Identity, things happen and a truth comes hard.

Chapter Six

M-21 listened slightly resigned as Tao gloated about the evidence trail he had set up, "there is a reason union elders have a non-involvement policy," starting at a 'hidden' safe house. M checked Victor's pulse as the hacker celebrated the 'black suits' finally intensifying their investigation enough to find the place. "It was awesome, they..." Dam it; he had seen the kid move the dining table before, why was he still asleep? Frankenstein had mentioned something about the fever exhausting them.

Also was the hacker insane? He had given them an outline of the house rules already. Tao had set up some computers in the silver room and left toys everywhere. The kids could get away with it here; this was their play room, even than it was meant to be tidied before dinner. Takeo was acting like this was normal and listening distractedly from his perch on the kiddies' chairs; had they not realised Frankenstein liked things clean?

Huffing, M went to report the kids' condition to Frankenstein when a loud beeping drew his attention to the computer. "Awesome, I knew I could find it! Dr Aris' data coming right up." The monitor was swivelled towards them with great fanfare. M saw an image of a loti girl with gold eyes and red hair but...

"What are you..? How dare your call my sister Dr. Aris." Takeo's reaction was almost violent- if M hadn't restrained the sniper the man would have pinned his partner with a choke hold.

"Your sister? Takeo I know better than to make jokes about her... dam if she's your sister." Tao started pulling up other files on the computer, "That makes sense. It would have been in the data otherwise," the hacker continued to mumble as Takeo stood tense.

M felt the muscles under his hands twitch and let go; keeping an eye on the other two as he backed away. The tapping of keys slowed and he heard Takeo gasp, a kind of choked sound, which let him know the Sniper was hurting. M looked at his face.

That expression, M knew that expression. He had seen it far too many times on his comrades faces when their will to live was wavering in the face of their reality. M himself had made it on occasion. These two were not from a mass series; their lives had been those of successful experiments, Takeo shouldn't be making that face.

He pounced on the taller man and pinned him to the floor, the lack of resistance confirming his suspicions' and fuelling his rage. M wanted to punch some sense into Takeo but he knew in this mentality that there would be no resistance, no quick snapping back from this brand of despair. "You wanta die?"

Tao tried to pull him off but failed because he was expecting his partner to take the opportunity he made; the hacker must have realised something was off because he stopped too quickly. They may not see each other as comrades, the thought echoed in M's mind. "You will leave your partner here alone?" That got Takeo's attention, everyone who was anyone would be aware of what mass series were. What it meant that he was M-21.

Oh dam, the kids. M spun off Takeo; the kids weren't in the cots. Victor was by the window looking outside with exhaustion still writ in his expression. Cadis was, M looked around quickly, walking right up to Takeo with an equally tired but determined face.

"Don' leave, we can be your family. I can 'ake up her name!" There was earnestness in those words that showed how serious the kid was.

"No, I don't want you to carry a false name." Takeo looked conflicted for a moment. "I need to learn to live." He looked up at M with a sad smile, who silently accepted the apology. It would be a bad idea to make more of a scene in front of the kids.

"Oh," Cadis looked a little disappointed; he still lay down on the taller man to hug him. Huffing Takeo sat up bringing Cadis with him. Takeo was quick to get attached to children, even when feverish, it seemed. That bonding hadn't happened when the kids were sleeping for sure.

"I'll go tell Frankenstein about the kids." M had turned toward the door -it wouldn't do to keep the scientist in the dark- when another voice spoke up.

"Cadis if you want a new name you could take Agassi's," there was a moment's silence and M felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. Tao burst out laughing and M moved even faster toward the door. Victor that little...

XOX

"From what I've been able to deduce from the Union's communications the effect of the information we planted is better than expected." Tao was reporting; Seira listened carefully to his words. Her gaze remaining steadfastly on tonight's ramen. She made a point to eat it every other day in respect for the effort that went into the preparation.

"Coombell really upset a lot of people with his research and his efforts to remain alive are turning elder fractions against each other." Raising her chopsticks' she finally had the chance to discreetly check on the smallest children, the only members of the house hold who might be human. It seemed unlikely now but it would be improper to check...

The young ones were struggling with their beef eye fillet; which was odd they had been fine before the fever. "Your concerns about a counter attack are unlikely to be fulfilled." Frankenstein was subtlety gesturing to cut the meat on Victors behalf, that child was clearly radiating refusal. She looked to Cadis who was beside her, eating everything but the fillet. She made the same silent offer, it was accepted.

The two small children seemed oddly tired, a strong suggestion that they were human. Nobles did not require large amounts of sleep.

"Thank you Tao." Frankenstein had left Victor to finishing his meal without assistance, "I still maintain that we cannot leave the boys here alone as we did before their fever." Finished with her self-appointed task Seria returned Cadis' plate; only to watch as it was snatched by Victor. Cadis, who now had his brothers plate, sighed at this and shoved an appropriate amount a veggies from his new plate to Victors. The blond boy did not protest -he was eating the cut fillet.

Seria's quick reflexes stoped a falling veggie from reaching the floor. Straitening she placed it beside her own plate and paused, Cadis was holding his knife toward her handle first. She cut up the second eye fillet and was rewarded with a shining smile. Victor was receiving a reprimanding look from the house owner, there would be words later.

XOX

"Frankenstein have you replaced your Master?" A quick probe revealed that the child was an Anapa* if not of pure blood. Had the mad man kidnapped him as a replacement? That was horrendous, "I should have never acknowledged you even if you did say you would look for your Master." Only the infants' presence stoped Gejutel attacking the human outright.

"Now look here there seems to be a misunderstanding." Frankenstein normally laughed off insults, if he was actually offended then, "I did not replace my Master. The reason I stopped looking was because there was no longer need to." No need and he claimed not to have replaced his bonded?

Words of fury died on Gejutel's tongue as he saw the Noblesse enter from behind his bonded, hand in hand with a blond Anapa. They had made children together? Is that why the Noblesse stayed away so long? The children were still Anapa so that couldn't be the case.

"It has been a while Gejutel K. Landeger," the Noblesse spoke to him

It took a moment to gather his senses; being addressed after so long "It seems it has Cadis Etrama di Raizel. The True Noblesse." Gejutel still worried, "May I ask about these Anapa?

*Anapa- a term I invented for the boys developmental stage in Lukedonian, it came from Egyptian; slightly changed. Officially translates as child but I pegging it closer to toddler/infant; a stage that lasts about 20 years for nobles. Strong personal will can accelerate growth.

The boys woke up far too soon, not sure I recreated Takeo's breakdown IC, Coombell is an intentionally weird spelling ... If you have question's please ask. I will seek to explain/answer them in story at some point. - Simantha