Summary: There is a rather obvious problem when your clothes are destroyed after every major fight…

Contains swearing.

Set after chapter 90.

Spawned by Darlingfox.

Saving

By Dark Ice Dragon

M-21 followed Frankenstein and Rai into their house, his eyes never keeping still. Enclosed entranceway, but an open room after it. Decently-sized windows – good if he needed a quick escape.

They continued walking, through the set of doors on the other side of the room; there was a long corridor lined with more doors.

He paused when Rai went left into one of the rooms while Frankenstein didn't stop. After five steps, Frankenstein turned around, smiling. It was less threatening than what he'd seen Frankenstein show before. "You're going to need a new shirt, aren't you?"

"…Yes," M-21 said quietly, eyeing him. He didn't have any spares left; Frankenstein had shredded his last one and M-21 hadn't been able to buy any more before his fight with the infected.

Frankenstein hummed before leading him to another room. This one was obviously a bedroom, everything neat and tidy; it was also the biggest bedroom M-21 had ever seen. Frankenstein headed with purpose to another other door and M-21 cautiously shadowed him.

Behind the door…was a cupboard the same size as the bedroom. Row upon row of clothes hung there, shoes put up display on shelves, and there were even more cupboards inside – M-21 wasn't sure if there would be more clothes there, or if they would lead to another, even bigger, room.

After only rummaging in a drawer for a few seconds, Frankenstein brought him a folded black top folded in his arms. M-21 carefully took it from him and pulled it on.

"Now then, we had better discuss what happened in the dining room."

Feeling slightly better, less self-conscious, he and Frankenstein left the room.

xOx

Shit. M-21 stared down at himself, the wrinkles and stains on his top. He'd already been wearing the top for a few days now and it was obviously in need of a clean.

But…he still didn't have any spare clothes – it was kind of hard to when he had no money on him, and the only access to money he had was from the Union. M-21 didn't want to steal one; he couldn't leave and hide as well as he could before – not if he intended to stay with Frankenstein and Rai. Especially now that he had a job where people could recognise him.

On the other hand, he did know where he could get another top in the house.

M-21 stole downstairs, listening out for the other occupants. Rai was in the dining room, Frankenstein in the kitchen, and Regis and Seira had already left some time ago to investigate whatever they were investigating.

The door to the bedroom swung open without a sound, and the cupboard was exactly where M-21 remembered it.

Hmm. M-21 went to the same drawer Frankenstein had originally gone to; if the black top from there had been okay to use, then the others should also be all right.

The first top M-21 saw was a black and white striped one; so long as it fitted him, M-21 didn't care what it looked like, so he took it.

xOx

Frankenstein frowned at his drawer, seeing that M-21 had been rummaging through it again. This was the fourth time in under two weeks; why wasn't he using his own money to buy new clothes?

He'd told him about his salary, hadn't he…?