[Wait, what am I doing? Why am I trying to stop myself? That little monster is too dangerous to live. She broke the rules—she has to die.]
[We can't just do it carelessly. We need a plan. Telekill alloy… yes, a weapon made from that should work…]
The file ends there.
But for the audience in the livestream, an icy chill ran down their spines.
A scene took shape in their minds—
Dr. Clef wakes in a cold sweat, realizing something is wrong. He immediately starts drafting a message.
Halfway through, his thoughts… twist.
The compulsion overrides him again.
His original intent—buried.
Until he grabs the Telekill blade, storms Site-17, and is finally "defeated"...
That was when he came back to himself.
The livestream exploded:
"What the hell?? That's terrifying!"
"So Dr. Clef was being mentally warped the whole time?!"
"He was fully conscious, just watching himself lose control. That's nightmare fuel."
There was a strange mix of sympathy and amusement.
After all, if Clef hadn't been such an infamous figure, SCP-239 wouldn't have feared punishment just for resurrecting a bird.
Now, finally, the incident caused by SCP-239 had come to an end.
No CK-class reality restructuring event.
No XK-class extinction protocol.
Only two security casualties.
And yet—
In terms of danger, this incident was just as severe as any Foundation catastrophe.
Had Leon Lake not acted when he did...
The results could've been unimaginable.
But for the viewers?
This was a spectacle.
Anomaly hunts.
Apocalypse Doctors.
Mech vs Dragon.
A Researcher taming a Level 4 Reality Bender.
It was glorious.
"God, that was addictive," Natasha Romanoff muttered, still visibly pumped.
"I used to think those anomaly-infested towers were scary. Now I realize... the Foundation is the real nightmare!"
Other agents nodded in agreement.
"Everything's fine until something isn't. Then it's hell in a lab coat."
"We've had multiple breaches in hours. That's insane."
"Still not over that humanoid plant. My skin crawls just remembering it."
"And don't forget—one of the Four Doctors of the Apocalypse straight-up fought multiple anomalies."
Nick Fury was about to reply when the screen above them suddenly lit up again.
Everyone immediately quieted down.
Outside the Site-17 medical wing.
"Honestly, I don't get why we were asked to do this interview," Dr. Kondraki grumbled, lighting a cigarette. "If I see that bastard again, I might just kill him."
Inside the ward, a familiar voice barked back:
"Try me, you crippled bastard!"
SLAM!
Kondraki, leaning on a crutch, stormed into the room.
But when he saw Dr. Clef's condition, both men fell into a heavy silence.
Leon Lake followed quietly and placed a small bouquet on the bedside table.
"You're welcome."
Dr. Clef raised an eyebrow.
"What the hell? Someone brought me flowers?"
"I picked them outside," Kondraki said flatly.
Clef didn't argue.
"How's the leg?" he asked.
"Still attached. How's your face? Eyes? Ears?"
"I got hit with the pendant for a few minutes. Enough to heal… not enough to mutate."
Then Clef looked at Leon.
"So… what's this about? Some debriefing?"
"Brief interview," Leon said.
Clef grinned.
"I remember you. The kid who was braver than me."
"Come on," Kondraki said, slicing into an apple. "If it weren't for this kid, we'd all be dead."
"How's the girl?" Clef asked, hesitating.
"Comatose. Leon knocked her out after the dragon business. She's in a Telekill-lined room now."
Kondraki chomped the apple—himself.
Clef grumbled.
"Who's monitoring her?"
"Valdason."
Clef sighed.
"Poor kid."
"Says the guy who tried to kill her," Kondraki snapped.
"I'm not talking about the SCP."
Kondraki nearly choked, coughing into his sleeve.
Leon finally asked, "So… why did you do it?"
Clef lit a cigarette.
"You read the report. Something went wrong with the plan. I thought I could help…"
"Bullshit!" Kondraki barked.
"What?"
"I know you. You're a sadistic, manipulative bastard, but you're not a fool."
"Touched you care so much," Clef said dryly.
"What do you want?" Kondraki snapped, taking control of the interview.
Leon stepped back, letting them hash it out.
Bad move.
"I've no idea what you're talking about, Konny."
"Really? How convenient." Kondraki's voice sharpened. "Your PDA recording? Lilith ordering you to tell the truth—cuts off. An emergency call brings backup? Site-wide breach? Multiple SCP casualties?"
"One you vouched for personally."
Clef inhaled slowly. He didn't answer.
Kondraki's voice climbed toward a shout.
"What were you planning? Who did you want dead? Should we keep the girl unconscious forever?"
"You're very imaginative."
"Bullshit again. You're lying—like always."
Clef smiled thinly.
"They call me the Father of Lies, don't they?"
"So why, Clef?!"
Clef leaned close and whispered something in Kondraki's ear.
Kondraki's face went white, then red, as rage surged through him.
"You son of a bitch!"
Clef burst into a manic coughing fit—and then a rant.
"Here's the thing, Konny… what if I'm lying now?"
"What if that thin line of peace we cling to snaps tomorrow?"
"What if you die, cross over, and find heaven's gates draped in bloody angel wings nailed to the wall?"
"You know the world's unraveling. We're cockroaches in a rotting multiverse."
"As long as the anomalies exist—we're all just buying time."
The chat went wild trying to parse what Clef just said.
S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ
"What the hell did he just say?" Natasha blinked.
"Is paradise actually corrupted?" someone muttered.
Even Nick Fury couldn't decode it.
But the tone was clear—Clef knew something.
Or maybe he was just lying again.
Back on screen, Kondraki erupted.
"You want to manipulate me again?!"
"Oh please," Clef scoffed, gripping his collar. "Why do you think we've had 700% more anomalies in five years?"
"Why was I affected by SCP-239 even from Site-19?"
"You've seen the trends. More gods, more divine resurrections, more things whispering in the dark."
Kondraki looked like he'd seen a ghost.
Then Clef suddenly burst into laughter.
"Oh God, you believed me! Hahaha!"
"This is better than the time I convinced Gears that Alice was in my head! He almost MRI'd her!"
"Stone-faced bastard. No sense of humor!"
"You sick—LIAR!" Kondraki lunged.
Even while being strangled, Clef smiled.
"It's gonna haunt you, Konny. That whisper in the back of your mind..."
"It'll never go away."
Then, the two half-crippled men started brawling in the hospital room.
Leon Lake stood silently at the door.
Watching them.
His eyes were cold.
Deep.
Unfathomably cold.
End of Chapter 85
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