Perhaps it was morbid curiosity that led him to asking her to come sit at a table where her supposed kidnapper was currently seated.

Perhaps it was because he was so far removed from the normal social reactions of cell society, he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

Perhaps he wanted both cells, both of them non-threats and hard working abnormalities within his world of black and white, to get along.

Or perhaps…

Perhaps he was not a good person.

As U-1146 thought deeply over what he thought to be a mistake on his part, 3803 remained standing, her eyes wide and her stance too still to be natural. On the other hand, NC began rooting around his pockets, his lime green eyes careful to avoid looking in 3803's direction. When he came across the small, folded cloth, he held it out in front of himself, his head bowed low.

"Please, take this," NC mumbled.

1146 watched, fascinated, when he saw 3803 look down at the proffered hand. No, that was the wrong term. No, 3803 glared down at the handkerchief and with a sudden stiffening of her back and a tremble within her limbs, 3803 mumbled something under her breath.

1146 canted his head and watched in concern when NC looked, up troubled and utterly… defeated. In astonishment at the sudden change in events (he was sure that 3803 would have taken the handkerchief or would have thanked the normal cell for his returning of the cloth), 1146 reached out. He didn't know to whom he was trying to reassure, but he found that his senses were assaulted with many different sensations all at once.

In one second, he could see 3803 whirl around on her heel and duck outside, the package tumbling with a crash onto the ground.

At the same time, NC keeled forward onto his knees, his hands still clutching the handkerchief while his head remained bowed towards the ground. If 1146 looked closer at the freshly born normal cell, he would have seen his shoulders shudder up and down… almost as if he were…

1146 shook his head and tried to reassess.

Breath in.

Breathe out.

Breathe—

"What the hell are you doing?" NC, although his breathing was labored, the words he spoke were unhindered and clear. With eyes that were uncharacteristically red rimmed and bloodshot, the young normal cell looked up at him. Much to 1146's overwhelming but unnecessary concern, he saw the sheen of unshed tears flowing to the brim, just about to leak from lime green eyes. On shaky legs, NC rose up from his knees so that he could level 1146 the worst glare that he had seen right after 3803's frightful expression only moments prior.

"Again," NC muttered as he stumbled right in front of 1146's seated position. Even though 1146 was arguably the stronger cell in this situation, the neutrophil still tensed up and grabbed at the handle of his knife. NC paid that action no mind. Instead, he grabbed the neutrophil by the collar of his uniform and pulled him out of his seat. "I'm going to ask you one more time, what the hell do you think are you doing, U-1146?"

1146 stiffened at the mention of his full alphanumerical designation. Never before had someone had said it with such malice and conviction. It caused 1146 to stand up straight and tall, to look down at the normal cell in shock and anger. How dare—

"Yes," NC breathed. "Use that anger and determination of yours and make sure that your red blood cell doesn't do anything stupid!"

1146 ignored one of NC's remarks while honing in one particular part.

"She won't—"

"But you don't know that for sure," NC took the handkerchief and basically threw it in 1146's face, to which the neutrophil dazedly stuffed into his breast pocket of his uniform. "Now go get her and I'll just…" NC breathed in, almost as if he was resigning himself to his fate of being left behind.

But—

No.

1146 was many things, but he would not let this opportunity pass him by. Without asking for permission, 1146 grabbed NC and hauled him up upon his shoulders. Because the action was so sudden, 1146 was basically out of the cafe and down the street before NC began thrashing wildly in his hold.

Over time, NC's thrashing gradually stopped, leaving behind only an angry little cell that still grumbled here and there. As 1146 continued to scout down the streets, fully knowing that 3803 was probably heading back to the lungs for another of her deliveries, many cells looked upon them in a mixture of fear and confusion. Even some of his fellow white blood cells, normally a contingent of macrophages and a few of his fellow neutrophils, were a bit wary and unamused when they approached their comrade. At first, 1146 worried that he would have to hush up NC's ramblings, but it was surprisingly NC who came up with the perfect solution.

When a curious macrophage asked after NC's well-being. NC had pasted on the world's fakest smile while simpering loudly on how 1146 had saved him from a bacterial attack only moments ago and that he was still too faint to walk back to his complex on his own. Stunned, 1146 had thought about checking if NC had hit himself in the nucleus or had allowed himself to get consumed by a virus, but NC had waved all attempts to remove himself from 1146's shoulder.

In his defense, NC had claimed that it would be far more believable and that since red blood cells were known to have walked great lengths over the body, it was better in the long run that he stay atop 1146's broad shoulders. Ignoring the fact that NC was essentially freeloading over his accidental act of kindness, 1146 continued on his way.

A part of 1146 knew that he should have been heading up to the meeting area, but until they radioed him that they absolutely needed him… 1146 shook his head. There were matters concerning him that needed to be attended to first…

For once, must to his guilt, he was going to put his own needs over the body's if it really came down to that. With that sort of negative emotion weighing him down, 1146 resolutely pushed forward faster, wanting to seek out AE-3803 before the meeting would be held.

Within the population of cells that made up the throng moving to and fro within the bloodstream, the unlikely pair of cells finally reached the junction of the lungs. Knowing the red blood cell's habits, 3803 was more than likely to take the right lung. Since there was no way to exit the lungs without approaching the same entrance that doubled as an exit, both cells opted to the idea that they should stay in place while they waited for her. Unsurprisingly, as they waited, a conversation long overdue began to fill in the silence for them.

"U-1146," NC began softly.

Instead of his earlier tone that was filled with so much anger and resentment, this time, he was more contemplative. He looked askance at him, as if trying to gauge his expression. Normally, 1146 would have said something, but he held his tongue. There was something off about NC right now and 1146 didn't know what to make of it.

NC didn't seem that threatening as of right then, but you could never quite know with cells like him.

1146 bit back his tongue.

He shouldn't have thought that. For now and as of the near future, NC was still a normal cell who happened to remind him of Cancer. His suspicions were somewhat laid to rest from earlier interactions, but that didn't mean that he could go around discriminating against him.

That went against his moral code and against the rules of the body.

Benign mutations had amnesty.

They were not cancerous.

Not unlike the previous incarnation of NC.

And yet… 1146 knew that 3803 was still fairly young as a red blood cell. There was no way that she would take to heart that the body simply had an agenda that would not take too kindly if her disrmination against NC were to interfere with her deliveries. That, possibly, was what scared 1146 the most.

He didn't want 3803 to get into trouble.

However, he didn't want his dear red blood cell to think that he was choosing the supposed cancer cell over her. That wasn't it… It was because-because—

"You're doing that stupid breathing exercise again."

1146 let out a sigh before realizing that it was too measured and too low for it to be considered normal breathing. Seeing that NC was going to make fun of him no matter what he did, 1146 let the comment pass before he answered with his own jibe.

"And I suppose you'll finally tell me something about that incident back at the cafe." His dark black eyes cornered NC's lime green. After they had run out of the cafe, NC had artfully evaded the question, but now that they had decided to calm down for the moment, it seemed just right to ask at that moment. "Look, NC, I've never seen AE-3803 look so—"

"Yeah, Little Miss Red is sort of a spitfire once you get to know her, you know?"

And that was it.

That was the verbal confirmation.


He had been going about the body on patrol. It was a fairly quiet day until he came across a suspiciously narrow alleyway. Normally, 1146 would have chalked it up to paranoia, but something drew him to that certain area. As he drew closer, 1146 clenched his knife between his fingers, his muscles at the ready when it came to attacking.

In a few seconds, he came across a young cell.

A normal cell with lime green—

1146 stopped and felt his breathing stop.

"C-cancer." It was barely more than a breath. Barely more than a thought that passed through his nucleus and left his mouth without much abandon. Almost immediately, his stance went into attack position.

All he needed was an opening.

"Hello again, my kind hearted killer." Something glinted in his hand and 1146 allowed his vision to zero in on a certain placard that he held in his hand. It seemed familiar.

Was it a cell's identification placard? Which alphanumeric ID would he have to report as missing?

Or dead?

"Now, now…." The cancerous cell looked to 1146 with dark humor lighting up his eyes while simultaneously darkening his features. "You wouldn't want to bring upon undue damage to the owner of this ID, would you?"

For a moment, 1146 hesitated and considered his options.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Think.

And then—

Perhaps this was the first mistake that would lead to-to-to—

"You know, I've seen you around the body surrounding yourself with a manner of all different cells." 1146 stiffened; he didn't like where this conversation was going. "Normal Cells, Killer T Cells, Neurons, Basophils, and so on… You would think that after spending so much time with all sorts of cells from different walks of like you would eventually come to accept and embrace cells like me, but alas…" Cancer nodded at 1146's firm grip on his knife. "Looks like old grudges reign supreme. It's pathetic, really."

"What do you want," 1146 muttered. Carefully, his other hand that wasn't attached to his knife began to inch towards his communicator. If he could call for backup, maybe—

"You know, both of you are the same. Always asking questions that you know the answers to." Cancer canted his head to the side. "It's honestly cute in a way."

"Both?"

Cancer nodded almost too eagerly.

"Yup! You and—" Here, the placard caught the dim lighting in the alleyway and 1146 saw it.

AE-3803.

"—Little Miss Red."