With his remaining strength, D-14134 drew the pistol at his hip - one silver bullet remaining.
"It was right... this was always too big to swallow..." he whispered with a weak smile.
Jinx looked confused, then furious. "Why? The reversal worked! So why—?"
"Thank you... for coming back for me," D-14134 rasped. "That... kept me going."
"Sorry... thought I could get us all out..."
Dante's arms trembled. Jinx sobbed openly.
"I'm dying... and they'll drag me to hell with them."
His smile was brittle but calm.
"Now... go."
As Jinx protested, Dante shook his head grimly. He gently laid D-14134 down and stepped back.
Alone now, D-14134 pressed the gun to his chest - feeling his heart's erratic pulse through the metal.
He closed his eyes and prayed - not to any god, but to his own heart:
For its existence.
Its steadfast rhythm.
Its unbroken service.
How had he never thanked it before?
Through poverty, through loneliness, even now at life's end - it had never faltered.
No deity deserved his prayer more than this tireless muscle.
Not Christ. Not Buddha. Certainly not the shadow's so-called "Lord."
A peaceful smile touched his lips as his finger curled around the trigger.
BANG.
The gunshot echoed through the death realm.
Jinx flinched as if struck. Even the abyss seemed to shudder.
Seconds later - a dull thud as the pistol hit the ground.
The flames roared higher, their crackling glow swelling to engulf his body in light's final embrace.
Multiverse Silence
A profound grief permeated existence.
Three-Body Universe - Earth
Luo Ji stared at the darkened screen, soul-shaken.
Why?
How could a reviled D-Class achieve this?
The answer eluded him.
Jackie Chan Adventures - Section 13
Chief Black removed his hat in solemn salute.
One by one, every agent followed suit.
Tian Di's Contemplation
The immortal emperor gazed pensively.
Not even eternity had hardened him to this -
A mortal's courage that outshone the divine.
"Humanity's anthem... is indeed the anthem of courage."
Epilogue - Foundation Site
The farmhouse dissolved like mist.
Dr. Bright and his team stared as the structure vanished, leaving only:
Withered corpses
A shell-shocked Dante and Jinx
"Congratulations on surviving—" Bright began.
POW!
Jinx's fist sent him staggering.
As guards raised weapons, Bright waved them off. "Sometimes... I want to punch this face too. But this... is our world."
His parting words hung heavy:
"Welcome to hell."
Award Ceremony
The scene shifted to a Foundation hall.
Bright addressed the assembly:
"On [DATE], D-14134 entered SCP-1983 with a closed-circuit camera. After signal loss and cable severance, the anomaly ceased. Recovered documents confirm..."
"Through recorded evidence and survivor testimony, the entity was neutralized by D-14134's actions."
"Thus, the Foundation posthumously awards D-14134 the 'Star of the Foundation' for extraordinary service."
Across the multiverse—
Applause thundered.
Unending.