Chapter Text
"Aaaaaand there goes my bus..."
I was supposed to be meeting Tanitha today, we were headed for an old military warehouse just outside of town. It had that cool creepy aesthetic which would be just the perfect backdrop for our photography portfolios. At least it would be if I could get there at some point before the building collapses.
I guess I could just walk there. It's not like it's that far, it's more that I'd have to drag all of this equipment with me. I should message Tanitha, to let her know I'll be later than expected.
*ping*
'hey, sorry I'm gonna be late, first bus didn't show so I'm having to wait until the next one.
sorry hope u dont mind waiting'
Lucky coincidence, looks like we'll both be late.
'yea no problem, my bus has failed me yet again, so im just gonna walk, see ya there'
This was almost a week ago. Now, however, it seemed I was facing my impending doom, surrounded by a horde of goblins, of all things.
Man, I hate goblins.
Funny thing is, they look just like the goblins from Final Fantasy XV. I should know, I’ve been playing it almost non stop for the last two months. Same little hat, same crouchy-arm-flaily thing, and the same general feeling of ugh.
Quick rundown of what's happened so far, first I missed my bus, then I left my backpack somewhere between the warehouse and this forest, and now I'm standing in the middle of said forest, beating up Final Fantasy XV goblins with a large stick...branch...thing.
This might as well happen.
I watched as the goblin in front of me flailed its little clawed arms, before diving towards me, meeting my makeshift bat with a solid thunk. I flung the creature back into the darkness between the trees, readying my branch to swing down at a second goblin on my left. Wood collided with flesh and the creature stumbled and fell, fading from sight as it hit the dirt. No sooner had the daemon vanished, two more dragged themselves from the ground nearby. I took a step back, taking a breath and swinging the branch in the direction of a sharp-toothed grin that had gotten too close for comfort.
I’d already taken a few hits, and I wasn’t eager to take more.
As I focused on the goblins to my right, out of the corner of my eye I saw one jump at my left, claws scratching at my undefended side. I kicked at it as another dashed to get behind me, staggering as I spun. I watched as another two goblins climbed from the dirt nearby.
This cannot be happening
My arms were heavy with the weight of my weapon and lack of sleep. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep this up for long. Gathering my remaining strength, I swung my weapon in a wide arc aiming at three goblins who almost entirely dodged it. The one who took the brunt of the attack fell backwards, pausing a moment, before getting back up.
“I have not survived this long,” I started, “To be killed now, by FUCKING GOBLINS!”
Seeming to sense my growing desperation two of the goblins lunged at me at the same time. I managed to stumble just out of the path of the first, before aiming a kick at the second, attempting to maintain some kind of balance. I’d been at it for what seemed like hours and the longer the fight went on, the less it seemed I was doing any significant damage to the growing horde. Each of my branch-strikes were leaning more and more to the defensive side. At this rate, I was going to need a miracle to turn the tide.
Barely a moment passed before another one tried to take a chunk out of me, but before it could, a flash of silver flew out of the trees, striking it right in its dumb little face.
Well then, that was... unexpected.
Welcome, but unexpected.
I blinked, and saw a figure standing in front of me, facing the horde.
"You alright?" said the dude, who had somehow managed to get in between me and half the goblins, and take out a few in the time it took me to process what was going on.
"I'm trying to fight a horde of goblins with a tree branch, everything is just peachy… please help me."
Before this mysterious, almost familiar, teleporting stranger had a chance to respond, I watched as a second mysterious stranger soared overhead, landing polearm first on top of a goblin, in the most incredible backflip anyone has ever seen. Barely a second passed before two more goblins were taken out in one wide swing of a greatsword, yet another falling to a barrage of bullets.
I was standing there with a look of awe on my face as they just mowed down the rest of the goblins around me, for a moment, I thought I heard a familiar voice shout ‘Oh hi there, OPENING’
"Are you quite alright?" The stranger that did the flip asked, quickly scanning me for major injuries. Behind expensive-looking glasses, his eyes locked onto the claw marks down my left side. I looked up at him as he approached, retrieving a green bottle from seemingly thin air and holding it out for me to take.
"Here, to take the edge off your wounds"
I instinctively began to raise a hand out towards him, pausing as I realised I had no idea what I was doing. I never did take that first-aid course. His gloved hand met mine, as he pressed the vial into my palm. Sensing my hesitation, he placed his other hand on the back of my own, easily crushing the vial between our palms.
It was the strangest sensation. It was like something was replacing my wounds with sparkling water, before they disappeared completely.
Looking around at my saviours as I caught my breath, I thought to myself. They looked around my age, if not slightly older, all dressed in varying shades of black. They seemed friendly, and I couldn’t shake the feeling I knew them from somewhere. None of them seemed as tired or as phased by the ordeal as I did, that combined with the ease that they had dispatched their foes with, suggested they did this kind of thing often. The shimmer of blue light as the group vanished their weapons told me these weren't your average hunters of things-that-shouldn't-exist. But the one thing I couldn't possibly ignore?
These guys looked Good
I just fought a horde of goblins, with a stick, and I just got saved by a boy band of supermodels
A booming laugh snaps me out of my thoughts. As I looked around, I found it was the big beefy one that was laughing.
"Shit, did… did I say that out loud?"
"If you are talking about us looking like a boy band then yes... yes you did." The shorter black haired one stated in a tone that sounded like he was amused by it and not insulted which I was glad of.
"Supermodels eh?" The blonde one with the gun said as he strolled over, as casually as he possibly could, resting one of his elbows on my shoulder. Up close, I could tell he was ever so slightly shorter than me, and had the most striking blue eyes. They were so... memorable, so familiar.. and yet my sleep deprived mind couldn't place the image.
Another laugh sounded after his comment coming from the same guy as before "hahaha, maybe there's some hope for you after all" he said while putting his hand on the smaller blonde's head.
"Hey, I'm amazing, you just don't appreciate me enough!"
He removed his elbow from my shoulder to nudge his friend.
The sound of the four of them laughing together reminded me of home. Less of an actual location, and more of that feeling of familiarity and comfort, of feeling welcome around friends you've known for years. I have to know these guys from somewhere. But where? I'd remember meeting people like this in person, and surely they'd recognise me too if that were the case. TV maybe? If I really did know them from somewhere, why couldn't I place it? Their names were on the tip of my tongue.
"Do you have a safe place to stay for the night? If not, we have set up camp at a haven nearby." the one with the glasses asked
"Ah yes, well you see, my plan was to set up my sleeping bag right here, underneath these goblin corpses…” they gave me a look as if to say ‘are you serious’ “uh ..sorry, it’s... it’s just been a long few days, and you guys are the first friendly faces I've seen, actually you are the only faces I’ve seen in the whole time I’ve been here. To answer your question no… no I don’t, I'd love to come with you... but... are you sure? I’ll only come along if it’s alright with everyone, I really wouldn't want to impose on you guys."
"I'm certain we can find space for you, especially considering the alternative is to leave you to the daemons, what do you think?” he asks the dark haired one.
"Sure, I don't mind, we wouldn’t want to leave you here for the demons. Hey, if we start walking now, we might make it back before the food gets cold” the guy with black hair said over his shoulder as he began walking back through the forest, presumably in the direction of their campsite.
The walk back was uneventful, and to be honest, really awkward. Barely anyone spoke and despite their assurances that I was welcome in their camp, I still felt like I was intruding. After a couple of minutes of trying not to trip over branches and my own feet, I could see the soft glow of a campfire through the trees.
They had a lovely little campsite, complete with a tent pitched off to one side and four camping chairs set around a firepit, all perched on an outcrop of rock, with glowing runes set into the face. It looked like something straight out of a video game. After climbing the short slope up, I stood in front of the fire for a moment, warming my hands, as the others set about whatever they were doing before my impending doom interrupted them.
The buff guy knelt beside the tent, ensuring the pegs were set firmly into the ground, while the teleporting sword guy immediately went inside, not seeming to care about the structural integrity. The tall, lean one went to check on the food, some kind of stew, still simmering on a camping stove, while the sharpshooter made himself comfortable in one of the camping chairs around the fire. After a moment, he sat up slightly and waved over at me.
“Oh hey… uh I just realised, I never caught your name.”
“Oh right, I’m Avery, thanks for your help back there, for a minute I thought I was going to be goblin lunch haha”
He shot a pair of finger guns in my direction,“Well Avery, I’m glad you’re not! ...uh goblin..food..hehe” He paused for a moment, before gesturing to an empty seat beside him. “Uh, you should sit down, after all that, you must be hungry right? Well you’re in luck! Ignis is the best chef around, and he’s making his Vegetable Medley Stew!”
“Wait a moment...Ignis?” this seemed to go unheard as the blonde who was looking more and more like Prompto by the second kept on talking
“It’s the perfect thing to eat on a night like this, and Gladio’s nearly done pitching the tent too, so you can probably get some rest after you’ve finished eating. Ah but Nocts already asleep so I should wake him up before food’s ready, trust me dude, you’re gonna wanna eat this while it’s hot, there’s nothing like it. Oh maybe for breakfast I could ask Ignis to make-”
“Prompto, you might wanna take a breath every now and then”, Gladio called over from where he was fixing up the tent.
Did they just say Ignis, Gladio, Noct... and Prompto!?
For a moment the world seemed to stop as the realisation hit…
I... am a fucking dumbass.