Prompto swallowed blood, landing on his hands and knees onto the hard concrete. He heard the kick before he felt it slam into his ribs. He curled up as best he could to protect himself. To his surprise, no other kicks followed. Just the clang of steel as the bars slammed into place.
“That’ll teach you Niffs to go wandering around where you’re not wanted.” The cop’s voice dripped with contempt. “A night on our hospitality will teach you to stay in your place.”
Prompto uncurled and pushed himself into a sitting position. He licked his torn lip and grimaced. “You can’t keep me here, I wasn’t doing anything wrong.”
The cop smirked. “A punk like you hanging around the homes of upstanding Insomnians? No way you weren’t up to something.”
Prompto rubbed the side of his face that wasn’t bruised. That was the last time he tried that shortcut home. He’d stayed late playing games with Noct and lost track of time.
The plus side of this was his dad was going to be pissed off enough at the bigoted cop who’d dragged him in under false pretenses that he might escape getting in trouble for staying out too late. Maybe.
He wrapped his arms around himself in a bid to keep warm and settled down to wait. If the cop hadn’t been quite as much of an asshole, he might have warned him, but at this point, he deserved what was coming to him.
Sure enough, a half hour later, his dad slammed through the door. He’d have enjoyed watching the cops panic more if he wasn’t so sore. They all straightened up, one of them spilling his coffee in the process.
“Marshal! What are you doing here?”
Prompto had to give it to him. the asshole had guts.
Cor shot the asshole cop a glare that would have cowed most Crownsguard. “I’m here to retrieve my son. Under what charges have you detained him?”
The cop went satisfyingly pale, turning to look at Prompto.
Prompto stood up and brushed himself off. “A Niff like me had to be up to something – his words.”
Cor’s glare got even icier.
“I- There’s just been some kind of misunderstanding. I’ll just release him into your custody.” He fumbled for key on his key ring.
Cor didn’t say anything more as Prompto was let out of the cell. He put a hand on Prompto’s shoulder and guided him out, making sure to make eye contact with everyone on their way out.
Someone was getting an official reprimand, at the very least.
Cold comfort after the rough treatment, but Prompto would take it. Especially if it distracted his dad from wondering what he was doing out at this time of night by himself.