Helloooo! Thanks for revisiting this AU with me. I have several more installments planned, and currently this one is shaping up to be 5-7 chapters. But, then again, so did To Catch a Raven, soooo….take that with a grain of salt. Below you will find a brief summary of the previous story for those who want a refresher or who may not have wanted to read it due to explicit non consensual content. This one will reference back to the first, and will likely have some flash backs, but should not be as graphic as the original (not that it was that graphic, at least not to me…but anywho…).
We are going to explore the direct aftermath of …Raven and the tentative first steps of some Promptis. After the summary and prolog, we will drop directly back into the story where we left off. So, if you don't need a refresher, continue on to the prolog.
Summary:
While Noctis and Ignis were out of town on Official Royal Business, two men pose as Crownsguard and take Prompto out of school. Though our favorite freckled blond figures it out quickly, he is quickly overwhelmed by the two men, and rendered unconscious.
Meanwhile, in Accordo, Noctis and Ignis attend Very Boring Meetings, one of which is interrupted by a phone call from Prompto that promptly went ignored by the adviser. When they listen to it in the car, they mostly receive nonsense, and Noctis suggests Prompto's ass is trying to get in touch with Ignis, at which the adviser is not amused. However, a second message on the phone reveals that Ignis has a date with a smooth talking man that evening, and he receives some ribbing (and later, some implied sexing, but we only see the aftermath and get suggestions of kink further in the story. Why am I mentioning it here? Cause I think Iggy is hella kinky and we should all take a moment to appreciate it)
Over the course of the story, we find out that one of the kidnappers thinks this is a regular information gathering/intimidation kidnapping and torture session. Very run of the mill, and enjoyable, since they are both a bit hateful of Niffs (in this AU, it is kind of a known secret that Prompto is from Niflheim, though no one knows what the barcode means, specifically. Prompto was among seven children rescued from the labs, all of which have taken refuge within Lucis, but not all within Insomnia. But, due to his coloring and unusual skin tone, he's easily identifiable as an outsider. This is actually important information, just FYI.) However, the other has a separate set of orders that basically just state he's to do his best to completely break Prompto, and he does so with gusto (and his penis).
The kidnappers, wishing to have as much time as possible to keep Prompto before he's noticed missing force him to send a few phone calls and texts to throw everyone off the trail and buy time. Luckily, Prompto is much smarter than they give him credit for, and he's able to alert his friends that something is amiss.
Gladiolus, who had stayed in Insomnia to spend quality time with Iris, starts investigating Prompto's disappearance with Iris as his sleuthing partner (much to his aggravation).
With the help of Ignis' boyfriend, they are able to retrieve audio from the message left on voicemail, and later receive footage of the actual kidnapping provided by the school. Noctis breaks a lot of things. They, along with Ignis' Suspiciously Helpful boyfriend, make plans to fly back to Insomnia ASAP.
Iris, being the smart girl she is, recognizes one of the men from the kidnapping footage, and she and Gladio go to the homeless shelter at which she volunteers, to question folks. This, unfortunately, leads to the kidnappers finding out that The Jig is Up.
Unfortunately, due to rage (because Gladio), our favorite hot headed shield rushes too quickly and gets mowed down by a cab, derailing his investigating and finally alerting Cor to the situation.
Now that The Jig is Up, they escalate the torture by including the three others; Gladiolus (who is more or less OK, but is supposed to stay off his leg, which he of course does not) is sent a video of Prompto being beaten and shoved into a crate almost too small to hold him, as the kidnapper then drops in hundreds of insects to crawl all over the wailing boy before locking him in. Ignis receives a video of Prompto being mentally tortured in regards to his parent's love and Noctis' true intentions in their friendship while being forced to eat in an almost sexual manner, which is Creepy and Weird. And Noctis, well, he gets an up close and personal view of one of the instances of non-con activity, which is understandably Super Upsetting, and he responds predictably Not Well.
Iris, miffed at being sidelined as The Littlest Rebel (which I am now ruminating on doing a side story called that, anyone interested? No? Just me? Cool) sneaks out and has a run in with a mysterious dude who we later find out is Ramuh in mortal disguise, who lets her know that Prompto has been moved.
Enter Crowe, who is awesome and Deserved Better.
Once back at the citadel, Cor yells a lot, and everyone is sent off with a personal guard to keep them inline. Noctis and Nyx go back to his chambers, where Noctis sulks, while we later find out that Ignis' Suspiciously Helpful Boyfriend is, in fact, a bad guy. Ignis is not pleased.
Noctis receives another video; this time of some pretty horrific torture, and is instructed to trade himself for his dying friend. He, of course, agrees. Nyx follows.
Meanwhile, Ignis' boyfriend Adam is taken into custody and questioned by a questionable member of the Glaives, Tredd (who of course is on the bad guy's side) and left alone while everyone else goes on a mission to save our poor sweet chocobro, who at this point is having a hard time holding onto reality; what with the concussion, fever, and general mental and physical torturefest.
Cor yells some more and makes Crowe take Ignis, Gladio, and Iris to where they think Prompto is being held in a separate vehicle, directing her to drive slow so everything will be handled before they get there.
Unfortunately, Cor is wrong about where Prompto is, and storms the wrong barn while Crowe, who got the right address from Nyx, brings the three idiots to the right place.
Back with Prompto, who is holding on by a mental thread, we find that one of the kidnappers is quite taken with him, and plans on double crossing the prince by delivering him to his benefactor while keeping Prompto for himself. His partner, who is in love with the older man, is not pleased.
In an unfortunate series of events involving multiple guns, a machine that can negate the powers of the Crystal, and an unexpected tree, Noctis is captured and Nyx is rendered unconscious.
After a few bad guy speeches and abusive actions, the extra creepy kidnapper forces Prompto to assault the prince in a sexual manner, though it is luckily only for a brief moment before all hell breaks loose and the machine negating Noctis' powers is destroyed.
Noctis, now free, goes all Omen Noct on everyone without his pants on.
Cue a blushing Iris and a visible-only-to-the-dying-Prompto Ramuh coming to the rescue with the eventual help of Gladio in getting Prompto out to Ignis while Noctis Kicks Ass and eventually kills both the kidnappers in a show of insane magical strength.
Cor shows up, finally, and yells some more, basically doing his best to make everyone feel like garbage for not contacting him to begin with. Which they should have. Really, what were they thinking?
Noctis, who is in shock but still all Omen-y, gives Prompto a magic kiss that heals up some internal damage, but isn't able to fully heal him. It's enough to at least get him to the ambulance. Noctis then uses Ultima, a spell that like NO ONE uses or has used in like five-ever, to destroy the site of his friend's torture before passing out.
Anywho, we sum it up with some more conversations and some revelations about Prompto's past (in this AU, his parents found out he's got daemon blood when he was young, and through a deal with Cor continue to house the boy, but have spent more and more time away until they basically never see him. No one has told him why, and he is unaware of the daemon blood, so he just basically believes they are just distant people who love him, but can't spend time at home due to work) and Prompto eventually waking, still fevered but a bit better, shares a kiss with Noctis (which he may or may not remember, since his fever is just as high as his emotions and he's not exactly feeling stable or able to fully identify reality, yet, not to mention all the freaking medication the kid is on).
We also found out that Ignis is Ruthless, and he horrifically tortured his former lover to death while Prompto was in a coma, but he has some rather air tight (and royally sanctioned) alibi's, so he totally gets away with it. However, this is also where we get our first glimpse of Ardyn, who is visiting Drautos and Tredd. Bum bum Buuuummmmm.
We end it with a mysterious conversation between Shiva and Ramuh about the prophesy and Prompto's heritage, which we will explore further at a later date.
Sorry if I missed anything, this was from memory so may be sliiightly out of order, but I think I pretty well cover all bases. Anywho, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the new story! Be sure to lemme know what you think.
