...Chapter Three: Slip Up...
I really hated my cousin sometimes. Or rather, his girlfriend. Once we were back in his apartment, she pulled me into the master bathroom, where she proceeded to poke and prod, pluck and paint, and stick me into the glitziest, glitter-covered crop top and skinny jeans. My face felt numb yet tingly, I was sure there was ten pounds of makeup masterfully painted on my skin, and my earlobes were weighed down with large gold earrings. When Portia finally permitted me to see my reflection, I gasped from shock and wonder.
She truly knew what she was doing. My eyes shimmered with dark shadow, my lashes curled and lengthened with mascara, and my lips painted a deep red. My normally unruly blonde hair was straightened and pulled back into a high ponytail, accentuating my cheekbones, which had a hint of shimmer powder along the tops.
"Wow, Portia! This is the best I've ever looked, thank you!" I exclaimed, turning and pulling the taller woman into a tight hug.
The tall, willowy brunette returned the embrace, then held me by the shoulders to stare me in the eyes. "You have always been beautiful, no matter what anyone tells you." The normally bubbly woman was deadly serious, so I didn't dare rebuke her. "All I did was make that beauty shine brighter than the stars," she turned me around and smacked my bottom to push me out to the living room.
"H-hey!" I jumped about two feet out of the room, holding my sore butt and glaring at Julianus, who had laughed as I stumbled into the hall. I started down the hall towards him, still rubbing my butt with a betrayed expression. "The jeans are too long..." I muttered when I was in front of him.
He laughed again, holding up one hand. "That's what's these are for." I took what he offered, which turned out to be a pair of gladiator-style high heels. When the weight of the shoes registered, I glanced up at Julianus in confusion.
"Why are they made of metal?" I asked, a freshly plucked brow raising.
He shrugged like the answer was obvious, "The club is cracking down on people bringing in weapons, so they're for self defense. Can't bring in your chains, so something to channel your electricity, like the shoes," he tapped them for emphasis, "are needed."
"D'you really think I'll need them, though?" He'd never been this cautious, so it was both slightly worrying and confusing.
"What? Cute, innocent girl like you? You'll have the guys crowding around you, no doubt!" He reached out to ruffle my hair, but I swatted his hand away.
"That took an hour and a half on its own. Don't. Touch. The hair." My glare was back, if slightly teasing.
Julianus held up his hands in defeat, his lower lip sticking out in a fake pout as he did so. He perked up when Portia walked in, also wearing a glittery ensemble and plenty of makeup. "If we're all ready, we should get going." He grabbed his keys off the dining table, and I leaned against the wall to put on my heels.
"Why rush? It's only eleven, the place won't be busy until twelve thirty or so," I said, nearly losing my balance as I stood on one foot to secure the other shoe.
"I dunno. Just wanna get there early," he shrugged, and I rolled my eyes as I finally stood on both feet. I motioned with my hand in a 'get on with it' gesture, and he threw his keys in the air once, catching them with ease, then strode over to the front door. Portia and I shared a glance then followed him out, Portia locking the door behind us.
The drive to the club, Blue Hypnosis, was quick and quiet, and the line was nearly nonexistent when we pulled up. Julianus handed the keys to a valet, and I started for the end of the line, jerking to a stop when he caught my arm. He smirked at my questioning expression, then wrapped an arm around my and Portia's shoulders. "This'll be quite the night."
"That it will," said Portia, snaking her own arm around his waist, poking my side and smiling as we neared the door.
"D'Agostino," Julianus said to the bouncer at the door, and the huge man waved us in after checking his list. "Let's find a table," he continued as he held out his card to the cashier, who swiped it and handed it back in a single second.
I shrugged, "Might as well, before the place gets packed." My eyes roamed over the small crowd of club goers, spotting an empty table in the far corner. Pointing it out, I yelled over the heavy bass, "Found one!"
"Great! You two head over there, I'm going to get us water bottles," Julianus yelled back, and Portia and I pushed our way through the dancers to the table I'd pointed out. Once there, Portia took off the leather jacket that she had grabbed on the way out of their apartment and placed it on the table to show others that it was taken. We didn't say anything as we waited, instead tapping our fingers to the beat.
Portia smiled at me awkwardly as Julianus came back, placing our water bottles down and taking off his own jacket, then taking Portia's hand and heading off to the dance floor. Leaving me to fend for myself in a slowly more packed club. Wonderful.
Not wanting to be the weird girl to dance alone, I uncapped a water bottle, sipping it to calm my nerves. I didn't know how much time passed, but it felt like an hour before someone came up to the table. He was very obviously older than twenty, the cut off age for tonight, so I had no idea how he got in, except that maybe he was the owner. His first words made me think that was the correct guess.
"Are you doing alright, miss?" He looked truly concerned and trustworthy, but his next words made me want to slap the well-groomed mustache off his face. "Maybe I can alleviate your boredom?" Him handing me a glass set off several alarm bells, and I slapped the no doubt drugged drink out of his hand, glaring as fiercely as I could.
"Piss off, jackass," said another male voice, and I turned to see the prince of all people staring the creep down. Following him were his three friends and Cor, all of whom were glaring at the man who had offered me the drink.
Noctis had asked Commander Nerio where the club was, but she had seemed angry when he said he and his friends would be going. He managed to get the info he wanted out of her, and walked back to the car he and his friends were using. "They're going to Blue Hypnosis."
"I know where that is!" exclaimed Prompto, the sixteen year old bouncing in place like he'd eaten too much sugar.
"So do I," said a much deeper voice, and Noctis cringed as he turned to face Cor Leonis. "And you're not going without a guard."
Well, that was unexpected. Noctis had been positive Cor would insist they not go. Period. But now he was going with them? That was so out of the norm, the young prince didn't really know how to respond. Luckily, Ignis spoke for them all, the eighteen year old once again being the responsible, intelligent one of the group.
"Thank you, sir. We'd be glad to have you accompany us." He was tossing the car keys from hand to hand, not really looking at any of them, instead his eyes wandered over the crowds pouring out of the coliseum and into cars or simply walking home.
"Alright then." Cor glanced them over with a critical glance. "We'll have to change. We already stick out in a crowd, we don't want to make it worse by wearing more formal clothes than anyone else."
The four teens weren't sure what exactly he meant, but figured he knew better than them. Glancing at each other, they shrugged and got into the Regalia, Ignis starting up the car and pulling out onto the main highway. The drive home would have been quiet, but Prompto turned on the radio and proceeded to sing along to an extremely annoying pop song.
The entire trip.
Once home, the four teens rushed to get changed into their idea of proper club attire. Which, for them, meant lots of black and skull motifs. They rushed down the palace grand staircase to the foyer where Cor waited for them. The head guard was talking to a lackey when they skidded to a stop next to him, and Cor waved the other guard away, then once again looked over them with a critical eye, ending in a defeated sigh.
"It'll do, I suppose," he said, and his expression was one of resignation.
That hit a nerve with Noctis. He had been the one to tell them to change, when what they'd been wearing earlier should have been perfectly alright. Now they were just okay. "That so?" he asked, his annoyance only showing deep in his eyes. One would have to be seriously searching for it to find it.
Cor ignored him, which struck another nerve. "Let's head out. Don't want to get there late, now do we?"
"How could we get there late?" asked Prompto. "The place doesn't get busy for another two hours, so we got time."
Cor ignored him as well, pulling on a leather jacket over his tee-shirt and heading out to where the cars were parked. "Just follow me and don't get lost."
"Will do." Gladio said, hopping into the Regalia, much to Iggy's annoyance. "Let's go!" The other three chose a more dignified manner of entering the car, but they were soon off to the club district of the vast city. Prompto once again cranked up the radio, saying he was getting ready for the party. Following Cor was easier than expected with how much traffic there was, and Ignis had no trouble keeping close even in the busy club district.
The building Cor stopped in front of looked high end, not that this was anything new to the four teens. Cor led them to the front of the long line, and the bouncer made the mistake of stopping him.
"Hold on, buddy. You look a bit older than twenty. Can't let you in."
Cor did the one thing that terrified Noctis most. He smiled, then spoke in a calm, soft voice, "I think you'll make an exception for me."
The bouncer's hackles rose, and he puffed out his well-developed chest. "And just who are you?"
"Ah, me?" Cor said, sarcasm evident in his tone. "Just Cor Leonis, head of the palace guard, and the prince's escort for tonight," he pointed over his shoulder at the four teens,and the bouncer's eyes widened comically at who it was that Cor had with him. Nodding silently, he lifted the rope and waved them in, still in a state of shock.
As they walked in, Cor's smile turned into a smirk, and it was plain unnerving to Noctis. Pushing the thought out of his mind, he began to search for a now familiar head of curly, reddish blonde hair, only it was nowhere in sight. He was about to give up and just find a table to snooze at when something in a back corner caught his gaze.
An older man was handing a girl who didn't look of age yet a clearly alcoholic drink. When the girl swatted the drink to the floor, a white light passed over her, lighting up her eyes. A fierce, icy green. Noctis pushed through the dancers until he stood behind the creep.
"Piss off, jackass," he said, a strange sense of pride welling up at the gratitude in Azrael's eyes.
The creepy older guy (the mustache really didn't help his case) turned with a glare to Noctis as Ignis, Gladio, Prompto, and Cor caught up to them. "And why should I?"
"Because I said so."
"And why should I listen to you, ya little runt?"
"Your Highness," Azrael cut in, standing and striding over to the two who were arguing, pushing the older man away. "He's not worth it. Let's just find a different table," she grabbed his hand and began to pull him to another empty table, then jerked him in front of her, nearly making him fall to the ground. She kicked out at someone behind her, and the smell of ozone filled the air as electricity sparked off her heels. Noctis saw it was the man from before, out cold as his hands and feet twitched.
"Boss!" shouted someone nearby, and several other men came rushing, fists up, at Azrael, Noctis, and the others. Before they could reach them, three others cut them off. The group included Bellona, Julianus, and another, brown-haired woman Noctis had never met. Three of the five were down in a matter of seconds, the other two following as the cousins punched them down.
For several minutes, the only sound in the club was the overly loud music as the club goers stared in shock at the Infiltration Squadron's leader and protegee, as well as another member took out the gang. Soon, other noises trickled back in, and Bellona held out a hand to Julianus. "Good work today, soldier. Mission complete."
"Thank you, ma-"
"Excuse me?" broke in an incredulous Azrael, and the two jumped, staring at her sheepishly.
"You used me as bait?" I shouted, beyond betrayed. Julianus was the first person to show me genuine kindness, he was my brother of sorts, my confidant. And he had used me to catch a criminal. I could feel the tears welling up, and didn't bother trying to stop them as they smudged my makeup. I backed up, my legs shaking and holding my head in one hand as I tried to find an explanation for what had occurred.
There had to be a reason, right? He had to have done it on accident. Maybe this was an ongoing mission that he had been a part of for months. Maybe.
But maybe wasn't good enough for me. And Portia had known as well. They used me!
My entire body shook as I pushed past Julianus to the exit, the crowd on the dance floor making a path for me. This is why I have so few friends. I'm dangerous, I'm volatile, I'm a liability. I'm a trained killer, for Etro's sake!
I stepped out of the club right as the first drops fell onto the pavement. For once the weather matched my mood, and it had to be the day where I was struggling with a hurricane of dark thoughts. The people on the sidewalk stared at the stupid girl out and about in the rain without a jacket, but the looks didn't bother me now. I didn't know why they ever did. They were always there, condescending and disapproving, malicious and withering.
I heard steps behind me as I turned onto a side alley, but it was when the hand went around my shoulders that I swung. The man caught my weak fist easily, and I backed away from him with my head lowered in shame. It was Cor, and I had raised a hand to a C.O. I didn't even want to know how much trouble I'd be in tomorrow.
"Get in the car."
A warm, leather jacket was tossed carelessly over my shoulders, and Cor began to walk back to his pricey looking sports car. Stunned, I stumbled after him, the straps of the shoes chaffing my ankles from the water. Opening the car door and sliding into the interior, I pulled my arms through the jacket sleeves, buckled in, and turned the AC duct towards myself, hoping he didn't mind as I basked in the heat. Instead, when I turned to him to say my thanks, he had the faintest smile on his lips.
"Excuse me for speaking out of turn, sir, but is there a reason I'm in your car?"
The smile grew, and he put the car into gear. "Can't have you getting sick the day before the rest of your life in the military starts, now can we?"
He was no doubt referring to the Unit Selection tomorrow, so I shrugged. "I don't really think it matters. My score was probably abysmal after the botched match today, so any unit won't want to take me."
"I agree with that part." I flinched at his words. "But," he said, turning onto the main freeway, his tone making me look up. He met my gaze in the mirror as rain poured off the windows. "Your performance in the face of a life or death situation was admirable. And highly impressive, even to me." At this, the car fell silent for several minutes, and I pulled on a loose string on my jeans.
"S-sir?" I asked hesitantly.
"Yes, Azrael?" he responded immediately, making me flinch again. I never expected him to call me by my given name.
"...Did you know? About the mission?" I was honestly afraid to hear his answer.
Cor was silent for another few minutes, apparently searching for the right words. When he spoke, I wanted to hide my face in my hands. "I suspected. I knew about the mission, yes, but it was a long-term one, so I didn't know it go down tonight. My suspicion started when I saw Don Borgia talking to you."
I promptly deflated, slumping back into the seat, "So I was bait..." I mumbled, the feeling of betrayal welling up once again. I started when I felt the car slow to a stop, and glanced out the window to see us parked on the shoulder about ten minutes from my house.
"Azrael, look at me," Cor said, his tone deadly serious. I hesitated a second more, then whipped around when he sighed impatiently. I met his pale blue eyes with my wide green gaze, not knowing what to expect. Definitely not him pulling me into a hug. I froze as he began to speak again. "That can't be helped, but I'm sure your cousin had his reasoning, and that it was sound in his own mind. That doesn't make it right."
He pulled away to look me in the face again. "Don't let it bother you for too long, okay? Promise me that."
"Yes, sir," I said, a sense of wonder washing over me.
He smiled again, "And it's just Cor when I'm off duty, Azrael."
"Yes, s-... I mean, sure thing, Cor."
"Good. Now, let's get you home." He started up the car again, quickly making it to my home and dropping me off. I tried to hand him back his jacket, but he simply waved me inside. It was as I ran in the front door that I remembered my uniform was at my cousin's place.
Dammit.
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Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or its characters.