Renovating the Heart (FFXV)

VI) Forcing the Hand

Rue groaned, throwing her head back and slouching against the wall. It had been just over a month since she got this guard duty job and she hadn't seen more action than Rayne and Prompto Argentum chasing a fly around the Citadel. Even then, there was nothing she could do but watch the two blondes race around and shove at each other until Rayne killed the poor insect and back to work they went. Cam did the favor of relocating her station after she complained about Gale's prodding, but now she was trapped inside without a breath of fresh air to greet her lungs unless it was early in the morning or late at night.

Rue pulled her sleeve back and checked her watch. Her shift wasn't over for another hour. Sighing, she fell back against the wall and stared at the glossy floor. When was Cam going to send her anywhere at least remotely interesting? When would Rayne remember not to leave her in the dust of her newest recruits? Just as she started to slip back into the recesses of her mind, she heard hurried footsteps. She nearly jumped out of her skin as Gale, Cam, and two more guards sped past. Catching her eye, the Captain skidded to a stop and gripped her arm.

"Come on. We need you."

"What's wrong?" Rue demanded, hurrying after him as he took off again.

"There's been an incident out front."

"An incident?"

Cam said nothing more, rushing through the front doors of the Citadel as Gale held them open, her sharp eyes directed toward the center of a broad, circular driveway. Rue's breath caught in her throat. A line of glaives circled a pool of blood; amongst them were Rayne and Eren. Following Cam without hesitation, Rue ran toward the group, trying to peer around the glaives that stood facing away from her.

"We're here," Cam stated, staring hard at Rayne. "What happened?"

"Some sort of shootout," Rayne huffed, backing up so that the two could see.

Eren shuffled closer to Rue, resting a hand on her shoulder. On the ground laid two teenage boys dressed head to toe in black, baggy clothes. A little farther away, Dex laid in a pool of his own pool, surrounded by a swarm of healers. Relir stood over them, watching them work with their potions and mystery concoctions. #$%^. Rue took a deep breath, trying to steady her heart. She turned to Rayne.

"Those two took him out?"

"He wasn't expecting anyone to attack," Eren answered quietly. "He was just heading home."

"Why would they do this?" she demanded, her stomach churning as the scent of blood reached her nostrils.

"Disagreements over the treaties," Rayne muttered absently, crossing her arms. "This had to be some sort of act of rebellion—but why are they so young?"

"They're easy to fire up," Rue replied under her breath, earning several stares. "Think about it. When you were a kid, it was easy to rile you up about this sort of stuff, especially if someone made you think there was some higher power stealing away your rights."

"Speaking from experience?" Gale snapped.

Rue rolled her eyes, turning to speak to Eren. Suddenly, the Citadel doors cracked open once more and out stepped Prompto and Gladiolus. A sharp movement caught the corner of Rue's eye and her hand shot to her hip. Before she knew what she was doing, her gun was aimed steadily at the two men. Rayne shouted a protest before Cam rushed toward her, reaching for the weapon. She hardly noticed, stepping away and keeping her eyes trained on the spot where she swore she saw something.

"Rue, drop the gun."

Prompto uncomfortably raised his hands and Gladio frowned, glancing over at Rayne. Rue's eyes narrowed. There you are... A patch of black stood out starkly against the white marble pillar it attempted to hide behind.