Dedicated to Kuroningen. Thanks for your help, buddy.

- 1st CHAPTER: THE RESEARCHER'S SON -

It was sunny in the beginning of September and, though New York was usually a cold and moody climate city, there had been a clear, intense blue sky all morning long. Even it was hot, as Emil felt when he got off the car, in the parking of the place where thereafter he would study the next 6 years of his life.

Columbia University took up the great space of six blocks in the Manhattan district. It was a little far from where the future university student and his family were living, at the outskirts. They had been in the city for a bit more than a week, therefore the guy hadn't got used to the 20 floors skyscrapers and the immense avenues and other streets.

They were near the main building, where in a few minutes the official reception for the new students would take place. His mother had told him that this event was very famous in the city, and many experts and reporters would be present.

The Columbia University students didn't choose their faculty, but the faculty chose them. Only few of them were lucky enough to enjoy the education that faculties offered them. And even less of them if they came from other cities, states or countries.

"That's a beautiful place, don't you think?"

"It's huge" Answered the boy seeing the green vastness that arose in front of them, welcoming him to that place.

His father put his hand on the boy's shoulder while he looked up to admire the giant building, which could perfectly be 50 meters tall. The father was a middle aged man, a bit taller than the boy. At that time, he had a long straight hair, held by a ponytail. His hair reflected the sun, as red as the fire, making it look like a fire whip. He wore a black suit with an intense green tie that suits his eyes very well, though his son thought that this tie highlighted his father's paleness. Shirley joked about his paleness saying that he looked like a corpse.

"And with half face burned, it won't be strange that someone mixed him up with a zombie" Added in an impulsive way

That was an exaggeration, but after all, it was also a truth: anyone could see that Harold Corbett had been a smart person when he was young, but the remains of a burn covered part of the right half of the face, mainly the upper part. Actually, at that moment the right eye was just a fake one made of plastic, where he used to wear an eye patch. Emil remembered that he asked, when he was 4, why his friends' parents had a clear face and he do not.

Some years ago, before you were born, I had a traffic accident. I was on the road, coming back from work, when a truck appeared in front of me- He reached out his arms while holding a 15 years younger Emil in his lap- The fire surrounded me but I could push through the flames. I can still remember your mother. I don't know if it was real or not, but I can promise that I saw her crying. And we both know how sentimental she is- He added while laughing loudly.

"His optimism surpasses me" Emil usually thought

When he came round, Harold was taking a look to his mobile phone. As the young boy could judge to the naked eye, the adult had received a message.

"It's your mother. She says that it will take more time for her to come, since the interview will last more than she thought" Then he showed the mobile to Emil and he could see how his mother explained the circumstances and wishes her son good luck with teenager writing style. When he received the mobile phone, added "We hope that our girl can get that job she likes so much"

"Our girl's" real name is Shirley Garland. She was 4 years older than Emil but she had some typical teenager quarrels. Her uncle treated her as his own daughter, but she was her niece, who had moved with them in New York. At the beginning that idea didn't amuse her, though her father persuades her:

"It will come in handy to expand her frontiers. In addition- Added in a lower tone- You know all about her special circumstances…"

However hard it didn't amuse him to share a house with such a la-di-da person. That was true; therefore he had to nod while looking at the floor.

"She won't accept it, but she needs us more than she thinks"

Opposite to Emil, his niece seemed to be his real child, and the boy seemed to be a strange person. She had inherited the red straight hair from his uncle, besides that outlined beauty that makes her elegant. She seemed to have noticed that, because she made most of the situation: Since she was very young she had many suitors of a wide range of ages who went to the extent of harass her just to have the immense honour of having a date with her. However, she rejected them openly.

Chimes were heard. Apparently, the graduation ceremony was about to begin.

"Come on, hurry, we're late" urged his father, pushing him a little "You have an event in which you are the main character"

They started walking up the stairs when they run across elephant-sized doors. The landing was crowded: Emil recognized who could possibly be his future university classmates, as well as some reporters. A reddish brown woman who was only a few meters far from him drew his attention. She brought a camera with her and talked with so much impetus while holding the micro with both hands.

Someone appeared through the doors. He was a man dressed up with a uniform which had the faculty symbol stamped on the right part of the chest. He was fast to determine that he was a guide.

"Pay attention, please" Said the man with a loud voice to make sure that everybody could listen it perfectly "let's proceed with the opening act. Firstly, students must take their reserved seats on the first line. Later, Parents and other family can have their seats calmly. If you can come with me, please…"

"See you, father" He said goodbye with a nervous smile.

But the guide had already entered the facilities, followed by a crowd of young people, so our protagonist got among the people, without giving his father time to say more than a quickly "bye".

As soon as he got through the door, he found an entry bigger than the one in the house where he lived. The room was spacious, with many columns at strategic points. The vaulted ceiling gave a touch of immensity that Emil couldn't get used at first.

He didn't realize that he had stopped and someone crashed him from behind.

He nearly stamps his face on the floor. The person who had blocked got to catch his arm from behind before he fell down.

"You have to be careful before getting impressed by something. You may get too distracted and miss some important details, like someone who get close to you from behind…" A low voice answered.

Emil turned around to the new relative. Firstly, he just saw yellow. Actually, the young that had avoided him from falling down had a really intense and fair hair with a centre parting. He had such deep amber eyes, though a little slanting. He had a tanned skin, and at that moment he wore dark trousers with a cream colour jacket. By seeing his narrow shoulders, nobody had to see his abs to know that he was a healthy and athletic person. For an instant, He couldn't avoid feeling intimidated by his presence: He could easily be two heads taller than Emil:

"Sorry, but I can't avoid getting impressed. Such bright, wide place…" In spite of the fatigue from having crashed with someone, the boy couldn't handle to hide his excitement for being lucky enough to be there.

The blond stared at him.

"You aren't from here, right? You have a strange accent…"

"Yes. English isn't my mother language. My parents used to live here but before I was born, they moved to Spain, my mother's native country. I'm Emil" Spread his hand, after a little pause in which the boy didn't know what to say.

"Michael. I think we'll be faculty mates, so if you have any question or problem with something, just ask me" Answered spreading his hand.

It was strange. Although the young seemed to be glad, Emil couldn't avoid feeling a glimmer of nonsense caution. However, Why is strange that two normal faculty students meet themselves? For that reason, He tended his hand normally

They went along the distance that separated them from the rest of students. Meanwhile, Michael asked him about his reasons to have moved to New York.

"My father works on bioengineering in several researching institutes, so he's travelling almost every time. Actually, he used to work here before we moved to Spain. Some months ago a friend of him called him and said that a firm was looking for people ready to collaborate on the manufacturing of genetic therapy intended medicines."

The boy showed a big interest in that information.

"What's the name of the firm?"

"I can't remember it" Admitted Emil a bit blushed "I think it was Voltair, or something like that"

"You mean Vortex…" Michael raised eyebrow

"Yes, that's it!" Answered "My father is too busy to let me go with him so as to see the place. He has been only in that job for a week and he has been giving indications and errands all time long. Have you entered the main building? It seems to be huge looking it from outside!"

"Well, more or less…" Replied with a sudden indifference. His look alighted a few centimetres to Emil's right. Emil looked at the direction to which the blond was looking and saw how two girls turned around, after been observing them, and started a chit chat. Then, Emil looked Michael again, who watched their steps with a scowl at that moment. That situation had become uncomfortable. Why did they do that?

"Are you ok?" Asked Emil with no caution.

"Don't worry. This is…" The boy was slow to answer, but he was not able to end the sentence. For some reason he remained wordless.

Obviously, those girls knew him somehow. Would they be former classmates? "Who is he really?" He wondered. Nevertheless, seeing the young Michael a bit affected, he decided not to ask.

His dark thoughts were interrupted when they went through oak doors after going along a wide corridor flanked by other corridors, which had many forms and sizes, and they arrived to the auditorium.

If that room could be described with a word, that word would be "Luminous". There was a giant window to the left from which you could see a square garden that took up the centre of the campus. The walls, with a smooth cream colour, shined with the sun light casted diagonally on them. The dark brown floor and the ceiling gave the room a smart touch.

At the end of the room, there was a big platform in which a table with leather chairs too much decorated from the protagonist's point of view was situated. In the centre of the platform a bigger chair was collocated, with the faculty symbol carved on the upper part of the wood. This symbol represented a shield with a halberd and a bow with arrows, in addition to the silhouette of whom was the founder of that great institution, the king George II from England.

Apart from the chairs on the platform, there were many of them that occupy the room and were divided in two halves: One at the left side and the other one at the right side. The guide told them to have a seat on the first lines of the first half, as the tradition stated.

Emil had a seat next to the only person that he knew. The place at his right was empty since he had sat on the corner next to the centre corridor.

"Is he? Is he really?" Someone muttered

"I can't believe it. I thought it was a rumour…" Answered other person.

He knew that they were talking about Michael again. Very carefully, as if he took a look to see if the parents have entered or not, he made sure that those two girls that muttered without any discretion, weren't the same girls from before.

Actually, some other students also looked at his new friend and started to whisper among them. Emil felt deeply indignant: What a liberty…!

People looked at him, He couldn't do anything, much as he tries to cover his body he felt naked. That wasn't the matter of that people, but they looked at him…

He shook his head. No, He couldn't remember that again after all the time that had passed since then.

He looked at the blond guy out of the corner of his eye. He had his fists tight, and stared at one point of the floor with oppressed lips. However, his eyes were the worst part. Eyes of profound sadness, clearly aware of the fact that, for some reason that Emil didn't know, people only muttered at his back, even outright.

"Do you know what are we going to do now? Honestly, I have no idea…" In actual fact, he knew exactly what would happen now, but he had to entertain him as much as he can.

Michael blinked and looked at the young boy a little stunned. Nevertheless, that only lasted one second, after which he nod with energy and explained what the ceremony was about. Emil interrupted him with another question in the appropriate moment. He was pleased to see that the young boy recovered his spirit. Before they realized, the room had been filled with parents and reporters. There was no trace of Harold, but they would look for him later, after the act finished.

"…be ready, it will last a long time. I hope you can resist the hunger feeling" He finished with a smooth laugh.

"If they don't bring those small snacks, I'll be satisfied. I can't understand that moneybags behaviour ´As I'm a `monseñor(*)`, I'm going to take a nut duck snack because I'm hungry" He was imitating a bigwig man in an ogre way when a security guard came close to them and told them to keep quiet. Before he walked away, Emil could take a small look at his name in the license plate and made a mental note of his: "Casey Jones"

"I also hate those high class galas. Many times, when my mother made me go with her to one of those galas, I fled as soon as I could to play football with some cook helpers"

"Have you ever gone to a gala dinner?" Emil asked surprised

Michael was about to answer when everybody stood up suddenly. Both university students look at the front part and saw how two faculty representatives dressed with a jet-black robe entered through the big doors that were next to the dais.

There was an old man among them, who had lost some hair because of the baldness and he walked bowed. He walked hold by a middle aged man that could be as old as the boy's father. Until the old man had a seat on the chair with the symbol carved his escorts didn't occupy their seats.

The man who guided them to the room went up the wood stairs that unite the stage with the central corridor. There was a platform with a micro at the right end. He came before him, cleared his throat solemnly and started to talk:

"From all the dean team, it's a pleasure to welcome you to the Columbia University, considered one of the most prestigious university in New York city" He started to look all over the room, taking a little pause in every word that he pronounced "In spite of everything, if I'd like to teach you a lesson this first day, it is that this university isn't what it is nowadays by itself. It's thanks to you, new students that are lucky to receive the knowledge that these four walls offer you, new students that write the history of this faculty. If you're despicable, this university will be despicable. If you're honest, this university will be famous for its goodness and altruism "He took a little solemn pause, after which he let a pair of impressed parents to mutter a bit "As it has been all this years, it is known that before the dean pronounce a few words, the students' representative must go to the dais and talk representing all present people here. That student who has demonstrated a witty aptitude without distorting other students and answering with precision and wisely all the questions that have been asked during the entrance examinations days…"

Entrance examinations. Emil had almost forgotten those exams. All those people who were there had been selected from several thousands of university students who wished to enjoy a privileged education. Columbia University was one of the three universities with the most difficult entrance examinations; He could barely believe it when he received that yellowed paper letter in which the university congratulated him for having one of the 200 best marks. Nevertheless, he also knew that, if he was the first one, they would have enclosed other reputable documents, in addition to some research grants, as his father said. A part of him was curious about the identity of that "one-off" boy or girl.

"...Michael Stockman, could you come to the dais, please?"

At that moment, Emil thought that he hadn't heard it well. The intense murmur that hanged over him after the appointment seemed to confirm Emil what he had heard. The supposition became certainty when the first guy that he had met stood up and went to the dais with slow steps. Emil couldn't avoid getting open-mouthed because of the surprise. That's why his classmates muttered about him.

Not only that boy got the best marks of his graduating class in the entrance examinations, but also he was son of the famous researcher Baxter StockMan.

(*) Monseñor refers to a moneybags person, a rich and la-di-da person

A/N: Well, well, well..."long time no see" I think it says. What´s up? I could finally update the translation after more than six months. I wouldn´t have done it sooner without the help of another friend who kindly offered to give me a hand with my story. I am not bad at speaking English, but my range of vocabulary is far less wider than my level in Spanish. I´ve tried to adjust to the dialogue formats. I am sorry if I did something wrong, but I am trying to learn step by step.