Takeo crept down the halls, his footsteps soft and light. No one was up this late, save for him. As the silence stretched on, he found himself slightly disturbed by the lack of noise. Everything around him stood out. The soft sounds of his feet hitting the ground, the light movement of the curtains: it all stood out to him. Even the faint sounds he could detect coming from outside the spacious house set him on edge.

No. He did not like the silence. The silence allowed his imagination to conjure up unwanted figmints of the night. The shadows reached out to form hideous beings that reminded him of an all too familiar nightmare.

He shook his head to rid himself of the disturbing thoughts. He was not here to be frightened. He just needed to...he didn't know what he needed to do, to be honest. But he couldn't retreat back to sleep. His dreams held no refuge for him.

He passed by several rooms, all with their doors closed. However, he paused momentarily when he caught sight of a faint light coming from Tao's room. He could hear nothing, but the blue glow signified the fact that someone was still awake.

He hesitated for just a minute. Cocking his head, he could hear nothing, which was unusual. Usually, when Tao was on his computer, everyone could hear the 'tap, tap, tap' as he typed on the keyboard. But right now, Takeo heard nothing. Had Tao fallen asleep with his computer still on? Just as quickly as the idea occurred to him, Takeo shook his head. Impossible! Tao always took care of his things and would never let his precious computer drain any battery when not in use.

With his hand on the doorknob, he opened the door to peek inside. He felt slightly, only slightly, guilty that he was intruding in on his companion, but he could not deny his concern. His eyes landed on the small figure on the bed. Tao seemed to be wide awake, but he was not typing. With his computer propped up on his lab, Tao just stared at the screen. His eyes were narrowed, as if he was having difficulty staying awake.

Takeo cleared his throat, keeping his voice low. "Tao." His voice was soft, so as not to elicit any kind of surprise on Tao. But judging from Tao's startled gasp, it had the opposite effect. Tao jerked back, his head swiveling up to look at Takeo with wide eyes. Blinking, Tao closed his computer. "Takeo?" He chuckled nervously as he set his computer down on the nightstand right next to him. "Why are you up? It's like, three in the morning."

"Exactly," Takeo said, stepping into the room. "It's late, and you should be sleeping."

Tao just grinned. "So should you."

Takeo hesitated. "Yeah, I know." He closed the bedroom door behind him with a soft 'click.' With a sigh, he leaned against the door, staring at the wall without really seeing it. "Just not tired," he muttered.

Tao glanced at him before looking down. Takeo could tell that Tao detected that there was something more to his cryptic answer, but even without any explanation, Tao knew what the true problem was. "Yeah. Me neither."

Silence reigned between them, but neither man moved. Takeo could feel his heavy eyelids threatening to close, but he really didn't want to fall asleep right now. If he did, something else would be waiting for him in his sleep, and he would rather not go through his nightmares again.

But he couldn't keep going like this. Already, he was feeling the lack of sleep take its toll on him. But with the Dark Spear...this wasn't sleep. It was just another waking moment for him to experience his worst fears.

He nodded in the direction of Tao's computer. "What are you working on?"

Tao looked momentarily dazed before glancing at his computer. He shrugged. "Just reading," he said. "I've already worked on all of the security systems for the house, and the school. That was all upgraded three days ago."

Takeo cracked a smile as Tao rambled on about his new tech and ideas. Technology was Tao's new toy, just as guns were Takeo's. "What are you reading?" he asked.

Tao paused. Then with a small shake of his head, he answered, "Anything I can find. Stories, news, information." He rubbed the back of his neck, and in that moment to Takeo, Tao looked so small and unfocused. "Anything that can...you know...keep me awake."

Takeo found himself nodding. "I...I understand," he said softly. Without elaborating on how he could possibly understand, he dwelled on his thoughts. They both yearnd for a distraction, for anything to distract them from the Dark Spear's cruel torment. Even if it meant staying up for as long as possible, they would do that to avoid the devilish weapon.

"Do you regret it?" Tao asked suddenly. "Taking on the Dark Spear?"

Takeo looked at him. "Do you?"

Tao shook his head. "No."

"Then neither do I." Takeo walked forward before sitting on the edge of the bed, which was probably not a good idea. A bed meant sleep, and sleep meant visiting those nightmares again.

Nightmares...of hurting Tao, of killing M21...the kids, Frankenstein and Raizel-

He squeezed his eyes shut, blocking out the horrid memories of his previous night-sleep. How could the Dark Spear use the same methods on him, and yet still evoke the same feeling of helpless terror? He knew the Dark Spear would be hard on him. He had accepted that when he had taken on its power, but he sometimes felt like he was reaching his limits. But, he would use the Dark Spear to protect everyone around him, and if this torment was a small price to pay, than so be it.

"Maybe we should talk to Boss," Tao started slowly. "I mean, talk to him about this," he clarified, gesturing to himself and Takeo. "He's lived through this longer than us. He's got to have some kind of trick that had him get through this."

A certain black-haired Noble came to mind. "Raizel," Takeo spoke up. "He had Raizel." He glanced at Tao with a small smile. "Just like we have each other, and the kids, and the household. But mostly, we have each other."

Tao blinked before smiling back. "Yeah," he agreed. "We have each other, always." He yawned suddenly, covering his mouth with his hand. "Man, I'm tired," he groaned.

Takeo nodded in agreement, fighting back against his own yawn. It was a losing battle. "Me too," he agreed. But he didn't want to go to sleep. He would be helpless to the Dark Spear's influence, and without even asking, he knew Tao felt the same way as well.

The sound of the door opening caught their attentions, and they both looked up to see M21 enter the room. In his hands were two mugs, and Takeo could detect a smell of cinnamon and different spices coming from the mugs. An uncharacteristically small smile was on the werewolf's face as he regarded his companions. Without another word, he held up the two steaming mugs he was carrying. "Here guys," he said, handing a cup to Takeo. "You might need this."

Tao stared at the mug he was also given, sniffing it. Instantly, his eyes lit up with interest. "What's in it?"

M21 shrugged. "It's warm milk with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a bit of sugar with a splash of vanilla."

Takeo raised an eyebrow, surprised. M21's thoughtfulness really struck him, and he was speechless that someone went out of their way to prepare something nice for them. His surprise turned to slight suspicion. "Is this to make us go to sleep?"

M21 fixed Takeo with a knowing look. "It's to make you guys comfortable." He rubbed the back of his neck, a sudden look of nervousness overcoming him. "I...I didn't taste it, so I don't know if it's good or-"

"Yum!" Tao exclaimed suddenly. Takeo glanced over to see Tao already sipping his drink, a milk mustache around his mouth. "This is good!"

Takeo sniffed his mug before blowing at the steam. Taking a sip, he was overcome with the warm taste of the milk and many delicious spices that accompanied the liquid. He couldn't help but hum with pleasure, closing his eyes. His entire body relaxed as he was filled with warmth, and it was not just from the drink. The thought that someone had even attempted to make such a thoughtful thing for him also filled him with a comforting warmth.

M21 looked relieved at their reactions. "I take it that it's good?"

Tao nodded happily. "Very. Thanks!"

"Yes, thank you," Takeo said softly after taking another, much larger sip. But, there was one lingering question on his mind. "How did you know?" It was too late for M21 to be up and preparing dessert drinks for them.

A look of understanding came over M21. "Because...I may not know exactly what you are experiencing with the Dark Spear, but I don't want to leave you guys alone to it." He clenched his fists. "I can attack the enemy on the battlefield, and do something to save you guys. But I can't save you from Dark Spear." His eyes shone helplessly as he gazed at them. "I can't save you from yourselves."

Takeo stared down at his mug, his grip tightening around the glass object. "No," he said quietly. "You can't." He looked up at M21 with reassurance. "But...you came for us. That is all we need."

M21 said nothing. In those grey eyes, Takeo knew that he was trying to assess how else he could help them, how else he could lessen the burden for them. They all took on dangerous powers to keep eachother safe. Harming themselves for the safety of others was just fine with them, but when one companion fell, they would move heaven and earth to see to it that they got back up. They were strong as a team, because they yearned to protect each other.

"M21," Tao said suddenly, his voice shaking a little. "Will you stay with us?" He grinned. "We could have a puppy pile!"

M21 rolled his eyes, the corners of his mouth tugging into a smile. In two steps, he was at the edge of the bed and tugging on the blankets. "Scoot over," he said.

Tao's smile couldn't have been wider as he made room for M21. Glancing at Takeo, he pat the other side of the bed. "C'mon Takeo! There's room here for you too!"

Takeo hesitated. "I really should be heading back to my own room."

Tao held out his mug. "I haven't finished my drink yet, and neither have you."

Takeo frowned thoughtfully. "That's true," he started slowly. Than, with a shake of his head, he carefully crawled over. "Alright. Just for a little bit." If there wasn't any need for silence, Tao would have cheered. Soon, Tao found himself in the middle with Takeo resting on his right and M21 on his left. He was glad that Frankenstein had purchased king sized beds for them; it wasn't that crowded with the extra space. Pretty soon, they were all under the covers and pressed up against each other.

Surrounded by the warmth of his companions, Takeo felt secure. Taking another sip from his spiced drink, he closed his eyes as he allowed himself to relax. So what if his nightmares continued to haunt him? Every waking moment he spent always brought him such hope and comfort. The nightmares may be terrifying, but they never lasted, and they were never real. This...this very moment was real, and it was to be cherished.

Frankenstein did not allow himself to grow worried, but he could do nothing about the slight anxiety building up inside of him. His trio of humans were not awake and in the kitchen, and they were supposed to leave for the school in ten minutes. Normally, everyone was so punctual and responsible. But today was highly unusual. It had crossed his mind that everyone had possibly overslept, but that would not explain M21's and Takeo's absence in their rooms.

He quietly opened the door to Tao's room, not expecting to find anything different. But, he was caught by surprise, and he had to withhold a startled gasp. There, in the bed, were his three missing humans. Tao seemed to be contently squished in the middle, snuggling up to M21's side. Takeo had his arms wrapped around Tao, as if he was hugging a large body pillow. Soft snores escaped M21's mouth, and his one foot was sticking out from under the covers. It seemed as if M21 had claimed all of the blankets that were on the bed.

Frankenstein smiled knowingly when he caught sight of two empty mugs on the nightstand near the bed. Quietly, he closed the door and tiptoed back to the kitchen.

He would give those three a sick day at work. They deserved the small vacation, and he saw no need to wake them.