FFXV: Subvert Fate

14 - Blockade Brawl

"Well," Monica says to Ignis, wiping sweat from her forehead. "She certainly knows how to bring the house down."

When Monica and the four members of Noct's retinue had used grappling guns to sail over the retaining wall near the blockade and land in the middle of a full squadron of Niflheim soldiers, Ignis had seen the wicked grin missing for days absolutely split Chrys's face in half as she descended on the soldiers like a plague of locusts. From there, she'd gone to very efficient, if flamboyant work mowing down every Niff in sight, barely leaving any for Gladio, much to his complaint. Ignis had seen her take a flying leap into the air, and execute a double split side kick that had rung the bells of two Niffs simultaneously and wondered just a bit about what Chrys does in the woods when she trains on her own to be able to do that kind of flying kick.

He still feels guilty about making her show them her training in the simulation all those months ago, but the way she puts it all to good use is to their benefit. While he and Gladio have trained along with the kingsguard, they are only encountering their first real world battles in the field. Chrys moves like she was born for this, no break or hesitation from step to step, so at odds with how she is so shy and stilted around people she doesn't know.

She covers Prompto closely, his pistol not necessarily the best weapon for this kind of close combat. Her longbow blades give her the advantage though and her flexibility lets her move through the Niffs with a liquid velocity. Monica is so impressed initially that she'd actually hung back just to observe, saying she had never seen a woman execute the kind of martial artistry that Chrys exhibits.

"She's quite the ferocious little thing," Ignis agrees as Chrys punches a Niff soldier in the solar plexus with her free hand, the wicked rotation of her core driving all the air from the hapless soldier.

Chrys spins to regard Ignis. "I heard that you know," she informs him coolly. She throws a backwards punch over her shoulder, knuckles rapping into a Niffs helmet, knocking the sense out of him without even breaking eye contact. She then kicks her heel up and back, adding insult to injury for the unlucky Niff soldier when her boot makes contact with somewhere unmentionable. She raises her eyebrow at Chrys. "I take exception to being called little."

"How about petite?" Gladio asks, swinging his sword wide to take out a Niff bearing down on them from the right.

"How about I restring my bow and turn you into a porcupine," Chrys retorts. "Besides—,"

"Chrys, behind you!" Ignis yells as he dispatches a Niff with an uppercutting blade.

Another imperial soldier hits the back of Chrys's shoulder with the hilt of his sword.

His baffled look when he finds himself face to face with her instead of watching her crumple is the definition of befuddlement.

She grabs the hilt of his sword. "Oh, really?" she asks sarcastically before her other hand lands a hook that lays him out flat. She drops his sword dismissively, eyeing his unconscious form with the kind of disgust she reserves for the people she thinks are utter morons.

"Better quit your day job," she tells him.

"I see you've made a ... lasting impression on the Imperial Army," comes Cor's voice from behind her.

"Noct!" Prompto yells enthusiastically as Noct pushes the blockade gate doors open fully behind Cor. "You made it buddy!"

"Marshal. It's good to see you again," Ignis says with a reproachful look at Chrys that she pointedly ignores.

"Alright on your end?" Noct asks.

"Right as rain," Gladio says cockily. "Niffs couldn't take their eyes off us."