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esp_dragonv2) wrote2024-02-10 08:37 pm
esp_dragonv2) wrote2024-02-10 08:37 pm
Entry tags:
Perks [Check Up]
Fandom: Noblesse,
Summary: Muzaka wanted to check in with Frankenstein about his decision.
Notes: Night Shift AU where Frankenstein is a scientist and Muzaka is an Alpha assigned to him.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: General
Word count: 2,292
Total word count: 9,543
Status: Work in progress
Muzaka sighed as he walked past familiar walls towards Frankenstein's office. He had to ask. Frankenstein didn't back down from anything once he'd made his decision but...he might have changed his mind with this one. Frankenstein already had so much on his plate, so adding Muzaka's lot with no handover would mean Frankenstein would have to work from scratch.
Muzaka grimaced. And the reason why there was no handover...
He paused outside the office, hesitating. He didn't feel any different, but that was what he had thought at the check up too. His perceptions could have changed.
There had been a couple of other physical changes too, but not a huge leap from before.
He still didn't remember anything. No deja vu, no dreams. Nothing. Like it had never happened.
Muzaka had seen the security tape though. What had happened. He'd been laying on the bed, saying something and then Dr Adamson had leaned over and injected something into his elbow. Standard.
What wasn't standard was the snarl that snapped across Muzaka's face and Muzaka's hand lashed up, tearing out Dr Adamson's throat in a smooth swipe.
A full body transformation, leaving Muzaka's clothes in tatters everywhere.
And then he'd headed for Frankenstein.
Except when Muzaka had barged through Frankenstein's door, they both walked out a few minutes later, Muzaka following like he'd been chastised into submission.
What the hell had happened there?
Muzaka could imagine Frankenstein not backing down from him, but why hadn't Muzaka attacked like he had with the other doctor?
Which was another reason why Muzaka was still staring at Frankenstein's office door. He had to find out.
He peeked in but at first glance the office looked exactly like it did the last time he'd been there. Frankenstein could afford getting everything fixed up though.
Frankenstein was there at his desk, head down as he wrote something.
"I thought you were off duty right now?"
Which meant Frankenstein knew it was him and wasn't acting any differently from usual. "I'm meant to be, yeah - I'm not that good at resting though." He couldn't sit around when he didn't know what could happen next; he'd needed information. "And I just wanted to double-check you hadn't changed your mind." Among other things.
Frankenstein paused his writing and lifted his head, an eyebrow arched. "About what?"
"About taking on my series. In case I lose it again."
Frankenstein huffed, half rolling his eyes. "I was able to fix the issues and I don't fail."
Well... Okay. Frankenstein was always confident about his work and everything in his life.
"You haven't changed back or shown signs of that happening again, have you?"
At the question, Muzaka exhaled slowly, glancing down at his hand. It looked human. That hadn't changed. "I didn't show any signs before I transformed either." It had happened out of nowhere.
"You did."
Muzaka looked across at Frankenstein's quiet words, and Frankenstein's lips were pursed, his fingers tight around his pen. "Huh?"
"There were multiple signs of stress and reactions documented before your reaction," Frankenstein said, scowling. "It shouldn't have been a surprise except everyone here has as many braincells as a goddamn worm!"
To Frankenstein maybe - the other scientists still talked circles around Muzaka when they tried to explain something to him.
"You weren't a danger anyway," Frankenstein said.
Uh. Video footage definitely disproved that. Did Frankenstein not know?
Frankenstein studied him. "I'm sure you have already talked to security?"
Muzaka nodded. "They couldn't give me much info." Just showed him the video feed. The scientists...hadn't wanted to stay around him. Unsurprisingly.
Frankenstein snorted, and finally set his pen down. "The standard serum enhances you - they enhance your natural capability, and while they can give you additional abilities, they don't change who you are. As far as I could tell whilst you were transformed you were running on instinct, but were ultimately yourself rather than thinking things through as you normally would."
If that was his...'true' self or whatever... "Then Dr Adamson-"
Frankenstein sighed. "I don't know what Dr Adamson was doing or if you were being unduly stressed, but I assume he tipped your fight or flight response. If you thought you were under threat, you then took care of the problem."
Muzaka grimaced. That could explain it. He'd calmed down after killing until he was getting attacked by security. Muzaka didn't like being in the lab, but he didn't think it was that bad.
"Why'd I run to you though?" Sure, they needled each other, but Muzaka didn't think he hated Frankenstein to hunt him down. Unless he was going to...
"Why were you assigned to me?"
That was a different response than Muzaka expected. "Punishment for 'insubordination'." Frankenstein knew that. What did that have to do with this?
Frankenstein peered at him over his glasses. "I meant what are your orders?"
Oh. "Bodyguard." Babysitter. "Keep you safe." Stay out of the way of the others.
"So I assume you perceived a threat and then sought me out to check on me."
Muzaka stared at him. His orders couldn't be that ingrained in him. ...Could they?
"You were more concerned about protecting me than yourself when security eventually arrived."
...Oh. They really were.
Frankenstein hummed and then set his pen down. "I think it's time to check your bloods anyway."
"I thought you said you didn't fail, Boss," Muzaka said, flashing Frankenstein a grin. "Gettin' nervous?" Was Frankenstein actually uncertain?
Frankenstein glowered as he stood up. "I know what I did worked, but I want to see how you're recovering and if there are any other surprises."
"I didn't get a check up so soon with Dr Adamson." Muzaka had worked under Frankenstein for a while now, but it felt weird being an experiment for him.
Frankenstein snorted, his lip twisting as he headed for the door. "I am aware - that's precisely the problem and part of what caused your transformation in the first place."
Oh. That... Hm.
Muzaka followed him out.
* * *
Frankenstein's lab smelled different from the other labs. Cleaner? Less used? There still wasn't anyone else around.
Frankenstein waved towards a chair with arm rests and it didn't squeak when Muzaka sat on it.
"I assume you know what all these are for," Frankenstein said as he pulled instruments out of drawers and cupboards.
Muzaka nodded. Everything looked familiar so far. "Yeah. I could go through it all with my eyes closed." He didn't really have to do much - just get his arm manipulated around at most.
"I'd rather you not," Frankenstein said, his voice dry.
Talking to Frankenstein experiment to scientist was weird. Muzaka had never seen Frankenstein interacting with any - hm. Frankenstein wasn't involved in the direct trials, just the research side of it.
The velcro on the blood pressure cuff sounded louder than usual with nothing else in the room. There wasn't even a clock with the maddening ticking.
Muzaka exhaled when the cuff inflated, waiting for it to end. It'd be done in a couple of seconds.
Frankenstein frowned when the numbers eventually flashed up. When Frankenstein turned around and started typing on the computer next to him, Muzaka peeked at the results.
"They look normal?" What was wrong with it? It was within the range he usually had.
"Do you know what the average heart rate is for an Alpha?"
"No?" He didn't talk about his heart rates with other Alphas and a lot of them said the bare minimum about what happened in the labs. It was just...better that way.
"You seem to have forgotten you're enhanced," Frankenstein grumbled, bringing up a list of what looked like Muzaka's previous readings.
"If I'm enhanced, my heart's meant to be beatin' more?" Everything working stronger compared to non-enhanced people.
"No, that's not-" Frankenstein sighed, checking the monitor one more time before turning back to him. "With your training and enhancements, your heart rate should be lower because your body's circulatory system has become more efficient..." He paused, studying Muzaka's face and Muzaka was sure his expression had been blanking again. "Your heart rate should be much lower than this, and from the results my predecessor deigned to record, it would seem your high heart rate only happened in the labs."
All right? What did that mean?
Frankenstein was quiet for a couple seconds. "Would you prefer to do this in my office?"
"Nah." That would take too much time - Muzaka just wanted it all done with.
Frankenstein frowned.
He didn't like that? "Why in the office anyway?" All of Frankenstein's tools were here.
"I suspect, or wouldn't be surprised, if you had white coat syndrome."
Muzaka stared, a laugh bubbling out of his throat. "What's that?" It sounded like a conspiracy theory name!
"It means you have abnormal readings in a laboratory or around people wearing white lab coats, hence the name."
Muzaka stared at him. "Really? I'm not scared of white coats or needles."
"Hm." Frankenstein had a row of vials now in his tray. "If it's been going on this long, you could be used to it and think your reaction is normal. And you're trained not to react to your fear."
"I'm fine, Boss," Muzaka said as he took a steadying breath. "Just go about what you need to do and we can get out." Or Muzaka could - Frankenstein would stay for the results.
It was the rip of the needle being freed from its plastic wrapping that Muzaka felt his heartbeat jump.
Okay. He'd noticed it, but he had a reason to not like them. It wasn't an irrational fear. He could deal with it until the scientists were done and then he could leave again. It wouldn't take long. Frankenstein wouldn't take long.
The beep of the printer spitting out labels for the vials made Muzaka's heart jump again and all he could hear was that drone.
It would be over soon. He was fine.
Frankenstein wrapped the tourniquet around Muzaka's biceps, checking it was tight enough and then cleaned around the inside of Muzaka's elbow with some alcohol-soaked cotton ball.
Except it was taking longer than usual. The other scientists would do about two swipes and then they were done. Frankenstein was doing long, multiple sweeps, overlying areas that had already been touched.
It wasn't that Frankenstein was uncertain or out of practice. His actions were too deliberate.
Frankenstein glanced at him without moving his head, and then away again, still cleaning Muzaka's arm.
Weird. That wasn't how Frankenstein normally acted. It was only when - Muzaka stared at him. Frankenstein couldn't be doing something like that here? There were cameras!
A small smile grew on Frankenstein's lips as he traced the veins in Muzaka's arm with light touches. Now Muzaka's heartbeat was rising for a different reason as all his attention focused on where Frankenstein was touching him.
Fucking- Frankenstein was doing it on purpose.
Muzaka tried to find where the cameras were in - he hissed at the sharp prick at his elbow. When had Frankenstein picked up the needle?
"My apologies," Frankenstein said, watching the blood flow into the vial. "I should have warned you."
Liar. Frankenstein had done it while he wasn't looking.
Muzaka watched while Frankenstein reached for a second vial. This felt...different from other blood draws. Aside from the obvious, but Muzaka couldn't put his finger on why. Before, the scientists would be rushing through the draws and paying attention to the results once they got them - Muzaka was just the carrier of that information. With Frankenstein, all of his attention was on Muzaka. Even if Frankenstein was acting like it wasn't.
The first vial filled and Frankenstein replaced it with the second. As Frankenstein pulled his hand away though, it dipped down, grazing the inside of Muzaka's thigh, making Muzaka suck in a breath from surprise.
Barely a touch but from everything else Frankenstein had been doing, Muzaka could feel the wave of warmth spreading downwards.
"If yer trying to keep my heartbeat down, it's not working," Muzaka grumbled, still trying to find the tell-tale shape of the cameras. Frankenstein had to know where they were.
There. One right behind Frankenstein, so Frankenstein's body would hide what he was doing when he was turned towards Muzaka. So it would still look like a regular check up.
A low chuckle from Frankenstein, and then a quick smirk. "Oh, I'm not keeping track of that right now."
He wasn't?
"This," Frankenstein said as he rested his fingers on Muzaka's arm while he re-adjusted the needle, "is to keep you distracted." The blood flowed more easily and when Frankenstein let go, he trailed his fingers down Muzakas forearm. "And to start building more...hm, positive associations with a laboratory setting."
"It's fuckin' working," Muzaka muttered, shifting in his chair. He definitely would prefer Frankenstein's sessions over any of the other scientists!
Frankenstein hummed, removing the second vial. "That's all I need for now," he said as he took out the needle and placed a band-aid on the already closed wound.
"Nothing else?" That was it? Muzaka hadn't sounded too hopeful. He thought.
"I wouldn't want to do too much at once in case that stresses you out." A quick glance down Muzaka's body with a small smirk.
Muzaka would take Frankenstein's 'stress' any time.
But Frankenstein was right. Keeping his actual stress down would be needed if that was what set him off in the first place.
"Got it, Boss." Muzaka stood up from the chair. He didn't feel as bad as he normally did after a draw and he felt Frankenstein's eyes on him as he left the lab.
Now to go find something else to do...
Summary: Muzaka wanted to check in with Frankenstein about his decision.
Notes: Night Shift AU where Frankenstein is a scientist and Muzaka is an Alpha assigned to him.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: General
Word count: 2,292
Total word count: 9,543
Status: Work in progress
Muzaka sighed as he walked past familiar walls towards Frankenstein's office. He had to ask. Frankenstein didn't back down from anything once he'd made his decision but...he might have changed his mind with this one. Frankenstein already had so much on his plate, so adding Muzaka's lot with no handover would mean Frankenstein would have to work from scratch.
Muzaka grimaced. And the reason why there was no handover...
He paused outside the office, hesitating. He didn't feel any different, but that was what he had thought at the check up too. His perceptions could have changed.
There had been a couple of other physical changes too, but not a huge leap from before.
He still didn't remember anything. No deja vu, no dreams. Nothing. Like it had never happened.
Muzaka had seen the security tape though. What had happened. He'd been laying on the bed, saying something and then Dr Adamson had leaned over and injected something into his elbow. Standard.
What wasn't standard was the snarl that snapped across Muzaka's face and Muzaka's hand lashed up, tearing out Dr Adamson's throat in a smooth swipe.
A full body transformation, leaving Muzaka's clothes in tatters everywhere.
And then he'd headed for Frankenstein.
Except when Muzaka had barged through Frankenstein's door, they both walked out a few minutes later, Muzaka following like he'd been chastised into submission.
What the hell had happened there?
Muzaka could imagine Frankenstein not backing down from him, but why hadn't Muzaka attacked like he had with the other doctor?
Which was another reason why Muzaka was still staring at Frankenstein's office door. He had to find out.
He peeked in but at first glance the office looked exactly like it did the last time he'd been there. Frankenstein could afford getting everything fixed up though.
Frankenstein was there at his desk, head down as he wrote something.
"I thought you were off duty right now?"
Which meant Frankenstein knew it was him and wasn't acting any differently from usual. "I'm meant to be, yeah - I'm not that good at resting though." He couldn't sit around when he didn't know what could happen next; he'd needed information. "And I just wanted to double-check you hadn't changed your mind." Among other things.
Frankenstein paused his writing and lifted his head, an eyebrow arched. "About what?"
"About taking on my series. In case I lose it again."
Frankenstein huffed, half rolling his eyes. "I was able to fix the issues and I don't fail."
Well... Okay. Frankenstein was always confident about his work and everything in his life.
"You haven't changed back or shown signs of that happening again, have you?"
At the question, Muzaka exhaled slowly, glancing down at his hand. It looked human. That hadn't changed. "I didn't show any signs before I transformed either." It had happened out of nowhere.
"You did."
Muzaka looked across at Frankenstein's quiet words, and Frankenstein's lips were pursed, his fingers tight around his pen. "Huh?"
"There were multiple signs of stress and reactions documented before your reaction," Frankenstein said, scowling. "It shouldn't have been a surprise except everyone here has as many braincells as a goddamn worm!"
To Frankenstein maybe - the other scientists still talked circles around Muzaka when they tried to explain something to him.
"You weren't a danger anyway," Frankenstein said.
Uh. Video footage definitely disproved that. Did Frankenstein not know?
Frankenstein studied him. "I'm sure you have already talked to security?"
Muzaka nodded. "They couldn't give me much info." Just showed him the video feed. The scientists...hadn't wanted to stay around him. Unsurprisingly.
Frankenstein snorted, and finally set his pen down. "The standard serum enhances you - they enhance your natural capability, and while they can give you additional abilities, they don't change who you are. As far as I could tell whilst you were transformed you were running on instinct, but were ultimately yourself rather than thinking things through as you normally would."
If that was his...'true' self or whatever... "Then Dr Adamson-"
Frankenstein sighed. "I don't know what Dr Adamson was doing or if you were being unduly stressed, but I assume he tipped your fight or flight response. If you thought you were under threat, you then took care of the problem."
Muzaka grimaced. That could explain it. He'd calmed down after killing until he was getting attacked by security. Muzaka didn't like being in the lab, but he didn't think it was that bad.
"Why'd I run to you though?" Sure, they needled each other, but Muzaka didn't think he hated Frankenstein to hunt him down. Unless he was going to...
"Why were you assigned to me?"
That was a different response than Muzaka expected. "Punishment for 'insubordination'." Frankenstein knew that. What did that have to do with this?
Frankenstein peered at him over his glasses. "I meant what are your orders?"
Oh. "Bodyguard." Babysitter. "Keep you safe." Stay out of the way of the others.
"So I assume you perceived a threat and then sought me out to check on me."
Muzaka stared at him. His orders couldn't be that ingrained in him. ...Could they?
"You were more concerned about protecting me than yourself when security eventually arrived."
...Oh. They really were.
Frankenstein hummed and then set his pen down. "I think it's time to check your bloods anyway."
"I thought you said you didn't fail, Boss," Muzaka said, flashing Frankenstein a grin. "Gettin' nervous?" Was Frankenstein actually uncertain?
Frankenstein glowered as he stood up. "I know what I did worked, but I want to see how you're recovering and if there are any other surprises."
"I didn't get a check up so soon with Dr Adamson." Muzaka had worked under Frankenstein for a while now, but it felt weird being an experiment for him.
Frankenstein snorted, his lip twisting as he headed for the door. "I am aware - that's precisely the problem and part of what caused your transformation in the first place."
Oh. That... Hm.
Muzaka followed him out.
Frankenstein's lab smelled different from the other labs. Cleaner? Less used? There still wasn't anyone else around.
Frankenstein waved towards a chair with arm rests and it didn't squeak when Muzaka sat on it.
"I assume you know what all these are for," Frankenstein said as he pulled instruments out of drawers and cupboards.
Muzaka nodded. Everything looked familiar so far. "Yeah. I could go through it all with my eyes closed." He didn't really have to do much - just get his arm manipulated around at most.
"I'd rather you not," Frankenstein said, his voice dry.
Talking to Frankenstein experiment to scientist was weird. Muzaka had never seen Frankenstein interacting with any - hm. Frankenstein wasn't involved in the direct trials, just the research side of it.
The velcro on the blood pressure cuff sounded louder than usual with nothing else in the room. There wasn't even a clock with the maddening ticking.
Muzaka exhaled when the cuff inflated, waiting for it to end. It'd be done in a couple of seconds.
Frankenstein frowned when the numbers eventually flashed up. When Frankenstein turned around and started typing on the computer next to him, Muzaka peeked at the results.
"They look normal?" What was wrong with it? It was within the range he usually had.
"Do you know what the average heart rate is for an Alpha?"
"No?" He didn't talk about his heart rates with other Alphas and a lot of them said the bare minimum about what happened in the labs. It was just...better that way.
"You seem to have forgotten you're enhanced," Frankenstein grumbled, bringing up a list of what looked like Muzaka's previous readings.
"If I'm enhanced, my heart's meant to be beatin' more?" Everything working stronger compared to non-enhanced people.
"No, that's not-" Frankenstein sighed, checking the monitor one more time before turning back to him. "With your training and enhancements, your heart rate should be lower because your body's circulatory system has become more efficient..." He paused, studying Muzaka's face and Muzaka was sure his expression had been blanking again. "Your heart rate should be much lower than this, and from the results my predecessor deigned to record, it would seem your high heart rate only happened in the labs."
All right? What did that mean?
Frankenstein was quiet for a couple seconds. "Would you prefer to do this in my office?"
"Nah." That would take too much time - Muzaka just wanted it all done with.
Frankenstein frowned.
He didn't like that? "Why in the office anyway?" All of Frankenstein's tools were here.
"I suspect, or wouldn't be surprised, if you had white coat syndrome."
Muzaka stared, a laugh bubbling out of his throat. "What's that?" It sounded like a conspiracy theory name!
"It means you have abnormal readings in a laboratory or around people wearing white lab coats, hence the name."
Muzaka stared at him. "Really? I'm not scared of white coats or needles."
"Hm." Frankenstein had a row of vials now in his tray. "If it's been going on this long, you could be used to it and think your reaction is normal. And you're trained not to react to your fear."
"I'm fine, Boss," Muzaka said as he took a steadying breath. "Just go about what you need to do and we can get out." Or Muzaka could - Frankenstein would stay for the results.
It was the rip of the needle being freed from its plastic wrapping that Muzaka felt his heartbeat jump.
Okay. He'd noticed it, but he had a reason to not like them. It wasn't an irrational fear. He could deal with it until the scientists were done and then he could leave again. It wouldn't take long. Frankenstein wouldn't take long.
The beep of the printer spitting out labels for the vials made Muzaka's heart jump again and all he could hear was that drone.
It would be over soon. He was fine.
Frankenstein wrapped the tourniquet around Muzaka's biceps, checking it was tight enough and then cleaned around the inside of Muzaka's elbow with some alcohol-soaked cotton ball.
Except it was taking longer than usual. The other scientists would do about two swipes and then they were done. Frankenstein was doing long, multiple sweeps, overlying areas that had already been touched.
It wasn't that Frankenstein was uncertain or out of practice. His actions were too deliberate.
Frankenstein glanced at him without moving his head, and then away again, still cleaning Muzaka's arm.
Weird. That wasn't how Frankenstein normally acted. It was only when - Muzaka stared at him. Frankenstein couldn't be doing something like that here? There were cameras!
A small smile grew on Frankenstein's lips as he traced the veins in Muzaka's arm with light touches. Now Muzaka's heartbeat was rising for a different reason as all his attention focused on where Frankenstein was touching him.
Fucking- Frankenstein was doing it on purpose.
Muzaka tried to find where the cameras were in - he hissed at the sharp prick at his elbow. When had Frankenstein picked up the needle?
"My apologies," Frankenstein said, watching the blood flow into the vial. "I should have warned you."
Liar. Frankenstein had done it while he wasn't looking.
Muzaka watched while Frankenstein reached for a second vial. This felt...different from other blood draws. Aside from the obvious, but Muzaka couldn't put his finger on why. Before, the scientists would be rushing through the draws and paying attention to the results once they got them - Muzaka was just the carrier of that information. With Frankenstein, all of his attention was on Muzaka. Even if Frankenstein was acting like it wasn't.
The first vial filled and Frankenstein replaced it with the second. As Frankenstein pulled his hand away though, it dipped down, grazing the inside of Muzaka's thigh, making Muzaka suck in a breath from surprise.
Barely a touch but from everything else Frankenstein had been doing, Muzaka could feel the wave of warmth spreading downwards.
"If yer trying to keep my heartbeat down, it's not working," Muzaka grumbled, still trying to find the tell-tale shape of the cameras. Frankenstein had to know where they were.
There. One right behind Frankenstein, so Frankenstein's body would hide what he was doing when he was turned towards Muzaka. So it would still look like a regular check up.
A low chuckle from Frankenstein, and then a quick smirk. "Oh, I'm not keeping track of that right now."
He wasn't?
"This," Frankenstein said as he rested his fingers on Muzaka's arm while he re-adjusted the needle, "is to keep you distracted." The blood flowed more easily and when Frankenstein let go, he trailed his fingers down Muzakas forearm. "And to start building more...hm, positive associations with a laboratory setting."
"It's fuckin' working," Muzaka muttered, shifting in his chair. He definitely would prefer Frankenstein's sessions over any of the other scientists!
Frankenstein hummed, removing the second vial. "That's all I need for now," he said as he took out the needle and placed a band-aid on the already closed wound.
"Nothing else?" That was it? Muzaka hadn't sounded too hopeful. He thought.
"I wouldn't want to do too much at once in case that stresses you out." A quick glance down Muzaka's body with a small smirk.
Muzaka would take Frankenstein's 'stress' any time.
But Frankenstein was right. Keeping his actual stress down would be needed if that was what set him off in the first place.
"Got it, Boss." Muzaka stood up from the chair. He didn't feel as bad as he normally did after a draw and he felt Frankenstein's eyes on him as he left the lab.
Now to go find something else to do...