Henrik got his coffee but before he went back to the break room where he left Marvin and Jackie, he decided to check the containment room once more down the hall.

He had gotten a small alert on his phone of one of the cameras catching an anomaly. 

He had developed these cameras for purposes like this, to catch things that don't belong or change in a strange way.

And something had happened in the containment room where they were keeping A.L.T.R. 114209.

He made his way there and looked through the one-way window inside. He could see down in but he was certain nothing could see out.

The sphere was the same. Still black and floating ominously. He had no idea what lurked inside.

Whatever entity it was, he still wasn't certain if it MEANT them any harm. But Henrik had the theory that there was a humanoid being inside and this orb was sort of like it's cocoon. It was either waiting until it felt safe or waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack.

Henrik was confused. Everything looked fine so then why did the alert on the camera go off?

He opened up his phone and checked the camera on the time he had the alert. Looking closely, Henrik watched the footage.

It was brief but only for a split second, there was a glitch on the camera.

That was all.

Henrik hummed to himself, 'Must be a bug. I'll have to update the system'

Just then, he had another alert on his phone.

He was nervous at first but upon opening it up, he found it was a message from the Head of the Reinforcement Unit.

'That's odd' reading it, Henrik's heart started to pound, 'What? No. . . zhat is impossible!'

Henrik bit his lip, closing his phone. He gave the containment room one last look before booking it back down the hall.

He broke into the break room where Jackie and Marvin were sitting, "YOU TWO! ZHERE IS AN EMERGENCY!"

Marvin jolted up, as did Jackie.

"What?! What is it, doc?!" Jackie was ready but more than anything, he felt he was ready to finally prove himself to the scientist.

"I don't like that look" Marvin examined Henrik's emotions, "What is it?"

Henrik caught his breathe and fixed his glasses, "The Reinforcement Unit in Sector B of my LA forces have found another entity!"

"What?!" Marvin snapped, "But that's impossible! I didn't sense anything!"

"Who cares!? Let's go get this fucking thing! Let's lock it up, too!" Jackie was ready.

"I do not think zhat is a good idea" Henrik shook his head.

"Why not?" Marvin asked, "It worked pretty well for the one A.L.T.R. we have"

Henrik fixed his glasses and cleared his throat, "Because zhe entity is coming straight for us. It took the unit out and is making a straight path for this very lab"

"Oh shit" Marvin cursed under his breathe, "Unless. . . what if this NEW entity is coming for the one WE have?"

"Fuck!" Jackie shouted, "You think they're friends. . . ..  or . . .something?"

"I don't  know but I do know one thing for sure" Marvin took out a mask similar looking to a cat from of his robe and placed it over his face, "We need answers and we need them now. Before that other entity gets here"

"Or we could go take it on BEFORE it gets here?" Jackie suggested.

Marvin shook his head, "There were a lot of men in that unit that fought it. We need knowledge first. It's time to take things further with A.L.T.R. 114209."

Henrik nodded, "I agree."

"I don't" Jackie put his two cents in.

"Vhat about letting it possess someone and speaking to it? Jackie could prevent it from escaping"

"It's an idea" Marvin agreed, "But if we're going to do something, we need to do it now. I can feel it now. It's coming in fast. It should be here within the hour."

"HOUR!?" Jackie was getting more unsure about this by the second.

____________________

It sensed it coming.

It wanted to snarl. 

How dare it embark on its territory?

It wanted a fight.

They were like two demons intent on ripping each other apart.

There was only room for one of them in this world.

'And it'll be me who comes out on top'

He had to reach out to Chase again.

'I need to become corporeal NOW'

____________________

Henrik, Jackie and Marvin immediately went together to the containment room with a few other scientists. Currently, they could only get within a few meters of it before its influence would react with them.

But that's exactly what they were counting on now.

Jackie was at the ready at the door and a volunteer scientist stood at the precipice of the sphere's influential zone. Marvin stood behind him.

"Remember. Just deep breathes and let it take control. We'll make sure not to kill you"

"Oh, that's reassuring" the scientist  chuckled humorlessly. He had obviously drawn the short straw in this, "Oh well . .. in the name of science, I guess"

He stepped forward and immediately felt the entity draw him closer.

When he was close enough, about a few feet away, he froze and it looked like his entire body became rigid like a puppet.

Henrik was up above looking in from the one-way mirror, watching closely.

'Let's hope this thing really isn't our enemy'

Suddenly, the scientist's body limp over, hunched but still standing.

Marvin sensed that he was now possessed, "Hello? Whatever you are. . . are you there? Can you talk to us?"

It was silent.

Completely still.

His eyes were blank and he stared ahead at nothing.

Marvin tried again, "Please, if you can understand us, can you let us know? We need to talk. What are you? Why are you here?"

The scientist began to chuckle.

It was high pitched and garbled, almost forced.

Jackie tensed, 'Nothing about this feels friendly, exactly. I don't like it'

Henrik, above the room and clear of danger, watched curiously. Would they finally get some answers?

The possessed scientist licked his lips, as if tasting its very latest meal, " . . .  . Where is he?"

Marvin blinked, sort of surprised, "So you DO speak our language. Where is who? Answer my questions first"

The scientist's eyes snapped to the magician and Marvin gulped. His eyes were black.

The creature felt Marvin's wavering bravery and started to grin, "Well aren't you an inquisitive little thing? . . . . . Where. Is. . .  Chase?"

Henrik didn't like that question and immediately started to text the guards. He was a logical man but he also felt the animosity from the creature, too. He texted Arin, his second in command, to get Chase to one of their other locations out of the building.

Marvin glared at him, "What are you? Why are you here?"

"That doesn't concern you, human"

"So you're not human." Marvin decided to be cheeky, "Check. What else are you not? Just answer the questions and maybe I'll answer yours"

The creature smirked, "I don't owe you anything. You lot are the ones that imprisoned me here"

It glanced over to Jackie, "Only he will get my mercy for setting me free before"

"Setting you free?"

Jackie shuddered, "When I. . . .when I pressed the button on accident"

The creature licked his lips again, "Exactly, big boy"

Jackie didn't like that.

Marvin raised his brow at the creature, "We're only keeping you here because we don't know what you want"

"You mean, if I plan on killing anyone?"

"Yes"

The possessed man rolled his eyes and head around as if thinking dramatically, "I don't know.  . . . .  If you get in my way, I might have to spill a little blood here and there. Where is Chase?"

Marvin could tell that this wasn't going anywhere.

And suddenly, he understood why.

"Shit. . . . you already know where he is. You're not really here, are you?"

The possessed man grinned, "Bingo. What a smart little kitten"

All of a sudden, the scientist's eyes went back to normal and fell forward, passed out.

Just as sudden, the black orb splattered to the ground like a giant ball of ink with nothing inside.

They had been played.

Marvin whipped around to Jackie, "WE HAVE TO FIND CHASE! NOW!"