Ava could feel the quickened thrum of her heartbeat in her ears as she cautiously approached Dr. Walsh. A storm was brewing between the doctor and the newcomer, and she didn't want to get caught in the crossfire. She opted for keeping a sensible distance, just within earshot.
Crimson strobe lights painted the lab in unsettling flickers, mirroring the mosaic of suspicion on the doctor's face. -"Don't play coy, now,"- she jabs an accusatory finger toward the taller man, now identified as the infamous Charles Fox, glaring daggers at him. Her tone grows more tense with every word. -"I know you've been going through my files. I demand an explanation."-
-"After all this time... Finding you here..."- Disbelief still etched on the man's features after finding his long-lost colleague in the bunker, stumbling through his words. -"This changes everything!"-
He took a hesitant step closer, but she cut him off with a sharp, -"Answers, Charles. Don't try to deflect."-
His frantic gaze darted around the room before locking back on hers. But their tense standoff was shattered by a metallic clang, echoing through the sterile environment. They froze, anticipation tightening the air. Another crash shattered the fragile silence, then another. Something deep within Ava's intuition whispered that the source of the noise wasn't human.
-"This better not be your doing,"- Dr. Walsh snapped, but Fox was already fixated on something else. His jaw clenched, eyes darting restlessly. Something was clawing at the door.
Silence stretched, punctuated only by the agonizing scrape of claws against metal. Then, hell broke loose.
-"You lured it in!"- Realization dawned on Fox, horrified as he spun on Dr. Walsh who met his accusation with a defiant glare.
-"How dare...? Of course, because a..."- Her words, once in a sarcastic tone, trailed off as a grim realization hit her. -"Wait, how do you know about it?"-
Charle's voice was laced with weary exasperation as he spoke. -"Evelyn, who doesn't? This... Anomaly... It's the only thing the Chancellors seem to care about."-
The color drained from the doctor's face, replaced by a chilling mix of dread and guilt. For the first time, her gaze strayed from Fox, wandering around the room with a nauseating disorientation.
Ava, watched their escalating argument with growing alarm. They were so entrenched in their accusatory back and forth, that they'd seemingly forgotten about the clawing, the more immediate and far more dangerous threat. Her voice, laced with fear and urgency, cut through the tension. -"Doc! Can we please focus on the thing trying to tear through the door?!"-