BikiniBro

So the story that follows this picture is that humanity all but died during the ten years of darkness. Which Ardyn decided he was not okay with, for various reasons. So before Noct could finish him off for good, he reset the time line.

Planning to have Noctis kill him like was originally planned, Ardyn did not change things much in the first few years.

But then his plans hut a road block when the spies who originally took Prompto to Insomnia; took the wrong clone. Meaning that Prompto becoming Noctis' friend was just a sheer chance. But also meaning that Prompto was fated to spend his life as a tube vegetable unless something changed.

So Ardyn panics. And in his panic accidentally opens up all 10 clone tubes instead of just one. Which means Verstael Besthda walks into his lab onto find Ardyn with nine babies all crying and unhappy. Him trying to hold and sooth them all while clearly upset himself.

"You know there is a simpler way to start a family."

"I did not mean too- i don't know how to put them back."

"You can't." The mad scientist points out, and they stare at each other.

Needless to say it is on this day that they both learn that despite both being Bad Guys- they are uncomfortable killing nine defenseless babies. Which ends in them adopting and raising nine clones.

Verstael experiments on them of course, and Ardyn is the litteral boogeyman. Neither of them get #1 dad mugs. But they get the 'not as bad as it could have been award'.