Title: prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet
Fandom: Final Fantasy XV
Rating: T
Length: 2, 356 words
Content notes: Contains spoilers for chapter 13 of Final Fantasy XV. Warning for graphic violence.
Author notes: I look forward to being super-jossed by the time the DLC comes out
Summary: Deep in Zegnautus Keep, Prompto encounters an illusion.

"The funny thing is, there isn't a thing about you that is unique. ...I think that, in itself, may be unique. Don't you think?"

By the time Prompto had advanced through the identical corridors enough to be faced with a vision of himself, he felt almost... prepared? (That felt like too strong a word.) Maybe it wasn't possible to be prepared to emerge into a room to see something like yourself there, eyes closed as if in sleep, sat as if nothing about this situation was strange. Prompto wasn't sure how to react, but he had seen enough to know Ardyn's illusions realistic - terrifyingly so. The sight was somewhat shocking to see, but not surprising. He still wasn't sure that he wasn't being led on some wild goose chase - Ardyn had spoken of how Noctis was most certainly on his way to Zegnautus Keep, and were it to be the location of the crystal, those words were almost believable. But the structure seemed impossibly huge, and there didn't seem to be an inch of it that Ardyn couldn't reach; Prompto felt like he hadn't seen him in person (if he'd ever seen him in person) for hours, but there was always that voice speaking as if over his shoulder, giving unhelpful suggestions, delving gently into his insecurities.

And here he was, faced with a vision of himself. Okay then.

"As it is, you were rescued. How marvelous! Lucis spies, deep within Niflheim territory, reporting back to the King on their awful, awful methods of experimentation. Some plans succeeded, some plans failed. There was an effort to rescue test subjects. Isn't it ironic, really, that you've ended up back here? After all that time. And all that effort!"

Prompto approached the seated figure somewhat gingerly; this was almost undoubtedly a trap of some sort, but what else could he do? Practically the whole situation was a trap, albeit one ideally intended for Noctis. That he was apparently the first to arrive meant little, as did Ardyn's illusions. The most obvious difference was the vision's clothing; it wasn't a style of outfit that Prompto recognized, but it seemed a sort of simple design that could, theoretically, have been reproduced without difficulty. Something like a uniform, although that word seemed to be giving it too much credit. Enough to cover, and perhaps provide a little warmth. And then the figure's eyes opened, and Prompto was momentarily aware of its expression curling into a violent snarl - one that seemed almost unsuited to his face - before pushing forth from the chair and towards him with enough force to send them both to the floor. He found himself pinned, but with little force; hands clutched at his clothing, fists clenched with as much strength as, it seemed, the figure was able to muster.

"Why was it you--!?"

"Ah--?!" Prompto knew that there was little point listening to the words of illusions, but was still uncertain as how to proceed. Were that movement to end in an attack, it would have been easy enough to hit away in self-defense, but there was something about the way the vision's hands seemed to be... shaking?

"Despite the vast number of them you've destroyed, I wonder if you - any of your little band - ever took the time to look at the MTs you were disposing of. In a general sense, you could say that there were two 'generations' of MTs produced; the ones you've encountered had a number of qualities improved over the old models. And it's easy, isn't it? To 'kill' a robot. Programmed, acting on orders. Sent automatically, over and over. Just another minor irritation in your long journey. Yes? Another Imperial dropship overhead, how tedious."

Despite Ardyn's words, Prompto felt that he had a good enough idea of what an MT looked like; true enough, the heat of battle hadn't given them a lot of time to really study them, but it almost felt as if there wasn't much there to study - those identical metal faces, sometimes broken to reveal sensors and vents beneath. And if there was one thing that Prompto felt that he was learning from this experience, it was that Ardyn seemed to love the sound of his own voice; he spoke without expecting an answer, as if Prompto's presence was an optional part of the setting.

"I admit, it would be a pleasing twist here to say something like 'Prompto, the thing you didn't realize - they all have your face!'... But that would be too easy, wouldn't it? No, they don't have faces. Why would they need that much? I'm sure there are a lot of very deep and philosophical questions to be said along the lines of 'what makes us human' and 'which part of ourselves is really ourselves' - MTs are mass-produced, after all. Somewhere, beneath all that metal, lies the memory of something that used to be a beating heart. Maybe they don't need skin. Would they have bones, do you think? If there was any likeness that you might share, it would have been streamlined out of the program long ago."

"I don't--... I don't know why you're telling me this--!" Prompto shifted onto his side, apparently surprising the figure pinning him down enough to dislodge its hold; it fell to one side, seemingly surprised by this action, and didn't make any move to repeat its previous move.

"Why--... why was it only you--?!"

"I--... I don't know--...!"

"The problem with retrieving test subjects is that awkward little word, 'test'. Even Lucian intelligence couldn't say what experiments had been performed on these children. And they were children, at that time. As were you! And you were taken back to Insomnia, and integrated back into their society, and you survived, didn't you? Well done. The same couldn't be said for the others. And that's to say nothing of those who weren't so lucky - test subjects are produced in batches, after all. And to answer that question, since you both seem stumped by the solution - there really isn't one, is there? Mere luck. Out of so many identical little brothers, it had to be one of them, didn't it? And it happened to be you, Prompto. That's all."

"I--..." Unhelpfully, Prompto found his mind catching on the word 'brother'. Rationally, he knew that that was part of Ardyn's pattern of attack - the suggestion of connection, a connection so deep and so terrible that he'd been completely unaware of during all those years growing up in Insomnia--... but then there was that illusion in front of him, a figure that likely didn't exist, but still... still looked like him. Could have been him, in another circumstance. It's a trap, though. It's definitely a trap. (It - he - was still staring directly at Prompto, with an expression that seemed wild and confused both at once. Prompto didn't know what to do; it seemed that the feeling was mutual.)

"... I didn't have any choice. You said it yourself, right? That the test subjects were children. What could--... what could we have done?!"

"The question, really, is less 'what you could have done' and more 'what will you do'. As you may recall, that Prince of yours is on his way here as we speak. And, here we have what seems for all the world like two of you, here at once! How strange. A clone is made to be identical, Prompto. Developed in order to be programmed. It could even be that Noctis thinks he has already found you, elsewhere within this stronghold. Perhaps it could be that all of the test subjects would carry your face, and it would only take a little meddling to replicate your personality... and perhaps they'll take the crystal together, and leave back to Lucis, and you'd never even know. Just a possibility, mind you."

Prompto picked himself up from the floor, trying to quell the rising panic within him. That's what he wants you to feel. He wouldn't be saying it if it was true. (Would he?) "W-what, and you'd just stay here talking to me while you let him take the crystal?" He tried to laugh, but knew that it sounded hollow. "That--... that seems kind of unlikely."

"I'm just airing theories, don't mind me. Of course... if you wanted to be sure, truly sure, then there are methods to guarantee that."

"... I don't care." Prompto glanced down at the illusory figure, who still lay in the position he'd been in after Prompto had pulled free. He hesitated; was there anything that could be done for the figure? Most likely he would vanish on Ardyn's whim, but there was still the part of Prompto's mind that said what if.

If you saved him, then it wouldn't only have been you, would it?

Maybe it wouldn't be like having a brother at all, but maybe--... more like having one than otherwise?

Just an illusion. A trap. He's toying with you, Prompto--!

That reaction seemed to cause some amusement. "Oh, really? Well, then. If you truly don't care, then that will make this easier. It might be that Noctis would encounter those that look like you as he makes his way through this building; the only way to make sure that he doesn't get confused is to give him no chance for confusion to begin with."

"I, I don't--..."

"I'm saying to kill them, Prompto. Since you don't care, after all. And I know that you're standing there telling yourself that none of this is real, so it should be quite easy. Kill that one, find the others, kill them also."

Again came that feeling of dread. Even to say that this was likely enough an illusion, it still seemed so real; when the figure had had him pinned, there had been warmth, there. Had he heard the things that Ardyn was saying? He hadn't been reacting to them, but he seemed frightened, now. Scrabbling against the metal of the floor, trying to push up to a standing position but failing, trying to get away--

"No--... I--... I wouldn't--! I... I trust Noct. If he's here, then--... then I know he'll find me. I'll find him! And we'll get out of here together...!"

"How very admirable. That's all perfectly pleasant, but you might like to notice that I've locked the doors. A door can stay locked for a very long time, you know. And this is quite an out-of-the-way corridor. I'd say that the chances of Noctis just happening across this locked door of all the doors to be quite low - and perhaps he might be curious, and try to open it, but there's only so much he can do. And then he'll move to another floor, and what happens after that... won't be any business of yours."

"N--... no--... don't--..."

Prompto heard his voice, and it took a moment to realize that he wasn't the one speaking. Still on the floor, the figure was cowering, now.

"No, don't worry--... um..."

"Oh, but you've killed so many of them already, haven't you? The only difference between this one and all those others is that those ones fell from the sky, hiding with their metal faces." Ardyn's voice came once again but different, this time - one of the doors opened (too fast for Prompto to react), and Ardyn himself stepped through into the room. "I hardly see any appreciable difference."

"I'm not gonna do it. I won't do anything you say--!"

"My, but you seem to have grown a backbone. That must be what comes from being raised in the Crown City." Ardyn walked to stand beside Prompto, and held out one hand; in it, he held a pistol. "But, doors don't unlock themselves."

"There's another way. There's always another way."

"There is? Then, do enlighten me." Ardyn smiled, giving Prompto time to answer; no answer came. "Bluffing, are we? Of course. Well, I certainly can't force you. Or, I mean, I could, but where would the fun in that be?"

Without warning, the piercing crack of the pistol firing echoed within the room; Prompto's first instinct was to move to cover his ears, although it was over and done with by the time he was able to do so. Then came the realization of what had caused that noise, and why, and the figure still lay upon the floor but unmoving this time, head thrown back and blood pooling beneath it--

"...--!" Prompto wanted to voice his surprise, but found himself unable. Even with Ardyn stood next to him, it was momentarily hard to concentrate on anything; the fact that the figure was dead and Ardyn had killed him pushed in front of all other thought, mingling with those vague possible suggestions of I could have rescued him and it might have been like having a brother-- and it was definitely a trap, but--. The simple fact of seeing someone killed directly in front of his eyes, also, was something that Prompto felt at a loss to be able to deal with, even if that person was some sort of spell created to fool him.

Ardyn pushed the pistol into Prompto's hand and then took both of his arms in a restraining hold. "That takes care of that. You'll be able to take care of the rest, won't you? Don't worry, I'll be here every step of the way, just to make sure." (Realizing his situation, Prompto tried to struggle free, but found himself surprised at the strength keeping him bound.) "And, I will admit, you were right; it was an illusion." The far door opened, and Ardyn maneuvered Prompto towards it. "However, it wasn't a lie. Imagine if any one of them had been able to have the life that you now have...! But, life isn't fair, now, is it? Now, I believe we have a few more mirrors to break. Onward...!"