Project 863 - The Mystery

~Chapter 19~

After a few days after moving in with Woods, River had been standing outside of Matthias office as he spoke to the camera to catch everyone up as the group spoke and joked around for a while before going into the computer room trying to call him as it went to voicemail as he looked at his phone when he got a message from the phantom. Phantom: Very clever, leaving something behind after rifling through my belongings. The phantom sent to Matthias chuckled some as everyone sat there being surprised before Matthias responded back to him. Matthias: We know you're not really Wes, so cut the act. None of that stuff belongs to you. Matthias responded back to him hitting send as River sat in the chair messing with her ring as they talked to one another, waiting for the phantom to respond before he did. Phantom: Very well. What exactly do her little worker bees want with me now? Be quick about it. The phantom sent back as everyone was surprised about to respond before Matthias responded instead.

Matthias: A meeting. He texted back before hitting send as they joked about wanting to have a video conference to tease Matthias before as they laughed before the Phantom responded back to them. Phantom: A meeting? For what purpose? The phantom sent back as Matthias looked at it before he responded back to him. Matthias: We found that storage unit you were clearly looking for, some pretty interesting things are inside of it. Things that can prove you murdered Wes. Matthias texted back as he hit send while looking at his phone waiting for a response as he sat there as River looked at them. "Do you think he would do it?" River asked them as Matthias shrugged his shoulders before seeing a text from the phantom back. Phantom: What? The phantom responded as everyone looked at one another as they decided to call him by his true name to tell him that they knew he wasn't Wes as Matthias texted him back. Matthias: You heard me, Ben. There is already enough proof for your conviction. Matthias responded hitting send as everyone sat there watching this go down. 

"How old is this guy?" Bailey asked looking at him as Matthias shrugged his shoulders before they went on a conversation about how old he could be as Matthias checked his phone, seeing a message from the phantom again. Phantom: You clearly didn't uncover the correct evidence, then. The phantom texted back as Matthias nodded before he texted back the phantom once more. Matthias: What could possibly be left? Matthias responded as he hit send as they talked about how the clues that they had so far before getting another message back as Matthias checked it. Phantom: I have what you need. The phantom sent back as they were confused on what he was talking about before Matthias spoke planning something incase he would attack as Matthias showed his options before he texted him back. Matthias: Then meet me tonight in the courtyard. Matthias responded hitting send as they talked about who would go out there as River looked at him before speaking. "I'm going out there with you." River told him as he tried to tell her no but she wasn't listening to him as he spoke about the message the Phantom sent back.

Phantom: Confirmed. The phantom spoke as they were surprised as Sam asked him what time he was coming but Matthias shrugged his shoulders, as they joked about how he could already be there before everyone decided to get ready for that night as Matthias went into another room as he spoke. "I don't want to risk any of you. I understand that there are three guys here but if he can overpower me, he can overpower you." Matthias spoke as he started setting up a plan as they went outside in the middle where they could see him from both Blue Base and Red base as they set everything up. A few hours laters everyone was chilling waiting for the time to come as he got a message from Phantom that he was outside as they turned off the lights glancing outside before setting up a group call before Matthias, Woods, Tanner all went outside while Bailey, Sam and River stayed inside. Tanner, Quinn, and Woods had ran to red base as Matthias walked over to the phantom. "Hello Benjamin." Matthias spoke looking at him as he stood there as the phantom spoke.

"Benjamin is dead." The phantom spoke as Matthias nodded as he shrugged his shoulders. "Okay what do you want me to call you." He responded as the phantom stood there for a moment before speaking. "You may call me, The Absolute." The phantom responded as everyone in the bases looked at one another confused as Matthias chuckled before he responded. "I'm absolutely not going to call you that, my man. You know what I keep thinking? Why did you agree to come? Why are you here?" Matthias responded looking at him as the phantom continued to stand there as he responded back to him. "Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to? You said it best yourself... how did you put it... something about...being infected with purpose?" The phantom responded back to him as Matthias sighed looking at him. "What is that purpose?" He asked confused as everyone stayed hidden as they watched the conversation happen as the phantom spoke.

"Same as yours." The phantom responded as Matthias looked at him as he sighed before speaking. "You hurt people. And you do it hiding behind a mask." He responded as Phantom looked at him before he responded. "How are you any different? You tell millions of people to put their trust in you, you tell them that you will keep them safe. You can't even keep yourself safe!" He responded raising his voice as Matthias pointed his finger at him. "You attacked my employees, you literally hit Woods over the head-" Matthias started as the phantom cut him off by responding. "NO I-" The phantom yelled as he calmed down slightly before responding. "You, me, River, we're the same. You're just better at hiding your mask." The phantom continued as Matthias shook his head as he looked at him. "I'm nothing like you..." Matthias spoke as he stood there while the phantom went back to his normal voice as he spoke. "Time will tell." He responded as Matthias stood there in a stance that made him look brave as he spoke.

"I know your plan man, we know about the serum dispersion bomb. We know what you've been planning... what you've been building... it's all over." Matthias spoke looking at him as the phantom stared at him as he spoke. "Yes, it is over. My work is done now, thanks to you. You lead me to the absalate, where poor Wesley was buried. Only this time, I will not fail." The phantom spoke as Matthias continued to stand there looking at him as he spoke, "So what's your endgame, huh? Infect millions of people?! For what?! For what!" Matthias responded, raising his voice as the phantom looked at him, not responding for a few seconds before he did respond. "You can't even begin to understand..." The phantom spoke while laughing as he moved, turning to look away from Matthias as he looked at him. "Then help me understand." Matthias responded as the phantom lightly shook his head before he responded back to I'm. "You will see, eventually." The phantom told him as he turned away from Matthias, causing for Quinn, Woods, and Tanner to duck down as Matthias spoke.

"I'm getting bored man. I'm getting bored of all of this. Why did you come here." Matthias spoke as the phantom turned to look at him before he responded. "To clear my name." The phantom responded as Matthias shook his head before he responded back to him. "I know your the one who did it, I have proof. I know you didn't want Wes to be with Deb. I know you wanted to be with Deb, I read the letters you sent to Deb." Matthias spoke raising his voice as the Phantom got furious before he spoke. "NO I DIDN'T!!!" The phantom yelled as Matthias looked at him before he spoke. "Calm down Ben. Calm down man. Just tell me who did it." Matthias said moving closer to the phantom as it backed up, mumbling no over and over as Matthias repeats his statement as the Phantom responded to him. "I can't. I can't. No, no VIRGO!!!! Benjamin, I will kill her. I can't... 16. 16-2-2-0-1. 16-22-0-1. 16-22-0-1..." The phantom spoke backing up as Matthias moved closer to him trying to calm him down. 

"All I need to know is who did it. Alright? All I need to know is who did it? Was it Syphus?" Matthias asked looking at him as the phantom put his hands out some as he spoke. "No!" He said in a panicked tone as Matthias gets frustrated as he spoke. "I don't know why, you keep protecting him. He doesn't care about you at all." Matthias said furious as the phantom had been able to calm down before responding to him. "I was like you once. Filled with so much hope..." The phantom spoke as Matthias had been quick to respond back to him as he stood there. "And then what happened?" Matthias asked looking at him as the phantom responded back to him. "She let me waste away..." The phantom responded as Matthias sighed looking at him before he responded back to him. "Why should I believe you, Ben? I need proof." Matthias spoke as the phantom stood there for a moment before reaching into his pocket, causing the others in hidden to worry as Matthias backed up some before seeing what it was as the two stepped closer together as the phantom hands Matthias something that much of the team couldn't see what it was.

"What is this?" Matthias asked when he grabbed the tape from him as the phantom looked back at him. "The truth, the full tape... from August 6th." The phantom spoke as Matthias looked at it surprised before he began speaking as he looked at him. "The murder? Why? Wha... what you've had this the whole time? Why?" Matthias spoke as the phantom began to back up some before turning around again which caused for Quinn and the others to quickly look down to not be seen as he began to walk away which caused for Matthias to speak. "Buddy, I can't just let you leave." Matthias spoke moving closer to him as the phantom stopped in his tracks before looking back at him as he spoke. "Don't worry. You'll see me again, eventually. You will fulfill your purpose... you and River, as will I." The phantom spoke as he walked past Matthias beginning to walk away as Matthias spoke. "Your going to hurt a lot of people man." Matthias told him as the phantom stopped once more before turning to look at him as he spoke. "Just remember. You, me, and River. We never had a choice, it was rigged from the start." The phantom finally spoke as he quickly walked away while Matthias looked at the tape before explaining it was a murder tape, the full one.