A/N: It has been a long time since I updated but the next chapter is here. Are you people enjoying the story so far? I would like to see some reviews especially on this particular one. Don't forget that reviews motivate writers.

A big revealation in going to take place in this chapter but that is just the tip of the iceberg.

I do not own the manhwa 'Noblesse' or any of its characters. I own this story and the OCs.

Chapter 10: Long time no see

At the Landegre mansion…Dinner table

When Regis said that some people had come, Frankenstein didn't really know what to expect. But to his surprise not one, not two but three clan leaders had come upon his arrival at the Landegre mansion.

Rael Kertia was there but that was to be expected – he did feel his presence earlier after all so that wasn't much of a shocker.

The Blester Clan leader had come too although he looked quite thin and the slight circles under his eyes contrasting his pale skin showed that he wasn't in the best of health; depression perhaps and lack of sleep. He found the fact that he had lived long enough to see this man depressed, really annoying.

And the actual surprise of the day; Claudia, the Tradio Clan leader. Frankenstein didn't know his feelings about her yet. She gracefully greeted him but had courteously stayed out of the talking that ensued between him and the children. Mostly it was for general things but she gave the feeling that she was there for another reason than welcoming him.

He knew that the old Landegre had vouched for her in the past, after her father's betrayal, and if he was honest with himself he didn't like it at the time. Well, he had been furious to be exact. But for all his threats and demands the white haired clan leader had said:"You do not rule my clan and you definitely do not rule my decisions".

Those words were absolute and they were right. He wasn't a native of Lukedonia.

He forced himself to be back on track and participate in the occasional conversation about the children, the school and the boys back home.

"You do know that there is a guest staying with the boys back at home, right?" he asked knowingly. He had an idea that Gejuntel had briefly informed them.

"Yes, Frankenstein" answered Regis "We were informed, although details were few"

A small smirk appeared on the lips of the scientist "I understand your dissatisfaction but I assure you that it's probable that this guest will be an asset to my search, although I would want you not to spread any rumors just yet" he said with his usual tome that indicated that if you were to do otherwise there would be some serious consequences and he would definitely enjoy them.

"Is that guest dangerous?" asked Seira suddenly. Her face was not readable.

"I don't know" Frankenstein answered while easily cutting his meat; and before putting it to his mouth, he completed his phrase "how much, yet".

"Everyone, after you finish please move to the chamber in your right as you step out of the dining room, in which we are going to be having tea" announced the oldest person in the room that was trying to keep Frankenstein's excitement in check, but that was proving to be quite challenging as it looked like even the mention of the said guest's power was having a weird effect to the crazy scientist.

"Oh how lovely!" said Karias with much excitement "It's been such a long time since I had tea with so many people!"

"And whose fault is that?" mentioned Claudia teasingly "You could have come to the mansion all this time but you had refused my invitation so many times…"

"Alright, alright I understand….stop ruining my excitement" Karias replied in the same tone, half-meaning his words. He was thankful though that this small conversation was done as they were getting up from their chairs to head to the next room and even though everyone's hearing was more than perfect, Claudia was talking lower than usual.

Frankenstein was smirking as he remained in his seat, watching the young nobles leaving one leaded by Karias.

"What about you?" Frankenstein had just felt that presence of Rael Kertia before he heard the young one's question. His father would have been proud.

"Go, Rael. Make sure to keep miss Seira company" he answered as he rose and exited the room. He instead turned to his left but not before he saw the Kertia Clan leader in front of him. He smirked then "Do you want to play games with me Rael Kertia?"

Rael took a breath; small for the ordinary eyes to catch "Seira misses the children" he simply said. The scientist was thinking that he was becoming more and more like his father; few words with a lot of meaning. And he realized that it must have been more serious than he thought if Rael knew what Seira was thinking and feeling. He himself could see it but if Rael was able to tell…

"They are all living their human lives" 'She should detach herself soon'.

"I know" 'She still can't and she hurts'. They were exchanging glances for a few seconds before Frankenstein laughed loudly. Rael felt really uneasy.

"Tell the rest of the group that I had to leave for some urgent matters and for them not to worry; I have a feeling that we are going to see each other soon"

As his steps passed the young Kertia, the young boy was already gone. The route he took was lonely and for a moment he thought that he made a wrong turn until he finally found the exit door. Or more like the eastern door that apparently was leading to the gardens. Oh well, no big deal, since he was outside. He left an envelope on the garden table next to him, telling Gejuntel some last details and infoin it.

"Leaving so soon?"

Frankenstein smirked "I thought you were itching for a tea party" he slightly turned to see Karias approaching with a relaxing face, lacking the earlier excitement.

"And I thought you were to join us. The youngsters were frowning as soon as they realized that you just left the dining room without saying goodbye"

"I'm not saying goodbyes. Ever." The two men were now standing side by side just looking at the shadowy landscape "And did they actually frown?"

It was kind of difficult to imagine miss Seira frown.

"Well, you know. They did so in the way only Nobles do"

"Ah. I see."

Karias sighed and looked at his companion "You look awful" he said casually.

"Hm…You are one to talk" side smiled Frankenstein.

"Yes, I suppose the whole situation did take a toll on me…I just hadn't realize how fast it did so" he pulled something out of his pocket and gave it to the human next to him "I heard that you used to smoke" the pipe in his hand.

Frankenstein was looking at him as he raised his eyebrow; never the less he accepted the item "Where did you hear that?" his eyes never leaving the face next to him.

"From my father. He used to say that the few days you stayed at Lukedonia after sir Raizel's disappearance you were inhaling and exhaling smoke all the time. At first he thought it was your weird power but one day he actually saw you smoking the pipe" he didn't elaborate more and he didn't really have to. Frankenstein's silence confirmed his words.

The scientist inspected the pipe. There was tobacco in there and the sound of the shaking matches was heard as Karias tossed them to him.

"Where did you get this? I doubt Nobles smoke" he caught the matchbox.

"From the human world. I always had the memory in my head. Even though we weren't talking about you or your Master, my father made sure to tell me these kinds of stories without mentioning you per se. I thought it interesting"

"It's been centuries since I last smoked" he was lighting a match on.

"Well, the occasion seems the same to me" Karias pulled another item.

"You are smoking cigarettes, Karias?" the human asked with interest.

"The tobacco shop lady recommended them to me. I only had six up until now" he lighted his match on "I hear that they are not good for you though. If Claudia finds out, I'm doomed"

"Huh…Quite honestly I don't know the effects on Nobles, if there are any at that" the human slurred his words a little bit as he was balancing the pipe with his teeth and putting the matchbox down on the table. That's when Karias noticed the envelope.

"I thought you never say goodbyes" his eyes looking at the paper accusingly.

Frankenstein sighed and exhaled the smoke. It really had been centuries since he stopped but it somehow felt good. He always thought that him smoking was the proof that he wasn't completely indifferent to human indulgences; strange how that thought calmed him from time to time.

"It's for the old man. Will you make sure he receives it?"

The Noble next to him smiled as he was sucking his cigarette "Sure, if you promise me one thing"

Frankenstein raised his eyebrow "Which is?"

"Send for me if you have trouble with said guest, alright?" the voice of Karias was dripping with seriousness. It was a very odd happening to see and hear Karias like that. At the moment Frankenstein could swear that he was looking at another person.

"Of course" he simply answered.

"Or if you need someone to cheer you guys up and arrange for a lovely tea party too!" he suddenly changed the entire mood of the conversation.

'And he is back' the human thought with amusement. As he finished and shook his pipe to empty the ashes he heard Karias telling him to keep it. He smiled, didn't utter another word and turned to leave. The way back was long. He would go straight to Korea.

"Farewell Frankenstein!" the blonde Noble was shouting at him from the terrace with his usual theatricality.

Frankenstein was ready to go back…He was thinking that if he hurried perhaps he would get there before dawn.

…South Korea…Frankenstein's house…

That was the most silent, awkward and intense dinner they all had in a very long time. Actually the only one that looked relatively relaxed was M-21. Takeo remembered the code that M-21 gave the guys, with his eyes, as he exited Sara's room. "Wait" that was the code.

But wait for what?

Takeo looked at Tao and he couldn't help bu seee that his comrade was as confused as he was….

Sara was sitting opposite from M-21, next to him was Tao and opposite of him was Takeo.

At some point Tao took all the plates to the sink to prepare them for washing since everyone was finished.

Now that they were all finished and since no word had come out of anyone, Tao thought to start talking – as always "Well guys…I don't know about you but I don't handle that much quiet and tension for so long! M please explain to us what happened!"

He suddenly looked at her "Sara, tell them what you told me back there" he said with seriousness.

She looked at him like she was looking at him for the first time "What do you mean?"

He let his head fall a little bit to the side "You know…Please…Tell me again the word…"

She sighed and she looked down "Bart…It's sort for Bartholomew …That is your name… Some people used to call you Bart…"

The man in front of her smiled slightly and let a breath out, which he didn't know he was holding "Thank you" he simply said.

The rest were completely stunned; in fact Tao thought that he might fall so he slowly grabbed his chair and just as slowly sat down.

"What the…Hold on...How did you know?" asked Tao while his genius brain was already processing the name 'Yup, I like Bart more. I shall call him that from now on' and then looked at Takeo only to find him with an open mouth starring at the two.

"Did you let her connect with you?" asked Takeo as soon as the initial shock passed "I mean no offence Sara but…"

"I know…It's hard to swallow…I was originally part of the M-series as I have already told Bartholomew. At the beginning we were many people from many different places and the first weeks were just tests of substances inside our bodies and how we would react. It's…a long story but we were allowed to…socialize at the early stages. It was part of the process too, I think"

She stopped a little to look at them…All eyes were on her…She turned to the gray haired man that she knew for so many years as she came to reveal now "How do you feel? Now that you know your name?"

"I feel good. It still feels kind of strange...But I also feel like I want to know more…So Sara, could you tell us more?" his voice indicated that he was hungry to know more about what happened in the past and he desperately containing himself.

It was a place that had a mixed odor of chlorine and blood. They were there for four days already. They were so many people. All taken from many parts of the world; a few were speaking different languages. The tests were not stopping even for one day… At first some people were vomiting and later some were having terrible headaches. The scientists were just noting the results and then they were moving to the next drug.

"Well, it looks like you are very special people after all, although I don't know how much you will be able to hold on…Some are already starting to break down mentally" said a scientist with a smirk.

"You bastard!" shouted a woman from her cell. She tried to reach him but the metal bars were on her way "Stop torturing us! We did nothing to you! Let us go!"

"Hehehe…Let you go? You, who are showing such promise? What an idiotic thing to say hahaha"

"Why are you laughing you fat piece of trash?" came a voice from the next cell. A man was looking the overweight scientist in the eye with a murderous look "If you have time to laugh then why don't you bring us our food?!" he hit the bars to make a sound that knew would scare the man "Or did you eat it all by yourself?!"

The scientist looked at him infuriated "What did you say you simpleton of a human?!"

The man smirked "What? You are also deaf in addition to fat? How sad…"

"Shut up! I will have you injected with the most torturing toxin you-

"No you won't" came a voice that was full of authority "How dare you even think of spoiling the progress we have made just because he provoked you a little bit?!"

That man was known as the head scientist and he had a reputation that he was extremely mindful about his experiments. He had a slow but sure tactic that he was manipulating from every aspect.

"S-Sir, I didn't want-…"

"Enough!" the other one cut out and looked at the defiant man in the cell; that man had a reputation of being a strong willed one. Good, he liked them like that…It would benefit him later on... "Our friend here is just a little bit cheeky…right?" he then turned back to his employee "You are to go to sector 2, they need hands"

"Yes sir" the other one answered and then they both left together.

By now the woman had cooled down and was looking at the man in the other cell. Today it was just the both of them in this room. Rare thing only for two people to be tested with one substance but she didn't complain. She knew that in a little while they would bring in more.

"Today you did piss him off good Bart. Do you think he will actually make his thread come true?"

"Huh…he can try. I'm already thinking of stabbing him with his own needle next time he comes near me…How are you?"

The woman smiled "Oh you know…enjoying the view…"

"No side effects yet?"

"Just a slight dizziness now that I calmed down…You?"

The man shook his head "Nothing".

Inside the living room everyone was listening to Sara's story about the first days in the program of the M-series. M-21 – Bart now – was listening silently and thinking. He didn't remember anything. Then as she stopped describing the place he interrupted her.

"How long ago?"

"What?" Sara asked.

"How long ago did that happen? Right now I would like to know the basics of my forgotten life… so Sara…how long ago?"

Sara inhaled deeply "I actually didn't know how to tell you but…it was a really long time ago…The Union didn't even have the tubes available for us yet…Do you even have the slightest idea?"

"Yes…"

At that Tao and Takeo took a look at him. What did he mean? Apparently he sensed their questioning stares and decided to reveal something to them.

"Even though Frankenstein cannot determine my age based on biology, I have a vague idea comparing my way of behaving and the way I was talking and thinking at the beginning of my memories…also I did some research in some history books and I'm guessing…1920's?" he asked while he looked at her doubtfully.

"Actually…1927 was the year they captured us…yes your guess was right"

With a hand rubbing his mouth and a sigh Bart was confirmed. He had an idea since he came to wander in the outside world for the first time about ten years ago. It was a lot to digest at once.

"So M, I mean Bart, is indeed an old guy!" said Tao referring to the honorific the children were using for him and Takeo hit him back on the head.

At that weird comment though…Bart snorted and then laughed…and laughed …and laughed. The previous experiment named M-21 was now Bart and he knew approximately how old he was…Oh it felt suddenly so overwhelming. Some of the tension was leaving his body. Sara was just staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"Errmm Bart? Are you okay man?" asked Takeo.

"Ahahaha…yeah…I am an old man after all huh?" his laughter slowly died "That means that you are of the same era?" he looked at Sara.

"Yes, although I was much more frequently updated as they called it"

"Do you perhaps know my…birthday?" he sounded so hopeful.

Sara really felt bad when she answered no.

"So…We were taken at the same time?"

"Probably…We were treated with similar programs and experimental serums at similar times so I think we can safely assume that they took us both that period"

Takeo was skeptical "But Sara, I don't want to sound doubtful, the process up until now sounds…too mild"

Sara nodded "Yes, you are right Takeo. You see the original program was different than the one that followed. Apparently it was much slower and it involved a lot of psychological aspects"

"But I don't understand…Crombel was supposed to be the head scientist for the M-series. How come…I mean…How old was he?"

"Do you think that scientists didn't modify themselves in the process?" asked Sara with a raised eyebrow. The others looked at each other. Oh yes, they knew very well that they did. "Besides, you have to know that the M-series project was just the continuation of the L-series"

Takeo, Tao and Bart opened their eyes as soon as they heard it.

"The specific program had been going on for centuries…The code name was 'Alphabet'. You can imagine…" she stopped suggestively. She didn't know how much she could reveal without Bart freaking out. She didn't want to hurt him too much with the details. She looked at him and wondered if she should stop it for today. They had been talking for two hours now and –

"So you are telling me that Crombel started the 'Alphabet'?" asked Tao and from the looks of it Bart was actively listening.

"No" she shook her head "The original 'Alphabet', I don't know who started it. The one that started the M-series project though, was Dr. Conrad Stumae"

Bart perked at that "The one…the head scientist"

"Yes…It was all his doing…Crombel, from what I heard from Conrad, came later; he came in the scene some years later…"

The cages, which now were enhanced with Plexiglas, opened and after two months of male-female separation due to specific experimentation for each gender, the remaining 434 people of the M-series were permitted to socialize as a whole. At the reunion Sara felt the need to explain something that concerned her deeply.

"I need to talk to you"

"Okay, but not here. How about the middle of the room? The guards are only close to the perimeter of the room"

They went there. The room was vast. The socialization time would end in five minutes. As soon as they reached the middle of the room she turned to him and hugged him.

"It's rare for you to show this kind of affection in public"

"I heard Conrad talking" she said as she faced him "Talking about the project. At the time, he thought I was completely drugged so he didn't think of going to another room. The higher ups are pushing him for quicker results"

Bart looked irritated "Tch! What more do they want? In two years almost a thousand people died! The serums keep getting more aggressive. They managed to enhance our smell, speed and hearing double and triple than any human…Isn't that enough?"

"And if it was? What do you think? That they would let us go?"

Bart sighed "No…maybe I'm trying to be optimistic…So what got you so upset?"

"Conrad said that he would proceed to the next part of the project much sooner, regardless of the death rate it would bring. He said…" she looked scared to even say it.

"What? What did he say that made you shake like this?"

"He said that apparently they cannot alter the genes with substances anymore unless they modify the bodies first"

"What else do they want?! I already feel I am double than before and my strength has grown too!"

"Shhh! The guard is watching at us!" she nodded left to the guard. Two minutes left.

"Tell me what you heard Sara"

"They want to replace our organs with others!"

Bart formed a face full of disgust "What are you saying?"

"Yes…He said that every case would be different and depending on the genetics maybe a different procedure would be followed and a different organ would be replaced…Bart…I'm afraid…" she sounded way too scared for his own liking.

The time was up. The guards were separating them. She still didn't know the criteria of the two group separation but she wasn't going to be with Bart until the next week, according to the schedule.

"I will find a way…Did you hear when that will start?"

"After the next shot and adjustment period"

He nodded "So after this week. Meet me here in a week then. Tell to the others to be ready. I'm thinking of something"

"Of what?"

"Of an escape plan"

It was now three in the morning.

"So it was known amongst the remaining ones that they were going to do much riskier things with us. The very idea of opening us was the last drop and everyone was ready. The groups usually met after the first one was finished with their shot; it was about a minute's time that we were met with second group before they put us away but it was enough. Anthony and Bartholomew were the leaders of each the two groups"

"Who is Anthony?" asked Tao before Bart had the chance to do so too.

"Ermm I don't know if you remember him Bartholomew. Tall, buff guy, you would think that he was mean but he was actually a very caring and protective person… he was also bald…he had the code-…"

"M-24" he said without a hesitation. He looked shocked to hear his comrade's name for the first time since he woke up without any memory.

Sara looked surprised "You…remember him?"

"The way you described him, it couldn't be anyone else" he said with tears in his eyes that he didn't let fall "I only knew him by his code. He was like a brother to me…Him and I were the only ones that survived the M-series" he swallowed a lump in his throat "He died…three years ago…trying to save some kids from a monster of the Union"

"Huh…Well that's Anthony for you…He was always a big softie deep down. He kept talking about his kids and how he hid them in the woods the day they caught him. He was hoping they were safe from the ones that took us in"

"I want you to tell me about him" said Bart with determination.

"Of course. What do you want to know?"

"Everything!" said Frankenstein, a little out of breath, as he came from the opened balcony window. Everyone turned immediately to him and gasped. It was so sudden not even Sara was able to feel him or his malicious power.

"Boss?! What are you doing here? Weren't you coming to come in a couple days?" exclaimed Tao with both excitement and surprise in his voice.

"Well" he started walking in and saw that Sara went a little further away "I couldn't miss the revelations now could I?"

"You came all the way from the research facility? But for how long have you been running? Asked Tao as he was trying to calculate in his mind the distance and how fast his boss was to be running. Was there a speed limit?

"I am coming from Lukedonia actually…So Sara, tell us everything".

Aaaand there you have it! The name of M-21. I took some poetic liscence to think of a name.

I was kind of let down when they didn't reveal his name at the chapter 544 but...what can you do. There is a sense in the fandom of the 'Noblesse' that M-21 is about 100 years old even though it is not confirmed by the author of the manhwa or any official sources - at least as much as I know. So I went with this theory(?).

Now though...This is just the beginning.

Thanks to " .Xiao" for following the story ^_^

As always, like and follow the story so you won't miss any updates. Reviews are motivating writers.

And have a nice day~