Chapter Twenty-Two

Noctis couldn't tell how long he'd been stuck in this nightmare of a world. Time still didn't seem to pass correctly wherever he was. He only knew he needed to leave, to break free somehow. But how? Gentiana told him he had the power, but Noctis was at a loss.

Just as he debated whether to try leaving, he felt the pocket of his pants vibrate and sing. He had his phone. When did he get it? Noctis fumbled pulling it out of his pocket. He turned on the screen where it revealed a strange message.

Hello. Can you read this?

"Wha -?" Noctis stared. The text had no sender or number listed above it. "Who is this?" he wondered.

Another message came through. In front of you.

Noctis looked up. In front of him, on the ground, stood a familiar creature. He knew him. Long white ears and a small furry body with a bushy white tail. It looked like a snowy fennec fox. Except for the small pink horn atop its head.

"Carbuncle?" Noctis was brought back to the wisps of a dream he'd had years before. "How did you get here?"

Carbuncle turned and made his way out of the darkness and along a path of parched red ground. None of the ash or dirt seemed to mar his coat. It was as though he were impervious to whatever this nightmare had to offer.

"Hey," Noctis called after him, jogging to catch up. "Wait up."

I'm sorry we have to meet again like this.

"I don't understand," Noctis said. "How did you get here?"

Carbuncle said nothing, just leading Noctis on. Noctis kept close behind him, trying not to lose him in the smoky air. In the distance, he could make out the Cerberus dogs, sniffing him out, growling and salivating for him.

Don't worry about them. They can't hurt you anymore.

The little horned fox led him past a gnarled tree and down a rocky slope. Carbuncle waited for him as Noctis picked his way down the path. It was darker here, without the Cerberus flames to light the area. Noctis wished he had his flashlight on him, but his shirt and jacket were nowhere to be found.

Carbuncle then led Noctis past a rancid creek. A layer of ash floated atop its surface and Noctis could smell dead fish and sulphur. He tried not to breathe in too much and get past it as soon as possible.

It's not quite the nice dream I had back then, is it?" he asked Carbuncle as he was led along.

No. But then, this isn't your dream this time.

"Not my dream?" Noctis asked. "But, what does that mean?"

Carbuncle stopped, looking back at him with sad eyes. You're not just asleep, Noct – you're comatose.

"What?!" He thought of Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio. The guys must be worried sick. He looked as the small fox. "I need to find the exit, right?"

Carbuncle dipped his small head, then turned back and bounded down the path. Keep up! Danger could come at any moment.

It was early the next morning, before dawn Gladio guessed. It was hard to tell with the raging wind and rain. The wind was doing its best to bend the trees into a permanent bow and the lights started flickering from time to time. He peeked out from the partially open shudder on the front window. He hoped the storm would die down soon. Losing light would only mean daemons to worry about besides the empire. Even during the day. And with Noctis still immovable, the situation could get desperate quickly. Not to mention the civilian casualties.

The three had snatched naps throughout the night, none of them wanting to sleep, but also knowing that they needed to be fresh and ready when the time came, if it came.

Gladio still hadn't heard back from Cor since the night before. He was starting to worry. Cor had only been in Caem. He should have gotten here by now. Unless –

Gladio scoffed to himself. Cor the Immortal could take care of himself. As could the rest of the Crownsguard. Still, it was a little humbling that no one had yet come. Then again, the empire hadn't either. Maybe the storm was holding them all off.

Small pings of hail began to hit the windows, and dull thus scraped across the doors and walls as the wind drove the pea-sized ice balls straight line into the hotel. Lightning began to crash more and more as the storm settled directly overhead.

Umbra had laid unmoving against Noctis all night, not even whining for food, water, or a walk. Gladio was always astounded by Umbra's ability to track Noctis. And now, he was quite taken aback by his insistence on remaining by his side.

Ignis narrowed his eyes as he looked out the window over Gladio's shoulder.

"Did you see that?"

Gladio thought for a second that Ig was pulling his leg, then he saw it took. Over across the Taelpar parking lot, just beyond the outbuilding was a glint of something. It looked like metal. Then he caught the sight of a sword and a hel,.

"Shit," Gladio said, "Prompto, we got company!"

"Good guys or bad guys?"

"It ain't good." Gladio summoned his genji blade.

"How many?" Ignis asked, summoning his own dagger.

"No way to tell in this weather," Gladio said.

"Prompto, get the lights please," Ignis said. "Do you think they know where we are?"

"Wouldn't take long to guess. Thought you were smarter than that."

The lights turned off one by one as Prompto darkened the room.

"One can only hope they're not too bright," Ignis mused.

"Hope is right," Gladio remarked, as he adjusted the front shudder, closing it almost fully. He didn't want to obstruct his view, but he didn't want to give the empire a free look inside their room either.

Gladio pulled his phone out and dialed Cor's number. The phone rang through to voicemail. "Damn. Still not getting through."

"Well, we know they're here, at least," Ignis said. He pulled his own phone out and rang Dr. Stone. Noct's meds would have to wait. It was much too dangerous to expose their position.

A few minutes later, Ignis hung up.

"Stone and Dustin will remain in their room," Ignis said. "Dustin will fight with us if we need to fight before reinforcements arrive."

Gladio nodded, watching intently from the window.

"Go eat your breakfast, Ig," Gladio said. "No telling when these guys'll decide to make their move."

Prompto summoned his gun, checking the barrel and the bullets. "Good thing I had the time to oil my baby up."

"Please, Prompto," Gladio said. "I don't need to know what you do in your spare time."

"Uh, my gun, dude," Prompto said, waving it in from of him. Gladio didn't even look back.

"Don't need to know about that either," Gladio said

"You're gross, dude."

Umbra's ears pricked up, and his head came up off Noct's leg. He looked toward the bathroom, and his ruff went up. A low growl started to escape his throat.

Prompto crossed to the back window, but didn't touch the shudder. He tried peeking through, but it was impossible. But he could hear –

"I think we'll have company soon," Prompto whispered loudly, gun raising. Ignis abandoned his cooking, turning off the stove, and drawing forth a dagger. He joined Prompto on the backside of the room.

"Can't see through the shudders," Ignis confirmed. "But if Umbra thinks they're there –"

"Good enough for me," Gladio rumbled lowly. He motioned to Prompto to take over lookout from the front and they crossed the room, one replacing the other.

Umbra didn't bark, but his growl never grew any louder. He did stand up and step over Noctis on the bed, standing astride Noctis now. He sat on Noctis now, as though in effort to protect him, but his hackles never went down.

"I don't like this," Gladio whispered. "They're flanking us."

Prompto snapped his fingers quickly from the front window, confirming what Gladio had already guessed. MTs were now slowly stalking past the manager's shuddered office. The green of their skin and armor was nearly lost in the storm and rain, but the chrome-colored metal glinted clearly in the feeble lighting.

Ignis summoned his second dagger, using one to itch his bicep slightly.

"Ig, any ideas?" Gladio whispered. He had some of his own, but Ignis had always been the better tactician.

"Prompto," Ignis said in a low voice. "You will remain with Noct and Umbra. Wait for Stone and do not join us under any circumstances."

Umbra growled again. He sensed the MTs surrounding them. He lay across the top of Noctis, covering his abdomen and down across his legs. Noctis grunted slightly.

If MTs weren't just outside, the three would have been fist bumping and doing cartwheels. But there was no time.

Ignis went over to Noct's monitors, turning all of them off as quickly as he could. After the last was off, he unceremoniously pulled the leads from Noctis, and lastly detached Noctis from the IV bags and oxygen. He hated doing it, but it was the only way they'd be able to move him quickly and keep him alive during the fight.

"They're just out front," Prompto whispered now stepping back from the window to ensure they could not see him. "I don't think they know which room."

"Won't take them long," Gladio said. "Not exactly a huge place."

"The only way to avoid the fight in here is to take it outside," Ignis whispered. "We can no longer hide and wait."

Good, Gladio thought. I'm sick of waiting.

Gladio crossed to the front door. "Close the door behind us," Gladio hissed at Prompto. Prompto nodded, his gun ready. "On three," Gladio mouthed, giving Ignis a quick look. "One, two –"

"Three!"

Gladio threw the door open, slicing down with his genji blade and took out two very surprised MTs. Ignis hurled his daggers into a third and both were out the door, fighting in the parking lot.

Prompto slammed the door, throwing the lock and leaning against the door.

Now Umbra barked.

Prompto could hear the clash and clang of Ignis' daggers and Gladio's blade just on the other side of the door. He looked at Noct, still as ever save the rise and fall of his chest, Umbra still perching on top of him, now barking wildly.

Prompto crossed to the back of the room and tried to peek out a window, but the shudders still obscured too much. Umbra watched Prompto now his hackles still raised. Prompto looked back at Noct, noticing Umbra's following gaze.

"What is it, boy? They still behind us?"

Umbra continued growling and then barked again, a furious round of it now. He was louder than before. Urgent. He looked ready to leap off Noctis, but remained atop him, protecting him.

"Here goes nothing." Prompto took a deep breath and then slid the shudder back. A small group of MTs about to break through the same shudder met Prompto. He fired directly at the front line, taking down the leader of the ambush immediately. Another MT took its place. Prompto fired again.

MTs clamored to get through the window, but Prompto held his ground, Umbra barking furiously behind him. The small concrete barrier just outside the window shudder funneled the MTs nicely. The area between the concrete wall, normally meant as a break for daemons, forced the soldiers into single file. They lined up to die, thought Prompto as he continued to fire.

Prompto remained in the window, but took a step back to get in a better stance. He continued to fire as the soldiers relentlessly forced their way into the narrow passage. The soldiers piled up in front of him, obscuring the path to the window.

As magitek soldiers began to climb the growing pile, Prompto saw an opportunity. Their metal armor was slippery in the rain, and it slowed their attempts to get over the bodies. Placing his leg on the topmost body from just inside the window, Prompto pushed it as hard as he could. The mess of tangled MTs topped to the side, causing advancing MTs to trip and fall backward. More slipped and tripped. It spread the group out, fanning them in a nice line where Prompto was able to take aim and fire down the line, taking out one MT after another and creating a new smaller barrier of bodies to climb.

Thankfully, the number of soldiers on this side were significantly less now. But there were still more than enough. He estimated at least eight more, and they looked disturbingly like assassins. These were the dangerous ones. Not simple soldiers who stood at attention and fired when programed. These were bread and trained for one specific purpose: to find and kill Noctis.

He tried to see where he could punch a hole through their ranks and get Noctis out of there. The soldiers knew where their target was now, and unless reinforcements arrived like Gladio and Ignis hoped, they'd eventually breach the room.

Prompto remembered the elemental spheres Noct had stocked up on before Ravatogh. He's used a lot on the Zu, but there were still more. Prompto summoned a Fira, and praying he didn't set the building on fire, tossed it over the small hill of dead MTs and into the heart of the group. The sphere exploded and three assassins fell, but the other five came on relentlessly in their drive to fulfill their mission, driving through the line of fire he had created.

An assassin made its way over the cleft of MT bodies despite the rain pinging its armor. Prompto took aim, the MT silhouetted by the fira burning across the ground.

"All in bullet time, baby," Prompto said, taking a well-aimed shot and catching the MT in the neck and a second just behind in the chest. Both fell.

He wished he had time to do his celebratory flourish, but the other three assassins were making their way from the right side of the window, navigating around the fira and the huddle of bodies to a small open area that only now they were noticing. Prompto caught one in the shoulder, but it took the bullet and kept coming. He swore.

Concentrating on the next shot, Prompto caught the same soldier in the abdomen, and it fell with a sick crunch of metal onto a cohort, knocking it off balance. Prompto took the distraction and lodged another bullet into that soldier's helm. It fell dead. Only one left.

This one, sensing Prompto's next action, launched itself at the open shudder and caught Prompto across the chest with a glancing blow of its deadly sword. Prompto had reacted, just in time, falling back at the last second. The slash was shallow, but blood bloomed across his t-shirt. As he fell, Prompto realized the soldier was still advancing, stepping into the open window. It looked over, as if somehow sensing Noctis in the bed and stepped over Prompto, ignoring him now completely.

Prompto took aim. It was a clean shot. He fired. The assassin fell dead in the room. Prompto's heavy breathing was filled with relief, but despite the respite, he pulled himself to his feet and spied out the back window for any further attackers.

The way looked clear. And the rain and wind would obscure their escape.

Prompto listened for the sounds of his friends over the storm as he studied the situation from their end. It still sounded like a fury of swords, daggers, and grunts. He could hear Ig and Gladio's back and forth and occasionally Dustin as well. He could not hear Dr. Stone. He hoped that didn't mean anything.

Prompto studied the rear a little longer. From what he could tell, there were no more soldiers coming. Should he risk it? Prompto was never one for decision making like this. He bounced from one foot to the other, uncertain.

He heard an almighty crash come from the other side of the door. The door shuddered and then an axe came partially through the wood, sending small splinters across the room.

He would risk it. He moved stealthily to Noctis in the darkness and pet Umbra briefly.

"Okay, boy. You up for helping me get Noct out of here?"

Umbra seemed uncertain at the idea. Prompto couldn't blame him.

"We can't stay here. They could come through any second." Prompto began pushing Umbra off Noctis, which he didn't appreciate. Umbra nipped him gently. "I'm sorry. I know, boy. Work with me here, please?"

Umbra finally relented. Prompto lifted Noct up by the arm and tried to swing his weight onto his shoulder and back. He lifted and Ncotis'weight slid onto his back without too much resistance. He was surprised and slightly terrified by how light he was. Of course, Noctis had lost a good amount of weight, but Prompto had tried not to think about it until now. He was both grateful and ashamed that he was grateful for it. He'd never been able to handle Noct's full weight when he was healthy. Not for long, anyway. And this would take a bit.

As he turned back to the open window, their escape route, Prompto became dimly aware that Noctis was not dressed. And he was about to take him outside in a furious storm with no protection except his sweatpants. Prompto had no choice.

"Follow me and Noct, boy."

Umbra bounded off the bed and bounced around Prompto. He no longer barked, sensing the urgency and the need for stealth. Prompto, bent like Cid with his crooked achin' back, carried Noctis out through the back window, making for the forest behind the hotel.

If they could just get back there without being seen, Prompto and Noctis could hide until this all blew over. And if they were caught –

Prompto shook his head, trying not to think about his limited options. They could have hidden in the bathroom, but that would've been a death trap. Out here they had some chance. He hoped.

As quietly as he could, Prompto hefted Noctis up farther onto his back and then half-ran, half-slid for the tree line, Umbra at his side. He couldn't even draw his gun like this. He wouldn't be able to do anything if an MT saw them. Prompto trained his eyes on his destination and didn't look back.