It had started well enough.
Balthier and Fran had taken a quick liking to the little black mage from the other world and decided on a whim to take him and Tidus adventuring with them one day. This little trip found them traversing an old outpost deep in the Archadian Empire.
As they traversed through the small palace, Balthier silently admitted to himself that these were the heists he enjoyed the most. Sticking it to the Empire never got old, even if they were under newer, better management nowadays.
Things had gone smoothly at first. They had gotten word of a rare treasure hidden somewhere within the forgotten stronghold and set off to snag their catch. With the added strength of the "star player" and the magic affinity of the black mage, the foursome made quick work of any fiends they came across.
But as is often the case, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.
They had made it to their destination, the final door between them and the treasure they sought. But as they opened the door, they found something else waiting for them instead.
Tidus and Vivi gasped in shock as they and their would-be-mentors found themselves face to face with Judge Ghis and what looked like 3/4s of the Arcadian army. Balthier and Fran, for their parts, barely even uttered a sigh at the trap.
"I see you've managed to wrap some other poor souls up in your little misadventures, eh sky pirate? Surrender now, or you can all rot in hell." The Judge Magister huffed in annoyance, polishing his sword with one hand as he spoke.
"Mm, a tempting offer, truly. But alas, I'm afraid we really must decline." He shared a knowing look with Fran, and threw a wink at Tidus and Vivi before glancing back at the large opposing force in front of them. "I'm much too good looking to spend my days rotting in a jail cell."
"Always with the jokes. This will be your last warning. Surely you're smart enough to see when you've been bested."
"Heh," Balthier merely chuckled. "Surely you know me better than that by now."
"Fran, Vivi, now!" He nodded at his companions and within seconds Vivi shot a fireball out into the space between the two forces while Fran let loose with an explosive arrow from her crossbow. The double-volley attack mixed with each other, creating a large, blinding explosion that the foursome used for cover to run back the way they came.
Of course they knew that wouldn't stop their pursuers for long, but they hoped it would be long enough to get away. When dealing with the Empire though, they should've known better. As soon as it looked like they were scot free another regiment of troops came rushing around a corner, effectively nearly cutting off their escape.
There was still a chance, but it had to be timed perfectly.
Unfortunately, their little mage friend chose that moment to have a little anxiety attack over the massive amount of people chasing them. When it came time for the four of them to run down a certain path, Vivi froze, like a deer in headlights.
"Vivi, come on!" Balthier shouted, but the little mage stood still, eyes wide in shock and anxiety. Balthier waved Fran and Tidus on, calling out to Vivi once more but he still wouldn't budge. Finally he stormed back and tugged on Vivi's arm, almost dragging him back down the hall way. He quickly shoved himself and the still-frozen boy into a nearby lift, the escape route they'd chosen which had been sent back down once Balthier and Vivi hadn't joined the other two.
Balthier pounded on the door controls as quickly as he could but right as the door closed a soldiers sword bashed into the door, breaking the controls and stranding the two in the middle of the elevator shaft with a hundred soldiers waiting just a few feet above them.
Balthier leaned up against the door and exhaled a heavy sigh, before casting a glance at his younger companion. Vivi finally seemed to have come back to his senses once they were inside the lift, and he looked more frightened of Balthier than anything.
"Well this went astoundingly well, wouldn't you say?"
"I-I'm sorry Mister Balthier. I know I screwed everything up." Vivi's eyes went down at the floor in front of him. Balthier merely shook his head.
"Now now, you couldn't have known the good Judge and his lapdogs would be waiting for us. Don't go blaming yourself for things you had no hand in. As for your little freeze up?" He shrugged. "It happens to the best of us. And if I know Fran she'll have us out of here in no time."
He pushed off the door, pacing the small lift with his hands against the back of his head.
"Mm, I understand jitters and nerves, this life isn't as easy as Fran and I make it sound, I know. But if you're going to be running with us you really must work on keeping your emotions in check. Fran and I both think you'd be a great addition to our team, but we won't always have such good luck in getting away as we did just now. And there's nothing worse for a sky pirate than being locked up."
"Y-Yes sir Mister Balthier. I-I'll try sir."
"That's all I ask, m'dear boy." He smiled, patting Vivi on the shoulder. "And one more thing, don't call me sir. That's my father's thing."
"Y-Yes si- I mean, Mister Balthier."
Balthier just chuckled again. He knew he wasn't gonna break the little mage of old habits easily, but he would keep trying. A moment passed before they heard a loud 'THUNK' come from the roof. Vivi for his part, reached for his stave but Balthier stopped him, nudging him towards a corner of the lift. After a few seconds a sizzling sound could be heard above them, and then a large chunk of the roof fell in on them, and a rope was dropped in through the hole. The two men looked up to see Tidus grinning down at them from a doorway higher up.
"Hey old man," Tidus shouted, "You guys comin' or what?"
Balthier just shook his head, making a mental note to make the kid pay for the old man crack before motioning to the rope.
"Well, lets not keep our companions waiting any longer, eh?"
Vivi nodded as Balther handed him the edge of the rope and helped him start climbing up, before following quickly after him. It didn't take much work from there to sneak their way back out of the outpost and back to their chocobos. They'd left the Strahl further out in the desert for just this purpose.
Soon enough they were good and gone. And even if they had walked into a trap, it had still been exactly what Fran and Balthier had promised Tidus and Vivi.
