SURPRISE!! Another USUK! : Veins and Wires

Reveal

"Arthur?"

Said Briton looked up from the pictures on his phone at the Frenchman in his doorway. "Yes?" He leaned back and turned off the device.

Francis sighed and stepped into the room. "You know, you can't stay holed up in here. You've been in here for a month and have hardly come out."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Don't tell me what I can or cannot do, Bonnefoy. Tell me what you need to tell me and leave."

Sighing, Francis sat beside the easily angered Brit. "Gilbert needs to see the both of us." Arthur furrowed his brow and tilted his head. "I don't know why, he said it's a surprise. He seemed a little unsure, but he really wants us there." Francis raised a hand. "He especially wanted you there. I think it's that project he's been working on for the past month."

Arthur blinked, then sighed himself. "Alright. Go on ahead. I'm going to get cleaned up. Meet you at Gilbert's lab." He slid out of the bed and shooed out the long-haired blonde. "Go flirt with some poor, unsuspecting agent."

~

"I'm sorry it took so long!" Arthur hurried up to Francis in front of the door to the Tech Lab where he could hear Gilbert working inside. "I got lost in my thoughts."

Francis chuckled and ruffled the shorter man's hair. Arthur whined in protest and swatted Francis hand away before the doors swung open, Gilbert grinning ear-to-ear with his large, black goggles on, oil smudged on his face and hands.

"There you are! The awesome me was beginning to worry!" He put a hand on his hip and pushed up his goggles so they rested on his forehead. "I'm glad you could come, though. If you're wondering, it is that project that I've been working on to save my job for the past month." Gilbert ushered the two in, shutting the door behind them. "I only have an hour until I gotta show General Vargas, Fernandez and mein bruder my new tech. It's advanced, strong, fast, and no one will even notice it because it looks completely normal!"

Gilbert dug into his pile of papers tossed all over his desk in the corner of his work shop where his office was separated from the equipment. He pulled out a file and rushed over. "It's a cyborg. However, he's mostly human."

The albino man handed the file over excitedly. Francis took it and Arthur quirked a large brow. "'Project A.F.J.'? What's that stand for?" Arthur looked up at Gilbert as Francis went through the papers, reading over Gilbert's notes.

Fidgeting with his coat, Gilbert dropped his shoulders. "You'll see. It's over in that room." Gilbert pointed to a shut door next to his office. He shrugged off his white coat and gun it on the corner of the table. "Let me call for him."

Arthur titled his head. "Call him?" He echoed, looking over to the door. "Does he think more human or robot?"

Gilbert shrugged. "A bit of both. I'm working on the human bit since he forgot how to be human, but he responds humanly. He doesn't speak like you'd think a robot would and he doesn't move like one neither. But he is kinda emotionless. Okay, Agent-"

Gilbert began to call out for his project, but was cut off by Francis. "Holy shit! He can carry a fucking 5 ton truck with only one hand for thirty minutes without breaking a sweat!? What the hell do you do to this dude, Gil!?"

The Prussian snickered. "Read and it'll say. But put that down and let me introduce you to your new partner. Well, kinda new."

Before Arthur could question him, Gilbert shouted out. "Agent 304-4! Report to Dr. Beilshmidt!"

Francis and Arthur both turned their heads in anticipation as small sounds came from behind the only shut door in the tech laboratory, Arthur waving off the familiarity of the number. Arthur gasped and reeled back in shock as the door opened.

Then man stood straight and tall as he smoothly made his way over to the trio. He stopped a full meter in front of Gilbert, stood stiff and gave a proud salute. "Agent 304-4, reporting to Dr. Beilshmidt. What is it I am being requested for?"

Both Arthur and Francis couldn't move as they stared, disbelieving at the being standing before them.

Gilbert gulped, forcing himself to not look at the two beside him. "There is someone I would like you to meet. You've read their files, so introduce yourself."

The cyborg turned to the shocked duo and studied them for a split second before speaking. "Agent Kirkland, number 509-2. Agent Bonnefoy, number 196-7. I am Agent Jones, number 304-4. I will be working with you on some missions where it is required and if I am esteemed as advanced technology enough to work."

Arthur felt himself tremble and he took a step closer. He reached up and brushed his fingertips over the man's cheek. "Oh, God..." He gasped, bringing his arm back to his chest. He turned to Gilbert. "What..." Tears began to fill his eyes.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!"

"Arthur, please calm down-"

The Brit angrily shoved the French man away from himself as tears immediately started pouring from his dull, emerald eyes. "What the hell, Beilshimdt!? What the hell did you do!?"

The red-eyed man raised his hands in an attempt to calm the shaken male. "Please, Arthur, you have to listen to me. I had to do this! If I didn't-"

"I don't give a damn about your job!" Arthur shrieked, throwing the nearest object, which happened to be a wrench. "How could you do this!? Why would you do this to me? To him!? I thought you were his friend!"

Gilbert's red eyes widened. "I was! I am! That's why I did it! Because I owed him and we were friends!"

Arthur screamed, pulling at his hair. "So you took him apart and sewed him back together with bolts and wires!? That's how you treat a friend? That's how you repay someone?"

He reached for something else to throw, but was stopped by a warm, gentle hand. Arthur's head snapped up, watery eyes wide.

Blue eyes looked emotionlessly down at Arthur. Sobs tumbled through Arthur's lips as he trembled. Francis hurried over and gathered the small male into his arms. "Come on, dear Arthur. We must get you out of here." Francis lead Arthur out, keeping the Brit's head down so he wouldn't look.

Arthur shook his head. "That's not him... That is not truly him..." Arthur clung to Francis, drenching the older male's shirt. "That's not my Alfred."

Francis made sure the door shut behind the both of them and refused to let Arthur look back. "I'm so sorry, Arthur... If I had known, I wouldn't have told you to come, no matter how Gilbert begged me to do so."

~

Gilbert sighed, collapsing in his office chair; the only thing in his office that wasn't drowning in unorganized papers. He didn't look up as heavy footsteps stopped in the doorway of his office.

"Did they see me as a failure?" The monotonous voice asked.

"No," Gilbert muttered, tearing the goggles off his head and tossing them. "They were just upset."

Alfred tilted his head in just the slightest, his wheaten hair brushing over his cheek and revealing his blue eyes. "Why would they be upset? Am I not good enough? Will I be unable to help properly? Agent Kirkland seemed indescribably angry and sad."

The tech man chuckled. "That's dear ol' Arthur for ya. But you'll work just fine, Alfred. I hope he can understand, though. I don't want him to be pissed off at me the rest of our lives." He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "This past month, I've been having trouble deciding if this was a good or bad idea. Right now, it's a great big mess of both."