In the dimly lit corridors of Isodyne Energy Headquarters, Wilkes led his companions, Peggy and Val, through the labyrinthine maze of security checkpoints and restricted access areas. The stakes were high, and the tension in the air was palpable as they neared their destination: the elusive containment unit.

Upon entering the unit, Peggy's eyes widened in wonder at the futuristic technology and advanced machinery surrounding them. Her curiosity piqued, she turned to Wilkes and posed a question that had been nagging at her since they had entered the facility.

"What's all of this?" she inquired, gesturing to the dazzling array of electronic devices before her.

Wilkes, his face a mask of intense concentration, barely looked up as he replied, "It's an Isodyne Energy containment unit. One of the most secure facilities in the world."

Peggy was intrigued. "Containment unit? For what?" she asked, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for an answer to her question.

With a steady hand, Wilkes tapped out a complex sequence of numbers and letters on the control desk, causing the heavy metal doors of the containment unit to slide apart with a hiss, and replied, "For containing this."

Peggy's eyes widened in awe at the sight that lay before her: a dark, inky substance that flowed like water, contained within the high-tech facility.

When Val looked at it, he secretly took a step back. Wilkes, however, seemed unfazed by the presence of the substance.

"This is the substance that was discovered during the Second World War, during one of the atomic bomb tests that our company conducted," he began, his voice low and intense. "This is the substance that the company has spent millions of dollars experimenting on. This was the substance that I saw Jane Scott studying. This is the Zero Matter."

Wilkes opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the chamber, causing all three of them to freeze in their tracks. Turning around, they saw Whitney standing in the doorway of the containment unit, a gun clutched tightly in her hand.

As her eyes roamed over the trio, they finally came to rest on the dark and mysterious substance contained within the unit. A crazed look crossed her face as she gazed upon it, her fingers twitching on the trigger of her weapon.

With a swift movement, Wilkes grasped the container of Zero Matter tightly, his eyes narrowed in suspicion as Whitney approached them. "What are you doing here, Mrs. Chadwick?" he demanded, his voice low and steady. "This is a restricted area of the facility. Civilians aren't allowed here."

Whitney's lips curled into a sly smile as she advanced on them, the gun still clutched tightly in her hand. "Oh, really?" she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "You thought I was a mere civilian? No, no, no. I am Agnes Culley, the genius scientist who created the Isodyne Energy company."

Wilkes's jaw dropped in disbelief. "What? You created this company?" he stammered, his mind struggling to process this revelation.

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Whitney laughed coldly, the sound echoing off the walls of the containment unit. "You thought my useless husband did?" she sneered. "He is nothing. I built everything that you see around here. Everything here belongs to me." Her eyes darted to the container in Wilkes's hands, a greedy glint flashing across her face. "Including the container you are holding."

Whitney's eyes narrowed as she trained the gun on Wilkes, her finger tightening on the trigger. "Now, why don't you give that container to its rightful owner?" she snarled, her voice laced with venom.

But Wilkes was not so easily intimidated. Instead, he stood his ground, a sly smirk playing across his lips. "You can't shoot me while I'm holding onto this container," he retorted, his voice dripping with confidence. "We both know that if this container breaks, there would be a massive explosion."

Whitney gave a slight nod and lowered her gun as if she was complying with Wilkes's demand. But in reality, she had no intention of relinquishing her hold on the Zero Matter.

Wilkes, for his part, was taken in by her act of apparent surrender. He let his guard down, assuming that she had listened to reason and was placing the gun on the ground. Trustingly, he set the container down on the desk beside him, feeling a sense of relief that the danger seemed to have passed.

Without hesitation, Val grabbed Peggy's hand and pulled her away, moving swiftly to escape the danger that was unfolding in front of them.

Peggy was bewildered by Val's sudden action, but she could sense the urgency in his grip as he propelled her towards the exit. Despite her confusion, she couldn't help but wonder why they were running away when they had a perfect opportunity to capture Whitney and bring her to justice for her role in Jean Scott's murder.

Meanwhile, Whitney was not one to be underestimated. With lightning-fast reflexes, she snatched up the gun again, her finger tightening on the trigger as she aimed her gun once again at Wilkes, who had let go of the container.

* BANG *

* BANG *

The sound of gunfire filled the air as Whitney pulled the trigger twice, hitting Wilkes in the forehead. He fell to the ground, lifeless. In his final moments, he accidentally knocked over the container, causing it to fall from the desk and shatter on the ground.

As the container fell from the desk, it shattered upon impact with the ground. The Zero Matter, now free from its confines, flowed out and began to spread across the floor. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light, and a deafening explosion rocked the entire facility.

* BOOOOOM *

The force of the explosion was felt throughout the building, and the sound of shattering glass and crumbling concrete filled the air.

Val glanced back and saw the explosion from the Zero Matter approaching them rapidly. He shouted urgently at Peggy, "We need to get out of here, Peggy! Now!"

Peggy turned to see the oncoming blast and, without hesitation, sprinted with all her enhanced speed. The two of them raced towards the exit, their hearts pounding with fear and adrenaline.

They barely made it out of the facility before the blast wave hit them. They turned back to see the entire building crumble under the force of the explosion.

The aftermath of the explosion left the Isodyne Energy Headquarters in ruins. The once-thriving facility was now a disaster zone, with debris scattered everywhere and smoke rising from the rubble.

Peggy let out a frustrated sigh and muttered, "This is just perfect. Wilkes is dead now, too." She glanced at Val and asked, "What do we do now?"

Val shared the same heavy sigh and replied, "We need to regroup and figure out our next move. Let's head back home and discuss everything we've learned about the case, about Whitney, and the Zero Matter."

Amid the rubble and wreckage, Whitney managed to crawl out and coughed violently as she tried to get her bearings. As she dusted herself off, she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that she had managed to survive the explosion. However, as she examined herself, she noticed something strange happening to her body. Her fists clenched and her arms felt different, almost as if she had gained some sort of power. Little did she know, the Zero Matter that had spilled on the ground was slowly seeping into her body, granting her abilities beyond her wildest dreams.