Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse {Book Two: Famine} (Prompto x Reader)

|| Eight ||

"How're we supposed to break this thing?" Prompto asked Aranea, who was stalking around the cage.

"By using brute force." The ex-mercenary conjured her lance and jammed it into the bottom of the cage. She put all her weight into breaking the mechanism projecting the barrier. When her lance didn't even create a scratch, she clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Damn..."

"Stand back," (Y/n) feebly said as she slowly climbed to her feet. "I'm going to try magic again."

"You're just gonna end up fried again," Aranea retorts. "You better leave this to us."

Famine shook her head. "No. Let me try again."

"(Y/n), you can't!" Prompto protested, placing his hands on the barrier.

Aranea grabbed ahold of the boy and dragged him away from the prison. He tried to break free from the woman's grasp, but she kept a strong hold on him.

Once (Y/n) saw they were a safe distance away, she held up both hands and laid them against the barrier. "Astrals, please let this work." The moment the cage detected the building mana in her body, it shocked her. She gritted her teeth in pain, pushing through it and desperately tapping into her magic. She managed to use a powerful electrical wave before she felt her heart stop. Her body collapsed just as the electrical current discharged and short-circuited the high-tech prison.

The barriers deactivated and Prompto swiftly dashed into the cage. He fell to his knees beside (Y/n)'s body and gathered her into his arms. When he noticed she wasn't breathing, his breath hitched in his throat. He placed a hand against her cheek, brushing aside a few golden strands.

Suddenly, the Horseman inhaled sharply and her eyes flew wide open. One of her hands shot out and desperately grasped the air as if she was looking for something. Prompto grabbed her hand and held it against his chest. "(Y/n), just breathe. I'm right here."

She inhaled and exhaled deeply before her breathing returned to normal. "Never been electrocuted to death before... Damn, that was painful..."

Prompto lowered his head with a relieved sigh, nudging his nose against her cheek. "Thank the Six... That never gets easier."

"I'll say," (Y/n) laughed. "What's the point in being immortal if you can die for a short amount of time and still experience all the pain?"

"You're only one who could casually talk about death."

"Yeah, well, it's part of the job description."

The facility's automated voice speaks again, silencing the two.

Target detected. Capture and retrieve immediately.

Arena grips her lance in preparation for battle. The dormant magitek troopers along the wall of the room awaken. Several Ice Bomb daemons also appear.

Commence capture and retrieval of compromised unit.

"That doesn't sound good," (Y/n) murmurs. Prompto continues to hold her in his arms as he helps her to her feet. She reluctantly broke the embrace and summoned her blade. "Time to take 'em down."

"Let's do this." Aranea rushes ahead to clear the way. Following her out of the room and down a hall, Prompto and (Y/n) find themselves on a platform overlooking a cargo bay. A snowmobile sits below by an exit out of the facility.