Time passed in a haze of drugs and pain. There were bodies around him all the time, but none of them were recognizable as humans. They injected drugs into him with needles, or cut open his body with minimal anesthesia. He spent hours trapped in a tank, unable to move, allowed to breathe only because of the mask covering his nose and mouth.
Occasionally, he'd see Crombell himself in the laboratory, overseeing some procedure or other, usually the ones that caused him the most pain. He wished for nothing more than to be able to smash the Elder's face in, to leave him bloody and broken, and then to watch Frankenstein or M-21 tear him apart. The old man wasn't even worthy to have Rai's powers used to destroy him.
Crombell seemed pleased every time Shinwoo glared at him, or snarled, or spat in his direction. If he wasn't chained to the table, he would have leapt at the man and tried to tear him apart, or died trying. He was almost grateful when they rendered him unconscious before certain experiments, because he suspected that the pain he felt afterwards was only a small indication of the pain he would have felt if he had been awake.
He had no idea what they were doing to him, and after the first few experiments, he didn't care anymore. He just wanted them to stop. And he wondered where the others were. Were they unable to find his location? Had Crombell finally sent somebody strong enough to beat them? Had they been too badly wounded and were unable to rescue him yet? He refused to believe that they didn't know he was missing – Frankenstein would have noticed the next morning when he wasn't at school – or that they would just leave him to his fate. He clung desperately to the last words he remembered hearing, though he couldn't be sure that it wasn't just his imagination. We're coming, child. Just hold on. It had been Rai's voice he had heard, he was certain of it.
Finally, he was actually mostly lucid when Crombell was in the laboratory, talking to some of the scientists about the success rate of one of the experiments. Shinwoo stared at him intently, waiting. It wasn't like he could insist that the other man look at him, and he'd found that more often than not, yelling at the bastard only made him ignore him for even longer. When the Elder turned around, he asked, "What are you trying to get out of this? I mean, you can't honestly believe that I'll ever work for the Union, so unless you're planning on killing me, I fail to see the purpose in this. And if you're planning to kill me, then why try the experiments first? Wouldn't it be a waste if they were actually successful?"
He thought he had sounded pretty reasonable, and Crombell didn't appear to have had any trouble following him. He seemed to debate for a moment, then nodded to himself. He dismissed the remaining scientists and fiddled with the computer for a moment. Shinwoo assumed he was cutting visual and audio feeds.
Dr. Crombell walked over to stand above him, and Shinwoo only barely resisted the urge to spit at him. He really wanted answers. The man smiled that same cold, calculating smile that he showed to everybody, though some didn't recognize it for what it was. He'd kill them all in a heartbeat and not spare a moment of regret on it.
"You're only here to kill time. Originally, I had simply planned to kill you, and then the other children one by one until I got what I want. But you seemed like you might be worth a little special attention, so I changed my mind. As for what I want…I want the Noblesse," he stated matter-of-factly. Shinwoo just stared at him like he'd grown three heads. Rai? Crombell wanted Rai? What the hell for?
"I've met him only once in combat. Unfortunately, humans got involved too soon, or I would have had more time. I hadn't realized what he was at the time," he said ruefully. Shinwoo could understand that; he hadn't realized that Rai was anything more than human, either. "Then my men started dying. I was told that a blond man had done it." Shinwoo felt his breath catch and then restart again. If Crombell was saying what he thought he was, then Shinwoo wasn't going to disillusion him. "Not only that, but the Elders that went up against him started dying as well. And the experiments – M-21, Takeo, and Tao – all of them grew almost impossibly stronger. How was that possible?"
He seemed almost like he was talking to himself now, so Shinwoo held his tongue, careful not to interrupt lest the scientist decide the question-and-answer session was over. "At the last meeting of the Elders, it was revealed that the Noblesse is still alive, despite assurances that he was laid to eternal rest over five hundred years ago." The truth dawned on Shinwoo then; because Crombell stayed out of the direct fighting, and because they had killed all of their enemies, the Elder didn't know that Rai was the actual Noblesse. They had never come face-to-face, or Shinwoo was positive there would be no mistaking the dark-haired Noble for what he was.
Shinwoo could see why Crombell might mistake Frankenstein for the Noblesse. The blond man had killed several of his subordinates, including at least one Elder that Shinwoo was aware of. In addition, though Shinwoo had only felt the edges of it, the man standing in front of him reminded him of Frankenstein for some reason. He couldn't pinpoint what was causing him to feel that way, though.
"What makes you think he'd agree to meet with you?" Shinwoo asked, his mind working frantically. Frankenstein would definitely come if Crombell told them that he had Shinwoo. But shouldn't they already know that? Or did he not leave any traces of his or Yuri's presence behind? The redhead wouldn't put it past him to have done exactly that and made it obvious that Shinwoo had been injured and taken against his will without leaving behind any clues as to who had done the actual kidnapping.
Crombell smiled. "He seems to have a soft spot for you and your friends. The same goes for those young Nobles, not to mention my creations." Shinwoo kept his mouth shut; Takeo and Tao weren't Crombell's creation, but Dr. Aris', though she had been trying to emulate Crombell at the time. So perhaps the Elder considered it to be the same thing. Shinwoo was starting to understand how he could order an entire laboratory annihilated, and then kill off those who had carried out the slaughter.
Leaning over him, Crombell smiled, gray eyes boring into Shinwoo's own. "I simply explained to him that if he ever wanted to see you alive, if a bit different, then he should agree to a meeting. Just between the two of us." Shinwoo growled, and this time, he did spit at the other man. Standing, Crombell casually wiped off his glasses with a handkerchief. Then, just as casually, he backhanded Shinwoo across the cheek.
The chains tore into his wrists as his body tried to leave the table after Crombell's slap, and blood filled his mouth. Shinwoo turned his head – the only movement currently allowed to him – and spit out the blood. He could feel the inside of his mouth healing already. Well, at least his regenerative capabilities seemed to have improved. Part of him wished desperately to be able to try out his fighting skills.
Crombell smiled viciously at him. "Oh, don't worry about that. I want to see how my enhancements have increased your potential for myself. After meeting with your Noblesse, I have something special planned just for you. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure." He seemed to ponder for a moment. "Then again, perhaps not." He shrugged, not really caring either way.
Moving away from Shinwoo, Crombell restored audio and visual and requested that the scientists come back in. It was time to begin the next round of experiments. Shinwoo snarled as they approached him, but he couldn't reach them and they knew it. Still, he wouldn't give up, even as they slipped the needles into his arms and ankles. Straining, fighting the drugs they had inserted directly into his veins, Shinwoo felt his shackles give, slick with his blood, the metal protesting as the bolts were stripped and pulled from the table.
The scientists realized what was happening, and they injected him again, overdosing him. Shinwoo finally succumbed to the drugs and lost consciousness, leaving the scientists to stare at the damage he'd caused. He had managed to break the shackles around his ankles completely, and his wrists were only held by a bolt on either side. Not even Jake had been able to do that. The scientists looked at each other uneasily, but Crombell's presence assured that they didn't hesitate for long, transporting Shinwoo into a liquid-filled experimental tube.
Lost in his own dreams, Shinwoo heard Rai again, for the first time since he'd been taken here. Shinwoo. His fingers twitched, but he didn't awake. He couldn't. Frankenstein has received a message from the ones who have you. Shinwoo knew that already. Crombell had said as much, but it was still nice to have it confirmed. I was unable to protect you, and for that I am terribly sorry. But we will save you. Frankenstein has agreed to meet with the Union Elder. Shinwoo wanted to protest, his desire to be saved outweighed only by his desire to not drag his friends into this.
He got the impression of a sad smile, and he wanted to cry. He hadn't meant to make Rai sad. We will save you, and we will help you. M-21 is worried about you. He has been hunting for you since you were taken. They have found a place to hide that we cannot track you to, so we must do this the long way. I am sorry. I must go now, but we are coming. Stay strong. And with that, the connection was broken. Shinwoo would have laughed if he could have; the longest conversation he'd ever had with Rai, and it was only in his head! He would've much rather that Rai spoke to him about something happier, or at least less worrisome.
An electric current running through the tank's liquid jolted him out of his lethargy. He thrashed within his confines, occasionally slamming against the walls of the tank, but the material held. When the electric current stopped, he allowed his eyes to open, staring through the murky liquid at the scientists. When he got out of here, he was taking this place down with him. He hoped the scientists got out of the way, because he wasn't planning on wasting time destroying the place. There were no doubt dozens, or even hundreds, more of these laboratories, but at the very least, Crombell wouldn't be able to use this one again. It was the only revenge he had now, though if he was lucky, the Thirteenth Elder would be killed, and he wouldn't have to worry about anything except adjusting to his new strength.
Able to focus better now, and aware that Rai was probably on his way with the others, though Frankenstein had probably gone on ahead to meet Crombell, he looked around. He didn't know what drug was currently in the tank, but it wasn't making him lethargic or unfocused, and they obviously didn't realize that he had recovered from that electric shock already. They had used it before to render him too weak to fight while they made adjustments to the drugs in his tank or in his body. Shinwoo wondered if they didn't realize that at least some of their experiments had been successful, or if Crombell was keeping information from them again.
Keeping his body limp and his eyes half-closed, Shinwoo located the single weak spot in the tank; the place where the hose plugged into the back of it. He was at a bad angle for it, but he had a few precious seconds between when they'd realize what he was trying to do and when they'd press the button for the current again. He'd take advantage of that.
Lifting his arms so that they were in front of him, palms facing out, Shinwoo fought against the liquid resistance and slammed his hands into the front of the tank. Several scientists startled, and one of them snapped an order to "sedate him now, dammit!", but he had already rebounded, putting him close to the hose. A solid kick, and the whole thing shook, but the hose didn't come undone.
Aware that he was out of time, Shinwoo kicked again, using both feet. The hose budged, and liquid started leaking out, but it wasn't enough, and the current was running through the water again. Shinwoo's back arched, his head thrown back and then curled downwards as he tried to shield himself from it as much as possible. They didn't let up until he was completely limp in the tank, little more than dead weight.
"That was a good attempt, though incredibly foolish," Crombell said, standing in front of his tank. Shinwoo wanted to glare at him, but his body was still shuddering from the aftershocks, twitching and shaking against his will. "Still, even that much shouldn't have been possible for you, yet," he murmured, and Shinwoo swallowed; he sounded intrigued, which did not bode well for the redhead. "I think…yes, increase the dosage by 75%," Crombell ordered. "His friends should be here soon, and we must prepare a suitable welcome."
Shinwoo didn't know what that meant, but while he had been slowly recovering from the shock, two military-type men had reattached the hose. The tank was filling up, but instead of the usual pale green, it was deepening to something that closely resembled swamp mud. Shinwoo closed his eyes, his body feeling slimy as it hung suspended in the liquid. A shiver passed through him, then another one, and Shinwoo realized that he was about to have a seizure.
Moving his tongue out of the way, Shinwoo braced himself as best he could, but the shock of the full treatment still sent him reeling, his body thrashing as his heart rate reached incredible heights. He thought that perhaps his heart would burst out of his chest, given just a few more seconds of this treatment.
When it was over, and indeterminate time later, Crombell was gone, as were most of the scientists. At a gesture, the tank was emptied, and Shinwoo collapsed to the bottom of the container. The oxygen mask was removed, and Shinwoo just lay there, shivering as he breathed, trying to bring his body back under his control. When the soldiers removed him and strapped him to a new table, he didn't fight them, too exhausted to do more than hope that they were done and would just leave him alone. But if they were putting him on the table instead of leaving him in the tank, then it was unlikely they were finished with him just yet.
His head throbbed in time with his heartbeat, and Shinwoo barely registered the needle sliding under his skin. He wondered if perhaps this one wouldn't kill him, and finally understood why M-21 had been so adamant that he never volunteer for something like this. It just wasn't worth it.
The last few scientists left the laboratory after throwing a sheet over him, and Shinwoo closed his eyes, too exhausted to wonder why they hadn't put him back in the tank. Did they think he'd be less likely to escape from the table? He had already proven that he was strong enough to break the bands that held him down. Unless they knew something he didn't. Or perhaps they just didn't care. Even if he did escape, where would he go?
Shinwoo realized the direction his thoughts were taking, and growled at himself. It didn't matter where he went – his friends weren't going to just abandon him, so he still had a home to go to. Testing the strength of his shackles, Shinwoo forced his body to move, even as it protested the energy required to pull against his bonds. The metal protested, and Shinwoo found himself wishing he could at least transform like M-21 could. Claws would be really useful right about now.
With another furious wrench, the metal gave way, and Shinwoo used his free hand to help wrest his other arm free of its bonds. His blood sang inside of him now, adrenaline combined with desperation. His legs only took another few seconds, and he hopped off the table, his knees buckling. Catching himself on the edge of the table, holding the sheet around his hips, Shinwoo looked around. He had the feeling that Crombell had intentionally ordered the scientists to leave him on the table, despite what they had already seen him do. He didn't need this place anymore.
Shinwoo shrugged, deciding that if Crombell wanted this place destroyed, he'd be happy to oblige him. Starting with the main computer. This proved far too easy, as Shinwoo simply punched his fist through the console and tore out the wiring. His hand didn't even bruise. He turned to the tanks next. Rather than attempting to shatter them, he expedited the process by yanking out the hoses, letting whatever liquid was inside spill out onto the floor. The colors mixed together and touched wires that crossed the floor, and Shinwoo headed for the doors as sparks flew.
He kicked the door, but the metal didn't give. Behind him, he could smell smoke and hear the crackling of fire. Moving back a few steps, he leapt at the door, slamming his foot into it. This time, the door bent in the middle, but held. Shinwoo narrowed his eyes at it, backing up to make another run at it. Before he could do that, the fire must have hit something volatile, because there was a concussive explosion, and he was thrown forward into the door, heat at his back. The door broke further, and Shinwoo sat dazed for a moment. Cloying smoke billowed through the lab, and Shinwoo didn't hear the exhaust fans turn on. This lab really had been abandoned. Was Crombell satisfied that he'd gotten what he wanted, then, that he had no more need for this laboratory, or the boy contained within?
Forcing himself to his feet, Shinwoo peered through the smoke, but there was really no other way out than the one he was trying. He backed up for another run at the door, careful not to tangle his feet in any of the dangling wires as the fire continued to grow. Bracing himself, Shinwoo took off running, then skidded to a stop as the door blew inwards instead, bringing his arms up to protect him from the heavy metal shards that flew his direction.
Smoke whirled around him, and the fire only grew wilder, fed by the oxygen from the hallway. Shinwoo rubbed at his eyes, peering through the black smoke, and realized that the rescue team was here. So that's why Crombell had abandoned this place. He was no doubt meeting with Frankenstein right now. Shinwoo spared a moment to hope that Crombell got what he deserved, and then he was moving, dragged along by a strong grip on his arm.
Shinwoo looked at M-21, who was very carefully not looking at him. His hands were normal, no claws or fur to be seen, and the redhead found himself wondering who had busted open the door. Rai was there, along with Seira and Regis. Takeo and Tao weren't in the hallway, and Shinwoo realized that they must be trying to keep track of the enemy. The moment they were out of the lab, M-21 took off running, not releasing Shinwoo's wrist. The redhead just grinned at Rai and gave him a victory sign with his free hand before hurrying to keep up. He didn't really fancy being dragged the whole way, but it was surprisingly easy to keep up with the other man's pace.
Rai was just ahead of him, Seira behind him. Then came M-21 and Shinwoo, with Regis watching their backs. The Noblesse slowed down, and then came to a complete standstill. The others stopped with him, and Shinwoo moved up so that he could see what they were staring at. Two cloaked figures blocked their path. Rai didn't move, waiting to see what they'd do, and Shinwoo found himself glancing uneasily behind them, wondering if there were more people coming.
"Noblesse, I must admit, I had never expected to see you alive again," a deep voice spilled from one of the robes, and Shinwoo turned his attention to them in interest. Whoever these guys were, they knew that Rai was the real deal.
Rai tilted his head. "Roctis," he said in greeting. "I did not expect you to interfere directly just yet." He didn't sound particularly concerned about it, though. Then again, Rai never really sounded worried, did he? Shinwoo shifted uneasily on his feet, but this attracted the attention of the smaller man next to Roctis.
Shinwoo froze as the other man appeared behind him, having move too fast for him to see. M-21 startled, then struck out at him with clawed hands, but the slight figure dodged easily, then backhanded him into the far wall. Shinwoo would have run to his side, but his face was suddenly held in a vice-like grip, and he was forced to bend down and look the old man – Noble? – in the eyes. "Hmm…so you're Crombell's newest creation?" he asked interestedly. "I wonder what he found so interesting about you?"
Shinwoo shuddered; he could feel the power and will of the other man pressing against him, leaving him immobile. He had heard of mind control, but this didn't seem to be the same thing. It was more like the other man was simply making the air around them heavier, thicker.
M-21 was slowly pushing himself to his feet, lips curled back in a snarl. The Elder glanced at him for just a moment before dismissing him, turning his attention back to Shinwoo. Without thinking, Shinwoo struck out at him. Without releasing his grip, the Elder dropped him to his knees, hard. Shinwoo winced, his hands reaching up and grabbing the Noble's wrists, squeezing hard. He knew that he was stronger than he had been before, but he sure as hell wasn't in the same league as an Elder. Still, he couldn't just give up. Not now that he was so close.
Crimson eyes stared down at him in vague surprise. "I'm starting to see what the Thirteenth saw in you, child," he murmured. Looking up, he called to the other Elder, who was still facing off with Rai, neither of them having moved while all this had been going on. "Fourth, there is nothing to be found here. We will start an inquiry on the Thirteenth through official means and see what we can find."
Roctis debated, but only for a moment. Turning away from them, Roctis tipped his head at Rai. "It is good to see you again, though I truly wish we had never met." Rai didn't respond, and Roctis smiled, though it seemed sad. "Just as silent as ever, I see. Perhaps surrounding yourself with humans will do you some good after all." He turned away, and Rai just let him go. The man released his hold on Shinwoo, and the younger male stayed on his knees, turning his head to watch them leave.
They were gone just as quickly as they'd arrived, and Shinwoo could breathe again. He'd seriously expected the Elder to kill him, either as a way to hurt Rai, or as a way to get at Crombell. Rai didn't move, and Shinwoo realized that he was waiting for the rest of them. Forcing himself to his knees, Shinwoo looked over at M-21, who was being helped to his feet by Regis. Seira was standing protectively near the two of them.
There was the soft click of shoes across the cement floor, and Shinwoo watched as Tao and Takeo approached, taking in their conditions. When they realized that no one was obviously injured, they both relaxed. "We just saw two figures leaving here, unscathed, so we sort of grew worried," Tao explained. He caught sight of Shinwoo and hurried over to him, Takeo a step behind. Tao caught his face between his hands and tipped his head up, but his touch was gentle, careful, nothing like the Elder's bruising grip.
"Are you all right?" he asked softly. Shinwoo just nodded, words catching in his throat. He was so glad to see them. Takeo touched his shoulder, and Shinwoo shuddered, tension working itself out of him almost violently. Even if there was fighting ahead for them, they were all here now. He wasn't alone anymore. His friends had come to rescue him.
He nodded, his hand reaching out for M-21 as the other man approached them cautiously. Gray eyes flickered down to his hand, then up to his face, before M-21 acquiesced, gripping his hand firmly. Shinwoo reveled in the feeling of companionship he got around them, and realized that it was different now than it had before. No wonder M-21 had so easily accepted Tao and Takeo when DA-5 had been decimated.
Shinwoo winced and staggered, pulling away from the other three. "Shinwoo? Are you okay? What's wrong?" The words came from three different directions, and Shinwoo pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes, waiting for the sudden headache to fade away.
When it dropped to a dull throbbing, he opened his eyes to smile weakly at them. "I'm fine. I just get headaches sometimes, usually when I try to escape." He smirked at that; the scientists had been hard pressed to keep him down for some of the experiments. The information seemed to bother M-21, and Shinwoo didn't have time to mess around. As if in agreement, another explosion from further in down the hall rocked the building, rocks and dust falling around them. "Look, I don't know about you guys, but I want out of here. Ahjussi, spit it out while we move, 'k?"
With that, he walked over to Rai. Seira greeted him with a silent nod, and Regis didn't seem to know how to treat him. Shinwoo just smiled and shook his head, reaching out to ruffle the boy's hair. Regis scowled at him, and Shinwoo grinned wider. Regis just rolled his eyes, but a small smile tugged at his lips, and Shinwoo knew the two of them would be okay.
Rai started walking, and the rest of them followed. If Shinwoo had been paying attention, he'd realize that he was walking even with Rai, and the others spread out behind them. But all he cared about was getting out of this place. Nobody stopped them, and Shinwoo wondered if they had really all abandoned the place. That didn't seem like something Crombell would do, just give up so easily.
They were outside at last, and Frankenstein was there waiting for him. He was injured, blood trailing down his body, shirt and pants shredded. Still, he was there, and Crombell wasn't. Shinwoo wondered how their 'discussion' had gone. Violently, from the looks of things.
Frankenstein looked at him for a moment, then smiled. "I trust there was no trouble retrieving my student?" he asked. Shinwoo snorted, fighting the urge to smile back. Frankenstein walked towards them, and suddenly Shinwoo's vision narrowed, honing in on the blond man. The headache was back, but this time, it was accompanied by directives. Attack. Kill. Attackattackattackattackattack! The words filled his head, and Shinwoo doubled over with a low moan. No! He didn't want this! Is this what Crombell had meant when he said he had a surprise for them?
He couldn't hear the people around him over the whispering in his head, the sound grating like static across his mind, making it impossible to focus on anything else. He felt like his head was splitting, like he was going mad. Suddenly, there was a body in front of him, hands reaching out to grab him, and he stopped thinking.
His foot connected with a body, the rushing in his head roaring louder, demanding that he submit, obey. You can't fight this. You won't fight it. You will fight your friends. You have no choice. Shinwoo wanted to scream, wanted to explain what was happening, but he couldn't think properly, couldn't force the words out of his throat. Hands grabbed either of his arms, but it was obvious that they didn't want to hurt him. With a snarl, he twisted, ignoring the pain in his right shoulder as he kicked out at the person on his left, feeling them let go. Spinning back around, he kicked out at the other one, but his attack was blocked.
With another wrench, he pulled completely free. It was obvious that the others didn't want to hurt him, or they would have held on and allowed him to break his own arm in his struggles. It would have been so easy for them to do that, to take him down, but they didn't want to, which meant that he had the advantage. There was movement all around him, and Shinwoo tried to focus, realizing that he knew these people, that he didn't want to be fighting them, any more than they wanted to fight him. But the voice in his head was insistent.
Gripping his hair in tight fists, Shinwoo doubled over, aware of the enemies – or were they friends? – closing in on him. With a low snarl, he glared up at them, right into calm silver eyes. Crombell! Yes. Attack. Kill him. Shinwoo couldn't fight the voice at all anymore, because he agreed with it. The Elder should be dead. Ignoring the other two modified humans as too weak to stop him, he launched himself at the enemy in front of him, his hands reaching for the other man's throat.
Suddenly, he found himself kneeling on the ground, his body no longer his own. What the hell had just happened? Fighting the pressure, he looked up into sad red eyes. Why was he sad? Had Shinwoo made him sad? He didn't want that. Licking his lips, Shinwoo tried to apologize, his hands shaking as the voice inside his head ordered him to fight the mind control, to stand, to fight, to kill the gray-eyed man.
A slender hand reached for him, and Shinwoo watched it approach. The touch was brief, trailing across his forehead. It came away bloody. He followed that hand up to a pale mouth, and watched as blood was smeared across it. Power pulsed in him and through him, and he screamed, his body bent double as he fought the conflicting orders. Open your eyes. Kill them all! Awaken. You are mine! We are here, Shinwoo. All of us. Kill them!
His head was splitting in two, and Shinwoo made his decision. Shut up! Go away! I don't want to do this! Rai! He screamed the word in his head, and just like that, the balance of power was tipped in the Noblesse's favor. The other voice disappeared with a hissing snarl, and Shinwoo was left alone in his own head. He shuddered, bent double under his own weight as he looked blankly down at his body. What the hell?
His nails had lengthened to thick, sturdy claws. Or perhaps that wasn't the right word for it. Talons, maybe? Considering that he now had traces of feathers traveling up his arm. His vision was a lot clearer, too, picking out each individual feather and the dust motes that swirled around him. He could pick out varying shades of blood, and the shadows were suddenly much sharper, more focused.
He tried to sit up, then had to fall forward onto his hands again as he almost tipped over. Feathers showed in his peripheral vision and Shinwoo stared at the huge wings on either side of him, as red as his hair. What the hell? He fought the urge to whimper, aware that there were others around him.
"Hmm…I must admit, I've never seen anything like this before," Frankenstein said. "Can you undo it?" Shinwoo thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I was afraid of that. Well, Master awakened you, so it should wear off shortly, I would imagine. But we can't stay here while we wait. I don't know what that was, but Crombell no doubt has more up his sleeve."
Shinwoo swallowed, tipping his head to look up at the man, his eyes easily picking out even the faintest bruises littering the blond's body. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I…in my head, it…I'm not sure. I couldn't fight it. I couldn't…" he trailed off, uncertain how to explain himself.
A hand reached down for him, and Shinwoo stared at it blankly for a moment, then realized that M-21 was offering to help him to his feet. He was glad that Rai had stopped him before he had attacked the other man, because if he had hurt him, Shinwoo would have never forgiven himself. With a grateful smile, he accepted the proffered hand, and M-21 pulled him easily to his feet. Tucking his wings in closer to his body came almost naturally. Checking the rest of himself, Shinwoo was glad to see that his feet hadn't changed or anything.
But looking down also brought another rather embarrassing observation. "Ah, I don't suppose anybody has a spare pair of pants, do they?" He was just grateful that he at least still had his boxers on. Then again…he took a second look at everybody else. Their clothes were pretty much shredded. No doubt if they had extra, they'd have put them on by now. He shrugged. "Never mind, then."
Rai started moving again, and Shinwoo followed, feeling his wings retract, leaving his back itching between his shoulder blades. He noticed Frankenstein watching him oddly, but Rai shook his head, and the blond held his tongue. Shinwoo frowned; what weren't they telling him? Then again, he supposed he could ask. At the worst, they'd refuse to answer, right?
"So…is this normal? I mean, will I be able to do that again?" he asked, trotting up to walk by Rai's side. "When they were talking, it didn't seem like they were doing anything like that. I mean…as far as the transformations and things. They seemed to be trying for something else." Rai glanced at him, but didn't speak, and Shinwoo sighed, allowing himself to slow just enough to drop behind him and Frankenstein. This put him even with M-21, who was frowning at the two men in front of them.
He caught Shinwoo's eye and mouthed, "Later." Shinwoo nodded; he could be patient. For a while, at least. M-21 must have decided to reward him for his patience, because he answered Shinwoo's unasked question. "What you felt or heard was probably a version of Mind Control. It's not the same as what the Nobles have, but similar, in much the same way that the Dark Spear is similar to a Noble's Soul Weapon, though it's not the same. There's a fundamental difference between them."
Shinwoo nodded, but he still wasn't happy. "Why couldn't I fight it? I mean, I knew that it wasn't me in my head, but I couldn't seem to stop myself, either. The best I could do was try to slow it down and hope somebody stopped me before I hurt anyone. If that happens at school, I could seriously injure, or even kill, someone." And that's what worried him; that the voice in his head wasn't eradicated, but just buying its time.
Frankenstein answered him this time. "If it's mind control, it's possible to teach you to resist it. After all, we do have Nobles who can use it," he smirked. "But when we return, I will run some tests with your permission, and see if that's all there is to it, or if there's more there. It wouldn't do to start training you to resist mind control and trip some other trigger in the process."
Shinwoo nodded, grateful for the reassurances. Frankenstein would never allow him to hurt his friends or classmates. He knew that, but it was nice to hear anyhow. On the other hand, it also meant that there probably was more to it than just mind control. He hadn't been staring into anybody's eyes when that voice had started up in his head. And it hadn't made itself known until Frankenstein got close.
Nobody stopped them on the way out, and Shinwoo realized that the others had more or less annihilated the opposing forces that hadn't been quick enough to escape. He wondered if Crombell had left him here for them so that he could use him as a spy or something. If that was the case, then he had a screw loose. Then again, he couldn't have actually believed that Shinwoo would stand a chance against Frankenstein. Maybe it was a test instead, to see what the blond would do if attacked by one of his students. Fortunately, Shinwoo hadn't had to find out, since Rai had put a stop to it pretty swiftly.
Rai took to the nearby rooftops, and the others followed him. Shinwoo looked up, then crouched, tensing his legs before leaping. He overshot the roof, and managed to snag the edge on his way down. Flipping up onto the roof, he gave an amused Tao a chagrined smile, and they were on their way. Shinwoo didn't recognize where they were for a full half-hour, until he saw the edges of his hometown in the distance. They had been quite a ways out, hadn't they? No wonder the others had found it difficult to track his location.
Rai kept moving, and they kept following him, bypassing Shinwoo's house. The redhead wondered if his blood was still on the walls. He couldn't scent anything, but then again, he didn't know if his sense of smell had been enhanced or not. He was happy, however, to note that his improved eyesight hadn't diminished when his wings and talons had retracted. He caught M-21 scenting the air, and remembered suddenly that he had a werewolf's power. Huh.
Shinwoo had never seen anything so welcoming as Frankenstein's home. They lit on the porch, and Frankenstein reached right inside the door, pulling out house slippers and tossing them to his guests. Shinwoo grinned; still a neat freak, even when their lives might be in danger.
"Shower first," Frankenstein told him bluntly. "And then come down to the lab. I'll get the tests set up." Shinwoo just nodded, heading for his room to grab a clean pair of sweats. Turning on the water as hot as he could stand it, Shinwoo shucked out of his boxers, deciding that they should probably be burned. He dropped them in the hamper, then stepped under the water. Almost immediately, the scalding liquid made him feel better, helped him to settle his emotions. The water in the tank had always been lukewarm at best, and downright numbingly cold otherwise.
When he walked into the lab, wearing only a pair of sweatpants, Frankenstein was waiting for him. He gestured to the closest machine, and Shinwoo lay down on the connected table. The machine hummed quietly, lights flickering as his body was pulled into the center of the machine. His body tensed and he refused to close his eyes, even as his head told him that this machine wasn't designed to hurt him. The humming was irritating, but he could hear Frankenstein as he moved around and tapped at the computer, too.
The machine finally released him and fell silent, and the quiet left his ears ringing. Shinwoo winced. Blue eyes looked at him in concern. "How are you feeling?"
Shinwoo shrugged. "I'm feeling pretty good, all things considered. What's next?" he asked. Frankenstein pointed to a table off to the side, and Shinwoo grimaced as he saw the needles and bottles of liquid on it. "Injecting or withdrawing?" he asked.
Frankenstein smiled at him. "Actually, I just need a few small samples of your blood for now. I think that most of the physical traits, at least, shouldn't return again. The samples will allow me to make certain." Shinwoo figured he must be talking about the wings and feathers, because he still had excellent vision, and his hearing seemed to have improved, too. If he listened carefully, he could almost hear the vibrations of the others walking above them.
"So if the wings aren't permanent, then why did they show up in the first place? Does it have something to do with whoever was in my head?" Could somebody else force a physical transformation in another person with just a thought? Was that even possible?
Frankenstein shook his head before Shinwoo could worry about it too much. "No. But those blood-red wings are something that I've only seen twice before. When my Master uses up a significant amount of power – even more than when he uses a blood field – he gains similar wings. I have never known the 'feathers' to go down over his arms, though."
"Umm…" Shinwoo thought for a moment. "So then why would I get them? It doesn't make sense." He was so confused, and the blond wasn't making things any easier.
Chuckling, Frankenstein smiled at him, and it was open and friendly. Shinwoo felt himself relaxing, having not realized until now just how tense he'd been in this stark laboratory. It didn't feel safe to him anymore. "I don't know," Frankenstein admitted, and Shinwoo stared at him wide-eyed. "It's not dangerous, but I suspect it may have more to do with you than it does with my Master."
He looked towards the back of the lab, and Shinwoo followed his gaze, staring at the doors to the shrine. "Are you telling me that when I opened that door, I…bound us or something in some way?"
Frankenstein shrugged. "I don't believe that bound is the correct term for it. Master said that there is no contract between you. He simply did with you what he once did for M-21, and gave you a glimpse of your true power. But those wings are something that only Master has. The rest of the enhancements are probably from Crombell's experiments. Now," he said, his tone suddenly brisk and clinical, "tell me what you remember about the experiments the Union subjected you to. Take as much time as you need."
Shinwoo nodded and took a deep breath. Then started talking.