Hopefully this is fixed now. I uploaded the non-fixed document like an idiot. XD Hopefully this one has much less mistakes.

Ignis' hands tightened around the steering wheel as the perpetual changing stations were beginning to grate against his nerves. This had been going on for nearly five minutes now and each station could only get out a few words or notes before they were cut off once again. More than once the thought of turning the radio off altogether and forbidding Prompto to touch it has crossed his mind. He settled on casting the occasional glare in his direction, hoping he would get the message eventually, but so far it has proven to do little to no good. The blond appeared to be completely oblivious to the frustration he was causing as he once again flipped the radio to a different station.

He cast his eyes over once again, "Do you mind?" He finally asked after so many moments of suffering in silence. "Your indecisiveness is giving me a headache."

"Hmm?" Prompto asked after changing it again. Then it clicked after a few seconds, "Oh! Sorry, I guess I wasn't really paying attention." He took his hand away, leaving the radio where it currently was. The song that was playing slowly faded as it ended and the reporter's voice filled the silence that ensued. Most of her words went unnoticed, but there was one that piqued their interest and drew in their attention.

The word 'missing' reached out to them and they now found themselves hanging onto each word. Noctis and Gladio were even leaning forward in the seats now in order to concentrate and hear better.

'Another victim has once again gone missing, which now makes a total of twenty-seven just this week alone, and a total of fifty-three this month.' The mood in the Regalia took a completely different turn after hearing that. 'There does not seem to be any correlation or connection between the victims, nor the locations of which they were last seen.' Ignis kept his eyes forward and on the road while Prompto had resorted to staring blankly out the window. The others had leaned back once again. 'We warn everyone to be on your guard, and to report any suspicious activity, no matter how trivial it may seem.' Static trailed after the last word was spoken which abruptly transitioned into piano as the next song had started.

"I can't believe it. I thought there was only a few, but this..." Prompto mumbled, focus still on the passing scenery.

"It appears to have escalated these past few weeks." Ignis agreed, "Could be kidnappings of opportunity."

Prompto finally looked back towards the radio, "Why do you think whoever these people are are doing this? I mean, no bodies have been found, its basically as if they just vanished. Not even so much as a witness."

Ignis thought about it for a moment, "Could be a few things. It's a possibility that is could all be a coincidence as well, though highly unlikely."

"Don't you think we should, I don't know, do something about this?" Prompto asked a bit sheepishly. We can't just sit idly by while people are taken away from their lives and families." He turned around in his seat to look to the others for some backup. His eyes flicked from Noctis to Gladio.

"We should probably leave it to the pros." Gladio answered for Ignis, "It's not something we should be meddling in."

"But-" Prompto began to argue with that statement.

"Gladio is right." Ignis replied, "It's not something we should involve ourselves in." He gave the other a disapproving look, "Now please, do sit properly." Prompto gazed down at his hands clutching the headrest and carefully turned himself back around.

"Alright." Prompto gave in, not pushing the subject further and reverted to watching the landscape stretch on in uncomfortable muteness. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't push the thoughts of what those missing persons could be going through. This just wasn't right. He was unaware of himself fiddling with his hands in his lap.

"I'm going to make a quick stop in order to re-supply, you three should do the same and pick up anything you need. Remember, only the necessities." Ignis instructed as he slowed down and pulled off to the side, parking outside a cluster of various buildings. There was a gas station, a general goods store, and a lone diner. The whole place was eerily dead with only a few other cars peppering the plot.

Ignis was the first to leave the vehicle, making a straight shot for the general store. The others followed suit as Prompto trailed behind them, a little reluctantly. He took a quick look around before closing his door and joining the other three.

"While I purchase the potions, one of you can grab some water and whatever else you find to be of use." Ignis waved a hand at them and began browsing their selections carefully and thoroughly.

Gladio set off on that task, being the survivalist of the group and knowing exactly what was needed, he took it upon himself to do that himself. The other two busied themselves with merely scanning the other items that filled the shelves. Most of which was little trinkets and nick knacks that held no particular interest. There was one however that caught Prompto's eyes and he strolled over to get a closer view of the object.

His fingers ghosted over the glass dome, dust clinging to them as he done so. Wiping it down with his sleeve he could see what looked to be a little sculpted pickax that was surrounded with piles of coal and rock, and instead of the usual 'snow' it looked to me more black, like dust particles and debris. He gazed down the the metal plate at it's base and read: Balouve Mines. This thing was clearly pretty old as rust had already begun to eat away at the corners. He allowed his fingers to slide off the smooth surface and rejoined with Ignis who was now paying for his items.

They stood by the counter as Gladio payed for his as well. Noctis was tapping his foot impatiently, ready to get back on the road already. "We should probably get a bite while we're here, it'll be quite sometime before we come across anything else." Ignis spoke, pushing the door open as Gladio made his way towards them.

"Sounds good to me, I'm starving." Gladio responded, following the other man, bags in hand. They dropped off their newly acquired items in the trunk, and entered the diner, which only had a few people sitting around. Some were eating, but some a couple seemed to be having a private conversation of sorts, as they were huddled in their booth in the farthest corner.

Gladio paced over to the front counter, ordering something rather cheap for all of them, knowing they didn't have much gil to spare anymore. They only needed a little something to sustain them for a little while longer anyway. As he was ordering, Prompto felt the need to visit the restroom. Waving a hand to the others he began walking over, almost pausing as he caught a part of the words which were being exchanged by the two men in the corner, but kept going, not wanting to seem as though he were eavesdropping.

Not that it was too out of the ordinary, but the words, 'Haven't seen him for three days.' did spark up his curiosity. But, he chose to ignore it, deciding it was none of his business and continued.

As he was washing his hands he heard the door creak open, but he kept his eyes down, not wanting to be weird and look to see who it was, he was already highly uncomfortable just being at this place. As whoever it was passed by him, there was an odd smell coming of him. It smelled a lot like dirt, but there was something else mixed in with it. Then it clicked. It was the familiar scent of blood.

'Maybe he's just a hunter.' He explained to himself. 'We've been covered in blood on more than one occasion.' He thought back to the countless times they have been on hunts and filled the Regalia with the same scent he was faced with now. Regardless of the logic of that realization, he still found himself moving slightly faster as he quickly exited, forgetting to dry his hands off, but just settled for wiping them on his shirt.

Spotting the others, he slid into the seat next to Ignis, not saying a word. There was nothing to mention. He glanced around, automatically focusing on the two guys in the corner, well one guy now. So it was the other one that was in there with him. He unconsciously kept his eyes on the door until the other man eventually walked out. Prompto hurriedly averted his eyes when the man's own connected with his. Something about them seemed to hold so much...fascination.

"Everything alright?" His gaze snapped to Noctis who had been staring at him. The prince looked to where Prompto had been staring previously.

"Y-yeah, everything is good." He picked up his drink to take a quick sip. His glanced back over to the men real quick, relieved that they were talking again, neither paying him any attention. "Just thinking." He began picking at his fries, not really paying any mind to them.

So lost in thought he nearly jumped when he felt something press into his seat. Snapping his head up, he visibly flinched when he was faced with the same man. He had his hand on the seat, leaning heavily into it, and was way too close for his liking. He instinctively moved a little closer to Ignis, trying to put some distance between the two of them. If the older man noticed, he chose not to speak about it.

"I don't think I've seen you fellas around here before." He spoke lowly, and it seemed a little forced.

"Just passing through." Noctis answered with his straight-forward tone. "Don't plan to be here for longer than we need to be."

"Is that so?" The man asked, glancing from one to the other, lasting a little longer when they landed on Prompto, but he was quick to tear them away and looked back to the prince. "Well, I don't reckon I can bother you folks for a little bit of assistance?" No one answered so he continued. "You see, a buddy of ours have been missing for a few days, and I assume you've heard of the strange happenings that's been going on in these parts. You don't suppose you could keep an eye out for this face do you?" He retrieved a photo from his back pocket and unfolded it before tossing it into the middle of the table.

"Like I said, we won't be here long, but if we happen to see him, then we'll see what we can do." Noctis replied, hoping that would get him to leave.

He lingered for a little while longer, not seeming to be happy with that response, but eventually he pushed himself back from the booth and rejoined his companion. They exchanged a few words and both made their way towards the entrance, both throwing glances at the group of four on the way out.

Prompto relaxed slightly now that they were gone, scooting back away from Ignis, a little embarrassed that he had drifted over in the first place. The other still said nothing about, sparing him some of his dignity. They finished their meals in relative silence, all of them feeling a bit on edge after the air those two had left behind.

For the first time, Ignis picked up the picture in the center of the table. After looking it over, he stuffed it into his pocket, seeing that it just appeared to be an average looking guy with no discernible features about him. "I'm not sure what that was all about, but we should really get going." Ignis said nonchalantly, but the others could see he was just as eager as they were to go.

They returned to the car and without much thought and wasting no time, Ignis pulled back onto the highway, and they all felt the tension drain a bit at finally being back on track. Prompto leaned his head back and just took the time to appreciate the wind blowing by, which only lasted for a short while.

They all lurched forward slightly as they heard strange and rather unsettling noises coming from one of the tires, throwing them off a small amount. With a quick and quiet swear under his breath, Ignis pulled over beside the road and parked. He sighed heavily out of clear irritation and went directly to check things out, finding the issue almost immediately. "Flat tire." He said flatly.

"Didn't we just get them replaced the other day?" Prompto asked, stepping out as well.

"Did you hit something?" Noctis asked, stepping out to see the damage for himself.

Ignis crouched down to get a closer look. "I can assure you that I have done no such thing." He assured, gazing over the tire until he spotted what he was looking for. It wasn't a large hole, but it was definitely there, edges a little split from the pressure of the air being forced out. It looked as though it had been intentionally done. He felt a flare of anger course through him and quickly composed himself.

Gladio got out last to check the trunk, slamming a fist down on the side after coming up empty handed. There wasn't a spare, and he inwardly cursed himself for not thinking about that while they had their chance. "We'll have to either walk back to get one, or depend on the courtesy of others, which from what we've seen, might not be likely."

Prompto didn't like the idea of either of those options, the people around this area already left a bad impression. He was about to vocalize his opinion when Ignis spoke up, "With the lack of traffic around here, it would probably be faster to just go back." He looked directly at Prompto, "Care to join me?"

"Me?" He swiftly glanced between the others, "You want me to go with you? Back there?" He threw a thumb back in the direction they had com from.

"Yes, that is what I am suggesting. You two stay here, we need someone to keep an eye on the Regalia and in case anyone comes by. If that does happen, make sure to call, and we'll head back." With that he waved for Prompto to come. He fidgeted a little and hesitantly did just that.

Prompto was walking close behind Ignis, occasionally casting a look behind them should he see any oncoming vehicles. "How much further?" He asked after some time. Not a lot of time had passed, but he was more than ready to get this over with, not that he was excited to get back to that dreadful place.

"We are not even half way there." He answered plainly, "It's only been a few minutes, and given that we were on the road for nearly five minutes, I guarantee it will take a bit longer by foot."

The blond only nodded, despite the other not being able to see it, but it didn't matter anyway, the sound of an approaching engine soon enticed them to turn around. A rather rundown looking truck was coming down the road from the direction of the Regalia and was soon within a close enough proximity for Ignis to flag it down, though they seemed to be slowing down before he even did that.

The driver pulled over and rolled down his window, "You two the friends of the guys hanging out back there?" He asked, pointing towards Gladio and Noctis.

"Indeed, that would be correct." Ignis answered.

"They told me what happened, figured I was heading this way anyway, may as well give you two a ride." They heard the click of the doors being unlocked, "Just hop in on the other side." Promtpo stepped in first, setting himself between Ignis and this stranger, the stench of dirt and blood coming off this guy as well, though it seemed to be slightly covered with the scent of alcohol. "So, what brings that likes of you into this area?" He asked as he began accelerating down the road.

"We are only passing through." Ignis chose to keep the answer short and vague, not wanting to provide anyone with any specific details. Prompto, on the other hand, remained silent. The other two carried on in idle conversation, Ignis was doing it more so to keep some sort of normalcy.

The thing that triggered all the alarms in Prompto's head though, was when the man began slowing down, despite not being anywhere near their destination. "Umm, wh-why are we stopping?" He asked nervously, glancing around outside for anything, noticing another car parked nearby, recognizing it as one of the vehicles they saw earlier.

"Settle down boy." The man answered, "Just need to talk to these gentlemen real fast. I was supposed to meet them, you see." He stepped out, leaving the others to themselves.

"I don't like this." Prompto said once the door was shut, "We need to go."

"Calm down, Prompto." Ignis' voice aided in pacifying him marginally, but not very much, "If you panic, it will only cause problems." He looked out as the man leaned into the window of the other car. "Stay here." He said, getting out.

"Wait, where are you going?" Prompto asked, trying to get out as well.

"This will just be a moment." He replied, holding a hand up, gesturing for him not to argue it further. He closed the door and Prompto watched as he strolled over. He looked away for a few moments, noticing something else in the distance, it looked like another truck further off the road. There looked to be some sort of white cloth covering it. Glancing back to see that the others were speaking, he crawled over to the driver's side, since it was facing away from them, and eased his way out, being as quiet as he could so as not to draw unwanted attention.

He didn't close the door all the way, leaving it partially open should it be too loud. Taking one last look to make sure no one was watching, he began quickly jogging over. It didn't take long for him to reach it and he tentatively reached out a hand towards the stark material. A slight movement caused him to quickly withdraw, "What the hell?" He whispered to himself, and reached out once again, gripping it tightly, yet nervously. With one quick motion, he thrust it back.

At the sight, he felt like he couldn't breath and took a couple steps back. "Wha...?" He felt sick and found himself at a loss of words. They were people. They were alive, but they all were bound and gagged, most had their eyes closed in artificial slumber. A couple of them were barely awake, struggling to move even an inch. His heart was beating way too fast and he thought he was going to pass out.

They had to get out of here. "Iggy!" He called spinning around, immediately slamming into someone.

"Well, fancy meeting you again." He felt a chill run through him at the recognition of that voice. It was that same guy from earlier, and the smell of blood seemed to be even stronger now. Before Prompto could step back an arm wrapped itself tightly around his neck. "You had to be a nosy little bastard, didn't ya?" He spit out. Prompto couldn't respond, he could barely breath through the constriction. Then there was a stab of pain in the side of his neck, followed by an almost burning sensation.

"Let go." He strained to get out as he quickly felt his own strength leaving him.

"As you wish." He was thrown roughly to the ground, and normally he would have been able to stay standing, but for some reason he lost his balance. He tried pushing himself up, but his arms weren't working with him as they shook with the effort.

"Wh-wha did you do?" He slurred out. Calling his gun, it only dropped to the ground, unable to hold onto it. Trying to reach for it, there was a painful pressure being pressed down onto his wrist as the guy placed his foot down.

"Now now, let's not get to feisty. I don't appreciate those who fight back." He crouched down and picked up his gun, "Also, you won't be needing these little toys anymore." He slipped it into his back pocket, pulling the end of his shirt over it. "And don't worry about your little buddy, he'll be coming along as well."

"N-no" Prompto could barely hear his own voice anymore, and moving at all was now out of the question. Black tendrils were starting to tease the edges of his vision. "Please." He begged, fingers twitching with the attempt of crawling. Last thing he was aware of was something being tied around his mouth, and the same being done to his arms and legs.

His senses faded out for a moment, but came back shortly as he felt more than one pair of hands being placed on him and lifting him up. He was lied, or more along the lines of tossed onto something kind of soft, yet lumpy as all the light he could make out was abruptly shut off along with his senses once again.