Signal [Version 2]
Apr. 24th, 2016 03:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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.
Contains: Character death
Notes: Semi-standard disclaimer of I haven't watched the OVA so details and Ashleen's characterisations are my own.
This was the first version of what I thought would happen when I saw the prompt, buuut since it didn't fit the full prompt I didn't post it first.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: General
Word count: 1,034
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-
The world tilted.
All the air whooshed out of M-21's lungs when he hit the ground. What-? The strength in his legs had disappeared and he could feel the weakness spreading up his body.
He heard the concerned cries of the other two before his vision was filled with their faces.
His heart wasn't beating.
M-21 sucked in a breath, but that didn't help. That wasn't where the problem was! Why had his heart failed now?
Muzaka and the kid's words still didn't make sense but M-21 watched Muzaka's nostrils flare, and then the ex-werewolf Lord glanced at the kid.
...That was it. What M-21 had noticed but hadn't pieced together. He could, now that Muzaka was this close.
The kid smelled of a mix of Muzaka and himself.
It didn't make a shred of fucking sense (and it was so hard to think as his vision brightened, his ears buzzing) but by saving the kid he'd-
_________________________________
Even if M-21 doesn't have Ashleen's heart, it's probably because Muzaka disappeared that the Union was able to get their hands on a werewolf heart.
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.
Contains: Character death
Notes: Semi-standard disclaimer of I haven't watched the OVA so details and Ashleen's characterisations are my own.
This was the first version of what I thought would happen when I saw the prompt, buuut since it didn't fit the full prompt I didn't post it first.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: General
Word count: 1,034
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-
The world tilted.
All the air whooshed out of M-21's lungs when he hit the ground. What-? The strength in his legs had disappeared and he could feel the weakness spreading up his body.
He heard the concerned cries of the other two before his vision was filled with their faces.
His heart wasn't beating.
M-21 sucked in a breath, but that didn't help. That wasn't where the problem was! Why had his heart failed now?
Muzaka and the kid's words still didn't make sense but M-21 watched Muzaka's nostrils flare, and then the ex-werewolf Lord glanced at the kid.
...That was it. What M-21 had noticed but hadn't pieced together. He could, now that Muzaka was this close.
The kid smelled of a mix of Muzaka and himself.
It didn't make a shred of fucking sense (and it was so hard to think as his vision brightened, his ears buzzing) but by saving the kid he'd-
Even if M-21 doesn't have Ashleen's heart, it's probably because Muzaka disappeared that the Union was able to get their hands on a werewolf heart.