Chapter 2: We Really are Good Friends ….Really We are…it's Just We Show it Through Unconventional Means

Tao had called everyone minus M-21 into Frankenstein's lai….Laboratory. Via asking Frankenstein to do so while M-21 was on one of his frequent walks around town. He had been researching certain things by hacking the Union's data base to gather certain information and he had finally found what he was looking for.

"So I am guessing you found what you have been looking up for the past 2 days while holing yourself up in your room and skipping work." Takao commented which got a raised eyebrow from Tao. Takao just shrugged back.

"Anyway…I'll talk to you about that outburst later….But yeah I have actually found what I was looking up. You guys remember when Shinwoo needed someone to translate the letter from his grandma?" Tao said. Everyone then nodded. "Well I realized because Dr. Crombel erased all the data on the M series, so we don't know all the things M-21 can do and what he knows or anything else because he has amnesia…"

"We already knew that when you tried to find out more about him so he could find out his friends and his real name, right?" Takao stated.

"Yes, but I remembered something I had found while hacking a long time ago so I tried to find it again."

"So you found it but what does that have to do with M-21 knowing Japanese?" Regis finally asked.

"Well it's a data base the Union keeps that is basically lists of things the experiments are capable of doing. Apparently they keep track of their knowledge and skills so they can easily know exactly what each experiment can do. The only times the data is taken off is when they die and the data is then transferred to another data area for references. But the reason I hacked this list is because Dr. Crombel just stated M-21 is on a secret mission for him so M-21 is still classified as alive and so at least this data on M-21 is still there from his last check up." Tao explained through a very dues' ex makina explanation. "So I know everything M-21 is capable of according to this data. I went through it and found Japanese is not on the list of things M-21 should know."

"So you are stating that the only data the Union has on M-21 out in the open is this list of his abilities and the skill he just performed with Japanese is not on the list meaning he knows something he shouldn't?" Frankenstein elaborated.

"Yes." Tao answered.

"M-21 could have just not told them he knew Japanese, right? After all he was keeping the changes in his body a secret." Seira stated.

"That's different, all he had to do is stay in a situation where there was no reason to do a checkup, meaning staying out of view of Dr. Crombel or not getting injured. With skills like knowing a language and so on they actually extensively test them after waking them up from the experiment process. They purposely do it then because it is during the stage where they are disorientated and in the M series case they still have not recovered from having their memories erased so they don't even have a reason or thought process really to hide what they know. So this list should be very accurate about M-21's capabilities from right after waking up with amnesia till now."

"So then why is M-21's ability with Japanese not on there?" Regis exclaimed.

"There are a few possibilities…One, his amnesia is actually breaking up and he is unconsciously regaining abilities from before his memory was erased which is unlikely because of the agent used in erasing memories at that time. Two, he learned it after his memory was erased which is more possible but he would have been monitored during the time he had access to such things to help him learn so this is out too. Three, which I believe to be more accurate, he knew Japanese before he had his memories erased and Dr. Crombel used a different agent of memory eraser on him so he still had his prior skills."

"Hmm…Those are very interesting possibilities but why do you find the third option to be more likely than the others?" Frankenstein stated as his mad scientist curiosity kicked in.

"I find it more likely because of the way Dr. Crombel has been acting in relation to M-21. He hide the fact that M-21 had betrayed the Union and even put him in the data base as being on a "secret mission" for him after hiding it under high clearance. He would have known from the remains of M-24's genetics that he had been hiding changes to their bodies and as it was Dr. Crombel we are talking about he would have wanted to know the changes in M-21 as well. Which may explain why, from what you explained, Dr. Crombel was in a helicopter over the Korean Union base when you went looking for him. He had turned the whole base into an experiment of sorts, so he was most likely watching from monitors, and so when M-21 returned to the base he would of saw him and returned to collect him. But Frankenstein, you got in the way and so he left. Also from what you have explained, even though you were unable to look at M-24 for comparison, it was obvious that M-21 had been worked on very carefully and over a period of time. This would probably illustrate Dr. Crombels interest in M-21 if in fact M-21 was actually a hidden experiment inside the M series. Of course this is all conjecture, but inside the data base that holds the lists of experiments I found another section which deals with skills prior to being memory wiped. It was hidden away but I found M-21's name on the list and it still had the words pending on it and yet again it was hidden by higher clearance. So I guess you can see from all the thinking and things I have found why I am going with the third conclusion."

"Yes I can see your points but does the Union even have such a memory agent?" Frankenstein quarried.

"Yes but it is an experiment that was put on hold years ago, which Dr. Crombel was also related too. We have obvious seen what happens to experiments that Dr. Crombel only wants to know about from what happened to the Korean base. So it is possible he did something similar, I just need to do more research." Tao commented with a shrug.

"Okay do that but don't keep skipping work." Frankenstein stated with a nod while obviously lost in his own thoughts. "Also it would be good if you save the list somewhere we can look at it and for everyone to memorize it so we can keep track of other such skills if they show up."

Everyone nodded their heads in consent as they then went to do their own stuff. Frankenstein went to check on Rai. Seria went to prepare dinner. Tao and Takao went off to talk over Takao's comment earlier.

And M-21…well he had continued his little walk around the town without knowing the conversation that had unfolded or even he was about to be watched very carefully by everyone. Even if it was just from their curiosity and not that they saw him as a threat.

M-21's walk

M-21 was almost done when the wind shifted and he turned his noise to catch a familiar smell. He then shifted his head to watch as Regis walked out of an alley way. They both stopped moving to stare at each other as minutes went by.

"Regis done with cleaning the house from top to bottom, already?" M-21 teased with a smirk.

Regis twitched his eye in irritation at the comment. "You didn't finish the dishes before going on your little walk."

"Oh, I don't know what you mean. It's called letting them soak to get the food off easier. I just went for a walk for a while till they had enough time." M-21 shrugged as he headed towards Regis. "If you've decided they've soaked enough I guess I will go back then."

M-21 was about to pass by him when Regis grabbed his arm. M-21 paused and looked back at Regis.

"I didn't say you had to go back now after all the dishes are not my area of expertise." M-21 smirked and raised a sarcastic eyebrow. Then uncharacteristic of Regis he looked away and seemed to think for a second or two. He then turned and dragged M-21 back onto the path he was walking. "Why don't….I walk with you…for a while…" He seemed to mumble as he stopped and dropped M-21's arm.

M-21 was dumbfounded for a second but didn't let it show on his face. He then smiled slightly and then continued the way he had been walking. As he passed Regis his usual smirk replaced the rare genuine smile. "I guess I can have you accompany me for a while."

Regis stared at M-21's back for a few seconds before breaking into his own smirk and then began to walk next to him. In the end M-21's usual walk ended up longer than usual which had consequences when he got home and Frankenstein was waiting for an answer on why the dishes were not done. His soaking excuse did not go far with Frankenstein's no nonsense and the fact they had a very high tech dishwasher.

Next day: (Frankenstein's lair)

The next day like usual the kids came over just like usual. Shinwoo immediately upon seeing M-21 went over to him for help on a new letter. M-21 then translated it to reveal that Shinwoo's grandma would be coming for her visit on Friday of next week. Shinwoo was quite happy about the news but then paled when M-21 stated she wished for Shinwoo to come greet her at the airport. When this was stated Shinwoo actually grabbed onto M-21's arm.

"Um…Ajussi can you…Come with me to the…um..Airport, I have been trying to relearn my Japanese with no luck. So it would really help me if I had you there to help me…" Shinwoo trailed off as he looked up hopefully at M-21. M-21 was lost for words. The kids seemed to rely on him and the other experiments quite a lot even when they were not able to help, for example the whole embarrassing issue with love and girl questions that Shinwoo and Ikhan had asked them a while back. That had been a horrible situation in many ways but there was no way this one could turn out like that experience. But being moral support and help between Shinwoo and his grandmother seemed close enough to that event. Did he, a failed human experiment have the right to help in such a situation, or even have the right qualifications… Frankenstein seeming to understand the situation walked over.

"You can use my care to pick her up and give another reason for you being there."

Shinwoo beamed at Principal Lee before turning back to the Ajussi. M-21 looked back and forth between Frankenstein and Shinwoo, only to hear a snicker from across the room. Whirling himself to see the snicker came from Regis. Regis noticing he had M-21's attention broke into a smirk.

"What don't have the confidence to help in such a situation? and You are usually so composed."

M-21 twitched only to smirk. "What Regis? Do you think you would be able to a better job?"

Regis's eye twitched. "What do you mean by that? I was just commenting on how you're not being your usual confident self and are actually hesitating."

"I'm not hesitating, I was just wondering if it would be appropriate for Shinwoo's grandma to have to meet a male she does not know or even the connection he has with her grandson. I am sure she would actually easily agree to the whole idea that I am a special security guard for his school and that Shinwoo is on very good terms. She would obviously misunderstand the reason I am friends with Shinwoo." M-21 stated as he took a few steps towards Regis and in turn Regis did the same. He raised his eyebrow mockingly at Regis as well. "That's why I stated you might be a better moral support after all you're his classmate and…." A bigger smirk than usual. "Around his same age so it's more appropriate for you being friends." Regis was seriously irritated by this point. "As well as your skills at etiquette and manners must be more advance then mine especially with your background."

Regis seemed to be at a loss of words until, "Yes all you have said is very accurate but I sadly regret the fact that I do not know the Japanese language so the job must fall to yourself."

M-21 and Regis continued to bicker back and forth for some time. Than Shinwoo walked over to M-21 causing him to look at him and interrupt his squabble with Regis. "Please Ajussi." He requested with puppy dog eyes. M-21 looked at him for a few minutes before sighing and patting his head.

"Fine I will go with you to pick up your grandma on next Friday but till then I will be aiding you in your attempt to relearn Japanese." M-21 relented.

Shinwoo grinned and then everyone went back to their usual routine.

Japan

Grandma Tsubame informed them that they were going to Korea next Friday. So Motomi and Akira had been started getting ready as well.

"You don't have to come with us, you know?" Motomi stated to Akira. Akira in turn looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"You told her we travel around the world which is true but forgot to mention your terrible at speaking other languages. You can read pretty well but make mistakes in translating when your spoken to or even when you speak them." Motomi sheepishly smiled as Akira spoke of his faults with languages in a nicer way then he could usually have stated it. "Your just lucky I went with you and I am actually really good at languages or learning if I want to apply myself. So I think it's my obligation to go so I can keep you out of trouble."

Motomi wrapped his arm around Akira's shoulders and tousled his hair. 'Brat, Who is the adult here?"

Knocking him away with a glare Akira replied, "Don't call me a brat. And to answer your question you are obviously not the adult."

This got a laugh from Motomi as well as a shake of his head. Akira just went back to what he was doing before being interrupted by his legal "guardian."

Naïve: So next chapter the crossover actually starts. Also please bear with my horrible explanation of why it's a big deal why M-21 knows Japanese. There will be more explanation besides my canon attempt at why.