Work Text:
Unit N-iP01357 couldn't believe it just said that.
Not only had it failed to refer to itself as a unit, it revealed exactly what it was feeling.
Magitek units couldn't be afraid, shouldn't feel in the first place, but it was broken. It was a failure and no one had use for a damaged unit. The royals would destroy— no, kill it, just like its handlers would and it was afraid because it didn't want to die. It was afraid because the Lucians wouldn't stop threatening it with weapons. It was afraid because its entire world was thrown out of balance, and it could only rely on three people who should be its enemy by all means. But they couldn't have use for a broken unit either, and they would take it out of commission for good. They knew its injuries, its flaws in code because it'd told them because it thought it could trust them, but the unit slipped up and revealed itself to be more aware than was allowed and they were going to do what its handlers would do and kill it —
I don't want to die.
An MT that could think on its own was not an asset, it was a liability.
It's easier to keep compliance when units can only do what they're told.
It—he didn't want to comply. He wanted to catalog those marvelous moments like the sunset he's sure to never see again. He didn't want to hunt and kill Lucians. He wanted to consume whatever emitted that amazing smell last night. He didn't want to kill the Prince. He wanted to see the Prince smile again and see the light reflecting brightly in his eyes.
He didn't want to die.
He wanted to live.
"I—I want to live ," its— his voice refused to do what he wanted it to. It warbled and changed tone from even and flat to pained and scared, just like he'd been before he'd donned the armor. He didn't remember much from then, only enough to know that he never wanted to return to that mindset again.
The Prince's face twisted from behind his Shield, eyes shining wetly, and he darted around the Shield—who's broadsword was slack in his hands—and ran into the unit. He nearly toppled from the force, core thrumming painfully in his audio receptors, bracing for an attack to get rid of him —… but no. The Prince's arms were wrapped tightly around his torso, not nearly hard enough to be painful, and the Prince's face was tucked into his neck. The unit was stunned, unmoving, until he remembered the live-wire bundle in his neck on that side, and carefully moved the Prince away. The Prince looked at him sadly, hurt his code (mind?) differentiated, and to soothe him he moved the Prince's head to the other side of his neck.
"There is an exposed wire on that side," he explained softly as the Prince practically buried his face in the crook of his neck again. "The unit— I did not want you to get hurt." The Prince was shaking at that point.
"Thank you." The Prince was hoarse and choked up, arms tightening around him but still non-threateningly.
The unit was confused, and decided to take a chance by breaching policy and asking a question. "What for?"
"For everything," the Prince answered, which didn't really help his confusion.
"Well," the Advisor started, and it—he tore his attention away from the Prince to look at the retainers. For once, they didn't seem like they wanted to pull the Prince away from him. "For starters, you didn't kill Noctis." The unit tensed, reminded about his previous primary objective, but the Prince holding onto him didn't seem to care. If anything, his arms wound tighter, more comforting around him. He thinked he liked this feeling. "You also warned us that Magitek units were on their way. Not to mention you led us to a Haven and kept watch all night." The Advisor took a step closer and the unit didn't move. "So thank you for your assistance."
A tight, suffocating, pressure built in his chest. He couldn't force out words through the tightness, and his vision began to blur. He was hurting in some other way than physical, but it wasn't a negative hurt. He felt truly needed for once, even when he was at his worst yet, they needed him. And they were thanking him. He wasn't completely broken (was he?).
He shuttered out a breath, and borrowed something he'd heard a scientist say. "Of course."
The Shield's broadsword was gone again, vanished in a light nearly identical to the Prince's warping, and the man took a few steps towards the unit. Alarm bells blared in his mind, not even physically in his system, and he automatically flinched and shuffled back, accidentally dragging the Prince with him. The Shield paused his advancements, and the Prince looked up to the unit, but he couldn't look back. His eyes were stuck on the Shield. All he could see was the memory of the man's snarl, his muscled body coiled tight and ready to spring, the hate and fire in his eyes as he readied to charge and kill the unit. The Shield currently didn't look that way, but he had the capability which made the unit much more scared.
Nothing was more frightening than a monster who could wear a pleasant face. He'd encountered enough to know.
The Prince looked back to his Shield and the Advisor placed a hand in front of the man's chest. "Maybe it'd be best if you stayed back for now so you don't frighten him anymore." The Shield looked displeased, but he nodded. The unit relaxed a little, but he was still tense. He never should have let down his guard in the first place, and he wouldn't again until he was certain that the trio wouldn't attack him.
The Prince jerked back, eyes wide but sparkling as he held the unit at arm's length. "You definitely need a name now."
The Shield sighed and lifted his arm and the unit automatically tensed, but he just rubbed the back of his head. "I guess I can't argue with that."
"So?" The Prince turned on the unit with a blinding smile and he innately wanted to shield his eyes from the brightness. The unit tilted his head.
As if sensing his confusion, the Advisor cleared his throat. "He wants you to pick a name."
He jolted. Pick a name? He didn't know any names, much less any names he might have wanted. If he parsed through his memories he could probably find a few names from the scientists or his handlers, but… he didn't want any of their names. "Would—…” Was this even okay to ask?
The Advisor spoke kindly. "Go ahead. You're allowed to say anything."
Steeling his courage, he asked, "Can you give me a Lucian name?"
No one said anything, and a creeping feeling of unease slithered into his core. Then the Prince smiled wide, and the feeling softened. "Sure! Specs, what are some of the most Lucian names you can think of?"
The Advisor placed his hand to his chin in a way the unit had seen the scientists do. "Lumen, Felix, and Tempus are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head."
Even the Shield looked thoughtful. "Fortis is a pretty common name." The unit was glad he didn't have to pick. Just listening made him a little overwhelmed.
The Prince hummed thoughtfully, and suggested, "What about Prompto? It's not exactly traditional Lucian, but—” he looked to the unit, grinning, "I think it fits."
The unit's core fluctuated unevenly. "I—… I think I like Prompto." The Prince brightened further and the unit's— Prompto's core fluctuated harder.
"Prompto it is then." The Advisor gave a hint of a smile, and Prompto felt like he wanted to return it. His mood dimmed as he remembered he couldn't because he was a machine, and even if he could they wouldn't be able to see it beneath the armor.
The Shield looked around uneasily. "We should get moving. The longer we stay in one place while outside the Haven the more likely we'll be spotted." He glanced back at them. "By either Niflheim or other creatures."
The Advisor nodded. "Indeed. Let's head back to the Regalia for now. We can decide what to do from there." Decide what to do with Prompto, that is. He knew it wouldn't be easy to have him there, but he appreciated their effort. He did, however, have a sinking feeling that their peace wouldn't last with him around.
Prompto was tempted to remind them of his injury since the Advisor had said he wanted to deal with it, but stopped himself. Their safety was a priority over him, and they were not safe yet. Once they were safe he would bring it up.
"Prompto," the Advisor said, catching his attention. "Can you guide us in the direction where you dropped down before?"
Prompto internally frowned. "I can. I don't advise it though. The other deployed Magitek Units are likely still roaming in that area."
"Don't worry about us," the Prince chimed in as they all began to walk. "We're rested and ready to go. Besides, we can catch them off guard. They won't be expecting us to go back." Which was a fair point. It was in their programming to assume that the Lucians would not return to the site of a recent Magitek battle.
"We're not giving him a weapon though," the Shield said firmly, and the Prince looked ready to object before they locked gazes. A few seconds later the Prince deflated.
"Fine." Was the Prince pouting? Prompto was unsure, as he had never seen an actual pout before.
"I do not mind. If necessary, I can take a rifle from an Imperial Sniper unit." Prompto followed an unorthodox code and gently nudged the Prince by tilting to the side, and the resulting smile from the Prince was worth it. Prompto pulled ahead to the front to lead the way, the trio of royals following behind, much more willing than the last time.
The journey wasn't long, and Prompto slowed as they approached the area marked on his internal map. His ears picked up the mechanical sound of leaves crunching under the souls of marching Magitek units, and he instinctively crouched. He risked a glance back to check on the Lucians, but they'd followed his lead already. It made something inside him warm, but he forcefully shook it off and focused on his hearing.
Cru-crunch crunch-crun-crunch—
"It sounds like they have approximately 30 units. At least six of those are Imperial Sniper units per ratio standards," Prompto spoke lowly back to them.
The Shield made a low, quiet whistle. "That's around twice as last time." Prompto caught the Advisor dart a glance at him, but he said nothing.
"Even with the numbers, we'll start the same way," the Prince whispered. "I'll get close enough to hit them with my magic before I go after the snipers, while you two have my back and take care of the infantry until I'm done. Sounds good?" They nodded.
The Prince crept forward, keeping behind the bushes for cover, and when he stopped Prompto automatically calculated the distance. The Prince created a spark of electricity, and knowing the Magitek model, Prompto whispered, "These units are weaker to ice and resistant to electricity like my model."
There was a brief flicker of a pained expression on the Prince's face before it was quickly overshadowed by a smile and nod. The sparks in his palm vanished, replaced by a spinning flurry of snow and ice. He let it grow for a second, before valuing over the bush and clenching his outstretched fist
There was a brief whisper of cool air before a chilling wave of ice exploded at the feet of the largest grouping of Magitek units. Prompto braced himself against the cold he could feel from here, even if it hadn't hit him, and couldn’t be anything but glad that the Prince hadn't used this spell while fighting his unit.
Prompto felt more than saw the retainers run past him, weapons undoubtedly out and already swinging. There were clashes of steel, the sound of guns firing, and the shattering sounds of warping. Prompto kept his head down. He had no weapon and was at an additional disadvantage with only one usable arm. Therefore he would not fight.
He promptly retracted his words when he spotted an Imperial Sniper unit aiming at the Prince from behind a tree. He made a split second decision, because they couldn't see it at their angle, to abandon his hiding spot and scoop up a fallen sniper rifle. He quickly braced himself and fired, the Imperial Sniper unit's shot going wild as it was hit in the chest. Prompto took a second to aim this time, and its chest collapsed from the impact, unable to withstand two high powered shots.
He glanced around and shot an infantry unit that had managed to get behind the Shield, and the Lucian briefly glanced his way before turning back to his fight.
Something on Prompto's internal radar pinged and he dodged out of the way as an infantry unit's sword slammed down beside him. Conscious that his left arm was out of commission, he fought accordingly. He swiftly fired at the unit's knee joint and it crumpled, lowering the unit just enough so that Prompto could fire point blank at its head.
Unfortunately his shooting caught the attention of other units, and two more infantry units were on him. Prompto shot the one farthest from him in the core, before catching the blade of the second with the gun’s barrel. The sniper rifle screeched in protest, the sword beginning to warp it, and Prompto threw it away. He may have lost his gun, but the unit lost its sword.
Prompto plunged his hand into the unit's neck as the unit clutched and squeezed his own neck. Pain flared up along the column of his neck, getting harder, getting tighter , but he kept calm, and with a bit of fumbling, pulled out the power cord from its neck.
The infantry unit shut down immediately, releasing him, and Prompto couldn't help but gasp for breath. He quickly picked up the gun again, even if he wasn't sure if it would fire properly now. A weapon was better than no weapon. After he did, a voice called, "Prompto!" and it took him a few seconds before he realized that was his name. He looked up, and the Prince ran over to him with an odd look on his face. If Prompto had been more well-versed, he might have said it was worry.
"Are you okay?" The Prince asked… worriedly, Prompto decided, his hands hovering near Prompto like he didn't know what to do. His retainers followed to stand beside him, and Prompto absently thought it odd that they didn't stand behind like those of lesser standing were supposed to.
"Wait that's right, you're hurt! You'd been shot in the shoulder!” The Prince said suddenly.
Prompto blinked. "Confirmed."
"Iggy," the Prince turned to his Advisor. "We need to treat him."
The Advisor pushed up his glasses. "Indeed we do. I'm surprised he managed to fight that well with only one arm." He focused on Prompto, stepping closer, but there was something tight in his voice and off in his gait that Prompto couldn't identify. "Prompto, I need to know how to remove the armor and about your internal components."
"Confirmed," he nodded, and shifted through the necessary files in his head. "Armor removal is impossible to complete safely without the proper equipment. A multitude of cables and tubes connect the armor to the chassis and base underneath, permanently affixed to it."
The Advisor seemed to minutely brighten. "The chassis?"
"The chassis is the metal mainframe specifically designed to support the armour so it does not damage the base upon assembly."
The Advisor's eyebrows furrowed, lips thinning. "What kind of base do you have?"
Prompto tilted his head. He was unsure of how to accurately describe his base.
"Did it—” The Advisor cut himself off. Licking his lips, he tried again. "Does your base look like us?"
The two other Lucians' gazes snapped onto the Advisor, eyes wide and mouths open, before slowly drifting towards him. He was pretty sure the main emotion they displayed was horror, but he could not be sure. The complexities of emotions still largely escaped him.
He thought about the question. Did his base look like theirs? (Did it look human?) Well it was human shaped, would that qualify? It was still a machine regardless. The base had hands and feet and a head like they did, was that what the Advisor was asking about? He did not share any other features like hair and skin the same though. He was pretty sure he even had completely red optical sensors. None of that was like the Lucians.
"I cannot guarantee that the base hasn't changed since armor application, but before that, the base was somewhat similar." If it was possible, their horror got worse. He didn't understand.
"Iggy," the Prince swallowed harshly. "Are you trying to say…"
"That there's a person under all that armor?" The Shield finished.
They all looked pale, but the Advisor's skin tone would soon match the clouds above. "I wasn't planning on saying anything yet until I was sure, but—” he struggled to speak again, "I believe Prompto has not only gained free will, but is actually a human that's been conditioned to think like a machine."
Silence, until a quiet, "Prompto?" from the Prince.
A fraction of hesitation.
"Negative. I am a machine."
A fraction too long.
"Oh, Astrals," the Prince said breathlessly and cupped a hand over his mouth, shifting back a step.
The Shield had a hand fisted into the fabric on his chest, seemingly unable to move, just staring unblinkingly at Prompto. "Shit, Iggy. I—… I think you're right."
Prompto did not like those reactions.
He… he did not understand. He was a machine. Broken, and full of errors, but still a machine. The organics connected to the chassis were merely for biological purposes to house the Starscourge, nothing more. There had to be nothing more to it.
Rī g h t ?
He unconsciously retreated backwards, placing a hand to his head as it began to pound. The mounting tension was practically palpable. Were they already dissatisfied with him— it ? It. (Did they know something it didn't?) Prompto—the unit was an it. It did not have a Lucian name. It did not have a gender. It did not have feelings and could not be afraid. Those things were for humans. It was a machine, not a human. Never a human. It was a Magitek unit that belonged to the Empire, to Niflheim, and nothing more. Its primary objective—… Its primary objective was to… It could not remember. The file was corrupted.
The Prince's breath hitched. "Don't tell me we've been—?"
"It's very possible that we have."
The Prince visibly shook and the Shield caught his arm before leaning the Prince against him in support. The unit wanted to help, had almost moved to do so as the Prince started to tip, but it was a Magitek unit. It could not feel and could not want. It— Prince…
It remembered.
Its primary objective was to kill the Prince of Insomnia.
It reinitiated its primary objective.
Unit N-iP01357 straightened to the Imperial Sniper ready stance, raised its gun, and locked into its target.
"Noctis Lucis Caelum, by Niflheim Royal decree, you are here-by sentenced to death."
It fired.