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esp_dragonFandom: Noblesse
Summary: M-21's been dumped into the middle of nowhere; all he's got to do is get home before the others start worrying he's died.
Notes: Semi-standard disclaimer of I haven't watched the OVA so details and Ashleen's characterisations are my own.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: General
Word count: 1,095
Status: Complete
M-21 frowned, staring at his phone screen. No signal? Which meant either his phone was broken or he was being jammed, and since he'd just bought it last week and Tao had reinforced it, M-21 knew which option was more likely.
Or he'd been kidnapped and dumped somewhere.
And he had no fucking idea where. He wasn't in the city — he was surrounded by trees with no buildings in sight. Jumping up to the top of a tree showed a forest stretching out in all directions.
But why had they just dumped him instead of killing him?
…Maybe they had.
He ran his fingers down his shirt, but didn't find any holes or blood. His neck wasn't bruised either, but his enhanced healing would have taken care of it already. Same with if he'd been poisoned.
He looked around one more time. He couldn't hear any cameras or helicopters so he could have some hope he wasn't in some sick game the Union had made for their amusement.
He should get moving anyway. The others would be worrying with him out of contact. He shoved his phone in his pocket, picked a direction and started running.
It didn't take him long to reach the edge of the forest –
What.
In the grassy plain in front of him was a group of people wearing armour on horses. They'd surrounded-
M-21 narrowed his eyes and lifted his lip.
There was a young kid in the middle of them, clutching a rod as the riders advanced.
He glanced around but there wasn't anyone filming what was going on. It wasn't an act.
Shit, he couldn't transform here but – He scooped up a rock and threw it at the 'knights' or whatever the fuck they were.
The stone hit metal with a satisfying 'clang'.
"Hey!" he roared, running at them. The knights' heads snapped to him, and they raised their swords at him. He snorted. Even if they were fast enough to hit him, they didn't have the strength to do permanent damage.
The kid dashed in the opposite direction, making the knights shout amongst themselves.
M-21 didn't recognise what they were saying, but that didn't matter. What mattered was one of them had drawn a fucking bow and notched an arrow, aiming at the kid.
He reached the horses and transformed, power exploding in him as he swallowed the urge to howl at the top of his lungs.
The horses shrieked like he hoped they would, sensing a predator among them.
M-21 transformed back as the horses bolted, their riders yelling.
He patted his shirt — it was still in one piece so it would have looked like the wind had spooked the horses.
They would be back soon though so M-21 turned, trying to find the kid. They couldn't have gotten far, but they were gone.
M-21 frowned and started jogging in the last directed he'd seen them, sweeping his gaze left and right. He could smell them, their scent tinged with fear. There was something about the scent that was familiar but he couldn't place where. He'd never met them before, he knew that.
There was a large rock outcropping and M-21 eyed it. It was large enough to hide someone from a certain angle.
And he could hear someone trying to calm their breathing close by.
He sighed. He didn't want to startle the kid, but if he didn't hurry-
A stone tumbled down next to him.
Sh-! M-21 whirled around, just in time for the kid's shadow to fall across his face. He caught them by the waist before they landed on him.
He couldn't stop them cracking the rod over his skull.
"I'm not trying to hurt you, kid!" he said as they raised their rod again. It hadn’t hurt, but he didn't want to have a conversation
The kid froze, their eyes wide.
…Shit, he'd defaulted to Korean. The language the knights had spoken hadn't been familiar to him, so it was probably the same in reverse.
He set them down and they didn't run away again. They stared at his hair and his scar instead.
It was something he was used to, at least.
"We need to leave," M-21 said, putting a hand on their shoulder to guide them away. It should be enough to be understandable.
The kid looked past him and brightened, their entire body relaxing. They'd seen someone they knew? M-21 glanced over his shoulder. He hadn't heard anyone-
A snarl ripped past his lips and M-21 planted himself between the kid and Muzaka.
He didn't have enough strength to fight against the ex-werewolf Lord, but he could buy the kid a few seconds to get away.
The kid yelled someone and then jumped on his back.
"Kid!" He wouldn't be able to-!
M-21 snapped his attention at a snort and Muzaka was still standing there, an amused smile curling his lips and one of his eyebrows arched.
Muzaka said something in the same language M-21 had been hearing everyone else talk in.
"I don't…understand you…?" What was going on? Why was Muzaka here and why wasn't he killing him or the kid?
The kid said something else, and whatever it was, it made Muzaka study him more.
That-
M-21 fell out of a tree.
His back slammed onto some roots, but at worst they would only bruise him for a few seconds.
He shook his head as he got back to his feet, dusting himself off. So it had been a dream. That made sense.
But what was he doing sleeping in a tree in the park?
His stomach was still uneasy from the remnants of the dream as he pulled out his phone. It hadn't broken during his fall and it had a signal.
And he was going to be late for dinner if he didn't move.
He took to the rooftops to get there faster, but the unsettled feeling didn't face. He couldn't place why.
He landed close to home and walked the rest of the way back.
He exhaled as he pulled out his keys and-
M-21 glanced down, trying again.
His keys didn't fit.
What…?
He was at the right house but…
M-21 pursed his lips and went around to the living room window as he called Tao. Frankenstein could be downstairs without-
The lights were out and there was nothing inside. Empty. Like no-one had lived there. Even the small scratches from the furniture weren't there.
"The number you dialled has been changed, disconnected, or is no longer in service."
What the fuck?
_________________________________
Written for the anon who asked for, 'I wish you would write a fic where M-21 accidentally travels back in time, somehow ends up saving Ashleen (with no idea who she is), and goes back in time only to be completely confused at how everything has changed.'
So I planned this out and started writing, then realised they probably shouldn't be able to speak the same language, no matter how Muzaka seems to be fine in the modern times.
I've an alternate ending to this; still musing how to post it, or if I should just post the whole thing with the different ending rather than just the ending.
Summary: M-21's been dumped into the middle of nowhere; all he's got to do is get home before the others start worrying he's died.
Notes: Semi-standard disclaimer of I haven't watched the OVA so details and Ashleen's characterisations are my own.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: General
Word count: 1,095
Status: Complete
M-21 frowned, staring at his phone screen. No signal? Which meant either his phone was broken or he was being jammed, and since he'd just bought it last week and Tao had reinforced it, M-21 knew which option was more likely.
Or he'd been kidnapped and dumped somewhere.
And he had no fucking idea where. He wasn't in the city — he was surrounded by trees with no buildings in sight. Jumping up to the top of a tree showed a forest stretching out in all directions.
But why had they just dumped him instead of killing him?
…Maybe they had.
He ran his fingers down his shirt, but didn't find any holes or blood. His neck wasn't bruised either, but his enhanced healing would have taken care of it already. Same with if he'd been poisoned.
He looked around one more time. He couldn't hear any cameras or helicopters so he could have some hope he wasn't in some sick game the Union had made for their amusement.
He should get moving anyway. The others would be worrying with him out of contact. He shoved his phone in his pocket, picked a direction and started running.
It didn't take him long to reach the edge of the forest –
What.
In the grassy plain in front of him was a group of people wearing armour on horses. They'd surrounded-
M-21 narrowed his eyes and lifted his lip.
There was a young kid in the middle of them, clutching a rod as the riders advanced.
He glanced around but there wasn't anyone filming what was going on. It wasn't an act.
Shit, he couldn't transform here but – He scooped up a rock and threw it at the 'knights' or whatever the fuck they were.
The stone hit metal with a satisfying 'clang'.
"Hey!" he roared, running at them. The knights' heads snapped to him, and they raised their swords at him. He snorted. Even if they were fast enough to hit him, they didn't have the strength to do permanent damage.
The kid dashed in the opposite direction, making the knights shout amongst themselves.
M-21 didn't recognise what they were saying, but that didn't matter. What mattered was one of them had drawn a fucking bow and notched an arrow, aiming at the kid.
He reached the horses and transformed, power exploding in him as he swallowed the urge to howl at the top of his lungs.
The horses shrieked like he hoped they would, sensing a predator among them.
M-21 transformed back as the horses bolted, their riders yelling.
He patted his shirt — it was still in one piece so it would have looked like the wind had spooked the horses.
They would be back soon though so M-21 turned, trying to find the kid. They couldn't have gotten far, but they were gone.
M-21 frowned and started jogging in the last directed he'd seen them, sweeping his gaze left and right. He could smell them, their scent tinged with fear. There was something about the scent that was familiar but he couldn't place where. He'd never met them before, he knew that.
There was a large rock outcropping and M-21 eyed it. It was large enough to hide someone from a certain angle.
And he could hear someone trying to calm their breathing close by.
He sighed. He didn't want to startle the kid, but if he didn't hurry-
A stone tumbled down next to him.
Sh-! M-21 whirled around, just in time for the kid's shadow to fall across his face. He caught them by the waist before they landed on him.
He couldn't stop them cracking the rod over his skull.
"I'm not trying to hurt you, kid!" he said as they raised their rod again. It hadn’t hurt, but he didn't want to have a conversation
The kid froze, their eyes wide.
…Shit, he'd defaulted to Korean. The language the knights had spoken hadn't been familiar to him, so it was probably the same in reverse.
He set them down and they didn't run away again. They stared at his hair and his scar instead.
It was something he was used to, at least.
"We need to leave," M-21 said, putting a hand on their shoulder to guide them away. It should be enough to be understandable.
The kid looked past him and brightened, their entire body relaxing. They'd seen someone they knew? M-21 glanced over his shoulder. He hadn't heard anyone-
A snarl ripped past his lips and M-21 planted himself between the kid and Muzaka.
He didn't have enough strength to fight against the ex-werewolf Lord, but he could buy the kid a few seconds to get away.
The kid yelled someone and then jumped on his back.
"Kid!" He wouldn't be able to-!
M-21 snapped his attention at a snort and Muzaka was still standing there, an amused smile curling his lips and one of his eyebrows arched.
Muzaka said something in the same language M-21 had been hearing everyone else talk in.
"I don't…understand you…?" What was going on? Why was Muzaka here and why wasn't he killing him or the kid?
The kid said something else, and whatever it was, it made Muzaka study him more.
That-
M-21 fell out of a tree.
His back slammed onto some roots, but at worst they would only bruise him for a few seconds.
He shook his head as he got back to his feet, dusting himself off. So it had been a dream. That made sense.
But what was he doing sleeping in a tree in the park?
His stomach was still uneasy from the remnants of the dream as he pulled out his phone. It hadn't broken during his fall and it had a signal.
And he was going to be late for dinner if he didn't move.
He took to the rooftops to get there faster, but the unsettled feeling didn't face. He couldn't place why.
He landed close to home and walked the rest of the way back.
He exhaled as he pulled out his keys and-
M-21 glanced down, trying again.
His keys didn't fit.
What…?
He was at the right house but…
M-21 pursed his lips and went around to the living room window as he called Tao. Frankenstein could be downstairs without-
The lights were out and there was nothing inside. Empty. Like no-one had lived there. Even the small scratches from the furniture weren't there.
"The number you dialled has been changed, disconnected, or is no longer in service."
What the fuck?
Written for the anon who asked for, 'I wish you would write a fic where M-21 accidentally travels back in time, somehow ends up saving Ashleen (with no idea who she is), and goes back in time only to be completely confused at how everything has changed.'
So I planned this out and started writing, then realised they probably shouldn't be able to speak the same language, no matter how Muzaka seems to be fine in the modern times.
I've an alternate ending to this; still musing how to post it, or if I should just post the whole thing with the different ending rather than just the ending.