Final Fantasy Short Stories (+more)

(FFXV) Rogue 1

"Jackie!" The girl paused, looking back at her uncle. "I forbid you to take another hunt!"

She scowled angrily. "You can't tell me what to do. You're not my father."

Before Dave had a chance to object, Jackie hopped onto her bike and sped down the road.

~~~~~

"Thank you, boys," Dave said, taking the dog tag from the prince. "The hunter's family'll be happy to get this."

Sensing the sad tone in his voice, Noctis asked, "Something wrong?"

Dave turned his gaze down to the ground. "Ain't hard to tell, huh? To tell the truth, I'm worried about my niece."

"Your niece?" Gladio echoed.

"Jackie Auburnbrie - she used to be such a sweet kid growin' up," Dave explained. "She really admired us hunters and volunteered to lend a hand with simple work 'round here 'til she was old enough to join. But in recent years, she's become so ruthless and cruel that even Mama Ezma can't real 'er in."

"In other words, she's gone rogue," Ignis concluded.

Dave nodded. "I'm worried she's gonna get into a hell of a lotta trouble if she's not stopped. But she refuses to listen to anything I say."

"How'd she get to be like that anyway?" Prompto questioned.

Dave sighed. "It all started the day her parents - my brother and sister-in-law were killed in a monster attack."

Prompto mouthed a silent 'oh'. "We'll keep an eye out for her," Noctis said. "If we run into her, we'll try talking to her."

"Thank you, boys. You'll surely recognize her black and red motorcycle when you see it."

The four men headed out in the Regalia, leaving Meldacio. "Who knew Dave had a niece," Prompto stated.

"Who knew Dave had a brother," Ignis corrected.

"Jackie sure sounds like one tough hunter," Gladio pointed out.

"Yeah, a real rebel," Noctis added.

The gang didn't get far down the road south of Hunter HQ when they spotted a motorcycle parked on the side of the road. Ignis slowed the car as they approached the bike. It was black and red, just as Dave described. With the prince's say so, Ignis pulled over and parked right past the bike. The group all got out of the car.

Prompto approached the bike, examining it. "Oooh, that's one awesome set of wheels!"

"It's gotta be Jackie's," Gladio pointed out.

"Which means Jackie must'nt be far," Ignis added.

"So let's track her down," Noctis said.

The four men left the road behind and walked out into the wilderness. The sounds of battle led them in the right direction. They could hear all manner of growls, barks, and howls. But by the time they arrived, the last of the voretooths were already dead. The beasts' corpses littered the ground. Standing among them was a red-haired girl dressed in camo clothing. She held a sai in each of her hands.

"Hey!" Noctis called, causing the girl to whip her head around. Judging by her stature, the prince guessed she was no older than him, possibly younger even. "Are you Jackie?"

The girl's hazel eyes narrowed and she sheathed her weapons in the sides of her boots. "So what if I am? What do you want?"

"Your uncle's worried about you," Gladio explained. "Said he wants you back at HQ."

Jackie clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Now he sends a bunch of weirdos to keep me from doing my job? He's gettin' to be a real pain in my ass."

"So... you're not gonna go?" Prompto questioned.

"Oh, I'm going to HQ, but not because my uncle, or any of you asked me to. I need to report my hunt and claim my reward."

"We happen to be going that way as well," Ignis stated.

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Lucky me." Her tone was sarcastic.

They followed her, Noctis introducing them. "I'm Noctis. That's Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto."

"Do I look like I care who you are?" she responded.

"No, but you sound like a bitch," the prince muttered under his breath.

Back at the road, Jackie hopped on her bike while the boys climbed into their car. Jackie quickly sped away down the road, leaving them in her dust. Ignis let out an exasperated sigh.

"She's certainly a difficult case to reason with."

"More like a bratty kid with an attitude problem," the shield added.

"But I... kinda feel sorry for her, y'know?" Prompto said. "She lost her parents, and she doesn't seem like she has any friends."

"But she still has Dave," Noctis pointed out. "I get that she's angry, and thinks revenge will solve her problems..."

"But she can't recklessly put herself and others in harm's way," Ignis concluded.

"She's being too selfish," Gladio said. "She dwelling on the past instead of pushing forward and preventing the same thing from happening again."

"Dave was right," Noctis quietly stated. "She needs to be stopped."