Silver Lining

Prologue: Part 3

By the time the Argentums arrived at Noctis' apartment building, the sun's rays had disappeared behind skyscrapers and the moon was rising. They hopped out of their cab and thanked their driver. Velox paid the man while Prompto grabbed their luggage from the trunk.

As the taxi faded into the night, the pair approached the front doors. They nodded to guard.

"Evening, sir!" the twins greeted.

The guard smiled. "Good evening."

The siblings entered through the automatic doors and headed for the elevator. Velox offered to take her suitcase, but Prompto insisted on carrying it.

The elevator arrived and they stepped into it. Velox hurriedly pressed the button to close the door. The blonde had not expected for them to reach Noctis' home as late as they did and at that point, she was overwrought. Velox kept her attention on the button, frantically hitting it until it performed its duty.

Just as the door began to close, a large hand stopped it. She immediately began internally bombarding the stranger until, after observing the hand for a moment, she recognized its owner.

"Guess I'm not the only one who's late."

The elevator door slid open to reveal Gladio. The Shield stood before them, surrounded by several large suitcases. Prompto let out a low whistle. Velox and her brother helped him with the load. After placing the last case on top of three others, the trio squeezed back into elevator. Prompto held his and Velox's suitcases close to him while she pushed the button to take them to Noctis' floor.

"Next time," the blonde stated, "we're makin' two trips."

Prompto raised his arm in agreement. "I second that." The luggage began slipping out of his hands and he scrambled to catch them before they fell.

Gladio chuckled, "Sounds good."

Velox turned to him. "You just got here?"

"Yeah. Went home after dinner to pick everything up and headed straight here," he explained, "Weren't you two supposed to come earlier?"

"We lost track of time," Prompto apprised.

"Yeah. Way more to do than expected," she added, "How was your dinner?"

"Oh yeah! Where'd you guys go?" the blond asked.

"The Crow's Nest."

"No way!" Prompto shouted.

"Pfft! I can't even imagine Clarus eating there," Velox smiled, "Where'd you actually go?"

"Insomnia's Finest."

The blond's jaw dropped. "No. Way."

Suddenly, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Prompto, still holding their luggage, exited first. He held the door while Velox and Gladio lugged the other suitcases into the hallway. The trio made their way down the corridor and turned right. They stopped in front of Noctis' apartment and Prompto pushed the intercom button.

The speaker buzzed. "Be right there."

After a moment, the door swung open. Noctis, wearing a tired and slightly annoyed expression, welcomed his friends into his apartment. "It's about time."

The trio entered and greeted Ignis. Velox bent down to place the cases she was carrying on the floor. She lost her grip and they landed harshly, making a terrible clattering sound.