Chapter Text
~ SCP Containment Facility just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada ~
A siren screeches into the night. The wailing cadence makes it sound like a fire alarm.
A fire would be more welcome than the current situation.
Officers and doctors alike scramble about the facility, as bay doors slam shut and red lights flash. Panicked shouts and orders clash in the air. Through it all, the Warden stands motionless.
“Madam Warden, we have sixteen officers unresponsive from Safe level.”
“Are all objects secure?”
“Yes, ma’am, except the one, but—”
“Asuma!” The Warden turns away from her head officer sharply, blonde hair following the move and then curling around her chin again. “Is that thing ready?”
The scientist steps forward. Black and blue strands of hair match the night shades of his outfit under the uniform white lab coat. “The heavy duty tranq? It should be, but it depends on if it’s enough and if I can even get a clear enough shot—”
“You will. We’ll slow it down. Brisko?”
The head officer steps forward again. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Doesn’t it have emotional attachment to one of the Safe objects? Bring it out. Maybe we can try some fake emotional manipulation, slow it down enough for Asuma to get the shot.”
The scientist looks uneasy at this suggestion, but the officer nods curtly. “Yes, ma’am.” He signals to his troops. “Bring out NJ-011!”
Half a dozen red-and-black clad soldiers rush out the main office doors and down to the sublevels.
“What damage has it caused besides containment breach so far?” The Warden asks once the soldiers clear out.
Asuma gives her a glance as he loads up his sniper with the heavy duty tranquilizer. Dr Violeta steps in to answer instead. “From what we’ve observed in the chaos so far, in the past 13 minutes since containment breach, it seems to be suffering from psychological distress. It was previously classified as Safe, since it displayed a mild temperament and easily containable powers. However, we’re observing possible reality-altering effects now.”
The Warden pauses. “...Reality-altering?”
Dr Violeta swallows. “Yes, ma’am,” they confirm nervously. “Officers say they couldn’t approach it because it kept sending them back to the far side of the hallway. It would reverse their trajectory on bullets, flip the room upside down, etc.”
The Warden’s lip curls. “It’s toying with them,” she growls.
“Ma’am, we haven’t sensed any mal intent besides—”
Officer Brisko pokes his blonde head into the room. “Ma’am, we have NJ-011 at the ready.”
The Warden nods. “Hold it hostage. Don’t hurt it, obviously, but make it look convincing. Enough to make NJ-005 stand down.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Officer Brisko leaves again.
“Now, Asuma,” the Warden commands. “Line up your shot.”
Dr Asuma readies his sniper against the shattered window of the office, to where it looks out over the main floor of the first underground level. They can feel, more than hear or see, NJ-005 approaching. The ground tremors, as if from massive footfalls. If a soldier gets too close, thorny vines erupt from the ground and pull them deep down beneath it.
“Here it comes,” Dr Violeta whispers. The Warden tenses. She watches where a group of soldiers have their guns readied at NJ-011, who stands peacefully, as if completely in oblivion.
NJ-005 spots the scene.
“Get ready,” the Warden orders.
A blast of wind erupts through the office from the floor 50 feet below, nearly knocking Asuma away from his perch. Through the sudden gust, words aren’t spoken, but rather conveyed.
Don’t touch him! Don’t you dare hurt my little brother!
Officer Brisko’s voice crackles over their comms. “Ma’am, we’ve only made it mad.”
“Shit,” she snarls. “Asuma, take the shot.”
“But, Madam Warden, we only have one, so if I miss—”
“Then don’t miss!”
NJ-005 stands perfectly still, but its aura grows threateningly. Officers groan and keel over, going mad and jerking violently before collapsing to the ground. The rest scatter and flee. Brisko grabs NJ-011 and escorts it away. Asuma levels his crosshair.
“Wait,” Dr Violeta says suddenly.
“Now!” The Warden’s arm cuts through the air, pointing down to where the object stays still. They don’t have forever. It has to be at this moment.
Asuma fires.
In the split second after he pulls the trigger, as the world’s most powerful tranquilizer dart zooms through the air, NJ-005 looks up and meets the Warden’s eye.
It could move. Do anything. Destroy them all.
The tranq hits NJ-005 in the side of its neck. It collapses. Immediately, officers swarm forward to take containment measures. The Warden allows herself a sigh of relief.
“That was too easy,” Dr Violeta says nervously.
“Does it matter? It’s out cold now,” the Warden cracks her neck. “Now we have to take Apollyon measures.” She hits the broadcast button. Her voice echoes throughout the facility with her next words. “All units, Class-K event measures are to be taken immediately. Emergency reserves will be called. All objects are to be pacified. More volunteers will be hired. Everything else will proceed as usual.”
The soldiers solute and cart NJ-005 away. The Warden watches for a moment, and then heads for the elevator at the back of her office, for private use only.
“What are you doing?” Dr Violeta asks.
“I’m going to make sure they do this right.” She jams her finger on the down arrow. She’s headed for the deepest of the sublevels, ten floors down from Keter.
When she gets there, two dozen soldiers— some wounded, some just jumpy— greet her.
NJ-005 is kept behind two blast doors of steel and a 3 foot bulletproof glass window. It’s bound to an upraised table. Through the warped view, the Warden can see where the dangerous object sleeps peacefully.
It doesn’t look dangerous. It looks like a child.
That peaceful visage is what made them underestimate it in the first place.
“Madam Warden. Will this set up hold it?” Officer Brisko asks, holding his phone away from his ear. Probably on hold with their emergency reserves.
“It’ll hold it,” she promises. “For now.”
Brisko cocks his head. “For now?”
“Yes,” the Warden muses. “Let’s hope it’ll last long enough.” She turns her back and heads back to the elevator.
Brisko follows at her heels. “Long enough for what?” She presses the up arrow and waits. “Ma’am, long enough for what?”
The Warden side-eyes him with baby blue eyes. “Long enough for us to avoid the apocalypse.” She steps inside the elevator. Officer Brisko stays put. The doors close, and the Warden begins her journey back up towards the light.