I'm really sorry for not updating last week. A sudden fever hit me like a garbage truck and I wasn't able to do anything but eat and sleep for 3 days. I feel a lot better now but I still feel a bit bad for saying that I would update weekly then proceed to not update the week after ;w;
=~~~=

Edd woke up covered in sweat. He was in unfamiliar surroundings—again.
He sat up quickly, making his headache from the sudden action. He groans, rubbing his temples in an attempt to ease the pain.

He hears a door slamming shut and he immediately turns to the source of the sound.

"D-dad!" He didn't know whether he should be happy or worried on seeing his adoptive father. He had mixed thoughts and emotions about the man that entered.

Oliver walks up to the brunette, checking and observing him. After a moment of silence, the man turns to Edd and just like that, his father switch was suddenly on.

"Edd, how are you doing? I'm sorry that you were suddenly injected with that giant tube. Do you feel anything strange with your body?" He asks.

Edd hesitates to answer, sweat trickling down his chin. He does feel different.

About his father. He has so much questions to ask.

"Ah...erm..."

"Go on..."

"I...I don't feel anything strange..."

"Alright." Oliver proceeds to pull out his small pocket notebook and writes something in it.

"U-um..." Edd stammers, twiddling with his fingers, unsure whether he should ask things. It's only right that he's curious and confused...he suddenly just woke up in this weird place, gets injected, and then gets interviewed for some reason. It's only right that his own father should explain, right?

Oliver lifts his head up to face Edd and gives him a questioning look.

"Dad...where are we? Why'd you take us here? A-and what was with that injection? Please, I-I'm so lost here..." Edd couldn't bring himself to look at his father in the eyes, scared of what emotion could be holding. This feels way too familiar, way back at his old family. He mentally winces at the thought.

"Ah...that's right. Come." Oliver was gentle with his words yet it made Edd stand up quickly and sharply as if he was in the military of some sort. The brunette flinches, his head ache acting up once more.

"Hm? Edd, what's wrong?" Oliver questions the male.

"Ah...m-my head. It hurts..." Edd answers softly.

"There should be pain relievers at where I'm gonna take you. Just follow me, okay? This is a really huge establishment, don't wander off."

"Alright..."

~

Edd tried his best trying to keep his consciousness together as they walked passed multiple doors and corridors. He was about to lose it until Oliver lightly tapped his shoulder and he was shaken back to reality.

"We're here."

They stood in front of a gray, modern door. Something he would definitely see in a sci-fi movie. Oliver slides a card on a cube-shaped object near the door like it was a credit card at a store, and the doors slide open, revealing an all white room with specifically 4 beds and no window in sight.

This reminded him way too much of a hospital room, one which he would rather not have any ties with anymore. He was about to open his mouth to ask the questions he asked earlier, but he saw a mop of light brown in the far corner. The person had grey orbs that immediately made eye-contact with his chocolate brown ones.

"Edd?!"

"Tord!" Edd couldn't hide the happiness in his voice to see another familiar face.

The Norwegian male ran up to the brunette, a wide smile on his face then notices Oliver beside him.

"D-did you do the same thing to him, dad?!" Tord asks.

Oliver only responds with lowering his head down.

Tord furrows his eyebrows, grabbing Edd's arm and pulling him away from the man. "Dad, why won't you answer any of my questions?" Tord asks again with a more assertive tone.

"Please, dad...I...I want to trust you. I want to know that we're in good hands. Really, I do...but the silence you're giving us—"

"Matthew will be joining you soon. Please wait until then." Oliver takes two steps back, and just like that they were met with the grey door.

"Damn it!" Tord kicks the door in annoyance, accidentally leaving a deep dent.

"Tord!" Edd exclaims, surprised by the sudden strength his brother possessed. "Did you get injected with something strange too?"

"Injected? No, no. I don't really remember the details but...I remember my chamber being flooded with his weird bright red gas. I inhaled it before I could even hold my breath. Next thing I knew, I woke up on a bed...and dad escorted me here...and I've been waiting ever since then. That was when you arrived." Tord explains.

"...This is all so strange." Edd sits down on one of the beds, groaning and rubbing his temples.

"Does your head hurt? I think I saw some pain killers in one of the cabinets earlier. Let me get it."

The Norwegian male proceeds to look through the cabinets and immediately found it. He got the bottle and gave it to Edd and then gave him a glass of the water provided in the room.

"Thank you." Edd says quietly before consuming the medicine.

"How long were you waiting in this room?" Edd asks after drinking the water.

"Erm...around maybe 30 minutes? I don't know." Tord shrugs, not sure.

Edd exhales deeply. "I don't know how much longer I can go on...I want to go home..."

Tord runs his fingers through his hair and shakes his head, "Yeah, me too. I wonder how (Y/N) and Ell are doing..."

~

"OF COURSE WE'RE NOT DOING FINE! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH PARANOIA I WENT THROUGH BECAUSE OF YOU?!" You yelled, not being able to hold back your voice. You felt so betrayed and mad at the same time.

"(Y/N), please calm down!" Ell tried to reassure you, tugging at your sleeve.

"No, no, Ell. We deserve it. (Y/N) has every right in the world to be mad at us. We were basically her personal stalkers for a while..." Paul explains and lowers his head down even more.

Ell nods and forcibly pulls you down to make you sit properly. "(Y/N), let me handle the talking, okay? You're not in the right mood and mind set. I'll let you take the wheel once you calmed down and hear their explanation." Ell says. You huff in frustration but obliged.

"How much of it were you behind?" Ell asks.

"M-most of the interactions. But every other interaction since around November isn't us. We were basically fired from that position since we weren't doing our jobs right. We didn't want to hurt and manipulate (Y/N) in the first place. We just needed the money." Patryck justifies.

"So who's the new 'Unknown'?" You join in the conversation, but your voice was still bitter cold.

The two boys flinch at the your voice and were discussing among themselves on who should say it.

"It's me." All heads turn to look at the newly arrived figure. Your shoulders drop once more, not believing that it's another person you're extremely familiar with albeit the aura around her didn't match with the face you're so used to seeing.

Aiden didn't have her signature tight and neat ponytail today. Instead, they weren't tied at all and her long dark hair spread neatly on her back and shoulders. She wore a fur coat that covered her grey turtleneck dress perfectly and black leggings to match.

This was a side that you've never seen in the Aiden you knew. She was gorgeous.

Just put aside the fact that her eyes were dimmer than a broken light bulb.

You would have been praising her and asking her about her fashion sense right about now if you weren't so mad.

Ell lets out a breath then gestures for Aiden to come sit at the bench with them. She accepts, then Ell cleared her throat.

"Alright, start from the top before (Y/N) goes apeshit on you."