Raizel narrowed his eyes as he stared at the offending paper before him. The pencil clutched loosely in his hands did not move. In fact, everything about the Noblesse was still. He glanced once more at the helpful tips Frankenstein had taken the time to write down for him. Through the bond, he could sense Frankenstein waiting patiently, observing Raizel with a watchful eye.

Raizel brightened up when the problem he was dealing with slowly made sense, and he eagerly wrote down his answer. He glanced up at Frankenstein expectantly, watching as the human read whatever it was that Raizel had written.

Pride shot through the bond, but it was not from Raizel. It was from Frankenstein.

"Well done Master," Frankenstein praised with a smile. He presented the paper back to Raizel, sitting back in his chair slightly. "You have solved that problem."

Raizel smiled softly. Yes, math was a difficult subject for him to understand, and he found himself seeking Frankenstein's help on regular occasions. Though math was not something the Noblesse would need to use, he was still determined to participate in school and understand what a normal life would be like. Apparently, struggling with math was included in a normal life.

But it was a small and simple difficulty, compared to the other things Raizel had to deal with.

"You will be ready for the upcoming quiz this week," Frankenstein continued.

Raizel nodded, though his head cocked slightly at the sound of the front door of the house opening. He could hear Tao's excited voice faintly, along with Takeo's quiet comments and M21's shuffling. The household would be filled up once more with the arrival of Seira and Regis.

Raizel turned his attention back to Frankenstein. "Frankenstein, I do appreciate what you have done for me. But I do not think I need you from here on out."

Frankenstein blinked, a small frown of concern now on his face. "Are you sure, Master? I would be more than happy to lend you my assistance-"

"Frankenstein," Raizel interjected quietly. "I do not need you." Then, through the bond, he said, "I can do this on my own, all thanks to you." He poured in every ounce of gratitude he could through the bond, transmitting it to Frankenstein. The bond expressed more than words ever could.

Slight understanding dawned on Frankenstein, though there was still the small hint of hesitation. He still wanted to lend his assistance to his Master, and he made that quite clear through his end of the bond.

Finally Frankenstein nodded. "Alright." With a small bow, he arose from his seat. "I shall get dinner ready."

Raizel watched Frankenstein leave out of the corner of his eye before turning back to the math homework at hand. With a determined, narrowed gaze, he picked up his pencil once more and tackled the overly complicated equations with all the dignity of the Noblesse.

Frankenstein watched as his Master worked on his homework. Yes, he was proud that his Master took his studies so seriously. But there were still some things that the Noblesse needed help with, and Frankenstein would be there to help him in any way he could. It did his heart good that his Master was so eager to participate in the very school that Frankenstein had built.

As he stepped out of the dining room, he stopped abruptly when he came face to face with Tao, Takeo and M21. The three modified humans wore hollowed expressions on their faces, pity shining in their eyes. M21 lowered his head, breaking Frankenstein's gaze while Takeo shuffled his feet awkwardly. Tao's eyes just flickered around, landing anywhere but Frankenstein.

Frankenstein frowned, concerned. "Is something wrong?" he asked. Was there a Union attack? Were the children alright?

Tao was the only one who met his gaze. "Boss," he started, his voice soft and hesitant. "I'm...we're so sorry."

Frankenstein's frown deepened. "Sorry for what?" Then, a terrifying thought occurred to him. "You didn't damage my kitchen, did you?"

Tao blinked, growing pale, as did Takeo and M21. "What? No!" Tao exclaimed with a nervous chuckle. "Why would you think that? The kitchen has...never been destroyed!" Tao yelped when M21 elbowed him sharply.

Frankenstein had a deep and troubled feeling that what he just heard was not the case.

"We're just," Takeo said, looking up with sudden remorse. "We're here for you."

At that moment, M21 stepped forward and gave Frankenstein a gentle pat on the shoulder. His gaze was also full of pity.

Frankenstein eyed them, suddenly cautious. "O-okay," he drawled, stepping back to go around them. "Thank you?"

M21, Tao and Takeo watched with growing regret as Frankenstein left them to head off to the kitchen.

"He's in denial," Takeo said.

M21 nodded in agreement. "He's trying to cope, and he's doing a good job at concealing his inner feelings."

Tao folded his arms. "I can't believe Mr. Raizel would be so cruel! I mean, to reject and turn Frankenstein away? That's harsh!" He looked at his companions. "You all heard it? How Mr. Raizel told Boss he wasn't needed!"

Both Takeo and M21 nodded. "We only heard that last bit," Takeo said. "I wonder what they had been talking about earlier before we showed up, and if they got into a fight."

Everyone shuddered at the thought of Frankenstein and Raizel fighting. Sure, their boss could be a bit arrogant and hot-headed, and he might like to pick and start fights just for the fun of it. But never with Raizel! Raizel balanced Frankenstein out with his level headed and quiet personality. It was hard to imagine the normally calm Noblesse yelling and screaming at anyone, let alone Frankenstein. But they doubted Frankenstein would do anything to intentionally set Raizel off. Did anything even set Raizel off?

"I can't imagine what Frankenstein is going through right now," M21 said. "Those two have always been close. Their bond runs so deep."

Takeo frowned thoughtfully. "Do you think Frankenstein did something that upset the Noblesse, and that caused Raizel to turn Frankenstein away?"

Tao hummed. "Possibly. But they've known each other for close to a thousand years. What could he have possibly done to upset the Noblesse?"

Takeo ran his hands through his hair, nervously twirling at a stray strand. "I can't imagine serving someone for so long, only to be turned away because of one mistake." His eyes widened. "Do you think it has something to do with the Dark Spear?"

Tao gasped. "Or the ramen?"

M21 shook his head. "Whatever the case, we need to be there for Frankenstein. The shock will wear off, and he'll collapse any moment. When that happens, we should support him."

All three humans watched the interaction, or lack of interaction, between Frankenstein and Raizel. Everyone was sitting in their usual spots at the table, and both the Noblesse and the blonde human seemed at ease.

M21 stabbed at his food absentmindedly, his thoughts drifting to what he and the others had overheard going on between Rai and Frankenstein. He had never heard the Noblesse address Frankenstein in such a manner. To be honest, he was surprised Frankenstein was holding it together. He seemed...calm. Like nothing was out of the ordinary. And Raizel...well, Raizel was...hmm.

M21's eyes narrowed. Maybe they had misunderstood what was going on. There was no way Frankenstein could be this casual about…

But wait! Was that a nervous glance he was shooting Raizel? M21 now watched as Frankenstein glanced at Raizel, a small frown of nervousness crossing his features. M21 glanced back at Raizel and noticed how the Noblesse was purposely ignoring the blonde human.

Or was he always like that? Raizel never really contributed to any dinner table conversations. He was just content to listen and observe.

M21 swallowed past the lump in his throat, too nervous to eat the delicious meal prepared for him. A glance at Takeo and Tao showed that they all felt the same way.

It was with great relief that dinner was over and he was assigned to wash duty.

"Do you think we are misreading the situation?" M21 asked in the kitchen. He was up to his elbows in soap suds as he cleaned the dinner plates. He shoved away a clump of uneaten spinach into the sink disposal. No matter how Seira cooked the spinach, Tao would still refuse to eat them. Instead, he would push them around his plate and pay M21 to shove them down the sink disposal. A waste of good food, but, hey, the more spinach Seira made, the more money M21 made.

Takeo shrugged as he was given a wet and clean plate. "Maybe. I mean, nothing else seemed amiss." He dried the plate, his expression thoughtful. "Frankenstein and Rai have a deep bond that none of us can understand. I'm sure they can resolve whatever it is they are disagreeing about before the night is out."

M21 nodded in agreement, hoping his companion was right.

"Excellent Master!" Frankenstein praised gleefully when Raizel got another practice question right.

Raizel's cheeks turned a slight pink at the praise as he accepted the paper back from his servant. "I am having a bit of trouble with this particular problem," Raizel confessed. He displayed the math book to Frankenstein, pointing at a section of the page.

Frankenstein frowned as he examined the equation. "Oh, I can help with that one." But before Frankenstein could say anything else, his phone rang. He glanced at Raizel apologetically as he examined the caller ID. "It's Yonsu." He answered the call rather quickly, worry clear on his expression.

Raizel just sat back, sipping his tea. His red eyes flickered over once he felt Frankenstein's alarm and worry through the bond. The alarm, however, turned to immense anger. Raizel was instantly on the alert. Not much could be seen from Frankenstein's facial expressions, but the bond told Raizel all he needed to know.

He said nothing as Frankenstein hung up the phone and stood up. "I do apologize, Master. But the KSA fear that the Union has made a move, and I will need to scout it out." He bowed his head. "I shall be back to help you soon."

Raizel nodded, but said nothing more. All that he could say was transmitted through the bond. Now, alone once more, Raizel turned to his current problem at hand. He frowned as he studied the equation, unaware that the frown was growing deeper as he tried to make sense of the homework.

M21 removed his apron with a smile, finally finished with the cleaning. Beside him, Takeo removed his rubber gloves. "Done," the sniper said.

"Finally!" Tao exclaimed. "I thought you guys would never finish!"

"You barely even lifted a finger to help," Takeo pointed out with an amused smirk as he set his gloves down.

Tao waved a dismissive hand as they followed M21. "I said 'you guys'. But I was with you in spirit as you slaved over the dinner plates." He secretly passed M21 five dollars, giving him a wink.

M21 pocketed his tip as he stepped out of the kitchen. He didn't understand why they needed to hand wash everything instead of purchasing a dishwasher. But he didn't want to bring that up to Frankenstein. There was a reason the blonde human did what he did. Besides, he had his spinach money thanks to Tao.

M21 glanced up briefly, just as Frankenstein was rushing down the halls. The werewolf wasn't fast enough to move out of the way in time.

"Move," Frankenstein ordered darkly as he shoved past them. M21, Tao and Takeo blinked as they watched the blonde human leave the house, his dark aura vanishing with him. All three humans stared at each other with growing dread.

"Um, Mr. Raizel?" Takeo started hesitantly, peeking into the other room Frankenstein had just stormed out of. His eyes widened when he took in Raizel's small form sitting in the chair. His head was lowered, but he looked up at the sound of his name.

"Is everything alright…?" M21 trailed off when he took in Raizel's hardened expression. He was frowning, clutching a piece of paper in his hands. However, the frown was soon gone, but not before M21 and the others saw it.

"Uh, We'll make you some tea!" Tao said hurriedly as he grabbed Takeo's arm and rushed back to the safety of the kitchen. M21 stood in the middle of the room awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He slowly approached the Noblesse before reaching out and quickly pat him on the shoulder.

In the kitchen, Tao and Takeo stood alone stiffly as they waited for the water to boil. Both were immersed in their troubled thoughts, and the slow boiling water was not helping matters at all.

"Do you think they got into another fight?" Takeo asked, keeping his voice low.

Tao shrugged. "What else could have caused Boss to storm off like that?"

Meanwhile, M21 stood at the Noblesse's side, unsure what else to do. He had already given the Noblesse a comforting pat, what else could he do? Maybe a hug? But was that too informal?

Just as he was debating on whether or not to give Raizel a hug, Tao pranced into the room with a silver tray. Takeo trailed behind with a platter of cookies Seira had made earlier.

"Here you are sir!" Tao chirped, placing the tray in front of Rai. "And here! Nine spoonfuls of sugar, an extra just for today!"

But all the Noblesse did was simply stare ahead.

"We'll keep you company," Takeo said, dragging M21 down to the couch beside Raizel. "So...how've you been?"

"Anything...interesting happen?" M21 asked.

However, keeping the Noblesse company seemed to prove a bit more difficult. Takeo had wisely brought a book to read. M21 and Tao were stuck sitting on the couch, twiddling their thumbs. M21 actually took to glancing over Takeo's shoulder and reading along with him about the complicated love triangle in 'Twilight.'

Raizel just sipped his tea.

"Oh!" Tao exclaimed suddenly. "Here's something of interest!" He held out his phone. "I read an article that friends argue all the time. It doesn't mean the end of a friendship. Disagreeing is a part of a life."

"Part of a normal life," M21 piped up, catching on to what Tao was trying to do.

"And no matter what was said," Tao continued. "As long as apologies are made and things are straightened out, your friendship will remain as strong as ever."

"So don't worry about anything that happened between you and Frankenstein," Tao asurred. "You guys will get through this!"

Raizel glanced at them curiously.

The past two hours were spent with Tao giving off helpful tips to the Noblesse about 'friendship.' If there was any doubt in M21's mind that something had happened between Raizel and Frankenstein, it was dashed now.

Pretty soon, it was close to midnight, and everyone decided to head off to bed.

"You're not...going to bed?" Tao asked in mild surprise. Both M21 and Takeo turned to notice that Raizel had yet to move.

Raizel shook his head. "I am waiting up for Frankenstein. There is a matter we need to discuss."

All three humans gulped as they scurried out of the room.

"There's no doubt in my mind," Tao whispered urgently. "Something happened between the two of them."

"Yeah, but what?" Takeo whispered back. He glanced behind him, as if wondering if the Noblesse or Frankenstein was going to appear at any moment. "And how do we help them?"

Tao withdrew his phone. "I am looking that up right now. The internet is full of friendship therapy. We will mend the Noblesse and Boss's bond! As the RK band, it is our duty!"

"Tao, you're being a bit loud," M21 grumbled.

Takeo stopped suddenly. "Hold it. We just left Mr. Raizel alone when he needed us the most. How could we have done that?"

Their eyes widened as they all rushed back to the living room. However, Takeo was in front and came to a quick stop. Both Tao and M21 slammed into him. Any protests they were about to voice was silenced by Takeo's glare. The sniper gestured to the room, causing both M21 and Tao to peek over the corner just in time to see Frankenstein step towards the Noblesse. Raizel was waiting for him, holding out a piece of paper.

"I did it all on my own," they heard Raizel say.

They could not see Frankenstein's face, but they could hear him. "All on your own. It's like you said: you don't need me."

Horrified glances were traded between the three modified humans. Tao covered his mouth with his hands while Takeo slumped against the wall. M21 just shook his head, his heart heavy.

"We've got to do something," Tao whispered.

Takeo nodded. "This is serious."

"Deadly serious," M21 whispered back. "No matter what, we need to mend this rift."

The past three days had been a stressful few days for Tao, Takeo, and M21. They noticed how stressed Frankenstein seemed to be, and how he would glance at Raizel worriedly. Tao had spent all of his freetime pulling together a series of friendship therapies for the unsuspecting power duo.

Raizel and Frankenstein could sense the tension, but they could not put their fingers on what had everyone on edge. Even Seira and Regis were concerned when Tao, Takeo and M21 became even further depressed.

But, Frankenstein had other, more pressing matters to fret about. The end of the week was approaching, which meant the upcoming test Master had been studying so hard for was almost upon them. But one look at his Master, and he was put at ease. The Noblesse did not seem worried at all, and the study sessions were, in fact, paying off.

"You are almost as nervous as me," Raizel had commented at one point. They were seated around the dinner table. Seira had served them their food with Regis assisting her. M21 and Takeo were trying to look subtle as their gazes flickered from Frankenstein to Raizel. Tao was typing away furiously on his computer.

Frankenstein glanced at his Master, unsure how to respond. "I know how hard you have studied."

"And you have helped me," Raizel said. "With your assistance, I do not fear failing."

That brought a smile to Frankenstein's lips, something that did not go unnoticed by the three modified humans.

But despite the reassurance, Frankenstein still found himself anxious to hear back from his Master when the day of the test taking finally arrived. Alone in his office, Frankenstein's foot tapped impatiently on the floor as he sat at his desk. Chin resting on his folded hands, Frankenstein glared at the ticking clock.

He sighed, sitting back. This was getting him nowhere. He needed to do something. Something to distract him for the time being. Paperwork would do. Yes, work would take care of this situation for him.

By the time Frankenstein had immersed himself in his work, he lost track of time. He had already reasoned with himself that his Master was not worried about the test, and just as Raizel trusted Frankenstein, than he would trust his Master.

He barely looked up at the sound of a single knock on his door. "Come in," he said, his pen quickly moving across the paper as he worked.

The door creaked open, and Frankenstein detected the hidden presence entering the office. He looked up with wide eyes as his Master stepped into the room. The Noblesse's red eyes were shining with an unreadable emotion that Frankenstein could not detect.

Frankenstein arose from his seat in anticipation. "Master?" he asked.

Raizel strode forward and presented the simple white sheet of paper. Frankenstein looked down at the top corner of the page.

A score of ninety-eight.

Frankenstein smiled when he took in the score. He looked up at his Master with a grin. "Well done Master."

Raizel smiled softly. "I couldn't have done it without you, Frankenstein."

More would have been said, if his office door wasn't slammed open. Both Frankenstein and Raizel looked up as Tao, Takeo, and M21 came rushing in.

"That's it!" Tao announced firmly. "We've had it!"

"You two are way too close to let a petty disagreement tear you apart!" M21 nearly shouted. Frankenstein was startled to see that the werewolf was near hysterics.

"Whatever it is, we will straighten this out," Takeo finished, almost pleading. "What you guys have is special, and you need each other, regardless of what has happened!"

Tao strode forward, dropping a stack of papers in front of Frankenstein. The hacker nodded to himself, satisfied. "We, the RK5, will assist you in your friendship problems by giving you a therapy session."

Silence reigned in the room. Raizel simply stared at the stack of papers before flickering his gaze back to a befuddled Frankenstein. The blonde human gaped at what was presented to him, confusion swirling through his mind. Finally, he looked up.

"Tao, what the heck are you talking about?"

A/N: Can you all tell what subject in college I am struggling with? I swear, college algebra will be the death of me!