271 Horrors of War(6)
– Security Room, Site-17 - 12:20 AM –
Miranda, along with Donna and Angie were in the security room surrounded by the lifeless bodies of multiple Super Soldats which Miranda terminated them without mercy was currently checking the security cameras, only to find most of the feeds were glitching as a result of the dark aether crystal that Revenant had used upon entering the facility. This had caused system malfunctions, leaving the site vulnerable and allowing the SCPs to roam freely.
"The Reich and the dark aether attacking this place was the last thing I expected," Miranda said, her voice heavy with concern. "The Forsaken was more bold than I imagined."
Until then, she noticed something on the monitors which displayed footage from three different cameras. The first showed SCP-682 shredding his way through ranks of MTF soldiers, even slaughtering both them and enemy forces without slowing down. The second camera showed Molly, Iris and Lucy discussing something with Amelia lying motionless against the wall. The third camera showed Abby, Mommy Long Legs and Revenant walking down a corridor.
"That's a big lizard," Angie commented as she watched the footage where it showed SCP-682 ruthlessly slaughtered both enemies and allies without difficulty.
"Who are those two with Abby? They seem troubled," Donna pointed out.
"They're Forsaken's pawns," Miranda explained solemnly. "No wonder this place is in chaos, but it seems the lizard is heading toward the floor where the child is, so it must be after her."
"Then we must save her!" Angie exclaimed.
"Hmm... alright. We'll head to Abby first, then try to meet up with Iris and the others before escaping this facility. This place is a lost cause."
Suddenly, the security cameras went dark.
"What's going on?!" Donna asked, alarmed.
"All systems are failing, likely due to the Forsaken's pawns meddling," Miranda responded, turning to face Donna. "Did you bring the flower pots?"
Donna nodded, holding them up. "Always."
"Good. Let's move out," Miranda said.
With that, the trio set out.
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– Tram Station, 13th floor, Site-17 - 12:21 AM –
Director Zolgamax Jones along with hundreds of SCP staff, including Safe or Euclid class SCPs were boarding the trams and the carts attached to them. These trams were engineered to move at subway speeds, a design choice made by the SCP engineers even when carrying substantial weight and while running through underground railway tracks and tunnels.
"Load everything up. We're moving out." Jones commanded.
"Sir, many Keter and Euclid class SCPs are still loose on the site, and some of our staff are still out there. What should we do?" asked one of the researchers.
"We don't have time," Jones replied firmly. "Even if we did, the Fritz's robots would show us no mercy. We can't afford further losses, and I trust the other staff members I know personally to be capable of surviving on their own."
"I understand," the researcher responded.
As Director Jones oversaw the loading of the trams, he noticed Dr. Bright was loading up Queen's Requiem room items into the trams, while Dr. Clef observed.
"Why are we loading this stuff again?" Dr. Clef asked.
"Come on. Do you know how expensive consoles and PCs can be? I ain't letting them go to waste," Dr. Bright responded, finishing his task.
"You do know we could buy trillions of these with the amount of money the Foundation had," Clef stated, shaking his head as he saw Jones approaching, "Oh, hey Jones."
"We're ready to leave," Jones announced. "One tram will be left here for any who made it out alive while we use the rest of the five trams to escape. Let's move out."
"Hmm," Dr. Clef paused, focusing his gaze on the facility entrance and reaching for his rifle. "I'm heading to the upper floors. Bright, you coming?"
"Oh, totally!" Dr. Bright replied enthusiastically, and strangely, he wore a domino mask with party glasses, and a cowboy hat for some reason.
"What's with the getup?" Jones asked, eyeing Bright's outfit with a skeptical look.
"For self-defense reasons," Bright replied nonchalantly.
"Ah-..." Jones attempted to question further but quickly abandoned the effort. Shaking his head, he chose not to delve into the sheer absurdity of whatever Bright's 'bright' idea was. "Never mind. But still, why?" he directed his inquiry to Clef instead.
"I feel like if we leave now, it might set off something big. I believe there are more players here with their own agendas. In simple terms, I have a bad feeling, and when I get a bad feeling," Dr. Clef said, cocking his rifle with a determined glint in his eyes. "I kill it."
"What he said," Dr. Bright agreed.
Jones seemed hesitant, but knowing those two well, he let out a sigh, "Alright. Just be careful out there."
Clef chuckled, "You've gone soft, Jones."
"Maybe," Jones muttered as he headed for the trams while Clef and Bright entered the elevator to reach the upper levels.
"You should have backed out, Bright," Clef warned his partner.
"I can't leave Iris, Lucy, Collingwood, Amelia, and the resident evil villains behind, especially that crow lady, Miranda. I'm pretty sure Rodeo would be mad about that considering how Collingwood talks about him."
"...Of course, the kid would," Clef muttered. "Just try not to do anything stupid."
Bright gave a confident grin. "No promises on that, but I'll do my best."
Clef sighed. "And what's with that outfit?" he pointed out the random things Bright wore.
"For self-defense, duh!"
"You can't just convince a bunch of Nazi robots to join some Mexican dance party, Bright!"
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In the D-class prison sector, a large group of Super Soldats were forcefully rounding up D-class personnels and throwing them into dark aether portals, sending them to Wolfenstein universe while gunning down the rest who were deemed useless under the orders of a Medizine Soldat.
[IMAGES]
"Move! Schnell!" the Medizine Soldat barked.
Medizine Soldats are basically the combat medics of the Wolfenstein Reich army, wielding the kugelgeweher shotgun for defensive purposes. This particular one was specifically given orders by high-command to assess which individuals would be perfect to take and which not, those who were perfect would be taken and the rest who weren't, would be terminated without any hesitation.
"What are you? What religion do you follow?" the Medizine Soldat demanded.
A terrified D-class stammered, "I-I follow the Catholic faith! I believe in the path of Christ and-"
"Liar!" the Medizine Soldat interrupted, firing his shotgun into the D-class's head which burst and send a spray of red mist into the air. "I can smell the Judaism in you. That means you must be Jewish...! Probably."
The Medizine Soldat turned his gaze to another D-class inmate, who appeared to be a bald white-skinned male covered in numerous tattoos all over his skin, one of which was a swastika on his biceps.
"And what are you supposed to be?" the Soldat asked.
"We are one of you!" the D-class exclaimed eagerly. "Most of these fake news media and libtards call us Neo-Nazis! Let me join you! Let me join your ranks and you'll help us cleanse America and the world from the Marxists who have taken over our country and wiped out those disgusting nig-"
Bang!
Before the Neo-Nazi could finish his sentence, the Medizine Soldat fired, and his head exploded in a burst of red mist as his headless body slumped to the ground.
"I smell cap," the Medizine Soldat remarked coldly as he cocked his shotgun. "I already heard that phrase too many times from countless spies and rebels in our universe trying to deceive us. NEXT!"
The next D-class the Medizine Soldat met appeared very muscular, yet this D-class' face had alot of make up that made the D-class look like a woman, but still had obvious masculine features on his face.
"And what the hell are you?" the Soldat sneered, "You look like a man, yet you used one of those products used by women on your face. Are you some kind of clown?"
Unlike most D-class who appeared scared, that D-class appeared offended as he responded indignantly, "Such harsh words from you, transphobic fascist! I'm 100% woman!"
The Medizine Soldat raised an eyebrow, "So you're like...?"
"A transgender woman, yes."
"No, I was about to say a new breed of Homo Sapiens. But transgender? Can you explain what that is? I've never heard of it."
"Transgender is a term used to describe people whose gender identity doesn't match the sex they were assigned at birth. For instance, someone might be assigned male at birth but identify as female, or vice versa. Transgender people often undergo various forms of transition, such as medical treatments or social changes, to align their external appearance with their gender identity."
The Soldat seemed skeptical. "Is that even possible?"
"Of course! And in fact, transgender people have existed long before you Nazi scums! You could learn a lot from proper history, but it seems you damn conservatives love to stay in your delusional bubbles!" the D-class retorted.
The Medizine Soldat seemed intrigued by the D-class's explanation and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hm, interesting. Honestly, I'm not really a conservative. But while you don't appear perfect for our new world, scientists would love to study you and your people! Off you go, mister, miss, or whatever you are!"
The D-class sneered at the Soldat as they were pushed into the portal and disappeared.
"...Or they might dissect you all, probably," the Soldat muttered, though the D-class was already gone and couldn't hear him. He shrugged and turned to face the next D-class, who was dark-skinned.
"Oh, a negro. You're definitely not perfect at all. Shoot him dow-"
"Wait! Wait! Hear me out first!" the dark-skinned D-class shouted in panic.
"...Alright, let's hear it. Don't waste our time, or we'll send you to those white-hooded freaks from the South in my universe."
"Okay, okay. Um..."
To be honest, the D-class had nothing particular in mind to offer the Medizine Soldat, his instincts urging him to buy time to think of a plan. Then, an idea struck him.
"Do you know Kanye West?"
The Soldat's eyes widened in recognition. "Oh yes, we do. We studied this world for a second and learned about him. Despite him being a negro, he makes some interesting music, especially his 'views.'"
"Yeah, I'm a big fan of his! And I completely, I mean COMPLETELY agree with everything he says!"
"Hmm... I guess that counts," the Soldat decided, "Alright! You approve! Off you go!"
Grinning with relief, the dark-skinned D-class jumped and celebrated his narrow escape while being dragged into the portal.
As the D-class vanished through the portal, the Soldat watched him go with a smile, pondering the situation.
"Man, these freaks in this world sure do know what is real reason," the Soldat mused.
"I NEED TO SPEAK TO YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER YOU METAL FACE ASSHOLES!"
A sudden shout caught the Soldat's attention, "Hm?"
What he saw was a man in a D-class uniform like anyone else, but with glasses and brown hair arguing with a Super Soldat.
This man was Gustav.
"Are you even listening?!" Gustav shouted.
"..."
"What's all this nonsense?" The Medizine Soldat asked as he approached them, intrigued by the commotion.
"Finally! A human being I can talk to. My name is Gustav, and you need to free me!"
The Medizine Soldat considered Gustav's words and shook his head. "You don't fit our requirements, so you'll have to be executed. Goodbye." He turned to walk away.
"I know everything about the Foundation and I work with their enemy, the Chaos Insurgency!" Gustav called after him.
Upon hearing Gustav's offer, the Medizine Soldat stopped walking and considered the man's words. "And why should I trust a person like you, and why should I care?"
"Because I'm the person who can give you the knowledge you need to dismantle the Foundation and understand how they operate!" Gustav replied in a serious tone. "I can even provide you with highly classified information protected by Memetic Kill Agents, even the 'Proposals'. Do you have access to that kind of knowledge?"
The Medizine Soldat pondered for a moment before he laughed in amusement. "I admire your tenacity and seriousness, my friend. Welcome aboard! Follow me through the portal. The Forsaken might be interested in you."
A dark aether portal opened, and Gustav followed the Soldat into it. Once they were gone, the remaining Super Soldats swiftly eliminated the remaining D-class who were deemed unnecessary and began to explore the facility for any survivors along with the rest of the Reich's robots.
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Upon regaining consciousness, Alcina found herself wandering through a snow-covered forest, her surroundings unfamiliar and disorienting.
"Where am I? Am I dead?" she wondered aloud.
Looking around a bit, Alcina noticed ravens flying in the sky or sitting on tree branches, watching her intently.
"Ravens?" she muttered, puzzled.
Suddenly, the snow on the ground and trees began to turn a deep, unsettling red. The ravens dissolved into a black goop, which pooled together and reshaped itself into the opponent she fought, Raven Beak.
"You!" she exclaimed.
"You are nothing without power," Raven Beak taunted.
With an enraged growl, Alcina tried to summon her claws but found she couldn't. To her shock, she realized she had reverted to an average human height of around five or six feet.
"W-What?" she stammered.
"You are not a dragon. You are merely an experiment for a parasite," Raven Beak declared coldly. "My power comes from years of technological advancements and the warrior spirit by me and my Chozo clan. Before their demise, power was everything. Without it, nothing can breathe, nothing can exist without fear. Just like you."
Alcina panicked and makes a run for it as fast as she could through the snow-covered forest. Holes opened in the trees, and from them emerged a swarm of ravens that began attacking her. In her desperation to escape, she tripped, rolling down a hill and coming to a halt at the edge of a cliff. Looking down, she saw a terrifying drop into darkness.
"Oh God!" she exclaimed.
She tried to get up, only to be grabbed by the throat by Raven Beak as a shadowy aura enveloped him and his eyes glowing blood red intensely, while the ravens circled them both.
"You may use the Cadou all you want, but in the end of the day, you are as vulnerable as anyone else," Raven Beak sneered. "Your powers are not true power, it was given to you. I, on the other hand, have earned it. It is the true key to ensure order across the galaxy, and I will achieve it, no matter the cost."
He tightened his grip around her neck and spoke with disdain filled in his voice. "You can never best me. You are nothing but a pathetic disappointment of a daughter to Miranda and a lover... to your precious Alucard. There is no redemption for you."
With a fierce motion, he throw her off the cliff as Alcina fall deep down into the abyss with the ravens flew past and mocking her.
"...And you will fear me!"
As Raven Beak's voice echoed, Alcina disappears into the abyss as her world went black.
—————————————————————
Snapping her eyes wide, Alcina immediately wakes up in a panic and panting heavily with her pale white skin slick with cold sweat.
Once she calmed herself down, she scanned her surroundings and realized she was lying on a bed, which is too small for her tall frame, in what appeared to be a hotel room. Bandages covered the places where she had sustained serious injuries, though she noticed that her arm had already regrown, and her wounds were healed.
As she removed the bandages and rubbing her face, she sighed. "Just a damn nightmare," she muttered to herself.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, prompting her to leap to her feet and bring out her claws.
"Who goes there?!" she demanded.
The door opened to reveal the Wolfman and the sorcerer standing in the doorway.
"You're already up and standing, impressive for someone of your... tall stature," the sorcerer remarked.
Alcina's gaze hardened as she eyed them suspiciously. "...And who the hell are you two?" she asked.
"Were the ones who found you floating down the river and helped you get patched up," the Wolfman replied, "We only took care of the serious wounds while the rest were healing themselves, likely due to your latent powers."
Alcina's expression remained skeptical. "...Okay, but why?"
"Because we need your help to understand where we are. You were the only breathing and alive when we found you, and... well..." the Wolfman explained, hesitating as he struggled to find the correct words to say in his thoughts.
"The ones in gray and the undead have been trying to kill us ever since we landed here, and we want to know who they are." The sorcerer, added.
Alcina's gaze was intense as she spoke. "...Give me names and tell me how you ended up here, then I'll tell you mine, and then we head for Essex and the Foundation site."
"My name is Blaidd."
"And I am Seluvis."
[IMAGES]
Alcina nodded, expecting them to elaborate. "You really want to know how we got here?" Seluvis asked.
"Yes. If you want my trust, you must be honest so I wouldn't kill you both if I find out you are working with the Forsaken."
Blaidd and Seluvis exchanged a quick, meaningful glance before nodding in agreement. The Sorceror named Seluvis stepped forward, ready to share their story.
"It all happened just, hmm... thirty minutes ago," he began.
