The boy was shaking; whether it had been from nerves or his lack of decent, warm clothing was anyone's guess.

He had been discharged from the hospital a few hours ago, and was currently sitting just outside it on a cold, cement bench.

Professor Korr, he recalled the name hesitantly. Professor Korr, whoever that was, was the name the Mask Force man - who he recently learned was called Sal - told him. Professor Korr would be his foster parent.

He tsked. Whoever needed to be addressed as 'Professor' was definitely a stuck-up piece of garbage. Why did he agree to this anyway? Not for the first time, his body and mind seemed to be at an impasse. His mind yelled 'run!', yet his body sunk impossibly deeper onto the cement bench in retaliation. Sal paced a few meters ahead of him and he sighed. There really was no escape from this.

He focused his attention to his environment instead, duly noting that the hospitals exterior was not the happiest. It was just a parking lot, with stray benches and tar roads. Tiny patches of grass were sprinkled in between each parking bay, unruly trees standing mightily above. For shade, his mind supplied.

He sighed for the nth time. What time was it? The moon shone down dauntingly onto him, and he turned around to get a good look at the hospital itself. Bold letter shone out in neon reds, and he struggled to piece the words together.

Reed-street Clinic
24 hours

Ah, it was a clinic. A twenty-four hour clinic. Atleast that had been an indication to the time. He estimated past midnight. What creepy professor would be up after midnight?

Suddenly, a loud hoot sounded from the hospitals gates. Sal startled, running towards the car that was barred behind what looked like a colourful security gate.

Sal went into a booth near the gate, messing with something until it rose open. The car pulled up, and he squinted his eyes against the bright headlights. Sal greeted the mystery driver by his car window, and the two conversed for a few seconds.

That car looks quite expensive.

The person suddenly got out of the car, and the boys attention was transfixed onto the mystery man. The moonlight shone gently onto his body, spilling down in a cascade of blues and blacks. He duly noted the man wearing a white coat that reached to his ankles and swished every time he stepped forward.

They made their way towards him, and he suddenly shrunk into himself.

The Mask Force man was the first to speak up.

"This is professor Eugene Korr. He's..." Sal started, giving the man next to him a long look. Professor Korr blissfully ignored Sal's inspection, seemingly lost in his own world. "...an associate of sorts with the Mask Force. He'll take care of you until we can sort this situation out." Sal finished stiffly. He seemed to be wary of Professor Korr. The boy didn't blame him, he was too. He seemed a bit eccentric to be wearing such a coat so late at night.

Professor Korr snapped out of his daze, bending down to look curiously at him. He didn't notice how tall and lanky the man was. Dark, messy hair lay in dissary on top of his head and a roguelike grin stretched across his lips. His teeth were very white.

"H-hello," he stuttered. Damnit! Why is my voice so unsteady?

"Hello there, young man!" Professor Korr replied with an accent he couldn't quite place. His electric green eyes were filled with mirth, and he was stricken by their intensity. What was so damn funny?!

"Its rare to see such a fine young lad with good manners! Tell me son, are you in pain? Sal here," he motioned to the man, who shifted uncomfortably, "tells me Alfred's dog ripped you a good one!"

He growled.

"I'm fine," he spat. He hated people pitying him, especially adults. Professor Korr looked taken aback, and a small part of him felt guilty. He told that part to shut up. Suddenly, the mans eyes danced happily again, his grin stretching impossibly bigger. "Aha! Feisty, just like my son was. We'll get along well." He chuckled, reaching a hand out to pet him on the back. He reeled from the impact. This man is stronger than he lets on.

Professor Korr's grin dissolved a little bit, from being maniac-like to more humanish and welcoming. He turned to look at Sal reassuringly. "I'll take care of the lad. Dont worry, it'll be our little secret." He winked. Sal bristled.

Our little secret?

A sense of dread suddenly filled him. Why was he a little secret, exactly?

Sal cleared his throat, breaking him out of his thoughts. He scratched his brow uncomfortably. "Well, it's getting late. Take the kid home, won't you?" He hissed. Professor Korr gave a mock salute and began making his way to his car, his hands comfortably tucked into the pockets of his coat. Was he supposed to follow?

His feet decided that for him, trudging after Professor Korr dutifully.

Professor Korr soon stepped into his car, and only up-close did he notice that it had a silvery sheen with blue highlights running down the side. Talk about a damn eyesore.

He skirted over the front of the car, the bright headlights illuminating him in its cold light. Opening the side door, he pushed himself up into the seat. Professor Korr reversed as soon as he closed the door, and he had faintly noticed the silhouette of Edward waving them off.

The car jostled slightly as it hit the tar roads, and a distant rumble filled the quiet air. Professor Korr's car was warm. It even smelt like warmth; was that possible?

The professor craned his neck to the side to study him, and he ducked him head in embarrassment. Why was he embarrassed? No one knew.

Professor Korr's mouth opened and closed, like a fish out of water.

"So," he paused, "what's your name?"

Goddamnit. He didn't have a name. He kept silent.

Professor Korr didn't seem deterred. "Well, my name is Edmund, son. Tell me yours when you're ready. Sal didn't exactly give me a lot of information on you."

He nodded demurely. The man suddenly seemed calm... a complete one-eighty of what he was acting like before. The quiet hum of the car filled up the serene air once more as both fell silent. He noted how odd it was to be in a car; of course, he had squatted in a few before. But to be in one while it was driving? Unheard of.

Turning the closed window, he marvelled at how the tall buildings and district lights gave way to faraway mountains and fields of grass. How far our did the man live?

A few minutes later, the car bumped and he jumped up in surprise. "Relax." Professor Korr - or Edmund - comforted.

"My house is...off grid, let's say. We aren't on tar road anymore."

Trees whisked past his vision as the car carefully threaded through uncharted territory. Did this man live in a forest?

He probably wanted privacy, and the forest was a good bet. Stupid rich people.

"We're here," Professor Korr announced, and the car suddenly stopped jittering. Did they pull into a driveway?

He lifted his head up slowly, bracing himself to be marveled by a probably expensive house with fountains and pruned-plants, and whatever else rich people decided that they needed to live comfortably in the middle of nowhere.
Instead, a homely cottage greeted him, standing tall in all its wooden glory. Trees dotted around it, grass fighting for space and stopping just shy of his tar driveway. No fountains, no pruned plants...who the hell is this man?!

Professor Korr opened his car door and gamely stepped out, skirting over to his side and popping the boys door open as well.

His manic smile returned. "Clichè, right? A professor living in the middle of nowhere, like in the movies."

He didn't get the reference, but nodded his head along. Was that intended to be funny?

The Professor offered his hand. "Well then, up-up! I have to show you your room."

The boy hesitantly took it. Professor Korr's hands were ragged and worn, just like his. His grip tightened on the Professor, whether in solidarity or need for human contact was anyone's guess.

The mans slightly manic grin widened. He pulled him out of the car, and the two made their way over the driveway into the cottage.

Professor Korr took out a key from one of his coat pockets and fitted it into the lock on the oak door. It swung open with a mournful screech, reverberating loudly in the quiet home. He stepped inside gleefully, skipping over the floors and leaving the boy standing stranded at the door.

He turned around. "Well? Come in. I promise, the house won't swallow you up whole!"

He toed his foot onto the wooden planks hesitantly, feeling it push in as he settled his full weight onto it. The house smelled of dust and heat; not a good combination.

It was rather homely, actually. Most, if not everything, was mainly comprised of wood. Wooden desks and chairs sat on the left corner of the room, a large fur rug struggling to stay straight underneath them. The other side of the room seemed to branch off into a rustic kitchen, metal pots and kettles standing haphazardly thrown on a stove. Cabinets lined the kitchen walls, and he wondered if the man kept those bars of chocolate he'd always liked in them. There were a few doors strewn around that probably led into different sections of the house, and he guessed that they were enterances to bedrooms and bathrooms.

A large clock mounted on a wall near one of the doors caught his attention, and he squinted. He cursed never having anyone to teach him how to read time. The short hand was at the twelve, and the long was at the three.

Professor Korr followed his eyes and quickly spoke up. "Quarter past twelve," he supplied, "It's a bit past midnight."

Ah, midnight. Midnight was a term he knew well. Again, what creepy professor would be up past midnight?!

Professor Korr took three great strides across the room and basically rammed himself into the door that was near the clock. "Well," he began, fumbling with the doors lock, "this was my son's room. I think you'll like it." He finished, finally succeeding in pushing it open.

His son's room? Did he move out?

The Professor coughed violently when a storm of dust suddenly assaulted him. "I'm sorry," Korr called to him from across the room. "I don't usually access this place anymore..." he mumbled the last part, but his acute hearing caught onto it.

He realised he hadn't moved from his spot from the moment he walked into the house. He willed his feet to move, keeping his head down. Being nosy never did him any good. He wasn't going to ask about this mans son.

He slipped past the Professor, padding silently into the room. Dark and light blues assaulted his vision, and a bed that seemed fit for a six-year old sat resolutely in the middle.

"I'm sorry for this. Sal didn't exactly give me time to prepare the room for you..." he mumbled, rubbing his hands together sheepishly.

He decided to have mercy on the man. "It's okay." He said softly. Professor Korr beamed. It was still a half-crazed smile, but better than before.

He chose to survey the room again, noting the drawers and toys that were neatly lined on top of them.

A picture frame stood out to him, seemingly featuring the man and what he assumed was his family. A young Professor stared back at him on a beach, an actually contented smile on his face. Not manic, not faked, but peaceful. Someone he assumed was his wife leaned on his shoulder, her soft dark hair cropped off just until her neck. A elegant mask spread across her face and ended off at her cheeks. It resembled a peacock.

He's never seen an actual Mask before. She was stunning. She had a baby cradled on her hip, and a six year old clinging to her pant-leg. The kid had gentle green eyes, unlike his father's electric green ones, and his mothers fluffy black hair. On closer inspection, so did the daughter.

Professor Korr quickly snatched up the photo before he could see more, pulling it close to his body. His eyes seemed watery, and the manic smile grew two-fold. What happened to him between then and now?

"Well, I'll let you get used to them room. We'll go bed-shopping tomorrow, but for now, make do with this. Alright?" he nodded along, going to sit obediently on the bed.

Professor Korr swiped a hand across his eyes quickly, and then swept out of the room.

He had to wonder, what was that about?

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Here, have a very very very long chapter because i didn't update for a while lol