A/N
I am so sorry for the delay in updating! This chapter should have been out weeks ago. :'(
Enjoy~
~Smo
Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own the wonderful creation we know as Noblesse. I do own Kim An, as she is a wonderful OC.
Chapter 4
Kim turned over in the bed. She could no longer hear the rain, which had ambushed her window all night. However, she could smell the fresh scent of the aftermath. Once more, she missed being able to bask in it the way a werewolf did. They were surrounded in the fresh and pure scent of rain. They could feel the clean essence. It felt as if they had been cleansed.
She threw the blankets off of her and set her feet against the cold wooden floor. Getting dressed, she tugged on a black camisole, and pulled over the slim jeans she had worn yesterday. Mentally, she made a note that if she were to stay here she would need more clothes.
She could hear a few voices whispering to each other. Quietly, she slid along the floor into the hallway, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. Unfortunately, the enhanced humans heard her coming. Frankenstein, Tao, and M21 both stopped and waited for her to come around the corner.
Tao was sitting on the couch, leaning forward; both of his hands were rapidly attacking the keyboard while Frankenstein poured himself another cup of tea. M21 observed her with a skeptical look, watching with a narrowed gaze as she took each step closer to them. "Good morning," she forced out casually, hoping to start the day off on the right side of the bed.
It had been hard since her chest still echoed with the hallow pain the two heart attacks had brought on. Although she had survived, probably due to her superhuman body trying to give in to her basic survival instincts, the others seemed to look at her like some fragile doll. Kim wanted to snort. If only they had seen her in her past life.
Frankenstein looked to her. His eyes penetrating her as he analyzed her like a doctor would. "Your test results are in," he informed her, leaning over the table to grab a pocketed folder. He slowly opened it, waiting for her to sit down before relaying the details.
"Your body is obviously not accepting the new heart," he stated. Kim snorted looking at him as if he had said he just realized the sky was blue. "However, your body does show improvement in blood circulation where other heart transplants would be weaker. This gives me hope. I could try to engineer a medicine that might take the pain away or give your human heart some power. It will never be on par with what you had as a werewolf, but it will be enough."
Kim thought over his answer. Hope began to pool at her stomach, but when she met his blue eyes she felt it disappear. A strange light was in his eyes, as if he were getting ready to make an agreement or bargain. Kim narrowed her eyes, "What do I need to do to get this magic pill?" She wondered.
"I want you to train M21 to accept your heart," Frankenstein muttered simply, taking a calming sip of tea. It was as if the idea was so simple. Kim tried to think it over. Sure, why not? It's not like that heart was mine... She trailed off. Finally, Kim looked up in determination. She would learn to accept her new fate.
From experience, she knew that Frankenstein was a successful doctor. If he said he could do something, he most likely would succeed in doing that something. With a final nod, Kim accepted the deal. "I will teach him how to adapt to the heart if you keep your word on making the pill. However, I want to add one more condition," she added, knowing that what she was about to say was more of wishful thinking than a demand.
Frankenstein raised one of his golden brows, his wavy locks falling into his face at the movement. "And what do you want?" He asked carefully. She could see the way his gaze darkened considerably. Obviously, he was getting serious. Frankenstein had always been a mean negotiator.
"I want you to contact my uncle," Kim declared. "I have not seen him since my capture," she explained, hoping this would be a viable excuse. "You are sure to know of some way to contact him or one of his connections."
As she spoke, M21 listened intently to her tone. With each word, a sort of desperate sound leaked through the voice. He could tell she worried for him, wanted to see what was left of her family. He looked to Frankenstein, wondering what the mad scientist would say. Frankenstein was rubbing the bottom of his chin. The doctor then nodded, smiling at her as if it were a simple condition.
Kim released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Standing up off the table, she gave Frankenstein a mock salute before brushing past M21 on the way out. "Let's go," she barked out sternly. M21 cast a glance to Frankenstein, who was already putting together machinery and cleaning the tiled floor.
Sighing, he rolled his eyes and followed her quietly up the stairs into the living room. It wasn't until they arrived at the front door and Kim was putting her shoes on did M21 feel anxious. Going out was never a big thing of his. A small fear was always inside him that someone would discover him and drag him back to the Union.
"Where are you taking me?" He asked defensively, trying not to allow the fear in his voice. If he left the house, it was always with Takeo or Tao. M21 knew that Kim was weak due to his human heart.
"It's fine. I may not have my werewolf heart, but I still have the senses. They may have dimmed quiet a lot, but they're still there. We're just going... investigating," she explained, walking much further ahead of him. M21 watched her from behind. Every so often, she would raise her chin and her nostrils would flare as she sniffed. Her body tensed when a cyclist breezed past them.
He watched her repeat the gestures until they made it to the market district. He had his hands deep in his slack pockets as she led him into a shop. An older woman grinned at the potential customers, quickly offering their sale items. Kim waved her off, not allowing the older woman to get too close. "Just looking."
The words seemed to anger the older woman, but she nodded and retreated without an argument. M21 looked at the surroundings. It was a candy shop, and for a moment he wondered if too much candy would put her into cardiac arrest.
She paused when she came to a container, pulling it open, she glanced sideways to see if the old woman was watching. The owner of the store was busy helping other customers, so she snagged a large handful of assorted sugary goods and pulled M21 out. "Wonderful, is this your way of teaching me how to accept the heart? Shoplifting?" He grumbled, following her at a quickened pace down the street.
She didn't reply until they were in an alley. "Smell." It seemed as if she had ordered him, yet confusion was thick in his head. He didn't quite understand what she wanted. Growling with frustration, she clarified. "I'm treating you like a pup. A pup first learns how to use their senses. This isn't directly connected with the heart, but the heart allows the senses to be so strong. So, smell."
"I smell a dirty alley," M21 returned. When she narrowed her eyes on him, a silent order for him to retry, he leaned his head back and took in a small sniff. "Mud, trash, alley."
"We can do this all day, smarty pants. If you don't want to learn, you'll never accept that heart. It's your choice," she growled, making a move to shove past him.
He calculated his options. Really, the only way to grow stronger would be to accept the heart. He knew his future opponents would by much stronger than his previous foes. Shutting his eyes, he reached out to grab her arm and hoisted her back in front of him. "Try again," he bit out, not liking to be the one to reach out and ask for help.
Kim waited silently. M21 took in a deep breath, closing his eyes in an attempt to find the smells. He inhaled, this time it was longer, deeper. New scents caressed his nose. He could smell the nasty qualities of the alley, but in her lay a delectable scent of fruit. "Fruit candy."
"Well, that's a start, considering it's not chocolate. Tell me what kinds of fruits," Kim added, still clutching the candies together in her hand. It wasn't an easy task when she considered it. The fruits were all bunched together. The scents would be hard to identify and tricky.
She watched with a hidden envious gleam in her eyes. Discretely, she sniffed the air and took in the scents, but they had grown weaker to her now with the exclusion of her heart. Sadness and anger loomed over her, her fingers clenching the fruit until the broke and crackled under her hand. "So?" She asked.
"Cherry, raspberry, and lychee," he answered correctly. Kim tried to force a smile to encourage him, reward him. M21 surprised her then though as he continued to talk. "You're hiding a candy though. Vanilla wrapped around apples."
She blinked at his additional, unnecessary answer. Thinking on the scent he had just given her, a flush broke across her cheeks. "T-That's … That's my scent," she got out shyly. Her heart sped up as she awaited his reaction. It was ridiculous. Such a compliment shouldn't have such a reaction in her.
M21 seemed to freeze and train his gaze on hers. A moment later, he scoffed a turned around silently, maneuvering out of the alley and leaving her to follow. Kim caught up to him easily, a slow jog that caused a small amount of pain in her chest. "What do you hear?" She asked.
"Everything," He answered. Kim nodded, it was usual for hearing to be the first sense he would recognize. "Food frying, people laughing, kids crying, birds singing, it's all there. Annoying."
"Yes, in certain areas hearing can be overwhelming, so can smells in some places," Kim thought. "For instance, if you are in a fight, M21, and you are chasing or running, try not to run into a perfume store or else you'll be screwed."
M21 huffed, "Makes sense."
Kim nodded, sucking one of the candies into her mouth and observing the numerous things going on around them. He was right. This place was bustling with both locals and tourists. Eying M21, she was filled with pride when he tentatively took sniffs here and there. He may look a bit obvious, but it meant he was curious to learn.
"Can you spare some change?" The small voice said from below her. Kim turned to stare at the small boy. The same one from the previous day. Grumbling, she eyed the child.
"Where's your parents, runt?" She asked, glancing around him for any adult that was watching this particular child. There was none.
"You tell me," the boy shot back angrily, easily on the defensive side. Kim instantly figured out he was an orphaned that wandered the street for scraps. It was what she'd been doing since she'd been released.
"You smell horrible," Kim noted, causing the boy to pout. Dirt covered his left cheek and his hair had enough grease in it to fry up a basket of potatoes. "I honestly don't have money." When the boy instantly looked at her as if she were lying, she put up her hands in surrender. "Seriously, I stole these candies!"
"Here," M21 grumbled from behind. Kim watched as he handed the child a few paper bills. "Get cleaned and then worry about food. You look like a rat."
The boy scampered off without another word. "Now he's going to find you whenever you come in here," Kim grumbled. "Strays are like that."
There was a certain light in his eyes as he stared at her. "Yea, I'm getting that," he murmured. Turning away before she could respond, he stormed out of the market district, back to the side streets that led them towards Frankenstein's house.
"I wasn't finished. You still have quite a ways to go!" Kim shouted after him, chest heaving as she gasped for air after running. M21 stared at her as if she were weak, and she couldn't argue.
"We can do the rest inside," he suggested. Kim shrugged her shoulders as they continued their way back in silence.
One of Frankenstein's students was sweeping the outside curb when they arrived. The young girl eyed her as if she were some sort of celebrity, and Kim felt violated at such a display. Pushing past the girl, she practically tore open the door and inhaled the wonderful smell of baking.
"Kim!" Frankenstein welcomed with a grin. "How'd it go?" He asked, holding a spatula in his hand over a bowl of batter.
"It went," Kim answered, not wanting to give out any details of what they had done. He had stormed off after her first lesson, so there hadn't been a whole lot of success. Vaguely, she thought about her Uncle. He had taught her everything, and it had been a strict curriculum. If she hadn't sat and listened or had done something wrong he had attacked her into a submission, biting the scruff of her neck until she had surrendered like an obedient student should.
The mental image of her nipping M21's neck passed through her mind. A giggle erupted from her lips. "Oh, the images," she sang, earning a strange glance from Frankenstein. "I-I heard you gave them jobs... at the school?" Kim asked casually, finding a crumb on the counter extremely interesting and avoiding Frankenstein's gaze.
The blonde scientist mused for a moment at her. "You won't serve as good security," he commented. Kim narrowed her eyes on the same crumb, hoping it would burst into flames. "I bet you know a lot about history though. Seeing as you have been alive through most of it."
"True," Kim answered. History was always something she could go on and on about, with no end in sight. There were so many views and opinions, so many causes for every single event. "Frankenstein, I have another question. Without the heart, I-I started to age again. H-How long do you think I'll live?" She wondered.
Frankenstein paused his stirring of the batter. "I will have to run some tests, but you may have just continued where you are. So, about another forty years? Depending on if we can do anything for you."
"Forty years? That's hardly anything," she hissed, feeling as if the world had just buckled down around her. It had taken her forty years just to learn how to transform into a human.
"I said I will have to run some tests. Your blood is still that of a werewolf's, so that could prolong your life. As for the job you mentioned, why do you want it?" He asked, returning to his meal.
"Well, it would be helpful to have money and then I could get out of your hair," Kim answered easily. "Plus, I hate stealing things - makes me feel like a mutt."
She expected his wry chuckle. "All right, let me think about it. I will make some calls to inquire about your Uncle tomorrow as well. Now, go on and do whatever you mutts do."
Kim snorted, rolling her eyes and leaving the room to find her new chew toy. She wasn't going to let him take charge of his schedule, not when she was now a part of it. "M21!" She exclaimed when she peered into the living room. Tao looked up to her with a confused expression. He was alone, no one else in the room.
Flushing, she carried on, peering into rooms down the hallway until she spotted M21 and Takeo on the balcony. Carefully, she slid open the door. "M21, let's cont-." She paused her thoughts, straying from the topic. "We need to get you a name." When he didn't look nearly amused as she, Kim continued with her previous idea. "We need to continue this. Come on."
Reluctantly, he followed her inside and she led him to the living room where Tao looked amused at their entry. Rai quietly sit on the couch drinking tea. "Sit on the floor." She ordered, already taking a seat on the wooden floor against the wall.
"What are you doing?" M21 wondered. Kim growled in irritation. Did he have to ask her every single time?
"Sit down," she repeated tightly. M21 sighed, plopping down in front of her lazily. His legs were loose and relaxed beneath him, and she crossed her legs in front of her. "Come on, get serious."
He gave a grunt of displeasure as he crossed his legs and sat up. Kim nodded in approval. "Clear your mind, and take deep breaths."
"Are you serious? You're asking me to meditate?" He asked with wide eyes.
"Meditation is probably the most important thing. It calms you down, clears your mind, and makes you stronger. When you meditate, your strength doesn't have any limits. It's free. Don't you wonder what Rai is doing right now? I bet you he's meditating!"
That got his attention, and Kim quickly learned that M21 saw Rai as a sort of hero or idol. The Noblesse was obviously strong and he wanted to reach that power. Kim stored the new information for future use. Silently, she watched the noblesse for any reaction to her suggestion. Honestly, she didn't know if he meditated, but he was so quiet and seemed to be so relaxed it wouldn't surprise her.
Said being gave a small nod to confirm her accusation, and she grinned in victory. "You cannot become powerful if you cannot think clearly," Rai's quiet voice said, full of experience and wisdom. Like a boy who had just gotten an autograph from his favorite person in the whole wide world, M21 turned around to face her and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly.
"Also, as a werewolf, we have two sides. I don't know if this relates to you. One side is our conscience, our human side, and the other is the beast - the transformation and primitive animal instincts. Meditating helps combine these two sides. A werewolf is ruled by its heart, but it attacks with its head." She rehearsed what her uncle had taught her, giving a sad smile at the thought of her uncle and how she missed him.
M21's grumble snapped her out of her momentary lapse of reality. "By meditating, I am connecting my body to my heart, which opens up the pathway to better transformations?" He clarified.
Kim gave him a look of admiration. She brought her hand up and patted his head, caressing the top of his ear. "Exactly!" She cheered.
He felt as if his ego had just been squashed by her goofy treatment. Still, he couldn't deny the sudden happy feeling he got, knowing he had pleased her.
Kim saw Tao laugh from beside her. She couldn't resist the smirk. M21 had reacted just like a pup getting something correct for the same time. He looked as if he didn't care, yet he tensed with victory. "Now, meditate," she released, standing up and leaving the room. She waved a hand over his shoulder. "Stay there for an hour and do it three times a day from now on."
The three quietly watched as she left the house, unaware she had anywhere else to go. "Where do you think..." Tao's voice trailed off as Frankenstein carried out their dinner. M21 grumbled, but remained on the floor.
"Who knows? She's bothersome," he lied. She wasn't all that bothersome, especially since she was helping him. He didn't know how to feel though, knowing he had wrongfully gotten her heart and sentenced her to a human life she probably hated.
"She's helping you out," Frankenstein explained. "Kim's always been stubborn, but when I first met her, she was passionate about everything she took on. I'm sure she will do a good job with you, far better than I can do, since she's been in your position before."
"What do you mean?" M21 asked, raising a curious brow.
Frankenstein's blue eyes met his clouded gray ones. "Well, she didn't just know everything. Her Uncle taught her the same things she is teaching you. If you thought she was leading you on, you are wrong. I remember many times when I was traveling with them when I interfered with her meditating."
The mad scientist shivered. "She was much stronger than, equal to my power. If you pay attention to her, she'll teach you how to harness that power."
Everyone went quiet at the new information. That mere slip of a woman had actually been able to fight against Frankenstein? The thought of it brought a new form of respect to her. M21 nodded to Frankenstein. "I'll make sure to pay attention," he promised.
