Seventeen

When Noctis is seventeen he is kidnapped.

Well.

They try.

Noctis has to give them credit; it's the best one since he was a little kid and his kidnappers drove around Insomnia for a few hours with him blissfully unaware. His kidnappers have clearly thought this one out. They've got a small team of Niflheim spies, trained fighters, and one man whose face reminds Noctis eerily of Lunafreya. He only catches a glimpse of him, but Noctis wonders…

It doesn't matter though; they've got him tied up in the back of the Niflheim-made airship. At least this time they're aware of how to properly tie someone up. It's tight but not cutting off his circulation. It's also strong enough for Noctis to know that there's no way in the Six that he's getting out of them without help.

This is the most dangerous kidnapping in his life. No. This was the most dangerous situation of his life, only comparable to the Marilith attack and then the Tenebrae Invasion. But even then he had his dad to fight for him, others to die for him. On this airship…. He's on his own.

He's never been more alone.

But it's okay, Noctis tells himself. He's got this.

"Hey, look at me!" Noctis yells, trying to get someone's attention. The MTs don't even turn to him, and it reminds Noctis that these soldiers aren't really human. Still, there are a few people on the airship that are clearly human... Like the woman who had been pretending to be his teacher for the last six months. The same woman who had planned the trip outside the Wall to see the Disc of Cauthess. Same woman who had sold him to the godsdamned Nifs.

And he had thought she was cool.

The airship rocks and Noctis wonders how the Nifs expect to get this thing off the ground and back to Niflheim without someone fighting back.

Noctis bangs his feet on the ground, hoping that it will bring someone to him. "Hey! Hey!" At least they didn't tape his mouth shut, but Noctis is pretty sure the only reason is because the MTs aren't bothered by his screaming.

Someone walks over to him, the guy whose face is cloaked in white, and Noctis turns his head. Yeah, it definitely looks like…

"Ravus?"

The man under the cloak twitches.

Uh oh. Not good. But, at the same time…

Noctis allows himself to look more open than he is comfortable with, but it's not a lie. Luna has been a bit quiet recently, and Noctis assumes it's all about her Oracle duties.

That or her dick of a brother isn't letting her contact Noctis. That makes Noctis a little upset, but he hides that, hoping that he can pass it off as fear. Afterall, he was the one tied down with the promise of death looming in front of him.

Or, at least that's what Ravus no doubt thinks.

He doesn't lower his hood, but Noctis knows that he has the man's attention.

Good.

"Hello Ravus," Noctis croons, and he doesn't allow his expression to change as Ravus cocks his head to the side. "Look at your Magitek."

Ravus's eyes snap to the nearby Magitek and then,

"Now back to me. Now back at your Magitek. Now back to me."

Noctis watches Ravus's hooded self snap back and forth.

"Now, Sadly, it isn't me." Noctis scans the room as quickly as possible. "But you stop acting like a dick I can help you."

Ravus tries to reach for his sword and that's exactly what Noctis wants.

"Look down! Now back up!" Noctis snaps his fingers and whoosh. He's warped himself out of the chair, the ropes around his torso falling around him. His feet and wrists are still tied, but he can work with it. "I'm free. What will you do?"

Ravus snarls and Noctis laughs.

"Look up! Look down!" Noctis snaps his fingers again and now he's standing next to one of the Magitek. He lets the thing grab him. "I've got a Magitek! What am I gunna do?"

Warp.

"Look over here, now look over there." Noctis pulls the Magitek toward the central engine in the room, tossing it in. "I've now destroyed your Magitek." He snaps his fingers again, warping across the room. He can't run or jump or even fight back, but he can do this.

"Now your airship won't work right. Look to your engine, now back at me. Now back to your engine. It's going to explode."

Noctis is right; he can see that the engine is fuming, spitting up black smoke and flames. He knows that this airship isn't going to be going anywhere, and he can see that Ravus knows this, too.

They're so going to die, except they're not.

"Now look back to me. We don't have to die; it'll make Luna very sad." Noctis snaps his fingers and warps toward Ravus, grabbing him with one hand. "I have an offer."

It's hard to warp with another human, but Noctis knows he can do it. But he needs his hands free to do what's coming next.

"Untie me." He waves his wrists in front of Ravus and is surprised when the man does as he's asked. The lights above are now flashing a sickly red color and Noctis realizes that they've got only a few seconds before everything explodes in a fiery pit. "Are we on the ground?"

"Ye...yes."

Noctis nods his head and tries to run, but he stumbles. No time to undo the ropes, they've only got a few seconds. "Now grab my waist."

Ravus does as he is told and Noctis whistles as he warps toward the nearby exit. He can see the sunlight peeking through the steel. The entire airship is shaking and—

Warp. Whoosh. Kweh.

Noctis's chest hits something soft and he grabs hold of it for dear life. He can hear Ravus near him, clearly thrown by the explosion on top of him. They're soaring through the air and Noctis lets out a scream before buries his nose into the soft feathers. He braces for impact, but clearly Ravus doesn't.

The man flies off and manages to somehow, thank the Six, land in some shrubbery. His cloak falls down to show that yes, it's definitely Ravus.

Luna owes him for this.

"What the fuck—" Ravus begins, but Noctis snaps his fingers to get Ravus's attention.

He appreciates the bush branch in Ravus's hair.

"Ravus," Noctis says, half-way through a laugh and a snort. "I'm on a chocobo."

And he is.

Noctis waves goodbye as his chocobo picks up a soft trot away from Ravus. He hits the red button on his watch and waits for the calvary to come.

It's the last time anyone tries to kidnap the Crown Prince, Noctis Lucis Caelum.

There are whispers that there is something unholy, inhuman, about the Prince. Someone starts a rumor that there is some kind of death magic that protects him.

Too bad they don't know the truth.

Noctis is just a little shit.

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