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 5

"Muzaka ..."

"Get out of my way!"

"Muzaka …"

"I will kill them all! Damn human. I'll never forgive them!"

He put a hand on Raizel's shoulder, "For now I leave her to you. I'll bury her myself when I get back." But he didn't, back did he? He didn't know what became of him for centuries after that. Not until he was rescued from that wretched place. Not until the truth was told to him. She had been alive all this time? Garda had quietly spoken as if afraid to tell him this news... She had lived a long ripe human life before passing away peacefully...?

Had she really?

No trace, no link, nothing left behind of her by the time he got back. For him she had really died back then, hadn't she?

Until now…Again he stared at the pool of red blood where the puppy lied, just like his daughter had.

Muzaka sat up with a jerk. It was dark; he looked around breathing frantically, cold sweat running down his forehead. He was in his own room, alone. With a groan, Muzaka dropped back onto the mattress. "Just a dream," he whispered softly to himself, covering his eyes with an arm. It was just a dream. But his mind did not want to calm down. The pictures did not want to disappear.

Quietly the door to his room was opened. Muzaka felt the mattress bend under her weight as she sat on the edge. He could not help but relax in her presence.

"Are you okay?" He heard Garda ask gently.

"Not really" growled and removed the arm on his eyes. Garda's eyes rebelled against him in the dark like gleaming crescents and the rest of the tension fell from him. Tired, he raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his face but a penetrating odour kept him from it. His palm was pasted with dried blood; he had to cut himself with his own claws unintentionally.

Garda noticed. "It has been a long time since you last had nightmares."

"Ah," Muzaka forced a smile, "I've had a longing for it," He returned dryly and sat up again. Garda tapped his forehead slightly with her fingers, easing him up further. Muzaka swung his legs over the edge of the bed and rolled his shoulders. A quick glance at the digital clock in his room told him that he had not slept more than a few hours, not that he needed much sleep anyway.

"Would you like some fresh air?" asked Garda softly. Muzaka looked at his partner next to him and nodded slightly, "The balcony," he whispered. Both stood up and left Muzaka's room.

"The puppy seemed to be able to breathe normally now" Garda answered quietly without him needing to voice his queries.

Muzaka just frowned furiously as they walked along the corridor. He opened the door to the balcony and let Garda take the lead. It was morning already, the sun was quietly rising above the view of the distant mountains, the chirping of the birds a constant background sound, and then a breeze came. Muzaka raised his face slightly and let the fresh wind wash over him. He always felt peaceful out in the open. Staring down at the city or looking up into the sky. Balcony was his favourite place in the house.

And he was reminded that M-21 had the same habit. The balcony had almost been the puppy's sanctuary during his stay here. Garda seemed to have the same thoughts.

"I recently heard an interesting proverb from Frankenstein."

"Had it to do with dogs?" asked Muzaka, in devoted self-assurance.

Garda laughed, loud enough to draw attention of the men in the garden. It was the two-new modified human who had been allowed to stay here just couple days ago at M-21's request. The young men were standing in the garden like trees planted incorrectly, suspicious of their surroundings, unable to settle down. Muzaka had seen a similar behaviour from M-21, an unusual freedom to get used to... Muzaka waved his hand and got a wave in response from one of them, Tao was his name? The other, Takeo stood next to his comrade looking awkward.

"No," Garda continued her answer, "Frankenstein said to me: The apple does not fall far from the trunk"

Muzaka swallowed and took a deep breath to shake the feeling of sudden nervousness. Garda's red eyes felt rested on him throughout and he finally admitted.

"I'm not sure if I've fully understood yet" Muzaka looked to the person next to him.

"It has been centuries since then, Muzaka"

"Not for me"

"..."

~.~.~

In Frankenstein's lab, M-21 stared at the owner without actually listening to his words. He had failed to get his comrades names, and not that he had regretted his decision to save the children, still he wished he could have gotten the answers he sought so desperately during his captivity. But now he was being told that he might be different from his comrades? Because of the heart that Crombel put in him? What else had Crombel done to him? And who did the heart beating in his chest belonged to?

"M-21?"

M-21 started and tried to shake off the shock that had seized him. "I ... I was just thinking."

"About what I told, you not being a full modified human?" Frankenstein chopped in a quiet voice.

Not being a modified human? "You said the heart in my chest was a werewolf..." he whispered uncomprehendingly.

"And I said that in addition to that you have werewolf DNA. At first sight you seem to be a modified human. You do show classic symptoms and features for it. But now that I got the chance to examine you properly, unfortunate though the circumstances were that lead to it" Frankenstein referred to his kidnapping, "It might have been a blessing in disguise. Turned out you were not fully human. Now I can make the appropriate medication to stabilize your condition."

"What?" choked out M-21,"I ... I'm not a human?" He tumbled against the examination table in shock and had to hold onto its edge.

"Ah, this was an unfortunate wording by me, apology" Frankenstein stroked his chin "Let's just say you are for the most part human. I'm even sure if I did not know what I was looking for, I'd really consider you a modified human. Do you understand how this could have happened?"

M-21 shook his head; "I do not know ..." his head was buzzing with all the new information.

"You are a hybrid"

M-21s heart beat erratically in his chest. A hybrid? "Is such a thing even possible?" He tried to arrange his thoughts.

"Of course. It is rare, uncommonly rare that a hybrid is born. I myself have met only one person in my whole life who could claim to be a hybrid. But you are not a direct descendant of a werewolf; "Frankenstein met his gaze "Your blood is much thinner. I would have to analyse a bit more to determine how many generations are between you and your ancestor. But if I have to estimate, I would say at least nine or ten"

M-21 sorted the information in his head. So he had werewolf blood in his veins? All his life? Did Crombel know it? The last question he asked loudly, and when Frankenstein answered him, he shrank.

"Perhaps, there is a possibility that all the M-series had some trace of foreign blood in them. But we can only say with certainty if we get the data of your experiments in our hands. In any case it is a breakthrough into the study of what Union is up to currently."

"Yes," agreed M-21 quietly. Crombel was at the centre of his past. But the scientist was unattainable for him at the moment.

"You must have many questions now," Frankenstein turned to one of his computers, and set something, "I'm about to examine more samples from you. In the meanwhile you should go to Muzaka."

"Muzaka?" repeated M-21 confused and earned a please-tell-me-you aren't serious-in asking this- look from Frankenstein for it.

"Muzaka and Miss Garda are werewolves, if it wasn't clear to you before."

"...Oh" M-21 blinked. He did not know that, but that sure explained his unusual reaction to these two.

"Especially Muzaka can answer more of your questions than me at the moment..." with a smug expression, Frankenstein added, "Which is to mean that I can actually answer everything, but in the interest of us all, it is better if Muzaka does."

"…"

"What are you waiting for? Go on and tell Muzaka that it is like we thought and that I want you back down here to talk about another treatment afterwards."

"…"

~.~.~

M-21 found Garda and Muzaka on the balcony. They both turned their heads as he walked in. M-21 remained undecided. Neither of them seemed to be different from the rest of the household, what was it that distinguished them from human or nobles? How should he begin?

"Frankenstein said that I should talk to you..."

In immediate response Garda sprang from the balcony into the garden. M-21 could hear the surprised squeak of Tao and Takeo cut short as Garda grabbed them by the collar and disappeared out of sight with the two modified humans in tow.

"..."

M-21 looked up at Muzaka confused. Muzaka had the same surprised expression that M-21 held. "Eh, I guess she wants to give us some privacy." He waved M-21 closer to him. "What did Frankenstein say to you?"

M-21 clenched his hands in fists "That you and I should talk about my condition," he repeated tiredly. Slowly, the meaning of these words was leaking to him. "You knew?" He asked without hiding the accusation in his voice.

"No," Muzaka turned to him as he leaned his back against the railing "Both me and Garda had noticed that you have a werewolf share, but we accepted it is due to your modifications." Muzaka can't help the bitterness in his voice at the modifications done on him, "Your own smell is difficult to determine, at any rate even at this moment."

M-21 could not do anything other than gawk at Muzaka "You're a werewolf," he surely brought out "But I thought ... I did not know ..."

"That we sniff at everything?" Muzaka completed his question, "We do not. Our senses are sharp enough without meaning to be ... intrusive."

M-21 did not know what to say, he opened and closed his mouth before finally finding the right words. "What did Frankenstein mean when he said that I should talk to you?"

"We accepted that you are a modified human being." Muzaka paused "Until the time you almost bled to death, which was really unique." Muzaka looked slightly annoyed…and uncomfortable.

"You smelled my blood ... and so you knew I was not a modified person?" M-21 did not understand. Was his blood so decisive?

Muzaka blinked, then grimaced, "Oh, I understand, Frankenstein did not tell you...? Such a bastard." He groaned suddenly looking nervous.

"What did he not tell me?" There was more to know? M-21 heart sank.

Muzaka sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked at him as if pondering his options.

"Tell me ..." M-21 made a hesitant move to Muzaka "Please..."

That made Muzaka raise his eyes to him, and he looked on with dismay, "Ah, for you, it is not at all simple, right?" He shook his head gently, smiling strangely "We know that you can't be a full human because your blood is like mine."

M-21 did not understand at first. He eyed Muzaka perplexed, the meaning of what had been said only slowly unravelled in his head, and the whole time gray eyes eyed him patiently.

"No" it broke out of M-21. His head throbbed and he was forced to close his eyes. As long as he could remember, he was a human. M-21 had not had a stable past before, but now everything seemed to collapse.

"What is more disturbing to you now?" Muzaka asked him in a strange voice "That you are not a human or that we are both related?"

M-21 clasped his fingers into his head. "Be silent," he whispered softly "I did not want that..." his voice stilled as he did not know any further. What did he really want?

"What?" Muzaka's voice was in front of him. M-21 almost panicked as he realized the Muzaka was no longer leaning against the railing, but sitting just in front of him. M-21 did not know when he himself had slid down the wall. Muzaka forced M-21 to look at him by placing a hand on his forehead and pressing his head up. The grip was not hurting but firm, sure. M-21 was compelled to reply to Muzaka's eyes; the eyes of his werewolf seemed to be ticking brighter than normal.

"What did not you want?" The werewolf asked sarcastically, "to be born?" He shook M-21 head slightly. "It is hardly something you can choose, right?"

M-21 gave no answer and Muzaka did not ask for any. Instead, he massaged his forehead with his thumb and M-21 felt his whole body relax. "You're worried that you've never been human, right? Can it be that you feel you have betrayed your comrades?"

M-21 curled inside. Muzaka's words met exactly the sore point in his soul.

"What exactly do you understand by the word human?" murmured the werewolf gently. "You have suffered with your comrades. Despite all that these bastards of the Union did to you, you kept your will and your compassion. You never betrayed your comrades ... You have all these values that seem so human to you," With a mild amusement, he added, "Although you've stumbled every now and again as Frankenstein told me."

Muzaka's eyes stared at nothing but there was a light smile on his face, and his thumb softly kept on running circles on M-21s forehead.

M-21 let his breath out. Was it really so simple? Frankenstein had told him that if he had lived a normal life without interference from the Union, he would never have known that the blood of a werewolf flowed in him. Even now, when he looked at Takeo and Tao, he understood exactly how they must have felt before being a modified human.

"Who was it?" Finally, his curious question slipped out.

Muzaka quietly let go of him. "My daughter"

M-21 blinked. What?

Muzaka continued in a melancholic voice, "She has grown very old, for a human, and died more than 700 years ago. Unlike you, her blood slept and did not affect her life. You on the other hand had a full werewolf heart put in you and you were awakened by Raizel," the werewolf shook his head "No idea if your abilities would have re-formed without his revival, but as you could only transform your hands before I doubt it. Your development would have been slower at best."

M-21 wanted to ask Muzaka more questions but something in the eyes of the older man held him back. He felt like a tragedy was lying beyond these wounded words, and he did not want to be the one who pounded his wounds.

"What now?" He asked instead.

"Nothing" Muzaka's mouth raised slightly "Garda and I can teach you a lot if you want us to. But first you have to get healthy, stabilize and grow a bit more. Who knows, maybe Frankenstein can also trace back to which family you belong and find your birth name."

His name. M-21 breathed deeply as he realized how close he was to his name. His blood, a tangible link to his past…he peered at Muzaka through his fringe and found him staring back at him with the same hidden curiously M-21 felt bubbling in his own heart. An anticipation. A hope.

"Do you want me to call you a great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather?" He snapped provocatively.

"Muzaka sufficient, puppy."

Muzaka's chuckle could be heard vibrating in the balcony.

The End

Notes: With this chapter, the end of the AUs has arrived. I hope you all liked it.

I play with the idea to write some snippets about this AU :P But I want to promise anything, so be surprised ^^

PS: In the end one more thing, Thank you Pandora-Twists for your help!