The roads of the city were cluttered with debris from the crumbling buildings. Ignis turned the steering wheel sharply to miss the obstacles, which sent the passengers in the backseat into one another. Prompto was quick to buckle in, something he typically did not do. "Careful!" Gladio grunted.
"My apologies. I'm being as careful as I can."
The further away from the Citadel, the less extensive the damage became until finally Ignis no longer had to swerve around chunks of brick and metal. As they neared the gate, the only entrance and exit into Insomnia, they were pleasantly surprised to find that it had not been taken quite yet. The attack had only just occurred, after all.
A figure was illuminated by the headlights of the Regalia and Ignis slowed to a stop. "Hey, what gives, Ignis?" Prompto queried irritably. They were on the run for their lives! They had just barely survived the attack. They needed to leave. Now!
The attention of Gladio, Prompto, and Noctis were drawn to the female figure that Ignis had spotted before anyone else. She shielded her eyes from the bright lights of the Regalia with a raised, bloodied arm. They recognized her dusty, torn uniform as belonging to the servants of the Royal family. Her almond-shaped, brown eyes were wide and haunted.
"Hello?" she called hesitantly, squinting to make out the figures in the car.
"You used to work in the palace, right?" Ignis asked. They had not seen hide nor hair of another Insomnian since leaving the Citadel, and he was surprised to see someone by the gates. He could only assume that, considering how dark it was, she had been unable to bring herself to leave the protection of her home.
"Yes," she answered, coming around to the side of the car. Without the glare of the headlights, she recognized the quartet in the car. Her daily duties never brought her into direct contact with the group, but she had been around often enough to know them each by their names.
"You need a ride?" Prompto said, leaning in his seat to look at her more fully. His chest tightened protectively as he was able to take in her bruised and battered appearance. "We'll drop you off at the next outpost."
Noctis opened his car door and left his seat allowing the woman to slide in. Once everyone was settled once more, Ignis stepped on the gas and they hurtled out of the gate. At once Prompto twisted in his seat and gave the girl a friendly smile. "We've met before... haven't we?" he asked, unable to shake the feeling that he had seen her somewhere before. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Ignis giving him the look, which he easily ignored.
The woman sat stiffly between Noctis and Gladio, trying to take up as little space as possible in the cramped car. "No, we haven't," she answered. "I work for the royal family. I've seen you all around the Citadel, but I only know Prince Noctis by name."
"Well, then," said Ignis from the front seat. "It seems that some introductions are in order. I am Ignis. This is Prompto, and Gladiolus is on your other side."
"Nice to meet you," Gladio chimed in, "though I would have wanted better circumstances."
"My name's Noelle," the young woman responded.
"Noelle," Prompto said slowly. "Are you sure we haven't met before?"
"Pretty sure, yes."
"Well, if you say so," he said, turning back to face the front once more. "I would remember meeting you if we had, anyway."
"So where are you from, Noelle?"
"Insomnia," she answered softly, trying not to think of the home and the loved ones that were left behind.
Kicking himself for drudging up painful memories from earlier in the night, Prompto continues, "Yeah, me too. I've never been out of the city before."
"I know it's none of my business," Noelle began, "but what are you planning to do now? About what happened?"
"I'm going to take Insomnia back," Noctis answered, the hand that he had resting on his leg clenched into a fist.
Noelle took a deep breath, as though steeling herself to say what she knew she had to. "I want to go with you."
Ignis looked up into the rearview mirror to see her reflection. "That's very admirable of you, but it's going to be extremely dangerous. It would be irresponsible for us to put a citizen in danger. This is not your battle to fight."
"It is every Insomnian's fight," Noelle argued stubbornly, flaring up at once. "Look, I know that I can't fight, but I can learn. I pick things up quickly. I'm not looking for a free ride; I'll contribute what I can."
Ignis still seemed skeptical. Prompto turned in his seat to watch. Perhaps he should have been surprised by her willingless to assist them, but anybody that had made it through the carnage of the night would have to be strong.
"You can use me. You can! I can heal people," she said desperately, seeing her one chance at revenge slipping through her fingers like sand. "There are some things I can't do, like death, chronic diseases, and the Starscourge, but I can at least heal most wounds and minor illnesses. If it's going to be as dangerous as you say, you can use me.
"Please." The word was spoken softly, almost begging, and she turned her eyes to Prompto. He had been the one to offer her a ride. He had been the one to try and keep up conversation. If she could sway anybody to her side of the argument, she knew that it would be him. "I have nowhere else to go. Please."
Prompto's eyes widen in surprise when she turns her attention to him, her eyes begging him to speak in her behalf. "But Ignis, we can't just drop her off and leave her! Her home was destroyed, just like ours."
"Prompto..." Ignis said, his companion's name coming out as more of a sigh.
Recognizing that he would not be getting anywhere with the personal adviser, the fair haired man turned instead to the one in charge. Noctis. He pinned the stoic prince with the best puppy-dog impression that he could manage, his blue eyes wide and pleading.
Noelle had to give him credit. It would be difficult to resist anything that those deep blue-eyes begged for.
Noctis gave him the best glare that he could manage. "Look, can't this wait until we get to Hammerhead? It's late and we're all tired."
Sensing victory, Prompto turned to Noelle and gave her a smile before settling back into his seat. The answer was not a yes, but she had not been given a denial, either. It would do for now.
