Part 5 - Blood of the King
Chapter 84 - Pestilence
Teresa was called to one of the test chambers in the R&D section of Legion headquarters. Things were going crazy all over the multiverse and she had to do both her job and Miles'. She wondered what could be so important that she was forced to leave her post. She walked into the overly talkative elevator.
"RD&T three."
"You seem to be in a bad mood. Allow me to lift your spirits with this brilliant symphony."
"Piss off."
The lift stopped and Teresa walked straight across the hall. The observation deck overlooking the test chamber was empty but the chamber itself wasn't. She opened the door and surveyed the mixture of emotions: Gwen had been crying, Max looked to be in shock and Conall seemed somewhat normal. Miles was nowhere to be seen, and the director linked the dots quickly. She closed her eyes, recalling some of the memories she had of him. But a second later she was brought back to reality by Gwen.
"I need some time. If you hear about anyone being killed, I'm not promising it wasn't me."
She walked away leaving Conall who now looked like he was trying to understand life, the universe and everything. Max had returned to Earth from his daze, or at least to the Legion HQ. Teresa knew he was probably freaked out, but if Miles was dead she needed to speak to him.
"Max, we need to talk."
He nodded and walked to the door, waiting for her.
"The answer is forty-two, Conall." She said.
Conall chuckled.
Teresa took Max to the directors' meeting room.
"Your father is dead?"
"Yeah."
"What happened?"
"These beaked lizard-wolf-octopus things appeared. The first seven went down fine, the eighth was only hurt by his venom strike. He killed it to keep the dimension safe but killed himself at the same time."
"I'm really sorry he's gone."
"I don't know what to do, now. I've lost Charlotte, Dad, and it looks like Mum is a borderline psychopath."
"I'm not one for advice, so I'm going to get back to business." She typed quickly into an iPad and twirled it round to show the teenager. "Was it one of these?"
Max nodded.
"You've seen them?"
"SCP-049 breached containment shortly after the battle with Tufto in 7610."
"Call him Khahrahk or the Scarlet King. I'm sick of him sounding like my hair when I wake up in the morning."
"Alright. As I said, 049 breached containment. It has remained inside Site-19, but has been creating these creatures from the people it kills. How did they arrive?"
"Through a red crack, like the one we were sucked into but a lot smaller."
"Then we can conclude 049 and Khahrahk are in league, or 049 is one of his children."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because if Miles is dead, procedure AMM-1-F is in effect. Given the circumstances we can forget about the whole locking you in your house for forty-eight hours and get to the point. In the event of Miles' death, the position of senior director of the Legion is to be handed over to his next of kin until such a time as the situation becomes stable. With Charlotte dead, that means you."
Max sighed.
"That's a stupid protocol."
"I agree. But what's your first move?"
The spider sat forward, biting his lip, realising that what he said was now law in the multiverse. It was scary how much power he held, but he refused to let it get to his head. He was going to use this to fix things.
"Are amnestics being given to people in 7610 after the incident?"
"No. Delivery of amnestics usually requires the signature of three directors, one of which must be the senior. In 01ELA's absence, it has to be signed by all remaining directors. I refused, as did Edward, so they weren't delivered."
"Good. Now incinerate every dose. We're going to war with the Scarlet King, and people won't fight if they can't remember what it is they're fighting."
"My thoughts exactly, although I must say I don't think destroying the entire supply is a good idea."
"No, probably not."
"Anything else?"
"I want to speak to SCP-049, eventually. But first I need a moment."
"I'd think you just as much as a psycho as you're mother if you didn't."
"Where did Jacob go?"
"When you didn't come back, he said he had to tell your girlfriend you're dead."
"Girlfriend? I don't have one...oh wait, he means Grace."
"Who's the lucky lady?"
"Just a friend, but everyone jokes we're dating because she only hangs out with me, not the rest of the guys. I have to go see her."
"I'll hold the fort until you're back."
Max refilled his suit's web shooters before going home to 7610. He perched on top of the tallest skyscraper, staring down at the recovery effort being carried out by the Legion. He pulled out his phone and dialled Jacob.
"Max? Max! You're alive! Holy crap, I thought you were dead."
"Yeah. I'm alive. Just."
"You alright, man?"
"Maybe. I don't know. Teresa said you were gonna talk to Grace."
"Yeah, I told her you were dead."
"Where are you?"
"Ganke's place. He's letting me hang here for a bit."
"I'll be there."
Ganke must have been waiting at the door because as soon as Max knocked, it flew open and his godfather was grinning at him.
"I knew you couldn't be dead!"
"Can I come in?"
Ganke dragged him in and closed the door. Jacob frowned at his expression, and Ganke's usual cheer disappeared.
"Max, are you alright?"
"I am. But...crap it just hit me."
A tear began to roll down the spider's cheek. He slumped down the wall, throwing his suit up into the air and catching it, but failing on his second attempt as tears blinded him.
"What happened?" Jacob asked quietly.
"Dad is dead. He didn't say goodbye, he said nothing to me or Mum. He just...did it."
"He...killed himself?" Pressed Ganke, shocked.
"I guess, but he saved us."
"What from?" Asked Jacob.
"A stupid crossbreed between a bird, an octopus, a lizard and a wolf. Maybe him being dead isn't the worst part. Maybe it's what he left me."
"What did he leave? They can't have read his will already, it's not even been a day." Said Ganke.
"Some stupid protocol at the Ethereal Legion knighting me as the guy calling the shots."
"Wait...what?"
"You heard me. I'm senior director of the Ethereal Legion now, which makes me the most powerful person in the multiverse apart from maybe the High Aether. I could have an entire dimension shot, I could do anything. I'm fifteen, for goodness sake! How can a stupid teenager be allowed to sit on so much? I should be in school, drawing pictures and making jokes."
Ganke stayed silent, sinking down into the couch, not sure what to say about his old friend being dead. Jacob slid down the wall next to his friend.
"He always knew I wasn't ready, and he was right."
"Maybe he didn't think you were ready when he put that protocol there, but he knew you would be when the time came?"
"That's about as easy to swallow as a rat. It was supposed to be Charlotte, not me."
"But it is you, Max. You can sit here and do nothing with it, or you can go and fix all the mistakes your dad made and win this war. There's always the other directors to stop you doing anything too stupid."
Max nodded, wiping away his tears and standing up.
"I'm not ready, but you're right. If I just sit here, the Scarlet King will just walk over us all. I have to go and speak to the thing that created the creature that killed Dad. I'll see you later, Uncle G, Jake."
"You might want to speak to Grace, she was heartbroken when I said you were dead."
"I'll get round to it."
Max and Teresa were dropped off by an Ares inside a heavily guarded compound. One building was barricaded and Legion soldiers were holding the line. The sergeant saluted them.
"SCP-049 controls the entire building. Last we heard, he's outside 939's containment cell."
"Understood. We'll go in alone; 049 may be more reasonable that way." Said Teresa.
"Good luck."
Two soldiers kicked open the door, shining their gun lights down the dark corridor. The directors entered and the soldiers retreated back outside. As the pair walked, Max felt an odd sense of deja vu. A light was on in a room a little further down the corridor. They approached cautiously, turning to look inside. A cloaked figure stood over a human corpse, delicately performing some sort of surgery.
"SCP-049."
The figure put down their tools and turned revealing a mask identical to those worn by plague doctors during the Black Death.
"Bonsoir. C'est une journée belle." 049 replied.
Max glanced at Teresa, then tried some of the few words of French he knew from his adventures with Duolingo.
"Tu parles Anglais?"
"Oui, tu préfères ça?
"Yes."
"Very well. I speak the King's English well enough."
"Why are you creating soldiers for Khahrahk?"
"I am a doctor, a practitioner of medicine. I seek to cure the Pestilence."
"And making lizard-octopus hybrids is curing it? What even is the Pestilence?"
"I have tried to explain many times. It would seem I am the only one who is not too narrow-minded to comprehend it. You are welcome to read my research notes...again."
"The things you created killed my dad."
"There will be suffering in my search for a cure."
Max didn't know why, but this made him snap.
"You aren't a doctor at all! You're just some stupid man in a costume looking for an answer to your own delusion! Is that what my dad is? Just a number on your list of all the people you've killed?"
049 regarded the spider curiously.
"You believe I am to blame."
"You created the thing that did it, so you are."
"I cured them."
"And gave the King an army. How many have you created?"
"I lose count of the patients I have treated."
Max completely snapped, leaping forward and throwing a punch into 049's chest. The Plague Doctor flew back, tumbling over the desk he was operating on and landing against the wall. Before Teresa could stop him, he grabbed the pistol holstered on her waist and aimed it at 049's head.
"You're gonna get up, go back to your cell and hope I don't come knocking."
The SCP returned to its feet.
"As you wish."
049 walked past and made its way back into its cell. Teresa tapped her com badge.
"Chelsea to perimeter: SCP-049 is secure."
"I get why you're angry, but you need to calm down." Said Teresa sternly.
They were back on the Ares being returned to the Legion headquarters.
"I'm sorry. I just..."
"I don't want excuses. Good leaders don't make excuses. They accept their mistakes, dust themselves off and learn from them. What's the mistake you made today?"
"Losing my temper."
"That wasn't a mistake, that was a human reaction. Your mistake was punching one of the more dangerous anomalies contained by the Foundation branch."
"That guy belongs in a mental asylum, not a Foundation cell. There's nothing anomalous about him."
"Actually there is. He's immortal, his bag is infinitely large. There's a whole list, but we aren't talking about this. Right now we need to weaken the Scarlet King. As senior director, do you have any ideas?"
Max shook his head as the Ares touched down in a hangar.
"Alright. You need some sleep. It's been a long day."
Crossovers in this Chapter
- SCP Foundation