Taken || Lego Monkei Kid

Short Distance

Red Son had planned this for months. Prepared what he would say and how he would go about it. Every precaution, every eventuality- everything.

What he hadn't prepared for, was a kiss.

Small, innocent, right on his cheek. Even now it lingered, drawing his focus to it and distracting him from his work. His fingers absentmindedly brushed against it for the hundredth time, bringing a joyful grin to his face.

He didn't expect a thank you- He didn't need it to have the desire to get Xiaotian out of the situation.

But this- this had been a pleasant reward.

As much as he would love to linger on this sensation, he pushed it down. He couldn't be smiling like some dope when he "discovered that Xiaotian was missing". He had to be careful in his own personal reactions.

He sat hunched over his workbench, tools scattered in front of him. As he adjusted a small knob on one of his machines, his gaze flicked to the camera mounted in the corner of the room, making sure it was still recording. He narrowed his eyes before returning to his work.

The pungent stench of grease and oil coated his skin, becoming a permanent part of him, seeping into his being and consuming his waking breath

His father's army of machines stood proudly behind him, their metallic frames glinting in the dim light. The constant hum of gears and the occasional sputter of steam filled his days as he tirelessly tuned and patched up any glitches in their designs. He was the mechanic, the one responsible for keeping their powerful creations running smoothly. It was a never-ending task, but one he took great pride in as he carried on his family name.

This was his army as much as it was intended as a gift for his Father and Mother. The efficiency of the domain had increased 10 fold since their introduction into the ranks. It was an adjustment at first, but they seemed to fill their role with little trouble.

Such efficiency almost made everything peaceful... quiet. Too quiet.

Everything was still, here in the Bull domain. So "caught up" in his work he didn't notice, but he could tell something had shifted. He could see it in how his Father would glance at him during dinner, or how his Mother took the time to visit his workshop a few times too many during the day.

Something was wrong, and he already knew what it was.

His parents had not mentioned it to him, so he had to pretend he was unaware. He was certain that news of Xiaotian's disappearance was spreading quickly. But as he spent most of his time in his workshop, tinkering with designs and making improvements, he could easily play ignorant to the situation.

So he played his role accordingly.

Over dinner, he raved about the project and all of the new features he was adding. It was effortless to feign ignorance when discussing these topics with his parents; after all, he genuinely enjoyed talking about them. However, their subtle nods and restrained reactions were a clear indication that they were holding back a concern in their mind.

It was clear to him that they were already aware of Xiaotian's situation. They were either anxious to tell him, or gauging him for any sign of a slip up from him.

As he expected, his parents didn't come to him right away when they heard about Xiaotian's disappearance. He knew they wouldn't, but a small part of him was offended by their lack of urgency. If Xiaotian had truly gone missing without his knowledge, he would expect to be the first person notified.

However, having already settled XiaoXiao at the hidden apartment, all he had to do was be in his workshop as normal. Pretend he never left and was just working away on projects.