The screen dimmed slowly, fading into silence.
Everyone watching fell into a strange, reflective silence.
This time, the mission wasn't about securing an anomaly or battling an uncontrollable entity. It wasn't even an experiment. Most of the footage had simply been Dr. Kondraki narrating a story, but the emotional impact hit like a meteor.
After learning the hidden truth behind SCP-166 and Dr. Clef, the shock in everyone's eyes said it all. It was heavy, real, and deeply personal.
Just as the room buzzed with murmurs and theories, the screen flickered back to life.
Time had passed—how much, no one knew—but it was clear that James had returned to Site-17.
He sat in his lab, scribbling notes into a thick notebook, the light above him flickering slightly. Then—
Knock knock knock.
He looked up.
"Come in," James said calmly.
Click. Click. Click.
The sharp rhythm of high heels echoed off the sterile floor.
He raised his eyes.
Standing at the door was O5-10, one of the Overseers of the Council. An old acquaintance.
She stepped into the room without hesitation and sat directly across from James, her expression unreadable.
"What did you give SCP-166 on behalf of Clef?" she asked, her tone calm but laced with tension.
James didn't even look up. "A letter," he replied flatly.
"You're breaking protocol," she snapped.
James finally glanced at her. "So?"
Silence.
For a moment, O5-10 had no response.
Then, after gathering herself, she leaned in slightly. "Don't forget the promise you made."
Her words landed like a thunderclap.
The entire livestream audience froze.
A promise?
To an O5 Overseer?
What kind of deal had James made?
Back at S.H.I.E.L.D., agents were gossiping.
"Wait, is there something going on between James and the Overseer?"
"Could it be romantic? The Ice Queen's got a soft spot?" one joked.
"Really?" Natasha Romanoff rolled her eyes. "Grow up."
Nick Fury, however, wasn't laughing. His one good eye narrowed.
A promise…?
Then something clicked.
"The Rebirth Plan?" he muttered aloud, stunned.
On the screen, James said quietly, "It's not time for the Rebirth Plan yet."
Boom.
That sentence made the entire situation ten times more serious.
The Overseer took a deep breath and handed James a sealed folder. "Preparation is nearly complete."
James accepted the file with a frown.
The camera zoomed in on the contents.
---
[PROJECT NAME: PARASITE OF THE HIGH SKY]
[Item #: SCP-3396]
[Security Level: 5 – Top Secret]
[Containment Class: ESOTERIC]
[Secondary Classification: TIAMAT]
[Disruption Level: AMIDA]
[Risk Level: CRITICAL]
---
Back at S.H.I.E.L.D., agents gawked at the unusual set of classifications.
"What is this mess?" Natasha asked, confused. "Half of these levels don't even exist in the standard system."
Fury answered, "Because this didn't come through normal channels. It was delivered personally by an O5 Overseer."
He had seen something like this only once before: SCP-2317, the infamous Devourer of Worlds.
And this? It was on the same level.
At Kamar-Taj, The Ancient One paled.
"Supreme Sky? No… don't tell me…"
Her voice trembled. In her vast knowledge of the multiverse, she had seen many celestial powers. But this—
This might transcend them all.
Meanwhile, in the Watcher's Realm, Uatu the Watcher stared in disbelief.
"A parasite… on the Supreme Being?"
Only one being came to mind:
Knull, the creator of the Symbiotes.
Was this related?
Was SCP-3396 something even more dangerous?
---
More data scrolled onto the screen.
> "Due to SCP-3396's dual physical and abstract infectious properties, complete containment remains impossible."
> "Its central hub—Zone 3396—is located 75 kilometers southeast of Death Valley, currently contested by multiple global organizations including the Global Occult Coalition, Serpent's Hand, and the Unusual Incidents Unit."
> "Zone 3396 is designated a neutral zone under multilateral agreement, to prevent global warfare and a potential veil-lifting event."
> "Priority one: capture of all SCP-3396-01 instances. Each must be contained in a Class 4 Hazardous Bio-Chamber protected by Atlas-type anti-thaumic runes."
> "If 15% of Earth's population is infected, initiate global evacuation protocols."
---
The viewers were stunned.
A global war over a single SCP?
What kind of power was this?
"What the hell is this thing?" someone typed in the chat.
"If it's that dangerous, why are they fighting for it?"
More details emerged.
> "SCP-3396 is a Type-4 extradimensional entity, both physical and conceptual. It currently affects 6% of the global population."
Back at SHIELD, jaws dropped.
"Six percent?" Natasha whispered. "That's... hundreds of millions."
Nick Fury tightened his grip on the table. This wasn't a virus.
It was an intelligent infection.
The feed zoomed in on the creature's physical manifestation:
Located in the Mojave Desert, it appears as a colossal bio-organic structure—part tree, part insect.
27 meters tall, 23 meters wide.
Glowing blue-green liquid drips from its trunk into a pool.
It can't be touched or measured by normal science—it exists partially outside physical reality.
---
So how does it infect people?
More chilling facts arrived.
> "Physical exposure to SCP-3396 or its fluids causes radical biological mutations." "Infected organisms—called SCP-3396-01—grow new internal organs of unknown purpose." "These organs cannot be removed. They exist in an intangible or thaumaturgic state, resistant to surgery."
Viewers gasped.
A few were comparing it to a super-cancer, or bio-magical infestation.
The Ancient One frowned. "There's something deeper here," she muttered. "If this was just a physical threat, the Overseers wouldn't be so cautious."
And she was right.
The infection wasn't just transformation—it also enhanced cognition.
---
> "Infected humans retain full memory and personality. In some cases, mental faculties are improved."
> "Combined with the physical mutations, this makes 3396-01 humans extremely dangerous."
---
Back at Site-17, James lowered the file slowly and looked at the Overseer.
"Have we… captured any infected specimens?"
The Overseer nodded.
"Not just captured. We deliberately exposed subjects to SCP-3396."
James's brows creased. "Why?"
Instead of explaining, she gave an example.
---
> "We applied a single drop of SCP-3396 fluid to a common bearded dragon."
> "In just 3 hours, it grew to 25 meters in length and weighed 5,000 kilograms."
> "Its body changed dramatically—thicker limbs, transparent skin, and multiple dorsal pores releasing toxic gases."
> "Skin samples revealed a genetic makeup resembling lethal fungi—Angel of Death, Death Cap, and Ergot."
---
Silence.
That was not evolution.
That was weaponized transformation.
From a harmless lizard to a bioweapon… in three hours.
---
Final Thoughts
Everyone from S.H.I.E.L.D. to the Watchers to the Sorcerers could agree—
SCP-3396 was no ordinary anomaly.
It was a cosmic-level parasite, one that didn't just latch onto bodies but altered existence itself.
And with 6% of the world already affected, the countdown had begun.
The world was standing on the edge.
And the next step could either be extinction… or ascension.
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