeping?"

The larger man scowled. "How are you going to keep warm all the way over there?" He lifted a long arm in invitation.

Jason stared, cheeks heating, before his eyes narrowed cautiously. "Uuuh, I'm good, thanks," he said, huddling in on himself further. Ignis watched concernedly from his position by the window, frowning. Jason's trepidation was understandable, considering recent events. Now that he was one of the group, though, that needed to change. Gladio seemed to agree.

The shield sighed. "Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot, but we need to trust each other if we are going to travel together, okay? Now come here, baby face, you're going to freeze."

"Baby face?!" Jason immediately protested, face flushing in indignation.

"Heh, yeah, you've got less facial hair than Prompto, and that's saying something."

Ignis smirked. It was true. Despite being here for days without shaving, Jason barely had a five o'clock shadow to show for it.

Jason rubbed at his hairless face, affronted. "Fuck you, dude, I've got Native American blood in me."

Gladio rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure, whatever that means. Just get over here." His tone was uncompromising in the face of Jason's glare, and the dark skinned man huffed, dragging himself to his feet. He hesitated, crouched before Gladio, not sure how to proceed, but yelped as the larger man tugged him down against his side and drew him in with his ridiculous wingspan. For several moments, Jason sat tensed, eyes wide and face heated, but it only took registering how warm the larger man was before he slumped against him in relief. He was out like a light only a few minutes later. Ignis eyed him, satisfied that he was no longer shivering, before resuming his watch.

Gladio snorted in amusement. "Well that was fast. Do you think he could handle a shift?"

Ignis glanced back briefly. "I don't think so, not tonight. He's clearly untrained. I'll wake you at midnight. And Gladio," he turned back to the night, scanning for possible threats as the sun sank fully under the horizon, stars winking out in glittering waves, "try to keep your hands to yourself."

He got a breathy chuckle in response. "No promises."

Ignis did not deign to answer. He shook his head, exasperated fondness tugging at the corner of his mouth insistently. His last thought before he focussed on his task was that he hoped Prompto and Noctis would be alright. It was going to be a long night.

-oo-

Though the night was long an tense for the two warriors, their new companion slept like the dead, face relaxed in sleep and body languid and warm against first Gladio, then Ignis when he took his turn to sleep, not stirring in the slightest when manhandled into position. Daemons prowled the night in the distance, the two keeping a sharp eye on them in shifts through the long hours of cold darkness. Eventually, the sun did rise, breaking through the valley in stunning rays of gold that warmed the earth and eased the hearts of those not protected by settlements.

It was Gladio's turn to watch, but Ignis was already awake as well, staring idly at the black mop of unruly hair resting against his shoulder, Jason still out cold. Clearly the man hadn't had any opportunity to groom it, as it stuck out in every which way and appeared hopelessly tangled, flopping against his high cheekbones in disarray. Ignis' fingers itched to run through it to arrange it in some semblance of order, but knew that without proper tools it would be a useless endeavor. He'd have to deal with it once they were all together again and Noctis could summon their supplies. In the meantime, it was some time yet before the sun fully rose and they would need to head out, so he let him sleep just a little while more.

"It's safe to go out now," Gladio whispered a bit later, voice low. "I'm going to see if I can find us something to eat."

Ignis nodded absently, waving the man off. Gladio slid the door from its frame and placed it against the wall before slipping out. Ignis cracked his neck, grunting at the stiffness from sleeping against a hard surface for an entire night, before he gently shook Jason's shoulder. "Jason. It's time to wake up. The sun has risen."

The dark skinned man groaned piteously, wiggling into Ignis' side and mumbling incoherently into his neck. Amused, and reminded sharply of a younger, more clingy Noctis, he tried again. "Jason. Wake up."

Jason froze, pulling back abruptly. "Wha–Ignis?" He looked around blurrily before seeming to remember where he was. "Oh. Right." He yawned widely, jaw cracking, and scratched irritatedly at his head. "Whattimeisit?"

Ignis made to automatically pull out his phone, but realized that it was probably dead since he hadn't had access to the Regalia to charge it. "Just dawn," he said instead. "Gladio will be back soon, so you should get prepared to leave."

"Ugh," Jason groaned, flopping back onto Ignis' shoulder. Ignis lifted a brow, finding it curious that Jason seemed to have less inhibitions this early in the morning. "That hoe better bring me some food."

"I think I might actually pay to see you say that to him while he's in the room," Ignis said dryly, amused.

Jason shrugged, then tensed as Gladio strode back into the room. He smirked at them. "Nice to see you finally awake, sleeping beauty." Jason scowled, sitting up to retort, but Gladio cut him off, a bit of urgency seeping into his tone. "Iggy, I think we've got a problem. We aren't alone out here."

"What do you mean?" Ignis got to his feet and walked out the door, squinting into the early dawn. Gladio pointed into the distance, a smoking vehicle just visible around the canyon's bend.

"Looks like someone's in trouble."

"Are we going to help them out?" Jason asked as he stepped up beside them. His face was pinched with worry, and perhaps a hint of fear. "They could be being attacked by wild animals."

"Hmm," Ignis hummed, pulling his eyes away from Jason to consider the car again. It was too far away from them to discern what make it was yet. He couldn't see any movement from this distance either. "We cannot afford to waste too much time. Prompto and Noctis could well need our help," he mused reluctantly.

"They're still alive, and princess has potions. I say we check it out. Can't really avoid it anyways, it's the only way through the canyon." Gladio rolled his shoulders, walking decisively forwards. Ignis didn't hesitate to follow close behind, mind eased of guilt at Gladio's point.

It took the three of them about a half hour to traverse the stretch between their resting place and the distressed vehicle. As they got closer, it became apparent that no one was being attacked. A red convertible stood on its own, a white stripe painted down its center, smoking at the hood. A lone figure moved about it, no doubt trying to repair the damage. As they moved closer, a distressing change seemed to overcome Jason, the young man falling behind significantly and growing alarm painting his features. Gladiolus didn't seem to notice, intent on getting to their destination, but Ignis fell back a few steps, drawing level with the dark skinned man.

"Jason? Are you feeling alright?"

Jason did not take his widened gaze from the stranger, growing visibly more nervous the closer they got. "I'm not sure...Ignis, do you recognize that guy? He looks familiar…"

Brows drawing together in concentration, Ignis examined the stranger closer. He couldn't see all that much through the smoke, and the stranger was bending over his engine. He just made out a flash of what looked to be red hair above his rather overdressed form, when Jason gripped his shoulder tight enough to bruise, bringing him to a halt. Ignis stuttered to a stop with a grunt. Before he could protest the rough treatment, however, he absorbed the alarmed and almost frightened look on Jason's face. "Ignis. We need to leave. Now."

It was too late though, because as soon as they were within hailing distance, Gladio called out to him. "Hey! You alright over there?"

Jason tensed, digging his fingers painfully into Ignis' shoulder as the stranger stood up, revealing a charming debonair smile beneath a fedora and a shock of red hair. "Ah," the traveler threw out his heavily dressed arms in welcome. "I'm saved!"

The man was odd looking to be sure, but appeared to be nothing more than an oddly dressed traveler. Indeed, Ignis found him vaguely familiar, as Jason stated, but that did not account for the look of horror tightening Jason's expression and quickening his breath. The stranger's eyes slid over the three of them slowly, as if examining particularly interesting wares at a market, and when they locked onto Jason curiously the man flinched. Instinctively, Ignis stepped in front of him, scowl darkening his features. Whoever this man was, and whatever his history with Jason, Ignis knew better than to ignore the feeling of trepidation crawling up his spine. If Jason was frightened of this man, then that was all Ignis needed to know.

Especially when that suddenly suspicious smile widened fractionally when he caught sight of Jason. Whatever he wanted, Ignis was getting the feeling he didn't want to find out.

-o0o-

AN:

I've created a tumblr so I can start posting the art I create for this story :) Also, I like to reblog stuff for FFXV and VLD and occasionally FMA. If y'all ever wanna chat, hit me up :D.
Username: lynxrider
I created an image of Jason for those of you who were curious about what he looks like. You can see all the art for this story under #hack. I think. I'm not sure exactly how tumblr works yet...
Anywho, thanks for your support everybody!