No one knew exactly what Leon Lake said, but SCP-239 showed obvious hesitation.
The hearts of viewers in the livestream held tight—everyone feared that if he said the wrong thing, Leon would be turned into a cat or a dog.
Fortunately, the worst didn't happen.
Leon chatted with SCP-239 for a few minutes. During their conversation, SCP-239 nodded several times.
Eventually, Leon stood and gestured toward the door while speaking.
SCP-239 hesitated, gathered her "spellbook," and handed it to Leon.
Although she didn't speak much, their conversation continued even after they left the containment chamber.
As they passed through an office, Leon stopped to pick up a book—it appeared to be a Huxia dictionary.
He showed SCP-239 both the dictionary and the "spellbook" as he explained something.
SCP-239 smiled, said something softly, then took his hand and led him forward.
Seeing this, the audience in the livestream finally relaxed.
What followed was a wave of exhilaration, the kind that follows surviving a near-death experience.
The emotion exploded in the chat:
> "Holy crap! I didn't even dare to breathe just now!"
> "No kidding! I was afraid she'd snap and turn him into some eldritch frog."
> "Leon Lake is insane. He's so brave! Isn't he afraid of provoking SCP-239?"
> "He's just lucky she didn't flip out. Lucky madman!"
---
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters
Nick Fury exhaled sharply after seeing Leon Lake leave with SCP-239.
He touched his back and found it soaked with cold sweat.
Even though he had witnessed Leon's boldness before, this moment still sent a chill down his spine.
"Huh? Wait... where are they going now?"
He jolted upright, not even pausing to catch his breath.
Right! Dr. Clef isn't dead yet!
What if Leon runs into that lunatic?
Nick Fury's dark expression turned pale.
---
When the screen turned back on, Leon Lake was no longer the focus.
Instead, the camera showed a large, spherical machine with two legs.
About 1.35 meters tall, with two articulated arms, each hand had six nimble fingers and two thumbs.
The outer shell of the machine was covered in exposed clockwork, tubes, and hydraulic systems.
The top half was hollowed out like a cockpit.
But the most surprising part?
Sitting in the cockpit wasn't a researcher.
It wasn't even a human.
It was... a golden retriever.
Wearing black-rimmed glasses, the golden retriever skillfully operated the controls with his front paws. There was a spark of intelligence and enthusiasm in his eyes.
Suddenly, text appeared on the screen:
> Name: Kain Pathos Crow
Position: Senior Researcher, Professor
Background: A brilliant interdisciplinary scientist specializing in biochemistry and robotics. Due to an anomalous event, his consciousness was permanently transferred into a dog's body.
The entire Marvel universe fell dead silent.
The livestream went mute.
Then...
BOOM!
> "WHAT?! A DOG is a senior researcher?!"
> "My brain's broken. This is insane!"
> "First Clef has a sentient shadow, then Kondraki commands phantom butterflies, and now... Professor Dog?!"
> "Seriously, is there a single normal person in the Foundation?"
Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to dwell on it.
Because Professor Kain had just encountered an extremely dangerous opponent—a giant dog the size of a calf.
It stood 1.5 meters tall and stretched 2 meters long.
Small, leathery wings sprouted from its shoulders, covered in black fur and shaped like bat wings.
Drooling and snarling, it blocked Professor Kain's path.
He didn't even pause, simply walking forward in his mech.
Roar!
The monster lunged.
Kain responded instantly. His egg-shaped mech burst forth with shocking speed.
Its mechanical arms extended, restraining the beast, then deployed what looked like a crystal-based weapon.
BOOM!
The creature was shattered into ice-like fragments across the ground.
> "Hah… little mutt found a new home. Should make a nice lawn ornament."
Kain sneered and continued forward in his mech.
Viewers blinked in disbelief.
Wasn't this supposed to be a horror series?
Why did it suddenly feel like a high-concept sci-fi comedy?
Still, relief swept through the chat. At least Leon Lake wasn't alone anymore.
Sure, Professor Kain's mech was a bit... absurd.
But he might just be strong enough to face Clef.
---
Scene Shift: Dr. Clef Returns
The screen changed again.
Dr. Clef—still wearing that ragged white coat—appeared. His injuries seemed mostly healed, though he looked disheveled.
An elderly Black woman stood before him.
Everyone watching paused.
> "Another researcher?"
Then Clef shouted:
> "Dr. Bright? You're here to stop me too?"
Wait—Dr. Bright?!
> "Huh?" Natasha Romanoff blinked. "Isn't Dr. Bright supposed to be a middle-aged man?"
Just then, text appeared:
> Name: Jack Bright
Position: Senior Researcher, Ph.D., HR Director
Background: After dying during a containment breach, his soul became bound to SCP-963. Now immortal, he can possess anyone who holds the amulet for long enough.
Silence.
Then—
Explosion of chatter.
> "WHAT THE—this guy can possess bodies?!"
> "Immortality?! Soul transfer?! This is some sci-fi wizardry!"
Nick Fury stared, speechless.
So this was Dr. Bright?
The confrontation escalated.
Bright reached into his bag.
Without hesitation, Clef shot him.
BANG!
The bullet pierced Bright's forehead. His body crumpled.
Blood spread across the floor.
> "What the hell?! They're supposed to be friends!"
> "That smile... why was Bright smiling?! That's terrifying."
Dr. Clef reloaded his pistol and examined Bright's body.
He seemed confused.
> "Something's wrong. Everything's wrong."
He reached into Bright's bag and pulled out two items.
---
Item One:
> Name: Bouncy Ball
SCP-018 – Object Class: Euclid
A child's toy that becomes a high-speed, ricocheting projectile after bouncing. Can exceed speeds of 100 km/h and become extremely destructive.
> "That's not a toy. That's a damn cannonball!"
---
Item Two:
> Name: Anomalous Die
SCP-776 – Object Class: Euclid
A six-sided die etched with symbols: lightning, snowflake, raindrop, stone, flame, and wind. Each roll unleashes a different elemental power based on the symbol.
> "What?! A die that controls the elements?!"
> "Damn, these aren't anomalies—they're weapons!"
---
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters
Nick Fury froze mid-laugh.
Then the realization hit him like thunder.
> "Wait… it's all too perfect…"
He jumped up, shouting, startling his agents.
> "Clef's persistence. Kondraki's defiance. Bright delivering weapons…"
He turned to his assistant Maria.
> "It's all deliberate! It's playing out like a script!"
> "A script written by who?" she asked.
Nick's eyes narrowed as he stared at Clef on the screen.
> "He's the villain."
> "Then who's the protagonist?"
> "Who wrote this script?!"
For the first time, he felt it—genuine excitement.
---
Back to the Screen
Clef seemed to recognize the weapons. He pocketed the bouncy ball, then rolled the die (SCP-776).
Clatter...
It landed on 3.
Suddenly, a torrent of water burst out beneath it.
He rolled again.
Another 3. More water.
Frustrated, he rolled a third time.
This time, it showed a 2.
> "That's more like it."
Suddenly, an arctic chill spread out from the die.
In seconds, the entire GB hallway was flash-frozen.
Site-17's Sector 7 was isolated by a wall of supernatural ice.
Over the next five minutes, the freezing power of SCP-776 continued spreading...