Time and space are so flexible. A single change, a single action, can cause reality to spiral in a new direction. A sad ending can become happy, a victory can become defeat. All can be altered by the tiniest events.

Chapter 3

"They are taking very long" Garda put her cup down with a soft click. She had changed her clothes. With blue jeans and white blouse, she looked almost human, but Frankenstein knew it was much harder for the werewolves to appear so normal compared to the nobles. Their aura was too feral to not stand out. It had taken Garda centuries of practice and he was sure that it would take others even longer… like Muzaka for example. Then again Muzaka was bursting with power, suppressing it, or half concealing it, was already a masterpiece.

"They have not seen each other for a long time"

"Yes" Garda nodded, reaching for some papers on the table. None of them spoke what they thought. The conversation between Raizel and Muzaka stood before a heavy background, and at the same time it was a way for Muzaka to redeem himself. So, they both waited patiently.

"How was your trip, Miss Garda?" He asked casually. A flash of fangs was the answer. One Union base less to worry about. The werewolves sure did a good of chasing the traitors of their own clan.

An hour before midnight, Frankenstein finally heard quiet footsteps, but not from the room. That had to be M-21. Frankenstein looked up as M-21 stepped into the living room, and paused as soon as his eyes met Garda. To his mild surprise, Garda showed little interest in M-21.

"Welcome back M-21, how are you?"

M-21 tore his eyes away from Garda and pursed his lips. Frankenstein narrowed his eyes slightly. While it wasn't as obvious as with Muzaka but the fact that Garda's sight disturbed him was clear, even if he tried to hide it.

"Fine," M-21 spit out and just turned around and disappeared.

Frankenstein blinked, surprised and somewhat irritated at his harsh tone. Then he understood why M-21 had gone so suddenly. His Master appeared around the corner with Muzaka.

Frankenstein had to smile as he felt the contentment radiating from his Master. When his Master had first seen Muzaka first after awakening, there was still some uncertainty in his mind, which has now disappeared.

And Muzaka? The former lord of the werewolves looked more relaxed than Frankenstein had seen him in years. He threw himself on the couch next to Garda, and rumbled comfortably. A slight tilt of his head, a small blink of Muzaka and Garda also instantly relaxed. Frankenstein felt it fascinating to watch. Unlike Nobles, Werewolves showed many of their emotions and intentions through gestures and body language. Most of them were so inconspicuous and silent that they were only noticed by a trained observer.

"Yo, Franks do you have something to eat? Raizel said some form of a midnight snack"

Frankenstein felt his smile slip off. He had forgotten Master's dinner. Instantly, he was on his feet "Forgive me Master, I will bring your Ramen immediately!" His master nodded in a dignified manner and sat down in his seat. Frankenstein scuffled back and forth in the kitchen, listening to Muzaka's quiet talk with Garda, and his Master. As he carried the food to the table, he made sure to include a portion for each of the two werewolves as well, to their surprise. Muzaka immediately got down making fun of him for it.

"Do not expect too much" he warned the werewolf before he could stop himself. "This is a one-time only"

"Sure, it was only a matter of time before you started liking me" Muzaka reached for the chopsticks and paused. Raizel had not moved an inch. He was just attentively watching the bowl before him.

"Uh Raizel, what are you doing?"

"I'm waiting for it to grow."

"…"

Both werewolves looked at each other. Muzaka's expression was particularly funny as he hopelessly tried to find a suitable response. Finally, he just shook his head and began eating, whilst casually discussing the latest developments of the household with Frankenstein.

"Well" Muzaka rolled his shoulders" Quite a lot of excitement here. Two noble babies and a frightened puppy, and you say the two Noblesse-kids are looking for the cause of this incident?" Muzaka scratched his head "And neither of them noticed who you are?" He gave Frankenstein a curious look. "Will it work with Garda and me?"

"As long as you behave like human beings"

"Heh"

After that there was silence for a while, only occasionally broken by Muzaka and Garda's soft humming they talked in their own language, which Frankenstein doubt he could understand even if he researched for years. But he knew her body language well now and both were conspicuous enough for him to understand that they were talking about M-21.

"Have you threatened the kid, Muzaka?" He said what had been on his mind for a while

Muzaka stopped his conversation with Garda, slowly turning his head to him as if he had

not heard him properly, "Be careful Franki" there was a low growl in his voice "Care to repeat that?

"Neither of us threatened him" Garda interrupted. She too seemed more than offended. "You should know well enough to know that"

"This is precisely why I ask. He reacts to you quite violently," Frankenstein put his index fingers together and watched the werewolves over their tips "But you also behave strangely ..."

Muzakas looked surprised for a moment. "You mean to say that this kid reacts like this to us only?"

"Yes, especially to you. The boy could transform his hands when we first met him. It was only his nails, but they strongly resembled claws. "

"Are you trying to tell us that the boy resembles us?" Muzaka frowned, "just because he can transform his nails?"

"He looked and fought in a style that reminded me of you" Frankenstein looked at his Master "After my Master had awaken him"

"Awaken?" came the quiet question of Garda.

"With blood as a medium, Master can raise the potential of a person without making a contract." Frankenstein shook his head "No actually, it is even more complicated than that."

Muzaka looked at Raizel considering this, then back at Frankenstein "Have you checked his body?"

"No"

"Why not?"

Frankenstein met his irritated gaze with unimpressed eyes. "Because I do not want to find out who is faster. Me investigating him, or him committing suicide."

For a second, no one said anything.

"Do you think the child trusts me? From his point of view, he has only two options. Stay here and hope we will not kill him or go, try to hide as long as he can from the Union before they capture him and kill him, or even worse, start experimenting on him again. The only reason he is staying here is that I have not given him the impression that I consider him an interesting experiment. Nothing more."

"Besides" Frankenstein felt compelled to add for some reason, "I do not know how stable his condition is. The thorough check-up required for a modified human might even damage him."

"You really care about the boy, Frankenstein"

Frankenstein rebelled inside as he heard this. "I'm worried because Master is worried! And when Master worries, I worry and ..."

"Eh, already understood. You can stop," Muzaka interrupted him with a knowing grin. Damn loud mutt! Cursed Frankenstein.

"We'll try to remain of his way," Garda proposed calmly. "Maybe that will relax him a bit."

"And if that still didn't not work" Muzaka grin got wide until it was not human.

"What then Muzaka?" asked Frankenstein, and a feeling of uneasiness unfolded in him.

"Shock therapy"

"..."

~.~.~

M-21 felt really tired, not in the physical sense but emotional. Muzaka and Garda who lived and worked with Frankenstein as teachers for history and geography had been going out of their way to ignore his existence for the past few days, for which he was grateful. But he had been hoping that his peculiar reaction would subside in the meanwhile, in vain. And now he found out that noble runt knew he was a modified human all along.

"You gave up humanity to gain power."

Damn. M-21 slammed his fist against the wall with all his might. His heart raced as he pushed his transformation a little more, and again attacked, and the claws drove over the wall with an ugly sound. He launched another attack before his body finally showed him the red card, his transformation broke loose, he stumbled and crashed with full force against the wall he was about to attack.

…Oof

Now his mood was very bad and he could only guess how long it would take until his temper went through the roof and he said something that might cost him his life. With a gloomy look, as if to burn two holes in the ground, he went up with the elevator. Or he wanted it at least until he ran against something. Something soft.

"Eh, eyes upwards lad"

...Damn it. M-21 looked up. He had run into Muzaka of all people. Even Frankenstein would have been a better choice to run into right now… maybe. Now on top of his general bad mood and constitution, his heart was trying to jump out of his throat, which did not necessarily contribute to the improvement of his situation. Just great. Why was he so hypersensitive? And how tired was he that he didn't even notice Muzaka?

The man seemed to have similar thought for he tilted his head and eyed him thoughtfully. "You're quite finished off," he described M-21 overall composition.

"What do you want, old man," M-21 snapped unintentionally. Muzaka's appeared about the same age as M-21, but there was an aura of seniority and superiority about him that made M-21 blurt it out. Besides he as sure that being his friend, Muzaka was at least 1000 years old.

Muzaka didn't particularly seem offended by this title; he just raised an eyebrow and took a step toward him. M-21 backed away immediately, but he knew his back was the wall. Fuck ... Had he not just thought that his tongue would be the end of him? Yep, that was it. And he didn't even have any energy to transform right now.

"I really tried to ignore you," Muzaka crossed his arms in annoyance," but as soon as you see me, you get a heart attack… change of plan," and leaned forward so that he could see M-21 in the eyes. M-21 clenched his hands in fists.

"If ignoring does not help then comes the shock therapy. We both will... "

Fight? M-21 speculated.

"Play a video game together."

"..."

M-21 just stared at him dumfounded, but found no sign on his face that he was kidding.

"Well?" Muzaka questioned with his raised eyebrows and a sharp-toothed grin spread over his mouth. "It's wonderful. We can both get on our nerves and leave some stress. You'll get distracted and get used to me, theoretically," he added quietly.

"Is there a screw loose with you?" M-21 said blankly after having stared at Muzaka for minutes.

"You do not want to know." Muzaka turned around and strolled over to the living room. "Come on then, I may forget that you called me old."

~.~.~

Muzaka was fiddling with the tailoring stool in front of the large flat screen and had just plugged in on the game console. Beside him M-21 was seated on the ground awkwardly. The mere act of sitting here had required more of M-21 than he wanted and, though Muzaka had not said anything his sideway glances showed that he was quite aware of his predicament.

M-21 had been unsure about this whole offer. Purely instinctively he just wanted to get away but Muzaka and he lived under one roof. That would be a pretty short escape. Besides, he was really tired and just wanted it to stop and go sleep. If a video game was needed for that, then a video game it was.

"Great, is not it?" Muzaka waved one of the consoles around. "It's not quite the newest model on the market but the best, in my opinion," he gestured M-21 to help him with the setup, and M-21 did, as Muzaka set the game and started it. It was an old game, M-21 could tell by the graphics. On Muzaka's instructions, he chose a character and then they played.

The story was simple, defeat your opponent, but it was fun.

M-21 often lost and Muzaka irritated him incessantly on his failure. M-21 could not contain himself after a while and gave as back as good as he got.

"Do you think that would be so easy?" Muzaka joked as his character deftly missed the blows levelled by M-21's character, and shot back his own bullets meeting the opponent right on the head. M-21's display of life fell ever further.

M-21 gritted his teeth in frustration, "There's no need to be so confident. I was only taking care of you, old man."

"Oh? I think I was the one taking care of you, puppy."

M-21 did not know how much time passed after that. But he felt his tension lessen, and his heart calm down. Instead of being afraid of Muzaka, he really just wanted to smack him now.

In comparison to M-21, Muzaka's thoughts were not nearly as light hearted. He had not wanted to believe what Frankenstein had told him about this human resembling his people. But now that he sat next to him with fear no longer covering his smell, no doubt was left in his mind.

It was weak, but from the child came from the smell and sensation of a werewolf. And there was something more unfriendly. Illness, weakness, irregularity ... Muzaka suppressed his burgeoning anger; he did not want to scare the human who had just relaxed. Hopefully, the child will soon develop enough trust in Frankenstein to let him examine his body, for his own safety.

The corridor opened interrupting his thoughts and Muzaka could hear the rest of the household, including the Landegre-boy and the Loyard-girl.

"What are you doing?" He heard Garda ask. Muzaka gave a quick look at M-21, and then back at Garda, and winked. "Playing a video game," M-21 replied flatly in absence of Muzaka's vocal response. Garda gave him an astonished look, and Muzaka triumphed inside.

"How ... ridiculous," the Landgrave boy smirked looking down on their elegant sprawl on the floor.

"Do not worry" M-21 give a mocking look to the Landegre-boy. "The game is only for adults"

"..."

The pup was definitely good.

Rai and Frankenstein soon joined them, and looked on contently at the full of life display in their room as the school children poured in wrestling the game console to themselves. Muzaka smiled. It was as if everything was right with the world. Mission - prickle the puppy enough that he was longer afraid - had worked well for all of them.

Or so he thought.

The next day, as far as Muzaka was concerned, M -21 had disappeared without a trace.

Notes: There is finally the third chapter, after I write it twice and I still did not like it xD Thanks to Pandora-Twist I did not give up and Pandora has managed to connect the two versions well.
(Love you Pandora *hug*)