Disclaimer: Anything that is not mine, is not mine. The game, the characters, they are not mine. The concept of the story is mine, but the elements added that were not originally mine, are definitely not mine. I hope that's enough disclaimer!

Author's Note: A fic challenge and my contribution for Prompto Week! I'm dedicating this to onpanwa (BECAUSE WE'RE CRAZY ABOUT PROMPTOOOO) and to Angel-wings Naya (because I want her to know Prompto better with this AU fic). And of course, to all Prompto fans out there. I hope you'll enjoy this one-shot, and please be nice!

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He was having one of those episodes again.

The ones when he broke from his focused trance and suddenly became aware that he did so he had to look around and copy what everyone else was doing. And that would mean trying to remain standing while acting like no hour was being wasted away. Being in a trance would pass the time so quickly he'd never realize he had been standing for twenty-four hours straight!

"Waking up" was always caused by loud noises, usually from shutting metal doors. This time, however, came from strange and distressed sounds by... someone.

He bent down from his position and looked around, waiting from one of the troops on his line to take notice. Though their eyes were still glowing red, they remained frozen at their posts. He would have asked, but he somehow felt the attention would mean more trouble. Better if he moved around with no voice that would prompt them to wake up.

He decided to test them and stepped forward. Still no reaction from the group. He took a second one, and another until he found himself walking toward the faint sound of the sobbing voice. From the other end of the corridor, he could see a small thin human figure sitting on the floor with hands on eyes. Walking closer and carefully as not to startle the person, he could discern that it was a girl with short black hair in black winter attire. She must have heard his footsteps closing in when she lifted her head and gasped at the sight of him. She pulled out her dagger to stab him if he had gotten any closer while her legs scrambled to push herself as far as the wall behind could take her.

"Stand back!" she cried.

He held out his hands in surrender. "Hey! I'm not going to fight you!"

She swung her dagger aimlessly. "Get away from me!"

"Fine! Fine!" He took a step back and shook his head, as if to show her that he would do what she asked. "I'm not gonna touch you!"

She stopped swinging, though her dagger was still pointing at him and her lips pressed in a thin line. Her teary eyes were still staring warily at him while he dropped his hands to his sides.

He tilted his head. "Are you lost?"

The girl momentarily cast her eyes down before shooting them back at him.

"Do you need help?"

After hesitating for a moment, the girl nodded.

He looked around to check if there was anyone else around before nodding back at her. "I can help!"

The girl began to give it a thought, her dagger still out just in case he suddenly decided to jump at her. It wasn't a matter of whether she wanted help or not. The place had been an endless maze the moment she entered its premises with no exit in sight and with no one to help her from the monstrosities inside. It wasn't up to her anymore. Well, it could be. She could stay there and wait for help that might never come before she dies. Or, she could trust one of those monstrosities who offered help and up her chances of getting out alive.

She slowly lowered her dagger while studying the MT before her. "Okay," she whispered.

He jerked slightly as if in surprise. "Did you say 'okay'?"

The girl nodded.

"Great!" the MT replied, his cheerful disposition concealed by his vacant mask. He held out a hand.

The girl looked at it cautiously then back at him.

He motioned his hand. "Let me help you up!"

She looked at his hand again and bit her lip before taking it. True to his word, the MT pulled her up.

He nodded again in approval. "Now, let me show you the way out! Stay close to me, okay?"

The girl nodded.

When they began to walk, he felt content just by gaining the girl's trust, yet he felt lost at the same time. He knew he was supposed to be with the others, standing guard where they were told to. But who would help her but him? Besides, they would sound the alarm and attack if they found her.

Wait a sec, he thought. Wasn't that his job too? She was an intruder, and the protocol called for elimination. But that just seemed so wrong. The poor thing was too harmless for that!

He looked over his shoulder at her and quickly stirred his head back when she noticed.

"W-what?" she asked onerously.

"Nothing!" he replied in defense. He could feel the girl glaring at him from behind. "I just, I feel strange. I shouldn't be here," he finally admitted.

"I'll say," the girl said. "I was wondering about that too."

"If I'm strange?"

The girl narrowed her eyes, more with curiosity than anything. "Strange?"

"Yeah," he said. "Like, do you find me strange?"

She opened her mouth to answer and closed them again, unsure how to react at his question. She was too confounded by his inquiry and she began to wonder if MTs were truly capable of saying those words. "I–"

"Uh oh! Trouble!" The MT began to reach a protective arm backward and guided her gently against a wall. "Stay quiet, okay?" he whispered as he straightened up to mimic an alert soldier all in a split second. "I'll cover you."

She didn't understand what he meant, but she knew enough to realize that there was something alarming out there. She found out shortly when four MTs suddenly appeared and marched the other way. He stood unmoving and she stayed hidden until they disappeared.

"Wow, that was a close call," he said, relieving a long string of breath.

"Too close for comfort, as one of my friends would always say," she added.

"Okay, from now on, just tap me when there are other of those around so I can hide you, okay?"

She narrowed her eyes again and smiled curiously at him. "You really are very strange."

The girl decided that she was thirsty the moment they passed by a corner with an Ebony vendor machine. The MT fondly suggested she could rest there "as long as she liked." And though she was truly in a hurry to get out, she could only agree, else she might lose his friendly mood.

She chose to drink a bottle of juice and a bottle of water while he stood guard by the corridor, humming an upbeat song that contrasted the ambience of the otherwise ghastly place.

After taking a gulp of the juice, she carefully closed the bottle with the cap. "What's your name?"

The MT turned around at her. "Hmm?"

"Your name?"

"I'm 01987."

"That's a little hard to remember."

"You can call me by its shorter version."

"What is it?"

"Defect."

The girl pulled her head back and raised her brows. "I wouldn't call you that!"

He shrugged. "Well, that's what they call me. I can't think of any other name."

"There must be a better name for you!"

The MT hung his head and fiddled his feet against the ground. "Well, can you think of one?"

The girl looked away and her eyes began to dart around the walls, searching for answers. She turned back around at him. "How would you describe yourself?"

"Like what describe?"

"Like, what's your favorite thing about yourself?"

"Oh. Hmmm…" The MT began to rub his chin thoughtfully. "I move fast, I guess." Truth to be told, he couldn't think of anything that made him like himself better than the rest of the troops. He was supposed to be a "defect," and that meant the "least liked." The only thing that made the people in charge of the place keep him was his speed.

"Well, I can call you Prompto, then," the girl chirped. "That means 'quick.'"

There was something about the way he lifted his head when she gave him a new name. He perked up, possibly ecstatic as he looked back at her. But how could she know when that stupid helmet was blocking the view?

"Wanna know my name?" the girl asked.

He nodded vigorously. "Yes please!"

"You have to remove your helmet first," the girl said, pointing at his face. "Because you are scary in your helmet. And I don't want to give you my name while I'm scared of you!"

"Scared?"

"Just do it, Prompto!"

"Okay," Prompto nodded. He unhitched something from the bottom of his helmet before lifting it carefully off head, revealing an actual pale face with piercing blue eyes that flattered his blond locks and contradicted his previous facade.

Prompto pouted as his brows folded upward at the middle. "Why're you looking at me like that?"

Iris realized that she was gaping at him with round eyes. She shook her head. "N-nothing! I just… I was expecting something…"

"What?"

"Scarier."

"Huh?" Prompto tilted his head. "Like what?"

"Like a daemon or something."

"What's so scary about a daemon?"

The girl widened her eyes in disbelief. "What's so scary about a daemon?" she repeated.

"Yeah."

"They are literally demonic creatures that can rip you apart!"

"Okay? So you fight them!"

"I…" the girl trailed off. She looked away. "I thought I could, but… as it turns out, I'm not that strong to fight them yet. Should have listened to my brother. And this would not have happened," she said. Then, as if her newfound determination sprung back, she frowned and turned back at him. "Which brings us to the first point. Daemons are scary because they look scary, and they can kill me!"

"What will happen will happen, right? What's so scary about it?"

The girl groaned in frustration. "You either have no concept of fear, or you are just really out of touch with reality!"

"Okay then, so let's say I'm not allowed to know what 'fear' is."

She rose an eyebrow. "For real?"

"Yeah, for real!"

The girl pursed her lips but decided to explain anyway. "Fear is like, when you don't want something to happen and it bothers you so much it eats you inside before it has even happened yet."

Prompto shrugged. "I work with daemons everyday. They are part of my training. They're not scary to me. Now that I think about it–" he placed a finger on his chin again. "–I may also be part daemon. Not the bersek-ish type, but we are regularly given daemon supplements."

"Why?"

"Else I won't be fast. Or capable of fighting."

After mulling over his answer, the girl nodded meekly and curled her fingers around her bottle of juice. "Oh," she said. "That's sad."

"You haven't told me your name yet," Prompto said.

The girl looked up and was met by a warm smile that wrinkled his eyes. It was a relieving sight that she needed to mentally survive the misery of the place.

"Iris," she said. "My name is Iris."

"Now we're friends!" Prompto said cheerfully.

Iris smiled in response. "I guess we are."

"We should celebrate!"

"Oh," Iris slightly bounced on her spot and reached into her pocket. Now that he mentioned it, celebrations always deserved recorded moments, and he certainly earned a place in her album. Besides, it would be nice to show her brother some proof of how she made it alive with the help of an MT. Now that would be one hell of a story to tell! Especially when he finally meets Prompto.

"What about we take a picture?" Iris said.

Prompto's brows wrinkled upward. "Picture?"

Iris fumbled around her phone, briefly glancing at her signal bar (there was still none. Still worth checking, though) before opening the camera application. "Yeah. You said we should celebrate, right? We should capture this moment when we officially become friends!"

"Alright!" Prompto cheered. He then fell silent. "Then what's a picture and why we would take it?"

Iris huffed. There would be some explaining to do. "Okay. Let me show you. Here's my phone," she said, holding out her phone. "It has a camera. See?" She pointed her finger at the lens above her phone screen. Prompto jerked backward when he saw himself on her phone. He waved and his image waved right back at him.

"That's…" He pointed at the miraculous gadget. "That's awesome."

Iris nodded and giggled. "It is, right?"

"So, we take a picture?"

"Yeah! Here." Iris stood up and stood beside Prompto, holding up the camera in front of them. Now Prompto was looking at an image of himself right beside Iris.

"Whoah!" Prompto marveled at the magic of the small piece of device.

"Now I want you to smile!" Iris cheered. When they both did, she pressed the shutter, successfully capturing the photo. She showed the result to Prompto who was ogling at it.

"We call that a 'selfie,'" Iris said. "We do that all the time, especially when we are at a special occasion, or we meet up with friends or family that we haven't seen for a long time."

Prompto lifted his eyes from the phone and looked at her. "So, you mean, you find me special?"

Iris nodded vigorously. "Of course! You're helping me out, and you're really nice to me. You are possibly the only good thing about this place, and now you're my friend!"

A wide smile grew on his face and turned back on her phone to take more of his time to study the photo, as if it was the only moment he ever could.

Iris' eyes darted between him and phone, studying his reaction curiously. She clamped her hands together on her back and rocked on her heels playfully. "You know, when we get out of this place, we could get you your own phone and I can send that to you so you'll have something to remember this moment!"

Prompto lifted his gaze from the photo and peered at Iris. He grinned and made a sound against his throat as he shook his head slightly. "No. I don't know. I don't think I can really leave this place."

Iris straightened up and frowned. "Why not?"

Prompto shrugged and handed the phone back to Iris. "This is the only place I belong in."

Iris carefully took her phone from Prompto. "But you've never been anywhere else."

Prompto sighed. "Well, you thought I was a daemon who would rip you to shreds," he said. "If I go out there, not only will your brother and friends rip me to shreds, but this place will too if they haven't yet!"

"They won't rip you to shreds! Not if they found out what you did to help me! Look." Iris swiped on her screen until she saw a photo of her with the group. She showed it to Prompto. "See? They are good people. And we care about each other a lot. If they find out what you did for me, they'll care about you too!"

Prompto squinted to take a better look at more people cramped together in the photo.

"See, this is my brother, Gladiolus," Iris pointed at the tallest and bulkiest of them. "This is Ignis, one of his best friends who's really smart, really good at cooking, and the designated driver because my brother said he's the 'most responsible adult,'" she said while pointing at a smart-looking man in glasses. "And this is Prince Noctis." Iris paused. "He's the next–"

"King of Lucis," Prompto finished. "Yeah. I know. We are always given order around here to get him."

Iris retreated her phone, if that was all she could do to not risk the Prince's safety. "Oh."

"Don't worry though, it's not as if I could ever follow that. Especially now that you told me he's your friend. I mean, I heard he's pretty fast at warping! Warping! The guy warps! I won't be getting too close to him!"

Iris grinned. "Am I hearing this right? Is the fearless Prompto finally scared?"

"What do you mean 'scared'? It's called being smart. Only stupid MTs who want to die early would fight him! It's suicide!"

"You're right about that!" Iris said. "He would kick anyone's ass who tries to fight him! That is, if you could get past my brother first!"

Prompto chuckled. "You really think highly of your big bro, huh."

"I think highly of all my friends!"

"I bet they're awesome."

"They are!"

Prompto gave her a small smile. "Do you think they'll find me awesome too?"

Iris smiled and nodded. "Of course. Like I said, I think highly of all my friends. That includes you. And if I think you're awesome, they will think so too!"

"Even if I'm… well, you know. What I am?"

"They never really cared about what you are or where you came from," Iris said. "As long as you know where you're going and your heart is in the right place!"

Prompto nodded back. "Thanks. Then I won't let you down." He looked around, thinking that they could reach the exit soon enough from the area and get Iris to a safer place. "The coast is clear. Maybe we should get moving." He turned back around at Iris. "You good and ready?"

Iris nodded. "Yeah. Just let me keep these bottles in my bag."

"Take your time," Prompto replied. He grabbed for his helmet and stared at it before he could wear it back on his head. Its face was devoid of expression and color of life. He had been wearing it like a motor memory for as long as he could remember, making him no different-looking from the rest of the troops. He liked it better how he looked in Iris' photo. Yeah, he preferred that version of himself very much. And now he wondered how things could have been if he wasn't born inside a laboratory in Gralea.

"Hey Iris," he called, his voice betraying melancholy.

"Yep?"

"I was just thinking. Would have been awesome if I was born and raised in Lucis. Would have experienced the same things you guys did, explored the world, and if I'm luckier, would have also grown up with you." He turned his head at her, his smile unfading. "What do you think?"

Iris's thoughtful eyes shot up to the ceiling and hummed against her throat. "Maybe. Would have been really nice, no doubt about it. But who knows? Maybe in another lifetime."

Prompto and Iris trekked on, and the latter began to realize how far she had really gone since her separation from Gladiolus and the others. She admitted to Prompto how stupid she thought she was to think she could get through the labyrinth by herself.

"Don't tell my brother I said that!" she added.

"Your secret is safe with me!" Prompto replied from behind his helmet. He had to apologize to Iris for having to put the helmet back on so they could blend well in the place. Iris, of course, understood the necessity.

"Thank you Prompto," Iris said, breaking another moment of silence between them. "I would not have done it without your help."

She may not see it, but Prompto was grinning widely enough to reach his ears. "Anytime! Am happy to be of great help!"

After another hour of walking, talking, and hiding from passing MTs, Prompto could finally see the wide doors of the exit.

"There!" Prompto pointed. "That'll take us to the garage. Then, to the open fields!"

"Yay! Great job, Prompto! I can finally go home!"

"Thanks!"

Prompto tapped his wrist on the scanner and the big door slid open to reveal a big room with many crates of weapons and vehicles. Iris followed him until they reached another door which Prompto scanned open as well.

And alas, they were outside.

"Finally," Iris breathed just as the cold winter air hit them. It didn't do anything against Prompto's thick armor, while Iris felt the shiver creeping back in her.

"Looks cold," Prompto observed. He looked over his shoulder at Iris. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I can manage. Don't worry about me."

"Just, hold on, a'right? Just a little more and we'll be out of the gate. Then we can find your brother!"

Iris nodded, though she was actually rattling with the cold. "Okay! And then you're coming with us! Right?"

Prompto nodded. "Right," he replied. His voice sounded softer this time, but it was firm enough to warrant a promise.

They went through a gate before heading for the fenced gate that stood by a watchtower. When they were just a few meters from the exit, they felt the ground shake. Prompto reached an arm to shield Iris behind him and glanced around the snowy ground. Just then, the ground before them slid open to lift a tall Magitek robot with all arms pointed at them. Iris gasped at the size and lethality of the thing.

"01987!" the robot screeched. "After all the considerations we've given you to spare your defective existence, you would aid a waste-of-flesh of a Lucian?!"

Prompto angrily slid his helmet off, frowning deeper at the robot. "She's not a waste of flesh!"

"All Lucians are wastes of flesh! And now you have made yourself an accomplice of one, so are yours! You have done nothing to prove me wrong! I was right from the start! You're a failure!"

Still glaring at the robot, Prompto pulled out his gun and pointed it to the sky, shooting a flare of bright light that burst like a star.

"Prompto?" Iris asked cautiously after watching him make his first fire that did nothing on the robot. "What are you doing?"

"Your brother should have seen that flare," Prompto said, his eyes still fixed on the robot. "You see that gate? There's the exit. You'll be safer once you're out."

"Just me?"

"Let me get this one out of the way first."

"But–"

"Go!" Prompto now aimed his gun at the robot and fired one bullet after the other, staggering and slowing it down. "Now, Iris!"

Iris nodded and began to run toward the gate. The robot turned around and locked on Iris before revealing its loaded rockets. Prompto postponed its launch by shooting his bullets at the large ammunitions, causing them to explode and subsequently disarming that side of the robot.

"You fool," the voice said. "You think you can defeat my own creation that easily?"

The robot unveiled another set of missiles, bigger ones than the last. It then pointed its arms at Iris, which were also loaded with rockets. With only a few bullets left and still a lot of distance between Iris and the gate, Prompto leapt on top of the robot and began to pull its aim away from Iris through its depository. When the arms were fired, they went straight to the front doors of the laboratory, caving them in.

"THIS WILL NOT STOP ME, BOY!" the voice yelled just as the weapons began reloading.

Prompto knew it would take another ten seconds for the robot to restore his arsenal. He made another plan. He didn't like it, but it was the only chance Iris had.

He lifted his arm and swiped its armor to reveal a set of glowing numbers. He typed in a certain code before swiping it back off and latched tightly on the robot.

"Initiating self-destruct in ten seconds."

The robot paused. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Ten."

"Clinging for her dear life!" Prompto quipped.

"Nine."

Iris halted from her steps at the sound of the female voice from Prompto's armor. Even from a considerable distance, she could hear the deathly words. She whirled around, eyes widened in horror. "PROMPTO!"

"Eight."

"I want you to see your brother! And when you do, tell him I said 'hi!'"

"Seven."

Iris' heart began to beat angrily against her chest "Prompto!" she called again, her voice breaking from futile despair.

"Six."

"It's alright, Iris!" he called back. "I know what it feels like now. I'm scared now, too!"

"Five."

"I'm scared that if I don't do this and let him get to you, I will no longer have a friend."

"Four."

"It won't have to!" Iris cried. "If only you just come with me! We could have spent much more time together!"

"Three."

Prompto smiled. It was one of the last things he could do for her, something he hope she would remember him by. "Maybe," he said.

"Two."

"Maybe in another lifetime."

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"Gladio! Look!"

White frosty air escaped from Gladiolus' mouth when he puffed as he looked around to see a bright white flare somewhere across the woods in the east. It was the first sign of activity in the soulless place after hours of scouring the vicinity for any clues of his sister, and it was the closest thing he had of it.

"I wonder if it could be Iris," Ignis said.

"Nothing to lose if we check it out," Gladiolus said before rubbing his nose with the back of his hand. He lifted his legs and turned around. "C'mon, time's a wastin'."

"I h-hope she's s-safe," Noctis managed through his rattling teeth.

The flare lasted midair just until they walked somewhere closer to the area when they heard an explosion. Gladiolus called for his sister's name and began to trudge more quickly against the thick snow, only stopping when he found a small figure emerging from the smoke.

Iris appeared, rubbing her arms with downcast eyes and sobbing as she walked closer.

"Iris?" Gladiolus called, his voice solid but careful and gentle.

Iris lifted her eyes as she let out one more sob. She coughed a laugh of relief and wiped her tears, smiling just as how Prompto had.

"Gladio," she called back.

A/N: SORRY!