The warm light gently cast the dusty basement of books in cascades of yellow and white, lighting up the bookcases in a neutral shade of mahagony brown. The boy peeked his head over the stack of books that were currently resting in his hands, completely blocking his vision of the eccentric professor that sat before him.

He could just barely cath a hint of a brown lab-coat before the stack of books in his hands began to wobble.

"Gotcha!" Came the quick response of Professor Korr. The weight was lifted from his hands and immediately sat down onto the smooth, wooden table in front of him. Professor Korr skipped back to his pens and papers, leaving him to stand there in confusion once more. What was he supposed to do now? And why in the world was he called down here in the first place?

Just when he thought the man couldn't get any more strange, he was surprised yet again. Professor Korr had a whole library in his basement, neatly hidden from the world. Apparently, it was the mans 'save haven.'

Safe from what? He's in the middle of nowhere.

He took a discreet glance at the professors work, watching in interest as his hands deftly flew across a sheet of paper, handling it with the exact precision he could handle a weapon with.

Gracefully, speedy, efficient, neat. Clumsily, rough, desperately, hasty.

What opposites they were.

"Why not sit down? I know you're watching me work," the professor questioned, making him startle. Guess he wasn't as discreet as he thought. He hesitantly shuffled into an uncomfortable oak chair next to the professor, watching unabashedly as the professor's hands increased in speed. If he was caught, he might as well watch. The man switched out his pen for a pencil, and began dilligently staring at an illustration in his text book. It was of an abnormally large mouse, with green ears and the most horrifying fangs he's ever seen.

That damn mouse.

The memories came back to him in waves. The pain. The anger. The confusion.

The emotions cancelled out.
He was left with curiousity.

There were a few words above the picture. He couldn't read very well, but he had to try. Maybe it was part of an invasive species in the city that the Mask Force were trying to get rid of.

Hah. I wish.

"It's a gruesome sight, is it not? Her name's Lifsil," came the professors voice.

Her?

"Her? It's not a species of mouse?" he questioned.

The professor scrunched up his nose. "Hah! If that were true, we'd all be dead!" he crowed, "this is what I study. The parasites of True Masks throughout history, and how new True Masks manifest." he said with pride, his eyes a vibrant shade of green underneath the dull yellow light.

"That's how i help the Mask Force. I localize the areas in which the familiars might choose a new host, and send the information off to them."

Parasite?

"So, this mouse is a...parasite?" He asked clumsily, pointing to the drawing. The professor eagerly nodded, happy that he was understanding.

"Yes. My job is to track them down."

"Why do they need to be tracked down? Why can't you just contain them?" He questioned, an unexplained pit of anxiety bubbling in his stomach.

The professors grin grew twofold, happy to explain to him. "Those are good questions! Technically, as the name suggests they're ...parasitic, and highly intelligent. They take the form of common house animals in order to trick the hosts into a sense of security.."

The memory of the mouse taking care of him suddenly burned in his mind.

"They usually search for hosts that suit their requirements. We don't know what those specific requirements are yet, but it differs from parasite to parasite. Now, they're dangerous because they have a habit of driving their hosts....insane, to speak."

Insane??

"We don't know why they do this, but any attempts at containing a host resulted in the host commiting suicide and the parasite escaping."

"Did anyone survive long while under the influence of a....parasite?" he questioned desperately.

"Yes! There were a few. They gained the traits and anomalies of the parasites and were even worshiped as gods, but they've eventually succumbed to the parasites as well. I'll get you a book about it!" He said excitedly, springing and disappearing between the bookcases.

He stared at the picture of the mouse carefully, commiting it to memory. He had to stay away from it at all costs.

Professor Korr bounced back soon, happily waving a thick book around.

"Here! We can read this together!"

He shuddered at it's pure size, gulping in nervousness. I have to do this.

The man threw the thick tome down onto the table, and it landed heavily with a large 'thud!'

Professor Korr settled down, and the next few hours were spent pouring over the textbook.

"You know, you remind me a little of my son."

He froze. "Your son?"

"Yes. He was a very hard worker. A victim to his own determination, if you can say. My daughter was one smart cookie..." he sighed whistfully, a gentle smile gracing his face. He looked better when he wasn't smiling like a maniac.

He was not going to ask the man to tell him more. No way.

"...tell me more about them."

---------

The morning light slowly faded and gave way to the warm oranges of the afternoon, giving bugs and crickets the green sign to come out and play. The professor and him were seated just outside the door of the cottage on two rocking chairs, watching the sunset. The book was long forgotten.

He turned around to the professor curiously, noticing his contended smile. He only looked like that when he stared at that photoframe of his family. A shudder took over him, and he pushed all of those mushy feelings aside.

"You know, kid, you've never told me anything about your old family. Uncle Alfred, what was he like?" Korr questioned curiously, a crease forming on his pale forehead.

He nearly gagged on his own tongue. "Well, he was kind and strict. He always made sure that i did my homework." he fibbed. Years of lying came into good use.

The professor took one look at his face and snorted. "Yet you seemed to have trouble reading that book earlier?" he raised an eyebrow, and the boys entire body went still. "Hah! Don't play dumb with me, son. You may have convinced Edward, but I'm not so easy to fool," he smirked, a knowing look in his eyes.

His heartbeat drowned out everything else, hammering in his chest. How did he know? Will he send me to an orphanage?

"Don't worry, though. You're an enigma. I like challenges. I'll figure you out fully one day," the man said lazily, the grin fading away and being replaced by a neutral, calm expression.

He wasn't going to be given away.

A weight seemed to be lifted off of his shoulders. How could someone be your saviour and you end? How could someone hold they key to your future, so precariously dangling in their hands? It made him angry. How dare he treat it so flippantly.

He had to be on guard with this man. Take him off of his tracks. Orphans were usually sent off to the orphanages because no one would miss them. No one would know.

"Well, we'll see about that," the boy said in a measured tone, waiting for the professor to take the bait.

A sickeningly bright grin overtook the mans face. "So you were lying to Edward. You're a boy after my own heart. I wonder what else you're hiding." he smarmed. Giving the boy no time to respond, the man stood up and briskly made his was into the cottage, brown coat swishing with his every move.

He stopped at the door. "By the way, what's your name, son?"

Shit.

"You'll have to figure it out."

Professor Korrs' grin grew even wider. "Haha! Well, more fun for me. Atleast give me a nickname? I can't keep calling you 'boy' or 'son' all the time."

"....fugure out one yourself."

"Well, you're very resillient. Alright then. Since you seemed to be interested in Lifsil so much," he remembered that name. It was the name of the green-eared mouse. "I'll call you...Mouse. How about that?"

From a Street-rat to a Mouse. An improvement.

Tamed.

"Fine," he hissed.

The professor nodded from the corner of his eye, then dissappeared into the cottage. All that was left was him and the cool, silent air.

The sun had set further, and now dusky shadows seemed to grow along with the trees. Like a parasite, waiting to expand and envelope everything in its path. He shuddered. This man lived in a creepy place. Suddenly, a slight movement in the woods caught his eye. Did he see a tail?

He quickly got up, ready to bolt into the cottage if the tail came by again. Five minutes later and a loud scrunching made him jump, resulting in him desperately grasping for a weapon.

He didn't have one.

Something came out from behind a pine tree.

It had long ears.
Lovely, long ears.

Green ears.

A gigantic mouse.

He retreated back into the cottage, slamming the door closed. How did it find him??

He breathed in heavily. This wasn't like before. This time, he had the professor with him, and a sturdy house to hide in. There was no reason to be afraid, yet his hands still trembled and his pulse still quickened.

It was happening again. The tremors came, violently and quickly as his heartbeat seemed to be the only discernable sound in the room.

"Professor?" He called out hesitantly, making his way to a couch. If he sat down, the professor wouldn't be able to see his shaking frame.

The sound of footsteps indicated his arrival, and the man was skidding across the hall to get to him in no time.

"Yes?" He called happily, for whatever reason.

The eccentric professors eyes gleamed with interest underneath his glasses, dirty hair framing his face just perfectly.

He had to know.

"Why - what benefit is there to reporting True Masks to the Mask Force?" He gulped nervously. This answer would determine everything he did from now on. If that green eared mouse truly was a parasite, and if the professor would report anyone who even showed a hint of manifesting, he needed to know why.

"Fame, money, anything you want, the Mask Force will grant it," he purred, playing with his coat.

I see.

He gulped, and nodded softly.

"You seem very interested in Mask history. You're always welcome to study and help me pin them down, if you'd like," the man seemed uncharacteristically nervous, his eyes fluttering here and there.

If he studied with the professor, he risked outing himself and getting sold out. If he didn't study with the professor, he risked not knowing why the hell that mouse was so insistent on stalking him.

Either way, he had to find the mans motive. It was the only was to understand him.

And so, with a indecisive flick of his wrists, he gave an approving smile.

The professor smiled gently, marching to the kitchen and digging in some cupboards.

"So, what would you like to eat?"

He scooted forward and observed across the room as the man toyed with several spices in his hands.

"Pasta, please," he said pleasantly, catching the unassuming professor in his web of deceit.

So, which will it be, Doctor?

Is it the money? The fame?

Or something else entirely?

Little did he know, the professor had also spun a web of lies.
Truly, there weren't that different afterall.

----------

A/N: Here begins the second POV's mind games! Professor Korr and newly named 'Mouse.'

Their relationship will continue to develop and surprise us. They're both enigmas, aren't they?