"Hi!" Tao said, coming up next to where Rai sat in his usual chair. Tao wasn't quite in the attendant position – Rael was there on the opposite side of the chair. Instead Tao hung off the back of the chair and asked, "Can I have a hug?"
Raizel put down his teacup and nodded, about to stand up, but instead Tao flung himself over Raizel, curling up in his lap and hugging him. Raizel's hands came up and wrapped around Tao's back, holding him there delicately but warmly.
Tao pulled back after a long moment and grinned. "Thanks!" he said, and scampered upstairs to his room to start the night's work – M-21 had patrol soon.
Takeo smiled over his cup of tea as Raizel picked his own up and sipped from it, cheeks slightly colored but not looking embarrassed at all.
It was adorable, both Tao so casually asking for a hug and Raizel so touched that Tao wanted one – and was happy with it?
Frankenstein would be sorry he missed that little scene.
Takeo looked worried when he came up to Rael on the balcony and after asking if Rael wanted to talk confessing that, "I'd feel better if I didn't want the power of a contract. I don't want you to feel that I'm agreeing to make a contract with you just for power."
Rael didn't care. "It isn't as though it costs me anything." Frankenstein wouldn't be so happy with his contract with Sir Raizel if it drained the Noblesse's energy, even a fraction of it.
"No, but…" Takeo still frowned. "It bothers me."
"You want the power to protect." There was nothing inelegant about that, if the human cared about elegance. He wasn't a noble, but he did possess some natural elegance. "You're Sir Raizel's knight," Rael added, and realized that he wanted Takeo to hurry up and accept the contract. What happened to not wanting to be bound to a human toy? Letting one feed off of him, like that Shinwoo and Miss Seira? The Noblesse's contract… it wasn't like that. And Sir Raizel thought it was natural for him to want one. So he raised his chin and said, "I want to make a contract with you."
Takeo smiled. "Thank you, Rael." But it faded, and he looked hesitant.
"There's no rush," Rael hurried to say for some reason. "You're nowhere near two hundred, and our contract will last longer than one with a human who will barely live any time at all." The last time he waited, Miss Seira didn't want anything to do with him, but Takeo waiting was better than Takeo saying no.
"I hope I don't take that long," Takeo said, but he still looked relieved.
That meant Rael had said the right thing, but it still made him react defensively, saying, "If you won't do it because you think it's inelegant, you're as bad as Regis." He instantly wanted to take that back. Not that he let that show.
"Could we maybe act as though we've contracted?" Takeo asked, ignoring what Rael had just said, which Rael was grateful for.
"What does that mean?" Rael wondered.
"Well, we already train together." The say Seira and Shinwoo did? "Perhaps we could drink tea together." Sir Raizel and Frankenstein did that. "We could patrol together, and I could keep you company while you do your assignments from Frankenstein, when I'm not at work." Or asleep.
Rael nodded. "That's actually a good idea." Takeo wanted to be by his side? Sir Raizel had said something about that… And if they were already acting as though they had a contract, if it made the contract only a formality then Takeo should agree to take the power before too much longer. It wouldn't change anything, and he'd know that.
"Thank you," Takeo said, accepting the compliment. Takeo did have good ideas often.
"We'll start now," Rael said, leaving the balcony headed for the living room, although he thought better of it and went to the tea machine in the kitchen instead.
He handed a cup to Takeo as Takeo stepped into the living room. Takeo smiled. "Thank you, Rael," he said, sitting down.
Rael didn't snort, but he was tempted. "It was your idea," he said instead, getting his own cup of tea so he could sit next to Takeo. Sir Raizel nodded at them without looking up from the textbook, so they didn't feel as though they had intruded and disturbed him.
There was something to be said for elegance, Rael thought, as Takeo sipped from his teacup.
Raizel was dying.
M-21 couldn't stop thinking about it now that Raizel had hugged him. The one who took him in – Frankenstein had said that it was Master's will that mattered – and he was dying. Just like M-21's comrades.
Raizel was alive for now, like M-24 was kept alive by the pills but still could have been killed by the Union at any time. If they were attacked Raizel would protect them, the same way M-24 had protected the kids and M-21 wasn't strong enough to stop him, much less protect him. The way he'd failed to protect M-24.
M-21 was lucky enough to find kind people, people who wanted to protect him and make him happy, and he couldn't do anything for them! Raizel even held him, like Raizel wasn't the Noblesse, like M-21 mattered as much as Frankenstein, and all M-21 did was get the lab destroyed so Raizel had to spend his life for Tao and Takeo.
Claws dug into his forearms and he looked down at the blood and already-healed wounds. Another shirt ruined – was that all he could do, ruin things? Would he ever be strong enough to matter, to protect what he wanted to protect?
The Union had left them alone since Frankenstein went off and killed the clan leader Tao's soul weapon used to belong to, but it wouldn't last. The Union wouldn't let anyone get away with defying them forever. They'd enhance some more people and throw them at Raizel, and M-21 might be strong enough now to fight Cerberus with the others' help, but if there were too many of them they'd wear him and the others down until Raizel had to step in.
He had to get stronger.
So what was he doing standing around?
He should change first, and wash off. He didn't want to smear blood on Frankenstein's lab.
"Yes, M-21?" Frankenstein asked when M-21 finally went down to the lab.
"I need to get stronger," M-21 told him, stepping forward.
"I thought you might be next." Frankenstein adjusted his glasses, looking at M-21. "From what I've heard, werewolves get stronger by training and facing life-threatening situations. I've often wondered where I'd be now if I'd based my studies on werewolves instead of humans and nobles… You're already at risk of death every time we train, but we could begin having solo training sessions and intensifying your training further."
M-21 let out a breath. "That's all?" All he needed to do was work harder? No time in a lab? It seemed so easy, of course he'd do it.
"You might die." Frankenstein frowned at him. "I can't risk holding back as it is, and I'm deliberately pushing you close to death? The danger is very real, M-21."
"That doesn't matter." M-21 smirked: Frankenstein should know that by now.
Frankenstein sighed but said, "Come to the island this weekend along with Miss Seira."
"I thought you said I'd be fighting you solo." Not that he wanted to take away from Seira's training time.
"I'll work with her while you're recovering in the tube, M-21." Frankenstein smirked. "One of the signature werewolf abilities is rapid healing, and if you're asking me to give your powers a workout…"
So there'd be some time in the lab.
Still worth it.
M-21 left with a spring in his step, cheerful and looking forward to the weekend and the risk of death, either instantaneous or slow, painful and gruesome if his healing couldn't outpace the damage of a wound. Frankenstein wished he was surprised, but he had been kind enough not to bring up how everyone else would feel if M-21 died. It wouldn't stop M-21 when he was determined to protect the others, and having that conversation now had too much risk of M-21 turning it into reason for more self-hatred instead of reason to value himself more.
He'd taunt him with that this weekend to wake up M-21's will to live. He needed M-21 desperately fighting to survive with everything he had.
He'd never forgive himself if that and his life-support equipment weren't enough, but what would that matter if M-21 was dead?
Someone else came into the lab while Frankenstein was still caught up in thoughts of the first child he and his Master had taken in. "Yes, Takeo?" he asked, and wished he'd been able to finish off Urokai and Zarga before Master intervened, even if neither of their soul weapons would be a fit for Takeo. Better needing additional weapon-handling training than being burdened with a fragment of Dark Spear. He hoped Takeo wasn't here to request more power, but when M-21 had it wasn't long before Takeo would.
"Rael asked about making a contract with me," Takeo said, stepping into the lab. "I'm considering it, and I'd like your advice."
Frankenstein's first reaction was relief that he had more time to come up with something. Then he was a little surprised that Takeo came to him with this, but as with Miss Seira who else would he go to? Well, now there were Seira and Shinwoo for another example of a True Contract, but Takeo wouldn't talk about something between him and Rael with Seira, even if she hadn't really caused Rael heartbreak. It would still be too cruel for Takeo to talk about Rael behind his back with her.
"On Rael's behalf I should ask you your intentions." When if Rael was human he would be Frankenstein's son. That was a terrifying thought: even Rael didn't deserve to inherit Frankenstein's enemies. But, Frankenstein's enemies were also the enemies of the loyalist nobles, so the young noble was in no additional danger because of their connection, which was a relief.
"I'm not sure," Takeo said. "I want to make the contract, but I don't know if I should."
"You would be taking a risk," Frankenstein agreed. "I'll further enhance your mental defenses." Focus on that for the next little while: it wouldn't be too hard to reprioritize.
Takeo shook his head. "It's not that."
Of course not. Just like M-21, Takeo didn't value himself enough. Frankenstein should have killed more Union members in the past. Claiming they did it all for humanity when they made human lives worthless, used them to enhance their own power…
"I want what you have," Takeo said with quiet longing.
"Rael isn't Cadis Etrama di Raizel." No one compared to Frankenstein's master. Expecting a contract with Rael to be the same as Frankenstein's bond… that was unfair to Rael.
"I know," Takeo admitted, "but he brought me a cup of tea."
Rael? Yes, he brought tea to Master, but that was an honor – Rael at least had the wit to appreciate that. Takeo was an enhanced human – no, even ignoring how Rael had looked down on them, nobles didn't do things for each other like humans did. Takeo wasn't wrong to believe that Rael fetching Takeo tea – presumably on his own initiative – was significant.
"After I said that we should act as though we had a contract."
"Well." Frankenstein was pleasantly surprised.
"I also want the power," Takeo confessed, "and that isn't a good reason to make a contract."
No.
But, "What about Rael's feelings?" Takeo was worried. About the noble feeling used?
The fact that was even a consideration made Frankenstein smile. Takeo wasn't vulnerable in the same way Tao was – he'd had someone in the Union, and even if it turned out to be a lie the way it shaped his personality remained. Not that Frankenstein had hesitated to finish Dr. Aris off while he was in control of Yuri just because her pretense had given Takeo a firmer foundation.
Between Rael and Dark Spear, the noble was certainly the lesser evil. Especially when he and Takeo would be supervised to be sure Rael didn't take advantage, the way Frankenstein and his Master were both keeping an eye on Seira's contract even though Miss Seira was Miss Seira. If Rael trespassed on Takeo's will, Rael would quickly end up in eternal sleep. Rael's poor self control was a worry, because if he lost his temper or otherwise acted on impulse it would be too late for regrets and Frankenstein had taken responsibility for him.
Even though contracting with Rael would prevent Takeo coming to him wanting more power, "I would wait," Frankenstein said, "and see how well you two get along. I was living with Master for ten years before we made a contract." And he hadn't even considered it before that interfering Lord deliberately made it an option. He had no need to be grateful when that Lord did it as part of his own plans – well, maybe grateful for Master's sake.
"I don't want to keep him waiting for my answer for that long," Takeo said, wincing.
Frankenstein waved away that objection. "Nobles have a different sense of time." How much of that had to do with them being nobles and how much to do with their age was a question, but Seira and Regis seemed to be the same way.
Waiting eight hundred and twenty years was much easier on Frankenstein than he would have expected. Or than Master had expected, when Master's knowledge of what time meant to humans couldn't have come from anyone other than him, could it?
He should possibly be trying to put the fear of contracts into Takeo, the way he had when M-21 slipped blood into his coffee, but Takeo was at least considering the consequences for the other party instead of charging ahead, consumed by the need for that connection. Frankenstein didn't need to say that if anything happened to Takeo Rael would go right to eternal sleep and Rajak would have a complete soul weapon, that would be stating the obvious.
A contract, a True Contract would be good for Takeo in a way it couldn't be for M-21 or Tao – the three of them were injured in different ways. Tao was left eager to please, quick to devote himself to Ikhan and Master. M-21's self esteem came from being part of the M-series and now he had another family to be part of – and to long to protect. The trouble there was trying to convince him that he didn't need to sacrifice everything for them. When Frankenstein wasn't going to go out of his way to torture M-21 he doubted he could make him regret the training he was about to hopefully endure.
"Still," Takeo said, and there it was, he had his own sense of pride. And honor, of course.
One thing was, "I wouldn't recommend making the contract in the middle of an emergency. You would need time to adjust to new and different powers: that's one reason I'm enhancing you gradually." That and their health.
He'd rather discourage Takeo from rushing into this. His advice got a nod from Takeo.
"You don't think the contract itself is a bad idea, just when and how it's made?" Takeo asked.
"Did M-21 tell you what I said when he tried to make a contract with me?" Frankenstein shook his head. "The circumstances aren't the same, and what matters more is whether you think it's a bad idea."
"I don't know," Takeo said. "Maybe it seems too much like what I should do."
Frankenstein understood looking a gift horse in the mouth. "It is an irrevocable step. I doubt you've ever made a decision like this before."
Takeo raised his chin to meet Frankenstein's eyes. "Leaving the Union." His voice was firm. "Unlike Tao I didn't disobey orders, and I was powerful enough to be a useful solo agent." Unlike Tao, who originally was too weak, meant to support a team? Or perhaps Tao was borderline – and disobeying Krans and returning to the Union from that mission would have crossed that line.
"True," Frankenstein said, nodding his head in acknowledgement that Takeo had done something that decided the course of his life before. "It was kind of you to not go back for Tao's sake."
Takeo seemed a little embarrassed. "I couldn't have hidden his survival from them," he said apologetically. Not when Dr. Aris would have interrogated the survivor of the mission failure that ruined her experiment.
"Caring for a comrade like that, despite the Union?" Frankenstein smiled. "Accept the compliment, Takeo. I don't give them out often."
Takeo smiled, nodding his head. "Yes, sir."
"I confess that I'm almost hoping it works out for you both. Working with you has already done a great deal to steady Rael." Not that Takeo would believe that the only thing Frankenstein cared about was making Rael less annoying. "And my contract has done so much for me." So much. "I would be delighted if you found a contract that was right for you." It was something too wonderful to keep to himself.
"What do you think are the important traits of a True Contract," Takeo asked him, looking serious.
"What defines a True Contract is that both souls desire it. Do you want a connection to this person for the rest of your life, and do they want the same? Would you make a contract even if there was nothing to gain but the pleasure of their company?" He'd wanted to be kept by Raizel's side forever. After being told that Raizel cared for him enough to sacrifice his own well-being, he wanted to stay with that person, with someone who cared for him that much, even if it might have been only that he was a person in need and Raizel had a giving nature. He'd sworn his loyalty on his blood and honor even without a contract, thought he'd wanted to put himself in Raizel's hands so madly that he'd slipped his blood into the tea. That, that was significant. "Do you trust him enough that you'd give him your blood, the ability to control you?" Although the mental defenses he'd given Takeo would help provided Rael didn't have the soul weapon manifested.
"Yes." Takeo nodded. "He is a comrade."
Humans and nobles, comrades. Rael and Takeo were both adults, or they should be, and yet they were both so young. They both could use someone who would be there for them no matter what. Takeo had the dedication and Rael, well, Rael had his pride. If Takeo was Rael's bonded, he wouldn't abandon him. The risk was that Rael might guard him too jealously. The thought made Frankenstein look at Takeo with concern.
Frankenstein wouldn't have minded that for himself. No, to be kept in the manor, to have Raizel keep Frankenstein by his side was what he'd wanted in that moment, even though Raizel would never have kept him prisoner. It was because Raizel would never that Frankenstein still didn't fear the thought of it. Thought of peaceful days drinking tea with his Master's company instead of helplessness, being caged and unable to help anyone because he'd made another mistake. Trusted where he should not have trusted again.
"A contract is… steadying. I haven't needed to doubt." Hadn't been betrayed, after becoming so used to betrayal he didn't bother to expect better of anyone. "Of course, Rael is still changing." Still growing up. It was a very good thing Rael was still able to grow as a person, because if all there was to him was that first impression he would have ended up like Urokai.
Takeo smiled. "I think you'll be proud of the person he becomes."
Me? Frankenstein wondered a minute before remembering the relation. "He certainly has improved," he said, hoping Takeo passed his words on to Rael. Frankenstein needed to be the disciplinarian, it wouldn't do to let Rael think he was doing enough and begin to slack off. "I think he needed a taste of responsibility to get his priorities in order. Without responsibility there was no reason not to act like a child." Rael had thought the only person who needed him was Seira, and he'd focused all his effort and emotion into giving her the 'love' he thought she needed. Why not, when he didn't have anything better to do?
"He has been living up to his responsibilities," Takeo said.
"You're considering if you want to make him responsible for you – at last partially."
"I think I would trust him with that." Takeo glanced up. "He helped save the kids, and he works at the school, just like us." So Rael was also responsible for protecting Ye Ran. "He wouldn't let Tao and the others get hurt." So Takeo's responsibilities were already Rael's responsibilities too, was that what he meant?
"For you, not just what your responsibilities." Frankenstein frowned for a moment. Takeo shouldn't forget about himself. He mattered, and once again Frankenstein cursed the Union for making them forget that.
"I trust him with me," Takeo said. "I trust Tao, and M-21, and you."
Frankenstein couldn't help the smile, although he hid it behind his hand after a moment. Really, Takeo should know better than to trust him, he stabbed Takeo in the back with Dark Spear often enough. These children.
"Regis, Miss Seira, Sir Raizel… I'm very fortunate to be able to trust everyone here. To be in a place where I can rely on everyone," Takeo said.
"I'm glad you've found a home here, Takeo." The way Frankenstein had in a mansion in the woods, and a silent hermit with such expressive eyes.
"Yes," Takeo agreed. "I have."