Project 863 - The Mystery

~Chapter 41~

Everyone sat in the car as they drove back to the studio talking about the new phantom that has appeared for them to deal with. "The only person who knows a lot about our studio is Ben but it couldn't have been him," Woods explained looking at them as Bailey nodded before she spoke looking at them, "I think it's possible in same vein that it would be someone who use to work at Syntec and would be familiar with out building that would know how to hack the security cameras or could possibly be working with Ben. Espescially because their outfits are so similar that they have to be part of the same..." Bailey started as Sam decided to cut in with what Bailey was saying as she sat in the car. "B27 is in jail we saw the active serum dot over the jail." Sam explained looking at them as Matthias shook his head before he spoke while driving. "We never looked at the RSD at the time he could have gone back. We aren't pulling at the RSD at the opportune times to get the information. For next time... I wish the RSD had some sort of ability to replay time but it's only active when it's active and can't record." Matthias explained as everyone nodded.

Matthias had a good point, Ben could have just been coming to haunt the group but could be right back in his cell before they could check the RSD. When everyone got to the studio, Matthias had let everyone in since it had been past 5 and everyone left for the day. Woods, Bailey, and Sam all went upstairs to take the files they were able to find to the vault as Matthias went to close his office, River decided to go to her office upstairs to grab some last minute things and to lock it up. River could hear the group talking about looking for a pen to write on a box labeling the evidence before hearing a door slam shut as she perked up about to leave her office before seeing that the door to her office was closed as she got confused going to open it to see what happened only to realize that it was locked. She could hear the others begin to yell for River and Matthias as she sighed, not knowing how to help since she was also locked in her office. She ended up trying to call Matthias but realized it didn't pick up since he was in another call as she sighed putting her head into her hands.

Matthias on the other hand, had just gotten the call from his team that they were locked into the vault as he got frustrated thinking that they had gotten into something as he began to go upstairs to see what was going on. When he got to the second level before going up the stairs he was met with the phantom that had double x's for eyes before the phantom spoke. "Don't worry, I haven't hurt them. I just wanted some privacy with... the leader of Project 863." The phantom spoke looking at Matthias as he looked back at the phantom, "Who are you?" Matthias asked him confused as the phantom went back to respond to him. "Your 'ghost'" The phantom responded as Matthias rolled his eyes as he began to speak back to the phantom at the top of the stairs. "So you're the one who has been doing this huh? All the haunting phenomenon's you're just playing pretend?" Matthias asked him as the phantom in front of him responded with 'Correct' which caused for Matthias to ask him more questions as he stood there. "How do you expect me to believe you did it all by yourself?"

"Your security is weak... and you? Gullible." The phantom responded to him as Matthias told the phantom how he would have seen him which made the phantom in front of him to shake his head as he responded back to him. "Doubt it, there's so much you haven't seen." The phantom responded as he stood at the top of the stairs looking down at Matthias, "But why? Why go through all the trouble, making us think we were haunted?" Matthias asked the phantom, getting mad at this whole situation as the phantom responded back to him quickly. "To stop you, from turning on the S.P.I.R.E." The phantom responded as Matthias was able to discover himself that the S.P.I.R.E was good and was meant to disperse the antidote as the Phantom explained to him how he wasn't going to be able to find it anyways before Matthias looked at him. "But how? The writing on the walls, the mannequin, how do you expect me to believe that?" Matthias asked confused as the phantom looked at him before he spoke. "Every Syntec building has it's secrets, I know how to take advantage of them." 

"So why are you here now? For the absolate?" Matthias asked him as the phantom shook his head before responding back to him. "That? No, You're lucky you're still alive with it hanging around your neck." The phantom responded as Matthias responded about how the phantom knows what it does while the phantom nodded before explaining how it doesn't matter at that point before Matthias asked him a big question, "Then tell me this... did the serum bomb go off?" Matthias asked him curious as the phantom looked at him before he responded back to Matthias. "You didn't think it would be safe with police, did you?" The phantom asked as Matthias looked at him confused which made the phantom continue with what he was talking about. "You gave them exactly what they wanted, and you thought you walked away the hero..." The phantom spoke as Matthias looked at him as he stood his ground before he spoke. "That only makes us want to turn it on more." Matthias responded back to him as the phantom looked at him while he stood there. "To 'save the valley and your employees?'" The phantom asked him as Matthias shrugged his shoulders before he responded back to the phantom, "Honestly, just out of spite at this point." Matthias explained to him as the Phantom looked at him before he spoke. 

"Careful, my next visit won't be just a warning." The phantom responded, pointing his finger at Matthias as the man at the first level of stairs scoffed looking at the phantom in front of him. "Are you threatening me?" Matthias asked as the phantom shook his head before he spoke. "Not just you, all of you. You don't want that... do you?" The phantom asked him as Matthias rolled his eyes before he responded back to him. "Nah you see, we are going to find the S.P.I.R.E. and turn it on. The only reason you are sticking around is cause you know that you know we are going to find it, that's is isn't it? Your staying close cause you don't know where it is either... and the only way you can find it is if we find it first." Matthias responded back to him as he watched the phantom slowly walk down the stairs as he spoke, "Playing detective is fun... isn't it? The truth isn't as fun." The phantom responded back to him as Matthias stood there, not moving an inch when the phantom had begun to walk down the stairs. "I'm not scared of you. I'm not alone in this either, you're forgetting a major player." Matthias responded back to him as the phantom stopped in front of Matthias before he tilted his head.

"That's right, Subject 4. You should check in with them, they don't seem like they are on your side anymore." The phantom responded back to him before going down the stairs to leave as Matthias quickly went upstairs to let the people in the vault out. "He was here, Double X." Matthias explained to them as he opened the door before seeing that River wasn't there. "Where is River?" Matthias asked them confused as Woods explained how they didn't know before they went to turn on the RSD and scanned, they were able to see that where Matthias was, that Double X was walking away, and another near them as everyone got confused before Matthias went over to the area as he saw the door was unlocked before grabbing the master key as he unlocked the door, seeing River sitting at her desk with her head in her hands as he looked at her. "Hey, you alright?" Matthias asked looking at her as she perked up looking at him before she responded back, "Yeah I'm fine. What happened, one moment I was grabbing my stuff and the next the door was locked and I couldn't get out." River explained to him as he looked at her before he spoke.

"Double X was here, come on." Matthias explained to her as she nodded getting up and following him as he commanded the others to turn off the RSD, arguing back for a second before they went downstairs before Matthias looked at his phone, he told the group that John Doe emailed him as he got confused before he read it. John Doe: I know it's been a while since we've been in touch. I wish I had time to explain it all to you, but I now know who the body outline was. If your interested, please chat with me tomorrow at 10 am, we don't have much time. Matthias read from the message as everyone was confused before Matthias spoke looking at everyone. "He knows who the body outline was..." He told them as everyone stood there looking at him.