Chapter Five: Only Human

And Mandark continued to slowly get better and better, and by the end of the third week at the villa, he was able to string together a few sentences without much difficulty.

His eyes even started to stop aching in the light.

At that moment in time, he was watching Ben and the girls play handball out in the yard safely from the bay window of the living room, Dexter cuddled right beside him. Dexter was occupied in a novel that he had been reading lately. Mordecai had sent him a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" for his birthday, and he had been engrossed in it for the past few days, having finally gotten time to read it.

Mandark didn't mind in the least that Dexter wasn't all over him. It was a comfortable scene, and he wouldn't trade it for anything.

Breathing easy for the first time in three weeks, Mandark continued to watch as Ben maneuvered about the yard, trying to avoid being tackled by the girls.

Even though he had become the unofficial referee, and had set the rules to no powers, Mandark could only smirk as the girls began to gang up on Benjamin as he ran.

"HELP!" Ben shouted as he ran comically by the window, ball in hand, three girls chasing behind him.

Mandark snickered, turning to watch him come and go.

Ben screamed as he was tackled down to the ground, Bubbles having leapt onto him.

The ball went into the air, the girls piled up on top of the metamorph, and Mandark started to laugh mirthfully.

He hadn't tried to stop, or to quiet himself, or to even hide his happiness. The scene was just too funny, too comforting, for Mandark to give his laughter a second thought.

Dexter was startled by the sudden sound, turning up from "The Flight to the Ford" to stare at Mandark.

That was the first time he'd heard him laugh normally, let alone make more than a murmer of a noise in the past weeks! A smile met his lips, then he chuckled, then he joined in the laughter, completely unaware of why he was even laughing.

The girls turned to the window letting Ben up.

Ben blinked, rubbing his head to get rid of the light ache there from the fall.

"Oi! What are you two goofs laughing at!" Ben shouted.

Mandark snorted, tears of mirth alight in his eyes.

Ben turned to Dexter, walking up to the window. "What the heck!" he chuckled.

Mandark quit laughing, sobering up, and tiredly slumping back into the window frame.

Dexter stopped as well, shrugging. "I didn't see….I was reading. I don't know!"

Mandark, who had stopped laughing and had caught his breath, looked to Ben, who was laughing now.

"Schadenfruede," was the one word reply that Mandark managed, trying to keep the situation as upbeat and funny as possible.

He got the desired effect out of his beloved and Mr. Green, who was reading not too far from them. Both burst into hysterics, laughing happily and loudly.

Ben glared. "The Hell!"

Mandark chuckled. "I derive pleasure from your pain…" he murmered.

Ben made a face between disbelief and "the fu-", but soon added to the laughter. "Twisted."

Mandark chuckled. "I'm kidding…..It's just good to see everyone happy…"

Ben sobered up, nodding while he wiped the tears from his eyes. "I know, right!"

When Dexter came to his senses, he was clutching his sides, rubbing his own tears away. "That was great!"

"Agreed! Well played, Mandark!" Mr. Green laughed, waving his book as he slapped his knee, trying to stop himself in his own hysterics.

"That funny, eh? What did I miss?"

The four turned as Dexter's guardian joined them in the living room.

"It was hilarious!" Kilroy chuckled.

"And I missed it…..Oh well…How are you holding up today, my boy?"

Mandark smiled. "Much better….." was his raspy whisper of a reply.

"It's good to hear you for a change, but your voice is still pretty bad off….." Utonium stated, moving over to the bay window. Placing a hand to Mandark's cheek, and then moving it up to his forehead, the Professor checked him over for a fever. "You still have a fairly high fever….How are you feeling? Tired at all…..?"

Mandark yawned gently in response, nodding a little. "I am tired, sir…..But I….I would like to stay in here and rest….If…If that's alright…..?"

Kilroy stood up from his spot on the couch. "He could lay here, Pat…."

"You don't have to-…" Mandark started to protest.

But…..

A sudden finger to his lips quieted those protests right up.

Dexter leaned in close, smiling. "You need to be resting…..Take the couch….I'll go and grab your iPod if you want it…."

Mandark flushed with more than just a fever as he nodded meekly. "K…..Kay…."

Dexter smirked, sensing victory. "Alright…..Go and get settled….."

Mandark nodded, gulping as Dexter got up from the bay and disappeared into the deeper parts of the house to fetch the aforementioned device.

"Well…Let's get you settled…..I, for one, don't want to gain Dexter's wrath…"Kilroy chuckled, gathering up some pillows and blankets to help with the movement.

"Blankets..?" Mandark asked, raising a brow. He was burning a fever, wasn't he?

"For the chill, my boy…..you'll undoubtedly start feeling it soon…"Mr. Green answered while he fluffed up a pillow.

"I'll go and grab you some aspirin…..Try and get settled and I'll be back in a moment….."Utonium stated, smiling at Mandark as he turned to go to the kitchen.

"Kay…." Mandark mumbled, getting up himself so that he could move over to the couch, settling down on the comfortable object so that he could rest.

Kilroy tossed a blanket over the boys head, chuckling gently.

The movement startled Mandark, and he yanked the object down, messing his hair up horribly as the fabric was tugged down.

Ben snorted. "Nice do, Dude…."

Mandark glared, fussing over his hair to try and get it to fall straight again. "What was that for…..?"

"…Oh…nothing…."Kilroy chuckled.

Mandark glared light-heartedly up at the Physics-turned-Magic tutor, shaking his head.

Dexter returned soon after, bringing with him a small black machine. The dangling earphones caught Einstein's attention as Dexter tried to pass the iPod to Mandark, causing the cat to abandon his hiding place to attack the item, leaping up onto Mandark's lap to get at the dangling "plaything".

"That's where you went, Einstein! Leave Mandark be…"

Dexter lifted the cat up off of Mandark's lap, snuggling the Ragdoll lovingly.

Mandark snickered. "You can't have my earbuds, Einstein…." he chuckled, placing the earbuds in his ears as he laid down, getting ready to try and take a nap.

"Here you go…..take them….and try to get some sleep…"

The Professor had returned with the aspirin.

After taking the aspirin, getting comfortable, and hitting play on his iPod, Mandark ended up falling asleep faster than he had originally wanted to.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

"So. What DOES the "Monarch of Darkness" listen to anyways…?" Ben asked, curiously staring at the iPod that was still running.

Dexter looked up from the plans he was examining of the FF-FDMT's power grid to stare at Mandark thoughtfully. "Classical…I'd suspect….Why?"

Ben stood, a massive grin splitting his features. "I'm gunna check…"

"BEN!" Dexter hissed in warning, keeping his voice low to not awaken Mandark from his much needed rest.

Ben snuck his way over, ignoring Dexter entirely. Soon enough, he was close enough to gently tug an earbud gently from Mandark' ear, making him lightly fuss for a second before falling back into dream. Sighing in triumph, Ben moved a bit to the side and placed the bud in his own ear.

His eyes widened at what he heard.

Dexter, over taken by his own curiosity, raised an eyebrow and ventured closer to Mandark, all of his warnings thrown to the wind. "What?..."

Ben looked dumbfounded up at Dexter. "He's listening to Bruno Mars…. "Catch a Grenade"…"

Dexter raised his eyebrow further up. "Huh?"

"He's listening to normal teenage music….." Ben stated in plain English.

Dexter glared. "IKNOW THAT, IDIOT! Why is that so hard to envision…..?"

Ben puzzled over that for a moment. "You two are the furthest things from normal teenagers that I can think of aside from me….But I really meant that he seems….like a Techno guy….Or like you said…..Classical….Not…..-"

He stopped mid-sentence, listening to the new song that started to play in his ears. He snorted, chuckling as he began again on the previous train of thought.

"Not an Oldies kind of guy…"

"Why is that….?"

Dexter raised his brow again.

Ben smirked.

"Ever hear of Huey Lewis?"

"Yes…..Why?"

Ben smirked wider.

"Mandark's got "Power of Love" on this thing…"

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Mandark awoke some hours later, feeling much more refreshed, but still tired. Yawning, he slowly swiveled his head, the iPod ear phones tumbling out of his ears.

He looked about the room.

No one was to be seen, so he sat up gingerly.

"They must be outside….."Mandark mumbled. Standing up, Mandark stretched, hissing in pain as many of his bones popped, muscles aching from overall lack of use.

"Owww…..Haven't done that in a while….." he muttered, stretching his legs.

Einstein padded out from beneath the couch, rubbing up against Mandark's leg gently, purring away to show that he had missed his Master's mate.

"Hey Einstein…"Mandark smiled down at the affectionate cat. "Wanna come with me…?"

Einstein snuggled on him, purring happily.

"Good boy…come on, buddy…" Mandark stated, moving over to the gate to the back of the house. Towards the back was a small covered green house, made for Dexter's flowers, and in there he could rest, and possibly "play" without being disturbed.

Following behind, Einstein watched as Mandark padded along, a blanket draped from his shoulders. He watched again as Mandark's hand reached out to snatch a small case from a nearby cupboard.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

"It's a good thing Mandy wasn't up at the complex today…She would have rang our necks!" Ben laughed as he helped Dexter and Mr. Green carry groceries up to the villa.

The Professor and the girls were picking up some documents from the lab for Dexter, seeing as no-one wanted Dexter to be purloined by Mandy.

Mr. Green smirked as he moved to open the door, pushing the key into the villa door lock. "Yes, that would be quite-….."

He stopped, eyes widening as his ears twitched forward. His cape fluttered down to lay stiff against his legs.

Ben stopped behind Mr. Green, Dexter stopping behind him. Both exchanged a confused look. Ben shrugged.

"Mr. Green?"

Dexter tilted his head in confusion as he watched Mr. Green's ears twitch.

"What do you hear?"

"It's…..beautiful…."Winter"…I think…..I can definitely hear Vivaldi…" Mr. Green sighed, closing his eyes to listen closely to the somber tones of a violin playing from somewhere deep within the house. His hand started to move, almost as if he were keeping time to the rhythm.

"Maybe Mandark put his iPod in the stereo..?" Ben suggested.

Mr. Green opened the door, looking for Mandark as he stepped over threshold. He noticed that the couch was vacant and that the iPod lay abandoned on the floor nearby. "Um…I don't think so…It's coming from the green house….I believe…." He allowed his pointed ears to twitch again, and then he nodded his head in agreement. "Yes…..definitely in the green house….."

Dexter chewed his lip in thought. "Perhaps…..-"

Mr. Green looked back while he headed deeper into the house, setting the groceries down on the couch as he passed it. "What? You're not telling me that you haven't a clue as to whether that's a recording or the real deal…?"

Dexter set his groceries down as well then turned to face Green. "I haven't a clue. I don't know if Mandark can play…."

Mr. Green shrugged, moving closer to the green house door, listening as the music stopped, then moved into a faster and far sweeter string of notes.

Dexter smiled wide, recognizing the music now that he was closer to its source. "I know that concerto! ... It's "Spring"…..from "Four Seasons"!"

Mr. Green smiled back, pushing the door to the green house open quietly. "You are most certainly right… And take a look at the player…." Mr. Green pointed into the room.

Ben and Dexter joined Mr. Green by the arched door, staring into the room where the sound was emanating from.

And there he was, sweating from the effort, but grinning happily as nimble fingers controlled the bow and strings of a beautifully hand-crafted violin. Mandark sat on a chair in the middle of the room, a blanket draped over his knees.

Einstein was bobbing his head to the music while he sat at Mandark's feet.

From the door, Dexter and Mr. Green couldn't help but grin.

Ben…on the other hand…..

…..

"He plays a fiddle?"

….

The music came to an abrupt halt, the violin screeching, making a spectacular racket. The sound it emitted caused everyone to twitch heavily, flinching away from the noise; and for Einstein to dash away from his spot to hide under the nearest table, howling loudly in fear.

Dexter and Mr. Green turned to face Ben in disbelief.

"You didn't-…!"

"He did!"

….

"What!" Ben squeaked.

"That's a violin, you Idiot!" Dexter hissed.

Mandark, who had been broken from his reverie and caught in the act, turned to face the door in the chair.

"…fiddle….!"

Ben gulped. "Aren't they the same thing?..."

Mandark glared, looking less than menacing. "….no. A Violin is similar, but it isn't the same….."

Dexter and Mr. Green nodded.

Ben quaked. "Sorry…I learned something today…."

Mandark, who by this time adopted a fiendish smirk, stared in Ben's direction and started to play again.

The tune was quick, jovial almost, but the look in Mandark's eyes made them all shiver, almost as if he were the devil himself.

Mr. Green gulped. "You look like my old boss like that…."

Ben, instead of staying in that state of shock, started to laugh hysterically. This time he recognized the music! The music was the opening to "Devil Went Down to Georgia", and the comment made it even funnier to the young metamorph.

Stopping, Mandark smirked. "Doesn't mean that I can't play fiddle music on this thing…." He chuckled.

Dexter smirked, moving in to the room. He gently draped his arms over Mandark's shoulders from behind, hugging him lightly. "You play wonderfully…Why haven't you played before?" he asked.

Hoisting the violin to play another song, Mandark mulled over that thought. "I've heard you play before….and I wanted to practice before I tried to ask to accompany you in a duet….Call me a coward, if you must…"

" I would never think of such a thing!" Dexter huffed.

"Wind God's Aria…."

All heads turned towards the living room.

It was the Professor who had spoken.

"What?...I can't play video games?" the Professor chuckled, brandishing the papers that he had nicked for Dexter. "I brought those papers…."

Mr. Green chuckled. "Mandark isn't the only one with surprises, it seems…"

Dexter shook his head in disbelief. "You play video games!"

"Yep. I play "Windwaker" with the girls all the time….." the Professor chuckled, disappearing into the kitchen with a handful of the groceries that the others had placed on the couch.

Mandark was the one to shiver this time. "You know…sometimes he scares me…."

…

…

Laughter erupted from everyone this time, sounding musically throughout the house, causing Einstein to dash out from under the table he had hidden under so that he could escape the madness.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

"ARGH! This is so frustrating!"

Slamming his fists into the table, Dexter grumbled in irritation.

Ben, who had been startled nearly into his shallow grave by the sudden and unexpected noise, choked on the sip of soda in his mouth, turning his incredulous gaze upon the genius. "What! What is!"

Dexter turned his confused gaze up to look at his friend, and then sighed heavily. "It's this….this….HUNK OF JUNK!" To emphasize he ruffled the papers in front of him.

The papers, with their blue inking and intricate markings, were the blueprints to the FF-FDMT's power grid and energy cells, and they now were strewn haphazardly all over the table.

"Are these for the FF-FDMT, Dex? That thing you've been working on for the front lines..?" Ben asked, getting over his shock to stare at the papers.

Dexter placed his head in his gloved hands."Yeeesssss….And it is proving most difficult….I can't figure out a safe way to charge its fuel cells properly….."

Ben shrugged. "Why not just plug it into the power grid at DexCorp..?"

Dexter sighed again, glaring at middle space. "No…that would kill off our power supply faster than we could get the generators to back it up, especially seeing as the strain on the fusion reactors will be too great…it may even cause a catastrophic meltdown in the main power core…..Dropping all power to the shields and weaponry around the complex and perimeter…...I cannot risk the Fusion-Anti-Shield for a weapon that may not even work….."

"So why not move it to Mandark Industries?... I bet Mandark's grid could handle it, and it isn't wired into the shield….is it?" Ben wondered, glancing at his friend to see if he had elicited any new ideas.

"I've thought about it…..But Mandark has a thermo-nuclear reactor that's cooling system would lose its sole source of energy, and that would be catastrophic. Both for Mandark industries and for our defensive grids on the front lines near Tree Fort….." Dexter sighed, propping his chin in his hands.

"You mean that Mandark's power grid is in charge of the KND's power over on the eastern line? I thought that was your doing?" Ben raised his eyebrow.

"Yes, well….Mandark and Mr. Green both made excellent points as to the integrity of our fragile system…..With half the strain being placed on a separate power grid, all of the systems along a certain line will have a better chance of functioning properly…" Dexter explained, moving to settle back against the back of the couch, sitting normally.

"So…your stumped….?"Ben asked.

Dexter groaned. "Yeeeessssss….If only I could find a workable catalyst for an alternative fuel cell….then I could power up the FF-FDMT without having to worry about the power systems having a "bitch fit" and melting down on us…"

Ben snorted. "Did you really just say "bitch fit", Dex?"

Dexter smirked at him. "Yes, well…..You and Mandark are horrible role-models…"

"Hey! Don't lump me in with Mandark!" Ben stared at Dexter with a mock-scandalized expression on his lips.

Dexter nodded, agreeing. "You're absolutely right….Your a worse influence…."

"HEY!"

"Shhhhhh!"

The hiss came from off to the boys' side, off at the chess table that Dexter had insisted upon having in the living room.

There sat Mr. Green, who had been the one to shush them, and Mandark, who was staring sleepily at the board.

"I'm trying to think….." Mr. Green mulled, ghosting his fingers over one or two of his black pawns, deliberating in his mind on what his next move should be.

Dexter glanced over. "Sorry…What ARE you two doing…?

"I am trying to thoroughly TRAUNCE your beloved boyfriend in a game of wits…But…He is proving….MOST…difficult!" Mr. Green grumbled as he moved his pawn on the far right over to capture a knight that Mandark had intentionally sacrificed, leaving him open in two spots.

Mandark, having laid the trap accidently in his daze, yawned and moved his queen up and over a few spaces so that it was in perfect line with his king, and out of reach of Mr. Green's queen. "Check…."

"Argh!" Mr. Green mumbled, moving his knight to block the queen.

Mandark yawned again, this time his hand lazily picked up his last bishop and snatched up the knight, putting the king in its line of attack instead."Check…."

Getting frustrated, Mr. Green moved his king by "King's side Castle"ing it over to the right.

"Um…Mr. Green…." Dexter tried to warn.

But, it was too late.

Mandark moved his queen forward and smiled tiredly, turning his triumphant gaze at his tutor. "Check and Mate…..I do believe….."

Mr. Green blinked, stared at the board upon which his king had become blocked by a knight, bishop, and a queen, and then threw his arms up into the air. "I surrender…..You have defeated me…"

Dexter and Ben shared a grin then began to chuckle.

Mandark smiled. "Again, sir?..."

Mr. Green shook his head. "No, no, my boy….I have had enough of your putting me through my paces," Mr. Green chuckled good-naturedly. "And besides…You need to sleep…Or at least rest…Your body must be tired…."

Mandark huffed. "Yes…..well…my mind is still going ninety-to-nothing…." Mandark mused, yawning quietly. He then turned his contemplative gaze upon his beloved and quirked a brow. "By the way…..Have you stocked any thought into a slightly more reactive compound to spark the reaction?…Perhaps one of my "dark steel" catalysts, or even Chemical X, should prove to be just volatile enough to cause the reaction needed…..?"

Dexter huffed. "Yes, ye-….No…"

Mandark smirked. "Which of the compounds?"

"I did not go over what Chemical X's reaction would be…." Dexter mused, thoughtfully cupping his chin. "Chemical X is highly unstable…..but…It's highly responsive and reactive properties would accumulate the exact power intake that the fuel cells will need to power up quickly, as to avoid any meltdowns and power outages…..Mandark…..Your a genius!" Dexter then smiled happily, and assaulted Mandark in a loving and thankful hug, trying to lovingly squeeze the air out of the teen for a few moments before swiftly planting a gentle kiss on his cheek. "And I love you!"

And with that he made a mad dash to the table to grab the papers there and disappear into the kitchen, where the Professor was cooking, and where Dexter's schematic paper and drafting tools were put away.

Mandark blinked adorably, his cheeks dusted with a rosy blush. "…so I am…."he muttered quietly, lifting his hand to gently press the spot where Dexter had kissed his cheek.

Ben snickered, whereas Mr. Green merely smiled and stood up, clearing away the chess set.

"Shut up, Tennyson…" Mandark growled after turning a glare swiftly upon the teen to his left.

Ben smirked. "Make me, O, Monarch of Darkness…"

Mandark's eyebrow twitched heavily as he was called by that name, a light crackling of energy signaling his distaste of the joke now that he was "of the light", so to speak.

"Benjamin…It is not wise to taunt a magician….." Mr. Green chuckled.

But, Ben had a quick comeback to the warning of his own.

"Yeah, well, one should not tell an Appolexian to "shut up", for they are crunchy and taste good with ketchup…." he snickered.

Mandark growled, smirking darkly. "Is that a challenge, Furball?"

Ben smiled. "Sure was….the terms?"

"When I am a bit better…in the Atrium….We'll make a spectacle of it….You and I…..Mano-e-Mano….."

"And if things get heated….?"

"I said "Furball", didn't I….? You are allotted Rath as a backup, deal?"

Mandark extended his hand, smiling tiredly.

Ben smirked, and snatched up Mandark's hand, giving it a firm shake.

"Deal!"

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

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