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The Equestrian was a place that for some reason had attracted him ever since upon arrival in Ivalice. Whether it was the horseshoe-shaped sign or the very name itself he was not certain. But the moment he walked in he felt as if he had stepped on a neutral battlefield, a time of ceasefire now upon him as he saw the lone raptor sitting at the bar, almost perfectly framed by it. His head hung low, the brown scaled patterns hiding beneath a more full set of armour, red powerful-looking sash crossed over his chest and back connecting pauldrons to greaves right across by an X-formation. The only other people he saw were two bangaas, a nu-mou and a moogle which was strange given it was early morning and the bar had not opened just yet, realising very clearly that he was outnumbered. The first thing James heard from this newcomer was something he never expected to hear from one who had hunted him down over the past few years. "Thank you for comin'." Sitting down by his left, he turned towards the black Utahraptor, who even when seated stood a good half-foot taller than him of fine-black skin and blue markings ringed imperfectly around his eyes. The harsh brown pupils did not stare at him for the moment, simply waiting for the time to pass before one of them could say something else. James decided it was best to open with a little crack at him asking: "You really had to use the name Comstock? Really?" "Ah thought you'd recognise it." "I do, that's why it's rather stupid." "Nah it ain't, cuz you know who it is. Trust me, if ah wanted to trick you, ah wouldn't have chosen that name again. Ah don' wanna trick you, ah just wanted you to come here by your own free will." "What IS that name from anyway?" "Sum ol' white asshole human ah saw once, up in sum floatin' city somewhere who cares." "Heh...see normally that would sound pretty stupid in this place but then I've just been up to Bhujerba which IS a floating city on a floating CONTINENT." "...ah don't got a gerbil." "No, tha-...heh, hhhehe, nice, nice one." "Hm." He rapped his three knuckles from his left hand whilst Roy looked over upon him, noticing his arm and its darker discolourations along with the strangely-off muscular texture. "They did a good job on that thing. Did it hurt?" "Yeah...was weird at first, I hated it. But after a while it felt like good as new. Quarians knew what they were doing." "Still not exactly Maverick technology, now that shit's got it goin' on." "...we've been doing this for far too long." "Yeah. Way too long." "How did we come to this? How did we, like, you and me are just two kids from the States, I'm a punkass thief who worked in a bar and you were a high school student, right?" "Yeah." "And now we're...both wearing armour like old school knights off in some faraway land where wizards and fucking rabbit people ride birds like horses and priests actually know how to murder the undead." "Hehehe...man..." Roy shook his head smiling wearily. "You just never thought shit lahk this would ever happen to either of us don't you?" "Yeah," said FG, "I just wanna get this over with, just all of this." "Same here. Nice place this bar is." "Yeah, I managed to have us meet early thanks to Wootie who runs the place, he owes me one so we could meet before it opened. You alright there Wootie?!" The barman gladly gave a thumbs up inbetween checking his orders for the day simply glad to have customers as James turned torwards his constant enemy for the first time that day. "So, why did you wanna meet? You said you didn't wanna fight, so why are you here?" "Ah wanted to come here an' tell you sum things. Things ah found out about you." "Yeah? What stuff exactly?"

The black raptor slowly brought up his omni-tool on his left hand quietly, humming softly before he flicked through various parts of its data storage, bright orange circle spinning across the top of his hand. "You told me, thuh last time we met, that ah should go back home an' find out whut it is that thuh A.R.M.E were so up against about you. After all that you been through an' all thuh stuff ah heard about you, sumthin' just don't seem to add up. Ah thought at thuh very least you deserve that so ah went back home, lahk you said." "Wait...really, you...went back and everything?" "Mmhmm...ah went back to that general, thuh one who experimented on you? He had that doctor, Anseed with him, they all got curious about whut thuh hell ah been up to thuh past several years. Heh, had to admit, ah almost got thrown down in their own personal brig deep down insahd their basement but ahhh managed to prove mah loyalty enough to 'em. Didn' wanna waste another hundred million down thuh drain since ah came back an' all." "What did you tell them then?" asked FG curiously. "Ah said we both ended up going down through Ukraine an' then through thuh Gaza Rift, fightin' an' huntin'...wuz a nice cover, that way ain' nobody ever gonna find out whut we did." "Heh...Gaza Rift, nice, there's only like one city left there right?" "Well a nuclear apocalypse an' a thousand years of history's gonna do that to sum places, but anyways they bought it." "Why not tell them what really happened?" The black raptor looked at him with open arms incredulous. "Do you REALLY think they gonna believe ah went through a whole galaxy, a town fulla monsters outta mah head, a city fulla zombies AND a mushroom kingdom lookin' for you?! When thuh truth sounds even more stupid than thuh lie, ah know ah wanna play this more diplomatically." "Right, gotcha, to be honest I wouldn't believe any of this stuff anyway if I heard about it someplace else." "So lahk ah wuz sayin', ah went back, told them ah needed to get sum more profile info on any of your movements, thought you came back home, maybe tryin' sumplace to lay down low so ah said ah wanted to build up a profile on you. They gave me one report about you, thuh one that points you at mah house." "Okay." The moment Roy showed the report, copied as a high-resolution photographic picture from its camera setting, James felt his eyes pulsate with hot fear. Whether it was the familiarity of seeing his name on a police report, or the fact that it seemed to incriminate him upon an incident he had no recollection of, he could not say truly. But if there was one thing he was certain of, was what he told him upon seeing it.

Agency Name: New York Police Department, 13th Precinct

Date of Report: March 19, 3516 A.D

Case File Number: 08-13-2001987

Location of Incident: 206 E 18th Street, Gramercy Park, 10003

Date / Time Reported: November 7, 3515 A.D / 4:17pm

Crime Incident(s) Murder, Assault

Victim / Business Name (Current State / D.O.B): MacGregor, Joseph Thomas (Killed / 7-13-3465)

Others Involved (Relation to Incident / Current State / D.O.B): MacGregor, Lashawndra Dauterive nee (Victim / Killed / 7-13-3469) MacGregor, Roy Charles (Victim / Wounded / 11-10-3497) McCluskey, Jane (Reporter / Unharmed / 3-11-3451) Briggs, Daniel (Eyewitness / Unharmed / 2-26-3462) Tennant, Gareth (Eyewitness / Unharmed / 6-3-3485) Campbell, James Robert (Suspect / Missing / 9-9-3490)

Details of Suspect (Name of Witness): Brown (skin/fur/scale unknown?), "shorter than me", two painted marks horizontal over snout (MacGregor, Roy Charles) Brown coat/boots, "funny accent", "weird paint" over the snout (Briggs, Daniel) Velociraptor, two purple marks horizontal over snout, green eyes (Tennant, Martin)

Timeline of Events: 4:02pm = Suspect enters 206 E 18th Street, Daniel Briggs driving bus route that day observed a brown-coated individual leave at this address 4:15pm = Roy MacGregor enters his apartment home, finds Joseph MacGregor dead, mother Lashawndra MacGregor currently fighting off attacker 4:16pm = Lashawndra is killed, Roy fights attacker but is severely beaten unconscious, suspect flees 4:17pm = Jane McCluskey finds MacGregors' door open and witnesses aftermath, reports incident 4:19pm = Officers Derrick and Flanders arrive on scene, apartment is sealed off, ambulance is called 4:26pm = Ambulance arrives, Roy MacGregor is taken to Bethrael Medical Center 4:36pm = Gareth Tennant spots possible suspect dumping his coat in trash at corner of E 14th and 1st Avenue, a male velociraptor

Additional Descript: Gareth Tennant came forwards only three days after the murder in a response to the APB out on the suspect. He confirmed the time to be 4:36pm seeing the time at the bus stop.

Forensic Descript: MacGregor, Joseph Thomas = Knife Wound (Stabbed in heart, throat slit) MacGregor, Lashawndra Dauterive nee = Bruises (Beaten across head), Knife Wound (Defensive marks on left arm, stabbed in eye) MacGregor, Roy Charles = Bruises (Stomped repeatedly over chest, head and abdomen)

Case Condition: Closed (Suspect Missing, refer to Chicago Police concerning "Campbell, James Robert")

James could only blink at the severity of the police report, stricken with disbelief but knowing with absolute truth of everything he knew that: "...that...that's not...that's impossible." "Mmhmm," said Roy knowingly. "Roy, please, I...I'm tired of all this, I...I just, I just wanna get this all sorted out, I need this...I swear to you. I did not go near your house, or anywhere near your city." "Well hold up, cuz ah got sumthin' you might wanna see." "Ohhh god what now?" He flicked through his omni-tool further and brought up the exact same report. But something was off about it as James noticed there was less information. "What's this?" "Another report, ongoing about thuh investigation into mah parents' death by thuh same department. Look over it carefully."

Agency Name: New York Police Department, 13th Precinct

Date of Report: June 20, 3516 A.D

Case File Number: 08-13-2001987

Location of Incident: 206 E 18th Street, Gramercy Park, 10003

Date / Time Reported: November 7, 3515 A.D / 4:17pm

Crime Incident(s) Murder, Assault

Victim / Business Name (Current State / D.O.B): MacGregor, Joseph Thomas (Killed / 7-13-3465)

Others Involved (Relation to Incident / Current State / D.O.B): MacGregor, Lashawndra Dauterive nee (Victim / Killed / 7-13-3469) MacGregor, Roy Charles (Victim / Wounded / 11-10-3497) McCluskey, Jane (Reporter / Unharmed / 3-11-3451) Briggs, Daniel (Eyewitness / Unharmed / 2-26-3462)

Details of Suspect (Name of Witness): Brown (skin/fur/scale unknown?), "shorter than me", "had an accent", two painted marks horizontal over snout (MacGregor, Roy Charles) Brown coat/boots, "funny accent", "weird paint" over the snout (Briggs, Daniel)

Timeline of Events: 4:02pm = Suspect enters 206 E 18th Street, Daniel Briggs driving bus route that day observed a brown-coated individual leave at this address 4:15pm = Roy MacGregor enters his apartment home, finds Joseph MacGregor dead, mother Lashawndra MacGregor currently fighting off attacker 4:16pm = Lashawndra is killed, Roy fights attacker but is severely beaten unconscious, suspect flees 4:17pm = Jane McCluskey finds MacGregors' door open and witnesses aftermath, reports incident 4:19pm = Officers Derrick and Flanders arrive on scene, apartment is sealed off, ambulance is called 4:26pm = Ambulance arrives, Roy MacGregor is taken to Bethrael Medical Center

Additional Descript:

Forensic Descript: MacGregor, Joseph Thomas = Knife Wound (Stabbed in heart, throat slit) MacGregor, Lashawndra Dauterive nee = Bruises (Beaten across head), Knife Wound (Defensive marks on left arm, stabbed in eye) MacGregor, Roy Charles = Bruises (Stomped repeatedly over chest, head and abdomen)

Case Condition: Ongoing (see Case File 08-13-2001990)

James scratched his head feeling first fear then confusion trying to comprehend, until he noticed the last line of the case condition. "...wait...wait tha-, that's still ongoing. But-" "Look at thuh date," murmured Roy. "...this one's three months after!" "Mmhmm...notice this Martin Tennant just mysteriously disappeared off the new report. Thuh one the A.R.M.E gave me, thuh first one ah showed you had him, an' called thuh case closed cuz they couldn't find you...how come that one is dated three months BEFORE thuh one ah just showed you that is ongoing? An' here's thuh odd part." He flicked the omni-tool back towards the first report that named the suspect. "First report from thuh A.R.M.E, they supposedly got with permission on confidentiality from thuh police." The light flickered after he switched back to the second report showing the case ongoing. "This other report? Ah got from thuh NYPD themselves, after ah hacked their computer." "Wait, wait you HACKED the police computer?!" "Heh...funny thing, these omni-tools we got, they don't got ANY problem hacking out through all our systems back on Earth, this technology righ' here is so advanced that any PC back home ain't got SHIT on this. So yeah, ah hacked it, basic skill thanks to mah omni-tool, ah don' even have to know how to hack, ah just let it do it all for me! Anyways, turns out sumbody wiped out all thuh records on mah parents' death." "Wait WHAT?!" The black raptor put both hands up as if holding him back from James' new outburst. "Hold on cuz this gets better, thuh report ah got that's still ongoing? That file wuz hidden back in ANOTHER folder, got all missed out on whutever purge went on down on mah parents' report, but thuh A.R.M.E not only got a report on you bein' thuh killer, but it's backdated three months BEFORE ah got this official report that's not even got a killer named on it! Which means..." "It means...what?" "Thuh A.R.M.E report about you, is false. Absolutely fuckin' false, they ain't got no proof that it wuz you, the report they got completely contradicts thuh actual police report ah got myself, a police report that should not exist, it is absolutely impossible that this report they have, can be at any point true when thuh police's OWN report is dated after an' it STILL don' list any killer on it, as well as ongoing!" "...wait...so, that means I'm...I'm innocent?! What about this other case that's mentioned?" "Couldn't find that either, that got wiped too...for sum reason sumbody don't want me to know who killed mah parents. An' that speaks greatly of a conspiracy of sum sort, 'specially when ah got this mysterious Tennant who just plain ol' disappears off thuh real record. Very suspicious." "So...you actually went back, and proved I was innocent?!" "Not exactly." MacGregor put up one leg over the other as if interviewing James just to change position. "Thuh one damning piece of evidence about you may be false, an' that DOES mean that thuh A.R.M.E are not to be trusted no more so whutever they say now ah will no longer listen to 'em...but that does not mean you not entirely guilty." "Wait what?" "Ah still have mah memory, ah know that someone came into mah house, someone that wuz shorter than me, wuz brown an' had stripe marks across his face. That's all ah remember, HOWEVER."

He put up one finger to stop James from uttering an outburst in his defence. "That, is not conclusive for ah realise that memories are a very shaky thing an' in truth, they don't hold up very well in court on their own unless you got more than one testimony that fit. Plus ah...think that maybe thuh A.R.M.E must have manipulated me someway in mah rememberin', ah had to take a long hard think at whut ah actually truly remembered. A guy shorter than me, did not have an American accent, had paint marks on his snout an' wuz brown. Now you migh' fit all of that but...it's not enough. Therefore...ah must believe that you are innocent, until you are proven guilty." Placing his hands on the bar he pressed both of them together with thumbs twiddling before taking a deep breath, slowly stating his next words more promptly with formality. "I...had no right to accuse you, and I am very sorry for whut I have done to you James. I have accused you of a crime that I had no real evidence of you ever committing, and in truth I wuz not acting with mah mind an' workin' with any logic, but instead I wuz workin' with mah heart an' acting on pure instinct. That's not whut I should have done, and If I ever wanna find out who did kill mah parents...it will not start with you. Truce?" He brought out a hand forwards open-palmed as if ready to accept a handshake, his eyes honest and clear with shameful remorse hinting along the outer rim of his irises. The raptor saw a deep resignation within Roy, one that he saw in himself of just being done with everything. The fact he was ready to admit that he was wrong made him sigh with such relief, that he almost forgot of their past history which creeped in the back of their minds like a red sky at night glowing with warning. He shook his hand nevertheless, replying: "Truce." He sighed with a great relief as his shoulders relaxed fully before he added: "Thank you." "Heh...for whut?" "For believing me...look, I know we fought pretty badly, but I see you as much a victim as I was with the A.R.M.E, those fucking army wannabes have ruined everybody's lives and I wish if anything that I could have done something to stop them...manipulating you." "Well...s'not so bad ah mean...got to go out on these weird adventures, see thuh sights ah mean, ah ain' got nuthin' left back home, thuh fuck am ah gonna do?!" "I...guess that's true." "Heh, we're both stupid muthafuckers aren't we?" "Heheh, we? More like you." "Ah ain' thuh one who lost his arm," retorted Roy, "whut you do, lose an arm-wrestling contest?" "Pffffft what about your face, lose a boxing tournament?" "Hhhhahahahaha...touche, so! Whut you got round here to order cuz ah need a fuckin' drink, or three." "Aaaamen to that, lessee there's about six main drinks they got here so uh Wootie, how about some Elements of Harmony for my new friend over here?!" "Wait, elements of whut?" "You'll see." The velociraptor smirked as the barman brought forth the six strangely-coloured drinks, waiting for Roy to sample them seeing which one he would pick. James decided to order himself some cider to compensate and ease into the day whilst his friends were waiting to see what would happen about two tables away, watching cautiously with secret looks.

"What'sszh he sszhaying?!" asked Baldwin. "Shhh!" said the moogle harshly. "They seem friendly for now kupo. James looked rather reserved but he keeps his muscles tense as if expecting a fight." "He don't like thisszh guy?" "No...not at first...wait...there seems to some more smiles between them, they've relaxed their muscles, kupo. The black one seems more exhausted than anything when he was explaining himself, his shoulders slumped more lethargic than James even." "Maybe he is rather exhausted," suggested Dahlia. "No...that's resignation, the sign of shoulders carrying a great burden kupo. He must have some sort of debt earned towards James that he is trying to recompense." "A debt?" replied Fayne. "Of what do you think?" "I am not a mind reader, I simply deduct from what it could be but it appears they are more amicable now." "HHHAHAH!" Booming laughs from FG alerted them to seeing their leader loosen up a little, Roy chugging back a good drink of Applejack with a smirk on his face growing heartily. As they watched carefully with occasional looks not to turn suspicious Baldwin had a thought, nervously stating: "Maybe...ohhhh jeezzh, what if...what if that'sszh hisszh boyfriend? I mean they are the sszhame sszhpecszhiesszh." "Racist," murmured Dahlia. "I-i did not mean-oh come on! I'm jusszht sszhaying that we never known thisszh other one OR hisszh sszhpecszhiesszh and he comesszh walking up here to try and talk to Jamesszh what elsszhe could it be?! He told usszh he had a boyfriend and all!" "I do not assume...unlike you, and I know that's not his boyfriend if you ever paid attention to what he said, for once." Baldwin blinked incredulously as if dumbfounded by her words accusatory towards him, feeling as if he had just insulted her family by accident. "You...um...isszh there sszhomething you wanna sszhay to me?" "What do you mean?" "Jussht, everytime I open my mouth I feel like you're jusszht waitin' to jump right down my throat and tear me up, did I...do sszhomething wrong or sszhay sszhomething bad to you, like...really bad?" "I...alright, fine, I am disappointed in you for not trusting our leader, after everything he has done and you act so ignorant towards him because he-" "HEY, I-" "SHHH!" Navarro shushed him as his voice started getting louder before he quieted down replying sternly: "We talked it out, alright? If you jusszht gave me a chansszhe to actually tell you I would have told you that me and Jamesszh had a talk back during Balfonheim, I don't like the fact he hid it from usszh but...I trusszht him now, completely, after all he hasszh done, we talk no more about it, I'm not gonna bring it up, I even promisszhed not to usszhe the word 'sszhodomite' around him and I keep my promisszhesszh!" "Hm...well, alright then. That's...I'm glad the two of you talked it out I...guess that's good." "There, ya sszhee, no need to get angry all at me, come on we're friendsszh aren't we?" "Baldwin." Fayne glared at him sternly feeling the previous day's events still weigh on him despite Baldwin's cheerisome denial to press forth on their adventures. Eventually the two walked over with drinks in hand as FG introduced the Utahraptor. "Everyone, this is Roy. Roy, this is Fayne, Baldwin, Navarro and Dahlia." "Nice to meet you all," said Roy politely. "Sorry for all thuh secrecy settin' up that meetin'." "It'sszh fine," said Baldwin shrugging. "Whatever yer kind wanna do." "...whut you mean mah kind?" "Well...I thought, you two-" "-he thought you two were lovers," said Navarro.

Baldwin facepalmed silently, but all it did was make James and Roy stare at each other with a mock grimace before the utahraptor smirked chuckling. "Hhhhhmhmhahaha, HAHAHA yeah righ'! One, ahm not into dudes. Two, even if ah wuz, ah'd do better than this guy." "Woah woah woah," said FG, "what do you mean better?!" "Ahm jus' saying ah could do better, ah mean you ain't so bad but if ah wuz attracted to men, ah wouldn't pick you." "I happen to be a very marketable guy actually!" "Yeah for abou' two-hundred gil on a street corner." "PFFFTHAHAHA!" cackled Baldwin. "Awwww you got BURNED bosszh, like fuckin' Firaga burned I-GUH-owww!" His brother slapped him across the back of the head to show some humility before nodding towards Roy. "Are you in need of our aid...good-sir?" "Sumthin' lahk that," replied Roy, "ah more need FG's help than anythin' but if that means payin' all of you then hey, sure." "Eff...gee?" "Just an old nickname," said James, "why don't you tell us about what you need Roy?" "May I ask one thing," inferred Navarro, "before anything else kupo?" "...um...okay?" "What exactly is the relationship between the both of you?" "...it's...complicated, I think it-" "We're more lahk rivals," said Roy humbly, "we been through a lot over thuh past few years, lotta back an' forth, sumtahms ah fought 'im, sumtahms ah team up with him." "I see," said the moogle, "and where do you hail from?" "New York." The moogle, nu-mou and the two bangaas all gazed at each other curiously before Dahlia asked: "And what region is that exactly?" Roy turned towards FG with neutral stare. "...you wanna answer this or shall ah?" "How about you tell her?" replied James. "Not like she'll believe you." "Alrigh', your funeral...ah come from another world, lahk a whole other universe away from this place." Whilst both bangaas looked at the two oddly at such a wild claim, Navarro raised her eyes to the heavens and simply palmed her face with both hands. "You...cannot be serious." "Whut?!" "Are you just as delusional as he is?! I hardly believed when HE said it but now another one of the same species as him-" "Technically ahm not-" "ENOUGH!" She slammed both fists into the table and pointed glaringly at FG. "I am sick and tired of this constant buffoonery from you James, I want the truth from you NOW and nothing more, are you truly of another world as he so claims to be?! Or was this all some hidden madness, kupo?!" "W-wait what?!" cried Baldwin. "What are you talking about?!" "Yeah," said FG goadingly, "what ARE you talking about Navarro?" The raptor crossed both arms smugly waiting to see how she could dig herself out of this. Realising what he was up to, she simply put her hands together and began to focus as she answered Baldwin's question firmly. "When James first came to me...he claimed to be from another world. I did not believe him obviously and attributed it to his own personal issues, but the variety of powers he has shown me have proven to be highly unusual, kupo. Plus there is the fact he has no magical aura around him and he is of admittedly a species I have never seen across Ivalice." "Neither does his friend," said Dahlia adding. "I don't sense any magi-wait...actually no there is something very slight from him but not enough to be potent." "Hmhm," said Roy tapping his drink, "ah wonder why." "He has the same abilities as I do," added James. "Roy, did you record stuff while out on your adventures too like, personal mementos and stuff?" "Yeah, course, ah mean ah had to, can't waste that opportunity." "Why don't we show my friends a little chronicle of what we've been through, together?" "...uhhh...ah think there's a prime directive somewhere that says you can't do that." "I think we're way past that, come on." "Mmmmmm...you sure about this? I mean it's kind of a lot to take in, are you guys ready for us to blow yer minds?" "How can you possibly do any worse?" asked Navarro sarcastically. "...alrighty, your funeral." The two began to light up their wrists as their world suddenly began changing. Not their world around them, but their entire concept of existence for what James and Roy had unfolded upon them. Reliving past events through the strange magic of a whole other galaxy, the raptors showed the Ivalician group at least four completely different worlds. James' adventures showed the strangest species of a higher world oft-between stars and points in space, cricket-faced creatures with the texture of rock, huge hulking tank-like beasts amidst humes in bizarre clothing. Voices came channelling from them in a dozen other languages none of which they comprehended, but the world looked so real it was as if a memstone had been recovered from the stars with strange civilisations to tell. Halls of marble-white above, a masked traveller in skintight suit dancing and singing to herself in the middle of a street carved from metallic blue. Roy's omni-tool showed the same scenery but of a different story, humes of purple skin splashing across the waters of a beach, a beast resembling both dog and fish panting up at him as they watched the sunset turn a deep green hue upon an old ruin. James' images began turning, towards an empty waste, a desert of foul deprivation where howling winds sung the very death of the earth itself. Humes in ragged leather and dirty faces, metallic creatures of long spindly legs waving swords blustering with pride, strange undead-looking creatures cackling with a friendly glint and a hearty voice talking away to FG like his closest friend. Roy's in turn produced a different otherworld, an eternity that not even James was aware of. A docking pier, a large iron ship fuming with smoke of slight mystical energy as creatures walked back and forth, canines that walked like men along with burly-armed fish hoisting their cargo upon orange backs. Gulls cried upon the clear blue sky above as Roy's voice came through briefly, his black hand pointing out to something towards the distance. Turning towards a much deeper voice beside him, was a terrifying-looking gargoyle of amber skin and grand wings with the face of a hawk, red horns and the body of a mountain made of muscular flesh, blue pigment across his eyes staring down upon his vision.

Even James was quite startled at such a powerful-looking beast, taller than Roy even with red beads around his neck and hands wrapped firmly tight in bandages. Baldwin especially became fascinated recognising something about his posture, his voice cold yet sternly watching across the sea. Then he pointed over towards something, a black mist streaking along the horizon like a crack upon the sky itself. The recordings soon cut off but it left the group rather shocked, afraid and most of all, completely bewildered by this sudden revelation. Navarro was first to speak, gasping out her words gently. "...how...h-h-how can...how can this be, kupo?" "Hm?" "...that...is not possible, it cannot...not...this cannot be possible. And yet...the two of you I see such differences and yet similarities in parts of you." "Can it...can it be true?" asked Fayne fearfully. "Are you two truly from...another world?" "Yes," said FG sternly, "I didn't wanna tell you because Navarro insisted, she didn't want me to scare you off thinking I was crazy with no proof to back it up. But now I got Roy here and well...you can't disprove both of us, plus there's Kruz too." "Wait wh-what?!" "Kruz is from another world too, he'll tell you the exact same." "WHAT!?" "Oh come on!" cried Baldwin. "Now yer jusszht bein' sszhtupid, he don't got any of yer weird sszhpellblade sszhtuff on him or that omni-tool thing!" "No...but he's got other ways to prove he's not from Ivalice...I mean, have you ever seen a bangaa look like him at all?" "Well...n-noooo not really." "And his accent is rather odd, plus he has his own language which I'm pretty sure does not exist in Ivalice, yanno, the same language I talk to him?" "I...y-yyyyyeaaaaah that wasszh kinda weird but I thought maybe you two were jusszht from really far away." "Well you're not wrong, just a lot more farther than you think, I'll bring him down to talk about it if you want. Might as well have all this out in the open." "No." Navarro stood up with disbelief pulsating in her eye. "This...this is unacceptable, kupo." "What?" "I...I-i need to lie down, I feel rather...tired from all this." "I'm sorry...I tried to tell you bu-" "SH-SH-SHH!" She waved her hands with trembling fury before she rushed off towards the exit, clearly frustrated as the rest of James' group stood watching with both curiosity and an odd sense of bewilderment. Dahlia was first to break silence excusing herself with: "I...should go see if she's alright, I-i'll just...leave you boys right to it." "Whatever you say," said FG rolling his eyes. "Um...Dahlia?" "Yes?" "I'm...sorry I didn't tell you sooner, are you...are you alright about this?" "I think...this is rather a lot to take in but I'm just going to be rational about this and try to...relax, you're still...James after all, is that right? I think after all that's been happening the past week we can handle one more existential crisis hmm?!" "Heheh, y-yeaaaah I guess um...okay, go see if Navarro's alright I'll be here." "Alright."

As the nu-mou left heading outside Roy decided to sit down where Navarro had once been, letting time pass rather awkwardly. The four males twiddled their thumbs with the sounds of morning work outside before James asked: "Soooo...what now?" "She gonna be okay?" asked Roy. "Oh don't worry about it, she's probably pissed off because the stuff I told her for like eight months has actually not been total bullshit." "Uhhh alrighty...sooooo whut's thuh story with you two?" "Well," began Fayne, "I am a prelate of the Kildean faith from the Lea Monde chapter. This-is my brother Baldwin, he...is a monk." "I'm the musszhle," said Baldwin, "I punch the sszhit outta evil roaming acrosszh the land for the good of Ivalisszhe." "Nice!" replied Roy. "Never seen a guy as swole as you workin' in a church, whut kinda reps you do?" "Repsszh?" "Yeah you know, lahk workout schedule." "OH, uhhhh...over the day I do at leasszht half an hour of jumpsszh, walking isszh pretty much part of daily life but if I don't have to go anywhere I tend to do at leasszht ten kilometresszh for a run. Then I do a little sszhadow boxszhing for maybe uhhhh thirty minutesszh. Alsszho get in sszhome sszhquatsszh." "Aw man ah fuckin' love squats, how many you done at one tahm?" "One time...I did twenty-one sszhquatsszh in like a minute." "Hohooooo maaaaan, that ah gotta see, ah never done lahk in a minute. But over about five minutes in mah routine, ah did sumthin' lahk a hundred, soooo that's about...twenty a minute!" "Nisszhe." "Um," interrupted Fayne, "I'm...sorry, but are you literally talking to him about your FITNESSSZH ROUTINE?!" "What, he asszhked me Fayne!" "And you-...what we JUSSZHT SSZHAW from them, thesszhe transszhendental worldsszh beyond our comprehensszhion, you jusszht literally ignore!?" "I wasszh gonna easszhe into it, I'm jusszht asszh weirded out asszh youI mean it'sszh crazzhy!" "I don't think you QUITE comprehend the sszheverity of thisszh Baldwin!" The two argued briefly as Roy turned towards FG. "Did ah do sumthin' wrong?" "Naaaah they're always like this," murmured James, "they had a pretty rough week so they're all kinda tense and just dealing with it differently." "Ahhh. Scuse me!" He brought their attention to him with open arms. "Ah guess you have a lotta questions fer us two about uh...these other worlds an' such?" "Indeed," said Fayne promptly, "I know I have many, for you and our leader." "Sszhame here," replied Baldwin, "I mean now we're talking about it, how long were you planning on keeping thisszh from usszh?" "Until you guys trusted me enough," said FG, "like I said, Navarro wanted me to keep quiet because she didn't believe me." "And youuuuu desszhide to tell usszh thisszh NOW?! After what we jusszht been through?! You...you can't jusszht walk up to usszh pullin' out your memsszhtone arm tool thingy sszhowing usszh all thesszhe weird thingsszh! What kind of people are they, where do they live?! How do you live amongsszht the sszhtarszh!?" "And what of that arid...place?!" added Fayne frantically. "I have never known a...desert like that! Even the undead were bantering with you like you were an old friend! Not...cursed or anything!" "That's where I've been," shrugged FG, "it's...weird, I thought you guys would be a lot more accepting about this considering all the monsters and demons and such." "Demons are one thing, they are an unfortunate part of our world but they are real like that of the wolf and wyvern! You are talking about...other worlds, ENTIRE other planesszh of reality that do not parallel with our own! Do you...do you not realisszhe how incredible a comprehensszhive sszhtudy of thisszh would be?!" "I always thought you guys had ideas of other worlds come on you chart the stars and stuff." "Theoretically maybe." Fayne gently rubbed his head feeling exhaustion come over him despite the fact they had all woken up previously an hour ago. He wondered if Navarro was feeling the same pain as he did from such startling revelations. "But they are jusszht theoriesszh like any other, no sszholid proof, no need, no nothing! You allowed usszh a glimmer into another world, more than one even, and that alone isszh incomprehensszhible to me, I mean...where are the magesszh, the magisszhite, what kind of creaturesszh are they!?" "There is no magic in those worlds," said Roy firmly, "least not all of 'em. Sum worlds we been to got magic, sum others don't." "WHAT?!" cried Baldwin. "But...b-b-but how do thingsszh WORK then, you can't jusszht live without magic, even I need magic in our airsszhipszh, our chapel, our everything!" "Electricity mostly, whut you guys don' have that?" "We DO have electrical theory," replied Fayne, "but merely a theory and only in prototypal form. Dahlia knowsszh it better than I do frankly but...hm...I thought I would be more unnerved by thisszh but...I have had my life turned upsszhide down the passzht week, at thisszh point I will gladly take anything asszh truth." "Whut happened?" "I'll explain later," said FG, "but right now you have to wait until we're done with our other mission." "Oh, you got one already?" "Yeah so...god I dunno what to do." "As usual, kupo."

A voice came through from the door as Navarro walked back in, stern and cold like always before striding up towards the table with Dahlia stumbling in behind her trying to walk with her pace. James was rather startled to see her return so quickly, whilst Roy simply smirked leaning back at the odd congregation before him. "I thought you were tired." "I just needed to clear my head, but right now as we are all very confused, I recommend we take ourselves back to our homebase in Nalbina, allow Mother Mariel her peace during her study and get back to our missions." "Um what about this Hopkins lady?" "Your friend Kruz will be handling that, kupo. I assume he is trustworthy too despite your claims of him being another traveller as...worldly as you two." "Well yeah I mean, come on he's been pretty reliable so far right?" "True. Right now I wish to head back to Nalbina, we have many missions left undone and we still need to make profit." "You can add mah request to thuh pile then." Roy said this with a finger up smiling simply as Navarro walked up feeling rather flustered by previous events, staring hard into the utahraptor's eyes. "A mission?" "Yeah, that's why ah needed James, kinda funny how things came up, turns out you guys are the most affordable-rated clan in thuh whole area, least in terms of cost versus quality." "Glad to see one thing remained unchanged at least, kupo. What mission is this exactly?" "Well...it requires an infiltration. Ah heard you guys did any kinda mission soooo...how are you guys at scopin' a place out?" "You mean," asked Baldwin nervously, "you mean like a...robbery? No way, we're not criminalsszh here!" "Nah nah ah ain' talkin' about that! Ah mean...ah need to get a specific item, and uh...ahm not in a position to barter for it." "Sszhooooo you mean a robbery." "No um...dammit...look, it's a lot to explain, ah got time, you guys handle your mission an' once you all sorted out, ahll ask fer mah mission. But ah do need you guys to come with bah at least within three months, specifically thuh month of Aries." "If it's that complicated," said Navarro, "I don't think we should even bother, kupo. I am not here to waste time an-" "Whut if ah put this money up front?" The swing of his hand from underneath brought up a hefty sack of gil that clattered weightily upon the table. They all looked incredulously from one to the other as Roy added: "Forty-thousand. Ah need James specifically to help me out with a mission, but ah don't need it done immediately, ah can wait. Ah trust you enough if FG trusts you all enough, lemme pay you upfront an' when you got your hands free you can help me out." "A-a-are you," blustered Fayne, "you cannot be sszheriousszh, th-that...forty-thousszhand on the sszhpot!?" "That's how much this means to me." "Y-you don't have to do this NOW," replied Dahlia hastily, "w-we do have other things but, oh goodness, we can't take this!" "Why not, you guys got good rep don't you?!"

Navarro hopped onto the table and inspected the gil to make sure that it was actually legitimate and not containing rocks or some false weights within the bag, seeing indeed it was the same amount he offered. James shrugged as Navarro turned to him as if expecting an answer, babbling: "I-i-i don't know what he wants, the fuck you asking me for?!" "He is your companion kupo," said the moogle. "That's a bit of a strong word!" "Ah prefer thuh term 'nemesis' mahself," said Roy humbly. "Wh-whatever, Roy are you seriously giving us this money now just so we do this mission you want after?" "Yes. See, if it wuz just you, ah wouldn't give you any of mah money up front until we's finished. But seein' all five of you, ah can tell you guys got good reputation...least that's whut they told me back in Nalbina." "I see," said Navarro, "if that is the case...James?" The clan turned towards FG fully seeking guidance upon this strange offer. He looked towards Navarro trying to gauge what her opinion was, but there was nothing from her. He debated for about a minute in his head before he nodded firmly. "Alright then, I mean if you're offering us." "Are you sure James?" asked Dahlia. "I mean, it IS an awful lot of money." "What he's offering it! If he trusts us that much then we should honour his request. Besides we already took a front payment from Mother Mariel for our mission." "But she at least told us what it was." "I know but...Roy here says that he can wait until after we're done with our mission, that leaves us plenty of time to sort things, divvy up, plan our movements so once we finish with our mission we can then go on to do his mission." "I agree with James," said Navarro, "if you trust us in contract to perform this mission for you at another time sir, then we shall take this payment you so choose to give kupo. But I must warn you that it may well be a few months until we are able to accomplish such requests, Mr..." "MacGregor," he proferred, "Roy MacGregor." "Hm. Very well Mr. MacGregor, you shall have our help noted in future but until then we have other needs to attend to, kupo." "Fine bah me." "Where can we contact you?" "Uhhh...ah got a room in Rabanastre, lemme give you thuh address if you need sumthin', but in a month's time ahll be up in Archadia." "Really?" Everyone turned suspicious as they all restrained the urge to lurch forwards. Except Baldwin and James who clearly did with intrigue at this odd coincidence. "Why is that kupo?" "Cuz ahm in thuh joustin' tournament down over at...thuh Chocogala, why?" "Wait...the Chocogala, you are...a participant?" "Yeah!" replied Roy. "Ah got mah own chocobo, name's Cyrus, we been together fer about nine months an' we tight as hell." "Tight?" "You know, lahk real bros." "Wait what's the Chocogala?" asked FG. "My father used to attend it in younger days," replied Navarro, "it's an exhibition of various breeds in events for the best in show." "Yup damn righ'," added Roy, "even got proof, look." Pulling out from his satchel he brought forth a rather official-looking decree by form of a licence, showing his name in Ivalician as well as what appeared to be a rank of sort in the estimate of four stars. Navarro was clearly impressed, gently cocking her head in surprise towards him as her ears perked up slightly. "...a four-star rank, trained in Rozarria." "Mmhmm." "And only in eight months according to the date of this issued statement...I find it hard to believe that a greenhorn rose so quickly, kupo." "Heh, let's just say ah have a way with noble beasts." "That mean you fuck 'em?!" Immediately Baldwin regretted his words as Navarro promptly kicked him straight in the face, hard enough to fall out of his chair backwards with a heavy thud onto the floor. Crying out with pain and bloodied nose he was left rolling slightly clutching his face leaving James and Roy smirking gingerly at each other. Fayne did not bother to help his brother sitting with arms crossed in stern disapproval as Navarro continued to speak to Roy. "My apologies, Baldwin tends to have his mouth speak before his brain." "Hhhahaha no prob," replied Roy, "ah known a few people lahk that, righ' FG?" "Yeah yeah sure," said FG, "it's called a mirror you know Roy." "HAH, least ah can actually look at a mirror, how many you ever looked at without breakin' em seein' your face?" "Leave him alone!" cried Dahlia. "He's our leader, you have no right to insult him!" "Woah hey sorry just um, bit o' riffin' off each other, ah don' mean nuthin'." She turned towards FG who nodded knowingly as she sighed apologetically before she seated herself once again, with Roy adding on a proposition. "If you guys wanna come down to thuh tournament in about a month or so, you can. Hell ahll even get you all a ticket personally, FG too if he wanna come with." "To see you joust?" said FG. "Wouldn't miss that for the world, love to see you get knocked out on your black ass." "Heh, you gonna be disappointed then." "I would be interested," said Navarro, "provided we have time for it kupo. Until then I think we are done here, thank you for your time Mr. MacGregor." "No problem ma'am." Navarro took the sack of money offered and hopped off from the table, courteously giving their newest client a farewell with a bow before the rest of the group began leaving. Roy gave FG a written address of where he could be contacted which indeed was somewhere within Rabanastre. Baldwin was last however stumbling from the floor clutching his snout hard with it bleeding slightly. He heard Wootie cry out: "IT'S NOT EVEN EIGHT AN' ALREADY YER STUMBLIN'!" "FUCK YOU WOOTIE!" "HAHA, SEE YA ROUND BALDWIN!"

The group headed back towards the Broken Petal now curious to see what Kruz had been uncovering the past few days. They had started the early morning with a light breakfast before meeting Roy courtesy of Mariel's helpers in the church, as a reward for the "generous donations the clan had given" so to speak, and now they were fully prepared to plan out their next mission. All of them were nervous for some reason, not because of the past week which already had them on pins and needles, but for the actual explanation of what Kruz was about to offer them. The moment they stepped into his captain's office, light shining through from the trees around Lea Monde, they knew there was something up. Tennyson was present too stern with hands behind his back showing his past origins' authority which never ceased to make James nervous. The same went for Baldwin too who asked: "Wha-what'sszh going on?" "Weeee have a problem," said Kruz with uncertainty, "you asked before about who Rebecca Hopkins was, right?" "Yeaaaaah?" "Well..." The kremling flipped his papers around on the desk facing them, showing a publication as well as other various papers that James could barely read and comprehend. "Rebecca Hopkins is a formidable socialite, an heiress of a long list of mages who have remained firmly established within Archadian society. She is currently married to Ronald Hopkins, the owner of the Zodiac Tribunal which the fourth most powerful newspaper in all of Ivalice." "UGH, that dreadful tabloid?!" asked Dahlia offended. "Now I know where I've heard that name." "But why hired goons?" inquired Rocino. "What would a socialite require with such brute tactics, kupo?" "I'll let Tennyson explain here," replied Kruz, "go ahead Tennyson." The first mate hume stepped forwards as if about to receive an inspection before explaining to the group, his voice deep with firmness and baritone. "It's well-reputed through local hearsay amongst, well, everybody in the capital city of Archades that Rebecca Hopkins is a vile bully climbing up the ladder of Archadian wealth and society held entirely up by her army of goons whom she employs officially as her personal armed guard. But that does not mean that they are always around her, and so she enlists them to head out and intimidate people that are a threat to her standing, or have something that she wants." "What a bitch," said FG. "Indeed. Her husband Ronald owns the paper officially and for the most part he has his own shoddy journalistic crew to scour the streets for the hottest smear campaigns that he can use for political bias." "Like every other news tabloid." "Precisely, but he does not use her mercenary groups, they are strictly different groups working on different missions. Her group largely consists of intimidation and extortion in order to obtain more wealth, which then come to her as 'generous' donations to the Hopkins Archive. The Hopkins Archive is a collection of rare and interesting treasures from all over Ivalice, which is rarely open to the public." "Wait, why would she be running an archive?" "Financial interest," explained Kruz, "officially she does not actually own the archive, she simply invests money into it to help create research into the ancient world they leave behind. Ronald's money invested into it as they became benefactors mainly just because it's good publicity as the biggest benefactor of it period. She is actually a very intelligent woman also, with a veiled interest in ancient Ivalice." "But she covets wealth," elaborated Tennyson, "investments, stocks, bearing bonds, that way SHE becomes valuable by asset thereby encouraging people to further support her interest, as well as of course by using her newspaper connections as a political platform for their opinions." "Like every other mogul," said the moogle. "I am with Dahlia on this, in that I despise their publication but I must admit I am still confused as to why this Hopkins would risk such attention robbing a cathedral, kupo." "I agree, she may be a vindictive bigot but she has limits, she would not have risked such a dangerous operation involving her men that would have attracted such interest." "The church hasszh been made aware," added Fayne, "of the insszhident at hand in that a group of vermin unknown assszhaulted our mother whilsszht plundering our reliquary. We will not inform the public in order to not frighten them, however, we have informed our local consszhtable to become more vigilant for any posszhible intruder of the sszhame cloak, asszh it may." "Good, now, take a look at this."

The first mate brought them over towards the table where Kruz had laid out a pale diagram of a rather ornate-looking building as seen from above, a blueprint even showing various lengths and points of significance. To the group it more resembled half of an octagonal construct with the left side entirely flat and the right given four corners, somewhat like a D filled in. "This is the Hopkins archive from above, Cid examined the construct thanks to our cartographer Rzepka mapping the whole thing." "How'd you do that?" asked Baldwin. "I thought you avoided Archadesszh yanno, cuzzh you're uh...wanted?" "Yes, but Rzepka is a VERY good cartographer, he has plenty of references to formulate a diagram of this to work on." "And WHAT are we working on exszhactly?" "Simple, our infiltration into the archive." They all blinked looking up first at Tennyson then towards Kruz who simply shrugged smiling awkwardly. Fayne was first to speak with their surprise asking: "I'm...sorry but, did I hear the word...infiltration?" "Yes," said Kruz. "Over the past few days me, Tennyson, Cid and Rzepka have been working on a plan to help you break into the place. and find out what you need." "But we don't KNOW what we need!" cried Baldwin. "We jusszht know that thisszh bitch attacked usszh!" "Right, but she's meticulous, she has records, notaries kept of any finances made and she always has them in the archive because it has better security than her house or the newspaper offices. A break-in to her house would imply something personal and cause suspicion, but you put something like that into the archives, well, jewel thieves everybody thinks and that throws people off the scent of suspicion to her. Tennyson learnt that back in his days when he was scoping her out once for suspicious activity, but of course he couldn't find enough to build a legitimate case." "You are serious," said Rocino. "You actually expect us to go along with a plan that involves us infiltrating a false museum of vanity just to find these records, kupo? What makes you think we'll ever succeed?!" "Because we have a crack team of professionals right here. You've got me the master actor, you've got Cid the professional con man, you've got Rzepka the greatest cartographer in Ivalice-" "Hold up," asked FG, "isn't he like the one guy amongst you without a criminal record, why would he go along with this?" "Because he's only making the maps, not actually going in. Plus Cid promised to stop using his name once and for all." "...okay, sure." "We are still working out particulars," said Tennyson, "but we just wanted to inform you of our plan. In a week's time we shall be able to fully realise our objective once we take more into account of various duties. Cid already has formulated some ideas." "Why are you doing this?" asked Dahlia. "I mean, not that we don't appreciate all your help but...this could put you in danger too." "Because...well, captain here wants to deeply help his friend James but as for me...I admit I have some personal issues with Hopkins that I would like to see repaid to her in full." "Oh." "That," said Kruz, "and a lot of our crew just wanna have fun doing something risky! You know how boring it is to just deliver cargo everywhere? I mean you need some excitement and I don't want to turn into a full pirate for that, but I am perfectly willing to do some side missions for uh...unofficial business." "Won't that harm your reputation kupo?" implied Navarro. "And what of ours if we chose to do this? You realise that failure means Hopkins will ruin us with every use of ink in her tabloids specifically to destroy us." "Not if we play it right, I already have ideas to make sure none of you get caught, or even recognised. Just give us a week, we'll come back to your base and talk things out with you. So, you need anything else?" "Yes, can you give us passage back to Nalbina so we can prepare at our homebase?" "Of course, we're actually flying off to Rabanastre to do our deliveries so we can drop you off on the way." "Good, kupo. You may meet with us back at our homebase once you have made your plans, thank you for your assistance captain Kruz." "Pleasure's all mine, anything to help out a friend."

Kruz winked at FG as well as nodding towards Fayne who smiled softly with a short wave before they headed off, slowly leaving Lea Monde behind as they flew over across the deserts in the southeast. Arriving back in Nalbina for the first time in almost four months, the old homebase looked somewhat older than it usually did. Whether it was the cobwebs already trying to settle in or the requests and missions piled up against the front door, it certainly felt like they had not come home in at least a few years as they set themselves down to work. Fayne, Baldwin and Dahlia got straight to cleaning, whilst James and Navarro went to the clan offices to ask on what was still available concerning the old missions they had received. Some of them had been already taken by others but there were a few recent additions made to ask for their assistance that they chose to do and busy themselves with. Fayne also brought up the sum of 50,000 gil from Mother Mariel as an incentive for her mission to discover the Hopkins connection, which kept them going smoothly without any problems financially. The missions they took up over the week ranged from basic extermination duties such as rats in the cellar to finding and retrieving a lost wolf pup someone had raised that had gone spelunking into a cave. But nothing incredible to write home about, mostly they were getting through their workload swiftly so as to prevent more piling up before they could meet Kruz again. A week had passed and right on schedule, they met the Broken Petal at the docks before Kruz and his select members would walk through the streets to Clan Koridai's homebase with everything possible, during their shore leave. The large table in the central room was lit splendidly well after the dust had been cleared away, giving them the perfect shadowed look of conspiracy as they sat down with their new mission. Kruz, Tennyson, Cid and Rzepka stood on one side of the table, whilst the clan sat on the other waiting for this infiltration to be presented as Kruz introduced the operation with an array of documents spread on the table, such as a map of a building as well as architectural blueprints. "After some considerations, we have managed to form out a perfect strategy to infiltrate our main objective. To uncover the financial records of Mrs. Rebecca Hopkins and her activities around the sixteenth of Capricorn, is that right?" "Yes," said FG. "Now Hopkins, despite her socialite riches and vain approach, is a very meticulous woman and plans out everything in such a way as to make sure she never gets caught. And from what our sources have told us, as well as previous experience from Tennyson, any information she has would be so damning to the hierarchy of Archadia for all the deals she has made, that were anyone able to try and leak anything about it, she would make sure that all of her associates got taken down too. And frankly that would create a huge schism in the law system." "If we obtain these records," asked Navarro, "do we plan on stealing them entirely, kupo?" "Yes," replied Tennyson. "If it is possible, Hopkins is very influential and can easily claim any allegations towards her as false especially with backup from not only her husband controlling the newspaper, but also for the fact she has enough friends in high places that she could easily bring down with her. A lot of deals have been made involving her and she has many means by which she can use that information to bring fellow perpetrators of illicit dealings towards justice. If we obtain those records we will not only find certain on anything to do with your attack, but also on bringing her reputation down." "This sounds pretty big," said FG, "I didn't expect us to go into political espionage in our career." "What politics?" replied Navarro. "We are dealing with a spoilt brat who sold her moral standard for vain jewellery, kupo. Anyone who dares to assault a church will soon learn that money will NOT pay off their debt to society." "Agreed," said Fayne bitterly, "I know we are undertaking a very dangerousszh objective...but I will not resszht until I find thosszhe who would dare hurt my mother, and sszhee them brought before the court." "Alright then," said James, "I just wanna make sure we're all on the same level with this because it's pretty dangerous." "Actually..."

Rzepka stepped forwards next with a finger in the air to demonstrate. "It's not so dangerous at all as you might think, lemme show you." His hand swept over the diagram, which seemed to resonate golden thin lines by some intrinsic property unknown to any of them. Slowly he began to "pull up" the map itself into a beige three-dimensional object, demonstrating with a small reptilian figure in the central lobby which gave two entrances into the larger main hall. "The Hopkins Archive is a half-octagonal construct designed mainly for an aesthetic layout, which actually kind of makes security really impossible for it to sync up. The main hall and reception areas here, are pretty easy to get into even after hours but once you get past through into the reliquary, you've got problems on both sides." The main hall, as he enlarged the magical diagram, was one long straight path wide enough to hold an audience within, or a party moreso as each connecting hall after it was where artifacts were contained before they suddenly lurched off until forming a half-circular pattern. At least until the fourth hall where it suddenly forked straight down back into the main lobby. "None of the halls are designed properly to allow a smooth streamlined security, the architecture of the place was more about looking art nouveau than anything else and because of that, it's actually really difficult to put security up for it." "What security exactly?" asked FG. Another swish of his hand as he demonstrated deeper problems before them showing various amber walls, minute crossed circuits on the floor and glowing red artifacts of special interest. "Trip streams over certain walkways, thermal detectors on any of the artifacts so if anyone touches them without the right equipment, which in this case are special gloves held by members of staff, and everything locks down with these magicite barriers that only allow one-way acces so the guards can get in, but YOU can't get out. But because the halls are all kept separate by this weird design, there's almost no way to sync up a real security system between them, because the foundation of the building is of such solid construct that the magicite can't pass THROUGH any of it." "What does that mean?" asked Dahlia. "Uhhhh...basically each hall is like its own security system, if one alarm goes off in there, none of the other alarms get set off which on the one hand makes it easier to find out WHERE the intruder is, but on the other hand makes it more difficult for people to respond. You're only gonna get anyone who's actually in there to be able to know you've done something." "That...sounds very useless actually." "It does, but Hopkins counteracts that by having guards on every single point, hidden of course. I scanned through the diagrams and found there were some hidden rooms after noticing odd choices in the design, and that's where the guards are hiding. So you THINK nobody's gonna be around but you touch that vase and POOF!" He added with a flourish a dozen ninjas in garish purple clothing straight in front of the reptile stick figure, right before there came an adorable little cloud of violence with swords flying all around it before leaving one very dead-looking reptile complete with cross-eyes. "Game over." "How quaint," said Fayne dismissively, "what a terrible building to begin with. And how do you plan on breaking through all of that?" "There's a certain setup to the whole infrastructure where two people have to work together in order to open the locks hidden within each hallway section. They both have to be opened within two minutes of each other as well or else the whole thing locks down for an entire day and that's your chance gone ruined. Mrs. Hopkins and her highest subordinate both have their locks memorised but the thing is, they're built like puzzles so you can solve them even!" "Woah woah woah, puzzles?" asked James. "Are you serious, why not like codes or passwords or some shit?!" "I dunno, I didn't build the damn place she's a weird lady! Anyways, I don't know what the puzzles are but they can be solved, the problem is you need TWO people at once to solve them, that's the real security they got. I guess they just wanted something that wasn't easy to memorise or...explain, like a code for extra security? Plus the puzzles are not operated by magicite, they're an actual mechanical operation built into the wall all synced up, one set of puzzles opens up ANOTHER set in the next hall so it's impossible to break, magicite you can get around from a distance but mechanical stuff...if you can't reach it, then it's just gonna keep on going." "But how do we even get in?" "That's where I come in!" cried Cid.

The engineer lurched forwards with his own array of equipment to throw on the table handing them out like candy. Each of the clan members received a small box containing identity cards and various false attachments as well as clothing bundled in. James did not even need to know any of it to know what this meant. "Fake IDs?! Really?!" "Yep, we're gonna make disguises for ya too, captain here's got ideas from his theatrical days an-" "This better not involve me being in a dress." Kruz nervously grinned as James hardened his look, before Baldwin leaned over and started sniggering at James' false ID. "PFFFFFfffffthhhhhhehehehehehehahhahahahahahaaaaaa!" "Wh-what?!" "Look at yer name! OHHHHH thisszh isszh gonna be great!" "Wh-what's it say?!" "I'll tell you later," said Kruz beaming, "now we all have characters set for you to play in our role of the bigger scheme of things...except for you two brothers because one of you is a celebrity and someone will recognise you." "Awwww!" cried Baldwin. "I wanna do sszhomething cool in all part of thisszh!" "I do not mind," murmured Fayne, "I fear for all of you rather for getting involved in quite a criminal act, even if we are fasszhing a criminal in turn." "Don't worry," said the kremling, "I'll be orchestrating it, and best of all your leader will be riiiight next to me." James rolled his eyes surreptitiously as Kruz sweeped his arm around him eagerly pulling him into a shouldersqueeze, the raptor mumbling: "My god you're not even trying to be subtle anymore aren't you?" "What do you mean subtle?" A flashing grin came from him before the moogle deputy inquired: "I do hope you explain these more properly, kupo." "Oh we sure will!" replied Cid fiendishly. "But first you gotta practice yer new identities, sorta gotta get into the feel of 'em, you got one month to practice." "Why a month?" "Because I found the perfect venue to try out our new disguises. The Chocogala is starting aaaaand the Hopkins are noted beneficiaries of it mostly to pander our their bullshit with sponsor advertising. Now I know you each got a chocobo on you, so this is even more perfect because all the breeders are gonna be meeting up fer a conference at the Hopkins Archive! Brilliant right?!" "Not brilliant, we are talking into the wolf's den, kupo! Plus, if any of those goons from previous have a good memory on them they will certainly remember our faces." "Uhh, disguises hello?" She made her counterpoint by a finger towards each of her clan members. "One moogle. Two bangaas. One nu-mou and one velociraptor who was VERY clearly someone that was there. Perhaps this group can infiltrate with the right disguise but James is very easy to pick out from a crowd." "She has a point," said FG, "I mean unless you've got a really good idea with this disguise I have-" "You leave that to me," replied Kruz, "our real problem is getting tickets to the Chocogala, plus...we're going to need actually two people to infiltrate, whilst the rest of us act as security scouting out to make sure nobody unexpected goes through." "And who are the two people you plan to use?" "Well...we're going to have to work out a deal with some people up in Bhujerba to create, remember the transmitters back in the card tournament? We might want to reverse-engineer that for this mission so we can create a two-way communication between the two people solving the codelocks together, that way we can-" "No need." James smiled confidently as he stood up with gears turning in his head promptly. "I have a way to solve both your problems, both communication AND the Chocogala entry." "Really?" "Mmhmm. Why don't you let me handle that, I'll deal with this and call in an old favour of mine, whilst YOU get the rest of this plan sorted." "...alright then." The kremling stood away from the table as did the rest of his crew, their meeting finished as they left the boxes full of disguises behind to let them prepare for what they needed to do. James however still felt the gaze of Navarro upon him as well as the rest of his group, oddly concerned for how quick he took to the idea before Fayne asked him: "What...favour are you going to call in for the...infiltration?" "Someone who we have perfectly right where we want him to be." "What?" "...seriously, you guys haven't been following this? Come on I thought you were better than-"

"Ahll do it, sure." A week after the meeting in Nalbina, Clan Koridai were now seated within a bar in Rabanastre facing opposite towards Roy who leaned back confidently, drinking up a hefty beer of Dalmascan brand ale. The desert days were turning less hot after slowly changing through the months, the cusp of summer's end on the faint horizon as the sounds of workers clamoured around them in the evening sun. Reddened skies of orange reflected the desert night incoming, the underground tavern staying free with the cool breeze of the subterrane marked with vibrant earthen walls. "Wait, really?" asked FG. "Sure, ahll do it, sooner you get this shit done thuh sooner you can help me out. Might as well get sum practice in for a good infiltratin'." "I knew it!" cried Baldwin. "You are robbin' sszhumplasszhe!" "Would you stop that?! Seriously, if ah wanted to rob sum place ah wouldn't hire a loudmouth lahk you." "WHO YOU CALLIN' LOUDMOUTH YOU-MMM-MM-MMMPH!" Fayne clamped his mouth shut with a firm fist not saying anything, allowing Navarro to speak. "You realise your reputation is at risk, kupo." "Ah know, but if you put your trust in these people makin' thuh plan, that's good enough for me." "You do not even know these people." "But ah know you, ah know you are one of thuh most eligible clans in Nalbina an' thuh shit you done in six months' time people did not stop ravin' about...just a shame ah came in two months after you left or else ah woulda recruited you righ' then." "Your donation was greatly appreciated, kupo. But you do realise also that it was non-refundable." "Mmhmm. But you won't betray me...cuz otherwise..." Roy leaned forwards with a dark grin showing all his teeth. "Ah think your leader James can attest as to how persistent ah can be in huntin' down sumbody that owes me...righ' FG?" "Yeah," said FG, "let's NOT break a deal off with him, he chased me over four fucking places and I'm not talking about the same universe." "An' still tickin'!" He made a motion to punch FG in the arm but Navarro blocked it deftly with a firm fist clunking his hand down onto the table. He understood the implication and nodded chuckling. "Hheheheh...that one hell of a bodyguard you got there." "Clan deputy, actually." "Ahhh...righ' that explains why she smarter than you." "It does actually," said Navarro. "Wha-what the hell?!" cried FG. "What, kupo? I thought you two enjoyed such derisive banter towards each other." "Well...yeah but you're not either of us!" "She jus' tellin' thuh truth man," said Roy happily, "you calls 'em lahk you see 'em righ' baby bird?" Navarro turned harshly towards the utahraptor at this as everyone felt tension hit the air before replying: "...baby bird?" "Well...yeah, sorry ah kinda forgot your name but it's just that you're small, cute an' you smell lahk a baby chocobo all warm an' fuzzy." "W-w-what?!" "Yeah you get used to that," said FG smirking towards her. "We didn't say anything before but-" "Don't," said Navarro flustered with blistering cheeks. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you wanted to be part of the derisive banter that him and me are working on!" "Ah wuzn't bein' derisive!" argued Roy. "Ah wuz serious, ah wuz makin' a compliment don' try an' make this sumthin' it' ain't!" "Oh...okay, sorry." "Thank you," said the moogle politely to both of them. "Can I say something?" murmured Dahlia quite briefly. "I'm...s-sorry to change the subject but I must admit that I can't quite, um...you two...alright, I'm not the only one bothered by this, am I? These two people here come from wholly different universes, that is QUITE extraordinary!" "I admit," said Fayne, "I am...trying hard to believe it but what with all we have been through lately I...find no-reason to believe that be anything but the truth, from what we have dealt with." "Yanno we didn't asszhk Kruzzzh," replied Baldwin, "about what Jamesszh told usszh, I mean if we get him sszhaying he'sszh from another world that'll prove it, he'sszh not like thesszhe other two." "I'll have him talk about it," said FG, "but right now we need to focus on the plan, Roy you'll need to come with us so we can really sort this all out." "Fine bah me," shrugged Roy, "but ah ain' leavin' mah chocobo, that's mah ticket into thuh gala." "Alright...guess I'll have to tell Kruz about that as well." "He already knows ours," said the moogle, "what's one more noble steed, kupo? But now I must ask you..." She leaned forwards firmly with a most disreputable look across her stern features pointedly staring towards Roy accusingly. "Are you now, or have ever been with a woman called Rebecca Hopkins? Or a Mr. Ronald Hopkins?" "Uhhh...no?" replied Roy awkwardly. "Whut are you a bad cop?" "I want to make absolutely certain this plan goes off without a hitch and you are the last addition to it. I find it very curious a coincidence that you are the right person we needed to help us infiltrate into Archades." "Whut can ah say, ahm a nice guy." "Hm...very well." Navarro leaned back seemingly pleased by her estimate of him. Roy however simply shrugged rather unsure. "You uh, gonna explain to me whut that you just did?" "No, no need kupo. You are absolutely certain you will join us and make sure the plan succeeds?" "Ah promise you, look ahll even do it thuh ol' fashioned way to prove it."

He pulled up from his satchel an old-looking book, brown and thick as it clunked onto the table showing briefly three words and what appeared to be a cross embedded upon it, as he put his left hand on the good book before raising his right hand. "Ah solemnly swear, as God is mah witness to not ever break this promise ah make to you, nor to anyone. Ah will make certain that mah part of this plan succeeds, an' nuthin' more. Amen." "Is that a fucking bible?!" cried FG. "Wha-...what is this shit?!" "Uhhh it's mah dad's thank you." Roy firmly pulled the book closely towards him looking very insulted as Fayne turned curious, asking: "You are a...pious follower?" "Not specifically, ah don' go to church but this is mah dad's bible. An' ah loved him enough that ah won't ever cross his word ah make upon his own book." "Bible? I have not heard of anything like that from Kildean lore." "Kildean? Nah man that's Christian, ah wuz raised Catholic." "Chrisszhtian?" "Seriously?!" James crossed his arms leaning back derisively. "I didn't know you were one of them, you always looked...normal I guess." "Whut that supposed to mean?!" "I'm just saying I always heard about Christians being kinda weird people, always in their church praying to something always having their weird rules like no fish on Friday and dumb shit." "Mah dad just went to church every Sunday an' he wuz a good man so you do NOT say a fuckin' word about him!" "Alright alright sorry, sorry! I didn't mean that, my fault, just...where did you get that anyway, you never had that on you last we met, didn't you?" "Ah went back to mah parents' place, found it hidin' in thuh wall next to where he sleep, mah dad always kept it nice an' close secret so it never get stolen bah anybody. Not that it matters, it's kinda worthless financially but it...means everythin' to me yanno, kinda thuh one thing ah got...left of him." He traced his hand over the book as his eyes turned mournful, before slipping it back gently into his satchel. James felt pity for him and softly replied with: "I'm sorry Roy, I...didn't realise, I'm not gonna make fun of you for that. I understand now." "Agreed," said Fayne nodding, "let's not be flippant about the light that one may follow...so-long-as they do not harm any other." "Yeah yeah I just...I never realised you were part of those old religions, can't believe that shit survived after fifteen-hundred years." "Try thirty-five-hundred," corrected Roy, "besides ahm not religious, ah just honour mah father, an' HIS Father if you get whut ah mean." "Might I inquire," asked the cleric, "that the faith you are part of, can it be from...your other world?" "Mmhmm." "My...goodness, that...I can't believe that. To think another world entirely could be equally reverent of sszhuch new faithsszh, um...tell me-" "Roy." "Yes...Roy, tell me." Fayne stood up and hobbled towards his side taking his seat with him with wild curiosity. "What doctrine do you have within your religion?" "You really wanna know?" "I am a prelate of the Kildean faith! I am very much intrigued by your faith and would like to know more on a purely ecumenical matter, would you mind if I further...asked thee to about your religion?" "Uhhh...s-sure, um, wow heh, puttin' me on thuh spot here uh mister-" "Fayne. Fayne Smithee." "Righ', Fayne." They both shook hands politely as Roy warmed up instantly. "But sure alrigh'! I'll talk wit' you about sum religion this'll be fun, we can all share stories an' stuff maybe!" "I'll sszhtay too!" replied Baldwin. "I never heard of another religion like thisszh before sszho maybe there'sszh sszhomething new!" "Well uh firstly it's not thuh ONLY religion we have, there's lahk seven others in mah world we got uh Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Pangaeism and uhhhh Karenniology." "Wow that many!? Whysszhat?" "Different people, different stories, don' really matter they used to be WAY more prominent back uhhhh fifteen-hundred years ago? Nowadays cuz they lost all their power they more lahk feel as if they're different lifestyles? Lahk way back in thuh day they were big enough to rule nations an' parliaments but nowadays they all kinda just BE themselves an' just be their own little groups of people enjoyin' their different doctrines, their lessons, their lifestyles, not really botherin' anybody." "Huh...ssszhound like after usszh Kildeansszh sszheparated up between church an' sszhtate sszho people would trusszht usszh to not influensszhe." "Oh yeah naw thassa good decision, you don' wanna mix an' match dat shit together, politics an' religion do NOT go together." "I can't believe this," murmured FG out of earshot. Navarro and Dahlia looked towards him as he palmed his face struggling to comprehend with a mix of relief and confusion. "Your friend is very learned," replied Dahlia, "I'm amazed how quickly Fayne jumped in to ask him about his religion." "Brothers of the cloth," said Navarro lowly, "the robes may change but their lips speak the same, kupo." "I think he's nice, he did agree to us rather quickly and he DID offer us all that money upfront." "True, his face did not tell me he was lying when I asked him about the Hopkins in fact nothing of his body tells me anything other than that he speaks the truth." "I think we can trust him here," said FG firmly, "his dad's a touchy subject so if he brings him into this and swears truth by him, he is NOT gonna break this promise ever." "So you vouch for him, kupo?" They turned back towards Roy who had now pulled out his bible again and was trying to translate some of its old text to a very curious Fayne, currently enraptured by the concept of another world's religion and mythos. It was a very strange sight to behold, and somehow James felt that he was more out of place than Kruz or even himself replying: "Yeah...I guess l can vouch for him. We'll see how things go but if he gives you his word...you better believe he'll stick to it a lot better than I would."