Our Love

Commodore

The morning couldn't come fast enough.

The prince couldn't calm his mind enough to sleep. He wanted answers and he wants to be closer to finding Prom. They are no better than a week ago. No closer to finding who is responsible, no closer to finding Prom and no closer to going home. He could not sleep with how worried he is.

And when he finally fell asleep it didn't feel long enough. He did his morning routine miserable and tired. After he finished dressing he looked worse than he did the day before. Ignis looked better. Having been able to sleep on a bed with no worries about safety. Gladio too, able to clean up his growing scruff. Both look like they had a good night's sleep.

The contrast between them and Noct is like day and night. Solara couldn't blame them, couldn't blame Noct for being disheveled, he look close to death. Solara felt she would be in the same position if Luna was the one taken.

They ate breakfast, silently. No one commenting on his appearance. They ate their meal, they need energy in order to continue their search.

"Empress!" A maid runs into the room. "Commodore Aranea is back!" she says, sliding next to Sol. "She says it's urgent." the maid says in a soft whisper.

"Let's go. Noct, Ignis, Gladio. She might have some intell for you all." Solara stands up, not as fast as Noct does, leading the prince towards the war room. Waiting for them, near the head of the table stood a woman, with dark silver hair in a ponytail, red armor. She looked at them, giving a nod to the empress. Ignis, the last one to enter, closes the door behind him. "Everyone this is Aranea. She worked under my grandfather, but then she left with me. Raising me as a hunter. I sent her on a mission, find and map all the facilities on Niflheim." the empress explains.

"I'd say my mission was completed. Who are they?" Aranea wonders. They look unusual. They are not from around here that's for sure.

"Prince Noctis, and two of his retinue, Gladio and Ignis. Another one of his friends are missing Prompto." Sol says. The commodore looks at them shocked.

"Prompto.... Argentum?" She asks. They stare at the silver haired woman.

"How do you know her name?" Noct asks, he knows that she wouldn't introduce herself like that but she must have for a reason. She wouldn't introduce herself to a stranger either.

"She introduced herself to me like that. Blonde hair, blue eyes, freckles, short but thick?" she explains as she looks at those in the room nodding their heads. That's Prompto. Aranea looks down, "then she's not with you?" Noct shakes his head. The commodore digs into her pockets, pulling out a flash drive. "Here, for you." she holds it out for the boys, giving each one a look. "Which one of you is Ignis?"

"I'm Ignis." He steps up. Aranea hands it over to the advisor.

"As I was making out the facilities I saw one that was still working. There I found Prompto and Verstael Besithia."

"The scientist!" Sol asks shocked.

"He's been holed up in his little lab for years now. Prompto and I fought him. She gave me that saying if I ever met you first to give it to you guys. She has another one. Last I saw her she rode off on a motorcycle going to look for you guys at Portia." Aranea explains.

"What was Prompto doing with Besithia? Noct said she was taken from the train by a bunch of MTs." Sol says looking confused. How is that possible? What happened?

"The answer might be on that flash drive. When handing it to me she looked pained, said it would answer many questions. I don't know which questions though." Aranea says pointing to the flash drive in Ignis hand. The other three joining her in looking at the advisors hand. Ignis looks over at Sol.

"May I look through it now?" He asks. It must be important if she gave someone she barely knows this. Going as far as to make two flash drives.

"Of course. Just find a seat and plug it in. All of us would be able to see it." she says. They all take a seat. Ignis plugging the flash drive in. A holographic keyboard appearing, Ignis clicks the first thing he sees. They all stare at their respective screens in horror. Blonde men lay in tubes. Wires coming out of their skin. It gets worse when they see how similar he looks to Prompto, close enough to be considered brother and sister. There are so many pictures, all of them are of the clones, they learn that's what they are. Then the pictures are of a baby. A baby girl. A blonde baby girl. She was treated like royalty. MTs protecting her crib.

It took a few more pictures of the baby girl to realize the blonde baby is Prompto. Their Prompto was a clone.

They heard some recordings of that being the case. Learning that they also dug someone out called Ardyn. No picture was provided. A video starts playing of Prompto, the one they know, she's trying to get the computer work but she's having trouble. Ignis looks through the flash drive more trying to find more. Noct and Gladio continue to watch Prom fight her way through the facility it would seem. Prom wasn't holding back. She fought ruthlessly. She fought without hesitation. At first. They saw as she broke down after learning she's a clone. They don't know what happened but she pulled herself out of it. She continued to fight through it. She became determined.

They are disrupted by Ignis standing up. Eyes on his screen. "Solara," he calls her name, he looks at her then his screen. She moves forward, clicking a button to share the same screen as him. She begins reading the document as Ignis takes out his phone in a panic.

"Cor where is Drautos!?" Ignis shouts, Sol stands up, angrily staring at the screen. Curious Aranea does the same, reading for herself. Noct and Gladio stare at the advisor, curious to what he will say, wanting answers to his behavior. "Find Astrum, find the king. Protect them from him." Ignis says. "Don't trust him! He's actually General Glauca! He wants to destroy Insomnia!" Ignis shouts. After a second he puts his phone away.

"What! Are you sure?" Noct asks shocked.

"It says it right here. He joined Niflheim, he's a magical infantry man." Sol says. "I'm contacting Loqi. I sent him because there was rumors he went to Lucis. He should still be there. I told him to search every place." She says.

"Prompto also got a map of all the facilities here." Aranea says amazed.

"It doesn't tell where she is now." Noct says.

"Lori, where are you?" Solara asks.

"Heading to the ships. I can't seem to find him. Looks like it was a rumor after all." Loqi says.

"Did you check Insomnia?" She asks.

"Why would he be in the capital?" He sounds confused.

"Go and check. He'll be under the name Titus Drautos." She tells him.

"Titus is a kingsglaive. He's the leader." Gladio says hoping he heard.

"Try to capture him and bring him alive." She command him.

"Understood." Loqi says. The call ending there.

"Now what do we do?" Ignis wonders.