Frankenstein knew his body wasn't in the best condition.

He was over a thousand years old, so the fact that he still appeared to be in his mid-thirties was pretty impressive. Unfortunately, sharing his power with Tao and Takio had taken something out of him. He was unusually tired and drained… well, he would be. He'd given away pieces of himself to his kids. Naturally, that had hurt him much more deeply than an ordinary wound.

But that pain was nothing compared to the pain of disappointing his Master. He couldn't understand why Raizel had blocked him out like that… His Master hadn't seemed that angry when he'd left with the group to perform the experiments. So what had happened while he was gone?

Sighing, Frankenstein pulled a syringe out of a nearby drawer. He was going to need to analyze his blood, and likely spend a day in a suspension tank. He rolled up his sleeve, probing for a vein in his arm.

"Boss..."

Frankenstein looked up as soon as he had the needle carefully inserted in his arm. Tao, Takio, and M-21 had followed him down here.

"Boss, what are you doing?" Tao said, rushing over and tripping over a cart full of medical implements. Frankenstein rolled his eyes as his supplies scattered everywhere.

"Watching you guys destroy my space, apparently," Frankenstein said sarcastically.

"Sorry," Tao said hastily.

"Pick those up and go clean them, please."

Tao scurried off toward the sink. Takio and M-21 approached him carefully.

"Why are you drawing your own blood? Here, let one of us help you..." M-21 said. Frankenstein saw him searching around for some gloves.

"No need," Frankenstein said flatly. "I've been doing this for longer than all of you have been alive."

"Still..."

Before M-21 could finish his unnecessary worrying, Frankenstein had drawn the last tube. He pulled his sleeve back down and carefully inverted the blood.

"Damn, Boss… What the hell is up with your blood?"

Takio flinched when he glanced at him.

"I… sorry…"

"Why do you guys always seem to think I'm going to do something horrible to you?" Frankenstein asked.

"Er… I think it's just that dark energy you give off… Look, it's even in your blood."

Frankenstein tilted the tube in his hand. Sure enough, dark swirls of energy were twisting around inside it.

"Well, that's good," he sighed. "My energy hasn't been depleted too much from sharing the dark spear with you, then…"

"You mean sharing your energy with us… that hurt you?" Takio asked, looking mildly horrified.

"Of course it did, I gave you guys pieces of myself. But it didn't hurt me as much as it hurt you, so don't worry," Frankenstein said easily. "Normally, my energy would replenish completely over the span of a couple weeks, but we don't have that kind of time. I'm going to speed up the process by spending a day in the suspension tank."

Frankenstein strolled over to the analyzer, adjusting a few settings. His own blood was a bit different from the kids' blood samples.

"You're going in the tank?"

"Of course… I built this lab to experiment on myself, remember?" Frankenstein reminded them.

"Ah… right…"

Without a hint of embarrassment, Frankenstein started stripping off his suit until he was left in his black undergarments. He folded his suit carefully and placed it on the counter.

"Ah… Boss…"

"What?"

He looked around. All three young men were carefully avoiding looking at him.

"Oh… nothing…" M-21 said awkwardly. "It's just weird that you're the one who's getting experimented on this time."

"Honestly, it's like none of you listen when I talk…" Frankenstein replied as he placed his slippers in a baggie. "I've been experimenting on myself for hundreds of years. I assure you, this is nothing new."

Sadly, that was true. When he'd first started experimenting with modifying his body, he hadn't exactly been gentle. His body was just… his subject. And as his subject, his flesh and blood existed to be used until he'd gotten the results he wanted. Modesty wasn't something he worried about when performing his tests.

"Tao," he called across the room. Tao stopped scrubbing and hurried over.

"Yeah?"

"Make sure things run smoothly around here for the next twenty-four hours," he said firmly. "Seira and Regis should be able to handle the cooking and cleaning. Make sure the Master has his breakfast and tea, and collect his dirty clothes after he wakes up. If there are any urgent calls from the school, I trust you can handle them."

"Of course, but don't you want to tell Sir Raizel that you'll be gone until tomorrow?"

Frankenstein tentatively reached out for his Master's consciousness once more, but he was met with the exact same wall of resistance. His stomach clenched uncomfortably. Was his Master really planning on punishing him for experimenting on Tao, Takio, and M-21?

"He'll know what's going on, don't worry."

"Right. You guys can communicate via telepathy, right?"

"Yes."

Frankenstein pulled a standard sedative out of his cabinet and swallowed a dose. Technically, he didn't need the sedative, but right now he wanted to let his mind relax a little.

"Tao, would you mind adjusting the tank to these settings?"

"Sure, Boss..."

"Oh, and no using your new powers until tomorrow," Frankenstein added sternly. "I'll need to be there to supervise."

"We promise," Tao and Takio said in unison.

Frankenstein climbed into the tank, pulling the oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. He took a deep breath and tried to relax as the tank filled up with fluid. The medicine he'd loaded into the machine would nourish his tainted cells and replenish his strength much faster than simply waiting would have.

The water sloshed up around his face, finally cresting over his head. He was now fully submerged, floating in the tank… He could see Tao, Takio, and M-21 all watching him, making sure everything was normal.

Frankenstein took a deep breath as the sedative started to take effect… He had to do this… As upset as his Master was with him, he couldn't let his strength waver for very long. He needed to be here to protect Raizel. He couldn't allow his Master's life to burn out… He couldn't let that happen.

Master… Raizel…

The sedative must have been stronger than he thought… He could see the Master standing in front of the tank, gazing sadly at him. Master had been looking much too sad lately. After eight hundred and twenty years… All he'd wanted to do was give his Master a happy, normal life…

Maybe he'd failed.


Rai was still on the porch when he felt Frankenstein touch his mind again. Rai hastily closed off his mind to the contact. He'd been thinking inappropriate thoughts again… Frankenstein couldn't be allowed to see that.

A minute later, he felt Frankenstein's consciousness beginning to fade.

No… What was happening? He couldn't be asleep yet…

Rai rushed off the porch, past Regis and Seira in the kitchen, and down into the laboratory. Takio, Tao, and M-21 were all there, but where was Frankenstein…?

Rai approached the trio, noting how anxious they all looked.

"Where is he?" Rai asked quietly.

They all pointed at one of Frankenstein's machines.

Frankenstein was in the suspension tank. Everyone backed off as he approached. Rai felt his heart sink as he stared at his companion's body floating in that tank. Frankenstein wouldn't be in there unless he was hurt…

The pain in his heart intensified. Frankenstein was hurt and he hadn't noticed? He didn't deserve to be called 'Master' after something so thoughtless…

Throwing caution to the wind, Rai opened the mental connection between them. Frankenstein's mind was fading, but he was still conscious enough to form a few coherent thoughts.

Master has been so sad lately… I just wanted to give him a happy, normal life… Maybe… Maybe I failed…

Frankenstein's eyes drifted shut, and the connection cut off.

Rai swallowed hard.

"…Chair?" he managed to get out.

Someone rushed up behind him with his comfortable arm chair. His hands shaking, Rai lowered himself into his seat. But he never took his eyes off Frankenstein.

How… how could he be so selfish?

Frankenstein had waited for him, all alone, for eight hundred and twenty years. And throughout all that time, Frankenstein had thought only of him. Frankenstein had founded the school to make him happy. All his companion ever did was worry about him and think about ways to make him happy.

His fingers clenched around the arms of his chair.

"Sir…?" Tao said hesitantly. "Are you all right?"

"Fine… thank you," Rai said quietly.

That was a flat lie. He wouldn't be fine until he'd made things right with Frankenstein.

Since he was unconscious, Rai shamelessly stared at his companion. He knew it wasn't right, but… some part of him couldn't help it. Frankenstein had been his only companion for so long… How could he neglect the one person who had always protected him?

He could sense his three wards watching him anxiously. Right now, he wanted to be alone with Frankenstein.

"You all should go get some rest," he said softly. "Frankenstein would want that, too."

"He told us to take care of things around here," M-21 said hesitantly. "He asked us to take care of you, too."

Of course he did… Rai thought. Frankenstein only thought of him.

"I'm fine," Rai said, gazing into all of their anxious faces. "How long… will he be in there?"

"One day," Takio answered.

One day… that was nothing. Frankenstein had waited for him for hundreds of years. Rai could wait for him for a single day.

"I will wait here," Rai said firmly. "Please… leave us."

The modified trio obediently left.

Though Frankenstein was unconscious, Rai still reached out with his mind to comfort his companion. Frankenstein's mind was always surrounded with darkness… Rai could at least bring him peace for a little while.

Rai smiled to himself. Since Frankenstein was unconscious, he couldn't refuse his gift, either.

His mind touched Frankenstein's, pushing back the evil presence in his companion's head. Rai couldn't imagine how Frankenstein had lived with this horrible darkness in his mind for so long. Even unconscious, Frankenstein responded contentedly to his presence… Rai cradled his companion's consciousness with his power, shielding him from that unrelenting evil.

While he was doing that, Rai tried to convince himself not to stare at his mostly naked companion. He knew Frankenstein wasn't shy from all the times he'd accidentally walked in on the scientist experimenting on himself, but still… this time felt different. Frankenstein was helpless in there… vulnerable… exposed.

Rai felt his cheeks heating up and was instantly glad that the modified trio had left. Staring at Frankenstein like this felt like an invasion of his privacy, even though he knew his companion likely wouldn't care.

Despite his best efforts, Rai noticed his imagination beginning to wander. He'd only ever read about romance in books, but he'd gotten a general idea of how it usually worked. What would it feel like to be held and kissed by Frankenstein? How good would it feel to share pure, sweet romantic love through their mental link every day?

Rai shook his head.

No, no, no… He wasn't allowed to love Frankenstein in a romantic way. Besides, even if it was appropriate, Frankenstein would probably feel like it was his duty to love him back. Rai didn't want that, either. If it happened, he wanted it to be real.

He wanted… He wanted more than he deserved…

Frankenstein's body twitched in the tank, and reality slammed into him. He'd let his concentration slip for a moment… He really had become selfish. He'd been so wrapped up in fantasizing that he'd stopped protecting his companion.

Still… Rai eased his mind back around Frankenstein's. Even if he couldn't have the romantic love he wanted, he could still hold Frankenstein like this… just for a little while.


My Comments: (Wasn't sure where to comment this, so it's going here.) I swear, the original story couldn't decide what kind of relationship Rai and Frankenstein have. Sometimes they seemed no closer than coworkers, and other times I wouldn't have been surprised if they were secretly dating. Like whenever Rai and Frankenstein were about to get too close emotionally, the author was like "Whoa, we can't have them be this close to each other! Back off, now!" It was sometimes hard to tell if Rai saw Frankenstein as his friend or his servant. Obviously, I would prefer for them to be friends, but I'm not sure the original story agrees.

Honestly… sometimes Frankenstein seems little better than Rai's slave. He works himself to death for Rai, and barely even gets a 'thank you' for all his hard work. (Frankenstein's fight with the first elder followed by him going straight to healing Muzaka without giving himself time to recover is a good example of this. I really thought Frankenstein was going to collapse during that scene.) And that seems a little weird to me, because Frankenstein doesn't seem like the type of person to sell himself into slavery, no matter how grateful he was to Rai for saving his life. I get him wanting to take care of Rai and keep him safe, but be enslaved? That's a little too far. I like to assume this is why a lot of fanfics have changed the contract to a form of partnership instead of subjugation.

Sorry, I'll shut up now!