Found One
There are plenty of stories of baby or MT Prompto and daddy Cor. I have yet to come across one where Prompto was able to make Cor a "grandpa" and him "dad". This is my rusty attempt at filling that missing next stage.
Two years of darkness and demons. Most of those who could make it to well-lit areas with some form of sustainable power were there, or held up where they were able to stay somewhat safe with small mobile numbers who could move when needed. Prompto opted for the later helping those small wayfaring groups help themselves and the few small outposts that were still going. When not doing that he was at Cape Caem keeping the lighthouse up and the small area around it safe for those who came out that way. It was during one of his stays working on the lighthouse that he saw it, one of the Nif transporters crashed about five miles out before shore with another heavily damaged one making it to about two miles up the stream from the area before going down.
"I might get some parts from the sea crash, but I will get some from the river. If I get some help from the caravan that is here now I could really do some upgrades around here." Prompto as he finishes his maintenance to the lamp casing in the lighthouse before going down.
"Redde, think I could have some help getting some of the parts from that transport?" Prompto as he looks to the caravans leader burly leader.
"One step ahead of you kid, I sent two trucks ahead and was just waiting on you ta make it a solid three. Papilionem will stay back here with the others to help keep things safe here in the meantime." Redde as he points to the brown haired female hunter off the left of them.
"You sure you aren't related to the Scientias Redde." As Prompto grins and follows him to the truck.
"No, though I would like to take a shot with Ignis if I ever run into him just to "adopt" him in." As gets into the driver's seat and starts the truck.
"Ah, another drinking "brother"." Prompto as he rechecks his handguns as they go to the crash.
At the site you could see the two advanced trucks parked to the side with one of the four on top of one of the trucks now keeping watch while the other three were putting out the last of the minor brush fire with the river water.
"Volant, how's it look." Prompto as he asks the green eyed female guard with the bow while Redde went to check on the fire and others by the ship.
"Cimix, and the others got to putting out the fire while I kept watch. They haven't gone in yet though, figured there was no point becoming barbecued demon food just for some parts that may or may not work, ya know." As she answers Promptos' question before once more going back to keeping an eye out for demons and he to the ship.
As he nears the ship, and is able to properly take it in, he could see that one side of the ship looked to have dragon claw marks slashed all over with some bits of wing and bone still smoking in it.
"Looks like those two ships got mixed with the dragon migration." Cimix as he takes a crowbar to the side door trying to open it up.
Prompto looks to the front and starts to head in that direction and call out, "If you guys have back here, I'm going to try and get in the front." Though what wasn't said was how he was going to get in from front. About three months into the dark Prompto found out he could still use his barcode to open and operate Nif items and areas while checking out an old base for parts and ammo. To cover this if he was ever with a group he had an old MT arm with a small battery hooked to it to give the pretense that it was opening up and allowing him to use items stored with his guns to call when needed.
As he opened the front and started to look around he noticed two things one the front area was mostly intact and two he could smell burnt flesh and not just scored parts coming from in back. Turning on his clip light Prompto starts to work his way back to the smell and nearly wretches at the sight that greets him. Twenty tanks used for transporting pre-automated MT's were back there in varying stages of development ranging from infant to teenaged. Twelve of the tanks were cracked and leaking with the bodies in differing stages of maimed and burned from the: crash, fire, and what he hoped and then doubted by looking at the remaining eight were parts embedded in them.
"Prompto, how does it look back there? I got the others working in front trying to get the counsel in some order. " Redde as he starts to make it back to him only to stop once he now sees what Prompto is looking at. "Six, what?" As he now looks to the shell shocked Prompto and the tanks.
"When I was a baby, "Prompto as he goes to one of the intact tanks," I was taken from a lab in Niflheim and taken to Lucasis and raised as a normal person with an odd mark on my wrist. " With that he removes the bans on his wrist and looks to his bar code. "I didn't know about all of it," he makes a motion to include of the tanks and dropship, " till I was almost twenty. If not taken I would just of been like them or just like the other MTs that have fallen long ago."
"Did the prince know?" Redde as he knew of his connection to the prince.
"Yeah, he and the others found out all of it when he got me out of Zegnautus Keep. Before you ask long story and they are short on time." Prompto as he points to the remaining eight tanks. "I don't know if they are alive or if they're dead, but I just don't want to leave them in there to rot." Prompto as he swipes his arm at the panel to open the first tank and pull out the six year old looking boy out with metal bits framing his spine and skull.
"Here, he'll need this." Redde as he wraps a lose semi clean tarp around the boy and gives Prompto a look of acceptance as he checks the boys vitals.
"He's alive." Prompto as he wraps the boy in only to see Redde make a move to pick him up.
"I will have Cimix keep him and any of the others safe outside while the other two work up front." Redde now taking the boy and starting to go up front.
"Redde, thanks." Prompto looking on with a grateful smile.
"Oh, I wouldn't thank me just yet." Promptos' smile falters as this. "You still have to tell us "points to himself and then up front." about all of this and not just some short hand. Also outside of what you need for the lighthouse comes with us." Redde as he looks back to Prompto who after a couple of seconds nods and goes back to the tanks.
The next one is of a three year old looking boy with some form of visor over his eyes, and ear implants. "Shit." Prompto as no pulse is found and he goes to cover him with another tarp.
Following that was another dead one looking about four with what looked like metal parts protruding from his elbows.
The next was alive and looked to be about fourteen with the same spine and skull attachments as the six year old with more ports for connections on his: chest, arms, legs, and back. Taking a moment to pull out his sleeping bag from is allowed part of space in the Armiger Prompto just finishes wrapping him up when Redde comes back.
"He is alive the other two are dead." Prompto as he gesture's to the two still bodies under the tarp and the one now wrapped one.
"Get those two last I get him up front." Taking the boy and heading up front again leaving unsaid that the other two could also be dead.
The last two were the ones that worried him the most. Both of the boys were small, maybe no more than one, and floating without any movement on their part.
"Now or never." Prompto as he goes to the tank on the right. Alive, he wraps him with an old jacket and goes for the one on the left. Alive as well, he pulls out an old sweater for him. By this time Redde has returned once more and takes the two babies so Prompto can take the two dead children out. Once out and sees that the other two are now joining the other living ones Prompto goes to the river with the dead two and a curious Redde following him. Once he makes it to a spot with a bit of an overhang he places the two boys in it and puts something out of the Armiger and places it on the top wall of the overhang and walks back a bit to Redde and beckons him over.
"What are you doing?" Redde as he looks to Prompto.
Promptos' answer is to raise his hand with a trigger and press it unleashing a small explosion causing the bodies to be buried.
"You're a good man." Redde as he pats Promptos shoulder an turns with him back to the ship and the four living boys.
Once back to the ship and the boys Redde asks the other four to stop what they are doing and have a look in back so that they were all visually if not informationally up to speed. As that was going on he turns to Prompto and asks, "So, any names yet dad?"
"Dad?" Prompto as he looks back to Redde in confusion.
"What, you found them and got them out so you can name them. I figure you can't keep calling them bot kid one to four for life." Redde looking back to Prompto who goes back to looking at the boys and starts to chew his bottom lip in thought. Not long after that the others come back out looking a little sick and confused and turn towards the other two for answers.
After Prompto fills them all in on it with some more details he then asks the others to keep his and the boys secret from the others to keep them safe.
"Alright with three conditions: First name them already." Redde as he points to the boys.
Prompto looks down to the boys and then their marks and says , "Verbera Ventum" as looks as the six year old them he moves onto the fourteen year old and says, "Vox Pace" with the two babies he looks back and forth a few times at their marks and says, Hyacintho Verrat and Fulgur Verrat. They came from the same date and I think same batch as there is only one digit difference in them."
"Ya, didn't give them your last name?" Volant questioning that the last names were all different from his.
"My name is still in some wanted posters depending on where you go, I figure for now go with that and if they want it when they can ask about I will give it to them." Prompto as he goes back down to checking the sleeping boys.
"Thing number two, I meant it when I said that now we get the lion's share of this barring anything that is needed to keep the light house up and running." Redde looking back to Prompto for his answer.
"Ok, all things considered the fact that you all aren't breaking out the pitchforks on us still amazing me." Prompto looking back to them in a half hopeful gaze that they would be cool with all of this and keep their secret.
"Have a little faith in us kid. With all of this going on, and with all of what you have done for us and will do, "Prompto raises an eye at this," we will keep it cool. This brings us to thing three so long as our caravan is coming through here we can stay for a bit to rest and resupply." Redde gives a grin to the floored Prompto and then says, "I got to see how my honorary nephews are doing sometime don't I."
"I am good with that, just if I am not here, please keep out of the light house though." Prompto looking back to Redde for conformation on his part to that request.
"Ok, deal." Redde sticks his hands out, Prompto takes it and they shake on it sealing the deal. Once done the others help hide the four into storage crate lining it with some of the old flags from the ship and sleeping gear that was in Promptos' bit of space. Now secure in the back of the truck they all head back to the light house going with the plan of saying that the crate was full of parts for the light house, and that Volant would be staying in with Prompto for now to help put away the gear while the rest of them went back with another van and two others to help keep watch and help transport with Prompto and Volant out for now.
Light House lower level in what was the dock house Prompto and Volant have finally just put the boys to some form of bed: Verbera and Vox were now secure and wrapped up sleeping in a thick net turned hammock with sail cloth on the bottom and blankest on top. Hyacintho and Fulgur were now in a smaller storage crate with the sides also covered in cloth and some old padding on the bottom with some camping blankets making up the rest of the ensemble. There was one thing though that did link all four boys together each one had one of Promptos' old bandanas on their bald heads to help keep them warm.
"Thanks, for helping with all of this." Prompto as he gestures to the boys and wrist.
"No big, we got as much to thank you for giving us a place to rest in the future and most of the transport." Prompto gives her a questioning look at that. "Not a lot of places are as welcoming as they first were when all of this darkness started. People are getting more cautious with things and spaces that are safe and secure. What places that do fit that are starting to fill up and well it ain't like a bunch of travelers can offer much most of the time, so thanks as well." Volant leaning back on the couch sipping on the tea in the camping gear cup in her hands as Prompto looks back to her in shock.
"I didn't know. I've been mostly out helping the hunters and groups like yourselves get to where they were going, but not so much going into towns." Prompto now sitting back himself thinking on this bit of news, and after a while of silence he says, "If worse case comes, and you can't find a place to stay you all can stay here."
Volant looks back to him and takes in his honest look and says, "It's a nice offer, and one I may take you up on in the future, but for now I will stay with the caravan and the others. We may not have much, but we get by for now. Though enough of this deep shit we got four little ones here and at most I see us here for two weeks, what are you going to do once we go?"
"I was thinking of calling Cor for now I think he is the closest one that isn't tied up with something right now." Prompto as he raises his phone to his ear and hears Volant mutter Immortal babysitter.