FFXV: Subvert Fate

2 - Broken Down and Flat Broke

The sky is a brilliant blue overhead, the sun bright, unimpeded by clouds. The day is warm, barely a breeze stirring, the black asphalt below sticky with heat.

Sitting in the shoulder of the road is the Regalia, a shiny, unmoving hunk of metal. Noctis is sitting on the ground behind the car, a frustrated look on his face. Prompto is on his back a couple of feet away, a hand thrown dramatically over his eyes in surrender. Ignis is taking a breather in the driver's seat. Gladio is standing at the side of the car, trying to flag down the approaching car. The civilian's car swerves around them, honking in annoyance as Noct sighs. "Yeah, you keep driving!" Chrys mutters at it as it disappears around the bend.

"I think we can forget about hitching our way there...," Gladio says, rubbing a hand through his damp, sweaty hair. "Thought people were friendly outside the city."

Chrys snorts. "You can only get so far on the kindness of strangers," Ignis says from the seat, trying to get a signal on his phone.

"We're just going to have to push her all the way," Gladio says with a practical and dejected shrug.

"I've already pushed myself.... To the bring of death," Prompto mutters dramatically.

Gladio smacks Noct on the back and the prince growls but reluctantly gets back up. Gladio walks over to Prompto and kicks his boot. "Oh get up," he growls at him. "Car isn't gonna move itself."

"Sheesh," Prompto whines. "I thought the car was supposed to move us."

"Wouldn't that be nice," Noct grouses.

"Ya'll are a bunch of wusses," Chrys informs them, twirling one of her braids between her fingers. She is leaning against the car, not out of breath in the slightest. "Whine, whine, whine. Some royal bodyguards you are."

Gladio gives Chrys an evil glare. "Well, you certainly aren't helping with those puny arms," he growls at her. Chrys flexes and pokes her arm, very well-defined muscles on display in the sun. She pokes it again in jest then lets the muscles go slack dramatically.

"Right," Chrys fires back, "I forgot, it insults you that my cardio is ten times what yours will ever be so you feel the need to point out, again, that you have large arms because you spend way to much time flexing at your reflection in the gym."

Gladio sputters on a reply, winded and fed up with Noctis and Prompto's pitiful attempts to move the Regalia. He knows it is really Chrys who has been helping him this whole time. She may be a girl, but she has the stamina and strength of an ox. She flips over on to her stomach, pillowing her chin in her hands and resting her elbows on the car. She snaps her gum and raises an eyebrow at Gladio. "Still waiting for your comeback," she singsongs at him.

"Enough," Ignis says wearily. Chrys turns her raised eyebrows to him. "We're not getting anywhere by bickering. The sun is only going to get higher and hotter."

"Always such a buzzkill, ruining a girl's fun mocking her comrades," Chrys draws an over exaggerated pout on her face. Chrys is no traditional, vapid young woman so her acting does manage to draw a small smile from Iggy. She takes him seriously though, like she always does and walks around the back of the car to where Noct and Prompto are laying on the ground dramatically.

She toes her boot into Prompto's side. "Come on, chocobo brains," she says playfully. "Cars don't push themselves."

Prompto moans dramatically and flings an arm over his eyes but then he gets up and joins Gladio, Noct and Chrys on the sides of the car. Gladio pushes from the back, Noct on the driver's side, Prompto and Chrys on the other.