86 Natasha’s new friend -84

Alex found himself down in his bunker far sooner than he had anticipated and he hadn't even managed to deal with SCP-10047. He just hadn't really had the opportunity while all the chaos going on up there.

It also wasn't super important; at least, it was far less important than finding the intruder. He honestly didn't expect her to still be around, would be pretty stupid and reckless to stay with the place on high alert.

This place was filled with the greatest surveillance technologies in the world, with the exception being his office, his room, the bathroom attached to both his office and room, and then the bunker.

So if she had stepped foot in almost any place of this SITE, she would be found in moments, which probably means she entered his room from the outside and left the same way. However, there was still the chance she had snuck in somewhere else.

Only his bunker had a layer of telekill alloy, which should stop her phasing ability. However, even that wasn't totally certain, so he had placed all the SCP objects from his own collection inside SCP-216. Even the ability to phase through matter wouldn't allow one to get anything out of those small pocket dimensions.

The very fact that he couldn't feel completely safe inside his own mansion or even his bunker annoyed him immensely. He liked being close to the action, and it couldn't get much closer to it than New York.

Something he would lose if he were to move to a more secure SITE, not to mention that very few met that requirement. In fact there might only be two SITEs in total he could go to, with 001 being one of them.

That SITE would, without a doubt, be the safest place on the planet; the defense there could be able to stop anything short of a true world-ending the level threat. It did, however, also isolate him far away from the action, meaning that he would no longer be able to interact with any of the Avengers.

"No! I'm not leaving; I will just have new measures set in place to ensure something like this won't happen again; in the first place, it shouldn't have happened at all; we do have ways to stop something like this; I mean fuck we are the Foundation we got ways to stop everything!"

Alex cursed with gritted teeth as he looked around, and making sure that he was still alone, he logged back into his console.

"Needs to inform O5-2 about the situation; he needs to know if new threats to security are out there." Alex muttered as he started typing away. Next he made arrangements for having someone replace Markus. He needed someone he could trust with his secrets, which meant asking O5-2 for heal was out.

He sent a memo to Alexei Petrov and Ghost to ask if they had someone fitting for the role. If not, he would just have to reach out and pick someone from the Alpha-1 unit under him. 'In the future, I might be able to pick someone from the widows.'

--------------------

[With Natasha]

Natasha was continuing her near interrogation level of questioning others about everything she could think of. So many simply told her that she didn't have the clearance to know that, even while others were happy enough to answer the same question.

Though she didn't really blame them, had she been on the receiving end she might also have tried to escape the barrage of questions. And it wasn't like there weren't plenty of questions none were willing to answer due to her lack of even the lowest clearance.

Such where the nature of a secret organisation. "So how did you end up joining the Foundation?" She asked her newest victim.

The woman she had cornered just giggled at her question. "Not even going to introduce yourself first?"

Natasha was both slightly embarrassed at skipping that and even more intrigued as she was well known around this place, so if this woman didn't know her that much, it meant she was newly appointed here.

"I'm Natasha. I'm still new here, so I was hoping I could get to know you and, well, everyone here." She said while trying to come across as a normal member of the Foundation, hoping that she might be able to trick this new one into telling more than she normally would.

"Alright, but you can at least give a drink or two; it's rare to have a day off, after all. Come on, let's head down to the bar." The still unnamed woman said and started to lead Natasha along.

Natasha felt the urge to smile widely as she was led along. Clearly, her plan was working, though she would have to figure out how to pay for drinks, given that she had no money.

Natasha found herself led down towards an absolutely massive underground complex. Somewhere, she was definitely not allowed to be. Natasha, however, being an expert at infiltration, played it all off as normal and attracted no undo attention to herself.

She was led down to a stylish bar with a few people hanging about. Clearly, it wasn't too popular to get drunk around here, but she did have a chance at getting some money from a few of them and being able to continue this play.

As they found a small table to sit by, it didn't take more than a moment before someone was there to accept their order.

"I'll take a Mojito, please." The still-unnamed woman said before looking at Natasha.

"An Aperol Sprits for me." Natasha, too, ordered easily like this was completely normal for her.

The drinks came soon after, and after taking a sip, the woman finally introduced herself. "I only think it's fair I introduce myself; after all, I already know your name; I'm Sarah Kline, a field agent."

Natasha mulled over her drink, the bittersweet Aperol Spritz leaving a tang on her tongue as she considered her next words carefully. "Sarah, it's nice to meet you. Field agent, huh? That must be quite the job, dealing with everything the Foundation encounters out there."

Sarah's eyes sparkled with a mix of pride and something else—was it weariness or perhaps a hint of excitement? "It's never dull, that's for sure. Every day is a new challenge, a new anomaly. Sometimes it's terrifying, other times it's just... bizarre. But it's always important. We're the thin line between the public and the chaos that anomalies can cause."

Natasha was happy that she herself had been following Agent Graves, a field agent, so she knew something about how it was to be one, allowing her to maintain the illusion that she herself was one.

"Just the other day, I was part of a team that recovered an object right here in the city, and right before it possibly made a big disturbance as well." Natasha said and told Sarah some details about the securement of SCP-137.

Sarah nodded along as she listened to Natasha's story. "Interesting, but you asked about how I first joined up, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did," Natasha replied, leaning in slightly with genuine interest. The casual atmosphere of the bar and the shared camaraderie of Foundation work made the conversation flow easily, and she was keen to learn as much as she could from Sarah's experiences.

Sarah took a slow sip of her Mojito, gathering her thoughts. "Well, I was scouted from a pretty young age; pretty much as soon as I was done with school, I was recruited, it took a while before I became a field agent and started out in data and analysis."

Natasha listened intently, her training as a spy keeping her focused on every detail, every nuance of Sarah's story.

"Data and analysis, that sounds like it requires a keen eye for detail," Natasha observed, recognizing the importance of such roles within the Foundation. "How did you make the transition to fieldwork?"

Sarah leaned back, a reflective look crossing her face. "It was a combination of things. My knack for patterns and anomalies in data started to overlap with fieldwork requirements. I began to accompany teams on minor missions, offering real-time analysis. Over time, I proved I could handle myself in the field, not just behind a screen. It was a natural progression, driven by my curiosity and desire to be where the action was."

"That transition must have given you a unique perspective on SCP objects and their containment," Natasha commented, genuinely intrigued by Sarah's journey.

"It definitely has," Sarah agreed. "Understanding some of the behind-the-scenes workings has been a tremendous help out there. Allowing me to act in ways that both ensured success but also drew as little attention as possible."

Natasha nodded thoughtfully, absorbing Sarah's insight into the seamless blend of analysis and fieldwork. "It must be incredibly rewarding to apply your skills directly in the field and see the immediate impact of your work."

Sarah's expression brightened with a mix of satisfaction and humility. "Rewarding, yes, but also humbling. The anomalies we deal with... they remind you of how much there is to understand, how unpredictable the universe can be. But that's what keeps the job fascinating. Every day, we're learning, adapting, and hopefully making a difference."

Natasha appreciated the sincerity in Sarah's words. Her own experiences, though vastly different, resonated with the sentiment. "Making a difference... that's what drew me to the Foundation as well. The chance to contribute to something larger than myself, to protect people from things they're not even aware of."

Their conversation drifted to more casual topics as the evening wore on, but Natasha remained attentive, gleaning every piece of information that could prove useful. Sarah, for her part, seemed to enjoy the company, sharing stories from her fieldwork that ranged from the harrowing to the absurd.

The time spent together was enjoyable for both of them. Nataha got plenty of information she would normally never be allowed to get, at least not at this point, and Sarah got someone to talk to and free drinks.

Everything was going well until it wasn't.

[Containment breach!]

The loud speakers suddenly started to blare out the same two words over and over again, followed by the sound of glass crashing to the floor and tables and chairs being roughly shoved along the floor as everyone quickly stood up.

Sarah's immediate shift from relaxed to high alert was palpable, her eyes scanning the room as she swiftly assessed the situation. Natasha, too, felt the sudden change in atmosphere, her own training kicking in as she prepared for whatever was coming.

[Intruder alert]

[Containment breach!]

[Intruder alert]

[This is SITE security. A rogue object has broken into the SITE. The object is so far described as a human-looking female in a black skintight outfit and long white hair, able to phase through solid objects, including walls. All SITE Personnel are to follow containment breach protocol.]

Sarah grabbed Natasha's arm, her grip firm. "We need to get to a secure location. Now." Her voice was stern, the earlier camaraderie replaced by the gravity of their circumstances.

Natasha didn't have to figure out how to pay for the drinks as she was pulled along. Sarah ran along the many corridors, which were all swarming with Foundation personnel.

Natasha found herself drafted into the defense of the SITE, armed with weapons taken from an armoury; she moved with Sarah as they found the closest so-called priority point and took up defending it.

This didn't mean much; all they did was sit about and wait; from time to time, the radio they had picked up would ask for a status update, which Sarah would give, and then back to more waiting.

As the hours dragged on, the initial rush of adrenaline gave way to a grueling test of patience. Natasha couldn't help but reflect on the situation she found herself in. She was currently infiltration this Foundation, snuck into an area she wasn't meant to be in, and was now on guard against other intruders.

It would almost be funny if it weren't also a super dangerous situation she found herself in, with everyone on edge, she wasn't sure she could get away with a slap on the wrist if she were caught now.

However, if she did get away with this, it would be a valuable look into the workings of the Foundation, seeing how they would react in a situation where they found themselves under attack.

Despite the tension, Natasha found a strange sense of camaraderie in this shared vigil. She and Sarah, along with the other personnel, were united in a singular purpose: to protect the SITE and contain the breach. It was a reminder of the common thread that ran through all who dedicated themselves to defending humanity, regardless of the banner they fought under.

A/N

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