Disclaimer: Not mine
Chapter 11
Regis struggled not to pace, knuckles white from the grip he had on his walking stick. A vampire with a walking stick, it sounded ridiculous, but even they could be permanently damaged if wounded badly enough, a human would have died or if they survived have lost the leg. He still had his leg and once healed it hadn't bothered him at all, but the older he got the more the old wound troubled him. It was why he hadn't insisted on going out with the team to collect them. His presence would only hinder, not help.
He had wanted to meet them when they arrived at the Citadel but Clarus had flat out told him no. He'd never come so close to attacking his oldest friend and that had made him realise his Shield was right. So instead he was waiting in the observation room set between two different isolation rooms, giving him a view into both.
Clarus waited with him, just as worried, Cor hadn't given much detail over the phone after all. Not that they could blame him after discovering Drautos' treachery. They were having to re-check every Glaive because of that and had found two more definite traitors while a handful of others had been wavering in their loyalty…until they found out about Noctis' fate, that had shocked them out of any thought of siding with the Empire. It was one thing to kill an enemy in battle but to use a collar, and on someone who had never actually fought in the war? Ulric's team was one of the few that hadn't even wavered and that was why they'd been deployed with Cor, despite Ulric's promotion to acting Captain.
They both turned as the door opened, Gladio walking in with Ignis wrapped in a blanket, resting in his arms.
"Gladio…"
"If it's not safe then you'd never allow the King in here, Dad," they younger Shield pointed out and Regis stifled a smile.
"He has a point," he told Clarus, grabbing a chair and settling it with a view of both rooms. "How do you feel Ignis?" he asked as the young Incubus was placed on the chair. He looked terrible, skin grey, eyes bruised and sunken. Regis gently touched his forehead and he was icy to the touch when normally he wasn't much cooler than a human.
"I am alright Majesty," he whispered tiredly. "It is better…Prompto's pain is much reduced."
"You can feel his pain?" Clarus asked in alarm and Ignis nodded.
"Like…Noctis is a buffer between…us. Without that…he was in so much…pain," Ignis answered, Gladio standing behind him, hands caressing his face and neck and they ignored the actions, knowing Gladio was giving him the only amount of feeding possible in public.
The doors in both isolation rooms suddenly slammed open, a gurney being rolled into each, staff bustling around. They watched silently as the two boys were moved onto the beds, both bodies limp. Regis pressed a hand to the glass, staring at his son as they stripped off badly fitting clothes, was that Cor's shirt? The team must have dressed him in a mix of their own things so what had he been wearing before? He studied what he could see of his son as they moved around, hooking him up to various monitors, much like when he was eight.
From what he could see, he didn't appear injured – a small relief. He made no sound as he was gently moved about, no reaction at all. As Noctis' head was lifted he found himself staring into dark blue eyes, he'd inherited Aulea's eye colour, and they always showed everything Noct was thinking….now there was nothing, no awareness, no emotion, nothing. He was like a living doll as the medical staff began running tests. He found his gaze drawn to the collar around Noctis' neck, how could something so insidious look so benign?
Unable to keep watching he turned to the other isolation room, seeing the bloodied surgical gown being handed off to one of the Guard who bagged it for evidence. The boy was quickly restrained to the bed for everyone's safety due to Cor's report. Blood stained bandages were removed fully as well as scanning equipment was moved into place. His orders were cleared, he was to be treated humanely, his injuries treated. Noctis had been so sure this Prompto was on his side, even the Glaive agreed everything in his behaviour had seemed real, so until they could work things out he would be treated as an ally. Soon the boards lit up, showing the scan results of his body, definite proof that he was an MT but…there was far more organic matter than normal. He was no doctor but….that was a human brain, wasn't it?
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Ignis tried to push himself up to his feet and then Gladio was gently holding him, carrying him closer to the glass. He stared at Noctis, reaching for him through their bonds. He was so close and yet Ignis could feel nothing from him, just the sense that he was alive. He pointed and Gladio shifted so that he could see Prompto, not looking at the scans but at the unconscious boy on the bed as the blood and grime was cleaned from his naked body. He could feel him, though muted, terror, pain, protectiveness…love.
"Iggy?" Gladio asked as Ignis rubbed his chest.
"I…I can't feel Noct, just the sense that he's alive, nothing else. Prompto…he's terrified and in pain," he whispered.
"He's still in pain?" Clarus asked and he nodded, leaning back in Gladio's arms.
"Is it physical or emotional?" The King asked for clarification.
"It's too muddled up with everything to tell," he admitted and the King nodded, activating the microphone into Prompto's room.
"Give him pain relief," King Regis ordered.
"Majesty?"
"He's feeling pain," was the answer and the medics stared with wide eyes before inserting an IV and Ignis could see it was of fluids and then they added pain medication to the mix. "Ignis?" he asked after a few minutes.
"It's less," he was relieved to be able to report.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Gladio was relieved that Iggy was appearing a bit more alert, proximity to Noctis? Or the blond? He wasn't bonded to the boy, but they were both bound to Noctis could that be linking them together?
Staring at the scans of the blonds body, even after hearing Libertus' report, was a shock. He could make out a Magitek core, but that was the extent of his knowledge, he knew how to take MT's apart, not fix them. But…he was sure they were 99% mechanical, just covered in skin and hair to blend in. "Is he an MT or not? That's a core but that's a human heart. Dad?"
"I've never seen anything like it," his Dad admitted in concern.
The speaker came on with a crackle. "Your Majesty?"
"Yes?" The King responded.
"We've finished the preliminary exam. As you can see it has a hybrid system of Magitek and organic. The Magitek core and one of the arm implants appears older than the rest, best guess would say they were placed ten or so years ago. The rest is recent, I'd say within the last few weeks. According to the Marshal, a hi-potion was administered last night, and the organic matter shows signs of healing from one."
Ignis gagged and Gladio shifted his grip, glancing around and then his Dad was shoving a bin under his head as he threw up. "IT's okay, I've got you," Gladio whispered, stroking his hair back.
"Do we need a medic?" The King asked, turning to look at them.
Ignis took deep breaths, pushing the bin away, wiping his mouth. "Sorry," he whispered.
"Iggy?"
"Recent additions…the agony I felt…they….they operated while he was awake. They cut him open and…"
"Shh," Gladio tucked shifted his grip, cradling him close, kissing his forehead. "Don't think about it. No one else is going to do that to him." He knew the King would never allow someone capable of feeling pain to be awake for something like that. He glanced up at his Dad and King, seeing the horror in their eyes.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Regis didn't blame Ignis for being sick, he felt rather ill himself. The idea of cutting someone open and removing their organs before replacing them with mechanical equipment was bad enough…but doing so while the subject was conscious? How could anyone authorise such a thing? "Can you bring him around without harming him?" he asked and the staff checked a few things before agreeing.
"Regis?" Clarus demanded warily, eyeing him.
"I want to speak with him," he turned to leave the observation room.
"From here," Clarus stated and he shook his head, slipping past him and into the hall. The two Guards on the door hesitated but then opened the door to the isolation room.
"Your Majesty!" the head doctors eyes were wide with shock.
"Undo the restraints and wake him," he commanded.
"Sire?"
"If you had just undergone such a surgery, while conscious, how would you react to waking restrained to a bed in what is obviously a medical room?" He asked, one eyebrow raised and they hesitated but obeyed. "The dampeners are active?"
"Yes Sire, they won't stop the effect entirely though."
"I will keep my distance," he promised, able to feel Clarus' eyes burning into him from the observation room.
They moved around, undoing the restraints, covering the boy with a blanket, before injecting a drug that should help wake him. It took a minute or two but he began to shift restlessly.
"Clear the room," he ordered.
"Regis," Clarus called over the intercom.
"I will be careful old friend," he promised and the room cleared until it was him and the slowly waking boy. He watched as his eyes fluttered, head shifting. "It's alright, you're safe," he called softly. "You're in the Citadel of Insomnia."
Blue eyes slowly opened, blinking dazedly, before the boy was scrambling back, falling off the bed, tearing the IV from his arm as he did. He pressed back into the corner, obviously terrified and Regis winced, so much for not scaring him. The boy looked around wildly, chest heaving form exertion.
"Prompto," Regis called softly and blue eyes snapped to him.
"Noct…" he whimpered.
"Noctis is in the next room, being seen by his physician. Do you know who I am?" he asked and the boy licked his lips, eyes darting around, for a weapon? "Prompto, I am not going to hurt you," he swore.
"King…King Regis?" blue eyes really focused on him, looking uncertain and confused and Regis smiled at him.
"Very good. You are safely in the Citadel, you escaped with Noctis and were found by one of our rescue teams in Leide."
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Prompto pressed against the wall, staring at the King…Noct's Dad…the vampire King… how had they gotten out? What had happened? He remembered seeing Noctis, eyes empty as…he swallowed, fighting the urge to be sick as he remembered the MT's with his face using his Prince.
"Are you alright?" the King's voice snapped him out of the memory. "Do you need something to be ill in?"
He shook his head, feeling tears well in his eyes. "Sorry…sorry," he gasped and the vampire frowned.
"For what?"
"Co….couldn't stop them," he admitted, looking away….and then he gasped as he stared at the lit up screen with scans….no…no… "No…no….no….." he shook his head, screaming in denial.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Regis swore when he realised the doctor had left the scans up, moving to flick the monitor off as the boy screamed. The Guards entered, weapons drawn and he waved them back. He wanted to go to him but it was dangerous, even with the dampeners. The door opened again and Gladio carried Ignis in, the Incubus reaching for Prompto, practically throwing himself from Gladio's arms, staggering to the other blond, wrapping his arms around the screaming boy, taking them both to the ground.
"Shh, it's okay, you'll be okay," he whispered, rocking Prompto, running his finger through lank hair.
Slowly, Prompto fell silent, shaking in Ignis' arms but then slowly he turned into the hold, hiding his face against his shoulder, a hand slowly coming up to hold onto his shirt.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"That's it, you're safe," Ignis murmured, able to feel him calming. He kissed his temple tenderly, he didn't care what Prompto was, he was one of Noctis' Retainers and that made him one of them, part of them. He could feel the boy shaking still but he didn't blame him. his memories of what he had gone through were likely jumbled and scattered so to see the scans…
Ever so gently he nudged Prompto's head up, meeting blue eyes, seeing the fear in them. "Hello," he greeted softly and Prompto blinked. "My name is Ignis, do you know who I am?"
Prompto nodded slowly. "Adviser," he whispered and Ignis smiled at him. "Re…retainer, linked to Noct…like me."
"Yes, like you. I can feel you; can you feel me?" he asked, just sitting with Prompto…he felt stronger than he had since Noctis had been… he reached out to Prompto, nudging him and blue eyes went wide.
"Not a vampire…not human?" Prompto was relaxing more and that was a relief, he ignored the Guards near the door, even Gladio and the King, focusing only on Prompto.
"No, I'm…" he glanced up and saw the King dismissing the Guards, cutting the audio as well. "I'm an Incubus," he admitted, it wasn't like he would be able to keep it secret from Prompto. Blue eyes widened in shock and he waited for the younger males response, how much did the Empire know of his kind?
Prompto's cheeks went slightly pink. "Could you…feel…um…"
"Very vaguely," he admitted softly. "More so once you took the Oath," he gently brushed hair back from Prompto's face. He knew what the core could do, even passed the dampeners, but even then, he could feel Prompto's emotions, knew they were honest. He could feel Prompto relaxing in his arms, the fear beginning to fade. "I could feel your pain," he murmured, rubbing his back.
"I…I couldn't stop them, I tried! I did, I promise," he pleaded.
"Stop what? The collar? The Glaive saw, their mage recorded the fight while tossing spells. We've seen how hard you fought to get to Noctis. No one doubts you did your best," he assured him but Prompto shook his head.
"At…the place they took us…he…they…" he was shaking hard again and Ignis could feel tears soaking into his shirt.
Ignis glanced up, seeing the concern on the King's face at his stuttered words. He hated asking but they needed to know anything that had been done to either of them. "Take your time," he whispered.
"The Chancellor…he made them…made Noct…" he shuddered. "Used him."
Ignis froze, praying he was misunderstanding what Prompto meant even as the King went white, Clarus steadying him, Gladio's hands balling into fists. "Prompto…do you mean they…they raped him?" he could barely force the question out but then Prompto nodded.
"Couldn't stop them, made me watch. They all….they all had….my face…" he sobbed and Ignis tightened his hold, rocking him again, mind reeling with horror.
He felt sick again but there was nothing left in his stomach. His face…so they hadn't just decided to do that to the boy, he'd been born into the program? Then how had he been in Lucis? He thought over what he'd seen of the scans, his digestive tract was still intact so he would need to eat. "Come on, let's get you back on the bed, you'll be more comfortable," he looked up at Gladio who moved closer. "This is Gladio, Noctis' Shield."
Prompto looked up at him and Gladio managed a shaky smile. "Hi blondie, I'm going to carry you to the bed, okay?" he held his arms out and Prompto looked back to Ignis who nodded so Prompto let Gladio lift him, carrying him back to the bed, gently settling him down and covering him with the sheet, ruffling his hair, making Prompto stare with wide eyes. "There you go, much better than the floor or Iggy's bony lap."
"Hey!" Ignis carefully pushed up to his feet, only to have the King move in and steady him. "Perhaps we could get some food, Sire? Something easy on the stomach," he indicated Prompto and the King nodded, sending one of the guard. Ignis was soon settled in a chair beside the bed and he reached out to take Prompto's hand.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
He felt so confused, it was nothing like he'd imagined. He'd expected interrogators and scientists not the King himself and then Noct's Retinue and…he was pretty sure that was the King's Shield, which made sense. It was a medical room but the bed was nothing like the metal slabs in the Empires labs, it was soft and warm and he got a sheet! He felt Ignis take his hand and he clung to him.
He was shocked when a Guard approached with a tray and Gladio helped him sit up, fixing the bed so he could lean back and the tray was settled in his lap. There was a bowl of steaming soup and what looked like fresh bread and…real butter? He glanced up, unsure, and Ignis smiled.
"It's all for you, eat as much as you're comfortable with. Just take it slow, do you know when you last ate?"
"Before," Prompto answered softly, carefully picking up the spoon. He knew better than to eat fast after not having food for a while. "How…how long were we…."
"It's been two weeks since the battle," the King answered and Prompto swallowed, that long?
He ate as much as he could, ignoring them as they spoke quietly amongst themselves. Eventually he had to stop, he was so tired. Gladio took the tray away and Ignis took his hand again. He could feel him, gentle waves of comfort coming from him and it was so nice. He wondered, was it like what being around MT's felt to others?
"Prompto," the King called his name and he looked up at him. It was nice, having people use his name again, not his number. "I know you must be feeling very overwhelmed but, could you tell us how you met Noctis?"
That was nice, staring with easier things but he knew they'd get to what happened at the base soon enough. He took a deep breath and began explaining about the hunt and how he had found Noct.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The boy was not just an MT but a hunter? If that got out… it was a good thing the isolation rooms were totally cut off other than the intercom which he had disabled. He'd also sent the Guards out. Finding out a pack of wolves had been mauling his son, that they'd had a collar too… he owed Prompto a lot for everything he'd done for Noctis. Prompto had risked his future in helping Noctis and bringing him towards the city.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Regis entered his sons room, Prompto had fallen asleep and they had decided to let him rest.
"Your Majesty," Doctor Leander bowed, the vampire had been treating Noctis since he was born, and the grief in his expression was obvious.
"How is he?"
"Physically he is in good health. Though…Sire, we found evidence of…it appears he was recently…."
"Raped," Regis murmured. "I know. We've been speaking with Prompto, he witnessed the act….acts," he admitted.
"His body has healed if any damage was done. He was a little low on blood but we've gotten him hooked up to an IV and he drank some when offered. We're still running tests but so far…there is no evidence that he is aware of anything. His eyes are open but he seems to see nothing. Also, we've noticed that when we touch him he begins to react in a…" Leander looked away, taking a deep breath. "It seems they wanted him to appear a willing participant who was enjoying himself."
"It was done to torture the boy, Prompto," Regis told him quietly. "They used MT units who share his features," that admittance had the doctor swearing.
"Then it is good Noctis was unaware of it. Is it true…that he is an MT?"
"The process is incomplete, he has a core and several organs have been replaced, his skeleton reinforced, but his mind his purely human. They performed the procedures while he was conscious Doctor, Ignis could feel his agony all this time."
Leander grimaced in horror; his opinion quite obvious. "Is he sane?"
"We have spoken, he saw the scans and panicked but Ignis was able to calm him. He has eaten a small meal of soup and bread since he hasn't eaten since they were taken but he fell asleep while telling us of his journey with Noctis. I thought it best to start then and let him work his way up to speaking of their time in captivity."
"Good, he will likely need psychiatric help to deal with everything," he warned and Regis nodded, he had assumed as much, but who could they trust? He stepped aside and Regis approached the bed.
He looked down at his son, lying so still on the bed, the sheet pulled up to his waist, now dressed in a hospital gown. His hair was a little longer from his time travelling but he otherwise looked the same as ever. He reached out and gently took a limp hand in his, reaching for his son through magic, feeling the Ring on his finger heat up. Empty blue eyes stared up at the ceiling, the collar around his neck dull at the moment so no one was trying to control him. They had to know the boys had escaped, why not make Noctis kill or incapacitate Prompto and return? He ran his other hand through lank black hair and Noctis moved, pressing into his touch, face softening into pleasure and he pulled his hand back as if burnt. Yet…he had not reacted to the hand holding…he was using the hand with the Ring and when he glanced down he saw it was glowing, the glow spreading across Noctis' hand too.
"Noctis? It's Dad, can you hear me?" he murmured, squeezing his hand but there was no reaction. "It's alright, you're safe now, you made it home," he explained, just in case he could hear him. "Prompto is here too, I won't let anyone harm him. Ignis has already taken to him." He took a deep breath, fighting the urge to cry. "I love you Noctis. Please son, fight, come back to us." He leant over and kissed his forehead before letting go of his hand even as the door opened, looking over to see Cor, still dressed for the field.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
At a look from Cor, the staff left the room and he made sure they couldn't be heard. "Regis," he greeted tiredly and Regis nodded, looking back down at his son. "You need to see this," he told his King and oldest friend. He stepped up beside him, looking down at the young man, still a boy in many ways, on the bed. It hurt to see Noctis like that, how much more pain must it cause his King.
"See what?" Regis tore his eyes off the body on the bed to look at him and Cor held his hand out. "Is that…"
"It appears so. It was clutched in Prompto's very bloody hand. I'd say he took it off whoever had it, against their will." He looked down at the small electronic item in his hand. It was amazing that such a small thing could do so much. Regis held his hand out and Cor gave it to him. "We don't know how to use it, Shooter…Prompto, recognised the collar in the field, perhaps he'll know? I've had detailed scans taken of it for our people to begin trying to work it out."
"He's asleep now, worn out. He hadn't been given any food since the fight, though they likely had him on intravenous nutrients since he still looks relatively healthy," Regis told him.
"If he's asleep, then he woke?"
"They brought him around, it didn't go well. We got him calmed down and some food into him before he fell asleep. I asked him exactly how they met. Turns out that this wasn't he first attempt to get a collar on Noctis, he managed to stop the first and destroyed that collar. He's been living in Meldacio since he was twelve Cor, and yet he still went against everything most hunters believe to save my son."
"And the MT thing?"
"He's still partially human, including his brain. They….they used MT's that look like him to…to rape my son," Regis forced the words out and Cor hissed in rage beside him.
He had been a soldier since he was thirteen, he had seen and done many horrible things…but rape was not something he would allow to happen or ever participate it. To find out that Noctis… he took a calming breath. "If they look like him, then was he part of the program before?"
"We didn't push it."
Cor nodded, they would need to hear everything but if the boy was physically and emotionally fragile at the moment then they should give him time. It was doubtful he knew anything that could help Noctis unless he knew how to use the control unit. "I've sworn the Glaive to silence on everything and the general public believes Noctis is dead. Are you going to say anything?"
"No," Regis admitted sadly. "Not unless Noctis begins to recover. There is no point in raising hopes."
Cor nodded, it made sense. They also didn't want the Empire to know they had them both, just to be safe. "Did the doctor say anything about the collar?"
"They took scans," Regis answered. "Maybe with the controller they can find a way to remove it."
"Even if they can, there's no way to know…"
"I know; it may change nothing, it might wake him up, he could be back to normal or have no memories. Without any evidence of one being removed before there's no way to tell. But I have to believe there's hope Cor, I have to," he whispered and Cor nodded.
"I know."
TBC….
