Dr. Kondraki exhaled a cloud of smoke, the glowing tip of his cigarette dimming as he leaned back in his chair. His voice was muffled by the haze, low and expressionless.
"As you've probably realized, over the past three days, I've confirmed that at least thirty personnel at Site-17 have been compromised by 239's influence. Researchers, technicians, even members of the security division. They've all been affected."
James didn't respond. His eyes remained on the document in his hand, scanning every word carefully.
Unfortunately, I was not able to obtain the Genoa Blade before leaving Site-19, which means I won't be able to use it to bypass basic security.
"Genoa Blade?" James asked, raising an eyebrow.
"SCP-668," Kondraki explained. "A thirteen-inch kitchen knife. Harmless-looking, but with a terrifying side effect. Anyone who sees it and isn't holding it instantly loses the will to stop the wielder. They don't fight back."
Kondraki took another drag from his cigarette and gave a half-smile. "Clef may be a bastard and a compulsive liar, but when it comes to terminating Keter-level anomalies, he's efficient. Cold-blooded, but efficient."
James nodded slowly. "He wanted to use SCP-668's apathy effect to neutralize personnel under 239's influence. Not a bad plan, actually."
"Too bad it didn't work out," Kondraki muttered. "Even Clef can't get every toy he wants."
James kept reading.
My outside connections have provided me with alternative equipment, which may prove sufficient. In the event of my death, my ocular and audio implants will transmit all data regarding this operation to the Global Occult Coalition, all O5-level Foundation members, and the FBI's Unusual Incidents Unit.
If vital signs cease, GOC Treble-Clef Unit is to execute Procedure Pizzicato: Planetary Extermination.
James's breath hitched, and the room fell silent.
The livestream audience was frozen, staring at the screen in disbelief.
"What did I just read?!"
"If Clef dies, they're going to wipe out the whole planet?! Is this a joke?!"
James's eyes narrowed in shock. "Pizzicato? Planet extermination? Are we seriously talking about ending the world?"
Kondraki scoffed. "Scaremongering. Classic Clef. Keep reading."
To anyone reviewing this after the incident—hello, Mel—I'm still a liar. There is no Treble-Clef Unit. No Procedure Pizzicato. No global data dump.
Probably. Maybe. Very likely.
Arrival in five hours. Mission begins.
"..."
The live chat exploded.
"Goddamn it, Clef!!"
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters
Natasha Romanoff facepalmed, her voice echoing with frustration. "This lunatic is joking around in the middle of a potential apocalypse?!"
The agents nearby shared her disbelief. Some laughed nervously, others shook their heads. Only Nick Fury remained silent, staring at the words "Procedure Pizzicato."
It didn't matter that Clef claimed it was fake.
Even if there was a chance the Global Occult Coalition had the power to wipe out the world…
That was enough reason to be concerned.
Back on the screen, James closed the document and exhaled deeply. "So, what's our move?"
Kondraki crushed his cigarette in the ashtray, surprising everyone with his response.
"We stop him."
The livestream chat blew up again.
"Stop him?!"
"You mean... Clef? Why?!"
"He's trying to kill 239 before she breaches containment!"
A terrifying thought spread like wildfire among viewers:
Had Dr. Kondraki also fallen under 239's influence?
S.H.I.E.L.D.
"This is insane…" Natasha muttered. "They were on the same side—weren't they?"
She turned to Fury, concern all over her face. "You think Kondraki's compromised?"
Fury didn't answer. His eyes remained fixed on the screen.
Inside the video feed, James stood silently as Kondraki lit another cigarette.
"Let me guess," Kondraki said with a bitter smirk. "You're wondering if I've been manipulated too?"
James didn't speak, but his stillness said enough.
Kondraki chuckled softly. "Believe me, I've asked myself the same damn question. The way that girl talks… the way she looks at you… you start to question everything. I'm scared, James. But not of her."
James tilted his head. "Then what are you afraid of?"
"That I'd have to kill her if I found out she had influenced me."
He looked up, eyes hard. "So what's your choice?"
James looked him in the eye. "239 can be terminated."
Kondraki's pupils dilated. The tension in the air could have snapped steel.
James continued, unflinching. "But not now. And not like this."
Kondraki paused, then burst into laughter—dry, relieved laughter. "I'm starting to like you, mid-level researcher."
The chat lit up again.
"WHAT?!"
"I thought James supported Clef?!"
"Now he wants to stop him too?!"
"This is getting wild."
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Natasha rubbed her temples. "I don't get it. She's dangerous, right? Shouldn't she be terminated?"
Fury's expression hardened. "He didn't say she shouldn't be dealt with. He said not like this."
He flipped through Clef's document again in his mind.
"It's the method. Not the goal. Maybe Clef's approach risks making things even worse."
As theories flooded in from the livestream, James and Kondraki had already made their move.
The camera followed them down Site-17's labyrinthine hallways.
When they reached the intersection, Kondraki turned toward SCP-408's chamber, while James headed the opposite way.
He stopped in front of a holding room, where a security guard stood at attention.
"Researcher, please show your clearance badge," the guard requested.
The next moment shocked everyone.
James grabbed the guard's elbow, then slammed his other arm into the man's stomach.
Pfft!
The guard collapsed forward with a wheeze.
Before he could cry out, James pressed his fingers against his neck, and the man slumped to the ground, unconscious.
James carefully laid him down and adjusted his position.
The livestream erupted in confusion.
"What the hell?!"
"Why did he just knock out a guard?!"
"He snapped!"
Inside the video, James unlocked the door to SCP-105's containment chamber.
Viewers immediately recognized the room—and the young woman inside.
Iris.
Years had passed since she first entered containment, but she was still composed, still sharp.
Sensing something off, she approached the door.
"Who's there?" she asked, voice steady but cautious.
James didn't speak. Instead, he passed a photo through the door's narrow slot.
A simple landscape—Yellowstone National Park.
The moment Iris laid eyes on it, her hands trembled. A thousand memories surged back. Her throat tightened.
She looked toward the sealed door, eyes glassy.
"…Is it you? The junior researcher?"
In response, the door slid shut.
The livestream audience finally understood.
It was for her.
Then, without warning, the footage switched again—this time to surveillance camera data.
4:45 a.m.
A VTOL-505 helicopter landed on helipad seven.
Six security agents stood at the ready as Dr. Clef stepped out.
But he wasn't met with greetings.
"Dr. Clef," one agent barked, "your clearance has been revoked."
"You are not authorized to enter Site-17."
"Please vacate VTOL-505 immediately."
Clef didn't argue. Slowly, he raised his hands and lay on the tarmac.
It seemed like everything might end peacefully.
Then, like lightning, Clef pulled out an odd device from under his coat.
Before anyone could react—
BANG!
A brilliant flash—like a stun grenade—erupted across the helipad.
Four agents dropped immediately, unconscious. The remaining two were dazed.
Clef moved quickly, injecting all six with heavy anesthetics.
The audience heard his voice—cold, calm, cruel.
"No one can stop me."
4:52 a.m.: Additional security is mobilized.
5:02 a.m.: Defensive lines collapse.
5:10 a.m.: Clef breaches Site-17's interior.
The livestream watchers were shell-shocked.
He'd gotten inside.
Even as more guards mobilized, the footage glitched—jumping five minutes ahead.
The scene had changed drastically.
No sign of Clef. Only fallen security personnel and structural changes—a hallway turned into a dead-end, altered signage, chaos.
Then—
BOOM!!!
A white-hot light engulfed the screen. An explosion of pure energy.
Buzzing.
Static.
And through it all, Clef's voice echoed from a recording:
"This is worse than I thought."
"Reality distortion has already begun."
End of Chapter 78.
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