Chapter 3

Noctis awoke with a strange feeling washing over him. He felt drowsy, and a little tipsy—but the idea he'd gotten drunk didn't seem realistic, as he didn't exactly like the taste of alcohol, and hadn't been at any royal gathering as of late that would have served alcohol. No he'd been on a school field trip.

Noctis opened his eyes fully, getting a grasp of the surrounding area. He pulled himself up, realizing now that he wasn't at the museum anymore; in fact he was somewhere new entirely.

Noctis jolted himself awake, pulling himself into a sitting positon. The stir made his vison blurry, but he found himself again the cell he was in becoming more visible. Noctis looked around noticing now that he was in a barred room, with concrete floors and no windows. But he wasn't alone. There on the ground next to him was a blonde haired classmate.

It was Prompto.

Noctis bit into his lip. Had he been kidnapped? And if so had he dragged Prompto into it accidently? Or was this some ploy and Prompto himself was actually in on the whole thing. He'd been warned by Gladio to be careful making friends as anyone could be trying to use him. Still the idea Prompto was someone like that made Noct's stomach sink.

Noctis crawled over to the unconscious boy. Getting up close Noctis now noticed there was a red colour present in Prompto's blond hair. Noctis recognized it as dried blood. Noctis reached and touched the spot, seeing the bleeding had stopped, but Prompto still winced at the action.

At least Noctis knew he was alive now.

"Ugh," Noctis heard Prompto say as his eyes fluttered open at a fast pace.

"Hey easy," Noctis said, worried about the blonds condition.

Prompto pulled himself up, wincing as soon as he brought himself to a sitting position. Prompto reached to touch his sore spot, but Noctis grabbed onto Prompto's wrist stopping him from accomplishing the task.

"Careful you could open the wound," Noctis warned.

Prompto pulled his hand back slowly, nodding in acknowledgement. "Right," he said still seeming a bit dazed. After blinking a few more times, he seemed to get a better grip on himself. "Where are we?" Prompto asked.

Noctis frowned. "I was hoping you could tell me that," Noctis said.

Prompto frowned. "I-I saw you getting dragged away, and I wanted to take pictures for evidence. . . I was going to take them to the glaive, but then a guy with a lizard tattoo saw me." Prompto shook his head, as if he was still wonky on the details. He seemed kind of out of it.

"Hey are you okay?" Noctis asked.

Prompto looked over, maybe for the first time noticing it was the prince next to him.

"Oh yeah, yeah I'm fine, just my head hurts a little that's all." He smiled, showing the prince he was fine. "Don't worry about me here, you're the one in trouble Noctis," he said a bit nonchalantly. "We need to find a way out of here."

Noctis nodded, standing up and walking over to the walls. He tapped his fingers on the brick. Prompto went over to the bars shaking them violently. There was no luck though, and the bars were to close together to slip through, and too strong to bend.

"No luck," he said.

Noctis frowned. "The walls seem thick here to," Noctis said, taking a seat on the floor again.

Prompto leaned on the bars reaching to touch the bump on his head. When he pulled back he noticed the dry blood clinging to his finger nails. At least there was an explanation for his killer headache.

"Sorry to get you dragged into this," Noctis said. "It was stupid of me to follow that guy to a backroom. Oh gosh when Gladio finds me he's going to kill me." Noctis squeezed his fists. "In any case when we get the chance we're getting out of here."

Prompto nodded. "Right," he said.

Prompto scratched his ear, feeling a bit weirded out about the situation he got himself into. Why was the prince apologizing to him? He'd been the one who'd heard those guys planning the kidnap attempt and had not said anything to anyone. Prompto could have made sure nothing had ever happened to the prince. Now here he was locked in a cell with him. He'd been so stupid.

"Is your head okay?" Noctis asked, breaking the silence. Prompto must have been showing the pain on his face for Noctis to ask again, he realized.

"It's fine really, you don't have to worry about me." Prompto fidgeted with his hands. "I mean if anything you're the one in worse danger then me, they were after you." Prompto laughed awkwardly. "Really I was just the tag along they're probably going to kill later when they find out I'm useless to them."

Noctis's eyebrows arched. "Don't cut yourself short like that Prompto." Noctis crossed his arms. "You're always doing that, conceding to other people. You do it with our homeroom teacher all the time. I see them way he picks on you; honestly it's not appropriate behaviour."

The look Prompto was giving Noctis made him shutter. His eyes were gleaming and his cheekbones rotated just a slight amount to show the curve of a smile.

"You know my name?" Prompto said in surprise.

Noctis scratched his head. "Well duh, we went to the same elementary, middle and now are going to the same high school." Noctis pointed at his own uniform, the same one Prompto was wearing. "Why wouldn't I know your name?"

Prompto shrunk his head, his face fueling with a nervous energy. "I don't know, I'm just, I don't know, I didn't think I was worth remembering. The scholarship kid who lives in the bad part of Insomnia." He laughed, but afterwards he shot Noctis a smile. "It makes me happy that you do know my name though."

"Well, well," a voice said coming up from the other side of the bars. Prompto immediately backed up, fumbling back to where Notcis was. "Nice to see the prince and his friend are awake."

Prompto backed further to the wall, but Noctis instead stayed upright, standing tall in front of his captor. "What do you want?" he asked the crimson haired man.

"Well I wonder what I do want?" the captor reached out and touched the ends of the bars. "After all there are so many things I could take from the crown prince of Lucis—so many things I could ask for." Crimson offered a smile, a gold tooth appearing at the left side of his mouth. "Well prince let's see if the other side of the party agrees to our demands, then I won't have to take anything from you."

Prompto listened as the crimson hair man spoke, the way his mouth moved and the accent from his lips. He recognized it, the way of his wording, it was barely noticeable, but it was something he could pick up on.

"You're from Niflheim," Prompto said, finding his own courage to stand up.

The captor seemed surprised at Prompto's knowledge. "Oh well don't we have a smart one here." The man studied Prompto up and down, as if examining Prompto for what he really was. "Maybe fate was the one who led you to be brought here young lad."

Prompto looked down, realizing maybe he shouldn't have said anything.

"Why are you keeping us here!" Noctis shouted. "And at least let Prompto go he has nothing to do with this," Noctis added in.

The captor gave a sigh, his arms making a wave motion. "Now it's the blondes own fault for spying out our operation, besides you should be grateful for the company." He gave a smirk. "Now if you'll excuse me I have some important people to contact."

The crimson haired man started walking away, but Noctis rushed to the bars yelling after him, "Hey I'm not finished talking yet!" he shouted, but the crimson captor had already left.

Feeling a spell of dizziness Prompto used the brick wall to steady himself to the floor. Noctis seemed to notice the discolour in Prompto's face as soon as he turned around.

"Hey are you okay?" Noctis asked for the third time.

Prompto was about to answer, reply and say he was okay for yet his third time, but instead another spell of dizziness hit him, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

"Hey!" Noctis cried out, but Prompto had already faded.

So hope this was an enjoyable chapter! Reviewing is appreciated, if you have time. Hope you're all enjoying the story :D