The man they held groaned softly and it almost made Alice jump. Something about this man frightened her, but that very same something was too perplexing for her to ignore.

Is he even a he? Is he even human? What is.. it?

Suddenly remembering the other woman spoke her name.. What was it again? Ah, Cristoff. Lisa Cristoff. Officer Lisa Cristoff.

CIA.. officer.. close enough.

"Alice.." The vague flash of her parents flicker in her mind. They must be dead now.. "Caulder. Alice Caulder. I was assistant to the head librarian.."

Pain stabbed her heart.. Mrs. Jones.. Tears pricked her eyes and she wanted to cry but she didn't. Clearing her throat she turned and latched the door shut, getting the odd feeling she was trapping the two them in the room with this man. This man she had not the single clue about..

"Do you know him?" Alice asked the officer. Perhaps she could explain his arm and his tentacles and his.. being whatever it was that he is..

A yellowed sheet of typed paper with a few words on it is hanging out and from under the hem of his jacket, along with a folder the paperwork. The folder is in terrible condition.
The report reads;

“BLACKLIGHT has been contained again as of date 12/22/2122. Add this material to the compilation from studying this subject over 149 years since it’s birth at Gentek morgues. (there is sloppy handwriting under this that states; “We haven’t killed this thing yet? I don’t care if it thinks it’s a he, take this thing back to HQ and kill the motherfucker.”)

BLACKLIGHT still pervasively thinks of itself as a he, still thinks of itself intrinsically as Alex Mercer after all these years. It knows that it is a sentient, self formed shell, but still responds to the name of it’s deceased creator.

BLACKLIGHT shows interest in socializing with others of a different species than itself. Most socializations fail due to it’s lost understanding of emotion. BLACKLIGHT vocalizes and picks up tones of that of a normal human but it cannot grasp emotion fully. BLACKLIGHT seeks to blend in with others and communicate; it succeeds in this but mimics that of a sociopath or extreme introvert personalities. The only time a personality change was apparent was in contact with children. A female child was released into the containment area. BLACKLIGHT was expected to act in a volatile manner towards the orphan. Subject instead was affectionate and protective of the child. When we removed the child for extermination BLACKLIGHT became violent and was sedated.

SGT. [REDACTED] of BLACKWATCH suggested a study of the subject’s reactions when watching the child die. BLACKLIGHT became even more agitated and volatile and clawed, threw himself at the enclosure, making inhuman sounds. Subject spent rest of day in corner of enclosure, holding his side. Past studies proved that before infection, Dr. Alexander J. Mercer of Gentek was a child abuse victim. BLACKLIGHT may have picked up traits from his shell’s past memories that affect him.

1400 hours
2 hours after first serum dosage BLACKLIGHT lost it’s form and reduced into a pile of black biomass. At 1900 hours it was able to resume it’s shape but with defects to it’s usual ability to mimic and shape shift. The core of BLACKLIGHT seems to be damaged and can no longer sustain as much use as usual. Subject can still create volatile weapons and proceeded to wound Dr. [REDACTED] by vomiting an acidic solution after remembering who administered the shot. BLACKLIGHT also wounded himself by this action, later to be regenerated by his biology.

12/25/2122
BLACKLIGHT becomes increasingly ill in attitude and has moments of vulnerability and severe trauma. BLACKLIGHT has completely disposed of the remains of Dr. [REDACTED]. Subject berates staff [… You all did this to me… after all these years you still blame me… all the things I did to save your pathetic race…cleaning up the genetic messes you made! I can still hear those innocent people screaming in my skull!] BLACKLIGHT suggests it is superior to others [… All of you are the same… you never ever change… selfish and homicidal… you rape and kill and your authority is as greedy as the rest of you. I traveled this whole world looking for humanity… not a single one of you could prove me wrong… why do I try to convince myself into morality?] BLACKLIGHT seems to have become immune to the serum once again; all of his senses and abilities are back on line.

Post guards hear more vocalizations in a language we do not know of made of intricate clicks, hisses, and growls. BLACKLIGHT will be sent to [REDACTED] for possible study before extermination.”

He shifts and rests his head on the floor, half regaining himself. Alex's eyes flutter open barely and he continues to play dead, listening to their voices.

Lisa listens as Alice explains the key points of the folder.

She wonders if this man is the one from the file... it would make sense. But she didn't want it to be true....

"Volatile. Should we be concerned?"

Giving in to her urges, Lisa walks carefully around the man on the table. She presses buttons on the coffee maker until it gurgles to life. The power is on temporarily and she tries the tap to fill the machine.... but no water comes out.

Probably shouldn't trust the city water anyways with an outbreak.

She checks the mini-fridge and to her dismay the water bottles inside are empty. Seriously? She grabs them and puts them on the counter one by one until all three are out and confirmed empty.

Her coffee craving greatly increases with the lack of water.

Thinking for the future, she stuffs the !empty bottle s into the duffle bag she stole from the evidence room. It had been filled with cocaine, but she emptied all of that out so... maybe no traces remain in the fabric.

Alice had reached the end, and Lisa stood, staring at the man, holding her breath....

The man suddenly comes completely animated and Cristoff is caught off guard. She jumps bodily and drops her duffel loudly on the floor. He's speaking already, calmly, precisely, and she admires his creepy forwardness and lack of inhibition.

Her eyes are wide. She has no control over her facial expressions, or any of her body for that matter. All she does is listen until she hears the name "Alex Mercer, ex-scientist".

"No way. I've.... did you know there's a History Channel documentary about you? You're a terrorist! Everyone said you'd fled the country..... and were dead for at least a hundred years....... oh gods I need to sit down."

She grabs the nearest chair and sinks into it, eyes still wide.

"That.... doesn't make sense."

She suddenly realizes that the chair she sat in was still located at the table.... where he was..... and erupts into a mad blush, standing quickly and running a finger through her hair trying to act natural.

She looked to Alice for guidance, a pleading look of WHAT THE HELL DO WE DO on her face.

Alex notices the reactions he's getting. "If I were the same person who created me. After he died I by default took on his form when his body landed on the broken vial after being shot."

He analyzes Alice’s and Lisa’s faces slowly, as if trying to commit it to memory, his hand already pale skin, fingers, and palm again. He feels pity in his guts. He searches for anything to make it up to them for terrorizing them like this.

"....... I'm sorry." He actually sounds sincere for once. "I.... I'm the one who will leave. I understand completely the dangers and fear that come along with being close to me." He shifts his weight, clutching the door handle, quiet, his back to them.

“After 20 years, you analyze a lot... You know, remember people, heroism... Many people come up to me that I rescued and say that, had they been there they surely would have died. But no, it makes no sense... because until you're in a situation like that you have no idea how you'll behave. I behaved because after all these years I started to learn morality. Unlike my creator.” His face shows sign of loss and stress of all the things he’s seen. “Fronted by solitude without decadence or a... single physical thing to hold onto. I just simply don't fit." He closes the door behind him, returning to his task of trekking back to any safe haven to rest.

ooc//: WATCH THAT ASS WALK AWAY.

Alex's words effected Alice. The pit of her stomach cramping painfully as she felt her knees begin to buckle under her exhaustion. The day was beginning to take its toll on her. Wearily she raised a hand and smoothed over the top of her hair, a consoling habit she's formed over the years. Lisa had ran out after him, the door shutting behind her as she left.

"I didn't mean to offend him.." Alice whispered and finished the sentence in her mind..

I'm just not used to people.. Being around them or them noticing my existence.. This is just so strange for me. I've never been much good talking to anyone. Hell, it's the apocalypse and I'm running off some of the people that could be the last people on Earth. Isn't that just great?! Great job Alice! Run them off, like you always do.

Alice crumpled to the floor, she was used to getting left but at the end of the world it some how felt even worse. She sat for a moment, reflecting on the two people she just met. She figured they're better off without her around, even at the end of the world. Standing and brushing off the few tears that managed to escape she started out the door. The florescent bulbs in the lobby began to glow eerily more present as the day shifted into night.

"I hate the dark.." Alice murmured to herself as she began to retreat.