Cornerstone
Summary:What would you do, if the cornerstone of your world fell apart? Noblesse fan-fic.
M-21 sighed. He'd been standing outside the lab door for five minutes now. It wasn't like him. And it wasn't helping. He straightened his shoulders, then pushed the button to open the door.
Tao, sitting at the computer desk, twisted in his seat and lifted a hand in greeting. "Hey. I was wondering how long you were going to stand there staring at the door. I was just about to yell at you, you know."
"Yeah, whatever." M-21 sighed, then looked over Tao's shoulder at the computer screens. There were several columns of information, some of which he recognized as vital signs, but it didn't mean much to him. "So...how is he?"
Tao sighed, his good humor of moments before vanishing. "Stable. I think. But this kind of thing isn't my specialty, and I've never seen anything like this. I can keep him stable, with the notes he made on himself, and I've been reading and re-reading every scrap of information I can find, but..." He shook his head. "That spear of his his...it's nothing like the stuff we do. I got that guy, the Kertia Clan Leader, to let me analyze his soul weapon, but it's not a complete match. I've even been in contact with those guys on Lukedonia, especially Regis's grandpa, but I haven't come up with anything yet."
Tao ran a hand through the dark cap of his hair. "That old guy, he said the spear can possess the Boss. Told me that Frankenstein said it tried to eat him once."
M-21 started. "You're...you're not serious?"
Tao grimaced. "Wish I weren't. But...we've both seen that damn thing in action before. You've seen how hard he has to fight to control it. And what happens when it starts taking him over. Much as I don't want to think about it, it's possible. With him, just about anything's possible." Tao sighed again. "Like I said, he's stable, and I'm working as fast as I can. In the meantime...he's in there, so why don't you go visit him? I'm sure he'd love to hear your voice."
"Yeah. Right." M-21 nodded, then walked through the small door on the right.
The door opened into a small chamber, filled with large glass tubes. The experimental and regeneration chamber. M-21 started toward the center tube. Usually, that one was his, but now...
The tube had been filled with a variety of medicinal chemicals. Within it, Frankenstein floated, immersed in the healing liquid. It was odd, seeing him stripped to nothing but a pair of shorts, seeing him hanging motionless in the tube, a breathing mask strapped over his face and an IV in his arm as his body drifted.
"Hello." M-21 spoke softly. He didn't go any closer. He couldn't. To see this man, so proud and so strong, now so helpless as he hung between life and death...it hurt. He hadn't thought there was anything that could hurt this much, not after M-24 had betrayed them, but...this was painful.
He swallowed hard, then spoke. "The kids were here today. They said they missed seeing their Chairman around. They brought you a get well card, and presents." He grinned, thinking of the small pile of sweets and books, and even board games that now adorned the table, along with a slew of cards from several different people. "They were so careful about their trash and stuff, cause they know you like things neat."
He paused. "Rajak and Rael are patrolling a lot, taking turns with Takeo and I. So far, there haven't been any signs of trouble. It's pretty quiet. Of course, with what you did, I'll bet even Crombell got shaken by that. We've got the KSA helping us out, and getting insider info from the Union, and it looks like things are going to be quiet for a while. Hopefully, it'll be long enough for you to get your strength back, or whatever it is you need."
He took a deep breath, then spoke again. "He...they brought home grades today, and I wanted to tell you...he got some of the best marks in his class. We all pitched in to help him study, to help all of them study. I wanted to let you know that. Ik-han beat him, and Yuna and Suyi came close, but still...you'd be proud of how well he did." There was a lump in his throat. Frankenstein liked seeing his master do well in school, never mind that an education was hardly necessary for the Noblesse. And Raizel was always so proud of himself, when he did well.
Other thoughts entered his head, and he spoke them. "Regis and Siera are taking turns making tea and everything for him. Seira's better at it, but they both do pretty good. And we're making sure he eats proper meals, not just ramen. The others are helping too, as much as they can. But he misses you, I think."
A lump formed in his throat. Without meaning to, he walked forward and leaned against the glass, eyes closed. "Honestly...it's not I think. I know he misses you. We all do, Boss. But for him..." it hurt to speak, and he fell silent.
He knew Raizel hadn't come down to this lab, not once since they'd placed Frankenstein into the regeneration mixture. But then, Raizel didn't need to come here, to see his servant's condition. He knew it. And all any of them needed to see was the veiled grief in that crimson gaze, to know how close Frankenstein was to dying. Raizel's anguish touched all of them. Even Rael had voiced no criticism of the fallen man, not after the first time he'd seen Raizel's expression. Besides...they all knew what kept the Noblesse from his servant's side. His fists clenched as he remembered.
They'd gotten attacked by yet another powerhouse from the Union, this one tougher than they'd expected, and downright crazy. Frankenstein had taken the field, asking them to protect the area and keep an eye out for other Union members. After all, they usually traveled in groups, and none of them wanted to get stabbed in the back.
It hadn't taken long, before he and Takeo and Tao had realized that there were no other Union members. And also that their opponent was terrifyingly strong, stronger than they'd believed possible. It had taken only a microsecond to understand the truth, that Frankenstein had put himself on the field because none of them were even close to strong enough to handle this one. Even Regis and Siera would have been in bad shape. Come to that, even Frankenstein had been struggling. They'd all learned that you could tell how hard a battle was by how sharp his tongue was, and how crazy and reckless he was acting. And the way he'd been acting was some of the craziest they'd seen him yet, with a vocabulary that rivaled a drunk sailor, and a recklessness no sane person would have remotely considered. Frankenstein only cursed when he was at least halfway under the influence of the spear, or completely furious. They'd known that it was bad, but as they'd watched the purpleblack fire of the Dark Spear engulf him, they'd known that 'bad' wasn't the word to describe it. They were in trouble.
And then Raizel had come. His master. The Noblesse.
He'd called Frankenstein's name in that soft voice that somehow rang with command. The voice that always shocked Frankenstein back into his right mind. Just Frankenstein's name, but it was enough for the dark energy to recede, the flame-bright eyes to return to their normal sapphire hue. Enough to restore the man's sanity.
Rael, Rajak and Seira had joined in the battle, with everyone else running backup, while Frankenstein recovered some of his breath. Even then he'd been bleeding from half a dozen wounds, including a bad one on his chest.
All their combined strengths, and it hadn't been enough. Not even with Rael and his brother wielding their soul weapons. Not even after all Frankenstein had done, not even with his own werewolf powers at nearly full activation. There was no knowing, now, what their opponent had been, or done, to get that strong. But wounds regenerated at an impossible rate, and she'd been too crazy to even act as if she noticed the injuries to begin with.
Within half an hour, they'd all been bleeding, battered, and exhausted. He'd been bleeding froma dozen places, and down to half his usual combat speed. Takeo had barely been standing, his gun long since emptied. Tao was even worse off. Regis had apparently broken an arm, and taken a bad strike to the chest and face. He was completely out of the fight, and barely conscious. Even Rael, tough as he was, had been sent flying, and his brother had been injured trying to keep him from even worse injuries. Seira had been knocked out.
And then Raizel had stepped forward. Power had begun to gather, a feeling like a typhoon on the horizon, like the air just before a monster storm. The first warning that Raizel was summoning his power, preparing to form the Blood Field and take up the awesome weapons of the Noblesse.
M-21 bit his lip, his fists tightening painfully as he remembered.
'Master!' Frankenstein had cried out, a sharp sound of denial and fear that they'd all understood. They all knew Raizel wasn't strong enough for a Blood Field, or for using his ability as the Noblesse. The last attack had driven him close to death. To face an opponent like that was almost certainly a death sentence.
He hadn't seen the man move, but suddenly, Frankenstein had been between their opponent and his master. And the night had exploded with violet edged darkness, bursting forth in a tidal wave of power that took all of them by surprise.
M-21 swallowed. He'd been watching at the time, like the rest of them, shocked by what was happening, and he still didn't know what the hell Frankenstein had done.
Frankenstein had summoned the Dark Spear once more. But this time...something different had happened. It was as if he'd compressed the damn thing somehow. All he'd been able to see was a coruscating ball of purple nightmare energy, and the red mist that exploded from Frankenstein's body as a dozen wounds ripped across his frame, staggering him. And yet, he hadn't faltered.
M-21 closed his eyes, remembering the expression he'd witnessed on the man's face. Not his usual cocky sneer, or the snarl of his fury. The blue eyes had been bright with grim determination, jaw locked as he forced his power to answer his will. The force of command had emanated from him so sharply it had been almost palpable.
Frankenstein had compressed the sphere, the halo of energy around his body absorbing into it. Then, one small, sad smile. He'd seen the man's lips move, and knew just enough lip reading to know what the man had said.
"I'm sorry, Master. Please...take care of yourself."
And then the power had exploded from him. All the force of a multiton blast, power enough to level two city blocks. His opponent had had just enough time to throw up a barrier, which disintegrated, before the blast of energy vaporized her.
They'd been left blinking in shock, staring at the destroyed buildings and the charcoal smear where their foe had been standing.
A whisper of sound, and then Frankenstein had collapsed in a boneless heap, his blood flowing over the stones.
M-21 felt his jaw clench, his chest aching at the renewed sense of helplessness.
Raizel had taken up Frankenstein's body in his arms. Tao and Rajak had raced ahead, running back to the house as fast as their powers would allow. Seira had revived, and she'd taken Regis. He and Rael and Takeo had formed an honor guard, racing beside the Noblesse and the Loyard Clan Head.
It was the first time he'd seen Raizel move so fast. The man, always so neat, hadn't even seemed to notice that he was getting blood all over his white uniform. And his eyes...
His eyes had been desolate, pools of grief that only centuries of love and companionship and a desperate fear of loss could bring.
They'd gotten back to the house, raced down to the lab. By then, Regis had been awake, and as worried as the rest of them.
Tao had frantically pulled up any and all information in Frankenstein's file, everything that wasn't specifically related to their own experiments. He'd ordered Takeo or Regis to call KSA for blood packs, bandages, IV tubing, and half a dozen other medical supplies. Then he'd set Rajak to stripping the unconscious man, cleaning his wounds, and getting a pair of shorts on him, while the rest of them turned on the diagnostic equipment, got an oxygen mask on his face, and started prepping the immersion tube, filling it with the strongest anti-biotic and regenerative mix they could possibly provide.
There had been a moment when Frankenstein's heart had faltered, and he'd found himself doing frantic CPR on the man, while Rajak bound the wounds and Takeo provided oxygen and forced him to breathe.
There'd been a moment when he'd been choking, a desperate effort to clear his throat and airways while avoiding further injury.
The KSA agents had finally arrived with the requested supplies. Tao had gotten their assistance while he'd attached two IV's, one for blood and one for nutrients. Then he'd attached the monitoring wires to Frankenstein's chest and hand, wincing as he tried to avoid the wounds that covered the man. He'd thrown half a dozen medicines into the immersion tube, including a strong, strong painkiller, then directed them to slip the tank oxygen mask over Frankenstein's face. They'd had to pull it tight, because there was no time to fit him with one. All of them knew he'd have bruises on his jaw. None of them had cared. Then, with Rajak's help, they'd lowered him into the tank, made sure he was comfortably suspended in the liquid, and shut it.
That had been eight days ago. Their efforts had been enough to keep the man alive, but now he hung in a coma, his heartbeat and breathing just strong enough to sustain life in his body.
Raizel had finally told them. Frankenstein had absorbed the Dark Spear completely into his own power, compressed it, then released all the power he possessed, both in the Dark Spear and his own natural abilities.
In effect, he'd mimicked the power of the Noblesse, even to the point of forcing his own life energy into the blast. He'd drained himself to critical levels, and not even Raizel knew if he could recover, or survive, what he had done. Raizel couldn't help him. Frankenstein lacked the strength for Raizel to perform an Awakening to save him.
M-21 felt his teeth grinding, and his hands hurt with how tightly he'd clenched them into fists. A snarl of frustration ripped from his throat, and he dropped to one knee and slammed his fist into the hard steel floor. "Damn it!"
He wanted to hit something. He wanted to resurrect that crazy woman, beat her bloody, kill her and then resurrect her and do it again. And again, and again, until all the pain inside him ran out. He wanted to leap into the tank, grab Frankenstein and shake him till he woke, then punch him in the face and lecture him until he was hoarse.
"Damn it..." He slammed his fist against the floor once more, then slumped down as the anger drained, replaced by aching emptiness, and a whirlwind of memories.
The first time he'd met Frankenstein, they'd been fighting over the children he'd kidnapped. And the man had utterly and completely beaten him. It had taken three or four days before the wounds had healed. He'd thought he was going to die, he and M-24 both. And yet, one word from the dark-haired youth at his side, and they'd both gone.
After the battle where M24 died, he'd expected his own death, or imprisonment. Instead, he'd found himself being tended to, by the very man who'd been his foe only a week or so ago. And for all Frankenstein's brisk manner, he was gentle, far gentler than any Union scientist or medic would have been. And he was thorough. He'd even tended to some of the less obvious damage and instabilities the Union experiments had caused. And then, offered him a place to stay, and a job. An ordinary, simple job, with a salary, and clothing, and compensations.
He'd been so suspicious. "Right. I get it, I know too much, so you really can't let me go."
And Frankenstein had been surprised. "Who said that? You can leave anytime you like. I just thought you might wish for a place to rest, recover, decide what you're doing and where you're going. And I happen to believe I need a security guard at the school, so it works out. If you have something else you want or need to do, feel free to do it."
He'd been so hesitant, so unsure of the man. He remembered the first time he'd realized that his new boss, and the man he served, weren't at all normal. The first time he'd listened to their conversation, and realized there was a lot he didn't know. Remembered the first time he'd dared to voice his thoughts. "I realize, you probably won't tell someone like me, or maybe you can't tell me...I probably don't have the right to know but...can I ask you something?"
Frankenstein had only stared at him. "Of course you can ask. If you need to know something, or want to know something, just ask me and I'll tell you. It's not like anything's a secret. You have the right to whatever you want to know. All you have to do is ask." It had taken him months to believe it, to get used to asking things, used to getting honest, straightforward answers. But Frankenstein had rarely even held back information, and never lied to him.
Tao and Takeo had been his only links to his old world, and it had startled him how much he wanted to help and protect them. He'd thought, even before he opened his mouth, that there was no way Frankenstein would ever agree to keep these guys in his house, even if he did have the room. Still, he'd asked. And again, been totally startled by the answer. "Of course. We do have rooms available. We'll have to ask them if they want to stay, but it's not any problem. They can work with you." A smile over his shoulder. "Don't you understand? You have the right to ask for these things. If that's what you want to happen, then that's what will happen. After all, this is your home too."
And again, and again. He reached for things, expecting this man to reach the limits of his generosity, his kindness. Expecting to someday get an answer of 'No'. But it never happened. From experiments, to going into battle for a friend, to explanations...the only time Frankenstein had even remotely approached refusal had been when he'd wanted to ask Raizel for an Awakening. And even then, it had only been because the risk to his beloved master was too great, because it might hurt Raizel. Or when it put them in danger he wasn't sure they were ready for, when he was trying to protect them, as he had in Lukedonia.
M-21 swallowed hard, feeling tears pricking his eyes. He wasn't sure he should weep in this place, but it was hard to fight back the emotions. He throat felt tight, but not tight enough to stop the words that rose to his lips. "I'm sorry."
He swallowed again, to ease the pressure. "I'm sorry. I wish we'd been stronger. I wish we could have protected ourselves, instead of letting you fight for us. I wish we could have helped you. I wish we could...I don't know, give you our powers, or anything. If I could transfer my life force to you, I would. We all would. He would, in a heartbeat, except he knows how much you don't want it."
He forced himself up off the ground, leaned once more against the smooth, cool glass of the tube. "You...you're always so strong. So forceful. So in command of everything. None of us thought you could fall. We don't know what to do without you. We're doing the best we can, but...we want you back. We need you."
He laid a hand against the glass, his words a mere whisper as he continued. "You know...He...the Noblesse, Raizel...he's a light to all of us, and we all love him. He's a precious, precious being to us all. But you...you were our foundation, our rock. We always knew we could count on you. To tell us the truth, to lead us in battle, to protect the things we cherished, to take care of us. I mean, we all know it's his will as much as yours, but you've always been our general, our caretaker. You do so much for us. Even if it's only to fulfill the wishes of your Master, our Master...there's no way someone like me has words to express what it means to all of us."
He took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. "When you do your experiments, you explain everything. Back in the Union, I was always terrified. I never knew what was going to happen to me, or what they'd done. But you always explain stuff to us. And I know before I even hit the tank that whatever you do is going to be safe. No instabilities, no horrible side effects. No pills to prevent disintegration. No sickness or mind-wrenching headaches. And you...you keep helping us get stronger, training us, teaching us, giving us exactly what we need."
There was a tear creeping down his cheek, and he ignored it. He'd clean the glass later, but right now he didn't care. "I never...besides M-24, I never had anyone I could trust at my back. But you...thanks to you and him, I've got friends, kids to laugh with, people I consider almost a family. I eat great food, and I have good clothing, and I can sleep at night without being afraid of anything. I've got comrades to fight with me, good comrades that I can trust with my life. And even if it's all his wishes for us, I know that you're the one who made it happen."
His fist clenched against the glass. "So...you have to come back, you bastard. Come back. Be our boss. Be the Chairman of Yeran High School. Be our scientist. Be his servant. Be our friend. Be Regis's mentor, and Siera's. Annoy the hell out of the Clan Leaders. Do whatever the hell you want. Just...be here. And we'll..." His voice cracked. "We'll do whatever we have to. We'll get stronger, better. We'll defeat everyone. It's okay if you can't fight. We'll just protect you and your master ourselves. If you never pick up the Dark Spear again, it's fine. We'll find a way. Takeo's guns, Tao's electricity and planning. I'll learn how to use my werewolf powers better, and the nobles will all improve their skills too, until we don't have to rely on you to save us all the time."
He sighed, and a bitter smile cracked his lips. "Damn it. I'm getting all emotional and crazy, and I can't even tell if you can hear me or not."
"He can." M-21 jerked upright and spun around.
Raizel stood in the doorway, his eyes sad. He hovered for a moment, then stepped into the room, moving forward until he could lay one pale hand against the glass.
M-21 watched him, then spoke softly. "He can hear me? Do you think so?"
Raizel nodded. "He can." Crimson eyes gazed upward, at the man who had been his servant for centuries. "He sleeps, but he is not unaware. And the bond we share..." The sorrow deepened in his gaze. "I can hear your grief, and your words, the feelings you all have for him, and I give them to him. But I think...he hears it himself, some of it."
M-21 swallowed the suddenly renewed lump in his throat. "Do you think...does it help?"
"Yes."
M-21 hesitated. "Do you think he'll wake up eventually?"
"Yes."
"All right then." M-21 looked at the silent figure in the glass tube. "That's good. In that case...there's probably dishes for me to wash upstairs. I can't make Rajak do my job all the time. So...I'll go for now." He put one hand back up to the glass, a gesture of farewell. "But I'll come back tomorrow. For sure. And every day until the day I help pull him out of that tank and carry him into the other room so Tao can run a diagnostic." Somewhere, he found the strength to smirk. "He'll hate that."
The smallest of smiles touched one corner of Raizel's mouth. "He will."
M-21 studied Frankenstein's motionless form one last time, then bowed his head in farewell and left the room.
Author's Note: I wrote this before their first encounter with Ignes. But it still might happen. After all, even Frankenstein has his limits...
Yes, I am aware that I did not quote the scenes about questions and housing and all completely accurately. But...would M-21 remember them word for word, exactly as they were spoken? And I didn't want to just copy the words.