I finally got around to seeing Kingsman: The Golden Circle; and…I initially watched most of it with a grimace, based mainly off of pre-conceptions formed from reviews, but then I found myself getting into it. In fact, on the same day, I rewatched it all over again with my sibling. It was hilarious, sad, and action-packed, much like the first, though with a few hiccups. The best part about it though? Halle Berry and that outfit that I need to see on Ignis, lol. Her character was absolutely adorable. Anyways, a month later and here's a new chapter. I swear I'm going to get better with this updating...

A Peek Never Hurt

While Ignis and Aranea were off having midnight escapades, Noctis woke up from his early bedtime and found that he was ravished. He hadn't been aware of how exhausted he was from the trip until his head had hit the couch and he'd fallen asleep. Now though, he was anything but tired. There wasn't a phone in his room to call room service so he got up to go to the living room and make the call, hoping there'd be a menu as well to make things quicker. The instant he opened the door however, Nyx was standing there in sweats and a t-shirt, arms folded. "Go ahead and turn right back around. You're not leaving."

Noctis had never appreciated new people telling him what to do. "The hell I can't; step aside, I'm starving." He tried to push past but Nyx actually created a full barrier that rebounded him back several steps. "What? Hey! What's up with you?"

The expression on Nyx's face showed his immense regret but he didn't lower the barrier. "Sorry, prince. Aranea snatched up Ignis so I'm on guard duty. Ignis has told me how trouble always seems to find you and I don't know if you can tell, but I ain't in the mood for more fights at the moment," he said, gesturing to his pajamas. "Just…stay there. If you're hungry, I'll go find something for you."

Noctis shook his head and walked in a frustrated circle. "I can't believe this. I'm practically grounded on a vacation! And Ignis is gay, those two can't really be on a date!"

"Called it!" Nyx forgot himself and shouted. "Libertus owes me twenty gil!"

Noctis acted like he didn't hear that and instead held a hand out. By touching the barrier, he dissolved it and easily strutted past the now floored Kingsglaive. He'd seen that same expression when he'd sparred with his friends and it never got old. "Your powers are on loan from the Crystal, and I have rightful access to it," he shrugged. "Anything you can do, I can do, including negating its abilities. Sorry…" he added as he saw Nyx's shoulders deflate. The man was only trying to do his job and Noctis knew he indeed could be a handful at times without intending to be.

"Tell you what; I was only going to order room service. I don't know if food is included with this trip so if not, I'll cover it for you." As Noctis had never changed out of his singed clothes, he pulled from his pocket a credit card…in his father's name. He was worried Nyx would reproach him for it; Ignis certainly would have. But instead, the Glaive finally cracked a grin.

"Alright, Your Highness, I'll accept your—or rather, your father's—generosity," he nodded and clapped his hands. "Let's see if this place deserves its Michelin stars."

Noctis went into the living room and sure enough, next to the phone, was a glossy menu. The hotel actually had a multitude of restaurants, so Nyx picked a location that specialized in Galadian food and ordered an expensive Behemoth sirloin with all the trimmings. Noctis wanted nothing to do with utensils while he ate and instead selected an Altissian bistro, ordering a medley of battered seafood goodies.

He wondered idly what Leviathan might taste like.

When the knock came at the door, Nyx took the credit card but held up a hand to stay the prince. "I'll handle it." However, once he returned, he only carried a single plate. He looked apologetic, though Noctis had been expecting it. "We ordered from different places…I guess mine got here first. But I'll wait until yours arrives before I eat," Nyx offered.

"Nah, you go ahead. Behemoth becomes extremely tough and chewy if it's not eaten hot. I admittedly wouldn't wait for you if the tables were turned," Noctis grinned. But with his blessing, Nyx dug in while the prince salivated.

It was another twenty minutes before his food arrived. "Took them long enough!" he exclaimed as he headed to the door but Nyx again rushed past him to handle it. The sounds were muffled past the French doors of the apartment but he heard Nyx open the front door and give a friendly apology for the late night request. When the transaction was done, Noctis peeked through the glass doors to see Nyx heading back, and he smiled a little when the Glaive curiously opened the Styrofoam container to see what the food looked like.

Nyx's eyes went wide with alarm. He suddenly lifted his arms as though to throw the plate away but it was too late. It exploded with a force strong enough to blast the Glaive back, obliterating the French doors. As he slammed into the living room, the main door was opened and there stood a group of black robed…ninjas?! One of them was holding what might've been a master keycard.

"A paper bomb was in the food!" Nyx screamed, getting up with a Cure spell and flashing his weapons to his hands. "Robot ninjas! Really, Niflheim?!"

Indeed, as the ninjas approached, it was clear they weren't human. And unlike their clunky predecessors, these ones were smaller and lithe. With no originality though, they launched a barrage of throwing stars and knives and Nyx quickly blocked with another barrier. As they hit it, the weapons exploded, revealing themselves to be made of more than just metal.

At the sound of the initial explosion, Noctis had already surrounded himself with the Armiger. Raising his arm with the palm forward in a grand way he once saw his father use, he launched half the weapons ahead. With an effort, he walked forward, driving the hoard back while equally keeping himself cloaked in a shield. As swords, axes and polearms fell their targets, he cycled them out for each remaining enemy until he finally speared the last one. Sweating, he slammed the front door and locked it, then put another shield in front of it. He picked up the master key card from the floor and burned it, then slid tiredly to the floor.

Nyx let down his own shield and stood, surveying the damage. From the front door to the living room was a trail of debris of robot parts. He looked at the prince before shaking his head in disbelief. "Four-eyes was right about you; we can't let you out of our sight for a minute!"

Noctis opened his mouth to reply but his stomach spoke for him with a long, aggressive growl. He grinned sheepishly. "I guess I worked up an appetite."

There was nothing in the kitchen to be had…except the sliced behemoth sirloin. With infinite regret, Nyx gestured for him to come back inside. "Alright, alright, I'll share mine. Your family paid for it anyways."

A half hour later when Ignis and Aranea finally returned (Noctis had let down the barrier upon sensing Ignis' magic), the two found the prince and Glaive rubbing full bellies and licking grease off their fingers at the dining room table even though both looked like they'd been through a war. Ignis had initially rushed inside when he'd first seen the metal parts all over the floor but stopped shortly upon seeing the two alive and safe. "What in the name of the Six happened?!"

Noctis belched and undid his pants button before answering. "Robot ninjas."

"Be serious, Noct."

Aranea leaned down and picked up a throwing star. "No, he's right. Definitely ninjas." She dropped it with a heavy sigh, looking upon all the damage. "So much for getting back that deposit."

Ignis went to the table and firmly sat down. Snatching a remaining steak fry off the plate, he demanded, "Tell me everything. Now."

Instead, Nyx got up shaking his head. "Tomorrow, Iggy, and only after you tell us what you guys were up to. I'm getting me some damn sleep. And no more babysitting tonight; he's a grown man, he can handle himself." With that, he slipped down the hallway to his bedroom.

Noctis was also rising, blinking sleepily. "What he said. All of what he said," he emphasized, though Ignis knew it was mainly directed to that last part. In passing, the prince gave him a (not-so) reassuring pat on the back and went to his own room.

With only Aranea left, he turned his eyes on her as though for askance of an explanation. She disappointed him with a shrug. "This is a new one, something I've not seen from the Empire before. I'll get on it with finding out more but like the other two, not tonight. This girl's had enough high-flying adventures for one evening." She lifted a hand towards him but stopped herself, dropping it back to her side. For only a brief second, her tough mask cracked and he saw something else there. It was gone so quickly, he later resolved he had imagined it. In seconds, she had swept out the door; Noctis must not have been asleep just yet to let her pass through.

Now alone, Ignis once again locked up (and included his own barrier to the door) before going back to bed. Fear of another attack kept him awake for all of fifteen minutes before his body finally gave out and sleep pulled him under.

This chapter was actually to be the second part in the chapter of what Aranea and Ignis were up to, but my mindset was too humdrum while writing that half, making it more of a chore to keep pressing on. I wrote this half first anyways so I figured I'd go ahead and post it and the next chapter will be about Ignis and Aranea's mission.