House of Horrors: Isle of the Damned
Welcome to the Island of Nightmares
Finale
Location: SCP Foundation Site 11037 Building #3 (Corridor)
Time: 10:33PM
Date: August 1st 2020
xxx
It had been a little more than two minutes since Shiro and Mackenzie had taken off from their group. The executioner didn't at all seem bothered by the fact they were wondering around alone. Mackenzie on the other hand was trying and failing not to turn into a blubbering mess. She didn't do well with terrifying situations. She traced the fresh cut on her forearm with a finger, remembering how merely an hour ago, it had been an open wound. How she had been bleeding out and on the verge of dying. She was very thankful to Nyx for what she had done, and now she couldn't watch over her savior. She took a shaky breath, reaching into Daisuke's messenger bag for the frying pan Charlotte had let her borrow. Something about the cool metal made her feel calm.
"Hey Kenzie, are you okay? You aren't feeling dizzy are you?" Shiro asked, causing the girl to jump a bit. She had forgotten the other girl had been with her for a second. She stopped walking, turning to face her new friend.
"I'm a little frightened. All of this is really scary Shiro, I don't want to die," she replied. Shiro gave the girl a giggle, wrapping her arm around her shoulder.
"Listen here Kenzie, I am not gonna let ya die, kay? You got a whole lotta life left! So keep your fear in check, we'll get off this spooky island in no time!" she said cheerfully. Mackenzie brushed her arm away, taking a cautious step forward.
"How will we do that? It seems impossible. I-I don't want to kill anyone for a ticket...I'd rather find another way out. But the temptation is there, we'll most likely get killed by someone else."
"I doubt that will happen. Sides', big sis gave your her frying pan right? You can just bash someone in the head with it. Show them their brain on drugs!"
"N-no...I think I'll use it for self defense only," the Painter said softly, looking away from the gyaru. The two started walking again, an awkward silence filling the two. Shiro didn't exactly know how to comfort the skittish girl.
Unlike with Daisuke, who seemed to scold her every time she tried to lighten the mood. Mackenzie seemed different. She felt that if she tried to joke around in the same with the girl, that she'd just end up unnerving her more than she already was. She hummed softly to herself, her eyes tracing the girl's figure. She snapped her fingers, a giddy expression on her face.
"I got it! You are an artist right?"
"Huh? I suppose. I don't consider my writing an art form, it was pretty awful now that I think about it." the blonde painter replied.
"Well, an artist needs to be fashionable and trendy. She can't just paint in drags after all," she said, gesturing to Mackenzie's outfit. She looked it over, frowning a bit.
"Oh?"
"Yup-yup! So my promise to you, when we get off this awful shithole, I'll make you something cute! Maybe something to match with me. I already promised to make Daisuke this sweet jacket to replace the one he lost. I won't take no for an answer!"
"I ...I guess. Are you sure about that Shiro? I wouldn't want to trouble you,"
"It's no problem at all! I love making cute clothes, especially for cuties like yourself." the executioner said with a grin, making the blonde blush. She looked away briefly, noticing they had arrived at a dead end. Rather, it was a corridor with two closed doors, and one side corridor that was open.
The hallway doors were wide open, and unlike the previous corridor, this one was dimly lit. The florescent lamps hanging from the ceiling flickered on and off. A few of the windows were broken, and the rain from the outside was blowing in with the whistling wind. The temperature was much colder here, causing both females to shiver. Steeling her nerves, Shiro took the first step, brandishing her butcher, taking a shaky breath as she walked. Mackenzie followed suit, clutching her cast iron pan tightly her small hands.
"So, what do you think happened here?"
"I don't know Shiro, and I really don't care. I just want to find whoever it is may be here and get out. I don't wanna die here," the painter said softly. Shiro sighed, turning to face her again.
"Mackenzie, I already promised you. I am not letting you die here okay? How about we get to know each other a bit, you know...to keep ourselves calm."
"I guess...well, h-how did you become part of the AUP? Did you join up or...were you kidnapped?" she asked softly. Shiro hummed to herself as she pondered the question.
"Hmm...you could say I wanted talent like every other talentless hack in our planet. I noticed how people with talent seemed to be appreciated while I grew up. I yearned for it too y'know? One day, this really cool looking man approached me about it. I was taken to a lab, experimented on and boom, I woke up on this island,"
"Did they make you do anything?" Mackenzie asked curiously. Shiro shook her head, fiddling with the edges of her skirt.
"Not really...they gave me the talent of executioner, but I've never killed anyone. I spent an entire year designing death traps though. I wasn't told what they were for. Whenever I asked, they told me it was for some museum in Europe. Wasn't until the world went to shit that I figured out what they were for,"
"The killing games...you mean to tell me you designed all of those executions?"
"I guess? I'm not sure...I think all of the ones used in Hope's Peak were designed by someone else. But I'm not certain. Honestly, I'm just a sweet person who has a hobby of designing clothes. I wanted to be the Ultimate Fashion Designer originally, but hey...at least I got a talent in something. I'm not really complaining." Shiro replied. She paused by one of the windows, glancing down at the lot. The rainstorm had increased, the swirling clouds above roaring in anger. "What about you? How did you wind up in this mess?"
"I wanted to be a writer. I discovered my passion for it when I was in middle school. Growing up in Norway, you had a lot of inspiration when it came to mythology. I remember taking inspiration for a story from a boy my age. He ended up winning a writing contest, so I decided to do the same," the blonde said, a small smile appearing on her face.
"And...did you get a big blue ribbon on that sucker?"
"N-no...I got last place, actually." Mackenzie said, her smile shifting to a frown. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "According to the judges, my writing was littered with grammatical errors. Missing punctuation marks, spaces that weren't needed, the wrong use of words. It was a train wreck. What can you expect? I was eleven years old and I didn't have an editor!"
"That's rough...did they read it aloud?"
"No ...but they did humiliate me in front of the others. They said they were trying to give me "tips" on how to write. I took it all in stride. I decided to better myself at writing. I took inspiration from people like Toko Fukawa and Daisuke. But I never made it ...I didn't become an Ultimate. I started posting my works online, when I got an email."
"Let me guess, you wish to have talent, you were born in a world that doesn't acknowledge your potential. I can give you purpose. I can give you what you want. Join us, and we'll make you an Ultimate, loved and adored by millions. Am I in the ballpark?"
"It wasn't word for word but ...yeah. I was stupid ...I accepted it, and now I'm here. I really hope my mom is okay ...she wasn't doing to well when I left home," Mackenzie said, trying not to think of her mother. Shiro wanted to say something, but stopped at the sound of thunder. The lights finally gave out, a loud hiss filling the corridor before throwing it into relative silence.
"Whelp, no time like the present!" the executioner said, taking her first steps down the now darkened hallway.
As the two continued to walk down the hall, they noticed the significant drop in temperature. They both guessed it had to do with the open windows, but had noticed the wind had practically died down the further they went. The two ladies made it to the end of the corridor, finding nothing more than a set of wooden doors. Mackenzie gulped audibly as Shiro reached for the door handle, keeping her knife ready to strike.
"Okay, at the count of three, we break into the room."
"Got it!"
"Alright...3!" Shiro cried, throwing the doors open as she raced into the room. Mackenzie let out a surprised yelp, forcing herself to follow after the executioner. The two were greeted with an empty containment cell, which held nothing but a painting within.
"What? It's just a dumb old painting!" the girl exclaimed, a look of disappointment written on her face. Mackenzie however looked slightly relieved, at least until the monitor in the room sparked to life.
"Welcome to your trial ladies," the voice of Jibo said. Mackenzie shuddered a bit as she turned to face the screen.
"Man, you look whipped. It's only been an hour, what's up with you old man? Are your old bones crying for a break?" Shiro taunted. Jibo leaned forward in his seat, his expression changing slightly. The Ultimate Painter couldn't help but notice how worn out the man looked. He had a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead and looked exhausted. Despite that, he was still sporting that grin.
"I'd be careful with your choice of words Miss Hayashi," the man spat. Mackenzie couldn't help but notice how he forced himself to say the word miss. Regaining his composure, Jibo continued. "You two are about to be put in your own test. You wish to be free of this island do you not?"
"I..."
"Don't listen to him Kenzie. He's trying to bait you, and we don't have time for his crap. Let's just forget this dumb painting and get out of here,"
"Ah... well you could do that. But then you'd be condemning someone to death," the man said, causing the two ladies to stop. Shiro glanced over her shoulder, glaring at the screen.
"The hell do you mean by that?" she asked. This question only made Jibo lean back, an almost mischievous look on upon his countenance.
"I would like you both to meet SCP-6701. Object class, Euclid. This is a painting that was recovered from an undisclosed location. It is dated back to the Italian Renaissance Era. Supposedly, this is a haunted painting. People who stare it long enough, begin to hallucinate, saying they hear voices coming from within the canvas. When observed from behind a camera, SCP-6701 will look like a painting of the Mona Lisa. It was thought for the longest time, to be a second print of the famous portrait."
"Alright...and what the hell does that have to do with us?" the executioner asked, furling her brows in confusion, as she looked at the painting. Jibo let out a small chuckle, shifting his gaze toward Mackenzie.
"Our Ultimate Painter gets to try out her new talent. You see, I've been examining this entity for awhile now. There is in fact a person, trapped within the oils of this painting. It will be up to you to free her from her prison. If not..." the man paused, hitting a button on his control panel. The two girls glanced up at the ceiling, hearing a small clinking sound. They noticed several sprinklers had come down from the ceiling. "I'm afraid this modern art masterpiece, will flow down the drain. You have one shot at saving her Miss Alaestar, don't let her die," he said, with that he tuned off. Mackenzie looked back at the canvas, a look of utter despair on her face.
"How am I supposed to save someone I know nothing about?"
"Forget him Kenzie! Like I said before, this is all a trick of the mind. This is just a dumb old painting!"
Mackenzie however, felt drawn toward the canvas. She didn't know why it was, but she could tell there was something odd about it. The woman that was pictured on it seemed to bear a sad expression. The detailed brush strokes, and the pastels used were seemingly old. That much she could tell at a glance. She walked up to it, reaching up for the canvas when she saw the woman move. She let out a scream, falling back, eyes filled with surprise. Shiro stood beside her, opening and closing her mouth, trying and failing to formulate words. The two watched as the woman held up her hand, using one of her digits to spell out a single word.
" Hjælp." xxx
Location: SCP Foundation Site 11037: Building #1 (West Corridor)
Time: 10:45PM
Date: August 1st 2020
"Do you actually think there are others like us here?" Riku asked, as he walked down the darkened hallway. Normally, he'd have trouble seeing his surroundings, but due to his new neko aspects, he could see very well in the dark.
"If Momota said there was someone else here, then that's likely true. This site is quite large, so I wouldn't put it past him to have others hanging around here," Kanemoto said, shining her flashlight around. Charlotte sighed, taking a sip from her water bottle.
"Did it need to be needlessly hot in here? Jeez, I feel like I'm gonna shrivel up if I stay here too long,"
"So uh Charlotte ...may I ask you a question?" the Ultimate Neko said, grabbing the girl's attention.
"Sure, ask away. Not like I have anything to hide," she mumbled, brushing some of her pink locks behind her shoulder. Riku's ears twitched slightly as he gathered his thoughts.
"When you uh ...transform, do you lose your..." he paused, looking away in embarrassment. Charlotte quirked a brow, lips pursed slightly forward.
"Lose my what?"
"You know! When you get your tail, do you lose your ...personal area."
Kanemoto let out a snort, trying to contain her laughter at the pinkette's expression. She balled her hand into a fist, her knuckles turning white from how hard she was squeezing it.
"I'll have you know, I haven't transformed yet. And even if I had, why the hell would I tell you that?"
"W-well...I'm just curious you know? I've never met a real life siren before. I wanted to know if you were like Ariel!" the boy exclaimed, a sheepish look on his face.
"You tell me Sylvester, do you like chasing birds now that you got turned into a house cat?"
"Hey now...let's not start with the insults. Charlotte cut him some slack, he's just curious. All growing boys want to know what a vagina looks like,"
"Well if you want to show him yours, I'm not stopping you," the siren cried back, causing the Pokemon Trainer to blush.
"Okay! I'm sorry for asking. It's just...I'm trying to cope with all these weird changes you know? When I signed up for the AUP, I wasn't expecting to be turned into a Nekomata. The old man said he'd make me talented, and that the world would adore me. I wasn't expecting to become...well this!" Riku said, gesturing to himself. He fixed his sweater, which was slowly sliding off his shoulders.
"Hmm...okay, let me ask a different question. Did you join the AUP voluntarily because you felt useless?" Kanemoto asked, a hint of seriousness in her voice. Charlotte remained silent for a moment, shaking her head.
"No. I joined the AUP so that I could get a good singing voice. I will admit, it was probably the worst mistake I've ever made. I just," she paused, taking a deep breath. She looked at her hand, a squeamish look appearing on her face as she stared at the webbing. "I wanted to be someone in life. The Tragedy hit us hard, you could say...I wanted to be a ray of hope for those that I care about. We were forced underground after what happened, all I had was my voice. I wanted to make people smile,"
"I guess we're not so different then, Charlotte. I was a YouTuber before all of this. I will admit, I was quite dedicated to my craft. Even if I was just leeching off of other people's work." the neko said, earning an odd look from the two girls. "I used to be in a group that did voice work. I wanted to be the Ultimate Fandubber in the future,"
"I see ...if that's the case then why would you say you are a leech?" the siren asked curiously. Riku shrugged, glancing away from the two.
"Ah well, it's probably because I am. I mean, the only reason I got so many hits on YouTube in the first place is because I was with other popular voice actors. Not only that, I've dubbed various books as well. Including parts of Fire Emblem: Heroes Within."
"Daisuke's book? I remember seeing that in store shelves awhile back, before the world ended. I didn't know you narrated it," Kanemoto said. Riku shook his head, his tail flicking back and forth slightly.
"I didn't...it's a weird way to describe it. It's kind of like an online theater if you will. A voiced role play. I just had my lines and I read them. I wasn't all that good if I'm being honest,"
"Riku I'm sure you did a wonderful job. I've never listen to your work, but just from your voice, I can tell you did great! Maybe when we get outta here, I can watch your stuff!" Charlotte said, earning a soft chuckle from the neko.
"If you say so...my stuff isn't all that good really, but you might like it,"
"We'll all get out of here soon! I just know it. Then we'll all chill at my house and play some Pokemon! Thankfully, I never leave home without my Gameboy, and my 3DS!" Kanemoto said cheerfully.
"Generation 2 of Pokemon sucks."
"Listen here you mother fucker," the Pokemon trainer began, only for a loud creak to cut her off. The group of three paused in the middle of the hallway, glancing around the area for a moment.
"You guys heard that right?" the siren asked, earning nods from the two.
"It came from over here," Riku said, pointing to the opposite hallway. The three of them started moving toward it, hearing the sounds of voices. They picked up the pace, almost sprinting toward the end of the hall. "They're coming from behind this metal door!" he said, coming to a stop before it.
"Can you open it?"
"It's locked!" Riku said, trying and failing to open the door. Charlotte tried her luck, but wasn't able to open the door. She knocked loudly on it, the metallic sound echoing through the empty hall.
"Hey! Whoever is in there, are you okay?"
"Do you guys hear that?" Kanemoto asked, causing the two to stop banging on the door. Riku pressed his ear against the door, narrowing his eyes a bit as he tried to listen in.
"It...it sounds like running water."
"Running water?" the siren queried, mimicking his reply.
"Yeah...like it's filling up with water!" he cried, as he backed away from the door. Charlotte placed her hand on it, feeling just how cold it was. She could feel the hairs on her arm stand slightly, almost yearning for her to take a plunge.
"If that room is filling with water, that means someone tripped a booby trap. We gotta get them outta there!"
"Uh, how exactly are we gonna do that?" Riku asked, glancing at the Pokemon Trainer. She gave him a grin, spinning her hat around her head so the bill was facing backward. She reached into her bag for one of her pokeballs, pressing the center button. "Alright! Gardevoir I choose you!"
Tossing the ball into the air, it snapped open to reveal a bipedal creature. Its body was mostly white in color, with a white flowing skirt around its legs. It had long slender arms, and a pink appendage at the center of its chest. Her eyes were crimson red, hidden slightly under the green hair like bowl-cut.
"Gardevoir~" it cried, in a low feminine voice. Charlotte and Riku stood in shock, not expecting to see the bipedal creature emerging from the confined sphere.
"This is so cool!"
"Kanemoto focus!" Charlotte cried, pulling her from her stupor. The trainer cleared her throat, eyes falling on her pokemon partner.
"This is our first time battling together. I don't know how you were created, but just know that everything will be fine. You can trust me," she said softly. The creature narrowed its eyes warily, giving her a nod. Alright, then please, use Psychic on that door. We need to free the ones that are inside."
"Gardevoir!" she replied, holding her arm up. Her eyes glowed a brilliant blue, enveloping the entire door. It twisted and warped from the raw power, until the bolts finally snapped.
"Oh shi-"
Riku was cut off by the sheer force of the water that poured out of the room. It didn't take long for the three to get swept away. Charlotte, the only one who could see clearly, grabbed onto one of the bars from a nearby window. She let out a scream of pain as her legs began to change. They slowly joined together, brilliant glowing scales covering her skin. She could feel the bones in her lower body snapping and rearranging to fit her new form. The water slowly receded as the room finally emptied, leaving the three ultimates scrambling for a few moments.
"Is everyone alright?" Kanemoto cried out, forcing herself to stand up.
"I'm fine, soaking wet but purrfectly fine." Riku said, chuckling slightly. The glare the Pokemon trainer gave him made him cough into his hand. "Where's Charlotte?"
"Over here," a pained voice called out. The two looked behind, back toward the now empty room. The Ultimate Siren was laying on the ground, her lower half having changed into a beautiful tail. Her glittering scales seemed to shine in the low lighting. Her tail fin was slapping the ground lightly, as she tried to sit up. She looked at her arms, noticing the scales that had grown around her wrists. She also noticed her sharp her fingernails had become, along with the fins on her wrists.
"I'm a monster," she said softly.
"You are not a monster! Look at me Charlotte, you are a beautiful human being. You just got fish parts now, but you are still you." Kanemoto said softly.
"She's right Charlie. If anyone is a monster here, it's definitely me. I'm the one that got turned into a house cat after all," Riku said with a chuckle. Charlotte let out a small hiss as she moved her tail, biting the inside of her cheek.
"That was the most painful thing I've ever experienced. Guess I'll have to wait until I give birth to see if it compares,"
"Pfft...I'm sure the day will come when you'll be a mom. Riku, I need you and Gardevoir to head back to the cafeteria. See if Haruna can get some dry towels. Maybe even a cart to wheel her out of here,"
"Will do, come on Gardevoir. You can trust me," the neko said, earning a curious look from the pokemon. She glanced back briefly to Kanemoto who gave her a nod. Once the two left, she called out Ninetales, and asked her to use her Flamethrower to evaporate the nearby water.
"Kanna...the people in the room...check to see if they're alive,"
"Already on it Charlie." the Pokemon trainer said, as she headed back toward the room. She took a single step inside, her hands flying to her mouth at the sight.
There were three bodies in the room, and all three of them looked lifeless. Two girls and one man, it seemed. She took a step forward, kneeling down next to one of the girls, only to find a panicked look on her face. Her face was blue from having held her breath for so long. The other girl in a similar state. Both had passed on. Kanemoto turned to the boy, turning him over to see if he was alive. As soon as she did he started coughing, water gushed from his mouth, as he struggled to breathe.
"Holy shit! Are you alright?" the girl cried. The young man continued clearing his lungs out. Shakily forcing himself to sit up.
"I'm...fine." he wheezed, taking shaggy breaths. Kanemoto looked him over for injury, her eyes tracing every inch of his body.
He had dark, wavy green hair, darkened from being drenched. He was a rather tall boy, but seemed a lot slimmer for someone his age. Kanemoto could tell he was a bit underweight. His tunic stuck to him, the shape of his ribs visible through the soaked cloth. For some reason, how the boy was dressed reminded him slightly of Link from the Zelda series. That is, until she saw the dark green butterfly wings growing out of his back. He shuddered a bit as he sat firmly on the ground, wringing his tunic out. His gaze shifted toward the two deceased girls, a pained look appearing on his face.
"Sharena, Emma." the boy said softly, reaching his hand for them. Kanemoto took a hold of it, shaking his head.
"They're gone. You are lucky you aren't like them right now...tell me, what lead to this?" she asked. The boy looked back at the brunette, sighing audibly.
"W-we woke up in this room. Then this old man told us about the killing game. Said there were others like us. If we wanted to live, we had to kill two people to get out. If we didn't, then the room would fill up with water. Sharena and Emma refused to kill, even with the man encouraging them. So we waited, and the room filled up..." he paused, almost bursting into tears. "Emma drowned Sharena just as we were running out of air. She became desperate...she tried to fight me under the water, but I kicked her in the chin. I guess she passed out and drowned."
"Hey, don't feel bad! Be glad that you survived... yeah it's wrong that someone died but...better them than you right?" the pokemon trainer said, earning a shaky nod from the boy.
"I guess. I didn't want anyone to die, but I didn't want to die either. L-let's just get out of here, p-please." he said. Kanemoto nodded, standing up. She held her hand out, helping him out.
"It's nice to meet ya by the way! I'm Kanemoto, what's your name?"
"My name? You can just call me Felicks. That man told me I was the Ultimate Fairy now...guess it makes sense with my wings and all," he said, shaking his wings slightly. Kanemoto looked at them for a brief moment, before turning around.
"Well, you aren't the weirdest person I've met today. I am friends with a fish and a humanoid cat."
"Hey! I heard that!" a pair of voices called out, causing her to cringe.
xxx
Location: SCP Foundation Site 11037: Building #4 (Breached Containment Unit)
Time: 10:55PM
Date: August 1st 2020
"We're rapidly running outta room here! What the fuck are we gonna do?" Ashton shouted, as the spiked wall lurched forward. There were mere feet from falling within the wood chipper.
"Let's just remain calm, the only thing that will result from panic is an early death,"
"Easy for you to say lady. Why the hell don't you take the first plunge for us? That would at least save both our lives!" the treant said, earning a glare from the dryad.
"Perhaps you'd like to go instead? A true gentlemen would follow the rule 'Ladies First'"
"Ugh...these two idiots are the worst. Why the frick did I get stuck with them?" Miya thought to herself. She felt the wall behind her jerk slightly, causing them to walk one foot closer to their deaths.
She glanced at the wood chipper, eyes narrowing a bit as she peered at the blades. They were whirling rather fast, enough to shred a human body with ease. However she also noticed the blades were nothing more than large saw blades. Her eyes shifted back toward the door, seeing a small ledge on it, big enough for someone to stand on. She snapped her fingers, a small smirk on her face.
"Eureka! I've got it!"
"Huh? You've got what? A tummy ache?" Dalila asked, looking at the girl in concern. The Missing Persons Investigator brushed her off, looking straight at Ashton.
"Hey tree man. You can grow your limbs right?"
"What? I dunno...maybe? Why do you ask?" the man queried. She pointed toward the saws, specifically the rod the discs were mounted too.
"Those saw blades are mounted to a single spinning rod. They're not spinning separately like I thought. So, if you stopped the rod from spinning, then I could hop over to the ledge and open the door,"
"How would you do that?" the ultimate dryad asked, causing the girl to smirk. She reached into her back pocket, pulling out a lockpick set.
"Lock picking is like the first thing you have to learn. After all, if you are searching for a missing person, you have to search everywhere. Even creepy abandoned houses!" she said cheerfully. The wall behind them moved, almost causing them to fall forward. Ashton grumbled as he looked at the blades.
"One thing, if I focus on stopping the blades, that won't stop this wall. What the hell am I supposed to do about that?"
"We'll figure it out. Miya has one shot at this, and we have to take it now." Dalila said, earning a nod from the Investigator. Ashton nodded, reaching his hand down toward the blades.
"Come on dammit, I know you can grow. Come on!" the man said. Sadly his arm remained the same. Dalila looked at her hand for a brief moment, frowning as she lost herself in thought.
"I wonder, if I'm a dryad now...I can control trees... that means I can stimulate growth. Yes, this might work out perfectly,"
She moved forward, placing her hand on Ashton's chest. He gave her an odd look, at least until he noticed her hand glowing a bright green. He felt an odd energy filling his body, almost invigorating him. He felt his hand growing slightly, several thick brown vines shot from his finger tips, flowing down into the wood chipper, wrapping around the metallic rod. The machine whined and screeched as it was forced to slowly stop, sparks started filling the room, coming from the corners of the machine.
"Go! I can't hold it for too long!" the treant cried. Miya quickly climbed down, using the rod as a means to stand. She bent her knees slightly, jumping toward the ledge. She easily pulled herself up, sighing with relief as she looked back. Ashton gave a cry as the vines snapped, causing the machine to whirl back to life.
"I'll have this open in a jif! Just hold back that wall!" Miya cried over her shoulder. She pulled out her necessary tools, looking around for a keyhole. Thankfully, she was able to find one and quickly started her task.
"Alright Ashton, do you think you can stop this wall, at least for a little bit?" Dalila asked. Ashton sighed, but gave her a nod, holding his hands out. He placed them between the spikes, planting his feet firmly in the ground.
"If I root myself to the floor, I'll be able too. I'll need your help though, I can't tap into that strength without you boosting me. Guess I should apologize, its your ultimate talent that's saving our asses right now," the treant said, earning a smile from the dryad.
"Just be kinder to people, and I'm sure everything will be fine." she said. This time, she placed both her hands on his chest, giving him a nod. "I'll pour all my power into you, so you do your best to keep this wall back. Miya, it's all up to you!"
"Thanks for putting the pressure on Lila, really appreciate it!" the Investigator cried back, rattling her tools a bit as she spoke. "Ugh...how did daddy do this again? If it's a tumbler lock, rotate it to the right? Or was it the left? No wait...was I supposed to use the torsion wrench first or the snake rake? Gah...this is so confusing!"
xxx
"Do you hear that Jose?" Eris asked, causing the Demon to stop. The two of them had been making their way around the compound, but had been utterly lost for the last hour. The Ultimate Gorgon had been following her instincts, but that seemed to lead her to places that she didn't wish to ever see again.
"Hear what? Aside from the wind, I don't hear anything," the man replied. Eris closed her eyes for a moment, feeling her snakes moving. They were hissing, rather loudly at that. She could almost understand what they were saying.
"The snakes...they said...people nearby."
"A rescue?"
"Probably, let's see if we can find out who it is." she said, continuing ahead. She was about to take a right turn when one of her snakes nibbled on her ear, causing her to stop. She was about to scream, only for it to start tugging in the other direction. She nodded to herself, changing her direction.
"So, tell me about yourself Jose...something to fill the silence," Eris said, trying to make conversation with the man. He had been rather reclusive since they had met. His golden eyes glowed brightly in the semi-darkness, making her a bit uneasy.
"There's nothing to really share. I grew up in Mexico, things were rough but I survived,"
"Ah...what lead you to join the AUP then?"
"I didn't join willingly, if that's what you are asking. I wanted to be a necromancer. The old man made me an offer that I couldn't refuse," Jose simply said, earning a frown from Eris.
"Necromancy? You mean black magic?"
"If that's what you wanna call it, sure. I had a deep fascination with it. I wanted to study all I could about it. But I eventually wanted more... to truly communicate with the dead. You could say, thanks to the Tragedy, I lost my way. Now I'm here, a monster among men."
"You aren't a monster Jose. If anything, the real monster is me, I've got snakes on my head after all." the gorgon said. One of her snakes hissed loudly, while another bit her ear. "Ow! Quit it you little bastards!"
"I don't suppose you'd like to share your story with me? Were you a volunteer for this mierda?" the demon asked. Eris remained silent for a moment, biting the inside of her cheek.
"Yeah...something like that," she replied, looking away from him. Jose's brows furrowed a bit.
"Why would you join a crazy man like Momota? Clearly he's off his rocker." he said. "Ese viejo esta fuera de sus cabales!"
"I." she paused, licking her abnormally dried lips. "I wished to atone for something I did. Something I cannot discuss freely. Let's just drop this,"
Before Jose could even speak, a loud shout erupted from one of the nearby rooms. The two shared a look, before running toward the source of the voice. They were met with a single corridor, leading to one metallic door, that was rattling rather loudly. The two continued onward, reaching the door.
"Hello? Is anyone inside?" Eris cried.
"About fricken time! Sheesh, when the hell were you gonna get here? Some daring rescue!" a female voice replied.
"Rescue? You got it all wrong homes, we're not here to rescue anyone. We're lost ourselves," Jose said.
"Just open the door, before the wise Deku Tree gets turned into fertilizer!"
"I swear to Jesus, I'm going to kill you, you goddamn flesh hound!" a male voice shouted back, sounding rather strained.
"We gotta open this door, Jose do you see anything that could help?" Eris asked, turning to face the demon. He looked around for a moment, shrugging his shoulders.
"I can't see anything,"
"Dalila hang on! Help is just outside, don't you dare fall in that chipper!"
"I'm trying to hang on Miya, but I'm running out of room to stand!"
"Come on, there's gotta be something! I can only turn living things to stone and and even then, that would screw them!"
"I'm trying to think of something dammit! Que carajos quieres que aga?" he shouted back. He felt his muscles bulging a bit with his anger. An idea crossed his mind, and he quickly went with it, grabbing a hold of the door handle. "Yo, if you are standing behind this door then move. I'm about to rip it out!"
"What? Okay!"
Jose didn't waste much time, using his newfound strength to pull the door open. The hinges snapped clean off, nuts and bolts falling onto the ground. As soon as he dropped the door, the whirling saws slowly came to a stop. A young lady shot out first, falling to her knees and gratefully kissing the ground, an act Eris found rather gross. She glanced inside the room, seeing two others standing within, literally inches from falling into the saw blades.
"Oh, thank the heavens! You saved our lives!"
"Tch...took ya long enough," the treant replied angrily. Eris and Jose shared a look, both surprised to see two more monstrous teenagers.
"So...you wouldn't happen to be ultimates like us, would you?" Eris asked curiously.
"Actually, would you believe me if I said yes?"
"Um excuse me, not to interrupt your lovely discussion or anything. But can't you see that we are moments away from FALLING INTO A SAW PIT! Would you move your fucking asses!"
"How are we supposed to help you homes? That pit is stopping us from going to you. Why don't you just jump?" Jose asked curiously. The treant grit his teeth.
"You tell me homes. Why the fuck don't you use your intelligence in construction to build me a bridge. Oh wait, let me guess... you left all of your smarts back in Mexico when you hopped the border didn't you?"
"That is enough! You should be grateful to him, he did save your ass now, Mister Jolly Green Giant! So why don't you shut your fucking mouth already and let us come up with a solution to this predicament?" Eris snapped angrily, her snakes hissing loudly. Jose was quick to cover her eyes, almost slapping her as his hand covered them.
"Easy there Muchacha. You almost turned the fucker to stone," he said.
"Ashton, you have to stop causing a fuss. We shall get out of here just as quickly as we can. Insulting our saviors is not the solution. Miya dear, do you happen to have any rope with you?"
"Miya? Are you talking about that girl that shot out of here?" the demon asked, earning a nod from the dryad. "Yeah, that one high tailed it. She ran outta here like a bat outta hell."
"Ugh...that idiot, I really do hope she gets her flesh flayed from every bone in her body," Ashton grumbled in annoyance. Dalila sighed, as she looked around for a way out.
"Well, at least the saws stopped, we can definitely get out of here." she said, keeping her hopes up.
It took them a few minutes, but the two were finally able to leave their would be death trap. Ashton stood at his full height, stretching his tired limbs after having to hold the wall in place for so long. Dalila went for the friendlier approach, hugging both Eris and Jose rather tightly as thanks, though the Ultimate Demon was quick to break the hug, not wanting to be shown any affection by the girl. After short introductions, Eris caught them up to speed.
"So that's the way of it then...this is all just one big research test?"
"Apparently. We've been trying to reach the cafeteria for the last hour. Sadly we haven't ran into anyone else, well ...until we found you." Jose replied.
"That means there are other fleshies here? Great...here I was hoping to spend time in peace, alone," Ashton said, stressing the word a bit. Dalila brushed him off, a confident look on her face.
"Well, if its the cafeteria we must find, then we should search for it together. Not to mention, Miya took off to who knows where! We can't let her run around by herself. She could get hurt!"
"Agreed, even if she's seemingly normal, we can't exactly be sure. Jibo could have given her some weird mutant talent," Eris added.
"Uh hey...you three notice that tray right there?" Jose asked, pointing to the tray that had appeared behind the group. They all shared a look, not exactly knowing how it go there.
"Maybe it's food?" Dalila asked.
"Doesn't smell like food to me." Ashton added quietly, crossing his willowy arms as he glared the tray down. Eris however felt brave, and knelt before it, pulling the lid off. Resting on its surface, were five silver tickets.
"Tickets?"
"A form of payment it seems. 5 of us passed whatever test Momota set up for us. I guess you three survived his test, and since we saved you, we were rewarded," she said, scooping the tickets up. The Gorgon traced each one with her eyes, before holding them out. "One for each of us, including Miya."
"The hell do I want this damn thing for? What is a ticket gonna do? It isn't going to turn me back is it?"
"This ticket could be your saving grace. Collect five and you get off this island alive. However, if you don't want it, I'll gladly take it," Eris said, about to place the remaining three tickets away. Ashton swiped his from her grasp, stuffing it in his jacket.
"Let's go, I'm sick of staring at your flesh,"
xxx
SCP Foundation Site 11037: Building #3 (Painting Containment Unit)
Time: 11:00PM
Date: August 1st 2020
"You've been at this for like 40 minutes already Kenzie! Just give up on this stupid painting!" Shiro cried, shivering slightly from the cold water. Mackenzie however didn't judge. She had been using her body as a shield, stopping the cold water from landing on the canvas. She had noticed, with every drop that hit it, the woman trapped inside seemed to scream. She needed to get her out, no matter the cost.
"If you wanna leave then do it, I'm not stopping you Shiro. But someone here is asking me for help, and I can't leave them. Whoever is in here, is suffering!" the painter cried back. Shiro stomped her foot, her soaked hair swinging back and forth.
"I swear, it's shit like this that will get you killed! Where was this bravery when we were being chased by ravenous zombie dogs?" she cried out, only for it to remain unanswered. Mackenzie had lost focus, eyes only on the painting.
"Okay...how do I get her out of here? There has to be something, I've looked this thing over twice. There has to be something, a charmed nail, a broken piece in the hemp. Something, anything!" she thought, desperately. She traced the edge of the wooden frame, hoping something would come out at her.
"Ugh ...I honestly don't know why you are so convinced someone his in there. Sure, they wrote help but it could have been a trick. This thing is an SCP after all." Shiro mused, twirling a strand of hair around her fingers. "Pfft ...maybe you can just paint a door for the spirit to come out! That'd be a hoot!"
"Paint a door? Hmm...that's it! Shiro you are a genius!" Mackenzie cried out, earning a confused look from the executioner. She shrugged, watching the blonde grab a hold of the painting, racing out of the room.
Shiro did nothing but follow, not knowing what the painter was trying to do. She noticed they were heading back the way they had come, toward the meeting place they had set up with Daisuke and Miyaki. She picked up the pace, panting a bit from the sudden exertion. The two girls finally made it back, just as Daisuke and Miyaki entered the hall. The two adopted looks of concern, especially when Mackenzie fell onto the ground, still clutching the painting.
"Kenzie you shouldn't run like that! You lost a lot of blood earlier, you're still recovering!" Daisuke scolded.
"She's soaking wet, what the heck happened to you two?" Miyaki asked curiously.
"We were lead into a room with that stupid painting. Jibo said that if we didn't save the girl in the painting, she'd die." she said. As if on cue, the sprinklers above them started spraying, the hiss of the water filling the emptiness of the room.
"Daisuke quick! I need a pen, ink, anything!" the painter cried. The storyteller nodded, shuffling around his bag, procuring a bottle of ink and one of Mackenzie's paintbrushes. It was one that he had managed to salvage from her torn bag. The girl uncapped the ink, hastily dipping the brush.
"You know, if I hadn't come back from the dead, witnessed a zombie nurse and saw a boy make a duplicate of himself, I'd wonder if I was losing my mind."
"You'll be asking yourself that question a lot more frequently Kiki, trust me." Shiro said. Miyaki's eyes narrowed a bit at the nickname, but said nothing as she was more entranced by Mackenzie. The painter had flipped the canvas over, and had been using the ink to paint what looked like a doorway.
It took her only a minute to finish, but when she did she placed her hand on the painting. She let out a gasp as she felt her hand sink in, and she would have fallen in, had Daisuke not grabbed her. She felt around for a moment, unable to find anything.
"Whoa, that's so cool! You mean to tell me this painting is really magic?" Shiro asked.
"It's probably a portal to another world. You said it was an SCP right?" Daisuke asked, earning an nod from the executioner. "Then that's probably the case. Do you remember the number attached to it?"
"6701, apparently it was thought to be a replica of the Mona Lisa." Mackenzie replied. She let out yelp, pulling her arm slightly. "Something grabbed me, and it's pulling!"
"Quick, start pulling back! It might be the person we're supposed to save!" the storyteller cried, grabbing a hold of Mackenzie's wrist.
They continued pulling, indeed finding a hand wrapped around hers. They took a hold of it and continued to pull, until the painting finally gave way, and the figure was pulled completely from its confines.
She was wearing a bright red field cap with a hexagonal eye logo n the front, surrounded by arrows. Her ashen brown hair fell down her back, looking a bit scruffy, long bangs hang over her crimson eyes. She was wearing a simple dress shirt, white in color with a matching red layered skirt. She was wearing long black socks and long brown boots. She let out a sigh of relief, looking up at her four saviors.
"It's been awhile since I've seen another human," she said, giving them a grateful smile.
"H-holy shit! Mackenzie was right, there really was someone in that painting!"
"What? You still doubted me?" the painter asked, earning a shrug from Shiro.
"It felt like the thing to say at this exact moment. Anyway, hiya! Welcome to the world of the living, strange painting lady!" the executioner said, holding her hand out. "Shiro Hayashi, pleasure to meetcha!"
"You may call me Ibb Roos, though I suppose it would be better to give you my designation number. I am SCP D Class Personnel 270212. It's nice to meet all of you!" she said, bowing her head gratefully.
"The hell would we want your designation number for? You're name will suffice," Daisuke said. Ibb looked at him confused.
"Are you not members of the SCP Foundation? I had assumed you were all plain-clothed agents."
"N-no. We aren't...Miss Roos, are you aware of what's happened to the world?" Mackenzie asked curiously. Ibb closed her eyes to ponder the question, giving her a name.
"Yes ...the fall of an institution caused the world to end. Hope's Peak Academy, if I am correct. I remember, bearing witness to the killing game that was being broadcast at the time."
"What...what happened to you? How long were you trapped in that painting?" Miyaki asked, earning a frown from the woman.
"I am not sure...time doesn't exactly move in the Paint Realm. For me, it felt like 4 hours, the first time at least. In reality, I've been in that realm for about 400 years,"
"What? No...that's impossible!" Shiro cried out, a look of disbelief on her face. Daisuke placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head.
"This world ours is a petri-dish of the supernatural. That means stuff like this is possible. Still, 400 years is quite a long time. Especially for someone so young,"
"Indeed, I've grown used to being displaced by time. I was freed some years ago, by two agents of the SCP Foundation. The painting seemed to be inert while I was gone. I was studied as an instance of SCP-6701, however, it seemed as if I was completely normal. I was instead turned into a D-class personnel, and moved from site to site." Ibb said, clutching her hands tightly. "As a result of being in the paint realm, it seems I do not age, nor do I die of natural causes."
"I see...so the Foundation was probably trying to figure out if they could reverse engineer the painting. Would probably explain why it is here on Hora Island. But then...why were you put back in?" the storyteller asked. Ibb shrugged.
"I suppose it's because I wished to visit the Academy of Hope. The Foundation didn't want me straying too far from the sites. However as the world began to fall, I realized that I finally had my chance to escape. But my yearning for talent also made me make a fatal mistake. I followed the advice of a man named Jibo Momota. He said he'd grant me talent unlike anything I'd ever dreamed of. I spent the last few years stuck in that painting as a result," she said.
"Ah, but it was a necessary step in completing your transformation!" the voice of the Ultimate Biologist said. The group of five ran toward the source, finding a mounted monitor next to a speaker box. The main in question could be seen holding a microphone. "Miss Roos, you wished for talent, and I gave it to you. You are now the Ultimate Runecrafter. That was what you wanted correct? Talent?"
"Ignore him, let's just get out of here. We need to meet up with the others anyway," Daisuke said, helping the woman to her feet. She looked back to the screen, where Jibo was silently watching.
"Thank you Doctor, I shall strive to use my talent to help everyone I can," she said, earning a laugh from the man.
"You are very welcome, Miss Roos. Come morning, I believe you'll get to see the extent of what I have planned here, run along now. Ah, and before you go, I have a reward for Miss Alaestar."
The wall before the girl opened up slightly, and a silver strip slowly slid out. She shakily took a hold of it, pulling it free from the wall, reading its words.
"A silver ticket?"
"One of 5, you'll need to collect the others if you wish to leave this island. Miss Hayashi would have obtained one, but she didn't feel like helping you. Thus she will not be rewarded,"
"Pfft...as if I wanted a ticket from you. I'll get off this damn island myself. You'll see." she replied firmly, glaring at the man. The monitor quickly shut off, leaving the 5 standing in silence.
"Lets just go, it's only been an hour since I awoke and I already feel like I've been up for days," Miyaki said softly. Daisuke nodded, taking the lead of his group.
xxx(End of Prologue 6)xxx
Surviving Subjects 24
AN: Listen, I said this was the last one, shit happens. This was far too long and I'm not done yet dammit. Don't hate me lol, besides after this post I'm sure you'll be enjoying yourselves.
Also, apologies for the racist comment in this chapter, Ashton is an asshole character so I decided to write the part. I'll strive to keep those comments out of my writing.
See ya soon~
