Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting, istoleyourcheesecake and Bagpipes5k2
websky: Ohhhh yes, even worse. Not much worse, but a bit. XD And, I hope so, because before long, things are going to get heavy.
Bagpipes5K2: Hell yeah he is! Did anyone ever have any doubt in the little nugget. XD I think he would if it really came down to it, but if he's not dying per se, then it's not really needed I guess. lmao And they really are, they both have to have the last word too, both try to act more dominant than the other, just beautiful. I do want to see more of how they would really interact with one another though. I just have a feeling they naturally wouldn't like one another. Personalities clash too much. XD
His hands shook, the paper crinkling under his elegant fingers as he read it over again. He was sure he must have read this a thousand times already, but none of it was sticking, he couldn't concentrate on the words. Ignis let out a slow and shaky breath, wanting desperately to make sense of this note. His emeralds scanned the first part again:
'Dear Princeling,
I imagine you must be deathly overcome with despair for your 'friend', unable to move forward with your royal duties over the boy. It's touching. I'll have you know, I'm not completely without a heart, I am human, after all. Since I'm in such a giving and generous mood, I'll leave you with this, a souvenir of sorts, if you will.'
The adviser's gaze drifted to his other hand, stained with blood with a small chip lying in the middle of it. His heart raced, his mind buzzed, what the hell did this have to do with anything? Swallowing forcefully and exhaling heavily through his nose, he continued reading, ignoring the way the words danced before him.
'This was a part of him, something he held close to him for oh so long, but not to worry, he's alright without it. In fact, you could say he'll be better than ever, well taken care of. I've given him his own room, I'm making sure to give him plenty of water. I suppose I just wanted to let you know that things are well, but I know how much you worry, so I'll give you some advice. Carry on with your journey, you'll see one another again. I'd hate for you to have to choose between pursuing your lovely betrothed and your little gunman. Therefore, you don't have to choose. Go on as you were, go to your dear bride to be, and I promise, with this path, you can kill two birds with one stone.'
See you soon, Noct.
-Ardyn
"Two birds with one stone?" Gladio repeated from over the brunet's shoulder, just as confused as the others were. He didn't even mention the first part of the note, didn't want to think about it. No, he didn't know how to feel about it in general. But, Noctis was a different story.
"I'm going to fucking kill him," the prince declared, teeth bared and hands furled painfully. His eyes never left the small device in Ignis' left palm, the blood that covered it, half-dry. Whatever it was, it had been soiled recently, very recently. The possibilities of what it was crossed his mind, but none of them making any damn sense. It was just a computer chip of sorts, what did that have to do with anything? Cautiously, and absentmindedly, the raven reached out for it, his fingers tingled with the urge to inspect it. Just as they hovered an inch above the small object, the hand was clamped shut, cutting him off from making contact with it. Noctis glanced up in time to see the slight glare of warning the other man was giving him.
"We don't know what this is," he explained, instantly stuffing it away in his pocket and out of sight. "Anyway," he continued, looking back to the note, "this doesn't change anything." He folded it up to store that away as well. "It doesn't change our plan, it still means we're going the same direction. All it does is give us more of a reason to not waste any more time." The prince watched him as he spoke, narrowing his eyes at how unnaturally calm he was. But, as he paid close attention, he couldn't miss the slight wavering in his eyes, the subtle tremble of his hands; he was fighting with himself on the inside, and Noctis' posture softened at the sight of it.
Gladio's own eyes drifted down to the adviser's hand as well, only he was only concentrating on the specks of crimson that sprinkled it; nausea churned within him at the knowledge that it was Prompto's, there was no doubt about that. Just what the hell was Ardyn doing to him? He hoped and prayed for the best, but there was no chasing the worse from his mind.
"No point in standin' around here wastin' time," he muttered, being the first to climb back into the Regalia, taking his position in the back as per usual. "What the hell are you two waitin' on, an invitation? You read the letter, only one way to go, so get yer asses movin'."
Ignis offered a light chuckle of amusement. "Very well. Noctis, what do you say? Want to carry on?"
"Do you really have to ask?" he scoffed. Already making his way to his own seat, in and ready before the brunet had the chance to climb in himself, or even round to the other side. "We're gonna find him, we're gonna get him back, and we're gonna beat that bastard to a pulp. Him and all his disgusting machines," he declared, blood practically boiling.
The shield cast a few glances over to the raven, who now wore a totally different expression from earlier, bore more determination. "Noct," he called over, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, "you never told us, where did you find that letter?" It hadn't crossed his mind until now; the panic the prince was in when he returned, the note in one hand and Prompto's gun in the other, it threw them off and neither of them thought to ask.
The other froze for a moment, shoulders tensing at the recent memory of his friend running away from him. Or, Ardyn, running away from him. Whatever that was, it wasn't Prompto. It may have looked and sounded like him, but it definitely wasn't him. "I-I thought I saw something," he replied vaguely, thinking it best to leave out the details. "I didn't get a good look, but it was clear they wanted me to follow, so I did," he shrugged, speaking far too casually for the others to take it at face value.
"There is still one major thing that bothers me," the adviser muttered. "You know I don't approve of you running off like that, regardless of what you thought you saw," he chastised, glaring into the mirror. "I know you know who and what we're dealing with, and making such rash decisions such as that are far too risky," he went on, watching as the prince slowly grew more frustrated.
Letting out a heavy breath, he returned the stare. "Yeah yeah, I get it, alright? I'm not saying it was smart, but if I hadn't then we would have nothing," he reminded, jerking his attention away.
"Is that so?" Ignis asked skeptically, pulling out of the parking space. His finger tapped nervously against the steering wheel. "And, you say it looked like they wanted you to follow? Tell me, how does one figure that just from catching a glimpse of something?" he questioned, accusation in his tone.
Noctis, again, was taken aback from the interrogation. "Does it matter?" he shot back. "The point is, I found them, what else is there to care about? Now, can we stop with the third degree and get on with it?"
The adviser let out a heavy sigh and focused back on the road. "As you wish, Your Highness," he gave in, chewing on the inside of his cheek as the stuff left unsaid gnawed at his insides. If he was being this secretive about it, then it left a bad taste in his mouth, one he knew would linger for quite some time.
Three Days Later:
"What is your name?" Ardyn asked, the question becoming drilled into the blond's head. The words were starting to bore holes into his mind, hearing it over and over. But, thanks to Verstael, the punishments were less severe than they were the first few days. There was a new limit on how long the 'sessions' could go on for, and how long the zaps were allowed to last. It was a relief, if he were being honest, but that only gave the man more time to repeat his question.
And, since that last chip attempt, there hadn't been another. In fact, there hasn't been anything other than this repetition for the last few days. Every day, from morning until night, they would do this. Hook him up, ask him for his name, take a break in the middle of the day while he was checked over. As soon as he was deemed in good enough condition, they would pick things back up. Occasionally, they would give him water, but there was still no actual sustenance to be had, and he was really starting to feel the effects of that.
"Tell me your name," the chancellor repeated, pulling the other man's attention towards him, sluggishly. He was growing tired of this, he thought they would have given up by now. Why were they still doing this, it wasn't working, it wouldn't work.
He took a shuddering breath, wheezing as the air was forced into his aching lungs. "F-Fuc-" His word was twisted into a cry of pain as a quick current traveled through him, ending almost as quickly as it started. His chest heaved with the pain of it. "-uck you," he finished, making sure to glare at the man. Again, the switch was flipped, this time without a question being asked.
"How many times must I tell you, unit 6093, you are not to speak out of term," the immortal clicked his tongue as he stopped the current to step closer. "I told him this wouldn't work. But, he insists on going easy on you, seeing how fragile you are," he taunted with his patronizing tone. "It seems as though you're his favorite. Of all his children, you're the only one he's worried about breaking. Don't you see, you're special, and right now, you're betraying him. All that hope and all those expectations, and this is how you're repaying him, by spitting in his face with your childish resolve."
"I...I don't care," Prompto muttered, closing his eyes to block out the other, finding the sight of his face more repulsive with each passing day. "I don't care, I don't care," he repeated over and over, the simple statement serving to wear him out faster than he already was. "H-He can...go to hell," he choked out as the electrical shocks flickered through his muscles again.
"Now now, let's watch that attitude," he warned with a mischievous grin. "All you have to do is answer correctly, why is that so damn hard? You're practically doing this to yourself at this point," he purred, rolling his thumb around the button as his free hand pressed against the table. "You know, you've not eaten in days, I wonder how much longer you can go on like that. Or, do you want your precious Noct to be reunited with your skeletal husk?" he questioned, eyebrows raised as he awaited an answer.
Prompto seethed through his clenched teeth, fighting against the urge to literally spit in the man's face, but he held back, telling himself it would only result in his own pain. "I'm fine," he deadpanned, stubbornly, never letting his eyes wander from the other's intense gaze. "I-I'll wait...f-for Noct," he declared, half expecting another shock, but relieved when it wasn't presented.
"I'm quite jealous of that undying hope. Such innocence, it's admirable. Yet, at the same time, completely ludicrous. How long do you intend to keep up with this charade? I can see it, you know," he hummed lowly, drawing in closer, too close for comfort, "your will, slowly giving way under my thumb. You can pretend all you want, tell yourself anything that helps, but it's definitely burning and crumbling away," he breathed out, now a mere couple inches from the blond's face. "It's only a matter of time now, until it's nothing more than ashes, scattering in the wind," he finished, emphasizing the last word with a press of the button.
He didn't care anymore, he didn't care what Ardyn did to him, didn't care how much it hurt. He didn't care how far this went. He just had to hold out until he could see Noctis again, that much he was sure of. Soon, his back fell back against the table as labored pants filtered out between slightly parted lips. He would be fine, this was getting easier to endure, he knew what to expect now, and the worst of these sessions were behind him. But, Ardyn was right, he couldn't survive off water and stubbornness alone; his energy was already teetering on the brink, and it wouldn't be much longer before it toppled over. Even now, he struggled to stay awake as his body pleaded for rest, begged and nagged for sustenance. However, his pride and dignity refused to give in, not now.
As he lied there, catching his breath and trying to gather his thoughts, the one question continued to assault his ears. "What is your name?" the chancellor sang out once more, the sentence naturally rolling off his tongue as it had countless times already.
Noctis was fuming by now, all this running around in circles, all this time spent trying to move forward, but it was just one obstacle after another, and they were getting no damn where! He slammed his fist down against the door, earning himself a frustrated exhale from the brunet in the front seat.
"Please, I know you're annoyed, but do refrain from behaving in such a manner," he requested, feeling as though he were talking to a child throwing a tantrum. To be fair though, it wasn't much different from that. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but we are making progress, you just have to be patien-"
"I have been patient!" he exclaimed, not caring how loud or immature he sounded, he honestly didn't give a shit anymore. "It's been days since we got that note, and we were so close, and now look! We're basically back to square one!"
Gladio rolled his eyes next to him. Of course, he couldn't say he wasn't irritated by this turn of events. Still, they had a boat, they had Cid, it would be nothing for him to repair it, and all they had to do was gather a few supplies, that wasn't too much to ask for. Sure, it would take them at least a couple more days, but it was more than they had. "We're getting there one way or another. And it's already been made clear that they aren't going to kill him. Both Aranea and Ardyn himself clarified that," he reminded. Still, alive was still setting the bar pretty low.
Grumbling to himself, the prince sank back into his seat. "I swear, whatever he does to Prompto, I'm doing to him," he mumbled, folding his arms and turning his head to stare out the window as the landscape transitioned into more murky and gloomy scenery. So, this was the bough that was mentioned to them, at least they knew they were in the right place. He couldn't keep his leg from bouncing out of excitement, his eagerness almost exploding out of him as they drew closer.
But, it wasn't much later that his eyes caught on to something, or someone, and he instantly recognized them. "What are they doing here?" he asked before he could stop himself. Despite her having never thwarting them directly in this situation, it still bugged him to be this close to Aranea.
"We were told we'd be meeting someone to assist us," Ignis muttered, keeping his opinions to himself in this one. He wasn't thrilled about it either, but the best way to get through this was to just cooperate and get along. It wasn't for long, and after this, they could part ways and never speak to one another again. "Do try and keep your thoughts to yourself, if you can help it," he shot towards the prince, his eyes daring him to think of doing anything else. "This place is dangerous, so we should at least appreciate the help. The more people we have, the quicker we can get what we need and get out."
"Don't worry about it, Specs, I'm not gonna start anything on purpose," the raven scoffed, slightly insulted. "I'll play along until I'm given a reason not to."
The older man simply nodded and carried on. The prince was hotheaded, that was undeniable, but when he had a set goal in mind, he usually did a pretty decent job of not fucking it up; he just prayed this would be the same as those. "We're here," he announced, getting out before the others in order to greet the mercenary with a placid demeanor.
"Well, I was told to help out with some punks, but I was never told who they were," she replied, shifted to one side and looking them over. "Still haven't found your missing member, huh?" she noticed, not sounding too concerned with the matter, but still managed to seem somewhat interested at the same time. It had her curiosity now, that much was for sure, especially with the rumors… "So, you lot are after some mithril, I hear?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow, seeking verification.
"Indeed," Ignis answered, leaving the reasoning out of it. "And we hear we can obtain such a material here," he retorted, doing the same and seeking a reply.
She mirrored his response with a sly smirk on her face. "Follow me, it should be opening up soon. Apparently it only lets people in at night," she informed, strolling towards an old and decrepit structure. All three of them were caught off guard by the sight of this place; they knew they had to go into some old ruins, but for some reason, they had something less grand in mind. She stopped just outside, standing a few feet from the door.
The adviser watched as she stood there, something about her features appearing slightly off to him, like she had something on her mind, something heavy. It was nothing like her previous presence, less intimidating. Before he had the chance to ask, a sound, grating and near deafening surrounded them, like rocks grinding against one another. It only took a moment longer for him to notice the large doors in front of them were slowly sliding open.
"Hope you boys are ready," Aranea announced, stepping to stand in the path as she gazed into the darkness. "This place hasn't been stepped into for years, so there's no telling what could be lurking in the shadows. You better be on high alert and don't let your guard down," she warned, casting a glance back at the three of them. "All I know is the Empire has had their eye on this place for some time now, and I think I know why," she breathed out. As she mentioned that last part, something in her eyes softened, but she looked away a moment later, never giving them enough time to see anything beyond that.
"We got it," Noctis said. "This place is crawling with nasties, which means we just gotta slice through them," he replied, keeping his head high. "Sounds easy enough."
"Did you not hear what I just said?" she responded with a harsh undertone.
The raven shrugged, "Yeah, yeah, this place is dangerous, I get it. It doesn't matter though, anything that gets in my way will just be cut down," he proclaimed, unwavering as he stepped past all the others to take the lead in this. He wasn't about to let some measly threat of a few old dusty daemons slow him down. 'Don't worry Prom,' he thought to himself, taking the steps down two at a time, 'we're coming for ya.'
