FFXV: After the Fall

Chapter 10

When the team grew close to the Chocobo Farm's main building, they started looking around for its owner Wiz. He had a lot of jobs on the last road trip, so it seemed a logical place to start.
They soon located the man in the foyer, and he walked over.
   "Well now," he beamed, "it's you! How the hell are you doin', almost forgot what you look like."
   "We're good, thanks." Prompto replied first. "How's things?"
   "Always get ups n' downs, like with anythin', but yeah, it's mostly been pretty up. Until lately, that is."
   "Why, has somethin' happened?"
   "Yeah. Never mind that, though, it'll get taken care of soon I'm sure. Let's get you guys a drink...and who's this lovely lady?" Wiz smiled warmly at Helena. "You're a new face."
Gladiolus spoke up. "This is Helena. She's my girl."
   "Is that so?" Wiz beamed. "Then I'm real pleased to meetcha." He extended a fond hand towards her, and she shook it with a big smile on her face.
   "Thanks. I've heard quite a bit about you and the farm. This is an amazing place."
   "It sure is. Couple o' generations it's been goin' for, now. And long as there's people who love Chocobos as much as I do, it'll be keepin' on for a couple more."
They then followed him back outside to the cafe area, and he fetched them all some drinks before joining them with a bottle of Jetty's and a sandwich.
   "Don't mean to pry," Noctis asked the middle-aged man, "but what's this problem of yours? Maybe we can help."
   "Heh. You boys did enough last time you were here. Specially with gettin' shot of old Deadeye, too. Wouldn't be right fair to ask y'all to hunt the bastard down again now, would it?"
They all looked at him.
   "...again?" Noctis asked. "He's dead."
   "I know that, son, it was all over the radio when you killed him, remember? Word spread like wildfire. But...bout a month ago or so, we kept gettin' reports that he were back. Either that, or he's got a real looker for a twin."
   "We only saw one at the time." Gladiolus said. "Weren't any hints that there were two. No tracks."
   "So he looks very similar?" Noctis asked.
Wiz shook his head. "Sent a couple hunters to clock sight of him. He just doesn't look similar- it's him. Same eye out, same mangy fur, same broken horn. Same temper, too. He's also holdin' out in the same place you all killed him last time. I'm tellin' ya, that big bastard out there is either Deadeye himself, or a real mean twin."
   "If that's true...then how is it being taken care of?"
   "Well, we heard about the whole takin' over thing by the Empire, so we sent 'em a petition a while ago. They've got these large, strong robots that walk. Some o' them could take down Deadeye real easy, like. They'll probly be here any day now, so you won't have to kill him a second time."
A feeling of unease started to permeate into Noctis' mind. "Uhh... when did you send that petition, exactly?"
Wiz thought for a moment. "Ooh, couple weeks ago? Think it was somethin' like that. Lessee...Daisy gave birth to a few new chicks, I saw the wild one a few days after that...then..." He paused.
"Then I had the feed delivery a week after that, so...yeah. I'd say it's been about two weeks."
The group briefly looked at each other, and Gladiolus shook his head slightly. Noctis then turned back to Wiz.
   "...they're not coming." He told the farmer regretfully.
   "They're...not?"
   "The Empire isn't in the habit of helpin' folks out unless it's for their own. I'm afraid that your request probably fell on some very deaf ears. If it's been two weeks...they'll never come."
Wiz then looked very crestfallen, and he sighed. "...thought they'd have loved a challenge like that." He said. "You sure that they won't come over? Positive?"
Noctis nodded, and Wiz's face grew even more perturbed.
The others looked at Noctis, and he knew what he had to say.
   "We'll do it." He offered. "Leave it to us, okay?"
Wiz's face came up. "I...really? You'd do that?"
   "Sure." Prompto nodded. "If we put him down once, we can sure do it again. Make sure he don't get back up, either."
Wiz beamed at them all. "You boys...I dunno what to say. Thank you. Too good for this world, y'are. If you need any supplies or anythin' before heading over there, they're on the house."
   "Thanks." Prompto smiled at him.
   "Hey guys," Noctis said then, "you wanna head over to the trailer to start plannin' it out first?"
   "That might be a good idea." Ignis said.
They then all got up and headed for the long, slightly-rusty static caravan some fifty yards away in silence.