Inside the mysterious halls of the SCP Foundation, O5-10 stood tall, her voice echoing in the live broadcast feed that connected countless screens across the Marvel universe. She didn't hold back the truth anymore.
"It was the best of times, and the worst of times... for the Foundation," she said, a trace of sadness in her voice. "But that chapter has ended. And not well."
The truth about the Rebirth Plan was finally being revealed.
She continued speaking calmly, stepping aside from her identity as one of the most powerful people in the Foundation.
"The era of Pandora's Box ended for many reasons. Kondraki destroyed Site-19. 'Incident Zero' happened. And then there was Abel... who slaughtered his Omega-7 teammates. That's how it all ended."
Hearing this, James furrowed his brows. He knew the truth about what really happened during Zero Hour. Abel hadn't been the villain—he had been the savior, thrown into blame because of a shattered timeline and manipulated facts.
Kondraki's destruction of Site-19, too, wasn't simple. James believed it had more to do with the actions of the O5 Council than with Kondraki himself.
Still, James didn't interrupt. He let O5-10 speak.
"The Council knew the Foundation had spun out of control. So, they cracked down hard. Every project was frozen. Senior staff were stripped of their power. Research into anomalous technology? Shut down. From then on, it was all about containment, not innovation."
She sighed.
"And so, nine long years passed."
Her eyes met James's.
"As you've seen, anomalous events are rising again. Thousands of SCPs have been recovered in just a few years. New threats are appearing every day. The Foundation is stretched thin. The Council is desperate. They know they need a new approach."
James asked the obvious question: "So... you've resumed SCP research beyond basic containment?"
"Not just resumed," she replied. "We've revived cross-dimensional experiments, restarted weaponization programs, encouraged academic freedom inside the Foundation, and even introduced a new SCP class: Thaumiel—SCPs designed to contain other SCPs."
She gave a small smile. "We're even digging through old Bowe-era personnel files—trying to polish forgotten weapons for modern use."
"Rebirth Plan..." James whispered.
"Exactly," she nodded. "And a key part of that is reviving 'Pandora's Box'. Omega-7 is reborn as Alpha-9—'The Last Hope'."
James's eyebrows rose in surprise. Alpha-9?
The livestream chat exploded:
> "Wait, Iris got transferred to Alpha-9?" "Damn... so this is the Foundation's final gamble." "A whole thousand SCPs in a few years?! The world really is falling apart." "Pandora's Box could reverse doomsday before. What the hell are they trying now?!"
O5-10 turned back to James. "Originally, we planned for you to lead one of the new initiatives. But your brilliant performance in prior assignments... made me change that plan."
James stayed silent, his expression unreadable.
"I decided to give you greater freedom and unrestricted authority," she explained. "Not locking you into any one project. Judging from your neutralization of SCP-3396, I made the right call."
It was rare to see an O5 speak with this kind of trust.
James respected her for that. Among the shadows of the Council, O5-10 was surprisingly human—something rare for people at that level.
And when a person has humanity, James knew, you could negotiate.
"I have a request—" James started.
But O5-10 cut him off. "Your request is already being processed. But while that's happening, I need you to help a department. Just for a little while."
James squinted. "Last time it was Tactical Theology. What is it this time?"
She ignored his sarcasm and asked instead, "Have you ever written a horror story? Or a screenplay?"
James looked confused, but answered, "Yes. I've written."
"Good." She nodded in relief. "Then in three days, report to the Pataphysics Department. They're dealing with a complicated anomaly."
"Pataphysics?" James repeated. Even he looked thrown off by the strange word.
The audience watching online was even more confused.
"Is this Foundation propaganda?" "What kind of name is that?"
Thankfully, O5-10 explained. "It's a branch of the Metaphysics Division. But to understand it, you need to know what pataphysics really is."
She took a breath.
"Pataphysics is a philosophical concept. It's absurd, strange... literally meaning 'the science beyond metaphysics.'"
"In Foundation terms, it refers to narrative-based anomalies. Entities that can control or manipulate the story layer itself."
James's eyes grew sharp. "Control... the narrative?"
She nodded. "Our reality is the upper narrative. A book is a lower narrative. But imagine if a character in a book could change not only their story—but ours."
James blinked. "You mean... characters inside fiction can break out and rewrite our reality?"
"Exactly."
The chatroom went ballistic:
> "What the hell?? Fictional characters changing our world?!" "No way. That's too much." "Bro. Second dimension waifus are real now???" "Okay now I'm terrified."
Meanwhile...
---
At S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, even the battle-hardened agents were stunned.
Natasha Romanoff stared. "Lower stories affecting real life? What kind of madness is this?"
Nick Fury rubbed his forehead. "The real problem is... how do you contain something like this?"
---
At Kamar-Taj, magical apprentices were lost in the metaphysical talk. The Ancient One, however, understood.
And she looked terrified.
"If the Marvel Universe is the upper narrative... and the Foundation Universe is just fiction in James's memory... but that fiction can change our reality..."
It was enough to shake her belief in reality itself.
---
In the depths of space, at the Observer Dimension, Watcher Uatu was having a breakdown.
"Pataphysics... no, no, no! That can't be!"
He had always believed the Marvel Universe was the top narrative layer.
But what if... someone was observing even them?
The thought terrified him.
"If I can learn how the Foundation handles these threats," he muttered, "Maybe I can... break free too."
---
Back at the Foundation, O5-10 went deeper.
"SCPs with pataphysical properties can change the foundation of existence. If narrative creates reality, then these anomalies rewrite reality by changing the story."
James's eyes sharpened.
"So the Pataphysics Department is your front line in handling these threats?"
O5-10 didn't look hopeful.
"Not quite. They're uncontainable."
The livestream froze.
> "WHAT??" "Like the Scarlet King? Or the Death Brothers?" "You're telling me there are SCPs that even the Foundation can't contain?!"
She explained, "These entities mess with the rules of storytelling itself. They can rewrite the truth from the bottom up."
James now understood the full scale. "Then... who's the target I'm dealing with?"
O5-10 gave the file number:
"SCP-3143."
Then she paused.
"To be exact, he's not really an enemy. He's a fictional detective from a novel. Goes by another name too… 'Lu Murphy.'"
---
[TO BE CONTINUED]
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