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esp_dragonv2Fandom: Noblesse
Summary:
Notes: Wolf-born!M-21 raised in the Union AU. Not quite sure if this is Worth-verse, but maybe an AU of an AU. Dialled back Frankenstein’s cleanliness because. Yeah. Can’t really have a spotless home with animals, haha.
Rating: G
Genre: General
Word count: 3,573
Status: Complete
“M-21?”
M-21 looked across the room, seeing Frankenstein standing there, holding a tube longer than his hand. When Frankenstein shook it, it rattled and one of M-21’s ears twitched towards it, but he didn’t move any more than that. Why would he need to?
“Hm.” Frankenstein sighed, rattling the toy again, gentler. Frankenstein didn’t stride over to cuff him or order him to play with it when M-21 stayed where he was and M-21 was sure Frankenstein would lose his temper at some point - he just didn’t know when or what he would do that would finally get the scientist to act like the Union scientists he was used to.
“M-21,” Frankenstein said instead, setting the toy on the counter, “could you come downstairs with me?”
He perked up at that, scrambling to his paws and dashed towards the scientist, his tail wagging. A mission, finally.
He was taken down to the sparkling lab and when Frankenstein patted a table, he hopped onto it, quivering as he waited for his orders.
“Lie down, please. The table will move, but there’s nothing to worry about.”
M-21 did as he was told, keeping as still as he could as the machine the table was attached to hummed, drawing him in. There was a beam of light that rolled over him, but that was all it did before the table let him out again.
“Hm, you seem healthy enough…” Frankenstein said, his attention on what the machine was telling him, and M-21 drooped. A check-up. That was all it had been. “I wonder…”
M-21 trailed after Frankenstein as the human left the lab, going back to curling up against the corner he’d claimed. When was Frankenstein or Master going to use him for what he’d been trained for? Wasn’t he needed?
* * *
M-21 gazed out across the floor, ear twitching as he heard the front door open and close.
“Welcome back, Ma - ah?”
There was an accompanying tiny ‘meow’, and M-21 lifted his head to look. Master was holding something in his arms, something small and black.
“I found him,” Master said, setting it on the counter.
M-21 went over, bracing his paws on the counter for a better look.
It was a kitten, covered in dirt, leaving pawprints all over Frankenstein’s counter as it explored. It wasn’t completely black like M-21 had thought - one of its ears was white.
Had Master brought him live food to hunt? The kitten was small though and didn’t seem interested in fleeing. But if Master had brought it for him… He reached over, jaws open.
“No.”
M-21 jerked his head back, ears flat and tail tucked as he dropped back to the floor. Master’s voice had been soft, but he’d still broken a rule. He was going to be punished.
“Tao is not food, M-21,” Master said, his voice still soft. “He did not have a home.”
“So you brought him here?”
“Yes.”
The kitten had reached the edge of the counter and peered down at M-21, pawing at him.
M-21 glanced at Master, who gave a small nod.
M-21 put his paws on the counter again, sniffing at the kitten. He was dusty, making M-21 sneeze, and if the kitten wasn’t food…
M-21 licked the kitten, grooming him.
The kitten protested, backing away a step, but M-21 continued.
“I’ll give him a bath,” Frankenstein said, picking the kitten up around the stomach. The kitten squirmed but settled down when Frankenstein patted him, purring. The two left the room.
M-21 looked over at a light touch on his head, Master patting him as well. “Tao is very curious,” Master said. “Can you look after him, M-21?”
M-21 stilled, his eyes wide. A mission?
Master’s lips widened a little in a smile as he nodded.
M-21 wagged his tail so hard it shook his entire body as he sat down like he’d been trained to when he’d heard an order. A mission. Master finally needed him for something! He wasn’t going to fail!
It wasn’t long before Frankenstein came back with Tao wrapped up so much in a towel M-21 could only see the kitten’s head poking out.
Frankenstein placed Tao on the floor and after one quick shake, Tao bounded over to M-21, clambering over his paw.
M-21 glanced at Master, who was still smiling, and M-21 lay down, curling around the kitten.
Tao meowed and started climbing him, ignoring as M-21 groomed what he could reach.
He could look after a kitten.
* * *
Once Tao had thoroughly explored M-21, the kitten hopped off and started exploring the room. M-21 followed, making sure the kitten wouldn’t get hurt. There was nothing in the house that should, but the kitten was so small… And it was his mission to protect Tao. He would do as he was ordered. He didn’t want to be put down for failing.
Tao went over the table, jumping to the sofa. M-21 glanced between the top of the sofa to the floor in concern. If Tao fell from there, would he be all right?
When Tao jumped again, M-21 froze, the kitten heading straight for him. He tensed when the kitten hit him, but the kitten didn’t bite or scratch, just jumping down to the floor again and trotting away.
Oh. Not an attack.
M-21 glanced at Master and Frankenstein. They were watching but not frowning. That was good?
Master nodded to him and with a wag of his tail, M-21 followed the kitten.
* * *
Tao didn’t mind being followed. He seemed to like it, checking M-21 was still there sometimes before clambering up somewhere else.
When Tao reached the shelves though, the items on it getting nudged closer to the edge, M-21 went onto his back legs and clasped Tao in his jaws.
The kitten squirmed, his tail batting against M-21’s nose, but M-21 brought him back to the floor. Tao headed for the same route he’d taken up and M-21 placed his paw on top of him, pinning him.
Tao meowed as M-21 groomed him. Frankenstein liked his belongings; the belongings had their place and weren’t to be destroyed. M-21 didn’t know how to tell Tao this, but if he could distract the kitten maybe that would stop him.
Tao settled down, purring, and M-21 curled around him, continuing to groom him. Good. That worked.
* * *
It had been a while since M-21 had slept with someone, even if Tao didn’t sound like his littermates and was much smaller. The extra warmth was familiar.
And M-21 was alone when he woke up again.
Where had Tao gone? The garden door was closed and so was the door out the living room, so Tao had to still be there.
Not along the shelves or high up. M-21 circled the room but nothing had been disturbed. Had Tao left the room and the door had closed behind him?
M-21 checked the garden door and it was still locked so Tao couldn’t have gone that way. Then he must have-
M-21 cocked his head at a faint rustling. It had come from the centre of the room. There was nothing on the table but when M-21 lay flat he saw movement under the sofa. There!
He went over, huffing as he pawed at the sofa. He got a meow in reply and nothing else. He whined, pawing again. Was Tao stuck? Did he need get help getting out?
“M-21? What’s wrong?”
He pawed at the sofa again. How was he supposed to look after Tao if he couldn’t see him?
“Ah.” Frankenstein set something on the floor and knelt down, checking under the sofa as well. “Tao?” He waved a fluttery thing near the gap.
A paw squeezed out, batting the fluttery thing.
“He seems fine,” Frankenstein said, teasing the toy further away from the sofa. “While he’s curious, this is still a new place, so having a safe place to hide is also good for him.”
“Hnng.” M-21 continued peering through the small gap. He sighed when Frankenstein rubbed his fingers over his head. So long as he knew where Tao was…
Frankenstein picked up what he’d set down and M-21 blinked. It was a small box. There was something in there sliding around but it mostly sounded empty.
Frankenstein smiled at him and then set the box next to where M-21 slept, pulling out two bowls. One looked like the one M-21 drank water from, while the other spiky all over. Were they Tao’s?
“We’ll let Tao investigate these, hm?” Frankenstein said as he straightened, brushing his knees, leaving the toy by the bowls.
Would that be enough to draw Tao out? They were new things, so maybe…
Frankenstein left and soon after, Tao squeezed out from under the sofa, trotting up to the bowls and sniffing them. Once he was done, he curled up inside the box, purring.
M-21 huffed, wagging his tail slightly as he reached over to lick Tao. Tao purred harder, staying in place.
Once he’d finished grooming Tao, he picked up the toy Frankenstein had set down. He could still grab Tao with his jaws but mayb -
Tao zoomed out, rolling over himself trying to get the fluttering end.
M-21 wagged his tail harder as he backed away, tossing his head so the end bounced around. He had a way of drawing Tao away from the places he shouldn’t be. Good.
* * *
M-21 batted his food toy until one of the pieces of food fell out and skittered across the floor. Tao pounced on it, sending the piece further away instead. Had he hit it wrong? Tao did it again, chirping as the food moved. Doing it on purpose then.
Just as Tao was about to eat the food, he was picked up by Frankenstein, who also picked up the food. Tao protested, pawing towards the food as Frankenstein offered it to M-21.
M-21 looked at the food and then Frankenstein. Tao had wanted it, so he should have it.
“Tao has his own food,” Frankenstein said with a shake of his head. “It’ll be better for him.”
Hng. M-21 licked the food from Frankenstein’s fingertips, eating it. He paused, realising how hungry he was. When was the last time he’d eaten? If he didn’t eat he wouldn’t be strong enough for his mission. He had to look after Tao.
He turned back to his toy as he heard the cascade of food as Frankenstein poured Tao’s food into his bowl. It wouldn’t take him long to finish his food.
* * *
The toy wasn’t rattling anymore. M-21 nosed at it again, making sure, then he picked it up and went to Frankenstein who was sitting on the sofa, reading something.
He lay his head on the armrest, huffing.
“Mm?” When Frankenstein looked at him, M-21 shook his head, and he let go of the toy when Frankenstein took it. “Are you finished?”
M-21 nodded.
“Do you want more?”
He nodded again.
Frankenstein smiled, rubbing M-21’s ears with his free hand. “I’m glad - I was getting worried when you didn’t eat.”
Oh. M-21 cocked his head to the side. But then why hadn’t Frankenstein ordered him to eat?
“I’ll fill this up then.” M-21 trotted after Frankenstein, hearing Tao purring as he ate behind him.
When Frankenstein gave him the toy again, M-21 got back to work. Though… He’d seen how Frankenstein had put the food into the tube. He lay down, putting the tube between his paws and bit the top, turning it.
It didn’t take him long to take it off and once he had, he grabbed the other end and shook his head, hearing the food tumbling out all at once. There. Much faster.
He stilled at a sharp inhale, looking up to see Frankenstein staring at the - mess. Oh. Oh. Frankenstein didn’t like mess and he’d made one larger than the human puppies made.
Even as he started whining, lowering his body, Frankenstein was shaking his head.
“It’s - it’s fine. I should have known you would figure out how it worked - it just means I’ll have to think of another way to keep you occupied.”
M-21 still didn’t move, waiting.
“You should eat it,” Frankenstein said, his voice still soft, not trembling with contained anger, though it was still strained.
He wasn’t going to be punished? M-21 ate quickly, in case Frankenstein changed his mind.
* * *
Tao was pawing at the living room door. M-21 went over to investigate but there wasn’t anything there. Tao meowed at the door and then looked at him.
He wanted out? Hng. Tao had explored everything else in the living room so was probably bored.
M-21 opened the door and Tao rushed out, sniffing everything as M-21 trailed after him.
It didn’t take Tao long to find the stairs and he went up on his back legs, his paws barely reaching the top. He dropped back down and wriggled before he jumped up.
Tao had done this with three steps when M-21 looked up the rest of the stairs. There were a lot of them. He sniffed at Tao, giving him a lick. Maybe…
Tao meowed at him again, and with a small wag of his tail, M-21 picked him up in his jaws and carried him up the stairs. That was much faster.
When M-21 set him down, Tao headbutted M-21’s nose twice as he purred and then started exploring again.
…Why had Tao done that?
* * *
The rooms on that floor were empty apart from the room with the machines. Tao stayed that room for a while as M-21 watched, making sure the screens didn’t topple.
When Tao was finished, he trotted back to the top of the stairs but when M-21 moved to pick him up, Tao batted his nose.
M-21 jerked, surprised. Tao hadn’t used his claws or puffed himself up, so the kitten wasn’t angry or attacking him. M-21 watched as Tao went up to him and then jumped up, climbing him.
Still not an attack and M-21 kept still, not sure what Tao was doing.
When Tao reached his back, Tao meowed and M-21 took a hesitant step forward. Tao meowed again and M-21 went down the stairs.
Tao held on, and yes, this was another way to do it until Tao grew bigger.
Master was there when they reached the bottom of the stairs, who smiled at them. “Are you having fun?”
Fun? Was this 'fun’?
Tao jumped off him and dashed off towards the living room.
He’d enjoyed it. Having someone else with him.
M-21 looked up when Master started scratching his ears. “Good.”
M-21 wagged his tail a little. He was doing a good job.
* * *
Tao wasn’t in the living room the next time M-21 woke up. He’d checked under the sofa to make sure, but the ajar living room door was all the hint he needed.
Tao wasn’t in sight when M-21 nudged the door open and hm, where-
M-21 froze at a crash upstairs, a piercing screech of pain following it.
M-21 tore up the stairs, ears swivelling in every direction and there was only one door open. The room with all the computers in it.
His nostrils flared at the scent of blood and when he entered the room, one of the monitors was on the floor, pieces of glass sprinkled around it.
Tao was a little distance away from it, still crying out, droplets of blood around him.
Tao had been hurt. Tao had been hurt because he hadn’t kept a close enough eye on him.
His fault.
Bad. He was going to be punished for failing his mission.
Tao was hurt. Maybe - maybe if he took Tao to Frankenstein… Being put down would be fast?
M-21 went over to Tao, ignoring when he stepped on the glass. After giving Tao one reassuring lick, who’d quietened down, he picked the kitten up and went down to the lab.
M-21 couldn’t help slowing his pace, his tail tucking, as he neared the double doors, knowing he was going to be put down soon. But Tao was hurt and Frankenstein would know soon enough anyway and would be angry if M-21 tried to hide what happened.
The doors opened as he approached and M-21 went through.
Frankenstein was waiting, and his eyes widened when he saw them. “Set him here please,” Frankenstein said, gesturing to a table and M-21 did as he was told.
Frankenstein busied himself with Tao and M-21 curled up in the corner, waiting. Frankenstein wouldn’t want to search for him afterwards to put him down.
He didn’t pay attention to what Frankenstein was saying - the words were for Tao and M-21 wanted to savour the last moments he had.
“M-21?”
He opened his eyes, making himself as small as possible as Frankenstein walked over.
“Is this your blood?”
His…? M-21 studied the ground. Oh. He’d left bloody pawprints along Frankenstein’s clean floor. More mess he’d made. He nodded jerkily.
“I see…”
M-21 blinked at a meowing closeby and something bumped into him. It was Tao with a collar that extended out around his head. Was that how Tao was being punished for destroying Frankenstein’s belongings?
Tao bumped into him again, pawing at both M-21 and the collar.
“If you could stay still please, and don’t take Tao’s cone off.”
Okay. He wouldn’t have removed Tao’s collar anyway - Frankenstein had put it there.
M-21 groomed Tao’s face while Frankenstein did something to his paws. It was…nice. That Frankenstein let him interact with Tao one last time as he was putting him down.
Tao kept shaking his head, pawing at the cone around his head, sometimes rubbing against M-21 as he tried to pull it off.
“There,” Frankenstein said. “Can I trust you to not bite through the bandages even when they’re itchy?”
When would he have time to bite them if he was being put down? M-21 looked at his front paws and saw they’d been covered by white bandages. He couldn’t flex his paws like usual, but the small stabbing pain that had been there was now a dull throb.
M-21 nodded, blinking when Frankenstein patted his head.
“Good.” Huh? “You don’t have to stay here anymore; just make sure Tao doesn’t rub at his bandages too much.”
…Okay? He wasn’t being put down? Or maybe it was Master who did that?
“And thank you for bringing Tao to me.” What? Why was he- “But please look after yourself as well; I’m sure you were worried about Tao, but that doesn’t mean you have to ignore your own safety to help him.”
He would heal from the injuries anyway? He’d had worse than glass in his paws.
Frankenstein sighed when he didn’t react and gave him one last pat. “You can go now.”
With a nod, M-21 picked Tao up, who’d backed himself against the wall, still trying to shake his head free of the cone, and left. Tao wouldn’t follow him when he was like that.
Walking on the bandaged paws were weird. He couldn’t feel the floor like he usually did and his balance was off. The further they got away from the lab though, the longer his stride became as he got used to it.
Master was on the sofa when M-21 entered the living room and he paused, staring. With a huff, he closed the door behind him, making sure he heard the click, and then padded over to Master.
He set Tao down beside Master and then sat, ears flat and head ducked.
Tao wriggled when Master picked him up and meowed at Master when he was on Master’s lap.
“I will not take it off.”
A long meow.
Master chuckled softly. “You have it on to make sure you do not scratch at your injuries.”
A louder meow.
“I will take it off only once you have fully healed.”
A hissing grumble before Tao curled up on Master’s lap.
M-21 lifted his head at a pressure between his ears, leaning into the touch at the petting on instinct. “Thank you for looking after Tao, M-21.”
M-21 stilled. But he hadn’t? Tao had been hurt. His mission had been to watch Tao and he’d failed.
“You brought him to Frankenstein when you knew Tao was hurt, and we did not expect you to watch Tao while you slept. Tao is very curious.” A pause. “Frankenstein had wondered how long it would take before Tao knocked something over - it was longer than he thought.” Master gave him a small smile.
He…wasn’t going to be put down?
“Put down…?” Master repeated, his gaze going distant in the way that M-21 was recognising that he was talking to Frankenstein. His eyes widened. “No. We will not put you down.”
M-21 whined, not understanding. But he’d failed his mission!
“You did not.” Master continued rubbing M-21’s head. “You did your best; things can still happen even then.”
But… In the Union, that would have been seen as a failure.
“We are not the Union.”
No… They weren’t, M-21 was seeing that now.
M-21 edged forward, checking Master’s reaction. When Master didn’t push him away, M-21 lay his head on Master’s lap with a sigh, letting himself enjoy the feeling, hearing Tao’s purring next to him.
Inspired by this comic.
Summary:
Notes: Wolf-born!M-21 raised in the Union AU. Not quite sure if this is Worth-verse, but maybe an AU of an AU. Dialled back Frankenstein’s cleanliness because. Yeah. Can’t really have a spotless home with animals, haha.
Rating: G
Genre: General
Word count: 3,573
Status: Complete
“M-21?”
M-21 looked across the room, seeing Frankenstein standing there, holding a tube longer than his hand. When Frankenstein shook it, it rattled and one of M-21’s ears twitched towards it, but he didn’t move any more than that. Why would he need to?
“Hm.” Frankenstein sighed, rattling the toy again, gentler. Frankenstein didn’t stride over to cuff him or order him to play with it when M-21 stayed where he was and M-21 was sure Frankenstein would lose his temper at some point - he just didn’t know when or what he would do that would finally get the scientist to act like the Union scientists he was used to.
“M-21,” Frankenstein said instead, setting the toy on the counter, “could you come downstairs with me?”
He perked up at that, scrambling to his paws and dashed towards the scientist, his tail wagging. A mission, finally.
He was taken down to the sparkling lab and when Frankenstein patted a table, he hopped onto it, quivering as he waited for his orders.
“Lie down, please. The table will move, but there’s nothing to worry about.”
M-21 did as he was told, keeping as still as he could as the machine the table was attached to hummed, drawing him in. There was a beam of light that rolled over him, but that was all it did before the table let him out again.
“Hm, you seem healthy enough…” Frankenstein said, his attention on what the machine was telling him, and M-21 drooped. A check-up. That was all it had been. “I wonder…”
M-21 trailed after Frankenstein as the human left the lab, going back to curling up against the corner he’d claimed. When was Frankenstein or Master going to use him for what he’d been trained for? Wasn’t he needed?
M-21 gazed out across the floor, ear twitching as he heard the front door open and close.
“Welcome back, Ma - ah?”
There was an accompanying tiny ‘meow’, and M-21 lifted his head to look. Master was holding something in his arms, something small and black.
“I found him,” Master said, setting it on the counter.
M-21 went over, bracing his paws on the counter for a better look.
It was a kitten, covered in dirt, leaving pawprints all over Frankenstein’s counter as it explored. It wasn’t completely black like M-21 had thought - one of its ears was white.
Had Master brought him live food to hunt? The kitten was small though and didn’t seem interested in fleeing. But if Master had brought it for him… He reached over, jaws open.
“No.”
M-21 jerked his head back, ears flat and tail tucked as he dropped back to the floor. Master’s voice had been soft, but he’d still broken a rule. He was going to be punished.
“Tao is not food, M-21,” Master said, his voice still soft. “He did not have a home.”
“So you brought him here?”
“Yes.”
The kitten had reached the edge of the counter and peered down at M-21, pawing at him.
M-21 glanced at Master, who gave a small nod.
M-21 put his paws on the counter again, sniffing at the kitten. He was dusty, making M-21 sneeze, and if the kitten wasn’t food…
M-21 licked the kitten, grooming him.
The kitten protested, backing away a step, but M-21 continued.
“I’ll give him a bath,” Frankenstein said, picking the kitten up around the stomach. The kitten squirmed but settled down when Frankenstein patted him, purring. The two left the room.
M-21 looked over at a light touch on his head, Master patting him as well. “Tao is very curious,” Master said. “Can you look after him, M-21?”
M-21 stilled, his eyes wide. A mission?
Master’s lips widened a little in a smile as he nodded.
M-21 wagged his tail so hard it shook his entire body as he sat down like he’d been trained to when he’d heard an order. A mission. Master finally needed him for something! He wasn’t going to fail!
It wasn’t long before Frankenstein came back with Tao wrapped up so much in a towel M-21 could only see the kitten’s head poking out.
Frankenstein placed Tao on the floor and after one quick shake, Tao bounded over to M-21, clambering over his paw.
M-21 glanced at Master, who was still smiling, and M-21 lay down, curling around the kitten.
Tao meowed and started climbing him, ignoring as M-21 groomed what he could reach.
He could look after a kitten.
Once Tao had thoroughly explored M-21, the kitten hopped off and started exploring the room. M-21 followed, making sure the kitten wouldn’t get hurt. There was nothing in the house that should, but the kitten was so small… And it was his mission to protect Tao. He would do as he was ordered. He didn’t want to be put down for failing.
Tao went over the table, jumping to the sofa. M-21 glanced between the top of the sofa to the floor in concern. If Tao fell from there, would he be all right?
When Tao jumped again, M-21 froze, the kitten heading straight for him. He tensed when the kitten hit him, but the kitten didn’t bite or scratch, just jumping down to the floor again and trotting away.
Oh. Not an attack.
M-21 glanced at Master and Frankenstein. They were watching but not frowning. That was good?
Master nodded to him and with a wag of his tail, M-21 followed the kitten.
Tao didn’t mind being followed. He seemed to like it, checking M-21 was still there sometimes before clambering up somewhere else.
When Tao reached the shelves though, the items on it getting nudged closer to the edge, M-21 went onto his back legs and clasped Tao in his jaws.
The kitten squirmed, his tail batting against M-21’s nose, but M-21 brought him back to the floor. Tao headed for the same route he’d taken up and M-21 placed his paw on top of him, pinning him.
Tao meowed as M-21 groomed him. Frankenstein liked his belongings; the belongings had their place and weren’t to be destroyed. M-21 didn’t know how to tell Tao this, but if he could distract the kitten maybe that would stop him.
Tao settled down, purring, and M-21 curled around him, continuing to groom him. Good. That worked.
It had been a while since M-21 had slept with someone, even if Tao didn’t sound like his littermates and was much smaller. The extra warmth was familiar.
And M-21 was alone when he woke up again.
Where had Tao gone? The garden door was closed and so was the door out the living room, so Tao had to still be there.
Not along the shelves or high up. M-21 circled the room but nothing had been disturbed. Had Tao left the room and the door had closed behind him?
M-21 checked the garden door and it was still locked so Tao couldn’t have gone that way. Then he must have-
M-21 cocked his head at a faint rustling. It had come from the centre of the room. There was nothing on the table but when M-21 lay flat he saw movement under the sofa. There!
He went over, huffing as he pawed at the sofa. He got a meow in reply and nothing else. He whined, pawing again. Was Tao stuck? Did he need get help getting out?
“M-21? What’s wrong?”
He pawed at the sofa again. How was he supposed to look after Tao if he couldn’t see him?
“Ah.” Frankenstein set something on the floor and knelt down, checking under the sofa as well. “Tao?” He waved a fluttery thing near the gap.
A paw squeezed out, batting the fluttery thing.
“He seems fine,” Frankenstein said, teasing the toy further away from the sofa. “While he’s curious, this is still a new place, so having a safe place to hide is also good for him.”
“Hnng.” M-21 continued peering through the small gap. He sighed when Frankenstein rubbed his fingers over his head. So long as he knew where Tao was…
Frankenstein picked up what he’d set down and M-21 blinked. It was a small box. There was something in there sliding around but it mostly sounded empty.
Frankenstein smiled at him and then set the box next to where M-21 slept, pulling out two bowls. One looked like the one M-21 drank water from, while the other spiky all over. Were they Tao’s?
“We’ll let Tao investigate these, hm?” Frankenstein said as he straightened, brushing his knees, leaving the toy by the bowls.
Would that be enough to draw Tao out? They were new things, so maybe…
Frankenstein left and soon after, Tao squeezed out from under the sofa, trotting up to the bowls and sniffing them. Once he was done, he curled up inside the box, purring.
M-21 huffed, wagging his tail slightly as he reached over to lick Tao. Tao purred harder, staying in place.
Once he’d finished grooming Tao, he picked up the toy Frankenstein had set down. He could still grab Tao with his jaws but mayb -
Tao zoomed out, rolling over himself trying to get the fluttering end.
M-21 wagged his tail harder as he backed away, tossing his head so the end bounced around. He had a way of drawing Tao away from the places he shouldn’t be. Good.
M-21 batted his food toy until one of the pieces of food fell out and skittered across the floor. Tao pounced on it, sending the piece further away instead. Had he hit it wrong? Tao did it again, chirping as the food moved. Doing it on purpose then.
Just as Tao was about to eat the food, he was picked up by Frankenstein, who also picked up the food. Tao protested, pawing towards the food as Frankenstein offered it to M-21.
M-21 looked at the food and then Frankenstein. Tao had wanted it, so he should have it.
“Tao has his own food,” Frankenstein said with a shake of his head. “It’ll be better for him.”
Hng. M-21 licked the food from Frankenstein’s fingertips, eating it. He paused, realising how hungry he was. When was the last time he’d eaten? If he didn’t eat he wouldn’t be strong enough for his mission. He had to look after Tao.
He turned back to his toy as he heard the cascade of food as Frankenstein poured Tao’s food into his bowl. It wouldn’t take him long to finish his food.
The toy wasn’t rattling anymore. M-21 nosed at it again, making sure, then he picked it up and went to Frankenstein who was sitting on the sofa, reading something.
He lay his head on the armrest, huffing.
“Mm?” When Frankenstein looked at him, M-21 shook his head, and he let go of the toy when Frankenstein took it. “Are you finished?”
M-21 nodded.
“Do you want more?”
He nodded again.
Frankenstein smiled, rubbing M-21’s ears with his free hand. “I’m glad - I was getting worried when you didn’t eat.”
Oh. M-21 cocked his head to the side. But then why hadn’t Frankenstein ordered him to eat?
“I’ll fill this up then.” M-21 trotted after Frankenstein, hearing Tao purring as he ate behind him.
When Frankenstein gave him the toy again, M-21 got back to work. Though… He’d seen how Frankenstein had put the food into the tube. He lay down, putting the tube between his paws and bit the top, turning it.
It didn’t take him long to take it off and once he had, he grabbed the other end and shook his head, hearing the food tumbling out all at once. There. Much faster.
He stilled at a sharp inhale, looking up to see Frankenstein staring at the - mess. Oh. Oh. Frankenstein didn’t like mess and he’d made one larger than the human puppies made.
Even as he started whining, lowering his body, Frankenstein was shaking his head.
“It’s - it’s fine. I should have known you would figure out how it worked - it just means I’ll have to think of another way to keep you occupied.”
M-21 still didn’t move, waiting.
“You should eat it,” Frankenstein said, his voice still soft, not trembling with contained anger, though it was still strained.
He wasn’t going to be punished? M-21 ate quickly, in case Frankenstein changed his mind.
Tao was pawing at the living room door. M-21 went over to investigate but there wasn’t anything there. Tao meowed at the door and then looked at him.
He wanted out? Hng. Tao had explored everything else in the living room so was probably bored.
M-21 opened the door and Tao rushed out, sniffing everything as M-21 trailed after him.
It didn’t take Tao long to find the stairs and he went up on his back legs, his paws barely reaching the top. He dropped back down and wriggled before he jumped up.
Tao had done this with three steps when M-21 looked up the rest of the stairs. There were a lot of them. He sniffed at Tao, giving him a lick. Maybe…
Tao meowed at him again, and with a small wag of his tail, M-21 picked him up in his jaws and carried him up the stairs. That was much faster.
When M-21 set him down, Tao headbutted M-21’s nose twice as he purred and then started exploring again.
…Why had Tao done that?
The rooms on that floor were empty apart from the room with the machines. Tao stayed that room for a while as M-21 watched, making sure the screens didn’t topple.
When Tao was finished, he trotted back to the top of the stairs but when M-21 moved to pick him up, Tao batted his nose.
M-21 jerked, surprised. Tao hadn’t used his claws or puffed himself up, so the kitten wasn’t angry or attacking him. M-21 watched as Tao went up to him and then jumped up, climbing him.
Still not an attack and M-21 kept still, not sure what Tao was doing.
When Tao reached his back, Tao meowed and M-21 took a hesitant step forward. Tao meowed again and M-21 went down the stairs.
Tao held on, and yes, this was another way to do it until Tao grew bigger.
Master was there when they reached the bottom of the stairs, who smiled at them. “Are you having fun?”
Fun? Was this 'fun’?
Tao jumped off him and dashed off towards the living room.
He’d enjoyed it. Having someone else with him.
M-21 looked up when Master started scratching his ears. “Good.”
M-21 wagged his tail a little. He was doing a good job.
Tao wasn’t in the living room the next time M-21 woke up. He’d checked under the sofa to make sure, but the ajar living room door was all the hint he needed.
Tao wasn’t in sight when M-21 nudged the door open and hm, where-
M-21 froze at a crash upstairs, a piercing screech of pain following it.
M-21 tore up the stairs, ears swivelling in every direction and there was only one door open. The room with all the computers in it.
His nostrils flared at the scent of blood and when he entered the room, one of the monitors was on the floor, pieces of glass sprinkled around it.
Tao was a little distance away from it, still crying out, droplets of blood around him.
Tao had been hurt. Tao had been hurt because he hadn’t kept a close enough eye on him.
His fault.
Bad. He was going to be punished for failing his mission.
Tao was hurt. Maybe - maybe if he took Tao to Frankenstein… Being put down would be fast?
M-21 went over to Tao, ignoring when he stepped on the glass. After giving Tao one reassuring lick, who’d quietened down, he picked the kitten up and went down to the lab.
M-21 couldn’t help slowing his pace, his tail tucking, as he neared the double doors, knowing he was going to be put down soon. But Tao was hurt and Frankenstein would know soon enough anyway and would be angry if M-21 tried to hide what happened.
The doors opened as he approached and M-21 went through.
Frankenstein was waiting, and his eyes widened when he saw them. “Set him here please,” Frankenstein said, gesturing to a table and M-21 did as he was told.
Frankenstein busied himself with Tao and M-21 curled up in the corner, waiting. Frankenstein wouldn’t want to search for him afterwards to put him down.
He didn’t pay attention to what Frankenstein was saying - the words were for Tao and M-21 wanted to savour the last moments he had.
“M-21?”
He opened his eyes, making himself as small as possible as Frankenstein walked over.
“Is this your blood?”
His…? M-21 studied the ground. Oh. He’d left bloody pawprints along Frankenstein’s clean floor. More mess he’d made. He nodded jerkily.
“I see…”
M-21 blinked at a meowing closeby and something bumped into him. It was Tao with a collar that extended out around his head. Was that how Tao was being punished for destroying Frankenstein’s belongings?
Tao bumped into him again, pawing at both M-21 and the collar.
“If you could stay still please, and don’t take Tao’s cone off.”
Okay. He wouldn’t have removed Tao’s collar anyway - Frankenstein had put it there.
M-21 groomed Tao’s face while Frankenstein did something to his paws. It was…nice. That Frankenstein let him interact with Tao one last time as he was putting him down.
Tao kept shaking his head, pawing at the cone around his head, sometimes rubbing against M-21 as he tried to pull it off.
“There,” Frankenstein said. “Can I trust you to not bite through the bandages even when they’re itchy?”
When would he have time to bite them if he was being put down? M-21 looked at his front paws and saw they’d been covered by white bandages. He couldn’t flex his paws like usual, but the small stabbing pain that had been there was now a dull throb.
M-21 nodded, blinking when Frankenstein patted his head.
“Good.” Huh? “You don’t have to stay here anymore; just make sure Tao doesn’t rub at his bandages too much.”
…Okay? He wasn’t being put down? Or maybe it was Master who did that?
“And thank you for bringing Tao to me.” What? Why was he- “But please look after yourself as well; I’m sure you were worried about Tao, but that doesn’t mean you have to ignore your own safety to help him.”
He would heal from the injuries anyway? He’d had worse than glass in his paws.
Frankenstein sighed when he didn’t react and gave him one last pat. “You can go now.”
With a nod, M-21 picked Tao up, who’d backed himself against the wall, still trying to shake his head free of the cone, and left. Tao wouldn’t follow him when he was like that.
Walking on the bandaged paws were weird. He couldn’t feel the floor like he usually did and his balance was off. The further they got away from the lab though, the longer his stride became as he got used to it.
Master was on the sofa when M-21 entered the living room and he paused, staring. With a huff, he closed the door behind him, making sure he heard the click, and then padded over to Master.
He set Tao down beside Master and then sat, ears flat and head ducked.
Tao wriggled when Master picked him up and meowed at Master when he was on Master’s lap.
“I will not take it off.”
A long meow.
Master chuckled softly. “You have it on to make sure you do not scratch at your injuries.”
A louder meow.
“I will take it off only once you have fully healed.”
A hissing grumble before Tao curled up on Master’s lap.
M-21 lifted his head at a pressure between his ears, leaning into the touch at the petting on instinct. “Thank you for looking after Tao, M-21.”
M-21 stilled. But he hadn’t? Tao had been hurt. His mission had been to watch Tao and he’d failed.
“You brought him to Frankenstein when you knew Tao was hurt, and we did not expect you to watch Tao while you slept. Tao is very curious.” A pause. “Frankenstein had wondered how long it would take before Tao knocked something over - it was longer than he thought.” Master gave him a small smile.
He…wasn’t going to be put down?
“Put down…?” Master repeated, his gaze going distant in the way that M-21 was recognising that he was talking to Frankenstein. His eyes widened. “No. We will not put you down.”
M-21 whined, not understanding. But he’d failed his mission!
“You did not.” Master continued rubbing M-21’s head. “You did your best; things can still happen even then.”
But… In the Union, that would have been seen as a failure.
“We are not the Union.”
No… They weren’t, M-21 was seeing that now.
M-21 edged forward, checking Master’s reaction. When Master didn’t push him away, M-21 lay his head on Master’s lap with a sigh, letting himself enjoy the feeling, hearing Tao’s purring next to him.
Inspired by this comic.