The elevator—
Settled.
Reaching its destination.
Its doors—
Opened.
Kane's body—
Shifted.
Stepping out first.
The crack—
Expanded.
His feet—
Guided.
As if they knew where to go.
Art tried to extend her hand towards him.
"Kane, wait."
Kane—
Continued.
Without turning back.
Art sighed as she lowered her hand.
Jean stood next to her, resting her hand on her shoulder.
"Come on, let's get started."
Art focused her breath, calming herself.
"Right."
Fluorescent lights—
Flickered.
As they hung above them.
The many labs—
Deserted.
Like they hadn't been accessed in days.
Art began moving down the corridor.
"This place seems abandoned."
Jean followed.
"Yeah."
Kane's steps—
Echoed.
A ways ahead of them.
His gaze—
Held.
Beyond.
Art looked down the dark hall.
"How far is he going?"
Jean shrugged as she walked beside her.
"Who knows..."
Her attention was moved to a lab window.
A faint glow—
Flickered.
Behind the glass.
She leaned close to the window.
"...there looks to be something in here."
Art stopped, turning towards her.
"What do you see?"
Jean straightened her posture.
"I can't tell."
Art rested her hand on her chin.
"We should check it out."
She moved over to the door, grabbing its handle.
"I agree."
Art nodded as Jean slid the door open, entering the room.
A dim light—
Outlined.
The small desk surface.
A vial rack—
Rested.
Containing a deep purple fluid.
Document pages—
Scattered.
Across the floor.
Jean picked one up, following the faded words with her eyes.
–Fluid—Deletion—
She folded a few pieces and put them in her pocket, continuing to look around the room.
Art walked to a nearby shelf.
Her finger traced the spines of many dusty books, pulling one off.
She scanned the title.
The principles of extracting liquids.
Art sighed, placing it back on the shelf.
Jean straightened her posture as she closed a drawer.
"Have you found anything noteworthy?"
Art shrugged.
"No..."
She pointed to the room across the way.
"...I'm going to head over to that room."
Jean turned to the door.
"I'll come as well."
The two—
Continued.
Searching every room.
Pieces of documents—
Spread.
Containing nothing important.
Old books—
Resided.
On dusty shelves.
Art stepped out from the fourth room.
"There's nothing here."
Jean looked down the hall.
"We should still check the last room."
Art turned.
"Right."
The two began walking down the dark hall.
Art's eyes—
Narrowed.
As Kane came into view.
Kane was—
Still.
Standing before a broken door.
Its locks—
Busted.
The air—
Shifted.
Its hinges—
Creaked.
Opening it inward.
His chains—
Rattled.
Hard.
As if they were trying to contain something.
Art's ears—
Twitched.
As she stopped before the lab's door.
Jean stood next to her.
"Is there something wrong?"
Art inhaled slowly through her nose.
"Nothing."
Her eyes—
Lingered.
For a brief moment.
Kane's body—
Moved.
Into the darkness.
Art's gaze—
Fixed.
On the door.
Focus on the mission.
She reached for the handle, opening the door.
"Let's find what we came for."
Jean looked down at her.
"Right."
The room—
Ordered.
Dust—
Cleared.
As if someone had cleaned moments before.
A stack of documents—
Aligned.
On the corner of the desk.
Art's hand rested on her chin.
"Someone has been here."
Jean stepped in behind her.
"Seems like it."
Art motioned towards the desk.
"I'll check over there."
Jean looked to a nearby shelf.
"Then I'll investigate over here."
Art glided her hand across the smooth surface.
The wood—
Clean.
Like it was brand new.
A single drawer—
Unlocked.
Art pulled the handle opening it.
Her eyes—
Widened.
A black-and-gold file sat alone in the drawer.
Art lifted the file, placing it on the desk.
Its cover—
Tattered.
The words—
Worn.
She opened the first page.
"Jean, come look at this."
Jean headed to her side.
"What is it?"
Her shoulders twitched.
"That color."
Art's hand rested on the desk.
"Yeah, it's just like them."
Jean scanned the first page.
"Let's continue."
Art flipped the worn pages.
Words—
Faded.
Their eyes—
Traced.
The remaining lines.
—experi—inst—
Art's head tilted.
"I can barely make this out."
Jean leaned closer to the paper.
"The next lines seem more legible."
They continued.
Watchman I—
Art's hands—
Tensed.
Jean's eyebrows—
Furrowed.
—Arthur—overseeing—
Art's fist—
Clenched.
As she took a step back.
Jean's hand—
Raised.
Covering her mouth.
Her voice—
Shook.
"This..."
Her head—
Lowered.
"...can't be."
Art's eyes—
Focused.
Forward.
Looking at the reflection in the window.
A mechanical buzz—
Filled.
The silent space.
Her mouth—
Opened.
"Was this what he wanted?"
Jean slowly raised her wrist.
"We don't know for sure."
A green light—
Scanned.
Recording each page of the file.
Jean closed the file, placing it back in the drawer.
She gazed at Art's expression before stepping in front of her.
"We can ask him when we get back."
Art's eyes—
Closed.
As she steadied her breathing.
"You're right..."
Her hands—
Relaxed.
"...we should regroup with Kane."
Jean turned to the door.
"Yeah."
She stepped through the threshold.
Art's movement—
Paused.
At the door frame.
Her head—
Turned.
Looking at the empty desk.
Jean called to her.
"You coming?"
Art's stride—
Continued.
"Yes."
She looked towards the dark hallway.
What else do you want us to find...
Jean stopped before a rusted door.
"Kane went through here."
Art's face—
Tightened.
As she followed Jean into the room.
...Arthur.