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“Master moved out.”
His heart skipped a beat and he felt Dark Spear pulse as fear gripped him. He could not let his Master go, never again would he be alone like that.
A purr came from the Dark Spear at his rising panic, reminding him that it wasn’t only his loneliness that he had to worry about.
With his Master gone, so would be the ties that helped keep the Dark Spear under control. If his Master passed and he slipped in his control with all this extra power, no one would be safe. It had taken the kids combined power along with his to beat Crombel and now all that power was combined with his. He would decimate them in no time and it would only grow from there.
He couldn't let that happen. Turning to Lunark, he smiled.
“Tell Muzaka that his life debt to me will be served out by keeping Master company.”
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“What?”
“And tell Master I am sorry.”
Closing his eyes, he slipped into his mind.
He was on the throne again with a sea of skulls at his feet.
“Help me save Master and you can have another turn in my body.”
Muzaka held out his hand as Raizel finished talking to Tao. It was a good way to go, both of them together and not alone.
“It’s been a real pleasure.”
Raizel eye’s widened, horror and fear replacing the confidence that had been staring into his not a moment ago.
“Frankenstein, no…”
Muzaka felt his hair stand on end as Raizel began to glow with a power that was not his own. It was dark, evil right to the very core and felt just like Frankenstein's.
He moved back as that power made his skin tingle, like thousands of needles were piercing him.
“Raizel!”
The power grew till he couldn’t see his friend, a hand shot out and knocked him back just as the missile came into view.
The power shot out like a clawed hand opening up around the missile. Muzaka hadn’t felt such power since Raizel and his first clash. Instead of a bright light, the hand only grew darker as the power closed in and more power was summoned.
The power closed in before dissipating into a black mist. Raizel hovered, hands gripping his chest as the last of the tainted power glowed in him. The dark purple changed into a shock of blood red and Muzaka watched as Raizel's ghostly pale skin returned to almost porcelain.
Slowly, Muzaka moved closer.
“Raizel.”
Glowing crimson eyes looked at him with such a deep sorrow.
“Frankenstein just sacrificed our bond to save me.”
Muzaka was sure that it was shock that made his friend talk, as Raizel's normally calm features were wide with disbelief.
Moving closer still, he placed a hand on the Noble.
“Where is he?”
“I do not know. I can’t feel him through the contract.”
A vibration in his pocket had him pulling out his phone while keeping an eye on his best friend.
“Lord Muzaka, what happened?” Garda’s panicked voice came through.
“Frankenstein did something through his contract bond. Are you able to get a hold of Lunark and find out what's happening?”
“Give me a moment.”
Lunark growled as her phone went off. She really did not have time for this and if it was another call saying some other shit went down, she was going to end the world.
Jumping back from the fight, she pulled out the phone.
“What!” she snarled.
“Lord, Muzaka and the Noblesse are alive. What is happening on your end?”
“Mr hot, blond human is trying to kill us.”
“The Noblesse's contracted?”
She jumped back from another spike and looked as the purple man attacked like a mindless creature.
“Yes, now I have to go before he kills one of the kids.”
She hung up the phone and jumped in just in time to stop the young wolf from getting stabbed. They all looked exhausted to the bone and if this fight continued any further, they were likely to make some stupid mistake.
“Come on you brainless blond! Knock out of it.”
Frankenstein jumped back and went straight into attacking the dagger wielding Noble.
“We can’t keep this up,” she told M-21.
“Well what do we do? We can’t leave him like this.”
She looked at him from the corner of her eye, not daring to take her eyes off Frankenstein.
“We hurt him enough that he falls unconscious.”
“We can’t do that. We might kill him.”
“It’s either that or he kills us all!” she growled.
It’s not like she liked the plan any better then he did.
It took the dagger wielding Noble being thrown to the ground for him to nod.
“Distract Frankenstein. I’ll tell the others.”
“It will be my pleasure. Just hurry up.”
Lunark bounded closer to the raging being.
“Hot thing, over here! Pick on somebody your own size.”
White eyes shot to her and she pulled forth her power and leaped at him.
The clash was almost like attacking a feral dog. Easy to predict and yet with teeth to back it up. She was doing ok even though it felt like he was toying with her. They traded blow for blow and growl for growl.
He didn’t slow, just kept attacking as if fueled by nothing else but the fight. When they broke apart the dagger wielding Noble took over and M-21 moved beside her.
“This will take everything we have, so get ready.”
A bullet whizzed by and it must have been the cue as the Noble jumped back as a dark arrow shot Frankenstein. M-21 didn’t wait and neither did she.
When the dust cleared, Frankenstein could be seen, no longer purple and covered in blood. M-21 and Takeo were right at his side.
Frankenstein smiled at them even as he coughed up blood.
“I do not consent to Master using any power on me. You got that you two?”
M-21 looked at their Frankenstein.
What did he mean? Did he mean that he stopped him from using his power? Is that what his spike in power had been?
“We will look after him,” he promised.
Takeo nodded beside him.
Blue eyes closed and fear gripped M-21; he would not lose another friend. Standing, he looked at the others.
Rael looked as battered as the rest of them and yet M-21 still knew the Noble would be quicker than them.
“Rael, are you strong enough to travel? We need to get Frankenstein home as quick we you can.”
The look he got clearly stated, 'you didn't just doubt me, human...!'
“Leave it to me.”
“Good, don’t let Him do anything, not until I talk to him.”
He swept Frankenstein up without another word, gone from sight a moment later.
Looking towards the werewolf he asked, “Lunark, can I borrow your phone?”
She chucked it at him and he could read worry in every line of her face. He didn’t have time for that. Quickly he typed in Tao’s number.
“Hello.”
“Tao, Rael is bringing Frankenstein in, heavily wounded. He will need to be tanked.”
Thankfully, Tao didn’t pause.
“I’ll get a tank set up, so it’s waiting. I can’t reach Rai. Do you know what happened?”
“Frankenstein did something. I’m not sure what, but it sounds like it saved Him. So if you can figure out a way to get in touch with him once you're set up..."
He needed to know what was going on.
“I will call you back when I have everything ready.”
The phone went dead in his ear.
Takeo stepped forward.
“Let’s get back to the plane. We need to get home.”
M-21 nodded. Even though he was dreading what he would find once he got there, it was where he needed to be.
Tao didn’t want to think about what bad shape the Boss must be in for M-21 to ask him to not only go into boss’s laboratory uninvited, but to touch and use his equipment without Frankenstein's say so.
He was looking around the laboratory, waiting at the tank that was all set up for Boss. It had been sixty-nine minutes and twenty-three seconds since it was all ready and yet he couldn’t help but check everything again for what felt like the hundredth time.
The sound of the elevator doors made him spin. Rael took two steps in the time it took Tao to cross the room. He only just managed to get his arms under Boss as the Noble fell to the ground.
Tao blinked once, eyes wide as he looked down at the Noble. Only when he saw Rael’s chest rise did he snap out from his shock. Crossing the room, he quickly set Frankenstein on the table and set to work stripping him, trying his best not to focus on the amount of blood covering the blond.
After he was changed, he moved on to the still bleeding wounds, checking quickly yet thoroughly that they were all free of debris. Then he secured a mask on. He carried Frankenstein to the tank and jumped up in one smooth move before hooking him up and carefully lowering him into the healing gel.
His hands shook even as he pushed himself to get moving. He needed to check Frankenstein's stats and find out what he was dealing with.
Raizel felt exhausted, his body still ached from Frankenstein’s power. He had always felt brief glimpses of the pain the Dark Emotions had caused the human, but never had he felt it first hand. It had been so painful that it had been hard to keep from crying out. He had felt so relieved when it had come to its end and had been washed away with his own power.
That relief had turn to shock as he felt the bond snap and the last dregs of power from it return. He had never heard of that being done before. Hadn’t even known it was possible and yet Frankenstein had done it. He had cut the Bond. Ended their contract.
A hand closed around his and he blinked, looking into familiar pale grey eyes. He followed Muzaka as he lead them to the nearest roof. They both stood there, looking over the city that Frankenstein had just saved.
Something rings in his mind long before the sunlight colored the sky. Raizel knows it is something he should look into, that it could be important and he needs to think about it. His mind, however, feels like it’s gone back before his first meeting with Frankenstein. Before he could think quicker and thought of months and years the way humans thought of hours.
Before Frankenstein helped to make him that little bit human.
The sky is blue when his mind finally works itself around to what he wanted. Rael had come into the city and he had been with Frankenstein and the others. He would likely have information about it all.
“We need to get to the house,” he told his friend.
“Sure.” Muzaka smiled at him and Raizel nodded, not sure what else to do.
He is glad that Muzaka is there as his friend subtly helps guide them home. He was sure that even with the Noble soul in the house to follow, he still would have gotten lost.
Upon entering he followed the souls down to Frankenstein’s laboratory, only to stop as soon as the doors opened.
“I always knew that Frankenstein had a thing for weird décor, but a Noble as a door mat is going a little far,” Muzaka quipped.
Raizel looked up from Rael and to Tao, who was just approaching them, a hand going to the back of his neck as he looked apologetic.
“Sorry, I kinda forgot about him! I’ve just been so busy. I Knew Boss was brilliant and have never doubted it. I just wish I could have him here, now, explaining all of this instead of having to look through all his notes to find what I need. Though if he were here, then I wouldn't need to...”
Taking a careful step forward so as to not step on Rael, Raizel reached out a hand and patted the human on the shoulder. Tao gave him a grateful look before bending to pick Rael up.
Rael startled at the first touch, sitting up and almost hitting Tao if the human hadn’t dodged. The young Family Leader was on his feet a moment later, trying to straighten out his clothes.
Giving Rael some time, Raizel looked around the room and almost jumped in surprise at seeing Frankenstein in the tank. He hadn’t felt him at all, not even the Dark Emotions.
He flew around the others, not entering there space and yet crossing the room fast. His hand rested on the glass. He could feel something pulsing under his hands. Something running between the two layers of glass.
“Sir.”
It took him a while for the words to make it through.
Muzaka watched Raizel cross the room in a quick movement. Every part of the Noble spoke of worry and loss and as the pale hand raised to touch the glass, he was sure he saw it shake ever so slightly.
He could imagine what it was like to lose someone close to you, but to have that someone be a very part of your soul... He imagined it would be like someone ripping out his wolf and leaving him empty and so very alone. Just the thought made his skin tingle and him want to run and hide.
He had once asked Raizel why Nobles form contracts and he had waited for hours for his answer.
"It is like having someone always there, someone who allows us to stay in the here and now."
"And what happens when that person is no longer there?"
Raizel had smiled.
"Their souls stay with us until we enter eternal rest."
He remembered how much joy he had seen in Raizel, none of which could be seen now.
“Sir.” The young Noble was stepping up and bowing.
It took a number of minutes before Raizel turned and nodded his head.
“M-21 told me to pass on a message. That he needs to talk to you before anything happens to Frankenstein.”
Raizel’s eyes widened a moment before he nodded and turned back to the glass. The look on his friend's face was one that Muzaka had hoped to never see again. It was the same look he had seen from Raizel when he would stare out that window all those years ago. It was the look of not really taking anything in and being lost to time. It was a look that only a Noble could have after they had lived a very long time.
Tao moved towards him.
“The others should be here in an hour. I’m going to go find out the situation. Come find me if anything happens.” With that both he and the young Noble left.
Once the door closed, Muzaka crossed the room and took a seat in the throne-like chair. There would be nothing to do but wait and see.
When the door opened, Muzaka woke from his doze and took in their somber faces. The young half werewolf lead them in followed closely by the others, even Lunark followed him.
Slipping gracefully to his feet, Muzaka moved over to Raizel and placed a hand on his shoulder. Red eyes blinked and looked to him.
“The others are here.”
Raizel nodded and turned fixing his eyes on M-21. Muzaka watched the little half werewolf pull his shoulders back as if to gather his courage. Not that he could blame anyone who was a little scared of delivering news about Frankenstein to Raizel.
“Before Frankenstein fell unconscious, he left a message for you.”
The one with long purple hair stepped forward till his shoulder brushed M-21 and the young one could lean into it.
“He told me to tell you that he doesn’t consent to you using any power on him.”
Being so close, he felt Raizel's power flicker even as his long time friend turned back to the tank.
Muzaka almost wanted to let out a sigh. Being the oldest in the room, it fell to him to do what he could.
Moving forward, he smiled at the young ones.
“You have all done well. Now go rest I will keep an eye on things here and call you if anything changes.”
As the rest started off Lunark stepped towards him.
"Lord Muzaka. There is something I must tell you."
Raizel looked at Frankenstein floating in the tank and couldn’t help but find this a fitting punishment for himself. This was like a mirror reflection where everything was the same, but opposite.
He had left Frankenstein alone for all those years, not even knowing if he had been alive. Now he was waiting for Frankenstein, not knowing if he would live through this.
A hand touched his shoulder, bringing him out from the fog of his mind.
“You know your human almost looks like those pictures with the angels from those old paintings. He could pass for a sleeping angel. All he needs are those white fluffy wings.”
Muzaka smiled at him and Raizel couldn’t bring himself to smile back. It reminded him of that reassuring smile Frankenstein had given him when Muzaka had been in the tank.
“When it was you in the tank, Muzaka, I had been considering giving back the power you gave me.”
He had felt guilty that he had caused Muzaka such harm. That he was awake while Muzaka had been asleep.
“Frankenstein, for the first time in our contract, told me he would say no to me.”
Grey eyes widened and Raizel could feel himself smiling at the memory. It was just like Frankenstein. He always was such a strong human.
“He said, if you do so, then I won't heal Lord Muzaka. It was the first time I had ever seen that look directed at me. And now when I think of what M-21 told me, all I can think of is that look directed at me. It’s as if he is telling me not to dare use my power to heal him.
Muzaka’s hand gripped his shoulder.
“Finally, your human pet is giving you what he gives the rest of us.”
Muzaka stepped between him and the tank.
“Raizel, we don’t know how long Frankenstein is going to be like this, but I owe him a life debt. It has been passed onto me that I am to be your companion until Frankenstein awakens. So during that time, I wish to give you some of my power, whenever my body can handle it, so that you will be here when he awakens.”
Why would Muzaka even offer this?
The werewolf seemed to read his mind. “I do not wish to see my oldest friend waste away, waiting for his one true companion. I do not want to be the one to tell Frankenstein on his waking that you are no longer alive. If not for me, then do it for him. Your human healed me, so allow me to heal you.”
Muzaka didn’t give him a choice, as the werewolf’s hand touched over his heart and the power surged forth. He accepted it, willing it into his body and into his core. If this was what it took so he could be there when Frankenstein awakened, then so be it. He would do anything just so he could see his Frankenstein awake and smiling once more.