Dark clouds blanketed the sky, spewing bolts of lightning at the ocean below on a stormy night. A helicopter hurried through the ominous skies, tossed by gusts of wind. Tensions were high among the passengers. Four soldiers gripped their weapons, bracing against the helicopter's sways.
Among them sat a woman in a lab coat, seemingly the calmest of all. Her hair curled in large sophisticated swoops of light pink, with an electric blue streak on the front bang, stopping just above her shoulders. Her skin was a smooth, darkened bronze with a red undertone. The blue light from her holo-screen clipboard reflected on her rectangular glasses, illuminating the cabin.
The pilot called out to the back. "Sorry for the bumpy ride, Dr. Leeuwen. I know we're bringing ya' in on short notice, but the top brass seem to think you're the only one who can help this situation."
She glanced up briefly, then back to her clipboard. Her subtle Dutch accent cut through the cabin. "It's no trouble at all. I'm looking forward to getting started, however ahead of schedule it may be."
" That's good to hear. O5-Head's gonna be contacting you soon for the briefing on your assignment. Meanwhile I'll try to get us in as close as possible, but as you can see,…it's a wreck down there."
She glanced out of the nearby window to see the SCP foundation headquarters off in the distance. It appeared to be in total chaos. Tall stacks of flame and smoke rose from several points on the building. The ocean surrounding it was tumultuous and violent, glowing a bright yellow from the flames spewing out of the building above. The accompanying soldiers looked down at the havoc ridden facility, questioning the likelihood that they would survive this endeavor. One of them turned to another and whispered. " Do you think we're gonna make it? I mean,..,I know she's supposed to be the best in the field, or so they say, but what is she really going to do against a raging SCP?"
The other soldier turned to him. "Shhhhh you idiot, she's right there. If you got a question, you can ask her yourself."
"I'd rather not. All things considered, she's kinda intimidatin' don't you think?" She hasn't flinched this entire flight despite the turbulence."
"Would you pull it together already? We've got one job. That's to keep her safe while she does her's. The rest doesn't really matter."
The nervous soldier went back to staring out of the window. Immediately they heard a loud explosion come from the building. The helicopter was instantly caught up in the residual gusts of wind as debris flew in their direction.
"Everybody hold on!" The pilot called out. " Things are definitely getting worse down there."
He tugged on the throttle, struggling to keep the vehicle upright as he maneuvered to dodge the incoming debris. They were getting closer to the facility, with the helipad finally becoming visible through the smoke. Suddenly the woman's clipboard began beeping. It seemed she had an incoming call of some kind. She reached to the back of the clipboard and pulled out a small earpiece that was docked in it's charger port. She then stuck it in her ear as she pulled up the call on her screen. She answered it. " It's a pleasure to finally speak with you again, Overseer. Although I wish it were under better conditions."
The person on the other end responded. " Dr. Amalia Van Leeuwen. It is a bit earlier than expected, but we're glad to finally have you on board. It is indeed unfortunate the current circumstances, but with the SCP 0-76-2 on the loose, we had no choice but to move forward with the operation. Break-outs like this are only going to become more frequent in the days to come, which is precisely why we're bringing you in on such short notice."
"I see." She responded while looking over the info-log for SCP 0-76-2, code name "Abel".
"Your first assignment is thus: Enter the SCP Headquarters facility and subdue the rogue SCP 0-76-2. In addition, you are to place him back under restraint and safely within the confines of SCP 0-76-1."
As she continued the call, the helicopter was making its landing on the roof of the headquarters. SCP soldiers stood on the roof as well, waving them in as the chopper made its descent. They appeared to be exhausted from battle. Among them were the bodies of fellow soldiers fallen prey to the attack. Once securely on the helipad, they could hear the commotion inside the facility. The voices of the soldiers inside could be heard as soon as they stepped foot out of the helicopter. Orders were being screamed in the midst of loud explosions and gunfire. The soldiers quickly began exiting the craft as the team leader shouted. "Alright team you have your orders! Surround and protect Dr. Leeuwen at all costs until her objective is complete! Now move into your positions!"
"Sir yes sir!" They all yelled back in response as they hustled to line up just outside of the chopper.
Dr. Leeuwen stood up and stepped slowly off of the helicopter, now surrounded by men in tactical gear and armed with special high-grade SCP weaponry. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and burned flesh, mixed in with the salt from the ocean. The dark clouds above were lit up from the fires burning around the facility.
The voice on the call continued. "It should be understood that should you fail in this task, or prove unable to control the situation, the facility and all current occupants Including yourself will be quarantined off and terminated effective immediately. Any record of you and your involvement with the SCP foundation will be terminated as well. Are you in compliance with these terms?"
"I understand the terms of my assignment, and I adhere to the conditions." She continued past the soldiers, making her way to the entrance of the facility. "Now if you don't mind, Overseer,…I'd like to begin my work."
"Understood. You have a platoon of SCP armed forces at your disposal. Best of luck to you all. We await good news."
The call ended as a soldier ran up to them from inside. He was out of breath and struggling to talk over the sound of the helicopter blades. "Right this way ma'am!" He stuck his arm out in the direction of the door leading inside. She and the four armed soldiers followed his direction as he guided them through the doors. The captain walked them down a long corridor that had suffered a great deal of damage in the calamity. Lights flickered in malfunction, casting fleeting light on the corpses and destruction. Loose wires dangled from holes made in the ceiling and the walls, occasionally shooting sparks from the severed ends. The building was already falling apart, and the SCP hadn't even made it this far up yet. Deep rumblings from the battle being waged hundreds of feet below sea level could be felt in their feet as they walked.
"What is the current situation down there?" She asked, walking and scrolling on her clipboard. Completely unbothered by the destruction around her.
The guiding soldier responded; "The SCP 0-76-2 escaped out of SCP 0-76-1 at approximately 03:00 hours earlier today. It's completely wrecked containment area 25, used to contain it and SCP 0-76-1, and is currently making its way through the tunnel connecting to the main building. We've set up barricades at sectors A-1 through A-4 of the tunnel. So far it's managed to break through sectors A-4 and A-3. We're holding it in A-2, but at this rate it'll make it to the main facility in no time. We have strict orders to destroy the entire tunnel system, along with containment area 25 should we fail to halt it's progress."
"And how many men do we have still on their feet?"
"I'm not gonna lie, Doc." He responded reluctantly. " We've suffered heavy casualties and the number's only growing. To our knowledge there was only one agent in the SCP organization that knew how to deal with this thing."
"I'm aware. SCP special agent Thomas Shields. Killed in action some time ago during an unrelated SCP operation gone wrong."
"That's our guy. As valiant as he was, no one survives a kill order from the higher-ups. And without his expertise, I'm not sure what we're supposed to do to contain it. Any ideas ma'am?"
Amalia stopped short of an elevator that lead down into the tunnel. The squad of soldiers abruptly halted their march as well. She turned to the agent with a stern yet earnest look about her face. "You leave that part to me, Captain. Once I'm inside I'll need you to ensure no one interferes while I'm dealing with the rogue SCP. Are we clear?"
The captain stepped in front of her. "But ma'am, our orders are to protect you during this endeavor. You're way too valuable to the foundation to just let you waltz in there unguarded."
"With all due respect, captain. There is little you or anyone else can do against SCP 0-76-2 at this point. If you want your men to come out of this alive, I'll need nothing less than your full compliance. Understood?"
The captain was hesitant to respond. He knew full well the risks that awaited them below, but he was unable to combat the doctor's logic. He was losing men and resources by the second, with no real solution in sight. He took a deep breath, and then stepped to the side to let her and her team onto the elevator. As she stepped onto it, she could feel the captain's concern. She looked back at him as a blue glass wall, cracked from the quaking below, closed her and her squad inside. She smirked at him. "Don't worry captain. I did not fly all the way from Europe to die on my first assignment. I will see this mission through to it's completion."
The captain waved as the elevator began taking them down into the depths of the tunnel. "I sure hope you're right about that miss. God help us if you're wrong."
The ride down into the tunnel was turbulent. The lower they went, the more clearly the sound of battle rang out. Random quakes caused the lights on the elevator to flicker. This was slowly unnerving the soldiers. The doctor however stayed poised and calm, still going over the files on her clipboard screen. Once the elevator stopped, the glass opened up to the first sector of the tunnel. It was still intact as the SCP had yet to make it this far. The large tunnel was filled with SCP agents and soldiers, all behind their weapons, waiting for the moment to defend against the murderous SCP. They all stood in a tense silence, listening to the chaos on the other side of the far wall. Gunshots and death screams were heard vividly now, along with the battle cries of the SCP. You could almost hear the soldiers' rattling knees as they shook in fear of the onslaught. They were all so lost in anticipation that they hardly noticed the doctor and her team approaching the blast wall connecting to the second sector. One soldier called out. "Wait ma'am! That area's extremely dangerous!"
She paid him no mind. Her stride was unbreakable, driven by curiosity and intrigue. The small troop of soldiers followed behind her nervously, guns at the ready. As they approached the large metal wall, they could hear the final gunshots of the last remaining agent. Shortly after were sounds of a vicious attack, then came the death cry. Everything fell dreadfully silent for a short moment. Everyone currently occupying sector A-1 was frozen in anticipation, gripped in fear and uncertainty, but Amalia had only inquisition on the brain. She slowly and carefully approached the reinforced wall, leaning in to glean anything she could. This made the soldiers in her company uneasy. One whispered in urgency. "Ma'am! I highly advise against…"
"Shhh!" She cut back at him.
She leaned in further, placing her head against the wall in an attempt assess the situation. She could hear a heavy demonic breathing echoing off of the walls inside. The vibrations were deep and ominous, rattling through the bones of everyone present. Suddenly, the breathing grew into a savage roar. It was immediately followed by the tip of a large blackened greatsword, piercing the wall right next to where Amalia had planted her face. Her eyes grew wide from what seemed more surprise than fear. This threw all of the soldiers into panic. They all manned their battle stations in preparation for the incoming attack. A blood thirsty voice rang out. "WHERE,…IS HE?!"
The sword instantly disappeared from the hole it had just made in the 10 inch reinforced blast gate. One of the agents quickly scurried to a console on a nearby wall. He nervously began opening it and punching numbers into the now revealed keypad. Amalia began peaking through the newly made hole, ignoring the survival instincts that any normal person would've displayed in such a situation.
That's when she saw it, or him rather. Standing in the center of an ankle-high blood pool with dismembered corpses scattered about. Sectors A-2 through 4 looked like his own personal hellscape. A battlefield bathed in the life force of his enemies. SCP 0-76-2 had the form of a young (seemingly) Sumerian male. As we know, SCP's come in innumerable variations of shape/size/state of being, and so forth. This particular SCP took the shape of a warrior. His skin was the color of fresh soil, riddled with strange red markings, and pulsating with a demonic aura. His long brown locks floating behind him as if lifted by the aura to defy gravity.
She watched as his rage swelled once more, this time driving him to stab his recalled blade into a corpse on the ground. He screamed as the red glow in his eyes intensified. "Where is the warrior you call Thomas Shields?!" He proceeded to stab the body repeatedly in a fit of rage, each time creating massive splashes of blood. "None of you weaklings are worthy of my strength! Bring me Shields now damn you!"
It was clear that he was lost in his rage, hating any and everything that couldn't satisfy his bloodlust. Amalia turned away from wall, her arms semi folded, gripping her chin in contemplation. She muttered under her breath, barely audible to the soldiers right behind her. "It seems his goal was never to make it out of the facility. He's only been pushing this way because that's where the fight is."
A soldier stepped forward curiously. "Ma'am? What's happening in there?" He whispered.
Before she could answer him, a metal clang rang out in the back of the room. The keys belonging the nervous agent had fallen onto the metal floor. They all tensed up at the audibility of the noise. Amalia looked back through the hole having heard Abel react to the sound. "THERE YOU ARE!" He shouted while winding back his blade. It seemed to be accumulating power. Amalia began moving away from the wall quickly. "Everyone get back!" She yelled. A soldier grabbed her as she ran in his direction, bracing them both for impact. The SCP let out a viscous roar as he released a dark energy slash in their direction. The attack tore through the wall separating them, cleaving it in two in a diagonal angle. The force of the attack fierce, blowing some of the soldiers back on impact. The agent by the wall began punching the key vigorously after seeing the SCP's strength. A large button on the console began to glow red. He went to push it, but was halted by Amalia's voice. "Wait!" She yelled.
The agent turned to her with fear in his eyes. " But ma'am,…I have to detonate this entire area should the SCP reach the last sector."
"Do you want to die agent?" She asked, removing herself from the cover of the soldier guarding her.
"N-no ma'am." He responded anxiously.
"Then I suggest you hold off and let me do my job."
She turned toward the wall and began walking toward the gaping slit in it. They could hear the SCP getting closer. "SHIELDS!" He screamed. "Why do you hide from me? It is unlike you!"
"He's not coming I'm afraid!" Came a voice from the wall.
The SCP turned to see Amalia walking through the hole toward him. He grinned for a moment, then began to frown. "You lie." He responded as he stabbed his blade into the blood-soaked floor. "He is duty bound to face me. He would not dare leave me unchallenged."
"I'm sure you are right about that, if he were not dead."
This angered him. "More lies!" He yelled as the aura became more intense. "He was a warrior of great strength. He is not so easily killed."
"Sorry to disappoint, but the man you seek was killed in a bomb strike called by the higher-Ups. They were unable to contain the situation, so decisions were made."
The SCP was immediately stricken with shock and disappointment. All of the rage and animosity dispersed from him instantly, as if her words had stripped him of all motivation. He squatted down next to his blade that was still jutting out of the floor.
"Killed in a,…bomb strike?" He pondered to himself, unsure of what the words meant.
"Correct. You know, a bomb,…boom." She pantomimed. "I'm afraid you won't be getting the fight you so desperately long for."
"Silence woman!" He responded irritably. "You know nothing about what I long for. It's a pitiful end for a man such as he. Killed by men who wouldn't dream of stepping foot on a battlefield. He deserved better,…he deserved death by a worthy opponent."
"Does this sadden you?" She asked, stepping toward him cautiously.
"Sadden? No no,…it disgusts me more like. He was one of your best. Yet you discarded him when the convenience arrived." He dispersed his blade into nothingness as he stood up. "I'm no longer interested in this rampage of mine. I wish to return to my coffin."
"I understand, but might I interest you in a proposition Perhaps?"
He cut his head in her direction. "If you are not a warrior of great skill, then I am uninterested."
She stepped closer. "That is precisely the matter I wish to discuss. My job here is to recruit you for a special assignment. An assignment involving the recapture of very powerful and dangerous SCP's, much like yourself."
He grunted in frustration. He was a simple warrior. The doctors words were much too fancy for his liking. He cracked his neck while waiting for her to simplify her request. She sensed his disinterest. "Simply put, you will be fighting against very strong enemies. In doing so,…you may yet find the worthy opponent your looking for."
"And what's stopping me from refusing and murdering all of you cowards?"
"If you do not agree, the foundation will simply make the same call that inevitably killed your friend Thomas. Everyone here dies, and you go back to your coffin for a long nap. And needless to say, no worthy opponents for you."
The idea of resting peacefully tinged at his soul. He hated the idea of remaining docile for any amount of time. He could possibly end up sleeping for months, years, centuries even. He scratched his head for a moment in contemplation.
"And what are the terms of this,…recruitment of yours?"
"Simple. You will refrain from attacking SCP headquarters and its staff. Additionally you will have to wear this." She held out what looked like some sort of collar. "This will ensure that your rage is kept in check. Should you become unmanageable it will detonate, killing you, although only momentarily."
"You drive a hard bargain woman. Is that all?" He asked, displaying a bit of excitement.
"One last thing. You will be working alongside another SCP of my choosing."
"I do not need a partner. They'd only get in my way."
She calmly walks up to him and places the collar around his neck. She then looks up and smiles at the warrior. "Don't worry my dear. Your going to absolutely love him I'm sure."
Chapter End-