I'd like to mention how I really went a bit overboard with the Ottos. I made 15 of them because this is FFXV, and there was 14 other FF before it. Every Otto battles with a weapon that I considered representative of his FF number. So 13 had boomerangs and was a kid in reference to Hope. 11 and 14 were among the first losses because these games were MMO instead of stand-alone one-player FF. And 4 died first since 4 is a number related to death in some cultures. Some fights take place off-screen so that we can focus on what's important. This is the final big piece of action in this Insomnia's arc. We have a bit of everyone, but not much fluff, except for raviris, which were cute last chapter and a bit abruptly cut. Prompto is facing one of his biggest fear. And I think it's safe to say, things are still hardcore for everyone. But better times are coming.

Also, many thanks for your support in this. School keeps me busy, but I love you and can't wait to share more of what I have planned in this story with all of you. Enjoy today's chapter.

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Unexpected

Chapter 52 - This is not who I am!

His legs moved while his mind stayed behind. His thoughts were all turned to the eternal kid he'd killed. Taking lives wasn't new to him, but he'd never thought it could feel this wrong. He was trying to save his country and more importantly the people living in it. He barely noticed them passing by him, eyes wide and red, wounded or sick, sometimes both. A few recognized him as the prince, last leader and sworn protector of Insomnia. There was no time for questions or begging for help. His eyes were dark and darker was his heart as he mentally hold on his memories of those streets. No streetlight, no buzzing about, barely no life in the city that never slept. He had the funny feeling he was here to lay Insomnia to rest instead of saving it.

And step by step, his engine blade held out to slay any daemon in sight, Noctis walked deeper into the carnage of his home, going back on the Uttu's trail. Up to where Ravus had tried warning him and Cor had taken on a daemon wall. The swarm had been broken and driven back. Noctis saw a few Mt's helmets on his way and could have faltered as he noticed Otto-10 and Otto-12, both dead, victims of the immortal. The man in question was facing off another daemon wall, one arm hanging limply at his side, his footing sloppier with every passing minutes.

Cor was losing blood from multiple wounds and had gone through too many elixirs already. He'd taken out two elite MTs all by himself, but they'd left their marks. A broken spear's head was still planted in his right leg, slowing him down and making Noctis wonder how the man was even standing after all this time.

Dark thoughts forgotten, he rushed to his aid, instinctively calling his armiger. The Immortal believe himself crazy, since he hadn't seen a similar display of power if it wasn't the king himself fighting by his side. But the king was truly, absolutely gone. And his son had grown, even more than Cor had noticed. A mace broke the skeleton's jaw, while an axe cut off its remaining arm. Cor felt one hand on his shoulder and sensed the magic at play as ice cleaned the air and turned the strong daemon bones into a fragile sculpture of frozen sediments. The thing shattered at the next hit and Cor swore out loud.

"You didn't feel like showing up sooner?"

"Like you needed my help. Geezer," the prince teased right back.

"Show off. Wait until this is over and I get to supervise your next training session."

Noctis mentally cowered, knowing how intense Cor could be with training.

"Before to plan for that, you'd do well to heal those wounds. Monica won't be happy to see you in this state."

That seemed to bring Cor back to reality. His first reaction was to take a step forward, but the pain caught up to him and Noctis helped him to sit down. He hoped the lion-like warrior hadn't push himself too hard for once.

"You took out more enemies than half the soldiers we brought could manage. How about you wait here and treat your wounds while I check on the rest of the team?" Noctis offered.

"Is that an order?"

"If you need an order to stay alive and taking the needed precautions for it, then yes, it's an order."

"Alright then. Just don't keep me waiting for too long," Cor declared.

There was still some fight in the man and Noctis wasn't exactly worried about leaving him behind. He was more preoccupied by the fact so many Ottos were around. There might be enough of them to face each and every last of his friends. He warped up to a building, taking a good hard look at Insomnia. There was a lot of movement and noises coming from the direction of the Citadel. He even realized one of the airship had taken flight. And it was coming crashing down for the palace of his childhood.

Well, I better start moving faster, he thought, before to warp from building to building, the structures sometimes crumbling under his sudden weight.

He raced the airship, wishing to spot at least one of his friends before the crash. He had no idea what was hiding in the smoke rising as the large metal zeppelin took a turn and send a tower to the ground. But he could sense something wicked in the air. Some dark, foul magic. And his instincts knew pretty well what that meant. Even though he didn't want to see the man again.

Aranea was still voicing concerns as they quickly secured the area, two hunters keeping the apparently fake Ardyn in check, Monica coughing a bit more with every passing minutes, drawing worried glance from Ignis.

"What if this was the real chancellor playing tricks on us?" she told her boyfriend.

"I'm more worried of it being the real Prompto at the moment. We can't deal with Izunia, him in our group or outside, so it doesn't change much. But losing Prompto over a petty trick from the chancellor?"

He had a gut feeling he was right, but wouldn't say it out loud. Him, trusting his gut like some primate? Aranea wouldn't let go of this for the next three years…

Monica was searching for something inside a building, her hunters keeping a lookout while two of them stood on either sides of the "fake" Ardyn. Prompto kept scanning the area, heart racing as he wondered what Otto-1 might be planning. He was already planning scenario in his head. What if the guy found Cindy and understood what she represented to him? What if he tricked Lunafreya into giving him his aid only to backstab her afterwards.

"I found two of them!" Monica exclaimed as she walked out of the game center she was inspecting.

"Why did anyone think of such a hiding place?" Aranea asked, skepticism written all over her face.

"The construction was the most stable of this street. And look which thing is still standing, nearly intact?"

"Not to mention the first place survivors would raid for supplies isn't a game store," Ignis added. "But we should still get a move on."

They had quietly suggested to pursue the plan of gathering battery cells since the opposition had calmed down and they weren't sure what to do with their prisoner. If it was the Chancellor, they couldn't take him back to their base. And if it was truly Prompto, which was still unaccounted for, they couldn't leave him behind. Either way, they were stalling for time to pass and a potential way of verifying the identity of their third wheel.

Aranea had let her wounded Thunderoc fly off in the distance, jumping a few times to survey their surroundings. Ignis was giving the orders while Monica focused on her search. They found a few trapped survivors and helped them out, refusing any help from their prisoner. The guy was growing a little more subdued by the minutes and Aranea had an uncomfortable feeling about his dispositions. She had no idea how far the chancellor's powers went or if the guy was still truly alive. But she remembered him well enough to know something was amiss. And it was never a good sign. After one hour and a half of walking around, a man crying out for help caught their attention. His voice was young and familiar. And under debris and one Ariadne's corpse, Ignis recognized Prompto's face and uniform.

"Thank goodness, man, I was about to get crushed."

"What…?!"

The real Prompto picked up immediately on the apparition and remained silent, refusing to gather any attention for the moment. It wouldn't help him. It took some heavy lifting to free the gunman, and he looked honestly stuck. There was a gash on one arm and a nasty limp to one leg. Prompto had half a mind to check his own body for pain, but he held the movement back. Blue eyes looked up and spotted him.

"What the hell is he doing here?!"

There was hesitation among the hunters and Monica herself eyed him with suspicion, while Ignis took over.

"We captured him, Prompto. Are you feeling up to walk on your own? We have a long road ahead of us. And I think lady Leanne could use your help for her search."

Aranea didn't flinch, while the hunters exchanged silent looks, Monica immediately seeing the test for what it was. The real Prompto would never fall for such gibberish. He'd known Monica since she'd caught him sneaking out of the citadel with Noctis. The boys had been meaning to enjoy the urban nightlife of Insomnia instead of a certain birthday party for some dignitaries in Accordo. Monica played along, coughing a bit and putting one hand on the lookalike's shoulder.

"I'm glad you're okay, sir Argentum," she declared with a snooty voice.

There was an instant of doubt for both Prompto and Otto-1. Bait or truth? What would happen and how would it change either of their fate?

"Sir?! Come on, it's me here, Iggy! And what's with the titles all of a sudden? The court is in shamble from I've tasted of the rubbles around here," Otto-1 stated while offering his arm to Monica.

He hadn't picked up on the false name, but his expressions were so genuine and similar to the real guy, Ignis had to still his heart and ground his thoughts with reason. This wasn't Prompto. But how could he make sure which one was the real deal if there were clones of his friend? And how long should he keep up the act with fake Ardyn and fake Prompto? Which one was a menace to their group? And what was the real chancellor's plan?

"I think we're a bit shaken by the state of Insomnia. And lady Leanne is as formal as it gets," Aranea chimed in.

She wanted them to drop the act already, but Otto-1 smiled that childish smile that should only belonged to one man. He was carried Prompto's guns in his holsters. Wearing his clothes. Sporting a few wounds to the head that could warrant a commotion and a slight, albeit too convenient memory loss.

"Just like I like 'em. My lady, if you don't mind a limp, I'd really like to get out of here."

The real Prompto watched how Otto-1 ignored him. And while he'd rarely looked at himself in the mirror anymore, he'd taken enough selfies to know when his smile was forced. Or rotten to the core. Otto-1 must have been hoping for a bigger target than the prince's advisor and a former commodore or the mysterious Lady Leanne. And he knew that target would come right to them, just in time. Prompto was glad for the fact Ignis had doubts. But he didn't like this game.

Someone is going to get hurt. And it better be you, Otto, he thought bitterly.

Aranea noticed the hateful look Ardyn was giving to the gunman and shivered despite all her efforts. The masks were so literal, she wondered if human beings would still stand by them when they'd fall.

Crowe's back hit the wall for the third time. Ace had been trained by the same people as Ravus Nox Fleuret, and it showed. He was ruthless, kicking, punching, parrying and thrusting his sword like a maniac. She had a dozen cuts and grazes, but nothing too serious. Her ribs were the biggest problem here, slowing her down and turning this fight into an all out battle for survival.

Her magic was savage and his blows tore through the ceramic on the walls. The burns on Ace's face and torso were clearly driving him angrier and he was making more mistakes with every passing minutes. But he was still proving a tough opponent. Crowe dove to the floor to dodge a violent punch, legs swiping at his feet from under him. Two steps and one awkward twirl and he was gripping her throat in one hand, blade ripping flesh. And in the dark subway station, the former Glaive remembered how her comrades had tried to get rid of her, with every cheap tricks they could use. Their hands in her hair, pulling at her scalp. The madness all over their face, like the one that brought Titus to forsake the last piece of their home. And their blood everywhere... As she screamed, the strand on her back grew out of her clothes, light blinding the young man, engulfing the entire metro.

"You witch!"

"Shut it, piece of…!"

Her magic was out of control now, eyes black instead of white, hair nearly translucent from the light coursing in her veins. Her insult turned into a full on howl, the cement cracking under her feet, powers rippling from her. Pushing back the pillars holding up the ceiling above their heads. Ace felt the gauntlet tied to his flesh recoiling inside. His bones shivered, mind whimpering, eyes bulging at the impossible sight. Crowe was no witch. The very knowledge she was human sounded absurd right now. It was as though the crystal's magic imbued in her veins had evolved into something new. The stab wound in her side closed with a series of sparks, wind raising in the tunnel at the flick of her fingers. Ace could see the wind moving like a snake. She still held one dagger up, barely able to stand up, the light drawing symbols all over her skin. Crystal veins. Eyes blacker than the night.

By the six...

It was Ace's last thought. The magic wrapped around him, flinging his limbs back, destruction lacing at his feet, like an expanding flower. Crowe was shaking as she tried to hold it back, not understanding where this power was coming from. But it was free now, free and wild and her rage fueled it. She tried to blink through the light. Felt the pounding in her head, overriding the noise of concrete breaking around her. She couldn't see, couldn't think and in fear of losing herself for good, she let go, her dagger touching the ground as the light rippled a second time. Her consciousness faded and for an instant, so did the world.

Noctis felt the surge of energy and unbalance in the magic as he warped by. His powers failed him and he had to plant his sword in the nearest building as he looked for the cause of the violent disruption in elemancy. His eyes turned round as saucers as cracks covered the main street. It collapsed on itself, subway rails exposed to the sunlight as sparks of light and thunder ran in one mile of radius. His first reaction was to wonder where Luna could be. And if that had been her?

-She's doing fine.-

"Wha… Carbuncle?"

-It's been some time. And you've come a long way.-

The green spirit was standing on Noctis' blade, watching him from above as the prince simply hanged in the air, muscles straining. He sounded proud of his master.

"What just happened?"

-I wasn't allowed to know every details. This was the light of providence. And she isn't the one needing your help at the moment.-

"The light of what?"

-You shouldn't hang here for too long. I can look after her for you. But I'm worried about what is going to happen with your other friends.-

Carbuncle bent his head to the side, his eyes apparently looking through Noctis and seeing much further than him.

-That ship is coming down fast! Your powers should be back too.-

Noctis tried to summon another sword and planted it further down to have a foothold.

"What is going on, Carbuncle?"

-Well, there are a little more players in the play, but some of the old ones are being disposed off.-

"You're not sounding quite encouraging."

-You've grown stronger, Noct. But so are your new opponents. Although your next challenge won't be a fight. Not in the common sense of the word.-

"I miss the time when you treated me like a kid."

-I don't think a red rubber hammer will help you with this one. But I'm still rooting for you!- Carbuncle squeaked, raising his tail as he nodded with conviction.

"Look after that light of providence. It better not be Luna."

-Go forth, chosen king.-

Noctis didn't wait until he told him a second time.

Locating clean water wasn't the hardest part. It was watching Iris scrubbing at her eyes to remove the chemicals hindering her sight which hurt the most.

"Go slow and try not to rub them too hard."

She kept blinking through the water and gathering more between her hands. Her tears were only of pain now, but it didn't make it any easier on him. She looked smaller than ever as she crouched over the basin of water, clearing her vision bit by bit.

"It burns," she stated.

"Is it getting worse?"

She shook her head and tried looking up at him, her right eye squinting more than the left. The brow irises were surrounded by red, but the fog cleared and she could make out the features of his face. She noticed his few days beard first, noting how it gave him a roguish sort of charm. She didn't like the idea she needed saving, but she was glad he'd come looking for her.

"How did you find me?"

"Keep cleaning that left eye," Ravus retorted.

She obliged but repeated her question, careful of not letting any water drip into her mouth. She had no idea what that chemical might do to her if absorbed.

"I tracked down the GPS signal in your phone," he admitted, voice falling a few octaves.

"So you did take it… Luna gave me yours, saying she just wanted to make sure you'd stay alright, but it seems I won't be the one looking after you before some times."

He chuckled at the notion his sister was just as bad as him when it came to look out for each other.

"That wasn't the reaction I expected."

"It would be wrong of me to get mad at you for coming to my rescue," Iris started, blushing as she realized how this sounded. "Not that I will always need to be rescued."

She didn't hate the idea of receiving his help, but she didn't like how fragile that made her look. Ravus sensed her unease and wondered how he was supposed to calm her down.

"I never said that."

He took a quick look outside the window, making sure no trouble was coming their way. The swarm had receded and there were less people on the streets, most of them having found their way to the gates. When he turned back to her, the girl had stopped rinsing her eyes and gripped his shirt, instantly making him tense up.

"You're hurt!" she observed angrily.

"That's not my…"

She raised one hand to push on a cut marring his left cheek, making him grimace in pain. He had kneeled next to her earlier and half-regretted his choice, since it brought their eyes nearly level. She'd shifted closer while he surveilled the streets, the basin of water pushed to the side.

"I can see you now, there's no hiding it," Iris stated.

The words might have more than one meaning, but he was going to stick with their literal sense for now. It was from the right time to clear things up between them and he'd rather keep things ambiguous if it meant winning some time before that Gladiolus truly try to kill him during a sparring session. Iris healed the cut with her magic without hesitation, trying to inspect him for any other wounds.

"You can give me a check-up later when we're out of this town," he objected, pushing her hands away.

Iris couldn't exactly explain why she felt the need to connect with him somehow. Maybe the fact she was excited of regaining her vision and to see him acting flustered, his pale beard barely hiding his light blush.

"Ravus, I'm stressed out. I was blind a second ago. And I have no idea where my brother is, or if Prompto is safe after getting dragged off by some… daemon thing."

The admission made it all sound even realer and Ravus wasn't sure he could handle more tears. He stood up and pulled her to her feet, his mechanic hand holding her own hand without a second thought. He was right-handed and starting to feel accustomed to the prosthetic. Although what he didn't like was he couldn't tell how her palm felt next to his, or whether she squeezed his fingers. She noticed the sadness in his eyes and picked up on it, glad to have a distraction from the current more global situation.

"What's wrong with your metal hand?"

He barely held back a sigh.

"Is it cold?" Ravus asked her.

She shook her head, interlacing her fingers with those of the prosthetic. As foreign as it felt, it was her one way of knowing that he was really there next to her when she could only hear his voice.

"It's warming up already."

Iris' smile was far sweeter than it should have been. Throat too tight, he looked forward, taking a step and feeling her hand holding him back. Why hadn't he let go of it yet?

"I know the timing isn't right, but I'd like answers. You rushed to my help. And I'm starting to…"

He kept his back turned to her as he cut her off.

"Don't. I was repaying a debt and looking after a friend earlier."

"How long do you intend to beat around the bushes?"

He could have snapped right there, but his logic kept him in check as he twisted around, tugging his hand away from the hold he couldn't only guess.

"I'm keeping you in the dark for your own good."

"Oh really? Isn't it because you can't act out on your half-assed confession as long as I'm in the dark?" Iris retorted, making large quoting marks in the air as she finished her accusation.

She had some bite. Then again, she always had in their texts. And maybe was the adrenaline helping her. And the fierceness all over her features made her look even stronger than usual.

"Act out?! Confession? What do you want from me now?"

Instead of sounding menacing, his voice slowly drifted down. These feelings were new for him. Realizing that whatever she might ask, he'd be ready to give her.

"I'm trying to determine what you want from me," Iris retorted.

And it was taking all the courage she'd mustered earlier to join up the fight just to say so and ready herself for the potential consequences. But taking a risk was better than not knowing.

"What I…?"

Only a handful of people cared for what he wanted. But despite the few impulses that came to his mind, he considered the facts. And how what he might want could hurt her. If she was older, she might know how to react, but as it was, she might just accept him out of pity or pride at the attention, all reasons that weren't good.

"I want to keep you out of trouble. And if I mean trouble, maybe you should keep a safe distance."

"And I can't decide that for myself?" she insisted.

"You can. It doesn't mean you're going to be right. Come on now. Something's wrong with this air."

Just as he said that, a rumbling echoed from the main street and a few more buildings collapsed near the center of the city, apparently out of nowhere.

"Something's definitely wrong. Let's go check if anyone needs help."

Iris took off on a run and pulled out her phone to check if anyone from their group was in the general direction of this collapse. Ignis, Aranea, Prompto, Noctis, Monica and Luna were all closer to the citadel, while Gladiolus and Cindy were somewhere that didn't make sense. And Cor's signal didn't come up, while Crowe seemed to be… A little too close to the collapse for comfort. Iris ran even faster, Ravus right on her heels.

...

Cindy had trouble following Gladiolus. The pain in her shoulder made it harder for her to focus and the airship's corridors were a maze of tube walls and dark corners. After barricading the entrance behind them, the bodyguard had taken the lead, in case they would meet any resistance inside. Cindy held a gun in her good hand and stayed close to him, listening for any sign of a pursuer. Footsteps over their heads followed dutifully. Otto-8 was hot on their trail and would keep tracking until he'd get them. It was the only trouble around.

The airship was empty, except for straps in the larger rooms they found, waiting for prisoners. Cindy was pretty sure a few people had actually waited, strapped in for a few days. A few straps were worn out or torn off the walls. Bloodstains on the floor. Gladiolus steered her towards the piloting room, still wondering if getting this thing to fly was their best option. A few turns and two points in the side later, they reached their destination. And so did Otto-8, shooting a window open and diving right inside, holding the strangest blade either Cindy and Gladiolus had ever seen.

The mechanic raised her gun, Gladio taking a step forward to protect her, his giant sword raised like a shield. A bullet ricocheted on the floor, ripping into the bodyguard's leg.

"Where the heck do ya keep yar gun?" Cindy asked.

"It's all in the same package, blondie."

Cindy swore out loud. That voice. It was gruffier, but…

"I don't get that much of a reaction usually when I'm still wearing the mask."

The MT took off said mask, revealing a face half burned, with a few spared freckles and blue eyes that nearly send Cindy reeling. Gladiolus cursed inwardly. Prompto had been right. His clones were here. And he was supposed to fight against one of them. With the guy's girlfriend watching.

"I know, should have kept the mask on. But after I'm through tough guy, we can have a nice talk together, as to why you shouldn't judge a man on his looks, blondie."

Cindy could tell this wasn't her Prompto. But there was something behind the cocky and crooked smile, beneath the menace, she could nearly see her nervous city-boy. And it scared her. Because suddenly, it was clear why he always worried of not being enough. He was raised with the idea he could be replaced any time by another model. And here was one. Although that was a wrong way to look at things, Cindy couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different. And she was ready to bet Prompto wondered about that all the time.

"You're not talking to anyone, so save your breath," Gladiolus retorted.

Cindy doubted he was up for a full on fight, but soon enough, both of the men's blades were drawing sparks as they clashed together. As long as he was stuck in close combat, Otto-8 couldn't use the gun function of his gunblade, but he held his ground, his arms strong despite being half the size of his opponent. Cindy stood back, her gun still raised, shoulder burning from the pain.

"Do you guys know Zero-man? I heard the original model was in town. I'd like to give him… a hello."

It sounded more like a goodbye, with a bullet to the brain or a piece of metal between the arms. Cindy hated seeing anything resembling her boyfriend talking like that. And from the corner of her eyes, she could see the remnants of the swarm gathering all over the citadel, like a bulging mass of tumors. They were still preparing something and she doubted the rest of the team was up for more daemon fighting. Not with all the chaos that ensued from the sudden surge of bombs.

The fight went on between Otto-8 and Gladio. The prince's shield seemed unphased by the resemblance of the MT with one of his friends, but it was far from the truth. The burn scars were old, which helped confirm it couldn't be the real Prompto. It didn't make his heart any lighter as he waved his sword and took hit after hit, striking back with a fierceness that diminished 8's strength, chiping down on his resistance bit by bit.

Cindy reached the pilot seat nearly unnoticed and took a better look at the Citadel, a dark spire on the horizon. Bombs of all type were covering it. They were growing and inflating, threatening to explode together. She remembered what her paw-paw had told her about these type of daemon. The one way to reduce the damage was to take them out before that they'd blow. She kicked on the engines, hoping her idea wouldn't get them all killed.

The daemons growled and cowered as the large zeppelin-like airship made contact. Noctis was still warping from building to building, having just broke down an ether on his shoulder to absorb more magic. He smelled awful, but he was getting closer to his friends and had noticed the darkness surrounding the Citadel had nothing to do with clouds. Ignis and Aranea pushed everyone further, the Prompto lookalike and Ardyn naturally rushing to the same side for cover, while Monica was pulled to safety by one of her hunters. Debris threatened to cover them, but a wall of pure light surrounded the small group, while Noctis rushed back to the ground in a few jumps. He noticed Luna, her black and white uniform stained in places, hair undone and darkened by dust. Her eyes shone and her trident was held out, blood still on the spikes.

She'd walked all the way to this street, forced into a fight with Otto-9, who wouldn't let her heal him, just like her light had burned Otto-7 instead of saving him. Noctis knew she was hurt from one look, but as the daemons vanished on the citadel, either called off or destroyed by the tremendous hit, the royal couple's eyes locked together. And a wave of relief took over the fear for what was coming. Luna's shield broke down when Noctis reached her and their hands linked, squeezing in a brief show of comfort and reassurance.

Ignis had seen his prince barging into the picture, but he was more preoccupied with the situation at hand. Their Ardyn had used the sudden confusion from the crashing airship to pull out of his ropes and jumped Prompto. Both men fought hand to hand, rolling in the dirt and it was clear that the feelings involved were deeper than one enemy punching another. For Noctis and Luna, it looked like their friend was fighting the Chancellor and Ignis could tell things would go south from here.

"Get him off me!" Prompto called for help.

"Since when you can't fight for yourself? You think they're really buying this?!" Ardyn shot back.

Prompto seemed ready to win the upper hand, but Ardyn was vicious in his ripostes, kicking and twisting around like a snake. Aranea was starting to doubt Ignis' gut feeling.

"What the hell is…!?"

Monica coughed and hacked, unable to voice a single word to answer her king. Aranea stated the facts in her stead:

"Ardyn said he was Prompto and accepted to be tied up. Until this Prompto showed up."

"And we've seen the elite MTs," Luna sighed, understanding the situation.

Noctis could tell there was something wrong about both men. There was still a surge of hatred rising in his chest at the sight of the chancellor. The man had mistreated Luna more than once and he'd played a large role in the destruction of Insomnia. Not to mention the passing of King Regis. But with every other clones around... And the elemancy in the air was distorted. How could he tell foe from friends, knowing how much the foe resembled Prompto?

It was surreal for them all, but especially Ignis, who couldn't believe they were all just standing there, letting either of their suspect go at it. They were too close to separate from afar, rolling in the dirt, slamming each other in bricks and half-collapsed wall. Prompto had never been one for close combat and it made the tactician himself doubt.

"There's a spell on both of…" Noctis started.

"We should pry them off of each other before…"

A gunshot interrupted Ignis. A brutal lunge had pushed back Prompto, who lied on his side, face covered with bruises, teeth bare as he held his fuming gun. Ardyn couldn't stand up, knee bleeding, his usually relaxed features all warped from a mix of fear and hatred.

"Guys, a little help here?"

Noctis took a step forward, only to see Ardyn raising his own gun at Prompto. He looked pale and some of his features were hazier than the rest. As though the spell couldn't hold on to him.

"Noct, for the six's sake, it's me," Ardyn pleaded.

The prince could barely breathe as he processed the fact Ignis wouldn't have let things come this far if his doubts weren't half founded. But his eyes were telling him otherwise and his heart was torn at the possibility of a mistake.

"I…"

Prompto cut in: "Oh come on, he's messing around with all of you. If this is Ardyn, he doesn't care about a little gunshot wound. While he could kill me guys!"

"The next one who shoots…" Aranea warned, lance held up.

"Maybe we should settle it this way. Quickest shot wins," Ardyn whispered.

"No way," Prompto stammered.

The act was quite good, Ignis had to give him that and he took another step forward.

"There's no settling things with violence," Luna interfered.

"Unless the shot can prove it," the fake chancellor declared.

His amber eyes fell on Prompto, taunting him and for a split second, instead of fear, the blond gunman shot the deadliest glare back. He'd forgotten all the hatred in his heart, how much he wanted to hurt the zero-man, way more than taking out a stupid foreign prince or play the empire game. He didn't need any glory or Verstael's praise. But to kill the woman's favorite. To get rid of him and take over his life. Now that sounded grand. As dark as Prompto had ever looked, especially after killing his own mother, neither Noctis nor Ignis had ever seen his eyes so cold. While Ardyn's face was unreadable, too close to the real deal thanks to the darn curse. Under it, the real Argentum was doing everything he could not to shake. But he didn't want his friends to get involved if he could help it. He didn't want them to get hurt more than necessary because of his… duplicates? Clones? Step-brothers? He was still trying to get his mind around the memories he'd pushed away for all those years.

"Maybe I can prove useful for once," the Prompto lookalike announced.

"Please, whichever of you is…!" Luna begged them.

Ignis and Noctis exchanged a single look, both determined this was enough. Things went by too fast as both blond made their decision, gun's safety long forgotten. Gladiolus was pulling Cindy out of the airship, leaving Otto-8's corpse behind. Ignis and the prince warped forward. Two gunshots this time tore over the anxious silence. Aranea jumped. Luna tried to freeze the bullets in the air, but her magic had run out, her trident vanishing from her hand. Next to her, Monica was still coughing and rasping.

The airship was a good mile away, but both Cindy and Gladio were still able to see some of the action taking place. And gunshots rang far enough for them to know things were escalating again. There were two blurs rushing to the center of the scene, one blue like the sky showing through the clouds, the other one a bit taller and also darker. The bullets turned out faster.

Prompto had raised himself to better aim and was hit square in the chest, fire instantly blowing from the projectile. His cry of agony covered Ardyn's wince, who'd raised one arm in self-defense and felt the bullet grazing his left shoulder. Everyone stared in disbelief and shock as the gunman's body hit the cement with a thud. Cindy couldn't tell who was who, but the blond hair was distinctive enough. She slipped down the ship's side, Gladio barely able to follow her, spotting the teardrops in her wake as she hit the ground and took of running. Aranea landed next to Ardyn in a crash, her spear drawing a thin line of blood on his neck.

The chancellor dropped his gun and immediately looked at Noctis, who'd tumbled out of his warp, heart missing a few steps. Ardyn's hands were shaking and his face betrayed his terror. It was impossible to think the real deal could ever appear that vulnerable.

"That wasn't me, Noct. I swear, that wasn't me," he pleaded

Tears shone in his eyes and while Gladiolus bellowed for an explanation, Noctis sensed his powers reacting to the magic at play. He tugged on the invisible threads. Planted his armiger in the ground when the hunters decided to join in Aranea's threatening retaliation since everyone else was too troubled to react.

"No one touches a hair on his head!" Noctis commanded.

Eyes red with the crystal magic, the prince pulled off the mask. And the red hair turned to blond, the few riddles thinning out. Blue eyes, lean shoulders. Their Prompto, in his own bruises and cuts, shivering uncontrollably after taking Otto-1 out. Aranea dropped the spear and stepped back, while Luna kneeled next to the fallen Prompto, the fake one from the endless brethren. The hair on his head was shorter, the breath in his breast failing. When he raised a cutlass at her in a last attempt of taking one of them out, she kicked the blade out of his hand. She could barely see him through her tears.

Prompto hadn't realized why everyone was changing sides now. He'd used his magic bullets in the hope of having Noctis realize it was truly him. Only him had received magic from the crystal. If he could be replaced like that, there was no point.

"I swear, guys… I swear it's me here, and not..." he stammered.

His voice broke and Noctis dropped to his knees, pulling his friend in a hug.

"I know it's you, Prom. Iggy could tell from one look. The magic's gone now."

"Is he dead? Are they all…? I couldn't bare…"

"It's over, man. I swear, this nightmare is all over," Noctis promised.

He wanted to apologize for letting him on this battlefield, apologize for not knowing before and for killing Otto-3 and for so many things, the words seemed to collapse on each other in his throat. Ignis squeezed one shoulder of each of his friends.

"We're not losing you again, Prompto," he stated, voice rough from the many emotions fighting inside to be let out.

Cindy didn't slow in her running. Even from afar, she could tell her man was alright, but it wasn't enough. One of them had fallen. She'd nearly broke down after Gladio had gotten through Otto-8. Aranea stepped back just in time for the mechanic to push Noctis away from Prompto, not caring if the prince would get hurt.

"It's you, Prom!?"

"Cin…?"

He blinked and sniffled, barely processing what she might be thinking. She'd just seen Ardyn shot him. Or more aptly put, him shooting himself. Heck, did this thing counted as the weirdest suicide or what? He noticed blood on her face, and how she only used one hand to undo his uniform. The gesture felt invasive in her rush and he wanted to whimper and sob as her fingers finally found the scars on his stomach. The burns, the syringe marks he'd been afraid to show. All the proofs his memories weren't far enough.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out.

"Don't… Ya should sit down, but when I saw y… I mean him… Oh baby, hold me."

She didn't have to ask him twice. He pulled her into his arms, hiding his face in the hole of her neck, not caring for the pain in his leg or the bruising she touched as she clutched at him. His friends were by his side. No matter what they had to do to reach the Citadel, no matter the lies and the tricks. He had no idea if the nightmare could ever be over. He feared looking at himself in a mirror, scared of knowing what his friends might be thinking now. It seemed clear that Noctis and Iggy were glad to have the real deal with them. All the sounds that came from his throat now were racked sobs. But it was alright.

The swarm was gone. So was the spell and the curses.

Otto-1 hack breathing stopped as the Oracle extended her light to him. Let them have peace for once in their life, she prayed. It was still weird to see him down on the ground and Prompto a few feet away.

Ignis felt Aranea's hand in his and jumped slightly, before to squeeze back her fingers.

Gladiolus just looked in confusion, before to meet Noctis sad gaze. The prince mouthed the words:

"We'll explain later."

The group stood around Prompto and Cindy for some time, either looking out for new threats or trying to collect their own thoughts. Luna had offered healing to every of them, Monica sharing her ethers stock with the princess. They might have stood there for a full half hour if Gladio's phone hadn't rang.

"Iris?" the shield asked.

"Are you guys alright? I've been trying everyone's phone and you're the first to pick up!" his sister retorted.

"We're… We're alive. And the fighting seems to be over."

"Could you get to our position? We're trying to find Crowe, but she's…"

Gladiolus tensed, fists clenching, his eyes instantly going to Luna.

"What happened to her?!" he asked, a bit too aggressive.

Noctis wondered if Carbuncle had been right of pushing him ahead. His phone was cracked all the way through and refused to turn on.

"We could just use some help to get to her," Iris continued, refusing to extend her explanation.

If anything, she had no idea what was happening with Crowe and didn't want to worry him any more than necessary or to give too much hope. The thing was, they'd found Ace's body. And it wasn't a pretty sight.

Prompto was easy to convince of moving away, although he didn't like the idea of Otto-1's body staying like that in the open air. Unlike daemons, MTs didn't vanish. They stayed behind and rot and festered. Cindy couldn't look at the guy, and Noctis offered to set him on fire. He had half a mind to burn down the whole city to erase all the pain and hurt he saw in every street, but knew better than to voice so.

The walk up main street was a sad, sad thing. Gladiolus lead the way despite his limp, Luna having healed every wound she could, going through Monica's entire ether's stock. Noctis had ran out too and they saved a few elixirs just in case. It took an hour on foot to reach Iris and Ravus, who were slowly working on removing rocks and debris from the cave-in of the subway station. Crowe's GPS signal was still up and they were getting closer to the metro's ground, but some debris were too large even for Ravus' reinforced arm.

"She's here, isn't she?" Gladiolus asked his sister.

They'd worked on a specific spot, unearthing more debris and clearing a path down as quickly as possible, but they had to go slow in the fear of making anything else collapse.

"She should be just as few feet deeper," Ravus shot back.

Next thing he knew, Gladio was pulling him backward by the fabric of his shirt to clear the way before to use his own power to phase through the concrete and metal. Iris gave Prompto a brief hug, comforted to see him in one piece and he welcomed the attention with a shy smile. Cindy was still hanging to his arm, refusing to let go of him for even a second. He loved her for it, needing the warm contact, the feel of her hands close. But a small voice kept nagging him as he struggled to put one foot down after the other. Was he really worth all this caring, seeing how he treated the Ottos ?

"Careful, Gladio!" Ignis called after the Shield.

Luna held her breath and Aranea realized her own stress was rising. Among them all, Crowe was close to her best friend and she had never thought something could happen to the former Glaive. Like her, the brunette seemed invincible. But the size of this collapse and the rumble they'd been subjected too before that Cindy crashed her airship were a bad omen if she'd ever seen one.

Gladiolus had to stay in phase mode longer than he'd ever done, since there was not a single free space large enough for him to fit among the debris. His nose recognized the metallic scent of blood and decay, which brought back awful memories. He'd seen Crowe broken down once and wasn't sure he could bear to see it again. Diving into matter was always a strange impression, but he barely gave it any attention, focusing on any sign of the woman. His heart hammered in his chest at an unsteady rhythm. It beat madly when he spotted her bloodied hand reaching out from under a boulder. He stepped right through it, confirming that Crowe was still in one piece, but awfully bruised up. Her clothes were torn on her right side, sporting a new scar that could explain the blood all over her leather pants. Her chest was raising slowly but stubbornly, her face caked with dirt and dust. Her hair looked grey from it all and he could spot a few, pale veins on her neck.

He gingerly picked her up, glad that the phasing covered her like it would usually do. A few steps and awkward jumps later, he could see her in plain daylight, taking a deep breath as he turned fully tangible again. His knees were weak from the effort and he sank to his knees, eyes barely acknowledging Luna and Iris as they reached for the former Glaive, hands alight with healing light.

The white veins on Crowe's neck expanded and she twitched and winced as both girls were pushed back by a repulsive wave of magic

"Oh my gods…" Luna sighed, hands trembling.

Her magic had never backfired like that.

"What happened to her?" Iris questioned, looking down at her hands with a mix of shock and fear.

"That's what I'd like to know!" Gladiolus snapped.

"So loud," Crowe whispered.

The white veins receded and they all held their breath as her left hand gripped to Gladiolus's opened coat.

"Crowe?"

"My head… feels like I was in a freaking behemoth stampede."

She tried to blink and cursed as the dust stung her eyes. Every of her movements were tentative and slow. Her limbs were sore down to every bone. Nursing her head in the crook of his shoulder, Gladiolus wiped her face from the soot and dust, a relieved but fragile smile showing up.

"Outside of that, how do you feel?"

His voice was low and hushed, nearly a murmur.

"Alive. And really safe now."

A collective sigh made her realize they weren't alone, but she had difficulty keeping her eyes open.

"Something really weird happened to me while I fought Ace," she mumbled.

"I think we could all compete in the weird department with a day like today," Aranea observed.

They decided to exit the city before anything else happened to them, collecting Cor on the way – Iris's magic worked on him this time- and rejoining with Libertus by the gate. There, they learned that over 4000 refugees had gotten out while they were keeping the swarm and Ottos at bay. The soldiers' runaways had regained some of their courage and gone back after realizing how hard their prince and the rest of his retinue was fighting.

"Well, this might not have worked out as smoothly as we hoped. But given the circumstances, we did incredible work," Monica stated, before to let out a small, weary cough.

Noctis and Luna exchanged a long look. Despite all the chaos and heartache, the main goal of their operation had been achieved. The crown city's people were free from the empire's grasp.

And for the first time since its fall, Insomnia could sleep.

To be continued…

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I've revised the last scene with Prompto, and added a new ending, a scene I was aiming to use in next chapter but that really fitted better in here. This way, things are truly closed regarding the Insomnia's battle arc. Cuddling and fluff is still coming up in next chapter and maybe the one after that.

We have one Otto left, namely Otto-2, but he won't be as much of a danger as the others. Otto-6 died off screen in a battle with Libertus FYI. There's a crowning in the making that will happen soon enough. And then I have only one more arc before we head to Altissia.

As always, I'd like to know what you thought. So please review and stay awesome!