Chapter 16 - Who's Got Control

"You know, we're all cut off from each other but there's elements of the security system that is still active. It's got to be a targeted attack."

"No. No way. Since we got hacked, our remote security protocols all have triple redundancies now, it's totally not possible." Henry said not believing this could be the case.

"Wait have you got eyes on Natalie Will? You didn't mention where she was." Helen asked after listening to Will, who had explained how he could see all of them currently as he was being shown the feed.

"No I don't see her." He told her.

….

"You don't see her, are you sure?" Helen asked now worried something might have happen to her daughter.

"Yes I'm sure. She's not on the feed, either she's not in the Sanctuary anymore or she's somewhere that whoever is doing this can't see her." Responded Will. Magnus was sure that Natalie had to still be in the Sanctuary as she wouldn't have left without telling her, thinking to where she could be Helen remembered that she had been doing most of her work lately in the records room. This was one of the very few places that didn't have cameras, hoping this was it meant also the hope that Natalie was aware of the current situation, and she was trying to help while staying hidden. Luckily that was something she was very good at,

"No perimeter breach detected no data theft, and these odd power fluctuations?" Helen asked Henry.

"Yeah, I know. None of it matches the patterns of a remote hack."

"And yet we're all at a perfect disadvantage." Says Magnus.

"Okay, so we got hit by something, Any theories on how to undo it?" Asked Kate.

"You know, this all started right after Henry rebooted the entire system. Everything was fine and then…" Will said with Magnus joining adding,

"The system overloaded. It must've damaged the automated commands running the Sanctuary."

"All the security cameras are working, but I can't get into a system that I created. It's like someone's running all this in real time." Henry told them. They began to discuss that there was a chance it was someone inside the building doing this, Kate thinking maybe one of the abnormals they had just rescued. Magnus told them that this couldn't be the empaths were there seeking asylum and wasn't their way of doing things, she went on to explain that she believe that Natalie was safe somewhere trying to help but had to stay hidden as to not alert whoever was doing this. While they were talking Druitt began to think that things were seeming all too familiar, he remembered what Helen had said had happen when she was reviving him. He interrupts the teams discussion,

"Helen..." He gets her attention while standing up from where he was sitting. Seeing he had her attention,

"When you revived me…" He began, Magnus instantly knew what he was referring to,

"The overload, a massive energy surge." She said.

"Yeah, but from what?" Will asked hearing the conversation,

"I feel different. I feel... Purged, purified." Druitt said to Helen ignoring the question Will had.

"It came from you." Helen Asked.

"I think so."

Knowing now that whatever it was had to of entered through the electrical system, Magnus to Henry to use the defib paddles and to juice the electrical panel in the room. Confused Henry did as he was asked, as he did this sparks fly all over and then builds as currents arc over the room.

"Something just came out... What the hell was that?" Will says after witnessing what happened.
"It's not anyone inside the building, it's the building itself." Magnus explained after hearing what happened. She lowered the gun she still had on John, knowing that it was not him who was doing this.

"What does that mean?" Kate asked.

"That something very much alive is in control of the Sanctuary." Magnus told them. Natalie had still been keeping an eye on what was happening through the feed, she also saw what had happened with the creature in the electrical system. She knew then the she had to find a way to get into the system or at least get in contact with Henry, seeing him with his tablet see had an idea as how she could. Not having any luck with hacking back into the system, she thought that she might have a chance to hack into Henry's tablet an be able to communicate with him that way so she wet to work. Thankfully she was right she was able to hack in, it only took her a few minutes but she could now contact the others, she sent a message to him.

"Hang on wait!" Henry said, everyone thinking he had been able to get back control.

"What is it Henry?" Magnus asked.

"It's Natalie, she must of hacked my tablet she's using it to talk." He said while continuing to read the message that was still coming through.

"Is she ok?" Helen needed to know. Henry didn't response straight away still paying attention to what he was reading.

"HENRY!" She asked again, this time he responded.

"Yeah she's good. She's hidden, she's also tried to get into the system with no luck."

"She's ok good, Henry try to stay in contact maybe between the two of you you might be able to fix this." Seeing how Helen had reacted to the news of her daughter had hurt John, he still wasn't happy with the idea that Magnus had a child with another man. Especially after the fact that his daughter was no longer with them. He stayed quiet while listening to everyone discussing what was going on, only adding that they should treat the creature like they were facing him. Knowing that the creature was watching them using the cameras Magnus told everyone to block their cameras so it could no longer see. After Natalie and Henry thinking they could possibly get in if they could somehow get the main power disconnected and restarted, Magnus instructed the team to try and see if any of them could get out and make it down to the catacombs.

As they were discussing their plan, the creature had manage to find out they were talking to each through the intercom. It used a burst of electricity to fry the intercom system leaving no way for the Sanctuary team to communicate, luckily it didn't know of the connection Natalie had with Henry so they could still stay in contact. This helped as with Magnus instructing them to cover their cameras left her also in the dark as to what was going on, she needed Henry to keep her updated. Will had begun to crawl through the old heating ducts to make his way down to the catacombs, but unluckily the creature had become aware of this and found a way to turn the old furnace back on. At the same time it reactivated the elevator that Kate and Biggie were in, moving it higher so that it could drop them. Seeing this happening Henry needed to try and stop this, he got Natalie onto trying to stop the furnace while he took the task of the elevator. Both managed to succeed in their tasks, this allowed Will to make it to the main power. The creature saw this and rushed it self to the panel to try and stop Will, luckily it was too slow and Will barely managed to shut off the power. After a minute he restarts it hoping that Henry and Natalie can now get control.

Magnus is sitting next to Druitt waiting when the lights come on.

"I believe your people have risen to the occasion." He says,

"Of course they have." She tells him. That's when her radio goes,

"Hey, doc, it's Henry. Will did it. Communications are back, so's most of everything else."

"Most?" She asks.

"Yeah, We're still working on it. Doc, the toxins it was scanning? It's making something very bad, very fast. It's using the automated assist."

"Can you override it?"

"Yeah, that's the problem. I've reclaimed everything else but I'm still locked out of the Main Lab. I can't make it stop. Nat's still trying though"

"Mr. Foss, can you open the door?" Druitt asks.

"Uh, Doc?" Henry asks, not sure he should do as John asks.

"It's all right, Henry." She tells him, knowing that they need to get down there. Henry does as she says and opens the door Helen and John rush to get to the main lab.

Henry is waiting with Natalie as Druitt and Magnus run up. Druitt leans against the door as Magnus quickly hugs her daughter glad that she is alright, she then turns to Henry. He explains what the creature is doing, Druitt hears this and comes to Magnus.

"it won't end here. It will grow, consuming whatever it can and never stop killing." He tells her, Magnus tells Henry they need more time.

"We don't have it." John interrupts, Magnus just stare at him. Will joins them,

"Okay, power's been reset. We should be good. What's happening now?" He asks. Helen and John not paying attention continue their discussion,

"My entire body is geared to being its home." He tells her.

"John." She pleads knowing what he was thinking of doing,

"Let me go."

"John, you don't have to do this. We could find a way…"

"I love you. Remember that…Always." Druitt says as he then looks over Magnus's shoulder toward Henry.

"Mr. Foss, would you be so kind as to deactivate the EM Shield?" Henry not sure about this looks to Magnus as to what to. Before she has the chance to agree Natalie steps in,

"Already done, we all know he has to do this Mom." Druitt hears this he quickly turns to Helen,
"For all eternity." He says as he teleport into the lab.

As soon as John teleports into the main lab the creature, goes to re-enter him knowing he was it means of escaping. Having now entered John again it gave back Henry the control to the main leg, he quickly opened the door and they all rush in.

"Get away from me!" Druitt yells as he stands defensively.

"Please, let me help you!" Helen pleads.

"I don't need your help!"

"It would have killed a lot more if it weren't for you. You kept it at bay." She tells him.

"I need to leave now." He knew that if he didn't go now he wouldn't be able to stop it from what it was wanting to do to them.

"Where are you going?" Helen asked.

"I have no destination in mind." He answered, taking one last look at Helen before glancing towards her daughter, silently thanking her for helping him keep Helen safe by disarming the EM shield.

"John, wait." Helen says as Druitt teleports away she sighs. They all then went to work to make sure that everything was back up and running correctly, Henry and Natalie went to Henry's lab to double check the system while Will and Magnus went to go and find Kate and the Big Guy. Finding them hanging at the top of the evaluator shaft they make quick work of getting them out safely. With everything no back to normal Magnus decide to let the team have the night off, after all that they had been through today they deserved it.

…