Dyna didn’t actually need the guards to strip in order to get their protective gear. She should have expected it, but they brought spares. Although they were a common sight around the Carroll Institute—especially down in Psychodynamics—Dyna had never worn the insulating equipment before. It wasn’t just like pulling on a pair of pants and throwing on a shirt.

The silvery fabric didn’t bend easily. Not because of whatever it was made from, but because of how thick the material was. It felt like wearing an extremely heavy winter coat. Except somehow worse. Then there was a large backpack that had to be hooked into various parts of the suits. Lacking air holes or other breathing filters in the mask, Dyna had to wear a full-face mask underneath the larger silver hood. Air got pulled in through the tanks on the back, filtered and processed, and then delivered through a small hose up to the mask.

Ado’s suit, much thinner and obviously easier to move in, looked more like a long raincoat that could just be thrown over the top of regular clothes. While Dyna hadn’t seen her don it, it simply couldn’t have anything like the backpack. There just wasn’t room.

Even under normal circumstances, Dyna would have preferred Ado’s version. Trying to get into a bulky and heavy suit that required the assistance of the two other people was an ordeal even before factoring in the Hatman. As it was, Dyna had to stop, equip one component, then break into a run again—made harder with each added piece of the suit—and loop around the trailers to give herself some time to equip the next piece.

Doctor Teeth wanted to load everyone up and move, but Dyna said no. Once they got him on the phone, Walter had agreed. That would give the Hatman a chance to disappear. Then they would have to track him down all over again without knowing who his target might be. Right now, he was after Dyna. Even one of the guards shooting him hadn’t changed that. But put too much distance between them and he might look for closer targets.

Finally, after several loops around the parking lot, the two technicians helped Dyna tug on the silvery gloves. They were about the only dexterous part of the Level S Psionic Insulation Suit, designed for both scientists and guards to operate their respective tools.

It was time.

Two warning drones echoed over the speakers. “Attention all non-security team personnel: Evacuate Mobile Medical Sciences Laboratory immediately.”

Despite the announcement, Dyna was mostly sure that it already had been evacuated. Doctor Teeth had moved up into the command trailer along with everyone else. It was, at the moment, completely sealed off. The only people outside were two guards who had been taking shots at the Hatman’s knees whenever he looked like he would catch up before Dyna was ready to move, Ruby, who had her finger tight over the trigger for the disruptor but had yet to actually use it, and the two technicians who had been helping Dyna.

There should still be two guards watching over Grafton, but…

“Attention security personnel: An emergency evacuation of the Mobile Psionic Isolation Chamber has been issued. Code Kilo. India. Lima. Seven.” The announcement paused, only to start again after three brief warning tones. “Warning: Hostile psychic type: Transmitter-Controller now active in local area. Maintain cognizance.”

Being outside the trailer, Dyna didn’t actually get to see the chamber opening up. Shortly after the announcement, however, both the remaining guards emerged from the medical trailer with Grafton laid down on a gurney. Unconscious because of the sedatives. They pushed him out, moving well clear of the trailer. Under other circumstances, Ado and Maple might have come out to see him. Now, however, both were too busy.

Dyna wasn’t sure what Tartarus was working on. They hadn’t communicated anything. The back of their truck was still open, however. Every time Dyna stopped to put on a new piece of gear, she glanced over. They were both fine, though it was a bit harder to tell now. Maple had joined Ado in wearing one of the full suits. Presumably, they were working on something that might help the situation. Dyna wasn’t sure what that was, but this plan didn’t need them. If it failed, or if the Hatman didn’t stay contained in the isolation chamber, maybe they would have something else as a backup.

“Ruby? Are you ready?”

The protective suits had their own headset communicators, which also picked up regular old sound from outside the suit. Otherwise, things would be too muffled to hear clearly.

Ruby did not wear one of the suits. At least not in full. They… apparently didn’t have one in her size. The suits were one-size-fits-all, but all did not include actual children. The gear Ruby did have on was limited to the Tartarus mask, silver boots, and one of the upper portions of the suit. Which, on her, did look rather like an oversized heavy coat.

She gave Dyna a nod of her head, but without glancing over. Ruby had the last line of defense against the Hatman, should he suddenly develop a complete immunity to bullets taking out his knees. They didn’t know how many times the disruptor would fire while still remaining effective, so she had to be sparing in actually using it.

“The Mobile Medical Sciences Laboratory has been cleared of personnel,” Beatrice said over Dyna’s headset.

“Great,” Dyna said, turning slightly to watch as the Hatman rounded the side of the trailer. That more than anything else demonstrated his lack of humanity or even greater sapience. He acted more like robot unable to break from his programming.

Though, knowing Beatrice, perhaps that was a bit of an insulting comparison.

Except, this time, he did break from his relentless pursuit. He stopped cold upon rounding the corner. His head swept over the parking lot, moving straight past Dyna without pause, only to stop on Ruby. But he didn’t stay staring in her direction for long. He kept going, looking to Grafton before turning his whole body to look toward Tartarus.

“He stopped?” Dyna said, scowling. She reached over to the small table the technicians had wheeled out to carry the suit’s parts. Grabbing her gun, glad the suit gloves let her hold it without fumbling around, she took aim.

When the Hatman took a step toward Ruby, Dyna flipped the safety and squeezed the trigger.

The Hatman jerked back, stopped, and looked around again. His line of sight had to have crossed over Dyna, and yet he simply looked back to Ruby after a moment.

“It’s the suit, isn’t it?” Dyna asked, realizing just why he had never gone after the guards despite them opening fire as well. “The suit is too good, so he can’t see me?”

“Observed behavior matches hypothesis.”

That… ruined the whole plan.

Dyna, gun in one hand, used the other to peel back the silver fabric around her wrist. Simple strips of silver-colored velcro held most of the separate parts of the suit closed. There was some around her collar, waist, boots, and gloves.

Just showing skin wasn’t quite enough. Raising her gun and shooting again, this time with the thick sleeve of her suit pushed up, did get the Hatman to stop and look in her direction.

“Alright,” Dyna said, backing up now that he was after her again. “Guess we’re doing it like this.”

“You can’t,” Ruby hissed. “He’ll get you.”

“He didn’t get Ado and her suit is a whole lot more open than this one little spot on my arm.”

“But—”

“Just be ready.”

“If I have to drag your ass back to this side of the world…”

That, Dyna figured, would just make them even. But she didn’t say it. Dyna knew Ruby well enough at this point to know the signs of frustration and irritation. The younger girl wasn’t happy. Not in the slightest. Between Grafton being freed and getting caught by the Hatman in the first place, Ruby probably wouldn’t take light-hearted quips all that well.

Besides, Dyna had to move. The Hatman approached her, once again ignoring the others in favor of Dyna. Backing up quick enough to maintain distance but slow enough to make sure that the Hatman didn’t lose her again, Dyna retreated up the ramp leading into the medical trailer.

It was empty. All the fold-out tables had been put back into place, leaving the walls flat and unobstructed. Dyna wasn’t sure what happened to the dismembered arm. Maybe it had been put into a container for later study.

The back of the trailer, once a curved wall of dark metal with only a tiny viewing window, had been opened up. The front door looked like it slid around the rest of the cylindrical chamber. Inside, there was a simple seat. Not fancy at all. It looked like it had next to no padding. The back, armrests, and legs of the chair all were some kind of metal. Both armrests and the front legs had thick metal shackles built into them. A metal harness, much like that of a roller coaster ride, looked like it would lower to further clamp down on any unfortunate inmate contained within.

Dyna stepped into the chamber and immediately felt a… stillness. The door hadn’t closed around her or anything. Yet, it felt like walking into a room with an excess of soundproof foam on the walls. Except instead of affecting her ears, it was a stillness of the mind.

Uncomfortable, but harmless. And a bit odd. She would have thought that the suit would have deafened her mind. But maybe it was one-way insulating. Psionic emissions could escape but not enter? Or maybe the isolation chamber was just that much stronger than the suit.

That was good. It meant the Hatman would have an even harder time escaping.

Whatever the case, entering the isolation chamber made the Hatman stall again. He made it up into the trailer, but paused two steps in. His face, features scribbled out, aimed in her direction and yet it didn’t feel like he was looking at her.

Dyna stepped back outside the isolation chamber, tugging open the gap between her glove and her sleeve again. “Hey!” she called.

That got him to face her properly. The Hatman took two steps and lunged. Black trails of permanent marker followed his hands as he attacked.

Dyna pulled up her gun and shot him in the leg. Just as he had every time the guards shot at him, he stumbled. Stepping to the side, Dyna let him stumble past her. As he did so, she tugged the glove back closed, sealing her suit once again.

With only mild trepidation, Dyna shoved the Hatman from behind.

Phase-wandering entity or not, her hands impacted against his back and sent him forward into the isolation chamber.

“Ruby!”

“Move.” Ruby’s voice came from behind Dyna, back toward the entrance of the trailer.

Dyna wasted no time in pressing herself up against the wall of the trailer.

Unlike the last time one of the disruptor guns had gone off in vaguely her direction, Dyna felt nothing. The suit sufficiently shielded her from the wave of nausea. The Hatman wasn’t so lucky. Although insulating, the chamber still had its door open, allowing the disruptor’s invisible wave in.

He promptly collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

Dyna rushed forward once again, doubting that the effect would last for long. This wasn’t the larger disruptor, after all. It probably wasn’t calibrated properly either.

The Hatman wasn’t properly in the chair, but Dyna still grabbed his wrist and wrenched it around to the manacle attached to the armrest.

“Shackle Lock Left Arm: Engaged.”

She had to twist his other arm out from under his body to get in position. He was already starting to stir. Not attack, not yet, but there was a bit more resistance in pulling it around than there would have been from an unconscious body.

“Shackle Lock Right Arm: Engaged.”

The metal bindings closed automatically once Dyna pressed it down into place.

He was facing her now. Sort of. With his head hanging slack, all Dyna could really see was his hat. She was tempted to just tear it off. It should have been soaked from being inside the water tank, but it wasn’t. None of him was.

Further proof of his inhumanity.

Unfortunately, he was stirring more and more. No time to investigate. Not to mention, Ado had not removed the hat when putting him into their containment tank. It could be part of him. If that was the case, it would remain right where it was. With him now in the custody of the Carroll Institute, scientists would surely figure out every little detail about him.

Dyna bent down, grabbing his shoe to twist his foot into position.

“Shackle Lock Right Leg: Engaged.”

“Dyna!”

While moving to grab the left leg, the Hatman kicked out. The shined shoe struck Dyna straight in the face. A crack spread through the aluminized glass in front of her face as she fell backwards.

Ruby rushed forward. Dyna could hear the footsteps. Dyna had to twist and raise her arms to stop Ruby before she got too close. “I’m fine! Just jostled. Don’t touch him.”

Despite the crack, she could still see the Hatman. The inner mask wasn’t damaged. She wasn’t sure if it had some protective elements to it as well or if the crack was just cosmetic.

Though, it couldn’t have been purely cosmetic.

Ruby used the disruptor again. This time, Dyna could feel it. Faint, barely there. More of a breath from across the room than a wave of dizziness. Still, it made Dyna lick her dry lips.

The Hatman wouldn’t be able to get through, would he? She could call up one of the other guards. Get them to do this in her place. Shouldn’t they be doing this anyway?

The Hatman was limp in the chair again. Dyna decided not to rely on others. They could probably do the job just fine, but she was here now. She just had to get his foot into the manacle and everything would be over with.

Wrenching herself forward, having to put far more weight into sitting up than she was used to, Dyna lunged for the Hatman’s leg. She gripped it, slid it over, and slammed it into position.

“Shackle Lock Left Leg: Engaged. Attention: Please stand clear of the Mobile Psionic Isolation Chamber.”

Dyna, half seated on the ground, scooted back as quickly as she could.

“Mobile Psionic Isolation Chamber closing. Stand clear. Stand clear.”

A motor whirred somewhere in the walls of the trailer. In moments, the heavy metal door hissed shut, sealing the Hatman into the isolation chamber. A moment of silence passed before either Dyna or Ruby said anything.

“You don’t see any of those… things about to free him again, do you?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Good,” Dyna said, relaxing slightly. “Help me up.”

It took a bit of work to get back to her feet. The suit and especially backpack were heavy and Ruby wasn’t that large. But Dyna eventually made it. She approached the glass porthole of the Isolation chamber.

The Hatman sat inside, perfectly still. He wasn’t thrashing against the restraints or otherwise trying to escape. The permanent marker of a face was calm and unmoving.

Ruby slammed her foot into the metal door hard enough that anyone else would have had to worry about broken toes. She just let out a grunt. “Bastard.”

Dyna didn’t bother admonishing her for her language. She could agree with the sentiment. With her actual memories of her first encounter with the Hatman gone, she didn’t have what probably should have been a fairly primal fear or revulsion of him. But he attacked Ruby. Made her disappear. If he had been able to erase Dyna’s phone, she might not have realized until too late. In addition, she knew that he had messed with her memories. Several times, in fact. That was absolutely unforgivable.

And he wasn’t the only one. Someone else had presumably erased a much larger portion of her mind, if that painted-out book had been any indication. Hopefully picking apart the Hatman would give her some clue. The way he erased memories felt similar enough.

Until then…

“Beatrice, let everyone know that we’re ready to move the vehicles to prevent the… other people from freeing the Hatman again. Ruby, maybe talk to that other entity about how we can more permanently stop them?”

Ruby nodded, then paused. “Are you alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Dyna asked, then stopped and tried to shake her head, only to fail completely. “Actually, no. Help me out of this thing.”